Sindo editor sorry for family’s ‘distress’

THE editor of the Sunday Independent, Aengus Fanning, has apologised for any offence caused by his newspaper’s coverage of the death of a garda who died while giving birth to twins but defended the story as being of “interest to the public”.

Several newspapers, including the Sunday Independent, were heavily criticised by the Garda Commissioner, Noel Conroy, as well as the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors and the Garda Representative Association over their coverage of the death of Tania Corcoran who died on March 9 after giving birth to twin boys, one of whom also died.

In particular, some newspapers, including the Sunday Independent, were also condemned for highlighting the fact that Ms Corcoran’s husband, Detective Sergeant Aidan McCabe, was centrally involved in the Abbeylara siege which resulted in the death of Longford man John Carty.

Mr Fanning acknowledged that many people found its previous week’s headline insensitive.

“I have no hesitation in offering our deepest sympathy to Garda Aidan McCabe and in apologising to him and to his family, colleagues and friends for adding to their already great distress,” said Mr Fanning.

However, the Sunday Independent editor, said it was his judgement that Det Sgt McCabe’s involvement in the fatal shooting at Abbeylara was “news and of interest to the public”.

A letter from senior Garda spokesperson, Superintendent Kevin Donohoe, writing on behalf of Commissioner Conroy, described the paper’s coverage of Ms Corcoran’s death as representing “a new low in media reporting”.