Garda threatened to crush McBrearty business in six weeks

FORMER Detective Sergeant John White threatened to crush a Donegal nightclub dynasty in just six weeks, the Morris Tribunal heard yesterday.

Solicitor Ken Smyth told the hearings he was acting for the McBrearty family of Raphoe when they began a legal fight with the State over their treatment by gardaí.

Ex-sergeant Mr White was specifically named as a co-defendant in the High Court proceedings drawn up 10 years ago over the alleged harassment.

“I remember it was unusual at the time,” Mr Smyth said.

He said the McBreartys singled out Mr White to be named in the case because they accused him of leading a campaign to destroy their business.

“[The McBrearty family] said that Sgt White in particular... was the person who was putting his head above the parapet, making their lives the most difficult,” Mr Smyth said.

“I think it was Sgt White that the clients instructed me said that we’ll have you gone in six weeks. We’ll have the dynasty gone in six weeks.”

The tribunal is investigating allegations of harassment that led Frank McBrearty Snr to begin legal proceedings against the State in April 1997.

Some 69 summons were served against the publican during the year-and-a-half after 12 members of his extended family were wrongly arrested in a botched murder probe.

The district court summonses — the majority served in relation to Mr McBrearty’s Parting Glass nightclub — were withdrawn in July 2000 on direction of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The tribunal heard the licensee was served just five summons over the 20 years prior to the arrests.

Cormac O’Dullachain SC, acting for Mr White, insisted garda records showed other premises in Raphoe were inspected as often as Mr McBrearty’s pub and nightclub.

But solicitor Conor Connelly told the hearings that his clients, former garda John O’Dowd and serving gardaí Noel Keavney and Shaun Barrett, would not be defending the manner and frequency of the inspections.

Other harassment claims by Mr McBrearty include charges brought for alleged traffic offences, the distribution of defamatory leaflets and business cards and the painting of defamatory slogans in Raphoe.