Garda: Man had reputation as drug dealer before article

A GARDA told the High Court yesterday that a man had a reputation as a drug dealer and money lender before he was allegedly libelled by a newspaper accusing him of being a Traveller “drug king”.

Det Garda Eddie McHale, who has been an officer in Sligo for 30 years, said Martin McDonagh’s reputation was known in the town before the Sunday World published an article accusing him of having masterminded the importation of €500,000 worth of cannabis and ecstasy which was seized by gardaí in Tubercurry, Co Sligo, in September 1999.

The newspaper denies the claim and says the words complained of are true in substance and fact.

He said Mr McDonagh, aged 45, a father of eight from Cranmore Drive, Sligo, was also known locally as “The Shark” before the article was published on September 5, 1999, accusing him of being a new drug king and saying he was involved in money-lending.

Gda McHale, giving evidence on the third day of the libel action, said that during a number of interviews after his arrest over the drugs seizure, Mr McDonagh insisted he was never involved and accused his brother Michael of being the “Mr Big” in drug dealing.

Mr McDonagh has claimed gardaí “made up” all the things they claim he said in those interviews which took place while he was detained for seven days at Manorhamilton Garda Station.

Mr McDonagh claimed in the interviews that it was Michael, his brother, who was the “Mr Big”, said Gda McHale.

He said after he was shown a copy of the Sunday World article, which was published while he was still in detention being questioned, Mr McDonagh said the Sunday World “has me destroyed” and that Sinn Féin would be “after me” though they know “I am not involved”.

Gda McHale told Eoin McCullough SC, for the newspaper, that he wrote down everything Mr McDonagh said during the interviews and the notes had been kept in Sligo Garda Station since 1999.

The trial resumes next Tuesday.