Witness changes evidence on Garda use of force
However, Anne-Marie Hannigan told the inquest into Brian’s death yesterday that the gardaí “were using force” when they arrested Brian and his friend Anthony O’Sullivan.
“They were rough when Brian and Anthony were trying to get away.”
Ms Hannigan was on the street with her friend at 9pm when she saw Brian Rossiter, Anthony O’Sullivan and Daniel Leahy running and “screaming”.
At one point, Daniel Leahy’s father went after them and asked her to ring the gardaí, which she did.
After her friend grabbed Daniel and the latter tripped, his father went over to him but was hit by Daniel, who said, “I’m not going home, what’s the point when you’re only going to kill me”.
One garda arrived in an unmarked car and arrested Daniel after a struggle, and Brian and Anthony ran away, Ms Hannigan told the inquest.
Another garda ran after the two boys and, eventually, she saw them on the corner of Catherine Street and Gladstone Street.
“I saw the garda with Anthony O’Sullivan and his hands behind his back,” said the witness in her statement. “The other garda had Brian Rossiter grabbed the same way, with his hand up behind his back.”
The statement, which was given in the days following the incidents in 2002, continued: “There was nothing happened between the gardaí and Anthony O’Sullivan and Brian Rossiter at the Piper Inn. Daniel Leahy was hit twice by his father. The gardaí didn’t hit anyone, either at the Marystone Mall or the Piper Inn.”
But during questioning by the coroner yesterday, the witness said: “They were using force. They were rough when Brian and Anthony were trying to get away.”
