‘Chasm’ opens between garda whistleblowers

An apparent “chasm” has opened up between two garda whistleblowers whose allegations led to the setting up of a tribunal into an alleged campaign by senior officers to smear one of them.

Sgt Maurice McCabe said he was “1,000%” certain that former Garda press officer Superintendent David Taylor told him that ex-commissioner Martin Callinan had sent him “hundreds” of texts urging him to spread false allegations of child sexual abuse by Sgt McCabe to senior gardaí, TDs, and journalists.

However, at the Disclosure Tribunal yesterday, Tara Burns SC, for Supt Taylor, rejected this and said that Mr Callinan never sent her client such texts and that Supt Taylor only sent general texts regarding Sgt McCabe, such as his coverage in the media, to people.