Abbeylara chairman rules out fifth bullet theory

The chairman of the Abbeylara Tribunal has formally ruled out the possibility that John Carthy may have been hit by a fifth bullet fired by a garda who was not a member of the armed Emergency Response Unit.

The finding was Justice Robert Barr’s latest attempt to defuse a row between himself and the Gardaí involved in the operation that led to Mr Carthy being shot dead following a 24-hour siege at his home in Abbeylara, Co Longford, in April 2000.

Justice Barr said today that he was satisfied that two pathologists had conclusively ruled out the fifth bullet theory.

A solicitor for the Gardaí said his clients were satisfied with the finding and would now willingly give evidence to the tribunal.