Detective's anger at 'reprehensible' claims

A senior detective today told the Morris Tribunal that claims he helped stage bogus IRA arms finds and had extra marital affairs were “reprehensible”.

Detective Superintendent Kevin Lennon, giving evidence for the first time at the inquiry, said his life “changed for ever” in April last year when he learnt of the allegations against him.

The superintendent is one of two Garda officers alleged to have prepared explosives, together with alleged IRA informer Adrienne McGlinchey, that later turned up in bogus terrorist arms finds.

Both Kevin Lennon and the second detective, Garda Noel McMahon, have denied all of the allegations against them, and Ms McGlinchey has insisted she was never an informer or a member of the IRA.

Kevin Lennon told the tribunal: “I never provided the materials for the preparation of, took part in the manufacture of or the planting of such materials.

“I did not seek finds, nor did I seek anybody to plant finds. I took them as bona-fide and legitimate at that time as they were found.

“I did not seek credit for any finds that were made in the county of Donegal.

“I worked in a territory that was very difficult to police. I had first-hand knowledge of it.

“I picked out from the drains of border roads the human bodies that were shot in the name of Ireland – executed, murdered because they allegedly worked for the security forces.

“I was there when people were re-located out of this country in the name of Ireland as touts or informers. The list goes on in relation to that.”

Supt Lennon said he had become involved with Ms McGlinchey more than 20 years ago, when he was appointed as liaison officer to oversee Noel McMahon’s handling of her in her alleged informer’s role.

“That’s when I came into the hub of this situation.

“I had a long and distinguished career when I came to 1993 – I had an unblemished career.

“This phase of my life is a chapter I want to turn over. I did not get out of my bed to either push, manufacture or plant hoax explosives.”

Supt Lennon also listed and dismissed a number of other allegations linked to him in connection with police activities in Co Donegal during the 1990s that are also to be examined by the tribunal.

He told inquiry counsel Peter Charleton: “I had a good career in the Garda Síochana and enjoyed every day I was in it until events unfolded and I took over the McBrearty affair in 1997 and from there it was downhill in my career.”

He was later sent on a course with the FBI. When he returned in 1999 he was ordered to hand over the file on the McBrearty affair for it to be read over.

In April that year he was told of allegations that were being made about him, saying: “From that (point) on, my life changed for ever.”

He added: “I have been the subject of many false allegations, in terms of a bomb in a courthouse at Strabane, on which I had no knowledge, that I put a van with explosives, somewhere into Strabane or Lifford, which in untrue, that I obtained financial rewards from various individuals, €1,000 from Mr A, €2,000 from Mr B and €5,000 from Mr C, that I was involved in robbing a van from a carpark in Moville, that I was involved in the planting of drugs in the Point Inn, which has now been withdrawn and is totally untrue, and that I facilitated the purchase of illicit substances from Ms McGlinchey for the purposes of planting in the Point Inn, and various other allegations that I had extra-marital affairs.

“These are reprehensible allegations that the public out there should know, don’t exist, never existed and will never be proved.”

Supt Lennon appeared in the witness box today despite not being scheduled to give evidence until later this month.

Yesterday, Noel McMahon, also now suspended from duty, was unable to continue his evidence – after three weeks – when he was taken ill. He is currently in hospital and will appear again later in the proceedings.