Murder probe was a shambles, claims sacked garda

A sacked superintendent said a murder investigation was “a shambles” when he took it over in Co Donegal in 1997, the Moriarty Tribunal heard today.

Supt Kevin Lennon, who was dismissed by the Garda Commissioner last summer, was critical of the former head of the Co Donegal garda division, chief supt Denis Fitzpatrick whom he began cross-examining today.

Supt Lennon took control of the second garda investigation into the death of Raphoe cattle dealer Richie Barron when he was transferred to Letterkenny in February 1997.

He said: “I took over a shambles. This matter shouldn’t have been left on my desk half-done and half not done.

“I was being sacrificed on the altar of inefficiency and incompetence of that first investigation.

“Without briefings or anything I walked into a hornet’s nest,” he added.

Chief supt Fitzpatrick, who retired early last September after he was criticised in the tribunal’s first interim report, replied to Supt Lennon: “When you take over a district you take it over. You take what is there and you get on with it.”

But Supt Lennon countered: “I had heard of this mess and you were not trying to transfer this blame onto me.”

Earlier chief supt Fitzpatrick said that a fruitless three-day search ordered by Supt Lennon on a farm near Raphoe in 1997 had “a lot of resemblance” to previous bogus explosives finds examined by the tribunal.

He went on: “You expected a find. You had built up expectations but the missing ingredient was that there was no find at all. You had the very strong expectation that a find would be made.”

Supt Lennon said: “Are you saying bluntly to the public of Ireland that I put (informer) William Doherty up to that search?”

“I have no evidence to say that ... but that is my belief,” replied chief supt Fitzpatrick.

Supt Lennon then asked the witness to withdraw this allegation but he refused.

Supt Lennon went on: “You are wrong and you are misrepresenting the facts and manipulating this tribunal and the public of Ireland against me.

“You were out to denounce me from day one.

“You are relying on your evidence on the last (explosives) module to play to the public of Ireland that I am a devious manipulator.”

“To some extent yes,” added chief supt Fitzpatrick.

Earlier, the retired head of the Donegal division denied that he had attempted to quash the prosecution of an unnamed informer on a drink-driving charge in exchange for intelligence information.

The tribunal resumes on Monday.