Ex garda's anger over death claim

A former Garda today said it was ‘disgusting’ for the Morris Tribunal to suggest he had been responsible for the death of a cattle dealer.

John O’Dowd, responding to tribunal counsel Peter Charleton, said he was ‘100% certain’ that he was not involved in the suspected hit-and-run death of Richie Barron in Raphoe, County Donegal in October 1996.

“It’s a disgusting remark. I’m disgusted with Mr Charleton,” he said.

On the night of Richie Barron’s death, Garda O’Dowd, who was off duty, had been drinking in Lifford 10 miles away with an on-duty officer, Garda Padraig Mulligan.

He told the tribunal that he was in the pub between 12.30am and 1am, the period during which Richie Barron was killed.

However, a local man, Eamon Strain, said he had been stopped in his car by Garda O’Dowd in Raphoe between 12.30 and 1am. He was told by Garda O’Dowd that ‘some poor old c**t is after getting knocked down.”

Mr Charleton said there was more than an hour between Mr Strain’s account - which was backed up by his girlfriend and her brother – and Mr O’Dowd’s.

“They may be completely wrong – but that would make you the only person who knew Mr Barron was dead,” he said.

Mr O’Dowd, who was dismissed from the force last year following an internal disciplinary inquiry, disputed the time, as well as the language.

“There’s no way I used that language, no way in the world,” he said.

However, he was unable to explain why he had claimed in a statement that Mr Strain’s girlfriend was in the car at the time, when she was not.

Mr Charlton asked: “Is it possible that you did not know there was one or two people in that car because you were in a state of extraordinary agitation?”

Mr O’Dowd, on his final day in the witness stand, became visibly upset and took the bible in his hand.

“I am giving my evidence on oath here and I had nothing to do with it and that’s it,” he said.

He added that he was sure his times for the night were correct and those of the other witnesses were wrong.

However, his account of seeing no car at a house he checked during the night also conflicted with another witness, who said it had been parked there since 12.30am.

Mr Charlton asked Mr O’Dowd why there had been a big campaign against Frank McBrearty Junior and Mark McConnell, the two men arrested in connection with the death of Richie Barron

“One theory is that some member of GS was involved in the accident and they wanted to make sure the hit-and-run would never be investigated,” he said.

Mr O’Dowd said the tribunal was on a conspiracy theory to nowhere.

Mr Charlton: “And what do you say happened in the Barron investigation?”

Mr O’Dowd: “It was just a cock up, simple as that....The rumours were believed more than the facts and the facts weren’t checked out, and there was a pile of people arrested, to have it all wrapped up quickly, tickety bow on top of it, murder solved, move on.”