Female garda denies psychologically abusing woman

A female garda today insisted she played no part in the psychological torture meted out to a mother-of-three at Letterkenny station despite shocking revelations from two other officers that she did.

During an hour of intense questioning at the Morris Tribunal, Garda Joan Gallagher adamantly denied pulling Katrina Brolly’s hair.

She claimed she could not remember graphic post mortem photos being thrust in Mrs Brolly’s face or lights being flicked on and off.

Gda Gallagher said she had no idea why her friend and former colleague Gda John Dooley and senior Detective Sergeant John White said the late night questioning turned into abuse.

At one point she suggested the claims may have been due to Gda Dooley’s mental state.

“I believe that Gda Dooley believes what he is saying. I don’t think that he thinks he is telling lies but I know it didn’t happen,” she said.

Agreeing it was unusual for her to differ so greatly with officers, she said: “I don’t think Gda Dooley is saying anything out of malice or is out to get anyone.

“Unfortunately I’m not qualified to say if it is delusional.”

Under pressure from tribunal chairman Mr Justice Frederick Morris, she said: “I would have thought I knew John Dooley well enough, that he is an honest man. I’m not suggesting it is his recent illness, maybe it has something to do with it, I don’t know.”

But insisting it was a long, boring interview, Gda Gallagher repeatedly denied assaulting Mrs Brolly.

“Did you go around the table and pull her hair?” tribunal barrister Anthony Barr SC asked.

“No,” was Gda Gallagher’s curt reply.

Mr Barr pressed her: “Did you go anywhere near her?”

“No,” again came the blunt reply.

Gda Gallagher then agreed it was a blatant and intentional lie by Mrs Brolly.

Under further pressure from Judge Morris, Gda Gallagher admitted foul and abusive language may have been used.

Mrs Brolly has said she was called a lying bastard and Satan.

“Bad language is almost part of daily use by guards and it’s quite possible there was bad language,” she said.

“I can’t say it didn’t happen ... it’s something you hear everyday.”

Gda Gallagher admitted she was in pain with a bad back, was tired and that suspect Katrina Brolly was arrogant and dismissive during the interview.

But she insisted she did not crack under the strain and attack the mother-of-three.

“She (Mrs Brolly) seemed to be totally undaunted by the whole thing, maybe arrogant is the wrong word,” Gda Gallagher said, insisting that she was not annoyed by Mrs Brolly’s attitude.

“I’d say dismissive definitely. They were trying to get an answer to a question that they felt was important and Mrs Brolly was not taking it seriously.”

Gda Gallagher, an officer with over 20 years experience, revealed the only reason she sat in on the interrogation was because she was bored.

She said her encounters with Mrs Brolly were pleasant and perfectly friendly.

Eventually, she said the heavy-handed interrogation must have happened in an interview she did not attend.

“My honest feeling on it is that it happened in another interview,” she said.

Gda Gallagher said the only things she remembered about the interview were questions about a phone call made from the Brolly house to Letterkenny Hospital and claims that Mrs Brolly was being bribed by Frank McBrearty Senior.

“That’s my recollection. It was a very long boring interview.”