Nightclub raid started silver bullet saga

The Silver Bullet affair began in August 1997, when a petty criminal from Sligo, Bernard Conlon, was found drinking after hours in a Raphoe nightclub owned by the McBrearty family.

Conlon, described as unreliable, was the only one out of 40 or so punters enjoying a country and western night in Frankie’s to have his name taken when gardai raided the pub.

Two years later he claimed he had been asked by Detective Sergeant John White to become an agent provocateur.

The 50-year-old said he was told to be found on during the raid and act as state witness when a prosecution was brought.

Conlon went on to claim he was also told to make up a story about two men calling to his house on July 20, 1998 in Sligo, calling him informer Conlon and threatening his life with a silver bullet unless he changed his statement.

He falsely identified them as Mark McConnell and Michael Peoples, members of the extended McBrearty family.

Conlon named Det Sgt White as the brains behind the Silver Bullet scam and said he was paid hundred of pounds for his part.

He has a string of past convictions for offences including fraud and burglary culminating in 2002 when he was given a three-year suspended sentence for making the false statements.

:: Findings

Det Sgt John White was cleared by direction of a trial judge in February 2005 of attempting to pervert the course of justice and making false statements in relation to the incident.

Judge Morris found no evidence the officer was the brains behind the Silver Bullet affair.

But he said he gave evidence which was contrived and mischievous and calculated to cast suspicion on his colleagues Inspector Gerry Connolly and Det Gda John McHale.

“He has told these lies to distract from his own association with Bernard Conlon. It was a clear attempt to insinuate that Inspector Connolly and Det Gda McHale had acted in a sinister and cloak and dagger fashion,” the report found.

It also found Det Sgt White displayed gross insubordination by threatening his superiors when first questioned over his links with Bernard Conlon.