Detective admits altering murder probe interview notes

A garda detective today admitted he altered interview notes from a murder inquiry after separate approaches from a senior officer and a colleague.

Detective Garda John Harkin said he was asked in a late night telephone call to make a number of changes to the official record of questioning.

He was giving evidence to the Morris Tribunal on the detention of Roisín McConnell, who was arrested on December 4, 1996, in connection with the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron.

Mr Barron was later found to have died as a result of a hit-and-run collision. The botched probe into his death ultimately led to the tribunal and the unravelling of a web of corruption within the force.

Ms McConnell was interrogated by then Inspector John McGinley (later superintendent, recently retired) in the company of Det Garda Harkin who was taking notes.

Later Inspector McGinley said he was a bit hard on the witness during questioning, according to Det Garda Harkin.

He replied to his senior officer that he still had the original interview notes. Inspector McGinley said to him: “Leave it with me”, it was alleged.

A few weeks later Det Garda Harkin said he received a late night telephone call from his colleague Detective Garda (now Sergeant) Brian McEntee, during which he was asked to remove from the record two questions asked by Inspector McGinley.

They were: “What sort of woman are you?” and, “Are you a good woman and are you a religious woman?”

He was further asked to amend the note: “I would say you’re a good woman and I’m going to tell you what happened that night and you tell me if I’m telling you a lie” to “I am going to put this scenario to you and you tell me if I am telling you a lie.”

Garda Harkin said: “He (Det Garda McEntee) obviously had the file in front of him or the note in front of him and proceeded to dictate the changes to me.”

He added: “I said ‘is there much to this?’ and he said: ‘no, very little’, or some words to that effect.”