McBrearty: I felt like one of the Guildford Four

A Donegal father-of-four felt like a member of the Guildford Four after being interrogated about a murder which never happened, the Morris Tribunal heard today.

Frank McBrearty Jnr said his entire family was subjected to an attempted frame-up by gardaí investigating the death of Raphoe cattle-dealer Richie Barron on October 14, 1996.

The publican was questioned for 12 hours at Letterkenny Garda Station on December 4, 1996 during which time he said he was physically and mentally abused.

“The bottom line is that that there (allegation) is constructed in such a way that it’s framing me for murder and was framing my father as in the Guildford Four case,” he told the tribunal.

“The two McBreartys are the same as Giuseppe Conlon (and his father).”

The Guildford Four included Gerry Conlon, Giuseppe’s son, who was wrongly convicted of the October 1974 IRA Guildford pub bombing, which killed five people.

They were released in 1990 after serving 15 years in prison and their convictions were quashed.

Giuseppe Conlon died in prison after being wrongly convicted of running a bomb-making factory in the 1970’s.

The Morris tribunal is sitting in Donegal town. Frank McBrearty Snr is due to give evidence later this week after he was allegedly harassed by gardaí probing the Barron death.

He was later found to have been the victim of a hit-and-run road accident.

Mr McBrearty Jnr added that it was being shoved down his throat that he was a murderer.

“I would be defending myself, saying I am an innocent man, I can prove I am an innocent man, I have witnesses in the pub.

“I didn’t batter anybody, I didn’t threaten anybody.”

The witness manages the family-run Frankie’s Nite Club in Raphoe and was accused by gardaí of leaving the premises to commit murder using an iron bar.

He was never charged with the offence and was awarded €1.5m in damages and given an apology by the Government last month.

Mr McBrearty added: “It’s dragged on for 10 years, this conspiracy against my family.

“If we had been charged on the first day we would have got justice through the courts through our legal team. We could have brought out everything in the courts.”

He added that investigators had shown him graphic photos from the scene of Mr Barron’s death which had left him traumatised.

The hearing is continuing.