Detective admits publican's family went through hell

A senior detective today said he accepted the McBrearty family went through hell in the years following a botched death probe in Donegal.

Det Insp Eamonn O’Grady told Frank McBrearty Snr at the Morris Tribunal that he sympathised with him for what he had been through.

The inspector interviewed the publican’s son, Frank McBrearty Jnr, during an investigation into the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron in Raphoe.

Gardai in Donegal wrongly suspected Mr McBrearty Jnr and his cousin Mark McConnell murdered Mr Barron.

It was later ruled he was the victim of a hit-and-run. No-one has ever been charged in relation to his death.

Mr McBrearty Snr questioned the inspector as he concluded giving evidence at the tribunal.

Insp O’Grady, a Dublin based Det Sgt in December 1996 who was sent to Donegal to quiz the suspect, said he had no reason not to believe information given to him from local gardai.

Mr McBrearty asked if the garda had discussed a witness statement from Robert Noel McBride, later discovered to be false, placing Mr McBrearty Jnr and his cousin near the area where Mr Barron was found.

“When two superintendents and a detective inspector in the locality brief us with information and they tell us that the information is reliable, I accept it,” Det Insp O’Grady said.

Mr McBrearty Snr asked the detective if he accepted the McBrearty family were innocent and agreed that the McBrearty family was abused.

“I accept the finding of this tribunal,” he said. “I sympathise with what you’ve gone through,”

Mr McBrearty Jnr was arrested on the morning of December 4, 1996 as he drove two of his four children to school.

“I do accept fully his arrest in front of his children and on a public street had an impact on him,” said the inspector.

During his detention for 12 hours at Letterkenny Garda Station Mr McBrearty Jnr claimed he was tortured, accusing gardai of hitting and slapping him, poking him with a pen, kicking him off a chair, and showing him graphic autopsy pictures of Mr Barron.

Gardai deny the allegations.

The Morris Tribunal, which is investigating garda corruption in Donegal, is currently hearing claims some 12 people – many related to the McBrearty family - were interrogated, intimidated and abused during the botched death probe.