Angry Morris Tribunal chairman walks out
The former High Court president heading up the Morris Tribunal today dramatically walked out of the inquiry in a remarkable outburst over an alleged attack on his reputation.
A clearly emotional Frederick Morris fumed he was “fed up” with key witnesses in the investigation into garda corruption making defamatory comments about him.
In an uncharacteristic outpouring, never before witnessed at the four-year-old hearings, the normally refined and mild-tempered chairman revealed his anger as what he said were attacks on his reputation.
The former judge said repeated claims by central witness Frank McBrearty Senior that he had not granted his family legal costs were an attack on his reputation.
“Don’t you know that I don’t have power to give you lawyers,” he shouted, pointing his finger at Mr McBrearty Snr at one stage. “Didn’t you go to the High Court and didn’t the High Court say that I don’t have the power.”
In heated exchanges both men shouted over each other until the obviously upset Mr Morris demanded that he be heard, referring to his family and insisting he didn’t have to put up with the criticism. “Listen, Mr McBrearty, don’t be turning the blame on me,” he said.
“It’s not fair that one after the other, various members of your family have come up and given out about me and they’ve made various accusations about me and they’ve said the most appalling, defamatory things – one of you after the other.”
Surprised tribunal barristers and staff looked on with unease as the chairman hit out at the perceived attack on his professional standing and its spilling over into his personal life.
“It’s not fair on my reputation and it’s not fair on my family,” he said. “For you to be saying that time and time and time again. And I’m fed up with it. And there comes a point when I won’t put up with it anymore.
“So just mind what you say from now on. It’s not my fault that you haven’t lawyers - and you know it and you come up here time and time again and you blame me and you know it’s not my fault. Now stop it.”
Unannounced, an angered Mr Morris walked down from his bench and out of the tribunal forcing the hearing to be adjourned for a short time.
Earlier, a former senior garda insisted he never suspected anything was wrong with a false confession by a prime suspect during a murder investigation.
Retired superintendent John Fitzgerald agreed the alleged admission by Frank McBrearty Junior – the son of Frank Snr – fitted in exactly with the garda theory on the death of Richie Barron.
Mr Barron, a cattle dealer, died in a hit-and-run collision near Raphoe, Co Donegal, more than 10 years ago.
Gardaí believed he was murdered at the time and wrongly arrested Mr McBrearty Junior and several members of his family during the botched probe which led to the Morris Tribunal.
Mr Fitzgerald said he was told by Detective Sergeant John Melody on December 4, 1996, that Mr McBrearty Junior had admitted his role in the alleged killing.
“I thought to myself this is the only shred of evidence here that we have that actually puts Frankie and Mark McConnell actually at the scene,” he told the tribunal.
He agreed the statement fitted in entirely with the garda version of events at the time.
Mr Morris said it might be considered remarkable that the garda theory was exactly reflected in the statement.
“And would that not lead you to believe that the contents of that statement are not in fact Mr McBrearty Junior’s words at all but that they had been planted there by somebody who knew the script?” he asked.
Mr Fitzgerald insisted: “I didn’t see it that way at all.”
