Garda station bugged during death probe, Tribunal told

A garda station was bugged during the detention of prisoners during a botched death probe in Donegal, a former garda revealed today.

The Morris Tribunal was told that a conversation was taped between a woman and her mother in Letterkenny Garda Station by officers investigating the apparent murder of cattle dealer Richie Barron.

Retired Detective Garda John Dooley said he denied any knowledge of the bugging in the past because he didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to himself, but stressed he had no reason to lie.

Last year, the detective broke down in tears as he admitted to the tribunal that he and Det Sgt John White mistreated and abused Roisin McConnell and her sister Katrina Brolly when they were held in custody on December 4, 1996.

Mr Dooley said that it was between interviews with Mrs McConnell that he and the disgraced former garda met Sgt Joe Costello, from Garda HQ’s technical support unit, in a corridor where bugging was discussed.

“Sgt White said to Joe Costello how are the tapes going? And he said they are talking very very low,” he said.

“I felt they may have wanted to talk in private conversation and I said to John White I’ll go to the kitchen and you’ll get me there.”

Mr Dooley said he later asked his colleague what it was all about.

“He said Roisin McConnell had a visit from her mother…. And that the room was bugged, but there were difficulties because they were speaking very low.”

Sgt Costello and An Garda Siochana denies the allegations.

Gardai wrongly believed Roisin’s husband, Mark McConnell, and his cousin Frank McBrearty Jnr, had murdered Mr Barron in October 1996.

Around 10 other people – many related to the McBrearty family – were arrested on the same day on suspicion of aiding the pair.

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

Mr Dooley was quizzed on how clear his recollection was of his encounter with Sgt Costello.

“I’m 100% sure about this,” he replied.

“I never saw Sgt Costello before or since until I saw him outside the building here this morning. I recognised him instantly.

“I am very clear on that Chairman because it was a new departure for me to hear of this. I’m 100% I had that conversation.”

Accusations of bugging in the station were initially made by disgraced Det Sgt White more than five years ago, although he told the tribunal he can’t recall this specific conversation.

He said he had been isolated for seven years because he made the claims, which no-one had backed.

The former officer was sacked from the force at the end of 2006 after he was heavily criticised by tribunal chairman Mr Justice Frederick Morris in three tribunal reports last summer.

Mr Dooley was today asked why he initially lied about the bugging, only changing his story to tribunal investigators in October 2005.

“At the time I had a lot of issues of my own,” he said.

“I had my own skeletons in relation to the interviewing and abuse of prisoners which I hadn’t admitted and that was my primary reason for not admitting it.

“I felt at the time, rightly or wrongly, that I may have drawn unnecessary attention on myself.

“It was the best I could do at the time chairman, but I do realise and I apologise for it, It was the wrong thing to do.”

Ms Sean Quinn, BL for Sgt Costello, said his story did not add up, pointing out that Mr White recalled having a conversation with the officer at a different time of the day.