Garda said private eye confessions were false, tribunal told

A garda sergeant told a private detective during a secret meeting that he knew confessions in a botched murder inquiry were false, the Morris Tribunal heard today.

Tom Coffey was hired as part of a team of private investigators by a Donegal family wrongly arrested over the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron in 1996.

He claims he met with ex-detective sergeant John White, an investigating officer in the case, at Mr Coffey’s boss Billy Flynn’s home in Enfield, Co Meath, six years ago.

During the meeting, Mr White told the pair that an alleged statement of admission by Frank McBrearty Junior to Mr Barron’s murder was made up by two gardaí, the tribunal heard.

“John White, if my memory serves me correctly, he referred to [Detective Garda John] Fitzpatrick and [Detective Sergeant John] Melody having concocted part of that statement,” he said.

Mr Coffey claimed Mr White also told him at the meeting on December 20, 2001, the then Chief Superintendent John McGinley put together another false statement of admission to get a confession from another prime suspect.

“In relation to the statement or alleged statement I suggested to John White that if a statement of admission was taken by the gardaí, if the statement was accurate there was no way Frank McBrearty would have been released that day,” he said.

“The DPP would have been contacted and Mr McBrearty Jnr would have been detained in custody had he made a statement of admission.”

He continued: “John White agreed that that would be the normal procedure, that it would be highly unlikely that he would have been released and that certainly the DPP’s office would have been contacted with regard to preferring charges against him.”