Garda 'smuggled camcorder into nightclub', tribunal told

A former member of the gardaí’s elite national surveillance unit today told a tribunal she smuggled a camcorder into a Donegal nightclub during a covert operation to expose liquor licensing law breaches.

Detective Sergeant Noleen Griffin told the Morris Tribunal she was asked by former Det Sgt John White to inspect Frank McBrearty Senior’s Raphoe nightclub in April 1997, when she worked in the county as a then sergeant.

The tribunal is investigating harassment allegations made by the McBreartys against gardaí, who are accused of singling out the family’s business for excessive inspections after the 1996 death of cattle dealer Richie Barron, a hit-and-run victim.

Frank McBrearty Junior and cousin Mark McConnell were wrongly implicated in Mr Barron’s death.

“Sgt John White gave me the camera,” she said.

“It was quite large. I had it in my handbag with a flap over the top of the handbag.”

Det Sgt Griffin said on the night of April 20, 1997, she paid the entrance fee to Frankie’s Nightclub and did not reveal who she was.

After trading hours the first two shutters of the ground floor bar closed, but the remainder were left open and she said she saw members of the public being served drinks.

“I approached the ground floor area of the bar and had the video in operation and I observed customers being served drinks by the bar staff,” she said.

“I believe the reason that I was put up for that duty was I had carried out surveillance duties in the past.

“I was a member of the surveillance unit.

“I wasn’t known, even though I’m from Donegal and all my service was in Dublin,” she said.

It is alleged senior gardaí ordered officers to put pressure on the McBreartys to reveal covered-up information about Mr Barron’s death.