Garda denies sanctioning crackdown on liquor license breaches

The former top garda in Donegal today said he never sanctioned a crackdown on breaches of the liquor licensing law carried out by certain gardaí in the county during the late 1990s.

Retired Chief Superintendent Denis Fitzpatrick told the Morris Tribunal most licensed businesses which served alcohol later than legally allowed would have been ignored as long as there were no public order problems.

But dozens of charges relating to liquor law breaches had been brought against Raphoe publican Frank McBrearty Senior, who claimed gardaí, particularly disgraced former Detective Sergeant John White, had waged a campaign of harassment against his family.

Around the same time officers were probing the October 1996 killing of local cattle dealer Richie Barron, for which Frank McBrearty Junior and his cousin Mark McConnell were wrongly suspected.

“I never gave Sgt White any directions,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.

The tribunal is investigating claims the McBreartys and their nightclub business were the victims of orchestrated harassment and intimidation by gardaí.

Officers, led by Sgt White, allegedly called to the Raphoe premises every night, at times spending more than an hour inside.

The McBreartys claimed they were being targeted over their supposed involvement in the mysterious killing of Mr Barron, which was later ruled an unsolved hit-and-run.

Sgt White previously told the tribunal all premises in the area were being inspected in a crackdown on Raphoe’s near out-of-control public order problem.

More than 60 licensing charges were brought against the McBreartys, all of which were withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in 2000.