McBrearty son fails to show at tribunal

The son of a man at the centre of Garda harassment allegations did not turn up today to give scheduled evidence at the Morris Tribunal.

Chairman Mr Justice Frederick Morris branded Andy McBrearty’s absence disappointing as he said tribunal personnel had done everything possible to accommodate him.

Mr McBrearty, who lives in Chicago, was scheduled to testify over claims from his father Frank Senior that Donegal gardaí waged a campaign of harassment against the family following a killing of which they were wrongly suspected 10 years ago.

Mr Justice Morris said: “This is very disappointing.

“I’m aware that the tribunal personnel have attempted to facilitate him [Andy McBrearty] in every way possible and today was fixed as the date were he had given an undertaking to attend.

“Why he has changed his mind is hard to understand, however he is not here so we’ll have to proceed without him.

“If he chooses not to attend and not to assist the tribunal that’s a matter for him,” he said.

Tribunal barrister Paul McDermott SC said that as Mr McBrearty lives in the United States, the inquiry could not compel him to attend.

The tribunal is investigating claims the McBrearty family, their Donegal nightclub business and staff were the victims of orchestrated Garda harassment over the October 1996 killing of Raphoe cattle dealer Richie Barron.

Frank McBrearty Junior, Andy’s brother, and their cousin Mark McConnell were both wrongly suspected of the death by gardaí.

It was later ruled an unsolved hit-and-run and the family cleared of any wrongdoing.

Frank McBrearty Senior claims that from January 1997 onwards, gardaí targeted the family nightclub business for excessive liquor licensing inspections, sometimes two or three times nightly, to put pressure on them over the death.

Andy worked as a manager in the nightclub in 1997 and 1998.

Later Susan Quinn, the wife of extended McBrearty family member Paul Quinn, told the tribunal her husband said gardaí planted drugs on him during a visit to the Raphoe club in February 1997.

“I know for a fact that my husband does not do drugs.

“We are up here trying to claim our innocence for the last 11 years,” she said.