Witness disputes line in deposition at Rossiter inquest

A woman who made a statement to gardaí in relation to Brian Rossiter's arrest has disputed what was in her deposition.

Annmarie Hannigan told the inquest into the death of the 14-year-old that the gardaí were rough with Brian and his friend Anthony O'Sullivan when they were arresting them on September 10, 2002.

Ms Hannigan witnessed the arrest of the two boys and said that it looked as if the gardaí were hitting Brian Rossiter into the back of the head to force him forward.

She remembered one of the guards hitting one of the boys with a torch, but she wasn't sure which one it was.

She told the coroner today that she had a problem with one line in her deposition which states that nothing happened between the gardaí and Brian Rossiter.

She claimed she never said that because that's not what she saw.

When asked if she had a personal interest in the teenager's injuries, she replied: "No".

She was then asked if she was related to Noel Hannigan and she said: "Yes, I am his sister."

Earlier, Garda Padraig Jennings and Garda Padraig Frawley recalled arresting Brian Rossiter and both said that nothing happened that could have caused his injuries.