Former editor found abuse allegation against McCabe was groundless, Charleton Tribunal hears
Former Sunday independent editor Ann Harris investigated an allegation of sexual abuse against garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe in 2013 and found that it was groundless, the Charleton Tribunal has heard.
The tribunal is examining whether there was a garda campaign to smear Sgt McCabe.
Ms Harris said that shortly after journalist Philip Ryan published a story about the penalty points scandal, a freelancer at an editorial conference said "that I didn't know the whole story".
The freelance journalist then told a story of how a garda was driving in his car with his daughter when she saw Sgt McCabe and said "Daddy daddy, that's him, that's the man."
Ms Harris said it was "vague " what had happened, but it was "something inappropriate”.
"I used my own sources, and I set about inquiring if that had reached any further currency," Ms Harris said.
Ms Harris discovered that following a garda investigation, the DPP had directed no prosecution following an allegation of sexual assault against Sgt McCabe, and the allegation was "groundless".
Ms Harris said she never had any dealings with garda Press Officer Supt David Taylor, or with Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan, and did not know either of them.
"That story was raised one more time by the same journalist, but this time I shut it down, that I had investigated it and I knew it to be groundless," Ms Harris said.
Ms Harris went on to say that an editorial conference had to be a "safe place", where journalists could bring rumours and reports they had heard, and know what they said "in lodge" would not go any further.
Earlier, former Commissioner O'Sullivan told the tribunal that she "did not feel comfortable" in the presence of Supt Taylor, and at "times he appeared to be a divisive individual”.
Ms O'Sullivan said it seemed that Supt Taylor did not respect the professionalism of his boss, civilian Communications Director Andrew McLindon, and "there was division and the office wasn't working well together.”
Ms O'Sullivan said she felt it was important to build a media unit that would work well together, and felt that Supt Taylor should be transferred to other duties.
"He did not have my back and I felt for those reasons I could not have him working as my press officer," Ms O'Sullivan said.
Tribunal chairman Mr Justice Peter Charleton confirmed with barrister Michael O'Higgins SC, representing Supt Taylor, that his client was not saying that Ms O'Sullivan had interfered with his mobile phones.
Mr Taylor was also no longer alleging the former commissioner inserted her husband into an investigation against him, or had a role in Supt Taylor's arrest in 2015 following a garda investigation into media leaks.
Conor Dignam SC on behalf of An Garda Síochána, asked Ms O'Sullivan if it gave her any comfort that Supt Taylor had withdrawn many of the allegations in his protected disclosure.
"Absolutely none, when I bear in mind the impact it has had on me and my family and most import public confidence in An Garda Síochána," Ms O'Sullivan said.
