Journalist had no evidence of campaign to malign Maurice McCabe, tribunal told

By Gerard Cunningham

A journalist has been told there is an obligation to tell the whole truth to the Charleton tribunal.

Irish Mail on Sunday journalist Debbie McCann told the tribunal she could not talk about phone conversations she had with former garda press officer Supt David Taylor before she met with the family of Miss D, who made allegations against Sgt Maurice McCabe in 2006.

The DPP directed no prosecution in relation to the allegations following a garda inquiry.

The tribunal is looking at allegations by Supt Taylor that he was directed to smear whistleblower Sgt McCabe. Former commissioners Martin Callinan and Nóirín O'Sullivan deny there was any smear campaign.

Ms McCann said today that not all her dealings with Supt Taylor when he was garda press officer in 2013 and 2014 would have been on the record and she had an obligation to protect sources.

"Supt Taylor would have been one of a number of people I would have been talking to on and off the record at the time," Ms McCann said.

Ms McCann told the tribunal she had refused to confirm her telephone number to tribunal investigators as she didn't want to give rise to any investigations into her phone number and who her sources were.

Tribunal barrister Patrick Marrinan SC asked Ms McCann if she had any evidence of any attempt by former commissioners Callinan or O'Sullivan to discredit Sgt McCabe.

"I have no evidence of any orchestrated campaign by senior garda management," Ms McCann said.

"I wasn't asking about an orchestrated campaign," Mr Marrinan said.

"I have no evidence of any campaign to malign Sgt McCabe, " Ms McCann said.

I wasn't briefed negatively by any member of an Garda Síochána in relation to Sgt McCabe.

The tribunal chairman, Mr Justice Peter Charleton said this was the first time he had heard this from Ms McCann.

Ms McCann said that in early 2014 there were "murmurings going around, something in relation to Sgt McCabe in his past”. Ms McCann said she did not pay much heed at first, but later she began to look into the rumours.

Mr Marrinan asked if Ms McCann had approached Supt Taylor about the rumours.

"You wouldn't really expect a garda press officer to confirm details like that. I would have my own sources that I would go to," Ms McCann said.

After discussing the story with her news editor, Ms McCann decided to travel to see the D family, to see if she could speak to Miss D, who had made the historic allegation.

"I understood there had been an allegation it was historic in nature. It was an allegation of inappropriate touching, the DPP had directed no prosecution," Ms McCann said.

Ms McCann said she could not answer questions about phone conversations she had with Supt Taylor before she met with Miss D.

The tribunal chairman said that Ms McCann had a patriotic duty to tell the whole truth, and had already stated she was never briefed negatively about Sgt McCabe by any garda.

"The obligation here is to actually tell the truth. You've sworn an oath to that effect, not to pick and choose words," the chairman said.

"I am telling you I know of no smear campaign against Sgt McCabe," Ms McCann said, before the tribunal rose for lunch.

Earlier, Irish Times security and crime editor Conor Lally said no one ever told him that Sgt McCabe was motivated by revenge against garda management, or tried to "plant a seed" in his head.

"Nobody from the guards ever came near me with that particular line or spin on it," Mr Lally said.

Mr Lally said the person who first told him in 2011 of an allegation against Sgt McCabe was not a garda, and was not "wielding any sort of garda agenda."

"The person wasn't a guard, they weren't pro-guard, they weren't trying to wheel out any garda agenda, they weren't poisoned by any guard," Mr Lally said.

Mr Lally said the account of Supt Taylor that he was negatively briefed was "total fantasy".

If anybody had come to me and tried to negatively brief me about Sgt McCabe I would remember it. That would be a big moment.

The tribunal continues.