Apprentices were 'treated like dirt' by officer, Defence Forces Tribunal told

Defence Forces Tribunal witness Brian Murphy broke down in tears as he recounted the last days and hours before Oliver Mullaney took his own life. Picture: Neil Michael

An army apprentice who ended his life over 35 years ago was one of more than 50 apprentices who were “treated like dirt” by a particular officer, the Defence Forces Tribunal has heard.

Oliver Mullaney was allegedly repeatedly humiliated and berated in front of other apprentices by the officer — who cannot be named for legal reasons — two days before he died on June 22, 1991.

Fellow apprentice Brian Murphy broke down in tears as he recounted the last days and hours before Mr Mullaney took his own life.

As he began, he turned to one of Mr Mullaney’s sisters in attendance at the tribunal and said: “I just want to say to Oli’s family, I am so sorry.”

After a few minutes struggling to speak, he said that on June 20, 1991, the unnamed officer — known in the tribunal as 2LTB —had constantly “abused” apprentices.

“We were treated like we were dirt,” he recalled.

He said there was just constant “harassment” that day for everybody but Mr Mullaney had been particularly singled out by 2LTB. 

He “had a particular focus on Oli, he slagged him, made various derogatory comments”.

Mr Murphy recalled that 2LTB went “constantly back to Oli”.

Mr Murphy said: “[Mr Mullaney] was extremely upset. He got into bed [that night] and started crying, he cried and he cried and he cried.”

He also recalled how Mr Mullaney then went “very quiet” over the next day and on the day he died.

After the events of Thursday — which lawyers have told the tribunal that 2LTB “vehemently denies” — “he wasn’t his normal self”.

The tribunal also heard parents of one of Mr Mullaney’s fellow apprentices who suffered a nervous breakdown after allegedly being repeatedly beaten and picked on by 2LBT were not allowed to take him home unless they paid £2,000 cash for him.

Mary Traynor said she got a call from one of her son Damien’s fellow apprentices who told her there had been “an incident”, in which he smashed up a pool table.

The incident happened just weeks before Mr Mullaney died.

Herself and her husband Patrick rushed from their home in Monaghan to see Damien at the Apprentice School in Devoy Barracks, in Co Kildare.

She said the army initially refused to let her see her son — who was detained by army authorities after the pool table incident.

But after they finally allowed the couple into the base and they were brought into a room to see him, she said herself and Patrick were “shocked” at how he looked.

“We were horrified at his appearance,” she told the tribunal. 

“He looked so drained, so worn out. He had deteriorated so much.” 

Damien Traynor said apprentices repeatedly warned 'someone is going to have to die' for the abuse to stop. Picture Neil Michael

She added: “We had never seen anything like this.”

She then decided she wanted to take him home but told the tribunal the army would not let her take him unless they paid, and paid in cash.

She said: “We wanted to take him home. But [the army] said we’d have to pay. We couldn’t give them a cheque, they said it would have to be cash.”

It was only after they returned with £2,000 cash, that he was released back into their care.

In his own testimony earlier in the day, Damien Traynor said apprentices repeatedly warned “someone is going to have to die” for the abuse to stop just months before Mr Mullaney died.

Mr Traynor told the tribunal he was beaten and attacked so many times that he ended up having a mental breakdown.

He broke down in tears as he recalled being repeatedly punched and kicked by 2LTB — who, the tribunal has previously heard, forced another soldier to eat an ashtray filled with cigarette butts.

The tribunal continues next week.