A new investigation into the killing of Clodagh Hawe and her three children by her husband in Co Cavan in 2016 has found the initial inquiry mishandled CCTV evidence and missed digital evidence in the case.
A Garda review has uncovered the new information not known at the time of the inquests into their deaths in 2017.
The serious crime review team - or Garda cold case - investigation was established in 2019 and the family of Ms Hawe have been briefed on its findings.
It concluded the initial inquiry also conducted some interviews without the use of interviewers trained to the highest standard for an investigation into murders.
In addition a phone believed to be owned by Alan Hawe, that was not discovered during the first inquiry, was found. It was used to access pornography, including material considered under law as child abuse imagery.
The details are set out in a new book titled Deadly Silence, by Ms Hawe’s sister Jacqueline Connolly, which was published this week.
Ms Connolly is very critical of the initial Garda investigation into the killings of Ms Hawe (39) and her sons Liam (13), Niall (11) and Ryan (6), with the subsequent serious crime review team examination finding a series of shortcomings with that first inquiry.
Ms Connolly believes the report drawn up by the serious crime review team, which the family was not given a copy of but were briefed on in 2024, should be published so society can learn more about such cases.
In reply to queries, Garda Headquarters said that “in general” those reports are not published “for operational reasons”. However, it said the findings of reviews conducted by the Garda’s serious crime review team “are incorporated into senior investigative training”.
The initial Garda investigation team compiled their findings for the coroner’s inquest process. A consultant forensic psychiatrist told the inquest he believed Alan Hawe had “a long-standing depressive illness with anxiety and somatic concerns”. This progressed “to a severe depressive episode with psychotic symptoms”.
However, the inquest process is only designed to conclude how people died, or were killed, rather than establishing motives for homicides. The 2017 Hawe family inquest concluded Mrs Hawe and her sons were unlawfully killed while Alan Hawe had died by suicide.
Neither the initial Garda investigation, nor the subsequent Garda review, reached any conclusions around why Alan Hawe killed his family. Garda investigations progress in a manner that establishes how killings are carried out, and gathers proof about who was responsible. Often in murder investigations carried out by the Garda, motives are not established or are not raised as a part of the prosecution’s evidence in cases that go to the courts.
The murders and suicide occurred at their home in Ballyjamesduff the night before school teacher Alan Hawe (40), his wife Clodagh - who was also a teacher - and their children were due to start the new school year.
