Extracts of a love letter written by Mr John Carthy to his girlfriend two months before he was shot dead by gardaí outside his home at Abbeylara, Co Longford, in April 2000, were read to the Barr tribunal yesterday, writes Olivia Kelly.
The letter, read by counsel for the gardaí, Mr John Rogers, was written in February 2000 when Mr Carthy was undergoing a break-up of the relationship with his girlfriend, Kathleen.
In the letter, Mr Carthy apologises to Kathleen, whose full name has not yet been disclosed, for upset he caused her.
"I will not be pestering you any more. I think too much of you to upset you any further."
Mr Carthy, who suffered from bi-polar disorder or "manic depression", goes on to say that his illness had deterred him from becoming involved in relationships in the past.
He added that he felt his recent behaviour had put a strain on those closest to him including his sister Marie and his friend Mr Martin Shelly, known as Pepper.
"Marie has been very upset and my friendship with Pepper has been put under strain and to them I owe a lot."
Mr Rogers used the extracts in his cross-examination of Mr Shelly to show that Mr Carthy was not well leading up to his shooting and that there was "friction" in his relationships with his sister and Mr Shelly. Mr Shelly, who had previously said that Mr Carthy was "very happy" at that time, replied that John was never angry with him and got on "brilliantly" with his sister.
Meanwhile, a garda and a retired garda, not scheduled to appear before the tribunal, are to be sworn in as witnesses. Det Garda Tom Maguire and former Garda Brian Mongan brought Ms Carthy and Mr Shelly from Galway to Abbeylara the night before Mr Carthy's death.