GIVING EVIDENCE from behind a screen, a former senior RUC officer told the Smithwick Tribunal in Dublin that when he was posted to Newry as head of special branch in 1988, some 22 RUC officers had been killed in the preceding 21 months. A former assistant chief constable of Northern Ireland yesterday recalled how he used to regularly travel south of the Border in his work.
Identified only as Witness 27, the now retired RUC officer told the tribunal that on at least three occasions he took a member of the Garda to meet an informer in the Dundalk area. He said he regarded co-operation with gardaí as essential in combating the terrorist threat and established a relationship with Det Sgt Owen Corrigan of Dundalk Garda station.
On one occasion when he was taking Mr Corrigan to see an RUC informer in the Dundalk area, he said Mr Corrigan had spotted two cars known to be associated with the IRA.
He said Mr Corrigan had shouted “it’s a f***ing trap” and had driven rapidly away, escorting the RUC man back to the Border. Mr Corrigan’s action may have saved both their lives, he said.
Witness 27 also said he had been scheduled to attend a meeting in Dundalk Garda station along with RUC colleagues Chief Supt Harry Breen and Supt Bob Buchanan, on March 20th, 1989. However, he was delayed in Newry and the other officers travelled to the meeting without him. They were killed in an IRA ambush close to the Border in Co Armagh on their way back to Armagh city.
Witness 27 also revealed the IRA who had carried out the killings had taken a personal diary from one of the officers. In it the IRA had found phone numbers for senior RUC officers including Witness 27.
He received threatening calls immediately and changed his number and car but the IRA were able to get his new number and the registration of his new car. Shortly after that a sixth attempt was made on his life and he moved to England.
He said he had worked closely with many police forces across the world and rumours about some officers were commonplace. He told the tribunal he had heard rumours Mr Corrigan, whom he described as his Garda “source”, had links to the IRA but he did not give them any credit.
The tribunal is inquiring into suggestions that a member or members of the Garda in Dundalk colluded with the IRA in the killings of the two officers. The tribunal has granted legal representation to Mr Corrigan, former Sgt Finbarr Hickey and former Sgt Leo Colston.
Witness 27 was the second senior police officer yesterday to tell the tribunal he rejected rumours that Mr Corrigan was involved with the IRA. Former Dundalk Supt John Nolan told Judge Peter Smithwick he had been concerned about the “extra-curricular” activities of the detective sergeant, but he did not believe he was an IRA mole.
Mr Nolan said there were suspicions that Mr Corrigan was involved in smuggling cars into the Republic from Northern Ireland and he agreed with counsel for the tribunal Justin Dillon that a smuggling operation of that nature could not have taken place without the sanction of the Provisional IRA in the Border region. But Mr Nolan said despite his concern about Mr Corrigan he did not believe he was an IRA informer.
