A DETECTIVE denied yesterday that he put a publican accused of murdering his wife and a child "under pressure" to extract a confession.
Det Sgt Robert McNulty told a jury at the Central Criminal Court that he had not "fabricated" notes of an interview he and another detective had with Mr Francis McCann in Tallaght Garda station.
Earlier, the detective sergeant told the jury that Mr McCann had nodded in agreement when it was suggested he had started the fatal fire which killed his wife and the baby girl.
He was giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court on the 28th day of the trial of Mr McCann (36), who has denied the murders of his wife Esther (36) and 18 month old Jessica at the family home in Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, on September 4th, 1992.
The jury has been told that Jessica was a blood relative of the defendant but not a child of his marriage to Esther. The prosecution has claimed that Mr McCann arranged the fatal fire because he did not want to tell his wife why the Adoption Board had refused the couple's application to adopt Jessica.
The jury has also been told that Mr McCann, who owned the Cooperage pub in Blessington, Co Wicklow, had complained to gardai that he had received threatening phone calls to the pub and his home.
Cross examined by Mr Barry White SC, defending, Del Sgt McNulty denied a suggestion that he had told Mr McCann during the interview in Tallaght that it had been his job to profile" him.
He also denied that he had told Mr McCann he knew exactly how he reacted and had been studying him for two months.
The witness said Mr McCann had not been put under pressure during the interview to extract a confession.
He also said he would not have interviewed Mr McCann if he had been physically or mentally ill at the time.
Del Sgt McNulty denied suggestions that during the interview everyone was standing so no notes could have been made. He also denied a suggestion that during the interview voices were raised.
He told Mr White that notes of the interview were not fabricated and he had written down what happened during the interview.
Asked by Mr White if Mr McCann was "shaking uncontrollably" during the interview, the detective replied. "He was very upset and very emotional."
The trial before Mr Justice Carney and the jury continues today.
