A Donegal garda has denied telling a relative of one of the men who became leading suspects in the murder investigation following the death of Raphoe cattle dealer Mr Richie Barron to "play along" with hoax extortion telephone calls. Gerard Cunningham reports.
Garda Flynn also denied telling Michael Peoples to "play along" when he received hoax extortion phone calls relating to the death of Mr Barron. Mr Peoples wife, Charlotte, is a cousin of Mrs Roisín McConnell, wife of Mr Mark McConnell, who along with Mr Frank McBrearty jnr, became a suspect in a Garda murder investigation following Mr Barron's death. The anonymous caller wanted Mr Peoples to bring cash to a pub in Donegal or he would make a statement to gardaí implicating him in Mr Barron's death.
"I would have asked them to keep a record of all calls. I certainly wouldn't have told them to play along," Garda Flynn said. In evidence to the tribunal last year, Mr Peoples said he was told to "play along" in order to find out who was phoning him.
The Peoples made statements to Garda Phil Collins about the phone calls.
Tribunal lawyer Mr Anthony Barr SC said that one of the reasons given for the arrest of Mr Peoples on December 4th, 1996, was that he had gone to a pub after extortion calls to see who was trying blackmail him.
"I felt Mr Peoples was arrested legally, to do with phone calls made from his house to the hospital," Garda Flynn said.
Garda Flynn said he was surprised when he heard that Mr Frank McBrearty jnr had allegedly confessed to murder, as it was inconsistent with his earlier statements to gardaí.
Garda Flynn also said he did not take a statement in his home during the investigation. Last week, Mr Paul Roulston told the tribunal he had made a statement to Garda Pat Flynn in January 1997. "In 25 years in the Garda, I have never taken a statement in my home," Garda Flynn told the tribunal.
He said he did have a meeting in his house with Mr Roulston, but this was only to arrange for a future meeting to be set up with another man, Mr Roderick Donnelly, to make a statement.
Garda Flynn also denied meeting with Mr Donnelly in the car-park of the White Cross Inn. "I never met Roderick Donnelly until the taking of the statement at Lifford Garda station," he said.
Mr Donnelly was brought to the station by the Roulstons, who introduced him to Mr Donnelly.
Mr Roulston took no part in the making of the statement, Garda Flynn said. After the statement was read back to Mr Donnelly, he signed it.
Earlier, Mr Derrick "Darcy" Connolly (37) said Mr Roderick Donnelly never told him he saw Mr Frank McBrearty jnr on the night of the death of Mr Richie Barron.
Mr Connolly also said he never had any contact with Det Sgt White, and had no conversation with him at any stage, and he told Mr Brian Murphy BL he never gave any information to Garda John O'Dowd about Mr Barron's death.