A detective garda denied there was a conspiracy among officers before the Morris tribunal to reject claims that graphic autopsy photographs had been shown to suspects during a murder inquiry.
Detective Garda Patrick Tague said he did not show gruesome pictures and did not assault Donegal man Mark McConnell when he was brought in for questioning over the death of Raphoe cattle dealer Richie Barron.
Tribunal Counsel, Peter Charleton, SC
Tribunal counsel Peter Charleton, SC, said: "There is a huge culture of denial in relation to showing photographs which doesn't seem to accord with reality, I mean people are denying things left, right and centre.
"Showing the photographs is not Garda policy," the detective garda replied.
Mr McConnell was wrongly arrested a number of times during the botched investigation into the death of cattle dealer Mr Barron.
Gardaí believed Mr McConnell and his cousin Frank McBrearty jnr had killed the cattle dealer. However, it was later ruled that Mr Barron was the victim of a hit-and-run.
During his first arrest in December 1996, Mr McConnell alleges he was intimidated, physically assaulted, abused, sworn at, shown a false confession and shown graphic autopsy photographs.
The tribunal heard Gda John O'Dowd, Sgt Martin Moylan, Det Gda John Dooley and Det Sgt John White have already admitted showing the photographs to people on the periphery of the murder investigation.
"Now these photographs are being shown to peripheral individuals and they [are] motivated apparently to shock them into a realisation of what happened, you went in there as you said yesterday with a fixed belief Mark McConnell had something to do with this murder and you didn't show photographs," Mr Charleton said.
Det Gda Tague reiterated he had not shown the photographs to Mr McConnell.
He said he did not have a discussion with Sgt Moylan in relation to denying showing the photographs.