Barr tribunal: A new allegation that a garda at the scene of the siege in Abbeylara was aware of vital information concerning the state of mind of Mr John Carthy forced the Barr tribunal to adjourn after hearing less that 30 minutes of evidence yesterday.
The allegation was made in evidence by Mr Tom Walsh, but had not been contained in his statements to the tribunal.
The tribunal is investigating the events surrounding the shooting dead of Mr Carthy by gardaí on April 20th, 2000.
Mr Walsh, a first cousin of Mr Carthy, told the tribunal that on his arrival at the scene, some four hours after the start of the siege, he informed Garda John Gibbons that Mr Carthy had previously made an allegation of assault against gardaí.
Mr Carthy had claimed he was the victim of police brutality in Granard Garda station after his wrongful arrest for the burning of the Abbeylara football team's goat mascot in September 1998.
"I told him [Garda Gibbons] that John hated the guards after they had beaten him up in the station and that it wouldn't have been helpful for him to see them around the house," Mr Walsh said.
Counsel for the tribunal, Mr Raymond Comyn, asked for proceedings to be halted when it emerged that this information had not been mentioned in any of Mr Walsh's previous statements to the tribunal and the accusation had not been put to Garda Gibbons.
When asked if he had made a statement about his conversation with Garda Gibbons to any member of the Garda, Mr Walsh said he had told Insp Michael Comyns. Mr Justice Barr ordered that Mr Walsh stand down and be given time to make an additional statement to the tribunal.
