Morris tribunal:A Garda expert on licensing laws has said he would treat an early warning system designed to foil inspections of licensed premises very seriously.
The tribunal is hearing evidence from Chief Supt John Kelly, who was asked by tribunal barrister Kathleen Leader how he would treat a business that used such a system.
Chief Supt Kelly said he had encountered one such situation in his career and he sent student gardaí into the nightclub undercover as "agent provocateurs".
"I got student gardaí in as patrons to the disco," Chief Supt Kelly explained. "I asked them to watch when I arrived what happened. When I arrived, the bell rang behind the bar and the shutters went down. So when I arrived in the bar, the shutters were closed." He prosecuted that nightclub's owners, and informed the local fire chief, who also carried out inspections.
The tribunal previously heard that Raphoe publican Frank McBrearty snr admit that closed-circuit cameras and flashing lights was used as a warning when gardaí were approaching to inspect his nightclub.
Mr McBrearty claims gardaí tried to drive him out of business after his family were wrongly identified as murder suspects over the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron.