A BRITISH agent was yesterday described as “a spacer” by a detective garda at the Smithwick Tribunal.
Justin Dillon SC, for the tribunal, asked Det Garda Tom Fox whether he knew Peter Keeley at the sitting of the tribunal, which is examining allegations of Garda collusion in the killings of RUC chief superintendent Harry Breen and superintendent Bob Buchanan as they returned from a meeting in Dundalk Garda station in 1989.
“He was regarded as a spacer, a person who could not be trusted,” the detective told the inquiry. Mr Keeley also used the names McCann and Kevin Fulton, the tribunal heard.
Mr Keeley has previously said he was told by an IRA commander that a former garda, detective sergeant Owen Corrigan, was passing information to the paramilitaries. Mr Corrigan has described the allegation as a “monstrous lie”.
Det Garda Fox said it was “beyond comprehension” that Mr Corrigan would have leaked information, and said the IRA would have been happy to blacken his name “because of his success in fighting terrorism”. The detective worked with Mr Corrigan in Dundalk Garda station between 1978 and 1990.
He also said he knew an individual called “Mooch” Blair, who was believed to be involved in subversive activities, according to Garda intelligence.
Sgt Donal Smith told the tribunal he could not recall what warnings he had been given about Mr Corrigan when he was transferred to Dundalk Garda station.
In an interview with tribunal investigators before public hearings began, he said he was told to “be careful” about the sergeant when he was moved to the station.
He told Mary Laverty SC, for the tribunal, he could not remember the nature of any warning he received, or who had said it to him. Sgt Smith had joined the force in 1982 and was living in Co Cavan and commuting daily to Dundalk in 1989.
The sergeant agreed with Darren Lehane, for Mr Corrigan, that a warning could cover a wide variety of behaviour, from an individual who was “cranky and abrupt to ‘watch my back’ kind of country”. The tribunal resumes this Tuesday, July 26th.