Det Insp John Kerin of Henry Street Garda station in Limerick told the Special Criminal Court yesterday of the background of the five men who pleaded guilty to charges connected with the killing of Det Garda Jerry McCabe.
He said Jeremiah Sheehy was born in Newcastle West in Co Limerick but moved to Rathkeale. He was married with two children and worked as a casual labourer with local farmers.
Sheehy had a number of convictions, including a £30 fine in 1981 for an unauthorised H Block collection and a £50 fine in October 1985 for malicious damage and assault.
In December 1989 he was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to 10 years' imprisonment for a post office robbery at Rathkeale, Co Limerick, with the last five years suspended.
Cross-examined by Mr Patrick Gageby SC, for Sheehy, the detective inspector said Sheehy has been in custody since June 1996 and the remaining case against him would have consisted of alleged verbal admissions which would have been controversial.
He agreed that Sheehy had shown signs of remorse and that he had a nervous habit of grimacing.
Michael O'Neill was married with nine children ranging from 26 to seven years of age, and was a forklift driver who had long periods of unemployment. He had no previous convictions.
Cross-examined by Mr Michael Farrell, O'Neill's solicitor, Det Insp Kerin agreed that O'Neill's family were in very poor circumstances and that his wife has a nervous disorder. He also agreed that O'Neill's imprisonment had caused considerable hardship to the family.
The detective inspector said O'Neill's sister was murdered by her husband five years ago and Det Garda McCabe was one of the main investigators in the murder. He also agreed that O'Neill had shown remorse for the death of the garda.
Det Insp Kerin said Pearse McCauley was from Fountain Street in Strabane, was single and had worked in the construction business.
He had one previous conviction, imposed at the Special Criminal Court for having a pistol and ammunition in Dublin in 1993. He was sentenced to seven years' jail but was released in November 1995.
Asked by Mr Justice Johnson why McCauley was released after just two years, the detective inspector said he had no idea. (McCauley was freed under the early release programme for republican prisoners after the 1994 IRA ceasefire.)
Cross-examined by Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, for McCauley, the detective inspector said he was satisfied that McCauley had not fired the shots in Adare.
Kevin Walsh was a married father of two and was a bricklayer who worked on and off. Apart from driving convictions he was convicted at the Special Criminal Court on July 2nd, 1976 for the robbery of a post office van at Killorglin, Co Kerry in April, 1976, and for having firearms and IRA membership. He was sentenced to eight years' jail.
Det Insp Kerin said John Quinn was from Faha, Co Limerick, a carpenter who worked at his father's construction firm and had no previous convictions. Since the Adare killing he had one conviction, for a public order offence and was fined £75 at Limerick District Court on February 4th, 1998.
Cross-examined by Ms Eilis McDermott QC for Quinn, the detective inspector agreed that Quinn was "a message boy or gopher" for the Adare raid. In closing pleas for mitigation, Ms McDermott said that Quinn "very deeply regrets" the tragic events at Adare.
Mr Farrell said O'Neill had already spent two years in custody and had expressed regret for the death of Det Garda McCabe.
Mr MacEntee said that Pearse McCauley had instructed him that he deeply regretted the death of Det Garda McCabe and the consequences to his family and he deeply regretted the wounding of Det Garda O'Sullivan and the consequences to his family.