Morris Tribunal: A Donegal garda, who faced criticism for drinking on duty the night Raphoe cattle dealer Mr Richie Barron died, said he thought his luck had changed after he found a bomb at a checkpoint in June 1999.
Garda Pádraig Mulligan told the Morris tribunal that his chief superintendent congratulated him on the find and ensuing arrest, telling him he could "forget about Raphoe". But he said the chief superintendent and the Carty team, contacted him later to account for his movements on the night Mr Barron died.
On the bomb find, the garda said he was suspicious of a vehicle that passed while he was on checkpoint duty, and followed it. "We got the two occupants out. We found the makings of a bomb in it. One of the fellows ran off and we arrested the other under Section 30. "There was a bit of good publicity in Donegal over that, instead of the bad publicity. Chief Supt FitzPatrick called me in, he was delighted with our good work. He said: Pádraig, forget about Raphoe, don't look in the rear-view mirror, look forward. You've done good work'.
"I thought I had made amends for any mistakes I made back in 1996," Garda Mulligan said. "I had a bit of good luck for a change, and I thought things would improve for me. Unfortunately it didn't last long."
The Carty team questioned Garda Mulligan about his whereabouts on the night Mr Barron died. He was reluctant to co-operate. In March last year, he told tribunal investigator Mr Brian Steele-Garvie he was drinking on duty.
Garda Mulligan said he was worried that, instead of it being treated as a disciplinary matter, his drinking on duty would be used as grounds to fire him.
"I was hoping I would get some guarantee I'd only be disciplined, but it never came." He said he told his superior, Sgt Hannigan, that Mr Frank McBrearty snr had phoned him expressing concern about the investigation into Mr Barron's death. The garda said he was worried he would be identified as a source of leaks from the investigation to the McBreartys.
"At the time they did feel that information was being passed to the McBreartys. It was in that context I told him about ringing my phone. I thought if they check the phone records and they see my number, they'll think Mulligan is giving information.
"Because my brother-in-law is married to his niece [a member of the McBrearty family\], that was in the back of my mind." He said two years later, Garda Phil Collins said to him he had told Supt Gallagher that he [Garda Mulligan\] was giving information to the McBreartys.