Barr Tribunal: The gardaí took risks in a dangerous situation at the Abbeylara siege in an attempt to save John Carthy, a scene commander said at the Barr tribunal yesterday.
Supt Michael Byrne, who took over as scene commander at midnight on the first day of the siege until lunchtime the next day, said gardaí took risks because they feared Mr Carthy would harm himself.
Answering questions about some overseas experts' evidence that the negotiating post should have been moved further away from the house, he said the gardaí "went the extra mile" in an attempt to save Mr Carthy.
Supt Byrne said he was concerned about the safety of the negotiators and everybody there.
"It was highly dangerous. The danger of the situation has really not got into this room," he said.
"I accept that other police forces might not take those chances. They stand well back. Our people, Supt Shelly said here yesterday or the day before, that they went the extra mile. They certainly did, in the attempt to save John."
Mr Michael MacGrath SC, for the tribunal, asked if the decision to leave the negotiating post where it was nearer the house was dictated by the fear that Mr Carthy might harm himself.
"I always feared that something like that could happen. There was potential for that because of what the family had told us earlier on," Supt Byrne said.