The Special Criminal Court has heard that Maze prison escapee Brendan “Bik” Mc Farlane allegedly told gardaí that he was at a wood in Co Leitrim where kidnapped supermarket executive Don Tidey was held.
Retired Detective Garda Bernie Hanley told the court that Mr McFarlane (56) said; "I was there. You can prove that but I will not talk about it." Later, gardaí clam, he also said: "I am prepared for the big one" and when asked if he meant murder, he replied: "I am prepared for the worst.""
Det Garda Hanley was giving evidence on the sixth day of the trial of Mr McFarlane. Mr McFarlane, a father of three, of Jamaica St in Belfast was arrested outside Dundalk and charged in January 1998.
He has pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning Mr Donald James Tidey on dates unknown between November 24th and December 16th, 1983. He also denies possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life at Derrada Wood, Drumcroman, Ballinamore, Co Leitrim between November 25th and December 16th,1983 and possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose between the same dates.
In a later interview Mr McFarlane made no reply when he was asked if he had been in Derrada Wood when recruit Garda Gary Sheehan and Private Patrick Kelly were shot. He also made no reply when it was put to him that his fingerprints were found on food, cooking and eating utensils found at the hide in Derrada Wood.
He made no reply when it was put to him that ballistics evidence was that there were four guns fired in the wood and that gardai believed that there were four people involved and that all four of them had discharged their weapons.
Cross examined by Mr McFarlane's counsel Mr Hugh Hartnett SC, Detective Garda Hanley admitted that he had been involved in a number of "controversial" cases. He admitted that he had been criticised by the Special Criminal Court over his role in the Paul Ward and John Gilligan cases.
When it was put to him that Mr McFarlane had never suggested that he was in Derrada Wood, Detective Garda Hanley replied :"He did, he did. He said that." The witness also rejected a suggestion by Mr Hartnett that Mr McFarlane had never spoken any of the words recorded in the garda memo and had remained silent throughout the interviews.
Detective Superintendent Dominic Hayes said that Mr McFarlane made no reply when it was put to him during an interview that he was the leader of the gang involved in the kidnap and that he gave the order to shoot the garda and soldier.
He also made no reply when asked if he was the man who shot the garda and soldier. Under cross examination Det Supt Hayes said that Mr Hartnett was implying by his use of the word "team" that teams were set up within the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation for the sole purpose of interviewing suspects and that false confessions are produced. The Det Supt said this was not the case.
He agreed with Mr Hartnett that the gardaí were provided with Mr McFarlane's fingerprints by the Northern Ireland authorities 10 years before he was arrested in Dundalk.
The trial continues tomorrow.