Morris Tribunal: The retired head of the Donegal division of An Garda Síochána, former chief superintendent Denis Fitzpatrick, has contradicted the evidence of a senior colleague about the information he gave regarding the death of Raphoe cattle dealer Richie Barron early in the investigation.
Mr Fitzpatrick said that initially the death of Mr Barron was being treated as a hit-and-run. But the following night he received a call from local garda John O'Dowd, who told him it was a murder.
"He nominated two people," Mr Fitzpatrick said.
He said he understood Garda O'Dowd's information came from Mr William Doherty, an informant.
Mr Fitzpatrick said the next morning he gave the two names Garda O'Dowd had nominated - Mr Frank McBrearty jnr and Mr Mark McConnell - to Supt John Fitzgerald in Letterkenny.
"John Fitzgerald told me he would look after it," he said, adding that at the time he believed Mr Doherty was a reliable informant.
The witness said that when he met Supt Fitzgerald at a conference the next day he told him the information came from Garda O'Dowd.
"I told John Fitzgerald who it was and who brought it in, that it was John O'Dowd gave the information and that it came from William Doherty.
"I have no doubt about that."
However, Supt Fitzgerald told the tribunal last year that he never knew of the involvement of Mr Doherty in the case.
But Mr Fitzpatrick told the tribunal yesterday:
"I am quite clear that I gave that information to John Fitzgerald. I have no doubt about that."
He blamed former superintendent Mr Kevin Lennon for events in Donegal that led to the tribunal but added: "he's not the only one".
He said that a fruitless search of a Donegal farm in 1997 was based on information from Mr Doherty.
He said he had earlier sent Mr Lennon to "suss out" the informer, who was being handled by Raphoe garda John Murphy.