A retired Garda detective has denied that he threatened a Donegal woman who was being interrogated when he told her she could get seven years in imprisonment if convicted.
Seán Herraghty yesterday said he and a colleague were at three interviews of Katrina Brolly in December 1996 in Letterkenny Garda station when she was arrested in connection with the death of cattle-dealer Richie Barron.
Asked by tribunal lawyer Paul McDermott if he had said to Ms Brolly that she would get seven years if convicted, he said he did, but most prisoners would be made aware of the penalties that would occur if convicted.
"It was just said in general chat that if she was convicted she could get seven years," Mr Herraghty said. "There was no threat involved." He agreed it probably would unnerve a prisoner a little.
Asked if it was calculated to do so, he replied: "Possibly, yes."
Ms Brolly made complaints of mistreatment while in custody against Det Garda Dooley and Det Sgt John White who have admitted they mistreated her and her sister Róisín McConnell.
Mr Herraghty said Ms Brolly made some reference to him about abuse to the effect that "I can do without this abuse". When asked what abuse, she said she was not blaming Mr Herraghty or Sgt Paul Heffernan.
"She didn't make a big deal about it . . . I personally felt it wasn't a serious allegation against any individual," he said.
Abuse could mean anything from a barrage of questions to denying a cigarette, he added. At no stage when she was with them, was she abused.
Mr Herraghty said she did not mention anything about an allegation Ms Brolly made that Garda Joan Gallagher pulled her hair twice in another interview, which Garda Gallagher denies. He also denied reprimanding Ms Brolly during the interview for pointing at his colleague.