Morris Tribunal: A retired detective told the Morris tribunal yesterday that he did not realise the wider implications of giving a false statement about an investigation file and that he might have to "carry the can" for Supt Kevin Lennon.
Mr Des Walsh, who retired as a detective sergeant in 1994, said there was an internal Garda investigation in 2001, and Supt Lennon asked him to take responsibility for an investigation file which did not exist.
The matter related to an explosives find at the flat of Ms Adrienne McGlinchey and Ms Yvonne Devine in Buncrana in March 1994. It was not investigated further after detectives went to the scene.
This module of the tribunal concerns complaints that some gardaí in Co Donegal may have been involved in hoax explosives and bomb-making equipment finds. Allegations have been made against Supt Lennon and Det Garda Noel McMahon, who have denied them.
Yesterday Mr Paul McDermott SC, for the tribunal said that Ms McGlinchey's landlord made a complaint, and explosives-making material was found. To all intents this was a matter that should have been investigated. Supt Lennon wanted Mr Walsh to take responsibility for the file and for the non-investigation.
Mr Walsh said: "He knew that I would carry the can for this if there was any problem."
Mr McDermott asked: "You would carry the can for everything, the investigation and the file?"
Mr Walsh replied:"Yes, I probably would. I didn't look into it in that respect, and at that time there was no tribunal. There could have been an internal Garda investigation. I was wrong. I didn't think of the wider implications at the time."
Mr Walsh said Supt Lennon had said he was under stress and was the subject of disciplinary hearings about the file.
Mr McDermott said he (Mr Walsh) was going to tell lies relating to a file. Was he also willing to take a risk in terms of the non-investigation of the entire matter?
"I didn't think of the implications at the time. Supt Lennon could have passed on the blame to me and said it was my problem. I was just asked to do a favour and reluctantly I said I'd do it," Mr Walsh said.
He said that he had never in all his 35 years in the service told a lie or made a false statement and had never been disciplined. If he had been still in the service he might have taken a different view of it but he was retired then.
"When I had the opportunity on oath here I did not try and hide it. I owned up immediately. It caused me a lot of concern," he said.
"I was protecting Supt Lennon. I was foolish to do it but I did it," he said.