A witness for the prosecution in a case against the McBreartys under the licensing laws went back to the Garda station canteen in Letterkenny with senior officers, a Garda sergeant said yesterday.
Garda Sgt Sarah Hargadon said Bernard Conlon came back to the canteen and it was unusual for a civilian to be there.
One of the allegations being looked into by the tribunal is one made by Mr Conlon that he was asked by Det Sgt John White if he was willing to be caught on the premises of a night-club owned by the McBreartys in Raphoe after hours and become a State witness against Frank McBrearty snr.
He was called as a witness following the prosecution after the raid on Frankie's. He later claimed his statements were false.Sgt Hargadon said on one of the occasions when Mr Conlon appeared in court, they walked back from court and he came back to the canteen in the Garda station in Letterkenny with Supt Lennon, Sgt White and others, including herself.
"It wouldn't be usual for a civilian to be in the canteen in the Garda station," she said. "It was not improper, just unusual."
The chairman, Mr Justice Frederick Morris asked: "What was he doing there, he had no business there?" He said he found it hard to understand what business Mr Conlon had in the canteen of Letterkenny station.
Sgt Hargadon said she thought it might have something to do with keeping him away from the McBreartys.
Cross-examining, John Whelan SC, for Sgt White, suggested that Mr Conlon was terrified of the McBreartys and he was driven home by Sgt White.
Sgt Hargadon said she changed the locks to Raphoe Garda station after she returned to find Supt Lennon and Sgt White there in December 1997.
She had gone out on call with another garda and locked it.
"It surprised me as the door would have been locked when we left. They appeared to be going through the occurrence book," she said.
Sgt White was based in Letterkenny and Supt Lennon was in charge of the whole district.
She chatted to them for a few minutes and then they left.
"I changed the locks to secure the station so that I knew who was coming in and out of the station ," Sgt Hargadon said.
She found it unusual that they had been in the station without anybody being there and without consulting members.