The Co Donegal detective at the centre of corruption allegations has for the first time this week been giving his account to the Morris tribunal. Christine Newman reports.
Det Sgt John White had an impeccable record and a fine reputation in the Garda Síochána with many years experience.
A Co Tipperary man, married with a family living in Ballybofey, Co Donegal, his career was going from strength to strength. He joined the force more than 30 years ago and first went to Co Donegal in 1997 when he was sent to Raphoe on a temporary basis.
Promotion to detective sergeant followed with a transfer to Letterkenny and he was involved in solving major criminal cases.
But all this was to change. Today, having turned 50 earlier this month, Mr White is suspended from the force, has gone through a court case in which he was acquitted early this year of perverting the course of justice and making false statements, and is suffering from depression, regularly attending a psychiatrist.
The allegations which led to his present situation were vehemently denied this week at the tribunal. They were made by Bernard Conlon, who has many previous convictions and lives in Sligo.
Just as Conlon stood adamantly over his allegations when giving evidence at the tribunal, so Det White was equally emphatic this week in denying them.
Conlon has alleged Mr White put him up to being found late-night drinking in August 1997 in the McBrearty nightclub in Raphoe to set them up.
He also alleged that the detective told him to make up a story that two men called to his house in Sligo and threatened him with a "silver bullet", later falsely identifying two members of the extended McBrearty family.
The only point on which both men agree is that on July 20th, 1997, Conlon came up to him after leaving Frankie's nightclub in Raphoe and complained that he had not got a meal. From then on, their accounts diverge greatly.
White contends he never saw Conlon again until he appeared as a witness against the McBreartys in licensing cases in Letterkenny in March 1998.
Conlon alleges that from then on Mr White was in contact and telling him to be deliberately "found on" the premises, giving him money and telling him to make false statements.
At one point this week, Mr White broke down when he said he might have to call his mother to give evidence and he would hate to have to put her through that.
On March 18th and 20th, 2000, he was called in by the Carty internal Garda investigation team and was arrested on March 21st. Ironically, the day before he had been presented with a long-service medal for 25 years in the force.
He described the "silver bullet" allegation as "preposterous", "a malicious lie" and "this horrible, horrible, allegation". His strongest words were for Conlon whom he described as not well educated but having an "inherent cuteness and deviousness".
The Carty team, too, came in for criticism. He said it had failed to investigate the allegations fully.
He had not answered questions when the team interviewed him just before his arrest, beyond denying the allegations, as he did not trust it, he felt he was being made a scapegoat, that he was being set up and that he was under attack. Carty members were not trying to get to the truth, he claimed, they had made up their minds and had put the idea of his name to Conlon.
Mr White insisted that phone records were not followed up. Concerning calls which Conlon said he made to him in Raphoe, Mr White protested: "I'm being denied this disclosure. How do I prove my case otherwise?"
Mr White will continue to give his account next week.