Morris tribunal:A Donegal mother of two who was wrongly arrested along with her husband during a murder investigation has thanked a retired detective for coming forward and telling the truth about her mistreatment in Garda custody a decade ago.
Róisín McConnell spoke at the end of evidence by retired det garda John Dooley, flanked by her husband and members of her family. "I would like to thank you for coming up here and telling the truth, and I would like now for Mr Dorrian to advise his client to tell the truth," she said, her voice breaking with emotion.
Solicitor Paudge Dorrian represents former det sgt John White, who denies that he and det garda Dooley shouldered and pushed Mrs McConnell during her arrest.
Mr Dooley admitted in October 2005 that Mrs McConnell and her sister Katrina Brolly were mistreated in Garda custody during the investigation into the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron in 1996. In a second statement in June 2006 he said that Mrs McConnell was shouldered and pushed while interviewed.
Mr Dorrian said Mr Dooley had lied in previous evidence and statements.
But Mr Dooley said he had told the truth.
"It's about time your client started telling the truth, Mr Dorrian," he said.
Challenged on the accuracy of his memory, Mr Dooley said he had undergone psychiatric assessment for the tribunal, and psychiatrists had found nothing wrong with his memory. "I couldn't come here and deny something that happened to Mrs McConnell. Something I was a party to myself," he said.
"She was pushed around the room, and I stand over that," Mr Dooley said.
Mr White previously told the tribunal he "broadly agrees" with Mr Dooley that Mrs McConnell was shown postmortem photographs, that he used "abusive, excessive and inappropriate language", alleged that Mrs McConnell's husband was having an extramarital affair, said her children could be put into State care, cast her chair across the floor, and deliberately omitted information from interview notes.
In evidence yesterday he said Det Supt Joseph Shelley instructed him to get admissions using "whatever means was used years ago to get admissions".
Mr White said he had been unable to give evidence last autumn to the tribunal because he had been upset by criticisms the chairman made of his conduct in reports published over the summer, and had spent three weeks in a treatment centre.