OMAGH DETECTIVE BENT RULES
Omagh detective 'bent rules'
A SENIOR detective who investigated the Omagh bombing bent the rules when probing other serious crimes, a court heard yesterday.
A barrister for Colm Murphy, one of five men accused of carrying out the worst atrocity in Northern Ireland, outlined grievances made against the officer during one of the biggest investigations in the Republic.
Dermot Fee QC revealed a judge previously criticised Detective Garda James Hanley during the conviction of drug dealer John Gilligan, who was believed to have been involved in the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin.
The retired officer had conceded that he had not kept a record of several meetings he had with two key witnesses.
Quoting from a separate judgment involving Paul Ward, another suspect in the Guerin case, a judge accepted his partner's evidence that she was successfully subjected to grievous psychological pressure by Mr Hanley.
Mr Hanley told the District Court in Dublin the meetings with the Gilligan witnesses were before they were accepted on the witness protection programme.
He added that Mr Ward's partner had previously told family members everything had been "cool" with gardai.
Mr Fee accused Mr Hanley of bending the rules in the past and making up admissions for Murphy.
He said replies allegedly given by his client during three days of questioning implicated him in the 1998 Real IRA bomb attack
A SENIOR detective who investigated the Omagh bombing bent the rules when probing other serious crimes, a court heard yesterday.
A barrister for Colm Murphy, one of five men accused of carrying out the worst atrocity in Northern Ireland, outlined grievances made against the officer during one of the biggest investigations in the Republic.
Dermot Fee QC revealed a judge previously criticised Detective Garda James Hanley during the conviction of drug dealer John Gilligan, who was believed to have been involved in the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin.
The retired officer had conceded that he had not kept a record of several meetings he had with two key witnesses.
Quoting from a separate judgment involving Paul Ward, another suspect in the Guerin case, a judge accepted his partner's evidence that she was successfully subjected to grievous psychological pressure by Mr Hanley.
Mr Hanley told the District Court in Dublin the meetings with the Gilligan witnesses were before they were accepted on the witness protection programme.
He added that Mr Ward's partner had previously told family members everything had been "cool" with gardai.
Mr Fee accused Mr Hanley of bending the rules in the past and making up admissions for Murphy.
He said replies allegedly given by his client during three days of questioning implicated him in the 1998 Real IRA bomb attack
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/758
Published Date: 11-Jun-08
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