Garda tells MacLochlainn inquiry he dragged Real IRA man from car

A detective garda has told the MacLochlainn Commission how he dragged Real IRA member Ronan MacLochlainn from his car after his vehicle crashed in Wicklow.

The National Surveillance Unit member, who cannot be named, contradicted evidence given earlier to the commission by other gardaí.

MacLochlainn (28), from Ballymun, was shot dead by gardaí at Cullenmore Bends near Ashford, Co Wicklow, on May 1st, 1998.

Gardai fired 12 shots at the scene. None of the six-member gang, who were armed with a sawn-off shotgun, magnum revolver and assault rifle, fired any shots.

The evidence of detective garda 41 (DG41), had been given in private, and it was read into the record on Monday.

He described how he had been parked near Ashford, in Co Wicklow, when he heard over his radio that there was a robbery in progress.

He said he drove toward Ashford, on the wrong side of the road, when a Mazda came toward him, “bumping along on the grass verge”. When the driver came closer, he saw he was wearing a balaclava, had a gun in his right hand and was holding it out the window.

The cars collided, he said, and he got out of the car and came to the driver’s side of the Mazda and took the driver out of the car. He said he pulled the driver out head first onto the ground. He did not see what happened to the driver’s gun, and he did not use his own gun.

The detective garda told the commission he hadn’t been expecting the events; he was a junior and was in serious danger, and it was “a terrible shock”.

“It was my first incidence of magnitude,” he said.

Roderic O’Hanlon SC, for the commission, told DG41 there were statements with the commission that said others had assisted Mr McLochlainn out of the car.

“My memory is I took him out of the car and onto the road,” DG41 responded.

He told the commission other gardaí arrived and it was “”very volatile” and “there was a lot of shouting at the scene”. He said he searched the nearby woods with gardaí and that it was “more stressful than the crash” because he didn’t know what was going to emerge.

The detective garda said he was then asked to take two gardaí and a prisoner to Shankill Garda Station, which he did. Asked if he was concerned about having moved his car from the scene, he said not at the time.

Mr O’Hanlon told him another member of the National Surveillance Unit had said CPR had been administered to Mr MacLochlainn by gardaí at the scene. This member had said DG41 was present for that medical attention.

DG41 said he had no recollection of that.

Under cross-examination by Michael Durack SC, for the Garda DG41 agreed he was “severely traumatised” by the experience. He denied he drew his weapon at the scene. He also said he was sure he was the first man to Mr MacLochlainn’s car door.

In earlier evidence, a detective sergeant, DS01, told the commission he put tracking devices on two vans he saw parked at Heuston Station on April 24th. Both vehicles were used in the robbery on May 1st. DS01 was involved in the surveillance of Real IRA members at the time.

He also said he got CCTV footage of the vans from the station authorities. The footage showed Mr MacLochlainn getting out of a beige Carina, putting on gloves and opening the door of a white van. He removed a sports bag from the van and returned to the Carina, DS01 said.

He told the commission the CCTV footage had since gone missing.

The evidence continues.