Carthy's GP did not support return of gun

THE BARR TRIBUNAL: The GP of the late Mr John Carthy has told the Barr tribunal he declined to write a letter saying that Mr Carthy should get his gun back from gardaí after it had been confiscated.

The gun was subsequently returned to Mr Carthy after a letter was written by Mr Carthy's consultant psychiatrist.

Mr Carthy (27) was shot dead by armed gardaí at his home in Abbeylara, Co Longford, on April 20th, 2000, as he walked from his home carrying a shotgun. The circumstances of his death are being investigated by the Barr tribunal, which began hearing evidence from its first witnesses yesterday at its premises in Bow Street, Dublin.

Dr Patrick Cullen, with a surgery at Coole, Co Westmeath, said he had a "casual conversation" with Mr Carthy in August or September 1998, during which Mr Carthy asked him for a "letter of support" to help him get his gun returned.

The inquest into Mr Carthy's death heard that Garda Oliver Cassidy had confiscated the licensed firearm in August 1998 after he received information that Mr Carthy had been unstable.

Mr Carthy suffered from depression and was admitted to St Loman's psychiatric hospital in Westmeath when he was 19. He was admitted on three subsequent occasions, always on a voluntary basis.

Dr Cullen said he didn't make an "outright refusal" to write the letter. His recollection was that he said he could not support Mr Carthy's request at that particular time. He said he asked Mr Carthy what would happen if he became unwell again and gardaí sought the gun. Mr Carthy told him he would not voluntarily give up his gun.

The tribunal heard that Mr Carthy then approached his consultant psychiatrist, Dr David Shanley of St Patrick's Institution, Dublin, with a similar request.

Dr Shanley wrote to the superintendent in Granard Garda station in October 1998, saying Mr Carthy was "very well" when he last saw him. "He is a patient of mine for some years and in my opinion is fit to use a firearm," Dr Shanley wrote. He also said that Mr Carthy's GP would contact the Garda station if this situation changed.

However, Dr Cullen said he had never been contacted by Dr Shanley on this issue. He only became aware of this letter when the tribunal showed it to him.

A garda at Granard Garda station contacted Dr Cullen's office about the gun in October 1998, but he was on holiday. A note in the Garda file said the doctor would be contacted on his return. Dr Cullen said this had never happened. The gun was returned to Mr Carthy in November 1998.

Dr Cullen also told the tribunal that Mr Carthy had alleged an assault at Granard Garda station on September 25th, 1998.

Mr Carthy had been questioned by gardaí about the burning of a model goat, which was a mascot for Abbeylara in the county finals.

He told Dr Cullen he had been assaulted during the questioning and he complained of pain in his upper neck. Dr Cullen said he noted a tenderness in the upper neck but did not see any bruising. "He was very distressed about the incident," Dr Cullen said.

He said Mr Carthy was agitated and had said he was being accused of something he had not done.

The tribunal heard Mr Carthy had been later exonerated of all wrongdoing in the incident.

Dr Cullen said he recalled the alleged assault when he was called to Abbeylara on April 19th, 2000. He was contacted by Mr Carthy's cousin and told that Mr Carthy had fired his gun and had put his mother out of the house.

When the GP met gardaí at the scene, he told them Mr Carthy might be aggressive towards them because of the incident with the mascot.

Dr Cullen said he did not recall being asked by gardaí for advice in dealing with Mr Carthy during the siege situation.

Dr Cullen agreed that the media presence and broadcasting of Mr Carthy's name and address would have been "unhelpful" as Mr Carthy was sensitive and needed to be handled with tact and discretion.

Dr Cullen spent some time at the scene and was then told by gardaí he could leave to attend to his evening surgery. At about 4 a.m. the following morning, he was contacted by gardaí and gave them copies of some of Mr Carthy's medical records. It was hoped these records would help the negotiators, Dr Cullen said.

He called to Abbeylara at 11 a.m that day and got an urgent call from gardaí to return later that evening. By the time he reached Abbeylara at 6.30 p.m., Mr Carthy had been killed.

The tribunal heard descriptions of Mr Carthy as a "sensitive", "somewhat diffident" and "vulnerable" young man from Dr John McGeown, a recently retired consultant psychiatrist at St Loman's psychiatric hospital.