For the first time, Bernard Conlon said he was afraid of Det Sgt John White, writes Christine Newman
Bernard Conlon was by his own admission no angel but he remained adamant at the Morris tribunal this week that his allegations of Garda corruption were the truth.
Conlon (49), illiterate and unemployed, repeated over seven days in the witness box that Det Sgt John White of Co Donegal had told him to fabricate statements in order to set up the McBreartys.
This week, he was cross-examined by Sgt White's lawyer, John Whelan SC.
Conlon's evidence was peppered with: "That's his story" when presented with White's statements denying all allegations against him.
Conlon has alleged Sgt White told him to be found late-night drinking in Frankie's Nightclub, owned by the McBreartys, to set them up and be a State witness against them.
He was also told to claim he was threatened with a silver bullet by Mark McConnell and Michael Peoples, members of the extended McBrearty family. He made a third false statement about William Flynn, a private detective for the McBreartys. He said White paid him for making up these stories.
The cross-examination brought an unexpected response.
When asked repeatedly why he went along with White, Conlon eventually said for the first time to the tribunal and in statements: "I was afraid of the man."
Questioning about his early meetings with White led to some confusion. He had always said he first met White in July 1997 in Raphoe when he complained about not getting a meal in Frankie's. He lived in Sligo but went up for the country and western bands. After that and before the night he was found on the premises on August 30th, there was an alleged second meeting.
Whelan pressed the point. At first Conlon said he thought he met White again a week after the first meeting. Then he thought it could have been a week before the raid. He was not good on dates, he said.
When Conlon said he met White in the Square of Raphoe, Whelan pointed out that he had said that was the night of the raid.
Conlon responded: "Isn't that what we're talking about? You're trying to puzzle me."
Conlon was adamant that when it was put to him White would say no such meeting took place: "He's wrong."
He gave the same answer when Whelan told him White said he was "anchored to the house" that night baby-sitting in Ballybofey.
It was a subject chairman Mr Justice Morris returned to. He said Conlon had an excellent recollection of the night he made the complaint about the meal. Had he not the same recollection about a second meeting?
"This is a landmark event for you. Here is a garda asking you to act as his stool-pigeon if you like," he said.
Conlon conceded he could have been mistaken about the colour of the car he said White had the night of the raid. He had said blue, but it was green.
Throughout the seven days, however, Conlon repeated again and again how White had told him to falsify statements, what White had said, how he had carried it out and how he was sorry he had ever got involved.
Even though Whelan constantly put it to him that his evidence was completely made up, fabricated, never happened, Conlon denied it and said that was "very, very incorrect" and that he had not come to lie.
Conlon has a string of past convictions for offences including fraud, larceny, burglary. In 2002, he was tried for making the false statements and received a three-year suspended sentence.