Main players: what the tribunal reports said: Det Sgt John White was trenchantly criticised in all three Morris tribunal reports published yesterday.
Mr Justice Frederick Morris found that Det Sgt White lied to the tribunal, and in the most serious finding said he planted a sawn-off shotgun at a Traveller encampment in Burnfoot, Co Donegal.
The report into the Burnfoot module found Det Sgt White planted a very old double-barrelled sawn-off shotgun, with clothes and cartridges, at the Traveller encampment on May 22nd, 1998 to secure the arrest of seven Travellers so they could be queried regarding the murder of Edward Fitzmaurice. Det Sgt White had always denied the allegation. In July 2006, he was acquitted of planting the shotgun at Letterkenny Circuit Court.
In the Silver Bullet report, he was found to have induced Bernard Conlon to be found after hours drinking on the premises of Frankie's nightclub, owned by the McBreartys, in Raphoe in August 1997. This he did in co-operation with Garda John Nicholson of Sligo.
"The tribunal is satisfied that Det Sgt White and Garda Nicholson told lies in their evidence to the tribunal in respect of this issue. They also deliberately deceived their Garda colleagues as they tried to deal with these matters," the report said.
The tribunal said Det Sgt White manipulated people and events to his own ends in organising the escapade of the 30th/31st August 1997 and in trying to conceal his involvement subsequently.
Mr Conlon made a further allegation that Det Sgt White induced him to make up a story that two men, Mark McConnell and Michael Peoples, called to his house and threatened him with a silver bullet.
The tribunal said Det Sgt White made a litany of the most serious allegations concerning his Garda colleagues and in the Carty team that were false.
"Though the making of these false allegations heightened the tribunal's suspicion that he was, indeed, behind the silver bullet threat, nevertheless, the undoubted lies which Det Sgt White told did not provide sufficient or satisfactory corroboration such as to enable the tribunal to accept the testimony of Bernard Conlon."
In relation to the investigation of an arson attack at the site of the television mast at Ardara, Co Donegal in November 1996, the tribunal found Det Sgt White's evidence was "so riddled with inconsistencies that the tribunal cannot accept his version of events". It found that, following the arson attack, he planted, or had someone plant, a hoax device in order to make arrests. Det Sgt White had "manipulated the investigation" and in particular his superior, Supt Denis Cullinane, in order to ensure the three men were arrested.
Det Sgt White (50), from Tipperary, joined the force in September 1974. In July 1994, he transferred to Lifford Garda station as a uniformed garda. He was promoted to sergeant and was transferred to Carrick Garda station, Donegal in March 1995.He was transferred to Raphoe Garda station in 1997.
On March 21st, 2000, Sgt White was arrested and detained by members of the Carty investigation team. He was suspended for three days. He was suspended from duty on June 19th, 2001.
Sgt White was prosecuted and acquitted of making false statements to gardaí and of attempting to pervert the course of justice by inducing Mr Conlon to make false statements on January 18th, 2005. ...
WHAT THE TRIBUNAL SAID:
His evidence is "so riddled with inconsistencies that the tribunal cannot accept his version of events".