A Co Donegal detective was "totally consumed" with events in Raphoe surrounding the McBreartys, even when he was promoted to Letterkenny, a former detective inspector said yesterday.
John McGinley, who was then a detective inspector, said when Det Sgt John White was promoted to detective sergeant, he moved from Raphoe to Letterkenny. Yesterday, he was cross-examined by Desmond Dockery, counsel for Bernard Conlon. Mr Conlon has alleged that Det Sgt White told him to be deliberately found late-night drinking in Frankie's nightclub in Raphoe, which was owned by the McBreartys, to set them up.
He also alleged Det Sgt White put him up to fabricating the story that two men threatened him with a silver bullet.
He later falsely identified Mark McConnell and Michael Peoples, members of the extended McBrearty family, as being responsible. Det Sgt White has denied all the allegations.
Mr Dockery said that in his statement, Mr McGinley had said Det Sgt White was consumed and obsessed by Raphoe and spent an inordinate amount of time there after being appointed a detective sergeant in Letterkenny. Could he explain that?
Mr McGinley replied: "He had been stationed in Raphoe before he was promoted to Letterkenny. For some time after that he was involved in the investigation there but I felt that - it wasn't just me but the other detective sergeants and people in the unit - felt that he was totally consumed by events in Raphoe and that he spent most of his time there."
While he appreciated that Det Sgt White had been in Raphoe for some time and there would have been matters that required his continuing attention, he felt Det Sgt White's attention to Raphoe was "way far and beyond that" and so did the other members.
Det Sgt White spent virtually all his time out there, he said. He had a lot of issues. "I couldn't say he was a team player. From my perspective, he pursued his own agenda for the most part." Mr McGinley said he was definitely a very good investigator and he agreed that he had a forceful personality.
After the "silver bullet" incident in July 1998, Mr McConnell was arrested in October 1998 and Mr Peoples on May 6th, 1999, on foot of Mr Conlon's allegations. Both were detained and later released without charge.
Det Sgt White has said he told Mr McGinley there were three very valid reasons why Mr Peoples should be not be arrested for allegedly threatening Mr Conlon.