ERU returned to scene of Abbeylara shooting days later

The senior officer in charge of the Emergency Response Unit did not know that members of the ERU had returned to the scene at Abbeylara days after the shooting dead of Mr John Carthy.

Chief Supt Peter Maguire told the Barr tribunal yesterday that he did not direct the ERU members to return to the Carthy house and he had not known of the visit until it emerged in media reports two days ago.

He did not feel the ERU members had broken any law by returning to the house, he added.

"They [the ERU\] had the same right to come and go as anyone else."

Mr Patrick Gageby, counsel for Ms Rose and Ms Marie Carthy, put it to Supt Maguire that the ERU would have needed the permission of the landowners to come onto the property.

Supt Maguire said he felt unable to answer because the issue was being put to him for the first time. When asked if he would have counselled the ERU members not to confer until they had made independent statements, Supt Maguire said it would not have been appropriate.

"I would never interfere with people before they give their statements."

He said he did not think it inappropriate that they might discuss the incident among themselves before giving a statement.

"What we are looking for is the truth, if by conferring together the truth can be realised such an event would be the correct course."

Supt Maguire could not comment on the ERU members statements because he had never read them, he said.

The divisional officer in charge of Longford and Westmeath told the tribunal how he informed the Garda press office of the siege in Abbeylara before contacting any of his superiors.

Mr Patrick Tansey (now retired from his role as Chief Supt) said he had been alerted to the incident at 6.45 p.m., less than 30 minutes after the armed stand-off began.

At 6.55 p.m. he contacted the Garda press office because he wanted to alert them before the 7 p.m. news.

"I was conscious that the 7 o'clock news bulletin was coming. There have been occasions where the press office wouldn't hear about things until after the news and we have been called to task on that."

After Supt Tansey called the press office he then made contact with his superior Assist Commissioner Tony Hickey.

Some time after 8 p.m., Supt John Farrelly, of the Garda press office, contacted Supt Tansey to offer his services.

"I invited him to come to Abbeylara and take control of the media at the scene," Mr Tansey said.

There was no prepared plan in the Longford Westmeath district for dealing with an armed siege, Mr Tansey told the tribunal. He would expect gardaí to use common sense in dealing with such an incident.

"We're a community police force, not military - 99 out of 100 times things would be restored peaceably. The Abbeylara siege was the first time he had occasion to call in the ERU, he said.