Morris tribunal:The McBrearty family and their staff were violent, short-tempered men and difficult to deal with, a former Garda sergeant told the Morris tribunal.
Raphoe publican Mr Frank McBrearty Snr has claimed that a Garda harassment campaign was intended to target his business and family after they were wrongly identified as murder suspects following the hit-and-run death of local cattle dealer Richie Barron.
But former sergeant John White, who was stationed in the border town in 1997, said Mr McBrearty "had no respect for policemen whatsoever of any kind."
"Frank McBrearty Snr, Frank Jnr, Willie Logan, Michael McGahern . . . they have short tempers. They are violent, violent men . . . They roar and they shout for effect," Mr White said.
The ex-sergeant told tribunal barrister Anthony Barr, that he did not dislike Mr McBrearty Snr, and treated him fairly.
"But I was always aware, Mr Barr, that Frank McBrearty Snr was a killer," he said.
"He killed a man in Scotland. Okay he was acquitted of it. But he told me outside the door that he was trained in armed combat in the Congo. That he was trained to kill with his bare hands."
Mr White said he was not trying to antagonise Mr McBrearty Snr so that the publican would not come back to the tribunal to give evidence.
Mr McBrearty Snr gave evidence last summer at the tribunal but did not complete his testimony, and is scheduled to return to the tribunal today.