Morris tribunal: Tribunal witness Bernard Conlon said yesterday he took taxis everywhere to avoid the streets and people looking at him after all the publicity about him on television and in the papers.
The unemployed man has alleged that Det Sgt John White told him to make up false statements to set up the McBreartys. He was being cross-examined about expenses he received after going to court to give evidence against the McBreartys.
John Whelan SC, for Sgt White, asked Mr Conlon about his allegation that the sergeant told him to say he was working as a caretaker so that he could claim full loss of earnings expenses for the days he went to court. Sgt White has denied all allegations made against him by Mr Conlon.
Mr Conlon said he was not working and received disability benefit. He denied that he worked for his landlord, builder Ben Maguire, in the Sligo estate as a caretaker.
Asked if he went out to Mr Maguire's farms to work, Mr Conlon denied it and said he went out to one farm in a taxi to take exercise as he was a full-blown diabetic.
Chairman Mr Justice Frederick Morris asked was he actually telling him that he took a taxi out there in order to take exercise. Why did he not walk at least part of the way?
Mr Conlon replied: "Well, with the way things is going for the last number of years, I try and keep off the streets and keep away from people as much as possible, chairman, because I'm being blistered here and blistered on television and everything, in the papers, and that's why I kind of take taxis to get, even to go shopping to Dunnes Stores I get a taxi down to keep away from people looking at me."
Mr Whelan said Mr Conlon had a number of convictions including for fraud, larceny, burglary. The latest was in July 2001 when he was convicted for fraud.
This was at the time Mr Conlon was telling the Carty internal Garda investigating team looking into the Co Donegal Garda division that he was turning over a new leaf.