A Northern Ireland man claimed at the Special Criminal Court yesterday that he was assaulted by a garda during questioning about explosives offences. Mr Eamonn Flanagan said that a detective repeatedly banged his head against a wall at Whitehall Garda station. Mr Flanagan told his counsel, Mr P.J. McCarthy S, that he remained silent during two days of interviews by gardai and refused to answer any questions. He was giving evidence in a "trial within a trial" to decide on the admissibility of alleged statements made by four men accused of having explosives.
The court has heard that gardai found 28 bags of crushed fertiliser and five bags of the fertiliser in granule form at Molly Malone's, a disused fish shop in Howth, and another bag of fertiliser in granule form at an unoccupied house in Bettystown, Co Meath. The prosecution has claimed that the fertiliser was intended for use in an explosive mixture. Mr Eamonn Flanagan (43), a native of Co Tyrone, with an address at The Square, Skerries, Mr Seamus McLoughlin (67), of Balkill Park, Howth, and Mr Michael Blount (48), of Bath Road, Balbriggan, have pleaded not guilty to having an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or to enable another person to do so at West Pier, Howth, Co Dublin, on January 5th last year.
A fourth man, Mr Joseph Dillon (53), of Greenlawns, Skerries, has pleaded not guilty to having an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or to enable another person to do so at Windswept, Golf Links Road, Bettystown, Co Meath, on January 5th last year.
The four have all pleaded not guilty to having an explosive substance in suspicious circumstances on the same date. Mr Eamonn Flanagan said that he remained silent and answered no questions when he was questioned by teams of detectives over two days. He denied that he had admitted loading and unloading bags of explosives from a lorry at Bettystown and Howth.
He also denied that he had discussed the Provisional IRA or the 32 County Sovereignty Committee with the detectives. Mr Flanagan also said that only one detective, Det Sgt John Melody, took notes during any of the interviews. He also said that no notes were read over to him and he was not asked to sign any caution by the gardai. He said that one detective banged his head against the wall several times and pressed his thumbs on his eyeballs, which caused him pain. Cross-examined by prosecuting counsel Mr Paul O'Higgins SC, Mr Flanagan said that the assaults had not made him say anything.
"None of them made me say things. I remained silent," he added. The trial continues today.