A DETECTIVE told a murder trial jury yesterday he consoled a publican accused of murdering his wife and a toddler after the man became very upset during questioning.
Det Sgt Maurice O'Connor said he put his arm around Mr Francis McCann's shoulders and told him not to worry.
He was giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court on the 129th day of the trial of Mr Francis McCann (36), who has denied murders of his wife Esther (36), and 18 month old Jessica at the family home at Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin, on September 4th, 1992.
The jury has heard that Jessica was a blood relative of the accused man but not a child of his marriage to Esther. The prosecution has claimed Mr McCann arranged the fatal fire because he did not want to tell his wife why the Adoption Board had refused the couple's application to adopt Jessica.
The jury has also heard that Mr McCann, who owned the Cooperage pub in Blessington, Co Wicklow, had complained to gardai that he had received threatening phone calls to the pub and his home.
Det Sgt O'Connor said he and Det Sgt Robert McNulty interviewed Mr McCann at Tallaght Garda station on November 5th, 1992.
Mr McCann became very upset after nodding his head in agreement when it was put to him that he had started the fire at his home. Det Sgt O'Connor said he tried to console Mr McCann as best he could and put his arm around his shoulders.
Cross examined by Mr Barry White SC, for Mr McCann, Det Sgt O'Connor said he was a member of the Serious Crime Section at the Central Detective Unit at the time of the interview but had transferred to Store Street in 1994.
He disagreed that he was "a professional interrogator" attached to a "hit squad or flying squad" and said he helped carry out investigations into serious crime.
Det Sgt O'Connor denied suggestions by Mr White that Mr McCann had been required to stand during the interview or that he and Det Sgt McNulty had walked around him in circles, shoving up against him.
He also denied that he was intent on breaking down Mr McCann to extract a confession.
The trial, before Mr Justice Carney and the jury, continues today.