Garda's tapes stolen in Donegal

A key witness at the Morris Tribunal has had tapes relating to the tribunal stolen during a robbery at her home in Letterkenny, Co Donegal. The tapes were the only items stolen from Garda Tina Fowley's home during the burglary which happened two weeks ago.

Garda Fowley's solicitor, Mr Damien Tansey, said he believed those who took the tapes were on a clear "mission".

He said it was "a joke" that gardaí from the Donegal division were now investigating the robbery. The tribunal is investigating alleged serious Garda corruption in the Donegal division.

This was all the more "extraordinary" when one considered that the tapes were taken from a tribunal witness.

"All of the items which would normally be of interest during a robbery (such as a TV and DVD player) were ignored. There was jewellery around and there was no interest in it," Mr Tansey said.

He believed gardaí from outside the Donegal division should have been drafted in to investigate such a sensitive case.

The tapes were "pertinent" to the tribunal but he could not say exactly what was on them.

Garda Fowley had been "very stressed" about the robbery and it was a further blow to a "a young garda trying to build her career". While she had been suspended from the force for around two years over issues before the tribunal she was confident her name would be cleared, he said.

A tribunal spokesman said any tapes relevant to its work had already been copied and stored by its legal team. Tribunal registrar Mr Brendan O'Donnell said a discovery order would have been made on all relevant documentation and materials.

Details of the robbery were first reported in The Star newspaper yesterday.

Mr Tansey has represented Garda Fowley at the Morris tribunal. He is scheduled to do so again when she gives evidence during the next module which will focus on the detention by gardaí of Mr Frank McBrearty Jnr in relation to the 1996 death in Raphoe of Mr Richie Barron.

In June 1999, Garda Fowley was interviewed as part of a Garda investigation into allegations of corruption by members of the force in Donegal. That inquiry was headed by Assistant Commissioner Kevin Carty.

Garda Fowley told the Carty investigation team that on the day of Mr McBrearty's alleged confession to the killing of Richie Barron, she saw Det Insp John McGinley (now Supt) writing something on a sheet. As she walked by, he drew her attention to a signature of Mr McBrearty and asked: "Is that a good likeness?"

She later told Sgt Brendan Roache what had happened and he dismissed it as a "prank" by Supt McGinley.Supt McGinley has denied the incident took place while Sgt Roache's account of it was similar to her's.

She was suspended two years ago when the conviction of Donegal publican Mr Frank Shortt - for allowing drugs to be sold on his premises - was overturned. Garda Fowley was one of the gardaí who claimed they saw drugs being sold on the premises.