AN INNOCENT man who was wrongly implicated following a death 30 years ago has spoken out about the shocking scandal.
Frank McBrearty Junior, who is now a Donegal County councillor, was wrongly accused by gardai following the death of a cattle dealer called Richie Barron.
Mr Barron was found on a road close to his Raphoe home on October 14, 1996.
Gardai launched a murder investigation and wrongly arrested Mr McBrearty and others.
A State inquiry – called the Morris Tribunal – into the Garda case discovered serious failures within An Garda Síochána in Donegal and ruled that Mr McBrearty and others were wrongly implicated.
On the 30th anniversary yesterday (Wednesday), Mr McBrearty told the Donegal News: “They tried to frame us for a murder that did not happen.”
Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Gardaí in the Donegal Division (The Morris Tribunal).
Donegal Cllr Frank McBrearty. Photo: Declan Doherty.
Cllr McBrearty added: “Myself and [another man] were targeted. Thirteen people were arrested, including my father.
“The bottom line is that, since my father’s Supreme Court case was settled, we have exhausted all avenues to pursue documents that were not disclosed.
“We now have new information that we should have had in court and at the Morris Tribunal.”
He added: “The guards have known from day one that Richie Barron was killed in a hit-and-run accident.”
Mr McBrearty alleged: “The guards have a main suspect for his death. Witness statements that were buried in disclosure are now in our possession.”
He added: “There are a whole pile of aspects that the public are not aware of and there are many issues still unresolved.”
Mr McBrearty stated that he now intends to issue a fresh set of proceedings in court to accuse the State of failing to disclose “vital documents”.