Tidey kidnap accused says garda memos were 'falsified'
Wednesday June 25 2008
Former IRA leader Brendan 'Bik' McFarlane yesterday claimed that gardai falsified records of an interview taken during his detention in Dundalk Garda station in January 1998.
McFarlane denied telling gardai during the interview that he was in Derrada Wood, near Ballinamore, Co Leitrim. He also denied that he told them he had been "prepared for the worst".
The Special Criminal Court earlier ruled that the statements allegedly made by McFarlane under interview were admissible as evidence, as the court was satisfied they were made voluntarily and under fair conditions.
The statements were allegedly made as McFarlane was being interviewed in relation to the 1983 kidnapping of supermarket executive Don Tidey. He had been told by gardai that his fingerprints were found on items in Derrada Wood, where Mr Tidey was rescued.
McFarlane told his counsel, Hugh Harnett, that he had been informed by his solicitor and gardai that he was liable to serve six months in prison if he did not give an account of his movements.
He said he was told he was legally compelled to answer questions on two or three occasions. McFarlane, however, said he did not answer any questions under interview, save to ask for legal advice.
Interviews
He agreed with Edward Comyn, prosecuting, that the memos of questioning were read to him at the end of each interview.
"Are you saying words were put into the memo during interview and they just didn't read them over to you?" asked Mr Comyn.
"Are you saying gardai inserted words into the memo as they were interviewing you or . . . afterwards?"
McFarlane responded: "That's precisely what I'm saying".
It was the eighth day of the trial of Maze prison escapee McFarlane, who pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning Donald James Tidey between November 24 and December 16, 1983. He also denies possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life at Derrada Wood, Drumcroman, Ballinamore, Co Leitrim between the same dates.
Brendan McFarlane was the OC (officer commanding) of the Provisional IRA prisoners at the Maze prison at the time of the hunger strike in 1981 and escaped in the mass break out by 38 prisoners from the jail in September 1983.
He was arrested in Amsterdam in January 1986, extradited to Northern Ireland and released on parole in 1997.
McFarlane (56), a father of three, of Jamaica St in Belfast, was arrested outside Dundalk in January 1998 as he travelled back to Belfast from Dublin following a trip to Copenhagen.
Mr Tidey was kidnapped by an IRA gang in 1983 and rescued after 23 days in captivity.
A trainee garda, Gary Sheehan, (20) of Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan and a member of the Defence Forces, Private Patrick Kelly,(35), from Moate, Co Westmeath were killed in a shoot-out with the kidnap gang as Mr Tidey was rescued.
The trial continues today.
- Bronagh Murphy
