Tag Archives: Maurice McCabe

This morning.

Copy and paste, you say?

Via The Irish Times:

…The mother, who does not drink alcohol due to a medical condition, was a single parent in the home with her two children at the time. The reference to social workers’ fears of her “alcohol misuse” were repeated in several records in the family’s case file.

An internal review by Tusla, seen by The Irish Times, found the reference to parental alcohol abuse had been added into the case file due to a copy and pasting error.

The reference to alcohol misuse had been left on a form that was used as a template by social workers. “When a copy was made of this template, it was not properly redacted and, as such, a reference to parental alcohol use was on this copied template,” the review said.

Good times.

Tusla incorrectly added reference to ‘alcohol misuse’ into mother’s file (Irish Times)

Previously: Pasted In Error

Yesterday.

Former Sgt Maurice McCabe’s father Michael passed away.

In the above clip from last year’s RTÉ documentary Whistleblower: The Maurice McCabe Story, Maurice credits his father for his painstaking commitment to seeking justice.

In the 1970s, Michael McCabe took a stand against businesses polluting Lough Sheelin in Cavan with pig slurry.

In the same clip, Maurice’s wife Lorraine also credits Michael for instilling in Maurice an ability to continue his fight, despite setback after setback.

Last year, Supreme Court judge Peter Charleton found in the Disclosures Tribunal that Maurice was the victim of a ‘campaign of calumny’ by former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan, aided by former Supt David Taylor.

RIP.

Michael row the boat ashore (Anglo Celt, October 2015)

Previously: Before You Vote

Steady on.

This morning.

Bebe writes:

They’re certainly pushing her boat out…

This morning.

Following the second part of a two-part documentary on RTÉ 1 about Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe last night.

A petition calling for the State not to pay for the legal representation of former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan in an action taken against him by Maurice McCabe has reached more than 14,000 signatures.

At the Disclosures Tribunal Judge Peter Charleton accepted Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness’s evidence that Mr Callinan told him Sgt McCabe “fiddles with kids” and referred to both Sgt McCabe and former Garda John Wilson as “fucking headbangers” in January 2014.

He accepted that Mr Callinan told Mr McGuinness, during a meeting in a car park of Bewley’s Hotel on the Naas Road, Dublin, on Friday, January 24, 2014, that Sgt McCabe sexually abused his children and nieces.

And he accepted that Mr Callinan led him to believe there was a live investigation of some kind, causing Mr McGuinness to believe that charges against Sgt McCabe were imminent.

Judge Charleton accepted that Mr Callinan told Fine Gael TD John Deasy, on the way to a Public Accounts Committee meeting on Thursday, January 23, 2014, that Sgt McCabe was not to be believed or trusted with anything.

He also accepted the evidence of the Comptroller and Auditor General Seamus McCarthy – whose report into the quashing of penalty points was being discussed at that PAC meeting – that Mr Callinan told him Sgt McCabe was not to be trusted, that he had questions to answer, and that there were live allegations of sexual offences against him.

The judge also accepted that Mr Callinan told RTE journalist Philip Boucher-Hayes, before a broadcast of RTE’s Crimecall in December 2013, that Sgt McCabe was a “troubled individual” with a “lot of psychological issues and psychiatric issues”.

And the tribunal heard that Mr Callinan briefed celebrity solicitor Gerald Kean before Mr Kean went on the Marian Finucane Show in January 2014, during which Mr Kean alleged that Mr McCabe and Mr Wilson had not cooperated with an internal garda investigation into the penalty points controversy.

After Mr McCabe sent Mr Kean a legal letter about his comments threatening a defamation action, Mr Kean sent the letter on to Mr Callinan asking for his help in replying to Mr McCabe.

Mr Callinan, in turn, wrote up several paragraphs for Mr Kean to insert into this reply to Mr McCabe – which were inserted word for word.

Judge Peter Charleton wrote:

“So, the Garda Commissioner, by profession a criminal law enforcement officer, was drafting a letter for a solicitor on a legal problem, defamation, which the solicitor had. No comment is needed on this. Maurice McCabe subsequently took a defamation action against RTÉ and Gerald Kean. The case against Gerald Kean was not ultimately pursued, while a settlement was reached between Maurice McCabe and RTÉ.”

The petition can be signed here

Watch ‘Whistleblower’ Part 2 here.

Yesterday: How Was It For You?

Last night.

The first half of ‘Whistleblower’, a documentary by Katie Hannon (top right) about Maurice McCabe’s fight against Gardai malfeasance, was broadcast on RTÉ One – featuring interviews with Sgt McCabe (top centre) and Lorraine McCabe (top left) and will conclude tonight at 9.35pm.

Watch back here

Meanwhile…

Further to a report in The Sunday Times by John Mooney last weekend…

In which Mr Mooney reported that the State is paying for the legal representation of former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan in an action taken against him by Maurice McCabe, following an agreement finalised in mid-July

After the Disclosures Tribunal heard evidence from Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness, Comptroller and Auditor General Seamus McCarthy, RTE journalist Philip Boucher Hayes and Fine Gael TD John Deasy that Mr Callinan spoke derogatorily to them about the now retired sergeant…

A petition has been set up on Uplift calling for the State not to do so.

The petition sets out the following reasons for why the State shouldn’t cover Mr Callinan’s legal costs:

1. The most senior Garda in the country knowingly and deliberately smeared a serving Garda who raised the shortcomings in performance of other Gardai.

2. The State already funded the Tribunal to establish the facts and the facts have vindicated Garda McCabe.

3. For the State to then indemnify the guilty party is further persecuting the McCabe’s and also means there is no consequence for the guilty party.

4. The Minister for Justice should review the former commissioners contract of employment to see what sanctions were possible for breach of contact for bringing the force into disrepute. If there is such a provision the State should then seek to review his retirement and pension arrangements and if necessary take action to recover costs borne by the State because of his scurrilous actions.

5. This sets a dangerous precedent, where employees of the State can ruin peoples lives with absolutely no consequence for their actions.

At the Disclosures Tribunal Judge Peter Charleton accepted Mr McGuinness’s evidence that Mr Callinan told him Sgt McCabe “fiddles with kids” and referred to both Sgt McCabe and former Garda John Wilson as “fucking headbangers” in January 2014.

He accepted that Mr Callinan told Mr McGuinness, during a meeting in a car park of Bewley’s Hotel on the Naas Road, Dublin, on Friday, January 24, 2014, that Sgt McCabe sexually abused his children and nieces.

And he accepted that Mr Callinan led him to believe there was a live investigation of some kind, causing Mr McGuinness to believe that charges against Sgt McCabe were imminent.

Judge Charleton accepted that Mr Callinan told Fine Gael TD John Deasy, on the way to a Public Accounts Committee meeting on Thursday, January 23, 2014, that Sgt McCabe was not to be believed or trusted with anything.

He also accepted the evidence of the Comptroller and Auditor General Seamus McCarthy – whose report into the quashing of penalty points was being discussed at that PAC meeting – that Mr Callinan told him Sgt McCabe was not to be trusted, that he had questions to answer, and that there were live allegations of sexual offences against him.

And he accepted that Mr Callinan told Mr Boucher-Hayes, before a broadcast of RTE’s Crimecall in December 2013, that Sgt McCabe was a “troubled individual” with a “lot of psychological issues and psychiatric issues”.

The petition can be signed here

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and retired Sgt Maurice McCabe

“He did a service for policing, for An Garda Síochána, but policing in Ireland as well. And we’re the stronger for the example that Maurice McCabe has set and stronger for the Charleton Report that’s been delivered.

“I regret that I hadn’t met him before, under, you know, more normal circumstances because I think a lot of his views in policing are the views that I would have held as well.”

The newly appointed Garda Commissioner Drew Harris speaking on Northern Sound radio earlier today.

Garda Commissioner says he shares Maurice McCabe’s views on policing (Northern Sound)

Rollingnews

Hatchette Ireland tweetz:

Excited to reveal the cover of the updated edition of A Force for Justice: The Maurice McCabe Story by award-winning journalist @Mickcliff. Out November 22 #TheFinalVerdict

Previously: The Price We Paid

Irish-made stocking fillers to Broadsheet@broadsheet.ie marked ‘Irish-made Stocking Fillers’. No fee