Tag Archives: Lorraine McCabe

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

Sgt Maurice McCabe and his wife Lorraine; Garda Commissioner Drew Harris

Yesterday evening.

The newly appointed Garda Commissioner Drew Harris called to the home of Sgt Maurice McCabe in Co Cavan.

Mr Harris spoke with Sgt McCabe and his wife Lorraine, who have five children, for around an hour and a half – during which time they spoke about the Disclosures Tribunal and other matters.

Mr Harris, who was on his own with the couple during the visit, apologised to Sgt McCabe and Lorraine on behalf of An Garda Síochána and thanked him for highlighting issues within the gardai.

Sgt McCabe and Lorraine were “extremely pleased” with the meeting.

Previously: Legal Coffee Drinker: The Charleton Report – Conclusions

Rollingnews

Lorraine and Sgt Maurice McCabe and A Force For Justice by Michael Clifford

This morning.

On RTE’s Today with Seán O’Rourke.

Michael Clifford, of The Irish Examiner, spoke of a book he has written about Sgt Maurice McCabe, called A Force For Justice: The Maurice McCabe Story.

During the interview, an extract of a statement made by Sgt McCabe’s wife Lorraine in preparation for a legal action against An Garda Siochana, which is contained in the book, was read out by Tara Campbell.

In it, Lorraine describes what life has been like for her and her family for almost 10 years:

“In 1993, I married a decent, honourable and, above all, an honest man. For the last nine years, because of these admirable traits and his decision to challenge the system for all of the right reasons, his life has intentionally, relentlessly and systematically been rendered intolerable for him at every turn.

“This has had a profound and very destructive effect on me, my children, my marriage and on our life as a family.

“It’s usual, in a marriage, to be able to turn to your partner for support. In my case, given the pressure that Maurice has been under, I’ve not felt able to burden him further at times when I would have ordinarily needed support.

“I’ve largely had to cope with other trials and difficulties in our lives, including the death of both of my parents, alone. I’ve also had to shield Maurice from many of the day-to-day family concerns regarding the children and otherwise – what would ordinarily be dealt with together.

“One of the most difficult episodes for me was when Maurice was so low that he was admitted into St John of Gods for help. I’ll never forget the desperation I felt that night, after leaving him and driving home alone and wondering how I could shield the children from this. 

“We’ve five children, the eldest of whom is now 21. Tom was only a baby when all of this began. Despite my best efforts, their entire childhoods have been marred.

“Our lives have been destroyed. For years, we lived in fear. And now that fear has turned into extreme anger at what they tried to do and how things could have ended but for the relentless fight we had to endure and the tireless work of our legal team.

“I’m still married to a decent, honourable, and above all, an honest man.

“However, he, I, and our children, have paid a very high price for his honesty and his decision to challenge the system in the interest of others.”

Listen back to the interview in full here

Leah Farrell, Rollingnews/Easons