‘Callinan told me that McCabe was abusing children,’ FF TD says
FÍANNA FÁIL TD John McGuinness has said that former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan told him that Garda whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe had sexually abused his own children.
On Monday, Sgt McCabe told the Disclosures Tribunal that Mr Callinan had told Mr McGuinness that he was ‘not to be trusted’ and – utterly wrongly – that he had ‘sexually abused’ his own children and his nieces.
The comments were said to have been made during a meeting between the TD and the then commissioner in a hotel car park in January 2014.
Sgt McCabe recalled how Mr McGuinness met him in a Dublin hotel, and said: ‘I have to tell you this.’ Sgt McCabe continued: ‘He told me he had met with Garda commissioner Martin Callinan at the Red Cow, and that he [Callinan] said that I wasn’t to be trusted and that I had sexually abused vulnerable children and my nieces... He also said he had grabbed his arm as he was getting out of the car and said, “It’s serious, very serious.”’
Yesterday, Darren Lehane BL, for Mr McGuinness, said he had consulted with his client overnight, and that he had agreed with Sgt McCabe’s general recollection of their conversation.
‘He will say that he told you that Mr Callinan had told him that you had abused your children and that you had abused your nieces as well,’ Mr Lehane said.
Judge Charleton said: ‘So that absolutely accords with the account given by Sgt McCabe.’
Sgt McCabe had said that in May 2016, he met Mr McGuinness, who was then chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, which had been investigating the whistleblower’s penalty-point complaints. Mr McGuinness said Martin Callinan had told him that Sgt McCabe was ‘not to be trusted’ and – utterly wrongly – that he had ‘sexually abused’ his own children and his nieces.
The tribunal is investigating if high-ranking gardaí orchestrated a smear campaign against Sgt McCabe following his exposure of Garda malpractice, including the wiping of penalty points.
Sgt McCabe yesterday appealed to journalists and others who may have been contacted by Garda sources such as former press officer Superintendent David Taylor. During questioning by Tara Burns SC, for Supt Taylor, Sgt McCabe confirmed that the revelation by Mr McGuinness was the ‘catalyst’ for him to seek more information from Supt Taylor.
He said he had asked Supt Taylor if he had been spreading rumours about him having been investigated for sexual assault in 2006 – an investigation which ultimately exonerated him – and he said Supt Taylor replied: ‘Yes.’
Sgt McCabe repeated his assertion that Supt Taylor had described Nóirín O’Sullivan, who was the deputy commissioner at the time, was the ‘pusher’ behind the orchestrated campaign, which was said to be a mix of whispers, phone calls and text messages.
He said it wasn’t a word he himself had ever used before.
Ms Burns said: ‘Supt Taylor’s stance is that in discussing Nóirín O’Sullivan, he wasn’t discussing her pushing her agenda in relation to you. But he did discuss her actually pushing a prosecution against him.’ Sgt McCabe replied: ‘That’s absolutely false.’
Sgt McCabe had said Supt Taylor told him he was asked by Mr Callinan to forward texts to senior gardaí, journalists and TDs about Sgt McCabe, and that these texts were written by Mr Callinan.
Sgt McCabe had said he was told by Supt Taylor that thousands of these messages were sent by him to ‘do me down’ and ‘bury’ him.
Ms Burns said this was denied by her client. ‘He accepts that he said to you that there was a very large number of text messages, hundreds, sent by him to senior management in relation to you,’ she said. ‘But he does not accept that he said what was being texted about on those occasions was in relation to the scurrilous rumours
‘He said I wasn’t to be trusted’ ‘It’s his word against mine’
regarding the 2006 allegation.’
She said her client claimed instead that the texts were sent to inform people about any developments or media broadcasts regarding Sgt McCabe. Supt Taylor also denied saying Mr Callinan had created the text messages, or sent them to him, Ms Burns said.
Sgt McCabe replied: ‘He 100% said Martin Callinan compiled all the text messages. He said, “I got them and I sent them on.” It’s his word against mine at this stage.’
Judge Charleton remarked of the differences between them: ‘You might call it a chasm.’
Sgt McCabe told Shane Murphy SC, counsel for senior gardaí, he was simply reporting what had been said to him by Supt Taylor and Mr McGuinness.
The tribunal will hear submissions from counsel tomorrow.