There are days when the workings of the State confound me.
No, this isn’t about NAMA, now passed by both houses of the Oireachtas, and – barring referral to the Supreme Court – set to become law within a week, as soon as President McAleese signs it.
Instead, it’s about a case resolved on the steps of the Four Courts today.
As the Irish Times reports, the State and the Garda Commissioner today settled with Katrina Brolly, wrongly arrested in December 1996 and mistreated in Garda custody.
Here’s the line that threw me.
“The defendants had denied the claims.”
The second report of the Morris tribunal, published on 1 June 2005, found that all the arrests made by Gardai investigating the death of Richie Barron “were bad as being founded on a fraud.”
In October 2005, Garda John Dooley admitted Katrina Brolly was mistreated while under arrest. In March 2006 his statement entered the public domain.
Eighteen months ago, Morris published the report confirming Katrina Brolly – and several others – were mistreated.
In May 2008, Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy apologised to those mistreated in Garda custody. Yet legal costs mounted as the case dragged on.
Some apology.
