Garda Superintendent Patrick Browne, Will have to pay costs of up to £100000
A Garda superintendent has lost his libel action against the Sunday Tribune and will have to pay costs of up to £100,000. Superintendent Patrick Joseph Brown had claimed that an article in the newspaper meant he had neglected to investigate a serious complaint about a man who was later at the centre of a siege at a house in Ballyconnell County Cavan.
In May 1998, the Sunday Tribune published an article, written by Richard Oakley, headlined "Gardai warned of German man's arsenal". The German man was Gerritt Isenborger. In January 1997, Mr Isenborger shot at the Cavan County sheriff when bailiffs attempted to evict him. The episode turned into a two-day stand off. Mr Isenborgers mother, who was staying with him, died during the stand-off.
Superintendent Browne claimed that the article attributed responsibility to him for the death of one person and serious injury of another. The Superintendent had received a letter from a solicitor expressing concern that Mr Isenborger had an array of illegal firearms.
When giving evidence, Patrick Joseph Browne claimed he responded to the letter by writing back to the solicitor requiring further information, which he never received. He also said he spoke to gardaí in the area who had no reason to believe Mr Isenborger had illegal arms.
However the Sheriff, Thomas Owens, whose left elbow was almost completely shattered during the siege, told the court that he was never informed by the Gardaí about the letter they had received. He said he would not have proceeded with the eviction without further consultation from the Gardaí had he known.
Today, the jury rose for 90 minutes to decide on the case. When asked was the article in question true in substance and in fact, they said yes.
Patrick John Browne had taken four previous libel actions and received over £80,000 in damages. He has been ordered to pay the costs of the Sunday Tribune, which, coupled with his own costs, could come up to £100,000.
