A man wrongly accused of murder said he would return his state compensation to get his old life back.
Raphoe man Mark McConnell was one of a number of people arrested for the death of Richie Barron in October 1996.
The cattle dealer’s body was found by the side of the road outside the East Donegal village.
And while all evidence pointed to the accident being a hit and run, McConnell, his cousin Frank McBrearty Jnr and his father Frank Snr, were held over his death, accused of assaulting him.
Following a lengthy and costly tribunal in which Garda corruption was exposed, the McBrearty family were awarded compensation.
However, speaking on RTE documentary After the Headlines, Mark said: “Every penny that we received I would gladly give it back to have a normal life.
“We planned to have a big family, that didn’t happen. It’s no coincidence that there’s an 11-year gap between our two children.
“We would have much rather have lived our simple life, struggling to pay our mortgage . . . I’d much rather be doing that than sitting here discussing this.”
Frank Junior remembered the moment he was arrested, nearly two months after Richie’s death.
He recalled: “It was a very slippy morning and there was a checkpoint with about 40 guards on it. I thought they were checking for drunken driving or something like that.
“Until I rolled down the window and the local sergeant said ‘Get out of the car.’ I said, ‘What for?’ He says, ‘You’re under arrest for the murder of Richie Barron.’ They handcuffed me and put me into the patrol car.
“I looked back and all I could see was my son running after the car.”
AFTER the Headlines airs on Tuesday on RTE Two at 9.35pm.
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