David Taylor gives evidence on alleged smear campaign

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Former Garda press officer David Taylor gave evidence to the Disclosures Tribunal about an alleged smear campaign against Sergeant Maurice McCabe. The proceedings were reported on 16 May 2018.

Taylor said he could not give an exact date for deciding the alleged campaign was wrong, describing it as an evolution in his thinking. He denied leaking a newspaper story about a Roma child taken into care. He said he accepted the investigation into him was legitimate, and described his May 2015 arrest as traumatic. The DPP later directed no prosecution in the case. The tribunal adjourned after evidence from Taylor’s wife, Michelle, and Taylor was due to continue his evidence the following day.