Slain garda's gun holster was never tested by forensic officers

Extra.ie​

11-05-2025

Senior gardaí withheld murdered Detective Garda Colm Horkan's defective gun holster from the control of forensic officers charged with investigating the crime, a whistleblower has claimed in a series of damning protected disclosures to Extra.ie.
The whistleblower – a serving member of An Garda Síochána who headed up the Garda National Technical Bureau (GNTB) – today gives a first-person account of his attendance at the incident room at Castlerea Garda station in the hours after Detective Garda Colm Horkan's murder.
In the account, the whistleblower claims that he was told that Det Gda Horkan's murderer, Stephen Silver, initially told investigators he had pulled the slain garda's gun from his holster. The whistleblower claims that he was told that Det Gda Horkan's murderer, Stephen Silver, initially told investigators he had pulled the slain garda's gun from his holster. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
This initial account is not the evidence that was given at Silver's subsequent trial, where he was convicted of the capital murder.
Regardless, it means that at the very early stages of the investigation, Garda Horkan's holster was identified as a key piece of evidence.
The whistleblower goes on to detail that, despite the holster being bagged and tagged as a ballistic exhibit, it was not returned to the GNTB for forensic examination. Pic: KarlM Photography/Shutterstock
Instead, it was taken into the possession of another uniformed Chief Superintendent – at the direction of Garda management – who then had the holster examined by a non-forensically trained officer.
The explosive allegations are among those contained in new protected disclosures made by a senior serving officer to former Labour leader Alan Kelly and Extra.ie.
Others include that: The whistleblower's attempts to mount a 'warning campaign' about the holsters caused 'frustrations at the highest level' of the force.
A previous incident where a Garda received life-changing injuries outside the Israeli Embassy when his gun went off accidentally saw that holster being examined forensically, with a report concluding the holster was defective.
Footage from live-fire training events, prior to the murder of Det Gda Horkan, clearly evidenced the defective nature of the holsters and the dangers they posed.
An 'alternative report' ordered by Commissioner Harris, which was carried out by the Firearms Stores Section that procured the holsters, was a 'clear conflict of interest' that undermined Garda 'forensic and ballistic experts'.
This second report was compiled some months later, while the whistleblower was on annual leave
The senior officer was deliberately targeted for raising the concerns and is currently taking a case in the High Court and the WRC for penalisation.
The senior officer involved in the investigation into Det Gda Horkan's murder claimed the 'initial account', provided by Silver, in custody, was that he was 'able to reach down [from behind] and remove it from Garda Horkan's official issue leather pistol holster'. Alan Kelly. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins
But, he notes in his disclosure: 'Court reporting later provided by RTÉ showed that the narrative had changed, it was now being reported that it was actually Det Gda Horkan who moved to draw his official issue firearm and that Stephen Silver placed his hand on top of Det Gda Horkan's hand resulting in both men drawing the pistol together, with Silver somehow managing to take the firearm from Garda Horkan even though his (Silver's) grip would have been significantly weakened as a result of it being widened by the grip that Det Gda Horkan allegedly already had on the pistol grip of the firearm.'
The officer said that, while Silver's account changed, that narrative did not match with what was originally relayed to him early on June 18, 2020.
His disclosure claims: 'The narrative had been revised to suggest that the late Det Gda Colm Horkan had actively moved to withdraw his official issue firearm from his holster.
While this was clearly the evidence provided, including by Silver himself, it is at significant variance from what was originally presented.'
Mr Kelly last night called for a full investigation by the Department of Justice into the dossier of allegations, which include serious claims made against the force and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. Pic: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie
Extra.ie revealed in late 2023 how another Garda whistleblower made separate disclosures to Garda management, warning about defective Garda-issued holsters prior to the killing of Det Gda Horkan shortly before midnight on June 17, 2020.
Convicted killer Silver is serving a mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years after he shot the plainclothes garda 11 times after disarming him.
In one disclosure from the second Garda whistleblower, the senior officer also alleges Commissioner Harris 'personally sought' an 'alternative report' that ultimately concluded a defective holster did not play a role in the life-changing injuries suffered by a Detective attached to the Special Detective Unit (SDU) – despite mounting circumstantial evidence that it had.
Crucially, Det Gda Horkan was using the same type of defective holster on the night of his murder. The second whistleblower writes: 'It must be asked if there is a deliberate effort or intent by Drew Harris and others to conceal a dangerously defective holster that facilitated the unobstructed removal of Colm's firearm by Stephen Silver, which ultimately resulted in Colm being murdered by his own firearm.
'Commissioner Harris must now ask of himself if Det Gda Horkan would still be alive today if he had actively pursued the protected disclosures of the original confidential reporter (made a year before the murder).' Detective Colm Horkan. Pic: File
The senior officer claims that respected retired Defence Forces weapons expert Lieutenant Colonel Ray Lane was initially hired to look into another whistleblower's claims about the Garda Firearms Store.
But he said this was dropped after Commissioner Harris made it clear that he did not want a Defence Forces member involved in any inquiry, and that he would get a former colleague from the North to look into it instead.
The officer also said that defective ammunition stored at Garda HQ – highlighted in an earlier disclosure from the first Garda whistleblower in Extra.ie last month – was not fully withdrawn until 2023, five years after it was recalled by the manufacturers.
He claims this resulted in potential hazards for Garda members carrying firearms and compromised the integrity of security offered to visiting dignitaries during this period.
Responding to the allegations, a Garda spokeswoman said: 'As you have stated, you are seeking responses arising from Protected Disclosures – An Garda Síochána is precluded by law from commenting on any matters that are subject of Protected Disclosures. Pic: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images
'An Garda Síochána cannot comment on ongoing investigations being carried out by either An Garda Síochána or Fiosrú [the Garda ombudsman].
'In general, certain matters raised by you have been attended to and discussed by An Garda Síochána with the relevant oversight bodies.
'An Garda Síochána notes allegations in your enquiry made against named individuals which are inaccurate.
'The following information is already in the public domain: At the Oireachtas Justice Committee meeting in November 2023 and at a separate media briefing, Commissioner Harris stated that following the murder of Det Gda Colm Horkan, as Commissioner he directed that a new safety holster be introduced.
This new safety holster was procured following a tender process for firearms accessories that concluded in September 2020.
'This process resulted in a new supplier of holsters being retained by An Garda Síochána.
'The conviction of Stephen Silver for the capital murder of Det Gda Colm Horkan is a matter of fact and public record. Following consideration of a comprehensive Garda investigation file the DPP directed criminal charges against Stephen Silver.
'Criminal trials are carried out in public and evidence adduced by both the prosecution and defence are tested, examined and cross-examined. After hearing the evidence, a jury of his peers convicted Stephen Silver of the capital murder of Det Gda Colm Horkan.'
Mr Kelly, Labour's Justice spokesman, has repeatedly raised the issue in the Dáil of the defective Garda holsters. He said he has examined the holsters, which remained in official use until March 2023.
The Tipperary TD said: 'This senior garda officer is very sincere, hard-working, experienced, highly qualified and decent. He is distinguished and is so on top of his area of expertise and responsibility.
'I understand that to be the sense amongst senior gardaí who have dealt with and worked with him. I've met with him on many occasions after he approached me last year. He has shown me the holsters.
'When you make comparisons between them and similar issued holsters, there is no comparison in quality. It is quite easy to manipulate them as they are of such poor quality.
'Having raised this issue in the Dáil… many gardaí of all ranks have been in touch with me to say that it was well known that these holsters were faulty and they refused to use them. Gardaí used to purchase their own holsters rather than use these, which says it all.
'There is no doubt that another garda warned the Commissioner and the Garda authorities that these holsters were faulty and substandard and that if they were left in place that gardaí would be injured and could possibly be murdered.
'There is also no doubt that in two cases where there was potentially an issue with holsters that deliberately there were two different approaches to the follow-up investigations of the firearms and holsters that took place.
'Why was this? Were those who carried out the investigation qualified to ISO standard? What this garda is alleging is so concerning that the future Garda Commissioner and the current Minister for Justice will have no choice but to launch a full investigation into all facets of his allegations. They are problematic on so many levels. I'll keep raising them in the Dáil until they are investigated.'
A Department of Justice spokesman said: 'Minister [Jim] O'Callaghan is aware of the issues raised in your email.
As the issues form part of an investigation by Fiosrú, it would not be appropriate to comment at this time.