Tracing the steps of Brian Rossiter's last day

Around midday on Tuesday 10 September 2002 Anthony O' Sullivan went to the home of Brian Rossiter's sister, Sharon, in Queens St, Clonmel. Brian came out and they walked down Queens St. They turned into Upper Gladstone St, met an older friend whom they asked to buy a few liters of cider. On receiving the cider they continued down Gladstone St towards the Main Guard. They turned into the pedestrianised Mitchell St and then right into Abbey St, heading towards the river. They knocked at the door of an apartment block and went upstairs to the apartment of a friend, Wayne O' Driscoll, on the second floor, where they stayed for several hours. There were several others there, including Wayne O Driscoll's flat mate, a man in his mid 30s. He says neither he nor Brian Rossiter took drugs while in the flat and drank very little of the cider they had purchased. He has repeatedly insisted Brian Rossiter had taken no drugs.

According to Anthony O' Sullivan, a row broke out between the older flat mate and some of Anthony's and Brian's friends, but not involving them. "Stuff started getting thrown around". Anthony and Brian left and went back out to Abbey St. They were joined by their friends who had been in the apartment. They went back to the front door and rang the bell. The older man looked out a window and told them to get lost.

At that stage they heard a shop window being broken nearby. They went back up Abbey St, on to Mitchell St again and observed the broken window in what was then a shoe shop. They walked back out to Gladstone St and up that street and near McDonalds' they heard shouting coming from the Marystone Centre. They walked down there and saw one of their friends being held by his (the friend's) father. Apparently that friend had broken the shop window. The Gardai arrived and, according to Anthony O' Sullivan, manhandled the friend. Anthony O' Sullivan and Brian Rossiter shouted at the Guards to leave their friend alone.

They went back out on to Gladstone St and headed back towards Brian Rossiter's sister's house. They turned left into William St and as they were going down there they saw one of the Gardai who had arrested their friend in front of them, the Garda squad car also arrived on the scene. They boys still had the bottles of cider with them. They ran back towards Gladstone St. Anthony ran into Piper's Pub, Brian ran around the side into a car park.

Anthony says he ran through the pub towards the back door but as he opened the door another Garda was there and, according to him, he was violently assaulted by this Guard who broke a flash lamp over his (Anthony's) head. According to Anthony's father, Eddie O' Sullivan, people in the pub at the time have since confirmed to him that a violent assault by named Gardai on Anthony took place at that stage.

Brian had hidden under a jeep in the pub car park and he too was arrested. Anthony says he was then marched, with his arm twisted up behind his back, to the Garda station. Brian Rossiter was also brought to the station but Anthony O' Sullivan did not see him being brought there. Along the way, Anthony O' Sullivan says, he called out to the Garda (who he named) "you are breaking my hand". He says the Garda whispered to him "that's what I am trying to do". He says the Garda opened the door of the Garda station by banking his (Anthony's) face against it.