George Royale was unconnected to any of the IRSP prisoners in the Bridewell police prison during the period (April 6/7, 1976). He swore on oath he heard screams that went on for a long time and voices saying ‘you were driving you bastard’ and ‘who was driving?’ When he complained to gardai he was threatened to ‘shut up or you’ll get the same.’
His brother William Royale was also in the jail at the time in another cell. He swore on oath he heard screams and someone saying ‘I didn’t do it..’ and another voice saying ‘we know who drove the car, who drove the van..?’
Peter Harrington was in the Bridewell at the time and unconnected to the IRSP. He swore on oath he was woken up with screaming. He could make out someone say ‘..leave me alone, I didn’t do it..’
A James Lawlor who was also a prisoner in the Bridewell at the time, unconnected to the IRSP, gave similar evidence. Banging on the cell door for attention he was told to “shut up.” The screaming he heard “went on for an hour and a half”.
Alan Martin, also in the prison at the time, was unconnected to the IRSP. He heard screams and crying around the same time for over two hours. He heard a voice insisting ‘you were there, you were there..’ and voice pleading ‘.. leave me alone, please leave me alone..’ The next morning, he got a double ration of sandwiches because the police warder told him the man in the next cell was unable for his.
None of these witnesses were political activists nor had they any relationship or knowledge of the IRSP men being tortured.
Journalist Osgur Breatnach was woken from his sleep in the Bridewell by screams of pain and pleading and heard insistent voices questioning. Later, as he was being tortured himself in a locker room in the same police station, he heard screams of pain from elsewhere in the station, in between his own screams
