Garda Commissioner pays tribute to late Colm Horkan following trial

GARDA Commissioner Drew Harris has paid tribute to the late Colm Horkan after a jury found a man guilty of the capital murder of the detective garda.

Stephen Silver, with an address at Foxford, denied murdering Detective Garda Horkan in Castlerea in June 2020 but admitted manslaughter.

The 46-year-old was convicted yesterday of capital murder following a trial.

In a statement following the verdict, Commissioner Harris said it was 'a sombre day', in particular for Colm Horkan’s family and friends, and for everybody in Colm’s wider garda family.

He commented: "Colm went to work in Castlerea Garda Station on the 17th June, 2020. It was a routine day’s work for Colm.

“Colm was murdered on duty and never came home to his family.

“Colm’s death reinforces to every member of An Garda Síochána the reality of the dangers and the uncertainty of the work that we face every day.”

He continued: “I want to pay tribute to the garda investigation team in Castlerea Garda Station, supported by the wider garda organisation, that professionally investigated all the circumstances of Colm’s murder.

“That investigation is a tribute to the professionalism of An Garda Síochána and to Colm.

“Finally, we stand with and support Colm’s father Marty, his siblings, wider family and friends and we remember his mother Dolores and twin sister Colette.

“Today, as every day, we remember our colleague Colm who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the local community he served so well.

“He will always be remembered as the kind, caring man, and professional and empathetic garda that he was.”