LAST Sunday, somebody decided to blacken the name of Derek O'Toole. The 24-year-old had died earlier that morning in an incident that involved a number of garda� in a car. The exact details were sketchy. Initially, it appeared that O'Toole was the victim of a hit-and-run, and that somebody other than the occupants of the car had phoned the emergency services.

On Monday morning, some newspapers carried a report suggesting that Derek O'Toole was "known to the garda�." At least one newspaper reported that he had "a number of convictions." None of it was true.

The story could only have come from within the garda�. Newspapers can be accused of exaggerating, spinning, hyping, but no reporter - particularly one with contacts in the force - would invent the fact that a road accident victim was "known to the garda�." The reporter would be as likely to allege the victim was an unemployed astronaut.

Later that day, O'Toole's mother, Christine, gave an interview where she described her dead son as a model citizen, who deserved to be treated "with respect, dignity and honesty." Derek had overcome two serious bouts of cancer in his childhood and, by all accounts, was living a healthy, wholesome life at the time of his death.

If Christine O'Toole hadn't given the interview - which must have been a stressful experience - the erroneous report of her son's record would in all likelihood have emerged quietly during the week.

The grievous wrong done to him would not have been highlighted. And the serious questions it raises about the culture within the garda� would once again have gone unnoticed.

Derek O'Toole wasn't the only victim of sources within the garda� last Sunday. In Longford town, the body of a young woman was found. Sources told the media that she had been engaged in a burglary and had likely fallen to her death. This slur on the dead woman's character persisted for at least 24 hours before being corrected.

Also on Sunday, a newspaper carried a report that Sinn F�in TD for North Kerry Martin Ferris had called a group of travellers "dirty smelly Pavees" during a verbal confrontation. Ferris vehemently denies the charge. He alleges the story originated within the garda�, who, he says, are out to get him. He omitted to mention that recently he has been portraying the garda� as soft on drug dealers, a silly allegation which he is propagating for electoral advantage. Nevertheless, the charge made against him from anonymous sources within the force was serious and doesn't appear to be backed up by solid facts.

Unfortunately, it's all par for the course. The bulk of information emanating from garda� is through anonymous sources. Last week, the head of the garda press office, Superintendent Kevin Donohue, railed against this practice. Yet, one of the reasons for its prevalence is that a culture of secrecy exists as regards official information.

Any Irish reporter who contacts a police force in Northern Ireland, mainland Britain or the US is taken aback by the level of frankness proffered.

We do things differently here. The garda press office is peopled by polite, professional officers who give the impression that saying as little as possible is what they are employed to do.

The resultant vacuum is filled by "sources."

This method of public relations has the advantage of power without responsibility. The practice has largely served the garda� well. Reporters are overly reliant on their sources and unlikely to ruffle feathers. The garda�'s agenda is followed without question.

That agenda could be spinning against a suspect because there mightn't be enough evidence to prosecute him. In the recent Ian Bailey libel trial, his counsel alleged with some justification that sources in the force had disseminated copious amounts of information about him to blacken his character and put pressure on him.

The agenda is often to hype crime and thereby heighten the importance of the force. Following the murder of the gangster Marlo Hyland last December, sources put out that 23 out of 24 associates of Hyland who were charged with crimes had been released on bail.

The story was entirely distorted. Many of the individuals were charged with motoring or publicorder offences, not gun crime. As a result of the story, the minister for justice recently proposed legislation to tighten up bail laws. The spin, faithfully reported in the media, did its job.

Why try to blacken the name of a dead man? On Sunday, details of the incident were sketchy. It looked initially as if there may be trouble for the offduty occupants of the car. And the garda�'s record has shown that whenever it looks like trouble for the force, the wagons are circled.

Sheena McMahon, who blew the whistle on her corrupt husband Garda Noel McMahon, and his buddy Superintendent Kevin Lennon, was initially portrayed in the media as a loose cannon. She was nothing of the sort. But she presented the threat of scandal and had to be neutralised. Her character had to be blackened.

Frank McBrearty also presented the threat of scandal for the force. His business was targeted.

He received over 150 summonses, almost all of which were thrown out in court.

So when it looked as if Derek O'Toole's death was going to result in a threat of scandal, somebody decided to blacken his name. "Known to the garda�" is a term that crops up frequently in relation to the victims of gun crime. In the public mind, it devalues a life.

Applied in this instance, it was designed to lessen what initially appeared could be an embarrassment for the force. Scant regard was given to the pain such a spurious allegation would visit on the bereaved family.

The song remains the same. It's all part of a culture in which an 'us against the world' mentality is inculcated during training, in the isolated outpost of Templemore. The force is a reflection of the general population, made up, for the greater part, of decent, honourable individuals. But a culture that should have been tackled decades ago persists and does a disservice to many within its ranks. The head of the Garda Inspectorate, Kathleen O'Toole, has a job of work on her hands.