Aaron Brady denies capital murder charge

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Aaron Brady has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe and to robbing approximately €7,000 in cash and assorted cheques. Both charges concern events at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, on 25 January 2013.

The proceedings were reported on 5 February 2020. The trial was continuing before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury.

Credit union volunteer Bernadette McShane told the trial that she heard two loud bangs and saw Detective Garda Donohoe fall. She broke down as she described fearing that a man running towards her would kill her because she had seen too much.

She said the man smashed her car window and demanded money. When she said she had none, he demanded her handbag, which she threw towards him. He then told her to open the glove box, which was empty, before running away.

In cross-examination, Ms McShane agreed that she had described the man in statements to gardaí as five feet eight or nine inches tall and having a Dublin accent. In a follow-up statement, she said she was not good with accents but was sure it was not a Northern Irish accent.

The jury also heard from Pat Bellew, who said a raider took a bag and envelopes from his car, and from witnesses who described a car travelling at speed in Lordship that night.