Aaron Brady pleads not guilty to murder and robbery

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

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

The proceedings at the Central Criminal Court were reported on 2 July 2020. Retired detective inspector Pat Marry told the court that he believed Brady was at the credit union, not at a diesel laundering yard in south Armagh that night.

Marry said Brady had told gardaí he had been at a yard on Concession Road for about 15 minutes between one hour and 90 minutes before the shooting. He said investigators examined poor-quality CCTV but found no evidence that the car Brady said he was travelling in was in the area at the relevant time.

Defence counsel Michael O’Higgins SC questioned why the yard had not been examined, saying Brady had given a detailed description of it. Marry said it was not deemed relevant to view the site because he did not believe Brady was there. He said gardaí obtained photographs of the site within two months of the shooting.

O’Higgins also suggested that phone traffic involving Brady and a known fuel launderer appeared to relate to fuel laundering. Marry said gardaí had received a statement from the fuel launderer to that effect, but questioned whether it was credible. Cross-examination was due to continue before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury.