Courts / Armagh / Report

Key witness in Brady trial received 'paramilitary' threats

Date
2020-11-24

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Armagh

County
Armagh

Summary

During the High Court hearing on 24 November 2020, Mr Justice Michael White sentenced Colin Hoey, aged 30, to 21 days' imprisonment and a €2,000 fine for contempt of court after Hoey failed to attend a witness order in the Aaron Brady murder trial. Hoey had initially supplied an alibi for Brady but later withdrew it. He was jailed for not appearing at the Central Criminal Court on 4 March 2020, despite a bench warrant issued on 5 March. Hoey had presented himself at the Criminal Courts of Justice on 5 October 2020 to execute the warrant. The judge noted that Hoey was a "very decent young man" from a "very decent family" who had been caught up in a "very difficult situation" and that his failure to comply with the witness order was a serious matter. The sentence was imposed to reflect the seriousness of the contempt offence. Colin Hoey pleaded guilty. Aaron Brady pleaded guilty and was found guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Key witness in Brady trial received 'paramilitary' threats. Charges or matters: the charge after failing to appear to answer a witness order during the trial of Aaron Brady; the murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe by an 11 to one majority jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court on August 11. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty

When:

March 5 Incident
October 5 Incident
August 11 Incident
January 25, 2013 Incident
March 3 Hearing Or Sentence
March 4 Incident
September 12, 2017 Incident
January 25 Incident
2020-11-24 Publication

Why: Mr Justice White said he accepted what Mr Farrell had put to the detective and explained that he had to read quite detailed intelligence during the trial as part of his duties as trial judge. CNI source report

Case subjects

Aaron Brady

Convicted Person

Charges: the charge after failing to appear to answer a witness order during the trial of Aaron Brady; the murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe by an 11 to one majority jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court on August 11 (Proven)

Plea: Guilty

Finding: Found guilty

Outcome: Found guilty; Passing sentence today, Mr Justice White said that failing to attend attend court on foot of a witness order was "a serious matter" but Mr Hoey was "most unfortunate" to become involved with Brady, who had been convicted of the most serious crime known to the Irish criminal law. Brady was also sentenced to 14 years for the robbery of €7,000 – a sentence that will run concurrently with the life sentence – at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgen, Co Louth on January 25, 2013.

Colin Hoey

Convicted Person

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: The judge jailed Mr Hoey (30) for 21 days and fined him €2,000 for contempt of court. Passing sentence today, Mr Justice White said that failing to attend attend court on foot of a witness order was "a serious matter" but Mr Hoey was "most unfortunate" to become involved with Brady, who had been convicted of the most serious crime known to the Irish criminal law.