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Integrity of Aaron Brady trial breached when key witness ordered to stop by unseen man, lawyers submit
Summary
Aaron Brady, convicted of murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, is appealing his conviction in a six-day hearing before the Court of Appeal. On the fourth day, senior counsel Fiona Murphy argued that the trial's integrity was "well and truly breached" when key witness Molly Staunton, testifying via video link from New York, was interrupted by an unseen man who told her to "stop it right now" before the connection was cut. Murphy submitted that the trial court erred in refusing to discharge the jury, claiming the disruption rendered the trial "fundamentally flawed" and that the State failed to implement adequate safeguards for the witness. She contended that the jury might perceive the interference as prejudicial to Brady, despite no evidence linking the man to the appellant. In reply, Lorcan Staines SC for the DPP stated that declaring Staunton a hostile witness was a discretionary matter for the trial judge. Brady, who was found guilty by an 11-to-1 majority jury at the Central Criminal Court in August 2020, is serving a life sentence with a 40-year minimum term for the murder, which occurred during a robbery in 2013. He was also sentenced to 14 years for the robbery, running concurrently. The appeal continues before Mr Justice John Edwards, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, and Ms Justice Tara Burns.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Integrity of Aaron Brady trial breached when key witness ordered to stop by unseen man, lawyers submit. Charges or matters: murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, was "well and truly breached" when a key witness giving evidence from New York was interrupted by an unseen man, who told her to "stop it right now", before the video link was "dramatically" cut, the Court of Appeal has been told; the murder of Det Gda Donohoe by an 11 to one majority jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court in August 2020. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- June 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 25, 2013 Other
- August 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- October 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2023-10-09 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, was "well and truly breached" when a key witness giving evidence from New York was interrupted by an unseen man, who told her to "stop it right now", before the video link was "dramatically" cut, the Court of Appeal has been told; the murder of Det Gda Donohoe by an 11 to one majority jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court in August 2020 (Proven)
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; Father-of-one Brady, who was jailed in 2020 for a minimum of 40 years for the murder of the detective, is bidding to overturn his conviction in a six-day hearing before the Court of Appeal. Brady was also sentenced to 14 years for the robbery, a sentence that will run concurrently with the life sentence.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Central Criminal Court
- New Road
- Crossmaglen
- Armagh
- Lordship Credit Union
Topics
Stage Appeal Theft Violent Crime
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