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Criminal who tried to dissuade witness in garda murder trial seeks to overturn conviction
Summary
The Supreme Court will hear an appeal by Dean Byrne, a Dublin man with over 120 convictions, challenging his 2024 Special Criminal Court conviction for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Byrne was sentenced to two years for allegedly conspiring with Aaron Brady to dissuade witness Daniel Cahill from testifying in Brady's murder trial. The Court of Appeal previously rejected Byrne's bid to overturn this conviction, finding he used unlawful means by sending the witness's Garda statement to a third party. The Supreme Court will now consider whether it can ever be lawful to persuade a witness not to give evidence. Meanwhile, Aaron Brady, who pleaded guilty to two offences related to efforts at perverting the course of justice during his trial, was sentenced to three years. Brady is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for the 2013 murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. Byrne's appeal raises a question of public importance regarding the legality of witness persuasion, while his prior record includes an 18-year sentence for aggravated burglary in Tipperary.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Criminal who tried to dissuade witness in garda murder trial seeks to overturn conviction. Charges or matters: the charge in 2024 at the Special Criminal Court; two offences related to efforts at perverting the course of justice during his trial. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- December 2025 Hearing Or Sentence
- August 2020 Incident
- 25 January 2013 Other
- 2026-06-19 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: the charge in 2024 at the Special Criminal Court; two offences related to efforts at perverting the course of justice during his trial (Proven)
Plea: Guilty
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; Brady, who is serving life for the murder of Det Gda Donohoe, was sentenced to three years after he pleaded guilty to two offences related to efforts at perverting the course of justice during his trial. In August 2020, Brady (35), formerly of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was convicted by a jury of the murder of Det Gda Donohoe during a credit union robbery at Lordship, Bellurgan, Co Louth, on 25 January 2013, and is serving a life sentence with a minimum time served of 40 years.
Appellant
Charges: the charge in 2024 at the Special Criminal Court; two offences related to efforts at perverting the course of justice during his trial (Proven)
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; Byrne, who has over 120 convictions, was sentenced to two years for the offence. Among his many convictions, Byrne was jailed for 18 years with four suspended for an aggravated burglary in 2013 in Tipperary in which he and six others broke into a family home and terrorised a couple and their three daughters, then aged eight, six and two.
Places mentioned
- Paul Neilan The Supreme Court
- Supreme Court
- Court of Appeal
- Special Criminal Court
- Cabra Park
- Dublin
- New Road
- Crossmaglen
- Armagh
Topics
Burglary Stage Appeal Violent Crime
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