Central Criminal Court

Judge apologises over time delays in Det Garda Adrian Donohoe trial

Court

The judge overseeing the trial of a man charged with the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe has apologised to the jury for delays in the trial which began in January.

Mr Justice Michael White was telling the six men and seven women that they are not required until June 8 as the court deals with legal issues in their absence. He said he expects the trial to continue until the end of June but added that it's "hard to predict". 

He said: "It has run past the time and I'm sorry for that. Matters since the outbreak have taken on their own character." He added: "I apologise for the time estimate going wrong."

The judge also told the jury that the next phase of the trial involves witnesses giving evidence from America but because of the Covid-19 pandemic there have been problems in setting that up.

He further told them that when those witnesses give evidence court sittings will begin at 2pm to take account of the time difference with America.

Aaron Brady (28) from New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe who was then a member of An Garda Siochana on active duty on January 25, 2013 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth. Mr Brady has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbing approximately e7,000 in cash and assorted cheques on the same date and at the same location.

Today (FRI) the jury heard from a female witness who saw the accused, Aaron Brady, on January 25, 2013 with two named suspects for the robbery that resulted in the death of Det Gda Donohoe. 

The witness, who can't be named for legal reasons, told prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan SC that she was going out with one of the suspect's brothers in 2013 and earlier on the day of the shooting she was at her boyfriend's house. Living there at the time was her boyfriend, his brother Suspect A and their mother.

On January 25, a Friday, she was at the house while Mr Brady was upstairs with Suspect A and Suspect B. Her boyfriend was in the shed working on a car. Some time in the evening Mr Brady and the two suspects came downstairs for a chicken curry dinner. 

After dinner the three men spent time chatting before leaving together. She didn't know where they were going and didn't see them again that night. 

Her boyfriend went back out to the garage to work on the car while the witness had a shower and did her hair and makeup.

While she was getting ready she heard sirens "like police or ambulance". 

Later that night, some time around midnight, she and her boyfriend went to get something to eat at a chip shop in Crossmaglen. They were stopped on the way by gardai and noticed that the road towards Carlingford was blocked. She didn't ask the garda what was happening and didn't know anything about the robbery and shooting until the following morning, she said.

Her boyfriend left for Australia the following month and their relationship ended later that year, she said. 

The jury also heard from Sgt John Barnes of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) who told prosecution counsel Lorcan Staines SC that on April 8, 2013 he had a warrant to search a house at New Road, Tullydonnell, Co Armagh which he understood to be Aaron Brady's home. He met Mr Brady's mother Caroline and the search was carried out from 11.40am until 15.45. 

Constable Simon Nesbitt told Mr Staines that on January 26, 2013, the day after the shooting, he spoke to Mr Brady's then girlfriend Jessica King. He said Ms King told him that Mr Brady was at her house the previous evening from 19.30 to 20.30 or 21.00.

In her own evidence Ms King has previously accepted that those times were not true and that she lied to the PSNI because Mr Brady was on a court imposed curfew at the time and she didn't want to get him in trouble.
The trial continues.