Garda killer appeal decision imminent

The outcome of an appeal by lawyers for Aaron Brady, convicted of shooting dead Kilnaleck-native Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe in 2013, is due to be heard next week, earlier than initially expected.

In August 2020, Brady (36), of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was convicted of murdering Det Garda Donohoe, a garda acting in accordance with his duties, and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 40 years to be served.

The appeal verdict is now expected to be delivered next Thursday, July 11.

It had been expected later in the month.

Detective Garda Donohoe was on a cash escort when ambushed by a five-man crew at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013.

He was shot dead and the gang fled with €7,000 in cash from the raid.

Brady’s murder trial was the longest murder case in Irish legal history, lasting a total of 122 court days.

The three-judge appeal - Mr Justice John Edwards, presiding, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy and Ms Justice Tara Burns - lasted almost a week.

The father-of-one was sentenced to the mandatory term for murder of life imprisonment following an 11 to one majority jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court.

Brady was also sentenced to 14 years for the robbery, a sentence that will run concurrently with the life sentence.

Brady’s counsel argue that the integrity of the trial was “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.

Counsel submitted that to say what happened in this instance fell short of the “gold standard”, that the criminal trial was “fundamentally flawed”, and any deficiencies arising fell at the feet of the State.