Alleged Garda killer’s alibi ‘is from suspect in fatal shooting robbery’

A SOUTH Armagh man who the alleged killer of a policeman in the Republic said could provide him with an alibi is also a suspect in the credit union robbery in which the officer was shot dead.

Aaron Brady (29), who denies the murder of Garda detective Adrian Donohoe, issued a notice of alibi saying he was moving laundered diesel cubes at a yard in south Armagh at the time of the murder and he had interacted with two named individuals, the jury was told.

The court previously heard that Brady said in his notice of alibi that these men directed him via telephone at the suspected diesel laundering yard on Concession Road.

Asked what steps had been taken to interview one of the men in relation to Brady’s account since the notice was given, Detective Inspector Martin Beggy said gardai would not have spoken to him because he was a suspect in the case.

This man previously gave an account to gardai, in February 2013, but he did not mention any interaction with the accused on that occasion, the court heard.

Det Insp Beggy told defence counsel Michael O’higgins SC: “For us to speak to him would require him being cautioned and interviewed and put in the process.”

The Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) also agreed with prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan SC that people involved in fuel smuggling are also involved in other things and that it is “not a tradesman’s occupation”.

Aaron Brady (29) has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Adrian Donohoe (41), who was then a member of An Garda Síochána acting in the course of his duty, at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Dundalk, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013.

The accused, of New Road in Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, also denies the robbery of approximately €7,000 in cash and assorted cheques from Pat Bellew at the same location on the same date.

Yesterday, a number of garda witnesses were examined by the defence.

Garda detective Adrian Donohoe (left), who was shot dead in 2013 and the man accused of his murder, Aaron Brady

Retired Superintendent Brian Mohan, who was the SIO between 2013 and 2016, also gave evidence. He agreed that gardai were interested in a named individual because he was a suspected fuel launderer, but that “he was also nominated as a suspect in this case”.

Retired Detective Inspector Pat Marry, who served as SIO in 2013 and later from 2016 until

2018, was recalled to give evidence.

Mr O’higgins asked him about cell site analysis tests, which the prosecution are not relying on as evidence, carried out in March 2014. He put it to the witness that a call made from Concession Road was routed through a mast in Drumlandrick, a townland in Co Monaghan, and that this would tend to support Brady’s

claim that he was at the diesel laundering yard that evening.

Mr Marry said he would “not agree with that at all” and that phone calls made from the car park of Lordship Credit Union could go through five different masts which cover a vast area.

He said a call from Drumlandrick could “possibly have gone through other masts” as well.

The trial continues.