Crossmaglen man on Garda killing charge denies testing speed of officers’ response

A CO Armagh man has denied he was testing Garda response times five nights before the murder of a policeman in the Republic, when officers were called to his friend’s home near the scene of the fatal shooting, the trial heard.

Aaron Brady was being cross-examined for a second day at Dublin’s Central Criminal Court yesterday about his movements on the week of the robbery in which Garda Detective Adrian Donohoe was shot dead.

He admitted telling several lies to gardai, which he says was to hide the fact that he was moving laundered diesel cubes that evening, but denied any involvement in the murder.

He was asked by prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan SC about gardai being called to the home of Suspect A — his friend who is also a suspect in the robbery and lived close to Lordship credit union — in the early hours of January 21.

Brady (29) told the court that he was staying at the property that night when he was woken up by a bang.

He said when he looked outside he saw two men in the garden.

The accused told the jury that he wanted to go out himself to check what was happening but that Suspect A’s brother called the police.

Mr Grehan said gardai had given evidence that when they arrived there was heavy dew on the grass but there was no footprints indicating anyone had been there.

It was put to the accused that the call was to see how long it would take for the guards to get to the property near Lordship credit union.

Brady, of New Road in Crossmaglen, replied “no that’s ridiculous”.

Brady agreed with Mr Grehan that he left for the US days after his home was searched as part of the investigation back in April 2013.

The court heard he had applied for a British passport and that it had arrived the day police officers were at his family home in Armagh.

Brendan Grehan also took the accused through mobile phone evidence and CCTV footage three nights before the fatal shooting when a car, which the prosecution say was used in the robbery, was stolen in Clogherhead.

He said he would “fully disagree” with the suggestion that Suspect A’s car was captured on CCTV close to the scene of the creeper burglary that morning.

Brady said that Suspect A was making “six figures” in the US and that he “is a wealthy man”.

He added: “What in God’s name would he be doing robbing cars and committing armed robberies.

“What in God’s name.” The cross-examination continues before the jury of six men and seven women yesterday morning.

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

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