Suspect in murder of garda before court

A SUSPECT in the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe is back in Ireland having been deported from the US and appeared in court yesterday on other criminal charges.

The south Armagh man, who is in his mid-20s, was remanded in custody after appearing in court yesterday over motoring charges.

He fled Ireland while awaiting sentence for these offences.

He is believed by gardaí to be part of a five-man gang who shot dead father-oftwo Garda Donohoe in Co. Louth four and a half years ago. Garda Donohoe, 41, died in the line of duty during an armed robbery at the Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, near Dundalk, Co. Louth, on the morning of January 25, 2013.

The suspect was deported from New York and arrived back at Dublin Airport early yesterday morning.

Investigating gardaí say the criminal is one of two suspects from the gang of five believed to have been the gunman in the incident in which the officer was murdered in cold blood. However, gardaí do not have the evidence yet to arrest him in connection with the murder

The man was detained by Immigration and Control Enforcement officials in New York last Thursday after he overstayed his visa.

He was held for a number of days in the Hudson Detention Centre in New Jersey before being sent on a late-night flight on Tuesday back to Dublin.

The young man was working as an illegal immigrant in the construction business in New York and Boston.

Two other suspected members of the five-man murder gang are also believed to be in the United States while the fifth suspect lives near Dundalk, Co. Louth.