Witness pressured into lying about her alibi for accused cop killer Brady

Woman tells trial why she altered statement

A WITNESS yesterday told a court she was “pressured” into lying about the whereabouts of a man accused of murdering Det Garda Adrian Donohoe.

Jade Fitzpatrick said she “thought better of it” the next day and went to a PSNI station to correct her statement.

She added she didn’t tell the truth initially because she knew Aaron Brady was on bail for other matters and was under curfew.

Ms Fitzpatrick told defence counsel Michael O’higgins that when she did see the accused on the night of the shooting he did not seem worried or preoccupied.

She agreed he was usually “cheeky and cheerful and outgoing” and she noticed nothing odd in his behaviour.

Brady, 29, from Co Armagh, has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Det Gda Donohoe, 41, who was killed at Lordship Credit Union in Co Louth just before 9.30pm on January 25, 2013.

He also denies robbing €7,000 in cash and cheques during the same incident.

Ms Fitzpatrick told prosecutor Brendan Grehan her father dropped her to a friend’s house on Concession Road in Armagh where she was to stay over.

In her first statement, she told the PSNI she arrived about 7pm and went to pal Jessica King’s bedroom.

She added Brady, who had been going out with Ms King since the previous summer, arrived at about 7pm or 8pm.

Ms Fitzpatrick, who was 18 at the time, remembered the accused was dropped off by his friend, a man the prosecution has named as a suspect for the robbery but who can’t be identified for legal reasons.

In her first statement on January

26, she said Brady went home at about 9.30pm.

But the following day she changed her account and claimed she did not arrive at Ms King’s until 9.30pm while the accused arrived between 10.30pm and 11.30pm.

She told Mr Grehan: “That was the truth.” She added Brady left at 3am when he was picked up by the same friend who had dropped him off earlier in his BMW.

Asked by the lawyer why she initially said the accused arrived earlier, she said Ms King asked her to, adding: “It was peer pressure in regards to his curfew at the time.” She said she “thought better of it” the next day.

The witness agreed with Mr O’higgins that when she initially told police that Brady was gone by 9.30pm she did so to “keep him in compliance with his curfew”.

She added she knew the accused, from New Road, Crossmaglen, was before Dundalk Circuit Court and as part of his bail conditions he had to be home by a certain time every night.

Witness Gillian Burns told Mr Grehan she worked at Mccaughey’s service station in Broomfield, Co Monaghan, in 2013.

She added she knew Brady as a “regular enough customer” from Crossmaglen and he was going out with Ms King.

Ms Burns told the Central Criminal Court she saw the defendant and two other men having breakfast at the deli counter at 12.34pm on the day of the killing when she clocked out for her lunch. She added she and Brady both said hello to each other.

Ms Burns said the accused and the two men were still in the deli when she came back from her break.

Two of the group bought water and sweets before they left after 1pm.

The trial continues in front of Justice Michael White and a jury of eight men and seven women.