Brady witnesses ‘told of their safety fears’
‘I’D GET IT IF I TESTIFIED AGAINST GARDA KILLER’
A WITNESS who told gardai he had heard Aaron Brady admit to killing Det Gda Adrian Donohoe was warned that he would be “dealt with” if he set foot in Ireland, a court heard.
The Special Criminal Court also heard that his family would ‘get it’ if he gave evidence at Brady’s murder trial.
Det Inspector Mark Phillips yesterday told the three-judge, non-jury court that people who had spoken to gardai investigating Det Gda Donohoe’s murder were concerned for their safety or the safety of their families.
One witness said he feared he would be killed if he testified in court.
Det Insp Phillips said ten witnesses who made statements to gardai did not come to court to give evidence during Brady’s murder trial in 2020.
Some of those witnesses complained about being directly or indirectly threatened or hassled by associates of Brady, the detective said.
Det Insp Phillips told prosecution counsel Lorcan Staines SC that one of those witnesses, Ronan Flynn, told gardai in a video-recorded interview carried out in a New York police station in 2017 that he heard Brady admit to killing Det Gda Donohoe on multiple occasions while they were living together in the US.
Mr Flynn also confirmed to gardai that US citizen Molly Staunton was present when Brady admitted to the murder. Ms Staunton was one of just two people who testified to hearing Brady admit to the murder.
Safety
In January 2019 Mr Flynn told Det Insp Phillips that he was concerned for his own safety and the safety of his family after a message was relayed to him that if he “ever set foot back in Ireland he would be dealt with” and that if he gave evidence “his family would get it”.
Det Insp Phillips met with Mr Flynn in New York in July 2019 and Mr Flynn told him that he was concerned about his family in Ireland.
Mr Flynn told the detective that he was “under extreme pressure in relation to giving evidence”.
When gardai served a witness order on another witness, he said that he feared he would be killed if he came to court.
Det Insp Phillips was giving evidence at the trial of Dean Byrne (30) from Cabra Park, Phibsborough, Dublin.
Mr Byrne is on trial having pleaded not guilty to conspiring to persuade prosecution witness Daniel Cahill not to give evidence at Brady’s trial in order to pervert the course of justice between April 8, 2020, and June 22, 2020.
He said he had been “visited in relation to giving evidence” but refused to provide further information and did not testify at Brady’s trial, Det Insp Phillips said.
Mr Byrne’s trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Burns, Her Honour Judge Elma Sheahan and Judge Marie Keane.