Court told murder accused texted: ‘I want to get away till this blows over’
A MAN on trial for capital murder texted his girlfriend saying he wanted go to the cinema to “get away till this blows over” the day after Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead, a court has heard.
The text from Aaron Brady (29), who denies murder, was one of around 10 messages sent in the hours before and after the fatal shooting which were later deleted from his girlfriend’s phone.
The Central Criminal Court heard yesterday almost 10,000 pieces of information were recovered from Jessica King’s mobile.
She was in a relationship with the accused in January 2013.
One text, sent from Ms King to Mr Brady at 2.37pm on January 26, 2013, read: “She’s in the shower. I don’t want to go anywhere. I’m in such bad form because my mas doing the Rulya at me.”
He responded three minutes later, in a text which was later deleted, saying: “Please Jess I just want to get away till this blows over ill prob just go into them tomorrow everything will be ok tell them its fine i just wanna go and get something to eat away from here
and go to the cinema am just pissed off please.”
Mr Brady, of New Road in Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Det Gda 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, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013.
He also denies the robbery of around €7,000 in cash and assorted cheques from Pat Bellew at the same location on the same date.
Sgt Karen Coughlan gave evidence that Ms King gave her phone to the PSNI on January 26, 2013, and that the device was later analysed.
In total there were just short of 10,000 pieces of information on the phone and the prosecution identified 156 of these as being relevant.
This included seven contacts which were later modified, one video and 20 photographs as well as SMS and instant messages from applications including Facebook Messenger.
The jury was then taken through the information contained on the phone, which the witness agreed was created between January 13 and January 26, 2013.
In one text message, on January 22, Mr Brady told his girlfriend he “was promised money this week” and could pay off money for a car “with all going well”.
Messages exchanged in the hours before the fatal shooting and robbery, which happened at 9.29pm, were also read out in court.
One deleted text sent from Mr Brady at 7.54pm read: “Just have to load the lorry but it will only take an hour or 2. This phone is gonna go dead. ill text you soon as am home and get it charged love you x.”
At 10.47pm the accused sent a text to Ms King from another phone number saved as ‘Brades 2’, the court heard.
It read: “You awake babes, sorry me other phone went dead I couldnt txt ya”. This text message was also deleted.
The trial continues.