BRADY DENIES ADRIAN’S MURDER
ACCUSED TAKES WITNESS STAND TO DENY ANY INVOLVEMENT IN KILLING AND ROBBERY
AARON Brady has entered the stand to deny that he murdered Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe or that he participated in the credit union robbery in 2013 that resulted in the garda being shot dead.
Mr Brady told his defence counsel Michael O’Higgins SC that he never admitted to killing Det Gda Donohoe and said that he was at a diesel laundering yard on Concession Road in Co Armagh at the time Det Gda Donohoe was shot dead at a credit union in Lordship Co Louth.
Mr Brady took the stand yesterday morning (Monday) and has given details of his background, upbringing and time spent as an apprentice electrician and later as an advertising salesman.
Mr O’Higgins began his examination by asking him, ‘ Did you kill Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe?’ Mr Brady replied: ‘ No I did not.’
Mr O’Higgins continued, ‘ Did you participate in a robbery armed with some class of a firearm?’ He replied: ‘ No, I did not.’
Mr O’Higgins asked: ‘Have you ever admitted to killing Detective Garda Donohoe?’
He replied: ‘Never.’
During his evidence Mr Brady recalled being stopped by Sgt John Moroney on the afternoon after the robbery and accepted that he lied when asked to account for his movements. He added: ‘Not for one second did I think Sgt Moroney or the guards would be serious about me being involved in shooting a garda.’
He further accepted that he lied again to gardai ten days later when he gave a statement saying that he had gone to the diesel laundering yard but only stayed there for about 15 minutes because he couldn’t get the forklift started. He said he told this lie because he didn’t want to ‘implicate’ himself in diesel laundering and he was worried about how it would look in his community.
Mr Brady’s evidence will continue today (Tuesday) in front of Mr Justice Michael White and a jury of six men and seven women.
The prosecution has finished its evidence in the trial of Aaron Brady who denies murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe during an armed raid on a rural credit union.
The trial at the Central Criminal Court began in January but the jury did not sit for several weeks after the COVID-19 lockdown began. Trial judge Mr Justice Michael White opted to continue and when the jury returned in May the courtroom had been set up to allow for social distancing and restrictions were placed on the number of people who could be in court at any time.
When the jury was sworn it had 15 members as it was anticipated that the trial would take some months and Mr Justice White wanted extra jurors in case some had to bow out. Two have bowed out, one because of concerns related to covid-19.
Last Thursday Mr Justice White told the remaining 13 that he must deal with issues in their absence and does not require them again until Monday morning.
Aaron Brady (28) from New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe who was then a member of An Garda Siochana on active duty on January 25, 2013 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth. Mr Brady has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbing approximately €7,000 in cash and assorted cheques on the same date and at the same location.
On the final day of evidence Detective Inspector Mark Phillips of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) told defence counsel Michael O’Higgins SC that last September he received a report from Yonkers Police Department in New York. It related to the detention of one of the witnesses in the trial, Daniel Cahill, who spoke to gardai at Yonkers precinct on July 25 last year after being detained by Homeland Security. Mr Cahill has given evidence that the accused told him on three occasions that he shot a garda.
Det Insp Phillips agreed that the report mentions that steroids were found at Mr Cahill’s home when Homeland Security went there to speak to him on July 25 last year. He further agreed that the first time the defence became aware of this was when Special Agent Mary Ann Wade of Homeland Security mentioned it during her second day of cross examination last week. He said that when he heard the special agent’s evidence it ‘rang a bell’ and so he sought out the report. He also agreed that the prosecution accepts that this report should have been disclosed to the defence.
The report states that officers from Homeland Security called to Mr Cahill’s home because they wished to speak to him. When they arrived Mr Cahill’s wife told them he was not there and allowed officers to search the premises to find out if she was telling the truth. During the search they found what they suspected to be a small cannabis growing operation and later found Mr Cahill in the attic. An unstated quantity of steroids was also found.
According to the report Mr Cahill agreed to speak to Homeland Security and therefore went to Yonkers precinct where, the trial has previously heard, he gave a statement to gardai. Mr O’Higgins said this was contrary to Special Agent Wade’s evidence that he was brought to the precinct in handcuffs because of the suspected presence of steroids in the apartment. The report concludes that the district attorney decided not to file charges in relation to the suspected cannabis or the steroids.
Following cross examination of Det Insp Phillips counsel for the prosecution Brendan Grehan SC told the jury: ‘ That is the end of the prosecution case.’