Garda murder: Man convicted of murdering Adrian Donohoe seven years ago
Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was fatally shot in 2013 during a robbery in Bellurgan, Co Louth.
Wednesday 12 August 2020 15:59, UK
A man from Co Armagh has been convicted of the capital murder of an Irish police detective in Co Louth during a robbery seven years ago.
Aaron Brady, 29, was found guilty by a majority decision of 11-to-one after almost 24 hours of deliberation at Dublin's Central Criminal Court.
The ruling brought an end to the longest murder trial in the history of the state.
On-duty police officer Adrian Donohoe, 41, was fatally shot during a robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan in January 2013.
Brady, from New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, had already been convicted of the robbery, where €7,000 (£6,293) worth of cash and cheques were taken from outside the credit union.
Murdering a police officer on duty was an aggravating factor in the charge of capital murder, with the crime carrying a minimum sentence of 40 years.
Brady was remanded in custody at Cloverhill prison, and will appear in court on 14 October for sentencing.
He fled to the US after the murder, and the investigation to bring him back involved the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Department of Homeland Security in the US.
Garda Representative Association president Jim Mulligan said: "Our first thoughts are with the family of Adrian Donohoe. No verdict and no sentence can ever replace the life taken from them.
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"Adrian's two children, who are still young, will never get their father back. Caroline, Adrian's wife, will never get her husband back.
"We can only hope that today's verdict begins the process of bringing healing and closure to Adrian's family."
Presiding Judge Mr Justice Michael White thanked the jury for their service in the lengthy trial, which started in January.
He said: "You have given up your time during a life-threatening pandemic and you have all done the state some service."