Courts

Bail refused for man accused of robbery in which Garda Adrian Donohoe shot dead

Trial of Brendan Treanor for participating in 2013 Lordship Credit Union robbery put back to January next year

Aaron Brady (30) was found guilty of the murder of Det Garda Adrian Donohoe at the Central Criminal Court on August 11th, 2020. Photograph: Alan Betson

Eoin Reynolds
Fri Jun 24 2022 - 17:17

A man charged with the robbery at Lordship Credit Union in which Det Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead has been refused bail by the Special Criminal Court.

Lawyers for Brendan Treanor (34) had argued that it was an offence to his dignity to keep him in custody away from his newborn son in circumstances where his trial has been put back to January of next year.

Delivering the ruling of the three-judge court on Friday, Mr Justice Michael MacGrath said he is satisfied there is a real risk of interference with witnesses if Mr Treanor is granted bail. He said the court is also satisfied in regards to an objection to bail by gardaí under Section 2 of the Bail Act.

The Act allows an objection based on fears that the applicant will commit a further serious offence if released on bail. Evidence in relation to that was given by Chief Supt Alan McGovern at a previous hearing, but the court ordered that no details of the objection should be published.

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Mr Treanor (34), is charged with participating in a robbery that occurred at the Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth on January 25th, 2013. He was due to go on trial at the Special Criminal Court in October. His trial has been put back to January next year as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) wants to try Mr Treanor alongside James Flynn for the same robbery. Mr Flynn (31), originally from south Armagh, is currently awaiting an appeal against his extradition from the UK to Ireland to face the robbery charge.

Aaron Brady (30) was found guilty of the murder of Det Garda Donohoe by an 11-to-one majority jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court on August 11th, 2020. The father of one with a last address at New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh was sentenced to the mandatory term for murder of life imprisonment. As he had been found guilty of murdering a garda acting in accordance with his duty, the judge ordered that he serve a minimum of 40 years. Brady was also sentenced to 14 years for the robbery of €7,000 at Lordship Credit Union, a sentence that will run concurrently with the life sentence.

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