A judge has agreed to release the transcripts of the murder trial of convicted Garda killer Aaron Brady to the legal team of another man accused of robbery at Lordship Credit Union on the day of the shooting death of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe.
A request for the transcripts to be released was filed by John Berry BL, who was acting for Brendan “Benny” Treanor in connection with Brady’s case.
Mr Treanor (34), previously at Emer Terrace, Castletown Road, Dundalk, Co Louth, is accused of taking part in a robbery on 25 January 2013 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth.
Mr Berry told the Central Criminal Court on Friday that he is not appearing for Brady but will be assigned to Mr Treanor’s case.
He said the case is related to Brady’s trial in which he was convicted of the murder of Det Gda Donohoe and robbery at Lordship Credit Union.
Mr. Berry told the court that his request was for a record of the records of Brady’s trial for the purpose of Mr. Treanor’s trial in the Special Criminal Court.
The attorney said it was his understanding that the state had no objection to the motion.
Lorcan Staines SC agreed for the DPP that the state would not deny the application.
However, he said the transcripts referred to a murder trial in which there had been “significant intimidation of witnesses”.
Two people are facing the Special Criminal Court on intimidation charges, Mr Staines added.
He said Brady’s father also participated in an online campaign and during that campaign portions of the transcript of the murder trial were released.
The lawyer therefore said the state wanted to be “absolutely clear” that these transcripts should not be shared with anyone outside of Mr Traynor and his legal team.
“We want to make it clear that it is vitally important that this only applies to Mr Traynor and his lawyers,” he reiterated.
Mr Staines said James Flynn is also on trial in connection with the same incident and has not requested the transcripts.
Westminster Magistrates Court ordered Mr Flynn’s extradition from the UK to Ireland and last July he was sent back to face a formal charge of robbing the credit union.
Mr Flynn, 31, of Raven’s Glen, Newry, Co Down, is accused of robbing €7,000, belonging to Pat Bellew, at Lordship Credit Union on 25 January 2013. He is also accused of conspiring with Brady, Brendan, Treanor and others allegedly to have broken into an apartment building to steal the keys of a motor vehicle between September 11, 2012 and January 23, 2013.
While Mr Treanor’s legal team has a motion in court, it does not mean the transcript can go to Mr Flynn’s lawyers, the lawyer said.
Mr Berry said these concerns were understood and stressed that the record would only be used in relation to Mr Traynor’s case.
Mr Judge Paul McDermott agreed to issue the order on condition that the transcripts are not distributed beyond Mr Treanor in the presence of his counsel.
Brady had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Det Gda Donohoe, but a Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty by a majority of 11-1 in August 2020.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, and when convicted of the compulsory murder of a garda, the judge ordered him to serve at least 40 years.
The 31-year-old, whose last address is New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was also sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment, which will be imposed concurrently with the life sentence, for the €7,000 robbery at the credit union.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/man-accused-of-involvement-in-robbery-in-which-garda-adrian-donohoe-was-shot-dead-is-granted-transcripts-of-murderer-aaron-bradys-trial-42173832.html Man accused of involvement in robbery in which Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead receives transcripts of killer Aaron Brady’s trial
