THE FAMILY OF Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe have said that although his killer received justice today, nothing will bring him back to them.
In a lengthy statement outside the steps of the Criminal Courts of Justice this afternoon, Adrian’s brother Colm paid tribute to the murdered garda as a “good man” who deserved justice to be served.
He was speaking moments after Aaron Brady was found guilty of the capital murder of Adrian by a majority jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court.
Brady had denied capital murder and said he had no involvement in the robbery at Lordship Credit Union on 25 January, 2013 that resulted in the detective’s death.
The 29-year-old with an address at New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, will be sentenced on 14 October, having also been convicted of robbery the credit union on the night the murder took place.
In a brief statement after the verdict, Adrian’s wife Caroline thanked the jury on behalf of her family for sticking with the trial for so long, as well as gardaí and the prosecution team.
Colm Donohoe also thanked the prosecution team and staff from the Director of Public Prosecutions, in a lengthier statement moments later.
“Their dedication to the case has been extraordinary,” he said.
“There have been many, many challenges throughout the case and to keep it on course has been a fantastic achievement itself.
“Not only the length of the trial, but the huge volume of work undertaken over 12 months to get it to this stage has been a significant achievement, and we thank them.”
Colm also paid tribute to the judge and jury, whose lives he said have been put on hold for the past six months to allow the trial to proceed.
“The commitment they have shown through these challenging times has been humbling,” he said.
“We would like to acknowledge each and every witness who gave evidence to the prosecution in this case. It’s not an easy thing to come to court, and we do not underestimate the stress that this causes people.”
Tribute was also paid to US law enforcement, who helped bring Adrian’s killer to justice, as well as the slain garda’s colleagues in Dundalk, who investigated his killing while grieving his death.
“This has been one of the most comprehensive investigations in the history of the State,” Colm Donohoe said.
“The professionalism and quality of this investigation has been borne out by the fact that it has been able to withstand the most robust and forensic examination of the defence in this case.
“It’s a huge credit to each and every person involved in the investigation that we stand here today.”
However, Colm also sought information about others who were present with Brady on the night of the robbery, calling for them to be brought to justice.
“Aaron Brady was not alone in Lordship on the 25 January, 2013,” he said.
“The quest for justice for Adrian will continue and we appeal to anyone, near or far, who has any information and may assist in this investigation to come forward and do the right thing to bring those involved to justice.
“While justice has been done today, nothing will bring back Adrian to his wife, his two kids, his parents, his family, his colleagues and his friends.
“As has been said during this trial, Adrian was a good man. The very least he deserves is that justice has been served.”
He thanked the media for respecting the Donohoe family’s privacy, and asked for this to continue.
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