AARON BRADY, WHO murdered Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, was an enhanced prisoner in Mountjoy with unique access to a laptop when he is alleged to have conspired with another inmate to prevent a witness giving evidence at Brady’s trial, the Special Criminal Court has heard.
Prison officer Pat Ferris told the trial of Dean Byrne, Brady’s alleged conspirator, that he knew Aaron Brady as a prisoner in 2020.
The witness told prosecution counsel Lorcan Staines SC that Brady was housed on the D-wing on the basement floor, an area reserved for prisoners who enjoy special privileges for good behaviour. The trial has previously heard that Dean Byrne was on a different floor of the same wing.
Those in the basement, Officer Ferris said, would have jobs or attend education courses and have more freedom to move around. They also receive extra phone calls and would get extra money for the tuck shop.
Brady, he said, was in cell 20 in the D-basement, a single occupancy cell. He was a volunteer with the Red Cross and in that role would sometimes bring leaflets to the cells on all four landings on D-wing. Officer Ferris told defence counsel Padraig Dwyer SC that he could not recall if Brady carried out a leaflet drop in April or May of 2020.
Deputy governor of Mountjoy, John Quinn, recalled that during Brady’s trial the court ordered that the prison provide Brady with access to a laptop so he could review his book of evidence.
This was the first time that had happened so the prison developed a protocol whereby Brady could use the laptop only when he was locked into his cell on his own. The laptop also did not have access to the internet.
In late March, 2020 the prison went into lockdown due to the outbreak of covid. Enhanced prisoner duties were suspended, Quinn said, but Red Cross volunteers would still have been allowed to do leaflet drops because that provided a way to communicate without direct contact.
In August 2020, Brady (33) formerly of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh was convicted by a jury of the murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe during a credit union robbery at Lordship, Bellurgan, Co Louth on 25 January, 2013.
He was due to be tried with Byrne but before the trial started, Brady pleaded guilty to the charge that on a date between February 20 and 7 May, 2020, within the State, he embarked on a course of conduct intended to pervert the course of justice.
Brady accepted that he was responsible for recording a video of witness Ronan Flynn giving a statement to gardaí that later appeared on social media accusing Flynn of “touting”.
Dean Byrne (30) from Cabra Park, Phibsborough, Dublin is on trial accused of conspiring with Aaron Brady in Mountjoy Prison between 8 April, 2020 and 22 June, 2020 to persuade prosecution witness Daniel Cahill not to give evidence at Brady’s murder trial, a course of conduct with had a tendency to and which was intended to pervert the course of justice.
He has pleaded not guilty to the single charge.
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