Garda Adrian Donohoe murder: Aaron Brady sentenced to life in prison

Aaron Brady pictured at an earlier court appearance

A County Armagh man who murdered a garda (Irish police officer) during a robbery has been sentenced to life in prison, to serve at least 40 years.

Aaron Brady, 29, from New Road in Crossmaglen, was convicted in August of murdering Det Garda Adrian Donohoe.

The garda died after he was shot during a raid on Lordship Credit Union in County Louth in January 2013.

Brady was convicted of capital murder, which has a mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years.

He was also sentenced to 14 years, to run concurrently, for robbery.

Det Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead during a robbery in 2013

In order to be convicted of the offence, the jury had to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Brady knew he was shooting a garda on active duty, or was reckless as to whether or not he was a garda.

Det Garda Donohoe, who was 41, was married with two young children.

He was one of two detectives on late-night duty who were escorting a cash collection at the rural credit union when the robbery took place.

His murder trial was told that staff were preparing to leave the building with the day's takings, when they were approached by a gang of men who robbed them.

Forensic investigators searched the area around Lordship credit union hours after the murder

Det Garda Donohoe was shot in the head and died at the scene.

Brady was also found guilty of stealing approximately €7,000 (£6,300) in cash and cheques from Lordship Credit Union on the night Det Garda Donohoe was killed.

The killer moved to the United States shortly after the murder, but was extradited to the Republic of Ireland in 2017 after overstaying his US visa.

Witnesses who gave evidence by video-link from New York told the Dublin court that Brady had claimed to them on several occasions that he had killed a garda.

Brady is the only suspect to have been brought to trial so far.

After his conviction in August, the victim's brother Colm Donohoe, who is also a serving garda, welcomed the guilty verdict but added that Brady was "not alone" during the robbery.

"The quest for justice for Adrian will continue and we appeal to anyone, near or far, who has any information that may assist in this investigation to come forward and do the right thing," he said.

Garda Deputy Commissioner John Twomey said the team who investigated the murder are continuing to work on the case as other suspects have not yet been brought to justice.

The getaway car was found burnt out at Fews forest outside Newtownhamilton, County Armagh

Det Garda Donohoe joined An Garda Síochána (the Irish police force) in 1994 and had served for 19 years at the time of his death.

Originally from Kilnaleck in County Cavan, he lived a short distance from where the robbery took place and both his children attended the school across the road from the murder scene.

He was the 87th member of the force to be killed in the line of duty since its formation almost a century ago.