Thursday 29 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 7678Perverting the course of justice · Co. Dublin

Aaron Brady's perverting-justice sentence increased to five years on State appeal

Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was killed on 25 January 2013 during a robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth. Aaron Brady, 35, formerly of Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was convicted of his capital murder and is serving a life sentence with a 40-year minimum, plus 14 years for the robbery. Between February and June 2020, Brady recorded a garda interview with witness Ronan Flynn and sent photographs of a statement by witness Daniel Cahill to Dean Byrne, 33, from Cabra Park, Phibsborough, Dublin, who was found guilty of conspiring with Brady to stop Cahill giving evidence. In April 2024 Brady pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and was sentenced to three years by the Special Criminal Court, while Byrne received two years for conspiracy. On 31 July 2026 the Court of Appeal quashed Brady's three-year term and resentenced him to five years, to run after his robbery sentence, and Byrne's challenge to the Court of Appeal's decision on his conviction is heading to the Supreme Court.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced31 Jul
    3 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Brady was convicted of the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe during a robbery at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth.
  • Brady, 35, formerly of Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, is serving a life sentence with a 40-year minimum for the murder.
  • Flynn told gardaí that Brady admitted shooting Detective Garda Donohoe three times while they shared an apartment in New York.
  • The recording was later posted on social media, accusing Flynn of being a rat and of touting.
  • Brady sent photographs of parts of witness Daniel Cahill's statement to Dean Byrne, who was on the same wing of Mountjoy Prison, and Byrne passed them to at least two people to try to get Cahill's family to persuade him not to give evidence.
When
The murder took place on 25 January 2013.
Where
The robbery took place at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth.
Sentence
  • Brady is also serving a 14-year sentence for the robbery.
  • Brady was sentenced to three years by the three-judge, non-jury Special Criminal Court, and Byrne was sentenced to two years for conspiracy.
  • The Court of Appeal, through Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, quashed the three-year term and resentenced Brady to five years, a headline of nine years reduced to six and a half for his guilty plea and then by 18 months under the totality principle, to run after his robbery sentence.
Investigation
Brady secretly recorded a garda interview with witness Ronan Flynn between 20 February and 7 May 2020.
Charges
In April 2024 Brady pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, and a further count of conspiring with Byrne to stop Cahill giving evidence between 8 April and 22 June 2020 was taken into account.
In court
  • Byrne, 33, of Cabra Park, Phibsborough, Dublin, was found guilty of conspiring with Brady to stop Cahill giving evidence and has over 120 convictions.
  • On 31 July 2026 the Court of Appeal found the three-year sentence too lenient, citing errors over the weight given to the lack of violence and to general deterrence.
  • Byrne's challenge to the Court of Appeal's decision to uphold his conviction is to be heard by the Supreme Court; one report describes his case as heading there.
38 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatBrady recorded footage of a garda interview with witness Ronan Flynn. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe video was later published on social media, accusing Flynn of being a rat. (rte.ie)
  • whatBrady sent photographs of portions of a statement by witness Daniel Cahill to Dean Byrne. (rte.ie)
  • whatByrne passed the statements to at least two people to try to get Cahill's family to persuade him not to give evidence. (rte.ie)
  • whatAaron Brady, 35, formerly of Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was convicted of the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe during a credit union robbery at Lordship, Bellurgan, Co Louth on January 25, 2013. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatIn 2024, Brady pleaded guilty to video-recording a witness interview between Ronan Flynn and members of An Garda Síochána between February 20 and May 7, 2020. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatA further count of conspiring with Dean Byrne to persuade prosecution witness Daniel Cahill not to give evidence between April 8, 2020 and June 22, 2020 was taken into account. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatRonan Flynn told gardai he heard Brady admit to shooting Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe three times while they shared an apartment in New York. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe video was posted on social media accusing Flynn of touting and calling him a rat. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatMr Justice Michael White described the release of the footage as the most outrageous contempt of court and a clear attempt to intimidate Flynn and other witnesses. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatDean Byrne, 33, from Cabra Park, Phibsborough, Dublin, was found guilty of conspiring with Brady to persuade Daniel Cahill not to give evidence. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatByrne has over 120 convictions and was sentenced to two years for the conspiracy offence. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatDaniel Cahill told the jury that Brady admitted to shooting a garda on three occasions while living in New York. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatFlynn said that when Brady was drunk he would listen to the Wolfe Tones and say things like 'Sure f**k it, I shot a guard'. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatAaron Brady had his three-year sentence increased following a successful appeal by the State. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whereByrne and Brady were in the same wing of Mountjoy Prison. (rte.ie)
  • whereThe video was later posted on social media. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whereBrady sent photographs of parts of Daniel Cahill's statement to Dean Byrne, who was housed on the same wing of Mountjoy Prison. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • chargeIn 2024 Brady pleaded guilty to video-recording a garda witness interview with Ronan Flynn, as part of a course of conduct intended to pervert the course of justice. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • chargeA further count of conspiring with Dean Byrne to persuade witness Daniel Cahill not to give evidence was taken into account. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • courtThe Court of Appeal ruled that Brady's three-year sentence for perverting the course of justice was too lenient. (rte.ie)
  • courtBrady admitted perverting the course of justice in April 2024, during his 2020 murder trial. (rte.ie)
  • courtCahill later gave evidence at the trial. (rte.ie)
  • courtThe judge said the three-year sentence was a substantial departure from the norm. (rte.ie)
  • courtBrady was sentenced to three years in prison by the three-judge, non-jury Special Criminal Court. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe Supreme Court is to hear Byrne's challenge against the Court of Appeal's decision to uphold his conviction. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe court identified two errors in the original sentencing: excessive emphasis on the lack of violence and failure to attach sufficient weight to general deterrence. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtMs Justice Isobel Kennedy quashed the original three-year term and resentenced Brady to five years imprisonment. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • courtThe Director of Public Prosecutions argued that the case raised an important issue of principle. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • courtThe court identified two errors in the original sentence. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • courtBrady was originally sentenced to three years by the three-judge, non-jury Special Criminal Court. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • sentenceThe correct headline sentence was nine years, reduced to six and a half years for the guilty plea, then reduced further to five years under the principle of totality. (rte.ie)
  • sentenceThe five-year sentence is to begin after Brady's 14-year sentence for robbery. (rte.ie)
  • sentenceBrady is serving a life sentence with a minimum of 40 years for the murder and was also jailed for 14 years for the robbery. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe court set a new headline sentence of nine years, reduced to six and a half years after mitigation, then reduced by 18 months under the totality principle, leaving a final term of five years. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe final term imposed on Brady is five years. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • sentenceBrady's sentence for perverting the course of justice makes no difference to the time he serves, as he is already serving a life sentence for murder. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • otherBrady is serving a life sentence with a 40-year minimum for the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. (rte.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 2 Aug2026
    Sentenceddundalkdemocrat.ie, first report
    Louth Garda killer Aaron Brady has sentence increased

    Reports the Court of Appeal's increase of Brady's sentence from three years to five years, the court's reasons, and the related sentence for Dean Byrne, who is to have his conviction challenged at the Supreme Court.

    convicted, Aaron Brady, 35, male, named, irish (judged from name)Aaron Bradyconvicted, Dean Byrne, 33, male, named, irish (judged from name)Dean Byrne
  2. 31 Jul2026
    Sentencedirishmirror.ie, first report
    Garda murderer's 'contempt' for trial lands him with increased sentence

    Court of Appeal increased Brady's perverting the course of justice sentence from three to five years, finding the original sentence unduly lenient and failing to give sufficient weight to general deterrence. Dean Byrne's two-year sentence for the related conspiracy was also discussed, with his case heading to the Supreme Court.

    convicted, Aaron Brady, 35, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Aaron Bradyvictim, Adrian Donohoe, male, irish (judged from name)Adrian Donohoeconvicted, Dean Byrne, 33, male, named, irish (judged from name)Dean Byrne
  3. 31 Jul2026
    Sentencedrte.ie, first report
    Brady's perverting course of justice sentence too lenient

    Reports the Court of Appeal's ruling that Brady's three-year sentence was too lenient, and that the revised five-year sentence will run after his 14-year robbery sentence.

    convicted, Aaron Brady, named, irish (judged from name)Aaron Bradysuspect, Dean Byrne, named, irish (judged from name)Dean Byrne