Aaron Brady’s barrister has asked the Special Criminal Court to be as lenient as possible when it comes to sentencing him for an attempt to pervert the course of justice.

The 33-year-old is awaiting sentence for using a phone in prison to record a piece of evidence that was due to be used in his capital murder trial.

After shooting Det Garda Adrian Donohoe during an armed robbery outside Lordship Credit Union in 2013, Mr Brady fled to the US where he’d often get drunk and tell people what he’d done back home.

One of those people gave a statement to Gardai in New York.

His statement was recorded and provided to the defence ahead of Brady’s murder trial.

Recording

While in prison in April 2020, Brady used a mobile phone to record clips from the recorded statement.

He had been given a laptop to help him prepare for trial.

Those clips ended up being circulated on WhatsApp as well as social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube.

Brady admitted to a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice and, at his sentence hearing today, his barrister asked the court to be as lenient as possible.

He’ll be sentenced later this month along with another man who was convicted of conspiring with Brady to persuade another witness not to testify against Brady.

Main image: The Criminal Courts of Justice, Parkgate Street. Opened in 2010 it is the principal criminal court in Ireland. Image:  Alamy Stock Photo