TWO CLEARED OF GARDA DONOHOE DEATH ROBBERY

Judges rule lack of evidence to prove charges against accused

TWO men have been cleared of direct involvement in the robbery that led to the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. 

Yesterday the three judges of the Special Criminal Court found James ‘Jimmy’ Flynn, 32, not guilty of direct involvement in the robbery of €7,000 at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth.

Co-accused Brendan “Benny” Treanor was also acquitted, with the judges finding the evidence showed he was a “member” of the criminal gang involved but it did not prove beyond all reasonable doubt he was at the scene of the crime when it occurred.

They therefore had “no choice” but to find Mr Treanor not guilty of the robbery which saw Aaron Brady, 32, shoot and kill Detective Garda Donohoe, 41, in a crime that shocked the nation on January 25, 2013.

The judges also found Flynn, from South Armagh, was part of the gang involved – but they could not say beyond all reasonable doubt that he was directly involved in the robbery.

Mr Justice Hunt said: “There is no doubt at all as to the general complicity of Brady and Flynn in this matter but ultimately we are not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Flynn was one of the direct participants in the robbery.”

EVIDENCE