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The wife of murdered Garda detective Adrian Donohoe has recounted how her family’s life changed forever “in just 58 nonsensical seconds.”
Caroline Donohoe, also a Garda, was at the scene of the murder at Lordship Credit Union in Co Louth less than an hour after her husband was shot and killed.
When killer Aaron Brady (29) was told that he will spend the next 39 years of his life behind bars, impact statements from Det Garda Donohoe’s family and colleagues were read in Central Criminal Court.
In her statement, Ms. Donohoe said: “We had a loving and happy family, everything was perfect, but in just 58 nonsensical seconds everything changed forever.”
“I will never recover from what I had to see at Lordship that night.
“Sometimes I can’t get the images out of my mind.”
She said there were “absolutely no words” to express the impact of the murder on her and her two children.
They will miss having their dad in all the first moments of their lives, like communions and confirmations.
His father read in court a statement from Det Garda Donohoe’s parents, Hugh and Peggy Donohoe. She fought back tears as she paid tribute to her son.
“He brought so much joy into our lives.
“He never forgot his mother’s birthday or Mother’s Day.
“He was as good a son as you could ask for. We miss him every day,” she said.
He said his son would like to surprise them, even bringing his brother home from abroad for a 60th surprise.
“He loved to organize surprises for us, to bring home his brother from abroad to surprise his mother on her 60th birthday.
“He always wanted the best for us and he sought to make our lives easier at every opportunity,” she said.
“It is difficult to accept that such a good man meets such evil in that cold and damp night. From that day on, it is impossible to find joy in life.”
He said that some days were very hard, adding that life is a struggle and not worth living.
“We visit his grave every week, which is comforting, but it is not a place for him, he should be here with us living his life,” he said.
Det Garda Donohoe’s sister, Mary Donohoe, read a statement on behalf of her and her other siblings, Alan, Colm, Martin and Anne.
“Adrian was a huge boy at heart, he loved children and gravitated towards them.
“We are angry and heartbroken that he has missed meeting so many nieces and nephews who were born after his death.”
The court heard a statement from Det Garda Donohoe’s partner that night, Det Garda Joe Ryan, about the devastating impact the murder had on him and his career.
Two of the four assailants had pointed a gun at the garda and threatened to kill him.
“I had no doubt that they were going to kill me,” he said in a statement read in court.
He gained vivid memories of the night, was unable to sleep, and was eventually diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that eventually forced him to retire 10 years before from An Garda Síochána.
“The incident was the scariest thing imaginable and it dramatically changed my life forever,” he said.
Brady yesterday received mandatory life in prison with a minimum of 40 years for the capital murder of Det Garda Donohoe at Lordship Credit Union on January 25, 2013.
He was sentenced to 14 years for armed robbery, with the penalty of simultaneous execution.
Judge Michael White reversed the sentence until February 2018, when Brady was arrested for the first time.
After reviewing the evidence and hearing the victim’s impact statements, Judge White said there were no extenuating circumstances that he could consider when passing sentencing. Anyone viewing the CCTV footage or listening to the audio recording of what happened at Lordship would be “shocked to the core.”
The hearing was broadcast to Det Garda Donohoe’s colleagues at the Dundalk garda station.
The court heard, in the evidence summary, how Brady had lied to Gardaí and fled to the United States, even while he was already out on bail for traffic offenses at the time.
When he was deported from the United States, he was convicted of criminal damages and dangerous driving due to an incident in which he drove a car stolen by Dundalk and crashed into several taxis and a Garda patrol.
The court heard how he had admitted to the public, while in New York, that he had killed a “cop”, sometimes boasting and sometimes lamenting.
After the hearing, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said the murder was an “attack on this state.”
“I don’t think anything can make up for the suffering and loss that Det Garda Donohoe’s family and friends have felt, and they are all in our thoughts today,” he said.
“The pain felt by his wife Caroline, his children Niall and Amy, his brothers, his family, his community at large, that can never be erased by a sentence or conviction.”
She said that Det Garda Donohoe had “worked tirelessly to serve her community and this state.”
Gardaí said last night that Brady was just a member of a criminal gang that day.
“This criminal investigation is still alive, as the other members of that gang must be brought to justice.
“The commitment and tenacity of the investigation team based at the Dundalk Garda station to bring all suspects to justice stands firm.”
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said: “My thoughts and those of the Garda organization are once again today with the family of Adrian Donohoe.
“The Garda Síochána’s determination to bring all participants in this crime to justice remains strong and the Dundalk investigation team will continue to be supported by the resources of the organization at large.”
Members of Brady’s “inner circle” are expected to be arrested this month in connection with the failed intimidation campaign that ruined his trial.
Earlier this week, four suspects were arrested by detectives. At least four more arrests of suspects are expected inside and outside the prison system.
Irish independent
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