Denies conspiring with garda murderer to pervert course of justice

Prosecution expected to conclude its evidence today

- Eoin Reynolds -

in the Special Criminal Court

The prosecution is expected to complete its evidence today (Wednesday) in the trial of a violent criminal who denies conspiring with garda killer Aaron Brady to pervert the course of justice during Brady's 2020 trial for the murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe, a Kilnaleck native.

On the final day of evidence, specialist interviewer Det Sgt Peter Woods told prosecution counsel Diarmuid Collins BL that the accused man Dean Byrne was arrested on October 8, 2020, at Mountjoy prison where he was serving a sentence.

During interviews at Mountjoy garda station, Mr Byrne denied ownership of a mobile phone found in a wall cavity in his cell and denied that he knew Aaron Brady.

He said he didn't know Daniel Cahill, a key witness who would tell Brady's trial that Brady confessed to him on numerous occasions that he had shot a garda.

The prosecution alleges that Mr Byrne conspired with Brady in an attempt to persuade Mr Cahill not to give that evidence.

Mr Byrne said the phone found in the wall cavity in his cell belonged to a previous inmate. When gardaí played a video clip that was on the phone, Mr Byrne identified himself on it. When asked if the video had been made by him, he said: "Probably was, probably wasn't."

Gardaí played an audio message sent using Facebook in which Mr Byrne is alleged to have said that Daniel Cahill was giving evidence in Brady's trial and that he is a "dirtbag, filthbag, rat bastard of a thing."

Gardaí asked him why he had said that. "I'm entitled to say what I want to say," Mr Byrne replied.

He also denied that a threat by another person to find and "do damage" to Mr Cahill was an example of perverting the course of justice or witness intimidation.

"You are reading it wrong," he said. "You are guessing. It's nothing to me. I don't care."

Gardaí put it to Mr Byrne that he was attempting to pervert the course of justice in another message when he suggested getting a relation of Mr Cahill's to meet with Aaron Brady's father, Tony Brady.

Mr Byrne replied: "One hundred percent not. You're only seeing half the situation and not the full situation. When you have the full situation come back to me. I'm not doing your work for you."

Gardaí asked if Mr Byrne had sent copies of Mr Cahill's garda statement to a third party. He replied: "It's for you to figure it out and for me to say nothing. You'll never talk me into saying it. I am not someone who will take down other people. When it goes to court it will speak for itself, one hundred percent."

During cross-examination, Padraig Dwyer SC put it to Det Sgt Woods that on the recorded Facebook messages, Mr Byrne had expressed a belief that Daniel Cahill was going to perjure himself at Brady's trial.

Det Sgt Woods said it appears to him that Mr Byrne "believed what Aaron Brady told him". The witness agreed with Mr Dwyer that Mr Byrne could have been expressing a personal belief that Mr Cahill was not telling the truth.

Mr Dwyer told the three-judge court that he will make an application to dismiss the charge against his client after the expected conclusion of the prosecution evidence today (Wednesday).

In August 2020, Brady (33) formerly of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh was convicted by a jury of the murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe during a credit union robbery at Lordship, Bellurgan, Co Louth on January 25, 2013.

He was due to be tried with Mr Byrne but before the trial started, Brady pleaded guilty to the charge that on a date between February 20 and May 7, 2020, within the State, he embarked on a course of conduct intended to pervert the course of justice.

Brady accepted that he was responsible for recording a video of witness Ronan Flynn giving a statement to gardai that later appeared on social media accusing Mr Flynn of "touting".

Dean Byrne (30) from Cabra Park, Phibsborough, Dublin is on trial accused of conspiring with Aaron Brady in Mountjoy Prison between April 8, 2020 and June 22, 2020 to persuade prosecution witness Daniel Cahill not to give evidence at Brady's murder trial, which was intended to pervert the course of justice.