Convicted Garda killer Aaron Brady lived 'nice life' in New York
By Irish Echo Staff
The man convicted of capital murder in the 2013 killing of Garda detective Adrian Donohoe was living "a nice life" in New York before his arrest and extradition back to Ireland in 2017.
But it wasn't an entirely quiet life. According to a reliable source, Aaron Brady had a habit of proclaiming himself a cop killer in New York area bars.
Brady, who was convicted of capital murder earlier this week and is now facing a forty year prison term, was “driving an Audi” and “living a nice life” in New York after he escaped to the United States after the death of Detective Garda Donohoe, this according to a report today in the Irish Independent based on an interview carried on RTE of a former NYPD detective.
Brady got married, had a “nice apartment” and had a child according to the former detective who had been investigating Brady on this side of the Atlantic, the report stated.
Speaking on the Sarah McInerney Show on RTÉ Radio One, former NYPD detective James Walsh said that after coming to the U.S. Brady, who is from Armagh, got married, had a child and lived a comfortable life.
“He was living a nice life, he was working in construction, he had a nice apartment, he got married and had a child, he was driving an Audi. He was living a nice life,” Walsh said.
“He kept to himself, he had his own little circle of friends.”
The NYPD began keeping tabs on Brady in August, 2015.
“We were given a name, address and picture,” said Walsh.
“We were able to establish patterns of his work, where he was frequenting and his address from social media.”
Brady was arrested and deported from the U.S. in May, 2017.
Walsh told RTE: “Homeland security set up a surveillance in his house, they were waiting for him to leave.
“He got into a black Audi started driving, we knew he didn't have a driver’s license and he was pulled over.
“I think at first he thought it was just local police stopping him for a traffic violation but then it became apparent when he saw the insignia on the officers that it was federal agents that he knew why he was stopped and what was going on."
Walsh described the collaboration between the NYPD and An Garda Siochana as “unprecedented” during the investigation.
“There’s a bond between law enforcement that people don't understand unless you put a uniform on,” Walsh said while expressing satisfaction with the capital murder conviction.
“I was extremely happy when I heard the verdict and justice for the Donohoe family,” he said.
Brady is the first person convicted of capital murder in Ireland since 1985.
He was convicted of murdering Detective Garda Donohoe during a robbery at the Lordship Credit Union in County Louth in January, 2013. Brady was also convicted of robbery.
Detective Donohoe was on escort duty for a the movement of cash and was shot dead after he got out of his car.
The murder and robbery were subsequently linked to a five-member gang based in South Armagh and Louth.
