THE SPECIAL CRIMINAL Court has heard of the “terrifying” events surrounding a credit union robbery during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead in Louth 10 years ago.
Staff at Lordship Credit Union and Cooley Credit Union, both in Co Louth, told the three-judge court today that they were about to travel with a Garda escort to a bank in Dundalk when a car blocked their exit from Lordship Credit Union and three men jumped a back wall on the night of Detective Garda Donohoe’s murder.
Brendan Treanor and James Flynn are charged with the robbery of €7,000 at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, on 25 January 2013.
The two men are also accused of conspiring to commit ‘creeper’ style burglaries with a group of men, including Detective Garda Donohoe’s murderer Aaron Brady, to break into houses to steal car keys and quietly make off with the cars.
Today at the non-jury court, Pat Bellew, who was the secretary at Lordship Credit Union, said he had locked up at around 9.30pm on the night, a Friday, and walked to his car with around “€2,800-2,900 in cash” and the rest of the €7,000 in cheques.
Bellew was to travel along with a colleague from Cooley Credit Union and gardaí to deposit the money in Dundalk Bank of Ireland.
Bellew walked past his garda escort after waving at them and got into his car when moments later the driver’s side window was smashed in and a hand attempted to grab the bag containing the takings. The hand reached across Bellew, who was covered in glass, but could not reach the bag on the passenger seat and retreated.
Bellew told Lorcan Staines SC, prosecuting, that his passenger door was then opened and the bag was stolen.
Bellew said that he saw “at least two, or possibly three” men jump the car park wall immediately before the robbery and that a colleague’s car had been blocked in at the gate.
The witness said he could not recall what was said to him by the men but that “the impression was clear we were about to be raided”.
Moments later the two rear doors of Bellew’s car were opened and a bag containing credit union papers were also taken.
Bellew said that he sat calmly throughout and let the gang take the money before things went quiet and he got out.
It was only then he found out that Detective Garda Donohoe had been shot and saw his partner, Detective Garda Joe Ryan, calling for assistance.
Grainy dashcam footage of the incident from Bellew’s car was played to the court where two shots could be heard alongside shouting and a woman screaming.
Bellew said a hammer he had never seen before was recovered from his own vehicle.
Second witness
Mary Hanlon, the treasurer at Cooley Credit Union, said she was also in her car in the car park and had travelled with the garda escort from Cooley to Bellurgan.
Hanlon told Brendan Grehan SC, for the State, that she had four bags with the week’s takings with her on the passenger seat.
Hanlon said she rang Bellew on arrival to say that all three cars could now proceed to Dundalk. However, while she was moving towards the gate, waiting on Bellow and then the gardaí to follow, a car parked across the gate.
Hanlon told Grehan that she thought “what a stupid bitch, parking there” and saw what she believed to be a woman with short blonde hair in the driver’s seat.
The witness said that shortly after she heard “bang bang” and saw one male get into the blocking car, which she believed was a Passat.
Hanlon said she saw two other men then jump the car park wall at the front of the car park. All three men got into the car and it pulled off.
She said she saw two of the men carry “something long”, one of which she believed to be a gun while the other was possibly a metal bar.
She described all three men as being in their 20s or early 30s, and as slim and fit.
The witness said she was “terrified” by what had happened but added that she still had a large amount of money and cheques on the passenger seat in her car, which was later found to be €27,000.
Hanlon said that she heard the gunshots and initially thought it was the gardaí firing but that when she opened her door she saw Detective Garda Donohoe lying near the rear of her car where she could also see blood.
Multiple witnesses have so far given evidence in the case regarding 13 Garda investigations into creeper burglaries and thefts that stretched across counties Cavan, Monaghan, Louth and Westmeath in late 2012 and into early 2013.
Treanor (34), previously of Emer Terrace, Castletown Road, Dundalk, Co Louth, and Flynn (32) from South Armagh are charged that between 11 September 2012 and 23 January 2013 they conspired with Brady and others to enter residential premises with the intention of stealing the keys.
They have pleaded not guilty to each charge.
Brady (31) previously of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, is serving a life sentence with a 40-year minimum having been found guilty of murdering Detective Garda Donohoe and of the burglary at Lordship. He denied any involvement in the robbery and is awaiting an appeal against his conviction.
The trial continues on Tuesday before presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Alan Mitchell.
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