Back tattoo is ‘pictorial admission’ of involvement in robbery, court told

It is the State’s contention that an accused’s back tattoo amounts to a “pictorial admission” of his involvement in the robbery of a Dundalk credit union during which Det Gda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

A close-up photograph of a large tattoo drawn across Brendan Treanor’s upper back, which was photographed by gardai upon his arrest in April 2021, was displayed today on several screens in the three-judge court.

The tattoo depicted four males with hats, including one holding a long barrelled firearm, along with a woman wearing a balaclava with a gun to her lips, a large BMW car, a pistol, rounds of ammunition and wads of money.

Brendan Grehan SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the registration plate displayed on the BMW car read “BOSS BFT” and the letters “BFT” may refer to people’s surnames including Mr Treanor’s.

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Mr Treanor (34), previously of Emer Terrace, Castletown Road, Dundalk, Co Louth, and James Flynn (32) from South Armagh are charged with the robbery of €7,000 at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, on January 25th, 2013.

Both men are also charged that between September 11th, 2012, and 23rd January 2013, they conspired with convicted Garda-killer Aaron Brady and others to enter residential premises with the intention of stealing car keys.

The prosecution alleges that Mr Treanor and Mr Flynn were part of a group of young men who conspired to break into houses to steal car keys and then quietly make off with the cars.

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 Det Gda Adrian Donohoe and of the robbery at Lordship. He denied any involvement in the robbery and is awaiting an appeal against his conviction.

The trial previously heard evidence from Mary Hanlon, the treasurer at Cooley Credit Union, that just before the robbery occurred a car had blocked the exit to Lordship car park. Ms Hanlon told Mr 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 of the getaway car.

Former detective garda Joe Ryan, who was in the patrol car with Det Gda Donohoe that evening, has testified in this trial that he saw two males running towards him in the car park and one of them had a full-length shotgun and the other had a handgun. Mr Ryan said the man with the shotgun had it pointed at his face and body and was shouting and roaring ‘I’ll f**king kill you, don’t move I’ll shoot’.

Two other credit union employees Pat Bellew and Bernadette McShane described how two other raiders had approached their cars. All five raiders then escaped as the getaway car sped off from the scene.

The trial continues on Wednesday.