Witness got death threat on Snapchat hours after testifying that Aaron Brady said he 'shot a cop'

The capital murder trial took place against a background of intimidation and interference, with witnesses and their families subjected to threats and targeted using social media.

According to a witness who lives in New York, when Aaron Brady (pictured) realised the man was there when he was “boasting” in a pub that he knew what it was like to kill someone, Brady took him outside, assaulted him and warned him to keep his mouth shut. Picture: Collins

A video of a witness telling gardaí that he heard Aaron Brady admit to murdering a garda was circulated on social media, with text accusing the witness of being a “tout” or a “rat”, in what the presiding judge described as “the most outrageous contempt of court” he had ever seen.

After hearing from representatives of WhatsApp Mr Justice Michael White found he was "powerless to prevent its dissemination" on that platform and could make no order that would prevent it from being circulated. It was, the judge said, a deliberate attempt to intimidate the witness and others who were due to give evidence in the trial. The same video appeared on Youtube and Facebook who were able to delete it and prevent it from being put up again.