The Central Criminal Court has heard Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot at close range during an armed robbery in Co Louth.
Aaron Brady from New Road, Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh has gone on trial accused of his murder in 2013, and he is also charged with robbery.
As Det Donohoe and his colleague were sitting in an unmarked Garda car outside Lordship Credit Union in Co. Louth at about 9.30pm on the evening of Jan 25th 2013, the prosecuting barrister Brendan Grehan told the jurors today, it will be alleged that a stolen car blocked them in, while four masked men, two of whom were armed, jumped a back wall and approached the convoy they were assigned to protect.
He said one of them blasted Det Donohoe in the face from close range before he even had time to draw his weapon.
€7,000 was then stolen, during what Mr Grehan described as a “slick and highly-planned” operation.
It is the prosecution’s case that Aaron Brady, who was 21 years old at the time, was the shooter.
He has pleaded not guilty to capital murder and robbery.
The trial, which is set to run for 16 weeks, is due to begin hearing evidence tomorrow.
