Court archive
Court reports mentioning Cullyhanna, Armagh
2023-02-28 · Cavan
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal of Daniel O'Callaghan, a former All-Ireland winner, who was convicted at the Special Criminal Court for his role in a cross-border gang involved in ATM thefts. O'Callaghan, who pleaded not guilty to 16 offences including attempted theft and possession of stolen cash, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment in March. His legal team argued that the identification of O'Callaghan by an NSU garda was flawed due to distance and time constraints. However, Mr Justice Birmingham, presiding, rejected this, stating the officer was a reliable witness with a clear view and that DNA evidence supported the identification. The court affirmed the Special Criminal Court's conviction, noting the strength of the evidence. O'Callaghan's co-accused, who pleaded guilty, were also sentenced. Stephen Duffy received four years for possessing stolen cash. Gerard Duffy and Ciaran Duffy were each jailed for seven years and nine months for attempted ATM theft and criminal organisation offences. Niall Finnegan was sentenced to four-and-a-half years, with the final 18 months suspended, for possessing proceeds from the thefts. The appeal was dismissed, upholding the original convictions and sentences.
2022-03-04 · Cavan
The Special Criminal Court sentenced three Monaghan brothers to a combined 19.5 years for their roles in an ATM theft gang. Gerard Duffy (31) and Ciaran Duffy (29) each pleaded guilty to offences including attempted theft of an ATM and its contents for the benefit of a criminal organisation. Ciaran Duffy additionally pleaded guilty to moving cash and possessing cash to facilitate a criminal offence. Mr Justice Hunt identified an 11-year headline sentence for both, applied a 20% discount, and suspended the final year of each term, resulting in effective sentences of eight years and nine months. Stephen Duffy (35) pleaded guilty to possessing cash in association with a criminal organisation. Rejecting his claim of limited involvement, the judge sentenced him to four years and nine months, with the final nine months suspended. All sentences were back-dated to February 1, 2022. In a related November finalisation, Niall Finnegan (39) pleaded guilty to possessing proceeds of ATM thefts and was jailed for four-and-a-half years, with the final 18 months suspended. A fifth defendant, Daniel O'Callaghan, remains to be sentenced.
2022-02-18 · Cavan
The Special Criminal Court has found Daniel O'Callaghan guilty of all 16 counts relating to ATM thefts in Cavan and Monaghan in 2019. O'Callaghan, who pleaded not guilty, was convicted of offences under Sections 72 and 73 of the Criminal Justice Act, including the attempted theft of an ATM in Virginia and the theft of an ATM in Castleblayney. He was also found guilty of possessing €125,930 and €298,000 in cash at Tullypole, Co Meath, intending to facilitate a criminal organisation. Ms Justice Tara Burns stated that circumstantial evidence led to the inevitable conclusion that O'Callaghan was intimately involved in the gang's joint enterprise. He has been remanded in custody for a sentencing hearing scheduled for March 4. In related proceedings, Gerard Duffy and Ciaran Duffy pleaded guilty to various offences, including participating in the movement of cash and attempting to steal an ATM. Stephen Duffy also admitted to possessing cash in association with a criminal organisation. The three brothers are scheduled to be sentenced on March 4. Additionally, Niall Finnegan, who pleaded guilty to possessing €103,000 in proceeds from the thefts, was previously jailed for four-and-a-half years, with the final 18 months suspended.
2022-02-01 · Cavan
The Special Criminal Court adjourned the sentencing of three brothers, Gerard, Ciaran, and Stephen Duffy, to March 4, remanding them in custody. The defendants, part of a cross-Border gang alleged to have stolen nearly €800,000 from ATMs in Cavan, Meath, and Monaghan between 2018 and 2019, appeared before a three-judge panel. Gerard Duffy pleaded guilty to the attempted theft of an ATM at the Riverfront Bar & Restaurant in Virginia, Co Cavan, in August 2019, contrary to Section 73 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. Ciaran Duffy pleaded guilty to three offences, including participating in criminal activities in a Toyota Avensis at Tullypole, Moynalty, attempting to steal the Virginia ATM, and possessing cash to facilitate a criminal offence. Stephen Duffy pleaded guilty to possessing cash at The Yard, Tullypole, in association with a criminal organisation. Prosecution evidence detailed the gang's use of stolen diggers and vehicles to rip ATMs from walls, culminating in a failed attempt in Virginia where gardaí rammed a stolen vehicle. Cash totaling over €103,000 was recovered from a vehicle and a lawnmower. Defence counsel highlighted the defendants' remorse, employment histories, and character references. In a related matter, Niall Finnegan was previously sentenced to four-and-a-half years, with the final 18 months suspended, for possessing or handling €103,000 linked to the gang's activities.
2021-12-21 · Cavan
Two brothers from Monaghan have entered guilty pleas at the Special Criminal Court in relation to a cross-border gang investigation involving ATM thefts. Gerard Duffy, aged 30, admitted to the attempted theft of an ATM at the Riverfront Hotel in Virginia, Co Cavan, on 14 August 2019. His brother Ciaran Duffy, aged 27, pleaded guilty to three offences, including participating in criminal activities in Co Meath and attempting to steal the same ATM. Their elder brother Stephen Duffy, aged 35, previously admitted possessing cash at Tullypole, Co Meath, in August 2019. The pleas relate to a garda investigation into ATM thefts across Cavan and Monaghan between September 2018 and August 2019. A fourth man, Niall Finnegan, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years, with 18 months suspended, for possessing €103,000 in proceeds. Sentencing hearings for both Gerard and Ciaran Duffy have been scheduled for 1 February. Both remain on bail.
2021-12-16 · Monaghan
A Monaghan man has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possessing stolen cash linked to coordinated ATM thefts by a cross-border criminal organisation. Stephen Duffy, aged 35, of Tullynahinera, Castleblayney, admitted to possessing cash at Tullypole, Co Meath, on 20 August 2019. He faces charges under Section 73 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 relating to possession of proceeds for the benefit of a criminal organisation. The case concerns investigations into the theft of an ATM in Castleblayney in April 2019 and an attempted theft in Virginia, Co Cavan, in August 2019. Duffy was remanded on continuing bail until 14 January. He is the second man to admit involvement in the thefts. Last month, Niall Finnegan received a sentence of four-and-a-half years, with eighteen months suspended, for possessing €103,000 from the same operation. Detective evidence indicated the gang stole approximately €790,000 across six incidents in the Cavan and Monaghan region using excavators.
2021-11-29 · Armagh
At the appeal stage, Niall Finnegan (39) of Cherry Grove, Cullyhanna, Co Armagh, who was previously convicted of committing the offence under Section 73 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, which states that a person 'commits a serious offence for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with, a criminal organisation', has had his sentence reviewed. Finnegan had pleaded guilty to possessing or handling €103,930 at The Yard, Tullypole, Moynalty, Co Meath, following an ATM theft on 20 August 2019. The non-jury court had previously jailed Finnegan for four-and-a-half years, suspending the final 18 months for three years for possessing the cash, which was the proceeds of ATM thefts carried out by a criminal organisation. The judge then gave Finnegan the full 25% discount for his guilty plea, resulting in a four-and-a-half year sentence, and suspended the final 18 months of the sentence for three years. Finnegan's barrister had requested a postponement of the activation of the sentence until after Christmas so that Finnegan could spend the holiday season with his three children, but this was denied by Mr Justice Tony Hunt. The matter was adjourned.
2021-11-15 · Armagh
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Padraig Dwyer SC represented Niall Finnegan, a 39‑year‑old family man from Cherry Grove, Cullyhanna, who pleaded guilty in July to possessing €103,000 after an ATM theft on 20 August 2019. Dwyer highlighted Finnegan's lack of prior convictions, his community involvement, and the supportive references from family and local groups. He argued the offence was out of character and that Finnegan had cooperated with Gardaí, expressing a desire to stay out of trouble. Dwyer urged the court to consider a non‑custodial sentence, noting that custodial terms should be a last resort. Judge Hunt cautioned that a light sentence could be viewed as unduly lenient and potentially overturned on appeal, and he postponed sentencing to 29 November. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
2021-10-05 · Armagh
A man has been convicted at the Special Criminal Court of handling nearly €104,000 in proceeds from an organised ATM theft gang that stole approximately €790,000 across the Border region. Niall Finnegan, aged 39, was arrested at Tullypole, County Meath, with the cash in his possession. The court heard that between 2019 and the time of arrests two years later, the gang used excavators to forcibly remove ATMs from locations in Cavan and Monaghan, causing significant criminal damage during six raids and attempted raids. In one August 2019 operation on Virginia's Main Street, gardaí witnessed a stolen digger in convoy with a stolen Land Cruiser before intervening. A subsequent search of a Virginia site yielded €298,000. Finnegan admitted possessing the money knowing or believing it was criminal proceeds. The presiding judge stated the accused faced a custodial sentence, describing the thefts as highly organised. Sentencing was adjourned pending background reports.
2021-07-30 · Armagh
Niall Finnegan, 39, of Cherry Grove, Cullyhanna, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possessing or handling more than €100,000 of stolen ATM cash. The offence occurred on 20 August 2019 at The Yard, Tullypole, Moynalty, Co Meath, where he had the money for the benefit of, or at the direction of, or in association with, a criminal organisation. The court also considered a second count of handling or possessing €103,930, knowing or being reckless about its criminal provenance, and a third count for aiding the movement of cash in a Toyota Avensis to facilitate a serious offence by the same organisation. Finnegan's bail conditions were relaxed to a single daily sign‑on, a two‑week holiday in August, and removal of his curfew. He remains remanded until a sentencing hearing on 5 October.
2020-12-14 · Cavan
At the Special Criminal Court, books of evidence were served on five men accused of ATM thefts and related offences in Cavan and Monaghan. The accused are Daniel O'Callaghan, Ciaran Duffy, Gerard Duffy, Niall Finnegan, and Stephen Duffy. O'Callaghan, a former Crossmaglen footballer, is charged with the attempted theft of an ATM at the Riverfront Hotel in Virginia, Co Cavan, on August 14, 2019, allegedly for the benefit of a criminal organisation. He also faces charges of theft and criminal damage involving an ATM in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, in April 2019. Additionally, he is accused of possessing €298,000, a petrol can, a stolen Toyota Landcruiser, a stolen 14-tonne digger, bolt-cutters, and a stolen flatbed trailer. Ciaran and Gerard Duffy are charged with participating in the movement and possession of cash to facilitate a criminal organisation, as well as the attempted ATM thefts in Virginia and Castleblayney. They are also accused of possessing the stolen digger, trailer, Landcruiser, bolt-cutters, and petrol can, and handling sums of €280,900, €103,930, and €22,000. Niall Finnegan and Stephen Duffy are accused of participating in the movement of and handling €103,930. All charges are alleged or contested. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, sitting with Judges Sarah Berkeley and Michael Walsh, remanded all five men on continuing bail until February 1, when their cases are listed for mention again.
2020-11-03 · Cavan
Five men, including a former All-Ireland club footballer, have been charged with a combined 38 new offences at the Special Criminal Court relating to alleged ATM thefts across Cavan and Monaghan. Daniel O'Callaghan, aged 30, a former Crossmaglen player, faces charges concerning an attempted ATM theft in Virginia in August 2019 and a criminal damage and theft matter in Castleblayney in April 2019, both allegedly connected to organised crime. He is also charged with possession of cash and stolen vehicles, including a digger and flatbed trailer. Three brothers—Ciaran Duffy, aged 26, Gerard Duffy, aged 29, and Stephen Duffy, aged 34—alongside Niall Finnegan, aged 38, have been charged with related offences including handling money, possession of stolen property, and facilitating organised crime. All five accused have been released on bail pending further proceedings.
2018-02-07 · Dublin
The High Court adjourned a receivership application for 31 Dublin apartments owned by Sean Mackin. Receivers Luke Charleton and Andrew Collier, appointed by Promontoria (Aran) Ltd, allege interference by Mackin, who has leased all units for €3,000 per month—about 15% of the estimated €20,000 monthly value. The receivers seek injunctions restraining Mackin, who resides in Cullyhanna, Newry, and orders for him to hand over possession. They also target tenants Mr Thierry Mangione and Ms Eulalia St Maria, the latter's whereabouts unknown. Mackin entered a letting agreement in 2016 without PAL or Ulster Bank consent, and the lease expired last month. The court adjourned the case for two weeks to allow the tenants' renewal application to be presented on affidavit and to obtain contact details for the defendants.