Court archive
Court reports mentioning Forkhill, Armagh
2024-02-12 · Louth
Joseph Hillen, 29, was taken back into custody following an appeal regarding the activation of his suspended sentence. Hillen was originally convicted by a ten-to-two majority jury of the manslaughter of Martin Mulligan in 2018. He was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment with the final year suspended. The State appealed this sentence as unduly lenient, and in November 2019, the Court of Appeal increased the term to nine years, with the final 12 months suspended. Hillen was released from Mountjoy prison on March 30, 2022, after serving five years and 11 months. Two weeks later, on April 14, 2023, he allegedly drove a car at his mother, assaulted her, and committed other offences. He pleaded guilty at Lisburn Magistrates Court to assaulting his mother, criminal damage, dangerous driving, assaulting a police officer, possession of cocaine, driving while unfit, aggravated theft, and driving without a licence or insurance. In July 2023, he received an eight-month fully suspended sentence. The State subsequently applied to activate the suspended portion of his manslaughter sentence under Section 99 of the Criminal Justice Act. On January 29, 2024, Ms Justice Creedon activated nine months of the 12-month suspended sentence, resulting in Hillen being taken back into custody.
2020-06-23 · Dublin
The estate of the late Fine Gael Councillor John Bailey secured a temporary High Court injunction to stop Mr Francis Tiernan from spraying poisonous weedkiller on 100 acres of farmland at Castlewarden on the Dublin‑Kildare border. The estate, represented by Darren Lehane BL, claims the land belongs to Mr Bailey and that Mr Tiernan has been trespassing since April. The dispute stems from an incomplete 2006 sale for €4.6 million and a 2013 damages award of €1.2 million against Mr Tiernan. In 2018 Mr Tiernan filed a Lis Pendens but did not pursue it. He has used machinery, burned scrub, and threatened to spray weedkiller, prompting the estate to seek an interim order. The court granted the injunction ex‑parte and adjourned the case to early July. The estate also intends to pursue further orders restraining Mr Tiernan and seeking damages for trespass. The injunction was issued by Mr Justice Michael Quinn.
2019-11-26 · Louth
Joseph Hillen, aged 25, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, after the Court of Appeal found his original six‑year term too lenient. Hillen admitted stabbing taxi driver Martin Mulligan, aged 53, in a rural area near Dundalk on 28 September 2015, but denied murder. He was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury and originally sentenced to seven years, with one year suspended. The appeal, brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions, led to a new sentence of nine years, again with the final year suspended. Hillen's case involved two serious stab wounds, a 22.5‑cm abdominal wound and a through‑and‑through thigh wound. He had previously been convicted of dangerous driving while on bail for the killing and had 15 prior convictions, none for violence. The court noted his role as a father of two children and the impact on the Mulligan family.
2019-11-19 · Louth
Joseph Hillen, aged 25, was found guilty of manslaughter for stabbing taxi driver Martin Mulligan, aged 53, near Dundalk on 28 September 2015. Hillen admitted stabbing Mulligan after an altercation but denied murder. He was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon on 28 January 2019. The sentencing judge noted the jury's view that Hillen believed he was acting in self‑defence. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has appealed, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient, citing the brutality of the attack, Hillen's prior convictions, and his lack of honesty. The Court of Appeal will consider the appeal, with no decision yet announced. The case remains at the appeal stage. Joseph Hillen pleaded not guilty.
2019-01-28 · Louth
Joseph Hillen was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court today for the manslaughter of 53-year-old Martin Mulligan, who was killed at Carnmore, Balriggan, Dundalk, Co Louth, on September 28, 2015. A jury previously found Hillen not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon stated the killing fell in the upper-mid range of such offences, setting a headline sentence of ten years. Considering mitigating factors, including Hillen's offer to plead guilty, his stable employment, lack of previous violent convictions, and expressed remorse, she reduced the sentence to seven years. The final year was suspended on conditions of good behaviour, keeping the peace, and engaging with probation services. Hillen, of Glendasha Road, Forkhill, Co Armagh, was assessed as a moderate risk of re-offending. The court noted the jury accepted his claim of self-defence but found he used excessive force. Outside court, Martin Mulligan's daughter Shauna Mulligan stated the justice system had failed the family, calling the outcome unfair. His wife Grainne described the family as devastated, while his other daughter Sharon noted the family's grief. The family expressed that they felt the legal process did not adequately reflect the severity of the loss.
2018-12-03 · Louth
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the family of 53‑year‑old Martin Mulligan, who was stabbed and left to die on a road in Dundalk on 28 September 2015, delivered impact statements describing him as hardworking, caring, loving, patient, intelligent, amusing and affectionate. They recalled his role as a family bond, his support and encouragement, and his kindness to neighbours. The youngest daughter, Shauna, said he was "brutally, viciously and inhumanely killed for no fault of his own" and that his death left her vulnerable and afraid. The eldest daughter, Sharon, remembered his self‑lessness and how he cared for a neighbour's son. The wife, Grainne, recalled their long marriage and the last intimate moment they shared. The court heard that Joseph Hillen, 24, was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury in October and will be sentenced on 28 January.
2018-10-11 · Louth
In the trial of Joseph Hillen, a 24‑year‑old from Forkhill, the jury found him not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter for the death of taxi driver Martin Mulligan, 53, at Carnmore, Dundalk, on 28 September 2015. Hillen admitted to stabbing Mulligan but claimed the driver had pulled a knife on him and that he acted in self‑defence after a confrontation over alleged illegal dumping. Forensic evidence, including blood on the road and DNA on a glove, placed Hillen at the scene. The jury, after five hours and 29 minutes of deliberation, reached a majority verdict of ten to two. Justice Eileen Creedon thanked the jury and scheduled a sentencing hearing for 3 December. The case highlighted conflicting statements about the knife in Mulligan's car and the nature of the wounds, with the pathologist noting the unusual lower‑body stabs that caused rapid death.
2018-10-10 · Louth
A jury will return to the Central Criminal Court tomorrow to decide the verdict in the trial of 24‑year‑old Joseph Hillen, who admits stabbing but denies murdering taxi‑driver Martin Mulligan (53). Hillen pleaded not guilty to murder after a dispute over alleged illegal dumping. Justice Eileen Creedon explained the three possible verdicts: guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty. The jury had spent 3 hours 21 minutes deliberating and had not yet reached a verdict. They were asked to return Thursday.
2018-10-09 · Louth
In the trial of 24‑year‑old Joseph Hillen, the jury has begun deliberating a verdict for the murder of 53‑year‑old Martin Mulligan, a taxi driver killed on 28 September 2015. Hillen admits stabbing Mulligan but denies murder, claiming he acted in self‑defence after a dispute over alleged illegal dumping. Justice Eileen Creedon explained that the jury may find him guilty of murder, guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty. The prosecution, led by Patrick Treacy SC, argues Hillen intended to kill or seriously injure Mulligan and that his self‑defence claim is uncredible, citing Hillen's earlier false statements to gardai. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC contends Hillen's account is the only one supported by evidence, noting the pathologist's observation that the wounds were low on the body and would have caused death quickly. The jury will return to the Central Criminal Court tomorrow to continue deliberations.
2018-10-08 · Louth
In the trial of Joseph Hillen, a 24‑year‑old from Forkhill, the jury is asked to decide whether he acted in self‑defence or is guilty of murder after stabbing taxi driver Martin Mulligan, aged 53, to death in Dundalk on 28 September 2015. Hillen denies murder, claiming he stabbed Mulligan to protect himself during a dispute over illegal dumping. Prosecutor Patrick Treacy SC argues Hillen lied to Gardaí and that his self‑defence claim is not credible, citing the depth and nature of the wounds and Hillen's failure to call for help. Defence barrister Brendan Grehan SC maintains Hillen's account is supported by evidence, noting the pathologist's remarks on the injuries and the possibility of a sewer rod causing head lacerations. The jury must weigh whether Hillen intended to kill or merely used excessive force, or if he acted in genuine self‑defence. The case is before Justice Eileen Creedon. The unnamed 24-year-old pleaded not guilty. Joseph Hillen pleaded not guilty.
2018-10-05 · Louth
In the Central Criminal Court, the family of the stabbed victim left before a jury saw the taxi driver's heavily blood‑stained jumper and t‑shirt. Prosecutor Patrick Treacy SC warned that the clothing could be distressing. Joseph Hillen, 24, of Forkhill, Co. Armagh, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Martin Mulligan, 53, at Carnmore, Dundalk, on 28 September 2015. Hillen admitted he inflicted the fatal knife wounds but claimed he did so to protect himself. Forensic scientist Sandra McGrath showed the jury the heavy blood staining on the jumper and t‑shirt, a 19.5 cm cut and tear at the V of the jumper's neck, and a glove with Hillen's DNA on its inside and back. She also identified 18 blood drops at the scene, two matching Hillen's DNA and the rest matching Mulligan's. Garda James Doherty reported Hillen was interviewed on 23 May 2016 after his car was seen driving erratically that night.
2018-10-04 · Louth
In the murder trial of Joseph Hillen, the wife of the stabbed taxi driver, Grainne Mulligan, denied that her husband kept a kitchen knife in his car. She stated that Hillen, a 24‑year‑old coal delivery man turned taxi driver, kept a bar on the floor of the taxi for protection and a small Swiss Army knife. She also admitted that she had previously claimed he kept a kitchen knife in the taxi, but later corrected that the knife was in his coal lorry. Mulligan described Hillen as a formidable man who would not back down in a confrontation. She said he kept the bar as a weapon if needed. The trial continues before a jury and Justice Eileen Creedon. Joseph Hillen pleaded not guilty. Grainne Mulligan pleaded not guilty.
2018-10-04 · Louth
During a murder trial, Gardaí recounted a car‑chase involving the accused, 24‑year‑old Joseph Hillen, hours before he stabbed taxi driver Martin Mulligan to death. Hillen, who pleaded not guilty, admitted stabbing Mulligan but claimed he did so to protect himself. The chase began shortly after midnight in Dundalk town centre, when Sergeant Michael Kermath and Garda Damien Fanning spotted a Toyota Avensis spinning its tyres outside Ridley's nightclub. They pursued the vehicle with blue lights, but the Avensis accelerated erratically, broke two traffic lights, and fled toward Marsh's Shopping Centre. The patrol car followed until the pursuit became too dangerous, and the officers believed they would not catch the driver before the border with Northern Ireland. CCTV footage of the chase was shown to the jury, and the trial continues before Justice Eileen Creedon.
2018-10-03 · Louth
In a murder trial, 24‑year‑old Joseph Hillen of Forkhill, Co. Armagh, pleaded not guilty to the stabbing death of 53‑year‑old Martin Mulligan in Dundalk on 28 September 2015. Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis testified that Mulligan suffered three blunt‑force lacerations to the top of the head, 30 other minor injuries to head, arms, chest and legs, and two fatal knife wounds. One wound cut the abdominal aorta, the other severed the femoral artery in the thigh, both causing rapid blood loss. Dr Curtis explained that a sewer rod could account for the head injuries and that the knife wounds were consistent with Hillen's account of a "backhanded" motion while kneeling. Hillen admitted stabbing Mulligan but claimed he acted to protect himself. The trial continued before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury.
2018-10-02 · Armagh
In a murder trial held in Dundalk, 24‑year‑old Joseph Hillen pleaded not guilty to the killing of taxi driver Martin Mulligan, 53, who was found dead near his taxi on 28 September 2015. Hillen admitted stabbing Mulligan twice, claiming he acted in self‑defence after an altercation that began when Mulligan allegedly punched him and a wrestling match ensued. Hillen also described a struggle over a stainless steel kitchen knife, during which he cut his own hand and stabbed Mulligan. An autopsy revealed two stab wounds and numerous blunt‑force injuries, with the abdominal wound severing an artery and killing Mulligan within 30 seconds. Hillen's statements to Gardaí in July 2018 acknowledged driving a Toyota Avensis that night, and he admitted to chasing Mulligan before the fatal encounter. The jury, hearing the prosecution's case, will decide whether Hillen's actions were self‑defence or murder. The trial continues before Justice Eileen Creedon.
2018-02-26 · Armagh
A trial date has been set for Joseph Hillen, a 23‑year‑old from Forkhill, County Armagh, who is charged with the murder of 53‑year‑old Martin Mulligan, a taxi driver from Dundalk. The killing took place at Carnmore, off the Armagh Road outside Dundalk, on 28 September 2015. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy of the Central Criminal Court fixed the trial for 2 October, with the case expected to last two weeks.