In a 2016 trial, Liam Power, 52, and Dzintars Sackalausks, 33, were charged with murdering Latvian national Gints Intembergs, 41, in Tullow, Co Carlow, between 15 and 16 September 2014. Power pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the State, and not guilty to assaulting Aigar Sildars. Sackalausks pleaded not guilty to both murder and assault. Forensic evidence presented by Dr Brian Gibson showed blood on Power's white Adidas runners that matched Intembergs' DNA, with a probability of less than one in a thousand million of a coincidence. Blood on Sackalausks' black Nike runners matched Sildars' DNA. Annette Ford analysed bruises on Intembergs' body, finding patterns consistent with Power's footwear but not Sackalausks'. Detective Donal Lawlor testified that Power was present at the scene, had a strong smell of alcohol, and claimed he had kicked Intembergs' head. The case proceeded before Justice Isobel Kennedy and a jury of five men and seven women.
In a 2016 trial, 52‑year‑old Liam Power, who had no fixed abode, was charged with murdering 41‑year‑old Gints Intembergs at Graigowen, Tullow, between 15 and 16 September 2014. Power pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the State, and also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Aigar Sildars. Dzintars Sackalausks, 33, was charged with the same murder and assault, pleading not guilty to both. Garda evidence described the scene: the deceased lay on the kitchen floor, partially covered, with a partially burned blue and white top and no ignition source. DNA and other items were collected from the house and a Suzuki car. Witnesses, including Dolores Kenny, recounted Power's admission of a fight, an arm‑wrestling match, a slap, and his claim of having killed a man. The case proceeded before Justice Isobel Kennedy and a jury.
A witness testified that Liam Power, aged 52, and Dzintars Sackalausks, aged 33, were present at Gints Intembergs' house on 15–16 September 2014. The witness, who was intoxicated, saw Intembergs' badly beaten body lying on the kitchen floor the morning after. Power pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the State, and was also charged with assaulting Aigar Sildars. Sackalausks pleaded not guilty to murder and assault. The witness described seeing blood, a bruised eye, a lacerated forehead, and a missing wallet, keys and passport. Neighbour Gunita Lace and friend Monika Metla also gave evidence of the house's condition and the presence of the accused. Dr Eithne Bolger pronounced Intembergs dead at 9.40 am on 16 September. The case is before Justice Isobel Kennedy and a jury, expected to last three weeks.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Liam Power (52) and Dzintars Sackalausks (33) are charged with murdering Gints Intembergs (41) in Tullow, Co Carlow, between 15 and 16 September 2014. Power pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the State, while Sackalausks pleaded not guilty to both murder and assault. The prosecution alleges that after an arm‑wrestling game and heavy drinking, Power and Sackalausks violently assaulted Intembergs, striking his head and causing a subdural haemorrhage. Witnesses report attempts to burn Intembergs' body while he may have still been alive, and that he was found covered by a duvet with bruises and blood. Both men also allegedly assaulted Aigar Sildars at the same address. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, is expected to last three weeks.
A 54‑year‑old man has admitted killing a Latvian national in Co Carlow over two years ago. The man, who is charged with the 41‑year‑old's murder, is one of two men who will go on trial today charged in connection with the death. Liam Power, of no fixed abode, is charged with murdering Gints Intembergs at Graigowen, Tullow, Co Carlow between the 15th and 16th of September, 2014. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter when arraigned before the Central Criminal Court this morning. This plea was not accepted by the State and a jury was sworn in to try him and his co‑accused. Mr Power also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Aigar Sildars, causing him harm, at the same address and on the same dates. Dzintars Sackalausks (33) of Barrowvale, Graiguecullen, Co Carlow is also charged with murdering Gints Intembergs at the same address and on the same dates.
Two men, Conor Hughes (38) and Darren Fox (26), are set to be tried at the Special Criminal Court on firearms offences on 11 January next year. They are charged with unlawful possession of a Winchester 12‑gauge sawn‑off double‑barrel shotgun and two 12‑gauge cartridges at Kyletaun, Rathkeale, County Limerick on 31 October 2015. The trial is expected to last two weeks. A third man, Jamie Smithers (36), will be tried on charges of IRA membership on 25 January, also expected to last two weeks.
James Casey, aged 25, was severely beaten in a Tallaght halting site clash on 20 September 2015. He did not report the assault to the gardai but later armed himself with a slash hook and was charged with possession of an article with intent to cause injury or intimidate others. In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court he pleaded guilty. Judge Melanie Greally suspended a two‑year prison sentence for four years, citing Casey's role as a peace maker who had since helped calm disputes and moved away from the site. Sarah‑Jane Callaghan BL defended Casey, noting his fear for his life and the attack on his home. The case also referenced Casey's three prior convictions for public order offences and possession of stolen goods. The court's decision was based on his demonstrated change in behaviour and efforts to maintain peace.
The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment on whether a consecutive sentence can commence earlier when the sentence it follows is under appeal. The case involves a man convicted in Carlow District Court of assault causing harm in January 2016 and sentenced to nine months imprisonment. In April 2016, while still in custody for that sentence, he was convicted in Athlone District Court of driving without insurance and sentenced to three months imprisonment consecutive to the Carlow sentence. He appealed the first sentence and was released on his own bond, but remains in custody under the second sentence, which he argues is illegal because the warrant states the three‑month sentence should only take effect after the nine‑month sentence has legally expired, which is pending appeal. His lawyers filed an Article 40 application for immediate release; Mr Justice Michael White upheld the detention, stating the three‑month sentence was "certain" and must be served unless appealed.
In a County Limerick case, a book of evidence was served on three men—Conor Hughes (38), Darren Fox (26), and Jamie Smithers (36)—accused of IRA membership and firearms offences. The men were arrested on Halloween 2015 by the Special Detective Unit. They face charges of membership in the Irish Republican Army and unlawful possession of a Winchester 12‑gauge shotgun and cartridges. A three‑judge, non‑jury court heard the evidence, and the men were remanded on continuing bail until a further mention on 28 June.
A solicitor who admitted to dishonestly obtaining a mortgage with AIB for €297,000 between May 5, 2009, and July 20, 2009, has been given a suspended sentence. Declan McEvoy (50), who was principal at William Early Solicitors in Carlow town, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. His defence counsel highlighted that McEvoy was under extreme financial pressure and that he made a serious error in judgment to resolve issues that were not entirely his creation. Judge Melanie Greally noted that McEvoy's actions brought disgrace upon himself and his profession, which was an aggravating factor. However, she acknowledged his exceptional mitigation and the likelihood that he would not re-offend, leading her to impose an 18-month suspended sentence. The matter was adjourned following the sentence. Another Carlow defendant was also present, but no charges were listed against them, and their plea and sentence details were not provided.
A Carlow solicitor, Declan McEvoy (50), who pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining a mortgage with AIB for €297,000 between May 5, 2009, and July 20, 2009, will be sentenced next week. McEvoy, who was principal at William Early Solicitors in Carlow town, admitted to the charge at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. His defence counsel, Felix McEnroy SC, stated that McEvoy made a serious error in judgment to address financial issues arising from his father's firm, JM McEvoy in Gorey, which was under investigation by the Law Society. McEvoy used the mortgage proceeds to clear debts in his father's firm. The case was adjourned by Judge Melanie Greally until April 27, next, for sentencing. Another Carlow defendant also pleaded guilty, but no charges were specified. The matter was adjourned and not finalised. McEvoy, who has no previous convictions, has been living in Australia since 2012 and returned to Ireland last January, surrendering his passport. He has been remanded on continuing bail.
In 2016 the Court of Appeal found the sentences given to two men for their roles in Ireland's largest cannabis‑growing facility too lenient. Rory Kilkenny, 33, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale and was originally sentenced to four years. Christopher Zinck, 32, also pleaded guilty and received a wholly suspended nine‑year sentence. The Court of Appeal re‑sentenced Kilkenny to 12 years, suspending the final four, and reduced Zinck's sentence by one year, keeping it suspended, hoping his rehabilitation could be preserved. The facility, discovered in Piltown, Kilkenny, contained 2,504 plants and 43.54 kg of cannabis, valued at €2,874,174. Three Asian gardeners were sentenced to seven years with six suspended. The Court noted Kilkenny's essential role and a subsequent offence in 2014, and Zinck's involvement in a serious enterprise but also his exceptional recovery, leading to the adjusted sentences.
The Commercial Court heard that the occupation of Ballyburn House in Castledermot, Co Kildare, by Philip Morrissey Jnr and his pregnant wife is delaying a proposed €5.6m sale by AIB-appointed receivers. AIB seeks to sell the property to reduce a €26.9m debt owed by Dan Morrissey (Ireland) Ltd, the company allegedly owning the house. The bank and receivers dispute Mr Morrissey's claim of an ownership interest, asserting the property was security for a 2009 loan. They seek orders for vacant possession and a declaration that Mr Morrissey has no legal or equitable interest. Mr Morrissey, representing himself, opposed the application for fast-track admission, citing his unemployment and his wife's pregnancy, and requested an adjournment pending a Legal Aid Board decision. Mr Justice Brian McGovern admitted the case to the fast-track list, noting it met the necessary criteria. The judge acknowledged the Legal Aid Board's indication that a decision would take at least four months but stated that a long adjournment would be unfair to AIB, given the risk to the sale. He balanced the parties' rights, ruling that the matter must proceed. The case was adjourned to a date in December.
Thomas Coffey, 31, of Carlow, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to stealing €4,800 from 81‑year‑old Sinclair Downey in September 2013. Coffey, who had 19 prior convictions including four for theft, was part of a fraud ring that overcharged Downey for roof work. Garda Colleen Doherty described how Coffey and accomplice Patrick O'Brien called Downey's home, claiming he owed further payments for unauthorised work, and then accompanied him to a bank to withdraw the cash. CCTV footage captured the men waiting with Downey and receiving the money. Coffey was arrested in Kerry in November 2013 and later admitted his role after a mobile‑phone call was found. The judge described the offence as an "odious crime" and noted Coffey's psychiatric treatment at Kerry General Hospital. O'Brien, 32, was jailed for four years for a similar theft of €14,200 from Downey.
Michael Moran, 78, of Oldtown, Nurney, pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to three charges of raping his grandniece between October 2003 and June 2009 and to seven charges of raping his niece between January 1983 and March 1989. Judge Margaret Heneghan sentenced him to ten years, suspending the final three years on conditions. The court noted that the victims, aged 41 and 23, had suffered repeated sexual assault, with the older victim recalling assaults beginning when she was eight and the younger beginning when she was eleven. Moran admitted to the assaults and claimed the victims had instigated intercourse, but the judge described his actions as causing great suffering and trauma. He had entered an early guilty plea, expressed remorse, and had been of previous good character. The sentence reflected the seriousness of the repeated rapes and the impact on the victims.
Three men—Conor Hughes (38), Darren Fox (26) and Jamie Smithers (36)—were charged with membership of the Irish Republican Army and firearms offences. They were arrested early on Halloween morning by the Special Detective Unit in County Limerick. The charges include unlawful possession of a Winchester 12‑gauge shotgun and two 12‑gauge cartridges. The State objected to their bail applications, but Mr Justice Paul Butler of the Special Criminal Court granted bail. Conditions require the men to stay at home, observe a curfew from 11 pm to 7 am, sign daily at a local Garda station, remain available on a mobile phone, and avoid contact with anyone charged with a scheduled offence or with each other. Hughes and Fox must not leave County Dublin; Smithers must not leave Carlow or Wexford.
In a High Court hearing on 5 November 2015, Richard Butler, aged 48, resolved a damages action against McSuils pub owners Noel and Ken Walker and his assailant Joseph Phillips. Butler had lost his left eye when Phillips struck him with a pool ball during an altercation at the pub on 17 July 2012. Butler, a former tiler, now wears a prosthetic eye. He alleged that the pub owners should have evicted Phillips after learning of his intoxication and violent propensity, and that the pub had served alcohol to him when it was dangerous, showing reckless disregard for Butler's safety. The owners denied the claims and the assault was not deemed foreseeable. The court entered judgment against Phillips in default of a defence and asked for damages. No settlement details were disclosed in open court. The pub is now closed. The hearing was presided over by Mr Justice Kevin Cross.
In a High Court hearing on 4 November 2015, a 48‑year‑old man named Richard Butler sued Joseph Phillips, the pub owner Noel Walker and his son Ken Walker after Butler lost his left eye when struck by a pool ball during an altercation at McSuils public house in Castlehill, Carlow on 17 July 2012. Butler, a former ceramic tiler, was injured after he tried to hold back Phillips, who had been drinking for several hours and was described by Butler as "loud, aggressive and a troublemaker." Butler claims Phillips had threatened to "escape from Shelton Abbey prison" and called himself a member of the IRA. Butler alleges the pub failed to control Phillips, served him alcohol when it was dangerous, and should have evicted him. The pub owners deny the claims, arguing the assault was unforeseeable. Phillips is currently serving a prison sentence for the assault and is representing himself in the action.
Three men—Conor Hughes (38), Darren Fox (26) and Jamie Smithers (36)—appeared before the Special Criminal Court on 2 November 2015. They were charged with membership of the Irish Republican Army, an unlawful organisation, and with possession of a Winchester 12‑gauge shotgun and two 12‑gauge cartridges. The arrests were made early on 31 October 2015 by the Special Detective Unit in County Limerick. The court heard that the men did not reply to their arrest or caution. No bail applications were made. The judge remanded the men to custody to appear again on Friday. The proceedings were conducted in the non‑jury Special Criminal Court, with each accused represented by counsel. No further details of the case were disclosed in the article.
A 38‑year‑old man named Noor Khan, who was wanted in Northern Ireland for alleged fraud offences, appeared before the High Court in Dublin on 19 October 2015. He was arrested by Gardaí at the British Embassy on Merrion Road under a European Arrest Warrant issued by the UK on 15 October 2015 and endorsed by Justice Aileen Donnelly. Sergeant Sean Fallon, on duty at the embassy, identified Khan, arrested him at 2.25 pm, cautioned him and presented the original warrant. Khan was taken to Donnybrook Garda Station, processed as an arrested person, and later collected a passport from the embassy. The State's counsel, Ms Anne‑Marie Lawlor, requested that Khan be remanded in custody until 3 November 2015. Judge Hunt agreed, stating it was appropriate to keep Khan in custody for Section 16 purposes until that date, and instructed the respondent's counsel to pursue bail thereafter.
Eamonn McCall, a 42‑year‑old former US Marine from Carlow, was convicted at the Central Criminal Court of indecent assault and attempted rape of his niece between 1990 and 1993. The original 12‑year sentence, with two years suspended, was reduced on appeal to 10 years, with the suspension unchanged. His concurrent 10‑year sentence for indecent assault was also reduced to eight years. The Court of Appeal, citing a prison governor's report and McCall's willingness to participate in a sex offenders programme, maintained post‑release supervision arrangements. The case involved four offences: oral rape, digital penetration, forced masturbation and attempted vaginal rape, with the victim aged between seven and eleven at the time of the acts. The appeal decision was delivered by Mr Justice George Birmingham, joined by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice John Edwards. The reduction was made without altering the suspended portion or the effective custodial term. Eamonn McCall pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Christopher Dunne, aged 27, was sentenced to five and a half years' imprisonment for making a threat to kill Derek Walker in Clondalkin on 15 January 2013. Judge Mary Ellen Ring suspended the last 18 months of the sentence. Dunne, who has 126 prior convictions, also pleaded guilty to criminal damage to Walker's vehicle, possession of a GPS device for use in a crime, and theft of an Audi A4. His brother Aaron Dunne, aged 21, was previously sentenced to two and a half years with 18 months suspended for criminal damage and possession of a baseball bat during the same incident. The trial noted that Walker and a woman were hostile witnesses, and that witnesses were terrified and reluctant to testify. The court recorded that Walker had claimed the Dunne brothers owed him money for a car he had sold.
Vasilica Stan, a 21‑year‑old Romanian who had lived in Dublin since age 14, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Haseeb Ghous and Majid Khan on 7 December 2013 at the Alchemy nightclub. He claimed he had been motivated by a text that the men had harassed a female friend, describing his actions as "misguided chivalry". The court found no physical provocation and accepted that Stan was remorseful. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence and ordered Stan to pay €2,000 to Ghous and €1,000 to Khan within a year. The assault occurred at 2:10 am; Ghous was knocked unconscious, suffered dental and facial injuries, and was treated at Mater Hospital, while Khan was hit twice, later experiencing dizziness and neck pain. Stan admitted the assault but denied kicking Khan when he was on the ground. The court received reference letters from his employer, girlfriend and landlord.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Joseph Lee, aged 30, was found guilty of assault causing harm after a domestic dispute over a dog. Lee, who had a prior assault conviction, pinned his partner Amanda Brothers down and repeatedly punched her in the head. The victim suffered a broken bone in her hand, bruising to her eye, cheek and chin, and required stitches to her lip. Lee pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a two‑year jail term, suspended on the condition that he obeys Probation Services and keeps the peace for two years. The judge noted Lee's consumption of alcohol that night and the couple's prior relationship history, but decided that imprisonment would be unjust given their current living situation with their children. The court did not read the medical or victim impact reports aloud.
In a High Court case on 28 January 2015, REL Cooling Services Ltd, a Dublin‑based company that installs specialised beer and cider cooling systems for pubs, secured temporary injunctions against former employees David McDonald and Niall Rhattigan and their new company, Refrigeration Ecocool Ltd. REL alleges that McDonald and Rhattigan, while employed as regional sales managers, unlawfully used confidential client information to set up a rival business with identical initials. The injunctions, granted ex‑parte by Mr Justice Paul Gilligan, prohibit the defendants from directly or indirectly breaching REL's contracts with employees or customers, and from using REL's client or price information for their own benefit. REL claims the new firm is passing itself off as REL and is harming the company's business. The injunctions are temporary and the matter is set to return to court early next week.
In a decision by the Court of Appeal on 28 November 2014, professional accountant Ignatius Forde, aged 62 and resident on Burrin Street, Carlow, was ordered to pay an increased fine of €3,000 and to carry out 200 hours of community service. The order followed a May 1 judgment by Judge Terence O'Sullivan at the Carlow Circuit Criminal Court, where Forde had been fined €1,000 for furnishing false auditor reports. Forde had originally faced 50 counts under sections 187 and 242 of the Companies Act, pleaded guilty early, and had previously been convicted of similar offences, including a six‑year suspended sentence in 2009. The Court of Appeal, agreeing with the Director of Public Prosecutions, found the original sentence unduly lenient, noting that Forde had used the names and signatures of qualified auditors and had falsely represented himself as one.
Aaron Dunne, aged 21, of Grangeview Road, Clondalkin, Dublin, has been sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following convictions for document fraud and criminal damage. Dunne pleaded guilty to ten counts of possessing and using a forged learner permit licence between June and November 2012, having arranged for another person to sit his theory test and then altering the resulting licence with his own photograph. When gardaí seized the false document, Dunne reported it lost and obtained a replacement through a local garda station without the seizure being checked on the database. He was sentenced to two and a half years for the fraud offences. Dunne also pleaded guilty to criminal damage and producing a baseball bat during an incident at a restaurant near Rathcoole in January 2013, receiving an additional consecutive sentence of two and a half years with eighteen months suspended. Judge Mary Ellen Ring noted the extended period of false document use posed a danger to the public.
Desmond Mulvey, aged 34, was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to possession of nearly €200,000 worth of cannabis, part of a €2 million drug operation. Mulvey admitted that a €300 payment had enticed him to participate, citing a €1,700 debt from his own drug use. He had three prior convictions for minor offences. Judge Mary Ellen Ring had earlier imposed a five‑year sentence, suspending the last three years on the condition of one year of Probation Services. The operation involved three men—Mulvey, Terry O'Donoghue (50) and Michael Lawlor (40)—who were caught after Garda surveillance at the Cookstown Enterprise Unit in Tallaght. The total street value of the seized cannabis was estimated at €2 million. O'Donoghue and Lawlor received ten‑year and seven‑year sentences respectively, with the final year suspended on each. The court noted that the men were exploited by others to play an essential role in the drugs operation.
The High Court appointed Mr. Anthony Weldon of Kieran Ryan & Co Chartered Accountants as an interim examiner for Hyper Trust Limited, the operator of the Leopardstown Inn, a public house in South Co Dublin employing 80 people. The appointment followed AIB's demand for immediate repayment of €6 million owed by Hyper Trust and its subsidiary Hyper Holdings Ltd. The loans were used to acquire a 19 % stake in Newstalk 106 radio station and for renovations of the pub. AIB had appointed receivers after the company failed to repay. Hyper Trust petitioned the court for examinership, and an independent accountant's report indicated the company had a reasonable prospect of survival as a going concern if it secured new investment, reached a scheme of arrangement with creditors, and restructured its banking liabilities. Mr.
Kathleen Chada recounts her life with her husband Sanj, describing a normal family with two sons, Eoghan and Ruairi, who were 10 and five when they died. She recalls a typical Sunday in July 2013 when Sanj left her alone while the boys were with him. Chada expresses disbelief that her husband could have harmed his own children, describing the boys' bright futures and her own grief. She laments the loss of their potential and the betrayal she feels, noting that Sanj took the boys' bodies and left them in a car boot. Chada speaks of the emotional devastation she endures, feeling robbed of her family and living with a "double life sentence" of grief. The statement ends with her profound sorrow and sense of loss.
Sanjeev Chada, 44, of Co. Carlow, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to two mandatory life sentences for the murder of his sons, Eoghan (10) and Ruairi (5). The sentences, handed down by Mr Justice Paul Carney, run concurrently and were backdated to July 31, 2013. Chada pleaded guilty to murdering the boys in Skehanagh Lower, Ballintubber, Co. Mayo, on July 29, 2013, after their bodies were discovered in the boot of his crashed car. He admitted strangling them with a rope and causing blunt force trauma to Eoghan's head. The court heard that Chada had accumulated significant gambling debts and intended to kill his wife, Kathleen Chada, but spared her. Kathleen Chada delivered an emotional victim impact statement, describing the loss of her children. Defense counsel Brendan Grehan SC noted Chada's guilty plea and his current status on suicide watch at the Central Mental Hospital. The matter was finalized with the imposition of the life sentences.
In July 2012, three Lithuanian men – Edgaras Jurosiuniuys (24), Liutauras Meskauskas (27) and Andrius Bareikis (33) – carried out an armed robbery at Bramleys jewellers in Carlow. They entered with lump hammers, pepper spray and imitation hand guns, stole jewellery worth about €20,000 and fled in a Fiat Punto. The owner, Pat Bramley, was sprayed with pepper gas during the raid. The men were arrested shortly after and the stolen items were recovered near the motorway to Dublin. Judge Teehan sentenced Jurosiuniuys to five years for robbery and two years for assault, to run consecutively, and Meskauskas and Bareikis to seven years each. On appeal, the Criminal Court of Appeal reduced Jurosiuniuys's robbery term by one year and made it run concurrently with the assault term, giving him one year less in jail. Meskauskas and Bareikis each had one year cut from their seven‑year sentences. No portion of any sentence was suspended.
The trial of three men accused of murdering a 20-year-old in County Kildare opened at the Central Criminal Court this week. James Seery and Quentin Monaghan, both aged 21, pleaded not guilty to murder, whilst Darren Wynne, also 21, pleaded not guilty to the same charge. Wynne additionally pleaded not guilty to possession of a sawn-off shotgun with intent to endanger life, though he admitted possession of the firearm in suspicious circumstances. Seery and Monaghan denied further counts of possessing a sawn-off shotgun with intent to endanger life. The prosecution alleges that Jamie Lindsay was fatally shot at Coney Green, Athy on 6 April 2013. Opening the State's case, counsel contended that Wynne discharged the weapon, whilst Seery and Monaghan provided material assistance through driving and luring the victim to the scene. Witnesses testified that Lindsay had been shouting on the phone shortly before the fatal shooting occurred. The trial continues before Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan.
The President of the High Court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, struck off solicitor David Walsh, formerly of David Walsh and Co in Mullingar and Bagenalstown, following findings by the Law Society Disciplinary Tribunal of multiple counts of professional misconduct between 2004 and 2010. Walsh, who retired in 2012 and is seriously ill, had not practised since and opposed the strike‑off, seeking a lesser sanction. The Tribunal found he failed to keep proper books, honour client undertakings to financial institutions, refund a fee deducted from a client's estate, handle client monies properly, charge for unperformed work, and provide inaccurate information to the Law Society's accountant. The Law Society's Solicitors Disciplinary Committee ordered restitution of €67,000 plus VAT. Mr Kearns, sympathetic to Walsh's medical condition, ruled that no lesser sanction was viable and ordered the solicitor be struck off the Roll of Solicitors.
In a High Court decision, Thomas Tougher, the former owner of Tougher Oil Distributors Ltd (TODL), was found not entitled to maintain a lis pendens over several petrol stations in the restructured company. Tougher had registered the claim in November to prevent what he alleged was asset stripping by the new owner, John O'Regan, and to secure assets for a separate breach‑of‑contract action. The court vacated the lis pendens, deeming it unsustainable, but left the breach‑of‑contract claim standing, recognising it as a potentially viable claim. Tougher's claim centred on alleged misappropriation of €200,000 during the company's examinership, a matter that had surfaced after O'Regan's acquisition. O'Regan argued the lis pendens hindered refinancing and a potential sale of a forecourt operation to a national retailer. The judge noted that while the lis pendens was removed, the breach‑of‑contract claim remained, as it was considered stateable and sustainable.
A trial date has been set for a man accused of murdering two young boys in Co. Mayo. Sanjeev Chadha, aged 43 and residing in Co. Carlow, is charged with the murder of two children at Rosbeg, Westport on 29 July 2013. The Central Criminal Court fixed the trial to commence on 10 November 2014. During proceedings, the defence counsel requested that recordings of garda interviews with the accused be made available to the defence team ahead of trial.