In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 21 December 2022, Brendan Murray, aged 63, was remanded to the Central Mental Hospital pending a psychiatric report due on 28 December. The court, after a jury found him not guilty of murdering his 88‑year‑old mother, Neasa Murray, by reason of insanity, directed that he remain detained until the report. Counsel for Murray noted that the court could extend the committal period up to six months. The trial had heard that Murray claimed the Holy Spirit commanded him to punch, choke, and sexually assault his mother, though no evidence of sexual assault was found. Forensic psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright testified that his schizoaffective disorder prevented him from understanding the wrongfulness of his actions. The jury's verdict was not guilty by reason of insanity. The court will not retain jurisdiction without due cause. The case remains pending the psychiatric assessment.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 63‑year‑old Brendan Murray was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of his 88‑year‑old mother, Neasa Murray. The jury, after less than 30 minutes, accepted the defence's argument that Murray was undergoing a psychotic episode of schizo‑affective disorder and therefore lacked the capacity to understand that his actions were wrong. The prosecution had presented evidence of Murray's mental illness, including testimony from psychiatrist Dr. Brenda Wright, who confirmed that he believed he was directed by God or the Holy Spirit. The judge, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, directed that Murray be committed to the Central Mental Hospital pending a psychiatric assessment. No other charges or convictions were discussed in the article. The case concluded with the jury's verdict and the court's commitment order.
In a trial at Kincora Court, Dublin 3, Brendan Murray, aged 63, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of his 88‑year‑old mother, Neasa Murray. He told Gardaí that the Holy Spirit commanded him to punch, choke and sexually assault her, though no evidence of assault was found. The Central Criminal Court heard that the prosecution had no dispute over the facts of the incident, only over whether Murray met the criteria for insanity. Defence counsel Anne‑Marie Lawlor SC will present psychiatric evidence from Dr Brenda Wright, who will argue that Murray suffered from schizoaffective disorder and did not understand the wrongfulness of his actions. The case is set to continue before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of eight men and four women. The trial focuses on Murray's mental state at the time of the killing.
The Workplace Relations Commission ordered the Garda Representative Association to appoint Tara McManus to the assistant to the general secretary role after the association's central committee repeatedly failed to ratify her candidacy. McManus had claimed gender‑based discrimination, alleging an "old boys club" within the GRA leadership. The tribunal found that she was victimised by a committee member before the ratification process, but found no evidence of discrimination in the voting itself. The commission rejected the claim of discrimination but upheld the victimisation finding. It directed the GRA to appoint McManus within six weeks of 5 October, with the appointment to be supernumerary if no vacancy existed, and required the general secretary to assure her that no negativity would be shown to her upon appointment.
Ruth Ennis, 46, of Clondalkin, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after she attacked her neighbour Daniel Casey with a screwdriver during a dispute over a borrowed Dyson vacuum cleaner. The incident occurred on 19 September 2021 when Ennis, who had charged the vacuum's battery and wanted to use it, confronted Casey at his home. Ennis swiped at him with a screwdriver, inflicted wounds on his arm and elbow, and later struck him with a steel trim from the kitchen floor. She was intoxicated during the attack. Ennis pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, property damage and possession of a screwdriver in a dispute. She had 11 prior convictions, including theft and robbery, and had completed an "alternatives to violence" course while in custody. The judge, citing her guilty pleas and apology, backdated the sentence to the day of the assault.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 7 October 2022, PJ Bennett, father of 29‑year‑old Sharon Bennett, delivered a victim‑impact statement after Patrick Ballard was sentenced to a mandatory life term for murdering his girlfriend. Bennett described the murder as a "nightmare" that has devastated his family, noting that Sharon was a loving daughter and mother of two girls. He expressed remorse for not protecting her and stated he does not blame the Ballard family, only Patrick. Bennett recounted the difficulties caused by Covid‑19 restrictions, which prevented him from seeing Sharon in intensive care for five days and from holding a proper funeral. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Burns, highlighted the brutality of the attack, the victim's blamelessness, and the impact on her children. Ballard, 35, had pleaded guilty to murder and had a history of 140 convictions, including assault and theft. The sentencing was back‑dated to 28 January 2021, when Ballard entered custody. Sharon Bennett pleaded not guilty.
Patrick Ballard, aged 35, pleaded guilty to murdering his former partner, Ms Bennett, aged 29, in a public toilet in County Clare on 28 January 2021. Ballard had initially pleaded not guilty but, two days into his trial at the Central Criminal Court, admitted that his kicking and stamping caused Bennett's death. Witnesses, including Hussein 'Jamesie' Abdullah, testified that Ballard attacked Bennett in the toilet, pushing her onto a metal floor and repeatedly stamping and kicking her head. Bennett was taken to hospital in Limerick, where she died on 10 February 2021. Ballard was re‑arrested on 24 March 2021 and charged with murder. The trial, expected to last two weeks, was adjourned to hear a victim impact statement, with the mandatory sentence for murder being life imprisonment.
In a murder trial in Ennis, a 35‑year‑old man, Patrick Ballard, is accused of killing his partner, 29‑year‑old Sharon Bennett, by repeatedly kicking and stamping on her head in a public toilet. Ballard, formerly of Ashford Court Hotel, admitted that his actions caused Bennett's death and accepted that the killing was unlawful, but pleaded not guilty to murder. The prosecution, led by Dominic McGinn, outlined that the fatal assault occurred after an argument in a covered car park, witnessed by others and captured on CCTV. Ballard allegedly pushed a third man out of the toilet, continued the assault, and left the scene before an off‑duty guard arrived. Bennett was taken to hospital, survived initially, but died on 10 February 2021. The trial will focus on Ballard's intent and the unlawful nature of his violence. The hearing is scheduled to last two weeks.
Patrick Ballard, 35, of Ashford Court Hotel, Ennis, is set to stand trial for the murder of Sharon Bennett, 29, in Ennis's Market area on 10 February 2021. He was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court and pleaded not guilty. The case stems from an incident on 28 January 2021, after which Bennett died weeks later. Mr Justice Paul Burns informed the jury that both parties lived in Ennis and that the matter was investigated by Garda officers from Shannon and Ennis. The trial will last two weeks.
In a Central Criminal Court sentencing hearing, mother Catherine Martin recounted the death of her son Eoin Boylan, 32, who was stabbed to death by Nassar Ahmed, 41, on 14 April 2020. Martin described how Ahmed, who had been living with Boylan's partner Susan O'Doherty, entered the house during a lockdown argument, lunged at Boylan with a knife and stabbed him three times. CCTV footage showed the attack, and the jury convicted Ahmed of murder after two hours. Justice Eileen Creedon imposed a mandatory life sentence. Martin's testimony highlighted the personal grief and the impact of Boylan's death on his family, while the prosecution argued the attack was a deliberate "sneak attack" and not self‑defence. The defence acknowledged the moral culpability of the act but maintained that Ahmed's fear justified his use of force.
A catering worker with 18 years of service at the Roche factory in Clarecastle, Co Clare, has been awarded a redundancy payment of over €15,000 after the Workplace Relations Commission ruled it was reasonable for her to refuse a transfer that would have required a lengthy commute by bus. Niamh Ryan's claim under the Redundancy Payments Act was upheld, with the commission finding that the proposed move would have involved significant extra travel time, costs, and disruption to her personal life. The company, Corporate Catering Services Ltd, argued that Ms Ryan unreasonably refused two offers of alternative employment, including a role in Bunratty and a position working across two sites. However, the adjudicating officer noted that the new location would have required significant extra travel time, possibly different shifts, and disruption to her personal life, with no compensation offered for the inconvenience.
Patrick Ballard, 35, of Ashford Court Hotel, Ennis, faces a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court on 4 October. He is accused of killing Sharon Bennett, 29, a mother of two, in Ennis's Market area on 28 January 2021. Initially charged with assault causing harm, the charge was withdrawn in March 2021 and replaced by a murder charge. Bennett died 13 days later at University Hospital Limerick. Ballard and Bennett were in a relationship at the time of the alleged murder. The Director of Public Prosecutions has confirmed the case is ready for trial.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, Nassar Ahmed, aged 41, was found guilty of murder by a unanimous jury after stabbing Eoin Boylan, 32, three times in a "sneak attack" at Gordon Drive, Cloughleigh, Ennis. Ahmed had invited Boylan to a fist fight while concealing a knife, then stabbed him as Boylan was retreating. CCTV footage showed the attack, and Ahmed claimed self‑defence, but the jury rejected this, concluding he was the aggressor. The judge remanded Ahmed in custody pending sentencing on 26 July, when Boylan's family may address the court. Ahmed faces the mandatory life sentence for murder. The trial also noted Ahmed's prior plea of not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of Boylan in 2020, and his history of a failed marriage to Susan O'Doherty, who later dated Boylan. The case highlighted the jury's swift two‑hour deliberation and the prosecution's emphasis on Ahmed's lies to Gardaí about the weapon used.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 42‑year‑old Nassar Ahmed was accused of deliberately stabbing his former partner's boyfriend, Eoin Boylan, during a "sneak attack" at Gordon Drive, Cloughleigh, Ennis, on 14 April 2020. Prosecutor Lorcan Staines argued that Ahmed invited Boylan to a fist fight while concealing a knife, then stabbed him three times while Boylan was in manifest retreat. Staines described the stabbings as intentional, deliberate and repeated, noting that the wounds were precise and that Ahmed's actions were not self‑defence. He also highlighted that Ahmed repeatedly lied to Gardaí about the weapon used, calling the lies "borderline laughable." The prosecution maintained that the case involved an intentional attack, not a defensive response, and that the alleged self‑defence claim was untenable. The trial was set to continue before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury. Nassar Ahmed pleaded not guilty.
Nassar Ahmed, 42, was accused of murdering Eoin Boylan, 32, on 14 April 2020. Ahmed denied any bad intentions and claimed he acted in self‑defence, saying he grabbed a sharp object and stabbed Boylan after Boylan approached him. CCTV footage showed Boylan backing away after the first blow. Ahmed could not recall the object or where he threw it. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Witnesses described a confrontation between Ahmed, wearing a red baseball hat, and Boylan, noting a sharp metal object in Ahmed's hand. Ahmed's statements to Gardaí and a friend confirmed he believed he was defending himself. The case was set for trial before Justice Eileen Creedon with a jury of twelve.
In the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard that Nassar Ahmed, 41, accused of murdering Eoin Boylan, 32, had called Boylan's former partner a "whore" moments before the fatal confrontation. Ahmed pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Witness Catherine Martin testified that Ahmed was angry and shouted at her son, who tried to intervene. She described Ahmed standing on his toes and lunging at her son, who was then struck and later died from stab wounds. Ahmed claimed he had picked up a sharp object to defend himself after Boylan tried to fight him. Garda testimony noted Ahmed's arrest on suspicion of assault causing harm. The trial continued with the issue of self‑defence to be considered by the jury.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the prosecution told a jury that 41‑year‑old Nassar Ahmed, who pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, killed Eoin Boylan, 32, in Ennis on 14 April 2020. Ahmed, originally from Sudan, had lived in Ennis since the mid‑2000s, married a local woman in 2007, and had three children. The marriage ended in November 2018. In late 2019, Ahmed's former partner met Boylan and they began a relationship, with Boylan moving into the partner's house shortly thereafter. On the day of the incident, a dispute arose when Ahmed called the partner to come to the house. Witnesses and partial CCTV footage showed Ahmed striking Boylan three times, after which Boylan fell and suffered stab‑like injuries. A pathologist concluded Boylan was stabbed to death. The prosecution will argue that the issue of self‑defence must be considered by the jury.
In a case brought by former employee Fozia Rafiq against the Kuwait Cultural Office in Dublin, the Kuwaiti diplomatic mission argues that the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) lacks jurisdiction because the office enjoys diplomatic immunity. Rafiq, employed on a fixed‑term contract from 4 February 2020 to 3 February 2021, claims she was treated less favourably and that her contract was non‑renewed without due process after disciplinary warnings. The mission's lawyers, led by Kiwana Ennis BL, cite sovereign immunity and the precedent of Government of Canada v Employment Appeals Tribunal, asserting Rafiq's role as an accountant does not involve public business of the State of Kuwait. Solicitor Barry Crushell for Rafiq counters that the Labour Court had ruled Kuwait could not rely on sovereign immunity to block a complaint under the Unfair Dismissals Act. Adjudicating officer Máire Mulcahy reserved judgment on jurisdiction and heard Rafiq's evidence, noting her contract allowed non‑renewal with two months' notice.
Stephen Ennis, 32, of Crumlin, was sentenced to a four‑year prison term for stabbing a foreign‑national doctor at St James' Hospital on 7 March 2020. The original one‑year sentence was quashed and the Court of Appeal, applying a 40 per cent premium for attacks on medical staff, increased the term to four years. The judge reduced the term by one year to account for Ennis' attempts to address his drug addiction after a recent return to custody, and suspended the final six months of the three‑year custodial period. Ennis, who has 72 prior convictions and a history of drug use, was warned that the outcome would depend on probation reports. He had been detained on drugs and shoplifting charges and had suffered a relapse during the intervening period. The doctor, who had moved to Ireland to become an emergency medicine consultant, was left "shattered" by the assault. Stephen Ennis pleaded guilty.
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 15 February 2022, a senior judge warned Stephen Ennis, 32, that the "ball was in his court" if he wished to avoid a prison term after a one‑year sentence was quashed. Ennis had stabbed a hospital doctor three times in the back with a needle taken from his own arm during the first wave of the pandemic in St James' Hospital, Dublin. The doctor, a foreign national who had moved to Ireland to train as an emergency medicine consultant, was left "shattered" and later gave up that career. Ennis had 72 prior convictions, including violent disorder, drug possession, knife possession, burglary and begging. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the original sentence, arguing it was unduly lenient, while Ennis' counsel argued he was a drug‑addicted, mentally detached offender who had been drug‑free for six months. Stephen Ennis pleaded guilty.
In a 2022 Supreme Court decision, a mandatory interlocutory injunction that had forced the McDonagh family and their relatives to vacate council-owned land at Cahercallamore, Ennis, was struck down. The injunction, originally granted by the High Court in 2019 and upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2020, had required Bernard and Helen McDonagh to leave the land immediately pending a full hearing. The Supreme Court, hearing the appeal, ruled that the injunction was not justified. The court noted that the McDonaghs had lived in the area since 1998, first at a traveller development called Ashline, then in rented accommodation, and finally moved their caravans onto the disputed land in 2017. The council had claimed unlawful occupation and unauthorized development, citing the 2000 Planning and Development Act. The court highlighted the vulnerability of the Irish Traveller community and the need to balance planning law with cultural rights, concluding that the injunction was disproportionate and should not be enforced.
At the Central Criminal Court, a forensic pathologist gave evidence concerning the death of Kevin Sheehy, a five-time Irish boxing champion, who died on July 1, 2019, following a fatal road traffic collision in Limerick city. Dr Allan Cala, testifying via video link from Australia, detailed multiple severe injuries sustained by the twenty-year-old, including a catastrophic skull fracture, extensive skeletal fractures, and profuse internal bleeding. Logan Jackson, aged thirty-one, of Longford Road, Coventry, England, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denies murder. Evidence presented included witness testimony describing the vehicle striking Mr Sheehy repeatedly, and forensic findings consistent with the deceased being struck and dragged. The trial, before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury, continues at the Central Criminal Court.
A 47-year-old man has received a life sentence at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of a 78-year-old widow in Limerick in December 2017. Alexandru Iordache, originally from Romania, pleaded guilty to the killing of Rose Hanrahan at her home in Thomondgate on or about 14-15 December 2017. The court heard that Iordache observed Mrs Hanrahan entering her PIN at a supermarket checkout on 13 December and subsequently followed her home. She was found dead by family members, having been strangled with a curtain cord and subjected to blows to her head and face. CCTV footage and DNA evidence recovered from the crime scene proved instrumental in identifying the perpetrator. Iordache had travelled to Ireland on 12 December and departed on 21 December. His life sentence was backdated to his extradition date of 16 January 2020. Justice Michael White described the crime as horrific and noted that Mrs Hanrahan had been ruthlessly targeted.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Dubliner Derek Ennis to four and a half years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at Paddy Power, Seafort Avenue, Sandymount, south Dublin, on February 26, 2020. Judge Martin Nolan noted that the firearm used was likely an imitation due to the "sheer incompetence" of the crime, stating it seemed unlikely a man behaving in such a manner could acquire a real firearm. Prosecution evidence indicated Ennis entered the bookmakers with his hood up but removed it when asked by an employee, making him easily identifiable on CCTV. He pointed a gun at the employee, who fled and activated a panic button; Ennis left without stealing any money. Ennis, of Strandmill Road, Portmarnock, has six previous convictions for robbery, along with other offenses including theft, assault, and drug possession. Defense counsel Emmet Nolan BL described the incident as a "completely incompetent act" and highlighted Ennis's lifelong drug addiction, which he claimed drove the crime. The judge accepted that the enterprise was poorly executed but imposed the custodial sentence. The matter was finalized with this sentence.
The Central Criminal Court and Special Criminal Court have adjourned multiple trials due to the pandemic backlog. Inita Romanovska, 34, of Ennis, Co Clare, is charged with the alleged attempted murder of a man she met on Tinder during an incident in Limerick in March 2020. Her trial, previously scheduled for 2021, was adjourned to March 6, 2023. Mr Justice Michael White noted that jury trials will not resume until late March or April 2022, pending safety assessments. Meanwhile, at the Special Criminal Court, the trial of four men accused of abducting and assaulting Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney was adjourned from March 1 to May 31, 2022. The accused are Luke O'Reilly, 66, of Co Cavan; Darren Redmond, 25, of Dublin 3; and Alan O'Brien, 38, of Dublin 1. They face charges of false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney in September 2019. Mr Justice Tony Hunt stated that the five-party trial could not proceed in March due to public health restrictions and would run for 12 weeks starting in late May. A fifth unnamed male is also charged with the same offences. All matters remain at the procedural stage of fixing trial dates, with no pleas entered or findings made.
Inita Romanovska, 34, from Latvia, is charged with attempted murder after an incident at a Limerick apartment complex on 11 March 2020. She met the alleged victim on Tinder and they had several dates but were not in a relationship. Romanovska did not attend the Central Criminal Court in Dublin where Mr Justice Michael White had scheduled her trial for 6 March 2023. The trial is delayed for over two years because of a pandemic‑related backlog, with the court prioritising cases where the accused is in custody. She was granted bail last March.
Barry McArdle, 34, was formally surrendered to Dutch authorities at the High Court following the lifting of a postponement order. The surrender relates to his conviction for the stabbing and dismemberment of Keith Ennis in 2009. Although McArdle was initially acquitted of the stabbing in 2017, the Dutch public prosecutor successfully appealed that verdict. In 2020, after a Supreme Court ruling upheld the appeal, McArdle was found guilty of the stabbing and sentenced to 13 years. The High Court heard that the balance of his sentence left to serve is 4,514 days. McArdle had previously been convicted of removing or disposing of Mr Ennis' body to conceal the cause of death, a charge for which he had already served his sentence. He was arrested in Galway on July 1 under a European Arrest Warrant issued in April and endorsed by the High Court in June. His legal representative, Ms Leanora Frawley BL, stated that McArdle was no longer seeking a postponement for a medical procedure, having previously requested time for a colostomy consultation. The Minister for Justice's counsel, Ms Caroline Cummings SC, confirmed the warrant details. Detective Garda Eoin Kane noted that McArdle is considered a flight risk with 19 previous convictions, including drug supply offenses. The court proceedings concluded with the formal surrender to the Netherlands.
Barry McArdle, 34, of Drimnagh, Dublin, who had been living in Galway, formally surrendered to Dutch authorities for his role in the 2009 stabbing and dismemberment of Keith Ennis, 29, whose body was disposed of in a canal between Rotterdam and Amsterdam. McArdle had previously been acquitted of the stabbing in the Netherlands but was later found guilty and sentenced to 13 years in 2020 after a Supreme Court ruling upheld the appeal. He had already served two years of a 12‑year, 3‑month sentence imposed in 2018 for dismemberment. The Irish High Court issued an extradition warrant on 22 April, endorsed on 6 June, and McArdle was arrested in Galway on 1 July under a European Arrest Warrant. At the extradition hearing, the court remanded him in custody for 10 days pending surrender to the Netherlands.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Jordan Ennis, Lucy Ennis, and Aaron Flanagan for violent disorder and assault causing harm at Edenmore Park, Raheny, on September 19, 2015. All three defendants pleaded guilty. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Jordan Ennis to two and a half years' imprisonment, having stated his actions initially merited four years. He suspended the final year of the sentence on conditions that Ennis keep the peace and hand over €14,249 to the victim as a token of remorse. Lucy Ennis received a suspended prison term of 18 months. The judge noted she had likely misinformed her brother but accepted her mental health background and lack of prior convictions. Co-accused Aaron Flanagan was sentenced to a suspended prison term of two years, with a condition of good behaviour for that period. The judge cited Flanagan's age at the time as the primary mitigating factor. The court heard that the attack followed a dispute involving teenage girls, during which Jordan Ennis stabbed the victim multiple times while others assaulted him with crutches. The victim was hospitalised for ten days. The judge described the attack as savage and noted that Ennis acted on his sister's accusations, despite the victim denying any prior aggression.
An appeal has been heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court regarding the case of Aaron Flanagan, Jordan Ennis, and Lucy Ennis, who admitted to charges of violent disorder and assault causing harm at Edenmore Park, Raheny on September 19, 2015. The three appellants pleaded guilty to the charges. During the hearing, Judge Martin Nolan remanded the three in continuing custody for sentence tomorrow. The incident involved a 15-year-old victim who was repeatedly stabbed, punched, and kicked by a group of teenagers after he intervened to protect a friend. The victim, now an adult, cannot be identified due to a recent Court of Appeal decision on the identification of juvenile victims of crime. The court heard that the victim was in the park when he saw a group of four teenage girls shouting at another girl, accusing her of making comments on Facebook. The victim attempted to assist the girl, leading to an altercation. The court also heard that Lucy Ennis was the instigator, and her brother Jordan Ennis was involved in the attack. The victim was later assaulted again by Jordan Ennis and others. The court heard that Jordan Ennis had a previous record of being a law-abiding young man and that the attack was out of character for him. The matter was adjourned for sentence.
Stephen Ennis, a 30‑year‑old heroin addict, was sentenced to one year in prison after he stabbed a treating doctor three times in the back at St James' Hospital on 7 March 2020. Ennis had been found collapsed outside a Garda station with a seizure and was brought to the hospital by ambulance. While in the hospital he refused to stay on his trolley, bothered nurses, and eventually withdrew a needle he had taken from his own arm. He held the needle over his head and charged at the doctor, who fled down the corridor. The doctor was not aware of the stabs until a colleague informed him. Ennis pleaded guilty to assaulting a person providing medical care. He has 72 prior convictions, including violent disorder, drug possession, knife possession, burglary and begging. The judge noted that Ennis probably did not intend the assault and that the doctor has made a full recovery.
Barry McArdle, 34, of Drimnagh, was arrested in Galway on 1 July under a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) after a High Court decision earlier that year found a previous EAW invalid. McArdle had been sentenced in absentia by the Amsterdam Court of Appeal to 12 years and three months imprisonment for manslaughter in the death of Keith Ennis, 29, in 2017. He had previously served a two‑year sentence for disposing of Ennis's body and was acquitted of the stabbing in Rotterdam in 2009, though that acquittal was later overturned. At the bail hearing, Garda Detective Eoin Kane presented evidence that McArdle had 19 prior convictions, including possession of €1 million of diamorphine, and had previously failed to attend bail and court appointments. Mr Justice Paul Burns found McArdle a flight risk, rejected his bail application, and remanded him in custody until the full extradition hearing on 20 July.
Maura Thornton, 38, from Inverin, Connemara, was sentenced in 2013 to ten years' imprisonment for the manslaughter of her former partner Kevin Joyce, 59, who was stabbed 18 times outside her Salthill apartment on 3 July 2011. Three years of her sentence were suspended on the condition that she address her alcohol problems. In 2020 the Central Criminal Court heard that Thornton had breached this condition by returning to drinking, a relapse she attributed in part to isolation during the Covid‑19 pandemic. She was admitted to hospital on 10 June for detoxification and had been sober for 19 days, taking alcohol deterrent medication, anti‑depressants and other drugs. Her probation officer had urged her to attend a residential treatment centre, which she agreed to, and the case was adjourned to 7 October for a progress update. The court noted that Thornton had recognised her problem and was taking steps to address it.
The High Court approved Personal Insolvency Arrangements for Una and Margaret Kinsella, allowing them to write down millions of euros in debts owed to banks and Ennis Property Finance, an affiliate of Goldman Sachs. The arrangements let the sisters keep their homes and repay creditors over 12 months. Una, aged 45, owes about €3.8 million to AIB, Permanent TSB and Ennis Property Finance. She will sell investment properties worth €190,000 and restructure her €356,000 mortgage, paying €607 per month for 20 years and a €100 lump sum (€94 to Ennis). Margaret, aged 50, owes €4.2 million to Ennis, BOI, Ulster Bank, AIB and Banca March. She will sell investment properties, restructure her €257,000 mortgage, pay up to €650 per month for 20 years and a €100 lump sum (€88 to Ennis). The court found the arrangements more favourable to creditors than bankruptcy.
In a High Court ruling on 3 February 2020, Mr Justice Garrett Simons granted Ennis Property Finance DAC, a fund linked to Goldman Sachs, an order for possession of a house in Devon Park, Salthill, Co Galway. The fund had acquired loans of €550,000 from Bank of Scotland (Ireland) in 2003 and 2006, which were secured by the property. Ennis claimed the loans were defaulted on by Mr Henry Greally, the owner, and sought possession on that basis. Mr Greally opposed the application, arguing that the debt was not fully explained, disputing the validity of personal guarantees, and alleging procedural errors by the fund. The judge found the evidence uncontroverted, confirmed the fund's registered charge and power of sale, and noted that the property was occupied. He awarded Ennis legal costs and imposed a one‑month stay on the possession order. The decision was described as "unusual.".
The High Court approved a Personal Insolvency Arrangement for Enda Patrick Whelan of Ennis, allowing him to write down almost all of his €60 million debt. The arrangement covers debts to National Asset Loan Management (about €56.4 million), Bank of Scotland (€1.46 million), Cabot Asset Purchases Ireland (€1.44 million), and Everyday Finance Ltd (€905,000). Under the PIA, Whelan will pay approximately €50,000 to creditors over the next 12 weeks. The court noted that the creditors will receive a very small amount—ranging from 1.3 cents to 0.01 cent per euro—rather than nothing if he were declared bankrupt. Whelan and his family will keep their three‑bedroom home, continue mortgage repayments, and the judgments against him will be deregistered upon successful completion of the PIA. The arrangement was approved after Nama consented following alterations to the terms. The judge was satisfied that the PIA should be approved.
A 40‑year‑old woman, Ennis Dunne, pleaded guilty to five robbery offences against pharmacies and a hair salon in Dublin between April 2018 and June 2019. She stole €1,760 in cash and recovered tablets worth €300, which were seized by Gardaí. Dunne threatened staff with a scissors, a broken bottle and a syringe during the robberies. She has 58 prior convictions and a long history of drug addiction. Her barrister described her upbringing in a family that introduced heroin to Ireland, noting that she was taken into State care at six after her parents were imprisoned and later reunited with her mother at ten. Dunne has a child, is currently in university, and has been diagnosed with PTSD. The sentence is scheduled for April 21, with a possible additional charge pending. The court adjourned the sentencing to obtain psychological and probation reports. The case was prosecuted by Caroline Cummings BL.
A murder trial at the Central Criminal Court heard that blood matching a musician found stabbed to death in his Sligo home was present on two knives recovered from the scene. A forensic scientist told the court that DNA evidence from a knife discovered on the body of Martin Matt Kivlehan, who died on August 3, 2015, matched the deceased. Blood matching Mr Kivlehan was also found on a second knife located in the kitchen. A garda ballistics expert noted the positioning of one knife on the victim's chest and observed two stab wounds, stating he had never encountered a scene where a person had inflicted two such injuries on themselves. Witnesses described Mr Kivlehan as a well-liked man who enjoyed company. Keith Brady, aged 30, of Cartron Estate, Sligo, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. That plea was rejected and his trial continues before Mr Justice Alex Owens.
Oliver Ennis, a 35‑year‑old Dublin barman, pleaded guilty to multiple thefts from the Schoolhouse Hotel between December 2012 and October 2014, stealing €10,500 to pay for his youngest daughter's medical treatment. The Circuit Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Martina Baxter, had adjourned the case to allow Ennis to repay the stolen money, which he had now fully paid. Ennis had been a bar supervisor since early 2012 and was caught taking cash from the tills and pocketing it each night, a scheme uncovered after suspicious stock deficits prompted covert cameras. He is a father of four; his daughter suffers from pulmonary hypertension and has required treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Ennis had a prior suspended sentence for a breach of trust, which the judge cited as an aggravating factor.
Barry McArdle, 33, of Drimnagh, was released from Dublin custody after the High Court declared a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Dutch Public Prosecutor invalid. McArdle had previously been sentenced to two years in the Netherlands for disposing of the body of Keith Ennis, 29, and had served that sentence while on remand. He was also convicted of manslaughter by the Amsterdam Court of Appeal in 2018, receiving a 13‑year sentence. The warrant, issued in January, led to his arrest on 3 May and remand. The High Court refused bail and, citing EU law, ruled the warrant invalid because it was issued by an authority not recognised as a judicial body. Justice Tara Burns ordered McArdle's immediate release, and he walked free from court. The Court of Appeal later upheld the High Court's refusal of bail, noting the warrant remained valid until the High Court's ruling. The case remains pending before the Dutch Supreme Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Michael Reilly Senior (49) and his son Michael Reilly Junior (22) were sentenced for an assault on Martin Maughan. The incident, part of a feud, involved the Reillys attacking Maughan with a hammer and pick handle while his wife and five‑year‑old granddaughter witnessed. Reilly Senior also bit Maughan's ear and repeatedly rammed his jeep with his van. Both pleaded guilty to assault causing harm; Reilly Senior also pleaded guilty to endangerment. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a headline sentence of five and a half years for Reilly Senior on the endangerment charge and a three‑year sentence for Reilly Junior on assault. Mitigating factors cited included guilty pleas, remorse, and the defendants' tragic backgrounds. Maughan suffered bruising and soft‑tissue injuries; the child was uninjured but distressed. The court noted prior convictions and mental‑health issues for both defendants.
The High Court has been asked to consider a dispute between Clare County Council and Bernard and Helen McDonagh over the Ashline site on Kilrush Road, Ennis. The McDonaghs say they have a tenancy at the site, having moved their caravans there in November 2017, and that the council wrongfully breached that tenancy by surrendering it in 2012 after a fire. They argue the council failed to fulfil its statutory duties to provide Traveller‑specific accommodation and that it acted without political will or funding. The council, represented by James Connolly SC, counters that the McDonaghs unlawfully moved their caravans onto the site after the council removed bollards, and that the site was unsafe and uninsurable after arson attacks. The council seeks possession of the land and a permanent injunction preventing the McDonaghs from using the site, and also seeks orders to remove them from other Ennis locations deemed unsuitable.
The High Court is set to rule at noon on Thursday in a dispute between Supermac's Ireland Limited and John and Mary Lyons regarding who should pay for refurbishment works at their Ennis Road, Limerick franchise. Supermac's, represented by Rossa Fanning SC, seeks an injunction to prevent the defendants from carrying out works without consent, alleging a breach of the franchise agreement. The Lyons, represented by Andrew Sexton SC, oppose the application, arguing they are entitled to perform urgent repairs and that the action constitutes satellite proceedings following a 2018 Circuit Court decision requiring Supermac's boss Pat McDonagh to reimburse over €150,000 in rates and rent. The defendants deny breaching a 2000 agreement, with Mr Lyons claiming in a sworn statement that he never signed it and describing it as a forgery. Mr McDonagh, in his own sworn statement, called this accusation entirely baseless and frivolous, noting that the original document was located at a solicitor's office and originated in the early 1990s. Both handwriting experts stated they could not verify signatures on the copy without the original, which has now been made available for examination. Mr Justice Senan Allen noted the parties were seeking to draw first blood but indicated the court would hold off ruling if a solution was presented by 11:59am. An appeal over the tenancy is due in July.
Paddy Harty, 45, of Ennis, was on the run when he sexually assaulted a 53‑year‑old woman he met in a pub in Kildare on 23 April 2015. He pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court and was sentenced to four years imprisonment, consecutive to a four‑year sentence for theft and fraud that he had received two months earlier. Harty's appeal against the severity of the sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, which found the total sentence "appropriate". The Court noted that Harty had met the woman in a bar, they had drinks, kissed, and then he drove her to a secluded area known as 'Braveheart Hill'. There he removed her bottom clothing and forcibly held her by the arms. She fled, hid in a thorny bush and called the Gardaí. Harty was identified from CCTV footage and initially denied having met the woman.
A 23‑year‑old drug addict, Robbie Walsh, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment with one year suspended for manslaughter after stabbing Karl "Gobbo" Haugh in the back during a row at Marion Estate, Kilkee, in August 2017. The court found that Walsh had not brought a knife to the scene; the knife used was taken from a kitchen block belonging to Haugh's friend. Walsh pleaded guilty to manslaughter and had previously been convicted of drug‑related offences. The judge noted his cooperation with Gardaí and his remorse, and reduced the headline sentence from ten to eight years. The suspended year was to run for three years, back‑dated to the date of his arrest. The sentence was imposed at the Central Criminal Court, with the judge urging Walsh to attend addiction and counselling services while in custody. Robbie Walsh pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
An Irish man, Kenneth Brunell of Palmerstown, Dublin, has agreed to be extradited to the Netherlands where he is appealing convictions related to the killing of 29‑year‑old Keith Ennis. Ennis was stabbed to death in 2009, his body chopped up and dumped in a canal on the northern outskirts of Amsterdam. Brunell was previously found not guilty of manslaughter but guilty of concealing Ennis's corpse by a Dutch court. An appeals court in Amsterdam overturned the acquittal in May and upheld the conviction for concealing the body, sentencing him in absentia to 13 years' imprisonment. The Dutch authorities issued a European Arrest Warrant in July of last year. Brunell's lawyers have appealed the conviction, and he is now wanted in the Netherlands for detention pending that appeal. Brunell has consented to extradition, and the High Court judge has endorsed the warrant and ordered his surrender to Dutch authorities.
The High Court has ruled that a Limerick apartment linked to Brazilian-born Aulicete Walsh and her son, Maicon Morelli, was acquired with the proceeds of crime. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart granted orders in favour of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) under Section 3 of the 1996 Proceeds of Crime Act. The court found that the property, purchased in 2014 for approximately €34,000 and registered in Mr Morelli's name, was bought using criminal funds. The judge noted that Mrs Walsh had previously been convicted of brothel keeping in Ennis and Limerick in May 2015, resulting in an eight-month prison sentence in 2017. She had also been convicted of brothel keeping in 2012 at Newcastle West District Court and fined €750. Dismissing the respondents' claims that over €20,000 of the purchase price came from legitimate income, the judge cited inconsistencies in Mrs Walsh's evidence and a failure to provide financial documentation. The court determined that the lifestyle maintained by the family, including holidays and new cars, was funded by criminal activity exploiting vulnerable women. Consequently, the matter was finalised with the court granting the CAB's application to deem the apartment proceeds of crime.
Two men have been sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in relation to an attempted robbery at Greendale Pharmacy, Kilbarrack on January 26, 2018. Brendan Raynor (30) of Tulip Court, Darndale and Dean Slattery (28) of Briarfield Grove, Kilbarrack pleaded guilty to the charge. Both men armed themselves with knives and wore balaclavas before entering the shop and demanding Diazepam. The incident was observed by gardaí conducting surveillance in the area. Detective Sergeant Dave Ennis stated that Slattery attempted to flee and was struck with a baton, while Raynor was caught in a nearby field. Emma Smith, a shop worker who was six months pregnant at the time, provided a victim impact statement. Raynor has 103 previous convictions, including possession of knives, robbery, and burglary. He was previously sentenced to seven years with two suspended for an aggravated burglary in 2015. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a five-year sentence on Raynor, suspending the last two years and nine months. Slattery has 87 previous convictions, including robbery, drug offences, car theft, and assault. Dt Sgt Ennis was previously sentenced to four years with two suspended for a 2014 cash in transit van robbery. Judge Greally sentenced Slattery to four and a half years with the final 18 months suspended. Both men were remanded in custody.
In a High Court hearing on 9 July 2018, the Court of Appeal (CAB) applied to have an apartment, allegedly bought with proceeds of crime, declared as such under the 1996 Proceeds of Crime Act. The apartment, purchased in 2014 for about €34,000, is owned by Aulicete Walsh, 55, and her son Maicon Morelli. Walsh was convicted of brothel keeping in 2015 and served eight months; she had earlier been fined for the same offence in 2012. CAB, following a Garda investigation, argues the purchase was funded by criminal proceeds and seeks freezing orders. Walsh and Morelli contest the claim, asserting that over €20,000 of the purchase price came from legitimate earnings and that they should receive a share of any sale proceeds. They also argue that the money used was from lawful work and from funds received from Walsh's late father in Brazil.
In Limerick, Melissa Whelan, aged 27, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Wayne Fitzgerald, a recovering road crash victim, on 6 May 2015. She was originally sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended, by Judge Tom O'Donnell. On appeal, the Court of Appeal reduced her jail term by 18 months, citing mitigating factors. The Court held that the mitigating factors warranted a greater reduction than the 25% originally applied. The final sentence was 12 years' imprisonment, with four and a half years suspended, leaving a net jail term of seven and a half years. The case involved a house party where Whelan struck Fitzgerald with a bottle, punched and kicked him, and dragged him outside, where he was found unconscious the next morning. Fitzgerald suffered severe brain injury, required surgery, and was left with significant impairments in speech, swallowing, and memory.