Sean Casey, 27, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving that killed 22‑year‑old Megan Johnston and seriously injured 24‑year‑old Kate Petford, leaving her paralysed. He was sentenced by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to seven years' imprisonment and a 30‑year driving disqualification on 17 February 2014. The Court of Appeal, hearing the appeal on 31 July 2015, found the sentence "out of line" with other dangerous‑driving cases. Judge Garrett Sheehan noted that in eight comparable cases the Court of Appeal had imposed sentences below five years, and that the judge had erred by placing Casey's case at the absolute apex of the dangerous‑driving scale. The appeal was remitted for a new sentence, with the Court of Appeal not adopting the Director of Public Prosecutions' request for guidelines in this case.
Paul Ryan, a 50‑year‑old security guard with eight years of service and no prior convictions, pleaded guilty to robbery at Hodges Figgis on 23 March 2014. He tied up the day manager, Ciara Flanagan, in the cloak room with tape, took €22,145 from the shop's safes, and spent the money on alcohol and betting while living rough for a month. Ryan later turned himself in. The court considered a false imprisonment charge. Judge Catherine Murphy imposed a four‑year prison sentence back‑dated to 24 April 2014, but suspended the remaining term on the condition that Ryan keep the peace and address his gambling and alcohol addictions through Probation Services. The sentence was not read out in full, and the victim impact report was not presented. Ryan has been described as a model prisoner during custody.
Rory O'Brien, 60, of Killicane, Mitchelstown, Cork, pleaded guilty to five counts of animal cruelty for failing to treat pigs that were found eaten alive on his farm between May and September 2011. He was originally sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin on 12 February 2015. On appeal, Ken Fogarty SC argued that the judge had been influenced by facts about other counts that were not before the court. The Court of Appeal, led by Justice Garrett Sheehan, upheld the need for a custodial sentence but reduced the term to 12 months, suspending the final six months. The decision acknowledged O'Brien's personal circumstances, including significant debt and his previous good character, while maintaining that the offences were "extremely serious.".
Kirsty Doyle, a 25-year-old woman from East Wall, Dublin, was sentenced to nine months in prison for smuggling a mobile phone into Mountjoy Prison. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Doyle pleaded guilty to bringing a prohibited item into the facility on September 9, 2013. The court heard that she agreed to transport the phone internally in exchange for €500, a decision attributed to her heroin and crack cocaine addiction and homelessness at the time. Gardaí reported that Doyle initially denied carrying contraband when a metal detector was activated but subsequently handed over a phone wrapped in a condom, which she had removed from her underwear. She refused to identify the individuals who requested the delivery or the intended recipient, citing fear. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged Doyle's guilty plea and co-operation but determined that a custodial sentence was warranted. In mitigation, her defence counsel highlighted her history of drug addiction, previous trauma, and current sobriety, describing her as a pawn in the scheme. The court also noted her 29 previous minor convictions for offences including shoplifting and common assault. The nine-month term represents the effective custody imposed by the judge, with no suspended portions or specific conditions detailed in the finalisation.
The Court of Criminal Appeal has dismissed the conviction appeals of two men, aged 22 and 24, who were previously jailed for the attempted rape of a woman in a van. The appellants, who were 16 and 18 at the time of the 2009 incident, had been found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury in November 2012. The 22-year-old was convicted of attempted rape, sexual assault, and oral rape, while the 24-year-old was convicted of attempted rape and sexual assault. A third accused was acquitted on all counts. Mr Justice Paul Carney sentenced both men to ten years' imprisonment in January 2013. The 22-year-old also pleaded guilty to stealing the victim's car at the outset of the trial. In today's ruling, Mr Justice Alan Mahon, sitting with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, stated that the original trial was conducted in an "exemplary fashion" and that the convictions should stand. The court rejected the appellants' argument that the trial judge erred in law, rendering the convictions unsafe. The men are due to appeal their sentences at a later date.
In 2008, Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin sentenced Perry Wharrie, 56, to 30 years' imprisonment for his role in the €440 million drug seizure at Dunlough Bay, the largest in Irish history. Wharrie, who pleaded not guilty to possession for sale, was found guilty by a Cork Circuit Criminal Court jury. Two accomplices received 30 and 25 years, while a fourth who pleaded guilty was jailed for ten years. The Court of Criminal Appeal, led by Justice John McMenamin, ruled that the judge erred in imposing the 30‑year sentence and granted Wharrie the opportunity for a fresh sentencing hearing, possibly in October. The appeal decision will be detailed later, but the court has not yet altered the sentence. The case highlights the severity of the original penalty and the appeal's focus on procedural error.
Samantha Corbett, 30, was sentenced to three years in prison for punching a nurse at Mercy University Hospital's A&E on 26 July 2014. The judge suspended the final twelve months of the sentence. On appeal, Mr Justice John Edwards reduced her net jail term to fifteen months. The reduction was based on Corbett's intoxication at the time, her lack of recollection, her young child in care, and her substance‑abuse history. The Court of Appeal also required her to pay a €100 bond, to keep the peace, and to remain of good behaviour for the suspended portion of her sentence and for two years after release. The nurse, who had worked in the emergency department for 22 years, said the assault caused her daily neck pain and disrupted her family life. Corbett accepted the conditions imposed by the court. The unnamed woman pleaded guilty.
Paul Codd, a former All-Ireland winning Wexford hurler, was committed to Mountjoy Prison by the High Court after refusing to answer questions about his assets during a bankruptcy examination. The judge deemed his refusal contempt of court. Codd had previously been arrested on a warrant issued in March 2014 for non‑compliance with bankruptcy undertakings. He had been released in December 2014 after giving a statement of affairs and promising cooperation, but later failed to comply with further undertakings, including returning leased farm machinery and disclosing bank accounts. The court noted concerns that Codd had transferred land, a prohibited act for a bankrupt. He was jailed until 27 July 2015 or until he purged his contempt, with the judge warning that further consequences would follow if he did not cooperate. The case stemmed from a 2011 judgment of €530,326 and a bankruptcy declared in March 2013. The article reports no subsequent verdict or sentencing beyond the High Court's committal.
The Special Criminal Court has set a trial for March 8, 2016, for Kevin Power, 38, of Railway Street, Passage West, who is charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styled the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Vincent Heneghan BL, informed the three‑judge court that 32 witnesses would be called and the trial is expected to last two weeks. The judges—Tony Hunt, Alison Lindsay and Cormac Dunne—issued witness and exhibit orders for the hearing, and Power remains on continuing bail until the trial date.
The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank officials Tiarnan O'Mahoney, Bernard Daly, and Aoife Maguire continues before Judge Patrick McCartan and a jury. The three accused, who have all pleaded not guilty to seven alleged offences committed in 2003 and 2004, are charged with attempting to hide bank accounts from the Revenue in an alleged tax evasion scheme. Specifically, Mr. Daly and Mr. O'Mahoney deny omitting the name of John Peter O'Toole from a list provided to the Revenue Commissioners, while Mr. O'Mahoney and Ms. Maguire deny attempting to delete six other accounts connected to former chairman Sean FitzPatrick from the bank's Core Banking System. On day ten, former fraud officer Patrick Peake testified that Mr. O'Mahoney and Mr. FitzPatrick jointly received a US$1.2 million bridging loan in 1997 to fund a share deal. Mr. Peake also presented evidence that details on several closed accounts, including Lock Ltd/Susie Ltd and Carnahalla Ltd, were altered on the internal computer system years after closure. He noted that Mr. FitzPatrick's name was removed from a Triumvirate Properties Ltd account record between 2003 and 2012. The trial is ongoing, with Mr. Peake's evidence continuing before the court.
Martin Reilly, a 59‑year‑old former Canada Life agent, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to 80 counts of theft. Between 2002 and 2011 he persuaded 18 clients, including a priest, to withdraw money from their Canada Life policies and invest it in non‑existent products. He then deposited the funds into an EBS account in his own name. Reilly's address was West Side Estates, Togher, Cork. He had no prior convictions. Canada Life reimbursed all victims and suffered a €1.2 million loss. Reilly admitted a gambling addiction, confessed to stealing the money, and has since sought treatment with Gamblers Anonymous and spoken about gambling in schools and groups. The judge noted the prolonged pattern of misbehaviour and the pernicious nature of gambling. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the repeated thefts.
Niall Fitzpatrick, 48, from Corrin Close, Glen, Cork, was convicted of attempted aggravated burglary and possession of a pump‑action shotgun and ammunition at Patrick Glavin's home in Glanmire on 11 August 2013. He pleaded not guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. After a three‑week trial, a jury found him guilty and Judge David Riordan sentenced him to 14 years' imprisonment on 13 November 2014. On 16 June 2015 Fitzpatrick lodged an appeal on 16 grounds, alleging the judge failed to discharge the jury on several matters. His counsel, Brendan Nix SC, argued that evidence from Garda Dan Lucey was prejudicial and that a juror had been improperly excused after the judge allowed the Court Registrar to enter the jury room and discuss the case. Mr Nix said the registrar's conversation was not publicly recorded and that justice must be administered in public.
Four men convicted of assaulting two off-duty gardaí at Charlestown in June 2012 have been imprisoned following a successful appeal by the Director of Public Prosecution against their original suspended sentences. Nico Barrett, aged 22, of Humbert Street, Sligo; David Leonard, aged 32, formerly of Rhue, Sligo; Daniel Phelan, aged 23, of Tower Crescent, Connolly Park, Sligo; and David Skeffington, aged 23, of Rathscanlon, Charlestown Road, Tubbercurry, had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court. The trial judge imposed three-year suspended sentences on Barrett, Leonard, and Skeffington, and a two-year suspended sentence on Phelan in October 2014. The Court of Appeal found the sentences unduly lenient. Mr Justice John Edwards, speaking for the three-judge court, stated that custodial sentences were unavoidable and that assaults on peace officers must be severely punished. Barrett received 14 months imprisonment, whilst the other three received 12 months each.
Edward Bryan, a former Christian Brother aged 61, was returned to prison after an appeal. He had been convicted in 2013 of indecently assaulting three boys at North Monastery secondary school in Cork between 1984 and 1990, on seven of ten counts. He had been sentenced to five years imprisonment, but a 2013 bail allowed him to challenge the conviction and sentence. In May 2015, one count was quashed, the others upheld, and the appeal dismissed. During the sentence appeal, Bryan cited a Court of Appeal ruling that the maximum sentence for indecently assaulting a male at that time was two years, not ten. The Court of Appeal, however, imposed three consecutive 10‑month sentences, totaling two‑and‑a‑half years in prison. The judge noted Bryan's role as a teacher, his involvement in basketball, the nature of the abuse, and his otherwise good character. He was taken to custody and returned to prison. Edward Bryan pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal will consider whether to set sentencing guidelines for cases of dangerous driving causing death. The suggestion was made by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan in the case of Seán Casey, 27, of Cooragannive, Skibbereen, who was jailed last year for seven years for dangerous driving that caused the death of a 22‑year‑old woman and the paralysis of her friend. Casey was driving at 80 km/h, four times the legal limit, when he entered a roundabout. His barrister, Tom Creed SC, argued that the sentencing judge had placed Casey's offence "at the apex" of dangerous‑driving‑causing‑death cases before mitigation was applied. The maximum sentence for the offence is ten years imprisonment. Mr Justice Sheehan said the three‑judge court would consider setting guidelines, following the precedent of the Fitzgibbon guidelines for assault causing serious harm and the Ryan guidelines for possession of a firearm.
Sean Casey, 27, of Cooragannive, Skibbereen, was found guilty of dangerous driving causing the death of Megan Johnston, 22, and serious bodily harm to Kate Petford, 24, who was left paralysed after a crash at Skibbereen on 8 April 2013. He was sentenced by Cork Circuit Criminal Court to seven years imprisonment and a 30‑year driving disqualification on 17 February 2014. Casey, who drove a silver BMW that was 4.1 times over the legal alcohol limit, is appealing the sentence. His counsel, Tom Creed SC, argues the judge ignored rehabilitation possibilities and was unduly influenced by a victim impact report. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Lorcan Staines BL, emphasised the high speed (80 km/h) and excessive alcohol consumption, noting five people were in the vehicle. The appeal will be heard by the Court of Appeal on 9 July 2024.
An Italian man, Viorel Postolahce (32), has lost his appeal against a conviction for sexually assaulting a woman at Crosse's Green Quay on July 17, 2012. Postolahce had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was found guilty by a jury at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years imprisonment, with the final year suspended, by Judge David Riordan on November 28, 2014. During the appeal, Postolahce argued that a 'cross-racial identification' parade should have been conducted and that the jury should have been discharged following the victim's evidence. The victim testified that the incident lasted ten seconds and that her car was parked halfway up a road. Mr Justice George Birmingham dismissed the appeal, stating that the victim's description was in everyday language and did not require a specific direction from the trial judge. The judge also noted that no identification parade took place, and the victim did not attempt to identify Postolahce. The appeal was dismissed by Mr Justice Birmingham, who was joined by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice John Edwards.
In a 2015 Central Criminal Court hearing, Mieczyslaw Sudol, a 42‑year‑old Polish tiler, received a four‑year prison sentence with the final two years suspended for sexually assaulting a woman on a street in County Kerry. The victim, who was on the phone with a friend, was followed by Sudol after she left a night out. He snatched her phone, grabbed her throat, pulled down her dress and sexually assaulted her before fleeing with her phone. Sudol pleaded guilty on 5 May 2008, had no prior convictions, and was arrested in 2008 for an unrelated incident. DNA recovered from the victim's fingernails linked him to the crime. The judge, considering Sudol's early guilty plea, clean record and cooperation, imposed the sentence back‑dated to his June 2014 custody entry.
A 45-year-old man from Castleblayney, County Monaghan, has been sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment following his conviction for drug trafficking. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Mark Donnelly pleaded guilty to possession of 37 kilograms of cannabis resin on the M1 in north Dublin on 13 February 2014. The drugs carried an estimated street value of €221,400. Donnelly told gardaí he had agreed to transport the narcotics to settle a debt owed to a man who had threatened him. His legal team presented character references from former employers and community members, noting his background as a self-employed joinery worker and involvement with his local hurling club. Judge Martin Nolan described him as a hard-working family man and first-time offender who had made a grave error of judgement under pressure. Detective Garda Eoin Roche confirmed that gardaí, acting on confidential information, intercepted the van as it travelled south from County Louth.
Frank Cunningham, aged 30, was convicted of murdering Patrick Walsh, 27, in 2004 and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2005. He sought to have his conviction declared a miscarriage of justice, arguing that new Supreme Court rulings on solicitor access (Gormely and White, 2014) had been overlooked and that his admissions at Garda station should have been inadmissible. The Court of Appeal dismissed his application as an abuse of process, noting that he had inconsistently requested a solicitor and that no new facts had been presented. The court held that Cunningham's case could not be distinguished from a similar case (McKevitt) and that reopening a final conviction on the basis of a new precedent was not permissible. Consequently, Cunningham remains in prison to serve the remainder of his life sentence. Frank Cunningham pleaded not guilty.
Michael Murray, who was found guilty in 2013 of rape, child abduction, and other serious offences and sentenced to 15 years by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, has brought a High Court action against the State. Murray claims prison authorities unlawfully recorded confidential phone calls between him and his solicitors while he was incarcerated at Midlands Prison. He seeks injunctions, a declaration that the authorities acted outside their powers, damages for breach of constitutional rights, and an independent review. The matter is currently at the pre-hearing stage before High Court President Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns. Murray, representing himself, requested an order compelling the State to provide all documents and records of communications with his legal advisors and the return of a computer seized by An Garda Síochána. Counsel for the State, Colm Smyth SC, stated that recordings were made inadvertently because Murray did not use designated confidential lines, and that the computer was seized as part of a Garda investigation. Mr Justice Kearns ruled that Murray is entitled to discovery of recordings of calls made to his legal advisers between May and July 2013. The judge determined that the issue regarding the computer is a matter for the full hearing. The case is due before the court later this year and will be opposed by the State. Murray's appeal to the Court of Appeal remains on hold until this High Court action is determined.
John Wilson, 56, of Oliver Bond Street, Dublin, was sentenced to eight years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his involvement in a €528,000 cannabis operation. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the sentence, backdated to February of this year, stating Wilson deserved the same term as his co-accused. Wilson pleaded guilty to possessing 88kg of cannabis at Forrest Little Road, Swords, on August 8, 2008. He had previously taken a bench warrant in 2011 and was rearrested in England earlier this year after serving a five-year UK sentence for conspiring to supply cannabis. His co-accused, Joseph Douglas, 38, and James Griffin, 48, were both jailed for eight years for the same offence in 2011. Robert Wilson, 51, received a ten-year sentence in 2011, with the final two years suspended. Detective Sergeant Emmet Casserly testified that surveillance linked Wilson's phone and pickup truck to the loading of 370 slabs of cannabis into a van driven by Griffin. Defence counsel Sean Gillane SC argued for leniency, noting Wilson had "buried his head in the sand" by fleeing. The court accepted that a person above Wilson guided the operation. This sentencing concludes the proceedings for Wilson, while the matters for Douglas, Griffin, and Robert Wilson were finalised in 2011.
A man from Cork has had his sentence backdated following a successful appeal to the Court of Appeal. Nicky O'Driscoll, aged 37, of Killala Gardens, Knocknaheeny, pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to burglary at Inishannon on 7 January 2014. He received a three-year sentence with the final six months suspended in May 2014. O'Driscoll appealed on the basis that the sentencing judge had been incorrectly informed of his previous convictions for burglary. Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan found the sentencing court had been told O'Driscoll had 20 previous burglary convictions when he in fact had eight among his 68 total convictions. The judge described this as a clear error in principle, though not attributable to fault on the part of the trial judge. The Court of Appeal upheld the original sentence but backdated it to 12 May 2014 to account for the misinformation. O'Driscoll was also required to enter into his own bond of €100 for 12 months.
David Nevin, 40, of Terryglass, Nenagh, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a suspended three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for harassing former girlfriend Patricia Dardis from August 2012 to February 2013. Nevin sent repeated text messages, emails, faxes, handwritten notes, and appeared at Dardis's home and workplace, even attempting to contact the CEO of her firm. He pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody in early May to reflect on his conduct. The judge noted Dardis suffered significant emotional trauma and warned Nevin that a repeat offence would lead to a long prison term. Nevin was ordered to remain of good behaviour for three‑and‑a‑half years, to avoid any contact with Dardis, and to pay €1,000 to court within one week, which would be given to the Rape Crisis Centre if not accepted by Dardis. The sentence was suspended in full.
Three burglars—James Cash (28), Thomas Wall (23), and William Wall (32)—were convicted at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on four burglary counts committed in Cork City on 1–2 December 2012. They had been acquitted of three other burglary counts and of possessing burglary implements. Cash received a seven‑year sentence with one year suspended; the Walls each received seven years with two years suspended. On appeal, all three had their sentences reduced. Cash was sentenced to four years with 21 months suspended, giving an effective custodial term of 3 years 9 months. The Walls each received four years with two years suspended, giving an effective custodial term of 2 years 10 months. The appeal court noted Cash's extensive prior record and the Walls' lack of significant convictions, and adjusted the starting points accordingly. The new sentences were imposed by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin on 4 February 2014.
A 34‑year‑old Cork man was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting his former partner's 13‑year‑old daughter while she was under his care. The court heard that on 22 May 2013 the man gave the girl more than four cans of beer, then entered her bedroom and forced his finger into her vagina, pinning her down. He also attempted to insert his penis during the 20‑minute assault. The victim, who is still a child, waived her right to anonymity but could not be named under the law. The man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court and had no prior convictions. The judge accepted the plea, noted the serious impact on the girl, and imposed a four‑year sentence, placing the offender on the sexual offender register and subjecting him to Garda supervision upon release.
Veeran Padiachy, a 36‑year‑old former Mauritian police officer living in Cork, was arrested after a rear‑end collision when Gardaí discovered his forged Irish driving licence and a bag of cannabis in his car. Garda Shane Moriarty noted that Padiachy had called the police after the crash and waited an hour before they arrived. The Gardaí found a plastic bag containing €1,500 worth of cannabis, about 1,000 small plastic bags, and a weighing scale. Padiachy pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply and to possession of a false instrument under the Fraud Act, both offences committed on 11 October 2014. Judge Martin Nolan, considering the circumstances, suspended a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, deciding that imprisonment would be unjust. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the car seized and the drugs confiscated.
Ciaran Moran, 29, was sentenced to life in prison by the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Gerard Donnelly. Moran, who had pleaded not guilty, changed his plea to guilty on the ninth day of his trial after the judge ruled that his descriptive confession should be heard by the jury. The court heard that Moran beat Mr Donnelly over the head with a lump hammer, amputated his toe, and set his body on fire in Phoenix Park during November 28th or 29th, 2013. Mr Donnelly, a 36-year-old father of one who lived homeless in the park, was identified via DNA match due to the severity of his injuries. Moran, who had 23 previous convictions including a recent manslaughter conviction resulting in a seven-year sentence with two suspended, was found to have acted alone. His barrister requested that his sentence be backdated to December 3rd, 2013, the date he was remanded in custody. Justice Margaret Heneghan agreed to this request and imposed the mandatory life sentence. Moran stood while the sentence was imposed before being led away to custody.
A 34‑year‑old Kilkenny man, Tadhg Butler, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer, who was stabbed once in the chest at Butler's house in Seafield, Tramore, on 10 January 2014. Butler pleaded not guilty but was found guilty by a jury of four men and eight women after a 2‑hour‑26‑minute trial. He had previously dismissed his legal team and recalled his nephew, Anthony O'Grady, for cross‑examination, which the judge described as an "exceptional situation." The judge back‑dated the sentence to 9 January 2014, the day Butler had been in custody, and exempted the jury from service for ten years. The court heard a victim impact statement from Michael's aunt, describing the family's grief and the circumstances of the death.
In the Waterford murder trial, Tadhg Butler (34) is charged with killing 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer on 10 January 2014. Butler, who also goes by Thomas O'Grady, pleaded not guilty and dismissed his legal team the day before the hearing. During cross‑examination, he claimed he had gone to the kitchen that night to get a knife, was attempting self‑harm, and that he grabbed the knife from his nephew, Anthony O'Grady, and swung it, inadvertently stabbing O'Dwyer. Butler said he had no intention to kill and that the act was accidental. The prosecution, led by Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, argued that Butler's statements and evidence—including a confession to his former partner and witness statements—indicated intent. The judge instructed the jury to consider the evidence and use "common sense" in deciding whether Butler's claim of accidental stabbing was credible. The trial was scheduled to continue the following morning.
Michael Riordan, aged 49, was convicted of 21 counts of sexual assault against his step‑daughter between September 2007 and November 2012. A jury found him guilty on nine counts and acquitted him on the rest by direction. He received a sentence of two‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment on 4 July 2014. Riordan appealed, arguing that facts disclosed in the victim's impact statement – such as the accused allegedly breaking the shower on purpose and his alleged dislike of the victim until she was 13 – contradicted her evidence and should have led to the withdrawal of the remaining counts. The Court of Appeal rejected the appeal, stating the new facts were minor and did not affect the fairness of the trial or the cross‑examination. Riordan was ordered to serve the remainder of his sentence in prison. The victim had waived anonymity, allowing the court to publish his identity. Michael Riordan pleaded not guilty.
In a High Court ruling on 11 May 2015, Mr Justice Paul Gilligan granted University College Cork (UCC) an injunction that bars SIPTU and the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) from staging a picket at six of the twelve entrances to UCC's main campus on the following Wednesday. The injunction was issued because UCC argued that the planned picket, linked to a long‑running pay dispute at the Tyndall National Institute, would be an escalation that could cause significant disruption, especially for students sitting exams. SIPTU opposed the injunction and indicated that its client might appeal. IFUT did not participate in the proceedings. The judge noted that communications from the unions suggested the picket was intended to support Tyndall staff and was not meant to interfere with exams, but UCC maintained that the action was not part of the dispute and could disrupt campus activities.
A British man, Christopher Wiggins (48), who was found on a boat holding more than €400 million worth of cocaine off the Irish coast, has appealed his conviction. Wiggins pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cocaine for sale or supply on November 5, 2008, when the boat 'Dances With Waves' was boarded 250km off the Irish coast. He was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by Mr Justice Carroll Moran on May 8, 2009. Representing himself, Wiggins argued that a section 15A sale or supply drugs offence could not have been levied against him as the offence was committed outside the State and no importation was involved. He also claimed the boarding of the boat by Irish authorities was unlawful. The Navy Boarding Party, which was also an appellant, admitted to possession of cocaine for sale or supply on November 5, 2008, when the boat was boarded. Philip Doo (58), one of Wiggins' co-accused, withdrew his appeal before proceedings commenced. The court heard that the boat 'Dances With Waves' was flying the British Red Ensign but was not registered. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Thomas Creed SC, stated that the boarding was lawful and that there was no basis for Wiggins' argument regarding section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act. The court has reserved judgment and will deliver its decision as soon as possible.
During the murder trial of Tadhg Butler, the former partner Mary Rose Burke testified that she visited Butler in Cork Prison in January 2014 and that he told her he had stabbed Michael O'Dwyer once. She said she had five children with him and that they had separated more than three years earlier. Burke claimed Butler had asked her to use her address for bail, which she refused, and that he had taken Valium and whiskey that night. She also said he was a good friend of O'Dwyer and had only stabbed him once. The defence questioned her about the relationship and her motives, and she denied using the children to extract information. The prosecution and defence discussed her statements to Gardaí and her alleged false claims. The court heard that Butler was arrested after the incident and that no weapon was found at the scene. The trial was scheduled to resume on Monday. Tadhg Butler pleaded not guilty.
In a 2015 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Carl Feighery, 32, was sentenced to 240 hours of community service within 12 months in lieu of a two‑year jail term for dangerous driving that caused the death of 77‑year‑old Rose Douglas. Feighery, an electrician, had already been disqualified from driving for five years. The judge, Martin Nolan, found no aggravating factors such as drink driving or excessive speed, describing the offence as a loss of focus. Feighery pleaded guilty and expressed remorse, having made a voluntary statement at the scene and taken a jumper over Douglas's legs. The Douglas family, who lost a wife, mother, grandmother and great‑grandmother, received the sentence as a form of closure, with the judge noting the tragedy's impact on them. The case concluded with the community service order and no custodial sentence.
Paul Ryan, a 50‑year‑old security guard with no prior convictions, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing Hodges Figgis Book Shop on 23 March 2014. He took €22,145 from the shop's safes after deciding to "take a notion" to rob the place. Ryan bound manager Ciara Flanagan in the cloakroom with tape, preventing her from raising an alarm. He later left Dublin, slept rough, spent the stolen money on drink and betting, and returned to hand himself in at Pearse Street Station. The court heard that Ryan was stressed by family life and had been drinking at the time of the offence. He was also charged with false imprisonment, which will be considered at sentencing. Judge Catherine Murphy adjourned sentencing to July, noting the incomplete Probation Report and the fact that this is his first conviction at age 50.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 29 April 2015, Mary Rose Burke, a former partner of 34‑year‑old Tadhg Butler, testified that she visited him in Cork Prison on 13 January 2014 after he was charged with the murder of 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer. She said Butler, who also goes by Thomas O'Grady, told her he had stabbed O'Dwyer once in the chest, was drunk and had taken Valium, and that he was not remorseful. Burke denied that Butler had suggested a plea for manslaughter or that she had an agenda to harm his case. Prosecutor Denis Vaughan Buckley described the alleged events on 9 January 2014, when O'Dwyer was found dead outside Butler's house with a single stab wound. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, was expected to last two weeks. Tadhg Butler pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 6 April 2014, William O'Shea, aged 30, and Mark Hayden, aged 43, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply. O'Shea had transported almost a kilogram of cocaine from Dublin to Cork, while Hayden had held the drugs for two days. Gardaí had monitored the Skylon Hotel in Dublin after a tip, observed O'Shea leaving the hotel and entering a car driven by Hayden, and seized a bag containing €68,740 worth of cocaine from O'Shea. Hayden later admitted he had been approached for a €1,000 delivery, knowing it was illegal, and had collected the drugs two days earlier. O'Shea claimed he was offered a "box of coke" and promised a "sorted" role. Both men had good work histories and cooperated with investigators.
Trevor Andre, a 27‑year‑old student from Pembroke Woods, Passage West, was convicted at the Central Criminal Court of attempted rape and sexual assault after he entered a woman's house on 8 June 2013, climbed into her bed while she slept, and attempted to insert his penis into her mouth. The victim, who is in her twenties, reported that she woke to find Andre straddling her and that he had tried to molest her breasts and mouth. She punched and squeezed his testicles and shouted for him to leave. Andre pleaded not guilty, but a jury of four women and eight men found him guilty. Mr Justice Tony Hunt sentenced him to six years' imprisonment, suspending the last two years on the condition that he remain under Probation Services supervision for two years after release.
Graham Dwyer, a Cork‑born father of three, was sentenced to a mandatory life term by Mr Justice Tony Hunt for the murder of 36‑year‑old childcare worker Elaine O'Hara. Dwyer was found guilty after a trial lasting more than two months, during which a jury of five women and seven men concluded that he lured O'Hara up the Dublin Mountains that evening, stabbed her for sexual gratification, and disposed of her belongings to stage a suicide. The judge described the crime as chilling and pre‑meditated, noted Dwyer's lack of remorse, and praised the evidence presented by the O'Hara family and Gardaí. He highlighted the victim's hard work and love of children, and the judge's remarks on the family's courage. Dwyer was taken to prison to begin serving his life sentence.
Architect Graham Dwyer, 42, was found guilty of murdering 36‑year‑old Elaine O'Hara in the Dublin Mountains. The Central Criminal Court trial lasted over two months, with the jury hearing testimony from nearly 200 witnesses and more than 300 exhibits, including videos of Dwyer stabbing women and text messages that described a BDSM‑style relationship in which he was the dominant "Master" and O'Hara the submissive "Slave." Evidence showed Dwyer lured O'Hara to the mountain on 22 August 2012, stabbed her for sexual gratification, and disposed of her belongings to make the death appear a suicide. The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict after 7 hours and 33 minutes of deliberation. Mr Justice Tony Hunt remanded Dwyer in custody until the mandatory life sentence is imposed on 20 April. The unnamed 42-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Architect Graham Dwyer, aged 42, was found guilty of murdering 36‑year‑old childcare worker Elaine O'Hara in the Dublin Mountains. He was charged on 22 August 2012, shortly after O'Hara was discharged from a mental health hospital. Dwyer lured her up the mountain that evening, stabbed her for sexual gratification, and then disposed of her belongings to make the death appear as suicide. He pleaded not guilty, but the jury was satisfied with the evidence. The Central Criminal Court has adjourned sentencing to 20 April, when a victim impact statement will be presented.
The jury in the Graham Dwyer trial resumed deliberations at the Central Criminal Court after a full day of discussion. Mr Justice Tony Hunt sent them back to the jury room, allowing them to continue late if desired. By lunch they had deliberated six hours and 25 minutes and would resume in the afternoon. Dwyer, charged with murdering childcare worker Elaine O'Hara, is accused of taking her to Killakee, stabbing her for sexual gratification, and the case remains in deliberation.
In the trial of Graham Dwyer for the alleged murder of Elaine O'Hara, the jury of five women and seven men was assured that their identities would not be published. The foreman had requested privacy after a query about the publication of his name. Judge Tony Hunt confirmed that no publication of any juror information would occur, despite the Juries Act lacking a specific provision. The jury had requested various exhibits, including knives found at Dwyer's workplace, a rusty blade at Killakee, and items near O'Hara's remains, which were provided. They deliberated for almost five hours on the 45th day of the trial, failing to reach a verdict. Dwyer, charged with murdering the 36‑year‑old childcare worker on 22 August 2012, has pleaded not guilty. The case remains in the Central Criminal Court.
During the 45th day of the Central Criminal Court trial of Graham Dwyer, the jury requested that certain items be made available in the jury room. The foreman asked for all knives in the case, a runner found near Ms O'Hara's remains, a spade found elsewhere at Killakee, and a backpack found in Vartry Reservoir. The trial had previously established that two knives were found in Dwyer's workplace basement in February 2014, a rusty blade was found at Killakee when Ms O'Hara's remains were discovered in September, and knives were also found at Vartry Reservoir. After the note was read, the judge acknowledged the request but explained that a letter found in Dwyer's home could not be provided because it had not been shown to the witness. The jury then requested a hoodie, white vest, bondage mask, and tracksuit bottoms found in the reservoir and near Ms O'Hara's remains. These items were provided, but the letter was denied.
Ion Matei, aged 37, was jailed for his role in a well‑organised credit‑card fraud that spent nearly €20,000 in high‑street shops in 2009. He and three accomplices used a stolen American Express company card belonging to Oracle employee Phillip Ryan to buy clothes, perfumes and handbags at Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Next and Debenhams. The fraud began after Ryan received a new card in October 2009, which he never used. Garda Wayne Donnelly compiled CCTV footage showing four people using the card, including Matei. Matei was arrested in February 2010, denied knowledge of the theft but admitted using the card to buy goods. He pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen credit card and 19 theft charges totalling €7,377, plus possession of a stolen Ulster Bank card and theft of €1,350 in 2014. Judge Desmond Hogan sentenced him to four years, suspending two on the condition of keeping the peace for four years. Ion Matei was convicted.
In the Graham Dwyer murder trial, the jury resumed deliberations after Judge Tony Hunt clarified that only two verdicts were available: guilty or not guilty of murder. The judge emphasized the importance of considering suicide as a possible hypothesis; if the jury believes suicide is reasonably possible, they must acquit. He reviewed evidence, including psychiatric testimony on Ms O'Hara's mental health, forensic findings, and text messages suggesting threat. The prosecution argued Dwyer stabbed Ms O'Hara, citing a "Killing Darci" document and threatening texts. The defense focused on suicide and alleged innocence. Judge Hunt instructed the jury to base their decision solely on the evidence and reasonable inference, without considering intermediate verdicts. The jury spent 1 hour 28 minutes deliberating before resuming the next day. The case involved Ms O'Hara's disappearance on 22 August 2012 and her skeletal remains found in Killakee in September 2013.
The jury has begun deliberating in the trial of architect Graham Dwyer, charged with murdering 36‑year‑old childcare worker Elaine O'Hara in 2012. Dwyer, 42, is accused of taking O'Hara to Killakee, Rathfarnham, and stabbing her to death between 6 pm and 9 pm on 22 August 2012, hours after she was discharged from a mental‑health hospital. The State's case relies on circumstantial evidence, including text messages, a Buck Special knife found in Dwyer's office, and a bag recovered from Vartry Reservoir. Dwyer has pleaded not guilty. Mr Justice Tony Hunt has instructed the jury to consider the evidence of phones, texts, and the knife, and to weigh the possibility of suicide or other causes of death. The jury will resume deliberations on Wednesday morning. The trial has heard that O'Hara's skeletal remains were discovered at Killakee on 13 September 2013.
In the Graham Dwyer murder trial, Judge Tony Hunt instructed the jury on March 24, 2015, to exercise caution with circumstantial evidence, using the spade found near Elaine O'Hara's remains as an example. He reminded jurors that the presumption of innocence required them to consider the spade unrelated to Dwyer unless proven otherwise. The judge referenced testimony from Dwyer's wife, Gemma, who claimed the spade was missing from their garden and identified it by its label and paint. He also cited forensic evidence that the paint on the spade did not match the paint on the family's fence, urging jurors to be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt before linking the spade to Dwyer. The judge noted that the spade could be irrelevant or significant, emphasizing the need for careful evaluation of circumstantial evidence. The trial continued with the jury expected to deliberate later that day.
In March 2015, Judge Tony Hunt addressed the jury in the Graham Dwyer murder trial, emphasizing that the jury must decide only whether Dwyer is guilty of murder, not any other wrongdoing. He explained that the charge requires proof that Dwyer stabbed Elaine O'Hara in pursuit of sexual or other gratification, and that the evidence is largely indirect. The judge instructed jurors to consider the act and intent separately, to be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of both, and to weigh circumstantial evidence such as text messages, mobile phone data, and videos of Dwyer's alleged violent acts. He warned against letting personal feelings influence the verdict and reminded the jury of the presumption of innocence. The trial continued with the jury expected to deliberate the next day.