Mark McCann, 23, pleaded guilty to robbery of a taxi driver's phone and car keys outside Swords Garda Station on 1 May 2012. He had 13 prior convictions. The driver, who had undergone heart surgery, was concerned about his pacemaker when McCann and accomplice Claire Lawlor (26) attempted to rob him. McCann grabbed the driver in a choke hold and punched him, then fled with the driver's keys and phone. McCann was arrested in March 2013 and claimed memory loss due to drug use. Judge Melanie Greally, noting McCann's genuine efforts to reform, imposed a four‑year sentence suspended for four years. Lawlor received a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence the previous year. The court highlighted both defendants' recent positive changes and their disassociation from each other. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In February 2016, Gerard Halpin, aged 40, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for robbing the beauty salon Urban Dolls on 23 December 2014 and for a burglary on 19 December 2013. The court heard that Halpin entered the salon wearing latex gloves and a kitchen knife, grabbed owner Sarah White by the neck, and forced her to open the till. Emma Kelly, a customer who recognised him, stopped the robbery by smashing a Yankee candle over his head. Halpin fled, but Kelly chased him to his father's home, where he was found changing clothes. Garda Adrian Kildea reported that a search of the house uncovered the gloves in an open safe. Halpin, who has 38 prior convictions and a history of drug abuse, denied the robbery and claimed he had only left the house once that day to go to the pharmacy. Gerard Halpin pleaded guilty.
Stephen Tuohey, aged 25, was tried for assaulting Garda John Santry in a Dublin cell. The trial, lasting two days, ended with a not‑guilty verdict after just over an hour of jury deliberation. Tuohey denied any aggression, claiming he had blocked the cell's viewing hatch to request a phone call and that Santry had attacked him first. He alleged Santry threw him against the wall, struck him with a tie, and that other officers subsequently assaulted him, describing one as "dancing on my head." Tuohey said he was struck in the ribs and that Santry threatened him with pepper spray. The prosecution's evidence was a brief CCTV clip from the hallway, while the defence argued it showed Santry initiating the violence. No footage of the cell interior was available. The jury accepted the defence's account and acquitted Tuohey. Stephen Tuohey pleaded not guilty.
Stephen Tuohey, aged 25, is accused of assaulting Garda John Santry in a Blanchardstown Garda Station cell on 25 June 2011. He pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The prosecution's main evidence is a few seconds of CCTV footage from the hallway outside the cell, showing Tuohey becoming aggressive because he could not have his own clothes and was returned to the cell for safety. The defence argues the footage shows Santry becoming aggressive, "getting up in his face," before throwing Tuohey into the cell and beating him. Santry, acting as jailer that morning, claims he checked on Tuohey, who was banging the cell door and covering the hatch. He says Tuohey lunged at him, spat, kicked and punched, and that Santry was forced to restrain him. Santry reports minor injuries and denies assault, stating the CCTV lacked audio. The trial will conclude before Judge Petria McDonnell and a jury.
In a High Court hearing on 14 December 2015, the court considered the case of a car seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) from the property of 23‑year‑old Michael Wall, an unemployed father of two. The vehicle, valued at €13,000, was taken from Mr Wall's mother's house on 16 September 2014 and stored at a CAB compound in Blanchardstown. Two days after the car was secured, CAB officers discovered it had been stolen. The Gardai subsequently recovered the vehicle a few days later, and it has since been repaired at a cost of €1,500 and is now stored at a secure location. Mr Justice Raymond Fullam, hearing the case, was satisfied that the car was the proceeds of crime and made an order under the 1996 Proceeds of Crime Act, appointing a receiver over the car.
In a case heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Karen Smith, a 29‑year‑old former Ulster Bank cashier from Ratoath, was sentenced to a three‑year suspended term for stealing €14,160 from an elderly woman's inactive bank account. Smith withdrew the money two weeks after the woman's death and had forged a bank document to facilitate the theft. She pleaded guilty to both theft and forgery. Smith had no prior convictions and had a seven‑year unblemished record at the bank before being dismissed. Garda Brendan O'Horan testified that Smith had been threatened by a loan shark who pressured her to repay a debt, and that she feared for her safety. Smith admitted the offence, apologized, and expressed remorse. The judge noted the offence was "odious" but accepted her remorse, and acknowledged that Ulster Bank had compensated the estate but suffered reputational damage.
Jason Kavanagh, aged 41, was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment in January 2014 for his role in a 2005 tiger kidnapping and robbery that involved the false imprisonment of a family at Ashcroft, Raheny, and the theft of €2.28 million in cash from Paul Richardson and Securicor Security Services Ireland Ltd. He and three co‑accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. The jury could not reach a verdict on two of the co‑accused and found a third not guilty. Kavanagh was due to appeal the severity of his sentence in the Court of Appeal, but Judge George Birmingham postponed the hearing, citing difficulties with the court's constitution. The judge advised Kavanagh's barrister that the court had "full powers" to consider the appeal. The case was rescheduled for a later date. Kavanagh had previously served 25 years from a 2009 conviction that was quashed by the Court of Criminal Appeal in 2012.
Bryan Ryan, aged 31, originally from Blanchardstown but with an address in Louisburgh, County Mayo, is serving a life sentence for the murder of Ian Tobin in May 2007. Ryan was convicted by majority verdict at the Central Criminal Court in 2013 after initially being convicted in 2008, a conviction later quashed. He pleaded not guilty to the charge. At the Court of Appeal on Thursday, Ryan's counsel argued that gardaí pursued an agenda to secure a confession by improper means, including misrepresenting the law on manslaughter and overstating evidence. Counsel submitted the confession was unreliable, particularly as Ryan confessed to burning motorcycle parts and clothing that forensic evidence did not support. The defence further contended that alleged constitutional breaches during interviews could not be remedied by a brief conversation with his solicitor. The Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel maintained the core evidence came from a protected witness and that the confession was properly obtained. The Court of Appeal reserved judgment.
Gary Byrne, 42, of Belcamp Gardens, Coolock, was sentenced in 2015 to 12 years' imprisonment for possessing €2.5 million worth of cannabis for sale or supply at two lock‑ups in Rosemount Business Park, Ballycoolin and North West Business Centre, Blanchardstown. The final three years of that sentence were suspended, leaving an operative term of nine years. Byrne appealed on the basis that mitigating factors had not been considered. The Court of Appeal re‑sentenced him to 12 years with the final four‑and‑a‑half years suspended, reducing the net jail term to seven‑and‑a‑half years. He was required to post a €100 bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour while in custody and for three years after release. The appeal was granted on the grounds that Byrne's homelessness, depression, suicidal ideation and drug addiction were not adequately weighed in the original sentencing. Gary Byrne pleaded guilty.
A 21-year-old man from Longford has been sentenced to one year in custody at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following a dangerous driving incident in Blanchardstown, Dublin on August 2nd, 2013. Dylan Meade of An Cussan, Lisbrack Road pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious harm, failing to remain at the scene, driving without a valid licence and driving without insurance. The court heard that Meade struck a cyclist at approximately 57 kilometres per hour, causing severe brain trauma and four months of amnesia. Judge Catherine Murphy imposed a three and a half year sentence with two and a half years suspended, subject to strict conditions including probation supervision, abstinence from alcohol and drugs, and attendance at mental health appointments. The judge noted that non-compliance would result in activation of the suspended portion. The cyclist, who suffered significant neurological injury, submitted a victim impact statement describing the profound effect on his family and future prospects.
Anne-Marie Byrne, 30, of Clontarf, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to multiple offences. Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed a two-year sentence for the burglary of Joseph Rowe's home in Sutton on January 24, 2011, and an 18-month sentence for two separate robberies at Xtravision video stores in Ongar Village and Blanchardstown Shopping Centre on April 6 and 7, 2013. The judge ordered that these sentences be served consecutively, resulting in a total effective custody period of three and a half years. Prosecution evidence alleged that Byrne entered Mr. Rowe's home with an accomplice posing as a garda, while in the video store incidents, she wore a balaclava and guarded the doors while others stole goods. Byrne admitted to the charges, stating she was paid €200 for the shop robberies, which she spent on drugs. The court noted her 12 previous convictions and her status as a single mother on a methadone programme. No suspended portions or specific post-release conditions were detailed in the sentencing order. The matter was concluded with the imposition of these consecutive custodial terms.
Clive Keogh, a 40‑year‑old former businessman and graphic designer, was found guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of possessing a false travel pass in the name of Brad Pitt, along with four other fake passes on a USB key. He pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a false travel pass with intent to deceive. The judge, Catherine Murphy, noted Keogh's prior 18 minor convictions and his recent shop‑lifting charge, but also acknowledged his progress since July, including enrolment in a training course and secured accommodation. She imposed a nine‑month prison sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions, and ordered 240 hours of community service and engagement with the Probation Service for two years. The sentence was delivered after a Garda investigation that uncovered the fake passes and Keogh's cooperation with the authorities.
Alan Wilson, 36, of New Street Gardens, Dublin, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for a meat‑cleaver attack on Dromheath Drive, Blanchardstown, on 3 June 2009. He and David Crowley, 38, had pleaded not guilty to trespass and assault. Wilson was also charged with murder, for which he was later acquitted. While awaiting trial for the murder, Wilson spent 12 months in custody. The Court of Appeal, on 12 April 2013, reduced Wilson's sentence by one year, citing the time he had already been deprived of liberty. Judge George Birmingham explained that Wilson's bail for the meat‑cleaver attack remained in force even though he was in custody on the murder charge. Wilson's counsel argued the original seven‑year term was excessive, noting his lack of prior prison experience and the absence of a victim impact report. Wilson did not react to the resentencing. The final sentence was six years' imprisonment.
Two Dublin men, David Crowley (38) and Alan Wilson (36), were convicted of trespassing and assault causing harm after breaking into a home in Blanchardstown on 3 June 2009 and attacking the victim with a meat cleaver. Crowley was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. A jury found them guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, and Judge Desmond Hogan sentenced Crowley to eight years' imprisonment and Wilson to seven years' imprisonment on 12 April 2013. Both men appealed their convictions. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, dismissed the appeals. Birmingham rejected arguments that a jury member's request for a lighter and the admission of evidence that Wilson was wearing a bulletproof vest were improper, and upheld the trial judge's handling of witness statements and the evidence that the cleaver was brought to the house. Wilson's sentence appeal will be considered separately. David Crowley pleaded not guilty. Alan Wilson pleaded not guilty.
Claire Lawlor, 26, of Abbeylea Drive, Swords, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery committed on 1 May 2012 in Swords. She had 55 prior convictions, including robbery, theft, burglary, assault, road‑traffic offences and making off without paying. Lawlor, a former heroin addict who had become drug‑free and pregnant with her second child, was said by her defence counsel to have been motivated by her pregnancy to seek rehabilitation. The robbery involved a taxi driver outside a Garda station; Lawlor and a male accomplice stole the driver's keys and phone, and the driver was held at gunpoint. Lawlor's wallet, containing her social welfare card, was found in the taxi. The judge, citing her rehabilitation and the seriousness of her previous convictions, imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years, suspended in full, and noted that the sentence was given with great hesitancy after recognising her request for a last chance.
Jonathan McLoughlin, 34, of Sheephill Park, Blanchardstown, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to aiding and abetting an unknown person in a deception offence in August 2013. He had previously been convicted of criminal damage and possession of a knife. McLoughlin admitted that he had been receiving small amounts of cannabis and that he had provided his bank card and account details to an unknown man. The scam involved advertising tickets for the Electric Picnic on the Donedeal website and a man who had posted an ad for a car engine. A total of €2,630 was transferred to McLoughlin's account, most of which was withdrawn from ATMs. Gardaí stopped the account after the victims reported it, and the balance of €1,845 was frozen. McLoughlin was not arrested until February 2014, when he made admissions. The case was adjourned to January to allow a Probation Service report.
Michael Bonner, a 43‑year‑old barman from Laurel Lodge, Castleknock, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm after stabbing Gary Dawnay twice in the shoulder with a steak knife. The attack occurred on 14 August 2013 at Hayworth Terrace, Ongar, when Bonner discovered Dawnay in bed with his ex‑partner. Dawnay suffered a collapsed lung and a sliced thumb. Judge Desmond Hogan found the offence serious but noted little pre‑meditation, describing the assault as a frenzied, disproportionate reaction. He imposed a three‑year suspended sentence, ordered Bonner to attend an alcohol treatment programme, and required the €3,000 he had raised as a token of remorse to be paid to Dawnay. The court did not read the victim impact statement. Bonner was arrested after being restrained by a group of people, and he admitted the stabbing and apologized. He had reportedly drunk eight or nine pints that night.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard that Saverio Bellante, 36, admitted killing his landlord Thomas O'Gorman in Castleknock between 11 and 12 January 2014. Bellante, who had previously lived in Ireland and returned in 2011, claimed he was mentally disturbed and had been on anti‑psychotic medication. He told Gardaí that he had eaten what he believed to be part of O'Gorman's heart, but the body was found with a severed lung in a kitchen bowl. Evidence from Garda Patrick Traynor and Chief State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy described blunt‑force trauma to the head and multiple stab wounds to the neck and chest as the cause of death. The trial, expected to last two days, continues with the jury hearing the defence's admissions under Section 22 of the Criminal Justice Act. Saverio Bellante pleaded not guilty.
Alan Rees, 31, of Tinure, Dunleer, Co. Louth, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment in March 2015 for possessing cat litter and other items used to launder fuel. He pleaded guilty to one count of keeping prohibited goods used for removing the marker from mineral oil at Ballycoolin Business Park, Blanchardstown, Dublin, on 17 May 2013. Customs officers had intercepted him while removing 2,000 litres of laundered fuel from a business premises in Blanchardstown, and he admitted to removing 2,000 litres almost every second day for six months. The court found large and complex machinery and estimated the fuel‑laundering operation cost the State €62,000 in lost revenue. On appeal, the 18‑month sentence was reduced to 12 months, with the final six months suspended, as decided by Mr Justice Mahon, Mr Justice Birmingham and Mr Justice Sheehan.
Jimmy Cash, 25, was convicted in February 2013 of endangerment, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and no insurance after driving the wrong way up the M50, crashing into cars. He received a six‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended. In March 2014 Judge Patricia Ryan imposed the sentence. Cash appealed against the sentence, but in July 2015 Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan dismissed the appeal, noting that the court had seriously considered increasing the sentence in light of Cash's prior convictions and subsequent offences. The court also considered the circumstances of the M50 incident, including the police response and the injuries Cash sustained. The appeal was rejected, and no additional jail time was imposed. The case remains at the sentencing stage, with no further outcome reported. Jimmy Cash pleaded guilty.
David Cully, 24, was tried for the murder of his uncle, Edward O'Connor, 41, who was shot in the back after a fist fight. Cully initially told Gardaí that a gunman had appeared "out of nowhere" and shot his uncle, but later admitted he had brought a gun to the fight and shot O'Connor himself. He claimed he fired in the heat of the moment after O'Connor made a comment about a sexual‑abuse allegation against him. Cully denied premeditation, stating he had never held a firearm before and had only watched shooting films. Gardaí argued the act was pre‑orchestrated and intended to kill. The case is before Mr Justice Carroll Moran with a jury of seven women and five men. The trial is ongoing. The unnamed 24-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Sarah Fitzgerald, 23, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting taxi driver Ji Yu Song on 5 July 2014 in Ranelagh. She admitted striking him and breaking a beer bottle over his head. Judge Martin Nolan gave her a suspended sentence of two and a half years, warning that she had "come very close" to prison. He noted she was a secondary actor while her former boyfriend, Gary Crowley, was the main aggressor, who had previously received a two and a half year prison term and had 28 convictions. Fitzgerald paid €7,000 to Song as a token of remorse, which the judge ordered to be passed to him. She had one prior drink‑driving conviction and was described as very drunk and covered in blood at the time of arrest. She has since stopped drinking, attends AA meetings and counselling, and has written a letter of apology to the court.
Robert Murphy, 32, was convicted of possessing a knife, discharging a firearm, and arson. He had previously pleaded guilty to these offences in 2012 and 2013. Judge Desmond Hogan originally sentenced him to nine years with five suspended, effective eight years. The Court of Appeal, after reviewing the case, found the sentence unduly lenient and imposed a new sentence of 11 years with three suspended, effective eight years. The appeal highlighted that Murphy, a known heroin addict and "career criminal" with 60 prior convictions, had set fire to a house occupied by a mother and child, forcing them to escape through a bedroom window. The court noted that the arson was the most serious offence and that the new sentence was intended to reflect the severity of the crime. The final effective term remains eight years imprisonment.
John Collins, 23, has filed a High Court challenge against a lower court order that bars him from all licensed premises in Dublin for six months. The order stems from a public order case in Blanchardstown District Court where Collins pleaded guilty to intoxication and threatening, abusive behaviour on 8 March at Cardiffsbridge, Finglas West. Judge Alan Mitchell fined him €200 for the behaviour and €100 for intoxication, then imposed an exclusion order under Section 3 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 2003. Collins, who had no prior convictions, argued the order is vague, disproportionate, and infringes his constitutional rights. He seeks to quash the exclusion order and other related orders. Justice Seamus Noonan granted permission for the appeal and stayed the district court order pending the High Court decision. The case remains pending.
In July 2013, Natasha Gleeson, a 38‑year‑old mother of two from Blanchardstown, stabbed 37‑year‑old John Redmond in the stomach with a kitchen knife during a verbal altercation on Aston Quay. The 5‑cm wound caused his small bowel to protrude and tore his colon. Gleeson pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to three years' imprisonment, citing her guilty plea and remorse as mitigating factors, though he noted the potential for death and the severity of the attack. Gleeson had no prior violent history but had earlier convictions for theft, property damage and abusive behaviour. The incident followed a dispute involving Redmond's girlfriend and her sister, with Gleeson intervening and then attacking Redmond. She later admitted to throwing the knife into the Liffey. The case highlighted her previous drug‑addiction struggles and her role as a mother.
A 23‑year‑old Latvian, Aleksejs Ivanvos, was found guilty of criminal damage to data after hacking the Irish forum boards.ie and downloading details of 280,000 users. He accessed the site by using the administrator's Twitter password, which also served as the site's admin login. The hacking, carried out over four years, did not involve any financial gain or distribution of the data. Ivanvos was extradited from England to Ireland in February 2011, remanded for just over two months, then released on bail and allowed to return to the UK. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the lack of intent to cause damage and the absence of profit, sentenced him to one year in prison, suspended in full. The court recorded no justification for imprisonment, and the case concluded with the suspended sentence. The hacking had cost boards.ie €30,000 in repair and downtime expenses.
Robert Murphy, 32, a drug addict, was convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing a knife, discharging a firearm, and arson. He received an effective sentence of four years imprisonment with five years suspended on 10 October 2014. The Court of Appeal, agreeing with the Director of Public Prosecutions, found the sentence "unduly lenient" and ordered a new sentence to be imposed later. The appeal highlighted that Murphy was found with a flick knife in May 2012, discharged a sawn‑off shotgun at a house door, and set fire to a house occupied by a mother and child. The court noted Murphy's history of 60 convictions, including six for knife possession, and that the suspended periods for the shotgun and arson offences were also deemed unduly lenient. The new sentence will be determined at a future hearing. Robert Murphy pleaded guilty.
A Longford man has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious harm following an incident in Blanchardstown, Dublin on 2 August 2013. Dylan Meade, aged 21, admitted to dangerous driving, failing to stop after an accident, driving without a licence and driving without insurance. The charges relate to a collision involving a cyclist who sustained severe brain trauma. The court heard that Meade had assumed driving duties from his brother-in-law, whom he described as incapacitated. Witnesses reported the van struck the cyclist at approximately 57 kilometres per hour, propelling him several feet into the air. The injured party, a Romanian man in his early thirties, provided a victim impact statement to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court describing the lasting physical and psychological consequences of his injuries, which included a four-month period of amnesia. His family detailed significant emotional and behavioural changes resulting from the accident. Judge Catherine Murphy will impose sentence on 22 July.
Two Polish brothers, Slawomir (37) and Marcin (29) Syzmala, were jailed for ten years after a Garda operation uncovered almost €3.5 million worth of cannabis and cannabis resin in Meath. The brothers had rented a farmhouse, Knock House, as a storage hub and were found to have packed a large amount of drugs for distribution. They pleaded guilty to three charges of having drugs for sale or supply at two different locations on 17 April 2014. The operation involved surveillance that led officers to the farmhouse, a people carrier, and an apartment complex in Blanchardstown. DNA on gloves linked both men to the house, and a key to a Mercedes van was found there. The brothers had no admissions in interviews, and the case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Martin Nolan, who noted their Polish nationality would pose extra difficulties in serving time.
Clive Keogh, a 40‑year‑old former businessman and graphic designer, was arrested on 7 November 2013 after a Garda stopped him on Parnell Street. The officer noticed Keogh moving a plastic card from his front to his back pocket and discovered a free travel card in his own name that appeared to be fake. Keogh was handed a USB key containing several other false travel passes, which he claimed he had created in an internet shop. He pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a false travel pass with intent to deceive, and admitted possession of four additional passes in the names of Stephen Lyons, Anthony Keegan, David Doyle and Brad Pitt. Keogh said he made the cards to visit his son in Navan and had produced between five and ten such cards for others.
Duane Brady, 36, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of assault causing harm to his former partner on the number 39 Dublin Bus and on a public street near Blanchardstown Shopping Centre on 13 May 2011. The victim fled the bus, was punched by Brady, lost consciousness and suffered a fractured hand, swelling, bruising and rib abrasion. Brady had 43 previous convictions, including robbery and assault, and a long history of drug and alcohol addiction. On 10 March 2014, Justice Carmel Stewart imposed a wholly suspended two‑year sentence, which the Director of Public Prosecutions described as "unduly lenient." The DPP appealed, arguing the judge erred in imposing a non‑custodial sentence and that the suspension should have been longer. The Court of Appeal, led by Justice George Birmingham, dismissed the appeal, stating that the suspended sentence was appropriate and that incarceration was not warranted at this stage. The case remains at the appellate decision stage.
Jimmy Cash, 25, appeared in the Court of Appeal on 9 July after being refused bail pending his appeal against a six‑year sentence for driving the wrong way up the M50 motorway. He had pleaded guilty in February 2013 to endangerment, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and having no insurance. The offence caused a five‑car collision with serious injuries, and Cash himself was seriously injured, not wearing a seatbelt. He had 85 previous convictions, including 16 for dangerous driving and 31 for burglary. Cash was assaulted on Monday of the week, requiring 20 stitches to his left cheek, and his barrister argued this as a special circumstance. The three‑judge panel, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, found Cash fell "way short" of the bail threshold and refused bail, noting the early appeal hearing date and lack of request for a different date.
The High Court granted bail to Trevor Noone, a Dublin man charged with murdering 17‑year‑old Daniel McAnaspie in 2010. Noone, who lives on Whitestown Avenue, Blanchardstown, faces a murder charge. His lawyer, Michael O'Higgins SC, presented six bail terms to the Central Criminal Court. These include a €5,000 bond, weekly Garda sign‑ins, residence at Briarwood Avenue, Mulhuddart, surrendering any passport, no contact with witnesses, and providing a contact number. Mr Justice Paul Carney approved the bail on these conditions, with a trial date to be set later.
Eugene Byrne, 21, pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery of Clonsilla Post Office on 16 December 2013. He and accomplice Ian Mansfield fled on a motorbike, leading Gardaí on a chase from Dublin to Mullingar, Westmeath. Byrne was arrested in Trinidad and Tobago the previous year for attempting to export cocaine, receiving a two‑year hard‑labour sentence and a fine of about €4,000, of which he paid after six months in jail. He returned to Ireland in January. In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Byrne was sentenced to five years, four of which were suspended. The court noted his prior dangerous‑driving conviction and his claim of being "out of kilter" after his father's death. The sentence credited the six months he served abroad. Mansfield received a suspended five‑year sentence. The case ended with Byrne's conviction and the specified custodial term.
James Slattery, a 33‑year‑old disc jockey from Carrig Court, Citywest, was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in trafficking €1.5 million worth of cannabis into Ireland. He met a lorry driver, Istvan Bogdan, in Blanchardstown, Dublin, who had just brought 78 kg of cannabis from the Netherlands. While Slattery was transferring a third of the drugs into his car, Gardaí conducting a surveillance operation moved in. Slattery pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply on 5 May 2014. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Slattery's guilty plea and his long history of charity work, imposed the jail term. Bogdan, a 42‑year‑old Hungarian, received a six‑year sentence. Slattery, who has 14 prior convictions, admitted he was paid €1,000 and claimed he was not a drug addict but merely collecting the drugs for delivery to another person.
Two Dublin men, David Crowley (38) and Alan Wilson (36), are awaiting the outcome of appeals against convictions for trespassing and assault causing harm at Dromheath Drive, Blanchardstown, on 3 June 2009. Crowley was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. Both were found guilty by a jury at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and sentenced by Judge Desmond Hogan on 12 April 2013 to eight years and seven years imprisonment respectively. In the Court of Appeal, Wilson's counsel, Padraig Dwyer SC, argued that no evidence existed of trespassing or assault and highlighted that Wilson was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time of arrest. The prosecution, represented by Paul Burns SC, maintained that the vest indicated joint enterprise with Crowley, who carried a firearm. The court has reserved judgment and will decide as soon as possible. David Crowley pleaded not guilty. Alan Wilson pleaded not guilty.
Two Dublin men, David Crowley (38) and Alan Wilson (36), appealed their convictions for trespassing and assault at Dromheath Drive, Blanchardstown, on 3 June 2009. Crowley also faced a second charge of unlawful firearm possession. Both were found guilty by a jury at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and sentenced to eight and seven years' imprisonment respectively by Judge Desmond Hogan on 12 April 2013. In the appeal, Crowley's counsel, James O'Brien SC, argued that the jury should have been discharged after Crowley offered a juror a cigarette lighter outside court, an act described by the jury as a "jaw‑dropping moment." O'Brien also highlighted the victim's former partner, Lisa Murray, who later retracted her statement and claimed no memory of the events. Wilson's counsel, Padraig Dwyer SC, contended that there was no evidence of trespassing or assault, that the admission of Murray's statement was wrong, and that evidence of Wilson's bullet‑proof vest was prejudicial. David Crowley pleaded not guilty. Alan Wilson pleaded not guilty.
In a 2015 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Suzanne O'Connell (42) and Daniel McMahon (23) pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of an Applegreen petrol station in Clonsilla on 19 September 2013. O'Connell, acting as getaway driver, had met McMahon that night and picked him up with a third man. The trio entered the shop wearing balaclavas; McMahon brandished a pellet gun that was a convincing replica of a 6mm Colt handgun, while the other man held a knife. They demanded cash, filled a plastic bag with about €800, and fled. Gardaí, who had followed O'Connell's car, arrested all three. McMahon claimed he did not know O'Connell prior to the robbery. Both defendants had no prior convictions, and O'Connell's past offences were traffic and a 2002 drug‑dealing charge. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a suspended five‑year prison term on each, contingent on maintaining peace for that period, citing their personal circumstances, guilty pleas, and cooperation with police.
Gary Byrne, aged 42, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for possession of €2.52 million worth of cannabis resin and herb, found in two Dublin lock‑ups. The prosecution had earlier dropped a charge of possession of €2.5 million worth of ecstasy after the Court of Appeal's Bederev judgement declared such bans unconstitutional. Byrne pleaded guilty in June 2013 at Rosemount Business Park and the North West Business Centre. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a 12‑year sentence with the final three years suspended, citing that Byrne was not the owner of the drugs and was an addict. He had a prior conviction for stealing Rohypnol from a pharmaceutical firm. Garda evidence showed Byrne was under surveillance, had rented the lock‑ups, and admitted holding the drugs to repay debts and fund his addiction. The defence highlighted his family and work record, urging a lighter sentence. The final custodial term is nine years.
The State dropped a charge of possession of €2.5 million worth of ecstasy after the Court of Appeal ruled that ecstasy and other drugs were unconstitutionally banned. The accused, who also had a similar amount of cannabis, had already pleaded guilty to possessing over 250,000 ecstasy tablets for sale or supply in 2013. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions asked the court to withdraw the ecstasy charge and proceed solely on the cannabis counts. The case involves Gary Byrne (42) of Belcamp Gardens, Coolock, Dublin, who pleaded guilty to possession of €2.52 million worth of cannabis resin and herb. He will be sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Byrne has a prior conviction for stealing Rohypnol from a pharmaceutical firm. At the sentencing hearing, Mr McGillicuddy presented evidence from the Garda National Drugs Unit that Byrne was the subject of a surveillance operation on 4 June 2013.
Three men – Gary Freeman (27), Barry Gannon (36) and John Redmond (38) – were found guilty of assault causing harm and violent disorder after a 12‑day trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The offence took place in the yard of Mountjoy Prison on 28 August 2012 when the men attacked prisoner William McDonagh, pushing him to the ground and kicking him, as shown on CCTV footage. The court saw that Gannon struck McDonagh with a mop head, Redmond kicked and punched him, and Freeman punched and stamped on his head. McDonagh suffered lacerations, a damaged ear and bruising, and required 30 sutures. Each defendant was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with the final year suspended; Freeman's and Gannon's terms were back‑dated to 26 February 2015, and Redmond's to 18 December 2013. The judge noted the defendants' prior convictions and their expressions of remorse and rehabilitation efforts. Gary Freeman pleaded not guilty. Barry Gannon pleaded not guilty. John Redmond pleaded not guilty.
A Court of Appeal judgment delivered on 10 March 2015 addressed the constitutionality of section 2(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, which empowers the Government to declare substances as controlled drugs by order. The appellant, Stanislav Bederev, had been charged with drug offences relating to methylethcathinone at Blanchardstown District Court in April 2012. The substance was subsequently classified as a controlled drug via Government order in 2011, though it had previously been legally available for purchase. The High Court had rejected Bederev's challenge to the constitutionality of section 2(2) on grounds that it allegedly violated Article 15.2.1 of the Constitution concerning the exclusive legislative power of the Oireachtas. The case was transferred from the Supreme Court to the Court of Appeal following its establishment. District Court proceedings remained adjourned pending the appeal outcome.
Three Lithuanian men—Darius Adamonis (46), his son Darvydas Adamonis (27) and Linas Butrinovicius (29)—were sentenced in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for false imprisonment of student Richard Nagle (25) on 16 October 2013. The men, acting on instructions from landlord Peter Downey, forcibly evicted Nagle from a bedsit in Cabra Park, Dublin. They blocked his exit, demanded his belongings, and led him to his room, where Butrinovicius brandished an air pistol. Nagle, who had paid a €500 deposit for the room, fled with his possessions and reported the incident. The court found the men unaware of the illegality of their actions. Butrinovicius received a two‑year sentence, Darius Adamonis an 18‑month term, and Darvydas Adamonis a two‑year suspended sentence. The case highlighted the unlawful nature of the forced eviction. Darius Adamonis pleaded guilty. Darvydas Adamonis pleaded guilty. Linas Butrinovicius pleaded guilty.
At the Central Criminal Court, a jury heard statements from the former partner of Mark Nash, who is charged with the murder of two women in March 1997. Nash, aged 42, has pleaded not guilty to the murders of Sylvia Shields and Mary Callanan between March 6 and 7, 1997. State counsel read two statements from Sarah Jane Doyle, describing how she met Nash in a Dublin nightclub in late March 1997 and subsequently began a relationship with him. The court heard Nash claimed to have family connections in Ballina, County Mayo. The second statement was taken after Doyle received a letter from Nash whilst receiving treatment at Beaumont Hospital, following an assault at a house in Ballintober, County Roscommon on August 16, 1997. A handwriting expert from An Garda Síochána testified that letters attributed to Nash displayed consistent characteristics and were written fluently without hesitation or disguise. The trial continues.
In Swords District Court on 2 March 2015, several cases were heard. Dean Whelan, 27, pleaded guilty to stealing €85 from a Polish shop's cash register to pay a drug debt. He was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, a term that will run concurrently with a three‑year sentence he is already serving. Brendan Donovan, 61, admitted possession of a stolen van that had been listed on Done Deal. He was adjourned until 27 April to arrange €500 compensation for the van owner's tools. Kevin Carroll, 27, failed to appear after pleading guilty to damaging a restaurant window, leading to a bench warrant. Patrick Joyce, 22, was convicted of stealing soft drinks worth €5, fined €100, and warned that a further offence could result in custodial time. Each case was addressed with the specific charges, pleas, and court orders as stated in the article.
Ian Mansfield, 24, and his accomplice Eugene Byrne, 21, were arrested after a "terrifying" armed raid on Clonsilla Post Office on 16 December 2013. Mansfield fled the scene on a motorbike, leading Gardaí on a chase from Dublin to Mullingar, Westmeath. He pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a suspended five‑year sentence, conditioned on Mansfield's good behaviour for that period, noting his lack of prior convictions and good family background. The post mistress suffered nightmares and remains cautious. Witnesses reported Mansfield brandishing a hammer and Byrne holding a silver gun; both wore motorcycle helmets. The raid lasted about a minute, ended without cash, and the men escaped on a motorcycle. Byrne also pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing in March.
Stephen Mulvaney, 39, and his father Paul Mulvaney, 62, were sentenced in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for running a cannabis growhouse in an industrial unit. Stephen admitted responsibility for 94 cannabis plants and was jailed for four years. Paul, who had been in prison two or three times before, received a three‑year suspended sentence after admitting he may have unknowingly assisted his son. The court noted that stolen vehicles—a Hyundai Santa Fe jeep and a Volkswagen Jetta—were found in the unit, along with parts from other dismantled cars. Stephen claimed he knew the jeep was stolen and hid it to avoid detection, and he admitted debt of €22,000 from loans and gambling, which he said motivated the operation. He pleaded guilty to possession of the stolen jeep and possession of cannabis for sale or supply. Paul pleaded guilty to cultivation of cannabis.
Ross Cahill, 22, of Portrane, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the unlawful seizure of a taxi van at Castleknock on May 18 last. Judge James O'Donohoe sentenced him to five years in prison but suspended the final two years, noting that Cahill has since been charged with eight other offences and has 30 previous convictions, including two for robbery. The court heard Cahill was highly intoxicated during the attack, where he encouraged an accomplice to stab the driver, Feargal MacEoin, after a €5 fare. In a separate matter concerning a violent attack on MacEoin in April 2012, James Murphy, 20, and Dean Daly, 19, both of Tallaght, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and robbery of a mobile phone, wallet, and cash. Judge Mary Ellen Ring suspended a three-year prison sentence for both men, citing their youth and lack of previous convictions, while describing the incident as a shocking and unprovoked attack. MacEoin stated the 2012 incident left him with significant mental and physical scarring. The accomplice in the 2013 hijacking remains before the courts.
In February 2015, Joseph O'Toole, aged 19, avoided a jail term after pleading guilty to two counts of robbery at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court, led by Judge Mary Ellen Ring, sentenced him to three years in prison but suspended the sentence in full, citing his efforts to address drug addiction. O'Toole was involved in two separate attacks on Church Road, Mulhuddart. The first, an assault on a pensioner named Fred Mulligan, involved a bicycle strike, kicking, and a demand for money, resulting in Mulligan receiving €100 and hospital treatment. The second attack targeted Isabella Szyrajew, who was cycling with groceries; O'Toole and a co‑accused knocked her off her bike, beat her, dragged her by her rucksack, and stole €50 worth of goods. Garda Alan Gordon witnessed the second assault and later arrested O'Toole after a violent struggle.
Sean McAuley, 20, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of Ketamine, MDMA, and cannabis for sale or supply. Following the completion of voluntary work and a positive Probation Report, Judge Dermot Dempsey struck out the case. In a separate matter, John Butterly, 39, pleaded guilty to assaulting Peter Thompson and producing a baseball bat. Lorraine Butterly, 34, is charged with assaulting three individuals and producing a rolling pin. Peter Thompson, 41, pleaded guilty to assaulting John Butterly. All three were remanded on continuing bail until April 13th for a hearing at Swords District Court. Zacheaus Odinga, 45, pleaded guilty to driving without insurance on Drogheda Street in Balbriggan. Judge Dempsey convicted him, fined him €400, and declined to invoke disqualification under special circumstances. The report also notes that David Cummins, 25, is charged with attempting to steal cash and a can of Coke; his case is scheduled for March 30th. Jade Gannon, 32, pleaded guilty to theft and non-payment of a taxi fare, receiving fines of €100 and €75 respectively. Andrea Bunce, 44, is alleged to have stolen stock and cash; she was remanded on continuing bail until February 12th. John Maxwell, 36, is charged with possession of cannabis; his case was adjourned until March 12th for the service of the Book of Evidence.