Court archive
Court reports mentioning Churchtown, Dublin
2026-05-08 · Dublin
A car wash owner who shouted "I am tiger" and attacked two people during a dispute over parking spaces at a south Dublin coffee dock has been given a suspended jail sentence and ordered to carry out community service. Ismail Tamar, 42, pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm and a public order offence. The court heard that the trouble began after a dispute over where a Mercedes Sprinter van had parked near a coffee truck adjoining Tamar's car wash business. The van driver told the court that Tamar approached him swearing and shouting expletives, and later pointed a high-pressure power washer directly into his face while continuing to shout abuse. Tamar was seen punching the van driver in the face, ears, and body. A friend of the van driver described seeing Tamar point the power washer at the driver before punches were thrown. Garda Colm Walsh told the court that he arrived shortly after 1.15pm and saw Tamar throwing punches through the window of a car.
2026-03-03 · Dublin
Luke Kavanagh was jailed after pleading guilty to possessing cannabis, cocaine and cannabis jellies for sale or supply. The court accepted he was under considerable fear because his family had been threatened and imposed a four-year sentence with the final year suspended.
2025-07-15 · Dublin
Mark Kavanagh, aged 48, was sentenced by Judge Orla Crowe to a global term of six years and nine months, with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions. The sentence follows a high‑speed chase on 28 April 2024 in which Kavanagh attempted to ram a Garda patrol car, drove at speeds up to 120 km/h, and was later apprehended after the vehicle crashed. He pleaded guilty to endangerment, criminal damage, dangerous driving, driving without insurance, and failing to provide a blood or urine sample. Kavanagh also pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and handling stolen property in 2024, including an intrusion into the home of an 85‑year‑old man on 10 June 2024, where a key was taken. He has 168 prior convictions, including burglary, trespass, firearms and drug offences, and is disqualified from driving until 2030.
2025-03-03 · Dublin
A Jordanian man, Saif Waleed Al Hindawi, was jailed for three and a half years after a violent sexual assault on a woman in South Dublin. The victim was bitten on the mouth and forced to the ground, suffering injuries that required hospital treatment and ongoing medical care. Al Hindawi, who had no fixed abode, falsely claimed to be a Syrian asylum seeker and denied any sexual conduct. He also refused a disease test, delaying the victim's knowledge of potential infection. The court heard the victim's impact statement, detailing PTSD, loss of confidence, and ongoing medication. Al Hindawi pleaded guilty to sexual assault on 23 May 2024. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three and a half years, noting possible deportation after release. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
2025-01-27 · Dublin
A liquidator, Myles Kirby of Kirby Chartered Accountants, was appointed by Mr Justice Oisín Quinn to wind up Chequer Catering Ltd, the company behind Dublin's Green Hen restaurant, after the High Court confirmed a €1.8 million deficit. Kirby had previously served as provisional liquidator. The court noted the restaurant lacked a fire safety certificate and had been without a liquor licence for over two years. Revenue's Dermot Cahill SC highlighted the company's debt of €751,266.01, covering PAYE, PRSI, USC, LPT, corporation tax and VAT from December 2019 onward. An interim examiner had been appointed by the Circuit Court on 13 December, but the company withdrew its protection application. Executive officer Philip Byrne's affidavit stressed Revenue's concern over the company's inability to pay its debts, deeming a full liquidation just and equitable.
2024-12-20 · Dublin
In a High Court hearing on 20 December 2024, the court appointed Myles Kirby as provisional liquidator for Chequer Catering Limited, the company behind Dublin's Green Hen restaurant. The company was declared insolvent, with a €1.8 million deficit and a debt of €751,266.01 to Revenue covering PAYE, PRSI, USC, LPT, corporation tax and VAT from December 2019. Chequer had no fire safety certificate and had been without a liquor licence since September 2022, yet its creditors include wine suppliers. The court, hearing an ex‑parte application from Revenue, ordered the appointment of the provisional liquidator and adjourned the case to 27 January to allow a petition for winding up to be filed. The company's directors are Frank Gleeson of Churchtown and Ciara Fox of Celbridge. The provisional liquidator will oversee the company's affairs pending a formal winding‑up application.
2024-03-05 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 16‑year‑old named Calistus Omoikhudu received a fully suspended three‑year prison sentence for assault causing harm and possession of a knife after stabbing a rival group member in the thigh with a kitchen knife on Nutgrove Avenue, Churchtown, on 10 May 2019. The victim suffered a 15‑cm laceration and required surgery. Omoikhudu, who had no prior convictions, admitted the offence, expressed regret and presented an apology letter. The court noted his age, lack of parental oversight at the time, and his subsequent maturation and good behaviour after returning to Ireland from Nigeria in 2022. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the suspended sentence on strict conditions and directed Omoikhudu to be supervised by Probation Services for 15 months. The sentence was based on the Children's Act and the court's assessment that he was unlikely to re‑offend. Calistus Omoikhudu pleaded guilty.
2024-02-13 · Dublin
Stephen O'Reilly, 44, of Upper Churchtown Road, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing two garages in May 2021 and attempting to rob a Spar shop in June 2021, and to a public order offence and driving without insurance or a licence in April 2020. Judge Orla Crowe imposed a global sentence of four years and eight months, back‑dated to 21 October 2022, with the final six months suspended on strict conditions. The sentence includes a four‑year driving disqualification. O'Reilly was already in 24‑hour lock‑up at Midlands Prison since June 2021 and is taking significant medication. The judge noted his use of weapons, threats of violence, and the escalation of his offending, while considering his guilty pleas, personal circumstances, attempts to address addiction and expressions of remorse. The sentence reflects the aggravating features of his previous convictions, the impact on victims, and his history of drug use and mental health issues.
2023-10-10 · Dublin
Lynsey Ryan, 39, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to forging prescriptions for sleeping tablets at five pharmacies in west Dublin between August 2018 and August 2020. She admitted taking 20 tablets nightly and relying on them for 15 years, citing addiction and the death of two family members as triggers. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced her to one year, suspended on conditions including engagement with employment services, urine analysis, and potential re‑introduction to court if drugs are detected. Ryan has 159 prior district court convictions, 67 for using a false instrument. Garda evidence showed forged prescriptions were identified by pharmacists and doctors, leading to CCTV evidence of 12 incidents at Lloyds Pharmacy Tallaght and 36 at McCabe's Pharmacy Tallaght, among others. A letter of apology and a partner's letter were presented to the court.
2023-05-02 · Dublin
Alan Leech, 38, was jailed for two years for extortion after he was hired by Bryan Kennedy to murder a couple with whom Kennedy's wife was having an online affair. Leech demanded money from Kennedy and Kennedy's wife on three occasions in January 2020, threatening violence and claiming he had third‑party killers. Kennedy, who had already been sentenced to four and a half years for soliciting Leech, paid €8,000 but failed to pay an outstanding €2,000, prompting Leech to send more threatening messages. Leech never contracted any third parties and had no gang connections; he was described as a "local junkie" with a history of drug addiction and 43 prior convictions. The court noted Leech's remorse and reduced the headline sentence of three years to two years, citing mitigating factors. The case highlighted the threats and intimidation faced by Kennedy's wife, who reported ongoing fear and PTSD after the incidents. Alan Leech pleaded guilty.
2023-04-19 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Alan Leech, 38, pleaded guilty to extortion after being approached by Bryan Kennedy to murder a couple with whom Kennedy's wife was having an online affair. Leech claimed he was paid €10,000 and that he had arranged for third parties to carry out the murder, but the court found he had not contracted any killers and had merely exploited Kennedy's belief that he had criminal connections. Kennedy, who had paid Leech €8,000 and later failed to pay an outstanding €2,000, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for soliciting the murder. Leech, who has 43 prior convictions, was scheduled for sentencing on May 2, 2024. The case highlighted threats, intimidation and the impact on Kennedy's wife, who reported ongoing fear and PTSD after the incidents.
2023-02-07 · Dublin
In February 2023 a Dublin court heard that Graham Armstrong, 38, had broken into a woman's home armed with a knife and threatened to kill her. The victim had met Armstrong on Tinder the day before, and he had stayed for about an hour, appearing "nice and normal." After a brief outing, she returned to find a draught and a shadow, then was pushed and held by Armstrong who demanded money. He forced her to hand over her passport, €150, and other cards, and took her mobile phone. The victim later contacted a friend who advised her to call the police. Armstrong had previously mugged a 75‑year‑old woman in August 2020 and had been convicted of robbery and burglary in 2021. He pleaded guilty to both offences and was sentenced to two years for the robbery and a consecutive three‑year term for the burglary, with the judge noting the seriousness of the knife‑wielding intrusion.
2021-04-26 · Dublin
LDB Developments Limited has taken High Court action to overturn An Bord Pleanala's refusal to grant planning permission for 32 apartments at Braemor Road, Churchtown, Dublin 14. The developer sought a three‑ to six‑storey residential development, but the board upheld a prior decision by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and denied the application. The board's refusal was based on the project being premature and on alleged deficiencies in the developer's proposals to manage surface water, as well as a claim that the development would be prejudicial to public health and contrary to proper planning. LDB, represented by John Kenny BL, argues that the board's conclusion was flawed, that the proposal was not premature, and that adequate surface‑water management plans had been submitted. The developer also contends that the board failed to explain why it rejected the inspector's recommendation that permission should be granted.
2021-02-17 · Dublin
In a case heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Michael Joyce, aged 23, was found guilty of assault causing harm to his then partner Katelyn Stevenson, criminal damage to her iPhone, and theft of two mobile phones. The incident occurred on 24 May 2020 in the bedroom of Joyce's sister Elizabeth's home. Joyce, who was under the influence of cocaine, became enraged when Stevenson questioned his fidelity. He seized her phone, smashed it, pushed and slapped her, and later punched her sister twice. The sister's daughter, present in the room, pleaded with her mother not to be hit. Joyce also struck the sister a third time before leaving. He was sentenced to an 18‑month prison term, suspended for three years, with a condition of good behaviour. The court noted his prior record of 27 convictions, including criminal damage and violence, and his remorse expressed to Gardaí.
2020-12-08 · Dublin
Patrick O'Grady, 37, of Carrickmount Drive, Rathfarnham, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a knife‑point robbery at Daybreak, Beaumont Avenue, Churchtown, on 20 June 2020. He had 29 prior convictions, including burglary, theft and drug possession. Garda Declan O'Connor described how O'Grady entered the shop with a hood and black scarf, walked behind the counter, drew a knife and demanded both tills be opened. The shopkeepers complied and he stole about €750 before leaving. CCTV footage identified him and showed him waiting outside before the robbery. O'Grady, who began using drugs at 12 and is now clean while in custody, was on temporary release during the offence. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to two‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions and ordering the sentence to run consecutively with the one he is currently serving. The sentence is set to run until March 2021.
2020-06-22 · Dublin
In a Central Criminal Court sentencing hearing on 22 June 2020, Kieran Greene was given a mandatory life sentence for the murder of 61‑year‑old Patricia O'Connor, who was bludgeoned to death with a hurley in her Rathfarnham home on 29 May 2017. The sentence was back‑dated to the date of her death. Four other defendants – Louise O'Connor (41), Stephanie O'Connor (22), Keith Johnston (43) and Augustine 'Gus' O'Connor (76) – were remanded on continuing bail pending their own sentencing. The court heard victim impact statements from Patricia's son Richard and sister Collette Barry, who expressed disbelief at the brutality of the murder and the alleged cover‑up by family members. The hearing also included evidence that Patricia's body was dismembered into 15 parts found at nine sites across the Dublin and Wicklow mountains. Louise O'Connor pleaded guilty and was found guilty. Gus' O'Connor pleaded guilty. Kieran Greene pleaded not guilty and was found guilty.
2019-07-31 · Dublin
Four young men – John (22) and Christopher (23) Connors, Paddy (22) Connors and James (19) Wall – were sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for attacking a family home with stones and rocks on 23 December 2016. The assault, which took place at 2.45 am, left the occupants, including a newborn and a girl with special needs, homeless and forced them to spend Christmas in a hotel. The men pleaded guilty to criminal damage. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a 12‑month probation bond on John Connors, adjourned to 31 July 2020, and a two‑year suspended sentence on James Wall. Paddy Connors received a four‑year sentence with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions, while Christopher Connors was sentenced to four years with the final 18 months suspended. All sentences reflected the men's intoxication and the impact on the victim family.
2019-07-29 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury trial, Daniel Dos Santos, 24, was found guilty of robbing a Spanish restaurant worker of a mobile phone and a bottle of wine. The jury returned an 11‑1 verdict. Dos Santos also pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal damage to a house in Churchtown, and unlawful carriage in a vehicle, for which he received suspended sentences. The robbery occurred on 10 May 2016 when Dos Santos, accompanied by a second man, grabbed a Spanish waitress on Bridge Street and struck her in an unprovoked, violent attack. The judge noted he was not the prime mover. The victim's impact statement described lasting fear and financial loss. Dos Santos was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for the robbery, with consecutive terms of two and a half years for burglary and one year for unlawful carriage, all suspended for three years upon release.
2018-04-18 · Dublin
Dean Reddington, 33, of Drimnagh, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three robberies between February 2016 and September 2017 at bookmakers around Dublin, plus an attempted robbery and weapon production at Ladbrokes on 4 September 2017. He admitted using a black bag to conceal a stick or tree branch, presenting it as a gun, which caused terror for staff and customers. Victim Tracey O'Reilly of Boyle Sports reported €728 stolen and lasting anxiety, sleeplessness and PTSD. Reddington also robbed €714 at Paddy Powers and €240 at Boyle Sports in Balally. He has 35 prior convictions, 22 in Circuit Court, including 14 robberies. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to four and a half years, citing early guilty plea, cooperation, remorse, drug‑free status and rehabilitation prospects, while noting the robberies' long‑term impact on victims. The judge set a headline sentence of six to seven years, but the final imposed term was four and a half years.
2018-02-09 · Dublin
Gary Culhane, a 40‑year‑old Limerick man, was sentenced to four years in prison for breaking into the parochial house of The Good Shepherd Church in Churchtown, Dublin, on 15 October 2016. He pleaded guilty to burglary and was found to have 102 previous convictions, including assault, robbery and theft, and had spent 20 years in prison. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the final year of the sentence, ordering Culhane to complete a residential drug rehabilitation course at Tiglin treatment centre and to follow all after‑care plans. The priest, who had been away saying mass, was "very shaken" when he returned to find €650 stolen from his house, including money, collections and the poor box. Garda Áine Bolton identified Culhane after the priest downloaded CCTV footage.
2017-07-25 · Dublin
John Coonan, a former security guard, appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on appeal regarding his conviction for importing 41,360 ecstasy tablets. Coonan pleaded guilty to one count of importing the drugs at Clarence Mangan Road, South Circular Road, Dublin 8, on June 25, 2016. He alleged that he committed the offence under duress after men threatened to harm his fiancée. Judge Cormac Quinn accepted that Coonan acted out of fear rather than for monetary gain, noting his lack of previous convictions. However, the judge emphasized that couriers play an essential role in the drugs trade. The court handed down a six-year sentence but suspended the final three years on a number of conditions, resulting in an effective custody period of three years. Coonan had previously made admissions to gardaí, stating he was given a throw-away phone and instructed to pick up the package, which was intercepted at Portlaoise mailing centre. Defence counsel argued that Coonan's role was small within a larger enterprise orchestrated by others. The court also noted that Coonan has since obtained full-time employment and is involved in community support activities.
2017-07-06 · Dublin
Gary Culhane, 40, from Limerick, pleaded guilty to burglary at The Good Shepherd Church and Parochial House in Churchtown, Dublin, on 15 October 2016. He forced entry through the front door while the priest was away saying mass, ransacking the house and stealing €650, a mix of the priest's own money, collections and the poor box. The neighbouring church office was also broken into but nothing was taken. Garda Aine Bolton, who had received CCTV footage, identified Culhane and arrested him the next day. He admitted to being "stuck for cash," having debts and a chronic drug addiction, and claimed he had found money in the office and in envelopes. He has 97 prior convictions, including burglary, robbery and theft, and has spent 20 years in prison. The court adjourned sentencing to October to allow a probation report to be prepared. The plea in mitigation will be heard on that date.
2017-01-24 · Dublin
Herbert Buckley, 52, appeared before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after admitting he robbed a Spar newsagent on 11 December 2015 to obtain "a few bob for Christmas." He threatened the shopwoman with scissors, who called the gardai; he was then apprehended in a taxi. Buckley, who has a long history of drug addiction and 45 prior convictions, including an eight‑year sentence for drug dealing, admitted the robbery and said he was "guilty as sin." He has been seeking treatment for heroin addiction since his 20s and is trying to become drug‑free. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to 27 April to allow Buckley to demonstrate his commitment to a drug‑free life, remanding him on continuing bail until that date. The court noted his previous convictions and the circumstances of the robbery.
2016-06-20 · Donegal
Julian Cuddihy, 43, was committed to the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum for inpatient care following a trial at the Central Criminal Court. He was accused of murdering his parents, Kathleen (73) and James (77), at their home in Churchtown, Carndonagh, Co Donegal, on October 22, 2014. Cuddihy pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and a jury delivered a unanimous verdict after less than an hour of deliberation. Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan ordered his committal based on a report by Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist Dr Sally Lenihan, who assessed Cuddihy as suffering from paranoid schizophrenia requiring care available only at the designated centre. The court found he was suffering from a mental disorder under the 2006 Criminal Law (Insanity) Act. Evidence presented at trial detailed Cuddihy's deteriorating mental health, including paranoid delusions involving aliens and the belief that his mother was poisoning him. He reportedly believed killing his parents would send them to heaven. The State Pathologist confirmed multiple axe wounds to the victims' heads and stab wounds to James Cuddihy. The judge expressed deepest sympathies to the family, who conducted themselves appropriately during the difficult proceedings.
2015-11-27 · Dublin
Kenneth Valentine, 27, and Richard McCudden, 24, were convicted of assaulting cyclist Darren Molloy on Dundrum Road on 20 November 2013. Valentine struck Molloy in the face and McCudden joined the beating when Molloy tried to defend himself with his bike lock. The pair also pleaded guilty to damaging a taxi's front passenger window on Churchtown Road on the same day, causing €100 in damage. Valentine, an electrical engineering student at Rosemount Glade, had 11 prior convictions, including two assaults; McCudden, an apprentice electrician, had four prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Valentine to 14 months' imprisonment and McCudden to eight months, citing Valentine's larger role in the "savage" attack. Both pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court noted the defendants' cooperation and prior remorse gestures, but did not alter the sentences.
2015-03-09 · Dublin
Helen Conlan, administrator of the estate of the late Mrs Patricia Cosgrave, brought a case in the Commercial Court seeking to enforce an alleged agreement with Allied Irish Bank (AIB) that would have written off €11.2m of debt after the first three loan facilities were repaid. Mrs Cosgrave, who died in November 2014 at age 78, had secured four credit facilities from AIB totalling almost €70m. The first three facilities were €43.8m, €14.729m and €160,000; the fourth was €11.25m. Conlan claims that in May 2014 the parties reached an agreement that, if the first three facilities were paid in full before the due date, AIB would forgive the fourth facility. She argues that after her mother's death AIB refused to allow early repayment of the first three facilities and is demanding full repayment of all four.
2014-08-02 · Dublin
In a High Court ruling on 2 August 2014, Mr Justice Michael Moriarty dismissed a claim brought by 45‑year‑old Colin Widger against his father, Thomas Widger, over an alleged unlawful eviction from their family home on Whitebarn Road, Churchtown. Colin had said he was forcibly removed after his father complained that he was trespassing and that the house had been sold. Thomas denied any unlawful eviction, asserting his right to sell the jointly owned property, which he had continued to mortgage after leaving in the 1980s. He cited an agreement with his late wife Maeve as the basis for his entitlement. The judge found the case had no prospect of success, citing conflicting evidence and the fact that Colin had accepted €30,000 each from the sale proceeds. The action was struck out and Thomas was awarded legal costs.
2014-07-03 · Dublin
Colin Widger, who lived with his mother Maeve at 17 Whitebarn Road, Churchtown, claims he was unlawfully evicted by his estranged father Thomas Widger after the father complained to Gardai that Colin was trespassing. Widger says he is the executor of Maeve's will, which he says left the estate to him and his siblings, and that Thomas is contesting his role. Widger alleges he was forced onto the street, left homeless, sleeping on park benches and in sheds, and is now staying with friends. He says Thomas has put the house up for sale without his consent and that he is being oppressed. Widger, representing himself, filed a High Court action seeking an order to prevent the sale. The court adjourned the matter, noting that Thomas and other notice parties had not appeared. The case is pending before the High Court.
2014-07-02 · Dublin
In a High Court hearing on 2 July 2014, Mr Justice John Edwards ordered the extradition of 35‑year‑old Stephen James O'Reilly from Dublin to the United Kingdom. O'Reilly had been convicted in 2008 of dangerous driving causing death and received a nine‑year sentence, of which 229 weeks and six days remained. He was released on licence, but the licence was revoked after he breached conditions and fled. The court considered O'Reilly's mental health, noting an adjustment disorder, a background risk for suicide, generalised anxiety, borderline intellectual disability, ADHD symptoms and a history of polysubstance abuse. Despite concerns that extradition might worsen his risk of self‑harm, the judge ruled that the public interest in his rendition outweighed those concerns and ordered his surrender. The surrender was postponed until 30 September 2016, when he will have completed an unrelated sentence in Ireland. The court also directed that his medical records be transferred to the UK authorities.
2013-11-26 · Dublin
A 34‑year‑old Dublin man, Stephen James O'Reilly, was brought before the High Court on 26 November 2013 to consider an extradition request from the United Kingdom. The UK has issued a European Arrest Warrant for him, seeking to have him complete a nine‑year sentence for dangerous driving that caused a death, which he received in 2008. O'Reilly was not represented at the hearing; the judge advised him to obtain a lawyer and explained that he could be entitled to free legal aid if he could not afford one. He expressed that he could not return to the UK and became emotional. The court noted concerns about his safety, including a risk of self‑harm, and remanded him in custody until 10 December 2013. The hearing was conducted by Mr Justice John Edwards, with Ann Marie Lawlor BL representing the State and Detective Sergeant Mark O'Neill presenting evidence of the warrant and the revocation of his licence.