Michael Coleman, 34, a convicted robber, was sentenced to 18 months in custody for an unprovoked assault on two Louth brothers, Christopher and Joseph Lennon, on 26 June 2014. The attack occurred on Camden Street, Dublin, while Coleman was on bail for a prior robbery. He called Christopher a "culchie," punched him, and then joined in attacking Joseph, punching and kicking him while he was on the ground, causing Joseph to lose consciousness. The brothers had been drinking at Flannery's pub and were heading home when the incident happened. Joseph Lennon suffered a broken jaw on both sides, requiring metal plates and still cannot fully open his mouth; he also experiences flashbacks. Coleman had 25 prior convictions, including robbery and firearms offences. He pleaded guilty, and the judge noted his cooperation and attempts to address drug issues. The 18‑month sentence will commence after his current five‑year term ends.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has decided not to proceed with a prosecution against a woman from Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan who had been charged in connection with her father's death in 1988. Sharon Cullen, 39, had faced a charge of unlawfully and maliciously causing grievous harm with intent to murder at an address in Crumlin, Dublin on 13 May 1988. The decision followed a Supreme Court ruling in October 2014 which dismissed the DPP's appeal against a High Court order that had halted the prosecution on grounds of delay. A nolle prosequi, formally discontinuing the case, was entered at the Central Criminal Court today.
Lawyers for the State have requested an additional two weeks to file a response to Brian Meehan's appeal, which seeks to have his 1999 conviction for the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin declared a miscarriage of justice. Meehan, aged 47 and serving a life sentence in Portlaoise prison, is arguing that new evidence from the 2001 Special Criminal Court trial of John Gilligan undermines his conviction. The evidence relates to material that emerged during Gilligan's trial, in which Gilligan was acquitted of Guerin's murder but convicted of cannabis importation. During case‑management proceedings in the Court of Appeal, the Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel, Paul Anthony McDermott, explained that the State needed time to prepare a full set of submissions, citing the volume of material and the need to clarify the meaning of new evidence.
Ian Dent, 21, of Crumlin, was convicted of two counts of violent disorder for his role in a group attack on two American tourists in Temple Bar on 29 April 2012. The tourists suffered serious injuries, including a broken arm and permanent facial scarring. Dent was sentenced to five years' imprisonment by Mr Justice Patrick McCartan on 29 July 2014. Two other Dublin men received concurrent sentences, and a fourth man was jailed separately after pleading guilty. The Court of Appeal, hearing the case on 4 June 2015, found Dent's five‑year sentence excessive. A new sentence will be imposed on 9 July 2015. The appeal was based on Dent's lack of prior convictions, his youth, and his attempts to restrain the group and defuse the situation, which the trial judge had not considered. The Court of Appeal remanded Dent in custody pending the new sentence. Ian Dent pleaded not guilty.
Eoghan McGarry, aged 30, appeared in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court escorted by five security officers in riot gear. He had pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and possession of cannabis, both at Sundrive Road Garda Station on 2 September 2014. McGarry denied the two additional charges of possessing and handling stolen jewellery at his home. The Director of Public Prosecutions had required pleas to the additional charges and set a trial date in April 2016, pending the court's sentencing decision.
James Byrne, 34, of Crumlin, pleaded guilty to four burglaries committed while on bail for other offences. Between 3 and 13 October 2014 he broke into Drimnagh Castle Primary School, St Agnes Church, Assumption Church in Walkinstown, and St Mark's Junior School in Tallaght. He also pleaded guilty to criminal damage at St Mark's. In St Agnes he entered after asking to see a priest, was told to wait, then fled; a witness heard coins rattling in his jacket and he later claimed to have taken €56. At Assumption he was seen by an 80‑year‑old man counting coins, who tried to stop him; Byrne locked the door and escaped with an estimated €200‑€300. At St Mark's he caused €3,500 of damage to doors and windows but claimed he took nothing, borrowing €10 from his ex‑wife.
William O'Neill, aged 27, was sentenced to four years in prison for robbing Goldsmiths' Jewellers in Balbriggan on 10 May 2013. He admitted to smashing display cases with a sledgehammer, stealing jewellery worth €15,357 and causing €2,800 in damage. O'Neill also pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery at Rush Newsagents in Drimnagh on 10 November 2013 and to possession of a Taser gun in Crumlin on 30 March 2014. He claimed the weapons were for smashing glass, not for harming anyone, and that the gang intended to split the loot. O'Neill had previously served a sentence at Mountjoy, where he witnessed the killing of inmate Gary Douch, and had a criminal record of 68 convictions. The court noted his history of drug offences, assaults, public order and criminal damage charges. The judge imposed the four‑year term, with no mention of a suspended portion or effective custody details.
In a Dublin court, 19‑year‑old Christopher Roberts was sentenced to three and a half years' detention for his part in a savage assault on Italian national Francesco Brescia. Roberts admitted to kicking Brescia five times in the face after Brescia claimed he had stepped in to defend a brother. Brescia was knocked to the ground, suffered a dislocated and broken shoulder, eye damage and bleeding, and was treated in hospital. The judge, Martin Nolan, described the attack as vicious, noted Brescia's ongoing pain and loss of work, and suspended the final 18 months of Roberts' sentence on strict conditions. Roberts had no prior convictions at the time of sentencing, though he had since faced other charges. The court heard Brescia's victim impact report detailing financial loss, medical treatment and psychological effects. The judge acknowledged Roberts' remorse and dysfunctional background. The case remains at the sentencing stage. Christopher Roberts pleaded guilty.
Emily Casey, 18, was left paralysed from the chest down after a screw was incorrectly inserted into her spinal cord during a scoliosis operation at Our Ladies Hospital for Sick Children on 8 December 2009. She sued the hospital and consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr David Moore for medical negligence. On 6 May 2015 the High Court approved a part‑settlement of €1.668 million, which Emily and her family accepted. The settlement follows the admission of liability by the hospital last Friday. The case remains open for further issues, and an apology is being prepared for Emily. The settlement was granted while the case is adjourned to a later date in the month for any remaining matters. The court noted that Emily had previously suffered meningitis at age four and had been able to walk with a frame before the surgery. The settlement reflects the severe complications and paralysis caused by the surgical error.
In a 2011 incident outside Purrfect Pets on Longmile Road, Karl Dempsey (36) and others attacked Mark Eagers over a parking dispute. The confrontation escalated inside the shop, where CCTV captured Dempsey punching Eagers, kicking and stamping him. Eagers suffered a broken nose and had keys lodged in his thumb. Dempsey, who had three prior convictions including a seven‑year drug sentence, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to 20 months' imprisonment, refusing a non‑custodial alternative. No compensation order was made. The case highlighted a road‑rage incident that spiralled into violent disorder inside the pet shop.
In a Dublin supermarket raid on the Grange Road, Michael Coleman (34), Michael Sweeney (32) and Waymon Sweeney (33) used an axe, a large knife and a gun while wearing balaclavas. They threatened staff and the manager, forced customers to lie on the floor, and stole €24,556 from the safe. After the robbery, the men fled in a getaway car, pursued by gardaí, and later abandoned and burned a second vehicle. Coleman was arrested at the scene; Michael Sweeney was detained after a McDonald's visit and DNA evidence linked him to the second car. Waymon Sweeney failed to return from lunch recess, leading to a warrant for his arrest. All three pleaded guilty to robbery and were sentenced to five years' imprisonment. The court described the crime as a well‑planned, ambitious robbery. The case highlighted the men's drug‑related problems and personal losses.
Dylan Smith, 23, of Crumlin, pleaded guilty to producing an imitation firearm, unlawful seizure of a vehicle, and arson. On 26 March 2014, he threatened a taxi driver, John Lang, with a fake gun, forced him out of the vehicle, and drove off. Smith then set fire to Bernard Curtis Apartments in Bluebell. Garda Gary Keelan and others apprehended him near Jamestown Industrial Estate. Smith, with 69 prior convictions, was already serving sentences for robbery, false imprisonment and unlawful seizure of a vehicle. At sentencing, Judge Gerard Hogan imposed a four‑year jail term, with the final two years suspended, meaning Smith will serve an effective one‑year term. He is scheduled for release in 2020. The court noted his violent background, substance issues, and that he had become a father on the day of the incident. The case was prosecuted by Gareth Baker BL and defended by Pieter Le Vert BL.
In a burglary that turned violent, Shane Cooney, aged 24, was sentenced to five years in prison for attacking Father Diarmuid Byrne, 70, with an iron bar on St Anthony's Road, Rialto, on 16 October 2013. The assault left the priest with a fractured skull and numerous facial wounds, requiring 26 stitches. Gardaí found blood‑stained iron bar and other items outside the priest's home after neighbours reported a disturbance. Cooney, who had 74 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to burglary and assault. Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed a five‑year sentence, suspending the final 18 months. The court noted the victim's age and the impact of the attack, but no further details of the sentence's effective custodial term were provided in the article. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Gerard Creighton, 49, was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to inform the Gardaí of his change of address between November 2013 and February 2014, for an attempted robbery at a bookmaker's on 28 February 2014, and for possessing an imitation firearm. He entered the shop in Dublin city centre armed with a 6mm air pistol loaded with ball bearings, handed a bag to a female staff member, and demanded money be placed in it. The woman fled, and Creighton left without any money. Gardaí recovered the pistol from a bin and later found his DNA on it. He also admitted possession of a stolen travel pass in the name of Michael Connors. The court noted his six prior convictions under the 2001 Sex Offenders Act and his registration as a sex offender in 1999. Judge Martin Nolan back‑dated the sentence to February 2014. Gerard Creighton pleaded guilty.
Patrick McGrath, aged 35, received a three‑year jail sentence for a series of violent offences. He pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to producing a knife during a dispute on 17 July 2012, to attempted hijacking of a car that same night, and to intimidation of a witness by threatening Sinead Murphy on 19 July 2012. McGrath also threatened the Murphy family, saying he would return with a gun and shoot them. The judge, Martin Nolan, back‑dated the sentence to April 2014, noting evidence of reconciliation between McGrath and the Murphy family. McGrath's defence argued he was a hard‑working man acting out of over‑protectiveness for his son, who has a serious congenital brain condition. The court imposed the three‑year term, with no mention of a suspended portion or effective custody beyond the sentence itself.
Keith O'Brien, 37, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment by Judge Martin Nolan after pleading guilty to possessing 3.5 kg of heroin worth €532,339. O'Brien had previously agreed to hold €8,000 worth of drugs for "serious criminals" after losing his job, but the drugs were destroyed by damp. Garda Patrick McAvinue testified that O'Brien was seen placing a shopping bag behind the driver's seat of a Volkswagen, and a search of his home uncovered €498,000 worth of heroin. O'Brien claimed he was coerced by higher‑level offenders and had no financial gain from the operation. He was described as a family man who had been assaulted and pressured into the role. The court accepted his full admissions and cooperation with the investigation. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and the circumstances surrounding his involvement.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Derek O'Keeffe, aged 39, pleaded guilty to two robbery counts and one attempted robbery at three petrol stations in November 2013. He stole cash from a Maxol Garage on Tymon Road, a Discount Fuels on Fortunestown Road, and a Topaz on Greenhill Road. During the incidents he threatened a security guard with a syringe and held a pregnant employee, Anna Zajac, at a 23‑inch knife point, forcing her to open tills. Zajac reported feeling emotionally destroyed and fearing for her unborn child after the robbery. Garda Simon Whelan testified that O'Keeffe was chased over ten garden walls before being tackled and captured. O'Keeffe's 36 prior convictions include manslaughter, assault, and robbery. Judge Patricia Ryan remanded him in custody to be sentenced next October.
Mark Cooke, 26, of Derry Park, Crumlin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for drug offences. He pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply, admitting to being caught with heroin and cocaine in March and May 2013, as well as possession of Diazepam and heroin for sale or supply on March 6, 2013. Judge Martin Nolan suspended a three-year prison sentence on the condition that Cooke keeps the peace for that period. The judge noted it would be unjust to jail Cooke, who is in rehabilitation for long-term consequences of an assault, citing that he is practically housebound. Cooke suffers from weakness on his left side, long-term memory impairment, and depression resulting from an unprovoked attack on July 9, 2013, at St James Walk, Rialto, which left him in a 26-day coma. His childhood friend, Daniel Clarke, 20, of Dolphin House, Dolphin's Barn, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Cooke during that incident. Clarke was previously sentenced to eight and a half years, with the last 18 months suspended. The court heard Clarke straddled the victim and drove a broken glass bottle into his face. Cooke has nine previous convictions, including one for possession of drugs for sale or supply and one for attempted robbery.
In February 2015, lawyers for the State were instructed to prepare a substantive response to Brian Meehan's appeal, which seeks to have his 1999 conviction for the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin declared a miscarriage of justice. Meehan, 47, is serving a life sentence in Portlaoise Prison after a 31‑day trial before the Special Criminal Court. He also faces convictions for drugs and firearms. Meehan's appeal is based on new evidence that emerged during the 2001 Special Criminal Court trial of John Gilligan. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Tom O'Connell, noted that the evidence was already known before the original appeal and that the DPP had previously moved to dismiss the application, a motion that was refused by the Court of Criminal Appeal. The Court of Appeal has ordered the State to submit a comprehensive response, with case management to be considered on 19 June.
In February 2015, Glen Walsh, a 27‑year‑old bank teller, was sentenced to a suspended one‑year term at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after stealing almost €500,000 from AIB Crumlin Cross over six months. He handed the cash to co‑accused David Vickery, who used it for betting. The pair later reimbursed the bank, but a €40,000 shortfall remained after losing bets during the 2010 World Cup. Walsh pleaded guilty to theft of €40,000 and was ordered to attend gambling‑addiction counselling. Vickery, also 27, pleaded guilty to possession of €10,000 in stolen money and received a suspended one‑year sentence. Both men were cleared of any involvement in a tiger kidnapping that had forced Walsh to withdraw €210,000 from the bank during a raid, which led to the discovery of his theft. The court noted that the bank was fully recompensed and that neither was likely to reoffend.
Stephen Devoy, aged 33, was given a three‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to threatening to kill Garda Sam Taylor on 26 February 2012. The court heard that Devoy had been extremely drunk and had been binging on a cocktail of drink and drugs for days after selling his car for €700. He was arrested outside Ned's pub on Townsend Street in the early hours of the morning. Devoy had no recollection of making the threats, but later made full admissions. He has 14 previous convictions, all dealt with in the District Court, including theft, public order offences and violent behaviour in a garda station. Judge Desmond Hogan noted that Devoy has been drug‑free for over a year and is attending Crumlin College studying Graphic & Web Design. He was also placed on a peace bond for three years and directed to undergo a drugs and alcohol treatment programme.
Vicky Dempsey, 34, of Stannaway Road, Crumlin, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Purrrfect Pets on 5 February 2011. She was sentenced by Judge Mary Ellen Ring to two years in prison, suspended in full, and ordered to comply with Probation Services for 12 months and to follow any education and training directions. Dempsey, who has 12 prior convictions mainly for road traffic offences, was involved in the incident after her brother Karl Dempsey, also of Stannaway Road, had a dispute in the car park. Dempsey dragged a woman backwards by her hair while the woman's partner was attacked. The judge accepted that Dempsey acted on impulse and expressed extreme remorse. Karl Dempsey is due for sentencing later this year when full facts will be heard. The incident also involved Mark Eagers, who sustained injuries, and Lasra Long, who was pulled backwards by her hair.
The Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed an appeal by the Medical Council, upholding a High Court decision that overturned a finding of Poor Professional Performance (PPP) against Professor Martin Corbally, a distinguished consultant paediatrician. The case originated from a 2012 Fitness to Practise Committee decision where Professor Corbally was admonished for an error in his notes concerning a procedure for a two-year-old patient at Our Lady's Hospital Crumlin. Although he delegated the surgery to another doctor who performed an incorrect tongue-tie procedure instead of the required upper labial frenulum, Professor Corbally subsequently performed corrective surgery, and the child made a full recovery. In November 2013, Mr Justice Kearns in the High Court ruled that the error stemmed from hospital systems failures, specifically a computer menu limitation, rather than individual negligence. The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Hardiman, affirmed this view, stating the lapse was not serious and did not cause damage. The court's judgment provides the first judicial interpretation of PPP under the 2007 Medical Practitioners Act, clarifying that such findings require a serious lapse rather than a minor, non-causative error. This decision has significant implications for the regulation of medical professionals in Ireland.
John Paul Gantley, a 31‑year‑old drug addict from Crumlin, was sentenced to two years in prison for two smash‑and‑grab robberies at newsagents in Dublin. In the first incident, on 2 February 2014 at Loughlinstown, he pretended to buy a Cadbury's Creme Egg, persuaded the shop staff to open the till, and then stole €105. In the second, on 18 February 2014 at Cardiffsbridge Road, Finglas, he entered a Spar, paid for a Creme Egg with a single euro, and while the sales assistant was giving him change, he grabbed cash from the till. He was caught shortly after with the stolen €105. Gantley pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑year sentence, suspended the final year on the condition that Gantley engage with Probation Services for one year after release.
In a 2015 case, Christopher Cooney, a 19‑year‑old father of one, was sentenced to 16 months of detention after pleading guilty to assault causing harm. The offence occurred on 22 February 2013 at the St James' Luas stop when Cooney, armed with a Stanley knife, unprovokedly slashed Peter English across the face. English required 13 stitches and sustained a 9‑cm scar, and a victim impact report noted his difficulty finding employment and heightened paranoia. Cooney's counsel described the act as "horrific but spontaneous," noting no prior convictions and no subsequent offences. The court imposed a four‑year detention sentence, suspending all but the first 16 months on the condition that Cooney remains law‑abiding for the remaining period. The case highlighted the severe physical and psychological effects on the victim and the legal consequences for the offender.
Daniel Prenderville, 27, of Crumlin, was convicted in 2013 of possession of a loaded firearm, possession of ammunition, unlawful use of a vehicle and dangerous driving after he rammed a Garda patrol car with a stolen Audi A3 in Ballycullen on 6 September 2012. The original sentence was six years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended. The Court of Appeal, citing an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions, increased the sentence to seven years' imprisonment, finding that the trial judge had erred in suspending part of the term because no exceptional circumstances were identified. The appeal court held that the offence should be viewed at the top of the scale, and the new seven‑year term replaced the original sentence. The case involved a loaded Baikal pistol with a silencer, three bullets in the magazine and one in the chamber, and the firearm's serial number had been removed. Daniel Prenderville pleaded guilty.
Stephen Kelly, 20, of Crumlin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to consecutive terms totalling seven years. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder at St Patrick's Institution on March 18, 2013, possession of a rifle on March 25, 2014, and burglary on March 12, 2014. The court heard that Kelly and three other inmates caused €33,000 in damage during an incident described as a "mini riot," during which prison officers were attacked. In the burglary, a house was ransacked, and items including a laptop, wedding ring, watches, a necklace, a silver pen, and a camera were stolen; these were later recovered from a BMW in which Kelly was a passenger. Regarding the rifle, Garda Enda Daly testified that Kelly held the weapon in a threatening manner, though examination later found it was not capable of firing. Judge Martin Nolan noted the gardaí had reason to believe their lives were in danger. The judge accepted there was "some hope" for Kelly's rehabilitation, noting his recent employment in prison laundry and course completion. The other three inmates involved in the violent disorder were previously sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan; two brothers received four-year sentences with the final two years suspended, while the fourth man received a four-year sentence with two and a half years suspended.
In December 2014, Glen Walsh, a 27‑year‑old AIB teller, was remanded on bail pending sentencing after a theft of €40,000 from the Crumlin Cross branch. The theft had been uncovered during an audit triggered by a tiger kidnapping raid in June 2010, during which Walsh was forced to withdraw €210,000 under threat. Walsh had earlier attempted to reimburse the bank with a €20,000 cheque, but the bank was closed. He later repaid the full €40,000. Walsh pleaded guilty to the theft, had no prior convictions, and had left for Australia before being extradited back to Ireland. David Vickery, also 27, pleaded guilty to possession of €10,000 in stolen money and had a minor traffic offence conviction. Both men were remanded on continuing bail, with sentencing scheduled for February 23. The court noted Walsh's gambling addiction and his expressed remorse, as well as Vickery's rehabilitation efforts.
Two men have been convicted and sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for their involvement in a series of violent offences. Dylan Smith, aged 22, and Daniel Malone, aged 20, pleaded guilty to charges arising from incidents in August and September 2013. In August, they unlawfully seized a taxi on Tubber Lane, Lucan, and subjected the driver to false imprisonment, robbery, and serious assault. The victim sustained a skull fracture and multiple facial injuries. In September, Smith stabbed a bus passenger in the thigh during a robbery at Kylemore Road, Bluebell, and subsequently forced the victim to withdraw €200 from an ATM. Smith was sentenced to six years imprisonment with the final eighteen months suspended, to run consecutively with a sentence from Roscommon. Malone received four and a half years with the final eighteen months suspended. Smith has fifty-seven previous convictions; Malone had one prior conviction. Both defendants expressed remorse, with Smith having engaged in rehabilitation since entering custody.
Stephen Cummins, aged 23, was sentenced to three years in prison after being caught with €70,000 of stolen cash from two separate cash‑in‑transit robberies. He was found in a park with blue dye on his trousers and runners, and earlier a man was seen running along garden walls with money falling from his pockets. In the first incident, an empty cash box was discovered at the back of Crumlin Children's Hospital; a follow‑up search of a nearby home revealed the stolen cash stained with blue/purple dye. Cummins later admitted responsibility for the cash. He pleaded guilty to possession of €40,000 at Curlew Road in Drimnagh on 16 July 2012 and €30,000 at Landen Road in Ballyfermot on 16 August 2012. He has 28 prior convictions for road traffic offences and one for unlawful possession of drugs.
Brian Meehan, aged 47 and serving a life sentence in Portlaoise prison for the 1996 murder of journalist Veronica Guerin, has applied to quash his 1999 conviction on the grounds of a miscarriage of justice. The appeal is based on new evidence that emerged during the 2001 Special Criminal Court trial of John Gilligan, who was acquitted of Guerin's murder but convicted of cannabis importation. Meehan's case, brought under Section 2 of the Criminal Procedures Act, argues that the new facts disclosed in Gilligan's trial demonstrate that his conviction was wrongful. The Director of Public Prosecutions had previously sought to dismiss the application, but the Court of Criminal Appeal refused that motion earlier this year. Submissions for Meehan's appeal are nearly complete, and the Court of Appeal has listed the case for mention again on December 15, with a hearing date to be fixed thereafter. The appeal remains pending, and no further outcome has been announced.
David Byrne, 32, of Crumlin, was tried at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for violent disorder at Morrissey's Pub on 7 January 2013. The case relied mainly on CCTV footage and a single witness, Garda Seamus O'Donovan, who had been called after a panic alarm. He described a crowd outside the pub, a struggle inside, and a bottle used as a weapon. Byrne was identified in the footage and arrested on 9 December 2013. The jury, composed of five men and seven women, deliberated for less than an hour and returned a not‑guilty verdict. Judge Patricia Ryan thanked the jury and discharged Byrne from the indictment. The trial concluded with Byrne acquitted of the violent disorder charge, while other individuals involved were not charged in this proceeding. David Byrne pleaded not guilty.
In a robbery that took place on 22 January 2012 on Ballymount Road, a back‑seat passenger, Brendan Boylan, 34, held a rope around the neck of a taxi driver while the front‑seat passenger brandished a knife. The driver, fearing for his life, handed over €600 before the men fled. Boylan, who has 16 prior convictions, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He claimed he was forced to participate to repay a drug debt and feared a "bullet or a blade" if he refused. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two and a half years' imprisonment, deciding not to involve the Probation Service because of Boylan's age. The taxi driver did not submit a victim impact report. Boylan's father argued that his son had been affected by family deaths and had struggled with addiction for many years, offering €500 to the driver and asking the court to consider the debt context.
In October 2013, Shane Cooney, aged 24, attacked Father Diarmuid Byrne, 70, in the priest's Rialto home with an iron bar, leaving him with a fractured skull and numerous facial wounds that required 26 stitches. Gardaí found blood‑stained iron bar and other items near the house after neighbours reported a disturbance. Cooney was arrested in an intoxicated state, pleaded guilty to burglary and assault, and was remanded on bail pending sentence. Judge Mary Ellen Ring set conditions for his bail, including residence at Tiglin, Wicklow, where he is to continue a 16‑month residential drug treatment programme. The case was adjourned to December to monitor his progress. The priest, who had been living alone, was initially confused and covered in blood when gardaí arrived at 1.30 a.m., and the house was ransacked but no items were taken. The court received a victim impact report and a medical report, though they were not read out.
Anthony Harte, 24, of Inchicore, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to violent disorder at Morrisey's Pub in January 2013 and handling three stolen motorbikes in February 2012. Judge Mary Ellen Ring, who had previously adjourned sentencing to assess his suitability for community service, accepted a favourable probation report. She sentenced Harte to two years in prison but ordered him to carry out 220 hours of community service in lieu of custody, to be completed within one year. Richard O'Reilly, 29, also pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods during the same 2012 incident. Judge Ring ordered him to perform 160 hours of community service in lieu of a two-year prison term. Darren Foster, 35, who pleaded guilty to the same handling offence, received a two-year suspended sentence from Judge Ring last July. The court heard that Harte and Foster collected the bikes from a dealership, while O'Reilly assisted with the van. Prosecution evidence alleged Harte punched and kicked a victim during the pub altercation, though the victim and pub manager refused to make formal complaints. Defence counsel noted Harte had ceased drug use and that his prior convictions were for minor offences.
Swords District Court heard multiple matters. Charges against Shane Langan and Kieran Kennedy for mutual assault were withdrawn following an agreement on the division of blame. Sean Cullen, alleged to have breached a protection order, was remanded on continuing bail with strict conditions, including residing at his father's house and remaining sober. Thomas Nicholson, charged with stealing an €18,000 mini digger, was remanded on bail for DPP directions. Luke Nestor pleaded guilty to theft; the judge ordered 200 hours of voluntary work before considering conviction. Jason Mitchell pleaded guilty to cannabis possession and was convicted and fined €200. Mateusz Sniezek pleaded guilty to drink driving and was disqualified for three years, with the ban postponed until December 1st. Oksana Smirnova pleaded guilty to failing to provide a sample; she was convicted, fined €650, and disqualified for four years. Brendan Hill pleaded guilty to public order offences and was fined €300 in total.
In a 2014 Central Criminal Court hearing, Edward Boylan Jnr, aged 31, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of his 74‑year‑old father, Edward Boylan Snr, at the father's flat in Crumlin. Boylan had been diagnosed with schizophrenia over a decade earlier and was a special‑needs prisoner at Mountjoy Prison, where he had been hearing voices and had requested medication that was not provided. He was released the day before the killing without appropriate supervision or medication. On the morning of the murder, Boylan stabbed his father 13 times with a 100‑year‑old bayonet, then set the apartment on fire. Psychiatric experts for both sides confirmed that Boylan was in a manic, psychotic state and could not control his actions, meeting the criteria for an insanity verdict. The judge ordered Boylan to be committed to the Central Mental Hospital for a future treatment report due on 19 May.".
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 31‑year‑old Dublin man, Edward Boylan Jnr, was charged with killing his 74‑year‑old father with a World War I sword. He admitted stabbing his father 13 times, then setting fire to the apartment. Both sides presented psychiatric evidence. The prosecution's Dr Sally Linehan testified that Boylan Jnr had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and later schizoaffective disorder, and that he believed his father's eyes were changing colour, a sign of threat, which led to the fatal act. She argued he was in an active phase of mental illness and could not control his actions, meeting the criteria for a special verdict of "not guilty by reason of insanity." The defence's Dr Paul O'Connell also confirmed Boylan Jnr's psychosis at the time of the killing. The case is before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of seven men and five women.
A 31‑year‑old Dublin man, Edward Boylan Jnr, is on trial for murdering his 74‑year‑old father by stabbing him with a 100‑year‑old bayonet, a family heirloom from World War 1. Boylan Jnr admitted stabbing his father, causing death, but pleaded not guilty. He was released from Mountjoy Prison on 6 January 2012, and that evening was seen at Ravensdale Close, a gated retirement community where his father lived. Prosecutor Conor Devally told the jury that Boylan Jnr used the bayonet or sword, plunged it through his father's chest multiple times, and later bought lighter fluid and matches to set fire to the apartment. The fire was discovered by neighbours; the Dublin fire brigade found the victim with the bayonet protruding from his chest. Detective Sergeant Barry Butler testified that 13 stab wounds were confirmed, penetrating the heart, lungs, sternum, liver and kidney, and that the victim died before the fire started.
In the trial of Maurice Power, 31, accused of murdering 29‑year‑old Shane Rossiter on 17 October 2012, a witness, Paul McCarthy, testified that he felt he was being set up by Rossiter. McCarthy, who is now in custody, said he was in the house on Church Lane, Golden, when Rossiter asked him to go outside. He claimed to have seen a gun barrel from a car, ran, and called emergency services after hearing one shot. McCarthy admitted taking drugs that night and that he could not recall details, including Rossiter's name. He also denied calling for weed delivery and said he had told Gardaí he was being set up. The prosecution alleged Power fired two shots, causing Rossiter's death. The trial is set to continue before a jury presided by Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy. Maurice Power pleaded not guilty.
Sean Farrell, a 28‑year‑old Dublin man, had his 2012 conviction for membership in the Irish Republican Army quashed by the Court of Criminal Appeal on 10 April 2014. The appeal was supported by TDs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace, who had visited Farrell in prison and expressed concerns about his conviction. The Court found that the Special Criminal Court had erred by not notifying Farrell's defence of evidence presented by Garda Chief Superintendent Diarmuid O'Sullivan, who claimed Farrell had been an active IRA member over a ten‑year period. The appellate judges held that the failure to give notice rendered the evidence prejudicial and the conviction unsafe. The Court dismissed the Director of Public Prosecutions' request for a retrial, noting it would be oppressive, and confirmed that Farrell had already served two years and three months of his sentence, with release expected in five months.
In March 2014, Jonathan Dunne, aged 28, began an appeal against his life sentence for the murder of his friend Ian Kenny, aged 21, who died two years after being shot in the head on 4 July 2007. Dunne had previously pleaded guilty to an attempted murder charge and was serving a 12‑year term when the murder conviction was secured. The appeal focuses on causation, arguing that the trial judge erred by refusing a defence application concerning the medical treatment of Kenny after his admission to Beaumont Hospital in July 2009. Counsel Michael Bowman contends that Kenny was removed from a medical environment to a "quasi‑palliative" setting, and that this decision, made by third parties, should not be attributed to Dunne. The State's counsel, Denis Vaughan‑Buckley, maintains that the shooting was the legal cause of death and that the defence of duress was not applicable. Judge Donal O'Donnell will reserve judgment on the appeal.
Eugene Cullen, 30, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Seamus O'Byrne, 27, in south Dublin. The Central Criminal Court heard that O'Byrne was shot dead at Tymon Park North, Tallaght, on 13 March 2009, in front of his girlfriend Sharon Rattigan and their baby. Rattigan tackled the assassin and was shot in the leg while disarming him. The prosecution alleged that Cullen was not the gunman but a participant in the planning and execution of the murder, acting by common design. He was the second person convicted for the crime; Garrett O'Brien was the gunman, sentenced to life in 2012. The jury, after 3 hours 41 minutes, returned a unanimous guilty verdict. Mr Justice Barry White imposed a mandatory life sentence, back‑dated to 8 May 2012 for time spent in custody. Eugene Cullen pleaded not guilty.
The jury in the Tallaght murder trial has paused its deliberations after hearing that 30‑year‑old Eugene Cullen of Derry Road, Crumlin, is accused of being part of a joint enterprise that killed Seamus O'Byrne, 27, at Tymon Park North on 13 March 2009. O'Byrne was shot outside his home in front of his girlfriend and child, who was also shot in the leg when she tackled the gunman. The prosecution claims Cullen was not the gunman but one of four men who plotted and executed the murder, relying on circumstantial evidence. Judge Barry White told the jury that the evidence must point to Cullen's guilt and asked whether the State had eliminated any other reasonable explanation. Defence counsel Sean Gillane argued that the prosecution's theory was forced, citing 480 hours of CCTV footage that did not show Cullen and urging a not‑guilty verdict. Eugene Cullen pleaded not guilty.
In a 2014 hearing, 30‑year‑old Eugene Cullen of Derry Road, Crumlin pleaded not guilty to the 2009 murder of Seamus O'Byrne, 27, in Tallaght. The Central Criminal Court heard that O'Byrne was shot outside his home in front of his girlfriend, Sharon Rattigan, who tackled the gunman and was shot in the leg. The prosecution said Cullen was not the gunman but one of four men involved in planning the murder. In interviews after his arrest, Cullen admitted he knew Rattigan and had hung out with her little brother, but denied knowing the assassin or participating in the shooting. He also denied placing a petrol can in a stolen Volkswagen Passat, though he admitted buying a can of petrol the day before the shooting for a friend. The trial was before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of five men and seven women.
In a Dublin murder trial, forensic scientist Liam Fleury testified that no firearms residue was found on Eugene Cullen, who is 30 and accused of murdering Seamus O'Byrne, 27, in 2009. Cullen pleaded not guilty. The prosecution maintains that Cullen was not the gunman but one of four men involved in planning the murder. Fleury explained that residue appears on a gun, the hands, clothing, and face of the shooter, and can remain on hands for three to four hours and on clothing for 20 hours. He tested Cullen's clothing on 14 March 2009 and a residue kit on his hands and face, finding no residue. The jury also heard technical evidence about mobile phones linked to the case. The trial is before Justice Barry White and a jury of five men and seven women.
In the murder trial of Eugene Cullen, a 30‑year‑old from Derry Road, Crumlin, the jury has heard evidence from a radio frequency engineer, Eamon O' Gairbhith, who worked for Meteor. O' Gairbhith testified that on 16 February 2011 he visited several mobile cell sites with Gardaí, producing maps that show cell site locations, coverage directions and the best server coverage. He explained that when a cell is full of traffic the handset is assigned to a different server, and that signal strength weakens the further one moves from a site, causing hand‑over to other cells. The prosecution, represented by Alex Owens SC, maintains that Cullen was not the gunman but one of four men involved in planning the murder of Seamus O' Byrne, who was shot dead on 13 March 2009 in Tymon Park North, Tallaght. The trial is proceeding before Justice Barry White and a jury of five men and seven women. The case remains ongoing. Eugene Cullen pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court is currently hearing the trial of Eugene Cullen, a 30-year-old man from Derry Road, Crumlin, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Seamus O' Byrne (27). The prosecution alleges that Mr. O'Byrne was shot dead by a hooded gunman in the driveway of his home at Tymon Park North, Tallaght, on March 13, 2009, in front of his girlfriend and child. While the accused is not alleged to have been the gunman, the state contends he was one of four men involved in plotting, planning, and executing the killing. The prosecution asserts that Garret O'Brien, a man from Bray who has since been convicted, was recruited to carry out the shooting. During the ongoing proceedings, the jury has been presented with technical evidence regarding mobile phone calls connected to the incident. In his opening address, Mr. Alex Owens SC clarified that the case against Mr. Cullen centers on his role in the conspiracy rather than the act of firing the weapon. The trial is presided over by Mr. Justice Barry White and a jury of five men and seven women. The matter is at the trial stage, with the defendant's plea remaining not guilty. No findings, sentences, or final dispositions have been recorded at this procedural stage. The trial continues tomorrow.
In the Central Criminal Court, a 30‑year‑old Eugene Cullen of Derry Road, Crumlin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Seamus O'Byrne, 27, who was shot dead in front of his girlfriend and child at Tymon Park North, Tallaght, on 13 March 2009. The prosecution says Cullen was not the gunman but one of four men who plotted, planned and executed the killing. Today the jury heard technical evidence concerning mobile phones in the case. The trial will resume on Monday before Mr Justice Barry White with a jury of five men and seven women.
In a Dublin murder trial, a jury watched CCTV footage of suspects and vehicles. Eugene Cullen of Derry Road, Crumlin pleaded not guilty to the murder of Seamus O'Byrne, 27, at Tymon Park North, Tallaght, on 13 March 2009. The prosecution said Cullen was not the gunman but one of four men who plotted and executed the killing. The gunman was identified as Garret O'Brien from Bray, who had been convicted. The court heard that on 12 March 2009 Cullen entered a service station, filled a green canister with petrol, and placed it in a silver Ford Transit van. Witnesses described two men on the green the day before the shooting. Forensic evidence included DNA from a mobile phone and swabs from O'Brien and Cullen. The deceased had five gunshot wounds, with the chest wounds causing death, and head and leg wounds contributing. The trial continues before Justice Barry White and a jury of five men and seven women.