Viktor Voloshin, 51, a Ukrainian national, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended on strict conditions. He stole €95,744 in social welfare payments, claiming Jobseeker's Allowance and Rent Supplement under two false Lithuanian identities between 2008 and 2016. Voloshin obtained false Lithuanian documents and a false passport to enter Ireland in 2004, and applied for a PPSN in 2015. Gardaí discovered Lithuanian identity cards in the names of Tadeus Mezanec and Gintaras Baranauskas at his Bray address, and he pleaded guilty to using false instruments and possession of a false instrument. He admitted to purchasing the false passport and that he "did not want to beg." The court described his conduct as mean‑spirited and lacking respect for ordinary taxpayers.
Niall Byrne, 37, of Crumlin Road Flats, withdrew his appeal against a 10‑year sentence for conspiracy to rob Securicor of €2.08 million and for being the 'inside man' in a €2 million cash‑in‑transit robbery that involved the tiger kidnapping of Paul Richardson's family. The robbery took place on 14 March 2005, when the gang forced Richardson to deliver the cash to a carpark after holding his wife and teenage sons at gunpoint in the Dublin Mountains. Byrne had previously pleaded not guilty to the kidnapping and robbery charges. The Court of Appeal had upheld the convictions earlier in the year, noting that Byrne's role was central to the operation. After the judge warned that the court could increase or decrease the sentence, Byrne's counsel, Feargal Kavanagh SC, withdrew the appeal, accepting the court's decision. The case had spanned five trials and two appeals over 11 years.
A woman and her partner were involved in a money-laundering scheme linked to an organised crime group, following a raid that uncovered an arsenal of firearms capable of 'arming a small country', the Special Criminal Court has heard. Jonathan Harding (48) of Kerdiff Avenue, Naas, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty to five charges of converting, transferring or handling property, to wit money, between 1 January, 2012, and 31 December 2016, at EBS, Bank of Ireland and AIB accounts, the proceeds of criminal conduct. Co-accused Carol Davis (45) of Clonmacnoise Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12, pleaded guilty to three offences between 1 January, 2014, and 31 December, 2016, relating to accounts held in her own name also at EBS, AIB and Bank of Ireland. The pair had originally been charged with 50 offences but pleaded guilty to a total of eight offences. The charges come under the Criminal Justice Act 2010 (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing). Declan Brady (54), known as 'Mr Nobody', was sentenced to 11-and-a-half years imprisonment after pleading guilty to possession of the weapons. Tom Anderson, the defendant, was sentenced to ten years in prison with one year suspended in January 2018 for the possession of firearms. The matter was adjourned to December 15 for sentencing.
In a Dublin trial that began in August 2018, David Fortune, aged 33, pleaded not guilty to the murder of his father, Gerard Fortune, aged 62, who was stabbed in the neck at their family home in Crumlin. On the fifth day of the trial, the prosecution accepted a plea of manslaughter, and the jury was discharged. The judge ordered a probation report and a sentencing hearing for February 26, 2021, with victim impact statements to be heard then. The court heard that the fatal assault occurred after a day of drinking and drug taking in a granny flat, with witnesses describing the accused as paranoid and hallucinating after taking tablets. The post‑mortem showed an 8 cm stab wound that cut the carotid artery and jugular vein, causing haemorrhage and shock. Fortune was remanded in custody until the sentencing date.
In the trial of 33‑year‑old David Fortune, the court heard that after his father Gerard was stabbed in the neck on 19 August 2018, Fortune allegedly hijacked a car on Rutland Grove, drove across Dublin, and fled into James Connolly Memorial Hospital with one shoe on. Witnesses described him as "out of it" with black eyes, and he was seen running frightened through the hospital, claiming he was being followed and that his father was trying to kill him. He was later given Valium in the emergency department and was arrested by Gardaí for murder after learning his father had died. The trial continues on Monday. David Fortune pleaded not guilty.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing on 19 November 2020, a witness, Eddie Byrne, testified that he saw Gerard Lambe place a large blue tablet into the mouth of David Fortune, the accused in the murder of his father, on the day before the alleged stabbing. Byrne said Lambe offered the tablet to calm Fortune, who did not ask for it and was unaware of its contents. Byrne also reported seeing Lambe give a different tablet an hour before the incident, though he did not witness the act. The testimony was cross‑examined by the defence counsel, who confirmed the act. The trial also included a post‑mortem report by Dr Margot Bolster, describing the fatal neck wound and its cause as haemorrhage and shock. The case remains in progress. David Fortune pleaded not guilty.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, David Fortune, aged 33, is charged with the murder of his father, Gerard (Gerry) Fortune, who was 63 when he died. The incident occurred on 19 August 2018, the day of the All‑Ireland final, in the family home on Rutland Grove, Crumlin. According to the prosecution, the house was crowded with relatives and friends who were drinking and using drugs. On that day, the accused allegedly behaved erratically, shouting threats and eventually brandishing a knife. He swung the knife at his father, who fell and was stabbed in the neck. The victim was taken to hospital but died from haemorrhage and shock. The accused has pleaded not guilty and the trial is set to continue for three weeks before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury.
David Fortune, a Dubliner from Rutland Grove, Crumlin, faces trial for the murder of his father, Gerard Fortune, at their home on 19 August 2018. He pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but admitted guilt to unlawful vehicle seizure on the same day, using force to remove driver Geraldine Brady from the car. The Central Criminal Court arraigned him today, and a jury of seven women and five men will hear the case, which is scheduled to last three weeks, beginning tomorrow morning before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon.
Jake O'Neill, aged 22, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for assault causing harm and robbery. In August 2016 he attacked an Austrian doctor and his son outside a café in Temple Bar after they refused to give him money. O'Neill punched the doctor's son and then the doctor, who suffered a broken eye socket, fractures to his cheek and jaw, and lost teeth. In October 2017 he participated in a robbery on James' Street, where he and another person assaulted a man who had given him a cigarette, taking the man's phone, wallet and keys. O'Neill pleaded guilty to both offences, admitted the robbery was an "act of bravado" after drinking and drug use, and was found to have a history of drug addiction. The judge suspended the final six months of the sentence on strict conditions. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
At the Special Criminal Court, Carol Davis, 45, pleaded guilty to three counts of money laundering and terrorist financing for the period 2014‑2016. She admitted knowingly converting, using, transferring, taking possession of or handling money that was the proceeds of crime, via an EBS account in her own name. The plea covers the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2016. Davis is the second person to plead guilty in this case; the first was Jonathan Harding, 48, who pleaded guilty to five similar counts. Davis was remanded on bail until 9 November, while Harding was remanded in custody until the same date. The case involves 20 offences under Section 7 of the Criminal Justice Act 2010, of which three were accepted by the State for the specified period. The court will hear full facts in the case.
Stephen Ennis, a 30‑year‑old heroin addict, was sentenced to one year in prison after he stabbed a treating doctor three times in the back at St James' Hospital on 7 March 2020. Ennis had been found collapsed outside a Garda station with a seizure and was brought to the hospital by ambulance. While in the hospital he refused to stay on his trolley, bothered nurses, and eventually withdrew a needle he had taken from his own arm. He held the needle over his head and charged at the doctor, who fled down the corridor. The doctor was not aware of the stabs until a colleague informed him. Ennis pleaded guilty to assaulting a person providing medical care. He has 72 prior convictions, including violent disorder, drug possession, knife possession, burglary and begging. The judge noted that Ennis probably did not intend the assault and that the doctor has made a full recovery.
Brendan Doolin, 37, was found guilty of sending hundreds of abusive emails to six female writers and journalists between May 2012 and February 2018. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended on the condition that he never contact any of the complainants again. The Court of Appeal upheld the sentence, rejecting the appeal that argued the judge had over‑penalised Doolin and failed to consider mitigating factors such as his guilty plea, lack of prior convictions and psychiatric report indicating he was not a threat. The appeal was dismissed after the court considered the seriousness of the harassment, the number of victims and the impact on the women, who were all female journalists or media figures. The decision was announced by Justice Isobel Kennedy in a virtual hearing attended by Doolin and the victims.
Wayne Lynch, a 37‑year‑old bread delivery man from Drogheda, was sentenced to four‑and‑a‑half years in prison for transporting firearms and storing cannabis during an ongoing crime feud. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a pistol and ammunition in suspicious circumstances at a Lidl car park in Tallaght and possession of cannabis herb at his home on 19 July 2019. Lynch had a prior conviction in 2004 for drug possession. Gardaí, acting on confidential information, followed Lynch's bread van on 19 July 2019, seized two black handguns and ammunition from the van and recovered cannabis herb worth €35,606 from his home. Judge Elma Sheahan accepted that Lynch was not a "significant player" and would not have used the guns, but noted he was moving the equipment during an ongoing feud that had claimed many lives. The judge suspended the final 18 months of the sentence.
Sean Paul Farrell, a 32‑year‑old from Dublin, was wanted in Northern Ireland for an alleged attempted murder of a PSNI officer and possession of explosives at Eglinton, Co Derry, on 18 June 2015. He fled to the UK to avoid extradition, travelling to Scotland where he was arrested in May. A High Court hearing on 10 July 2020 addressed his extradition application. Mr Justice Paul Burns noted that a family member had posted a €25,000 bail surety and an additional €5,000, both forfeited after Farrell failed to appear for a court date. A bench warrant was issued on 2 March when he did not attend the High Court, leading to forfeiture of the bond and surety. Mr Justice Burns confirmed that Farrell is now in custody in Northern Ireland under a bench warrant for the attempted murder charge and will face trial in a Belfast court.
Wayne Lynch, 37, a bread delivery man from Newtown Meadows, Drogheda, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a pistol and ammunition in suspicious circumstances at the Lidl Car Park, Tallaght, and possession of cannabis herb at his home on 19 July 2019. He had a previous conviction in 2004 for possession of drugs. Gardaí, acting on confidential information, followed Lynch in his bread van on 19 July 2019, approached the van at the Lidl car park, and searched it, recovering two black handguns and rounds of ammunition under the passenger seat. Lynch was arrested and taken to Crumlin Garda Station. A search of his home yielded cannabis herb valued at €35,606. Lynch claimed he was afraid for his life, had a cocaine habit that worsened after his father's death, and was told to drop off the package for a €1,000 discount.
Edward McDonnell, 55, of Waterside Apartments, New Ross, was arrested on 14 September 2019 in Dublin for unlawful possession of a Grand Power G9 semi‑automatic pistol and for having the weapon with intent to endanger life. Garda Eoin Byrne interviewed McDonnell at Raheny Garda Station the same day. McDonnell claimed he had come to Dublin to look at cars, stating, "One minute I'm looking at a car, next thing I'm lying on the floor covered in blood." He said he had driven from New Ross to Ballyfermot, left his Toyota RAV4 at Mr Price, and then went to view a dark‑coloured Audi at Lein Park. Garda David McGinley showed McDonnell items found on him at arrest, including two balaclavas, two baseball caps, gloves and a red petrol can. Detective Sergeant John Keane testified that McDonnell entered the Audi with his firearm drawn and was removed by an armed garda. Edward McDonnell pleaded not guilty.
In a non‑jury hearing at the Special Criminal Court, Jonathan Harding, aged 48, and Carol Davis, aged 45, were charged with a total of 50 money‑laundering offences under the Criminal Justice Act 2010. Harding faces 30 counts of converting, transferring or handling property, namely money, between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2016, involving EBS, Bank of Ireland and AIB accounts that allegedly held proceeds of criminal conduct. Davis is charged with 20 counts of the same nature over the same period, with accounts in her own name at the same banks. The charges were read out to Harding by the registrar, and the court heard from the prosecuting solicitor that the offences relate to concealing or disguising the true nature, source, location, disposition, movement or ownership of the property.
The State has withdrawn the charges against David Galloway, 54, of Crumlin, Dublin, who had been tried in February for alleged trademark offences involving washing powders such as Persil, Ariel, Fairy, Daz and Bold. Galloway had pleaded not guilty to seven counts of unlawful trademark application to buckets and fourteen counts of possession of trademarked buckets, labels and boxes, mainly said to have occurred at Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole on 7 June 2014. After a jury failed to reach a verdict and a prior hearing collapsed, the prosecution requested a nolle prosequi, which Judge Martin Nolan granted, ending the case.
Thomas Stokes, aged 30, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for a high‑speed pursuit that left Garda Thomas Bialkowski seriously injured. Stokes pleaded guilty to two counts of endangerment, one count of assaulting Garda Bialkowski, one count of dangerous driving, and a separate count of criminal damage. The judge imposed four‑and‑a‑half years for endangerment and two‑and‑a‑half years for criminal damage, to run consecutively, giving an effective term of seven years. The final two years were suspended on strict conditions. The pursuit began when Gardaí approached Stokes' car at Dublin Port; after a brief attempt to stop him, Stokes fled, driving at up to 180 km/h, swerving across lanes, and eventually crashing into a wall on Cookstown Way, Tallaght. The crash caused the Garda's firearm butt to strike him, injuring his teeth, eye, arm and shoulder.
Richard O'Doherty, 24, of Crumlin, pleaded guilty to a series of knife‑point robberies committed while on bail for earlier offences. He admitted to robberies at Maxol Station, Harold's Cross and Centra on 23 June 2019, a further robbery at Kimmage Road Lower on 8 August 2019, two robberies on 24 and 25 November 2019, and an attempted robbery at Spar on 20 December 2019. Garda reports detail how he entered each shop with a knife, demanded money, and in some cases took cash from tills or forced shopkeepers to hand over money. He had no prior convictions. The court sentenced him to three years for the earliest robbery, two additional years for the later offences, with the sentences to run consecutively. The final 18 months were suspended on strict conditions, giving an effective custodial term of three‑and‑a‑half years.
In a Dublin court hearing, Thomas Stokes, aged 30 and with 171 prior convictions, was charged after a high‑speed chase that ended with a Garda car crashing into a wall. Stokes, who drove at speeds up to 180 km/h and swerved aggressively, was attempting to flee from Gardaí who had approached his vehicle at Dublin Port. The pursuit resumed on the M50, where Stokes braked hard and crashed, causing the Garda car to swerve into a wall. The impact forced the Garda's firearm butt into his face, resulting in severe eye and facial injuries, soft‑tissue damage to his arm and shoulder, and damage to his teeth. Stokes was arrested nearby and has remained in custody, except for a brief compassionate bail in March. He pleaded guilty to two counts of endangerment, one count of assaulting a Garda, one count of dangerous driving, and one count of criminal damage. He will be sentenced on Wednesday.
A Dublin man, Mr Ryan Byrne of St Teresa's Road Crumlin, has filed a High Court judicial review against the Garda Commissioner and the Superintendent of Enniscorthy Garda Station. The challenge concerns the seizure and continued retention of his car following his arrest on 16 April for an alleged false imprisonment charge. Byrne was released from Crumlin Station on 17 April, but his vehicle was seized as part of the investigation, which the court says is being conducted by Gardai in Co Wexford. He was told he could retrieve the car on 18 April, but upon returning he was informed that release required a Garda Sergeant from Gorey, Co Wexford. Byrne's solicitor, Mr Tony Collier, has requested the car's return, but it remains in Dublin. Byrne, who is unemployed, argues the car is essential for family reasons, particularly to obtain medicine for his asthmatic son amid the Covid‑19 pandemic.
Liam Brannigan, 37, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years' imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court for conspiring to murder Gary Hanley. Mr Justice Paul Coffey described Brannigan as having a central role in the Kinahan Cartel plot, noting his culpability was high due to his management and oversight of the plan. The sentence includes a suspension of the final six months, conditional on Brannigan completing his degree at UCD or a vocational course in prison. The sentence was backdated to November 6, 2017. Brannigan was the fifth person jailed for this conspiracy. Previously, Luke Wilson pleaded guilty to conspiracy and unlawful possession of a Beretta, receiving 11 years; Alan Wilson pleaded guilty to conspiracy, receiving six years; Joseph Kelly pleaded guilty to conspiracy and a weapons charge, receiving 12 years; and Dean Howe pleaded guilty to conspiracy, receiving six years. The court found that Brannigan was at the centre of the plot, which was foiled when gardai intercepted a vehicle containing a loaded pistol near Hanley's home. The judge highlighted the elaborate nature of the plan and the imminent danger to Hanley. Detective Superintendent David Gallagher praised the convictions as significant successes against organised crime.
Garda Kevin McNulty, a nearly 30‑year‑old officer, has obtained High Court permission to challenge a disciplinary finding that he breached regulations by accessing the PULSE system for matters unrelated to his duties. The alleged breach concerns information about individuals linked to the Kinahan/Hutch feud. McNulty claims the internal investigation lacked fair procedures, denied the allegations, and was not given a reasonable opportunity to respond. He argues that the investigation was based on a misunderstanding of an incident on 8 July 2017, when he was stopped by another Garda while off‑duty and driving with a journalist. McNulty maintains he had no evidence of breaching confidence, communicating information, or using his position for personal gain. He seeks an order quashing the finding and the imposed sanction, and has been represented by Mark Harty SC. The case is set for a May hearing.
In a 2020 hearing, Judge Melanie Greally sentenced Garda Sean Lucey, 42, to a fully suspended one‑year prison term for assaulting RTÉ cameraman Colm Hand during anti‑racism protests in Dublin in February 2016. Lucey struck Hand's camera with his baton and then hit him in the groin, causing significant bruising and pain. Hand's victim impact statement described sleeplessness, worry and stress, noting the incident shattered his confidence. Judge Greally rejected Lucey's claim that the assault was an error of judgement, stating his regret fell short of an apology and that a donation to a charity was an unsuitable gesture of remorse. She cited Lucey's clean record and lack of prior offences, viewing the act as an aberration, and therefore suspended the sentence. The conviction was for assault causing harm; Lucey was acquitted of criminal damage. The case highlighted the need for restraint and self‑control in public order situations. Sean Lucey pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Garda Sean Lucey, aged 42, was set to be sentenced for assaulting RTÉ cameraman Mr Colm Hand during street protests on 6 February 2016. Lucey, a public order officer stationed at Crumlin Village and Sundrive Road, struck Hand in the groin with a baton while Hand was filming. Hand suffered bruising and pain and later described sleeplessness, worry and stress in his victim impact statement, claiming the incident shattered his confidence. Lucey pleaded not guilty to one count of assault causing harm and to damaging Hand's camera. He was convicted of assault after a five‑day trial in December and acquitted of the criminal damage charge. The judge adjourned finalisation of the case until the following Friday, remanding Lucey on continuing bail while considering a deferred sentence under Section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006.
Liam Brannigan, 37, was convicted by the Special Criminal Court of conspiring to murder Gary Hanley between September 15 and November 6, 2017. Although Brannigan pleaded not guilty, the court found the evidence overwhelming, including covert audio recordings and phone data. His sentencing is scheduled for March 23. In related proceedings, four co-accused pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy charge. Luke Wilson, who also admitted unlawful possession of a Beretta, was jailed for 11 years. Alan Wilson received a six-year sentence. Joseph Kelly, who also admitted a weapons charge, was jailed for 12 years. Dean Howe, who also pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder Mr Hanley, is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3. The court noted Brannigan has 28 previous convictions, primarily for road traffic matters, and has been in custody since November 2017. Defense counsel argued for a non-custodial outcome, citing his lack of prior custodial sentences and his active role as a father. The judge emphasized the cogency of the evidence linking Brannigan to the operation, which involved armed gardai intercepting a van near Hanley's home where two men were found with a loaded pistol.
David Galloway, 54, of Crumlin, Dublin, faced seven charges of unlawfully applying trademarks of washing‑powder brands Persil, Ariel, Fairy, Daz and Bold to buckets, and fourteen charges of possession of buckets, labels and boxes bearing those trademarks. He pleaded not guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The alleged offences mainly took place at a premises in Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, on 7 June 2014. A legal issue caused Judge Karen O'Connor to discharge the jury, and the case was sent back for a new hearing.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, 54‑year‑old David Galloway of Crumlin is accused of unlawfully applying and possessing trademarks of popular washing‑powder brands such as Persil, Ariel, Fairy, Daz and Bold. He faces seven charges of unlawful trademark application to buckets and fourteen charges of possession of trademarked buckets, labels and boxes. The alleged offences mainly occurred on 7 June 2014 at Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole. Two Gardaí from the Crime and Security Division gave evidence based on surveillance between 31 May and 6 June 2014. One officer reported seeing Galloway's black Mercedes parked at his home, then driving to a cul‑de‑sac and later to Unit 1, Block 532 at Greenogue Industrial Estate. On 6 June, the officer observed Galloway supervising the unloading of washing powder from a transit van at Hotline's Cash and Carry in Walkinstown. David Galloway pleaded not guilty.
David Galloway, aged 54, appeared before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 16 January 2020, pleading not guilty to seven charges of unlawfully applying the trademarks of Persil, Ariel, Fairy, Daz and Bold to buckets, and fourteen charges of possession of buckets, labels and boxes bearing those trademarks. The alleged offences mainly took place at a commercial premises in Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, on 7 June 2014. Gardaí discovered a large number of buckets labelled with the brand names, a substantial quantity of white powder that appeared to be washing powder, and numerous labels ready for attachment. Prosecutor Dominic McGinn presented evidence that Galloway was responsible for the premises and was trading in these goods "to a significant degree." The prosecution argued that the use of the trademarks without proper authorisation constituted the offences, and that the commercial nature of the activity was central to the case.
In 2018, 53‑year‑old Ian Kidd settled a High Court case with the Catholic Church over clerical child sex abuse. In July 2017 he received a €30,000 "final offer" from the church's solicitors, which he deemed derisory. In response, Kidd poured a small amount of diesel onto the floor of St Agnes' Church in Crumlin, damaging the Carrara marble altar, a monstrance, a crucifix and a Paschal candle. He shouted at parishioners to leave and threatened to ignite the fuel, though he did not. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found him guilty of one count of criminal damage. Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced him to a 12‑month probation bond, requiring engagement with the Probation Service and any recommended addiction or mental health services, and adjourned the case to 18 January 2021. The incident caused an estimated €100,000 in damage.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Garda Sean Lucey, aged 42, was convicted by a jury of assault causing harm after striking RTÉ cameraman Colm Hand in the groin with a baton during anti‑racism protests on Cathedral Street on 6 February 2016. The jury found Lucey guilty of assault after deliberating 2 hours 46 minutes, but found him not guilty of criminal damage to Hand's camera. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the matter for sentencing on 7 February 2020 and remanded Lucey on continuing bail. Hand testified that he was filming with reporter Colman O'Sullivan when Lucey first struck his camera and then hit him in the groin, causing severe pain. Garda Michael Dibley, a fellow public‑order officer, testified that the crowd was hostile and that gardai were under extreme pressure, but that they were entitled to use batons to maintain a six‑foot distance.
In the assault trial of Garda Sean Lucey, the jury was instructed to set aside any personal feelings toward the police. Lucey, 42, faced charges of assault causing harm and damaging a camera after a confrontation with RTE cameraman Colm Hand on Cathedral Street in February 2016. The prosecution argued that footage showed Lucey striking Hand's groin after the cameraman had retreated, while the defense emphasized Lucey's two‑decade clean record and the lawful use of force in a volatile situation. The trial, presided over by Judge Melanie Greally, continued with the jury hearing both sides' arguments before a verdict was reached. The case highlighted the tension between police conduct and media presence during street protests. Sean Lucey pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution case has closed in the trial of Garda Sean Lucey, who has pleaded not guilty to one count of assault causing harm to Colm Hand and damaging his camera at Cathedral Street, Dublin city centre, on February 6, 2016. Lucey, a 42-year-old garda stationed at Crumlin Village and Sundrive Road, was detailed to a public order unit during confrontations between protesters and gardaí. On the fourth day of the trial, before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury, the prosecution called Garda Colm McGagen, who stated he feared for his safety amid an aggressive crowd with covered faces. McGagen testified that he did not use his baton to strike anyone and that he gently moved freelance photographers, including the complainant, on 15 occasions for their safety. He noted he did not know Hand was an RTÉ cameraman. Dr Ciara O'Carroll testified that she examined Hand on February 8, 2016, finding a bruise on his upper right thigh and no other injuries. She prescribed sleeping tablets and declared him unfit for work for one week, though he had returned to work by April. The trial continues.
During a 2016 protest on Cathedral Street, Garda Sean Lucey (42) was accused of striking RTÉ cameraman Colm Hand with a baton and then striking Hand in the groin. The incident occurred while RTÉ reporters Colman O'Sullivan and Hand were moving across a Garda line to avoid confrontation between anti‑racism protesters and a far‑right group. O'Sullivan testified that a Garda advanced from the line and hit Hand's camera before striking him. Hand reported being hurt and the pair left the area. Garda Michael Dibley, David Laird and others from the public order unit described the situation as hostile, with Gardaí outnumbered and under pressure from protestors. The trial heard that the Garda unit was tasked with preventing protesters from reaching supporters of the far‑right group and that batons were used only after other means failed. The case is pending in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Sean Lucey pleaded not guilty.
During a 2016 anti‑racism protest on Cathedral Street, RTÉ cameraman Colm Hand was struck in the groin by Garda Sean Lucey, who used a baton. Hand, who was filming with reporter Colman O'Sullivan, had positioned himself near a garda line after being pushed into a shop. He claimed he chose to stay with the gardaí because he believed it was safer. While filming, Hand was hit by a baton from behind, causing bruising and pain, and his camera was also struck. He later testified that he had complied with orders to move back and that he had shouted at the garda to stop hitting cameras. The trial, presided over by Judge Melanie Greally, is ongoing before a jury. The garda has pleaded not guilty to assault and camera damage charges.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a jury of seven women and five men was empanelled to hear the case of Garda Seán Lucey, who was accused of assaulting RTÉ employee Colm Hand and damaging a camera on 6 February 2016. Lucey, who resides in south Dublin and is stationed at Crumlin Village and Sundrive Road garda stations, pleaded not guilty to both charges. The alleged assault took place during an event involving the group Pegida and a counter‑event by the European Network Against Racism. Judge Karen O'Connor instructed the jury to remain impartial and to rely solely on the evidence presented in court, warning against independent research. Witnesses, including several gardaí and members of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, are expected to testify. The trial, scheduled to last five days, will commence on Monday before Judge Melanie Greally.
In a 2019 incident at Rutland Grove, Crumlin, two brothers, Peter Collins (26) and Jason Collins (18), attacked a 60‑year‑old taxi driver, Mark Henshaw, and attempted to hijack his vehicle. Peter strangled Henshaw with a phone charger cable, while Jason punched the driver and searched his pockets. The pair failed to start the car and stole a €50 note and an iPhone. Henshaw suffered a small brain bleed, a nasal bone fracture and a swollen right eye. Both pleaded guilty to robbery, assault causing harm and unlawful seizure of a car. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Peter to four and a half years' imprisonment and Jason to three and a half years, suspending the final 12 months of Jason's term on strict conditions. The court noted the attempt was "a pretty incompetent effort" and the attack "reprehensible.".
Sean Kearns, 33, was given a three‑year suspended sentence and ordered to pay €10,000 to Marcelo Valencia after he deliberately drove through Valencia on Drimnagh Road, Crumlin, on 27 August 2014. CCTV showed Kearns driving straight at the cyclist, who was cycling along the road when a car passed close to him. Kearns, who had previously admitted to driving the car, denied that he knocked Valencia down. Valencia suffered minor injuries and has since fully recovered. Kearns pleaded guilty to endangerment. The judge, Martin Nolan, described Kearns as "intemperate and reckless" and noted mitigating factors such as his good work history and efforts to improve. The sentence was suspended on conditions including payment of the €10,000 within two years. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Christopher Ward, aged 63, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of 102 images and 29 videos of child pornography that were stored on electronic devices in his family home on Cashel Road, Crumlin, Dublin. Gardaí seized two hard drives and five CDs during a search conducted under a warrant. The material depicted boys and girls aged between four and 14 years old being sexually abused by adult males, and showed girls with exposed genitals. Ward had no prior convictions and was living with his mother at the time of the offences, who is now deceased. The court considered mitigating factors such as Ward's guilty plea, cooperation, lack of previous convictions, ill health, low risk of re‑offending, and the antiquity of the offences. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a three‑year imprisonment sentence, fully suspended for three years on strict conditions, including one year of supervision by the Probation Service.
Brendan Doolin, 37, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, for harassing six female journalists and writers through hundreds of abusive online messages between 2012 and 2018. The court noted that Doolin had left his home only twice in the previous 17 years and described him as an "internet troll." He pleaded guilty and expressed remorse, factors that mitigated the sentence. The judge imposed strict conditions, including two years of probation, a lifetime prohibition on contacting the six victims, and a maximum seven‑year sentence for any breach. Doolin used multiple email addresses and a monitoring program to send the messages, which included insults, threats, and personal images. The victims reported feeling stalked and psychologically harmed, and the court highlighted the severity of the online harassment. The case underscored the court's view that such conduct constitutes serious criminal behaviour.
In the Special Criminal Court, the prosecution presented an audio clip from a listening device secretly placed in a Nissan Primastar van, showing Joseph Kelly and Alan Wilson discussing a planned murder of Gary Hanley. The men talked about routes to Fairview, traffic, and how to approach Hanley, who walks to the gym at 5 pm. They also considered how to escape the area and how to handle the van after the act. Liam Brannigan, 37, is charged with conspiring to murder Hanley and has pleaded not guilty. Three other men—Luke Wilson, Joseph Kelly and Alan Wilson—have already pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and have been jailed. The trial continues with the court hearing further evidence from surveillance officers who observed Brannigan driving the van in various locations in September and October 2017. The case remains an ongoing criminal proceeding.
Mark Carlisle, aged 30, was convicted of violent disorder and assault causing harm after he kicked a man up to 12 times while the victim lay on the ground. The incident occurred on 12 October 2015 in Crumlin when the victim was returning home and was attacked by a group of five or six men. Carlisle was the only one who continued to kick the victim, who suffered a fracture to the base of the skull, intracranial haemorrhage and extensive facial trauma. He had 109 previous convictions, including three for violent disorder, and was already serving a three‑year sentence for a firearms offence. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to seven‑and‑a‑half years in prison on 26 July 2018. The Court of Appeal upheld the sentence, dismissing Carlisle's appeal and confirming the severity of the punishment. The decision was made by Mr Justice George Birmingham, with Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy present. Mark Carlisle pleaded not guilty.
In the Special Criminal Court, two mobile phones were excluded from evidence in the ongoing trial of Liam Brannigan, who is charged with conspiring to murder Gary Hanley between September 15th and November 6th, 2017. Mr Brannigan has pleaded not guilty. Mr Justice Paul Coffey ruled that the phones taken from Mr Brannigan's pockets upon his arrest must be excluded due to an "irreconcilable conflict of evidence" regarding which garda searched him. The court rejected applications to exclude a third phone found in a car park and a fourth 085 phone located in church grounds. The 085 number was deemed significant by gardai based on information from three co-accused: Luke Wilson, Joseph Kelly, and Alan Wilson. These three men have already pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder Mr Hanley and were sentenced. Luke Wilson, who also admitted to unlawful possession of a Beretta handgun with intent to endanger life, was jailed for 11 years. Alan Wilson received a six-year sentence, while Joseph Kelly, who also admitted a weapons charge, was jailed for a total of 12 years. The current trial continues with surveillance evidence presented, including CCTV footage and witness testimony identifying Mr Brannigan in a vehicle and at a petrol station on the day of the alleged conspiracy.
Darren Cusack, 47, of Crumlin, Dublin, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply and possession of three stun guns at Ballyfermot Drive on July 17, 2017. Prosecutors alleged he was part of a large-scale drug distribution hub where 188kg of cannabis and 2.9kg of cocaine were found. Judge Martin Nolan noted that while Cusack admitted to carrying boxes into the garage, evidence indicated he did not own the drugs or act as the chief organiser. The judge considered the Court of Criminal Appeal's recent decision to increase co-accused Stephen Sarsfield's sentence from seven to ten years for undue leniency, distinguishing Cusack's role as less significant because Sarsfield possessed the truck keys. A third co-accused, Mark O'Dwyer, was sentenced to five years in May 2018, with his case also subject to a Court of Criminal Appeal review on grounds of undue leniency. Cusack's defence highlighted his role as a father to an autistic child, but the court imposed the custodial sentence.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Liam Brannigan, 37, charged with conspiracy to murder Gary Hanley, pleaded not guilty. His defence, led by Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC, sought exclusion of several mobile phones seized during his arrest and subsequent searches. The phones included two found in Brannigan's pockets, one on a table in the apartment complex's car park, and an 085 phone discovered in the undergrowth behind St Nicholas of Myra Church on Francis Street. The defence argued that the 085 phone was "hugely significant" but that the time lapse between Brannigan's arrest on 6 November 2017 and the phone's discovery on 8 November 2017, as well as the lack of preservation of the scene, undermined its admissibility. They also challenged the legality of the search of Brannigan's home, the manner of his arrest by the Armed Support Unit, and the use of force, citing no statutory basis was provided and that the search breached constitutional rights.
In the Court of Appeal, state lawyers argued that the right to privacy is subordinate to the State's right to investigate crime, citing the €2m tiger kidnapping of the Richardson family. The case involves Mark Farrelly (48), David Byrne (46) and Niall Byrne (37), who pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and robbery of Securicor. Farrelly, deemed the gang's mastermind, was sentenced to 17½ years; Byrne to 13½ years; Byrne to 10 years. Christopher Corcoran (72) received 12 years for scouting the kidnapping. The appeal, opened in January 2018, challenges the constitutionality of evidence gathered by Gardaí under 1993 legislation, now superseded by 2005 law. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions contended that the breach did not affect evidence quality, as the same data would have been obtained under the newer law. The Court reserved judgment.
In 2019, Mark Farrelly (48), David Byrne (46) and Niall Byrne (37) appealed convictions for the 2005 tiger kidnapping of the Richardson family and the €2.08 million robbery of a Securicor cash‑in‑transit van. The original trial, the fifth time the case had been heard, found them guilty of false imprisonment and conspiracy to rob. Farrelly, deemed the mastermind, received 17½ years; Byrne, one of the kidnappers, 13½ years; and Byrne, the inside man, 10 years. Their appeal, lodged on 29 October 2019, argued that mobile‑phone data used by Gardaí was gathered under the 1993 legislation, which did not cover the type of data now available and had been superseded in 2005. Counsel contended the evidence was inadmissible, citing the 2015 Supreme Court case 'JC' and the pending 'Dwyer' case. The appeal was heard by the Court of Appeal, with the Director of Public Prosecutions set to reply the following day. Mark Farrelly pleaded not guilty.
Christopher Gannon, 36, of Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, on 6 October 2018. He attacked his former partner, who was there with their son, twice, punching her numerous times and causing a fractured nose and temporary double vision. The assault occurred while the child was in the hospital. Gannon had a prior conviction for assault and public intoxication. Justice Patricia Ryan noted the seriousness of the injuries, the hospital setting, the repeated attacks and the victim's repeated blows, but also cited Gannon's guilty plea, admissions to Gardaí, apology, good work record and lack of prior Garda attention as mitigating factors. She sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions. The case was heard in the criminal court on 18 October 2019.
The Court of Appeal has doubled the jail term for Alan Curtis, who was convicted of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to 16-year-old David McClelland in Crumlin, Dublin, in March 2014. Curtis, of Kimmage, had pleaded not guilty to the charge, claiming self-defence after youths damaged his car outside his mother's home. However, a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found him guilty, noting that he followed McClelland and struck him with a hurley in an act of revenge rather than defence. McClelland suffered a depressed skull fracture requiring emergency surgery and rehabilitation. The Director of Public Prosecutions successfully sought a review of the original sentence, arguing it was unduly lenient. The original sentence of four years imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, was replaced by a re-sentencing of five years imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended. In delivering the judgment, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, sitting with President George Birmingham and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, stated that no one can take the law into their own hands. The court emphasized that the proper response to the incident would have been to speak peacefully to the youths or contact the gardaí, rather than engaging in physical retaliation.