Liam Mulvaney was jailed for ten days for contempt of court after refusing to comply with orders to stop interfering with or trespassing on 17 properties in receivership, including 39 units in Dublin. The High Court found that Mulvaney had obstructed receiver Tom O'Brien by instructing tenants not to deal with the receiver, moving into one of the properties at Avondale Lodge, and interfering with sales efforts, such as removing 'For sale' signs. He also registered a lis pendens and failed to hand over rents from most properties, despite a December order. Mulvaney, who disputes the receiver's appointment and claims the Avondale Lodge property is his family home, represented himself and argued health problems and a desire to appeal the injunction. The judge, unable to overturn the High Court order, directed his arrest and ten‑day imprisonment for contempt. The receiver, appointed by Ulster Bank, claims €7.5 million owed by Mulvaney for loans from 2004 to 2010.
A man from County Dublin has had his sentencing adjourned at the Special Criminal Court following a dispute over the facts of a firearms case. Eamon McNamee, aged 37, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence, namely assault causing harm, at Fairgreen in Saggart on 19 January 2013. The prosecution alleges McNamee shot and wounded a man during an operation targeting unlawful IRA activity in Dublin. Evidence presented included gunshot residue analysis and testimony from a detective sergeant. However, the defence has suggested multiple individuals were present at the scene, questioning whether McNamee was the person who fired the shot. The court indicated a Newton hearing may be necessary to resolve the factual disagreement between the prosecution and defence. McNamee was remanded on continuing bail until 5 February to allow the defence to confirm whether such a hearing is required.
In a Dublin court hearing, Jason Kearney, 37, was found drinking orange juice in the kitchen of his home while a fire raged. Garda Neill McGrath, responding to the fire, had to shout at Kearney several times to leave the premises as he kept walking back into the kitchen. After the fire was extinguished, the garda discovered prescription tablets on a countertop and later obtained a warrant to search the house. The raid uncovered €104,604 of phenazepam tablets, €41,180 of zopiclone pills, and €7,400 of the illegal drug TFMPP in zip‑lock bags in the tumble dryer. Kearney, a father of three from Lucan, pleaded guilty to possessing TFMPP for sale or supply at his home on 27 May 2015. He has 15 prior convictions and is already in custody until 2023 for another serious drug offence. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑year sentence to run concurrently with the jail term he is currently serving.
Derek Reville, 40, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to stealing a suitcase and its €250 worth of contents from the Arc Bar, Liffey Valley, on July 21, 2017. He also admitted to endangerment on the M50 and at a junction at Clonshaugh Road, dangerous driving at Bothar Na Life, Lucan, and having no insurance at Greencastle Road, Coolock, on the same date. Prosecution evidence detailed that Reville led gardai on a ten-minute chase, driving his Renault Laguna at speeds up to 180 kmph, weaving through traffic, and driving the wrong way down a dual carriageway. The chase ended when he crashed at Greencastle Road. Judge Martin Nolan described the actions as "reprehensible" and the driving as "deplorable." Reville, who had 17 previous convictions, was on bail for seven other offences and had a four-month suspended sentence at the time. The court imposed a three-and-a-half-year jail term, backdated to when he entered custody. He was also banned from driving for four years.
Eamon McNamee, 37, pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court to possessing a firearm with intent to commit assault causing harm on 19 January 2013 at Fairgreen, Saggart. The court accepted the plea, and the prosecution noted that McNamee had been on bail for over two years. The judge ordered that his bail be varied so he must sign in at a Garda station daily. McNamee was remanded on continuing bail until 29 January next year, when sentencing will take place.
The Special Criminal Court adjourned the trial of 36‑year‑old Eamon McNamee of Lucan, County Dublin, charged with possession of a firearm with intent to commit assault causing harm at Fairgreen, Saggart, on 19 January 2013. The trial, originally set to open on 7 December 2017, was postponed until Monday to allow the defence to complete requested forensic examinations. Prosecutor Annemarie Lawlor SC indicated the case could finish within five days if it began on Monday. Judge Isobel Kennedy, with Judges Sinead Ni Chúlacháin and Cormac Dunne, granted the adjournment and remanded McNamee on bail.
Gerard Cleary, 33, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to possessing nearly two kilos of cocaine for sale or supply outside his residence at Shon Valley Apartments, Lucan, Co Dublin, on August 8, 2017. Judge Karen O'Connor handed down a three-year sentence but suspended the final 18 months, resulting in an effective custody period of 18 months. The court accepted that Cleary admitted to holding the drugs under pressure from a third party to repay a €9,000 debt accrued through his own cocaine use. Analysis confirmed the packages contained 1,976 grammes of cocaine with a street value of €138,837. During sentencing, the judge considered testimonials, including a letter from Cleary's mother detailing his troubled childhood and his role as a drug purchaser for her at age ten. Defense counsel Caroline Biggs SC argued that Cleary was a functioning addict who had been coerced into this transaction and had no prior history of drug dealing. The court noted Cleary's 14 previous convictions, nine of which were road traffic offences, and his current engagement with addiction services. The matter was concluded with this suspended sentence.
Szymon Flizikowski, aged 20, faces sentencing for possession of drugs worth over €150,000 and for two other offences committed in 2015. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of 30 cans of beer, assault with a Stanley knife in a Londis supermarket, and a separate knife assault in Leixlip. Garda Eoin O'Flaherty reported that Flizikowski threatened a staff member with a knife and fled with the beer. He was later arrested and, during a search of his home, police found MDMA, cocaine and ecstasy. Flizikowski claimed he was holding the drugs for a debt and feared a "bullet" if he refused. He admitted to calling a man a racist slur and slashing him with a knife, apologising and presenting a victim impact statement. He is currently remanded for sentencing on December 21 and is due for release in 2020.
Gerard Cleary, aged 33, pleaded guilty to possessing 1,976 g of cocaine for sale or supply outside his home in Lucan, Dublin, on 8 August 2017. He admitted holding the drugs for a few minutes before Gardaí seized them, after being instructed by a third party to keep a package for no more than a day to repay a €9,000 debt incurred through his own cocaine use. Cleary, a waste‑management engineer, claimed he was paid to hold the drugs in an unlocked car, but could not name the person who owed him or who asked him to do so. He has 14 prior convictions, including nine traffic offences, one assault and one under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The court heard he had been a functioning cocaine addict, had lost his job, and that his debt had increased dramatically. He was remanded on continuing bail to be sentenced on 16 November.
Anthony Eya, a 42‑year‑old Nigerian naturalised Irish citizen, was arrested in May 2017 after a Garda surveillance operation that followed a customs alert about a suspicious package. The package, identified as suspicious when it passed through customs, was delivered to an address in Adamstown, Lucan, and later placed in Eya's car. Garda Marcella Shanahan described the "controlled delivery" and the subsequent stop at Ballyowen Lane, where two kilograms of cocaine were recovered. Eya pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drugs for sale or supply, admitting he had paid €3,000 to Charles Twesigye for the package. He had previously served a drug offence sentence in 2006 and had left Ireland for Nigeria in 2013, returning to face the charges. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Eya's guilty plea and cooperation, imposed a four‑and‑a‑half‑year imprisonment sentence, deviating from the mandatory ten‑year minimum for the offence.
Colin O'Kelly, 36, was given a two‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assault causing harm to Dominic O'Keefe at Finnstown Castle Hotel in Lucan on 1 May 2015. O'Kelly had been attending a funeral that day and, in the early hours, punched O'Keefe twice in the face, fracturing his cheekbone. O'Keefe, who had just attended a wedding, was left unable to eat solid foods for three weeks and out of work for six weeks, which he said led to his restaurant failing. O'Kelly had no prior convictions, had expressed deep remorse, and was caring for a seriously ill child. The judge, Patricia Ryan, noted mitigating factors and accepted a €3,000 payment to O'Keefe as an expression of remorse. The sentence was suspended for two years.
Janet Morrissey, 35, a single mother from Lucan, was found by Gardaí with €117,800 in cash in April 2016, which she claimed were proceeds of crime. She pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the cash. The court noted her cocaine addiction, heavy debts, and that she had been exploited by serious criminals who used her as a bookkeeper. She had been paid €600 a week for handling the money and had sorted it into bundles of €5,000 and €10,000. Judge Gerard Griffin, after considering her cooperation, drug‑free status, full‑time job, and a letter from her father, suspended a five‑year sentence. He warned that any future contact would not be a pleasant experience. The case ended with a suspended sentence and no custodial term.
Paul Lynam of Weirview Gardens, Lucan, has filed a High Court case against Thomas Kelly of Weirview Cottages, Lucan, seeking orders to stop rock slides from a 36‑square‑metre embankment owned by Kelly that lies behind Lynam's property. Lynam says the embankment, 7–8 m high, has produced more rockfall recently, including a 100 kg boulder that fell in May and damaged his decking. An engineer he hired concluded that removing vegetation and installing an automatic watering system—attributed to Kelly—likely caused the increased rockfall. Lynam alleges that continued erosion could endanger his and neighbouring properties, potentially causing injury or death. He requests injunctions to compel Kelly to halt vegetation removal and the use of the watering system, and to prevent further deterioration of the embankment. The judge granted Lynam's lawyers permission to serve short notice of the injunction proceedings on Kelly and adjourned the matter for a week.
In a Dublin court, 34‑year‑old Robert Maguire was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for assault causing harm and false imprisonment of his 30‑year‑old ex‑girlfriend on 14 January 2012. The victim, who was asleep in bed, was spied by Maguire, who spat on her, threatened to kill her, kicked her in the genitals, and beat her into unconsciousness while her children screamed. He locked the bedroom door, prevented her from reaching her baby, and kicked her until she lost consciousness. Gardaí were called but Maguire fled before they arrived. The court imposed a four‑year sentence for each offence to run concurrently, suspended the last two years on condition of peace, and ordered no contact with the victim. The sentence was delivered by Mr Justice Paul Butler. The case was heard in March 2017. Robert Maguire pleaded guilty.
Samuel Devlin, 59, was convicted by the Special Criminal Court for possessing PETN at Finnstown House Hotel's 'Golf Suite' on 11 May 2014. The court found evidence of a 26‑metre detonator cord, hidden in a laptop case, with PETN in its core, and linked Devlin to the cord via fingerprints and DNA. The suite had been booked under "Joe Murphy" since 31 March, and Devlin had been present from 9 May. Gardai searched the suite at 10.25 am after a warrant was issued amid the discovery of a car bomb in the hotel's car park. Devlin's appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, which upheld the conviction and the admissibility of the evidence, including the DNA and the warrant's urgency. He remains sentenced to six years' imprisonment.".
In a 2017 sentencing hearing, the Central Criminal Court adjourned the case of 34‑year‑old Robert Maguire, who had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and false imprisonment of his ex‑girlfriend on 14 January 2012. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Butler, received an anonymous letter urging that Maguire be "sent away for life" and was placed in a difficult position. He ordered a probation report after the defence requested a community service assessment, and the case was remanded for a further bail mention on 3 July. The victim, a 30‑year‑old woman, described severe trauma and the assault's lasting impact. Maguire's previous convictions included a 240‑hour community service sentence for theft. The court noted the defence's request for community service and the judge's need for a probation assessment before proceeding. The hearing ended with the case postponed for further consideration.
A Medical Council fitness to practice inquiry has found Dr Salah Aziz Ahmed, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, guilty of one count of poor professional performance. The finding relates to his care of Patient C, specifically his failure to decide that immediate delivery by emergency caesarean section was required. Dr Aziz was found not guilty of poor professional performance regarding six other allegations that were proven as to fact, and he was cleared of professional misconduct on two counts. The inquiry examined his care of three women at Cavan General Hospital between 2012 and 2014. In relation to Patient A, the committee found he increased syntocinon administration despite evidence of hyperstimulation, performed an unjustified episiotomy, and failed to catheterise her before surgery. Regarding Deirdre Clarke, who waived anonymity, the committee found he directed syntocinon increases and maintained infusion levels while she was in labour, increasing the risk of uterine rupture. For Patient C, the committee found he failed to decide on immediate surgery and failed to attend the hospital within an adequate timeframe to assess her. Dr Aziz admitted as to fact the single allegation found to amount to poor professional performance. His legal counsel argued for a sanction on the lower end of the scale, noting he demonstrated insight and that no allegation claimed the outcome for Patient C's baby would have differed with earlier delivery. Sanctions will be determined at a later date by the Medical Council.
Samuel Devlin, 59, from Northern Ireland, was convicted by the Special Criminal Court for unlawful possession of PETN on 11 May 2014 at Finnstown House Hotel, Lucan. He was found guilty of being an IRA bomb‑maker and sentenced to six years' imprisonment on 6 April 2016. The trial, lasting three weeks, relied on evidence from the Special Detective Unit, including a warrant obtained at 3.30 am on a Sunday to search the hotel. Three rolls of detonator cord, 26 metres long and containing PETN, were discovered wrapped in a towel inside a laptop bag. Devlin was arrested during the search. He has now appealed his conviction in the Court of Appeal, where the judge has reserved judgment. The appeal challenges the manner in which the search warrant was obtained, the timing of its use, the handling of DNA evidence, and the court's inference that Devlin knew the cords were explosives. Samuel Devlin pleaded not guilty.
John Freer, 43, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to knowingly permitting the preparation of controlled drugs at his home on August 10, 2015. The court heard that drug dealers used the residence of the intellectually disabled man to stash approximately €108,110 worth of ecstasy tablets and €3,500 worth of Diazepam. Prosecution counsel Karl Finnegan BL stated that gardaí believed Freer was approached by others to store the drugs, noting he was not paid for his role. Defence counsel Michael Bowman SC described Freer's "diabolic personal circumstances," highlighting his isolation and lack of social services support until the raid. Judge Martin Nolan, presiding, described the situation as a "sad case is an understatement." He found that Freer was taken advantage of due to his incapacities, resulting in little or no moral culpability. The judge suspended an 18-month prison sentence on strict conditions. Freer, who has no previous convictions, has since been moved into a more appropriate residential setting where his needs are met.
Stephen Rooney (37), Alan Richardson (28) and Vincent Brunton (34) were jailed for their roles in an NCT scam that involved passing cars that had previously failed roadworthiness tests. The men were arrested after a Garda investigation prompted by an RTÉ Prime Time documentary in 2011. Judge Gerard Griffin sentenced Rooney and Richardson to three years with two‑and‑a‑half years suspended, and suspended the entire three‑year term for Brunton. Rooney pleaded guilty to forgery of an NCT certificate and corruption for accepting €100 as inducement; Richardson pleaded guilty to the same forgery and corruption for accepting a cash gift; Brunton pleaded guilty to forging an NCT certificate. The court noted the cars passed were unroadworthy and unsafe, and that the men's actions undermined public trust in the NCT system. The case was adjourned after the evidence was heard.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 34‑year‑old man, Robert Maguire, was found to have falsely imprisoned and violently assaulted his 30‑year‑old ex‑girlfriend after learning she had a new partner. The court heard that the woman woke to find Maguire standing over her, spitting and threatening to kill her, before he kicked her in the genitals and beat her until she became unconscious. She and her nine‑year‑old son were left severely traumatised, and she expressed a need for safety and trust in the law. Maguire pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and false imprisonment on 14 January 2012. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Butler, ordered the Probation Service to assess whether Maguire is suitable for community service, noting the false imprisonment was at the lower end of the scale. He remanded Maguire on continuing bail until 22 May, when a sentence will be imposed.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Stephen Rooney, 37, was sentenced to one year in jail for forging an NCT certificate and accepting a €100 inducement. He collapsed in the dock, prompting an ambulance call. Judge Gerard Griffin had originally imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final two‑and‑a‑half years due to Rooney's cooperation and remorse. The court also set sentencing dates for co‑accused Alan Richardson, 28, and Vincent Brunton, 34, who had each pleaded guilty to forgery and corruption for passing two un‑roadworthy Toyota Carinas. Both men were to receive suspended sentences after full cooperation. A fourth man, Darren Meehan, 40, had already received a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence for producing a false NCT certificate. All three men were remanded on continuing bail pending the March 6 sentencing. The case stemmed from a 2011 RTÉ Prime Time documentary and a Garda investigation.
Three men – Stephen Rooney (37), Alan Richardson (28) and Vincent Brunton (34) – were arrested after a Garda investigation into a 2011 RTÉ Prime Time documentary that exposed a scheme to pass unroadworthy vehicles at a Dublin NCT centre. Richardson, then an NCT inspector, was approached by Rooney to pass two Toyota Carinas that had previously failed the test. The men were to receive €100, but no money was exchanged. Richardson then asked Brunton to issue a false NCT certificate for one vehicle, while a fourth man, Darren Meehan (40), was approached to pass the second vehicle and received a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence for producing a false certificate. Rooney pleaded guilty to forgery and corruption for accepting €100 as inducement; Richardson pleaded guilty to the same forgery and corruption for accepting cash from Rooney; Brunton pleaded guilty to forgery for creating a false certificate. All three men fully cooperated with the Garda investigation and expressed remorse.
Janet Morrissey, 35, a single mother with drug addiction and heavy debts, was found by Gardaí with €117,800 in cash in her home and on her person. She pleaded guilty to possession of the proceeds of crime. Garda Jerome Twomey explained that a search warrant led to the discovery of cash in her coat pocket and bedroom wardrobe, and a ledger described as a "book" that recorded the money. Morrissey said she had been given a phone by a man and collected money from various people when she received texts from a person she called 'Boss'. She sorted the cash into bundles of €5,000 and €10,000 and was paid €600 a week for handling it. She claimed she did not know the money was the proceeds of crime and had never asked questions. She has no previous convictions.
Eamon McNamee, a 34-year-old man from Larkfield Square, Lucan, County Dublin, appeared in court facing a charge of possessing a firearm with the intent to commit an indictable offence, specifically assault causing harm. The alleged incident occurred at Fairgreen, Saggart, Co. Dublin, on January 19, 2013. The matter is currently at the pre-trial stage, with the court fixing a trial date for December 12 at the Special Criminal Court. The trial is expected to last six days. Presiding Judge Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy remanded Mr McNamee on continuing bail until October 23, when his case is listed for mention again. The court did not record a plea, finding, or sentence at this stage, as the proceedings remain in the pre-trial phase. The accused is alleged to have committed the offence, but no conviction has been established. The next procedural step is the mention hearing scheduled for October 23, after which the trial will proceed in December. No other case subjects, pleas, or disposals were recorded in this report.
In 2015, Jayne Kearney, aged 27, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Blathnaid Molloy and for driving while intoxicated. The offence occurred on 8 March 2014 when Kearney, driving from Citywest Hotel after a quarrel with her boyfriend, knocked down Molloy, who suffered a brain injury, and failed to remain at the scene. Kearney had previously been convicted of speeding and driving without insurance. On appeal, the Court of Appeal found the judge had erred by not considering a suspended portion of the sentence. Consequently, the final nine months of Kearney's term were suspended, and she was required to enter a good‑behaviour bond. The appeal decision was delivered by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice John Edwards in attendance. The case highlighted the importance of accountability for intoxicated driving and the duty to remain at the scene of an accident. Jayne Kearney pleaded guilty.
Alison Cleary, aged 22, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for possessing €128,000 worth of cocaine in a wardrobe at her family home when she was 19. She pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply on 4 February 2015 and was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 19 July 2016. Cleary appealed the sentence, but the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, ruling that a three‑year term was not harsh for the amount of drugs involved. Justice Alan Mahon, sitting with Justices George Birmingham and Garrett Sheehan, noted that the judge had appropriately considered mitigating factors such as Cleary's guilty plea, her youth, lack of prior convictions and her minor role in the drug consignment. The court found no evidence that her medical history or behaviour impaired her understanding of the seriousness of the offence, and upheld the custodial sentence. Cleary was taken to prison to continue serving her term.
Patrick Purcell, 33, of Lucan, Co Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to nine years' imprisonment for possession of drugs, with the final two years suspended. He pleaded guilty to possessing 18kg of ketamine, valued at €1,080,000, and 212g of cocaine for sale or supply at a rented premises in Straffan, Kildare, on June 4, 2015. He also admitted to possessing 2.2kg of ketamine, worth an estimated €103,123, at Maiden's Row, Chapelizod, on the same date. Co-accused Jordan Maher, 19, of Lucan, pleaded guilty to possessing the ketamine at Maiden's Row when spotted handling the package. Judge Melanie Greally noted Purcell's four previous convictions, including a prior suspended sentence for a drug offence. She accepted his genuine regret, cooperation with gardaí, and the submission of impressive testimonials. Purcell had claimed he was paid €500 to hold the drugs and used the storage unit for landscaping tools. The court acknowledged his role in storing and assisting with distribution, while noting his alcohol issues. The sentence reflects the severity of the offences and his criminal history, with the suspended portion contingent on good behaviour.
Patrick Purcell, aged 33, will be sentenced later this month for holding over €1 million worth of drugs in a storage unit he rented. Gardaí observed him handing a drug package to Jordan Maher, 19, and a warrant was secured for the lock‑up where €1 million of ketamine and €14 896 of cocaine were found. Purcell admitted he was paid €500 to hold and distribute the drugs, and that he rented the unit for €15 a week, claiming it was for tools for his landscaping business. He pleaded guilty to possession of 18 kg of ketamine worth €1 080 000 and 212 g of cocaine for sale or supply at the Straffan premises, and to possession of 2.2 kg of ketamine worth €103 123 at Maiden's Row, Chapelizod. He has four prior convictions, including a suspended sentence for a drug offence.
A 17-year-old boy has been sentenced to one year's detention at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following a series of offences committed in April 2016. The teenager pleaded guilty to burglary, dangerous driving, and criminal damage to a bridge after crashing a stolen Hyundai into the River Liffey at Celbridge while evading gardai from a burglary scene in Lucan. Within 48 hours of his release on bail, he assaulted an elderly man and stole his vehicle. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a three-year sentence with the final two years suspended, noting that detention should be a last resort for minors. The court heard evidence that the accused was intoxicated during the chase and was abusing prescribed drugs at the time. His legal counsel submitted that he is now drug-free, has expressed remorse, and is willing to engage with rehabilitation services and address anger management issues.
Jayne Kearney, aged 26, appealed the three‑year prison sentence she received for dangerous driving that caused serious bodily harm to Blathnaid Molloy, a mother of two, after Kearney was almost three times the legal alcohol limit. Kearney pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 8 March 2014 and was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan on 12 January 2015. In her appeal, Kearney's barrister, Padraig Dwyer SC, argued that a suspended sentence or community service would have been appropriate, noting that Kearney had left the hotel after a dispute with her boyfriend, had not been drinking all evening, and had made a single reckless decision to drive. Dwyer highlighted that Kearney had cooperated at the scene, made admissions, and that the injuries were sustained by Molloy. The court, hearing the arguments, reserved judgment and would decide as soon as possible. The appeal does not alter the fact that Kearney was convicted of dangerous driving and driving while intoxicated.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 3 October 2016, 19‑year‑old Jordan Maher pleaded guilty to possessing 1.718 kg of ketamine worth €103,132. The court noted that Maher had been granted bail earlier in the year to demonstrate his willingness to reform. A positive probation report, evidence of employment, and a statement that he had addressed the factors that led to his involvement in the offence were presented. The judge, Sarah Berkeley, acknowledged that Maher had turned his life around and that the probation report indicated remorse and a low risk of re‑offending. Consequently, she imposed a four‑year sentence, suspended in full, and ordered 18 months of probation supervision. No previous convictions were recorded for Maher.
Paul Casey, a 46‑year‑old former bricklayer from Ballymun, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a two‑year suspended sentence and a €3,000 fine for handling €53,453 worth of stolen electrical equipment. The property had been hijacked from a truck delivering goods from the UK to Dixons PC World in June 2014 and was later moved from a freight container into a van. Casey pleaded guilty on 18 July 2014 at Finnstown House Hotel, Lucan. He was arrested while attempting to escape by the side of the container. The court noted that all stolen goods were returned to Dixons, that Casey had nine prior convictions, and that he was on disability benefit and a father of two. The suspended sentence was imposed, with the fine payable. The case also involved co‑accused Daniel McMahon, who was fined €5,000, and Michael Barr, who was sent to the Special Criminal Court for related charges.
Eamon Shield, 45, of Lucan, was found guilty by a jury of 25 counts of theft and deception after a two‑week trial in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He ran a pyramid scheme from June 2011 to February 2012, promising investors a 100 per cent profit within 60 days by buying repossessed cars and flipping them. Shield advertised in national newspapers and received between €3,000 and €70,000 from 12 investors. He returned €32,000 to the investor who paid €70,000, but all 12 investors were left out of pocket. Shield had a prior deception conviction in 2005 and 23 road traffic and two public order convictions. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, ordering €20,000 in his account to be divided among the victims.
Paul Casey, 46, of Ballymun, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to handling €53,453 worth of stolen property at the Finnstown House Hotel in Lucan, Co Dublin, on July 18, 2014. The prosecution alleged that Casey was arrested while moving the stolen electrical equipment, which had been hijacked from a truck in June 2014, from a freight container into a van. His co-accused, Daniel McMahon of Belfast, was previously fined €5,000, as community service was deemed difficult due to his residency outside the jurisdiction. The third co-accused, Michael Barr, who was shot dead in April, had pleaded guilty to handling stolen property; the State entered a nolle prosequi on the associated IRA membership charge, dropping it. Barr was due to be sentenced at the end of April before his death. In mitigation, defense counsel noted Casey's alcohol abstinence for 18 months and his intention to offer a financial gesture of remorse from his disability benefit. Judge Elma Sheahan adjourned the case until Friday next for sentencing. The matter was adjourned and is not concluded.
Rose Kiely, 35, of Lucan, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four counts of stealing €20,000 in social welfare payments from the Department of Social Protection between May 2013 and December 2014. She claimed the theft was an act of desperation after her partner's death and used the money to pay bills and support her child. The court accepted her admissions and the lack of prior convictions, and Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑year custodial sentence that was fully suspended. Kiely is now repaying the stolen amount at €28.20 per week from her own welfare entitlement, a repayment plan that will take 13 years to complete. The case involved Garda investigations that uncovered a DSP card in another woman's name and CCTV evidence from a post office. Kiely cooperated fully with the authorities and stated that the funds were spent on household expenses and her daughter's activities rather than socialising.
Evidence is still being presented in the trial of Eamon Shield, 45, who is accused of running a fake motor business to defraud 12 people out of €178,000. Prosecutor Shane Costelloe SC told the jury that Shield fabricated the business and that no legitimate operation existed. Shield, of Weston Meadows, has pleaded not guilty to 15 theft counts and 12 deception counts covering June 2011 to February 2012. On the fifth day, several alleged victims gave further testimony about meeting Shield and investing in his scheme. The trial continues before Judge Patricia Ryan and a jury.
During a trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a witness named Mark Hilliard testified that he had met Eamon Shield, a 45‑year‑old accused of running a fraudulent motor business, after responding to a newspaper advert seeking investors. Shield allegedly promised to buy repossessed cars from banks at low prices and sell them at a profit. Hilliard agreed to invest €20,000, signing a contract that the money would be repaid in full after 60 days. He claimed to have made repeated attempts to meet Shield to view the motor stock, but no cars were ever shown, and the list provided did not include registration numbers. Hilliard said he had not received any repayment after two months and felt he had been duped. The trial, presided over by Judge Patricia Ryan, continues with a jury. Eamon Shield pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, two Kerry men testified that Eamon Shield, 45, had promised them a 100% return on their investments within 60 days by flipping repossessed cars at a significant markup. The prosecution, led by Shane Costelloe SC, described Shield's scheme as a pyramid scheme, arguing that he merely attracted new investors to pay off earlier ones. Shield, who pleaded not guilty to 15 theft counts and 12 deception counts, allegedly stole €178,000 from 12 people between June 2011 and February 2012. The trial, which began on Monday, was delayed due to a juror issue and will continue before Judge Patricia Ryan and a new jury. The case is expected to run for two weeks. The defendants, David O'Grady and Malcolm Griffin, each invested €3,000, received only partial payments, and later complained to Gardaí in Listowel. The court has not yet delivered a verdict.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Eamon Shield, aged 45, faced 15 theft counts and 12 deception counts for allegedly running a pyramid scheme that claimed to double investors' money by selling repossessed cars. Shield, from Lucan, was accused of soliciting €178,000 from 12 people, promising a two‑month profit, but no cars existed and no business was carried out. Prosecutor Shane Costelloe argued that Shield took money from one investor and redistributed it to others, offering a partial repayment of €55,000 while the remaining investors received nothing. Shield pleaded not guilty. The trial, set to continue before Judge Patricia Ryan and a jury, was expected to last two weeks. The case highlighted Shield's alleged deception and the absence of any legitimate vehicle sales.
Brian Reilly, 20, of Boyne View, Navan, was convicted of reckless endangerment and theft of a vehicle after he stole a post van and drove over a postman's foot on 22 August 2013. In March 2015 Judge Patrick McCartan imposed consecutive sentences of five years for the endangerment and four years for the theft, suspending the last three years to deter re‑offending. Reilly appealed, and on 5 July 2016 the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Garrett Sheehan, found that the judge had not identified a headline offence and had not explained why a consecutive sentence was necessary. The appeal court also could not determine how mitigation and Reilly's guilty plea had been considered. Reilly's sentence was reduced to six years, with the final eighteen months suspended for the endangerment and three years for the theft, the sentences running concurrently and back‑dated to 11 September 2014.
John O'Dowd, 42, was jailed for one year after admitting to the gardai that he had relapsed into viewing child pornography. He had previously received a nine‑month suspended sentence in the UK in 2003 and was on the sex offenders register, which led to monitoring by the Irish gardai when he moved to Ireland. On 4 September 2010 he pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of child pornography at his home. Seventeen‑hundred images were seized, most at the lowest level of categorisation, with 39 files at level four depicting penetrative sex between children and adults. Judge Melanie Greally imposed an 18‑month sentence, suspending the final six months on strict conditions, including full participation in therapy. O'Dowd had completed a treatment programme at the Grenada Institute and was currently unemployed but seeking work.
Emmet McAuley, 31, pleaded guilty to robbery at a Celbridge off‑licence on 30 May 2015. He was armed with a plastic McDonald's knife, which he claimed to hold, and was pursued on foot by the shop owner. The robbery lasted about 60 seconds, involved no violence, and the robbers escaped with cash and cigarettes, which were later recovered. McAuley was restrained without resistance and later arrested. He has 22 prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑year sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions, including a €1,000 payment to the injured party. The court noted McAuley's cooperation with Gardaí and his completion of a residential drug treatment programme. No further convictions or outcomes were mentioned in the article.
A man convicted of leading a jewellery store robbery in Castleblayney has had his prison sentence reduced on appeal. Moise Rostas, aged 25, pleaded guilty at Monaghan Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €20,000 worth of jewellery from McGuigan's Jewellers on Main Street on 28 December 2012. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment in January 2016. The Court of Appeal reduced his term, suspending the final nine months subject to payment of €5,000 compensation. Mr Justice Alan Mahon found the sentencing judge erred by suggesting the shopowner and employee were present during the theft, when they had not been. The judge noted Rostas had no previous convictions and was already demonstrating rehabilitation in custody. The Court of Appeal imposed a two-year good behaviour bond on release. The jewellery was never recovered. Following the robbery, the business subsequently closed.
In 2010, 30‑year‑old Shane Millea stabbed his cousin Paul Harris to death with a flick knife. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was originally sentenced to ten years, with two years suspended, on the condition he never possessed a knife again. Millea appealed in 2014, arguing that his immediate remorse, staying at the scene, contacting emergency services and attempting CPR were mitigating factors. The Court of Appeal agreed, reducing the sentence to eight years with the final three years suspended. The court noted that Millea had acted in self‑defence after Harris attacked him with an axe handle, and that the offence was not at the upper end of the scale. The appeal court set aside the original ten‑year sentence and imposed the revised eight‑year term with a suspended portion, subject to good behaviour for four years. The decision was made without reference to any subsequent developments.
The Special Criminal Court formally dropped the case against Michael Barr, who was shot dead in Dublin on Monday night. Barr, 35, had been indicted for handling stolen electrical equipment at Finnstown House Hotel in Lucan on 18 July 2014 and had pleaded guilty earlier this month. He had also been charged with membership of an unlawful organisation, the IRA, on the same date, but that charge was dropped after his guilty plea. The court ordered the indictment to be marked "accused deceased.".
Eamon McNamee, a 34-year-old man from Lucan, County Dublin, appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged with possession of a firearm with the intent to commit an indictable offence, namely assault causing harm. The alleged incident occurred at Fairgreen, Saggart, Co Dublin, on January 19th, 2013. These charges are alleged and remain contested. During the hearing, Mr McNamee sought a trial date. Mr Justice Paul Butler noted that the second incarnation of the Special Criminal Court is technically ready to run, having become operational after the Acting Justice Minister signed the rules of court. The judge indicated a prospect that cases awaiting trial, including Mr McNamee's, could be transferred to the new court early next month. However, Mr McNamee's case was listed for mention again on Friday, May 6th. The judge stated that the court would include Mr McNamee's case, particularly those involving individuals in custody, to return to the first Special Criminal Court on that date. Consequently, the matter was adjourned until May 6th. Mr McNamee was remanded on continuing bail until that date.
Greg Ward, 32, of Lucan, was arrested on 3 May 2015 after a friend overdosed in his bedsit. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply. Gardaí found 148 slabs of cannabis, weighing over 13 kg, with an estimated street value of €82,939. Ward claimed he was coerced by a drug debt and had been receiving heroin in return for storing the cannabis. He admitted injecting heroin six or seven times daily. The judge accepted that he had no role in selling or supplying the drugs and that he was under pressure. Ward was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final twelve months suspended for two years, back‑dated to 4 June 2015 when he entered custody.
Evidence has been heard at the Central Criminal Court in relation to a driving licence found in the name of a witness in a murder trial. Tomas Strugacz testified that his Polish driving licence went missing in Dublin in June 2013, which he reported to gardaí in Lucan before obtaining a replacement. An identification card bearing his name and address but a different photograph was produced in court during proceedings. The trial concerns Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, with an address in Warsaw, Poland. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patryk Krupa, aged 23, at Bogganfin, Athlone, County Roscommon on 20 June 2014. They also deny falsely imprisoning the deceased on the same date. The court has heard that Mr Krupa drowned following a violent assault. The trial before Mr Justice Tony Hunt continues.
David Larrissey, 37, of Chapelizod, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for possessing 1.718 kg of ketamine, a drug that had only recently been criminalised. The sentence was mandatory as it was his second conviction for a similar offence. Larrissey pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 4 June 2015. He was found with the drugs in a suitcase while walking away from the site, and a subsequent search of his home uncovered a smaller quantity of ketamine, a notebook with names and numbers, and weighing scales. His co‑accused, 19‑year‑old Jordan Maher, also pleaded guilty to the same offence but had no prior convictions. Judge Elma Sheahan imposed the ten‑year term, back‑dating it to the date of the offence, and scheduled a review five years later.