Sean Nolan, aged 38, appealed his 2020 murder conviction for strangling Amanda Carroll, a mother of two, in her own apartment after a two‑day binge of alcohol and drugs. Nolan had been found by Gardaí on a North Dublin street the day after Carroll's body was discovered, and the prosecution relied on field notes taken by officers who were off‑duty. In the appeal, his counsel argued that these notes, which recorded Nolan saying he had "choked her until she passed out," were not properly read to him during his formal interview and should not have been admissible. The appeal also questioned the jury's deliberation on Nolan's intoxication level and intent, noting that the jury had received no judicial guidance on these matters. The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment on the appeal.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Michael Carroll, aged 43, pleaded guilty to two separate offences. He admitted to attempting to murder Edward Staunton on 26 March 2017 at Railway Street, Dublin 1, and to possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life on 2 September 2016 at Drumalee Avenue, where he had also attempted to murder John Hutch, who was 63 at the time and has since died. Carroll, who was extradited from the UK in April, answered only "guilty" to each charge. His defence requested six weeks to prepare mitigating factors for the upcoming sentence hearing and a governor's report from Mountjoy Prison. Judge Tony Hunt adjourned the sentence hearing to 22 May 2023. The case remains at the sentencing stage, with no further verdicts announced.
A 26-year-old man from Sligo has received an concurrent 18-month prison sentence following his guilty plea to threatening a prison officer at Mountjoy Prison. Paul Darcy of Calry Court, Stephen Street, Sligo, made the threat on August 17, 2019, after refusing to return to his cell during the evening lock-in. When instructed by the officer to comply, Darcy charged towards him aggressively, shouting threats of violence, and subsequently warned he would harm both the officer and his home upon release. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that gardai were contacted due to the menacing nature of the threat. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the sentence concurrently with an existing sentence, Darcy being due for release in 2026. The court noted that Darcy has since apologised to the officer and caused no further difficulties in custody whilst studying for his Junior Certificate.
Martin Cunningham, 28, of Mulhuddart, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment for a sustained campaign of harassment against his former partner while he was in Mountjoy Prison. Between 1 January and 30 March 2021, he made 3,800 calls, many from a private or blocked number, and left voicemails threatening to kill or cause serious harm. The court found the calls were made from prison, where he should not have had a phone, and that they were part of a callous, calculating, cruel and sustained course of harassment. Judge Orla Crowe imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, back‑dated to 10 August 2021, and suspended the final six months for two years on strict conditions, including probation supervision for one year after release. The sentence also directed Cunningham to avoid any contact with the victim while in custody and during the suspended period. Martin Cunningham pleaded guilty.
The Regency Hotel murder trial heard evidence from a senior garda regarding four shootings linked to the Hutch-Kinahan feud. Detective Superintendent David Gallagher testified about the still open investigation into the shooting of Patrick Hutch Junior and the murder of Eddie 'Neddie' Hutch in 2016. The prosecution case against Gerard Hutch and his co-accused is expected to conclude on Thursday. Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch (59) denies the murder of Mr Byrne (33) during a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016. His co-accused, Paul Murphy (61) and Jason Bonney (52), have pleaded not guilty to participating in or contributing to the murder of Mr Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016. Patrick Dowdall (65) was jailed for two years before the Regency trial started after he admitted his part in booking the hotel room for the raiders. James Quinn (role: convicted_person) was convicted of facilitating Mr Byrne's murder and participating in activity intending to facilitate the commission of a serious offence by making a room available at the Regency Hotel on February 4, 2016. The court also ruled that CCTV footage concerning the movement of a silver Toyota Avensis taxi associated with Paul Murphy can be admitted as evidence against him. The procedural stage is sentence.
Craig Hanney, aged 26, pleaded guilty to robbery, production of an article and assault at Sillogue Garden and Sillogue Green, Ballymun, on 10 and 11 November 2021. He was found in custody after throwing a plant pot at a woman, causing serious facial injuries, including a fractured cheekbone and permanent scar. Hanney had previously produced a broken bottle while robbing a taxi, where he was intoxicated and abusive. The court, presided over by Judge Martina Baxter, imposed a four-and-a-half‑year sentence for the robbery, with the final six months suspended on strict conditions, a four‑year sentence for the assault, and a two‑year term for producing a broken bottle. All sentences run concurrently. The victim suffered anxiety, panic attacks and breathing difficulties, and her children were frightened by her injuries. Hanney's mother's letter highlighted his childhood mental health issues and his desire for treatment.
Christina Anderson, 41, was feeding fruit to her baby when Gardaí arrived after she stabbed Gareth Kelly, 39, to death in a south Dublin housing estate car park on 25 February 2020. The Central Criminal Court heard that Anderson had been under a perceived threat from neighbours and believed criminals were targeting non‑criminals. A neighbour testified that Anderson had sent him a text two days before the stabbing saying, "Run, your lives are in danger!" Garda Barry O'Shea described Anderson as agitated and distressed, noting she claimed to have acted "for us Mark" and "for love." She was arrested, transferred to Mountjoy Women's Prison, and then to the Central Mental Hospital. Anderson has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity; the jury will decide her mental state at the time of the offence. The trial continues before Ms Justice Karen O'Connor with a jury of twelve.
Stephen Penrose, 39, a former garda's son, is serving a life sentence for the murder of Philip Finnegan in 2016. While in Mountjoy Prison, he pleaded guilty to possession of diamorphine for sale and supply. In a supervised visit, Penrose attempted to conceal a package containing a mobile phone, 49.2 g of diamorphine, and 113 zopiclone tablets. Prison officers intervened, and the package was seized. Penrose initially denied receiving the drugs but later admitted he was unaware of the package until the visit and that his partner had instructed him to hand it to another inmate. He has 34 prior convictions, including murder, manslaughter and drug possession. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a concurrent sentence of two and a half years to deter drug smuggling in prison.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has been unable to reach a verdict in the trial of Stephen Silver concerning the death of Detective Garda Colm Horkan at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. Mr Silver accepts that he discharged the detective's own firearm eleven times but denies the charge of murder. The defence argued that Mr Silver should be found guilty of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility, citing evidence that he was suffering from bipolar affective disorder at the time. The jury of seven men and five women deliberated for just under nine hours over three days before reporting they could not reach agreement. Mr Justice Paul McDermott remanded Mr Silver in custody pending a retrial, with the case listed for 9 December at the Central Criminal Court. The judge thanked the jury for their careful consideration of what he described as a deeply difficult and disturbing case. Stephen Silver was acquitted.
Mark Doyle, 45, of Barnaville Park, Ballyfermot, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six years' imprisonment for three counts of assault causing harm. The court heard that Doyle repeatedly attacked his former partner with a wrench, cable wire and other weapons, knocking out two of her remaining three teeth and causing severe facial injuries. He also threatened to pour boiling water and sugar over her face. The victim, who declined to give evidence, reported being struck with a cable wire, a pen, a brush and a wooden stick, and being left with blood‑stained wounds and broken teeth. Doyle denied the assaults and was on bail at the time of the incidents. The judge described the attacks as "pretty harrowing" and noted Doyle's habit of violent behaviour. The sentence was imposed on 27 July 2021 and runs consecutively.
Aaron Brady, aged 31, and Dean Byrne, aged 29, are set to stand trial at the Special Criminal Court on charges of conspiring to pervert the course of justice. They are accused of attempting to persuade State witness Daniel Cahill not to testify during Brady's 2020 murder trial for the killing of Garda Adrian Donohoe. Brady's trial, which ran from January to August 2020, saw Cahill testify that he heard Brady admit to shooting a Garda. Brady is also charged with recording a video of a witness interview and distributing it on social media, an act described by Judge Michael White as "the most outrageous contempt of court." A phone recovered from Byrne's cell yielded WhatsApp exchanges offering intimidation to Cahill. The court set a trial date for October 2, 2023, with a mention scheduled for November 7, 2023.
Martin Aylmer, described as a 'trusted enabler' of the Kinahan Cartel, has been sentenced to 10 years and four months with the final two years suspended after pleading guilty to participating in or contributing to the murder of Noel 'Duck Egg' Kirwan in 2016. Aylmer also pleaded guilty to a similar offence in relation to the attempted murder of James 'Mago' Gately. Both men were targeted because the Kinahan cartel believed they were associated with people involved in the murder of David Byrne in February 2016. Aylmer was found guilty of importing tracking devices from the UK by ferry to be used in both crimes. He also pleaded guilty to participating in the plan to murder James 'Mago' Gately between September 7, 2016 and April 6, 2017. Mr Justice Tony Hunt sentenced Aylmer to five years' imprisonment for his involvement in the murder of Noel Kirwan and a consecutive sentence of five years and four months for his part in the attempted murder of James Gately. The final two years of the sentence were suspended for four years to allow for rehabilitation. The case is currently at the appeal stage.
In a 12‑year saga that began when 17‑year‑old Daniel McAnaspie vanished in February 2010, the Supreme Court rejected Richard Dekker's appeal against his murder conviction. Dekker, 35, had been acquitted in 2013 but was later retried and found guilty in 2017. The jury heard that Dekker stabbed Daniel in Tolka Valley Park, then placed the body in a suitcase and dumped it in a drain 30 km away, where it was discovered three months later. Dekker's appeal argued that the final interview conducted by Gardaí at Cabra Garda Station was improper and that his statements should not have been admitted. The three‑judge court, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, found the interview admissible, noting that Dekker's answers were self‑serving but not excluded. The appeal was dismissed, ending the case with Dekker's conviction upheld. The article does not report any subsequent sentencing or further legal action.
Mícheál Ó Leidhin, 38, a former RTÉ journalist, was convicted of sexual assault for an incident that occurred on the night of 13 May 2018. The assault took place at his former home in south Dublin after the victim, who remains anonymous, had been drinking with a friend. According to the court, the victim fell asleep and later woke to find Ó Leidhin on top of her, groping her breasts. He stopped after she told him to, but the victim reported the incident to Gardaí in April 2019. In April 2022, a jury found him guilty. On 26 July 2022, Justice Karen O'Connor sentenced him to 18 months' imprisonment, suspending the final three months on conditions. The judge noted the victim's traumatic impact and that Ó Leidhin had accepted the verdict but not its import. The sentence was to take effect on 1 August 2022 when he was to appear at Mountjoy Prison.
Christopher Slator, 37, of Cabra, Dublin 7, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court for the murder of Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin 1 on April 25, 2016. Slator, who pleaded not guilty, became the third man convicted of the killing. The court rejected his defence that his DNA on a mask and runners was innocent, finding it the only rational explanation for his involvement. Slator has 59 previous convictions. In November 2020, David Hunter, 43, of London, was jailed for life for the same murder. Eamon Cumberton, of Dublin 7, was also jailed for life in 2019. Martin Aylmer, 36, of Marino, Dublin 3, pleaded guilty to buying mobile phones for the gang and was sentenced to just under four years. This sentence was later increased to six years by the Court of Appeal. The court described the murder as a planned operation involving at least three people. Barr was shot seven times, five in the head, during a raffle event. The court noted Slator and Cumberton fled to Dubai the day after the shooting before returning to Ireland a month later.
The Special Criminal Court has convicted Christopher Slator of the murder of Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin 1 on April 25, 2016. Slator, of Cabra, Dublin 7, had pleaded not guilty, but the non-jury court rejected his defence that his DNA on a mask and runners found in a car had an innocent explanation. The court found the DNA evidence sufficient to prove his guilt, noting that his flight to Dubai with Eamon Cumberton the day after the shooting was highly suspicious. Slator will be sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment later today. This conviction follows previous life sentences imposed on David Hunter in 2020 and Eamon Cumberton in 2019 for the same murder. Additionally, Martin Aylmer pleaded guilty to buying mobile phones for the gang involved in the killing; he was initially sentenced to just under four years, a term later increased to six years by the Court of Appeal. The court highlighted the chaotic nature of the shooting, where Barr was shot seven times, and the unusual circumstances of the defendants' travel arrangements as supporting evidence for the conviction.
Body‑cam footage showed 48‑year‑old Gary Murtagh beat his 42‑year‑old brother Paul to death with a claw hammer at their family home in north Dublin on 6 November 2020. The Central Criminal Court heard that the brothers had a "strange relationship" and had been living alone in the house since 2016, communicating by notes to avoid each other. During the Covid‑19 lockdown, Gary was "lost" without work or gym access, leading to close quarters in the house. Prosecutors said Gary had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had a prior conviction for grievous bodily harm. He pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment, back‑dated to 27 August 2021. The court noted over 50 hammer blows, including 16 to the head, caused Paul's death. The siblings described the event as a "living nightmare" and expressed remorse from Gary. The judge imposed the mandatory life sentence. Gary Murtagh pleaded not guilty.
Clare O'Connor, 35, of Ashtown, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing drugs in her home, with a total street value of €47,407. She had previously been convicted of bringing drugs to her partner in Mountjoy prison. Garda Brian O'Toole and solicitor Anne Marie Lawlor argued that O'Connor was under the control of a violent partner who had been jailed for 11 years in 2018 for conspiracy to commit murder. O'Connor claimed she had no choice but to allow the drugs to be stored in her apartment, which she co‑operated with the Gardaí during a search that uncovered 300 g of heroin, tablets, cannabis, resin and MDMA. She also cared for a 10‑year‑old cousin with special needs. Judge Martin Nolan accepted her fear and cooperation, and suspended a four‑year prison term.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 16 June 2022, convicted murderer Laurence Murphy, aged 44, was sentenced to three years in prison for assaulting prison officer Kieran Maher at Wheatfield Prison on 10 July 2019. Murphy had pleaded guilty to the offence. The court noted that Murphy had previously been convicted of murdering Thomas Brady, aged 22, in 2001, when he stabbed Brady with a butter knife in a shared cell. During the 2019 assault, Murphy head‑butted and repeatedly punched Officer Maher, causing injuries to the officer's nose, face, gums, teeth and back. Officer Maher reported flashbacks, ten months of work absence and breathing difficulties. The prosecution argued that prisoners serving life sentences can attack staff with impunity, as such attacks do not affect their sentences. Judge Melanie Greally reduced Murphy's original four‑year sentence to three years, taking his guilty plea into account. Murphy was present via video‑link from prison.
An 18‑year‑old, who was a juvenile when he orally raped and sexually assaulted a 16‑year‑old girl in a Dublin park on 17 January 2020, was sentenced to 42 months' imprisonment, with the final 21 months suspended. The judge, Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring, also imposed an 18‑month sentence for sexual assault, to run concurrently with the rape sentence. The defendant, who has autism and was found not guilty by the jury at his February trial, was ordered to attend education and therapy while detained and to keep the peace under Probation Service supervision for the suspended period. The court heard the victim's impact statement, describing fear, anxiety and the effect on her family, and noted the defendant's disruptive behaviour in court, which led to his removal. The sentence reflects the judge's consideration of the defendant's personal circumstances and lack of prior convictions.
Iancu Nicola, 30, was remanded in custody pending sentence after mugging a 73‑year‑old woman who had just won €23,000 at a city‑centre casino. Nicola, who had previously pleaded guilty to robbery in 2016, was joined by accomplice Declan Connolly, 41, and spotter Brian English, 32. Connolly was sentenced to five years' imprisonment with the final two and a half years suspended; English received a three‑year suspended sentence. Nicola was remanded for a further sentence, with his counsel requesting a Probation Service report. Gardaí used extensive CCTV footage to link the trio to the crime, noting that the getaway vehicle had false plates and was registered to Connolly. The victim was dragged down an embankment, sustaining severe bruising and cuts. No admissions were made by the accused during Garda interviews. The case remains pending further sentencing.
Aaron Brady, a former Garda convicted of murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe in 2013, and Dean Byrne are to stand trial at the Special Criminal Court on charges of conspiring to pervert the course of justice during Brady's 2020 trial. Brady, aged 31, and Byrne, aged 29, are accused of attempting to persuade prosecution witness Daniel Cahill not to testify between 8 April and 22 June 2020, and of recording a video interview with Ronan Flynn that allegedly could influence the trial. The cases were moved to the Special Criminal Court after a successful application by State solicitor Susan Hudson, citing the need for a non‑jury court to secure effective administration of justice. The court, comprising Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Marie Keane and Judge Sarah Berkeley, adjourned the matter for a hearing on 2 June 2024. The trial will address the alleged conspiracy to pervert justice during Brady's murder trial.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 13 February 2021, William Gaynor, aged 56 and without a fixed abode, was convicted of armed robbery after he twice targeted Medipharm pharmacy on North Frederick Street. In the first incident, Gaynor entered the shop with a knife, demanded Xanax and €300, and left after the staff complied. He later claimed the robbery was an act of "euthanasia" because he was ill and could not eat or sleep. Four months later he returned armed with a corkscrew, demanded cash and Valium, and left with €300 and 150 Valium tablets. Gaynor admitted guilt at the earliest stages of both cases. The judge cited the repeated targeting of the same pharmacy and prior convictions as aggravating factors, but noted early guilty pleas and medical conditions as mitigating. He was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, back‑dated for time already served.
The Special Criminal Court heard witness testimony during the ongoing trial of Christopher Slator, who has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin 1 on April 25, 2016. Slator is the third defendant to face trial for this offense. Witnesses described a scene of "chaos and screaming" after two masked men entered the pub, where Barr was shot seven times. The State's case, outlined by prosecutor Dominic McGinn SC, links Slator to the crime through DNA profiles found on a mask and gloves recovered from a burning Audi on Walsh Road. The prosecution also noted that Eamon Cumberton, jailed for life in 2019, and David Hunter, jailed for life in November 2020, are connected to the case. Hunter has since appealed his conviction, placing his matter at the appeal stage. The trial, presided over by Justice Tara Burns, will resume next Tuesday.
Charlotte Mulhall, known as the 'Scissor sister', ended a High Court judicial review that she had brought against the Irish Prison Service, the Governor of Limerick Prison, the Minister for Justice & Equality and the Attorney General. The action, launched two years earlier, claimed that her transfer to Limerick had prevented close family in Dublin from visiting her and sought a mandatory order to transfer her back to a Dublin facility. Mulhall's lawyers informed Mr Justice Anthony Barr that she had since received several visits at neutral venues and that the court's intervention had achieved the desired outcome. The court therefore dismissed the action, and the matter was adjourned to decide on costs. The case highlighted the difficulties of prison visitation during the Covid‑19 pandemic and the limits of judicial intervention in prison management. The proceedings did not address any criminal convictions or sentencing of Mulhall, who was previously convicted of murder in 2006.
Michael Corbett, aged 32, was sentenced to an additional 30‑month term for assaulting a prison officer with a homemade shiv on 19 October 2020. The shiv was made from a toothbrush and a blade. Corbett had previously been convicted of attempted murder of a 17‑year‑old at the Hellfire Club in 2016, for which he was serving a nine‑year sentence with six years suspended. The new sentence is to run consecutively with the six years he is currently serving. Judge Greally suspended the final 12 months of the 30‑month term for five years, imposing conditions including 15‑year post‑release supervision, weekly Garda station sign‑ins, medication compliance and mental‑health support. Corbett has seven prior convictions and is considered at high risk of reoffending. The officer sustained a head injury but was not seriously harmed. Corbett's defence highlighted his paranoid schizophrenia and medication non‑adherence. Michael Corbett pleaded guilty.
Martin Aylmer, 35, of Casino Park, Marino, Dublin 3, pleaded guilty to taking part in a Kinahan cartel plot to murder James 'Mago' Gately, an associate of the Hutch gang, while Gately was in Northern Ireland from 7 September 2016 to 6 April 2017. The offence is charged under Section 72(1)(A) of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. Aylmer admitted that he participated with knowledge of the criminal organisation and with the intention of helping the cartel carry out the murder. Mr Justice Tony Hunt adjourned sentencing to 27 April and ordered a governor's report from Mountjoy prison. The plot involved tracking devices and an Estonian hitman, Imre Arakas, who was later jailed for six years. Gately had previously survived a shooting attempt in May 2017. The case remains pending sentencing.
Michael Corbett, 32, was convicted in 2018 of attempting to murder a 17‑year‑old at the Hellfire Club, Montpelier Hill, where he used a knife and a piece of timber to strike a teenager. He received a nine‑year sentence, of which six years were suspended; the suspended portion was re‑activated in 2020 after he assaulted other inmates. In 2019 he pleaded guilty to assaulting a psychiatric nurse and was sentenced to five years, with the final two and a half years suspended, and was placed under strict conditions for 15 years. In October 2020 he tried to attack a prison officer at Mountjoy with a homemade shiv made from a toothbrush and a blade. He pleaded guilty to assaulting the officer and producing a weapon. His defence counsel argued that he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and was not taking his medication, making him a risk to the public.
Douglas Glynn, 37, of Dublin 1, was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to seven years and six months imprisonment for participating in the activities of a criminal organisation. The final year of the sentence is suspended, and the term is backdated to December 31, 2021, when he entered custody. Glynn pleaded guilty to charges relating to the targeting of James 'Mago' Gately between December 7, 2016, and April 6, 2017. The court found that Glynn placed a tracking device on Gately's vehicle, an act that positioned him higher in the criminal hierarchy than co-accused Stephen Fowler and others. Mr Justice Hunt, sitting with Judges Sarah Berkeley and Cormac Dunne, noted the offence arose from an ongoing plan by the Kinahan organised crime group to murder Gately, a member of the rival Hutch group. The judge highlighted that the criminal organisation was serious, well-organised, and well-financed. In mitigation, the court considered Glynn's guilty plea, entered after the trial began, and his previous minor convictions. The sentence reflects the gravity of the offence, which was prevented solely by early Garda intervention. Related proceedings include the 2018 sentencing of Imre Arakas, who was jailed for six years for conspiring to murder Gately, and the 2023 sentencing of Peter Keating, who received 11 years for directing the criminal organisation's activities.
In a case heard by the Court of Appeal, Dmitrijs Venskovics, a 45‑year‑old Latvian farmer turned lorry driver, was denied a reduction of his eight‑year jail sentence for the importation of 36 kg of cocaine. Venskovics had pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having the drugs for sale or supply on 24 April 2020 at a Maxol service station in Donabate. He claimed he was paid €200 to place the cocaine in his lorry and that he had no serious financial gain from the contraband. His counsel argued that his client, who suffers from a heart condition and does not speak English, should have part of the sentence suspended so he could return to Latvia. The Director of Public Prosecutions maintained that the eight‑year term was within the ambit of previous sentences for similar offences.
The Court of Appeal heard arguments regarding the admissibility of evidence in the case of Richard Dekker, who was convicted in 2017 of murdering Daniel McAnaspie. Dekker, a prisoner at Mountjoy Prison, is appealing his life sentence, arguing that his right to reasonable access to a solicitor was breached during questioning at Cabra Garda Station. His counsel, Sean Gillane SC, contended that Dekker was not properly cautioned and was pressured to answer questions without legal advice, rendering subsequent statements inadmissible. The prosecution, represented by Brendan Grehan SC, countered that Dekker was cautioned twice and understood his rights, noting he had previously been advised by his solicitor not to speak if inference provisions were invoked. The court heard that Dekker had initially been acquitted in 2013 due to a lack of evidence, but the Supreme Court later permitted a retrial under the Criminal Justice Procedure Act 2010. Co-accused Trevor Noone admitted manslaughter and blamed Dekker for the murder. Dekker also received a two-year and six-month sentence in 2010 for unlawful possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. The matter remains under appeal consideration.
Gavin Challenger, 27, of Sillogue Green, Ballymun, pleaded guilty to criminal damage and unlawful intimidation after damaging a white Renault Master van and attacking its owner, Jason O'Byrne, with a hatchet on 21 March 2020. CCTV showed Challenger and a co‑accused, a lifelong friend, causing the damage and threatening O'Byrne. Challenger admitted taking "tablets" that day and had 71 prior convictions. He was on bail for 14 months for a drug offence and had previously served a sentence in Mountjoy. Judge Pauline Codd, noting his guilty plea, remorse and potential for rehabilitation, sentenced him to three years' imprisonment with the final two years suspended for the damage charge, and two years for intimidation with the final year suspended, both running concurrently. The suspended periods are conditional on good behaviour, supervision and drug testing upon release.
Keith Quinn, a 33‑year‑old former professional footballer, was originally sentenced to seven and a half years' imprisonment with three years suspended for possession of over €2.7 million worth of heroin for sale or supply at Rosemount Business Park, Dublin 11, on 5 August 2020. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal quashed the original term imposed by Judge Pauline Codd and re‑sentenced Quinn to eight years' imprisonment with the last 18 months suspended. The court accepted that the headline sentence of 12 ½ years was appropriate but reduced the mitigation from five years to four and a half, and the suspended period from three and a half to 18 months. Quinn pleaded guilty, denied being a drug user, and the court noted his gambling debts and the loss of his mother as mitigating factors.
Renato Gehlen, a 39‑year‑old Brazilian, denied murdering his 37‑year‑old French wife, Anne Colomines, and told Gardaí that she stabbed herself after a heated argument. He claimed that after trying to persuade her to speak and asking if she was seeing anyone else, she took a Stanley knife and began cutting her neck, but the cut was shallow and did not bleed. He said they fought over her computer, during which she allegedly said, "If I'm going to fuck me up I'm going to be sure to fuck you up very well." Gehlen reported that he tried to grab the knife, fell, and that Colomines then stabbed herself in the abdomen. He further alleged that she had a second cut on her torso, possibly from the struggle. Gehlen also claimed he panicked, called a friend, and attempted suicide with a knife, cutting his arms and legs before being taken to hospital. Renato Gehlen pleaded not guilty.
Luke Wilson, 25, serving a 12‑year sentence for a cocaine‑snorting murder conspiracy, was given an additional two years for threatening to cut the throat of a prison officer and his children. The threat was made at Mountjoy Prison on 17 November 2018 after Wilson, who had been in "bad form", told the officer to "Fuck off, or I'll cut the throat of you". He later threatened the officer's family, saying he would "cut their throats". The court heard Wilson had a history of violence, including an attempted murder in 2013 that left him blind in one eye, and 45 prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to three and a half years, consecutive to his existing term, and suspended the final 18 months on strict conditions. Wilson had previously pleaded guilty to the threat. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the repeated, venomous threats made during the day.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Diego Andrade, a 24‑year‑old Bolivian national, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended, for sexually assaulting a four‑year‑old boy who was asleep in bed with his mother at a party. Andrade was on bail for a separate adult sexual assault conviction and had previously served nine months for that offence. He was identified by a photograph taken by the boy's mother and was found to have child sexual abuse material on his phone. The judge noted the boy's extreme anxiety and the family's suffering, and imposed conditions requiring Andrade to leave Ireland within 14 days of release, to be supervised by the Probation Service, and to avoid unsupervised contact with children for 20 years. The sentence is to run consecutively with his existing custodial term. Diego Andrade pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 29 January 2020, Natalie McDonnell, aged 31, pleaded guilty to attempting to convey heroin, Zopiclone tablets and a mobile phone into Mountjoy Prison. Officers observed her hand a package to an inmate during a supervised visit; the package, later seized, contained heroin worth about €6,700 and sleeping tablets. McDonnell claimed she had been threatened that her home would be burned and her partner "cut up" if she did not deliver the package. She admitted she should have reported the threat to Gardaí but feared for her family. Judge Melanie Greally, considering her age, young family and difficult upbringing, imposed a two‑year imprisonment sentence, fully suspended with strict conditions attached.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 24 June 2021, Clive Kavanagh, aged 51, pleaded guilty to assaulting a McDonald's security guard, Kennedy Miranda, on 25 October 2018. Kavanagh used a box‑cutter to slash Miranda's hand while attempting to force entry into the restaurant. Miranda suffered a wound that required sutures and left a scar. Kavanagh also faced a second charge of producing a knife during the incident. The judge noted Kavanagh's history of offending, severe alcoholism, liver transplant, and deteriorating cognitive function. Despite the seriousness of the offence, the judge imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years imprisonment, fully suspended, for the assault, taking the knife‑producing charge into account. The sentence was given with the expectation that Kavanagh would not reappear in court.
The Special Criminal Court heard that Declan Brady, his wife Deirdre Brady, and Erika Lukacs laundered approximately €1.3m in crime cash. At today's sentence hearing, Brady (55) pleaded guilty to seven further money laundering offences, Deirdre Brady (53) admitted to 17 more, and Lukacs (37) pleaded guilty to five additional offences. The court heard that Brady laundered €318,654, Deirdre Brady laundered €770,499, and Lukacs laundered €196,864. Deirdre Brady allegedly transferred over €140,000 to Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh and paid €138,000 towards a Spanish mortgage. The court also noted that €66,301 was paid for a wedding at Druids Glen, with €27,265 paid in cash. Declan Brady is already serving an 11.5-year sentence for supervising a weapons cache. All three defendants have paid money to the Criminal Assets Bureau. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding with Judges Gerard Griffin and David McHugh, remanded Brady in custody until July 30, when he will be sentenced. The matter was adjourned.
The Special Criminal Court has sentenced Lee Canavan to life imprisonment for his role in the murder of David 'Daithí' Douglas, who was shot at Shoestown in Dublin 1 on July 1, 2016. Canavan, who pleaded not guilty, was found guilty of murder based on his active participation in a shared intention to kill, though the court did not find sufficient evidence to conclude he was the triggerman. He was concurrently sentenced to five years for criminal damage to a stolen Suzuki Swift used as a getaway vehicle. Both sentences were backdated to May 2020, when Canavan was taken into custody following a European Arrest Warrant. The court noted that Canavan's prior drug possession convictions were not aggravating factors. This conviction marks the fourth individual jailed in connection with the killing. Previously, Frederick 'Fat Freddie' Thompson was jailed for life in 2018; Nathan Foley pleaded guilty and received six years in 2019; and Gareth Brophy was jailed for ten years in 2020 for acting as a getaway driver. The judge extended free legal aid to cover any potential appeal.
Michael Talbot, 34, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment after a violent incident on 21 May 2020. He stabbed a woman in her cousin's apartment on Parnell Street, cutting her chest, side, arms and legs with a kitchen knife, then kicked her in the head and stomach. The victim, who had refused to kiss him, was left with eight open wounds and was taken to hospital. Talbot, who was on bail, later damaged vehicles in the underground car‑park, slashing tyres and puncturing a motorbike's airbox. He was arrested, taken to Mountjoy Garda Station, where he threatened to rape and kill officers. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, possession of a knife and three counts of criminal damage. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Talbot's 82‑count record and intoxication, imposed the maximum five‑year term for the assault causing harm charge. The sentence was delivered on 19 May 2021.
In a Court of Appeal hearing, a 17‑year‑old who pleaded guilty to the murder of Glen "Ossie" Osborne was denied an appeal against his life sentence with a review after ten years. The appeal argued that the sentencing judge had not sufficiently considered the defendant's remorse, early guilty plea and rehabilitation efforts, and that another teenager who committed a planned, unprovoked murder without remorse received the same sentence. The Court of Appeal found no error in principle, noting that the bringing of a knife to the scene was a significant aggravating factor and that the judge had given "significant credit" for the defendant's early plea and remorse. The judge had ordered periodic reports for a review after ten years, and the appeal was dismissed. The defendant remains in custody awaiting that review. The unnamed 17-year-old was found guilty.
In April 2021 the High Court granted Charlotte Mulhall leave to challenge her 2018 transfer from Mountjoy Women's Prison to Limerick Prison. Justice Anthony Barr accepted that the move had disrupted visits from her Dublin‑based family and that this constituted a disproportionate interference with her family rights. He ordered that, if Mulhall is transferred back to Mountjoy, she must be given the same visiting arrangements she had before mid‑2019, when visits were ended without formal notice. The judge also required sworn statements on the impact of Covid‑19 on prison visits and on Mulhall's current activities at Limerick. He dismissed the claim that her challenge was untimely, noting she had known of the transfer and had not acted for eight months. The case was adjourned to May for further proceedings. Mulhall, aged 21 at the time of the 2005 murder, is represented by Conor Power SC and Cian Kelly BL.
Seamus Morgan, aged 53, seeks to overturn his 2016 murder conviction for killing Laurence 'Bomber' Keane, a 56‑year‑old former bomb‑maker. Morgan was jailed for life after a jury found him guilty of murdering Keane in a dark laneway near Greenhills, Athy, on 18 July 2013. He had previously served eight years for the manslaughter of 29‑year‑old James Hand in 2002. In the Court of Appeal hearing, Morgan's lawyer argued that the trial judge erred by allowing the prosecution to introduce evidence of Morgan's earlier manslaughter conviction and by failing to properly warn the jury about the reliability of witness identification. The appeal judges reserved judgment. The case remains at the appeal stage, with no outcome yet announced. Seamus Morgan pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
Two men imprisoned for contempt of court in connection with interference at a disputed farm in County Roscommon have been released from custody. Michael Anthony McGann, who owned the property at Falsk, Strokestown, and Kevin Taylor, a retired garda from Longford, were held in Mountjoy Prison for nearly five months following their arrest for obstructing KBC Bank's agents during enforcement of a repossession order. On Friday, Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds directed their release after both men provided undertakings to the court to remain away from the property. The judge warned that any breach would result in their immediate return to prison. A cost order against McGann, described as the "puppet master" in the matter, was estimated at well into six figures. A third man, Colm Granahan from Ballina, Mayo, was previously released after purging his contempt. The underlying dispute concerns a farm that was the subject of a controversial 2018 eviction following KBC's €431,000 loan recovery action. The full hearing of the case is scheduled for June.
Two men imprisoned for interfering with a bank's lawful repossession of a farm in Strokestown, County Roscommon, have sought their release from custody. Michael Anthony McGann and Kevin Taylor, a retired garda from Longford, were detained in Mountjoy Prison after being found in contempt of court for obstruction during the 2018 eviction. A third man, Colm Granahan of Ballina, purged his contempt and was released before Christmas. At Thursday's High Court hearing before Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds, counsel for the men argued they had satisfied both coercive and punitive elements of their contempt findings. KBC Bank's legal representatives opposed the application, stating the men could secure release by purging contempt and complying with existing court orders. The men offered undertakings to avoid the property if the bank reciprocated, which counsel for KBC rejected as improper. Ms Justice Reynolds adjourned proceedings to allow further consultation between the applicants and their legal team, with the hearing resuming Friday.
In April 2020, two Spar staff members, Dean Bheemal (33) and Victor Carvalho (23), punched a man who they believed was attempting to steal after CCTV showed him spitting in the shop. The men pleaded guilty to assaulting the victim, who was hit many times and later received stitches. Judge Martin Nolan found the assault grossly disproportionate, noting it involved only punches and no weapons. He imposed a two‑year suspended sentence on each, ordered the men to pay €3,000 to the victim and to each provide an additional €1,000 within 18 months, and expressed that imprisonment would be unjust at this point. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the men cooperating and returning the stolen phone to the victim. The judge highlighted the men's guilty pleas and cooperation as mitigating factors. The incident occurred during the first Covid lockdown, a context mentioned by the defence. The men were not sentenced to prison.
Sean Ruth, 32, of Portlaoise, Co Laois, was remanded on continuing bail until May 17 for sentencing after pleading guilty to two money laundering offences at the Special Criminal Court. Prosecutors alleged that Ruth, described as a mid-tier Kinahan Cartel member, allowed his bank accounts to be used to launder over €50,000 in crime proceeds between 2016 and 2017 while claiming State benefits and paying no tax. He has paid the Criminal Assets Bureau over €20,000, with his mother assisting to discharge the remaining €9,000 liability. Defending counsel argued that Ruth has reformed since his 2019 release from a previous three-year firearms sentence and requested the court consider whether imprisonment was necessary. The court heard that Ruth was previously linked via DNA evidence to a revolver found at a Greenogue business park, an arsenal that also contained weapons seized from James Walsh and Jonathan Harding. Walsh, 36, and Harding, 48, were previously sentenced to 10 years and nine years imprisonment respectively, with the final year of each sentence suspended, after pleading guilty to possessing nine revolvers, four pistols, a sub-machinegun, an assault rifle, and ammunition at the same location. Ruth's current matter remains adjourned for final sentencing.
In November 2019, Sarah Dunne, a 29‑year‑old homeless woman, attacked a man outside a shop on North Portland Street, Dublin. She demanded a cigarette, threw her bike, and when the man declined, she punched him twice in the rear end. She then stabbed him with a suspected syringe, leaving a puncture mark. The victim, who was with his girlfriend, was taken to Mountjoy Garda Station and hospital, where doctors confirmed the syringe injury and prescribed treatments for hepatitis and HIV prevention. Dunne pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. She was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment, backdated to May 2020, after the court noted the victim's fear and the use of a sharp object. The case also involved her earlier convictions for trespass and theft. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the assault and the potential health risks to the victim.
In 2021 a 17‑year‑old pleaded guilty to the murder of Glen "Ossie" Osborne, 20, at Ballybough House, Dublin, on 15 April 2020. The youth was sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice Paul McDermott, with a review after ten years. The judge cited the defendant's early guilty plea, remorse, and rehabilitation efforts as mitigating factors, but also noted the aggravating factor of the defendant bringing a knife to the scene. Mr Justice McDermott highlighted the defendant's chaotic upbringing, behavioural issues, and lack of judgment. The Court of Appeal, hearing the appeal, was told that the sentencing judge had not fully considered mitigating factors such as the defendant's lack of prior convictions. The appeal seeks a reduction in the severity of the life sentence, arguing that the defendant's remorse and early plea should be given greater weight. The case remains pending review after the ten‑year period. The unnamed 17-year-old was found guilty.