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2026-03-10 · Dublin
A 43-year-old man who pleaded guilty to anal rape of his wife at their family home in Co Waterford was sentenced to seven years, with the final year suspended for three years. The Central Criminal Court heard that he admitted guilt during trial after previously claiming the incident was consensual.
2026-03-10 · Dublin
Stephen Shiels, who has more than 230 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage after breaking into a Maxol service station on Ringsend Road. Judge Orla Crowe imposed two and a half years and suspended the final six months under probation supervision.
2026-03-10 · Dublin
Jamiu Giwa pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after recklessly colliding with a plain-clothes garda while fleeing a drugs unit on Railway Street, Dublin 1. The garda suffered a concussion, shoulder fracture and knee injury, and Judge Orla Crowe imposed two years and three months with the final three months suspended.
2026-03-10 · Dublin
Gerard O'Brien, a former Circuit Court judge, has appealed his conviction for attempted rape and the sexual abuse of six young men. O'Brien, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, was convicted in December 2023 at the Central Criminal Court of one count of attempted anal rape and eight counts of sexual assault. The offences, alleged to have occurred between 1991 and 1997 when he was a teacher, resulted in a four-year jail sentence imposed in June 2024 by Mr Justice Alexander Owens, who described O'Brien as "unsuitable to hold office." In his appeal, O'Brien's counsel argued that the trial judge's instructions to the jury were "confusing" and "weighted against the defence," suggesting the charge conveyed personal views and pressured the jury. The State's legal team countered that these suggestions were "misconceived" and urged the Court of Appeal to uphold the conviction. The three-judge court, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, has reserved judgment on the appeal.
2026-03-10 · Dublin
A 55-year-old Dublin man was sentenced to four years in prison after a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury found him guilty of two sexual offences committed 25 years apart. The defendant, who maintains his innocence, was convicted of indecently assaulting his younger cousin at a Dublin address between February 1987 and February 1990, and sexually assaulting his 16-year-old daughter during a holiday in Florida in June 2014. Judge Jonathan Dunphy noted the striking similarities between the incidents, including the victims' vulnerability and the defendant's intimidating behavior. For the first offence, the judge set a headline sentence of four years, reduced to two years because the defendant was under 18 for part of the period. He suspended the final nine months on conditions, including sexual offence-focused work. For the second offence, the headline sentence of five years was reduced to four years, with the final 15 months suspended on similar conditions. The sentences were ordered to run consecutively, resulting in an effective custody term of four years. The court also imposed a condition prohibiting any contact with either victim. The judge praised the complainants for their courage, while the defendant's counsel noted his lack of remorse and previous employment history.
2026-03-10 · Dublin
Rory Carr (22) and Bruno Tache (21) were sentenced to three years and six months in prison for their roles in separate attacks on Quham Babatunde, who died on St Valentine's Day. Both men, who were on bail at the time, pleaded guilty to charges including assault causing harm and violent disorder. Judge Orla Crowe noted their youth, remorse, and guilty pleas, while acknowledging they had active roles in the violence across South Anne Street, Duke Lane, and Dawson Street. The judge suspended the final six months of each sentence on strict conditions for two years and ordered 12 months of Probation Services supervision post-release. Carr was directed to undergo urine analysis. Separately, Sean Forde (24) and David Oloo Omee (19) pleaded guilty to affray and assault causing harm, respectively. Their sentencing was adjourned to April pending the preparation of probation reports. Four other men are also expected to be sentenced in April. The court heard Babatunde was fatally stabbed by another man, who is charged with murder in Northern Ireland, and that Carr and Tache assaulted him after he was injured.
2026-03-09 · Kildare
Donatas Sadauskas pleaded guilty after falsely reporting that a Mercedes-Benz had been stolen and producing a purchase order later found to be false. The AXA claim was never processed, and Dublin Circuit Criminal Court remanded him on continuing bail until Thursday for sentence.
2026-03-09 · Dublin
Kim Porter pleaded guilty to 10 offences including money laundering, deception, enhancing a criminal organisation, possession of cocaine and making off without payment. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court adjourned sentencing until July after ordering a Probation Service report.
2026-03-09 · Dublin
Imad Qazi pleaded guilty to harassing a solicitor and a legal executive through calls, emails, social media posts and abusive leaflets over dates between September 2019 and January 2024. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court imposed a four-year sentence suspended in full, with probation supervision and a five-year no-contact order.
2026-03-09 · Dublin
A Central Criminal Court jury returned a majority verdict of murder against Tomas Cypas over the death of Juris Kokenbergs at Old Bridge Park, Lucan. The jury rejected the defence case after deliberating for six hours and 54 minutes over three days; the mandatory life sentence is due to be handed down on March 23. Tomas Cypas pleaded not guilty.
2026-03-06 · Dublin
John Griffiths pleaded guilty to assault with intent to cause bodily harm outside the Black Forge Inn in 2021. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court imposed a 15-month sentence and suspended it in full; the judge noted that €5,000 was available as a token of remorse.
2026-03-06 · Dublin
A top US college athlete, Kristaps Kambala (22), has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for having cannabis for sale or supply at Dublin Airport on June 23, 2025. Kambala pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted that he was carrying the drugs. The court heard that Kambala was stopped at Dublin Airport after arriving from Bangkok and that his luggage was found to contain 19 kilogrammes of cannabis, valued at approximately €381,000. Kambala claimed that someone else had packed the luggage and that he was helping a friend. He stated that he had no knowledge of the weight or consequences of carrying the drugs. The court heard that Kambala is a Division One basketball player and has no previous convictions. His counsel submitted character references and highlighted his academic and sporting achievements. Judge Orla Crowe noted that Kambala was carrying a considerable amount of cannabis and that the value of the drugs was an aggravating factor. She imposed a sentence of three and a half years, backdated to when Kambala went into custody. The matter was validated at the sentence stage.
2026-03-06 · Dublin
A man in his 50s was granted bail after being accused of breaching a protection order by threatening his former partner. The complainant was absent, so the prosecution evidence at the bail hearing was hearsay; the accused agreed to leave their shared Dublin home and have no contact with her.
2026-03-06 · Dublin
The jury in Tomas Cypas's murder trial stopped deliberating after four hours and 21 minutes and will return to the Central Criminal Court on Monday. Cypas denies murdering Juris Kokenbergs in Lucan; the jury was directed that it could return verdicts of murder, manslaughter or not guilty.
2026-03-05 · Mayo
Mihail Tanasevici pleaded guilty to careless driving causing the death of Maureen Hopkins outside a Westport supermarket. Judge Eoin Garavan imposed a five-month prison sentence and did not disqualify him from driving.
2026-03-05 · Carlow
An 18-year-old who was a juvenile at the time pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage after acting as the driver in a series of incidents in Carlow. Judge Mary Morrissey adjourned the case to next July for sentence.
2026-03-05 · Dublin
Andrew Agwu pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary at Foot Locker stores after joining the looting that followed the November 2023 Dublin riots. The court heard that five pairs of shoes worth an estimated €750 were taken and not recovered; finalisation of sentence was adjourned to May 21.
2026-03-05 · Dublin
Francis Macken pleaded guilty after gardaí found cannabis resin and cash in an extractor fan at his Dublin home. The court imposed concurrent three-year sentences for the drug dealing and money laundering charges, suspending the final six months.
2026-03-05 · Dublin
Edward Evbagharu pleaded guilty to money laundering after €31,000 from an online dating scam passed through three of his accounts. Judge Dara Hayes imposed a two-year sentence and suspended the final year, finding that Evbagharu had facilitated the use of the money.
2026-03-05 · Roscommon
A High Court judge has emphasised the importance of media access after the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) excluded reporters from a hearing involving Detective Superintendent Brian O'Reilly. Mr Justice Garrett Simons stated that any departure from public hearings must be strictly justified, questioning the WRC's decision to hear O'Reilly's case behind closed doors. O'Reilly, the acting head of the Garda National Technical Bureau, is seeking to quash a WRC ruling that accepted Garda submissions regarding the 'sensitivities' of his disclosures. He alleges he suffered workplace detriment and pay reductions after raising concerns about defective leather pistol holsters, which he claims endangered armed gardaí and the public. O'Reilly submitted that these holsters may have contributed to the accidental self-wounding of a Garda at the Israeli ambassador's residence in June 2020. The report notes that six days after that incident, Stephen Silver murdered Detective Garda Colm Horkan in Castlerea, Co Roscommon. Silver, of Foxford, Co Mayo, was sentenced in April 2023 to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years for murdering a Garda acting in the course of his duties. O'Reilly stated that Silver told gardaí in custody that he had been able to pull Horkan's pistol from the holster. The Commissioner of An Garda Síochána is named as a notice party in the proceedings.
2026-03-05 · Dublin
Kelvin Kleinovas pleaded guilty to having the proceeds of crime in his bank account after €10,000 stolen from a priest in a fake broadband-fee scam was traced to him. Judge Orla Crowe imposed an 18-month sentence, suspended for three years on payment of €2,000 for the injured party.
2026-03-05 · Dublin
A jury began deliberating in the trial of Tomas Cypas, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering Juris Kokenbergs in Lucan. The jury was told it could return verdicts of murder, manslaughter or not guilty.
2026-03-05 · Dublin
Laurence Nolan pleaded guilty to criminal damage, threats to kill or cause serious harm and recklessly assaulting a Garda after confronting his former partner over a paternity test. Judge Orla Crowe imposed three years suspended in full for 18 months, with probation, a MOVE programme and treatment for mental-health and addiction issues.
2026-03-05 · Kildare
Denniss Anolins pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified at Anglesea Road in Dublin 4. Judge Anne Watkin convicted him and imposed a three-month prison sentence, taking the guilty plea into account.
2026-03-05 · Dublin
Iwana Waldynsk was fined after the court found she had refused to provide a blood or urine sample following her arrest. Judge Anne Watkin imposed a €1,500 fine and disqualified Waldynsk from driving for four years. Iwana Waldynsk pleaded not guilty.
2026-03-04 · Dublin
Det Supt Brian O'Reilly, acting head of the Garda National Technical Bureau, is challenging a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) decision to exclude the media from his hearing. At the High Court, counsel successfully applied for an expedited leave application to be heard tomorrow, seeking to quash a ruling that the case contains "sensitivities" warranting closed doors. O'Reilly claims he suffered workplace detriment and pay reductions after making protected disclosures regarding unsafe leather pistol holsters. He alleges these defective holsters endangered armed gardaí and the public, potentially contributing to an accidental self-wounding incident in 2020. O'Reilly stated that a pistol could be removed even when the retention strap was closed. He referenced the murder of Detective Garda Colm Horkan by Stephen Silver in Castlerea, noting that Silver allegedly told gardaí in custody he had pulled Horkan's pistol from the holster. Silver was sentenced in April 2023 to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years for murdering a garda acting in the course of his duties. O'Reilly, who has a 30-year career, claims he suffered work-related stress certified by his GP in April 2023. The High Court will hear the application for judicial review over the proposed press coverage ban tomorrow.
2026-03-04 · Dublin
Judge Orla Crowe suspended a 12-month sentence for bus driver Svetoslav Trifonov after he pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious harm, and did not disqualify him from driving.
2026-03-04 · Dublin
The prosecution told the Central Criminal Court that Tomas Cypas was under no threat when he assaulted Juris Kokenbergs, while the defence argued the killing was manslaughter rather than murder. Tomas Cypas pleaded not guilty.
2026-03-04 · Dublin
Hellasha Tingman (49), a single mother from New York, was sentenced to three years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to having cannabis for sale or supply at Dublin Airport on July 6, 2025. Judge Orla Crowe imposed the sentence, backdating it to the date Tingman first entered custody. The court accepted that Tingman acted out of financial desperation to address rent arrears and an eviction notice in the US, having been promised €2,000 for the transport. She was stopped by customs with just over 20 kg of cannabis, valued at approximately €434,760. Although the judge acknowledged exceptional circumstances allowing a departure from the mandatory minimum term of ten years, she noted that Tingman deliberately took the risk. Separately, her son, Shawndell Gaston (31), was jailed for four years by Judge Martin Nolan last week after pleading guilty to importing the same cannabis at Dublin Airport on the same date. Both defendants admitted their respective charges. Tingman has no previous convictions and is currently an enhanced prisoner.
2026-03-04 · Dublin
A man received a four-year sentence, with the final 12 months suspended, for harassment and threatening to distribute intimate images of his then-girlfriend. The unnamed 47-year-old pleaded guilty.
2026-03-04 · Dublin
Dún Laoghaire District Court placed Zarah Farrell on a probation bond after she admitted stealing €11.99 nail varnish, giving a false name and address, and failing to follow a garda direction. Zarah Farrell pleaded guilty.
2026-03-03 · Dublin
Jamie Berry was sentenced after pleading guilty to affray, violent disorder and two assaults causing harm during a street fight between rival Dublin gangs armed with hatchets, knives and bats. Judge Orla Crowe suspended the final three months of a three-year sentence.
2026-03-03 · Dublin
Luke Kavanagh was jailed after pleading guilty to possessing cannabis, cocaine and cannabis jellies for sale or supply. The court accepted he was under considerable fear because his family had been threatened and imposed a four-year sentence with the final year suspended.
2026-03-03 · Dublin
James O'Connor admitted obtaining €2,000 from a woman in Ontario, Canada, after telling her he needed money for child support and then failing to repay it. Judge Orla Crowe described the conduct as a mean-spirited and manipulative romance fraud and suspended an 18-month prison term for four years. The unnamed woman pleaded guilty.
2026-03-03 · Dublin
Francis O'Donnell, former CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), alleged before the Workplace Relations Commission that he was subjected to intimidation and threats by the organisation's former chairman, Fintan Gorman, following the suspension of Fintan Gorman's brother, Pat Gorman. Mr O'Donnell, who served as CEO from 2020 to 2025, filed complaints under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 and the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977, claiming he was penalised as a whistleblower and unfairly dismissed. His evidence centred on the January 2022 suspension of Pat Gorman, a district director, after a protected disclosure alleged he kept a State-owned tractor at his home and used an IFI fuel card. Mr O'Donnell stated that Fintan Gorman warned him the tractor would be his undoing and later made remarks suggesting his senior management would desert him. The complainant further alleged that board discussions regarding governance were leaked to a journalist, a personal friend of the Gorman brothers, to weaponise issues against him. He claimed the chairman threatened to make public information about him if he did not address the suspension. Adjudicator Michael MacNamee has adjourned the matter overnight. In a separate 2023 case, the WRC upheld Pat Gorman's unfair dismissal complaint against IFI but rejected his reinstatement application, finding his dismissal unreasonable despite his error in judgment regarding the tractor.
2026-03-03 · Dublin
Tomasz Zdechlikiewicz was sentenced after being convicted of possessing 36 kilogrammes of cannabis for sale or supply and €13,000 in cash. Judge Martin Nolan found he acted as a supervisor in a sophisticated operation and imposed ten years for the drug offence, concurrent with four years for money laundering.
2026-03-03 · Dublin
Tomas Cypas told gardaí he punched Juris Kokenbergs in self-defence after an argument at his mother's home, but denied stamping on the deceased's head. Tomas Cypas pleaded not guilty.
2026-03-03 · Dublin
Rogerio Afonso, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman at Dublin Airport on August 4, 2025. The court heard that Afonso, who has a history of bipolar disorder, followed the complainant, sniffed her hair, and hugged and kissed her against her will. He has been in custody since his arrest and has no previous convictions. Judge Jonathan Dunphy sentenced Afonso to 12 months, noting aggravating factors such as the persistence of his actions, but acknowledged his improved mental health while compliant with medication in custody. The judge indicated a willingness to suspend the sentence in full, given Afonso has already served seven months in custody. A condition of the suspended sentence requires Afonso to return to Brazil in the care of his daughter. The finalisation of the sentence was adjourned to later this week to allow time for Afonso's daughter in Malta to be informed and to make travel arrangements. The judge requested that a family member attend the finalisation hearing to ensure they are aware of the conditions. Afonso was remanded in custody on the same terms until the adjourned date.
2026-03-03 · Dublin
Carl McGuinness received a ten-year sentence, with the final year suspended, for a series of vehicle thefts, dangerous driving and related offences in Dublin. Judge Martina Baxter also disqualified him from driving for ten years after noting his 106 previous convictions. Carl McGuinness pleaded guilty.
2026-03-02 · Limerick
The High Court has quashed an extradition order for Kathleen Sharina McCarthy, a woman with links to Rathkeale, Co Limerick, who was convicted in absentia of a money laundering offence involving £220,000. Ms Justice Niamh Hyland overturned the December 2024 surrender order, ruling that McCarthy should not be extradited to the UK because she was unaware her trial could proceed in her absence. The appeal challenged the Minister for Justice's decision under the UK's Trade and Co-operation Agreement, stemming from a November 2017 conviction at Lewes Crown Court. Although McCarthy was charged in October 2016 and required to appear at Crawley Magistrates' Court, she failed to attend a January 2017 pre-trial hearing, leading to an 'in absentia' trial. The court found no direct evidence that McCarthy was expressly informed of the consequences of non-attendance or that she could be tried in absentia. Consequently, the High Court refused the surrender, concluding that the evidence was insufficient to infer she knew the trial would proceed without her. The matter was adjourned regarding further procedural steps, though the immediate surrender order was quashed.
2026-03-02 · Dublin
David Hearns was jailed after pleading guilty to assaulting two gardaí during an attempted arrest in Dublin, as a female accomplice allegedly sprayed corrosive liquid into one officer's eye.
2026-03-02 · Dublin
A Dublin man was jailed for three-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to assaulting his former partner, including spitting at her, striking her with a bicycle and choking her.
2026-03-02 · Dublin
Tesleem Abdulkareem, an applicant, appeared before the Workplace Relations Commission at a pretrial hearing regarding multiple employment rights claims against BGS Security Ltd (BGSS). The respondent, currently in liquidation, was accused of systematic exploitation of migrant workers and failing to pay wages, notice pay, and leave entitlements. SIPTU alleged racial discrimination and breaches of minimum employment terms, stating Abdulkareem was dismissed without warning during a dispute over a security contract at a Dublin 2 store. The liquidator's representative confirmed the company had no assets to liquidate, noting that management had disappeared and vital records were missing, which may prevent over 50 workers from claiming arrears from the Employers' Insolvency Fund. The liquidator acknowledged a pattern of targeting immigrant workers. The adjudicator closed the hearing without a final determination, stating she hoped someone would be held to account for the situation. The matter was adjourned.
2026-03-02 · Dublin
State pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers told Tomas Cypas's murder trial that punching alone could have caused the extensive brain damage suffered by Juris Kokenbergs, although she also confirmed contact from a shoe to the scalp. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury. Tomas Cypas pleaded not guilty.
2026-03-02 · Dublin
Michael Macken pleaded guilty to sample charges after online conversations with accounts he believed belonged to nine young girls, who were actually adults in a vigilante sting operation.
2026-03-02 · Dublin
Michael Dodd, former general manager of the St Paul's Garda Medical Aid Society, won €85,000 for unfair dismissal after raising concerns about expenses and being dismissed without notice or a stated reason.
2026-03-02 · Dublin
Jenifer Devine (43) failed to appear at the Central Criminal Court for her sentencing hearing on a charge of withholding information regarding the death of Michael Tormey (49). Devine had pleaded guilty in November 2024 to failing to disclose information that might assist in securing the apprehension of her husband, Christopher Devine, concerning Tormey's death. Her lawyer, Maria Brosnan BL, stated Devine was suffering from serious mental health issues and intended to seek hospital care. Prosecuting counsel Garret Baker SC noted that gardai had visited her address and she indicated she would not attend court. Ms Justice Melanie Greally criticized the lack of documented evidence regarding Devine's condition, emphasizing the seriousness of the charge. The judge postponed the sentencing hearing for two weeks, listing the matter for March 13, allowing time for a medical report. Meanwhile, Christopher Devine (44) was convicted by a jury of murder in December 2024. He had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The jury rejected the defense argument that he suffered from a substance-induced psychotic disorder due to cocaine and alcohol use, finding he acted deliberately. The trial heard Devine shot Tormey five times with an MP5 submachine gun in Tormey's front garden in Ballyfermot in January 2022. The weapon was never recovered.
2026-02-27 · Dublin
Raymond Ariwi was sentenced to six months in prison after a jury convicted him of engaging in offensive conduct of a sexual nature. The case concerned an incident in which he followed a woman after she got off a Luas and offered her money for sex. Raymond Ariwi pleaded not guilty.
2026-02-27 · Dublin
Onkar Singh, a 46-year-old Dutch national, pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply and possession of €3,035, identified as proceeds of crime, on October 11, 2024. He also admitted to possessing a €5 note intended for identification in connection with a drug trafficking offence. Prosecution evidence alleged Singh was a 'mid-level' operative in an €8.5 million cannabis operation, where he was observed moving pallets containing 426kg of cannabis at a Ballymount storage unit. While defense counsel Garret Baker SC argued Singh was not the architect of the scheme and accepted no forensic evidence directly linked him to the drugs, Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain described the case as 'very serious.' The judge noted it was 'hard to understand' how Singh, who has no prior convictions, became involved. Defense counsel submitted that Singh should be permitted to depart from the presumptive mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, proposing that part of the sentence be suspended on the condition that Singh immediately leaves the jurisdiction. Singh, who has been in custody since his arrest, is described as 'marooned' in an Irish jail far from his family in the Netherlands. The court adjourned the matter until next month for finalisation.
2026-02-27 · Dublin
A safety-order charge against a man in his 50s was dismissed at Dún Laoghaire District Court after Judge Anne Watkin found inaccuracies meant she could not rely on the complainant's evidence. The unnamed accused pleaded guilty.