The Court of Appeal has upheld the convictions of Jason Bonney, aged 55, and Paul Murphy, aged 64, who were found guilty of acting as getaway drivers during the 2016 Regency Hotel attack in Dublin, in which Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne was killed. Mr Justice John Edwards dismissed all grounds of appeal advanced by both men, finding the evidence presented to the Special Criminal Court was capable of supporting the convictions. The judge rejected contentions that CCTV footage was insufficiently reliable to identify the vehicles involved and that the men lacked knowledge of the Hutch criminal organisation. He also dismissed arguments that pre-arrest interviews should have been ruled inadmissible. Murphy, from Swords, County Dublin, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, while Bonney, from Portmarnock, Dublin, received eight and a half years. Both men indicated they will proceed with separate appeals against their sentences. Paul Murphy pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
Sean McGovern, 39, previously of Kildare Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12, appeared before the Special Criminal Court to address his legal aid application. The accused is charged with the murder of Noel Kirwan on December 22, 2016, at St Ronan's Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin. Additional allegations include directing a criminal organisation in connection with that murder, facilitating a criminal organisation in the conspiracy to murder James Gately, and directing surveillance of Mr. Gately. Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, sitting with Judges Sarah Berkeley and David McHugh, stated the court was not satisfied with the statement of means provided, describing it as containing "at best, scant detail." The judge noted the document offered no information on how McGovern funded his lifestyle in Dubai over the past eight years. Defence counsel Seán Guerin SC stated he could provide no further assistance beyond the instructions received. The prosecution, represented by Maddie Grant BL, indicated the State had no observations. The court adjourned the matter for mention next week to allow the defence to provide further answers regarding the defendant's financial position. McGovern was previously extradited from the United Arab Emirates, where his lawyers had raised concerns about the legality of his return.
A 44-year-old painter decorator, Gary Newman of St James Road, Walkinstown, pleaded guilty at Tallaght District Court to drug-driving on Kimmage Road West on 11 February, 2022. The charge was admitted, and the plea was guilty. Garda Dylan O'Malley informed the court that Newman was stopped by gardai after his car, which had no relevant discs displayed, was observed driving in the Crumlin area. Newman was on a learner permit and failed a roadside drug test. A blood sample later confirmed the presence of cocaine in his system. The court heard that Newman had relapsed following personal traumas, including the death of his grandmother and the loss of a child. Since the incident, Newman has completed treatment at St John of God's, is attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and has been drug-free for the past year. His solicitor stated that Newman is working full-time, is single but in a relationship, and needs to drive for his job. Judge Karen Dowling acknowledged Newman's progress and directed him to continue engagement with support services and complete a driving awareness course. She ordered a probation report and adjourned the case to 6 February, 2026, for finalisation.
In a 2025 Supreme Court ruling, Justice Iseult O'Malley held that a life sentence for a child convicted of murder may only be imposed in exceptional cases where the child's intent and actions mirror those of an adult, and that sentencing courts lack jurisdiction to review detention terms for child offenders. Following this decision, the Court of Appeal granted Boy A, a 14‑year‑old convicted of murdering 14‑year‑old Ana Kriegel and of aggravated sexual assault, an extension to appeal his life sentence with a 12‑year review and a separate 12‑year sexual assault sentence. The extension was granted because the Director of Public Prosecutions did not object. Boy A and Boy B were convicted in 2019 for the 2018 murder at a derelict house in Lucan. The Court also heard a similar request from another former juvenile offender now an adult, and scheduled a further hearing for December 5.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 7 November 2025, Eugene Tolan, aged 47, pleaded guilty to three burglaries committed on 10 October 2024 and 15 December 2024. He admitted stealing a laptop that contained a draft thesis, preventing the victim from completing her master's degree. Tolan, who has 23 prior burglary convictions, claimed he had a baby on the way and needed a pram. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Tolan's remorse and that he fled when encountering a resident, sentenced him to a cumulative term of three and a half years, backdated to his custody entry. The judge highlighted the victim's loss of peace of mind and the significant trauma caused by the loss of her thesis. No further sentences or appeals were mentioned in the article.
Shane Cowzer, 31, of Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for assault causing harm. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge, which relates to an incident on January 28, 2023. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a 15-month custodial sentence. The judge noted that Cowzer threw a phone at the victim, grabbed her by the neck twice, and bit her on the face. Prosecution evidence indicated Cowzer had threatened the victim and later threatened to visit her workplace via Instagram after she ended their relationship. The victim stated she felt unsafe and required counselling and medication. Defence counsel Luke O'Higgins BL submitted that Cowzer had been homeless and abusing substances at the time but has since become employed, engaged in drug treatment, and entered a committed relationship. He offered a €1,000 compensation payment, contingent on a non-custodial outcome, which was not accepted. The court rejected the mitigation, finding that a custodial term was appropriate for the misbehaviour. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the 15-month sentence.
Marius Mihai Popa, 41, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing the death of Darren Brodigan, 35, on Poppintree Park Lane, Ballymun, on 27 November 2022. Popa was driving at 62 km/h on a 50 km/h road that was dark due to overhanging trees. He called emergency services and flagged an ambulance, but Brodigan died from massive brain injuries. The court heard no CCTV footage; investigators confirmed the speed. Popa cooperated fully, tested negative for alcohol and drugs, and was not distracted. He expressed remorse, apologised to the Brodigan family, and noted he had no previous convictions. Judge Martin Nolan imposed an eight‑month suspended sentence, disqualified Popa from driving for one year, and extended sympathies to the Brodigan family. The case highlighted the darkness of the road and the subsequent upgrade of street lighting. The sentencing was conducted in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Christopher Oshodin, 48, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to theft and dishonestly inducing a Department of Social Protection employee to act for a gain. He had claimed over €145,000 in social welfare payments while pretending for 21 years to be Zimbabwean, using the alias "Christopher Umar." The offence spanned from 2001 to 2022. Oshodin, the sole carer of three children, admitted the fraud and sought to regularise his status. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the seriousness of the theft and the impact on the children, imposed a four‑year sentence fully suspended. He acknowledged Oshodin's cooperation, admissions, lack of prior convictions and the fact that he was paying back small amounts weekly. The court considered the effect on the children and the need to avoid depriving them of their guardian, leading to the non‑custodial outcome. The case was heard on 7 November 2025.
The jury in the trial of Ruth Lawrence, accused of shooting drug dealer Eoin O'Connor and working with her boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen to murder him and Anthony Keegan, has paused deliberations for the weekend and will resume on Monday. The trial, which began five weeks ago, has heard that Lawrence, 46, was extradited from South Africa and pleaded not guilty to the two murder charges. Two protected witnesses, Jason and Stacey Symes, testified that Lawrence told Stacey she had shot O'Connor but that Neville finished the killing, and that they were asked to move the bodies. The judge explained that the jury can return three verdicts for each murder: guilty, not guilty but guilty of assisting an offender, or not guilty. He emphasized that a conviction requires proof beyond reasonable doubt that Lawrence was part of a joint enterprise to kill the men.
An 85‑year‑old former Dublin school teacher was convicted by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of 28 counts of indecent assault against eight boys, with the alleged offences occurring between 1978 and 1989. The jury delivered majority verdicts after more than seven hours of deliberation. The defendant, who pleaded not guilty, made no reaction when the verdicts were read. Judge Elma Sheahan thanked the jury, remanded the defendant on continuing bail, adjourned the case to next month, and directed the preparation of victim impact statements.
In the Central Criminal Court, a jury of 12 deliberated for 1 hour 22 minutes on the second day of the trial of Ruth Lawrence, aged 46, accused of murdering drug dealer Eoin O'Connor (32) and drug dealer Anthony Keegan (33) between 22 April and 26 May 2014. Lawrence, extradited from South Africa in 2023, pleaded not guilty. The prosecution alleged that Lawrence and her boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen acted as a "unit" and "tag team", luring O'Connor to their home and shooting him, and that van der Westhuizen also shot Keegan. Two protected witnesses, Jason and Stacey Symes, testified that Lawrence told Stacey she had shot O'Connor but that Neville "took over", and that they were asked to move the bodies.
Olga Pegasoua, a 46-year-old woman from Lucan, was convicted at Tallaght District Court of refusing to provide a specimen under the Road Traffic Act. The case concerned an incident on 27 March 2021, where Garda Shauna Higgins observed Pegasoua driving a swerving silver Nissan with a dented bumper. After arresting her for suspected intoxication, Pegasoua arrived at Tallaght Garda Station. Although she initially opted to provide a urine sample, she poured it down the toilet and subsequently refused to provide a blood sample. Judge Karen Dowling rejected the defence argument that the prosecution could not rely on interpreter testimony, finding a case to answer based on the garda's observations and Pegasoua's conduct. Pegasoua, who did not appear in court, was found guilty. The judge stated she had no choice but to impose the mandatory four-year driving disqualification. Pegasoua was fined €500, with five months granted to pay, and a €200 recognisance was set. The judge agreed to defer the start of the driving ban by four weeks to allow Pegasoua to make necessary arrangements. The court noted Pegasoua is a single mother with no previous convictions, who works as a cleaner and suffers from anxiety and kidney issues.
Daniel O'Neill, 30, of Dublin 17, was already serving a 3‑year‑9‑month sentence for drug offences since October 2023. He pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to money laundering and obtaining insurance by deception between 8 January 2021 and 4 January 2023. A Garda investigation, triggered by his drug‑dealing conviction, analysed several bank accounts and found €290,000 in cash lodgements in his name and a second person's name, plus further cash through a Revolut account. The money was used to buy cars, take holidays and shop online. O'Neill also secured three insurance policies for the cars using a false date of birth while he was disqualified from driving. The court imposed a seven‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, back‑dated to his initial custody in October 2023.
A 22-year-old UK national has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for importing cannabis from Thailand destined for Donegal. Jamie Kearns of Coventry entered signed pleas to possession of drugs and drug importation following his arrest at Dublin Airport on 12 February 2025. Gardaí recovered 24.472 kilograms of cannabis, valued at €489,440, from vacuum-packed bags in his luggage. The court heard Kearns had been approached whilst backpacking in Thailand and asked to transport the drugs to settle a personal drug debt of €4,551.46. Judge Martin Nolan noted the defendant's early guilty plea, lack of previous convictions, and youth at the time of the offence as mitigating factors, departing from the mandatory ten-year minimum sentence. The sentence was backdated to his date of custody.
On 9 February a 50‑year‑old man named Shane Berkeley, of Knockmore Crescent, Tallaght, caused a drunken outburst at the Plaza Hotel, Tallaght. He was seen pacing the corridor, topless and barefoot, smelling strongly of alcohol and described as a danger to himself and others. He attempted to re‑enter his locked room, then struck a staff member twice in the face and grabbed him by the shirt before being restrained. Gardaí arrested him and he was taken to Tallaght Garda Station, where officers noted he was extremely intoxicated. A chair worth €200 was broken in his room. Berkeley pleaded guilty to criminal damage, threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour and being intoxicated in a public place. He repaid the €200, withdrew assault charges, and apologised to the staff member. Judge Patricia McNamara directed him to a restorative justice programme and adjourned the case to 16 January 2026 for finalisation.
Anthony Finnegan, 46, of Portmarnock, had pleaded guilty to assault for spitting on a neighbour from a second‑floor window and was fined €300. He appealed, arguing the sentence was too severe. The District Court Appeals Court heard that the victim, who had asthma, reported the incident to Garda Jordan Metcalfe, who noted the spit struck her leg and shoe. Defence counsel Lydia Daly BL highlighted ongoing neighbour disputes and a restraining order against the victim. The victim's impact statement described the act as violent, causing stress‑related asthma attacks and flashbacks. Judge Deirdre Browne acknowledged the wrongdoing but focused on the conviction's impact on Finnegan, who had already paid €500 as an expression of remorse. The judge struck the conviction from his record, allowing the appeal to succeed.
Patrick Lynch, 45, from Naas, Co Kildare, appealed the severity of a five‑month jail sentence imposed for driving without a licence, insurance or tax and for failing to produce a licence, offences under the Road Traffic Act 1961. Lynch had previously received three driving disqualifications in 2018, lasting six, ten and twenty years, and had 194 prior convictions, about 100 of which were road‑traffic matters. The appeal was heard by Judge Deirdre Browne in the District Court Appeals Court. Lynch's defence counsel, Seosaimhín Ní Chathasaigh BL, argued that Lynch had an early guilty plea, had been born into poverty, had struggled with alcohol and drug misuse, and was now seeking community rehabilitation rather than custody. Judge Browne noted that the offence was "particularly egregious" and that no evidence linked the offence to Lynch's addiction issues; she adjourned the case to 13 November, pending further evidence from the defence. The appeal remains pending.
Kieran Fogarty, aged 21, was resentenced by the Court of Appeal to a total of 14 years in prison, with the final year suspended, after the original eight‑year sentence was deemed unduly lenient. The appeal concerned his role in the fatal hit‑and‑run that killed 21‑year‑old student Joe Drennan on Dublin Road, Limerick, on 13 October 2023. CCTV showed Fogarty driving at 100–122 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, colliding with Drennan's car, then wiping the steering wheel for 14 seconds before fleeing. The Court of Appeal also addressed his other offences: a drive‑by shooting and a drugs‑for‑sale charge. Sentences for the firearms offence and the drugs charge were reduced to eight and four years respectively, while the dangerous‑driving‑causing‑death sentence was set at eight years, to run concurrently with the firearms sentence. Fogarty was disqualified from driving for 20 years. Kieran Fogarty pleaded guilty.
Terry Ward, 36, of Castle Meadows, Trim, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglaries on 20 July 2024 and 12 February 2025. On 20 July he broke into a business on Baggot Street, stole two laptops worth €3,000, and was arrested the next night while attempting to sell one to a rickshaw driver. On 12 February he carried out a series of burglaries in Dublin 2, breaking into a business, an elderly woman's unoccupied home (stealing earrings and medication), and smashing windows at the Hyde pub on Lennon Street with a beer keg and at the Duke pub with street fencing, causing €2,000 in damage. He also stole €50 from a tip jar. Ward has 176 prior convictions, including 22 burglaries in Ireland and 17 in the UK, plus assault and knife possession.
In a tragic incident at Kildare Chilling Company on 14 May 2020, 54‑year‑old Binak Cokaj, an Albanian national, was inspecting a vacuum‑packing machine when it crushed his head, causing fatal skull fractures and brain injuries. His wife, Shkurte Cokaj, filed a personal injury claim under the Civil Liability Act on behalf of herself and their two 11‑year‑old twin children. The claim alleged negligence, breach of duty and breach of contract by Kildare Chilling Company, Momentum Capital Projects Ltd and Sealed Air Limited, the machine supplier. After mediation, the parties agreed to a €700 000 settlement, including €17.5 k earmarked for each child. The High Court, presided over by Mr Justice Paul Coffey, approved the settlement without admitting liability and approved costs incurred by the plaintiff. The judge described the case as "very tragic.".
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, two defendants, David O'Brien (22) and Elisabeth Bello (50), received suspended sentences for acting as money mules in a romance fraud that defrauded an 85‑year‑old pensioner of €27,000. The victim was deceived by a woman posing as a divorced American mother on Match.com, who persuaded him to purchase iTunes gift cards, transfer €2,800 to a solicitor for an "anti‑money laundering certificate," and pay €24,516.13 in storage fees. The victim's funds were moved into O'Brien's AIB account and later into Bello's account. Both defendants pleaded guilty to handling or processing proceeds of crime. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced O'Brien to one year and Bello to two years, suspending both on the condition of good behaviour and peacekeeping. No further convictions or outcomes are mentioned in the article.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Sebastian Czajka, aged 27, was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for possession of drugs for sale and possession of proceeds of criminal conduct. Gardaí seized €850,020 worth of cannabis, cocaine and ketamine, plus €226,160 in cash, from his Tallaght home. Czajka pleaded guilty to three counts of drug possession for sale or supply and one count of possession of proceeds. The judge, Martin Nolan, had originally considered a 15‑year headline sentence but, after noting Czajka's early guilty plea, his age and the possibility of rehabilitation, imposed 11 years, backdated to his arrest. Defence counsel requested a suspended portion, but the judge declined. The case was heard as a criminal trial, with no prior convictions for Czajka. The drugs were seized following a search warrant issued after a Gardaí raid. The sentence was delivered on 18 February 2024.
Luke Taaffe, aged 34, pleaded guilty before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using €1,500 of the proceeds of criminal conduct from Trinity College Dublin's Student Hardship Fund, knowing the money was illicit on 8 October 2020. He will be sentenced on 17 December. Helen Richardson, aged 46, was arraigned for a separate case involving the alleged defrauding of just under €500,000 from the same fund between 2021 and 2022, with her arraignment set for 28 January 2026.
Three lifelong friends were sentenced for assaulting two foreign nationals in Dublin. Shane Kinsella (27) and Ross Law (29) received suspended sentences after pleading guilty to assaulting a Romanian carpenter in a Spar shop on 18 May 2024; Kinsella also verbally abused the victim and later punched him twice. Law claimed his sister had identified the victim as someone who had previously grabbed her arm, but no complaint had been reported. Jordan Dean Roddick (28) was jailed for his role in the same attack and for a separate assault on an Algerian man three weeks later, where he stamped on the victim's head. Roddick pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on both occasions. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a 20‑month suspended sentence on Law, a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence on Kinsella, and a three‑year jail term on Roddick, with a concurrent one‑year term for the first attack.
The jury has begun deliberations in the trial of Ruth Lawrence, 46, accused of shooting drug dealer Eoin O'Connor and killing drug dealer Anthony Keegan with her boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen. The case, heard at the Central Criminal Court after a five‑week trial, relies on statements from protected witnesses Jason and Stacey Symes, who claim Lawrence told them she shot O'Connor but that Neville finished the act, and that they were asked to move the bodies. The judge explained that Lawrence could be found guilty of murder on the basis of joint enterprise only if she assisted in a concrete way and had a purpose to help the killings. The jury may return a verdict of guilty of murder, guilty of assisting an offender, or not guilty for each murder charge, and must decide unanimously.
Jamie Moonen, aged 30, was sentenced to 13 months in prison after threatening to kill Dublin city councillor Malachy Steenson on 15 May 2024. Moonen first approached a Garda patrol car on North Circular Road, verbally abusing a Garda and declaring he would kill Steenson, who was campaigning for local and European elections. He then went to Steenson's offices, where he again threatened the 62‑year‑old councillor and became aggressive when Steenson's relatives appeared. Gardaí arrested him; he admitted the threats, apologized, and claimed he was depressed. Moonen pleaded guilty to a threat to a Garda to kill or cause serious harm. The court, noting his 12 prior public order convictions and one assault, imposed a headline sentence of three years, reduced to 13 months due to mitigating factors such as his cooperation and personal difficulties.
In the trial of Ruth Lawrence, Mr Justice Tony Hunt explained that the jury may return an alternative verdict of assisting an offender if they are not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that she participated in a joint enterprise to murder drug dealer Anthony Keegan and his friend Eoin O'Connor between 22 April and 26 May 2014. He clarified that for a murder conviction on joint enterprise, the accused must have assisted in a concrete way and had a purpose to deliberately assist in the killings. The judge noted that the two murder counts must be considered separately and that a conviction on one does not automatically imply a conviction on the other. He warned the jury to assess the reliability of the Symes witnesses, who are in the Witness Protection Programme, and to consider the impact of any benefits they receive on their testimony. Ruth Lawrence pleaded not guilty.
Lisa Clarke, 51, pleaded guilty at Tallaght District Court for driving with excess alcohol after her white Nissan Juke overturned near a childcare centre on Ballymount Road on 11 April. Gardaí found her beside the car, smelling strongly of alcohol, with a blood alcohol concentration of 155 mg per 100 ml, more than three times the legal limit. She is a healthcare assistant and carer, with no prior convictions, who said she had been coping with a marital breakdown and mental health struggles. Judge Patricia McNamara told Clarke she was "very fortunate" to have avoided serious injury or death, questioned whether she had an alcohol problem, and directed her to obtain a medical report and urine analysis to prove she no longer drinks. The judge noted a minimum three‑year disqualification and adjourned the case to 12 December for finalisation.
On 21 June 2024, 31‑year‑old Dek Abdi Hassan of Basin View, Dublin 8, pushed a 66‑year‑old man onto the footpath in Dublin city centre, causing the victim to fall backwards and break his hip. The injury forced the victim, who was working full time, to retire early and has since suffered ongoing pain, stiffness and reduced independence, as detailed in his victim impact report read by Judge Martin Nolan. Hassan pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. The court described his conduct as a "wanton act of arrogance" and noted that while he did not intend the injuries, his actions were intentional and reckless. Hassan was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment. The judge acknowledged Hassan's difficult background, including trauma from civil violence in Somalia, but stressed that such behaviour is unacceptable on the street.
Joe Donogher, 55, of Ashlawn Park, Ballybrack, was sentenced to 33 months in jail after pleading guilty to transporting almost €150,000 worth of cocaine. He admitted to possessing a 2‑kg quantity of the drug, valued at €143,925, for sale or supply in Sallynoggin, Dublin, on 16 May 2024. Donogher had no prior convictions. Gardaí had set up a surveillance operation and found the drugs in a toolbox he placed in his van. He claimed he accepted the drugs because his son, who was in debt to "unsavoury characters," was threatened with violence if the debt was not paid. Donogher stated that his son's life was at risk and that he was acting to protect him. The court accepted his early guilty plea and his otherwise clean record, and the judge imposed a 33‑month term, a significant departure from the mandatory minimum of ten years.
John Joseph Carey, a 57-year-old man from Tipperary Town, was sentenced to seven years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to having 16.6 kg of cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Port on October 10, 2022. The drugs, estimated to have a street value of €1,232,560, were concealed in a Perspex box built into the chassis of a camper van driven by Carey. Prosecution evidence indicated that Carey, who has no previous convictions, was pressured to transport the cocaine to settle a debt that had risen to €250,000. Judge Martin Nolan accepted Carey's guilty plea and noted his cooperation with the Garda investigation. The judge described Carey's culpability as "low to mid," acknowledging that he did not own the drugs and acted to resolve personal financial problems. Consequently, the court imposed a sentence of seven years. The matter was finalized with this sentence, reflecting the court's assessment of the defendant's role and mitigating factors.
A man has been sentenced to three years imprisonment at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court following his conviction for sexual offences against a woman in County Mayo. Jorge Paris, aged 62 and resident in Dublin, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault and one of attempted sexual assault occurring between December 2000 and February 2003. The complainant, now 48, was between six and seven years old when the abuse began. Judge Eoin Garavan imposed a headline sentence of six years, subsequently reduced to four and a half years with the final 18 months suspended, citing mitigation including Paris's 25-year employment record and stable 40-year marriage. The judge noted Paris had been removed from the Jehovah's Witnesses congregation following disclosure of the abuse. In her victim impact statement, the woman described lasting psychological and physical harm, stating the offences had destroyed her childhood, adulthood and sense of safety. The defence presented a letter of apology from Paris and a testimonial from his adult daughter.
Cristan Turbat and Dorina Turbat, of Maynooth, Kildare, were sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for social welfare fraud. The couple pleaded guilty to sample charges representative of an indictment of over 570 charges covering April 2017 to January 2019. Cristan Turbat admitted to 10 charges of stealing cash from the Department of Social Protection and one charge of making a false statement. Dorina Turbat pleaded guilty to 10 similar theft charges and one false statement charge. Judge Martin Nolan jailed both defendants for 18 months, reducing a headline sentence of three years due to their guilty pleas, cooperation, and remorse. The court found they conspired to defraud the State of over €114,000 by having Cristan work under a false identity while Dorina claimed jobseeker's allowance, working family payment, and rent supplement. Michael McMahon, their employer, was previously sentenced to a 14-month suspended term for aiding and abetting the fraud. His sentence was suspended in full on the condition he repay €55,215. €21,350 found in the Turbats' home will be confiscated, leaving a balance of just over €13,000 to be repaid. The matter was finalised with the imposition of these custodial sentences and repayment conditions.
Michael Rooney Dignam, 44, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for a series of seven robberies committed between August and September 2024 in Dublin. The robberies involved armed threats with a broken bottle, knife and syringe, and included an incident where a teenage shopkeeper's daughter was held at knife‑point. Victims were shop staff and off‑licence workers who were threatened with stabbing or struck with a broken bottle. Rooney Dignam, who has 55 prior convictions including the manslaughter of his brother, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse. Judge Orla Crowe set a headline sentence of 10 years, reduced to seven and a half years, and suspended the final 12 months on strict conditions, including good behaviour for two years and 12 months of probation. No money was recovered from the robberies. The court noted that the offences were carried out to fund a drug addiction following his release from prison.
Two brothers, Shane Farrelly (26) and Aaron Farrelly (22), were jailed for carrying a 28‑inch sword near a primary school in Inchicore on 24 October 2024. CCTV showed Shane holding the sword, which had been hidden under a vehicle, and handing it to Aaron. Both pleaded guilty to possession of knives. Shane received a sentence of three years and six months with the final 12 months suspended, while Aaron received the same term with the final 18 months suspended. The court also heard that a third man, Jeffrey Crowley (29), pleaded guilty to possession of an axe and was sentenced to three and a half years with the final 12 months suspended. The incident lasted roughly 30 seconds and involved the men moving in and out of camera view, with the sword later seized at an apartment. The judge noted the aggravating factor of the proximity to a school and directed the brothers to probation supervision after release.
A man has been sentenced to fifteen months in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for two counts of animal cruelty connected to protests against asylum seeker accommodation at Thornton Hall in north Dublin. In June 2024, security personnel discovered two pigs with severe stab and slash wounds on the site, one of which was also missing a limb. Both animals were subsequently euthanised, while two others brought to the location were rehomed. Darren Jackson, aged forty and from Rivermeade in County Dublin, admitted to transporting four pigs from a County Cavan farm to the facility but maintained that an associate inflicted the injuries using a scalpel. The court heard evidence that Jackson recorded video footage while driving the animals and that some individuals involved believed introducing pigs would deter Muslim people from the site due to religious observance. Following his arrest, Jackson engaged with local community representatives and attended a mosque for discussions regarding radicalisation. Judge Martin Nolan accepted Jackson was not the primary architect of the scheme but had participated substantially. Darren Jackson pleaded guilty.
In a 2025 appeal, Judge Deidre Browne replaced a four‑month jail term with a fully suspended nine‑month sentence for Richard Joseph Doyle, 34, who had been convicted of two counts of assault and a threat of property damage after grabbing a woman by the neck in a Dublin house. The original sentence included four months imprisonment, a €200 fine, and €200 compensation for a damaged window. Doyle appealed on the grounds of severity. The judge, citing a probation report, expressed "very significant concerns" over Doyle's lack of insight into the seriousness of his actions and limited victim empathy. She increased the custodial term to nine months but suspended it, requiring Doyle to enter probation supervision, attend offence‑focused work, participate in a violence‑prevention program, disclose intimate relationships, and undergo drug screening or intervention as directed.
In a double‑murder trial, defence counsel Patrick Gageby SC argued that the State's case against 46‑year‑old Ruth Lawrence was weak, relying mainly on two protected witnesses, father and daughter Jason and Stacey Symes. Gageby said the Symes had downplayed their own roles and could not be trusted to convict Lawrence, who was extradited from South Africa in 2023 after the bodies of Anthony Keegan (33) and Eoin O'Connor (32) were found on a lake island in 2014. He claimed the Symes' statements about Lawrence shooting O'Connor and her boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen taking over were unreliable, and that phone evidence did not link Lawrence to the killings. Gageby urged jurors not to convict Lawrence, describing the prosecution's case as "slim" and "shaky.". Ruth Lawrence pleaded not guilty.
DJ Carey, a former Kilkenny hurler aged 54, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five and a half years in prison for defrauding over 20 people of almost €400,000 by falsely claiming to have cancer. Between 2014 and 2022, he obtained €394,127 and $13,000 from victims, promising repayment but never fulfilling it; only €44,200 was repaid, leaving €349,927 and $13,000 outstanding. Carey pleaded guilty to ten counts of dishonestly inducing payment, eight further charges of dishonesty, and two counts of using a false instrument. The judge described the fraud as "very low" yet "reprehensible" and imposed a global sentence of five and a half years, comprising a four‑year term followed by a consecutive one‑and‑a‑half‑year term. Carey had no prior convictions and had cooperated with Gardaí, but the court noted his reputation as a celebrated hurler had been destroyed by the case.
A man has admitted careless driving causing the death of a woman in her 70s at a supermarket car park in County Mayo last year. The incident occurred on June 6, 2024, at Supervalu in Westport, when a lorry struck the pedestrian in the vehicle forecourt. Mihail Tanasevici, aged 41 and residing in Dublin, pleaded guilty to a single count of careless driving causing death at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court. The court heard he was operating the vehicle at approximately 2 kilometres per hour whilst engaged in employment duties at the time of the collision. Tanasevici, with no previous convictions, is expected to return to court in February to address two additional charges. Sentencing has been scheduled for March 6. A probation report has been ordered ahead of these proceedings.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, prosecution barrister Michael O'Higgins SC argued that Ruth Lawrence (46) and her South African boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen acted as a "unit and tag team" to lure drug dealer Eoin O'Connor (32) to their home at Patricks Cottage, Ross, Mountnugent, and murder him. O'Higgins said Lawrence shot O'Connor in the stomach with intent to kill, but she did not act alone; van der Westhuizen allegedly finished him off, possibly by grappling and shooting him in the head. The prosecution also claimed that the couple killed Anthony Keegan (33) and that both bodies were later found bound and covered on Inchicup Island, Lough Sheelin. Witnesses Jason and Stacey Symes testified that Lawrence told them she had shot O'Connor but it "went wrong" and that van der Westhuizen took over. The case presented evidence of a planned, highly calculated double murder, with Lawrence and van der Westhuizen equally liable under the law. Ruth Lawrence pleaded not guilty.
A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in custody at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the violent robbery of an off-duty garda in the Camden Road area on 22 January 2024. Evan Ward of Navan Road, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to the offence. CCTV footage presented at sentencing showed Ward and a juvenile accomplice attacking the garda in the early morning hours, with Ward delivering multiple punches to the victim's head before both assailants stole items including the garda's official identification badge, two passports, bank cards, mobile phones, and car keys. The victim was left unconscious on the ground. Ward admitted he was under the influence of cocaine at the time. He has 57 previous convictions. The court heard evidence of significant childhood mental health difficulties and recent diagnosis of schizophrenic spectrum disorder. The judge imposed a four-year sentence with the final year suspended on condition of continued psychiatric care. The juvenile co-accused received a deferred 22-month detention sentence earlier this year.
Florea Hoza, 57, was jailed for two years after assaulting a woman he was having an extra‑marital affair with. Hoza first claimed the woman, a cleaner at his company, was acting provocatively, but a Probation Service report revealed the affair. He pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm on 23 February 2024 at Harold's Cross Road. The court heard that Hoza slapped the woman twice in the workplace canteen, then tried to hit her with a hard hat. Later that evening, he lay in wait for her on the street, punched her repeatedly, head‑butted her and pursued her across a busy road. The woman suffered facial injuries, blurred vision and nasal pain. Hoza denied the pre‑planned attack and claimed accidental contact. He had no prior convictions and was given a €5,000 token of remorse, which the woman refused.
Alec Goucher, aged 70, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of 25 counts of sexual abuse against his stepdaughter Elizabeth Usher between 2000 and 2007. The abuse began when Usher was about 11 and escalated to regular rapes twice a week when she was 15 or 16. Goucher denied the allegations and claimed she persuaded him to act. He was found to have no remorse and had attempted to collapse his trial after setting his home on fire. The judge, Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, rejected a suggestion that he might be suitable for a non‑custodial sentence and imposed a 17‑year custodial term, back‑dated to the start of his custody. Usher's victim impact statement described the abuse as a campaign of rape that eroded her sense of self and her relationship with her father. The sentence was handed down in February after delays caused by a psychiatric report.
Sarah Jane Byrne, 37, and Jamie Moss, 22, were remanded in custody by the Special Criminal Court until 1 December after pleading guilty to firearms offences. Byrne admitted possession of a 9mm Makarov pistol, 27 rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition, a 12‑gauge sawn‑off Beretta shotgun and a Tokarev submachine gun, all found during a Garda operation on 16 February 2024 at Old Navan Road, Blanchardstown. Moss admitted possession of a 9mm Makarov pistol and a 9mm Makarov Sellier and Bellot round of ammunition, also seized on the same day. Byrne's counsel described her as a vulnerable woman with mental health and addiction problems, who stored firearms to pay a debt to drug dealers and had recently overcome addiction but relapsed after a cancer diagnosis. Moss's counsel highlighted his recent completion of a carpentry apprenticeship and community respect. Both defendants had no prior convictions and were considered low risk of reoffending.
In a sentence hearing for 24‑year‑old Valeriu Melnic, the court heard a victim impact statement from the mother of the deceased, Mr. Ion Daghi, who described the loss as "irreplaceable" and said it would always stain her heart. Melnic, who admitted to being "so drunk" that he could not remember stabbing Daghi with a kitchen knife, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by a jury in July. The hearing reiterated that Melnic's intoxication and the fact that he had no intent to kill were key defence arguments. The court noted that Melnic's relationship with his sister was "somewhat gone" and that he had tried to write to her but could not find the words. The judge remanded Melnic in custody until his sentencing on 17 November.
Two men, Stephen Mulvey (34) and Jamie Berry (30), pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder a Dublin teenager on February 23‑24, 2021. They were arraigned before the Central Criminal Court and remanded on bail until January 19 next year. Their guilty pleas follow a Court of Appeal order to retrial, overturning a 2023 Central Criminal Court decision that had acquitted them due to insufficient evidence. The State had alleged Berry was the shooter and Mulvey assisted, while the teenager gave testimony but could not recall the day's events and was on medication.
Space commentator David Moore was found personally liable for breaches of employment rights against former Astronomy Ireland manager Sonya Martin, who claimed constructive dismissal and a toxic workplace. After four hearings over 11 months, the Workplace Relations Commission ordered Moore, the club and three other committee members to pay €10,784.60 to Martin. The tribunal awarded her €3,076.92 for constructive dismissal and €7,707 for unpaid statutory leave and lack of a written statement. Martin's case alleged bullying, harassment, financial irregularities, and that the club had no board, making her State grant applications invalid. Moore repeatedly objected to being named in the claim, citing libel, and left hearings in protest. The decision was issued within 42 days of the ruling.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a victim was forced to sell his Audi S8 after a criminal, Stuart Tighe, attempted to hijack the car twice within five days. The first attempt occurred outside the victim's workplace on 29 January 2024, when Tighe and a companion tried to steal the vehicle but were thwarted. The second, more violent, attack took place on 3 February 2024, when Tighe entered the victim's home with a meat cleaver, causing the victim to lose part of his ear and sustain other injuries. Tighe pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, assault causing harm, and attempted theft. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a headline sentence of 12 years, reduced to nine years with a one‑year suspension, citing the victim's impact statement and the evidence presented. The case highlighted the severity of the assaults and the court's focus on rehabilitation.
George Daly, an 81‑year‑old broker from Malahide, pleaded guilty to using a false instrument in mortgage applications between 2011 and 2017. He helped about 40 applicants inflate their income statements, claiming the banks were "fraudsters" and "greed merchants" after his son lost a home. Gardaí seized 800 documents, including payslips and P60s, which showed higher earnings than the applicants actually earned. The loans, totalling €3.5 million, were drawn down by the applicants and repaid as scheduled, with no repossessions or financial loss to the banks. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a six‑year prison sentence, fully suspended, noting the seriousness of the misconduct but deciding no custodial term was necessary. Daly received no custodial sentence, but the court highlighted the reprehensible nature of his actions.