A 45‑year‑old gambler, Karl Jess, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison after he deceived a vulnerable man into believing they were in a romantic relationship. Jess persuaded the man to hand over €25,350 in ten instalments between August and November 2023, claiming the money would repay creditors. The victim, described as having lower than average cognitive ability, was assisted by his brother who provided WhatsApp messages showing the false relationship. Jess admitted to a gambling addiction and previous drug‑related convictions. Gardaí noted the victim's life savings were largely lost, affecting his mental health and family relations. The judge highlighted the aggravating factor of exploiting a vulnerable person and imposed the sentence accordingly. Karl Jess pleaded guilty.
David McNamara, aged 24, was sentenced to five years in prison at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a series of violent offences. He pleaded guilty to assaulting his 16‑year‑old girlfriend in September 2019, to assaulting a second girlfriend and coercive control of her between 17 and 19 July 2023, to hijacking a taxi and threatening to stab the driver on 20 July 2023, and to possession of cocaine and heroin for sale at the time of his arrest on 5 September 2023. The court heard that McNamara had repeatedly failed to appear for court dates, was granted bail twice, and that armed support and a helicopter were required to surround his Tallaght home before he was finally arrested. He denied the allegations of violence and coercion, but the judge noted the seriousness of the assaults and the threats made to the taxi driver.
A 32‑year‑old man was jailed for three years and three months after pleading guilty to three charges of sexual assault against a nine‑year‑old girl who was staying at his house as a guest. The assaults occurred between August 2020 and January 2021. The girl reported that the man entered her room at night and touched her vagina outside her underwear, sometimes while she was sharing a bed with her three‑year‑old sister. She first told her mother in January 2021, who confronted the man and recorded his admissions. The family later brought him to Gardaí, where he repeated the admissions. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted the man's breach of trust and hospitality, and his expression of remorse, before sentencing him. The victim, now 14, gave a victim impact statement describing ongoing anxiety and the lasting effect of the abuse.
A garda sergeant who was cleared of assault on a juvenile criminal has been informed he is too late to claim lost earnings from the 17 months he spent on suspension. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) rejected his complaint under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, stating it was filed more than six months after his employment ended. Sergeant Damien Kirwan, with nearly 30 years of service, was suspended in May 2021 following an allegation of assault. He retired in December 2022 after being found not guilty of the charges in May 2023. His claim was submitted in March 2024, nearly 18 months after his retirement. Adjudicator Catherine Byrne ruled she had no power to consider the complaint due to the delay. Garda management was represented by Stephen Hanaphy BL, instructed by Bryan McNamara of the Chief State Solicitor's Office.
During the trial, Georgeta Serban, mother of the 26‑year‑old Larisa Serban, testified that her daughter's partner, Daniel Blanaru (37), threatened to kill Larisa if her family interfered in their relationship. She described Blanaru as extremely possessive, paranoid and controlling, noting that he had no stable employment and that his jealousy intensified after Larisa's children were born. Serban said Blanaru would dictate what Larisa wore, forbid her from wearing tight clothing, and accuse her of infidelity whenever she spoke to other men. She recalled that a month before Larisa's death, Blanaru warned that he would kill her if the family intervened. Serban also recounted that Larisa lived a controlled, depressed life and that she had spoken to her daughter on the night before her death. The case is proceeding before Justice Eileen Creedon with an enlarged jury. Daniel Blanaru pleaded not guilty.
In February 2025, X Corp's Irish subsidiary appealed a €550,000 award ordered by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to pay former Twitter executive Gary Rooney. Rooney, dismissed after Elon Musk's takeover, had sued under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977. The WRC had awarded him the sum, the largest under the Act, after finding his dismissal stemmed from his refusal to click "yes" on Musk's November 2022 email demanding "extremely hardcore" work. Rooney's lawyers, led by Arthur Cush, sought to have Musk testify remotely, but the WRC decided not to summon him. The appeal, set for March 7th before the Labour Court, may allow the court to increase the award. Rooney's case highlights the dispute over Musk's email and the dismissal process.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing, Brian McHugh, 40, denied murdering Lisa Thompson, 52, who was found stabbed 11 times in the chest with a blind cord wrapped around her neck. McHugh claimed he had been "in and out" of Thompson's Ballymun home for the last three years, a statement he repeated when asked to explain the presence of his DNA on the cord and on jewellery seized from his Cairn Court residence. Forensic evidence showed a mixed DNA profile on the cord that could not exclude McHugh as a minor contributor, and DNA from the jewellery matched Thompson's. The prosecution also presented evidence that Thompson had been dealing prescription drugs and that she and McHugh had a brief affair the year before her death. McHugh pleaded not guilty and the trial continues before Ms Justice Karen O'Connor with a jury of four men and eight women.
Sean Kinneavy, 74, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for 47 counts of sexual assault and two rapes involving a girl aged 10‑15, who was 50 years his junior. The offences occurred between January 2013 and June 2018 in Dublin and Galway. Kinneavy was directed to pay €38,000 in compensation to the victim and her mother for financial losses incurred while caring for the victim. He maintains his innocence and has no prior convictions. The judge noted the persistent nature of the abuse, the breach of trust, and the impact on the victim, describing the crimes as "deplorable". A two‑year post‑release supervision order was also imposed. The sentence was back‑dated to the date he entered custody in November last year. The court considered Kinneavy's age and good character as mitigating factors, but found the repeated offences outweighed them. The victim's impact statement highlighted the lasting trauma and financial burden she endured.
A Spanish tourist, aged 33, gave evidence in the Central Criminal Court that she was raped on January 1, 2019, in Dublin's city centre. She described feeling "like a doll" and having no strength, and that she was unable to consent due to alcohol or another drug. She recalled walking with the accused, a 33‑year‑old Louth man who is anonymous until the trial ends, and that he held her arm and waist tightly. She said he penetrated her vagina, though she has no clear memory of the act. She later claimed a second rape occurred in a B&B, where she was forced into anal sex. The accused denies any wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty to one count of rape. The trial continues before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs.
During the trial, a forensic scientist presented evidence that a blood‑stained blind cord wrapped around the neck of 52‑year‑old mother‑of‑two Lisa Thompson contained a mixed DNA profile. The profile could not exclude Thompson as a major contributor and could not exclude 40‑year‑old accused Brian McHugh as a minor contributor. DNA from jewellery seized at McHugh's home also matched Thompson's DNA. The jury heard that Thompson had been dealing prescription drugs from her home and that she and McHugh had a brief relationship in the year before her death. Thompson was found dead in her home with multiple stab wounds and ligature strangulation. McHugh pleaded not guilty to her murder. The trial continues before Justice Karen O'Connor and a jury.
In a Dublin petrol station incident on 7 December 2023, 40‑year‑old Brian Cahill, who had no fixed abode, approached a driver filling petrol at Circle K on Usher's Quay and demanded €2. After the driver refused, Cahill and an accomplice began an assault that included punches, kicks and the use of an empty gas canister. The victim was struck on the body and legs, sustaining a broken nose, bruising and swelling. CCTV footage showed Cahill swinging the canister while the victim tried to escape. Cahill pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and possession of an article. He was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two years' imprisonment, with credit for time already served. The sentence reflected the unprovoked nature of the attack, the aggravating use of the canister and Cahill's extensive criminal record. The court noted his early guilty plea and personal circumstances as mitigating factors.
Dean Carr, 25, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for defiling a 14‑year‑old girl he met on Instagram and took to a Dublin hotel. He pleaded guilty to meeting a child under 17 for the purpose of a sex act and to sending sexually explicit material to her on Instagram. The court heard that Carr had paid for the girl's train ticket and a hotel room, and that CCTV and Instagram messages confirmed he knew she was underage. He had no prior convictions and had been working in retail. Carr accepted responsibility and pleaded guilty, and the judge noted his remorse and the mitigating factors of his guilty plea and lack of previous offences. The judge also remarked that Carr's actions were pre‑meditated and reprehensible. The sentence was imposed after a hearing that considered Carr's high risk of re‑offending, which could be reduced with therapeutic intervention.
The High Court has placed a stay on the extradition of a 66-year-old man from Arva, Co Cavan, who is wanted in Northern Ireland for the murder of a part-time Ulster Defence Regiment member in 1979. James Donegan faces charges relating to the death of Joseph James Porter at Mountnorris, Co Armagh, in June of that year. He is also charged with firearm and ammunition offences and membership of a proscribed organisation. Mr Justice Patrick McGrath had previously ordered Mr Donegan's surrender to UK authorities, but has now granted a stay to permit an appeal of the extradition decision. Mr Donegan was arrested at Dublin Airport in June following his return from holiday. He has maintained his innocence. The Northern Ireland authorities issued the extradition warrant following a post-mortem examination that established Mr Porter died of gunshot wounds.
Sous chef Piotr Fraszczyk, who had worked at Shanahan's on the Green in Dublin since November 2010, told the Workplace Relations Commission that he had not received payment for his notice period, outstanding holiday entitlements or his final week of work. He said the restaurant had closed in October 2024 and that he had been placed on layoff before applying for statutory redundancy. Fraszczyk claimed the redundancy process was initiated by an accountant who acted on behalf of all employees, and that the company had sent a letter on 13 October stating the restaurant had "ceased trading temporarily." He also said he had only taken ten days of holiday in the 2024 leave year and that his last week's wages, about €750, were unpaid.
Margaret Doran (36), from Kimmage in Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a false registration certificate for a caravan on 15 October 2019 at the Ranch House in Saggart, Dublin. Gardaí discovered the caravan's Vehicle Identification Number had been partially ground down during a search of the premises where Doran was renting a parking space. She produced a false logbook when questioned. The caravan, valued at €25,000, was seized. Doran stated she had exchanged her own caravan and paid money to a man in Sligo whose identity gardaí could not verify. The court heard she became homeless following seizure of the caravan. Judge Martin Nolan noted her guilty plea, absence of previous convictions, and personal tragedies, including the death of her husband. He determined that imprisonment was inappropriate and found her unlikely to reoffend. Doran received a two-year prison sentence, suspended in full.
Graham Doherty, a barber from St John's Crescent, Clondalkin, was sentenced to seven and a half years' imprisonment on his 34th birthday after pleading guilty to possessing 40.34 kg of cocaine for sale or supply on 9 July 2024. The drugs, worth €2,823,000, were seized following a search warrant issued after a reliable report of suspicious activity. Garda Charles McPartland described Doherty as a well‑respected barber who had fallen on hard times and accrued a drug debt, making him vulnerable. Gardaí found 28 kg of cocaine in a suitcase, seven in a SuperValu bag, one loose, and further bricks in a kitchen oven. During the seizure Doherty admitted responsibility, saying, "I'm going to get a degree inside." Judge Martin Nolan noted Doherty's good work history and the lack of evidence he was the owner or would benefit greatly, but acknowledged his role in a serious drug‑dealing enterprise.
James Ajibola, a migrant security guard in Dublin, claimed that BGS Security Ltd (BGSS) hired him and paid him no wages for work in July, August and September 2024. He said he was forced to borrow and beg to meet basic needs. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) found the company had hired him and not paid any wages, describing the situation as "egregious". An adjudicator gave the firm six weeks to pay the outstanding €3,337.47. Ajibola had previously resigned on 10 September 2024 and had not received any payment despite payslips indicating wages had been recorded. The WRC upheld his complaint and ordered the firm to pay the amount "without delay". The case follows a similar finding against BGSS in November 2024 for unpaid wages to another former employee.
The Central Criminal Court heard that Brian McHugh, 40, allegedly tried to sell jewellery linked to Lisa Thompson, 52, to a cashier at an Applegreen service station in Swords on the night of Thompson's murder. The cashier, Staven Kadar, described McHugh as having dove tattoos, a sinister vibe, and offering a gem‑ring and other bands for €800, claiming they were worth €3,000. CCTV showed a Hyundai Tucson driven by a woman and McHugh into the station at 3:04 am on 9 May 2022. Garda searches recovered Thompson's house keys and medication from the wasteland beside the station, and jewellery from McHugh's bedroom. McHugh pleaded not guilty to Thompson's murder. The trial focused on these alleged attempts to sell the jewellery and the recovered items.
In a sentencing hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Romanian man Cristian Topiter, aged 39, was jailed for six years for setting fire to St Michan's Church crypt, destroying two mummified bodies and damaging others, including an 800‑year‑old "Crusader". The court heard that Topiter had been deported from Northern Ireland six years earlier after a prior arson conviction that caused €300,000 of damage. He also has convictions for drug possession, burglary, theft and assault. Archdeacon David Pierpoint described the fire as an act of desecration and sacrilege, noting the loss of irreplaceable relics and the financial impact on the parish. Topiter pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and cited intoxication and mental health difficulties as factors. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the six‑year sentence, back‑dating it to the day of his arrest, and highlighted the seriousness of the offence and the aggravating prior conviction.
In the Court of Appeal, Dean Byrne, aged 31, claimed he had a "benign" motive for attempting to persuade witness Daniel Cahill not to give evidence in the trial of garda murderer Aaron Brady. Lawyers for Byrne argued that Byrne honestly believed Cahill would give false evidence and that his actions were not intended to pervert the course of justice. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Lorcan Staines SC, countered that Byrne's conduct was an attempt to pervert the course of justice, citing a recorded exchange in which Byrne insulted Cahill. The Court was asked to decide whether any attempt to persuade a witness not to give evidence constitutes an attempt to pervert the course of justice. Byrne's appeal concerns the conviction and two‑year sentence imposed by the Special Criminal Court for conspiring with Brady to dissuade Cahill, a conviction that followed his earlier 18‑year sentence with four years suspended for a 2013 burglary.
Christopher Byrne, 29, was on bail when he pushed an undercover journalist at an anti‑immigration protest at the former Crown Paints site in Dublin. He pleaded guilty to affray on 6 April 2024, assault on a prison officer at Mountjoy Prison in March 2023, criminal damage and unlawful use of a car in January 2023. Byrne has 75 prior convictions. The court sentenced him to a total of four years and nine months: 21 months for the affray, three years for the January 2023 offences, and a concurrent two‑year sentence for the prison‑officer assault. He was given credit for time already served. Byrne's defence highlighted his addiction issues, family support and work offers upon release. The judge noted his "terrible history of offending" but acknowledged his guilty pleas and cooperation. No victim impact statements were presented. The sentences are to run consecutively, with the affray sentence following the three‑year term.
The trial of Brian McHugh, aged 40, for the murder of Lisa Thompson, aged 52, continues. McHugh pleaded not guilty to the May 9, 2022 killing at Sandyhill Gardens, Ballymun. The jury heard that a gold Samsung Galaxy phone seized from McHugh's Cairn Court address on June 23, 2022 contained a deleted text thread from a named woman to McHugh's phone between June 18 and 19, 2022. The recovered messages, retrieved with Cellebrite, include statements such as "Murder Lisa n al", "I could of been like Lisa today strangle n stab", and "Move the knife did u". A second Apple iPhone was seized from the woman's home on May 13, 2022, holding a contact named "Brian". The jury also saw Facebook Messenger exchanges between accounts titled "Brian McHugh" and "Lisa Thompson" from April 14–15, 2022, and a WhatsApp message from Thompson's phone to a named man on May 9, 2022.
Patrick Harty, 51, was sentenced to five years in prison, with the final year suspended, for a seven‑month crime spree in which he stole about €20,000 worth of property from weddings and other social settings. He pleaded guilty to five counts, including four thefts and one unlawful use of a car, and was found to have committed the offences between 31 May 2023 and 1 January 2024 in various locations across Leinster, such as a hotel in Co Kildare, Brittas Bay in Co Wicklow and Dublin City Centre. The court heard that no property was recovered and that Harty's offences caused "great inconvenience" to his victims. He has a history of theft, burglary and traffic offences, and the judge noted his personal circumstances, including a brain injury and a background of neglect. Harty was directed to undergo one year of post‑release supervision by the Probation Services.
In a High Court hearing on 19 February 2025, Judge Alexander Owens confronted Celtic Tiger restaurateur Marcus Sweeney, 47, over his attempts to re‑enter a settled Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) case concerning EWM Property Holdings Ltd's acquisition of Co Meath land. Owens described Sweeney as "up to his oxters" for associating with organised crime figures and reiterated that the CAB had already settled the case. Sweeney insisted it was not settled, but the judge dismissed his submissions, stating he had no "hint nor hair" of what Sweeney sought. Owens warned that a duty guard would remove Sweeney for being a nuisance and that any new application would require proper affidavits and a notice of motion. Sweeney left the courtroom after the judge's refusal to entertain his claims. The judge had previously issued interlocutory orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 regarding the property.
Kia O'Connor, 34, pleaded guilty to robbery on 8 June 2024 in Dublin City Centre and was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment. O'Connor, who has 67 prior convictions and was previously jailed for violent disorder, participated in a robbery of two New Zealand tourists on a footpath outside the Belvedere Hotel. The tourists were approached by O'Connor and Joseph Boyle, 42, who demanded €20. When the victims refused, Boyle produced a knife and pointed it at the male tourist. O'Connor removed an iPhone, a Kindle e‑reader and a wallet from the female victim's bag before leaving. Gardaí recovered the stolen items, except the wallet, which contained no cash. O'Connor admitted the robbery but insisted no knife was involved. The court noted her early guilty plea, drug‑free status in custody and mitigating circumstances, and imposed the sentence. Boyle received a separate three‑and‑a‑half‑year term for his role.
Jack Myers, a 30‑year‑old from Devon, was arrested at Dublin Airport on 5 September 2024 after X‑ray revealed 40 packages of cannabis weighing almost 20 kg, with an estimated street value of €398,000. He was held in custody and later pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply. Judge Martin Nolan noted that Myers had been induced by an acquaintance to travel to Thailand to acquire the drugs and intended to bring them back to the UK, with a planned ferry to England. The judge acknowledged Myers' vulnerabilities and that he had probably been taken advantage of, but held that he should have known he was transporting drugs. A headline sentence of six or seven years was considered, but the judge imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year term, back‑dated to the date of his initial arrest. The sentence reflected Myers' lack of prior convictions, early guilty plea and admissions of impulsive decision‑making.
John Mooney, a 71‑year‑old former maintenance worker at Dublin's Hairy Lemon pub, won €30,000 after a court found his dismissal in 2024 was age‑discriminatory. Mooney had been rehired in 2014 following a 20‑year barman career and was told in November 2023 that he would be dismissed at Christmas because the pub's insurance had risen due to his age. He was also warned of a mandatory retirement age of 66, despite having worked beyond that. Mooney attempted to contact the pub owner, Peter Hanahoe, who directed him to Niall Duff. In January 2024, Hanahoe handed Mooney a dismissal letter in an envelope. Witness Niall Duff testified that the company feared physical risks associated with Mooney's role, claiming the position was redundant. The adjudicator, Breiffni O'Neill, found the employer failed to provide evidence that insurance costs justified the dismissal and concluded the presumption of discrimination could not be rebutted, awarding the compensation.
A 51‑year‑old man named Richard Hayes of Ledwill Park, Kilcock, Co. Kildare, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of possessing child pornography. The court found 33 videos and 84 images on two phones belonging to Hayes, including a toddler being raped, a boy with a disability forced to perform oral sex, and a boy being masturbated by a male adult. Twenty‑six of the videos and 57 images were classified as category one, the most serious category for child sexual abuse material. Gardaí also discovered hundreds of images of pre‑teen girls in swimwear and some hardcore pornography. Hayes had no prior convictions. The judge, Martin Nolan, imposed a two‑year sentence, fully suspended, and placed Hayes on the sex offenders' register, stating he was unlikely to re‑offend and no Probation Service involvement was required. The sentence was handed down on 18 February 2025.
Andy Donohue, 19, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to one count of arson at St John's House, High Street, Tallaght, on May 24 last year. The defendant admitted to petrol-bombing the building, which had been earmarked for asylum seekers, causing €28,000 in damage. Judge Martin Nolan stated that Donohue was "inspired by racism and some political motive" when committing the offence. Although the offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, the judge set a headline sentence of 10 years, reduced to six years following mitigation. The final year of the sentence was suspended on a number of conditions, and the sentence was backdated to when Donohue entered custody. Defence counsel argued that the teenager had been led astray by racist influences following a challenging childhood, noting that Donohue has since expressed shame and is studying for his Leaving Certificate while in custody. A female security guard inside the building at the time fled safely, and no injuries were reported. Donohue, who has no previous convictions, was identified via CCTV footage and arrested shortly after the incident.
In a Dublin Central Criminal Court trial, a 33‑year‑old man, whose identity is protected for the duration of the proceeding, pleaded not guilty to a single count of rape committed on 1 January 2019. The alleged victim, a Spanish tourist, was in Dublin to celebrate New Year's Eve and, after a fireworks display, became separated from a companion. She later recalled being in a shop, feeling ill, and being approached by the defendant. She claimed the man held her tightly, kissed and touched her, and that she did not consent to sexual activity, which she said occurred around 2 a.m. The prosecution presented CCTV footage of the encounter and the subsequent walk to Dublin Castle, where the alleged rape took place. The jury was informed that the Director of Public Prosecutions had only charged the defendant, with no charges yet brought against a second man who was also alleged to have been involved.
A 34‑year‑old mother of seven was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for the very serious neglect of six of her children, who were left in a filthy, rubbish‑strewn and freezing cold house for four years. The children, aged between eight years and 10 months at the time of removal, were taken into State care in January 2020 after repeated Garda visits from July 2019. The court heard that the house was in the worst condition the investigating Garda had ever seen, with rubbish on floors, a mouse in the kitchen, a dirty mattress and a cold environment. The mother pleaded guilty to child neglect for the period 2016 to January 2020. She had no prior convictions and was arrested in late 2021, but no evidence was obtained from her Garda interviews. The sentence was imposed as a custodial term, with no suspended portion, to punish the neglect and provide general deterrence.
The trial heard that the accused, Brian McHugh, 40, was identified on CCTV footage near Lisa Thompson's home by two Gardaí who noted his large stature, protruding ears and distinctive gait. A Detective Inspector denied that the identification process lacked impartiality. The jury was told that McHugh and Thompson had a brief relationship the year before her death. Gardaí found thousands of prescription tablets worth nearly €50,000 in Thompson's attic. McHugh, who lives at Cairn Court, Poppintree, Ballymun, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Thompson, 52, at Sandyhill Gardens on 9 May 2022. Evidence described Thompson's body with multiple stab wounds and a cord strangulation, and a mixed DNA profile on the cord. The trial continues before Justice Karen O'Connor and a jury.
A 33‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to four and a half years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to a threat to kill and assault causing harm. The court heard he repeatedly threatened to kill the mother of his child and her family, and that he had kicked her to the head during a taxi ride and later forced his way into her home, assaulting her and threatening to burn her house. He had 84 prior convictions, mainly for assault. Garda Darragh Cullen reported that the woman had alerted police and the man was arrested after a second assault. Judge Martin Nolan described the defendant as intemperate and noted his history of serious violence, giving full credit for time already spent in custody.
In February 2024, a pallet of flat‑pack furniture was seized by Customs after a sniffer dog signalled the presence of drugs. Gardaí conducted a controlled delivery and, upon breaking into the wooden shelves, discovered €830,000 worth of cannabis herb hidden inside. The suspect, Arnoldas Paleckis, 33, of Mariners View, Castletownbere, was apprehended when he arrived in a rental van to collect the pallet. He pleaded guilty to one count of possessing drugs for sale or supply in Newcastle, Co Dublin, and to possessing an encrypted phone for the commission of an offence. Paleckis had a prior conviction for drug production in the UK, for which he received a two‑year sentence. At sentencing, Judge Martin Nolan accepted his guilty plea and remorse, noting the pressure he faced, and imposed a jail term of six years and nine months.
David Roe, 41, was jailed for one year after assaulting two gardai at his parents' home on Ribh Avenue, Artane, Dublin. On 7 February 2021, his mother called the gardai because he had been taking drugs all night and was abusive. When the officers arrived, Roe, described as "out of it on tablets," refused to leave and became aggressive. He pushed a female garda, causing her to fall and hit her head, then grabbed a male garda by the legs and punched him twice, cutting his lip and pulling at his cheek. The male garda was treated for swelling and cuts. Roe claimed he did not remember the incident due to drug use. The court noted his 55 prior convictions, mainly traffic offences, and sentenced him to one year imprisonment for assault causing harm to the male garda, taking the assault of the female garda into consideration. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
The High Court has adjourned an application by Dublin City Council for a court-ordered inspection of a Georgian building at 55 Amiens Street, formerly the home of 1916 Rising leader Tom Clarke. The matter, heard before Mr Justice Brian Cregan, was delayed for one week to allow the twelve occupants to discuss the terms of the proposed inspection and to avoid a potential "stand-off" with council staff. Jem Cleaver, the only named defendant among the occupants, told the court that while some residents had no objection to the inspection, others were uncertain, noting that the group deals with matters by consensus. The council seeks to inspect the 1790s property for damages caused by Storm Éowyn or the occupants. Although the occupants have accepted a requirement to vacate the heritage site by May 12, they opposed the inspection, citing privacy concerns and fears of prejudice on housing lists. Counsel for the council, Gavin Mooney SC, stated that no such prejudice would occur. Mr Justice Cregan indicated he was inclined to make an order allowing an engineer and architect to visually inspect common areas, three bedrooms, the roof, and the garden. He criticized the situation where Ms Cleaver had to face the proceedings alone, stating, "There is no reason you alone should be sent out before the fire." The judge invited the other occupants to attend the next hearing to discuss the terms, emphasizing that the proposed order was reasonable.
In a decision published on 18 February 2025, the Workplace Relations Commission upheld the dismissal of Alan Ecock, a lending manager at Allied Irish Banks PLC, after he had also been terminated from his long‑time role as a barman at Kavanagh's Pub in Stoneybatter. The bank had served notice of termination a week after Ecock had won nearly €25,000 in a separate unfair dismissal case against the pub. Ecock had denied, during a disciplinary process, that he was still working at the bar, but evidence presented in September 2024 showed he had accessed the bank's internal systems to view his debt profile on 11 occasions and had provided false information about his bar work. The tribunal found the bank's belief that Ecock had misrepresented his employment and accessed internal data was based on more than reasonable grounds, and that the dismissal was proportionate. Ecock's complaints against the bank were dismissed.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 17 February 2025, a 49‑year‑old man was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment for assault causing harm to his partner on Christmas Day 2019 and a subsequent assault the following year. The victim, a woman with a six‑year‑old daughter, described a violent attack in which the defendant, who had recently undergone dental implant surgery in Hungary, became irate, dragged her into their daughter's room, struck her in the eye, and later held a kitchen knife to her throat. The daughter witnessed the assault and pleaded with her father not to kill her mother. The court heard that the victim had been subjected to further controlling behaviour, including forced phone‑off rules, a cigarette‑fire incident, and a choke‑hold that left her unconscious. She had received a medical order against the defendant and had been attending counselling and a women's support group. The unnamed 49-year-old pleaded guilty.
James Kelly, 32, of Rochford Green, Blackrock, pleaded guilty to six charges of knowingly making false 999 calls between February 2021 and March 2023. He made over 30 bogus calls in two years, causing Gardaí to conduct house‑to‑house enquiries and review hours of CCTV footage, including five LUAS cameras. One call claimed an attempted armed robbery; the investigation found no suspect. Another call on 13 January 2022 reported a pub fight that did not occur. Kelly's voluntary statement in March 2023 acknowledged the waste of resources but he did not explain his motives. He has two prior convictions for possession of articles and one for a public order offence. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, fully suspended, with strict conditions: engagement with the Probation Service for one year and addiction support services.
In a non-jury trial, Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo found Noah Musueni (18), David Amah (19), and Michael Andrecut (23) guilty of the murder of Tristan Sherry. The court rejected defence arguments of provocation and loss of self-control, citing CCTV evidence of deliberate, composed violence inflicted after Sherry was disarmed. Sherry died from traumatic brain injuries and 27 sharp force wounds. The judge noted Andrecut's actions were considered, while Amah and Musueni displayed control despite their ages. Musueni, previously on bail, was ordered into custody. Separately, Brandon Hennessy (21), Jonas Kabangu (19), and Diarmuid O'Brien (18) were convicted of violent disorder. The court found their claims of self-defence unreasonable, noting Hennessy struck Sherry with a dustpan and brush, while O'Brien and Kabangu attacked a defenceless victim. The judge ordered reports for the violent disorder defendants. The matter was adjourned, with the court to mention the case on March 10th and a sentencing hearing scheduled for April 7th.
Craig Coyle, 37, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for three years, after pleading guilty to threatening to publish intimate images of a woman without consent, to harassment from September to December 2023, and to two trespasses at her home. The offences fall under Coco's Law. Judge Pauline Codd read several abusive emails, describing them as "debasing to all women" and "pornographic in nature." Coyle had previously been captured on security cameras outside the woman's home and had prowled around her residence. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim permanently and to engage with probation services and mental‑health programmes. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the conduct and the impact on the victim, who suffered severe distress and loss of security. The judge noted Coyle's lack of prior convictions and expressions of remorse.
Damian Szatkowski, 38, of Peachville, Kilshane, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty in October to the manslaughter of Marcel Kusenda, 48, in Newbridge, Co Kildare, on 8 March 2023. Szatkowski had moved into Kusenda's house shortly before the fatal incident and had previously assaulted the victim twice. He prevented a witness, Marytn Najder, from calling an ambulance and threatened her not to do so. The court heard that Szatkowski struck Kusenda twice in the nose and then kicked him three more times, leaving him unconscious in the bedroom for hours. Kusenda was later found with a large subdural hematoma and died on 10 March. The judge, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, set a headline sentence of ten years, reduced to six and a half years after mitigation, including Szatkowski's guilty plea and apology. The sentence was backdated to his first custody in April 2023. The hearing included victim impact statements from Kusenda's son and sisters.
Ignac Aradi, 51, a Hungarian national, was sentenced to a concurrent 21‑month term for possessing child sexual abuse material after he was caught flying €8.4 million worth of heroin into Ireland on a light aircraft. While being arrested by Gardaí, 1,480 child sexual abuse images were found on his phone, including 820 category‑one images depicting sexual activity involving children and 57 category‑one videos. The remaining images were category‑two, involving child exposure. Aradi pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography. He had previously been convicted of embezzlement, theft, counterfeiting, fraud and drug importation. He has five children, one of whom died in a car crash at age 21. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the 21‑month sentence without extending his existing 10‑year term for the heroin importation offence. The sentence is to run concurrently with his current custodial term.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Daniel Cashen, a 12‑year‑old victim in 2004, recounted how Anthony Lynch, 75, repeatedly abused him at Lynch's Rathsallagh Park home. Lynch, already serving a long sentence for similar offences, was found guilty of anal rape, oral rape and two sexual assault counts between 2004 and 2007. Cashen, who has since struggled with trust, friendship, and substance addiction, gave a victim impact statement describing Lynch's ongoing psychological torment. The judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, imposed a global headline sentence of 12 years, but ruled Lynch would serve an additional three years consecutively to his current term, extending his release to 2033. Lynch was also ordered to be supervised by the Probation Service for two years after release. The sentencing considered Lynch's age, medical conditions, and lack of a guilty plea.
A 53‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to five and a half years' imprisonment for raping and sexually abusing his younger sister between January 1987 and August 1991. The court heard that the victim was about seven when the defendant, then 15, began forcing her to perform oral sex and touch him inappropriately in their family home, a laneway and a field in County Dublin. He pleaded guilty to nine counts, including indecent assault and two oral rapes. The judge imposed a global sentence of six years and six months, with the final 12 months suspended for two years on strict conditions. The victim, whose name is withheld, said the abuse destroyed her childhood, caused ongoing shame, nightmares and mental health problems, and that she had finally come forward after years of silence. The court noted the defendant's young age at the time of the offences, his health issues and his willingness to engage in therapeutic programmes.
Brian Keane, 41, pleaded guilty on 3 February 2024 to possession of a Makarov 9mm semi‑automatic pistol in suspicious circumstances, an offence that carries a maximum sentence of 14 years. A search of his Finglas home uncovered the pistol, 13 rounds of Makarov calibre Seller and Bellot ammunition and a silencer. Keane told Gardaí that he had a €5,000 drug debt and was asked to hold a package, unaware it contained a firearm. Defence counsel Mark Lynam argued Keane was not the end user but a person who could be leaned upon to store the weapon, citing his vulnerabilities and a turbulent situation. The court accepted that Keane was holding the weapon under duress and that he had a good work history with only minor prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan set a headline sentence of six to seven years but, after considering mitigating factors, imposed a three‑year sentence.
Andrzej Slyk, a 40‑year‑old informal courier from Poland, was arrested in Dublin after Gardaí found €140,000 in cash in his rucksack during a raid described as a "tornado." The cash was discovered while the officers were searching for cannabis. Slyk initially claimed he had found the bag on a ferry from Poland but later admitted it was given to him by two people he met in the city centre. He pleaded guilty to possessing the proceeds of crime on 31 August 2023, an offence punishable by up to 14 years. His defence argued he was reckless, not knowing the contents until the Gardaí arrived, and had not performed due checks. The court accepted his recklessness, noted his lack of prior convictions, and imposed a 33‑month sentence, reduced from a headline six‑year term, after considering mitigating factors. Slyk is now barred from leaving the country and from operating as a courier.
A 43‑year‑old man who organised a charity sports event to raise money for his daughter's cancer treatment was found to have stolen about €25,000 from the event. He pleaded guilty to theft for an offence committed between January and June 2020. The court heard that he had paid €9,400 to the child's mother and had since repaid €20,000, leaving €5,000 outstanding. He admitted that he had spent the majority of the money on drugs, claiming a cocaine binge and a drug problem at the time. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a four‑year sentence, suspended in full, and ordered the remaining €5,000 to be paid over nine months. The judge noted the defendant's partial repayment, his drug addiction, and the aggravating factor that he used his daughter to facilitate the theft.
A second jury failed to reach a verdict in the trial of Ciara Kelleher (53), the former senior portfolio relationship manager of Custom House Capital Ltd (CHC), who was accused of conspiring with others to defraud investors, clients, and customers of CHC by intentionally misleading them as to where or how their assets had been placed between October 2008 and July 2011. Kelleher, of Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7, denied the charge. The case was adjourned to February 27 for the prosecution to obtain further directions, with Kelleher remanded on continuing bail to that date. Meanwhile, CHC's former CEO Harry Cassidy (69), along with former head of private clients John Whyte (55), former head of finance Paul Lavery (49), and non-executive director John Mulholland (75) had previously pleaded guilty to related charges. Cassidy was sentenced to six years and ten months, Whyte to four years, Lavery to three years, and Mulholland to 12 months at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court almost two years ago. The court heard that €56 million of client money had been inappropriately transferred to property investments, with €61 million found to have been misappropriated, of which €39 million has been recovered as of March 2023.
Elaine White, 41, of Griffith Road, Finglas, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six theft counts and one unlawful computer use count for stealing €13,416 from her former employer between March 2019 and January 2020. The court heard that €3,813 was recovered by Revenue, leaving €9,603 still owed. White transferred some of the money to her personal account and created an "uninformed invoice" while adjusting her tax credit. She voluntarily admitted the theft, revealed a gambling addiction, and cooperated fully with Gardaí, leading to her dismissal. Judge Martin Nolan noted her early guilty plea, cooperation, and lack of prior convictions, and sentenced her to 21 months suspended in full, ordering repayment of the remaining debt within three months. White is currently employed and intends to repay the balance by the end of March.