In a High Court ruling on 17 February 2017, Mr Justice Michael White overturned a Circuit Court award of €40,000 to hillwalker Teresa Wall, who had fallen on a boardwalk on the Wicklow Way in August 2013. Wall had sued the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) claiming negligence under the 1995 Occupiers Liability Act, arguing that the boardwalk's deteriorated sleepers created a trip hazard. The Circuit Court had found the NPWS negligent and awarded damages. In his judgment, the High Court held that the duty of care under the Act was not absolute, noting that experienced hillwalkers are expected to exercise vigilance on isolated trails. The judge found that Wall's own lack of attention contributed to her fall, and that the NPWS was not negligent for not filling the boardwalk's indentations or replacing the sleepers. The decision was adjourned for two weeks to allow parties to consider the implications.
Marcin Malinski, a 35‑year‑old cafe owner from Swords, was ordered to perform 240 hours of community service after a routine Garda checkpoint revealed a strong cannabis odor from his BMW. Officers found a bag of cannabis plant cut‑offs in the car and, following a search of his home, uncovered a grow house containing 17 cannabis plants at various stages of maturity. The drugs were estimated to be worth €13,600 if fully mature. Malinski pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of drugs for sale or supply on 29 October 2015. He admitted growing the cannabis for medicinal use to ease back pain, though he knew it was illegal. He had no prior convictions and had been living in Ireland for eight years, earning €200 per week on a JobBridge scheme.
Brian Clarke, 31, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for robbery of American tourist Ryan Dillon at Swords Town Park on 2 May 2015. Clarke, who posed for photographs with the tourists, acted as a "distraction" while other accomplices stole the camera bag, wallet, cash, camera and mobile phone. Dillon was attacked by a group of youths who punched and kicked him; his partner was punched in the gut and Dillon suffered a broken scapula. Clarke had 55 prior convictions and had not cooperated with the Probation Service. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the final year of a four‑year sentence, citing a favourable probation report that was not positive and Clarke's lack of cooperation. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with Garda Mairead Murray and prosecutor Caroline Cummings BL presenting evidence of the robbery and the assault on the tourists. Brian Clarke pleaded guilty.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Dubliner Patrick Anderson, 22, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to cousins Graham and Paul Dunne at the Wright venue in Swords on February 15, 2015. Prosecution evidence alleged that Anderson punched Graham Dunne in the mouth and head, then struck Paul Dunne multiple times in the head inside the nightclub. Security staff reportedly restrained and ejected all three men, describing them as aggressive. Outside the venue, Anderson allegedly continued the attack, kicking Graham Dunne to the ground and punching Paul Dunne, who suffered a fractured jaw. Graham Dunne sustained a broken knee cap from his fall and requires further treatment. The court heard that all three men had consumed alcohol, and security staff noted Graham Dunne was highly aggressive towards Anderson. Defence counsel Ray Boland BL stated Anderson has no previous convictions and that an offer of compensation was refused by the victims. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to March, when she will hear a plea of mitigation on behalf of Anderson. The matter was adjourned and not concluded.
Judgement has been reserved in a High Court appeal against a Circuit Court decision awarding €40,000 in damages to Teresa Wall. The appellant, Mrs Wall, claims she tripped and fell on a boardwalk on the Wicklow Way near the JB Malone memorial on the Sally Gap to Djouce trail, sustaining a gashed knee requiring seven stitches. She alleges the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) was negligent for allowing a defect in the boardwalk, specifically a hole in a rotted railway sleeper, which created a tripping hazard and public nuisance. The NPWS denies negligence, arguing that Mrs Wall contributed to her injuries by failing to look where she was going and that she assumed the risks inherent in hillwalking. Last April, Dublin Circuit Court judge Jacqueline Linnane found the NPWS negligent and ordered the payment of damages. The NPWS appealed this ruling to the High Court. The appeal concluded on Wednesday before Mr Justice Michael White, following legal submissions from both sides. Mr Justice White reserved his decision, stating he hopes to deliver judgement in February. The matter is therefore adjourned pending the final determination of the appeal.
In a High Court hearing on 6 December 2016, Ms Helen Lawless, Hillwalking, Access and Conservation Officer of Mountaineering Ireland, testified that hillwalkers must take personal responsibility for their footing on varied surfaces, including boardwalks. She argued that the 130‑km Wicklow Way boardwalk, laid over a decade ago, was solid, fit for purpose and had not failed, and that it was safe for hillwalkers after 15 years of use. Ms Lawless cited the 1995 Occupiers Liability Act, stating that the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) had a duty to maintain the boardwalk in a safe condition. She noted that the NPWS's counsel claimed the boardwalk was not safe on the day of Mrs Teresa Wall's fall. Mrs Wall, aged 60, had sued the NPWS for €40,000 damages and legal costs after tripping on a hole in the boardwalk on 6 August 2013, sustaining a gash to her right knee that required seven stitches.
During a sentencing hearing in the Special Criminal Court, Donal O Coisdealbha, a 25‑year‑old Dublin man, pleaded guilty to membership in the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He was arrested on 13 May 2015 after a Garda investigation that had followed him for months. The investigation uncovered explosive device components in his Maynooth University locker and in a house at Harbour Court, Courtown, Wexford. Items seized included improvised rockets, semtex, detonators, a time‑power unit, a broken circuit board, and a PIC chip. DNA evidence linked O Coisdealbha to the devices. Garda audio surveillance revealed discussions about building an artillery rocket and a planned event around the time of Prince Charles's visit. O Coisdealbha denied IRA membership during detention. He has no prior convictions and was remanded in custody until 6 December for sentencing. The maximum sentence for belonging to a dissident republican terrorist organisation is eight years.
The High Court is hearing an appeal by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) against a Circuit Court ruling that awarded €40,000 in damages to hillwalker Teresa Wall, who fell on a wooden boardwalk on the Wicklow Way. Wall, aged 60, claims the boardwalk was unsafe because the timber had rotted and was poorly maintained, causing her to trip and suffer a knee injury requiring seven stitches. She sued the NPWS for negligence and breach of duty of care. The Circuit Court judge, Jacqueline Linnane, found that reasonable care had not been taken to maintain the boardwalk, and the failure was responsible for Wall's injuries. The NPWS argues that Wall contributed to her injuries by not looking where she was walking. The appeal will resume in two weeks.
Ms Teresa Wall, aged 60, denied giving a different account of her fall on a boardwalk on the Wicklow Way. She told High Court Justice Michael White that she fell when her foot snagged in a hole in a railway sleeper near the JB Malone memorial on the Sally Gap to Djouce trail. She rejected claims that she had told an NPWS official she had tripped on chicken wire. The incident occurred at about 4 pm on 6 August 2013 while she and her husband were descending the mountain. Ms Wall had previously testified in the NPWS's appeal against a Circuit Court finding that the NPWS was negligent and owed her €40 000 in damages. She confirmed phone calls with NPWS employees on 14 August, but denied telling the District Conservation Officer that the fall was due to chicken wire or that she could not holiday in Slovakia.
A 19‑year‑old named Dylan Thomas was sentenced to three years' detention for robbing a group of American tourists in a north Dublin park and for assaulting two gardai. CCTV footage showed Thomas, part of a large group of youths, robbed the tourists of a camera bag and attacked them when they tried to recover it. He later punched and kicked a garda who directed him to leave the area and again assaulted another garda who attempted to search him at the garda station. Thomas pleaded guilty to assaulting Garda Stephen Harte and Garda Keith Delaney, and to the robbery. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a four‑year detention sentence, suspending the final year on strict conditions, including cooperation with the Probation Service, attendance at psychiatric and educational services, and addressing drug, alcohol and anger‑control issues. The court noted Thomas's prospects for rehabilitation and his willingness to engage in positive pursuits.
A woman with 40 years of hill walking experience, Teresa Wall, told the High Court she was seriously injured after falling on a rotting boardwalk on the Wicklow Way. She described being 'black and blue on her right side' and suffering a gash to her knee requiring seven stitches. Her husband had to carry her down the mountain due to lack of mobile signal. The appeal against a Circuit Court finding that the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) was negligent and must pay €40,000 in damages is ongoing. The Circuit Court had ruled that the boardwalk, made of rotted railway sleepers, was unsafe and that the NPWS failed in its duty of care. The NPWS is appealing, arguing that Ms Wall contributed to her injuries by not looking where she was going.
Michael Cawley, 44, of Swords, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment with two years suspended, meaning a two‑year custodial term, for attempted theft and criminal damage. The offence occurred on 26 March 2015 when he followed a man, Alan O'Neill, who had just cashed a €2,100 cheque at Bank of Ireland. Cawley entered the bank, joined the queue behind O'Neill, and after the cheque was cashed he followed O'Neill to his car. CCTV and a witness photo showed Cawley smashing the front passenger window and reaching into the vehicle, though he took no money. He pleaded guilty; the judge noted his 153 prior convictions, 120 of which were thefts linked to social welfare fraud, and his serious alcohol problem. He was also the sole provider for his wife, who receives a disability allowance. The court accepted a €100 payment as an expression of remorse for the damage.
Marcin Malinski, a 35‑year‑old cafe owner, was stopped at a Garda checkpoint when officers detected a strong smell of cannabis from his BMW. A bag of cannabis plant cut‑offs was found in the car, and Malinski and his passenger were taken in for questioning. A subsequent search of his home revealed a grow house containing 17 cannabis plants at various stages of maturity. Garda Niall Carolan estimated the street value of the drugs, if fully matured, at €13,600. Malinski pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs on 29 October 2015 at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He has no prior convictions and admitted growing the cannabis for medicinal purposes to ease back pain, though he knew it was illegal. He was remanded on bail pending sentencing on 7 February, with a probation report to be prepared to assess his suitability for community service.
In 2015, Brian Clarke, 31, posed for photographs in Swords Town Park while his accomplices robbed American tourist Ryan Dillon. Clarke was identified from the photos and later pleaded guilty to robbery. During the incident, Dillon was attacked by youths who punched and kicked him; his partner was also assaulted. Dillon suffered a broken scapula and was taken to hospital. The robbery involved cash, a camera bag, wallet, camera and mobile phone. Clarke was described by Garda Mairead Murray as a "distraction" with no evidence of direct violence. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to allow a probation report. Clarke has 55 prior convictions and is scheduled for sentencing in January. The victim impact reports were submitted but not read in open court. The defence argued Clarke's role was limited to distraction and that the offence was "mean‑spirited.".
Jason Whelan, 26, of Coolock, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five counts of stealing €13,000 from Europcar between May and July 2013. The thefts were discovered when a colleague attempted a refund and Whelan admitted the offences. He claimed the money was used to fund a gambling addiction, which he said had ended. Judge Melanie Greally noted the serious breach of trust, the company's significant loss, and Whelan's remorse and cooperation. She imposed a three‑year sentence, suspended in full, and acknowledged his limited financial circumstances preventing repayment. Whelan has 10 prior convictions, including three for theft, and had been dismissed from Europcar before the Gardaí arrived. He has since been working in sales, is certified sick due to depression, and has a letter of apology outlining deep regret and remorse. The court considered his gambling addiction and mental health background in its decision.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martin Nolan applied the Probation Act to Richard Lowndes (51), of Inniskeen, Co Monaghan. Lowndes pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of unlawful possession of a shotgun without a firearms certificate at Kilsallaghan on April 12, 2012. The original charge of reckless discharge was dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The court heard that Lowndes, a long-distance haulage driver and father of five, used his elderly father's legally held shotgun to pursue a burglar. Judge Nolan noted his sympathy for rural dwellers at risk of burglary but warned Lowndes against acting while upset. Separately, the report details the prior sentencing of Matthew Fahey (36), previously of Finglas. Last year, Fahey received a six-year sentence with four years suspended after pleading guilty to the burglary at Kilsallaghan and another at Milrace, Rolestown, Swords, on the same date. He also admitted to a spate of burglaries and car thefts between January 2010 and April 2012, with 61 previous convictions mainly for theft, burglary, and stealing cars.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Aisling McCann, aged 34, pleaded guilty to nine harassment charges stemming from two months of anonymous phone calls, emails, and orchestrated deliveries directed at a former family friend. The harassment began in September 2015 after a minor school‑banter incident between the women's daughters. McCann, who was experiencing personal stress, including financial hardship and her daughter's entry into secondary school, used a blocked number and her own smartphone to contact the victim. Garda Sergeant Gerry Holland described the behaviour as irrational and completely remorseful once confronted. Judge Melanie Greally, noting McCann's lack of prior convictions and early guilty plea, imposed a 12‑month prison sentence but suspended it, citing her vulnerable life stage and the absence of further offences. The victim declined to give a victim impact statement, expressing relief that the harassment had ceased. The former friendship between the families was reported as irretrievably broken.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the back‑seat passenger of a stolen Nissan Micra recorded a high‑speed Garda chase on Snapchat. The driver, Brandon Grant, 19, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, with the final nine months suspended, and disqualified from driving for five years. Grant, who was on bail for 14 offences, had driven dangerously around Swords, forcing pedestrians to jump out of the way and motorists to brake hard. The pursuit ended when he lost control on icy roads and crashed into a pole, after which the car was written off and he was arrested. He pleaded guilty to driving a stolen car and two dangerous driving charges, and the judge noted his 25 prior convictions, including five for stolen‑car offences. The suspended portion was conditional on 12 months of probation engagement. The case highlighted the driver's substance abuse and family difficulties as primary causes of his behaviour.
Brian McHugh, aged 31, was sentenced to four years in jail after a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found him guilty of robbery. The case stemmed from a dispute over a laptop at Megan Lawlor's home. McHugh entered the house, kicked down the bedroom door, and allegedly held a knife to Lawlor's neck, threatening to slash her face. He then took her phone and left. Lawlor reported the incident, and McHugh was later stopped by Gardaí. He denied the robbery and the threat, but a jury convicted him of robbery and acquitted him of the threat. McHugh also pleaded guilty to criminal damage to the door. The judge noted his 47 prior convictions and imposed the four‑year term, with no mention of a suspended portion or effective custody beyond the sentence itself. The court did not address any subsequent legal actions.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Christopher Dunne, aged 22, was given a three‑year suspended sentence for assaulting Scott Chapman at a house party on 24 January 2013. Dunne threw a wooden chair at Chapman and then chased him with a kitchen knife, demanding his car keys. Chapman was struck on the face, suffered a cut on his forehead that required six stitches, incurred €300 in medical costs, lost three weeks of wages and bears a permanent scar. Dunne later contacted Chapman via Facebook, apologising and claiming he could not recall the attack due to alcohol and tablets. He offered €1,000 to Chapman as a token of remorse. Judge Melanie Greally accepted Dunne's remorse and insight, suspended the sentence on the condition of 18 months probation and 180 hours community service within 12 months. Dunne has ten prior convictions, including possession of knives and an imitation firearm. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
In a 2016 High Court decision, the State agreed to pay costs for a challenge to the validity of breathalyser statements printed only in English. The case stemmed from a 2014 District Court hearing in which solicitor Michael Staines argued that the breath-test statement was not "duly completed" because it lacked an Irish-language version. Judge Colin Gibbons referred the matter to the High Court, where Justice Seamus Noonan ruled that the specimen must be supplied with two identical statements, one in Irish, and that a missing Irish half meant the evidence could not be admitted. The Court of Appeal later overturned this ruling, stating the omission was a matter of form, not substance. Justice John Edwards upheld the High Court's earlier award for costs in favour of Mr Avadenei, but made no order for appeal costs. The decision was noted as potentially affecting many drink‑driving prosecutions across the country.
Agata Pracz, 39, of Swords, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to dishonestly inducing Yumi Takekoshi, a 58‑year‑old Tokyo woman, to hand over €8,990 on 15 July 2014 by promising access to a container of cash worth €6.8 million. Pracz, posing as a UN diplomat named Sandra Daly, met Takekoshi at Dublin Airport, took the money at a bar, and promised further details of the container. Takekoshi became suspicious, took a taxi to the Japanese embassy, and alerted Gardaí. Pracz was arrested on the M1 motorway after CCTV footage identified her car. Gardaí found just over €4,000 and a heavily encrypted laptop at her home. She had no prior convictions in Ireland but had three fraud convictions in Poland. Judge Patrick McCartan, after hearing the evidence, sentenced her to a suspended three‑year term, noting she had fully repaid the money and expressing reservations about her account of events.
Agata Pracz, 39, of Swords, pleaded guilty to dishonestly inducing Yumi Takekoshi, a 58‑year‑old Tokyo woman, to hand over €8,990 on 15 July 2014. Pracz, posing as a UN diplomat named Sandra Daly, contacted Takekoshi via LinkedIn, claiming a container of cash worth €6.8 million was at a bonded warehouse in Dublin and that she would give Takekoshi access for €8,990. Takekoshi flew to Dublin, met Pracz at the airport bar, and handed over the money. Pracz then claimed she would call with details of the container. Takekoshi became suspicious, took a taxi to the Japanese embassy, and the embassy contacted Gardaí. Pracz was arrested on the M1 motorway after CCTV footage identified her car. Gardaí recovered just over €4,000 and a heavily encrypted laptop from her home. She has no prior convictions in Ireland but has three fraud‑related convictions in Poland.
In an out‑of‑hours sitting of the Special Criminal Court on 24 May 2016, former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall, aged 37, and his father Patrick Dowdall, aged 59, were charged with firearms offences. Both men were arrested by the Special Detective Unit and accused of possessing a sawn‑off shotgun and a .44 calibre magnum revolver, allegedly intended to facilitate the false imprisonment of Alexander Hurley at their home on 15 January 2015. Jonathan Dowdall was arrested in Clontarf, Dublin 3, while Patrick Dowdall was taken into custody outside Swords Garda Station, Co. Dublin. Neither man applied for bail at the time of arrest. Their barristers, Mr Derek Cooney BL for Jonathan and Ms Annemarie Lawlor BL for Patrick, noted that the DPP had no objection to legal aid and requested that the warrant reflect the men's prescribed medication.
In a 2016 Court of Appeal decision, the appeal court overturned a District Court ruling that had declared breathalyser statements printed only in English invalid. The case stemmed from a 2014 prosecution of 29‑year‑old Mihai Avadenei in Swords, Co. Dublin, where the Evidenzer Irl breathalyser produced two identical statements—one in English and one in Irish—for the suspect and a Garda to sign. The District Court judge, Colin Gibbons, held that the absence of the Irish half meant the document was not "duly completed" and could not be admitted as evidence. The Court of Appeal, led by Justice John Edwards, found that the omission was a procedural formality, not a substantive defect, citing Section 12 of the Interpretation Act 2005. The appeal was allowed, affirming that the statements were in the prescribed form and thus admissible, and the court will later consider costs.
Chunjie Wang, a 35‑year‑old mother of two from Castlewood Avenue, Rathmines, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to organising prostitution. Between 1 January and 22 July 2011 she ran four brothels in Rathmines, Swords, Blanchardstown and Clondalkin, coordinating the provision of sexual services, their duration and payment. Gardaí raided the Rathmines premises on 23 July 2011, finding over €18,000 in cash, 19 mobile phones and several laptops linked to an escort website. Four bank accounts held more than €27,000, with payments of €3,000 to €5,000 sent to China every few days. Wang had worked for Dunnes Stores for nine years before a back and neck injury ended her employment; she said her motivation was purely financial. The court noted no trafficking or exploitation of the women involved. Judge Melanie Greally accepted Wang's remorse and the seriousness of the offence, imposing the custodial sentence.
David Gorey, an accountant aged 33 from Kilbride, Trim, stole €489,000 from ABM Construction Ltd between August 2009 and July 2013. He used the money to pay off a €5,000 credit union loan, a €15,000 car loan, buy three BMWs worth €100,000, and fund gambling and social activities. Gorey altered payment certificates, had company directors sign them, and transferred the cash to his own accounts. He pleaded guilty to four sample theft charges. The court, after a victim impact report, noted the significant breach of trust and the impact on the business. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a two‑year custodial sentence, citing the large sum stolen and the loss of trust. Gorey had no serious prior convictions, had cooperated with investigators, and was considered low risk of re‑offending. He is now employed as a floor manager in a Trim restaurant.
Niall McGlynn, a 30‑year‑old Trinity Law School graduate, was sentenced to two years in prison with the final six months suspended. He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and one count of assault causing harm for attacking a bouncer at the Czech Inn in Temple Bar after being denied entry, and for punching Garda Brian Cleary in the mouth at North King Street. He also pleaded guilty to robbery at Paddy Power in Swords. The judge credited him for three months already spent in custody and suspended the last six months of the sentence. McGlynn was described as very drunk during the nightclub incident, and the court noted his serious gambling addiction. He had not practised law after graduating from Trinity College. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In March 2016 the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Alice Warnock, a 54‑year‑old former Bank of Ireland employee, had taken €144,089 from the bank between November 2004 and March 2012. She transferred amounts ranging from €600 to €5,000 from the bank's internal administration account into her own accounts and those of family members, and she had fabricated narratives to make the transactions appear legitimate. The bank discovered the fraud in May 2012 while Warnock was on sick leave. She pleaded guilty to nine counts of stealing from bank branches on Talbot Street and Malahide Road, Coolock. Warnock, who had no prior convictions, expressed remorse and said she felt like a fool. She had lost her job and was a full‑time carer for her sick, elderly parents.
Mark McCann, 23, pleaded guilty to robbery of a taxi driver's phone and car keys outside Swords Garda Station on 1 May 2012. He had 13 prior convictions. The driver, who had undergone heart surgery, was concerned about his pacemaker when McCann and accomplice Claire Lawlor (26) attempted to rob him. McCann grabbed the driver in a choke hold and punched him, then fled with the driver's keys and phone. McCann was arrested in March 2013 and claimed memory loss due to drug use. Judge Melanie Greally, noting McCann's genuine efforts to reform, imposed a four‑year sentence suspended for four years. Lawlor received a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence the previous year. The court highlighted both defendants' recent positive changes and their disassociation from each other. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Dylan Thomas, 19, was remanded on bail after pleading guilty to assaulting Garda Stephen Harte and Garda Keith Delaney on 2 May 2015. The incident occurred at Swords Town Park during a public order event. Thomas attacked the officers, punching and kicking them, and was handcuffed and taken to Swords Garda Station. While in custody he continued to be aggressive, striking Garda Harte's knee, which caused cartilage and ligament damage, requiring a brace and physiotherapy. Thomas was described as heavily intoxicated and a former schoolboy boxer. His defence cited a psychologist's report highlighting alcohol, possible cannabis use, and a lack of structure. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to 7 June, ordering a probation report and noting the report's call for intervention.
Niall McGlynn, a 30‑year‑old Trinity Law School graduate from Castlefarm, Swords, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and one count of assault causing harm after a night of heavy drinking. On 27 January 2014 he knocked a bouncer's teeth out at the Czech Inn in Temple Bar, Dublin, after the bouncer refused them entry. McGlynn then punched a Garda in the mouth at Pearse Street Garda Station. He also pleaded guilty to robbery at Paddy Power in Swords on 12 June 2015, where he was thrown out and held by staff until Gardaí arrived. The case was adjourned to 16 March at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing. The court noted McGlynn's serious gambling addiction and substance abuse problems, but that he had remained out of trouble since the bookies incident. The judge will finalise his sentence on the adjourned date.
Two men were sentenced to four years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following their guilty pleas to car-jacking. Francis Stokes, aged 29, of Ballyconnell, County Cavan, and Martin Stokes, aged 24, of Celbridge, County Kildare, hijacked a vehicle at Blessington Road, Tallaght, on 10 November 2013. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the final two years of Francis Stokes's sentence and the last three years of Martin Stokes's sentence, having regard to their differing criminal histories. The victim described the incident as life-altering, stating it had severely restricted her confidence and ability to engage in activities she previously enjoyed. The court heard evidence that the complainant had become fearful of driving and was unable to maintain her former independence. The accused had claimed to gardaí that they commandeered the vehicle following an attack by another party, though the victim impact statements presented a substantially different account of events.
The Court of Appeal was informed by the State that 1,400 drink‑driving prosecutions are delayed because a ruling held that breath‑alyser statements printed only in English were invalid. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed a decision that a failure to produce the Irish‑language half of the statement meant the evidence was inadmissible. The case originated from a 2014 District Court hearing in which solicitor Michael Staines argued that the Evidenzer Irl breath‑alyser produced two identical statements, one in English and one in Irish, and that the English‑only statement was not duly completed. Judge Colin Gibbons ruled it was incomplete, and High Court Judge Seamus Noonan confirmed that both language halves must be supplied. The DPP's counsel argued that the regulations provide two separate schedules, one in each language, and that the English statement alone was sufficient. Judge George Birmingham, joined by Judges Alan Mahon and John Edwards, noted the court would reserve judgment.
Ajibola Ajala, 22, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after an unprovoked attack on Gary Doran at the Wright Venue nightclub in Swords on 17 December 2011. Doran suffered head injuries and a fractured jaw, with nine staples inserted into his skull. Ajala, who had never been in trouble before and had come to Ireland from Nigeria at age 15, was found by Judge Patrick McCartan to have no reason for the assault. The judge, citing that everyone is entitled to one mistake, suspended a two‑year jail term on the condition that Ajala pay €5,000 to Doran within six months. Failure to pay or any further trouble within two years could result in imprisonment. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with counsel for both parties present. The judge emphasised the lack of evidence that Ajala was involved in any groping or that a drink had been thrown at him.
Leon Murphy, 20, was due to be sentenced for being a passenger in a stolen car. While Judge Patrick McCartan was questioning Murphy's future prospects, the judge mentioned Murphy's mother, a re‑formed heroin addict, and asked counsel to confirm she no longer used drugs. Murphy became angry, shouted abuse at the judge, and his mother protested that the judge implied she had used drugs. Murphy then jumped out of the dock, grabbed a glass of water on a bench, and attempted to throw it at the judge. Court staff and prison officers prevented the act, and Murphy was escorted out while continuing to shout. The judge adjourned the case to another court for sentencing, citing Murphy's attitude. No sentence was given in this article. Leon Murphy pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Shane Murphy, 24, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Aidan Mullen on 10 July 2011 over a stolen green bin. The court heard that Mullen, who was in bed at about ten that night, was awakened by two men taking a wheelie bin from in front of their home. Mullen went outside to see the bin on fire and attempted to stop it when Murphy confronted him. Murphy struck Mullen from behind, knocking him to the ground, then knelt on his chest and struck him again in the face. Mullen suffered fractures to his skull and cheekbone, extreme pain, and incurred €1,500 in medical bills and €4,200 in lost income. Murphy admitted the assault, apologized, and claimed he would have said sorry if Mullen were present. The judge adjourned sentencing to read the victim impact and psychological reports.
In a court hearing on 14 December 2015, it was revealed that a woman was deceived into purchasing a stolen Toyota Vitz for €4,300 after seeing it advertised on Done Deal. Garda Martina Drew explained that the seller, Stewart Crosbie, 45, was identified through a smartphone photo taken by the woman's suspicious friend. Crosbie later admitted he had passed the money to a third party owing him a drug debt. He had previously pleaded guilty to possessing the same stolen vehicle in January 2015 and was serving a partially suspended three‑year sentence for a similar offence in November 2014. Judge Martin Nolan imposed an eight‑month sentence to run consecutively to the time Crosbie was already serving, as he was on bail when he committed the offence. The woman discovered the deception upon returning home when the vehicle's registration did not match the documents, prompting her to contact the Gardaí.
A 16‑year‑old, who bought a car on donedeal.ie for €400, crashed it later that day, killing his 15‑year‑old friend Dayne Cody. The boy, who was 15 at the time of the crash, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 16 months of detention, with the remainder of a four‑year term suspended. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death, driving without a licence and without insurance. The car, an automatic 2002 Kia Magentis, had been driven at speeds far above the 50 kph limit and spun into a tree after the driver accelerated in panic upon seeing a Garda van. The incident left one boy with a 90 % foot amputation and others with minor injuries. The court noted the boy's lack of prior convictions and his remorse, and the Children Act 2001 guided the decision to impose detention rather than imprisonment.
In November 2015, Mariola Machura, a 42‑year‑old Polish woman from Sosnowiec, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a stolen BMW X5 that had been "cloned" with false registration plates. The vehicle was seized by undercover Gardaí at Airside Business Park, Swords, after they responded to a suspicious online advert. The car had been stolen three months earlier and had been fitted with the plates and electronic control unit of a scrapped BMW five‑seater. Machura was described by the judge as a follower rather than a leader in the scheme and was given an 18‑month sentence, which was suspended in full. She had no prior convictions. Her estranged husband, who had been arrested earlier, received a two‑year sentence for attempted theft. The case was prosecuted by James Dwyer BL, with Garda David Magee noting that Machura had acted under her husband's direction and was not a ring leader.
Claire Lawlor, 26, of Abbeylea Drive, Swords, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery committed on 1 May 2012 in Swords. She had 55 prior convictions, including robbery, theft, burglary, assault, road‑traffic offences and making off without paying. Lawlor, a former heroin addict who had become drug‑free and pregnant with her second child, was said by her defence counsel to have been motivated by her pregnancy to seek rehabilitation. The robbery involved a taxi driver outside a Garda station; Lawlor and a male accomplice stole the driver's keys and phone, and the driver was held at gunpoint. Lawlor's wallet, containing her social welfare card, was found in the taxi. The judge, citing her rehabilitation and the seriousness of her previous convictions, imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years, suspended in full, and noted that the sentence was given with great hesitancy after recognising her request for a last chance.
Desmond Collopy, aged 29, was jailed for six and a half years after he killed 50‑year‑old Eamon Cronin while driving a Volkswagen Golf. Collopy had six active disqualification orders and had been drinking heavily that night, having consumed at least nine pints of lager and cocktails before driving. Witnesses said he was showing off and jerking the steering wheel, accelerating before striking Cronin, who had just crossed the road to break up a fight. Collopy left the scene, told passengers that a bottle had been thrown at his car, and later continued drinking at a B&B. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death, driving without insurance, driving while disqualified and failing to stop at the scene. The court also imposed a ten‑year driving disqualification. The judge noted that Collopy's actions showed "total contempt for road traffic law" and that he had caused the death of a "good Samaritan.".
Bernard Flynn, 63, of Cannon Burke Flats, Cabra, Dublin, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for committing €25,000 of social welfare fraud. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 11 sample charges of stealing from Social Protection at River Valley Post Office, River Valley Swords, between August 2011 and April 2014. The charges represented 123 visits to the post office for job seekers allowance and 13 visits for both job seekers and rent allowance under the name Brendan Flynn. Flynn used a different PPS number and date of birth to claim the benefits. He was caught using facial recognition software when Garda Sergeant Kevin Mention arrested him on 4 April 2014 after he collected both allowances. Flynn had ten previous convictions, including breach of the peace, larceny, careless driving, public order and illegal possession of Garda equipment.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Ronan Gormley, aged 30, received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assault causing harm, producing an instrument and obstructing a peace officer at Wrights Café Bar in Swords on 11 November 2013. The incident involved Gormley taking off his belt and striking Mark Rogers, who was socialising in the smoking area. Rogers sustained a 1.5‑cm wound on his left eyebrow that required stitches. Security restrained Gormley until Gardaí arrived. Gormley was described as abusive and aggressive while intoxicated, but later calm. He has paid €2,000 in compensation to Rogers and has taken steps to address his alcohol use. Judge Mary Ellen Ring, after considering Gormley's guilty plea, compensation, lack of prior convictions and his adult responsibility, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence with the entire term suspended, directing him to engage with probation services for eighteen months.
Eoin Murphy, 19, was jailed for driving a stolen car at Garda Karen Duffy, causing her a six‑centimetre scar on her forehead. The incident occurred on 28 August 2013 when Murphy, allegedly "stoned" on tablets, drove a stolen Nissan Micra at high speed between a patrol car and a parked vehicle. The Micra's passenger door struck Duffy's head as she tried to re‑enter her patrol car, breaking her nose and opening a wound on her forehead that required 30 stitches. Duffy suffered severe bruising, photophobia and was diagnosed with Post‑Traumatic Stress Disorder. Murphy, who had 30 prior convictions including three for car theft, pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and unlawful use of a car. Judge Mary Ellen Ring sentenced him to three and a half years, suspending the last year due to his good work with Probation Services.
Peter Moore, 25, of Lynnwood, Ballyboughal, pleaded guilty to criminal damage after using a crow bar and angle grinder to destroy a parking meter at Chapel Lane, Swords, on 20 January 2015. He had been in custody for a few weeks when the case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑year suspended sentence and ordered Moore to pay €3,000 to Fingal County Council, with a further €3,000 to be raised within two years. The council estimated the damage at €11,000, covering replacement of the meter, disposal of the damaged unit and removal of the concrete base. Garda Amanda King, who arrested Moore, said he admitted the damage was caused by anger over a parking fine. Moore's defence highlighted his cocaine and alcohol addiction, his role as a carer for his mother with motor neuron disease, and his work with the Homeless World Cup charity.
A County Laois resident, Moldovan national Axenia Alexei, aged 30, was sentenced to a two‑year suspended term for fraudulently claiming €15,339 in unemployment benefits. Alexei entered Ireland in 2009, bought a false Latvian passport online, and used the resulting PPS number to work and later to claim Jobseeker's Allowance after losing her job. She pleaded guilty to stealing the benefits between July 2012 and March 2014 and to possessing the fake passport on 15 September 2014. She had no prior convictions. The court found she could have claimed over €7,000 using her real PPS number, and that she had worked part‑time in 2012 with her real number while also claiming benefits with the false number. The judge suspended the sentence for two years, ordered the return of €2,000 to the Department of Social Protection, and gave her an additional two years to repay €6,000.
John Wilson, 56, of Oliver Bond Street, Dublin, was sentenced to eight years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his involvement in a €528,000 cannabis operation. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the sentence, backdated to February of this year, stating Wilson deserved the same term as his co-accused. Wilson pleaded guilty to possessing 88kg of cannabis at Forrest Little Road, Swords, on August 8, 2008. He had previously taken a bench warrant in 2011 and was rearrested in England earlier this year after serving a five-year UK sentence for conspiring to supply cannabis. His co-accused, Joseph Douglas, 38, and James Griffin, 48, were both jailed for eight years for the same offence in 2011. Robert Wilson, 51, received a ten-year sentence in 2011, with the final two years suspended. Detective Sergeant Emmet Casserly testified that surveillance linked Wilson's phone and pickup truck to the loading of 370 slabs of cannabis into a van driven by Griffin. Defence counsel Sean Gillane SC argued for leniency, noting Wilson had "buried his head in the sand" by fleeing. The court accepted that a person above Wilson guided the operation. This sentencing concludes the proceedings for Wilson, while the matters for Douglas, Griffin, and Robert Wilson were finalised in 2011.
Anthony Daly, 32, of Santry, Dublin, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to possession of cannabis resin for sale or supply on 6 December 2011. The offence occurred while he was bound to the peace under a suspended sentence for a 2004 drug offence that had originally carried a ten‑year term with six years suspended. Gardaí stopped Daly on Malahide Road in Swords, searched his home on Shantalla Road and seized just over 500 g of cannabis resin worth €3,000. He had 31 prior convictions, all traffic offences, apart from the 2004 drug offence. The State sought to reactivate the six‑year suspended term, but Judge Martin Nolan imposed only the three‑year jail term and did not order re‑activation of the suspended period. The court noted Daly's good family background and his efforts to control gambling addiction, but ruled that the breach of the bond could not be ignored.
David Bradshaw (33) and Patrick O'Dowd (30) pleaded guilty to handling a stolen Mercedes Benz in November 2013. They claimed they bought the vehicle for €6,000 from a woman named Alex, who said it was her husband's car, and later sold it online for €5,000 to an Irish buyer. They could not provide details about Alex, the buyer or the men who collected the car. The court found the men had been reckless about the vehicle's status and had not reported it. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence on each, requiring them to raise €5,000 within a year to pay the original owner. The car, valued at €20,000, was never recovered, and the owner continues to repay the loan. Bradshaw had 17 prior convictions, while O'Dowd had two.