A 38‑year‑old driver, Aisling Keogh, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious harm after striking a pedestrian, Paschal Walsh, in Rathfarnham on 29 December 2015. Keogh had been driving at 43 km/h, within the 50 km/h limit, and applied her brakes when she first saw the man. She left the scene, tended to the injured man, called an ambulance and later reported the collision to Gardaí. CCTV and forensic analysis confirmed the circumstances. Walsh was taken to Tallaght Hospital, suffered a sore arm and ribs, was later put into an induced coma and died, but the court ruled his death was not a direct result of the collision. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Keogh to 125 hours of community service in lieu of a six‑month prison term, imposed a four‑year mandatory driving ban, and confirmed her suitability for community service.
Dermot Griffin, 57, of Ballyfermot, was convicted of manslaughter for setting fire to a makeshift den on 1 September 2001, which killed 12‑year‑old Stephen Hughes. The 13‑day trial concluded with a 15‑year sentence imposed by Judge Patricia Ryan on 23 June 2014. Griffin appealed the conviction, but the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal on all grounds. Mr Justice George Birmingham, sitting with Mr Justice Alan Mahon and Mr Justice John Edwards, upheld the conviction, noting that the evidence, including witness testimony and video footage, supported the finding that Griffin started the fire. The appeal was rejected because the Court found no substantive errors in the trial or grounds to discharge the jury. The conviction and sentence remain in force.
Edward Doherty, 65, of Belgard Heights, Tallaght, was convicted of fraudulently claiming nearly €40,000 in illness benefit between 2010 and 2016 while he was self‑employed. He had previously claimed legitimate benefits for sciatica but continued to submit monthly sick certificates after becoming self‑employed, without notifying authorities. Doherty pleaded guilty and admitted making false declarations to obtain the benefit. He had entered a repayment plan of €150 per month and had repaid €2,100 over the past 14 months. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court noted his cooperation, lack of prior convictions, and his status as a family and community man, but found the pattern of misbehaviour too serious for a non‑custodial sentence. He was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment.
Paul Flaherty, aged 30, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting a woman he met on Tinder. The assault occurred on 31 August 2015 at his parents' house in Tallaght, while they were in the next‑door bedroom. The victim had made it clear she was not interested in sexual contact, but Flaherty ignored her refusal. The judge described the behaviour as "disgusting" and noted the assault had a "very serious impact" on the victim's life. Flaherty's defence cited his immaturity, alcohol and gambling problems, but the court rejected any mitigation. The sentence was back‑dated to 7 March 2018, the day Flaherty entered custody. The victim's impact statement detailed lasting physical and mental harm, and she expressed that the event had profoundly altered her life. The judge refused to suspend any portion of the sentence. Paul Flaherty was found guilty.
Thomas Garvan, aged 64, of Corbally Glade, Westborrk Glen, Tallaght, was sentenced to four‑and‑a‑half years in prison on 23 March 2017 for seven counts of sexually assaulting an 11‑year‑old boy between December 1996 and October 1999. The boy, aged 11 to 14 at the time, was a member of a religious congregation where Garvan taught Sunday school and was a trusted friend of the family. Garvan pleaded guilty early, a factor the Court of Appeal considered significant. The Court of Appeal, in a three‑judge panel headed by Justice Alan Mahon, held that insufficient credit had been given for the guilty plea and reduced the sentence by 25 %. Garvan was resentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment. The appeal did not alter the nature of the offences or the victim's impact, merely the length of custodial time imposed.
A 38‑year‑old driver, Aisling Keogh, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious harm after failing to notice a pedestrian crossing the road in Rathfarnham on 29 December 2015. The collision left the man, Paschal Walsh, with serious injuries; he later died in hospital, but the court ruled his death was not a direct result of the collision. Keogh, who had no prior convictions, stopped her car after striking the man, tended to him, called an ambulance, and reported the incident to Gardaí. For her conduct after the crash, the court deemed a prison sentence unnecessary and imposed 125 hours of community service in lieu of six months' imprisonment. The case was adjourned to April for a suitability assessment of the community service order. The judge noted no aggravating circumstances and described the incident as an accident in the true sense of the word.
Alice Connors, 46, of Kiltalown Path, Tallaght, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for burglary after she tricked her way into the home of an 84‑year‑old dementia sufferer in Newcastle, Co. Dublin, on 14 March 2017. Connors pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. She had 98 prior convictions, including 20 for burglary. The victim was visited by her 75‑year‑old sister when the two women, accompanied by a child, knocked on the door. Connors and co‑accused Margaret Cawley, 27, entered the house, brushed past the homeowner into the sitting room, and stole handbags. The stolen items were recovered from a maroon car that fled the scene. Connors was found remorseful; the judge noted no violence and described the offence as a "crime of stealth." She was given credit for time already spent in custody on this charge alone.
A 30‑year‑old man from Kilcarrig Green, Fettercairn, Tallaght, Glen Fitzpatrick, who had suffered severe domestic violence in childhood and used alcohol and drugs to black out, was jailed for one year after pleading guilty to three robberies and an attempted robbery. He admitted stealing €420 from a Centra shop on Thomas Street in November 2016, and later robbing a Dwarf Jar shop on Wellington Quay and attempting to rob a Centra on Wicklow Street in June 2017. He had 36 prior convictions, mainly for traffic offences. After a binge he found unexplained money in his pockets and voluntarily turned himself in to a Garda station in a distressed state. The judge, Martin Nolan, imposed consecutive sentences totalling two years, suspended the final year on conditions, and noted Fitzpatrick's remorse and drug‑free status since August 2017. The case highlighted his ongoing rehabilitation efforts at Coolmine and his willingness to cooperate with authorities.
Gary Flynn, aged 32, of Rossfield Drive, Tallaght, lost an appeal against his conviction for the murder of Seamus Shay O'Byrne, which occurred at the victim's home on 13 March 2009. Flynn pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court. After a nine‑week trial, the jury found him guilty of murder in one hour and forty minutes, and he received a mandatory life sentence on 16 March 2016, imposed by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy. The prosecution alleged that Flynn, Eugene Cullen and others assisted in the planning, execution and aftermath of the murder, while Garrett O'Brien was the gunman. The Court of Appeal, in a three‑judge panel, upheld Flynn's conviction, stating the trial was satisfactory in all respects and that the evidence against him was more than mere coincidence. The appeal was dismissed by Mr Justice George Birmingham. The article does not mention any subsequent developments.
Kevin Malone, aged 32, was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment for his role in a violent disorder incident at Tallaght Hospital on 18 September 2016. The incident involved a dispute over a stolen phone, during which Malone and two other men attacked a victim who was found lying on the ground with blood seeping from his head. CCTV footage captured the attackers arriving in a BMW, removing a wooden pole from a track suit, and striking the victim. Malone was described by the judge as "the lesser of those involved" and was found to have punched the victim once and kicked him four times. The sentence was back‑dated to the date of his initial arrest in September 2016. The other two attackers were not present at sentencing; one was awaiting trial and the other was not named in the article. The victim did not provide a victim impact statement, and details of his injuries were not disclosed in court. Kevin Malone pleaded guilty.
In a robbery at Old Bawn Shopping Centre on 14 April 2017, 24‑year‑old Daragh Brown entered a Centra shop armed with a knife and demanded money from the tills. After failing to obtain cash, he fled with a quantity of John Player Blue cigarettes. Two bread delivery men, Will Murray and Joe Daniel, chased him. While running into the car park, Brown's trousers fell, revealing his colourful boxer shorts. He threatened the men, saying he would stab them if they approached, and warned of "ten lads" waiting in a nearby estate. The men stopped following him. Gardaí, alerted by witnesses, described Brown and arrested him at Allenton Avenue. Two cigarette packets and a knife were recovered from his person and the car park. Brown pleaded guilty to robbery and making threats to kill, and will be sentenced in July. He has 29 prior convictions and has been diagnosed with depression. The judge deferred sentencing until 31 July.
In February 2018, a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Jason Burke, 34, to a one‑year suspended sentence after he assaulted his two sisters with a hurley and pulled one by the hair following a dispute over a family holiday. The court heard that the sisters were traumatised when Gardaí arrived, but that they had since reconciled and booked the holiday. Burke pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and criminal damage at the Fettercairn premises in Tallaght on 26 April 2016. He had previously been convicted of assaults and public order offences. Garda Stephen Gillespie reported that the sisters observed Burke was under the influence when he entered the house, smashed a glass table and a mobile phone, and threatened both women. The court noted that one sister managed to call the Gardaí using a second phone.
Andrew Dunne, 33, was sentenced to four years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to possessing almost €110,000 worth of heroin, cocaine, and cannabis at his Drimnagh home on July 7, 2016. He also admitted to two counts of endangering gardaí on August 7, 2016, during a high-speed chase that involved ramming a patrol vehicle and dragging a sergeant. Judge Martin Nolan described Dunne as a good family man and father who was unlikely to re-offend, noting he was a "mature man who had got himself into difficulties." The judge stated it was not necessary to include a suspended period in the sentence. Dunne was also disqualified from driving for six years. Prosecution evidence indicated Dunne was intoxicated and under threat from a drug debt, while defense counsel argued he was in a state of intense fear and paranoia. The court heard Dunne had rehabilitated himself and is now drug-free.
James O'Reilly, aged 21, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of a tourist's wallet on 14 June 2015. The victim, Robert Robson, a UK national, was approached by a group of 16‑ to 18‑year‑old males near his hotel. CCTV showed five men and a woman surrounding him, taking his wallet and bank cards, and punching him to the ground. O'Reilly, identified on the footage, was the first to interact with Robson but did not punch him. The robbery involved €350 in cash and cards that were later cancelled. O'Reilly had 25 prior convictions. He entered a guilty plea after a legal dispute over the admissibility of Garda CCTV. Judge Patricia Ryan described the offence as "sneaky, horrible" and imposed a one‑year probation bond, keeping him under supervision until 8 February 2019. The court noted the victim's impact statement and O'Reilly's expression of remorse, including a letter to Robson.
Two Dublin men, Martin Cully (35) and Eugene Traynor (40), were sentenced to seven‑year prison terms, partially suspended, for unlawfully seizing a vehicle and forcibly removing a woman from her car. The incident occurred on Old Connacht Avenue, Bray, on 15 June 2017. Cully, who had previously been disqualified from driving for 30 years, also pleaded guilty to two dangerous driving charges. Judge Patrick Quinn imposed a lifetime driving ban on Cully, suspended the final two years of his sentence and the final two and a half years of Traynor's sentence, and required both men to remain drug‑free and engage in treatment programmes. The court noted a high‑speed chase that ended with the car crashing into a pole. Cully had 67 prior convictions, including seven burglaries; Traynor had 20 prior convictions, including robbery and theft. The victim, who suffered nightmares and flashbacks, gave a victim impact statement describing her fear and helplessness during the attack.
A Dublin man has been sentenced to two years imprisonment for his role in an aggravated burglary at a home in Crumlin on 7 December 2013. Declan Maxwell, then aged 16, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the offence. The court heard that Maxwell and another man, now deceased, forced entry to the property and tied up the occupants with rope before threatening them with an imitation firearm whilst demanding money and bank details. A third person used stolen cards to withdraw €440 from an ATM. Electronics and other items valued at approximately €1,000 were taken from the home. Maxwell, originally from Achill in County Mayo, was apprehended the following day and confessed to gardaí. Judge Martin Nolan described the crime as reprehensible. The court imposed a five-year sentence with three years suspended, and ordered 18 months post-release probation supervision.
The trial of Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, David Byrne, and Niall Byrne is ongoing before Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty to the alleged false imprisonment of four members of the Richardson family at their home in Raheny, Dublin, on March 13 and 14, 2005, and to robbing Paul Richardson and Securicor of €2.28 million on March 14, 2005. Witness testimony revealed that Niall Byrne, then a Securicor employee, reported an injured back on the day of the alleged raid. A colleague stated Byrne later inquired about the robbery, while a Securicor assistant manager described Byrne as jovial after he saw a doctor. The manager also testified that he discovered the Richardson family were being held hostage around 9am on March 14, 2005, noting that the van's GPS indicated it was in County Westmeath despite crew member Sean Kelleher claiming it was in Tallaght. Another witness, Tony Coffey, stated his commercial jeep was stolen while unlocked and later found, with some items recovered at Dollymount Strand. The trial, expected to last three months, continues with an enlarged jury.
Stephen Fitzgerald, a 42‑year‑old Dublin father of five, was sentenced to four years in prison at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing €84,000 that was the proceeds of crime and heroin worth €41,250, a cutting agent worth €1,000, and other drugs. He admitted holding the cash and drugs at his Tallaght home on 6 November 2016, claiming he had no ownership but was acting as a third‑party holder for others. The judge noted Fitzgerald's family had suffered two suicides, leading to stress and drug use, yet described him as a "very good family man" who had supported relatives and volunteered in community projects. The prosecution, represented by Giollaíosa O Lidheadha SC, argued that Fitzgerald had a serious drug debt and a real threat to his life. Stephen Fitzgerald pleaded guilty.
Garda Paul Leavy, who was off duty when burglars broke into his father‑in‑law's house in Tallaght on 8 December 2012, sustained serious injuries including stab wounds to his eye, shoulder, hand and chest. He applied for compensation under the Garda Compensation Acts, but the Minister for Justice refused the claim, ruling the injuries were not malicious or reckless. Leavy's lawyers argue the refusal is unreasonable, factually unsustainable and breaches fair procedures. The High Court has been asked to quash the Minister's decision and declare that the Minister and Oireachtas cannot constitutionally deny him access to the courts. Mr Justice Seamus Noonan granted permission ex‑parte, setting a return date for April. The case remains a judicial review challenge to the Minister's refusal.
During a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, CCTV footage showed two men entering a service station on the night of a €2.28 million cash‑in‑transit van robbery. Kevin Richardson, aged 13 at the time, testified that the men wore clothing similar to the raiders who later abducted the Richardson family. The accused—Mark Farrelly (46), Christopher Corcoran (70), David Byrne (45) and Niall Byrne (36)—have pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment of Paul Richardson, his wife Marie and their sons Ian (17) and Kevin (13) at their Ashcroft home on 13–14 March 2005, and to robbing Paul Richardson and Securicor. The trial, the fifth time the matter has been heard, includes testimony from the Richardson family, a former Securicor control‑room supervisor, and cross‑examination by defence counsel. The case is set to continue for three months before Judge Melanie Greally and an enlarged jury.
Stephen Kinch, 29, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for an assault committed in 2004. Kinch, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty to assaulting Gary Byrne on March 17, 2004. The court heard that Kinch, who was 16 at the time, admitted to head-butting the victim but denied striking him with an iron bar, an allegation attributed to Mr. Byrne. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced Kinch to two and a half years in prison but suspended the sentence in full. She ordered him to complete 240 hours of community service. The judge noted that Kinch was a different man today, citing his full-time employment and voluntary work. Mr. Byrne, who was not present, expressed a wish for a non-custodial sentence and accepted €6,000 in compensation handed over in court. The judge described Mr. Byrne as generous and compassionate. Kinch had previously failed to appear for sentencing in 2006, resulting in a bench warrant. He has no previous convictions. The matter was concluded with the imposition of the suspended sentence and community service order.
Rory Mullally, a 26‑year‑old former Dublin Bus employee, was found guilty of dishonestly appropriating more than €14,000 from the company by creating bogus customer refunds. Between 14 October 2016 and 20 February 2017, he logged rebates for non‑existent or mismatched Leap Card numbers and duplicated refunds, actions discovered when managers noticed 353 anomalies in his logs. Mullally admitted the fraud, citing a gambling addiction, and resigned, returning €1,045 of pension funds and over €1,000 in cash to the company. He pleaded guilty, and the court accepted that his early plea saved time. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑year suspended sentence, ordering the remaining owed amount to be handed to Gardaí for transfer to Dublin Bus. No prior convictions were recorded.
Luke Connors, a 29‑year‑old from Fairgreen Upper, Hacketstown, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for deceiving an 89‑year‑old Dublin woman, Mary Doherty, into withdrawing €400 from her bank account. Connors pretended to be a roof‑repairer for Doherty's sister and walked with her to the bank in Tallaght on 25 November 2016, standing across the road while she withdrew the cash. He pleaded guilty to dishonestly inducing the withdrawal. Connors had 11 prior convictions, including road traffic offences and two thefts. Judge Martin Nolan described the crime as "shameful" and imposed a 16‑month sentence, suspending the final 12 months. The court ordered that the €700 Connors brought to court be transferred to Doherty. The case was prosecuted by Gerardine Small BL, with Garda Kevin Boland presenting CCTV evidence of Connors walking with the victim to the bank. Connors was later arrested at a shopping centre.
A man from County Dublin has had his sentencing adjourned at the Special Criminal Court following a dispute over the facts of a firearms case. Eamon McNamee, aged 37, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence, namely assault causing harm, at Fairgreen in Saggart on 19 January 2013. The prosecution alleges McNamee shot and wounded a man during an operation targeting unlawful IRA activity in Dublin. Evidence presented included gunshot residue analysis and testimony from a detective sergeant. However, the defence has suggested multiple individuals were present at the scene, questioning whether McNamee was the person who fired the shot. The court indicated a Newton hearing may be necessary to resolve the factual disagreement between the prosecution and defence. McNamee was remanded on continuing bail until 5 February to allow the defence to confirm whether such a hearing is required.
Three men – John Darcy (50), Patrick Riordan (63) and Thomas McAllister (63) – were sentenced in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for transporting €1.1 million worth of MDMA and heroin in 2016. Judge Martin Nolan described them as "kind and responsible" family men who made a "grave misjudgement" under pressure to settle drug debts. Darcy and Riordan received four‑year prison terms; McAllister received a three‑year term, a lesser sentence because he was not involved to pay his own debt but to help a relative. The court heard the drugs were seized from a van, a truck and a house, with street values of €420,000, €260,000 and €460,000 respectively. All three pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale or supply at locations in Dublin and Kildare on 30 November 2016. The judge noted each man's personal circumstances, including debts, duress, and health issues, but imposed the sentences as stated.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, William Harton (41) was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for falsely imprisoning his then‑wife, Amy Harton, at their Sandyford home on 16 February 2017. Harton also pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm and possession of cocaine on the same date. The court heard that Harton had forced Amy back into the house after she tried to escape, threatened her with a knuckle‑duster, and produced a handgun he claimed was functional, though it was later found to be a fake. During a two‑hour stand‑off with the Garda emergency response unit, Harton swallowed pills and took cocaine. He eventually released Amy after she unlocked her phone for him and then surrendered to Gardaí. Harton has nine prior convictions, mainly for traffic offences, and has been relocated to County Wexford under bail conditions.
Joseph O'Shaughnessy, 30, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft and criminal damage after breaking into a Mr Price shop, a Westpark Fitness Gym and a Metro Café Bar in Tallaght on 4‑5 December 2015. He kicked the Mr Price door, threw a rock at the gym door and smashed the bar door, stealing €1,000 from the till. Blood samples and CCTV identified him at all scenes. O'Shaughnessy has a lifelong intellectual disability diagnosed after the offences, and two psychologists described him as a vulnerable adult with very low cognitive skills and a high susceptibility to influence. He has 20 prior convictions, mainly minor traffic offences, none resulting in jail. The court, considering his disability and a supportive regime, imposed a 12‑month sentence suspended in full for 18 months. He was ordered to complete offence‑focused work, victim‑awareness work, a structured educational programme, keep the peace and obey Probation Services for 18 months.
In 2014, Dylan Collins, then 19, threw a rock at the rear window of a Garda car during a water‑charges protest in Tallaght. He admitted the act, citing that he was "carried away" by the protest's heat and that he had no intention to harm anyone. Collins, a father of two from Bawnlea Green, had previously pleaded guilty to criminal damage to a marked Hyundai Garda car on 15 November 2014. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing the incident at about 4 pm, noted that the rock was thrown roughly 20 metres from the moving vehicle, potentially endangering the Gardaí inside. Judge Martin Nolan, recognising Collins' remorse and the fact that he had never intended to injure, imposed a fully suspended sentence of two and a half years, deeming imprisonment unfair. The court also recorded that Collins had 39 prior convictions, all for road‑traffic offences following the 2014 incident.
Eoin Hannigan, a 19‑year‑old from Oldcourt Farm, Firhouse, was found guilty of possessing seven stolen mountain bikes worth €11,000. He admitted possession on 23 February but claimed he did not know the bikes were stolen. The bikes were taken from a small rental company in Ticknock Forest on 22 February. A psychological report described Hannigan as having ADHD, being on the autism spectrum, and unable to control himself, leading the judge to view the case as "complicated." Judge Martin Nolan imposed a fully suspended two‑year sentence, ordering Hannigan to keep the peace, behave well, and be supervised by the Probation Service for 18 months. The sentence was granted after counsel argued that Hannigan urgently needed psychoactive medication and that his psychological conditions mitigated his responsibility. The court noted the theft of 12 bikes caused major losses for the owners, though only seven were recovered.
Aaron Byrne, aged 24, was sentenced to an additional twelve months in prison for his role in a four‑way altercation that took place on Crumlin Road, Dublin 12, on 3 February 2014. He pleaded guilty to affray at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Byrne, who was already serving an eight‑year sentence for assault causing serious harm, was charged with violent disorder but the charge was later reduced to affray. According to Garda Paul Keville, Byrne and two other men chased an injured party off a Dublin Bus number 122 and pursued him into the forecourt of a Maxol petrol station. The injured party produced a knife to defend himself. Byrne threw a bag of fire logs at the injured party. In cross‑examination, Byrne admitted he had a minimal role and was not actively engaged in the four‑way altercation.
Declan Henry, a 37‑year‑old father of six from Brookview Close, Tallaght, was given a suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply. In June 2016, Gardaí seized cannabis with an estimated street value of €39,900 during a search of his home. Henry claimed he had borrowed €1,200 for Christmas and was holding the drugs to repay the debt, admitting he could not pay back the money. He expressed remorse for the impact on his wife and children. The court heard that Henry had no prior convictions and was not on any Garda radar for criminal activity. Judge Karen O'Connor noted no evidence of an affluent lifestyle or profit from the drugs. The sentence of three and a half years was suspended on the condition that Henry keep the peace and engage with Probation Services to address his cannabis use.
A Dublin man has been sentenced to 32 months' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his guilty plea to assaulting a champion power lifter at College Green on 17 January 2017. Dermot Dowd, aged 25, of Allenton Gardens, Tallaght, stabbed the injured party with scissors after being asked to leave a nightclub entrance. The victim, Thomas Gleeson, sustained a 10-centimetre wound to his back and lacerations to his shoulder, requiring hospital treatment. The assault prevented Mr Gleeson from competing in European weightlifting championships and caused him to withdraw from representing Ireland in his sport. He was absent from work for 38 weeks and reported suffering anxiety and chest pains since the incident. Judge Martin Nolan noted the offence fell at the higher end of the assault scale given the severity of injuries and the weapon used. Dowd, who has 42 previous convictions, is also facing sentencing in the New Year for dangerous driving causing death in Donegal. The sentence was backdated to 17 January 2017.
Kevin Braney, 43, of Tallaght, was charged with the murder of Peter Butterly, 35, who was shot dead outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston on 6 March 2013, and with membership of the Irish Republican Army. At the Central Criminal Court on 20 December 2017, Braney was refused bail. John Berry BL argued that the State was objecting under Section 2(A) of the Bail Act, citing fears that Braney might commit another serious offence if released. Detective Chief Superintendent Anthony Howard gave evidence, and Justice Patrick McCarthy ruled that bail was reasonably necessary to prevent a serious crime.
Warren Brennan, aged 26, was re‑sentenced to ten years' imprisonment with the final three years suspended after the Court of Appeal found his original seven‑year sentence unduly lenient. Brennan had pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, robbery and related offences at a bookmakers shop on Lombard Street in December 2014 and at Alderwood Park in October 2015. He was convicted of robbing a 71‑year‑old pensioner with a hammer, repeatedly striking him on the head and body, and also striking the victim's nephew. Brennan had previously been convicted of 54 offences, including robbery and possession of a firearm. The Court of Appeal, judging that the evidence was overwhelming and that the guilty pleas had earned excessive credit, imposed a consecutive five‑year term with the final three years suspended, requiring a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period.
A trial has been scheduled for Keith Connorton, 39, of Deerpark Avenue, Tallaght, who is charged with the murder of 32‑year‑old Graham McKeever on 18 February. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy set the trial date for 10 December 2018 before a jury at the Central Criminal Court.
A trial date of 2 October 2018 has been set at the Special Criminal Court for five men charged in connection with the murder of dissident republican Peter Butterly. The 35-year-old was fatally shot outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston, County Meath on 6 March 2013. Books of evidence were served on the defendants during proceedings before the non-jury court. Michael McDermott of Ballinagh, County Cavan faces charges including murder, membership of an unlawful organisation, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Kevin Braney of Tallaght, Dublin and Frank Murphy of Bettystown, County Meath face similar charges. Laurence Murphy of Bettystown and Ray Kennedy of Blanchardstown, Dublin are charged with membership of an unlawful organisation. The trial is estimated to last up to ten weeks. Additional legal representation has been approved for each defendant.
Christopher Keeley, aged 53, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in a car chop‑shop operation and drug offences. He pleaded guilty to possession of stolen cars and to possession for sale or supply of cannabis. Gardaí seized six stolen vehicles, €70,000 worth of cannabis, and additional drugs including cocaine, as well as fake bank drafts, from a series of searches at an industrial unit in Summerhill, Meath, Keeley's home in Rossfield Court, Tallaght, and a lock‑up in Blessington, Co. Wicklow. The court noted that the stolen cars had been taken during burglaries across the country. Judge Martin Nolan, taking into account Keeley's serious medical problems, accepted his remorse and imposed the sentence, stating Keeley would not appear again for similar offences. The sentence reflects the profit motive behind the drug dealing. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 37‑year‑old Larry Connors was sentenced to two years and three months' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended. Connors, a father of six, pleaded guilty to assaulting his estranged wife, Margaret Connors, on 31 March 2016, after a two‑day period of violent conduct that included pulling a knife, threatening to kill her, slashing her car tyres and stealing her phone. He also breached two Safety Orders and damaged her property. Connors denied all charges but admitted the assault. The judge, citing the seriousness of the breaches and Connors' remorse, noted his completion of a 12‑week rehabilitation programme at Cuan Mhuire and his involvement in his children's lives. The sentence was back‑dated to 8 July 2017, and Connors was ordered to keep the peace and exhibit good behaviour for two years after release. The court refused to defer the sentence until after Christmas, despite Margaret's request.
Jacqueline Walsh, a 33‑year‑old former civil servant, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four counts of stealing €6,736 from the Department of Social Protection between October 2011 and May 2012. The theft involved fake Jobseekers allowance claims made under her brother William Walsh's PPS number. Walsh accessed her brother's details and used the department's system to submit the claims, which were discovered when William attempted a Revenue claim. She had no prior convictions except minor traffic offences. The court, after considering her difficult upbringing, family responsibilities, and the premeditated nature of the offence, imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence. She was ordered to serve 18 months of probation supervision and complete victim‑focused work. No money was recovered, and the case highlighted security lapses in the Tallaght office where computers were often left unlocked.
Darren Ward, 35, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of 525 g of heroin worth €73,626, 881 g of cocaine worth €61,000, and 244 g of cannabis worth €5,000 in a car at Deerpark Square on 10 July 2015. Additional cocaine worth €10,600 was found in his Honda Accord and €8,000 was found on a male who had been observed in a transaction with Ward. Garda surveillance followed Ward from Deerpark Square to Walkinstown Green, where a male was stopped with €8,000 of cocaine. Ward's vehicle contained €1,100 cash, a weighing scale, and concealed compartments holding the drugs. Ward has 24 prior convictions, including drug‑related offences, and claimed a large drug debt and a threat on his life. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Ward's mid‑level role in the network, imposed a five‑year custodial sentence, describing it as reasonably severe given his serious involvement.
In a 2017 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Julius Jakelaitis, a 26‑year‑old Lithuanian national, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment for assault causing serious harm. The offence occurred on 1 January 2010 at a New Year's party on Bancroft Avenue, Tallaght, when Jakelaitis, then 19, kicked a 19‑year‑old man to the chest and head after a scuffle. The victim suffered multiple facial fractures, a coma, memory problems, seizures and was unable to resume boxing. Jakelaitis pleaded guilty, expressed remorse and had a good work history in insurance and military service. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted the victim's injuries and the provocation but found Jakelaitis had crossed into criminality. The sentence was back‑dated to June when Jakelaitis entered custody. The victim is believed to have returned to Romania. The case was prosecuted by Lisa Dempsey BL.
The Court of Appeal was informed that Daniel McDonnell, aged 22, who is serving a mandatory life sentence for the murder of 16‑year‑old Melanie McCarthy, is medically unfit to attend court due to a psychiatric illness. McDonnell, who was 19 at the time of the offence, had pleaded not guilty and was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court on 24 January 2014, receiving a life sentence. He was due to appeal his conviction on the day the appeal hearing was scheduled, but the court was told he could not attend. Counsel Bernard Condon requested a new date to obtain an up‑to‑date psychiatric report. The appeal hearing was postponed to 18 December, when a new date will be set. The case remains at the appeal stage, with no further outcome reported in the article.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 44‑year‑old Colm Fogarty pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage after drunkenly slashing two tyres of a car at Keeper Road, Drimnagh on 12 July 2014. Fogarty, who had been heavily intoxicated and had a fight with his girlfriend, later visited a friend's house where a woman named 'Bunty' and her family, members of the Travelling community, confronted him. He claimed they were driving at him and cut the tyres with a knife, saying he did so to prevent them from running over him. Fogarty expressed remorse and apologized to the Gardaí. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Fogarty's drug‑free status, volunteer work organising Christmas dinners for 40 families, and completion of a residential drug treatment course, imposed a suspended one‑year sentence, stating a custodial term was not warranted given his reformation.
Frederick Lee, aged 53, was convicted of murder in 1994 and sentenced to life imprisonment by Leeds Crown Court. He escaped from Shelton Abbey open prison in March 2016, living with his daughter in the UK before being apprehended under a European Arrest Warrant. Lee pleaded guilty to escaping lawful custody and had previously received a one‑month sentence for a 1987 escape. On appeal, the Court of Appeal reduced his escape sentence to 10 months, citing English case law that distinguishes between personal‑pressure and professional escapees. The judge noted Lee's escape involved planning but no violence or criminal activity while at large, and that he had been at large for three‑and‑a‑half months. Lee had already served one year and four months in Wheatfield Prison, which the judge considered as having been served. The appeal decision therefore set the final imposed term at 10 months, with no suspended portion or additional custody specified.
Dylan Collins, 22, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to criminal damage of a rear window on a marked Hyundai Garda car at Fortunestown Rord, Jobstown, Tallaght, on 15 November 2014. The incident occurred when protesters surrounded the car of former Tánaiste Joan Burton and her advisor Karen O'Connell after a graduation ceremony at An Cosan Education Centre, delaying them for three hours. Collins was remanded on continuing bail until 18 January for a sentence hearing expected to last about half an hour. The unnamed accused was acquitted.
Alan Jones, 42, of Knockmore Park, Tallaght, was given a 10‑year jail term for four robberies and one attempted robbery in Dublin between 2007 and 2013. He had previously received suspended sentences for a €1,800 bank robbery in 2007 and a €2,000‑€3,000 bookmaker robbery in 2008, which were activated in December 2014 when he was convicted of robbing an off‑license, attempting to rob a woman at a Luas stop, and robbing a woman at an ATM. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed an eight‑year cumulative sentence, and Judge Desmond Hogan added a five‑year sentence with the final three years suspended, making the total 10 years. Jones appealed the severity of the sentence, but the Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice John Hedigan, dismissed the appeal, upholding the 10‑year term and the activation of the suspended sentences. Alan Jones pleaded not guilty.
Two Dublin men, Kevin Braney, 43, and Ciaran Maguire, 29, were arrested in August on charges of membership in the Irish Republican Army, an unlawful organisation. Braney's address is Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght, Dublin 24, and Maguire's is Kippure Park, Finglas, Dublin 11. Both were remanded in custody and are scheduled to appear before the non‑jury Special Criminal Court on 7 March next year, a trial that is expected to last a little over two weeks.
Gareth Joyce, 35, a recovering heroin addict with a long criminal record, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of stolen items worth over €11,000. He was caught on 16 October 2016 with a hedge trimmer, a Black & Decker drill and a gas cooker, each valued at €288, and on 6 October 2016 with a laptop, phones, foreign currency, a pearl necklace and other jewellery totalling €11,000. Forensic evidence linked his thumbprints to the stolen laptop. Joyce initially claimed the property was not his, saying it had been left at his brother's house by a party guest. He has 93 prior convictions, including burglary, handling stolen property, theft, criminal damage and trespass. The judge, citing his extensive criminal history and drug addiction, sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, suspended for five years, and imposed strict rehabilitation conditions. The sentence will be re‑activated if he fails to comply.
Stephen "Hoppy" Kinch, aged 29, will be sentenced in early 2018 for an assault committed when he was 16 in 2004. The incident occurred on 17 March 2004 in Tallaght, where Kinch allegedly struck Gary Byrne in the face with an iron bar and was also involved in head‑butting Byrne during the attack. Byrne suffered a broken nose, broken finger, damaged teeth, swollen jaw and a cut lip. Kinch pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, admitted to head‑butting but denied using the iron bar. He has no prior convictions and was living in Tallaght at the time of the hearing. The judge, Karen O'Connor, noted his current employment, voluntary work and family responsibilities, and adjourned the case to February to allow him to pay an additional €4,000. She also indicated a potential probation report and assessment of suitability for community service, though she did not commit to imposing community service.
A Dublin man, Robert Hedderman, aged 33, pleaded guilty to two burglaries. The first was at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel on Bachelor's Walk, Dublin 1, on 7 October 2016. He smashed a glass security panel to enter and was later confronted by a church volunteer who took him to the parish priest and called the police. Garda Michael O'Donnell found a screwdriver, scissors and many keys on him. While on bail, he committed a second burglary at the Irish Whiskey Museum on Grafton Street on 9 December 2016. CCTV showed him smashing two windows and stealing €300 in cash, merchandise and a laptop, causing the museum a €5,273 loss. He has 40 prior convictions, eight for burglary. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two years for the chapel burglary and 18 months for the museum burglary, with the final year suspended, giving a total of two and a half years in prison.