A 49‑year‑old Nigerian woman, Aisha Ahmed, also known as Gloria Anwulika Aro, was arrested in 2014 in Dublin under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Italy. The warrant accuses her of being a promoter, leader and organiser in an association that imported, sold, distributed and traded large quantities of cocaine in Italy between 1999 and 2000. She was given a 22‑year sentence in 2005, later reduced to 20 years. The High Court adjourned the extradition ruling for three weeks, with the next hearing set for February 8, and she remains on continuing bail.
Richard Mansfield, 21, was remanded in custody after being arrested by Gardaí at a routine checkpoint in Tallaght, Dublin, on Tuesday. Mansfield had previously appeared on RTE's Crimecall as a wanted man and had failed to attend his arraignment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in July, prompting Judge Martin Nolan to issue an arrest warrant. He faces charges from the District Court for taking a vehicle and endangerment in Foxrock on 7 January 2015. Mansfield had been on High Court bail, living at his mother's address in Kiltalown Way, but Gardaí had difficulty locating him, partly because he had travelled to the UK. Garda Stephen Murray reported that Mansfield's family and friends were aware of his wanted status but did not assist in his capture. He has a history of 11 prior failures to appear at court. Judge Melanie Greally refused bail and remanded him until Monday, when he is expected to enter a plea to the charges.
The murder trial of Gary Flynn (31) was adjourned because 12 jurors could not be found to sit for the estimated seven weeks of evidence. After a lengthy selection process, 12 jurors were chosen, but two were exempted by their employers who could not be absent from work for that period. Justice Patrick McCarthy then called a new panel to replace them, but most candidates had prior commitments or were too old. No new jurors were added, so the jury was dismissed and the trial was adjourned to Monday, January 18. Gary Flynn pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court will hear the trial of Gary Flynn, 31, of Rossfield Drive, Tallaght, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne at Tymon Park North on 13 March 2009. Justice Patrick McCarthy informed the newly sworn jury that the case is expected to last about seven weeks. Prosecutor Alex Owens SC said the allegation concerns the 2009 shooting of O'Byrne, and witnesses from Tallaght, Bray and Crumlin will be called to testify. The trial opens on Tuesday before Justice McCarthy.
Eoghan McGarry, a 30‑year‑old serial burglar, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a twelfth burglary and possession of stolen jewellery. He pleaded guilty to breaking into St Killian's National School in Tallaght on 1 September 2014 and to possessing nine pieces of stolen jewellery found in his jacket the next day. The court heard he used a rock to smash a window, stole €218 and bank documents, and that a woman in Walkinstown discovered jewellery taken from her home. McGarry admitted the break‑in and said he needed money for a "fix." Judge Melanie Greally imposed a four‑year sentence, extending his existing term by four months, and ordered him to swear an oath to undergo two years of probation supervision upon release, to take medication and engage with mental health services. The sentence was delivered while five prison officers in riot gear stood with riot shields and an officer held a video camera.
Trevor Corr, 39, was found guilty of murdering 32‑year‑old James Humphries in Tallaght on 22 September 2013. Corr had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; the plea was rejected. A Central Criminal Court jury, after 2 h 40 min deliberation, returned a unanimous verdict of murder. Judge Patrick McCarthy sentenced Corr to life imprisonment, back‑dating the term to 1 August 2015. Corr had been on bail after spending just over four and a half months in custody. Victim impact statements were read by Garda Sarah Bolger, including testimony from Humphries' mother, Ellen Radford, describing the pain and loss caused by the killing. Evidence presented included eyewitness accounts, a post‑mortem confirming a single fatal stab wound below the right collarbone, and DNA linking a knife found in Corr's bedroom to both victim and perpetrator. The case concluded with Corr's life sentence and a ten‑year exemption for the jury.
Brian Quinn, a psychiatric nurse aged 47, had been convicted in 2014 of seriously assaulting Lee Harte and assaulting Kurtis Lennon and James Toner Junior, and of producing a knife, after a 2011 incident at a neighbour's 18th‑birthday party. He was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment. Quinn claimed he acted in self‑defence, arguing that he was attacked by a drunken crowd and that any force he used was lawful. The Court of Appeal found that the trial judge had failed to give the jury clear directions on the two‑part test for self‑defence, particularly the subjective element of Quinn's belief and the objective element of reasonable grounds. The appeal was allowed, a retrial was ordered, and Quinn was remanded on bail pending the next hearing on January 28. No other charges were altered or new convictions imposed. Brian Quinn pleaded not guilty.
In the murder trial of Trevor Corr, a 39‑year‑old Dublin man, a juror was discharged after two hours of deliberation. Corr had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of James Humphries, 32, at Kiltalown Way in Tallaght on 22 September 2013. The State did not accept the manslaughter plea. The jury began deliberating at 2.30 pm, but a juror was unavailable for Monday. Justice Patrick McCarthy decided to proceed with eleven jurors on Monday morning, discharging the absent juror and resuming the trial at 9.45 am.
James Butler, a 38‑year‑old former marathon runner and nurse, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to his partner on 14 December 2014. He put his hands on her neck, choked her, and struck her head against a wardrobe, causing her to pass out. The victim, who has a toddler with Butler, later received medical treatment, including four stitches to her cheek and a CAT scan at St Vincent's Hospital. Butler's lawyer, Fiona Pekaar, noted the couple's volatile relationship and Butler's regret, while the prosecution highlighted an earlier argument at a Christmas market that escalated into the assault. Judge Catherine Murphy adjourned sentencing, ordered Butler to pay €1,155 in medical costs within three months, and decided he would not be jailed due to no prior convictions and his prompt responsibility for medical care. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
The trial of Trevor Corr (39) continues at the Central Criminal Court, where he faces a charge of murder. Corr pleaded not guilty to the murder of James Humphries (32) at Kiltalown Way in Tallaght on September 22, 2013, but admitted to manslaughter, a plea the State did not accept. Prosecution counsel Denis Vaughan Buckley SC argued there was ample evidence of guilt, citing a 999 call and interview memos where the accused stated he found someone in his bed and stabbed him. Forensic evidence confirmed DNA from Humphries on the blade tip and Corr's on the handle. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC contended there was a "complete mystery" regarding how Humphries entered the house, asserting Corr did not know the deceased. Grehan highlighted Corr's muscular condition, depression, and recent robberies to contextualize his state of mind, noting the shallow two-inch penetration suggested a lack of intent to cause serious injury. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy charged the jury to reach a unanimous verdict. The matter was adjourned to 2pm tomorrow for jury deliberations.
In a murder trial, forensic scientist John Hoade testified that DNA from the tip of a knife found in Trevor Corr's bedroom matched the deceased, James Humphries, while blood on the handle matched Corr. Hoade, an expert in blood pattern analysis, examined the scene at Kiltalown Way, Tallaght, on 23 and 24 September 2013, and also analyzed Corr's tracksuit bottoms, finding heavy blood staining and a DNA profile matching Humphries. He estimated the probability of such a match from an unrelated person to be less than one in a thousand million. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan asked if the evidence suggested Humphries was stabbed in the bed by Corr and that the knife used was likely the one found in the bedroom locker; Hoade agreed it would be consistent with that description. The prosecution's case ended, and the defence would not call further evidence. The jury was told they would hear closing speeches the next morning. Trevor Corr pleaded not guilty.
In a murder trial, the State Pathologist, Professor Marie Cassidy, testified that James Humphries, aged 32, died from a single stab wound to his upper chest, located 1.5 cm below the collarbone. The wound was 2 cm wide, 0.8 cm gaping, and 5 cm deep, puncturing the right subclavian artery and vein but not entering the chest cavity or organs. Humphries had high alcohol levels and therapeutic levels of heroin, methadone, and diazepam, which did not contribute to his death. Cassidy described the knife as having a fairly narrow blade with a short tip, and the injury was deemed a fatal knife assault. Trevor Corr, 39, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; the State did not accept the plea. The trial continues.
In a High Court hearing on 14 December 2015, the court considered the case of a car seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) from the property of 23‑year‑old Michael Wall, an unemployed father of two. The vehicle, valued at €13,000, was taken from Mr Wall's mother's house on 16 September 2014 and stored at a CAB compound in Blanchardstown. Two days after the car was secured, CAB officers discovered it had been stolen. The Gardai subsequently recovered the vehicle a few days later, and it has since been repaired at a cost of €1,500 and is now stored at a secure location. Mr Justice Raymond Fullam, hearing the case, was satisfied that the car was the proceeds of crime and made an order under the 1996 Proceeds of Crime Act, appointing a receiver over the car.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Trevor Corr, 39, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of James Humphries, 32, at Kiltalown Way, Tallaght, on 22 September 2013. The State's counsel, Mr John Byrne BL, called neighbour Ms Christine Kelly to testify. Ms Kelly, who lived a few doors away, observed Corr and three others outside his garden. She recalled Corr greeting her, claiming he had been "on drink and drugs for the past eight days" and appeared "happy drunk" and unaggressive. Under cross‑examination, Ms Kelly confirmed Corr's statement that he was not hostile. Garda Ivor Wilkinson, who arrived at 18.35, reported Corr standing at the front door, looking intoxicated and unsteady. Wilkinson noted a trail of blood leading to a bedroom where Corr allegedly stabbed Humphries. Corr was arrested at 18.52 and later became highly agitated on the way back to Tallaght Garda Station. The trial continues.
In a Dublin murder trial, Trevor Corr (39) pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of James Humphries (32) at Kiltalown Way, Tallaght, on 22 September 2013. The jury heard that Corr claimed he stabbed Humphries while the victim lay in his bed. Gardaí arrived at 6.35 pm, questioned Corr who identified himself and admitted stabbing the man in his bedroom. Forensic evidence included bloodstained tracksuit bottoms and a knife with blood from both men, found in the bedroom. The State presented testimony from paramedic Brian Murphy, forensic scientists, Chief State Pathologist Marie Cassidy, and witnesses including Jason Hart, a delivery man at a nearby Chinese take‑away. The trial continued at 2 pm on Monday.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a judge described a brutal robbery of Zimbabwean man Charles Goromonzi as "depressing." Goromonzi, 57, was attacked by two 18‑year‑old teenagers, Aaron Eccles and Niall Brooks, who punched him 18 times, kicked him 13 times, knelt on his head three times, stamped on him seven times and stabbed him four times before stealing his Nokia Lumina 625 phone. CCTV footage showed the assault at 9.30 pm on 29 July 2014. Both defendants pleaded guilty to robbery. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced each to five and a half years, suspending 18 months for Eccles and 3 years 9 months for Brooks, and ordered 18 months of post‑release supervision. Eccles had 29 prior convictions; Brooks had none. Both denied stabbing the victim and claimed intoxication and ADHD as mitigating factors. Goromonzi suffered head, wrist and knee injuries and later required hospital treatment.
Michael Finlay, 36, was granted temporary bail by the Special Criminal Court from 24 to 31 December. He faces charges of IRA membership and unlawful possession of a 9x18mm Makarov pistol and ammunition. The court imposed conditions including a daily curfew, daily sign‑in at Crumlin Garda Station, surrender of his passport, prohibition from associating with convicted or charged persons, and restriction on contacting witnesses. He must also provide a mobile number and is secured by a €6,000 surety.
A Dublin man has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Adil Essalhi following a five-day trial at the Central Criminal Court. Michael Kinsella, aged 22, with addresses in Tallaght and Ardkeen, Cavan, had initially pleaded not guilty to murder. The State's case alleged that Mr Essalhi, aged 29, was killed at Tyrellstown, Dublin on 6 January 2011 by two people acting together. The prosecution accepted a plea to the lesser charge of unlawful killing on condition that Kinsella admitted assaulting the deceased with a weapon. Medical evidence heard during trial indicated Mr Essalhi sustained in excess of fifty stabbing and chopping wounds, predominantly to the head and neck. His body was subsequently burnt. Kinsella's uncle, Wayne Kinsella, was previously convicted of Mr Essalhi's murder in 2012. Justice Deirdre Murphy adjourned sentencing to a later date.
The Central Criminal Court will open a murder trial tomorrow. Trevor Corr, 39, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of James Humphries, 32, who was killed on Kiltalown Way, Tallaght, on 22 September 2013. Justice Isobel Kennedy told the jury that the trial was not ready to start and asked them to return tomorrow at 2 pm.
At the Central Criminal Court, a resident of an apartment complex in Tyrellstown, Dublin 15 has given evidence in the trial of Michael Kinsella (22), who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Adil Essalhi (29) on January 6, 2011. The witness told the jury she was approached by a man at the building on January 7, 2011 and asked if she had a saw. The prosecution contends that the killing was carried out by two people. Kinsella, with addresses in Tallaght and Ardkeen, County Cavan, has maintained his not guilty plea. His uncle, Wayne Kinsella, was convicted of the same killing in 2012. Evidence from another witness, the former partner of Wayne Kinsella, was also heard. The cross-examination continued before the jury, with one member becoming unwell. Proceedings are ongoing.
At the Central Criminal Court, a jury heard evidence on Tuesday in the trial of Michael Kinsella (22), of Swiftbrook Close, Tallaght and Ardkeen, Cavan, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering Adil Essalhi (29) on January 6, 2011. The prosecution alleges the killing was committed by two people. Gardaí located Mr Essalhi's body partially submerged in a ditch near Tyrellstown, Dublin 15, on January 13, 2011 during an investigation into a missing person. A knife was recovered from the ditch the following day. Evidence was heard from gardaí who conducted the search and from a witness who was present when the deceased left a party with both Michael Kinsella and his uncle Wayne Kinsella, who was convicted of the murder in 2012. The trial continues.
A prosecution witness told the Central Criminal Court that she wrote to the late Mr Justice Paul Carney claiming a convicted killer had pressured her into making false allegations against the accused, the jury heard. Michael Kinsella, aged 22, with addresses in Tallaght and Cavan, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Adil Essalhi on 6 January 2011. His uncle Wayne Kinsella was convicted of the killing in 2012. The prosecution contends that two people carried out the murder. The witness said Michael Kinsella was present with Wayne Kinsella when the latter returned to their shared Tyrrellstown apartment on 7 January carrying petrol. Under cross-examination, the defence highlighted that the witness had previously written to the judge stating Wayne Kinsella had forced residents to provide false evidence against Michael Kinsella as revenge. The defence suggested this indicated she would not fabricate testimony against the accused. The trial continues at the Central Criminal Court.
Trevor Corr, 39, of Killinarden Estate, Tallaght, was arraigned in the Central Criminal Court on 7 December 2015. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of James Humphries, 32, at Kiltalown Way on 22 September 2013. The prosecution did not accept the plea. A jury of seven men and five women was sworn in by Justice Patrick McCarthy for a trial expected to last one week.
In a 2014 incident at Show Nightclub in Tallaght, Alan Gilsenan, aged 26, struck Adam Morris, breaking his jaw and causing a week of hospital treatment and surgery with permanent metal plates. Gilsenan pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The prosecution noted that Morris had arrived at the club at 12 am, was speaking with friends, and was struck by Gilsenan, who was later identified through publicity photographs of nightclub visitors. Gilsenan, who has a few prior minor traffic convictions, was undergoing anger‑management therapy and had written a remorse letter to Morris. Judge Martin Nolan, considering Gilsenan's guilty plea, cooperation with Gardaí and good record, suspended a three‑year jail term. He ordered Gilsenan to pay €7,500 to Morris and to post a €100 bond to keep the peace for three years, with the payment due within 18 months.
Keith Hall, aged 26, was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment for the manslaughter of 16‑year‑old Melanie McCarthy McNamara, who was shot in a car in Tallaght on 8 February 2012. Hall pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and the Director of Public Prosecutions accepted the plea. He was convicted by Mr Justice Paul Carney on 31 July 2013. Hall has now applied to appeal the sentence, arguing that the judge gave insufficient weight to mitigating factors such as his admissions, remorse, young age and guilty plea. His barrister, Caroline Biggs SC, contended that the judge's remarks did not clarify any discount applied and that Hall's intoxication with crack cocaine and benzodiazepines on the day of the offence should have been considered. The DPP's counsel, Brendan Grehan SC, noted that the judge had indicated the sentence was on the higher end of the manslaughter scale, between a life sentence and the maximum 20‑year term.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has been discharged in the trial of a Dublin man accused of murdering Adil Essalhi in 2011. Michael Kinsella, aged 22 and with addresses at Swiftbrook Close in Tallaght and Ardkeen in Cavan, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering Mr Essalhi at Tyrrelstown, Dublin on 6 January 2011. Justice Deirdre Murphy discharged the twelve-member jury after one juror became unable to continue proceedings due to illness. The judge stated the court was reluctant to proceed with an incomplete jury. Mr Essalhi's death was previously investigated resulting in the conviction of Wayne Kinsella, the accused man's uncle, in 2012 for the same killing.
In a murder trial held at the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard that 29‑year‑old Adil Essalhi was killed on 6 January 2011 by Michael Kinsella (22) and his uncle Wayne Kinsella. The prosecution, led by Mr Kerida Naidoo SC, presented evidence that the killing took place in a field outside a block of apartments in Tyrrellstown. Mr Essalhi had met Wayne and another person at a pub that evening, and the three later went to an apartment where they drank before leaving together for the field. Mr Naidoo stated that medical evidence showed Mr Essalhi died from more than 50 wounds, including stabbing and chopping injuries, mainly to the head and neck. After the killing, the body was reportedly burnt with petrol. The jury, composed of five women and seven men, was to view CCTV footage during the trial, which was expected to last one week. Michael Kinsella pleaded not guilty.
Aisha Ahmed, 49, also known as Gloria Anwulika Aro, was arrested in Tallaght, Dublin, under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Italy. The warrant accuses her of acting as promoter, leader and organiser of an association that imported, sold, distributed and traded large quantities of cocaine in Italy between September 1999 and June 2000. She was sentenced in absentia to 20 years' imprisonment. At her bail hearing, Ahmed denied being known as Aisha Ahmed or by the alias Linda, and denied using a 1965 birth date, although she had supplied an Irish passport with a December 1967 birth date. Her counsel, John Noonan BL, argued that she had not been notified of a scheduled trial and that the Italian authorities had released her without further proceedings. The Irish judge, Aileen Donnelly, will decide whether to surrender her to Italy. The case remains pending.
Michael Kinsella, 22, of Swiftbrook Close, Tallaght, was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court on 2 December 2015. He pleaded not guilty to the murder of Adil Essalhi, who was killed in Tyrrelstown on 6 January 2011. The trial, set to begin that afternoon before Miss Justice Margaret Heneghan, will last one week with a jury of five women and seven men.
Jayne Kearney, aged 26, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm and driving while intoxicated after she hit Blathnaid Molloy on 8 March 2014. Kearney was almost three times the legal alcohol limit and left the scene. Molloy suffered a fractured skull, brain bleeding, speech and hearing impairment, and dizzy spells. She missed her eldest's first day of school and could not care for her 11‑month‑old child for a time. Kearney had eight prior traffic convictions. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to three years' imprisonment, disqualified her from driving for the same period, and noted her remorse and cooperation. The case highlighted the severe impact on Molloy's life and family.
A 40‑year‑old man, Terence Connors of Drumcairn Drive, Tallaght, is accused of murdering Peter Conroy in the Palmerstown area of Dublin on 9 June 2015. The Central Criminal Court has set the trial for 8 May 2017.
The Commercial Court heard a dispute over the proposed redevelopment of The Square shopping centre in Tallaght. Square Management Ltd (SML), National Asset Property Management Ltd (NAPML) and Indego brought an action against Dunnes Stores Dublin Company. The parties contend that Dunnes, which has operated a store there under a lease from the early 1990s, refused to acknowledge a notice from SML that common areas, including car‑parking spaces, would be altered during the planned €30m phased redevelopment. Dunnes has replied that the notice had no legal effect and that it was not obliged to comply with any timelines. The plaintiffs seek declarations that Dunnes has no estate interest or right to use the lands beyond the lease, and injunctions to restrain Dunnes from asserting any rights beyond those in the lease. Dunnes is expected to file a defence and counterclaim, and the case has been admitted to the fast‑track Commercial Court list for a hearing early next year.
A jury was discharged from the trial of Michael Kinsella, a 22‑year‑old from Tallaght, who was accused of unlawfully murdering Adil Essalhi in Tyrrelstown on 6 January 2011. Kinsella pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in the Central Criminal Court. The jury, composed of five men and seven women, was sworn in to hear the case but was dismissed by Justice Isobel Kennedy, who excused them from service for five years. A new jury will be empanelled on Monday morning.
A jury of five men and seven women was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court to hear the trial of Michael Kinsella, 22, of Swiftbrook Close, Tallaght, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Adil Essalhi, 41, at Tyrrelstown, Dublin, on 6 January 2011. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy told the jury the trial could last up to three weeks and thanked them for their availability. The trial is set to begin on Thursday, 19 November.
Brian Quinn, aged 47, was convicted in 2014 of seriously assaulting Lee Harte and assaulting Kurtis Lennon and James Toner Junior, and of producing a knife, after a series of stabbings at a birthday party on 9 October 2011. He was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment by Judge Carmel Stewart. Quinn has now filed an appeal, arguing that the trial judge's directions to the jury on the law of self‑defence were inconsistent. His counsel, Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha, SC, contended that the judge first instructed the jury that an honest belief in the necessity of force was required, then later told them to decide whether the type and amount of force used was reasonable, thereby mixing subjective and objective elements. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Justices Garrett Sheehan, Alan Mahon and John Edwards, has reserved judgment pending further consideration. The appeal concerns only the conviction, not the sentence. Brian Quinn pleaded not guilty.
The jury was discharged from the trial of Eric Locke, 33, who is accused of murdering Sonia Bount in a Plaza Hotel room in Tallaght on 16 February 2014. Locke pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court. Justice Isobel Kennedy granted the defence's request to adjourn the trial, thanked the jury, and exempted them from duty for five years. The case will be heard by Justice Patrick McCarthy next Monday.
Colin Foley, 45, avoided jail after swinging bolt cutters at a 73‑year‑old parking warden, Michael Griffiths, in Tallaght. Foley had already received a €120 speeding fine that day and found a parking ticket on his van. He drove to the main street, stopped, and confronted Griffiths, who was working for APCOA. Foley took bolt cutters from his van, approached the warden, and, after a brief exchange, swung the cutters, knocking a radio from Griffiths' hand. Foley then fled, later turning himself in after a drink. He pleaded guilty to production of a weapon and theft. The court, noting Foley's financial difficulties and prior convictions, imposed a one‑year suspended sentence and ordered him to pay over €1,000 to the victim within a year. No jail term was imposed.
Alan Ring, 24, of Mac William Park, Tallaght, was arrested after a car was rammed into the rear door of St Joseph's Church, Terenure Road, on 8 August 2014. Gardaí received a report at 5.15 am and found the vehicle's engine still running. Ring and two other men were apprehended while ransacking the church for money. They had not taken any items but broke glass panels and damaged the sacristy door, causing €12,175 in damage. Ring pleaded guilty to burglary at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Desmond Hogan sentenced him to a three‑year term, suspended for two years, citing the seriousness of the damage and the men's intoxication. In a separate case, Ring pleaded guilty to unauthorised vehicle use in Greenhills, Dublin 12, and received a suspended one‑year term. The court noted his 15 prior convictions, including burglary. The sentence reflects the severity of the church burglary and the overall conduct of the offenders.
Joseph Byrne, aged 21, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for assault causing serious harm after he slashed a teenage boy's face with a knife on 4 February 2014. Byrne approached the boy, accusing him of having his X‑Box console, and cut a 10‑cm slash from the boy's ear to his lip, requiring 36 stitches and leaving a likely permanent scar. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Byrne had 15 prior convictions, including two for knife possession, and was suffering from schizophrenia and depression at the time of the attack. Judge Desmond Hogan imposed a seven‑year sentence with the final two years suspended, ordering psychiatric care while in custody and 12 months of probation monitoring after release. Byrne also received a suspended one‑year sentence for a burglary committed while on bail, which will run consecutively with the seven‑year term.
A jury was sworn in for the trial of 33‑year‑old Eric Locke of St Johns Park East, Clondalkin, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sonia Blount in Room 346 of The Plaza Hotel, Tallaght, on 16 February 2014. The trial, expected to last five or six days, will be heard by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy with a jury of four women and eight men.
In a 2015 report, Garda Darren Rooney was commended for his investigation into the mugging of a Dublin nurse on Alderwood Drive, Tallaght, on 31 May 2014. The victim, a 43‑year‑old nurse, was attacked at 8:45 p.m. while returning from her shift at Tallaght hospital. Jamie O'Hara, aged 21, seized her arm, knocked her to the ground, and stole her handbag before fleeing in a vehicle. Rooney obtained a partial registration of a "gold coloured Golf" from the victim and later stopped a matching vehicle that evening. The driver claimed he had been in the car all day, but a call from "Ratface" at the time of the robbery linked the driver to O'Hara. The vehicle was seized, and O'Hara's fingerprints were found inside. The nurse identified O'Hara from mug shots, leading to his arrest. O'Hara pleaded guilty to robbery at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and received a 14‑month sentence.
Grainne O'Toole, 42, received a suspended two‑year jail sentence after pleading guilty to harassing Jennifer Doran, the wife of a former colleague, between 1 October 2011 and 2 February 2012. O'Toole sent more than 310 abusive texts, calls and tweets, averaging 35 calls a day during a month. She had worked for Meridian VAT International in Tallaght, where her supervisor Colm Doran had a meeting with her over personnel matters. After resigning, O'Toole became fixated on Mr Doran and, more specifically, on his wife, whom she had never met. Diagnosed with autism and obsessive persecution delusions, she tweeted about Doran again in July 2014 and was remanded in custody. In October 2014, Judge Patrick McCartan granted bail and adjourned the sentence for one year to allow treatment and continued college studies, warning that a re‑offence would lead to imprisonment.
Michael Feeney, 18, was sentenced to four years in prison for a series of burglaries that included three break‑ins into the same crèche in Tallaght over six weeks, causing more than €17,000 in damage. The total damage from all six burglaries was €27,995, though only seven car keys, a navy blue scarf, a small amount of cash and a cash box were taken. Feeney pleaded guilty to six burglaries, criminal damage and handling stolen car keys between 5 December 2014 and 16 January 2015. He had 11 prior convictions for criminal damage. The judge suspended the last 18 months of the sentence on the condition that Feeney engages with the Probation Service for 18 months after release. The court noted the significant disruption to the crèche and the school, and that a marked improvement in behaviour had been observed while he was remanded. The sentence was imposed at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Jason Campbell, 35, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four years in prison for offences committed on February 24, 2015. Campbell pleaded guilty to two charges of stealing by using force or putting someone in fear that force would be used, and one charge of attempted robbery. Judge Martin Nolan suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on strict conditions, requiring Campbell to co-operate with the Probation Service for that period. The court heard that Campbell, armed with a hatchet, raided Glenview Post Office in Tallaght, where he allegedly terrified customers into handing over €45, before robbing €2,200 from a doctor's surgery on Old Bawn Way. Garda Stephen Murray testified that Campbell was arrested after evading initial capture by hiding under a parked truck. The judge noted Campbell's long history of serious convictions, including a 13-year sentence for armed robbery in May 2005, from which he was released early after serving ten years. Despite defense counsel Sarah-Jane O'Callaghan's arguments that Campbell was a long-term addict motivated to change and had become drug-free, the judge refused bail for treatment due to his criminal record. The matter was finalized with this sentence.
Mark Egan, 36, a homeless Dublin drug addict, was jailed for four and a half years for aggravated burglary and robbery. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary on Kildare Road, Crumlin, on 24 May 2014, and robbery at Smock Alley Theatre on 16 June 2014. His prior convictions include six burglaries, drug offences, possession of knives, a blood‑filled syringe and robbery. The burglary involved a break‑in at Gerard Byrne's home, where Egan struck Byrne with a claw hammer and was dragged into the utility room until Gardaí arrived. Byrne suffered a head cut and wrist injury. At the theatre, Egan used a kitchen knife to take €200 and cards from a cash box, returned the phone, and left the scene. Garda testimony and CCTV footage supported the charges. The judge noted Egan's drug addiction, homelessness, and prior attempts at reform, and imposed the sentence back‑dated to August 2014.
A 'Devout Muslim' who attempted to murder his wife by bludgeoning her in the head with a kettle-bell has had his jail term reduced on appeal. Lounes Ouachek (45), of St Dominic's Terrace, Tallaght, Dublin 24, had pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the attempted murder of Ruta Ouachek (35) at that address on August 23 2012. He was initially sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with the final three suspended by Mr Justice Paul Carney on July 21 2014. The Court of Appeal found that the sentencing judge erred in failing to take account of any other potential mitigating factors in Ouachek's favour and, accordingly, imposed a new sentence on him of 15 years imprisonment with the final four suspended. Mr Justice Edwards, who sat with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, quashed the existing sentence and imposed the new sentence. Ouachek was required to enter into his own bond of €1,000 to keep the peace and be of good behaviour while in custody and for a period of four years post release. He was also required to comply with all directions of the probation service and to have no contact with the victim in perpetuity. The matter was adjourned.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 19 October 2015, James O'Brien, aged 22, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for the assault that caused the death of 20‑year‑old Dale Creighton. O'Brien pleaded guilty in June and the court found that he punched and kicked Creighton on a footbridge in Tallaght on New Year's Day, an attack that lasted about one and a half minutes. The sentence includes eighteen months suspended, leaving a custodial term of one year and a half. The court noted O'Brien's guilty plea, remorse, lack of prior convictions and efforts to rehabilitate as mitigating factors. The case also involved seven other Dubliners charged in connection with Creighton's death, but the summary focuses on O'Brien's individual sentence as stated in the article.
Derek O'Keeffe, 39, of Derrypark, Crumlin, Dublin, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and one attempted robbery at three petrol stations over four days in November 2013. He stole cash from a Maxol Garage on Tymon Road, a Discount Fuels on Fortunestown Road, and a Topaz on Greenhills Road. During the incidents he threatened a security guard with a syringe and held a 23‑inch knife to a worker, forcing her to open tills. Anna Zajac, the victim at the Topaz, reported feeling emotionally destroyed and fearing for her unborn child after the robbery. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced O'Keeffe to six years' imprisonment with three years suspended, back‑dating the concurrent sentences to his November 2013 arrest. He is now a gym instructor at Cloverhill Prison and has reportedly addressed his addictions. The court noted his excellent behaviour and the circumstances that led to his actions.
James O'Brien, 22, of The Mill, Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, pleaded guilty in June to assaulting 20‑year‑old Dale Creighton on New Year's Day on Saint Dominic's Road, Tallaght. Creighton, who had been at a house party on New Year's Eve 2014, was attacked by a group of people as he was returning to the party. O'Brien was present for less than a minute, approached Creighton from a silver Volkswagen Passat, and punched and kicked him. CCTV showed O'Brien striking Creighton, who managed to get to his feet and was again assaulted by others. Creighton was taken to Tallaght Hospital and died. O'Brien has no previous convictions. The court will impose a sentence next Monday and remand him on continuing bail.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Shane O'Connor, aged 34, pleaded guilty to assaulting a prison officer while attempting to throw warm water at a fellow inmate. The incident occurred on 25 September 2013 at Mountjoy Prison when Officer Leon Maguire was refilling jugs of hot water for inmates. O'Connor rushed past Maguire, aiming to throw the water at prisoner Keith Hughes, with whom he had a prior disagreement. Maguire tried to restrain O'Connor and was struck on the forehead by the water jug, sustaining a laceration that required one stitch at Mater Hospital. O'Connor, who was serving a four‑year robbery sentence, had 29 prior convictions including assault, criminal damage, knife possession, robbery and theft. He was undergoing drug rehabilitation at Tiglin Centre and was complying with its conditions. The judge adjourned the case to January 2016 for a probation report.