Jake O'Neill, aged 22, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for assault causing harm and robbery. In August 2016 he attacked an Austrian doctor and his son outside a café in Temple Bar after they refused to give him money. O'Neill punched the doctor's son and then the doctor, who suffered a broken eye socket, fractures to his cheek and jaw, and lost teeth. In October 2017 he participated in a robbery on James' Street, where he and another person assaulted a man who had given him a cigarette, taking the man's phone, wallet and keys. O'Neill pleaded guilty to both offences, admitted the robbery was an "act of bravado" after drinking and drug use, and was found to have a history of drug addiction. The judge suspended the final six months of the sentence on strict conditions. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Patrick Russell, a former barrister aged 57, was sentenced to four years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended, for stealing €235,000 from businessman Paul O'Connell. Russell pretended to arrange the purchase of a warehouse in Co Kildare for O'Connell, using forged deeds and false documents to convince the victim to transfer €15,000 and €5,000 to a UK account and an account in his wife's name, and to pay an additional €215,000 to solicitors who believed the documents were genuine. The solicitors and O'Connell's family later reported the fraud to Gardaí. Russell pleaded guilty to the theft in March 2019 and had previously been struck off the bar in 2012 for professional misconduct. The judge noted Russell's limited criminal history, his cardiac condition, and his willingness to restore the stolen sum, but imposed a custodial sentence because he had not made tangible efforts to return the money. The €215,000 remains frozen in AIB.
A UK man accused of murdering Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin is described by his defence as a 'two-bit car thief' and 'no James Bond', according to the Special Criminal Court. David Hunter, a Liverpool native with an address in London, is pleading not guilty to the murder of Mr Barr (35) at the pub in Summerhill on the night of April 25, 2016. The defence closed its case by asserting that the defendant could not 'logically' have been the killer. Mixed DNA profiles were found on a ski-mask and rubber mask recovered from a car allegedly used in the killing, with the major contributor matching Mr Hunter's DNA. However, Mr Hunter stated to gardaí that he had left the ski-mask in a car in Dublin two months before the shooting and had not seen it again. Defence barrister Ms Roisín Lacey SC argued that the prosecution cannot prove Mr Hunter wore the ski-mask underneath the rubber mask at the shooting and that there is a reasonable doubt. She also highlighted that Mr Hunter's admission to gardaí of stealing cars 'painted him in a bad light' and that he was in a 'narcotic and alcoholic haze' at the time of the shooting. Ms Lacey submitted that Mr Hunter could not have been the driver of the getaway vehicle or the convicted male in the back of the vehicle, and that he had to be the front passenger who emerged without any head covering. She concluded that Mr Hunter 'is not a murderer and he cannot logically be the murderer on the evidence in the case.' Mr Justice Owens adjourned the case to September 11 for judgement and remanded Mr Hunter in custody.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, David Hunter, 41, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Michael Barr, 35, at a Dublin pub on 25 April 2016. Hunter claimed he first arrived in Ireland on 8 February 2016, had a history of car theft in the UK, and was invited to a botched car robbery where he left a ski‑mask in a car. The mask, recovered from a burning Audi on Walsh Road, was DNA‑matched to Hunter, with 61% of the mixed profile attributed to him. Hunter's voluntary statement, sent to the DPP on 4 June, detailed his travel, drug use, and the events leading up to the robbery. The court heard that the prosecution would finish its evidence on Tuesday, with the trial concluding the following Thursday. The case remains at the trial stage.
In the Special Criminal Court, David Hunter, 41, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Michael Barr, 35, at the Sunset House pub in Dublin on 25 April 2016. Hunter, who was in Dublin with his ex‑girlfriend Jordanna Kiely and a friend, Stacy Franey, claimed he met the two women at a Travelodge in Swords at 9 pm. Kiely testified that the trio had spent the week drinking and taking drugs, and that on the day of the shooting they went shopping and later went to Temple Bar. Franey said the night was "blurry" and that the group was "hostile" during the shopping trip. The court heard that two men in rubber masks entered the pub around 9 pm and shot Barr seven times. The case is ongoing and is expected to last four to five weeks.
Anthony Rossitter, a 32‑year‑old drug addict from County Wexford, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three attempted robbery charges after threatening staff in three city‑centre shops on 15 May 2019 with a large pair of stainless‑steel scissors. He entered a Gala shop on Abbey Street, placed a plastic bag on the counter and demanded cash, threatening to cut a staff member if he did not comply. After leaving without money, he went to a Spar shop in Temple Bar and then to a Gala shop on Dorset Street, again demanding cash and showing the scissors, but left empty‑handed and was arrested shortly thereafter. Rossitter has 85 prior convictions, including 46 for traffic offences, and a history of assault and drug dealing. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to four‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, suspending the final 12 months on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation after release.
In the early hours of March 24 last year, 25‑year‑old Alfie Wood was standing in Temple Bar, Dublin, holding two beer bottles when Mark Canavan and his girlfriend passed by. Canavan warned Wood that Gardaí were nearby and that he might get in trouble for the bottles. Wood replied, "What did you say to me?" and then charged at Canavan, punching him in the face and knocking him to the ground. Wood pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm. He had no prior convictions. The court noted that Canavan had suffered a lacerated lip requiring five sutures and two rounds of dental treatment. Wood's early guilty plea, cooperation with Gardaí, and €2,000 token of remorse were considered mitigating factors. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced Wood to two years, suspended in full. Wood admitted the assault was unjustified and that he had been out socialising, separated from friends, and that it was "a bit of a blur.".
Anthony Rossitter, a 32‑year‑old drug addict from Co. Wexford, pleaded guilty to three attempted robbery charges at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. On 15 May 2019, he entered a Gala shop on Abbey Street at about 9 a.m., placed a plastic bag on the counter, and threatened a cashier with a large stainless‑steel pair of scissors, demanding cash. When a staff member said no cash was available, Rossitter left. He then went to a Spar shop in Temple Bar and demanded money, but again departed empty‑handed. Finally, he entered a Gala shop on Dorset Street, showed the scissors, and asked for €20 after staff explained their boss had taken all the cash. He left without any money and was arrested shortly thereafter. Rossitter has prior convictions for assault, drug dealing and two robberies, and 46 traffic offences. He is homeless and has a young child.
Sean Howard, aged 32, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for arson after a fire he claimed was started to keep warm spiralled out of control. The blaze began when he lit a piece of cardboard in a bin behind the Temple Bar Hotel in Dublin on 28 April 2019 while intoxicated and under the influence of drugs. The fire melted the bins, damaged the hotel's back wall, boiler and double metal doors, and forced the evacuation of 236 guests. Howard pleaded guilty to arson at the hotel and to a prior arson on 3 April 2019, which caused €3,000 of damage and required the evacuation of two rooms. He has 132 previous convictions, including three for arson, and the judge cited his substance use as a major problem. The sentence was three and a half years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions.
In a High Court judicial review, Garda Noel Gibbons successfully had disciplinary findings quashed that had alleged he made a racist remark to a 14‑year‑old teenager detained in June 2017. The internal Garda investigation had found him in breach of discipline and fined him €200, with the Garda Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) set to enforce the decision. Gibbons, who denies ever using racist language, argued the investigation was fundamentally flawed, that he was denied legal representation and the right to cross‑examine witnesses, and that the findings were made without reasons. The court agreed that the findings could be quashed, the fine cancelled, and no further disciplinary action would be taken. The case was resolved with Gsoc updating its records accordingly. The teenager, of eastern Asian descent, was not named due to his age. The incident involved a verbal altercation at a Dublin Garda Station following a public order situation in Temple Bar.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 29 July 2019, a 14‑year‑old juvenile and his 18‑year‑old accomplice, David O'Neill, pleaded guilty to four counts of robbery and a theft charge. The court heard the pair carried out three robberies in the early hours of one morning, punching victims and knocking them unconscious. CCTV footage showed the juvenile and O'Neill punching a medical student from Saudi Arabia, a second man leaving a nightclub, and a third man at Temple Bar. The juvenile also robbed a young man of his bank card and forced him to withdraw money from ATMs. The judge, citing the juvenile's age, remorse and cooperation, imposed a two‑year detention sentence. O'Neill received a four‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term with the final 18 months suspended. The court noted the victims suffered facial injuries and were taken to hospital.
Gary Kinlan, 42, with 129 prior convictions, was sentenced to three years after robbing a cash‑in‑transit driver of €25,000 on 3 December 2018. The robbery occurred after Kinlan left Dublin District Court, where he had just received an eight‑month suspended sentence for another offence. While the driver was returning a cash box to his van, Kinlan, carrying nail clippers, threatened him with a metal object he claimed was a knife. The driver, fearing for his safety, dropped the box; Kinlan seized it and fled. Witnesses photographed him carrying the cash, and Gardaí were alerted by members of the public. Kinlan was arrested after attempting to evade officers, and a set of keys and nail clippers were seized. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, and the judge, noting his drug and alcohol issues and the opportunistic nature of the crime, imposed a three‑year sentence back‑dated to December 2018.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 25‑year‑old Scott Capper was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment for two separate pub assaults. The first offence, committed on 8 August 2016 at the Morgan Hotel, involved Capper punching Jaroslaw Gaska in the face after Gaska touched Capper's girlfriend's hair. Gaska suffered a broken jaw, required 10 stitches, incurred €1,100 in medical costs and lost €2,000 in earnings. The second offence, on 2 October 2016 at Sin Nightclub, saw Capper striking Nevil Picton, who sustained a cut to the lip and dental damage costing €2,680. Capper pleaded guilty to both assault‑causing‑harm charges. He has 46 prior convictions, including a suspended two‑year sentence for a 2015 assault, and has a history of drug possession, violent disorder and public‑order offences.
Patrick Russell, aged 56, pleaded guilty to stealing €235,000 from businessman Paul O'Connell by posing as an arbitrator and financial consultant. Russell promised to facilitate the purchase of a commercial warehouse for €235,000, but the property was never bought. He obtained €15,000 and €5,000 from O'Connell's bank account, transferred them to a UK account and to an account in his wife's name, claiming they were for stamp duty and fees. O'Connell then paid an additional €215,000 to solicitors who later reported Russell to Gardaí. Russell presented forged documents from the Property Registration Authority to mislead O'Connell and his family. He has nine prior minor traffic convictions, denied theft initially, and pleaded guilty in March. The court adjourned sentencing to November 4, ordered a probation report, and noted Russell's health issues and potential UK employment to repay the remaining €20,000.
Deanna Brogan, 21, avoided jail after a judge placed her on a six‑month good behaviour bond for her role in a violent robbery on a Dublin city bus on St Patrick's Day 2015. Brogan, who had previously been involved in a street assault on a Brazilian man and a violent disorder offence in Temple Bar, admitted to slapping a minor victim twice in the face after the victim had returned his borrowed mobile phone. The attack was captured on CCTV and the victim has expressed ongoing fear of entering the city centre. Brogan's 12 prior convictions include two assault offences. The judge described the bus incident as "mean spirited" and "thuggish," and warned that any further offence would result in a prison sentence. She ordered Brogan to appear again on 10 October. The case also involved her partner Edward Doran, who pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension of a robber.
An English national, Simon Cummins, aged 49, was convicted in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for stabbing Thomas McCarthy in the neck with a Leatherman multi‑tool on 22 April 2018. Cummins claimed he had been robbed and was experiencing a psychotic episode while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. He pleaded guilty, citing a previous public‑order conviction in Ireland (2007) and 64 convictions in the UK, ten of which were assault‑related. The court noted that McCarthy was taken to hospital, sutured, and made no victim impact statement. Judge Martin Nolan, after considering Cummins' early guilty plea, remorse, and the need for treatment, imposed a three‑year sentence suspended in full. The sentence is conditional on Cummins leaving Ireland immediately and not returning for five years. Cummins' family, present in court, expressed a desire to take him back to England for community‑based care.
Craig O'Connor and Chelsea Curtis, both of Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to violent disorder in Temple Bar on September 10, 2015. Judge Cormac Quinn sentenced O'Connor to two and a half years' imprisonment and Curtis to 12 months' imprisonment. The judge suspended the entirety of both sentences on the condition that they keep the peace and be of good behaviour for the duration. Prosecution evidence alleged that O'Connor punched and kicked Alan Delve, who had previously punched O'Connor's uncle, Gareth O'Connor. Gareth O'Connor subsequently fell unconscious and never regained consciousness. James O'Connor, who also pleaded guilty to violent disorder, received a fully suspended two and a half-year sentence on June 8, 2018. CCTV footage reportedly showed O'Connor and Curtis struggling with a second man, with Curtis kicking a third male. Mr. Delve, who suffered a fractured cheekbone and head injuries, stated in a victim impact statement that he did not want anyone to go to prison. Defence counsel noted O'Connor was not the instigator and that the couple has two children. The judge cited the seriousness of the offence and effect on the victim as aggravating factors, while considering the guilty pleas, the defendants' ages, and the victim's wishes as mitigating factors.
James O'Connor, aged 38, pleaded guilty to assaulting a man in Temple Bar on 10 September 2015, striking him with a crutch after believing the victim had killed his brother Gareth. Witnesses described the attack as "graphic" and "barbaric," noting O'Connor swung the crutch like a golf club and delivered blows that seemed to "chop wood." The victim was never identified, but CCTV footage proved the assault. O'Connor also admitted a separate assault and violent disorder earlier that evening. The court, considering his guilty plea, cooperation, homelessness, substance abuse, and prior conviction in 2010, imposed concurrent sentences totalling two and a half years, which were fully suspended on strict conditions. No charges were brought for Gareth O'Connor's death, and Garda Wayne Donnelly noted that the victim's injuries were life‑threatening but no prosecution followed. The case highlighted the extreme violence witnessed by bystanders and the court's decision to suspend the sentence.
In Dublin, two 80‑year‑old women were robbed by Brian Dunne, who received a four‑and‑a‑half‑year prison sentence. The first incident occurred on 10 November at a bus stop off Strand Road, where Dunne grabbed a bag from Glynnis Cassin's shoulder, causing her to fall, dislocate and break her shoulder in two places. She was hospitalised for six days and missed a performance of *My Fair Lady* at the National Concert Hall. The second robbery took place on 14 November after Anne O'Rourke left a cinema; Dunne stole her bag while she was walking home. Both women described the events as distressing, with Cassin citing an €800 loss and O'Rourke expressing sympathy for the offender. Judge Martin Nolan praised the women's resilience, noting the seriousness of the crimes and the impact on their lives. Brian Dunne pleaded guilty.
A 17‑year‑old Dublin teenager pleaded guilty to a series of violent offences, including assaulting street magician Mark Beltran, stabbing Waterford resident Gavin Keoghan, and robbing a 16‑year‑old's phone. He also admitted to assaulting a homeless man, Martin Goth, and participating in violent disorder at Smithfield Square. The court heard that the attacks followed the theft of a stolen amp from Beltran's street performance. The teenager was sentenced to three years' detention by Judge Martin Nolan, who noted his early guilty plea, young age and rehabilitation efforts. The sentence was imposed despite the absence of victim impact statements in the cases involving Goth and Keoghan. The judge highlighted the teenager's lack of further offences since the convictions. The case involved co‑accused Luke Byrne, who received nine and a half years' imprisonment for a separate attack and robberies. The court also considered the teenager's drug use and subsequent counselling.
Thomas O'Driscoll, 35, was arrested after a Garda saw him walking down a city centre street with a stolen mountain bike still locked to a railing. The bike was later identified as stolen property. O'Driscoll, who has 193 convictions, pleaded guilty to possessing the stolen bike, to stealing €1,300 worth of clothing from Urban Outfitters, to possessing a stolen ladies coat, and to trespassing and theft at a holiday apartment letting office in Temple Bar. He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail, backdated to September of the previous year when he entered custody. The judge noted his prolific shoplifting record. Garda Carl Bolger reported CCTV footage of O'Driscoll taking clothes, and he was later found with a stolen coat from Marks and Spencer. O'Driscoll's defence highlighted his troubled background, drug addiction, and attempts at rehabilitation. The court also noted his father's murder when he was 11, his early school leaving, and his ongoing methadone programme in custody.
In a late‑night incident in Dublin's Temple Bar, 23‑year‑old forklift driver Kamil Stawicki punched 38‑year‑old Fred Murray in the head, and the victim's leg was fractured in four places. Stawicki claimed he could not remember breaking the leg, but a taxi driver who witnessed the assault testified that Stawicki stomped on Murray's leg, wedging it between the kerb and cobbles, and that the leg was broken as if a stick were snapped for firewood. Murray suffered four fractures, metal plates and screws, and had to take four months off work. In a victim impact statement he expressed concern about future arthritis. Judge Patrick Quinn sentenced Stawicki to two years, suspended on the condition he keep the peace and pay €5,000 to Murray, which he paid in court. Stawicki had previously denied the assault charge, but a jury convicted him in September 2013.
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.
Luke Byrne, aged 18, received a partially suspended 14‑year sentence for a series of knife‑point robberies and an unprovoked assault that left magician Mark Beltran, aged 30, permanently blind in his right eye. Byrne smashed a glass bottle into Beltran's face during a confrontation over a stolen amplifier, causing a deep corneal wound and loss of vision. The court found Byrne had intended to cause serious harm, though he did not intend blindness. Judge Martin Nolan imposed nine years for the assault, consecutive to five years for the robberies, and suspended the last four and a half years on the condition of good behaviour for the remainder of the sentence. Byrne was ordered to comply with Probation Services for two years after release. The case highlighted Byrne's history of 16 convictions, his ADHD diagnosis, and his expressed remorse, but the court emphasised the lasting impact on Beltran's life and career. Luke Byrne pleaded guilty.
Michael Power, aged 21, was convicted of two counts of assault, one count of causing serious harm and two counts of possession of a knife after stabbing Thomas Hanrahan and later slicing his face. Hanrahan suffered life‑threatening injuries, including a removed spleen and permanent facial scar, and will require lifelong medication. Power, who has 33 prior convictions, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment with 18 months suspended, back‑dated to July 2015. The judge imposed the suspended portion to encourage rehabilitation and barred Power from contacting Hanrahan for five years after release. Power has completed various courses in custody, including the alternative to violence programme, and is now a facilitator. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 27 June 2015 and the sentence was delivered by Judge Elma Sheahan. The trial was conducted by a jury.
In a Dublin District Family Court hearing, a man accused of repeated abuse and heavy alcohol consumption demanded a safety order against him for 21 years, claiming he did not want to see the mother of his child again. The mother, who resides in a women's refuge, testified that the man regularly drank 16 cans of beer and a bottle of vodka within a few hours, threatened her and their child, and had threatened to use a knife or gun. She described an incident where her son was injured and the man told her not to call an ambulance, fearing social workers would be involved, and threatened to kill her if she called the Gardaí. During the hearing, the man repeatedly denied the allegations, called the mother's testimony lies, and shouted that he had not seen her for five years. He stormed out of the courtroom after the judge warned him.
Kenneth McCabe, 25, received a suspended one‑year jail sentence after he threw a glass into the air in a crowded bar, unintentionally striking a beam and showering glass on a woman named Corrigan Serpa. Serpa suffered injuries to her nose and left thumb, requiring stitches. McCabe pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on 14 February 2016 at The Quay Public House, Temple Bar. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that the assault was reckless but not intentional, and imposed a suspended sentence on the condition that McCabe keep the peace and behave well. He also ordered McCabe to pay €3,000 to Serpa within 12 months. McCabe, who was severely intoxicated, apologized and said he did not intend to harm her. The court warned that a future conviction could lead to jail.
In a Dublin District Family Court hearing, a father who had recently served a two‑month prison sentence claimed that his former partner had "brainwashed" their two sons into refusing to see him. He sought joint custody and guardianship so he could visit the children's home without risk of arrest if the mother was intoxicated. The father argued that he had not seen his children for over a year and that the mother prevented visits. Judge Gerard Furlong directed that the boys' views be ascertained, asking counsellor Mary Murtagh to assess them. Murtagh reported that both boys had anxiety and anger issues, with one too traumatised to see the father and the other potentially open to visits under supervision. The father dismissed the counsellor's qualifications and accused the mother of drug use and neglect. The judge adjourned the case to October and advised the father to contact Tusla if he had welfare concerns.
In a Dublin District Family Law Court hearing, a young father, escorted by Gardaí, accused the mother of his child of seeking only money and demanded a DNA test. The mother, represented by counsel Jennifer Cuffe, BL, testified that she works full‑time and has various expenses for her baby, and that the father had been abusive, necessitating Garda intervention. Cuffe stated that the father was being asked to pay €100 per week for child maintenance. The father left the courtroom briefly, returned, and reiterated that the mother cared only for money, citing a loan he took for his son's christening, pram, and car seat. Judge Gerard Furlong declined to order a DNA test, citing it as a matter of vengeance, and instead ordered the father to pay €65 per week for child maintenance.
In a Dublin District Family Court hearing, a self‑employed father was ordered to pay €40,140 in child maintenance to the mother of his two children. The court had previously set the arrears at €38,920 in April, and the father had not made any payments since. Counsel Sophie Cargin argued that the father had promised to pay €120 per week for maintenance and €30 per week toward the arrears, but had failed to do so. Judge Gibbons warned the father that failure to comply could lead to imprisonment and demanded that he return with documents proving his income and expenses. The father admitted he had an accountant who was deceased and agreed to pay €120 per week and a €500 lump sum, with the case adjourned for a follow‑up hearing next week.
In a Dublin District Family Law Court hearing, a father who owed €767 in child maintenance, including school costs, was temporarily detained after a judge criticised his attitude. The mother claimed the father had been unemployed since April, but he only informed her earlier that month and insisted he had no income or address, preventing him from applying for social welfare. Judge John Lindsay instructed him to file a summons to vary the existing maintenance order, which currently stands at €271 per month. When the father questioned how he could pay, Lindsay warned him not to be belligerent or he would call the Gardaí. The father, who threatened to call the Gardaí himself, was taken into custody for just under half an hour and later apologized. The case was adjourned for one month to allow the father to apply to vary the maintenance order.
Aaron O'Donoughoe, a 21-year-old from Greystones, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing serious harm in Temple Bar on April 20, 2014. The court heard that O'Donoughoe punched Gerard McManus, who subsequently suffered bleeding and swelling on the brain, resulting in lifelong injuries including balance issues and impaired cognitive processing. O'Donoughoe admitted to striking the victim again while he was on the ground. Judge Martin Nolan noted that the Court of Appeal had previously judged this specific offence as deserving of a sentence of up to twelve-and-a-half years. However, considering O'Donoughoe's difficult background, his remorse, and the fact that he did not intend to cause a brain injury, the judge imposed a five-year custodial sentence. The prosecution argued the offence was on the upper end of the seriousness scale. O'Donoughoe stated he reacted after the victim allegedly used a racial slur and threatened him. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the five-year term.
In a Dublin pub fight on 7 May 2015, 45‑year‑old Graham Quigley struck French teacher Thomas Gohin with a pint glass, causing severe facial injuries. Gohin described his nose as "cut in two" and reported lasting psychological effects, though he could not afford counselling or surgery. Quigley, who had started the fight after his sister was insulted, pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally noted Gohin's attempt to end the fight and the resulting scar on his face and arm. Quigley was sentenced to three and a half years, with the final year suspended. He has since stayed out of trouble, expressed remorse, and is now living with his mother and working in a bakery. Gohin has left Ireland and returned to France.
A pregnant 18‑year‑old teenager was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for violent disorder after a CCTV‑recorded incident in which she kicked a Brazilian student 15 times. The Court of Appeal rejected her appeal to suspend the remaining 15 months of her sentence. The case, heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, involved a confrontation at about 5 am with a group of seven youths. The teenager, who had 26 prior convictions, was four months pregnant at sentencing. The judge emphasised the seriousness of the offence and the need for custodial reform, concluding no error in the original sentence. The unnamed 18-year-old pleaded guilty.
A 36‑year‑old Meath man, Dermot Molloy, was given a suspended sentence after a judge heard he is the sole carer for a child with a serious birth defect. Molloy had previously pleaded guilty to robbery in 2014 and was serving a suspended portion of a six‑year sentence for earlier robberies. He had threatened a syringe during the 2014 robbery but claimed he was only armed with a pen and that he robbed to buy food for his family. The judge noted that Molloy had complied with bail conditions since 2013, had no recent offences, and was drug‑free. He also cares for his partner's child who had suffered self‑harm. The judge, citing extraordinary circumstances, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence and suspended it entirely, allowing Molloy to continue his daily reporting at Bridewell Garda Station for the next year.
Leonard Dumbrell, 28, of Clonattin Village, Gorey, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and a five‑year driving disqualification for car theft and two counts of dangerous driving in Dublin City Centre. The sentence was imposed by Judge Mary Ellen Ring on 30 July 2015. Dumbrell's appeal was dismissed by Mr Justice Alan Mahon on 28 July 2016. Mahon noted that Dumbrell had entered a car with the engine running, left the owner, and then drove away. A Garda chased him, and Dumbrell broke a red light, made illegal turns, weaved through traffic, mounted a pedestrian median on O'Connell Bridge, and crashed in Temple Bar. He had 108 previous convictions and was arrested a short distance away. Mahon found the three‑year term not "lenient" given his record and that the sentencing judge had considered rehabilitation. The appeal was therefore dismissed. Leonard Dumbrell pleaded guilty.
Sean McKevitt, aged 30, received a three‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assaulting tourist Zoe Jackson in Temple Bar Square on 6 May 2013. McKevitt, who was homeless and on a methadone maintenance programme at the time, had been in a group listening to buskers when Jackson's boyfriend refused him a cigarette. McKevitt allegedly aimed a punch at the boyfriend, who moved, but the blow struck Jackson, fracturing her right eye socket and causing a laceration. She was hospitalized for five days and suffered temporary double vision. McKevitt had 117 prior convictions, mainly for public‑order offences. Judge Patricia Ryan, after hearing evidence of his recent housing and drug‑treatment progress, imposed the suspended sentence. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 16‑year‑old girl was sentenced to three years' detention for stamping and kicking a Brazilian national, Marcus Guimaraes, on his head 15 times, as captured on CCTV. The girl, who could not be named, admitted no recollection of the night but reported feeling sick after seeing herself in the footage. Garda Maria O'Hara confirmed the footage showed the girl delivering the blows, and noted Guimaraes suffered a dented head, black and bloodshot eyes, a swollen nose and face, though he did not require medical treatment. The court found the assault was violent and unprovoked, and the girl's history of 26 prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑year sentence, suspending the final 15 months on the condition she engages with the Probation Service for 15 months. The girl, now 17, has a baby due later this year and has reportedly made positive behavioural changes. The unnamed 16-year-old pleaded guilty.
Trevor Curtis, aged 35 and of no fixed abode, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following guilty pleas to two separate offences. Curtis pleaded guilty to possession of a syringe to threaten injury or intimidate another person on Bedford Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin on April 14, 2014, and to robbery of a betting shop on Wicklow Street, Dublin on October 27, 2014. During the first incident, Curtis was experiencing hallucinations after consuming a head shop drug and believed he was being attacked by demons. When gardaí arrived, he was found holding a syringe which he waved aggressively, leading to his being pepper-sprayed. In the second offence, he jumped over the counter and brandished a syringe at a pregnant employee, demanding money. Judge Martin Nolan suspended the final year of the sentence and backdated it to 2014 when Curtis entered custody. Curtis has 43 previous convictions, including three for similar syringe-related offences.
Darren Donovan, 18, of Parlickstown Gardens, Mulhuddart, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five years' imprisonment for stabbing homeless man John Joseph Joyce in the chest and head and for two robberies – a €400 theft from a city centre Spar and a wallet robbery in a city centre laneway. Donovan pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and the two robbery offences. The judge noted he believed Joyce had previously assaulted his brother and that Donovan planned the offence as revenge. The final 18 months of the sentence were suspended on conditions including good behaviour.
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.
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.
In February 2016, Dermot Molloy, a 36‑year‑old from Meath, avoided immediate imprisonment after a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court judge heard he is the sole carer for a child with a severe birth defect. Lawyers argued that the child's condition, described as "expanding" rather than the microcephaly seen in Zika‑related cases, required extraordinary medical care. Molloy also cares for a partner's child who recently suffered self‑harm. The judge noted Molloy's compliance with bail since 2013 and his drug‑free status. Molloy, who pleaded guilty to a 2014 robbery at a boutique in Temple Bar, had threatened to use a syringe but claimed he was only armed with a pen. He said he robbed to buy food for his family, not drugs. Judge Nolan adjourned sentencing to July, citing Molloy's caregiving role and potential changes in his partner's condition. Molloy was still serving a suspended sentence from a 2013 robbery conviction.
A 28‑year‑old army private, Bernard Fleming, was convicted of attempted rape, oral rape and sexual assault of a woman in Dublin on 24 September 2011. The incident began after the victim and Fleming's friend had been drinking outside an early house; the victim later went to Fleming's home where they continued drinking. Fleming, drunk and wearing only a towel, attempted to kiss and have sex with the victim, who fled the room and was helped by others. He was arrested and denied the allegations, claiming he was fully clothed. The victim, who declined a victim impact statement, was found to have bruises consistent with being held down. The court noted no predatory element but that Fleming had taken advantage of a drunken woman. He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended, and ordered 18 months of post‑release supervision and probation service engagement. Bernard Fleming pleaded not guilty.
During a family law sitting at Temple Bar on Friday, Judge Miriam Walsh was attacked near lunchtime. A man was arrested by gardai who intervened. Security systems were operational. Walsh was taken to hospital but her injuries are not believed to be serious, and she has since been discharged.
In November 2015, a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced 27‑year‑old Dean Teeling to eight years' imprisonment for a series of violent assaults. Teeling pleaded guilty to violent disorder and to stabbing Ian McKenna, a 28‑year‑old man, eight times after a brawl at Central Bank Plaza on 9 September 2013. He also pleaded guilty to slashing Gerard McKeever, a 24‑year‑old, across the face with a razor blade at McDonald's on 24 April 2014, and to slashing French tourist Loic Marie‑Magdaleine across the face with a razor blade on Fleet Street on the same day. Each razor‑blade assault carried a maximum five‑year sentence, but the judge imposed four years for each of the three razor‑blade assaults to run consecutively with the four‑year sentence for the stabbing, giving a total of eight years.
Trevor Curtis (35), of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two offences. On April 14, 2014, he was found in a laneway off Bedford Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin, in possession of a syringe which he brandished at gardai. Evidence indicated that Curtis had injected himself with a head shop drug and was experiencing hallucinations, believing he was under attack by demons. Garda Paul Gray pepper-sprayed Curtis after he refused to drop the syringe. Curtis also pleaded guilty to robbing a betting shop on Wicklow Street, Dublin, on October 27, 2014, during which he pointed a syringe at a pregnant employee and took €355 in cash. Judge Martin Nolan released Curtis into the custody of the Probation Services, conditional on his residence at a drug treatment centre and compliance with all directions. Curtis has 43 previous convictions, including three similar offences and previous sentences for robbery, including a suspended sentence at Longford Circuit Court.
Michael Smyth, 66, a chronic alcoholic with a long history of homelessness and 362 prior convictions, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for arson at a flat in Hogan Court, Dublin, on 12 August 2014. The fire caused €25,910 in damage. Smyth admitted to being intoxicated and possibly leaving a cigarette on his bed, which he said he had left that morning and not returned to. He denied any exchange of words with his upstairs neighbour, who had reported hearing him shout threats such as "I will burn you." Garda Amy Kelly confirmed that Smyth was living in accommodation provided by Dublin City Council at the time of the incident. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the serious danger and cost of the damage, imposed the sentence and backdated it to the date Smyth entered custody. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Smyth pleaded guilty.
Leonard Dumbrell, aged 26, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for leading Gardaí on a high‑speed chase through Dublin city centre in a stolen car. He stole the vehicle in Ballsbridge, drove it at speed and in the wrong direction, nearly knocking over pedestrians on O'Connell Bridge before crashing it at Temple Bar Square. The court noted he had 108 previous convictions, including car thefts, assaulting a Garda and violent disorder, and that he had previously been allowed out on bail for drug treatment but failed to appear. Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed concurrent sentences totalling three years, ordered that time already spent in custody be taken into account, and disqualified him from driving for five years. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where the court considered the evidence of the chase and the subsequent crash. Leonard Dumbrell pleaded guilty.
Ian Dent, 22, of Crumlin, was convicted of violent disorder for his role in a group attack on two American tourists in Temple Bar on 29 April 2012. The original five‑year sentence imposed by Mr Justice Patrick McCartan on 29 July 2014 was reduced on appeal to three years, with the final 12 months suspended. The Court of Appeal found the original term excessive, noting Dent's "threatening and menacing" behaviour was common in the area but also that he had shown progress and a record of rehabilitation. The appeal court highlighted that the Americans suffered significant injuries, including a broken arm and facial scarring, and that Dent had attempted to intervene and defuse the situation. The new sentence reflects a balance between punishment and potential for rehabilitation. Ian Dent pleaded not guilty.