Court archive
Court reports mentioning Rathmore, Kerry
2025-08-01 · Carlow
Charles Dunne, 48, of Ace Fencing Ltd, was found guilty at Carlow Circuit Criminal Court of possessing stolen power tools and of providing five false invoices to Gardaí to prove ownership. He also pleaded not guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice. The jury, after almost six hours of deliberation, returned guilty verdicts on the possession charge, five counts of using a false instrument and the charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice, while acquitting him on all other charges. Judge Sinéad McMullan remanded Dunne on continuing bail until a sentencing hearing in November. He was directed to surrender his passport upon return from a family holiday and to sign in once a week at Carlow Garda Station. The case involved a large quantity of tools seized from Dunne's yard in Tullow in January 2019, with Gardaí presenting evidence of the tools' stolen status and the fraudulent invoices supplied by Dunne.
2025-07-25 · Carlow
In a Carlow Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 48‑year‑old Charles Dunne of Ace Fencing Ltd pleaded not guilty to two alternative charges: handling a large assortment of stolen power tools and possessing stolen property, both alleged to have occurred on 13 January 2019. He also pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of providing false invoices to Gardaí between January and February 2019, and to attempting to pervert the course of justice by submitting false documents to obstruct a Garda criminal investigation. Gardaí had seized a large quantity of tools from Dunne's yard in Tullow, photographed them, and compiled an inventory. Dunne later supplied about 60 invoices to Gardaí, claiming ownership of the seized tools. Testimony from the auctioneers Ganly Craigie 2000 Ltd and Hennessy Auctioneers highlighted discrepancies between the invoices Dunne provided and the company records, with several invoices containing altered or illegible details. The trial continues before Judge Sinéad McMullan and a jury.
2025-04-10 · Kerry
During a seven‑week trial with a 15‑juror panel, Daniel Blanaru, 37, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his 26‑year‑old partner, Larisa Serban, on 12 August 2022. Serban was found early in the morning on the floor between her bedroom and hallway, having died from a 12‑cm stab wound to the chest that punctured her heart, lung and aorta. The prosecution alleged that Blanaru, described as "controlling and jealous", killed Serban in cold blood after a sustained brutal attack. Blanaru pleaded not guilty but admitted guilt during custody interviews. He has six prior Irish convictions for road traffic offences and four theft offences in France. The sentencing judge, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, imposed a mandatory life sentence, noting the crime involved needless and horrific violence. The victim's family, including Serban's mother, eldest son and siblings, delivered impact statements expressing grief and condemning the killer's actions.
2025-04-01 · Kerry
Daniel Blanaru, 37, was convicted of the murder of Larisa Serban at the Central Criminal Court. The jury, comprising ten men and two women, deliberated for three hours and two minutes before returning a unanimous verdict. Blanaru had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Serban at her home in Rathmore, Athboy, Co Meath, on or about August 12, 2022. The prosecution alleged she died from a sustained and brutal attack, including a fatal stab wound to the chest. Although Blanaru initially told gardaí he was guilty, he later claimed the stabbing was accidental. The court heard evidence of prior threats and controlling behavior alleged by the victim's family. Following the conviction, Blanaru will be sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment at a sentencing hearing scheduled for April 10. Members of the victim's family will be invited to make statements to the court at that time. The matter is now at the sentencing stage, with the specific disposal to be determined by the judge on the specified date.
2025-03-31 · Kerry
In a County Meath murder trial, a 37‑year‑old man named Daniel Blanaru, from Rathmore, Athboy, has pleaded not guilty to the stabbing death of his partner, Larisa Serban, aged 26, which occurred on or about 12 August 2022. Serban's body was discovered early the next morning in the bedroom‑hallway area of their home, with two stab wounds: one to the chest that punctured the heart, lung and aorta, and another to the arm that fractured a bone. The trial, lasting seven weeks, was heard by an enlarged jury of eleven men and four women. Defence counsel Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha concluded his closing address, while Justice Eileen Creedon explained the law and the evidence, noting that the prosecution bears the burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt. She outlined the possible verdicts—guilty or not guilty of murder, or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter—and instructed the jury to remain dispassionate and objective.
2025-03-28 · Meath
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the Director of Public Prosecutions presented evidence that Daniel Blanaru, 37, from Rathmore, Athboy, Co Meath, murdered 26‑year‑old Larisa Serban on or about 12 August 2022. Prosecutor Eilis Brennan SC described the attack as sustained and brutal, noting that Blanaru stabbed Serban in the heart, severed a bone in her elbow, and inflicted multiple defensive injuries on her. She highlighted that Serban's body showed numerous incise wounds, abrasions and puncture wounds consistent with defensive actions, while Blanaru had only a minor nick. Brennan urged jurors to focus on the evidence rather than defence theories, which included claims of accidental injury and self‑defence. She also referenced a toxicology report showing no alcohol or drugs in Serban's system and CCTV footage of Blanaru leaving the scene. Daniel Blanaru pleaded not guilty.
2025-03-20 · Kerry
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, forensic scientist Dr Yvonne O'Dowd testified that blood on Daniel Blanaru's t‑shirt matched the DNA of his partner, Larisa Serban, who was stabbed to death in their Co Meath home. She described extensive blood stains and spatter on walls, floors and doors, noting drip trails and pools that suggested a bleeding victim. O'Dowd examined knives, clothing and swabs, finding Serban's DNA on the t‑shirt and a mixed profile on Blanaru's shorts. No blood was found on a small knife in the house or in Blanaru's car. Blanaru, 37, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 26‑year‑old Serban on 12 August 2022. The case remains before Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury.
2025-03-18 · Kerry
In the murder trial of Daniel Blanaru, the Central Criminal Court heard that emergency services received two 999 calls from a phone linked to Larisa Serban before she was found dead at her home in Co Meath. The first call, at 1.41 am, lasted nine seconds, had no dialogue, and was traced to a cell site in Rathmore. The second call, at 1.46 am, lasted eight seconds and included a female voice speaking in a foreign dialect, though the words were not discernible. Detective Garda Conor Carolan explained the cell site and Advanced Mobile Location data used to locate the calls. The jury also heard from interpreter Stanislav Olaru, who confirmed he had translated Mr Blanaru's statements in real time during Garda interviews, noting that the defence's translator used recorded tapes. The trial continues before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury. Daniel Blanaru pleaded not guilty.
2025-03-14 · Meath
The murder trial of Daniel Blanaru (37) for the death of Larisa Serban (26) on 12 August 2022 has focused on the missing knife that caused the fatal stab wound to Serban's heart. Detective Sergeant Robert Madden testified that the knife has never been recovered and that Blanaru was the last known person to have it. Blanaru's interviews have shown inconsistent statements about the knife's location, and he has refused to disclose its whereabouts. The court heard video of a third interview in which Blanaru described the knife as a white kitchen knife with a silver blade about six inches long, very sharp and smooth. Gardaí have conducted extensive searches for the knife, but it remains missing, leaving the case to proceed without the weapon as evidence. The trial continues with Blanaru pleading not guilty.
2025-03-13 · Meath
During the trial of Daniel Blanaru, a 37‑year‑old accused of murdering his partner Larisa Serban, Detective Sergeant Robert Madden was cross‑examined by defence counsel Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha. The defence argued that Madden had "already judged" Blanaru before the interview, claiming the detective had decided the accused had committed murder. Madden denied this, stating that each investigation is approached with an open mind and that any admission by a suspect must be corroborated with evidence. He explained that photos of the crime scene were shown to establish the murder weapon's location and that a doctor assessed Blanaru's fitness for interview after a night of sleeplessness. Madden also refuted claims that he had caused Blanaru pain to elicit information, insisting the interview was conducted professionally. The trial proceeds before Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury. Daniel Blanaru pleaded not guilty.
2025-03-12 · Meath
During the Central Criminal Court hearing, Detective Sergeant Mark Looby explained that Daniel Blanaru, a 37‑year‑old from Rathmore, Athboy, Co. Meath, repeatedly deflected questions during his August 12, 2022 interview at Ashbourne Garda Station. Looby described how Blanaru would shift from the questions asked, often speaking about unrelated matters. The detective also denied the defence's claim that Gardaí had "pushed" a narrative onto Blanaru. He stated that Blanaru's statements about the knife and the victim's injuries were his own free narrative, not imposed by the Garda. Looby noted that Blanaru had admitted to being guilty and wanting to be locked up, but had not agreed to any statements for the sake of agreement. The trial continues before Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury. Daniel Blanaru pleaded not guilty.
2025-03-10 · Meath
During the Central Criminal Court trial of Daniel Blanaru, a 37‑year‑old accused of murdering his partner Larisa Serban, Detective Sergeant Mark Looby rejected the defence's claim that the interview was tainted by the accused's tiredness. Looby told the jury that Blanaru had changed his account three times and that the detective did not accept that the accused's statements about being tired raised any concern. The detective noted that Blanaru had admitted to being drunk and unable to remember everything, but he insisted that the interview was conducted properly. Looby also stated that the accused had not introduced the word "knife" into his narrative and that any mention of a knife was a new account given during the interview. The trial continues tomorrow before Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury. The unnamed 37-year-old pleaded not guilty.
2025-03-07 · Kerry
In a County Meath murder case, Daniel Blanaru, 37, pleaded not guilty to the stabbing death of Larisa Serban, 26, on 12 August 2022. During his fourth and final Garda interview, Blanaru admitted to killing Serban, saying, "I am guilty, I killed her. Please lock me up." He denied seeing Serban with another man before her death and claimed he had found her with her brother and a "tall guy." Gardaí presented statements from his sister and her husband, who alleged Blanaru had beaten and cut Serban. Blanaru also described throwing a knife he had found in his car onto the floor, which he could not recall removing. The trial heard video of Blanaru crying while viewing crime‑scene photographs and his refusal to return to the scene or retrieve the knife. The case proceeded to the Central Criminal Court with an enlarged jury.
2025-03-06 · Meath
In a murder trial, a 37‑year‑old man from Rathmore, Athboy, Co. Meath, pleaded not guilty to the killing of his 26‑year‑old partner, Larisa Serban, on or about 12 August 2022. He told Gardaí that he might have stabbed her with a very sharp kitchen knife, but he could not say how deep the wound was. Gardaí reported that the stab wound to Serban's chest was 12 cm deep, penetrating the rib and left lung, and that defensive wounds were present on her hands, forearms, arms and legs. The State argued that the victim could not have inflicted the wound herself. The jury heard the accused's statements, the pathologist's report, and the Garda interview footage, and the trial will continue before Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury.
2025-03-05 · Meath
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 37‑year‑old man named Daniel Blanaru, who pleaded not guilty to the murder of his 26‑year‑old partner Larisa Serban, told Gardaí that it was possible he had put a knife into her body during a pushing and shoving argument. Blanaru, from Rathmore, Athboy, claimed that after an argument in their Co Meath home, Larisa had a knife in her hand and that he had taken it from her. He said the knife was already in his hand when he turned with her and that it was "possible" he had put it into her body, indicating the left side near the heart. He said he struck her once when trying to take the knife away. Gardaí questioned him about his reaction to her being stabbed and his subsequent taking of cocaine, to which he replied that he had taken the cocaine before the knife was in her chest.
2025-03-04 · Kerry
In a Rathmore murder case, Daniel Blanaru, 37, denied killing his partner Larisa Serban, 26, who died from stab wounds. During an August 2022 interview at Ashbourne Garda Station, Blanaru claimed that Serban had a knife in her bag to protect herself and that she had approached him with it during an argument. He said the knife accidentally struck her as he turned, and that she had been upset. Blanaru also admitted to pushing and hitting Serban, and to being drunk and smoking that night. He stated he could not remember the exact time he left the house and that he had called his brother to check on a party. The Central Criminal Court heard this testimony and video footage, and the trial continues before Justice Eileen Creedon.
2025-03-03 · Meath
A man accused of murdering his partner at their County Meath home in August 2022 told gardaí during interview that he pushed and hit her following a dispute over a gathering at their residence, the Central Criminal Court has heard. Daniel Blanaru, aged 37, from Rathboy, Athboy, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Larisa Serban, aged 26, on or about 12 August 2022. During his first interview at Ashbourne Garda Station on 12 August 2022, Mr Blanaru stated through an interpreter that he discovered his partner hosting a party with her brother and another man when he returned home from Navan. He described an altercation in which physical contact occurred, claiming the other man intervened. Mr Blanaru told detectives he subsequently travelled to Drogheda and contacted gardaí, learning thereafter that Ms Serban had died. The trial, before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of fifteen, continues.
2025-02-27 · Meath
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 37‑year‑old man named Daniel Blanaru, accused of murdering his 26‑year‑old partner Larisa Serban, appeared at a Garda station with blood on his clothes and was described as crying hysterically. Blanaru told officers he had drunk half a bottle of whiskey the night of the stabbing at their Co Meath home. He also claimed he had begged the deceased's brother for cocaine that night. Garda John Wallace recounted seeing Blanaru pacing, handing over his licence, and later crying while in custody. Garda Rachael Carr observed him crying repeatedly in the cell. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, will continue next Monday with an enlarged jury. The State maintains that Blanaru was a jealous and controlling partner who stabbed Larisa on or about 12 August 2022. The accused has pleaded not guilty.
2025-02-26 · Wicklow
David Williams, 68, was sentenced to six years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to multiple counts of deception, providing legal services while unqualified, and acting as an unauthorised personal insolvency practitioner between January 2019 and June 2020. The court found that Williams, who was not a practising barrister, defrauded hundreds of foreign nationals through bogus firms including THL Legal and Moore, Barrington and Walters. In a separate bill, he admitted to defrauding a Galway woman in her 80s by dishonestly inducing her to purchase a Kuboto U27 mini-digger for €7,841. Co-accused Crystal Talia, 46, pleaded guilty to impeding an investigation by allowing Williams to use her bank accounts. Talia, who has no previous convictions, was previously given a one-year suspended sentence. Judge Orla Crowe described Williams as an "endemic recidivist fraudster" who breached the trust of victims seeking to regularise their status in Ireland. Williams had previously failed to attend a sentencing hearing, resulting in two bench warrants. Defence counsel cited Williams' cardiac condition and employment history in mitigation, while noting his multiple prior convictions dating back to the 1970s. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the custodial sentence.
2025-02-26 · Kerry
In the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard that Daniel Blanaru (37) begged his brother, David Serban, for cocaine on the night Larisa Serban (26) was found stabbed in her home. Blanaru, from Rathmore, Athboy, Co Meath, pleaded not guilty to her murder. The State argued that Larisa was killed by her jealous, controlling partner. Serban testified he left the house at about 1 a.m. on 12 August 2022, with no arguing, and that he had stopped at a bank to withdraw money for rent. He denied planning to buy cocaine or return to Rathmore after. He claimed he was the last person to see Larisa alive and that he would have been present if a struggle had occurred. Garda evidence showed Blanaru presented himself at a station at 6 a.m., shouting in a foreign language and saying "my wife, my wife, we fight." The trial continues tomorrow.
2025-02-25 · Kerry
During the murder trial of Daniel Blanaru, the father of the victim, Larisa Serban, testified that his daughter had hidden the fact that her partner was physically abusing her. He also claimed that Blanaru had threatened to kill Larisa, saying he would "hear about" it. The father, Ronet Serban, stated that he had advised Larisa to "get rid" of Blanaru because he was violent. He recalled Blanaru's threat that one day Larisa would lose everything and that he would kill her. The father said he did not take the threat seriously at the time. Larisa's sister, Sarah Serban, also testified that she had advised Larisa to break up with Blanaru because of his jealousy and possessiveness. The trial continues before Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury. Daniel Blanaru pleaded not guilty.
2025-02-24 · Kerry
During the trial, Georgeta Serban, mother of the 26‑year‑old Larisa Serban, testified that her daughter's partner, Daniel Blanaru (37), threatened to kill Larisa if her family interfered in their relationship. She described Blanaru as extremely possessive, paranoid and controlling, noting that he had no stable employment and that his jealousy intensified after Larisa's children were born. Serban said Blanaru would dictate what Larisa wore, forbid her from wearing tight clothing, and accuse her of infidelity whenever she spoke to other men. She recalled that a month before Larisa's death, Blanaru warned that he would kill her if the family intervened. Serban also recounted that Larisa lived a controlled, depressed life and that she had spoken to her daughter on the night before her death. The case is proceeding before Justice Eileen Creedon with an enlarged jury. Daniel Blanaru pleaded not guilty.
2025-02-20 · Kerry
During the Central Criminal Court hearing on 20 February 2025, Raul‑Cosmin Tache, the brother‑in‑law of Daniel Blanaru, gave evidence about statements he made to Gardaí on 12 and 16 August 2022. Tache confirmed that he had recorded Blanaru's claims that the accused had "beat her" and "cut her with a knife" and that he had been "desperate and crying" when he arrived at the house. Tache also stated that Blanaru said he had "beat up his wife" and was unsure whether he had killed her. Tache admitted he could not recall all the words spoken at the time, citing stress and panic, but acknowledged the statements were written down. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, continues with an enlarged jury. Daniel Blanaru pleaded not guilty.
2025-02-19 · Kerry
During the Central Criminal Court trial of Daniel Blanaru, 37, accused of murdering his partner Larisa Serban, 26, his sister Simona Terezia Ciurar gave evidence. She stated that she does not remember her brother saying "I killed her" or "I put a knife in" the victim, despite earlier statements to Gardaí on 12 and 16 August 2022. Ciurar explained that she was crying and stressed when she made those statements and could not recall all the words. She confirmed that she had signed the statements and that she had called her brother Leon to check Serban's house after an argument. The jury heard that Ciurar's memory of the brother's words was uncertain, and the trial will continue tomorrow before Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury. Daniel Blanaru pleaded not guilty.
2025-02-18 · Kerry
In the Rathmore murder trial, Narcisa Serban, sister of the victim Larisa Serban, denied that her husband Marcus Cranus had any sexual or violent involvement with Larisa. She called the defence's suggestion that she was "covering up" for her husband "nonsense" and described the claim of a prior sexual relationship as "disgraceful." Marcus Cranus, through a Romanian interpreter, denied any sexual relationship with Larisa and denied having performed chest compressions on her, stating he had only attempted cardiac massage because he was trained in first aid. He also denied any physical or violent struggle with Larisa. Witness Simona Terezia Ciurar confirmed that Daniel Blanaru had come to her house on the morning of the murder, claimed an argument with Larisa, and later tried to jump out of the car, an action stopped by her husband Raul. The trial continues before Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury. Daniel Blanaru pleaded not guilty.
2025-02-17 · Kerry
During the Central Criminal Court hearing, Daniel Blanaru (37) was described as sounding "desperate" and "panicked" when he spoke to his brother on a phone call, telling him to "go quick" to his home because he believed he had stabbed his partner, Larissa Serban (26). The court heard that the accused had also mentioned catching Larissa in bed with someone else. Narcisa Serban, Larissa's sister, testified that she arrived at the scene with her partner at about 5:30 am, finding Larissa in a "pool of blood" with "foam" at her mouth and a stiff body. She reported that Gardaí initially denied entry and later searched the house. The evidence will continue before Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury. Daniel Blanaru pleaded not guilty.
2025-02-13 · Meath
During the Central Criminal Court hearing, Daniel Blanaru (37) denied murdering his partner, Larisa Serban (26). A witness, Adriana Kovaciu, testified that she overheard Blanaru on a phone call with his brother, claiming he had caught Serban in bed with another man and stabbed her. She and her family rushed to the Athboy house where Serban lived, finding her on the floor with a large blood pool and a chest cut. Serban was declared dead after no pulse was found. Kovaciu also recalled a prior argument where Serban had a bruised elbow and was frightened. Blanaru has pleaded not guilty to the murder, and the trial continues before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury. The prosecution maintains that Blanaru intended to kill or seriously injure Serban.
2025-02-11 · Kerry
In a murder trial in County Meath, the State presented a case that Daniel Blanaru, 37, stabbed his partner Larisa Serban, 26, to death on 12 August 2022. Prosecutor Eilis Brennan described the relationship as turbulent, jealous and controlling, citing a violent incident on 31 July 2022 at a house in Balbriggan where Serban called emergency services. Brennan said Serban was found early that morning with heavy bleeding from a chest laceration and that a stab wound caused fatal injury to her heart, lung and aorta. She noted that Blanaru's Gardaí interview was confusing and that blood at the scene could link to him. The trial will continue before Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury. The prosecution maintains that Blanaru intended to kill or seriously injure Serban. Daniel Blanaru pleaded not guilty.
2025-02-10 · Kerry
A jury has been empanelled to hear the trial of Daniel Blanaru, 37, who is accused of murdering his partner, 26‑year‑old Larisa Serban, in Rathmore, County Meath, on 12 August 2022. Blanaru pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court. The trial will begin tomorrow before Justice Eileen Creedon, with a jury of seven men and five women. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions is Eilis Brennan SC, and Blanaru's counsel is Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC.
2025-02-06 · Cork
John O'Brien, aged 31, challenged a decision that denied him access to a State Claims Agency compensation scheme for the "slopping‑out" regime he endured while imprisoned in Cork between March 2013 and April 2014. He alleged that he was forced to urinate and defecate into a bucket in his cell, sometimes in front of other inmates, and then "slop out" the contents in the morning when the cell door opened. O'Brien claimed this practice breached Articles 3 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and was unconstitutional under Irish law. He applied for compensation in November 2020 and formally in March 2021, but the respondents rejected his application in May 2021 as statute‑barred. In his judicial‑review application, Mr Justice Micheál O'Higgins rejected the claim, stating that O'Brien had not shown that the limitation period was contrary to his rights or that his exclusion was oppressive or unfair.
2023-07-26 · Kerry
Emmet O'Connor, a 30-year-old man from Co. Kerry, has been ordered to remain in custody after the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal against convictions for rape, organising prostitution, and intimidating a witness. In December 2020, a jury at the Central Criminal Court unanimously found O'Connor guilty of two counts of rape, organising prostitution, and intimidating a witness by sending graphic Snapchat messages to the complainant. He had denied all charges. In April 2021, Mr Justice Michael White sentenced O'Connor to eight years' imprisonment for rape and anal rape, to two years for organising prostitution – to run consecutively with the rape sentences – and to another consecutive year for the intimidation offence. Ms Justice Tara Burns, presiding over the appeal, rejected O'Connor's arguments regarding the admissibility of 'recent complaint' evidence from the victim's sister and a Ruhama counsellor, finding no prejudicial effect. The court also dismissed claims of unfairness concerning late forensic analysis of the complainant's clothing, noting the defence could have sought its own expert. Furthermore, the appeal against the intimidation conviction was rejected, with the court affirming that the trial judge properly directed the jury on the requisite intent. The Court of Appeal upheld all convictions, meaning O'Connor must serve his effective sentence.
2023-06-16 · Kerry
Emmet O'Connor, 30, of Kerry, was convicted in December 2020 of two counts of rape, organising prostitution and intimidating a witness. He was sentenced in April 2021 to eight years for the rapes, two years for organising prostitution and one year for intimidation, all consecutive. O'Connor denied the charges. The victim, a sex worker, testified that she and O'Connor had consensual rough sex a year earlier but that on 25 September 2017 she was forced to sleep with him, was crying and begged him to stop; he grabbed her, carried her upstairs, threw her on the bed and raped her twice. O'Connor's appeal argues that the trial judge erred by allowing evidence from two recent‑complaint witnesses without adequate warning of its limited use, and that late forensic evidence was introduced too late. The State's counsel said the evidence was not hearsay and that the judge had explained its limited use. The court will reserve judgment on the appeal.
2019-02-13 · Dublin
Liam Deegan, 27, an escaped prisoner from Mountjoy, was sentenced to five years after a night‑time chase on the M50. He abandoned his Volkswagen Passat in a garage forecourt, then pulled over at 2 am when Garda John Ryan ordered him to stop. Deegan reversed, performed a U‑turn across three lanes, and drove the wrong way down the motorway. A Garda helicopter detected heat from a wheelie bin where Deegan hid. He was arrested and pleaded guilty to endangerment between junctions 7 and 9 on the M50. The court noted his 39 prior convictions and his apology to Gardaí. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on strict terms, requiring Deegan to engage with the Probation Service for 12 months upon release. No injuries occurred during the pursuit. The case was prosecuted by Garret Baker BL and defended by Niall Storan BL.
2018-10-18 · Dublin
James Cronin, a 36‑year‑old rapist serving a burglary sentence, was given an additional two‑year term for threatening to burn down a prison officer's house at Arbour Hill Prison. He told the officer he knew where she lived and would set her home alight if she refused to serve him tobacco at the prison tuck shop. The court noted that prisoners have scheduled times to use the tuck shop and that Cronin had lied about being unable to attend his slot a day later. Garda Redmond O'Leary said this was the first time the officer felt compelled to report the threat, despite 17 years of similar incidents. Judge Melanie Greally described the threat as "sufficiently menacing and convincing" and imposed a two‑year sentence with nine months suspended, citing Cronin's history of mental health issues and prior convictions for false imprisonment, rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and burglary.".
2018-10-02 · Kerry
James Cronin, aged 35, was jailed for two years by the Court of Appeal after breaching the conditions of a suspended sentence by drinking alcohol. Cronin had previously been sentenced to seven years in 2007 for attempting to rape a girl he met at a Killarney disco on Christmas Eve 2004, and was already serving an eight‑year sentence for kidnapping and raping another woman he met at a Killarney disco on 31 October 2004. The Court of Criminal Appeal had varied his Christmas Eve sentence to ten years, suspending the final five years on the condition that he comply with probation services and abstain from alcohol. The probation service reported that Cronin had consumed alcohol to an excessive degree on several occasions, undermining his medication and the terms of his release. The Court of Appeal, hearing the matter, activated two of the five suspended years, requiring Cronin to serve two years in jail.
2016-11-07 · Cork
Brian Veale, 31, was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Graham Johnson in the kitchen of Cork Prison on 16 May 2015. Veale stabbed Johnson through the heart with a carving knife after an argument over television channels. The jury found him guilty after deliberating for 1 hour 56 minutes. Victim impact statements were read by Johnson's sister, Vivienne, and his 13‑year‑old daughter, describing the loss and emotional toll. Veale, originally from Dungarvan, had 105 prior convictions and was already in custody on a robbery charge when the murder occurred. The judge imposed the mandatory life sentence, consecutive to a previous offence imposed on 28 February 2015. The court heard that the knife used was available to kitchen staff and that the incident followed a brief confrontation over a horse‑racing channel. The case concluded with the judge's sentencing and no further legal proceedings reported. Brian Veale pleaded not guilty.
2016-10-26 · Waterford
A Central Criminal Court jury found Brian Veale, 31, guilty of murdering fellow inmate Graham Johnson, 41, at Cork Prison after a dispute over television channels. The trial heard that the argument began around 3 pm on 16 May 2015, ended briefly, but later that evening Veale entered the kitchen with a carving knife and stabbed Johnson in the chest. Witnesses, including Ming Feng Chen and prison officer Brian Forde, described the altercation and Veale's subsequent smile and remark that a life sentence would not matter. Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy testified that Johnson died from a single stab wound that perforated the heart and aorta. DNA evidence linked Veale's clothing to Johnson's blood. The jury deliberated 1 hour 56 minutes and returned a unanimous verdict of murder. The case was adjourned for sentencing until 7 November, with Veale remanded in custody. Brian Veale pleaded not guilty.
2016-10-25 · Cork
A jury at the Central Criminal Court heard closing arguments in the trial of a man charged with murder at Cork Prison. Brian Veale, 31, of Dominic Street, Cork, denies murdering fellow inmate Graham Johnson on 16 May 2015 at the prison on Rathmore Road. Defence counsel Tom Creed SC argued that fear is central to the case and urged the jury to consider a manslaughter verdict rather than murder, drawing comparison to the 2005 trial of Mayo farmer Padraig Nally. He submitted the prosecution had failed to rule out self-defence. Prosecutor Tim O'Leary SC countered that self-defence was "conjured up" and presented eyewitness evidence of the stabbing. He emphasised that Mr Johnson died from a single chest wound that penetrated his heart and spine. Detective evidence disclosed that Mr Veale declined to comment when questioned about a blood-stained knife and bloodstains on his clothing and shoes. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy began her charge to the twelve-person jury, which will conclude tomorrow morning. Brian Veale pleaded not guilty.
2016-10-24 · Cork
In a Cork Prison murder trial, 31‑year‑old Brian Veale pleaded not guilty to the killing of fellow inmate Graham Johnson on 16 May 2015. Witness Ray Cummins testified that Veale and Johnson argued over a television remote in the kitchen, that Veale was calm when speaking to Cummins at 3.30 pm, and that he later told Cummins not to return to his cell because he feared Johnson might harm him. Cummins also recalled Johnson confronting Veale after the argument, calling him "out the back" and walking away while Johnson continued watching TV. Detective Sergeant Vincent O'Sullivan reported that Veale's kitchen clothing was seized from a bin in his cell, and forensic scientist Dr Edward Connolly examined the clothing and a knife recovered from the kitchen. Connolly found heavy blood‑staining on the knife's blade that matched Johnson's DNA profile, and blood on Veale's t‑shirt, trousers and shoes also matched Johnson's DNA.
2016-10-21 · Cork
During a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a witness testified that on 16 May 2015, in the kitchen of Cork Prison, an argument over television channels escalated between Brian Veale (31) and Graham Johnson. Johnson, who wanted to watch a horse race, threatened Veale that he would "batter" him and told him to leave. Veale allegedly approached Johnson with a kitchen knife, inserted it into Johnson's chest, causing a 6‑cm stab wound that penetrated the sternum, sliced the heart and aorta, and resulted in fatal haemorrhage. The knife was then thrown onto the counter. State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy confirmed the post‑mortem findings, describing the wound trajectory and the heart's perforation. The case is proceeding before Justice Isobel Kennedy with a jury of twelve, and the trial is expected to last five days. Brian Veale pleaded not guilty.
2016-10-21 · Cork
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Brian Veale, aged 31, pleaded not guilty to the killing of Graham Johnson, a 42‑year‑old inmate, at Cork Prison on 16 May 2015. Chief State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy testified that Johnson died from a single stab wound to the front of his chest, which penetrated the sternum, sliced through the ribs, and went straight through the heart from front to back, causing haemorrhages to the heart and aorta. The wound was 12 cm below the breastbone, 6 cm wide, and extended onto the left side of the chest. Veale and Johnson were known to each other and were working in the prison kitchen when a verbal altercation over a television channel occurred around 3 pm. After the quarrel ended, Veale allegedly returned to the kitchen with a knife and stabbed Johnson sometime after 5 pm.
2016-10-20 · Cork
Brian Veale, 31, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Graham Johnson, 31, at Cork Prison on 16 May 2015. The prosecution alleged an altercation over a television channel in the kitchen, after which Veale allegedly obtained a knife and stabbed Johnson in the chest. Witness Ming Feng Chen, an inmate, testified that Veale approached Johnson, stabbed him, then smiled and said, "If I get a life sentence it doesn't matter." Chen also claimed he feared Veale might harm him and picked up the knife. Prison officer Brian Forde recounted hearing a heated argument about the channel, seeing Johnson in distress, and observing a knife with blood on it. The case is before Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy with a jury of seven men and five women.
2016-10-20 · Cork
In a Cork Prison kitchen on 16 May 2015, Brian Veale (31) allegedly stabbed fellow inmate Graham Johnson after a verbal altercation over switching television channels. Prosecutors told a Central Criminal Court jury that the dispute arose around 3 pm between the two men while they were preparing food. After the quarrel ended, Veale reportedly entered a kitchen area with a knife and stabbed Johnson in the chest. State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy described the wound as a single downward thrust that perforated the heart, sliced the aorta and oesophagus, and caused rapid death. Witnesses were to testify about the incident, the kitchen staff's observations, and forensic evidence linking blood on Veale's clothing to Johnson. Veale pleaded not guilty to murder, and the trial was set to continue before Justice Isobel Kennedy and a jury.
2016-10-17 · Cork
A jury of six men and six women was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court for the trial of Brian Veale, 31, who is accused of murdering 41‑year‑old Graham Johnson in Cork Prison on 16 May 2015. Veale pleaded not guilty. The trial is scheduled to begin the following day and is expected to last five days.
2014-05-09 · Cork
The Special Criminal Court sentenced Anthony Carroll (31) and Brian Walsh (44) to six years' imprisonment for the unlawful possession of firearms. Both men pleaded not guilty to possessing a Walther PI 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a Smith & Wesson .22mm Magnum revolver, and 12 rounds of ammunition found in a van on Deanrock Avenue, Togher, on February 23, 2013. The court found sufficient evidence of joint enterprise and unlawful purpose. Justice Paul Butler imposed a seven-year sentence, reduced by one year for the manner of the trial, resulting in a net six-year term. Sentences were backdated to April 25, 2013, for Carroll and February 25, 2013, for Walsh. The State entered a Nolle Prosequi regarding a charge of IRA membership. Carroll's prior four-month suspended sentence for pepper spray possession was noted, with its lifting currently under appeal. The judge stated that neither defendant provided credible indications of future conduct to warrant further suspension.
2014-04-11 · Cork
Two Cork men, Anthony Carroll (30) of Curaheen Close, Bishopstown, and Brian Walsh (43) of Connolly Road, Ballyphehane, were found guilty by the Special Criminal Court of the unlawful possession of a Walther pistol, a Smith & Wesson revolver, and 12 rounds of ammunition at Deanrock Avenue, Togher, on February 23, 2013. Both pleaded not guilty to the charges, which also included the possession of a Walther PI 9mm calibre semi-automatic pistol, a magazine suitable for use with the Walther pistol, a Smith & Wesson .22mm Magnum calibre revolver with the serial number AEM 2000, six rounds of 9mm calibre ammunition suitable for use with the Walther PI 9mm calibre semi-automatic pistol, and six rounds of .22 long rifle rounds of ammunition suitable for use in a Smith & Wesson .22 magnum calibre revolver at the same address on the same date. The court heard that the firearms were found inside a pencil case in a van the men were stopped in. Mr Justice Paul Butler stated that the court was satisfied that both men were jointly involved in an enterprise that included the firearms and ammunition. He remanded Brian Walsh in custody for sentencing before the court on May 9 and remanded Anthony Carroll to Cork District Court, as he is currently serving a four-month suspended sentence imposed by that court.
2013-12-05 · Dublin
Richard Coleman, a 29‑year‑old farmer from Drumlattery in Skerries, Co. Dublin, pleaded guilty in Balbriggan District Court to driving without insurance on 29 June at Rathmore Road, Lusk. He had been stopped by Garda John Lennon who confirmed he had no insurance cover at that time. Coleman claimed he had paid a premium cheque two days earlier, but the insurance company returned it because the premium was higher than quoted. He did not receive the cheque until 31 June and was stopped before it was returned. Defence solicitor Mary Arnold noted he had taken out new insurance on 1 July. Coleman explained he drove to a vet to obtain antibiotics for a sick heifer, fearing the animal would die otherwise. Judge Dermot Dempsey accepted his explanation, decided not to disqualify him, but warned that as this is his third no‑insurance conviction he will face custody if he commits a similar offence again. He was fined €500.