Court archive
Court reports mentioning Kilcullen, Kildare
2026-05-12 · Kildare
A grieving Garda sergeant, Sgt Laura Gaffey, has submitted a judicial review application to the High Court, alleging bullying and discrimination within An Garda Síochána following the death of her son. She claims that a superior officer made a discriminatory comment, stating, "I suppose you thought you would get a consolation prize for losing your son," after she applied for a new position following her child's death. Sgt Gaffey, who has 18 years of experience, alleges ongoing bullying by a supervising inspector since 2018, including criticism for taking maternity leave. She further claims that her complaints led to a data breach, with sensitive personal information being shared without her consent. Sgt Gaffey also alleges that she was intentionally undermined in her role, not provided with necessary equipment, and faced hostile treatment from another superior officer. Although an internal panel cleared the officer of bullying, Sgt Gaffey claims the process involved a breach of her privacy, including references to her mental health and the death of her son.
2025-03-10 · Kildare
A 28‑year‑old man, John Glynn, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment by the Central Criminal Court for six counts of sexual assault against a girl aged between eight and thirteen who was being minded by his mother at his family home in Co. Kildare. The victim, who chose to waive anonymity, described ongoing fear, trust issues and psychological distress in her impact statement. Glynn pleaded guilty to the assaults, which occurred between 2013 and 2018, and was also charged with possession of child sexual abuse material, a charge pending sentencing in May. The judge noted Glynn's high risk of re‑offending, his admission of shame, and his ongoing cannabis use, and imposed a two‑year post‑release supervision order and a requirement to engage in a sex‑offender treatment programme. The sentence was reduced from a potential seven years to five years and six months, reflecting that Glynn was a juvenile for part of the offending period.
2024-01-12 · Kildare
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced four men for money laundering offences linked to €121,000 stolen from a Dublin solicitors' firm via invoice redirect fraud. Judge Martin Nolan warned that the court is "totally fed up" with young money mules using "stupidity as a shield" and stated that those providing bank details after January 2022 face potential custody. Cameron Fanning, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts of money laundering and one count of giving false information to gardaí. He was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, suspended in full on strict conditions. The judge noted the court would not use Fanning as a "sacrificial lamb" given his reckless but believable explanation. Mubarak Salawu, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and possessing €600 Balenciaga runners bought with proceeds of crime; he received a suspended two-year prison sentence. Olumide Lawal, 27, admitted to two counts of money laundering and possession of an iPhone bought with proceeds of crime; he was also given a suspended two-year prison sentence. Aaron Clancy, 21, pleaded guilty to possessing €3,020 in proceeds of money laundering and a further unrelated count of possessing €4,650 in proceeds of crime; he received a suspended two-year prison sentence. The judge noted that for Salawu, Lawal, and Clancy, the amounts involved were lower and all three were young men with their "futures in front of them".
2020-10-12 · Kildare
A 25-year-old student has received a fully suspended 12-month sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for money laundering. Jonathan Angbalu pleaded guilty to facilitating the lodgement of a stolen and altered €9,000 cheque into his bank account between March 2016. Gardaí established that the cheque, originally issued by market research firm Millward Brown, was intercepted and modified before being deposited in Angbalu's account at Permanent TSB on St Stephen's Green. The account was subsequently frozen, and €6,094.50 was recovered. The court heard that Angbalu was approached by three men who promised him €2,000 to use his account for lodging and withdrawing funds. He was instructed not to display nervousness during withdrawals. Angbalu later realised the arrangement was fraudulent. He never received payment and withdrew only €700 before providing it to the men. Judge Pauline Codd imposed the sentence on strict conditions, noting his youth and lack of previous convictions. Angbalu brought €1,350 to court as an expression of remorse.
2019-12-20 · Dublin
David Byrne, a 43‑year‑old former postman from Kilcullen, was convicted of dangerous driving causing the death of 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne in Dublin on 16 October 2015. He also pleaded not guilty to dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue a licence and to making a false statement on an insurance application. A jury found him guilty on all three counts and Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to five years' imprisonment on 11 May 2018. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, reduced the sentence to four years, suspending the final 12 months, citing mitigating factors such as Byrne's exemplary character, good work record and long period of incident‑free driving. The court upheld a lifetime driving disqualification. Byrne suffers from Type 2 Usher Syndrome, a degenerative eye disorder that causes peripheral vision loss. The appeal was rejected, with the court affirming that the trial was fair and the verdict safe.
2019-12-16 · Dublin
David Byrne, a 43‑year‑old former postman from Kilcullen, appealed the severity of his five‑year prison sentence for dangerous driving that caused the death of 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne on Collins Avenue East, Killester, in October 2015. Byrne, who has Type 2 Usher Syndrome, a degenerative eye disorder that causes peripheral vision loss, pleaded not guilty to the charges of dangerous driving, dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue a licence, and making a false statement while taking out insurance. The jury found him guilty on all three counts. His appeal, presented to the Court of Appeal, argues that the eight‑year headline sentence was too high and that his medical condition should be considered. The Court of Appeal reserved judgment, with a decision expected on 20 December 2023.
2019-10-15 · Dublin
A visually impaired postman who was convicted of dangerous driving causing the death of an elderly pedestrian has had his conviction upheld by the Court of Appeal. Postman David Byrne (43) of Sunnyhill, Castlemartin Lodge, Kilcullen, Co Kildare, had pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Patricia Dunne (70) at Collins Avenue East, Killester in Dublin on October 16, 2015. He also pleaded not guilty to dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service (NDLS) to issue him with a driving licence and making a false or misleading statement while taking out insurance. He was found guilty by a jury on all three counts and sentenced to five years imprisonment by Judge Patricia Ryan on May 11, 2018. During the trial, the court heard that Ms Dunne had been walking home pulling a shopping trolley when she was struck by Byrne's car. Byrne has Type 2 Usher Syndrome, a degenerative eye disorder resulting in peripheral vision loss. The Court of Appeal rejected all grounds of appeal, including the claim that Byrne should have been charged with a lesser offence. The court upheld that Byrne ticked a box on his licence application stating that he did not have any condition affecting his peripheral vision, thereby making a gain by deception. The matter was adjourned, with Mr Justice Birmingham presiding, along with Ms Justice Maire Whelan and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, to hear an appeal relating to the length of Byrne's sentence in November.
2019-07-05 · Dublin
David Byrne, 43, of Kilcullen, was convicted of dangerous driving causing the death of 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne on Collins Avenue East, Killester, on 16 October 2015. He also pleaded not guilty to dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue a licence and to making a false statement while taking out insurance. A jury found him guilty on all three counts and Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to five years' imprisonment on 11 May 2018. Byrne has Type 2 Usher Syndrome, a degenerative eye disorder that causes peripheral vision loss. During the trial the court heard that Dunne was walking home with a shopping trolley, began to cross the road, a van slowed to allow her, but Byrne's car struck her, flinging her into the air before stopping. Byrne has now moved to appeal his conviction in the Court of Appeal, where judgment is reserved.
2018-05-11 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 42‑year‑old postman David Byrne was convicted of dangerous driving causing the death of 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne. Byrne, who suffers from Type 2 Usher Syndrome, had previously pleaded not guilty to the charge and to related offences of dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue a licence and making a false statement on an insurance application. The jury found him guilty on all three counts. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to five years' imprisonment, reducing the headline figure of eight years to five on the basis of mitigating factors such as his cooperation, good record and remorse. Byrne was ordered to attend his son's First Holy Communion before reporting to Mountjoy Prison. The sentence includes treatment for his medical condition while incarcerated.
2018-05-04 · Dublin
In a Dublin court, 42‑year‑old David Byrne, who has Type 2 Usher Syndrome, was found guilty of dangerous driving causing the death of 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne on 16 October 2015. Byrne pleaded not guilty to the charge and to related offences of dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue a licence and making a false statement on insurance. The jury convicted him on all three charges. The court heard that Mrs Dunne was walking home with a shopping trolley when Byrne's car struck her, flinging her into the air before stopping. Byrne has no prior convictions. Judge Patricia Ryan remanded him on bail pending sentencing. The Dunne family, led by son John, expressed that they will never forgive Byrne for killing their mother, citing the lack of remorse and apology. Byrne's counsel requested leniency, noting his rehabilitation and the single accident in 20 years of driving with the disease.
2018-03-13 · Dublin
David Byrne, a 42‑year‑old postman from Kilcullen, was found guilty of dangerous driving causing the death of 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne on 16 October 2015. Byrne had pleaded not guilty to the dangerous driving charge and to other counts, including dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue a licence and making a false statement on an insurance application. The jury, after three and a half hours of deliberation, returned a majority verdict on the dangerous driving charge and unanimous guilty verdicts on the remaining counts. Judge Patricia Ryan remanded Byrne on continuing bail and set sentencing for 4 May. Byrne's case involved his Usher Syndrome Type 2, a condition that impairs vision in low light and peripheral vision, and the prosecution argued that he had been advised not to drive since 1997.
2018-03-12 · Dublin
In a dangerous driving causing death trial, the prosecution argued that David Byrne, 42, could not have seen the road because he has no peripheral vision due to Usher Syndrome Type II. Prosecutor Fionnuala O'Sullivan said a fully sighted driver would have seen 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne as she crossed Collins Avenue East, Killester, on 16 October 2015, and that Byrne's decision to drive with this condition, despite doctors' advice, made his driving dangerous. She also alleged Byrne obtained a driving licence by deception, answering "no" to a medical difficulty question, and failed to disclose his eye condition to his insurer. Byrne denies dangerous driving and the licence fraud, pleading not guilty. The jury will deliberate tomorrow, with the trial before Judge Patricia Ryan.
2018-03-08 · Kildare
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 42‑year‑old postman David Byrne denied dangerous driving that caused the death of 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne on 16 October 2015. He also pleaded not guilty to dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue a licence on 30 September 2014 and to making a false statement on insurance. Byrne claimed he had not driven at the time of the fatal collision, had not been speeding, had not drunk, and had obeyed traffic signals. An optometrist, Aengus Morrin, testified that Byrne had Usher Syndrome, diagnosed in 1997, and that his peripheral vision was "very, very poor – almost non‑existent". Dr Paul Kenna, a clinical ophthalmologist, confirmed the diagnosis and noted that Byrne had been advised against driving in daylight or at night. The trial continues with closing arguments pending.
2018-03-07 · Kildare
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 42‑year‑old postman David Byrne pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving that caused the death of 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne on Collins Avenue East, Killester, on 16 October 2015. Byrne also pleaded not guilty to dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue him a licence on 30 September 2014 and to making a false statement when taking out insurance on 16 September 2015. The court heard that Byrne had an eye condition, Usher Syndrome Type 2, diagnosed in 1997, and that he had been strongly advised not to drive. Byrne denied being told not to drive and claimed he had never disclosed the condition to his insurer.
2018-03-06 · Dublin
In a dangerous driving trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, 70‑year‑old Patricia Byrne was killed on Collins Avenue East in Killester on 16 October 2015. Van driver Sandjis Jansons testified that he slowed his delivery van when he saw Byrne crossing the street, stating she was "already on the road" and not on a pedestrian crossing. He claimed he had no idea what she would do and that the car that struck her was driven by David Byrne, 42, who has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing Byrne's death. Byrne also pleaded not guilty to dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue him a licence and to making a false statement in an insurance application. The prosecution alleged Byrne had Usher Syndrome Type 2, a condition that impairs vision in low light, and that he failed to disclose this when applying for a licence or informing his insurer.
2016-10-24 · Wexford
Niall Barron, a 44‑year‑old former Vodafone Ireland executive, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for a fraud scheme that deprived the company of about €1.95 million. Between 2003 and 2007, while serving as head of corporate financial services and fraud prevention, Barron used his authority to approve purchase orders and invoices for a company he owned, Tel‑Q Ltd, registered in Vanuatu. He ordered services that were never performed and paid invoices for work that did not occur. The court described the thefts as a sophisticated, pre‑meditated breach of trust. Barron pleaded guilty to sample charges under the Theft and Fraud Act. Co‑accused Elaine and David McGovern received suspended sentences and a nine‑month term, respectively, for lesser roles in the same fraud scheme. The case remains an ongoing civil matter for Vodafone.
2014-06-24 · Dublin
Raymond Hoey, 45, was disqualified from driving for two years after driving under the influence on 6 November 2013. He had been drinking wine with his wife at dinner when an argument broke out, prompting him to drive away. His wife called the Gardaí, who stopped him at 7:35 pm at Glasmore Park, Swords. Hoey was arrested, gave a blood sample showing 139 mg/100 ml, and was later convicted and fined €400. Judge Dermot Dempsey postponed the disqualification until 1 December and allowed a postponement of the penalty. The case was heard in Swords District Court.
2014-06-24 · Dublin
Swords District Court heard multiple matters. Charges against Shane Langan and Kieran Kennedy for mutual assault were withdrawn following an agreement on the division of blame. Sean Cullen, alleged to have breached a protection order, was remanded on continuing bail with strict conditions, including residing at his father's house and remaining sober. Thomas Nicholson, charged with stealing an €18,000 mini digger, was remanded on bail for DPP directions. Luke Nestor pleaded guilty to theft; the judge ordered 200 hours of voluntary work before considering conviction. Jason Mitchell pleaded guilty to cannabis possession and was convicted and fined €200. Mateusz Sniezek pleaded guilty to drink driving and was disqualified for three years, with the ban postponed until December 1st. Oksana Smirnova pleaded guilty to failing to provide a sample; she was convicted, fined €650, and disqualified for four years. Brendan Hill pleaded guilty to public order offences and was fined €300 in total.