The appeal of Tony Dean (70) of Woodhaven, Milltown, Dublin, who was found guilty of three charges relating to breaches of a waste management licence and environmental pollution at a site in Kerdiffstown, Naas, Co Kildare, between October 2003 and November 2008, is ongoing. Dean, who previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, was convicted by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The charges include two counts of disposing of or recovering waste at the facility in Kerdiffstown otherwise than in accordance with the waste licence, and a third charge of holding or recovering waste in a manner likely to cause environmental pollution. The prosecution case was that Dean was negligent rather than that he had connived or consented to commit the offences, which are contrary to the Waste Management Act, 1996. Dean has a previous conviction for recovery of waste without a licence relating to a site near Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, in 1998. The matter was adjourned by Judge Melanie Greally to January 30 next, pending further evidence regarding Dean's health and any scheduled heart surgery.
Michael John Cummins, 22, of Dreenane, Carbury, was sentenced to five years in prison for the anal rape of a teenage friend who was asleep after a house party in County Kildare on 25 November 2018. Cummins pleaded guilty in June 2022. The victim, who chose to remain unnamed, gave permission for Cummins to be named and provided a victim impact statement in which she questioned why he had not pleaded guilty earlier and expressed relief at his eventual admission. The judge noted the profound effect on her life, her fear, and her resilience. Cummins was found to have genuine remorse, and the court imposed a custodial sentence of six years and three months, with the final 15 months suspended on strict conditions, including no contact with the victim and engagement with the Probation Service. The case highlighted the victim's struggle to regain safety and confidence after the assault.
Stephen 'Rossi' Walsh, aged 75, had his 2010 conviction for indecent assault of a seven‑year‑old girl overturned by the Court of Appeal. Walsh had previously been sentenced to 10 years for raping a nine‑year‑old in the early 1990s, and in 2010 received a three‑year sentence for the 1988 assaults, followed by a 12‑year sentence in 2011 for further sexual offences. The appeal centred on pre‑trial media coverage, notably Sunday World and News of the World articles published the day before his trial, which portrayed Walsh as a convicted pervert and gang member. Walsh argued that this coverage prejudiced the jury and that the trial judge failed to give adequate warnings. The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction, noting the coverage was "highly egregious" and that the judge's instructions were insufficient. The court left it to the State to decide whether a retrial is required.
In a High Court hearing on 2 December 2022, a dispute involving businessman Sean Dunne and his family over two valuable properties in County Kildare was addressed. The plaintiffs—John Dunne, Sean's son from his first marriage, and Sean's four minor sons—sued through their mother, Gayle Killilea, and secured a temporary injunction preventing Traviata Ltd, Sean Dunne, and Bessilton Holdings Ltd from selling or disposing of the properties. Amrabko Unlimited, a company directed by Ms Killilea, also applied, claiming it had spent €577,000 on a house at one of the sites. The injunction covers both legal and beneficial interests, including a property allegedly sold for €1 million. Sean Dunne, who was declared bankrupt in 2013, denies wrongdoing, as do the defendants. Traviata, an Isle of Man‑registered company wholly owned by SD Trust, argued that the case should be heard in the Isle of Man, while Bessilton, the registered owner, said it complied with court orders.
Deirdre Brady, aged 55 and wife of Kinahan Cartel member Declan Brady, was given a three‑year wholly suspended sentence in July 2023 for laundering almost €800,000 of crime cash. The Court of Appeal quashed that sentence on 1 December 2022, finding it too lenient, and ordered her to serve one year in jail from January 2023. Brady had pleaded guilty to two offences under Section 7 of the Criminal Justice Act. The laundering involved €770,499 transferred through four bank accounts, a Spanish holiday property mortgage, a wedding at Druid's Glen, and other gang members. The appeal was brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions, who argued the gravity of the case warranted custodial terms. The Court of Appeal noted Brady's active role in managing the Spanish property and her benefit from the illicit proceeds.
Stephen Penrose, 39, a former garda's son, is serving a life sentence for the murder of Philip Finnegan in 2016. While in Mountjoy Prison, he pleaded guilty to possession of diamorphine for sale and supply. In a supervised visit, Penrose attempted to conceal a package containing a mobile phone, 49.2 g of diamorphine, and 113 zopiclone tablets. Prison officers intervened, and the package was seized. Penrose initially denied receiving the drugs but later admitted he was unaware of the package until the visit and that his partner had instructed him to hand it to another inmate. He has 34 prior convictions, including murder, manslaughter and drug possession. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a concurrent sentence of two and a half years to deter drug smuggling in prison.
Denis Maguire, 65, former head of finance and company secretary at Our Lady's Hospice (OLH), pleaded guilty to deception for selling a Spanish property, Aloha Lake Village, Marbella West, at €37,500 in March 2015, far below its €240,000 market value. Maguire, who had no prior convictions, managed OLH's inherited properties and secured a resolution allowing him to dispose of the Spanish asset. He accepted a third‑party offer within 24 hours, without due diligence, and arranged the sale to Sun Orange Property LLC, a New York‑registered shell company. OLH suffered a loss of over €28,000 after liabilities were deducted. The scheme was uncovered following an HSE audit in September 2015. In November 2022, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Maguire to 27 months' imprisonment, back‑dated to 17 October, citing the devious nature of the crime and the breach of trust he had owed to OLH.
Samy Taib, 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm, one count of coercive control, endangerment, driving without a licence and insurance, and dangerous driving. The offences occurred between May 2018 and October 2019, involving repeated physical abuse of his former partner, including choking, punching, and driving over her leg. He admitted to running her over with his car on 9 May 2019, causing permanent injury to her foot. Gardaí pursued him after a high‑speed chase on 13 October 2019, seized his black Volvo, and arrested him in July 2019. Taib has 22 prior convictions, mainly traffic offences, and was diagnosed with schizophrenia in early 2020. The case was adjourned to 20 January 2023 for finalisation. The court heard the victim's impact statement describing lasting physical and psychological harm. Taib had moved to Scotland in 2020 and returned to Ireland in April 2022.
Boguslaw Sajor, 34, of Timahoe, Co Kildare, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to seven and a half years in prison for transporting more than €1.5 million worth of cannabis from Malaga, Spain, to Ireland. The goods were intercepted at a Duleek Business Park address that did not correspond to any company, and the pallets were seized. Gardaí followed Sajor's Mercedes Sprinter van, stopped it on the N7, and obtained three search warrants for his residential and business addresses. A small amount of cannabis, weighing scales, a tracking device, and an encrypted mobile app were found at his home; the app contained messages about "35 greens" and instructions for dividing the drugs. In the van, three mobile phones were recovered, one with the encrypted app. Gardaí searched the pallets and found €692,000 of cannabis herb and €900,000 of cannabis resin, totalling €1,592,000. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
The High Court has appointed an interim examiner to Blacklough Construction Limited following an application on grounds of cash-flow insolvency. The company, which has 48 employees and engages subcontractors, is currently constructing over 360 social housing units across five sites for Respond Housing Association, including developments in Charlestown, County Mayo, and locations in Dublin, Meath, Westmeath and Louth. An independent expert's report indicated the company has reasonable prospects of survival if certain steps are taken. Counsel attributed the firm's difficulties primarily to a 33 per cent rise in building material costs since 2020, alongside a potential planning permission issue at the Carrickmines site in Dublin. Trade creditors are owed over €3 million. Chartered accountant Joe Walsh was appointed as interim examiner by Mr Justice Michael Quinn on Thursday. The court was satisfied that creditors would fare better under an examinership than in liquidation. Proceedings were adjourned to later in the month, with creditors to be notified of the application.
In a High Court ruling, Mr Justice Alexander Owens declared that assets linked to convicted drug dealer and DJ Adam Keatinge—including his Co Kildare home, cash, and several gold bars—were proceeds of crime. Owens described Keatinge as heavily involved in criminal operations, noting his 2012 prison term for drug possession with intent to supply. The Criminal Assets Bureau seized the assets in 2018 after a 2016 PSNI stop of a van containing Keatinge and others, uncovering €60,000 in cash and items such as phones that revealed discussions of cocaine trade and weapon possession. CAB sought orders under the 1996 Proceeds of Crime Act for the home, gold bars, and cash held with Western Union. Keatinge and co‑respondents denied the claims, asserting legitimate income sources, but the judge rejected these explanations as implausible and granted the orders against Keatinge and the other respondents. The decision affirmed that the assets were acquired through criminal activity.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 20‑year‑old Andrew Hillick and his co‑accused Michael Matthews were found guilty of assault causing harm and robbery after they broke a glass partition in a taxi, punched the driver in the head, kicked him in the ribs, and stole €60 and a mobile phone. The driver suffered a broken nose and other injuries. Both men had no prior convictions. Judge Orla Crowe imposed a two‑year suspended sentence on Hillick, ordering him to engage with the Probation Service for two years, attend all appointments, and undergo a full mental health review. Matthews had previously received a similar suspended sentence. The court noted the teenagers' intoxication and the driver's role as a "blameless member of society" who was simply doing his job. The sentencing reflected concerns about the youths' drug use and the need for rehabilitation rather than custodial punishment.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 26‑year‑old Kildare woman was sentenced to five years for the violent sexual assault of her estranged husband, who pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault. The court heard a 999 call made by the victim during the attack, in which she repeatedly screamed for help. The defendant, who suffered an acquired brain injury in 2017, was given a suspended 15‑month period on the condition of rehabilitation and was ordered to keep the peace for three years after release. The judge noted the victim's fear and the impact of the assault, including her ongoing nightmares and the need for CCTV and locks at her home. The defendant's parents were present at the hearing, and the victim chose to remain anonymous. The sentence was reduced from a headline of seven and a half years to five years due to mitigating factors.
Tony Dean, aged 70, former director of Nephin Trading Ltd, was found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of three counts of operating an illegal landfill at Kerdiffstown, Naas, between 2003 and 2008. The charges concerned disposing of or recovering waste in breach of the Waste Management Act 1996, using a facility without the proper licence, and handling waste likely to cause environmental pollution. Dean pleaded not guilty to the first two charges and denied the third. The jury deliberated for 58 minutes before returning guilty verdicts on all counts. The case was adjourned to 12 December for sentencing. The trial lasted four weeks, with the Director of Public Prosecutions arguing that a "mountain of waste" had been deposited on a 25‑acre site, breaching two licences issued by the EPA, and that the site functioned as an active landfill producing significant leachate.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Declan Brady, aged 56, and Michael Crotty, aged 40, face charges of aiding a criminal gang in the murder of Noel 'Duck Egg' Kirwan, a father of four, who was shot six times on December 22, 2016, in Clondalkin, Dublin. The trial is scheduled for January 11, 2024, and is expected to last five weeks. Both men are charged under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act for their alleged participation or contribution to the murder, either within or outside the State, with knowledge of a criminal organisation's existence. Brady was remanded in custody by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, while Crotty remains on continuing bail. The case was listed for mention on October 9, 2023. The trial will determine the extent of each defendant's involvement in the fatal shooting of Christopher Kirwan, aged 62.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Declan McGowan, aged 33, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for a series of offences committed on 18 September 2021. He was found guilty of attempted coercion, impersonating a Garda, assault and assault causing harm after he approached a woman, Andra Calauz, on Kimmage Road Lower, claiming to be a Garda and urging her to get into his car. He also threatened her husband, Daniel Ion, and physically assaulted him. McGowan had previously pleaded not guilty but later accepted the jury's verdicts. The judge cited his 31 prior convictions, including impersonation and assault, as aggravating factors, while mitigating factors included personal circumstances. The sentence was back‑dated to the day he entered custody. The court heard victim impact statements from both Calauz and Ion, detailing fear, injury and disruption to their family life. The case was concluded with McGowan's acceptance of the verdict and the judge's remarks on his repeated impersonation of Gardaí.
In November 2019, a 30‑year‑old man was found guilty of raping a sleeping woman at a house party in Co. Kildare. The trial, lasting a week, involved a jury of five women and seven men. The accused claimed the victim had consented, but the court heard that she was fully dressed, had gone to bed, and woke to find the man raping her. She fled to her sister's room and reported the assault. The judge, Mr Justice Michael White, sentenced him to five years' imprisonment in July 2020. In November 2022, the man appealed to the Court of Appeal, arguing that a Garda witness's oral evidence was materially inconsistent. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy dismissed the appeal, stating the evidence had been properly considered and no prejudice to the jury was found. The conviction and sentence remain in force. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
Keith Malone, 40, of Barnashrone, Mountmellick, was charged with assault causing harm and production of an article after stabbing his partner four times on 6 January 2019, causing a damaged liver, collapsed lung, broken rib and elbow gash. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced at Naas Circuit Court on 19 January 2022 to three years' imprisonment with the last three months suspended for 12 months. The State argued the sentence was unduly lenient; the Court of Appeal quashed the 33‑month term and re‑sentenced Malone to four years, with the final three months suspended. The appeal judge noted aggravating factors including breach of trust, weapon use and high intoxication, and that the victim should not have to fear her own home. The new sentence reflects the offence's highest gravity and the judge's assessment of mitigation.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 28 October 2022, Declan McGowan, aged 33, admitted acceptance of a jury verdict after being found guilty in March 2023 of attempted coercion, impersonating a Garda, assault and assault causing harm. The offences stemmed from an incident on 18 September 2021 at Kimmage Road Lower, where McGowan approached a woman, Andra Calauz, claiming to be a Garda, showed her what he said was official ID, and pressured her to get into his car. He also threatened to involve Tusla to remove her children. McGowan's husband, Daniel Ion, testified that McGowan choked him and threatened to call Tusla if the couple did not comply. McGowan had previously been convicted of impersonating a Garda in July 2019 and had 31 other convictions, including threats to kill and assault causing harm. The court heard that the incident lasted about 15 minutes on a public road near housing. Declan McGowan pleaded not guilty.
In a 2002 case, Jim Fitzsimons, a former shop manager, lured a 12‑year‑old boy to a flat in Dublin where he and convicted sex offender Kevin Brazil sexually assaulted the child. Fitzsimons used promises of employment and cash gifts of €150 and €50 to groom the boy, while Brazil offered alcohol. The boy reported the abuse to his father, who took him to a Garda station, but the investigating officer failed to forward the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions, a mistake the judge described as regrettable. Fitzsimons pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assault and was convicted on 10 October 2022. The judge imposed a headline sentence of 40 months, reduced to 30 months after considering mitigating factors. Brazil, aged 52, had previously been jailed for a similar offence and had pleaded guilty to assaulting a 12‑year‑old child.
Jailed teacher Enoch Burke has asked the High Court to stay the full hearing of the action brought by his employer, the Church of Ireland's Diocesan School for Meath and Kildare, until his appeal against the injunction that bars him from teaching at Wilson's Hospital is decided. The injunction, obtained after Burke was suspended on full pay in late August, was issued because he refused to stay away from the school, a refusal he says is rooted in his objection to "transgendarism". Burke, who is currently in Mountjoy Prison, has appealed to the Court of Appeal, with the appeal set for February next year. Mr Justice Brian O'Moore refused an application for Burke to attend court to seek a stay, adjourned the matter to November 7, and said the school had sufficient notice of the application.
Four former employees of Beckett's Hotel & Restaurant in Leixlip, Co Kildare, have secured statutory redundancy payments from their former employer, Camrue Catering Ltd, following their layoff in March 2020. The company conceded all four claims during adjudication hearings before the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) between July and September 2022. The staff had their last day at work on 15 March 2020, before the hospitality sector closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The WRC was informed that the business had not traded since the first lockdown in 2020 and was still seeking investors. The largest payment order was made to head chef John Boyne, who had worked for the company for over 24 years and is owed €29,407 in severance pay. Other payments included €17,280 to Sandra Clarke and €13,619 to Nicky Corrigan. Michelle Flynn-Smyth, with nearly 16 years of service, is due approximately €10,000.
In a case heard by the Court of Appeal, the State argued that the 33‑month jail sentence imposed on Keith Malone, 40, for repeatedly stabbing his partner was too lenient and should be set aside. Malone had stabbed his partner four times on 6 January 2019, causing a damaged liver, collapsed lung, broken rib and a gash to her elbow, which required three weeks in hospital. He was originally sentenced at Naas Circuit Court on 19 January 2022 to three years' imprisonment, with the last three months suspended for 12 months. The State contended that the headline sentence of five years was justified but the final sentence was unduly lenient, citing the gravity of the offence and the lack of mitigating factors. The Court of Appeal reserved judgment for a later date.
Lee McMullen, aged 22, pleaded guilty on 31 July 2019 to two counts of endangerment and two counts of dangerous driving after driving a car on the wrong side of a motorway at high speed with its lights off. The incident, which lasted eight to ten minutes, involved McMullen driving at speeds up to 160 km/h, crossing road dividers, and continuing onto the motorway in the outbound lane. Garda Michael Martin chased the vehicle, which eventually broke violently at the Leixlip junction and was abandoned. McMullen was apprehended nearby; passengers were later found in a taxi. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a sentence of 21 months for the endangerment count, with the remaining two years and three months suspended on strict conditions. The sentence reflects McMullen's eight prior convictions and the serious nature of the offence.
A 41-year-old man, Maciej Masznic, has failed in his appeal to have his conviction and seven-and-a-half year sentence for drugs offences overturned. Masznic had pleaded not guilty to five charges contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. A jury found him guilty of being in possession of cannabis and methylamphetamine for unlawful sale or supply at his home address on February 18, 2015, with the drugs valued at over €13,000. He was later jailed by Judge Thomas E O'Donnell in July 2019 following a five-day trial. Masznic appealed, arguing that the judge did not instruct the jury on the concept of possession. However, the three-judge court, comprising Mr Justice John Edwards, court President George Birmingham, and Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, dismissed the appeal. The court acknowledged the trial judge's failure to provide specific instructions on possession but noted that no complaint was made during the trial about the adequacy of the charge. The court stated that the trial was not unsafe or unsatisfactory and that the jury had received a clear explanation of possession from prosecuting counsel, which was endorsed by defence counsel in his closing speech. The appeal was dismissed, and the conviction remains in place.
Jailed teacher Enoch Burke appeared before the High Court on Thursday to claim he was defamed in a Sunday Independent article. Represented by his sister, solicitor Ammi Burke, he sought an urgent order under Section 33 of the 2009 Defamation Act to prevent republication, alleging the paper falsely claimed he was moved within Mountjoy Prison. The publisher denied the allegations. Justice Brian O'Moore rejected the request for Burke to be produced from prison earlier than Friday, noting the article had been removed. He refused to make an order without notice to the newspaper but set an early return date for Burke to formalise his application. Justice O'Moore, who is also presiding over the underlying dispute with Wilson's Hospital School, expressed bemusement at claims that media reporting could prejudice the case. He stated he would not be influenced by media coverage and planned to hear from both parties on Friday regarding case management. Burke, who has been incarcerated since early September for contempt of court after refusing to comply with an injunction to stay away from the school, has appealed to the Court of Appeal against the injunction and his suspension. He denies misconduct allegations related to his objection to addressing a transitioning student with specific pronouns, which he says conflicts with his Christian beliefs. The school maintains the issue is his refusal to obey court orders. The appeal is scheduled for mention before the Court of Appeal on Friday.
Jailed teacher Enoch Burke has formally lodged an appeal against a High Court injunction preventing him from attending or teaching at Wilson's Hospital School in Co Westmeath. The appeal, which is currently at the validated procedural stage of appeal, was lodged at the Office of the Court of Appeal (CoA) on Tuesday. Mr Burke, who was committed to prison until he agrees to obey an order not to attend or teach at the school, has not appealed the High Court orders committing him to prison for contempt. His appeal seeks to set aside orders including the granting of the temporary ex-parte injunction against him and the subsequent decision to keep the injunction in place pending the final hearing of the matter. He has also appealed against the High Court's dismissal of applications brought by him aimed at setting aside his suspension from the school. The appeal is due to be mentioned before a directions hearing of the CoA later this month but is unlikely to be heard before Christmas. Mr Burke, who objects to addressing a student with the pronoun 'they' and opposes 'Transgendarism', claims that the suspension is unlawful, unfair, and unreasonable and in breach of his constitutional rights to religion, freedom of expression, and conscience. His appeal is separate from the disciplinary process against him, which he denies. The school, which is located in Multyfarnham Co Westmeath, claims that Mr Burke's refusal to comply with the injunction was disruptive to the school's students at the beginning of the new academic year. Mr Burke has also brought his own proceedings against the school where he seeks various orders and declarations including a declaration that the disciplinary process against him is unlawful and a breach of his constitutional rights, including his rights to freedom of expression, conscience, and religion. He also seeks various orders preventing the school from continuing both his paid administrative leave and the disciplinary process against him. He further seeks an order preventing the school from dismissing him from his position. Mr Burke was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a disciplinary process commenced by the school, where he has been employed for several years. That process commenced after it is alleged that Mr Burke publicly voiced his alleged opposition to the school's principal direction to address a student, who wishes to transition, by a different name and by using the pronoun 'they' rather than he or she. The school claims that last June a service and dinner was held to mark its 260th anniversary, which was attended by clergy, staff, past and present pupils, parents, and board members. It is claimed that Mr Burke interrupted the service and said that the school's then principal, Ms Niamh McShane, should withdraw the earlier demand regarding the student. It is also claimed that he said that he could not agree with transgenderism, and said it went against the school's ethos and the teaching of the Church of Ireland. The school claims that after he spoke, members of the congregation and students walked out of the school chapel where the service was being conducted. After the meal he is alleged to have approached the Principal and again asked her to withdraw the request regarding the student. In a sworn statement to the court, Mr Burke said he rejects claim made by the former school principal Niamh McShane that he questioned her loudly at the function. Mr Burke said that the former principal's allegations against him are 'entirely false'.
Michal Luczak (41) was arrested in the same Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau operation that seized €8.4M worth of cocaine at Abbeyshrule aerodrome. He appeared at a special sitting of Mullingar District Court on Sunday where he was denied bail and remanded in custody.
Michal Luczak was arrested following a Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau operation at Abbeyshrule Aerodrome, Longford on August 4, 2022. He was charged with possession of cocaine and possession with intent to supply. His solicitor applied for bail citing presumption of innocence and trial delays, but the application was refused by Judge Cronin.
In 2012, Keith O'Neill, aged 47, shot John Wilson, 35, dead in Wilson's Ballyfermot home, killing him in the front hallway with a shotgun. O'Neill was convicted of murder by a jury and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2015, with 116 prior convictions. He appealed to the Court of Appeal, arguing the conviction was unsafe because forensic evidence of gunshot residue on his clothing, found in a skip, had been improperly admitted. He also claimed the trial judge's commentary during cross‑examination was excessive and that the forensic evidence was contaminated by Garda handling. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, rejected both grounds, stating the judge had acted appropriately and the evidence was admissible. O'Neill remains in custody at Wheatfield Prison. The appeal was dismissed, upholding the murder conviction. Keith O'Neill pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, truck driver David Morrissey, aged 29, received a nine‑month suspended sentence for careless driving that caused the death of 19‑year‑old cyclist Harry Boland on 18 April 2018. The incident occurred at the junction of Greenfield Park and Stillorgan Road when the traffic lights turned green and Morrissey turned left, placing Boland under his large DAF truck. Despite early medical response, Boland was pronounced dead at St Vincent's Hospital. The prosecution argued that Boland was visible from the truck's cab and should have been seen via the truck's wide‑angle mirrors. Morrissey denied seeing Boland, claiming he had checked his mirrors. The judge noted no aggravating factors such as intoxication, speeding or mobile phone use, and imposed a fully suspended nine‑month custodial sentence, a five‑year disqualification, and no additional penalties. The sentence reflected Morrissey's lack of prior convictions and his cooperation with the investigation. David Morrissey pleaded not guilty.
Paul Moody, a former Garda, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison for coercive control and related offences against a terminally‑ill partner. Over a four‑year period, he sent more than 30,000 threatening and abusive messages, threatened violence, took secret photographs, and threatened to post them online. He also stole her keys, caused criminal damage, and physically assaulted her on several occasions. Moody pleaded guilty to a charge of coercive control covering 2019‑2020 and to 19 other counts including harassment, assault, criminal damage, theft and threats to kill. The court noted his guilty plea and the absence of prior convictions, and reduced the maximum five‑year sentence to the stated term. He will lose his Garda position and is remanded in custody pending the decision on a psychological report. The sentencing judge highlighted the severity of his conduct and the impact on the victim.
In July 2022, the Workplace Relations Commission heard a complaint from trainee teacher Hayleigh Hernon against the Prada store at Kildare Village. Hernon alleged that Prada had promised her a part‑time position for her school placement but later denied the offer. She had been employed since 31 October 2020 and had requested the arrangement in late June or early July 2021. The manager said he would consult HR, but no response was received until 27 August, when Hernon was told the contract would not be changed. She claimed the store's policy limited part‑time staff to one per ten full‑time employees, a rule she said did not apply to other part‑timers. The store did not attend the hearing, and the adjudicating officer, Pat Brady, said he would decide within three to four weeks. The case remains pending.
In July 2022 the Court of Appeal issued a bench warrant for 21‑year‑old Jason Byrne of Newbridge, after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions appealed a six‑month jail sentence imposed in June 2021 for threatening a social worker with a knife. Byrne had been convicted in October 2020 at Naas Circuit Criminal Court for producing an article capable of inflicting serious injury at a Tusla facility in September 2018, when he was 17. He pleaded guilty to an offence contrary to Section 11 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990. Judge Mary O'Malley Costello sentenced him to 12 months' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended for nine months, during which he was to engage with probation services. The DPP argued the sentence did not adequately reflect the nature of the charge, the victim's effect, or Byrne's subsequent offending history, and that he was assessed as a high risk of reoffending.
Marius Cristea, 56, was sentenced to 20 months in jail for fraudulently claiming €84,099 in jobseeker's allowance over seven years. He worked at a golf club under a false identity while claiming benefits under his own name from 2013 to 2020. Cristea pleaded guilty to eight counts of social welfare fraud at Dodsboro post office between December 2013 and March 2020 and one count of producing a false instrument at Naas Golf Club on 14 January 2019. Garda Anna Masterson explained that after his business failed during the recession, he assumed the identity of a former employee to work at the club and continued to claim benefits. He received cash in hand and claimed an additional €11,000 until March 2020. He has repaid €3,482 to date. Cristea has no prior convictions in Ireland but has historic convictions in Romania.
William O'Donnell, 24, of Ashbourne, Co Meath, was sentenced to five years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to falsely imprisoning and threatening to kill his former wife, Brigid Reilly, on September 20, 2021. Judge Martin Nolan described the offence as very serious, noting that O'Donnell forced Ms Reilly into his car against her will and deprived her of her liberty for 24 hours. The court heard that O'Donnell drove Ms Reilly from Naas, Co Kildare, to Enniskillen, threatening to kill them both and ruin her reputation within the Travelling community. He recorded a video taunting her father and claimed police could not reach him once he crossed into the North. Ms Reilly, who was terrified, eventually escaped briefly but was forced back into the vehicle. O'Donnell was arrested at a garda checkpoint after driving back into the jurisdiction. He has 66 previous convictions and was on bail for other offences at the time. His defence counsel described the act as immature and attributed it to impulse control issues. O'Donnell has been in custody since last September and is on an enhanced prisoner régime. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the custodial sentence.
Mr Gearoid (Gerry) Johnson, a secondary school teacher with over 26 years of experience, has launched a High Court challenge against the Teaching Council. He seeks to quash the Council's decision to refer a complaint against him to its Disciplinary Committee. The complaint stems from social media posts made between 2015 and 2016 regarding Islam, homosexuality, and transgender issues, which were subsequently deleted. Mr Johnson denies any wrongdoing, asserting that the posts expressed personal views and did not constitute professional misconduct. He claims the Council breached his constitutional rights to freedom of expression and private life, arguing the referral was unlawful, irrational, and failed to follow fair procedures. The Council alleged he lacked commitment to equality and inclusion. Mr Johnson also disputes a prior dismissal by the City of Dublin Education and Training Board (ETB) in 2020, which he claims was linked to the social media complaints and an alleged bullying investigation he denies. He states he has not been charged with any criminal offence. The case is at the pre-trial stage, with permission to bring the challenge granted on an ex-parte basis by Mr Justice Anthony Barr. The matter was adjourned and will return before the court in October.
In a 2022 court hearing, former Garda Stephen Cooper (37) and accomplice Stephen McGrath (37) were sentenced for drug‑ and alcohol‑fuelled assaults on two women. Cooper forced a woman to undergo a "strip search" after claiming she stole drugs, threatened her, and inserted his fingers into her body. McGrath then violently assaulted a second woman, kicking, punching, and tearing her hair, while both men threatened to take her to the mountains and bury her. They attempted to place her in a van, but she resisted and was ultimately left in the footwell. Cooper pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to the first woman and to threats against the second, while McGrath pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, sexual assault, and weapon production. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑year sentence for Cooper's assault and a three‑year sentence for the threats, to run consecutively.
Mark Fox, aged 29, was given a suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after a high‑speed chase on three tyres. On 9 May 2021, Fox, driving a Nissan Qashqai with a missing fourth wheel, pursued Gardaí through Dublin and two counties, ramming two patrol cars and a garda helicopter. He threw bags of white powder, suspected cocaine, from his open door, accelerated past red lights, and smashed a taxi driver's wing mirror. The chase lasted 30 minutes over 28 km. Fox was found to have almost three times the legal blood‑alcohol limit and was disqualified from driving at the time of the offence. He pleaded guilty to eight charges, including endangerment, dangerous driving, drink driving, driving without a licence and resisting arrest. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspended in full on the basis of Fox's mental‑health problems, and ordered a five‑year driving disqualification.
Ann Doherty, an employment support instructor at St John of God Community Services, was denied permission to work from home while pregnant during the first year of the Covid‑19 pandemic. She claimed discrimination under the Employment Equality Act, arguing that other staff were allowed to work remotely. The Workplace Relations Commission found that the employer had unlawfully denied her full pay and work access from March to August 2020. The adjudicating officer noted that Doherty was particularly vulnerable, being pregnant and caring for a young child, and that the employer's refusal was not justified. Consequently, the commission ordered St John of God Community Services to pay Doherty €45,000 in compensation for the loss of pay and the discriminatory treatment she endured.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Danilo De Silva, aged 41, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for assault causing harm to a sex worker. The incident occurred in November 2020 when De Silva, who had previously worked as a professional chef, confronted the woman after they had consensual sex at her apartment in Clondalkin. He shouted at her, demanding money, and swung a large kitchen knife at her head and throat. The victim, who was operating as a sex worker, managed to shield herself with her hand, sustaining a cut on her palm and a small cut to her face. Gardaí found the palm heavily cut and covered in blood. De Silva fled but was later arrested. In June 2021 he pleaded guilty to the assault. The judge highlighted the vulnerability of the victim and the need for deterrence, noting the knife was in his backpack from his chef work. The sentence was three years' imprisonment.
David Morrissey, 29, of Glendale Meadow, Leixlip, was found guilty of causing the death of 19‑year‑old cyclist Harry Boland on 18 April 2018. The incident occurred at the junction of Greenfield Park and Stillorgan Road near RTÉ, where Boland was riding in the north‑bound cycle lane with a red light. Morrissey, driving a large DAF truck, turned left after the light turned green and Boland ended up under the truck, sustaining fatal injuries. The jury, after 3 h 35 m of deliberation, returned a 10‑to‑2 verdict. The prosecution argued Boland was visible from the cab, aided by wide‑angle mirrors, while the defence claimed the driver did not see him and that a blind spot was very small. The case was adjourned for sentencing on 20 June, with Morrissey remanded on continuing bail. David Morrissey pleaded not guilty.
The jury in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case against truck driver David Morrissey (29) was sent home after 2 hours and 33 minutes of deliberation. Morrissey is accused of causing the death of 19‑year‑old cyclist Harry Boland on 18 April 2018 at a junction near RTÉ. The prosecution alleges he failed to use mirrors and turn with due care, while the defence argues Boland may have fallen off his bike and was not wearing a helmet. The jury will resume tomorrow morning. David Morrissey pleaded not guilty.
Mary Kennedy, a 46‑year‑old former accounts worker at St Columcille's Hospital, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for stealing more than €670,000 over a 16‑year period. Kennedy devised a fraudulent scheme that involved issuing cheques to doctors who were not actually employed by the hospital. After the hospital's computerisation in 2019, she arranged for the money to be paid into her brother‑in‑law Paul Leeson's account, who later returned the funds to her and made a €5,000 profit. Kennedy pleaded guilty to 16 counts of theft and two counts of fraud covering 2004‑2020, while Leeson pleaded guilty to one count of possessing the proceeds of crime between June 2019 and October 2020. Judge Martin Nolan, noting mitigating factors such as Kennedy's health problems, lack of prior convictions and role as a mother, imposed a two‑year sentence, which was fully suspended for Leeson.
Jonathan Reid, 28, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison, with the final two years suspended for three years, after stabbing Greg Shiels, his mother's partner, in the neck during a drug‑induced psychosis on 6 March 2020. The attack was described as unprovoked and extremely violent, causing serious injury to Shiels, who was taken to Naas Hospital and later Tallaght Hospital for surgery. Reid pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm and to possession of cocaine and cannabis, leading the Director of Public Prosecutions to drop the attempted murder charge. He has no prior convictions, has a history of mental health problems linked to drug use, and has been offered addiction counselling through the Peter McVerry Trust upon release. The judge noted Reid's willingness to engage with his problems and his sincere remorse, which mitigated the sentence. The court emphasized the need for Reid to attend probation appointments and local drug‑addiction services.
The Supreme Court upheld a finding that the 2003 murder conviction of Somali‑born Yusuf Ali Abdi was a miscarriage of justice. Abdi, who had spent 16 years in prison, was found not guilty by reason of insanity at a retrial in 2019 after new psychiatric evidence showed he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the killing of his 20‑month‑old son, Nathan. The Court of Appeal had quashed the original conviction and ordered the retrial, which resulted in an acquittal. The Supreme Court, hearing an appeal from the Director of Public Prosecutions, dismissed the appeal and confirmed that Abdi was entitled to a Section 9 certificate for compensation. The decision clarified the legal test for a miscarriage of justice and the role of insanity in criminal liability. The ruling reaffirmed the earlier judgments of the Central Criminal Court and the Court of Appeal.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a jury began deliberating on the case of truck driver David Morrissey, 29, who is accused of careless driving that caused the death of 19‑year‑old cyclist Harry Boland on 18 April 2018. Morrissey pleaded not guilty to driving without due care and attention. The prosecution, led by Michael Hourigan BL, argued that evidence from eyewitnesses Quentin Guillemot and Jason McMahon showed contact between the truck and the bike, and that Morrissey failed to see Boland. Defence counsel Garnet Orange SC contended that a truck driver cannot have a 360‑degree view, that Boland was not stationary and may have veered into the truck's path, and criticised the Garda investigation for lacking measurements and photographs. The jury was sent out by Judge Elma Sheahan after 3 pm and will resume on Monday morning.
During the trial of 29‑year‑old truck driver David Morrissey, the court heard that he was in a distressed state when Gardaí arrived at the N11 accident site where 19‑year‑old cyclist Harry Boland was killed. Morrissey, who drives an eight‑wheel truck on round trips between quarries and construction sites, claimed he had checked his mirrors, moved into the left lane, and turned left at a red light that turned green. He stopped, jumped out, and saw Boland severely injured. Boland suffered a cardiac arrest at the scene and died at St Vincent's Hospital. The truck and bicycle were found defect‑free. A forensic collision analyst noted grind marks on the road from the bike's handlebars and wheels. The trial continues tomorrow. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
A UCD student, Quentin Guillemot, recounted witnessing the fatal collision of 19‑year‑old Harry Boland with a construction truck driven by David Morrisey on the N11 at Greenfield Park on 18 April 2018. Guillemot described the scene: the lights turned green, Boland's bike was to the left of the truck, and the truck turned left into Greenfield Park. He said the truck's left side first touched Boland's handlebars, destabilising the cyclist, who then fell beneath the truck as it continued turning. Another witness, Jason McMahon, noted the truck's front corner struck the bike first, while Grainne Butler observed the cyclist fall as the truck turned. The incident led to Boland's death at St Vincent's Hospital. Morrisey is on trial in the Dublin Circuit Court, pleading not guilty to driving without due care and attention, which caused Boland's death. The trial is ongoing.
The Central Criminal Court heard that the Peter McVerry Trust has offered addiction counselling to Jonathan Reid, 28, who stabbed his mother's partner, Greg Shiels, in the neck during a drug‑induced psychosis on 6 March 2020. Reid was originally charged with attempted murder but the Director of Public Prosecutions dropped that charge after he pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Shiels and to possession of cocaine and cannabis. The court noted Reid's history of mental health problems and that the psychosis was triggered by drug use rather than a clinical disorder. Seamus Clarke SC suggested the court could require Reid to attend counselling upon release. Mr Justice Paul McDermott said he would consider a 17‑page psychiatric report before passing sentence on 30 May. The hearing highlighted that Shiels fully supports Reid's recovery and that Reid has performed well in prison with no current symptoms. The case remains at the sentencing stage.