Court archive
Court reports mentioning Johnstown, Kilkenny
2025-07-30 · Dublin
The Court of Appeal rejected Paul Bourke's appeal against his ten‑year prison sentence for drug offences. Bourke, aged 57, pleaded guilty to eight counts including possession of €1.7 million worth of cocaine, €18,100 in cash, and three Glock 17 pistols. The offences occurred at his Kilkenny home, a Ballygall Parade address, and locations in Tallaght and Ashbourne. The sentencing judge had reduced the headline 15‑year sentence by one‑third to ten years, citing Bourke's personal circumstances. Bourke's defence argued that incarceration would be too difficult due to psychological issues, but the court found no formal diagnosis and noted the presence of firearms and large drug quantities. The appeal was dismissed, and the ten‑year sentence stands. The court emphasised the gravity of the offence and the extent of Bourke's involvement in the drug supply chain.
2024-12-16 · Kilkenny
Paul Bourke, aged 56, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to eight counts, including possession of cocaine for sale, possession of €18,100 in cash from criminal proceeds, and possession of three Glock 17 pistols. The offences occurred across several locations: his home in Tullyvolty, Johnstown, Co Kilkenny; Ballygall Parade, Finglas, Co Dublin; Tallaght, Co Dublin; and Ashbourne, Co Meath. On 3 November 2023, Bourke was arrested in Finglas after a Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau operation, following a confidential tip‑off. He was observed leaving his Kilkenny home in a transit van, dropping packages in Tallaght, Ashbourne and Finglas, where each package was seized and the recipients arrested. The Tallaght package contained just over €70,000 of cocaine; the Ashbourne and Finglas packages each held over €17,000 of cocaine. In Finglas, his van contained €18,100 in cash.
2016-12-09 · Kilkenny
The High Court approved a €4 million settlement for 27‑year‑old Rachel McCarthy, who had sued the HSE for medical negligence after her birth at St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny, on 9 December 1989. Rachel's mother, Noreen, brought the action on her behalf, alleging that the HSE failed to provide adequate care during the delivery, that a lack of oxygen caused permanent brain injury, and that Rachel should have been delivered by caesarean section earlier that day. The HSE denied all allegations and the settlement was reached without admission of liability. Counsel Jeremy Maher SC described the settlement as a good one, representing 75 % of the claim's full value. Mr Justice Raymond Fullam approved the settlement on Friday evening, wishing the McCarthy family well. The settlement was reached without any admission of fault by the HSE.