Court archive
Court reports mentioning Kilmacow, Kilkenny
2020-02-18 · Waterford
Craig McGrath, 26, of Rathfaddan Park, Waterford, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Damien O'Brien, 27, on 13 July 2018. McGrath had earlier been on bail for an assault. The incident occurred at the junction of John Street and Manor Street on 7 July 2018 when McGrath punched O'Brien twice to the head, causing a broken eye socket, nose and jaw. O'Brien was unconscious and later died from a fatal brain injury when his head struck the ground. CCTV showed McGrath shadow‑boxing after the attack. McGrath also pleaded guilty to assaulting Kiefer Dowling in 2017, for which he received five years and a consecutive 2½‑year sentence, the final two years suspended. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, and the Court of Appeal re‑sentenced McGrath to seven years for the manslaughter and a consecutive 2½‑year sentence for the Dowling assault, with the final two years suspended.
2020-02-03 · Waterford
Craig McGrath, 26, pleaded guilty to manslaughter of Damien O'Brien, 27, after an assault on 7 July 2018. McGrath punched O'Brien twice, causing fatal brain injury. He also pleaded guilty to assaulting Kiefer Dowling in 2017, receiving a five‑year sentence for manslaughter and a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for assault, with the last two years suspended. The total sentence is five‑and‑a‑half years. The Director of Public Prosecutions seeks to increase this sentence, arguing it was unduly lenient, citing McGrath's callous behaviour and breach of a curfew. McGrath's counsel argues the sentence was appropriate, citing Supreme Court guidance that places manslaughter in a medium range of four to ten years. The Court of Appeal will decide on 18 February.
2014-07-24 · Kilkenny
In 2010, a jury found freelance photographer Niall Williamson, aged 53, guilty of 85 tax‑offence charges covering 1998‑2004. He was originally sentenced in April 2012 to 240 hours of community service by Judge Olive Buttimer, who deemed imprisonment unnecessary and wanted him to teach photography. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient. On 24 July 2014 the Criminal Court of the Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman, sentenced Williamson to three‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, with 21 months suspended, after learning he still owed €272,936 in unpaid taxes and interest. The appeal court cited the lack of mitigating factors, the systematic nature of the fraud, and Williamson's failure to cooperate as reasons for the harsher custodial term. The new sentence replaced the original community‑service order.