During the murder trial of Tadhg Butler, the former partner Mary Rose Burke testified that she visited Butler in Cork Prison in January 2014 and that he told her he had stabbed Michael O'Dwyer once. She said she had five children with him and that they had separated more than three years earlier. Burke claimed Butler had asked her to use her address for bail, which she refused, and that he had taken Valium and whiskey that night. She also said he was a good friend of O'Dwyer and had only stabbed him once. The defence questioned her about the relationship and her motives, and she denied using the children to extract information. The prosecution and defence discussed her statements to Gardaí and her alleged false claims. The court heard that Butler was arrested after the incident and that no weapon was found at the scene. The trial was scheduled to resume on Monday. Tadhg Butler pleaded not guilty.
In a Kilkenny murder trial, the jury heard a statement from the accused's nephew, Anthony O'Grady, who claimed his uncle, Tadhg Butler (also known as Thomas O'Grady), stabbed 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer in the chest with a foot‑long butcher knife. The nephew described the night's events: the men travelled to Tramore, drank, and later, while the uncle was playing music, he allegedly lifted a knife and stabbed O'Dwyer. O'Grady said he did not remember the incident, citing prescription painkillers and alcohol. He also admitted to past violent behaviour when drinking. The statement was read by prosecution counsel, and O'Grady was cross‑examined by the defence. The trial continues with the jury considering this testimony. Tadhg Butler pleaded not guilty.
The trial of a 34‑year‑old Kilkenny man, Tadhg Butler, charged with murdering a 25‑year‑old man in Waterford, continues at the Central Criminal Court. Butler, also known as Thomas O'Grady, pleaded not guilty. The court heard evidence from a neighbour who claimed to have heard an "awful racket" outside her house on the night of the murder. Mr Noel Whelan BL called Mr Tony Walsh, who described watching a documentary with Ms Diana Doherty when they heard a disturbance. Walsh reported seeing men standing around a body on the ground, one shouting that the victim was not responding. He called 999 and noted the victim's name was Timothy. The court also heard from Ms Doherty, who confirmed hearing a fight and seeing a body, and expressed distress over the victim's mother. The trial is set to resume with evidence tomorrow morning.
A 34‑year‑old Kilkenny man, Tadhg Butler (also known as Thomas O'Grady), has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer, who was stabbed once in the chest at Butler's house in Tramore on 10 January 2014. Butler pleaded not guilty. The prosecution, led by Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, presented evidence that a single stab wound was found on O'Dwyer's chest, that no defensive injuries were present, and that a post‑mortem confirmed the wound. Gardaí arrested Butler on suspicion of assault causing harm the same day and interviewed him twice at Tramore Garda Station. Witness Mr Luke Green testified that he, O'Dwyer, and Tony O'Grady travelled to the house, drank, and that O'Dwyer was found lying on the ground, stabbed, with Tony attempting to help. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, is expected to last two to three weeks.
The jury was discharged in the trial of 34‑year‑old Tadhg Butler, also known as Thomas O'Grady, who is accused of murdering 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer in Waterford on 10 January 2014. Butler, from Kilkenny and living in Seafield, Tramore, pleaded not guilty to stabbing O'Dwyer once in the chest. Judge Patrick McCarthy explained that a legal issue arose the previous day, leading to new legal submissions, and ordered a new jury to be sworn in next Tuesday. The trial is expected to last two weeks.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 29 April 2015, Mary Rose Burke, a former partner of 34‑year‑old Tadhg Butler, testified that she visited him in Cork Prison on 13 January 2014 after he was charged with the murder of 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer. She said Butler, who also goes by Thomas O'Grady, told her he had stabbed O'Dwyer once in the chest, was drunk and had taken Valium, and that he was not remorseful. Burke denied that Butler had suggested a plea for manslaughter or that she had an agenda to harm his case. Prosecutor Denis Vaughan Buckley described the alleged events on 9 January 2014, when O'Dwyer was found dead outside Butler's house with a single stab wound. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, was expected to last two weeks. Tadhg Butler pleaded not guilty.
A 34‑year‑old Kilkenny man, Tadhg Butler (also known as Thomas O'Grady), has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer in Waterford on 10 January 2014. Butler, who lives in Seafield, Tramore, is charged with stabbing O'Dwyer once in the chest. Prosecutor Denis Vaughan Buckley SC opened the case to a jury, stating that O'Dwyer and two others were invited to a party at the accused's house on 9 January, where they were drinking. At some point a knife was used to stab O'Dwyer's chest. Emergency services arrived at 11.20 pm, found O'Dwyer lying outside the house, and he was taken to Waterford Regional Hospital, where he died two hours later. Gardaí saw Butler outside the house when they arrived, but he had retreated inside and locked the door. Tadhg Butler pleaded not guilty.
Tadhg Butler, 34, also known as Thomas O'Grady, from Kilkenny, was arraigned in the Central Criminal Court for the 2014 murder of 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer in Waterford. He pleaded not guilty. The trial, set to begin Wednesday before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, will be heard by a jury of eight women and four men and is expected to last two weeks.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Gail O'Rorke, 43, pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting the suicide of Bernadette Forde, 51, who died in June 2011 after taking pentobarbital. O'Rorke admitted that she helped Forde obtain the drug from Mexico and that a courier delivered the pills to Forde's home, where Forde allegedly cried with relief upon receiving them. She denied arranging travel to Zurich for a euthanasia clinic and denied making funeral arrangements in advance of Forde's death. O'Rorke also claimed that Mary Lundy, a friend, had contacted an exit‑international organisation and that Lundy was present when Forde took the pills. The trial, presided over by Judge Patrick McCartan, continues with a jury of twelve. The prosecution has finished presenting its evidence. The case remains at the trial stage.
In 2015 a trial heard that Gail O'Rorke, 43, was accused of aiding Bernadette Forde, 51, in taking her own life in 2011. O'Rorke claimed that another friend, Mary Lundy, had contacted the euthanasia organisation Exit International on Forde's behalf and that Lundy had used Forde's credit card to buy a book on suicide methods and set up a private email account. O'Rorke said that on 5 June 2011 she visited Forde's house, washed her, and spoke about "important things." She alleged that Lundy was present when Forde took a lethal dose of pentobarbital, that Forde had said she was "doing well," and that Lundy later claimed the drug was a dud. O'Rorke denied that anyone else was charged and stated that Tom Curran, a representative of Exit International, had advised Forde. The case was before Judge Patrick McCartan with a jury of twelve. Gail O'Rorke pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, a 43‑year‑old taxi driver, Gail O'Rorke, is accused of aiding the suicide of her 51‑year‑old friend, Bernadette Forde, by helping procure and administer phenobarbital between April and June 2011. O'Rorke denies assisting the suicide, arranging travel to Zurich for Dignitas, or making funeral arrangements. The prosecution presented a recorded last‑words message from Forde, found on a Dictaphone beside her body in Donnybrook, in which she expresses frustration at being forced to act alone and her desire to end her life without implicating others. The trial, presided over by Judge Patrick McCartan, is expected to last about two weeks and involves witnesses including Forde's housing association head and a Garda who found medication and correspondence related to Dignitas. The case remains at the trial stage, with no verdict yet. Bernadette Forde pleaded not guilty. Gail O'Rorke pleaded not guilty.
Mark Nash has been found guilty of murdering two women at sheltered accommodation in Grangegorman, Dublin, in March 1997. A Central Criminal Court jury returned a unanimous verdict after deliberating for over four hours on Monday, 20 April 2015. The trial lasted 48 days, during which 71 witnesses gave evidence. Nash, 42, originally from England with Dublin addresses, had pleaded not guilty to the murders of Sylvia Sheils, aged 59, and Mary Callanan, aged 61. The prosecution's case rested on admissions made by Nash, forensic evidence including DNA found on his jacket, and a caterpillar boot print discovered at the scene. Nash is already serving a life sentence for murders committed in Ballintober, Castlerea, County Roscommon, in August 1997. Mr Justice Carroll Moran imposed a life sentence for the Grangegorman murders. The case had remained unsolved for eighteen years before a DNA breakthrough in 2009 led to Nash's formal charging in October of that year.
In a Dublin trial, 43‑year‑old taxi driver Gail O'Rorke pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting the suicide of 51‑year‑old Bernadette Forde. O'Rorke denies helping Forde procure a toxic substance, arranging travel to Zurich, or making funeral arrangements before Forde's death. The prosecution, led by Remy Farrell SC, presented evidence that Forde, suffering from advanced primary progressive multiple sclerosis, had considered assisted suicide after a car crash and the death of her sister. Farrell alleged O'Rorke assisted with travel plans to Zurich and later helped obtain phenobarbital from Mexico, which Forde took. Witnesses, including a resident who found Forde's body and a Garda who discovered medication and a Dictaphone note, testified. The jury was instructed that the trial is not a forum for debating the legality of assisted suicide. The case is scheduled to last two weeks before Judge Patrick McCartan.
The trial of Graham Dwyer, who is alleged to have murdered Elaine O'Hara at Killakee, Rathfarnham on August 22nd, 2012, hours after she was discharged from a mental health hospital, continued in the Central Criminal Court. Detective Garda Bríd Wallace of the Garda Siochana's Computer Crime Unit testified that she examined Ms O'Hara's Apple laptop as part of the investigation. She found a number of adult pornographic and BDSM movie files, as well as images of mutilated bodies from a website. Additionally, she discovered images of Ms O'Hara, some of which appeared to be self-taken and others taken by a different person. The detective also found documents on the laptop, including a book on serial violence, letters written by Ms O'Hara, and a document titled 'Outline of Slave' which detailed a fictional scenario involving slavery and domination. Another document, titled 'Private,' described a harrowing experience involving torture. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of five women and seven men. Graham Dwyer has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Brid Wallace has not entered a plea.
In a High Court case, Declan Moriarty, general manager of the Kilkenny River Court Hotel, claimed he was summarily dismissed on 3 February 2024, alleging breach of the hotel's own procedures. He sought an injunction against Neville Hotels Ltd, trading as the River Court, and William Neville and Sons to prevent his dismissal. Mr Justice Paul Gilligan had previously granted Mr Moriarty permission to serve the proceedings at short notice. The case returned before the court on Wednesday, where Peter Ward SC, representing Mr Moriarty, announced that the entire proceedings had been settled and could be struck out without an order. No settlement details were disclosed. Earlier, the defendants had written that Mr Moriarty's dismissal was lawful, citing a review of his performance and a failure to meet required standards. They also noted that the hotel's takeover by Nevilles last year had increased the workload, which Mr Moriarty had carried out.
In a High Court case on 28 January 2015, REL Cooling Services Ltd, a Dublin‑based company that installs specialised beer and cider cooling systems for pubs, secured temporary injunctions against former employees David McDonald and Niall Rhattigan and their new company, Refrigeration Ecocool Ltd. REL alleges that McDonald and Rhattigan, while employed as regional sales managers, unlawfully used confidential client information to set up a rival business with identical initials. The injunctions, granted ex‑parte by Mr Justice Paul Gilligan, prohibit the defendants from directly or indirectly breaching REL's contracts with employees or customers, and from using REL's client or price information for their own benefit. REL claims the new firm is passing itself off as REL and is harming the company's business. The injunctions are temporary and the matter is set to return to court early next week.
In a 2015 case, Christopher Cooney, a 19‑year‑old father of one, was sentenced to 16 months of detention after pleading guilty to assault causing harm. The offence occurred on 22 February 2013 at the St James' Luas stop when Cooney, armed with a Stanley knife, unprovokedly slashed Peter English across the face. English required 13 stitches and sustained a 9‑cm scar, and a victim impact report noted his difficulty finding employment and heightened paranoia. Cooney's counsel described the act as "horrific but spontaneous," noting no prior convictions and no subsequent offences. The court imposed a four‑year detention sentence, suspending all but the first 16 months on the condition that Cooney remains law‑abiding for the remaining period. The case highlighted the severe physical and psychological effects on the victim and the legal consequences for the offender.
Thomas Corcoran, aged 22, was originally sentenced to three years' imprisonment with the final year suspended for assault causing serious harm to a man in Kilkenny town, where the victim lost a significant portion of his ear. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal, hearing the appeal on 24 November 2014, set aside the original sentence and imposed a new five‑year term, suspending the last two‑and‑a‑half years. Corcoran entered a €100 bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour during the suspended period. The appeal court noted the violent nature of the assault and the victim's long‑term physical and psychological consequences, while also recognising mitigating factors such as Corcoran's remorse, good conduct in prison, and participation in rehabilitation programmes. The victim was present at the appeal hearing. Thomas Corcoran pleaded not guilty.
Kathleen Chada recounts her life with her husband Sanj, describing a normal family with two sons, Eoghan and Ruairi, who were 10 and five when they died. She recalls a typical Sunday in July 2013 when Sanj left her alone while the boys were with him. Chada expresses disbelief that her husband could have harmed his own children, describing the boys' bright futures and her own grief. She laments the loss of their potential and the betrayal she feels, noting that Sanj took the boys' bodies and left them in a car boot. Chada speaks of the emotional devastation she endures, feeling robbed of her family and living with a "double life sentence" of grief. The statement ends with her profound sorrow and sense of loss.
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.
In a High Court hearing on 22 July 2014, Mr Justice Paul Gilligan granted a temporary injunction to the owners of a Dublin city centre property at No 6 Merrion Square, preventing Charlie Allen and his supporters from entering or approaching the premises. The owners, Claude Fettes, Annette Cooper and Marc Godart, alleged that Allen, who claims the Rodolphus Allen Family Private Trust has an interest in the property, unlawfully forced his way in earlier that month and remained with several supporters, including a man with a large Alsatian dog, for several days. During the occupation, carpets were removed and the basement, used by a sound‑recording business, was blocked. Allen and his associates left the building last weekend, but the owners feared he might re‑enter, prompting the injunction. The order was granted ex‑parte and was adjourned to later that week.
Former Rehab CEO Angela Kerins launched High Court proceedings against the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC) after she claimed her job loss and health decline were caused by unfair questioning during a PAC hearing on February 27, 2014. Kerins alleges the PAC acted unlawfully, biased, and outside its remit, and that members engaged in a "witch hunt." She seeks orders restraining the PAC from further examining her employment with Rehab, from publishing reports linking her remuneration to Rehab, and from compelling her to attend future hearings. Kerins also requests damages for personal injury and reputational harm, and declarations that the PAC lacks jurisdiction over Rehab's expenditures. The case was granted ex‑parte permission by Justice John Hedigan, with a return date of November 4. Kerins' statement emphasizes her distress and the need for legal protection of her rights as a private citizen.
In the High Court, Minister for the Environment and Local Government Phil Hogan is suing TV3 for defamation arising from comments made by broadcaster Vincent Browne on the Tonight with Vincent Browne programme on May 20. The Minister alleges Browne described him as a "bigoted racist" following representations Hogan made regarding housing suitability for a family from the Irish Travelling Community in a vacant council property in Co Kilkenny. Hogan claims the remarks implied he was prejudiced, breached the Incitement to Hatred Act, and were unsuitable for a public representative, causing reputational damage and stress. He seeks damages, a correction order, and the removal of the broadcast from TV3's website. TV3 denies the claims, arguing Browne expressed an honestly held opinion based on the Minister's public statements. During a pretrial motion, Hogan's counsel, Rossa Fanning BL, sought to amend the statement of claim to clarify interactions with Kilkenny County Council, asserting the Minister has "no issues" with the Travelling Community and has advocated for their housing. TV3's counsel, Marcus Dowling, opposed the amendment, arguing it glossed over factual inaccuracies. Justice Paul Gilligan ruled Hogan was entitled to amend his claim, noting he may need to provide a sworn statement regarding variations and could be cross-examined on inconsistencies. The matter was adjourned, with the case listed for a future hearing before a judge and jury.
Noel Bailey, a 60‑year‑old farmer and agricultural machinery contractor operating an 80‑acre farm in Grantstown Ballacolla, Co. Laois, obtained a temporary High Court injunction to stop his son Darren from selling or disposing of farm machinery valued between €185,000 and €200,000. The machinery includes a combine harvester, a JCB mechanical loader and an Amazone One Pass sowing machine. Noel Bailey claimed that Darren had removed the equipment from the farm in February without permission and had offered one piece for sale on the Donedeal website and others on motor sales sites in Waterford and Kilkenny. Noel, who is in ill health, said the machinery is essential for his businesses and that damages would not be adequate. The injunction was granted ex‑parte by Mr Justice Brian McGovern and is returnable later that week.
The High Court wound up Avondale Nursing Home Limited, a Callan, Co. Kilkenny nursing home closed in 2011 after HIQA cancelled its registration over health and safety concerns. The winding‑up order was made by Mr Justice Peter Charleton following an application by former employee Bridget Brander, who was owed unpaid wages. The company was found insolvent and unable to meet its debts. Mr Declan de Lacey of PKF O'Connor, Leddy & Holmes was appointed liquidator. The court noted that the company had been struck off for failing to file returns but was restored to the Registrar of Companies. Directors Miriam and Hayley Holmes were no longer in jurisdiction and were believed to be in Australia. The liquidation will determine if any assets can be sold to satisfy Brander's claim and other former employees' debts. The case remains before the examiner's court.
Private Christopher Maher, a soldier from County Tipperary stationed in Kilkenny, has filed a High Court challenge to stop his discharge from the Permanent Defence Forces after a compulsory random drug test in March 2013 returned a positive result for cocaine. Maher denies ever taking the drug, claiming he was at a party the night before the test and that he may have been exposed to cocaine smoke accidentally. The urine sample showed 150 ng/ml of benzoylecgonine, the cut‑off for a positive test under Defence Forces regulations. In May, his commanding officer recommended discharge, citing voluntary consumption. An appeal in November found Maher had not produced evidence to support his claim of passive exposure, and the officer determined he failed to consider a medical report that questioned the testing process and suggested possible over‑reporting of drug levels.
A 32‑year‑old man from Kilkenny, Niall Stapleton, was committed to the Central Mental Hospital after a jury found him not guilty of murdering his mother by reason of insanity. The trial, held earlier that week, heard that Stapleton had schizophrenia and had been diagnosed five years earlier, after a head injury a month before. He had pleaded not guilty to the murder of his 51‑year‑old mother, Siobhan Stapleton, who died from blunt force trauma to the head. Forensic psychiatrists for both sides agreed he met the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. Following the verdict, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan committed Stapleton to the Central Mental Hospital for preparation of a report by Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist Damian Mohan. Mohan reported that Stapleton had been an inpatient for the past year, had suffered a head injury in 2008, and had been admitted to the hospital in June 2012 with severe auditory hallucinations.
A 32‑year‑old man with schizophrenia, Niall Stapleton, was found not guilty of murdering his 51‑year‑old mother, Siobhan Stapleton, by reason of insanity. The murder took place on 25 May 2012 at their home in Kilfane, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, when the mother was struck on the head with the handle of a garden implement, resulting in blunt‑force trauma. Stapleton admitted causing the death but claimed he believed his mother had been replaced by an impostor. Forensic psychiatrists for both sides agreed he met the legal requirement for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. A jury of seven men and five women deliberated for over two hours before reaching that verdict. The case is scheduled to return to the judge for a further committal order.
A jury has begun deliberating the trial of a 32‑year‑old man with schizophrenia, Niall Stapleton, who is charged with murdering his mother, Siobhan Stapleton, 51, at their Co Kilkenny home on 25 May 2012. The victim died from blunt‑force trauma to the head after being beaten with the handle of a garden implement. Stapleton pleaded not guilty, claiming he was not guilty by reason of insanity. He told doctors that he believed his mother had been replaced by an impostor when he killed her. An expert witness for the prosecution testified that Stapleton met the requirement for a special verdict of not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. The jury must decide whether his mental disorder meant he did not know the nature and quality of his action, that it was wrong, or that he was unable to refrain from the act. They will resume deliberations tomorrow.
In a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, a 32‑year‑old man named Niall Stapleton pleaded not guilty to the killing of his 51‑year‑old mother, Siobhan Stapleton, who died on 25 May 2012 from blunt force trauma to the head after being beaten with a garden fork handle. Stapleton, a college graduate with schizophrenia, claimed he believed his mother had been replaced by an impostor. Dr Stephen Monks, a forensic psychiatrist, testified for the defence, stating that Stapleton was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the killing, had active symptoms of schizophrenia, and did not understand the nature or wrongness of his act. Monks argued that Stapleton met the criteria for a not‑guilty‑by‑reason‑of‑insanity verdict and recommended he remain at the Central Mental Hospital. The trial continues before Mr Justice Garret Sheehan. Niall Stapleton was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
A 32‑year‑old man with schizophrenia, Niall Stapleton, is on trial in the Central Criminal Court for the murder of his 51‑year‑old mother, Siobhan Stapleton, who died on 25 May 2012 from blunt‑force trauma to the head inflicted with a garden‑fork handle. Stapleton pleaded not guilty, claiming he was not guilty by reason of insanity. He initially told gardai he saw a man leave the scene but later admitted he had snapped and attacked his mother. His 22‑year‑old sister, Sinead Stapleton, testified that he had been on medication for years but was not taking it at the time and that he had been restless and talking to himself the night before the death. The post‑mortem found 28 injuries, including skull fractures and bruising to brain tissue, and the garden‑fork handle was found with blood matching the mother's DNA.
A 32‑year‑old man, Niall Stapleton of Glebe Lodge, Kilfane, Thomastown, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Siobhan Stapleton, aged 51, who was killed at that address on 25 May 2012. The Central Criminal Court will hear the case, with a jury of seven men and five women sworn in, starting Friday and expected to run until the end of next week.