In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 20‑year‑old defendant, Dean Kerrie, claimed he acted in self‑defence when a 25‑year‑old fisherman, Jack Power, entered his home. Kerrie said Power smashed the front window, kicked in the door and attacked his family. He alleged that Power fell onto a knife he had taken from his brother's bed, resulting in a single stab wound to Power's chest that penetrated his heart. Kerrie's defence argued that he had no intention to kill and was merely protecting his home. The prosecution contended that Kerrie deliberately stabbed Power and used excessive force. After nearly seven hours of deliberation, the jury could not reach a verdict and declared a disagreement. Kerrie was remanded on bail pending the next court date. The case remains unresolved. Dean Kerrie pleaded not guilty.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a jury of eleven deliberated over the case of 20‑year‑old Dean Kerrie, accused of killing 25‑year‑old Jack Power in 2018. Kerrie claimed he was defending his home when Power, a drunk fisherman, entered as a trespasser. The jury asked the judge whether Kerrie's age—he was 17 at the time—merited special consideration, but the judge said no. They also examined two knives found at Kerrie's house, one with no blood and another with Power's DNA. The prosecution argued Kerrie acted unlawfully, while the defence maintained he acted in self‑defence. The jury was instructed to reach a unanimous verdict of guilty of murder, guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty, and was released to return the next day for further deliberation.
A jury of seven men and four women returned to the Central Criminal Court on 15 February 2022 to consider the verdict in the murder trial of 20‑year‑old Dean Kerrie. Kerrie, who lives in St Brigid's Square, Portarlington, claimed he acted in self‑defence after a drunken fisherman, Jack Power, 25, entered his home at Shanakiel, Dunmore East, on 26 July 2018. Power was stabbed once in the chest, a wound that pierced his heart. Kerrie pleaded not guilty. Defence counsel Ciaran O'Loughlin SC argued that Kerrie had no intention other than to protect his home and had acted in self‑defence. Prosecution counsel Michael Delaney SC contended that Kerrie had taken the law into his own hands, using excessive force. Justice Eileen Creedon explained that the burden of proof lies with the prosecution and outlined the three possible verdicts: guilty of murder, guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court murder trial, 20‑year‑old Dean Kerrie pleaded not guilty to the killing of 25‑year‑old Jack Power, who entered Kerrie's Portarlington home as a trespasser. Kerrie's defence counsel, Ciaran O'Loughlin SC, argued that Kerrie acted in self‑defence, claiming he was attacked and feared for his life. He said Kerrie brandished a knife but did not stab Power, who allegedly fell onto the blade. O'Loughlin highlighted the 999 call where Kerrie expressed fear and stated he stabbed Power "by accident." The prosecution, led by Michael Delaney SC, contended that Kerrie's account was implausible, citing inconsistencies with witnesses, the placement of the knife, and the lack of defensive injuries on Power. Delaney urged the jury to consider whether Kerrie used excessive force and whether a threat justified the stabbing. The case remains at the jury's deliberation stage.
Brendan Treanor, 33, of Dundalk, faces charges for a 2013 robbery at Lordship Credit Union where Garda Adrian Donohoe was murdered. He is also charged with conspiracy to burgle but not murder. Treanor has been denied bail and is remanded in Portlaoise Prison. He has filed a judicial review against the DPP, the Minister for Justice, and the Attorney General, challenging the decision to try him before the Special Criminal Court (SCC). His lawyers argue the DPP failed to give detailed reasons for the SCC trial, citing that the murder suspect, Aaron Brady, was tried in a jury court. Treanor claims the SCC's permanent status breaches constitutional rights and seeks an order preventing prosecution before the SCC, declarations of breach of equality, and a requirement for detailed reasons. The case was heard by Mr Justice Charles Meenan, with a hearing scheduled for March.
In a murder trial, 20‑year‑old Dean Kerrie, who was 17 at the time of the incident, testified that Jack Power, 25, entered his home in Portarlington by kicking the front door. Kerrie claimed Power threatened his mother and that Power's attempt to remove a knife from Kerrie's hand led to an accidental stabbing. Kerrie described being choked, thrown to the floor, and later seeing Power's knife on his brother's bed. He said he tried to move out of the way of a kick and that Power's loss of footing caused the stab. Prosecutor Michael Delaney argued the stabbing was deliberate, not accidental, and that Kerrie's statements were false. The case remains in court, with the jury hearing Kerrie's account and the prosecution's counter‑arguments. The trial continues before Justice Eileen Creedon. Dean Kerrie pleaded not guilty.
A Kinahan-linked man convicted of attempted murder is challenging his conviction on appeal, arguing that mobile phone records used to secure his conviction breached his right to privacy under Irish and European Union law. Caolan Smyth, now imprisoned at Cork Prison, was found guilty at the Special Criminal Court in January 2021 of the attempted murder of James Gately in north Dublin on 10 May 2017. Smyth was sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment. His co-accused, Gary McAreavey, received three years for assisting in the destruction of the vehicle used in the shooting. At the Court of Appeal, counsel for Smyth submitted that phone location data gathered under the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 should not have been admitted as evidence, citing a 2018 judgment that found the legislation incompatible with EU law. The Director of Public Prosecutions contended that the phone records were recovered lawfully and that the legislation remains valid. McAreavey separately appeals his conviction, challenging whether evidence proved his knowledge that a serious offence had been committed. Caolan Smyth pleaded not guilty. Gary McAreavey pleaded not guilty.
In a murder trial, a fisherman, aged 25, was found dead in a teenage boy's home after sustaining a single stab wound to the front of his chest that penetrated his heart. The jury heard from retired Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis that the wound was 13 cm deep, 4.5 cm long, and the force used was moderate. Dr Curtis noted the victim's intoxication with alcohol and cocaine, and that he was over three times the legal driving limit. The victim, a fisherman who worked on his father's boat, had no defensive injuries. The accused, 20‑year‑old Dean Kerrie, pleaded not guilty to the murder of the fisherman, who was found dead on 26 July 2018 in Waterford. The trial continues before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury.
In a murder trial, the jury heard a 999 call from 17‑year‑old Dean Kerrie, who said he stabbed fisherman Jack Power "by accident" after Power entered his home. Kerrie claimed he feared for his life and that Power had come in the front door. The call, recorded at 3.44 am, included Kerrie's description of the incident, the knife used, and his statement that he did not intend to kill. The prosecution also played a call from Kerrie's mother, Ann Fitzgerald, reporting broken windows. Evidence presented included forensic findings of blood on a wooden chair leg, a rock on a couch, and a black knife with a palm mark. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, continues with a jury of eight men and four women. The case remains at the hearing stage. Dean Kerrie pleaded not guilty.
In a murder trial heard on 8 February 2022, a 20‑year‑old teenage boy, Dean Kerrie, pleaded not guilty to the killing of 25‑year‑old fisherman Jack Power in Shanakiel, Dunmore East, Waterford, on 26 July 2018. Kerrie told Gardaí that he had been asleep when a man broke into his home in Portarlington, attacked his mother, and that he stabbed the intruder with a knife. He was arrested on suspicion of assault causing harm and cautioned. Garda evidence described a broken front window, a broken chair, a kitchen knife on the floor, bloodstains on clothing and a black‑and‑white handled knife found at the scene. The prosecution noted a single stab wound to Power's chest and that Power was declared dead at the scene. The trial continued before Justice Eileen Creedon with a jury of eight men and four women. The case remains at the trial stage.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing on 7 February 2022, a 20‑year‑old accused of murdering 25‑year‑old Jack Power was described as clutching a bottle of holy water moments after telling his cousin he was "after stabbing him." The accused, Dean Kerrie of St Brigid's Square, Portarlington, pleaded not guilty. Witness Shane Fitzgerald, a cousin of Kerrie, recounted that the day before the alleged offence the three men had swum at Badger's Cove and spent the day together, with Fitzgerald returning home at about 11 pm to watch Netflix. At around 3 am the next morning, Fitzgerald heard a loud bang and saw Christopher Lee, Power's best friend, shouting that he was going to kill him. Fitzgerald tried to call Kerrie but received no answer. He then walked to Kerrie's house, where he found Power lying on the ground.
An eye witness, Christopher Lee, 29, broke down while giving evidence in the murder trial of Dean Kerrie, 20, charged with killing 25‑year‑old Jack Power on 26 July 2018. Lee described seeing Power and another man at the entrance of the Shanakiel estate early that morning. He recalled Power running toward Kerrie's house, where a long knife was held. Lee said Power turned to walk toward him, and Kerrie stabbed Power with the knife. Lee, who was shouting at Power, could not see the exact moment of the stabbing but noted Power's back to him and that Power was injured. After the incident, Lee ran to his father's house, called the gardai and ambulance, and used a golf club to break three windows in Kerrie's house. The trial is ongoing before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury. Dean Kerrie pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a jury may have to consider self‑defence in the trial of Dean Kerrie, then 17, accused of murdering 25‑year‑old Jack Power in his home in Shanakiel, Dunmore East, on 26 July 2018. Kerrie pleaded not guilty. The prosecution, led by Michael Delaney SC, presented evidence that Power, intoxicated after a night out at a local pub, drove to a cul‑de‑sac near Kerrie's house, where he was allegedly agitated over damage to his car's wing mirror. Witness Christopher Lee testified that Power entered Kerrie's house, a scuffle ensued, and Kerrie stabbed Power in the chest with a knife. Power collapsed outside, was taken to hospital, and died from a 13‑cm stab wound. A post‑mortem found blunt‑force trauma to Power's head and a high alcohol level.
A 20‑year‑old man, Dean Kerrie of Portarlington, faces trial for the murder of 25‑year‑old Jack Power in Waterford. The alleged killing occurred on 26 July 2018 at Shanakiel, Dunmore East. Kerrie was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court, pleaded not guilty, and a jury of nine men and three women was sworn in. The trial, before Justice Eileen Creedon, is set to start Thursday morning and is expected to last two weeks.
The family of Barry Griffin Junior, who died in a 2020 road collision, has brought a High Court action to challenge the Garda's decision to refer the driver of the Mercedes involved in the crash to the Garda Youth Diversion Programme. The incident involved two cars racing each other; the VW Passat driven by 19‑year‑old Brogan Kelly lost control and collided with the Mercedes, killing 17‑year‑old Griffin. Kelly was prosecuted and sentenced to five years and six months' imprisonment, with 18 months suspended. The Griffin family argue that the decision to divert the Mercedes driver means he will not face criminal prosecution, a move they say was made without their consultation and is irrational and unlawful under the 2001 Children Act. They seek an order quashing the diversion decision and disclosure of the Garda's reasons. The case is set for a February hearing before Mr Justice Charles Meenan. Brogan Kelly pleaded guilty.
Stephen Fowler, a grandfather convicted of logistical involvement in a botched Kinahan Cartel plot to murder James 'Mago' Gately, has launched a High Court challenge regarding the Garda's seizure and retention of his car. Fowler, who is serving a sentence in Portlaoise Prison, stated he gave full permission to a friend to use the 2014 Skoda Octavia. The vehicle was detained on October 31 and is currently being retained by the Garda, despite counsel arguing the seizure was irrational and disproportionate. Fowler's legal team, represented by Micheal O'Higgins SC and Brendan Hennessy BL, submitted that the continued detention breaches property rights and constitutes an abuse of authority. They seek orders to quash the refusal to return the vehicle, a declaration of oppressive conduct, and damages. Mr Justice Charles Meenan granted permission to bring the judicial review proceedings on an ex-parte basis. The judge noted the applicants had previously written to the Garda without a meaningful response and asked if a more cost-effective resolution existed. The matter was adjourned to a date in February. Fowler was previously sentenced to six years and nine months in the Special Criminal Court for participating in activities intended to enhance the criminal organisation's ability to commit murder. The last 15 months of his sentence were suspended for three years.
Stephen Penrose was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for the murder of Philip Finnegan at the Central Criminal Court. The sentence was backdated to May 17, 2017, when Penrose entered custody. Penrose, who had pleaded not guilty, was found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict. He represented himself during the trial after dismissing his legal teams, an action the judge described as a serious abuse of the legal system. In a victim impact statement, Angela Finnegan, the victim's mother, condemned Penrose for cross-examining her in the witness box, stating no mother should be questioned by the man who murdered her son. She described the trauma of finding her son's decapitated remains in Rahin Woods, Co Kildare, three weeks after he went missing. Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster testified that Finnegan died from multiple stab wounds, including fatal injuries to his liver and aorta. Superintendent Brian O'Keeffe informed the court of Penrose's previous convictions, including the manslaughter of David Sharkey in 2010, for which Sharkey was sentenced to nine years in prison. Penrose's other prior offenses included possession of firearms, a hit-and-run, and assaults on prison officers. The judge noted that Penrose had been continually in custody since May 2017. The court rejected Penrose's defense that he was attacked by others, accepting the prosecution's case that he inflicted a gruesome death on Finnegan.
In a High Court hearing on 17 November 2021, Governor Anthony Harris of Cloverhill Prison explained that the prison was in a "silo mentality" due to a serious Covid‑19 outbreak. He said the majority of the remand wing was closed, with prisoners confined to small pods for essential services and no showers or exercise. Mass testing was underway, and staff who were asymptomatic contacts were considered the main risk. Harris reported that Cloverhill, Midlands Prison in Portlaoise and one element of Mountjoy Prison were affected, while Wheatfield Prison was "sterile". He stated that the prison could not produce the named prisoner for trial without endangering him or the population, and that inter‑prison transfers were not occurring. The judge declined to order the prisoner's production, noting the difficulty of ensuring safe transport and the potential for reinfection. The case was scheduled for mention on Friday.
Convicted murderer Freddie Thompson, also known as 'Fat Freddie', brought a High Court action against the Governors of Limerick and Portlaoise Prisons, the Irish Prison Service, and the Minister for Justice. Thompson, who received a life sentence in 2018 after being found guilty of the 2016 murder of David Douglas, alleges that prison authorities failed to respond to his solicitors' questions regarding his detention conditions. He claims his transfer to Limerick Prison, where he was reportedly confined to a padded cell without clothing, constitutes a punishment without a disciplinary hearing or formal sanction paperwork. Thompson further alleges that previous complaints about mistreatment in Portlaoise, including sleep deprivation and excessive searches, were upheld but the investigator's report was never provided to him. His legal team argues that the failure to update him on complaint statuses and answer queries regarding his detention is contrary to law, the Prison Rules, and natural justice. They seek an order compelling the respondents to reply to their questions and declarations that the authorities have a legal duty to respond to concerns about a prisoner's detention. The matter came before Mr Justice Anthony Barr, who granted Thompson permission to bring the action on an ex-parte basis. The matter was adjourned and will be mentioned before the court in late December.
Stephen Penrose, aged 38, was found guilty by a jury of murdering his friend Philip Finnegan, aged 24, who was missing for three weeks before his decapitated remains were discovered in a shallow grave in Rahin Woods, Kildare. The jury rejected Penrose's defence that he had last seen Finnegan being stabbed by a group of men in a forest and that he had attempted to conceal the body's location. Evidence included a DNA match from a bloodied glove found near the remains, a forensic scientist's report linking Penrose's DNA to the glove, and testimony that Finnegan's body had suffered multiple stab wounds, including fatal ones to the liver and aorta. Penrose had previously been convicted of manslaughter in 2010. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, concluded with a unanimous verdict after five hours and 46 minutes of deliberation over two days.
In County Laois, Robert Wojtanowicz, aged 41, was found with 25 large boxes of stolen industrial workwear from his former employer, K and S Industrial Supplies. He claimed he had permission to take the stock because it was damaged and unfit for sale, but the company's statement confirmed the items were in perfect condition. Wojtanowicz pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to recklessly possessing the goods, valued at €19,847, on 22 August 2017. He also faced a European arrest warrant for four minor road‑traffic offences dating back to 2012. Garda Shane Barry executed the warrant, discovered the boxes, and returned the goods to the company. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Wojtanowicz to a two‑year prison term, which she suspended on strict conditions, citing his cooperation and lack of prior convictions as mitigating factors. The case highlighted the Gardaí's role in recovering the stolen stock.
A blood‑stained glove found near the skeletonised remains of Philip Finnegan in Rahin Woods matched DNA from Stephen Penrose, a forensic scientist who is on trial for Finnegan's murder. The glove, heavily charred and bearing blood on five internal sites, was recovered by Gardaí on 8 September 2016 and later analysed by Dr Alan McGee of Forensic Science Ireland. McGee compared the glove's DNA with a buccal swab taken from Penrose on 16 November 2016 and reported a match, estimating the probability of a different source as less than one in a billion. Penrose, 38, pleaded not guilty to the murder of the 24‑year‑old, who was found buried in a shallow grave after being missing for just over three weeks.
At the Central Criminal Court on 14 October 2021, Angela Finnegan, mother of the missing 24‑year‑old Philip Finnegan, was cross‑examined by Stephen Penrose, the man accused of murdering her son. Ms Finnegan confirmed that Philip had been in contact with Penrose on the morning of 10 August 2016, the day he disappeared, and that he had been "in good form" when she last saw him. She stated that Philip had been looking for directions to Cloverhill Courthouse and that she had tried to reach him again at 4.40 pm, but his phone was off. Ms Finnegan also agreed with the prosecution that a named man in Portlaoise Prison had threatened Philip and that this man was present in the prison at the time of Philip's disappearance. Stephen Penrose pleaded not guilty. Angela Finnegan pleaded not guilty.
Brendan 'Benny' Treanor (34) of Dundalk, Co Louth, appeared at the Special Criminal Court to be charged with two offences relating to the January 23, 2013, robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead. Treanor is accused of entering residential premises as trespassers with the intention of stealing vehicle keys, contrary to Common Law, and robbing Pat Bellew of approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques, contrary to Section 14 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001. The court heard that a co-accused male is currently in custody in the UK, with an international warrant issued for his presence in Ireland. Defence counsel indicated a potential application regarding the court's jurisdiction and estimated the trial could last up to four months. The prosecution requested a 2022 trial date due to the volume of material. Presiding Judge Tony Hunt fixed October 3, 2022, as the trial date and December 21, 2021, for a progress mention. Separately, Aaron Brady (30) of Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was previously sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Det Gda Donohoe, a case that lasted 122 court days.
Senior Kinahan cartel member Peter Keating has been jailed for 12 years by the Special Criminal Court for directing the activities of a criminal organisation between December 7, 2016 and April 6, 2017, within and outside the State. Keating (40) pleaded guilty in July of this year to directing the activities of the crime group in their failed attempt to murder Hutch gang member James 'Mago' Gately. The judge noted that Keating was a 'senior figure' for the Kinahan Organised Crime Group and a 'repository of trust and confidence' for the cartel. The sentence was backdated to July 1, 2020, and the final year of the 12-year term was suspended for two years. Keating entered into a bond of €100 to keep the peace for two years. The judge gave Keating a 25% discount for his early guilty plea, which saved a costly trial. The court heard that Keating was involved in the commission of a serious offence and played a significant role in the surveillance of Gately and his family regarding the proposed murder. The investigation highlighted the transnational outreach of organised crime, with Estonian hitman Imre Arakas (62) jailed for six years in December 2018 for conspiring with others to murder Gately in Northern Ireland between April 3 and 4, 2017. Arakas was arrested before the planned attack on Gately could be carried out. Caolan Smyth (30) was sentenced to 20 years last February for attempted murder in relation to a second attempt on Gately's life in May 2017. The matter was adjourned and never described as concluded or finalised.
Michael Murray, a convicted rapist, was sentenced to 16 further years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for death threats and harassment. The validated procedural stage is an appeal, though the report details the sentencing following his guilty verdict. Murray, who pleaded not guilty to most charges, was found guilty of threatening barristers Dominic McGinn SC and Tony McGillicuddy BL, harassing his rape victim, and possessing a mobile phone in prison. He had previously been jailed for 19 years for rape and abduction. Judge O'Connor described his actions as an "unprecedented and deliberate" abuse of process. Murray was excluded from the hearing after throwing a Bible at the judge. The court imposed nine years for the threat to Mr McGinn and seven years for the threat to Mr McGillicuddy. Additional sentences included seven years for harassing the victim, four years each for harassing Mr McGinn and a solicitor, and five years for phone possession. The nine-year and seven-year sentences were ordered to be served consecutively, resulting in an effective operative sentence of 16 years, to be served after his original 19-year term. Murray was also ordered to have no contact with the three harassed individuals for 30 years. No mitigation was presented.
David Masterson, aged 56, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for a series of sexual offences against his daughter, Charlene Masterson, who was 32 at the time of the statement. Masterson used anonymous text messages to blackmail her into sexual acts with men, claiming his job was at risk. He also sexually abused her over a seven‑and‑a‑half‑year period, including oral rape and sexual assault, and had sexual encounters with three other girls. Masterson was already serving a seven‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for defilement offences and had 17 prior convictions, including child pornography. The court imposed 18 years for each of the four counts of oral rape, suspending the final year and ordering one year of post‑release supervision, and five years for two sexual assault offences, running concurrently for an effective operative sentence of 18 years with the final year suspended. The sentences were back‑dated to 26 June 2019. David Masterson pleaded guilty.
Convicted murderer Freddie Thompson has brought a High Court action challenging the Legal Aid Board's refusal to pay his legal costs for a 2019 case regarding his detention conditions. Thompson, serving a life sentence in Portlaoise Prison for the 2018 murder of David Douglas, previously sought judicial review over conditions in the prison's A4-wing. That 2019 action was withdrawn in November 2019 after he was moved to the mainstream population, a move the respondents attributed to security concerns rather than the legal action. Following the withdrawal, a High Court judge recommended Thompson's fees be covered under the Legal Aid (Custody Issue) Scheme. However, the Legal Aid Board refused this in August 2020, a decision repeated in March 2021, citing that Thompson did not qualify because he had already been convicted, sentenced, and lost his liberty. Thompson claims this refusal is an error in law and unreasonable, arguing the Board failed to interpret the scheme consistently with High Court judges. Represented by Micheal O'Higgins SC and Keith Spencer BL, Thompson seeks to quash the Board's refusal and obtain declarations that the decision breached fair procedures, constitutional rights, and the ECHR. He further claims the scheme is constitutionally deficient. Mr Justice Charles Meenan granted permission to bring the action on an ex-parte basis on Monday, with the matter made returnable to a date in October.
A retired senior Garda detective, Kevin Dolan, denied that his team was "waiting for more calls" before arresting Michael Murray, a convicted rapist, for questioning. Murray, aged 50, is on trial at Dublin Circuit Court for making death threats in late 2014 and early 2015 against the barristers who prosecuted him for rape, Dominic McGinn SC and Tony McGillicuddy BL, and for harassing the woman he raped by advertising her online as a prostitute in early 2015, as well as harassing his defence solicitor and Mr McGinn. He denies these charges but pleaded guilty to possessing a mobile phone that fell out of his rectum during a strip‑search on 11 February 2015. Dolan said he applied to Portlaoise District Court for an arrest warrant in May 2015 after learning of the threat on Mr McGinn in mid‑November 2014.
Peter Keating, 40, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to directing a criminal organisation's activities from 7 December 2016 to 4 April 2017, including the attempted murder of James 'Mago' Gately. Gately was shot multiple times on 10 May 2017 while seated in his car at Topaz filling station, Dublin 17. The court heard that the attackers believed Gately was involved in the 2016 Regency Hotel attack that killed Kinahan gang member David Byrne. Other defendants include Caolan Smyth, sentenced to 20 years for the attempted murder and firearm possession; Gary McAreavey, who pleaded not guilty to aiding the escape of a vehicle used in the attempt and received a four‑year term with the last year suspended; and Imre Arakas, jailed for six years for conspiracy to murder Gately in Northern Ireland. David Duffy, 33, pleaded guilty to knowledge of the organisation and participation in the offence, to be sentenced in July.
During a trial, a former prison officer, David McDonald, testified that Michael Murray, a 50‑year‑old former Killiney resident, had claimed he possessed a phone that he would only hand over to Gardaí. McDonald recounted a lengthy conversation with Murray on 11 May 2015, in which Murray said he had a phone in his anus that had been given to him by his solicitor. Murray was upset over money he alleged had disappeared from a German bank account and admitted using the phone to contact the barristers who had prosecuted him for rape in 2013. McDonald noted that Murray was adamant he would not surrender the phone to prison officers, fearing the evidence would be wiped, and that he would only give it to Gardaí or under a Section 42 warrant. The trial, presided over by Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury, continues tomorrow. Michael Murray pleaded not guilty.
The High Court has adjourned the extradition appeal of Imre Arakas (62) to Lithuania. Arakas, currently serving a six-year sentence in Portlaoise Prison for conspiring to murder James Gately in Northern Ireland in 2017, is challenging a European Arrest Warrant. Lithuanian authorities allege he conspired to murder Deimantas Bugavicius in 2015, alongside firearms and criminal damage charges. Arakas pleaded guilty to the Gately conspiracy in December 2018. During the hearing, defense counsel cited an eyewitness who identified Arakas as not present at the Bugavicius scene, arguing no decision to prosecute had been made. The Minister for Justice's counsel countered that the warrant was issued for criminal prosecution. Mr Justice Paul Burns adjourned the matter, directing counsel to draft questions regarding the Lithuanian authorities' intention to try Arakas at the time the warrant was issued. The resumed hearing is fixed for July 15, with a mention scheduled for July 12. Arakas was remanded in custody until next month. His current sentence expires in October 2029.
Michael Murray, 50, a convicted rapist, faces trial for threatening to kill senior counsel Dominic McGinn and barrister Tony McGillicuddy. He is also accused of creating online ads in 2014‑2015 that advertised McGinn, the woman he raped, and his former solicitor as prostitutes. Murray denies the allegations. In a Garda interview, he admitted wanting to kill McGinn because McGinn secured his 2013 rape conviction, and claimed he had planned a hit that night but cancelled it to "do it myself." He also said he had arranged for his former defence solicitor to be abducted by a "foreign gang," a plan he also cancelled. Murray has pleaded guilty to possessing a Samsung phone seized in 2015. The judge announced that he has engaged a new legal team, and the trial will resume on Wednesday morning.
Michael Murray, 50, is on trial at the Circuit Court in Dublin for threatening to kill senior counsel Dominic McGinn and barrister Tony McGillicuddy, who prosecuted him for rape in 2013, and for harassing McGinn by advertising him online as a prostitute, as well as harassing his former defence solicitor and the woman he was convicted of raping. He pleaded not guilty to the threats and harassment charges. Murray admitted owning the phone used for the calls, which his defence said was given to him by another solicitor. During a May 8, 2015 interview, Murray told detectives that he had instructed his former solicitor to call 24 defence witnesses, but she did not comply, and that he believed his legal calls were being intercepted. He also claimed he had planned to have his solicitor abducted by a "foreign gang," a plan he later cancelled.
Michael Murray, 50, of Killiney, Dublin, is on appeal regarding charges of making death threats against prosecuting barrister Dominic McGinn SC and Tony McGillicuddy BL between November 2014 and February 2015. Murray, a convicted rapist, has pleaded not guilty to these allegations, which include leaving threatening messages and posting online advertisements describing the legal professionals as prostitutes. During the trial, evidence emerged that Murray admitted to ordering the murder of Mr McGinn, stating he only did not proceed because he intended to do it himself. He also acknowledged making calls threatening to kill the barristers. Separately, Murray pleaded guilty to possessing a mobile phone without the governor's permission while in custody at Midlands Prison on February 11, 2015. He claimed the device was given to him by his solicitor while he was in hospital. The court heard that prison officers discovered the phone during a search after Murray resisted them. The matter was adjourned, with the trial continuing before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury, expected to last up to four weeks. No final sentence or disposal has been recorded for the guilty plea to the phone possession charge at this procedural stage.
Edmundas Dauksa, 51, was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for the murder of Ingrida Maciokaite at the Central Criminal Court. The sentence was backdated to September 18, 2018, when he entered custody. Dauksa had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; however, a jury unanimously convicted him of murder. The court heard a victim impact statement from the foster carer of the couple's two children, who described the scene as "unspeakably horrific" for the six-year-old daughter who witnessed the attack. The statement noted the child's ongoing trauma and that the son would never remember his mother. Defence counsel Michael Bowman SC stated that Dauksa expressed remorse and deep regret. Mr Justice Paul McDermott delivered the sentence following the conviction. The trial established that Dauksa stabbed Maciokaite 19 times in front of their daughter days after a District Court order placed the child in the mother's custody. The jury rejected the defence that Dauksa lacked murderous intent, accepting the State's case that he intended serious harm or death. No adjournments or suspended portions were recorded in the finalisation.
Patrick Shiels, aged 64, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment by the Central Criminal Court for sexually assaulting and orally raping his daughter, Marlene Prakash‑Shiels, who was between four and eight years old during the offences. Shiels pleaded not guilty to all charges, including four counts of sexual assault, oral rape, child cruelty, forced alcohol consumption and forced viewing of pornography. He had no prior convictions. The trial, held in Croke Park, included a victim impact statement in which Ms Prakash‑Shiels described the lasting trauma and lack of remorse from her father. Justice David Keane noted aggravating factors such as abuse of trust, age disparity and the pattern of assault, and imposed a ten‑year sentence with no credit for a guilty plea. He also ordered three years of post‑release supervision by the Probation Service. The court heard that the victim was in foster care during the period of the offences.
The Special Criminal Court sentenced Sean Ruth, a former mid-tier Kinahan Cartel member, to four years and six months for two money laundering offences. Presiding Judge Tony Hunt suspended both sentences for six years and ordered Ruth to repay €9,900 within 12 months. Ruth pleaded guilty to concealing or disguising the source of funds in his Allied Irish Bank account between 2016 and 2017, knowing or being reckless as to whether they were proceeds of criminal conduct. The court noted he had paid over €20,000 to the Criminal Assets Bureau, with his parents assisting with the remaining balance. Judge Hunt reduced a headline six-year sentence by 25% due to Ruth's guilty plea and mitigation, including his reformation and education since his 2019 release from a separate firearms conviction. Ruth was previously jailed for three years for possessing a .38 Special revolver and ammunition. The report also details that Jonathan Harding and James Walsh were previously sentenced to 10 and nine years imprisonment respectively, with the final year of each suspended, after pleading guilty to possessing nine revolvers, four pistols, a submachine gun, an assault rifle, and ammunition at the Greenogue Unit.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a jury found Edmundas Dauksa, a married Lithuanian man, guilty of murdering his former partner, Ingrida Maciokaite, by stabbing her 19 times in front of their six‑year‑old daughter. The killing occurred on 18 September 2018 at Bridgewater Mews, Dundalk, after a court had placed the child in Maciokaite's custody. Dauksa had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The jury rejected his defence that he was not "fuelled with murderous intent" and that he had been wronged by the court system. They accepted the State's case that he intended serious harm or death when he repeatedly plunged a 15‑cm blade into Maciokaite's body. The verdict was unanimous, with the jury deliberating for 3 hours 51 minutes over two days. The judge will impose a mandatory life sentence on 24 May and remand Dauksa in custody until then.
Fishmonger Edmundas Dauksa (51) is on trial in Dundalk, Co Louth, having pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for the killing of Ingrida Maciokaite (31) on September 18, 2018. The prosecution, led by Conor Devally SC, argued that Dauksa possessed the necessary intent for murder, stating that repeatedly plunging a 15cm blade into the victim's body could only lead to serious harm or death. Devally contended that the accused's actions, which resulted in multiple stab wounds to the chest, back, face, and neck, demonstrated a clear intention to kill, despite the defence's claims of emotional turmoil. The defence, represented by Michael Bowman SC, submitted that Dauksa did not have murderous intent, attributing his state of mind to distress over a recent District Court order that placed his daughter in the custody of her mother. Bowman argued that while the accused felt wronged by the legal system, he was not consumed by vengeance and had not premeditated the attack. The jury, comprising seven men and five women, is set to begin deliberations after Justice Paul McDermott charges them. The matter remains at the trial stage, with no final verdict or sentence recorded in this report.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Asta Dauksiene, wife of Edmundas Dauksa, testified that her husband was deeply devoted to his daughter, describing him as "completely destroyed" after the court placed the child in the deceased's custody. Dauksiene recounted that the child had been in the family's care since infancy, with the mother, Ingrida Maciokaite, returning to work and allowing the child to stay with the family. She detailed the court's abnormal and accelerated decision to transfer custody days before the September 18, 2018, murder. Dauksiene also described Dauksa's emotional state, noting he was upset, crying, and later appeared to have a knife in his hand. The trial, with Dauksa pleading not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.
In a murder trial, the jury heard that a mother‑of‑two, who was later stabbed to death by her former partner in front of their six‑year‑old daughter, had been granted custody of the child in an "abnormal and accelerated" District Court hearing days before the killing. The court order, issued on 14 September, was said to contain errors and irregularities, and the accused, Edmundas Dauksa, was unrepresented during the proceedings. Dauksa, aged 51, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for the 2018 killing of Ingrida Maciokaite, who died from multiple stab wounds. The trial also covered the mother's attempts to secure custody, the solicitor's advice, and the Gardaí's involvement in the court order and child's transport to Drogheda Courthouse. The case continues before Mr Justice McDermott and a jury.
In a Dundalk murder trial, the jury was shown CCTV footage of Edmundas Dauksa, 51, meeting his former partner, Ingrida Maciokaite, 31, moments before he stabbed her to death in front of their six‑year‑old daughter. The footage captured Dauksa walking onto Linenhall Street at 2.45 pm on 18 September 2018, entering an alleyway from Bridgewater Mews, and later being seen sitting on a wall with a knife on the ground. Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with a child distressed and a black Audi arriving. Dauksa pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Paul McDermott, continues with 12 jurors hearing the evidence.
The jury in the trial of Edmundas Dauksa, a 51‑year‑old fishmonger from Dundalk, was discharged after a legal application was made in their absence. Dauksa was charged with the murder of Ingrida Maciokaite, a 31‑year‑old Lithuanian national, who was killed on 18 September 2018 at Bridgewater Mews, Linenhall Street, Dundalk. The judge, Justice Paul McDermott, thanked the jurors and exempted them from duty for five years, and a new jury will be sworn in for the case at the Central Criminal Court later that day. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
Fishmonger Edmundas Dauksa (51), of Castletown Road, Dundalk, Co Louth, is on trial for the alleged murder of Ingrida Maciokaite (31) at Bridgewater Mews, Linenhall Street, Dundalk, on September 18, 2018. The accused has pleaded not guilty to the charge. Prosecution barrister Conor Devally SC outlined that Dauksa and Maciokaite, both Lithuanian nationals, had a relationship and shared parenthood, with their six-year-old daughter present at the scene. The prosecution alleges Dauksa stabbed Maciokaite multiple times in an arch passage, with witnesses describing hearing screams and seeing the accused make striking motions before discarding a knife across the street. Garda David O'Leary identified the alleged weapon, described as a boning knife, found near the scene. Witnesses Yetunde Awosanya, Paul Ruane, and Cyril Loughran testified to seeing the incident, with Loughran describing five or six striking motions and blood on the accused's hands. The trial is currently ongoing before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury, with proceedings continuing on Tuesday.
A jury of seven women and five men was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court for the trial of Edmundas Dauksa, a 51‑year‑old Lithuanian fishmonger from Dundalk, who is accused of murdering his partner, 31‑year‑old Ingrida Maciokaite, in September 2018. Dauksa pleaded not guilty. The court noted that both he and Maciokaite were Lithuanian nationals and that they had a six‑year‑old daughter together. Mr Justice Michael White mentioned a prior custody issue before the death. The trial is set to begin this Thursday before Mr Justice Paul McDermott.
Sean Ruth, 32, of Portlaoise, Co Laois, was remanded on continuing bail until May 17 for sentencing after pleading guilty to two money laundering offences at the Special Criminal Court. Prosecutors alleged that Ruth, described as a mid-tier Kinahan Cartel member, allowed his bank accounts to be used to launder over €50,000 in crime proceeds between 2016 and 2017 while claiming State benefits and paying no tax. He has paid the Criminal Assets Bureau over €20,000, with his mother assisting to discharge the remaining €9,000 liability. Defending counsel argued that Ruth has reformed since his 2019 release from a previous three-year firearms sentence and requested the court consider whether imprisonment was necessary. The court heard that Ruth was previously linked via DNA evidence to a revolver found at a Greenogue business park, an arsenal that also contained weapons seized from James Walsh and Jonathan Harding. Walsh, 36, and Harding, 48, were previously sentenced to 10 years and nine years imprisonment respectively, with the final year of each sentence suspended, after pleading guilty to possessing nine revolvers, four pistols, a sub-machinegun, an assault rifle, and ammunition at the same location. Ruth's current matter remains adjourned for final sentencing.
A 32‑year‑old man, Sean Ruth of Anamcara, Warrington Lane, Co Kilkenny, pleaded guilty before the Special Criminal Court to two counts of crime cash laundering under the Criminal Justice Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing Act 2010. He admitted, on various dates in 2016, to concealing or disguising the true nature or source of money credited to an Allied Irish Bank account in his name, and to converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using that money, knowing or believing it was the proceeds of criminal conduct. Ruth had originally faced eight offences but pleaded guilty to these two. The court remanded him on continuing bail until March 26 for a sentence hearing.
In a 2021 case, Simon Quilligan, aged 38, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment with the final two years suspended after a court hearing in the Central Criminal Court. The sentence followed a trial where Quilligan was found guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, making threats to kill or cause serious harm to two individuals, and causing criminal damage by breaking a caravan window. The offence occurred at a halting site in Tullamore, Co Offaly, where Quilligan discharged a firearm at a group that included children aged ten months to six years. He had threatened the occupants, saying he would kill them all and blow their brains out. The judge noted the presence of children taking cover under a caravan and the terror inflicted on the families present. Quilligan had previously been convicted of 38 offences in Ireland and four in other jurisdictions, including burglary and illegal weapon transport. Simon Quilligan was acquitted.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Simon Quilligan, aged 38, was found not guilty of attempting to murder John McDonagh and of discharging a firearm that posed a substantial risk of death or serious harm. He was, however, found guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, making threats to Melissa Cowman, Sandra O'Brien and Victoria Doherty, and damaging a caravan window. Quilligan had fled to the UK after the 2018 incident at a halting site in Tullamore, where he fired a weapon at the McDonagh family and threatened others. He was extradited back to Ireland, arrested in Athlone, and has been in custody since December 2019. The court noted his 38 prior convictions and the feud between the Quilligan and McDonagh families, which the defendant claims is now over. The judge remanded him in custody until March 9 for sentencing.