Imre Arakas, 62, an Estonian hitman jailed by the Special Criminal Court for six years in December 2018, is set to file a bid to halt his surrender to Lithuania on March 23. He was convicted for conspiring to murder James Gately in Northern Ireland on 3–4 April 2017, a plot carried out by the Kinahan cartel. Lithuanian authorities seek his extradition over the murder of a man who had an affair with pop star Vita Jakutiene, along with firearms, conspiracy and criminal damage charges. Arakas was arrested in Dublin in February 2018 under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Lithuania. His extradition hearing is scheduled for March 23, but the High Court may defer it pending the outcome of an appeal in a separate extradition case involving Liam Campbell. The hearing is expected to last a full day. The case is listed for mention on March 15. Imre Arakas pleaded guilty.
In November 2020, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal of a 41‑year‑old Laois truck driver who had been convicted of possession of cocaine for sale or supply. The driver, who had transported almost €300,000 worth of cocaine into Dublin, had denied saying, "So you found the drugs, then?" to the officer who discovered the drugs. The alleged admission was allowed into evidence at his trial. The drugs were found stashed in a fire extinguisher in the cab of his truck after it was seized at Dublin Port more than five years earlier. Judge Patricia Ryan had sentenced him to eight and a half years' imprisonment in 2018, describing him as a facilitator in the importation of the drugs. The appeal focused on the alleged verbal admission, but the Court of Appeal ruled that it was not unfair for the State to rely on the admission, even though it was made before the driver was cautioned. The unnamed 41-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 23 November 2020, Judge Martin Nolan faced a dilemma over the release of 26‑year‑old John Delaney, who had no fixed abode and was awaiting trial for assault, intimidation and criminal damage at the Fr Peter McVerry shelter. Delaney was on the waiting list for the Central Mental Hospital, which was full, and had spent nine months in Portlaoise prison. After a consultant psychiatrist confirmed Delaney was unfit to stand trial, the judge remanded him in custody but later ordered his immediate release, citing the lack of accommodation. The Peter McVerry Trust was found to provide housing, and Delaney was referred to Tallaght Mental Health Services for treatment. Dr John Francis Kelly, a psychiatrist, noted Delaney's deteriorating autistic spectrum disorder and his inability to understand the proceedings. The court thanked all parties and hoped the new arrangements would benefit Delaney.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Martin Nolan expressed that he was in a "terrible position" after being asked to release John Delaney, a 26‑year‑old autistic man, into society. Delaney, who has spent about nine months in Portlaoise prison, was charged with assault, intimidation with a butter knife, and criminal damage at the Fr Peter McVerry shelter in Finglas on 18 February 2020. A consultant psychiatrist testified that Delaney was unfit to stand trial. Judge Nolan initially ordered a release in one week, but the prosecution advised that this was not legally permissible. He therefore stayed the release until Monday, hoping a suitable accommodation could be found, and warned that releasing Delaney without proper care would leave him "in limbo" and potentially endanger the community.
Gerry O'Hare, a prominent Belfast republican and travel journalist, died at 79 in Belfast on 29 October 2020 after a period of ill health. He had joined the Provisional IRA in 1969, rising to a high‑ranking position before fleeing to the Republic in the early 1970s and being imprisoned for IRA membership. While in Mountjoy Prison, he helped restrain prison officers during a hijacked helicopter incident in 1973 that saw three IRA men escape. After his release, he served as editor of the republican paper An Phoblacht from 1975 to 1977. He later worked for the Irish Press Group, becoming its travel editor, and founded the magazine Travel Extra in 1995. O'Hare remained connected to the republican movement until his death. He was survived by his second wife, journalist Anne Cadwallader, and his first wife, Rita O'Hare, Sinn Féin representative in Washington DC.
Kevin Hannaway, 71, serving a 3‑year‑9‑month sentence at Portlaoise Prison, has lodged a High Court challenge against Covid‑19 restrictions on prison visits. He argues that the Prison Service's decision to limit visits to one per fortnight, each no longer than 15 minutes, breaches prison rules that guarantee at least one 30‑minute visit per week from a relative or friend. Hannaway, a former member of the 'hooded men' who suffered alleged inhumane treatment during the Troubles, claims the restrictions violate his rights under the Irish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. He seeks an order quashing the service's decision, orders to enforce the prescribed visit frequency and duration, a declaration of rights, and damages. Mr Justice Anthony Barr granted him permission to proceed, with the case set for a November hearing. Kevin Hannaway was convicted.
The Special Criminal Court sentenced Patrick Curtis and Mohammed Smew for their roles in a Kinahan Cartel plot to murder Patrick "Patsy" Hutch. Curtis, 38, who admitted directing the criminal organisation, received a final sentence of 12 years imprisonment, with the last two years suspended. The suspension is conditional on a €100 bond, good behaviour, and one year of probation supervision following release. Smew, 27, who pleaded guilty to participating in the organisation by providing vehicles and assisting in planning, was sentenced to eight years and three months, with the final nine months suspended. Both sentences were backdated to December 2019. The court noted that the murder plan was postponed due to Storm Emma, after which Smew was arrested for a separate matter. Earlier in the case, co-accused Michael Burns, 43, who admitted a graver offence, was jailed for nine years. Stephen Curtis, 32, and Ciaran O'Driscoll, 25, were each sentenced to five years. Additionally, Mark Capper, 31, Gary Thompson, 35, Glen Thompson, 25, and Robert Browne, 36, received sentences of seven-and-a-half years, 12 years and six months, 12 years and six months, and 11 years and six months respectively for their involvement in the plot.
Sean Ruth, 31, of Rathangan, Co Kildare, appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged with eight offences under the Money Laundering and Terrorist Finance Act. The alleged offences occurred in the State between 1 January and 31 December 2016. The Book of Evidence was served in the court, and the case was adjourned to 5 October. The State did not object to a free legal aid application, which was granted, and Mr Ruth was remanded on continuing bail. In June, Detective Garda Paul Kane informed State Solicitor Ciara Vibien that a warrant had been executed for Mr Ruth, who is accused of making four lodgements into an AIB account and four into an account at St Canice's Credit Union, Kilkenny, with the accounts allegedly held in his name. The amounts of the lodgements were not disclosed in court.
The Special Criminal Court sentenced Patrick Curtis and Mohammed Smew for their roles in a Kinahan Cartel plot to murder Patrick "Patsy" Hutch. Curtis, 38, pleaded guilty to directing the activities of a criminal organisation between February and March 2018. Smew, 27, pleaded guilty to participating in the organisation's activities, including providing vehicles and planning an attempted shooting. The court heard that Curtis suffers from claustrophobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder, while Smew was remanded in custody after a separate arrest, which ended his involvement. This sentencing concludes the case against the last two men involved in the plot. Previously, Michael Burns was jailed for nine years, while Stephen Curtis and Ciaran O'Driscoll received five-year sentences. Mark Capper, who withdrew from the plan, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years. In a related 2019 case, Gary Thompson, Glen Thompson, and Robert Browne were sentenced to 12.5 years and 11.5 years respectively for planning the murder. The court noted the gang's hierarchical structure, with leadership operating from the Middle East coordinating sub-cells. The planned attack involved a staging post, a ruse to lure the victim, and a getaway route, though the operation was intercepted by the Emergency Response Unit before execution.
Ms Fiona Roche, a secondary school teacher from Kildare who has taught since 2002 and been registered with the Teaching Council since 2006, has brought a High Court judicial review against the council's refusal to recognise her as a qualified post‑primary teacher. The council, after a 2018 Department of Education instruction to vacate her position, declared in April 2019 that she was not to be accredited as a registered qualified teacher for religion and CSPE, citing insufficient subject‑matter qualifications and lack of experience in the sector. Ms Roche, who holds a Montessori teaching qualification, a degree in Behavioural Science‑Psychology, a Graduate Diploma in Guidance Counselling and higher diplomas in Further Education and Theological Studies, disputes the decision and has unsuccessfully appealed. In the High Court, counsel argued that the council's decision‑making process was flawed and that the decision was without legal basis, irrational and contrary to common sense.
Imre Arakas, 62, jailed by the Special Criminal Court for six years in December 2018 after admitting to conspiring with others to murder James Gately in Northern Ireland in April 2017, is currently serving his sentence in a segregated block in Portlaoise Prison. He faces an extradition request from Lithuania, where he is wanted for the murder of a pop star's lover, as well as charges of murder, firearms, conspiracy and criminal damage. Arakas was arrested in Dublin in February 2018 under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Lithuanian authorities. His extradition hearing has been adjourned pending the outcome of an appeal in the separate extradition case of Liam Campbell. The court has vacated Arakas' hearing date for October 9, when his case is next listed for mention. The adjournment is intended to avoid premature application for second counsel until the Campbell case is resolved.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal against the severity of the sentence imposed on Donal Billings, a 70-year-old pensioner from County Longford. Billings was found guilty by the Special Criminal Court in 2016 of possessing an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park on May 16, 2011, during Queen Elizabeth's state visit. He was also convicted of making false reports that bombs had been placed at Busáras, Sinn Féin's headquarters, Cork airport, and Dublin Castle. The court upheld his eight-and-a-half-year sentence, describing it as "very lenient." Presiding Judge George Birmingham, sitting with Justices Marie Baker and Patrick McCarthy, stated there was no merit in the appeal and declined to increase the term. Billings, who attended remotely from Portlaoise Prison, had previously lost an appeal against his conviction regarding Irish language rights. His barrister, Gerard Humphreys SC, cited his client's age, health difficulties, and cooperation during the trial. The court noted that the explosive device, comprising gunpowder and petrol, was placed on a public transport vehicle, recklessly exposing passengers to significant risk. The judges concluded that while the sentence was lenient, they would not intervene to increase it. The matter was not adjourned; the appeal was dismissed.
Two men, Peter Keating, 39, of Rowlagh Green, Clondalkin, and Stephen Fowler, 61, of Blakestown Cottages, Clonsilla, were charged at the Special Criminal Court on 1 July 2020 with involvement in the attempted murder of James 'Mago' Gately, a target of the Kinahan cartel. Gately was shot multiple times while seated in his car at the Topaz filling station on Clonashaugh Road, Dublin 17, on 10 May 2017. The charges, under Section 72(1A) of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, allege that between 7 December 2016 and 6 April 2017, both men, knowing of a criminal organisation, participated in or contributed to activities connected with the murder of Gately, thereby enhancing the organisation's ability to commit serious offences. Keating is also charged under Section 71 of the Act with directing the activities of a criminal organisation between 7 December 2016 and 4 April 2017, both within and outside the State.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 34‑year‑old Eoin Connolly of Oak Lawn, Portlaoise, was sentenced to six and a half years' imprisonment for possession of drugs for sale or supply. Connolly, who had 27 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to the offence committed on 16 March 2019 at Outer Ring Road, Clondalkin, where Gardaí seized 8.1 kg of cocaine and other drugs, totalling €580,210 in value. He claimed he was acting under duress, saying he had been threatened and was paying off a drug debt, but the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau's Detective Garda Brian Foran told Judge Martin Nolan that this claim was not accepted. The judge placed Connolly in the "middle to lower" range of involvement, noting he was unlikely to be the owner or main beneficiary of the drugs and that he had transported them for reward.
Imre Arakas, 62, was jailed by the Special Criminal Court for six years in December 2018 after admitting to conspiring with the Kinahan cartel to murder James Gately in Northern Ireland on 3–4 April 2017. He is serving his sentence in a segregated block at Portlaoise Prison. Lithuanian authorities suspect Arakas, a former ex‑wrestler and separatist, was part of a three‑man gang that planned to murder a man who had an affair with Lithuanian pop star Vita Jakutiene. Lithuanian police seek his surrender to face charges of murder, firearms offences, conspiracy related to the shooting of Deimantas Bugavicius, and a separate criminal damage charge. Arakas was arrested in Dublin in February 2018 under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Lithuania. He will challenge the extradition bid in October, with a hearing set for 9 October after a mention on 20 July. The court noted that his sentence is due to expire in October 2029.
A Laois truck driver, 41, appealed his 2018 conviction for possession of cocaine for sale or supply. He was found with almost €300,000 worth of cocaine stashed in a fire extinguisher in his cab and in a bag on the trailer of his truck seized at Dublin Port. A jury acquitted him of the trailer drugs but convicted him of the cab drugs, for which Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to eight and a half years' imprisonment. The driver denied any knowledge of the drugs and denied making an alleged admission to a customs officer, who had approached him in custody and asked, "So you found the drugs, then?" The appeal argued that the alleged admission was inadmissible because the driver had not been cautioned and that no corroborative evidence supported the claim that he had made the admission. The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment. The unnamed 41-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Sean Ruth, 31, of Blacktrench, Rathangan, Co Kildare, appeared before the Special Criminal Court on 2 June 2020 charged with eight offences under the Money Laundering and Terrorist Finance Act. The alleged offences took place in the State between 1 January and 31 December 2016. Garda Paul Kane informed the court that a warrant had been executed for Mr Ruth, who is accused of making four lodgements into an AIB account and four into an account at St Canice's Credit Union, Kilkenny, with the accounts allegedly held in his name. The amounts of the lodgements were not disclosed. Mr Ruth is accused of knowing, believing, or being reckless as to whether the monies lodged were proceeds of criminal conduct.
Imre Arakas, 62, a former Estonian separatist, is jailed in Portlaoise Prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to murder James Gately in Northern Ireland in April 2017. He received a six‑year sentence from the Special Criminal Court in December 2018. Lithuanian authorities suspect Arakas was part of a three‑man gang that planned the murder of a man who had an affair with Lithuanian pop star Vita Jakutiene. They seek his surrender on a European Arrest Warrant, alleging he faces charges of murder, firearms offences and conspiracy related to the shooting of Deimantas Bugavicius. Arakas was arrested in Dublin in February 2018 under the EAW. His extradition hearing date will be set next month, with the case adjourned for four weeks until 15 June. He remains remanded in custody awaiting that hearing. The hearing will be conducted via video‑link from Portlaoise Prison.
Inga Ozolina, aged 48, was convicted of manslaughter for killing her violent alcoholic boyfriend, Audrius Pukas, 40, in Roscrea on 20 November 2016. Ozolina claimed she acted in self‑defence after Pukas had pulled her hair, pushed her to the floor, and began hitting and biting her. She had previously obtained two safety orders against him, which had lapsed. During the Central Criminal Court trial, photographs of her injuries, including bite marks, were shown to the jury. Ozolina was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, and was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction, rejecting her appeal that the Garda interview evidence was unreliable. The appeal court dismissed the appeal, confirming the trial judge's decision that the evidence was admissible and reliable. The case remains at the manslaughter conviction stage.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has declared a damages claim by Mark Nash inadmissible due to delay. Nash, who is serving life sentences for the Grangegorman murders, had complained that his right to a trial within a reasonable time was breached. The Strasbourg Court unanimously held that his complaints were lodged more than six months after the final Irish Supreme Court decision, rendering them inadmissible. Nash was found guilty in 2015 of murdering Sylvia Sheils and Mary Callanan in 1997, a conviction upheld by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. He had previously sought damages in Irish courts for the delay between his initial questioning in 1997 and formal charges in 2009, but the High Court and Supreme Court refused relief. The ECHR noted that the Supreme Court dismissed his damages claim in October 2016, and a subsequent 2017 application to revisit that order did not restart the six-month filing period. The Court stated that allowing such applications to reset the deadline would subvert the purpose of the six-month rule. Consequently, Nash's application for damages regarding pre-trial prosecutorial delay was dismissed. Nash remains serving four life sentences at Midlands Prison, Portlaoise, for the murders of two women in Dublin and two people in Roscommon.
Mr Justice Paul Burns is scheduled to deliver a decision tomorrow at 10:30 am on bail applications for Luke O'Reilly (66) and Darren Redmond (25), who are charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Quinn Industrial Holdings Director Kevin Lunney. The alleged offences occurred on September 17, 2019, at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan. The State opposed bail, citing risks of interference with justice and flight, while defence counsel argued there was no evidential basis for refusal. Both men were sent forward for trial to the Special Criminal Court on March 26, with proceedings potentially beginning in January 2021. Separately, Alan O'Brien (39), of East Wall, is also charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney on the same occasion. A fourth accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, faces similar charges. All four men are to be tried at the non-jury Special Criminal Court. Last week, Mr Justice Tony Hunt indicated the trial could last eight to 12 weeks and transferred the case to Court 2 for a mention on June 10. The current procedural stage involves the pending bail determination for O'Reilly and Redmond, while the broader case remains in pre-trial preparation.
The trial of Edmundas Dauksa, a 50‑year‑old fishmonger from Dundalk, for the murder of his partner Ingrida Maciokaite, aged 31, has been postponed. The murder occurred on 18 September 2018 at Bridgewater Mews, Linenhall Street, Dundalk. Dauksa had pleaded not guilty. Judge Eileen Creedon announced that no new jury trials would start in the criminal courts until 10 June because of coronavirus concerns. She moved Dauksa's case to the next fixed‑date list at the Central Criminal Court, scheduled for 30 March. The prosecution, represented by Elva Duffy BL, and the defence, represented by Michael Bowman SC, agreed. Bowman noted that Dauksa had been remanded in custody until the new date. Creedon informed the 12‑member jury that they were no longer required, as the trial was adjourned for health reasons. The case involves Lithuanian‑born parties living in Dundalk, with witnesses expected from that community. The trial will resume on 30 March.
A jury was asked to return to the Central Criminal Court on March 30th for the murder trial of fishmonger Edmundas Dauksa, aged 50, who has pleaded not guilty to the killing of his partner Ingrida Maciokaite, aged 31, at Bridgewater Mews, Linenhall Street, Dundalk, on 18 September 2018. Judge Eileen Creedon explained that due to health concerns in the community, the trial was postponed to avoid close contact, and she requested the jury to reconvene on Monday, March 30th. She noted that the trial is expected to last no longer than two weeks and that any changes would be communicated to the jurors. On the rescheduled date, Mr Justice Paul McDermott empanelled the jury and outlined the alleged facts: Dauksa and Maciokaite were a Lithuanian couple living in Dundalk, with Dauksa running a shellfish business.
Edmundas Dauksa, a 50‑year‑old fishmonger from Dundalk, denies murdering his 31‑year‑old partner Ingrida Maciokaite at Bridgewater Mews on 18 September 2018. He pleaded not guilty and will stand trial at the Central Criminal Court. Judge Paul McDermott empanelled a jury of seven men and five women, noting the alleged facts that Dauksa and Maciokaite were a Lithuanian couple living in Dundalk and that the case stemmed from disagreements between them. The trial is expected to last three weeks.
In March 2020 a Disclosures Tribunal heard that Garda whistleblower Nicholas Keogh, who made a protected disclosure in 2014, alleged that a senior member of the Athlone drugs unit had an improper relationship with an alleged heroin dealer. Keogh claimed he was bullied by Garda management after his disclosure. In 2017, Chief Superintendent John Scanlan of the Laois-Offaly District gave an interview praising Commissioner Noirín O'Sullivan. Keogh allegedly called 999 and threatened to "break Scanlan's jaw" after the interview. Scanlan said he was concerned but not angry, and that he had handled Keogh professionally. He also stated that he had received Keogh's complaint file in March 2017, had completed it by April, and had no role in its subsequent investigation, which began in November. The tribunal examined whether Keogh was targeted, harassed, undermined or bullied after his disclosure. The hearing was chaired by Judge Sean Ryan. The tribunal has not yet reached a conclusion.
In February 2020, the Court of Appeal upheld the sentences of five men and one woman convicted of assisting IRA interrogations in Dublin. Kevin Hannaway, aged 71, received three years and nine months; Eva Shannon, 61, four years; Seán Hannaway, 48, five years and six months; David Nooney, 53, three years and nine months; and Edward O'Brien, 42, 16 months. All were found guilty of membership in the Irish Republican Army at a Special Criminal Court trial in June 2018. Hannaway's appeal argued that his 1971 detention, involving hooding, white noise and sleep deprivation, had left him with PTSD and that prison conditions were "life threatening." The court rejected the appeal, noting no error in principle and that the sentences reflected the gravity of the offences. The DPP's request to reduce Nooney's and O'Brien's sentences was also denied. The Court of Appeal confirmed the original sentences for all six defendants.
John Keady, 45, who pleaded guilty to a sexual assault at the Heritage Hotel Killenard in December 2018, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended in its entirety, and ordered to be placed on the sex‑offenders register for five years. He brought €5,000 to court as a token of remorse. Keady has now filed a High Court challenge, arguing that the notification requirements of the 2001 Sex Offenders Act do not apply because his sentence was wholly suspended and his victim was neither mentally impaired nor under 17. He claims the District Court lacked jurisdiction to order his inclusion on the register and seeks an order quashing that directive. The High Court granted permission ex‑parte, with the matter to be returned in April.
Martin Clarke, 35, a former soldier, was sentenced to three years in prison for a random knife attack on Welsh tourist Antoni Vitti on the Liffey boardwalk on 13 June 2017. Clarke was intoxicated on unprescribed tablets when he lunged at Vitti with a knife. Vitti and his husband fled, but Clarke chased them through traffic and was eventually stopped at the Arlington Hotel, where staff removed him and raised the alarm. The court described the assault as "random, unprovoked and menacing." Vitti sustained a 3.5‑cm scar on his hand and reported that the incident has made him feel unsafe around strangers, affecting his work in the tourist industry. Clarke pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and possession of a knife, and had prior convictions for theft, knife possession and traffic offences. He has detoxed in custody and expressed remorse, hoping to return to his family in a sober state.
A 41‑year‑old Pakistani man, Muhammad Aslam, was sentenced to 14 months' imprisonment for using a fraudulently obtained passport card to travel from Ireland to the UK for work. Aslam, who had fled Pakistan with his wife after their marriage did not meet their parents' wishes, had lived in the UK until his visa was about to expire. He applied for a passport card in another man's name, using his own photograph, and used the card to travel to Britain and Poland between 2017 and 2019. He pleaded guilty to using or attempting to use a false passport and to using a passport not issued to him. The judge, taking into account his guilty plea, cooperation with Gardaí, family circumstances and good work history, imposed a 14‑month sentence back‑dated to April 2019 when he entered custody.
Five men—Ciaran O'Driscoll (24), Patrick Curtis (38), Stephen Curtis (32), Mohammed Smew (27) and Michael Burns (43)—appeared before the Special Criminal Court on 5 December 2019. They are charged with conspiring to murder Patrick "Patsy" Hutch between 1 February 2018 and 10 March 2018, a serious offence under Section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. All five are also charged with participating in activities intended to facilitate the commission of a serious offence by a criminal organisation, namely the murder of Mr Hutch between 1 February 2018 and 28 February 2018, and with the murder of an unknown person between 1 February 2018 and 10 March 2018. Patrick Curtis and Michael Burns face additional charges of directing the activities of a criminal organisation during the same period. Burns is further accused of possessing a firearm silencer and five rounds of 9 mm ammunition on 10 March 2018, suggesting unlawful possession.
Kerrie Fitzpatrick, 41, of Loughnamona Park, Leixlip, Co Kildare, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for attempting to smuggle 63 grams of heroin, worth €9,575, into Mountjoy Prison on 14 January 2017. She pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and had a prior conviction for a similar offence at Portlaoise Prison. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, upheld the sentence after an appeal. Birmingham noted evidence that Fitzpatrick had been coerced and that her relationship with her former partner was violent and abusive, factors that may have influenced her decision to bring the drugs. He also remarked that the heroin was a "very significant quantity of hard drugs" likely intended for general supply within the prison, and that a custodial sentence was necessary given the seriousness of the offence. The appeal was dismissed by the panel of judges.
In the Special Criminal Court, the prosecution presented evidence regarding the March 6, 2013, shooting death of Peter Butterly at the Huntsman Inn, Gormanston, Co Meath. Laurence Murphy and Ray Kennedy, both accused of IRA membership on that date, have pleaded not guilty. Mr Kennedy is additionally charged with perverting the course of justice by destroying a SIM card. Prosecutors read witness statements from Mr Kennedy, who alleged he met Mr Butterly to discuss false car logbooks and claimed he destroyed his phone's SIM card in panic when a garda requested the device. Mr Kennedy denied IRA membership, stating he attended marches with slain Real IRA leader Alan Ryan because he was "nosy." He also denied luring Mr Butterly to the scene. The court heard that Mr Kennedy knew David Dodrill, who was convicted of IRA membership in April 2010, and acknowledged knowing Dermot Gannon, jailed for IRA membership in 2001. The matter is at the sentence stage, with the accused maintaining their not guilty pleas to the alleged offences.
Freddie Thompson, a 39‑year‑old Dublin man serving a life sentence for the 2016 murder of David Douglas, withdrew his High Court challenge against the prison authorities over what he described as an "extremely oppressive" regime in Portlaoise Prison's A4 wing, known as the punishment block. The withdrawal followed his transfer from the isolation block to the mainstream prison population. Thompson had argued that the regime violated his human rights, limiting his contact with other prisoners, denying regular exercise, fresh air and education, and causing mental health problems. He had sought orders to end his isolation and improve access to facilities. The court, after hearing the case, accepted that the transfer had occurred within 24 hours and allowed the action to be struck out. The State was asked to recommend legal aid for counsel, a request the court approved.
Brian Rattigan, a 39‑year‑old convicted criminal, has sworn a statement supporting Freddie Thompson's High Court challenge against Portlaoise Prison's A‑wing regime. Rattigan says there is "no bad blood" between him and Thompson, that they have good relations, have spoken long conversations, and that their families have met. He argues that housing them together poses no security threat and that Thompson's 18‑month detention in the punishment block is inhumane compared to the general prison population. Rattigan, who has been in and out of prison since 2003 and is due for release in 2021, claims he will not extend his time in prison and wishes to be moved to an open prison or receive intermittent release. Thompson, serving a life sentence for the 2016 murder of David Douglas, alleges that his regime denies him contact, exercise, fresh air and education, and that he is treated differently from other life‑sentence inmates.
In a High Court hearing on 18 October 2019, the court considered an application by Ms Rebecca Forde Egan of Ballymorris Portarlington, Co. Laois, for a Personal Insolvency Arrangement (PIA) to address her debts of about €600,000. The proposed PIA would allow approximately €200,000 of that debt to be written off, with Ms Egan agreeing to repay €168,000 to the Bank of Ireland over six years while retaining her interest in the family home. The Bank of Ireland, the secured creditor holding the bulk of the debt, opposed the arrangement, arguing that it would be prejudiced and that Ms Egan's means would not allow the bank to recover the debt. The bank cited past advances to Ms Egan and her husband for property refurbishment and an uncompleted purchase in France, and noted that Mr Egan had been declared bankrupt in 2009 and discharged in 2014.
A Garda has told the Disclosures Tribunal that he believes he was deliberately confined to stressful desk duties at Athlone Garda Station because he made a protected disclosure in 2014. Garda Nicholas Keogh alleged that a senior member of the drugs unit engaged in an improper relationship with a heroin dealer. Following the suspension of the officer in question, Keogh was assigned to public office duties in October 2015, work he characterised as the most stressful in the station. He stated his hands were visibly shaking during a meeting with Superintendent Patrick Murray about the assignment. Keogh denied agreeing to the move and expressed belief that management deliberately assigned him to public duties to demonstrate control over whistleblowers. He also alleged that his request for leave to meet the Garda Ombudsman in August 2015 was refused improperly by Superintendent Murray. Judge Sean Ryan is chairing the tribunal's investigation into how Keogh was treated following his disclosure.
Kerrie Fitzpatrick, a 40‑year‑old mother of three from Loughnamona Park, Leixlip, was found guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of attempting to smuggle 63 grams of heroin into Mountjoy Prison on 14 January 2017. Garda Derek Gibney reported that a prison officer randomly selected Fitzpatrick for a check, during which she claimed to have concealed drugs inside her body. The package she handed over was discovered to contain heroin worth €9,575. Fitzpatrick said she had received a phone call instructing her to deliver a package to her former partner in prison, and that she had been given the package by an unknown man who she believed contained pills. She has 11 prior convictions, including a similar offence involving Portlaoise Prison, for which she had benefited from the Probation Act.
The Special Criminal Court heard evidence in the trial of Ray Kennedy (39) and Laurence Murphy (62), who have pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the IRA on March 6, 2013. Kennedy is also charged with perverting the course of justice by destroying a mobile SIM card. The prosecution presented the statement of Eithne Butterly, widow of dissident republican Peter Butterly, who was shot dead outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston, Co Meath, on that date. Mrs Butterly told gardai that Kennedy was a "good friend" to both of them and that her husband had received five death threats, including one from Alan Ryan. She stated her husband told her he was meeting Kennedy at 2pm on March 6, 2013, though Kennedy maintains the meeting was scheduled for 2.30pm. The court heard that four men—Kevin Braney, Edward McGrath, Sharif Kelly, and Dean Evans—have already received life sentences for the murder, while Michael McDermott and Frank Murphy have also been jailed for their roles in the killing. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Tara Burns, Judge Sarah Berkeley, and Judge Michael Walsh, resumes tomorrow.
Oliver Callely, a 27‑year‑old man charged with assault causing harm for allegedly igniting a firework in the smoking area of Copper Face Jacks nightclub on 6 September 2015, appeared before Dublin District Court on 2 July. He has not yet indicated how he will plead. At a vacation sitting of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martina Baxter temporarily relaxed his bail conditions to allow him to work in the UK. The conditions were eased between 26 August and 5 September and the requirement to sign daily at Malahide Garda Station was reduced to once a week. The court adjourned the application to return his passport, which would enable him to work as a driver for his brother‑in‑law, a car dealer, until 18 September. Callely is due to be arraigned on 30 October. The case remains at the bail‑relaxation stage.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Inga Ozolina, aged 48, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment with one year suspended, back‑dated to 29 May 2019, for the manslaughter of her boyfriend, Audrius Pukas, 40. Ozolina had previously obtained two safety orders against Pukas, which had lapsed before his death. She claimed that during a violent altercation she was assaulted, pulled her hair, pushed her to the floor and was bitten, and that she used a kitchen knife to defend herself. The judge noted that the killing was in self‑defence but that the defence was excessive, and that Ozolina had not accepted responsibility for Pukas's death. The sentence reflected mitigating factors such as her good character and the history of domestic violence, while the judge emphasised that the killing was not purely defensive. The case remained at the manslaughter level, with no murder conviction. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
Gheorghe Goidan, a 46‑year‑old Romanian, was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment for raping two Czech women who were working as prostitutes in Ireland. The judge described the offences as "vicious and shocking" and noted that Goidan had targeted the women because he believed they would not be believed. He met each woman separately in hotel rooms, threatened them with a knife, and repeatedly assaulted and raped them. Goidan had pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault at a hotel in Portlaoise on 7 September 2017 and had also denied rape, oral rape and anal rape of a second woman at the Maldron Hotel in Galway on the same day. A jury found him guilty on all counts. The judge imposed ten‑year terms for each sexual offence and seven‑year terms for each robbery, with the sexual terms to run consecutively, resulting in a 20‑year jail term.
In a manslaughter sentencing hearing on 22 July 2019, the lawyer for Inga Ozolina argued that her client, a 48‑year‑old mother of two, killed her boyfriend, Audrius Pukas, in self‑defence after a history of domestic violence. The barrister claimed that Pukas had attacked Ozolina with a knife and that she had used her hands and fists in response. Ozolina had previously been found guilty of manslaughter, not murder, by a jury in May. The lawyer highlighted evidence of prior injuries to Ozolina and two safety orders that had lapsed. She requested that the judge place the offence in the lower culpability range, citing the alleged deadly attack. The judge adjourned sentencing to 31 July and remanded Ozolina in custody until then. The hearing did not address any further legal outcomes. Inga Ozolina pleaded not guilty.
In 2017, Egyptian national Mohamed Okda, aged 33, was convicted of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after a 2014 incident in Dublin. He received an 11‑year sentence with the final year suspended. The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction on 18 July 2019, ordering a retrial because the trial judge failed to instruct the jury on the presumption of innocence. Justice John Edwards noted that the omission was a fatal flaw rendering the trial unsatisfactory. Okda was remanded in custody pending the retrial. The victim, a married mother visiting Dublin with friends, was found drunk and lost, and after Okda offered help she was taken to his flat where the assault occurred. She fled the flat, was rescued by a taxi driver, and reported the incident to Gardaí. The case remains pending retrial. Mohamed Okda pleaded not guilty.
Cornelius and Sally Moloney, owners of a filling station and rental businesses in Mountrath, Co. Laois, have filed High Court proceedings to stop financial fund Promontoria (Aran) Ltd and receiver James Murphy from selling the business. They seek injunctions to prevent any sale or disposal of the filling station and related businesses, and to restrain any removal of equipment. The couple argue that the proposed sale price of €925,000 is a significant undervalue, especially since a third party offered €1.025 million, an offer they wish to accept. They claim the receiver has not advertised the property to obtain the best price and that the receiver intends to proceed with the €925,000 sale. The couple also allege that the receiver's duty is to secure the highest possible return to reduce their debt, which arose from a loan taken from Ulster Bank that was later acquired by Promontoria.
A man convicted of manslaughter in connection with a 2013 killing has been found guilty of criminal damage and production of a weapon at the Central Criminal Court. Quentin Monaghan, aged 25 and from Tullamoy, Stradbally, County Laois, received an eight-year sentence in 2015 with two years suspended for his role in the death of Jamie Lindsay, who was fatally shot during an altercation over drugs in Athy, County Kildare. The court heard uncertainty regarding the duration of the suspension period. Prosecutors sought clarification by requesting trial transcripts from the original sentencing. Monaghan faces a potential two-year custodial term if the offences occurred within the suspended sentence period. He is scheduled for sentencing at Limerick Circuit Court later in the year. The trial judge previously accepted Monaghan did not intend death or serious injury but characterised his conduct as reckless.
In a case heard at the Court of Appeal, William Butler, aged 52, was found guilty of stealing €19,380 from a widow's pension over a three‑month period between November 2013 and January 2014. Butler admitted to obtaining the victim's banking details and withdrawing the money from the Bank of Ireland, Ballyfermot branch, to gamble. He had pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended, by Judge Karen O'Connor on 13 December 2018. The Court of Appeal upheld the sentence. Butler had made no restitution to the victim, who had discovered the withdrawals and had contacted him. The court noted Butler's previous good character and lack of prior convictions, but emphasized the seriousness of the dishonesty and the vulnerability of the victim. No error was found in the original sentencing, and the appeal was dismissed.
Inga Ozolina, 48, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter after stabbing her boyfriend, Audrius Pukas, to death in their home on 20 November 2016. The Central Criminal Court heard that Pukas, 40, died from a stab wound to the chest and two other knife wounds. Ozolina had previously obtained safety orders against Pukas, which had lapsed. She claimed the attack was a self‑defence incident, stating that Pukas had pulled her hair, pushed her, and bitten her, and that she grabbed a kitchen knife to defend herself. The jury considered photographs of her injuries, including bite marks, and CCTV footage of her entering a Garda station in a dressing gown. After 12 hours of deliberation, the jury returned a 10‑2 majority verdict of not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, and Ozolina was remanded for sentencing on 1 July.
In the murder trial of Inga Ozolina, a 48‑year‑old woman from Latvia living in Mountrath, Co. Laois, the jury resumed deliberations on the fourth day. Ozolina, mother of two, is charged with stabbing her boyfriend, Audrius Pukas, to death in their Tipperary home on 20 November 2016. She pleaded not guilty, arguing self‑defence, accidental injury, or lack of intent. The prosecution, led by Paul Murray SC, maintained that the three knife wounds could not be accidental and that self‑defence was not applicable. The defense, represented by Caroline Biggs SC, urged the jury to consider the three grounds of acquittal. Judge Alexander Owens offered a third option: not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter if the jury found excessive self‑defence. The jury spent nearly nine and a half hours deliberating before returning to the courtroom on Wednesday morning. The trial continues.
In a Tipperary murder trial, a jury will resume deliberations after a six‑and‑a‑half‑hour session. The defendant, 48‑year‑old Inga Ozolina, is charged with stabbing her boyfriend, 40‑year‑old Audrius Pukas, to death on 20 November 2016. Ozolina pleaded not guilty, arguing self‑defence and that Pukas may have approached the knife during a fight. Her solicitor, Caroline Biggs SC, urged the jury to consider whether the fatal wound could reasonably have resulted from Pukas moving toward the knife, whether Ozolina acted in justifiable self‑defence, or whether she lacked intent to kill. Prosecutor Paul Murray SC insisted the wounds were not accidental and that Ozolina had the knife to an unarmed, drunken man. Justice Alexander Owens offered a third verdict option: not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter if the jury found excessive self‑defence. The jury will reconvene tomorrow morning to continue their deliberations.
A jury has begun deliberating in the trial of Inga Ozolina, 48, who is charged with murdering her boyfriend, Audrius Pukas, by stabbing him in the chest on 20 November 2016 at The Malthouse, Roscrea, Co Tipperary. Ozolina, originally from Latvia and residing at Old Court Church, Mountrath, Co Laois, pleaded not guilty and has requested an acquittal on several grounds, including self‑defence and the possibility that Pukas moved towards the knife she was holding during a fight in their Tipperary home. The Central Criminal Court heard that Pukas, 40, died at the scene from a stab wound to his chest. Caroline Biggs SC, defending Ozolina, urged the jury to consider whether there was a reasonable possibility that the fatal wound resulted from Pukas approaching the knife, that Ozolina was acting in justifiable self‑defence, or that she had no intention to kill or cause serious injury.