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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gheorghe Goidan, 46, was convicted of raping two Czech women who were working as prostitutes in Ireland. He had contacted them through the website "escortsireland.ie" and met each separately in hotel rooms. In each encounter he pulled a knife, threatened the women, and then sexually assaulted and raped them. Goidan had previously pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault at a hotel in Portlaoise on 7 September 2017, and had denied rape, oral rape and anal rape of a second woman at the Maldron Hotel in Galway on the same day. A jury at the Central Criminal Court found him guilty on all counts, including robbery. The trial revealed that the women had not known one another and had booked themselves into the hotel rooms via the website. Goidan's actions were traced through CCTV footage and the vehicle he used was linked to him.
A 79‑year‑old dual US‑Irish citizen, Daniel Mullan, is wanted by the FBI for alleged child‑pornography offences and the sexual exploitation of a minor. He is currently in custody at Midlands Prison, Portlaoise, and faces extradition to New York. In December, the High Court ordered his extradition, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal on 12 April 2019. Mullan's lawyers challenged the order, arguing that his serious health problems—including sight loss, inability to walk, morbid obesity, atrial fibrillation, chronic cardiac failure, anxiety and cellulitis—made extradition disproportionate and not in the public interest. The Court of Appeal dismissed the challenge, stating that the evidence of his health was scant and that the Irish prison system had handled his custody well. The judge noted that the seriousness of the alleged offences and Ireland's international agreement with the United States supported the extradition.
The trial of farmer Patrick Quirke, 50, for the alleged murder of Bobby Ryan, a part-time DJ known as Mr Moonlight, continued at the Central Criminal Court. Quirke, of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary, has pleaded not guilty to the charge. The prosecution alleges he murdered Ryan to rekindle an affair with Ryan's girlfriend, Mary Lowry. Ryan went missing in June 2011 and his body was found in an underground tank on a farm leased by Quirke in April 2013. Chief Superintendent Dominic Hayes, testifying for the defence, stated that injuries to Ryan's body were not caused by debris falling when the concrete lid covering the tank was removed. He confirmed that only minor debris fell and that the detachment of Ryan's arm was the only damage sustained during removal. Hayes also testified that Quirke has no previous convictions and is not suspected of other crimes, noting that prior burglary charges were withdrawn by the DPP. The cross-examination covered various investigative details, including the timing of phone masts, the examination of Lowry's home, and the handling of fingerprints and phone data. Hayes acknowledged that fingerprints from Ryan's van were not tested against Quirke's until recently, attributing this to a responsibility issue at Garda headquarters. He also noted that the Deputy State Pathologist did not attend the scene, which he stated had no negative impact on the examination. The matter was adjourned, with cross-examination to continue before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury.
The Court of Appeal has adjourned the appeal of Daniel Mullan, a 79-year-old dual US-Irish citizen, regarding his proposed extradition to the United States. Mullan is currently in custody at Midlands Prison, Portlaoise, and is wanted by the FBI in New York to face trial on charges of sexual exploitation and transportation of a minor, as well as two counts of possessing child pornography. The FBI alleges he produced and sold such material for at least 30 years. Mullan was indicted by a New York Grand Jury in September 2017 while serving a sentence for sexual offences in Ireland. The High Court ordered his extradition in December, a decision he is now challenging. His counsel argued that Mullan should be prosecuted in Ireland under the Sexual Offences (Jurisdiction) Act 1996 and cited his severe medical conditions, including sight loss and cardiac failure, as grounds for blocking extradition under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Attorney General's counsel countered that these conditions do not bar extradition, noting US prison facilities are adequate and that Mullan lacks a sufficient family life nexus in Ireland. President of the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice George Birmingham, sitting with Ms Justice Máire Whelan and Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, reserved the court's judgement. The matter was adjourned, and no final decision was reached during this hearing.
Kevin Braney, the Dublin leader of the New IRA, was convicted of murder for the killing of dissident republican Peter Butterly. The New IRA, formed in 2012 from remnants of the Real IRA, Republican Action Against Drugs, former Provisional IRA activists and criminal elements, is regarded by the gardai and PSNI as the biggest terrorist threat in Ireland. Braney's conviction followed extensive garda operations involving the Special Detective Unit, Garda Security and Intelligence and the National Surveillance Unit (NSU). NSU members observed Braney's movements before, during and after the murder, and provided evidence in court, though the public were excluded from the proceedings. Braney was also convicted of IRA membership in 2022 and is serving a four‑year sentence in Portlaoise Prison. The New IRA remains a primary target of Garda Security and Intelligence, with about 50 active members and several hundred sympathisers across the island.
Alan McDonagh, 33, was jailed for four years after stealing a rental car fitted with a tracking device. He pleaded guilty to burglary and unauthorised taking of a car on September 8, 2017, and was tracked by gardaí to the N7. McDonagh, who has 173 previous convictions including 31 for burglary, has spent more than half his life in custody and became addicted to heroin at 16. The court accepted his desire to become drug‑free and suspended the last year of a five‑year term on the condition he keep the peace, engage with the Probation Service for 12 months and remain drug‑ and alcohol‑free. He also admitted robbing a woman at St Stephen's Green on November 3, 2017, for which a concurrent sentence was imposed. All sentences are back‑dated to July 18, the day he entered custody.
Aaron Doran, a 32‑year‑old taxi driver, was sentenced to one year in prison for sexually assaulting a friend of his fiancée at the engagement party on 21 June 2015. The assault took place at Kilcarraig Close, Tallaght, after a night of heavy drinking. Doran entered the victim's bedroom, touched her vagina and demanded she show him her clit before leaving. The victim, who had waived anonymity, described the incident as traumatic and a betrayal of trust. Doran pleaded not guilty, claiming he was drunk and had mistaken the victim for his girlfriend. The judge noted his lack of acknowledgement of wrongdoing and the breach of trust, but suspended the final 18 months of a 2½‑year sentence, citing his good character and employment history. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Aaron Doran was convicted.
Alan McDonagh, 33, was caught driving a stolen Europcar that had a tracking device. He pleaded guilty to burglary and unauthorised taking of a car on Camden Street Upper on 8 September 2017 and to robbing a young woman of her purse at Stephen's Green East on 3 November 2017. The court noted he became addicted to heroin at 16, has spent over half his life in custody, and has 173 previous convictions, 13 for Circuit Court offences. He is on bail for other offences. The court adjourned sentencing to 7 February to allow him to finish methadone treatment. He has requested to serve his sentence at Midlands prison to stay near family and avoid influences at Mountjoy. He has written apology letters to both victims. The sentencing will occur on 7 February.
An Estonian hitman, Imre Arakas, aged 60, was convicted by the Special Criminal Court for conspiring to murder James Gately in Northern Ireland between 3 and 4 April last year. The court found that Arakas had agreed to pull the trigger and had supplied details on how the murder would be carried out, including the use of a silencer. He had been recruited from abroad and had travelled to Ireland for the purpose of the hit. Gardaí prevented the execution of the murder. Arakas pleaded guilty, and the judge noted his cooperation, health difficulties and lack of support in Ireland as mitigating factors. He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, back‑dated to 4 April 2017, with a combined discount of three years for the mitigating factors. The sentence was imposed by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, with Judges Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin and Cormac Dunne presiding. The conviction was part of a broader effort to disrupt organised crime conspiracies.