Court archive
Court reports mentioning Ballyneety, Limerick
2026-01-21 · Dublin
A man jailed for a hit-and-run that killed a 21-year-old apprentice electrician had his sentence increased by two months after a mobile phone was found in his prison cell. Cameron Cooper, 24, was originally sentenced to five years and three months for the incident, with the final year suspended. He was later found in possession of a mobile phone in prison, leading to a prosecution application. Cooper pleaded guilty to the offence and was fined €300. The court heard that he was driving at twice the speed limit when he struck the victim, killed him instantly, and fled the scene. Cooper falsely reported his car had been stolen to avoid blame. His defence argued that he had been punished sufficiently and was doing well in custody. Judge Ronan Munro reactivated two months of the suspended sentence, emphasizing the need to ensure compliance with conditions. Cameron Cooper was convicted.
2025-04-01 · Limerick
Former Limerick hurler Mark Keane, aged 43, was awarded €944,074.46 in damages by the High Court for injuries sustained while rescuing a co‑worker at a Johnson & Johnson plant in September 2018. Keane claimed the company was negligent and breached its duty of care, failing to provide a safe workplace and system of work. He suffered nerve damage, injury to his right hand, shoulder and back, leading to loss of grip, a frozen shoulder and ongoing pain. The court awarded €135,000 for general damages, €408,943.50 for future loss of earnings, €154,605 for loss of earnings since the accident, plus loss of pension rights, special damages and medical costs. Keane's injuries prevented him from working, affecting his financial stability and family life. The judge noted the accident had a profound psychological impact on Keane and his wife.
2025-03-24 · Dublin
Cameron Cooper, 23, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for dangerous driving causing death after he hit 21‑year‑old apprentice electrician Dylan Killalee Maher at double the speed limit on Naas Road. Cooper fled the scene, falsely claiming his car had been stolen, and later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death, driving without insurance, making a false report and failing to offer assistance. The judge, Ronan Munro, described the offence as a homicide and imposed a five‑year, three‑month term, suspending the final year for five years on conditions, and disqualified Cooper from driving for nine years. The sentence was met with emotional reactions from the Maher family, who called for the maximum sentence for dangerous driving causing death to be raised to at least 14 years. The court noted Cooper had no prior convictions and that the victim's family did not attend the hearing.
2025-02-27 · Limerick
In a High Court hearing on 27 February 2025, former Limerick hurler Mark Keane, aged 43, claimed he suffered severe injuries while assisting a coworker at a Johnson & Johnson Vision care plant in Plassey. Keane, who worked as a technician making contact lenses, said that on 10 September 2018 a colleague's arm was caught in a machine. He ran to help, but his own hand became trapped in the machinery's internal grating, bending his little finger backwards. Keane held the machine's lid and plate ajar for 30–60 seconds until colleagues used a crowbar to free the coworker. He alleged the incident caused sustained, continuous injury to his hand, elbow and back, leaving him with a frozen shoulder, pain along his arm and loss of grip. His lawyers argued Johnson & Johnson breached their duty of care and failed to provide a safe workplace. The case remains pending.
2024-04-10 · Dublin
During a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Alan Dunne, aged 48, testified that he was abused by 74‑year‑old Bernard Swaine between 1983 and 1986. Dunne, who was between seven and ten at the time, described Swaine's repeated indecent assaults, including a first incident where Swaine penetrated him while they shared a bed. Over the next three years, Swaine allegedly touched Dunne's genitals while he masturbated, a pattern that continued for about three years. Dunne's victim impact statement highlighted the lasting psychological damage, citing depression, anxiety and self‑loathing. Judge Orla Crowe, acknowledging the severity of the abuse, sentenced Swaine to six years' imprisonment, with concurrent terms for the remaining counts. The sentence reflected Swaine's mitigating circumstances, including his age and health, and the court's assessment of the long‑term harm to Dunne. The case underscored the profound effect of childhood sexual abuse on a survivor's life. Bernard Swaine pleaded not guilty and was convicted.
2017-06-01 · Dublin
Anthony Perry, aged 51, was jailed for two years after a jury at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court convicted him of forgery and theft for posing as his late brother to buy a house. Perry had applied for a birth certificate and passport in his brother's name, used the documents to open a bank account, and secured a €300,000 mortgage from Start Mortgages. He bought a house and a granny flat in Offaly, took out insurance policies on both, and after the properties burned down in August 2008 he claimed €304,216 from FBD Insurance. The insurer later repudiated the payment when investigators discovered Perry's false identity. Perry pleaded not guilty to eight counts under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act, but was found guilty on all counts. The court noted that the fire was caused maliciously by unknown third parties and had nothing to do with Perry.
2014-07-17 · Limerick
Kieran Ryan (29), of Craeval Park, Moyross, had his eight-year sentence for the possession of a Browning semi-automatic pistol and 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition reduced to seven years by the Court of Criminal Appeal. The court found an error in principle in the trial judge's assessment of the offence's seriousness and the excessive deduction for his guilty plea. Ryan, who pleaded guilty, was originally sentenced in July 2010 by Judge Carroll Moran at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court for possessing the firearm at Carrigmartin, Ballyneety. The appeal court determined that the maximum starting point should have been nine to ten years, with a justified reduction of two to two-and-a-half years for mitigating factors, resulting in a final sentence of seven years. The court noted that while the offence involved serious criminality, there was no evidence Ryan intended to use the weapon. His brother, Eddie Ryan (31), of College Avenue, Moyross, was sentenced to six years for the same offence. However, Eddie Ryan was subsequently released from the Four Courts after Mr Justice Max Barrett found his continued detention unlawful under Rule 59 of the 2007 Prison Rules. Kieran Ryan is the son of Eddie Ryan Snr, who was shot dead in the Moose Bar in Limerick in November 2000. The appeal court substituted the original sentence, concluding that a reduction of more than two years could not be justified given Ryan's serious previous conviction for violent crime.
2014-03-18 · Limerick
The Court of Criminal Appeal has allowed an appeal by Kieran Ryan against his eight-year sentence for firearms possession, finding an error in principle in the original sentencing. In July 2010, Ryan, then of Craeval Park, Moyross, pleaded guilty at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a Browning semi-automatic pistol and 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition at Carrigmartin, Ballyneety. Judge Carroll Moran imposed the eight-year term, while his brother, Eddie Ryan, received six years for the same offence. The appeal court determined that the trial judge's starting point was too high, noting no evidence that Ryan intended to use the weapon. Consequently, the appropriate starting point was nine to ten years. The court also found the four-year reduction for his guilty plea excessive, given he was caught red-handed and had a prior conviction for violent disorder. A justified reduction of two to two-and-a-half years indicated a final range of seven to eight years. Presiding Judge Frank Clarke stated that while the appeal was allowed, a significant reduction would not be justified due to the offence's seriousness. The matter was adjourned to allow both sides to present submissions on the proper sentence, including materials regarding Ryan's conduct in prison.