Court archive
Court reports mentioning Newcastle West, Limerick
2026-02-03 · Limerick
A Limerick car dealer on trial for alleged corruption has claimed that senior gardai were involved in extorting money from him, a trial has heard. Stephen O'Sullivan (43) is accused of giving or agreeing to give Detective Garda David Bourke a monetary gain as an inducement to reveal confidential information concerning an investigation by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) into his business. He has pleaded not guilty to the single count of corruption at Bruree, Co Limerick, on December 22, 2018. During the trial, David Gilmore, a former detective sergeant, testified that he arrested O'Sullivan in January 2019. O'Sullivan claimed he was being set up and that gardai were trying to extort €120,000 from him. He alleged that Detective Garda Bourke and a superintendent were involved in the CAB investigation and could influence its outcome. O'Sullivan said he felt under extreme pressure and feared reprisals if he made a formal complaint. He also claimed that gardai followed and harassed him, and that the superintendent appeared at his regular eateries.
2024-10-30 · Cork
A 41‑year‑old man, Mihail Ciorici, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with the final year suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to rape and oral rape of a college student in Fermoy, Co. Cork. The victim, who was intoxicated and attempting to hail a taxi, was taken from a car, raped, and left to survive in freezing conditions. She was found the next morning in an abandoned house, critically hypothermic and covered in cuts and bruises. Ciorici had previously been convicted of drunk driving, theft and a Moldovan conviction for assault and false imprisonment. The court noted the victim's lack of a victim impact statement and her desire not to engage further with the case. The sentencing considered his guilty plea and family support, and he was ordered to undergo five years of post‑release supervision. The case was prosecuted by Anne Rowland SC.
2023-10-16 · Limerick
Mr Sean Ambrose, who suffered severe head injuries after an unprovoked attack outside a pub in August 2015, has brought a judicial review against the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal. He argues the Tribunal wrongly held that it could not assess his claim, citing that it failed to allow him to provide necessary documentation and denied him an appeal. Mr Ambrose claims the Tribunal breached his rights to fair and constitutional procedures and legitimate expectation, and that he was a vulnerable person who needed assistance to submit paperwork. He also contends the Tribunal ignored medical evidence of his difficulties. He seeks orders to quash the Tribunal's determinations, to allow an appeal, and to remit his claim for fresh consideration. The case was granted permission by Ms Justice Niamh Hyland and will return in November.
2023-04-26 · Limerick
Eoin Considine, a 24‑year‑old Limerick law graduate, was sentenced to four years in prison for raping a woman after they had engaged in consensual sex. The incident occurred on 11 August 2019 when the couple, who had met in a pub that evening, went to the woman's home. She reported that Considine began pulling her hair, striking her head, and later choking and pinning her down. She withdrew consent and begged him to stop, but he continued sexual penetration for about 90 seconds. Considine pleaded not guilty and denied rape, but was convicted in January. The judge noted the lack of a guilty plea or remorse, set a headline sentence of four and a half years, and imposed a four‑year custodial term with 18 months of post‑release supervision. The victim's impact statement described bruising, bleeding, loss of safety in her own bedroom, and suicidal thoughts. No contact with the victim is allowed.
2022-12-07 · Limerick
In a High Court hearing on 7 December 2022, the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) sought to have 111 cars seized from Stephen Bawn Motors Ltd and €20,000 in a linked bank account declared proceeds of crime under the 1996 Proceeds of Crime Act. The cars, sold at auction for €820,000, were bought by the dealership, which began trading about seven years earlier, with money allegedly derived from illegal drug dealing. CAB alleged that the dealership was used by individuals with links to local, national and international criminals, including Christy Keane and the Kinahan gang, to launder drug proceeds and that the owner, Mr Mike Nash, was involved in drug importation and sale. The company and Mr Nash denied the claims. CAB also cited VAT fraud and other illegal activities. The case is pending before Mr Justice Alexander Owens.
2022-04-04 · Limerick
Luke Barrett, aged 22, was sentenced to eight years in prison for two armed robberies in County Limerick, with 18 months of the sentence suspended. The first robbery, committed at 6:20 am on 6 July 2017, involved a knife threat and the theft of €340 from a family‑owned shop in Newcastle West. The second robbery, at 7 am on 15 August 2018, saw Barrett threaten staff at a service station in Locke Quay, Limerick, and later hold up a sandwich shop, taking €80. Judge Tom O'Donnell imposed two consecutive four‑year terms for the robberies and a concurrent two‑year term for an attempted robbery. Barrett appealed, arguing the first offence was his first and that the four‑year term was excessive. The Court of Appeal, hearing counsel Yvonne Quinn BL, found an error in principle and reduced the first term to three years, while increasing the suspended portion from 18 months to two years.
2021-02-22 · Limerick
Tomas Mikalajunas, 41, a Lithuanian national, was sentenced by the Court of Appeal to two years and nine months in prison for two burglaries and one criminal damage charge. He had originally received a suspended five‑year, six‑month sentence after a 2016 incident in which a Garda's accidental gun discharge left him with life‑changing injuries, including difficulty speaking and eating. The burglaries involved a pharmacy in Kinsale (January 2015) where €60,000 of high‑end perfumes were stolen, and a boutique in Adare (2016) where €80,000 of clothing was taken. The Court of Appeal found the original sentence unduly lenient and imposed the new term, with no portion suspended, while also imposing a concurrent two‑year sentence for criminal damage. Mikalajunas was present via video link from Lithuania. Tomas Mikalajunas pleaded guilty.
2019-07-30 · Limerick
The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) seeks to sell a fleet of 114 cars, valued at almost €3 million, seized from a Limerick motor dealer in March. The High Court heard that the cars are expensive to store and are losing value, so the State wants to dispose of them quickly. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart adjourned the matter to 15 August to decide whether to allow the sale. She noted that assets such as cars can "rapidly depreciate" and that the maximum value should be realised. If the sale is permitted, the proceeds can be held until the court determines whether the cars were proceeds of crime under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Two respondents were named: Stephen Bawn Motors Ltd trading as Bawn Motors, and Mr Mike Nash.
2018-12-17 · Limerick
The High Court has ruled that a Limerick apartment linked to Brazilian-born Aulicete Walsh and her son, Maicon Morelli, was acquired with the proceeds of crime. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart granted orders in favour of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) under Section 3 of the 1996 Proceeds of Crime Act. The court found that the property, purchased in 2014 for approximately €34,000 and registered in Mr Morelli's name, was bought using criminal funds. The judge noted that Mrs Walsh had previously been convicted of brothel keeping in Ennis and Limerick in May 2015, resulting in an eight-month prison sentence in 2017. She had also been convicted of brothel keeping in 2012 at Newcastle West District Court and fined €750. Dismissing the respondents' claims that over €20,000 of the purchase price came from legitimate income, the judge cited inconsistencies in Mrs Walsh's evidence and a failure to provide financial documentation. The court determined that the lifestyle maintained by the family, including holidays and new cars, was funded by criminal activity exploiting vulnerable women. Consequently, the matter was finalised with the court granting the CAB's application to deem the apartment proceeds of crime.
2018-07-09 · Limerick
In a High Court hearing on 9 July 2018, the Court of Appeal (CAB) applied to have an apartment, allegedly bought with proceeds of crime, declared as such under the 1996 Proceeds of Crime Act. The apartment, purchased in 2014 for about €34,000, is owned by Aulicete Walsh, 55, and her son Maicon Morelli. Walsh was convicted of brothel keeping in 2015 and served eight months; she had earlier been fined for the same offence in 2012. CAB, following a Garda investigation, argues the purchase was funded by criminal proceeds and seeks freezing orders. Walsh and Morelli contest the claim, asserting that over €20,000 of the purchase price came from legitimate earnings and that they should receive a share of any sale proceeds. They also argue that the money used was from lawful work and from funds received from Walsh's late father in Brazil.
2017-07-06 · Limerick
The High Court approved a €120,000 settlement in a personal injuries action brought by Seamus Vaughan against Brothers of Charity Services Limerick Ltd and the Health Services Executive. The claim, initiated by his father Patrick Vaughan, alleged that Seamus, who is profoundly disabled, suffered unexplained bruises, blisters, and burns while attending a workshop in Newcastle West. The defendants denied liability for most allegations, admitting fault only for a 2011 fall where Seamus lost two teeth. Mr Justice Anthony Barr approved the settlement without admission of liability for the other incidents, noting significant difficulties in proving the claims due to Seamus's inability to give evidence. The judge acknowledged the family's dissatisfaction with the initial offer but highlighted the risks of a full trial. Seamus's mother stated he had regressed during his time at the workshop but improved after moving to an Enable Ireland facility. The settlement includes costs and resolves the dispute over alleged negligence and lack of care.