Aidan Clohessy, aged 85, was sentenced yesterday to four years for indecently assaulting two boys in the 1980s. He had previously been convicted of 19 counts of indecent assault involving six boys, with five counts from a second trial for assaulting four boys between 1969 and 1986. Judge Martin Nolan, after considering the totality principle and Clohessy's age, imposed an additional 16‑month sentence to run consecutively with the earlier four‑year term, giving a global sentence of five years and four months. The offences involved inappropriate touching and physical chastisement of boys aged 10 to 13 who were pupils, and some boarders, at St Augustine's School in Blackrock, Dublin, where Clohessy served as principal from the early 1970s until 1993. The court noted that Clohessy was in a position of trust and that the victims were vulnerable. The 16‑month term is to be served after the four‑year sentence already imposed. Aidan Clohessy pleaded not guilty.
An 85‑year‑old former principal of St Augustine's School, Aidan Clohessy, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment after being convicted of 19 counts of indecent assault against six boys aged 10 to 13. The offences, which took place between 1969 and 1986, involved inappropriate touching and were described by the judge as "atrocities at night time". Clohessy, who served as principal from the early 1970s until 1993, was found guilty in two separate trials at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. In the first trial he received 14 counts of indecent assault, and in the second he received five counts. He was acquitted of three further counts. Victim impact statements highlighted lasting mental health, educational and employment effects. Clohessy denied wrongdoing and acknowledged corporal punishment used at the school. He will not appeal the verdicts. The sentence was imposed with consideration of his age and health.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing in Limerick, Thomas "Tossy" Nyhan, a 60‑year‑old married farmer from Crookstown, Co Cork, was convicted of two counts of rape. The victim, who had been raped by Nyhan in January 2011 and again in April 2019, delivered a victim impact statement in which he described the assaults as "cold, calculated and violent." He said he had told Nyhan about his trauma and vulnerabilities, and that Nyhan had used references to his children to manipulate him. The victim reported feeling constantly anxious, "trapped" and "a ghost" of his former self. He urged the court to impose a sentence that reflected the impact of the rapes and thanked those who had supported him. Justice Mary Ellen Ring revoked Nyhan's bail, remanded him in custody and postponed sentencing to 21 July 2025. Nyhan denied the allegations and his lawyer maintained his innocence. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
An asylum seeker, Omar Haddouche, aged 25, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for violent disorder after he joined others in stamping on a stranger's head during a melee on Dublin's O'Connell Street. The incident began when a group of men, including Haddouche, collided with another group outside the Savoy Cinema. A fight erupted, involving punches, kicks and the use of a belt wrapped around a fist. Haddouche and an accomplice stamped on the victim's head while he was on the ground, causing severe injury that left him with 75 % loss of sight in one eye. The incident lasted about 60 seconds and was captured on CCTV. Haddouche pleaded guilty, admitted his behaviour was unacceptable, and the judge described the violence as "inherently serious." The court imposed a custodial sentence, with no mention of a suspended portion.
The High Court ruled that three houses linked to Kieran Keane Jr., son of the slain Limerick gangster Kieran Keane Sr., were proceeds of crime, as were three cars and €101,000 in an AIB account. The court accepted Garda evidence that Keane Jr. was a "driving force" in organised crime. Receivers were appointed to two of the three houses, the cars and the bank account. The properties and account were allegedly used by Keane Jr., believed to be in Dubai or Spain, and his girlfriend Laura Flanagan, who lived in Garryowen, Limerick. CAB forensic analysis showed trips to Lithuania, Spain, Dubai and Lapland between 2010 and 2019, and no clear source of income for Keane Jr. and Flanagan. The judge noted that the properties were acquired in cash under the table and that the AIB account lacked regular expenditure records.
Two 13‑ and 15‑year‑old boys were sentenced to six years' detention for raping a 16‑year‑old girl in a car at Limerick Racecourse. A third defendant, now 18, who aided the rapes by moving the car, received three and a half years' jail. The judge noted the boys' lack of remorse and their juvenile status under the Children Act, and suspended the final 18 months of each sentence on conditions including participation in sexual offending programmes and no contact with the victim. The victim, who was intoxicated and had never had sexual intercourse before, was described as having been repeatedly told "no" and suffering extensive bleeding and bruising. The boys denied the rapes, claiming consensual encounters, but the jury found them guilty. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court in Cork. The sentences reflect the seriousness of the offences and the boys' ages at the time of the crime. The unnamed 16-year-old was acquitted.
In a 2007 murder case, Darragh Quinlivan, aged 41 and originally from Limerick City but residing in Manchester, UK, is charged with killing Noel Campion, aged 35, on 26 April 2007. Campion was shot while riding as a back passenger on a motorbike in Thomondgate, Limerick City. Quinlivan allegedly stepped out of a phone box and fired multiple shots from a handgun as the motorbike passed. The prosecution successfully moved the case from Limerick to Dublin, and the trial is scheduled for 12 January 2026 at the Central Criminal Court.
Dan Dowling, a 41‑year‑old civil servant, and retired soldier Edward Horgan, 80, were tried in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for trespassing on a taxiway at Shannon Airport on 25 April 2017. They were found not guilty of criminal damage after writing "Danger, danger, don't fly" on American naval planes, but were convicted of trespass. Judge Martina Baxter ordered each to pay €5,000 to a women's refuge in County Clare. Dowling has appealed his conviction, arguing that his actions were necessary to prevent the transport of ammunition through Ireland and to protect others from an alleged "irreparable evil." Defence counsel Mark Lynam claimed the defence of necessity applied, while the Director of Public Prosecutions said there was insufficient evidence for such a defence. The Court of Appeal will reserve judgment.
The trial of Richard Satchwell, accused of murdering his wife Tina, was moved from Cork to Dublin because of intense local publicity that could prejudice a jury. Satchwell's counsel argued that the media attention was largely self‑generated and that a local jury would be biased, while the Director of Public Prosecutions contended the publicity was national and largely due to Satchwell's own media appearances. Judge McDermott agreed to the venue change. During the trial, the defence sought to exclude Satchwell's brief reply to the charge, claiming it was prejudicial, but the judge found it voluntary and allowed it. The defence also applied to withdraw the murder charge, arguing lack of evidence of intent, but the judge rejected the application, noting the prosecution's case relied on circumstantial evidence and the defendant's own statements.
Richard Treacy, 36, of Downey St, Garryowen, Limerick, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to a money‑laundering offence under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010. He admitted that between 1 January 2014 and 12 January 2021 he concealed the true source of funds used for renovation work at his home, knowing or being reckless that the money was the proceeds of criminal conduct. The case, originally scheduled for a two‑week trial, was adjourned to 21 July for sentencing by Justice Karen O'Connor.
Kieran Meaney, aged 59, was convicted by a jury of 14 counts of indecent assault on two sisters aged six to eleven between August 1979 and August 1983, and of one count of rape of the older sister. The Central Criminal Court heard that the abuse began with inappropriate touching and escalated to forced removal of clothing and rape. The older sister's victim impact statement described the loss of innocence and lifelong fear, while the younger sister described a chaotic childhood but no fear of Meaney. Defending counsel argued that Meaney was a minor at the time of the offences and had no prior convictions. Judge Kerida Naidoo reduced the headline sentence from 10 years and 3 months to 5 years and 6 months, and imposed an effective global sentence of 4 years and 3 months. The court noted the age disparity and breach of trust in its decision.
A 33‑year‑old Limerick man was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting his partner's daughter, who is now 17. The Central Criminal Court found him guilty of five counts of rape and three of sexual assault committed between 2016 and 2018, when the victim was aged nine to eleven. The abuse began after the man took over child‑minding duties for his partner, who had previously relied on friends and family. The court heard that the victim's mother noticed self‑harm at age 15 and reported the abuse, leading to the man's arrest in October 2023. He denied wrongdoing and minimised his time caring for the child. The unnamed 33-year-old was convicted.
Damien Long, aged 26, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for raping a 17‑year‑old girl in 2018. The Central Criminal Court heard that Long forced the girl to lie on the floor, raped her, and repeatedly told her that "a boy has got to do what a boy has got to do when he is horny." He also threatened her, saying he would not stop because he was enjoying it, and later locked her in his bedroom before leaving. The victim, who wishes to remain unnamed, suffered severe emotional distress, began drinking, fought with her family, and engaged in self‑harm, resulting in 23 hospital admissions. Long had no prior convictions at the time of the rape but had 24 convictions for drug dealing, road traffic and public order offences. The unnamed 17-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the court was told that Kasonga Mbuyi, 52, who stabbed a German passenger at Dublin Airport, was acting out in a "cry for help". Mbuyi had been seen behaving erratically and was not wearing shoes. He had a paranoid delusion and was later diagnosed with schizophrenia, with a history of cannabis misuse. He had been arrested on September 17, 2023, for assault causing harm and production of a pen knife. The victim suffered eight superficial wounds and required 12 stitches. Mbuyi had been homeless, living in a hostel after his Limerick accommodation was sold, and had recently been treated for a broken foot and dislocated knee. He accepted responsibility and said he was trying to get help. The case was adjourned to July, with a probation report, governor's report and urine analysis to be prepared.
The DPP has appealed against the sentences imposed on Keith McCormack Smith, Jason Ryle, and PJ Lyons following their guilty pleas for arson and other offences in May 2022. The prosecution argues the sentences were unduly lenient for a targeted, pre-meditated attack where a stolen Toyota was rammed into Tip Top Tanning Studio in Carlow, causing over €250,000 in damage while residents slept above. McCormack Smith, who had 24 previous convictions, was sentenced to six years with the final two suspended. Ryle and Lyons, who had 29 and 17 previous convictions respectively, each received five and a half years with the final two suspended. The DPP contends the headline sentence of eight years was too low, citing aggravating factors including the use of accelerant and the defendants being on bail. Defence counsel argued the sentences were appropriate, noting the men were acting on instructions to clear a drug debt and had made full admissions. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, viewed video footage of the incident and reserved its judgment to be delivered at a later date.
In a Central Criminal Court sentence hearing, an 18‑year‑old woman who was raped at age 16 by two boys at Limerick Racecourse described how the attackers stripped her of her innocence. She said she must live with the trauma for the rest of her life but can live with having told the truth. The boys, aged 13 and 15 at the time of the assault, were found guilty of sexual assault and rape; a third boy, aged 15, was found guilty of aiding and abetting the rapes and was acquitted of one count of false imprisonment. The victim's statement highlighted her fear, anxiety and the impact on her family, noting that she had never had sexual intercourse before the attack. The case was adjourned for mention while probation reports are prepared.
Levi McCarthy, 33, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for a campaign of violence against his partner, Victoria Keogh, between July 2021 and July 2023. The court found him guilty of coercive control, assault causing harm, making threats to kill or cause serious harm, perverting the course of justice and robbery. McCarthy had previously been convicted of burglary of Keogh's parents' home and other offences, including a French conviction for threatening a former partner. During the period of coercive control, he repeatedly beat Keogh, threatened to knife her dead, and put a bullet in her head. He also sent intimidating letters to Keogh and her parents while on remand. The judge imposed a headline sentence of nine years, a four‑year term for coercive control, and a consecutive two‑and‑a‑half‑year term for assault, and ordered a 15‑year prohibition on contact with Keogh and her family.
The Court of Appeal will decide whether the High Court or the Circuit Court should re‑hear a Traveller family's discrimination case. The family, Bridget O'Reilly and Philip O'Neill, received €22,000 from the Workplace Relations Commission in 2022 after the Charleville Park Hotel, owned by Atlantic Troy Ltd, refused them accommodation in 2020 because they could not provide a credit card matching their ID. The WRC found the hotel's refusal discriminated against them as Travellers and as recipients of a Housing Assistance Payment. The Circuit Court overturned the award in July 2022, but the High Court quashed that ruling in September 2023, citing unfairness and inappropriate language used by the Circuit Court judge. The hotel now appeals the High Court's decision, arguing an adequate alternative remedy existed at the Circuit Court level. Ms O'Reilly's counsel seeks to keep the case in the High Court, while the hotel's counsel argues the Circuit Court route was available and was abandoned.
A 54‑year‑old man was sentenced to eight years in prison, with the final twelve months suspended, for attempted rape, sexual assault and threatening to kill his step‑daughter in County Limerick between 2011 and 2019. The victim, aged eight to sixteen at the times of the incidents, described repeated sexual advances, an attempted rape while lying on a bed, a sexual assault while she was on a couch, and a threat to kill her with a knife after she warned him she would tell her mother. The man pleaded not guilty and claimed he had cooperated with the investigation and complied with a 2020 barring order. The judge, Justice Melanie Greally, imposed post‑release supervision for two years, forbidding the defendant from any occupation that could bring him into contact with children and from any contact with the victim, her mother or family. The sentence was delivered in the Central Criminal Court. The unnamed 54-year-old was convicted.
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.
Court proceedings in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 31 March 2025 found Courtney Fitzpatrick, aged 26, and Leah York, aged 22, guilty of money laundering for possessing proceeds of crime. The offence stemmed from a Revolut scam that cost a doctor €11,000. The doctor received a call from an unknown person claiming to be a Revolut agent, who told her her account was compromised and requested app access. The caller then transferred €5,500 to each woman's account, which was subsequently moved into a cryptocurrency account. The women were identified and interviewed by Gardaí; they did not name the scammer, citing fear. The judge noted their cooperation but also that they were aware the activity was criminal. He imposed a one‑year sentence on each, suspended on the condition that each pays €1,500 to the doctor within nine months. The sentences were suspended to punish and deter future gullibility.
Glen Duff, 38, of Doon Court, Poppintree, Dublin 11, was given a further five‑year prison sentence for slashing a fellow inmate's face in Cloverhill Prison on 16 October 2021. He pleaded guilty to the assault and to a burglary of a pub on Great Strand Street, where the front door was smashed and €300 worth of alcohol was stolen. Duff already has over 200 previous convictions and is serving a six‑year sentence with the final 15 months suspended for two robberies in Temple Bar in 2022 and an earlier assault on a tourist. The court noted his history of violent attacks on tourists in Temple Bar and his long‑term institutional life. Judge Elva Duffy described him as a "menace to society" and said he was "lucky" to be charged only with Section 3 assault. The five‑year sentence was handed down with the final year suspended on strict conditions.
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.
Two women, aged 33 and younger, testified that they were sexually abused by an older cousin and a second cousin, and that their families did not believe them. The 33‑year‑old accused pleaded guilty to rape, oral rape and sexual assault of the older girl and sexual assault of the younger girl between 2004 and 2008 at their grandparents' home. His older brother, aged 34, pleaded guilty to one count of rape and sexual assault of the older girl in 2005. The second cousin, aged 14 at the time of the offence, was charged only for one incident. The court heard the women described lifelong trauma, PTSD and loss of family support. Mr Justice Tony Hunt adjourned sentencing to 31 March, remanded the men in custody and praised the women's strength. The accused men read apology letters and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
In a High Court hearing on 5 March 2025, Mark Keane, a former Limerick hurler aged 43, presented a personal injury claim against Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Ireland) for an incident at their Plassey plant in September 2018. Keane, who was working as a technician making contact lenses, alleges the company was negligent and breached its duty of care, failing to provide a safe place and system of work. He claims the incident caused nerve damage and injury to his right hand, and seeks damages for sustained, continuous and severe personal injury, loss, damage, inconvenience and expense. Johnson & Johnson accepted responsibility for the hand injury but not for a shoulder injury. Keane's wife, Karen, testified that the accident has profoundly altered his mental and physical state, affecting their marriage, family life and his mental health.
A former Limerick hurler, Mark Keane, aged 43, is pursuing a personal injuries claim against Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Ireland) for a workplace accident that occurred on 10 September 2018 at the company's plant in the National Technological Park, Plassey, County Limerick. Keane alleges the company was negligent and breached its duty of care while he was working as a technician making contact lenses, resulting in a frozen shoulder and damage to his hand. He has undergone surgery and has been in pain, describing the injuries as "emasculated and mentally destroyed." The High Court heard that the case has already seen three days of evidence. Mr. Keane's lawyers, HOMS Assist, argue the incident caused sustained, continuous and severe personal injury, loss, damage, inconvenience and expense. Johnson & Johnson's counsel, Murray Johnson SC, accepted responsibility for the nerve damage and hand injury but denied liability for the shoulder injury.
In a High Court hearing, former Limerick hurler Mark Keane, aged 43, presented evidence in a personal injuries claim against Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Ireland). He alleged that on 10 September 2018, while working as a technician at the company's plant in the National Technological Park, Plassey, a co‑worker's arm was caught in machinery. Keane ran to help but was unable to free the colleague, and in the process his own right hand was caught, resulting in a severe deformity of his little finger. He described ongoing pain that radiates up his arm to his neck and back down, and stated he has not worked since the incident. Keane claims the company was negligent and breached its duty of care, seeking damages. He also noted that the company stopped paying him in December 2022, leaving him on an invalidity pension and unable to secure new employment. The case is scheduled to continue next week.
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.
A group of nine former employees of The Food Point Limited in Limerick City secured total awards of €21,728 from the Workplace Relations Commission for employment rights breaches. The adjudicator found that the employer failed to pay wages and premium rates for Sunday work under the Payment of Wages Act and the Organisation of Working Time Act. Former head chef Frederico Madureira testified that he worked 111 hours per week during the restaurant's launch in September 2023, including 222 hours in a fortnight, and was unpaid for 163 hours in November 2023. Other staff, including kitchen assistant Rafaela dos Santos and applicant Patrícia Gasperíni, stated they stopped working after wages were withheld. The employer failed to appear at hearings concerning Madureira, dos Santos, and Gasperíni in autumn 2024. The adjudicator awarded sums ranging from €962 to €2,926 for unpaid wages and annual leave. Additionally, orders were made to top up Sunday wages by 30% for eight workers and to pay €500 in compensation each for rights breaches. Claims for statutory notice pay were rejected because none of the workers had completed the required 13-week qualifying period. Complaints under the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 were declined due to the absence of requested statements of working hours, though the adjudicator noted the workers could lodge fresh complaints.
Damien Donnan, serving a life sentence for the manslaughter of his mother Jennifer in 2000, is seeking to quash a decision that refused him parole. Donnan, who was 18 at the time of the offence, was convicted after a trial in February 2002. He had originally been charged with murder but was found guilty of manslaughter. The offence involved a dispute over a cigarette, during which Donnan broke his mother's neck and strangled her. In 2006 he received a suspended life sentence, but the suspension was removed in 2007 after he failed to comply with medication and drug‑abuse conditions. The High Court is hearing his application to overturn the parole board's refusal, which was made in September 2024. Donnan's lawyers argue that the board conflated Sections 13 and 30 of the Parole Act, creating an error in law. The court has adjourned the application for leave to seek judicial review to the following month.
Eamon McCarthy, father of the deceased, testified that he and his son Dylan went to Monasterevin to celebrate a grandchild's birth. After leaving a pub, a melee outside the Bellyard pub escalated. The prosecution alleged that Sean Kavanagh punched Dylan and Calvin Dunne kicked Dylan's exposed head, causing Dylan's death. Both accused denied kicking Dylan and claimed they were defending themselves, asserting that Dylan and his father were the aggressors. The court heard Eamon's account of the fight, his injuries, and the subsequent ambulance transport. Witnesses described a chaotic scene with multiple punches and a kick. The prosecution's case focused on the alleged kick by Dunne as the fatal blow, while the defence argued uncertainty over which blow caused the fatal injury and the legitimacy of self‑defence. The trial concluded with the jury given options of murder, manslaughter or acquittal, but the article reports no verdict.
Retired labour inspector George McLoughlin is seeking a High Court review of a decision by the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner not to investigate his complaints of alleged serious wrongdoing at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). Mr McLoughlin, who worked for the National Employment Rights Authority from 2008 to 2017, claims he submitted three protected disclosures between 2015 and 2017 alleging that senior officials colluded to prevent investigations and penalised him. He named the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) and Minister Frances Fitzgerald as notice parties. Sipo closed his complaints in March 2023, stating the subject matter lacked sufficient gravity. Subsequently, the Commissioner's office closed a fourth disclosure in July 2024, citing a lack of prima facie evidence. Mr McLoughlin is seeking to quash this decision and order the report to be transmitted to an independent person for follow-up. At the High Court this week, Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty adjourned the matter to March 25. She directed Mr McLoughlin to serve all materials in his possession to the three parties involved. The matter was adjourned and is not concluded.
Cathal Crotty, a former soldier aged 22, was sentenced by the Court of Appeal to three years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended for one year, after a fully suspended three‑year sentence imposed by the Circuit Court was overturned. The appeal was brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions, who argued that the original sentence was too lenient. Crotty had beaten Natasha O'Brien, 25, unconscious on a public street after she asked him to stop shouting homophobic abuse. He repeatedly punched her, causing a fractured nose, and later posted a boastful Snapchat message. Crotty will pay €3,000 in compensation to Ms O'Brien. The court noted his early guilty plea, lack of prior convictions, good character and remorse, but also his loss of a Defence Forces post and lack of dependents. The sentence reflects the gravity of the offence and the need to deter similar attacks.
Cathal Crotty, a 20‑year‑old former Defence Forces soldier, was convicted of assault causing harm after he beat Natasha O'Brien unconscious on a Limerick street on 29 May 2022. The assault followed O'Brien's request that he stop shouting homophobic abuse, after which Crotty verbally abused her and then struck her. Crotty pleaded guilty in July 2023 at Limerick Circuit Court. Judge Tom O'Donnell imposed a wholly suspended three‑year sentence and ordered Crotty to pay €3,000 compensation. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Lily Buckley, has applied to the Court of Appeal to overturn the sentence, arguing it is unduly lenient and that a custodial term is needed to deter similar crimes. Crotty's lawyers contend the judge exercised mercy appropriately, citing his good service record, lack of prior convictions, and potential job loss. The Court of Appeal will decide whether to uphold or modify the sentence.
During a murder trial in Monasterevin, father Eamon McCarthy testified that he saw his son Dylan, aged 29, gurgling and with eyes rolling after a violent assault. McCarthy described how Dylan was punched by Sean Kavanagh (26) and Calvin Dunne (24), then kicked in the head by Dunne while Dylan tried to rise. McCarthy claimed he intervened, pulling Kavanagh's hand from Dylan, but was struck and knocked to the ground. He later recalled a man striking him with a belt. McCarthy's injuries included a fractured jaw, broken nose and a hairline fracture near an eye socket, all attributed to the assault. The case remains at the trial stage, with the jury hearing the State's account of the incident and the defendants' self‑defence claims. Sean Kavanagh pleaded not guilty. Calvin Dunne pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed John Dundon's bid to overturn his 2013 conviction for the murder of Shane Geoghegan. Dundon, who is serving a life sentence, argued that a recorded phone conversation between witnesses Lisa Collins and Christopher McCarthy, which allegedly suggested a motive to secure a conviction for an offence carrying a greater penalty, such as murder, was not disclosed at trial. Counsel claimed this omission raised concerns about the fairness of the proceedings. However, Mr Justice John Edwards rejected the appeal, finding no breach of the Director of Public Prosecutions' duty of disclosure and noting that the Special Criminal Court had already approached the witnesses' testimony with caution. The court concluded that the appellant's trial was not unsatisfactory and his verdict remained safe. Separately, Barry Doyle, who admitted shooting Mr Geoghegan in a case of mistaken identity during Garda interviews, later pleaded not guilty at trial. He was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court and received a mandatory life sentence. Both the Special Criminal Court and the High Court had previously rejected Dundon's bids to have his 2013 murder trial adjourned.
A 15‑year‑old was convicted of anal rape of a 15‑year‑old girl and was originally sentenced to six months' detention and community supervision. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal quashed the original term and set a headline sentence of nine years, then reduced it to four and a half years after a 50% reduction for the offender's age and maturity. Further mitigating factors led to a one‑year reduction, giving a final headline of three and a half years. The court suspended the last 12 months on a €100 bond, with the sentence backdated to the day of custody. The teenager has already been released and will return to prison to serve the remaining term. The case involved an assault that included forced oral and anal penetration, with the victim reporting severe physical injury and lasting psychological impact. The unnamed girl pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
Cathal Crotty, a 22‑year‑old former soldier from Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, was given a three‑year suspended sentence by Limerick Circuit Criminal Court in June for an unprovoked attack on Natasha O'Brien on O'Connell Street in May 2022. Crotty, who was serving in the Defence Forces at the time, grabbed O'Brien by the hair, punched her to the ground, and continued to hold her hair while striking her face until she lost consciousness. O'Brien suffered a broken nose, bruising, nightmares and panic attacks. After the assault Crotty boasted on Snapchat that he had "two to put her down, two to put her out." He was discharged from the army in July. The Director of Public Prosecution has appealed the suspended sentence on the grounds of undue leniency. The appeal will be heard on 23 January, with counsel for Crotty applying for a second counsel, a request granted by Judge John Edwards. Cathal Crotty pleaded guilty.
A judge will decide on 16 December whether Richard Satchwell, 57, accused of murdering his wife Tina, can have his trial moved from Cork to Dublin or Limerick. The trial is scheduled for April next year. Brendan Grehan SC applied for the transfer, while the Director of Public Prosecutions, represented by Gerardine Small SC, opposed it. Mr Satchwell is charged with the murder of Tina Satchwell, 45, who was reported missing on 24 March 2017 and whose skeletal remains were found in October 2023 at their shared home on Grattan Street, Youghal.
In a murder trial at Tallaght, State Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers testified that a deformed lead projectile measuring 0.8 cm was recovered from the head of Keith Conlon, a 36‑year‑old father of four who died on 24 February 2022 after being shot on the farm of barrister Diarmuid Phelan. Okkers described the bullet's trajectory, noting it entered 3 cm behind Conlon's right ear and 5 cm above it, and that the entry wound was 1.64 cm above the unshod heel. She reported no soot or powder tattooing around the wound, indicating a distance of more than one metre between shooter and victim. The pathologist also detailed a CT scan showing a complete fracture of the right parietal bone and multiple metallic fragments in the brain. Phelan, 56, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Conlon, who was shot in the back of the head while turning away to leave.
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.
A 23-year-old man from Longford has been sentenced to three years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court following his conviction for the rape and sexual assault of his younger cousins. The defendant was found guilty of orally raping his cousin when she was aged eight or nine, and of sexually assaulting her younger sister when she was between seven and eight years old. The offences occurred between 2016 and 2021, when the defendant was between 14 and 18 years of age. The first victim, now 16, detailed the profound psychological impact of the abuse, including night terrors and anxiety. The second victim, now 12, said she initially remained silent about the assault before coming forward after her sister disclosed her own experience. In sentencing, Mr Justice Paul Burns acknowledged the defendant's age at the time of the offences and reduced the headline sentence accordingly. The final 12 months of the three-year sentence on the rape charge are suspended, subject to probation supervision for three years following release.
The Court of Appeal heard that a 15‑year‑old was convicted of anal rape of a 15‑year‑old girl and sentenced to six months and one week of detention followed by the same period of community supervision. The State argued the sentence was too lenient, citing aggravating factors such as the victim's alcohol consumption, the anal injury sustained and the defendant's intent. The State also challenged the judge's discounts for the defendant's age and for delays in investigation. The defence maintained that the judge's assessment was within the discretion available and that mitigating factors were appropriately considered. The court reserved judgment on the appeal. The case involved the defendant taking the victim to a derelict house, giving her cider, and forcing sexual acts while she repeatedly said "No" and cried. The victim's impact statement described lasting fear and avoidance of leaving home. The unnamed girl pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
In a High Court decision on 24 October 2024, a ruling against the security company Sablecross Limited (trading as Frontline Securities) in a case brought by Frank Reidy of Limerick was set aside. Reidy, who claims to be heavily involved in the GAA, alleged that after the 2018 All‑Ireland Hurling final at Croke Park he entered the pitch to collect jerseys and was suddenly assaulted by security and stewards. He says his arm was twisted behind his back and he was forcefully ejected. Reidy's action names the GAA, represented by Tom Ryan, and Sablecross. The court noted that the GAA had filed a full defence and the case was awaiting a hearing. The judge found that a miscommunication about correspondence had caused a default judgment against Sablecross and, in the interests of justice, set that judgment aside, while the proceedings against the GAA continued as normal.
Paul Murphy, a father-of-two who survived a fatal crane incident at Thomond Bridge in Limerick in 2015, reached an undisclosed settlement with multiple parties, including Palfinger Ireland Ltd and Limerick City and County Council, the High Court heard. Counsel for Murphy stated that liability was conceded by the named defendants, allowing the case to proceed solely for the assessment of damages before the settlement was finalized. The incident claimed the lives of Murphy's co-workers, Bryan Whelan and TJ O'Herlihy, who drowned after the crane fell into the River Shannon. Murphy, who suffered PTSD and physical injuries, was rescued by lifeboat. In related proceedings, Palfinger Ireland Ltd was fined €25,000 at Limerick Circuit Court on October 7, 2022, after pleading guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act. Additionally, Nationwide Crane Hire Ltd pleaded guilty to similar breaches and was fined €200,000. The prosecutions, brought by the Health and Safety Authority, cited a failed safety mechanism and a missing chapter in the crane manual supplied by Palfinger. The High Court judge acknowledged the trauma Murphy endured, noting he had to relive parts of the tragedy during the proceedings.
In a decision by the Court of Appeal on 15 October 2024, Noel Noonan's conviction for possessing drugs worth €137,858 was quashed. Noonan, aged 46, had been jailed for eight and a half years after a Toyota Corolla he was driving was stopped on the N7 near Kildare. The vehicle was not taxed, uninsured and Noonan could not produce a licence. Garda Dave Farragher seized the car and found Xannax and amphetamine in the boot. Noonan denied knowing of the drugs. The appeal argued that a phone call from an inspector, relayed to Farragher, was hearsay and should not have been admitted. The Court of Appeal held that the trial judge's admission of this hearsay evidence was flawed and prejudicial, and therefore overturned the conviction, sending the case back to Naas Circuit Court for further proceedings.
Dessie Dundon, serving life imprisonment for the murder of a Limerick gangland rival, has been granted leave to challenge a refusal to grant him parole based on a "secret dossier" compiled by An Garda Síochána. At a High Court ex-parte hearing, Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty granted leave for his case to be reviewed. Dundon claims the Parole Board breached his constitutional rights to fair procedure by withholding "considerable" Garda material until after its decision to refuse parole in March. His application alleges the board acted illegally and with procedural impropriety by finding "exceptional circumstances" that warranted keeping the report secret, thereby depriving him of natural justice. Dundon, who has served 21 years for the 2003 murder of Kieran Keane and the attempted murder of Owen Treacy, was convicted in December 2003 of attempted murder and twice of false imprisonment. He also had convictions for assault causing harm and larceny at sentencing, and has since received two further convictions for possession of a mobile phone in prison and wilfully obstructing a prison officer. An Garda Síochána were listed as a notice party. The matter was adjourned to November 5 for mention.
Lawyers for Richard Satchwell, aged 57 and resident of Grattan Street, Youghal, Co Cork, have requested that his murder trial be transferred from Cork to either Dublin or Limerick. The request was made to Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring at the Central Criminal Court, where the defence, represented by Senan Crawford BL, stated that the trial, scheduled for April next year, should be moved. The prosecution, represented by Maria Brosnan BL, was not notified of the application. Justice Ring said the application must be made in the ordinary way and that the prosecution should be put on notice, and adjourned the matter to 15 November. Mr Satchwell is charged with the murder of his wife, Tina Satchwell, aged 45, who was found buried beneath the stairwell of their shared home on Grattan Street in Youghal. The body, discovered by Gardaí in October 2023, was skeletal remains of a woman reported missing on 24 March 2017.
Eoin Hannan, aged 50, was convicted in April 2022 of harassing a woman at various locations between February 14 and August 25 2020, and in July 2022 of harassing her father between January 20 and February 13 2021. The court heard that Hannan repeatedly contacted the victim despite Garda warnings in 2017 and 2019, sending Valentine cards, wine, chocolates, a watch, a bracelet, a teddy bear, a lollipop and a letter with a threatening phrase. He claimed the offences were "romantic rather than sinister" and a case of mistaken identity. Hannan, who has 44 prior convictions, argued that his bipolar affective disorder should have mitigated the sentence. Mr Justice Seamus Woulfe found no error in the sentencing judge's approach, noted that the judge had considered Hannan's mental health, and dismissed all grounds of appeal. The appeal was rejected, leaving the four‑year prison sentence in place. Eoin Hannan pleaded guilty.
Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring handed down five life sentences at the Central Criminal Court to family members convicted of murdering Thomas Dooley at Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee, Co Kerry, on October 5, 2022. The defendants, including Patrick Dooley, Thomas Dooley Senior, Thomas Dooley Junior, Michael Dooley, and Daniel Dooley, had all pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. The judge described the killing as an "honour killing" involving "medieval violence" and noted that no explanation for the death had been proffered. Thomas Dooley Junior was additionally found guilty of assault causing harm to Siobhán Dooley. He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years for this offence, backdated from his custody on November 16, 2022, with the term running concurrently to his life sentence. The life sentences for the five adults were backdated to their respective custody dates. A sixth defendant, a male teenager, was not sentenced today as he is expected to seek a judicial review; his matter was adjourned for a mention on October 29. The court heard a victim impact statement from Siobhán Dooley, who stated her husband's last act was telling her to run to save herself. The judge emphasized that the only innocents were the victim, his wife, and their children.