Court archive
Court reports mentioning Pallaskenry, Limerick
2021-10-11 · Limerick
Gerard Lynch, 34, of Main Street, Pallaskenry, Co Limerick, was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of his brother, Willie Lynch. Lynch pleaded guilty last May to the December 30, 2017, killing. At the sentence hearing, Detective Sergeant Michael Reidy told prosecuting counsel Bernard Condon SC that Lynch entered a nearby shop with blood on his hands, roaring for help, before locals discovered the victim's body. The Assistant State Pathologist reported four stab wounds, with the fatal injury damaging the thorax. Lynch admitted to stabbing his brother and identified the weapon. He had 36 previous convictions, including a three-year jail term in 2007 for arson. His barrister, Mark Nicholas SC, described the case as "absolutely tragic," noting Lynch's history of psychiatric admissions, ADHD, and substance use. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed the mandatory life sentence, backdated to 2017 when Lynch first went into custody. The judge agreed to attach a transcript of the hearing to Lynch's file, allowing the parole board to consider the mitigating factors under the Parole Act 2019, and expressed sympathy to the Lynch family.
2021-05-20 · Limerick
A 31‑year‑old Gerard Lynch of Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick, pleaded guilty to the murder of his brother Willie Lynch on 30 December 2017 at Main Street, Pallaskenry. Lynch, wearing a black t‑shirt and black tracksuit bottoms, was represented by barrister Mark Nicholas SC, who described the case as a "tragic case" involving a family. The mandatory penalty for murder is life imprisonment, but Mr Nicholas indicated he would present certain matters to the court that might be considered in a different forum in the future. A sentence hearing is scheduled for Monday, 11 October.
2015-12-15 · Limerick
Patrick Scanlon, a 55-year-old restaurateur with an address on the Channel Island of Jersey, successfully appealed his sentence at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court. He had previously pleaded not guilty to the possession and importation of cannabis worth €79,000 from Spain to a house in Pallaskenry, Co Limerick, on August 8, 2013. Following a three-week trial, a jury found him guilty, and Mr Justice Caroll Moran sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment on May 21, 2014. On appeal, a three-judge panel comprising Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, Mr Justice Alan Mahon, and Mr Justice John Edwards reviewed the case. The court accepted submissions from Mr Michael O'Higgins SC that the original sentence was excessive given mitigating factors, including Scanlon's charitable works, such as running marathons in prison and raising funds for Chernobyl children. The court identified an error in principle regarding the sentencing judge's assessment. Consequently, the panel quashed the original 15-year sentence and imposed a reduced sentence of 11 years imprisonment. This decision reflects a four-year reduction based on the additional material submitted, which highlighted Scanlon's efforts to do good and his lack of status as a hardened criminal.
2015-10-29 · Limerick
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal against conviction by Patrick Scanlon, a 55-year-old restaurateur from West Limerick with an address on the Channel Island of Jersey. Scanlon had pleaded not guilty at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court to the possession and importation of cannabis worth €79,000 from Spain to a house in Pallaskenry, Co Limerick, on August 8, 2013. He was found guilty by a jury following a three-week trial and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by Mr Justice Caroll Moran on May 21, 2014. The centrepiece of his appeal, submitted by barrister Michael O'Higgins SC, was that his arrest was allegedly tainted by a period of illegal detention immediately before his arrest. O'Higgins argued that Scanlon was searched twice for drugs—once at the roadside and then at a garda station—and that no new reasonable cause had been formed for the second search. However, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, speaking for the three-judge court which included Mr Justice Alan Mahon and Mr Justice John Edwards, stated that it was not unusual for a person to be detained on the roadside and brought to a station for a further search. The court described the action as a continuous single search, noting that it did not matter that the process was described as a first or second search or carried out by two different gardaí. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed. Scanlon will appeal his sentence at a later date.
2015-06-16 · Limerick
Patrick Scanlon, a 55-year-old restaurateur from West Limerick with an address on the Channel Island of Jersey, has appealed his conviction in the Court of Appeal. Scanlon had pleaded not guilty at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court to the possession and importation of cannabis worth €79,000 from Spain to a house in Pallaskenry, Co Limerick, on August 8, 2013. He was found guilty by a jury following a three-week trial and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by Mr Justice Carroll Moran on May 21, 2014. His counsel, Michael O'Higgins SC, argued that the second search conducted at a garda station lacked new reasonable cause, claiming the initial roadside search was negative. The prosecution, represented by Anne-Marie Lawlor BL, contended that the search was continuous and lawful, noting that a mobile phone without a SIM card was later found. The Court of Appeal, comprising Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, Mr Justice John Edwards, and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, heard the arguments and reserved judgment. The matter was adjourned pending the court's decision.