Court archive
Court reports mentioning Carlingford, Louth
2026-04-20 · Louth
Lisa Temple, 56, was given a one-year suspended sentence in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for assaulting two security officials during a home repossession. She refused to enter a good behaviour bond, leading Judge Martin Nolan to order her into custody, stating no one is above the law. Temple, who represented herself during the trial, was convicted of assault and possession of a taser. Her legal team argued the case was emotionally charged and a long-standing property dispute. During the sentencing, Temple protested and was taken into custody. The incident occurred in March 2022, where she punched one official and used a taser on another. Neither official required medical attention. Judge Nolan noted her behaviour was disgraceful but did not believe she deserved a custodial sentence. He allowed her legal team to reapply for a bond if she changed her mind.
2024-01-25 · Louth
Tadhg Keely, 19, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for stealing a Toyota Aqua from Belview Court, Blackrock, Co Dublin, and endangerment on the N81 Tallaght bypass. He pleaded guilty to these charges and further admitted to dangerous driving on the N7 in Naas, Co Kildare. Judge Martin Nolan described the incident as extremely dangerous, noting Keely's "disgraceful behaviour" when he drove through traffic cones, forcing a workman to "jump for his life." The court heard Keely led ten garda patrol cars on a 40-minute chase at speeds exceeding 160km/h, blowing two tyres and driving on the wrong side of the road. He was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, with the final year suspended due to his young age, guilty plea, and difficult background. Judge Nolan disqualified Keely from driving for three years and ordered one year of probation supervision upon release. Keely, who has 36 previous convictions, was in State care at the time. The matter was finalised with this sentence.
2023-01-13 · Louth
In a High Court decision, Mr Justice Cian Ferriter awarded €2,500 in damages to each of three men—Fintan O'Farrell, Declan Rafferty and Michael McDonald—who had been unlawfully detained in Portlaoise Prison. The men, all from County Louth, had been arrested in 2001 while attempting to procure arms for the Real IRA and were extradited to England, where they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cause explosions and received 28‑year sentences. In 2014 the Irish High Court found that the warrants transferring them from an English prison to Ireland were defective, as they referred to the full 28‑year term rather than the 18 years and 8 months they should have served under Irish remission rules. The court held that the men's continued detention on the basis of an invalid Irish order constituted false imprisonment, but noted that their conduct in serious terrorist offences limited their interest in liberty.
2021-06-16 · Louth
Sarunas Lubenskas, 31, of Carlingford Road, Drumcondra, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of cannabis cultivation after Gardaí searched his home on 13 May 2018. The search revealed that all but one room were used to grow cannabis, with an estimated value of €100,000. Lubenskas, a Lithuanian national who had worked casually as a labourer, claimed he was not responsible for the drugs and did not know who ran the operation. He admitted he was intoxicated and aggressive when Gardaí entered. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, suspending the final year on strict conditions, and ordered him to leave the State within 28 days of release. The judge said a message must be sent out to deter non‑resident involvement in the drug trade in Ireland.
2020-05-29 · Armagh
In a trial that began in January, Mr Justice Michael White apologized to a jury of six men and seven women for delays caused by the COVID‑19 pandemic and other legal matters. He explained that the jury need not attend until 8 June, while the court addressed issues in their absence, and that the trial is expected to continue until the end of June, though he noted it is hard to predict. Mr White also informed the jury that witnesses from America would testify, with court sittings scheduled at 2 pm to accommodate the time difference. The case concerns Aaron Brady, 28, who has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe and to a robbery charge involving approximately €7,000. The jury heard testimony from a female witness who observed Brady on the day of the shooting and from Sgt John Barnes, who described a search of Brady's home. The trial continues.
2020-02-06 · Louth
In the Central Criminal Court, the case of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe's murder was heard. Inspector Darren Kirwan testified that he discovered Donohoe had been shot at 21.45 on 25 January 2013 and immediately went to the deceased's home to inform his wife, Caroline Donohoe, who identified his body in the credit union car park at 11pm. Aaron Brady, aged 28, pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Donohoe and to the robbery of about €7,000 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth. Dr Khalid Jaber performed a post‑mortem, finding extensive brain and skull damage and a penetrating shotgun wound to the face as the cause of death. Witnesses, including Leona White, Christina Birch, and Garda Rachel Copperthwaite, described hearing gunshots, seeing a robbery, and finding Donohoe's body. The trial continued on Monday before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury.
2020-02-05 · Louth
At the Central Criminal Court, a credit union volunteer described the moment she feared for her life during a fatal armed robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, County Louth, on 25 January 2013. Bernadette McShane told the court she witnessed Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe fall after hearing gunshots and subsequently believed an armed raider approaching her vehicle intended to kill her because she had seen the incident. Aaron Brady, aged 28, from New Road, Crossmaglen, County Armagh, has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Detective Garda Donohoe and to robbing approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques on the same date and location. Ms McShane said the raider smashed her car window and demanded money before fleeing the scene. Additional witnesses, including staff from Cooley and Lordship credit unions, detailed their observations of the incident and the armed men involved. The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury.
2020-01-31 · Louth
In a capital murder trial, the jury was shown CCTV footage of the moment Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead in the car park of Lordship Credit Union on 25 January 2013. The footage shows a vehicle blocking the exit while four men emerge, one carrying a shotgun that appears to recoil. The prosecution argues Donohoe died from a single shotgun blast. Aaron Brady, aged 28, pleaded not guilty to the capital murder and to robbery of approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques at the same location. The evidence also includes testimony from credit union employees who counted the stolen money, totalling €27,375, and a dashcam view from a Mazda. The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White with a jury of eight men and seven women.
2020-01-28 · Louth
The trial of Aaron Brady, 28, from Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, is ongoing at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Michael White. Brady has pleaded not guilty to the alleged capital murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe and the robbery of approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013. Prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan SC opened the case, alleging that a gang of four raiders targeted the Garda escort for a "base criminal motive" driven by money. He stated that one raider allegedly shot Det Gda Donohoe in the face with a shotgun, killing him instantly, while another threatened Det Gda Joe Ryan with a handgun. The prosecution contends the operation was highly organized, with the getaway car later found burnt out in South Armagh. Grehan argued that Brady was under financial pressure and allegedly lied about his whereabouts. Evidence will include CCTV, mobile phone data showing a "telecommunications blackout" during the incident, and conversations Brady allegedly had after moving to New York. The jury of 15 is hearing the prosecution's case, which relies on circumstantial evidence to link Brady to the crime. The trial continues.
2020-01-27 · Louth
A 15‑person jury was sworn in to hear the trial of Aaron Brady, charged with the capital murder of Garda Adrian Donohoe on 25 January 2013 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co. Louth. Brady, 28, also faced a charge of robbing about €7,000 from Mr Pat Bellew at the same location and date. Mr Justice Michael White of the Central Criminal Court explained that the trial would be lengthy, expected to finish on 28 May, with a two‑week break at Easter and no sitting on St. Patrick's Day. He warned jurors against any difficulty in serving and urged them to remain impartial, avoiding social media or internet research. The jury would ultimately consist of 12 members, with 15 sworn in to allow for possible withdrawals. The trial was set to open the following day.
2019-06-26 · Wicklow
A 20‑year‑old Wicklow man, Aiden Hargreaves, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to consecutive terms of three years and two years for two separate knifepoint robbery offences. The first offence was an attempted robbery at Harbour Court, Dublin on 31 October 2018, and the second was a robbery at Carlingford Parade, Dublin on 29 January 2019. Hargreaves pleaded guilty to both. The final 15 months of the sentence were suspended on strict conditions. The court heard that in October 2018 Hargreaves approached a man who was rolling a cigarette, produced a knife, and the man fled after smashing a bottle. In January 2019, while on bail for the earlier offence, Hargreaves approached a Spanish national, produced a knife, and demanded the man's wallet and phone, which the man handed over. Hargreaves has 33 previous convictions, including burglary, theft, drug possession and failure to comply with a Garda direction.