A witness at the Special Criminal Court was treated as hostile after giving conflicting evidence in the trial of two men charged with a credit union robbery in which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was murdered. Colin Hoey told the court he did not see Aaron Brady or accused James Flynn on the night of the Lordship Credit Union raid in Bellurgan, County Louth on 25 January 2013. However, his 2017 statement to gardaí at Carrickmacross stated that both men were present in his house between 9.15pm and 10.45pm that evening. Mr Hoey claimed he had been pressured to change his account and alleged a garda had threatened him with imprisonment. Brendan Treanor and James Flynn are charged with robbing €7,000 from the credit union and conspiracy to burgle homes for car keys. Both deny the charges. Brady is serving a life sentence with a 40-year minimum for the garda's murder and the robbery. The trial continues. James Flynn pleaded not guilty.
In March 2023 the Court of Appeal sentenced a 39‑year‑old man to 18 months' imprisonment for sexually assaulting his partner's 12‑year‑old daughter. The assault occurred on 5–6 October 2019 during a family gathering when the girl was asleep on a couch. The man woke her twice, touched her vagina and chest under her pyjamas, and then attempted to buy her silence, offering €20, then €600, which she refused. He pleaded guilty to sexual assault and had originally received a four‑year sentence suspended in full by Judge Patrick Quinn in February 2022. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the non‑custodial sanction was too lenient. The Court of Appeal found the original sentence unduly lenient, quashed it, and imposed the 18‑month custodial term. The judge noted the assault had a profound effect on the girl and that the man had shown no immediate remorse.
John Hamill, an atheist campaigner, filed a discrimination complaint with the Workplace Relations Commission after the Defence Forces refused to consider him for a military chaplain role. The State argued that chaplains must hold a monotheistic belief to provide "force protection" and "religious leader engagement" in conflict zones, citing the 87.16% Catholic composition of the forces. The Commission found the Defence's requirement unlawful, ruling that chaplains should not be recruited solely from Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland clergy. An adjudicating officer ordered the Department to review its chaplaincy process to reflect diversity, though compensation was not awarded. The decision upheld Hamill's claim of religious discrimination and rejected the State's justification that a Christian chaplain was essential for missions such as UNIFIL in south Lebanon.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 14 March 2023, Charlene O'Callaghan, the former girlfriend of Brendan Treanor, testified that she and Treanor were at home in Tullydonnell, Co. Armagh, on the night of the January 25, 2013 robbery at Lordship Credit Union. She said she arrived home at about 9:15 pm after work, watched television, showered, and then left to order food at a Crossmaglen takeaway at 10:05 pm, returning around 10:17 pm. O'Callaghan confirmed that Treanor was present in the house before she left and that he had dropped his phone into the bath while washing their dogs. She also noted that Treanor's friends included Aaron Brady and James Flynn. The testimony was given while Treanor and Flynn remain charged with the robbery and related conspiracy, having pleaded not guilty. The case continues before the Special Criminal Court.
Former soldier Lisa Smith, aged 41, remains in custody after the Court of Appeal rejected her appeal against a 15‑month sentence for membership of the Islamic State. The Special Criminal Court had convicted her for joining ISIS between 28 October 2015 and 1 December 2019, after she travelled to Syria in 2015. The appeal court dismissed all grounds relating to the sentence, noting that the reduction from a headline 30‑month term to 15 months reflected consideration of mitigating factors such as her prior good character, army service, motherhood and vulnerability. Smith's lawyers plan to appeal the conviction itself. With ordinary remission and one month already served in 2019, Smith is due for release on 27 May. The case will be heard again on 24 March.
In the Special Criminal Court, the prosecution argued that Brendan Treanor's back tattoo was a "pictorial admission" of his role in the 2013 robbery of a Dundalk credit union where Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was killed. The tattoo, photographed by Garda Aidan Hanlon during Treanor's 2021 arrest, shows four men with hats, a woman in a balaclava holding a gun, a BMW car, a pistol, ammunition, and money. The prosecution linked the BMW's registration plate "BOSS BFT" to Treanor's initials, suggesting the tattoo's imagery reflected the robbery. Treanor (34) and James Flynn (32) are charged with the robbery and with conspiracy to break into houses to steal car keys. Both plead not guilty. The court ruled the photographs were taken lawfully, and the trial will continue tomorrow.
A former detective garda told the Special Criminal Court how he feared for his life during an armed robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, County Louth, on 25 January 2013, when a man pointed a shotgun at his face and threatened to shoot. The officer recounted discovering his colleague Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe fatally wounded by a gunshot to the head following the incident. A credit union volunteer also gave evidence, describing how a robber smashed her car window and demanded money while she heard gunshots outside. Brendan Treanor, aged 34, formerly of Dundalk, and James Flynn, aged 32, from South Armagh, have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burgle residential premises and to robbing seven thousand euro from the credit union. Aaron Brady, previously convicted of Detective Garda Donohoe's murder, is serving a life sentence with a forty-year minimum term and is appealing his conviction. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and two other judges.
The Court of Appeal has increased jail sentences for two women convicted in Ireland's first human trafficking case involving alleged voodoo ceremonies. Alicia Edosa and Edith Enoghaghase, originally sentenced in September 2021 following a June 2021 trial at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court, were found guilty of trafficking women between 2016 and 2018. Evidence indicated victims underwent ceremonies in Nigeria before being coerced into prostitution across multiple locations including Castlebar, Letterkenny and Cavan. Mr Justice George Birmingham rejected their conviction appeals and found original sentences substantially inadequate. Edosa, formerly of Mullingar, has been re-sentenced to seven-and-a-half years imprisonment. Enoghaghase, also formerly of Mullingar, received seven years and one month. The judge noted the sentencing judge faced unprecedented circumstances with no comparative guidelines for this offence type. Alicia Edosa pleaded not guilty. Edith Enoghaghase pleaded not guilty.
Hamid Zatout, 25, was jailed for six and a half years after pleading guilty to four robbery charges, one assault causing harm and one attempted robbery. The crimes, committed in July and August 2019, involved targeted muggings of expensive designer watches ranging from €5,000 to €47,000, including a €20,000 watch from an American tourist in Dublin's Temple Bar. Gardaí used over 57 CCTV clips to show Zatout and accomplices following victims before forcibly breaking watch straps to steal the timepieces. Zatout had lived in a Dundalk hotel at the time of arrest and had previously left Ireland via Belfast in September 2019, returning under a different name. He had no prior convictions in Ireland, and the court accepted his guilty pleas, noting his remorse before sentencing.
The Special Criminal Court has heard testimony concerning a credit union robbery in County Louth in January 2013 during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was fatally shot. Staff from Lordship Credit Union and Cooley Credit Union in Bellurgan described a coordinated assault as they prepared to transport takings to a bank in Dundalk under Garda escort. The secretary at Lordship reported that three men blocked the exit and forced entry to his vehicle, stealing approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques before gunshots rang out. A colleague from Cooley Credit Union, who remained in her car during the incident, witnessed the attack and subsequently discovered the detective wounded nearby. Brendan Treanor and James Flynn face charges of robbery and conspiracy to commit creeper-style burglaries across four counties between September 2012 and January 2013. Both have pleaded not guilty. Aaron Brady, convicted of Detective Donohoe's murder and serving life with a forty-year minimum, is named as a co-conspirator. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and two other judges.
The Special Criminal Court heard evidence from victims of "creeper" burglaries in the ongoing trial of two men accused of conspiring to commit such break-ins across the border region. Brendan Treanor and James Flynn, both charged with conspiracy to steal car keys from residential properties between September 2012 and January 2013, have pleaded not guilty. They face additional charges relating to a seven-thousand-euro robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Co Louth on 25 January 2013. Detective Garda Neil Brady outlined gardaí investigations into overnight burglaries in Cavan, Monaghan, Louth and Westmeath where door locks were forced to access vehicles. Five witnesses gave accounts of thefts from their homes, including a vehicle stolen from Virginia, Co Cavan in October 2012 whose engine was later recovered on the M1 motorway. Other victims described vehicles taken from properties in Westmeath following forced entry during January 2013. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt.
The Special Criminal Court has ruled that burglary and robbery charges against two men will be heard together, rejecting an application to separate the trials. Brendan Treanor, aged 34, formerly of Dundalk, County Louth, and James Flynn, aged 32, from South Armagh, face conspiracy charges relating to house burglaries between September 2012 and January 2013, and robbery charges stemming from a credit union incident in Bellurgan, County Louth on 25 January 2013. Both have pleaded not guilty. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding over the three-judge court, exercised his discretion to combine the trials while confirming each charge will be considered separately. The court heard evidence from Virginia and Monaghan residents describing break-ins and car thefts during the relevant period. Detective Garda Laura Bolger provided maps charting distances between alleged theft locations and properties connected to the accused. Aaron Brady, previously convicted of murder and burglary in the same matter, is serving a life sentence with a forty-year minimum and is appealing his conviction.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, defence counsel Sean Guerin SC argued that the prosecution sought to introduce evidence of burglaries committed by Brendan Treanor and James Flynn to prejudice them in the Lordship Credit Union robbery case that resulted in the death of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. Guerin said the burglaries had no connection to the robbery and requested separate trials for each charge. Bernard Condon SC supported this position for Flynn. Prosecutor Brendan Grehan SC countered that the burglary and robbery charges were joined because of a continuum of facts, citing similarities in location, timing, method and mobile phone evidence. He argued the burglary evidence would show the accused were not in innocent association on the day of the robbery. The court would rule on the matter next Tuesday. Treanor (34) and Flynn (32) have pleaded not guilty to both the burglary and robbery charges.
Two men have been charged with conspiracy to commit a series of burglaries known as "creeper burglaries" across Ireland between September 2012 and January 2013. The Special Criminal Court heard that the offences involved late-night break-ins at residential properties, where car keys were stolen and vehicles removed. A Volkswagen Passat taken during a creeper burglary in Clogherhead, County Louth in January 2013 was subsequently used in a robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan on 25 January 2013, during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead. Brendan Treanor, 34, formerly of Dundalk, and James Flynn, 32, from South Armagh are charged with conspiracy and with the credit union robbery. The prosecution indicated it would rely on circumstantial evidence including phone records, cell-site data, and CCTV footage. Aaron Brady, previously convicted of murdering Detective Garda Donohoe, is serving a 40-year sentence. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and two other judges.
The Special Criminal Court will start a full‑day opening for the trial of Brendan Treanor and James Flynn, accused of a credit union robbery that led to the death of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. Treanor, 34, and Flynn, 32, are charged with conspiracy to steal a car key and robbery of €7,000 at Lordship Credit Union on 25 January 2013. Aaron Brady, 31, is already serving a 40‑year sentence for Donohoe's murder and the burglary. Treanor's counsel intends to sever the conspiracy and robbery charges, a move also supported by Flynn's counsel.
A woman giving evidence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has described coming to Ireland with hopes of improving her circumstances and saving money to start a business. The witness, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told the jury she arrived under what she characterised as an employment arrangement with expectations of financial gain. The woman was testifying in the trial of Natalia Nogueira Da Silva, of Drumlish, County Longford, and Ivanilce Vailones Fidelis, of Roscommon, who are accused of human trafficking. The State alleges both defendants trafficked two vulnerable Brazilian women for exploitation. During cross-examination, the witness clarified aspects of her initial complaint to gardaí and addressed questions regarding her immigration status and residency application. Ms Da Silva has pleaded guilty to organising prostitution and money laundering offences, and has admitted facilitating illegal entry to the State. She maintains her not-guilty plea to human trafficking. Ms Vailones Fidelis has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including human trafficking, organising prostitution, and money laundering. The trial continues before Judge Patricia Ryan and a jury.
The Regency Hotel trial continued in the Special Criminal Court with Senior intelligence analyst Sarah Skedd testifying regarding phone records. Skedd stated there is no clear evidence supporting Jonathan Dowdall's claim that he met Gerard Hutch in a Whitehall park to hear a confession about the murder of David Byrne. While a cell site potentially covering the park was used on February 7, 2016, at 3.16pm, Dowdall's phone connected to a mast in Finglas just 4.5 minutes later, suggesting insufficient time for the meeting. Skedd confirmed no records support a meeting on February 8. Dowdall, who pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder by booking a room at the Regency Hotel, was previously sentenced to four years' imprisonment. His father, Patrick Dowdall, also admitted to the facilitation offence and was jailed for two years. Gerard Hutch, 59, of Clontarf, Dublin 3, and co-accused Paul Murphy, 61, of Swords, and Jason Bonney, 52, of Portmarnock, have all pleaded not guilty to participating in or contributing to the murder of Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016. The defence, led by Brendan Grehan SC, challenged Dowdall's credibility, arguing his account was inconsistent with the digital evidence presented by the State.
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.
The Special Criminal Court heard a "curious development" in the ongoing trial of Gerard Hutch, who denies murdering David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in February 2016. Prosecution counsel Sean Gillane SC apologized for a delay caused by a newly disclosed document and the unavailability of a garda witness, estimating the trial would conclude in two weeks. Co-accused Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney, who pleaded not guilty to facilitating the murder by providing vehicles, remain on trial. Jonathan Dowdall, a former State's witness who pleaded guilty to facilitating the offence by booking the hotel room, was previously jailed for four years. His father, Patrick Dowdall, was jailed for two years for the same facilitation charge. The court heard evidence regarding CCTV footage harvesting, with the trial set to continue before Ms Justice Tara Burns and colleagues. The prosecution alleges Kevin Murray, who died in 2017, was the shooter, while Dowdall testified that Hutch admitted to the killing. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC challenged Dowdall's credibility, citing phone data inconsistencies regarding alleged meetings.
The Special Criminal Court heard the final day of cross-examination of Jonathan Dowdall, a State's witness in the trial of Gerard Hutch, who is accused of the murder of David Byrne. Dowdall, who pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder by providing a room at the Regency Hotel, denied allegations that he is a manipulator or liar. The defence challenged his testimony regarding alleged meetings with Hutch, playing audio recordings and phone data that contradicted his timeline. The court refused to allow the defence to play a video of Dowdall waterboarding Alexander Hurley, noting that Dowdall had already pleaded guilty to that offence and was re-sentenced to seven years and 11 months imprisonment following a successful appeal. His father, Patrick Dowdall, who also pleaded guilty to the same offence, was re-sentenced to four years imprisonment after his appeal. The trial continues with Hutch, who denies the murder charge, and co-defendants Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney, who pleaded not guilty to charges of participating in the murder by providing access to vehicles. The matter remains ongoing, with no finalisation or adjournment recorded in this report.
Aaron Connolly, aged 23, was sentenced to a mandatory life term for the murder of 18‑year‑old Cameron Reilly on 26 May 2018 in Dunleer. The court heard that Connolly and Reilly had been part of a group that gathered for an outdoor party, later leaving to get food. At about 12:40 am, Connolly and Reilly were last seen together; Reilly's body was found the next morning, with a post‑mortem indicating death by asphyxia or external pressure from a chokehold or rough surface. DNA from a swab taken from Reilly matched a sample provided by Connolly. Connolly denied any sexual activity with Reilly, but evidence from witnesses and his own admissions suggested otherwise. The judge, Mr Justice Hunt, imposed the life sentence, noting Connolly's youth but that Reilly would never recover from the night's events. The family, represented by uncle Darren Flanagan, expressed profound grief and highlighted the impact of the loss. Aaron Connolly pleaded not guilty.
Cameron Reilly, a 19‑year‑old DKIT student, left his grandmother's house on a Friday in May 2018 to meet friends near the Glen Dimplex factory. Between 12:40 am and 1:40 am on 26 May, Aaron Connolly, two weeks older, attacked Reilly in the field. Reilly died of asphyxia caused by external pressure to the neck, with bruising and abrasions on the neck and face. Witnesses, including David Shiels and neighbour Jean Lynch, described the body's condition and attempted CPR. Connolly was the last person to see Reilly alive and was later charged with murder. The trial at the Central Criminal Court concluded with Connolly's conviction for murder, based on evidence of the attack, forensic DNA findings, and Connolly's statements and admissions. The case highlighted the role of lies told by Connolly during the investigation. The court did not address any subsequent appeals or sentencing details.
Brendan Cummins, aged 27, was convicted of multiple violent offences. In April and May 2019 he stabbed two men in Dundalk with a Stanley knife, leaving serious wounds and threatening them with death. On June 5, 2019, while being arrested by the Garda Armed Support Unit, he attacked a garda with a samurai sword, denting the garda's ballistics shield. In August 2020 he threw boiling water at a prison officer at Midlands Prison, and in January 2021 he assaulted two more officers, threatening to kill one. Cummins pleaded guilty to all counts. He has 19 prior convictions, including eight for assault. He has spent three and a half years in solitary confinement at the National Violence Reduction Unit, a period described by his defence counsel as "not appropriate treatment." The case was adjourned for finalisation.
Aaron Connolly, aged 22, was accused of murdering 18‑year‑old Cameron Reilly in Dunleer on 26 May 2018. Connolly testified that he and Reilly had been drinking Bulmers in a field with friends on 25 May, and that after the group left the field around 11 pm they went to Enzio's chipper. He said he and Reilly walked toward the Beechwood housing estate, then split: Connolly went left down a laneway toward a Centra shop, while Reilly went the opposite way. Connolly claimed he never looked back to see Reilly's direction. He returned home to Drumcar, and the next morning his sister informed him a body had been found. Garda searches from 27 May to 14 June uncovered Reilly's passport near the body. CCTV footage of both men's movements was shown to the jury. The trial, before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, continues with a jury of twelve. The unnamed 22-year-old pleaded not guilty.
The Special Criminal Court has ruled that ten hours of bugged conversations between murder accused Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch and ex-Sinn Fein Councillor Jonathan Dowdall, captured by a garda bugging device, are admissible in the trial, despite being gathered unlawfully while Dowdall's jeep was outside the State. The court found that the National Surveillance Unit (NSU) officers had no power to gather evidence in Northern Ireland and that the breach was of significance. However, the court was satisfied that the NSU officers acted in good faith and that the conversations should be admitted in the interests of justice. The ruling followed legal arguments by both sides, with the court rejecting the defence's challenge to the authorisation of the audio bugging device but accepting their argument that the operation of the surveillance device was illegal. The court also ruled that gardai have no power to investigate or gather evidence in another State. Jonathan Dowdall has been jailed by the Special Criminal Court for four years for facilitating the Hutch gang in the murder of David Byrne. Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney have pleaded not guilty to charges of participating in or contributing to the murder of David Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016. Gerard Hutch has pleaded not guilty to charges of Mr Byrne's murder and participating in or contributing to the murder of David Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016. The matter was adjourned for further proceedings.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the State presented evidence that teenager Cameron Reilly (18) was socialising with Aaron Connolly (22) the night before his murder. The prosecution described a large group of about 15–16 young people gathering in a field near Dunleer on 25 May 2018, drinking and possibly using drugs. Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan testified that Reilly died from asphyxia caused by external pressure to the front of his neck, consistent with a chokehold or suffocation involving a ligature. The jury was told that Reilly was alive until just before 1 a.m., after which Connolly allegedly inflicted injuries that led to Reilly's death. Connolly is charged with murder and has pleaded not guilty. The trial will continue before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of seven women and five men.
The Special Criminal Court is hearing Gerard Hutch's murder trial, where the defence has challenged the admissibility of audio surveillance evidence. Senior counsel Brendan Grehan argued that Irish surveillance law does not apply extraterritorially, contending that the Oireachtas would have legislated with "irresistible clearness" if such scope were intended. The prosecution, represented by Sean Gillane SC, countered that the device was lawfully deployed and retrieved within the State, dismissing jurisdictional concerns as a "cloud." The court will rule on Friday regarding the admissibility of recordings captured when the vehicle crossed into Northern Ireland. In related proceedings, Jonathan Dowdall pleaded guilty to facilitating the Hutch gang by providing access to motor vehicles and a hotel room ahead of the murder of Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne. Dowdall was sentenced to four years' imprisonment and is currently being assessed for the Witness Protection Program to testify against Hutch. Co-accused Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney have pleaded not guilty to charges of participating in or contributing to the murder by providing access to motor vehicles. The trial continues before Ms Justice Tara Burns, Judge Sarah Berkeley, and Judge Grainne Malone.
The Special Criminal Court is considering the admissibility of evidence from a garda bugging device used to capture conversations between Jonathan Dowdall and Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch, which were recorded on March 7, 2016. Prosecution counsel Sean Gillane SC argued that once a surveillance device is placed and retrieved lawfully within the jurisdiction, the evidence is admissible regardless of where the vehicle travelled. He stated that the issue of extraterritoriality does not arise, as the device was deployed, initiated, and retrieved within the State. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC objected to the admissibility of the evidence, claiming that the device was used outside the jurisdiction and that the evidence was obtained unlawfully. The court has viewed CCTV footage showing Gerard Hutch making two journeys to Northern Ireland with Dowdall in the weeks following the murder of David Byrne. Jonathan Dowdall has pleaded guilty to facilitating the Hutch gang in the murder of David Byrne and has been jailed for four years. Gerard Hutch has been convicted of Mr Byrne's murder and is awaiting sentencing. Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney have pleaded not guilty and the matter is ongoing.
A 22‑year‑old man, Aaron Connolly of Willistown, Drumcar, will go on trial for the murder of 18‑year‑old Cameron Reilly, who was killed on 26 May 2018 at Shamrock Hill, Dunleer. Connolly pleaded not guilty when the charge was read. The Central Criminal Court heard that the deceased lived in Dunleer, was a DKIT student, and that Connolly was a construction worker at the time. More than 70 witnesses are expected to be called over a three‑week trial, which will begin tomorrow before Mr Justice Tony Hunt.
At the Central Criminal Court, Justice Paul McDermott ordered the release of trial transcripts from the murder case of Aaron Brady to the legal team of Brendan Treanor. Treanor, 34, is charged with participating in the January 25, 2013, robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, County Louth, where Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was killed. The transcripts are intended for use in Treanor's upcoming Special Criminal Court trial. The Director of Public Prosecutions did not oppose the application but emphasized that the documents must not be shared with anyone outside Treanor and his solicitors, citing witness intimidation concerns. James Flynn, 31, of Newry, Northern Ireland, is also accused of the same robbery and conspiracy to steal vehicle keys. Flynn was extradited from the UK last July to face charges in Ireland. He has not applied for the transcripts. In the related Brady case, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Garda Donohoe but was convicted by an 11-to-1 majority verdict in August 2020. He received a mandatory life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years, plus a concurrent 14-year sentence for the robbery.
The Special Criminal Court has ruled to hear ten hours of audio recordings between murder accused Gerard Hutch and Jonathan Dowdall, despite defence arguments that the vehicle was outside State jurisdiction for eight hours. Prosecuting counsel Sean Gillane SC described the recordings as central to the State's case regarding the murder of David Byrne. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC argued the evidence should be excluded as 'illicit fruit' because gardai knew the vehicle was in Northern Ireland, violating the Criminal Justice Surveillance Act 2009. The court will rule on admissibility after listening to the full recording. Jonathan Dowdall, who pleaded guilty to facilitating the Hutch gang by providing a hotel room, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. He is currently being assessed for the Witness Protection Program to testify against Hutch. Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney, who pleaded not guilty, remain defendants in the case. The court is currently at the sentencing stage for Dowdall, while the trial for Hutch continues with procedural rulings on evidence admissibility.
The High Court has appointed an interim examiner to Blacklough Construction Limited following an application on grounds of cash-flow insolvency. The company, which has 48 employees and engages subcontractors, is currently constructing over 360 social housing units across five sites for Respond Housing Association, including developments in Charlestown, County Mayo, and locations in Dublin, Meath, Westmeath and Louth. An independent expert's report indicated the company has reasonable prospects of survival if certain steps are taken. Counsel attributed the firm's difficulties primarily to a 33 per cent rise in building material costs since 2020, alongside a potential planning permission issue at the Carrickmines site in Dublin. Trade creditors are owed over €3 million. Chartered accountant Joe Walsh was appointed as interim examiner by Mr Justice Michael Quinn on Thursday. The court was satisfied that creditors would fare better under an examinership than in liquidation. Proceedings were adjourned to later in the month, with creditors to be notified of the application.
The High Court approved a Personal Insolvency Arrangement (PIA) for 41‑year‑old Gerard Conlon of Farndreg, Coxes Demense, Dundalk, Co. Louth, allowing him to write off about €900,000 of debt owed to Pepper Asset Servicing. Conlon, a former self‑employed retail businessman whose shop closed in 2019, entered the insolvency process after borrowing to buy properties between 2000 and 2008, which later fell in value and were repossessed. The PIA, lasting 15 months, lets Conlon remain in his family home and continue paying his mortgage for 29 years, as well as payments to Revenue. A €8,800 third‑party contribution and a property in Dundalk will fund the arrangement, and a small amount will be paid to unsecured creditors. The court, presided over by Mr Justice Alexander Owens, found no objections to the PIA and noted creditors would benefit more than if Conlon were declared bankrupt.
In a High Court judgment on 9 November 2022, Mr Justice Alex Owens dismissed a test action brought by businessman Andrius Bogusas challenging Ireland's ban on the sale of any products containing THC. The court found that the evidence showed THC's dangers and that the current regulatory regime was justified. Mr Bogusas, who sought to import and sell hemp‑oil products with less than 0.2 % THC, was not entitled to rely on EU law or the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU to override Ireland's 1977 Misuse of Drugs Act. The judge noted that Ireland and other member states are bound by the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, which precludes permitting such products. The action was also found to have been filed outside the three‑month statutory time limit, and the court was not satisfied that an extension was justified. The case was dismissed with no orders granted.
A man from Castleblayney Road, Crossmaglen, Armagh has been sentenced to three years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a brutal assault on his musician neighbour in November 2012. Eugene Hanratty Snr, aged 63, was convicted by jury following trial of assault causing harm at Castleblayney, County Monaghan. The court heard the victim was punched, kicked and had his arm stamped on during a sustained attack that left him with multiple broken facial bones, damaged eye sockets and permanent loss of peripheral vision. Judge Melanie Greally noted the assault was premeditated and unprovoked, with aggravating factors including its severity and the targeting of the victim's arm, knowing him to be a musician. The final year of the sentence was suspended for ten years on condition of no contact with the victim or his family. This conviction followed two previous trials, the first resulting in a disagreement and the second being discharged. Hanratty has previous convictions from 1989 and 1997 but no garda attention since the 2012 assault. Eugene Hanratty Snr pleaded not guilty.
James Flynn, 31, of Newry, Northern Ireland, was granted legal aid by the Special Criminal Court despite previously offering over £1 million in bail sureties in the UK. Ms Justice Tara Burns noted the 'odd position' of Flynn claiming to have 'absolutely nothing' after offering £185,000 in cash and a £965,000 surety to Westminster Magistrates' Court. Flynn is accused of robbing Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, in January 2013, during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was murdered. He is also accused of conspiring with Aaron Brady and Brendan Treanor to steal vehicle keys. Flynn was refused bail last week due to flight risk concerns, including evidence that his father told gardai in Boston, 'the boys are gone, you will never get them.' His trial is scheduled for January. Co-accused Brendan Treanor, 34, of Dundalk, is also charged with the robbery and was refused bail in June 2022. Aaron Brady, 31, of Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was convicted of murdering Det Gda Donohoe by an 11-to-1 jury verdict in August 2020. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years, plus 14 years for the robbery, running concurrently. The matter regarding Flynn's legal aid was finalised, but his trial remains pending.
The Special Criminal Court has refused bail to James Flynn, who is accused of the 2013 Lordship Credit Union robbery in which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was murdered. Ms Justice Tara Burns, delivering the ruling of a three-judge court, determined that Flynn is a significant flight risk, noting he left the jurisdiction shortly after the alleged crime and has resided in the US, UK, and Northern Ireland since. The court cited "very concerning evidence" regarding an incident where gardai travelled to Boston for an interview with Flynn, only to be met by his father, who allegedly stated, "the boys are gone, you will never get them." The judge emphasized that while the case against Flynn is circumstantial, the prosecution's evidence is strong enough to suggest a potential for conviction. Flynn, who holds US and UK passports, was extradited from the UK after his appeal against extradition was dismissed. He faces charges of robbery and conspiracy to steal vehicle keys. Aaron Brady, who was convicted of murdering Det Gda Donohoe by an 11-to-1 jury verdict in August 2020, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years, plus a concurrent 14-year sentence for the robbery. Flynn's trial is scheduled for January next year, alongside co-accused Brendan Treanor, who was also refused bail in 2022.
Eugene Hanratty Senior, aged 63, of Castleblayney Road, Crossmaglen, Armagh, was convicted by jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following trial of assault causing harm committed at Castleblayney, County Monaghan on 24 November 2012. The victim, a musician, delivered a detailed impact statement describing severe and ongoing injuries sustained during the assault, including multiple facial fractures, permanent vision loss, and facial nerve damage requiring surgical intervention. He outlined how these injuries have fundamentally impaired his ability to read musical notation and continue causing chronic pain and sensory complications. The victim's wife, who witnessed the incident, has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Detective Garda evidence described a sustained attack occurring both within and outside a vehicle. Hanratty had claimed self-defence, which the jury rejected. Sentencing was adjourned to 8 November pending further garda cross-examination and mitigation submissions from the defence. The case reached verdict following two previous trials, the first resulting in disagreement and the second being discharged.
Former soldier Lisa Smith, aged 40, was convicted of membership of ISIS by the Special Criminal Court and sentenced to 15 months in prison. Smith travelled to ISIS‑controlled Syria in 2015, where she married, kept a house and did not participate in state‑building or positive acts for ISIS. Her lawyers argue that she was at the lowest level of the organisation, that she was a mother of a young child, and that she endured nine‑and‑a‑half months in two detention camps with harsh conditions. They also cite a report by Professor Anne Speckhard stating that Smith denounced ISIS and did not support its atrocities. The court, however, found that Smith knew of ISIS's bloodlust, discussed its atrocities online, and rejected calls to return. The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment, and Smith's lawyers plan to appeal her conviction later this year. The case was the first Irish conviction for an Islamic terrorist offence committed abroad.
James Flynn, aged 31 and from Raven's Glen, Newry, Northern Ireland, was extradited from the UK to face a robbery charge at the Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, where Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was murdered. The robbery, which took place on 25 January 2013, involved the theft of €7,000 from Pat Bellew's property. Flynn is also accused of conspiring with Aaron Brady, Brendan Treanor and others to enter a residential premises with the intent to steal a motor vehicle's keys between 11 September 2012 and 23 January 2013. The Director of Public Prosecutions applied to transfer the case to the non‑jury Special Criminal Court, and the three‑judge court accepted the application, adjourned the matter to 6 October 2022, and allowed the transfer. Flynn's extradition appeal was unsuccessful, and the case will now be heard at the Special Criminal Court alongside Brendan Treanor's trial.
Richard Morrissey (45) was convicted by a jury of six counts of sexual assault against a girl who was aged seven to fourteen when the abuse occurred between 1996 and 2003 in Louth. The jury could not agree on all counts, so a second trial was held earlier this year, where he was found guilty of one additional count of sexual assault and one count of oral rape. The abuse began with grooming, touching, kissing and culminated in forced oral sex when the girl was fourteen. Morrissey, who was aged 18 to 25 at the time of the offences, maintains his innocence. He has been in custody since the first trial in November last year. Justice Karen O'Connor sentenced him to ten and a half years, suspending the final year on conditions.
The Court of Appeal declined to consider Lisa Smith's bail application, a former Irish soldier convicted of joining ISIS after travelling to Syria in 2015. Smith was jailed five days earlier for a 15‑month sentence. The three‑judge panel agreed to hear an appeal against the severity of her sentence on October 4, before any appeal of her conviction. Smith's lawyers argued that the Special Criminal Court had not adequately credited the time she spent in Syrian refugee camps and under a nightly curfew, claiming she had effectively served about four years. The court noted a recent judgment that a sentencing court should consider time spent in detention. Smith, 40, had pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful terrorist group and was found to have travelled to Syria with "eyes wide open," swearing allegiance to the Islamic State.
Lisa Smith, a former Irish soldier from Dundalk, Co Louth, has been jailed for 15 months by the Special Criminal Court following her conviction for membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015, and December 1st, 2019. Smith, who pleaded not guilty, was found guilty by a three-judge, non-jury court. Mr Justice Tony Hunt set the headline sentence at two years and six months but reduced it by 50 per cent to 15 months, citing mitigating factors including her previous good character, military service, and low risk of re-offending. He noted that while she was persistent in joining Isis, there was no evidence she did more than ally herself with the group. The sentence was backdated by one month to account for time in custody. Mr Justice Hunt refused to suspend any portion of the sentence and denied Smith's application for bail pending an appeal, stating there was no basis for such a release. The matter is now in the hands of the Court of Appeal. Smith is the first person convicted in an Irish court of an Islamic terrorist offence committed abroad.
Lisa Smith, an Irish former soldier, was arrested after returning from Syria where she had lived with a Tunisian husband and later a Turkish man. She claimed she joined the Islamic State (IS) out of religious obligation, citing fear of hellfire and a belief that hijrah was mandatory for Muslims. Witnesses described her conversion to Islam in 2010, her relationship with an American convert who encouraged her to travel, and her subsequent travel to Istanbul and then to Syria in 2015. In Syria she lived in a "madaffa" for women, married a Turkish IS fighter, and later moved to Raqqa where she was subjected to domestic violence. She sent €800 to the fighter in 2015, which the prosecution argued was financing terrorism. The Special Criminal Court found her guilty of membership of IS but not of funding terrorism, noting the €800 could have been humanitarian. The court rejected her claim that her religious motives exempted her from criminal liability.
The High Court has adjourned the extradition appeal of Imre Arakas to Monday next to fix a hearing date, during which he is to appear by video-link. Mr Justice Paul Burns directed the State to prepare a Section 20 request under the Extradition Act to clarify Lithuanian authorities' allegations regarding Arakas's specific role in the 2015 murder of Deimantas Bugavicius. Lithuanian police allege Arakas was part of a three-man gang that conspired to murder the victim, while Arakas claims he was in Spain on the relevant dates. An eyewitness to the murder stated that Arakas was not present at the scene. The court noted that Arakas was previously jailed by the Special Criminal Court for six years in December 2018 after pleading guilty to conspiring with others to murder James 'Mago' Gately in Northern Ireland between April 3 and 4, 2017. He has been in custody in Ireland since April 2017. The judge also referenced the separate extradition case of Liam Campbell, who was found civilly liable for the Omagh bombing and whose appeal to the Supreme Court resulted in a ruling permitting his extradition to Lithuania for offences including terrorism and weapons possession. The matter remains at the appeal stage, with the current session adjourned rather than concluded.
An action challenging Ireland's 1977 Misuse of Drugs Act, which bans all products containing any amount of THC, has been opened before the High Court. The case was brought by Andrius Rogusas, who had oils imported from Slovenia seized by customs on 21 October 2020 because they contained THC. Rogusas argues that the goods, made in another EU country and containing less than 0.2% THC, are not narcotic drugs and that the ban contravenes EU law on the free movement of goods. He cites a Court of Justice of the European Union decision that allows products with less than 0.2% THC to be sold within the EU and claims that the State has failed to conduct the scientific assessments required to justify the ban. The State, represented by the Ministers and the Attorney General, maintains that THC is a controlled drug and that the ban is lawful. The hearing before Mr Justice Alexander Owens continues.
Robert Duffy, a 50‑year‑old former IRA member, was jailed for life in Northern Ireland for the 1993 murder of John Gibson, a building contractor director. He was released on licence under the Good Friday Agreement in July 2000, but in 2008 he was convicted in the Republic of Ireland for attempting to murder Colin O'Neill at the Emerald Bar in Dundalk. Duffy pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment after firing a shotgun at O'Neill, who survived but was injured. Following his conviction, his release licence was suspended by the Northern Ireland Secretary of State and a warrant was issued under the EU‑UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement to return him to Northern Ireland to serve the remainder of his sentence for Gibson's murder.
Lawyers for Lisa Smith, a 40‑year‑old former soldier from Dundalk, have asked the Special Criminal Court to consider her young child and the harsh conditions she endured in Syrian camps before sentencing her for membership of the Islamic State. Michael O'Higgins SC cited four psychological reports describing her as "damaged" and "vulnerable," and a study by Dr Anne Speckhard that found she was not likely to reoffend and had sincerely denounced Isis. He noted that Smith had already spent about four years in custody, including time in Al‑Hawl and Ain Issa camps and under a 13‑hour daily curfew since 2019. O'Higgins urged a fully suspended sentence, arguing that the maximum eight‑year term for terrorist membership would be disproportionate given her circumstances. The court adjourned sentencing to 22 July, allowing Smith to remain on bail but warning against false comfort. The case remains a novel one for the court. Lisa Smith pleaded not guilty.
Six workers from Keelings Fruit, four men and two women, were used as money mules by an unnamed "money mule herder" to launder between €4,500 and just under €110,000 for a West African gang between 2016 and 2017. They each pleaded guilty to laundering specific amounts: Albert Joseph (€34,236 and €25,575), Josip Vlahovic (€79,000), Toni Kudro (€8,869), Mate Vlahovic (€6,760), Krisztina Baradlai (€5,900) and Claudia Onofrieciuc (€4,592). The court noted they were recruited from various countries, had no prior convictions, cooperated with Gardaí and were unlikely to reoffend. Judge Martin Nolan imposed suspended sentences ranging from 18 months to three and a half years, with the longest for Albert Joseph. The alleged money mule herder remains before the courts. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Former Irish soldier Lisa Smith, aged 39, was found guilty of membership in the Islamic State by the Special Criminal Court. The judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, rejected Smith's claim that she joined the group out of religious obligation or to live under Sharia law, stating that religion is irrelevant to criminal membership. Smith was not found guilty of the second charge of funding terrorism, as the court accepted that the €800 she sent in May 2015 could have been for humanitarian reasons. The court held that Smith travelled to Syria with full knowledge of Isis's violent activities and pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al‑Baghdadi. Smith was granted bail until her sentencing hearing on 11 July, with the judge noting her compliance with bail conditions over the past two years. The verdict was delivered after a 90‑minute hearing. Lisa Smith pleaded not guilty. Islamic State pleaded not guilty.