In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, two fourteen‑year‑old boys are charged with murdering Kildare schoolgirl Anastasia Kriegel and, for one, with aggravated sexual assault. Both pleaded not guilty. Judge Paul McDermott, presiding over the case, ordered that no media reporting of evidence be allowed until the trial concludes. He reminded the jury that they must base their verdict solely on what they hear in court, ignoring any external coverage. The judge also announced that the restriction on reporting would remain in force until the trial ends or a further order is made. The proceedings continue with Mr Justice McDermott and a jury of eight men and four women. The accused cannot be named due to their minor status. The trial is ongoing.
The trial of two 14-year-old boys, referred to as Boy A and Boy B, charged with the murder of Anastasia Kriegel at Glenwood House in Lucan on 14 May last year, is ongoing before the Central Criminal Court. Both accused have pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. Boy A additionally faces a charge of aggravated sexual assault involving serious violence, to which he also pleaded not guilty. Gardai testified that the boys provided conflicting accounts of their last meeting with the victim. Boy A alleged he declined Ana's romantic interest and was subsequently assaulted by two unidentified males, claiming injuries to his right hand and leg. Boy B stated he had 'no clue' what happened to her after she appeared upset following her interaction with Boy A. Detective Sergeant John O'Keefe noted discrepancies between the boys' statements, while Sergeant Aonghus Hussey described observing confusion and inconsistent movements during a re-enactment at St Catherine's Park. The court heard that Boy A used his left hand to initial his statement due to a right-hand injury. The matter was adjourned and is scheduled to continue on Friday morning before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.
Anastasia Kriegel, 14, vanished on 14 May after leaving home with a boy she had known. Her father, Patric Kriegel, says he saw her walk away with the boy, now identified as Boy B, at about 5 pm, before her phone last connected to her mother's office at 5:32 pm. The State claims she was dead by that time. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, is the second day of proceedings against two 14‑year‑olds charged with her murder. Both accused, who cannot be named, pleaded not guilty. Boy A is also charged with aggravated sexual assault. The prosecution alleges the boys lured Ana to a derelict farmhouse where she was murdered. The case remains at the trial stage, with no verdict yet.
Two 14‑year‑old boys are on trial in Dublin for the murder of 14‑year‑old Ana Kriegel. Prosecutor Brendan Grehan told the jury that one boy lured Ana from her home to a derelict farmhouse, where he watched the other boy sexually assault and kill her. The accused boy is also charged with aggravated sexual assault. Evidence presented included a zombie‑type mask in his backpack, male DNA on Ana's neck and semen in the murder scene, and a ligature tape matching the one found on her neck. The prosecution argued that the boy had planned the murder, lured Ana to the farmhouse, and then watched the assault and killing. Ana's body was found on 17 May, naked except for socks, with severe head and neck injuries. The trial is ongoing and the boys have pleaded not guilty.
Two fourteen‑year‑old boys, whose names are withheld because they are minors, are set to go on trial for the murder of Kildare schoolgirl Anastasia Kriegel. The boys pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and one also pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of sexually assaulting the victim with serious violence. The body of Ms Kriegel was found at a derelict house in County Dublin on 17 May, three days after she was reported missing. The alleged killings took place at Glenwood House, Laraghcon, Clonee Road, Lucan on 14 May. Judge Paul McDermott swore in a jury of eight men and four women, stressing the need for an independent assessment and warning that the evidence could be upsetting. The trial is expected to last about six weeks.
Rafal Winter, 37, admitted stealing more than €10,000 worth of lottery scratch cards from Spar, The Crescent and Mulhuddart shops between July and September 2017. He claimed jealousy after friends discussed pay rises prompted him to take up to 30 books of cards, win between €2,000 and €3,000, and cash the winnings at various shops. Winter voluntarily presented himself to Gardaí, stating he took two to four books a week and scratched them himself. He offered to resign and repay the shop, but the loss remains €10,567. He has no prior convictions in Ireland or Poland. The court noted his remorse, lack of wealth, and that he was the sole earner for his family. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to October to allow time for potential repayment arrangements. Rafal Winter pleaded guilty.
Silvergrove Nursing Home in Clonee, Co Meath, has filed a High Court challenge against a decision by the State's Chief Inspector of Social Services that cancelled its registration as a designated nursing home. The owners argue the cancellation was based on non‑existent legislative provisions, citing Section 52(1)(b) of the 2007 Health Act and the 2017 Health Act, which do not exist. They also claim the decision relied on inspection reports from February and June 2016, which showed the facility was compliant in most areas, and an October 2018 report by HIQA, an agency they say has no role in monitoring nursing home compliance. The challenge seeks to quash the cancellation, declare procedural unfairness, and stay the notice until the case is heard. Permission to proceed was granted ex‑parte by Mr Justice Seamus Noonan, with the matter scheduled for a March hearing.
A 16‑year‑old youth, now 17, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a stolen phone after attacking a delivery man on Deerhaven Avenue, Clonee, Dublin. The victim, a pensioner, was repeatedly kicked and beaten, sustaining a broken nose, concussion and chipped teeth, and suffered ongoing headaches and fear of further attacks. The court heard the youth had no prior convictions, a good educational record, supportive family and a favourable probation report, and had pleaded guilty early. Judge Melanie Greally set a headline sentence of six years but imposed a four‑year suspended sentence, to be suspended in full if the youth keeps the peace for four years and undergoes 12 months' supervision by the probation services. The start of the sentence was deferred until 31 July 2019 in accordance with the Children Act. The case involved two other youths who fled the scene, and the victim's impact statement highlighted financial loss and ongoing trauma.
Barry Kennedy, a 51‑year‑old Dublin bus driver, was tried at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for careless driving that caused the death of 25‑year‑old Brazilian motorcyclist Lucas Lapa Sanchez on 21 October 2015. Kennedy, who had been employed by Dublin Bus for 16 years, was driving a "ghost bus" with no passengers when he turned right into the Broadstone Depot on Constitution Hill. CCTV footage showed the bus travelling at about 21 km/h colliding with Sanchez's motorcycle, which was moving at about 61 km/h on a wet, windy night. The prosecution alleged Kennedy failed to exercise due care, looking out his right‑hand window during the turn. The defence argued Kennedy had no prior incidents and highlighted the difficult turn, lighting, and Sanchez's lack of high‑visibility gear. After 1 hour and 20 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, judge Martin Nolan sentenced 23‑year‑old Eduard Boaca to seven years in prison for two separate offences. The first, committed on 18 December 2016, involved Boaca following a woman off a Nitelink bus, robbing her, threatening her with a knife and demanding oral sex. He was convicted of robbery and sexual assault and received a five‑year term. The second offence, on 4 May 2017, saw Boaca lock a woman in a McDonald's toilet cubicle, again threatening with a knife and demanding oral sex. He pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and was given a four‑year term, to run consecutively with the first. The judge suspended the final two years of the sentence, hoping for Boaca's rehabilitation. Boaca's prior convictions were for minor offences. The court heard that the victim's trust in men was severely affected, and she suffered financial loss and emotional distress following the attacks.
Jadesola Agbalade, 51, pleaded guilty on 20 July 2016 to knowingly distributing child pornography after forwarding a clip that showed a child aged between two and five being raped. She claimed she sent the video via WhatsApp to warn a friend about the dangers of leaving her children with her boyfriend. The clip was discovered during an investigation of a man arrested for credit card fraud at Dublin Airport in July 2017; the phone used to send the clip was traced back to Agbalade. She admitted to receiving and sending the clip, and also sent it to a female friend with three children, who has not been identified. Agbalade has no prior convictions, lives in temporary accommodation, and has one teenage child and two adult sons. Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned the case to 1 March 2018 to obtain a psychological report, citing that Agbalade did not understand the gravity of her actions.
Jadesola Agbalade, 51, pleaded guilty on 20 July 2016 to knowingly distributing child pornography after forwarding a clip via WhatsApp to warn a friend about leaving her children with her boyfriend. The clip showed a child aged two to five being raped by a man and had circulated internationally since about 2014. Gardaí traced the phone number to Agbalade, who admitted receiving and sending the clip. She is currently in temporary homeless accommodation and has no prior convictions. The court heard that she had one teenage child and two adult sons at university. Judge Karen O'Connor received a detailed probation report and adjourned finalisation of the case to 21 November 2017. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
A 51‑year‑old mother of three, Jadesola Agbalade, pleaded guilty on 20 July 2016 to knowingly distributing child pornography after she forwarded a clip of a child being raped to a friend via WhatsApp. The clip, showing a child aged between two and five, was an international recording that had circulated since about 2014. Gardaí discovered the clip when investigating a man arrested for credit‑card fraud at Dublin Airport in July 2017; the man's phone contained the clip and the sender's number traced back to Agbalade. She admitted to sending the clip to a female friend with three young children to warn her against leaving her children with her boyfriend. Agbalade has no prior convictions, lives in temporary accommodation, and will be sentenced on 9 November. The court ordered a probation report and remanded her on continuing bail.
Nassour Saleh, a 25‑year‑old Palestinian national, was given a suspended two‑year sentence for endangering Gardaí after a high‑speed chase on Navan Road in 2008. He had been 16 at the time and was not licensed to drive. In 2010 he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving under the influence of cannabis, receiving a six‑month suspended detention and a four‑year driving disqualification. The case was adjourned for a probation report, but Saleh fled to Norway, where he lived and worked as a mechanic for six years. He returned to Ireland last year, was arrested during a random Garda check, and was sentenced by Judge Terence O'Sullivan, who noted the unusual circumstances and the fact that no one was injured. The sentence was suspended on conditions including two years of probation supervision. The court emphasised the protection of front‑line services and the seriousness of the offence.
Robert O'Neill, 26, of Thorndale Avenue, Artane, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to handling stolen property and to having no insurance for a stolen VW Passat that was listed on the Done Deal website. The car, whose registration had been cloned, was sold by O'Neill at a price below market value. Garda Detective Mark O'Regan, who had been monitoring suspicious ads, arranged a meeting with O'Neill, arrested him and the vehicle was returned to its rightful owner. O'Neill had 25 prior convictions, mainly for traffic offences, and admitted a gambling and cocaine addiction that had led to a €10,000 debt. He offered €1,000 in compensation. Judge Gerard Griffin, praising the Garda's work, imposed a two‑year suspended sentence and a seven‑year driving disqualification.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Melanie Greally sentenced Silviu Voivod, 31, to 18 months imprisonment, suspended, for glassing a lounge‑boy, Robert McMickan, at Dandelion Bar & Nightclub on 12 October 2014. Voivod, a first‑time offender with no prior convictions, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. The victim, a first‑year college student, suffered the loss of two front teeth, facial scarring, and medical costs exceeding €5,000, and missed two weeks of college. Voivod's defence argued his blameless life before and after the incident, while the prosecution highlighted the violent nature of the attack. Judge Greally emphasised the need for deterrence in glassing cases, citing the "horrific glassing culture" that has emerged, and noted Voivod's remorse and role as sole family earner. Voivod shook his head after the sentence was handed down.
Ukrainian taxi driver Ivan Seredych, aged 43, was convicted of sexually assaulting a 24‑year‑old woman in Dublin on 10 June 2012. He pleaded not guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court but was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to three years' imprisonment by Judge Catherine Murphy on 21 December 2015. The victim, who had been drinking and felt vulnerable after being separated from friends, was taken into a taxi where Seredych placed his hand on her thigh, touched her vagina, and exposed his penis. She recorded his name and number, directed him to drive to Raheny, and he did not request payment. Seredych's home was searched and his driver details matched those given by the complainant. His appeal against conviction was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, with Mr Justice George Birmingham ruling that the trial judge acted within her discretion in refusing to give a corroboration warning.
John O'Sullivan, 54, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to evading €100,000 in tax and to three counts of failing to file income tax returns for 2009, 2010 and 2011. He admitted that his 2009 returns omitted €100,000 earned from selling two properties on Dublin's North Strand Road in 2007. The court heard that the total back taxes and capital gains tax amounted to €299,658, of which O'Sullivan has paid €92,392, leaving a debt of €207,267. He has nine prior convictions for failing to file returns, including a 2003 fine of €2,856. O'Sullivan has been making monthly repayments of €4,330. He pleaded guilty to knowingly delivering an incorrect return for 2007 and to evasion of tax on 30 June 2009. Judge John Aylmer granted bail and adjourned sentencing to October next year, requesting an increase in the repayment amount by then.
In a Dublin nightclub, Silviu Voivod (31) was charged with assault causing harm after he tried to stop a woman from being grabbed by a first‑year college student, Robert McMickan, at Dandelion Bar & Nightclub on 12 October 2014. Voivod was glassed in the face, losing two front teeth, and then punched in the back, side and head. McMickan was taken to Tallaght hospital, suffered severe facial injuries and had to miss two weeks of college. Voivod pleaded guilty, offered €500 to McMickan as an expression of remorse, and did not seek a trial date. The court heard that Voivod had no prior convictions and was in a relationship with a young son. Judge Melanie Greally noted the need for a custodial sentence to send a strong message against such "glassing incidents" and announced a custodial sentence would be imposed on 6 December.
Ms Justice Caroline Costello has lifted freezing orders on bank accounts at the High Court following agreement by the account holders to transfer funds to the Official Assignee. The monies, totalling over €85,000 in cheques made payable to a bankrupt County Monaghan farmer, had been lodged into accounts held by third parties. The Official Assignee, Chris Lehane, obtained the freezing orders in late August after the farmer's bankruptcy declaration, concerned the deposits represented attempts to place funds beyond the reach of his office. Cheques exceeding €55,000 were lodged to Navan Fruit Co Ltd at an Ulster Bank branch in County Louth, whilst over €31,000 was deposited to an account in the name of Tony Walsh trading as Breathnach Bargains at a Dublin branch of Bank of Ireland. Both account holders agreed to release the funds, with Walsh committing to pay €20,000 within one week and the remainder within two weeks. Ms Justice Costello vacated the freezing orders and adjourned the matter.
Kieran Cox, 32, of Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to endangerment after a high‑speed chase that ended with his Volkswagen Passat crashing into a Toyota Yaris at a junction in Clonee on 2 February 2012. The Passat lost control, collided with the Yaris, spun into a pole, and a fire broke out, requiring Gardaí to drag Cox out of the vehicle. He was arrested but made no admissions. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, which she suspended in full, citing his significant positive turnaround, cessation of alcohol abuse, and responsible fatherhood. Cox had no Garda attention since 2012 and had previously been convicted of road traffic, drug and theft offences. The case was brought back to court after a 2012 warrant was not executed until 2015.
In September 2015, Constantin Zahira (29) stabbed his girlfriend repeatedly in the face after accusing her of cheating, and also attacked his sister and his girlfriend's father with a Stanley knife. The girlfriend sustained eight wounds requiring stitches and will bear lifelong scarring. Zahira, who had no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to causing serious harm to his girlfriend and assault causing harm to her father and his sister. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a nine‑year sentence, suspending the final two and a half years. The court noted Zahira's lack of prior convictions and his late guilty plea. Character references, including one from his sister and the mayor of his Romanian hometown, were submitted. A psychological report highlighted a history of distrust, jealousy and past physical abuse. Gardaí found Zahira after he fled the scene, and he later claimed he was drunk and that his girlfriend had slapped him first.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Ivan Seredych, a 42‑year‑old taxi driver from Clonee, was convicted of sexually assaulting a 24‑year‑old woman in Dublin city centre on 10 June 2012. The victim, who had become separated from friends during a night out, was invited into Seredych's taxi, where he repeatedly touched her in a sexual manner, including placing his hand under her underwear and exposing himself. She managed to record his name and badge number on her phone and fled to a Garda station immediately after the assault. Seredych, who has five prior traffic convictions and arrived in Ireland from Ukraine in 2001, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment. He does not accept the jury's verdict. The judge noted the victim's vulnerability and the seriousness of the offence, imposing the three‑year term. The case highlights the victim's ongoing emotional distress and the court's consideration of the defendant's foreign status.
Thomas Murphy, aged 66, from Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, County Louth, has been found guilty of nine counts of tax evasion at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin. The three-judge court determined that Murphy failed to furnish returns of income to the Collector General or Inspector of Taxes for the years 1996 to 2004, despite conducting substantial farming operations. Evidence presented during the 32-day trial included testimony from Department of Agriculture staff, managers at cattle marts in Roscommon, Ballyjamesduff, Kingscourt and Elphin, meat factory representatives, and Criminal Assets Bureau investigators. The court heard that Murphy received over €100,000 in farming grants and conducted cattle transactions exceeding €500,000 across various livestock marts. Murphy's defence, that his brother Patrick controlled the farming activities, was rejected by the judges. Forensic analysis of a bank account operated in Murphy's name revealed significant financial activity. Murphy was remanded on continuing bail pending sentencing on 12 February 2016.
The trial of Thomas Murphy at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin has heard evidence regarding substantial cattle transactions spanning several years. A former project manager at Kepak Meat Processors testified that between August 1999 and August 2001, cattle valued at over €30,000 were supplied to the company by a man named Thomas Murphy. Additional evidence was presented concerning cattle purchases made in May 2004, including transactions at livestock marts in County Galway and Kingscourt, County Cavan. Mr Murphy, aged 66 and resident in County Louth, has pleaded not guilty to nine charges of failing to furnish income returns to revenue authorities for the years 1996/97 to 2004. The prosecution alleges that despite significant dealings in cattle and land and receipt of farming grants, the accused made no tax returns. The investigation was conducted by the Criminal Assets Bureau. The trial before the three-judge court continues.
James Farmer, a former soccer player aged 36, had his seven‑year prison sentence for possession of over €400,000 worth of cannabis reduced on appeal. The original conviction stemmed from a January 2011 incident at Newland's Cross and Phibblestown House where Gardaí seized €122,000 in cannabis and later found an additional €312,000 at Farmer's home. Farmer pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan on 27 February 2012. On appeal, Judge Alan Mahon noted Farmer's serious medical conditions, including kidney failure requiring dialysis and a severe bowel disorder, and that these would pose significant difficulties in prison. Consequently, the Court of Appeal suspended the final 18 months of the sentence, requiring Farmer to post a €100 bond and maintain good behaviour for 18 months and two years after release. The appeal was granted by Judges Mahon, Garrett Sheehan and John Edwards.
Jaroslaw Lasota, a 43‑year‑old Polish man, was arrested after Gardaí searched his Clonee home and found 700 cannabis plants, dried cannabis, growing equipment and printed instructions. He claimed the plants were for oil and seed production, which he believed were legal because they could be bought online. Lasota pleaded guilty to cultivation and possession for sale or supply on 31 May 2012. He had no prior convictions and had lived in Ireland since 2010. The court estimated the plants' value at nearly €13,000 and seized €4,050 from a safe. Judge Catherine Murphy refused a fully suspended sentence, imposed an 18‑month prison term, suspended the final 18 months, and ordered the destruction of the plants. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Lateef Bello, 42, from Clonee, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for attempted murder of Adejoke Opesusi and other offences. He was committed to the Central Mental Hospital. Dr Helen O'Neill reported that Bello, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, had limited insight into his illness and was non‑compliant with medication. She noted that his symptoms could lead to immediate harm and that treatment at the hospital was necessary. Mrs Elizabeth Bello confirmed that her husband's condition improves with medication. Judge Paul McDermott ruled that Bello should receive extensive treatment at the designated centre, citing the severity of his actions and the risk posed by his lack of insight. The court emphasized the need for psycho‑education and compliance to prevent further harm.
In March 2015, a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that 20‑year‑old Jason Flaherty, who was on bail for an earlier robbery and firearm charge, committed six additional armed robberies in a single month. The robberies, all in west Dublin between 21 August and 19 September 2013, involved threatening shop staff with a knife or an imitation gun. Flaherty pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery of cash from shops. Judge Mary Ellen Ring had previously sentenced him to four years with 18 months suspended for the earlier offence. At the hearing she imposed a new four‑year sentence, suspending the final two years on the condition that he engage in drug treatment and education programmes. The suspended portion is separate from the effective custodial term, which will run consecutively to his current sentence. The court considered other robbery charges and his seven prior convictions, including five for road traffic offences.
Three Lithuanian men—Darius Adamonis (46), his son Darvydas Adamonis (27) and Linas Butrinovicius (29)—were sentenced in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for false imprisonment of student Richard Nagle (25) on 16 October 2013. The men, acting on instructions from landlord Peter Downey, forcibly evicted Nagle from a bedsit in Cabra Park, Dublin. They blocked his exit, demanded his belongings, and led him to his room, where Butrinovicius brandished an air pistol. Nagle, who had paid a €500 deposit for the room, fled with his possessions and reported the incident. The court found the men unaware of the illegality of their actions. Butrinovicius received a two‑year sentence, Darius Adamonis an 18‑month term, and Darvydas Adamonis a two‑year suspended sentence. The case highlighted the unlawful nature of the forced eviction. Darius Adamonis pleaded guilty. Darvydas Adamonis pleaded guilty. Linas Butrinovicius pleaded guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Lateef Bello, a 42‑year‑old man from Clonee who was originally from the Ivory Coast, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for attempting to murder Adejoke Opesusi. Bello, who had lived in Ireland for nine years, claimed he believed his wife was having an affair and that Opesusi had convinced her to do so. On 19 February 2012, after returning from work as a taxi driver, Bello entered Opesusi's home at 4.30 am, stabbed her repeatedly with two knives and tried to choke her. He fled through a first‑floor bedroom window but was soon apprehended by Gardaí. Prior to the incident, he had threatened his wife Elizabeth that he would stab himself. After a two‑month stay at the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
The jury has begun deliberating in the trial of Lateef Bello, a 42‑year‑old Dublin man from Clonee, who has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to attempted murder of Adejoke Opesusi, burglary, criminal damage, endangerment and assault causing harm. The prosecution, represented by Paul O'Higgins SC, presented evidence that Bello, a former taxi driver, believed his wife was having an affair and that he was hearing voices and experiencing religious delusions. He allegedly broke into Mr. Oroleye's house, smashed property, drove his car at Mr. Carrick, and then approached Mrs. Opesusi at Littleplace Close, stabbing and choking her. The defence, led by Michael Bowman SC, described Bello's behaviour on 19 February 2012 as terrifying and mentally unwell, citing a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and a two‑month stay at Central Medical Hospital. Mr. Justice Paul McDermott instructed the jury of seven men and five women to return a unanimous decision.
Lateef Bello, 42, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to attempted murder of Adejoke Opesusi and related offences. Bello, originally from Africa and a taxi driver, claimed he believed his wife was being poisoned by a neighbour and that a separate neighbour had influenced her. On 18‑19 February 2012, he used a fire extinguisher to break car windshields, smashed a house front window, and entered Opesusi's home with two knives. He stabbed her, choked her, and also stabbed her daughter. He fled through a bedroom window when police approached but was apprehended. Prior to the incident, Bello had threatened self‑harm and accused his wife of infidelity. Garda investigation and a psychiatric assessment diagnosed him with schizophrenia. The trial is set before Mr Justice Paul McDermott with a jury of twelve.
Stephen Geraghty, aged 50, of Clondalkin, had originally received a ten‑year prison sentence for possession of €350,000 worth of cocaine in 2004, to run consecutively with a two‑year sentence for a 2003 cannabis offence. The Court of Appeal quashed the ten‑year term because Geraghty had not been convicted of the 2003 offence at the time he committed the 2004 offence; he was on bail and later absconded. He was convicted of both offences on 2 February 2010 after surrendering to Gardaí in 2009. The Court held that the mandatory ten‑year minimum applies only when a prior conviction exists before the second offence. Consequently, it imposed a new seven‑year sentence with 18 months suspended, back‑dated to 16 April 2011, and a five‑and‑a‑half‑year term for the 2004 offence, to run consecutively. The decision was made by Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice Gerard Hogan. Stephen Geraghty pleaded guilty.
The Court of Appeal set aside a 12‑year prison sentence imposed on Stephen Geraghty, 50, for possession of €4 million worth of cannabis and €350 000 of cocaine. Geraghty had pleaded guilty to the two offences in 2011, but the Director of Public Prosecution accepted that errors had been made in the sentencing. The appeal centred on whether a second offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act, amended in 2007, could be convicted when the defendant had not yet been convicted of the first offence. The court held that a mandatory minimum sentence for a second offence requires a prior conviction, and that the 2007 amendment could not apply retrospectively to Geraghty's case. The court therefore vacated the sentence and will impose a new one on 15 December. Geraghty was not present at the hearing and is suffering from a terminal illness. The decision will be fully reasoned in a reserved judgment at a later date.
Stephen Geraghty, aged 50, was sentenced in 2011 to 12 years' imprisonment for possession of over €4 million worth of cannabis and €350 000 worth of cocaine. In 2014 the Court of Appeal reserved judgment on an issue concerning the Misuse of Drugs Act as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 2007. The question was whether a person could be convicted of a second offence under the Act when no prior conviction under the Act existed. Geraghty had not been convicted of the first offence and was on bail when the second offence was committed. He had absented himself from jurisdiction in September 2004, turned himself in in 2009, and was arraigned on both charges on 2 February 2010, pleading guilty.
Thomas Stokes, 32, a father of seven, was sentenced to four years in prison for a series of robberies committed while under the influence of a head shop drug. He admitted to robbing Austrian tourist Elzbieta Steplewski (55) in Clonee on 2 July 2013, and to robbing Lea Giannone (51) and driving under the influence at the Regency Hotel in Whitehall on 29 July 2013. Stokes also stole from a Maxol Service Station on 2 July 2013. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Judge Martin Nolan imposed a consecutive term of four years, suspending the final two years on strict conditions. The court noted Stokes had 14 prior convictions for traffic offences and had no violent convictions since July. The sentencing followed his confession to the Gardaí and the testimony of witnesses who tracked his getaway car and provided vehicle registration details.
Damien Murtagh, a 28-year-old from Clonee, Dublin, was sentenced at Swords District Court after pleading guilty to charges arising from an incident on September 22, 2013. He admitted to using threatening and abusive behaviour and being intoxicated at The Old Boro pub in Swords. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to violent behaviour at Swords Garda Station and refusing to provide his name and address to gardai. Judge Dermot Dempsey noted that Murtagh is on his second community service order, warning him that this is his final chance. Instead of a two-month prison sentence, the court imposed a total of 240 hours of community service work. Garda Elaine Duffy testified that Murtagh, who was highly intoxicated, threatened to kill her and other officers. The defence solicitor stated that Murtagh had consumed significant alcohol while watching the All-Ireland final and agreed his behaviour was appalling. The court acknowledged Murtagh's history of 21 previous convictions, including six for public order offences, before finalising the sentence.
A Dublin man pleaded guilty at Swords District Court to threatening and abusive behaviour following an incident at a public house on September 22nd, 2013. Damien Murtagh, aged 28, of Clonee, Dublin 17, also admitted violent behaviour at Swords Garda Station and refusing to provide gardaí with his name and address. Garda Elaine Duffy gave evidence that Murtagh became verbally abusive in the pub car park after being asked to leave due to intoxication, making threats towards her and other members. The court heard Murtagh had consumed considerable alcohol while attending an All-Ireland football final. He has 21 previous convictions including six for public order offences. His defence solicitor submitted that Murtagh's memory of events remained unclear and he acknowledged his behaviour was unacceptable. Judge Dermot Dempsey remanded him on continuing bail until April for a Probation and Welfare Report, indicating consideration of 240 hours community service in place of two months imprisonment if deemed suitable.