The trial of Sabrina O'Connor, a former care worker, is in its final stage at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. She denies 13 theft counts and one deception charge relating to an elderly stroke victim between 2010 and 2011. On day six, the jury of twelve members had deliberated for just over an hour before Judge Karen O'Connor suspended the session for the evening, with deliberations to resume tomorrow.
Darren Weldon, a 47‑year‑old taxi driver from Kilbarrack, Dublin, had his 2014 conviction for membership of the Irish Republican Army quashed on appeal. The Special Criminal Court had found him guilty on 14 October 2014, sentencing him to five years' imprisonment with the final year suspended. The Court of Appeal held that the trial court's finding was "factually incorrect" because it relied on a photo from Weldon's iPhone that did not actually show him, and that the evidence left a "substantial gap" in the court's reasoning. The appeal judge, Mr Justice John Hedigan, noted that the conviction was based on a combination of opinion evidence, DNA linking Weldon to a car bomb's number plate, and the disputed photo. With the conviction deemed unsafe, it was quashed, a retrial ordered, and Weldon was released on bail to appear again before the Special Criminal Court on 29 June 2018. Darren Weldon pleaded not guilty.
Sabrina O'Connor, 37, pleaded not guilty to 13 theft charges and one deception charge in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. She admitted that while caring for a stroke‑victim client she sometimes withdrew money from the client's account, presented a cheque to the bank, and received cash in an envelope. She also claimed that the client gave her €8,000 as a gift to buy a car and later loaned €15,000 for a house deposit, which she said she had not yet repaid. O'Connor said she accepted the money to keep the client happy and was afraid of losing her job, so she did not inform her employers. The trial, presided over by Judge Karen O'Connor, is in its closing stages. The prosecution, led by Noel Devitt BL, questioned her about the nature of the cheques and her failure to report the transactions to the Gardaí.
In a 2018 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Alan Donoghue, aged 35, received a three‑year sentence for his part in a pre‑meditated violent assault on fellow inmate Gary Hanley at Wheatfield Prison on 29 April 2015. Donoghue, who was already serving an eight‑year manslaughter sentence, pleaded guilty to violent disorder. He admitted leaving the scene after the initial assault and not pursuing Hanley when the stabbing began. The court noted that Donoghue had no weapon and had left the area before the spoon‑shaped improvised weapon was used by co‑accused Gary Howard, who was sentenced to four years, and Mark Dignam, who received three and a half years. Judge Melanie Greally imposed the three‑year term to run concurrently with part of Donoghue's existing sentence, with the final three years suspended for possession of a firearm and assisting an inmate to escape.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Bridget O'Neill, a professional carer, testified that she noticed an unusually high number of transactions on the bank statement of an elderly stroke victim she cared for. O'Neill, who worked for the same company as the defendant, described feeling uneasy after reviewing the statement, noting that the number of transactions exceeded what would normally be expected. She explained that the victim was physically disabled and dependent on her for daily care, including food, laundry, and even playing Lotto. O'Neill also revealed that the victim had gifted her €5,000 and €3,000 on separate occasions, and that the victim had loaned money to the accused. The trial, presided over by Judge Karen O'Connor, continues with a jury of twelve. The defendant, Sabrina O'Connor, has pleaded not guilty to 13 theft charges and one deception charge.
An elderly stroke victim, who is the complainant, told the court that she was very annoyed that her money was gone. She alleged that her former carer, Sabrina O'Connor, stole thousands of euros from her bank account over a period of two years. The complainant denied that a female friend assisted her memory when she made her statement to the Gardaí. She said she had lent O'Connor money after the defendant claimed she needed an operation on her leg, and that O'Connor had not repaid her. The prosecution alleged that O'Connor stole a €15,000 bank draft used to secure a house option, a €8,500 draft used to buy a Land Rover, and used cheques to take money from the complainant's account for her own benefit. The trial is before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury. Sabrina O'Connor pleaded not guilty.
Brendan Smith, a former director of Aston Carpets and Flooring, was found guilty of price‑fixing with Carpet Centre (Contracts) Ltd between July 2012 and April 2013. The scheme involved both firms tendering higher bids than the other to secure contracts. Smith pleaded guilty and was fined €7,500, fined the company €10,000, given a three‑month prison sentence suspended for two years, and disqualified from acting as a director for five years. The Court of Appeal, after an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions, ruled the €7,500 fine "unduly lenient" and increased it to €45,000, to be paid within six months. Smith's suspended sentence and the company's fine remained unchanged. The appeal judge noted the profits from the scheme were modest and the customers affected were mainly large corporations. The case was concluded after a Garda raid on April 30, 2013, and the cooperation of Carpet Centre's David Radburn, who received immunity.
Sabrina O'Connor, 37, of The Green, Dunboyne Castle, Dunboyne, is on trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for 13 theft charges and one deception charge relating to an elderly stroke victim she cared for. The prosecution, led by Noel Devitt BL, alleges that O'Connor accessed the victim's bank account and stole €15,000 and €8,500 bank drafts, using them to secure a house option and purchase a Land Rover. She is also accused of taking money via cheques, spending it for her own benefit, and buying food and paying bills with the victim's bank cards. The victim, who had her cheque book in an unlocked drawer, claims she never authorized these withdrawals and has no recollection of them. The trial is set to continue on Thursday before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury of twelve. Sabrina O'Connor pleaded not guilty.
A 30‑year‑old Meath man, Martin Sherlock, was convicted of raping a woman he met on the dating app Badoo. The victim had told him they could not have sex without a condom and had repeatedly said "no" during the encounter. Sherlock admitted he had ejaculated inside her and had stolen her mobile phone. He pleaded not guilty but was found guilty after a four‑day trial. The court noted that Sherlock had lost his job and cancelled wedding plans. Gardaí arrested him following a sting operation in which they posed as buyers of a phone he was selling. He was remanded in custody until a sentencing hearing on 2 July. The case was presented as a clear instance of non‑consensual sex after the victim's explicit refusal to have sex without a condom.
During the Special Criminal Court trial of three Dubliners accused of murdering 36‑year‑old Gareth Hutch, it was reported that Gardaí executed a search warrant at Facebook Ireland and received armed support from the Emergency Response Unit during a high‑risk entry at a suspect's home. Hutch, nephew of Gerry "the Monk" Hutch, was shot dead on 24 May 2016 outside Avondale House flats on North Cumberland Street, Dublin, after four gunshot wounds from a single weapon. The accused—Thomas Fox (31), Regina Keogh (41), and Jonathan Keogh (32)—have pleaded not guilty. Garda Gareth Norton testified that he entered Fox's home on 24 May, seized clothing, ashtrays, glasses, memory cards, SIM packs, USB sticks, a Samsung tablet, and an iPhone 5. He also reported a high‑risk entry at a fourth suspect's house on 11 June, where the suspect was arrested and handcuffed.
During the trial, a witness testified that Jonathan Keogh, one of three Dubliners accused of murdering 36‑year‑old Gareth Hutch, appeared "panicked" as he ran up a street on the morning of May 24, 2016. Keogh, aged 32, is alleged to have been involved in the shooting that killed Hutch outside Avondale House flats on North Cumberland Street. The witness, Colette Geoghegan, said she saw Keogh running fast enough to look panicked and that he might have been wearing dark shorts. She left her home at 9.50 am with her partner, Maurice Farrell, and later that day heard about the shooting. The court also heard from other witnesses and Garda officers who described the scene at Avondale House, noting large crowds and the presence of Hutch's relatives. All three accused—Thomas Fox, Regina Keogh, and Jonathan Keogh—have pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. The trial continues with the prosecution presenting evidence of the alleged crime.
Tony Rochford, aged 50, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment after he climbed the M50 gantry, cut wires, smashed sensors and damaged fuses on the eFlow toll collection system. His actions left the system out of operation for 26 hours and closed the northbound carriageway for three hours in June 2017, causing an estimated €619,000 in losses. Rochford admitted the offence and said he hoped the disruption would draw media attention to his concerns about a 2002 fire at the Verdemont Apartments, where two people died, and a recent fire at a Blanchardstown apartment complex. He pleaded guilty to criminal damage to property belonging to Transport Infrastructure Ireland. The court, noting his prior convictions and his motivation, imposed the custodial sentence after a hearing in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Brendan Smith, a former director of Aston Carpets and Flooring, was given a suspended three‑month prison sentence and a €7,500 fine for his role in a price‑fixing scam that targeted large firms such as Google, PayPal and MasterCard between July 2012 and April 2013. Smith and a rival contractor, Carpet Centre (Contracts) Ltd, colluded to submit higher bids than the other, thereby inflating contract prices. The scheme was uncovered when David Radburn of Carpet Centre revealed the agreement to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. Smith was also charged with attempting to impede a prosecution after a raid on the companies' offices. The Director of Public Prosecutions has appealed the penalties, arguing they were unduly lenient, and the Court of Appeal has reserved its judgment. The case remains at the sentencing stage. Brendan Smith pleaded guilty.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Kevin Braney (44) and Ciaran Maguire (30) were found guilty of membership in the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The court considered evidence that on 13 July 2017 the men travelled from Dublin to Longwood, County Meath, where they threatened an accident victim, saying they were the IRA and would shoot him if he did not withdraw a claim against a former employer. The victim, who had suffered injuries after falling from a roof, had filed a claim for unpaid wages and hospital bills. The court accepted belief evidence from Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Maguire that the men were IRA members, and corroborated this with CCTV and National Surveillance Unit testimony. The judge concluded beyond reasonable doubt that the men were IRA members and that their threats were deliberate intimidation. The defendants remain in custody until sentencing on 24 July.
Martin Sherlock, a 30‑year‑old business analyst from Athlumney Wood, Navan, was convicted by the Central Criminal Court of raping a woman he met on the dating app Badoo. The alleged offence occurred on 14 August 2015 at the victim's Dublin home. Sherlock had pleaded not guilty. The jury, after more than five hours of deliberation, found him guilty. The court remanded him on continuing bail until 18 June. The victim, aged 27, testified that she had met another man on Badoo and had sex with him because Sherlock had not confirmed their meeting. She then agreed to meet Sherlock for a chat, but when he arrived she refused sex without a condom. She reported that he ignored her repeated "no" and "stop" requests, continued to have oral and penetrative sex, and ejaculated. She also claimed he stole her phone after the assault.
During the non‑jury Special Criminal Court hearing on the murder of David Douglas, Detective Sergeant Adrian Whitelaw identified Frederick 'Freddie' Thompson, 37, as the man in one of four alleged 'spotter' cars used in the shooting. Whitelaw testified that he had seen a photograph of himself with Thompson a few months earlier and that Thompson's DNA had been found in two of the cars. He also identified Thompson in CCTV footage from Little Caesar's Restaurant and from a stall on Meath Street, describing him as wearing a dark top and a black baseball cap. Whitelaw could not identify the two females in the footage. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, with Judges Flannan Brennan and Gerard Griffin presiding. Thompson has pleaded not guilty to the murder.
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.
Ben Gilroy, an anti‑eviction campaigner, received a one‑month suspended prison sentence for criminal contempt of court after he posted a video on social media in which he described the judge presiding over a contempt case involving a Dublin couple as a "satanic cult member" and claimed the Irish Constitution was "redundant." In the clip, Gilroy also suggested that the judge had "vacated his oath of office," urged people to use the Defence of the Dwelling Act, and said they should "just wait for anyone coming through the door and blow their heads off with a gun." The High Court judge, Tony O'Connor, found the remarks to be contempt and adjourned the matter to allow Gilroy to respond. When the case returned, Gilroy apologized and said the remarks were "out of character." The judge imposed the suspended sentence, which will remain in force for 30 months on the condition that Gilroy does not repeat such statements.
The Northern Irish authorities have assured a High Court judge that Raymond O'Neill, 38, will be properly assessed and cared for at Maghaberry Prison if surrendered. O'Neill faces murder and arson charges over the death of Jennifer Dornan, 30, who was stabbed and burned in her Hazel View house in August 2015. He was arrested in Dublin on February 3, 2016 under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Northern Ireland. His barrister, Caroline Cummings, opposed surrender, arguing a real risk of inhuman and degrading treatment and citing his vulnerability and threats to his life. Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly sought information on conditions at Maghaberry; the State's counsel, Elva Duffy, provided documents on prisoner assessment and care for vulnerable inmates. Cummings noted a 2017 report highlighted serious deficiencies in care. Donnelly said she would consider the matter further, noting the impact of Brexit, and remanded O'Neill in custody until June 11 for related cases.
Paul Crosby, 22, of Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, was charged with attempting to murder Gerard Boyle, 22, at Knockcommon, Beauparc, Slane, County Meath, on 10 November 2016. The Central Criminal Court granted him bail. His brother and sister provided sureties totalling €2,100. Conditions include living at his mother's Drogheda home, observing a 9 pm to 7 am curfew, being available to Gardaí at that address and by phone, abstaining from drugs and alcohol, signing in regularly at Drogheda Garda Station, and not contacting the alleged victim or witnesses. His trial is scheduled for February next year.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, two men, Kevin Braney, 44, and Ciaran Maguire, 30, pleaded not guilty to membership of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The prosecution alleged that on 13 July 2017 the accused travelled from Dublin to Longwood, County Meath, where Braney threatened a man, saying they were the IRA and that if he did not drop a claim against a former employer they would shoot him. The prosecution relied on Chief Superintendent Tom Maguire's opinion that the men were IRA members, CCTV evidence, and testimony from the National Surveillance Unit. Defence counsel argued that the chief superintendent's opinion was unsubstantiated, that there was no reliable evidence of the threat, and that the likelihood of two men threatening a victim in a built‑up area was low. Judge Tony Hunt, with Judges Gerard Griffin and Flann Brennan, announced that a verdict would be delivered on 30 May.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, a National Surveillance Unit garda reported seeing Kevin Braney (44) and Ciaran Maguire (30) walk up the driveway of a house in Longwood, County Meath, where a man had claimed the men threatened to shoot him. The garda, whose identity is protected, stated that he was in Longwood on the evening of 13 July 2017 and observed a Ford Mondeo parked opposite the alleged victim's house. He then saw Braney and Maguire approach the house. The prosecution alleges that one of the men told the victim they were IRA members and threatened to shoot him if he did not drop a claim against a former employer. Braney and Maguire pleaded not guilty to membership of the Irish Republican Army. The court ruled that an interview conducted with Maguire under a section allowing inferences from refusal to answer questions was inadmissible. The trial will continue with closing speeches tomorrow.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, two Dublin men, Kevin Braney, 44, and Ciaran Maguire, 30, both pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styled the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The prosecution alleged that on 2 August 2017, one accused told another man in Longwood, County Meath that they were the IRA and threatened to shoot him if he did not drop a claim against a former employer. The defence challenged the admissibility of the interviews. Detective Garda Brian Power and Detective Sergeant Carrie O'Connor each interviewed the accused on that date, invoking Section 2 of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act, 1998, which allows inferences from a suspect's refusal to answer questions. Both men answered no questions. Judge Tony Hunt, with Judges Gerard Griffin and Flann Brennan, scheduled a ruling on the admissibility issue for the following morning. The trial continues.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Kevin Braney (44) and Ciaran Maguire (30) pleaded not guilty to IRA membership. They told a witness that they would shoot him if he did not drop a claim against a former employer. The witness, who was at home in Longwood on 13 July, heard heavy knocking, saw the two men, and was told they were IRA members. They claimed the witness had a claim against his former employer, who allegedly did work for republicans in Portlaoise prison, and urged him to drop the claim, calling it fraudulent. The witness said he was shocked and that he had indeed a claim for hospital bills after a fall on a roof. The court also heard that the men were seen driving from Dublin to Longwood that day. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt.
The Court of Appeal has reduced the prison sentences of Jonathan Dowdall and Patrick Dowdall, who pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to falsely imprisoning Alexander Hurley and threatening to kill him at their family home on January 15, 2015. The Court of Appeal found that the Special Criminal Court's criticisms regarding a Newton Hearing and the timing of their guilty pleas were not justified. Consequently, Jonathan Dowdall, a former Sinn Féin councillor, was re-sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, with the final 25 months suspended. His father, Patrick Dowdall, was re-sentenced to seven years imprisonment, with the final three years suspended. Both defendants were required to enter into good behaviour bonds for the suspended periods. The original sentences, handed down on June 1, 2017, were 12 years for Jonathan and eight years for Patrick. The appeal court noted that the offending was out of character for both men, who had no significant previous convictions, and accepted their expressions of remorse as genuine. The matter was concluded with these revised sentences.
The Special Criminal Court is hearing a second day of legal argument in the case of Kevin Braney, 44, and Ciaran Maguire, 30, who have pleaded not guilty to membership of the Irish Republican Army. Defence counsel are challenging evidence supplied by the National Surveillance Unit. The prosecution alleges that one of the accused told a man in Longwood, County Meath, that they were the IRA and threatened to shoot him if he did not drop a claim against a former employer. The hearing will continue on Monday before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Flann Brennan.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Kevin Braney, 44, and Ciaran Maguire, 30, both pleaded not guilty to charges of Irish Republican Army membership. The prosecution alleged that one accused told a man in Longwood, County Meath, that they were the IRA and threatened to shoot him if he did not drop a claim against a former employer. Defence counsel objected to evidence from the National Surveillance Unit. The case will continue tomorrow before Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Flann Brennan.
The High Court confirmed Michael McAteer as interim examiner for the Sammon Group and its related companies after the collapse of Carillion. The Irish contractors, which employ over 216 people and are involved in major school building projects across Ireland, were owed about €8 million by an entity linked to Carillion. An independent expert report indicated the companies could survive if a scheme of arrangement with creditors is implemented. McAteer has up to 100 days to prepare this scheme, which, if approved, would allow the group to continue trading as a going concern. The group had been hired by a special purpose vehicle that included Carillion to build several schools and an educational campus, contracts worth roughly €87 million. The collapse of Carillion halted payments, preventing the Sammon Group from paying suppliers and subcontractors, and the court heard the group believes a successful examinership will enable it to finish its contracts on time and return to profitability.
The High Court ruled that money seized from firms linked to associates of Republican Thomas "Slab" Murphy by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is the proceeds of crime. CAB had begun investigating fuel laundering in 2012, focusing on the Murphy family of Hackballscross, Dundalk, Co Louth and their associates. In 2013 CAB obtained seizure orders against bank accounts of a dozen companies and individuals involved in the scheme. The court ordered that property recovered, including €266,000 in frozen accounts, be held for the State under the 1996 Proceeds of Crime Act. The seized firms—Athboy BioFuels Ltd, TCF Fuels Benali Marketing, Save Fuels Ltd, Hibernia Fuels Ltd, Vienna Fuels and Shin Ram Ltd—were part of an elaborate fuel laundering operation that involved laundering marked green diesel into unmarked white diesel for profit.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, judges ruled that the extensions to the detentions of Kevin Braney, 44, and Ciaran Maguire, 30, were lawful. Both men had pleaded not guilty to membership of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Defence counsel had objected to the extensions, and Rosario Boyle SC for Braney challenged the use of CCTV evidence. The court heard the arguments and, with Justice Tony Hunt presiding alongside Judges Gerard Griffin and Flann Brennan, announced that a ruling would be made the following day.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Jadesola Agbalade, 51, pleaded guilty to knowingly distributing a child pornography clip that showed an infant being raped. The clip, depicting a child aged between two and five, was forwarded by Agbalade to a friend and later discovered during a Garda investigation into credit card fraud. Agbalade admitted to sending the clip and claimed she did not understand the seriousness of the offence. Judge Karen O'Connor wholly suspended a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, citing the case as a one‑off instance of poor judgement and noting a psychological report found no sinister motive. The judge ordered Agbalade to remain on the sex offenders register for five years, but she avoided custodial jail time. The court highlighted her cooperation, remorse, and lack of prior convictions. The case was presented as an unusual, non‑profit‑based distribution of a single clip.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, two men, Kevin Braney, 44, and Ciaran Maguire, 30, who live in Dublin, have pleaded not guilty to charges of membership in the Irish Republican Army. The prosecution alleges that Braney told a man in Longwood, County Meath, that they were "the IRA" and threatened to shoot him if he did not drop a claim against a former employer. Defence counsel objected to the legality of the arrests. Judge Tony Hunt, with Judges Gerard Griffin and Flann Brennan, announced that the court will decide the legal dispute tomorrow.
In the Special Criminal Court, two Dublin men, Kevin Braney, 44, and Ciaran Maguire, 30, were tried for alleged IRA membership. Both pleaded not guilty. The prosecution alleged that one accused told a man in Longwood, County Meath, that they were the IRA and threatened to shoot him if he did not drop a claim against a former employer. Defence counsel objected to the arrests of Braney and Maguire. The hearing continued tomorrow before Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Flann Brennan.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Maguire testified that he believed Kevin Braney, aged 44, and Ciaran Maguire, aged 30, were members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) on the day in question. He based this belief on confidential information. Detective Sergeant Padraig Boyce provided evidence of Braney's association with individuals previously convicted by the Special Criminal Court, noting Braney's presence outside the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin on 3 February, conversing with Ciaran Burke, a 2012 firearms conviction. Boyce also mentioned Braney's attendance at an "anti-supergrass protest." The defendants pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation. The case is being heard by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, with Judges Gerard Griffin and Flann Brennan presiding. The trial continues.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, two men, Kevin Braney (43) and Ciaran Maguire (29), pleaded not guilty to membership of the Irish Republican Army. Prosecutor Fiona Murphy presented belief evidence from Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Maguire that the accused were IRA members on the day in question. She also introduced evidence that on 13 July 2016 Braney and Maguire travelled to Longwood, County Meath, where they confronted a man involved in a dispute with a former employer. The men allegedly told the man that if he did not drop a claim against his former employer, the next time they saw him they would shoot him. The prosecution also cited the men's arrest on 2 August 2017 and subsequent Garda interview, arguing that their failure to answer investigative questions should be inferred. The case is before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, with Judges Gerard Griffin and Flann Brennan presiding.
Jonathan Dowdall, aged 39, and his father Patrick Dowdall, aged 62, were sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to 12 and 8 years respectively for the false imprisonment and torture of Alexander Hurley on 15 January 2015. Video evidence showed Jonathan wearing a balaclava, holding a tea‑towel over Hurley's face and pouring water on him, while Patrick threatened to pull off Hurley's fingers with pliers. Both pleaded guilty. The Dowdalls have lodged appeals in the Court of Appeal, where judgment has been reserved. The court's decision was based on the video footage and the defendants' admissions, with counsel for the Dowdalls arguing mitigating circumstances such as financial distress and mental health issues. The appeal will be heard in April, with the court's judgment pending.
Albert Redmond, 43, was sentenced to three years in prison for a series of thefts, including trespassing and stealing bank cards and cash. He admitted to entering a Dublin city centre office twice, taking a cheque worth almost €9,500, and depositing it into his own account before traveling to Blackpool. While on holiday, he claimed the money was stolen from him, which he said gave him some empathy for victims. Redmond also pleaded guilty to stealing €28 in cash at a Spar, €28 at a bank, and €9,479 at Permanent TSB, among other offences. He had 294 prior convictions, mainly for trespass, theft, and burglary. The judge, noting Redmond's lack of violence and his personal struggles, imposed a three‑year sentence, back‑dated to his June 2023 custody entry.
Joseph Kiernan, aged 34, was deported from the Netherlands after serving a partially suspended three‑year robbery sentence. He was then jailed in Ireland for six years for a series of driving and drug offences. In November 2014 he pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a stolen Ford Mondeo and possession of €648 of cannabis near Dublin Airport. In January 2015 he pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a stolen BMW and dangerous driving around Gormanston, Meath. In May 2015 he pleaded guilty to possession of €3,566 of cannabis at a premises he shared with his partner on Gardiner Street, Dublin. The court imposed a four‑year sentence for the earlier drugs charge, consecutive to another four years for the later drugs offence, with the final two years suspended. Kiernan was banned from driving for 20 years. He had 55 prior convictions, including robbery, vehicle theft, burglaries and possession of stolen property.
Michael Taylor, 37, of Summerhill, Dublin, was convicted of murdering Paul Kelly, 26, at Winston Ville apartments on 6 April 2007. He was found guilty by a majority jury at the Central Criminal Court and sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment on 28 November 2011. Taylor's defence argued that the evidence was insufficient, describing it as "mere suspicion" and "short of proof." The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, dismissed the appeal, upholding the conviction. The prosecution's case rested on three circumstantial elements: DNA of Taylor on a glove found 80 m from the scene, phone activity linked to Taylor near the crime, and a family feud that could have provided motive. The court found these elements sufficiently significant to support the jury's verdict, despite acknowledging the case was "finely balanced." No further appeal was granted. Michael Taylor pleaded not guilty.
In March 2018 the Special Criminal Court granted bail to Martin Aylmer, 31, of Casino Park, Marino, Dublin 3, who faces charges related to the murder of Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin 1 on 25 April 2016. Aylmer is charged with participating in or contributing to activity intended to facilitate the commission of the murder by a criminal organisation or its members, and with reckless participation or contribution that could facilitate the murder. The alleged offences occurred between 23 and 25 April 2016. While the court acknowledged concerns about Aylmer being a flight risk, it decided to grant bail, noting that he would remain in custody until the judges review the financial history of the independent surety. The case was adjourned to 13 March 2018.
In March 2018 the High Court dismissed Stephen Kearney's appeal against a Circuit Court order that granted Permanent TSB (PTSB) possession of his family home at the Old Mill, Ratoath, County Meath. Kearney had challenged the repossession on several grounds, including alleged breaches of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations, the 1995 Consumer Credit Act, and the failure of PTSB to provide a life assurance policy for him and his late wife. He also argued that his wife's will gave him a tenancy in common, allowing him to live in the property for life. The judge, Mr Justice Max Barrett, found no evidence of unfair terms, rejected the will argument, and held that PTSB had met its obligations regarding the life assurance policy, which had never been activated due to Kearney's failure to pay the premium. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed on all grounds, leaving the possession order in place.
A 31‑year‑old Dublin man, Martin Aylmer of Casino Park, Marino, was charged at the Special Criminal Court with aiding or contributing to the murder of Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub on 25 April 2016. He faced charges of participating in or contributing to activity intended to facilitate the commission of the murder, and of reckless participation that could facilitate the murder. The alleged offences occurred between 23 and 25 April 2016. Garda David Chapman arrested Aylmer at his home, conveyed him to Bridewell Garda Station, and the court remanded him in custody pending a bail application.
Graham Armstrong, 33, was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment for stabbing Thomas McDonnell, his partner's father, in the back of the neck with a screwdriver on 11 September 2015. The wound measured two to three millimetres and McDonnell recovered after a tetanus injection. Armstrong also pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery at Eddie Rockets on 16 December 2015, where he tried to force a worker to bring cash into the restaurant. He was arrested an hour later. The court noted Armstrong had 42 prior convictions, including possession of stolen property and burglary, and that he had been struggling after his mother's death in 2016. He was ordered to pay €1,500 to his victims as a token of remorse. Armstrong and his partner have since reconciled, and McDonnell declined to pursue the matter further. The judge, Martin Nolan, imposed the custodial sentence on the basis of Armstrong's serious criminal record.
Paul Crosby, 22, of Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, faces trial for attempting to murder Gerard Boyle, 22, at Knockcommon, Beauparc, Slane, Co. Meath, on 10 November 2016. He is also charged with false imprisonment and serious harm to Boyle on the same occasion. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy set the trial date for 11 February 2019 at the Central Criminal Court.
A 21‑year‑old woman, Nikita Murtagh, pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a loaded CZ model 70 semi‑automatic pistol at Dublin's Connolly train station on 19 July last year. She had handed a shoebox containing the gun to a man, Ciaran Ryan, who was about to board the Dublin‑to‑Belfast train. Ryan was later jailed for three years for possession of the firearm. Murtagh was arrested at a bus stop outside Dublin airport at 6 pm, carrying a handbag with a change of clothes and a passport. At the Special Criminal Court, she was sentenced to three years in jail, backdated to 17 July, with the balance of the sentence suspended. The judge noted her guilty plea, her role as a courier, her "misplaced sense of family loyalty", and her status as a mother of a three‑year‑old child as mitigating factors. She walked free after the suspension was granted.
Darren Weldon, 46, has appealed his conviction for membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army. Weldon, from Kilbarrack in Dublin, pleaded not guilty at the Special Criminal Court on October 14, 2014. He was found guilty by the non-jury court and sentenced to five years imprisonment, with the final year suspended, on January 16, 2017. The prosecution alleged that DNA matching Weldon was found on the number plate of a car that exploded outside Newry courthouse in 2010. Weldon's counsel, Hugh Hartnett SC, argued the trial was corrupted by misdirections, specifically regarding the DNA evidence and association evidence. Hartnett contended the court impermissibly bolstered the DNA sample by finding it was left by primary contact beyond a reasonable doubt. He also challenged the reliance on photos of Alan Ryan, noting that the court incorrectly stated Weldon was in the company of two men with unlawful organisation convictions, a point conceded as incorrect by the DPP's counsel, Paul Greene SC. The DPP argued the conviction was supported by substantial DNA and photo evidence. The Court of Appeal, comprising Mr Justice Alan Mahon, Mr Justice John Edwards, and Mr Justice John Hedigan, reserved its judgement on the appeal.
Jace Pelivani, aged 49, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in Dublin for his role in a €680,000 drug operation. He was arrested on 18 May 2017 in Clondalkin after driving a van that carried pallets of cannabis. Gardaí had received confidential information about a suspicious drug arrival at Dublin Port the previous day, discovered the drugs on a pallet, and re‑wrapped them for a controlled delivery. Surveillance followed the truck to Ashbourne, Co. Meath, where the contents were unloaded before Pelivani transported them to Clondalkin. Officers seized 34 kilos of cannabis, each wrapped separately. Pelivani pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply. The court noted that in November 2000 an Albanian court had convicted him in absentia of murder and possession of a firearm related to a pub fight in 1997. He denied prior knowledge of the drugs, claiming he had never been to Ireland, a statement the court found false.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court acquitted Paul Crosby of one attempted murder charge – the attempt to kill Gerard Boyle by pushing a car into a canal on 10 November 2016 – after five hours of deliberation. The jury, composed of five women and six men, could not reach a verdict on the remaining three charges: two counts of attempting to murder Boyle by stabbing him 28 times and by placing him in a car boot, and a charge of false imprisonment and serious harm. The foreman reported an impasse, and the judge recorded a "disagree" on those issues, discharged the jury, and remanded Crosby until a new trial date on 26 February. Boyle, who suffered a punctured lung and was found in the canal, denied naming the wrong person as his attacker and claimed Crosby had forced him into the car boot before the vehicle was pushed into the water. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, Paul Crosby of Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, faced charges of attempting to murder Gerard Boyle twice in November 2016. The first attempt involved stabbing Boyle 28 times, and the second involved locking him in a car boot that was then pushed into a canal. Boyle, aged 22, pleaded not guilty to all charges. After closing arguments, the jury, instructed by Justice Patrick McCarthy, was allowed to return a majority verdict on any charge if ten jurors agreed.
The jury will resume deliberating tomorrow morning in the trial of Paul Crosby, a Louth man charged with attempting to murder Gerard Boyle, 22, on 10 November 2016. Crosby allegedly stabbed Boyle 28 times and then locked him in a car boot that was pushed into a canal. He is also accused of a second attempted murder on the same day at Boyne Canal, Drogheda. Boyle pleaded not guilty to all charges. Both sides delivered closing speeches last Thursday; the jury had deliberated for almost three hours and 24 minutes before being sent home.