The Special Criminal Court heard closing submissions yesterday in the trial of two men accused of involvement in the fatal robbery at Lordship Credit Union in County Louth in January 2013. Prosecution counsel told the three-judge court that a tattoo allegedly obtained by one of the accused in 2018 constituted an "extraordinary act of hubris". The tattoo, which counsel submitted contains images strikingly coincidental to elements of the Lordship robbery, features a BMW car, armed figures, and a person wearing a balaclava. Brendan Treanor, aged 34, formerly of Dundalk, and James Flynn, aged 32, of South Armagh, have pleaded not guilty to charges relating to the robbery and to conspiracy to commit residential burglaries between September 2012 and January 2013. Prosecution counsel presented evidence linking phone records and movements of the accused to burglaries in Cavan, Monaghan, and Westmeath prior to the robbery. Defence closing speeches are scheduled to follow.
A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has begun deliberations in the trial of a woman accused of defrauding two siblings of €10,200 through representations involving spiritual communications. Debbie Paget, of Knowth Court, Ballymun, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of dishonestly obtaining money by deception from James Byrne and Maria Byrne. The prosecution alleges that Ms Paget, who worked as a home carer, conducted purported readings during which she claimed their deceased father had instructed them to provide her with cash totals. Mr Byrne testified he withdrew €10,000 from his bank account and gave it to the accused following such a session. His sister stated she provided €200 after similar representations. Ms Paget denied conducting readings for the complainants or receiving any money from them, maintaining she has offered psychic services free of charge for four decades. Judge Pauline Codd completed her legal directions to the jury, which commenced deliberations on the afternoon of 15 May 2023 and will resume the following day.
Debbie Paget, a self-described psychic medium, is on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where she has pleaded not guilty to two counts of dishonestly by deception. The prosecution alleges she induced James Byrne and Maria Byrne to provide two sums of cash totalling €10,200 by claiming their deceased father instructed them to do so. Complainant James Byrne testified that during a reading, Paget told him his father said to give her €10,000, adding that failure to comply would be a sin. He stated he felt pressured and subsequently handed her the money in an envelope. His sister, Maria Byrne, testified that she gave Paget €200 after being told her deceased father communicated with the accused. Paget denied all allegations, telling gardai she had never charged for her services and did not conduct readings for the Byrnes. She claimed the siblings were attempting to destroy her life and noted that Mr Byrne had previously gifted her a television and a freezer. Under cross-examination, Mr Byrne acknowledged a 2000 conviction for sexual offences but argued his past was irrelevant. The matter is currently at the trial stage before Judge Pauline Codd and a jury, and the proceedings continue.
Four men are to be sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for their roles in a multi-million euro investment fraud involving Custom House Capital Ltd (CHC) between October 2008 and July 2011. Former CEO Harry Cassidy, former Head of Private Clients John Whyte, and former Head of Finance Paul Lavery pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud investors and clients by intentionally misleading them regarding asset placement. John Mulholland pleaded guilty to one count of neglecting his duty as a non-executive director of CHC. Judge Orla Crowe is scheduled to read 197 victim impact statements before passing sentence. The four defendants, who were remanded on continuing bail, face charges related to dishonest acts inducing clients to entrust funds. Separately, Ciara Kelleher, the firm's former senior portfolio relationship manager, pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiring to defraud investors. Her case was not concluded; a jury failed to reach a verdict earlier this year, and she will face a re-trial in 2025. The court previously noted the need to review extensive material before finalising the proceedings for the four guilty parties.
The High Court has ordered the winding-up of Nuremore Hotel Management Ltd, the company responsible for operating the Nuremore Hotel and country club in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan. Mr Justice Conor Dignam appointed insolvency practitioner Declan de Lacy as liquidator following a petition by the Revenue Commissioners. The company owes over €680,000 in unpaid PAYE, PRSI, and wage subsidy payments to the state. The hotel ceased operations in late 2022 and has since had its utilities disconnected. The court heard the company is insolvent and unable to satisfy the Revenue's demand. The winding-up petition was originally brought by a former employee but was subsequently taken over by Revenue after the worker was paid in full. Director Kai Dai was ordered to file statements of affairs. Related petitions against two further companies linked to the hotel are scheduled for hearing later in May.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Orla Crowe adjourned the sentencing of four men until May 12, remanding them on the same terms. The defendants, former CHC CEO Harry Cassidy, John Whyte, Paul Lavery, and John Mulholland, pleaded guilty to charges including conspiring to defraud investors and clients of Custom House Capital Ltd (CHC) by misleading them regarding asset placement between October 2008 and July 2011. Mulholland also admitted to neglecting his duties as a non-executive director. The court reviewed 197 victim impact statements detailing severe financial and emotional losses. While the judge indicated a need to review extensive material before finalising the case, the matter was adjourned rather than concluded. Cassidy is disqualified as a director for 15 years, while Whyte faces a 10-year disqualification. A fifth defendant, Ciara Kelleher, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges, with her case status remaining contested. The liquidation process has recovered €41 million of the €61 million in misappropriated funds.
At the Central Criminal Court in Monaghan, victim impact statements were heard in the case of Richard Burke, who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Jasmine McMonagle on 4 January 2019 at Forest Park, Killygordon, County Donegal. The 28-year-old was found dead in her home following a three-hour standoff with gardaí. Burke, aged 32, had initially pleaded not guilty to murder but accepted responsibility for manslaughter. A jury unanimously returned a manslaughter verdict last month after hearing psychiatric evidence that Burke was suffering from a mental disorder substantially diminishing his responsibility. During today's hearing, Ms McMonagle's mother, Jacqueline, described the devastating impact on her family, whilst her daughter spoke of ongoing trauma and separation from her sibling. The court heard Burke has 23 previous convictions. Justice Paul Burns remanded him in custody pending sentencing on 22 May.
The Court of Appeal has issued a ruling in the case of Patrick Dowdall, the appellant in the Regency Hotel shooting trial. Dowdall had previously pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of facilitating the shooting of David Byrne. The specific allegation was that he participated in activity intending to facilitate a serious offence by a criminal organisation, namely the murder of Byrne, by making a room available at the Regency Hotel in Drumcondra, Dublin 9, on February 4, 2016. Following his initial conviction, Dowdall was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment. However, after successful appeals, he was re-sentenced to seven years and 11 months. The current appeal resulted in a further reduction, with Dowdall now sentenced to four years' imprisonment. The procedural stage is an appeal, and the matter has been finalised with this revised sentence. Co-accused Jason Bonney was also involved in the proceedings, though specific details of his plea or sentence are not detailed in this summary. The court emphasized that the allegations against Dowdall were based on his admission of guilt to facilitating the crime, rather than direct participation in the shooting itself. The decision reflects the appellate court's review of the sentencing and charges, resulting in a reduced term of custody for the appellant.
Gerard Mackin, 40, pleaded guilty to laundering €4,780 as proceeds of criminal conduct at Rhebogue Road, Limerick, on April 17, 2019, contrary to Section 7 of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act 2010. The Special Criminal Court heard that Mackin, who was extradited from Spain in December 2022, admitted to handling the cash, which prosecution counsel stated was not a legitimate deposit but crime proceeds. Defence counsel Ronan Kennedy SC submitted that Mackin accepted he had made poor choices, has never met his infant son due to his custody, and intends to return to Spain to rebuild his life. The court noted his previous conviction in March 2016, where he was jailed for three years for a 'depraved and barbaric' assault involving a nail-gun. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding with Judges Sarah Berkeley and Alan Mitchell, remanded Mackin in custody until May 19, when he will be sentenced. The matter was adjourned for sentencing and is not yet concluded.
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.
A man has been convicted of the murder of a woman in County Donegal in January 2019. The victim, a 28-year-old mother, was fatally beaten and strangled in her home in Killygordon following a distressed emergency call. Gardaí from Lifford attended the property within twenty minutes of the call. Armed response units conducted a forced entry after observing a child at an upstairs window. The accused was subdued with a taser after confronting officers with a hammer and refusing to comply with instructions. During subsequent garda interviews at Letterkenny station, the man admitted to the killing. He claimed he had lost control after becoming aware that the woman had contacted gardaí. Forensic psychiatric evidence presented at trial indicated the accused had experienced psychotic illness, auditory hallucinations, and persistent delusional beliefs about the victim's behaviour. The court heard evidence of his extensive history of substance abuse and previous psychiatric intervention. Two young children were present in the property at the time but were found unharmed.
The Central Criminal Court in Monaghan heard testimony on 22 March from two psychiatrists who both concluded that Richard Burke was suffering from a mental disorder that substantially diminished his responsibility at the time of the alleged killing. Mr Burke, aged 32, of Killygordon, County Donegal, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in relation to the death of Jasmine McMonagle at Forest Park, Killygordon on 4 January 2019. Forensic psychiatrist Dr Anthony Kearns told the jury that Mr Burke reported persistent delusional beliefs about Ms McMonagle's infidelity and claims she had given drugs to her children, beliefs found to be entirely false and without foundation. Dr Kearns also noted Mr Burke's history of substance abuse beginning in adolescence and periods of homelessness. Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Dearbhála Duffy stated Mr Burke was acutely psychotic at the time of the alleged offences and shortly thereafter. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Burns and jury.
Richard Burke, aged thirty-two and from Killygordon in County Donegal, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of Jasmine McMonagle at Forest Park on January 4, 2019. The Central Criminal Court trial, sitting in Monaghan, heard evidence that Mr Burke told gardaí during interviews at Letterkenny Garda Station that he punched and strangled Ms McMonagle with a rope after discovering she had contacted gardaí for assistance. He described losing control of his temper, stating his mind went blank during the assault. A post mortem examination confirmed Ms McMonagle died from ligature strangulation with blunt and sharp force injuries as contributing factors. The court heard gardaí responded to a 999 call within twenty minutes and encountered Mr Burke at the scene holding a meat cleaver, which he used to strike an officer's clothing. Ms McMonagle's two young daughters were found unharmed in the property. The trial continues.
A murder trial opened at the Central Criminal Court in Monaghan on 20 March regarding the death of Jasmine McMonagle at Forest Park, Killygordon, County Donegal on 4 January 2019. Richard Burke, aged 32, of Killygordon pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The State outlined that Ms McMonagle, a mother of two, died from strangulation and blows inflicted by her former partner. Gardaí from Lifford responded to her emergency call that morning and discovered her body after a three-hour standoff during which Burke wielded a meat cleaver. Her children were found unharmed. The trial will focus on Burke's mental state at the time of the killing rather than the circumstances of death, which he acknowledges. Two consultant psychiatrists will give evidence that Burke suffered from a mental disorder substantially diminishing his responsibility. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Burns.
A jury has been sworn in at the Central Criminal Court in Monaghan to hear the trial of a 32-year-old man charged with the murder of Jasmine McMonagle in County Donegal in January 2019. Richard Burke, with an address in Killygordon, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The alleged offence occurred at Forest Park, Killygordon on 4 January 2019. Mr Justice Paul Burns informed the jury panel of twelve that the trial is expected to last approximately two weeks. The prosecution will open its case this afternoon. Both the accused and the deceased were resident in Killygordon at the time of the alleged incident.
A man has pleaded guilty to money laundering before the Special Criminal Court following his extradition from Spain. Gerard Mackin (40), originally from west Belfast, admitted to handling €4,780 in proceeds of criminal conduct at Rhebogue Road, Limerick, on April 17, 2019. He was arrested at Dublin Airport in December last year under a European Arrest Warrant. Mackin pleaded guilty to one charge under the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act 2010. The three-judge court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Alan Mitchell, adjourned sentencing to March 30. The defendant's legal team requested a governor's report from Portlaoise Prison, which was granted. Mackin has previous convictions including a 2017 sentence for assault causing harm in Limerick.
Four senior executives of Custom House Capital are scheduled for sentencing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on April 21 before Judge Orla Crowe. Former CEO Harry Cassidy, former head of private clients John Whyte, and head of finance Paul Lavery pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to defraud investors and clients by intentionally misleading them regarding asset placement. Non-executive director John Mulholland also pleaded guilty to one count of neglectful discharge of a director's duty in relation to the company's dishonest acts. The offences are alleged to have occurred between October 2008 and July 2011. The sentencing hearing is expected to last one day. Separately, former senior portfolio relationship manager Ciara Kelleher pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud investors and clients. After a jury failed to reach a verdict earlier this month, Judge Martin Nolan set a re-trial date for January 13, 2025. The matter involving Kelleher remains pending and has not been concluded.
An Bord Pleanála has conceded a High Court challenge to its decision permitting Abbott Ireland to extend its manufacturing facility near Dromore, Co Monaghan. The board's approval, which allowed the company to add approximately 2,661 square metres of laboratory, office, car park and warehouse space, has been quashed. John Morehart, owner of Bellamont Castle and surrounding lands near Cootehill, Co Cavan, sought judicial review on environmental grounds. He contended the board failed to properly assess the development under EU Environmental Impact Assessment requirements, noting the facility processes over 100 tonnes of raw material daily. Mr Morehart also claimed the board breached EU Habitats Directive obligations. Monaghan County Council had initially granted permission, which was appealed by both Mr Morehart and An Taisce. The High Court granted a formal order quashing the board's decision after it conceded the proceedings this week before Mr Justice Charles Meenan.
A man with ninety previous convictions has been sentenced to four years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following an assault in the city centre. Jonathan Donovan (37) pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after the State accepted the lesser charge in lieu of the original allegation of assault causing serious harm. The incident occurred on Gardiner Street on 13 February 2022, when Donovan attacked a man, inflicting a fifteen-centimetre wound extending from ear to cheek. The victim sustained ten injuries, including chest lacerations resulting in internal bleeding, and was hospitalised with no recollection of the attack. Gardaí identified Donovan through CCTV footage and recovered evidence linking him to the assault. His criminal history includes previous convictions for assault causing serious harm and assault causing harm. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the sentence, which was backdated to February 2022 when Donovan entered custody, noting the vicious nature of the attack and his established pattern of serious violence.
Four senior executives of Custom House Capital have been directed to appear before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 8 March following guilty pleas to fraud-related charges. Between October 2022 and January 2023, former chief executive Harry Cassidy, former head of private clients John Whyte, head of finance Paul Lavery, and non-executive director John Mulholland entered pleas of guilty to conspiracy to defraud investors and neglectful discharge of directorial duty. The pleas relate to allegations that the executives intentionally misled clients regarding asset placement between October 2008 and July 2011. Publication of the pleas was delayed pending the trial of co-accused Ciara Kelleher, senior portfolio relationship manager, whose jury failed to reach a verdict at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Orla Crowe adjourned proceedings pending the defendants' appearance next week.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal of Daniel O'Callaghan, a former All-Ireland winner, who was convicted at the Special Criminal Court for his role in a cross-border gang involved in ATM thefts. O'Callaghan, who pleaded not guilty to 16 offences including attempted theft and possession of stolen cash, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment in March. His legal team argued that the identification of O'Callaghan by an NSU garda was flawed due to distance and time constraints. However, Mr Justice Birmingham, presiding, rejected this, stating the officer was a reliable witness with a clear view and that DNA evidence supported the identification. The court affirmed the Special Criminal Court's conviction, noting the strength of the evidence. O'Callaghan's co-accused, who pleaded guilty, were also sentenced. Stephen Duffy received four years for possessing stolen cash. Gerard Duffy and Ciaran Duffy were each jailed for seven years and nine months for attempted ATM theft and criminal organisation offences. Niall Finnegan was sentenced to four-and-a-half years, with the final 18 months suspended, for possessing proceeds from the thefts. The appeal was dismissed, upholding the original convictions and sentences.
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.
A man has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment following a burglary at a residential property in Dundrum, south Dublin on July 2nd, 2022. Gary Bailey, aged 45, of Gleann Na Ri, Druids Valley, Loughlinstown, pleaded guilty to the offence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. During the incident, the male occupant confronted the intruder and a struggle ensued in which Bailey grabbed the homeowner by the groin. As Bailey attempted to escape through a bedroom window, the resident struck him several times with a golf club, causing Bailey to become briefly suspended upside down from the window blinds before falling. Judge Martin Nolan noted that Bailey's primary objective upon being confronted was escape rather than violence. The court heard Bailey had acted impulsively, telling gardaí the burglary was not premeditated and that he had been under the influence of medication at the time. The judge accepted that Bailey had displayed remorse and wished to apologise to both victims.
The fraud trial of former Custom House Capital (CHC) manager Ciara Kelleher heard on day 11 that former CEO Harry Cassidy, John Whyte, Paul Lavery, and John Mulholland have pleaded guilty to charges arising from a Garda investigation. Cassidy, Whyte, and Lavery admitted to conspiring with others to defraud investors and clients of CHC between October 2008 and July 2011. Mulholland, a non-executive director, pleaded guilty to one count of neglect on the part of a director of a body corporate regarding the company's dishonest acts. Kelleher, who pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud CHC investors by misleading them about asset placement, remains the sole defendant facing trial. Evidence presented included testimony from Detective Garda David Coyne regarding Kelleher's 2016 arrest and Detective Garda Aidan Deveney, who detailed the retrieval of 2.5 million objects from a server and the use of forensic tools to search over 1.2 million emails. Deveney acknowledged that Cassidy allegedly pressured Kelleher regarding client valuations and fees. The trial continues before Judge Orla Crowe and the jury.
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.
The Court of Appeal has ruled that a mandatory driving ban is not required for those convicted of careless driving causing death where it constitutes a first offence. The court determined that mandatory disqualification applies only when a person has accumulated at least two previous driving convictions within three years prior to the offence in question. The decision followed a civil appeal brought by Colleen McCann, aged 27, of Drumacon, Castleblayney, County Monaghan, who was convicted of careless driving that resulted in the death of a teenager in July 2012 at Maghernakill, Castleblayney. McCann received a 12-month fully suspended sentence at Monaghan Circuit Court in October 2021. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said the case would be returned to the Circuit Court for finalisation regarding the matter of any discretionary driving disqualification order.
A High Court dispute concerning a catering contract at Brennan's bakery in Dublin has been adjourned to late March following agreement between the parties. Ciaran Monaghan, who has provided catering services at the bakery's canteen for 28 years, sought an injunction to prevent termination of his contract after Brennan's initiated a tendering process in June. Mr Monaghan contended that without intervention, his business and nine employees' livelihoods faced cessation on Christmas Eve. Before Mr Justice Brian O'Moore on Tuesday, counsel for both parties confirmed they had reached accord. Brennan's undertook that Mr Monaghan's company would continue operating the canteen while a competitive tendering process for the service provision is completed by mid-March 2023. Defence counsel stressed that termination on Christmas Eve had never been the company's intention. Should Mr Monaghan's firm succeed in the tender, the proceedings may become moot. The adjournment was granted on the basis of these undertakings.
A catering company owner has brought proceedings in the High Court seeking an injunction to prevent termination of a contract with a major Dublin bakery. Ciaran Monaghan, trading as Ciaran Monaghan Catering, claims his firm has supplied catering services to Brennan's Bakery in Walkinstown, Dublin 12, for 28 years and currently employs nine staff members. The bakery notified the company in June of its intention to terminate the arrangement and invite tenders from competing vendors, with the contract set to end on Christmas Eve. Mr Monaghan contends the tendering process has stalled and the company has refused to extend the notice period. He argues the six-month timeframe is insufficient to manage redundancy obligations to his employees. Mr Justice Brian O'Moore granted permission on an ex-parte basis to serve short notice of proceedings. The case was adjourned and will return before the High Court the following week.
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.
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.
The Special Criminal Court has sentenced Jonathan Dowdall to four years' imprisonment for facilitating the Hutch gang in the murder of Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne. Dowdall, a former Sinn Fein councillor, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of making a hotel room available ahead of the February 2016 attack. He is currently being assessed for the Witness Protection Program to testify against his former co-accused, Gerard Hutch. Hutch, along with Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney, stands trial for the murder. Murphy and Bonney have pleaded not guilty to charges of participating in or contributing to the murder by providing access to motor vehicles. The trial is currently at the procedural stage of addressing the admissibility of evidence. Defence counsel argued that a Garda bugging device recording conversations between Hutch and Dowdall was deployed under a "culture of secrecy" and in violation of the Criminal Justice Surveillance Act 2009, as the vehicle was allegedly in Northern Ireland for eight of the ten recorded hours. The prosecution maintains the recording is central to their case. The court will rule on the admissibility of this evidence after the prosecution responds to the defence submissions. The trial continues before a three-judge panel.
The President of the High Court, Mr Justice David Barniville, granted an application by Jim Elliott, acting for the family of Corporal James Elliott, to access the Special Criminal Court file from a 1972 trial. The order, issued at the sentence stage of the underlying 1972 proceedings, directs that the Elliott family's lawyers receive the original file and a copy within seven days. The 1972 trial involved Brendan Finnegan and Patrick Lynch, who were convicted of conspiring to commit an explosion and possessing explosives. Finnegan was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, while Lynch received a 15-month sentence. The family alleges these convictions are linked to the 1972 kidnapping and murder of their father, a part-time Ulster Defence Regiment corporal, by the Provisional IRA. Although other charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, were reportedly dropped, the family has never been informed of the trial until 2005. The court found that providing access to the file supports the legacy process and commitments under the Good Friday Agreement. The application was opposed by no party; the Courts Service, the DPP, the Garda Commissioner, and the Minister for Justice did not object. The judge described the murder as horrendous and ruled that making the file available was in the interests of justice. The matter was not adjourned; the order was finalised with specific directions for file delivery.
A member of a cross-border organised crime gang has failed in his appeal against a custodial sentence imposed for attempted ATM theft. Gerard Duffy, 32, of County Monaghan, was convicted at the Special Criminal Court in 2021 following a guilty plea to attempting to steal an ATM from the Riverfront Bar Restaurant in Virginia, County Cavan, in August 2019. He received eight years and nine months' imprisonment with the final year suspended. His legal team argued the headline sentence of eleven years was excessive and that a greater reduction for his guilty plea was warranted, given he had no serious prior convictions. The Court of Appeal dismissed the challenge, with Mr Justice George Birmingham finding the original sentence appropriate and the trial court had correctly assessed the offending as being in the lower range of the highest tier of criminality. The gang stole an estimated €790,000 from multiple ATM locations across Cavan, Meath and Monaghan between 2018 and 2019 using stolen plant machinery and vehicles.
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.
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.
Jason Paget (35) and Charles Darcy (34) pleaded guilty to charges arising from a high-speed car chase in Dublin 8. Paget admitted to taking possession of a vehicle without consent, assaulting Garda Dara Higgins causing him harm, and dangerous driving. Darcy admitted to possession of a firearm found in the car after it crashed at Longs Place. The court heard that Paget, who has previous convictions including aggravated sexual assault, resisted arrest, resulting in Garda Higgins suffering a fractured hand. Judge Orla Crowe refused Darcy's application for naming restrictions. The matter was adjourned for sentencing next week, and Paget was remanded in custody. Darcy is due for sentence next month.
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.
Alan Yip, 47, of Parnell Street, Dublin, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to six counts of providing registrars with false or misleading birth information between August 2012 and July 2015. Judge Martin Nolan stated Yip deserved a custodial sentence for his role in a scheme that facilitated Irish passports for children. Five co-accused parents—Ning Zhang, Wei Qin Xie, Jie Chen, Honghui Dong, and Peng Lin—each pleaded guilty to one charge of providing false birth particulars regarding their own children. Although the judge initially considered harsh sentences for deterrence, he ultimately decided against imprisonment, citing their desperation and mitigation. Each of these five defendants received a two-year term suspended in full. The court noted that Yip, a British citizen, falsely registered himself as the father of six children to allow their mothers to secure Irish citizenship and leave to remain. Defence counsel argued that custody would be overly severe for the parents, who had no permanent status. The judge acknowledged the parents' difficult circumstances but emphasized they had breached the law. The matter was finalized with Yip jailed and the others receiving suspended sentences.
Mr Justice Paul McDermott, presiding over the Central Criminal Court, publicly refuted claims made by Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny in Dáil Éireann. Kenny, acting as Justice Spokesman, had alleged that court facilities outside Dublin, specifically in Limerick, were underutilised because judges were unwilling to travel from their base locations. He stated that witnesses and victims were forced to travel to Dublin despite adequate local facilities. Mr Justice McDermott described these assertions as "concerning" and "ill-informed," asserting it is "simply incorrect" to suggest High Court judges lack willingness to travel. He noted that during the current session, cases were heard in Cork, Kilkenny, Monaghan, and Tullamore, with Waterford expected to join soon. The judge emphasised that the Central Criminal Court actively seeks these venues to reduce the burden on victims, acknowledging the "extreme distress" caused by travel. Regarding Limerick specifically, he clarified that the court is currently unavailable, but stated unequivocally that if it were accessible, judges would travel there. He concluded by affirming that there is "no question" of any High Court judge being unwilling to travel to hear cases, reiterating the judiciary's commitment to utilising available regional facilities.
A Monaghan care home has been ordered by the Workplace Relations Commission to pay its former nursing director over €63,000 for unfair dismissal. The operator of Drumbear Lodge, which experienced a significant Covid-19 outbreak in April 2020, dismissed the nursing director without substantive grounds, the tribunal found. The adjudicating officer determined the company produced no evidence to support allegations of misconduct or poor performance against the complainant. The dismissal was deemed both substantively and procedurally unfair. During the hearing, the company's chief executive acknowledged concerns about the home's management but the tribunal found his evidence "confusing and inconsistent". The complainant's legal representative argued the dismissal process was "devoid of natural justice", a submission the adjudicating officer found "compelling and persuasive". The compensation award of €63,740.38 reflects the complainant's subsequent loss of earnings when moving to a lower-paid public sector position and four weeks' pay following dismissal.
The Court of Appeal heard argument on whether the law mandates a driving ban for those convicted of careless driving causing death as a first offence. Colleen McCann, aged 27 with an address at Drumacon, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, was given a 12-month fully suspended sentence for careless driving that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old in July 2012 at Maghernakill, Castleblayney. McCann was deported from the United States in 2017 to face charges relating to the collision. Her legal team argues that a first conviction for careless driving does not constitute a "qualifying offence" under the Road Traffic Act, meaning any driving disqualification remains discretionary rather than mandatory. The State contends that a consequential ban reflects the legislature's intention and is a matter of public safety. The three-judge court reserved judgment.
The Court of Appeal has increased the jail sentence of John McDonagh, a knife-wielding burglar who carried out a violent home invasion in Sligo Town in January 2020. McDonagh and a teenage accomplice broke into a house, threatened four occupants with a knife, and caused significant damage to property. The occupants were threatened with death if they contacted the gardaí. Both McDonagh (27) of Brookfield, Ballinode, Sligo, and his accomplice pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and burglary at a house at Glencarrig, Ballinode, and were sentenced in March of last year. Sligo Circuit Criminal Court judge Francis Comerford initially sentenced both men to five-and-a-half years in jail with the final two years suspended for three years. However, the Court of Appeal found the original sentence unduly lenient. The court heard that the offences were in the upper range of offending and that a headline sentence between nine and 14 years should have been identified. The appeal court quashed the previous sentence and substituted it with a seven-year term, with the final 18 months suspended for two years. The sentence was backdated to August 1, 2020, when McDonagh was first taken into custody. The matter was adjourned at the appeal stage.
The Workplace Relations Commission has upheld a statutory redundancy claim by Brian McCarthy against Huawen Foundation Ltd, awarding him approximately €3,000. The adjudicating officer found that the company, which promoted Irish residency visas to international property investors, closed unexpectedly without providing for redundancy. Mr. McCarthy, who served as an applicant in this hearing, was employed from March 2019 to April 2021, meeting the 104-week eligibility threshold. The company failed to appear to defend the claim at the adjudication hearing on 7 April. This decision follows a separate March ruling where Huawen Foundation was ordered to pay €12,400 to former director Daoquan Zhang for breach of the Payment of Wages Act after leaving him unpaid for four months. Huawen Foundation is wholly owned by Kai Dai, chief executive of Kylin Prime Group. The company recently changed its registered office from St Stephen's Green in Dublin to the Nuremore Hotel & Country Club in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan. The Commission's decision confirms Mr. McCarthy's entitlement to redundancy payments under the Redundancy Payments Acts based on his service duration and salary.
The Workplace Relations Commission has dismissed a complaint of unfair dismissal brought by a direct provision centre worker in Monaghan. The adjudicating officer found that Siarhei Klimasheuski was guilty of gross misconduct akin to workplace assault when he failed to comply with Covid-19 safety protocols at a facility operated by Tattonward Ltd in April 2020. The decision, published in June 2022, concluded that Mr Klimasheuski did not consistently wear required personal protective equipment, failed to sanitise surfaces, and did not enforce social distancing measures among residents despite being briefed on procedures in both English and Russian. Although the adjudicator identified significant defects in the dismissal process, including procedural irregularities and lack of a formal disciplinary hearing, she found the evidence of company witnesses more credible and determined the termination was not unfair. The breaches posed genuine infection control risks during the pandemic's early stages.
A man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison following a serious unprovoked assault in Dublin city centre. Daryl Cassells, aged 27 and of no fixed abode, attacked a man outside Burger King on Grafton Street at approximately 1am on 19 July 2019. The victim sustained significant injuries including a brain bleed, skull fracture, and fractured eye socket. He suffered seizures during transport to St James Hospital and was admitted for eight days. The assault subsequently resulted in the development of epilepsy, affecting the victim's employment prospects and quality of life. Cassells pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Pauline Codd noted the serious nature of the unprovoked attack and the significant injuries inflicted. She suspended the final six months of the sentence on condition that Cassells keep the peace and be of good behaviour for one year, and cooperate with probation services. The sentence was backdated to account for time already served in custody.
Dylan Murphy, 26, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for offences committed while on bail. He pleaded guilty to the attempted robbery of a taxi driver at Dolphins Barn, Dublin city, on September 20, 2019, as well as robbery and attempted robbery at St Stephen's Green on August 2, 2021. During the latter incident, Murphy allegedly posed as a garda to rob two teenagers, resulting in injuries to the male victim. Judge Pauline Codd described both attacks as vicious assaults. Acknowledging Murphy's tragic background and entrenched drug addiction, the judge imposed a total operative sentence of eight years. However, she suspended the final year to incentivise rehabilitation, conditional on Murphy engaging with the Probation Service and drug addiction treatment. The sentence was backdated to last March, when Murphy pleaded guilty to the offences. This decision follows his admission of guilt to the charges, which included his 65 previous convictions for robbery, burglary, and assaults.
John Moreharte, owner of Bellamont Castle and Dromore Lake in Cootehill, Co Cavan, has brought a High Court judicial review challenging An Bord Pleanala's decision to grant planning permission to Abbott Ireland. The applicant seeks to quash the board's March 14 decision, which allowed Abbott to extend its Dromore, Co Monaghan facility by 2,661m2 to increase laboratory, office, car park, and warehouse space for infant milk products. Mr Moreharte, represented by Evan O'Donnell BL, alleges the board failed to consider its obligations under the EU Environmental Impact Assessment, arguing an EIA was required given the facility processes over 100 tonnes of raw material daily. He further claims the board acted contrary to the EU Directive on Habitats. Monaghan County Council originally granted the permission, which was appealed by both Mr Moreharte and An Taisce. Abbott Ireland and Monaghan County Council are notice parties to the proceedings. The matter was mentioned before Mr Justice Charles Meenan at the High Court on Monday, who adjourned the matter to a date later this month.