In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy testified that Thomas Dooley, aged 64, died from blunt‑force trauma after being struck eight times on the head, with fractures to his skull and internal brain injuries. She noted additional blows to his body that fractured three ribs, contributing to his death. Cassidy examined Dooley's body on 17 February, five days after the alleged murder on 12 February, and observed scorch marks indicating an attempted fire. She identified a baseball bat, which the prosecution claims was the murder weapon, as consistent with the injuries. Under cross‑examination, Cassidy suggested the head injuries were likely inflicted by a single implement, though she could not confirm whether one or more assailants were involved. The defendants—Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21) and James Davy (25)—remain not guilty pleas. The trial continues before Justice Margaret Heneghan.
Ross Allen, 26, from Clara, Co Offaly, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter for his role in the killing of Christy Daly at Bog Lane in Clara. The Central Criminal Court heard that Allen, who had been taken from his drug‑addicted mother as a baby and had lost both foster parents as a child, was involved in retrieving a shotgun he believed would be used to scare Daly. He acted as a lookout while two other men beat and shot Daly eight times. Allen claimed he did not know Daly would be killed. His defence counsel, Blaise O'Carroll SC, described Allen's unsettled background, his early life in care, the deaths of his foster parents, and his attempts to lead a productive life, including work in carpentry and landscaping. Allen had 25 previous convictions but no custodial sentences. He will be sentenced on Wednesday, 27 July.
During a murder trial, the prosecution presented CCTV footage that showed three men acting suspiciously near a clothes bank at Granary Court apartments in Edenderry on the morning after the alleged murder of Thomas Dooley. The footage, captured at about 6:30 am on February 21 , 2014, was reviewed by Sergeant Carlo Griffin and Garda Alan Melia, who testified that the men were seen around the bin area. The men, Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21) and James Davy (25), are charged with murdering Dooley, who was found dead in his home on February 16 , 2014. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan, continues with a jury of eight men and four women. The defendants have pleaded not guilty. The prosecution maintains that Dooley died from instrumental trauma to the head and chest. The case remains in the early stages of the trial.
In the trial at Sister Senan Court, three men in their twenties—Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21), and James Davy (25)—have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Thomas 'Toddy' Dooly, a 64‑year‑old who was found dead in his Edenderry home on 16 February 2014. The prosecution alleges Dooly died from instrumental trauma to the head and chest and that the accused were present in his house on the day of the death, acting as a joint enterprise. A baseball bat, believed to have been used in the alleged murder, was recovered from a clothes bank in Edenderry on 21 February and later presented to the jury. Garda Trevor Shore described the bat as having marks and indentations; forensic scientist John Hoade examined it, noting missing wood pieces and dents that contained DNA matching Dooly, and reported blood staining indicating repeated swings of the weapon. The case remains at the jury stage.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, a Garda witness testified that a fire may have been set at the armchair where 64‑year‑old Thomas 'Toddy' Dooley was found dead in his Edenderry home on 16 February 2014. The body, covered with a cushion, was in a sitting position in the armchair, which was burned in three places. Seven footwear marks were found on the floor, and no implement was recovered. The fire caused burns to Dooley's head, upper body, and both legs of his nylon tracksuit. The prosecution also presented witnesses who described the presence of a baseball bat in the scene, but no weapon was found. The case involves three men—Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21), and James Davy (25)—who are charged with murder and have pleaded not guilty. The trial is set to continue tomorrow before Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan.
During a murder trial, witness Ms. April Murray testified that on 11 February 2014 she and her daughter were at Mangan's pub in Edenderry, where they met James Davy, Sean Davy and Jade Mooney. After the pub, they returned to Murray's house, where the men drank beer and used cocaine from a key. Murray described a chaotic scene the next morning, with damage to the living room and kitchen, and noted a light‑brown wooden baseball bat on the kitchen table. She claimed the bat had been used and was later left in a taxi. Courtleigh Maloney, an 18‑year‑old, confirmed that James Davy had brought the bat to the pub and left it in the taxi. Jade Mooney also stated that Davy had shown her the bat and said it was to "protect himself." The accused men, Matthew Cummins, Sean Davy and James Davy, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Thomas Dooley.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, a Meals on Wheels volunteer, Ms Patricia Maguire, testified that a 64‑year‑old Offaly man, Thomas 'Toddy' Dooley, appeared to be in "OK" form the day before his death. Ms Maguire, who has volunteered for 18 years, delivered a meal to Dooley's home at Sister Senan Court on Tuesday, February 11, 2014. She described a brief conversation with Dooley, who seemed fine and paid her €2 or €2.50 for the meal. Dooley was later found dead in his living room on February 16, 2014, with injuries to his upper body and head. The trial involves three men—Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21) and James Davy (25)—who were charged with murdering Dooley on February 12, 2014, and who pleaded not guilty. The case continues.
In a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard that Thomas 'Toddy' Dooley, a 64‑year‑old Offaly resident, was found dead in his living room on 16 February 2014, four days after he was allegedly beaten to death with a baseball bat. The prosecution presented evidence that three men – Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21) and James Davy (25) – were present at a party in April Murray's house on the early hours of 12 February 2014, then travelled to Dooley's home. The men were said to have used a wooden baseball bat to inflict blunt‑trauma injuries to Dooley's head and chest, leading to his death. The prosecution also alleged attempts to set fire to Dooley's armchair and clothing, and that the men removed items from the scene, some of which were later recovered by the gardai. The accused pleaded not guilty. The trial was scheduled to continue the following day.
A jury was sworn in for the trial of three men accused of murdering a 64‑year‑old man in Offaly. Sean Davy, 21, of Edenderry; James Davy, 25, of Celbridge; and Matthew Cummins, 22, of Edenderry, were charged with the murder of Thomas Dooley at Sister Senan Court on 12 February 2014. The men pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court. Justice Patrick McCarthy told the jury that the trial was expected to last three weeks, though it could extend beyond that. The trial began in evidence before Justice Margaret Heneghan.
At the Central Criminal Court, Symon Tarkowski, a Polish national aged 28 from Tullamore, County Offaly, received a suspended sentence of five years for his role in the false imprisonment of Patryk Krupa at Bogganall, County Rosemmon, on June 20th and 21st, 2014. Mr Krupa, aged 23, subsequently drowned in the Shannon whilst incapacitated from a head injury sustained during a violent assault. Two other men, Leszek Sychulec and Andrzej Gruchacz, were convicted of Mr Krupa's murder and received life sentences in June. Mr Justice Tony Hunt distinguished Tarkowski's involvement from that of the convicted murderers, noting he had not planned the assault and remained in his vehicle during the beating. The judge acknowledged Tarkowski's subsequent cooperation with gardaí and his genuine remorse, whilst criticising his decision to clean his car. The suspended sentence reflected the limited nature of his culpability and the mitigating factors present in his case. Symon Tarkowski pleaded guilty.
A 28-year-old Polish national has been remanded on bail pending sentence after pleading guilty to false imprisonment and withholding information in connection with a fatal assault in County Roscommon in June 2014. Szymon Tarkowski of Tullamore admitted to the charges relating to the death of Patryk Krupa, who drowned in the Shannon near Athlone following a violent attack. At the Central Criminal Court, evidence was heard that Tarkowski drove two men to locate the victim and transported them to the scene, though he remained in the vehicle during the assault itself. He subsequently cleaned his car in an attempt to remove forensic evidence and later provided a voluntary statement to gardai that aided the investigation. Two other men, Leszek Sychulec of Ballymahon and Andrzej Gruchacz, were convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment on the same date. The court heard Tarkowski had no previous convictions and was considered out of his depth, lacking premeditation in his involvement. He will be sentenced on 27 June.
Ross Allen, 25, was found guilty of manslaughter for his role in the killing of Christy Daly, a father of eight who lived alone on Bog Lane, Kilbride, Clara, Co Offaly. The Central Criminal Court jury, after nearly nine hours, returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. Allen acted as a lookout on 29 December 2013 while two Dublin gang members beat and shot Daly. The judge noted that Allen's intent was to cause injury, not death, and that the state of mind of the accused was central to the case. Allen had previously admitted to hiding a €30,000 bag of drugs near Daly's caravan and had been questioned by Gardaí about his intentions. He was remanded in custody pending sentencing on 18 July. The trial highlighted the gang's belief that Daly had taken the drugs and the subsequent violent confrontation that led to his death.
In the trial of Ross Allen, a 25‑year‑old from Carrickmines, the jury was informed that a majority verdict could be accepted if unanimity could not be reached. Justice Patrick McCarthy instructed the panel of five women and six men that a ten‑to‑one majority would suffice. The jury had deliberated for five hours and 35 minutes before requesting to return the next day. One juror had been discharged earlier due to bereavement. The judge outlined that the verdict could be guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on May 9, 2016, Justice Patrick McCarthy instructed a jury of five women and six men to consider the state of mind of Ross Allen, 25, accused of murdering 47‑year‑old Christy Daly on December 29, 2013, at Bog Lane, Kilbride, Clara, Co Offaly. Allen pleaded not guilty. The judge explained that the jury could convict him of murder, find him not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or acquit him. He emphasized that the prosecution's case hinges on Allen's intent, based largely on statements he made while in custody in February 2014, where he said he expected to "give Mr Daly a few clouts" and "give him a beating." McCarthy warned that if Allen intended only to cause less than serious injury but the victim died, the charge would be manslaughter.
In the Central Criminal Court, 22‑year‑old Ross Allen was accused of murdering 47‑year‑old Christy Daly on 29 December 2013 at Bog Lane, Clara, Offaly. Prosecutor Patrick Marrinan argued that Allen, who had recently been released from prison and lived alone in a caravan, had hidden drugs and, after failing to retrieve them, set in motion a plan that involved a gang of armed men. Allen allegedly travelled with a Volvo, met with Dublin gang members, purchased tracksuits and a semi‑automatic machine gun, and later retrieved a hammer and a shotgun. The prosecution claimed Allen knew a serious assault would occur and that the use of a hammer and gun constituted intent to cause serious injury, sufficient for murder. Defence counsel Blaise O'Carroll counter‑argued that Allen's statements to Gardaí were made under duress, that he was not a hardened criminal, and that he had no intention to kill. Ross Allen pleaded not guilty.
The State withdrew a murder charge against a 22-year-old man at the Central Criminal Court following several days of legal argument. Matthew Gralton, from Mt Prospect, County Roscommon, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Christy Daly, aged 47, on a bog lane in Kilbride, Clara, County Offaly between 29 December 2013 and 7 January 2014. Prosecution counsel Patrick Marrinan SC entered a nolle prosequi, indicating the decision not to proceed with the case. Justice Patrick McCarthy discharged Mr Gralton from the charge. The trial of Ross Allen, aged 25, with addresses in Carrickmines, County Dublin and Clara, County Offaly, continues. Mr Allen has pleaded not guilty to Mr Daly's murder. The prosecution presented evidence from witnesses during proceedings before the jury, comprising five women and six men. The trial is due to resume before Justice McCarthy on Friday morning.
Ross Allen (25) has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Christy Daly, aged 47, at Bog Lane, Kilbride, Clara, County Offaly between 29 December 2013 and 7 January 2014. His co-accused Matthew Gralton (22) of Mount Prospect, County Roscommon has also pleaded not guilty to the charge. At the Central Criminal Court, Detective Sergeant Jer Glavin gave evidence that Mr Allen told gardaí during interview that he attended a meeting in Clara where the use of violence against the deceased was discussed. Mr Allen stated he was instructed to obtain a hammer and torch, and that a sawn-off shotgun was collected during the journey to Bog Lane. He said he acted as lookout while others proceeded to the caravan, after which he heard two shots. Mr Allen told gardaí he believed these were warning shots and did not anticipate lethal force would be used. The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence in the ongoing trial of Matthew Gralton and Ross Allen, who are accused of the murder of Christy Daly. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charge. State pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy testified that Mr Daly, whose body was found in a drain at Bog Lane, Clara, Co Offaly, likely suffered significant blunt force trauma before being shot. She detailed injuries including knocked-out teeth, a fractured nose, and facial lacerations, concluding that these impacts occurred prior to the gunshot wounds which finally incapacitated him. The cause of death was determined to be gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma, with hypothermia and coronary artery disease as contributing factors. Detective Sergeant Pat Cleary testified that he received an anonymous text message on December 30, 2013, alerting him to someone badly hurt on Curragh Road, Clara. This tip-off was linked to Mr Daly, who had been missing since December 29 and whose caravan had been burnt out. The body was located on January 7, 2014. The trial is proceeding before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury. One juror was discharged after informing the court she was overwhelmed by the proceedings following a recent bereavement. The matter was adjourned to continue tomorrow.
At the Central Criminal Court, the son of a deceased man gave evidence regarding his final hours with his father on December 29, 2013. Matthew Gralton, aged 22, from Mt Prospect in County Roscommon, and Ross Allen, aged 25, with addresses in Carrickmines, County Dublin and Clara, County Offaly, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Christy Daly at Bog Lane, Kilbride, Clara. The prosecution alleges that Mr Daly discovered drugs valued at €30,000 concealed on the remote laneway where he resided, and that individuals connected to the drugs subsequently arranged his killing. The State contends that whilst neither accused was the gunman, both had a role in the death. The witness testified that he spent the day with his father and planned to meet him later that evening, but received no response when he attempted to contact him approximately 90 minutes after they parted. Mr Daly's body was discovered in a drain on January 7, 2014.
A witness told the Central Criminal Court that Christy Daly, aged 47, expressed concern about men in dark clothing loitering near his home on the day he went missing. Gary Gonoude gave evidence at the trial of Matthew Gralton, aged 22, from Co Roscommon, and Ross Allen, aged 25, from Co Dublin and Offaly, who have pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Daly at Bog Lane, Kilbride, Clara, Co Offaly between December 29, 2013 and January 7, 2014. Mr Gonoude told prosecuting counsel that when towing a car to Mr Daly's residence on December 29, 2013, they encountered several hooded figures in the laneway. Mr Daly questioned their presence. Defence counsel for Mr Gralton challenged inconsistencies in Mr Gonoude's accounts to gardaí and in court testimony regarding the number and appearance of those present. Mr Daly's brother confirmed they last met that day. The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
At the Central Criminal Court, a prosecution barrister opened the trial of two men accused of murdering a 47-year-old man in Co Offaly in late 2013. The court heard that the alleged killing occurred at Bog Lane, Kilbride, Clara, between late December 2013 and early January 2014. Matthew Gralton, aged 22 and from Mt Prospect, Co Roscommon, and Ross Allen, aged 25 with addresses in Dublin and Offaly, have each pleaded not guilty to murder. The prosecution alleges both men admitted involvement in the killing during interviews with gardaí in February 2014, though neither claims to have fired the fatal shots. The court was told the victim discovered a €30,000 drugs stash on the laneway where he lived. The prosecution contends this triggered his death at the hands of individuals sent from Dublin. The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma, and his remains were discovered in a drain in January 2014. The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy.
Kevin Carroll, 56, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for raping a girl who was about seven when the offence occurred in an Offaly school between 1996 and 1998. He pleaded not guilty to rape and anal rape, was convicted on both counts, and the judge noted that the victim was a defenseless child and that Carroll held a position of authority. The court imposed a ten‑year term, ordered two years of post‑release supervision, and required Carroll to register as a sex offender. The victim gave a victim impact statement, describing the lasting emotional effects and the difficulty of attending school exams in similar halls. Carroll intends to appeal, citing alleged juror misconduct during the trial. No mitigation was offered by the defence. The sentencing took place in the Central Criminal Court.
This report details five notorious Irish murder cases, including the sentencing of Malcolm McArthur. McArthur pleaded guilty to the murder of Bridie Gargan and was sentenced to life in jail. The article also covers the Grangegorman killings, where Mark Nash was found guilty of the murders of Sylvia Shields and Mary Callinan in 2015, receiving a second life sentence. Although Dean Lyons initially confessed to these crimes, charges against him were dropped in 1998 after psychological testing suggested he was highly suggestible. Additionally, the report notes that Geoffrey Evans and John Shaw were sentenced to life in jail for the murders and rapes of Elizabeth Plunkett and Mary Duffy. Colin Whelan was sentenced to life in 2005 for the murder of his wife, Mary Gough, after faking his death and being extradited from Spain. Finally, Graham Dwyer is described in relation to the murder of Elaine O'Hara, though specific sentencing details for this case are not provided in the text. The validated procedural stage for the highlighted subjects is sentence, with findings of guilt and life imprisonment imposed for the proven charges.
A 43‑year‑old man from Templeogue, Aidan Quigley, was remanded on bail pending sentencing after pleading guilty to two burglary and one attempted burglary offences committed between June 2014 and May 2015. He had 41 prior convictions, 21 of them for burglary, and had been on bail for each offence before the court heard the latest. Gardaí accepted that Quigley only broke into unoccupied houses to fund a heroin addiction, and that all stolen items were returned to their owners while he was still in possession of them. His barrister, Luigi Rea BL, argued that Quigley had become a father of three, lost his job after his youngest daughter's death, and had increased drug use, leading to burglary. Rea said Quigley had stopped using heroin and methadone in July of the previous year and had not committed any further burglaries since May 2015.
Mr Justice Michael White ruled that the environmental assessment for the Clonbullogue power station in Co Offaly was flawed. In proceedings brought by An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland, the judge found that An Bord Pleanála misinterpreted the EU Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive by completely excluding indirect effects of peat extraction from designated bogs. The court declared that An Bord Pleanála is obliged to ensure the effectiveness of the EIA Directive by subjecting those environmental effects to an assessment before granting planning permission for the plant's continued operation. The action was opposed by the board and notice parties, including Edenderry Power Ltd, Bord na Mona Energy Ltd, Bord Na Mona Plc, the Minister for the Environment, and the State. Following his ruling, the judge adjourned the action for further orders arising from that finding. An Taisce had also sought an order quashing the planning permission decision. Separately, Mr Justice White dismissed related proceedings brought by Friends of the Irish Environment Ltd, which sought to quash the permission and declared that peat extraction effects were not properly assessed under the EU Habitats Directive. The judge dismissed this application because the applicant failed to provide expert evidence regarding the Habitats Directive. Notice parties in that separate action included Edenderry Power Ltd, Bord Na Mona, the Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the EPA, and An Taisce.
O'Reilly Commercials Limited, a vehicle testing firm, was found guilty of breaching health and safety laws during an official test of a school bus on 5–6 August 2005. The test, conducted under the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, allegedly exposed persons to risk because the company failed to ensure safety, notably by not noting the bus's modified rear suspension system. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, after a 23‑day trial and nearly eight hours of jury deliberation, convicted the firm on the first count. The company was fined €25,000 on 29 July 2013. Mr John Deegan, a director, has applied to represent the company in an appeal, arguing that no other lawyer had represented the firm in such proceedings and that legal aid may be available. The Court of Appeal has scheduled a hearing for 23 October to decide the appeal and any legal‑aid application.
Joseph Bates, aged 36, appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following a guilty plea to burglary at Milltown Institute on Sandyford Road, Dublin on 21 July 2013. The charges allege that while trespassing in the building, he committed theft and criminal damage. Bates had previously received a three-year suspended sentence from Longford Circuit Court for burglary in County Longford, imposed on condition he keep the peace for five years. The prosecution indicated the matter requires return to the Midlands Circuit, with Judge Desmond Hogan adjourning the case for mention at Tullamore on the following day. The breach of the suspended sentence condition raises the prospect of activation of the earlier custodial term.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced brothers Erol and Ali Basak for their involvement in a counterfeit clothing operation based in Tallaght, south Dublin. Erol Basak, 43, of Lucan, pleaded not guilty to twelve counts of fraudulent possession of goods bearing trade marks and eleven counts of fraudulent application of trade marks. A jury unanimously convicted him of all charges, which were committed in November 2012. Ali Basak, of Edenderry, Co Offaly, pleaded guilty to similar offences contrary to section 92 of the Trade Marks Act, 1996. Judge Mary Ellen Ring suspended a sentence of two and a half years imprisonment for both men, conditional on each paying €5,000 by December 2017. The judge specified that €2,000 of this sum should cover State expenses for trademark witnesses. She noted both men had unblemished records and were unlikely to re-offend. The court heard the operation could have caused an estimated €3 million loss to multinational companies if all seized unused labels had been used. Judge Ring directed that seized counterfeit clothing be donated to charities such as Focus Ireland rather than destroyed, noting the items were useful. The prosecution estimated finished items would have caused a €65,000 loss. The men, both Turkish nationals, had previously operated a legitimate clothing importation business before moving to the container premises.
The National Bus and Rail Workers Union (NBRU) and member Pauric Wall have launched a High Court challenge against the National Transport Authority (NTA). The applicants, who include Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann as parties whose routes are affected, seek to quash three NTA decisions made on January 22 regarding the tendering of approximately 30 routes in Dublin and Waterford City. The NBRU alleges that the NTA's decision to invite tenders breaches exclusive operating rights conferred under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 and that the NTA acted outside its powers. The union claims the NTA incorrectly interpreted an EU Regulation, which it argues does not mandate the privatisation of public passenger transport services. The applicants seek declarations that the NTA's decisions are null and void. In response, NTA lawyers stated the authority is entitled to make the tendering decisions. The court heard that contract notices have been issued, with awards due in April 2016. Mr Justice Seamus Noonan granted permission to bring the action on an ex parte basis. The matter was adjourned and made returnable to a date in early June.
A trial date has been set for Dr Bernadette Scully, a 57‑year‑old GP from Emvale, Tullamore, Co Offaly, who is accused of murdering her 11‑year‑old daughter Emily Barut at their family home on 15 September 2012. Mr Justice Paul Carney scheduled the trial for 21 November 2016 at the Central Criminal Court.
An Offaly man was sentenced to 240 hours community service at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his conviction for assaulting a garda in Tullamore on 12 March 2012. Enda Carroll, aged 23, of The Willows, Mucklagh, was found guilty of assault causing harm, resisting a peace officer, and two public order offences. The court heard that during a public order incident on William Street, Carroll refused gardaí directions and made threats toward Garda Lucy McLoughlin before attacking her. He subsequently picked her up by the leg and slammed her against a shop front, causing a tear to her hip joint and cartilage damage to her knee. The garda required two operations and was absent from duty for 18 months. Judge Carmel Stewart imposed the community service order in lieu of a two-year prison sentence, noting Carroll's written apology and engagement in training to improve his employment prospects. She warned that non-compliance with probation directions would result in activation of the custodial sentence.
In October 2014, Adrian Mooney, a 36‑year‑old from Offaly, was jailed for nine years after pleading guilty to 11 rape charges in 2008. He forced a young woman to have sex with him up to three times a week, threatening her with IRA punishment. His sentence included registration as a sex offender and five years of post‑release supervision. Mooney has now filed a High Court application seeking early release under the 2007 Prison Rules, claiming entitlement to a one‑third remission because he has served more than 66% of his sentence and has shown good behaviour, participated in prison programmes, and taken education courses. The Minister for Justice has not yet responded. Mr Justice Michael Peart granted Mooney permission to bring judicial review proceedings to compel the Minister to decide on the remission. The case is returnable later in the month. Similar applications by other prisoners, including former Real IRA member Michael McKevitt, are also pending.
Edward Piotrowski, 48, from Edenderry, Offaly, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury on 25 November 2007 of three counts of rape, one count of aggravated sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment of a woman. He was sentenced to five concurrent life sentences by Mr Justice Peter Charleton in January 2010. The life sentences were imposed for the rape, aggravated sexual assault and false imprisonment, and he also received concurrent terms of 10, five and 10 years for aggravated burglary, assault and false imprisonment of the man. Piotrowski denied the charges and pleaded guilty only to the assault charge. In April 2014 the Court of Criminal Appeal upheld his conviction, finding no legitimate basis for overturning the jury's decision. Piotrowski's counsel argued that the trial judge had not explained why an extraordinary five life sentences were warranted and that the sentence lacked proportionality. The appeal focused on the life sentences and whether they were appropriate.
In a High Court ruling on 26 May 2014, Mr Gerard Killally's bankruptcy was extended by 12 months, keeping him bankrupt until June 2015. Killally, a former Fianna Fail politician and businessman, was declared bankrupt in July 2009 with debts of about €70 million. The extension follows a 2012 conviction at the Midland Circuit Criminal Court for stealing €18 000 of refrigeration equipment, for which he received a three‑year suspended sentence. Mr Chris Lehane, the bankruptcy official, applied for the extension citing Killally's conviction and undisclosed pension plans. Mr Justice Brian McGovern granted the order, citing "good public policy" and the need for bankrupts to cooperate with the official assignee. He also imposed an income‑payment order of €433 per month until May 2016. Killally's counsel opposed the extension, arguing it constituted a double punishment for the 2012 conviction.
Edward Piotrowski, aged 48, lost his appeal against his conviction for the rape and sexual assault of a woman. The court found no legitimate basis to overturn the jury's decision. Piotrowski had claimed the trial judge erred in explaining the presumption of innocence and in presenting the defence case, but the Court of Criminal Appeal rejected these arguments. The court also dismissed his attempt to introduce new evidence, calling it unsubstantiated and implausible. Piotrowski was sentenced in January 2010 to five concurrent life sentences for three counts of rape, one count of aggravated sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment, plus concurrent terms of 10, five and 10 years for aggravated burglary, assault and false imprisonment of the man. The appeal against the sentence will be heard later. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
The prosecution case has concluded in the non-jury trial of Ursula Shannon, John McGreal, and Colin Brady, who are charged with the possession of two handguns and 32 rounds of ammunition at Tullybeg, Rahan, Co Offaly, on November 27, 2012. The three defendants, aged 30, 37, and 24 respectively, each pleaded not guilty to these charges, as well as to the unlawful possession of a 9mm Taurus PT92 pistol, a 9mm Walther P5 pistol, a ZGJY stun gun, and additional 9mm ammunition. A fourth co-accused, John Troy, pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of the same firearms and stun gun; he will be sentenced at a later date. Evidence presented indicated the accused were wearing wigs and disguises when intercepted by armed gardai outside a firearms dealer. The prosecution alleged the group intended to rob the shop, an accusation the accused did not challenge during cross-examination. Mr Justice Butler remanded McGreal and Shannon on continuing bail until February 12, when the case will be listed for judgement. Mr Justice Butler remanded Brady in custody with consent to bail until that date.
Edward Piotrowski, a 48-year-old Polish man formerly of Edenderry, Co Offaly, must await the outcome of his appeal against his conviction for the rape and sexual assault of a woman. In January 2010, Mr Justice Peter Charleton sentenced Piotrowski to five concurrent life sentences after a Central Criminal Court jury convicted him of the November 25, 2007 attack. The life sentences were imposed on three counts of rape, one count of aggravated sexual assault, and one count of false imprisonment of the woman, all of which he had denied. Additionally, Piotrowski received concurrent terms of 10, five, and 10 years for aggravated burglary, assault, and false imprisonment of the victim's partner; he pleaded guilty to the assault charge but not guilty to the other two. All sentences were backdated to November 2007. At the Court of Criminal Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Frank Clarke, counsel for Piotrowski argued that the trial judge erred in law regarding the presumption of innocence and the presentation of the defence case. The court also rejected Piotrowski's attempt to introduce new evidence, stating it would provide reasons for this decision later. The matter was adjourned as the court reserved its judgement on the appeal.