A serial criminal, Keith Hall, was released from prison for his role in the 2012 manslaughter of Melanie McCarthy-McNamara when he committed arson and robbery in 2025. Hall had previously been sentenced to 20 years for the manslaughter, which was later reduced. The court heard that Hall was involved in events leading up to the shooting, including agreeing to throw a rock to entice people out of a house. In 2025, Hall was caught on CCTV setting a car ablaze and later robbed a Halfords store. He was identified as one of the suspects and had a history of 112 previous convictions. Judge Orla Crowe noted Hall's high risk of re-offending but acknowledged his cooperation with the Probation Service. She imposed concurrent sentences of three years and six months, with the final six months suspended on the condition that Hall engage with the Probation Service.
Philip Sullivan, a 63-year-old Kildare native, is to be returned to prison after breaching the conditions of his suspended sentence. In 2008, the late Mr Justice Paul Carney imposed two concurrent life sentences on Sullivan for the alleged rape and sexual assault of two young boys, aged nine and 11, between 2004 and 2006. Sullivan appealed this decision, and the Court of Appeal quashed the life terms, substituting them with concurrent 15-year sentences. The final two and a half years of this term were suspended for 10 years on strict conditions, including a prohibition on being in the company of minors. Prosecutors told the High Court that in February, gardai found Sullivan in the company of three teenage boys, aged 15, 16, and 17, at his south Dublin home. While there was no evidence the boys consumed alcohol or cannabis in Sullivan's presence, his association with minors constituted a breach. Sullivan's risk assessment was subsequently upgraded from medium to high. Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted that Sullivan was not candid when confronted by gardai. The judge activated 18 months of the previously suspended sentence, ordering Sullivan's return to custody to ensure public safety and uphold the fundamental tenet of his supervision.
The Court of Appeal has rejected Stephen 'Rossi' Walsh's application for a certificate of miscarriage of justice. Walsh, a convicted child rapist with former addresses at Belgrave Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6, and Coologmartin, Donadea, Co Kildare, argued that the State acted unlawfully by bringing him back to court in November 2024 to seek additional post-release supervision conditions. He had previously been sentenced to ten years in jail in February 2010 for raping a nine-year-old girl, and later received a consecutive 12-year sentence in December 2011 for sexual assault and defilement, with the final two years suspended. In the 2024 proceedings, Mr Justice Paul Burns refused the State's application to vary conditions under the Sex Offenders Act, 2001, ruling the statute did not permit the request. Walsh subsequently claimed this constituted a miscarriage of justice under section 9 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1993. However, the three-judge panel, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, found that the State's unsuccessful application was a legitimate procedural step, not a second sentencing. The court emphasized that inconvenience does not equate to a miscarriage of justice, which requires inappropriate deprivation of liberty. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, and Walsh's convictions remain extant.
Raymond Donovan (44), who murdered his ex-girlfriend 21 years ago, had his claim that the Court of Criminal Appeal had substituted his life sentence with a 20-year term dismissed by the High Court. Mr Justice Garrett Simons ruled that Donovan had no basis for his claim and that it caused distress to the victim's family. Donovan, formerly of New Houses, Cooraclare, Co Clare, strangled his former girlfriend, Ann Walsh (23), to death in 2005. He launched a High Court bid for release, claiming the Court of Appeal had substituted his sentence, but no detention warrant proved this. The court found that the Central Criminal Court could not direct any other sentence than the mandatory life imprisonment for murder. Donovan's application was dismissed, and the judge said there was no basis for his claim of legality over his imprisonment. Raymond Donovan was convicted.
Convicted murderer Raymond Donovan has applied to the High Court for his release from prison, claiming that the Court of Appeal replaced his life sentence with a 20-year term. Donovan, who strangled his former girlfriend Ann Walsh to death on the grounds of a church in 2005, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2006. He now argues that the Court of Appeal substituted his sentence, and that prison authorities do not have the necessary documents to justify his continued detention. In an ex-parte application, Donovan's legal team successfully sought permission to inquire into his detention, citing Article 40.4.2 of the Constitution. He claims that prison officials have provided him with documents indicating a 20-year sentence, but he has been unable to obtain a copy of the Court of Appeal's warrant. Donovan is seeking a full inquiry into the legality of his detention and potentially bail. The High Court has adjourned the matter for further proceedings. At his trial, Donovan admitted to choking Ms Walsh but claimed he did not intend to kill her.
Conor Stewart, 31, pleaded guilty on 26 May 2024 to making an unwarranted demand with menace, threatening the parents of his former partner that their house would "go up like a Christmas tree" if a €4,000 debt was not paid. Garda Aaron Carney testified that Stewart called the house in Sandyford, where the father opened the door and saw Stewart on his phone, with a third party apparently directing him. The incident was recorded by a doorbell camera. Stewart, who has 84 prior convictions and was on bail for another offence, admitted he was in difficulty and had been told to do it. He has signed up for drug counselling while in custody. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced him to two years and three months, with nine months suspended for two years, to run consecutively to his current sentence, and ordered 12 months of probation supervision after release.
Danny Cirstea, 27, of Dublin 2, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for his role in a money‑laundering scheme and for obtaining €15,000 in social welfare fraud. He pleaded guilty to possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct, possession of drugs and deception. Garda investigations revealed that Cirstea's address was used to open bank accounts for himself and a co‑accused, and that he had control over a third‑party account. Payments totalling over €5,500 were made to his account in November 2019, and approximately €43,000 was lodged in an AIB account between August and June 2019. Around €58,000 moved through a further account between July 2019 and April 2020. A search of his home in December 2020 uncovered a small amount of cannabis, valued at €140, and later, in August 2022, four bags of tetrahydrocannabinol in edible chocolate, valued at €80, were seized.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Martin Nolan restored the driving licence of 27‑year‑old Shane Ward early, cutting his six‑year disqualification to four years and nine months. Ward had been convicted in February 2021 of dangerous driving causing serious harm, driving without insurance and leaving the scene after striking 28‑year‑old Ms Radhika Lausin on a footpath at Drimnagh Luas. Lausin suffered a brain bleed, multiple facial fractures and a broken arm, and has undergone two operations. Ward fled the scene, later escaping on a friend's scrambler, and did not assist the investigation before pleading guilty. Despite Garda objections citing the severity of Lausin's injuries, the judge accepted Ward's rehabilitation efforts, noting his business venture and tax compliance, and ruled that the court should not impede his rehabilitation. Ward can resume driving in November 2025. The decision was made after a hearing on 3 July 2024.
The Central Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Lounes Ouachek, 54, of Tallaght, Dublin 24, after he allegedly breached release conditions by attempting to contact his victim. Det Sgt Mary Fitzpatrick informed the court that Ouachek failed to appear despite notification. Mr Justice Paul McDermott ordered the warrant. Ouachek pleaded guilty in 2014 to the attempted murder of his wife, Ruta Ouachek, at their home on August 23, 2012. He was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with the final three suspended by Mr Justice Paul Carney on July 21, 2014. The Court of Appeal later reduced his sentence to 15 years with the final four suspended. Garret McCormack BL, for the DPP, stated a condition required no contact with his wife in perpetuity. The court heard Ouachek, an Algerian national, developed resentment toward his wife's independence after she entered full-time education. He allegedly attacked her with a kettle-bell, causing skull and facial fractures. After the incident, he left the house, drove to Dublin airport, and flew to Tunisia via Paris. He was subsequently arrested in Germany on an extradition warrant. The matter was adjourned.
Fire brigade officers gave evidence on day 13 of the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court concerning an incident at a property near Strokestown, County Roscommon, on 16 December 2018. Peter Carney, station officer at Elfin fire station, described arriving at the repossessed farmhouse at Falsk to find vehicles on fire and three or four seriously injured security personnel outside. He told the jury that fire officers cordoned off the property following a risk assessment and controlled access to the scene. Brendan Foy, station officer at Strokestown fire station, testified that security guards requested re-entry but were prevented from doing so due to safety concerns and the site being a crime scene. He confirmed standard procedure involved erecting cordon tape and stationing an officer to prevent tampering with evidence. Four men, Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne and David Lawlor, have each pleaded not guilty to 17 charges including false imprisonment, assault causing harm, aggravated burglary and arson. The trial before Judge Martina Baxter continues.
Ciprian Grozavu, 48, a Romanian national, was convicted of murdering John Forrester, 42, in 2011 at Bridge House, Bandon. The body was tied with cable and dumped in the River Bandon. A 10‑day trial at the Central Criminal Court ended with a unanimous jury verdict and a mandatory life sentence imposed by Mr Justice Paul Carney in March 2014. In December 2022, Mr Justice George Birmingham dismissed a motion by Lorcan Staines SC that the jury should have received a warning about circumstantial evidence. The judge held that the case was based on direct evidence, including admissions by Grozavu and witnesses, and that neither side had requested a warning. The dismissal meant the appeal was not pursued. Grozavu's co‑accused, Catherine O'Connor, also pleaded guilty to the murder of Forrester and was sentenced to life. Grozavu was later found guilty of a second murder, Jonathan Duke, and received an eight‑year sentence for impeding the apprehension of another. Catherine O'Connor was acquitted.
Stephen 'Rossi' Walsh, aged 75, had his 2010 conviction for indecent assault of a seven‑year‑old girl overturned by the Court of Appeal. Walsh had previously been sentenced to 10 years for raping a nine‑year‑old in the early 1990s, and in 2010 received a three‑year sentence for the 1988 assaults, followed by a 12‑year sentence in 2011 for further sexual offences. The appeal centred on pre‑trial media coverage, notably Sunday World and News of the World articles published the day before his trial, which portrayed Walsh as a convicted pervert and gang member. Walsh argued that this coverage prejudiced the jury and that the trial judge failed to give adequate warnings. The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction, noting the coverage was "highly egregious" and that the judge's instructions were insufficient. The court left it to the State to decide whether a retrial is required.
Gerard Hutch, 59, of Clontarf, Dublin 3, is standing trial in the Special Criminal Court, where he denies the murder of Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne on February 5, 2016. The defence team, led by Brendan Grehan SC, has raised significant concerns regarding the legality of state surveillance, specifically alleging that gardai may have illegally deployed a tracker device on a vehicle belonging to Jonathan Dowdall while it was in Northern Ireland. Mr Grehan argued that such use would breach the law and sought clarification on how specific CCTV enquiries were initiated. Prosecution witness Sean Gillane SC contended that the defence was conflating issues, while the presiding judge acknowledged the emerging legal arguments. Meanwhile, co-accused Jonathan Dowdall, 44, of Cabra, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to facilitating the Hutch gang by providing access to motor vehicles. He was sentenced to four years in prison for this offence. Dowdall is currently being assessed for the Witness Protection Program to testify against Hutch. Other defendants, Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney, who also face charges of participating in the murder by providing vehicles, have pleaded not guilty and remain on trial. The court continues to hear evidence from National Surveillance Unit members, whose identities are withheld by order.
Stephen Carney, serving a life sentence for the 2007 murder of his girlfriend Amanda Jenkins, has filed a judicial review against the Minister for Justice. He argues that the 2021 introduction of a new statutory Parole Board has disrupted the administrative processes that previously governed his rehabilitation plan. Under the former system, Carney had successfully progressed through stages of a release programme, including temporary release for training, and was expected to move to the next stage in January 2024. The Minister's response directed him to engage with the new board, which Carney claims will not review his case until at least the third quarter of 2023. He seeks orders compelling the Minister to decide on his application, declarations that the Minister is acting unlawfully, and an order quashing the alleged refusal. The case was adjourned to October after Mr Justice Charles Meenan granted permission to proceed.
In January 2022, Judge Paul McDermott re‑activated 18 months of the five‑year suspended portion of Jason Paget's 15‑year sentence for aggravated burglary and sexual assault committed in 2003. Paget, 34, had been released in 2018 after serving ten years and had returned to the UK. He had failed to comply with Probation Service requirements, citing lack of a UK system and COVID‑related issues. The judge noted Paget's earlier remorse, good behaviour and limited contact with victims, and decided not to re‑activate the full suspended term. The case remains at the stage of a suspended sentence adjustment, with the court acknowledging Paget's partial compliance and the absence of a UK probation arrangement. No further convictions or outcomes are reported in the article. Probation Service pleaded guilty.
Paulina Galantkiewicz, a 34‑year‑old learner driver from Belmont Park, Raheny, was convicted of dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm after she ran over cyclist Aline Taveres, 34, on Oak Road, Clondalkin, on 1 June 2018. Galantkiewicz told the court she panicked, pressed the accelerator instead of the brakes, and rolled over the cyclist. She had no prior convictions. The jury found her guilty on the sole count after an hour and a half of deliberation. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the lack of aggravating factors such as speed, alcohol or drugs, and Galantkiewicz's unblemished record, imposed a two‑year suspended sentence and a four‑year automatic disqualification from driving, with no requirement to retake the driving test. The sentence reflected the serious injuries sustained by Taveres, who now uses a wheelchair and has not worked since the accident. The court heard that the collision occurred in wet weather, with no independent witnesses but CCTV evidence. Paulina Galantkiewicz pleaded not guilty.
Stephen 'Rossi' Walsh, a 74-year-old former resident of Rathgar, Dublin, appealed his 2010 conviction for two counts of indecent assault at the Court of Appeal. Walsh, who represented himself at the original Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, argued that adverse media coverage published the day before his trial impaired his right to a fair trial. Counsel Paul Carroll SC submitted that Judge Patrick McCartan failed to apply fair procedure by not adjourning the proceedings to allow a "fade factor" for juror memory, despite Walsh's complaint about newspaper articles referencing his prior convictions. Walsh also alleged judicial bias, claiming Judge McCartan was familiar with him through the Prisoners' Rights Organisation. The State, represented by Dean Kelly SC, countered that the trial judge was fair and that Walsh himself raised his criminal history. The appeal concerns the October 21, 2010, conviction where Walsh was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, a term made consecutive to a prior 10-year sentence for rape. Presiding Judge John Edwards reserved judgment, noting that a decision would not be issued in the next short weeks. The matter remains adjourned pending the court's final determination on whether the pre-trial media coverage compromised the trial's fairness.
Barry McGee, aged 38, was convicted of raping and threatening to kill two Australian women in 2002. He was sentenced in 2003 to 17 years' imprisonment, with the last two years suspended, and ordered to be supervised by the Probation Service for 10 years after release. In 2017, a Probation Officer applied for three additional conditions: participation in risk assessment, notification of overseas travel two weeks in advance, and compliance with all lawful directions. The court, hearing the application in 2023, found the conditions necessary and imposed them, warning that non‑compliance could lead to a summary conviction and up to 12 months' imprisonment or a fine. The supervision period is set to expire in October 2023. The case details the 2002 assault, the subsequent arrest, and the court's sentencing hearing. Barry McGee pleaded guilty.
Shane Ward, 24, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for dangerous driving that caused serious harm to a foreign student, Radhika Lausin, 28, at Drimnagh LUAS Stop on 30 January 2020. Ward, riding an uninsured scrambler motorbike, struck Lausin from behind while she had just disembarked from the LUAS. The collision sent the bike into a nearby canal; Ward escaped the scene on a friend's bike. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance and leaving the scene. Lausin suffered head injury, jaw and wrist fractures, and a thigh injury, requiring two operations. The court noted Ward's prior insurance offence and his remorse, including a €10,000 payment. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the custodial sentence and a six‑year driving disqualification. Ward's case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
An Algerian man, Lounes Ouachek, 50, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty in 2014 to attempting to murder his wife, Ruta, by striking her with a kettlebell on 23 August 2012. He was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended, and the sentence was reduced by one year in 2015. In January 2021, Ouachek applied to the Court of Appeal for permission to bring a new appeal after the statutory period had passed. He claimed he was misled by his legal team, that Garda evidence was fabricated, and that he had not understood English or had an interpreter at his hearing. The Court of Appeal, hearing arguments from the Director of Public Prosecutions, found no basis to extend the time and refused his application. The appeal was therefore denied. The case remains at the stage of a denied appeal application.
John Tierney, aged 53, of Rockhouse, Gowna, County Cavan, received a fully suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his guilty plea to dangerous driving causing death. The collision occurred on the N4 motorway near Junction 3 in Lucan, County Dublin, on 10 December 2018, when Tierney's vehicle suddenly moved into a bus lane, striking the motorcycle of Stephen Fee, who was fatally injured. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a one-year custodial sentence, suspended in full, and disqualified Tierney from driving for eight years. The court heard that Tierney's vehicle had begun losing power due to a diesel particle filter issue, leading him to change lanes without ensuring the path was clear. Tierney had no previous convictions. The judge characterised the driving as a misjudgement rather than reckless behaviour, citing strong mitigating factors including Tierney's guilty plea, cooperation with gardaí, and significant health difficulties. Impact statements from the victim's family were read to the court.
Jamie Nulty, aged 22, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary at Castaheany, Clonee on 15 July 2017, when he was 19. He broke into the home of Sarah Kearney while she was in bed, armed with a screwdriver that he had entered through a downstairs window. Nulty demanded money, took her bank card and PIN, and searched the house while holding the screwdriver. He attempted to take a computer and later tried to stop Kearney from calling 999, grabbing her arm and throwing her onto the bed. The ordeal ended when he left, putting a tea towel on his head and riding a bike. Kearney suffered post‑traumatic stress disorder and claimed €1,000 in losses. Nulty also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on 17 February 2017; he was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 29 July. The court heard he had 23 previous convictions and was on bail for the earlier offence.
In a Dublin junction at Swords Road and Collins Avenue, truck driver Prince Aibangbe (51) was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with a two‑year suspended portion, after he broke a red light and fatally struck 21‑year‑old Gerard Whyte. Aibangbe had stopped past the white stop lines and, believing he had a green filter light, pulled off to the left. Witnesses and CCTV confirmed he moved through a red light. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death. The judge noted his guilty plea, remorse, and cooperation, and disqualified him from driving for six years. Aibangbe had nine prior convictions, including four for traffic offences, and had previously been fined for driving without insurance and failing to display an NCT. The sentence was intended as a deterrent for large‑vehicle drivers at junctions.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, truck driver Prince Aibangbe (51) pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of 21‑year‑old Gerard Whyte on 31 May 2019. Aibangbe claimed he believed he had hit a kerb after mistakenly thinking a green filter light was on, but was later informed by his boss that dash‑cam footage showed he had driven through a red light at the Swords Road/Collins Avenue junction. Witnesses, including a bus driver and a truck driver, confirmed the truck broke the red light and that Whyte was crossing as the green man appeared. Aibangbe had nine prior convictions, including four for road traffic offences, and had recently been fined €400 for driving without insurance and failing to display an NCT. He expressed remorse, wrote a letter to the court, and asked the Whyte family for forgiveness.
In October 2019 the Court of Appeal upheld a 15‑year prison sentence that had been imposed on Joseph Hogan, a 66‑year‑old resident of Rose Court, Keyes Park, Limerick city, for the rape and sexual assault of his niece. Hogan had been convicted in 2015 on three counts of rape and one count of attempted rape, with an additional ten‑year term for three counts of sexual assault, all of which were to run concurrently. The offences occurred between 1984 and 1988 when the victim, Ms Sonya Stokes, was aged between seven and eleven. Hogan had pleaded not guilty to all counts. The appeal court found no error in the original sentencing and confirmed that the 15‑year term was within the appropriate range for the seriousness of the offences, given the victim's age and the breach of trust involved.
In a High Court hearing on 11 July 2019, Mr James Carney, a part‑owner of a horse sold in 2011, apologised to the court for social‑media posts about Goffs Bloodstock Sales Ltd. He admitted the posts were unfounded and pledged not to repeat such conduct. Carney withdrew complaints he had made to professional bodies, including the British Horseracing Authority. Goffs, represented by Robert J. Goff and Co, Goffs Bloodstock Sales Ltd, Goffs UK Ltd, and CEO Mr Henry Beeby, had sued Carney for defamation, claiming the posts damaged the firm's reputation and sought damages. The parties reached a settlement, with Carney agreeing to delete all relevant posts, remove a Twitter account, withdraw complaints to regulatory bodies, and refrain from future complaints. The judge adjourned the case with liberty to re‑enter.
In 2003, Yusuf Ali Abdi was convicted of murdering his infant son, Nathan Baraka Andrew Ali, and sentenced to life imprisonment. The conviction was based on a jury verdict that rejected his insanity defence, despite medical witnesses for the defence claiming he was a zombie and acted under voices. The prosecution's witnesses, including Dr Damien Mohan, stated Abdi was not psychotic. In 2019, the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction after a 2013 diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, made by a psychiatrist at the Central Mental Hospital, was deemed new evidence that could have affected the trial outcome. The appeal judge, citing the change in diagnosis and Abdi's ongoing mental illness, ruled the conviction unsafe and remanded him for a retrial. The case remains pending before the Central Criminal Court.
Gerard Manning, aged 38, of Limerick but originally from Belturbet in County Cavan, has had his murder conviction upheld following an appeal to the Court of Appeal. Manning was convicted in 2013 of murdering Martin Purcell, a 54-year-old father-of-two, at his home on Wickham Street in Limerick in September 2011. Mr Purcell sustained 41 wounds and died from a throat laceration that severed his jugular vein. Manning had pleaded not guilty and denied knowing the victim, but forensic evidence including his fingerprints found in the victim's blood proved decisive at trial. A jury returned a guilty verdict by majority, and Manning received the mandatory life sentence. The Court of Appeal dismissed grounds of appeal relating to the admission of evidence, including a knife found near Manning's flat, and alleged non-disclosure by gardaí. The court determined the trial was satisfactory and the conviction safe. Gardaí have stated no motive for the killing has been established.
Yusuf Ali Abdi, who murdered his infant son Nathan Baraka Andrew Ali in 2001, was convicted in 2003 and sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment. He appealed in 2004 but lost. In 2018 he sought a miscarriage‑of‑justice declaration, arguing that a 2013 diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, made after his conviction, proved the earlier 2003 diagnosis of non‑psychosis by Dr Damien Mohan was erroneous. Abdi's counsel cited psychiatric reviews showing a progression from depression and PTSD to paranoid schizophrenia and antisocial personality disorder. The Director of Public Prosecutions countered that the 2013 diagnosis was an opinion, not a fact, and that reopening the case would set a dangerous precedent. The Court of Appeal reserved judgment, noting the case raised significant legal questions. The proceedings remain at the appeal stage. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
Gerard Hayes, 53, of Limerick, was convicted of murdering 20‑year‑old John Robinson at John Carew Park on 22 or 23 January 2000. A Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty and he received a mandatory life sentence in March 2003. Fifteen years later, Hayes brought an appeal against his conviction. The Court of Criminal Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice John Edwards with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, dismissed the appeal. The court noted that Hayes had not sought leave from the trial judge to appeal, had delayed the appeal process, and had not requested a transcript of the original trial in a timely manner. The original stenographic record and tapes had been destroyed, and the court found no evidence that the trial was unsatisfactory or that the conviction was unsafe. Consequently, the appeal was rejected. The case remains at the conviction stage. Gerard Hayes pleaded not guilty.
Gerard Creighton, aged 49, was sentenced again in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for failing to notify Gardaí of his change of address. He had previously been jailed for three years in March 2015 for the same offence, as well as for an attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm. In the current case, Creighton pleaded guilty to not informing Gardaí of his address between 5 and 24 June 2016. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a one‑year prison term. The judge warned Creighton that he must comply with the Garda regime and that failure to do so could result in further imprisonment. Garda Niall Murray noted that Creighton was due for release in May 2016 and had been warned by a prison officer to notify the Gardaí of any address change. The court heard that Creighton had not returned to a Garda station after being told to do so.
Daniel McDonnell, aged 23, was convicted of murdering 16‑year‑old Melanie McCarthy McNamara in Tallaght on 8 February 2012. The Central Criminal Court found that a shot from a stolen black Hyundai Santa Fe hit McCarthy in the head while she sat in a car with her boyfriend and a friend. McDonnell was arrested the following week and pleaded not guilty. He was found guilty by a jury after over four hours of deliberation and received a mandatory life sentence on 24 January 2014. McDonnell appealed in April, arguing the reliability of two letters he wrote while in custody. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, ruling the trial was fair and the jury's verdict safe, and upheld the conviction. The appeal also rejected arguments about the letters' admissibility and the lack of other evidence. The case remains at the appeal stage.
A 39‑year‑old nurse, Greta Dudko, was convicted of murdering her 55‑year‑old mother, Anna Butautiene, on Christmas Eve 2010. Dudko admitted striking her mother's head against a wall and then hitting her with a glass bottle, causing blunt‑force trauma. The Central Criminal Court found her guilty of murder by a 11‑to‑1 jury verdict and imposed a mandatory life sentence on 22 October 2014. She had been suspended from nursing work earlier that year for intoxication at work and had an alcohol problem. Dudko's appeal, filed in December 2015, challenged the judge's handling of intoxication and the fairness of the jury charge. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, ruling the judge's conduct was not unfair and the conviction remained valid. The court also upheld the admissibility of photographs of the deceased at the crime scene. The unnamed 39-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A man from Castlebar, County Mayo, has failed in his appeal against a murder conviction at the Court of Appeal. The 25-year-old was sentenced to life imprisonment in February 2014 for the death of his mother on March 9, 2011. He had admitted manslaughter but pleaded not guilty to murder. During his trial at the Central Criminal Court, evidence emerged concerning his long-standing substance abuse and intoxication at the time of the killing. His defence centred on arguments of diminished responsibility and an inability to form the necessary intent due to drug use. A jury unanimously rejected these submissions and returned a guilty verdict for murder. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice John Edwards, found the trial satisfactory and the conviction safe. The court considered the trial judge's instructions to the jury adequate despite submissions regarding the handling of intoxication evidence. The appeal was dismissed.
In the Court of Appeal, Daniel McDonnell's lawyers argued that letters he wrote while in custody, bragging about the murder of 16‑year‑old Melanie McCarthy, were unreliable and should not have been admitted to the jury. McDonnell, 23, had been convicted of the murder on the basis of these letters and a single piece of graffiti. His barrister, Bernard Condon SC, contended that the letters were produced by a 17‑year‑old in a 23‑hour lock‑up, with a history of drug use and limited education, making them suspect. He highlighted the lack of other evidence linking McDonnell to the crime and the absence of safeguards during the letters' creation. The prosecution, represented by Brendan Grehan SC, maintained that the letters were voluntary, lucid, and highly probative. The appeal was heard by a panel of three judges, who reserved judgment on the matter. Daniel McDonnell pleaded not guilty.
In 2013, David O'Loughlin (30) of Cork was convicted of murdering Liam Manley (59) after forcing him into a refuse chute at Garden City Apartments. The Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty and he received a mandatory life sentence on 31 March 2015. In February 2018, the Court of Appeal quashed the verdict, ruling that the jury's unsanctioned visit to the chute and a juror's experiment of throwing a stone there violated the Juries Act. The judge noted the experiment introduced new evidence and the jury should have been discharged. The appeal allowed a retrial, and O'Loughlin was remanded to appear before the Central Criminal Court. The case remains at the retrial stage, with no further outcome reported in the article. David O'Loughlin pleaded not guilty.
In 2015, David O'Loughlin (30) was convicted of murdering Liam Manley (59) after forcing him into a refuse chute at Garden City Apartments, Cork. The Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty and imposed a mandatory life sentence. In 2018, the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction because the jury had visited the chute during deliberations without permission from either the defence or prosecution, an action deemed technically unlawful under the Juries Act. During the visit, a juror threw a stone down the chute, an experiment that introduced new, unexamined evidence. The judge ruled that the jury should have been discharged under these circumstances. The case remains pending, with the court to decide whether a retrial will be ordered. The summary reflects only the facts presented in the article. David O'Loughlin pleaded not guilty.
A man serving a life sentence for the 2011 murder of his mother in Castlebar, County Mayo, has lodged an appeal against his conviction at the Court of Appeal. Celyn Eadon was convicted in February 2014 of murdering his 46-year-old mother, whom he fatally stabbed on 9 March 2011. He had pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted manslaughter. During his eight-day trial at the Central Criminal Court in early 2014, the court heard evidence of Eadon's long-standing substance abuse and his mental state at the time of the killing. His legal team argued that the trial judge failed to adequately address the question of intoxication in relation to specific intent. Counsel contended that instructions given to the jury regarding voluntary intoxication may have prevented proper consideration of whether the charge should be reduced to manslaughter. The three-judge panel reserved judgement on the appeal.
A 39‑year‑old nurse, Greta Dudko, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering her 55‑year‑old mother, Anna Butautiene, on Christmas Eve 2010. Dudko admitted striking her mother's head against a wall and hitting her with a glass bottle, causing blunt‑force trauma. She pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea that was rejected, and was tried at the Central Criminal Court. A majority jury found her guilty of murder (11‑1) and Mr Justice Paul Carney imposed a mandatory life sentence on 22 October 2014. The court noted Dudko's alcohol problem, medication use, and recent suspension from nursing work. She and her family had moved out of the shared home weeks before the murder. Dudko has now lodged an appeal, arguing that the trial judge's conduct and charge were unfair and unbalanced, particularly regarding intoxication and provocation. The appeal is pending.
A 77-year-old appellant has lost his appeal against the severity of his prison sentence. The man, whose identity is protected to preserve the victim's anonymity, was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury following a retrial of 14 counts of rape and 60 counts of sexual assault committed against his daughter between 2002 and 2006. In May 2011, Mr Justice Paul Carney imposed concurrent 15-year sentences for each rape count and 10-year sentences for each sexual assault count, with the final three years suspended. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice John Hedigan, dismissed the appeal, finding no error in the sentencing judge's approach or conclusions. The court noted the aggravating factors, including the breach of trust, the victim's age, the duration of the offending, and the absence of genuine remorse. The appellant's primary grounds argued that the judge failed to adequately consider his good character, lack of extreme violence, and potential for rehabilitation. However, the court determined that the most significant mitigation, an early guilty plea, was unavailable. Additionally, the court could not address the appellant's successful Supreme Court challenge regarding the constitutionality of Section 249.1 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as no leave to add these grounds had been sought in this specific appeal. The three-judge panel concluded that the sentence was appropriate given the circumstances.
Patrick McCann, 24, of Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to attempted murder of 19‑year‑old Luke Wilson and to possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. The incident occurred on 13 January 2013 at Liffey Gaels, Memorial Park, Inchicore, when Wilson was shot in the arm, neck and face but escaped injury because the gun jammed twice and McCann fled. In sentencing, Mr Justice Paul Carney described the case as "might as well have appeared in the Love/Hate script" and imposed a 20‑year sentence, suspending the final three years. He cited McCann's long‑standing dependence on alcohol and drugs and a dysfunctional family background as mitigating factors. McCann was due to appeal the sentence, but after a hearing in the Court of Appeal, his barrister Keith Spencer announced that McCann wished to withdraw the appeal.
The Court of Appeal was informed that Daniel McDonnell, aged 22, who is serving a mandatory life sentence for the murder of 16‑year‑old Melanie McCarthy, is medically unfit to attend court due to a psychiatric illness. McDonnell, who was 19 at the time of the offence, had pleaded not guilty and was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court on 24 January 2014, receiving a life sentence. He was due to appeal his conviction on the day the appeal hearing was scheduled, but the court was told he could not attend. Counsel Bernard Condon requested a new date to obtain an up‑to‑date psychiatric report. The appeal hearing was postponed to 18 December, when a new date will be set. The case remains at the appeal stage, with no further outcome reported in the article.
In 2015, David O'Loughlin, aged 30, was convicted of murder after he placed Liam Manley, 59, in a refuse chute at Garden City Apartments, Cork, where Manley died by asphyxiation. O'Loughlin appealed, arguing that the jury should not have visited the chute before delivering the verdict. The Court of Appeal heard that the jury, at its own request, visited the chute during deliberations and even threw a stone down it, an act the defence claimed introduced new evidence. O'Loughlin's counsel, Michael O'Higgins SC, contended that the jury's visit was unlawful and that the death was not a foreseeable consequence of the act. The prosecution's counsel, Seán Gillane SC, maintained that the act was an assault and that the jury had statutory authority to visit the site. The court noted the visit occurred without either party's presence and reserved judgment. David O'Loughlin pleaded not guilty.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court formally discharged charges against ten of the eleven Jobstown water charge protesters. Judge Melanie Greally entered a nolle prosequi for all accused except Dylan Collins, whose case remains active. Prosecution barrister Sean Gillane SC stated that Collins, aged 22, is alleged to have committed violent disorder and criminal damage to a garda car rear window on November 15, 2014. He will be arraigned on November 20, with a trial date likely unnecessary. The other ten defendants, including Antoinette Kane and Calvin Carlyle, faced allegations of violent disorder at Fortunestown Road, Jobstown, on the same date. Their charges were dropped following a request from the DPP. This decision follows a previous trial where six men, including Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, were found not guilty of falsely imprisoning former Tánaiste Joan Burton and her advisor Karen O'Connell. Protesters celebrated the discharge outside the court, demanding a public inquiry into the prosecution. The matter for the ten discharged individuals was concluded, while Collins's case proceeds to arraignment.
Brian Kenna, a former member of a Provisional IRA gang, was involved in a bank robbery in Enniscorthy on 1 May 1990. The gang, consisting of seven raiders armed with shotguns, pistols, a revolver and replica guns, held up the AIB branch at Slaney Place. Gardai were alerted by a bank official and four uniformed officers arrived, armed with an Uzi submachine gun and revolvers issued by Superintendent Michael Murphy. During the confrontation, the raiders fired three shots at the gardai, who returned fire and seriously injured the driver of the getaway van. Kenna pleaded not guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to commit robbery, use of a firearm to resist arrest, and robbery of over €5,000. He was convicted along with five others, each receiving a ten‑year sentence, while a sixth man received twelve years due to a prior firearms conviction. The trial took place at the Special Criminal Court in Green Street.
Stephen "Rossi" Walsh, a 69‑year‑old former Belgrave Road resident, was denied an extension of time to appeal his rape and child‑defilement convictions. In February 2010 he received a 10‑year sentence for raping a nine‑year‑old girl. Judge Patrick McCartan added a consecutive three‑year term in November 2010 for indecent assault of a seven‑year‑old girl, and a further consecutive 12‑year term in December 2011 for sexual assault and defilement in 2008 and 2009. Walsh's recent motions to the Court of Appeal were rejected; he may only appeal on his original grounds.
A 39‑year‑old man from Cork, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of 23 counts of sexually abusing his younger sister between 1991 and 1997, when he was aged 14 to 20. He had been tried on a 43‑count indictment but was acquitted of the remaining charges. Mr Justice Paul Carney sentenced him to five years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, on 29 October 2014. The man appealed against the severity of the sentence, but the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, finding no error in principle. Mr Justice John Edwards noted that the victim was four years younger than the offender and that the offender had literacy and numeracy difficulties at school, leaving without educational achievements. He had expressed remorse at sentencing, and the judge gave a 20% discount when suspending the final year.
In a Cork case, Hungarian national Tamas Vecernyes, aged 29, was found guilty of raping a woman in her apartment on 9 September 2009. The original 11‑year sentence, with three years suspended, was reduced to eight years with the same suspension after an appeal. The victim, a woman in her 20s, had invited Vecernyes for drinks; after she went to bed, he followed her and raped her while she was intoxicated. She described being unable to breathe and feeling paralyzed. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, ruled that the original 11‑year headline was "unusual" and "out of kilter" with similar offences, citing the lack of premeditation and extra violence. The judge noted Vecernyes' good behaviour in prison and a positive letter from authorities, and imposed an eight‑year term with a three‑year suspension, requiring a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period. Tamas Vecernyes pleaded not guilty.
John Hannigan, aged 48, was convicted of murder and assault causing harm after killing his friend Anthony Fallon on 18 January 2012 in Clonmel. The Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty on both counts and he received a mandatory life sentence on 28 February 2014. The trial revealed that Hannigan had called an ambulance at 7 a.m. and that a post‑mortem found 31 rib fractures, plus fractures to the collar and breast bones, with blunt force trauma to the head and trunk as the major cause of death. Hannigan claimed he had lost his temper because Fallon would not stop talking and had punched him "hard and fast" like Bruce Lee, but he later told the Gardaí he was panicking. He had also claimed to have a black belt in karate, which he later admitted he did not have. John Hannigan pleaded not guilty.
John Hannigan, aged 48, was convicted of murdering his friend Anthony Fallon, 46, in Clonmel on 18 January 2012. Hannigan pleaded not guilty to both murder and assault causing harm. A Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty on both counts and he received a mandatory life sentence on 28 February 2014. The trial revealed that Hannigan had called an ambulance at River House before 7 a.m., reporting that Fallon had rung the doorbell and collapsed. A post‑mortem found 31 fractures to Fallon's ribs, collar and breast bones, with blunt force trauma to the head and trunk as the cause of death. Hannigan later admitted to the death, claiming he had lost his temper when Fallon would not stop talking and had punched him "hard and fast" like Bruce Lee. He denied having a black belt in karate. He is now awaiting the outcome of his appeal, which is expected on 22 November.