In a 2014 trial, a jury was shown a bloodstained Irish Knights bottle, a key piece of evidence in the case of 36‑year‑old Greta Dudko, who is charged with murdering her 55‑year‑old mother, Anna Butautiene, on Christmas Eve 2010. Forensic scientist John Hoade presented the bottle, noting blood stains on its label and matching DNA from the blood to the deceased. He also showed blood with the same DNA profile on a sleeveless jacket and mentioned two light‑coloured hairs found on Ms. Butautiene's left hand, though their origin could not be determined. The jury also viewed a blood‑soaked pillow, a bloodstained duvet, and the deceased's passport, which had been cut and burnt. Detective Sergeant Thomas Carey testified about the scene, describing the victim's heavily blood‑stained face and wounds, and the discovery of bank cards in her daughter's name. Greta Dudko pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin trial, a 36‑year‑old nurse, Greta Dudko, pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder for killing her 55‑year‑old mother, Anna Butautiene, on Christmas Eve 2010. The jury heard that Dudko struck her mother twice with a glass bottle after pushing her against a wall in their duplex. Detective Garda Patrick Traynor presented evidence from a rubbish bin, including heavily‑bloodstained latex gloves and the charred remains of a Lithuanian passport in the mother's name. Dudko claimed the passport was her old one and denied intent to destroy it. A post‑mortem revealed more than the four head injuries she admitted. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Paul Carney, continues before a jury of seven men and five women.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Greta Dudko, 36, admitted to striking her mother, Anna Butautiene, 55, with an empty glass bottle on Christmas Eve 2010, claiming she feared her mother would ruin her life. Dudko said the altercation began when her mother returned home to find her daughter had allowed her three‑year‑old son to stay with her husband, whom the family had left weeks earlier. Dudko described pushing her mother against a wall, then retrieving a bottle from the kitchen and striking her twice over the head while she lay in bed. She denied intent to kill, stating she only wanted her mother to leave. The case is proceeding before Mr Justice Paul Carney with a jury of seven men and five women. Greta Dudko pleaded guilty.
The Central Criminal Court heard the case of Greta Dudko, a 36‑year‑old nurse, charged with murdering her mother, Anna Butautiene, 55, on Christmas Eve 2010. Dudko admitted striking Anna with a bottle, killing her, but denied the murder at the address. She pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the DPP. The court heard that Dudko had an alcohol problem, had been suspended from work, and had left her husband weeks before the killing. She had moved to Station Court Hall with her three‑year‑old son and her mother, who had come to Ireland to help care for the child. Dudko's estranged husband, Vitalij Dudko, testified that his wife's mother was a caring grandmother who would never leave their son with his wife when she was drinking. He said the mother accused them of being bad parents and threatened to take the child back to Lithuania.
A 36‑year‑old Lithuanian nurse, Greta Dudko, went on trial at the Central Criminal Court on 8 October 2014. She is charged with murdering her 55‑year‑old mother, Anna Butautiene, on Christmas Eve 2010 by striking her over the head with a bottle. Dudko has denied the murder but pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The trial began with testimony from her husband, Vitalij Dudko, who described the shock of learning of the death on Christmas Day and recounted the events of the night, including his wife's drunken state and the alleged altercation with her mother. Prosecutor Pauline Walley SC presented evidence that Dudko had been suspended from her nursing job weeks before the killing and that the family had moved to a duplex near Station Court Hall. The jury, presided over by Mr Justice Paul Carney, will decide Dudko's intent in the killing.
Sanjeev Chada, 44, of Co. Carlow, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to two mandatory life sentences for the murder of his sons, Eoghan (10) and Ruairi (5). The sentences, handed down by Mr Justice Paul Carney, run concurrently and were backdated to July 31, 2013. Chada pleaded guilty to murdering the boys in Skehanagh Lower, Ballintubber, Co. Mayo, on July 29, 2013, after their bodies were discovered in the boot of his crashed car. He admitted strangling them with a rope and causing blunt force trauma to Eoghan's head. The court heard that Chada had accumulated significant gambling debts and intended to kill his wife, Kathleen Chada, but spared her. Kathleen Chada delivered an emotional victim impact statement, describing the loss of her children. Defense counsel Brendan Grehan SC noted Chada's guilty plea and his current status on suicide watch at the Central Mental Hospital. The matter was finalized with the imposition of the life sentences.
A 36‑year‑old Lithuanian woman, Greta Dudko, admitted killing her mother, Anna Butautiene, 55, on Christmas Eve 2010 at Station Court Hall, Clonsilla. She pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the DPP. Mr Justice Paul Carney has sworn in a jury of seven men and five women. Her trial will start tomorrow and is expected to last up to three weeks.
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.
A 30‑year‑old man, Gary Flynn, charged with the murder of Seamus (Shay) O'Byrne, was refused bail by Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court. Flynn was remanded in custody and a trial has been scheduled for 11 January 2016.
The Central Criminal Court heard that six months of CCTV footage are available in the murder case of Graham Dwyer, a 41‑year‑old south Dublin architect charged with killing childcare worker Elaine O'Hara, 37, on 22 August 2012. Mr Dwyer was present in court. Defence counsel Ronan Kennedy BL applied for a second junior counsel; the judge agreed. The case contains 540 witness statements, 408 witnesses, seven volumes of evidence, 925 exhibits and five terabytes of computer data. The trial is scheduled to start 19 January next year and is expected to last six weeks.
Lounes Ouachek, 44, of St Dominic's Terrace, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to attempting to murder his wife, Ruta Ouachek, 35, by striking her on the head with a kettle bell on 23 August 2012. The court heard the couple's marriage had deteriorated after he lost his job and she began an engineering degree, and that he resented her independence. The assault left her with skull and facial fractures, motor and sensory deficits, and required surgery at Tallaght and Beaumont Hospitals. Ouachek fled the scene, left the house, and later travelled to Tunisia via Paris, leaving his wife injured for nine hours. He was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment with three years suspended, backdated to 14 February 2013, and ordered to stay away from his wife and undergo 18 months of post‑release supervision. The judge noted his guilty plea, lack of prior convictions, and foreign nationality as mitigating factors. The sentence reflects the callous and brutal nature of the crime.
In 2014, a Limerick man, Adam Fitzgibbon, aged 20, was sentenced to fifteen years for an unprovoked, sustained, and vicious attack that left a 16‑year‑old schoolboy with permanent brain damage. CCTV showed Fitzgibbon delivering 65 kicks, 26 punches, and multiple stamps to the victim's head, chest, and body, continuing the assault after the boy had stopped moving. The Central Criminal Court accepted a plea of intentionally causing serious harm, and Mr Justice Paul Carney imposed a fifteen‑year sentence with the final three years suspended. On appeal, the Court of Criminal Appeal reduced the sentence to nine‑and‑a‑half years, citing mitigating factors such as Fitzgibbon's young age, difficult background, substance‑abuse history, and attempts to address these issues. The reduction was based on a sentencing analysis that placed the offence at the upper end of the range for similar cases.
A 44‑year‑old Algerian man, Lounes Ouachek, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to attempting to murder his wife, Ruta Ouachek, by striking her on the head with a kettle bell on 23 August 2012. The court heard that the couple's marriage had deteriorated after he lost his job and she began an engineering degree. After the attack, Ms Ouachek fled the house, drove to Dublin airport and left for Tunisia, leaving her injured. She was found unconscious on the bathroom floor by a neighbour and taken to Tallaght Hospital, where she suffered a complex skull fracture and later transferred to Beaumont Hospital for surgery. Ms Ouachek sustained bruising, motor and sensory deficits, and continues to suffer physical and psychological effects. The court remanded Ouachek in custody and adjourned sentencing to the following Monday.
The trial of Alan Wilson, 35, charged with murdering 18‑year‑old Marioara Rostas in Dublin in 2008, will open on Wednesday. Wilson pleaded not guilty. He was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court last week and a jury was sworn in. The trial was scheduled to start Monday but was delayed because two jurors could not serve, leading to the jury's discharge. A new jury was then sworn in, with Justice Paul Carney reminding them of their commitment to serve until a verdict. The trial is expected to last three to four weeks.
John Biggins, a 35-year-old man from Claremorris, County Mayo, was ordered by the Central Criminal Court to return to the Central Mental Hospital following his acquittal. Biggins had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of his father, Thomas Biggins, who was shot twice with a shotgun at their home in May 2012. The jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity after a two-day trial. Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Sally Lenihan testified that Biggins, who has chronic schizophrenia, has made good progress in rehabilitation but requires ongoing specialist care. She recommended his return to the hospital, a recommendation accepted by Mr Justice Paul Carney. Defence expert Dr Paul O'Connell had previously stated that Biggins suffered from psychotic symptoms and paranoid delusions, fulfilling criteria under the Mental Insanity Act. The court noted that Biggins was diagnosed with severe schizophrenia and mild intellectual disability. The judge issued the order based on the psychiatric recommendations, ensuring the defendant continues to receive the necessary specialist treatment for his condition.
John Biggins, 35, of Ballynalty, Cross, Claremorris, was found not guilty by reason of insanity of murdering his father, Thomas Biggins, 70, at their home on May 6, 2012. The Central Criminal Court jury returned a unanimous verdict after 27 minutes of deliberation. Biggins had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The court heard that Biggins was diagnosed with severe schizophrenia and mild intellectual disability. Defence psychiatrists testified that he met the criteria under the Mental Insanity Act, citing psychotic symptoms and paranoid delusions. Prosecution counsel Bernard Condon SC requested an order to commit Biggins to the Central Mental Hospital, with a return date set for the following Wednesday to appear before the court. Mr Justice Paul Carney thanked the jury and exempted them from further service for life. Evidence indicated Biggins shot his father twice with a legally held shotgun. After the incident, Biggins rang 999, told Garda Mark Kilbride he was turning himself in, and drove to Ballinrobe Garda Station, where he was cooperative. Detective Sergeant James Carroll described the post-event behavior as "quite bizarre," noting Biggins stated, "I just shot the aul lad…I'll be going to jail now." The matter was adjourned for the proposed disposal hearing.
In a case heard at the Central Criminal Court, Vera McGrath, aged 65, pleaded guilty to materially assisting the killer of her husband, Bernard Brian McGrath, who was 43 at the time of his death. The offence involved the disposal of evidence linked to Bernard's manslaughter at Lower Coole, Westmeath, committed by Colin Pinder between 16 March and 18 April 1987. Mr Justice Paul Carney adjourned sentencing to the following Thursday and remanded Ms McGrath on continuing bail until that date.
John Biggins, 35, of Ballynalty, Cross, Claremorris, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court, presided over by Mr Justice Paul Carney, accused of murdering his father, Thomas Biggins, 70, at that address on May 6, 2012. The accused entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecution counsel Bernard Condon SC stated the defence of insanity is being raised, with the burden on the accused to prove insanity. The court heard the accused was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and on disability allowance. Evidence indicated the victim was shot twice with his own legally held shotgun in his yard; Prof Marie Cassidy identified a shotgun wound to the left chest as the cause of death. Det Sgt James Carroll testified that the accused handed himself in at Ballinrobe Garda Station after calling 999, stating, "I just shot the aul lad…I'll be going to jail now." He was co-operative during detention. The accused told gardai he had contemplated suicide and had searched websites on how to kill himself. A hangman's noose and two ropes were found in a barn loft. The accused has no previous convictions. The trial continues.
A 37‑year‑old man, Darren Murphy, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 36‑year‑old Olivia Dunlea, who was his partner for three months. The trial, held in the Central Criminal Court, lasted seven days. Murphy pleaded not guilty to murder but attempted to plead guilty to manslaughter. He admitted setting fire to Dunlea's home, claiming he did not want children to see her, and pleaded guilty to a second charge of arson. The jury found him guilty of murder by a 10‑to‑one majority after four and a half hours of deliberation. The judge imposed a mandatory life sentence, backdated to the date of his arrest, and remanded him in custody for the arson charge. The verdict was met with sobbing from Dunlea's family, while Murphy remained silent throughout the proceedings.
Darren Murphy, 37, pleaded not guilty to murder of his girlfriend Olivia Dunlea, 36, and guilty to arson of her house on 17 February 2013. The jury heard that the couple had been together for about three months and had a heated argument the night before the death. Prosecutor Thomas Creed argued that Murphy, described as possessive, had checked Dunlea's texts, drove past her home at 3 am, and then set the house on fire while she was inside. He claimed Murphy watched the blaze from Church Hill "like Nero" and left her in a situation where she could have been saved. Defence counsel Michael Delaney presented a narrative of provocation, citing a prior relationship with another man, Fás, and alleged that Murphy's loss of self‑control was sudden. The jury deliberated for 2 hours 17 minutes before returning the next day. The case remains at the trial stage.
In a murder trial in Dublin, Darren Murphy, 37, is charged with killing 36‑year‑old Olivia Dunlea in her Pembroke Crescent home on 17 February 2013. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder but guilty to arson after stabbing her. During his final interview, his barrister Michael Delaney SC questioned Garda Sergeant Anthony Harrington about a nine‑and‑a‑half‑minute gap between Murphy's release from the cell and the recorder being turned on, suggesting a pre‑interview discussion. Harrington denied any discussion, citing possible discrepancies between the station clock and the recorder. Detective Garda James Nagle agreed that no discussion had taken place. The jury heard testimony from Sergeant Stephen Dennehy about a watch inscription on Dunlea's body. The prosecution has closed its case before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of eleven.
In a Court of Criminal Appeal hearing, Adam Fitzgibbon, aged 20, was described as "vastly better" than two years ago after a brutal attack on a 16‑year‑old schoolboy that left the victim with permanent brain damage. Fitzgibbon's assault, captured on CCTV, involved 65 kicks, 26 punches and several stamps to the boy's head, chest and body, and was deemed unprovoked, sustained and vicious. He had previously been sentenced to 15 years, with the final three years suspended, for intentionally causing serious harm. The appeal argued that Fitzgibbon's severe background, including drug and alcohol problems, should be considered in sentencing. The court will review reports of his progress in prison and hear submissions from the appellant and the Director of Public Prosecutions before deciding a new sentence. The victim remains in a state of ongoing medical care for weakness, deafness and speech problems.
A 45‑year‑old Algerian man, Lounes Ouachek of St Dominic's Terrace, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of his 32‑year‑old wife, Ruta Ouachek, at their home on 23 August 2012. He was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court, where Mr Justice Paul Carney adjourned sentencing to 14 July and ordered that the victim's evidence be presented by video link.
A 35-year-old man from Claremorris in County Mayo has pleaded not guilty to murdering his elderly father by reason of insanity at the Central Criminal Court. John Biggins of Ballynalty, Cross, Claremorris faces a charge of murdering Thomas Biggins, aged 71, at the same address on May 6th 2012. Following his arraignment before Mr Justice Paul Carney, a jury of seven men and five women was sworn in to hear the trial. The proceedings are scheduled to commence on Thursday and are anticipated to last approximately two days.
A 65‑year‑old Vera McGrath of Volvenstown, Fordstown, Navan, Co Meath pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to being an accessory after the fact to her husband's manslaughter. She admitted materially assisting the killer, Bernard Brian McGrath, by disposing of evidence linked to his 1987 manslaughter at Lower Coole, Westmeath. The charge named Colin Pinder as the killer. Mr Justice Paul Carney accepted the plea and remanded her on continuing bail for sentencing on Friday.
In a murder trial, the court heard that text messages exchanged between the deceased, Olivia Dunlea, and the accused, Darren Murphy, were of a friendly nature in the days leading up to her death. Murphy, 37, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and also pleaded guilty to arson on Dunlea's home. The court noted that for about three months prior to the incident, the pair were "an item." On the night before her death, they were at the Rochestown Inn, then had a quarrel at home. Murphy claimed he "just snapped" after a confrontation, describing a rapid escalation to a knife attack. Garda testimony indicated extensive texting of a good nature, no evidence of conflict, and that Dunlea's phone was destroyed by Murphy. The case proceeded to a jury hearing on Monday.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 22 May 2014, a 37‑year‑old man named Darren Murphy pleaded not guilty to the murder of 36‑year‑old Olivia Dunlea, whom he had dated for three months. He also pleaded guilty to arson of the deceased's home on the same night. Murphy told the court that a knife was "no sooner in my hands than it was in her neck" after a heated argument. He described how he stabbed Ms Dunlea at the back of the neck, then tried to leave the scene, wiping the knife on a pillow and discarding it in the toilet to stop a ringing phone. A taxi driver, Thomas Farrell, testified that he and Ms Dunlea had been friends and had a one‑night stand months earlier, but had no further contact. The case was set to continue before a jury the following day.
A 37‑year‑old man, Darren Murphy, was accused of murdering Olivia Dunlea, 36, in Passage West, Cork, on 17 February 2013. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and he also pleaded guilty to arson on the victim's home. During the trial, Murphy admitted to handing over a pair of clothes to Gardaí that were not his, claiming they were worn on the night the body was found. He explained that a heated argument in a taxi and at the victim's house led him to stab her twice with a knife he described as a long blade with a red handle. Murphy said he lit the house on fire because he did not want her three children to find her body. He also admitted to suffering from depression and having stopped taking medication. The case was set to continue before a jury the following day.
A 37‑year‑old man, Darren Murphy, stands trial in the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Olivia Dunlea, 36, who lived in Pembroke Crescent, Passage West, Co Cork. Murphy, who had been in a relationship with Dunlea for three months, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter and to arson on her home. Prosecutor Thomas Creed SC presented evidence that the body was found in an upstairs bedroom after a fire, with six stab wounds to the neck and inhalation of toxic fumes. Murphy admitted he "snapped" and grabbed a knife, lit a quilt beside the bed and a roll of tissue paper on the kitchen table before leaving the house. He was arrested at 10:30 pm on 17 February 2013, cautioned and detained at Togher Garda Station. The case was set to continue before a jury of seven men and five women with Mr Justice Paul Carney presiding.
In 2011, Noel Holland, aged 40, was sentenced to eight years in prison by Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court for sexually assaulting an 18‑year‑old girl at his home. Holland had invited the victim to his house under the pretense of arranging a taxi, then assaulted and attempted to choke her. The victim later sent text messages to her family while Holland was in the bathroom, and she is now deceased. Mr Justice Carney declared Holland a sex offender, suspended the final three years of the sentence, and imposed five years of post‑release supervision, ordering him to keep away from the victim. Holland appealed the sentence's severity to the Court of Criminal Appeal, which upheld the sentence as entirely appropriate. Noel Holland pleaded guilty.
Alan Harte, aged 33, was found not guilty of murdering Peter Gunn, 28, on 4 January 2009. However, he was convicted of assisting in the disposal of Gunn's body. After the murder, Harte and friends left a bar at 2:30 am, returned to a flat being house‑sat by Kastriot Boza, and later helped transport Gunn's body to a location nine miles away in Phibsborough. The body was placed in the back of Heyrush Rama's car and then dumped into a water‑filled trench. A post‑mortem on 16 January 2009 revealed a stab wound to Gunn's left chest, collapsing his left lung and injuring his heart. Harte has 170 previous convictions. The court imposed a six‑year sentence, suspending the last two years, for Harte's role in the disposal of the body. The article does not state any further legal outcomes.
Darren Murphy, 37, of Passage West, Co Cork, is set to stand trial for the murder of 36‑year‑old Olivia Dunlea, who was found dead at Pembroke Crescent on 17 February 2013. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, but has admitted guilt to a second charge of damage by fire to the same house. The jury, composed of seven men and five women, will hear the case before Mr Justice Paul Carney, with the trial expected to last one week.
Edward Boylan Jnr, aged 31 and without a fixed abode, was found not guilty of murdering his father, Edward Boylan Snr, 74, by reason of insanity. The Central Criminal Court heard that Boylan Jnr had been diagnosed with schizophrenia over a decade earlier and had been a 'special needs' prisoner in Mountjoy Prison while serving a sentence for a minor offence. He was in a special wing with supervision, but prison medics noted he was hearing voices. Boylan Jnr claimed he was denied medication and was released the morning before the killing without appropriate supervision, medication or housing. He was in a manic, psychotic state at the time of the murder. The jury reached the verdict in 14 minutes. Boylan Jnr was committed to the Central Mental Hospital for treatment and a report by Dr O'Connell confirmed his mental illness. The court ordered his continued detention for treatment to prevent future unpredictable behaviour.
In a Dublin court on 12 May 2014, Thomas Ryan, aged 32, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for the attempted murder of Patrick Charles O'Neill, a 51‑year‑old cyclist, on 26 August 2013. Ryan admitted shooting O'Neill in the stomach with a double‑barrel sawn‑off shotgun, an act that left O'Neill with a bowel section removed and in intensive care until 11 September. Ryan also shot himself in the leg while handling the weapon, an accidental self‑injury that was noted by the court. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Carney, suspended the final two years of the sentence, citing Ryan's early guilty plea and admissions. The sentence was back‑dated to 28 August 2013 to account for time already spent in custody. The court heard that Ryan had 13 prior convictions and that the incident was linked to a drug‑related debt.
In a 2014 Central Criminal Court hearing, Edward Boylan Jnr, aged 31, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of his 74‑year‑old father, Edward Boylan Snr, at the father's flat in Crumlin. Boylan had been diagnosed with schizophrenia over a decade earlier and was a special‑needs prisoner at Mountjoy Prison, where he had been hearing voices and had requested medication that was not provided. He was released the day before the killing without appropriate supervision or medication. On the morning of the murder, Boylan stabbed his father 13 times with a 100‑year‑old bayonet, then set the apartment on fire. Psychiatric experts for both sides confirmed that Boylan was in a manic, psychotic state and could not control his actions, meeting the criteria for an insanity verdict. The judge ordered Boylan to be committed to the Central Mental Hospital for a future treatment report due on 19 May.".
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 31‑year‑old Dublin man, Edward Boylan Jnr, was charged with killing his 74‑year‑old father with a World War I sword. He admitted stabbing his father 13 times, then setting fire to the apartment. Both sides presented psychiatric evidence. The prosecution's Dr Sally Linehan testified that Boylan Jnr had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and later schizoaffective disorder, and that he believed his father's eyes were changing colour, a sign of threat, which led to the fatal act. She argued he was in an active phase of mental illness and could not control his actions, meeting the criteria for a special verdict of "not guilty by reason of insanity." The defence's Dr Paul O'Connell also confirmed Boylan Jnr's psychosis at the time of the killing. The case is before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of seven men and five women.
A 31‑year‑old Dublin man, Edward Boylan Jnr, is on trial for murdering his 74‑year‑old father by stabbing him with a 100‑year‑old bayonet, a family heirloom from World War 1. Boylan Jnr admitted stabbing his father, causing death, but pleaded not guilty. He was released from Mountjoy Prison on 6 January 2012, and that evening was seen at Ravensdale Close, a gated retirement community where his father lived. Prosecutor Conor Devally told the jury that Boylan Jnr used the bayonet or sword, plunged it through his father's chest multiple times, and later bought lighter fluid and matches to set fire to the apartment. The fire was discovered by neighbours; the Dublin fire brigade found the victim with the bayonet protruding from his chest. Detective Sergeant Barry Butler testified that 13 stab wounds were confirmed, penetrating the heart, lungs, sternum, liver and kidney, and that the victim died before the fire started.
In August 2013 a Dublin man, Thomas Ryan, 32, shot Patrick Charles O'Neill, 51, on Glasnevin Avenue in Ballymun. O'Neill was cycling with a friend when a man in a baseball cap fired a shot at his stomach. Ryan later shot himself with the same gun. O'Neill was taken to a resident's house where a doctor applied a dressing before he was handed to A&E. Ryan was observed by gardai with a large wound on his upper thigh. He admitted to having built up a debt due to drugs and to feeling threatened, saying he would kill O'Neill if he went to the gardai. O'Neill required bowel removal and stayed in intensive care until 11 September. Ryan has 13 prior convictions and was remanded for sentencing next Monday. The court heard that Ryan's remorse was genuine and that he was not a gangland figure. The case was prosecuted by Gerardine Small SC and defended by Michael O'Higgins SC. Thomas Ryan pleaded guilty.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has found Simon McGinley, aged 30 of Connaughton Road Car Park in Sligo, guilty of the murder of Eugene Gillespie, a 67-year-old retired telecoms broker. McGinley had initially denied the murder charge but admitted manslaughter, a plea the State rejected. He pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and burglary at Mr Gillespie's Old Market Street home on 19 September 2012. Mr Gillespie was discovered tied up in his hallway two days after the assault and died in hospital following cardiac arrest. The jury, after five hours of deliberation, returned a unanimous guilty verdict on 3 April 2014. Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan imposed a life sentence, backdated to 29 September 2012, with concurrent sentences of ten years for false imprisonment and seven years for burglary. A victim impact statement highlighted the family's trauma and called for enhanced resources for An Garda Síochána to protect vulnerable people.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has suspended deliberations in the trial of a 30-year-old man charged with murdering a pensioner in Sligo. Simon McGinley, of Connaughton Road Car Park, Sligo, has pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted manslaughter in the death of Eugene Gillespie, aged 67, on September 22nd, 2012. Mr McGinley has also pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and trespass to commit robbery at Mr Gillespie's home on Old Market Street on September 19th, 2012. The State did not accept the manslaughter plea. Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan directed the jury that the central question was whether the accused intended to cause serious injury. The prosecution argued intention can form instantaneously, while the defence submitted that pathological evidence showed injuries consistent with punches rather than a weapon. After deliberating for one-and-a-half hours, the jury will resume tomorrow.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence from Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis in the ongoing trial of Simon McGinley, a 30-year-old Sligo man. McGinley, of Connaughton Road, Sligo, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Eugene Gillespie (67) but admitted to the manslaughter of the pensioner in Co. Sligo on September 22, 2012. He also pleaded guilty to the false imprisonment of Mr Gillespie and trespass to commit robbery at his home in Old Market Street on September 19, 2012. The State did not accept the manslaughter plea, and the trial commenced last Tuesday. Dr Curtis testified that he performed a post-mortem at Galway University Hospital on September 23, 2012, and visited the deceased's home. He reported severe blunt force trauma to the head, face, and neck, including fractures to the skull base, jaw, and ribs, as well as ligature marks on the wrists and neck. The pathologist stated the cause of death was bronchial pneumonia due to coma resulting from the trauma, with hand ischemia from binding as a contributory factor. Detective Sergeant Con Lee also gave evidence regarding McGinley's demeanor during interviews. The matter was adjourned, and the trial continues.
At the Central Criminal Court, a 30-year-old man from Sligo has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of a 67-year-old pensioner in September 2012. Simon McGinley of Connaughton Road faces charges of false imprisonment and robbery related to an incident at the victim's home on Old Market Street. The State rejected his manslaughter plea and the trial proceeded. Forensic evidence presented to the court indicated that blood matching the deceased's DNA profile was recovered from a wooden candlestick holder and a drawer at the property. A mixed DNA profile recovered from bloodstained cord found around the victim's wrists showed the accused as the major contributor. Medical testimony outlined the accused's emotional state when interviewed, during which he stated the incident was a robbery that escalated. The trial at the Central Criminal Court is ongoing.
The Court of Criminal Appeal has declined to order a retrial of two nightclub doormen whose assault convictions were previously quashed. Frankie Murphy, aged 44, of Stephen Street, Sligo, and John Molloy, aged 33, of Creggs Road, Ballina, County Mayo, had been found guilty in October 2011 by Sligo Circuit Criminal Court of assault causing harm following an incident at Envy nightclub on 18 February 2009. The victim lost part of one finger when an entrance door was closed against him. The appeal court found the convictions unsafe and set them aside last month. Although the Director of Public Prosecutions sought a retrial, Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne ruled that weaknesses in key prosecution witness evidence and the considerable time elapsed since the alleged offence made a retrial inappropriate. The court identified deficiencies in how the trial judge charged the jury regarding self-defence, accident, and joint enterprise. Costs were awarded to Mr Molloy.
A 30-year-old man from Sligo has pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted manslaughter following the death of a 67-year-old pensioner in September 2012. Simon McGinley, of Connaughton Road, has also pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and trespass to commit robbery at a property on Old Market Street. The Central Criminal Court heard that the State rejected the manslaughter plea, and a jury was sworn for trial. During interviews at Sligo Garda Station, the accused told gardai he struck the victim once or twice, tied his hands, and placed a blanket under his head before leaving the scene. He stated he searched the house, obtained a small sum of money, burned his clothing that night, and made a 999 call the following day. The accused maintained he did not intend for the victim to die. The trial continues.
A 30-year-old man from Sligo has pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted manslaughter in connection with the death of a 67-year-old pensioner in September 2012. Simon McGinley of Connaughton Road has also admitted false imprisonment and trespass to commit robbery at the victim's home on Old Market Street. The Central Criminal Court heard that the State rejected the manslaughter plea and a jury trial commenced. Medical evidence described severe head injuries including skull fracture, brain swelling, and extensive bruising. The deceased died following cardiac arrest at Sligo General Hospital. Detectives told the court that McGinley appeared distressed during interview, expressing remorse and stating the victim "wasn't meant to die." He indicated he had attempted to alert gardaí to the man's location but they attended the wrong address. The trial was ongoing at reporting.
Simon McGinley, 30, of Sligo, is standing trial at the Central Criminal Court for the death of Eugene Gillespie, 67. McGinley pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The State did not accept the manslaughter plea, and a jury was sworn in for the two-week trial. He also pleaded guilty to the false imprisonment of Mr Gillespie and trespass to commit robbery at his home in Old Market Street on September 19, 2012. The prosecution alleges McGinley made a 999 call from an acquaintance's phone, stating a man was tied up in a house across from the Garda station. Garda Sergeant Terry Coleman received the brief call, which was disconnected before details could be clarified. Garda Michael Twyford checked the described property but found nothing untoward. Detective Garda Seamus O'Donnell testified that Mr Gillespie's home was ransacked, with broken furniture and a large blood stain. Paramedic Aidan Duggan found Mr Gillespie unconscious on the floor. The court heard evidence that McGinley placed a bet at 1:35 pm on September 20, 2012, and was seen in a Sligo newsagent on September 23. CCTV footage showed a man believed to be McGinley discarding a SIM card on September 19. The trial continues.
Simon McGinley, 30, of Connaughton Road, Sligo, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the death of Eugene Gillespie, 67. McGinley pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Gillespie in September 2012. He also pleaded guilty to the false imprisonment of Mr Gillespie and trespass to commit robbery at his home in Old Market Street on September 19, 2012. The State did not accept the manslaughter plea, and a jury was sworn in for the trial. Prosecutors alleged that Mr Gillespie was subjected to violence, found unconscious with his hands tied, and died of bronchial pneumonia resulting from blunt force trauma. Evidence included an anonymous 999 call reporting a tied-up man, which led gardai to the wrong address. The court heard that Mr Gillespie was last seen on September 19 and found by relatives on September 21. The trial is ongoing before Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan.
In March 2014, Jonathan Dunne, aged 28, began an appeal against his life sentence for the murder of his friend Ian Kenny, aged 21, who died two years after being shot in the head on 4 July 2007. Dunne had previously pleaded guilty to an attempted murder charge and was serving a 12‑year term when the murder conviction was secured. The appeal focuses on causation, arguing that the trial judge erred by refusing a defence application concerning the medical treatment of Kenny after his admission to Beaumont Hospital in July 2009. Counsel Michael Bowman contends that Kenny was removed from a medical environment to a "quasi‑palliative" setting, and that this decision, made by third parties, should not be attributed to Dunne. The State's counsel, Denis Vaughan‑Buckley, maintains that the shooting was the legal cause of death and that the defence of duress was not applicable. Judge Donal O'Donnell will reserve judgment on the appeal.
Diane Ward, 45, of Charleville, pleaded guilty to manslaughter of her eight‑year‑old son on 3 September 2012. She was due to be sentenced at the Central Criminal Court on 24 March 2014, but the hearing was adjourned for two weeks. Prosecutor Timothy O'Leary said the status remained unchanged and requested an additional week before sentencing. Defender Mary Rose Gearty noted the case had already been adjourned several times. Justice Paul Carney set the new sentencing date for 7 April. Diane Ward pleaded not guilty.
TodaySimon McGinley, 30, of Connaughton Road, Sligo, appeared at the Central Criminal Court where a jury was sworn in for his trial. The defendant was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to the murder of Eugene Gillespie, 67, in County Sligo on September 22, 2012. However, he admitted to the manslaughter of Mr Gillespie. Additionally, McGinley pleaded guilty to the false imprisonment of Mr Gillespie and trespass to commit robbery at the victim's home in Old Market Street on September 19, 2012. Prosecuting counsel Sean Gillane SC stated that the manslaughter plea was not acceptable, leading to the swearing in of a jury comprising seven women and five men for a two-week trial. The matter is currently at the trial stage, with proceedings presided over by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan. The trial was scheduled to begin the following day. No sentence or final disposal has been recorded in this report, as the case is proceeding to a full jury trial to determine the outcome of the contested murder charge.