Court archive
Court reports mentioning Cappawhite, Tipperary
2020-04-30 · Tipperary
Christopher Connolly, a dog handler from Cappawhite, Co. Tipperary, appealed a High Court decision that upheld a ban by the Irish Greyhound Board (Bord na gCon) and the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) preventing him from participating in racetrack or coursing events. The appeal was dismissed by a three‑judge Court of Appeal. Connolly's ban stemmed from an incident in 2014 while he lived in Australia, where he used a live piglet as bait at Tooradin Trial Track. Australian authorities had imposed a lifetime ban, later reduced to five years with a suspended five‑year period. Connolly returned to Ireland in 2015, applied for a Kennelhand Authorisation, was refused, and his appeal to the board's control committee was rejected. The Court of Appeal found that Connolly had been fully informed of the board's investigation and had no right to challenge the findings, concluding that the exclusion order was justified and lawful.
2017-07-13 · Limerick
In a Limerick murder trial, Alan McNamara (50) pleaded not guilty to the 2015 shooting death of Andrew O'Donoghue (51). McNamara, a former Road Tramps member who joined the Caballeros, allegedly fired a sawn‑off shotgun at O'Donoghue during a territorial dispute between the two clubs. The incident began when McNamara, wearing Caballeros colours, was confronted by Road Tramps members in Doon, a Road Tramps area. After a confrontation, McNamara allegedly shot O'Donoghue at point‑blank range. Robert Cusack (28), McNamara's stepson, was charged with impeding his apprehension and also pleaded not guilty. Both men are being tried together at the Central Criminal Court, with the trial continuing before Justice Paul McDermott and a jury. The prosecution presented evidence of the clubs' territorial conflict and the sequence of events leading to the fatal shooting.
2014-11-10 · Tipperary
In a 2014 appeal, Liam McCarthy, aged 30, failed to overturn a nine‑year sentence for assaulting army veteran Martin Butler, aged 51, with an ornamental sword. The attack, described as savage, left Butler with brain damage, partial paralysis, and permanent communication difficulties. McCarthy had previously served a suspended sentence for assault and was under its terms when he struck Butler from behind, striking the left side of his head and causing a penetrating brain injury. McCarthy pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm, producing an offensive weapon, and violent disorder. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal, noting that any provocation or self‑defence was grossly excessive and that the nine‑year sentence was appropriate for the severity of the assault. The judge also observed that the earlier suspended sentence had not deterred the offence. The appeal was dismissed.