Wales-born Wesley Purse, 40, was convicted in Clonmel Circuit Criminal Court for possessing and cultivating €42,000 worth of cannabis in Rossadrehid, County Tipperary. He received a five‑year prison sentence on 29 June 2018, a term he now seeks to appeal in the Court of Appeal. Purse, who had 92 prior convictions, was also "at large" from a 12‑year sentence imposed in Stafford Crown Court, England, when he was arrested in Tipperary. His barrister, Philip Sheahan SC, argued that the headline sentences of eight years for possession and six years for cultivation were excessive, noting that the plants were at various stages of production and that the €42,000 valuation was not comparable to higher‑valued cases. The Court of Appeal heard the arguments and reserved judgment. The case remains at the appeal stage, with no further outcome announced. Wesley Purse pleaded guilty.
Ross Outram, aged 28, was found guilty of murdering 90‑year‑old retired farmer Paddy Lyons, who was discovered dead in his own home. A jury of eight men and four women rejected Outram's claim that he struck Lyons in self‑defence after the pensioner, who had osteoporosis and only one arm, allegedly attacked him with a stick. The trial heard that Lyons' body lay slumped in his armchair, with blood smeared on his face and his penis exposed through his underpants. Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster testified that Lyons suffered multiple blows to his head and neck from a blunt weapon, with fractures of his hip joint, jawbone and ribs. Outram, who has 25 previous convictions including burglary and assault, was sentenced to life imprisonment, the mandatory term for murder, with the sentence back‑dated to the date he entered custody. The court noted that the jury had taken three hours and 29 minutes to reach a unanimous verdict. The unnamed 28-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In the murder trial of Ross Outram, a 28‑year‑old from Ferryland, the jury requested a re‑hear of evidence from two pathologists and to view clothing belonging to both the accused and the 90‑year‑old deceased farmer, Paddy Lyons. The jury had deliberated for 2 h 29 min and, after a note from the foreman, asked to see a grey hoodie that Outram owned and a grey hat that belonged to Lyons. Forensic scientist John Hoade testified that the hoodie had blood matching Lyons' DNA. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC highlighted that Outram had claimed Lyons was alive when he left the house, citing a grey hat found near Lyons' fireplace. The jury also sought to re‑hear Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster's findings on Lyons' injuries and a defence pathologist's report. They requested a picture of blood staining at Lyons' front door. Ross Outram pleaded not guilty.
The jury at the Central Criminal Court has begun deliberations on the case of 28‑year‑old Ross Outram, who is accused of murdering 90‑year‑old retired farmer Paddy Lyons in his Waterford home between 23 and 26 February 2017. Outram, of Ferryland, has pleaded not guilty. The judge explained that the jury could return one of four verdicts: guilty of murder; not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter; not guilty of murder but guilty of assault causing harm; or not guilty. The jury has spent over an hour and a quarter considering the case and will report in the afternoon. Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster described Lyons' death as caused by blunt‑force trauma, a traumatic brain injury and shock from fractures of the hip, jawbone and ribs. Evidence was presented that Lyons had a stiff right shoulder and that Outram claimed he had fought back after Lyons struck him with a walking stick and shovel.
In the Central Criminal Court, a jury is set to begin deliberations on the murder trial of Ross Outram, 28, accused of killing 90‑year‑old retired farmer Paddy Lyons in his Lismore home between 23 and 26 February 2017. Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster described Lyons' death as caused by blunt‑force trauma, a traumatic brain injury, and shock from fractures of his hip, jawbone and ribs. Lyons' body was found blood‑stained in his armchair. Outram claimed he fought back after Lyons struck him with a walking stick and shovel, and that he had taken up to 100 Xanax that day, though a pharmaceutical expert found no proof of this. The defence argued self‑defence, while the prosecution highlighted inconsistencies in Outram's statements. Ross Outram pleaded not guilty.
In the Central Criminal Court trial of Ross Outram, a 28‑year‑old from Clonmel, the defence argued that the 90‑year‑old retired farmer Paddy Lyons was alive and mobile when Outram left his home. The defence presented evidence that Lyons suffered multiple blows to his head and neck, but that his death was caused by a second event – a fall that broke his hip. The defence claimed that the fall was likely due to a head injury or concussion, not the initial assault. They also highlighted that Outram had taken up to 100 Xanax that day, though a pharmaceutical expert found no proof of this. The defence urged the jury to consider that Outram's force may have been necessary and that he could be found not guilty of murder but possibly guilty of manslaughter. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Coffey, continued to charge the jury of eight men and four women.
In the Central Criminal Court, Ross Outram, 28, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 90‑year‑old Paddy Lyons, who died after a violent attack at his home between 23 and 26 February 2017. The prosecution, led by John O'Kelly SC, argued that Outram inflicted multiple blows with a blunt weapon, describing the assault as vicious and sustained, and that the victim's death was caused by these injuries. They highlighted that Outram had no evidence of taking Xanax and that the victim's hip injury was unrelated to the attack. Outram's defence, represented by Michael O'Higgins SC, contended that the fatal hip fracture was a separate event, arguing that if causation was doubtful, the client could not be guilty of murder. The case remains at the trial stage, with the jury to hear further arguments tomorrow.
The Central Criminal Court trial of Ross Outram, 28, of Clonmel, Co Tipperary, has heard evidence from a defence pathologist regarding the death of Paddy Lyons. Mr Outram has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Lyons at Loughleagh, Ballysaggart, Lismore, Co Waterford, between February 23 and 26, 2017. Former Northern Ireland State Pathologist Professor Jack Crane testified that he favours the possibility that Mr Lyons' hip fracture resulted from a fall rather than a blunt weapon blow. Professor Crane noted that Mr Lyons suffered from osteoporosis, making his bones more susceptible to fracture, and stated that the scalp lacerations were not associated with underlying skull injury. He added that the brain injury was slight and that any suggestion of concussion was speculative. While the prosecution's pathologist previously attributed the death to blunt force trauma, Professor Crane agreed that the deceased could have been assaulted and subsequently fallen. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Coffey and a jury.
In the trial of Ross Outram, 28, of Clonmel, the prosecution has closed its case. Outram is accused of murdering 90‑year‑old retired farmer Paddy Lyons in his Lismore home between 23 and 26 February 2017. Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster testified that Lyons suffered multiple blows to the head and neck from a blunt weapon, resulting in blunt force trauma, a traumatic brain injury, fractures of the hip joint, jawbone and ribs, and shock. She described haemorrhage and nerve fibre shearing, indicating significant force. While she could not definitively state whether Lyons had a concussion, she noted that brain function would likely have been altered. The trial will continue tomorrow before Mr Justice Paul Coffey and a jury of eight men and four women. Ross Outram pleaded not guilty.
Wayne O'Dwyer, aged 30, pleaded guilty to robbery at the Eurogiant store in Carrick‑on‑Suir on 31 March 2016. He threatened a female shop assistant, demanding €250 and the till, and was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment with the final three years suspended by Judge Thomas Teehan on 15 December 2017. O'Dwyer's lawyers argued the judge sought to make an example of him because of the perceived rise in violent crime in the town. The Court of Appeal, led by Justice John Edwards, rejected this claim, stating the judge was entitled to consider general deterrence as a sentencing objective and that the sentence was not disproportionate. The appeal was dismissed, confirming the seven‑year headline sentence with a three‑year suspended portion and the effective custody term as imposed.
In the Central Criminal Court, Ross Outram, 28, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 90‑year‑old Paddy Lyons. The jury heard that Outram claimed to have suffered lumps on his head after being struck by Lyons with a walking stick and shovel, and that he had taken up to 100 Xanax tablets that day. Gardaí at Dungarvan station did not photograph the head lumps, nor did they take a urine sample, as four days had passed. The defence argued the investigation was "tunnel‑visioned" and did not examine the head injuries. The prosecution presented evidence that Lyons suffered multiple blows to the head and neck, and that his body was found slumped in his armchair. DNA from Lyons was found on the shovel, but no DNA from Outram was found in Lyons' house. The trial was set to continue the next day.
In the trial of Ross Outram, a 28‑year‑old from Clonmel, the jury heard that he claimed to have "fought back" after a 90‑year‑old retired farmer, Paddy Lyons, was found beaten to death in his home. Outram told Gardaí that he had gone to Lyons' house looking for money, but denied any intent to murder or seriously harm Lyons. He said Lyons had struck him with a walking stick and shovel, and that he had not killed Lyons, who he claimed was still alive when he left the house. A pathologist testified that Lyons suffered multiple blows to his head and neck, and his body was found slumped in his armchair. The case was presented to the Central Criminal Court on the sixth day of the trial, with the jury hearing medical evidence and Outram's statements from several Garda interviews. The unnamed 90-year-old pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence in the ongoing trial of Ross Outram, who has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Paddy Lyons at Loughleagh, Ballysaggart, Lismore, Co Waterford, between February 23 and 26, 2017. Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster testified that she found the 90-year-old victim slumped in an armchair with blood smeared on his face. Her post-mortem examination revealed ten blunt force wounds to the head and neck, fractured ribs, and a fractured right hip. She concluded the cause of death was blunt force trauma resulting in traumatic brain injury and shock. Under cross-examination, Dr Bolster stated it was impossible to determine the sequence of blows and that the brain injury alone would not have caused death, though untreated scalp lacerations likely would have. Pharmaceutical expert Michael Lyons testified that there was no physical evidence proving Outram consumed the 60 xanax tablets he claimed to have taken, noting the absence of withdrawal symptoms after his arrest. However, the expert acknowledged that high doses of xanax could cause a paradoxical effect. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Coffey and a jury.
A DNA profile from blood on a hoodie belonging to a murder suspect matched that of 90‑year‑old retired farmer Paddy Lyons. The jury heard that pieces of broken glass recovered from Lyons' gateway fit perfectly into the headlamp of Ross Outram's car. Outram, 28, of Ferryland, has pleaded not guilty to Lyons' murder, which occurred at Loughleagh, Ballysaggart, Lismore, between 23 and 26 February 2017. Garda Eugene O'Neill testified that he searched Outram's house on 27 February and seized a grey hoodie. Forensic scientist John Hoade confirmed that blood on the hoodie's right sleeve and hood matched Lyons' DNA. Other evidence included broken glass from a car light, a damaged lock, and a Volkswagen Passat with missing front lights and registration plates. The trial is before Mr Justice Paul Coffey and a jury of eight men and four women.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, Ross Outram, 28, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 90‑year‑old retired farmer Paddy Lyons, who died between 23 and 26 February 2017 at his Loughleagh home. Detective Garda Joe Wyse testified that he visited the scene on 25 February after learning of suspicious circumstances. He described a damaged padlock, skid marks, fingermarks on the front door, and a blood‑like substance around these marks. He also noted a deep laceration on Lyons' head and an elderly man slumped in a chair. Wyse observed a phone and kitchen windows with similar blood‑like residue. He also reported injuries on Outram's hands and thigh, photographed at the Garda station. Other Garda evidence included a fingerprint in blood on the door handle, blood on a plate, and a blue Volkswagen Passat with damage and no number plates. The case continues before Mr Justice Paul Coffey and a jury.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Ross Outram, 28, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 90‑year‑old Paddy Lyons in Lismore, Waterford, between 23 and 26 February 2017. During the trial, Sandra Walsh, a relative of Outram's nephew, testified that Outram had called her on Facebook Messenger on 26 February, claiming he had hit Lyons because Lyons would not give him money. She confirmed that Outram identified the deceased as Lyons and that he had spoken of travelling to the UK. Walsh also recounted that Outram was arrested the following day when she was driving him back to Ferryland. Sergeant Ger Falvey described the scene at Lyons' house, noting the victim's lack of trousers, a trail of urine, soot, and possible blood marks. The case proceeds before Mr Justice Paul Coffey with a jury of eight men and four women.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Ross Outram (28) is accused of killing 90‑year‑old Paddy Lyons in Waterford. Cathleen Kiely, a witness who has sold second‑hand clothes for over 30 years, testified that she visited Lyons' home on 24 February 2017, arriving with her husband around 4 p.m. She found the gate closed but without a bolt, entered the house, and saw Lyons sitting in his chair, looking at the door. Kiely claimed she thought Lyons was unconscious and swollen, and that there was black on the ground, but she did not realise he was dead. She left after a few seconds, told her husband, and later reported the situation to neighbours. The prosecution alleges Outram told Gardaí that he struck Lyons, who had only one arm, in self‑defence. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Coffey and a jury of eight men and four women. Ross Outram pleaded not guilty.
Ross Outram, 28, of Clonmel, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 90‑year‑old Paddy Lyons at Lismore, Waterford, between 23 and 26 February 2017. The trial began at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Paul Coffey and a jury of eight men and four women, and is expected to last two weeks. Prosecutor John O'Kelly SC presented evidence that Lyons was found dead in his home with blunt‑force injuries, a traumatic brain injury, haemorrhage and shock, and that his hip joint and ribs were fractured. A blood‑stained hoodie found in Outram's bedroom contained Lyons's DNA. Outram told investigators he had been in Lyons's house, had asked for money, and that Lyons attacked him with a stick. Outram claimed he struck Lyons repeatedly in self‑defence, and that Lyons was still alive when he left the house, after which Lyons was locked out.
Sean Healy, a 28‑year‑old from Beechpark, Cahir, withdrew an appeal against a €20,000 compensation order after the Court of Appeal warned that custody could be reconsidered if he proceeded. Healy had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to former hackney driver John Bailey in March 2017. Bailey, who had run a hackney in the Burncourt area, ended his business after the assault. Healy received a wholly suspended three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence and was ordered to pay €20,000, with a two‑year payment period. His barrister sought to limit the appeal to the compensation order, citing the amount's burden. The Court of Appeal's President, Mr Justice George Birmingham, reminded the counsel that all aspects of the sentence, including the suspended term, could be considered, potentially bringing custody back into play. Following this, Healy chose to withdraw the appeal.
The Court of Appeal has upheld the prison sentence of Dylan Cahill, a 24-year-old from Lower Irishtown, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, who pleaded guilty to serious firearms and explosives offences. Cahill admitted to possessing a .380 calibre Colt semi-automatic pistol and four rounds of ammunition, as well as two improvised explosive devices, or pipe-bombs, at Sradrine, Glefarne, Co Leitrim, on May 13, 2015. These admissions were made at the non-jury Special Criminal Court, where Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, presiding with Judges Sinead Ni Chulachain and James Faughnan, sentenced him to six years in prison, with the final year suspended. The appeal, heard by President Mr Justice George Birmingham alongside Ms Justice Máire Whelan and Ms Justice Marie Baker, was dismissed. Mr Justice Birmingham stated there was no basis to suggest the mandatory minimum sentence for firearm possession constituted an error in principle. He characterized the carrying of a semi-automatic pistol, ammunition, and a pipe bomb in furtherance of the activities of the IRA as a very serious offence. Consequently, the Court of Appeal confirmed the original disposal, maintaining the effective custody period and suspended portion as originally imposed by the Special Criminal Court.
In October 2018, a Polish man named Andrezej Pacek, aged 44 and currently serving a ten‑year prison sentence for a drug offence, was denied legal aid to defend a Criminal Assets Bureau claim that a commercial property in Hollyford, Co. Tipperary, where about €1 million of cannabis was found, was purchased with proceeds of crime. Pacek, who lives in Deerpark, New Ross, Co. Wexford, had earlier been convicted in 2017 for possession of a controlled drug worth €13 000 or more, with six years of his sentence suspended. The CAB argued that the Hollyford house was bought with illicit funds, citing unexplained four‑figure deposits into Pacek's bank accounts before the purchase. Pacek claimed the property was bought with savings from selling his Polish transport business in 2006. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart dismissed his legal aid application, noting translation difficulties and a lack of supporting documentation, and adjourned the case to November.
Francis Rafferty, 68, of Drumcondra, was convicted at the Central Criminal Court of two counts of raping a girl aged nine to twelve and of sexually assaulting her older sister, while acquitted of two other rape charges. He had pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the younger girl. The court imposed concurrent sentences totalling ten years imprisonment. Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan noted a Probation Service report that Rafferty had no understanding of the hurt, trauma or long‑term effect of his actions, and that he could not equate his own childhood abuse with that of his victims. The Court of Appeal upheld the sentence, finding it within the range available to the judge, and dismissed Rafferty's appeal. The decision was delivered by Mr Justice George Birmingham, joined by Mr Justice John Edwards and Mr Justice John Hedigan.
In 2014, 21‑year‑old Graham Meagher of Kilcaroon, Clogheen, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to 66‑year‑old PJ Kelly at Meagher's home. Meagher struck Kelly with a poker stand, shouting "die you bastard, die," resulting in severe brain damage that left Kelly unable to communicate and now in residential care. Meagher was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, by Judge Thomas Teehan in 2016. On 11 May 2018, the Court of Appeal dismissed Meagher's appeal, confirming the sentence as appropriate for a serious assault. The appeal court noted the assault was out of character for Meagher, who had no prior violent convictions, and that the victim's injuries were devastating and life‑altering. The decision upheld the original eight‑year term with two years suspended.
Don Duggan, aged 30, had 28 prior burglary convictions and pleaded guilty to burglary in Tipperary and a threat to kill on 23 December 2015. He received a ten‑year sentence with four years suspended, imposed by Judge Thomas Teehan at Clonmel Circuit Criminal Court on 11 May 2016. He also pleaded guilty to several burglaries between 18 and 24 August 2015 and was given a six‑year sentence with three years suspended, imposed by the same judge at Nenagh Circuit Criminal Court on 17 June 2016. The sentences were consecutive. Duggan appealed both sentences, but the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, holding the sentences were appropriate. The Court noted the victim's fear for her 10‑year‑old son, the threat of shooting, and Duggan's history of 115 convictions, including 28 for burglary, 13 for theft, and four for robbery with violence. The Court found no error of principle and affirmed the consecutive sentences.
Anthony Buck, 41, of Garrymore, Clonmel, is serving a mandatory life sentence for the 1996 murder of David Nugent in Tipperary. He pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court and was convicted after a lengthy trial, with the sentence imposed by Mr Justice John Quirke on 2 February 1998. Buck's appeal to have his conviction declared a miscarriage of justice was dismissed by the Court of Appeal. The Director of Public Prosecutions successfully argued that the application was an abuse of process, and the court found no new or newly discovered facts to support the claim. Mr Justice John Hedigan noted Buck's skillful preparation and courteous conduct, but concluded that his arguments were based solely on existing trial records and therefore bound to fail. The application was dismissed before a full hearing.
James Conlon, a 35-year-old from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, had his jail term reduced on appeal after pleading not guilty to two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice. The offences occurred during the investigation into the 2012 murder of Shane Rossiter. Conlon was originally found guilty by a jury at Clonmel Circuit Criminal Court and sentenced to eight years imprisonment, with the final year suspended, by Judge Thomas Teehan in February 2012. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham alongside Mr Justice Alan Mahon and Mr Justice John Edwards, quashed these sentences. The court substituted new terms of four years and three years imprisonment to run concurrently, resulting in an effective four-year term. The appeal judgment noted that Conlon and Maurice Power, who was convicted of Rossiter's murder at the Central Criminal Court in 2014, sought to remove a computer chip from a CCTV system. Conlon also allegedly sought to dissuade a potential witness from giving evidence. While the court acknowledged the seriousness of perverting justice in a murder case, it found the original sentencing range inappropriately high, noting the absence of violence, threats, or intimidation.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal against the severity of a 15-year prison sentence imposed on Michael Maughan for aggravated burglary. Maughan, aged 24, pleaded guilty to breaking into the caravan of Martin and Winnie McDonagh on Turlough Road, Castlebar, on November 18, 2013. During the attack, Maughan allegedly used a machete to slash the occupants, including an 11-year-old child, causing severe lacerations. The original sentence was handed down by Judge Rory McCabe at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court on February 19, 2016. On appeal, counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions argued the offence was among the most serious possible, while the defence compared it to a less severe Tipperary case. The three-judge panel, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, rejected this comparison, stating both cases represented the highest level of seriousness for aggravated burglary. The court noted that Maughan was also sentenced on four other bills of indictment for violent disorders and robbery committed after the caravan attack. Judge McCabe had imposed concurrent sentences for these additional offences, made consecutive to the aggravated burglary term but suspended in their entirety. The Court of Appeal found that the 15-year sentence for the aggravated burglary fell within the appropriate range and that no error in principle was identified, thereby upholding the original custodial term.
Andrew Roche, 28, pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to one count of orally raping a 12‑year‑old boy and one count of anally raping him between 25 December 2008 and 17 March 2009. The victim, who came forward in 2014, described how Roche lured him to a lane, forced himself on him, and warned him not to tell anyone. Roche, who was 20 at the time of the attack, was initially relaxed when questioned by Gardaí but denied knowledge of the events once he was told the victim was a boy. He has 41 previous convictions and has been in custody on other matters since February 2016. Mr Justice Paul Coffey imposed a sentence of five and a half years' imprisonment, back‑dated to 19 April 2016, and ordered post‑release supervision for six years. Roche has been certified as a sex offender.
Andrew Roche, aged 28, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to one count of orally raping a 12‑year‑old boy and one count of anally raping him between 25 December 2008 and 17 March 2009. The victim, who came forward in 2014, said Roche lured him to a lane, told him "I want to show you something", forced himself on him and warned him not to tell anyone. Roche, who was 20 at the time, was initially relaxed when questioned but denied knowledge of the events once he was told the victim was a boy. Roche has 41 previous convictions and has been in custody since February 2016. He will be sentenced next Monday, 24 July, after being remanded by Mr Justice Paul Coffey. The victim expressed relief at not having to give evidence but disappointment at not being able to describe the assault.
A trial date of 4 June 2018 has been set for Ross Outram, 26, of Ferryland, Waterford Road, Clonmel, who is charged with murdering 90‑year‑old Paddy Lyons in Waterford. Lyons was found slumped in a chair at his home with blood on his face and head injuries on 25 February. The case will be heard before a judge and jury in the Central Criminal Court.
Dylan Cahill, aged 24, of Lower Irishtown, Clonmel, County Tipperary, received a six-year sentence at the Special Criminal Court following guilty pleas to weapons and explosives charges. On 13 May 2015, gardaí conducting traffic enforcement stopped a vehicle near Glefarne, County Leitrim after reports of fuel theft. A search of the maroon Volkswagen Passat uncovered a plastic shopping bag containing a .380 calibre semi-automatic pistol, four rounds of matching ammunition, and two improvised explosive devices. Cahill, the driver, pleaded guilty to possession of the firearm and ammunition, and to possession of the pipe-bombs at the same location. During interview, he stated he was unaware of the weapon's intended purpose. Gardaí assessed the items were being transported in connection with IRA activities. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, presiding with two colleagues, imposed concurrent sentences of six years, with the final year suspended, on each count.
Patrick O'Reilly, 49, of Brownswood, Enniscorthy, was denied bail by the High Court after being charged with threatening to kill Garda Paul Donoghue and Detective Inspector John Hunt in February in Limerick. The State argued that O'Reilly was a flight risk and could interfere with witnesses, citing O'Callaghan objections and Section 2A of the Bail Act. Justice Michael Moriarty ruled the bail refusal necessary, hearing evidence from Chief Superintendent John Roche and the two Gardaí who were allegedly threatened. O'Reilly now awaits trial at Clonmel Circuit Court.
A 24-year-old man from County Tipperary pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possessing two pipe-bombs, a pistol, and ammunition discovered during a traffic stop in County Leitrim in May 2015. Dylan Cahill of Clonmel admitted charges relating to a .380 calibre semi-automatic pistol, four rounds of ammunition, and two improvised explosive devices found at Sradrine, Glefarne. Gardaí conducting traffic duties stopped the vehicle after reports it had left a filling station without paying for fuel. A search of the car revealed the weapons and explosives in a shopping bag on the front passenger seat. Detective Garda Derek Bonar told the court that gardaí believed the items were being transported in connection with IRA activities. Cahill's co-accused, John Burke, previously pleaded guilty in the Circuit Criminal Court and received a three-and-a-half-year sentence with six months suspended. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, sitting with two other judges, remanded Cahill in custody pending sentencing on 26 June.
A 44-year-old man from County Louth has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation, a charge he denies relates to the Irish Republican Army. Michael Connolly of Dundalk faced trial at the Special Criminal Court, where the prosecution alleged he was observed driving in convoy with another man who was later found in possession of improvised explosive devices. The prosecution's case relied significantly on evidence from a Garda Assistant Commissioner regarding his belief in Mr Connolly's membership status, along with interviews conducted under statutory powers. The defence argued that this evidence lacked independent corroboration and fell short of legal requirements, contending the case should fail. The three-judge court rejected an earlier defence application for a directed acquittal. Judgment is scheduled for delivery on 1 June 2017.
A 44-year-old man from Dundalk, County Louth, will have the Special Criminal Court determine tomorrow whether his trial for alleged IRA membership can proceed. Michael Connolly has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation on 16 December 2014. The prosecution alleges he was observed by gardaí driving in convoy along the N52 with another man who was later found with two improvised explosive devices. The defence applied today for a direction that the evidence was insufficient, arguing there were defects in the assistant commissioner's opinion underpinning the case and that Mr Connolly's presence at commemorations and demonstrations, or his association with previously convicted individuals, did not necessarily indicate IRA membership. The defence also contended there was no evidence Mr Connolly possessed or knew of the explosive devices. The three-judge court noted the application raised matters of sufficient substance and indicated closing speeches would be heard tomorrow.
Michael Connolly, aged 44 and resident of Grange Drive in Dundalk, County Louth, has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army on 16 December 2014. The Special Criminal Court heard opening arguments from the prosecution that Mr Connolly was observed driving in convoy with another man, Brian Fitzpatrick, following observations by members of the National Surveillance Unit. The court was told the men left the same house together in separate vehicles in the Ardee area before travelling in convoy towards Mullingar. It was further stated that two improvised explosive devices were discovered in Fitzpatrick's vehicle when both cars were stopped on the N52. The prosecution case will rely on evidence from Garda Assistant Commissioner Michael O'Sullivan regarding his belief of Mr Connolly's membership, along with garda interviews conducted under the Offences Against the State Act. The trial, before Mr Justice Tony Hunt presiding with Judge John O'Hagan and Judge Flann Brennan, continues before the three-judge, non-jury court.
A man who claimed he was physically and sexually abused at St Joseph's Industrial School in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, lost a High Court bid to allow him to apply to the Residential Institutions Redress Board for compensation. He had been committed to the school for two years and said he suffered severe beatings and sexual abuse. The board, set up in 2002 to compensate victims of industrial schools, closed applications in 2005. He applied in 2008, was refused because the application was not received in time, and made a fresh application in 2010. After an oral hearing in early 2012, the board again refused to extend time. In 2016 he brought judicial review proceedings against the board, the Superior Court Rules Committee and the Minister for Justice and Equality, seeking to quash the board's refusal and to declare the Superior Court rules an impermissible restriction on access to the courts.
A 24-year-old man from Clonmel in County Tipperary has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possessing a firearm and explosive devices. Dylan Cahill admitted to having a .380 calibre Colt semi-automatic pistol and four rounds of ammunition at a location in Glefarne, County Leitrim on 13 May 2015. He also pleaded guilty to possession of two improvised explosive devices at the same address on that date. The non-jury court, presided over by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy alongside two other judges, remanded Cahill in custody pending sentencing scheduled for 15 May 2017.
In 2015, seven men pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary at the Corcoran family home in south Tipperary. Five of them—Patrick Gately, Dean Byrne, John Joyce, Patrick Joyce and Thomas Flynn—received sentences ranging from 12 to 20 years, with varying suspended portions. The men appealed in 2017, arguing that the sentences were too severe. Counsel highlighted each defendant's background, remorse, and the nature of the offence, noting the presence of a machete, firearms, and threats against children. The Court of Appeal reserved judgment, with the judges acknowledging the seriousness of the crime and the impact on the Corcoran family. The appeal focused on the proportionality of the sentences and the application of remission, without addressing any subsequent outcomes. The case remains at the appellate stage.
In a case heard at the Clonmel Circuit Criminal Court, Romanian national Duku Popovici, aged 43, was found guilty of aggravated burglary at the home of James and Sarah Quigley in Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary, on 26 September 2013. The jury convicted him of aggravated burglary, and Judge Tom Teehan sentenced him to 12 years' imprisonment, suspending the final two years. The Court of Appeal, hearing the appeal on 23 January 2017, reduced the headline sentence to nine years' imprisonment, again suspending the final two years. The appeal was based on the judge's error in setting the headline sentence and in imposing a sentence twice that of the co‑accused. The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and the revised sentence, dismissing the appeal for conviction. The case involved a violent confrontation in the Quigley home, with Popovici allegedly threatening the occupants with a spanner and a second intruder striking the victim. Duku Popovici pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal against conviction lodged by Duku Popovici, a 43-year-old Romanian national from Cabra Park, Dublin 7. Popovici had pleaded not guilty to aggravated burglary at the home of James and Sarah Quigley in Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, on September 26, 2013. He was previously found guilty by a jury at Clonmel Circuit Criminal Court and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, by Judge Tom Teehan on July 23, 2015. During the appeal, Popovici's legal team argued that the trial judge failed to properly direct the jury on the lesser charge of attempted burglary, asserting that the defence case was that Popovici was never inside the house. However, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, sitting with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, rejected this argument. The court noted that the trial judge's charge was succinct and that it would have been perverse not to convict of attempted burglary if the jury were not satisfied of aggravated burglary. The appeal was dismissed on all grounds, upholding the original conviction and sentence.
In 2013, five men—Patrick Gately (29), Dean Byrne (23), John Joyce (22), Patrick Joyce (24), and Thomas Flynn (22)—pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary at the Corcoran family home in south Tipperary. Judge Thomas Teehan sentenced them on 1 October 2015: Gately and Byrne received 20‑year terms with the last four years suspended; Joyce received 15 years with four suspended; Patrick Joyce received 14 years with four suspended; Flynn received 12 years consecutive to a sentence already served. All five have appealed the severity of their sentences. The Court of Appeal set a hearing for 2 March, with submissions lodged except for Gately, who had a legal‑aid certificate transferred to a new solicitor. The appeal will consider whether the sentences are too harsh. The case remains at the appeal stage.
A 48‑year‑old retired secondary school teacher, Bridget Daly, sued Zurich Life Assurance after the insurer stopped paying her disability allowance under a salary protection scheme. Daly, who has ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and is medically unable to work, claimed that Zurich had placed her and her children under surveillance by private detectives following her lawsuit. She sought injunctions to prevent further surveillance and to compel Zurich to resume payments. Zurich argued the payments were halted because Daly declined a 'Functional Capacity Evaluation' test and that the policy allowed investigation of claims. The High Court case was resolved when Daly's counsel announced a settlement, and the matter was struck out. No settlement details were disclosed, and Zurich agreed to discontinue the surveillance. The case was heard by Mr Justice Paul Gilligan.
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.
Maurice Power, 33, of Kilmoyler, Cahir, was found guilty of dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Mrs Fiona O'Connell on 12 November 2012. He was driving three times over the legal limit, without insurance, and while disqualified. The incident occurred at about 5 a.m. on the Fethard Road, Co. Tipperary, when Power's vehicle lost control, crossed a boundary wall and carried Mrs O'Connell into an institution's grounds. She suffered severe injuries, including a leg that required amputation after 14 operations, and spent four months in hospital. Power was sentenced by Judge Thomas Teehan on 31 July 2013 to seven years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended, and a 25‑year driving disqualification. He appealed the sentence, arguing the judge had over‑penalised him and ignored mitigating factors. Judge Garrett Sheehan, with Justices George Birmingham and Alan Mahon, dismissed the appeal, stating the sentence was appropriate given the aggravating circumstances and the victim's injuries.
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.
In April 2011, Melvin McNamara (36), Michael Fogarty (45) and Noel Markham (41) attempted to rob Tadgh O'Flynn Jewellers in Nenagh. McNamara and Markham entered the shop in hoodies and balaclavas, while Fogarty stayed in a stolen VW Passat with false plates. McNamara brandished a firearm and Markham approached the window display. During a struggle, Markham shouted to McNamara to "shoot him"; McNamara fired a shot that lodged in the wall above the shopkeeper's head, though the gun was real. The shopkeeper pressed the panic button and pushed the gun down. The men fled in the getaway car, which Fogarty drove at high speed, leading to a 61‑km pursuit at 180‑200 km/h. The vehicle was eventually stopped in a farm yard. McNamara received a 10‑year sentence, Markham nine years and Fogarty eight years, all of which were upheld on appeal. The Court of Appeal confirmed the sentences were within the appropriate range and found no error. Melvin McNamara pleaded guilty. Michael Fogarty pleaded guilty. Noel Markham pleaded guilty.
A 48‑year‑old former defence forces sergeant, Michael Tobin, has filed a High Court challenge to overturn a decision by the Private Security Authority to revoke his licence to work as a doorman. Tobin, who has worked as a doorman in Kilkenny and Clonmel and was employed at Matt the Millers Public House on New Year's Eve, was informed on 13 January that his licence had been revoked. He argues the revocation was fundamentally flawed, citing a lack of notification, no reasons given, and no opportunity to be heard. He seeks an order quashing the revocation, a declaration that the decision contravened natural justice and the Irish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, and that provisions of the 2004 Private Security Services Act are incompatible with those instruments. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is a notice party. The judge granted permission ex‑parte and set a later date for the case to be heard.
A jury awarded €132,000 in damages to Catherine Houlihan, a 41‑year‑old wheelchair‑bound woman from Carrick on Suir, after finding that two Gardaí trespassed into her home on 2 August 2011 and falsely imprisoned her while questioning her about a missing iPhone. The Gardaí entered her house without a search warrant, searched her handbag and wheelchair without permission, and threatened to take her to Clonmel Garda Station if she did not admit to taking the phone. Houlihan denied taking the phone, which she claimed was stolen from a fast‑food restaurant earlier that day. The High Court judge, Mr Justice Colm MacEochaidh, heard the case over three days and, after deliberation, the jury concluded that her privacy had been breached, that she had been falsely imprisoned and that the Gardaí had trespassed without lawful authority. The jury awarded her €132,000 in damages, a decision that was stayed pending appeal.
Anthony Buck, aged 41, was convicted of murdering David Nugent in Tipperary on 8 July 1996 and received a mandatory life sentence on 2 February 1998. He appealed to the Court of Appeal seeking to have his conviction quashed on the basis that new facts had emerged following the Supreme Court's Gormley and White decision, which concerned access to a solicitor during Garda interviews. Buck's counsel argued that the decision should allow a miscarriage of justice claim under the Criminal Procedure Act 1992. The Court of Appeal, comprising Justices Birmingham, Sheehan and Mahon, dismissed the application. Justice Birmingham noted that Buck's case differed materially from Gormley and White, that no newly discovered fact existed, and that the appeal lacked substance. The Director of Public Prosecutions' motion to dismiss was also upheld. The conviction remains in force. Anthony Buck pleaded not guilty.