Court archive
Court reports mentioning Kinnegad, Westmeath
2025-12-19 · Westmeath
Ross O'Rourke, aged 31, was found not guilty by reason of insanity after stabbing his father, Stefan Nivelle Posschier, 65, 18 times during a psychotic episode in October 2022. A jury of five men and seven women returned a unanimous verdict. O'Rourke claimed he believed his father was linked to criminals and the IRA and that he had received coded messages urging him to kill. Psychiatrists for both sides agreed he suffered from a schizophrenic disorder at the time of the killing. Dr Dearbhla Duffy, at a hearing, stated he continues to lack capacity for informed decisions and needs ongoing inpatient care at the Central Mental Hospital. Mr Justice Paul McDermott ordered his commitment for treatment, with reviews every six months. The family of the deceased remains in grief. The case highlights the application of the special verdict under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006.
2025-12-15 · Westmeath
A man who stabbed his 'friendly and soft-hearted' father 18 times during a psychotic episode has been found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. Ross O'Rourke, who had a previous address in Tullow, Carlow, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering his father, Stefan Nivelle Posschier, in Kinnegad, Co Westmeath in 2022. The jury returned a unanimous verdict in just 29 minutes, with the judge describing the trial as 'extremely difficult, especially for those who have lost a loved one.' Psychiatrists agreed that O'Rourke was suffering from a schizophrenic mental disorder at the time of the killing and met the criteria for the special verdict under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006. The trial heard that O'Rourke developed a delusion that his father was mixed up with criminals and the IRA and that he posed a threat to his life. He stabbed his father to death and then drove to a hospital, where he told his grandmother he had killed her son.
2025-12-12 · Westmeath
A fire drill delayed jury deliberations in the trial of a man who stabbed his father to death during a psychotic episode. Ross O'Rourke, 31, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering his father. Psychiatrists agreed he was suffering from a mental disorder and met the criteria for the special verdict. O'Rourke believed his father was involved with criminals and the IRA and heard voices telling him to kill him. He stabbed his father 18 times. His defense described his father as a kind and warm-hearted man. The prosecution argued O'Rourke intended to kill his father but the psychiatrists concluded he was unable to understand the wrongfulness of his actions due to his mental state. The jury was told to return on Monday after the fire drill.
2025-12-11 · Carlow
A 31-year-old man who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his father by reason of insanity told his grandmother that he had killed her son when she was lying in her bed in a hospital ward. Ross O'Rourke (31) of Tullow, Carlow, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of his father, Stefan Nivelles Posschier (65). During the opening of the trial, Shane Costelloe SC said that expert psychiatrists for both the prosecution and defence are in agreement about the accused's mental state at the time of the murder. The court heard that Ms Kingston, the grandmother of the accused, was in her bed in the hospital ward on October 25, 2022, when O'Rourke told her that he had killed her son. Gardai found the body of the deceased under plastic tarpaulin held down with bricks. The prosecution's case is that the accused caused the death of his father, and the court will hear evidence from expert consultant psychiatrists about the accused's mental state at the time.
2025-12-10 · Westmeath
A jury has been sworn in to hear the trial of a 31-year-old man who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his father by reason of insanity. Ross O'Rourke, from Tullow, Carlow, is accused of murdering Stefan Nivelles Posschier at The Stables in Rattin, Kinnegad, Westmeath, between October 24 and 25, 2022. The accused entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. The trial will be presided over by Mr Justice Paul McDermott and will involve a jury of five men and seven women. The trial is expected to last up to four days. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions is Shane Costello SC, while Michael Bowman SC represents the defence. Evidence will be presented by Dr Ronan Mullaney for the defence and Dr Anthony Kearns for the prosecution. The trial will commence tomorrow.
2021-02-01 · Westmeath
A garda who pleaded guilty to causing the death of a woman by dangerous driving has been jailed following a successful appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Patrick McDonnell, aged 42, with an address in County Galway, was originally sentenced to two years suspended at Trim Circuit Court in June 2020 for the death of Jacqueline Wolohan on the M4 near Kinnegad, Westmeath, on 13 February 2016. The Court of Appeal found the original sentence unduly lenient and imposed two-and-a-half years imprisonment, with the final year suspended for two years. The three-judge court accepted that the trial judge had placed disproportionate weight on McDonnell's character and previous record while insufficiently regarding the speed of his vehicle, recorded at approximately 140 kilometres per hour, and his departure from the scene. Ms Wolohan, aged 51 from Dublin, was returning from Longford when struck from behind. McDonnell, an 18-year garda, is subject to summary dismissal proceedings.
2020-12-21 · Offaly
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Shaun Groome, 32, to 15 years' imprisonment for a brutal assault on Ciarán Murphy, 32, which involved 16 stab wounds and an arson attack that left Murphy with 96 % burns. Groome pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm and criminal damage by arson. The judge described the offence as "exceptional" and noted Groome's "murderous intent" despite his guilty plea, reducing the headline 20‑year sentence to 15 years with no suspended portion. Groome claimed his actions were driven by misinformation that Murphy was a Garda informant and that he was influenced by drugs. The court considered his remorse, prior convictions, and potential for rehabilitation, but imposed the full custodial term. Murphy suffered severe injuries, lost his ears, and continues to endure pain. The case also involved co‑accused David Keena, 21, who received a five‑year sentence for his role.
2020-10-28 · Westmeath
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, David Keena, aged 21, was sentenced to six and a half years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, for his role in a 2015 arson attack on Ciarán Murphy, a low‑level drug dealer in Offaly. Keena, who was 17 at the time, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm and criminal damage by arson. He was found to have stabbed Murphy 16 times and poured petrol over him, resulting in 96 % burns and multiple stab wounds, including to the heart. Murphy survived but suffered life‑threatening injuries and permanent physical and mental trauma. Keena's sentence runs consecutively with a previously imposed six‑year term for a drug‑dealing offence. The court noted Keena's youth, lack of prior convictions and drug use as mitigating factors. The case involved a false rumour that Murphy was a Garda informant, spread by his former girlfriend, which the court found to be untrue.
2020-09-18 · Westmeath
The Court of Appeal has increased the prison sentence of Oliver Berry, a 63-year-old father from Mullingar, Co Westmeath, from ten to 13 years for the rape and sexual assault of his daughter, Jennifer Berry. In November 2018, a jury at the Central Criminal Court convicted Berry of 105 counts of raping and sexually assaulting his daughter between December 1982 and December 1994, when she was aged seven to 19. Berry, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, maintains his innocence and has a separate application before the Court of Appeal against his conviction. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the original ten-year term, arguing it was too lenient given the severity of the offences, which included rape during the victim's pregnancy. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, found that the sentencing judge had erred by giving undue weight to mitigating factors such as Berry's age and lack of previous convictions. The court ruled that the original reduction from a headline sentence of 15 years was disproportionate. Consequently, the actual custodial sentence was increased to 13 years. Jennifer Berry waived her right to anonymity to allow her father to be publicly named in the proceedings.
2020-06-30 · Westmeath
In September 2015 a low‑level drug dealer, Ciarán Murphy (29), was stabbed 16 times and set on fire at his home in Coolcor, Offaly, after his ex‑girlfriend spread a false rumour that he was a Garda informant. Murphy suffered 96 % burns from the neck down, multiple stab wounds including to the heart cavity, and lost both ears. He was treated at Tullamore Regional Hospital and later St James's Hospital, Dublin, undergoing several emergency surgeries and skin grafts. David Keena (21) was remanded in custody after admitting he was present when Shaun Groome (31) stabbed Murphy and poured petrol over him. Keena pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm and criminal damage by arson. Groome had been charged with assault causing serious harm in November 2015, but no prosecution has yet taken place. The case was adjourned to 28 July 2020 for sentencing.
2020-02-10 · Westmeath
In a hearing before the Disclosures Tribunal, retired District Court Judge Patrick McMahon, who served as the Confidential Recipient for Garda whistleblower Nicholas Keogh, recounted being surprised to learn that Keogh's name and the details of his protected disclosure were read aloud in the Dáil on the same day he received the information. McMahon explained that he had met Keogh on 8 May 2014 in a car in Kinnegad, where Keogh provided an affidavit dated 7 May 2014 and later a DVD containing an interview with an unnamed individual. The tribunal, chaired by Judge Sean Ryan, is examining whether Keogh was targeted or harassed after his disclosure. McMahon noted that the announcement in the Dáil caused him distress, as he had arranged a confidential meeting with Keogh. The tribunal is also reviewing the appointment of Assistant Commissioner Dónall Ó Cualáin to investigate the matter, a decision that Keogh expressed anxiety about.
2019-12-20 · Dublin
Niall Edwards, 37, of Kinnegad, pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals in two Dublin shopping centres in 2017 and 2018 and to possessing 1,665 images of child pornography. The images included 1,417 of children in sexual activity and 248 of children with exposed privates. Gardaí seized his phone and found no evidence of payment or sharing. Edwards lost his job as a chef when the offences were discovered. He expressed shame and remorse in a psychological report. Judge Martin Nolan, citing the absence of aggravating factors such as prior convictions or distribution, imposed a non‑custodial sentence. He sentenced Edwards to two and a half years, suspended in full for that period, subject to strict conditions including 18 months of probation supervision. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
2019-10-14 · Westmeath
At the Disclosures Tribunal in Dublin Castle, Garda Nicholas Keogh testified that he had been bullied and harassed by his superiors after making a protected disclosure in May 2014 about alleged collusion between Gardaí and drug dealers in Athlone. Keogh claimed that the "dogs on the street" were aware of the collusion and that a senior member of the drugs unit had been aiding a heroin dealer, Ms B, who had no prior drug convictions. He said he entered the information into the Garda Pulse system to protect himself and to make it available to all Gardaí. Keogh alleged that he was targeted and discredited by his superiors, that he had been investigated by Assistant Commissioner Michael Finn, and that he had taken sick leave in 2015. The Tribunal is examining whether the questioning and investigations amounted to targeting or discrediting Keogh, while an allegation of mobile‑phone tapping was dropped for lack of evidence.
2019-07-03 · Westmeath
During the murder trial of Paul O'Beirne and Jeffrey Morrow, Dr Rebecca Weld presented DNA evidence linking a bulldog to a car seat cover found at the accused's home. Dr Weld, a PhD in animal identification and former director of Weatherbys DNA laboratories, had examined DNA from a black cocker‑spaniel named Lily and an English bulldog named Bailey in 2016. She matched a partial DNA profile from a white hair on the cover to Bailey, noting the probability of a match with another dog was one in a billion. The cover, recovered from a bin in O'Beirne's garden, was similar to a canvas sheet from Joseph Cogan's stolen Volkswagen Golf GTI, which he claimed was used to protect his car from dog hairs. Cogan had provided hair samples from his fawn bulldog and black cocker‑spaniel. The prosecution argues the fatal shots were fired from the Golf. Paul O'Beirne pleaded not guilty. Jeffrey Morrow pleaded not guilty.
2019-06-24 · Dublin
Two Dublin men, Paul O'Beirne (36) and Jeffrey Morrow (37), are on trial for the murder of 25‑year‑old Vincent Ryan on 29 February 2016. The prosecution relies on circumstantial evidence, including CCTV footage from O'Beirne's home and mobile phone traffic, to argue that the men planned and executed the shooting. Ryan was shot in broad daylight while seated in his car on McKee Road, Finglas, after dropping his partner and baby at her home. A silver Volkswagen Golf fired the fatal shots; the vehicle was later found burning near Naas. The court heard that the men attempted to conceal their involvement, including disposing of a car seat cover from the vehicle. The trial, heard by the Central Criminal Court, is expected to last five to six weeks. Paul O'Beirne pleaded not guilty. Jeffrey Morrow pleaded not guilty.
2018-02-02 · Dublin
During a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, CCTV footage showed two men entering a service station on the night of a €2.28 million cash‑in‑transit van robbery. Kevin Richardson, aged 13 at the time, testified that the men wore clothing similar to the raiders who later abducted the Richardson family. The accused—Mark Farrelly (46), Christopher Corcoran (70), David Byrne (45) and Niall Byrne (36)—have pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment of Paul Richardson, his wife Marie and their sons Ian (17) and Kevin (13) at their Ashcroft home on 13–14 March 2005, and to robbing Paul Richardson and Securicor. The trial, the fifth time the matter has been heard, includes testimony from the Richardson family, a former Securicor control‑room supervisor, and cross‑examination by defence counsel. The case is set to continue for three months before Judge Melanie Greally and an enlarged jury.
2017-05-04 · Offaly
An 87-year-old man has initiated High Court proceedings in relation to allegations that his nephew withdrew over €130,000 from his bank account for personal use. Patrick Hogan, from Harristown in County Meath, granted his nephew Thomas Kelly a mandate in 2012 to manage withdrawals from his credit union account. According to evidence presented to the court, a forensic accountant calculated that Mr Kelly withdrew approximately €153,000 between 2012 and 2016, with an estimated €133,000 allegedly spent without authorisation. Mr Justice Paul Gilligan granted an interim freezing injunction preventing Mr Kelly from reducing his assets below €200,000 and temporarily prohibited the sale of a property he owns. The matter was adjourned to the following week. A complaint has been made to An Garda Síochána regarding the allegations.
2017-03-03 · Westmeath
Martin Stokes, 25, of Corkhill, Kinnegad, was convicted of defilement of a child under 15 and of raping a 14‑year‑old girl in Westmeath on 3 June 2011. He denied the rape and assault, claiming the contact was consensual. A Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty on all counts and sentenced him to 12 years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended by Mr Justice Carroll Moran on 7 August 2015. Stokes' appeal against conviction was dismissed in December. On appeal, the Court of Appeal re‑sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment, suspending the final three years. Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan noted that the original judge had given undue weight to Stokes' lies, leading to an error in the starting point of the sentence. The Court of Appeal considered the four‑year delay, Stokes' age at the time of the offence, and the need for rehabilitation, and imposed a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period. Martin Stokes pleaded not guilty.
2017-01-13 · Westmeath
Martin Stokes, a 25-year-old man from Kinnegad, Westmeath, appeared before the Court of Appeal to challenge the severity of his sentence. He had previously pleaded not guilty to the defilement of a child under 15 in Westmeath on June 3, 2011, as well as rape and sexual assault. A Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty on all counts, and he was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, by Mr Justice Carroll Moran in August 2015. Stokes's earlier appeal against conviction was dismissed in December. In today's hearing, his barrister, Padraig Dwyer SC, argued that the sentence was excessive, noting the absence of additional violence or threats. Dwyer contended that the trial judge placed undue emphasis on Stokes's denials and the resulting trauma to the victim, while also highlighting the personal impact on Stokes, including the end of his marriage and separation from his child. Conversely, counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Pauline Walley SC, maintained the sentence was proportionate, citing the victim's severe depression, anxiety, and the disruption to her education caused by multiple trial dates. The court, comprising Mr Justice George Birmingham, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, reserved its judgment, indicating it hopes to deliver its decision as soon as possible. The matter remains adjourned pending this final ruling.
2016-12-20 · Westmeath
Martin Stokes, aged 25, of Corkhill, Kinnegad, was convicted of defilement of a child under 15 and of raping a 14‑year‑old girl in a field in Westmeath on 3 June 2011. He pleaded not guilty, denied knowledge of the girl and later claimed their interaction was consensual. A Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty on all counts. He received a 12‑year sentence, with the final two years suspended by Mr Justice Carroll Moran on 7 August 2015. Stokes appealed on 14 grounds, including the admission of inadmissible hearsay that he had threatened the complainant and other procedural objections. The Court of Appeal, after considering the grounds cumulatively, rejected the appeal. Stokes did not react to the judgment and will appeal the severity of his sentence in the next term.
2016-10-05 · Westmeath
Martin Stokes, 25, of Corkhill, Kinnegad, was convicted of defilement of a child under 15 and rape of a 14‑year‑old girl in Westmeath on 3 June 2011. He pleaded not guilty, denied knowledge of the girl, and later claimed the encounter was consensual. A Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty on all counts and sentenced him to 12 years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended by Mr Justice Carroll Moran on 7 August 2015. Stokes has now lodged an appeal against his conviction on grounds that his right to silence was undermined, medical evidence was mishandled, and extracts from Garda tapes portrayed him as "belligerent". His barrister, Padraig Dwyer SC, argued that inconsistencies in medical evidence were treated as mere defence points and that the jury was misled by the victim's cross‑examination responses. He also contended that hearsay evidence of Stokes acting threateningly the day after the incident was improperly admitted.
2016-07-26 · Westmeath
Martin Stokes, 25, of Corkhill, Kinnegad, was convicted in 2015 of defilement of a child under 15 and rape of a 14‑year‑old girl in a field in Westmeath on 3 June 2011. A jury found him guilty on all counts. He received a 12‑year sentence, with the final two years suspended by Mr Justice Carroll Moran on 7 August 2015. Stokes has lodged an appeal against conviction and a separate appeal against sentence. The conviction appeal was adjourned to 5 October 2016 after a late submission from the Director of Public Prosecutions. Martin Stokes pleaded not guilty.
2015-08-07 · Westmeath
Martin Stokes, 24, was convicted after a 17‑day trial of raping a 14‑year‑old girl in a field while she walked to a friend's house. DNA evidence and about ten witnesses linked him to the crime. Stokes denied knowing the girl and later claimed consensual sex, but the judge described his lies as "obvious mendacity." He was sentenced to 12 years, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions, including no contact with the victim or her family and registration of his address with Gardaí upon release. The victim, who suffered panic attacks, anxiety, depression, self‑harm and suicidal thoughts, testified that the trial and Stokes' outbursts caused her panic attacks. The court also heard she had moved towns because of the rape. The judge ordered Stokes' name to be publicly identified. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court in Westmeath. Martin Stokes pleaded not guilty.
2015-02-27 · Dublin
The Central Criminal Court jury heard technical evidence on the 27th day of the trial of Graham Dwyer, who is charged with murdering Elaine O'Hara at Killakee, Rathfarnham on 22nd August 2012. Mr Dwyer, aged 42, has pleaded not guilty to the charge. Witnesses including telecommunications engineers provided detailed mobile phone records and data covering periods before and after the alleged offence. The court also heard from a woman who had engaged Mr Dwyer's architectural services in County Galway in 2009, and from witnesses who placed him at various locations during July 2012. A Ballyshannon hotel proprietor testified to his movements that month. The State's case is that the killing occurred hours after Ms O'Hara's discharge from a mental health facility. Her remains were discovered at Killakee in September 2013. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of five women and seven men.