42‑year‑old Declan Doyle of Crumlin, Dublin, has filed a High Court application to stop a robbery charge alleged to have been committed in 1999. Doyle, who says he was addicted to drugs at the time and that his life was "quite disordered," claims the prosecution is unreasonable and disproportionate after 16 years. He argues that the delay has infringed his constitutional rights and that he has led a law‑abiding life for the past 16 years. Doyle, who has been drug‑free since 2000 after a rehabilitation programme in Athlone, has already turned himself in to Gardaí and was granted bail. The court, presided over by Mr Justice Richard Humphreys, adjourned the application for two weeks. Doyle seeks an order preventing the Director of Public Prosecutions from prosecuting him for the alleged robbery. The case remains at the application stage.
The appeal of a case involving an unnamed man, who was initially sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay €75,000 in compensation by Judge Desmond Hogan, has been addressed by the Court of Criminal Appeal. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the sentence, arguing it was unduly lenient. In July 2014, the Court of Criminal Appeal found the original sentence by Judge Hogan to be unduly lenient and imposed an additional 18 months. The matter was adjourned and never described as concluded or finalised. Judge Desmond Hogan, who is from Athlone, retired today after 15 years on the bench, most of it spent sitting in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. His retirement comes after a career that included handling high-profile cases, such as that of Anthony Lyons, a sex offender who assaulted a young woman in Dublin. Judge Hogan's tenure was marked by his characteristic good humour and commitment to the justice system, which he described as 'manifestly fair'.
In November 2015, Jimmy Devaney, a 67‑year‑old retired soldier, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for the manslaughter of Marie Greene, a prostitute whose body was found in Anagorta Bog nine days after she disappeared. The Central Criminal Court had earlier acquitted him of murder but found him guilty of manslaughter after a jury deliberated for four hours and 23 minutes. Justice Margaret Heneghan, who had considered an eleven‑year custodial sentence, imposed eight years, back‑dating it to the day the jury returned its verdict. The judge noted aggravating factors such as the use of a knife, multiple wounds, attempts to destroy evidence and lack of cooperation with Gardaí, and mitigating factors including an early plea, an apology, cooperation and Devaney's prior good character. The sentence was announced after evidence of six stab wounds to Greene's trunk and several incised wounds to her head and neck was presented.
In 2013, a 32‑year‑old man lured a nine‑year‑old and a six‑year‑old girl from a children's birthday party in Athlone, threatened to cut their parents' throats, and repeatedly raped them in a flat. He pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court and was sentenced to two life sentences by Mr Justice Paul Carney on 3 March 2014. On 14 November 2015 he moved to appeal the life sentences, arguing they were excessive. His barrister, Sean Gillane SC, acknowledged the "nightmarish aspects" of the case and noted the man's full admissions and early plea. The appeal was filed on the basis that the single set of offences might be viewed differently, but the court was instructed to reserve judgment and deliberate further. The appeal remains pending.
Brian Gavin, 28, was driving from Mullingar to Lucan at speeds up to 160 km/h when he clipped a car's wing mirror and later collided with a Skoda, causing Gerard Nolan to suffer a broken hip, broken leg, facial fractures and permanent scarring. Gavin then struck another vehicle before stopping. He told Gardaí he was trying to kill himself, citing suicidal thoughts and a desire to leave his family home. He has bipolar disorder, had stopped his medication, and had a prior suicide attempt. Gavin pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm and failing to stop, and to a second dangerous driving offence. He passed a roadside breath test. Judge Sarah Berkeley adjourned the case to monitor his medication compliance and imposed a mandatory four‑year driving ban.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the nephew of 37‑year‑old Marie Greene delivered a victim impact statement. He described the murder that took place on 13 February 2011, when Greene was taken to Anagorta Bog outside Athlone, brutally killed and her body dumped in a ditch. The statement highlighted the family's anguish, the loss of a beloved aunt, and the subsequent death of Greene's brother John, who died 21 days later. The nephew emphasized that the killer had shown no respect for Greene's life or body, and that the family endured further pain when Greene's character was portrayed negatively in the media. He urged the court to deliver an appropriate sentence for the person responsible for the cruel and callous killing. The hearing also noted that retired defence forces member Jimmy Devaney was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter, with sentencing pending. The statement was read on behalf of Greene's grandmother, mother, and extended family. The unnamed 37-year-old pleaded not guilty.
James Broderick, aged 77, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to six offences – three rapes and three indecent assaults – committed against his daughter Rita Broderick between 1983 and 1984. The abuse began when Rita was four in Manchester and continued after the family moved to Athlone, ending when she was 15 and fled the house. Mr Justice Hunt sentenced Broderick to 15 years' imprisonment, suspending eight years, citing his confession and lack of prior convictions as mitigating factors. Rita Broderick, 46, gave a victim impact statement describing the abuse as a defining, corrosive experience that left her with Dissociative Identity Disorder. She praised the sentence as a "good outcome" and highlighted the lasting mental health effects of her father's actions. The case was reported in the media after Rita waived anonymity.
Rita Broderick, aged 46, gave a victim impact statement at the Central Criminal Court after her father James Broderick, aged 77, pleaded guilty to three rapes and three indecent assaults that occurred in their Athlone home between January 1983 and September 1984. She described her childhood as a "war zone" and said the repeated abuse began when she was four in Manchester, continued after the family moved to Athlone when she was 13, and ended when she was 15 after she fled the house. Broderick said the abuse forced her to disassociate, leading to Dissociative Identity Disorder, and that she now lives in America, has suffered an eating disorder, hip dysplasia and has been unable to have children. She also noted that her brother and sister endured emotional abuse. The judge praised her statement and noted the damage left by her father. The case is pending sentencing.
Two men found liable in civil proceedings relating to the 1998 Omagh bombing appeared before the Master of the High Court in Dublin on Wednesday to answer questions regarding their assets. Liam Campbell of Upper Faughart, Dundalk, and Michael Colm Murphy of Lower Faughart, Dundalk, County Louth, were ordered to provide details of their financial holdings as part of enforcement of a judgment requiring them to pay families of the 29 people killed in the attack. Both men denied possessing significant assets. Mr Campbell stated he owns only a half share in the family home and adjoining land. Mr Murphy claimed to hold no assets following his divorce. Lawyers acting for the victim's families sought comprehensive disclosure of property, savings, shares and company interests. Following examination, both men undertook to provide sworn statements detailing assets valued above €5,000 by 23 October.
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.
In a Westmeath case, retired army private Jimmy Devaney, aged 67, was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter in the death of prostitute Marie Greene on 13 February 2011. The jury, after 4 hours 23 minutes, returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty of murder and guilty of manslaughter. Justice Margaret Heneghan thanked the jury and excused them for 15 years, adjourned sentencing to 2 November, and remanded Devaney in custody until that date. Greene was last seen alive on the night of her death and her body was discovered nine days later in Anagorta Bog. Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy reported six stab wounds to the trunk and multiple incise wounds to the head and neck, some possibly part of a continuous attack after death. The State alleged Devaney murdered Greene because she had blackmailed him for money and threatened to reveal his wife.
The jury in the trial of retired army private Jimmy Devaney, aged 67, is set to resume deliberations after an hour and fifteen minutes of discussion. Devaney, who pleaded not guilty, is accused of murdering prostitute Marie Greene on 13 February 2011 in Westmeath. Greene was last seen alive that evening and her body was found nine days later in Anagorta Bog. The State alleges Devaney killed Greene after she blackmailed him for money and threatened to inform his wife. Devaney claims he met Greene at Anagorta Bog, that she threatened to involve her brothers, and that he stabbed her in a struggle, losing control. He also says he had given her up to €40,000 over six months. Evidence includes a videolink testimony from Devaney's brother‑in‑law, Peter Boardman, who supplied knives used in his butcher trade. Judge Margaret Heneghan explained that provocation could reduce murder to manslaughter if the jury believes Devaney was provoked.
In the Central Criminal Court, retired defence forces member Jimmy Devaney, aged 67, pleaded not guilty to the murder of prostitute Marie Greene on 13 February 2011. The prosecution argued Devaney planned the killing, bringing a knife to Anagorta Bog where Greene was found. Defence counsel contended Greene regularly visited the bog and the knife might have been stolen from Devaney's jeep. Prosecutor Alex Owens highlighted Devaney's "cock and bull story" to Gardaí about the knife, suggesting an attempt to distance himself from the weapon. Owens urged the jury to consider whether Devaney's alleged provocation could have caused a sudden loss of self‑control, potentially leading to a manslaughter verdict. Defence lawyer Giollaiosa O'Lideadha denied any planning, emphasizing the seriousness of manslaughter and questioning the knife's role in the alleged plan. The jury, composed of six men and six women, was instructed to remain impartial and was later informed that one juror had been discharged.
In the ongoing trial at the Central Criminal Court, a juror was discharged after a review by Justice Margaret Heneghan. The case concerns retired army private Jimmy Devaney, aged 67, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of prostitute Marie Greene in Westmeath on 13 February 2011. The jury, originally composed of six men and six women, confirmed they had not discussed the case with each other or any third parties. Following the discharge, the trial proceeds with the remaining six women and five men, who will deliver closing speeches this afternoon.
The trial of Jimmy Devaney, a 66‑year‑old retired army private, is concluding after the prosecution finished presenting evidence. Devaney, who pleaded not guilty, is accused of murdering Marie Greene, a prostitute, on 13 February 2011. The court heard that Greene was last seen alive that evening and her body was found in Anagorta Bog nine days later. Devaney claimed he was blackmailed by Greene for up to €40,000 and that she threatened to expose him and his family. He denied bringing a knife but admitted he stabbed her after losing control. The prosecution presented interviews, video footage, and financial records suggesting a blackmail motive. The defence highlighted Devaney's family background and alleged prior client interactions. Closing speeches will be delivered before the judge gives directions to the jury.
O'Reilly Commercials Limited, a vehicle testing firm, was found guilty of breaching health and safety laws during an official test of a school bus on 5–6 August 2005. The test, conducted under the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, allegedly exposed persons to risk because the company failed to ensure safety, notably by not noting the bus's modified rear suspension system. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, after a 23‑day trial and nearly eight hours of jury deliberation, convicted the firm on the first count. The company was fined €25,000 on 29 July 2013. Mr John Deegan, a director, has applied to represent the company in an appeal, arguing that no other lawyer had represented the firm in such proceedings and that legal aid may be available. The Court of Appeal has scheduled a hearing for 23 October to decide the appeal and any legal‑aid application.
In the Central Criminal Court, 66‑year‑old Jimmy Devaney pleaded not guilty to the murder of Marie Greene, a prostitute, on 13 February 2011. Devaney told Gardaí he had been blackmailed by Greene for up to €40,000, claiming she threatened to inform his wife. He admitted to stabbing Greene after a confrontation in a bog near Ballykieran, stating he had previously given her €20,000–€40,000 over six months and had not repaid it. Devaney denied bringing a knife that night, but described wrestling with Greene, grabbing a knife from her, and stabbing her before burying the body. He recalled meeting Greene a decade earlier, developing a relationship that involved sexual favors for money. The trial continues with a jury of twelve, presided over by Justice Margaret Heneghan.
In a 2015 trial, Jimmy Devaney, 66, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Marie Greene, 37, a prostitute who disappeared on 13 February 2011 and whose body was found nine days later in a bog near Ballykieran. The court heard that a knife with a green handle, recovered under the boot cover of Devaney's car, bore blood that DNA testing matched to Greene. Detective Garda Lynn Johnson presented evidence of items recovered from the bog, including Greene's social services card and a rosary bracelet. Phone records showed 60 contacts between Devaney and Greene from January to February 2011. Forensic scientist John Hoade confirmed the DNA match, and State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy described the fatal stab wounds, noting multiple injuries to the chest, ribs, and heart that caused death. The case proceeded before Justice Margaret Heneghan and a jury.
In the Westmeath murder trial, retired Defence Forces member Jimmy Devaney, aged 66, has pleaded not guilty to the killing of Marie Greene on 13 February 2011. The case is in its third day of legal argument before the Central Criminal Court, with a jury of six men and six women and Justice Margaret Heneghan presiding. The proceedings will continue tomorrow.
The trial of Jimmy Devaney, a 66‑year‑old retired member of the Defence Forces, continues in legal argument. Devaney pleaded not guilty to the murder of Marie Greene in Westmeath on 13 February 2011. The case is set to proceed to evidence tomorrow before a jury of six men and six women, presided over by Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence that retired defence forces member Jimmy Devaney, 66, had blood‑shot eyes and scratches on his hands on the night he is accused of murdering Marie Greene, a prostitute, on 13 February 2011. Devaney pleaded not guilty. Witnesses said he was playing cards at the Lighthouse Casino in Custume Place that evening, arriving around 8 pm and returning around 9 pm. He was described as flustered, with a torn shirt and cuts on his knuckles, which he claimed were from falling in a ditch while helping someone out of a car. The prosecution alleges he stabbed Greene six times and killed her because she threatened to expose him as a client. The trial is now in the legal argument stage before a jury presided by Justice Margaret Heneghan.
In the Central Criminal Court, Jimmy Devaney, 66, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Marie Greene, a prostitute who vanished on 13 February 2011 and whose body was found nine days later in a bog near Ballykieran, Athlone. Devaney, a retired defence forces member, was seen playing cards at the Lighthouse Casino that night and later returned to the club. Alan Kavanagh, the casino owner, testified that Devaney claimed a woman was blackmailing him and that he killed her to protect his family. Kavanagh also noted Devaney's request to remove CCTV cameras. Witnesses, including Greene's sisters and mother, described phone calls and the victim's last known movements. Prosecutor Alex Owens argued that Devaney's motive was the alleged blackmail and that he had recently obtained money from friends and relatives. The trial proceeded with a jury of twelve.
A retired member of the Defence Forces has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court accused of murdering a woman in Westmeath in February 2011. Jimmy Devaney, aged 66, from Monksland, Athlone, has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering Marie Greene on 13 February 2011 at Annagorta bog near Ballykieran. The prosecution alleges that Mr Devaney killed Ms Greene, who had worked as a prostitute in Athlone, because she was blackmailing him. The court heard that Ms Greene's body was discovered nine days after she went missing. According to the prosecution, evidence will show Mr Devaney had been seeking money from various sources in the months preceding the alleged killing. The State Pathologist is expected to give evidence that death resulted from multiple stab wounds to the chest. The trial continues before Justice Margaret Heneghan and a jury of twelve.
The Central Criminal Court adjourned the trial of Jimmy Devaney, a 66‑year‑old retired defence forces member, who pleaded not guilty to the murder of Marie Greene in Westmeath on 13 February 2011. A jury of six men and six women was sworn in, but Justice Margaret Heneghan postponed the start because another trial was scheduled. The court set the trial to begin the following day and last about two weeks.
A jury of six men and six women was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court for the trial of Jimmy Devaney, a 66‑year‑old retired member of the defence forces, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Marie Greene in Westmeath on 13 February 2011. The trial is set to begin on Wednesday and is expected to last two weeks.
Two men appeared before an out-of-hours sitting of the Special Criminal Court on 26 June 2015, charged with membership of an unlawful organisation and explosives offences. Paul Dodd, aged 29, of St Matthews Park, Ballymahon, Co Longford, faced charges of IRA membership and possession of component parts of an improvised explosive device, including shotgun cartridges and related materials, discovered at his home on 24 June. He was also charged with possession of approximately 30 assorted shotgun cartridges at the same address. Brendan Hope, aged 49, of Springfield Cottages, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, was charged with IRA membership and possession of an improvised explosive device containing shotgun propellant powder, a 12-gauge cartridge, and other materials, found in Ballymahon on 24 June. Both men were arrested by members of the Special Detective Unit as part of investigations into dissident republican activity. Neither made any reply upon arrest. Both defence representatives indicated they would seek bail applications at a subsequent hearing. The court remanded both men in custody to appear on 1 July.
Shane O'Brien, a 29‑year‑old Westmeath resident, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to theft from the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) between November 2011 and July 2013. While working in the early arrears team, he took cash payments from four clients in mortgage arrears and pocketed the money instead of passing it on to offset their mortgages. He admitted to stealing a total of €2,886 and to having alerted his employers to the thefts. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a one‑year suspended sentence on the condition that O'Brien repay the full amount within a month. O'Brien had no prior convictions and had not been involved with the Gardaí since the incident. The judge noted that O'Brien claimed he was in great need of the money and that he had never been in trouble before or since.
Samir Mansour, a 49‑year‑old Tunisian chef, was convicted of raping a woman who had been invited back to his apartment after he claimed he was gay. The conviction was reached at the Central Criminal Court on 14 July 2014, following a fourth trial after earlier convictions were quashed or acquitted. Mansour was found guilty of rape and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal, ruling that there was no unfairness or prejudice in the trial. The appeal focused on whether the jury had been improperly exposed to evidence of a threat to kill or cause serious harm, which Mansour had been acquitted of in a prior trial. The Court held that the evidence was relevant to the rape charge and that the jury's decision was valid. The appeal was therefore rejected. Samir Mansour pleaded not guilty.
Philip Connolly, 39, pleaded guilty to the violent robbery of 67‑year‑old farmer David Feeney on Railway Street, Dublin, on 14 May 2013. Judge Mary Ellen Ring, after reviewing evidence including a photograph of Feeney's injuries, imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years, with 18 months suspended on condition Connolly keeps the peace. Connolly is currently in a rehabilitation programme working on a farm, while Feeney, who can no longer work his land, has physically recovered but suffers ongoing consequences. Connolly's co‑accused, Leigh O'Connell, 28, had 100 previous convictions and was sentenced to four years, with the final two and a half years suspended on condition he continues addressing his drug problems. The robbery involved a head‑lock, assault, and theft of money, a phone and a driver's licence, and was captured on CCTV. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Eric Wansboro, 27, was sentenced to eight and a half years in jail for dangerous driving that caused the death of 43‑year‑old Sinead Maguire and serious bodily harm to Liam McDonagh. Wansboro pleaded guilty to the offence committed on 29 May 2014 when he was driving a Toyota Avensis at high speed, pursued by a Garda patrol. The collision, which occurred at a junction with a 50 kph limit, left the car heavily damaged and all occupants unconscious. Maguire died from severe neck and spinal injuries; McDonagh suffered a fractured jaw and lost five teeth. Wansboro had a suspended three‑year sentence for a 2011 stolen‑car offence and a ten‑year driving disqualification. The judge imposed a five‑and‑a‑half‑year term for the dangerous driving, back‑dated to the date he entered custody, and added the suspended sentence, bringing the total to eight and a half years.
The High Court has ruled that an engineer and two related construction companies must indemnify the operators of a DIY and garden centre in County Longford following a fatal wall collapse in 2013. Two men died and several others sustained serious injuries when an internal wall at Connacht Gold Co-Op Society's premises on Athlone Road, Longford collapsed on 29 January 2013. The widow of one deceased man, Sean Mulleady, settled a negligence action for €750,000 against the shop's tenant, the property owners Vincent Ruane Builders Ltd and Vincent Ruane Construction Ltd, and project manager Simon Beale. Mr Justice Michael Peart found that Mr Beale must fully indemnify Aurivo cooperative society, the current tenant. Both construction companies were ordered to each contribute 20 per cent indemnity to Mr Beale. The judge determined the wall was constructed without adequate support, creating an obvious danger. The court also awarded €210,000 for property damage sustained in the collapse.
Eugene Byrne, 21, pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery of Clonsilla Post Office on 16 December 2013. He and accomplice Ian Mansfield fled on a motorbike, leading Gardaí on a chase from Dublin to Mullingar, Westmeath. Byrne was arrested in Trinidad and Tobago the previous year for attempting to export cocaine, receiving a two‑year hard‑labour sentence and a fine of about €4,000, of which he paid after six months in jail. He returned to Ireland in January. In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Byrne was sentenced to five years, four of which were suspended. The court noted his prior dangerous‑driving conviction and his claim of being "out of kilter" after his father's death. The sentence credited the six months he served abroad. Mansfield received a suspended five‑year sentence. The case ended with Byrne's conviction and the specified custodial term.
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.
Ian Mansfield, 24, and his accomplice Eugene Byrne, 21, were arrested after a "terrifying" armed raid on Clonsilla Post Office on 16 December 2013. Mansfield fled the scene on a motorbike, leading Gardaí on a chase from Dublin to Mullingar, Westmeath. He pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a suspended five‑year sentence, conditioned on Mansfield's good behaviour for that period, noting his lack of prior convictions and good family background. The post mistress suffered nightmares and remains cautious. Witnesses reported Mansfield brandishing a hammer and Byrne holding a silver gun; both wore motorcycle helmets. The raid lasted about a minute, ended without cash, and the men escaped on a motorcycle. Byrne also pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing in March.
Eddie Winston, a 60‑year‑old father of seven, and Lee Bracken Kennedy, a 21‑year‑old student, were sentenced for their roles in a large‑scale drug deal in Kildare. Winston met Kennedy at a Leixlip industrial estate to hand over nearly €20,000 worth of cannabis herb, but Gardaí intercepted them. A key found on Winston led to a lock‑up unit containing just under €180,000 of drugs, a gun and ammunition. Winston was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for possession of €176,325 worth of heroin, cocaine and cannabis resin, and for possession of a 12‑gauge double‑barrel shotgun with 238 rounds. Kennedy received a three‑year suspended sentence and was bound to the peace for three years for unlawful possession of cannabis herb. Both pleaded guilty; Winston initially denied involvement but later admitted it. The judge noted their gross errors of judgment.
Colin Goggin, 52, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for sexually abusing two teenage boys and an additional two years for possession of child pornography, with all sentences running concurrently. He fled to Spain after the first victim came forward in 2007, remained there for five years, and was returned to Ireland on a European Arrest Warrant. Goggin failed to attend his trial, was remanded in custody, and later pleaded guilty to the offences. The judge noted that Goggin's role as an athletics coach gave him access to young victims. He had previously worked as a photographer and external sports coach at a south Dublin school. During a photo shoot at his home, he sexually assaulted one boy, and while training another, he attempted a forced act that the boy resisted. Gardaí found about 2,000 images of child pornography in his home, including material in the second most offensive category on a five‑point scale.
A 32-year-old carpenter from Longford has avoided a custodial sentence following his admission to permitting the supply of heroin within his vehicle. Robert Nevin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to an offence relating to a controlled substance found in a van he was driving on August 15, 2012. Gardaí stopped the white Ford Transit after observing a red light breach and discovered approximately 120 grammes of heroin, valued at over €18,000, concealed within the vehicle. Nevin had travelled from Mullingar to Dublin with another man to collect the drugs. Judge Martin Nolan suspended a three-and-a-half-year sentence. The defence outlined that Nevin, who had previously operated a carpentry business serving Donegal and Sligo, developed a heroin addiction following personal difficulties and his mother's death in 2007. His co-accused received a similar sentence with a portion suspended.
A 22‑year‑old Meath man, Graham McGuinness, was sentenced to four years in prison for driving a stolen car into a crowded viewing area at Dublin Airport. He pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a car and a second charge of dangerous driving. McGuinness, who had been disqualified from driving for ten years, drove recklessly up an embankment, jumped out of the moving car, and caused a large crowd of plane‑spotters to scatter. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted that McGuinness had "put the fear of God" into bystanders and suspended the final year of the sentence, citing his youth and potential for rehabilitation. McGuinness had 41 prior convictions, including criminal damage, theft, burglary, drug offences and threats to kill, and had struggled with alcohol and drugs. The court heard he had been in care from age 12 to 17 and had a very difficult, unsettled life with little stability.
In January 2014, Thomas Greene McDonagh, a 22‑year‑old drug addict from Mullingar with no fixed address, robbed Darragh Losty, a 22‑year‑old man with Freidreichs Ataxia who has a mental age of about 12. McDonagh approached Losty on O'Connell Street while he was heading to the Central Remedial Clinic, offered drugs, and lured him into a secluded area. He then threatened Losty, seized his coat, hat, mobile phone and bus pass, and forced him to stay put. Losty later managed to escape and called his mother for help. Garda John Saunderson presented evidence that the robbery occurred on the first day Losty was attempting independent travel to the clinic. McDonagh pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, back‑dated to the date of his arrest. The sentence was imposed by Judge Martin Nolan, who noted that Losty's special needs were obvious to anyone.
A motorist, Kim Nugent, 30, has filed a High Court action to have the six penalty points she received for two speeding offences on the M6 motorway on 6 August 2014 quashed. Nugent, a hairdresser from Athlone, was driving to and from Dublin when she was stopped twice by the Gardai for exceeding the 120km/h limit near Fardrum, Moate. She already had six points on her licence, so the additional six brought her total to 12, triggering a six‑month disqualification and the surrender of her licence. Nugent's counsel, Michéal Ó Higgins SC, argues that a technical loophole in the penalty‑point legislation renders the points and the resulting disqualification null and void. She seeks orders quashing the endorsement of the points, the disqualification, and a declaration that the endorsement is void. Mr Justice Seamus Noonan granted ex‑parte permission, staying the points and setting a return date in January.
Garda whistleblower Keith Harrison, the applicant, brought a High Court challenge against the Garda Commissioner to halt internal disciplinary proceedings. Harrison denies all allegations, which include verbal and physical abuse, assault, and harassment of his partner, as well as allegedly accessing her car details on the Garda Pulse system 25 times between August 2009 and April 2013. He claims there is no bona fide basis for the inquiry and that the appointment of an investigating officer on December 1 was unlawful and unconstitutional. Harrison seeks orders prohibiting the investigation into alleged breaches of Garda Disciplinary Regulations and criminal conduct between October 1998 and October 2013. He argues his partner was unlawfully pressurised into making a statement, which was subsequently forwarded to GSOC, and that both their privacy rights were breached. Counsel Mark Harty SC stated the decision to investigate was malicious and oppressive, citing prior bullying following Harrison's arrest of a colleague in Athlone. Mr Justice Seamus Noonan granted permission to bring the action on an ex parte basis and imposed a stay on the disciplinary process pending the outcome. The matter was adjourned and made returnable to a date in late January.
In October 2016, the Central Criminal Court will hear the trial of eight Tallaght residents charged in the murder of 20‑year‑old Dale Creighton, who died on 2 January after being injured on a footbridge on Saint Dominic's Road. Seven defendants—Aisling Burke (21), David Burke (26), Graham Palmer (24), Ross Callery (21), James Reid (24), Jason Beresford (21) and Gerard Stephens (25)—are charged with murder. A eighth defendant, James O'Brien (22), is charged with assault causing harm. The trial is expected to last eight weeks, with the first hearing set for 3 October 2016.
Eoin Maughan, 37, a Westmeath member of the Travelling Community, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to endangerment, dangerous driving and criminal damage after a high‑speed chase that began in Dublin and ended in Wicklow. The chase started when Maughan's grey Renault Laguna failed to stop at a roundabout in Tallaght, then drove the wrong way around a roundabout, overtook cars on a blind bend and on the wrong side of the road, and entered Brittas village where he attempted to ram a garda patrol car. He drove through the village, was pursued by a garda helicopter, and tried to escape by crashing through a stone wall near the waterworks at Bohernabreena. The pursuit ended when gardai arrested him. During questioning he became aggressive, was pepper‑sprayed, broke an interview table, and punched a garda. The court found the damage to garda vehicles cost €10,874, and that gardai suffered whiplash, facial injuries and one required surgery.
A 49-year-old man from Ballyjamesduff, Cavan was remanded in custody at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his arrest on two outstanding warrants. Paschal Kelly, originally from Dublin, was apprehended in Castlepollard, Westmeath on charges including failing to make a valid tax return and threatening to kill a member of An Garda Síochána. Detective Sergeant Daniel O'Driscoll gave evidence of the arrest. Mr Kelly also faced 13 road traffic offences, for which he appeared in the District Court. His defence counsel consented to a three-week custodial remand. He is due to return before the circuit court on 6 November.
The family of a 48-year-old man from Creenagh, County Longford, who died in a wall collapse at a DIY store has been awarded €750,000 in damages following a High Court settlement. Sean Mulleady sustained fatal injuries when an internal wall, measuring 6.5 metres high and 8.4 metres wide, collapsed on him and several others at Connacht Gold Co-Op Society's premises on Athlone Road, Longford on 29 January 2013. His widow, Teresa Mulleady, brought proceedings on her own behalf and that of their three children against the store operator, the building owners, the construction company, and the project manager. She alleged the defendants had failed to maintain a safe premises and had breached their duty of care. All defendants denied liability. Mr Justice Paul Gilligan approved the settlement, describing it as a good award in the circumstances. The judge commended Mrs Mulleady for her resilience throughout the case.
James Anthony Tighe, 64, of Pettiswood, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, is alleged to have been involved in a £100 million money‑laundering conspiracy. British authorities seek his extradition to face charges of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue, one charge of cheating the public revenue, and one charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering covering 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2005. He was arrested in July 2012 under a European Arrest Warrant issued in September 2011. The High Court has heard that construction companies under Tighe's control were allegedly used to systematically defraud Her Majesty's Revenue. Judge John Edwards ruled that Tighe would be surrendered to the UK for all offences covered by the warrant, but he would remain on bail pending the outcome of an appeal. If the appeal fails, Tighe will return to the High Court; if the Supreme Court upholds the appeal, the matter will end.
The President of the High Court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, struck off solicitor David Walsh, formerly of David Walsh and Co in Mullingar and Bagenalstown, following findings by the Law Society Disciplinary Tribunal of multiple counts of professional misconduct between 2004 and 2010. Walsh, who retired in 2012 and is seriously ill, had not practised since and opposed the strike‑off, seeking a lesser sanction. The Tribunal found he failed to keep proper books, honour client undertakings to financial institutions, refund a fee deducted from a client's estate, handle client monies properly, charge for unperformed work, and provide inaccurate information to the Law Society's accountant. The Law Society's Solicitors Disciplinary Committee ordered restitution of €67,000 plus VAT. Mr Kearns, sympathetic to Walsh's medical condition, ruled that no lesser sanction was viable and ordered the solicitor be struck off the Roll of Solicitors.
James Anthony Tighe, aged 64, is sought by British authorities for extradition to face charges of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue, one charge of cheating the public revenue, and conspiracy to commit money laundering between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2005. The alleged offences involve a £100 million money‑laundering conspiracy linked to construction companies under Tighe's control, which were used to defraud the UK public revenue. The High Court will order his extradition on 28 May, after a previous ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court in December 2010 due to inadequacies in the European Arrest Warrant. Tighe was arrested in July 2012 under a warrant issued in September 2011. He remains remanded on continuing bail until the extradition order is made. The case highlights the UK's pursuit of alleged large‑scale fraud against public revenue.
James Anthony Tighe, 64, of Pettiswood, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, is wanted by British authorities for alleged involvement in a £100 million money‑laundering conspiracy. He faces charges of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue, one charge of cheating the public revenue, and one charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering covering the period 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2005. Tighe was arrested in July 2012 under a European Arrest Warrant issued in September 2011. The High Court had previously ruled that he could be surrendered to the UK, but the Supreme Court overturned that decision in December 2010, citing an inadequate description of the alleged offence and conflicting charge classifications. Mr Justice John Edwards adjourned the extradition judgement for three weeks, remanding Tighe on continuing bail until 18 March, and will list the case again if the judgement is ready.
James Anthony Tighe, 64, of Pettiswood, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, faces a High Court challenge to his extradition to the United Kingdom. He is wanted by British authorities for alleged involvement in a £100 million money‑laundering conspiracy linked to large‑scale fraud against UK public revenue. The UK seeks his surrender to face charges of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue, one charge of cheating the public revenue, and one charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering covering 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2005. Tighe was arrested in July 2012 under a European Arrest Warrant issued in September 2011. A previous High Court ruling allowing his surrender was overturned by the Supreme Court in December 2010 due to inadequacies in the warrant's description of the alleged offence. The High Court adjourned the case for three weeks, with Mr Justice John Edwards noting he had two cases to consider before delivering a judgment.