In a 2015 trial in Wexford, William O'Leary, aged 51, admitted forging the will of a bachelor farmer, Matthew Hayes, and gave evidence against his brother Charles O'Leary, 61, and Noel Hayes, 61, a vegetable wholesaler. The three men are charged with forging the will dated between December 1998 and January 1999. Charles O'Leary had previously pleaded guilty to a related forgery and received an 18‑month suspended sentence, with a €30,000 payment to Matthew Hayes' next of kin. Noel Hayes acquired nearly €592,000 in assets, including 162 acres of farmland, after being named in the forged will witnessed by Charles and William. The trial is ongoing before Judge Patricia Ryam.
Aidan Leacy, 56, of New Ross, Co. Wexford, was convicted of sexually assaulting two seven‑year‑old girls in the west of Ireland between November 2007 and January 2008. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years' imprisonment by Judge Carroll Moran at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on 3 March 2013. In the Court of Appeal, Judge George Birmingham reduced the sentence to three years' imprisonment with a two‑year post‑release supervision period. The appeal was successful. The Court noted that Leacy had shown the girls adult pornographic magazines, encouraged them to expose themselves, and had them pull down his trousers and his own clothes. The Court also recorded that Leacy's conviction led to two arson attacks on his home, the loss of his public service job, and the removal of his children from his care. He remains on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
The family of the late Irish woman Stacia Purcell, who died after going missing in 2013, has brought a High Court action against 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, WT6 Productions, UFO Film and Television Studios Ltd and UFO International Productions. They allege that a photograph of Mrs Purcell, taken by the family and used to aid the search for her, was incorporated into the horror film Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort without consent. The image appears about 22 minutes into the film, where it is portrayed as a missing 81‑year‑old man. The family claims the use of the image breaches copyright and privacy, causing them distress.
In February 2014 the Court of Criminal Appeal quashed the conviction of Stephen Kelly, a 44‑year‑old Wexford native, who had been sentenced to twelve years' imprisonment with six months suspended in January 2010 for possession of cannabis resin worth €245,000. The conviction was based on a 2005 jury verdict at the Wexford Circuit Criminal Court for possession of drugs for sale or supply at The Bullawn, New Ross. Kelly had pleaded not guilty and claimed he was unaware of the drugs in a van he entered, later asserting a lack of knowledge defence under Section 29 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. The appeal court found that the trial judge had failed to properly instruct the jury on the duty of the defendant to prove lack of knowledge, and that the prosecution had not complied with the law. Consequently, the conviction was quashed and the Director of Public Prosecutions will not seek a retrial.
At Swords District Court, Judge Alan Mitchell handled several matters. Wayne Reid (34) of Swords pleaded not guilty to alleged cultivation of two cannabis plants and possession of cannabis herb for sale or supply. The court accepted jurisdiction and remanded Reid on continuing bail to reappear on December 16th. In a separate matter, Martin Connors (21) of Dublin 13 faced an alleged public order offence. The case was struck out after the prosecuting garda failed to appear, despite notice. David O'Toole (36) of Swords pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis herb. He was convicted and fined €300. Michael Conners (29) of New Ross, Wexford, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at the Strand Road junction in Malahide. He was convicted and fined €300. Additionally, Conners was disqualified from driving for two years. The judge refused to reduce the charge to careless driving, citing the risk posed to a cyclist and motorist, and noted Conners' previous careless driving conviction as a significant factor in the decision.