In a Wexford murder case, Caroline Roche, aged 52, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for killing her partner Walter Plunkett in 2012. The trial, lasting three days, highlighted Roche's 30‑year history of schizoaffective disorder, repeated hospitalisations and medication non‑compliance. Her defence argued that her illness removed her capacity to form intent, citing Dr Wright's expert testimony that she did not understand the nature or wrongness of her act. The judge, Mr Justice Barry White, reinforced this view, stating that Roche's mental illness meant she could not refrain from the act. The jury, composed of six men and six women, delivered a unanimous verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity after 24 minutes, and the judge exempted them from further service for five years.
In a 2014 murder trial, an 84‑year‑old man died of asphyxia after an attack at his Wexford home in 2012. State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy testified that the victim's death was caused by hypoxia from chest trauma, with fractured ribs and dislocated finger joints. She described injuries to the right eye, mouth, and back of the scalp consistent with punches and a struggle. The accused, Caroline Roche, 52, pleaded not guilty on grounds of insanity. Dr Brenda Wright, a forensic psychiatrist, explained Roche's history of psychiatric admissions, delusions involving the devil, and a belief that the victim had threatened her. Roche had stopped medication a week before the incident and claimed she felt "strong" during the assault, stating she had broken the victim's fingers after death. The trial was set to continue before Mr Justice White and a jury of twelve.
In Swords District Court, Judge Dermot Dempsey applied the Probation Act to 34‑year‑old Natasha Reilly, who breached a Protection Order by being drunk and threatening to "smash the face" off her victim. Reilly had been remanded in custody since 19 May and had detoxed, completed an anger‑management course and remained in custody to address her chronic alcoholism. She is now focused on staying sober and rebuilding her relationship with her children. The court also heard other cases: a 32‑year‑old woman, Jennifer Reilly, was remanded on continuing bail for alleged theft of two pairs of shoes; a 22‑year‑old man, Jamie Bowbrick, was given further time to pay a €350 charitable donation after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of cannabis and obstruction; a 38‑year‑old woman, Gillian O'Donnell, was remanded on continuing bail for alleged theft of a pair of boots; a 28‑year‑old man, Mark Jackson, was remanded on continuing bail for.
Paul Codd, a former All-Ireland winning Wexford hurler, has a warrant for his arrest due to his refusal to cooperate with his bankruptcy proceedings. The High Court judge was informed that the warrant could not be executed because Codd is currently residing in Northern Ireland, outside the jurisdiction. Codd had previously been jailed in December 2013 for alleged non‑compliance with the bankruptcy process and was released after providing a statement of affairs and promising to cooperate. He had given sworn undertakings in January to work with the court‑appointed official, Mr Chris Lehane, and to return leased machinery, but failed to meet with Lehane and did not return items leased by Friends First Finance and Deutsche Leasing Ireland. The court adjourned the matter pending the execution of the warrant once Codd returns to the jurisdiction.
Anthony Farrell, a 23-year-old man with a previous address at Marian Villas, Arklow, appeared before the Court of Criminal Appeal to challenge his 2011 life imprisonment sentence for the murder of John Deasy. Farrell, who was 19 at the time of the incident, was convicted by a unanimous jury in April 2011 and sentenced in May 2011 for stabbing Mr Deasy at Brauder's shop in Arklow on November 25, 2009. His counsel, Michael O'Higgins SC, argued that Farrell acted in self-defence while attempting an unlawful escape from the premises he had robbed. O'Higgins submitted that Farrell was never asked by gardaí if he was acting in self-defence and believed his life was under threat. Conversely, DPP counsel Una Ní Raifeartaigh SC contended that self-defence does not apply to unlawful force, noting that Mr Deasy was using lawful force to guard the door against a burglar wielding a knife. Farrell's interview statements indicated he stabbed Mr Deasy to clear the doorway and escape, without expressing fear. Presiding Judge Donal O'Donnell, joined by Justices Michael Moriarty and Daniel Herbert, reserved judgment in the appeal. The matter was adjourned, and no final decision was reached during this hearing.
In the Central Criminal Court, Maurice Power, aged 31, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 29‑year‑old Shane Rossiter, who died on 17 October 2012 after being shot at a house party in Church Lane, Golden, Co. Tipperary. State Pathologist Marie Cassidy testified that a post‑mortem at Waterford Regional Hospital revealed two shotgun entry wounds to Rossiter's chest and abdomen, with no exit wounds, causing catastrophic internal injuries and massive blood loss. The wounds damaged the right lung, heart, liver, spleen, bowel, aorta and inferior vena cava, leading to death by blood loss. Cassidy noted Rossiter had taken cocaine, heroin, amphetamine and benzodiazepam, but these substances were not the cause of death. The trial continued on Tuesday before a jury of seven women and five men, presided over by Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy.
In March 2014, Judge Brian McGovern ordered the arrest of former Wexford hurler Paul Codd and his appearance before the High Court because he had not complied with bankruptcy undertakings. Codd had previously been jailed briefly in December 2013 for alleged non‑compliance, released after giving a statement of affairs and promising cooperation. He had sworn to cooperate in January 2014 and to return leased machinery, but failed to attend three scheduled meetings with the official assignee, Chris Lehane, and cancelled them via late‑night emails. Lehane claimed Codd was in contempt of court and sought a Section 23 order for arrest. Codd had also failed to return €500,000 of farm machinery leased by Deutsche Leasing Ireland. The case stems from a 2011 judgment of €530,326 that Codd could not satisfy, leading to his 2013 bankruptcy declaration and an estimated total debt of €4.9 million.
A man accused of sexually abusing three children in the 1960s and 1970s has filed a High Court action seeking to prohibit a retrial. He faces more than 40 counts of sexual abuse of three siblings in County Wexford between 1966 and 1979. The defendant denies all charges. In November, a Wexford Circuit Court jury failed to reach a verdict on 46 charges after a two‑week trial, leading to an order for a retrial. In the current proceedings, the defendant requests the High Court to issue several orders, including one that would prevent the retrial from proceeding. He argues that a retrial would risk denying him a fair trial, citing the long passage of time since the alleged incidents. Counsel John Peart SC said allowing the retrial would breach the defendant's rights. Mr Justice Michael Peart granted leave to bring the challenge ex‑parte and placed a stay on the prosecution pending the High Court's decision.
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.
Swords District Court heard several matters involving drink driving and drug possession. Helen Ikechukwu, 35, of Lusk, pleaded guilty to drink driving on February 16, 2013, in Balbriggan. Judge Dermot Dempsey convicted her, fined her €300, and imposed a six-month driving disqualification. Darren Koohof, of Wexford, was convicted in his absence of being drunk in charge of a vehicle in Skerries on October 30, 2013. Judge Dempsey noted a previous 2007 conviction and issued a bench warrant for Koohof's arrest for sentencing. Edward Byrne, 28, of Donabate, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis on May 2, 2013. Judge Dempsey adjourned the case until February 10 to hear the facts. Additionally, Laura Sheils, 23, of Swords, had her case adjourned until February 10 due to illness; she is alleged to have driven while disqualified and uninsured in June 2012. Keith Donoghue, 33, of Dublin 17, had his case adjourned until March 3; he is alleged to have attempted to drive while drunk and committed dangerous driving in August 2013.
In 2011 a 36‑year‑old man, Robert Eustace, was fined €1,500 and disqualified from driving for eight years after pleading guilty to dangerous driving that caused the death of a 21‑year‑old woman. The Court of Criminal Appeal, hearing an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions, found the original sentence unduly lenient. The appeal court imposed a four‑year suspended custodial sentence, to be served during the eight‑year driving disqualification. The court noted that Eustace had a medical history of blackouts and had been advised not to drive heavy goods vehicles, a factor the original judge had not fully considered. The suspended sentence means that if Eustace drives any vehicle during the disqualification period he will be sent to jail. The case was heard in Wexford Circuit Criminal Court and later at the Court of Criminal Appeal presided by Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman.
The murder trial of Michael Furlong, 36, of Meadowfield, The Moyne, Enniscorthy, collapsed at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. Furlong had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patrick Connors, 37, which occurred between 28 and 29 April 2011 at the Carraig Túr apartments in Enniscorthy. Judge Barry White halted the proceedings after concerns were raised about Deputy State Pathologist Dr Khalid Jabbar's opinion on the mechanism of death. The jury was discharged and thanked, and will not serve again for ten years. The trial had begun on 5 November.
Michael Furlong, 36, of Meadowfield, Enniscorthy, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patrick Connors, 37, which occurred between 28 and 29 April 2011 at Carriage Túr apartments. Mr Justice Barry White adjourned the trial, citing the prosecution's inability to cross‑examine pathologist Dr Declan Gilsenan until clarification with Deputy State Pathologist Dr Khalid Jabbar. The case will resume before an eight‑man, four‑woman jury on Monday.
In the trial of Michael Furlong, accused of murdering Patrick Connors in Enniscorthy, a pathologist testified that Connors' jaw fractures were caused by a fall down the stairs, not a punch. Furlong's defence, led by Mr. Michael Delaney SC, presented Dr. Declan Gilsenan, who argued that scalp wounds did not cause death and that hypothermia, intoxication, and drug use were contributing factors. Gilsenan disputed the prosecution's view that the jaw fractures resulted from a blow, suggesting instead that they were consistent with impact from a rigid surface during a fall. He also questioned the significance of a fractured tooth and the role of alcohol. The prosecution's evidence will be cross‑examined on Friday, and the trial continues. Michael Furlong pleaded not guilty.
Michael Furlong, 36, of Meadowfield, Enniscorthy, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patrick Connors, 37, who died between 28 and 29 April 2011 at Carraig Túr apartments. In court, Furlong denied that he killed Connors or used kitchen knives to lacerate his scalp. He also denied breaking Connors' jaw, claiming the jaw was intact when he went to sleep and that Connors had fallen down the stairs. Furlong said he did not stab or assault Connors with a knife and that the blood on a knife found at the scene could not have come from Connors. He stated he had not cried for Connors beyond the first week. The pathologist's report cited sharp and blunt force trauma to the head and acute alcohol intoxication as causes of death. The trial continues.
The murder trial of Michael Furlong, 36, of Enniscorthy, is ongoing at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Barry White. Furlong has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Patrick Connors, 37, which is said to have occurred between April 28 and April 29, 2011, at Carraig Túr apartments. Deputy State Pathologist Dr Khalid Jabbar testified that the cause of death was sharp and blunt force trauma, with acute alcohol intoxication as a contributing factor. He identified defensive injuries on the deceased's upper extremities, stating they were neither self-inflicted nor accidental. Dr Jabbar noted that two knives examined matched the serrations of specific head wounds. He also reported bilateral jaw fractures, a detached molar, and a blood alcohol level of 161mg per cent. Defence counsel Mr Michael Delaney SC presented psychiatric records indicating a history of self-harm, including attempted suicide and hearing voices, but Dr Jabbar maintained these did not alter his view on the cause of injury. The defence noted that another pathologist, Dr Declan Gilsenan, would disagree with the cause of death and wound infliction. The cross-examination of Dr Jabbar was adjourned to continue the following day.
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.
A Wexford man, Michael Furlong, aged 36, is on trial for the murder of his friend Patrick Connors, aged 37, who died between 28 and 29 April 2011 at CarraigTúr apartments. Furlong pleaded not guilty. He told Gardaí that he used a "sword or screwdriver" to open the sitting‑room door, which Connors had locked. He claimed he could have called an ambulance to break the door but Connors said he was fine. Furlong denied any argument earlier that evening, denied locking the door himself, and said he did not know why Connors did not want him to get the key. He also said he left the sword in the flat and did not remember how it ended up in the rear car park. The trial continues before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury, with post‑mortem evidence to be presented.
The Central Criminal Court trial of Michael Furlong, 36, of Enniscorthy, continued before Mr Justice Barry White. Furlong, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patrick Connors, 37, at Carraig Túr apartments between April 28 and 29, 2011, faces charges alleging he caused fatal sharp and blunt force trauma to Connors' head, neck, and jaw. Prosecution counsel John O'Kelly SC highlighted evidence that Connors' injuries corresponded to two knives found in Furlong's apartment. Ballistics expert Detective Garda Janette O'Neill testified that she was satisfied the deceased was involved in a violent altercation, citing extensive bloodstains, an overturned table, and chaotic debris such as mayonnaise and ketchup. Under cross-examination by Michael Delaney SC, she acknowledged the possibility that events other than a struggle occurred. Garda Patrick Freyne testified that a sword was found in the apartment car park. The jury, comprising seven men and five women, heard that Connors had purchased wine prior to the incident. The matter was adjourned and is scheduled to continue on Monday.
In a Wexford murder trial, Michael Furlong, aged 36, pleaded not guilty to the killing of Patrick Connors, aged 37, which occurred between 28 and 29 April 2011 at Carraig Túr apartments. The jury heard that Furlong had a history of schizophrenia, while Connors had mental health problems, including depression and episodes of hearing voices. Witness Shauna Young, who had been engaged to Connors, confirmed his psychiatric hospitalisations and his attempts at self‑harm, though she denied knowledge of a 2010 suicide attempt. Dr Stephen Bowe testified that Furlong, at the time of the incident, had an odor of alcohol, claimed to have consumed two bottles of wine the previous night, and described a past schizophrenia diagnosis. He also noted scratches on Furlong's legs that were inconsistent with walking dogs, suggesting trauma. The case remains before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of seven men and five women.
In a Wexford murder trial, the Central Criminal Court heard evidence concerning the death of Patrick Connors at Carraig Túr apartments, Enniscorthy, on 28–29 April 2011. The accused, 36‑year‑old Michael Furlong, pleaded not guilty. Garda Brian Phillips and Garda Antoinette Byrne arrived at the apartments at about 11.40 pm on 28 April, following a report of a man covered in blood. They found no one outside, no buzzer, and no response to knocks. Phillips claimed he shouted for the door to open, heard voices, and eventually forced the door after a loud bang. Inside, he met two men: one identified as Furlong, who appeared intoxicated and confused, and another as Paddy Connors, who refused medical help and asked the officers to leave. After a 15‑minute attempt to persuade them, the officers left. A shopkeeper, Mary Murphy, later testified that Furlong entered her shop after 8 am the next morning, saying "Paddy's dead.
A 36‑year‑old Wexford man, Michael Furlong, is on trial for the murder of his 37‑year‑old friend Patrick Connors, who died between 28 and 29 April 2011 at the Carraig Túr apartments in Enniscorthy. Furlong pleaded not guilty. In his opening statement, the prosecutor, Mr John O'Kelly SC, described how police received two calls on the morning of 29 April: first from a neighbour who said a man was dead, then from Furlong himself. Police entered the apartments, found Connors' body on the second flight of stairs, and noted blood on walls and floor. Furlong admitted that Connors had fallen after a night of drinking, but claimed he had given him clothing to soak up blood and covered him with a fleece. He said he woke the next morning to find Connors on the stairs, naked from the waist up.
A 36‑year‑old Wexford man, Michael Furlong of Meadowfield, The Moyne, Enniscorthy, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patrick Connors (37) at the Carraig Túr apartments in Enniscorthy between 28 and 29 April 2011. He was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court, where a jury of seven men and five women was sworn in for a three‑week trial that will commence on Tuesday morning before Mr Justice Barry White.