Court archive
Court reports mentioning Ashford, Wicklow
2025-07-09 · Wicklow
Patrick O'Connor, a 75‑year‑old Peace Commissioner from Ashford, Co Wicklow, forged the signatures of his two co‑directors when filing an A1 form for JP&P Property Limited in October 2022. He claimed he had no time to travel to obtain the signatures and that the co‑directors had consented to the forgery. The forged signatures were discovered by the Corporate Enforcement Authority during an investigation into a separate breach of the Companies Act. O'Connor pleaded guilty to one count of providing false information under the Companies Act. The court imposed a headline sentence of 18 months, reduced to 12 months, which was suspended in full. He was also disqualified from acting as a company director for five years. O'Connor has a small number of prior road‑traffic convictions and had previously worked for the Office of Public Works and ESB. The company never commenced trading.
2025-06-24 · Wicklow
Patrick O'Connor, a 75‑year‑old Peace Commissioner, pleaded guilty to providing false information under the Companies Act for forging the signatures of two co‑directors when forming JP&P Property Limited, a shepherd hut glamping business. He claimed he had no time to obtain the signatures in person and forged them with their consent. The forged signatures were discovered by Corporate Enforcement Authority officers investigating a separate breach of the Companies Act. One of the forged signatories had been disqualified from acting as a company director. O'Connor's company never commenced trading. He has a small number of prior road traffic convictions. The case was initially before the District Court, but the judge declined jurisdiction and adjourned the matter for finalisation on 9 July. The court noted O'Connor's roles as a Peace Commissioner, architectural engineer, and local GAA and charity worker. The proceedings remain at the pleading stage.
2025-03-25 · Wicklow
A 27‑year‑old man who attacked his ex‑partner by choking her and striking her with a plank of timber in her own home had his nine‑month custodial sentence overturned. He had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm under the Non‑Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997, and was originally sentenced in the District Court to nine months with four months suspended. In the appeal, Sergeant Paul O'Sullivan described the assault, noting the man's hands around the woman's neck, the use of a plank, and punches that injured her wrists. The victim's impact statement detailed bruises, a near loss of consciousness, and lasting mental distress that made everyday tasks feel impossible. The defendant's solicitor said the man had relapsed, was not taking medication, and had since sought mental health treatment.
2024-04-15 · Wicklow
The High Court formally wound up Clonmannon House Retirement Village Limited, a Dublin-registered company that received millions from Chinese investors to develop a Co Wicklow care facility. Mr Justice Brian Cregan confirmed the appointment of insolvency practitioner Declan De Lacy as liquidator, following a provisional appointment after the court held the firm insolvent. The order was sought by Beijing-based Ms Yi Yuan, who claims to have lent €1m under the Immigrant Investor Programme. Counsel for the liquidator noted that the company's sole director, Ms Candance La Fleur, agreed to cooperate, and that the company intended to complete the purchase of Clonmannon House by month-end, with €1.9m already paid. The judge directed Ms La Fleur to provide a statement of affairs, and the matter was adjourned to return before the court later this month. Separately, proceedings brought last January by Clontarf-based Ms Li Sun, who invested in 2019, secured a temporary freezing order to prevent the disposal of assets. Ms Sun fears she will not recover €1.3m she says she is entitled to. All claims of wrongdoing in those proceedings have been denied by the company, and that action also returns before the court later this month.
2024-04-11 · Wicklow
In a High Court case, a provisional liquidator has been appointed for Clonmannon House Retirement Village Limited, a Dublin‑registered company that acquired a property in Ashford, Co Wicklow, for a care facility. Beijing‑based Ms Yi Yuan, who invested €1 million in 2020 under Ireland's Immigrant Investor Programme, claims the company owes her €1.17 million, which has not been repaid. She alleges that the company's director, Candance La Fleur, made false statements in an affidavit, including that €100 000 had been paid to an investor and that the company had agreed to sell its asset, write down debt, and delay repayment—claims Ms Yuan says she never consented to. Ms Yuan also contends the property was purchased for €1.9 million instead of the €2.15 million contract price and was not transferred to the company. The company has failed to file annual returns, maintain a company secretary, and keep a director resident in the EEA.
2024-02-28 · Dublin
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Brian Lucey (44) was sentenced for illegally possessing a submachine gun at the M11 Shankill roundabout on March 7, 2020. Lucey, of Ashford, Co Wicklow, initially took a trial date but later pleaded guilty. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Lucey, a 'gilly' expecting to collect cannabis, was 'completely taken by surprise' when an unknown individual threw the firearm into his car. The judge noted Lucey's low culpability and 'agony of the moment,' resulting in a four-year fully-suspended sentence. The court heard that Lucey was used by co-accused to move the weapon. In related proceedings, Robert Redmond and Jamie Gray pleaded guilty to possessing the firearm for an unlawful purpose and were jailed in July 2023. Redmond, who denied the charge of murdering Barry Wolverson in January 2020, was sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2022. His co-accused, Bernard Fogarty, was also sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Mr Wolverson. Separately, Fogarty pleaded guilty to possession of the submachine gun in 2020 and was jailed for five years by the Special Criminal Court.
2024-02-01 · Dublin
Ms Li Sun, a Dublin-based Chinese businesswoman, has launched High Court proceedings against Clonmannon House Retirement Village Limited. Ms Sun claims she invested €1m in 2019 through the Irish Immigrant Investor Programme, expecting to secure an Irish Visa and receive €1.3m, including interest, after five years. She alleges she has only received €100,000 and that the defendant has refused to provide quarterly management accounts or allow inspection of its books. Ms Sun expresses concern that the company may dissipate assets to avoid payment. The defendant's solicitors have denied any wrongdoing and stated Ms Sun has no reason for complaint. Ms Sun, represented by Sean O'Sullivan BL, secured a temporary High Court injunction on an ex-parte basis from Mr Justice Mark Sanfey. The order restrains the defendant from disbursing, dissipating, or disposing of any monies received from the sale or disposal of its assets or shares. The judge noted the need for caution in granting freezing orders after hearing only one side but was satisfied to grant the temporary order. The matter was adjourned to a date later this week. Ms Sun also seeks judgment for €1.3m, damages for breach of contract, and orders directing the defendant to provide accounts and freeze assets below a certain level pending the determination of the proceedings.
2023-05-15 · Wicklow
A trade union representing film workers has accused top producers Morgan O'Sullivan and the late James Flynn of systematically breaching employment law and attempting to 'fleece' workers of their wages. The Irish Film Workers' Association (IFWA) claims that its campaign against 'systematic blacklisting' in the Irish film industry led to 39 members losing jobs with Metropolitan Film Productions Ltd and World 2000 Entertainment Ltd, where O'Sullivan and Flynn were principal directors. The companies argue that designated activity companies and special-purpose vehicles set up for tax relief on film and TV productions in Ireland were not a circumvention of employment rights. IFWA representatives claim that a collective agreement was signed in 2015, which included a 12.5% pay cut and a waiver of travel allowances, but the companies unilaterally withdrew from the deal.
2022-10-07 · Clare
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 7 October 2022, PJ Bennett, father of 29‑year‑old Sharon Bennett, delivered a victim‑impact statement after Patrick Ballard was sentenced to a mandatory life term for murdering his girlfriend. Bennett described the murder as a "nightmare" that has devastated his family, noting that Sharon was a loving daughter and mother of two girls. He expressed remorse for not protecting her and stated he does not blame the Ballard family, only Patrick. Bennett recounted the difficulties caused by Covid‑19 restrictions, which prevented him from seeing Sharon in intensive care for five days and from holding a proper funeral. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Burns, highlighted the brutality of the attack, the victim's blamelessness, and the impact on her children. Ballard, 35, had pleaded guilty to murder and had a history of 140 convictions, including assault and theft. The sentencing was back‑dated to 28 January 2021, when Ballard entered custody. Sharon Bennett pleaded not guilty.
2022-10-06 · Wicklow
Patrick Ballard, aged 35, pleaded guilty to murdering his former partner, Ms Bennett, aged 29, in a public toilet in County Clare on 28 January 2021. Ballard had initially pleaded not guilty but, two days into his trial at the Central Criminal Court, admitted that his kicking and stamping caused Bennett's death. Witnesses, including Hussein 'Jamesie' Abdullah, testified that Ballard attacked Bennett in the toilet, pushing her onto a metal floor and repeatedly stamping and kicking her head. Bennett was taken to hospital in Limerick, where she died on 10 February 2021. Ballard was re‑arrested on 24 March 2021 and charged with murder. The trial, expected to last two weeks, was adjourned to hear a victim impact statement, with the mandatory sentence for murder being life imprisonment.
2022-10-05 · Clare
In a murder trial in Ennis, a 35‑year‑old man, Patrick Ballard, is accused of killing his partner, 29‑year‑old Sharon Bennett, by repeatedly kicking and stamping on her head in a public toilet. Ballard, formerly of Ashford Court Hotel, admitted that his actions caused Bennett's death and accepted that the killing was unlawful, but pleaded not guilty to murder. The prosecution, led by Dominic McGinn, outlined that the fatal assault occurred after an argument in a covered car park, witnessed by others and captured on CCTV. Ballard allegedly pushed a third man out of the toilet, continued the assault, and left the scene before an off‑duty guard arrived. Bennett was taken to hospital, survived initially, but died on 10 February 2021. The trial will focus on Ballard's intent and the unlawful nature of his violence. The hearing is scheduled to last two weeks.
2022-10-04 · Clare
Patrick Ballard, 35, of Ashford Court Hotel, Ennis, is set to stand trial for the murder of Sharon Bennett, 29, in Ennis's Market area on 10 February 2021. He was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court and pleaded not guilty. The case stems from an incident on 28 January 2021, after which Bennett died weeks later. Mr Justice Paul Burns informed the jury that both parties lived in Ennis and that the matter was investigated by Garda officers from Shannon and Ennis. The trial will last two weeks.
2022-07-01 · Clare
Patrick Ballard, 35, of Ashford Court Hotel, Ennis, faces a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court on 4 October. He is accused of killing Sharon Bennett, 29, a mother of two, in Ennis's Market area on 28 January 2021. Initially charged with assault causing harm, the charge was withdrawn in March 2021 and replaced by a murder charge. Bennett died 13 days later at University Hospital Limerick. Ballard and Bennett were in a relationship at the time of the alleged murder. The Director of Public Prosecutions has confirmed the case is ready for trial.
2021-02-24 · Dublin
Milo Stuart, 26, pleaded guilty to criminal damage, assault causing harm and production of an article after breaking into his ex‑girlfriend's Dublin apartment on 6 November 2018. He had psychiatric issues at the time, had refused admission to a psychiatric hospital two days before the incident, and had not contacted the victim since. The court heard that Stuart had no prior convictions and that the victim had worked for a catering company run by Stuart's mother, with whom she had a turbulent relationship. During the incident Stuart broke the victim's door, took her phone, held a knife to her stomach, and forced her into a bathroom where she was injured. Gardaí arrested him after the scene. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Stuart's psychiatric state and guilty plea, ordered 150 hours of community service in lieu of a one‑year prison term.
2020-12-22 · Wicklow
A case currently in appeal involves Paul Gregory (56) of Lucky Brook House, Cronroe, Ashford, Co Wicklow, who admitted to 205 counts of rape and sexual assault of his wife's two sons at his Co Wicklow home. The abuse, which began in 1993 when the victims were under ten years old and continued for a decade, was admitted by Gregory during a guilty plea in 2015. The victims, now adults, had previously waived their statutory anonymity, but a stay on the lifting of the gagging order was imposed to avoid prejudicing other trials. Those trials have since concluded, and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) applied to lift the stay. Gregory has expressed concerns about his safety if his identity is published, and his legal team has raised questions regarding the interpretation of Section 252 of the Children Act. The matter was adjourned pending an application to the Court of Appeal by Gregory, but no such appeal has been made, and the deadline has passed. The court has now lifted the reporting restrictions, allowing Gregory to be named publicly. The case remains in the appeal stage, with no finalised sentence or disposal at this time.
2020-11-30 · Wicklow
During the Central Criminal Court hearing, Darren Houlden, aged 44, admitted to a violent confrontation with Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh, 37, on the morning of 6 May 2019. Houlden told detectives that he had been threatened by Kavanagh over missing cocaine and that he feared retaliation from others. He claimed he had a knife and an axe for protection and that he stabbed Kavanagh after a scuffle, stating he did not intend to kill him but was forced to stop. Houlden described himself as a "functioning addict" with a history of drug use and treatment. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the DPP. The trial continues before Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury.
2019-12-20 · Wicklow
In December 2019 the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction of Roy Webster for the 2015 murder of Anne Shortall, a 47‑year‑old mother of three. Webster, aged 42, had been found guilty of murder by a jury at the Central Criminal Court and sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy in March 2017. He appealed, arguing that the trial judge had not properly explained the partial defence of provocation and the required intent. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, rejected the appeal, stating the judge's charge was careful and focused. The decision means Webster will continue to serve his life sentence. The case involved Webster's admission that he had used a hammer to strike Shortall nine times on the head after she threatened to expose his affair with her.
2019-12-17 · Wicklow
Roy Webster, 42, of Ashbree, Ashford, Co Wicklow, was convicted of murder for bludgeoning Anne Shortall, 47, to death with a hammer on 3 April 2015. Webster claimed he was provoked after Shortall threatened to inform his wife of their affair. He was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court and sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy on 24 March 2017. On 17 December 2019, Webster lodged an appeal in the Court of Appeal, challenging the trial judge's instructions on the defence of provocation. His barrister, Michael Bowman SC, argued that the test for provocation should be subjective, based on Webster's state of mind, rather than the objective standard used by the judge. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, is expected to deliver a decision on 20 December 2019. The appeal focuses solely on the provocation defence and does not address any other aspects of the case.
2018-10-03 · Wicklow
Carl Freeman, aged 23, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary at the home of Mr William Crean (72) and Mrs Kathleen Crean (65) in a rural area outside Ashford Village, Co Wicklow, on 12 March 2015. He was originally sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended, by Judge Michael O'Shea on 26 July 2017. The Court of Appeal, following an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions, found the sentence too lenient and re‑sentenced him to ten years' imprisonment, with the final four years suspended. The decision was made by a three‑judge panel headed by Mr Justice John Edwards. The case involved a violent burglary in which the intruders used hurls, assaulted Mr Crean, threatened Mrs Crean, and stole approximately €150 in cash, a landline, and Mr Crean's mobile phone.
2017-05-12 · Cork
In a High Court hearing on 12 May 2017, William Thompson secured a temporary freezing order over €30,000 that had been awarded to Kevin Buckley, a teenager who assaulted Thompson on 24 August 2016 in Cork city centre. Thompson, a University College Cork student, was knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked, sustaining injuries including a fractured eye socket. Buckley had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting Thompson and to false imprisonment of a woman, for which he was sentenced to four years' detention and is currently incarcerated. The €30,000 award, lodged in court for Buckley's benefit until he turned 18, was to be released to him after that date. Thompson's lawyers argued that the only way he could enforce a damages award against Buckley is to have the court‑lodged monies frozen until his personal injuries claim is decided.
2017-03-24 · Wicklow
Roy Webster, aged 40 of Ashbree, Ashford, County Wicklow, was found guilty of murder by unanimous jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court on 24 March 2017. The victim, Anne Shortall, aged 47, died from injuries sustained at The Murrough near Wicklow Town on 3 April 2015. Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed a life sentence, backdated to 7 April 2015. The court heard that Webster struck Ms Shortall repeatedly with a hammer after she threatened to disclose a previous encounter to his wife. He subsequently restrained her with duct tape before transporting her body in his van. Webster initially provided a false account to gardaí, claiming he had released Ms Shortall at The Murrough. He later confessed to his wife in the presence of Detective Sergeant Fergus O'Brien, revealing the body's location in his workshop. The defence argued provocation as mitigation, which would reduce the charge to manslaughter. The jury rejected this, finding Webster acted with knowledge and intent to kill or cause serious injury.
2017-03-23 · Wicklow
The jury in the Roy Webster murder trial will return to the Central Criminal Court to continue deliberations after spending just over six hours considering their verdict. Webster, 40, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of Anne Shortall, 47, at The Murrough, Co Wicklow. The State rejected his plea. At the jury's request, Justice Patrick McCarthy re‑read State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy's evidence and read a statement by Dr Stephen Clifford of Forensic Science Ireland.
2017-03-22 · Wicklow
The jury at the Roy Webster murder trial has reheard the statement of Carmel Phibbs, a friend of the accused's wife, after she was present at the Webster home on the afternoon Anne Shortall was killed. Mr Webster, 40, from Ashbree, Ashford, Co Wicklow, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of Shortall, 47, at The Murrough on 3 April 2015. The State did not accept his plea. The jury, after a 3½‑hour deliberation, will return tomorrow with the hammer alleged to have been used in the killing.
2017-03-21 · Wicklow
Roy Webster, 40, of Ashbree, Ashford, Co Wicklow, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for the death of Anne Shortall, 47, on Good Friday 3 April 2015 at The Murrough, Co Wicklow. His defence barrister, Brendan Grehan SC, told the jury that Webster had not planned the attack and had no attempt to conceal it. Grehan described Webster's actions as a loss of self‑control rather than a premeditated crime, noting that Webster had tied Shortall's wrists with duct tape and wrapped tape around her head after she was already dead, an act he could not explain. Webster had driven Shortall to The Murrough in his van, then brought her body home to his workshop, where he kept it for four days before admitting the crime to his wife and the Gardaí. The jury was instructed to decide whether Webster was guilty of murder or manslaughter, with deliberations to continue the next day.
2017-03-20 · Wicklow
In a 2017 murder trial, Roy Webster, aged 40, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Anne Shortall, aged 47, who died on 3 April 2015 after Webster struck her nine times with a hammer. Prosecutor Paul Greene SC argued that Webster's statements to Gardaí after confessing to the killing displayed a "degree of self‑pity," noting that Webster had delayed revealing his involvement until 7 April, lying to Shortall's daughters and to Gardaí over several days. Greene highlighted Shortall's financial difficulties and alleged threats she made to Webster's wife. He described Webster's post‑attack conduct—returning home, drinking, watching television, and later moving the body to his workshop—as evidence of a clear intention to kill. Greene urged the jury to disregard sympathy and find that Webster intended to kill or cause serious injury, thereby supporting a murder conviction. The case was set for trial at the Central Criminal Court.
2017-03-16 · Wicklow
Roy Webster, aged 40, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for the death of Anne Shortall, aged 47, on Good Friday 3 April 2015 at The Murrough, Co Wicklow. The Central Criminal Court heard that Webster beat Shortall to death with a hammer after she threatened to inform his wife of a prior affair. Shortall's body was found tied with tape in Webster's van. A statement by Carmel Phibbs, a friend of Webster's wife, described Webster as "acting completely normal" that evening, noting he had shown his wife a cut from tiling work and later claimed a woman was missing while helping Gardaí. Detective Sergeant Fergus O'Brien noted Webster's cooperation after his admission. Text and call records between Webster and Shortall from 25 March to 3 April were presented, showing Shortall demanded £6,500 for an abortion and threatened to expose their affair if the money was not paid.
2017-03-15 · Wicklow
Anne Shortall, aged 47, died on Good Friday 3 April 2015 after being struck nine times on the head and having her airways blocked with duct tape. The State Pathologist, Professor Marie Cassidy, examined her body on 7 April 2015 and found no skull fractures but a fractured jaw and swollen brain. She concluded the cause of death was blunt‑force trauma to the head and airway obstruction. The accused, Roy Webster, 40, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. He was alleged to have beaten Shortall after she threatened to expose his affair unless he paid her £6,500 for an abortion. Dr Geraldine O'Kelly, Shortall's GP, testified that she was not pregnant, a fact confirmed by a gynaecological test. The trial is proceeding before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of seven men and four women.
2017-03-14 · Wicklow
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, 40‑year‑old Roy Webster of Ashbree, Wicklow, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Anne Shortall, 47, who died on Good Friday, 3 April 2015, at The Murrough. Webster admitted striking Shortall on the head with a hammer three or four times after she threatened to inform his wife about a prior affair. He claimed he had no intention to kill her, describing the act as a panic‑driven response to her threats. After the assault, he drove to a Centra shop, called his wife, returned home, ate dinner, and fell asleep in front of the television, claiming life returned to normal. He later discovered Shortall's body in his van, taped her, and moved her to his workshop. A pathologist's report later confirmed she was not pregnant and had been struck nine times on the head. The case proceeds before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
2017-03-10 · Wicklow
A man accused of murdering a woman told gardaí he struck her with a hammer and concealed her body in a workshop after his wife confronted him about his connection to the missing person, the Central Criminal Court has heard. Roy Webster, aged 40, from Co Wicklow has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in relation to Anne Shortall, who went missing on 3 April 2015 in Co Wicklow. The State did not accept his manslaughter plea. Detective Sergeant Fergus O'Brien gave evidence that when Mrs Webster questioned her husband at their home on 7 April about the missing woman, he became emotional and admitted striking Ms Shortall with a hammer. He subsequently revealed that the body was located in their workshop. Mr Webster was arrested on suspicion of murder following gardaí's discovery of human remains at the premises. The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
2017-03-09 · Wicklow
A woman sought €5,000 from the man now accused of her murder for an abortion, the Central Criminal Court heard today. The prosecution alleges that Anne Shortall was killed by Roy Webster following a dispute over a pregnancy and a prior sexual encounter. Webster, aged 40 from Ashbree, Ashford, Co Wicklow, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter on April 3, 2015 at The Murrough, Co Wicklow. His plea was not accepted by the State. During evidence, a witness testified that he received a message in late March 2015 requesting €5,000 for an abortion, intended for another man named Steven Armstrong who knew both Ms Shortall and the accused. Ms Shortall's daughters told the court she left her home without her phone or cigarettes on Good Friday, which they found unusual. Text messages indicated she was to meet someone associated with Ashwood Kitchens at a local pub, but she did not return.
2017-03-08 · Wicklow
In a Central Criminal Court case, 40‑year‑old Roy Webster of Ashbree, Ashford, Co Wicklow pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of Anne Shortall, 47, on 3 April 2015. Prosecutor Paul Greene SC argued that Webster and Shortall had a sexual encounter after meeting at a pub on 20 December 2014. Shortall later contacted Webster, claiming she was pregnant and demanding money for an abortion. When she threatened to expose their prior encounter, Webster struck her on the head with a hammer, then transported her body to his workshop, securing her hands with duct tape. He was found to have hidden the body behind wood panels until 7 April, when he informed the Gardaí. Webster admitted to assault, binding, and lying to police, and his defence acknowledged his responsibility for Shortall's death. The jury was instructed to decide whether the offence was murder or manslaughter.
2017-03-06 · Wicklow
Roy Webster, a 39-year-old man from Ashbree, Ashford, Co Wicklow, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Anne Shortall but guilty to her manslaughter. The prosecution rejected the manslaughter plea, and the matter will proceed to trial on the murder charge. Mr Webster is accused of killing Ms Shortall on April 3, 2015, at The Murrough, Co Wicklow. At the Central Criminal Court, Justice Patrick McCarthy swore in a jury of five women and seven men. The judge indicated that the trial is likely to last two weeks. The jury is scheduled to return on Wednesday morning. This report reflects the procedural stage of trial, where the accused's plea was not accepted, resulting in a full trial on the original murder charge rather than a finalised disposal.
2016-02-10 · Wicklow
Brian Stokes, a businessman from Inchanappa House, Ashford, Co Wicklow, applied to the High Court for permission to sue the National Assets Management Agency (NAMA) and its subsidiary, the National Asset Loan Management Agency (NALM), as well as the receiver appointed over his lands, Ms Siobhan O'Dwyer. The court, on an ex‑parte basis, granted the application and set a later date for the hearing. Stokes seeks declarations that the receiver's appointment is void, that the February 2007 mortgage between NAMA and AIB is void, and that the lands are not a bank asset under the 2009 NAMA Act. He also requests an injunction to prevent the receiver from selling the property. Stokes argues that the security attached to the Building Licence Agreement, which was intended to secure development obligations, has failed, and that no valid security exists over the lands in question. The case is set to proceed in the High Court.
2014-11-14 · Dublin
Lucky Osaseyi, a 36‑year‑old father of one from Ashford Place, Dublin 7, had previously served three years of a ten‑year sentence in Dubai for drug possession and was deported back to Ireland in 2011 because of a serious medical condition. In Dublin, he was charged with transporting 304 g of cocaine worth €21,284 at Terminal 1 of Dublin Airport on 28 April 2013. Osaseyi admitted swallowing 23 plastic‑wrapped cocaine pellets to obtain €980, claiming he needed the money. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a five‑year prison sentence, suspending the last two years on the condition that he keep the peace for three years after release. The case was prosecuted by John Quirke BL and defended by Gerardine Small BL, who noted that Osaseyi's early guilty plea and full co‑operation were beneficial, avoiding a trial.
2014-07-30 · Wicklow
A quarry operator in County Mayo has failed in a High Court challenge against a requirement to conduct an environmental impact assessment for an extension of its limestone extraction works. McGrath Limestone Works, located near Ashford Castle and proximate to several designated conservation areas including Lough Carra, sought to overturn decisions by Mayo County Council and An Bord Pleanála mandating an EIA as a condition of planning permission. The company contended the requirement was not legally necessary and would effectively force cessation of operations pending compliance. Mr Justice Peter Charleton dismissed all arguments, finding the decisions lawful and reasonable given the site's proximity to environmentally significant tourist resources. The Judge held that no error in law, procedural defect, or inadequacy of reasoning had occurred, and that both the council and the board had properly applied relevant legislation in their assessments.