Court archive
Court reports mentioning Aughrim, Wicklow
2025-02-10 · Wicklow
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, William Ryan, a 41‑year‑old Garda, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for three counts of sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment. The offences occurred on 29 September 2020 at Aughrim Garda Station, where Ryan prevented a woman from leaving the station, sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, and held her captive. The victim, whose identity is protected, described feeling "broken" and "degraded" during the trial and testified that Ryan's version of events was false and "badly‑written erotica." Ryan admitted guilt, resigned from the force, and had no prior convictions. Judge Elma Sheahan set a headline sentence of eight years, reduced to six years after mitigation, and backdated it to the time Ryan entered custody. The sentence reflects the breach of trust inherent in the offence. The court heard the victim's impact statement, detailing long‑term psychological harm and the effect on her family.
2024-07-26 · Wicklow
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Garda William Ryan (41) was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment after a jury deliberated for about three and a half hours. The case centred on an incident at Aughrim Garda Station on 29 September 2020, when a woman sought help to retrieve her son's car. Ryan allegedly prevented her from leaving the station, slapped her bottom, groped her breasts, and sexually assaulted her again by digitally penetrating her vagina. He claimed the encounters were consensual, citing a prior phone conversation and the woman's Snapchat photos. The prosecution described his testimony as implausible and "badly‑written erotica." Ryan was remanded in custody until a sentencing date of 7 October, with the judge noting his status as a serving Garda and his family responsibilities. The trial concluded with the jury issuing a unanimous guilty verdict. William Ryan pleaded not guilty.
2024-07-25 · Wicklow
The trial of Garda William Ryan, 41, has entered its final stages. Ryan has pleaded not guilty to three sexual assault charges and to one false imprisonment charge relating to a woman held at Aughrim Garda Station on 29 September 2020. Judge Elma Sheahan delivered her charge to the jury, who deliberated for two and a half hours before returning home, with deliberations to resume tomorrow morning.
2024-07-23 · Wicklow
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Garda William Ryan, 41, pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment. He claimed the complainant, who had come to the Aughrim Garda Station to retrieve her son's car, had masturbated him in a shower room while facing away, asserting the encounter was fully consensual. Ryan described the woman's behaviour as "sexually‑charged" and said he was "hot under the collar" and "fully aroused." The State's counsel, Maurice Coffey SC, described Ryan's account as "badly‑written erotica," arguing the woman's actions were implausible and that Ryan had prevented her from leaving the station and assaulted her three times. Defence counsel Breffni Gordon BL argued no crime was committed, noting the woman left the station the same day and later told her husband about the incident. The judge will deliver her charge on Thursday.
2024-07-19 · Wicklow
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, a jury was informed that the alleged sexual assault of a woman by Garda William Ryan at Aughrim Garda Station was described by the defence as "consensual activity between two adults." Defence counsel argued that the woman had cupped her own bottom, pressed herself against Ryan, and showed him her breast before they went upstairs together for consensual sexual activity. The woman repeatedly denied these claims, stating "definitely did not happen." Ryan, aged 38, pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment. The State alleged that Ryan prevented the woman from leaving the station and sexually assaulted her three times. The trial, presided over by Judge Elma Sheahan, continues with the jury hearing evidence from both sides.
2024-07-18 · Wicklow
A woman who says she was locked into Aughrim Garda Station and sexually assaulted by Garda William Ryan (38) has told a jury that Ryan told her to "wear something tight" before the alleged attack. She claims Ryan prevented her from leaving the station and sexually assaulted her three times. The woman, who had gone to the station for advice about her son's impounded car, says Ryan insisted she come to the station, invited her inside, and after a brief conversation he allegedly slapped her buttocks, grabbed her breasts, and sexually assaulted her in a shower room. She says the incident lasted about seven or eight minutes. Ryan denies the allegations. The case is before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury. The trial continues. William Ryan pleaded not guilty.
2024-07-18 · Wicklow
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a serving Garda, William Ryan, aged 38, pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment. The case concerns an incident at Aughrim Garda Station on 29 September 2020, where a woman sought assistance with her son's case. According to the prosecution, Ryan invited her into the station, made lewd comments, and after a brief conversation, allegedly forced her to stand, slapped her buttocks, and locked the side door to prevent her escape. The woman is said to have tried to leave but was prevented by the lock. She reportedly showed Ryan a bikini photo, after which he allegedly grabbed her breast, propositioned her, and forced her into a shower room. In that room, he is alleged to have placed his hand on her, forced her to pull away, and then digitally penetrated her vagina.
2024-07-16 · Wicklow
A jury has been empanelled for the trial of William Ryan, a 38‑year‑old Garda of Aughrim Station, who is charged with three counts of sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment of a woman at the station on 29 September 2020. Ryan appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, pleaded not guilty to all charges, and was informed that he is a serving member of An Garda Síochána. The trial, expected to last eight to nine days, will hear witnesses including Gardaí and senior detectives, and is scheduled to open tomorrow before Judge Elma Sheahan.
2024-02-29 · Dublin
Darren Foster, 44, pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage after breaking into a warehouse in the Dublin Industrial Estate on the night of 9 July 2023. He used a forklift to lift security doors and caused extensive damage to the interior, including cutting telecom lines and damaging tools stored in a secure area. The warehouse, operated by St Micheal's House for the HSE, suffered about €4,400 in damage. Foster was found in a van near the site, covered by a blanket, and was arrested while on bail. He claimed he had no intention to steal but wanted to draw attention to an alleged debt. The court, noting his prior convictions and current sentence, imposed an additional 10‑month sentence consecutive to his existing term, extending his custody until July 2025. No victim impact statement was presented. The case highlighted Foster's addiction issues and his recent detox and volunteer work in custody.
2023-12-21 · Dublin
Alan Ecock, a banking professional who had worked as a barman at Kavanagh's pub for nearly 30 years, was dismissed by the pub's owners in April for cost‑cutting. He claimed the dismissal was heartless and unlawful. Ecock had been employed full‑time by AIB since 1994 and worked two nights a week at the pub, a fact unknown to his bank colleagues. The pub's owners, the Peacock family, argued that Ecock was self‑employed and therefore not entitled to employment rights. The tribunal found Ecock was an employee under the Revenue code, and that the owners had breached the Unfair Dismissals Act by failing to consult or offer alternatives. Ecock was awarded €22,750 for unfair dismissal, €2,000 for lack of notice, and €1,000 for no written statement, totalling €25,750. The case was heard under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 and related statutes.
2022-02-24 · Wicklow
A Circuit Court judge lifted a gagging order that had prevented the naming of Garda William Ryan, 35, who is charged with false imprisonment and three counts of sexual assault at Aughrim Garda Station on 29 September 2020, and a further charge of false imprisonment on the same date and location. Ryan also faces a charge of offensive sexual conduct between 23 August 2019 and 25 February 2020 at another location in Leinster. The trial is scheduled for 4 June 2024. The order was originally imposed by District Court Judge Treasa Kelly after a defence solicitor's application, and was challenged by lawyers for several media organisations. Judge Melanie Greally, hearing the case, found no evidence that publishing Ryan's name would impair his right to a fair trial and therefore lifted the restrictions.
2018-04-19 · Dublin
Two Romanian burglars, Constantin Gheorghe (44) and Lacramioara Anei (22), were arrested by Garda Kevin Bamrick after he recognised them as suspects in a previous burglary attempt. He observed them approaching several premises, and later saw Gheorghe and another man break into an apartment block while Anei acted as a lookout. The trio were arrested with a backpack containing stolen items. Both pleaded guilty to attempted burglary on Aughrim Street, Dublin 7, on 17 August 2017, and burglary on North Circular Road, Dublin 1. The court noted Gheorghe had five prior convictions in Ireland, Denmark and Romania, and Anei had four prior convictions in Romania. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑year sentence on Gheorghe and a one‑year sentence on Anei, both back‑dated to August 2017. The sentences were imposed while the defendants cooperated with Gardaí but did not make admissions.
2017-07-25 · Dublin
Neven Vukovic, 40, received a suspended three‑year sentence for assault causing harm to his ex‑partner Fionnuala Ní Mhartín after a September 2015 attack at her Dublin home. Vukovic had previously pleaded guilty to assault and had a prior conviction for cannabis possession in Croatia. The assault involved punches and kicks, including a full‑force punch to the eye, resulting in a fractured eye socket and other injuries. Following the attack, Vukovic repeatedly threatened and harassed Ní Mhartín via text and Facebook, sending messages that included threats of violence and death. The court imposed a 30‑year prohibition on any contact with Ní Mhartín and ordered Vukovic to stay away from her. He has since completed anger‑management and counselling courses. The judge noted his remorse and lack of prior violent convictions. The sentence was suspended for three years.
2017-06-21 · Dublin
The trial of six men accused of falsely imprisoning former Tánaiste Joan Burton and her adviser Karen O'Connell at Fortunestown Road, Jobstown, Tallaght, on November 15, 2014, has heard closing arguments. Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, Councillor Michael Murphy, Councillor Kieran Mahon, Frank Donaghy, Michael Banks, and Scott Masterson have all pleaded not guilty to the charges. Defence counsel for Councillor Michael Murphy argued that gardaí decisions were "unwise and inappropriate," claiming police failed to negotiate early and that video footage disproved prosecution evidence. He stated his client attempted to de-escalate the situation. Counsel for Councillor Kieran Mahon described his client as a political activist who did not use force or threaten violence, arguing that fear caused by violent disorder from others, not his actions, prevented the women from leaving. He criticized the arrest of his client as an abuse of power. The prosecution countered that Councillor Murphy interfered with gardaí and acknowledged the women were not free, while Councillor Mahon returned to the scene and participated in the sit-down protest. The trial continues before Judge Melanie Greally.
2016-10-18 · Dublin
In September 2015, Neven Vukovic, a 40‑year‑old Croatian man, attacked his ex‑partner Fionnuala Ní Mhartín at her Dublin home. After the couple had split two days earlier, Vukovic entered the house, attempted to hug her, and when she refused, he slapped her on the head and then repeatedly punched and kicked her. The assault left her with a fractured eye socket and other injuries. Vukovic later sent harassing text and Facebook messages, including threats, for weeks. Gardaí arrested him and he pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He was charged with assault and harassment, placed on bail with strict conditions, and a sentencing hearing was adjourned to April. He has since attended anger‑management and counselling courses.
2016-07-19 · Wicklow
During the tenth day of her trial, the Central Criminal Court heard portions of video interviews conducted by Garda Detective Sergeant Fergus O'Brien with Marta Herda, a 29‑year‑old Polish woman charged with the murder of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos. The interviews, taken a few months after Herda's arrest in August 2013, were played to the court. Herda was accused of driving Orsos into a harbour where he drowned. She pleaded not guilty. In the interviews she stated that she had wanted the situation to stop, referring to the phone calls and text messages she had been receiving from Orsos, who had been following her for two years. The defence cross‑examined O'Brien about the context of her statement, and the barrister for Herda suggested that the statement might describe the events in the car that morning rather than an admission of intent. The trial continues.
2016-07-18 · Wicklow
Ms Marta Herda, 29, of Pairc Na Saile, Arklow, is charged with the murder of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos, who drowned after being driven into a harbour on 26 March 2013. Both were in Herda's car when it entered the water; she escaped, but Orsos's body was found later that day. During her trial, video of Herda's garda interviews was shown. She stated she had hoped to save him if she had seen him in the water, but a friend told her not to think of it, fearing they would die together. She described Orsos as a good‑hearted person who had fallen "in love with me badly" and admitted she was afraid of him. The court heard that she had no sexual relationship with him and that she had never been with someone who would "lock me somewhere." The trial continues.
2016-07-14 · Wicklow
In the Central Criminal Court, Marta Herda, 29, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos, who drowned after the car she drove entered a harbour on 26 March 2013. Herda, a Polish waitress from Arklow, claimed she was not in love with Orsos and that the incident was accidental. She said she had been arguing with him in the car and that she did not want to drive fast. Garda testimony revealed that she had called Orsos at 5.20 am and again at 5.35 am, and that the handbrake had been applied before the car entered the water. Forensic evidence showed a skid mark consistent with handbrake use and a shattered driver's side window. The trial was set to continue on Monday before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women.
2016-07-14 · Wicklow
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence on the eighth day of the 29‑year‑old Marta Herda's trial for the murder of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos. Herda, a Polish waitress, is charged with driving Orsos into a harbour where he drowned on 26 March 2013. She pleaded not guilty and claimed the victim had been in love with her, a feeling she did not share, and that she could no longer tolerate the situation. Forensic Collision Investigator Garda Cliff Harding testified that a skid mark on the quay indicated the handbrake had been applied before the car entered the water, as the mark was consistent with a locked tyre caused by emergency braking. He noted that ABS would prevent such a mark, implying the handbrake was used.
2016-07-13 · Wicklow
During the seventh day of the 29‑year‑old Marta Herda's murder trial, the jury viewed a video of the deceased, 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos, celebrating his birthday with Herda. The footage, shown in the Central Criminal Court, shows Herda seated beside Orsos as he blew out candles on a cake. Herda is charged with murdering Orsos by driving him into a harbour where he drowned on 26 March 2013. Orsos's brother, Zoltan Sandor, testified that the family had celebrated Orsos's birthday at his home in July 2012 and that the video was part of that celebration. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, continues with a jury of eight men and four women. The court heard additional testimony from witnesses about Herda's relationship with Orsos and alleged prior conflicts, but no verdict has yet been reached.
2016-07-12 · Wicklow
During the trial of 29‑year‑old Marta Herda, a jury was shown a Valentine's card she had received from the 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsas, the man she is accused of murdering by driving him into a harbour where he drowned. The card, held up by Garda Anthony Crehan, had pink roses on the front and the words "Thinking of you" inside a love heart. Inside, handwritten notes declared love, promised to change habits, and offered a phone number. The card was dated 21/5/12 at 22.54. Herda denied deliberately driving into the water and claimed she had not proposed that she drive into the water. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, continues with a jury of eight men and four women. The defence has not yet presented a verdict.
2016-07-07 · Wicklow
The trial of Marta Herda, 29, for the murder of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsas began on the second day at the Central Criminal Court. Herda, a Polish waitress from Arklow, is charged with driving Orsas into a deep harbour on 26 March 2013 and has pleaded not guilty. Defence counsel Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC argued that the State's case is that Herda lured Orsas to his death through phone calls. Garda Michael Hall presented records of calls and texts between Herda, Orsas and colleagues at the Brook Lodge Hotel, noting several between 5.20 am and 5.21 am that day. The prosecution suggested these communications were suspicious and instrumental in luring Orsas. State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy testified that Orsas's injuries were consistent with drowning, citing abundant blood‑stained froth in his airways and overinflated lungs. The jury, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, heard these arguments and evidence before continuing the trial later that day.
2015-06-18 · Wicklow
Philip Doyle, aged 38, was convicted of manslaughter for the death of his ex‑fiancée's three‑and‑a‑half‑month‑old baby, Ross Murphy, in April 2005. The Central Criminal Court, after a four‑week trial, returned a unanimous verdict of manslaughter, and Doyle was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment on 15 May 2012. Doyle appealed, arguing that the trial judge had not adequately considered expert medical evidence and that the injuries could have resulted from an accidental fall. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice Seán Ryan, rejected the appeal, stating that the conviction was "safe" and the trial was "satisfactory." Mr Justice Ryan noted that the jury had been properly instructed to weigh expert testimony and that the evidence supported the conclusion that the baby's severe injuries were inflicted by Doyle rather than by an accidental fall. The appeal was dismissed, leaving Doyle's conviction and sentence intact. Philip Doyle pleaded not guilty.
2015-02-27 · Wicklow
Philip Doyle, 38, of Tinakilly, Aughrim, Co Wicklow, was convicted of manslaughter for the death of his ex‑fiancée's three‑and‑a‑half‑month‑old baby, Ross Murphy, at Creagh Demesne, Gory, Co Wexford, on 5 April 2005. The Central Criminal Court, after a four‑week trial, directed the jury to acquit Doyle of murder and return a unanimous manslaughter verdict. He was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment on 15 May 2012. Doyle's appeal against conviction was opened in the Court of Appeal. His barrister, Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC, argued that the incident was an accident, that the judge had not adequately explained the withdrawal of the murder charge, and that expert evidence on physical abuse was unreliable. The Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel countered that medical experts found the baby's injuries inconsistent with an accidental fall. The Court of Appeal will decide the appeal as soon as possible. Philip Doyle pleaded not guilty.
2015-02-27 · Wicklow
Philip Doyle, 38, of Wicklow, was convicted of manslaughter for the death of his ex‑fiancée's three‑and‑a‑half‑month‑old baby, Ross Murphy, in 2005. The Central Criminal Court found the death an accident after a four‑week trial, and Doyle received an 11‑year sentence in May 2012. Doyle now appeals, arguing the original trial failed to properly direct the jury on the evidence of the baby's ill health and the lack of intent for murder. He contends that the prosecution's reliance on a paediatric study was unreliable and that the judge did not explain why the murder charge was withdrawn. The appeal is before the Court of Appeal, with the prosecution yet to reply. The case remains at the manslaughter conviction stage. Philip Doyle pleaded not guilty.