Court archive
Court reports mentioning Newcastle, Wicklow
2025-11-13 · Wicklow
In a case heard at Dún Laoghaire District Court, a dangerous driving charge against ambulance driver Josh Hayes (24) was dismissed after the judge reviewed dash‑cam footage. The footage, captured by a different driver, showed a learner motorist who had unintentionally edged into Hayes's lane moments before the collision. The learner's car, coming from a slip road, merged into the lane and then moved further left into the inner lane directly in front of the ambulance. The ambulance struck the back of the learner's car, causing it to overturn. Both the driver and passenger sustained whiplash and bruising. Hayes had been driving with lights and sirens on while transporting a psychiatric patient. The judge, Anne Watkin, found that the learner's movement was the decisive factor and that the ambulance driver's actions were justified under the circumstances, leading to the dismissal of the charge. Josh Hayes pleaded not guilty.
2025-03-03 · Wicklow
Cian Smullen, 30, was sentenced to four years in prison, with the final year suspended, at the Central Criminal Court for coercive control, false imprisonment, burglary, criminal damage and threats to cause criminal damage. He had repeatedly attacked his former partner, threatened to plant drugs in her home to have Tusla take her child, and tried to break into her house with an axe and screwdriver. The victim described ongoing abuse, bruises, a black eye, and fear of losing her daughter. Smullen pleaded guilty in November and admitted to a long history of cocaine and alcohol use. The judge noted his high risk of re‑offending, limited remorse, and the need for post‑release intervention, while acknowledging his claim of turning his life around. The sentence was back‑dated to November for time already spent in custody.
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.