In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 13 April 2021, Deirdre Brady (53) and Erika Lukacs (37) pleaded guilty to one count each of money‑laundering offences under Section 7 of the Criminal Justice Act 2010. Brady, wife of Declan Brady, admitted to concealing or disguising the true nature of money credited to a Permanent TSB account between 1 January and 31 December 2014, knowing or believing the funds were proceeds of crime. Lukacs admitted similar conduct with an Allied Irish Bank account between 1 January and 31 December 2012. Both were remanded on continuing bail until 14 June for a sentence hearing. Declan Brady, appearing by videolink, was granted legal aid and remanded in custody until 23 April. The court received evidence from the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and served books of evidence and USB keys to the defendants.
A 45‑year‑old Romanian man, Vasile Jelecuteam, was stopped at a Garda checkpoint in Wicklow at about 12:05 a.m. on 22 March 2021. Garda Margaret Fennelly of Bray Garda Station checked his ID and driver's licence against the Garda Pulse and the newly‑activated Schengen Information System (SIS II). The search revealed that Germany had issued a European Arrest Warrant for Jelecuteam. The High Court heard that the details of the alleged offence had not yet been supplied. Mr Justice Paul Burns remanded Jelecuteam in custody until 31 March, with a bail hearing scheduled for the following Thursday. The case illustrates how SIS II allows instant alerts across 30 countries, enabling authorities to act swiftly on cross‑border warrants. The court did not receive further information on the offence at the time of the hearing.
Paul Meehan, 45, was jailed for a burglary at the Mater Hospital on 5 May 2020. He entered through an open side door during lockdown, disguised himself in a doctor's coat and a phlebotomist's name tag, and filled a trolley with personal belongings from staff lockers. The items taken included an Apple computer, CD player, doctors' coats, bed clothes, Chanel perfume, glasses, keys and Fit Bits. Security stopped him near the entrance, and he fled with one bag before being caught. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court he pleaded guilty. Judge Martin Nolan noted Meehan's long criminal record of 22 prior burglaries and his mental‑health difficulties. He was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years, with the final year suspended on conditions.
Ahmad Majeed, 26, was jailed for his role in a violent mob that attempted to force entry into Lost Lane nightclub on 7 July 2019. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possession of weapons intended to cause injury. The mob, about 20 men, carried hatchets, a hammer, a wheel brace, a towing eye, and two petrol bombs made from a beer bottle and a brandy bottle. A doorman was punched and kicked, and the incident caused the victim to leave security work due to flashbacks and panic attacks. Majeed was arrested at his home and denied knowledge of the bombs. The court, after considering his low risk assessment, imposed a three‑year, four‑month prison term, suspending the final year on the condition of good behaviour and peacekeeping.
In March 2021, a bid by boxing coach Pete Taylor and Bray Boxing Club Ltd for an injunction to stop Wicklow County Council from terminating their claimed legal interest in the Harbour Shed premises in Bray was dismissed. Mr Justice Senan Allen ruled that the applicants had no enforceable proprietary entitlement to the premises and that the council was within its rights to evict them. The court noted that the lease expired in 2015, that the applicants had only licence agreements thereafter, and that the council had changed the locks following a 2018 shooting that killed one club member. The judge found no evidence that the applicants would suffer catastrophic loss if the injunction was denied and that the applicants had abandoned most of their reliefs. The case was adjourned for the parties to consider the decision, with no costs order imposed pending the full dispute. The council maintains it had no obligation to the club or Mr Taylor.
In March 2018, Brandon Power, aged 22, assaulted Garda Thomas Devereux in Bray courthouse, biting the officer's finger and breaking the bone. He pleaded guilty in 2019 and received a 12‑month suspended sentence, later deemed unduly lenient by the Court of Appeal. The appeal court postponed re‑sentencing to allow Power to engage with probation services. On 15 March 2021, the Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, warned Power that a severe penalty would follow if he failed to take advantage of the opportunity offered. The court required regular urinalysis, full cooperation with probation, and attendance at all appointments. It emphasized that any prospect of leniency depends on Power's conduct and that a prison sentence is likely if he does not cooperate. The court gave him one more chance to prove his willingness to comply.
Gerry O'Brien and Joanne O'Brien appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where both pleaded guilty to theft charges. Gerry O'Brien admitted to one count of stealing €107,286 in cash and cheques by deception from Beryl Tilson, then aged 77, at a Sandyford address between July 2017 and November 2018. He also pleaded guilty to one count of stealing €27,254 in cash and cheques by deception from Rosemary Fitzgerald, then aged 73, at a Blackrock address between August and November 2018. Joanne O'Brien pleaded guilty to two counts of theft from Ms Tilson on December 23, 2017, and July 12, 2018. The prosecution alleged the defendants used fabricated sob stories and a fake solicitor to deceive the victims. Judge Pauline Codd adjourned the matter to May 17 for sentencing. The court noted Gerry O'Brien has 68 previous convictions, while Joanne O'Brien has 28, mostly for road traffic offences. Defence counsel stated Gerry O'Brien was remorseful, though the judge noted his letter focused on his own woes rather than the victims. It was also noted that Joanne O'Brien had repaid the €900 stolen from Ms Tilson. The matter was adjourned and not concluded.
Two men, Robert Malole (43) and Gheorghe Cocos (44), were jailed after they followed an 87‑year‑old woman who had just withdrawn €2,000 from a bank. They watched her at the bank, followed her to a shop, pharmacy and then to her car. Cocos asked her to point out a location on a map, obscuring her view of her handbag while the money was stolen. Gardaí traced the pair through CCTV and by following their rental car, which they had obtained using their real passports. The men repaid the victim in full. They pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to theft at Brackenstown Road, Swords on 20 October 2020. Malole, who has nine previous convictions, was given an eight‑month sentence consecutive to his current term, while Cocos, who has three previous convictions and is serving a two‑year sentence with the final eight months suspended, received a 20‑month sentence.
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.
In February 2021, Wicklow County Council argued that Pete Taylor and Bray Boxing Club had no proprietary interest in the Harbour Shed premises, claiming only a bare licence existed. Taylor, father of boxer Katie Taylor, sought an injunction to prevent the council from terminating their legal interest, citing a 2007 lease and subsequent licence agreements. The council, after changing the locks in June 2018 following a shooting that killed club member Bobby Messert, asserted it had no rent paid and that the licence could be terminated at any time. Taylor's counsel highlighted the club's use of the shed since 2005, its enhancement with a sports capital grant, and a 2017 rent increase to €15,000. The court reserved judgment, noting the injunction would remain pending until the dispute's outcome. The council maintained it acted lawfully and had no obligation to mediate.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Declan Brady (54), his wife Deirdre Brady (53), and Erika Lukacs (37) were charged with 68 cash‑laundering offences under Section 7 of the Criminal Justice Act 2010. The charges cover a five‑year period from 1 January 2012 to 24 January 2017 and involve amounts ranging from €2,000 to €269,000. Brady faces 16 non‑scheduled offences, Deirdre 36, and Lukacs 16. Allegations include concealing €2,000 and £10,000 in a breadbin and €268,940 in an attic at The Dairy, Naas, on 24 January 2017, and manipulating funds in Ulster Bank, Allied Irish Bank and Permanent TSB accounts between 2012 and 2016. Detectives from the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau presented evidence of arrests, warrants and the charge sheets. All three accused were remanded in custody until 24 March, with bail conditions for Deirdre and Erika, and Brady also remanded until that date.
Ahmad Majeed, 26, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possession of weapons at a 2019 brawl outside Love Lane nightclub. He admitted bringing a hatchet, hammer, wheel brace, and a towing eye from a Brown Thomas shopping bag, and a rucksack containing two petrol bombs. CCTV showed him gathering with about 20 men on Clarendon Street, passing the bag to another, then retrieving it before heading to the club. He also moved a traffic cone to reveal the rucksack. The mob, about 30 masked men, attempted to force entry, injuring a doorman who was punched and kicked. Majeed denied involvement in the assaults and claimed ignorance of the bombs, stating he would have stayed home if he had known. The court adjourned sentencing to March 12 and remanded him on bail.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by David O'Brien, a former scout leader, against the severity of his sentence. In 2018, O'Brien was convicted of indecent assault on four boys and sentenced to eight years' imprisonment, with 16 months suspended on condition of Probation Service supervision. This followed a 2015 conviction for abusing six other boys, resulting in a combined total of 14 years' imprisonment with three years suspended. O'Brien's counsel argued that the cumulative sentence was excessive given the offences occurred in the same period and that O'Brien had previously admitted to abusing 30 to 40 boys. However, the three-judge panel, presided over by Mr Justice Edwards, found no error in principle, noting that the sentencing judge had conscientiously considered the aggravating factor of a serious breach of trust by a person in authority. The court stated that a net sentence of 11 years could easily have been justified. During the hearing, O'Brien called on gardai to identify his remaining victims so he could address them under the Criminal Justice Act, though the court noted this was not a matter for the appeal. The appeal was rejected, leaving the original 2018 sentence intact.
The High Court approved a Personal Insolvency Arrangement for Mr Ciaran O'Neill, a 59‑year‑old construction manager, allowing him to write off almost €3 million in debt. Under the arrangement, Mr O'Neill will contribute €163,000 over six years, making monthly payments between €685 and €1,025. Creditors include Promontoria Aran and Promontoria Scariff DAC, AIB and AIB Mortgage Bank, Bank of Ireland, the Revenue Commissioners, and numerous trade creditors. The PIA permits Mr O'Neill to retain his family home at Rockville, Killegar, Ballybetagh Road, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow. The court noted that unsecured creditors will receive 2 cents per euro under the PIA, compared with 1 cent per euro in bankruptcy. No objections were raised to the arrangement, though some creditors voted against the proposals. The arrangement was approved by Mr Justice Mark Sanfey on Monday.
Dillon Harris, 24, a recovering drug addict, was sentenced to a fully suspended prison term after a series of violent incidents in Dublin. On 21 November 2017, he spat blood, phlegm and saliva at Garda Gerard Whelan, Garda Peter Byrne and Dublin Fire Brigade Sub Officer Peter Fitzgerald, claiming he had AIDS. He also pleaded guilty to driving a stolen Volkswagen Estate without the owner's consent and to reckless endangerment. Harris crashed the stolen car into a wall, causing €3,456 in damage to an Opel Corsa and forcing a pedestrian to jump out of the way. He had no prior convictions. The judge imposed concurrent prison terms of 22 months and two years, suspended for five years on the condition of sobriety, participation in a restorative justice programme and victim‑focused work. The sentence was split between the victims and a charity of their choice.
Peter Sweetman, an environmental activist, has filed a High Court challenge against the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage over a foreshore licence granted in October 2020 to allow investigative works for a proposed expansion of an offshore wind farm off the Wicklow coast near Arklow. The licence authorises site investigation that Sweetman claims is intended to increase the number of turbines from the existing seven to a maximum of 200. Sweetman argues that the licence decisions contravene EU habitat directives, lack published decision-making records, and were made without providing reasons, thereby breaching fair procedure. He seeks orders to quash the licence decisions. The case, with Sure Partners Limited as a notice party, was heard by Mr Justice Charles Meenan, who granted Sweetman permission to proceed and adjourned the matter to March after submissions from counsel. The proceedings remain in judicial review stage.
The trial of Kieran Greene, aged 61, centred on the murder of his partner's mother, Patricia O'Connor, who was found dead in a shallow grave in Wexford. Greene admitted to a physical altercation in the house, claiming he struck her with a hurley and she struck him back. He said she became unresponsive, that he carried her upstairs, placed her in the boot of a Toyota Corolla, drove to Wexford, dug a shallow grave, buried her, and later dismembered her body with a hacksaw. Greene told Gardaí he had acted alone, that he had no accomplices, and that he had handed himself in because he could not live with the guilt. He also claimed the murder was self‑defence. The prosecution presented CCTV footage, forensic evidence of hair and body parts, and statements from family members to show Greene's involvement. The jury heard that Greene's December interview was unreliable and that he had changed his account.
At the trial of Kieran Greene, Louise O'Connor, and Stephanie O'Connor, the jury heard evidence regarding the murder of Patricia O'Connor and a subsequent cover-up. The prosecution alleged that Greene murdered O'Connor on May 29, 2017, and that Louise and Stephanie conspired to disguise Stephanie as the deceased to create a false CCTV record of her leaving the house alive. The State argued this ruse was designed to mislead anyone reporting her missing. Evidence included CCTV footage showing a figure in a hooded jacket leaving the property at 9:34pm, which the jury was invited to identify as Stephanie. Prosecutors presented testimony that Greene gave conflicting accounts of the death, first claiming self-defence and later blaming Augustine O'Connor, while forensic experts noted a lack of blood evidence despite Greene's claims of a struggle and cleaning. The trial also examined Greene's movements, including fueling a car in Templeogue and purchasing tools with Keith Johnston, who was seen performing repairs at the house. The prosecution maintained that the defendants acted in concert to conceal the body, which was later found dismembered in the Wicklow mountains. The report details the procedural stage as a trial, with the jury hearing closing speeches and evidence regarding the alleged conspiracy and the disposal of the victim.
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.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Bernard Fogarty, 32, was sentenced to five years and three months imprisonment for possession of a RAK PM‑63 submachine gun. The judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, noted the weapon was not in immediate use but was intended for future use, and that Fogarty's conduct was linked to organised crime. Fogarty pleaded guilty, which led to a 25 % reduction from the headline seven‑year sentence, resulting in the final term of five years and three months, with the last three months suspended and backdated to his time in custody. He must keep the peace, be of good behaviour and undergo one year of probation supervision after release. The case was based on DNA evidence linking Fogarty to the gun recovered from a vehicle in the Shankill area. The judge emphasised that the damage caused by gun crime cannot be ignored.
In December 2017, Christopher Warburton, 26, drove a red quad bike in a dangerous chase through Dublin city traffic, repeatedly ignoring police signals and driving on the wrong side of the road. He accelerated toward Donard Estate, forced an oncoming vehicle to brake, and continued on Nephin Road, overtaking a van and two cars, causing one to brake suddenly. At the Cabra gate of Phoenix Park, the quad bike lost power; Warburton jumped off and struggled with an unmarked Garda car. He then attempted to jump over a wall, kicked a Garda, and entered the grounds of Áras an Uachtaráin, where a mounted police officer apprehended him. A month later, he punched an elderly, intoxicated man from behind, an act recorded on video. Warburton pleaded guilty to endangerment and assault causing harm, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, with nine months suspended on condition of rehabilitation, and was banned from driving for three years.
In a case heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Paddy Lynch, a 36‑year‑old homeless man from Ashlawn Court, Bray, pleaded guilty to one count of trespass and criminal damage after breaking into the General Register Office on Werburgh Street, Dublin, on 9 May. Lynch entered the closed building shortly after midnight, triggered an alarm, broke an electronic gate and damaged an internal security door with a metal object. He claimed he was looking for a place to sleep. Garda Greg Moroney reported that Lynch was intoxicated and a needle was found nearby. The damage amounted to €8,000, with the electronic gate alone costing €7,000 to repair. No documents were harmed. Lynch, who has prior convictions for burglary and theft, has remained in custody. Judge Melanie Greally ordered a Probation Services report and adjourned the case to 23 February.
Bernard Fogarty, 32, known to Gardaí as heavily involved in organised crime, will be sentenced at the Special Criminal Court for possession of a RAK PM‑63 submachine gun. The weapon was found in the passenger footwell of a white Nissan Pulsar that was intercepted in the Shankill area of County Dublin. Fogarty was a passenger in a second vehicle, a silver Hyundai jeep, and was not involved in the hand‑over of the gun. DNA from Fogarty matched DNA on the gun, and a red baseball cap he wore on 7 March was recovered at his Donaghmede address. The gun was not loaded, was in poor condition, and had been heavily gummed. Fogarty pleaded guilty at a non‑jury court and has 40 prior convictions, including criminal damage, assault and burglary. He has been remanded in custody until his sentencing next Monday. The court will consider mitigating factors such as his drug difficulties and cooperation with the investigation.
The Commercial Court has been asked to set aside a transfer of assets by businessman Alistair Tidey to his wife Jane, which the Deputy Official Assignee (OA) claims was a sham designed to protect assets from Tidey's creditors. The OA's action, brought by Deputy Official Assignee Denis Ryan, is against Mrs Tidey and two companies, Universal Concepts Ltd and Two Design Investment Ltd. Mrs Tidey, represented by solicitor Graham Kenny, denies wrongdoing. The case arose from alleged transfers between the couple that the OA says were fraudulent conveyances made while Tidey was insolvent, before his 2019 bankruptcy. The OA seeks orders declaring the transfers null and void. The matter was admitted to the fast‑track commercial court list and will return in January. The court heard that Tidey had previously secured loans from EBS, refinanced them, and later claimed a net asset deficit, leading to his bankruptcy.
A Central Criminal Court jury found Darren Houlden not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter after he admitted stabbing Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh 40 times. Houlden, 44, arrived at Arklow Garda Station in blood‑stained clothes with a knife, claiming he had lost control and was provoked by Kavanagh's threat that "gangsters" would come to shoot him over missing cocaine. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan argued a partial defence of provocation, citing Kavanagh's anger and threats. The jury rejected the State's claim that Houlden had weighed his options and reasoned before attacking. The verdict was reached after 3 hours 16 minutes of deliberation. Sentencing was adjourned to February 1, with Houlden remanded in custody pending a victim impact statement. The judge thanked the jury and exempted them from service for five years. The case was heard in the early hours of May 6, 2019.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, defence counsel Brendan Grehan argued that Darren Houlden, aged 44, lost control and snapped when he stabbed Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh, 37, over 40 times after a dispute over missing cocaine. Grehan claimed fear of personal harm and threats to Houlden's parents drove the accused to act in a "hot‑blooded" frenzied attack, and urged the jury to find him guilty of manslaughter rather than murder. Prosecution counsel John Fitzgerald countered that Houlden was not provoked, had weighed his options, and intended to kill Kavanagh, rejecting the loss‑of‑control defence. The case centred on a May 6, 2019 incident at Meadowvale, Arklow, where Houlden claimed he stabbed Kavanagh to prevent a second phone call that threatened his family. The jury was to deliberate on the appropriate verdict. Darren Houlden pleaded not guilty.
During the second week of Darren Houlden's murder trial, the defence cross‑examined Rory "Tar" Kavanagh, a friend of the 37‑year‑old Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh, who was stabbed over 40 times on 6 May 2019. Kavanagh denied that the victim had asked him to help with missing cocaine or that he had sold drugs. He said the victim called him at 10:30 pm on 5 May for a normal conversation and that the victim had asked him to come to Houlden's house in Meadowvale that night, but Kavanagh refused. Kavanagh also denied that the victim had threatened to "get bodies down" to Houlden's house. The trial heard that Houlden, who pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, claimed he had taken a blood‑stained knife to stop the victim from making a second phone call. The case remains in court before Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury.
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.
Viktor Voloshin, 51, a Ukrainian national, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended on strict conditions. He stole €95,744 in social welfare payments, claiming Jobseeker's Allowance and Rent Supplement under two false Lithuanian identities between 2008 and 2016. Voloshin obtained false Lithuanian documents and a false passport to enter Ireland in 2004, and applied for a PPSN in 2015. Gardaí discovered Lithuanian identity cards in the names of Tadeus Mezanec and Gintaras Baranauskas at his Bray address, and he pleaded guilty to using false instruments and possession of a false instrument. He admitted to purchasing the false passport and that he "did not want to beg." The court described his conduct as mean‑spirited and lacking respect for ordinary taxpayers.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 44‑year‑old Darren Houlden pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of 37‑year‑old Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh. Houlden told detectives he stabbed Kavanagh after the victim threatened him that "gangsters" would shoot him over missing cocaine. He claimed the devil "took him over" and that he was a "lunatic" when he attacked. Houlden drove to Arklow Garda Station at 12.35 am on 6 May, handed a blood‑stained knife to a guard and admitted responsibility. He said he had taken a knife from his kitchen, stabbed Kavanagh in the neck, face, head and back at least seven times, and that he had "went for" the victim's brain. The trial continues before Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury.
In a Central Criminal Court murder trial, Darren Houlden (44) was described by Garda Patrick Phelan as arriving at Arklow Garda Station around 12.35 am on 6 May 2019, covered in blood and holding a 10.5 cm knife. Houlden told the officer that he had attacked Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh (37) over a dispute about missing drugs, admitting "It's my fault. I attacked him." He claimed to have smoked cocaine that morning and had a sip of beer. CCTV footage showed Houlden entering the public area with the knife, after which he was cautioned and taken away. Dr Michael Curtis testified that Kavanagh died from a multiplicity of about 40 stab and slash wounds to the head, neck and face, including severed jugular and thyroid vessels. The trial continued the next day before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury. The case remains ongoing. Darren Houlden pleaded not guilty.
In a murder trial, Rachel Kearney testified that Darren Houlden, 44, stabbed her boyfriend Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh, 37, to death on 6 May 2019 at Houlden's home. Kearney described seeing Houlden "slaughtering" Kavanagh, with Houlden's knees on Kavanagh's back as he stabbed him. She recounted that Kavanagh had been upset over missing crack cocaine, that Houlden had become aggressive, and that Kavanagh pleaded for help before being stabbed. Kearney said she tried to stop Houlden, who calmly replied, "Ok, I will." The final wounds were to Kavanagh's neck and head. Houlden pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; the plea was rejected by the DPP and he is on trial at the Central Criminal Court. The trial is set to continue before a jury.
Darren Houlden, 44, walked into an Arklow Garda station wearing blood‑stained clothes and carrying a knife, admitting to stabbing Stephen 'Apples' Kavanagh, 37, to death. The Central Criminal Court jury will hear that Houlden, who pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, claimed he went into a rage after Kavanagh allegedly threatened to call about missing drugs. Prosecutor John D Fitzgerald SC will argue that the act of killing is clear but the jury must decide Houlden's intent and mental state. The case will cover the night of March 6, 2019, when Houlden and Kavanagh, along with Kavanagh's girlfriend, smoked and drank at Houlden's home, leading to a confrontation over missing drugs. Kavanagh suffered stab wounds to the head and neck and was pronounced dead at St Vincent's Hospital. Houlden admitted the stabbing to Gardaí and handed over the knife.
A 44‑year‑old man named Darren Houlden, who lives in Arklow, Co Wicklow, has been charged with murdering 37‑year‑old Stephen Kavanagh at the same address. Houlden pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter on 6 May 2019; the plea was rejected by the DPP. Mr Justice Michael White has sworn a jury of eight men and four women to hear the case. The trial, to be heard by Ms Justice Carmel Stewart, will begin at 11.30 am tomorrow and is expected to last two weeks.
A woman who was raped as a child in County Wicklow has won an 18‑month legal battle to have her rapist named. The man, convicted of four rapes and two indecent assaults between 1987 and 1989, was sentenced to seven years in prison in May 2019. A gagging order issued by Judge Michael White in that sentencing hearing prevented the publication of his name and any identifying details of the victim. The victim, who was unaware of her right to waive anonymity at the time, later informed Gardaí that she wished to have the rapist named. The DPP applied to lift the ban, but Judge White refused, citing an expired mandate. The Court of Appeal, led by President Justice George Birmingham, ruled the order superfluous and removed the restriction, allowing the rapist's name to be published in accordance with the Criminal Law (Rape) Act 1981 and the Children Act.
Stephen Kenny, 44, of Belarmine Hall, Stepaside, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply and to cultivation of cannabis at Tomdarragh, Roundwood, Co Wicklow, on 30 June 2016. Garda Brian Griffin said enquiries led to the discovery of nearly €140,000 worth of cannabis plants, plant materials and herb in a house that had been vacant since December 2014 and rented out on a short‑term basis. Kenny's fingerprints matched those found in the house, and the garda argued that the operation was "hands on" with no evidence of a superior. The court heard the house was "destroyed" and that the cost to fix it was substantial. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Kenny to five years, suspending the final two years on conditions, after noting his guilty plea, family circumstances and the high value of the drugs as aggravating factors.
A veteran detective with 20 years of service, Aidan Bracken, has successfully challenged his summary dismissal from An Garda Siochana in the High Court. The dismissal was based on his guilty plea to a charge of making a false report before a Circuit Criminal Court. However, Mr Justice Charles Meenan ruled that the Garda Commissioner's decision to dismiss Bracken was unlawful. The judge emphasized that summary dismissal should only occur when the facts are clear and an inquiry would be unnecessary. Bracken, who has not worked for five years due to psychiatric injuries sustained while on duty, argued that no conviction was recorded against him by the Circuit Court. The judge noted that the commissioner had not sought clarification on the Circuit Court's ruling, which was a key factor in his decision to quash the dismissal. The case highlights the importance of following proper procedures under the Garda Disciplinary Regulations.
Boxing coach Pete Taylor, along with the Bray Boxing Club, has applied to the High Court for an injunction to prevent Wicklow County Council from evicting them from the Harbour Shed facility in Bray, Co Wicklow. The applicants, represented by Richard Kean SC and Gareth Robinson BL, claim the council wrongfully changed the locks in June 2018 following a violent incident at the gym where one person was killed and Mr Taylor was injured. Mr Taylor alleges the council used the incident as a pretext to unlawfully remove the club, which has occupied the premises since 2005. The applicants seek an order allowing re-entry to the facility and declarations that the council is prevented from illegally evicting them. They argue the council's recent eviction notice interferes with ongoing legal proceedings, where they are seeking judgment in default for the council's failure to file a defence. Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds, hearing the ex-parte application, granted permission to serve short notice of the injunction application on the council. The matter was adjourned and will return before the court later this month. Katie Taylor and Georgina Robinson are also named as applicants in the proceedings.
In an appeal-stage hearing, Mr Justice Tony Hunt ruled that reporting restrictions banning the media from naming a convicted child rapist should be set aside in the public interest. The 56-year-old defendant, who pleaded guilty in 2015 at the Central Criminal Court to the repeated rape and sexual assault of his wife's two sons over a ten-year period starting in 1993, is contesting efforts by his now-adult victims to have him identified. His lawyers argued that Section 252 of the Children Act 2001 prohibits identification, citing a recent Court of Appeal judgment. However, Mr Justice Hunt determined that the Act allows courts to dispense with restrictions if appropriate for the child's interests. He found the remaining restrictions substantial and unreasonable, noting the victims' desire to speak out to aid recovery and encourage others. Consequently, he ordered the removal of all reporting restrictions. Nevertheless, he placed a 28-day stay on this order pending a potential application to the Court of Appeal by the defendant. The judge noted that if no appeal is filed, the orders will become operative upon the expiry of the stay. He also commented on the interpretation of the term 'child' in the Act, stating that while he believed it does not encompass deceased children or adults, his interpretation must yield to the higher court's ruling.
In a High Court decision dated 3 November 2020, Mr Oliver Bennett, aged 64, was awarded €231,000 in damages for life‑changing injuries sustained in an unprovoked assault at the Tir Na nOg Public House, Wellington Bridge, Wexford, on 15 April 2009. The assault was carried out by John Codd, who later pleaded guilty and received an 18‑month sentence. Mr Bennett sued both Codd and Wallace Taverns Limited, the pub's operator, for negligence. The court found no contest to liability, and the claim was assessed solely for damages. Mr Bennett, a former building‑trade entrepreneur who managed 300 workers, suffered severe head injuries, a coma, a stroke, memory loss, and limited physical and communicative abilities, now living in sheltered accommodation. The award also covered Mr Bennett's legal costs. The judge praised the legal representation of both parties and highlighted the lasting impact of the injuries on Mr Bennett's life.
In a High Court hearing, lawyers for a 56‑year‑old convicted child rapist argued that the victims, who were under ten when the abuse began in 1993, could not be identified under the Children Act. The defendant pleaded guilty in 2015 to repeated rape and sexual assault of his wife's two sons over a decade. In 2016, Mr Justice Tony Hunt sentenced him to 21 years, suspending the final five. The victims, now adults, had previously waived their statutory anonymity to allow the step‑father's name to be public, but a stay was placed pending related cases. Those cases have finished, and the Director of Public Prosecutions seeks to lift the stay. The defence cited a Court of Appeal decision that the Children Act applies to deceased victims, suggesting it may also prevent identification of child victims. The court adjourned the case to 11 November, noting it would consider a short stay to allow appeal decisions to be known.
A 25‑year‑old man was sentenced to eleven years in prison, with the final two years suspended, for sexually abusing and videoing two of his nieces in their grandparents' home. He pleaded guilty to two counts of orally raping an 11‑year‑old niece, one count of sexually assaulting her, and one count of possessing child pornography of her, and to two counts of sexually assaulting a nine‑year‑old niece and one count of possessing child pornography of her. The offences occurred between May 2018 and May 2019. He threatened the girls with posting images online and threatened to kill the younger girl's father. He had an autism spectrum disorder and a history of child pornography addiction. The judge imposed strict conditions, including prohibition of internet use without Probation Service approval, mandatory treatment assessment, and destruction of the images. The sentence was suspended for two years under probation supervision, followed by two years of post‑release supervision.
In a High Court hearing on 20 October 2020, Mr Justice Tony Hunt considered an application by the legal representatives of a 56‑year‑old man who had pleaded guilty in 2015 to repeated rape and sexual assault of his wife's two sons, aged under ten at the time of the abuse, which occurred between 1993 and 2003. The victims, now adults, had previously requested that their statutory anonymity be waived so that the perpetrator could be named publicly. However, Mr Hunt had placed a stay on the waiving of anonymity because related cases were pending in Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court. In July, the prosecutor informed the judge that the Wicklow trials had concluded and the Director of Public Prosecutions was now seeking to lift the anonymity order. The defendant has changed legal counsel several times; at a recent hearing he expressed fear that publication of his identity would endanger him and stated he was in therapy.
Ben Merriman, aged 22, was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a fully suspended two‑year imprisonment for assault, trespass and criminal damage committed on 27 March 2018 at a house in Flemington Lane, Balbriggan. The offence involved Merriman and a co‑accused who entered the home in search of the co‑accused's former partner. They threatened the woman's parents, shouted that they would kill her, and forced the door down with a metal bar. Merriman spat in the mother's face, kicked the father while he was on the ground, and the other man struck the father with the metal bar. The court noted Merriman's full‑time employment, stable relationship, and compensation offered to the injured parties. The sentence is suspended on the condition that he keeps the peace and behaves well for two years. No prior convictions were recorded for Merriman. Ben Merriman pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Derek O'Brien, 38, pleaded guilty to burglary and unlawful possession of a motor vehicle after a patrol officer noticed a silver VW Polo driving on its rim with a missing tire. Garda Ronan Kennedy described the vehicle as sparking and swerving, and O'Brien admitted he had stolen the car keys from a house he had burgled earlier that evening. The burglary also involved a small amount of cash and a broken rear window. O'Brien claimed the damage was caused by the car hitting a path while he was driving. He has 91 prior convictions and has completed a detox programme. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to 21 months imprisonment. The car was economically written off after the incident. The case was heard at Ailesbury Park, Ballsbridge. The court noted O'Brien's intent to complete his Leaving Cert while in custody.
John O'Meara, 42, a superintendent pharmacist who owned three pharmacies in Wicklow, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of prescription tablets for sale or supply at his home on 24 August 2018. Gardaí seized 1,700 Xanax tablets and 330 Ritalin tablets, worth an estimated €4,000. An investigation by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland led to a High Court order in September 2018 suspending O'Meara from acting as a pharmacist. He complied with the order, remains the owner of the pharmacies but cannot be involved in their running, and has appointed a replacement superintendent pharmacist. Judge Pauline Codd imposed an 18‑month suspended sentence, taking into account O'Meara's cooperation, mental health issues, and the fact that he had not been involved in the "party lifestyle" since the arrest. The sentence was suspended on the condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for those 18 months.
In 2015, a 56‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to 165 counts of rape and sexual assault of his wife's two sons, aged under ten, over a decade. Mr Justice Tony Hunt sentenced him to 21 years' imprisonment, suspending the final five years. The victims, who had waived statutory anonymity in 2015, sought to have the man named publicly, but the judge stayed the waiver because related Wicklow Circuit trials involving the same victims and other defendants were pending. The judge assured that anonymity would be lifted after those trials. In July, the DPP applied to lift the order; the man had dismissed his former counsel and was seeking new representation, claiming the delay was a tactic to avoid disclosure. Mr Justice Hunt warned that if the man resisted, the court could grant the prosecution's request on the next hearing, set for 20 October.
A judge's order banning the publication of a convicted child rapist's name was appealed by the DPP. The order, made by Mr Justice Michael White on 17 May 2019, followed the conviction of a 49‑year‑old Wicklow man for four rapes and two indecent assaults between 1987 and 1989. The man was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in May 2019. The victim, now 42, was unaware she could waive her anonymity to allow the rapist's name to be published. The DPP argued the judge's order was unnecessary, invalid and contrary to the Criminal Law (Rape) Act 1981, which permits publication of a convicted rapist's name if the victim waives anonymity. The Court of Appeal reserved judgment on the appeal, while the man also appeals his conviction and sentence. The unnamed 49-year-old pleaded not guilty.
At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Jonathan Coelho (29) was sentenced to 20 months in prison for four counts of dangerous driving, one count of endangering pedestrians, and one count of driving without insurance on July 31, 2019. Coelho had previously pleaded guilty to these charges and admitted to driving at speed through red lights and in the wrong direction in Dublin city centre before crashing into a lamp post. The court heard that Coelho was disqualified from driving in the UK at the time of the incident. Judge Melanie Greally backdated the sentence to account for the time Coelho had spent in custody since his arrest in July 2022. Coelho was acquitted of charges of endangering and assaulting Garda Conor Murray, following a jury's not guilty verdict. His co-accused, Federico Carvalho (31), pleaded not guilty to the same charges and was not sentenced. Coelho's legal representative highlighted his recent cancer diagnosis and requested the sentence be suspended to allow him to return to Italy for treatment. The judge noted that Coelho posed a risk to pedestrians and road users and paid tribute to the gardaí for their efforts in stopping the dangerous driving. The matter was concluded at the sentence stage.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, two men, Jonathan Coelho, 29, and Federico Carvalho, 31, were acquitted of assaulting and endangering Garda Conor Murray. The case centred on an incident on 31 July 2019 at St Lukes' Avenue, Dublin 8, where the accused were driving a vehicle that reversed at speed, causing Garda Murray to be thrown from the car. The jury, after 18 minutes of deliberation, found the men not guilty of the assault and endangerment charges. Coelho had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving offences, admitting he had driven at speed through red lights and in the wrong direction, and had crashed into a lamp post. He was remanded in custody pending sentencing for those dangerous driving charges. Carvalho was discharged from the indictment and released. The trial concluded with the jury's unanimous verdict and the judge adjourned the case for sentencing next Friday.