The Special Criminal Court heard evidence that the 62‑year‑old Noel 'Duck Egg' Kirwan was murdered on 22 December 2016 after trading his BMW X5 for a Ford Mondeo, which was later sold at Merlin Car Auctions. Garda Stephen Hughes identified Jason Keating (27) in CCTV from the auction on 20 December, showing Keating and a woman in a green Renault Megane. Keating, who lives on Lower Main Street, Rush, pleaded not guilty to Kirwan's murder. The court also considered evidence that a 'Gotek 7' tracking device was placed under Kirwan's Ford Mondeo on 23 December, having previously tracked his BMW from 8 November. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, continues tomorrow.
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.
Denis Nolan, a former priest aged 64, was convicted by a jury at the Central Criminal Court of six counts of oral rape, defilement and sexual assault of a boy aged 10‑11 between 2005 and 2006. The boy was paid €10‑€15 for gardening work at Nolan's home and the presbytery, a sum that rose when the abuse began. Nolan, who had previously been defrocked and was serving an eight‑year sentence for a separate sexual abuse case, denied the charges. The court heard that Nolan made inappropriate remarks about puberty, encouraged the boy to view sexual material online, and progressed to fondling, oral rape and assault in the priest's bedroom, the presbytery and a car. The final rape in the presbytery caused injury requiring surgery and ongoing health problems. Nolan's appeal was dismissed by Mr Justice John Hedigan, who upheld the conviction, noting that alleged inconsistencies in the victim's evidence were within normal limits for such cases.
Stephen O'Connor, a 19‑year‑old from Castle Manor, Newcastle, Co Wicklow, stole two bags of cash totalling €12,480 while employed by G4S Cash Services Ltd. He pleaded guilty to theft of €4,890 on 31 October 2017 and €7,590 on 2 November 2017 at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. O'Connor claimed the money was needed to repay a €6,000 drug debt that had risen from an original €4,000 "taxed" debt. He admitted hiding the bags under his jumper and that he had been on sick leave after the second theft. G4S detected the loss via CCTV analysis and an internal investigation led to his admission. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to an 18‑month prison term, suspended in full on strict conditions, noting his cooperation, lack of prior convictions, and family support. The sentence was imposed with the expectation that he would not return to such conduct.
In a High Court hearing on 18 July 2018, Inspiredspaces Bundle 5 (Ireland) Ltd, a joint venture with Carillion and the Dutch Infrastructure Fund, obtained a temporary injunction to stop subcontractors from blockading the construction sites of five new schools and an Institute of Further Education. The injunction was granted after subcontractors claimed unpaid work following the collapse of Carillion and the liquidation of Sammon Contracting Ireland Ltd, the original contractor. Inspiredspaces, represented by Brian Conroy BL, argued that the blockade threatened the completion of schools in Wexford and Bray, where works were almost finished, and that the protestors had no legitimate claim against the joint venture. Ms Justice Caroline Costello issued the order, preventing any blocking, interference, or removal of items from the sites, and requiring any claims to be dealt with by Inspiredspaces. The injunction was made ex parte and is returnable later that week.
The Special Criminal Court heard evidence in the ongoing trial of Thomas Fox, Jonathan Keogh, and Regina Keogh, who have all pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Gareth Hutch. The prosecution alleges the killing was premeditated, with Mr. Keogh and an uncharged man, Mr. AB, acting as shooters, while Mr. Fox and Ms. Keogh are accused of planning the crime. Evidence presented includes a text message sent from a UK number to a phone associated with Mr. Fox hours after the shooting, stating, "your scot free pal" and "there all poxy blaming me." Senior crime analyst Paul Hibbitts confirmed that this UK number also contacted Denise King, Mr. Keogh's former partner, and Ms. Keogh. The court previously viewed CCTV footage of Mr. Keogh in Belfast on the night of the shooting and at the Stenaline Port Terminal the following day. Testimony indicated that Ms. Keogh arranged for money to be brought to Mr. Keogh before he traveled to Scotland. Additionally, analysis of SIM cards found in a car linked to Mr. Keogh revealed significant interaction with numbers associated with Mr. Fox and Mr. AB on the morning of the incident. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, sitting with Judges Patricia Ryan and Michael Walsh.
Judge Melanie Greally sentenced four men to a total of 53 years for their roles in the 2005 €2.08 million robbery of Paul Richardson and Securicor, along with the false imprisonment of the Richardson family. Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, David Byrne, and Niall Byrne, all of whom pleaded not guilty, were convicted by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury. Farrelly, identified as the mastermind, received 17.5 years. David Byrne was sentenced to 13.5 years. Corcoran was sentenced to 12 years, with the final five years suspended due to his age and health. Niall Byrne, the former Securicor worker convicted of conspiracy to rob, received 10 years. The jury failed to reach a majority verdict on a kidnapping charge against Niall Byrne. The judge noted the victims' "uncommon and unbending faith" in the justice system after five trials. She ordered the forfeiture of €19,220 in cash and a BMW belonging to Niall Byrne. This sentencing follows previous legal history where convictions for Farrelly and Corcoran were overturned in 2012 and later acquitted in 2015 before those acquittals were overturned by the Court of Appeal.
Stephen Harnett, a man in his 30s from Wicklow, pleaded guilty to four attempted murder charges involving young children. On 3 June 2016, he tried to strangle two children, leaving them when he believed they were dead, and then attacked two more who fought back and escaped through a window. One child was unconscious and air‑lifted to hospital; the others had purple faces and bulging eyes. Harnett admitted guilt to each charge and was remanded in custody after a brief hearing before Mr Justice Michael White at the Central Criminal Court. His counsel, Patrick Gageby SC, noted a history of depression that might reduce responsibility but not to the extent of insanity, and requested bail to allow a psychiatrist to complete a report. The judge denied bail, citing the seriousness of the offences, and remanded Harnett in custody. Family members were present and tearfully hugged him before he was taken away by prison officers. Stephen Harnett was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the sentencing of Niall Byrne, Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, and David Byrne until July 16, remanding them in continuing custody. The men were convicted by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury for their roles in the €2.08 million robbery of Paul Richardson and Securicor on March 14, 2005, and the false imprisonment of the Richardson family at their Raheny home on March 13 and 14, 2005. All four defendants had pleaded not guilty. The jury convicted Farrelly, Corcoran, and David Byrne of robbery and false imprisonment. Niall Byrne was convicted of conspiracy to robbery, while the jury failed to reach a majority verdict on a kidnapping charge against him. This was the fifth trial for the case; previous convictions for Farrelly and Corcoran were overturned in 2012 due to unconstitutional search warrants, and subsequent acquittals were reversed by the Court of Appeal. During the hearing, victim Paul Richardson described the crime as "heinous and inhumane" and driven by greed. His wife and sons also submitted impact statements detailing the long-term trauma. The court noted Farrelly had 25 previous convictions, while Corcoran, David Byrne, and Niall Byrne had prior records for minor offences. The matter was adjourned for sentence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Mark Byrne, a 39‑year‑old homeless man, received a 12‑month suspended sentence for possessing a realistic imitation firearm. Byrne, who lived at a homeless unit on Newtown Avenue, Blackrock, admitted to buying an air pistol and about 1,000 6mm plastic pellets from a toy shop on Talbot Street for €10. He claimed he had no real life and that the gun was meant for shooting at the back of street cars. The court noted Byrne was under the influence and giggling while waving the pistol out of a DART carriage, frightening an American passenger. Witnesses described the incident as frightening but harmless, and Garda Siobhán Frisby confirmed Byrne's actions were not intended to harm anyone. Judge Karen O'Connor accepted Byrne's remorse, citing his extensive history of public order offences and addiction issues, and warned of serious consequences if he breached bail conditions. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
Frank Kelly, aged 24, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexually assaulting a 20‑year‑old woman while she was in a state of particular vulnerability. The assaults were captured in three video clips found on the mobile phone of a man involved in a fatal car crash. The clips show Kelly licking the victim's vagina, digitally penetrating her while saying he was "going in for the kill", and anal penetration. The victim was unaware of the abuse until the clips were presented to her during the investigation, which she described as very distressing. Kelly was sentenced at Bray Circuit Criminal Court to five years' imprisonment, with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended by Judge Michael O'Shea on 7 April 2017. The Director of Public Prosecutions sought a review, claiming the sentence was unduly lenient, but the Court of Appeal declined to intervene, leaving Kelly's release date in February 2019.
The Supreme Court of Ireland has dismissed Gary Davis's appeal and cleared the way for his extradition to the United States. Davis, who lives in Wicklow, is alleged to have been an administrator of the Silk Road website, which sold illegal drugs and hacking software. He faces US charges of conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to commit computer hacking and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and could receive a life sentence if convicted. Davis argued that his Asperger's Syndrome and mental health would be at risk if extradited, but the court found no real risk of degrading treatment and held that the state must protect all persons in extradition cases. The High Court had ordered his extradition in 2016, and his 2017 appeal was dismissed. The Supreme Court granted a 48‑hour stay to allow his lawyers to advise him and consider a referral to the European Court of Human Rights.
In 2018, Gardaí searched the premises of M Kennedy and Sons, a Dublin art supplies shop, after a credit card company alerted them that the manager, Fionnbarr Kennedy, had purchased child pornography online. Kennedy, 56, was found to have a laptop and two phones. Forensic analysis of the laptop recovered 466 images, of which 180 depicted girls under 17 in sexual activity and 280 showed exposed genitalia; the phones contained no images. Kennedy pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on July 27, 2010, and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, a sentence fully suspended. The court noted a significant delay in charging him, citing a backlog at the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau, and acknowledged that Kennedy had not distributed the images. He had no prior convictions and had since remarried and engaged in counselling, expressing regret for his involvement.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, two men, Carl Byrne (28) and Aidan Lawlor (36), pleaded guilty to the possession, production and distribution of child pornography on 7 March 2013. Byrne had set up a fake profile posing as a 16‑year‑old girl, while Lawlor acted as the male participant in the online conversations. The court described the exchanges as "lurid and obscene" but noted that no actual child was involved, classifying the material as the lowest type of child pornography. Judge Martin Nolan imposed one‑year suspended sentences on both men, ordering them to keep the peace and exhibit good behaviour for that period. The case was highlighted as "very unusual" because the offence involved only words and no real victim, and the judge emphasized that the men were adults acting in a fantasy context.
Three men – Mark Farrelly (47), Christopher Corcoran (70) and David Byrne (45) – were found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of kidnapping the Richardson family and robbing a Securicor cash‑in‑transit van of €2.28 million on 13 March 2005. The jury, after nearly 16 hours of deliberation, returned a majority verdict. The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the robbery and the false imprisonment of the Richardson family at their home in Ashcroft, Raheny. The trial, which began in January before a specially enlarged jury of 15, involved testimony that armed men burst into the Richardson home, forced the family to cooperate, and transported them to the Wicklow mountains where they were held overnight. The case also included evidence of mobile‑phone activity linking the defendants to the gang's operations. The jury will continue deliberations on a fourth defendant, Niall Byrne (36).
In a High Court case concerning a disputed property purchase on Dublin's Wexford Street, Trebleside Designated Activity Company, owner of the Opium Bar, sued John Hallinan, Geraldine Hallinan, Claire Cullen and TFF Food Limited for allegedly failing to complete a deal entered in March. Trebleside claimed it had an agreement to buy the neighbouring property at 38 and 38a Camden Row for over €1 million. The defendants, who own the ground floor lease of 38 Camden Row where the Fat Fox coffee shop operates, were alleged to have reneged on the agreement. After settlement talks, the parties agreed that the Hallinans would receive €1.1 million for the adjoining property and TFF Food would receive €100,000. The settlement also resolved all related planning and legal matters concerning the operation of Opium and Whelan's Bar, both part of the Mercantile Group. The case was therefore settled before any court order was issued.
In a High Court case, Trebleside Designated Activity Company, owner of Dublin's Opium Bar, has sued John Hallinan, Geraldine Hallinan, Claire Cullen and TFF Food Limited for allegedly failing to complete a purchase agreement for the neighbouring property at 38 and 38a Camden Road, a deal worth over €1m. Trebleside claims the Hallinans entered into the agreement on 27 March, but have since reneged, prompting the company to seek specific performance and injunctions against further objections to the Opium Bar's operations. The defendants have previously contested the bar's noise levels, filing actions in the Circuit Court and High Court, though the Circuit Court case was struck out for lack of jurisdiction. Trebleside also seeks compensation for the property and to resolve outstanding claims. The proceedings were adjourned pending settlement talks and will be re‑heard the following day.
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.
In 2018 the Court of Appeal upheld a seven‑year jail sentence for Damien Green, who was convicted of assault causing serious harm after slicing the face of his friend Richard Coster. The original trial at Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court had found Green guilty and sentenced him to ten years, with the final three years suspended. The appeal was dismissed because the sentencing judge's approach was deemed correct. Judge John Edwards noted that Coster, a friend of Green, had been heavily drinking and possibly under the influence of drugs on the day of the attack, which occurred at Green's apartment on Richmond Hill. Green had no memory of the events, had previously been uncooperative, and had a history of violent convictions. The judge placed the offence in the high range of seven to twelve years, citing Green's lack of mitigating factors and his prior violent record. The appeal was dismissed, confirming the original sentence. Damien Green pleaded not guilty.
The High Court confirmed Michael McAteer as interim examiner for the Sammon Group and its related companies after the collapse of Carillion. The Irish contractors, which employ over 216 people and are involved in major school building projects across Ireland, were owed about €8 million by an entity linked to Carillion. An independent expert report indicated the companies could survive if a scheme of arrangement with creditors is implemented. McAteer has up to 100 days to prepare this scheme, which, if approved, would allow the group to continue trading as a going concern. The group had been hired by a special purpose vehicle that included Carillion to build several schools and an educational campus, contracts worth roughly €87 million. The collapse of Carillion halted payments, preventing the Sammon Group from paying suppliers and subcontractors, and the court heard the group believes a successful examinership will enable it to finish its contracts on time and return to profitability.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 16 March 2018, Eoghan O'Connell, a 29‑year‑old former cancer survivor from Dargle Heights, Bray, was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for attempting to murder a man in his driveway on 8 April 2016. O'Connell fired a shotgun twice at the victim, a father of three in his late 30s, as the man left his home to go to work. Both shots misfired because the cartridges were damp, and the victim survived. The court noted that O'Connell had 65 prior convictions, including rape and assault, and that the victim had known him since childhood. The judge described the evidence as extremely strong, citing DNA and spent cartridges, and acknowledged the victim's family had moved away and suffered trauma. O'Connell's guilty plea led the judge to impose a 12‑year term, back‑dated to 2 May 2016.
Gary O'Brien, aged 20, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to burglary and two counts of assault at a Dalkey home on 26 September 2017. He had been "out of his head" on tablets and Sambuca and was restrained by a 74‑year‑old man on the bathroom floor until Garda arrival. O'Brien, who has 49 prior convictions, suffered an acquired brain injury at 16 after being struck with a hammer, a fact noted by Judge Martin Nolan. The judge imposed a three‑year sentence, consecutive to a 22‑month district court term O'Brien is serving, citing the brain injury as a mitigating factor. The burglary caused €3,000 of damage, and the victim's daughter, aged 40, described feeling "battered" and anxious the following day. O'Brien claimed he had no memory of the events and had not intended to harm the occupants. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A 30‑year‑old man from Kilcarrig Green, Fettercairn, Tallaght, Glen Fitzpatrick, who had suffered severe domestic violence in childhood and used alcohol and drugs to black out, was jailed for one year after pleading guilty to three robberies and an attempted robbery. He admitted stealing €420 from a Centra shop on Thomas Street in November 2016, and later robbing a Dwarf Jar shop on Wellington Quay and attempting to rob a Centra on Wicklow Street in June 2017. He had 36 prior convictions, mainly for traffic offences. After a binge he found unexplained money in his pockets and voluntarily turned himself in to a Garda station in a distressed state. The judge, Martin Nolan, imposed consecutive sentences totalling two years, suspended the final year on conditions, and noted Fitzpatrick's remorse and drug‑free status since August 2017. The case highlighted his ongoing rehabilitation efforts at Coolmine and his willingness to cooperate with authorities.
Raymond Molloy, a 55‑year‑old former equestrian centre manager from Hollywood, Co Wicklow, pleaded guilty to possession of over €6 million worth of cannabis resin for sale or supply in Dublin. He had spent 11 years on the run in the Isle of White before being extradited to Ireland. Gardaí recovered 498 kg of cannabis resin from a van he drove in Coolock during a surveillance operation. In May 2017 he was sentenced to six‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment. On appeal, his barrister argued that Molloy's involvement was limited to 30 minutes, that he had no financial gain, and that he had shown deep remorse and had no prior convictions. The Court of Appeal, after reviewing mitigating factors such as his guilty plea, mental‑health difficulties and cooperation, reduced the sentence to five years' imprisonment, with no part suspended. The decision was made by a three‑judge panel headed by Mr Justice John Edwards.
Gary Flynn, aged 32, of Rossfield Drive, Tallaght, lost an appeal against his conviction for the murder of Seamus Shay O'Byrne, which occurred at the victim's home on 13 March 2009. Flynn pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court. After a nine‑week trial, the jury found him guilty of murder in one hour and forty minutes, and he received a mandatory life sentence on 16 March 2016, imposed by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy. The prosecution alleged that Flynn, Eugene Cullen and others assisted in the planning, execution and aftermath of the murder, while Garrett O'Brien was the gunman. The Court of Appeal, in a three‑judge panel, upheld Flynn's conviction, stating the trial was satisfactory in all respects and that the evidence against him was more than mere coincidence. The appeal was dismissed by Mr Justice George Birmingham. The article does not mention any subsequent developments.
A 29‑year‑old man, Eoghan O'Connell, was sentenced for attempting to murder a Wicklow man in front of his wife and children. On 8 April 2016, O'Connell tried to shoot the victim twice as he left the family home, but the shotgun misfired both times because the cartridges were damp. The victim and his family later sold their home and moved away. O'Connell, who had pleaded guilty to the attempted murder, was brought before the Central Criminal Court for sentencing. He had a history of 65 convictions, including rape and assault. The victim's wife gave a detailed impact statement describing the lasting fear, anxiety, and disruption to the family's life. Mr Justice McCarthy was set to deliver the sentence on 16 March, with O'Connell remanded in custody until then.
Two Dublin men, Martin Cully (35) and Eugene Traynor (40), were sentenced to seven‑year prison terms, partially suspended, for unlawfully seizing a vehicle and forcibly removing a woman from her car. The incident occurred on Old Connacht Avenue, Bray, on 15 June 2017. Cully, who had previously been disqualified from driving for 30 years, also pleaded guilty to two dangerous driving charges. Judge Patrick Quinn imposed a lifetime driving ban on Cully, suspended the final two years of his sentence and the final two and a half years of Traynor's sentence, and required both men to remain drug‑free and engage in treatment programmes. The court noted a high‑speed chase that ended with the car crashing into a pole. Cully had 67 prior convictions, including seven burglaries; Traynor had 20 prior convictions, including robbery and theft. The victim, who suffered nightmares and flashbacks, gave a victim impact statement describing her fear and helplessness during the attack.
Steven McDonnell, 52, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing over €13,000 worth of cocaine for sale or supply at his Blessington Street address. The court also considered counts of possession of cannabis, cannabis resin and ketamine. A search warrant, executed after days of surveillance, uncovered a large slab of cocaine, cannabis, cannabis resin and a chocolate Kinder Egg containing ketamine, with the total drug value at €94,166. McDonnell admitted he had accrued about €5,000 in gambling debts and was coerced into holding the drugs, receiving €500 each time he delivered them to a dealer. He also admitted smoking about €50 of cannabis every few days. McDonnell had no prior convictions. The judge noted he had been coerced but ultimately chose to accept the drugs, describing him as a "pitiful" and isolated man who had suffered severe depression and attempted suicide. The sentence was imposed by Judge Martin Nolan.
During a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, CCTV footage showed two men entering a service station on the night of a €2.28 million cash‑in‑transit van robbery. Kevin Richardson, aged 13 at the time, testified that the men wore clothing similar to the raiders who later abducted the Richardson family. The accused—Mark Farrelly (46), Christopher Corcoran (70), David Byrne (45) and Niall Byrne (36)—have pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment of Paul Richardson, his wife Marie and their sons Ian (17) and Kevin (13) at their Ashcroft home on 13–14 March 2005, and to robbing Paul Richardson and Securicor. The trial, the fifth time the matter has been heard, includes testimony from the Richardson family, a former Securicor control‑room supervisor, and cross‑examination by defence counsel. The case is set to continue for three months before Judge Melanie Greally and an enlarged jury.
In a 2018 trial, a mother and her two teenage sons recounted being kidnapped near the Wicklow Mountains during a €2.28 million robbery that occurred almost 15 years earlier. Marie Richardson described how she and her sons were bundled into a jeep, taken to a secluded area, kept for hours, and bound with cable ties before being released. She recalled her husband, Paul Richardson, a cash‑in‑transit driver, being forced to deliver the money at a Dublin pub car park. The defendants—Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, David Byrne and Niall Byrne—pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and robbery. The jury heard the kidnapping, the captors' orders, and the family's eventual escape, with the trial continuing before Judge Melanie Greally and an enlarged jury.
Paul Richardson, a cash‑in‑transit van driver for Securicor, gave evidence at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on the first day of a retrial for four men accused of kidnapping his family and robbing €2.28 million in March 2005. The accused – Mark Farrelly (46), Christopher Corcoran (70), David Byrne (45) and Niall Byrne (36) – pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and robbery. Richardson described how armed men in navy boiler suits and balaclavas entered his home on 13 March, forced him and his family into the living room, and threatened his 17‑year‑old son with a handgun while the son suffered a panic attack. The men demanded Richardson collect cash from his van and deliver it to a pub, threatening the family's release. The trial, expected to continue until mid‑April, focuses on proving the four men's involvement in the kidnapping and robbery.
Four men—Mark Farrelly (46), Christopher Corcoran (70), David Byrne (45) and Niall Byrne (36)—were tried in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a tiger kidnapping that took place on 13–14 March 2005. They were accused of abducting the Richardson family, the family of cash‑in‑transit van driver Paul Richardson, and of robbing €2.28 million from Securicor. The men allegedly burst into the Richardson home in March 2015, armed and wearing balaclavas, and forced the family to cooperate. They transported the family to the Wicklow mountains, held them overnight, and released them after the ransom was paid. The prosecution presented mobile‑phone evidence linking the accused to the robbery. All four pleaded not guilty. The trial was scheduled to continue until mid‑April 2018.
Joseph O'Shaughnessy, 30, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft and criminal damage after breaking into a Mr Price shop, a Westpark Fitness Gym and a Metro Café Bar in Tallaght on 4‑5 December 2015. He kicked the Mr Price door, threw a rock at the gym door and smashed the bar door, stealing €1,000 from the till. Blood samples and CCTV identified him at all scenes. O'Shaughnessy has a lifelong intellectual disability diagnosed after the offences, and two psychologists described him as a vulnerable adult with very low cognitive skills and a high susceptibility to influence. He has 20 prior convictions, mainly minor traffic offences, none resulting in jail. The court, considering his disability and a supportive regime, imposed a 12‑month sentence suspended in full for 18 months. He was ordered to complete offence‑focused work, victim‑awareness work, a structured educational programme, keep the peace and obey Probation Services for 18 months.
The High Court has been asked to consider committing Iarnrod Eireann CEO David Franks and DART District Manager Chris Rafferty to prison for alleged contempt of court. Applicant Paul Leblique, of Finglas East, Dublin, claims the company failed to comply with a direction by Mr Justice Paul Gilligan last April to restore him to his position as a DART driver. Mr Leblique was demoted to a non-driving role in 2016 after refusing to provide a urine sample following a safety incident at Tara Street Station. He argues that despite passing required assessments, he has not been reinstated. Represented by Conor Bowman SC, Mr Leblique brought a motion seeking to attach and commit the two executives to prison. Irish Rail, represented by Stephen Dodd BL, entirely rejected the application as unmeritorious. The matter was before Mr Justice Tony O'Connor, who noted the seriousness of the claims and fixed the hearing of the application for next Friday. This motion follows a previous High Court ruling where Mr Justice Gilligan ordered the disciplinary findings against Mr Leblique be set aside and directed his restoration to his position, also awarding him costs. The company denies the claims of non-compliance.
Michael Williams, 45, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to falsely representing land for sale in Rathnew, County Wicklow, to Ms Eibhlin Butler. He convinced her to re‑mortgage her property and give him €22,500, claiming the land existed and would be purchased. The land was fictional; Williams gambled the money. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two and a half years' imprisonment with 21 months suspended, citing the generosity of Williams' sister who offered €10,000 compensation to Butler. Butler suffered financial loss, mental distress, and ongoing disability pension payments. The court heard that Williams had no prior convictions and was now working as a delivery man in the UK. The case highlighted a breach of trust and financial deception.
Trevor McDonagh, aged 19, was convicted in the Central Criminal Court of anally raping a 16‑year‑old girl, biting her breast, and engaging in a sex act with a child under 17 on 4 March 2014 in County Wicklow. He pleaded not guilty to these offences but pleaded guilty to stealing the victim's phone on the same date. The court heard that McDonagh, who was 15 at the time of the offence, lured the girl into a lane, forced her against a wall, bit her breast while she struggled, and then fled when he thought Gardaí were nearby. The victim suffered hair loss, seizures, and attempted suicide; she described the assault as "disgusting, dirty, unwanted." McDonagh was sentenced to eight years, with the final 18 months suspended, on the condition he makes no contact with the victim, stays away from her area, and behaves well.
A 55‑year‑old man from Wicklow was sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment for raping his daughter and her young cousin. The Central Criminal Court heard that the man raped his daughter after she had spent two weeks in hospital recovering from serious leg burns. Over a five‑year period from 1988 to 1995, he sexually abused her on a weekly basis, beginning when she was seven. He also pleaded guilty to two rapes and one indecent assault of his niece between June 1986 and May 1988, when she was aged eight to ten. The court described the abuse as involving digital penetration, oral sex and physical violence, and noted the victims' confusion, fear and pain. The judge, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, highlighted the aggravating factors of the victims' young ages, the physical harm inflicted and the breach of trust, and imposed a 13‑year sentence with a four‑year post‑release supervision period.
A Dublin man, Kieran Greene, 32, of Mountain View Park, Rathfarnham, is accused of murdering a 61‑year‑old woman whose remains were found scattered in the Wicklow mountains. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy has set the trial for 3 December 2018 before a Central Criminal Court jury.
Christopher Keeley, aged 53, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in a car chop‑shop operation and drug offences. He pleaded guilty to possession of stolen cars and to possession for sale or supply of cannabis. Gardaí seized six stolen vehicles, €70,000 worth of cannabis, and additional drugs including cocaine, as well as fake bank drafts, from a series of searches at an industrial unit in Summerhill, Meath, Keeley's home in Rossfield Court, Tallaght, and a lock‑up in Blessington, Co. Wicklow. The court noted that the stolen cars had been taken during burglaries across the country. Judge Martin Nolan, taking into account Keeley's serious medical problems, accepted his remorse and imposed the sentence, stating Keeley would not appear again for similar offences. The sentence reflects the profit motive behind the drug dealing. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
Charles Schlaubitz, 45, was jailed for 18 months after producing an imitation firearm in the beer garden of the Pygmalion Public House and a second replica at a pharmacy on Berkeley Road. He pleaded guilty to possession of imitation firearms with intent to cause injury or intimidate. Schlaubitz, who is bipolar with manic depression, admitted to having a "bad run of things" and that he had gone too far. He was intoxicated and unfit to be interviewed after his arrest. Judge Melanie Greally noted that no major harm had been caused and that people could not circulate in public places producing what appeared to be a firearm. She handed down a three‑year sentence but suspended the final 18 months on a number of conditions. The article reports that Schlaubitz had 91 previous convictions, mainly for public order and theft offences. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Aaron Murdiff, 20, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to three counts of robbery, three counts of attempted robbery, and one count relating to the production of a knife. The offences occurred at various locations in Shankill, Dublin, on October 21, 2015. Prosecution counsel Antonia Boyle BL detailed a three-hour crime spree during which victims were robbed of wallets, phones, and headphones, while others were threatened with knives or physical violence. Defence counsel Justin McQuaid BL highlighted that Murdiff, of Dargle Heights, Bray, Co Wicklow, had no previous convictions, was under the influence of drugs, and wished to enter the Aisling Centre for addiction treatment. Judge Patricia Ryan noted the serious nature of the charges but considered Murdiff's youth, his early guilty plea, his cooperation with gardaí, and his engagement with probation services, which assessed him as a low risk of re-offending. The judge also credited his desire to address substance abuse issues. Judge Ryan sentenced Murdiff to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years. She warned that if he came to garda attention during that period, she would not hesitate to jail him.
A German film company, W2 Filmproduktion Vertriebs GmbH, has settled pre‑trial matters in a lawsuit against Irish film producers Morgan O'Sullivan and James Flynn. W2 alleges that the producers diverted €25 million of revenue from Octagon Films Ltd, a company in which W2 holds a 49 % stake, and seeks damages for breach of contract and duty. The defendants, directors of Octagon, deny any wrongdoing and have denied that any money was diverted. They had filed motions to strike the claim as frivolous and to appoint a liquidator to investigate Octagon, but W2 opposed these motions. After negotiations, the parties agreed to dismiss the motions to dismiss the case and to wind up the firm, and to allow W2 to pursue Octagon's claims against the defendants. The judge approved the settlement and the case was adjourned until April 2018.
W2 Filmproduktion Vertriebs GmbH, a German film company, has opposed a High Court application to strike out its claim against Irish film producers Morgan O'Sullivan and James Flynn. W2 alleges that the producers diverted funds from Octagon Films Ltd, a company in which W2 holds 49% of the shares, to themselves or to corporate entities they control, resulting in an estimated loss of €25 million in revenue. The producers deny the allegations, calling them an affront to their good character, and argue that no monies were diverted. W2 seeks damages for breach of contract, duty and fiduciary duty. The producers have also applied to have Octagon wound up and to appoint a liquidator, claiming the wind‑up application is intended to stymie W2. The pre‑trial motions before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon are expected to last eight days, and the case is set to proceed to a full trial.
A former army officer, Timothy O'Sullivan, aged 66, was sentenced to eleven years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting and raping two teenage boys between 1991 and 1996. The victims, aged 13 to 16 at the time, were repeatedly subjected to oral and anal rape, threatened with death or burial in the mountains, and given alcohol that sometimes made them ill. O'Sullivan, who was in his forties during the offences, used his position and the boys' vulnerabilities to groom and abuse them at various locations, including his home, a bathhouse, car parks, pubs and hotel rooms. The judge noted the aggravating factors of grooming, the victims' youth, and the abuse of trust, while also recognising mitigating factors such as the offenders' guilty pleas. The sentence was imposed by Mr Justice Tony Hunt at the Central Criminal Court, following the victims' courageous impact statements and the investigation that began after complaints in 2011 and 2013.
Frederick Lee, aged 53, was convicted of murder in 1994 and sentenced to life imprisonment by Leeds Crown Court. He escaped from Shelton Abbey open prison in March 2016, living with his daughter in the UK before being apprehended under a European Arrest Warrant. Lee pleaded guilty to escaping lawful custody and had previously received a one‑month sentence for a 1987 escape. On appeal, the Court of Appeal reduced his escape sentence to 10 months, citing English case law that distinguishes between personal‑pressure and professional escapees. The judge noted Lee's escape involved planning but no violence or criminal activity while at large, and that he had been at large for three‑and‑a‑half months. Lee had already served one year and four months in Wheatfield Prison, which the judge considered as having been served. The appeal decision therefore set the final imposed term at 10 months, with no suspended portion or additional custody specified.
The High Court set aside two asset transfers from retired teacher Michael Byrne to his estranged wife Maureen Byrne, ruling them fraudulent and deliberately intended to frustrate Mr Cormac Walsh's recovery of a €200,000 damages award. The transfers involved Byrne's interest in the former family home and lands at Rosewell, Templerainey, Arklow, Co Wicklow, which were moved into Maureen Byrne's sole name in May 2012 and October 2015. Mr Walsh, who had been awarded the damages in 2015, had received no payment from Byrne. Byrne, aged in his 80s and living in Spain, had been convicted in 2014 of indecent assault and sentenced to eight years with four suspended. He denied the transfers were fraudulent, claiming they were made in good faith and for housekeeping reasons. The court found Byrne was aware of the civil action and the subsequent award, and therefore the transfers were set aside. The Byrnes were not present at the hearing.
A Polish documentary filmmaker, Robert Socha, applied to Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy at the Central Criminal Court for an audio recording of the trial of Marta Herda, a 30‑year‑old former waitress convicted of murdering 31‑year‑old Hungarian man Csaba Orsos. Herda had driven her Volkswagen Passat into a harbour, causing Orsos to drown. She had pleaded not guilty, but a jury found her guilty and she was sentenced to a mandatory life term on 28 July 2016. Herda's appeal was dismissed in March 2013. The judge explained that the courts normally do not release audio recordings or transcripts to the press, citing policy reasons. Socha said his aim was to "get to the bottom of the case" for a documentary, but the request was refused.
Eoghan O'Connell, 28, of Dargle Heights, Bray, pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to attempting to murder Clinton McCormack on 8 April 2016 at Old Court Park, Bray. He was dressed in a navy sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms during the offence. The court remanded him in custody until 29 January and ordered a victim impact report, while his defence requested time for a psychological and governor's report.
Jonathan Hynes, a 31‑year‑old Wicklow man, stole between €1,000 and €7,000 from his employer, Zurich Life Assurance plc, between January and December 2015. He used the stolen money to pay for prescription medication and hospital bills for his drug‑addicted ex‑girlfriend. Hynes has refunded €30,000 to the insurer and still owes €40,000, which he must repay within three years. He pleaded guilty to the thefts. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing the case, found that Hynes's motive was a desperate act driven by emotion rather than greed. Judge Martin Nolan suspended a three‑year sentence, noting that a less noble motive would have led to a different outcome, and ordered the repayment of the remaining debt. No prior convictions were recorded for Hynes.
Tiarnan O'Mahoney, a former senior Anglo Irish Bank official, was acquitted of all charges by direction at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The 58-year-old, who pleaded not guilty, faced allegations of conspiring to destroy, mutilate, or falsify bank records and conspiracy to defraud the Revenue Commissioners regarding bogus non-resident accounts liable for Deposit Interest Retention Tax. These offences were alleged to have occurred between March 2003 and December 2004, involving eight accounts connected to former chief executive Sean FitzPatrick. Judge Martin Nolan directed the jury to acquit O'Mahoney after accepting a defence submission that the prosecution failed to prove a necessary connection between the accused and former assistant manager Aoife Maguire. The judge described the evidence of conspiracy as "too tenuous" and "too remote," stating that a conviction would be perverse. This 21-day trial was a retrial following the Court of Appeal's quashing of O'Mahoney's 2015 conviction in April 2016. The judge noted that while FitzPatrick benefited from the account deletions, the formal evidence linking O'Mahoney to a conspiracy with Maguire was insufficient. O'Mahoney was discharged from the court.