William Coster, aged 45, was convicted of sexually assaulting his step‑daughter, who believed him to be her father. The victim, now in her mid‑twenties, was aged 12‑16 during the abuse, which began in 2002 and ended after her sixteenth birthday. A jury at the Central Criminal Court acquitted him of all rape charges but convicted him of all sexual assault charges, sentencing him to 10 years imprisonment on 20 January 2014. Coster had pleaded guilty to five representative counts of sexual assault and denied the remaining counts and 35 rape charges. On appeal, the Court of Appeal found the 10‑year sentence "out of line" with comparable cases and reduced it to seven years, to run concurrently. Coster accepted the conviction and did not pursue further appeal. The judge noted the prolonged, intensive nature of the abuse and its profound impact on the victim.
Brian Stokes, a businessman from Inchanappa House, Ashford, Co Wicklow, applied to the High Court for permission to sue the National Assets Management Agency (NAMA) and its subsidiary, the National Asset Loan Management Agency (NALM), as well as the receiver appointed over his lands, Ms Siobhan O'Dwyer. The court, on an ex‑parte basis, granted the application and set a later date for the hearing. Stokes seeks declarations that the receiver's appointment is void, that the February 2007 mortgage between NAMA and AIB is void, and that the lands are not a bank asset under the 2009 NAMA Act. He also requests an injunction to prevent the receiver from selling the property. Stokes argues that the security attached to the Building Licence Agreement, which was intended to secure development obligations, has failed, and that no valid security exists over the lands in question. The case is set to proceed in the High Court.
During a Central Criminal Court hearing on 10 February 2016, it was revealed that Gary Flynn, aged 31, was in possession of drugs and two mobile phones when he was arrested by the Gardaí four days after the fatal shooting of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne on 13 March 2009. The arrest also uncovered €1,000 in cash. Flynn, who lives on Rossfield Drive in Tallaght, pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. The trial also discussed the arrest of another suspect, Garrett O'Brien, who was apprehended on 17 March 2009 at a house on Oldcourt Avenue in Bray, Co. Wicklow, under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. Gardaí Det. Sgt. Tom McManus and Det. Gda Gary Corrigan testified that O'Brien was alone in the sitting room when seized, and that the items—two mobile phones, blue tablets, Valium, hash, methadone, and €1,000—belonged to him.
Noel Smith otherwise Smyth, 53, of Gorey, Co Wexford, has appealed his conviction for harassment, making an unwarranted demand with menaces, and money laundering alleged between April and June 2009. At Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court, Smith pleaded not guilty but was found guilty by a jury. On April 7, 2014, Judge Gerard Giffin sentenced him to nine years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended. The prosecution alleged Smith pressured a named individual to pay for drugs and made threatening calls to the individual's mother. Defence counsel Remy Farrell SC argued that police entry into Smith's dwelling was unlawful, noting Smith was "present with a pitchfork" when gardaí arrived with a warrant under section 29 of the Offences Against the State Act, a provision later ruled unconstitutional. Farrell contended that a detective sergeant's later assertion of section 6 arrest powers was a "legal confection" manufactured after the event, as the officer did not invoke such powers at the time. He described the silent invocation of police entry powers as "wholly obnoxious to Irish law." The Court of Appeal, comprising Mr Justice George Birmingham, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, and Mr Justice John Edwards, heard the arguments and reserved judgment. The matter remains pending, with no final decision issued.
Two men were sentenced to four years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following their guilty pleas to car-jacking. Francis Stokes, aged 29, of Ballyconnell, County Cavan, and Martin Stokes, aged 24, of Celbridge, County Kildare, hijacked a vehicle at Blessington Road, Tallaght, on 10 November 2013. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the final two years of Francis Stokes's sentence and the last three years of Martin Stokes's sentence, having regard to their differing criminal histories. The victim described the incident as life-altering, stating it had severely restricted her confidence and ability to engage in activities she previously enjoyed. The court heard evidence that the complainant had become fearful of driving and was unable to maintain her former independence. The accused had claimed to gardaí that they commandeered the vehicle following an attack by another party, though the victim impact statements presented a substantially different account of events.
Roadteam Logistic Solutions, formerly Nolan Transport Limited, was fined €1 million by Wexford Circuit Criminal Court for breaching section 12 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 after a 2007 road accident that killed two women. The company pleaded guilty to a breach of health and safety laws involving an unsecured load that caused the fatalities and injuries to three others. On 25 February 2013, Mr Justice Raymond Fullam imposed the fine, citing the seriousness of the offence and the company's failure to secure the load. The company has now lodged an appeal, arguing that the judge erred in describing the case as "the worst" before the Circuit Court, that the fine was disproportionate to an omission rather than a deliberate act, and that the company had complied with warnings and expressed regret.
Jamie Carroll, 33, of Arklow, Co Wicklow, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to five counts of robbery. Judge Sarah Berkeley imposed a six-year custodial sentence, suspending the final two years. The offences occurred on November 11, 2014, at Day 2 Day on Military Road and Boyle Sports in Monkstown; on November 22, 2014, at Bus Stop Shop in Enniscorthy; and on April 8, 2015, at Londis on Foxrock Avenue. On each occasion, Carroll allegedly armed with a knife to demand money. Defence counsel Colman Fitzgerald SC noted Carroll's history of heroin addiction and presented clean urine analysis reports, arguing he was now drug-free. The judge acknowledged the robberies were committed to feed his addiction and that no physical violence was used, though staff were threatened. She suspended the final two years of the sentence, citing Carroll's remorse and co-operation with the Garda investigation. Carroll had previously been released on bail twice, including a March 30, 2015 release for a residential drug treatment program which he failed to attend due to intoxication, before committing the final robbery. He has 121 previous convictions, primarily for driving and public order offences.
In February 2016, a dispute between property developer Michael O'Flynn's company, O'Flynn Capital Partners (OFCP), and Dun Laoghaire‑Rathdown Council over a €75 million residential development at Beech Park, Cabinteely/Loughlinstown, was set for a Commercial Court hearing on 3 May. OFCP sought judicial review of the council's 31 July refusal to grant planning permission for 164 units. The council's refusal cited a lack of a high‑quality site‑specific design, potential harm to local amenities, and inconsistency with the Cherrywood Planning Scheme. O'Flynn argued that the refusal would hinder the delivery of the development, which would include demolishing 11 dwellings, building a 158‑metre section of Druid's Glen Road, and creating about 100 construction jobs. He noted financial losses from the halted project and the need to secure properties slated for demolition. The hearing was expected to last three to four days.
Stephen Rock, 51, was sentenced to ten years in prison for setting fire to a house on Colepark Drive, Ballyfermot, Dublin, on 12 July 2014. The blaze destroyed the home, killed a family pet, and caused an estimated €40,000 in economic loss, excluding personal property. Witnesses saw an object resembling a shoe box burning in the window, and Rock was observed near the house that night. The Nolan family, who lived there, were forced to relocate; Maureen Nolan was assaulted by Rock earlier that day, and her daughter Leanne Nolan attempted to extinguish the fire and rescue her brother. Rock, a former life‑sentenced murderer who escaped in 1999 and was released on full temporary release four days before the incident, denied starting the fire. The court noted his prior convictions and the seriousness of his actions, and Judge Patrick McCartan condemned his conduct before imposing the sentence. Stephen Rock was found guilty.
Aoife Maguire, aged 62, was convicted of conspiring to defraud the Revenue and delete bank accounts. She received an 18‑month sentence, which the Court of Appeal quashed in December 2015, replacing it with a nine‑month term and suspending the remainder, freeing her from prison. Maguire did not appeal her conviction. Her co‑accused, Bernard Daly (67) and Tiarnan O'Mahoney (56), who denied the allegations, appealed their convictions in the Court of Appeal. During the appeal hearing, the Director of Public Prosecutions argued that Maguire's acceptance of a fair trial was evidenced by her lack of appeal. The hearing focused on the prosecution's opening and closing speeches, the admissibility of evidence, and the judge's directions to the jury, with counsel for the co‑accused preparing submissions for the next day's hearing before three judges. The case remains at the appeal stage.
In a 2016 Court of Appeal hearing, lawyers for Bernard Daly (67) and Tiarnan O'Mahoney (56) argued that their clients' convictions for conspiracy to defraud the Revenue and for deleting bank accounts were the result of an unfair trial. Daly, a former company secretary, and O'Mahoney, a former deputy head, had been found guilty by a jury at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and sentenced to two and three years' imprisonment respectively on 31 July 2015. Counsel Seán Guerin SC contended that the prosecution misrepresented evidence, altered the indictment on the morning of the trial, and that the trial judge made new, inaccurate statements that prejudiced the jury. He requested the Court of Appeal to restore the defendants' good character and overturn the convictions, citing the trial's procedural errors. The prosecution, represented by Dominic McGinn SC, maintained that the indictment was accurate and that no unfairness had occurred.
The Court of Appeal was told that the State's case against former Anglo Irish Bank officials Tiarnan O'Mahoney (56) and Bernard Daly (67) was astonishingly weak. Both men had been convicted of conspiring to conceal or alter bank accounts and of furnishing false information to the Revenue Commissioners. Judge Patrick McCartan had jailed O'Mahoney for three years and Daly for two years on 31 July 2015. In December, the Court of Appeal quashed an 18‑month sentence for co‑accused Aoife Maguire, replacing it with a nine‑month sentence suspended in its entirety. Counsel for Daly, Seán Guerin SC, argued that the prosecution had misled the jury, failed to explain why Daly was guilty, and relied on a flawed investigation and erroneous judge's instructions. Counsel for O'Mahoney, Brendan Grehan SC, challenged the admissibility of Daly's unedited Garda interview, claiming it prejudiced O'Mahoney's right to a fair trial. Both appeals remain pending.
The Central Criminal Court will hear the trial of Gary Flynn, 31, of Rossfield Drive, Tallaght, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne at Tymon Park North on 13 March 2009. Justice Patrick McCarthy informed the newly sworn jury that the case is expected to last about seven weeks. Prosecutor Alex Owens SC said the allegation concerns the 2009 shooting of O'Byrne, and witnesses from Tallaght, Bray and Crumlin will be called to testify. The trial opens on Tuesday before Justice McCarthy.
Two former Anglo Irish Bank executives, Tiarnan O'Mahoney and Bernard Daly, are appealing convictions for conspiring to conceal or alter bank accounts sought by Revenue. O'Mahoney, aged 56, received a three‑year sentence; Daly received two years. The Court of Appeal was told that the trial judge's rulings were erroneous and that evidence presented was flawed, including cross‑examination of witness Brian Gillespie, an email from Ms. Aoife Maguire, evidence from James Shaw, and unedited interviews of Mr. Daly. The defence argued that these pieces of evidence unfairly altered the case from circumstantial to direct, prejudicing the accused. The appeal also highlighted that the investigation was outsourced to an internal fraud investigator and that the statutory time limit for charging the offences had not been met. The case remains before the Court of Appeal.
A 51‑year‑old Wicklow man is to be sentenced next year for raping and sexually assaulting two boys hundreds of times and for making them commit incest with each other. He pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 165 counts of rape and sexual assault against one boy and 40 similar offences against his brother between 1993 and 2003. The victims described repeated molestation, including the use of a homemade "penis pump" and forced sexual acts. One victim said the abuse began when he was nine, with the man masturbating him and later raping him anally and orally. The other victim was abused from age seven, starting with masturbation and progressing to rape. Both boys reported severe psychological trauma, including anxiety, panic attacks, and a sense of living "hell on earth." The court has kept anonymity orders in place for the time being.
The High Court will decide in the New Year on the United States' extradition request for Gary Davis, a 27‑year‑old Wicklow man alleged to have been an administrator of the Silk Road website. Davis faces US charges of conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to commit computer hacking and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which could carry a life sentence if he is convicted. He argues that extradition would expose him to inhuman and degrading conditions, citing his Asperger's Syndrome and depression. The State insists he should be surrendered. The court heard a sworn statement from UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Professor Juan Mendez, who expressed concerns about the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in New York where Davis would likely be held. Mendez's concerns focus on the impact of isolation on Davis's mental health.
Trevor Curtis (35), of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two offences. On April 14, 2014, he was found in a laneway off Bedford Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin, in possession of a syringe which he brandished at gardai. Evidence indicated that Curtis had injected himself with a head shop drug and was experiencing hallucinations, believing he was under attack by demons. Garda Paul Gray pepper-sprayed Curtis after he refused to drop the syringe. Curtis also pleaded guilty to robbing a betting shop on Wicklow Street, Dublin, on October 27, 2014, during which he pointed a syringe at a pregnant employee and took €355 in cash. Judge Martin Nolan released Curtis into the custody of the Probation Services, conditional on his residence at a drug treatment centre and compliance with all directions. Curtis has 43 previous convictions, including three similar offences and previous sentences for robbery, including a suspended sentence at Longford Circuit Court.
Bernard Daly, a former Anglo Irish Bank company secretary, was refused bail for the second time by the Court of Appeal pending his appeal against conviction. Daly, 67, pleaded not guilty to furnishing false information, conspiring to defraud the Revenue Commissioners, and conspiring to delete accounts from the bank's internal system. He was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to two years' imprisonment by Judge Patrick McCartan on July 31. His counsel argued the trial was unfair, specifically criticizing the trial judge's handling of an accomplice warning regarding evidence from former compliance head Brian Gillespie. Mr Justice George Birmingham, sitting with Justices Sheehan and Mahon, stated it was not possible to establish a strong chance of success at this stage, noting the issues would demand considerable attention at the hearing. The court set aside three days for Daly's appeal on January 13. Co-accused Tiarnan O'Mahoney, the former Chief Operations Officer, will also move to appeal his conviction on that date; he had denied furnishing false information and conspiring to delete accounts and defraud the Revenue. O'Mahoney did not seek bail. Aoife Maguire, a former assistant manager, has not sought bail but was granted a priority hearing date of December 23 for her appeal against sentence. Maguire had denied conspiring to delete accounts and defraud the Revenue. The matter remains adjourned pending these hearings.
Ian Waters, 35, of Springfield Heights, Newtownmountkennedy, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment with two years suspended for harassing and threatening two former partners, Orla Sheridan and Amy Tresson, over money. He pleaded guilty to harassing Sheridan with mobile calls and texts from 19 August to 10 December 2013, and to making menacing demands of Tresson between May and July 2014. Waters claimed he was under debt pressure and sought cash from Sheridan, who lent him over €10,000, and from Tresson, who gave him €1,000 after he threatened to drag her from work and kick her in the head. He threatened to shoot or kill both women and their families. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed consecutive sentences totalling six years, suspended two years, and ordered Waters to stay away from Sheridan and her family for twenty years. No prior convictions were recorded.
Kenneth Cummins (28) and Sabrina Cummins (37), both of Ringsend Park, Dublin 4, are on trial at the Central Criminal Court, having pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Thomas Horan (63) at Cambridge Court, Ringsend, on January 6th last year. During the trial, Sabrina Cummins gave evidence for the defence, describing the deceased as a "very nice man" who was "like a Dad" to her. She detailed her childhood background, including her father's alcoholism and domestic violence, which led to her placement in foster care. Ms Cummins also recounted a violent relationship with an Albanian man that resulted in a near-fatal injury. She stated she met Mr Horan through her sister, Breda, and maintained a long friendship with him. The court heard that Breda was murdered by her ex-partner in May 2013. Two weeks after Breda's burial, Sabrina Cummins alleged that five detectives held her and her partner at gunpoint, claiming Kenneth Cummins had reported they possessed a firearm intended to kill Breda's murderer. She denied these claims, stating her vehicle and home were searched. The trial continues.
Bernard Daly, a former Anglo Irish Bank company secretary, must await a Court of Appeal decision on his bail application pending his appeal against a two-year prison sentence. Daly, who pleaded not guilty to furnishing false information, conspiring to defraud the Revenue Commissioners, and conspiring to delete bank accounts, was found guilty by a jury and sentenced by Judge Patrick McCartan on July 31. His counsel argued the trial was unfair, specifically citing deficiencies in the accomplice warning regarding a former compliance head. The prosecution contended the case did not rely solely on that witness and requested bail be refused. The court, comprising Justices Birmingham, Sheehan, and Mahon, adjourned the decision to next week. Co-accused Tiarnan O'Mahoney, the former Chief Operations Officer, had previously pleaded not guilty to similar charges including conspiring to defraud the Revenue. He adjourned his bail bid until transcripts were available and did not seek bail today. Aoife Maguire, a former assistant manager, who denied conspiring to delete accounts and defraud the Revenue, has not sought bail. She was granted a priority hearing date of December 23 for her appeal against sentence. The matter remains at the appeal stage with bail decisions pending or adjourned.
In the Commercial Court, an application by Gayle Dunne and Dunne's Irish was adjourned before Ms Justice Caroline Costello, with proceedings set to resume later next month. Chris Lehane, the official administering the Irish bankruptcy of Sean Dunne, brought the action alleging invalid transfers of assets to Mrs. Dunne. These alleged transfers include the Lagoon Beach Hotel in South Africa, valued at over €18m, and interests in properties in Dublin and County Wicklow. Mr. Lehane claims the 2005 and 2008 agreements have no legal status. Mrs. Dunne, who resides in Greenwich, Connecticut, seeks to have the Irish proceedings discontinued, arguing they are oppressive and that the transfers are already subject to more advanced US bankruptcy proceedings. She requested permission to cross-examine Milton Berger, the lawyer for US Bankruptcy Trustee Richard Coan, who provided sworn statements on US law. Counsel for Mrs. Dunne, Mr. Alan Doherty SC, submitted that the US courts are better placed to determine the matter given the number of affected parties. The application was opposed by Mr. Lehane's representatives. The court heard that Mrs. Dunne claims the transfers were compensation for starting a family and her career sacrifices. The matter remains pending and was not concluded at this hearing.
Bernard Daly, 67, former company secretary of Anglo Irish Bank, was found guilty of furnishing false information, conspiring to defraud the Revenue Commissioners and conspiring to delete bank accounts from the bank's internal system. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment on 31 July 2015. Daly's lawyers argued that his trial was unfair and that the availability of the trial transcript had strengthened his case for bail. The Court of Appeal, hearing the renewed bail application, noted that the transcript had not yet been considered and that the threshold for bail had not been met. The judges scheduled a fresh bail hearing for 3 November. Daly's co‑accused, Tiarnan O'Mahoney, also applied for bail but postponed his application until the transcript was available. Aoife Maguire, a former assistant manager, was given a priority hearing for her appeal on 23 December. The article reports only the procedural developments and the charges as stated. Bernard Daly pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 19 October 2015, James O'Brien, aged 22, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for the assault that caused the death of 20‑year‑old Dale Creighton. O'Brien pleaded guilty in June and the court found that he punched and kicked Creighton on a footbridge in Tallaght on New Year's Day, an attack that lasted about one and a half minutes. The sentence includes eighteen months suspended, leaving a custodial term of one year and a half. The court noted O'Brien's guilty plea, remorse, lack of prior convictions and efforts to rehabilitate as mitigating factors. The case also involved seven other Dubliners charged in connection with Creighton's death, but the summary focuses on O'Brien's individual sentence as stated in the article.
In a case at the Oktoberfest Beer Festival in Dublin, 30‑year‑old Wicklow IT worker Mark McDermott struck Michael Purcell, knocking him unconscious. McDermott, who was at the festival with a gay friend, claimed he believed Purcell was part of a group heckling his friend. Defence counsel Luigi Rea BL argued that McDermott's belief, whether right or wrong, led to the assault. McDermott pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at the festival on 26 September 2014. Judge Martin Nolan found no legitimate provocation and, noting McDermott's €45,000 annual IT salary, imposed an 18‑month suspended sentence and ordered him to pay over €4,000 to Purcell within a year. Purcell suffered a concussion, intracranial haemorrhage and was discharged from hospital after initial treatment, later returning with nausea and light‑headedness. The court would decide the fate of the payment if Purcell refused it.
David O'Brien, aged 63, was sentenced to four and a half years' imprisonment for indecent assault of six boys during Scout camping trips between 1975 and 1980. He pleaded guilty to ten counts of assault in Dublin, Kilkenny and Cork. The court noted that each offence could carry a maximum of two years under the law at the time, but imposed three consecutive two‑year sentences and suspended the final 18 months, resulting in an effective custodial term of four and a half years. O'Brien, a former postman, admitted to unzipping sleeping bags, fondling private parts, forcing masturbation and inserting fingers into a boy's anus. He has no prior convictions and has lived in social isolation since the abuse. Victim impact statements highlighted long‑term depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts caused by the assaults. The judge emphasised that O'Brien used his position of trust and authority to plan and premeditate the offences.
James O'Brien, 22, of The Mill, Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, pleaded guilty in June to assaulting 20‑year‑old Dale Creighton on New Year's Day on Saint Dominic's Road, Tallaght. Creighton, who had been at a house party on New Year's Eve 2014, was attacked by a group of people as he was returning to the party. O'Brien was present for less than a minute, approached Creighton from a silver Volkswagen Passat, and punched and kicked him. CCTV showed O'Brien striking Creighton, who managed to get to his feet and was again assaulted by others. Creighton was taken to Tallaght Hospital and died. O'Brien has no previous convictions. The court will impose a sentence next Monday and remand him on continuing bail.
Tiarnan O'Mahoney, aged 56 and former Chief Operations Officer of Anglo Irish Bank, was convicted of conspiring to conceal bank accounts from the Revenue Commissioners, furnishing false information to the Revenue, and defrauding the Revenue. After a two‑month trial and nearly seven hours of deliberation, a jury found him guilty and Judge Patrick McCartan sentenced him to three years' imprisonment on 31 July 2015. O'Mahoney intends to appeal the conviction on 11 January and had sought bail pending that appeal. His lawyers requested the Court of Appeal to postpone the bail application until the trial transcripts are available, arguing that the necessary evidence to assess the bail threshold would be clearer once the transcripts are reviewed. The Court of Appeal agreed to adjourn the bail application, allowing O'Mahoney's counsel to reapply once the transcripts are ready. The co‑accused, Bernard Daly, was denied bail but may reapply when transcripts are available.
Aoife Maguire, a former Anglo Irish Bank official, was granted a priority hearing date for her appeal against sentence in the Court of Appeal. Maguire, 62, of Kilmainham, Dublin, had previously pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to charges of conspiring to delete bank accounts connected to Mr Seán Fitzpatrick from the bank's internal system and conspiring to defraud the Revenue Commissioners in 2003 and 2004. Following a two-month trial, a jury found her guilty, and Judge Patrick McCartan sentenced her to 18 months imprisonment on July 31, 2015. Maguire is specifically appealing against the severity of this sentence, not her conviction. During case management procedures before Mr Justice George Birmingham, her solicitor Michael Hanahoe requested the appeal be heard on the final day of the current legal term. The judge listed the appeal for Monday, December 21. Additionally, Mr Justice Birmingham extended legal aid to Maguire for two barristers for the appeal. Her co-accused, Tiarnan O'Mahoney and Bernard Daly, are also appellants in the matter, though the report notes Maguire is not appealing her conviction unlike some co-accused. The matter is currently at the appeal stage, with the hearing scheduled for the specified date.
Bernard Daly, the former Anglo Irish Bank company secretary, was refused bail pending his appeal against a conspiracy conviction. Daly, 67, of Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to furnishing false information, conspiring to defraud the Revenue Commissioners, and conspiring to delete accounts from the bank's internal system. He was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to two years imprisonment by Judge Patrick McCartan on July 31. His lawyers argued the trial was unfair, specifically citing an inadequate accomplice warning regarding evidence from the bank's head of compliance, Mr Gillespie. The Court of Appeal, comprising Mr Justice George Birmingham, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, ruled that the threshold for bail had not been met. However, the court noted that the substance of the accomplice warning argument could only be fully assessed once the trial transcript is available and did not rule out a fresh bail application at that time. The appeal hearing was fixed for January 11. Daly is currently detained in Mountjoy Prison. His co-accused, Tiarnan O'Mahoney, the bank's former Chief Operations Manager, who was jailed for three years in July, will seek bail later this week pending his own appeal.
Three former Anglo Irish Bank officials—Tiarnan O'Mahoney, Bernard Daly and Aoife Maguire—were sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three years, two years and 18 months respectively for conspiring to conceal or alter bank accounts sought by Revenue. The jury found them guilty on all charges after a two‑month trial and nearly seven hours of deliberation. The judge noted that the conspiracy offence has no statutory maximum, but applied a five‑year cap for all offences in the same scheme. Sentences began immediately. The court heard that the officials had acted to hide accounts linked to former chairman Sean FitzPatrick from Revenue's investigation into non‑resident accounts potentially liable for Deposit Interest Retention Tax. The judge described Anglo as a "very sick bank" and praised the integrity of the bank's IT staff who refused to delete the accounts, leading to their production as evidence. Aoife Maguire pleaded not guilty.
Three former Anglo Irish Bank officials – Tiarnan O'Mahoney, Bernard Daly and Aoife Maguire – were found guilty of conspiring to conceal or alter bank accounts linked to chairman Sean FitzPatrick. The jury convicted them on all charges after a two‑month trial and nearly seven hours of deliberation. O'Mahoney, aged 56, was accused of directing staff to hide accounts from Revenue's 2003‑2004 audit and of asking a staff member to omit an account from a list. Daly, aged 67, was alleged to have led a team that supplied information to Revenue and to have asked a staff member to conceal account details. Maguire, aged 62, was alleged to have acted as a mole, reporting directly to O'Mahoney and ordering the IT department to delete six FitzPatrick‑related accounts. The verdict was delayed by a claim of jury tampering, but the judge ultimately accepted the guilty verdicts. Aoife Maguire pleaded not guilty.
In a trial of three former Anglo Irish Bank staff, the jury has begun deliberations after a judge reminded them that the bank itself is not on trial and that they must set aside any pre‑existing views about Anglo. The accused—Bernard Daly, Tiarnan O'Mahoney and Aoife Maguire—have pleaded not guilty to seven alleged offences committed in 2003 and 2004. The charges allege that they conspired to conceal or alter accounts linked to former chairman Sean FitzPatrick, thereby evading potential Deposit Interest Retention Tax. The judge explained that the offence is the agreement to break the law, regardless of whether the accounts were ultimately liable. He noted that the evidence is largely circumstantial, involving alleged emails, instructions to delete accounts and changes made through anonymous logins. The jury will resume tomorrow and is expected to finish by lunch.
Aoife Maguire, a 62‑year‑old former assistant manager at Anglo Irish Bank, is accused of instructing IT staff to delete accounts linked to chairman Sean FitzPatrick during a Revenue investigation into alleged deposit interest retention tax evasion. Her defence counsel, Patrick Gageby SC, argued that Maguire was merely a "gopher" at the lowest rung of the bank's hierarchy, acting as a messenger rather than an instructor, and that higher‑ranking staff carried out the deletions. He contended that the prosecution's claim of conspiracy was unfounded, as the offence was completed when the account of FitzPatrick's brother‑in‑law was removed from the list. Maguire, along with co‑accused Tiarnan O'Mahoney and Bernard Daly, pleaded not guilty to seven counts in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The trial, lasting eight weeks, is concluding with the jury set to deliberate tomorrow under Judge Patrick McCartan's direction.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a jury was informed that former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick was not a defendant in the case. Brendan Grehan SC defended Tiarnan O'Mahoney, former chief operations officer, who, along with former company secretary Bernard Daly and former assistant manager Aoife Maguire, pleaded not guilty to seven counts of conspiracy to defraud Revenue. The prosecution alleged that the trio concealed or omitted accounts linked to FitzPatrick from the bank's Core Banking System and from documents supplied to Revenue during an investigation into bogus non‑resident accounts potentially liable for Deposit Interest Retention Tax. Grehan argued that there was no evidence of loss to Revenue, no evidence that O'Mahoney knew the details of the accounts, and that FitzPatrick's alleged motive was to avoid future scrutiny as he moved from CEO to chairman.
In a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, three former Anglo Irish Bank officials—Tiarnan O'Mahoney, Bernard Daly, and Aoife Maguire—were accused of hiding or altering accounts linked to chairman Sean FitzPatrick to avoid tax liability. The prosecution argued that the officials deleted or archived six accounts and altered details on two others to conceal them from Revenue during an investigation into bogus non-resident accounts potentially liable for Deposit Interest Retention Tax. Evidence included emails and testimony that the officials were motivated by their connection to FitzPatrick and the desire to protect his interests, particularly concerning an account belonging to his brother‑in‑law, John Peter O'Toole. The jury was told the case involved conspiracy to conceal financial records, but no verdict was reached on FitzPatrick's guilt or innocence. The prosecution's closing statement was delivered by Dominic McGinn SC, after which counsel for O'Mahoney addressed the jury. Bernard Daly pleaded not guilty. Aoife Maguire pleaded not guilty.
The trial of three former Anglo Irish Bank officials—Aoife Maguire, Tiarnan O'Mahoney and Bernard Daly—reached its closing stages after 23 days of prosecution evidence. They are accused of hiding or omitting accounts linked to former chairman Sean FitzPatrick from the bank's Core Banking System and from documents supplied to Revenue between 2003 and 2004. One account was in the name of FitzPatrick's brother‑in‑law, John Peter O'Toole. The defendants pleaded not guilty to seven counts and the court will hear closing speeches and a judge's address tomorrow.
A young Wicklow man has been jailed for his part in two armed robberies of school children. During one robbery, Aaron Doyle punched a schoolboy in the face before taking his smart mobile phone. Doyle (19) of Cois Cairn, Old Connaught Avenue, Bray, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery and attempted robbery at the Dodder Walkway, Irishtown on May 19, 2014. He also admitted robbery at Marlborough Road, Glenageary, Dublin on the same date. Judge Martin Nolan said Doyle had 'picked on young boys'. He suspended the last 15 months of a three year prison sentence on condition he keeps the peace for that period. Doyle's eleven previous convictions include an offence of handling stolen property for which he is already serving a ten month sentence. The matter was adjourned.
In July 2015 the High Court resolved a dispute between Bray Wanderers Ltd and three former associates. Mr Justice Paul Gilligan had granted temporary injunctions against Mr John Deering, Paul Lennon and former goalkeeper Darren Quigley, preventing them from trespassing on the club's Carlisle Grounds, misrepresenting themselves as directors, calling official meetings or publishing official‑looking material. The injunction was withdrawn after the defendants offered undertakings: they would not trespass without prior arrangement, would not publish official‑looking information, would not misrepresent themselves as directors or claim to act in an official capacity, and would not call official meetings. Mr Deering also agreed to delete data he had accessed from the club's email and website systems. The parties agreed to amend the Companies Registration Office filings that had purportedly removed four directors and appointed Mr Deering. The court left open the possibility of future proceedings if necessary.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the prosecution concluded its evidence in the trial of three former Anglo Irish Bank officials accused of concealing accounts from the Revenue as part of a tax‑evasion scheme. The accused—Tiarnan O'Mahoney (56), Bernard Daly (67) and Aoife Maguire (62)—have pleaded not guilty to seven counts. O'Mahoney denied ever instructing a subordinate to remove a name from a list of accounts supplied to the Revenue, and denied that he had asked team leader Zita Madden to do so. He also denied telling former head of compliance Brian Gillespie to omit the account of John Peter O'Toole, Mr FitzPatrick's brother‑in‑law, from a list. The prosecution's evidence, which has lasted 23 days, included interviews, emails and a loan facility letter. The jury will hear later this week whether the defence intends to call witnesses. The trial continues before Judge Patrick McCartan and a jury of twelve.
Gary McMenamin, aged 22 and a former Shamrock Rovers scholarship recipient, was given a two‑year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing a stolen Cartier watch worth €10,000. McMenamin was travelling by boat to the UK to trade the watch when Gardaí stopped him. He first claimed the watch belonged to his girlfriend, then said it had been offered to him by an acquaintance for €1,500. He pleaded guilty to possession of the watch at Stena Line on 9 October 2014. The watch had been stolen in an aggravated burglary in Wicklow in September 2014, though McMenamin was not involved in that burglary. He has six previous road‑traffic convictions and one conviction for failing to comply with Garda direction, all dating back to 2010. Judge Martin Nolan noted that McMenamin had no role in the burglary but must have suspected the watch was stolen before buying it.
The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank officials Bernard Daly, Tiarnan O'Mahoney, and Aoife Maguire continues before Judge Patrick McCartan and a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The three defendants, who have pleaded not guilty to seven counts, are alleged to have hid or omitted accounts connected to former chairman Sean FitzPatrick from the bank's Core Banking System or documentation provided to Revenue between 2003 and 2004. On day 22, former company secretary Bernard Daly testified that he was appointed to handle the Revenue audit due to his public service background. Daly stated he had no memory of asking subordinate Brian Gillespie to delete an account and was unaware that the account of FitzPatrick's brother-in-law, John Peter O'Toole, was omitted from the list of non-resident accounts handed to Revenue. He described the bank's attitude toward the audit as focused on settling a financial liability rather than investigating individual accounts, noting a €2.9 million settlement was reached. Daly also characterized former Chief Operations Officer Tiarnan O'Mahoney as a bully with whom he had a difficult relationship. The prosecution presented evidence that the O'Toole account, holding nearly Ir£140,000 in 1995, fell under the audit remit but was missing from the submitted list. Daly acknowledged the omission but stated he did not compile the list. The matter remains at the trial stage and has not been finalised.
Aoife Maguire, 62, a former Anglo Irish Bank employee, denied to Gardaí that she was part of a conspiracy to conceal offshore bank accounts linked to former chairman Sean FitzPatrick from Revenue. She and two former senior Anglo managers—Tiarnan O'Mahoney, 56, and Bernard Daly, 67—have pleaded not guilty to seven counts at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The allegations claim they hid or omitted accounts from Anglo's Core Banking System between 2003 and 2004 and attempted to delete records from the bank's computer system. In October 2013, Gardaí interviewed Maguire, who said she began at Anglo in 1987 as a typist and later worked on the IT help desk. She admitted being asked to provide a list of accounts to Revenue in 2003 but denied any role in deleting accounts or instructing staff to do so. The case is set to continue before Judge Patrick McCartan and a jury of twelve.
During a 2015 trial, a senior Revenue official testified that he had serious concerns in 2003 about Anglo Irish Bank's disclosure of non‑resident accounts, noting that earlier statements about no DIRT‑liable accounts were inaccurate. The case involved three former bank officials—Tiarnan O'Mahoney, Bernard Daly, and Aoife Maguire—who pleaded not guilty to seven counts of hiding or omitting accounts linked to former chairman Sean FitzPatrick between 2003 and 2004. Anglo had reached a DIRT settlement with Revenue in 2004 after discovering many non‑resident accounts. The trial also heard that Revenue had offered amnesty to bogus account holders, leading to customers coming forward. Evidence from Revenue auditors highlighted discrepancies in the bank's records, including a missing account for John Peter O'Toole, a relative of FitzPatrick. The trial proceeded before Judge Patrick McCartan and a jury of twelve.
A 21‑year‑old Wicklow man, Dylan Keegan Duignan, and an accomplice robbed a 62‑year‑old taxi driver, Leslie Leady, on 14 October 2014. The robbery took place after the driver had taken the men from Dublin's O'Connell Street to St Margaret's Park halting site in Ballymun. Duignan sat in the front passenger seat while the other man sat behind Leady. The accomplice threatened Leady with a sharp object, demanding money, and Duignan then took the car keys. Leady was forced to walk into a field. The robbers fled to the nearest petrol station after the taxi's tank ran empty; they were arrested when they returned with petrol. Duignan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment by Judge Martin Nolan, adding to an existing eleven‑month term for a 2012 robbery. The other accomplice is also before the courts for the same offences.
The trial of three former Anglo Irish Bank officials – Aoife Maguire, Tiarnan O'Mahoney and Bernard Daly – was adjourned until tomorrow. They are accused of hiding accounts linked to former chairman Sean FitzPatrick by deleting or omitting records from the bank's Core Banking System or from documents supplied to Revenue between 2003 and 2004. All three pleaded not guilty to seven counts. The case is before Judge Patrick McCartan and a jury of six men and six women at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the prosecution expected to finish its case next week.
The United States has requested the extradition of Gary Davis, 27, of Johnstown Court, Kilpedder, Co Wicklow, who is alleged to have been an administrator of the Silk Road website under the name 'Libertas'. The U.S. authorities charge him with conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to commit computer hacking and conspiracy to commit money laundering, offences that could carry a life sentence if he is convicted in the United States. Davis's counsel, John O'Kelly SC, argues that extradition would expose him to inhuman and degrading conditions in a medium‑security U.S. prison, citing his Asperger's Syndrome and depression. The request is being heard before Mr Justice Paul McDermott under the 1965 Act. The U.S. case relies on evidence seized from the Silk Road, including servers and undercover purchases, and claims Davis had explicit knowledge of the drugs and hacking software sold on the site between June and October 2013. The hearing is expected to last several days.
During a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, it was heard that the computer login "mc9" used to alter bank accounts linked to former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick was intended solely for use by the bank's IT department. Former IT head Michael Campbell testified that the login was employed in November 1999 to change the address on John Peter O'Toole's account, and that no non‑IT staff should have accessed it. He also stated that the login should not have been used for address changes. The trial also covered the alleged deletion or omission of accounts connected to FitzPatrick from Anglo's Core Banking System between 2003 and 2004. Accused Aoife Maguire, Tiarnan O'Mahoney and Bernard Daly, aged 62, 56 and 67 respectively, pleaded not guilty to seven counts. The case remains before Judge Patrick McCartan and a jury of twelve.
The trial of Bernard Daly, Aoife Maguire, and Tiarnan O'Mahoney continued at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where all three defendants have pleaded not guilty to seven counts. They are alleged to have deleted or omitted accounts connected to former Anglo Irish Chairman Sean FitzPatrick from the bank's Core Banking System or documentation provided to Revenue between 2003 and 2004. Witness Crohan O'Shea, a friend and business partner of FitzPatrick, testified that he was unaware of transfers from their joint trust account to an internal Anglo account called SRLADV, nor was he aware of name changes to the account that removed FitzPatrick's name. O'Shea stated he paid tax on the account and considered it above board. Deputy IT head James Shaw testified that he was asked by Maguire to remove accounts from the bank's record system. Shaw stated he archived the accounts instead of deleting them to ensure they remained retrievable, a distinction he believed Maguire did not understand. The matter was adjourned and is not concluded.
The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank officials Tiarnan O'Mahoney, Bernard Daly, and Aoife Maguire continues at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The three defendants have pleaded not guilty to seven counts alleging they deleted or omitted accounts connected to former chairman Sean FitzPatrick from the bank's Core Banking System or documentation provided to Revenue between 2003 and 2004. On day 16 of evidence, senior manager Zita Vance testified that she was asked by O'Mahoney to remove a name from documents requested by Revenue. Vance stated she was removed from the project team after refusing the instruction. She later told Anglo's fraud prevention officer that O'Mahoney was the individual who asked her to delete an account. Defence counsel for O'Mahoney noted that his client has no recollection of the conversations and denies making such requests. The court also heard from Monica Kearney, a former personal assistant to FitzPatrick, who identified an email sent to O'Mahoney in November 2003 detailing four account numbers. The matter is currently before Judge Patrick McCartan and a jury, with the trial ongoing.