A jury has been sworn in at the Central Criminal Court for the trial of a woman charged with murder in County Wicklow. Nicola Brennan, aged 33 and originally from County Carlow, faces a charge of murdering Juris Viktorovs at a residence in Shillelagh on February 10, 2022. Ms Brennan entered a plea of not guilty when the charge was put to her. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Paul McDermott, will be heard by a jury comprising eight men and four women. Legal representatives indicated the case is expected to conclude within three weeks.
Andy Cash, aged 30, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter for stabbing his brother‑in‑law, John Cash, 40, to death on 3 May 2022 in Kilkenny. The Central Criminal Court heard that Cash was intoxicated and unfit for interview for six hours after arrest. He admitted striking John Cash but denied stabbing him, claiming John had ducked. A post‑mortem showed two stab wounds, one penetrating the heart. Cash was also charged with assault causing harm to his sister Elizabeth and with producing a knife during a dispute; both charges were acquitted. The jury returned a 10‑2 majority verdict on all charges. The case was adjourned to 1 December for sentencing, with victim impact statements to be prepared. The Cash family issued a statement thanking the court, Gardaí and witnesses for their support. Andy Cash was found guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 20 November 2023, a 68‑year‑old man was sentenced to an additional four years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 10‑year‑old girl, the aunt of a previous victim, between 2003 and 2005. The man, who was a distant cousin and lived with the family, had already been serving a seven‑year‑three‑month sentence for the anal rape of the same girl in 2021. He pleaded guilty to the earlier assault, admitting he had laid on top of the child and digitally penetrated her with his fingers. The court noted that the victim had kept the incident to herself until she learned the man was being investigated for raping her niece. The judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, cited the victim's youth and the man's abuse of his trusted family position as aggravating factors, and imposed the consecutive sentence while acknowledging the defendant's poor health and remorse.
Sean Murphy, 29, was found to have a severe obsessive‑compulsive disorder with psychotic features when he stabbed Michael Olohan, 35, to death on 13 August 2020. Dr Ronan Mullaney, a consultant psychiatrist, told the Central Criminal Court that Murphy was "acutely psychotic" and could not refrain from the killing because he believed he was saving himself and the world from great harm. He had a long psychiatric history, first diagnosed with OCD at 15, committed to a hospital at 16, and later discharged from St Vincent's psychiatric ward after nine months. In a letter to his treating team, Murphy admitted having thoughts of killing for about two years and described the act as a ritual driven by a fear of eternal torment. The jury was instructed that if they were not satisfied with an insanity verdict, Murphy would still be found guilty of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility. Sean Murphy pleaded not guilty.
A 26‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for raping a 16‑year‑old girl in the grounds of a GAA club. The conviction followed a trial at the Central Criminal Court in July, where the man had pleaded not guilty to the single count of rape. He was first taken into custody on 17 July 2023, and the sentence was back‑dated to that date. The victim, who was 16 at the time of the offence, was a friend of the man's sibling and had been texting him about cigarettes. After meeting at the club grounds, the man attempted to kiss her, pushed her, and then raped her. He later smoked cannabis before leaving. The court noted the man's age difference, lack of apology, and his prior good character as mitigating factors, while recognising the aggravating factor of the age gap. The victim's impact statement highlighted her long‑term distress and lack of support.
A 25‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to two charges of rape and was sentenced to 11½ years in prison, with five years of post‑release supervision and a prohibition on contacting his former partner. The court considered four additional rape incidents between January and February 2021, all involving the man raping the woman while she was in bed or doing laundry, and the man filming the assaults and sending the videos to friends. The judge noted the man's history of 34 convictions, 11 of which involved the same woman, including assault and coercive control. The victim's impact statement described the attacks as brutal, the woman as vulnerable, and the lasting emotional harm she suffered. The sentence was reduced from a headline 17‑year term due to the man's guilty plea and expression of remorse. The court also ordered the man to remain in prison for any previous Circuit Court offences against the woman.
The jury at the Central Criminal Court has begun deliberations on the case of Andrew 'Andy' Cash, 30, who is accused of murdering his brother‑in‑law, John Cash, 40, on 3 May 2022 at Hebron Road, Kilkenny City. Cash, a father of three from Highrath, Clara, Co Kilkenny, claims he was "out of his head on tablets" and cannot clearly recall the events of that day. He is also charged with assault causing harm to his sister, Elizabeth Cash, and with producing a knife during a dispute at the same time and place. Cash pleaded not guilty to all three charges on 2 November. The jury has deliberated for over three and a half hours and will resume at 11 am tomorrow.
The murder trial of James Kilroy, accused of killing his wife Valerie French Kilroy at their home in Kilbree Lower, Westport, Co Mayo, has collapsed for a second time at the Central Criminal Court. The trial, which had been in progress since November 8th, was unable to continue after a key defence witness, psychiatrist Professor Keith Rix, became unavailable to complete his testimony. Mr Justice Paul McDermott discharged the jury of five men and seven women, informing them that the evidence given by Professor Rix was significant but could not now be finished. The trial will proceed afresh before a different jury on a date to be fixed on November 28th. Mr Kilroy, aged 50, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of occupational therapist Ms French Kilroy, aged 41, who died between June 13th and 14th, 2019. The defendant was remanded in custody.
Sean Murphy, 29, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Michael Olohan, 35, who died on 13 August 2020 after Murphy stabbed him in their shared apartment on St Lawrence Road. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court, where the jury was informed that Murphy was 25 at the time of the killing. Both men lived in a step‑down independent living facility run by St Vincent's Hospital Psychiatric Services, where they received medication but were otherwise free to manage their own affairs. Prosecutor Ronan Kennedy SC argued that Murphy caused Olohan's death and that the jury must decide his mental capacity. Defence psychiatrist Professor Keith Rix testified that Murphy suffered from a "most severe" form of obsessive‑compulsive disorder (OCD) at the time of the killing. Rix explained that Murphy's OCD was so severe that he lacked insight, yet he was not convinced he could not have refrained from the act.
A clinical toxicologist has given evidence at the Central Criminal Court that a Westport man accused of murdering his wife was likely not under the influence of cannabis at the time of her death, despite a long history of drug use. James Kilroy, aged 50, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Valerie French Kilroy at their home in Kilbree Lower between 13 and 14 June 2019. Dr Johann Grundlingh told the court that whilst Mr Kilroy's urine tested clear of cannabis two days after the killing, chronic exposure to the drug may have triggered a psychotic episode in a vulnerable person. The witness stated that intoxication from cannabis typically lasts hours rather than days. Under prosecution cross-examination, Dr Grundlingh acknowledged it remained possible Mr Kilroy had consumed cannabis after his last admitted use on 7 June. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.
In a courtroom in Dublin, Ryan Casey, the boyfriend of the 23‑year‑old teacher Ashling Murphy, delivered a tearful statement after the jury convicted Jozef Puska of murder. Casey described his love for Murphy, their plans to marry and start a family, and the loss he feels. He accused Puska of showing no remorse and called him "the lowest of the low." The judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, imposed a mandatory life sentence, noting the seriousness of the crime and the possibility of a whole‑life order. Puska, 33, was found guilty of stabbing Murphy eleven times and slashing her once before leaving her to die near a canal in Tullamore. He will be eligible for parole after 12 years. Casey's statement focused on the personal grief and the impact of Murphy's death on his life.
At the Central Criminal Court, a forensic psychiatrist testified that James Kilroy experienced a psychotic episode in October 2001, some eighteen years before the alleged killing of his wife. Professor Keith Rix told the jury that medical records from that earlier episode showed the accused had used cannabis approximately two weeks prior and subsequently developed abnormal beliefs and perceptions. The witness outlined that in the weeks preceding the death of Valerie French Kilroy at their home in Kilbree Lower, Westport, Co Mayo, the accused exhibited an escalating pattern of delusional thinking, including beliefs about surveillance and poisoning. The psychiatrist stated that cannabis use two weeks before the incident constituted a substance-induced psychotic episode in a vulnerable person rather than simple intoxication. Mr Kilroy, aged fifty, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder charge. Ms French Kilroy, aged forty-one, an occupational therapist, died in June 2019 from strangulation, blunt force trauma, and a stab wound. The trial is ongoing before Mr Justice Paul McDermott.
At the Central Criminal Court, a consultant forensic psychiatrist testified that James Kilroy was suffering from a substance-induced psychotic episode when he killed his wife at their rural home near Westport, Co Mayo. Dr Ronan Mullaney told the jury that the accused's mental disorder meant he did not know his actions were wrong and could not refrain from committing the act. Kilroy, aged 50, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of his wife between June 13 and 14, 2019. The psychiatrist described paranoid delusions and erratic behaviour in the weeks preceding the death, including beliefs about surveillance and conspiracy. He stated the accused met criteria for the insanity defence under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006. In cross-examination, the State's counsel disputed the evidence, suggesting the accused had minimised his long-standing cannabis use and had motivation to provide a self-serving account. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and jury.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 15 November 2023, counsel Paul Murray SC delivered a closing speech to a jury of twelve in the murder trial of Gerard Cervi, aged 36, who is accused of firing nine bullets at Bray Boxing Club on 5 June 2018. The prosecution presented CCTV footage showing Cervi travelling from his home to the club in a distinctive van, entering the club, firing in a methodical pattern, and then leaving the premises. DNA, fingerprints and other forensic evidence were also cited. The alleged victims were Robert 'Bobby' Messett, who died on the scene, and Ian Britton and Pete Taylor, who were injured. Murray argued that the evidence demonstrated Cervi's intent to kill, and urged the jury to find him guilty of murder and two attempted murders. The judge was scheduled to address the jury the following day. Gerard Cervi pleaded not guilty.
In a Kilkenny murder trial, Andrew 'Andy' Cash, 30, pleaded not guilty to the stabbing death of his brother‑in‑law John Cash, 40, on 3 May 2022. Cash, a father of three from Highrath, claimed he was "out of his head on tablets" and could not fully recall the events of that day. He told the jury that he believed his wife had cheated on him with John Cash "years ago" and that he had confronted John Cash after seeing him and his wife leave a Centra. Cash admitted to having a knife in his car, which he said had been there "for ages," and that he had given John Cash a "good thumping" while he was on the ground, but denied stabbing him. He also denied shouting "you got what you deserved" or threatening to kill John Cash. The case is set to proceed before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of seven women and five men.
The Central Criminal Court trial of James Kilroy, 50, accused of murdering his wife, Valerie French Kilroy, 41, at their Co Mayo home in June 2019, continued with the prosecution case closing. Mr Kilroy has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The jury heard evidence from gardai interviews in which the accused described waiting in the long grass for his wife before slitting her throat and choking her with his bare hands. He stated he used a black serrated knife and smashed her head, describing the event as a frenzy. The prosecution noted that Ms French Kilroy died from strangulation, blunt force trauma, and a stab wound. Defence counsel called consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Ronan Mullaney, who testified that the accused had a long history of cannabis use, including therapeutic consumption of high-THC 'AK-47' strain in the three years prior to the death. Dr Mullaney stated that THC can induce substance-induced psychosis in predisposed individuals and that the accused slightly increased his use in the week before the incident. The accused also reported feeling watched and paranoid in the days leading up to the event. The trial is ongoing, with no final verdict or sentence recorded at this stage.
The Central Criminal Court heard the trial of Sean Murphy, 29, who stabbed his housemate Michael Olohan, 35, to death on 13 August 2020. Murphy had been released from a psychiatric ward to an independent living facility four months earlier. He pleaded not guilty to murder. The prosecution argued that Murphy had an active mental disorder and should be found not guilty by reason of insanity, while the defence contended that his responsibility was substantially diminished, seeking a verdict of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Witnesses included a prosecution expert who described severe obsessive‑compulsive disorder with psychotic symptoms, and a defence expert who agreed on OCD but denied a psychotic illness. The jury was instructed to consider Murphy's mental capacity at the time of the killing. The trial proceeded before Justice Mary Ellen Ring with a jury of twelve.
The 66‑year‑old patriarch of a Traveller family was sentenced to life imprisonment for a campaign of rape that included the sexual abuse of his granddaughter and nephew, with 24 charges found guilty. He also had a 16‑year sentence for abusing his daughter, who became pregnant with his child at 17. His three sons received sentences of 11 to 16½ years for related offences. The patriarch's 64‑year‑old wife was jailed for two years for assisting a son in an anally raping her granddaughter and for assaulting the same child. The court noted the victims were children at the time of the abuse, which occurred between 1999 and 2005 across various locations. The judge described the man as a "deviant father figure" who ruled his family with an iron fist and showed no remorse. The sentencing was carried out despite the man being admitted to hospital, and he made no reaction to the life sentence.
Former priest Denis Nolan, 71, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court following his guilty plea to one count of oral rape and 36 counts of sexual assault committed between 1994 and 2000. The court found that Nolan abused a victim aged 11 to 17 in Dublin and Wicklow. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed a five-year sentence for the rape, to run consecutively to Nolan's existing terms, alongside concurrent three-year sentences for the sexual assault counts. Nolan is currently serving a 19-year aggregate sentence for previous convictions, including a 2022 case where the Court of Appeal quashed a suspended portion and substituted a consecutive six-year term. The judge noted Nolan's "predatory" conduct and "egregious betrayal" of trust, while acknowledging his guilty plea and remorse as mitigating factors. Nolan, in custody since 2014, was also directed to undergo five years of post-release supervision. The matter was finalised with the imposition of these additional custodial terms.
A jury was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court for the trial of Sean Murphy, 29, who is charged with the murder of Michael Olohan, 35, that occurred on 13 August 2020 on St Lawrence Road, Dublin. Murphy pleaded not guilty. The trial will start tomorrow before Justice Mary Ellen Ring and a jury of six men and six women and is expected to last up to five days.
Martin Hayes, a grave digger, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter after a Central Criminal Court jury returned a majority verdict of 11‑1. Hayes admitted to using violence against Amadea McDermott, 27, and to having accessed her phone via a hidden app. He claimed she stabbed herself, a claim the jury rejected. The prosecution argued that Hayes inflicted a single stab wound to McDermott's abdomen without the intent to kill, and that evidence such as the absence of DNA on the knife, toxicology reports, and McDermott's text messages indicating fear of Hayes supported this view. The jury spent 13 hours and 22 minutes over four days deliberating. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for 21 November, with Hayes remanded in custody until then. The McDermott family will be allowed to speak at that hearing.
William Duffy, 40, of Dundalk, pleaded guilty in July to discharging a firearm recklessly at 11pm on 28 May 2019 in Marian Park, Dundalk, where he fired twice at Keith Shields, who was walking home. Duffy was seen on CCTV leaving a hospital four hours earlier and later arriving at the park. The Central Criminal Court judge, Ms Justice Caroline Biggs, sentenced Duffy to three years and six months' imprisonment, with nine months suspended, for causing "abject terror" to Mr Shields. The judge noted Duffy's 42 prior convictions, including affray, burglary and assault, and his history of substance abuse, but also his remorse, boxing coaching and positive prison governor's report. The sentence was based on a pre‑mitigation term of four years and eight months, reduced by a 25% mitigating discount. The attempted murder charge was withdrawn by the State.
A 57‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison after a Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty of five counts of rape of his wife, committed in their family home and a holiday home in 2006 and 2018. He was acquitted of three other rape counts and a ninth count was not agreed upon. The judge described the offences as a fundamental breach of trust and bodily integrity, noting that the rapes occurred while their children were present, sometimes with a baby in the bedroom. The victim, whose identity is protected, said the husband abused her under the "guise of Catholic entitlements," controlling her and denying any wrongdoing. She testified that she had been isolated and felt worthless, and that the abuse escalated when she prioritized their children's needs.
The Central Criminal Court jury, consisting of eight men and four women, has paused its deliberations over the weekend and will resume on Monday at 10.30am. They have spent 11 hours and 39 minutes across three days considering the verdict in the murder trial of Martin Hayes, 34, who denies killing his partner, Amadea McDermott, 27, at her home in Coolock on 20 July 2017. The prosecution alleges Hayes stabbed McDermott and that she had previously been physically abused by him. Hayes claims the stabbing was self‑harm, citing a post‑mortem that the single abdominal wound could be consistent with self‑harm and that no DNA was found on the knife. The jury can return one of three verdicts: guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty. Justice Paul McDermott has asked the jurors to reach a unanimous decision.
A man on trial for murder told gardaí he had killed his wife after being found naked in a field near Westport, Co Mayo, the Central Criminal Court heard. James Kilroy, aged 50, a park ranger, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Valerie French Kilroy, an occupational therapist, at their home at Kilbree Lower between 13 and 14 June 2019. Gardaí discovered Mr Kilroy in a field in Derrygorman on the morning of 14 June, where he stated he was on a pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick. He was detained under the Mental Health Act. At Mayo University Hospital, Mr Kilroy told gardaí he wished to make a confession and said he had killed his wife. Gardaí subsequently found Ms French Kilroy's body in a campervan at the property, with evidence of a violent death. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Paul McDermott, continues before a jury of seven women and five men. Psychiatric evidence will be central to the jury's consideration.
Jozef Puska, aged 33, was found guilty of murdering 23‑year‑old school teacher Ashling Murphy by stabbing her 11 times in the neck on 12 January 2022. The Central Criminal Court jury delivered a unanimous verdict after two hours of deliberation. Puska, who had pleaded not guilty, was taken to prison by officers as the verdict was announced. He will be sentenced to life imprisonment on 17 November. The jury's decision was praised by the Murphy family, who attended every day of the trial. Evidence presented included CCTV footage of Puska's bicycle near the scene, DNA on the bike and under Murphy's fingernails, and his fingerprints. Puska's defence claimed he was attacked by a masked man, a claim rejected by the jury. No motive was offered. The sentencing date was set for 17 November.
In the Central Criminal Court, Judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt addressed a jury hearing the trial of Jozef Puska, who denies murdering 23‑year‑old school teacher Ashling Murphy. The judge reiterated the legal principles and guided the jury through the evidence presented, including an alleged confession by Puska, DNA found under Murphy's fingernails, interview evidence from Gardaí after his arrest, and eye‑witness testimony at the scene. Puska, 33, has pleaded not guilty to the murder that occurred on 12 January 2022 in Cappincur, Tullamore. The defence has questioned the reliability of Puska's alleged confession, recorded on 14 January when he was in St James's Hospital. The judge noted that while the words spoken were recorded, the defence raised concerns about their truth, accuracy and reliability, citing an expert who suggested Puska may have been confused or experiencing "subtle delirium" due to surgery, pain relief medication, the unfamiliar hospital environment and a language barrier.
In the Central Criminal Court, a jury of eight men and four women is in its second day of deliberations over the murder trial of Martin Hayes, 34, accused of killing his partner Amadea McDermott, 27, at her home in Coolock on or about 20 July 2017. The jury has spent 2 hours 35 minutes on the verdict so far and will return tomorrow at 10:30 am to continue. Hayes pleaded not guilty. Defence counsel Sean Gillane SC argued that the narrative of self‑harm was fabricated, citing a post‑mortem that the single stab wound could be consistent with self‑harm and that no DNA from Hayes was found on the knife. The prosecution, represented by Mr Hayes' counsel, maintained that the evidence pointed to a fatal injury inflicted by Hayes, describing his contempt for McDermott.
A jury of seven women and five men has been sworn in at the Central Criminal Court for the trial of a man charged with the murder of his wife in County Mayo. James Kilroy, aged 49, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the charge of murdering Valerie French Kilroy at their home in Kilbree Lower, Westport, between 13 and 14 June 2019. Mr Kilroy, a park ranger, faces the single count of murder. Justice Caroline Biggs informed the jury that proceedings are expected to continue for approximately three weeks, with the trial commencing before Justice Paul McDermott at the Central Criminal Court.
In her closing speech to the jury, Anne-Marie Lawlor SC for the Director of Public Prosecutions described Jozef Puska as an 'inveterate liar' and said that his account of trying to save Ashling Murphy was a 'structure of lies and mistruths' that were 'foul and contemptible in their nature'. She pointed to evidence, including DNA found under Ms Murphy's fingernails and Mr Puska's admission to gardai that he killed her, to argue that the only rational conclusion is that he murdered her. Mr Puska's defence, led by Michael Bowman SC, urged the jury to be cautious in interpreting the evidence and suggested that the alleged confession made by Mr Puska may not be reliable due to medical factors. The trial continues with the jury considering the evidence presented by both sides. Jozef Puska pleaded not guilty.
A 25‑year‑old man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping and assaulting his 24‑year‑old partner in their shared home in the West of Ireland on 6 October 2021. The court heard that during the attack the man held the woman in a headlock, beat, kicked and kneeled on her, retrieved knives from the kitchen, spat on her after raping her, and forced her to pull down her underwear to "check if she had sex". The woman, who gave a victim impact statement, described the assault as a savage attack that left her with facial injuries and missing hair. She feared for her life and the safety of her young daughter. The judge noted the man's guilty plea and remorse, and imposed a 10‑year sentence, citing the severity of the domestic assault and its impact on the victim's life.
In a Central Criminal Court sentencing hearing, the families of Michael Mulvey, a 55‑year‑old victim who died 13 days after being attacked, said the two brothers, Ian (34) and Daniel (43), had shown no remorse. The brothers, from Cabra, Dublin, had denied murder of Mulvey in a 2019 Navan Road attack. A July trial found them not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter (Ian) and of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm (Daniel). The court heard that Ian stepped onto a pedestrian crossing, shouted threats, and struck Mulvey with blows and kicks, while Daniel joined, wrapped his arms around Mulvey's neck, and punched him repeatedly. Witnesses described the assault as violent, with Mulvey sustaining facial fractures, rib fractures, and a hemopneumothorax that contributed to his death. The brothers' prior convictions and lack of remorse were highlighted by the prosecution, and the case was remanded for sentencing on 4 December.
Sean Johnston, 22, and an unnamed 20‑year‑old were sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to a combined 13½ years for a pre‑meditated stabbing that left a 16‑year‑old victim with 14 wounds. Johnston pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm and to six threats to kill another teenager; his co‑accused pleaded guilty to causing serious harm and to a threat to kill or seriously injure a teenager. Both were initially charged with attempted murder but the State dropped those charges. The judge, Mr Justice Hunt, imposed a headline sentence of 16 years for Johnston and 13 years for the second youth, then reduced each by a quarter for guilty pleas. Johnston's 12‑year term had four years suspended for eight years; the second youth's 8‑year term had two‑and‑a‑half years suspended for five‑and‑a‑half years. The sentences were back‑dated to 30 September 2021 and 28 January 2022 respectively.
Three brothers aged 39, 40 and 41 were sentenced to 11, 15 and 16½ years for raping and sexually abusing their sister, niece and male cousin between 1999 and 2005. The 41‑year‑old received 15 years for 19 rapes of his sister, four sexual assaults and three oral rapes, plus two anally rapes of his niece and one rape of her. The 39‑year‑old was jailed for 16½ years for 20 rapes of his sister, four sexual assaults, six oral rapes, two anally rapes of his niece and two anally rapes of his male cousin. The 40‑year‑old received 11 years for 20 rapes of his sister, five sexual assaults and three oral rapes. A 64‑year‑old mother was jailed for two years for assisting her son in an anally rape of her granddaughter and for assaulting the same child. The unnamed 41-year-old was found guilty.
A 71‑year‑old Carlow pensioner has lodged an appeal against his conviction for two counts of rape of his niece and multiple counts of indecent assault on other female relatives. The appeal argues that the trial judge erred by refusing to sever the indictment into separate trials for each complainant and by refusing to withdraw the case from the jury after the State's evidence. The appellant contends that the passage of time and the unavailability of witnesses prejudiced his case, as the alleged offences occurred in the 1970s and 1980s and witnesses could only identify limited time periods. He also claims that extensive pre‑trial communication between complainants should have led to severance. The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment, with the Director of Prosecutions defending the judge's decisions and stating the law is well settled. The unnamed 71-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In a murder trial in Kilkenny, Andrew 'Andy' Cash, 30, is accused of stabbing his brother‑in‑law, John Cash, 40, to death on 3 May 2022 at Hebron Road. The prosecution alleges that Cash, who shouted "he had it coming for 20 years" and "you have been riding other women," attacked John in broad daylight, causing two stab wounds that penetrated the heart. Cash is also charged with assault causing harm to John's wife, Elizabeth Cash, and with producing a knife during the dispute. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges. The court heard witness testimony of a physical altercation, the discovery of a small steak knife, and that Cash was intoxicated and deemed unfit for interview for six hours after his arrest. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, is expected to last two weeks.
Jozef Puska, aged 33, gave evidence at the Ashling Murphy trial claiming he was a witness to her murder. He testified that he was stabbed three times by the same attacker who killed the 23‑year‑old teacher. Puska described being pushed off his bike, stabbed in the stomach, and later seeing the attacker assault a woman before fleeing. He said he tried to help Murphy, using her shawl to cover injuries, but left after a few moments. Puska admitted lying to Gardaí about being stabbed in Blanchardstown and apologized, citing fear for his family. He denied confessing to murder in St James's Hospital and said he could not recall such admissions. The trial continues with further witnesses to be called. Jozef Puska pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court has fixed a trial date for the first group of five defendants accused of anti-competition offences in the provision of school bus services. Mr Justice Paul McDermott, acting on an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions, set January 27, 2025, as the start date for this trial, which is estimated to last five weeks. The case will be managed by Mr Justice David Keane. The remaining eight defendants, including three companies, will also be managed by Mr Justice Keane, but no trial date has yet been assigned for this second group. The 13 accused, comprising individuals and entities such as Larry Hickey, Noel Browne, Frances Collison, Andrew Walsh, Margaret Callanan, Edward Callanan, Raymond Heney, Anthony Flynn, Elaine Glasheen, and Malachy Collison, are alleged to have entered into or authorized agreements between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2016. These alleged agreements purported to prevent, restrict, or distort competition in trade regarding school bus services in the State. The charges are brought under sections 4(1), 6(1), 8(1), and 8(6) of the Competition Act 2002. The prosecution, acting at the behest of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, previously sought to split the trial into two batches due to practical difficulties, a request the court acceded to. The matter remains at the pre-trial stage, with the first group's trial scheduled for 2025.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 2 November 2023, 34‑year‑old grave digger Martin Hayes, accused of murdering his 27‑year‑old partner Amadea McDermott, took the stand to deny stabbing her. He claimed the relationship was "toxic" but that he had done everything to save her. Hayes said he had thrown her onto a sofa when she wouldn't let him go to work and that he had no right to hit back if someone hit him. He denied confessing to girlfriend Niamh Higgins that he had stabbed McDermott, calling her a liar. Hayes also denied that McDermott had self‑harmed, stating he had called emergency services three times and held a towel over a wound. The trial heard witnesses describing bruises on McDermott's body and alleged physical abuse. The case remains in progress before Mr Justice Paul McDermott with a jury of eight men and four women. Martin Hayes pleaded not guilty.
A jury was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court for the trial of Andrew 'Andy' Cash, 30, of Highrath, Clara, Co Kilkenny. He is accused of murdering his brother‑in‑law, John Cash, 40, on 3 May 2022 at Hebron Road, Kilkenny City. Cash is also charged with assaulting Elizabeth Cash, John's wife, and with producing a knife during a dispute at the same time and place. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges. The trial, set to last two weeks, will begin tomorrow with opening remarks by prosecuting counsel Michael Delaney SC.
Conor Dolan was sentenced to life imprisonment by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Neil Fitzgerald. Dolan, who has 32 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to the charge on July 4 of this year, having originally pleaded not guilty. The court heard that Fitzgerald was shot six times in an execution-style killing on Hills Lane, Crooksling, Tallaght, on June 5, 2016. Prosecution counsel stated that Dolan allegedly lured his friend to the location, where he was paid €10,000 to commit the act. Evidence included CCTV footage, mobile phone data, and a confession Dolan allegedly made to his ex-girlfriend while under the influence of cocaine. The sentence was back-dated to May 15, 2020, when Dolan was arrested at Dublin Airport upon his extradition from the UK. The judge noted that the only sentence open to the court was life imprisonment and extended sympathy to the victim's family. The matter was concluded with this mandatory life sentence.
Two Limerick brothers, aged 29 and 28, were convicted in November 2021 of raping a 14‑year‑old girl and sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment. The younger brother also received an eight‑year sentence for sexual assault, to run concurrently. Both denied the rape, claiming the girl was 16 and that they were victims. The trial took place at the Central Criminal Court. The appeal, heard by Mr Justice John Edwards, was dismissed. The judge upheld the original convictions, noting that the jury had been properly instructed that questions asked of the accused were not evidence. The appeal argued that a re‑charge was too late and insufficiently specific, but the court found no procedural error. The case remains at the conviction stage, with no change to the sentences or the status of the charges. The unnamed 14-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A 45‑year‑old man, David Bolger, was sentenced to nine years in prison for the manslaughter of his friend Przemyslaw Klimczuk, who was 43, in a house on Greenville Lane, Enniscorthy, on 1 May 2020. The incident occurred during a Covid lockdown when the defendants were drinking heavily. Bolger denied a murder charge but was found guilty of manslaughter, with the judge noting that his intoxication removed the intent required for murder. The judge reduced the headline sentence of 14 years to ten years and six months, suspending the final 18 months on the condition of good behaviour and peace‑keeping. Bolger will serve 12 months under probation supervision after release and must comply with probation conditions or serve the suspended portion. The sentence was back‑dated to 6 July to account for time already served. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court, where victim impact statements from Klimczuk's children were read.
Brian Shaughnessy, a former hotelier, has failed in his second appeal to overturn his conviction for raping a 17-year-old part-time employee in the presidential suite of the Loughrea Hotel and Spa in July 2010. Shaughnessy was convicted by a jury in March 2013 and sentenced to six years, with one year suspended. His initial appeal was rejected in April 2020, but the case was sent back to the Court of Appeal following a Supreme Court ruling. In his appeal, Shaughnessy claimed that his legal team did not adequately represent him and that a timeline, potentially containing a missing hour and 15 minutes, was not properly addressed in cross-examination. He also alleged that the timeline was only mentioned in a defence speech to the jury. His former legal team denied any claims of incompetence. At the second appeal hearing, Shaughnessy claimed he provided critical documents to his legal team, including key card and phone records, which he said were not used in the trial. However, the Court of Appeal President, Mr Justice George Birmingham, dismissed the appeal, stating that the court was not persuaded that the trial was unfair or that the legal team's performance rendered the conviction unsafe. The court noted that Shaughnessy had not provided a specific account of the time spent in the suite and that the significance of the timeline was diminished due to the lack of a clear alternative explanation. The matter was adjourned and never described as concluded or finalised.
A 27‑year‑old Cork man was jailed for eight years after being convicted of raping his nine‑year‑old cousin twice, once in 2010 and again in 2016, in their grandmother's home. He pleaded not guilty to both counts and continues to deny the offences. The victim, now 23, gave a victim impact statement describing lifelong trauma, loss of friends, and ongoing psychiatric issues. Judge Paul McDermott set a headline sentence of five years for the first rape and 11 years for the second, but imposed a four‑year sentence for the first and a concurrent eight‑year sentence for the second, with no suspended portion and three years of post‑release supervision. The court noted the defendant's age, lack of prior convictions, and multiple neurological diagnoses, including autism spectrum disorder, which may affect his custodial experience. The judge described the damage as "considerable and enduring.".
During the Central Criminal Court hearing, Dr Lorna Flanagan presented DNA evidence linking Jozef Puska to Ashling Murphy's murder. Swabs taken from under Murphy's fingernails yielded a Y‑chromosome profile that matched the Y‑STR profile from Puska's blood and swabs collected when he was in custody at Tullamore Garda Station on 18 January. The probability of an unrelated match was estimated at about one in 14,000. Puska, aged 33, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Murphy, who was killed on 12 January 2022 in Cappincur, Tullamore. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Tony Hunt with a jury of nine men and three women. The court has not yet reached a verdict.
A 41‑year‑old Dominican Republic national was sentenced to ten and a half years' imprisonment, with an 18‑month suspended portion, for violently sexually assaulting his former sister‑in‑law in her Dublin home on 16 July 2021. The court found that he entered her bedroom at about 2 a.m., subjected her to a five‑hour assault in which he repeatedly penetrated her, threatened to stab her 50 times with a metal turkey baster, and physically choked, pulled, and pushed her. He also took her phone when she tried to call for help. The victim, who was found with bruising and abrasions, later escaped at 7:30 a.m. and was taken to a sexual assault treatment unit. She described lasting panic attacks and a "perpetual state of fear and anxiety." The judge noted the prolonged nature of the offence, the multiplicity of sexual violations, and the threats to kill as aggravating factors. The unnamed 41-year-old pleaded guilty.
Michael Connolly (55), of no fixed abode, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility of Mark Lawlor (38), who was found dead in Cloverhill Prison on the night of Friday, November 22, 2019. Connolly was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility by a jury at the Central Criminal Court in August. The fatal attack occurred in a three-prisoner cell where both men had mental health issues and had been remanded to the prison on unconnected matters. Connolly had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Lawlor by reason of insanity. During the sentencing hearing, Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford stated that a headline sentence of 15 years was appropriate but reduced that to 12 years' imprisonment when taking into account Connolly's mental health history, his admissions to gardaí that he killed Mr Lawlor and his expressions of remorse. She then suspended a further two years of the sentence for five years to grant Connolly an opportunity to reintegrate into society upon his release. Ms Justice Lankford also suspended the final two years of the sentence for five years during which Connolly is to attend psychiatric treatment, not use illicit drugs and be of good behaviour for that time. The matter was adjourned and never described as concluded or finalised.
Ruth Lawrence, a 42-year-old Dublin woman extradited from South Africa, will stand trial at the Central Criminal Court on October 7, 2024, on charges of murdering Anthony Keegan and Eoin O'Connor. The bodies of both men were discovered wrapped in plastic on Inchicup Island on Lough Sheelin, which borders Meath and Cavan, in May 2014. Mr Justice David Keane scheduled the trial, which is expected to last three weeks, following a hearing at the Central Criminal Court. The case has been adjourned to January 12, 2024, for case management. Ms Lawrence was arrested at Dublin Airport in May 2023 following her extradition from Bloemfontein and charged with two counts of murder. A South African national also faces extradition proceedings in connection with the deaths, though he is currently serving a prison sentence in South Africa.
A 77‑year‑old former school caretaker was sentenced to eight and a half years' imprisonment for raping and sexually abusing his daughter over a seven‑year period from 1991 to 1997. He pleaded guilty to one count of oral rape and three counts of sexual assault, with the victim aged between six and thirteen during the offences. The court described the abuse as the ultimate betrayal of trust and noted the daughter's decision to break her silence as a courageous act. The judge set a headline sentence of 14 years but reduced it to eight and a half years, citing the defendant's guilty plea, remorse, advanced age and medical issues. The defendant had no prior convictions and was married to the victim's mother, who supported him in court. The sentencing took into account the severe impact on the victim's life and her relationship with her mother.