In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 26‑year‑old Kildare woman was sentenced to five years for the violent sexual assault of her estranged husband, who pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault. The court heard a 999 call made by the victim during the attack, in which she repeatedly screamed for help. The defendant, who suffered an acquired brain injury in 2017, was given a suspended 15‑month period on the condition of rehabilitation and was ordered to keep the peace for three years after release. The judge noted the victim's fear and the impact of the assault, including her ongoing nightmares and the need for CCTV and locks at her home. The defendant's parents were present at the hearing, and the victim chose to remain anonymous. The sentence was reduced from a headline of seven and a half years to five years due to mitigating factors.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the defrocked priest Denis Nolan, aged 70, pleaded guilty to multiple sexual offences against a schoolboy between 2001 and 2005. Nolan, who served as curate in Rathnew from 1998 to 2012, had been on the school's management board. He lured the 12‑year‑old boy to do gardening work, offering €15‑€100, then began asking about sex and molesting him. Nolan raped the boy on several occasions, including face‑down on a bed, in a car, and at the presbytery, sometimes after giving him beer. He also performed oral sex on the boy more than 15 times between 2005 and 2006. The victim's impact report described the abuse as "horrendous" and said it had caused lasting mental health problems. Nolan had previously been jailed for seven years in 2014 for a similar abuse in Wicklow and for six years in 2017 for another case.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has begun deliberating in the trial of Stephen Silver, aged 46, from Aughaward, Foxford, County Mayo, who is charged with the murder of Detective Garda Colm Horkan. The accused has pleaded not guilty to capital murder but guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility in relation to the incident at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. During the trial, the defence presented evidence from a psychiatrist who testified the accused was suffering from bipolar affective disorder at the time, which diminished his responsibility. The prosecution's psychiatric expert disputed this assessment, maintaining the accused's mental capacity remained intact. Mr Justice Paul McDermott charged the jury, comprising seven men and five women, on the available verdicts. The jury retired shortly before midday and was sent home in the evening. Deliberations are to resume Wednesday morning at 10.30am.
A 34‑year‑old man, Dean Paget, pleaded guilty to attempting to murder a pregnant woman, Lisa Ward, who was seriously injured in an attack on 25 April 2021 at Montague Lane, Dublin 2. Paget, who has no fixed abode, was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court via video link from Cork on 15 November 2022. Judge Paul McDermott explained the normal practice would be to have the defendant present in court because of the gravity of the charge, but the defendant was allowed to plead via video link. The judge read the indictment to Paget, who answered "guilty." The court ordered an urinalysis and noted that a victim impact statement would be required. Sentencing was scheduled for 30 January, and Paget was remanded in custody until that date. The hearing was brief, with the victim present in the courtroom.
In a case heard at the Central Criminal Court, a 39‑year‑old man was convicted of raping and sexually assaulting his younger sister when he was 12 to 14 years old, between November 1995 and January 1998. He was sentenced to four years' imprisonment and placed on the sex‑offender register. The man appealed the rape conviction, arguing that the trial judge erred by including details of other withdrawn counts in the jury's charge. He also contested whether there was sufficient evidence to rebut the presumption of incapacity to commit a crime (doli incapax). The Court of Appeal, led by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, considered three strands of evidence: the victim's distress, the private setting of the alleged assault, and the defendant's reaction to his older sister's arrival. The court found the evidence sufficient to allow the jury to infer that the defendant knew his conduct was gravely wrong, and it dismissed the appeal, affirming the conviction.
A 45‑year‑old Cork security guard, Andrew Healy, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting his younger sister over a 17‑year period. He pleaded guilty to 16 counts of sexual assault between 1992 and 2009, including an attempted rape. The abuse began when the sister was about four or five and Healy was 15, occurring mainly in their family home in Ballingcollig, with some incidents at a second Cork location and at Healy's flat in Wilton. The victim, who chose to waive anonymity, reported the abuse to Gardaí in 2017 after years of daily molestation. Healy's guilty plea and the victim's testimony led to a sentence of seven and a half years, with the final year suspended and conditions such as probation supervision, no unsupervised contact with minors, and no contact with the victim without permission. The court noted Healy's remorse and the mitigating effect of his early plea.
An unnamed man, who pleaded guilty to one count of oral rape of his younger sister and one count of sexual assault of his younger brother on unknown dates between 1994 and 1997, was handed a suspended prison sentence at the Central Criminal Court. The matter reached this stage after the Director of Public Prosecutions' initial decision against prosecution was overturned on appeal. Ms Justice Karen O'Connor suspended a three-and-a-half-year sentence in full, citing the "wholly exceptional" circumstances, including the accused's remorse and the victims' request not to imprison him. She noted the accused was 13 at the time of the offending and sentenced him as a child. The headline sentence for the rape count was reduced from seven years to three-and-a-half years, while a two-year sentence for the sexual assault count was imposed to run concurrently. The judge highlighted the accused's lack of previous convictions and his self-employment as mitigating factors. Although the victims described the incidents as a breach of trust, they stated in impact statements that they did not want a custodial sentence. The accused read a letter apologising to his siblings, acknowledging his failure as an older brother. The court concluded the sentencing phase with the full suspension of the effective custody term.
Two 17‑year‑old boys were found guilty of attempted oral rape, four counts of sexual assault and assault causing harm. The first, 15 at the time, had taken a 14‑year‑old girl's phone, threatened to smash it unless she performed oral sex, and used violence when she refused. The second, 14 then, also demanded oral sex and pushed her. Both boys admitted the acts, expressed remorse and were found to have no prior convictions. The court, noting the seriousness of the offences and the boys' youth, set a headline sentence of six years' detention, with a final sentence of three years' detention, 16 months to be served in custody and the remainder suspended. The case was adjourned to 9 December for finalisation, and the Probation Service was instructed to outline a possible engagement structure for the boys.
A 16‑year‑old, who was 14 when the offence occurred, was found guilty of murdering Uransetseg Tserendorj after a retrial at the Central Criminal Court. The jury, a panel of six men and five women, returned a 10‑to‑1 majority verdict after eight hours and 59 minutes of deliberation. The accused had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter on 29 January 2021, but the State rejected that plea. Tserendorj, a Mongolian national, was stabbed in the neck as she walked home from work in Dublin's financial district on 20 January. The fatal wound severed her carotid artery, leading to catastrophic brain damage and her death on 29 January. The trial heard testimony from Gardaí, Tserendorj's husband, forensic pathologists and the accused, who admitted the stabbing when questioned by police. The judge remanded the teenager in custody for mention, with sentencing scheduled for 21 December.
In the night of 9 pm on 11 November 2022, Urantsetseg Tserendorj was stabbed in the neck by a 14‑year‑old boy who had come to rob her. She was taken to the Mater Hospital where doctors attempted to save her, but she died on 29 January 2023 after a severe hypoxic brain injury caused by the wound. The boy, who had been using drugs, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but the State rejected the plea and he was tried twice for murder. In the second trial, the jury found him guilty of murder by a 10‑1 majority after a three‑day deliberation. The case highlighted the boy's intent to rob and the accidental nature of the stabbing, but the court concluded that the knife was deliberately swung at her neck. The verdict was delivered by Judge Tony Hunt. The unnamed 14-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In November 2022, Declan Hannon, aged 52, appealed his 2019 convictions for raping a nine‑year‑old girl on four occasions and for two indecent assaults in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow. He argued that the decades‑long delay in prosecuting the case had made his trial unfair. Hannon had been found guilty on all six counts and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment by Mr Justice Michael White. The victim, now in her 40s, had given evidence six times before the conviction. The appeal focused on whether the delay prejudiced Hannon, citing the death of his father in 2006, his mother's medical condition, lost work records, and the loss of evidence over the 11‑year gap between the initial complaint and her formal statement in 2013. The Court of Appeal considered these points but had not yet delivered a decision. The case remains at the appeal stage.
At the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Paul McDermott has instructed the jury in the trial of Stephen Silver to apply common sense when evaluating conflicting psychiatric evidence regarding the accused's mental state. Mr Silver, aged 46, a motorbike mechanic from Aughaward in Foxford, County Mayo, denies murdering Detective Garda Colm Horkan at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. He has pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. The defence psychiatrist testified that Mr Silver suffered from bipolar affective disorder at the time of the shooting, whilst the prosecution's expert disagreed. The judge clarified that jurors are not bound by expert testimony and may prefer one account over another. He explained that if they find Mr Silver guilty of unlawful killing with the requisite intent, they must then determine whether his responsibility was substantially diminished by mental disorder. The judge emphasised this remains a question of fact for the jury to assess using common sense alongside all evidence presented. Stephen Silver pleaded not guilty.
At the Central Criminal Court, defence counsel for Stephen Silver argued it would be unsafe to convict him of the murder of Detective Garda Colm Horkan, citing evidence of mental disorder at the time of the shooting. Mr Silver, aged 46, from Aughaward near Foxford in County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to capital murder but guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility for the fatal shooting at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. Defence barrister Roisin Lacey SC asked the jury to consider psychiatric evidence that Mr Silver was experiencing a relapse of bipolar affective disorder which substantially diminished his culpability. She referenced observations from gardaí interviews, recorded on the day following the incident, which documented deteriorating mental state including delusional beliefs and bizarre behaviour. Ms Lacey also highlighted inconsistencies in the prosecution's evidence regarding the deceased garda's formal status. The trial continues with the judge's charge to the jury expected the following day.
The jury in the trial of a 16‑year‑old boy charged with the murder of Mongolian national Urantsetseg Tserendorj will continue deliberations for a third day. The jury, composed of six men and six women, has requested transcripts of evidence from Ms Tserendorj's husband, Ulambayer Surenkhor, and from Ms Tayo Odelade, whom the accused attempted to rob on the night of the stabbing. Judge Tony Hunt informed the jury that transcripts of the evidence and the closing statements would be provided, but a transcript of his own directions was not yet available; he would give a verbal recap and supply the written transcript later. He explained two possible routes to a guilty verdict: one requiring proof of intent to kill or cause serious injury, and another where the act could have resulted in death or serious injury. Urantsetseg Tserendorj pleaded not guilty.
Stephen Silver, a forty-six-year-old motorbike mechanic from Foxford, County Mayo, stands trial at the Central Criminal Court on a charge of murdering Detective Garda Colm Horkan on 17 June 2020 in Castlerea, County Roscommon. Mr Silver has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. The prosecution closing speech, delivered by James Dwyer SC, contended that Mr Silver was filled with significant anger towards An Garda Síochána and that the encounter with Garda Horkan provided an opportunity to act on that anger. The prosecution argued that Mr Silver's mental state was not impaired in any significant way and that his behaviour that day was purposeful and deliberate. The defence claims Mr Silver was suffering from bipolar affective disorder which diminished his responsibility. A consultant psychiatrist for the prosecution disputed this assessment. The jury will hear closing submissions from the defence before Mr Justice Paul McDermott provides further direction.
A jury of six men and six women has begun deliberations in the murder trial of a 16‑year‑old boy accused of killing Uransetseg Tserendorj in Dublin in January 2020. The boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter on 29 January 2021, a plea the State rejected. He also pleaded guilty to producing a knife and attempting to rob Ms Tserendorj on 20 January 2021. The trial heard that Ms Tserendorj was returning home from work at about 9 pm when the accused asked for money, she refused, and he inflicted a fatal stab wound to her neck that severed her carotid artery. She was taken to Connolly Station, called her husband, and later died at Mater Hospital on 29 January. The judge instructed the jury to focus on the evidence, the accused's state of mind, and factors such as age, immaturity, panic and intoxication.
A 23‑year‑old Clare man was found guilty by a jury of raping a 19‑year‑old university student in Dublin on 23 May 2017. The victim, now 25, said she had lost many university friends and that people told her she was lying or over‑reacting. She described the attack as occurring after she and a male friend had consensual sex in her bedroom; the defendant slipped into her bed while the friend was in the bathroom and forced himself on her. The court heard the defendant now accepts the verdict, has apologized, and has shown remorse. Mr Justice Paul McDermott sentenced him to five and a half years' imprisonment, suspending the final 12 months on conditions. The sentencing reflected the defendant's lack of prior convictions, his cooperation with the Probation Service and his acknowledgement of the offence. The judge described the act as a "dreadful breach of trust" and "extremely selfish and opportunistic.".
A man accused of murdering Detective Garda Colm Horkan gave inconsistent accounts of the shooting in the immediate aftermath and during garda interviews, a prosecution barrister told the Central Criminal Court on the twenty-first day of trial. James Dwyer SC said the accused's statements at the scene contrasted sharply with evidence he later presented in court, suggesting his account may have been constructed to support his defence rather than reflect accurate recollection. The prosecutor outlined how the accused initially denied the victim was a garda, subsequently claimed the victim identified himself but wore civilian clothing, and later suggested the victim may have been a drug dealer. The accused also provided varying explanations for how the victim sustained injuries. Stephen Silver, aged 46, a motorbike mechanic from Aughaward, Foxford, County Mayo, denies murdering Detective Garda Horkan at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. He has pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Expert psychiatric evidence differed on whether the accused's mental capacity was diminished at the time. Stephen Silver pleaded not guilty.
A Longford man has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment, with the final eighteen months suspended, following his conviction for rape at the Central Criminal Court. Karl Reilly, aged 39, of Inny View, Aghara, Carrickboy, was found guilty by jury of raping a woman in Galway city centre in August 2017. The court heard that Reilly continued sexual contact with the woman after she explicitly asked him to stop when a second man entered the van where the incident occurred. The woman was subsequently sexually assaulted by the other man, whose case was adjourned pending sentencing. Justice Mary Ellen Ring emphasised the importance of consent and stressed that its withdrawal must be respected at any time. She noted Reilly has no previous convictions and was assessed as low risk of reoffending. The victim addressed the court regarding the lasting trauma she has experienced. The second man convicted of sexual assault will be sentenced next month.
A 61‑year‑old man was sentenced to 11 years in prison, with the last six months suspended, for raping and sexually assaulting his younger cousin over four years from 1991 to 1997. The victim, aged ten when the abuse began, was subjected to repeated oral and anal rapes, with an estimated 50 anally rapes per year. The man denied the charges. He is already serving a seven‑year term for earlier assaults on four girls. The court noted the abuse was a severe breach of trust, citing the victim's young age, the familial relationship, and the prolonged, relentless nature of the attacks. The sentence includes a five‑year post‑release supervision period during which the offender must engage in sex‑offender treatment programmes. The judge considered the defendant's history of abuse and domestic violence as mitigating factors. The victim, now in his 40s, remains reluctant to discuss the abuse. The unnamed 61-year-old was convicted.
A 38‑year‑old man was sentenced to eight‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment in February for seven counts of raping his younger brother between January 1998 and December 2002, mainly at the family home in Co. Limerick. The younger brother, who was 10 at the time of the first offence, testified that he had once admired his older sibling but that the abuse left him deeply scarred. In the sentencing hearing Judge Karen O'Connor described the defendant as "a big brother who should have protected his younger brother". The conviction was reached by a unanimous verdict in the Central Criminal Court in Dublin in December 2021. The defendant has now appealed, arguing that a line of questioning about the older brother's "outing" of the victim to their parents was unfairly excluded, potentially affecting the jury's assessment of the victim's credibility. The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment on the appeal.
A man accused of murdering Detective Garda Colm Horkan became severely mentally unwell the day before the shooting and his sister planned to have him admitted to a psychiatric hospital, the Central Criminal Court heard on Friday. Marian Bruen, a schoolteacher, told the trial of her brother Stephen Silver that during a phone call she noticed he was hyper-stressed, speaking rapidly, and displaying signs of paranoia. She recognised these as indicators that he required hospital admission. Silver, aged 46, a motorbike mechanic from Aughavard near Foxford in County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. The offence occurred at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. A prosecution consultant psychiatrist, Professor Harry Kennedy, told the court he did not believe Silver qualified for a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. He stated the accused showed no remorse during gardaí interviews and maintained heightened emotional states without evidence of fixed delusions. The trial continues.
In a Dublin court hearing, a 16‑year‑old boy who stabbed Mongolian national Urantsetseg Tserendorj on 20 January 2021 was described by a witness, Ms. Tayo Odelade, as having approached her while she walked home from work, tried to steal her mobile phone, and after a struggle, pulled out a knife and warned her that "that could have ended a lot worse for you." Ms. Odelade, an accountant, said she fought back, managed to keep her phone, and the teenager later apologized before leaving on a scooter. The boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State did not accept, and also pleaded guilty to producing a knife and attempting to rob Ms. Tserendorj. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court, with evidence from Detective Sergeant Brendan Casey and Ms.
Mr Justice David Keane sentenced Dion Genockey (24), Troy Ryan (24), and Daryl Rooney (25) to nine years, nine and a half years, and 10 years respectively for raping a vulnerable teenager at Dollymount Strand in January 2016. The men were convicted following a second trial at the Central Criminal Court after a jury in the first trial failed to reach a verdict. All three maintain their innocence and have not accepted responsibility. Mr Keane noted the offence involved a high degree of degradation and that the victim, who had recently left State care, was subjected to further assault by two other men not before the court. Rooney, who has 225 previous convictions, received the longest sentence due to aggravating factors. Ryan has 24 previous offences, while Genockey has no prior convictions. The judge declined to suspend any portion of the sentences given the lack of remorse but placed all three under Probation Service supervision for two years post-release. Leave to extend legal aid for potential appeals was granted. The men have been in custody since the guilty verdicts in April. Supporters of the accused were removed from the court after shouting that the men were innocent.
At the Central Criminal Court, a consultant psychiatrist has disputed evidence that a murder accused's responsibility was diminished due to mental illness. Professor Harry Kennedy told Stephen Silver's trial that the accused, aged 46 and from Aughavard, Foxford, County Mayo, displayed a pattern of self-dramatising behaviour during confrontations with gardaí rather than symptoms typical of bipolar disorder. Professor Kennedy referenced a 2006 incident in which Mr Silver emerged from his apartment with a sword and helmet before eventually complying with gardaí, characterising this as theatrical rather than pathological. He argued that Mr Silver's actions surrounding the death of Detective Garda Horkan—including repeatedly firing a gun and selectively deciding how to cooperate with gardaí afterwards—demonstrated purposeful intent and rational decision-making inconsistent with diminished responsibility. Mr Silver has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. The trial, before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury, continues.
Seamus Marley, an alleged IRA member, has failed in a second bid to obtain an extension of time to lodge an appeal against his convictions. At the Court of Appeal, Marley's legal team argued that a newly discovered fact—specifically an alleged undisclosed agreement between the prosecution and defence regarding the trial's conduct—demonstrated a miscarriage of justice. However, Court President Mr Justice George Birmingham dismissed the application, stating there was no evidential basis for these submissions and that Marley provided no affidavit or hard evidence to support the claim of a secret deal. Marley, who pleaded not guilty, was sentenced in May 2019 by the Central Criminal Court to seven years' imprisonment for the sexual assault and anal rape of two teenage boys in County Louth in the early 1990s. The jury had returned unanimous guilty verdicts on six counts of sexual assault and two counts of rape. The court noted that Marley had previously been refused an extension in July 2020, as the judges found no modest degree of optimism that his appeal grounds would succeed. The judge emphasized that the court's time was being wasted without evidence, particularly regarding Marley's contention that his extradition from Spain was based on different charges. The application was dismissed, leaving Marley's original sentence intact.
A 16‑year‑old boy stood trial in the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Mongolian national Urantsetseg Tserendorj, who was stabbed in the neck on 20 January 2021 while walking home from work. The accused told Gardaí that he had gone out that night with a knife to rob someone. He said he panicked, pulled the knife from his pocket and stabbed Ms Tserendorj, admitting "I did it" and expressing remorse. Garda witnesses described the boy's interaction with his grandmother, who was upset and wanted him to hand himself in, and the discovery of a knife in his home during a search. The boy pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, to producing a knife and to attempting to rob Ms Tserendorj. The case is proceeding before a jury and Mr Justice Tony Hunt.
At the Central Criminal Court trial, consultant psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright testified that defendant Stephen Silver, 46, suffered from bipolar affective disorder which significantly diminished his responsibility for the killing of Detective Garda Colm Horkan. Dr Wright diagnosed Silver with a severe mental illness characterized by mania, psychotic symptoms, and delusions, stating that his impairment in thinking and judgment contributed significantly to his actions. She supported the defense argument that under Section 6 of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act, a jury should find him not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Silver, a motorbike mechanic from Foxford, Co. Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Det Garda Horkan, alleging he was reckless as to whether the victim was acting in accordance with his duty. He has also pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility for the incident in Castlerea, Co. Roscommon, on 17 June 2020. Dr Wright noted that Silver's condition was exacerbated by his repeated failure to take prescribed medication, though she disagreed with the prosecution expert who argued he had intact mental capacity. The trial is ongoing before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury, with cross-examination continuing.
The murder trial of a 16-year-old male, who cannot be named as he is a minor, is ongoing at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Tony Hunt. The defendant has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Urantsetseg Tserendorj but guilty to her manslaughter on 29 January 2021. He also pleaded guilty to producing a knife and attempting to rob Ms Tserendorj on 20 January 2021. The State did not accept the manslaughter plea, and the matter remains at the trial stage. Forensic pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers testified that she conducted the post-mortem on 3 February 2021. She identified a partially healed stab wound below the deceased's earlobe and confirmed that the internal carotid artery had been transected. Dr Okkers stated that the cause of death was global cerebral hypoxia due to the loss of blood supply to the brain. She explained that while a haemorrhage tract of 6cm was identified, it was difficult to estimate the full depth of the injury due to prior surgical intervention. She confirmed that no natural pathology could have caused the death and that a knife could have inflicted the wound. The jury viewed CCTV footage showing the accused approaching Ms Tserendorj on a walkway in the IFSC. The trial continues.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Helen Sheehy, daughter of the victim, said the death of her mother Susan Dunne, who was bludgeoned with a hatchet by her autistic son Patrick Dunne, might have been avoided with better supports. She expressed hope that Patrick knows his mother still loves him and that he deserves help. Patrick Dunne, aged 28, was found not guilty by reason of insanity after a jury heard psychiatric evidence that he had little understanding of the act and was unable to refrain. The court ordered him to continue treatment at the Central Mental Hospital. The case involved six fatal hatchet wounds to Susan's head, with Patrick admitting to striking her without lawful justification. The trial highlighted the son's perception of control and his desire for independence. The court noted the tragic outcome and the need for ongoing support for Patrick.
A consultant psychiatrist told the Central Criminal Court that Stephen Silver's behaviour following the fatal shooting of Detective Garda Colm Horkan at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020 displayed possible signs of abnormal or manic mental state. Dr Brenda Wright, giving evidence at the trial of the 46-year-old mechanic from Foxford, County Mayo, described his conduct during garda interviews as bizarre and inappropriate, including grandiose claims about military rank and hostile outbursts. She noted his failure to grasp the gravity of his circumstances contrasted sharply with the professional demeanour of investigating gardaí. Dr Wright referenced Mr Silver's psychiatric history, including bipolar disorder and seventeen prior admissions since 1997. Mr Silver has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Dr Wright's evidence continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and jury.
In a Dublin court, a 16‑year‑old boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, is on trial for the murder of Mongolian national Urantsetseg Tserendorj, who was 49 when she died. The boy pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter and to producing a knife and attempting to rob Ms Tserendorj on 20 January 2021. The prosecution, led by Sean Guerin SC, argued that the teenager "went for the jugular", taking a knife and stabbing her in the neck, an act that caused a fatal carotid artery injury. CCTV footage and the boy's admission to Gardaí were presented. The case focuses on the boy's state of mind at the time of the attack, with the jury instructed to decide whether the prosecution proved a guilty mind for murder or manslaughter. The trial continues tomorrow.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 35‑year‑old Bryan Kennedy pleaded guilty to soliciting a man, referred to as 'AL', to murder Canadian couple Stephanie Poirier and her partner Clara Houdebrummette. Kennedy claimed he was motivated by a sense of betrayal after discovering intimate Facebook messages between his then‑wife and the couple. He allegedly paid AL €8,000 and later demanded additional money, threatening his wife and children. Kennedy admitted to hacking his wife's messages to portray the couple as "to be killed" and to have them "painted". He also claimed he had backed out of the plan and intended to kill the couple himself. Kennedy faces a maximum of 10 years' imprisonment on both charges and is awaiting sentencing for possession of child pornography. The court ordered a probation report and care provisions for his three children. The matter was adjourned to 16 January 2023.
A 26‑year‑old Dublin man, Stephen Rabbitte, pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to attempting to murder Audrey Reddin on 10 April 2021 at his apartment block on Marlborough Road. He appeared briefly before Mr Justice Paul McDermott, who adjourned sentencing to 12 December. Rabbitte, who is in Cloverhill prison, has a long psychiatric history and his barrister, Sean Gillane SC, requested updated psychiatric reports.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a 48‑year‑old man was found not guilty on four counts of raping his wife with household objects, while the jury could not reach a verdict on the remaining 11 counts. The prosecution alleged that between 2005 and 2014 the husband sexually assaulted his wife by penetrating her vagina with items such as a knife, a cheese grater, a bottle, a carrot, a banana, a cucumber, a tulip, a wooden spatula, a decanter stopper, part of a shoe, a bicycle pump, a deodorant bottle and his finger, and also committed anal rape with his thumb. The jury returned four not guilty verdicts after nearly eight hours of deliberation, but was unable to agree on the other charges. The judge thanked the jury, noted the difficulty of the case, and adjourned the matter for mention on 7 November.
Stephen Silver, a 46-year-old motorbike mechanic from Aughavard, Foxford, County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Detective Garda Colm Horkan at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. He has pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. The Central Criminal Court has heard evidence that Silver assaulted psychiatric staff nine months before fatally shooting the detective eleven times. Psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright testified that Silver had been admitted to psychiatric units seventeen times since 1997, with diagnoses including bipolar affective disorder and schizoaffective disorder. She stated that Silver stopped taking medication following his release from hospital in September 2019. Dr Wright noted that by April 2021, after ten months on antipsychotic medication whilst in custody, Silver had returned to his normal state. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.
The jury has begun deliberating in the trial of a Dublin man accused of repeatedly raping his wife using household objects. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 15 counts of raping the woman on unknown dates between January 1, 2005 and September 5, 2014. The charges allege that the accused sexually assaulted the woman by penetrating her vagina with various different objects including a knife, a cheese grater, a bottle, a carrot, a banana, a cucumber, a tulip, a wooden spatula, a decanter stopper, part of a shoe, a bicycle pump, a deodorant bottle and his finger. The charges also include an allegation of anal rape and one of penetration of the woman's anus with his thumb. All 15 offences are contrary to section 4 of the 1990 Rape Amendment Act.
A jury of twelve was sworn in on 27 October 2022 to hear the murder trial of a 16‑year‑old teenage boy accused of killing Urantsetseg Tserendorj, a mother of two, on 29 January 2021. The alleged offence occurred on a walkway between George's Dock and Custom House Quay in Dublin 1, where Ms Tserendorj was walking home from work. The defendant, who cannot be named because he is a minor, pleaded not guilty. Judge Karen O'Connor informed the jury that the case involves a juvenile who was 14 at the time of the alleged offence and is now 16, turning 17 soon. She warned the jury to avoid discussing the case over the weekend, to refrain from researching the accused or the case, and to stay away from internet or social media. The trial will commence next Tuesday, 1 November, before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and is expected to last about a week.
A 19-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to one count of oral rape committed at an address in the Leinster area on November 28, 2019. The defendant, who was aged 16 at the time of the offending, admitted to the charge. The victim, who was 15 years old during the incident, provided a victim impact statement detailing the trauma she has experienced since the attack. In mitigation, defense counsel Mr Reynolds highlighted that the accused has no previous convictions, has expressed remorse, and is currently attending a programme managed by Tusla. He noted that a psychological report indicated the defendant has a mild learning disability and requested that the court consider imposing a period of probation supervision to ensure his continued engagement with relevant services. Ms Justice Karen O'Connor acknowledged the victim's bravery in seeing the process through. The sentencing hearing was adjourned to November 16 for finalisation.
A 22‑year‑old Dublin man was jailed for six years after pleading guilty to six counts of assault causing harm and one count of assault, plus theft of the victim's car, bank cards, tablet and mobile phone. He also committed criminal damage to the victim's mother's home, threatened to burn it, and threatened to kill the victim and their unborn child between December 2017 and July 2019. The court noted seven separate assaults, including headbutting, strangulation attempts, biting, punching the pregnant victim in the stomach, dragging her down stairs, putting her head in a toilet, kicking her face, and threatening to cut the baby out of her. The judge imposed a total of eight years, suspending the final two years on strict conditions, including good behaviour for three years, cooperation with treatment programmes and attendance at a domestic violence intervention assessment.
A 30‑year‑old farm labourer was jailed for eight and a half years after sexually defiling his employer's 14‑year‑old daughter hundreds of times. The judge, Justice Karen O'Connor, described how the man groomed the child into believing they were in a romantic relationship, controlling and degrading her through coercion, forcing her to take intimate photographs and send them, and pressuring her to text him while at school. The victim, who began self‑harm and attempted overdose, admitted to kissing and later having sex with the man, who was aged 28 when first initiated contact. He pleaded guilty to three counts of defilement of a child under 15 and three counts of defilement of a child under 17, covering an eleven‑month period from August 2020 to July 2021.
Dean Kerrie, aged 21, was sentenced to four years and six months in prison for the manslaughter of Jack Power, who had intruded into Kerrie's home in Dunmore East on 26 July 2018. The judge, Mr Justice Paul McDermott, found that Kerrie was entitled to use force in defence of himself, his family and his home, but that the force used was "grossly" excessive because Power was unarmed. Kerrie was 17 at the time of the offence, showed genuine remorse, and did not instigate the violence. The sentence, back‑dated to 30 June, includes a final year suspended for two years. Kerrie has already spent time in custody and will be required to work with probation services and engage in anger and violence management after release.
In a rape trial at the Central Criminal Court, a man accused of repeatedly raping his wife with household objects claimed the relationship was consensual and described it as a dominant‑submissive dynamic. He denied that he had taken advantage of her when she was unconscious, stating he had full consent. The prosecution alleged 15 counts of rape between 2005 and 2014, involving penetration with items such as a knife, cheese grater, bottle, carrot, banana, cucumber, tulip, wooden spatula, decanter stopper, part of a shoe, bicycle pump, deodorant bottle and his finger, plus anal rape and thumb penetration. The accused, who pleaded not guilty, said he took photographs of the acts, claiming they were consensual and part of a fetish. He also claimed to have destroyed a hard drive containing evidence, but said it was stolen. The trial is in its closing stages before a jury and Mr Justice Paul Burns.
Detective Garda Colm Horkan, who was fatally shot two years prior, had assisted in admitting the man accused of his murder to a psychiatric unit in 2003, the Central Criminal Court heard on 25 October 2022. A retired garda sergeant gave evidence that he attended the family home of Stephen Silver near Castlerea, County Roscommon, following an incident that year, alongside Garda Horkan and others. Mr Silver was subsequently admitted to the local psychiatric unit due to his behaviour at that time. The accused, aged 46 and from Foxford, County Mayo, denies murdering Garda Horkan but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. During interview footage viewed by the jury, a garda inspector questioned Mr Silver about the circumstances of the shooting at Castlerea Garda Station. The trial, before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury, continues before the Central Criminal Court. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, an unnamed man pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of raping his wife between 2005 and 2014. The charges allege that he used household objects—knife, cheese grater, bottle, carrot, banana, cucumber, tulip, wooden spatula, decanter stopper, shoe part, bicycle pump, deodorant bottle, and his finger—to penetrate her vagina, and also that he performed anal rape with his thumb. The State's case is that the 49‑year‑old wife was unconscious or otherwise unable to consent during the assaults. The accused claimed he believed his wife consented to all sexual activity, citing weekly "date nights" and the use of a camera or phone during sex. He denied taking advantage of her, stating that any alcohol involved was not enough to impair her judgment. The trial continues before a jury and Mr Justice Paul Burns.
A psychiatrist assessed Stephen Silver, the accused in Detective Garda Colm Horkan's murder, hours after the shooting at Castlerea Garda Station in County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. Dr Will Monteiro, a consultant psychiatrist with three decades' experience, found no evidence of acute mental illness during his evaluation. The doctor noted that Mr Silver's speech and behaviour appeared within normal limits, though he was reluctant to engage in conversation and demanded his family's presence. Dr Monteiro concluded Mr Silver was fit to be interviewed. Under cross-examination, the defence highlighted that the assessment was incomplete, as Mr Silver had refused full evaluation, and that Dr Monteiro had recommended a formal forensic assessment. Mr Silver, aged 46 and from Aughavard, Foxford, County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. The Central Criminal Court trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott.
Daniel Goulding, aged 39, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the attempted murder of two detective gardaí during a siege and shoot‑out at his family home on 25 May 2021. The incident, which lasted up to two hours, left the detectives with non‑fatal limb injuries: one to the foot, one to the hand, and another to the foot. Goulding's defence, represented by Michael Bowman SC, noted that a psychiatric report had only been received on Friday and requested a governor's report from Cloverhill Prison. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned the case to 21 November. Earlier, the court heard that Goulding had been receiving psychiatric treatment for several years. The incident began when gardaí were alerted to gunshots at Whitechapel Grove; the detectives were shot from an upstairs bedroom, took cover behind an unmarked patrol car, and after two hours of negotiations surrendered firearms.
In a case heard in Dublin, three men aged 24—Dion Genockey, Troy Ryan and Daryl Rooney—were convicted of gang‑raping an 18‑year‑old woman at Dollymount Strand in 2016. The men were 17 and 18 at the time of the offence. Rooney had 225 prior convictions, including violent disorder and drug offences, while Genockey and Ryan had no convictions at the time of the rape. The court heard that after the initial assault, the victim was taken to a second car where two other men raped her before she was left on the beach. Defence counsel argued the men should be treated as minors, citing their ages, Rooney's ADHD and mild intellectual disability, and the men's claims of lack of intent. The judge was urged to consider the defendants' youth in sentencing, with the court scheduled to deliver a sentence on 4 November.
Patrick Dunne, a 28‑year‑old autistic man from Ballingeragh, Lixnaw, was found not guilty of murdering his mother Susan Dunne, aged 62, by reason of insanity. The Central Criminal Court heard that Dunne admitted killing his mother but denied it was murder, claiming he was unable to understand or control his actions on the night of 26–27 November 2013. Psychiatric evidence presented by both prosecution and defence psychiatrists agreed that Dunne was mentally disordered and incapable of appreciating the nature or consequences of his act. He had argued with his mother over an expensive iPhone, lost control, and struck her with a hatchet, causing six wounds to her head. The jury returned a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, and Dunne was remanded to the Central Mental Hospital for a medical update and victim impact statement preparation. The case was described as difficult by the judge.
The Central Criminal Court jury has begun deliberations on the case of Patrick Dunne, 28, who denies murdering his mother, Susan Dunne, 62, with a hatchet in 2013. The jury paused to inspect the hatchet and received expert testimony that Dunne, an autistic man with an intellectual disability, was legally insane at the time of the killing. Both prosecution and defence psychiatrists agree he could not understand or control his actions. Dunne admits to killing his mother but claims he had no lawful justification. He has pleaded not guilty. The judge instructed the jury to consider a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity if they find him legally insane. The jury will continue deliberations tomorrow. The unnamed 28-year-old was acquitted.