Christopher Feeney (58) was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court of rape and sexual assault following a trial last September. The offences occurred at his home in Millbrook, Riverside, Sligo on 26 April 2015. The victim, then aged 54, met Feeney through a dating application and accompanied him to his apartment. During an assault lasting approximately one hour, the woman was pinned down and raped. She managed to contact gardaí, who instructed her to hang a towel from the balcony to identify his location. Officers arrived shortly thereafter and arrested Feeney. He was convicted on four counts, including rape and sexual assault, though the jury could not agree on a false imprisonment charge. Mr Justice David Keane indicated an intention to impose a nine-year sentence, with a portion potentially suspended pending a Probation Services report. The matter was adjourned for finalisation on 28 March 2022. Feeney, who had fled Ireland and was subsequently arrested in the UK in 2019, has remained in custody since his return. Christopher Feeney pleaded not guilty.
A 41‑year‑old former GAA coach was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for a series of sexual and physical offences against a boy he mentored at a local club. The victim, now 30, was abused over six years, from 2004 to 2010, including rape, anal rape, sexual assault, assault causing harm and harassment. The court imposed concurrent sentences totalling ten and a half years, with a headline sentence of 13.5 years, reduced by three years for the defendant's guilty plea, remorse and lack of prior convictions. Two and a half years were set for the sexual assault offences, two years for the assault‑causing‑harm offences and three years for the harassment offence. The final 18 months were suspended on strict conditions, including post‑release supervision for two years and a 10‑year prohibition on contact with the victim.
In a 10‑week Munster child sexual abuse trial, five members of an extended family were found guilty on all but one of 78 counts. The defendants, aged 27 to 57, were convicted of sexually abusing three children between 2014 and 2016, and of neglect and mistreatment of other children. The children, aged one to nine at the time of the offences, were taken into care in 2016. All defendants denied the charges. Defence counsel argued that a juror's letter to the judge may have tainted the verdicts, seeking to have them set aside. The judge, Mr Justice Paul McDermott, noted that verdicts are final and that any review would fall to the Court of Appeal. The defendants are scheduled for a sentence hearing in January, and the hearing was attended via video link. The unnamed 27-year-old was acquitted.
Matthew Bell, 25, of Ambervale, Cookstown, pleaded guilty to participating in the gangland murder of John Gibson, who was shot dead at Citywest Shopping Centre, Saggart, Dublin on 18 September 2017. Bell admitted he contributed to the murder to facilitate a criminal organisation's activities. No evidence was presented, and the case was adjourned to a sentencing hearing on 4 March 2022.
A jury will resume deliberations on Monday in the trial of Alan Ward, 54, who stabbed his wife Catherine Ward, 41, to death on 1 March 2019 at their Clondalkin home. Ward has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and to an offence of threatening to kill or seriously harm his son Adam Ward, as well as to an attempt to stab Adam on the same date. The jury, composed of eight men and three women, has spent about five hours considering their verdicts and will return to the Central Criminal Court on Monday. Mr Justice Tony Hunt explained that the jury has two logical verdicts: guilty of murder, or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. He instructed them to first assess whether the prosecution has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Ward intended to cause death or serious injury when he stabbed his wife.
In the Court of Appeal on 17 December 2021, Caroline Kavanagh, aged 52, sat in the rear of the court to witness her former attacker, John Giltrap, 61, weeping as he pleaded for his conviction to be quashed. Giltrap had been found guilty on 20 of 22 counts of raping Kavanagh, aged between 10 and 15 at the time, between December 1978 and March 1982, and was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment on each count with the terms running concurrently. He appealed on the grounds that the jury's verdict was "perverse" and "contrary to the weight of evidence". Kavanagh, who had waived her right to anonymity, testified that the rapes occurred "nearly everyday and sometimes twice a day" in a house and later in a caravan that was moved to a public area known as "the Green". John Giltrap pleaded not guilty.
During a trial that had lasted just over a week, Judge Tony Hunt instructed a jury of eight men and three women on how to decide the case of Alan Ward, 54, who was charged with murdering his wife, Catherine Ward, 41, on 1 March 2019. He explained that the jury could only find Ward guilty of murder, not guilty of murder, or guilty of manslaughter. The judge said the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Ward intended to kill or seriously injure his wife. If that intent is not proven, the jury must return a manslaughter verdict. If intent is proven but Ward's responsibility is "substantially diminished" by a mental disorder caused by a 2017 stroke, the jury should also find him guilty of manslaughter. Ward had pleaded not guilty to the murder, to a threat to kill his son Adam, and to an attempt to stab Adam.
In the Central Criminal Court, the prosecution's barrister Bernard Condon SC delivered a closing speech urging the jury to convict Alan Ward, 54, for the murder of his wife Catherine Ward, 41, on 1 March 2019. Condon argued that Ward's intent to kill or cause serious injury was clear from the nature of the stab wounds, the history of violence dating back to 2002, and the circumstances of the attack. He highlighted that Ward had previously threatened and attempted to stab his son Adam, and that Ward's post‑incident statements to Gardaí, including a "I'm fucked" remark, indicated awareness of his wrongdoing. Condon dismissed the defence of diminished responsibility on the grounds of a 2017 stroke, noting that intoxication, not a mental disorder, better explained Ward's behaviour. He urged the jury to consider whether Ward was an honest narrator, concluding that the evidence supported a conviction beyond reasonable doubt. The judge's charge was to be delivered the following day. Alan Ward pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court heard that Alan Ward, aged 54, denies murdering his wife Catherine Ward, aged 41, who died on 1 March 2019 after being stabbed in their home. Ward has pleaded not guilty to the murder, to a threat to kill his son Adam, and to an attempted stabbing of Adam. He was previously charged in 2002 with assaulting his wife after heavy drinking and tablets, and again in 2010 when he assaulted her, causing a head injury that required hospital treatment. In 2011 he allegedly injured a neighbour with a sword. Psychiatrist Dr Damien Smith, called by the prosecution, said Ward's actions were better explained by acute intoxication and that his 2017 stroke did not produce a significant personality change. Dr Paul O'Connell, called by the defence, argued that the stroke, combined with long‑term alcohol abuse and childhood trauma, contributed to a mental disorder that may have impaired Ward's responsibility.
A man has been convicted at the Central Criminal Court in Sligo of sexually abusing a child over a five-year period in Donegal. Liam Carr, aged 59 and with an address in Ballina, Falcarragh, County Donegal, was found guilty of 31 counts including sexual assault, anal rape and oral rape of the boy between September 1995 and September 2000. The jury could not agree on four further counts. The case reached trial four times after legal issues and previous jury disagreements. The victim, now aged 39, described the legal process in a statement read to the court as six years of "complete torture" since first approaching gardaí in October 2015. He stated he had given testimony on four separate occasions. Defence counsel indicated Carr does not accept the verdicts and intends to appeal his conviction. The case has been adjourned for sentencing on 17 January 2022.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, the state pathologist, Dr Michael Curtis, testified that Catherine Ward, aged 41, died from a fatal stab wound to her neck that severed two arteries, sliced her windpipe, and entered her lungs, causing the left lung to collapse. The wound entered at a 45‑degree angle and travelled about 10 centimetres downward. Additional stab wounds were found on her face, left ear, scalp, left arm, and left hand, with one through‑and‑through wound on the back of her left hand and a deep cut on her left index finger that nearly severed the finger. The injuries to the hand and forearm were described as defensive wounds. A toxicology report showed high alcohol levels in her blood. Alan Ward, 54, husband of the deceased, pleaded not guilty to murder, to a threat to kill his son, and to an attempted stabbing of his son.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 19‑year‑old Katilyn Butler testified that her life was "changed forever" after her mother informed her that her father, John Butler, had died from injuries sustained in a fight with her brother, Stephen Butler. Katilyn, who still loves her brother but says she can never fully forgive him, described the shock of learning of her father's death at 4 a.m. at University Hospital Waterford, two hours after the altercation. She recounted the emotional impact, her anger toward Stephen, and her hope to rebuild their relationship. The court also heard a victim impact statement from Stephen's brother, William Butler, who lamented the loss of a family member. Stephen Butler, aged 23, had pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted manslaughter; the jury found him not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, and he was remanded for sentencing. Mr Justice Paul Burns adjourned the sentencing until 24 January.
Stephen Penrose was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for the murder of Philip Finnegan at the Central Criminal Court. The sentence was backdated to May 17, 2017, when Penrose entered custody. Penrose, who had pleaded not guilty, was found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict. He represented himself during the trial after dismissing his legal teams, an action the judge described as a serious abuse of the legal system. In a victim impact statement, Angela Finnegan, the victim's mother, condemned Penrose for cross-examining her in the witness box, stating no mother should be questioned by the man who murdered her son. She described the trauma of finding her son's decapitated remains in Rahin Woods, Co Kildare, three weeks after he went missing. Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster testified that Finnegan died from multiple stab wounds, including fatal injuries to his liver and aorta. Superintendent Brian O'Keeffe informed the court of Penrose's previous convictions, including the manslaughter of David Sharkey in 2010, for which Sharkey was sentenced to nine years in prison. Penrose's other prior offenses included possession of firearms, a hit-and-run, and assaults on prison officers. The judge noted that Penrose had been continually in custody since May 2017. The court rejected Penrose's defense that he was attacked by others, accepting the prosecution's case that he inflicted a gruesome death on Finnegan.
In December 2021, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal of Erick Mukoko, a violent rapist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who had been sentenced to eight years in prison for raping a 21‑year‑old woman in Limerick in May 2017. Mukoko had pleaded guilty and his lawyers argued that the trial judge, Mr Justice Michael White, had misclassified the offence and had not given sufficient weight to mitigating factors. The appeal was rejected by a three‑judge panel headed by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, who upheld the judge's discretion and the consideration of mitigating factors. The Director of Public Prosecutions affirmed that the sentence was fully within the judge's margin of appreciation. The victim's impact statement described ongoing anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and attempts at self‑harm following the rape. The case was investigated by Gardaí, who identified Mukoko as the suspect and confirmed a DNA match.
The trial of Logan Jackson, 31, of Coventry, England, is ongoing at the Central Criminal Court. Jackson, who pleaded not guilty to the murder of Irish boxing champion Kevin Sheehy but guilty to his manslaughter, is also charged with endangerment under Section 13 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. The incident occurred on July 1, 2019, at Hyde Road in Limerick city, where Jackson allegedly repeatedly ran over Sheehy in a Mitsubishi jeep. The jury, comprising five men and five women, began deliberations on Friday afternoon but had not reached a unanimous verdict by 4pm. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon adjourned the deliberations for the weekend, with the jury scheduled to return to Court 19 on Monday at 11:30am to determine their verdict. In her charge, the judge instructed the jury to consider whether Jackson was provoked, a partial defence that could reduce a murder conviction to manslaughter. The prosecution argued Jackson acted with murderous intent, while the defence contended he suffered a sudden loss of self-control due to provocation. The matter remains at the trial stage, with the final verdict pending.
Keith O'Neill, 46, was found guilty of murdering John Wilson, 35, in 2012 and sentenced to life in 2015. He appealed, claiming the conviction was unsafe, but during the Court of Appeal hearing he repeatedly interrupted the proceedings. Judge John Edwards warned him to cease gesticulating and shouting, insisting decorum was required. O'Neill could only speak to the judges after consulting his barrister. His lawyer, Ronan Munro SC, sought an adjournment to file new grounds, arguing that evidence not presented at trial—particularly gunshot residue—had been mishandled and could have altered the verdict. The adjournment was granted despite objections from the DPP. The appeal will resume in the New Year. The case involved a fatal shooting of Wilson's seven‑year‑old daughter's father, with O'Neill's prior drug‑related convictions noted by the police. Keith O'Neill pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Alan Ward, 54, pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife Catherine, 41, who was found dead on March 1, 2019, at their Clondalkin home. Ward told Gardaí that after a bickering episode, his wife hit him, he grabbed a lock‑knife, and went upstairs where she lay in blood. When asked if he stabbed her, he said he could not remember and when asked if he killed her, he said, "I'm not sure." He added that he had been drinking vodka, taken five or six prescription tablets, and had no intention to harm her. Ward also denied an offence of threatening his son Adam and of attempting to stab Adam on the same date. The case is proceeding before Mr Justice Tony Hunt with a jury of nine men and three women.
In the Central Criminal Court, Adam Ward, 23, son of the accused Alan Ward, testified that his father had previously used a Samurai sword to stab a neighbour, forcing the family to leave Tallaght. Adam described a household marked by frequent arguments, physical altercations, and his father's refusal to allow his mother to pursue her own interests. He recounted the night of his mother Catherine's death, stating he heard a bang, saw his father brandish a blade, and was forced to flee to the street where neighbours called the Gardaí. Adam reported that Alan admitted to stabbing his wife, citing a quarrel, and claimed he did not intend to kill her. Alan Ward, 54, has pleaded not guilty to the murder, to threatening Adam, and to attempting to stab him. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Tony Hunt with a jury of nine men and three women.
A 25‑year‑old Latvian man, Valerijs Leitons, was found guilty of manslaughter with substantially diminished responsibility for stabbing a 34‑year‑old Latvian woman, Saidrite Valdgeima, over 50 times at the Binary Hub aparthotel in Dublin on 26 June 2019. Leitons, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, claimed he believed Valdgeima was an enemy agent and that he was being monitored by the FBI, CIA and KGB. He had stopped taking his antipsychotic medication three months before the incident. The jury rejected his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity and returned a manslaughter verdict. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court, and sentencing was adjourned to 18 January 2022. The hearing included victim‑impact statements from Valdgeima's three daughters, describing profound grief and lasting trauma. The judge expressed condolences to the family and noted the case's unusual nature.
In a Dublin apartment on 21 August 2017, a 41‑year‑old Albanian man raped a 15‑year‑old girl who had been invited to stay with him after a night out. The victim, who was fully clothed when she fell asleep, woke to find the man on top of her and he covered her mouth while she screamed before raping her. She later told the Central Criminal Court that she had been "killed" that night and that she had not been alive since. The jury found him guilty of rape and sexual assault; he was acquitted of a single count of false imprisonment. He has a prior conviction for serious drug dealing. On 8 December 2021, Mr Justice Paul McDermott sentenced him to nine years' imprisonment, refusing to suspend any portion of the sentence.
At the Central Criminal Court, a forensic pathologist gave evidence concerning the death of Kevin Sheehy, a five-time Irish boxing champion, who died on July 1, 2019, following a fatal road traffic collision in Limerick city. Dr Allan Cala, testifying via video link from Australia, detailed multiple severe injuries sustained by the twenty-year-old, including a catastrophic skull fracture, extensive skeletal fractures, and profuse internal bleeding. Logan Jackson, aged thirty-one, of Longford Road, Coventry, England, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denies murder. Evidence presented included witness testimony describing the vehicle striking Mr Sheehy repeatedly, and forensic findings consistent with the deceased being struck and dragged. The trial, before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury, continues at the Central Criminal Court.
A 54‑year‑old man, Alan Ward, will go on trial tomorrow for the murder of his wife, Catherine Ward, 41, who was killed on 1 March 2019 at their home on Greenfort Drive, Clondalkin. Ward is charged with the murder and two further offences: threatening to kill or seriously harm their son Adam Ward and attempting to stab Adam on the same day. He pleaded not guilty to all three counts. The case will be heard by Mr Justice Tony Hunt in the Central Criminal Court and is expected to last two weeks.
Liam Vickers, aged 24, was given a two‑year suspended sentence in January 2021 for a knife attack on an escort. The sentence was reactivated in March 2021. In February 2021 he sexually assaulted a 21‑year‑old woman while she was running near her home. Gardaí identified him through CCTV and local witnesses. Vickers pleaded guilty to the assault and was sentenced by Judge Elma Sheahan to a three‑year term, consecutive to the two‑year suspended sentence. The judge noted Vickers' prior leniency, his traumatic childhood, cooperation at arrest, and expressed desire for rehabilitation, but also cited his low risk of reoffending as a mitigating factor. The new sentence will run consecutively to the existing two‑year term, adding three years of imprisonment to his custodial period. The case highlights the court's consideration of both past conduct and mitigating circumstances in sentencing.
In a court hearing on 3 December 2021, Damien Singleton, aged 31 and without a fixed abode, addressed the family of Peter Donnelly, who was murdered on 11 June 2019. Singleton apologized, saying he could not ask for forgiveness because he could never forgive himself, and expressed regret for subjecting the family to the trial. He acknowledged that he had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and that he had been found guilty of murder by an 11‑member jury after CCTV footage and a threatening voicemail were presented. The trial focused on whether Singleton, intoxicated with drugs and alcohol, had formed the intent to kill. The jury rejected the defence's claim of incapacity, resulting in a mandatory life sentence. The hearing also included victim impact statements from Donnelly's mother, aunt, and a child's mother, all expressing grief and the loss of a loved one.
A 32‑year‑old man was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of repeatedly beating, raping and abusing his 12‑year‑old step‑daughter. He had previously served a ten‑year sentence in Eastern Europe for killing a former girlfriend. The jury found him guilty on one assault‑causing‑harm charge, six child‑cruelty charges, three sexual‑assault charges and two rape charges covering incidents from September 2019 to May 2020. Justice Deirdre Murphy imposed a 15‑year sentence, suspending the final two years on the condition that the defendant engage in anger‑management therapy, avoid all contact with the victim, comply with probation directions and maintain good behaviour. The court noted the defendant's willingness to undertake these conditions and that breach would constitute contempt of court. The suspended period is contingent on the defendant's adherence to the therapeutic and protective orders set by the court.
A witness at the Central Criminal Court has denied allegations that he and the deceased, Irish boxing champion Kevin Sheehy, goaded or threatened the accused. Thomas Lysaght testified that interactions at a party on Hyde Road in Limerick city in the early hours of 1 July 2019 were lighthearted. He rejected suggestions from defence counsel Michael Bowman SC that he and friends provoked Logan Jackson, aged 31, of Longford Road, Coventry. Jackson has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in connection with Mr Sheehy's death following a vehicle strike. Other witnesses gave accounts of shouting outside the premises and events leading to the incident. The trial before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and jury continues, with proceedings examining the circumstances preceding Mr Sheehy's fatal injuries.
A witness has described how a five-time Irish boxing champion fought unsuccessfully to rise from the ground before being struck by a vehicle for a second time at speed. Derek Hanlon gave evidence at the Central Criminal Court on the morning of the incident on Hyde Road in Limerick on 1 July 2019. Logan Jackson (31), with an address at Longford Road, Coventry, England, is charged with murder. He has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of Kevin Sheehy (20). Mr Jackson also faces a charge of endangerment contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. Mr Hanlon testified that he witnessed an earlier verbal altercation between Mr Sheehy and a man with an English accent before a UK-registered Mitsubishi jeep drove towards the group at high speed on the inside road. The vehicle struck Mr Sheehy twice. Mr Hanlon told the court that Mr Sheehy attempted to get up after the first impact but was unable to escape before being hit again.
A 28‑year‑old European karate champion, Bagrat Kudzievi, was sentenced to six years in prison for two counts of sexual assault against 18‑year‑old Rachel McElroy on the night of 19 October 2019 in Cork city centre. The assaults took place outside a nightclub on a busy street. McElroy, who had consumed a small amount of alcohol, was taken by Kudzievi to a secluded location where he lifted and carried her across a bridge. CCTV footage captured the incident, and security staff intervened, arresting him. Kudzievi denied the charges and later claimed the activity was consensual. McElroy's victim impact statement described the attacks as degrading and left her feeling empty, disgusted and lacking confidence. The judge, Justice Tara Burns, noted the aggravating factors of the assault's public nature, the victim's intoxication and the degrading behaviour. Bagrat Kudzievi was convicted.
A 60‑year‑old man was 13 when he began a six‑year period of raping and sexually abusing his younger adopted sister, a court heard. He justified the abuse by telling her they were not biological siblings and that a Catholic priest had told him to practice sex on her. The abuse began when she was about ten or younger in their Dublin family home. He pleaded guilty to 28 counts of indecent assault and rape between 1974 and 1979, from an indictment of 103 charges. The court heard that both siblings suffered extreme violence from their adopted mother, who had bipolar syndrome and was unmedicated. The woman's victim impact statement described the abuse as an "unspeakable hell" and said the damage will never end until she dies. The man expressed deep regret and remorse, stating he will live with that guilt for the rest of his life.
In a Dublin court, a 19‑year‑old woman, who was 15 when the incident occurred, testified that a 41‑year‑old man raped and sexually assaulted her in his apartment on 21 August 2017. She described the assault as having "killed" her, saying she had not been alive since that night and was now "the walking dead." The man, who was found guilty of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault, was acquitted of a separate count of false imprisonment. The victim's impact statement highlighted her loss of motivation, trust in men, and sense of ruined life. The court noted the man's prior drug‑dealing conviction and that he had been in custody since his conviction. The sentencing hearing was adjourned to 8 December for a final sentence.
Logan Jackson, a 31-year-old British man from Coventry, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the death of boxer Kevin Sheehy. Jackson is charged with the murder of Mr. Sheehy, a five-time Irish boxing champion, who was struck by a vehicle on Hyde Road in Limerick City on July 1, 2019. He is also accused of endangerment under Section 13 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997, allegedly for driving a Mitsubishi jeep dangerously at high speed near pedestrians. When arraigned, Jackson pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but admitted to manslaughter. The Director of Public Prosecutions did not accept the manslaughter plea, and the court proceeded to trial. Jackson also pleaded not guilty to the endangerment charge. Mr Justice Paul McDermott swore in a jury of six men and six women to hear the case. The judge noted that Mr Sheehy was a well-known national championship boxer and that most civilian witnesses are from Limerick. The trial is scheduled to begin before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and is expected to last between two and three weeks.
A 52-year-old man from Rathmullan Park, Drogheda, has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to cleaning up and removing evidence from a murder scene. Gerard McKenna admitted to obstructing the apprehension or prosecution of another person in connection with the death of 17-year-old Kean Mulready Woods, who was killed in January 2020. The teenager's dismembered remains were discovered across Dublin in the days following his disappearance on 12 January. McKenna's guilty plea relates to actions taken between 12 and 14 January 2020 at or near his Drogheda address, with intent to impede the investigation. The offence is contrary to the Criminal Law Act 1997. Mr Justice Paul McDermott ordered psychological and probation reports before sentencing. McKenna was remanded in custody and the case listed for mention on 28 February 2022.
A homeless man, Damien Singleton, 31, was found guilty of murder by a unanimous jury at the Central Criminal Court after stabbing his friend Peter Donnelly, 39, on Dublin's O'Connell Street on 11 June 2019. Singleton had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The prosecution argued that Singleton, who was under the influence of a cocktail of drugs and alcohol, was capable of forming the intent to kill. The jury rejected the intoxication defence, concluding that Singleton could understand his actions and their consequences. The case was the second trial for Singleton; the first collapsed after a juror claimed to have overheard Gardaí discussing witness statements. The judge adjourned the case for a mandatory life sentence to be imposed on 3 December, when a victim impact statement will be heard. The trial highlighted the presence of alcohol, morphine, benzodiazepine and cocaine in Singleton's system and the prosecution's insistence that intoxication does not excuse intent.
In the murder trial of Damien Singleton, a 31‑year‑old homeless man, the judge instructed the jury to focus on the question of intent. Singleton pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of Peter Donnelly, a 39‑year‑old homeless man from Kilkenny, who was stabbed twice on O'Connell Street on 11 June 2019. The defence argued that Singleton's mind was "polluted" by alcohol and drugs, preventing him from forming intent to kill. The prosecution countered that intoxication is not a defence unless it renders the defendant incapable of understanding his actions or their consequences. The judge emphasized that the jury must decide whether Singleton intended to kill or cause serious harm, and that any doubt about his capacity to form intent would lead to a manslaughter verdict, otherwise a murder verdict.
A 25‑year‑old man was jailed for four years and six months, with the final six months suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to raping a 22‑year‑old friend in her bed. The victim, who had known the defendant since their early teens, reported that he had come to her house drunk, followed her to her bedroom, and began kissing her and removing her top. She resisted and he stopped, but later she woke to find him thrusting in and out of her. He later texted her apologising and blaming alcohol. The judge accepted the guilty plea on the basis of recklessness, noting significant risk that consent was absent, and highlighted the breach of trust and impact on the victim's mental health. The sentence included strict conditions and engagement with the Probation Service. The case was returned for trial in March 2018 and a trial set for March 2019 did not proceed.
Jose Lacerna Pena, 33, is appealing his conviction for the alleged oral rape of a woman at Wicklow Street, Dublin 2, on September 26, 2017. Pena, originally from Bolivia and of no fixed abode, pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court. A jury found him guilty, and in April 2020, Mr Justice Paul McDermott sentenced him to six years' imprisonment. At the Court of Appeal, defence counsel Anne-Marie Lawlor SC argued the conviction was unsafe because the trial judge failed to instruct the jury on the issue of drunken consent, claiming an "irredeemable unfairness" was visited upon the accused. Prosecution counsel Bernard Condon SC countered that the case explicitly involved drunkenness and that the complainant repeatedly stated she did not consent. The matter was adjourned with judgment reserved. During the original sentencing, Mr Justice McDermott noted Pena acted brazenly in a public manner, exploiting the victim's vulnerable position, while acknowledging his lack of previous convictions and the difficulty of serving his sentence away from his family. The victim impact statement described the lasting trauma she suffered. The appeal remains pending.
A 62‑year‑old man was sentenced to 10½ years in prison for raping and violently sexually assaulting his daughter over a 16‑year period. He began molesting her when she was seven and continued to repeatedly rape and assault her until she was 18. The court heard that the offences included rape, oral rape, indecent assault, sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault, the latter involving an electric sander and a phone cable. The judge set headline sentences of 16 years for rape, seven years for sexual assault and ten years for aggravated sexual assault, then reduced them to 12 years, five and a half years and eight years respectively, citing guilty pleas and the defendant's otherwise offence‑free life. The last 18 months of the sentence were suspended on the condition that the defendant engage in victim‑focused programmes, have no unsupervised access to children and have no contact with the victim.
An apprentice film studio electrician, Martin Cunningham, 27, will go on trial for attempting to murder Kenneth Fitzsimons, 41, on 10 April 2019 near Finglas Garda Station. Cunningham is charged with three counts: attempted murder, assault causing harm, and possession of a machete capable of serious injury. He pleaded not guilty at arraignment before the Central Criminal Court. The case, arising from a single incident, will be heard by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and is expected to last three weeks.
A 61‑year‑old man from County Kerry was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, for raping his wife's niece on multiple occasions between 1990 and 1994. The victim, now 41, reported the abuse in 2019, describing how the man would force her to lie on her side, hold her hips tightly and rape her each morning. He pleaded guilty to four of the 13 charges. The judge noted the man's mild intellectual disability, lack of remorse and sexual interest in teenage girls, and imposed strict conditions including no unsupervised contact with children and three years of post‑release supervision. The sentence reflects the judge's view that the repeated, gross breach of trust caused significant harm and psychological symptoms to the victim. The man was arrested in May 2019 after a confrontation with the victim's parents. The victim's impact statement detailed ongoing anxiety, nightmares, and the lasting effect on her life and children.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 16 November 2021, a senior counsel requested that a representative of the Irish Prison Service attend to explain why his client could not be produced for trial. The counsel argued that the client, remanded at Cloverhill Prison, could not be brought to court or via video link because the prison had been locked down for Covid testing. He said that communications through media and informal channels were insufficient for a client entitled to a trial. Justice Paul McDermott agreed to invite a senior Prison Service member to clarify the lockdown situation and the inability to produce prisoners. The court registrar was instructed to forward the request to the Prison Service before adjournment. The judge noted that Covid‑19 outbreaks in the prison network were causing ongoing disruption to criminal cases. The matter was adjourned to the next day.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 62‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to nine counts of rape, oral rape, indecent assault, sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault against his daughter over a 16‑year period from 1990 to 2006. The abuse began when the daughter was seven and continued regularly, with the father repeatedly orally raping her, forcing her to perform sexual acts, recording the assaults with a dictaphone, and taking explicit photographs when she was 18. He also used an electric sander and a phone cable to assault her. The court heard that the victim had reported the abuse to Gardaí in July 2016 and that she was mentally, emotionally and physically tortured. The judge adjourned sentencing to 23 November. The defendant's wife and other children provided character references describing him as a "fantastic father.".
A jury of six women and six men was sworn in on 15 November 2021 to try Damien Singleton, 31, for the murder of 39‑year‑old Peter Donnelly on Dublin's O'Connell Street Upper West on 11 June 2019. Singleton, who has no fixed abode and is originally from Cork, pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to manslaughter. He appeared in the Central Criminal Court in Dublin wearing a black button‑down shirt, black jeans and black and orange trainers. The trial will open before Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy at 11.30am tomorrow at the Criminal Courts of Justice.
The Court of Appeal rejected the appeal of a 71‑year‑old man who had been convicted of nine counts of anally raping his son and one count of child cruelty. The original 15‑year sentence, with the last 12 months suspended, was upheld as appropriate. The judge noted the severity of the offences, the victim's young age and the extraordinary harm caused. The appeal argued for a 12‑year term, but the court found no error in principle and affirmed the 15‑year headline term. The case involved a 33‑day trial in which the 12‑year‑old victim gave evidence via videolink, with extensive cross‑examination. The court highlighted the impact of the abuse on the child's mental health and the necessity of the imposed sentence. No changes were made to the conviction or sentence.
At the Central Criminal Court, a sentencing hearing was held for Mark Whelan, 48, who was found guilty of murdering Noel 'Noelie' Whelan, 22, on 30 March 2019. Whelan was described as being high on drugs when he stabbed Noel 18 times, severing a carotid artery and penetrating a lung. The jury rejected a defence of intoxication and found him guilty of murder. The court heard that Noel was pregnant with his first child and that his partner, Shannon Whelan, expressed that her life had been "ruined" by the murder. Shannon, who suffered panic attacks and PTSD, could not attend the hearing but wrote that she feels she "died that day" and is trying to stay alive for her daughter. The judge announced that a mandatory life sentence would be imposed when Mark Whelan appears in court on 17 December.
Stephen Penrose, aged 38, was found guilty by a jury of murdering his friend Philip Finnegan, aged 24, who was missing for three weeks before his decapitated remains were discovered in a shallow grave in Rahin Woods, Kildare. The jury rejected Penrose's defence that he had last seen Finnegan being stabbed by a group of men in a forest and that he had attempted to conceal the body's location. Evidence included a DNA match from a bloodied glove found near the remains, a forensic scientist's report linking Penrose's DNA to the glove, and testimony that Finnegan's body had suffered multiple stab wounds, including fatal ones to the liver and aorta. Penrose had previously been convicted of manslaughter in 2010. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, concluded with a unanimous verdict after five hours and 46 minutes of deliberation over two days.
The jury in the Stephen Penrose murder trial, which concerns the death of 24‑year‑old Philip Finnegan whose decapitated body was found in a Kildare woods, has paused its deliberations for the weekend and will return to the Central Criminal Court on Monday. The panel of eight men and four women spent 3 hours and 36 minutes considering their verdict. Judge Alexander Owens instructed them to suspend deliberations at 4 pm and resume on Monday morning to decide whether Penrose, aged 38, should be found guilty of murdering Finnegan. The jury was told to ignore Penrose's choice to represent himself, his outburst in court, and his repeated hiring and firing of lawyers, and to focus solely on the evidence presented. The case has heard that Finnegan's remains were found buried in a shallow grave, that a DNA profile from a bloodied glove matched Penrose, and that the death was caused by multiple stab wounds. Stephen Penrose pleaded not guilty.
Bagrat Kudzievi, a 28‑year‑old Georgian national who had been living in Ireland under a false Polish identity, was convicted in October 2021 of two counts of sexual assault against Rachel McElroy. The assaults occurred on the night of 19 October 2019 in Cork city centre after the pair had gone to a nightclub together. CCTV footage showed McElroy falling inside the club and later struggling to walk outside. Kudzievi met her in the smoking area, then took her to an alcove where he sexually assaulted her. He later lifted her and carried her across a bridge to a secluded location while people recorded them on mobile phones. McElroy, who was drinking with friends, gave a victim impact statement describing her confusion, emotional distress and the effect on her studies. The court adjourned sentencing to 22 November 2021. The case was heard by the Central Criminal Court.
Stephen Penrose, 38, of Coolock, Dublin, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Philip Finnegan, 24, who was found decapitated in a shallow grave in Rahin Woods, Kildare, on 2 September 2016. Penrose testified that he witnessed Finnegan being stabbed in the back by a group of men on 10 August 2016. He claimed he had no involvement in Finnegan's death and that he had been attacked in a black car, sustaining a stab wound to his left arm. Penrose's DNA was found on a left‑handed gardening glove near the grave, and a bloodied glove was recovered from the site. He has repeatedly denied any role in the murder, stating he was not in the woods and that he only witnessed the attack. The trial is ongoing at the Central Criminal Court.
In a 2021 appeal, a rapist step‑father who had claimed a shorter sentence because of Crohn's disease was denied a reduction. He had repeatedly raped his partner's daughter from age six over a five‑year period, threatening her with death if she spoke out. The Central Criminal Court convicted him in May 2014 of eight sexual assault and four rape counts between June 2003 and May 2008. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy sentenced him to 12 years' imprisonment. The appellant appealed both conviction and sentence. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, rejecting the argument that the trial judge failed to consider his medical condition. Court President Mr Justice George Birmingham noted the offence's great seriousness and that the judge had explicitly considered the disease when sentencing. The Director of Public Prosecutions said the sentence was appropriate and that further medical management would be a prison matter.
The murder trial of Lorcan Merriman, 25, of Lealand Close, Clondalkin, is ongoing at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice David Keane and a jury. Merriman has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Thomas Farnan at Kilcronan Close, Clondalkin, on April 25 or 26, 2016. Chief State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan testified that Mr Farnan sustained nine gunshot injuries from at least five bullets. She identified a bullet that traversed the victim's arm, chest, and heart as the fatal injury, while wounds to the abdomen, elbow, and pelvis contributed to death. Toxicology revealed high levels of methadone, alcohol, and Zopiclone, though these did not contribute to the death. Detective Garda Lynn Johnson reported finding five discharged 9mm cartridges outside the home and one inside, along with three recovered bullets. Tool markings suggested the rounds were fired from the same weapon, though the firearm was never located. Gardaí also found three air rifles in the residence; one was classified as a firearm under the Firearms Act due to its muzzle energy. The trial continues.