A jury has begun deliberations in the trial of William Gilsenan, 24, accused of murdering drug dealer Edward Fitzgerald, 29, during a dispute over a €100 debt. The incident occurred on 17 October 2014 in a car park outside Gilsenan's home. Gilsenan pleaded not guilty. Justice Paul Butler instructed the jury that they could return a verdict of guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty. He stated that the prosecution had accepted that Gilsenan stabbed Fitzgerald in the heart, causing death, but that a not‑guilty verdict could be reached if the jury believed Gilsenan acted in self‑defence and used only necessary force. He also noted that the defence claimed Gilsenan was provoked and lost self‑control after Fitzgerald threatened him and his family. The jury began deliberations shortly after 11 a.m. this morning.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 58‑year‑old GP Bernadette Scully stands accused of unlawfully killing her 11‑year‑old daughter, Emily Barut, who was profoundly disabled. The prosecution alleges Scully's gross negligence in administering excessive chloral hydrate on 15 September 2012, with toxic levels found in Emily's system. Scully, who pleaded not guilty, claims she gave the drug in response to seizures and that medical conditions could have caused death. The defence argues she acted under extreme stress, had no alternative medication, and that the post‑mortem indicated a possible terminal seizure. The trial has focused on whether Scully breached her duty of care, with the jury instructed to consider the evidence of drug dosage, medical history, and the circumstances surrounding the night of Emily's death. The case remains at the trial stage, with no verdict yet reached.
A Longford man has pleaded not guilty to charges including rape, false imprisonment, breaching a barring order, and assault causing harm at the Central Criminal Court. The prosecution alleges he abducted and assaulted a woman following her obtaining a barring order against him. A witness testified that he answered his door in the early hours of Sunday, 8 November 2015, to find a woman in severe distress who reported being pursued. The witness told prosecuting counsel Brendan Grehan SC that the woman was crying, trembling, and bore visible marks on her neck. She stated she had been held overnight at a neighbouring property and said she had pretended compliance with her former partner due to threats to her life. The witness confirmed he contacted gardaí, who confirmed they were searching for the woman. The trial before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury continues.
In the 2016 Central Criminal Court trial, the prosecution argued that Offaly GP Bernadette Scully unlawfully killed her 11‑year‑old daughter, Emily Barut, by administering excessive chloral hydrate. Scully, 58, faced manslaughter charges for gross negligence on 15 September 2012. The prosecution, led by Tara Burns SC, highlighted that Scully had exceeded her own dosing rules—giving 17 ml by 6 am and 34 ml by 11 am—while the therapeutic limit was 15 ml in 24 hours and an absolute limit of 20 ml. The State Pathologist cited chloral hydrate intoxication as the cause of death, and Professor Marie Cassidy acknowledged it as a substantial cause despite Emily's pre‑existing conditions. Burns urged the jury to consider that Scully's actions were not the sole cause but constituted gross negligence, and to return a guilty verdict. The case remains pending before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a 12‑person jury. Bernadette Scully pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, William Gilsenan, 24, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 29‑year‑old Edward Fitzgerald, who was stabbed in a car park outside Gilsenan's home on 17 October 2014. Prosecutor Orla Crowe SC argued that Gilsenan was the aggressor, having entered the scene with a knife and choosing to confront Fitzgerald after the latter shouted at him. Crowe said Gilsenan could have retreated but did not, and that he stabbed Fitzgerald twice, killing him. Defence counsel Caroline Biggs SC urged the jury to consider Gilsenan's state of mind, noting that Fitzgerald, a drug dealer, had threatened Gilsenan's home and family and that Gilsenan had expressed fear to the Gardaí.
A trial at the Central Criminal Court has heard how gardaí were obliged to prepare meals and change nappies for multiple children after their mother was allegedly abducted from her Longford home in November 2015. The woman alleged she was taken by her partner shortly after obtaining a barring order against him. A local sergeant testified that upon arrival at the property, gardaí encountered numerous distressed children with no adult supervision. The officer and his colleagues cared for the children until the woman's sister, whose phone battery had depleted, returned home. The accused, who is the father of the children, has pleaded not guilty to rape, false imprisonment, breaching the barring order, and producing an article, along with four counts of assault causing harm between 2011 and 2015. The complainant told the court she fled to safety during the alleged incident. The trial before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury continues.
In a 2016 hearing, a 57‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to four counts of rape and four counts of indecent assault against his four‑year‑old sister between December 1971 and October 1973. He claimed the acts were consensual, a claim the court rejected. The sister, now 49, testified that the abuse occurred two or three times a week, describing it as a "waiting game" that left her feeling imprisoned in her own body and mind. She recounted specific incidents, including being forced to perform oral sex during a family wedding and being raped while her mother was speaking to a neighbour. The court adjourned sentencing to the following Tuesday. The defendant, father of seven, had no prior convictions and was not interviewed by Gardaí after the abuse was reported to health authorities in 1994. The defense argued his juvenile status and remorse should be considered, but the court did not impose a custodial sentence at that time.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 45‑year‑old Laois man was found guilty of raping his wife on 8 January 2015. He had previously pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. During sentencing, he denied the rape verdict, claiming the woman had consented after being physically assaulted. The court heard that the attack began when the wife refused to hold his hand on the couch, leading him to punch her face and then force her into sex. The wife's victim impact statement described the assault as more traumatic than the rape, stating she felt like a ghost and had moved to a new home. The judge noted the jury's unanimous guilty verdict and the woman's profound shock. The case was adjourned for sentencing on 20 December. The defendant had no prior convictions and was described as remorseful.
A jury of five men and seven women was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court for the trial of Terry (Terence) Connors, 42, of Drumcairn Avenue, Tallaght, Dublin 24. Connors pleaded not guilty to the murder of Peter Conroy, 25, at Palmerstown Lodge B&B on 9 June 2015. The trial is set to begin Wednesday afternoon and is expected to last three to four days.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 40‑year‑old Zhen Dong Zhao pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for the death of 39‑year‑old Noel Fegan outside the e‑Times internet café in Dublin on 20 May 2011. Zhao, who had lived in Ireland since 2003, was originally convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012, but that conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal and a retrial was ordered. The court heard that a brief altercation over a 70‑cent phone call escalated into a physical fight lasting seven to ten seconds, during which Zhao repeatedly kicked Fegan, causing a subarachnoid haemorrhage that led to his death. CCTV footage showed the incident lasted three minutes and 36 seconds. Zhao had been in custody for two years and eight months before the hearing and had met all bail conditions.
Thomas Kinsella, 37, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by reason of self‑defence after stabbing John Murdoch in Tallaght on 27 August 2011. The Central Criminal Court jury accepted that Kinsella believed he was acting in self‑defence and used no more force than he thought necessary. He was originally sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment, with the final five years suspended. On appeal the Court of Appeal held that the 14‑year starting point was "seriously out of line" with comparable manslaughter cases and re‑sentenced him to 11 years' imprisonment, suspending the final two years. The judge noted Kinsella's progress in custody, including attendance at AA meetings and being free of drugs and alcohol, and expressed hope that he will avoid re‑offending after release.
A 29‑year‑old woman went to the Central Criminal Court to testify that her partner, the father of their children, had subjected her to five years of extreme abuse, including beatings, confinement, and threats of death. She said he had repeatedly beaten her, locked her and the children in their apartment, flooded the premises, and urinated on her and their son. She alleged that on the night of the alleged kidnapping he drove her at speed on the wrong side of the road, threatened to kill her, and forced her into a bathtub where he threatened to drown her. The woman also claimed he had threatened to kill her and make it look like suicide, held a knife to her throat, and given her a black eye while pregnant. She obtained a barring order against him and has pleaded not guilty to rape, false imprisonment, breaching the barring order, and four counts of assault.
A woman who had been sexually abused by her uncle between 1986 and 1988, when she was aged seven to nine, had her appeal against a 10‑year conviction dismissed in its entirety. The uncle, a Tipperary man in his forties at the time, had pleaded not guilty to eight counts of indecent assault and three counts of rape. The Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty and Justice Margaret Heneghan sentenced him to 10 years in prison on 23 October 2015. In the appeal hearing, Justice Alan Mahon noted that the complainant had delayed reporting the abuse because she thought it was normal, a belief she later questioned after watching a television programme. The court rejected the appeal, stating that any inadmissible evidence regarding the complainant's conversation with a school friend had no effect on the jury's verdict. The appeal was dismissed.
A doctor charged with the manslaughter of her disabled daughter provided her with '100 per cent plus' care, but was finding it difficult to keep going, a leading consultant nurse testified at her trial. Offaly GP Bernadette Scully (58) is accused of unlawfully killing her 11-year-old daughter Emily Barut, who was profoundly disabled, by administering an excessive quantity of the sedative chloral hydrate on September 15th, 2012. She has pleaded not guilty and is on trial at the Central Criminal Court. Noreen Roche, a nurse with 40 years of experience, stated that Emily's care was exemplary and that her survival was due to the high level of care provided by her mother. Roche noted that Ms Scully, who was 51 at the time, was working long hours and had no help with administration or paperwork, which contributed to her difficulty in maintaining the care level.
The prosecution has finished giving evidence in the trial of William Gilsenan, 24, accused of stabbing 29‑year‑old Edward Fitzgerald in a car park outside Gilsenan's home on 17 October 2014. Gilsenan pleaded not guilty. Prosecution counsel Orla Crowe SC announced the evidence was complete, and Vincent Heneghan SC said the defence would not call witnesses. Justice Paul Butler informed the jury that the trial was moving into legal argument, instructed them to return on Tuesday for closing statements and the judge's charge, and warned them not to discuss the case with anyone.
The 58‑year‑old GP, Bernadette Scully, is on trial for the manslaughter of her 11‑year‑old profoundly disabled daughter, Emily Barut, who died after an excessive dose of chloral hydrate on 15 September 2012. Scully denies that a suicide note she wrote after Emily's death acknowledges her responsibility for the death, saying she had lost her reason for living. She claims she gave the drug in an attempt to stop a seizure, citing medical literature that documents its use in children with epilepsy. During cross‑examination, she explained that she had administered the drug while the child was in a fit and that she had not normally given two doses at once. She also described her emotional state after Emily's passing, stating she had tried to take her own life twice and that she could not bear the pain of watching Emily suffer. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of twelve. Bernadette Scully pleaded not guilty.
Bernadette Scully, a 58‑year‑old GP from Offaly, is on trial for the manslaughter of her 11‑year‑old profoundly disabled daughter, Emily Barut, who died on 15 September 2012 after receiving an excessive dose of chloral hydrate. Scully denies writing a suicide note before Emily's death, saying she wrote it only after the child passed. She testified that she had been off work for six months but had returned to work the Friday before Emily's death. Scully described the night of the death, stating she gave Emily a 10‑ml dose of chloral hydrate, then later an additional 5‑ml dose, and that Emily's seizures continued. She claimed she was overwhelmed and could not help her daughter, and that she had attempted suicide twice after Emily's death. The trial is being heard at the Central Criminal Court, with Tara Burns SC cross‑examining her.
Bernadette Scully, a 58‑year‑old GP from Offaly, is on trial for the manslaughter of her 11‑year‑old daughter Emily Barut, who was profoundly disabled. Scully was charged with unlawfully killing Emily by giving her an excessive dose of chloral hydrate on 15 September 2012. She pleaded not guilty and is being tried at the Central Criminal Court. In her testimony, Scully described the emotional impact of learning that her baby had severe mental retardation after IVF treatment and two miscarriages. She recounted that Emily was born without crying, had feeding difficulties, fell asleep at two weeks old, and was taken to a Dublin hospital where doctors warned of severe mental retardation, possible epilepsy, and other developmental problems. Scully expressed that her world fell apart after receiving these diagnoses. She will continue her evidence before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of seven women and five men.
During a Central Criminal Court hearing, William Gilsenan, aged 24, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 29‑year‑old Edward Fitzgerald. Gilsenan told Garda Fiona Divilly that he had taken a knife from his home to scare Fitzgerald, who had threatened to smash his house and had been calling him for a debt of €100. Gilsenan claimed he was terrified and had no intention of using the knife. He said he had tried to resolve the debt but Fitzgerald demanded payment immediately and threatened violence. On 17 October 2014, Gilsenan met Fitzgerald outside his home; a scuffle ensued, and Gilsenan struck Fitzgerald in the legs with the knife. Deputy state pathologist Dr Michael Curtis confirmed Fitzgerald died from a knife wound to the heart. The trial continues tomorrow before Justice Paul Butler and a jury.
The jury for the trial of Thomas O'Connor, a 29‑year‑old from Greystones, Wicklow, accused of murdering 22‑year‑old John O'Brien on 4 June 2010, was discharged. O'Connor pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the State. Justice Carmel Stewart informed the jurors that one member was absent and could not return, and therefore discharged the jury. The case will resume on 20 February 2017.
In the trial of 58‑year‑old GP Bernadette Scully, the inspector, Ger Glavin, confirmed that the Gardaí had not been "blinkered" to the possibility that the excessive administration of chloral hydrate was the sole cause of death of her 11‑year‑old daughter, Emily Barut. Scully, charged with unlawful killing, had admitted giving her daughter too much sedative after a procedure to replace a tube into her stomach. The inspector noted that investigators considered other potential causes, including Emily's severe epilepsy, microcephaly, cerebral palsy and lung inflammation, but that the post‑mortem revealed 220 micrograms of the drug's metabolite, trichloroethanol, in her bloodstream. The trial also heard from a neuropathologist who found brain damage consistent with a recent event. The prosecution has closed its case, and the trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Thomas O'Connor, aged 29, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of John O'Brien on 4 June 2010. Prosecutors presented evidence that O'Brien and O'Connor were drinking in an underground carpark of Superquinn in Greystones, then driving around with O'Brien's brother, Jimmy O'Brien. O'Brien struck two younger men and was restrained by Jimmy. O'Connor allegedly struck O'Brien on the head with a 1.6‑kg rock, which was heavily blood‑stained. The prosecution argued the rock caused a catastrophic head injury leading to O'Brien's death. Witnesses described O'Connor, wearing a grey hoody, standing over O'Brien and striking him repeatedly. O'Connor was arrested on 5 June 2010 and told Gardaí he did not intend to kill O'Brien. The trial continues before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart.
In a Cork case, Hungarian national Tamas Vecernyes, aged 29, was found guilty of raping a woman in her apartment on 9 September 2009. The original 11‑year sentence, with three years suspended, was reduced to eight years with the same suspension after an appeal. The victim, a woman in her 20s, had invited Vecernyes for drinks; after she went to bed, he followed her and raped her while she was intoxicated. She described being unable to breathe and feeling paralyzed. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, ruled that the original 11‑year headline was "unusual" and "out of kilter" with similar offences, citing the lack of premeditation and extra violence. The judge noted Vecernyes' good behaviour in prison and a positive letter from authorities, and imposed an eight‑year term with a three‑year suspension, requiring a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period. Tamas Vecernyes pleaded not guilty.
A 32‑year‑old man, Fionn Braidwood, was found not guilty of murder and assault by reason of insanity after stabbing his 65‑year‑old mother, Jane Braidwood, with a kitchen knife on 20 January 2015. He also attacked his sister Ceili Braidwood and passer‑by Anthony Maguire at the same address. Two consultant psychiatrists testified that Braidwood suffered from schizophrenia and could not control his actions. The jury returned a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity after 32 minutes of deliberation. Justice Carmel Stewart ordered Braidwood to be committed to the Central Mental Hospital and to appear again on 16 December. The judge exempted the jury from further service for ten years and expressed sympathy to the Braidwood family. The prosecution had argued that Braidwood's non‑compliance with medication and severe psychiatric symptoms made him incapable of restraint at the time of the offence.
During a Central Criminal Court hearing, William Gilsenan, aged 24, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Edward Fitzgerald, aged 29, who died from a stab wound to the heart after an altercation in a car park outside Gilsenan's home on 17 October 2014. Gilsenan told Garda Sgt Aidan Delaney that he had been threatened by Fitzgerald, who allegedly threatened to harm his mother and others, prompting Gilsenan to take a small kitchen knife from his apartment. Gilsenan claimed he stabbed Fitzgerald in the legs and that the force used was moderate. He stated he acted in self‑defence and had no intention to kill. The trial, presided over by Justice Paul Butler, will continue tomorrow with a jury of twelve.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a second psychiatrist testified that 32‑year‑old Fionn Braidwood, who stabbed his 65‑year‑old mother Jane Braidwood to death on 20 January 2015, was suffering from schizophrenia and would have been unable to control his actions at the time. The psychiatrist, Dr Ronan Mullaney, had assessed Braidwood in October and November of the same year and found evidence of a long‑standing illness, first manifesting in 2006, with symptoms including persecutory delusions, hallucinations and disorganised speech. He noted that Braidwood had not taken strong anti‑psychotic medication from autumn 2014 until the offence and had refused depot injections for several months. Dr Mullaney agreed that Braidwood was "very very unwell" on the day of the murder and would have needed ongoing treatment at the Central Mental Hospital. Fionn Braidwood pleaded not guilty and was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
A forensic psychiatrist testified that 32‑year‑old Fionn Braidwood, charged with stabbing his 65‑year‑old mother Jane Braidwood to death on 20 January 2015, suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and would have been unable to refrain from his actions at the time. Braidwood pleaded not guilty to the murder and to assault charges against Ceili Braidwood and Anthony Maguire. The prosecution argued for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. Witness Anthony Maguire described hearing Ceili call for help, seeing Braidwood standing passively, and later being punched and attacked. The court heard a post‑mortem showing three stab wounds to Jane Braidwood's chest. Dr Brenda Wright, a consultant forensic psychiatrist, presented a report detailing Braidwood's history of psychiatric admissions, medication non‑compliance, and a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, concluding he was acutely mentally unwell at the time of the offence. The trial proceeded before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart.
The trial of Bernadette Scully, 58, a GP accused of unlawfully killing her profoundly disabled daughter, Emily Barut, continued at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy. Ms Scully, who has pleaded not guilty, is alleged to have caused Emily's death on September 15, 2012, through gross negligence by administering an excessive quantity of chloral hydrate at their home in Tullamore. On the fifth day of the trial, her interviews with gardai were read into evidence. Ms Scully stated she did not make a conscious decision to take Emily "out of this world," claiming she was panicked and exhausted after Emily suffered an unprecedented seizure. She admitted giving approximately 32ml of sedative, double her usual maximum, to stop the fit, but denied premeditation. She acknowledged that Professor Cassidy, the applicant for the post-mortem, had suggested her actions led to the death. The court heard that Ms Scully made two suicide attempts that day and wrote a note at the scene, which she denied writing before Emily died. The matter was adjourned and continues tomorrow morning.
The trial of Thomas O'Connor, aged 29, of Burnaby Court, Greystones, Co Wicklow, will commence this week. He is accused of murdering 22‑year‑old John O'Brien on 4 June 2010 at Farrankelly Road, Delgany, Co Wicklow. O'Connor pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder; the State did not accept the plea. A jury of eight men and four women was sworn in by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, who said the trial could start tomorrow or on Wednesday, depending on a judge's availability, and expected to last two weeks.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing, William Gilsenan, aged 24, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 29‑year‑old Edward Fitzgerald, who was stabbed in a car park outside Gilsenan's home on 17 October 2014. Gilsenan was described by a neighbour, John Curry, as "distraught and upset" when he was taken to the scene by Garda Emily Carr. Curry, who had spoken to Gilsenan's father, William Kinsella, about the incident, reported that Gilsenan had accepted that he must hand himself over to the gardai. Garda Carr found a knife blade and a black handle near the driver's side door of the car, which were presented as evidence. Dillon Mahady, a friend of the deceased, testified that Gilsenan owed him €100 for cannabis and that a fight over the money led to the stabbing. The trial will continue the following day before Justice Paul Butler and a jury of seven women and five men.
At the Central Criminal Court, Zhen Dong Zhao, 40, of Jervis Street, Dublin, pleaded not guilty to the murder but guilty to the manslaughter of 39-year-old Noel Fegan. The plea was accepted by the State. The incident occurred on May 20, 2011, outside the e-Times internet café in Dublin city centre, following a dispute over a 70-cent phone call. Prosecution counsel Pauline Walley SC alleged that Zhao "savagely" kicked Fegan, who was on the ground, multiple times to the head and body before delivering a final blow. Witnesses described Zhao's demeanor as "casual" and noted he gave a "two-finger salute" as Fegan lay dying. A post-mortem attributed Fegan's death to a subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by blunt-force trauma. Zhao had previously been convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2012, but that conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal earlier this year, resulting in a retrial. During the proceedings, victim impact statements were read, including from Fegan's daughter, son, and sister, who expressed their grief. The court heard that Zhao initially claimed self-defense but later admitted to being angry and wanting to "teach them not to do this again." Sentencing was adjourned until December 9, and Zhao was remanded on continuing bail until that date.
A jury heard that Fionn Braidwood, aged 32, stabbed his retired psychiatrist mother, Jane Braidwood, to death with a kitchen knife on 20 January 2015 at their Dun Laoghaire home. He also punched his sister Ceili Braidwood and assaulted Anthony Maguire on the same day. Mr Braidwood pleaded not guilty to murder and the assault charges. The prosecution, led by Alex Owens SC, presented evidence that the accused had long‑standing mental health problems, had stopped his medication in November 2014, and had been experiencing severe psychiatric symptoms for years. Witnesses, including Ceili Braidwood via video link, described the brother's tense behaviour, his decision to take a knife from the drawer, the stabbing of his mother, and subsequent assault on Ceili. The court heard that the accused was under care at Cluain Mhuire but was not receiving assistance at the time. The trial is proceeding before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart.
On the fourth day of the trial, 58‑year‑old GP Bernadette Scully, charged with the manslaughter of her 11‑year‑old daughter Emily Barut, gave a voluntary statement to the court. She described the daily hardships of caring for a severely disabled child with epilepsy, microcephaly and cerebral palsy, and explained that she had administered chloral hydrate to relieve pain and stop seizures on the night of Emily's death. Scully admitted she had given more than the normal dose, noting that Emily stopped breathing after a fit. She also recounted two failed suicide attempts that day and expressed that she had never intended to harm her daughter. The statement was read into evidence, and the case remains in the Central Criminal Court. Bernadette Scully pleaded not guilty.
The trial of 58‑year‑old Offaly GP Bernadette Scully, charged with the manslaughter of her 11‑year‑old profoundly disabled daughter Emily Barut, is ongoing at the Central Criminal Court. Scully is accused of unlawfully killing Emily on 15 September 2012 by administering an excessive quantity of chloral hydrate. She has pleaded not guilty. Pharmacist Paddy Carragher of Quirke's Medical Hall testified that Emily received chloral hydrate from the pharmacy on 27 July and 13 August 2010, with a dosage of 5 ml at night, expected to last 40 nights. Carragher described Scully's care of Emily as "superb" and "phenomenal", noting that it was a frequent topic of conversation in the pharmacy. The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of twelve.
During a Central Criminal Court hearing, William Gilsenan, aged 24, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 29‑year‑old Edward Fitzgerald, who was stabbed in a car park outside Gilsenan's home on 17 October 2014. Gilsenan's mother, Marie Gilsenan, testified that she received a call from her son that afternoon, in which he admitted to a fight over a €100 debt and that he had stabbed Fitzgerald in the leg before turning himself in to the gardai. She described how she had offered to pay €50 of the debt, but he could not afford the balance. Gilsenan's father, William Kinsella, also testified that his son appeared panicked and confused after the stabbing. The trial, presided over by Justice Paul Butler, will continue on Monday with a jury of twelve.
Patrick O'Rourke, aged 63, was sentenced by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy at the Central Criminal Court to nine years' imprisonment for attempting to murder his partner, Donna Foster, on 11 August 2015. The sentence was back‑dated to the date of his arrest. O'Rourke also received a concurrent three and a half year term for assault causing harm to a minor who witnessed the attack. The judge described the assault as an extremely serious attack, noting that Foster had suffered two serious lacerations and a severe wound to her ribs with her intestine protruding, and that a minor was injured while intervening. O'Rourke pleaded guilty, was described as cooperative and remorseful, and was considered a well‑behaved prisoner. Foster expressed relief that the case was concluded and that she could move on with her life.
The Central Criminal Court heard that James Walsh, aged 30, pleaded guilty to possession of a pistol with intent to endanger life after a shooting at the Church of the Transfiguration in Clondalkin on 26 March 2014. The prosecution argued that Walsh shot himself in the leg while escaping the scene, an act supported by circumstantial evidence including CCTV, ballistic and DNA findings linking a blue Fiat Stilo to the crime scene and to Walsh. Witnesses described a man in black and a Mini Cooper involved in the incident. Walsh was arrested on 5 December 2014 and remanded in custody pending the remainder of his sentence hearing on 14 December. The court noted his prior convictions, including a Firearms Act offence that could impose a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison. The case also involved a nolle prosequi on a separate attempted murder count against Walsh.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, witness Charlie Brodigan recounted a confrontation that led to the murder of Edward Fitzgerald (29) on 17 October 2014. Brodigan, a college friend of William Gilsenan (24), described how Gilsenan and Fitzgerald argued over a €100 drug debt. Gilsenan left the scene, later returning to the accused's home where a fight erupted. Brodigan claimed Fitzgerald threatened to burn down Gilsenan's house and his mother's house, and that Gilsenan was "shaken" and "white in the face" after the first altercation. He also said he heard Fitzgerald threaten Gilsenan. Shane Cullen testified that he witnessed the fight from his balcony and that Gilsenan had been punched and kicked repeatedly. The trial, with Justice Paul Butler and a jury, continues tomorrow. The article does not state any verdict or sentencing. William Gilsenan pleaded not guilty.
The trial of 58‑year‑old Offaly GP Bernadette Scully, charged with the manslaughter of her 11‑year‑old profoundly disabled daughter Emily Barut, heard evidence on the third day of proceedings. The jury listened to a 999 call made by Scully's partner, Andrius Kozlovskis, after finding Emily cold in her bed and her mother unconscious. They also heard a call from the National Poisons Information Centre in which a woman identifying herself as Dr Scully asked for the lethal dose of Prothiaden tablets for an adult female who had taken 15 75‑mg tablets. The call was recorded and played in court. Scully has pleaded not guilty. The case is before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of seven women and five men at the Central Criminal Court.
The partner of GP Bernadette Scully, charged with the manslaughter of her 11‑year‑old profoundly disabled daughter Emily Barut, gave evidence at the Central Criminal Court. He described the horror of finding Emily cold in bed and his inability to wake Scully. He said there was never any suggestion of suicide or that their lives would be better without Emily. He recounted living with Scully and caring for Emily, noting the child's pain and the mother's severe pressure and burnout in the months before the death. He detailed the events of the Saturday night of 15 September 2012, including Scully's attempts to administer medicine, her exhaustion, and his attempts to keep watch over both. He also described the bag of stones he later gave to the Gardaí. The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury. Bernadette Scully pleaded not guilty.
In the Central Criminal Court, 58‑year‑old Offaly GP Bernadette Scully faces a manslaughter charge for the death of her 11‑year‑old daughter, Emily Barut, who had microcephaly. Teresa Scully, Bernadette's sister, testified that Bernadette had used her medical expertise to try to improve Emily's life, including feeding attempts and seeking specialist advice in England. Teresa described Bernadette's devotion and the family's IVF history, noting that Emily's condition had been diagnosed after birth. She also recounted that Emily had undergone surgery two weeks before her death and suffered from pain and seizures. Bernadette has pleaded not guilty. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy with a jury of twelve.
A Co Mayo man has been sentenced to two years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court following his guilty plea to the defilement of a 16-year-old girl in June 2012, when he was 19 years old. The victim, a relative of his former partner, was described in court as a deeply innocent child who suffered significant psychological trauma following the incident. The court heard she subsequently experienced suicidal ideation and severe eating difficulties. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy rejected any characterisation of the matter as consensual activity between young people near the age of consent, stating the accused had exploited the girl in a squalid manner. The judge imposed a concurrent four-year post-release supervision order and mandated sex offender registration. The accused, who initially denied the allegations before making admissions, expressed remorse. His counsel noted he had no prior convictions and indicated positive rehabilitation since the offence.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a mother recounted the profound family rupture caused by her daughter's rape by her uncle over seven years. The victim, now 17, described how the abuse began with inappropriate touching at age seven and escalated to rape and anal rape, occurring in various family homes and a treehouse. The uncle, aged 25, pleaded guilty to three sexual assault and seven rape charges spanning 2007 to 2014. He admitted feeling guilt and contemplated suicide after each incident. The mother's statement highlighted the lasting emotional damage, noting the family's fractured relationships, especially with her grandmother. The uncle's parents supported him, while the court adjourned sentencing to December 16, with the defendant expressing a desire to be taken into custody immediately. The case underscored the enduring impact of the abuse on the victim and her family.
In a Central Criminal Court case, a 42‑year‑old man was convicted by a jury of raping his wife in May 2014 and of threatening to cut her face and to kill her the next day over the phone. He was also found guilty of attempting to cause serious harm to the woman and assaulting her mother during a hammer attack outside the mother's Dublin home on 7 August 2014. The jury could not reach a verdict on other assault and threat counts. Justice Isobel Kennedy sentenced him to 12 years for the rape, suspending the final two years, and imposed lesser concurrent sentences for the other convictions. The DPP is seeking a new trial date for the remaining assault and threat charges, which was adjourned to May 2017 to allow the accused to appeal the rape conviction. The appeal is scheduled to be heard in the same court. The case remains at the appeal stage.
A 29‑year‑old man, who claims he was suffering from sexsomnia, will stand for a third trial in 2018 for a single count of raping a friend in a Dublin apartment on 28 September 2008. He admitted he may have had sex with the woman but maintains he was asleep. The first trial collapsed in 2015 over legal issues, the second ended with a hung jury after eight hours of deliberation, and the third trial is now scheduled for January 2018. The judge has agreed to return the accused's passport for specified travel dates. The unnamed 29-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a bar manager was acquitted of rape and sexual assault after a woman claimed she was incapacitated by ketamine she mistakenly took at a party. The accused, who denied the allegations, testified that the encounter was consensual and that he did not strike the woman with his penis. The woman, who had snorted a line of ketamine thinking it was cocaine, described being unable to speak or move and later being sexually assaulted for about twenty seconds. She reported that the accused pulled down her jeans and that she was left in a comatose state. The jury deliberated for just over two hours before finding the accused not guilty of both charges. The judge thanked the jurors and released them from future service for ten years. The case had originally involved a plea of not guilty to rape and sexual assault in a Dublin apartment in November 2013.
A 23‑year‑old Kildare man, who was 15 when he committed the offences, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and to oral rape, all involving an 11‑year‑old girl who was blindfolded during the acts. The victim, now 19, said the abuse made her feel sick, destroyed her self‑confidence and took away her childhood. The judge noted the offender's immaturity and lack of judgment, but also that he had deliberately planned a continuous campaign of abuse. He was remorseful, had no other convictions, and had not been in contact with Gardaí since his arrest. The sentencing reflected the offender's young age and the judge's view that a longer term would have been imposed had he not been a minor at the time of the offence.
A 58‑year‑old Offaly woman, Bernadette Scully of Emvale, Bachelor's Walk, Tullamore, is set to begin a trial tomorrow in the Central Criminal Court. She is charged with the manslaughter of her 11‑year‑old daughter, Emily Barut, by allegedly giving her an excessive amount of chloral hydrate on 15 September 2012. Scully pleaded not guilty. A jury of seven women and five men has been sworn in, and the trial is expected to last up to three weeks.
During a sentence hearing at the Central Criminal Court, Richard O'Brien, 57, was removed after repeatedly interrupting proceedings, attempting to sack his barrister and calling the victim a "filthy prostitute." O'Brien, convicted of rape, attempted rape, false imprisonment and assault causing harm, had lured the victim—a grandmother in her fifties—to a caravan in Dublin on 19 March 2011, where he raped, assaulted and bit her. He fled to the UK and was extradited in 2013. The victim, who cannot be named, described the attack as lasting for a long time, ending when two men entered the caravan and stopped O'Brien. She was later taken to a sexual assault treatment unit and gave a victim impact statement about nightmares, relationship breakdown and suicidal thoughts. The judge adjourned sentencing to 12 December, noting O'Brien's disruptive court behaviour and difficulty restraining himself. The hearing continued with his defence barrister, Damien Colgan SC, after O'Brien was removed. The case remains pending sentencing.
William Gilsenan, a 24-year-old man from Larch Hill, Santry, Dublin, is set to stand trial at the Central Criminal Court for the alleged murder of 29-year-old Edward Fitzgerald. The incident is alleged to have occurred at The Green, Larch Hill, on October 17, 2014. Gilsenan pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder. A jury comprising seven women and five men will begin hearing evidence tomorrow. The trial is expected to last two weeks. This report reflects the procedural stage of the trial, where the defendant's plea has been recorded and the case is proceeding to a full hearing before the court. No findings, sentences, or final dispositions have been issued at this stage, as the matter is currently in the trial phase. The allegations remain contested, and the court will determine the outcome based on the evidence presented during the upcoming proceedings.