The jury has begun deliberations in the trial of Ruth Lawrence, 46, accused of shooting drug dealer Eoin O'Connor and killing drug dealer Anthony Keegan with her boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen. The case, heard at the Central Criminal Court after a five‑week trial, relies on statements from protected witnesses Jason and Stacey Symes, who claim Lawrence told them she shot O'Connor but that Neville finished the act, and that they were asked to move the bodies. The judge explained that Lawrence could be found guilty of murder on the basis of joint enterprise only if she assisted in a concrete way and had a purpose to help the killings. The jury may return a verdict of guilty of murder, guilty of assisting an offender, or not guilty for each murder charge, and must decide unanimously.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a woman in her 30s from the southwest of Ireland is accused of killing a four‑year‑old boy. The accused told Gardaí that the boy was a "bold cheeky child" and that she had kept him in his room, on the floor, for several days to hide bruising. On 13 March 2021, after the boy fell from a bunk bed, emergency services found him unconscious with multiple bruises of different colours. The prosecution argues that the boy's brain injury was caused by shaking and blunt force, not a fall. The accused pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. She had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting the child in January and March 2021. The trial is before Mr Justice Paul McDermott with a jury of four women and eight men.
Five bus and taxi operators from Limerick, Tipperary, Clare, South Galway and Waterford have gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court. They pleaded not guilty to a single charge under the Competition Act 2002, alleging that between 1 November 2014 and 31 December 2016 they engaged in a concerted practice that prevented, restricted or distorted competition in school transport services. The prosecution is by the Competition Authority. Mr Justice David Keane empanelled a jury of seven men and five women; the trial is expected to last up to six weeks.
The Central Criminal Court trial of seven men accused of sexually abusing a deaf family member is proceeding with extensive sign language interpretation support. The complainant, giving evidence via videolink, is assisted by an Irish Sign Language interpreter, a deaf relay, and an intermediary linguistics expert. Ms Justice Caroline Biggs informed the jury that the court is in "new territory," noting that monitoring interpreter teams will alert the court to translation errors. The trial, expected to last four months, involves 98 counts of abuse alleged to have occurred between 1996 and 2013. All defendants deny the charges. Accused A, a 55-year-old uncle, faces one count of rape. Accused B, another uncle, is accused of eight counts of rape, oral rape, and anal rape. Accused C, a 34-year-old brother, faces 45 counts of rape and anal rape against the complainant, plus additional charges of sexual assault, rape, and anal rape against two other sisters. Accused D, 33, pleaded not guilty to 19 counts of rape and three of anal rape. Accused E, 32, denied nine counts of anal rape and seven of rape. Accused F, also 32, denied five counts of rape and anal rape. Accused G, 45, denied one count of rape. The matter is currently at the trial stage.
In a 2025 appeal, a 68‑year‑old man who was jailed for life for a campaign of rape against his granddaughter and nephew argues that the jury's verdict was unfairly influenced by evidence of prior violence and sexual abuse from his daughter. The defence senior counsel, Michael Bowman, contends that the prosecution's testimony about the daughter's abuse—describing beatings with sticks, tying up a brother, and habitual rape from age 11—was prejudicial and not relevant to the charges. He also claims the jury's verdict on one count was "perverse" because the caravan mentioned by a victim was in a different county than the indictment stated. The prosecution's Shane Costelloe SC maintains that the evidence was essential to illustrate intergenerational abuse and that the judge correctly allowed it. The unnamed 68-year-old was found guilty.
A 32‑year‑old woman from the south west has pleaded guilty to killing a four‑year‑old boy but denies that the death was murder. She is to stand trial at the Central Criminal Court, where Mr Justice Paul McDermott swore in a jury of eight men and four women. The judge told the jury that the allegation is murder and that the child was aged four‑and‑a‑half when he died on 16 March 2021. The trial, expected to last up to five weeks, is set to begin tomorrow.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, prosecution barrister Michael O'Higgins SC argued that Ruth Lawrence (46) and her South African boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen acted as a "unit and tag team" to lure drug dealer Eoin O'Connor (32) to their home at Patricks Cottage, Ross, Mountnugent, and murder him. O'Higgins said Lawrence shot O'Connor in the stomach with intent to kill, but she did not act alone; van der Westhuizen allegedly finished him off, possibly by grappling and shooting him in the head. The prosecution also claimed that the couple killed Anthony Keegan (33) and that both bodies were later found bound and covered on Inchicup Island, Lough Sheelin. Witnesses Jason and Stacey Symes testified that Lawrence told them she had shot O'Connor but it "went wrong" and that van der Westhuizen took over. The case presented evidence of a planned, highly calculated double murder, with Lawrence and van der Westhuizen equally liable under the law. Ruth Lawrence pleaded not guilty.
A convicted rapist was sentenced to a global 13‑year term, consecutive to the nine‑year sentence he is already serving, for sexually abusing his daughter between February 2020 and July 2021. The abuse, which occurred while he was on bail for a separate offence, involved oral rape, six attempted rapes, six sexual assaults and six invitations to sexual touching. The daughter, aged 11‑12 at the time, was moved to live with him from another country at age 10. The judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, noted the aggravating factor of grooming the child and the lack of mitigating circumstances. The final four years of the 13‑year sentence were suspended on strict conditions, including the defendant's departure from the country for 15 years. The court emphasised the seriousness of the ongoing wrongdoing and the need for a substantial custodial term.
Ian Healy, 68, of Drogheda, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of indecent assault, attempted rape and rape of his girlfriend's younger sister Susan Mallon, aged nine to twelve when the abuse began in 1978, and to one count of indecent assault of Mallon's younger sister Jenny Sullivan, aged six to eight, between 1981 and 1983. Healy had moved into the family home, where the girls' parents were absent and their older sister was the sole caregiver, and groomed the children by showing pornographic magazines. The abuse escalated from inappropriate touching to attempted rape and rape, ending when Mallon resisted and Healy left the room. Sullivan was forced to masturbate Healy and was told not to report the abuse. Both girls waived anonymity. Healy's sentencing was eight and a half years, with a suspended portion and conditions of probation. The judge noted Healy's insertion into a vulnerable household and his lack of remorse.
Conor O'Brien, 24, appeared at the Central Criminal Court for sentencing following his guilty plea to possession of an article in a public place with the intention of causing injury, contrary to section 9(5) of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990. The offence, dated October 21, 2024, involved carrying a knife at New Oak Estate, Carlow. A further charge regarding the possession of a metal bar was taken into consideration. O'Brien is alleged to have accompanied a co-accused to the home of Darren Quigley, where Mr Quigley was allegedly stabbed to death. Prosecution evidence stated O'Brien admitted bringing the weapons to lend 'moral support' and pushing the co-accused off the victim. The co-accused is separately charged with murder. Defence counsel Kathleen Leader SC argued O'Brien was under the influence of alcohol and drugs, had cooperated with the investigation, and is a suitable candidate for probation supervision with family support. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned the matter to November 17 for sentencing.
Alec Goucher, aged 70, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of 25 counts of sexual abuse against his stepdaughter Elizabeth Usher between 2000 and 2007. The abuse began when Usher was about 11 and escalated to regular rapes twice a week when she was 15 or 16. Goucher denied the allegations and claimed she persuaded him to act. He was found to have no remorse and had attempted to collapse his trial after setting his home on fire. The judge, Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, rejected a suggestion that he might be suitable for a non‑custodial sentence and imposed a 17‑year custodial term, back‑dated to the start of his custody. Usher's victim impact statement described the abuse as a campaign of rape that eroded her sense of self and her relationship with her father. The sentence was handed down in February after delays caused by a psychiatric report.
Two men, Stephen Mulvey (34) and Jamie Berry (30), pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder a Dublin teenager on February 23‑24, 2021. They were arraigned before the Central Criminal Court and remanded on bail until January 19 next year. Their guilty pleas follow a Court of Appeal order to retrial, overturning a 2023 Central Criminal Court decision that had acquitted them due to insufficient evidence. The State had alleged Berry was the shooter and Mulvey assisted, while the teenager gave testimony but could not recall the day's events and was on medication.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 31 October 2025, Maxwell Itumelang Mosia, aged 34, was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment for a 2019 assault causing harm on his former partner. Mosia pleaded guilty to the charge. The court heard that the attack began downstairs and continued upstairs, during which Mosia punched the woman in the face, arms, shoulders and legs, struck her repeatedly in the face, forced her into the bathroom, undressed her, slapped her ears and sprayed her with the shower hose, especially around her genital area. The victim was treated at The Rotunda Hospital for a burst lip, pain to her right ear, right upper jaw and a mild concussion. Mosia had 29 prior convictions, including 24 for traffic offences, public order and theft. Justice Karen O'Connor set a headline sentence of 30 months, reduced to 20 months, and backdated it to the week he entered custody.
A 61-year-old man has appealed his conviction for repeatedly sexually abusing his teenage sister-in-law, arguing that evidence regarding his temper created undue prejudice. The appellant, identified as Barry McDonagh, was found guilty by a jury of 17 counts of rape and one count of sexual assault following a Central Criminal Court trial in June 2024. He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison by Ms Justice Caroline Biggs in October 2024. The abuse occurred between 1999 and 2000 when the victim, who waived anonymity, was aged 15 to 16. In the Court of Appeal, counsel for the appellant argued that testimony about the man's violent temper, including allegations he broke his wife's ribs, was irrelevant and highly prejudicial. The Director of Public Prosecutions countered that this evidence was necessary to explain the victim's fear and lack of resistance. The appellant also claimed the judge erred in failing to discharge the jury after a question referencing a holiday to Tunisia. The three-judge court, led by Mr Justice Peter Charleton, reserved its judgment, meaning the matter was adjourned and not concluded.
In a Dublin murder case, Josip Strok and his friend David Druzinec were attacked after a 17‑year‑old boy at a bus stop was denied a lighter. The boy later warned other teenagers, who then boarded a bus and were followed by Mark Lee (44) and Anthony Delappe (19). Lee and Delappe, who had been in Lee's house smoking cannabis, pursued Strok and Druzinec, striking them with a pickaxe handle and a half‑crutch. Strok suffered a fatal brain injury after falling and was pronounced dead four days later. Lee and Delappe pleaded not guilty to murder but were found guilty by an 11‑to‑1 majority. Connor Rafferty (21) was acquitted of murder after claiming he only delivered light smacks. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court on 30 March 2024. The verdicts were delivered on 30 October 2025.
Two men, Mark Lee (44) and Anthony Delappe (19), were found guilty by a majority verdict of 11–1 of the murder of Josip Strok (31) in Dublin. Both had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Connor Rafferty (21) was found not guilty of murder after pleading not guilty. All three pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Strok's friend, David Druzinec (29). The jury heard that on 30 March 2024 Lee had been told of an alleged assault on a teenage boy at a bus stop near his home in Clondalkin and alerted Delappe and Rafferty. The prosecution alleged that Lee and Delappe followed Strok and Druzinec and assaulted them in the street; Strok died four days later from blunt‑force injuries.
A retired Defence Forces member, aged 78, was sentenced to eight years in prison for raping a teenage babysitter, an incident that occurred in 1981. The victim, then about 13 or 14, was alone in the defendant's home while she was babysitting his children. He pleaded guilty to one count of rape at the Central Criminal Court. The judge described the offence as very serious, noting the defendant's exploitation of the victim's trust and lack of consent. The sentence, reduced from an initial 11 years, includes a two‑year suspended portion and requires the defendant to be supervised by Probation Services and to participate in a sexual offending programme. The victim's impact statement highlighted lifelong trauma, severe PTSD, and ongoing psychological treatment. The defendant has no prior convictions and is considered low risk of re‑offending.
At the Central Criminal Court, a jury heard that drug dealer Eoin O'Connor sent a text message on April 22, 2014, stating "have to go to country… if anything happens to me" before he and Anthony Keegan disappeared. Ruth Lawrence (45), with an address in Co Meath, has pleaded not guilty to murdering both men at an unknown location between April 22 and May 26, 2014. A senior garda intelligence analyst told the court she examined phone records for twelve numbers in the investigation. Cell site data indicated the men travelled from Dublin to Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan that evening. Ms Lawrence's phone showed activity consistent with travel towards Cavan town after 6.25pm, with her last connection at 7.36pm. The prosecution alleges Ms Lawrence and her boyfriend killed Mr O'Connor over a €70,000 drug debt, with both bodies later discovered bound and wrapped on Inchicup Island, Lough Sheelin. The trial continues.
In a Central Criminal Court case, a jury has begun deliberations over the murder of Croatian national Josip Strok, who died four days after an assault in Dublin. The accused are Mark Lee (44), Anthony Delappe (19) and Connor Rafferty (21). Lee and Delappe have pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, while Rafferty has not entered a plea. All three pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Strok's friend, David Druzinec. The prosecution alleges the trio followed Strok and Druzinec and attacked them, with Lee using kicks and punches, Delappe striking with a plastic pickaxe handle, and Rafferty striking with a crutch. The judge instructed the jury to consider each accused individually, noting that verdicts may differ and must be unanimous. The jury will continue tomorrow.
A man in his 70s, arrested in July, faces 79 alleged historical sexual offences, including 78 indecent assaults on four girls aged eight to 15 between 1971 and 1981 in south Dublin, and one attempted rape. The charges are distributed among the victims: 42 counts against one girl, 34 against another, two against a third, and one against a fourth. He did not attend the short hearing. Defence counsel Karl Monahan BL requested a trial date. Judge Paul McDermott set the trial for 15 June 2026, with disclosure to be completed before the case is heard in January.
Ryan Craig, a 25-year-old man from Clondalkin, appeared at the Central Criminal Court where he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm and endangerment. The court heard that on October 20, 2024, Craig struck Dillon Gilligan with his van on Cloverhill Road, dragging him for up to 30 feet. The victim suffered critical injuries, including a fractured skull, arm, chest, pelvis, and ankle, as well as internal bleeding. Evidence indicated the attack was opportunistic rather than pre-planned, arising from a long-standing feud in the Ronanstown area. Craig was arrested at Dublin Port and recorded on CCTV stating he had "smashed" the victim. Although originally charged with attempted murder, Craig admitted to the lesser offences in July. The court noted Craig has four previous convictions and that the victim, who was previously convicted of carrying a firearm, has since left a rehabilitation facility. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned the matter to November 14 for finalisation. Separately, the report references a prior sentencing where Judge Ronan Munro sentenced John Gilligan to six and a half years, with the final 18 months suspended, for offences committed in 2019.
In the Central Criminal Court, barrister Michael Bowman SC warned a jury that comments made by murder accused Mark Lee (44) about "illegal immigrants" and "invaders" to gardai should not prejudice their verdict. Bowman said Lee's remarks, though "objectionable and unsavoury", must not influence the jury's assessment of the evidence. He noted that the prosecution had alleged Lee and co‑accused Anthony Delappe and Connor Rafferty had known the deceased, Josip Strok, was a foreigner, yet there was no evidence Lee or the others had spoken about foreigners before the assault. Bowman challenged the prosecution's claim that the nature of the assault proved intent to cause serious injury, pointing out that Strok's fatal skull fracture was likely caused by a fall. He urged the jury to consider Lee's guilty plea to manslaughter and to avoid prejudice based on his views, concluding that a manslaughter verdict was appropriate. Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring will charge the jury next Tuesday. Mark Lee pleaded not guilty. Connor Rafferty pleaded not guilty. Anthony Delappe pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the Director of Public Prosecutions asked a jury to consider whether a statement made by accused Mark Lee to Gardaí—claiming it was "terrible the way the homeless are treated" while illegal immigrants "run amok"—constituted a motive or justification for the attack on Croatian national Josip Strok. The prosecution alleged that Lee, Anthony Delappe and Connor Rafferty jointly assaulted Strok on 3 April 2024, using a pickaxe handle, a crutch and kicks, causing fatal blunt‑force injuries. Lee and Delappe pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; Rafferty pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to assault. Defence counsel argued that the evidence did not prove intent to cause serious injury and urged a manslaughter verdict for each accused. The case remains at the jury stage, with the prosecution's closing speech pending.
A 19‑year‑old teenager received a 12‑month suspended prison sentence for threatening to kill a former partner. The conviction followed an earlier acquittal of rape at the Central Criminal Court. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Burns, noted the victim's significant fear and set a headline sentence of two years for an adult, reduced to 12 months because the offender was 16 at the time of the offence. The sentence was suspended for three years under strict conditions, and the offender was directed to place himself under Probation Services supervision. The court could only sentence on the count where a guilty verdict was returned and could not consider other alleged offences. The victim's impact statement described fear, illness, and isolation, while the defence counsel accepted the verdict and offered an apology. The offender had no prior convictions and was a first‑time offender.
During a Central Criminal Court trial on 22 October 2025, key witness Stacey Symes (32) testified that Ruth Lawrence (45) claimed she had shot drug dealer Eoin O'Connor (32) but that the attempt failed, and that her boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen "took over" and killed O'Connor and Anthony Keegan (33). Symes said she and her father visited Patrick's Cottage on 22 April, where Lawrence allegedly said she had shot O'Connor. Cross‑examination by Patrick Gageby SC challenged Symes, who insisted Lawrence had spoken of shooting. Gageby suggested Neville was the one who shot, but Symes maintained Lawrence's statement. Lawrence, originally from Clontarf, Dublin, pleaded not guilty to the murders of Keegan and O'Connor, which occurred between 22 April and 26 May 2014. The case proceeds before Mr Justice Tony Hunt with a jury of four men and eight women, and Symes' father Jason is scheduled to give direct evidence.
Five members of Jozef Puska's family were sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for withholding or destroying evidence of the murder of Ashling Murphy. Puska's brothers Marek (36) and Lubomir (37) received 30‑month prison terms each. Lubomir's wife Viera Gaziova (40) was sentenced to 30 months, and Marek's wife Jozefina Grundzova (27 months) with the last six months suspended. Puska's partner and mother of his children, Lucia Istokova (36), received a 26‑month sentence, also with the final six months suspended. The judge, Ms Justice Caroline Biggs, cited psychological reports on Roma women's roles to justify the suspensions. The sentences reflect the defendants' collective decision to conceal information and destroy evidence, including burning clothes that may have contained forensic evidence. The court noted that the offences were committed to protect a family member rather than for personal gain. Viera Gaziova pleaded not guilty. Lucia Istokova pleaded not guilty.
A man suffered life-threatening injuries when stabbed multiple times during an assault on Austin Friars Street in Mullingar on August 2nd, 2024, arising from an ongoing feud between Traveller families. The Central Criminal Court heard that Anthony Dinnegan Jnr sustained serious wounds to his head, chest and leg, with doctors confirming a perforated liver that required immediate surgery and transfusions. He spent twenty-four hours in critical condition at Midlands Regional Hospital. Christopher Nevin, aged 31, and Michael Nevin, aged 41, both from Mullingar, faced charges of attempted murder. Michael Nevin pleaded guilty to causing serious harm, whilst Christopher Nevin pleaded guilty to violent disorder. The Director of Public Prosecutions accepted both pleas. Detective Gardaí presented evidence of prior threatening incidents between the families and CCTV footage showing Michael Nevin carrying a knife during the assault. Both families have since engaged with the Traveller Mediation Service to resolve their differences. Mr Justice David Keane adjourned sentencing to October 31st.
A witness has told the Central Criminal Court that Ruth Lawrence, the accused in a double murder trial, admitted to shooting drug dealer Eoin O'Connor but said the killing "went wrong" and her boyfriend "took over". Stacey Symes testified that Lawrence said Anthony Keegan died for O'Connor "because they were friends". Ms Symes, who grew up in Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan, said she and her father were asked to help move the bodies of both men. Lawrence, aged 45, with an address at Patricks Cottage, Ross, Mountnugent, Co Meath, has pleaded not guilty to murdering O'Connor and Keegan between 22 April and 26 May 2014. The court heard the bodies were later discovered on Inchicup Island on Lough Sheelin. The trial before Mr Justice Tony Hunt continues, with the defence due to cross-examine the witness.
A 44‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment for a series of sexual offences against his daughter, aged five to eight during 2020‑2022, and for a prolonged assault on his former partner on 28 September 2023. The court found him guilty of five counts of sexual assault, four counts of rape, one count of exposing the child to pornography, one count of false imprisonment of the partner and one count of threatening to kill her. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to the partner. The judge imposed six years for the partner's offences and 13 years for the child's offences, to run consecutively, suspending the final year on conditions including probation supervision for three years. The sentence reflected the domestic violence provisions and the severe impact on the victimised daughter, who remains a child. The man continues to deny the charges.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a woman in her 50s was found guilty of facilitating the rape of her six‑year‑old daughter by the child's uncle and of sexually assaulting the child when she was four. The court also heard that the uncle, in his 40s, was convicted of raping the child after the mother had brought him into a bedroom where the child was lying on a bed watching television. The mother remained in the room during the rape, lifted her daughter from the bed, and returned her to her own bed in another room. She had denied 14 charges, including 13 of sexual assault and one of rape, but was convicted in July 2025 after an 18‑day trial. The uncle had denied six charges of rape and was convicted of one charge in March 2023. A third defendant, accused of oral rape, was nolle prosequi.
A 22-year-old man from Carlow has been sentenced to two years in prison for two counts of oral rape and one count of sexually assaulting his younger cousin between January 2017 and June 2018. The defendant, who was aged between 13 and 14 at the time of the offences, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court. The victim, who was aged between 10 and 11, disclosed the abuse to her mother in 2018, but no further action was taken at the time. The abuse came to light again in 2022 when Tusla notified gardaí of the disclosure. In a victim impact statement, the young woman described the lasting emotional trauma she has experienced, including nightmares and feelings of guilt and shame. The court heard that the defendant told the victim not to disclose the abuse, or she would get into trouble. Mr Justice Patrick McGrath noted the defendant's actions were a gross breach of trust and had long-term effects on the victim. He reduced the headline sentence of eight years to two years and ten months, suspending the final ten months to encourage engagement with the Probation Service's assessment and treatment programme. The defendant's guilty plea and lack of previous convictions were taken into account. Defence counsel highlighted the defendant's difficult upbringing, isolation, and history of mental health issues.
The Central Criminal Court trial of seven men accused of familial sexual abuse continues before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs. The defendants, comprising three uncles and four brothers aged 32 to 55, face a total of 98 counts regarding a deaf woman, Complainant 1, alleged to have been abused between 1996 and 2013. All accused deny the charges. Accused C (34) has pleaded not guilty to 46 counts against two other sisters, including Complainant 2. During cross-examination, Complainant 2, now 26, addressed allegations that Accused C sexually assaulted her at age six and raped her at ages 16 and 19. She withdrew a previous complaint against a non-trial brother, describing it as a "bad dream that felt real." A garda testified that Complainant 2 was under the influence of medication when initially reporting an incident but later refused to provide a formal statement. Accused A (55) faces one count of rape; Accused B (48) faces eight counts of rape, oral rape, and anal rape; Accused D (33) has pleaded not guilty to 19 counts of rape and three of anal rape; Accused E (32) denies nine counts of anal rape and seven of rape; Accused F (32) denies five counts of anal rape and rape; and Accused G (45) denies one count of rape. The trial is ongoing.
Pedro Cifali, 37, a Brazilian, will be sentenced on 9 February 2025 for attempting to murder his former partner, Lucia Nezbalova, 43, in Dublin. He electronically tracked her car, disguised himself, and stabbed her at her home in Garnish Square, causing severe injuries that required surgery. Nezbalova suffered life‑threatening wounds and now endures PTSD, anxiety and depression. Cifali pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and has no prior record. He has been in custody since the incident and has shown progress. The court adjourned sentencing to 9 February, with the prosecution seeking a headline sentence of 15 to 20 years, citing the extreme violence, premeditation and domestic abuse context. The case remains at the sentencing stage, with no further outcomes reported.
David Kearney, 39, was sentenced to ten years in prison for a series of sexual offences against a girl who was aged 11 to 16 during the period from April 2019 to October 2023. He pleaded guilty to twelve counts of sexual abuse, including rape, oral rape, anal rape and the use of communication technology to facilitate the exploitation of a child under 17. Kearney's crimes were committed while he was living a double life as a family man, partner and father, and a drug user and sexual abuser. The court noted that the victim, now 17, had endured severe emotional trauma and that Kearney's appreciation of his wrongdoing was limited. The judge imposed a 10‑year custodial sentence, suspended 18 months, with conditions including therapeutic programme participation, no contact with the victim, and probation supervision for 18 months after release. The sentence was reduced from an initial 11½‑year term after mitigation arguments.
A 29‑year‑old man was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for sexually abusing his three younger half‑siblings between 2012 and 2018. He pleaded guilty to one count of defilement and several counts of sexual assault. The first victim was aged eight to fourteen when the offence occurred, the second five to ten, and the third nine to fourteen; the defendant was aged fifteen to twenty‑two during the incidents. The judge noted aggravating factors such as the victims' ages, the defendant's use of force and the impact on the children, and mitigating factors including early guilty pleas. The sentence comprised six years for each sexual assault count, an eight‑year defilement term with the final year suspended for 18 months, all running concurrently. The defendant will be supervised by Probation Services for 18 months post‑release and is prohibited from unsupervised contact with children.
A 34‑year‑old woman, Jane Corcoran of Pairc na Dara, Clonard, Wexford, pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to two charges. The first charge was that on 15 October 2024 she helped move the body of Stephen Ring, who had been found dead in a Wexford quarry, thereby impeding the apprehension or prosecution of the person who had committed the murder. The second charge was that on 25 October 2024 she gave false statements to Gardaí, again with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution of the murderer. Corcoran's counsel requested a sentencing date in the final week of the court term and sought probation, governor's and education reports, as well as a urinalysis. Mr Justice Paul McDermott ordered the reports and set the sentencing for 16 December. The body of Stephen Ring was discovered in a quarry outside Wexford town almost two weeks after he was first reported missing.
In October 2025, a 43‑year‑old man from a European country was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for sexual assault and attempted rape of a Ukrainian refugee outside a Dublin nightclub in March 2024. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm before the trial. The court heard that the victim, who remains anonymous, was severely affected, losing work, experiencing health problems, and fearing for her daughter. The judge described the offence as "profoundly disturbing, degrading, primitive" and set a headline sentence of ten years, reduced to nine years, with the final year suspended on conditions that the defendant have no contact with the victim and leave Ireland for 14 years after release. The defendant entered a bond agreeing to these terms. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court, with CCTV evidence showing the assault and the victim's struggle. No prior convictions were recorded for the defendant.
The Central Criminal Court trial of seven men accused of familial sexual abuse continues before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs. Complainant 2, a 26-year-old woman, testified that her older brother, Accused C (34), allegedly raped her when she was 16 and 19. Accused C has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting her between 2005 and 2006, and to two counts of rape and one count of anal rape between 2016 and 2019. He also faces 46 further counts against two other sisters. His six co-accused, aged 32 to 55, deny a total of 98 counts regarding Complainant 1, a deaf woman, alleged to have occurred between 1996 and 2013. Accused A (55) denies one count of rape; Accused B (48) denies eight counts of rape, oral rape, and anal rape; Accused D (33) denies 19 counts of rape and three of anal rape; Accused E (32) denies nine counts of anal rape and seven of rape; Accused F (32) denies three counts of anal rape and two of rape; and Accused G (45) denies one count of rape. All accused deny the charges. The matter is at the trial stage and has not been finalised.
Iosif Ghergut, 50, of Galway, pleaded guilty to one count of oral rape and one count of sexual assault against Jade MacFarlane, a friend of his daughter, at his home on 10 October 2021. The court found aggravating factors including the victim's trust, a 27‑year age gap, and the assault occurring in a bathroom where she could not leave. Ghergut had no prior convictions. Justice Karen O'Connor sentenced him to five years and eight months for the oral rape and four years for the sexual assault, with both sentences running concurrently. The judge suspended the last six months of the longer term and back‑dated it to the date of his arrest. Ghergut will be supervised by Probation Services for 12 months after release. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court in Galway.
A 25‑year‑old man was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended for two years, by Mr Justice Paul McDermott at the Central Criminal Court for sexually assaulting his 13‑year‑old cousin. The court heard that the defendant lured the child to an abandoned shed, forced her into a sexual assault, and threatened to drown her in a river if she disclosed the crime. He also threatened the child's father, saying he would leave him looking like the horror‑movie doll 'Chucky'. The defendant pleaded guilty to the assault and to witness intimidation. He has 81 prior convictions, including theft, fraud, road‑traffic offences and criminal damage. The judge noted the victim's bravery and the aggravating nature of the threats, and ordered the defendant to engage with Probation Services, Tusla and a therapeutic group programme while in custody and for two years after release.
In the Mary Ward murder case, the Central Criminal Court has yet to make progress on a psychiatric assessment of Ahmed Abdirahman, a 31‑year‑old Somali national accused of killing his former partner, Mary Ward, on 25 September 2024 in Belfast. Three months after Judge Paul McDermott warned that the delay could not continue, the court still has no diagnosis of Abdirahman's fitness to plead. The judge required a "diagnostic clarification" from the Central Mental Hospital, which must admit the accused and allow an external psychiatrist to evaluate him. Defence counsel Oisin Clarke noted issues with the case and the need for the court to determine the accused's mental fitness. In July, the defence reported that Abdirahman was still in Cloverhill Prison and had not engaged with a psychiatrist.
The trial of seven men accused of familial sexual abuse is ongoing before the Central Criminal Court. Complainant 3, a 24-year-old woman, testified via videolink that her brother, Accused C, anally raped her when she was 12. Accused C, 34, has pleaded not guilty to this count, as well as 45 counts against Complainant 1 and four counts against Complainant 2. The other six accused men, aged 32 to 55, face a total of 98 counts relating to Complainant 1, a deaf woman. Accused A, 55, is accused of one count of rape. Accused B, 48, faces eight counts of rape, oral rape, and anal rape. Accused D, 33, has pleaded not guilty to 19 counts of rape and three counts of anal rape. Accused E, 32, has denied nine counts of anal rape and seven counts of rape. Accused F, 32, has denied three counts of anal rape and two counts of rape. Accused G, 45, has denied one count of rape. All accused deny the charges. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Biggs with a 15-member jury, is set down for four months.
During the murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing SC argued that the fact the victim, 31‑year‑old Josip Strok, was a foreign national was relevant to the case. He cited statements from accused Mark Lee (44), who told Gardaí two days after the assault that he had been walking "up and down with two dogs" outside an International Protection Accommodation Service centre, and that he had sent a voice note to a friend saying he had "just smashed Polish lads up and left them for dead." The prosecution contended these remarks showed the accused were aware of Strok's status as a foreigner. The trial also heard that Strok and his friend David Druzinec (29) were assaulted on 30 March 2024, with Strok dying four days later from blunt‑force injuries. Mark Lee, Anthony Delappe (19) and Connor Rafferty (21) have pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter and assault causing harm.
Aaron Barwell, 30, of Coldcut Park, Dublin, pleaded guilty to one count of oral rape, one of rape and one of attempted rape against three escort victims between January and August 2021. He lured each victim to his home, used violence and threats, and in the first case forced oral sex and used a hammer. In the second case he threatened with a screwdriver and forced oral, vaginal and anal sex. In the third case he threatened to kill her and used a screwdriver, but the victim resisted and escaped. Gardaí seized a knife, cable ties and a silver hammer during a search of his apartment. Barwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with the final two years suspended. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal, upholding the 20‑year term and the suspended portion. The case remains at the appellate stage.
Three men with a combined 106 previous convictions pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Tom Niland at the Central Criminal Court on Monday. John Irving (31) of Foxford, Co Mayo; Francis Harman (58) of Ballina, Co Mayo; and John Clarke (37) of Ballina attacked the 82-year-old at his home in Skryne, Co Sligo on January 18th, 2022, stealing approximately €800 from his wallet. Mr Niland suffered severe injuries including brain trauma and multiple fractures. He was hospitalised but his condition deteriorated, and he died from his injuries in September 2023, some 20 months after the assault. The State Pathologist attributed his death to blunt force trauma. All three were initially charged with murder but the Director of Public Prosecutions reduced the charges to manslaughter. Harman and Clarke pleaded guilty on the first day of trial; Irving initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea during proceedings. The prosecution submitted that sentences between 15 and 20 years were warranted. Justice Paul McDermott will sentence the defendants on Thursday.
In a brief arraignment at the Central Criminal Court, 35‑year‑old Muhammed Al Shaker Al Tamimi pleaded guilty to murdering his eight‑year‑old daughter, Malika Al Katib, and attempting to murder her mother, Aisha Al Katib, on 1 December 2024 at Lower William Street, New Ross. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned the case to 15 December for evidence and a statement from Ms Katib and her family. The defendant faces a mandatory life sentence for murder.
A woman accused of murdering two men inquired about borrowing a boat on Lough Sheelin the day before the deceased were last seen alive, the Central Criminal Court has heard. Ruth Lawrence, 45, of Patricks Cottage, Ross, Mountnugent, Co Meath, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Anthony Keegan and Eoin O'Connor between April 22 and May 26, 2014. A landlord told the court that Ms Lawrence asked about taking a boat out on April 21, 2014, and subsequently borrowed an electric engine, which she said was needed because her boyfriend had a bad back and could not manage rowing. The witness stated the engine was returned the following day with minimal battery usage. The prosecution alleges Ms Lawrence and her boyfriend worked together to kill the two men, whose bodies were discovered bound and wrapped on Inchicup Island on May 26, 2014. The trial, before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury, continues.
In a sentencing hearing at the Central Criminal Court, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon imposed a mandatory life sentence on George Turner, 56, for the murder of Emma McCrory, 45, who died in a house fire on 15 December 2022. Turner admitted setting the blaze, claiming he believed Ms McCrory had "no quality of life" and wanted to "take her out of her pain." He also said he hoped the fire would evict her and that she might live with him. The fire started in Ms McCrory's bedroom on Howth Road, Clontarf, and she died from inhaling combustion products. Ms McCrory's mother, Pauline Costello, testified that her daughter was "beautiful inside and out," and that Turner's actions left two children motherless. Turner had 42 prior convictions, including firearms and drug offences, and has been drug‑free since his 2023 arrest. George Turner pleaded guilty.
Seven men, aged 32 to 55, are on trial at the Central Criminal Court, accused of sexually abusing a deaf woman over a 17-year period from 1996 to 2013. The accused, comprising three uncles and four brothers of the complainant, have all pleaded not guilty to a total of 98 counts. Prosecuting counsel Gerardine Small SC outlined that the allegations are being tried together for convenience but must be considered separately. The complainant, who will be assisted by interpreters and an intermediary, reportedly disclosed the abuse to a social worker in 2017. Accused A (55) faces one count of rape; Accused B (48) faces eight counts including oral and anal rape; Accused C (34) faces 45 counts of rape and anal rape, plus additional charges of sexual assault and rape against two other sisters; Accused D (33) faces 22 counts; Accused E (32) faces 16 counts; Accused F (32) faces five counts; and Accused G (45) faces one count of rape. All defendants deny the allegations. The trial is set down for four months, and the jury was directed to return on Monday to commence evidence.
In a sentencing hearing at the Central Criminal Court, 22‑year‑old Josh O'Brien pleaded guilty to attempting to murder his ex‑girlfriend, Niamh Kelly, by stabbing her over 50 times on Firhouse Road, Dublin, on 19 September 2024. The attack, lasting up to six minutes, left Kelly with lifelong injuries, including a fragment of the knife still lodged in her skull. O'Brien, who had no prior convictions, claimed he was influenced by voices and had consumed alcohol that day. He admitted feeling betrayed when Kelly turned her back on him. Kelly, aged 21, described the assault as "ferocious, unwarranted, unjustified and unprovoked," and said her life has changed forever, with permanent loss of sight and paralysis in her left leg. The court postponed finalisation to 20 October 2025.