In a 2016 Central Criminal Court hearing, Detective Garda Janette O'Neill presented a Webley & Scott revolver found in a car near the site where Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne was shot dead in 2009. The gun had been decommissioned by the Birmingham Proof House museum, but O'Neill noted that the firing arm had been replaced and the barrel refilled, restoring its functionality. Five spent cartridges were recovered, and State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy confirmed five bullets in O'Byrne's body, though they were of the wrong calibre for the revolver. Gary Flynn, 31, pleaded not guilty to the murder. The court also heard CCTV evidence from a local Spar showing a nervous man purchasing items on the day of the shooting, and additional surveillance from petrol stations and a Topaz shop. The trial proceeded before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
In the Central Criminal Court, Dragos Nica, 30, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity for stabbing Michael Gannon, 55, to death on 14 November 2013. Nica admitted to the stabbing and that Gannon died from the wound. He claimed he was poisoned by Gannon's daughter, Jade, and that the poison forced him to act. Garda Sergeant David Kemp recounted that Gannon was babysitting children when Nica entered the house, stabbed him, and fled. Nica later called 999, stating he was poisoned and had to kill to stop it. He was interviewed four times, during which he described feeling a "poison" sting, being angry and despairing, and that he had stopped his medication and smoked cannabis. The jury heard evidence of Nica's acute schizophrenia at the time of the killing. The trial is expected to last three days.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence during the ongoing trial of Gary Flynn, who has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne at Tymon Park North in Tallaght on March 13, 2009. Detective Sergeant Daniel Kelly testified that gardai traced a can of Red Bull found at the scene to a specific batch produced in Switzerland. The can was linked to a Spar shop in Ballymount, where it was delivered on January 16, 2009. Factory records indicated the can was one of a maximum of 800 produced with that specific code. Garda Patrick Tarrant presented CCTV stills from the same shop showing a man identified as Garrett O'Brien purchasing two cans of Red Bull at 6.35 pm on the day of the shooting. Tarrant noted that the green rain jacket worn by O'Brien matched one found in a vehicle believed to have been used by the group alleged to have killed Mr O'Byrne. Prosecuting counsel Alex Owens SC stated the prosecution intends to demonstrate that Flynn was part of a "murder gang" that executed a plot to kill the victim. The trial continues on Tuesday.
A 48‑year‑old Kilkenny man, whose identity is withheld to protect the 32‑year‑old victim, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of 15 counts of rape and oral rape and one charge of sexual assault. The jury found that the man, who claimed a consensual relationship with his younger cousin, had sexually assaulted the 14‑year‑old when the victim was 16. He admitted to having sexual contact with the teenager roughly two or three times per week for over three years, including forced oral sex and repeated rapes. The victim reported that the man used cooking oil as lubricant, threatened to shoot him and his father, and punched him on the back of the head. The man was arrested in December 2009 after a complaint filed in March 2008. The case was adjourned for sentencing on 8 February 2016.".
A 29‑year‑old man, Shane Smyth, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 26‑year‑old Mairead Moran at the Market Cross Shopping Centre in Kilkenny on 8 May 2014. He claims the offence was committed by reason of insanity. The case is being heard at the Central Criminal Court, where Justice Margaret Heneghan informed a jury of nine women and three men that the trial would likely finish within a week, but it would not begin until the following day at 11 a.m. The hearing will proceed with evidence from tomorrow onward.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Dragos Nica, aged 30, admitted stabbing his neighbour's father, Michael Gannon, who was 55. The incident occurred at Mourne Park, Skerries, Co Dublin, on 14 November 2013. Nica pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming he was suffering from acute schizophrenia at the time. A consultant psychiatrist testified to this condition. Defence counsel Jonathan Kilfeather SC confirmed Nica's admission and that Gannon died from the stab wound. Prosecuting counsel Patrick Treacy SC instructed the jury to decide on the insanity plea. The trial continues.
In a 2011 case, gardaí utilized an accused's Facebook friends list to demonstrate closer links with alleged kidnappers than he initially admitted. The unnamed accused, who faced charges related to this activity, was later jailed for sourcing a vehicle for the alleged kidnappers. This instance highlights the increasing reliance on social media evidence in criminal proceedings. While the article primarily discusses the broader use of digital forensics and social media posts in trials, including cross-examination tactics and the analysis of search histories, the specific validated procedural stage for the named subject is sentencing. The court report notes that prosecutors are increasingly comfortable using social media as a tool, citing this 2011 conviction as an example where digital connections helped establish the accused's involvement. The matter was not adjourned; rather, the accused received a custodial sentence for the offense of sourcing a vehicle for the alleged kidnappers. No other specific pleas, findings, or suspended portions are detailed for this individual in the provided text, which focuses more on the general utility of Facebook evidence in legal contexts.
Professor Marie Cassidy, State Pathologist, gave evidence at the Central Criminal Court regarding the murder of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne, who was shot five times on 13 March 2009 at Tymon Park North, Tallaght. She described the bullet wounds: one in the head, two in the back, one in the right shoulder and one in the left thigh. The wounds to the torso caused extensive bleeding and damaged the lungs and heart, leading to death. The head wound caused bruising to the brain surface, while the hip wound was a superficial flesh injury. Cassidy noted that the hip bullet might also have injured Sharon Rattigan, who was shot when she tried to wrestle the gun. She could not determine if all bullets came from the same gun. Garda evidence included swabs and fingerprints taken from Gary Flynn, the accused, by Sergeant Ciaran Loughrey and Garda Declan Claffey. The trial continues before a jury and Justice Patrick McCarthy. Gary Flynn pleaded not guilty.
Gary Flynn, aged 31, was arrested in a silver Nissan Primera shortly after the March 13, 2009 shooting that killed Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne at Tymon Park North, Tallaght. Detective Garda Mary Moore, of the NBCI, stopped the car in Kimmage, noting it matched the description of a vehicle the Gardaí were seeking. She reported that Flynn was seated in the front passenger seat and that three people were inside the vehicle. Flynn was handcuffed and evidence bags were placed over his hands to preserve any firearm residue. Garda Alan Curry examined the car, noting it lacked a tax disk, had an out‑of‑date NCT, and contained a mobile phone and McDonald's wrappers. Additional evidence was seized from a Ford Transit van, including a mismatched chassis number and fingerprints. The case is pending before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury. Gary Flynn pleaded not guilty.
Shahzad Hussain, aged 35, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after a retrial was ordered by the Court of Criminal Appeal in July 2014. The appeal had quashed his earlier murder conviction for killing his wife's cousin, Muhammad Arif, due to a "very real risk of injustice" in how provocation was explained to the jury. Hussain had previously been sentenced to life for murdering his wife's cousin and to seven years for seriously injuring his wife, Rashida Bibi Haider, and two years for assaulting her. In the current proceedings, he pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Arif. The court noted that Hussain remains in custody for the other two convictions, which were not overturned, and that he has spent the last five years in four different prisons. The case was prosecuted by Mr Shane Costelloe SC and defended by Mr Dominic McGinn SC.
Alan McNamara, 48, of Mountfune, Murroe, Co Limerick, faces trial for the murder of Andrew O'Donoghue on 20 June 2015 at the Road Tramps motorcycle club. His stepson, Robert Cusack, 26, of Abington, Murroe, Co Limerick, is charged with impeding the Garda investigation. Both were sent to trial by Justice Patrick McCarthy for 10 July 2017.
In a 2016 case, a 40‑year‑old married man from Kerry was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the last 18 months suspended on strict conditions. He was found guilty of two counts of threatening or putting a witness in fear during a Garda investigation between 29 April and 28 May 2010. The defendant had sent the victim, a sex worker, harassing text messages and emails that called her a whore and threatened to expose her as a prostitute to her family and neighbours if she did not drop criminal allegations. He had no prior convictions and was described by a character witness as a straight, decent husband and father. The court noted the victim's fear and isolation, and the defendant's lack of contact with her during the suspended period. The sentence was imposed by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy at the Central Criminal Court. The unnamed 40-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Anthony Locke, 38, of Ballyfermot, was found guilty of impeding the investigation into the murder of Christopher Jackson, 53, who was killed in Jackson's flat on Prussia Street in September 2012. The jury, after 6 hours 47 minutes, returned a majority verdict of not guilty of murder but guilty of impeding apprehension of a person believed to be guilty of murder. Locke's brother, Bernard Locke, had been convicted of Jackson's murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014. In 1998, Anthony Locke received a 10‑year prison sentence for arson that caused the deaths of Gerard Kavanagh, 30, and his pregnant girlfriend Mary Core, 29, in a Ballyfermot flat in 1995; the last three years of that sentence were suspended. The court considered a partial suspension of the custodial sentence, with a probation report to be awaited, and set a sentencing date of 18 April.
Keith Hall, aged 26, was sentenced to 20 years for the manslaughter of 16‑year‑old Melanie McCarthy McNamara, who was shot in a car in Tallaght on 8 February 2012. Hall pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and the Director of Public Prosecutions accepted the plea. On appeal, the Court of Appeal quashed the original sentence, re‑imposed 20 years as the headline figure and suspended the final two‑and‑a‑half years. The appeal argued that the sentencing judge had not adequately considered mitigating factors such as Hall's drug addiction, dysfunctional background, remorse, family support and prospects for rehabilitation. The Court of Appeal found the judge's failure to specify the extent of any discount a departure from best practice, and ordered Hall to enter a bond to keep the peace during the suspended period. Hall was not directly involved in the shooting but assisted in events before and after the incident.
The trial of Gary Flynn, 31, of Rossfield Drive in Tallaght, continued at the Central Criminal Court. Flynn has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne at Tymon Park North in Tallaght on March 13, 2009. Sharon Rattigan, a co-defendant in the case, testified that she was shot in the leg while grappling with a gunman who allegedly killed her partner. She described the suspect as a stocky man in dark clothing who fired at Mr O'Byrne before turning on her. Rattigan stated she disarmed the man, and they both fell over a wall before he fled. She kept the weapon and placed it in her car. Prosecution counsel Alex Owens SC presented CCTV footage showing a car and van entering the estate, followed by four shots within 12 seconds, and a vehicle speeding away. Neighbours Elizabeth and Anthony Caffola corroborated hearing the shots and seeing the victims. Garda John O'Connell detailed the audio and visual evidence, while Garda Adrian King and Eddie Fallon described securing a Red Bull can and mobile phone found near the scene. The jury, comprising nine men and three women, was sent home for two days for legal arguments before Justice Patrick McCarthy. The matter is adjourned, with the jury scheduled to return on Friday.
At the Central Criminal Court on 19 January 2016, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy warned a head‑lice removal company that failing to pay an employee during her jury service was a criminal offence, exposing the firm to unlimited fines and prison. The employee, sworn to serve on a three‑day sexual‑assault trial, said her employers would not pay her and feared replacement. She was one of only two people able to operate a specific machine. The judge offered her the option to excuse herself if she was very concerned, but she chose to serve.
Seamus Morgan, 49, of Athy, Co Kildare, was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Laurence Keane, 56. A jury of three men and nine women returned a unanimous guilty verdict after deliberating for three hours and six minutes. Mr Justice Robert Eagar imposed the life sentence, backdating it to April 23, 2014, the date Morgan entered custody. Morgan had previously pleaded not guilty to the charge. The court heard that Keane was beaten in a lane-way in Athy on July 18, 2013, suffering severe blunt force trauma to the head, and died the following day. Evidence included witness testimony of a scuffle and forensic analysis of blood stains on the accused's runners, which matched Keane's DNA profile. Morgan has eight previous convictions, including a 2005 manslaughter conviction for the stabbing death of James Hand outside a Dublin pub, for which he received an eight-year sentence. The victim's family read a statement describing Keane as a disabled man and expressing the lasting impact of his death. The judge exempted the jury from service for four years.
A Central Criminal Court jury found 49‑year‑old Seamus Morgan, of The Hollands, Athy, guilty of murdering 56‑year‑old Laurence Keane in Athy on 19 July 2013. Morgan had pleaded not guilty. The jury, consisting of three men and nine women, deliberated for three hours and six minutes before delivering a unanimous verdict. Judge Robert Eagar thanked the jury for their concentration and thought, then exempted them from service for four years.
During a sentencing hearing in the Central Criminal Court, the mother of a young woman with Down syndrome described how her daughter's independence—her job, travel and errands—was destroyed when Faisal Ellahi raped her. The mother, speaking via video link, recounted the victim's post‑rape symptoms: sleeping in her mother's bed, night terrors, seizures that later subsided but returned before the trial. She also read a victim impact statement expressing fear, confusion, anger and flashbacks, and lamented the loss of her daughter's future. Ellahi, 34, was convicted in December 2015 of rape, sexual assault and having sex with a mentally impaired person. He denied the charges, claiming ignorance of the victim's Down syndrome, and had no prior convictions in Ireland. The judge adjourned the case to consider mitigation and a possible partially suspended sentence contingent on deportation to Pakistan. The hearing focused on the impact of the crime, not on future outcomes.
In the Central Criminal Court, State lawyers argued that Gary Flynn, 31, of Rossfield Drive, Tallaght, was a member of a "murder gang" that planned and carried out the killing of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne at Tymon Park North on 13 March 2009. Prosecutor Alex Owens SC told the jury that the gang met at Moran's Hotel on Naas Road, travelled to Tallaght in three vehicles—a Nissan Primera, a Volkswagen Golf and a Mercedes Van—and left around 7.30 pm. At about 8.15 pm, a gang member shot O'Byrne, was tackled by Sharon Rattigan who was waiting outside, and the shooter fell over a wall, separating from the rest of the gang. Rattigan was wounded in the leg. Owens said the shooter returned alone to Moran's Hotel, and that Flynn's membership and involvement in the common design to murder O'Byrne were central to the State's case. Flynn pleaded not guilty.
The jury in the Kildare murder trial of Seamus Morgan, 49, will resume deliberations tomorrow after a brief pause. Morgan, who lives at The Hollands, Athy, is charged with the murder of Laurence Keane, 56, on 19 July 2013. He pleaded not guilty last week at the Central Criminal Court. The jury began deliberating at 11:52 am this morning and had been discussing the case for two hours and 16 minutes when Justice Robert Eagar instructed them to suspend and reconvene at 11 am tomorrow, prohibiting any discussion with outsiders.
The Central Criminal Court began the sentencing hearing for Faisal Ellahi, 34, who was convicted by a jury in December of rape and sexual assault of a woman with Down's syndrome. The jury had seen DVDs of the victim's interview, where she described being separated from her mother on the street and then taken to Ellahi's house, where the assault occurred. Ellahi pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court will consider an impact statement from the victim's mother while the victim watches via video link. The sentencing could impose up to life imprisonment.
In a Kildare town, Seamus Morgan (49) is charged with murdering Laurence Keane (56) on 19 July 2013. At the Central Criminal Court, Morgan pleaded not guilty. Prosecution counsel Orla Crowe BL delivered a closing speech, asserting that the evidence—witness statements, post‑mortem findings of blunt‑force trauma, and accounts of a scuffle—would allow the jury to be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of Morgan's guilt. She highlighted admissions from Morgan, observations by witnesses Nathan Robinson and Ricky Moriarty, and the post‑mortem report of ten significant blows to Keane's head. Defence counsel Sean Gillane urged the jury to scrutinise the credibility of witnesses and to consider the possibility of false testimony. The trial was scheduled to continue with the judge's instructions on Monday.
An elderly man, aged 75, was sentenced by the Central Criminal Court to 12 years' imprisonment, with six years suspended, for attempting to rape and sexually assaulting his special‑needs niece between 2005 and 2011. The court heard that the victim, aged 11 to 14 at the time, was abused in various locations in County Cork and County Limerick, including a house, a car and a bedroom in the niece's grandparents' home. The man pleaded guilty, and his cooperation and early plea were cited as mitigating factors. Judge Tony Hunt suspended the final six years on the condition that the defendant keep the peace and have no contact with the victim for life. The victim's impact statement described ongoing fear and emotional distress caused by the abuse. The defendant had no prior convictions. The case was prosecuted by Martina Baxter BL and defended by Mary Rose Gearty SC.
A man from County Donegal has been found guilty of raping a 14-year-old girl during a youth disco in December 2010, when he was aged 15. The 20-year-old defendant, whose identity is protected to safeguard the victim's anonymity, was convicted at the Central Criminal Court following a jury trial. The jury unanimously found him guilty of rape and sexual assault at a nightclub in a Donegal town. During proceedings, Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan instructed the jury that a person under 15 cannot legally consent to sexual activity. The defendant had pleaded not guilty and his defence contended the encounter was consensual and escalated unintentionally. The victim gave evidence that the accused pushed her into a toilet cubicle without consent. The defendant has been remanded in custody pending sentencing in March, when the court will receive a victim impact report and a probation assessment.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has begun deliberating in a rape trial involving two teenagers at a nightclub in County Donegal on 23 December 2010. The accused, now 20 years old, pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. Justice Margaret Heneghan instructed the jury that a person under 15 cannot legally consent to sexual activity, regardless of apparent willingness. The complainant testified she was pushed into a toilet cubicle where the accused restrained her against a wall and raped her. She stated she did not consent and asked him to stop and release her. The defence suggested consensual contact that escalated, which the complainant denied. The accused told gardaí he had no recollection of being in the female toilet. The jury of seven men and five women commenced deliberations following the judge's charge.
In a 2016 murder trial, forensic evidence showed that blood stains on a pair of runners owned by Seamus Morgan (49) matched the DNA profile of the deceased, Laurence Keane (56). The DNA match was derived from stains on the toe and tongue areas of the runners, with a probability of less than one in a thousand million that the profile came from anyone other than Keane. Morgan was charged with Keane's murder on 19 July 2013, pleaded not guilty, and was re‑arrested on 23 April 2014 after new evidence emerged. The prosecution presented witness statements from Keane's niece and others who observed Morgan and Keane together in the days before the murder. The trial was ongoing, with the judge scheduled to address the jury the following day.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, evidence was presented that CCTV footage from Athy on 18 July 2013 showed Seamus Morgan (49) and the deceased, Laurence Keane (56), walking together in the town centre. Garda Declan O'Dwyer supplied 23 clips, with the first showing Keane entering an off‑licence at 18:50 wearing a hat, a t‑shirt and a stick. Subsequent clips placed the two men on Leinster Street, Barrow Bridge, and St John's Lane between 20:57 and 23:33, with Morgan identified as the man closer to the road and Keane as the one holding a stick. The prosecution argued the fatal attack occurred shortly before midnight on 18 July, between 23:30 and 23:45, and that Morgan was seen entering Marcari's chip shop at 23:33. The trial was scheduled to continue the following day. Seamus Morgan pleaded not guilty.
A man from County Donegal has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with rape and sexual assault. He is accused of attacking a younger girl in a nightclub toilet in Donegal Town on December 23, 2010, when he was aged 15. The complainant was 14 at the time. The defendant, who is entitled to anonymity, has pleaded not guilty to both charges. During evidence, the woman testified that the accused pushed her into the female toilets and assaulted her in a cubicle without consent. She told the court she reported the matter to gardaí seven months later, and that her life was significantly affected afterwards, including leaving school and self-harm. The defence contested her account, suggesting the encounter was consensual and escalated beyond the pair's intentions. The accused told gardaí he had no recollection of being in the toilet. The trial, before Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan and a jury, continues.
In a murder trial in Athy, a witness, Nathan Robinson, testified that he saw the accused, Seamus Morgan, swing an object about 12 inches long at the victim, Laurence Keane, three times on the night of the killing. Robinson, who was cycling with friends around 10 pm on 18 July 2013, described a scuffle at the top of the hill on St John's Lane where Morgan and Keane were fighting. He claimed to have seen Morgan swinging the object and heard the victim being struck on the head. The defense argued that Robinson could not have seen the act because he had not reached the corner of the lane. A second witness, Ricky Moriarty, also on his bike that night, reported hearing noises and seeing Keane struck by a bar. The trial is ongoing. Seamus Morgan pleaded not guilty.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Seamus Morgan (49) of Athy, Co. Kildare, pleaded not guilty to the killing of Laurence Keane (56) on 19 July 2013. The prosecution presented evidence from Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis, who examined Keane's body at Nass General Hospital. Curtis reported that Keane suffered ten significant blows to the head, with full‑thickness lacerations on the right scalp and fractures on the left side of the skull. He described severe blunt‑force trauma as the cause of death, noting extensive bruising of brain tissue. Witnesses, including Jamie Flynn Quinn, Garda Seamus Muldowney, and Garda Alan Kavanagh, recounted seeing Keane on Barrow Bridge and later in a lane‑way near St John's Lane, where blood was found and a 999 call was made. The case remains in progress.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Seamus Morgan (49) pleaded not guilty to the killing of Laurence Keane (56) on 19 July 2013. The prosecution argued that Keane was badly battered in the head with an iron bar in a lane‑way near St John's Lane, Athy, between 11.30 and 11.45 pm on 18 July 2013, and died the next morning at Naas General Hospital. A post‑mortem found blunt‑force trauma and four skull fractures. Witnesses, including young men on bicycles, testified they saw Morgan assault Keane. DNA evidence linked blood on a pair of Adidas runners found at Morgan's home to Keane's post‑mortem sample. CCTV and other evidence showed Morgan and Keane together that night, and a motive of long‑standing ill‑will was presented. Morgan was arrested on 25 July 2013, rearrested in April 2014, and the trial continues.
The Central Criminal Court will hear the trial of Gary Flynn, 31, of Rossfield Drive, Tallaght, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne at Tymon Park North on 13 March 2009. Justice Patrick McCarthy informed the newly sworn jury that the case is expected to last about seven weeks. Prosecutor Alex Owens SC said the allegation concerns the 2009 shooting of O'Byrne, and witnesses from Tallaght, Bray and Crumlin will be called to testify. The trial opens on Tuesday before Justice McCarthy.
A jury was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court for the trial of Seamus Morgan, 49, who is accused of murdering Laurence Keane, 56, on 19 July 2013 in Athy. Mr Morgan pleaded not guilty. Judge Patrick McCarthy informed the jury of three men and nine women that the trial would last about two weeks and would begin at 2 pm before Judge Robert Eager.
A 51‑year‑old Wicklow man is to be sentenced next year for raping and sexually assaulting two boys hundreds of times and for making them commit incest with each other. He pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 165 counts of rape and sexual assault against one boy and 40 similar offences against his brother between 1993 and 2003. The victims described repeated molestation, including the use of a homemade "penis pump" and forced sexual acts. One victim said the abuse began when he was nine, with the man masturbating him and later raping him anally and orally. The other victim was abused from age seven, starting with masturbation and progressing to rape. Both boys reported severe psychological trauma, including anxiety, panic attacks, and a sense of living "hell on earth." The court has kept anonymity orders in place for the time being.
Joe Heffernan, a 35‑year‑old farmer from Cappagh Beg, Barefield, Ennis, was convicted of murdering 21‑year‑old student Eoin Ryan in 2011 and sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy on 3 July 2013. The murder was discovered when Ryan's body was found in a barrel on Heffernan's farm on 7 June 2011. During the trial, two 999 calls were played to the jury, with transcripts provided. Heffernan had pleaded not guilty and later appealed, arguing that the prosecution should have proved he was not suffering from a mental disorder and did not have diminished responsibility. Mr Justice John Edwards, sitting with Mr Justice Seán Ryan and Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, dismissed the appeal, holding that the burden of proof for the partial defence of diminished responsibility lies with the defence and is the same as for the insanity defence, i.e., proof on the balance of probabilities.
A 22‑year‑old named Raymond Walsh of Cabra, Dublin 7, was charged with the murder of 41‑year‑old engineer Kevin Molloy, who was found dead on Glendhu Road, Navan Road, Cabra between 23 January and 1 February 2015. The Central Criminal Court set his trial for 11 January 2017.
A trial date has been set for Darren Murphy, a Cork man from Dan Desmond Villas, Passage West, who is accused of murdering 36‑year‑old Olivia Dunlea at Pembroke Crescent, Passage West, on 17 February 2013. The trial will be held at the Central Criminal Court on 15 May 2017.
In June 2017, three defendants – Laura Dempsey, 25, Sean Ducque, 22, and Yasmin Stephens, 21 – will stand trial together at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Kieran Farrelly, 33, who was killed on 26 October 2014 at Killarney Court, Killarney Street, near Portland Row. All three are charged with the murder and have no fixed address. The provisional trial date is 14 June 2017.
A 75‑year‑old Kerry man, Jimmy Flannery, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for raping his sister‑in‑law in the early 1970s. Flannery began molesting the child at age eleven and later raped her in a car near Conor Pass in Dingle and in his bedroom at Ballydavid on the Dingle peninsula. He denied ten counts of indecent assault at various locations in Dingle between April 1969 and April 1974 and pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape between January 1971 and April 1975. After a five‑day trial at the Central Criminal Court, a jury convicted him of all charges. The victim, who waived anonymity, described the lasting psychological harm and expressed gratitude that the truth had been heard. Justice Margaret Heneghan, noting Flannery's age and lack of prior convictions, imposed a ten‑year sentence, citing the rape offences as meriting a 13‑year term but reducing it for mitigating factors.
A 37‑year‑old Limerick man was sentenced to four and a half years' imprisonment for assaulting his former partner with a shovel until it broke. The victim suffered bruises and injuries to her eye, eyelid, cheeks, neck, head, ears, arms, legs and had hair torn from her scalp. The court found him guilty of assaulting her outside her house, dragging her into a waiting car and beating her with a shovel. He was acquitted of rape and false imprisonment, and the jury could not decide on two counts of rape. The judge noted the victim's vulnerability and the lack of remorse from the defendant, and reduced a potential six‑year sentence for false imprisonment to four and a half years. The case involved the defendant's prior 11 convictions, mainly for traffic and public order offences. The victim's drug addiction worsened after the attack, and she now lives outside Limerick. The defendant's defence acknowledged his bad behaviour on that occasion.
Jonathan Douglas, aged 30, was convicted of murder after shooting Aidan Bryne, 31, 10 times in Dublin on 20 February 2010. The jury found him guilty after an 11‑day trial and he received a mandatory life sentence on 23 July 2012. Douglas had been hired to kill Bryne, who was a front‑seat passenger in a Toyota Corolla driven by another man. Douglas waited for the car, walked up to it and fired 10 bullets into the passenger window, killing Bryne. The prosecution alleged Douglas had left a pub shortly before the shooting. In October the Court of Appeal heard Douglas's appeal, which centred on the admissibility of statements made by his step‑niece Stacey Douglas and her boyfriend Andrew Sheridan. The Court of Appeal, led by Justice Alan Mahon, dismissed all grounds of appeal, ruling that the judge had correctly admitted the evidence and that the jury had been properly directed. Jonathan Douglas pleaded not guilty.
Trevor Corr, 39, was found guilty of murdering 32‑year‑old James Humphries in Tallaght on 22 September 2013. Corr had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; the plea was rejected. A Central Criminal Court jury, after 2 h 40 min deliberation, returned a unanimous verdict of murder. Judge Patrick McCarthy sentenced Corr to life imprisonment, back‑dating the term to 1 August 2015. Corr had been on bail after spending just over four and a half months in custody. Victim impact statements were read by Garda Sarah Bolger, including testimony from Humphries' mother, Ellen Radford, describing the pain and loss caused by the killing. Evidence presented included eyewitness accounts, a post‑mortem confirming a single fatal stab wound below the right collarbone, and DNA linking a knife found in Corr's bedroom to both victim and perpetrator. The case concluded with Corr's life sentence and a ten‑year exemption for the jury.
In Athlone, a 32‑year‑old man was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a nine‑year‑old and a six‑year‑old girl in a flat on 28 September 2013. He had pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court and was given a life sentence by Mr Justice Paul Carney on 3 March 2014. The man appealed the sentence, arguing it was excessive. His barrister, Sean Gillane SC, acknowledged the "nightmarish aspects" of the case and noted the seriousness of abducting and raping two very young children. Mr Justice George Birmingham, sitting with Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, dismissed the appeal, concluding that the sentencing judge had not erred in imposing a discretionary life sentence. The appeal was rejected on 21 December 2015. The case remains a life‑sentence conviction for the offender.
In the murder trial of Trevor Corr, a 39‑year‑old Dublin man, a juror was discharged after two hours of deliberation. Corr had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of James Humphries, 32, at Kiltalown Way in Tallaght on 22 September 2013. The State did not accept the manslaughter plea. The jury began deliberating at 2.30 pm, but a juror was unavailable for Monday. Justice Patrick McCarthy decided to proceed with eleven jurors on Monday morning, discharging the absent juror and resuming the trial at 9.45 am.
Faisal Ellahi, 34, was found guilty by a jury of raping a woman with Down syndrome after luring her to his Dublin home. The trial, lasting five weeks, included DVDs of the victim's interview, where she recounted being separated from her mother on the street and then taken by Ellahi to his house. He admitted to approaching many women but denied penetrative sex with the victim, claiming she appeared "normal" and that he was unaware of her mental impairment. The jury deliberated for two and a half hours and returned a verdict of rape and sexual assault. Judge Tony Hunt described the case as one of the most difficult he had handled, stating the victim's lack of consent was "absolutely ludicrous." The sentencing date was set for 18 January 2016, with the judge hoping for Ellahi's deportation after his sentence. The article does not report any subsequent legal developments. Faisal Ellahi pleaded not guilty.
The jury has begun deliberations in the trial of a man accused of raping a woman with Down syndrome after luring her to his Dublin home on 12 June 2013. The accused pleaded not guilty to rape, sexual assault and having sex with a mentally impaired person. He admits some sexual contact but says it was consensual and that he was unaware of her mental impairment. Six men and six women spent about 20 minutes considering a verdict, then listened to a transcript of his cross‑examination before resuming tomorrow.
James Connors, 29, of Rosemount, Drinagh, Co. Wexford, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Jason Ryan, 27, at Hollyville Heights on 25 January 2012. Connors had been serving a sentence for assault and was unlawfully absent from prison when he killed Ryan. The jury, after 11 hours and 21 minutes of deliberation, found him guilty of murder by a 10‑to‑2 majority. The court heard that Connors had approached Ryan's apartment at midnight, exchanged insults, and then stabbed Ryan five times with a kitchen knife. Evidence included CCTV footage, DNA on the knife, and testimony from Ryan's mother, Catherine Ryan, who described the loss and anger caused by the killing. Connors' prior convictions, including a five‑year assault sentence, were also presented. Justice Margaret Heneghan imposed a mandatory life sentence, back‑dating it by two years and three months to account for time already served before bail was granted. James Connors pleaded not guilty.
In the Central Criminal Court, jurors were instructed by Mr Justice Tony Hunt to set aside any feelings about the accused's Pakistani nationality or Islamic faith while deliberating a rape case involving a woman with Down syndrome. The 34‑year‑old accused, who pleaded not guilty to rape, sexual assault and having sex with a mentally impaired person, admitted some sexual contact but claimed it was consensual and that he was unaware of her disability. He stated he had never heard of Down syndrome until his arrest and explained that in his country people with mental disabilities were kept at home or in hospitals and wore name badges. Mr Justice Hunt emphasized that jurors must approach the case without prejudice or sympathy, focusing on the charge of rape and, if not proven, an alternative of attempted rape.
The jury in the trial of James Connors, 29, accused of murdering his ex‑girlfriend's partner Jason Ryan, 27, at Hollyville Heights on 25 January 2012, will resume deliberations on Thursday. Connors has pleaded not guilty. The jury has spent 9 hours and 30 minutes considering their verdict and the foreman believes another 30 minutes to an hour may suffice. The court is not sitting on Wednesday, so Justice Margaret Heneghan has asked the jury to return on Thursday.