In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the nephew of 37‑year‑old Marie Greene delivered a victim impact statement. He described the murder that took place on 13 February 2011, when Greene was taken to Anagorta Bog outside Athlone, brutally killed and her body dumped in a ditch. The statement highlighted the family's anguish, the loss of a beloved aunt, and the subsequent death of Greene's brother John, who died 21 days later. The nephew emphasized that the killer had shown no respect for Greene's life or body, and that the family endured further pain when Greene's character was portrayed negatively in the media. He urged the court to deliver an appropriate sentence for the person responsible for the cruel and callous killing. The hearing also noted that retired defence forces member Jimmy Devaney was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter, with sentencing pending. The statement was read on behalf of Greene's grandmother, mother, and extended family. The unnamed 37-year-old pleaded not guilty.
James Broderick, aged 77, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to six offences – three rapes and three indecent assaults – committed against his daughter Rita Broderick between 1983 and 1984. The abuse began when Rita was four in Manchester and continued after the family moved to Athlone, ending when she was 15 and fled the house. Mr Justice Hunt sentenced Broderick to 15 years' imprisonment, suspending eight years, citing his confession and lack of prior convictions as mitigating factors. Rita Broderick, 46, gave a victim impact statement describing the abuse as a defining, corrosive experience that left her with Dissociative Identity Disorder. She praised the sentence as a "good outcome" and highlighted the lasting mental health effects of her father's actions. The case was reported in the media after Rita waived anonymity.
A man charged with murder at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin has admitted killing the victim, though he maintains the killing does not constitute murder. Stephen Cahoon, aged 42 and with an address in Derry, Northern Ireland, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Jean Teresa Quigley at Cornshell Fields in Derry on 26 July 2008. Ms Quigley, aged 30, was pregnant with Mr Cahoon's child at the time. The prosecution outlined that the couple met in March 2008 and their relationship deteriorated by July. The court heard evidence regarding text messages between them, witness accounts of disturbances on the night in question, and forensic findings including bloodstains matching Ms Quigley on a T-shirt recovered from Mr Cahoon's flat. Post mortem evidence indicated Ms Quigley died from manual strangulation. Mr Cahoon was located in Donegal Town on 5 August, where he told gardaí he was the person being sought. The defence acknowledged the killing but disputed the murder charge. The trial continues.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, an asylum seeker, Mr Givi Verdzeuli, 66, requested assurances from the Gardaí that he would not be deported before testifying. Verdzeuli, the main prosecution witness against Georgian defendant Badri Khvedelidze, 33, who pleaded not guilty to the 2005 murder of fellow Georgian George Tkeshelashvili in Tralee, had been deported from Ireland prior to the trial. Garda witnesses confirmed attempts to lift the deportation order so Verdzeuli could return to Ireland to give evidence. Verdzeuli had previously stated he would return to Georgia after testifying and had received no assurances of remaining in Ireland post-trial. Georgian interpreter Lashka Trapaidze testified about a conversation on 19 October, where Verdzeuli expressed anxiety about being sent back and sought proof of non‑deportation. The trial continues before Justice Isobel Kennedy on 2 November.
Stephen Cahoon, aged 42 and formerly of Harvey Street, Derry, has been arraigned in the Central Criminal Court on a charge of murdering Jean Teresa Quigley, aged 30, at Cornshell Fields on 26 July 2008. He pleaded not guilty. A jury of eight men and four women was sworn in, and the trial is scheduled to start next Monday or Tuesday and is expected to last two weeks.
The jury in the murder trial of 33‑year‑old Georgian Badri Khvedelidze was sent home on Wednesday while the court considers legal arguments. Khvedelidze, formerly of Westward Court, Tralee, has pleaded not guilty to the 2005 murder of compatriot George Tkeshelashvili. The jury will return on Friday to hear further evidence, as Justice Isobel Kennedy explained that the delays are common and the matters to be discussed are legal in nature and for the judge's consideration.
A Limerick man, aged 42, was sentenced to eight years in prison, with the final two years suspended, for raping and sexually abusing his nephew between 1989 and 1996. The nephew, who was 11 at the time of the last abuse, suffered repeated oral rape, molestation and forced sexual acts, including being made to perform oral sex on the uncle. The uncle, aged between 15 and 23 during the offences, also forced the boy to view pornography and was described by the victim as a manipulative monster. The victim, now 32, testified that the abuse began when the uncle took his hand and led him away, and that the abuse continued yearly until the boy started secondary school. The court noted the uncle's breach of trust and the victim's severe suffering, taking into account the defendant's remorse, age at the time of the offences and good work history. The unnamed 42 year old pleaded guilty.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, the death of asylum seeker George Tkeshelashvili, aged 57, was examined. Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster testified that Tkeshelashvili died from a single stab wound that was 4 centimetres wide and 8 centimetres deep, penetrating his left lung and severing a major thoracic artery. The wound also caused the left lung to collapse. Dr Bolster described the injury as consistent with a thrusting motion while both parties were standing, with the knife entering near the top of the left lung. Georgian national Badri Khvedelidze, aged 33, who formerly lived at Westward Court, Tralee, Co Kerry, pleaded not guilty to the murder. The trial was scheduled to continue on Wednesday, October 28.
During the trial of Badri Khvedelidze, a 33‑year‑old Georgian national accused of murdering his compatriot George Tkeshelashvili in a Tralee direct provision hostel in October 2005, a witness named Adeyenka Sow Unmi, a 45‑year‑old Nigerian also living in the hostel, failed to identify Khvedelidze when shown his photograph. Unmi, who had been at the hostel on the day of the alleged incident, had reported hearing loud voices and seeing a fight in a corridor. He later told Gardaí that he saw a man with a knife walking toward him and that he could identify the man with the knife. When Gardaí presented him with eight photographs of people thought to be involved, he identified three men but did not identify Khvedelidze as having been at the scene. Badri Khvedelidze pleaded not guilty.
Two men, aged 22 and 24, were convicted of attempted rape, sexual assault and oral rape after a jury found them guilty in a 2012 trial for an alleged predatory gang rape in Cork. The men denied the charges. They were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment each in January 2013. Their appeals against conviction were dismissed in July, but they successfully appealed their sentences. The Court of Appeal reduced each sentence to ten years with the final 12 months suspended, citing rehabilitation considerations. The men were 16 and 18 at the time of the offence, and the victim was 31. The case involved a van with a mattress and four males present. The men were required to enter €100 bonds for good behaviour during custody and for three years after release. The article does not state any further legal developments.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, witness Givi Verdzeuli, 66, recounted that an argument over a game of backgammon at Westward Court hostel in Tralee led to the stabbing death of George Tkeshelashvili, 57. Verdzeuli described finding an overturned table with a backgammon board and dice on the floor after Tkeshelashvili had died. He said the conflict had started from that point. Badri Khvedelidze, 33, has pleaded not guilty to the murder. The defence is cross‑examining Verdzeuli.
During the murder trial of Badri Khvedelidze, witness Givi Verdzeuli (66) testified that on 15 October 2005 at Westward Court, Tralee, a dispute erupted when George Tkeshelashvili (57) insulted Khvedelidze's mother. Verdzeuli described seeing Tkeshelashvili thrust an open hand at Khvedelidze's mother, prompting Khvedelidze to ask why he was cursed. Khvedelidze then struck Tkeshelashvili in the chest, after which Verdzeuli observed blood gush and a knife appear in Khvedelidze's hand. Verdzeuli ran to fetch a towel, and when he returned Tkeshelashvili was on the ground, unable to stand. An ambulance was called but the parties opted for a taxi to the hospital, where Tkeshelashvili was still in distress. The trial proceeds before Justice Isobel Kennedy and a jury of twelve. Givi Verdzeuli pleaded not guilty.
A 23‑year‑old Tipperary man was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for having sex with a 14‑year‑old babysitter while walking her home on 3 February 2013. He pleaded guilty to the sexual act but was acquitted of rape by the trial judge. The court noted he had 21 prior convictions, including burglary, theft, criminal damage and drug offences. The incident occurred around 11.30 pm, with the sexual intercourse taking place briefly in an alley before he escorted the girl home. The victim's impact statement described profound unhappiness and hatred, yet she reported progress in 2015 and a supportive family. The judge, considering the early guilty plea and remorse, imposed a four‑year term with the final 18 months suspended, ordered registration as a sex offender and required probation‑based treatment upon release.
A 'Devout Muslim' who attempted to murder his wife by bludgeoning her in the head with a kettle-bell has had his jail term reduced on appeal. Lounes Ouachek (45), of St Dominic's Terrace, Tallaght, Dublin 24, had pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the attempted murder of Ruta Ouachek (35) at that address on August 23 2012. He was initially sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with the final three suspended by Mr Justice Paul Carney on July 21 2014. The Court of Appeal found that the sentencing judge erred in failing to take account of any other potential mitigating factors in Ouachek's favour and, accordingly, imposed a new sentence on him of 15 years imprisonment with the final four suspended. Mr Justice Edwards, who sat with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, quashed the existing sentence and imposed the new sentence. Ouachek was required to enter into his own bond of €1,000 to keep the peace and be of good behaviour while in custody and for a period of four years post release. He was also required to comply with all directions of the probation service and to have no contact with the victim in perpetuity. The matter was adjourned.
A 33‑year‑old woman from Cork testified that a man, now 29, raped her at her home after a party. He slapped her, forced her to remove her pants, lie on her bed, and put her face in her pillow. She described repeated sexual acts, including anal and oral sex, and that he used a carrot during the assault. The incident occurred while her young son slept in a bedroom. The jury, after nearly four hours, found him guilty on counts of rape, anal rape, oral rape, aggravated sexual assault, sex assault and assault causing harm. He was found not guilty of an additional aggravated sexual assault charge. The judge declared him a sex offender, remanded him in custody pending sentencing, and excused the jurors from civic duties for ten years. The man had ten prior convictions, including imprisonment for breaching a barring order and assaulting his ex‑partner.
The murder trial of 33‑year‑old Badri Khvedelidze, a Georgian national, was halted after the jury was dismissed on the first day without hearing evidence. The case, involving the killing of fellow Georgian George Tkeshelashvili in Kerry on 15 October 2005, is set to resume at the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday. Khvedelidze has pleaded not guilty, and Justice Isobel Kennedy explained that such delays are not uncommon and thanked the jury for their punctuality.
In a 2015 Central Criminal Court hearing, a 53‑year‑old Polish man, who could not be named, pleaded not guilty to rape and false imprisonment of his wife in County Wexford in 2011. He claimed it was impossible for a husband to rape his own wife. The couple had lived in Ireland for seven years before separating because of his alcoholism and aggression. On 13 October 2011, after the wife refused his request to visit, he forced her into the bedroom and raped her. He was arrested eleven days later. He admitted being present and preventing her from leaving but denied rape. DNA swabs from the victim's vagina matched his. The case was tried over four days in July 2015, and he had been in custody since then. The wife declined to give a victim impact statement and said she did not want him to serve more prison time. The unnamed 53-year-old was convicted.
Rita Broderick, aged 46, gave a victim impact statement at the Central Criminal Court after her father James Broderick, aged 77, pleaded guilty to three rapes and three indecent assaults that occurred in their Athlone home between January 1983 and September 1984. She described her childhood as a "war zone" and said the repeated abuse began when she was four in Manchester, continued after the family moved to Athlone when she was 13, and ended when she was 15 after she fled the house. Broderick said the abuse forced her to disassociate, leading to Dissociative Identity Disorder, and that she now lives in America, has suffered an eating disorder, hip dysplasia and has been unable to have children. She also noted that her brother and sister endured emotional abuse. The judge praised her statement and noted the damage left by her father. The case is pending sentencing.
A jury was sworn in on 19 October 2015 for the trial of 33‑year‑old Georgian Badri Khvedelidze, charged with murdering fellow Georgian George Tkeshelashvili in Kerry on 15 October 2005. Khvedelidze pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. The case will be heard by Justice Isobel Kennedy, with a jury of six men and six women, and is expected to last between seven and ten days.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 19 October 2015, James O'Brien, aged 22, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for the assault that caused the death of 20‑year‑old Dale Creighton. O'Brien pleaded guilty in June and the court found that he punched and kicked Creighton on a footbridge in Tallaght on New Year's Day, an attack that lasted about one and a half minutes. The sentence includes eighteen months suspended, leaving a custodial term of one year and a half. The court noted O'Brien's guilty plea, remorse, lack of prior convictions and efforts to rehabilitate as mitigating factors. The case also involved seven other Dubliners charged in connection with Creighton's death, but the summary focuses on O'Brien's individual sentence as stated in the article.
Darren Murphy, 38, of Passage West, Cork, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 for the murder of Olivia Dunlea, a mother of three, at her Pembroke Crescent home on 17 February 2013. He admitted unlawfully killing her and setting her house on fire, claiming he did not want the children to find her. Murphy pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but guilty to the arson charge. The Central Criminal Court jury, after four hours of deliberation, found him guilty of murder and the judge imposed the mandatory life sentence. He has now filed an appeal on four grounds, including alleged misdirection by the trial judge regarding the defence of provocation. The Court of Appeal will reserve judgment and deliver a decision as soon as possible. The appeal concerns only the conviction, not the sentence. The case remains at the appeal stage.
A 32‑year‑old man, Gary Walsh, was tried for the murder of former Dublin rugby captain Cathal Sweeney, aged 62, who died on 8 February 2014 at a flat in Terenure. The jury, after five hours and 27 minutes of deliberation, could not agree on a verdict, with at least ten jurors dissenting. Judge Patrick McCarthy accepted the lack of consensus, thanked the eight men and four women, and excused them from service for ten years. The case will be retried by a new jury on 24 April 2017, with Walsh remanded in custody on the same terms. The prosecution presented evidence of intoxication, a fight, and blunt‑force trauma as the cause of death, while the defence had pleaded not guilty and later a plea of manslaughter that was not accepted by the State. The trial highlighted the presence of two other men in the flat, including witness Colm Campbell.
The jury in the trial of 32‑year‑old Gary Walsh, charged with murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, is set to resume deliberations tomorrow. Walsh, who lives at Ravensdale Park, Kimmage, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sweeney, aged 62, who was killed at a house in Terenure on 8 February 2014. He had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the Central Criminal Court, but that plea was not accepted by the State. The jury began deliberating at 10.55 am, spent almost four hours, and will reconvene at 10 am tomorrow under Justice Patrick McCarthy.
The trial of 32‑year‑old Gary Walsh, charged with murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, has progressed to the jury's deliberations. Walsh, who lives in Ravensdale Park, Kimmage, pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but had earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the Central Criminal Court; that plea was not accepted by the State. Judge Patrick McCarthy instructed the jury of eight men and four women that the prosecution must prove every element of the murder charge beyond a reasonable doubt, and that the accused has the right not to give evidence. He explained that a murder conviction requires proof that the accused unlawfully killed the victim with intent to kill or cause serious harm. The judge urged the jury to remain impartial and to adopt any doubt in favour of the accused. Deliberations will begin at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning.
Eamonn McCall, a 42‑year‑old former US Marine from Carlow, was convicted at the Central Criminal Court of indecent assault and attempted rape of his niece between 1990 and 1993. The original 12‑year sentence, with two years suspended, was reduced on appeal to 10 years, with the suspension unchanged. His concurrent 10‑year sentence for indecent assault was also reduced to eight years. The Court of Appeal, citing a prison governor's report and McCall's willingness to participate in a sex offenders programme, maintained post‑release supervision arrangements. The case involved four offences: oral rape, digital penetration, forced masturbation and attempted vaginal rape, with the victim aged between seven and eleven at the time of the acts. The appeal decision was delivered by Mr Justice George Birmingham, joined by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice John Edwards. The reduction was made without altering the suspended portion or the effective custodial term. Eamonn McCall pleaded guilty.
During the murder trial of Kenneth Cummins (28) and Sabrina Cummins (37) at the Central Criminal Court, the State Pathologist, Professor Marie Therese Cassidy, presented evidence that Thomas Horan (63) died of asphyxia at his home in January 2014. She described external bruises and abrasions on Horan's face, neck, trunk, arms and legs, and noted a red, congested face and eye, indicating asphyxiation. Internal findings included a fractured left cheekbone, 14 fractured ribs, and fluid in the airways consistent with vomit. Cassidy suggested the injuries could result from blows to the head and chest combined with strangulation or neck compression, and that the death was rapid. The Cumminses pleaded not guilty, and the trial proceeded the following day before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of twelve.
In the trial of 32‑year‑old Gary Walsh, charged with murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, the defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC argued that Walsh was "a million miles away from intending to commit murder." Walsh pleaded not guilty to murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State rejected. The prosecution, led by Patrick McCarthy SC, maintained that Walsh's multiple punches and the resulting bruising and lacerations proved an intention to kill, citing the victim's frailty and the pathologist's findings. Grehan countered that Sweeney's health conditions, including blood clotting medication and past strokes, made him unusually vulnerable, and that the assault lacked a weapon or clear intent to kill. He urged the jury to consider the case as manslaughter rather than murder, noting the absence of a cold‑blooded motive and the victim's medical predispositions. The judge was set to charge the jury at 12 am.
During a murder trial, Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis testified that former Dublin rugby club captain Gary Walsh (32) was not guilty of murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea not accepted by the State. Dr Curtis described the post‑mortem findings of Cathal Sweeney, aged 62, who died on 8 February 2014. Sweeney was found to have sustained severe blunt‑force trauma to his head and face, with extensive bruising, lacerations to the forehead and upper face, fractures of the nasal and left cheek bones, and a small collection of blood on both sides of the hemispheres. The injuries were attributed to heavy punches, and the presence of Warfarin therapy and high alcohol levels were noted as contributing factors to the profuse haemorrhage and cardiac arrest that led to death.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Kenneth Cummins (28) and Sabrina Cummins (37) pleaded not guilty to the murder of Thomas Horan (63) on 6 January. Prosecutor Remy Farrell alleged the pair entered Horan's Ringsend home early that morning to rob him, then killed him to conceal the robbery. He described Horan as severely beaten, with a rope around his neck, a bag over his head, and an attempted poisoning with cleaning fluid. Evidence would show head, neck and chest injuries consistent with a savage beating. The Cumminses were arrested two days after Horan's body was discovered. A 999 call by Joanna, later identified as Sabrina Cummins, reported the body to authorities. Garda Ciaran Sweeney, on patrol at 5 am, met the accused and noted her claim that Horan was a "foster father" to her. Kenneth Cummins was absent from the trial by request, a decision the judge accepted without prejudice. The trial continues.
Jonathan Douglas, aged 30, was convicted of murder after shooting Aidan Bryne 10 times in Dublin in 2010 and received a mandatory life sentence. He pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court, but a jury found him guilty after an 11‑day trial. The prosecution argued Douglas had been hired to kill Bryne, who was a front‑seat passenger in a Toyota Corolla driven by another man. Douglas allegedly waited for the car, then fired 10 bullets into the passenger window, killing Bryne. The court heard that Bryne died from multiple gunshot wounds, with eight bullets exiting his body and two remaining inside. Douglas has now filed an appeal, challenging the trial judge's handling of witness statements from his step‑niece and her boyfriend, who had initially implicated him but later recanted. The appeal was opened in the Court of Appeal, where the judge will consider whether the judge's treatment of the statements was correct. The case remains pending.
Kevin Coughlan, aged 33, was sentenced to eleven years' imprisonment with three years suspended for manslaughter after a murder conviction was quashed. The case involved the death of Francis Greene, who was forced by Coughlan to the River Shannon on 28–29 November 2009. A jury had found Coughlan guilty of murder in 2011, but the Court of Appeal overturned the conviction in June 2015, citing unsatisfactory evidence from the Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Khalid Jaber, who had not disclosed that Greene had been strangled before drowning. The appeal substituted a manslaughter verdict. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed the sentence, crediting Coughlan for a guilty plea and for time already served, and noted his prior criminal record of robbery and burglary. The sentence will run from 10 June 2010, with the suspended portion effective after the term ends. Kevin Coughlan pleaded not guilty.
A 78‑year‑old Dublin man was jailed for life after being convicted in August 2010 of 87 counts of raping his two daughters, aged between five and 11, and sexually assaulting his son, aged between three and six, between 1997 and 2002. He denied the charges. A seven‑week trial led a Central Criminal Court jury to find him guilty, and Mr Justice George Birmingham sentenced him to life imprisonment on 4 October 2010 for the rape of his daughters, with additional determinate sentences for other offences. The man, now too ill to attend, has moved to appeal his conviction on 12 discrete grounds. His lawyers argue the trial judge erred on several procedural matters, including jury instructions, evidence handling and the use of video testimony. The Court of Appeal will decide on 29 October.
The Central Criminal Court adjourned the trial of Kenneth Cummins (28) and Sabrina Cummins (37) to Monday. The siblings, who live at Ringsend Park, Dublin 4, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Thomas Horan (63) at Cambridge Court, Ringsend, Dublin 4 on 6 January 2014. Judge Tony Hunt thanked the jury of seven women and five men for agreeing to serve on a potentially five‑week case, offered them a substantial exemption from future jury service, and reminded them to base their verdict solely on the evidence presented.
In the trial of Gary Walsh, 32, accused of murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, the jury heard that Walsh claimed he had done everything that night to keep Sweeney alive. Walsh pleaded not guilty to murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State did not accept. On February 9, 2014, Walsh gave a statement to Garda officers in which he said he had not intentionally harmed Sweeney and expressed remorse, stating that the incident would ruin his life. He also said he had wiped blood from Sweeney's face and put trousers on him before the ambulance took him to St James's Hospital. The court heard that Sweeney's glasses were left on his face. The trial continues.
In the trial of Gary Walsh, 32, accused of murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, the defence counsel challenged a witness's account of the alleged assault. Walsh pleaded not guilty to the murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State rejected. Taxi driver Michael McGuinness testified that Sweeney had alcohol problems and was a regular at the Terenure Inn. The prosecution's statement described a confrontation in the flat's sitting room, with Walsh allegedly punching Sweeney multiple times. Witness Colm Campbell, a friend of Sweeney, claimed he saw Walsh repeatedly hit Sweeney in the bedroom, describing a violent struggle lasting about 30 seconds. The defence argued that Campbell's testimony was fabricated, asserting that the alleged assault did not occur in the bedroom and that Campbell was attempting to distance himself from the events. The trial remains ongoing.
During the trial of Gary Walsh, 32, accused of murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, the jury heard that Walsh initially told Gardaí Sweeney had arrived at a Terenure flat "in an assaulted state" and had "dropped unconscious." Walsh pleaded not guilty to murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State rejected. Prosecution witnesses included Thomas Doolin of the Dolphins Barn Fire Brigade, who reported that when he asked the two men in the flat what had happened to Sweeney, both said Sweeney had arrived thirty minutes earlier with injuries. Bryan Mullen, a general nurse, testified he had tried to resuscitate Sweeney for fifteen minutes and observed severe head injuries and bleeding. Gardaí Stephen Pendred and John Walsh recounted that Walsh, wearing blood‑soaked tracksuit bottoms, was the main speaker while the third man, Colm Campbell, remained quiet. Pendred noted Walsh's agitation and numerous questions about Sweeney.
During the murder trial of Gary Walsh, a 32‑year‑old Dublin man, the jury heard that the victim, former rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, was found lying on the bedroom floor of a Terenure flat on 8 February 2014. Paramedic Coleman Gilligan testified that he was called at 17.32 by the Dublin Fire Brigade to attend a male in cardiac arrest. He entered the flat, saw an intoxicated man pointing toward an open bedroom door, and a second man in his early thirties—identified as Walsh—squatting in the doorway. Walsh repeatedly shouted, "Help him, help him," as Sweeney lay on the floor with blood on the bedclothes and walls. Gilligan began resuscitation, then moved Sweeney to St James's Hospital on a spinal board. The trial continues. Gary Walsh pleaded not guilty.
A jury was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin for the trial of Kenneth Cummins, 28, and Sabrina Cummins, 37, who are accused of murdering Thomas Horan, 63, at Cambridge Court, Ringsend, Dublin 4, on 6 January last year. Both defendants pleaded not guilty. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy informed the jury that the trial could last up to five weeks and it began on Friday afternoon.
The Central Criminal Court opened the trial of Gary Walsh, 32, accused of murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney. Walsh pleaded not guilty to murder but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State did not accept. Prosecutor Patrick McCarthy presented the case as a murder involving intoxication and a fight at a flat in Terenure on 8 February 2014. Witnesses, including Colm Campbell, testified that Walsh assaulted Sweeney after a row over alcohol and an inheritance discussion. Sweeney was found unresponsive with facial trauma and active bleeding, was taken to St James's Hospital, and died at 18:32. The trial is expected to last about six days, with a possible fortnight set aside for the case. The proceedings continue.
A jury was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court for the trial of Gary Walsh, 33, of Ravensdale Park, Kimmage, Dublin 15, who is accused of murdering 62‑year‑old Cathal Sweeney in Terenure on 8 February 2014. Walsh pleaded not guilty to murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State did not accept. Judge Patrick McCarthy told the eight‑man, four‑woman jury the trial should take about six days, but set aside a fortnight for the case. The trial began at 2.30 pm that day.
The court heard that Tom O'Gorman, a 39‑year‑old Dublin man, was killed by his tenant, Saverio Bellante, in Castleknock between 11 and 12 January 2014. Bellante, aged 36, admitted the killing and that he had eaten what he believed to be part of O'Gorman's heart. A jury found him not guilty of murder by reason of insanity after deliberating 1 hour 36 minutes. The judge, after hearing from psychiatrists, ordered Bellante to be committed to the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum. Bellante has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and has shown improvement but remains at risk. The order will keep him under treatment and supervision, with his plan reviewed every six months. The case ends with Bellante's commitment rather than a custodial sentence. Saverio Bellante was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Martin Stokes, 24, was convicted after a 17‑day trial of raping a 14‑year‑old girl in a field while she walked to a friend's house. DNA evidence and about ten witnesses linked him to the crime. Stokes denied knowing the girl and later claimed consensual sex, but the judge described his lies as "obvious mendacity." He was sentenced to 12 years, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions, including no contact with the victim or her family and registration of his address with Gardaí upon release. The victim, who suffered panic attacks, anxiety, depression, self‑harm and suicidal thoughts, testified that the trial and Stokes' outbursts caused her panic attacks. The court also heard she had moved towns because of the rape. The judge ordered Stokes' name to be publicly identified. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court in Westmeath. Martin Stokes pleaded not guilty.
During a 17‑day trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 24‑year‑old Westmeath man was convicted of raping a 14‑year‑old girl in a field near her home. The defendant claimed the victim had willingly participated and enjoyed the act. Text messages sent in 2011 between the girl and her friends, which referenced sexual acts, were presented to the jury. The girl, now 18, denied lying about her sexual activity and denied ever performing oral sex with another boy of her age. She testified that she met the man on the road, was persuaded to go into a field, and that he forced her to lie down, kissed her, removed her clothing, and raped her. The jury returned guilty verdicts on all charges in under two hours. The defendant was remanded in custody pending a full sentence hearing. The victim's name was withheld to protect her anonymity. The unnamed 14-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Wayne Kennedy, 34, of Rathsallagh Park, Dublin, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter in the 2013 death of David Spain at the same address. The trial at the Central Criminal Court concluded after four hours and 48 minutes of deliberation. Kennedy was also charged with intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Sean Turner, a professional boxer, but the jury returned a unanimous not‑guilty verdict on that charge. The prosecution alleged that Kennedy, armed with a knife, stabbed Spain six times after a confrontation that began with a text message from Kennedy to Turner. Defence counsel argued that Kennedy was ambushed and acted in self‑defence, citing CCTV footage of him moving backwards. The case was remanded for sentencing on 23 November.
A man from Mayo has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment following his conviction at the Central Criminal Court on 23 counts of rape and sexual assault of his daughter. The offences, committed between 2008 and 2012, occurred when the victim was aged seven to eleven years old. The abuse came to light after the child disclosed details to a schoolmate, prompting intervention by school staff, the HSE, and An Garda Síochána. The defendant maintained his innocence throughout the trial despite evidence contradicting his account. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy noted the lasting impact on the victim, who continues to experience significant psychological harm. In her victim impact statement, the young woman described the profound effect the abuse and subsequent court proceedings have had on her wellbeing and relationships. The convicted man has been placed on the sex offenders register as part of his sentence.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard that Saverio Bellante, 36, admitted killing his landlord Thomas O'Gorman in Castleknock between 11 and 12 January 2014. Two consultant psychiatrists testified that Bellante's mental state met the criteria for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. Bellante had a history of schizophrenia, had been on anti‑psychotic medication Olanzapine, which was gradually reduced and stopped on 9 January 2014, two days before the murder. He claimed he saw O'Gorman as a devil and believed killing him and eating his heart would end evil. The defense also presented evidence of his long‑term psychiatric treatment and medication regime, supporting the insanity claim. The trial continues.
In a Dublin murder trial, the judge began his charge against Wayne Kennedy, 34, who is accused of killing 26‑year‑old David Spain on 26 December 2013 and of recklessly causing serious harm to Sean Turner on the same day. Kennedy pleaded not guilty to both counts. Prosecutor Paddy McCarthy argued that Kennedy deliberately used a knife in a cold, calculated attack, citing a text message threatening Turner and the subsequent fight in which Turner was stabbed twice. He described the incident as an ambush rather than a spontaneous altercation. Defence counsel Remy Farrell countered, emphasizing self‑defence and the possibility that Kennedy was reacting to an anticipated confrontation. He highlighted the CCTV footage showing Kennedy moving backwards, suggesting he was not the aggressor. The judge was to continue his charge the following day.
In a Westmeath case, retired army private Jimmy Devaney, aged 67, was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter in the death of prostitute Marie Greene on 13 February 2011. The jury, after 4 hours 23 minutes, returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty of murder and guilty of manslaughter. Justice Margaret Heneghan thanked the jury and excused them for 15 years, adjourned sentencing to 2 November, and remanded Devaney in custody until that date. Greene was last seen alive on the night of her death and her body was discovered nine days later in Anagorta Bog. Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy reported six stab wounds to the trunk and multiple incise wounds to the head and neck, some possibly part of a continuous attack after death. The State alleged Devaney murdered Greene because she had blackmailed him for money and threatened to reveal his wife.
Criostóir MacCárthaigh, 38, of An Gleann, Palmerstown, has lodged an appeal against his murder conviction for the killing of David Whyte, 35, in Dublin between 24 and 26 September 2008. The victim was stabbed more than 100 times in the ruins of an old church. A jury at the Central Criminal Court found MacCárthaigh guilty and he received a mandatory life sentence on 19 February 2013. In the appeal, MacCárthaigh's counsel, Diarmaid McGuinness SC, argues that the trial judge erred by allowing certain evidence before the jury, including a witness's assumption about an "invisible knife" and evidence of a prior Special Criminal Court conviction for possession of explosives. He also contends that MacCárthaigh's answer to a Garda question about DNA on the victim's trousers should not have been treated as a refusal. The Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel, Paul Burns SC, maintains that whether the answer was a refusal is a fact for the jury to decide. Criostóir MacCárthaigh pleaded not guilty.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard that Saverio Bellante, 36, admitted killing his landlord Thomas O'Gorman in Castleknock between 11 and 12 January 2014. Bellante, who had previously lived in Ireland and returned in 2011, claimed he was mentally disturbed and had been on anti‑psychotic medication. He told Gardaí that he had eaten what he believed to be part of O'Gorman's heart, but the body was found with a severed lung in a kitchen bowl. Evidence from Garda Patrick Traynor and Chief State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy described blunt‑force trauma to the head and multiple stab wounds to the neck and chest as the cause of death. The trial, expected to last two days, continues with the jury hearing the defence's admissions under Section 22 of the Criminal Justice Act. Saverio Bellante pleaded not guilty.