In the Central Criminal Court, Patrick O'Connor, the brother of the deceased, testified that a week before the murder, David Cully had threatened him with a gun. O'Connor said the deceased had called him from a pub on 8 December 2013, claiming Cully was walking around with a gun. O'Connor offered to bring the deceased to his house, where Cully allegedly told his nephew he intended to shoot him. O'Connor described feeling frightened and worried. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Carroll Moran, continues with a jury of seven women and five men. Cully, 24, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for killing 41‑year‑old Edward O'Connor in his back on 15 December 2013. The DPP had decided not to prosecute the earlier allegation of sexual abuse. The case remains in court.
In a murder trial in Louth, a 42‑year‑old woman, Paula Farrell, is accused of killing her 30‑year‑old partner, Wayne McQuillan, on 1 January 2014. The jury heard that a Drogheda Garda, Tomas Leonard, reported that Farrell told him she had stabbed McQuillan after an argument. He described blood in the hallway and kitchen, two knives, and a bread knife. The prosecution read a statement from Farrell in which she said she stabbed McQuillan twice with a medium‑sized knife, that he walked out the front door and collapsed outside. Defence counsel questioned whether the Garda had noticed injuries on Farrell's head or face. Dr Maria Marillo testified that Farrell was anxious, had a scrape on her face, smelled of alcohol, and had been drinking nine cans of cider the previous afternoon. She was deemed intoxicated and not fit for questioning. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, is expected to last two weeks. Paula Farrell pleaded not guilty.
In the murder trial of David Cully, a 24‑year‑old from Finglas West, the jury was shown a video of his first Garda interview in which he cried while explaining the shooting of his uncle, Edward O'Connor, who was 41. Cully admitted that he shot O'Connor in the back during a confrontation that escalated after O'Connor made a comment about a person who had alleged sexual abuse against him. The DPP had decided not to prosecute the allegation. Cully has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for the killing. He apologized to O'Connor's family and to the Gardaí in tears. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Carroll Moran, continues before a jury of seven women and five men. The court heard that the alleged abuse was investigated but not prosecuted. The case is being heard at the Central Criminal Court. The video was shown to the jury this morning. The trial continues this afternoon.
David Cully, 24, was tried for the murder of his uncle, Edward O'Connor, 41, who was shot in the back after a fist fight. Cully initially told Gardaí that a gunman had appeared "out of nowhere" and shot his uncle, but later admitted he had brought a gun to the fight and shot O'Connor himself. He claimed he fired in the heat of the moment after O'Connor made a comment about a sexual‑abuse allegation against him. Cully denied premeditation, stating he had never held a firearm before and had only watched shooting films. Gardaí argued the act was pre‑orchestrated and intended to kill. The case is before Mr Justice Carroll Moran with a jury of seven women and five men. The trial is ongoing. The unnamed 24-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A Laois resident, whose identity is protected, faces trial in June 2016 for two counts of rape committed in Dublin on 9 February. He has been granted bail with conditions requiring him to sign on at Portlaoise Garda Station three times a week. His lawyers argued that the nearest 24‑hour station was over an hour away by public transport, making the requirement impractical. They noted that other stations closer to his home were only open part‑time and that the only other 24‑hour station, in Portarlington, was even farther. The accused, a married man with an Irish wife, claimed he would not leave the area and requested removal of the sign‑on conditions. Justice Carroll Moran agreed to modify the bail, allowing the accused to sign on twice a week at Kevin Street Garda Station in Dublin, where he regularly travels for work.
A Laois father of seven pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault against his daughter between 1981 and 1987, when she was aged nine to 15. He was arrested in 2014 and admitted to sexually abusing and raping her, describing the acts as "making love" to a child who could not consent. The victim, now 43, first reported the abuse to Gardaí in 2013 and later filed a victim impact statement detailing the psychological harm, including suicidal thoughts and lifelong trauma. The court remanded him in custody and adjourned sentencing to 13 July. He was registered as a sex offender upon pleading guilty. The case highlights the prolonged abuse and the victim's enduring suffering, with no prior convictions for the defendant.
In 2011, Zhen Dong Zhao, a 38‑year‑old Chinese national, was convicted of murdering Noel Fegan outside his internet café on Wellington Quay and received a mandatory life sentence on 5 December 2012. Zhao appealed, arguing the trial judge had misexplained provocation to the jury. The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial. Zhao was remanded in custody and a retrial date of 3 May 2016 was set at the Central Criminal Court. Zhen Dong Zhao pleaded not guilty.
Zhao Zhen Dong, a 38‑year‑old Chinese national, had been sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2011 murder of Noel Fegan outside his internet café on Wellington Quay. He pleaded not guilty and was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court, receiving a mandatory life sentence from Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy on 5 December 2012. Zhao appealed, arguing that the trial judge had erred in explaining provocation to the jury. The Court of Appeal, in a judgement delivered on 26 June 2015, quashed his conviction and ordered a retrial. The appeal focused on the judge's failure to clearly state that provocation remained a defence even when an intention to kill or cause serious harm existed. Zhao was remanded in custody to appear before the Central Criminal Court on the following Monday. The Court noted the complexity of provocation law and the importance of clear jury instructions.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, David Cully, aged 24, admitted shooting his uncle, Edward O'Connor, dead in what he described as the heat of the moment. Cully claimed that after a fist fight at a yard on Ballycoolin Road, O'Connor made a comment about a sexual‑abuse allegation against him, which provoked Cully. He said he had found a handgun two days earlier, was unsure if it worked, and fired at O'Connor when the uncle's remark "riled him up." Cully stated he had no intention to kill and that the act was unplanned. He apologized to O'Connor's family. The trial, set to continue before Mr Justice Carroll Moran, involves a jury of seven women and five men. The case remains at the manslaughter stage, with Cully pleading not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court continues the trial of 42‑year‑old Paula Farrell, who is accused of murdering her partner Wayne McQuillan, 30, on 1 January 2014 at her home in Rathmullen Park, Drogheda. Farrell pleaded not guilty. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, began evidence on Wednesday and is expected to last two and a half weeks.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing, an 18‑year‑old witness recounted the instant his father, Edward O'Connor, was shot by David Cully, the accused. The teenager described a pre‑arranged fist fight between two men, during which Cully, after a comment about a sexual‑abuse allegation, lost his temper. He allegedly fired a black handgun, shooting O'Connor's father and then firing four or five additional shots. The witness said the fight paused briefly, then resumed, and that the parties shook hands afterward. Cully, 24, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of the 41‑year‑old O'Connor, who died on 15 December 2013. The trial is proceeding before Justice Carroll Moran with a jury of seven women and five men.
In the Central Criminal Court, the widow of Edward O'Connor, the 41‑year‑old victim, testified that her husband, David Cully, returned from a pub on 8 December 2013 visibly upset and frightened after Cully claimed the accused had threatened him. She recounted that Cully had entered the pub and warned her that he had a gun and intended to kill him. Cully, aged 24, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his uncle, who was shot on 15 December 2013. The trial also heard from other witnesses describing the events leading up to the shooting, including a confrontation at a yard and the subsequent gunfire that killed O'Connor. The case is proceeding before Mr Justice Carroll Moran with a jury of twelve.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 42‑year‑old Louth woman, Paula Farrell, was charged with murdering her 30‑year‑old partner, Wayne McQuillan, on New Year's Eve 2013. The prosecution alleged that Farrell stabbed McQuillan four times with a large kitchen knife, one wound being fatal. Witnesses testified that the couple had argued after drinking, that McQuillan was brought to a Garda car in cardiac arrest, revived briefly, then died after a second arrest during a CT scan. Garda evidence included two knives found in the sink and a blue‑and‑white striped shirt with stab marks. Witnesses, including a teenage boy and a schoolgirl, described seeing McQuillan bleeding and calling for an ambulance, while Farrell allegedly told them not to call. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, is expected to last two‑and‑a‑half weeks. Paula Farrell pleaded not guilty.
During the sixth day of his nephew's murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Eugene O'Connor, the brother of the deceased, gave evidence describing the shooting and the moment after. He said he had visited his brother, Edward O'Connor, at home in Barn Lodge that afternoon and heard him speak to his son, Darren, about a "straightener" to settle a row. Eugene explained that the fight took place at Cappagh Cross, involving Darren and another man, and that David Cully, the accused, fired a gun in the air when another person joined. He recalled hearing a shot, seeing his brother's back, and then seeing two holes in his brother's back after lifting his shirt. Eugene said his brother was taken to hospital, pronounced dead about an hour later. The trial continues before Mr Justice Carroll Moran and a jury. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
On the fifth day of the nephew's murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Charlotte O'Connor, the widow of the deceased, gave emotional testimony. She recounted that her husband, David Cully, 24, had been shot twice by his nephew, Edward O'Connor, 41, on 15 December 2013. Cully admitted manslaughter, claiming he "lost it" after a comment about a sexual‑abuse allegation against the deceased. He pleaded not guilty to murder. O'Connor said she received a call from Cully after 4 p.m. that day, who told her Mr Cully wanted to arrange a fist fight to settle a dispute involving their son, Darren. She described rushing to the scene, finding Edward lying and unresponsive, and following the ambulance to the hospital where she learned her husband had died before 6 p.m. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Carroll Moran, continues with a jury of twelve.
The murder trial of David Cully, 24, continued at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Carroll Moran and a jury. Cully, of Kilshane Road, Finglas West, is charged with murdering his uncle, Edward O'Connor, 41, by shooting him twice at Ballycoolin Road, Finglas West, on December 15, 2013. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, although he admitted manslaughter to gardai, claiming he 'lost it' after a comment regarding a sexual abuse allegation against the deceased. During cross-examination on the fifth day of the trial, witness Darren O'Connor, 24, testified that he saw his cousin shoot their father in the back following an arranged fist fight at the family's grandparents' property. Mr O'Connor denied that there was a 'history of firearms' in the family and stated he was unaware of previous weapons found near their home or in Dunsink. However, he agreed that he is allegedly facing a charge of being in possession of a firearm in the course of a robbery in July 2013. The trial continues this afternoon.
A 24‑year‑old Dublin man, Darren O'Connor, gave evidence at the Central Criminal Court on the fourth day of his cousin David Cully's murder trial. Cully, also 24, is charged with murdering his uncle, 41‑year‑old Edward O'Connor, by shooting him twice on 15 December 2013. O'Connor described how he and his father were at their grandparents' property when Cully, after a prior altercation, suggested a "straightener" or fist fight. O'Connor says he and his father entered the yard, where Cully and his opponent were waiting. During the fight, Cully shot Edward in the back, firing about six shots. O'Connor testified that his father was left lying on his back, breathing heavily, and was later pronounced dead. The trial is before Mr Justice Carroll Moran with a jury of seven women and five men. David Cully pleaded not guilty.
A jury of five men and seven women was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court on 22 June 2015 for the trial of 42‑year‑old Paula Farrell of Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, who is accused of murdering 32‑year‑old Wayne McQuillan on 1 January 2014. Ms Farrell pleaded not guilty. Judge Patrick McCarthy told the jury the trial would last about two and a half weeks and would begin with evidence on Wednesday morning.
Kevin Coughlan, 32, of Limerick, had his murder conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal after a March appeal citing unsatisfactory trial conduct, particularly the changing testimony of Deputy State Pathologist Dr Khalid Jabber. Dr Jabber had initially suggested the victim, Francis Greene, might have drowned, but later concluded the victim was dead before entering the water and had been strangled. The Court of Appeal, led by Justice Seán Ryan, found the trial unsatisfactory and substituted the murder conviction with a manslaughter conviction under the Criminal Procedure Act 1993. No criticism was directed at the prosecution or the trial judge. Coughlan remains remanded in custody until 29 July, when he will appear before the Central Criminal Court for sentencing. The sentencing is scheduled for next month. Kevin Coughlan pleaded not guilty.
The trial of David Cully, 24, will resume on Monday after a break. Cully is charged with murdering his uncle, Edward O'Connor, 41, by shooting him twice in the back on 15 December 2013. He admitted killing O'Connor, saying he 'lost it' after O'Connor made a remark about a person who had alleged sexual abuse against him. Cully pleaded not guilty to murder and his guilty plea to manslaughter was rejected by the State. The case is being heard at the Central Criminal Court. In the opening, the State's counsel, Pauline Walley SC, argued that Cully had no intention to kill or seriously injure O'Connor and that the prosecution must prove intent and lack of provocation. She noted family tension after the abuse allegation and a fight the night before the killing, during which Cully brought a gun. The trial is expected to last three weeks before Mr Justice Carroll Moran.
A Tipperary man, Michael Smith, aged 53, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for a series of sexual offences against a girl who was 11 when the first abuse began. Gardaí interviewed him in 2004 after a search uncovered a video of him raping the victim. Smith was released without charge, travelled to the UK and committed further abuse against a teenage girl he had groomed online. He was jailed in the UK in 2008 for that offence and for possession of nearly 20,000 images of child pornography. After his release from a UK prison in 2014 he was extradited to Ireland and has been in custody since. The victim, Michelle Smith, 29, waived anonymity and gave a victim impact statement. Michael Smith pleaded guilty.
Philip Doyle, aged 38, was convicted of manslaughter for the death of his ex‑fiancée's three‑and‑a‑half‑month‑old baby, Ross Murphy, in April 2005. The Central Criminal Court, after a four‑week trial, returned a unanimous verdict of manslaughter, and Doyle was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment on 15 May 2012. Doyle appealed, arguing that the trial judge had not adequately considered expert medical evidence and that the injuries could have resulted from an accidental fall. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice Seán Ryan, rejected the appeal, stating that the conviction was "safe" and the trial was "satisfactory." Mr Justice Ryan noted that the jury had been properly instructed to weigh expert testimony and that the evidence supported the conclusion that the baby's severe injuries were inflicted by Doyle rather than by an accidental fall. The appeal was dismissed, leaving Doyle's conviction and sentence intact. Philip Doyle pleaded not guilty.
Kevin Coughlan, aged 32, had been sentenced to life imprisonment in 2011 for the murder of Francis Greene, who was found dead on Steamboat Quay between 28 and 29 November 2009. In March 2015, Coughlan's counsel, Anthony Sammon SC, appealed the conviction on the grounds that the trial was unsatisfactory, citing the testimony of Deputy State Pathologist Dr Khalid Jabber. Dr Jabber had altered his conclusion during the trial, initially suggesting the possibility of drowning but later concluding that the victim had died before entering the water and had been strangled. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Seán Ryan, agreed that the trial was unsatisfactory and quashed the murder conviction. It substituted a manslaughter conviction under the Criminal Procedure Act 1993. Coughlan was remanded in custody to appear before the Central Criminal Court for sentencing on the following Monday. Kevin Coughlan pleaded not guilty.
The trial of 24‑year‑old David Cully, charged with murdering his 41‑year‑old uncle Edward O'Connor, will resume on Friday morning. Cully, of Kilshane Road, Finglas West, admitted shooting O'Connor twice in the back on 15 December 2013 but pleaded not guilty to murder. He had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the State, and is now on trial at the Central Criminal Court. The State's case, presented by Pauline Walley SC, argues that Cully had intent to kill, citing family tensions after an allegation against O'Connor and a physical row the night before the shooting. Walley noted that Cully had brought a gun to a "fair fight" and that he claimed hatred toward O'Connor. The trial, with a jury of seven women and five men, is expected to last three weeks under Mr Justice Carroll Moran.
David Cully, 24, of Kilshane Road, Finglas West, Dublin, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of his uncle, Edward O'Connor, 41, who died at Ballycoolin Road, Finglas West, on 15 December 2013. Cully pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The prosecution, represented by Ms Pauline Walley SC, argued that the burden of proof lies with them to show that Cully intended to kill O'Connor, not merely to cause serious injury. Walley urged the jury to remain impartial and not be swayed by sympathy. The trial, which began with a jury of seven women and five men, is scheduled to continue until 2 p.m. and is expected to last up to three weeks.
In a 2015 Central Criminal Court hearing, Mieczyslaw Sudol, a 42‑year‑old Polish tiler, received a four‑year prison sentence with the final two years suspended for sexually assaulting a woman on a street in County Kerry. The victim, who was on the phone with a friend, was followed by Sudol after she left a night out. He snatched her phone, grabbed her throat, pulled down her dress and sexually assaulted her before fleeing with her phone. Sudol pleaded guilty on 5 May 2008, had no prior convictions, and was arrested in 2008 for an unrelated incident. DNA recovered from the victim's fingernails linked him to the crime. The judge, considering Sudol's early guilty plea, clean record and cooperation, imposed the sentence back‑dated to his June 2014 custody entry.
The trial of two Dublin men accused of raping a homeless woman in a hotel room collapsed after a legal issue. A 27‑year‑old man is alleged to have raped the woman in the George Frederic Handel Hotel on 27 March 2012, while a 40‑year‑old co‑accused allegedly watched and threatened her about reporting the crime. Both pleaded not guilty. Judge Margaret Heneghan dismissed the jury, citing the legal problem, and remanded the men to appear later in the month for a new trial date.
Samir Mansour, a 49‑year‑old Tunisian chef, was convicted of raping a woman who had been invited back to his apartment after he claimed he was gay. The conviction was reached at the Central Criminal Court on 14 July 2014, following a fourth trial after earlier convictions were quashed or acquitted. Mansour was found guilty of rape and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal, ruling that there was no unfairness or prejudice in the trial. The appeal focused on whether the jury had been improperly exposed to evidence of a threat to kill or cause serious harm, which Mansour had been acquitted of in a prior trial. The Court held that the evidence was relevant to the rape charge and that the jury's decision was valid. The appeal was therefore rejected. Samir Mansour pleaded not guilty.
A 34‑year‑old Cork man was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting his former partner's 13‑year‑old daughter while she was under his care. The court heard that on 22 May 2013 the man gave the girl more than four cans of beer, then entered her bedroom and forced his finger into her vagina, pinning her down. He also attempted to insert his penis during the 20‑minute assault. The victim, who is still a child, waived her right to anonymity but could not be named under the law. The man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court and had no prior convictions. The judge accepted the plea, noted the serious impact on the girl, and imposed a four‑year sentence, placing the offender on the sexual offender register and subjecting him to Garda supervision upon release.
Barry Doyle, aged 29, was convicted of murdering rugby player Shane Geoghegan in Limerick on 9 November 2008 and sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan on 16 February 2012. Doyle pleaded not guilty and claimed that Gardaí had induced him to admit the murder during interviews. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice Seán Ryan, rejected all 27 grounds of appeal, finding the trial satisfactory and the conviction safe. The court noted that Doyle's solicitor had approached Gardaí with an offer that Doyle would admit to killing Geoghegan if his girlfriend, Ms Victoria Gunnery, was released, but the court held that Doyle was aware of his actions and that no inducement or threat had been offered. The appeal was dismissed and Doyle remains in prison to serve the remainder of his life sentence.
James O'Brien, 22, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to 20‑year‑old Dale Creighton, who died two days later in hospital after the incident on New Year's Day at Saint Dominic's Road footbridge in Tallaght. O'Brien, a Tallaght native, was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court, where Justice Patrick McCarthy noted he had no prior convictions and was already in contact with probation services. He was remanded on continuing bail pending sentencing on 12 October. Seven other Dubliners in their 20s, also from Tallaght, are charged in connection with Creighton's death and will go on trial in October 2016.
A trial is ongoing at the Central Criminal Court involving two Dublin men, aged 27 and 40, who have pleaded not guilty to raping a woman in a room at the George Frederic Handel Hotel, Fishamble Street, in the early hours of March 27, 2012. The complainant, a homeless woman who was 22 at the time, testified that one accused physically raped her while the other looked on, laughing and smirking. She alleged the second man threatened to throw her out of a window if she reported the incident to gardaí. Prosecuting counsel Pauline Walley SC argued that the second accused was as much a perpetrator as the man who physically penetrated her. The complainant described how she met the men in a pub, helped them find a hotel room, and was subsequently pushed onto a bed and held down. Under cross-examination by Feargal Kavanagh SC, she acknowledged a history of substance use, including benzodiazepam, and admitted to hugging one accused in CCTV footage while searching for accommodation. The court heard that the first accused told gardaí the woman had consented, a claim she denied. The matter is currently before Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan and a jury of eight men and four women, with the trial continuing.
Marius Gaizutis, 52, of Drogheda, was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the axe murder of Lithuanian national Audrius Butkus, 44, whose body was found on a Meath beach on 10 September 2013. Gaizutis pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter when arraigned. A jury of four women and eight men found him guilty after deliberating for two hours and forty minutes. Justice Margaret Heneghan described the case as shocking and imposed a mandatory life sentence, back‑dated to his arrest on 2 October 2013. Evidence showed Butkus died from blunt‑force trauma to the head caused by an axe. Gaizutis had returned from Northern Ireland and surrendered to Gardaí on 29 September 2013. The trial highlighted that Butkus was a homeless single man with no known relatives, and that no witnesses were present at the time of his death.
The jury has begun deliberating in the trial of Keith O'Neill, 39, of Lissadell Drive, Drimnagh, who is accused of murdering John Wilson, 35, at Wilson's home on Cloverhill Road, Ballyfermot, on 28 September 2012. O'Neill pleaded not guilty. The prosecution alleges his participation in the death. Judge Tony Hunt called for a unanimous verdict. The jury, composed of five women and seven men, was excused after 1 hour 29 minutes and will return tomorrow.
The Court of Appeal has ordered a retrial for John-Paul Cawley following his successful appeal against a murder conviction, while the appeal of Wenio Rodriguez Da Silva was dismissed. Both men had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Bruno Lemes De Sousa at Shronowen Bog, Listowel, between February 16 and 17, 2012. Cawley had also pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea not accepted by the prosecution. A jury at the Central Criminal Court found both men guilty of murder, and Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan sentenced them to mandatory life terms on May 22, 2013. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, found that the trial judge erred in failing to adequately direct the jury on the onus of proof regarding the statutory presumption of intent. The court ruled that the prosecution bore the burden of proving beyond reasonable doubt that this presumption had not been rebutted, a point not sufficiently explained to the jury. Consequently, Cawley's conviction was quashed, and he was remanded in custody to appear before the next list to fix dates for his Central Criminal Court retrial. Da Silva's appeal was dismissed, and his life sentence remains in effect.
In a Dublin family home, a 50‑year‑old Tipperary man was sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment for sexually abusing and raping his daughters over an 18‑year period. He pleaded not guilty to 44 charges, including 37 counts of raping his eldest daughter, one count of anal rape of that girl, one count of oral rape of her younger sister, and a threat to kill his youngest daughters. The court found him guilty on 75 charges, with a jury verdict of not guilty on three. The judge described the offences as pre‑meditated, violent and exploitative, noting the victims' courage and the man's lack of remorse. The eldest daughter was first abused at nine, raped from eleven, and escaped to England at seventeen. The second daughter was abused from ten to just before fourteen, and the third from eleven to thirteen.
A trial date has been set for Hazel Waters, 46, of Ridge Hall, Ballybrack, who is charged with murdering her two‑year‑old son, Muhammad Hassan Khan, between 15 and 16 October 2014. The toddler was found dead with stab wounds in the bedroom on 16 October. Waters is currently in the Central Mental Hospital. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy set the trial for 17 October 2016, noting it could last more than a week.
In a Waterford murder trial, 34‑year‑old Tadhg Butler, also known as Thomas O'Grady, is charged with killing 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer on 10 January 2014. The judge, Justice Patrick McCarthy, instructed the jury to base their verdict solely on the evidence presented, noting that Butler's closing speech contained statements that were not evidence. He emphasized that the jury must consider the reliability of witness statements, particularly that of Anthony O'Grady, Butler's nephew, and the testimony of Ms Rose Burke, Butler's former partner. The judge also clarified that Butler's decision not to testify does not imply guilt. He reminded the jury that any reference to Butler's family or potential consequences of conviction is irrelevant to the adjudication. The jury began deliberations after the judge's instructions. Tadhg Butler pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court heard that Keith O'Neill, 39, pleaded not guilty to the murder of John Wilson, 35, on 28 September 2012. CCTV footage showed O'Neill entering Liffey Valley shopping centre and leaving in a change of clothing that day. Garda Alan O'Mahony presented the footage to the court. Dr. Sheila Willis explained that forensic evidence must be packed, sealed and labelled, and that a forensic scientist may refuse to handle potentially contaminated evidence. The trial will continue before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury tomorrow.
During the murder trial of Tadhg Butler, the former partner Mary Rose Burke testified that she visited Butler in Cork Prison in January 2014 and that he told her he had stabbed Michael O'Dwyer once. She said she had five children with him and that they had separated more than three years earlier. Burke claimed Butler had asked her to use her address for bail, which she refused, and that he had taken Valium and whiskey that night. She also said he was a good friend of O'Dwyer and had only stabbed him once. The defence questioned her about the relationship and her motives, and she denied using the children to extract information. The prosecution and defence discussed her statements to Gardaí and her alleged false claims. The court heard that Butler was arrested after the incident and that no weapon was found at the scene. The trial was scheduled to resume on Monday. Tadhg Butler pleaded not guilty.
In a 2015 case, a 74‑year‑old Kerry man was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for sexually abusing his sister‑in‑law during the 1970s. The judge, Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan, noted that under the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1935 the maximum term for a first offence was two years, and that a fully suspended sentence was rejected. The sentence included a six‑month suspension and six months of post‑release supervision, with a prohibition on unsupervised contact with children. The man pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of indecent assault between 1971 and 1974, was found guilty by a jury, and the judge considered his age, health and the defence's claim that the offences were "not necessarily the most serious." The victim, now 53, reported the abuse in 1986 but only filed a police complaint in 2007. She described repeated sexual assaults, the emotional impact, and her feelings of isolation and depression.
During the trial of 29‑year‑old Ciaran Moran for the murder of Gerard Donnelly in Phoenix Park, the jury was shown a blue Giant bicycle and a Sony Xperia smartphone that Moran allegedly purchased after the killing. Gardaí found Donnelly's body on fire in Phoenix Park on 29 November 2013, with evidence that he had been killed by blunt force trauma before being set alight. Moran, who was staying in a hostel on Camden Street, was found to have a key to a padlock and a new bicycle with a new lock, which the hostel manager confirmed he owned. The Carphone Warehouse receipt for the phone was dated shortly after 2 pm on 29 November 2013. Moran also checked into a bed and breakfast on Gardiner Street that night, paying €120 in cash, and was identified by the receptionist as one of the guests. Ciaran Moran pleaded not guilty.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, witness Eamon Flynn testified that the accused, 36‑year‑old Ciaran Moran, often spoke of 'battering and torturing' Gerard Donnelly, a homeless man who had a large amount of money. Flynn said he had seen Moran purchase a fold‑up army shovel and an orange jump suit in October 2013, and that Moran had also bought a balaclava and a knife on another occasion. Flynn described how Moran would talk about Donnelly's money while drinking, and that he had borrowed money from Donnelly a few times. Another witness, Eamon Mahon, saw a blue canister, hammer and balaclava in Moran's bag. The jury heard that Moran did not stay in his hostel on the night of 28 November 2013, and that he was absent from the hostel on that night, returning the next day. The trial continues before Justice Margaret Heneghan and a jury. Ciaran Moran pleaded not guilty.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, witness Eamon Flynn testified that the accused, 29‑year‑old Ciaran Moran, repeatedly claimed he would "batter and torture" a homeless man who had money. Flynn said the accused made these threats while drinking and that he had purchased a fold‑up army shovel, an orange jumpsuit, a balaclava and a knife in October 2013. The case concerns the murder of Gerard Donnelly, a homeless man found burned in Phoenix Park in 2013. Donnelly's body was discovered on fire, and the father of one of the deceased had died from blunt force trauma to the head before being set alight. Moran pleaded not guilty, and the defence is cross‑examining Flynn before Justice Margaret Heneghan and a jury of nine men and three women.
In a Kilkenny murder trial, the jury heard a statement from the accused's nephew, Anthony O'Grady, who claimed his uncle, Tadhg Butler (also known as Thomas O'Grady), stabbed 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer in the chest with a foot‑long butcher knife. The nephew described the night's events: the men travelled to Tramore, drank, and later, while the uncle was playing music, he allegedly lifted a knife and stabbed O'Dwyer. O'Grady said he did not remember the incident, citing prescription painkillers and alcohol. He also admitted to past violent behaviour when drinking. The statement was read by prosecution counsel, and O'Grady was cross‑examined by the defence. The trial continues with the jury considering this testimony. Tadhg Butler pleaded not guilty.
In a 2015 murder trial, Charlene O'Connor testified that Ciaran Moran, a 29‑year‑old homeless man, told her he had killed Gerard Donnelly, a homeless informant accused of touching children, to "teach him a lesson." O'Connor described meeting Moran at Heuston Station on 28 November 2013, where he showed her a bag containing a blow torch, hammer, cable ties and wire. She said he explained the items were for a man who had interfered with children. Moran allegedly mentioned two Germans were involved and that he had bought a bike and had €150. O'Connor also identified photographs of a toe and a face, which Moran claimed were proof for the Germans. The trial heard from Garda Peter Devane about Donnelly's large cash holdings and from Pathologist Marie Cassidy about Donnelly's fatal injuries, including a hammer and a pincers‑type tool found near his head. The case proceeded before Justice Margaret Heneghan and a jury. Ciaran Moran pleaded not guilty.
During a murder trial in Dublin, a seven‑year‑old girl testified that she heard gunshots and saw her father, Keith O'Neill, being shot at his home on Cloverhill Road on 28 September 2012. She described hearing "bang bang bang" and feeling a mix of sadness and relief that her father was no longer with "bad boys." O'Neill, aged 39, pleaded not guilty to the murder of John Wilson. The prosecution, led by Conor Devally, presented evidence that a hooded gunman entered the house, fired six shots, and that two bullets struck Wilson, one in the chest and one in the left arm. The state pathologist confirmed the fatal chest wound and the presence of multiple internal injuries. The case is proceeding before a jury of five women and seven men, with the trial expected to last two weeks.
In a 2015 trial at the Central Criminal Court, the State Pathologist, Professor Marie Cassidy, presented evidence that Gerard Donnelly, a homeless man found dead in a fire in Phoenix Park, died from blunt force trauma to the head. She described catastrophic injuries to his face and head, likely caused by multiple blows from a moderately heavy object, and noted that death would have resulted from brain injury and airway obstruction. Cassidy identified a lump hammer near Donnelly's head as a potential weapon and a pincers‑type tool that may have been used to amputate his little toe and cut his left thumb, injuries she believed were inflicted after death. Ciaran Moran, 29, was charged with Donnelly's murder, claiming the killing occurred on either 28 or 29 November 2013. The trial, presided over by Justice Margaret Heneghan, was set to last ten working days. Ciaran Moran pleaded not guilty.
The trial of a 34‑year‑old Kilkenny man, Tadhg Butler, charged with murdering a 25‑year‑old man in Waterford, continues at the Central Criminal Court. Butler, also known as Thomas O'Grady, pleaded not guilty. The court heard evidence from a neighbour who claimed to have heard an "awful racket" outside her house on the night of the murder. Mr Noel Whelan BL called Mr Tony Walsh, who described watching a documentary with Ms Diana Doherty when they heard a disturbance. Walsh reported seeing men standing around a body on the ground, one shouting that the victim was not responding. He called 999 and noted the victim's name was Timothy. The court also heard from Ms Doherty, who confirmed hearing a fight and seeing a body, and expressed distress over the victim's mother. The trial is set to resume with evidence tomorrow morning.
In a 2015 murder trial, the prosecution presented evidence that the 29‑year‑old accused, Ciaran Moran, had almost €150,000 in funds just weeks before the body of Gerard Donnelly was found burning in Phoenix Park. Donnelly's body was discovered with a V‑shaped wound on a thumb, a freshly amputated left little toe, and extensive head fractures. The State Pathologist attributed death to blunt force trauma to the head, with fire damage under the head and neck. The prosecution argued that Moran, who was homeless and had been seen in the park, was in the area around 10:30 pm on 28 November and had items such as a hammer and a gas canister that matched those found at the scene. The jury was instructed to decide whether Moran caused Donnelly's death and had the necessary intent. The trial was scheduled to last ten working days.