A woman was discharged from the jury and a new female juror was sworn in for the trial of Mark Nash, 42, who is accused of murdering Sylvia Shields, 59, and Mary Callanan, 61, in a house attached to St Brendan's Psychiatric Hospital in Grangegorman between 6 and 7 March 1997. Nash has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court. The trial, expected to last six to eight weeks, will begin on Thursday under Judge Carroll Moran. The jury, composed of seven men and five women, was introduced to the State counsel Brendan Grehan SC and Una Ni Raifeartaigh SC, and to the accused's counsel Hugh Hartnett SC and Patrick McGrath SC. Evidence will be presented from Gardaí at Bridewell Station, Galway, Garda Headquarters, Mountjoy Prison and the forensic science laboratory. Judge Moran instructed the jury not to discuss the case with anyone until it is over, after which they may speak freely about it.
The trial of 42‑year‑old Graham Dwyer, charged with the murder of 37‑year‑old Elaine O'Hara on 22 August 2012, was adjourned to Thursday. Dwyer was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court and pleaded not guilty. A jury of five women and seven men was sworn in for an eight‑week trial that was set to begin that morning. Judge Anthony Hunt announced the delay, apologised, and thanked the jurors for their service on a long and difficult case. He noted that the jurors would not receive payment, unlike other participants, and that they should not discuss the case with anyone, including family. He also warned that media coverage might be biased and that the jury's role as judges of fact was paramount. The prosecution was scheduled to give an opening statement on Thursday.
A jury has been sworn in for the trial of Mark Nash, 42, who has pleaded not guilty to the murders of Sylvia Shields, 59, and Mary Callanan, 61, which occurred in a house attached to St Brendan's Psychiatric Hospital in Grangegorman on March 6 and 7, 1997. The double‑murder trial will begin on Wednesday before Judge Carroll Moran and is expected to last six to eight weeks.
John Prendiville, 49, who has no fixed abode, will be sentenced next week for sexually assaulting a 14‑year‑old boy in a Kerry town in May 2012. Prendiville pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court. The court heard that the victim was in residential care at the time and was found drunk and slumped against a door after being reported missing. Prendiville had been released from Castlerea Prison after serving a six‑year term for a previous sex assault and had taken the teenager to his B&B where he performed oral sex. He admitted he knew the victim was underage and referred to him as a "kid" and a "young fella." The victim's impact report described lasting fear and mistrust, and his social worker noted he had been moved to a new care centre for safety. Prendiville's 33 prior convictions include five for sexual assault and four for failing to notify Gardaí under the Sex Offender's Act.
Trevor Andre, a 27‑year‑old student from Pembroke Woods, Passage West, Co Cork, will be sentenced in March for attempting to rape and sexually assaulting a woman in Cork on 8 June 2013. He pleaded not guilty to rape, attempted rape and sexual assault. A jury of four women and eight men convicted him of the attempted rape and sexual assault charges but acquitted him of rape. Andre, a native of Seychelles, admitted to the assault after his arrest, claiming the victim may not have been fully awake and that her eyes were closed. The victim, in her twenties, reported severe post‑incident trauma, including nightmares, panic attacks and loss of trust. Mr Justice Tony Hunt adjourned the sentence to March and ordered an updated Probation Report. The case was prosecuted by Marjorie Farrelly SC and defended by Sean Gillane SC. The trial was held at the Central Criminal Court.
A 41‑year‑old man, Graham Dwyer of Foxrock, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 37‑year‑old Elaine O'Hara, who was killed on 22 August 2012 in Kilakee, Rathfarnham. Dwyer was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court and stood in a navy suit, pleading not guilty. Judge Paul Carney warned potential jurors about the case's graphic nature and that anyone connected to the website www.alt.com should not serve. A jury of five women and seven men was sworn in to hear the trial, which will begin tomorrow morning.
In a County Clare case, an 80‑year‑old man was sentenced to four and a half years' imprisonment for indecent assault on his two daughters during the early 1970s. The Central Criminal Court found him guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault after a week‑long trial. He had pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of assaulting a daughter in a house and later a caravan between January 1971 and December 1973, when she was aged 11 to 13. He also denied assaulting another daughter twice in 1980 at a caravan when she was 11 or 12. During the trial he admitted one offence, which the judge treated as a plea of guilty. The judge described the abuse of the older daughter as the most serious, involving a breach of trust and acts of "squalidity" such as forcing her to wash his penis and wear adult underwear. The unnamed 80-year-old was acquitted.
A man convicted of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend is awaiting the outcome of his appeal against conviction in the Court of Appeal. Stephen Cahoon, originally from County Derry, was found guilty of strangling Jean Teresa Quigley at her home in Derry in July 2008. She was ten weeks pregnant at the time. A jury unanimously convicted him of murder in April 2012, and he received a life sentence. His appeal, heard today, centred on whether the trial judge misdirected the jury regarding the defence of provocation. Cahoon's counsel argued the judge conflated provocation with insanity by suggesting a person cannot form criminal intent when provoked. The Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel contended the trial judge's direction was correct and characterised the case as a straightforward provocation matter. The Court of Appeal indicated it would reserve its decision. Cahoon was arrested in Donegal Town ten days after the killing.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 27‑year‑old Westmeath man pleaded guilty to four offences committed over two days in June 2014: attempted rape, aggravated sexual assault, threats to kill and false imprisonment of a woman. The prosecution, represented by Garett Baker BL, cited a psychological report recommending further assessment. Judge Paul Carney adjourned sentencing to 16 March.
John English, 38, was released from prison after a Court of Appeal decision that the activation of his five‑year suspended sentence for breaching bail conditions was disproportionate. English had been sentenced in 2004 to 18 years for raping an Australian tourist, with five years suspended on the condition he abstain from alcohol. After serving 13 years, he was released in September 2012, but was found drinking and the suspended period was re‑activated by the Central Criminal Court. He appealed, and Judge Michael Peart, joined by Justices Garrett Sheehan and Alan Mahon, set aside the activation order. English was released on a new €100 bond, required to keep the peace, behave well for the remainder of the suspended period, and engage with probation and welfare services. The Court noted his prior convictions for sexual assault, false imprisonment and assault causing harm dating back to 1993.
A Dublin man, aged 62, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment after a jury trial at the Central Criminal Court. He was convicted on 106 counts of indecent assault and sexual assault and one count of rape of his sister‑in‑law, covering offences from 1982 to 1992. He had pleaded not guilty to 172 charges and was acquitted of 65. The victim, whose identity is protected, described how the man groomed and manipulated her from age 12, treating the rape as a celebration and insisting he had finally achieved something. He had molested her for five years, forced himself on her during a rape, and covered her mouth to silence her screams. He also abused a seven‑year‑old child, taking explicit photographs and displaying them in her bedroom. The victim reported severe psychological trauma, nightmares, and ongoing fear of the photographs' whereabouts.
A 24‑year‑old Dubliner was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for the manslaughter of a father of three, Jason Flannery, after a quarrel with the victim's daughter at her Junior Cert celebrations. The offender, David Brannock, used an ornamental knife he had received as a gift to stab Flannery in the neck and stomach, causing fatal injuries. He also inflicted serious harm on Flannery's brother‑in‑law, John O'Neill, who was stabbed about seven times, and on the victim's children, Anthony and Jade Byrne, who received stitches for head and back wounds. Brannock was cleared of a murder charge but found guilty of manslaughter and multiple assault offences. The judge noted the aggravating factor of bringing a bladed weapon to the scene and imposed a 12‑year term, with the offender's prior convictions and the severity of the injuries influencing the sentence. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court, where the jury convicted Brannock on all counts. The unnamed 24-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A 70‑year‑old Clare man was tried in the Central Criminal Court for raping and sexually abusing a teenage boy he had previously given money to. He pleaded not guilty to three counts of anal rape and two counts of sexual assault committed at various sites in the county between 1999 and 2000. In court he admitted to touching the boy's penis once, but denied any further sexual contact. Prosecutor Dominic McGinn SC described how the accused allegedly took the boy on car drives, using a signal system of fingers and a matchbox to indicate whether he could stop. The alleged abuse is said to have occurred in the accused's car and home. After the third alleged rape the boy reportedly told the man he did not want it to continue, and the accused allegedly continued to give him money. The trial is ongoing before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
A 41‑year‑old woman, Mercy Peters, originally from Sierra Leone, faces trial for the murder of her former partner, 42‑year‑old Tyrone McKenna, who was killed on 17 July at their shared home in Marlay Court, Rathfarnham. The case was heard before the Central Criminal Court, and Mr Justice Paul Carney set the trial for 20 June 2016.
A 19‑year‑old Limerick teenager was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended, for sexually abusing his seven‑year‑old step‑sister while babysitting her between February 2011 and January 2012. He pleaded guilty to two counts of oral rape and five counts of sexual assault at locations in Limerick and Clare. The judge cited the distressing details, breach of trust, gravity of the offences and the victim's age. The sentence includes a prohibition on contact with the victim, 18 months of post‑release supervision, and registration on the Sex Offenders Register. The accused had no prior convictions and was 16 at the time of the abuse. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court, with the judge and defence counsel presenting evidence and arguments regarding the offender's age and remorse. The victim's impact statement expressed discomfort and a desire never to see the offender again.
A 55‑year‑old man was found guilty of sexually assaulting and falsely imprisoning his sister‑in‑law, but was acquitted of an oral rape charge. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, involved six counts, including two of rape, assault causing harm, sexual assault and false imprisonment. After almost five hours of deliberation, the jury returned a not‑guilty verdict on the oral rape charge. Two hours later, the jury found the man guilty of biting the victim's breast and of forcing her into a car, thereby falsely imprisoning her. The judge thanked the jury and excused them from future service for ten years. The defendant was remanded in custody for sentencing on 23 March and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register. The unnamed 55-year-old pleaded not guilty.
David Brannock, a 24‑year‑old father of one, was convicted of manslaughter for killing Jason 'Jasper' Flannery and of causing serious harm to Flannery's brother‑in‑law John O'Neill and assault causing harm to Flannery's daughter Jade Byrne and son Anthony Byrne. He was cleared of assault causing harm to the mother, Claire Byrne. The trial found that Brannock attacked the family with an ornamental knife after an argument over Jade Byrne's Junior Cert results. He stabbed Flannery in the neck, causing death, and inflicted wounds on O'Neill, Byrne and Anthony. Brannock pleaded not guilty to all five offences. Sentencing was adjourned to 11 December, with the court to consider victim impact reports and a letter from the mother of Brannock's child. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
The Central Criminal Court trial of a 55‑year‑old man, who is unnamed for legal reasons, continues. He has pleaded not guilty to five counts of raping and assaulting his sister‑in‑law, causing her harm on 20 January 2011 in County Kerry, and denies falsely imprisoning her. The next day the case will proceed before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of nine men and three women.
The Central Criminal Court trial of a 55‑year‑old man accused of raping his sister‑in‑law has progressed to day seven. He pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and assault, and denied falsely imprisoning the woman. Medical evidence was presented by a doctor from the South Infirmary Hospital's sexual assault unit. The doctor described bruising on the complainant's face, chest, nipples, left breast, right buttock and right thigh, noting a large bruise on the right cheek and a five‑centimetre bruise on the right nipple, consistent with forceful blows. The examination also revealed scratches across the collarbone. The accused had been arrested a week after the alleged assault and had denied any assault, claiming the incident never occurred and accusing the woman of lying. The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy with a jury of nine men and three women.
The trial of an unnamed Kerry man accused of abducting and raping his sister‑in‑law continues. He pleaded not guilty to six counts of rape and assault for an incident on 20 January 2011 in County Kerry. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy dismissed the jury of nine men and three women on Friday afternoon and instructed them to return on Monday morning for further evidence.
In a Central Criminal Court case, a man accused of abducting and raping his sister‑in‑law has pleaded not guilty to six counts of rape and assault. The alleged victim was harmed on 20 January 2011 in County Kerry, with one alleged rape said to have occurred between Kerry and Limerick after the accused blindfolded her and drove her to a remote area. On the fifth day of the trial, the jury heard that the accused was homeless at the time and had asked to sleep in a Garda station after officers informed him of the allegations. A detective had seized a car that matched the victim's description, but later found it was not the vehicle used in the incidents. The case remains before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of nine men and three women.
The Court of Appeal has refused the Director of Public Prosecutions' application to quash a suspended sentence imposed on an unnamed former jockey and horse trainer. The appellant pleaded guilty on January 30, 2013, to a sexual assault charge arising from an incident in October 2005. At the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Barry White adjourned sentencing overnight and delivered a five-year suspended sentence on conditions on April 23, 2013. The DPP appealed on grounds of undue leniency. President Mr Justice Seán Ryan, joined by Justices Birmingham and Sheehan, refused the appeal, stating it would not be just to impose immediate custody at this stage. However, the court found the original sentencing hearing was not sufficiently sensitive to the victim's rights. The judges criticized Mr Justice White for being too ready to infer that the victim's impact statement attempted to pressure him and for making critical remarks regarding the victim's naivety. While the Court of Appeal identified significant procedural errors and defects in the sentencing process, it declined to make a declaration of undue leniency or error in principle, simply refusing the application.
A 36‑year‑old Swedish man was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for raping and sexually assaulting his ex‑girlfriend in a Dublin apartment. He pleaded not guilty to rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment on 4 July 2010. The Central Criminal Court found him guilty of four counts, acquitting him of one sexual assault charge. The judge noted the victim endured a "very nasty ordeal over a very lengthy period", suffered injuries consistent with alleged strangulation, and had suffered significant impact. The accused claimed he had given the woman love bites, but medical evidence refuted this. He had previously served time in custody and the sentence was back‑dated to 18 June 2013. The victim testified that the attacker threatened to strangle her, forced her to remove her underwear, and held her neck until she lost vision, while she attempted to contact emergency services and her new partner for help.
A 19‑year‑old Limerick teenager, who was 16 at the time of the offences, pleaded guilty to two counts of oral rape and five counts of sexual assault against his seven‑year‑old step‑sister while she was under his care between February 2011 and January 2012. The abuse occurred in Limerick and Clare and was reported by the girl's parents after the teenager sent a text admitting the abuse. The girl, who was interviewed by Garda specialists, described daily abuse, including dragging her to the teenager's room and forcing her to touch his penis and put it in her mouth. The teenager admitted the acts, expressed remorse, and said he had moved out to stop the abuse. Mr Justice Paul Carney remanded him in custody until December for further assessment by the Probation Service. The case was prosecuted by Vincent Heneghan BL. The girl's statement expressed discomfort and a desire never to see the teenager again.
During the trial of 23‑year‑old David Brannock, John O'Neill gave evidence about an incident that occurred on the evening of 12 September 2012. O'Neill said he was at his sister Claire Byrne's home celebrating her daughter Jade's Junior Cert results when Brannock arrived after midnight. An argument ensued, Brannock threw bottles and shouted threats. O'Neill followed Brannock and his brother‑in‑law Jason Flannery and nephew Anthony Byrne out of the house. He found Flannery lying in a pool of blood and described a violent struggle in which he was struck in the throat. O'Neill claimed he felt a part of his gut falling out, a golf‑ball‑sized piece, and that he sustained seven stab wounds. He spent ten days in a coma, 25 days with a breathing tube, and nearly a month in hospital. Claire Byrne also testified, describing her attempt to protect her son and the violent encounter with Brannock. David Brannock pleaded not guilty.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 23‑year‑old Dublin man, David Brannock, pleaded not guilty to five offences, including the murder of Jason Flannery, the father of three, and serious harm to his siblings, mother and uncle. The alleged violent confrontation took place on 13 September 2012 at St Joseph's Way, Poppintree, Ballymun, after a Junior Cert celebration. Jade Byrne, aged 16, testified that she and her family were at a friend's house when Brannock arrived. An argument ensued, and Brannock was asked to leave. He allegedly returned, chased the family, and stabbed Flannery, who died on the scene. Brannock also stabbed Jade's brother, Anthony, and assaulted their mother, Claire, and uncle, John O'Neill, who sustained serious injuries. The prosecution argued that Brannock armed himself with a knife after being forced out of the house, while the defence suggested self‑defence.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has acquitted a Galway man charged with raping a woman in Sligo in December 2010. The man had pleaded not guilty to the allegation. During a four-day trial, the complainant gave evidence that she had met the accused in a nightclub and subsequently engaged in consensual sexual activity at his flat. She alleged that the following morning, after she expressed her wish to leave, he forced himself upon her despite her repeated requests that he stop. Under cross-examination, defence counsel highlighted that the woman had been in control throughout the night and demonstrated various interactions with the accused. The jury, comprising nine men and three women, deliberated for under one hour before returning a unanimous not-guilty verdict.
Darren Wynne, 21, of Athy, Co. Kildare, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to 12 years imprisonment for possession of a sawn-off shotgun and ammunition with intent to endanger life. He had previously been convicted by a jury of murdering Jamie Lindsay, 20, in April 2013, for which he is serving a life sentence. Wynne had also pleaded guilty to possession of a sawn-off shotgun and cartridges in suspicious circumstances, an offence for which he received an eight-year sentence. Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan suspended the final two years of each firearms sentence, conditional on Wynne's compliance with his sentence management programme. Both sentences were backdated to April 12, 2013, and run concurrently with the life sentence. The judge considered Wynne's young age, good character, and cooperation with gardai. Two other men, Quentin Monaghan and James Seery, who were tried alongside Wynne, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of a sawn-off shotgun and cartridges in suspicious circumstances. Monaghan was sentenced to eight years imprisonment with two suspended, while Seery received seven years with three suspended for the killing. The court heard evidence that Lindsay was shot in the right eye at point-blank range, and that Wynne claimed he intended only to injure him.
A 23‑year‑old man from St Joseph's Way, Ballymun, denied all charges in a Central Criminal Court arraignment. He pleaded not guilty to murdering Jason Flannery on 13 September 2012 and to causing serious harm to John O'Neill, as well as to assaulting Jade Byrne, Anthony Byrne and Claire Byrne at the same time and place. Mr Justice Paul Carney sworn in a jury of five women and seven men, who will hear the case tomorrow. The two‑week trial will be the first murder case before the newly‑appointed Mr Justice Carroll Moran.
In a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Paul Carney instructed the jury that alcohol does not excuse criminal responsibility. The accused, Michael Maughan, 40, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of Piotr Nowakowski, 31, who was stabbed twice on 23 July 2013 and died en route to a hospital. Maughan and his brother had been drinking with Nowakowski and two others earlier that day and returned to the apartment later that night. Maughan also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Declan O'Dea at the same address. The judge emphasized that intent can arise instantly and that pre‑planning is not required. The prosecution argued that ample evidence supported a murder conviction, while the defence highlighted Maughan's alcoholism and recent release from an addiction centre. The jury was sworn in for a week‑long trial.
The trial of Michael Maughan, 40, of Stone Court, Ennis, continues before a jury of seven men and five women under Mr Justice Paul Carney. Maughan pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Piotr Nowakowski, 31, at Sandfield Mews, Ennis, on 23 July 2013. The prosecution rejected the manslaughter plea and a jury was sworn in for the murder trial. Maughan also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Declan O'Dea at the same address and date. Detective Garda Brendan Rouine testified that he saw a man with two stab wounds to the chest and that O'Dea was injured in the leg, face and head. He described the accused as "known to drink a lot" and recounted that Maughan claimed he was angry because he could not enter the apartment, that he had lifted his brother to gain entry, and that he stabbed Nowakowski twice after the victim emerged.
A 36‑year‑old man from Cork was sentenced to five years in prison for sexually assaulting his younger sister between 1991 and 1997. The Central Criminal Court, sitting in Cork, found him guilty of 23 counts of sexual assault after a trial in July. The abuse began when the accused was 14 and his sister 10, continuing until he was 20 and she was 16. Mr Justice Paul Carney described the offences as grave, noted the victim's impact, the multiplicity of acts and the victim's age, and imposed a five‑year term. He suspended the final year, citing the man's lack of prior convictions, good employment history and youth, and ordered him to stay away from the victim permanently, except with her consent. The judge also imposed 18 months of post‑release supervision. The accused, who has learning difficulties, has been in custody since conviction.
Michael Maughan, aged 40, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of Piotr Nowakowski, 31, at Sandfield Mews, Ennis, on 23 July 2013. He also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Declan O'Dea at the same address. In Garda interviews, Maughan admitted stabbing Nowakowski twice, kicking him in the head after paramedics arrived, and claimed he had no control, saying he "just went berserk" after seeing a knife. He denied intent to kill, stating he thought Nowakowski was drunk. Cross‑examination of Maughan by Garda Stephen Hession echoed this, describing the incident as "total madness" with no excuse. Margaret Nihill, Maughan's former girlfriend, testified about their relationship and his alcohol consumption that night. Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis reported that Nowakowski died from stab wounds to the chest, lung and liver, plus blunt force trauma to the head, with a blood alcohol level of 415 mg per cent.
Paul Callan, a Louth businessman, had posted a €20,000 surety for Vesel Jahiri, a 33‑year‑old from Kosovo, who was charged with murdering Anna Finnegan, 25, in Dublin in 2012. Callan allowed Jahiri to live with him and believed the bail would secure his appearance at the Central Criminal Court. Jahiri failed to attend the final days of his trial, breaking bail and prompting a bench warrant. The State sought forfeiture of the €5,000 Callan had lodged, with the remainder frozen until the warrant could be executed. Callan, representing himself, admitted he had been naive, trusting Jahiri based on a long friendship and prior credit arrangements. Judge Paul McDermott granted Callan a 50 % refund, returning €10,000, acknowledging his difficulties as a bailsperson and his good faith efforts. The case ended with the bail forfeiture and no further court action against Callan. Vesel Jahiri pleaded not guilty.
A 40‑year‑old man, Michael Maughan, has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the death of Piotr Nowakowski, 31, who was stabbed in Sandfield Mews, Ennis, on 23 July 2013. Maughan pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea the prosecution said was unacceptable. He also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Declan O'Dea at the same address on the same date. The court heard that Maughan and his brother Darren entered the building early that morning, where three men – Nowakowski, O'Dea and a man called 'Magic' – were sleeping. Maughan allegedly stabbed Nowakowski with a kitchen knife, causing death. Testimony from witnesses, including Alan O'Neill and Garda John Moore, described the disturbance and the subsequent arrest. The Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Michael Curtis, confirmed the cause of death as stab wounds to the trunk with contributing blunt force trauma to the head. The case is now before the jury.
A 36‑year‑old nurse, Greta Dudko, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of her 55‑year‑old mother, Anna Butautiene, on Christmas Eve 2010. Dudko admitted striking her mother's head against a wall and then hitting her twice with a glass bottle, resulting in blunt‑force trauma. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, noted Dudko's alcohol problem and medication use, her suspension from nursing due to intoxication, and the recent move of her family from the shared home. She claimed lack of intent because of intoxication and invoked provocation, citing her mother's alleged threats to take her grandson back to Lithuania. The jury, after four and a half hours of deliberation, returned a majority verdict of 11‑to‑1, finding her guilty of murder. The life sentence is back‑dated to her September 2011 arrest. The case was the second jury hearing after a hung jury the previous year.
A 34‑year‑old Italian man, Saverio Bellante of Palermo, has been charged with the murder of Tom O'Gorman at Beech Park Avenue, Castleknock, between 11 and 12 January. His trial has been scheduled for 14 December, with counsel Sean Guerin SC stating it should last less than a week. Bellante was absent when the date was set.
In a Dublin trial, a 36‑year‑old nurse, Greta Dudko, pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder for killing her 55‑year‑old mother, Anna Butautiene, on Christmas Eve 2010. The jury heard that Dudko struck her mother twice with a glass bottle after pushing her against a wall in their duplex. Detective Garda Patrick Traynor presented evidence from a rubbish bin, including heavily‑bloodstained latex gloves and the charred remains of a Lithuanian passport in the mother's name. Dudko claimed the passport was her old one and denied intent to destroy it. A post‑mortem revealed more than the four head injuries she admitted. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Paul Carney, continues before a jury of seven men and five women.
A man has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the manslaughter of an elderly patient at a County Cavan psychiatric hospital. Ian Harman, aged 50, of Carrickallen near Cootehill, initially pleaded not guilty to murder in connection with the death of Michael Treanor, aged 82, at the Psychiatric Unit of Cavan General Hospital on 27 June 2011. During trial, Harman changed his plea to guilty of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility under the Criminal Law Insanity Act. Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan imposed a ten-year sentence with the final two years suspended, backdated to 28 June 2011. The judge cited mitigating factors including Harman's guilty plea, remorse, cooperation with gardaí and psychiatric services, and his engagement in rehabilitation programmes while in custody. The court ordered post-release supervision for two years and participation in an integrated sentence management programme.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Greta Dudko, 36, admitted to striking her mother, Anna Butautiene, 55, with an empty glass bottle on Christmas Eve 2010, claiming she feared her mother would ruin her life. Dudko said the altercation began when her mother returned home to find her daughter had allowed her three‑year‑old son to stay with her husband, whom the family had left weeks earlier. Dudko described pushing her mother against a wall, then retrieving a bottle from the kitchen and striking her twice over the head while she lay in bed. She denied intent to kill, stating she only wanted her mother to leave. The case is proceeding before Mr Justice Paul Carney with a jury of seven men and five women. Greta Dudko pleaded guilty.
The Central Criminal Court heard the case of Greta Dudko, a 36‑year‑old nurse, charged with murdering her mother, Anna Butautiene, 55, on Christmas Eve 2010. Dudko admitted striking Anna with a bottle, killing her, but denied the murder at the address. She pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the DPP. The court heard that Dudko had an alcohol problem, had been suspended from work, and had left her husband weeks before the killing. She had moved to Station Court Hall with her three‑year‑old son and her mother, who had come to Ireland to help care for the child. Dudko's estranged husband, Vitalij Dudko, testified that his wife's mother was a caring grandmother who would never leave their son with his wife when she was drinking. He said the mother accused them of being bad parents and threatened to take the child back to Lithuania.
A 36‑year‑old Lithuanian nurse, Greta Dudko, went on trial at the Central Criminal Court on 8 October 2014. She is charged with murdering her 55‑year‑old mother, Anna Butautiene, on Christmas Eve 2010 by striking her over the head with a bottle. Dudko has denied the murder but pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The trial began with testimony from her husband, Vitalij Dudko, who described the shock of learning of the death on Christmas Day and recounted the events of the night, including his wife's drunken state and the alleged altercation with her mother. Prosecutor Pauline Walley SC presented evidence that Dudko had been suspended from her nursing job weeks before the killing and that the family had moved to a duplex near Station Court Hall. The jury, presided over by Mr Justice Paul Carney, will decide Dudko's intent in the killing.
In October 2014 the State announced it would file an application to dismiss an appeal lodged by Joe O'Reilly, who was convicted in 2007 of murdering his wife Rachel O'Reilly, aged 30, at their home in Naul, Co. Dublin. O'Reilly, then 41, had previously sought to have his conviction declared a miscarriage of justice under Section 2 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1993. The appeal had raised issues such as the book of evidence being left in the jury room and various meetings during the 2007 trial. The case had been struck from the Court of Criminal Appeal list in March 2013 and was now being reinstated for consideration. Counsel for O'Reilly, Mr Ronan Munro, presented affidavits detailing steps taken since the case was struck and requested interlocutory relief to inspect the Central Criminal Court file.
A 36‑year‑old Lithuanian woman, Greta Dudko, admitted killing her mother, Anna Butautiene, 55, on Christmas Eve 2010 at Station Court Hall, Clonsilla. She pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the DPP. Mr Justice Paul Carney has sworn in a jury of seven men and five women. Her trial will start tomorrow and is expected to last up to three weeks.
A man pleaded guilty to manslaughter following the death of an elderly patient at Cavan General Hospital's psychiatric unit in June 2011. Ian Harman, aged 50, from Cootehill, County Cavan, initially denied murdering Michael Treanor, aged 82, but accepted the lesser charge at the Central Criminal Court in July 2014 on grounds of diminished responsibility under the Criminal Law Insanity Act. The prosecution established that Harman used a belt and pillow to kill Mr Treanor, who suffered from dementia. The defence argued that abrupt withdrawal of anti-psychotic medication caused Harman to experience a mental disorder affecting his culpability. At a sentencing hearing in October 2014, the deceased's nephew delivered a victim impact statement expressing concern that the legal system had favoured the defendant. Justice Garrett Sheehan remanded Harman in custody pending sentencing. Ian Harman pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Criminal Appeal quashed the rape convictions of Eamonn Flanagan (42) and Seamus Flanagan (35) after new evidence from key prosecution witness Daniel Lynch. The brothers had been jailed for three years in 2011 following a Central Criminal Court jury verdict for raping a woman in a Red Cow Hotel room in 2008. Lynch, a friend of the accused, claimed he was pressured by Gardaí to state he saw the men at the hotel door, a claim denied by the Gardaí. No DNA from the brothers was found on the victim. The appeal court found the convictions unsafe, set aside the sex‑offender register order and discharged the brothers from bail. The court declined to order a retrial, citing the difficulty of proving the case anew. The decision was announced by Justice John MacMenamin. Eamonn Flanagan pleaded not guilty. Seamus Flanagan pleaded not guilty.
Darren Goodwin, a 26‑year‑old from Graigue, Mountmellick, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004 for the 2003 murder of 14‑year‑old Darragh Conroy. Goodwin was 16 at the time of the offence, so the life sentence was not mandatory; Judge Barry White used his discretion after hearing that Goodwin had expressed a desire to kill someone. The jury found him guilty following a trial at the Central Criminal Court. Conroy's body was discovered on waste ground in Smithsfield, having suffered six blows to the head, with the skull described as "broken up" by the pathologist. Goodwin had previously attempted suicide in September 2003 and had met his father for the first time shortly before the attack. In 2014, Judge White reviewed the sentence and set a release date of 1 July 2016, directing that Goodwin receive forensic psychotherapy twice a week while in prison. The court noted that Goodwin's remorse had not been fully addressed.
A 35‑year‑old Dublin criminal, Alan Wilson, was found not guilty of murdering 18‑year‑old Roma teenager Marioara Rostas, who died of four gunshot wounds to the head in January 2008. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, lasted five weeks. Wilson, who had been serving a seven‑year sentence for a meat cleaver attack, was accused of killing Rostas at Brabazon Street, The Coombe, Dublin. Witnesses included Rostas' brother Dumitru, who saw her with a man in a car, and Fergus O'Hanlon, who later became a state witness. O'Hanlon testified that Wilson had brought him to a site where a dead girl was found, and that they buried her at Kippure. The jury deliberated 2 h 53 min and returned a unanimous not‑guilty verdict. Wilson showed no reaction and returned to prison to finish his sentence. The victim's family left with support staff. No one was convicted of the murder.
The Central Criminal Court jury is deliberating the case of Alan Wilson, a 35‑year‑old Dublin man charged with the murder of 18‑year‑old Romanian teenager Marioara Rostas. The trial, which has lasted five weeks, recounts that Rostas was last seen begging at a Dublin City junction on 6 January 2008, after which her younger brother saw her enter a car that was driven away. Her body was discovered four years later in a shallow grave in the Dublin mountains, with four bullet wounds to the head. Wilson and his friend Fergus O'Hanlon were arrested in October 2008, but progress stalled until late 2011 when O'Hanlon, a convicted criminal with immunity, offered to help locate the body. He claimed to have found Rostas dead in his house on 8 January 2008, with Wilson holding a gun, and that he assisted in burying her and cleaning the scene. Alan Wilson pleaded not guilty.
Two men have received sentences totaling 15 years for their part in the killing of a man in Co. Kildare last year. Last week, Darren Wynne (21) was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his best friend Jamie Lindsay (20) who he shot in the face. Wynne of Ballyroe, Athy, Co. Kildare had pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to murdering Mr Lindsay at Coney Green, Coneyboro, Athy on April 6, 2013. Quentin Monaghan (21) of Tullamoy, Stradbally, Co. Laois and James Seery (21) of Canal Side, Athy who were also charged with the murder and were tried alongside Wynne but pleaded guilty to manslaughter during the trial. Today Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan sentenced Monaghan to eight years imprisonment with two suspended for the manslaughter. Mr Justice Sheehan sentenced Seery to seven years imprisonment with three suspended for the killing. Monaghan was sentenced to four years for firearms offences to run concurrently with the manslaughter sentence. Seery was sentenced to three years to run concurrently for firearm offences. Last week Mr Justice Sheehan sentenced Wynne to life in prison for the murder and adjourned sentencing for the firearms offences until November next when probation and psychological reports will be before the court. Although Wynne pleaded guilty to manslaughter during his trial the plea was not accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions.