Court archive
Co Dublin. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
2025-03-11 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Harry Smyth, 26, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious bodily harm after failing to see a stop sign on a rural road near Nevitt, Balbriggan. While driving a Ford Fiesta, he collided with a black Toyota Yaris whose driver suffered severe back and neck injuries, requiring surgery, while the passenger daughter was unharmed. Smyth admitted he had mistakenly gone through the stop sign, which he only noticed after the crash. He remained at the scene, cooperated with Gardaí, and later apologized to the victim, who described the accident as life‑changing and devastating to his family. The court noted no aggravating factors such as speed or intoxication and imposed a nine‑month prison sentence suspended on strict conditions, with no driving disqualification requested by the defence. The case also involves a civil claim.
2024-05-08 · Dublin
Paul Burgess, aged 43, was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment for assisting a 16‑year‑old boy in an assault that left Kean Doherty, 19, with a catastrophic brain injury. The assault took place on 28 December 2018 at Ballyvaughan Lane, Lucan, when the boy struck Doherty after Burgess had driven him to the area, pushed him against railings and forced him to the ground. Doherty had recently been released from the National Rehabilitation Hospital after a road‑traffic accident and was highly vulnerable. The court heard medical reports showing the assault exacerbated Doherty's injuries. Burgess claimed he had no knowledge of Doherty's vulnerability and had not intended the violence, but the judge found his assistance created a dangerous situation and imposed the custodial term. The teenager received a formal caution and was dealt with under the youth diversion scheme. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Paul Burgess pleaded guilty.
2024-03-04 · Dublin
David Howard, a retired firefighter from Dun Laoghaire, pleaded guilty to a charge of violent disorder arising from an incident on October 15, 2019, at Loughlinstown Drive, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin. The matter was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where the prosecution alleged Howard engaged in a "boxing match" with a third party during an altercation in which his cousin, Derek Reddin, was fatally stabbed by Andrew Lacey. Lacey was previously found guilty of manslaughter, and the Court of Appeal recently quashed his original sentence of seven and a half years with 18 months suspended, imposing a new term of six years and nine months. In Howard's case, the court accepted he had no previous convictions, acted as a central witness in Lacey's trial, and attempted to provide first aid to the deceased. Judge Martin Nolan described the incident as unfortunate, noting Howard's limited involvement and good behavior afterward. He imposed a nine-month sentence suspended on strict conditions, determining that Howard did not deserve a prison term.