The Court of Appeal has upheld the life sentence imposed on Christopher O'Sullivan for his role in the killing of Timothy Hourihane. O'Sullivan, 43, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the Central Criminal Court in Cork in 2023. Mr Justice Paul McDermott originally sentenced him to life imprisonment, citing his history of violent offending as an aggravating factor. O'Sullivan's legal team, led by Michael Bowman SC, argued on appeal that the sentence constituted impermissible preventative detention and that the correct headline sentence should have been between 15 and 18 years. They also contended that the disparity between O'Sullivan's sentence and that of co-accused James Brady, who was jailed for 11 years, was unjustified. Delivering judgment, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy rejected these arguments, finding that O'Sullivan exhibited an "extremely high level of culpability" in a "severe and vicious attack." She noted that his post-offence conduct, including setting the victim's tent on fire and lying to gardai, further aggravated the offence. The judge affirmed that the sentencing judge was entitled to consider O'Sullivan's 48 previous convictions and his high risk of reoffending, concluding that a determinate sentence would not adequately address public safety concerns. The appeal was dismissed, and the life sentence stands.
Slawomir Gierlowski, a predatory serial sex offender, failed to overturn his conviction for attempted rape and sexual assault in a Dublin park. Gierlowski, who has a long history of violent and sexual offenses against women, was found guilty of attacking a fourth victim in 2010. His defense argued that the circumstantial evidence against him was weak and that the trial judge improperly influenced the jury. However, the Court of Appeal dismissed these arguments, stating that the weight of the circumstantial evidence was a matter for the jury to decide. The court also rejected claims that the trial judge had improperly charged the jury or that the evidence was too tenuous to be considered. Gierlowski's fingerprints and DNA were found to match evidence from the crime scene, and the court upheld the conviction. The victim was attacked in a secluded part of the park, where the assailant attempted to strangle her and sexually assault her before fleeing the scene.
The Court of Appeal refused to reveal the identity of a former TD who provided a character reference for Daniel Ramamoorthy, a convicted sex offender. Ramamoorthy was sentenced to two years and four months for sexually exploiting a 13-year-old boy and possessing child pornography. His lawyers argued the sentence was excessive, but the court dismissed his appeal, noting he showed no remorse or acceptance of fault. The judge highlighted the aggravating factors, including the age of the victim and breaches of trust. Although numerous testimonials spoke to Ramamoorthy's pro-social life, they did not address the nature of his crime. The court rejected the suggestion that the sentencing judge failed to consider rehabilitation. The judge also noted that the TD's reference, like others, did not mention the victim or the crime. Ramamoorthy continues to maintain his innocence in the sexual exploitation case.
A double killer serving a life sentence for the 'gruesome' murder of Philip Finnegan has argued that his conviction should be quashed, as he was denied an adjournment to get a new legal team after discharging his original barristers for refusing to call certain witnesses. Stephen Penrose (43) told the Court of Appeal that the gardaí fabricated the case to make it fit him. He submitted a number of grounds of appeal, including allegations of perjury against a garda witness and bias from the trial judge. Barristers for the State said that Penrose was the 'author of his own misfortune' after he twice dismissed his legal team to represent himself at trial. Penrose was found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict in November 2021 of murdering Mr Finnegan at Rahin Woods, Rahin, Edenderry, Co Kildare on August 10, 2016. He had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 17 April 2026, the prison term for 29‑year‑old Martin Gooney was increased from three years and two months to four and a half years after the State successfully appealed. Gooney had pleaded guilty in February 2025 to coercive control and sexual assault, and was originally sentenced by Ms Justice Caroline Biggs at the Central Criminal Court on 3 June 2025. The appeal focused on the severity of his conduct, which included hiding in the victim's shed to spy on her, threatening to hang her pet dog, and sending messages to her family purporting to be from her that expressed suicidal ideation. The Court of Appeal judge, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, described the offences as "grave" and "extremely manipulative", noting that Gooney had a history of nine prior convictions, including assault and threats of serious harm.
A 67-year-old man who repeatedly raped his daughter over nearly a decade has argued that his legal team was caught off guard by the victim's testimony about wiping semen from her leg with a teddy bear. The man's legal team told the Court of Appeal that this 'stark' evidence was not disclosed to the defence, and that the judge was wrong not to discharge the jury and select new jurors. The man, who cannot be named, was convicted in 2023 of 71 counts of rape, oral rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2024. The abuse reportedly began on the day of the girl's first Holy Communion in 1988 and continued until 1997. The complainant said the abuse started with inappropriate touching and escalated to full sexual intercourse when she was between 14 and 17. The man's senior counsel argued that the judge should have discharged the jury after the victim's testimony about the teddy bear, which had not been disclosed to the defence. The unnamed 67-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Jozef Puska's appeal against his conviction for the murder of Ashling Murphy has been adjourned after he changed legal representation less than a week before the scheduled hearing. Puska, who pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Murphy at Cappincur, Tullamore, on January 12, 2022, was convicted and is serving a life sentence. His counsel informed the Court of Appeal that Puska instructed his solicitor to engage new senior counsel, necessitating a withdrawal from the case. The DPP's counsel expressed concern over the delay, noting the family's anxiety to proceed. Ms Justice Kennedy vacated the April 23 hearing date and listed the matter for April 24 to determine the earliest possible future date. Separately, in June 2025, Puska's brothers Marek and Lubomir were convicted of withholding information and sentenced to 30 months each. Their wives, Viera Gaziova and Jozefina, were sentenced to 24 and 21 months respectively for burning evidence. Puska's partner, Lucia Istokova, pleaded guilty to withholding information and received a 20-month sentence. All five individuals were living with Puska at the time of the 2022 offences.
Three men serving life sentences for murders committed as teenagers have sought an extension of time to appeal their sentences, arguing that the law is inconsistent and unfair. The men, who were 17 when they committed the murders, were sentenced to life in prison but the 2024 amendment to the Criminal Justice Act removed the mandatory life sentence for those under 18. The applicants claim that the law's reliance on the date of sentencing is arbitrary and that they were denied the opportunity to appeal the mandatory life sentence. Counsel for the men argued that the law should allow for appeals based on the exceptional circumstances of each case, rather than the date of sentencing. The State's representatives countered that the men's appeals had been dismissed and that the judgments had become final. The court reserved judgment on the application for an extension of time, with the judge noting that the case would be considered in the interest of justice. The unnamed 25-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A man has applied to have his case declared a miscarriage of justice after the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction for the sexual assault of an asylum seeker he had met through an Islamic centre. The court overturned the now 59-year-old's conviction in 2023 after the man's legal team successfully argued it was unsafe. His defence relied on internet searches relating to sexual matters that were extracted using new software from the complainant's phone after the trial had concluded. They said that if the jury had known of those searches, it would have undermined her claim that she was a virgin and knew nothing of sexual matters prior to meeting the man. The man had pleaded not guilty to a sexual assault alleged to have occurred on December 1st, 2017, in Co Dublin. He was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury in April 2021 and sentenced to five and a half years in prison.
Philip Sullivan, a 63-year-old Kildare native, is to be returned to prison after breaching the conditions of his suspended sentence. In 2008, the late Mr Justice Paul Carney imposed two concurrent life sentences on Sullivan for the alleged rape and sexual assault of two young boys, aged nine and 11, between 2004 and 2006. Sullivan appealed this decision, and the Court of Appeal quashed the life terms, substituting them with concurrent 15-year sentences. The final two and a half years of this term were suspended for 10 years on strict conditions, including a prohibition on being in the company of minors. Prosecutors told the High Court that in February, gardai found Sullivan in the company of three teenage boys, aged 15, 16, and 17, at his south Dublin home. While there was no evidence the boys consumed alcohol or cannabis in Sullivan's presence, his association with minors constituted a breach. Sullivan's risk assessment was subsequently upgraded from medium to high. Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted that Sullivan was not candid when confronted by gardai. The judge activated 18 months of the previously suspended sentence, ordering Sullivan's return to custody to ensure public safety and uphold the fundamental tenet of his supervision.
The Court of Appeal has rejected the conviction appeal of Keith O'Hara, who was convicted of murder and burglary in December 2021. O'Hara, of Cahergal Avenue, Mayfield, Cork, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Paul Jones and a second charge of burglary. He was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork and sentenced to life in prison by Mr Justice Michael MacGrath. The appeal, led by Vincent Heneghan SC, argued that DNA samples taken from O'Hara breached his constitutional rights and that evidence from search warrants should have been excluded due to the lack of an audio recording of the application. The State, represented by Jane Hyland SC, countered that authorisation was based on reasonable suspicion and that the District Court judge rightly granted the warrants. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, delivering the judgment, ruled that the grounds for the DNA samples were plainly present and that there was no requirement for the search warrant application to be recorded. He concluded that the trial judge was entitled to admit the evidence and rejected the appeal. Co-accused Helen Jones, the deceased's sister, also failed in her own appeal in June 2024, where the Court of Appeal rejected her bid to overturn her conviction based on the wording of the oath taken by a detective garda.
The Court of Appeal dismissed Sean Kinneavy's conviction appeal, rejecting his argument that a jury's disagreement on two sexual-assault counts made its convictions on 47 other counts and two rape counts perverse. Kinneavy maintains his innocence; he was previously sentenced to nine years for rape offences and a concurrent eight years for sexual assaults.
The Court of Appeal has increased the sentence of David O'Sullivan, a 23-year-old convicted of raping two young girls he groomed on Snapchat, from nine years to thirteen and a half years. The State's appeal, brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions, argued the original sentence was unduly lenient given the extreme nature of the offending. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy upheld the appeal, finding the conduct demonstrated a calculating mind and measured intent. O'Sullivan pleaded guilty to multiple counts of rape, oral rape, communication with a child for sexual exploitation, and production of child abuse material. The court imposed a six-and-a-half-year sentence for the first victim, a consecutive nine-year sentence for the second victim, and a concurrent six-and-a-half-year term for possession of child abuse material. After reducing the total by two years for proportionality, the effective custody term is thirteen and a half years. O'Sullivan will also serve a fifteen-year post-release supervision order and remain on the sex offenders register for life. The original sentencing judge had suspended two and a half years of his eleven-and-a-half-year term, but this appeal finalisation results in the increased custodial term.
The Court of Appeal dismissed Trevor Richardson's challenge to one of his 55 sexual-assault convictions. The three-judge court found the discrepancies in the complainant's evidence were not out of the ordinary and said credibility and reliability were matters for the jury. Richardson's further complaint about the trial judge's summary of the defence case was also rejected. Trevor Richardson was found guilty.
Dan Brosnan is appealing convictions for indecently assaulting two sisters, arguing that evidence about a sexually charged question put to another witness was unfairly admitted. The Court of Appeal reserved judgment after hearing competing arguments about the evidence and the limits of cross-examination.
The State is seeking a review of David O'Sullivan's sentence after he groomed and raped two girls contacted through Snapchat and was found with 1,629 child abuse files. The Director of Public Prosecutions argued in the Court of Appeal that the sentence did not reflect the grave offending, and the court reserved judgment until next Tuesday. David O'Sullivan pleaded guilty.
Marian Dumitru, a 39-year-old appellant, had his three-month custodial sentence overturned and replaced with a fully suspended term on appeal. Dumitru was previously convicted in the District Court of an assault at Store Street Garda Station, contrary to section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997. He was also charged with intoxication in a public place and threatening and abusive behaviour on Beresford Place. The District Court of Appeal heard that Dumitru was arrested on September 9, 2023, after being observed in a highly intoxicated state. Sergeant Tom O'Connor testified that Dumitru spat at a garda while in a cell, an act the court described as abhorrent. O'Connor noted Dumitru has 65 previous convictions. Defence counsel Lydia Daly BL argued that Dumitru, who had previously lived in homeless accommodation, had completed a detox program and requested a suspended sentence to allow him to engage with probation services. Judge Alec Gabbett accepted the appeal against the severity of the sentence. He suspended the three-month jail term for a period of 24 months, leaving the sentence hanging over the defendant. The judge also imposed a condition requiring Dumitru to attend addiction counselling.
The Court of Appeal dismissed Richard Morrissey's challenge to convictions for sexual assault and oral rape involving a girl abused in Louth from childhood. The court rejected arguments about the timeframe, corroboration warning, delayed disclosure and other evidence, holding that none of the appeal grounds had merit. Richard Morrissey was found guilty.
The Court of Appeal dismissed Randi Gladstone's challenge to his convictions for rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment. The court rejected arguments about withdrawn good-character evidence and the trial judge's directions, finding no unfairness or lack of balance. Randi Gladstone pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal upheld a decision to extradite John Edward McNicholl and Seamus Christopher O'Kane to Northern Ireland over offences linked to the 1975 murder of RUC Constable Robert John McPherson and an attempted murder. The court rejected arguments that delay, alleged abuse of process, ordinary life in the Republic or health concerns justified refusing surrender. It placed a stay on the extraditions to allow the men to ask the Supreme Court to hear their cases.
The Court of Appeal has granted the State additional time to file its response to Jozef Puska's appeal against his conviction for the murder of Aishling Murphy. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy extended the deadline for the Director of Public Prosecutions to submit replying submissions to April 14, maintaining the scheduled hearing dates of April 23 and 24. The extension was necessitated by a delay in Puska's legal team filing their extensive submissions, which were due in January but received in early March. The judge also granted an application for a Slovakian interpreter. Puska, who pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Murphy in Tullamore, Co Offaly, in January 2022, is serving a life sentence. His appeal challenges the admission of his confession and CCTV footage. Separately, in June 2025, his brothers Marek and Lubomir Puska were convicted of withholding information and sentenced to 30 months each. Their wives, Viera Gaziova and Jozefina, were sentenced to 24 and 21 months respectively for burning evidence. Lucia Istokova, Puska's partner, pleaded guilty to withholding information and received a 20-month sentence.
The Court of Appeal has adjourned the appeal proceedings of Boy A, one of two boys convicted of the 2018 murder of Ana Kriegel, to July 10 for mention. Boy A, who was 13 at the time of the crime, was sentenced in 2019 to life imprisonment with a review after 12 years for the murder, alongside a concurrent 12-year sentence for aggravated sexual assault. His legal team, represented by Niall Nolan BL, requested additional time to assemble necessary records, describing the upcoming hearing as requiring "document-heavy analysis." Counsel stated that custody progress records were "crucial" to the appeal, noting limited responses to requests for hard data and reports previously directed by the trial judge. The appeal follows a March 2025 Supreme Court ruling by Ms Justice Iseult O'Malley, which established that life sentences for child murder convictions should only be imposed in exceptional cases where the child's actions were akin to those of an adult. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy granted the request for more time and approved the appointment of documentary junior counsel. She adjourned the matter to July 10, indicating an expectation that a hearing date will be fixed at that point. The case involves the conviction of Boy A and Boy B, who lured the teenager to an abandoned house in Lucan, where she was assaulted and killed.
The Court of Appeal has rejected Stephen 'Rossi' Walsh's application for a certificate of miscarriage of justice. Walsh, a convicted child rapist with former addresses at Belgrave Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6, and Coologmartin, Donadea, Co Kildare, argued that the State acted unlawfully by bringing him back to court in November 2024 to seek additional post-release supervision conditions. He had previously been sentenced to ten years in jail in February 2010 for raping a nine-year-old girl, and later received a consecutive 12-year sentence in December 2011 for sexual assault and defilement, with the final two years suspended. In the 2024 proceedings, Mr Justice Paul Burns refused the State's application to vary conditions under the Sex Offenders Act, 2001, ruling the statute did not permit the request. Walsh subsequently claimed this constituted a miscarriage of justice under section 9 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1993. However, the three-judge panel, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, found that the State's unsuccessful application was a legitimate procedural step, not a second sentencing. The court emphasized that inconvenience does not equate to a miscarriage of justice, which requires inappropriate deprivation of liberty. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, and Walsh's convictions remain extant.
Denis O'Donovan, a 39-year-old from Ballyryan, Donohill, Co Tipperary, is appealing his conviction at the Court of Appeal. O'Donovan, who pleaded not guilty to five offences, was convicted of false imprisonment, assault causing harm, and two counts of sexual assault, while the jury failed to reach a verdict on one alleged sexual assault. In June 2024, Judge Dermot Sheehan at Limerick Circuit Court sentenced him to seven years in prison, with six months suspended. The appeal, launched by barrister Timothy O'Leary SC, argues that the trial judge erred in admitting the entirety of a 40-minute 999 emergency call made by the victim. Defence counsel contended the full recording was unnecessary, irrelevant, and prejudicial, asserting that the victim's direct testimony was sufficient. Additionally, O'Leary argued the judge failed to adequately instruct the jury regarding the absence of forensic analysis on samples taken from the vehicle. The Director of Public Prosecutions, represented by Lily Buckley BL, countered that the call was probative and relevant, noting the victim's state of panic and the tactical decision by the defence to object to the full recording. The prosecution also maintained that the judge's directions to the jury to rely solely on the evidence before them were appropriate. Mr Justice John Edwards reserved judgment, meaning the matter was adjourned and the court will deliver its decision at a later date.
Gerard O'Brien, a former Circuit Court judge, has appealed his conviction for attempted rape and the sexual abuse of six young men. O'Brien, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, was convicted in December 2023 at the Central Criminal Court of one count of attempted anal rape and eight counts of sexual assault. The offences, alleged to have occurred between 1991 and 1997 when he was a teacher, resulted in a four-year jail sentence imposed in June 2024 by Mr Justice Alexander Owens, who described O'Brien as "unsuitable to hold office." In his appeal, O'Brien's counsel argued that the trial judge's instructions to the jury were "confusing" and "weighted against the defence," suggesting the charge conveyed personal views and pressured the jury. The State's legal team countered that these suggestions were "misconceived" and urged the Court of Appeal to uphold the conviction. The three-judge court, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, has reserved judgment on the appeal.
The Court of Appeal heard an appeal by a Tipperary man convicted of sexually assaulting his young cousin over five years and sentenced to 11 years, with the final year suspended. Counsel argued that his limited cognitive abilities and low risk of reoffending deserved greater weight; the court reserved judgment. The unnamed 36-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Brandon Gavin's appeal against his murder conviction was heard before the Court of Appeal, where his legal team argued that evidence of his Tinder activity and messages to a third party was prejudicial and inadmissible. Gavin, of Swords, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Marius Mamaliga (19) at Forest Court, Swords, on February 23, 2023, but was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury in November 2024. He was subsequently sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon. The defence contended that the admitted material cast Gavin in an unfavourable light and suggested a propensity for criminal conduct unrelated to the charged offence. Conversely, the State argued the evidence was probative in refuting Gavin's claim of self-defence, which he alleged was necessitated by a €2,500 drug debt and threats from the deceased. The prosecution maintained the killing was premeditated, noting Gavin searched for prison sentences for murder the day prior and interacted with Tinder minutes before the attack. The trial jury had unanimously rejected the self-defence argument as "self-serving nonsense." The three-judge appeal panel, presided over by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, reserved judgment on the matter, meaning the appeal has not yet been concluded.
A repeat sex offender, Randi Gladstone, has argued that his trial was unfair after he was forced to withdraw his claims of good character, which led to the jury being informed of his previous convictions for serious offences. Gladstone was convicted in January last year of rape, sexual assault, and false imprisonment in a holiday complex in Co Dublin. He had previously been deported from the UK and had 19 prior convictions, including rape and kidnapping. Gladstone's legal team argued that the trial judge's clarification on false imprisonment and the introduction of his previous convictions unfairly prejudiced his case. The court heard that Gladstone lured an 18-year-old woman into his room, where he raped and falsely imprisoned her. The appeal will be heard by a three-judge court, with a decision expected on March 10. Randi Gladstone pleaded not guilty.
Dylan Mangan, the lead assailant in an extortion plot, failed to convince the Court of Appeal to reduce his five-year sentence for threatening two victims with violence and demanding €20,000. Mangan, who has 18 previous convictions, was identified through CCTV and was in possession of a phone used to contact the victims. His defense argued that the sentencing judge failed to consider the principle of parity with his co-accused, Des Smyth, who received a four-year sentence with part suspended. The Court of Appeal rejected the appeal, noting that Mangan's level of involvement was significantly greater than Smyth's and that the judge had a rational basis for the disparity in sentences. The court emphasized that Mangan was the principal perpetrator and had a more substantial criminal history. The threats involved slitting the throats of children and burning down homes, with the victims having no connection to the drug debt. The appeal was dismissed, with the court upholding the original sentence. Dylan Mangan pleaded guilty. Des Smyth pleaded guilty.
A 72-year-old man from Castleblayney, County Monaghan, has had his eight-year prison sentence reduced to six and a half years following a successful appeal at the Court of Appeal. The man pleaded guilty to fifteen counts of indecent assault against three of his siblings, commencing in the 1970s and 1980s when the victims were aged between nine and fourteen. The original sentencing judge imposed consecutive sentences to reflect the serious and persistent nature of the offending. However, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy found an error in principle, stating it was not apparent the totality principle had been properly applied. The court quashed the original sentence and resentenced accordingly. The three victims waived their right to anonymity in impact statements describing their upbringing as a "house of horrors.
The Court of Appeal has reduced the prison sentence of Ebenezer Oduntan, a former pastor of the City of David Church in County Kildare, from seven years to six years, with the final six months suspended. Oduntan was convicted of 87 theft and fraud-related offences following a three-week trial at Naas Circuit Criminal Court in March 2024. He had initially denied 54 charges but pleaded guilty midway through the trial to 19 counts of theft, five counts of deception, and nine charges of providing false information to the Companies Registration Office. The offences, spanning 2010 to 2020, involved embezzling approximately €125,000 from the church and inflating donation levels to claim larger tax rebates. Mr Justice Alexander Owens quashed the original sentence, describing the trial judge's headline sentence as "somewhat too high" but noting the offending was "particularly serious" due to a gross breach of trust. The judge highlighted that Oduntan made no restitution to the congregation or Revenue. While acknowledging limited mitigation, the Court of Appeal substituted the sentence with six years' imprisonment, suspending the final six months to encourage rehabilitation. The appeal was heard after Oduntan's legal team argued the original sentence was excessive given the total amount involved and his lack of previous convictions.
A former British Army soldier, Noel Long (77), is seeking to have his life sentence for murder overturned, arguing that the evidence was insufficient to prove intent. Long, who has 31 previous convictions, was found guilty in August 2023 for the 1981 murder of Nora Sheehan, whose body was discovered in Shippool Woods, Co Cork. His legal team claims that the prosecution failed to prove that Long did more than assault the victim with slaps and punches to the head and face. They also argue that there was a prejudicial delay in bringing the case and that DNA evidence should not have been presented to the jury. During the appeal hearing, Long's legal team submitted that the trial judge, Mr Justice Paul McDermott, made errors in his charge to the jury regarding the definition of 'serious injury' and in not withdrawing the murder charge after the defense's evidence. The defense argues that the force described by the pathologist was not enough to prove intent to cause serious injury. Noel Long pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal was told it is a mystery how over 300 physical exhibits from the 1981 murder of Nora Sheehan were lost, including a vaginal swab that could have yielded further DNA evidence. Noel Long, now 77, was convicted of the murder in 2023 after a DNA match between semen found on the victim and DNA from his clothing. Long's defense argued that the 42-year delay in bringing the case breached his right to a fair and expeditious trial. They also claimed that the loss of exhibits, including the vaginal swab, prejudiced his case. The prosecution countered that the delay was not sufficient to presume prejudice and that the DNA evidence was crucial to the conviction. They emphasized that the case was not dropped in 1981 but was revived after a DNA breakthrough in 2008. The trial judge ruled that the delay was not enough to affect the fairness of the trial, and the prosecution argued that the evidence was compelling enough to secure a conviction despite the passage of time.
A rapist who argued that his victim "might have turned something that wasn't a rape into a rape" after her parents discovered emergency contraception pills has failed in his appeal. Matthew Fadeyi, 36, was convicted of raping a young woman in 2018 and received a six-and-a-half-year sentence, with the final year suspended. His legal team argued that the failure to interview the victim's parents prejudiced his trial, but the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, stating there was no evidence of prejudice. Fadeyi's counsel suggested the victim may have fabricated the rape allegation after her parents found the pills, but the court rejected this argument, noting it was inconsistent with the defence case at trial. The appeal was also dismissed because the defence had previously argued the victim had invented the allegation to protect her relationship. The court upheld Fadeyi's conviction, emphasizing that the evidence supported the prosecution's case and that the appeal arguments were not credible.
Noel Long, a former British Army soldier and convicted sexual offender, has launched an appeal to overturn his murder conviction for the 1981 killing of Nora Sheehan. Long, now 77, was found guilty in 2023 based on DNA evidence linking him to the victim, as well as other physical evidence such as fibres and paint fragments. His legal team, led by Michael Delaney SC, has raised three main grounds for appeal: the admissibility of DNA evidence, the delay in bringing the case, and the trial judge's handling of the jury charge. Delaney argued that the arrest of Long under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939 was unlawful and that the subsequent search of his car and blood sample were invalid. The prosecution, represented by Seoirse O Dunlaing SC, defended the admissibility of the evidence and the trial judge's decisions. The appeal hearing, which is expected to last three days, continues with the Court of Appeal considering whether the conviction should be overturned based on the legal arguments presented. Nora Sheehan pleaded not guilty.
Patrick Honan, 70, has failed in his bid to overturn his conviction for the rape and sexual abuse of his daughter, Noreen Honan. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal against the conviction, which was secured following a Central Criminal Court trial in February 2024 where he was found guilty of 48 sample counts, including 25 of rape and 23 of indecent assault. The abuse, which took place in Co Clare between 1977 and 1989, occurred when the victim was aged between three and a half and 16. In March 2025, the Court of Appeal quashed his original sentence of 13 years, with the final 18 months suspended, and imposed a jail term of 19 years following an undue leniency application by the Director of Public Prosecutions. During today's appeal, defence counsel argued that the trial judge erred in allowing evidence of alleged admissions by Honan, as the three witnesses to those admissions were not called to testify, thereby breaching his fair trial rights. The State argued the evidence was admissible and relevant. Mr Justice John Edwards ruled that the court was satisfied the evidence was admissible and that the defence had options to summon witnesses for cross-examination. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, leaving the 19-year sentence intact.
An 80-year-old former Scout leader, Noel Sheehan, has argued that two separate trials should have been held due to the serious nature of the allegations made by one of his victims. Sheehan, of Chimneyfields, Glenville, Co Cork, was found guilty of 16 counts of indecent assault against five young boys between 1987 and 1990 and sentenced to four and a half years, with the final six months suspended. His legal team, led by Ray Boland SC, submitted that the trial judge should have held a separate trial for the offences committed against one victim, citing the 'circumstances of cruelty' involved in an attack in a wooded area. The defence argued that the incident was more serious than the other counts, as it occurred outdoors in broad daylight. The prosecution, represented by Katherine McGillicuddy BL, stated that all the incidents were sexual offences involving male children in a Scout troop and that the trial judge was correct to refuse the separate trial application. The court reserved judgment on the appeal, with the three-judge court to consider the matter further. The unnamed 80-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A Laois man, Jason Tuthill, who was caught with nearly €400,000 in cannabis, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison after the Court of Appeal overturned his original suspended sentence. The court found the initial three-year fully suspended sentence too lenient. Tuthill was convicted of possessing 17kg of cannabis and three kilograms of cannabis herb in 2023. The judge, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, noted that while there were mitigating factors, such as threats against Tuthill and his family, these did not justify the original sentencing. The court ruled that the headline sentence of eight years should be reduced to five years, with the final two and a half years suspended. The appeal was brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions, who argued that the original sentence was unduly lenient. Tuthill's counsel argued that the sentencing judge considered the circumstances of his life, but the court found that the reduction was excessive.
The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment on an appeal by an unnamed 43-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman, who are seeking a declaration that their 2019 conviction for the female genital mutilation (FGM) of their daughter was a miscarriage of justice. The couple, who originally pleaded not guilty to FGM and child cruelty charges arising from an incident in September 2016, spent two years in prison before the Court of Appeal quashed their convictions in 2021 due to translation inaccuracies. During the appeal proceedings, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) informed the court that it had dropped the FGM charges. This decision followed a December 2023 examination by Swedish expert Professor Birgitta Essen, who concluded the child had never undergone the procedure. A DPP-retained expert, Professor Cecilia Berger, broadly agreed with these conclusions. Hugh Hartnett SC, representing the father, argued the conviction and imprisonment constituted a miscarriage of justice. Conversely, Brendan Grehan SC, for the DPP, maintained that the original trial proceeded lawfully and that the DPP acted in good faith, though it no longer intends to pursue the charges. The court, presided over by Mr Justice John Edwards with Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, stated it had significant matters to consider and reserved its judgment on the bid to declare the quashed conviction a miscarriage of justice.
A 43-year-old man and his wife are appealing to have their convictions for female genital mutilation (FGM) declared a miscarriage of justice. The couple, who pleaded not guilty to FGM and one count of child cruelty on the same day, were initially found guilty of FGM in 2019. Their convictions were subsequently quashed by the Court of Appeal in 2021 due to unfairness regarding translation of testimony. Following a retrial in 2023 where the jury disagreed, the DPP entered a nolle prosequi, deciding not to proceed with a third trial after reviewing new expert evidence. The defence argues that new examinations, including a 2023 assessment by a Swedish expert, prove no FGM occurred, constituting a wrongful conviction. The DPP opposes the application, stating the original case was brought in good faith based on conflicting expert opinions and that the issue was a difference of medical views rather than a factual error. The Court of Appeal must be satisfied that a newly discovered fact demonstrates a wrongful conviction before issuing a certificate. The matter is currently at the appeal stage, with the court scheduled to hear responses from the parents' lawyers tomorrow.
Michael Murray, a 60-year-old cattle farmer from Moneygall, County Offaly, is appealing his conviction for importing €730,000 worth of cannabis. In 2023, a jury at Tullamore Circuit Court found him guilty of importing a controlled drug in excess of €13,000 and having drugs for sale or supply, rejecting his not guilty plea. He was sentenced by Judge Keenan Johnson to ten years in prison, with the final two years suspended. The appeal before the Court of Appeal centers on whether the jury was misled by prosecution evidence suggesting Murray was the specific target of a garda operation. Defence counsel argued that the solicitor failed to recognize the prejudicial nature of this evidence, which was introduced during the trial. State counsel countered that the defence solicitor explicitly agreed to the introduction of this material. The court noted that no requisition was made to the trial judge to object to the evidence, implying an agreement. The presiding judge, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, reserved judgment, and the matter was adjourned.
Three men convicted of the kidnap and torture of Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney have had their conviction appeals dismissed by the Court of Appeal. Alan Harte, Alan O'Brien, and Darren Redmond, all from East Wall, Dublin, were found guilty by the Special Criminal Court in 2021 of false imprisonment and intentionally causing harm to Mr Lunney at Ballinagh, Co Cavan on 17 September 2019. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, sitting with two fellow judges, rejected all grounds of appeal, including challenges to the admissibility of DNA evidence from a van used by the kidnappers, phone records obtained via warrant, and CCTV footage. The court found no error in the trial court's decisions on these matters. Harte received a 30-year sentence, O'Brien 25 years, and Redmond 18 years with the final three suspended. All three men confirmed they intend to appeal their sentences, with the matter listed for case management on 13 February.
Three appellants, Thomas Dooley Jnr, Patrick Dooley, and Michael Dooley, appeared before the Court of Appeal to challenge their convictions for the murder of Thomas Dooley at Rath Cemetery, Tralee, on October 5, 2022. The State alleged the men participated in an honour killing using bladed weapons. All had pleaded not guilty. At trial, five defendants received life sentences, while a male teenager was found guilty of murder but not sentenced, as he was expected to seek judicial review. Thomas Dooley Jnr was also convicted of assault causing harm to Siobhán Dooley. Today, the court jailed him for four-and-a-half years for that assault, backdated to November 16, 2022, to run concurrently with his life sentence. Counsel for Thomas Dooley Jnr argued his arrest and detention were unlawful, while counsel for Patrick Dooley contended a leading question regarding a sword was improperly admitted. The appeal continues tomorrow before the three-judge court. The matter was adjourned and is not concluded.
A 68-year-old man who was convicted of sexually abusing four family members, including his granddaughter and nephew, will continue to serve a life sentence after the Court of Appeal rejected his appeal. The man was found guilty of 24 charges, including two charges of anally raping his granddaughter and 22 charges against his nephew. He had denied all the charges and launched an appeal, arguing that the jury was prejudiced by evidence given by his daughter. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, with Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy stating that the evidence given by the man's daughter was essential to understanding the case. The judge noted that the evidence was admissible both as background evidence and to support the accounts from the man's granddaughter and nephew. The appeal also included arguments about the jury's verdict on one of the counts, but the court found no prejudice. The man's sentencing hearing was told he did not accept the verdicts of the jury and continues to maintain his innocence.
The Court of Appeal has upheld the murder conviction of Lee Canavan, who was jailed for life by the Special Criminal Court in June 2021 for his role in the 2016 killing of David 'Daithí' Douglas. Canavan, who pleaded not guilty, was found to have participated in a joint enterprise to murder Mr Douglas at Shoestown, Bridgefoot Street, Dublin 1, on July 1, 2016. The appellate court dismissed his argument that the prosecution wrongly relied on him being the triggerman, ruling that the case was properly based on common design. Canavan was also concurrently sentenced to five years for criminal damage to a getaway vehicle. This appeal follows earlier convictions in the case: Frederick 'Fat Freddie' Thompson was sentenced to life in 2018; Nathan Foley pleaded guilty to assisting a criminal organisation and received six years in 2019; and Gareth Brophy was jailed for ten years in 2020 for acting as a getaway driver. The court affirmed that Canavan's involvement in the meticulously planned execution was established by evidence of his movements with four vehicles and his participation in the attempted arson of a stolen Suzuki Swift.
A 64-year-old man who sexually abused and raped two of his sisters, his niece, and his own two daughters has failed in his attempt to overturn his convictions. At the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy ruled that there was no prejudice to Richard O'Brien by the trial judge allowing the victims to give evidence via video link. The court also rejected O'Brien's argument that there was no evidence of a lack of consent from some of the complainants. O'Brien was convicted unanimously by a jury in 2023 following a trial in the Central Criminal Court. His five victims, including his sisters, niece, and daughters, waived their right to anonymity so he could be named. The abuse occurred at his family home in Ballyfermot and continued until the women ran away as teenagers. The women described physical abuse and emotional torture at his hands. O'Brien also abused his own daughters, leading to their removal into care. One daughter later told her foster mother about the abuse, prompting others to come forward.
A 62-year-old man who sexually abused three children over several years had his sentence increased from five years and three months to eight years in prison after the Court of Appeal ruled the original sentence was unduly lenient. The man, who cannot be named to protect the victims, admitted to five charges of indecent assault. The Court of Appeal noted that the abuse was not a one-time incident but occurred repeatedly over a long period. The assaults involved digital penetration and genital touching, and the perpetrator exploited his position as a trusted neighbor and employee. The victims were preteens, while the perpetrator was significantly older, and the court emphasized the cruel exploitation of the age difference. The judge noted that the abuse was pre-planned and occurred when the victims were away from adults. A psychological report indicated the perpetrator had an intellectual disability, but the court ruled that this did not mitigate his culpability. The unnamed 62-year-old pleaded guilty.
The Court of Appeal ruled that it would be 'unjust' to jail a former Bank of Ireland employee who stole almost €200,000 and attempted to set the bank branch on fire, despite finding her original sentence too lenient. Maureen McCormack, who stole the money to pay for IVF treatment debts, was sentenced to community service and a suspended prison term. The Director of Public Prosecutions sought a review of the sentence, arguing that it was unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal found that the sentences imposed were too lenient and should have included custodial sentences. However, the court decided not to impose custodial sentences at this stage, as McCormack had successfully completed her community service and made restitution. The court noted that the sentences were not an indicator for similar cases but rather an exception. McCormack had paid over €115,886.82 in compensation and had a successful work history. The incident came to light when a fire broke out in the bank's storeroom, and an inspection of the vault revealed a significant shortfall in the money. Maureen McCormack pleaded guilty.
Matthew Fadeyi, a father of three from Navan, Co Meath, appeared before the Court of Appeal to challenge his conviction for rape. He was convicted of one count of rape following a retrial in May 2024, after a jury failed to reach a verdict in his initial 2021 trial. The incident, alleged to have occurred in August 2018, involved sexual intercourse in the back of a car with a significantly younger acquaintance. Fadeyi was sentenced by Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo to six years and six months in prison, with the final year suspended. His counsel, Barra McGrory KC, argued the trial was prejudiced because gardaí failed to take statements from the victim's parents, who discovered emergency contraception pills. Counsel suggested this omission prevented testing the consistency of the complaint, claiming the victim might have altered her account under pressure. The State, represented by Ronan Kennedy SC, rejected this as "transcript trawling," noting the defence had not raised this issue during the original trial and had admitted evidence of recent complaint. The State emphasized that the victim disclosed the incident to others immediately. Ms Justice Tara Burns reserved judgment, meaning the matter was adjourned and not concluded.
The Court of Appeal has ruled that a Riverstown man's drugs sentence was unduly lenient, yet he will serve no additional time in custody. James Murphy, aged 66, was convicted in 2021 of participating in a joint enterprise to supply cocaine valued at €281,148, which was seized by gardaí at a McDonald's car park in Drogheda in November 2015. He was originally sentenced to seven years with the final year suspended. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed on grounds of undue leniency. Mr Justice Brian O'Moore found the sentencing judge's treatment of Murphy on equal terms with his co-accused was "seriously flawed" and increased the sentence to ten years, the mandatory minimum. However, noting Murphy had already completed his original sentence and was released into the community, the judge suspended the final four years of the revised sentence for twelve months, contingent on no further offences. James Murphy pleaded not guilty.