Edward Maher, a 31-year-old father-of-two from Ballyfermot, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing €286,020 worth of heroin. The defendant pleaded guilty to possessing the 2.04kg cache at Orchard Lawns, Ballyfermot, on December 19, 2016. Prosecution evidence indicated Maher agreed to bag the drugs for €100 and a "bit of smoke," though he claimed he did not know the full extent of the operation. Gardaí discovered him in a back shed with the drugs, scales, and a blender during a raid. While Maher has 12 previous minor road traffic convictions, his defense counsel, Luigi Rea BL, argued for a fully suspended sentence, citing his lack of serious offending history, minor role in the enterprise, and resolved cannabis addiction. Judge Martin Nolan rejected the request for a wholly suspended sentence, deeming the crime too serious. The judge noted that although Maher was near the bottom of the criminal chain, he committed a "grave error of judgement" by taking the chance. Consequently, Maher was jailed for three and a half years. The court record confirms the procedural stage as sentencing, with the guilty plea and the resulting custodial sentence as the finalised disposal.
Celina O'Driscoll, 47, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and resisting arrest after she threw an empty pint glass at Maria Delaney during a fight in the Greyhound Inn, Blanchardstown, on 31 July 2016. Delaney suffered a head injury that required three stitches. O'Driscoll, who had been intoxicated and claimed she was nervous about a night out with work colleagues, was described by the court as having behaved "disgracefully" towards Gardaí and was "extremely aggressive" when officers attempted to arrest her. She received a two‑year suspended sentence, was ordered to pay €500 to Gardaí and given one year to raise a similar amount for Delaney. O'Driscoll has seven prior convictions, including larceny and drug possession, and has two teenage children. She has worked as a cleaner and now as a gym receptionist, and has been drug‑free for seven years.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 36‑year‑old man pleaded not guilty to sexual assault of a foreign national on UCD campus on 23 July 2014. The complainant, who met the accused on Tinder, did not inform Garda Declan Ryan about the eight minutes the accused's blue BMW spent in a laneway before the alleged assault. Ryan said he interviewed the complainant twice, on 25 and 28 July, and that she identified the Nova running pitch as the assault site. He presented CCTV footage showing the car entering the laneway, leaving after about eight minutes, and then approaching the pitch before departing again. Ryan admitted he never asked the complainant about the laneway time, focusing instead on the pitch. The judge announced that evidence would finish the next day and closing arguments would begin.
On 23 July 2014, a 36‑year‑old Dublin man was charged with sexual assault of a foreign national at UCD campus. The trial, held at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, is in its fifth day. Witness Criona Cullen, a dog walker, testified that she was walking her dogs around 10 pm when she heard a woman call for help. The woman, speaking limited English, claimed she had met a man on Tinder who had taken her to the campus and attempted to have sex with her. Cullen offered assistance, arranging a taxi and offering to pay the fare. A flatmate of the complainant later testified that the woman was frightened and that the man had taken her to an abandoned area. The case is before Judge Cormac Quinn and a jury of twelve. The accused has pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 44‑year‑old Colm Fogarty pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage after drunkenly slashing two tyres of a car at Keeper Road, Drimnagh on 12 July 2014. Fogarty, who had been heavily intoxicated and had a fight with his girlfriend, later visited a friend's house where a woman named 'Bunty' and her family, members of the Travelling community, confronted him. He claimed they were driving at him and cut the tyres with a knife, saying he did so to prevent them from running over him. Fogarty expressed remorse and apologized to the Gardaí. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Fogarty's drug‑free status, volunteer work organising Christmas dinners for 40 families, and completion of a residential drug treatment course, imposed a suspended one‑year sentence, stating a custodial term was not warranted given his reformation.
Stephen Pender, aged 53, and Paul O'Hara, aged 41, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing cocaine worth over €13,000 for sale or supply. Pender was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, the mandatory term for a second offence of this nature, and his sentence will be reviewed after five years. O'Hara received a three‑year sentence, reflecting his lack of serious prior convictions and apparent reform. The pair were caught after a garda surveillance operation that followed them from a meeting outside the Ashling Hotel on Arran Quay to a car in which a 1 kg package of cocaine, valued at €70,000, was found. Pender tried to discard a mobile phone sim card; O'Hara fled the scene but later admitted to transporting the drugs to pay a €800 debt. Both men had no proprietary interest in the cocaine.
A Dublin drug addict, Glen Egan, aged 34, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for his role in a Christmas Eve drive‑by robbery and several other offences. CCTV footage showed Egan and a co‑accused driving up in a Ford Fiesta while a male victim withdrew cash from an ATM. The co‑accused removed a car jack from the boot and placed it behind the victim's back as Egan threatened him. Garda Cormac O'Donnell reported that the pair searched the victim's pockets when he fell, taking coins and a set of car keys, then drove away. They returned moments later demanding €20 for the keys, which the victim refused to pay. Egan pleaded guilty to robbing Mercedes Benz car keys and coins at Old Stillorgan Road, €220 cash from Vape Island, and €10 from Spar, James's Street. He has 75 prior convictions.
Dwayne Cullen, 28, was caught on CCTV smashing windows of six cars in a church car park and taking items from three of them. He was later arrested at a hostel where stolen goods were found. Cullen pleaded guilty to criminal damage, theft and possession of stolen items, including a laptop, guitar, pedals and amplifier worth €7,000. He has 23 prior convictions, mainly for minor public order offences. Garda Niall McLoughlin reported that two bags taken from two cars were recovered and the stolen items at the hostel were returned to owners. Cullen wrote a remorse letter and offered to meet victims under the Restorative Justice Programme. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to a suspended term of two and a half years, suspended for 18 months, and directed probation supervision. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 25 January 2017.
A 36‑year‑old Dublin man pleaded not guilty to sexual assault of a 35‑year‑old foreign national at UCD campus on 23 July 2014. The woman, who met the man on Tinder, agreed to meet him after weeks of communication. He picked her up and drove her to a green area on campus. She testified that he became aggressive, placed his hand on her neck, touched her legs, shouted at her, and tried to restrain her. She feared for her life, thought he would rape her, and tried to open the doors, which were locked. Gardaí were informed after the alleged attack. CCTV footage showed the car was there for about one minute, a point contested by the woman. The trial is before Judge Cormac Quinn and a jury of twelve.
Dylan Collins, 22, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to criminal damage of a rear window on a marked Hyundai Garda car at Fortunestown Rord, Jobstown, Tallaght, on 15 November 2014. The incident occurred when protesters surrounded the car of former Tánaiste Joan Burton and her advisor Karen O'Connell after a graduation ceremony at An Cosan Education Centre, delaying them for three hours. Collins was remanded on continuing bail until 18 January for a sentence hearing expected to last about half an hour. The unnamed accused was acquitted.
Stephen Feery, 28, of The Water Rill, Malahide, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a stolen vehicle and criminal damage to electric gates at an apartment block in Balgriffin. He stole a Euro Car rental on 24 February, was pursued by Gardaí, sprayed with pepper spray, collided with gates, fled, and was later found hanging from a window of his brother's apartment. The damage to the gates cost €3,500. Feery has 128 prior convictions, including burglary, dangerous driving and driving without insurance, and a 2008 suspended sentence for endangerment. He left school at 12, has three children, and had completed a residential drug programme. Judge Patrick Quinn sentenced him to two years, suspending ten months, with strict conditions. The case was investigated by Garda Jason Flynn.
A 19‑year‑old man was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended, for defiling a 14‑year‑old girl he had collected from a teenage disco in Donnybrook. He had agreed to drive her home from the Wesley disco, but during the drive he forced her to perform oral sex and later made her masturbate him. The girl, who was intoxicated and unwell, was entirely dependent on him for transport. The court noted the man's intellectual difficulties and described the offence as opportunistic, but not mitigating. He pleaded guilty, showed remorse, and had no prior convictions. He is now a registered sex offender and will face the associated restrictions. The judge praised the girl's courage in coming forward and highlighted the severe impact on her. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and the victim's suffering.
Michael Darcy, a 37‑year‑old Dubliner, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for making a false insurance claim to AXA. He alleged that jewellery worth over €40,000 had been stolen during a fictitious break‑in on 1 September 2013. Darcy had previously listed an 18‑carat gold engagement ring (€25,000), a lady's bracelet (€11,000) and a man's bracelet (€5,400) on his AXA policy, though he never owned them. He also forged an AIB bank statement to show €48,783.42 in his account, when the real balance was €34.42. The court noted his prior convictions for burglary, theft and traffic offences, but also his capacity for work and reform. The sentence was back‑dated to 27 October, when he entered custody. The judge described the fraud as a "thought‑out" white‑collar crime. The case highlighted the cost to AXA, which spent €6,200 on the investigation. Michael Darcy pleaded guilty.
Martin Gilroy, a 34‑year‑old former engineer from Dungannon, was arrested at Dublin Airport after a car was found containing more than €600,000 worth of heroin and cocaine. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing the drugs for sale or supply. The court, hearing that Gilroy was a recovering drug addict who had worked as an engineer, described him as a "valuable player but not a major player" in the offence. Judge Martin Nolan noted that Gilroy had been "less than candid" about his involvement and that he was unlikely to be the ultimate owner of the drugs, whose profit was intended for other parties. Gilroy was sentenced to seven years in prison, a sentence back‑dated to 21 July. The drugs were seized from a car that had been parked outside Terminal Two, and a co‑accused man was also arrested after leaving the terminal.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Mark O'Shea, 32, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for possessing a pipe bomb that he had placed under a prison officer's car. The officer's eight‑year‑old son discovered the device, which could not explode because it lacked a fuse. CCTV at the officer's home identified O'Shea placing the bomb the night before. O'Shea had been approached by two men offering €20 and tablets to do the job. He pleaded guilty, claiming he was "preyed upon" and unaware the house belonged to a prison officer. The judge noted O'Shea's remorse and lack of knowledge about the bomb's fuse, but stressed the seriousness of the offence. The sentence was back‑dated to 14 June, when O'Shea entered custody. The bomb was safely disposed of by the disposal team after the house was cordoned off. The case highlighted the vulnerability of individuals with drug addictions who may be exploited for illicit activities.
During a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a 36‑year‑old Dublin man pleaded not guilty to sexual assault of a 35‑year‑old foreign student on UCD campus on 23 July 2014. The student explained that she had used Tinder to meet Irish people and practice English. She had communicated with the accused for weeks, receiving explicit messages. She agreed to meet him, was taken to a secluded green area, and was sexually assaulted. She described the accused as becoming aggressive and "changing completely." She admitted she did not end the online conversation after receiving explicit texts, citing her own stupidity. She could not sleep the following night, fearing judgment for using Tinder and entering a stranger's car. The case is proceeding before Judge Cormac Quinn and a jury of twelve.
Gareth White, 29, of Harcourt Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five counts of using a false instrument to secure loans from various credit unions in 2016, and to using a false instrument to purchase seven phones on behalf of a non‑existent business from Three Ireland on 13 August 2015. Garda Noel Whelan explained that the fraud was discovered when a credit union manager noticed that the address on the AIB bank statement White supplied did not exist. White also used forged bank statements to apply for loans at Phibsborough Credit Union, Larkfield Credit Union in Santry, Whitehall Credit Union and Core Credit Union in Dalkey. He claimed the loans were to buy a wheelchair for his disabled daughter and a headstone for his mother's grave, but the court heard they were actually needed to pay gambling debts. €908 was still owed to Rathfarnham and Dalkey Credit Unions.
Michael Power, aged 22, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for a minor role in a group fight that took place on Jervis Street Upper, Dublin 1, on 24 April 2015. Power, who had 38 previous convictions, was present at the scene with his cousin and engaged in an aggressive stance, raising his fists and fighting several men. His cousin was punched by another party and suffered a serious brain injury after falling and hitting his head. Power was not directly involved in the punch that injured his cousin. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge noted Power's role was not the worst but acknowledged his participation in the fight, and imposed the 18‑month sentence to run concurrently with his existing ten‑year sentence for a serious assault imposed earlier that year.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 35‑year‑old English‑language student testified that she was sexually assaulted by a 36‑year‑old Dublin man she had met on the Tinder dating app. She said she had agreed to meet him after weeks of communication, and he had driven her in his car to a secluded green area. During the encounter, she claimed he became aggressive and assaulted her. After the incident she took a taxi home, told her flatmate about the attack, but they could not contact the Gardaí because of limited English. She called the manager of the agency running her English course that night, who advised her to rest and go to the police the next morning. She expressed fear that people would judge her for getting into a stranger's car or using Tinder. The trial is proceeding before Judge Cormac Quinn and a jury of twelve. The unnamed 36-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Terence Gavin, 25, was found guilty of fraudulently claiming job seekers allowance for two years under a false name and also claiming other state benefits in his own name. He admitted to stealing €8,100 from the Department of Social and Family Affairs at An Post, Donaghmede Shopping Centre between October 2010 and July 2012. Gavin has ten prior convictions, including burglary and theft. Garda Gareth Ryan explained that social welfare officials had flagged a suspicious claim made under the name "Alan McDonagh," which Gavin had used. CCTV footage from the post office identified him when the claim was paid. The judge, Melanie Greally, noted Gavin's difficult upbringing and limited work history but emphasized the seriousness of his dishonesty. She ordered him to complete 240 hours of community service within 12 months, with one year to be served in default, and imposed a one‑year suspended sentence on strict conditions.
Carl Cullen, aged 30, pleaded guilty to robbery at Tolka Valley Road on 27 February 2017. He and a co‑accused entered a taxi at about 6 am, behaved drunkenly and violently, and forced the driver to stop. Cullen seized the driver's mobile phone, chased him, and attempted to punch him. CCTV showed the robbers rummaging through the taxi and taking a phone, MP3 player and coins. Garda Barry Hehir informed the court that the victim used a "find phone" app to locate Cullen and his co‑accused on St Helena's Road, Finglas. The court noted Cullen's 40 prior convictions, his guilty plea, remorse and athletic background, but also his propensity for violence. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three and a half years' imprisonment. The sentence was imposed in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The case involved a violent robbery of a taxi driver.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 35‑year‑old woman testified that a 36‑year‑old man she met on Tinder attacked her in his car on the UCD campus on 23 July 2014. She had come to Ireland to learn English and had been using Tinder to find people to practise with. After chatting online, the man invited her to meet and offered a drive. She agreed, and he picked her up. While parked near a green area, he turned off the engine, locked the doors and became aggressive, calling her names and attempting to touch her. She tried to resist, struck him, and managed to escape, after which he fled. The case remains before Judge Cormac Quinn and a jury. The man pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
Daniel Farrell, aged 22, was jailed for eight months after a burglary at Castlewood, Clonsilla on 5 May 2016. He fled the scene while his two accomplices were restrained by the house's residents. Garda Mark Quill identified Farrell through a fingerprint left on the window frame, matching the one found inside. Farrell pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He had three prior convictions. The court noted his difficult childhood, drug avoidance until age 19, and association with a negative peer group. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑year sentence, suspending all but eight months on strict conditions.
Christopher O'Reilly, a 60‑year‑old former army private, was sentenced to five years in prison for two separate offences. On 10 June 2010 he attacked a young woman on O'Connell Street with a broken glass bottle, striking her cheek and leaving her bleeding profusely; the victim suffered panic attacks, a loss of confidence, nightmares and a scar that has since faded but remains noticeable. O'Reilly pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm. He also pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery on 5 September 2013 at Wolf Tone Quay, where he approached a woman on a Dublin Bus, brandishing a hammer over her head before calmly retreating. The judge, citing the "reasonless attack" and the victim's psychological impact, gave him four years for the assault and two years for the robbery, with the final 12 months suspended. The sentences run consecutively, resulting in a total of five years' imprisonment.
Bashkim Osaj, 39, pleaded guilty to robbery and false imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, on the condition of good behaviour and keeping the peace. Osaj had fled to Belgium after informing Gardaí he would not attend his trial, but was later arrested and returned to Ireland. The robbery involved the owner of a takeaway, Nunzio Del Duca, who was bound, gagged, and stabbed with a screwdriver. Osaj was one of two men who entered the premises, and a third man had lured Del Duca to the house. Osaj had 26 prior convictions, including burglary and robbery. The judge noted the violence was "of a particular nasty nature" and considered mitigating factors such as his guilty plea, difficult background, and family responsibilities. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Martin Maughan, aged 28, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for assaulting Michael Reilly in a Nando's restaurant on 7 May 2017. Maughan used a claw hammer to strike Reilly multiple times, chased him into the car park, struck him again and sprayed pepper spray. He pleaded guilty to assault and possession of a weapon. Maughan claimed he acted because Reilly had verbally insulted his daughter, who has spina bifida, calling her legs crooked and spine twisted. The court noted Maughan's 15 prior convictions and his alcohol addiction. Judge Melanie Greally accepted his guilty plea and remorse, ordered anger‑management, offending‑behaviour and addiction programmes, and imposed a 10‑year restriction on contact with the Reilly family. The sentence was three years with 18 months suspended, leaving an effective custodial term of 18 months.
Wojciech Kwasny, a 41-year-old mechanic from Swords, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to cultivating cannabis at his home and an industrial unit at Mace Pool, Kilsallaghan, Co Dublin, on February 25, 2016. The defendant admitted to the charges, claiming he grew the drugs for medicinal purposes to ease his osteoarthritis. Garda Thomas Doherty testified that officers from the Swords Drug Unit executed a search warrant at the Kilsallaghan unit, where they discovered two rooms in a marquee equipped with foiled heating lamps, cultivation equipment, and dehumidifiers. Inside, they found cannabis plants at mature growth stages and a drying tent containing 1.49kg of the drug, valued at €29,860. Kwasny subsequently directed gardai to his home, where ten sapling plants worth €8,000 were found. Prosecuting counsel Gerardine Small BL presented the evidence, while defending counsel Maria McCormack BL highlighted Kwasny's cooperation, remorse, and twelve-year employment history. Judge Martin Nolan expressed suspicion regarding the large quantity involved but noted Kwasny had no previous convictions. The judge stated it would be unjust to imprison the defendant given his good record. Consequently, the court suspended the sentence for three years.
A 36‑year‑old man was tried in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sexually assaulting a woman he met on Tinder. He pleaded not guilty. The prosecution, represented by Paul Burns SC, told the jury that the accused and the alleged victim first communicated on the Tinder website and later by text. On 23 July 2014, the accused met the woman, drove her from her city centre flat to a secluded park on the UCD campus, parked the car, and then sexually assaulted her. According to the counsel, the accused kissed her, became aggressive, held her arm, placed his hand on her dress, touched her thighs, and interfered with her clothing. The woman tried to stop him and struggled; the accused struck her on the head. She managed to escape and he drove away.
Jadesola Agbalade, 51, pleaded guilty on 20 July 2016 to knowingly distributing child pornography after forwarding a clip that showed a child aged between two and five being raped. She claimed she sent the video via WhatsApp to warn a friend about the dangers of leaving her children with her boyfriend. The clip was discovered during an investigation of a man arrested for credit card fraud at Dublin Airport in July 2017; the phone used to send the clip was traced back to Agbalade. She admitted to receiving and sending the clip, and also sent it to a female friend with three children, who has not been identified. Agbalade has no prior convictions, lives in temporary accommodation, and has one teenage child and two adult sons. Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned the case to 1 March 2018 to obtain a psychological report, citing that Agbalade did not understand the gravity of her actions.
Frank Dunne, 57, of Lealand House, Clondalkin, and Glen Murray, 28, of Pairc Mhuire, Saggart, were arrested during a drug handover after a Garda tip. Dunne was caught handing a package of cocaine to Murray; Gardaí found over €95,000 worth of cocaine at Dunne's home. Both pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine for sale or supply on 15 October 2016. In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced Dunne to three‑and‑a‑half years, suspending the final 18 months on conditions, and Murray to two years, suspending the term in lieu of 240 hours of community service. The court noted Murray's psychological background, low intellect, ADHD and Tourette's Syndrome, and described him as psychologically vulnerable. The case was heard on 20 November 2017, with no prior convictions for either man. The sentencing reflected the court's view that drug dealing causes "destruction and despair" in society.
In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Jason Kearney, 37, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for possession for sale or supply of drugs over €13,000. Kearney, described as a "drugs courier", was involved in the handover of nearly €250,000 worth of cocaine. Garda surveillance of co‑accused Trevor Brunton, 35, led to the interception of both men's vehicles on 28 July 2016. Eight blocks of cocaine, weighing just over three kilos and wrapped in silver duct tape, were seized. The drugs had an estimated street value of €245,000. Kearney pleaded guilty to the offence; Brunton pleaded guilty on a later court date and will be sentenced in January. Kearney's sentence follows a 2008 conviction that carried seven years with four suspended, and the law mandates a ten‑year term for a second conviction of this nature. The judge agreed to review the sentence after six years.
Andras Szabo, 35, of North Circular Road, Dublin, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to possession of heroin for sale or supply at his flat on 5 July 2016. Gardaí had suspected Szabo of drug dealing and, during a search, found a small "Kinder Surprise egg" box containing plastic bags of heroin, a weighing scale and €1,635 in cash. Szabo admitted keeping the drugs in the egg and that he had been dealing them for two weeks, claiming he was trying to earn money to send to his daughter in Hungary. He had two prior convictions for drug dealing in 2014, for which he received suspended jail sentences. The judge noted Szabo's previous employment record but also that he had been given earlier chances by the courts, which he did not take advantage of, and therefore a jail term was unavoidable.
During a routine traffic stop for not wearing a seat belt, Garda Alan Murray discovered that Joseph Smith, 27, was driving a black BMW without a seat belt. Smith initially denied the allegation but later provided his licence and insurance. The garda then found a hold‑all in the front passenger footwell containing a clear bag of cannabis and, upon Smith's return, seized the hold‑all, revealing three bags of cannabis and an electronic weighing scale. The drugs were estimated to be worth €4,760. Smith pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply on 23 March 2016. His counsel, Sarah Jane O'Callaghan, argued that Smith had been drug‑free and had turned his life around, citing a prior drug debt of €3,000 from a cocaine addiction. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Smith was unlikely to re‑offend in this manner and suspended a three‑year prison sentence on the condition of good behaviour for that period.
Paul Gill, 37, of Naas, pleaded guilty to assaulting Patrick "Patsy" Kelly and Martin Curtis on 22 August 2015. He had earlier pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and was acquitted after a six‑day trial. Judge Melanie Greally postponed his assault sentence because the Kelly family objected to the omission of parts of their victim impact statement. The prosecution argued that the Victims of Crime Act 2017 allows family members to be treated as direct victims, but the court was still operating under the 2010 Act. The family was deeply unhappy that elements of their statement were excluded, leading to an adjournment. Gill remains on bail and the sentencing hearing has been rescheduled for December. Eye witnesses described Gill grabbing Kelly by the collar, dragging him, punching and kicking him, while medical evidence indicated heart disease as the main cause of death, with alcohol and injuries as contributory factors.
Lino Simonetti, a 38-year-old Italian chef residing on Aungier Street, Dublin, appeared before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court at the sentencing stage. He pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and cannabis for sale or supply at his home on September 28, 2016. Prosecution evidence indicated that gardai, acting on a warrant, recovered cannabis valued at €29,600, cocaine valued at €3,080, and small amounts of MDMA and ketamine. Simonetti also directed officers to bagging and weighing scales. He admitted to having a drug habit and selling substances to fund his use. Defending counsel highlighted Simonetti's lack of previous convictions, his early guilty plea, and his cooperation with gardai. The court noted his prior work history in healthcare and education in Africa and Ireland. Judge Martin Nolan observed that Simonetti had rehabilitated himself regarding drug dealing and was unlikely to reoffend in this manner. The judge imposed a four-year sentence, which was suspended in full on strict conditions. Simonetti avoided immediate custody as a result of this disposal.
A Cavan man has been sentenced to five years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his guilty plea to offences against a 14-year-old boy. Michael Galligan, aged 40 and residing in Springfield, Cavan, pleaded guilty to three counts of defilement of a child under 15 years and two counts of sexual assault. The offences occurred in 2015 after the accused made contact with the complainant through a website. The court heard they met on three occasions that year. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a seven-year sentence with the final two years suspended on strict conditions. The judge noted Galligan should have recognised the boy's age after their first meeting. Galligan, who holds previous convictions including sexual assault and breach of sex offenders legislation, has been in custody since 2015. His defence counsel highlighted his early guilty plea and cooperation with psychiatric services while in prison.
Sean Dowdall, aged 23, was sentenced to 13 months in prison for stealing a taxi driver's car after a drug and alcohol binge. He claimed a woman, with whom he was not closely acquainted, had told him she was pregnant and that he was the father. Dowdall denied this later, stating he was not the father. He had stolen two cars over two days, the first being a taxi that crashed into a lamp post after he drove off while intoxicated. He had previously pleaded guilty to stealing a car from a petrol station on Tir Chonaill Road on 12 February 2016, and had 57 prior convictions, including assault, theft and car theft. The court noted he had 57 previous convictions and that the stolen car was written off due to damage. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the 13‑month sentence. The prosecution, represented by Pieter LeVert BL, described the circumstances of the theft and the subsequent crash.
Maggie Nugent, 61, a Dublin grandmother, pleaded guilty to holding €23,000 worth of untaxed cigarettes at her home on Marewood Crescent, Poppintree, Ballymun, on 26 November 2014. She was approached by a man who asked her to keep 46,600 cigarettes of the brands MG and Goal. When Gardaí arrived with a search warrant, Nugent confessed and cooperated fully. The offence caused a loss of €18,000 to the Exchequer. Nugent, who is being treated for cervical cancer and has other significant health difficulties, was described by the court as "mortified" and "guilt‑laden" and was deemed very unlikely to re‑offend. Judge Terence O'Sullivan, noting her good character, lack of prior convictions, and the family duress involved, imposed a two‑month suspended sentence, fully suspended for three months, and ordered the destruction of the cigarettes. The court also noted a probation report showing a very low risk of re‑offending.
John Power, 28, pleaded guilty to burglary and unlawful taking of a car at Baggot Court, Dublin, on 22 June 2017. The victim used a "locator app" on his stolen mobile phone to pinpoint Power's location in a laneway off Parnell Street. Garda Enda Dowling reported that the occupiers woke to find their home burgled and car stolen while they slept. Power was found sleeping rough in the laneway, and the victim later discovered him with a Nike bag that matched his own. Gardaí recovered the stolen mobile phone, laptop, tablet and other items from the bag. CCTV showed Power opening the victim's car with the key fob, driving off, and later returning on a bike. Power, who has 75 previous convictions, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended on strict conditions. The judge noted the burglary was non‑violent and a crime of opportunity, and that Power had expressed a desire to rehabilitate.
Sean Kerins, a 26-year-old Limerick man with 105 previous convictions, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for offences committed in Clondalkin on October 9, 2016. Kerins pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a vehicle, criminal damage to an unmarked patrol car, and two counts of dangerous driving. The court heard that Kerins, who was disqualified from driving at the time, drove a stolen Honda Civic at speeds exceeding 160 km/h during a police pursuit. He failed to stop, drove through red lights, and subsequently reversed at speed into a patrol vehicle, causing damage. Defence counsel Carol Doherty BL highlighted Kerins' difficult background, lack of parental support, and drug use, describing him as heavily institutionalised and genuinely apologetic. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged Kerins' challenging life circumstances but characterised him as a "menace to society" who endangered the public. The judge imposed a three and a half year sentence, suspending the final year on strict conditions. The matter was finalised with this sentencing order.
John Behan, aged 53, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for harassing Patricia Buckley, the manager of a Paddy Powers Bookmakers branch in Edenmore, Dublin, from September 2014 to March 2016. The court heard that Behan subjected Buckley to "almost daily terror," threatening her, abusing her in the store and on the street, and forcing her to be escorted to her car. He had previously been convicted of assaulting Buckley by throwing a bottle, for which he received a five‑month sentence in May 2017. Behan pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and said he now understood the harm he caused. Judge Martin Nolan described the harassment as persistent, serious and insidious, imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence with the final year suspended, and ordered Behan to avoid Buckley's home and workplace for 15 years. The court also noted that Buckley had suffered panic attacks, sleep deprivation and heart palpitations as a result of the harassment.
In November 2017, two brothers, Dylan Fogarty (24) and Dean Fogarty (21), were sentenced in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a self‑confessed "nasty and unprovoked attack" on Garda Denise Larkin and Garda Peter Ryan on 5 August 2016. The brothers punched the officers several times to the head, causing concussions and scarring. CCTV footage showed them smiling and high‑fiving after the assault. Dylan received a two‑year sentence, with six months suspended, while Dean received a one‑year‑nine‑month sentence, with nine months suspended. Both were also convicted of two counts of theft of bikes. The court noted their prior convictions and the officers' injuries, and the judge emphasised the seriousness of the assault. The sentencing reflected the brothers' admissions and the impact on the Gardaí. Dylan Fogarty pleaded guilty. Dean Fogarty pleaded guilty.
David Radford, 21, was released from prison in March after a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for sexual assault. The final 12 months of his sentence were suspended on the condition that he complied with the probation service. He had 15 previous convictions, including three for sexual assault. At an October hearing Judge Martin Nolan found that Radford had breached bail conditions by refusing emergency accommodation and sleeping rough. He had also begun using substances. The judge said Radford's refusal to live in the accommodation provided by the probation service meant the suspended portion of his sentence had to be re‑activated. Radford was remanded in custody for one month, and the judge noted that the decision was not without difficulty, as Radford had been ordered to cooperate fully with the probation service. The court also heard that Radford had been attacked on several occasions and was concerned for his safety in a hostel.
Linda Wall, 37, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at a Luas stop in June 2015 after being directed by a drug dealer to seize a mobile phone to pay part of a debt. She had 16 prior convictions and was addicted to "snow blow." The victim, a Chinese woman, was punched, kicked, and had her hair pulled before being rescued by another passenger. Wall denied intending to injure the victim. The court accepted her remorse and the steps she had taken to address risk factors. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a four‑year suspended sentence, directed 12 months of probation supervision, and urged Wall to use this opportunity to rebuild her life. The hearing noted her history of nursing studies and the loss of her daughter last year. The sentence was suspended for four years, with no immediate custodial term.
John Paul Sheehan, a 38‑year‑old homeless man from Cork, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after a burglary at the Dublin Visitors Centre on Grafton Street. He stole more than €26,000 in cash and cheques, plus a €100 Panasonic Lumix camera. Sheehan was arrested the same day for a drug offence and was found with €9,475 of the stolen cash. He pleaded guilty to trespass and theft. The court noted he had 100 prior convictions, mainly for burglaries, and that he had used the stolen money for food, clothing and to support his drug habit. The judge, taking his guilty plea into account, imposed the sentence without a suspended element, citing a lack of evidence of rehabilitation. The camera was never recovered. The case highlighted the challenges faced by homeless and drug‑addicted individuals who may be compelled to steal to survive.
Gareth Joyce, 35, a recovering heroin addict with a long criminal record, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of stolen items worth over €11,000. He was caught on 16 October 2016 with a hedge trimmer, a Black & Decker drill and a gas cooker, each valued at €288, and on 6 October 2016 with a laptop, phones, foreign currency, a pearl necklace and other jewellery totalling €11,000. Forensic evidence linked his thumbprints to the stolen laptop. Joyce initially claimed the property was not his, saying it had been left at his brother's house by a party guest. He has 93 prior convictions, including burglary, handling stolen property, theft, criminal damage and trespass. The judge, citing his extensive criminal history and drug addiction, sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, suspended for five years, and imposed strict rehabilitation conditions. The sentence will be re‑activated if he fails to comply.
Father‑of‑three Declan Garnett (46) of Finglas admitted to possessing 198 grammes of cocaine worth €13,923 after claiming he found almost €14,000 of the drug in a shopping bag near his apartment complex bins. He said he brought the drugs home and hid them in his wife's jacket, keeping them for up to three days before deciding what to do with them. Garnett pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 6 December 2016. Garda Cathal Connolly reported that the police raided his home on a warrant, finding no wealth, paraphernalia, tick lists or cash. The defence highlighted Garnett's lack of secondary education and his lifelong hard work, submitting employment testimonials and family letters, including one from his wife describing him as "an ordinary man".
David Cashin, aged 49, was convicted in 2014 of sexual assault and buggery of a teenage girl between October 2002 and February 2005. He received concurrent sentences totalling seven years imprisonment. Cashin applied for an extension of time to appeal his conviction and sentence, but the Court of Appeal refused on the basis that justice would not be served by allowing the extension. The court noted that Cashin had denied the charges, claimed his former solicitor advised him he could not appeal, and that his grounds of appeal were generic and not specific to the facts of the case. The court also highlighted that no new information had been presented to support a successful appeal. The refusal was made by Mr Justice George Birmingham, with Mr Justice Seán Ryan and Mr Justice Alan Mahon presiding. The victim was 14 at the time of the abuse, and Cashin was 35.
David Dowling, 49, of Sorrell Heath, Clonsilla, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for laundering €169,000 of drug proceeds for a criminal gang. He pleaded guilty in July to two charges of handling the proceeds of crime at Westend Retail Business Park and at Sorrell Heath. Gardaí seized €69,610 in a van and an additional €99,020 in Dowling's home, along with a vacuum‑packing machine used to conceal cash. The court described Dowling as a "good family man" who was an "essential cog" in the drug‑dealing enterprise, moving money to where it was needed. Judge Martin Nolan noted Dowling's 17 prior convictions but did not consider them in sentencing. The driver of the other vehicle received 240 hours of community service. No further appeals or outcomes were mentioned in the article.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Jason Halpin, 45, was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment for attempting to rob Lloyds Pharmacy in Castleknock on 9 March 2016. The offence was thwarted by an off‑duty Garda armed with pepper spray, who entered the shop at 7.30 pm after receiving a call about suspicious activity. Halpin, wearing a hoodie and a face mask, entered the pharmacy, pushed a female customer toward the till and shouted, "Give me the money." He was immediately pushed to the ground and subdued with pepper spray, which also affected two staff members and a customer, all of whom later described the incident as terrifying. No money was taken and Halpin did not produce or threaten to use a knife that was reportedly hidden in his tracksuit. He had 25 prior convictions, including robbery and drug misuse, and was on bail for another offence at the time of the robbery. Jason Halpin pleaded guilty.