Peter Jennings, a 49‑year‑old music teacher, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography after a five‑year investigation revealed 1,300 unique image files and 11 unique movie files on his computers. The Gardaí found 935 images of child nudity and the rest depicting erotic posing or sexual activity. Jennings had no prior convictions and had not offended since the files were discovered. He had been living at his family home in Dunsink but left it after the offence became public. He worked as a music teacher at Ballyfermot Ceoil, giving after‑school lessons to children aged seven to twelve. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a suspended prison sentence of two and a half years, conditioned on Jennings keeping the peace for that period and engaging with Probation Services. The court noted Jennings' remorse and the absence of distribution or payment for the material.
In a June 2016 incident at Cafe En Seine in Dublin, 42‑year‑old Oleksander Zavhorodniy punched French bar‑goer Guillaune Demarest repeatedly, striking him in the head and throat. The assault fractured Demarest's oesophagus and required eight stitches for a forehead wound, leading doctors to place him in a medically‑induced coma for 16 days. Zavhorodniy pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He brought €4,000 in compensation, which Demarest accepted. Judge Patricia Ryan, noting Zavhorodniy's remorse, lack of prior convictions, and his staying at the bar until Gardaí arrived, sentenced him to two years' imprisonment. The sentence was suspended for two years under conditions, with the judge urging good behaviour and caution against attracting Gardaí attention during the suspension period.
The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm, aged 51, is scheduled to begin on 10 January 2018 and could last up to five months, a judge was told. Drumm, who lives in Skerries, Co. Dublin, faces two charges of conspiring to defraud depositors and investors by creating a false impression that deposits in 2008 were €7.2 billion larger than they actually were, and a third charge relating to the EU transparency directive. He has not yet entered a plea. The court has estimated the trial at three months, but the prosecution has requested that the jury be prepared for a possible five‑month duration and that the jury panel be expanded to 15 members. The defence has agreed to a four‑month availability and has no objection to the five‑month suggestion. The matter was adjourned for a pre‑trial mention on 18 December.
John O'Donoghue, a former teacher and table tennis coach aged 58, was sentenced to a two‑year prison term with the final year suspended for possessing thousands of child pornography images. The offence occurred on 27 March 2012 at his former home in Weaver's Hall, Stepaside, Dublin. Gardaí seized 2,500 images and 13 movie files, of which 496 showed explicit sexual activity involving children and 2,048 displayed a child's genital region exposed; the films included two with explicit activity and 11 with exposed genitalia. O'Donoghue had previously been convicted of indecent assaulting a young boy in 2013, receiving a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence with 18 months suspended. He pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and completed a Safer Lives rehabilitation programme. The judge noted systemic delays in bringing the case to court and acknowledged his rehabilitation progress. O'Donoghue will remain on the Child Sex Offenders list indefinitely.
Derek Hutch, a first cousin of the late Gary Hutch, was sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan to a four‑year term for possession of an imitation firearm and robbery of a Spar shop on Styles Road, Clontarf, on 11 June 2015. The sentence was suspended on a number of conditions after the court noted that Hutch had made "trojan efforts" in rehabilitating himself, remained drug‑free, and had received a favourable probation report. Hutch, aged 27, had nine previous convictions, including three for theft, but no prior firearm offences. The robbery involved Hutch and accomplice Christopher Coakley holding a shop manager at gunpoint with an imitation firearm, demanding the alarm code, and escaping with about €1,215. Gardaí later recovered approximately €700. Hutch has not been in contact with the Gardaí since the offence and is now focused on his family. The court emphasised his progress in drug treatment and his current drug‑free status.
Stephen "Hoppy" Kinch, aged 29, will be sentenced in early 2018 for an assault committed when he was 16 in 2004. The incident occurred on 17 March 2004 in Tallaght, where Kinch allegedly struck Gary Byrne in the face with an iron bar and was also involved in head‑butting Byrne during the attack. Byrne suffered a broken nose, broken finger, damaged teeth, swollen jaw and a cut lip. Kinch pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, admitted to head‑butting but denied using the iron bar. He has no prior convictions and was living in Tallaght at the time of the hearing. The judge, Karen O'Connor, noted his current employment, voluntary work and family responsibilities, and adjourned the case to February to allow him to pay an additional €4,000. She also indicated a potential probation report and assessment of suitability for community service, though she did not commit to imposing community service.
Patrick Murphy and Gavrila Puscas were sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to illegally dumping two skip-loads of mixed waste at a vacant site in Santry on the night of May 14/15, 2015. Judge Petria McDonnell described the act as "odious" and a "blight on the landscape." She sentenced Murphy to nine months suspended and Puscas to six months suspended, both for a period of 12 months, with conditions to keep the peace and be of good behaviour. The judge indicated she would have imposed tougher sentences had she not been constrained by the one-year suspended sentence previously imposed on their employer, Wayne O'Hare, in April. O'Hare, the former director of W K Waste Ltd, was sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan. The court heard that Murphy, on a JobBridge scheme, and Puscas, a new driver, were directed by O'Hare to dump the waste. Gardaí arrested the men after surveillance by a Dublin City Council officer tracked the truck. Both defendants have no previous convictions. Defending counsel highlighted Murphy's intention to impress his boss and Puscas's limited industry knowledge. The illegally dumped waste was removed six weeks later. W K Waste Ltd has since gone into liquidation.
Jadesola Agbalade, 51, pleaded guilty on 20 July 2016 to knowingly distributing child pornography after forwarding a clip via WhatsApp to warn a friend about leaving her children with her boyfriend. The clip showed a child aged two to five being raped by a man and had circulated internationally since about 2014. Gardaí traced the phone number to Agbalade, who admitted receiving and sending the clip. She is currently in temporary homeless accommodation and has no prior convictions. The court heard that she had one teenage child and two adult sons at university. Judge Karen O'Connor received a detailed probation report and adjourned finalisation of the case to 21 November 2017. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Derek Shevlin, aged 24, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill David McGrath and damaging property at Cromcastle Road on 11 September 2015. Shevlin, who had dated Ciara McGrath for five years until January 2015, entered McGrath's family home with an imitation gun and a hurley. He demanded €400 for an iPhone he had bought for her in 2013, shouted abuse, smashed the front door and windows, and pointed the handgun at McGrath. McGrath fled into the house after seeing the gun. Shevlin claimed he was "lost" that night and wanted what he was owed. He has 15 prior convictions, including robbery and firearms offences. A psychological report was submitted by his counsel, and the judge adjourned sentencing to 6 December, remanding Shevlin on continuing bail.
During a Garda search for drugs in February 2016, a 23‑year‑old man named Glen Synott was found with a black sock containing four 9mm Makarov rounds hidden beneath decking in his back garden. Synott admitted hiding the sock but claimed the bullets were not his, saying he had been asked to hold them for a €200 drug debt. He also stated he was out of breath and sweating because he had been "having a wank", an explanation the Garda found "flippant" and did not accept. Synott was arrested and later pleaded guilty to possession of firearms ammunition under suspicious circumstances. The court imposed a five‑year custodial sentence, suspended for five years on strict conditions, including remaining drug‑free, engaging with addiction services, random urine tests and probation appointments. He had three prior convictions, two for public order offences and one for not wearing a crash helmet on a motorbike.
Dillon Campbell, aged 22, was sentenced to two years for a robbery at Topaz filing station on Beaumont Road, Dublin, where he used half a garden shears as a weapon. He had already been serving a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for a similar robbery two months earlier, and the new sentence will not extend his time in custody. Campbell pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He demanded the shop assistant open the till, threatened with the shears, and stole €200 before discarding the weapon. He has ten prior convictions, including a five‑year robbery sentence with the final two and a half years suspended in March 2017. The court noted his history of mental health issues and drug debt, and the judge imposed a three‑year sentence concurrent with his current term, suspending the final year on strict conditions. The judge urged him to use the resources available to improve his life.
In a Dublin garda station, Michael Alexis, aged 53, appeared in a distressed state and admitted involvement in a burglary that occurred on 25 September 2015 at The Gasworks Apartments, Dublin 4. He was physically and mentally unwell, and he claimed he had been a lookout, not the main perpetrator, and that he had received €200 for his role. The burglary took place between 9.30 am and 11 am while residents were away, resulting in the theft of four laptops, a tablet and an iPad mini. Alexis had previously been sectioned under the Mental Health Act but was interviewed by gardaí a month later. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where the judge ordered a probation report and adjourned the case to 21 December for finalisation. The court noted his prior convictions and his personal circumstances, including a history of alcohol abuse and a desire to re‑enter employment.
Alan Judge, 43, of Shangan Park, Ballymun, Dublin, pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage at Sutton Dry Cleaners and trespass at Sutton Rugby Club on 6 May 2016. He entered the dry cleaners with a hammer, smashed a safe, and left coins and a smashed vodka bottle but stole nothing. Garda Marie Geraghty spotted him on a roof and later arrested him at the rugby club after he entered the dressing rooms. Judge was already on bail for other burglary charges. He was convicted on 15 December 2016 and sentenced to four years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended. Judge also received a two‑year suspended sentence, to run consecutively to the four‑year term, and will begin serving it from his scheduled release in August. He apologized, cited drug‑free status, and requested placement in a drug treatment centre after custodial time.
In a 2016 daylight robbery on Essex Quay, Dublin, 39‑year‑old Charlene Curran of Kells, Co. Meath, attacked 25‑year‑old Rebecca Kelly. Curran tried to snatch Kelly's iPhone, flung her across the road, pulled her hair, punched her face and attempted to take the phone. Kelly, holding onto her bag, released the phone to keep her bag, and Curran fled with it. Garda Ian Lawlor arrived, found Kelly upset and injured, and used a phone‑tracking app on his own phone to locate Curran. The app led them to Heuston Station where Kelly identified the attacker. Judge Karen O'Connor described the assault as vicious and unprovoked, sentencing Curran to two and a half years' imprisonment, suspending the last 18 months on the condition of cooperation with Probation Services. The court noted Curran's two prior minor non‑violent convictions and her drug use at the time. Charlene Curran pleaded guilty.
A Dublin man, Robert Hedderman, aged 33, pleaded guilty to two burglaries. The first was at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel on Bachelor's Walk, Dublin 1, on 7 October 2016. He smashed a glass security panel to enter and was later confronted by a church volunteer who took him to the parish priest and called the police. Garda Michael O'Donnell found a screwdriver, scissors and many keys on him. While on bail, he committed a second burglary at the Irish Whiskey Museum on Grafton Street on 9 December 2016. CCTV showed him smashing two windows and stealing €300 in cash, merchandise and a laptop, causing the museum a €5,273 loss. He has 40 prior convictions, eight for burglary. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two years for the chapel burglary and 18 months for the museum burglary, with the final year suspended, giving a total of two and a half years in prison.
A 21‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a sexual act with a 14‑year‑old girl at an address in Dublin on 17 July 2015. The girl was taken from a teenage disco in Donnybrook, where she had drunk vodka and felt ill. She asked the man, a Facebook acquaintance, to pick her up because she was too afraid to call her mother. He drove her, she fell asleep, and he forced oral sex and later had her masturbate him. After driving to McDonald's, he dropped her home. The girl was found crying on her stairs, and her parents were informed. The man was arrested a few days later, admitted the offence, and apologized via text. He has no prior convictions, has intellectual difficulties and a borderline learning disability, and has attempted suicide after the offence. He is receiving counselling and anti‑depressants.
Ian McCluskey, aged 20, pleaded guilty to a knifepoint robbery at the Seventh Lock on the Royal Canal, Dublin, on 31 July 2016. While Fiach McHale was cycling, McCluskey approached, demanded the time, and when McHale produced his mobile phone, McCluskey brandished a Stanley "box‑cutter" knife, ordering him to dismount and run. McCluskey then stole the victim's mobile phone and a second phone in the bike's panniers, and later was arrested by gardaí. He admitted the theft, expressed remorse, and the victim's impact statement noted the threat and the victim's fear. Sentencing is scheduled for 19 December.
Rainis Koovit, aged 21, was found guilty of robbing a tip jar at Kaph Cafe in Dublin and of brandishing a syringe to threaten a barista. He claimed the syringe was HIV‑infected, though the court heard it was not. Koovit had previously used the alias Stephen McCormack and had ten earlier convictions under that name, including theft, criminal damage and drug possession, plus one theft conviction under his own name. He entered the cafe earlier that day, obtained a syringe from Merchants Quay, returned to the coffee shop, attempted to seize the chained tip jar, threatened the barista with the syringe, then grabbed foreign bank notes worth about €20 and fled. The barista and a male worker pursued him but did not catch him. Koovit was arrested about a month later, pleaded guilty, and was remanded in custody with a sentence hearing scheduled for December 21.
Alan Behan, 26, pleaded guilty to robbing 87‑year‑old Robert Lynch of €2,500 outside a Bank of Ireland ATM in Walkinstown on 26 August 2016. Behan, who had a manic episode and was not of sound mind, grabbed Lynch as he walked back to his car, demanding the cash. Lynch struggled, fell, and was left with a small arm cut. Behan was identified on CCTV, arrested a few months later, and has 17 prior convictions. He apologized face‑to‑face to Lynch, who accepted the apology with graciousness, and Behan has paid €600 in compensation, vowing to repay the full amount. He has lived in temporary accommodation with his partner and three children for 21 months, suffers from anxiety and bipolar disorder, and was under the influence of cannabis and other drugs at the time of the offence. The sentence hearing is scheduled for 19 December, with an updated psychiatric and probation report to be considered.
A man pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the attempted robbery of a flower shop on Aungier Street in Dublin on 26 November 2015. Andrew Cash, aged 26 and of no fixed abode, produced a Stanley blade and pointed it at the pregnant shop owner's stomach during the incident. The woman, noticing Cash appeared to be under the influence of drugs, managed to grab his arm and push and kick him from the premises. The blade was recovered at the scene. Cash was identified through CCTV footage and arrested several months later whilst serving a sentence in Cloverhill prison for another offence. He has 50 previous convictions including burglary, attempted robbery and assault. The defence submitted that the offence was not premeditated and lasted approximately 10 seconds, with Cash reportedly having recently reconnected with his family in Cavan. Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned the case pending a probation report and remanded Cash in custody until sentencing on 21 December 2017, acknowledging the gravity of threatening a pregnant woman with a blade.
O'Reilly Commercials Limited, a vehicle testing firm, appealed a conviction for breaching health and safety laws after a school bus test in 2005 led to a fatal crash in 2006 that killed 15‑year‑old Michael White. The firm had pleaded not guilty to four charges under the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989. A jury found the company guilty on one count for failing to note the bus's modified rear suspension system, but acquitted it on the other three counts. The company was fined €25,000 in 2013. In the appeal, counsel Seán Gillane argued that the test actually occurred on 1 September 2005, after the Act had been repealed, and that no offence existed. The prosecution countered that the test took place on 6 August 2005, a fact the jury had considered. The court reserved judgment.
Anthony Connors, 42, pleaded guilty to burglary at Linenhall St, Dublin, on 20 June 2016. He entered a house by convincing the homeowner, Michael Tonra, that he was looking for a long‑lost friend. Tonra offered to write down Connors' contact details, but Connors stopped him and demanded his jacket. Connors' behaviour changed from normal to intimidating, and he pushed Tonra, forcing him to the ground. Tonra resisted, pinned Connors, and tried to reason with him. Connors threatened to return with other men, struck him, and pushed him toward the front door. After leaving, Connors shouted and demanded his jacket. Gardaí found bail bonds and other documents in Connors' jacket, and CCTV footage confirmed his presence. Connors has 60 prior convictions, including burglary, aggravated burglary, false imprisonment, robbery and impersonating a Garda. Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned sentencing to 19 December and remanded Connors in custody.
Karl Jess, 28, of Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty on 6 January 2016 to possession for sale or supply of cocaine and to possessing the mixing agent benzocaine for drug trafficking. He was found with nearly €40,000 worth of cocaine, benzocaine, lignocaine, caffeine and a presser at his home. The court heard he had three previous convictions, including a drug offence, and that he has a three‑year‑old daughter. He was remanded on continuing bail until the sentencing hearing on 19 December, when a probation report will be considered. Jess's defence lawyer said he regrets the offence, has turned his life around, works well, and has a job offer upon release. The court will impose a custodial sentence, with the judge considering a significant suspension of part of the term.
In a 2016 robbery at a Topaz service station on Naas Road, Rathcoole, Robert Patchell (37) acted as the getaway driver while two co‑accused entered the store armed with knives. Two off‑duty Gardaí, who were using the petrol station at the time, observed the robbery and restrained the robbers. Patchell remained in the driver's seat, while one robber was restrained in the passenger seat and a third escaped. The Gardaí were threatened with knives and one officer, Garda Stephen Byrne, sustained a forearm wound. Patchell pleaded guilty to robbery of cash and a till. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Melanie Greally, after noting Patchell's positive steps and a clean recent drug test, imposed a three‑year suspended sentence, with the offence considered very serious. The sentence was suspended, and no custodial time was imposed. The case was heard in the criminal court in Dublin.
Paul Heaney, aged 33, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for two robberies at Paddy Power Bookmakers on 3 January and 28 October 2016. In the first offence he threatened a staff member with a large kitchen knife and stole €1,200. In the second he pointed an imitation firearm at the same staff member and stole €250. He pleaded guilty to both robberies and to possession of a realistic imitation firearm. He claimed he was under the influence of drugs and feared for his life due to debt. He wrote an apology letter and expressed remorse. Judge Karen O'Connor accepted his apology and his desire to change, imposing consecutive sentences totalling five and a half years, suspending the final 21 months on strict conditions. No money was recovered from either robbery.
Wayne Gilligan, 22, was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four years in prison for stealing two family cars from a house in Swords on 3 January 2016 and for possessing €28,600 worth of cannabis at his home on 9 January 2016. The judge suspended the last 18 months of the sentence, citing Gilligan's serious drug addiction, debts, death threats and the impact on the car owners. She credited his early guilty pleas, young age and cooperation with Gardaí, and directed him to seek treatment at Coolmine Residential Centre.
John McGovern, 25, set fire to the Station Hill apartment complex in Clongriffin, Dublin, causing €1.25 million in damage and leaving 25 people temporarily homeless. He pleaded guilty to one count of arson and one count of assault on his partner, Gráinne O'Brien, on 1 November last year. The court found the arson a very serious offence because it placed residents' lives at risk. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced McGovern to six and a half years' imprisonment, suspended the last 12 months, and imposed a two‑year period of good behaviour and supervision by Probation Services. McGovern had 26 prior convictions, including theft and public order offences, and had been in custody since the incident. The fire was extinguished after four‑and‑a‑half hours, with no injuries, but six homes were destroyed and many residents suffered financial and emotional hardship. The judge noted McGovern was making good use of his time in custody and seeking rehabilitation.
A 29-year-old man pleaded guilty to burglary at a takeaway in Castlebar, County Mayo on 18 May 2015. Yasir Ali of Lighthouse Apartments, East Wall, Dublin removed equipment valued at €11,484.50 from Thomas Street Takeaway, including commercial freezers, deep fat fryers, and stainless steel fixtures. Ali had been operating the premises after subletting it without the owner's consent. He was arrested shortly after the theft and subsequently apprehended at Dublin Airport attempting to leave the country with false documentation. Following his arrest, Ali cooperated with gardaí and led them to a farmhouse at Hollymount, County Mayo, where the stolen equipment was recovered. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the judge noted Ali's cooperation and adherence to bail conditions. He received a three-month suspended sentence for the false documentation offence. Sentencing on the burglary charge has been adjourned to 18 December to allow submission of medical reports. Ali has no previous convictions.
In a 2017 trial, retired consultant surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, was found guilty by a jury of indecent assault on two teenage male patients during the 1970s. The convictions concerned incidents between 1974 and 1976 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and Shine's private clinic in Drogheda. Shine admitted attending to the patients but denied any inappropriate conduct. Testimony from one victim described being restrained on a bed, having a blanket and rubber bungee straps applied, and the doctor's hand slipping under the blanket to massage his testicles. A second victim recounted that during follow‑up examinations for undescended testes, Shine massaged the base of his penis. The jury acquitted Shine of several other charges, including four counts of groping other teenage boys and one count of assault between 1988 and 1991. Judge Cormac Quinn remanded Shine on continuing bail until December 1 for sentencing.
Jason Molyneaux, 26, of North William Street Flats, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a screwdriver with intent to use it in connection with the unlawful use of a motor vehicle. The offence occurred on 9 May 2016 at East Wall Road, Dublin 3, when he was a passenger on a stolen motorcycle. Molyneaux had 120 previous convictions, mainly for road traffic offences, and no history of violence. Judge Karen O'Connor described the offence as "particularly horrible" and noted the significant inconvenience caused to the motorbike owner, Matthew Leonard, who had lost his independent transport and had to extend his commute from half an hour to two hours. The judge imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended in full, and ordered Molyneaux to pay €1,000 compensation to Leonard. She warned that a repeat offence would trigger the full sentence. Molyneaux's co‑accused, William Baker, received a similar suspended sentence and a €2,000 compensation order.
Jonathan Hynes, a 31‑year‑old Wicklow man, stole between €1,000 and €7,000 from his employer, Zurich Life Assurance plc, between January and December 2015. He used the stolen money to pay for prescription medication and hospital bills for his drug‑addicted ex‑girlfriend. Hynes has refunded €30,000 to the insurer and still owes €40,000, which he must repay within three years. He pleaded guilty to the thefts. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing the case, found that Hynes's motive was a desperate act driven by emotion rather than greed. Judge Martin Nolan suspended a three‑year sentence, noting that a less noble motive would have led to a different outcome, and ordered the repayment of the remaining debt. No prior convictions were recorded for Hynes.
A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court acquitted retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, of four counts of indecent assault on three teenage patients in 1964, 1970 and 1976. Shine had pleaded not guilty to seven charges relating to alleged assaults on five patients between 1964 and 1991 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda. The jury found him not guilty of the four counts involving the teenagers, citing a lack of corroborating evidence and missing medical records that could confirm the alleged encounters. Judge Cormac Quinn warned jurors that reasonable doubt arising from the delay in the complaints required them to give the benefit of the doubt to the accused. Shine denied ever seeing the patients and denied any inappropriate conduct during examinations. The remaining three counts, involving alleged assaults on two teenage patients between 1974 and 1976, were not addressed in the verdict.
Oyindamola Ojo, a 37‑year‑old Nigerian mother of six living in Balbriggan, Dublin, received a three‑year suspended sentence for her role in a complex money‑laundering scheme that involved Ireland, the UK and Nigeria. She opened seven credit‑union accounts across three Irish counties, using forged Electric Ireland bills and "compromised" UK debit and credit cards to withdraw €1,800 from St Mary's Credit Union, €2,500 from Palmerstown Credit Union and attempted to withdraw €4,800 from Dunboyne Credit Union between December 2014 and January 2015. Ojo also pleaded guilty to using false bills at Dunboyne, Nolan's and Waterford Credit Unions, and to dishonestly inducing a replacement of an iPhone 6 Plus at Carphone Warehouse. She claimed she was drawn into the operation by an ex‑partner and a friend, both based in Nigeria, and that she feared for her three children's safety. Ojo had no prior convictions.
Tiarnan O'Mahoney, a former senior Anglo Irish Bank official, was acquitted of all charges by direction at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The 58-year-old, who pleaded not guilty, faced allegations of conspiring to destroy, mutilate, or falsify bank records and conspiracy to defraud the Revenue Commissioners regarding bogus non-resident accounts liable for Deposit Interest Retention Tax. These offences were alleged to have occurred between March 2003 and December 2004, involving eight accounts connected to former chief executive Sean FitzPatrick. Judge Martin Nolan directed the jury to acquit O'Mahoney after accepting a defence submission that the prosecution failed to prove a necessary connection between the accused and former assistant manager Aoife Maguire. The judge described the evidence of conspiracy as "too tenuous" and "too remote," stating that a conviction would be perverse. This 21-day trial was a retrial following the Court of Appeal's quashing of O'Mahoney's 2015 conviction in April 2016. The judge noted that while FitzPatrick benefited from the account deletions, the formal evidence linking O'Mahoney to a conspiracy with Maguire was insufficient. O'Mahoney was discharged from the court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, faced eight charges of indecent assault against five teenage male patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda between 1964 and 1991. Shine pleaded not guilty. Judge Cormac Quinn warned the jury that convicting on the uncorroborated evidence of any complainant would be dangerous, emphasizing that the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that Shine attended to the complainants, that the alleged acts occurred, were not legitimate medical examinations, and were intended as indecent. He noted the absence of credible independent corroboration for any complainant and urged jurors to exercise special care when assessing each claim. The judge also highlighted the challenges posed by the 42‑year delay, including missing records and the difficulty of defense, and advised that any reasonable doubt should favor the accused. The jury was sent home for the night, with deliberations to resume the next morning.
Judge Martin Nolan of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court intends to direct the jury to acquit Tiarnan O'Mahoney, a former chief operations officer at Anglo Irish Bank, of all charges. The 58-year-old, who pleaded not guilty, was accused of conspiring to destroy, mutilate, or falsify books and documents relating to the bank's property or affairs, and conspiracy to defraud the Revenue Commissioners regarding bogus non-resident accounts potentially liable for Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT). The alleged offences, involving eight accounts connected to former chief executive Sean FitzPatrick, occurred between March 2003 and December 2004. This retrial followed the Court of Appeal quashing O'Mahoney's 2015 conviction in April 2016. Judge Nolan ruled the prosecution's case was "too tenuous" and "too remote" to go to the jury, stating that a conviction would be "perverse" due to a lack of formal evidence linking O'Mahoney to Aoife Maguire, a former assistant manager. Although the judge noted O'Mahoney had insight into the accounts and was instrumental in removing certain staff from the DIRT investigation team, he found the evidence insufficient to prove conspiracy. The judge described Maguire as a "mere conduit" for more powerful voices and acknowledged that FitzPatrick benefited from the account deletions to trade Anglo shares during a prohibited period. The judge praised the Garda investigation but concluded that the jury would be asked to speculate to fill gaps in the evidence. The formal acquittal is scheduled for the following day.
Mark Donovan, 49, of Liscarne Court, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to possessing €160,000 worth of cocaine for sale or supply at his rented unit in Rowlagh Shopping Centre. Gardaí discovered a large bag of suspicious powder during repairs, seized 2.3 kg of cocaine, a Colombian bank note and a list of names written in Donovan's hand. Donovan admitted storing the drugs for about six weeks, claiming financial pressure and fear for his safety. He denied that the list was a drug‑tick list, stating it was of business contacts. Donovan had previously been convicted of a minor road traffic offence. He has been in custody since the offence and will be sentenced on November 16, with the court noting he is facing a custodial sentence.
A masked man, Francis Leahy, 58, robbed a Spar shop in Ringsend on 18 February, taking €360 in cash and using a loaded gun with 10 rounds. He was immediately recognised by a shop worker as a regular customer, who initially thought Leahy was joking until the gun was pointed at him. Leahy claimed he had gambling debts and had received threatening bullet cartridges in his letter box, prompting the robbery. He was arrested shortly after, found with the gun, cash and additional ammunition, and pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of firearm possession. Leahy has 21 prior convictions, including drug possession, theft, larceny and assault, and has been in custody since the offence. The case was adjourned to 28 November. The victim expressed fear for his life during the incident. The court noted the seriousness of the offence and the presence of a live firearm and ammunition.
A 51‑year‑old mother of three, Jadesola Agbalade, pleaded guilty on 20 July 2016 to knowingly distributing child pornography after she forwarded a clip of a child being raped to a friend via WhatsApp. The clip, showing a child aged between two and five, was an international recording that had circulated since about 2014. Gardaí discovered the clip when investigating a man arrested for credit‑card fraud at Dublin Airport in July 2017; the man's phone contained the clip and the sender's number traced back to Agbalade. She admitted to sending the clip to a female friend with three young children to warn her against leaving her children with her boyfriend. Agbalade has no prior convictions, lives in temporary accommodation, and will be sentenced on 9 November. The court ordered a probation report and remanded her on continuing bail.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, pleaded not guilty to eight charges of indecent assault against six patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda between 1964 and 1991. Shine testified that he had no memory of treating four of the complainants and denied any indecent conduct. He admitted treating two patients, recalling a 1974 case of undescended testicles and a 1976 case of an infected toenail, but denied any inappropriate touching. The prosecution presented medical records linking three complainants to Shine, while the defense highlighted the absence of records for the others. Judge Cormac Quinn withdrew the charge against a 15‑year‑old boy, instructing the jury to find Shine not guilty of assaulting him. The trial's evidence phase concluded, with lawyers set to deliver closing arguments on Tuesday.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Declan Tynan, aged 27, was convicted of violent disorder for his role in a December 13, 2012 attack on a Ladbrokes bookmakers in Tallaght. The prosecution alleged that Tynan was one of three men who entered the shop, attacked a customer with a short blade, and then turned on the victim's brother when he tried to intervene. No medical or victim impact reports were produced, and the only evidence against Tynan was a Garda identification from CCTV footage. A jury found him guilty and Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, suspending the final year. The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction in July. Earlier this month, Tynan's barrister claimed that another man had "came forward" and that visual identification was unreliable. On October 27, 2017, a three‑judge court granted Tynan bail pending a Garda investigation, requiring him to reside at a specified address and sign in twice weekly. Declan Tynan pleaded not guilty.
Michael Darcy, 37, of Parkhill West, Tallaght, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to attempting to commit an indictable offence of deception by making a false insurance claim to Axa Insurance Limited. The offence was alleged to have occurred on 1 September 2013. Judge Karen O'Connor set a sentencing hearing for 23 November, when full facts will be considered.
The trial of retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, continues at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He denies eight charges of indecent assault against six teenage male patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda between 1964 and 1991. The prosecution closed its case; Judge Cormac Quinn addressed a legal issue today. A jury of four men and eight women will return tomorrow morning, with the trial expected to finish next week.
Two men, Glenn Murray, 28, and Frank Dunne, 50, pleaded guilty to possessing €95,000 worth of cocaine. They were arrested after a tip led Gardaí to a car‑park at Dunnes Stores, Saggart, on 15 September 2016. Murray was seen entering a blue Ford Focus, opening the passenger door, and carrying a black shopping bag that contained over 1,000 g of cocaine valued at €70,126. Two additional bags with 369 g of cocaine, worth €25,877, were found in a bedside locker at Dunne's house. Murray claimed he had no knowledge of the quantity, was promised €700 for transport, and described the operation as a "once‑off" job to earn extra money. Dunne said he had been promised €500, had a debt from cocaine use, and had no idea who the main organiser was.
David Clail, aged 28, admitted to breaking into his ex‑girlfriend Sharon Murphy's home on 20 September 2016. He entered the house, smashed doors and windows, damaged furniture, and threatened to kill Murphy and her family. Clail claimed he had no reason for his actions other than waking up "in a black mood" and "blanked out". He pleaded guilty to burglary armed with a flick knife, criminal damage and threatening to kill. The court heard Murphy was alone, had a toothache, and called 999 during the incident. Clail was arrested, admitted the break‑in and the violence, and was scheduled for sentencing on 14 December 2023, pending a psychiatric diagnosis. He has a prior conviction from 2008. The judge warned that any contact with Murphy would result in a court appearance. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
In 2014, Dermot Griffin, aged 57, was found guilty of manslaughter after a 13‑day trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the 2001 fire that killed 12‑year‑old Stephen Hughes. The jury, composed of six men and six women, returned a verdict of guilty and Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced Griffin to 15 years' imprisonment. Griffin has now appealed his conviction to the Court of Appeal. His counsel, Bernard Condon SC, argued that the prosecution's case was a "three‑legged affair", citing inconsistent statements from three witnesses who admitted drug use and had altered their accounts over time. Condon also highlighted a partner's testimony that Griffin had spoken of burning the den, which was not corroborated by police interviews. The prosecution, represented by Mary Rose Gearty SC, countered that additional evidence, including testimony from Jason Lambe, supported the original verdict. Judge George Birmingham has reserved judgment on the appeal.
Peter Hilliard, 54, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of sexual assault against vulnerable residents at Bloomfield nursing home between February 2013 and June 2016. The first assault was discovered when a colleague saw a video of Hilliard touching an elderly resident's breasts on his Facebook page. Garda Shane Whelan reported that the video also showed a male present during the assault. Following a search of Hilliard's devices, investigators found a second video of a similar attack on another resident. Hilliard had no prior convictions. After his arrest he expressed remorse and mentioned suicidal thoughts. The judge noted Hilliard's loss of employment and his engagement with counselling. A suspended sentence of 18 months was imposed, conditioned on Hilliard keeping the peace, attending weekly therapy, and remaining under Probation Service supervision for 18 months.
Siobhan Maguire, aged 47, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for fraud and theft offences that spanned 14 years. She worked as a personal assistant and shared secretary at two Dublin offices, where she fraudulently lodged 660 cheques into her own bank account, ranging from a few hundred euros to €5,000 each. The total amount stolen was €1,187,616, of which about €325,000 remains outstanding. Maguire pleaded guilty in the District Court and entered a signed guilty plea before the Circuit Criminal Court. She had no prior convictions. The judge noted her early plea, full admissions, remorse, and the impact on her young children, and imposed concurrent four‑year terms for each count. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the judge taking into account the financial details and the circumstances of the theft. The former employers received partial reimbursement from banks and did not wish to give victim impact statements.
The prosecution case in the trial of retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, has concluded. Shine, who denies the allegations, faced eight charges of indecent assault against teenage patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda between 1964 and 1991. Six male witnesses testified that Shine allegedly groped their genitalia during medical examinations for various injuries. On the seventh day, expert medical witness Richard Stephens explained to the prosecution that there is no medical necessity for genital examinations in such cases, while to the defense he noted that examining the groin in a male trauma patient can be reasonable. He clarified that a brief, appropriate examination of the groin, with a sheet covering the testes, is not inherently wrong. The trial will continue before Judge Cormac Quinn and a jury of four men and eight women. Shine maintains his innocence for all alleged incidents.
John O'Keefe, 26, was stopped by Garda Stephen Connor after the officer observed him using a mobile phone while driving a van toward the city centre. The Garda noted O'Keefe was extremely nervous and detected a strong smell of cannabis. A search of the van uncovered a bag of 248 MDMA tablets worth €2,480 and a bag of cannabis herb worth €4,734. O'Keefe admitted to transporting the drugs for €200, claiming he was unaware of their value and did not know the recipient. He pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at Greenhills Road, Tallaght, on 11 April 2016. The court, hearing his 16 prior convictions, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation supervision. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.