At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Karl Fields (22), of Ayleward Green, Church St, Finglas Dublin, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply at a house in The Griffith, Finglas, on October 6, 2016, and to unlawfully impeding or obstructing a garda on the same date. The charges were admitted, and Fields was found guilty. Judge Karen O'Connor imposed a two-year sentence, which was suspended in full, consecutive to the term he is currently serving. The court heard that Fields was known to gardaí as a supplier of heroin in the Finglas area. During a search of the house, Fields threw two packages of cocaine out of a window, nearly into the hands of gardaí. The packages had a combined street value of €3,176. Fields has 168 previous convictions, including 11 for drug sale or supply and over 100 for road traffic offences. He has a chaotic family background and began using drugs at the age of 13. Defence counsel stated that Fields wishes to enter a residential treatment program on his release. The matter was adjourned.
Two men, Darren Watters (21) and Michael Joyce (28), pleaded guilty to stealing an Adria camper van worth €27,000 on 13 June 2016. At a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Karen O'Connor imposed suspended sentences: Joyce received a two‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term fully suspended, and Watters a two‑year suspended sentence for this offence and a separate offence involving a stolen car. The judge urged both to learn from their mistakes and warned that failure to do so could lead to future incarceration. Both were ordered to keep the peace, complete victim focus work, engage with probation services for 12 months and comply with all professional directions. The case was adjourned for mention on 13 October to decide the disposition of Joyce's €500 gesture of remorse.
Brian Bobey, a 64‑year‑old Dublin resident, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to fraudulently claiming his deceased mother's pension for 17 years, from 1997 to 2013, amounting to €158,726. He admitted to taking the benefits after her death in May 1997 and stopped in October 2013 following an investigation by the Department of Social Welfare. Bobey has not yet repaid any of the money. He lives at his late parents' house in Walkinstown Parade with his partner and daughter. Garda Niall Gaynor noted that Bobey cooperated fully when a warrant was obtained to search his house and that he had no evidence of living a "high life" from the false claims. Bobey has 15 previous convictions, the most recent being drink driving in 2002. The case was adjourned for sentencing on 13 October 2017.
In 2012, Declan Tynan, 27, was convicted of violent disorder after a violent attack on a customer at a Ladbrokes bookmakers in Tallaght. The prosecution's case relied on a single witness and CCTV footage that identified Tynan. He was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended. In July 2017 the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction. Tynan's lawyers argued that a new witness had come forward, claiming a close resemblance to the attacker, and sought a bail application. The court rejected the appeal, stating that the lack of contemporaneous notes on the CCTV viewing did not create a statutory obligation to exclude the evidence. The case was remitted for one week, but no further action was taken. The appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal. Declan Tynan pleaded not guilty.
Gerard Cleary, aged 33, pleaded guilty to possessing 1,976 g of cocaine for sale or supply outside his home in Lucan, Dublin, on 8 August 2017. He admitted holding the drugs for a few minutes before Gardaí seized them, after being instructed by a third party to keep a package for no more than a day to repay a €9,000 debt incurred through his own cocaine use. Cleary, a waste‑management engineer, claimed he was paid to hold the drugs in an unlocked car, but could not name the person who owed him or who asked him to do so. He has 14 prior convictions, including nine traffic offences, one assault and one under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The court heard he had been a functioning cocaine addict, had lost his job, and that his debt had increased dramatically. He was remanded on continuing bail to be sentenced on 16 November.
On 2 October 2015, Charles Schlaubitz, aged 45, produced an imitation firearm in the beer garden of the Pygmalion Public House on Coppinger Row. He was wearing army gear, had a can of beer, and pulled a replica gun from his pocket. Garda John Clancy was alerted and found Schlaubitz intoxicated, slurring, and unsteady. He did not conceal the gun, which was in his bag, and was restrained. Schlaubitz was arrested and bailed for a public order offence that did not proceed. Later that day he returned to a pharmacy on Berkeley Road to retrieve toiletries he had purchased for his children. He produced the same imitation handgun, was aggressive, and was asked to leave. The pharmacy staff called Gardaí, who found him semi‑naked in a corridor at his hostel. He was arrested again. Charles Schlaubitz pleaded guilty.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has appealed to the Court of Appeal against a 2015 acquittal of an unnamed man on charges relating to the operation of a hazardous landfill site. The man was previously acquitted by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of counts concerning the holding or disposal of waste causing environmental pollution and the recovery of waste without a license. The DPP moved to overturn the ruling on a point of law under Section 23 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2010, arguing the trial judge erred in narrowly interpreting the statutory definition of a company manager or officer. Counsel for the State, Alex Owens SC, submitted that the man acted as a de facto director, interfacing with the Environmental Protection Agency and holding himself out as a policy maker, and that the jury should have determined his managerial status. Conversely, defence counsel Bernard Condon SC maintained the man was merely a consultant paid through a company he and his wife owned, arguing the evidence did not establish a managerial position. The Court of Appeal, comprising Mr Justice George Birmingham, Mr Justice Alan Mahon, and Mr Justice John Edwards, heard the arguments and reserved its judgment. The matter remains pending and has not been concluded.
In November 2015, Theresa Chennaux, a 49‑year‑old woman diagnosed with schizophrenia, attempted to remove a five‑year‑old child from a Luas tram and later tried to restrain a 12‑year‑old girl and assault her 14‑year‑old sister at two separate stops. She claimed she was protecting the children from a paedophile and accused Gardaí of being vampires. Chennaux had not been taking her medication and had been moved between psychiatric facilities without meeting criteria for involuntary admission. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a jury of twelve returned a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity on all charges in under twenty minutes. Judge Melanie Greally committed her to the Central Mental Hospital for assessment, with a report due on 13 November. The incidents were captured on CCTV and witnessed by passengers who described her as dishevelled and speaking of witches and the devil.
Christopher Geraghty, 48, of Oldtown, Santry, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of control substances for sale or supply. He was found in possession of 27 bars of PVP, a drug described in court as "poor man's cocaine", worth €242,984. Gardaí searched his residence on 15 October 2014 and discovered the white powder, which Geraghty and the supplier believed to be cocaine. He was arrested, cooperated during questioning, and was held in custody until 27 March 2015, a period taken into account at sentencing. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to four years imprisonment, with the final 24 months suspended, and imposed a 24‑month probation period. The sentence was mitigated by his health problems, addiction, family support and early plea. He had previously served a ten‑year sentence in 2005 for the manslaughter of Anthony Jordan.
Gillian Philip, 36, pleaded guilty to damaging a neighbour's property with fire on 21 October 2015. She was arrested that evening after Garda Robert Whitty interviewed two children who witnessed her pushing a flaming laminated paper through a letterbox. The children quenched the fire, but the hall carpet was scorched. Philip had been in custody since January 2017 and will live with her father in Co Cork after release. Judge Karen O'Connor described the act as reckless, noted Philip's limited cognitive function and tragic life, and considered her early guilty plea, remorse letter and positive use of custody time. She imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the balance from today's date on strict conditions. The case stemmed from a bin dispute, and Philip has five children and prior convictions for theft, public intoxication and failing to appear.
Joseph Moore, a 30‑year‑old supermarket security guard, was found with nearly €10,000 worth of cannabis and cocaine at his father's home. The drugs, valued at €7,735 for cocaine and €2,142 for cannabis, were discovered during a planned search. Moore told Gardaí the drugs were for his own use, but he later pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply. The court heard that Moore came from a stable, hard‑working family; his father, a retired civil servant, was deeply disappointed. Judge Karen O'Connor, after considering his work history and family support, decided against imprisonment. She ordered Moore to perform 240 hours of community service in lieu of a three‑year jail term. The case was adjourned for a probation report. The court noted that Moore's father, now a taxi driver, was mortified by his son's behaviour.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Gregory Kearns, aged 44, pleaded guilty to 14 counts of illegally possessing false instruments and items that could be used to make false instruments. Gardaí found at his home a fake €50 note, fake bank statements, a fake driver's licence, a fake motor tax disc, scanners, laminators, a vehicle registration plate maker, gold and silver foil, a harp stamp, laminate strips and a circular cardboard template for making motor tax discs. Kearns, who lives with his wife, two children and a grandchild, told officers he would replace all the equipment within a week and that he had wiped the computers. He has seven previous convictions, including one for handling stolen property and several road traffic offences. The court heard he is a charity volunteer who has dressed as Santa Claus for sick children. Judge Karen O'Connor will sentence him next Friday, October 6.
Keith Byrne, 32, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of €300 worth of cannabis herb and making threats to kill or seriously harm staff at Bewleys Hotel, Sandyford, on 15 February 2014. Byrne, who had 44 prior convictions, threatened staff, saying he had a barrister on speed dial and would slit a staff member "from ear to ear." He also threatened to stab a staff member with a screwdriver after the staff member had the bag of cannabis. Byrne had completed a residential rehabilitation programme and a favourable probation report was presented. Judge Melanie Greally, noting the violent conduct but also the rehabilitation, imposed a two‑year sentence suspended for two years on strict conditions, deciding that incarceration would be counter‑productive at this stage.
Tom Humphries, a former sports journalist aged 54, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four counts of inviting a child to participate in a sexually explicit act and two counts of defilement of a 16‑year‑old girl between January 2010 and March 2011. The court heard that Humphries first contacted the girl through his volunteer work with junior GAA teams and sent her thousands of text messages, some of which were sexually explicit. In December 2010 he met the girl at his flat, stripped her, performed oral sex on her and had her perform oral sex on him. The court noted that the girl was aware of the texts and that the offending was discovered when Humphries' daughter found the messages on an old phone. Humphries was hospitalized after a suicide attempt and later transferred to St Patrick's mental health hospital where he made another attempt.
Tom Humphries, a 54‑year‑old former Irish Times sports journalist, is set to be sentenced in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sexual exploitation and defilement of a child. He pleaded guilty in March to six offences against a girl under 17, including two counts of defilement between December 2010 and February 2011 and four counts of inviting a child to participate in a sexually explicit, obscene or indecent act between January 2010 and March 2011. The hearing will last about an hour to 90 minutes. Prosecutor Shane Costello informed the judge that the defence has submitted mitigation material, including a letter of apology addressed directly to the complainant, and requested that the victim be allowed to see the letter before the hearing. The case had been adjourned previously to allow the defence more time to prepare a report.
James Maher, aged 64, was jailed for eight years after pleading guilty to six counts of sexually abusing his two nephews between 1980 and 1984. The victims, aged eight and six at the time of the first abuse, were abused at various locations in Dublin. Maher admitted to indecent assault and other sexual offences, describing the abuse as "pain and violence" and "like an animal." The court heard the brothers turned to drugs and suffered depression as a result of the abuse. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced Maher to nine years, suspending the final year due to his age, health issues, guilty plea and lack of prior convictions. The victims waived anonymity and testified that the abuse had robbed them of their youth and spirit. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court formally discharged charges against ten of the eleven Jobstown water charge protesters. Judge Melanie Greally entered a nolle prosequi for all accused except Dylan Collins, whose case remains active. Prosecution barrister Sean Gillane SC stated that Collins, aged 22, is alleged to have committed violent disorder and criminal damage to a garda car rear window on November 15, 2014. He will be arraigned on November 20, with a trial date likely unnecessary. The other ten defendants, including Antoinette Kane and Calvin Carlyle, faced allegations of violent disorder at Fortunestown Road, Jobstown, on the same date. Their charges were dropped following a request from the DPP. This decision follows a previous trial where six men, including Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, were found not guilty of falsely imprisoning former Tánaiste Joan Burton and her advisor Karen O'Connell. Protesters celebrated the discharge outside the court, demanding a public inquiry into the prosecution. The matter for the ten discharged individuals was concluded, while Collins's case proceeds to arraignment.
A jury of eight women and four men was sworn in for the trial of Tiarnan O'Mahoney, 58, a former Chief Operations Officer at Anglo Irish Bank. He has pleaded not guilty to a conspiracy charge alleging that he conspired to destroy, mutilate or falsify books and documents relating to Anglo Irish Bank's property or affairs between 25 March 2003 and 31 December 2004, involving several named accounts. O'Mahoney, now a business consultant living in Glen Pines, Enniskerry, denies the charge. Judge Martin Nolan of the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court explained that the trial is expected to last four to six weeks and that anyone with an association to the bank or who could not act impartially should not serve. He warned the jury against researching the case online. The prosecution is represented by Dominic McGinn SC and Kerida Naidoo SC, while O'Mahoney's defence is led by Brendan Grehan SC with Lorcan Staines BL and Edward Doocy BL.
A judge has granted legal aid to Frederick Cham, 61, an Aer Lingus worker accused of helping illegal immigrants enter Ireland. Cham, who lives in Railway Cottages, Hazelhatch, Celbridge, Co. Kildare and was born in Hong Kong, faces trial on two charges of organising or facilitating the entry of non‑Irish nationals into the State on 9 January and 22 January. He was arrested by the Garda National Immigration Bureau and sent to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Previously denied legal aid, Cham's application was renewed after the court heard that he had not fully disclosed assets, including two bank accounts in the UK and Hong Kong, and that he owned a 1996 Mini Cooper and a 2007 Alfa Romeo. Lawyers argued he earned €400 a week with Aer Lingus, his salary had ceased, and his wife in China depended on him.
John Morley, aged 31, was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to assaulting a Romanian refuse collector at Virgina Park, Finglas, on 5 August 2015. The incident began when a bin was not collected because it had been "blacklisted" for non‑payment. Three men, including Morley, confronted the bin crew, pushing the collectors and threatening violence. Morley was under the influence of alcohol, but the judge, Melanie Greally, found this not a justification. He received a three‑year sentence with the final year suspended, conditional on participation in victim awareness work and maintaining peace for that period. The case also involved two other men who received partially suspended sentences. Morley's 20 prior convictions were noted, and the court highlighted the seriousness of the assault.
Ahmed Ayadi, aged 25, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for possession of a 9mm Glock pistol in suspicious circumstances and for possession of cannabis. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Ayadi had approached undercover Gardaí to buy a firearm, claiming he was involved in drug sales and wanted a weapon "just in case." He initially wanted an AK‑47 but chose a Glock after seeing a picture, paying €450 on 12 May 2016. Gardaí had been alerted through confidential information and set up a surveillance operation, recording meetings with Ayadi. He was arrested after his vehicle was intercepted. The judge, Karen O'Connor, noted his early guilty plea, remorse, and community work, but considered the offence serious. She imposed a six‑year term, suspended the final 12 months, and ordered 12 months of probation supervision upon release.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Detective Sergeant Eve Doherty, aged 49, was found guilty of harassing State solicitor Elizabeth Howlin. Doherty had pleaded not guilty to the harassment charge and to two counts of making false statements alleging Howlin was perverting the course of justice. The jury convicted her on the harassment charge but acquitted her on the false statements. The court heard that Doherty sent abusive letters and emails to Howlin's home, workplace and GP, calling her a "corrupt bitch" and other slurs, and that she also distributed A4 posters claiming Howlin was a political appointee who would "pull" files. Doherty was remanded on continuing bail until 27 October, with conditions prohibiting contact with parties in the proceedings and no social‑media postings about the case. The trial lasted just over three hours and involved 15 days of evidence. The judge thanked the jury for their careful assessment of the evidence.
Carl Murphy, 45, pleaded guilty to possessing 121 images of child pornography after "stumbling" across them while searching for adult porn late at night. He was in a state of emotional flux following his marriage collapse and had checked himself into St Patrick's Hospital. The material, mainly depicting young females under 17, was seized from two laptops and a desktop. Murphy admitted he had not sought the illegal content and had deleted it after viewing. Judge Martin Nolan noted the modest number of images and Murphy's psychological problems, and imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence suspended in full. Murphy has no prior convictions, is undergoing therapy, and has expressed deep remorse for the impact on his family and community.
Wayne Ellis, 35, from Ballyfermot, lost a challenge to the constitutionality of mandatory minimum sentences for firearms offences. He had pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances and to possession of certain articles at Knocklyon Shopping Centre on 5 July 2012. In 2014 Judge Mary Ellen Ring gave him a wholly suspended sentence, but the Court of Appeal later ruled the sentence was "unduly lenient" and ordered him to serve a five‑year term. Ellis's lawyers argued that the mandatory minimum provisions under Section 27A (8) of the Firearms Act 1964, as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 2006, infringed the separation of powers and the principle of proportionality. The High Court refused to declare the section unconstitutional, and the Court of Appeal agreed, noting that the legislature had a legitimate role in setting sentencing parameters and that the mandatory minimum was not irrational or disproportionate.
Justin Murray, 38, was found guilty of stealing €500 in mass donations from the Church of Our Lady of Victories in Ballymun on 6 November 2016. He entered the church by "creeping" in, was seen by a parishioner taking collection envelopes, and fled on foot when she noticed him. Garda Ross Brierley and colleagues identified him from CCTV footage and arrested him the following day at a shopping centre. Murray, who has 77 prior convictions including ten thefts and 20 burglaries, had previously been on bail for a robbery. He pleaded guilty early, a fact the prosecution said was of great assistance. The court remanded him in custody, ordered a probation report, and noted his wish to be transferred to Cork Prison under an enhanced regime to aid his recovery from heroin use. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Jade Seddon, a 25‑year‑old mother of three from Oldham, Manchester, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for importing €70,000 of cocaine into Dublin Airport on 30 March 2017. She admitted to carrying just over one kilogram of the drug in a suitcase when she flew in from Brussels. After her arrest, Seddon told Gardaí she had flown to Amsterdam to collect the package, knowing it contained cocaine, and that she was to meet a man in Dublin to receive €3,000. She claimed she did so because her home was being repossessed and she needed money for a rent deposit. Defended by Luigi Rea, she was described as a single mother of limited means who had previously worked as a bingo caller and cleaner. Jade Seddon pleaded guilty.
A retrial date has been set for a Cavan childminder charged with causing serious harm to an infant. Sandra Higgins, aged 36, of The Beeches, Drumgola Wood, Cavan town, denies intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to a baby at her home on 28 March 2012. Judge Karen O'Connor at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court scheduled the new trial to commence on 15 January 2018, with proceedings expected to last eight days. The previous jury was discharged after a juror accessed information online, and an earlier jury in 2015 failed to reach a verdict.
During a hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Melanie Greally criticised existing contempt of court laws as "hopelessly inadequate" for curbing social media commentary that could interfere with trials. She spoke ahead of a trial set for 3 October involving six defendants charged with violent disorder and false imprisonment following a 2014 protest in Jobstown, Tallaght. Greally had considered imposing a bail condition preventing defendants from making social media comments aimed at influencing the trial, but after defence submissions she decided no change was needed, citing the usual condition to keep the peace and good behaviour. She warned that any such commentary would be evidence of contempt. The judge also cautioned mainstream media against linking the upcoming defendants to the previous trial and noted the DPP's sensitivity to recent broadcast comments. The hearing highlighted the tension between freedom of expression and the need to protect the integrity of ongoing trials.
Two brothers, aged 44 and 44, stood in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual abuse of their uncle, who was 64. The abuse took place between January 1980 and March 1984, when the brothers were aged eight to thirteen and six to seven. The uncle admitted to indecent assault, placing his penis in each boy's mouth and anus, and urinating in one boy's mouth. He had considered murdering them but said he would not do so. The brothers waited to come forward until after their grandparents died, fearing the impact on their family. They described the uncle's reassurance that the abuse was "OK" and "our secret." The brothers suffered drug addiction, depression and relationship problems. The court ordered a probation report and adjourned sentencing to 2 October, noting the seriousness of the offence.
Jonathan Doran, a 26‑year‑old barber from Artane, was convicted of violent disorder after a row outside Krystal nightclub in Dublin in 2013. He claimed he acted out of "misguided loyalty" because he mistakenly believed his friend, Republic of Ireland footballer Jeff Hendrick, had been struck. Doran admitted chasing Darren McDermott down a laneway and sitting on him, but denied any assault. The jury found Hendrick not guilty and convicted Doran. Judge Martin Nolan, noting no evidence of assault and Doran's good record, imposed a two‑year suspended sentence and ordered him to pay €6,000 within a year, to be given to charity if McDermott declined. Doran had no prior convictions and had cooperated with the investigation. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the trial lasting 29 minutes before the verdict. Jonathan Doran was acquitted.
Ethan Emmett, 24, of Finglas, Dublin, received a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to assault causing harm and criminal damage in Finglas on March 31, 2011. Judge Karen O'Connor described Emmett's conduct as "disgraceful" but suspended the sentence, citing the time he has already spent in custody and his young age. Prosecution evidence alleged that Emmett threw beer bottles at a chipper owner after being refused a phone charger loan, causing approximately €2,000 in damage. Emmett fled to Australia on bail in 2011 and was not returned to Ireland until March of this year, following the completion of a five-year and eleven-month sentence for reckless wounding in Australia. He was arrested by gardaí upon his arrival at the airport. The court noted Emmett has 30 previous convictions, mostly from his minority, including assault and public order offences. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the suspended sentence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Joseph Beacom, aged 34, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for discharging a shotgun into the bedroom of his neighbour, Patricia Weldon, after a dispute with his brother over childcare. The incident occurred on 3 April 2016 at Kilmahuddrick Lawn, Clondalkin, when Beacom, enraged that his children had witnessed a fight with his brother, returned to Weldon's home with a shotgun and fired through a bedroom window. The shot shattered glass and caused Weldon to seek refuge in her bathroom, where she called the Gardaí. Beacom had previously pleaded guilty to the offence and had 36 prior convictions, including six threats to kill. The court noted his history of alcohol misuse but also his participation in a residential treatment programme at Chuain Mhuire, and imposed a five‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended.
Bryan Quigley, 44, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of an Anschutz rifle found in his flat on 29 November 2016. Garda David Chapman reported that a search of Quigley's former home recovered the disassembled rifle and 11 rounds of ammunition. The rifle, stolen in a burglary, was in usable condition but had its telescopic sight installed backwards. Quigley claimed he had no involvement in the burglary and had been drinking when a man, whom he would not name, brought the weapon to his home and asked him to leave it there. Quigley said he feared the man and felt forced to agree. He was homeless after a fire at his flat and had difficulties with alcohol and depression. The court found Quigley a vulnerable person who had been taken advantage of. Judge Nolan, noting Quigley's guilty plea, cooperation and lack of benefit from the offence, imposed a four‑year sentence, which he suspended in full.
A Louth man (29), who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual intercourse with a minor at a hotel in Co. Dublin between November 28 and December 6, 2013. The man told the 15-year-old schoolgirl he could get her a fake passport if she wanted to come away with him to Northern Ireland, warning her she would have to dye her hair and live as the name on the fake passport. The girl later told gardaí that she had consensual sex once with the man while staying at various hotel accommodations over a few nights while waiting for the passport. The man has 38 previous convictions, including assault, burglary, criminal damage, and theft. Sergeant Louise McHugh testified that the girl had met the man outside a pub the previous summer and had kept in phone contact with him. They met twice to play pool together, and on another date, the girl stayed with the man in a hotel after spending a night out drinking with him. The girl had a half day from school when she met the man at a shopping centre on November 28, still in her uniform. The man bought her a €60 phone and they spent the day drinking together at the centre before she agreed to stay with him when she missed her bus home. Over the next few nights, the man booked them into hotel and B&B accommodation and organised a change of clothing for the schoolgirl from his female friend. He told the 15-year-old that they would stay at the final hotel a bit longer while they waited for the passport. The girl told gardaí that the man had sex with her once and that she had been happy to run away with him. She said that another couple joined them in the hotel room for the last few nights and she described spending the daytime with the female while the males went out to work. Gardaí tracked the girl down to an internet cafe on December 6, after stopping the man and his male friend on a different street. The girl told officers that the ten-year age gap between her and the man didn't bother either of them and that while he never said he loved her, she felt there was something there. She declined to make a Victim Impact Statement. Dominic McGinn SC, defending, agreed with Sergeant McHugh that his client had had a history of self-harm and had made serious attempts to take his own life. He further agreed that the man had co-operated with gardaí fully. Mc McGinn submitted to Judge Cormac Quinn that it was the disparity in age that made the case against his client as there was no evidence of coercion or violence. Referring to a psychologist's report, Mr McGinn submitted that some of the tragic elements of his client's background had been the catalyst for drug abuse and antisocial behaviour. Counsel said the man had tried to take his own life three weeks before the incident with the girl and that he was at a place in his life where he was looking for support. Mr McGinn said being in prison awaiting sentence had given his client stability and structure and that he wants to deal with his drugs issue. Judge Quinn ordered a probation services report and put the matter back to October for sentence.
The trial of Detective Sergeant Eve Doherty, who denies harassing Elizabeth Howlin between September 2011 and March 2013 and making false statements in March 2013, continued at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Doherty faces charges related to letters, emails, and posters sent to Ms Howlin, then a DPP solicitor, containing defamatory claims. On day 13, defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC questioned Chief Superintendent John O'Driscoll regarding a separate man under investigation for harassment and facing trial for threatening a garda via Facebook. The court heard this man's previous District Court convictions for harassment and assault were overturned on appeal. Chief Supt O'Driscoll testified that the man's modus operandi differed from the case against Doherty, noting the man used his own name without anonymity and did not use emails, posters, or letters. The superintendent stated the Facebook posts dated to August 2015 and confirmed that any new lines of inquiry would not be ignored. The trial continues before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury.
Carl Freeman, aged 22, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, back‑dated to January, for an aggravated burglary at a 77‑year‑old Dublin woman's home in Tallaght on 12 March 2013. The court noted the victim was left severely traumatised, fearing for her life and subsequently never returned to the house, now living with her daughter. Freeman pleaded guilty to the burglary and had 62 prior convictions, including dangerous driving, burglary and assault. The judge described him as a "menace to society" and imposed a five‑year term, with the court's decision reflecting the serious impact on the victim. The burglary involved the theft of jewellery, a TV, cash and other items, and the perpetrators used a stolen Audi A4 to escape. Freeman's defence highlighted his family's support and his history of drug abuse and ADHD. The court accepted his guilty plea as a genuine benefit to the victim.
Ryan Lee Thomas, aged 25, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for three counts of sexual assault in Dublin's city centre and two counts of possessing the controlled drug GBL. The assaults occurred on 30 December 2016, over an hour‑and‑a‑half, while Thomas was under the influence of GBL, which he had purchased online. He was found guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty. Thomas had previously been convicted in Melbourne, Australia, for sexual offences while under the influence of the same drug. The court noted that Thomas had apologized to each victim and had a good employment history, but he was also ordered to undergo two years of post‑release supervision by the Probation Service. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the repeated assaults and the risk of re‑offending. The court did not alter the custodial term for the drug possession charges.
Two Dublin men, Jordan Carthy, 22, and Shane Walsh, 18, were sentenced to three and a half years in prison for assault causing harm and robbery of two necklaces worth €22,000. The incident occurred on 9 September 2016 at Dame Lane, Dublin 2, when the men attacked Richard Bergin, took his bag, and stole the necklaces. CCTV footage showed the men kicking and stamping on Bergin, with Carthy taunting him. Bergin suffered a broken nose and head bruising. Both men pleaded guilty. Judge Karen O'Connor, after viewing the footage, imposed the custodial sentence and suspended the final 20 months, citing the men's remorse. Each was ordered to pay €1,000 to Bergin as a practical expression of remorse. The men were intoxicated at the time of the assault and had prior convictions. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
An unnamed 72‑year‑old Dublin man, previously jailed for indecently assaulting two brothers, returned to prison to serve a further year for a similar abuse of a third brother. He admitted to inviting a then‑seven‑year‑old boy into his bed when alone and rubbing his penis against the child's naked backside. He pleaded guilty to six counts of indecent assault between September 1981 and October 1982. In 2012 he received a four‑year sentence for the earlier offences, with the final three years suspended. The judge noted the seriousness of the breaches of trust, the man's guilty plea, remorse and the late complaint. The prosecution presented a victim impact statement describing the man's lifelong emotional damage and alcoholism, and the court considered his prior sentence and age in imposing the current term. The man was arrested in May after the victim's formal complaint. The sentence reflects the court's view of the repeated nature of the offences.
Anthony Eya, a 42‑year‑old Nigerian naturalised Irish citizen, was arrested in May 2017 after a Garda surveillance operation that followed a customs alert about a suspicious package. The package, identified as suspicious when it passed through customs, was delivered to an address in Adamstown, Lucan, and later placed in Eya's car. Garda Marcella Shanahan described the "controlled delivery" and the subsequent stop at Ballyowen Lane, where two kilograms of cocaine were recovered. Eya pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drugs for sale or supply, admitting he had paid €3,000 to Charles Twesigye for the package. He had previously served a drug offence sentence in 2006 and had left Ireland for Nigeria in 2013, returning to face the charges. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Eya's guilty plea and cooperation, imposed a four‑and‑a‑half‑year imprisonment sentence, deviating from the mandatory ten‑year minimum for the offence.
Patrick Stokes, 36, of Hill Street, Dublin, was convicted of burglary and criminal damage at a Boots chemist on Drimnagh Road on 14 January 2017. He admitted that a silver Honda Civic had been reversed into the front doors twice, smashing the door and setting the shop ablaze. CCTV showed Stokes and an accomplice loading Dior, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana perfumes and aftershave into a wheelie bin. The stolen goods were valued at €3,183 and the door damage at €6,969. Stokes, who has 50 previous convictions including five for burglary and nine for theft, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to three and a half years, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, including Probation Supervision to begin before his release. The case highlighted Stokes' mild intellectual disability and his history of drug addiction, which his defence argued made him vulnerable.
Glen Conroy, aged 29, was sentenced to an additional 18 months in prison for assaulting a prison officer at Mountjoy Prison on 20 March 2013. Conroy, who was already serving a six‑year sentence for aggravated burglary and had 57 prior convictions, had complained that his new cell lacked a television. Prison officer Paul Brady promised to arrange a TV, but Conroy lunged at him, head‑butting him and punching him in the face. Conroy resisted restraint attempts by other officers and was brought to the ground by three officers. Officer Brady suffered facial injuries and was out of work for a month. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, after a three‑day trial, imposed the 18‑month term to be served consecutively to Conroy's existing sentence. The court noted Conroy's long history of violent offences and his limited time at liberty over the past 15 years.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Detective Sergeant Eve Doherty (49) denies harassing State solicitor Elizabeth Howlin between September 2011 and March 2013 and making false statements in March 2013 that Howlin was perverting the course of justice. Howlin, who worked with the Director of Public Prosecutions, received letters and emails over 18 months that called her a "corrupt bitch" and "incompetent useless hobbit," and claimed she was a political appointee who would "pull" files to protect those connected to her or the Government. The trial, presided over by Judge Melanie Greally, included testimony from civilian Garda Suzanne Lindsay, who identified 60 literary features common to the documents linked to Howlin and the defendant, and from Chief Superintendent John O'Driscoll, who confirmed that the author of the posts was the subject of three ongoing criminal investigations. The case remains before the jury.
Talavs Riekstins, a 23‑year‑old Latvian chemistry student, pleaded guilty to arson after setting fire to a €34,000 BMW at Harford Motor Company in Balbriggan on 24 November 2016. He had been under the influence of a substance he had purchased and had previously been sent home earlier that day after refusing to leave the dealership. Riekstins returned with a petrol can, poured petrol over the car and used a lighter to ignite it. The court heard that pedestrians were nearby and that Riekstins was concerned about endangering people. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to two and a half years, suspended the final 18 months, and back‑dated the term to the date he entered custody. The judge noted his clean record, employment history and family support as mitigating factors, while citing the uncontrollable nature of the fire and his drug use as aggravating factors. The sentence was delivered in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
During a pre‑trial hearing at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 25 July 2017, Judge Melanie Greally addressed the defendants remanded on bail in the 2014 Jobstown water protest case. She explained that she was considering changing their bail conditions to prohibit them from commenting on the trials online, citing the need to protect the integrity of the proceedings. The judge noted that the first trial, which concluded in May with the acquittal of all six accused, had seen non‑trials participants post remarks on social media, and that a defendant's commentary near the end of that trial had almost derailed the process. She warned that any attempt to influence the jury selection or public opinion could be treated as contempt of court and lead to prosecution. Lawyers for some defendants objected to linking bail conditions to commentary, but the judge agreed to hear the matter in full on Friday.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Detective Sergeant Eve Doherty (49) denies harassing Elizabeth Howlin, a former DPP officer, between September 2011 and March 2013. Doherty is accused of sending abusive letters and emails, calling Howlin a "corrupt bitch" and "incompetent useless hobbit," and of making false statements that Howlin was perverting the course of justice. The material, including A4 posters, alleged Howlin was a political appointee who would "pull" files to protect those connected to her or the Government. On day eleven, civilian Gardai member Suzanne Lindsay presented a linguistic analysis of the documents, identifying 60 literary features common to both the "Liz Howlin" documents and suspect documents linked to Doherty. These features included spelling and punctuation errors, repeated insults, and claims of nepotism, waste of taxpayer money, and calls for EU intervention. The trial continues before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury, with Mr O'Higgins expected to cross‑examine Ms Lindsay tomorrow.
Colin O'Kelly, 36, was given a two‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assault causing harm to Dominic O'Keefe at Finnstown Castle Hotel in Lucan on 1 May 2015. O'Kelly had been attending a funeral that day and, in the early hours, punched O'Keefe twice in the face, fracturing his cheekbone. O'Keefe, who had just attended a wedding, was left unable to eat solid foods for three weeks and out of work for six weeks, which he said led to his restaurant failing. O'Kelly had no prior convictions, had expressed deep remorse, and was caring for a seriously ill child. The judge, Patricia Ryan, noted mitigating factors and accepted a €3,000 payment to O'Keefe as an expression of remorse. The sentence was suspended for two years.
Daniel O'Neill, a 21‑year‑old Dublin father, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment after a series of drug‑related offences. He had previously received a five‑year suspended sentence in 2014 for possessing over €100,000 of heroin for sale or supply while still a teenager. The suspended sentence was not activated, but O'Neill was later caught with €1,320 of heroin in the city centre and again with almost €2,400 of heroin and €45 of cannabis during a search of one of his addresses in March 2016. He pleaded guilty to possessing €1,320 of heroin on 5 November 2015 and to possessing heroin and cannabis on 26 March 2016. The judge, noting his young age and some evidence of reform, imposed 18 months for the Dolphin House offence and two years for the November 2015 possession, to run consecutively, resulting in a total custodial term of three and a half years.
John Coonan, a former security guard, appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on appeal regarding his conviction for importing 41,360 ecstasy tablets. Coonan pleaded guilty to one count of importing the drugs at Clarence Mangan Road, South Circular Road, Dublin 8, on June 25, 2016. He alleged that he committed the offence under duress after men threatened to harm his fiancée. Judge Cormac Quinn accepted that Coonan acted out of fear rather than for monetary gain, noting his lack of previous convictions. However, the judge emphasized that couriers play an essential role in the drugs trade. The court handed down a six-year sentence but suspended the final three years on a number of conditions, resulting in an effective custody period of three years. Coonan had previously made admissions to gardaí, stating he was given a throw-away phone and instructed to pick up the package, which was intercepted at Portlaoise mailing centre. Defence counsel argued that Coonan's role was small within a larger enterprise orchestrated by others. The court also noted that Coonan has since obtained full-time employment and is involved in community support activities.
In August 2015, Gardaí raided the flat of Alan Norman, 40, on Fitzroy Avenue, Drumcondra, after obtaining a warrant based on confidential information. During the search, which took place while Norman and his mother were present, officers seized approximately 1,500 tablets of Xanax and Valium. Norman was arrested and later pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply. He claimed he was storing the drugs to offset a €150 debt and that he was on a methadone programme. After the raid, he falsely told his landlord that the Gardaí had entered the wrong door, prompting the landlord to claim damages for the damaged door. In court, the judge noted Norman's drug‑free status, lack of wealth, and a single prior traffic conviction, and imposed a three‑year suspended sentence with a condition that he engage with Probation Services.