Edward Walshe, aged 23, was sentenced to three‑and‑a‑half years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended, for a series of offences committed in October 2015. He pleaded guilty to possession of a Winchester double‑barrel shotgun, dangerous driving, and assaulting Detective Sergeant Declan O'Connell. The assault occurred when Walshe, fleeing after a high‑speed pursuit, grabbed the garda's hand and twisted it, fracturing the officer's hand and requiring a bar to fuse the bone. Walshe also caused a head‑on collision that injured a passenger, and his vehicle was found to contain a sawn‑off shotgun and four unspent cartridges in a Lucozade bottle. He was ordered to pay €2,500 to the victim. The judge noted his youth, remorse, and family background in determining the sentence.
Pat Whelan, former director of lending at Anglo Irish Bank, was fined €3,000 for failing to keep a proper record of an €8 million loan he granted to colleague William McAteer on 29 September 2008. The loan was secured against McAteer's shares in the bank and was used to repay a personal loan from Bank of Ireland. Whelan pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court; the judge noted the offence was regulatory and imposed the fine, citing the importance of loan registers. McAteer, who is 66 and currently serving a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for other offences, will be sentenced next week and faces up to seven years' imprisonment and a €63,486 fine. The court heard that the loan was part of a scheme to prevent a sudden sale of Anglo shares, which could have damaged confidence in the bank. The case highlights the regulatory breach by Whelan and the broader context of Anglo's collapse.
The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick, aged 68, is hearing evidence that the multi‑million euro loans he took out between 2002 and 2007 were paid by another bank before the end of Anglo Irish Bank's financial year. FitzPatrick is charged with 27 offences under the 1990 Companies Act, including 22 counts of misleading auditors and five counts of furnishing false information. Evidence from Joe McWilliams, who became lending director in 2006, shows he co‑signed several loans for FitzPatrick and family members from 2006 to 2007. The court reviewed ten credit committee application forms approving loans up to just over €100 million, and noted that by November 2007 FitzPatrick had drawn down €103 million with a limit raised to €120 million. Sean FitzPatrick pleaded not guilty.
A 14‑year‑old boy who accompanied his father to a burglary was found in a car with house‑breaking equipment and was later given a suspended two‑year detention. Judge Melanie Greally, hearing the case at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, noted the boy was now in his mother's care and doing well, but warned him to stay away from family members who might lead him astray. The boy, now 16, pleaded guilty to burglary in 2014 and had no prior convictions. His father is serving a prison sentence. The court described the incident: the car, containing screwdrivers and pliers, was stopped by gardai; occupants, including the boy, wore balaclavas and gloves and tried to escape. The boy was a back‑seat passenger and was described as a pawn used by his father.
Paul Smyth, aged 64, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for failing to pay nearly €500,000 in tax on rental income from 15 properties between 2007 and 2009. The court found the total loss to the Revenue Commissioners at €848,444, including €498,949 in unpaid income tax and additional interest. Smyth had been collecting rent from HSE tenants and cash payments, and had used three identities—Paul Smyth, Paul Jones, and Daniel Smyth—to acquire the properties. In 2009, Revenue officers discovered forged driver licences and evidence of €599,760 deposited into three accounts owned by Smyth. He had previously been convicted for failing to file tax returns for 2003‑2006 and for larceny and assault. All his properties were repossessed. The sentence was back‑dated to September 2016, when he was arrested in Spain, and the judge noted a significant level of dishonesty in his conduct. Paul Smyth pleaded guilty.
Anthonie Van Wilderoden, a 44‑year‑old Dutch national living in Wicklow, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for a professional shop‑lifting scheme. He operated a business called Eddiebug that sold edible insects and also directed a chocolate‑making company. Van Wilderoden admitted to placing online adverts on the Donedeal website for household goods, then stealing the items from stores such as Arnotts, Curries and Harvey Norman. He used a modified baby's pram to conceal items including a Nespresso machine, crockery sets, a vacuum cleaner and an electric blanket. He was also convicted of stealing a €900 Jimmy Choo handbag from Brown Thomas, claiming it was a Mother's Day present. The judge suspended the last six months of the sentence because he is a foreign national. He had previously been arrested in 2015 and again after the handbag theft, and had fled to Belgium before his sentence date, where he was later apprehended under a European Arrest Warrant. Van Wilderoden pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Andrew Allen, 38, was sentenced to five and a half years' imprisonment for a series of offences including endangerment, dangerous driving and driving without insurance. The court heard that Allen, a disqualified driver, was pursued by ten Garda patrol cars on the M50, reaching speeds up to 200 km/h, and collided with two patrol cars during the chase. He pleaded guilty to burglary on Navan Road in April 2016 and to multiple road traffic offences. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a suspended final year and ordered one year of probation supervision. Allen received medical treatment for minor injuries sustained during the pursuit, and no Garda or civilian injuries were reported. The case highlighted Allen's history of 87 convictions and his prior warning of a threat to his life by Garda officers.
Patrick Brazil, aged 42, was sentenced to eight years in prison, with the final two and a half years suspended, for a series of robberies committed while on bail between August 2014 and January 2016. In one incident, he entered a shop on Oxmantown Road, Dublin 7, brandishing an imitation Smith & Wesson gun and threatening a shop assistant's head, demanding the till be emptied. A trainee off‑duty Garda intervened, and a struggle ensued in which the Garda overpowered Brazil, disarming him and causing the gun to fall. Brazil, who has spent 25 years in prison since age ten and has 76 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery, one count of trespassing, criminal damage and possession of a knife. The judge, taking into account his addiction history and efforts to seek treatment, imposed the suspended sentence and 18 months of probation supervision.
Anthonie Van Wilderoden, a 44-year-old Dutch national and businessman, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to ten sample counts of theft from four stores between December 2014 and March 2015. He also admitted possession of a specially modified pram and three stolen gold-plated mirrors. The court heard that Van Wilderoden allegedly ran a professional shoplifting scheme, placing advertisements on the Donedeal website for high-value household goods which he then stole from Arnotts, Curries, Harvey Norman, and Brown Thomas. He used a modified baby's pram to conceal items, including a Nespresso machine, crockery, and a vacuum cleaner. Although he claimed the thefts were driven by heavy debt and personal hardship, he has 19 previous convictions across Ireland, the Netherlands, and Belgium for fraud, forgery, theft, and embezzlement. After entering an early guilty plea, Van Wilderoden fled to Belgium before his sentencing date. He was subsequently arrested under a European Arrest Warrant and returned to Ireland in November 2016. Defence counsel highlighted his history of childhood abuse and financial instability, noting he was "totally incapable of handling money." Counsel stated that Van Wilderoden had purchased a plane ticket to the Netherlands and was willing to promise not to return to Ireland if granted a suspended sentence. The matter is currently at the sentencing stage, with Judge Cormac Quinn scheduled to hand down the sentence.
A former solicitor from Castlebar, County Mayo, has appealed a 12-month jail sentence imposed for stealing €260,000 from clients. Jacqueline Durcan pleaded guilty to the theft, which occurred between February 2008 and January 2011 while she was operating Durcan Solicitors. The funds were withdrawn from mixed client deposit accounts during a period when she and her husband faced significant financial difficulties owing €6.5 million to banks. Durcan has since repaid all stolen monies. At the Court of Appeal hearing on 12 January 2017, her barrister argued that full restitution, her cooperation with authorities, and her personal circumstances as a young mother warranted reconsideration of the sentence. The prosecution submitted the 12-month term fell within the lower range of available custodial sentences. The three-judge court reserved judgement, with decision scheduled for 23 January.
Evan Metcalfe, a 22‑year‑old boxer from Crumlin, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to making threats to kill on two occasions. The first threat was made at a house in Walkinstown on 19 August 2013, when he allegedly pointed a gun at a former Russian soldier, though no weapon was recovered. The second threat occurred on 6 July 2015 at the Ashleaf shopping centre, where he told a mobile‑phone shop manager that he would "get" him after work and threatened to "brain" him. Gardaí found €340 worth of cannabis in Metcalfe's home during a search. Judge Petria McDonnell imposed an 18‑month suspended sentence, requiring payment of €2,000 in compensation to the victim. The sentence was given on the condition that Metcalfe does not reoffend, with the judge warning that further offences would result in full custodial time. The case highlights the court's concern that his conduct was inconsistent with the discipline of boxing. Evan Metcalfe was convicted.
During the trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick, a jury heard that warrants used by Gardaí to search banking premises in 2009 and 2010 were unlawful and unconstitutional. Detective Sergeant Brian Mahon testified that he had obtained the warrants under Section 20 of the Companies Act and that Gardaí carried out searches of Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide Building Society offices, seizing documents and computer hard drives. Cross‑examination confirmed that the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court had ruled the warrants unlawful and unconstitutional, yet the seized evidence was still to be presented to the jury. Judge John Aylmer informed the jury that the trial would now likely finish by mid‑March, and warned against seeking external information. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
Karl Smith, a 19‑year‑old former employee of Industrial Insulation Specialists, was mistakenly credited with almost €20,000 when his former employer transferred his wages incorrectly. Smith, who had a €1,000 drug debt and was described as being in a very low place, withdrew most of the money in three transactions and spent it over three weeks on drugs, gambling, a new bed and a PlayStation. He pleaded guilty to theft of the cash from his former employer, John Naughton, on 21 January 2016. The court noted Smith's chronic social anxiety and low self‑esteem, and sentenced him to four years' imprisonment with the final two years suspended. No repayment has been made and the money has not been recovered.
Morgan Doran, 25, of Rathmines Avenue, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the false imprisonment of a man in Rathmines on February 16, 2011. Doran pleaded guilty to the charge. The court heard that Doran and three others abducted the victim, whom they wrongly believed was a sex offender, threatening to cut off his penis and slash his face. Judge Martin Nolan described Doran as the ringleader or moving party in the offence. He imposed a five-year term, with the final two and a half years suspended, resulting in an effective custody period of two and a half years. Doran had previously failed to appear for his sentence hearing in May 2012, leading to a bench warrant; he was arrested in the UK last May and returned to Ireland to face sentencing. His defense counsel noted Doran's remorse. Separately, co-defendants David Winston, 23, of Rathmines Close, and James Farrell, 23, of Rathmines Avenue, were previously given suspended sentences of five years for their part in the abduction. The matter was concluded with the imposition of these sentences.
John McDonald, aged 58, was sentenced to 18 months in jail in May 2015 for stealing nearly €10,000 from the life savings of his 74‑year‑old friend, Matthew Murphy, while Murphy was hospitalised. McDonald had befriended Murphy, who was 80 at the time of the theft, and had given him an ATM card and PIN to manage his errands. When Murphy was admitted to hospital, McDonald withdrew €9,843 in 29 transactions. After Murphy's discharge, his account held only €15. McDonald pleaded guilty in 2012 and sought a postponement to repay the victim, claiming he had inherited €20,000 and needed time for the cheque to clear. He fled to Northern Ireland until 2015. He has 15 prior convictions, mainly for forgery and larceny.
Muna Ali, a 23‑year‑old Norwegian national, was stopped at Dublin Airport after a flight from Nairobi. X‑ray scans of her suitcases revealed a green, herb‑like substance identified as khat, a controlled drug. The estimated street value of the drugs was €7,200. Ali pleaded guilty to unlawful importation of a controlled drug on 9 July 2016. She was originally from Somalia, moved to Norway with her mother, and was attending university when she travelled to Kenya. While there, she met a man via Facebook who offered her €2,000 to transport two suitcases from Nairobi to Glasgow. Ali claimed she did not know the contents of the suitcases. The court, noting her early guilty plea, lack of prior convictions and absence of family ties in Ireland, imposed a ten‑month sentence back‑dated to the day she entered custody.
Shane Fowler, 34, received a suspended two‑year prison sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of criminal damage and unlawful possession of an axe for smashing four cars belonging to an innocent family in Finglas. The incident, which occurred on 31 October 2015, stemmed from a mistaken identity; Fowler had believed the house was that of a local drug dealer who had introduced his ex‑partner to crack cocaine. Gardaí arrested him near the scene, but he was too intoxicated to be interviewed. Judge Terence O'Neill, noting Fowler's significant rehabilitation and genuine remorse, suspended the sentence on the condition that he pay €500 to the victims within three months, in addition to a €500 token of remorse already paid to court. The total damage cost was €7,188. Fowler's prior convictions include dangerous driving, endangerment and car theft, most from 2007. The case was defended by Seamus Clarke BL and prosecuted by Anne Marie Lawlor BL.
A first cousin of the late Gary Hutch, Derek Hutch, appeared in court charged with holding up a Spar shop on Styles Road, Clontarf, on 11 June 2015. He and accomplice Christopher Coakley used an imitation firearm to threaten the shop manager, demanding the alarm code. Gardaí apprehended them a few hours later in an empty house near the robbery site, where they attempted to conceal the stolen coins and notes. Hutch, aged 26, pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm and robbery. He was placed under probation supervision until 3 November 2017. The prosecution claimed the pair escaped with about €1,215, of which roughly €700 was recovered. Coakley, aged 25, had already been jailed for six years for the robbery and other offences. The court heard that the robbers forced the manager to deactivate the alarm by holding her by the neck and dragging her through the aisles.
Anvar Ghambari, 39, was sentenced to a suspended three‑year prison term after stabbing Majid Suhrabi four times in the head during a school run in Tallaght on 1 March 2016. The attack, carried out with a metal stabiliser from a child's bicycle, was motivated by alleged comments about Ghambari's wife. School children witnessed the assault and were frightened. Ghambari pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. He had spent almost two weeks in custody before the sentencing. The judge, Martin Nolan, deemed the incident a one‑off lapse, noting no prior convictions and a positive probation report, and therefore suspended the custodial sentence in full. The court ordered that neither man bring their sons to school to avoid a repeat incident. No further incidents have been reported since the assault.
Stephen Winders, 41, was arrested in Ireland after returning from the United States, where he had fled following a 2010 drug‑dealing conviction. He was found with 19 cannabis plants and a plastic bag of heroin worth €1,668, which he claimed were for personal use. Winders had previously pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis and heroin for sale or supply in October 2010 and had been on bail when he fled. While in the U.S., he reportedly worked as a television cameraman and completed an intensive treatment programme. He returned to Ireland to establish a homelessness charity, Progress Homelessness, and sought garda clearance to register it. Gardaí discovered outstanding warrants and arrested him at the station. Judge Catherine Murphy adjourned the case to March 20, 2017, and indicated she might consider a suspended sentence if a clean probation report and drug tests were presented. The case remains pending.
Two men, Paul Reilly (36) and Ray Donnelly (49), were convicted of robbery and possession of an imitation firearm after breaking into Clanna Gael GAA club in Irishtown, Dublin, on the night of the semi‑finals on 2 September 2012. They used a fake gun to threaten the bar manager, Paul Lynch, and a patron, Paul McDonald, tying them with duct tape and leaving them face‑down on the floor. The intruders ransacked the club's safe and stole €7,569, which has not been recovered. Donnelly was also found guilty of handling stolen property for attempting to sell a stolen Volkswagen Golf on DoneDeal. Both men pleaded guilty to robbery, false imprisonment and possession of an imitation firearm. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced them to five‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment; Donnelly received an additional four months for the stolen‑property charge.
Jamie Daly, aged 20, pleaded guilty to burglary and unlawful possession of a motor vehicle after breaking into a Blackrock home on 17 February. He and a co‑accused loitered in the house, stealing expensive items, then fled in the victim's black Jaguar, which crashed on the road. CCTV identified them; the co‑accused received a five‑year sentence with one year suspended. Daly was given a suspended three‑year sentence. He had four prior convictions for minor offences and was homeless at the time of the crime, having been displaced from Ballymun. He was on drugs during the offence and had little recollection. Since then, he has enrolled in a horticulture course at Blackrock Further Education Institute and engaged positively with the Probation Service. The judge noted the burglary was aggravated by the prolonged presence in the victim's home but also acknowledged Daly's efforts to reform.
Christopher Coakley, aged 25, was sentenced to six years in prison for hijacking a nurse's car while in a drug‑induced psychosis. The incident occurred early on 6 April 2015 near Temple Street Hospital when Coakley forced a nurse to hand over her keys, then reversed the vehicle without lights, later colliding with another car. The nurse's car was ultimately found burnt out. Coakley had previously pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at Ladbrokes in December 2014, unlawful seizure of a car in April 2015, and criminal damage to two cars. He already serves a six‑year term for an armed robbery imposed in December 2014 and a three‑year term for a 2012 hijacking. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a six‑year sentence with the final two years suspended, ordering 18 months of probation, drug treatment and employment or educational courses. The sentence does not extend his time in custody, and he is due for release in 2020.
Willie McAteer, former finance director of Anglo Irish Bank, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to fraudulently obtaining an €8,426,307 loan on 29 September 2008, secured solely on his shares in the bank. He used the money to repay a personal loan from Bank of Ireland. The indictment alleges breach of section 297 of the Companies Act, 1963, for knowingly facilitating a fraudulent loan to himself. Judge Melanie Greally allowed McAteer to remain on bail with prosecution consent and set a sentencing date for 12 January 2017.
The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick, who is accused of misleading auditors about multi‑million euro loans, is set to resume in evidence on 11 January after a bereavement of Judge John Aymler. The case, which began in September with a 15‑member jury, has been delayed by extensive legal argument, with over 50 days spent on proceedings and the trial now expected to run until the end of February. FitzPatrick, aged 68, has pleaded not guilty to 21 charges of making misleading statements to auditors and six charges of furnishing false information between 2002 and 2007. Prosecutor Dominic McGinn SC has argued that loans taken by FitzPatrick and his family rose from about €10 million in 2002 to roughly €100 million in 2007, and that the bank's auditors were not informed of short‑term loans that artificially reduced the loan amounts for a two‑week period around the bank's financial year‑end.
Aidan Quigley, 43, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two burglary and one attempted burglary offences committed between June 2014 and May 2015 while on bail for each. He had 41 prior convictions, 21 for burglary. Gardaí noted he always ensured houses were unoccupied and that each raid was to fund a heroin addiction. All stolen items were returned to owners as Quigley was still in possession when arrested. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed consecutive sentences totalling four years, suspended in full, citing Quigley's "trojan efforts at rehabilitating himself". Quigley's counsel argued that a personal tragedy and drug addiction had driven his crimes, and that he had ceased burglaries and was drug‑free since July of the previous year. No further burglary charges had been brought against him since May 2015. The suspended sentence reflects the court's view that Quigley was moving away from the lifestyle he had lived.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 16 December 2016, Darren Bewley, aged 39, pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a car, criminal damage, dangerous driving and drunk driving after he drunkenly drove a stolen Renault Captur on the wrong side of the North Circular Road, crashing into a bus stop. Bewley, who had 27 prior convictions and was over the legal alcohol limit, admitted he had taken prescribed medication and vodka, and that the car's keys were in the vehicle. The court noted that no one was injured and that Bewley had been working on overcoming his heroin addiction. Judge Terence O'Sullivan imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended the final nine months, and disqualified Bewley from driving for seven years. The stolen car was written off and the bus stop suffered €800 in damage, with the owner paying a €300 excess on insurance. The case highlighted Bewley's ongoing struggle with substance abuse and his attempts at rehabilitation.
Stephen McGrath, a 25‑year‑old veterinarian from Tullamore, was convicted of two counts of assault causing harm after he smashed a glass into the face of accountant Mark Relihan in Dublin's No Name Bar on Fade Street. The attack left Relihan with lifelong scarring and 17 stitches, and also injured a nearby man. McGrath pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Petria McDonnell sentenced him to a suspended three‑year prison term, imposed 200 hours of community service, and accepted his remorse and apology. The sentence was suspended for two years. McGrath was also ordered to pay €10,000 to Relihan as a token of remorse, though the victim declined the payment and is considering civil action. The case highlighted the severe impact of the assault on Relihan's personal and professional life.
Conor Clarke, 24, was released on bail after pleading guilty to burglary, theft and criminal damage at Tessa House, a homeless shelter in Dublin. He admitted breaking into the shelter on 21 November 2015, smashing a cash register and causing damage costing just over €2,600, including €2,122 for repairs and a €500 new register. Clarke, who has 47 prior convictions, was in custody since February and has undergone drug counselling in prison. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned finalisation to March 28, allowing Clarke to remain on bail for several months to see if he can maintain the progress he has made in prison, citing his recent fatherhood as motivation. The case will return to court for finalisation on 28 March.
In 2015, Jayne Kearney, aged 27, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Blathnaid Molloy and for driving while intoxicated. The offence occurred on 8 March 2014 when Kearney, driving from Citywest Hotel after a quarrel with her boyfriend, knocked down Molloy, who suffered a brain injury, and failed to remain at the scene. Kearney had previously been convicted of speeding and driving without insurance. On appeal, the Court of Appeal found the judge had erred by not considering a suspended portion of the sentence. Consequently, the final nine months of Kearney's term were suspended, and she was required to enter a good‑behaviour bond. The appeal decision was delivered by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice John Edwards in attendance. The case highlighted the importance of accountability for intoxicated driving and the duty to remain at the scene of an accident. Jayne Kearney pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Keith Byrne, aged 32 and with 44 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to possession of €300 worth of cannabis and to making threats to kill or seriously harm staff at Bewleys Hotel, Sandyford, on 15 February 2014. Byrne, who had threatened staff with a screwdriver and said he would "murder" them, is now in a residential rehabilitation program at New Hope in Tallaght. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the matter to 3 October 2017, stating that if Byrne continues to make progress in treatment and engages in services, the court would consider a non‑custodial resolution. The judge noted Byrne's current rehabilitation and the possibility of a non‑custodial outcome if he maintains his progress. The case remains pending, with no jail sentence imposed at this stage.
Aaron O'Donoughoe, a 21-year-old from Greystones, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing serious harm in Temple Bar on April 20, 2014. The court heard that O'Donoughoe punched Gerard McManus, who subsequently suffered bleeding and swelling on the brain, resulting in lifelong injuries including balance issues and impaired cognitive processing. O'Donoughoe admitted to striking the victim again while he was on the ground. Judge Martin Nolan noted that the Court of Appeal had previously judged this specific offence as deserving of a sentence of up to twelve-and-a-half years. However, considering O'Donoughoe's difficult background, his remorse, and the fact that he did not intend to cause a brain injury, the judge imposed a five-year custodial sentence. The prosecution argued the offence was on the upper end of the seriousness scale. O'Donoughoe stated he reacted after the victim allegedly used a racial slur and threatened him. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the five-year term.
In a McDonald's on Grafton Street, Dublin, 25‑year‑old James Thornton struck trainee firefighter Cian McNally on the head with a chair, causing a wound that required ten stitches. Thornton claimed he had not intended to hit McNally but was aiming at McNally's friend, whom he described as "looking like a little faggot" and who had given him a "bad vibe." He told Gardaí that he had taken heroin that morning and was under a drug‑induced psychosis. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Thornton pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. Judge Martin Nolan accepted the psychosis explanation and, after noting Thornton had been in custody for five months, sentenced him to a three‑year term suspended in full. No custodial time was imposed. The case was described as an unprovoked attack with no further motive offered. The victim, who had begun training with the Dublin Fire Brigade the following week, later completed his training.
Edward Walshe, 23, was charged after a high‑speed chase in which he drove a black Saab carrying a sawn‑off double‑barrel shotgun. He had agreed to give a lift to a man owing him a €100 drug debt, but the passenger had a firearm. When Garda Stephen Byrne signalled him to stop, Walshe fled, causing a head‑on collision and forcing small children celebrating Halloween to flee the road. Detective Sergeant Declan O'Connell pursued him, injuring his hand when Walshe grabbed and twisted it during a struggle. Walshe pleaded guilty to possession of the shotgun, dangerous driving, and assaulting the sergeant. The court adjourned sentencing to 17 January, citing serious illnesses in his family, and remanded him on bail until that date. The firearm and four unspent cartridges were recovered from the vehicle. The case remains pending.
A 23‑year‑old Norwegian national, Muna Ali, was stopped at Dublin Airport after a flight from Nairobi. X‑ray scans of her suitcases revealed a green, herb‑like substance identified as khat, a controlled drug. The estimated street value of the khat was €7,200. Ali pleaded guilty to unlawful importation of a controlled drug on 9 July 2016. She was originally from Somalia, moved to Norway with her mother, and was attending university when she travelled to Kenya. While there, she met a man via Facebook and agreed to transport two suitcases from Nairobi to Glasgow for €2,000. She claimed she did not know the contents of the suitcases. The court noted her early guilty plea, lack of prior convictions, and absence of family ties in Ireland. Judge Terence O'Sullivan announced a partially suspended sentence and adjourned sentencing to 21 December to allow her flight to Norway.
The sentencing of Irish international footballer Anthony Stokes, aged 27, for an assault charge has been postponed until next year. Stokes pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Anthony Bradley on June 8, 2013, at Buck Whaleys on Leeson Street. Judge Melanie Greally had originally set a sentencing date of December 20, but after an application by his defence lawyer, the date was moved to February 1, 2017. Stokes, who lives in Glasgow, was not present at the hearing and remains on continuing bail until the new sentencing date.
Noel Murtagh, 29, pleaded guilty to assaulting Christopher and Joseph Lennon on Camden Street, Dublin, on 26 June 2014. The assault was unprovoked and involved punching and kicking the brothers. Joseph Lennon suffered a badly broken jaw, requiring metal plates and still cannot fully open his mouth. Murtagh's co‑accused, Michael Coleman, was found to have caused the more serious injuries, including punching and kicking Joseph Lennon while he was on the ground. Coleman was jailed for 18 months in July 2015. Judge Melanie Greally accepted evidence that Coleman was the instigator and that Murtagh's role was less violent. She sentenced Murtagh to a three‑year prison term, suspended in full, and ordered 240 hours of community service within 12 months. The court noted a probation report indicating Murtagh was at low risk of re‑offending and had shown appropriate shame for his actions.
A judge has been appointed to preside over the upcoming trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm. Mr Drumm, 49, was excused from appearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court when Judge Melanie Greally informed the legal teams that Judge Karen O'Connor had been appointed by the President of the Circuit Court, Judge Raymond Groarke, to hear the case. Drumm, who lives in Skerries, Co Dublin, faces 33 counts under two separate bills concerning alleged offences committed at the now-defunct bank. He has not yet entered a plea. Two trials are scheduled: the first on 24 April next year, where he faces two charges of conspiring to defraud depositors and investors by "dishonestly" creating the impression that deposits in 2008 were €7.2 billion larger than they were, and one additional charge relating to the EU transparency directive; the second on 12 January 2018, where he faces 16 counts of offering unlawful financial assistance to members of businessman.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 19‑year‑old Ross Behan pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, attempted robbery and possession of a knife after stabbing a Brazilian man on a Luas tram on 6 May. The victim, who had tried to defend himself with a fake taser, suffered a one‑inch laceration and was taken to St James's Hospital. Behan also pleaded guilty to breaking and entering a house in Inchicore and stealing two cars, which he crashed and abandoned. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to six years' imprisonment, suspending the final three years, and ordered drug treatment on release. Behan had 27 prior convictions, including burglary and theft, and had pleaded guilty to the earlier offences. The court heard he was on drugs at the time of the attacks and that his childhood was marked by hardship. The judge noted that a prolonged incarceration would not best serve the community.
Samba Sow, an asylum‑seeker who arrived from Senegal in 2007, used a false identity, Moussa Sow, to work in Ireland and later claim €50,000 in social welfare payments between 2011 and 2014. He obtained a PPS number under the false name, worked in a Dublin pub, paid income tax and PRSI, and was made redundant during the recession. After losing his job, he claimed job seekers' benefit, job seekers' allowance and rent allowance under the false name, totalling €50,006. In 2015, when he was granted permission to remain, he stopped claiming under the false name and made a legitimate claim in his real name. The Department of Social Protection's facial‑recognition system flagged his deception, leading to his arrest. In court, Sow pleaded guilty to 18 counts of stealing social welfare payments. Judge Catherine Murphy imposed a suspended two‑year sentence, noting that Sow never attempted to double‑dip or claim payments under two names.
David McGuinness, aged 27, fraudulently obtained a €99,000 mortgage on his parents' house by presenting a forged payslip and bank statement. The loan was advanced before the fraud was discovered, and the money was handed to a criminal gang to pay his older brother's drug debt. McGuinness did not profit personally. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to obtaining a mortgage by deception and using false instruments. With 21 prior convictions, Judge Melanie Greally described the operation as "relatively sophisticated" and noted the documentation appeared legitimate. She imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended in full, and ordered 240 hours of community service within one year. The court heard the mortgage was being paid and the bank was not at a loss. The case highlighted the bank's reliance on false information and the family's hardship due to the brother's drug addiction.
Samuel Templeman, a 36‑year‑old unemployed handyman from the UK, flew from Argentina to Dublin carrying 34 cocaine pellets, 17 of which he had placed in his rectum and two between his buttocks after failing to swallow the full 100 pellets he was instructed to ingest. He was intercepted by customs on arrival on 8 May and pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Airport. He received a three‑year sentence, with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended, and was described by the judge as a vulnerable prey of drug dealers. Templeman has no prior convictions, was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, and has since behaved as a model prisoner, working in a trusted position and receiving drug counselling in the UK. The sentence was back‑dated to his initial custody, making him eligible for release under the imposed conditions.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Christy Connors, aged 27, was given a suspended three‑year sentence after pleading guilty to producing a rod‑like device for burglary in Dun Laoghaire on 28 January 2015. Connors had 162 prior convictions and was caught with house‑breaking tools within 24 hours of his release on 9 January 2015. He had previously received a four‑year sentence in 2013, with the final year suspended, for assaulting an off‑duty Garda and stealing a handbag in 2011. Judge Melanie Greally, after hearing evidence and a probation report, imposed a suspended sentence and ordered 18 months of probation supervision. Garda Neill Doyle recounted spotting Connors with a whip‑like implement used to fish out car keys, leading to his arrest and pepper‑spray restraint. The court noted Connors' difficult background, his recent desire to reform, and his lack of family contact since 2008.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Thomas Knox, 64, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Garda Shane Buckley and to criminal damage after a dispute with his neighbour. The incident began when Knox, highly intoxicated, pulled down part of his neighbour's back‑garden fence and then assaulted the garda who was called to the scene. During the confrontation, Knox grabbed Buckley's arm and attempted to pull him over a shoulder‑high wall, causing Buckley to suffer a significant tear to his shoulder cartilage that required surgery, a sling for four weeks, and extensive physiotherapy. Buckley reported the assault as traumatising and frightening, noting ongoing mental‑health leave. Knox, who has three prior drink‑driving convictions and has been on disability benefit for 17 years, was adjourned for three months to work with Probation Services on his alcohol issues, with sentencing scheduled for March 20 next year.
Imelda Hanlon, 36, stole €18,752 from ten elderly pensioners over four years while working part‑time at her mother's post office in Oak Court Grove, Palmerstown. She targeted old‑age pension payments, taking small amounts each time customers collected their money and keeping the rest for herself. The thefts were uncovered in 2014 when An Post investigated unusual transactions; Hanlon admitted the crimes, repaid the victims and the company. She used some of the proceeds to pay her mortgage and to support her partner's children, hoping to strengthen their relationship. In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court she pleaded guilty to ten counts of theft out of an 81‑count indictment. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to two years, suspended on strict conditions, and noted the seriousness of the offence against a vulnerable community. No prison term was imposed.
A man who pleaded guilty to robbing an Apache Pizza outlet in Tallaght in September 2015 appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Craig Dempsey, aged 25, admitted the robbery of the restaurant in Oldbawn Shopping Centre, where €2,535 was taken. He also pleaded guilty to a separate robbery of a Spar store in Ballycullen in July 2015, during which he produced a broken bottle. Gardaí recovered his DNA from a blood-stained till and clothing found at the scene. The court heard Dempsey had relocated from Dublin to Mayo to distance himself from negative influences and had engaged with local boxing and community activities. His defence counsel cited a significant drug debt as the motivation for the offences and referenced personal trauma. Judge Melanie Greally expressed concern about his non-engagement with probation services previously but offered one final opportunity for him to comply with such services in Mayo. Sentencing has been adjourned to April 2017.
Vincent Fox, 39, was sentenced to seven years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended, after pleading guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis, heroin and diazepam for sale or supply, and the supply of a medical product, zopiclone, without prescription. The court found that Fox had accumulated a drug debt of €4,000 from smoking cannabis and used the sale of drugs to clear that debt. Garda investigations uncovered diazepam tablets worth €282,957, heroin and cannabis, and 284,872 zopiclone sleeping tablets valued at €569,744, along with paraphernalia such as bagging, labels, scales and a tick list. Fox claimed the drugs were for his own use and that he had been staying at a friend's house. The prosecution argued that Fox's drug debt made him a potential "dirty worker" for the drug hierarchy.
Michael Bayley, a 23‑year‑old from Clondalkin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two burglaries in Sallynoggin and dangerous driving on 12 May 2016. He admitted owing €15,000 to people who had brought him to the burglary sites to repay a debt. During a high‑speed chase that reached 160 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, Bayley fled in a stolen car, which crashed in Blackrock. He was arrested alone in the vehicle. The burglaries involved the theft of a Samsung Galaxy tablet and an iPad from a sick child's home, and a €100 note was found in a birthday card at the victim's house. Bayley acknowledged drug addictions, claimed he did not recall taking the items, and offered a full apology. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to allow victim impact statements and a probation report before the next hearing on 1 February 2017.
Augustin Ion, a 49‑year‑old taxi driver, was found guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman while transporting her from a city centre pub to her home on the night of 20 November 2014. During the ride Ion groped the woman's breast, held her head back against the car seat, and asked her to sit in the back seat and to allow him to enter her house with her. He also attempted to kiss her on the side of the face and rubbed the back of her head. The woman, who had been drinking, told Ion she was uncomfortable and tried to leave. A jury, after a single day of evidence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, returned a guilty verdict in just under three hours. Ion was released on bail pending sentencing on 23 January, with conditions that he not drive a taxi or apply for a new passport until the outcome of the case. Augustin Ion pleaded not guilty.
A former solicitor from County Mayo has been sentenced to one year in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for stealing €260,000 from her clients between February 2008 and January 2011. Jacqueline Durcan, aged 47, pleaded guilty to a single count of theft from mixed client deposit accounts. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed the custodial sentence, noting the serious breach of professional trust, the sustained nature of the offending, and the substantial sum involved as aggravating factors. The court heard Durcan, who ran Durcan Solicitors in Castlebar, made the thefts whilst facing severe financial pressures from property investments. Most funds were redirected into the family practice, with €51,000 applied towards her home purchase. The Law Society paid out €206,184 in compensation claims. Durcan has since made reparations and was struck off the roll. She has since relocated to Belgium.