A 77‑year‑old man was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for indecent assault and sexual assault on his grand‑niece between 1987 and 1991, when she was aged 10 to 14. The jury found him guilty of three counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault. The victim, now 39, reported the abuse to Gardaí in 2010 and described the impact in a victim impact statement, citing nightmares, depression, panic attacks and a sense of being owned. She also detailed the abuse occurring in her grandparents' house in Dublin. The judge noted the man had no prior convictions and that the sentence would occupy a significant part of his life. The man now lives a lonely, isolated life.
A trial date has been set for Anti‑Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy and 17 others charged with false imprisonment of then Tánaiste Joan Burton after a protest at Jobstown in 2014. The protest delayed Burton and her entourage for about two hours on 15 November 2014, as they left a graduation event at An Cosan Education Centre to travel by car to St Thomas' Church. The defendants, including Dublin Councillor Kieran Mahon (38), Anti‑Austerity Alliance Councillor Michael Murphy (50) and Paul Murphy (33), were grouped by Judge Melanie Greally according to the charges they face. The first group of four, including Paul Murphy, Michael Murphy and Mahon, will be tried on 24 April 2017, with a pre‑trial hearing on 7 December. A second group of six faces a trial on 2 October 2017, with a pre‑trial hearing on 8 June.
The jury for the trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick, charged with misleading auditors about millions of euros in loans, was sent away for almost two weeks. A specially enlarged panel of 15 jurors was sworn in at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the trial expected to last three months. Judge John Aylmer reminded the jurors to remain impartial, to avoid seeking information online or on social media, and not to discuss the case with family or friends. FitzPatrick, aged 68, pleaded not guilty to 27 offences under the 1990 Companies Act, including 22 charges of misleading statements to auditors and five charges of furnishing false information between 2002 and 2007. The judge told the jury that the case would resume before counsel for the State, Dominic McGinn SC, who would explain the lengthy indictment.
Three new jurors were sworn in for the trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick, who faces 27 offences under the 1990 Companies Act for allegedly misleading the bank's auditor Ernst and Young about director's loans received between November 2002 and February 2008. The trial, held at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, is expected to last three months. Judge John Aylmer instructed the jury, now nine women and six men, to remain impartial, avoid internet or social media research, and not discuss the case with family or friends. He emphasized that the jury must base their verdict solely on the evidence presented in court and will return a decision tomorrow afternoon before being dismissed for about two weeks. FitzPatrick, aged 68, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick began at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 21 September 2016. A specially enlarged jury of 15 was sworn in, with the case expected to last up to three months. FitzPatrick, aged 68, denies misleading the bank's auditors Ernst and Young about loans totalling up to €119 million received between November 2002 and February 2008. He pleaded not guilty to 27 offences under the 1990 Companies Act, including 22 charges of making misleading statements to auditors and five charges of furnishing false information from 2002 to 2007. The prosecution plans to call 75 witnesses, such as former bank employees Matt Moran and Tiarnan O'Mahoney, and former IBRC chairman Alan Dukes. Potential jurors were excluded if they had been affected by the banking crisis, expressed views on it publicly, or were members of protest groups. The jury, after exclusions, comprised eight women and seven men.
Sean FitzPatrick, former chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, will begin a twelve‑week trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 26 September. He is accused of misleading the bank's auditors over a five‑year period, facing 27 offences under the 1990 Companies Act. The charges include 21 counts of making misleading, false or deceptive statements to auditors and six counts of furnishing false information between 2002 and 2007. The case will be heard by a specially enlarged jury of 15 members, with two days of legal argument in the jury's absence.
Judge Patrick McCartan sentenced the mother to two years' imprisonment after hearing a moving account of her child's cruelty. The mother, who pleaded guilty to child cruelty between 10 October and 13 December 2012, was found to have neglected her daughter for four days while intoxicated. The child, who was left alone, recalled eating fish food because she was hungry and described her mother as unpredictable and frightening. She was lonely, with only a dog for company, and later engaged in self‑harm. The court heard that the child had severe lice, scabbing, and a poor physical condition, and that she had been absent from school for two weeks without explanation. The mother denied leaving the child alone, but evidence of alcohol, dirty dishes, and a broken vodka bottle was presented. The sentence reflects the mid‑range offence of utter neglect of a young child's needs.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 39‑year‑old woman testified that she underwent breast‑reduction surgery costing €6,000 after enduring sexual abuse by her granduncle between 1987 and 1992, when she was aged 8 to 13. She described ongoing nightmares, flashbacks, insomnia, depression, panic attacks and a persistent sense of unease, especially when receiving compliments from her husband. The victim also recounted a 21st‑birthday party where the granduncle appeared uninvited, "destroyed her life" and danced as if nothing had happened. She said she had previously reported the abuse to Gardaí in 2010, was hospitalised for five days due to stress‑related hearing loss, and had suicidal thoughts. The granduncle, now 77, was found guilty of three counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault, and was remanded in custody pending sentencing on 3 October 2016.
Paul Casey, a 46‑year‑old former bricklayer from Ballymun, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a two‑year suspended sentence and a €3,000 fine for handling €53,453 worth of stolen electrical equipment. The property had been hijacked from a truck delivering goods from the UK to Dixons PC World in June 2014 and was later moved from a freight container into a van. Casey pleaded guilty on 18 July 2014 at Finnstown House Hotel, Lucan. He was arrested while attempting to escape by the side of the container. The court noted that all stolen goods were returned to Dixons, that Casey had nine prior convictions, and that he was on disability benefit and a father of two. The suspended sentence was imposed, with the fine payable. The case also involved co‑accused Daniel McMahon, who was fined €5,000, and Michael Barr, who was sent to the Special Criminal Court for related charges.
Gavin Fitzhenry, 32, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty to three failed burglaries in south Dublin on the night of 27 June 2014. He was sentenced to three years' imprisonment. The court noted his 42 prior convictions and that he was helping to pay off his brother's €19,000 drug debt. Judge Elma Sheahan highlighted his efforts to become drug‑free while in prison, his remorse, and his willingness to enter a residential drug treatment programme after release. She also mentioned that he was expecting his first child and that Probation Services had given positive reports. The judge recorded the trauma and upset caused to the victims, especially the young children, and the fact that Fitzhenry carried out two further robberies after the first. The court heard from Garda Vincent Carroll about the incidents, the victims' reactions, and the impact on the families. Fitzhenry was caught after hiding in bushes near the scenes.
Andrew Shannon, aged 50, was convicted for damaging Claude Monet's 1874 painting 'Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sail Boat' at the National Gallery of Ireland on 29 June 2012. CCTV showed him striking the canvas, causing a substantial tear. He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with 15 months suspended, on 4 December 2014. Shannon appealed the conviction, arguing the damage was accidental after a coronary episode. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, ruling the trial was satisfactory and the conviction safe. The court noted the separate incidents at the National Gallery and the Shelbourne Hotel, the latter of which he was acquitted. The appeal was dismissed, and Shannon expressed a desire to appeal to the Supreme Court. The case was heard by Mr Justice John Edwards, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice Alan Mahon. Andrew Shannon pleaded not guilty.
A 36‑year‑old Meath man, Dermot Molloy, was given a suspended sentence after a judge heard he is the sole carer for a child with a serious birth defect. Molloy had previously pleaded guilty to robbery in 2014 and was serving a suspended portion of a six‑year sentence for earlier robberies. He had threatened a syringe during the 2014 robbery but claimed he was only armed with a pen and that he robbed to buy food for his family. The judge noted that Molloy had complied with bail conditions since 2013, had no recent offences, and was drug‑free. He also cares for his partner's child who had suffered self‑harm. The judge, citing extraordinary circumstances, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence and suspended it entirely, allowing Molloy to continue his daily reporting at Bridewell Garda Station for the next year.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martin Nolan applied the Probation Act to Richard Lowndes (51), of Inniskeen, Co Monaghan. Lowndes pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of unlawful possession of a shotgun without a firearms certificate at Kilsallaghan on April 12, 2012. The original charge of reckless discharge was dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The court heard that Lowndes, a long-distance haulage driver and father of five, used his elderly father's legally held shotgun to pursue a burglar. Judge Nolan noted his sympathy for rural dwellers at risk of burglary but warned Lowndes against acting while upset. Separately, the report details the prior sentencing of Matthew Fahey (36), previously of Finglas. Last year, Fahey received a six-year sentence with four years suspended after pleading guilty to the burglary at Kilsallaghan and another at Milrace, Rolestown, Swords, on the same date. He also admitted to a spate of burglaries and car thefts between January 2010 and April 2012, with 61 previous convictions mainly for theft, burglary, and stealing cars.
Eamon Shield, 45, of Lucan, was found guilty by a jury of 25 counts of theft and deception after a two‑week trial in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He ran a pyramid scheme from June 2011 to February 2012, promising investors a 100 per cent profit within 60 days by buying repossessed cars and flipping them. Shield advertised in national newspapers and received between €3,000 and €70,000 from 12 investors. He returned €32,000 to the investor who paid €70,000, but all 12 investors were left out of pocket. Shield had a prior deception conviction in 2005 and 23 road traffic and two public order convictions. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, ordering €20,000 in his account to be divided among the victims.
David Marsh, 29, an IT worker, was jailed for two years after defrauding a Limerick couple of €76,000 by promising to secure them a cheap house. He used the money to buy an Audi, a rugby tour and a holiday to New York. Marsh also stole €7,785 from tag‑rugby teammates and colleagues by claiming he could obtain tickets to a Conor McGregor UFC fight. He pleaded guilty to the house fraud and 12 counts of dishonestly inducing others to give him money. Judge John Aylmer imposed a two‑year term for the house fraud and six months for the other charges, all to run concurrently. Marsh admitted his actions, apologized, and expressed a desire to reform, but no compensation was offered to the victims. The Audi seized by Gardaí was valued at €15,000‑€18,000. No money was recovered.
A Dublin man, Francis Fitzpatrick (37), of Kilmartin Avenue, Tallaght Dublin, was sentenced to five and a half years in custody at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his guilty plea to possession of 11 kilograms of cocaine on the Tallaght by-pass on November 27, 2015. The drugs, with a street value of €770,539, were discovered during a Garda search of his blue BMW after he was stopped at the junction of Killinarden Heights. Fitzpatrick admitted to picking up the drugs to pay off a drug debt and stated he had been using cocaine for ten years. He also admitted to selling drugs to fund his habit. During the proceedings, it was noted that Fitzpatrick had one minor previous conviction and had taken steps towards rehabilitation, including being drug-free and assisting his mother in caring for his ill father. The court heard that Fitzpatrick had been cooperative with the Garda and expressed regret for his actions. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged the seriousness of the case but departed from the presumptive mandatory ten-year sentence. The matter was finalised at the sentence stage with no adjournments.
In September 2015, Constantin Zahira (29) stabbed his girlfriend repeatedly in the face after accusing her of cheating, and also attacked his sister and his girlfriend's father with a Stanley knife. The girlfriend sustained eight wounds requiring stitches and will bear lifelong scarring. Zahira, who had no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to causing serious harm to his girlfriend and assault causing harm to her father and his sister. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a nine‑year sentence, suspending the final two and a half years. The court noted Zahira's lack of prior convictions and his late guilty plea. Character references, including one from his sister and the mayor of his Romanian hometown, were submitted. A psychological report highlighted a history of distrust, jealousy and past physical abuse. Gardaí found Zahira after he fled the scene, and he later claimed he was drunk and that his girlfriend had slapped him first.
Lewis Smith, 19, of Tallaght, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for robbing a mobile phone from an unconscious man at the Fortunestown City West Luas stop on 17 April 2015. Smith, who had 13 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to robbery. The victim, who was attacked while returning home from work, was tripped, fell onto the Luas tracks, and was then kicked and punched until unconscious. His €400 phone was taken while he lay on the ground. The victim spent three days in hospital with concussion and still suffers nerve pain. Smith's sentence includes a six‑month suspended portion and a 12‑month probation period with requirements for education, employment and drug treatment. The judge noted Smith had written an apology letter and that his cousin had died in a similar assault. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Two Dublin men, Jonathan Carberry and Gavin Mulvey, were jailed for their roles in moving €778,000 worth of cannabis from Spain, hidden under scented candles. The drugs were being unloaded at Bath Lane when Gardaí arrested them. Carberry, aged 35, pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale or supply on 11 June 2015, and was sentenced to seven years with two years suspended, citing his previous good character. Mulvey, also 35, received a three‑year sentence with the last year suspended, as he joined the scheme at the last minute and had no prior knowledge. Elliot Kidd, aged 25, was remanded on continuing bail and a Probation Service report was ordered. The court noted Carberry's debt and Mulvey's recent recovery from a neck injury, while Kidd had three prior convictions and was a drug addict seeking to pay a debt.
Leonard Dumbrell, 28, of Clonattin Village, Gorey, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and a five‑year driving disqualification for car theft and two counts of dangerous driving in Dublin City Centre. The sentence was imposed by Judge Mary Ellen Ring on 30 July 2015. Dumbrell's appeal was dismissed by Mr Justice Alan Mahon on 28 July 2016. Mahon noted that Dumbrell had entered a car with the engine running, left the owner, and then drove away. A Garda chased him, and Dumbrell broke a red light, made illegal turns, weaved through traffic, mounted a pedestrian median on O'Connell Bridge, and crashed in Temple Bar. He had 108 previous convictions and was arrested a short distance away. Mahon found the three‑year term not "lenient" given his record and that the sentencing judge had considered rehabilitation. The appeal was therefore dismissed. Leonard Dumbrell pleaded guilty.
Sam Power, 31, of Cushlawn Park, Tallaght, was sentenced to three years in prison for possessing a sawn‑off shotgun, with the final 18 months suspended. He pleaded guilty to the offence, which occurred on 30 April 2015 at his parents‑in‑law's home. The gun, belonging to his missing brother‑in‑law William Maughan, was found wrapped on a radiator in the parents‑in‑law bedroom. Power had shown the weapon to a group of men in a "joking" manner, according to Detective Sergeant Gregory Sheehan, who had been in the area for a separate matter. Power has 82 prior convictions, including knives, assault and public order offences, and was on bail for possession of stolen property at the time of the offence. The court considered his personal circumstances, including the death of his mother when he was 15, his wife's heart condition, and the threat to his family, before imposing the sentence.
Eoin Daly, 30, of Kippure Park, Finglas, Dublin, was sentenced by Judge Patrick McCartan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a three‑year suspended sentence with two years of probation for smuggling more than €8,000 worth of heroin and cocaine into Cloverhill Prison. Daly pleaded guilty to possessing heroin for sale or supply and possessing cocaine on 10 May 2015. He was also remanded on a burglary offence after attending his son's first communion. At the sentencing hearing in June, Judge McCartan had ordered a urine sample for drug testing, but Daly claimed he could not provide one due to "stage fright," a psychological condition, and offered a blood sample instead. The judge noted Daly's good report from Probation Services and his willingness to remain drug‑free, but also highlighted his 32 previous convictions and his current five‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for burglaries. Daly is due for release in April 2016.
Richard Molloy, 45, of Naas, was convicted in 2015 for possessing equipment to produce counterfeit €50 notes and was sentenced to six years' imprisonment. He had sold €20,000 in counterfeit bills to a suspected IRA member and was found to have €2 million worth of counterfeit currency in preparation. On appeal the Court of Appeal found the original judge had not explained the overall rationale for the sentence and had not recorded the mitigating discount. The appeal court re‑sentenced Molloy to five‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended. He was required to enter a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period. The case involved the discovery of two Heidelberg colour offset printers, various powders, guillotines, digital printers and paper, and a large quantity of completed and partially completed counterfeit notes. The court noted Molloy's financial difficulties, his partner's illness and death, and his alcohol problems as mitigating factors. Richard Molloy pleaded guilty.
Eoghan McGarry, 30, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for assaulting three Mountjoy Prison officers on 23 April 2015. He attacked the officers with a homemade shiv made from razor blades melted into a toothbrush while they were delivering breakfast. The officers were injured and required treatment; one sustained facial wounds, another a wound under the chin, and the third was struck on the head. McGarry appeared in court handcuffed and surrounded by riot‑gear officers. He had already been serving a four‑year sentence for aggravated burglary, with the final year suspended, and the new sentence will run consecutively to that term. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the last year of the new sentence on the condition that McGarry engage in psychiatric care and take prescribed medication. He has 38 prior convictions, including assault, burglary and criminal damage. The incident was captured on CCTV and the cell was searched, revealing the shiv. Eoghan McGarry pleaded guilty.
Trevor Cooke, 40, pleaded guilty to robbing a cash‑in‑transit van at Bawnogue Post Office on 3 October 2013, taking €50,000. He used a fake gun to threaten a G4S guard, seized the cash box, and fled in a car that had been reported stolen. Gardaí pursued him, and after a traffic chase he abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. He was arrested in the rear garden of a house, hiding behind a wheelie bin, and was sprayed with pepper spray. A fake gun and the cash box were recovered; the box's dye destroyed the money. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced Cooke to six years, suspending the final three years on strict conditions, and credited him for time already spent in custody. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Noel Darby, 40, was identified by his mugging victim after the victim recognised him from a documentary about drug rehabilitation in Dublin. Darby, who had not committed a serious offence in 13 years, pleaded guilty to robbery of a mobile phone on Malahide Road in Coolock on 9 February 2015. He had previously been convicted of firearm possession, drug offences and a robbery. During the robbery, Darby demanded a phone from a man at a bus stop, grabbed it, and fled, brandishing a seven‑inch kitchen knife. The victim, who had watched the documentary on YouTube, confirmed Darby's identity. Darby was arrested the next day, admitted the offence, and was remanded on continuing bail pending sentencing, which was adjourned to 18 November. The court ordered a probation report and allowed time for a defence witness regarding Darby's drug treatment engagement.
A retired guesthouse owner has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment following his conviction for the sexual abuse of his young niece during a 1985 summer visit from America. John Prior, aged 68, of Orchard Lane, Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin, was convicted on two counts of indecent assault at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The offences occurred at Hartley House, Merrion Road, between July and August 1985, when the victim was eleven years old and staying with relatives in Leitrim and Dublin. Prior had initially denied five counts of indecent assault, but a jury failed to reach verdicts on three remaining charges following trial earlier this month. The now 42-year-old victim provided evidence of two separate incidents and subsequently reported suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. Judge Nolan noted the case involved assaults with profound effects on the victim and significant family disruption. The judge acknowledged Prior's charitable contributions but found he had abused his position of trust. Prior has no previous convictions.
Damien Halpin, 29, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possession of €17,318 of cocaine and for assault causing harm at Gibson Hotel. He pleaded guilty to both offences. The court noted that he had previously fled to Australia in 2011 after being labelled a "rat" by graffiti and that his home was shot at. In Australia he was convicted of arson, assault and being armed with intent in 2015, served one year in New South Wales, and was deported to Ireland in January 2016. Judge Melanie Greally accepted his admissions about the drugs, his chaotic lifestyle, and his positive attitude in custody, but imposed consecutive sentences totaling six years, suspending the final two years on strict conditions. The case also highlighted 21 prior convictions for traffic and public‑order offences.
John Nulty, a 37‑year‑old former librarian, was given a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to eight counts of theft from the National Library of Ireland, covering 216 charges. He had taken hundreds of rare books, worth about €200,000, between 2004 and 2013, and also stole from the Allen Library while employed there. Gardaí discovered an "Aladdin's cave" of books in his Dublin home in 2013. The judge noted that most books were recovered intact, with a loss of around €5,000, and that Nulty's compulsive hoarding and lack of profit from sales justified a suspended term of two and a half years, conditional on good behaviour. The case highlighted Nulty's obsession with the books, his attempts to sell them, and his remorse for breaching the trust of his employers. The sentence was suspended, with no immediate custodial term imposed.
Sean Carraher, aged 55, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for harassing Sergeant Conor Gilmartin between March 2009 and May 2011. Carraher posted 58 messages on Rate‑Your‑Solicitor and Victims of the Legal Profession, alleging that Gilmartin had withheld evidence in a prior case and was corrupt. He also made up to 12 harassing phone calls. He pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was convicted after nearly six hours of jury deliberation. Carraher had a prior 2011 conviction for harassing his wife. Judge Patrick McCartan imposed the sentence to deter others from spreading grossly defamatory information, noting Carraher's lack of remorse and use of internet anonymity. No findings of wrongdoing were made against Gilmartin. The case highlighted the impact of the harassment on Gilmartin and his family, who deleted social media accounts and a charity webpage to protect themselves.
Clare Dowling, 22, of Ballybough, Dublin, pleaded guilty to theft and assault causing harm to Xiao Chang on 3 May 2014. Dowling posed as an immigration officer, entered Ms Chang's apartment with an accomplice, stole her laptop and fled. She later punched Ms Chang in the face, causing bleeding. Ms Chang was not located for a victim impact statement and is believed to have returned to China. Dowling had 23 prior convictions, including burglary and theft. No charges were brought against her accomplice. Dowling was under the influence of heroin and tablets at the time of the offence and was homeless. She is now drug‑free, in a new relationship and living with her boyfriend's mother. Judge Patrick McCartan sentenced her to a suspended three‑year term for both offences, to run concurrently and suspended entirely. The judge warned that a further offence would result in imprisonment.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 26 July 2016, 24‑year‑old Raymond Byrne pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after throwing a pint glass at Supermac's manager Grzegorz Gazek on Christmas Eve 2013. The glass struck Gazek's face, permanently damaging his cornea and causing ongoing headaches and sleeplessness. Byrne, identified from CCTV, had no prior convictions and claimed he was drunk and embarrassed by the footage. He offered a letter of remorse and €200 to the victim. Judge Patrick McCartan, after considering Byrne's circumstances and character, imposed a suspended three‑year sentence and ordered him to pay €4,800 to Gazek within six months, thereby avoiding jail time. The judge noted the seriousness of the offence but gave Byrne a chance for rehabilitation.
In a €2 million drug bust, Graham O'Toole (24), Tara Kennedy (22) and Alan Dowling (46) are set to be sentenced in November. Gardaí intercepted Dowling's van, discovering 7 kg of cocaine and 2.2 kg of heroin, and later seized 17.37 kg of cannabis from O'Toole's home. Dowling pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply, admitting responsibility for the drugs in his boot; O'Toole pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply, admitting responsibility for the drugs in his home; Kennedy pleaded guilty to allowing her home to be used for the sale, supply or distribution of cannabis. O'Toole had previously received a four‑year sentence with the final two years suspended for aggravated burglary of his father's home. All three were remanded on continuing bail, with probation reports ordered for Dowling and O'Toole and a report already prepared for Kennedy. The court will hear from each defence barrister on the next hearing.
Joe O'Donnell, 23, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and damaging a Garda Ford Transit van at St Philomena's Park, Blanchardstown, on 9 February 2013. He was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to a two‑year suspended sentence on strict conditions. O'Donnell had seven prior convictions and had never been imprisoned before. The judge remarked that O'Donnell had "made life miserable for the gardai" and warned that he should observe his surroundings or face future imprisonment. The incident involved O'Donnell, his brother Anthony (who died), and John Mongan. Mongan received a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence in November 2015. O'Donnell was physically restrained, handcuffed and later became passive after being put to the ground. The Garda van's front windscreen was smashed and a front light was hanging off. No gun was produced during the disturbance. The court noted that O'Donnell had no history of violence at the time of the offence, although he had subsequently accrued road traffic convictions.
Mantis Kerbelis, 23, was arrested at Dublin Airport after customs discovered a whiskey bottle containing 83 pellets of cocaine worth €91,079. He claimed he had no knowledge of the drugs and that the container was given to him in Dubai as part of a deal for a short holiday in Ireland. Kerbelis pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at Terminal Two on 5 February 2016. Judge Melanie Greally, noting his good cooperation, imposed a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final 18 months on the condition he leaves the country within seven days of release. He has one prior domestic‑violence conviction in Lithuania and had recently divorced after financial difficulties. He has been in custody since his arrest and has used his time productively.
Former Anglo Irish Bank executives John Bowe, Willie McAteer, and Denis Casey, all convicted of conspiring to defraud by setting up a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme between March 1 and September 30, 2008, appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing. The jury found the men guilty of bolstering Anglo's balance sheet to mislead investors, despite their not guilty pleas. Prosecuting counsel Paul O'Higgins SC stated the effective maximum sentence was ten years, noting that while the Financial Regulator encouraged inter-bank support, it was not informed of these specific September 2008 transactions. Defence counsel argued the men acted under a "green jersey" agenda to save the banking system and that no financial gain was made. McAteer, who has a prior 2014 conviction for unlawful loans, carried out 240 hours of community service in lieu of a two-year prison sentence for that earlier offence. The court heard character evidence and details of the defendants' personal losses. Judge Martin Nolan heard submissions and indicated he would deliver the sentences on Friday morning.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 19‑year‑old Karl Smith was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for a series of violent offences committed over a month. The offences included assault causing harm to 21‑year‑old Devon Whiston, threatening a 16‑year‑old boy, criminal damage to a front door, and two counts of producing a weapon. Judge Patrick McCartan suspended the last two years of the sentence on strict conditions, emphasising the need for Smith to face the consequences of his conduct, particularly towards Mr Whiston, whose life had been "turned upside down." The judge expressed willingness to grant Smith "considerable leniency" to encourage rehabilitation, noting his potential for positive change. Smith's defence counsel highlighted a psychiatric report diagnosing social anxiety and paranoia, and reported that Smith was now drug‑free and engaged in educational opportunities while on remand. The court also ordered a probation report and a psychiatric report. The unnamed 16-year-old pleaded guilty.
James Flanagan, 56, received a suspended two‑year sentence for his role in a fake garage scam that involved forged bank drafts. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found that Flanagan acted recklessly rather than intentionally. He had applied for weekend work advertised on Jobs.ie and was tasked with picking up and dropping off cars for the "garage." On 27 September 2013, he produced a forged €13,800 bank draft to purchase a car from Emmet Lyons at Athlone Train Station. The car was later sold to a woman for €9,000, who was allowed to keep it as she bought it in good faith. Lyons suffered the full loss of €13,800. Flanagan pleaded guilty to production of a false instrument.
Warren Nolan, 20, of Rowlagh Park, Clondalkin, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm in suspicious circumstances and three drug‑possession‑for‑sale charges on 8 June 2015. He also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, reckless endangerment and driving without a licence on 4 June 2015. The court heard that Nolan drove at high speed through Clondalkin, forcing two pedestrians to jump over a gate and a wall to escape his car, and that he later drove on footpaths, on the wrong side of the road and through red lights during a garda pursuit. In a separate incident, a taxi containing several men was pursued; when the car stopped, Nolan was found looking at a garda with a sawn‑off shotgun pointed at the officer's face. The gun was unloaded and no ammunition was found. Nolan was also found to have cannabis, cocaine and heroin.
A 25‑year‑old Wexford man was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for defilement of a 13‑year‑old girl, the sister of his former girlfriend. He pleaded guilty on the morning of his trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The offence occurred at his home on 2 March 2010, when he was 19. The man was found to have the defendant's DNA on the girl's underwear, and forensic evidence confirmed sexual contact. He denied any sexual contact during police interviews, claiming the girl had approached him and that they had been "sitting shoulder to shoulder" on the couch. The judge, Patrick McCartan, noted the significant age gap and that the girl was "young and impressionable" and that there was "nothing approaching consent." The final two years of the sentence were suspended on strict conditions. The man has 42 prior convictions, including possession of knives, drugs and theft offences, and has not been in contact with Gardaí since 2010.
Wayne Ellis, 34, of Landen Road, Ballyfermot, had received a wholly suspended sentence for a third firearms offence in 2014. The sentence was upheld as unduly lenient by the Court of Appeal, which ordered him to serve a five‑year term of imprisonment. The appeal was based on Ellis's previous convictions under the Firearm Act, which require a mandatory minimum of five years for a second offence. The High Court had earlier upheld the constitutionality of that minimum. Ellis had pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances and to other firearms‑related offences at Knocklyon Shopping Centre on 5 July 2012. The Court of Appeal noted that Ellis had been drug‑free for two years and had made significant progress in overcoming his addiction, but the mandatory minimum could not be suspended. The decision was delivered by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, with Mr Justice Alan Mahon and Mr Justice John Edwards.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, former Anglo Irish Bank executives John Bowe (52), Willie McAteer (65), and former Irish Life and Permanent Group Chief Executive Denis Casey (56) were convicted of conspiring to inflate Anglo's financial statements by €7.2 billion. The scheme involved a circular transaction where Anglo transferred money to Irish Life and Permanent (ILP), which then routed the funds back to Anglo through Irish Life Assurance, presenting the transfers as customer deposits rather than inter‑bank loans. The defendants claimed they acted under a "green jersey" directive from the financial regulator to navigate the credit crunch. All pleaded not guilty. After conviction, Judge Martin Nolan remanded them on bail pending a sentence hearing scheduled for the following Monday, during which the defendants' counsel submitted testimonials to the judge in advance of the hearing. The hearing is expected to last one day.
Paul Casey, 46, of Ballymun, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to handling €53,453 worth of stolen property at the Finnstown House Hotel in Lucan, Co Dublin, on July 18, 2014. The prosecution alleged that Casey was arrested while moving the stolen electrical equipment, which had been hijacked from a truck in June 2014, from a freight container into a van. His co-accused, Daniel McMahon of Belfast, was previously fined €5,000, as community service was deemed difficult due to his residency outside the jurisdiction. The third co-accused, Michael Barr, who was shot dead in April, had pleaded guilty to handling stolen property; the State entered a nolle prosequi on the associated IRA membership charge, dropping it. Barr was due to be sentenced at the end of April before his death. In mitigation, defense counsel noted Casey's alcohol abstinence for 18 months and his intention to offer a financial gesture of remorse from his disability benefit. Judge Elma Sheahan adjourned the case until Friday next for sentencing. The matter was adjourned and is not concluded.
Two Dublin men, Mark Farrelly (46) and Christopher Corcoran (69), were acquitted of a 2005 tiger kidnapping after a trial judge quashed their convictions. Their acquittals were later overturned by the Court of Criminal Appeal, which found the judge had erred in excluding mobile‑phone mast evidence. The Director of Public Prosecutions sought a declaration that the evidence had been wrongly excluded, and the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial. The men are now remanded to appear before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to set a trial date. The case has seen four trials, with convictions, appeals, a jury disagreement, and a judge's direction to acquit, raising concerns about fairness and changing legal standards. The Court of Appeal concluded a fair retrial was possible and that justice required it.
Rose Kiely, 35, of Lucan, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four counts of stealing €20,000 in social welfare payments from the Department of Social Protection between May 2013 and December 2014. She claimed the theft was an act of desperation after her partner's death and used the money to pay bills and support her child. The court accepted her admissions and the lack of prior convictions, and Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑year custodial sentence that was fully suspended. Kiely is now repaying the stolen amount at €28.20 per week from her own welfare entitlement, a repayment plan that will take 13 years to complete. The case involved Garda investigations that uncovered a DSP card in another woman's name and CCTV evidence from a post office. Kiely cooperated fully with the authorities and stated that the funds were spent on household expenses and her daughter's activities rather than socialising.
Sean Rausch, 18, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a total of five and a half years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. He received a consecutive three‑year term for an endangerment charge arising from a high‑speed chase in which he drove a stolen Hyundai Santa Fe on three wheels, breaking 24 traffic lights, crossing two green areas, and driving on the wrong side of a national road for 2 km. He also received a five‑year term for assault causing serious harm to a 17‑year‑old schoolboy, who sustained life‑threatening injuries including a brain bleed, fractured jaw, broken eye socket, multiple broken teeth and missing chin skin. The court noted the victim's injuries and the severity of the assault, while Rausch had previously pleaded guilty to two attempted robberies, two robberies, possession of a stolen vehicle, handling stolen keys, endangerment and dangerous driving.
Paul Kavanagh, a 25‑year‑old shop worker, admitted to stealing almost €54,000 from the Londis store where he worked by creating fake Lotto wins. He spent the money on take‑aways, taxis and cannabis, as his counsel noted. Kavanagh pleaded guilty to theft from owner Ray Sheehan between 2014 and 2015 and was also found with a small amount of cannabis at his home. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to January 13th next year, allowing Kavanagh to repay €1,000 a month to the shop owner and to pay €3,600 within three days from his savings. The court's decision gives him a chance to avoid jail by repaying the stolen funds. The case remains at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court stage.
A 17‑year‑old boy from Shankill, Dublin, pleaded guilty to 12 offences, including robbery, attempted robbery, knife production and criminal damage, for incidents between August 2014 and October 2015. The most serious offences occurred on 21 October 2015 near Shankill Dart station, when he and an unnamed co‑accused threatened passers‑by with knives, robbed a man of his phone and wallet, punched him, robbed a teenage boy of his wallet after the boy threatened him with a bike lock, and threatened a father with a knife. The boy also threatened three men walking or jogging. He was arrested that night. The court noted he was two days from his 18th birthday and therefore treated as a juvenile. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a suspended three‑year sentence, requiring good behaviour, training and education, victim awareness and drug treatment programmes, with reactivation if conditions are breached. The boy was not detained.
Patrick Chambers, a 65‑year‑old Dubliner from Foxrock, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four counts of claiming VAT refunds he was not entitled to between July 2009 and March 2010, and to producing an incorrect VAT invoice in July 2012. The fraud cost the exchequer €35,780. Chambers had taken a loan of over one million euros to develop a second property on the grounds of his family home, but the collapse of the property market in 2008 left him in "dire financial circumstances." He claimed the loan was to cover costs after his divorce and to repay debts. Judge Melanie Greally found the offence driven by financial desperation, not opportunism, and sentenced Chambers to 12 months in prison, suspended in full on the condition that he pay €7,000 per year to Revenue for five years.
Samuel Hutch, 40, of Finglas, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to trespass and possession of a stolen bicycle in Sandymount on 25 October 2015, to damaging a car door in Ringsend on the same date, and to a burglary in Cabra on 6 February 2016. He has 89 prior convictions, including 39 burglaries, possession of a phone in prison, robbery, theft, criminal damage, road traffic and drug offences. Judge Melanie Greally noted that Hutch would face special security arrangements in custody that isolate him from visitors, other prisoners and prison facilities, creating an environment of fear and tension. She accepted his guilty pleas and the fact that the burglaries were committed to fund his drug addiction, and sentenced him to a consecutive four‑year term, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions. The court acknowledged his ongoing drug treatment in prison and his intention to start a new life after release.