Patrick Duff, 49, was stopped by gardaí after firing a sawn‑off shotgun in a local park. He claimed he had taken the gun because he was suicidal, saying he had been depressed and wanted to commit suicide. Duff, wearing white latex gloves and wearing a hood, had the gun hidden in his jeans. He was aggressive towards officers, struggled with them and head‑butted one officer. He pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm on Ballyfermot Parade on 5 February 2015. The case was adjourned to 31 May after evidence was heard. Duff said he had been notified of a threat to his life in August 2014 but could not recall it. He admitted he was probably drunk at the time. The court noted the circumstances were not consistent with a credible suicide attempt and adjourned to allow further evidence and an updated probation report.
George McKelvey, a 57‑year‑old self‑employed carpenter from Kenure Lawns, Rush, Co. Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four charges of knowingly filing incorrect income tax returns for the years 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009. He failed to declare his wife Olive's Weight Watchers leader profits, estimated at €309,813, and instead listed her as a homemaker. Revenue assessed him for €96,893 in tax plus €61,213 in interest, giving a total bill of €158,106. McKelvey admitted responsibility for the false returns and cooperated fully during the investigation. Judge Melanie Greally suspended an 18‑month custodial sentence, ordering 240 hours of community work within 12 months, and noted his high level of cooperation and the absence of prior convictions. The case was considered a borderline case, allowing for a non‑custodial disposal.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Anti Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy, aged 32, and 18 other defendants faced charges of false imprisonment and violent disorder related to a water charges protest in Jobstown nearly 18 months earlier. The defendants, including Councillor Kieran Mahon (38) and Michael Murphy (50), indicated through their legal teams that they intend to plead not guilty and seek a trial date. They objected to a State application to sever the indictment for separate trials. Defences for Antoinette Kane (23) and Carol Purcell (56) were discussed, with Kane's counsel awaiting instructions after the birth of her child and Purcell's counsel seeking a section 4e application due to disputed facts. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to later that afternoon to allow the defence teams to present their objections to severing the indictment. The hearing also noted that Ms.
Four former executives from Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life & Permanent (ILP) are on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, having all pleaded not guilty to conspiring to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1 and September 30, 2008. The accused are Willie McAteer, Denis Casey, Peter Fitzpatrick, and John Bowe. They are alleged to have set up a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme to bolster Anglo's balance sheet. On day 64 of the trial, Detective Sergeant Catharina Gunne presented evidence of a voluntary statement by Mr. Casey, who served as ILP's Group Chief Executive from May 2007 to February 2009. Mr. Casey alleged that in March 2008, regulators Pat Neary and John Hurley requested ILP support a "green jersey agenda" to provide mutual in-market support during the global banking crisis. He stated he would not authorize transactions contrary to regulator wishes or company law. The jury also heard evidence of a 2010 cautioned interview with Mr. McAteer, who disputed that the deal manipulated Anglo's balance sheet. He maintained the transactions were properly accounted for and brought to the Audit Committee's attention, denying awareness of the inter-bank deal mechanics. The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
An eminent US surgeon, Dr Carlos Cruz Soriano, aged 76, was sentenced for bringing €100,000 of cocaine into Dublin Airport after falling victim to a phishing scam. The scam involved a fake inheritance of US$2.3 million from a long‑lost relative. Soriano, isolated and depressed after retirement, was lured to Hong Kong and Colombia, where he received a red bag purportedly containing a gift for Irish banking officials to facilitate the transfer. At Dublin Airport on 1 September 2015, customs found 1.86 kg of cocaine in the bag. He pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a five‑year sentence, fully suspended on condition he leaves the country, and adjourned the case for finalisation next week. No prior convictions were recorded. The case highlights the vulnerability of isolated individuals to sophisticated online scams.
Jennifer Maguire, 24, of Hartstown, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to the possession of a controlled drug for the purpose of selling or supplying it to another at Coolmine Cottages on December 11, 2014. During a search of the property, gardaí discovered cannabis in a rear bedroom, a clothes dryer, and a sports bag, along with a notebook, weighing scales, a grinder, and bags. Maguire admitted to knowing about the drugs and owning those found in the bedroom and dryer, while acknowledging the presence of drugs in the sports bag but denying she received them. Prosecution accepted that the cannabis in the sports bag, which accounted for the vast majority of the €82,414 total value, did not belong to Maguire. She told the court she sold cannabis to friends to fund her daily habit. A psychotherapist testified that Maguire, who suffers from Crohn's disease, was engaging well with addiction therapy. Defence counsel noted her significant rehabilitation and current drug-free status. Judge Terence O'Sullivan found that while Maguire was not a big-time dealer, she was in breach of the law. He sentenced her to two years, fully suspended for two years.
In a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, four former Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life & Permanent executives—John Bowe, Willie McAteer, Denis Casey and Peter Fitzpatrick—were charged with conspiring to mislead investors by arranging a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme between March 1 and September 30 2008. Bowe, a 52‑year‑old Glasnevin resident, testified that the scheme involved depositing money into ILP, which would then transfer it to Irish Life and back to Anglo, creating a "circle" that was difficult to unwind. He described the €7.2 billion deal as a "big funny" to chairman Sean FitzPatrick and claimed the deposits were legitimate and carried normal risks. Bowe denied any intent to misrepresent Anglo's year‑end position. The case is ongoing before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury, with evidence including recorded telephone calls and Garda interviews. Denis Casey pleaded not guilty. Peter Fitzpatrick pleaded not guilty.
Patrick Ryan, 38, was tried for robbing a tourist office in Dublin's city centre. He claimed the gun he used was a toy wrapped in black tape and that he was "laughed out of the place" by the workers. Ryan had a large drug debt owed to criminals for his crystal‑meth addiction. The debt holders drove him around the city and forced him to commit robberies to repay it. He pleaded guilty to robbery of Londis and attempted robbery of the Tourist Information Office on College Green on 21 September 2012, and to possession of an imitation firearm. He is already serving an eight‑year sentence for 16 robberies committed in a 12‑month period. Judge Melanie Greally added a five‑year sentence with two years suspended, to run concurrently with his existing term. Ryan's history includes 135 prior convictions, including false imprisonment, burglary and aggravated burglary.
James Maughan, 38, was caught after facial‑recognition software matched his photo taken for a public services card to his true identity. He had already been claiming disability benefit in his own name and then fraudulently applied for Jobseekers Allowance under the false name "Terence Maughan", stealing €438 and an emergency payment of €100 in July 2015. The Department of Social Protection investigators discovered the deception when staff ran the image through facial‑recognition software. Maughan has 11 prior social welfare fraud convictions dating back to 2013 and a total of 55 convictions, most of them theft‑related. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, and the case was adjourned to next month to await urine‑analysis results. A plea in mitigation will be presented by his defence lawyer on 26 May. The sentencing is scheduled for next month.
Leroy Dumbrell, 29, of Carriglea Gardens, Dun Laoghaire, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to seven years' imprisonment for violent disorder and a threat to kill Garda Ronan McMorrow. Dumbrell pleaded guilty to violent disorder on 27 November 2013 and to threatening the Garda on 5 May 2015. He had repeatedly breached bail conditions, including a curfew, and had threatened the Garda with personal details and violent language. Judge Karen O'Connor imposed a three‑year term for the violent disorder and a four‑year consecutive term for the threat, suspending the final year on the condition of 12 months' engagement with the Probation Service and two years of good behaviour. The court noted Dumbrell's history of serious offending, his young children, supportive girlfriend, and attempts at rehabilitation, including training to become a fitness instructor. The threat was described as aggressive with sinister elements.
Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy was assigned legal aid by Judge Melanie Greally in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court regarding his upcoming trial on two charges of false imprisonment. The defendant, aged 32 and residing in Ballinteer, faces allegations of falsely imprisoning acting Tánaiste Joan Burton and Karen O'Connell during a water charges protest on November 15, 2014. The incident allegedly occurred at Fortunestown Road, Jobstown, when Ms. Burton and her entourage were delayed for approximately two hours while attempting to travel from An Cosan Education Centre to St Thomas' Church. Mr. Murphy's solicitor submitted a statement of means, noting the trial could last four to six weeks. The State solicitor confirmed no garda objection based on the financial documentation, leaving the decision to the court. Judge Greally granted the application based on the average weekly income provided, though specific figures were not disclosed in open court. No trial date has yet been fixed. The matter was adjourned and will return to the court on May 3 for a mention. This procedural step does not constitute a final determination of the charges, which remain allegations pending trial.
John Griffin, a 45‑year‑old from Dundalk, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for two counts of sexual assault committed at a Dublin homeless shelter between 23 March and 1 April 2015. Griffin admitted that he had forced his male room‑mate, who was not gay, to perform oral sex and then, after the victim refused, threatened him and forced him to bend over a bath and be anally penetrated without consent. Griffin later expressed remorse, stating he felt horrible about the act. He had previously received a five‑year sentence in 1991 for buggery and sexual assault. The judge, Martin Nolan, described the offence as odious and noted the victim's vulnerability and neurological issues. Griffin had cooperated with Gardaí, admitted the offences and expressed remorse before sentencing. John Griffin pleaded guilty.
A solicitor who admitted to dishonestly obtaining a mortgage with AIB for €297,000 between May 5, 2009, and July 20, 2009, has been given a suspended sentence. Declan McEvoy (50), who was principal at William Early Solicitors in Carlow town, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. His defence counsel highlighted that McEvoy was under extreme financial pressure and that he made a serious error in judgment to resolve issues that were not entirely his creation. Judge Melanie Greally noted that McEvoy's actions brought disgrace upon himself and his profession, which was an aggravating factor. However, she acknowledged his exceptional mitigation and the likelihood that he would not re-offend, leading her to impose an 18-month suspended sentence. The matter was adjourned following the sentence. Another Carlow defendant was also present, but no charges were listed against them, and their plea and sentence details were not provided.
Four former executives from Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent are on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, facing charges of conspiring to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1 and September 30, 2008. The defendants, John Bowe, Willie McAteer, Denis Casey, and Peter Fitzpatrick, have all pleaded not guilty. On day 61 of the trial, the jury heard evidence from John Bowe, who told gardai he had only a "peripheral awareness" of the €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme with Irish Life and Permanent. Bowe, who was head of Capital Markets at Anglo in 2008, stated he did not consider the transactions wrong, though he acknowledged they were large and unusual. He claimed he only learned the final deal figure on September 30 or October 1, 2008. Bowe also testified that Anglo would have collapsed on September 30, 2008, without emergency overnight funding of over €1 billion from the Central Bank. The court heard an email from former CEO David Drumm urging executives to generate liquidity during the banking crisis. Detective Sergeant Gerard Doyle testified that Bowe was not under arrest when his witness statement was finalized between September 2010 and February 2011, with his solicitor present. The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a 13-member jury.
Liam Corr, 21, was remanded on bail after pleading guilty to possessing and distributing child pornography. His mother reported him to Gardaí when she found 28 pornographic files on his phone, including images of under‑age girls and a bestiality video. Gardaí discovered the material while analysing the device and noted Corr used a file‑sharing app to share the videos, encouraging others to view them. Corr admitted the content was child pornography and that he sought like‑minded users. He had no prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to 28 June to consider a psychological report and ordered a Probation Service report. The report, submitted by counsel Patrick Marrinan, highlighted Corr's childhood abuse and the suicide of his father when Corr was eight, recommending treatment for significant psychological issues.
Jonathan Donovan, aged 30, was sentenced to six years in prison, with the last 18 months suspended, for the reckless assault of Paul Doyle that left Doyle permanently wheelchair-bound. The offence occurred on 6 April 2014 at Kelly's Row, Dorset Street, when a drunken altercation involving heroin and other drugs escalated. Donovan struck Doyle twice on the head with an axe after Doyle had armed himself with a knife. Doyle suffered serious head injuries and has never recovered, remaining under care at Mater Hospital. Donovan pleaded guilty in February 2016, acknowledging the unreasonable force used despite being confronted with a knife. The judge, John Aylmer, noted Donovan's extensive criminal record, his cooperation with Gardaí, and his genuine remorse, and imposed the suspended sentence on the condition of remaining drug‑free and engaging in probation and drug counselling programmes. No victim impact report was submitted.
RSJ Civil Ltd of South Winds, South Quay, Arklow faced sentencing for health and safety failures that caused the fatal injury of Polish worker Grzegorz Burczak (31) on 12 June 2012. Burczak was working on a manhole cover on Kill Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, when a traffic cone struck by a passing car detached and hit the cover, fatally impacting him. The company had failed to provide advanced warning signs, a safety exclusion zone, or sufficient traffic cones; only two cones were used, whereas an expert engineer recommended a minimum of nine. RSJ Civil Ltd entered a plea of guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for failing to ensure the safety, health and welfare of its employees during manhole work. The court adjourned sentencing to 12 May, and the Health and Safety Authority inspector noted that RSJ Civil Ltd was a subcontractor on a development off Kill Avenue.
During a trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, former Irish Life Assurance CEO Denis Casey, aged 56, testified that he only learned of a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme with Anglo Irish Bank through media reports months after the alleged deception. The scheme, allegedly designed to inflate Anglo's 2008 balance sheet, involved Anglo loaning €7.2 billion to Irish Life and Permanent (ILP), which then placed the same amount back with Anglo, recorded as customer deposits. Casey, along with former senior bankers Peter Fitzpatrick (63), John Bowe (52), and Willie McAteer (65), pleaded not guilty to conspiring to mislead investors between 1 March and 30 September 2008. Evidence presented included testimony from Kevin Murphy, who said he first became aware of the deals via February 2009 media reports and later detailed information from the regulator. The jury heard that Murphy succeeded Casey as ILP Group Chief Executive in mid‑2009.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the court considered whether the High Court's recent ruling that two subsections of Section 99 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 are unconstitutional would affect the Probation Service's ability to activate suspended sentences. The High Court had found those subsections, which allow courts to activate a suspended sentence when a person is convicted of a new offence, unconstitutional. The Probation Service's separate subsection, which permits activation when a person breaches the conditions of suspension, was not addressed. The case of Mark Eribo, 29, was listed before Judge Melanie Greally for a Section 99 re‑entry. Eribo had received a three‑year sentence in 2014, with the final year suspended, for stealing camera equipment at McDonald's on Grafton Street in 2012. He has 59 prior convictions. Mark Eribo pleaded guilty.
A former National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) official, Enda Farrell, 40, was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 21 April 2016. He admitted leaking confidential NAMA valuation data to QED Equity Ltd. and Canaccord Genuity Ltd. between May and July 2012, including lists of properties from major developers, NAMA's hotel portfolio and German holdings. Farrell had previously pleaded guilty to a 2012 email to Stewart Doyle of QED Equity Ltd. He faced 13 charges, of which 12 were heard. The court noted he did not profit from the disclosures and that NAMA suffered no loss. He was remanded on continuing bail, with the case adjourned to 12 May for sentencing. The offence carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment or a €5,000 fine. The judge said she would consider an appropriate sentence. The hearing highlighted the pressures Farrell claimed to have faced while valuing properties for NAMA.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, four former senior bankers – Denis Casey, Peter Fitzpatrick, John Bowe and Willie McAteer – pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges for allegedly misleading investors through a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme that aimed to strengthen Anglo Irish Bank's 2008 balance sheet. The alleged scheme involved financial transactions between March 1 and September 30, 2008. During the trial, former AIB Group Finance Director John O'Donnell testified that in early 2008 he attended a meeting with the Financial Regulator, who urged Irish banks to support each other's liquidity. O'Donnell recalled a golf game with Anglo's CFO Matt Moran, after which Moran approached him in a car park with a proposal for a deposit arrangement that would avoid appearing as an inter‑bank placement. O'Donnell said he later rejected the proposal and communicated this to Moran. The case is still before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
Four former senior bankers from Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) are on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where they have all pleaded not guilty to conspiring together and with others to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1st and September 30th, 2008. The defendants, Willie McAteer, Denis Casey, Peter Fitzpatrick, and John Bowe, are alleged to have set up a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme to bolster Anglo's 2008 balance sheet. In testimony, David McCarthy, ILP's Chief Financial Officer in September 2008, stated he had no knowledge of the €7.2 billion inter-bank loan with Anglo Irish Bank at the time. McCarthy, a qualified chartered accountant who joined ILP in 1994, reported to Peter Fitzpatrick, then Finance Director. He told the court he only learned of the sum in November 2008, noting that under accounting rules, such linked loans and deposits would be netted on the balance sheet, creating no liquidity. McCarthy estimated the amount represented about 16 per cent of ILP's balance sheet at the time. The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
In April 2016, the High Court ruled that Section 99 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, which allows the Director of Public Prosecutions to bring cases of re‑activation of suspended sentences before the courts, is unconstitutional. The decision was made by Mr Justice Michael Moriarty, who cited concerns that the law creates unequal treatment of defendants, particularly regarding their rights of appeal. A State solicitor informed Judge Melanie Greally that the DPP was awaiting the judgment and that subsections 9 and 10 of the Act were now unconstitutional. Consequently, Judge Greally was instructed not to make an order in the two cases before her under Section 99 and to request that the two men attend the next sitting of the relevant District Court. She noted that she no longer has jurisdiction to remand a person but can only request that the accused attend the next court session.
James Murphy, 37, was stopped by Gardaí for erratic driving on 23 February 2014 and a strong smell of cannabis led to a search of his vehicle. The boot contained over €44,000 worth of cannabis, and a follow‑up search of his home uncovered an additional €404 worth. Murphy had previously admitted to transporting drugs "from a to b" for a small amount of weed and claimed he was spending €50 a week on cannabis after overcoming a heroin addiction. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply. His seven prior convictions include larceny, road traffic offences and a drug possession charge. The case was adjourned to 28 June, with a probation report ordered. The court heard that Murphy's erratic driving was the reason he was caught. The proceedings remain at the pleading stage.
A 53‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment on 12 January 2015 for the continued sexual abuse of his seven‑year‑old sister between 1983 and 1987. He pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of indecent assault at the family home. The conviction was obtained by a jury at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. On 19 April 2016 he lodged an appeal against the conviction. His barrister, Tara Burns SC, argued that the trial judge should have given a corroboration warning to the jury regarding the victim's evidence, claiming the judge's refusal was based on a "policy" of not giving such warnings in sexual cases. Burns cited discrepancies in the victim's evidence. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Roisín Lacey BL, defended the judge's practice as consistent with court dicta and said the lack of corroboration and discrepancies were matters for the jury.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 31‑year‑old Ian Brady, formerly of Beaver Street, was sentenced to a three‑year suspended term for assault causing harm to Garda Gerard O'Toole on 17 June 2014. Brady, who now lives in hostel accommodation and has 38 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to the offence. The incident occurred when Garda Shona Moran approached Brady and another man after suspecting a drug deal. Brady's companion fled, and O'Toole, a 51‑year‑old GPO worker, attempted to stop the fleeing man. Brady punched O'Toole in the forehead, an act captured on CCTV, leaving O'Toole with a severe laceration and a permanent scar. O'Toole expressed in a victim impact report that he would think twice about helping a garda again. Brady's defence described him as a "white sheep" of his family, noting his background, job loss, depression and drug use, and stated he had not been involved with garda attention since the incident.
Ciaran Lane, 25, of Cabra, was jailed for five years after he drove a green car at 80 kph, well over the 50 kph limit, in Phoenix Park on 6 April 2015. He had drunk a litre of vodka and taken two grams of cocaine before the collision. The vehicle struck a 23‑month‑old toddler, Vanessa Siatka, at the Ratra Triangle, causing fatal head injuries. Lane failed to stop after the impact, drove a few metres, and only later reported the incident to Cabra Garda Station. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death. The court noted his lack of insurance, prior convictions, and the tragic loss of a young life. He was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the last two years suspended, and banned from driving for 20 years. The case was described as an avoidable tragedy by the judge.
A Carlow solicitor, Declan McEvoy (50), who pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining a mortgage with AIB for €297,000 between May 5, 2009, and July 20, 2009, will be sentenced next week. McEvoy, who was principal at William Early Solicitors in Carlow town, admitted to the charge at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. His defence counsel, Felix McEnroy SC, stated that McEvoy made a serious error in judgment to address financial issues arising from his father's firm, JM McEvoy in Gorey, which was under investigation by the Law Society. McEvoy used the mortgage proceeds to clear debts in his father's firm. The case was adjourned by Judge Melanie Greally until April 27, next, for sentencing. Another Carlow defendant also pleaded guilty, but no charges were specified. The matter was adjourned and not finalised. McEvoy, who has no previous convictions, has been living in Australia since 2012 and returned to Ireland last January, surrendering his passport. He has been remanded on continuing bail.
The trial of four former senior bankers, including Denis Casey and Peter Fitzpatrick, continues at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury. All defendants, who have pleaded not guilty, are accused of conspiring to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1st and September 30th, 2008, allegedly involving a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme to bolster Anglo Irish Bank's 2008 balance sheet. On day 55 of the proceedings, Michael O'Higgins SC, defending Casey, cross-examined State expert witness Mark Hunt, a chartered accountant. Mr. Hunt previously testified that the deal lacked commercial or economic substance and was not covered by accounting standard IAS 32. During cross-examination, Mr. O'Higgins suggested Mr. Hunt was confused by "labyrinthine" accounting standards and that the global financial situation in September 2008 had caused banks to "fall on their backsides." Mr. Hunt denied being confused, acknowledging the complexity of the standards but rejecting the characterization that the world had fallen apart. He maintained that the transactions were designed to move numbers on a balance sheet. The matter remains at the trial stage, with no findings, sentences, or finalisations recorded for the accused.
Leroy Dumbrell, also known as Leroy Roche, of Dun Laoghaire, pleaded guilty to one count of violent disorder committed on November 27, 2013. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Dumbrell participated in a daylight assault in Ballymun, where he stamped on a victim's leg while the man lay prone on the ground. The incident was witnessed by children and captured on CCTV. Dumbrell's co-accused received sentences of three-and-a-half years and two-and-a-half years respectively. The court noted that Dumbrell was repeatedly jailed for breaching bail conditions, which included a curfew from 7pm to 7am. On May 5, 2015, gardaí found him absent from his home in breach of these conditions. Prosecution evidence indicated that Dumbrell threatened Detective Garda Ronan McMorrow, stating he would regret bringing him back to court and that the officer would need a body bag. Dumbrell also identified the detective's personal car and threatened to find out about him. The court heard that Dumbrell has dozens of previous convictions, including for an incident where a woman was set on fire and a brawl at Mountjoy Prison that injured 16 prisoners. Judge Karen O'Connor noted a history of very serious violence. The matter was adjourned until April 28 for sentencing.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, four former senior bankers – John Bowe, Willie McAteer, Denis Casey and Peter Fitzpatrick – pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges for allegedly misleading investors by arranging a €7.2 billion back‑to‑back deal to inflate Anglo Irish Bank's 2008 balance sheet. The scheme, which took place between 1 March and 30 September 2008, was said to have no commercial or economic substance, according to expert witness Mark Hunt, a chartered accountant with experience at the Bank of England and the UK's financial conduct authority. Hunt explained that the balance sheet is a snapshot of assets and liabilities at a specific point in time, not an average financial statement, and that the bank's manipulation of the figures was achieved through artificial means. The trial, presided over by Judge Martin Nolan, continues with a jury and is expected to conclude next month.
The Court of Appeal has reserved its judgment in the appeal by Joseph Warren, a Ballymun man convicted of conspiring to steal cash from Chubb Ireland at a Tesco supermarket in Cellbridge on November 2, 2007. Warren, who pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy charge, was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment in 2012, with the final three years suspended. He had previously pleaded guilty to possessing ammunition in Ballymun in 2009. His legal team argued the trial was unfair because the Director of Public Prosecutions allegedly "cleansed" the jury by excluding potential jurors from Cabra, Ballymun, and Finglas. Counsel Michael Bowman SC contended this was an unlawful, blanket ban that denied Warren a fair cross-section of peers, particularly given his defense of acting under duress. The DPP's counsel, Seán Guerin SC, countered that the exclusions were based on specific reasons or causes related to the gang's origins and the notoriety of a related shooting in Cabra, asserting that the remaining pool still provided a representative jury. The court, comprising Justices Birmingham, Sheehan, and Mahon, heard these submissions and indicated it would reserve judgment on the appeal.
Raymond Creighton, a 26‑year‑old Dublin man, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing 1.03 kg of cocaine worth €72,100, found at Cashel Road, Crumlin on 5 February 2015. He had previously been convicted of two minor public‑order offences in 2011. According to the court, Creighton told Gardaí that he had been waiting on the side of the road when two acquaintances approached in a car and offered him a job holding drugs for them, promising a small payment or hash. He admitted he had placed the drugs in a friend's house after a raid, claiming he owed the two men up to €200 for a debt. Judge Sarah Berkeley noted that Creighton was not known to be involved in the drug scene, had immediately admitted possession, and had cooperated with Gardaí. She described him as vulnerable and possibly targeted by drug dealers, and said he had learned a serious lesson.
Greg Ward, 32, of Lucan, was arrested on 3 May 2015 after a friend overdosed in his bedsit. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply. Gardaí found 148 slabs of cannabis, weighing over 13 kg, with an estimated street value of €82,939. Ward claimed he was coerced by a drug debt and had been receiving heroin in return for storing the cannabis. He admitted injecting heroin six or seven times daily. The judge accepted that he had no role in selling or supplying the drugs and that he was under pressure. Ward was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final twelve months suspended for two years, back‑dated to 4 June 2015 when he entered custody.
Kenneth Wilson, 46, of Deansrath Road, Clondalkin, was sentenced by Judge Sarah Berkeley to four years' imprisonment for armed robbery at the Bawnogue Post Office in November 2012. Wilson entered the post office armed with an axe, while two other men carried a crowbar and an imitation handgun. They broke the security glass, took over €7,000 from the registers, and fled in a blue BMW. Wilson was later arrested, refused to admit guilt, and pleaded guilty to the robbery. The court noted Wilson's 18 previous convictions, including manslaughter and possession of firearms, and his earlier conviction for the 1992 killing of Patrick Joseph Craig. Judge Berkeley highlighted that Wilson had not re‑offended since the robbery and had been a law‑abiding citizen for the last four years. She imposed a four‑year term with the final 18 months suspended, leaving Wilson to serve two and a half years in custody.
In the Anglo trial, four former senior bankers—Peter Fitzpatrick, John Bowe, Willie McAteer and Denis Casey—are accused of conspiring to mislead investors by creating a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme between Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) to strengthen Anglo's 2008 balance sheet. The defendants pleaded not guilty. On day 53, the State presented Mark Hunt, a chartered accountant, who argued that the deal had no commercial or economic substance and that the paired transactions—one between Anglo and ILP and a corresponding one with Irish Life Assurance (ILA)—were circular and could have continued indefinitely. Hunt explained that such transactions should have been netted off and omitted from the balance sheet, as they would cancel each other out. He described the scheme as an unusual series of transactions that, if left in the accounts, would have inflated Anglo's assets and liabilities by €7.2 billion.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, 48‑year‑old taxi driver Lookman Kareem was accused of biting off part of a passenger's thumb during an incident on 22 December 2013. The trial heard that the alleged assault followed a scuffle in which passengers laughed at his first name and allegedly racially abused him. Witnesses reported that Kareem was seen spitting something out of his mouth after the incident, with blood around his mouth, though he denied knowing what was spitted and denied biting the thumb. He claimed the victim was the aggressor and that he was dragged out of the taxi and beaten by three passengers. The case is in its closing stages, with jury deliberations scheduled to begin tomorrow under Judge Patricia Ryan. The trial has not yet reached a verdict. Lookman Kareem pleaded not guilty.
Vincent Halligan, a 33-year-old lorry driver from Duncormick, Co Wexford, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for importing heroin. Halligan pleaded guilty to three charges of importing heroin from the German/Dutch border on August 18, 2015. Prosecutors alleged that nearly ten kilos of heroin, with a street value of €1.4 million, were concealed in a box of fire extinguishers within his articulated lorry. Gardaí intercepted the vehicle at the Applegreen Service Station, where a handover was attempted with a silver Toyota. Halligan admitted he knew drugs were involved but claimed he believed they were cannabis. He stated he was to be paid €8,000 for the importation, a sum he never received, though €2,600 and £2,000 were found in the truck. Defending counsel highlighted Halligan's lack of previous convictions, his financial pressures, and his genuine remorse. Judge Melanie Greally noted his early plea and high level of cooperation with gardaí as mitigating factors. The judge imposed an eight-year sentence, with the final two years suspended. The sentence was backdated to August 18, 2015, when Halligan first entered custody, resulting in an effective custody period of six years.
Chunjie Wang, a 35‑year‑old mother of two from Castlewood Avenue, Rathmines, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to organising prostitution. Between 1 January and 22 July 2011 she ran four brothels in Rathmines, Swords, Blanchardstown and Clondalkin, coordinating the provision of sexual services, their duration and payment. Gardaí raided the Rathmines premises on 23 July 2011, finding over €18,000 in cash, 19 mobile phones and several laptops linked to an escort website. Four bank accounts held more than €27,000, with payments of €3,000 to €5,000 sent to China every few days. Wang had worked for Dunnes Stores for nine years before a back and neck injury ended her employment; she said her motivation was purely financial. The court noted no trafficking or exploitation of the women involved. Judge Melanie Greally accepted Wang's remorse and the seriousness of the offence, imposing the custodial sentence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Giovanni Obaseki, aged 23, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for a savage robbery that left victim Francis Crossan with a broken leg and a protruding bone. Obaseki, a German national, pleaded guilty to the robbery on North King Street on 8 September 2012, after a series of earlier assaults. The court noted that Obaseki had previously attacked a 60‑year‑old man with a wine bottle and had punched a man at Smithfield Square, for which he also pleaded guilty. Judge Martin Nolan described the Crossan attack as the most serious, citing the victim's severe injuries and the repeated blows. The judge imposed a seven‑year sentence, suspended the last two years, and acknowledged Obaseki's efforts at rehabilitation, including completion of the Prison Service's Alternatives to Violence Programme. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and the victim's ongoing physical trauma.
Karen Browne, 27, of Waterford, travelled to Dublin to collect a bag of heroin worth €4,092 from a known drug‑dealing spot in Bawnogue, Clondalkin. She was to take 1.2 grams for her own use, which would have sustained her addiction for a week. On 23 September 2014, Gardaí followed her in a taxi, stopped her and found just over 27 grams of heroin in her handbag. Browne claimed she had been paid €950 to purchase the drugs for a man in Waterford. She pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge, Melanie Greally, described her as co‑operative, frank and forthright. Browne was given a suspended two‑year sentence, with the court noting she had not previously come to garda attention and had secured employment at a garden centre in Wexford. The court expressed confidence that she would not appear before the courts again.
Evan Smith, 18, was sentenced to two years in prison for robbing and assaulting a deaf and mute couple, Michael and Helen Rush, in Clondalkin on 10 November 2014. Smith followed the couple from a chipper into a laneway, knocked Helen to the ground and stole her handbag, while also cutting Michael above his eye. He pleaded guilty to robbery and assault at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Smith has six prior convictions, including robbery and burglary. The judge, Melanie Greally, described the offence as serious and nasty, noted the couple's injuries and their subsequent fear of going out at night, and highlighted Smith's previous prison time and his efforts to address addiction. The final 12 months of the sentence were suspended on strict conditions, and Smith will remain under Probation Service supervision for a year. The prosecution and defence both acknowledged Smith's lack of awareness of the couple's disabilities and his admission of shame for the attack.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, taxi driver Lookman Kareem was accused of biting off part of Darren O'Connor's thumb after passengers laughed at his name. O'Connor and his girlfriend Noelle Donohue were in a taxi to Rathmines with Donohue's sisters Stacey and Helena. Stacey giggled when she saw Kareem's first name on his taxi plate, prompting other passengers to join. Kareem allegedly shouted abusive remarks, punched Donohue in the nose, and struck her twice after the group left the vehicle. O'Connor claimed Kareem grabbed his leg, causing him to feel excruciating pain and lose the top of his thumb. O'Connor ran to a pub for ice, collapsed, and was taken to St James's Hospital for surgery. Defence barrister Conor McKenna denied the assault allegations, asserting the passengers were not laughing at Kareem's name. The case remains before Judge Patricia Ryan and a jury.
Craig Cassells, 23, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to one count of possession of drugs and three counts of possessing drugs for sale or supply. The charges stemmed from incidents in 2014 and 2015 where gardaí allegedly found controlled substances at his home and on the street. Judge Patricia Ryan suspended sentences of three and a half years, citing Cassells' significant rehabilitation efforts over the previous year. The court noted his 57 previous convictions, including drug-related offences, robbery, and dangerous driving, but accepted evidence that he had changed his life. Defence counsel David Staunton BL highlighted that Cassells had moved away from former associates, was volunteering with a homeless charity, and had received positive testimonials from employers. Two gardaí testified to his positive change, and the court heard he tested negatively for drugs and was expecting his first child. Judge Ryan considered his early admissions of guilt, co-operation with gardaí, and good employment record when determining the suspended sentence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, VF Coldstores Ltd pleaded guilty to health and safety failings that caused the death of warehouse supervisor Robert Ceremuga, 32, on 28 November 2013. Ceremuga was killed instantly when a racking unit holding 36 tonnes of food collapsed onto him after an accidental impact with pallets on a forklift that had been stopped beside the shelving. An engineer's report attributed the collapse to the forklift's impact, and the Health and Safety Authority found that the forklift operator, employed three weeks earlier, lacked the appropriate licence and training, and that the racking had been overloaded. VF Coldstores had a safety statement and risk assessment, but the operator had not been trained. The company has offered to pay the Director of Prosecutions' costs and has not challenged the engineer's report. The court adjourned the case to 6 May for a fine to be determined.
The trial of four former Anglo Irish Bank bankers, including former finance head Willie McAteer (65) and former capital markets head John Bowe (52), continues with legal argument. They are accused of conspiring to mislead investors by using interbank loans to inflate the bank's 2008 balance sheet. The scheme allegedly involved transferring money from Anglo to Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) and then depositing it back with Anglo through ILP's life assurance division, making the deposits appear as corporate funding from a non‑banking entity. This would have increased the bank's corporate funding figure by €7.2 billion for the year‑end figures on 30 September 2008. Peter Fitzpatrick (63), former ILP finance director, former ILP CEO Denis Casey (56), McAteer, and Bowe have all pleaded not guilty. On day 48, lawyers presented a legal matter before Judge Martin Nolan without the jury; the trial will resume in evidence before the jury on Thursday morning.
Four former senior bankers from Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) are on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where they have all pleaded not guilty to conspiring to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1st and September 30th, 2008. The defendants are Peter Fitzpatrick, John Bowe, Willie McAteer, and Denis Casey. On day 47 of the trial, Bruce Maxwell, the chief actuary with Irish Life Assurance (ILA) in 2008, testified that he found the alleged €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme implausible. Maxwell stated that his initial reaction to the figure was disbelief, noting that Irish Life would not have had six billion euro to invest in Anglo. He described the arrangement, where Anglo placed money with ILP, which lent it to ILA, and ILA then placed it back with Anglo, as abnormal because ILA was effectively borrowing money. Maxwell told the court that the deposits were later explained as being secured by loans from Anglo to ILP, emphasizing that the funds were not Irish Life's own capital. The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
Noel Nolan, 29, of Crumlin, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing 352 grammes of heroin worth €52,810, which he claimed he held to offset a cocaine debt. He was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with two years suspended. Nolan had three prior minor public‑order convictions. The drugs were found at his home on 24 October 2014, after Garda Colleen Gallagher and colleagues obtained a warrant following the arrest of a man who had come from the house with €5,000 of heroin. Gallagher reported that Nolan showed the drugs to officers and made frank admissions during an interview, stating he had agreed to hold the heroin for a week to offset a cocaine debt. Tara Burns, Nolan's solicitor, noted that he had been a full‑time labourer until the recession, had a cocaine addiction at the time, was now drug‑free and seeking work.
David Larrissey, 37, of Chapelizod, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for possessing 1.718 kg of ketamine, a drug that had only recently been criminalised. The sentence was mandatory as it was his second conviction for a similar offence. Larrissey pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 4 June 2015. He was found with the drugs in a suitcase while walking away from the site, and a subsequent search of his home uncovered a smaller quantity of ketamine, a notebook with names and numbers, and weighing scales. His co‑accused, 19‑year‑old Jordan Maher, also pleaded guilty to the same offence but had no prior convictions. Judge Elma Sheahan imposed the ten‑year term, back‑dating it to the date of the offence, and scheduled a review five years later.
Thomas Knowles, a 56-year-old father of three from Chapelizod, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at two locations on 9 April 2016. Detective Garda John Paul Carroll testified that surveillance led to the discovery of 1.1 kilos of cocaine in a vehicle where Knowles was a passenger, with another kilo found in the passenger seat. A subsequent search of Knowles' residence revealed five additional kilos, with the total estimated street value at €560,000. The Garda noted Knowles was cooperative during interviews and likely unaware of the drugs' value, acting under fear of suppliers. Judge Melanie Greally accepted that Knowles' role was limited to holding the drugs before passing them on, placing him at a lower level of involvement. However, she described his decision to enter the illegal trade as very foolish. Judge Greally handed down a six-year sentence, with the final three years suspended. Defence counsel Michael Bowman SC highlighted Knowles' severe heart disease and reliance on multiple medications. The Judge instructed the Prison Service to ensure he received all necessary medicine during his effective three-year custody period.