Aaron McDermott, aged 23, was sentenced to two years in prison for possessing a rusty rifle he claimed to have found while cycling in a field. He admitted bringing the weapon home and placing it between the partition walls of his and his neighbour's houses. McDermott pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm at his home on 26 January 2015. He had 73 prior convictions and a history of drug and alcohol misuse. The judge reactivated a one‑year suspended portion of a previous three‑year sentence for attempted robbery and imposed a consecutive two‑year term for the firearms offence, with the final year suspended. A search of his home uncovered a small bag of cannabis and the rifle, which had a shortened stock and barrel, was capable of firing but had no ammunition. The prosecution considered the offence low‑level for sentencing purposes.
A 21‑year‑old man was given a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence for forcing a boy, who was 10 or 11 at the time, to have sex with him when the man was 15. The offence, committed in the man's Dublin home between January and July 2011, was found by a jury to be defilement. The man denied the charge. Judge Petria McDonnell described the act as a heinous assault on a much younger boy and noted the continuing impact on the victim, as confirmed by evidence and a victim impact statement. The judge suspended the entire sentence for two years. At the sentencing hearing in January, the accused had written to the judge that his sentence began the day he was accused of the crime, expressing fear of prison and suicidal thoughts. He also mentioned that he had to leave the country after being charged because neighbours had called him a paedo and rapist. The unnamed 21-year-old was convicted.
A former National Asset Management Agency official, Enda Farrell, 39, pleaded guilty to disclosing confidential NAMA information to Stewart Doyle of QED Equity Ltd by email on 17 May 2012. The disclosure involved data about the Cosgrave Group and was made without authority. Farrell, who lives in Brussels and was formerly based in Dunboyne, appeared on bail for arraignment before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally set a sentencing date for 21 April 2016.
Val Mannion, 40, pleaded guilty to pointing a knife at his flatmate Brian Kelly on 27 June 2015. The incident occurred while Mannion, his girlfriend and Kelly were conversing in their Dublin flat. Mannion began screaming and brandished a knife, but did not assault Kelly. Mannion's girlfriend then poured boiling water over Kelly's head, causing significant injuries and scarring. Mannion claimed he had no knowledge of the attack and was not involved. He expressed remorse, stating he would have removed the kettle if he had known. Mannion has 25 prior convictions, mainly drug‑related, and no history of violence. Judge Terence O'Sullivan accepted his remorse and imposed a six‑month suspended sentence, requiring good behaviour and a €100 bond. His girlfriend will be sentenced for the assault in May.
Thomas Coleman, 62, was convicted by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of disorderly conduct and trespass after he was caught defecating in the communal garden of an apartment block on Clyde Road, Ballsbridge. The incident occurred on 29 April 2014 when a resident, alerted by noise at about 5.30 am, removed Coleman's bicycle from the garden and took it onto Clyde Road. Coleman shouted violently at the resident and used "colourful language" in a threatening manner before Garda John Cahill arrived. The resident had called the Gardaí, who removed Coleman from the scene and later found his bicycle missing. Coleman was acquitted of assault causing harm. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a one‑month suspended sentence for one year, ordered him to stay away from the apartment block and its residents, and noted the loss of his bicycle as a serious consequence.
Paul Rice, 25, of Tallaght, was jailed for two years after taking part in a violent assault on a bouncer at Copper Face Jacks nightclub on 23 September 2014. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder. The incident began when a group of six men, including Rice, were refused entry to the club. They returned with four other men and, after being denied entry again, Rice and another man dragged a bouncer across the street and punched him 17 times, delivering nine punches. The bouncer suffered a cut ear and facial bruising. Rice was identified on CCTV footage and arrested. He had 11 prior convictions, including public order offences. The judge, Terence O'Sullivan, noted the attack was pre‑meditated and extremely violent, and sentenced Rice to three years' imprisonment with the final year suspended. The sentence effectively amounts to a two‑year custodial term.
Eoghan Conlon, 24, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the unlawful possession of cannabis for sale or supply at Larch Hill apartments, Santry, on March 27, 2015. Prosecution evidence indicated that Gardaí observed Conlon receiving a large black bin bag from another individual during a surveillance operation. The bag contained one kilogram of cannabis in sealed packages, valued at just under €40,000. Conlon, who has ten previous convictions, was described by his defense counsel, Dominic McGinn SC, as a former Tesco manager who had been accepted onto a British Army rehabilitation of offenders programme. McGinn argued that Conlon was a willing participant rather than the mastermind, acting due to a drug debt, and that his acceptance into the army demonstrated his readiness to start a new life. Judge Terence O'Sullivan accepted that Conlon was a foot soldier in the operation and noted the defendant's efforts to change his life circumstances. The judge stated he did not wish to take away the chance offered by the army. He imposed a sentence of three years' imprisonment, with the final nine months suspended on the conditions that Conlon keep the peace and remain drug-free while in prison and upon his release.
David Drumm, aged 49, will face two separate trials in 2017 and 2018 for alleged offences committed while he was CEO of Anglo Irish Bank. He is charged with 33 counts under two bills, including conspiring to defraud depositors and investors by falsely presenting €7.2 billion of deposits as larger than they were in 2008, and an additional charge relating to the EU transparency directive. The first trial is scheduled for 24 April 2017 and is expected to last 12 weeks, though the solicitor warns it could be longer. The second trial, set for 12 January 2018, covers 16 counts of offering unlawful financial assistance to members of businessman Sean Quinn's family and 10 other individuals, plus 14 charges of falsifying documents, and is expected to take about two months. Drumm has not yet entered a plea. His bail conditions were relaxed, allowing him to sign on at a Garda station once per day instead of twice.
Patrick Chambers, a 65‑year‑old Dubliner, pleaded guilty to four counts of claiming VAT he was not entitled to between July 2009 and March 2010 and to producing an incorrect invoice in July 2012, resulting in a €35,780 loss to the exchequer. He had taken a loan of over €1 million to develop a property behind his family home, but the collapse of the property market in 2008 left him unable to repay the loan and forced him to sell the family home. Chambers said he committed the offences because he was in "dire financial circumstances" and was desperate for money. He had no prior convictions and was described by his defence counsel as a talented software engineer who had once employed 170 people. Judge Melanie Greally ordered that his suitability for community service be assessed and adjourned sentencing until 21 July.
An inmate, Eoghan McGarry, 30, was brought to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 8 April 2016, flanked by five prison officers in riot gear. He had assaulted three officers at Mountjoy Prison on 23 April 2015, using a homemade weapon made from razor blades melted into a toothbrush. The officers were delivering breakfast trays when McGarry lunged at them, causing injuries: one sustained wounds to face and torso, another a wound under the chin, and the third was struck on the head. The incident was captured on CCTV. McGarry pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. He is currently serving a four‑year sentence for aggravated burglary, with the final year suspended, and has 38 prior convictions. The court adjourned sentencing to 21 April to consider reports, including victim impact statements and reports from the prosecution and defence. The officers suffered significant psychological distress and anxiety as a result of the attacks. The case is pending further proceedings.
In a 2016 trial, former Anglo Irish Bank senior accountant Peter Fitzpatrick, aged 63, testified that balance sheet management, also called window dressing, was a recognised industry practice. He explained that a €7.2 billion circular transaction with Irish Life and Permanent in 2008 was cash‑neutral and intended to manage the bank's snapshot. Fitzpatrick said the transaction increased Anglo's loans and customer accounts by €7.2 billion, making it material. He described how such transactions were treated on the balance sheet and noted that netting could remove them from the books, losing the optical advantage. The defendants, including John Bowe, Willie McAteer, Denis Casey and Peter Fitzpatrick, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges for misleading investors through these transactions. The trial was held at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The trial of four former senior bankers, including Denis Casey, is ongoing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Casey, along with Peter Fitzpatrick, John Bowe, and Willie McAteer, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1 and September 30, 2008. On day 43, witness Colin Golden, Anglo Irish Bank's Head of Group Finance in 2008, testified regarding a €7.2 billion transaction. He stated that during a November 2008 audit committee meeting, non-executive director Donal O'Connor asked if the transaction was "window dressing," to which then Head of Finance Willie McAteer responded it was "balance sheet management." Golden testified that the transaction was treated as a straight cash-for-cash deal, not collateralised, and was included grossly in the bank's balance sheet, inflating customer deposits and loans by €7.2 billion. He noted he was unaware until February 2009 that the sequence of deposits and loans had been incorrectly represented to auditors. Defence counsel Michael O'iggins SC, representing Casey, argued that the failure to consult the trader who executed the transaction constituted a "massive system's failure." Judge Nolan intervened to stop counsel from abusing the witness. The matter remains at the trial stage with no finalisation or sentence recorded.
Babatunde Fagbule, 46, used a computer glitch at Ulster Bank to withdraw thousands of euros from ATMs in Dublin and Meath on 22 June 2012. The glitch, affecting all Royal Bank of Scotland group ATMs, prevented balances from being updated, allowing Fagbule to overdraw his wife's account by €8,315. He pleaded guilty to 13 counts of theft at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Fagbule stopped withdrawing money "of his own accord" that day, later repaying the full amount. The court noted the account was in his wife's name and that she was unaware of the withdrawals. Judge Melanie Greally described the offence as serious but considered his good character and repayment, sentencing him to 18 months suspended for two years.
Brian Cox, 38, of Boot Road, Clondalkin, was caught by Garda Steve Kelly showing a stolen car that had been advertised on DoneDeal.ie. The vehicle, reported stolen almost a month earlier, was found to have a false NCT disc. Cox pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing the stolen car and using the false disc. He has 39 prior convictions, including thefts and drug offences. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended in full, after noting Cox's efforts at rehabilitation since the offence. The case involved foreign nationals who were seen by the Garda looking at the car in a car park. Cox's defence argued intimidation from an old drug debt, and that he had not been in trouble with Gardaí since 2009. The court accepted that Cox had stayed out of trouble while employed and had received an intimidating call in April 2015, leading to his involvement.
In the 2016 trial of four former Anglo Irish Bank executives, Peter Fitzpatrick, aged 63, denied abandoning his duties during a 2008 scheme that allegedly misled investors with a €7.2 billion circular transaction. The case centred on a plan to inflate Anglo's balance sheet by moving funds between Anglo and Irish Life and Permanent (ILP). Fitzpatrick, along with John Bowe, Willie McAteer and Denis Casey, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. During the trial, Fitzpatrick's lawyer, Brendan Grehan, questioned Kevin Kelly, Anglo's former head of financial reporting, about his role in accounting for the €7.2 billion. Kelly admitted that the transaction was recorded in a way that misrepresented its sequence, but argued that the risk was still present. The trial is ongoing before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
In a June 2016 sentencing hearing, 32‑year‑old Gavin Fitzhenry of Tallaght pleaded guilty to three failed burglary attempts in south Dublin on the night of 27 June 2014. The first incident occurred at 1 a.m. in a Palmerston Road home when a woman, awake in bed, saw a man enter her bedroom. She froze, the intruder apologized, and he fled. At 2:45 a.m. in a Kilmacud Road house, a man heard a dark figure in his dining room; he confronted the intruder, who pleaded not to be hit and escaped. At 4:10 a.m. another Kilmacud resident was awakened by a noise from his bathroom; he saw a man on his roof, shouted, and the intruder leapt off and fled. Fitzhenry was later found near the scenes, fled, and hid in bushes before being arrested. He claimed he broke in because he owed €7,000 in drug‑related debt.
Jim Duffy, 45, of Dundalk, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a stolen John Deere tractor between June and September 2013. The tractor, worth €50,000, was stolen from a Portlaoise farm on 29 May 2013 and later found on Duffy's farm in Hollywood Little, Ballyboughal North Dublin, with altered identifying features and a false UK registration plate. Duffy claimed the tractor had been left on his farm by a man who owed him money and denied ever taking it. He admitted the tractor was stolen but said he could not believe it. Judge Melanie Greally, noting Duffy's lack of serious convictions, adjourned the case to 14 June and ordered a community service report to be prepared by the Probation Service. The case remains pending.
David Gorey, an accountant aged 33 from Kilbride, Trim, stole €489,000 from ABM Construction Ltd between August 2009 and July 2013. He used the money to pay off a €5,000 credit union loan, a €15,000 car loan, buy three BMWs worth €100,000, and fund gambling and social activities. Gorey altered payment certificates, had company directors sign them, and transferred the cash to his own accounts. He pleaded guilty to four sample theft charges. The court, after a victim impact report, noted the significant breach of trust and the impact on the business. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a two‑year custodial sentence, citing the large sum stolen and the loss of trust. Gorey had no serious prior convictions, had cooperated with investigators, and was considered low risk of re‑offending. He is now employed as a floor manager in a Trim restaurant.
Anthony Handley, 64, of Whitethorn Grove, Artane, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving that caused the death of Olivia Dunne and serious bodily harm to Éabha Dunne in Balbriggan on 17 January 2014. Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned the case for sentencing on 10 May, when all evidence will be heard.
Hugh McWeeney, 43, of Malahide Road, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in a 2015 armed robbery. He pleaded guilty to robbing €50,730 and possessing a firearm with intent to commit robbery at The Gate Hotel, Parnell Street, on May 11, 2015. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a five-year sentence, suspending the final year, resulting in an effective custody period of four years. McWeeney's co-accused, Stephen Clinch, 49, of Kilbarrack, Dublin, received a four-and-a-half-year sentence last month for the same offence. Prosecution evidence stated that Clinch held a semi-automatic pistol to the head of security worker Michel Cieslik during the incident, while McWeeney was not armed. The court heard that McWeeney had previously overcome drug addiction but was drawn back into offending due to debts. Clinch told gardaí he committed the crime because of debts arising from a drug consignment discovered by police. All stolen cash was recovered at the scene, and the pistol found contained ammunition unsuitable for the weapon. The matter was finalised with the imposition of these custodial sentences.
Karl Brown, aged 26, was sentenced to four years in prison for possession of 36,633 ecstasy tablets, with an 18‑month suspended portion, after Gardaí raided his home in Oakrise, Clondalkin, Dublin. During the raid, Brown was found in the kitchen counting pills into bags, while two women present became agitated. Gardaí discovered the tablets, small amounts of cocaine and amphetamine, weighing scales and a customer list. Prosecutor Fiona McGowan BL estimated the tablets' street value at €366,330. Brown pleaded guilty on 3 March 2015 to possession of drugs for sale or supply at his home. He claimed he was holding the tablets to repay a €3,000 drug debt incurred by smoking cannabis, which he used to self‑medicate ADHD. He refused to name the drug supplier, citing concerns for his family's safety. Defence counsel Dominic McGinn SC noted Brown had cooperated in interviews and made admissions.
Thomas Plunkett, 44, of Markievicz House, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for offences committed on Easter Monday, April 21, 2014. He pleaded guilty to burglary at St Patrick's Credit Union, Herbert Place, attempted burglary at Merrion Square, and the assault of Garda Paul Carroll at Pearse Street Garda Station. Judge Sarah Berkeley imposed a four-year sentence, suspending the final year on strict conditions, resulting in three years of effective custody. Plunkett, who has 64 previous convictions, was apprehended with stolen credit union property after a householder spotted him on a roof near her window. Garda Barry Moran testified that Plunkett initially cooperated by showing officers the smashed credit union window but became aggressive when his phone was confiscated. At the station, Plunkett was carried in by his hands and feet and allegedly spat at Garda Carroll's eye. Defense counsel Oisin Clarke BL noted Plunkett's intoxication and history of heroin addiction following bereavements, while highlighting his previous work delivering medication to the elderly. The court accepted the guilty pleas and imposed the custodial sentence with the specified suspension.
Derek McCann, 51, pleaded guilty to assaulting Glen Riordan, 35, at Edenmore House, Coolock, on 10 September 2011. McCann, an unemployed plumber, had moved from Millbrook Road to a caravan park in Bettystown, which delayed the case. Garda Eoin Cowap described the incident: McCann ran at Riordan, swung his hand, and struck him, after breaking a glass at the counter and using it to attack. Riordan fell, received ten stitches for a facial wound, and suffered a 2‑cm hairline scar. McCann had been drinking heavily and had no memory of the assault. The court, after a Probation Service report, suspended a three‑year prison sentence and ordered McCann to complete 240 hours of community service within 12 months. The judge noted McCann's loss of employment, stress medication, and cancer diagnosis, and a character reference described him as honest and trustworthy.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case of Paul Murphy and 18 co-accused to May 3 for mention. The defendants face charges including false imprisonment of acting Tánaiste Joan Burton and Karen O'Connell, violent disorder, and criminal damage, arising from a protest in Jobstown in November 2014. Defence counsel requested the adjournment to review recent State correspondence regarding separate trials. The prosecution indicated it had sent written instructions and an indictment later than anticipated. Thomas Kelly (33) of Cushlawn Dale, Tallaght, was remanded in his absence after failing to attend court due to starting a new job as a commis chef. Judge Greally noted he had "seriously underestimated" his attendance obligations but granted leniency given the prosecution's generous attitude, remanding him to the same date as his co-accused. Antoinette Kane (23) of Cloonmore Park, Jobstown, was also remanded in her absence; her counsel stated he could not take instruction from her, who is due a baby in two weeks. A warrant was issued for Dylan Collins (20) of Bawnlea Green, Tallaght, who failed to answer his bail. Other accused include Keith Preston (36), Kieran Mahon (38), and Michael Murphy (50). The matter was adjourned, not concluded.
Bernadette Warnock, 63, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 71 counts of theft and fraud committed between 2009 and 2011, totalling €116,226. The offences allegedly occurred while she managed the finances of Positive Action Ltd, a Hepatitis C support group. Judge Melanie Greally described the conduct as a "most grievous offence" committed by an individual with a history of fraud, noting Warnock had four previous convictions for forging cheques. Although the validated procedural stage is sentence, the matter was adjourned until October to allow Warnock to raise compensation for a new group replacing Positive Action. She was remanded on bail. The judge explicitly stated this adjournment should not be interpreted as an indication that Warnock will receive a non-custodial sentence. Prosecution evidence, presented by Sinead McGrath BL, indicated that chairperson Antoinette Fitzgerald reported financial irregularities. Garda Wayne Donnelly testified that Warnock forged a co-director's signature on cheques and manipulated the charity's finance system to divert funds. Defence counsel Ronan Kennedy BL stated Warnock had €8,500 available and expected an inheritance to cover half the outstanding amount. He also highlighted her health issues and prior dedication to the charity.
Anthony Dwyer, 24, was sentenced to three years in prison for a violent attempted handbag snatch on Kilbarrack Road on 30 May 2013. He punched Rose Kim repeatedly in the head and grabbed her throat after she refused to give up her bag. Dwyer also admitted two offences of criminal damage at Howth Junction DART station on the same day. Judge Melanie Greally described the attack as "disgraceful" and imposed a consecutive two‑year sentence for the criminal damage, which she suspended on the condition that Dwyer keep the peace for three years and comply with Probation Services treatment for drugs and alcohol. Dwyer's history includes 47 prior convictions, including assault, robbery and 20 for criminal damage. He began abusing Ecstasy and petrol at age six, was taken into foster care at three, and later into residential care. He had stopped abusing tablets and was in a stable relationship with a young child at the time of sentencing. Anthony Dwyer pleaded guilty.
In a trial heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, four former senior bankers – Peter Fitzpatrick (63), John Bowe (52), Willie McAteer (65) and Denis Casey (56) – pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. They are accused of orchestrating a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme between Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) and Anglo Irish Bank from March 1 to September 30, 2008. The alleged scheme involved ILP receiving money from Anglo, then placing it on deposit with Anglo on behalf of Irish Life Assurance, inflating Anglo's corporate deposits and misleading investors. Gerard Doyle, former Head of Group Financial Risk at ILP, testified that the transactions exceeded ILP's €150 million credit limit by €1.1 billion, and that no physical payments were made when the loans matured. The jury was instructed to remain silent about the case, and the trial was set to resume on April 4 after a two‑week Easter break.
A 31‑year‑old Dublin mother, Shineen Mulhall, received a 12‑month suspended sentence and was ordered to complete 150 hours of community service within two years. She pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €16,885 from Oaklee Housing Trust on 4 February 2013 and €5,564 from the Irish College of General Practitioners on 3 March 2013. Gardaí described her as a "pawn" in the operation, noting that two cheques totalling over €21,500 were lodged into her account and later withdrawn under instructions from a man. Mulhall had 19 prior convictions for road traffic offences. The judge, Catherine Murphy, noted that she had not attracted adverse Garda attention and had fully cooperated. The case involved CCTV evidence of her lodging the cheques and the Garda interview in October 2013 where she admitted to cashing them on behalf of the man.
James Butler, a 38‑year‑old former nurse from Springfield, Tallaght, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to his partner on 14 December 2014. He put his hands on her neck, choked her and struck her head against a wardrobe. The victim, who has a young son with Butler, collapsed and later received medical treatment, including four stitches to her cheek. Butler was not jailed because he had no prior convictions, had taken responsibility, and ensured the victim received medical care. Judge Catherine Murphy ordered Butler to complete 150 hours of community service within two years and to pay €1,155 in medical costs by April. The case highlighted the couple's volatile relationship, with no prior protection orders and Butler's continued contact with the child after the assault.
In a 2016 case, Dean Fagan, aged 26, was sentenced to six years for aggravated burglary after he and an accomplice tied up a woman, ransacked her home, and stole €1,500. Fagan, armed with garden shears, told the other man not to kill the victim while the accomplice struck her with a hammer. They searched the house, tore open furniture, and collected jewellery, laptops, and phones, demanding more cash. The woman escaped through a back door, locking the intruders inside, who fled via a window on pedal bikes. Fagan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Judge Melanie Greally noted his 79 prior convictions and the violent nature of the crime. The judge accepted his admissions, suspended the final year of the sentence on strict conditions, and highlighted the victim's fear and the thorough investigation that led to his arrest.
Niall McGlynn, a 30‑year‑old Trinity Law School graduate, was sentenced to two years in prison with the final six months suspended. He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and one count of assault causing harm for attacking a bouncer at the Czech Inn in Temple Bar after being denied entry, and for punching Garda Brian Cleary in the mouth at North King Street. He also pleaded guilty to robbery at Paddy Power in Swords. The judge credited him for three months already spent in custody and suspended the last six months of the sentence. McGlynn was described as very drunk during the nightclub incident, and the court noted his serious gambling addiction. He had not practised law after graduating from Trinity College. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
David Mantle, 38, of Crumlin, was sentenced to five years in prison for robbing Terry Rogers bookmakers on Fairview Strand on 5 November 2013 and attempting to rob a Spar store on Lower Abbey Street on 19 August 2014. In the Fairview robbery, Mantle approached the cashier, handed her a betting slip demanding money and threatened to squirt petrol in her face and set the shop on fire. He brandished a bottle of Fairy Liquid filled with petrol and told her, "I'm going to squirt this in your fucking face. I've a lighter and I'm going to set this place on fire." The victim, who feared she would be burned alive, handed over an unspecified sum before the panic button was sounded by a pregnant colleague. In the Spar incident, Mantle entered the store, demanded a bottle of spirits, and produced a syringe filled with dark blue liquid, threatening the worker. David Mantle pleaded guilty.
Niall Cully, 27, was caught by Gardaí while attempting to throw an orange plastic football, containing four mobile phones, into Dublin's Cloverhill prison. The officers, on patrol, observed him standing within the prison's railings and stopped him. Cully admitted the attempt and explained that he was under pressure to deliver the phones, citing his brother's pending murder trial inside the facility. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the offence of attempting to bring mobile phones into a prison on 2 June 2014. The judge, Martin Nolan, found Cully's actions foolish and ineffective, noting that the prisoners would not have received the phones. Consequently, Cully was sentenced to ten months' imprisonment, a warning that crime is a risky business. He had previously served a suspended portion of a five‑year sentence for possession of firearms in suspicious circumstances.
Two men, Anthony Callaghan (45) and Paul Zambra (39), were arrested in Coolock after a three‑day surveillance operation by specialist gardaí. They were found with a Ruger revolver and a semi‑automatic pistol, both loaded and ready for use, and a full petrol can. Callaghan, from Millrace Road, Phoenix Park Racecourse, and Zambra, from Inagh Road, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of firearms with intent to endanger life. Judge Melanie Greally described the evidence as overwhelming and noted the men's histories of violent crime. Callaghan was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment and Zambra to 10 years. The sentences reflect the court's view that the weapons posed a considerable danger to life. The operation was carried out by the Drugs and Organised Crime Unit over several days, with vehicles seized and CCTV used to identify the suspects. The men were removed from society for the duration of their sentences.
John Murphy, also known as Con Murphy, a 66-year-old travel agent, received a suspended three-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his conviction for four counts of theft. The charges alleged that between June and July 2010, Murphy stole €18,643 from the Children to Lapland Appeal, a charity he founded in 1987 to send terminally ill children to Lapland. Although the validated procedural stage is an appeal, the report details the sentencing where Judge Patrick McCartan suspended the custodial term. This decision followed the disclosure that Murphy's family had raised the full amount to compensate for the theft, alongside considerations of his age, poor health, and a 2010 bladder cancer diagnosis. Judge McCartan noted the sentence recognized the breach of trust. As a condition of the suspended sentence, Murphy was banned from engaging in fundraising for three years. The judge expressed grave misgivings regarding Murphy's subsequent involvement with the Make it Happen Foundation, alleging he effectively ran the organization despite directors claiming otherwise. The judge warned Murphy that he was "under the microscope." The compensation funds, as the original charity entered liquidation, are to be split between Crumlin Children's Hospital and Barretstown camp. Defense counsel Patrick Reynolds BL argued the new foundation was dissolved in January and that Murphy had no access to its accounts.
A 22‑year‑old man, Garrett Lyster, was identified as a lookout in an armed burglary of an elderly couple in Finglas, Dublin, after he left his mobile phone at the scene. The couple, aged in their early nineties, were asleep when the burglary occurred at about 4.30 a.m. The husband heard a noise, retrieved a saw from under the bed, and was struck by a raider who used a sharp object to cut his hand before fleeing. Gardaí arrived soon after and the victim was taken to hospital. Lyster, who pleaded guilty to burglary on 12 May 2013, admitted to "keeping sketch" during the crime. He is a father of two and was described by his defence counsel as a vulnerable man easily led. Judge Catherine Murphy expressed reluctance to impose a jail term, noting he had no prior court record, but warned him to stay out of trouble before sentencing in July.
Robert Grendon, aged 25, received a two‑year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for assaulting a 15‑year‑old boy on 3 May 2009. Grendon, who was 18 at the time of the attack, pleaded guilty and paid €5,000 in compensation, with an additional €1,500 to be paid within a year. The victim, who was not present at the hearing, requested a face‑to‑face apology, which Grendon agreed to give. The court noted the assault was captured on CCTV and that the boy suffered extensive dental injuries costing over €8,100, requiring ongoing treatment. Grendon's prior record of 22 convictions and his age were considered in sentencing, and the judge acknowledged his efforts at rehabilitation. The suspended sentence means no immediate custodial time, but the court will monitor compliance with the conditions.
Rildwan Olurunsogo, 20, of Santry, Dublin, pleaded guilty on 1 May 2015 to possession of €50,000 worth of cannabis for sale or supply. He had no prior convictions and had not attracted Garda attention since. In an interview he explained that he was trying to help his mother and that he had learned his lesson. Judge Sarah Berkeley, after hearing evidence, revoked his bail, remanded him in custody and ordered a probation report. She judged him to be at the lowest risk of re‑offending, not part of the drug world, and described him as "kind, reliable and hardworking" with a promising future. She imposed a fully suspended six‑year sentence, 18 months of probation supervision and 240 hours of voluntary or sporting work or community service.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Sean Kenny, aged 24, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for the assault that left Raphael Momoh, 21, legally blind in one eye. Kenny struck Momoh on the eye with a broken glass bottle on Parkgate Street on 29 January 2013, cutting the cornea and causing scarring that required a corneal transplant. The judge, Patricia Ryan, noted the attack was unprovoked and opportunistic, and that Momoh already had a disability. Kenny's sentence includes a two‑year suspended portion, with the remaining seven years to be served. Kenny, who has 49 prior convictions and is already serving a sentence for drug dealing and violent disorder, pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm. The court considered mitigating factors such as Kenny's cooperation with Gardaí and his supportive family, particularly his mother who attended the proceedings. The sentencing range for the offence was between seven‑half and twelve‑half years.
In Wheatfield Prison, Limerick man Niall Carey, aged 28, was found guilty of violent disorder and assault causing harm to fellow prisoner Noel Murray on 21 January 2013. Carey, who led a group that attacked Murray after a dispute over missing personal items, received a custodial sentence of three years, with the final year suspended. His co‑accused, Daniel Martin, 30, was sentenced to one year suspended for his role. A third participant, Stephen Seery, 34, had earlier been sentenced to six months for the same incident. Carey, who has 40 prior convictions and is due for release in May, pleaded guilty and was described by the judge as the ringleader who marshalled the attackers. The court noted his loss of 56 days' privileges and his remorse, but imposed the custodial term accordingly. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The trial of Denis Casey, 56, of Raheny, Dublin, is ongoing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Casey, along with Peter Fitzpatrick, John Bowe, and Willie McAteer, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1 and September 30, 2008. The defendants are accused of establishing a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme between Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent to bolster Anglo's balance sheet. Evidence presented to the jury includes testimony from Matt Moran, Anglo's then Chief Financial Officer, who stated that Anglo's auditor, Vincent Bergin, expressed being "very uncomfortable" in February 2009 regarding the transaction's accounting treatment. Moran testified that Anglo's Finance department was "very annoyed" when it emerged that ILP had recorded the deposits and loans as netted, contrary to Anglo's representation that they were not. The jury heard that Anglo's auditors required evidence to support the absence of a set-off agreement. Defense counsel Michael O'Higgins SC argued that Casey's public press release in February 2009, indicating the transaction was collateralised, prompted a review of internal telephone recordings by auditors and Finance staff. The matter remains at the trial stage, with no final verdict or sentence recorded.
In 2009 the Secretary General of the Department of Finance contacted Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) about how the bank was accounting for a €7.2 bn transaction that had been described as circular. The trial of four former bankers, including ILP's former CEO Denis Casey (56), alleges that they conspired to mislead investors by using inter‑bank loans to manipulate Anglo Irish Bank's balance sheets in 2008. Casey told Gardaí that Anglo had misrepresented the €7.2 bn transactions, insisting they be fully collateralised, but that Anglo presented them as non‑collateralised. After Casey resigned in February 2009, three phone calls were made to change the accounting treatment to show the transactions as non‑collateralised. The calls were from Matt Moran, Donal O'Connor and Kevin Cardiff. Casey and three other former banking executives pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. The trial is being heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Kenneth Powell, 49, appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after failing to give Gardaí his current address. He had been registered as a sex offender following a 2014 conviction for possession of child pornography, for which he received a three‑year sentence with the final year suspended. Powell had previously shared 92 images of children with Kevin Bowes, who also received the same sentence. The images depicted children aged under 10 to 17, some in school uniforms. Bowes had sent an image of a 12‑year‑old girl to a female acquaintance, who reported it to Gardaí, leading to the discovery of the images. Powell was convicted of failing to notify Gardaí of his address and the State is seeking to reactivate the suspended portion of his sentence. He intends to appeal the conviction to the Circuit Court. The case was remanded to the District Court for further hearing. Kenneth Powell pleaded guilty. Kevin Bowes pleaded guilty.
Jordan Maher, a 19‑year‑old from Arthur Griffith Park, Lucan, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing 1.718 kg of ketamine worth €103,132, which he was seen handing to another man during a surveillance operation on 4 June 2015. He had no prior convictions. The court granted him bail pending sentencing in October, on the condition that he secures full‑time employment, remains drug‑free, avoids further Garda attention and works with Probation and Welfare Services. Judge Sarah Berkeley emphasised that Maher must prove his maturity and good behaviour, and that evidence of his employment must be presented at the next hearing before the sentence is adjourned. The case involved surveillance of a van that travelled to Arthur Griffith Park and a self‑storage unit in Kildare, where Maher was observed handing a brown paper bag to a third party at Maidens Row.
An elderly man, aged 75, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexually assaulting his intellectually disabled adult daughter, who was 34 at the time of the offence in 1999. The court heard that the man had called to her flat while drunk and, according to the victim, forced himself upon her, causing her physical and emotional trauma. He has a prior conviction for forgery in 1989. Defence counsel argued the incident was a single alcohol‑induced act and that the man was remorseful. Judge Melanie Greally granted the defendant time to arrange medication before sentencing, then imposed a three‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended, to be finalised on Friday. The victim's impact statement described her fear, shame and ongoing psychological distress following the assault.
A Dublin man, Donal O'Hara, aged 22, is serving a 12‑year sentence for an aggravated burglary in Tipperary. In November 2012 he also punched his heavily pregnant ex‑girlfriend, Réiltín Cassidy, who was 32 weeks pregnant, in the face after she had been knocked to the ground. O'Hara pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms Cassidy at Ferrycarrig Drive, Coolock. He has twenty previous convictions. His counsel argued that steroid use for bodybuilding at the time may have contributed to his aggression, a point accepted by Judge Melanie Greally. The court found no evidence of alcohol abuse. O'Hara's sentence for the assault was a two‑and‑a‑half‑year term to run concurrently with his existing 12‑year sentence, meaning he will not serve additional time in prison for the assault. Ms Cassidy did not give a victim impact statement and has reportedly reconciled with O'Hara.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, four former Anglo Irish Bank senior bankers—Willie McAteer, Denis Casey, Peter Fitzpatrick and John Bowe—were accused of conspiring to mislead investors by using interbank loans to manipulate Anglo's balance sheet between 1 March and 30 September 2008. The alleged scheme involved transferring €7.2 bn from Anglo to Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) and then re‑depositing it through ILP's life assurance division, making the transfer appear as corporate deposits rather than interbank loans. This would inflate Anglo's corporate funding figure for the year‑end accounts published on 2 December 2008. All four pleaded not guilty. Witness Matt Moran, Anglo's former CFO, testified that the accounts did not link the €7.2 bn deposits to the bank's funding figures, and that a note indicating the linkage would have been beneficial. The trial, presided over by Judge Martin Nolan, is set to continue until May.
In March 2016 the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Alice Warnock, a 54‑year‑old former Bank of Ireland employee, had taken €144,089 from the bank between November 2004 and March 2012. She transferred amounts ranging from €600 to €5,000 from the bank's internal administration account into her own accounts and those of family members, and she had fabricated narratives to make the transactions appear legitimate. The bank discovered the fraud in May 2012 while Warnock was on sick leave. She pleaded guilty to nine counts of stealing from bank branches on Talbot Street and Malahide Road, Coolock. Warnock, who had no prior convictions, expressed remorse and said she felt like a fool. She had lost her job and was a full‑time carer for her sick, elderly parents.
Dylan Murphy, aged 20, was sentenced to a partially suspended three‑year term for assaulting Jonathan Cooley with a pint glass on 24 May 2015 at Dame Court, Dublin. Murphy admitted he had "snapped" and overreacted "out of pure rage" after seeing an altercation involving his sister. He also pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen iPod found at the same location. The court noted Murphy's 24 previous convictions, including four assaults, and the victim's permanent facial scars. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the last 18 months of the sentence and ordered post‑release supervision. Murphy was described by Garda Elaine Murtagh as a "feral youth" with a difficult upbringing and periods of homelessness. The victim, who had forgiven Murphy, expressed hope he would not assault anyone else in the future.
Barry Kindregan, a 36‑year‑old clerical officer from Downside Heights, Skerries, was sentenced to two years in jail for processing seven bogus passports for foreign nationals who were not entitled to them. He pleaded guilty to four charges, including possession of a false passport and three counts of corruptly accepting money for issuing passports between August 2012 and July 2013. Kindregan had been employed at the passport office since 2007 when a colleague approached him in August 2012 to help South African nationals obtain Irish passports. He agreed to produce passports for cash, receiving €1,250 at the start and a final €1,250 upon completion, but never received the payment for the first two passports. He admitted he only checked supporting documents for spelling and knew the applicants were ineligible.