At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Mark Lavelle, aged 32, originally from Swinford in Mayo, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, following his guilty plea to two counts of assault causing harm and hijacking. On the early morning of September 20th, 2014, Lavelle attacked a taxi driver in Palmerstown and subsequently assaulted Dublin GAA footballer Jonny Cooper on Dorset Street Upper, inflicting nine stab wounds. The court heard Lavelle was under the influence of crystal methamphetamine during the frenzied attacks. Mr Cooper was hospitalised overnight but recovered, though he experienced psychological effects. Judge Martin Nolan imposed consecutive sentences of three and a half years each, describing Lavelle as a danger to society. The judge noted Lavelle's sixty-two previous convictions and long-standing psychiatric difficulties requiring anti-psychotic medication. Defence counsel highlighted Lavelle's background of homelessness, substance abuse from childhood, and family history of violence.
Two Dublin men, David Crowley (38) and Alan Wilson (36), were convicted of trespassing and assault causing harm after breaking into a home in Blanchardstown on 3 June 2009 and attacking the victim with a meat cleaver. Crowley was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. A jury found them guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, and Judge Desmond Hogan sentenced Crowley to eight years' imprisonment and Wilson to seven years' imprisonment on 12 April 2013. Both men appealed their convictions. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, dismissed the appeals. Birmingham rejected arguments that a jury member's request for a lighter and the admission of evidence that Wilson was wearing a bulletproof vest were improper, and upheld the trial judge's handling of witness statements and the evidence that the cleaver was brought to the house. Wilson's sentence appeal will be considered separately. David Crowley pleaded not guilty. Alan Wilson pleaded not guilty.
A 24-year-old man from Castlebar, County Mayo, who is serving a life sentence for the 2011 murder of his mother, has been sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment for assaulting a prison officer at Mountjoy Prison. The man pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to throwing boiling water at the officer on 15 April 2014. The officer sustained burns to his face and shoulder and was absent from work for five weeks. The court heard the defendant has sustained irreversible organic brain damage from drug abuse during his teenage years and was transferred from the Central Mental Hospital to Mountjoy following his murder conviction. At the time of the assault, his medication had recently been altered and he had just been moved from a padded cell. Judge Martin Nolan noted the defendant had no impulse control and observed there was no rational explanation for the attack. The court heard the defendant has since remained free of further convictions and is receiving psychiatric care in custody.
In a 2015 report, Garda Darren Rooney was commended for his investigation into the mugging of a Dublin nurse on Alderwood Drive, Tallaght, on 31 May 2014. The victim, a 43‑year‑old nurse, was attacked at 8:45 p.m. while returning from her shift at Tallaght hospital. Jamie O'Hara, aged 21, seized her arm, knocked her to the ground, and stole her handbag before fleeing in a vehicle. Rooney obtained a partial registration of a "gold coloured Golf" from the victim and later stopped a matching vehicle that evening. The driver claimed he had been in the car all day, but a call from "Ratface" at the time of the robbery linked the driver to O'Hara. The vehicle was seized, and O'Hara's fingerprints were found inside. The nurse identified O'Hara from mug shots, leading to his arrest. O'Hara pleaded guilty to robbery at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and received a 14‑month sentence.
A 32-year-old man originally from Swinford, County Mayo pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Dublin GAA footballer Jonny Cooper in the early hours of September 20, 2014. Mark Lavelle, with an address at Basin Street, Dublin, inflicted nine stab wounds to the player's forehead, eyelid and neck area during an unprovoked attack on Dorset Street Upper. The court heard Lavelle was under the influence of crystal methamphetamine at the time and had also assaulted a taxi driver and hijacked his vehicle hours earlier in Palmerstown. Mr Cooper spent one night in hospital and subsequently suffered anxiety and facial scarring. Lavelle was arrested at a petrol station in Maynooth when gardaí spotted the stolen taxi. Blood analysis linked Mr Cooper's DNA to a knife and jacket recovered from Lavelle. The defendant has sixty-two prior convictions including assaults, drug possession and robbery. Judge Martin Nolan remanded Lavelle in custody pending sentencing.
A 61‑year‑old Dublin man, whose name is withheld, applied to have his name removed from the sex offenders register after being convicted in 2000 of indecent assault on his daughter over five years, starting when she was seven, and of sexual assault when she was 23. He received a two‑year sentence. Judge Martin Nolan explained that the register's purpose is to monitor those who may pose a danger to society and that removal is possible if the common good is no longer served. He noted the man's low risk of re‑conviction, citing his age and profile, and ordered a risk assessment by Probation Services. The judge would decide after reviewing the report, with the case adjourned to the following week. A Garda testified about monitoring visits and affirmed that the common good was served by the register's existence.
Patrick Davis, a 30‑year‑old unemployed butcher, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Garda Ciaran Byrne and Desmond Dunphy on Thomas Street on 9 February 2014. The offence involved Davis punching Byrne twice, fracturing his eye socket, and also striking Dunphy. Davis was intoxicated and "out of control" and claimed he did not realise Byrne was a garda. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Davis may not have known Byrne's identity but found his behaviour reprehensible. The court imposed a suspended jail sentence of two and a half years, conditioned on Davis paying €2,000 to Dunphy within a year. The sentence was suspended, and no custodial term was imposed. The case stemmed from a confrontation that began after a christening celebration and a pub visit on Thomas Street. The court noted that Davis had no prior convictions and that the incident occurred during a period of personal tragedy for him.
Bernard Daly, a former Anglo Irish Bank company secretary, must await a Court of Appeal decision on his bail application pending his appeal against a two-year prison sentence. Daly, who pleaded not guilty to furnishing false information, conspiring to defraud the Revenue Commissioners, and conspiring to delete bank accounts, was found guilty by a jury and sentenced by Judge Patrick McCartan on July 31. His counsel argued the trial was unfair, specifically citing deficiencies in the accomplice warning regarding a former compliance head. The prosecution contended the case did not rely solely on that witness and requested bail be refused. The court, comprising Justices Birmingham, Sheehan, and Mahon, adjourned the decision to next week. Co-accused Tiarnan O'Mahoney, the former Chief Operations Officer, had previously pleaded not guilty to similar charges including conspiring to defraud the Revenue. He adjourned his bail bid until transcripts were available and did not seek bail today. Aoife Maguire, a former assistant manager, who denied conspiring to delete accounts and defraud the Revenue, has not sought bail. She was granted a priority hearing date of December 23 for her appeal against sentence. The matter remains at the appeal stage with bail decisions pending or adjourned.
Michelle Conroy, aged 47, of Arch Court, Roscommon Town, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to violent disorder arising from an incident on Lower O'Connell Street, Dublin on 27 December 2012. Judge Desmond Hogan imposed a two-year sentence suspended in full for two years. Evidence indicated that Conroy repeatedly kicked a man on the ground while holding a pram containing a child during an altercation involving a group of five adults and two children. CCTV footage showed the victim was attacked after being pushed from a shop, with Conroy delivering at least eight kicks as he lay on the ground. The judge noted her blatant disregard for public safety, whilst a probation report assessed her as posing moderate re-offending risk. Conroy, who has fourteen previous convictions, initially failed to appear for sentencing and a bench warrant was issued before her subsequent arrest and appearance.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, a 42‑year‑old man was convicted of sexually assaulting an 11‑year‑old girl who was staying with him while her mother was abroad. The jury found him guilty on two of three charges of sexual assault committed between 18 March and 20 April 2008, but did not reach a verdict on the third count. Judge Patricia Ryan registered the defendant as a sex offender, ordered a victim impact report, and remanded him on bail pending sentencing next month. The victim, now 19, testified that she was watching television in the accused's home when he hugged her from behind near her breasts, and that he also touched her thighs. She described a further incident where he forced her to sit on his stomach and touch his genitals while she was playing with his daughter. After the mother returned from abroad, the family left the man's house. The unnamed 11 year old pleaded not guilty.
Terrence Mulhall, 39, a crack cocaine addict, was remanded in custody pending sentencing in January after robbing five pharmacies near his home in Finglas, Dublin. He was already on bail for one robbery when he carried out the other four, stealing €2,135 from the tills by threatening staff with scissors, a screwdriver or a blade. Mulhall pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of Hickey's Pharmacy on December 19, 2014, Llyods Pharmacy, and Hickey's Pharmacy on Main Street on March 11 and April 1, 2015. Two additional robbery charges were considered. He was first arrested after the first robbery when fingerprints from a perfume bottle and CCTV footage linked him to the crime; his home was searched and the clothes he wore during the robbery were found in his bedroom. Mulhall made full admissions and was released on bail, then committed the next four robberies within three weeks.
Gavin Walsh, 26, of Carnlough Road, Cabra, Dublin, pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a stolen Ford Focus in County Dublin on 18 January 2014. The car had been stolen from the back of a tow truck in Santry on 15 January 2014 and was advertised for sale on Done Deal. Garda David Scanlon set up a sting operation after the advertisement; Walsh arrived driving the car and attempted to sell it to undercover gardai. The Focus, with cloned plates and discs, was recovered and returned to its owners. Gardai also linked Walsh to a second vehicle, an Audi A4, which had been bought from its true owner with a fake bank draft, fitted with cloned plates and advertised on Done Deal; that car was likewise recovered. Walsh, who has six previous convictions for minor road‑traffic and public‑order offences, was arrested and searched at his home.
Eric Wynne, 29, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading not guilty to possessing cocaine for sale or supply. A jury returned a majority verdict finding him convicted. Judge Desmond Hogan imposed a ten-year sentence, with the final four years suspended, describing Wynne as a "valuable cog in this unpalatable industry." The judge recommended Wynne receive psychiatric help in custody and alerted the Prison Service to his vulnerability. Wynne, who indicated an intention to appeal, was found to have an intellectual disability. Co-accused Arthur Conroy, 30, pleaded guilty to possession of the drug for sale or supply. He was sentenced to five years in prison, with the final three years and three months suspended. The court heard that 1,976 grammes of cocaine, valued at €138,300, were found at a garage in Glasnevin, Dublin 11, where a "cocaine factory" was allegedly operated. Gardaí seized mixing agents, scales, and a hydraulic press. Wynne admitted possessing 15 grammes found in his pocket but denied involvement with the larger quantity. Defence counsel highlighted Wynne's history of abuse and borderline personality disorder, while his mother stated he was her sole carer.
Sarah Eastwood, aged 34, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of knowingly making a false report after alleging she had been raped in a pub toilet in Dublin's city centre. The allegation was made during a brief relationship that ended in June 2013. Gardaí interviewed Eastwood at Store Street and Pearse Street stations, and CCTV footage proved she had not been in the city that night, disproving the claim. Eastwood had no prior convictions. Judge Desmond Hogan imposed a three‑year sentence, suspended for three years, and ordered 18 months of post‑release probation supervision. He also required her to continue receiving mental health treatment. The case highlighted that the man was never arrested and that the false allegation was linked to a dispute over the end of their relationship.
Grainne O'Toole, 42, received a suspended two‑year jail sentence after pleading guilty to harassing Jennifer Doran, the wife of a former colleague, between 1 October 2011 and 2 February 2012. O'Toole sent more than 310 abusive texts, calls and tweets, averaging 35 calls a day during a month. She had worked for Meridian VAT International in Tallaght, where her supervisor Colm Doran had a meeting with her over personnel matters. After resigning, O'Toole became fixated on Mr Doran and, more specifically, on his wife, whom she had never met. Diagnosed with autism and obsessive persecution delusions, she tweeted about Doran again in July 2014 and was remanded in custody. In October 2014, Judge Patrick McCartan granted bail and adjourned the sentence for one year to allow treatment and continued college studies, warning that a re‑offence would lead to imprisonment.
Claire Lawlor, 26, of Abbeylea Drive, Swords, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery committed on 1 May 2012 in Swords. She had 55 prior convictions, including robbery, theft, burglary, assault, road‑traffic offences and making off without paying. Lawlor, a former heroin addict who had become drug‑free and pregnant with her second child, was said by her defence counsel to have been motivated by her pregnancy to seek rehabilitation. The robbery involved a taxi driver outside a Garda station; Lawlor and a male accomplice stole the driver's keys and phone, and the driver was held at gunpoint. Lawlor's wallet, containing her social welfare card, was found in the taxi. The judge, citing her rehabilitation and the seriousness of her previous convictions, imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years, suspended in full, and noted that the sentence was given with great hesitancy after recognising her request for a last chance.
Albert Monahan, aged 73, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four counts of theft and one count of producing a false instrument. He had fraudulently collected his brother Peter's State pension for seven years, receiving 356 weekly payments of €219, totalling €77,964. Monahan had assumed his brother's identity, forging a signature to apply for the pension and collecting it at Berkeley Road Post Office. He claimed the money was used to install new bay windows, new floors and to stock his fridge with food. The judge, Melanie Greally, suspended a four‑year sentence in full, citing Monahan's poor health, including several heart attacks and triple bypass surgery. Monahan admitted the fraud immediately and expressed remorse, offering to repay the Department of Social Protection by deduction from his legitimate social welfare payments.
Richard Daly, 55, was arrested at Huntsman's House in Clondalkin after a customs officer detected cannabis during a random spot check. Gardaí found an "Aladdin's cave" of drugs worth €522,952, including cannabis herb, resin, heroin, amphetamines and cocaine, as well as 93 rounds of ammunition, 129 stolen NCT certificates, 98 stolen FBD insurance certificates, a stolen Garda uniform with accessories, and camera equipment belonging to a filming company. Daly pleaded guilty to five counts: possession of drugs for sale or supply, unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of a stolen Garda uniform, and possession of other stolen goods. Judge Desmond Hogan imposed concurrent sentences totalling ten years, suspending the final five years. The five‑year term for the new offences will run consecutively to Daly's current four‑year term, which was reactivated after being fully suspended at the outset. Daly has 20 prior convictions and was described by his defence as having cooperated with authorities.
Damien Wilson, 47, a father of one with chronic health problems, was arrested after a Garda raid on his Clondalkin home following a surveillance operation. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cocaine for sale or supply at Chaplin's Place on 10 October 2014. The cocaine, valued at €58,086, was found in a backpack under the stairs, together with other drug paraphernalia and a list of clients. Wilson admitted receiving the drugs by courier the previous week, weighing and bagging them before leaving them outside his front door for collection, and said he was paid €100 per week. He refused to name other participants, citing fear for his safety and that of his partner and child. Judge Martin Nolan, citing Wilson's myriad medical conditions—chronic heart failure, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and back pain—sentenced him to three years in prison, suspended in full.
In October 2015, Hai Ping Li, a shopkeeper, held armed robber Daniel Garland (34) in his Spar shop on North Circular Road, Dublin, until Gardaí arrived. Li wrestled Garland to the ground, struck him with a wooden table leg, and later "jumped" him outside. Garland had previously robbed another Spar shop in Drumcondra, taking €460 after threatening staff with a knife. He pleaded guilty to both robberies at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 18 and 22 October 2014. Garland, who had six prior convictions for theft, drug offences and criminal damage, cooperated with Garda investigations and admitted the robberies were "out of stupidity" to obtain money for drugs. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to 21 months' imprisonment, noting his cooperation and efforts to address addiction. The case highlighted the shopkeeper's decisive action and the court's consideration of Garland's rehabilitation efforts.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 27 October 2015, Niall Sheil, aged 37, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery at Dympna's Clairvoyant on 6 January 2015. The court noted that Sheil had turned his life around, was free of drugs, had cooperated with Gardaí, and had entered an early guilty plea. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a four‑year suspended sentence, citing the terrorisation of staff and customers and the discomfort caused. The robbery involved two staff members and two customers; Sheil entered with a steel bar, and the robbers took cash, purses and phones, escaping after a chase that led to their arrest. All items were recovered except €400 taken from reception. The four women victims declined to give victim impact statements. Sheil had 18 prior convictions, mainly for theft, road traffic and drug offences, but none for robbery or violence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Jenzsoph Ltd was convicted on two counts under the Environmental Protection Act for causing pollution and nuisance odours at a landfill near Naas, Kildare. The first offence involved holding or disposing of waste that produced nuisance odours between 1 February 2007 and 25 November 2008, and the second involved a large mound of waste likely to cause pollution between 22 October 2003 and 25 November 2008. The company, which controls the 30‑hectare site, had granted licences to Neiphin Trading and the Environmental Protection Agency, but no defence was presented. Judge Patrick McCartan fined the company €10 million for each count, directing payment within one month. The trial lasted two weeks, with the jury deliberating for one hour before delivering guilty verdicts.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Anne Maire Buckley, aged 35, pleaded guilty to possessing 241 g of cocaine and 219 g of cannabis, seized during a warrant‑issued search of her former home. She admitted holding the drugs for about two months to offset a €1,500 "hash" debt, claiming weekly payments of €100 would reduce the debt. With no prior convictions, Buckley's health and intellectual difficulties were cited by her defence. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence, ordering 18 months of supervision.
Colin Hammond, 21, of Balbriggan, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to making false bomb reports that caused a motorway closure, air‑traffic control disruption and the evacuation of 4,000 Intel employees. He had been drinking and taking tablets with a friend who paid him €30 to make the calls because he did not want to work at Intel the next day. Hammond claimed bombs were at Intel and would explode in 12 hours, and when asked who made the call he said "Islamic State." Judge Martin Nolan described him as "profoundly stupid" and sentenced him to 200 hours of community service within 12 months, instead of two years' imprisonment. The court noted that 300 employees were evacuated, 3,700 were prevented from entering the site, the M4 motorway was closed, and air‑traffic control was disrupted before authorities realised the hoax.
Dean O'Reilly, a 43‑year‑old former newspaper delivery man from Castlemoyne, Balgriffin, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment in June 2015 for failing to remit VAT to the Revenue from January 2008 to December 2011. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. On appeal, the Court of Appeal reduced his custodial term to 12 months, with the final four months suspended. O'Reilly owed €59,226 in VAT, which rose to €246,195 in penalties and interest. The Revenue also secured a mortgage judgment over his home, which he bought with his wife for €410,000, and owed €600,000 to Start Mortgages. He entered a €100 bond to keep the peace and maintain good behaviour during custody and for three years after release. The appeal was brought by his barrister, Pauline Walley SC. The case was heard by a three‑judge panel, including Mr Justice George Birmingham.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, John Maughan (31) and Terrence Maughan (25) were sentenced to two years' imprisonment for assaulting their first cousin, Edward McDonagh, at a Clondalkin Post Office on 27 February 2013. The brothers attacked McDonagh with knives, slashing his face and repeatedly beating and kicking him. McDonagh, who was returning to the post office with documents, was left with blood‑covered wounds that required stitches and staples. The Maughans had a history of convictions – John with six, including theft and drug offences, and Terrence with eight, including public order incidents and thefts. Garda Sheila Kenny reported that the brothers' wives had removed the knives before police arrived. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted the attack was not pre‑meditated but deemed it a very serious crime, leading to the custodial sentences. John Maughan pleaded guilty. Terrence Maughan pleaded guilty.
Gareth Kenna, 35, was jailed for five years after hijacking a Honda Jazz and driving it dangerously while disqualified. He crashed sideways into Laura Mahony's car on Hearse Road, Donabate, on 10 October 2014, crushing her legs and trapping her and her son inside. Kenna pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm, two counts of attempted hijacking and one count of hijacking. He had 98 prior convictions, including 14 for dangerous driving, and had been disqualified for 20 years. Mahony spent eight days in hospital and underwent multiple reconstructive surgeries. Kenna's early guilty plea and remorse were noted, but the fact he seized a car and drove it while disqualified were considered severe aggravating factors. The judge imposed a five‑year custodial sentence.
Damien Carrig, 35, a cash‑in‑transit van driver, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with two years suspended after pleading guilty to stealing €30,000 from Sonoma Valley Limited, a subsidiary of GSLS, on 24 December 2014. Carrig claimed he was under "severe pressure" from a gang and had been paid €2,500 for the theft. He is a father of four and had previously been convicted of two thefts (1998, 1999) and other offences. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that most of the stolen money went to third parties but imposed a custodial sentence because the crime was serious. Carrig's defence argued the offence was out of character and that he had no intention to participate. The stolen cash was never recovered, and the security company later refunded Dunnes Stores. Carrig had lost his job but had since found new employment.
John Hennessy, 50, of Dalkey, was intoxicated when he entered his local Garda station and attempted to open a flare in a plastic bag, threatening to "let it off." He had previously pleaded guilty in 2012 to possession of an explosive device at the same station. After the incident, Garda officers tried to arrest him; a struggle ensued and pepper spray was used. Hennessy, a full‑time carer for his mother, had no further Garda attention since the flare incident. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a six‑month supervision bond, ordering Hennessy to attend the Probation Service during that period. The case was adjourned to April 15. No further charges or outcomes were reported in the article.
Bernard Daly, 67, former company secretary of Anglo Irish Bank, was found guilty of furnishing false information, conspiring to defraud the Revenue Commissioners and conspiring to delete bank accounts from the bank's internal system. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment on 31 July 2015. Daly's lawyers argued that his trial was unfair and that the availability of the trial transcript had strengthened his case for bail. The Court of Appeal, hearing the renewed bail application, noted that the transcript had not yet been considered and that the threshold for bail had not been met. The judges scheduled a fresh bail hearing for 3 November. Daly's co‑accused, Tiarnan O'Mahoney, also applied for bail but postponed his application until the transcript was available. Aoife Maguire, a former assistant manager, was given a priority hearing for her appeal on 23 December. The article reports only the procedural developments and the charges as stated. Bernard Daly pleaded not guilty.
A man was jailed for using his 13‑year‑old daughter to produce child pornography between May and April 2010. He pleaded guilty to 19 offences of sexual assault, producing child pornography and allowing a child to be used in child pornography. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced him to 11 years, with the final two suspended. On appeal, the Court of Appeal reduced the sentence to nine years, again suspending the final two years. The case was brought to court after the man's wife discovered pornographic photographs of their daughter on a digital camera and alerted the Gardaí. Gardaí found 1,150 images and 74 videos, including the man simulating sexual intercourse with the victim. The judge noted the man did not see anything wrong with his actions, describing them as "simply a bit of fun".
Christiane Moringa Fortis, 28, of São Paulo, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to importing €64,000 worth of cocaine at Dublin Airport on 14 May 2014. She was originally sentenced to four years' imprisonment on 16 December 2014. On appeal, the Court of Appeal found the sentencing judge had erred in his approach. The three‑judge panel, led by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, imposed a new sentence of four years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended. Fortis had admitted possession of the drug, revealing 10 pellets in her vagina and additional pellets in her bra, underwear and sanitary towels. She claimed she was motivated by a need for money to pay legal fees to regain custody of her seven‑year‑old child in Brazil. She had no prior convictions and expressed remorse. The appeal concluded that she must serve a sentence to act as a deterrent, but the suspended portion was applied.
Jason Campbell, 35, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four years in prison for offences committed on February 24, 2015. Campbell pleaded guilty to two charges of stealing by using force or putting someone in fear that force would be used, and one charge of attempted robbery. Judge Martin Nolan suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on strict conditions, requiring Campbell to co-operate with the Probation Service for that period. The court heard that Campbell, armed with a hatchet, raided Glenview Post Office in Tallaght, where he allegedly terrified customers into handing over €45, before robbing €2,200 from a doctor's surgery on Old Bawn Way. Garda Stephen Murray testified that Campbell was arrested after evading initial capture by hiding under a parked truck. The judge noted Campbell's long history of serious convictions, including a 13-year sentence for armed robbery in May 2005, from which he was released early after serving ten years. Despite defense counsel Sarah-Jane O'Callaghan's arguments that Campbell was a long-term addict motivated to change and had become drug-free, the judge refused bail for treatment due to his criminal record. The matter was finalized with this sentence.
Damien Carrig, 35, a father of four from Oakpark Drive, Santry, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €30,000 from Sonoma Valley Limited, a subsidiary of GSLS, on 24 December 2014. He claimed he was under severe pressure from a gang and was paid €2,500 for the theft. Carrig had 10 prior convictions, including two thefts in 1998 and 1999, and various traffic and public‑order offences. Judge Martin Nolan remanded him on continuing bail for sentencing tomorrow. Detective Garda Jason Weir and defence solicitor Nicola Cox agreed the offence was out of character and that Carrig was under duress. Carrig had not recovered the cash, which was never found, and the security company later refunded Dunnes Stores. He had lost his job but had since secured new employment.
Carol Murray, a 29-year-old single mother from Baldoyle, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing 4.1kg of cannabis herb worth just under €84,000. The drugs were found at her former Merchant Court premises in Baldoyle on October 4, 2014. Gardaí discovered the cannabis packages inside and on top of a pink suitcase after obtaining a search warrant, following the arrest of her co-accused near Newlands Cross. Murray has no previous convictions. Her defense counsel, Caroline Biggs SC, argued that Murray was "coerced" and "naive," having been influenced by her male friend, who was jailed for three years for his role in the offence. The co-accused admitted in interview that he had pressured Murray to store the drugs due to a gambling debt. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Murray was at the lowest possible level of involvement and that her co-accused was the "primary mover." However, the judge noted the seriousness of the crime. Taking into account that Murray is a hard-working mother and unlikely to reoffend, Judge Nolan suspended a three-year sentence for three years. The matter was finalized with this suspended sentence.
Mark Egan, 36, a homeless Dublin drug addict, was jailed for four and a half years for aggravated burglary and robbery. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary on Kildare Road, Crumlin, on 24 May 2014, and robbery at Smock Alley Theatre on 16 June 2014. His prior convictions include six burglaries, drug offences, possession of knives, a blood‑filled syringe and robbery. The burglary involved a break‑in at Gerard Byrne's home, where Egan struck Byrne with a claw hammer and was dragged into the utility room until Gardaí arrived. Byrne suffered a head cut and wrist injury. At the theatre, Egan used a kitchen knife to take €200 and cards from a cash box, returned the phone, and left the scene. Garda testimony and CCTV footage supported the charges. The judge noted Egan's drug addiction, homelessness, and prior attempts at reform, and imposed the sentence back‑dated to August 2014.
Andrew Smith, 31, was jailed for two and a half years after punching a 72‑year‑old woman on her way home from mass. Smith was one of three men who attacked the woman on Oranmore Road, Ballyfermot, on 7 March 2015. The victim suffered two black eyes and cuts to her face and later described herself as hysterical and bleeding when she arrived at a Garda station. The court heard a history of animosity between the families. Judge Martin Nolan, taking into account Smith's good work history and anger‑management training, imposed the sentence. Smith pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and expressed remorse, offering an unqualified apology to the victim. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A 53‑year‑old Dublin man, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, was bailed to challenge a conviction for having sex with his mentally impaired cousin. He pleaded not guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to eight counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with the cousin between 1998 and 2003. A jury found him guilty and Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to five years' imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently, on 8 February 2013. On 20 October 2015 the Court of Appeal, sitting with Justices Birmingham, Mahon and Edwards, dismissed his appeal and upheld the conviction. The court will give reasons next month. The man's barrister, Patrick Gageby SC, had requested time until Friday to arrange his affairs; he was admitted to bail in July 2013 and will present himself at a Garda station on Friday to be taken into custody. His appeal against sentence will be heard later.
A 22‑year‑old man from Meath was sentenced to three years in prison for defilement after using Facebook to contact a 14‑year‑old girl and her 12‑year‑old sister. He met the older girl three times, performed sexual acts, and tried to persuade her to bring her sister for a threesome, claiming they could "train her." The girl's mother testified that the abuse ruined her daughter's childhood and caused her to suffer panic attacks. The court found the abuse premeditated and imposed a five‑year sentence with the final two years suspended. The man was ordered to register as a sex offender and undergo 18 months of probation supervision upon release. He pleaded guilty to defilement and soliciting a child in November 2012. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Archili Mindadze, a 40‑year‑old Georgian business owner, was found guilty of assaulting Romanian dentist Iurii Borta on 1 October 2012. Mindadze and a co‑accused entered Borta's surgery at Griffith Hall, Griffith Avenue, and threatened the dentist with a knife, demanding he pay protection money or leave Ireland within ten days. Mindadze sliced the dentist's hand and struck him in the face. He was arrested on 12 October 2012 after the co‑accused fled. A knife recovered from Mindadze's kitchen matched the DNA of the injured party. Mindadze pleaded guilty, denied using the knife or force, and claimed PTSD from his past. The court ordered a Probation and Welfare Services Report and remanded him in custody pending sentencing. The dentist suffered scarring and numbness on his left hand, and reported nervousness and anxiety following the attack. The case was prosecuted by Fiona Murphy BL and defended by Marc Thompson BL.
In a case at the Oktoberfest Beer Festival in Dublin, 30‑year‑old Wicklow IT worker Mark McDermott struck Michael Purcell, knocking him unconscious. McDermott, who was at the festival with a gay friend, claimed he believed Purcell was part of a group heckling his friend. Defence counsel Luigi Rea BL argued that McDermott's belief, whether right or wrong, led to the assault. McDermott pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at the festival on 26 September 2014. Judge Martin Nolan found no legitimate provocation and, noting McDermott's €45,000 annual IT salary, imposed an 18‑month suspended sentence and ordered him to pay over €4,000 to Purcell within a year. Purcell suffered a concussion, intracranial haemorrhage and was discharged from hospital after initial treatment, later returning with nausea and light‑headedness. The court would decide the fate of the payment if Purcell refused it.
Liam Dowling, 44, of Fitzgibbon Court, was found guilty of killing a protected Jack Russell dog at Clonliffe College on 19 August 2014. Witnesses saw him swing the dog overhead up to 30 times, put his foot on its head, and pull the lead tight. A vet found the dog died from repeated blunt‑force trauma. Dowling claimed the nine‑year‑old pet had been ill for up to five months and he could not afford veterinary care. He pleaded guilty and admitted killing the animal. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, after a Probation Service assessment, imposed 200 hours of community service instead of a two‑year prison term. Judge Martin Nolan declined to ban Dowling from keeping dogs, citing his role as a caring parent and his lack of a cruelty history. Dowling has 12 prior convictions, including a four‑and‑a‑half‑year drug sentence.
Derek O'Keeffe, 39, of Derrypark, Crumlin, Dublin, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and one attempted robbery at three petrol stations over four days in November 2013. He stole cash from a Maxol Garage on Tymon Road, a Discount Fuels on Fortunestown Road, and a Topaz on Greenhills Road. During the incidents he threatened a security guard with a syringe and held a 23‑inch knife to a worker, forcing her to open tills. Anna Zajac, the victim at the Topaz, reported feeling emotionally destroyed and fearing for her unborn child after the robbery. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced O'Keeffe to six years' imprisonment with three years suspended, back‑dating the concurrent sentences to his November 2013 arrest. He is now a gym instructor at Cloverhill Prison and has reportedly addressed his addictions. The court noted his excellent behaviour and the circumstances that led to his actions.
UK national Daniel Rains has lost his appeal against a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for assaults committed at Club Lapello in Dublin. Rains, a 31-year-old electrician from Manchester, had previously pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting a 21-year-old Mauritian national causing him harm, assault causing harm to another customer, and common assault on two security men on January 26, 2014. Judge Martin Nolan originally sentenced him to two-and-a-half years imprisonment on February 20, 2015. In dismissing the appeal, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, sitting with Mr Justice John Edwards and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, stated the sentence was not excessive. The court noted the victim suffered a fractured cheekbone requiring permanent plates and a scar. Although Rains apologized and cited intoxication, the Court of Appeal upheld the trial judge's decision to place the offence on the higher end of the scale and to refuse suspension of any part of the sentence. The court also affirmed the trial judge's refusal to order compensation, as the victim had rejected the offer. Counsel for Rains argued the nightclub breached its duty of care by continuing to serve him alcohol, but the prosecution countered that Rains voluntarily consumed the drinks. The appeal was dismissed, leaving the original custodial sentence intact.
The trial of Leroy Roche, accused of making threats to kill, was postponed at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court because a key Garda witness had departed for Spain. The prosecution and defence were prepared to proceed, but the Director of Public Prosecutions informed Judge Patricia Ryan that the witness had left the jurisdiction the previous night. Judge Ryan questioned Detective Garda Daniel Tracy, who explained that the Garda had flown to Spain to attend a show and would return the following week. The court adjourned the case to Friday, 23 October, requiring the absent Garda to appear and explain his absence.
Stephen Freeman, 28, of Ballymun, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at the Bank of Ireland in Kilkenny on 3 November 2009. He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, by Judge Desmond Hogan on 28 July 2015. Freeman's appeal against the sentence was dismissed by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan on 15 October 2015. Sheehan described the robbery as "difficult to contemplate a more egregious form of attempted robbery" and noted that Freeman was not involved in planning the crime or attending the victim's house. Freeman's role was to move money between locations in Kilkenny. The judge applied proportionality and considered mitigating factors, including Freeman's gambling addiction, before dismissing the appeal. The decision was made by a panel including Judges John Edwards and Alan Mahon. The sentence was upheld as not excessive.
A 38‑year‑old Dublin man, Austin Byrne, was arrested after a garda saw him cycling the wrong way down Lombard Street while carrying a stolen payphone box under his jacket. The phone box, no longer in use, had been removed from an office building wall after Byrne entered through a door left ajar. Byrne was released on bail and two months later was caught again in Dublin 4 with a companion. The pair were found with an iPad hidden under Byrne's jacket and a laptop in his partner's possession; they could not provide the iPad login code. Gardaí traced the laptop to a house on Haddington Road, where Byrne admitted entering via a building site at the back and taking computers and a watch. Byrne pleaded guilty to burglary of a Pearse Street office block and possession of stolen property on 11 February 2015, and to burglary at Percy Lane on 11 April 2015.
Stephen Reddington, 32, of Wheatfield Avenue, Clondalkin, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of heroin for sale or supply after a search of his garden shed on 21 November 2011 revealed over €1.2 million worth of drugs in cylindrical containers and mixing agents. Gardaí had initially found no drugs in the house but were directed to the shed, where fingerprints were found on some items. Reddington had 28 prior convictions and had worked as a painter and decorator. The case was first dismissed in 2013 by Judge Mary Ellen Ring because the search warrant was not lawfully granted, but the Court of Appeal reinstated it. Judge Melanie Greally accepted the seizure as high‑value, noted Reddington's history of cocaine abuse but not severe addiction, and imposed an eight‑year sentence with the final three years suspended. She also acknowledged his efforts to address personal issues and his willingness to move on.
Paul Moore, aged 50, received a two‑year prison sentence for daylight sexual assaults on two women in Dublin city centre. He pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman on Gardiner Street on 21 January 2015 and another on St Mary's Place North on 8 May 2015. Judge Martin Nolan imposed an 18‑month term for the second offence, to run consecutively with six months for the first, back‑dated to when Moore entered custody in May, and suspended the final nine months. Moore had 11 prior convictions, including three rape offences, and had served prison terms for earlier sexual and indecent assaults. Garda Gavin O'Gara described how Moore approached the first victim, a woman in her early 20s, offering a cigarette and groping her breast while she spoke. The second victim, a late‑teen, was approached for a cigarette on the road to a pharmacy; Moore touched her nipple and again groped her breast.
Faizal Baccus, a 36‑year‑old Mauritian national, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for defrauding at least 11 people by selling them cars that were not roadworthy and intended for scrap. He advertised the vehicles on donedeal.ie, claiming they had recently passed the National Car Test (NCT) and were taxed, and supplied customers with forged NCT certificates, tax discs and log books. Baccus pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including dishonestly inducing purchase by deception, making false NCT certificates and log books, and possessing equipment to forge documents. He had four prior convictions for road traffic offences and had lived in Ireland for eight years before losing his security job and starting the scam. After serving his sentence, he is to be deported to Mauritius. The judge noted Baccus's ability, education and energy, and acknowledged his cooperation with the Garda investigation and expression of remorse.