In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, software used by the Department of Social Protection to analyse profile pictures and signatures helped uncover the theft of €16,000 in welfare benefits by a Ukrainian man. Dmytro Kedrych, 40, of Santry, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft at the social welfare office in The Square, Tallaght, and was jailed for 18 months. Kedrych had entered Ireland in 2006 on a fake Latvian passport bought in Poland, worked under a false name, and after losing his job in 2011 began claiming jobseeker's benefit and rent allowance, which he was not entitled to as a Ukrainian citizen. In 2013 he married an Irish citizen, became eligible for welfare benefits, and then claimed more benefits under his own name, providing a photograph and digital signature.
Patrick Murphy, aged 69, a retired publican and farmer, was sentenced to ten months in prison for failing to file a €107,048 VAT return after selling four apartments in Navan for €871,532 in 2007. The unpaid VAT, plus interest, amounted to €194,000. Murphy had used the money to invest in another property in Navan for €375,000. He pleaded guilty to the non‑remittance of the VAT. The court noted his previous convictions for non‑filing of income tax in 2005 and 2009, both of which were later filed. Judge Martin Nolan described Murphy as a hard‑working, blameless family man but stressed the seriousness of tax fraud. An 18‑month sentence was considered, but the judge imposed a 10‑month term, citing Murphy's age, medical conditions and mitigating factors. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
An expectant mother, Shineen Mulhall, 31, was remanded on bail pending sentencing after pleading guilty 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Gardaí said she was a pawn in a scheme where two cheques totalling over €21,500 were lodged into her account and later withdrawn under instructions from a man named "Kai". Mulhall had 19 prior road‑traffic convictions. The judge adjourned sentencing to November, noting she is due her fourth child in July, and ordered a probation report for that date. Garda Mark Bennett explained that the €5,564 cheque was originally made out for €500 to a doctor, later altered and cashed. Mulhall admitted lodging the €16,885 cheque after receiving it from "Kai". No other person has been charged.
Vincent McNally, aged 32, was sentenced by Judge Patrick McCartan to an eight‑year prison term for three burglaries committed in the Shankill area in February 2014, plus possession of burglary gloves on 28 April 2014. The judge suspended the final five years of the sentence for five years on strict conditions, leaving McNally to serve three years in custody. McNally pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He has 54 prior convictions, including 24 for burglary, one robbery, one aggravated burglary, one theft and one for handling stolen property. The burglaries involved forced entry into homes, theft of €5,000 worth of property in the first raid, and removal of electronics and jewellery in the second and third raids. McNally's defence counsel had earlier suggested a different judge handle the case, and the judge had previously joked about being burgled himself. The court noted that McNally had been jailed for almost every offence he committed.
Veeran Padiachy, a 36‑year‑old former Mauritian police officer living in Cork, was arrested after a rear‑end collision when Gardaí discovered his forged Irish driving licence and a bag of cannabis in his car. Garda Shane Moriarty noted that Padiachy had called the police after the crash and waited an hour before they arrived. The Gardaí found a plastic bag containing €1,500 worth of cannabis, about 1,000 small plastic bags, and a weighing scale. Padiachy pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply and to possession of a false instrument under the Fraud Act, both offences committed on 11 October 2014. Judge Martin Nolan, considering the circumstances, suspended a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, deciding that imprisonment would be unjust. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the car seized and the drugs confiscated.
Kamel Mahiou, 45, of Rathgar, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a false driving licence, making a false statement to Social Protection and stealing €62,000 in social welfare payments. He fraudulently claimed job seekers allowance, job seeker's benefit and rent allowance between March 2009 and August 2014 using a fake French identity. Mahiou obtained a French passport and driving licence in the UK, applied for a PPS number with his Algerian passport and a tenant's letter, and used the same phone number across all applications. French authorities confirmed the documents were fake and the person did not exist. He was arrested, admitted the fraud, and expressed remorse. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two years' imprisonment, noting his illegal entry into Ireland and the seriousness of defrauding the State.
Ciara O'Donnell, 41, of York Street, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a two‑year suspended prison term for fraudulently claiming €10,340 in disability allowance after her partner, Kevin O'Carroll, died. O'Donnell failed to inform Social Welfare of O'Carroll's death, which was reported missing in February 2013 and found in a canal on 19 March 2013. She pleaded guilty to theft from the Department of Social Protection at An Post in Windy Arbour and Nutgrove Shopping Centre between May 2013 and May 2014, and to forging a letter in May 2014 that appeared to be from O'Carroll. The letter was a reply to Social Welfare's enquiry about why O'Carroll had not collected payments for two months; O'Donnell signed it in his name and claimed he would continue to receive payments.
A 21‑year‑old woman, Jazmyn Draper, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to recklessly causing serious harm to Fintan Buckley and assault causing harm to Joyce Mullins after throwing a glass at Buckley's girlfriend in a nightclub. Buckley suffered partial blindness in one eye, describing a life of darkness and PTSD symptoms. Draper was identified on CCTV by her bright pink trousers and was said to have been close to the couple when she threw the glass. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted the reckless nature of the act and the remote chance of such serious injury, and, considering Draper's lack of prior convictions and cooperation, imposed a four‑year suspended sentence. The suspension lasted five years, with a €2,000 annual payment to the victim and an additional €1,500 transferred to Buckley. No further custodial term was imposed.
Hussein Shahrohki, a 67-year-old carpet maker from Ballyogan Green, Carrickmines, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for having drugs. The court heard that Shahrohki was involved in a car crash on Leinster Road in Rathmines on April 19, 2012. Garda Michael Cunningham attended the scene and observed the defendant was unsteady on his feet. During the subsequent investigation at Rathmines Garda station, it was discovered that Shahrohki had discarded a bag containing brown powder, which was identified as heroin. The drugs were valued at €3,300. Shahrohki pleaded guilty to the charge of having the drugs. Defence counsel James Dwyer BL submitted that Shahrohki was a family man who smoked two €20 bags of heroin weekly and stated he would not sell the substance due to his religious beliefs. Dwyer also highlighted the defendant's positive community standing and noted that opiate use is more permissive in Persian culture. Judge Patricia Ryan acknowledged the serious nature of the crime and the quantity of drugs involved, while also considering the accused's guilty plea. Consequently, Shahrohki was given a one-year suspended sentence. The matter was finalised with this sentence.
Philip Connolly, 39, pleaded guilty to the violent robbery of 67‑year‑old farmer David Feeney on Railway Street, Dublin, on 14 May 2013. Judge Mary Ellen Ring, after reviewing evidence including a photograph of Feeney's injuries, imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years, with 18 months suspended on condition Connolly keeps the peace. Connolly is currently in a rehabilitation programme working on a farm, while Feeney, who can no longer work his land, has physically recovered but suffers ongoing consequences. Connolly's co‑accused, Leigh O'Connell, 28, had 100 previous convictions and was sentenced to four years, with the final two and a half years suspended on condition he continues addressing his drug problems. The robbery involved a head‑lock, assault, and theft of money, a phone and a driver's licence, and was captured on CCTV. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
James Byrne, 34, of Crumlin, pleaded guilty to four burglaries committed while on bail for other offences. Between 3 and 13 October 2014 he broke into Drimnagh Castle Primary School, St Agnes Church, Assumption Church in Walkinstown, and St Mark's Junior School in Tallaght. He also pleaded guilty to criminal damage at St Mark's. In St Agnes he entered after asking to see a priest, was told to wait, then fled; a witness heard coins rattling in his jacket and he later claimed to have taken €56. At Assumption he was seen by an 80‑year‑old man counting coins, who tried to stop him; Byrne locked the door and escaped with an estimated €200‑€300. At St Mark's he caused €3,500 of damage to doors and windows but claimed he took nothing, borrowing €10 from his ex‑wife.
Chico Makamda, an Angolan refugee aged 32, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three years in jail, with the final year suspended, for false imprisonment of Melita Cahill on 7 August 2013. The incident occurred around 2 a.m. on Blessington Street when Makamda grabbed Cahill's right wrist, shouted "you drank too much bitch," and attempted to drag her into a laneway. Cahill fought back, punched and kicked him, and escaped after a male passerby intervened. Makamda was arrested shortly thereafter at a nearby bus stop. Cahill's victim impact statement noted that the event left her with lasting anxiety and panic attacks, preventing her from walking alone at night. The judge acknowledged Makamda's limited English and hardship as a foreign national in custody. The sentence was delayed due to a prior conviction in Tralee District Court for indecent exposure, for which Makamda was fined €50. Chico Makamda pleaded guilty.
Paula Reid, a 51‑year‑old mother of two from Drogheda, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 12 counts of theft between June 2010 and September 2012, having taken €4,790.97 from her former employer, Hugh Burrows & Sons Ltd. She had worked for the company for 30 years and was recently in charge of accounts and payroll. Reid had paid herself a double weekly wage on 12 occasions, a practice described by the Garda as "double‑dip payments." She was suspended from her job in January 2013 and subsequently dismissed. The court, hearing that she had paid back the money by bank draft, sentenced her to 200 hours of community service for six counts and imposed a two‑year suspended sentence in full for the remaining six counts. The judge noted her distressing personal circumstances, including a divorce and her son's serious injury, as mitigating factors.
Darren Trimble, a 35-year-old former chef from Nicholas Street, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possession of heroin for sale or supply. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge relating to an incident at Heuston Station on April 4, 2013. Allegations state that Trimble approached Garda David Naughton, who was on plain clothes duty, and offered to sell him €2,000 worth of heroin. Trimble subsequently met the garda at the station, where he produced the drugs from his tracksuit bottoms. Although the drugs were initially valued at over €3,000, the valuation was revised downwards to €2,083, after which Trimble entered his guilty plea. Defence counsel Luigi Rea, BL, submitted that Trimble had lost his career due to heroin use in his mid-twenties but is now clean of opiates, with a drug test confirming this status. Judge Desmond Hogan sentenced Trimble to 240 hours of community service in lieu of a two-year prison sentence. The judge noted that while the revised valuation remained significant, he regarded Trimble as being on the 'lowest rung of the ladder' regarding such offences.
Gareth Colley, aged 23, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three years' imprisonment, with the final 15 months suspended, for setting fire to the seat covers of a Ford Fiesta and a Nissan Micra after failing to secure a taxi ride. Colley, a father of one, admitted he was drunk and had no idea where he was when he attempted to break into the vehicles. He pleaded guilty to two charges of arson and an attempt to unlawfully take a car, both committed on 23 March 2014. The judge noted Colley's history of 52 prior convictions, including criminal damage, and described the offences as "the wanton destruction of two people's cars by someone who is out of his head on drink and possibly drugs." The court highlighted his propensity to damage property and his ongoing struggle with addiction, noting he has been attending a treatment centre since the beginning of the month.
Sean MacGiolla Deacair, 56, of Carig Cuirte, Teach Sagard, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing child pornography at his former Temple Manor Close home in Dublin 12 on 28 May 2011 and to distributing child pornography in the State on 22 July 2009 and 1 March 2010. He had no prior convictions. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted that MacGiolla Deacair had lost his business and family because of his actions and that he had not profited from the images, which led to a slight mitigation. Nolan imposed a two‑year custodial sentence, ordered registration on the sex offender register, and declined a further supervision order, stating the register itself provides sufficient supervision. The case involved 120 video files and 7,783 images seized from MacGiolla Deacair's computer, with evidence of email distribution to a Philadelphia address. The defendant expressed remorse and described the shame and anguish he caused his family.
Sean MacGiolla Deacair, 56, of Carig Cuirte, Teach Sagard, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing child pornography at his former Temple Manor Close home in Dublin 12 on 28 May 2011, and to distributing child pornography in the State on 22 July 2009 and 1 March 2010. He had no prior convictions. The judge ordered a jail sentence and remanded him to consider the length of the sentence over the weekend. Gardaí traced an email from a Hotmail account to an IP address at Temple Manor Close, seized computers, and found 120 video files and 7,783 images of serious child pornography in his inbox. MacGiolla Deacair admitted sending six images to a Philadelphia‑based email address and claimed he had no contact with his wife or adult children during the investigation. He expressed remorse and noted his mental health struggles, including depression and suicidal thoughts.
Mark Kavanagh, 39, of Balgaddy, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of €135,000 worth of cocaine and €18,000 worth of cannabis, and admitted possession of a revolver. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years' imprisonment on 15 October 2014. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient and that the judge had over‑valued mitigating factors and under‑valued aggravating ones, such as a notebook with coded drug‑movement entries that could indicate a higher‑level role. The appeal was successful; Judge Michael Peart, sitting with Justices Garrett Sheehan and Alan Mahon, found the original sentence did not reflect the seriousness of the offence and ordered a new sentence to be imposed next month. The case remains at the sentencing stage, with no further outcome reported.
William O'Neill, aged 27, was sentenced to four years in prison for robbing Goldsmiths' Jewellers in Balbriggan on 10 May 2013. He admitted to smashing display cases with a sledgehammer, stealing jewellery worth €15,357 and causing €2,800 in damage. O'Neill also pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery at Rush Newsagents in Drimnagh on 10 November 2013 and to possession of a Taser gun in Crumlin on 30 March 2014. He claimed the weapons were for smashing glass, not for harming anyone, and that the gang intended to split the loot. O'Neill had previously served a sentence at Mountjoy, where he witnessed the killing of inmate Gary Douch, and had a criminal record of 68 convictions. The court noted his history of drug offences, assaults, public order and criminal damage charges. The judge imposed the four‑year term, with no mention of a suspended portion or effective custody details.
Lee McDonnell, 23, of Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit robbery at Sarsfield Service Station on 21 January 2012, and to robbery of cigarettes, a sunglass case and the shop assistant on the same occasion. He was originally sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with three years suspended by Judge Martin Nolan on 19 November 2012. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the three‑year suspended term, arguing it was unduly lenient. The appeal was scheduled for the Court of Appeal in December but McDonnell was absent. Counsel Michael Bowman SC argued that the judge erred in suspending 50 % of the sentence, citing McDonnell's 88 prior convictions and a previous four‑year hijacking sentence. Judge Michael Peart, with Justices Alan Mahon and Garrett Sheehan, agreed the sentence was unduly lenient and that the firearm offence had been treated merely as part of the overall offence.
Patrick Maughan, aged 29, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for setting fire to an apartment complex in Clondalkin, Dublin, as part of a family feud. The blaze, which started outside an occupied flat on 7 July 2013, caused nearly €400,000 in damage and forced 31 residents, including children, to evacuate. No serious injuries were reported, though smoke inhalation occurred. The fire damaged 20 apartments, requiring repairs and leaving residents in alternative accommodation for eight months. Maughan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a ten‑year term with the final three years suspended, and ordered three years of probation supervision. Garda Aisling McGowan presented CCTV evidence of Maughan purchasing petrol and entering the complex before the fire. Maughan later admitted he started the fire as part of a family feud, claiming he was "out of it" and had been drinking and taking prescription drugs.
Derek O'Brien, aged 33, was jailed for four years after a robbery at a shop on Fortfield Park, Terenure, on 26 May 2014. He threatened the shop owner with a knife, jumped over the counter and stole €600. O'Brien pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He had previous convictions for assault, theft, burglary and drug offences and had been released from prison a few months earlier. He had a five‑year sentence for three robberies in July 2012, with the final two and a half years suspended. Judge Martin Nolan re‑activated two years of that suspended sentence and added a consecutive two‑year term for the Terenure robbery, giving a total of four years. Garda Keith Morrissey and other officers identified O'Brien through CCTV and a distinctive shoe print left on the counter. O'Brien was later arrested on Aston Quay with €460 in his bag, but no further charges were brought.
During a drug search at Ross Whelan's Ballymun home, Gardaí found a pipe bomb under floorboards and over €2,000 worth of heroin in a bedside locker. Whelan, 23, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin for sale or supply and possession of an explosive substance on 16 July 2014. He had 14 prior convictions, including theft, handling stolen property, drug possession, public order offences and an 18‑month assault sentence. Judge Martin Nolan accepted Whelan's claim that he kept the bomb for personal protection, describing it as an unusual protective measure, and noted the significant heroin amount. The court sentenced Whelan to four years' imprisonment. Garda Liam Mangan explained the bomb was a pipe packed with explosive powder, lacking a detonator but confirmed explosive by forensic testing. Whelan admitted owning 13.3 grams of heroin, claimed the bomb had been buried and dug up two weeks before the search, and apologized to Gardaí, neighbours and family for the disruption.
Breifne O'Brien, a 54‑year‑old former businessman, was granted an extension of time to appeal his seven‑year prison sentence. He had pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 14 counts of deception that caused a loss of about €8.5 million between 2003 and 2004, after inducing people to advance money for bogus property deals. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed the sentence on 8 October 2014. In the Court of Appeal, counsel Patrick McCullough BL applied for the extension, noting that O'Brien had been outside the 28‑day period for filing an appeal and had not been present in court. The judge, Mr Justice George Birmingham, agreed to grant legal aid on the same terms as the Circuit Court and to extend the time to file the notice of appeal, giving O'Brien two weeks if he had not yet filed it. No legal aid application had been made to the Circuit Court judge for the appeal.
Charles Twesigye, a 38-year-old Rwandan national from Clonsilla, Dublin 15, has lost his appeal against his conviction for drug possession. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Twesigye pleaded not guilty to a section 15 offence of possessing drugs for sale or supply and a section 15a offence of possessing drugs worth more than €13,000 for sale or supply, allegedly committed on August 28, 2012. A jury found him guilty of the section 15 offence but acquitted him of the section 15a offence. He was subsequently sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended, by Judge Patricia Ryan on January 31, 2014. The Court of Appeal heard that Twesigye received a FedEx package addressed to another name in a controlled delivery, which contained cocaine valued at over €142,000. His counsel, Conor Devally SC, argued the verdicts were illogical and inconsistent, and further contended that his detention was unlawful, necessitating the exclusion of certain interviews. The Court of Appeal, comprising Mr Justice John Edwards, Mr Justice George Birmingham, and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, rejected these arguments. Mr Justice Edwards affirmed that requesting a householder to remain seated during a search did not necessarily constitute detention and noted that if any verdict was perverse, it was the acquittal, which benefited the appellant. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, and the conviction was affirmed.
In July 2013, Natasha Gleeson, a 38‑year‑old mother of two from Blanchardstown, stabbed 37‑year‑old John Redmond in the stomach with a kitchen knife during a verbal altercation on Aston Quay. The 5‑cm wound caused his small bowel to protrude and tore his colon. Gleeson pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to three years' imprisonment, citing her guilty plea and remorse as mitigating factors, though he noted the potential for death and the severity of the attack. Gleeson had no prior violent history but had earlier convictions for theft, property damage and abusive behaviour. The incident followed a dispute involving Redmond's girlfriend and her sister, with Gleeson intervening and then attacking Redmond. She later admitted to throwing the knife into the Liffey. The case highlighted her previous drug‑addiction struggles and her role as a mother.
Daryl Bolger, aged 23, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment for endangerment, five counts of dangerous driving and driving without insurance after a high‑speed pursuit in January 2015. He had taken 20 tranquiliser tablets and, while a passenger, moved to the driver's seat and fled the Garda's questioning. The chase, lasting 20 minutes around Tallaght, saw the toddler in the back seat unrestrained, causing school children to flee the road and motorists to swerve. Bolger's vehicle broke red lights, lifted off the road and, at one point, performed a handbrake turn that nearly collided with a patrol car. He was arrested at his home after hiding under a bed, with the child still in the car. The court noted his 91 prior convictions, including hijacking, theft and burglary, and his unlawful release from Mountjoy Prison for drug treatment. Daryl Bolger pleaded guilty.
A 23‑year‑old Latvian, Aleksejs Ivanvos, was found guilty of criminal damage to data after hacking the Irish forum boards.ie and downloading details of 280,000 users. He accessed the site by using the administrator's Twitter password, which also served as the site's admin login. The hacking, carried out over four years, did not involve any financial gain or distribution of the data. Ivanvos was extradited from England to Ireland in February 2011, remanded for just over two months, then released on bail and allowed to return to the UK. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the lack of intent to cause damage and the absence of profit, sentenced him to one year in prison, suspended in full. The court recorded no justification for imprisonment, and the case concluded with the suspended sentence. The hacking had cost boards.ie €30,000 in repair and downtime expenses.
John Murphy, 31, of New Ross, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to theft at an address in Foxrock, Dublin, on October 28, 2014. The court heard that Murphy, posing as a journalist named "Andrew," allegedly extorted €1,000 from 82-year-old Patrick Brendan Tiernan by threatening to publish his photograph alongside sex offender Larry Murphy. Tiernan, who previously pleaded guilty to 14 charges of indecent assault and gross indecency involving nine victims, was targeted in what the judge described as a sophisticated operation involving surveillance. Judge Desmond Hogan characterized the conduct as a "particularly mean offence" and noted that Murphy acted as the frontman for the scheme. Although the judge did not rule out a prison term, he agreed to adjourn the matter to July 17. This delay allows the Probation Service to assess Murphy's suitability for the Restorative Justice Programme. The judge remarked that while Murphy was able to demand money, he should now demonstrate the ability to apologize. Defense counsel requested that no immediate jail term be imposed so Murphy could be present for the birth of his first child, noting that €3,000 was available in court as compensation. The matter was adjourned, not concluded.
Robert Murphy, 32, a drug addict, was convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing a knife, discharging a firearm, and arson. He received an effective sentence of four years imprisonment with five years suspended on 10 October 2014. The Court of Appeal, agreeing with the Director of Public Prosecutions, found the sentence "unduly lenient" and ordered a new sentence to be imposed later. The appeal highlighted that Murphy was found with a flick knife in May 2012, discharged a sawn‑off shotgun at a house door, and set fire to a house occupied by a mother and child. The court noted Murphy's history of 60 convictions, including six for knife possession, and that the suspended periods for the shotgun and arson offences were also deemed unduly lenient. The new sentence will be determined at a future hearing. Robert Murphy pleaded guilty.
Stephen Seery, aged 34, was sentenced to six months in prison for violent disorder after striking fellow inmate Noel Murray with a sweeping brush at Wheatfield Prison on 21 January 2013. Seery, a resident of Ballyogan Vale, Carrickmines in Dublin 18, had previously pleaded guilty to the offence. The incident occurred when Murray had run out of his cell following an alleged assault by other inmates; Seery waited on the landing and repeatedly struck Murray with the brush as he emerged, an act captured on CCTV. Seery has 46 prior convictions and had been released from prison the previous December, during which he reportedly addressed his drug problems. He has a young child and has expressed a desire to improve his life. Judge Martin Nolan noted that such behaviour is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated in prison.
John Paul McDonagh, aged 32, was sentenced to three years in prison for setting fire to the front door of his ex‑partner Caroline Maughan's house in Dublin 17 on 22 July 2014. McDonagh had been in a relationship with Maughan for six years and they had two children together. In the early hours of the incident, he arrived at the house, threw empty beer bottles at a bedroom window, shouted at Maughan as she opened the front door, and then poured petrol onto the door and set it alight. He fled in his car while the fire was still burning. Maughan's mother, Kathleen, woke up, extinguished the fire, and called the Gardaí. CCTV footage captured McDonagh pouring fuel and setting the door on fire before running away. McDonagh, who has 65 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to arson and admitted he acted only to frighten his partner.
The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick, aged 66, has been postponed again, with the start of evidence now scheduled for no earlier than Monday, 18 May. Judge Mary Ellen Ring, presiding at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, explained that the jury will not be called back until that date and that they will be instructed to keep their phones on. The delay follows an illness that has caused "serious timetable problems" and has already led to the jury being notified by telephone that the trial would be postponed. FitzPatrick pleaded not guilty on 14 April to 27 offences under the Companies Act 1990, including 21 counts of making misleading statements to auditors and six counts of furnishing false information. The charges relate to loans allegedly given to him or people connected to him by Irish Nationwide Building Society between 2002 and 2007 while he was an officer of Anglo Irish Bank.
Eugene Cullen, 30, from Sundale Villas, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a firearm and arson on 4 August 2008. He and Adam Griffiths, 27, were seen leaving a hedge in Palmerstown Green after driving a stolen Honda Civic from Cherry Orchard. Cullen leaned into the car and flames soon erupted. Gardaí stopped a vehicle driven by a third man shortly thereafter. An inspection of the charred car revealed a 9‑mm pistol in the passenger side glove box, confirming the vehicle had been reported stolen. Neither man was charged with the theft. Griffiths pleaded guilty to driving without the owner's consent. He received a two‑year suspended sentence. Cullen, already serving a life sentence for murder, was given a six‑year custodial term, with no credit for time already served on the firearm charge. The court noted that Cullen had no knowledge that the gun was in the car.
A Longford man has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious harm following an incident in Blanchardstown, Dublin on 2 August 2013. Dylan Meade, aged 21, admitted to dangerous driving, failing to stop after an accident, driving without a licence and driving without insurance. The charges relate to a collision involving a cyclist who sustained severe brain trauma. The court heard that Meade had assumed driving duties from his brother-in-law, whom he described as incapacitated. Witnesses reported the van struck the cyclist at approximately 57 kilometres per hour, propelling him several feet into the air. The injured party, a Romanian man in his early thirties, provided a victim impact statement to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court describing the lasting physical and psychological consequences of his injuries, which included a four-month period of amnesia. His family detailed significant emotional and behavioural changes resulting from the accident. Judge Catherine Murphy will impose sentence on 22 July.
Two Polish brothers, Slawomir (37) and Marcin (29) Syzmala, were jailed for ten years after a Garda operation uncovered almost €3.5 million worth of cannabis and cannabis resin in Meath. The brothers had rented a farmhouse, Knock House, as a storage hub and were found to have packed a large amount of drugs for distribution. They pleaded guilty to three charges of having drugs for sale or supply at two different locations on 17 April 2014. The operation involved surveillance that led officers to the farmhouse, a people carrier, and an apartment complex in Blanchardstown. DNA on gloves linked both men to the house, and a key to a Mercedes van was found there. The brothers had no admissions in interviews, and the case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Martin Nolan, who noted their Polish nationality would pose extra difficulties in serving time.
Anthony Stokes, a 26‑year‑old footballer for Glasgow Celtic and the Irish national team, was brought before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on charges of assault causing harm to Anthony Bradley, 42, at Buck Whaleys on Leeson Street in June 2013. His solicitor, Michael Staines, informed Judge Patricia Ryan that the case was ready to proceed. The judge adjourned the trial to the following day, noting that no judge was currently available to take the case, and that the trial was scheduled to last two days. Stokes appeared in court wearing a white shirt, blue tie and grey suit.
Anne Fennell, 57, of Monastery Gate Green, Clondalkin, faces five charges of harassing Father Desmond Byrne at a Clondalkin address between September and October 2006. She was sent forward from Dublin District Court to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan set a trial date of January 20, 2016, with a pre‑trial date of December 4, 2015.
Patrick Anderson, a 47‑year‑old former drug addict, received a suspended five‑year jail sentence for a series of robberies committed in 2009. He was first on bail for an armed robbery at a Spar shop when he threatened hairdresser staff, then robbed €1,817 from a hairdressers in Coolock on the last Saturday before Christmas. CCTV identified him and Gardaí questioned him three days later. The next day he hijacked a car, threatening the owner with a screwdriver, drove dangerously and crashed into a tree, leading to his arrest. In 2011 Anderson pleaded guilty to robbery of €300 cash and €399.60 in cigarettes from a Spar shop in Raheny, robbery of the hairdressers, and taking a Nissan car by force from Joe Ennis in Portmarnock. He had prior convictions for robbery and drink driving.
Clive Keogh, a 40‑year‑old former businessman and graphic designer, was arrested on 7 November 2013 after a Garda stopped him on Parnell Street. The officer noticed Keogh moving a plastic card from his front to his back pocket and discovered a free travel card in his own name that appeared to be fake. Keogh was handed a USB key containing several other false travel passes, which he claimed he had created in an internet shop. He pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a false travel pass with intent to deceive, and admitted possession of four additional passes in the names of Stephen Lyons, Anthony Keegan, David Doyle and Brad Pitt. Keogh said he made the cards to visit his son in Navan and had produced between five and ten such cards for others.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Garda Karen Duffy was injured when a stolen Nissan Micra, driven by 19‑year‑old Eoin Murphy, struck her patrol car's passenger door. The impact broke Duffy's nose and left a six‑centimetre scar on her forehead after 30 stitches. Murphy, who had 30 prior convictions including three for car theft, pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and unlawful use of a car. He claimed he was "stoned" on tablets that night. Duffy suffered severe bruising, a cut to the back of her head, a broken nose, and post‑traumatic stress disorder. The judge adjourned the case to the next month and requested a Probation Services report. The court noted that Duffy would be compensated under the Garda Compensation Scheme. The case remains at the pleading stage.
Jaroslaw Lasota, a 43‑year‑old Polish man, was arrested after Gardaí searched his Clonee home and found 700 cannabis plants, dried cannabis, growing equipment and printed instructions. He claimed the plants were for oil and seed production, which he believed were legal because they could be bought online. Lasota pleaded guilty to cultivation and possession for sale or supply on 31 May 2012. He had no prior convictions and had lived in Ireland since 2010. The court estimated the plants' value at nearly €13,000 and seized €4,050 from a safe. Judge Catherine Murphy refused a fully suspended sentence, imposed an 18‑month prison term, suspended the final 18 months, and ordered the destruction of the plants. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Patrick Browne, aged 26, was sentenced to six years in prison for a series of violent offences. He stabbed Constantine Consier seven times over a cigarette lighter, leaving Consier with a punctured lung, and also robbed a newsagent twice on Christmas Eve 2013, once dressed as a ghost and once as a skeleton. Browne pleaded guilty to assault and robbery at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan described him as a danger to society, ordered psychiatric assessment and services, and suspended the final two years of the sentence, replacing them with two years of probation supervision upon release. The judge noted Browne's early guilty plea, admissions to Gardaí, personal problems, and serious mental health issues, including epilepsy. The sentence aims to protect the public while providing access to mental health care in prison.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick, aged 66, pleaded not guilty to 27 offences under the Companies Act 1990, including 21 charges of misleading auditors and six of furnishing false information. The charges relate to alleged loans from Irish Nationwide Building Society between 2002 and 2007 that FitzPatrick failed to disclose to Anglo's auditors, Ernst and Young. The prosecution alleges he authorised arrangements to reduce the apparent loan balances at year‑end and concealed arrangements with Irish Nationwide. The trial, repeatedly delayed for three weeks, was postponed again due to an illness that caused serious timetable problems, as explained by Judge Mary Ellen Ring to the jury. The judge asked the jury to return next Wednesday, noting the difficulty of the case and apologising for the delays. The jury, composed of 12 members, had been notified of the postponements by telephone. The case remains pending.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Liam McGran, 49, was given a suspended sentence for attempting to rob and threatening to rape an escort at gunpoint. McGran had booked an appointment with the woman, who works as an escort, and entered her apartment on 7 October 2013. He produced what appeared to be a black handgun, demanded money, and threatened rape. The victim, who held a firearms licence, recognised the pistol as a fake and fought him off, sustaining scratches, bruises and having some hair pulled. McGran fled, was later arrested in Lucan, and pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm. Judge Mary Ellen Ring noted it was his first offence, deviated from the five‑year mandatory minimum for firearms, and imposed a three‑year sentence suspended in full for three years. The court acknowledged the serious impact on the victim but also McGran's cooperation and early guilty plea.
David Richards, 26, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to unauthorised taking of a car, drink driving, dangerous driving and driving without insurance and a licence on 1 January 2010. He also admitted to threatening a heavily pregnant woman and her husband with a steering wheel lock and to driving the car after it collided with a pole, accelerating to escape Gardaí on icy roads. Judge Patrick McCartan described the offences as an "appalling set of crimes" and imposed an 18‑month suspended sentence, a ten‑year driving ban and an order that €5,000 collected by Richards be paid to the victims. Richards, who had three prior convictions, had hidden from Gardaí for four years after the incident. The court heard that the victim, Susan O'Leary, suffered depression and anxiety as a result of the ordeal.
Patrick Kelly, 32, of Croftwood Park, Ballyfermot, was arrested after Gardaí discovered a large cocaine stash in his home. When officers entered, they found a cloud of white dust, a bag of cocaine in the toilet, and evidence of drug mixing, including a blender, gloves, weighing scales, and mixing agents. The search also uncovered 489 g of heroin in a palm tree and additional cocaine under a garden bin, totaling 2.9 kg of cocaine, 489 g of heroin, and almost 7 kg of mixing agents. Kelly pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply on 8 April 2014. He admitted he mixed and blended the cocaine and held the heroin, claiming he was involved to pay a €10,000 debt. The second man present was not charged. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Kelly to five years' imprisonment, noting the offence was a one‑off event unlikely to recur.
Thomas Nicholson, a 24‑year‑old father of two, hired a mini‑digger worth just over €17,000 using his own passport and bank statement. The machine, originally bought for €32,000, was never returned to the hire company. Nicholson pleaded guilty to theft on 6 March 2014 at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Garda Thomas Tighe traced Nicholson through the documentation he left with the hire company, leading to his arrest. Nicholson claimed he had taken the digger on behalf of someone else and did not know its whereabouts. He also admitted to a drug debt from cocaine addiction, which he said would harm his health. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to a three‑year suspended term, requiring him to keep the peace for three years and pay €3,000 in two years, while he remains in custody pending the adjourned case. The court noted Nicholson's good record and lack of prior convictions.
Robert Hedderman, aged 30, was jailed for three years for burglary, criminal damage and unlawfully producing a firework that threatened a Garda. On 6 May 2014 he broke into a flat on North Great Georges Street, used a hacksaw to cut the window bars, and was discovered by a neighbour who called the Gardaí. When the Gardaí arrived, Hedderman told them to leave or he would kill them and burn the flat. He brandished a large kitchen knife, held a lighter and attempted to ignite fireworks, causing small explosions. Gardaí called for armed backup and the Dublin Fire Brigade arrived. Hedderman barricaded himself inside, but after three warnings he dropped the knife and was arrested. The damage to the door cost €500. Hedderman has 25 prior convictions, including robbery and burglary, and was previously jailed for robbery. Robert Hedderman pleaded guilty.
Anthony Piercy, a 33‑year‑old father of four from Naas, was sentenced to three years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for making demands with menace and for two separate threats to damage property. He claimed that Martin Gallagher, owner of Glenshane Stores in Tallaght, was responsible for €30,000 worth of damage to his home and threatened to use pipe bombs to burn the shop. Piercy called Gallagher's partner, Lisa Plunkett, demanding money and threatening to burn the shop if Gallagher refused to meet him. He returned to the shop the next day, again threatening to use pipe bombs and to close the shop at 3 pm. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Piercy had a "wrong and irrational belief" about Gallagher's involvement, suspended the final 18 months of the sentence, and noted that Piercy had been a good family man and had no prior convictions for similar offences. Anthony Piercy pleaded guilty.