John McDonald, aged 57, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 18 months imprisonment for stealing nearly €10,000 from the life savings of his 74‑year‑old friend, Matthew Murphy, while Murphy was hospitalized. McDonald had befriended Murphy, who was 80 at the time of the theft, and had helped him with shopping. When Murphy was admitted to hospital, McDonald used Murphy's ATM card to make 29 withdrawals totalling €9,843. After Murphy's discharge, he discovered his savings account held only €15 and reported the theft to the Gardaí. McDonald was arrested in 2011, fled to Northern Ireland on bail, and was re‑arrested in Dublin in 2015. He pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft between December 2009 and February 2010. Judge Martin Nolan described the offence as "a low crime" and imposed a three‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended, conditional on McDonald paying €12,000 to Murphy within one month.
Martin Cash, aged 20, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three and a half years in prison for theft and dangerous driving. He stole jewellery worth €1,830 from a house on Howth Road, Raheny, and was caught after a police chase. Cash also admitted to endangering traffic by cutting across a six-lane junction, driving in bus lanes, and mounting footpaths, forcing cars and buses to swerve. He drove dangerously at a green area where children were playing and at junctions on Collins Avenue. He pleaded guilty to trespassing at a house on Furry Park Road, Killester. Judge Mary‑Ellen Ring suspended the final 12 months of his sentence on the condition of good behaviour for a year, ordered probation supervision, and disqualified him from driving for five years. Cash has 37 prior convictions, including assault, criminal damage, drug misuse and possession of stolen goods. He was drug‑free at the time of sentencing.
In a 2015 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Carl Feighery, 32, was sentenced to 240 hours of community service within 12 months in lieu of a two‑year jail term for dangerous driving that caused the death of 77‑year‑old Rose Douglas. Feighery, an electrician, had already been disqualified from driving for five years. The judge, Martin Nolan, found no aggravating factors such as drink driving or excessive speed, describing the offence as a loss of focus. Feighery pleaded guilty and expressed remorse, having made a voluntary statement at the scene and taken a jumper over Douglas's legs. The Douglas family, who lost a wife, mother, grandmother and great‑grandmother, received the sentence as a form of closure, with the judge noting the tragedy's impact on them. The case concluded with the community service order and no custodial sentence.
In a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick, aged 66, pleaded not guilty to 27 offences under the Companies Act, 1990, including 21 charges of making misleading statements to auditors and six charges 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, and to arrangements that would reduce the apparent balance of those loans at the end of the bank's financial year. The trial, which began legal argument on 16 April, was scheduled to run for six weeks until 28 May, but Judge Mary Ellen Ring announced that the opening of the trial in evidence would be delayed and that the trial would now extend into June. She asked jurors to consider their availability and offered to arrange correspondence for those with difficulties.
In a Dublin nightclub incident on 15 May 2012, mechanic Bryan Dunne, aged 34, struck former rugby player Andrew Culhane in the jaw with a single punch, fracturing it in two places. Culhane, who had been socialising with his former rugby team after a tournament win, later described the attack in court, noting the need for two metal plates, the disruption to his final master's exams, loss of confidence, and inability to play contact sports. Dunne claimed he felt threatened after being mocked in the club's toilets and pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. He had 12 prior convictions for minor road traffic offences. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martin Nolan described the assault as "cowardly" and imposed a three‑year sentence, two years suspended, effectively a one‑year custodial term. The judge acknowledged the offence as a one‑off but stressed the need for punishment.
In a 2011 incident outside Purrfect Pets on Longmile Road, Karl Dempsey (36) and others attacked Mark Eagers over a parking dispute. The confrontation escalated inside the shop, where CCTV captured Dempsey punching Eagers, kicking and stamping him. Eagers suffered a broken nose and had keys lodged in his thumb. Dempsey, who had three prior convictions including a seven‑year drug sentence, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to 20 months' imprisonment, refusing a non‑custodial alternative. No compensation order was made. The case highlighted a road‑rage incident that spiralled into violent disorder inside the pet shop.
Stephen Savege, a 31‑year‑old father of two from Clondalkin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to cultivating 32 cannabis plants at his home on 25 March 2014. The plants were valued at €25,600, with harvested herb worth €3,700. Garda Marcella Shannon, after receiving a tip‑off, obtained a warrant and found the plants, seeds, stalks, cultivation equipment and instructions. Savege admitted he had a "good set up", no drug debts and sold his product. He claimed he began smoking cannabis to self‑medicate chronic pain after a serious accident in his youth and that the drugs he bought were not strong enough. His lawyer, Damien Colgan SC, argued that Savege could not qualify as an electrician because of his injury. Judge Martin Nolan, hearing the case, gave Savege a three‑year suspended sentence, noting that he had learned a "salutary lesson" and that imprisonment would not be beneficial.
Paul Ryan, a 50‑year‑old security guard with no prior convictions, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing Hodges Figgis Book Shop on 23 March 2014. He took €22,145 from the shop's safes after deciding to "take a notion" to rob the place. Ryan bound manager Ciara Flanagan in the cloakroom with tape, preventing her from raising an alarm. He later left Dublin, slept rough, spent the stolen money on drink and betting, and returned to hand himself in at Pearse Street Station. The court heard that Ryan was stressed by family life and had been drinking at the time of the offence. He was also charged with false imprisonment, which will be considered at sentencing. Judge Catherine Murphy adjourned sentencing to July, noting the incomplete Probation Report and the fact that this is his first conviction at age 50.
Desmond Russell, 44, of Rafters Road, Drimnagh, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to demanding money with menaces from a 64‑year‑old woman on 15 June 2014. He had been directed by "more sinister parties" to collect €5,000 from the victim's home after a menacing handwritten letter was delivered earlier that day by another male who claimed to have received an envelope of money to pass on. Russell arrived later that evening, told the woman he was there to collect the money, and left when she informed him she had already contacted Gardaí. He was sentenced to a three‑year suspended sentence. The case involved 56 prior convictions, including 34 social welfare fraud offences. The judge accepted that the two men were acting under the direction of the alleged orchestrators of the scheme.
A 25‑year‑old Latvian woman was given a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence after she threw her partner's six‑year‑old son against a wall and beat him with a mop while drunk. She admitted to drinking three bottles of wine that night and to having been upset and angry. She first told gardaí she had no idea how the child was injured, but later confessed to the assault. The boy was initially taken into foster care, but returned to his father after the woman's statement. The court accepted psychological reports that the woman was not a threat to children and that she had suffered a miscarriage and depression. Judge Martin Nolan, citing the circumstances, imposed a suspended sentence, noting the woman had no prior convictions and had shown remorse. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following early pleas of guilty from the District Court.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 1 May 2015, five men—Brian Mongan (30), Martin Mongan (39), Simon Reilly (28), Anthony Reilly (25) and Patrick Reilly (23)—pleaded guilty to violent disorder at The Castle Inn pub in Rathfarnham on 16 October 2012. The incident began when Brian Mongan spilled a drink over Simon Reilly, leading to a confrontation that escalated into a riot involving 40 to 50 men and women. CCTV captured the men throwing glasses, chairs, fire extinguishers and other furniture, causing over €26,000 of damage. Judge Martin Nolan described the event as "12 minutes of mayhem, violence, aggression and anarchy." He imposed three‑year suspended sentences on each defendant, ordered them to pay €8,700 in restitution to the pub owners, and gave them 12 months to raise an additional €5,400. The men were otherwise described as of good character but acted "grossly reprehensibly.".
Loyal Sequeria, 28, of Cypress Garth, Templeogue, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to unlawful possession of a blank‑firing EKOL Firat Magnum 9mm gun and 93 rounds of ammunition, which he had bought over the Internet for protection after a burglary. He also pleaded guilty to stealing an unfinished Irish passport from his workplace, intending to give it to someone for falsification. Garda Enda Dowling found the passport in a camera bag in Sequeria's child's bedroom and the gun and ammunition in the child's wardrobe. Sequeria had one prior road‑traffic conviction. He claimed he was unaware a licence was required for the blank‑firing gun. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two and a half years, suspended for two years, and noted it was unlikely he would appear again in court.
Daniel Byrne, 21, with significant mental disabilities, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to attempting to hijack a woman's car on Old Lucan Road, Palmerstown, on 29 October 2013. Byrne, who left a special needs school at 14, is described by his grandfather as having severe mental disabilities, including ADHD and compulsive behaviour. He was found to have blood on his face and was seen by the victim, who had locked her car, as he tried to open the passenger door. Byrne fled but was apprehended by Gardaí, who noted he had a screwdriver in his hand. He admitted intent to rob the car to drive to his family and cooperated with police. The victim reported nightmares and job changes due to the incident. Judge Martin Nolan deemed the crime "not too bad" and ordered Byrne to be assessed by the Probation Service for suitability for community service, while he remains on bail until 6 June.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, a 25‑year‑old Latvian woman pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after she threw her partner's six‑year‑old son against a wall and beat him with a mop while intoxicated. She admitted drinking three bottles of wine that night and that she had been angry. The boy, who had been under the care of his father, sustained extensive bruising and was initially taken into foster care. The woman denied causing the injuries until she later admitted the assault. She had no prior convictions. The judge remanded her on continuing bail pending sentencing. The case highlighted the boy's fear of women and the father's concern for his son's wellbeing. No sentence was announced in the article.
Philip Nolan, 46, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to a three‑year prison term that was fully suspended. The court ordered him to keep the peace and exhibit good behaviour for three years. Nolan was living in the family home on Fairlawn Road, Finglas, when 18‑year‑old Craig Palmer, a refuse collector with Oxigen, was on duty. Nolan approached the bin lorry, complained that his rubbish had not been collected, and after the driver confirmed that Nolan's address was not on the collection list, he returned with a revolver. He then handed a bullet to Palmer and demanded that Palmer give it to the driver, threatening the bin man. Nolan had pleaded guilty to intimidation and production of a revolver on 27 December 2012. He has 30 prior convictions, including a six‑year jail term in 1988 for serious bodily harm.
Thomas Finnegan, a 26‑year‑old Dublin boxer who had won a gold medal at a European competition, was sentenced to two years in prison by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for assault causing harm. The offence occurred on 15 May 2013 at Cookstown Industrial Estate, Tallaght, when Finnegan, after a dispute over a tyre, repeatedly punched tyre fitter Mr Mantis Viknius. Viknius suffered a fractured eye socket, a broken nose, nerve damage and permanent loss of memory, and required a steel plate in his right eyebrow. Finnegan pleaded guilty and was described by the judge as a strong man who had applied his skills destructively. He had 23 prior convictions and had been stabbed in a previous assault, which ended his boxing career. Finnegan brought €3,800 to court as a token of remorse. The court noted his sporting achievements and the letters of support from mentors, but also his history of drug and gambling problems.
Keith Donovan, a 30‑year‑old from Cabra, Dublin, was sentenced to six years in prison for possessing 14.2 kilos of cannabis and a handgun with three rounds of ammunition. He was arrested after a Garda National Drugs Unit surveillance operation and admitted to holding and transporting the drugs at a rented premises in Arbour Hill. Donovan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and cooperated with investigators. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted Donovan's early guilty plea, lack of prior convictions, and his role as a low‑level "gilly" or pawn in the drug trade. He was also a father and had no previous serious offences. These mitigating factors led the judge to depart from the mandatory 10‑year sentence for the drug offence and impose a six‑year term. Donovan's sentence reflects the court's consideration of his cooperation and personal circumstances.
Thomas Nicholson, a 24‑year‑old father of two from Larchhill Apartments, Santry, Dublin, hired a mini‑digger worth just over €17,000 using his own passport and bank statement. The machine was never returned, and the Gardaí were contacted when it was missing. Nicholson pleaded guilty to theft on 6 March 2014 at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He claimed in a Garda interview that he had taken the digger on behalf of someone else and did not know its whereabouts. The digger, originally purchased for €32,000, remains unreturned. Garda Thomas Tighe traced Nicholson through the documentation he left with the hire company. Nicholson had a drug debt from cocaine addiction, which he said would not be good for his health. Vincent Heneghan BL noted that Nicholson had used his own documents to hire the digger, making it clear he could not escape the theft.
Christian Coffey, aged 38, was sentenced to four and a half years in jail for storing cannabis worth €64,658, two Russian semi‑automatic pistols, and 16 rounds of ammunition at a rented container in Lusk, north County Dublin. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 17 October 2013. Coffey had gambling debts exceeding €50,000, including amounts owed to banks and money lenders, and had been described by a judge as a "fully reformed gambler" and a "remarkably decent man". The judge, Martin Nolan, noted Coffey's lack of prior convictions, early guilty plea, strong work record over 20 years, and community contributions through his GAA club. Despite the Director of Public Prosecutions recommending seven to eight years, the judge imposed the four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, citing Coffey's mitigation and remorse.
The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Seán FitzPatrick, aged 66, has been delayed and will not begin before next Tuesday. A jury of six men and six women was empaneled at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court two weeks ago, but the opening of the trial has been postponed multiple times. FitzPatrick has pleaded not guilty to 27 offences under the Companies Act 1990, including 21 charges of making misleading or false statements to auditors and six charges of furnishing false information. The allegations 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.
Lynne Adderley, a former civil servant at a Dublin Motor Tax Office, pleaded guilty to five counts of making false instruments for forging driver licences for Albanian and Italian nationals between 1 October 2008 and 1 April 2010. The forging involved reusing certificates of competency from genuine test‑passers and attaching them to applications from drivers who surrendered their foreign licences, which were not forwarded to the Road Safety Authority but were still issued replacement Irish licences. An internal audit uncovered the scheme. Adderley was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to a three‑year suspended sentence, with the judge noting that she had betrayed public trust but was "very lucky" not to go to jail. The judge also highlighted the impact on her career and personal life, while noting the broader implications of white‑collar crime for public services.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a jury has acquitted Gail O'Rorke of attempting to assist the suicide of her friend. The jury returned not guilty verdicts after an eight-day trial and seven hours of deliberation. Ms O'Rorke, a taxi driver from Tallaght with connections to Monaghan, had faced charges of attempting to help Bernadette Forde travel to a euthanasia clinic in Switzerland. Ms Forde, who suffered from severe multiple sclerosis, died in June 2011. Prior to the jury's decision, the trial judge had directed not guilty verdicts on two additional charges relating to the procurement of barbiturates and funeral arrangements. This was the first prosecution under the Criminal Law (Suicide) Act 1993, which criminalises assisting another person's suicide. The judge commended the jury for their careful consideration of what he described as a difficult case.
James Hogan, 39, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after a dispute over a drink at the Concorde Pub, Coolock, on 8 August 2011. Hogan had been drinking since about 12:30 and was mocked by Anthony Donegan when he did not buy a round. Hogan claimed he had done many favours for Donegan and had always repaid him. After a heated argument outside, Hogan punched Donegan in the face. Donegan fell, hit his head on steps, and was hospitalized for two months with head injuries. Hogan had no prior convictions and was unemployed at the time. He offered €5,000 in compensation and was given a four‑year suspended sentence, with the court noting the serious impact of a single punch. The sentence was imposed by Judge Martin Nolan.
In 2015, a 54‑year‑old Dublin man was convicted of 60 counts of sexual assault against six daughters of his former partner, for acts that occurred between 1994 and 2005 while he lived in their family home. A jury found him guilty on all counts and he was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended by Judge Desmond Hogan on 31 May 2013. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal against conviction, ruling that although the trial judge erred in its corroboration warning, the error worked in the defendant's favour. The appeal was rejected by Justice Garrett Sheehan, with Justices Seán Ryan and John Edwards. The DPP's application for a review of the sentence will be heard on 19 May. The case remains at the conviction stage, with no further outcome reported. The unnamed 54-year-old pleaded not guilty.
The jury in the trial of Gail O'Rorke, 43, a taxi driver from Tallaght, is set to continue deliberations tomorrow. O'Rorke faces a single charge of attempting to help Bernadette Forde, 51, a multiple sclerosis sufferer, travel to Dignitas in Zurich to end her life. The jury spent three and a half hours today considering the evidence that O'Rorke tried to arrange the trip between March 10 and April 20, 2011, but the plan was foiled when a travel agent informed Gardaí. O'Rorke has pleaded not guilty. Last week Judge Patrick McCartan ordered the jury to acquit her of a second charge involving a lethal dose of barbiturates from Mexico and a third charge of procuring Forde's suicide by organising her funeral. The judge explained that the prosecution had not produced sufficient evidence for these counts, and that O'Rorke's actions were too remote from the suicide to constitute aiding and abetting.
Duane Brady, 36, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of assault causing harm to his former partner on the number 39 Dublin Bus and on a public street near Blanchardstown Shopping Centre on 13 May 2011. The victim fled the bus, was punched by Brady, lost consciousness and suffered a fractured hand, swelling, bruising and rib abrasion. Brady had 43 previous convictions, including robbery and assault, and a long history of drug and alcohol addiction. On 10 March 2014, Justice Carmel Stewart imposed a wholly suspended two‑year sentence, which the Director of Public Prosecutions described as "unduly lenient." The DPP appealed, arguing the judge erred in imposing a non‑custodial sentence and that the suspension should have been longer. The Court of Appeal, led by Justice George Birmingham, dismissed the appeal, stating that the suspended sentence was appropriate and that incarceration was not warranted at this stage. The case remains at the appellate decision stage.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 6 April 2014, William O'Shea, aged 30, and Mark Hayden, aged 43, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply. O'Shea had transported almost a kilogram of cocaine from Dublin to Cork, while Hayden had held the drugs for two days. Gardaí had monitored the Skylon Hotel in Dublin after a tip, observed O'Shea leaving the hotel and entering a car driven by Hayden, and seized a bag containing €68,740 worth of cocaine from O'Shea. Hayden later admitted he had been approached for a €1,000 delivery, knowing it was illegal, and had collected the drugs two days earlier. O'Shea claimed he was offered a "box of coke" and promised a "sorted" role. Both men had good work histories and cooperated with investigators.
The jury has begun deliberations in the trial of Gail O'Rorke, a 43‑year‑old taxi driver from Tallaght, who is accused of attempting to assist the suicide of her friend Bernadette Forde, 51. O'Rorke is alleged to have arranged travel to the Swiss euthanasia clinic Dignitas, a plan that was stopped when a travel agent alerted the Gardaí. Judge Patrick McCartan addressed the jury, summarising the prosecution's case that the facts are not in dispute and that O'Rorke's actions were too direct to be considered "too remote" from the suicide. He also explained the defence's argument that O'Rorke lacked criminal intent and that ignorance of the law is not a defence. The judge instructed the jury to give the benefit of the doubt where facts were uncertain and to consider the presumption of innocence. Gail O'Rorke pleaded not guilty.
Robert Lawlor, a 31‑year‑old Dublin father of three, was sentenced to 16 months in jail for possessing a stolen Ford C‑Max. He had previously been disqualified from driving and was caught driving the vehicle by a Garda at Airside Retail Shopping Centre, Swords. The Garda followed him to Bewleys Hotel on Clonshaugh Road, where CCTV captured him driving the car into the carpark while wearing blue latex gloves. DNA evidence linked Lawlor to the same gloves found when the stolen car was recovered two weeks later at another location. Lawlor pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing the stolen vehicle, which had been taken from a premises on Griffith Avenue in March 2012 and had registration plates from a vehicle stored in a County Clare garage. His 124 prior convictions include dangerous driving, public order offences and a five‑year sentence for drug possession.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Patrick McCartan directed a jury of twelve to acquit Gail O'Rorke, aged 43, on two of the three charges against her in the assisted‑suicide case involving Bernadette Forde, aged 51. The jury was ordered to find O'Rorke not guilty of ordering a lethal dose of barbiturates from Mexico, which Forde later used to end her life, and not guilty of "procuring" Forde's suicide by arranging her funeral before death. O'Rorke remains charged with attempting to arrange travel to the Swiss euthanasia clinic Dignitas, a plan foiled when a travel agent alerted Gardaí. The judge cited insufficient evidence for the two charges, while both defence and prosecution delivered closing speeches before the jury began deliberations on Monday. The case remains at the jury stage.
In a Dublin supermarket raid on the Grange Road, Michael Coleman (34), Michael Sweeney (32) and Waymon Sweeney (33) used an axe, a large knife and a gun while wearing balaclavas. They threatened staff and the manager, forced customers to lie on the floor, and stole €24,556 from the safe. After the robbery, the men fled in a getaway car, pursued by gardaí, and later abandoned and burned a second vehicle. Coleman was arrested at the scene; Michael Sweeney was detained after a McDonald's visit and DNA evidence linked him to the second car. Waymon Sweeney failed to return from lunch recess, leading to a warrant for his arrest. All three pleaded guilty to robbery and were sentenced to five years' imprisonment. The court described the crime as a well‑planned, ambitious robbery. The case highlighted the men's drug‑related problems and personal losses.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Gail O'Rorke, 43, pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting the suicide of Bernadette Forde, 51, who died in June 2011 after taking pentobarbital. O'Rorke admitted that she helped Forde obtain the drug from Mexico and that a courier delivered the pills to Forde's home, where Forde allegedly cried with relief upon receiving them. She denied arranging travel to Zurich for a euthanasia clinic and denied making funeral arrangements in advance of Forde's death. O'Rorke also claimed that Mary Lundy, a friend, had contacted an exit‑international organisation and that Lundy was present when Forde took the pills. The trial, presided over by Judge Patrick McCartan, continues with a jury of twelve. The prosecution has finished presenting its evidence. The case remains at the trial stage.
Aaron Brophy, aged 24 and without a fixed abode, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment for robbing Patrick Birmingham, a man with cerebral palsy, outside a Dublin post office on Ormond Quay Upper. Brophy followed Birmingham, put his arm around his neck, kicked him to the back of the knee, knocked him to the ground, called him a paedophile and then stole his wallet containing €20 and various cards. He pleaded guilty to robbery on 9 January 2014 and has 48 prior convictions, including robbery, assault, violent disorder, theft, burglary and criminal damage. Birmingham, who works in the Four Courts and usually takes lunch breaks at nearby Civic Offices, described the attack as a low point in Brophy's criminal career and said it has left him mentally and physically affected, making him wary of people on the street.
Sashi Buti, a 19‑year‑old former Blackrock college rugby player, was sentenced in June for robbing a taxi driver on 23 August 2014. He and another man forced the driver to take them to St Michael's Estate, where Buti assaulted the driver, robbed his iPhone, SatNav and €220, and left his passport, mobile phone and a necklace in the taxi. After the assault he reported the passport as lost at a Garda station. The driver suffered tenderness and swelling, and the stolen items were never recovered. Buti pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge described his reporting of the passport as a "clever ploy" and noted that he had no prior convictions. The case was adjourned to 13 June, with a report from Probation Services required.
Dylan Smith, 23, of Crumlin, pleaded guilty to producing an imitation firearm, unlawful seizure of a vehicle, and arson. On 26 March 2014, he threatened a taxi driver, John Lang, with a fake gun, forced him out of the vehicle, and drove off. Smith then set fire to Bernard Curtis Apartments in Bluebell. Garda Gary Keelan and others apprehended him near Jamestown Industrial Estate. Smith, with 69 prior convictions, was already serving sentences for robbery, false imprisonment and unlawful seizure of a vehicle. At sentencing, Judge Gerard Hogan imposed a four‑year jail term, with the final two years suspended, meaning Smith will serve an effective one‑year term. He is scheduled for release in 2020. The court noted his violent background, substance issues, and that he had become a father on the day of the incident. The case was prosecuted by Gareth Baker BL and defended by Pieter Le Vert BL.
Brendan Mangan, 43, of Wellington Walk, Mornington Park, Co. Meath, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at a house on Tonlegee Road, Coolock, Dublin. Mangan had recently separated from his wife and was living with his sister, but needed a home for his teenage son on weekends. He was approached by a man who offered to pay the rent if Mangan allowed cannabis to be stored in a spare bedroom. Mangan agreed, paid a deposit and a month's rent, and later advertised a room for sublet to make the arrangement appear legitimate. Gardaí had been investigating drug dealing in Coolock and had the house under surveillance. They observed a man loading three packages into a car, which led to a high‑speed chase. The driver fled and has not been charged.
Jimmy Cash, 25, appeared in the Court of Appeal on 9 July after being refused bail pending his appeal against a six‑year sentence for driving the wrong way up the M50 motorway. He had pleaded guilty in February 2013 to endangerment, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and having no insurance. The offence caused a five‑car collision with serious injuries, and Cash himself was seriously injured, not wearing a seatbelt. He had 85 previous convictions, including 16 for dangerous driving and 31 for burglary. Cash was assaulted on Monday of the week, requiring 20 stitches to his left cheek, and his barrister argued this as a special circumstance. The three‑judge panel, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, found Cash fell "way short" of the bail threshold and refused bail, noting the early appeal hearing date and lack of request for a different date.
Andrew O'Toole, 22, was remanded in custody after a high‑speed chase in which he drove a stolen motorbike the wrong way down a dual carriageway, around roundabouts, and through red lights, ultimately crashing into a parked car. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and reckless endangerment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. O'Toole had 12 prior convictions and became a father two days after the offence. During the pursuit, motorists were forced to take evasive action, including a bus that swerved into road works. Garda Stephen Walsh chased O'Toole, who eventually crashed on Woodhazel Terrace in Ballymun. O'Toole was arrested after a struggle that injured the Garda's hand. He later said he "blanked" when questioned. Judge Martin Nolan revoked his bail, remanded him until 21 May for sentencing, and urged him to reflect on the danger he posed to himself, the public and the Gardaí.
The Court of Appeal has refused the Director of Public Prosecutions' application to review the sentence of Tomas Banaitas, also known as Sarunas Juozaponis. The appellant, a 24-year-old resident of Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, had previously pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a 9mm firearm and two magazines containing 14 bullets each. These items were allegedly found at Grange Road, Clonsilla, on September 13, 2013. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Banaitas to three years and three months imprisonment on November 11, 2014, departing from the presumptive five-year minimum for illegal firearm possession. The DPP argued this sentence was unduly lenient, citing the obliterated serial number and taped magazines as sinister aspects. However, the Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice Alan Mahon, upheld the original sentence. The judges accepted that the sentencing judge appropriately considered Banaitas' lack of previous convictions, his guilty plea, and his likelihood of rehabilitation. Additionally, the court noted that the sentence was reduced from four years to three-and-a-quarter to account for Banaitas' status as a non-national who had received no prison visits. The panel, including Mr Justice Birmingham and Mr Justice Sheehan, concluded that the sentence was not unduly lenient and dismissed the appeal.
Gavin Hennessy, aged 30, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing a loaded Magnum Smith and Wesson revolver and 20 rounds of .44 ammunition. He admitted that he had been contacted by a phone call to transport the gun and ammunition from Limerick to Dublin to pay off a €17,000 gambling debt. Hennessy claimed he did not know the caller and was told he would receive €500 for the job. Garda Stephen Foran stopped Hennessy's Opel Astra on the N7, found the revolver wrapped in black cling film in the rear passenger footwell and the ammunition in the glove box. Hennessy had a prior speeding conviction but no other serious offences. Judge Martin Nolan accepted his desperation due to gambling problems and described the incident as a "once‑off fall from grace," yet imposed the custodial sentence with regret, noting that certain crimes inevitably lead to jail terms.
During the trial of Gail O'Rorke, a 43‑year‑old taxi driver, the court heard that she was named as a major beneficiary in the will of her friend, Bernadette Forde, who died by suicide in June 2011. Forde, aged 51, left 30 % of the residue of her estate to O'Rorke, a non‑family member, after she had instructed solicitor Maurice O'Callaghan that she wanted to do so because "Gail makes her life better." O'Rorke pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting Forde's suicide, claiming she did not procure or administer the toxic substance, arrange travel to Zurich, or make funeral arrangements. O'Callaghan testified that he met Forde in February 2011, confirmed her mental capacity and that she had no undue influence from O'Rorke. The court heard that Forde had multiple sclerosis and that O'Rorke had helped her with personal care after a severe car crash in 2008.
The trial of Gail O'Rorke, accused of aiding and abetting the suicide of Bernadette Forde, is ongoing before Judge Patrick McCartan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. O'Rorke, a 43-year-old taxi driver, has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging she helped Forde procure and administer a toxic substance between April 20 and June 6, 2011. She also denies attempting to aid suicide by arranging travel to a Swiss euthanasia clinic and procuring suicide by making funeral arrangements. Evidence heard includes testimony from Forde's nephew, Bernard Forde Monaghan, who stated he had no problem helping his aunt travel to Dignitas, believing he was assisting with logistics. The trip was interrupted when gardaí were alerted. Another witness, Catherine Campbell, testified that O'Rorke tried to dissuade Forde from ending her life. Dr Muna Sabah confirmed Forde died from a lethal concentration of pentobarbital. The trial, expected to last two weeks, continues with a jury of twelve.
James Donoghue, aged 51, was sentenced to five years in prison for attempting to sexually assault a woman on 6 January 2014. He followed the woman home from work, lunged at her, covered her eyes and mouth, and threatened to kill or seriously harm her if she did not turn off her mobile phone. The victim, who had moved to Ireland in 2011, sustained facial cuts and was hospitalized. Donoghue was stopped by Gardaí shortly after the attack; evidence included bite marks on his hand, the victim's DNA on a ring on his finger, and blood stains on his jacket. He had 13 prior convictions for serious assault and had stopped taking medication that suppressed his sexual urges, which he claimed contributed to the incident. Judge Martin Nolan suspended the last two years of a seven‑year sentence, citing Donoghue's inability to change his behaviour. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. James Donoghue pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 21 April 2015, Ulster Bank presented evidence that several individuals had withdrawn money fraudulently during a software failure that allowed ATM withdrawals even when accounts were empty. The court heard that Titilayo Kilanko, aged 38, had pleaded guilty to ten counts of theft for making 115 fraudulent withdrawals totalling €57,708 from Ulster Bank ATMs in Dublin between June 2012 and the time of her arrest. Kilanko claimed the money was used to pay for her father's kidney transplant in Nigeria, where she had flown with the cash and converted it to naira. She had repaid €4,600 and was continuing to pay €100 a week, with a plan to increase to €200. The judge adjourned sentencing to allow the defence to obtain medical records from Nigeria. The case highlighted the bank's decision to prosecute other offenders who failed to repay the withdrawn sums.
The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Bernadette Forde, aged 51, died from a lethal dose of the barbiturate pentobarbital, which she had ordered online from Mexico. The drug is used in capital punishment in the United States and for euthanasia where legal. Gail O'Rorke, 43, a taxi driver from Kilclare Gardens, Tallaght, is accused of assisting Forde's suicide by helping her obtain and take the drug between 20 April 2011 and 6 June 2011 at a Dublin location. O'Rorke denies aiding the suicide by arranging travel to Zurich, arranging funeral arrangements, or procuring the drug. Dr Muna Sabah testified that a lethal concentration of 53 micrograms per millilitre of pentobarbital was found in Forde's system. The trial, expected to last about two weeks, is before Judge Patrick McCartan and a jury of twelve. Bernadette Forde pleaded not guilty. Gail O'Rorke pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, a 43‑year‑old taxi driver, Gail O'Rorke, is accused of aiding the suicide of her 51‑year‑old friend, Bernadette Forde, by helping procure and administer phenobarbital between April and June 2011. O'Rorke denies assisting the suicide, arranging travel to Zurich for Dignitas, or making funeral arrangements. The prosecution presented a recorded last‑words message from Forde, found on a Dictaphone beside her body in Donnybrook, in which she expresses frustration at being forced to act alone and her desire to end her life without implicating others. The trial, presided over by Judge Patrick McCartan, is expected to last about two weeks and involves witnesses including Forde's housing association head and a Garda who found medication and correspondence related to Dignitas. The case remains at the trial stage, with no verdict yet. Bernadette Forde pleaded not guilty. Gail O'Rorke pleaded not guilty.
Keith Sullivan, a Meath resident, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment after he deliberately knocked over a post mistress, Ms Vivienne Griffin, and reversed his vehicle over her. The incident occurred on the night of a First Communion when Sullivan, who had a history of violent and threatening behaviour, drove his car at the Griffin family home in a threatening manner. Ms Griffin sustained multiple bruises and a cut to her lip, was unable to return home that night and later stayed with her mother. Sullivan pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to provide a blood or urine specimen. The judge noted that Sullivan had reflected on his actions and appeared remorseful, but the seriousness of the crime warranted the custodial sentence. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Gail O'Rorke, aged 43, pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to aiding and abetting the suicide of Bernadette Forde, 51, by helping procure and administer a toxic substance between 20 April and 6 June 2011. She also entered not guilty pleas to two further charges: that she tried to arrange travel to Zurich, Switzerland, between 10 March and 20 April 2011, and that she arranged funeral arrangements for Forde between 4 and 6 June 2011. The trial, expected to last two weeks, began with an opening speech by prosecuting counsel Remy Farrell SC.
Evidence in the trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick, accused of failing to disclose the true value of multi‑million euro loans, will not begin until next Wednesday. A jury of six men and six women was formed at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday. Judge Mary Ellen Ring told the jurors to return to court next Monday when the trial was due to begin in evidence, but lawyers for both sides said that legal discussions in the absence of the jury are likely to continue into Tuesday. Judge Ring asked the Courts Service to contact the jurors and inform them they should return now on Wednesday. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 17 April 2015, 19‑year‑old Aaron Shattock pleaded guilty to assault causing harm for a racist attack that left law student Yasser Saud blind in one eye. The assault took place on 21 August 2013 at exit 11 of the M50 in Tallaght, where Shattock and a companion confronted Saud and his cousin Hudi, who were with a female friend. A gang of up to 12 men joined, and Shattock swung a large stick, striking Saud's right eye and causing optic nerve damage. Hudi suffered a broken jaw and was left knocked out. Shattock admitted throwing the stick but denied intent to blind Saud. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Shattock's remorse, clean record and lack of intent, imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions, effectively sentencing him to two years' imprisonment.