James Mooney, aged 22, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after punching James Ferrari and biting off part of Ferrari's ear at a GAA club on 1 April 2013. The court heard that Mooney suffers from adult ADHD, a factor cited by a doctor as contributing to the late‑night assault. Judge Desmond Hogan sentenced Mooney to four years' imprisonment, suspended in full for three years on the condition of 12 months' probation. Mooney must pay €5,000 to Ferrari as a practical expression of remorse. Ferrari, who suffered serious injury, reported ongoing worry, depression, nightmares and social withdrawal. The court noted Ferrari's loss of €1,900 in earnings and €350 in medical costs. No further charges were mentioned.
Aaron Weinrib, 37, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to eight theft and fraud charges for selling 20 bogus holiday packages between June and December 2010. He claimed to be an agent for "Top Flight" and sold packages to New York, Las Vegas and Cape Town, collecting €27,600. Gardaí received complaints in November 2010 from two men who paid €3,200 and €550 for non‑existent stays; both received forged Top Flight documents. Weinrib admitted the holidays were never booked, that he intended to refund victims, and that he had never worked for Top Flight. He has raised €9,900 and requested more time to pay compensation. The judge adjourned the case to 22 July, noting he will use half his €400 weekly wage to repay victims. The case remains at the pleading stage, with no custodial sentence imposed yet.
Mark Freer, 37, of Ballyfermot, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment for assault causing harm after he struck neighbour Louise Smith on the head with a beer bottle. Smith alleged the attack occurred while she was walking home, claiming Freer had insulted and threatened her family. Freer pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 28 July 2013. He had ten prior convictions, including a two‑year jail term in 2007 for violent disorder. Judge Martin Nolan noted that Smith had reportedly insulted Freer's family and that Freer believed she was about to enter his house. Smith suffered severe cuts to her lip, nose and cheek, requiring stitches and a lump on her forehead. The judge suspended the last 18 months of the sentence on strict conditions, citing the seriousness of the assault and Freer's perceived provocation and fears.
Graham Bannon, 26, of Walkinstown, pleaded guilty to robbery at The Trader's Office License on 4 December 2013 and to possession of €210 worth of cocaine for personal use. He had 178 prior convictions, 146 for traffic offences, and others for theft, affray, criminal damage, knife possession, public order, failure to appear and violent behaviour. The robbery involved him entering the off‑license with a scarf and a claw hammer, taking €560 from the till, and fleeing after the assistant manager recognised him. Judge Martin Nolan described him as a "general menace" and sentenced him to two and a half years' imprisonment. Bannon has since engaged in education and counselling while in custody and maintains contact with his six‑year‑old daughter and mother. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Gail O'Rorke, aged 43, of Kilclare Gardens, Tallaght, has gone on trial in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for allegedly assisting Bernadette Ford, aged 51, in suicide by helping her obtain and administer a toxic substance between 20 April and 6 June 2011 at a Dublin location. O'Rorke pleaded not guilty to charges of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the suicide. A jury of six men and six women was empanelled after Judge Patricia Ryan warned potential jurors to remain unbiased and to ignore media coverage and internet material. The trial, to be heard by Judge Patrick McCartan, is expected to last up to two weeks. Witnesses include Gardaí, a coroner's doctor, a travel agent, a FedEx employee and a professor. Remy Farrell SC represents the prosecution, while Dermott McGuinness SC defends Ms O'Rorke.
Jamie O'Hara, 20, of Killinarden Estate, Tallaght, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to multiple offences. He admitted to the robbery of a phone at Sean Walsh Park, Tallaght, on September 9, 2014, as well as stealing a mobile phone and a purse on the same date. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to the attempted robbery of a mobile phone on May 13 and to unlawfully producing a knife to intimidate on June 30, both at Sean Walsh Park. The court heard that O'Hara was on bail for the earlier offences when he committed the September robbery, during which he threatened a mother walking her children. Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed a four-year sentence on all counts. She suspended the final year of the term on the condition that O'Hara go under the supervision of the Probation Services for that period. The judge noted that the local park is now a safer place with O'Hara in custody. Defence counsel highlighted the defendant's remorse and his different behavior when not under the influence of drugs. The sentencing concluded the proceedings for these specific charges.
Charles Twesigye, a Rwandan national, was convicted in 2012 at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of a section 15 offence for possessing drugs for sale or supply, but acquitted of a section 15a offence for possessing drugs worth more than €13,000. He received a 10‑year sentence with the final three years suspended, imposed by Judge Patricia Ryan on 31 January 2014. The conviction stemmed from a FedEx package addressed to "Mr Seán Kelly" that contained cocaine valued at over €142,000. Twesigye has now applied to the Court of Appeal to challenge the conviction, arguing that it is illogical and inconsistent to be acquitted of the higher‑value offence while being convicted of the lower‑value offence, given that the same drugs were involved. His barrister, Conor Devally SC, contended that the jury may have misunderstood the offence, and that procedural issues surrounding the timing of his arrest and subsequent detention could have affected the admissibility of evidence. Charles Twesigye pleaded not guilty.
Marius Vardauskas, a 25‑year‑old Lithuanian resident of Ilford, Essex, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cocaine after he swallowed 49 pellets of the drug in an attempt to smuggle it into Ireland. The pellets were discovered on an X‑ray at a hospital following his arrest. Garda John O'Reilly reported that customs officers had been suspicious of Vardauskas after he was stopped for questioning following a flight from Madrid, which had originated in Brazil. He could not provide the required visa stamps or a Dublin address, and his luggage was scanned with no findings. Vardauskas denied concealing drugs, but the pellets were later confirmed to contain cocaine. He claimed he was pressured into the scheme and that his mother had been a victim of domestic violence in Lithuania, motivating him to raise money for her.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 15 April 2015, Andrew Byrne, aged 29, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for unlawfully seizing the taxi of Feargal MacEoin by force. Byrne pleaded guilty to the offence, to producing a knife, and to driving the vehicle without insurance. He was found to have used a knife to threaten MacEoin after the driver had initially refused a fare. MacEoin, a taxi‑driver who had been threatened with a knife and forced to drive the men to Castleknock, gave a victim impact statement describing the ordeal as "horrific" and noting that he no longer feels safe working. The court noted that the incident had severely affected MacEoin's peace of mind. Byrne's sentence was imposed with no mention of a suspended portion or effective custody beyond the three‑year term. The case also involved co‑accused Ross Cahill, who had previously received a five‑year sentence with two years suspended.
Independent TD Michael Lowry, aged 60, is scheduled to be arraigned on 31 July for four alleged tax offences. The charges claim he filed incorrect tax returns in 2003 and 2007. The case is currently stayed, but a judicial review at the High Court on 28 July will decide whether the stay is lifted. If the review concludes by 31 July, Lowry must appear in court and plead guilty or not guilty; if not, his appearance is not required and the case will be listed for mention. Lowry was first charged in Thurles District Court last year with three counts of knowingly filing incorrect returns in 2003 and one count in 2007. In April, Judge Elizabeth MacGrath sent him to Nenagh Circuit Criminal Court on a €500 bail bond, and the trial was later transferred to Dublin on the DPP's application.
In 2015 a masseur accused of sexually assaulting a customer during a massage in August 2011 sought to halt his prosecution, arguing he could not receive a fair trial. He claimed prejudice because the complainant had not identified two other men she said had sexually assaulted and raped her many years earlier. The accused denied the assault and said his lawyers needed the names of the alleged perpetrators to test the complainant's credibility. The lawyers argued that without those names they could not pursue a potential line of inquiry, especially since the allegation was uncorroborated. The accused filed judicial review proceedings against the Director of Public Prosecution, seeking an order to stop his trial. The DPP opposed the application, stating that the undisclosed names were irrelevant and that all prosecution material had been shared with the defence. The case remains pending.
The jury was sworn in for the trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick, who pleaded not guilty to 27 offences under the Companies Act 1990. The charges centre on allegations that he failed to disclose the true value of multi‑million euro loans to the bank's auditors, Ernst & Young, from 2002 to 2007. Prosecutors claim he authorised arrangements to make the loan balances appear reduced at year‑end and did not inform auditors of these arrangements or of related transactions with Irish Nationwide Building Society. The trial is set to begin next Monday and could last until 28 May. The jury, composed of six men and six women, was carefully empanelled after the judge excluded those with potential bias or professional ties to banking or auditing. FitzPatrick, aged 66, is charged with 21 counts of making misleading statements and six counts of furnishing false information.
Trevor Purdy, 41, was found guilty of aggravated burglary, possession of a firearm and ammunition, false imprisonment, making threats to kill and assault causing harm at Kilbarrack Avenue, Dublin, in September 2006. A jury at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court convicted him on all counts and Judge Patrick McCartan sentenced him to ten years in prison on 19 May 2010. Purdy appealed, arguing that his sentence had not been properly backdated and that the sentencing judge had effectively "thrown away the key". The Court of Appeal, hearing the appeal, confirmed that Purdy had spent nine months in custody for which he had not received credit. Consequently, the Court backdated his sentence by nine months, leaving the ten‑year term, the suspended portion and effective custody unchanged. The appeal did not alter the conviction or the nature of the offences. The case remains at the appellate stage. Trevor Purdy pleaded not guilty.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick, aged 66, pleaded not guilty to 27 counts under the Companies Act 1990 for failing to disclose the true value of loans from Irish Nationwide Building Society between 2002 and 2007 while he was an officer of Anglo Irish Bank. The court has instructed potential jurors that they should not serve if they directly held shares in any Irish bank. Judge Mary Ellen Ring has begun swearing in a jury for a trial that is scheduled to run until the end of May.
Joseph Prendergast, aged 50, pleaded guilty to robbing €3,500 from a Permanent TSB office in Phibsboro on 16 November 2012. He was described by Garda Dan D'Arcy as acting mainly as a look‑out at the door while co‑accused Paul Carabini, aged 48, threatened staff and customers with a knife. Prendergast had 59 prior convictions, including drug possession and theft. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence on Prendergast, taking into account his partner's medical difficulties and his lack of offending since 2012. Carabini received a ten‑year sentence, with the final three years suspended, for the robbery and other offences. The court heard that Prendergast waited at the bank's door, while Carabini demanded money, and that DNA evidence linked Prendergast to discarded clothing and gloves found in the lane after the raid. The case was prosecuted by Paul Carroll BL and defended by Luigi Rea BL and Dominic McGinn SC.
David Murphy, 25, of Wheatfield Avenue, Clondalkin, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two and a half years' imprisonment for assaulting Garda Dara Kelly during a public order incident on 1 March 2014 in Rathfarnham. Murphy pleaded guilty to the offence and had a history of violent conduct, including four prior convictions for assaulting gardaí and 30 other offences. The assault caused soft‑tissue damage to Kelly's jaw, requiring treatment at Tallaght Hospital, restricted jaw movement for four days, and a ten‑day absence from work. The judge described Murphy's behaviour as disgraceful, noting he was not only drunk but also violent and aggressive. The sentence included a suspended 18‑month period, to be enforced on strict conditions. The court did not read the victim impact report.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 13 April 2015, Trevor Byrne, a 32‑year‑old former convict, pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery and two burglary offences committed on 15 September 2009. He had been sentenced in 2011 to eight years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions, including close supervision by the Probation Service and abstention from alcohol. Since his release in March 2014, Byrne had repeatedly breached these conditions, including a six‑month jail term in April 2014 for possession of six cans of cider and a phone call to a mental hospital nurse in which he threatened violence. He was again released in October 2014. In the present hearing, Byrne represented himself, expressed a desire to return to prison, and declined to contest the Probation Service's request to revoke the suspended portion of his sentence.
Bernard Foran, 41, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three and a half years' imprisonment for a series of burglaries, including the theft of €27,000 from Bad Bobs Nightclub's safe in 2013. Foran had 157 prior convictions, 60 of which were burglaries, and was on bail for five years during which he committed two additional burglaries. He pleaded guilty to trespass and theft at O'Neill's Pub in 2009, Bad Bobs Nightclub in 2013, and Lynams Hotel in 2014. Gardaí recovered no cash from the burglaries, despite searching three addresses linked to Foran. The judge noted his severe addiction problems and expressed hope for reform, while his defence counsel highlighted his attempts at rehabilitation and the offer of residential treatment. The court imposed consecutive terms totalling three and a half years, with the possibility of future rehabilitation support.
Parada Hermen Arteaga, a 65‑year‑old Bolivian national, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for importing 1.28 kg of liquid cocaine into Ireland. He had swallowed 39 condoms filled with the drug, claiming he did so to earn money for his family after meeting a contact on the street. Arteaga was stopped by customs at Dublin Airport on 26 March 2014, admitted swallowing the condoms, and was taken to Beaumont Hospital for safety concerns. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Judge Martin Nolan noted Arteaga's desperation and low position in the drug‑transport network. The sentence was back‑dated to March 2014. Arteaga had no prior convictions in Ireland or Bolivia. The case was prosecuted by Gerardine Small BL, with defence counsel Caroline Biggs SC arguing that Arteaga acted to support his ailing mother and was fully cooperative.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 33‑year‑old Marcin Jakubiec and his 55‑year‑old father Boguslaw Jakubiec pleaded guilty to burglaries committed between 24 June 2011 and 22 April 2013. Marcin admitted carrying out a dozen break‑ins, while Boguslaw, acting as driver, admitted involvement in three. The pair broke into empty homes mid‑morning, stealing jewellery, laptops, cameras and bikes, then sold the goods at the Ilac Centre on Moore Street. Judge Mary Ellen Ring sentenced Marcin to five years and Boguslaw to three years, both back‑dated to May 2013, and suspended the remaining terms. Both were ordered to work with the Probation Service for 12 months. The court noted their charitable work while in custody and the minimal recovery of stolen items. The defendants' backgrounds, including prior convictions and drug use, were also discussed by their counsel.
Paul Haughey, a 35-year-old water meter installer and company director, appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where the State withdrew its case against him. He had been charged in the District Court last year with removing or attempting to remove a prescribed marker from mineral oil without the consent of the Revenue Commissioners. The alleged offence occurred on September 1, 2011, at Corragarry, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan. Gardaí alleged that Haughey was caught standing on a tanker containing 30,000 litres of diesel, with a potential exchequer loss of €15,000. A search of the yard revealed €110,000 litres of diesel, representing a potential €55,000 loss. Authorities alleged the yard had a capacity to produce 18 million litres of fuel annually, with a total possible loss to the State of €9 million. The offence carried a maximum fine of €10,000 and a sentence of five years in prison on conviction. At the hearing, counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions stated she was not proceeding with the case and applied to strike out the charge. Judge Patricia Ryan agreed to strike out the charge and adjourned the matter until April 24 next, when an application for costs will be heard. No reason was given for the strike-out. Previously, a District Court judge had deferred a decision on granting legal aid to Haughey after noting his firm held a three-year contract with Dublin City Council for installing water meters.
Stephen Nangle, 31, of Maple House, North Circular Road, Dublin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after an incident on 30 March 2013 at Forestwood Avenue, Ballymun. He had come to see his two‑year‑old son but was refused entry by the mother, Sarah Jane McSherry, who was at home with her son and her mother. Nangle attempted to force the door open, pushed Ms McSherry against a wall, kicked her, followed her into the apartment, banged her against furniture and pulled her hair. A neighbour intervened and warned him that the Gardaí were on their way. A Garda who arrived noted clumps of hair pulled from Ms McSherry's head. Nangle disputed her account, claiming self‑defence, but accepted his guilt. Judge Mary Ellen Ring sentenced him to two years and six months in prison, with the last 12 months suspended, and ordered that he stay away from Ms McSherry for three years after release.
Christopher Coakley, a 23‑year‑old heroin addict, pleaded guilty to unlawfully seizing a woman's car with her child in the back seat on 5 August 2012. He was sentenced to three years' imprisonment by Judge Desmond Hogan on 25 February 2013. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing that the judge had not fully considered Coakley's 92 prior convictions and his previously suspended five‑year sentence. The Court of Appeal heard that Coakley had been a heroin addict since age 13 and had spent most of his life in custody since age 14. His mother said he had become drug‑free in September 2012. The court adjourned sentencing to 20 July, remanding him in custody with the condition that he attend the Coolmine Alcohol and Drugs Service Community. If he left Coolmine, the court warned that authorities would be notified and a stricter view would be taken. The court offered him a chance to engage in drug rehabilitation.
Brian Reilly, 18, of Boyne View, Navan, was sentenced to nine years in prison for reckless endangerment and theft of a post van after he stole the vehicle and drove over the foot of postman Gerard Devlin. Reilly, who has more than 100 prior convictions including 22 for car theft, was already serving a sentence for burglary. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Patrick McCartan imposed consecutive sentences of five years for theft and four years for reckless endangerment, suspending the last three years to discourage further offences. The incident occurred on 22 August 2013 at Rosscourt Grove, Lucan, when Reilly entered the van, started the engine, and reversed sharply, striking Devlin's foot and dragging him along the ground. Devlin, an independent contractor for An Post, was left in fear for his life. The van was later recovered in Dunshaughlin using a tracking device, and Reilly was arrested nearby. Brian Reilly pleaded guilty.
Eugene Byrne, 21, pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery of Clonsilla Post Office on 16 December 2013. He and accomplice Ian Mansfield fled on a motorbike, leading Gardaí on a chase from Dublin to Mullingar, Westmeath. Byrne was arrested in Trinidad and Tobago the previous year for attempting to export cocaine, receiving a two‑year hard‑labour sentence and a fine of about €4,000, of which he paid after six months in jail. He returned to Ireland in January. In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Byrne was sentenced to five years, four of which were suspended. The court noted his prior dangerous‑driving conviction and his claim of being "out of kilter" after his father's death. The sentence credited the six months he served abroad. Mansfield received a suspended five‑year sentence. The case ended with Byrne's conviction and the specified custodial term.
In March 2015, Aziz Kaiwa, a 24‑year‑old asylum seeker from Western Sahara, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five counts of possessing a false document without lawful excuse between January and September 2013. The fake ID bore Kaiwa's photo but used the name of French DCU student Thibaut Pawlisiak, whose identity card had been stolen. Kaiwa used the card to pass himself off as Pawlisiak on several occasions, including when stopped by Gardaí on 6 April 2013 and when treated for injuries at St James' Hospital on 23 April 2013. He was arrested for a separate mobile‑phone theft on 28 September 2013, presented the fake ID, and was taken into custody. Judge Patricia Ryan dismissed the sentence, applied the Probation Act, and ordered Kaiwa to keep the peace for six months, meaning he does not receive a criminal conviction.
Four Dublin men—Graham Farrell (32), Christopher Waldron (33), David Waldron (38) and Mark Buckley (33)—were jailed for two years each after pleading guilty to violent disorder at Cabra House on 16 August 2013. The incident involved the men arriving in two cars, armed with a wheel brace and a hand saw, and attacking a victim inside the pub. CCTV footage showed them beating the victim, using a pint glass, a bar stool and the wheel brace, and continuing the assault outside after forcing the victim out. The victim sustained serious injuries but did not cooperate with Gardaí. Judge Martin Nolan described the attack as intentional, pre‑meditated and organised. The prosecution relied on the CCTV evidence, and the men's guilty pleas secured the sentences. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A 29‑year‑old man was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for having sex with a 16‑year‑old girl he met on Facebook. He pleaded guilty to two counts of defilement of a child in January and February 2013 at two Dublin locations. The judge, after hearing evidence and a probation report, noted the man had no insight into the impact on the victim and that the girl was underage. The sentence included a 12‑month suspended period, conditional on cooperation with the Probation Service and victim‑awareness work. The court also ordered the man to undergo sexual‑offending and alcohol‑awareness programmes and to be registered as a sex offender. The man had nine prior convictions, all for road‑traffic offences, and a low risk of reoffending was assessed. The victim's parents had not been in contact with her and she had "gone off the radar.".
In a burglary that turned violent, Shane Cooney, aged 24, was sentenced to five years in prison for attacking Father Diarmuid Byrne, 70, with an iron bar on St Anthony's Road, Rialto, on 16 October 2013. The assault left the priest with a fractured skull and numerous facial wounds, requiring 26 stitches. Gardaí found blood‑stained iron bar and other items outside the priest's home after neighbours reported a disturbance. Cooney, who had 74 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to burglary and assault. Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed a five‑year sentence, suspending the final 18 months. The court noted the victim's age and the impact of the attack, but no further details of the sentence's effective custodial term were provided in the article. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Robert Harrison, 50, was convicted of possessing drugs for sale or supply in 2001 and sentenced to five years imprisonment in 2002. In 2009, a confiscation order under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1994 removed €6,455 from him. Harrison appealed the confiscation in the Court of Appeal, seeking to add an additional ground of appeal. The Court of Appeal refused leave to add this ground and dismissed the appeal. The court noted that the confiscation order had been based on a Garda's affidavit claiming Harrison sold €350,000 worth of drugs, whereas Harrison admitted €181,000. The judge found no reason to believe the court acted on inadmissible evidence and that the judge's reasoning was terse but adequate. The appeal was therefore dismissed. The case highlighted the admissibility of opinion evidence in confiscation proceedings. Robert Harrison pleaded guilty.
Gerard Creighton, 49, was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to inform the Gardaí of his change of address between November 2013 and February 2014, for an attempted robbery at a bookmaker's on 28 February 2014, and for possessing an imitation firearm. He entered the shop in Dublin city centre armed with a 6mm air pistol loaded with ball bearings, handed a bag to a female staff member, and demanded money be placed in it. The woman fled, and Creighton left without any money. Gardaí recovered the pistol from a bin and later found his DNA on it. He also admitted possession of a stolen travel pass in the name of Michael Connors. The court noted his six prior convictions under the 2001 Sex Offenders Act and his registration as a sex offender in 1999. Judge Martin Nolan back‑dated the sentence to February 2014. Gerard Creighton pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, John Anthony Kelly, a 41‑year‑old Revenue officer, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft from the Revenue Commissioners. Between March 2005 and January 2006, Kelly stole €19,350 in fines that motorists had paid to recover their cars after being found without Vehicle Registration Tax. He targeted high‑end vehicles such as Porches and BMWs, pocketing the fines instead of forwarding them to the State. The court noted that Kelly had been under significant financial stress, citing personal debts and medical expenses for his wife's fertility treatments. He was dismissed from his position and had applied for a new job, using the Revenue as a reference. Judge Desmond Hogan indicated that Kelly might avoid jail if he continues to repay the stolen money, and he was remanded on bail pending sentencing on 17 July.
A man with an extensive criminal history has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment following his guilty plea to facilitating a prisoner's escape in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Lee King, aged 27, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to his role in an organised attempt by seven people to free Paul Byrne from gardaí custody in Ballyfermot on March 6, 2012. Byrne, who had been detained in Longford, was being transported to Cloverhill Prison when gardaí stopped at Ballyfermot Garda Station to retrieve a committal warrant. During the brief stop, King and others pulled the injured prisoner from the vehicle at a traffic light and assisted his escape. King subsequently assaulted a garda who attempted to pursue the group. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the custodial sentence, taking into account the coordinated nature of the incident. King has 80 previous convictions and has indicated his intention to participate in community employment upon release.
Colm MacDonald, 57, a retired painter and decorator from Killarney, was given a suspended three‑year prison sentence after pleading guilty to assault causing harm. The offence occurred on Foley Street on 9 August 2013 when MacDonald punched Christopher Coakley, who suffered serious brain damage after being hit and falling onto a concrete footpath. Coakley spent six months in hospital and ten months in a rehabilitation centre, and continues to experience severe cognitive deficits, requiring ongoing care and relearning basic reading and writing skills. The court noted that Coakley's pre‑existing alcohol problem may have contributed to his injuries, and that MacDonald had no intention to seriously injure him but was extremely reckless. Judge Martin Nolan highlighted MacDonald's good character, work history and age, and the medical evidence as mitigating factors, leading to the suspended sentence. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Ion Matei, aged 37, was jailed for his role in a well‑organised credit‑card fraud that spent nearly €20,000 in high‑street shops in 2009. He and three accomplices used a stolen American Express company card belonging to Oracle employee Phillip Ryan to buy clothes, perfumes and handbags at Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Next and Debenhams. The fraud began after Ryan received a new card in October 2009, which he never used. Garda Wayne Donnelly compiled CCTV footage showing four people using the card, including Matei. Matei was arrested in February 2010, denied knowledge of the theft but admitted using the card to buy goods. He pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen credit card and 19 theft charges totalling €7,377, plus possession of a stolen Ulster Bank card and theft of €1,350 in 2014. Judge Desmond Hogan sentenced him to four years, suspending two on the condition of keeping the peace for four years. Ion Matei was convicted.
Vincent McNally (32) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three burglaries in the Shankill area in February 2014 and admitted possession of gloves with intent to commit burglary in Shankill on April 28, 2014. He has 54 previous convictions, including 24 for burglary. Judge Martin Nolan, who had been burgled twice in the past, referred the case to Judge Patrick McCartan after learning that McNally had burgled his house. Judge McCartan described McNally as a 'serious committed criminal' and remanded him in custody pending sentence until May to allow for him to be assessed by the Probation Service. He noted that McNally had been jailed for almost every offence he committed. Judge McCartan said he was ordering a report from the Probation Service to see what can be done with the likes of McNally and added that if McNally has any interest in dealing seriously with his problems, he would give him a chance. The matter was adjourned to May 25 next.
James Slattery, a 33‑year‑old disc jockey from Carrig Court, Citywest, was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in trafficking €1.5 million worth of cannabis into Ireland. He met a lorry driver, Istvan Bogdan, in Blanchardstown, Dublin, who had just brought 78 kg of cannabis from the Netherlands. While Slattery was transferring a third of the drugs into his car, Gardaí conducting a surveillance operation moved in. Slattery pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply on 5 May 2014. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Slattery's guilty plea and his long history of charity work, imposed the jail term. Bogdan, a 42‑year‑old Hungarian, received a six‑year sentence. Slattery, who has 14 prior convictions, admitted he was paid €1,000 and claimed he was not a drug addict but merely collecting the drugs for delivery to another person.
A former Google employee, Dariusz Rejniewicz, aged 29, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a suspended two‑and‑a‑half‑year term for handling stolen property. The laptop was taken from a work locker at Google's Dublin 4 headquarters and Rejniewicz was caught the following day attempting to sell it back to its owner. He pleaded guilty to the offence and had also pleaded guilty to demanding money with menaces, but that charge was withdrawn after the judge found no evidence of threats. Rejniewicz was remanded on bail pending sentence and, after a probation report deemed "unfavourable," Judge Mary Ellen Ring suspended the entire sentence on the condition of 12 months' supervision by the Probation Service. He now works for a cleaning company following his dismissal from Google.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 12 December 2013, Ronald Emmett, aged 36, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a realistic imitation firearm after a raid on an EBS in Killiney. Garda Martin Egan chased and tackled Emmett, who was carrying a gun wrapped in a newspaper; the gun was later found to be an imitation. Emmett had previously been convicted of 39 offences including hi‑jacking and possession of forged prescriptions, and was on bail for earlier robbery offences. He claimed he was "practically set up" and that he needed money for his addiction, stating he was now on methadone. Judge Mary Ellen Ring praised Garda Egan and manager Barry O'Brien for their actions, imposed a four‑year sentence to run consecutively with a five‑year term already served, and suspended the final two years, noting Emmett's intention to become drug‑free.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Patrick McCartan sentenced 25‑year‑old Slovakian Peter Mikulik to five years' imprisonment for smuggling nearly €50,000 of cocaine from Brazil into Ireland, with two years suspended. The judge ordered Mikulik to leave Ireland immediately upon release and to remain outside the country for five years, stating that the court could direct an EU citizen to depart. Prosecutor counsel argued that the court could not impose such a directive, but the judge rejected this view, insisting on the instruction. Mikulik pleaded guilty to importation of cocaine at Dublin Airport on 15 May 2014. He had been recruited by a man named "Tony" via an untraceable website, swallowed 72 pellets of cocaine in São Paulo, and was intercepted by Irish customs after returning via Rome. He admitted possession of the drug and was taken to hospital for stomach pains.
In March 2015, a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that 20‑year‑old Jason Flaherty, who was on bail for an earlier robbery and firearm charge, committed six additional armed robberies in a single month. The robberies, all in west Dublin between 21 August and 19 September 2013, involved threatening shop staff with a knife or an imitation gun. Flaherty pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery of cash from shops. Judge Mary Ellen Ring had previously sentenced him to four years with 18 months suspended for the earlier offence. At the hearing she imposed a new four‑year sentence, suspending the final two years on the condition that he engage in drug treatment and education programmes. The suspended portion is separate from the effective custodial term, which will run consecutively to his current sentence. The court considered other robbery charges and his seven prior convictions, including five for road traffic offences.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 32‑year‑old Chico Makamda pleaded guilty to false imprisonment of Melita Cahill on 7 August 2013. The incident occurred around 2 a.m. on Blessington Street when Makamda, a Limerick resident originally from Angola, grabbed Cahill's right wrist and attempted to drag her into a laneway while shouting "you drank too much bitch." Cahill resisted, punching and kicking him, and managed to escape after about a minute and a half of restraint. A passer‑by heard her screams and helped her. Cahill's victim impact statement described lasting anxiety and panic attacks, noting she could not walk alone at night. The judge adjourned sentencing to the following month, with the case pending further proceedings.
Marco Rodi, 40, was sentenced to seven years in prison with three years suspended for organising a violent robbery of his friend Nunzio De Luca. Rodi arranged for two men to enter De Luca's chip shop and home on Castle Street, Ringsend, Dublin, and helped them gain access. The men tied De Luca with cable ties, assaulted him, and used a screwdriver to torture him into revealing the location of his safe. They stole €6,000 in cash and €15,000 worth of jewellery. Rodi pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the robbery on 26 February 2012. Garda Brian Hunt noted that Rodi and De Luca were acquaintances from the Italian community. De Luca suffered a cracked nose, bruising, loss of sensation to his upper lip, back pain and ear injuries. Rodi had no prior convictions and had fled to Italy before the arrest warrant was issued.
Two Dublin men, David Crowley (38) and Alan Wilson (36), are awaiting the outcome of appeals against convictions for trespassing and assault causing harm at Dromheath Drive, Blanchardstown, on 3 June 2009. Crowley was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. Both were found guilty by a jury at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and sentenced by Judge Desmond Hogan on 12 April 2013 to eight years and seven years imprisonment respectively. In the Court of Appeal, Wilson's counsel, Padraig Dwyer SC, argued that no evidence existed of trespassing or assault and highlighted that Wilson was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time of arrest. The prosecution, represented by Paul Burns SC, maintained that the vest indicated joint enterprise with Crowley, who carried a firearm. The court has reserved judgment and will decide as soon as possible. David Crowley pleaded not guilty. Alan Wilson pleaded not guilty.
Paula Reid, a 51‑year‑old mother from Drogheda, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 12 counts of theft totalling €4,790.97, having stolen nearly €5,000 from her former employer, Hugh Burrows & Sons Ltd, over a period from June 2010 to September 2012. Reid, who had worked for the company for 30 years and was recently in charge of accounts and payroll, paid herself a double weekly wage on 12 occasions, a practice described by Garda Vincent Healy as "double‑dip payments" or "bonus payments of an extra week's wages." She was suspended from her job in January 2013 and subsequently dismissed. Reid initially denied the thefts, attributing the discrepancies to a bank error, but later admitted the wrongdoing and repaid the money via a bank draft. The court noted that the thefts were not well hidden, as the double payments were clearly visible on bank statements.
Roza Komorova (46), of Brehon Grove, Ballinteer, Co. Dublin, was acquitted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of stealing paintings valued at €28,595 from her former employer, artist Louise Mansfield. The jury returned a not guilty verdict following a six-day trial and two and a half hours of deliberation. Ms Komorova had pleaded not guilty to the theft, which allegedly occurred on September 5, 2011, at Ms Mansfield's home in Cabinteely. Prosecution evidence included testimony from Detective Garda Michael Grogan, who stated he observed Ms Komorova, a house cleaner, remove signed paintings into her van before she was stopped by waiting gardai. Twenty-one paintings were recovered. Ms Komorova initially claimed the artworks were hers or that she was moving them at Ms Mansfield's request. She also alleged an eight-year affair with Ms Mansfield's husband, Theo Hanley, a claim both he and Ms Mansfield denied. Mr Hanley dismissed her assertions of financial support and a 2013 meeting as "Walter Mitty affair stuff." The court accepted the jury's finding of not guilty, concluding the trial without any sentence or further procedural adjournment.
In March 2015, Ivan Tihon, a 32‑year‑old Moldovan national with no fixed abode, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for facilitating the storage and distribution of drugs, firearms and ammunition worth €1.6 million. Tihon had previously pleaded guilty to possession of ecstasy valued at €1.8 million, a plea later vacated by the State following the Court of Appeal's "Bederev Judgement." He pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and cannabis for sale or supply at Finglas Business Park and other Dublin locations on 17 April 2014, and to possession and control of various 9 mm and .22 calibre pistols, a 9 mm Steyr submachine gun, 96 rounds of 9 mm ammunition and 50 rounds of .22 ammunition. Eight men were arrested in a Garda operation that seized 82.76 kg of cannabis (valued at €1,674,518) and cocaine (valued at €6,300), along with the firearms and ammunition.
In a mobile‑phone mugging on the North Strand, Dublin, on 21 January 2014, 27‑year‑old Blaine Coakley attempted to steal Daire Cagney's phone after a failed drug‑deal. Coakley followed Cagney to a flats complex, threatened him with a syringe, and when Cagney pulled out his phone to check the time, Coakley grabbed it and shoved it into his pocket. Cagney chased the attacker, pulled him by the hood and tackled him to the ground. While on the ground, Coakley covered his face and Cagney noticed the phone on the floor, pocketed it, and later viewed videos on it that identified Coakley. Gardaí used these videos to confirm his identity. Coakley, who had 93 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to theft of a mobile phone and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, to run concurrently with a previous sentence, with release scheduled for 2017.
Cornelius Van Gent, a 73-year-old Dutch national, was sentenced to seven years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his involvement in a large-scale drug operation. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Van Gent, who had no prior criminal record, was not at the upper echelons of the group and allowed him to depart from the mandatory minimum sentence due to his age, plea, and cooperation. Van Gent pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis resin for sale or supply at North City Business Park, Finglas, on May 16, 2014, and possession of cannabis herb at Ikea on May 2, 2014. His co-accused, Sean Mahony and Peng Cheng, also pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at locations in North Dublin on May 16, 2014. Mahony, who gardaí accepted acted as a courier to pay off a drug debt, was jailed for six years earlier this month. Cheng, who claimed he was involved to pay a gambling debt, was jailed for nine years. The court heard that gardaí intercepted 72.7 kg of cannabis in a van and discovered a further 137 kg of herbal cannabis and 88 kg of resin in a warehouse, with a total estimated value of nearly €4.7 million. The drugs were concealed within boxes of Basmati rice.
Two Dublin men, David Crowley (38) and Alan Wilson (36), appealed their convictions for trespassing and assault at Dromheath Drive, Blanchardstown, on 3 June 2009. Crowley also faced a second charge of unlawful firearm possession. Both were found guilty by a jury at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and sentenced to eight and seven years' imprisonment respectively by Judge Desmond Hogan on 12 April 2013. In the appeal, Crowley's counsel, James O'Brien SC, argued that the jury should have been discharged after Crowley offered a juror a cigarette lighter outside court, an act described by the jury as a "jaw‑dropping moment." O'Brien also highlighted the victim's former partner, Lisa Murray, who later retracted her statement and claimed no memory of the events. Wilson's counsel, Padraig Dwyer SC, contended that there was no evidence of trespassing or assault, that the admission of Murray's statement was wrong, and that evidence of Wilson's bullet‑proof vest was prejudicial. David Crowley pleaded not guilty. Alan Wilson pleaded not guilty.