Mark Mulligan, aged 39, was found guilty of harassing a named woman in Dublin between 2008 and 2012 and of possessing child pornography at his home on 7 July 2013. He had pleaded not guilty to a third charge of producing child pornography between 1 and 17 March 2013. The court heard that Mulligan had developed a fantasy world due to loneliness, which led to online conversations where he discussed raping and torturing children and adults. He also sent a non‑explicit photograph of a three‑year‑old boy to an unknown Skype user, who suggested kidnapping and killing the child's parents. Mulligan claimed the conversations were "sick fantasies" and that he never intended to act on them. The judge adjourned sentencing to allow Probation Services to assess him. The case remains at the trial stage, with no sentencing yet announced.
In a Dublin recycling firm, Anton Zefaj, aged 34, shot mechanic Stanislaw Bognal in the buttock six times after a dispute over truck brakes. The incident occurred on 7 August 2012 at National Recycling in Clondalkin. Zefaj was found guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing a firearm in suspicious circumstances, and assault causing harm. He received a seven‑year sentence, with the final three years suspended. Judge Desmond Hogan noted Zefaj's short temper and prior temper loss in custody, but also his cooperation in prison. Zefaj offered €4,000 compensation to Bognal, which the court directed to be handed over. Bognal, a Polish mechanic, was treated at James Connolly Memorial Hospital and remains fearful of his safety. Zefaj, originally from Albania, had lived in Ireland for 17 years under a false name before regularising his status last year. The court ordered Zefaj to maintain good behaviour for three years upon release.
Desmond Mulvey, aged 34, was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to possession of nearly €200,000 worth of cannabis, part of a €2 million drug operation. Mulvey admitted that a €300 payment had enticed him to participate, citing a €1,700 debt from his own drug use. He had three prior convictions for minor offences. Judge Mary Ellen Ring had earlier imposed a five‑year sentence, suspending the last three years on the condition of one year of Probation Services. The operation involved three men—Mulvey, Terry O'Donoghue (50) and Michael Lawlor (40)—who were caught after Garda surveillance at the Cookstown Enterprise Unit in Tallaght. The total street value of the seized cannabis was estimated at €2 million. O'Donoghue and Lawlor received ten‑year and seven‑year sentences respectively, with the final year suspended on each. The court noted that the men were exploited by others to play an essential role in the drugs operation.
Aman Essoin, 43, a father of two, was sentenced to three years in prison for computer fraud and stealing over €102,800 from Google. He transferred the money to bank accounts in France and South Africa between 24 October 2011 and 27 March 2012. Essoin claimed he acted under pressure from a man called "Serge", who allegedly had personal information on him and his family. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 24 October 2011 and 30 January 2012. Judge Mary Ellen Ring suspended the last 18 months of the sentence after back‑dating it to December of the previous year. Essoin had no prior convictions, had worked at Arvanto Finance Services for six years, and was on remand in custody since his arrest in December 2013. The judge noted his exemplary conduct in prison and a low risk of re‑offending, but also highlighted the significant breach of trust and financial loss to his employer.
David Byrne, 32, of Crumlin, was tried at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for violent disorder at Morrissey's Pub on 7 January 2013. The case relied mainly on CCTV footage and a single witness, Garda Seamus O'Donovan, who had been called after a panic alarm. He described a crowd outside the pub, a struggle inside, and a bottle used as a weapon. Byrne was identified in the footage and arrested on 9 December 2013. The jury, composed of five men and seven women, deliberated for less than an hour and returned a not‑guilty verdict. Judge Patricia Ryan thanked the jury and discharged Byrne from the indictment. The trial concluded with Byrne acquitted of the violent disorder charge, while other individuals involved were not charged in this proceeding. David Byrne pleaded not guilty.
A Waterford resident, Zilvinas Antanovas, aged 27, was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after biting two Gardaí who were attempting to arrest him for drug offences. Antanovas pleaded guilty to possession of heroin on Exchange Street Lower, Dublin, on 18 January 2014, to assaulting two Gardaí, and to possession of the synthetic drug M‑CAT. He claimed he had been lured to Ireland by Eastern European gangsters who seized his passport and forced him into drug dealing. Garda Gerard Reddy described the incident, noting that Antanovas threw away a plastic bag containing €300 worth of M‑CAT, resisted arrest violently, and required pepper spray to subdue him. The judge remanded him in custody until December, when a final sentence will be imposed. The State is considering an application to deport Antanovas.
Jason Beasley, aged 38, a former G4S employee, avoided jail after pleading guilty to theft and possession of an unlicensed firearm. He admitted to discovering a disassembled 12‑gauge SKB sawn‑off shotgun in his garden shed in 2002, later bringing it into his Swords home after a series of burglaries. Gardai searched his house in January 2012 following a CCTV‑recorded theft of €54 from a parking meter; they found the gun in a spare room. Beasley had been employed by G4S collecting meter money but was not on duty during the theft. He lost his job and had no prior convictions. Judge Patrick McCartan, noting the weapon's notoriety and Beasley's role in a security firm handling cash, imposed a three‑year sentence suspended in full. The court accepted his cooperation and admissions, and the judge expressed that the authorities had no concerns about future offending.
Debbie O'Reilly, 35, was arrested in August 2013 for selling cannabis from her home in Maple Avenue, Ballybrack. Police seized a kilogram of cannabis worth €21,920, 8 g of PVP worth €312, €8,200 in cash, a digital scale and an iPhone with drug‑dealing evidence. She pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply. O'Reilly had no prior convictions. After the raid she was interviewed by the county council for anti‑social behaviour, voluntarily surrendered her house keys and was subsequently made homeless. She and her 15‑year‑old son now live in sheltered accommodation. The court, noting her cooperation and progress in addressing her addiction, adjourned the case to July 2015 to protect her son from further disruption. The case remains pending for sentencing.
Christopher O'Toole, 39, was arrested after Gardaí discovered over €26,000 worth of drugs in his van following an accidental over‑fill of diesel at a petrol station. Garda Stephen Hughes reported finding a trail of white substance leading to a radio, where a large bag of white powder and a cannabis resin bar were located. The powder was identified as the controlled drug PVP. Additional PVP was found in the engine bay and a black laptop bag, with a total street value of €26,000, and cannabis valued at €1,476. O'Toole pleaded guilty to possession of over €13,000 worth of a controlled substance for sale or supply. He has 31 prior convictions, including drug dealing and possession. Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed a five‑year suspended sentence, conditional on O'Toole keeping the peace, maintaining good behaviour for four years, and remaining under Probation Supervision for 12 months. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Noel Ellis, aged 74, pleaded not guilty to 48 counts of social welfare fraud for claiming over €46,000 in pension payments between June 2006 and July 2010. The State alleged he was using his dead brother James Ellis's identity, while Ellis insisted he was James. When asked if he was Noel Ellis, he answered "No." After one day of evidence, the prosecution entered a nolle prosequi on all counts, effectively dismissing the indictment. Patrick Ellis, a brother of the accused, testified about family dynamics, noting that Noel and James rarely attended family events and that Noel did not attend James's funeral in London in 1997. Garda David Redmond reported that a complaint in February 2010 led to Noel's arrest and a search of his home, where a birth certificate for Noel and documents in James's name were seized.
Christopher McDonagh, aged 30, was remanded in custody pending sentencing in February after pleading guilty to possession of 471.3 grammes of heroin worth €70,695. He admitted holding the drugs for a week at his home in Mulhuddart, following instructions from his dealer who supplied prescription drugs. McDonagh claimed he was holding the heroin to pay off a €2,500 debt and that he had an anti‑heroin stance at the time, having tried to help friends quit. Garda Anton Keating noted McDonagh's fear for his safety and his role as caretaker of the drugs. The court found he had 10 prior convictions. Judge Mary Ellen Ring revoked his bail, remanded him in custody, and ordered a Probation Service report and urine analysis. No sentence was imposed at this stage.
David Richards, 26, was ordered by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to pay €5,000 compensation to Susan O'Leary and her husband after hijacking their BMW on New Year's Day 2010. Richards admitted taking the car without permission, drink driving, dangerous driving, and driving without insurance or a licence. He and an accomplice forced the O'Learys out of the vehicle, threatening them with a steering wheel lock and a bottle. The couple fled on an icy road, and Richards later drove the car into a pole and a kerb. Richards, who had three prior convictions, had absconded for four years before being arrested. The judge, Patrick McCartan, noted the seriousness of the offences and warned that payment of compensation might not prevent a prison sentence. Richards remains on bail until January 2025. David Richards pleaded guilty.
In a 2014 appeal, the Director of Public Prosecutions failed to overturn a sentence imposed on Peter Rynne, a 56‑year‑old convicted of indecent assault on his step‑daughter between 1985 and 1990. Rynne was found guilty on four counts, with the victim aged between eight and thirteen. The judge, Carmel Stewart, sentenced him to two years' imprisonment, suspending the final 18 months. The DPP argued the sentence was unduly lenient, citing the victim's prolonged suffering and the impact on her family relationships. The Court of Appeal, hearing the case on its second day, upheld the judge's decision, concluding the suspension was not excessive given the circumstances. The appeal was dismissed, and the victim, who had waived anonymity, left the courtroom in tears.
Paul Molloy, 41, of Cabra, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing €34,752 of cannabis resin, about 5.8 kg, for sale or supply. He admitted the drugs were stored in a locked shed at his mother's home and that he had sold them to support his family after losing his job as a dump truck driver. Molloy had previously been caught with €12,000 of cocaine in 2007 and served a three‑year sentence in 2008. He pleaded guilty, acknowledging he was a drug dealer and that he was not a drug user. The judge, refusing to suspend any part of the sentence, noted his prior conviction and the fact that he had returned to the same position in 2013. The court found no mitigating circumstances and imposed the full custodial term.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, a 31‑year‑old Wicklow man was sentenced to one year in prison for sexually abusing two of his daughter's friends while they were playing in his house. The offences were discovered after a girl filed a complaint following a Stay Safe class at her school. The man pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse that occurred sometime in 2010. Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year term but suspended the final 18 months, requiring the defendant to remain under Probation Services supervision for 18 months after release. The judge highlighted the importance of the Stay Safe programme, noting it had previously enabled children to report abuse. The girls, aged seven and nine at the time, were playing with the defendant's daughter in his bedroom when the abuse began. The defendant admitted playing with them but claimed it was innocent.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 34‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault against his 20‑year‑old half‑sister, who had asked him to give her a lift home from a house party. The man, who had no prior convictions, was found to have sexually assaulted her twice while she pretended to be asleep, first on the way to his home and again on the return journey. He offered €5,000 to the victim, which the court said did not influence the sentencing. Judge Martin Nolan, after noting the absence of gratuitous violence and the man's one‑off nature, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence and suspended it in full. The court also considered the victim's refusal to accept the money and the possibility of a charitable nomination for her support.
Joseph Cooney, 22, pleaded guilty to setting fire to a shed behind the Salmon Leap pub and a house on Main Street in Leixlip on 25 November 2012, causing almost €400,000 in damage. He was remanded in custody for sentencing on 24 November. Judge Martin Nolan, hearing the case at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, accepted a Garda's view that the arson was a one‑off "act of madness" and noted Cooney's near‑perfect mitigation due to his guilty plea, remorse, lack of prior convictions and strong references. The judge warned that "half of Leixlip" could have been destroyed and innocent people could have died because of Cooney's "gross error of judgement". Cooney was jailed for two weeks while the judge decided on his final sentence. The case involved three fires: a shed behind the pub, the pub's lounge, and a vacant terraced house on Main Street, with the latter causing an estimated €160,000 in damage.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, 42‑year‑old Francis McGowan received a three‑year suspended sentence for robbing a Tesco Express store in Cabinteely on 25 June 2013. McGowan, a drug addict, had persuaded his old school acquaintance Alan Kane to give him a lift to the shop, asking only two euros for chewing gum. He entered the store wearing a high‑visibility jacket, sunglasses and a luminous bag, and pointed a plastic gun at the cashier to steal €300. McGowan tried to have Kane drive fast and break a red light, but Kane refused and McGowan left the car a short distance away. McGowan pleaded guilty, admitted the robbery was planned with a BB gun bought in Spain, and apologized. Judge Mary Ellen Ring noted his long‑term drug addiction and lack of recent Garda attention, suspended the sentence for three years, and ordered 12 months of Probation Service supervision.
Elisa Lennon, a 38‑year‑old former civil servant, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to attempted robbery at Home Focus and the Ikea car park, and to robbery at Tansun Tan and Tone, all in Ballymun and Finglas, on 30 January 2013. She also admitted taking €25 and a Barnardos charity box from a tanning shop after a third failed robbery attempt. Lennon had previously failed to rob a Home Focus shop manager and an elderly lady in an Ikea car park, using a large kitchen knife and later a smaller knife. A passing motorist intervened by honking and later provided the BMW registration details, confirming Lennon's vehicle. Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence, ordered probation supervision and completion of a Restorative Justice Programme, and praised the motorist's intervention. Lennon apologized to all victims and had no further contact with Gardaí since the court appearance. The €25 was never recovered.
Patrick Ryan, a 50‑year‑old drug addict, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting and threatening James and Sally Mountaine, stealing US$4,000 and jewellery, and threatening to burn and kill them. Ryan was part of a masked gang that raided the elderly couple's home on 3 February 2010. The gang tied the Mountaines, beat them, threatened to set Sally on fire, and forced James to reveal the location of money. The Mountaines were in their mid‑70s and were preparing to leave for the morning when the raid occurred. Ryan was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with the judge suspending the last two years of a seven‑year sentence. The court noted the threat to set the woman on fire as an aggravating factor. The case involved 38 previous convictions for Ryan, including nine years for larceny and four for robbery. The stolen property, apart from US$2,000, was recovered.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Mary Ellen Ring sentenced a 39‑year‑old man to three and a half years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting his 12‑year‑old daughter and her 13‑year‑old school friend between January and December 2011. The defendant voluntarily approached Gardaí in January 2012, admitting the assaults, and pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault out of a total of 26. Judge Ring criticised the Director of Public Prosecutions for a 15‑month delay in prosecuting the case, arguing that the system must prioritise young victims. She urged the prosecuting barrister to raise the issue with the DPP. Two teenage victims, now 16, read victim impact statements describing severe emotional and educational harm, including suicidal thoughts, depression, self‑harm, and bullying. The defendant, who had no prior convictions, was noted to have been sexually abused as a child and to have suffered depression and unemployment.
In November 2014 a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Dan Cirpaci, a 26‑year‑old Romanian man, had stolen nearly €13,000 from two women by swapping their bank cards at ATMs. The victims, Anne O'Reilly (aged 79) and Valerie Casey, were tricked into believing they had dropped a €10 note and were handed a different card. Cirpaci used the stolen cards to make unauthorized purchases at shops, post offices and off‑licenses, totaling €12,795. He pleaded guilty to four counts of theft, with 26 other counts to be considered. The court remanded him on continuing bail for sentencing on 18 November. Both women were reimbursed by their banks for the amounts taken from their accounts. Cirpaci had 43 prior convictions and had been in Ireland for ten years. The case was heard by Judge Desmond Hogan.
Christopher Tuohy, aged 22, was given a suspended two‑year sentence after a drink‑and‑drug‑fuelled rampage at Clondalkin Sports Centre on 14 November 2012. He pleaded guilty to trespass and criminal damage, and the court noted that he had 16 prior convictions for public order, trespass and theft offences. Gardaí caught him leaving the centre in his boxers, carrying a fire extinguisher, after CCTV recorded him and a friend "trashing" the reception, crèche, pool and café. The centre suffered €14,000 in damage, including broken glass, destroyed computers and emptied fire extinguishers. The judge suspended the sentence in full, citing Tuohy's progress in a training programme and his efforts to stay away from drugs. The court also highlighted that the people of Clondalkin were the main injured parties, as they were deprived of the use of the centre during the incident.
Luke Curry, aged 25, was arrested after a police raid on a house near the Jobstown Pharmacy where he and an unnamed accomplice were found asleep on a couch. The pair had participated in an armed robbery of the pharmacy on 12 February 2013, during which €400 was stolen. Curry had opened the security door while the accomplice, masked and armed with a kitchen knife, entered the shop. The robbery was reported by pharmacy staff who recognised Curry as a customer and were forced to hand over money. Garda James Ward, following a tip‑off, discovered the suspects sleeping in the house and seized €275 of the stolen cash from a pile beneath the accomplice. Curry pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court; sentencing was adjourned to January to allow victim impact reports to be prepared. The second man, whose identity is withheld pending trial, was also arrested.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, James Mooney, aged 22, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after punching and biting off part of victim James Ferrari's ear at a GAA club in Ringsend on 1 April 2013. The judge adjourned sentencing to January and ordered an assessment of Mooney's suitability for restorative justice and community service. A victim impact report described Ferrari's ongoing worry, depression, nightmares, job difficulties and social withdrawal following the attack. Ferrari's father expressed hope to come to terms. Mooney was diagnosed by consultant psychiatrist Dr Sean O'Domhnaill with adult ADHD, described as impulsive and overactive, and linked to cannabis use. Mooney claimed he was not conscious of biting the ear and had no intention to remove it. Ferrari suffered €1900 in lost earnings and €350 in medical and counselling costs.
In a Dublin 8 Basin Street flat complex assault on 11 July, Karl Harford (23) and Tony Dempsey (20) pleaded guilty to violent disorder. Both were on bail for other offences at the time. Harford received a five‑year sentence with the final 2.5 years suspended; Dempsey received a three‑year sentence with the final year suspended. Harford's sentence will commence after his existing eight‑year sentence, while Dempsey's will run concurrently with a separate two‑year sentence for possession of stolen property. The court noted Harford's 149 prior convictions, including 77 traffic offences, and Dempsey's 43 prior convictions. Judge Mary Ellen Ring highlighted Harford's temper issues and both men were ordered to keep the peace during the suspended portions of their sentences. The victim, Karl Gavin, was stabbed twice in the back and hospitalised but declined to give a victim impact statement.
Eoin Maughan, 37, a Westmeath member of the Travelling Community, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to endangerment, dangerous driving and criminal damage after a high‑speed chase that began in Dublin and ended in Wicklow. The chase started when Maughan's grey Renault Laguna failed to stop at a roundabout in Tallaght, then drove the wrong way around a roundabout, overtook cars on a blind bend and on the wrong side of the road, and entered Brittas village where he attempted to ram a garda patrol car. He drove through the village, was pursued by a garda helicopter, and tried to escape by crashing through a stone wall near the waterworks at Bohernabreena. The pursuit ended when gardai arrested him. During questioning he became aggressive, was pepper‑sprayed, broke an interview table, and punched a garda. The court found the damage to garda vehicles cost €10,874, and that gardai suffered whiplash, facial injuries and one required surgery.
In a 2014 court hearing, 32‑year‑old Gareth Byrne of Swansnest Avenue, Kilbarrack, was charged with reckless endangerment after he poured petrol on himself outside Clontarf Garda Station and threatened to set himself and the station on fire. Byrne had earlier been stopped during a routine traffic check when his car was seized for lack of proof of insurance, although it was later found that the vehicle was properly insured. He returned to the station about twenty minutes later, told a garda he would burn the station down, and then bought a can of petrol from a nearby station. He poured the petrol on himself, held a lighter above his head for about a minute, and was restrained by gardai after they urged him to drop it. Gareth Byrne pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 32‑year‑old Carl Feighery of Millbourne Crescent, Ashbourne, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Rosemary Douglas on North Road, Finglas, on 9 July 2013. Judge Mary Ellen Ring remanded him on continuing bail until 4 March 2015, when all evidence will be heard. Prosecutor Diarmuid Collins said there was no objection to bail and requested a victim impact report for the sentencing date.
In a 2014 case, a 32‑year‑old man who had previously been declared a sex offender pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a young woman at a Dublin home in early 2013. The victim, who had gone to bed after a party, was approached by the accused, who admitted he had entered the bedroom to get a blanket, then kissed and touched her, and digitally penetrated her. He claimed he hoped she would think he was her partner. The court heard he had five prior convictions, including drug dealing. The victim rejected a €2,000 compensation offer from the accused and requested the money be donated to the Rape Crisis Centre. Judge Catherine Murphy adjourned sentencing to 10 December, ordered a probation report, and directed the accused's solicitor to pay the charity. The accused expressed remorse and said he would live with his actions for the rest of his life. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
Andrew Brett, 38, of Kilworth Road, Drimnagh, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to damaging a property by fire on 1 January 2013. He threw two petrol bombs at the front of Audrey Maher's house, which was unoccupied that night. The bombs, made from fruit‑juice bottles filled with white spirits, left scorch marks on the windowsill of a front window. Brett was arrested after neighbours flagged him down; a strong smell of accelerants and his out‑of‑breath state prompted a medical assessment. He was involuntarily admitted to the psychiatric ward of St James's Hospital. A medical report concluded that Brett was suffering from delusions at the time of the offence. Judge Mary Ellen Ring sentenced him to a three‑year suspended term, with strict conditions including liaison with the Probation Service for two years. The sentence was suspended in full, and Brett was required to comply with day treatment, medication and abstain from alcohol.
A 35‑year‑old Romanian man, Vladislav Secrii, of Iona, Old Connaught Avenue, Bray, was found guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of transporting 606,500 cigarettes without tax stamps on 26 June 2012. He had agreed to move the cigarettes for €200, which included €50 for diesel. Secrii had no prior convictions. The judge, Mary Ellen Ring, considered that he had very little income and could not pay the maximum fine of €126,970 or a five‑year jail term. She therefore imposed a community service order of 220 hours in lieu of a two‑year prison term, pending a Probation Service report that found him suitable for community work. The case involved customs officers discovering the cigarettes on air‑freight cargo from Greece, and a surveillance team saw Secrii and four men loading the pallets onto a trailer.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Amanda Murphy, 28, pleaded guilty to two charges of aiding the escape of robbers who had committed an attempted robbery and a robbery on 8 October 2011. The case involved two men who entered a convenience store in Harolds Cross, fled with a getaway car, then robbed a Centra Store on Lower Kimmage Road, and later mugged a woman in Ballsbridge. Garda Paul O'Hanlon described how officers found a Ford Focus with an imitation firearm and a balaclava, and that Murphy was the driver. She had no prior convictions and was described as vulnerable due to drug addiction. After attending all probation appointments and entering a methadone maintenance programme, Judge Ring suspended a two‑and‑a‑half‑year jail term on strict conditions, including probation supervision, rather than imposing custodial time. The two men received a partly suspended three‑year term and an 18‑month suspended sentence respectively.
A 21‑year‑old Dublin man, who was himself raped as a teenager, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of sexually assaulting his five‑year‑old niece between April and November 2011. He admitted fondling her when she entered his bed at night because she feared the dark and ghosts. The man, who was 13 when he was raped by an older man and forced to engage in sexual acts with his brother while in care, had previously been jailed for life for a separate case of "exceptional depravity"; that sentence was later reduced by the Court of Criminal Appeal. Judge Mary Ellen Ring adjourned the case to June next year, ordering the accused to continue counselling and stay away from the victim. He expressed remorse, wrote a letter to the victim, and claimed he did not know why he had acted.
Ciaran Gilford, aged 27, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for assault causing serious harm after striking Stephen Doyle, 42, with a glass at the Wright Venue in Swords on 1 December 2012. Doyle suffered post‑traumatic stress disorder, permanent scarring and numbness in his left jaw. The court noted that Gilford's attack was unprovoked and followed an alleged argument over pints. Judge Mary Ellen Ring suspended the final 18 months of the sentence because of Gilford's guilty plea and cooperation with gardaí. Gilford was ordered to continue medication for ADHD and depression while in custody, and he paid €3,000 to Doyle as compensation. He also agreed to keep the peace and maintain good behaviour for the duration of his sentence. The court recorded that Doyle received stitches, was on a liquid diet and is awaiting further surgery for scar revision. Gilford's prior minor convictions for intoxication were also noted.
Robert Melia, 32, was sentenced to four years in prison, with the last 18 months suspended, for a sustained violent attack on his ex‑girlfriend Elizabeth Clifford, then 25, on 29 June 2012. Melia pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The assault began when he entered Clifford's home at 1 a.m., after she had let him use the bathroom. He verbally abused her, struck her on the side of the head, threatened her with death, and then bit her right ear, attempting to bite it off. Clifford suffered a broken ear and required stitches and plastic surgery. Melia had four prior convictions for firearms possession, trespass, burglary and public order. He was arrested at the scene after being restrained by local people. The judge described the attack as violent and serious, noting Clifford's fear of being killed or seriously injured. The suspended portion of the sentence is contingent on 18 months of probation supervision.
In a robbery that took place on 22 January 2012 on Ballymount Road, a back‑seat passenger, Brendan Boylan, 34, held a rope around the neck of a taxi driver while the front‑seat passenger brandished a knife. The driver, fearing for his life, handed over €600 before the men fled. Boylan, who has 16 prior convictions, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He claimed he was forced to participate to repay a drug debt and feared a "bullet or a blade" if he refused. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two and a half years' imprisonment, deciding not to involve the Probation Service because of Boylan's age. The taxi driver did not submit a victim impact report. Boylan's father argued that his son had been affected by family deaths and had struggled with addiction for many years, offering €500 to the driver and asking the court to consider the debt context.
Karl Zambra, aged 27, was arrested under Operation Marshall for dealing heroin and cocaine in the St Teresa Gardens flats. He pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and cocaine for sale or supply on 13 and 23 July 2010. During the operation, undercover gardai posed as drug addicts and approached Zambra, who claimed ignorance of their identity and offered them drugs. He directed them to a stairwell where drugs were hidden and later sold three packages of heroin to them for €50 each. The court noted Zambra had 73 prior convictions, including drug dealing, possession, and burglary. Despite this history, he received a suspended jail term, avoiding immediate imprisonment. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the prosecution led by Fiona McGowan BL and defense by Dominic McGinn SC. The sentence was a suspended jail term, with no immediate custodial time imposed.
A 22‑year‑old Dublin soldier, Naoise O'Conarain, was acquitted by a jury of assault charges against two Gardaí, Andrew Quinn and Fiachra Molloy, following an incident at his home on 10 March 2013. The trial, held in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, lasted 11 days and the jury found him not guilty after 1 hour 47 minutes of deliberation. Judge Patrick McCartan had earlier directed the jury to acquit him of assaulting three additional Gardaí due to lack of evidence. O'Conarain had no prior convictions. The Gardaí testified that he struck them in the bathroom after a domestic disturbance call. O'Conarain's mother, Olga Howlett, claimed the Gardaí used "uncalled for" language and beat her son, while a family friend, Keith Henry, said the officers could have handled the situation better. The court heard that the Gardaí had used pepper spray and a disposable razor during the altercation. No further charges were pursued.
Enda Farrell, a former National Asset Management Agency official aged 38, appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 13 charges of disclosing confidential information in May, June and July 2012, contrary to the 2009 NAMA Act. He was sent forward from the District Court last month. Judge Mary Ellen Ring adjourned the case for arraignment on March 2, 2015.
In October 2014, a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Alan Hatch, 38, to six‑and‑a‑half years in prison for the one‑punch manslaughter of Liam Bennett, 46, who died a week later after a severe brain injury. The incident occurred on August 8, 2013, along the canal near the Golden Bridge Industrial Estate. CCTV showed Bennett swinging his elbow at Hatch as they passed, but the footage did not capture contact. Hatch pleaded guilty to the unlawful killing and to a separate handbag robbery. The judge accepted that Hatch did not intend to kill Bennett but found the assault gratuitous and without justification. A 12‑month portion of the sentence was suspended, and the term was back‑dated to August 3, 2013, the date of Hatch's custody for the offence. Bennett's family expressed deep grief and a hope that no one else would suffer similar violence.
Two Travellers, Owen McDonagh Jnr (23) and Thomas McDonagh (22), were convicted of violent disorder for a May 12, 2013 attack on Gardaí at St Margarets Park, Ballymun. They were part of a group that hurled missiles—including a small motor and a rock—at the officers and threatened to kill them. The court found that Thomas had 92 prior convictions, including burglary and theft, and had recently been disqualified from driving for 20 years for driving without insurance. Owen had 27 prior convictions, including burglary, theft and road traffic offences. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced both men to two years' imprisonment, suspending one year of Owen's term. A third man, John McDonagh (18 at the time), received a suspended two‑year sentence. The incident involved Garda Ronan McMorrow and a second officer who pursued Thomas into the halting site, where the pair threatened and attacked them, forcing the officers to retreat for their safety.
In the closing stages of a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a 22‑year‑old soldier, Naoise O'Conarain, pleaded not guilty to assaulting two gardai, Andrew Quinn and Fiachra Molloy, at his Tallaght home on 10 March 2013. The jury, composed of four women and eight men, is set to retire tomorrow after Judge Patrick McCartan's charge. Earlier in the week, the judge directed the jury to find O'Conarain not guilty of assaulting three additional gardai due to lack of evidence. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC noted the accused had no prior convictions. Gardai Quinn and Molloy testified that O'Conarain attacked them in the bathroom following a domestic disturbance call; Quinn received up to 30 stitches to his lip after a second struggle, during which O'Conarain allegedly cut him with a disposable razor, while Molloy was punched in the face.
Tom O'Connor, 47, former director of O'Connor Plant Hire & Ground Works in Listowel, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to handling a stolen Volvo A25D dumper truck that had been stolen from a quarry in Scotland. He admitted buying the truck in Holland for €62,500 and selling it to a buyer, but denied involvement in the vehicle's cloning or theft. O'Connor had five prior convictions, including possession of a stolen John Deere tractor in 2009, and had resigned as director in 2013 to protect the company's reputation. He was declared bankrupt in 2012 and is now unemployed and on social welfare. Judge Desmond Hogan remanded him on continuing bail pending sentencing, ordered a probation report, and noted his health issues. The court heard that the truck's chassis number had been altered and that O'Connor had no part in the alteration. The insurance company paid £75,000 for the vehicle. The case remains pending sentencing.
During a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a family friend of the accused, Naoise O'Conarain, testified that the Gardaí could have handled the situation better. He was present in the bathroom where an earlier altercation between O'Conarain and his brother had been diffused when two Gardaí entered unannounced. He told the judge that the officers should have learned of the situation before confronting O'Conarain. He also said he did not see O'Conarain punch a Garda, though he witnessed a struggle in which a Garda was struck on the head with a torch butt. He denied hearing any mention of a razor in the video footage. The trial continues before Judge Patrick McCartan and a jury of four women and eight men. The accused has pleaded not guilty to assaulting two Gardaí. The jury was directed to find him not guilty of assaulting three other Gardaí due to insufficient evidence. The case remains ongoing.
Paul Roche, 31, from Wicklow, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to taxi driver Francis Mordi on the N11 at Cabinteely on 26 May 2013. The incident began when Roche, who was drunk, could not give directions and threw a €20 note at Mordi after the driver asked for money. Roche then attempted to leave the vehicle, jumped on Mordi, and tried to strangle him, shouting a racial slur. Mordi managed to escape, used a hammer to threaten Roche, and drove to the nearest Garda station. Roche was arrested, refused to give his name, and later settled a civil claim with Mordi. Judge Mary Ellen Ring remanded him briefly, then suspended a two‑and‑a‑half‑year jail sentence on the condition he keep the peace for that period. Roche is employed in financial services and has attended anger‑management and alcohol‑free courses.
Gráinne O'Toole, 41, an autistic woman diagnosed with obsessive persecution delusions, was remanded in custody in July after repeatedly harassing Jennifer Doran, the wife of a former colleague, with over 310 abusive texts, calls and tweets between October 2011 and February 2012. At the original sentencing hearing, O'Toole pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Patrick McCartan adjourned her sentence for one year, allowing her to continue treatment and college studies in the community. He warned that re‑offending within 12 months would result in imprisonment. The judge set the case to be concluded in October 2015, with the possibility of re‑entry if O'Toole re‑offended. O'Toole's behaviour was described as a campaign of harassment that impacted Doran's private, business and personal life. The judge noted her improvement in appearance and demeanour during a recent prison visit, and that she was now medically compliant with treatment. The case remains pending until the adjourned date.
Carol Hawkins, Adam Clayton's former personal assistant, was convicted of 181 counts of theft from two of his Bank of Ireland accounts between 2004 and 2008, totalling just over €2.8 million. She used the money to buy and maintain 22 thoroughbred racehorses, a €310,000 New York apartment, holidays, her children's education and shopping sprees, and spent €1.4 million on a credit card funded from Clayton's accounts. The Court of Criminal Appeal dismissed her appeal against the conviction, finding sufficient evidence to support the jury's decision and no error that would render the conviction unsafe. The appeal against the severity of the seven‑year prison sentence remains to be decided. Hawkins, aged 51 and originally from North London, is currently detained at Dochas Centre and has been described as a model prisoner, having undertaken courses in art, business studies and an Open University degree in Art History.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 22‑year‑old Naoise O'Conarain pleaded not guilty to assaulting Gardaí Andrew Quinn and Fiachra Molloy, claiming they caused him harm at his home on 10 March 2013. He also faced charges of assaulting Gardaí Ross Foy, Kevin Keane and Simon Butler on the same date, but the judge ruled that insufficient evidence existed to convict him on those four counts. The trial featured testimony from his mother, Olga Howlett, who alleged that the Gardaí behaved disrespectfully, used pepper spray, and physically assaulted her son in the bathroom. She described a chaotic scene with her son's drunkenness and the Gardaí's conduct. The case remains pending before Judge Patrick McCartan and a jury of four women and eight men.
In October 2013, Shane Cooney, aged 24, attacked Father Diarmuid Byrne, 70, in the priest's Rialto home with an iron bar, leaving him with a fractured skull and numerous facial wounds that required 26 stitches. Gardaí found blood‑stained iron bar and other items near the house after neighbours reported a disturbance. Cooney was arrested in an intoxicated state, pleaded guilty to burglary and assault, and was remanded on bail pending sentence. Judge Mary Ellen Ring set conditions for his bail, including residence at Tiglin, Wicklow, where he is to continue a 16‑month residential drug treatment programme. The case was adjourned to December to monitor his progress. The priest, who had been living alone, was initially confused and covered in blood when gardaí arrived at 1.30 a.m., and the house was ransacked but no items were taken. The court received a victim impact report and a medical report, though they were not read out.