James O'Driscoll, 33, of Dublin 1, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to three offences. He admitted to producing a knife and threatening to kill Garda Neil Cepeda at an East Wall apartment complex on February 18, 2012. He also pleaded guilty to assaulting Garda James King at the Mater Hospital on June 29, 2012, and assaulting Garda Shona Moran in Crown Alley on July 5, 2012. Judge Mary Ellen Ring, who had previously adjourned the case to allow O'Driscoll to continue drug rehabilitation, noted that Probation Service reports were favourable. The court heard that O'Driscoll is now drug-free, working as a catering assistant, and fully cooperated with the Restorative Justice Programme. Judge Ring suspended a three-year term on strict conditions. She ordered a report from the Probation Service to ascertain his suitability for the Restorative Justice Programme, which he subsequently completed. The judge described O'Driscoll as reaching a fork in the road, contrasting his significant prior convictions with his current law-abiding path. O'Driscoll, who has 74 previous convictions, was on bail for the first offence when committing the other two. The court accepted that while he over-reacted to a dispute, the incidents did not deter the officers from continuing their duties.
A judge ordered that the Quinn family receive transcripts of the criminal trial of former Anglo Irish Bank executives after the bankers' lawyers withdrew objections. The transcripts were requested by the Quinn family, who had previously been described by Pat Whelan's lawyers as a "fishing expedition." Whelan (52) and William McAteer (63) were convicted in April of breaching the Companies Act by illegally lending money to the Maple Ten investors to support Anglo's share price. They were found guilty on ten charges each and sentenced to 240 hours of community service, while being acquitted on six further charges each involving loans to Quinn's family. The trial recorded €450 million loaned to Maple Ten and €160 million to Quinn's wife and five children. Michael Staines, solicitor for Whelan and McAteer, agreed to release the transcripts on the condition they be used only for civil proceedings by the Quinn family.
Anton Zefaj, an Albanian national living in Ireland under a false name, shot mechanic Stankislaw Bognal six times during a dispute over truck maintenance at National Recycling in Clondalkin on 7 August 2012. One bullet struck Bognal in the buttock; the other five missed. Bognal was left fearful and paranoid, treated at James Connolly Memorial Hospital, and reported ongoing sleep disturbances and fear of his life. Zefaj, 34, was found guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing a firearm in suspicious circumstances, and assault causing harm. He denied the shooting, claimed Bognal had shot himself, and offered €4,000 compensation. Sentencing was adjourned to next month pending a Governor's report after Zefaj, while in custody, broke a television and offered to pay for the damage.
A 26-year-old man born in Sligo pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to trespassing with intent to commit an offence at an ESB substation on the Ninth Lock Road, Clondalkin on 3 November 2013. Jamie Gordon suffered severe burns to his hands and feet after being electrocuted while attempting to steal copper wiring and lead flashing. He sustained entry wounds to his palms and exit wounds to his feet, with one foot left with 70 per cent third degree burns. The incident caused over €10,000 damage to the substation and left approximately 4,000 homes without power for up to one minute. Judge Mary Ellen Ring suspended a three-year jail sentence on condition Gordon keep the peace for five years. The court heard Gordon has 21 previous convictions and struggles with drug addiction, which motivated his criminal activity.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, 32‑year‑old Fergus Gallagher pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after slashing the ear of Italian rugby fan Andrea Muggetti with a teacup on 25 February 2012 at Sinnott's Pub. Muggetti required 45 stitches and suffered lasting disfigurement and pain, with a medical report indicating reduced eye closure and ongoing ear pain. Muggetti's financial loss was assessed at €20,491. Gallagher, who had four prior convictions, was ordered to pay €15,000 in instalments to Muggetti and to surrender the €10,000 he had previously paid as a token of remorse. He received a three‑year suspended sentence and was remanded in custody pending further proceedings. The court noted Gallagher's admission of intoxication, depression, and his subsequent participation in Alcoholics Anonymous.
Charges were dropped against arcade night manager Calin Cucura, 31, who had been tried for allegedly taking care assistant Sean Cummins, father of nine, into a car, transporting him to an unknown location and threatening to cut off his fingers until his family paid money. The prosecution admitted insufficient evidence to proceed. Cucura pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and a threat to kill. The Director of Public Prosecutions instructed a nolle prosequi on both counts, and Judge Patricia Ryan announced the trial would not continue.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Arcade manager Calin Cucura, aged 31, pleaded not guilty to charges of false imprisonment and a threat to kill Sean Cummins on 12 January 2010. Cummins, a full‑time care assistant, was allegedly taken from a family newsagent in Coolock by four men, including Cucura, and held in a container where they demanded money from his family. Cummins later claimed the captors released him after his family complied with the gang's cash demand. Dean Cummins, the victim's son, testified that his father was abducted because he was the first to approach the gang when they entered the shop, and that his father had intended to protect other family members. The trial, presided over by Judge Patricia Ryan with a jury of four women and eight men, will resume tomorrow for further evidence.
The trial of Naoise O'Conarain, a 22‑year‑old from Kilnamanagh, has been adjourned to the following Tuesday. He faces charges of assaulting five Gardaí on 10 March 2013, including an alleged attack on one officer with a razor. O'Conarain pleaded not guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Garda David Sheridan presented evidence of a blue Gillette razor handle that was examined on 23 April 2013, with no fingerprints found. Judge Patrick McCartan informed the jury that no further evidence would be heard until the next week.
Thomas Lyons, a 56‑year‑old Dublin road engineer, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to permitting an apartment at Burnell Court, Malahide Road, to be used as a brothel between 22 February and 22 June 2011. He had initially rented the property to live with his Brazilian girlfriend, who worked in the escort industry, and after their split advertised it on an Irish escort website for €700 per week to help pay mortgages on three properties and support his wife and children. Gardaí obtained a search warrant on 22 June 2011, found two women entering the premises, and Lyons admitted the arrangement. He has been cooperating fully, has not trafficked the women or acted as a pimp, and has been on a three‑day working week after losing his pensionable job.
Kevin Roland, 62, a long‑distance lorry driver, and Seamus O'Hara, 29, a sales assistant, were sentenced to a combined eight years in prison for transporting €442,000 worth of heroin. Roland claimed he had picked up the drugs in Brussels from a Belgian or Dutch man, expecting €4,000 for transport, and planned to drop them off in an unlocked car in Ashtown, Co. Dublin. O'Hara was to drive the car to a business premises in Rialto. After stopping at a petrol station on the Navan Road, O'Hara drove to his Dublin city centre home and left white plastic bags of heroin at his front door. Both men pleaded guilty to possession of three kilos of heroin for sale or supply at Navan Road on 13 September 2012.
Clifford Whitehouse, 39, of Knockbrack Downs, Drogheda, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Chapel Street, Balbriggan, on 11 November 2013. He will be sentenced at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 24 February 2015, when the full facts will be heard.
Naoise O'Conarain (22), a soldier stationed at Cathal Brugha Barracks, is on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for alleged assaults on gardaí. He pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting gardaí Andrew Quinn and Fiachra Molloy, causing them harm at his home on March 10, 2013. He also denies assaulting gardaí Ross Foy, Kevin Keane, and Simon Butler on the same date. On day six of the trial, Detective Garda Kenny Ryan testified regarding the arrest of the accused at his barracks. Defence counsel Micheál O'Higgins SC questioned whether the arrest at the workplace was intended to cause "maximum embarrassment" to the accused. Det Gda Ryan denied this, stating it was "not at all" the case. He explained that he had first attempted to arrest O'Conarain at his residence but found him absent. After the accused's parents refused to pass on a message to present himself at Tallaght Garda Station, Det Gda Ryan inferred non-cooperation and proceeded to the barracks. The accused was arrested in the presence of army personnel, allowed to change out of his uniform, and then taken to the station. The trial continues before Judge Patrick McCartan and a jury.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, 31‑year‑old Calin Cucura of Derrynane Square, Dublin, pleaded not guilty to charges of false imprisonment and making a threat to kill. He is accused of being one of four men who abducted care assistant and father of nine, Sean Cummins, on 12 January 2010. Cummins testified that the men, dressed in black, forced him into a jeep, drove him to an unknown location, and threatened to cut off his fingers daily until his family paid money. Cummins was later released at a housing estate after the captors claimed his family had complied. The trial, presided over by Judge Patricia Ryan, continues before a jury of four women and eight men. The case focuses on the alleged abduction and threat, with no further convictions or sentencing reported in the article.
Anthony Harte, 24, of Inchicore, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to violent disorder at Morrisey's Pub in January 2013 and handling three stolen motorbikes in February 2012. Judge Mary Ellen Ring, who had previously adjourned sentencing to assess his suitability for community service, accepted a favourable probation report. She sentenced Harte to two years in prison but ordered him to carry out 220 hours of community service in lieu of custody, to be completed within one year. Richard O'Reilly, 29, also pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods during the same 2012 incident. Judge Ring ordered him to perform 160 hours of community service in lieu of a two-year prison term. Darren Foster, 35, who pleaded guilty to the same handling offence, received a two-year suspended sentence from Judge Ring last July. The court heard that Harte and Foster collected the bikes from a dealership, while O'Reilly assisted with the van. Prosecution evidence alleged Harte punched and kicked a victim during the pub altercation, though the victim and pub manager refused to make formal complaints. Defence counsel noted Harte had ceased drug use and that his prior convictions were for minor offences.
Edward McDonagh, a 35‑year‑old father of six from Lucan, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 15 charges of theft of property from the Health Service Executive and the Department of Social Welfare for the period August 2008 to April 2011. He used the false names Matthew Patterson and John Paul Ward to claim €22,193.80 and €21,789.44 respectively, while also claiming legitimate disability allowance. McDonagh admitted to using the same photograph on identification cards and to having been instructed by an unnamed person on how to obtain birth certificates and PPS numbers. He also confessed to excessive drinking, cocaine use and a heart attack at a young age. Judge Mary Ellen Ring adjourned sentencing to December, taking into account his attempts to repay the fraudulently claimed money and ordering a Probation Service report to assess suitability for community service. The case remains pending, with McDonagh remanded on bail awaiting sentencing.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, former bar and nightclub owners James Lambert (46) and David McKee (42) pleaded guilty to failing to manage and conduct work activities to ensure the safety, health and welfare of employees, resulting in the death of 31‑year‑old Stephen Hampson, who was crushed to death in a lift shaft at The Blu Bar. Lambert admitted to using the goods‑only lift despite prohibitive signs and to having threatened staff who used it. McKee, who had resigned as director in 2008, was found to have been present in the lift with Hampson an hour before the fatality and had previously been seen by staff as an authority figure. The judge, Mary Ellen Ring, ordered each man to carry out 200 hours of community service in lieu of a six‑month custodial sentence, warning that any further appearance before her would result in full prison time.
Rachel Breen, 46, of Skerries, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving that caused serious bodily harm to a six‑month‑old baby on Naul Road, Balbriggan, on 6 October 2012. Judge Desmond Hogan remanded her on continuing bail for sentencing on 18 December 2014.
A 51-year-old man charged with 50 counts of sexual offences against two young girls appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his committal from the District Court. The allegations relate to incidents alleged to have occurred between 2007 and 2011 at locations in Dublin and Donegal. The charges comprise 40 counts of child exploitation, three counts of sexual assault, and seven counts of defilement of a child under 17 years of age. The prosecution indicated that additional documentation from the Director of Public Prosecutions was still being gathered and would require a further four to six weeks to obtain. The defence indicated they had received substantial disclosure material the previous month. Judge Mary Ellen Ring adjourned the matter to 9 December 2014, when the defendant is expected to indicate his plea.
The trial of Naoise O'Conarain, a soldier stationed at Cathal Brugha Barracks, continued at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Patrick McCartan. O'Conarain, 22, of Kilnamanagh, has pleaded not guilty to assaulting five gardai—Andrew Quinn, Fiachra Molloy, Ross Foy, Kevin Keane, and Simon Butler—allegedly causing harm to Quinn and Molloy at his home on March 10, 2013. On day five, Garda Simon Butler testified that he arrived around 4am to find 20 to 40 people carrying alcohol. He stated that the accused's father, Gearoid, and brother, Oisin, were abusive and resisted arrest; Butler assisted in placing Oisin in a patrol van, during which O'Conarain allegedly kicked the van door, injuring Butler's finger. Butler denied seeing a colleague punch Gearoid in the head or striking him in the legs. Under cross-examination by Mícheál O'Higgins SC, Butler could not confirm if Garda Quinn used specific abusive language toward the public. The defense also questioned Butler's account of the crowd size. The matter was adjourned, with the trial continuing before a jury of four women and eight men.
A garda has been remanded in custody at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after being arrested on a bench warrant for failing to appear at a scheduled hearing. Garda Donal Maguire, aged 38, faces charges of harassing a woman at locations in Dublin during 2012 and early 2013. He was arrested at his mother's home in Bundoran, County Donegal, after Judge Mary Ellen Ring issued a warrant when he did not appear as directed. The accused, formerly of Kilbarrack in Dublin, told gardaí he lacked funds to travel for the court appearance, though this explanation was disputed by inspectors. His defence counsel indicated a bail application may be sought at the next hearing on November 10th. The judge stressed that no plea has yet been entered and the defendant remains presumed innocent pending trial.
Leonard Dumbrell, 26, from Wexford, led Gardaí on a high‑speed chase through Dublin's city centre after stealing a car in Ballsbridge. He drove the vehicle at speed, up the wrong way on one‑way streets, and crashed it at Temple Bar Square. The court heard he nearly knocked over pedestrians on O'Connell Bridge while evading police. Dumbrell pleaded guilty to car theft in Dublin 4 and two counts of dangerous driving in Dublin city centre on 2 January 2013. He has 108 prior convictions, including car thefts, assaulting a Garda and violent disorder. Judge Mary Ellen Ring remanded him in custody until sentencing but granted bail to attend an eight‑week residential drug treatment programme, with a four‑week after‑care programme to follow. The court warned that any breach of the bail bond would result in remand in prison. The case highlights the Gardaí's pursuit of a repeat offender with a serious drug problem.
James Noonan, aged 21, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment after being caught with nearly €37,000 of heroin in a 10‑litre mayonnaise bucket. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing heroin for sale or supply at Balgaddy fields, Ronanstown, on 17 April 2012. Noonan lives with his grandparents and works full‑time as a carer for his grandmother, who suffers from liver disease and dementia. Judge Mary Ellen Ring heard the case in January and, after a delay to benefit the grandmother, imposed the sentence. She suspended the last three years on strict conditions, requiring Noonan to keep the peace, behave well for three years and remain under Probation Service supervision for 12 months after release. Noonan had no prior convictions, and a probation report placed him at low risk of re‑offending. The court noted that he had been drinking and using a small amount of drugs at the time of the offence.
The trial of Naoise Conarain, a 22-year-old Dublin soldier, is ongoing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Patrick McCartan and a jury. Conarain, of Kilnamanagh, has pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting five gardai at his home on March 10, 2013. The accused denies assaulting Gardaí Andrew Quinn and Fiachra Molloy, causing them harm, as well as assaulting Gardaí Ross Foy, Kevin Keane, and Simon Butler on the same date. Testimony from Garda Quinn indicated he received between 25 and 30 stitches to his lip after allegedly being punched in the face while attempting to arrest a male who had assaulted a colleague. Quinn stated he was non-compliant and resistant, requiring physical restraint. He reported attending six counselling sessions and receiving sleeping tablets following the incident. Under cross-examination, Quinn described his actions as assertive rather than aggressive. Garda Kevin Keane described the scene as chaotic, alleging Conarain was screaming, shouting, and holding a blue disposable razor while attacking Quinn. Footage captured on an iPhone was shown to the jury. The matter remains at the trial stage and has not been finalised.
Mark Griffin, 26, of North Strand Road, was part of a violent protest during Queen Elizabeth's visit to the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square. He threw rocks, glass bottles, a bike and pushed a burning bin at riot police and a riot van. Griffin pleaded guilty to violent disorder on Dorset Street Upper on 17 May 2011 and had 71 prior convictions. Judge Mary Ellen Ring suspended a two‑and‑a‑half‑year prison sentence on the condition that he keeps the peace for that period. The court noted that a crowd of up to 150 people had gathered at the Spire on O'Connell Street, moved to Moore Street and then to Parnell Square, where they threw missiles at gardaí. Three riot vans were called in to control the crowd. Griffin admitted taking part in the riot "because everyone else was" and claimed he had also thrown a bike at a van.
Conor Egan, a 27‑year‑old bank worker from Kilmacredock, Maynooth, stole €100,000 from an AIB branch in Leixlip between January and November 2010. He moved the money to a Bank of Ireland account, then transferred it to various online bookmakers and used it to gamble. Egan admitted the thefts, which were premeditated and involved a breach of trust, and confessed to falsifying documents to conceal the thefts. He was caught when a colleague noticed missing cash during a day's leave. Egan's father, a retired Colonel, agreed to repay the bank in full using his retirement package, and Egan pledged to repay his father. Judge Patricia Ryan, noting Egan's good character and efforts to repay, imposed a four‑year sentence suspended in full for four years. The court recorded that Egan had no impact on customer accounts and that he had not spent the money on a lavish lifestyle. Conor Egan pleaded guilty.
A bench warrant has been issued for the arrest of a garda accused of harassment following his failure to appear at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Garda Donal Maguire, aged 38, faced charges of harassing a woman at a Dublin location during 2012 and again during 2012 and early 2013. He had been remanded on continuing bail in July with an instruction to appear for arraignment today. The accused, formerly resident in Kilbarrack, Dublin, is currently based in Bundoran, County Donegal. His defence counsel noted that Maguire had discharged himself from hospital in Sligo to attend his previous court date and requested discretion in executing the warrant given the circumstances involved. The prosecution indicated the accused is accessing mental health services, with certain concerns noted. Judge Mary Ellen Ring issued the warrant at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Thomas Stokes, 32, a father of seven, was sentenced to four years in prison for a series of robberies committed while under the influence of a head shop drug. He admitted to robbing Austrian tourist Elzbieta Steplewski (55) in Clonee on 2 July 2013, and to robbing Lea Giannone (51) and driving under the influence at the Regency Hotel in Whitehall on 29 July 2013. Stokes also stole from a Maxol Service Station on 2 July 2013. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Judge Martin Nolan imposed a consecutive term of four years, suspending the final two years on strict conditions. The court noted Stokes had 14 prior convictions for traffic offences and had no violent convictions since July. The sentencing followed his confession to the Gardaí and the testimony of witnesses who tracked his getaway car and provided vehicle registration details.
In October 2014 a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced a 43‑year‑old man to seven years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting his two nieces between 1991 and 2009. He was convicted on 41 counts; the jury disagreed on two additional counts. The older niece, aged eight to thirteen during the abuse, and the younger, aged six to eleven, were abused at the family home. The judge, Sarah Berkeley, imposed consecutive sentences totalling seven years, suspended the final two years, and ordered three years of post‑release supervision. The man is now on the sex offenders register. Victim impact statements described the abuse as having robbed the older girl of a normal adolescence and left the younger girl feeling violated, yet both expressed resilience. Gardaí learned of the allegations in 2010, and the accused denied all charges. No prior convictions were recorded. The defence highlighted the accused's character and medical difficulties.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 20 October 2014, Judge Martin Nolan, a former garda, declined a defence application to recuse himself from sentencing Derek Murphy, 45, who had pleaded guilty to robbing Portmarnock Credit Union of €2,205 and to producing a firearm while seizing a vehicle and using it while resisting arrest. Defence counsel Sean Guerin SC requested a different judge, citing Murphy's discharge of a firearm during the arrest as a potential conflict. Judge Nolan explained that his only prior experience with gardaí was as a police officer, and he refused to step aside, arguing that doing so would create "profound ramifications" for judges with past police roles. Prosecutor Melanie Greally BL confirmed the pleas were acceptable to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Judge Nolan remanded Murphy in continuing custody until 18 December for sentencing.
During the trial of Naoise O'Conarain, a 22‑year‑old accused of assaulting four Gardaí on 3 March 2013, Garda Fiachra Molloy denied that he had "over‑egged" injuries sustained while arresting the suspect. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC read a doctor's report stating that, apart from a sore thumb, the rest of Molloy's examination was normal and that he had received painkillers upon discharge from hospital. O'Higgins also highlighted that Molloy had not discussed the case with colleagues after the incident. The trial, presided over by Judge Patrick McCartan with a jury of four women and eight men, continues with the accused pleading not guilty to the assault charges. The article reports only the Garda's denial and the procedural context of the trial.
Paul O'Shea, aged 26, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, for threatening to kill former partner Louise Jackson and her colleague Stephen Preston on 2 January 2013 at Owensilla, Ballymun. He was also ordered to stay away from both victims for 20 years. O'Shea pleaded guilty and had 48 prior convictions, including indecent telephone messages, assault, robbery, theft and burglary. He was addicted to drugs at the time of the offences. The sentence runs consecutively to a two‑and‑a‑half‑year term he is currently serving for sexually assaulting a female student nurse. O'Shea had been in a relationship with Jackson for six years and they have a child. Jackson had broken up with him after he was charged with sexual assault. She had tried to leave his house but he threatened to "punch the head off her" and later to "slit her throat" with a knife.
Sunny Idah, a former CIE bus driver, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to soliciting another person to unlawfully import cocaine between September 14 and 19, 2010. The plea was entered a week after his trial commenced. Judge Catherine Murphy remanded Idah in custody for sentencing in December. Prosecutors alleged that Idah, using the alias Mr T, recruited two undercover gardaí posing as Polish nationals to swallow one kilogram of cocaine each in Brazil and smuggle it to Ireland. He offered each €5,000 for the transport of drugs with an estimated street value of €140,000. Idah was arrested the day the men were scheduled to depart. Idah had previously been sentenced to 13 years imprisonment for this and another drug trafficking offence, but that conviction was overturned by the Court of Criminal Appeal due to issues with the authorisation of secret recordings. Defence counsel Noel McCarthy SC noted Idah's remorse and lack of violent history, stating he had been in custody for four years. The matter was adjourned for sentencing in December.
John Humphrey, a 28‑year‑old Yorkshire man, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply. He had attempted to import €300,000 worth of cannabis herb into Ireland via Dublin Port, with customs officers discovering 15 kg of the drug concealed under the floor of a Renault van he drove from Holyhead. Humphrey, who had no prior convictions, claimed financial hardship and said he was paid €1,500 for driving the van. He admitted to travelling between Ireland and the UK to buy and sell horses and acknowledged that something "dodgy" was happening. Defence counsel presented letters from his wife and family, expressing shock and remorse, and argued that Humphrey was under severe financial pressure and did not know the full amount of drugs involved. The judge, taking into account his UK nationality and limited prison visits, imposed the four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence.
Michael Jones, a 30‑year‑old Belfast sex offender, was sentenced in Dublin for assaulting a security guard, James Bowe, at the Powerscourt Shopping Centre on 26 June 2010. Jones, who was intoxicated, entered the closed centre through an open goods delivery entrance, confronted Bowe, and pulled him to the ground. He struck Bowe's head, kicked and pummelled him, bit Bowe's index finger bone and palm, causing a fractured neck bone and bleeding. A jury convicted Jones in July 2010. Judge Desmond Hogan heard the case and remanded Jones in custody for sentencing next month. Garda Shane Moriarty noted Jones's prior 2007 conviction for indecent assault, a two‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term, and a suspended sentence that was breached in 2010 when he left Northern Ireland for Kildare. Jones has further convictions for theft, assault and traffic offences, and was recently sentenced to two years in prison for a robbery in June 2010. Michael Jones pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Mark Mulligan, 39, was found guilty of producing child pornography after a jury heard that he had engaged in online conversations with an unknown person, using the handle rodub82, in which he discussed raping, torturing and kidnapping children. Mulligan claimed the exchanges were "fantasy" and that he had never intended to act on them. He sent a non‑explicit photograph of a three‑year‑old boy and made statements about wanting to rape the boy's father, kill the boy's parents and kill the boy himself. The jury, after a one‑day trial, returned a unanimous verdict of guilty in 44 minutes. Judge Patricia Ryan remanded Mulligan in custody for sentencing in November. The case was presented as a private conversation between two men hiding behind assumed identities, but the court found the content amounted to child pornography. The article does not provide any further details about sentencing or subsequent proceedings. Mark Mulligan pleaded not guilty.
John Douglas, a 30‑year‑old convicted murderer, was sentenced to life in prison in July 2012 for the shooting death of a father‑of‑one in a parked car. In a separate incident, he pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a prison officer at Mountjoy Prison on 26 August 2008. Judge Martin Nolan ruled that a life sentence cannot be extended by an additional term, following a Supreme Court decision. Consequently, Douglas will not serve extra time beyond his life sentence. Instead, Nolan imposed an 18‑month sentence that will run concurrently with the life term, beginning immediately. Douglas, who has 95 prior convictions including a dangerous driving conviction that caused death, was hired to kill 31‑year‑old Aidan Byrne, a front‑seat passenger in a car driven by another man.
A 49-year-old man from Ballyjamesduff, Cavan was remanded in custody at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his arrest on two outstanding warrants. Paschal Kelly, originally from Dublin, was apprehended in Castlepollard, Westmeath on charges including failing to make a valid tax return and threatening to kill a member of An Garda Síochána. Detective Sergeant Daniel O'Driscoll gave evidence of the arrest. Mr Kelly also faced 13 road traffic offences, for which he appeared in the District Court. His defence counsel consented to a three-week custodial remand. He is due to return before the circuit court on 6 November.
In October 2014 a Laois man, Conor Moonen, aged 20, was ordered to pay €9,000 to Paul McNevin, a doorman at the Academy nightclub on Abbey Street, Dublin. Moonen, a DCU student at the time, and his group were denied entry to the nightclub. After being told to wait in the back of the queue, they were again denied entry. Moonen struck the doorman, fracturing a facial bone and dislocating an eye socket. McNevin later said he was lucky to avoid more serious injuries and that the assault forced him to give up door work, costing him €10,000. Moonen pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 20 January 2013. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑year suspended sentence, with the condition that Moonen pay the compensation, and declined a jail term due to his lack of prior convictions.
The trial of 22‑year‑old Naoise O'Conarain, a Dublin soldier, was adjourned for the day. He pleaded not guilty to assaulting five gardaí, including an alleged razor attack on Andrew Quinn and Fiachra Molloy at his home on 3 March 2013, and to assaults on Ross Foy, Kevin Keane and Simon Butler on the same date. Judge Patrick McCartan informed the jury that no further evidence would be heard today, with the trial resuming tomorrow.
Tony Walsh, a former priest known as the "Singing Priest," was convicted of raping and sexually abusing boys during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2010 he received a 16‑year sentence for raping and abusing three schoolboys, and in 2012 an additional 15‑month sentence was added for abusing two other boys. Walsh, aged 60, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of indecent assault and buggery, and had previously been convicted in 1997 of abusing six victims, initially sentenced to ten years but reduced to six on appeal. He appealed both sentences, but the Court of Criminal Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice John Murray, rejected the appeals, stating that the trial judges acted within their discretion and that the offences were of "utmost gravity" and "appalling nature." The court found no error in principle in the sentencing decisions and refused leave to appeal.
In 2011, Stephen Grant, aged 41, was sentenced to eight years in prison by Judge Martin Nolan after pleading guilty to possessing €1,976,244 worth of cannabis resin and drugs for sale or supply at a truck wash in Greenogue, Rathcoole. Evidence from a surveillance operation showed a white van entering Greenogue Industrial estate, which was seized by Gardai. At the sentence hearing, Grant's counsel argued that mitigating factors such as his early guilty plea, community contributions, low likelihood of reoffending, and significant rehabilitation efforts had not been adequately considered, while aggravating factors had been overemphasised. Judge Frank Clarke granted the appeal, increasing the imposed sentence to ten years but suspending the final four years. This adjustment reflects the court's recognition of Grant's rehabilitation progress, allowing potential early release if he continues to progress, while maintaining serious consequences for any further offences.
The Court of Criminal Appeal has reduced the sentences of Alan Bradley (40) and Wayne Bradley (35) by six months each following an appeal against convictions for conspiring to steal cash from Chubb Ireland on November 2, 2007, at Tesco, Celbridge, Co Kildare. Both men had previously pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. In April 2012, Judge Tony Hunt sentenced Alan Bradley to nine years with two years suspended and Wayne Bradley to seven years with 18 months suspended. Presiding Judge Mr Justice John MacMenamin found an error in principle in the original sentencing, noting that the trial judge appeared to start from the maximum ten-year penalty rather than assessing the case's position on the offending spectrum. Consequently, the appeal court determined that Alan Bradley's appropriate sentence was eight years with one-and-a-half years suspended. For Wayne Bradley, the court considered documentation regarding his health, including panic attacks and ankylosing spondylitis, and determined his appropriate sentence was six years with one year suspended. The court also congratulated gardai on their investigative work which prevented the commission of a more serious crime. The brothers had been involved in an attempted raid directed by the late Eamon Dunne, targeting a van containing nearly one million euro.
Kevin Jarlath Mitchell, 55, a former senior official at ACC Bank in Kilrush, was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to ten counts of theft, obtaining cash and a cheque under false pretenses, and falsifying a DIRT compliance certificate between January 1993 and February 2012. He stole €197,000 from pensioner John Patrick Ryan, who was led to believe his money was in a high‑interest account, and €250,000 from long‑term friends Patrick and Susan Flanagan. ACC Bank reimbursed Ryan and the Flanagans, and Mitchell surrendered his entire pension fund, valued at €600,000, as restitution. On appeal, the court found the offences very serious and, after considering Mitchell's restitution and lack of danger of reoffending, suspended the last two years of his sentence on the condition of good behaviour and keeping the peace.
In 2014 the Court of Criminal Appeal dismissed a man's appeal against his 2010 conviction for indecent assault on his daughter. The man, whose name is withheld, had been out on bail since June 2010. He had been convicted by a jury of four counts of indecent assault committed in the early 1980s, including one on Halloween night in his car. The original sentence was six years, with the final three years suspended on conditions. The appeal argued that evidence presented to the jury was inadmissible, that inconsistencies in the prosecution's case made the conviction unsafe, and that the judge's charge to the jury was inadequate. The appeal court rejected all grounds, finding no error in the judge's charge or in the admissibility of the evidence. The man will now serve approximately two years in prison, including time off for remission. The unnamed man was acquitted.
The Court of Criminal Appeal has adjourned a re-hearing of an appeal against the undue leniency of a sentence imposed on businessman Anthony Lyons. Lyons, 53, was convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of attacking and sexually assaulting a then 27-year-old woman in October 2010. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges. In July 2012, Judge Desmond Hogan sentenced him to six years' imprisonment, with five-and-a-half years suspended, and ordered him to pay €75,000 in compensation. The Director of Public Prosecution submitted that this sentence was unduly lenient, arguing the suspension failed to reflect the gravity of the offence and its impact on the victim and society. Counsel for Lyons, Mr Patrick Gageby SC, countered that the consequences of the conviction, including significant reputational damage and media scrutiny, were severe. He stated that Lyons would "always be notorious" and highlighted the impact on his family and business. The court, noting the complexity of the matter, reserved its judgment. Mr Justice Murray indicated that the decision would be notified to all parties during the next court term, which begins on June 18. The matter remains pending and has not been finalised.
The Court of Criminal Appeal will rehear an appeal against the six‑month custodial sentence imposed on businessman Anthony Lyons, aged 52, for a violent sexual assault. In November last year the three‑judge appeal court found the sentence "unduly lenient" but reserved its reasons and the replacement sentence. The appeal was delayed because Judge Michael Hanna was ill, requiring the court to be reconstituted. Lawyers for the Director of Public Prosecutions confirmed that the case will proceed as scheduled on Thursday, 29 May. Lyons, of Griffith Avenue, was jailed in July 2012 by Judge Desmond Hogan for attacking and sexually assaulting a 27‑year‑old woman on 3 October 2010. He pleaded not guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The original sentence was six years with five‑and‑a‑half years suspended, and he was ordered to pay €75,000 in compensation.
Trevor O'Shea, 36, was convicted of robbing 83‑year‑old Bridget Campbell outside the Pro‑Cathedral on 30 March 2010. The robbery left Campbell with a broken leg, fractured cheekbone, a laceration above her left eye and a hip pin. O'Shea received a five‑year sentence in March 2012, with one year suspended, after a five‑day trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He appealed the conviction, but on 12 May 2014 Mr Justice Liam McKechnie dismissed the appeal, stating the court would later give written reasons for the decision.
A civil engineer from Kingscourt, County Cavan, has been sentenced to three years in prison by the Court of Criminal Appeal for dangerous driving causing death. Ronan Cunningham, aged 30, had pleaded guilty to causing the death of Emanuel Mendez on the N7 Naas dual carriageway in October 2010 whilst driving whilst under the influence of alcohol. The original five-year suspended sentence imposed at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in 2012 was deemed unduly lenient and was overturned on appeal. Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman, presiding, described Cunningham's driving—travelling seven kilometres in the wrong direction after consuming approximately eight pints—as "hideous". The court also imposed a 15-year driving ban. Cunningham was afforded one week to arrange his personal affairs before commencing his sentence.
Three Dublin men—Jason Comerford (42), Don Brennan (38) and Dermot Griffin (54)—had their convictions quashed on appeal after being jailed in July 2011 for possession of €52,000 worth of heroin. The original sentences were 14 years for Griffin and ten years with two years suspended for each of the other two. The appeal court found that evidence presented at trial, including a large heroin cache discovered in Waterstown Park, was inadmissible and prejudicial, as it was unrelated to the charges of possession of the smaller quantity. Judge Patrick McCartan had admitted this evidence, but the Court of Criminal Appeal ruled it had been used inconsistently and for different purposes by the prosecution and the trial judge. Consequently, the convictions were overturned, and the case was referred for further consideration by the State. Jason Comerford pleaded not guilty. Don Brennan pleaded not guilty. Dermot Griffin pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Criminal Appeal has reserved judgment on the appeal of former priest Tony Walsh, who is contesting separate sentences of 16 years and 15 months for rape and sexual abuse of boys in the 1970s and 1980s. Walsh, known as the "Singing Priest," was convicted in 2010 of indecent assault and buggery against three schoolboys, and a 16‑year sentence was imposed. He pleaded guilty to additional counts of indecent assault in a west Dublin church and school between 1978 and 1985, and a further 15 months were added last year for abuse of two other boys. In 1997 he was convicted of abusing six victims and sentenced to ten years, later reduced to six on appeal. Counsel for Walsh argued for a reduction, citing a judge's comment and the non‑existence of the offence of buggery, while the DPP maintained that the sentences were separate and not cumulative. The court will decide at a later date.