Amy Reynolds, 38, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm after she broke a red light and collided with another car at Walkinstown Avenue and the Long Mile Road on the night of 2–3 January 2022. The impact left the other driver with a brain bleed, fractured skull and other injuries, requiring five weeks in hospital. Reynolds also admitted to leaving the scene to evade liability and driving without insurance or a licence. She was already disqualified from driving for five years at the time of the offence and had 26 previous convictions, many for traffic offences. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a headline sentence of five years, citing an "element of coercion" as a mitigating factor, but noted that a custodial term was unavoidable. He also extended her disqualification from driving for an additional five years. Amy Reynolds pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Martin Nolan faced uncertainty over how to sentence two 16‑ and 17‑year‑old boys charged with demanding money with menace during a drug‑debt dispute. The judge noted that suspended sentences are not available for juveniles, so he considered an 18‑month good‑behaviour bond that would require the boys to remain under Probation Service supervision for one year. He questioned counsel about consequences if the boys misbehave or fail to attend, and was told it would be difficult to enforce. After reviewing CCTV footage showing the boys, a third person, and a ringleader who has fled, the judge ruled that neither boy deserved detention and imposed the bond. Both pleaded guilty to the single count, with additional affray and trespass charges considered. The boys had no prior convictions, had recently finished their Leaving Certificate, and expressed remorse.
A 36‑year‑old Dublin man was jailed for three years after he beat his partner unconscious on 17 December, an act that left her seven‑year‑old son wandering the streets in pyjamas looking for help. The court heard the boy was found by a passer‑by who took him to safety and called the Gardaí. The victim, who was found bleeding and bruised, was taken to hospital and later told police that the man had been drinking and had punched her twice, causing her to lose consciousness. The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm. He had 14 prior convictions, mainly for public‑order and traffic offences. The judge, after noting his guilty plea, cooperation and apology letter, set a headline sentence of four years, reduced to three, citing mitigating factors.
An asylum seeker, Adel Kerai, 26, was jailed for two years and three months after sexually assaulting a 22‑year‑old woman in Dublin's city centre. Kerai had arrived in Ireland five days earlier and, after following the woman for up to half an hour, forced his way into her personal space on Henry Street on 10 December 2023. He attempted to kiss her, touch her genital area under her clothes and press his erect penis against her. The victim tried to escape, but Kerai was too strong. The incident lasted 30 minutes, parts of which were captured on CCTV. Kerai, who has four prior convictions in the UK and is seeking asylum from Algeria, pleaded guilty. Judge Martin Nolan set a headline sentence of four years, reduced to 27 months, and back‑dated it to the time of Kerai's arrest. The court noted the assault was uninvited and particularly frightening for the victim.
A jury has been empanelled for the trial of William Ryan, a 38‑year‑old Garda of Aughrim Station, who is charged with three counts of sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment of a woman at the station on 29 September 2020. Ryan appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, pleaded not guilty to all charges, and was informed that he is a serving member of An Garda Síochána. The trial, expected to last eight to nine days, will hear witnesses including Gardaí and senior detectives, and is scheduled to open tomorrow before Judge Elma Sheahan.
The strike by barristers caused a halt to several Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trials and the Central Criminal Court did not sit. Eight cases were listed for Court 7 at the Criminal Courts of Justice, all adjourned by Judge Patricia Ryan, most to tomorrow. No barristers were present; solicitors took notes of the adjournments. The strike, the second in a week, saw barristers outside the courthouse protesting fee cuts of 28–60% from 2008 to 2011. They plan to withdraw services again on 24 July. The action began in October 2023, with barristers claiming the Government failed to honour a commitment to review fee rates. 'Devil' barristers, including Áine Holt and Darren Lalor BL, joined senior colleagues, demanding an immediate pay increase for District Court barristers and arguing that current fees of €27.72 per application are unfair and unsustainable. They insist that restoring fees would allow them to remain in practice.
In a tragic incident that occurred on 12 January 2018, Alexander Kondrashyn died after jumping from the cargo vessel The Elptrader at Dublin Port. The ship's gangway, which should have been secured to the quayside, had been removed before midnight, contrary to maritime regulations that require a safe means of access and egress for people boarding or disembarking. Kondrashyn, who was socialising with the ship's master Sergej Stolbov and the master of another vessel, jumped from the ship with another man at about 4.30 am. While the other man landed on the quay, Kondrashyn fell into the water, was recovered unresponsive and later died in hospital. The court heard CCTV footage showing the gangway in place at 11.19 pm and its removal before midnight. Stolbov pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the gangway remained in position, a summary offence punishable by a fine of €500.
Mark Adams, a 44‑year‑old former male model and airport police officer, was surrendered to Northern Ireland after a series of money‑laundering convictions. He had previously been jailed in the Republic for laundering about €1.2 million and for carrying €180,550 through Belfast International Airport in May 2018, an act he admitted was criminal property. In January 2022 at Laganside Crown Court he pleaded guilty to attempting to remove and arranging to remove criminal property, each offence carrying up to 14 years' imprisonment. He received a 10‑month sentence in May 2022, with an additional 10 months on licence, to run consecutively to a term he was already serving in the Republic. In August 2021 he was temporarily surrendered to attend court in the North and was returned to the Republic in June 2022 after 10 months' custody.
Michael Farrell, aged 32, was sentenced to six years in prison with the final six months suspended for assault, threatening to kill, and possessing a realistic imitation firearm. He has 231 prior convictions, including violent offences, and has a mild intellectual disability and a serious brain injury from a childhood accident. Farrell argued that the judge failed to give adequate weight to his personal circumstances and that the suspended portion was too short. Counsel Karl Monahan BL contended that a longer suspension would aid rehabilitation, citing Farrell's complex needs and developmental issues. State counsel Derek Cooney BL maintained that the judge had applied appropriate mitigation and that Farrell's history of recidivism justified the sentence. The court reserved judgment on the appeal. Farrell had previously threatened a female Garda with ammonia and attacked two prison officers in 2022. The firearm incident occurred in 2020 when Farrell displayed a realistic imitation weapon in his garden. Michael Farrell pleaded guilty.
Lee Murray, 29, was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment after breaking into his childhood home in Blanchardstown on 2 October 2023. He smashed the front‑door window, entered the house, shouted for money to buy drugs and assaulted his grandfather and his aunt. Murray grabbed his grandfather by the top of his head and forced his aunt upstairs, where he struck her twice on the head with a metal pot. The aunt fell and was injured; she declined hospital treatment and no victim impact statement was made. Murray fled the scene but was re‑arrested 45 minutes later. He pleaded guilty to assaulting his grandfather and assault causing harm to his aunt, with 47 prior convictions including assault and production of an article. The court noted his long‑standing drug addiction and his attempts at rehabilitation. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the custodial term, describing the incident as a shocking experience for the aunt.
Nathan Roche, 28, admitted to gardaí that he had supplied his bank details to a person who claimed it was a tax‑back scheme, and that he was not the "brightest star" in the operation. He pleaded guilty to possessing €1,550 as proceeds of crime in June 2021. The court heard that Roche's account was used to move €1,550 into his account, a figure among the lowest in the investigation. Between January 2020 and September 2021, 308 electronic payments were made from Trinity College's hardship fund to accounts of people who had never attended the university. A staff member at Trinity was involved in the theft of a large amount of the money. Roche's defence lawyer, Kevin Roche BL, said his client had no connection to the person who stole the money. The case was adjourned to the end of July, with the judge asking for more information from the defence.
Two men, one named Jason Kelly (53) with 160 prior convictions, broke into a Ray‑Ban shop on Grafton Street at 1:30 a.m. using a steel stanchion to smash the reinforced glass door. They stole 170 pairs of designer sunglasses and eyeglasses, worth €27,089, and packed them into a sleeping bag before leaving. The robbery was captured on CCTV. Kelly pleaded guilty to the burglary and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge noted the shop was empty, Kelly was under the influence, and the pair caused over €4,000 of damage to the door. Kelly is already serving a separate sentence and has a long history of offending, mostly in the District Court. The court heard he has a heroin addiction, a brain injury, and several health problems, and that he intends to seek treatment and study while in custody. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Joseph Joyce, 31, with 110 prior convictions, was sentenced to four years in jail for stealing €16,000 from a woman after overhearing her conversation with a bank teller. The theft occurred on August 26, 2019, when Joyce and a co‑accused followed the woman to her home, smashed her car window, and stole her handbag containing cash, an iPhone, dollars, vouchers and jewellery. Joyce pleaded guilty to one count of theft, and the initial robbery charge was reduced. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Martin Nolan set a headline sentence of five to six years but reduced it to four years due to Joyce's rehabilitation efforts and family circumstances. Joyce is currently serving the sentence, which is due to expire in January 2026. The victim's losses remain substantial.
In a south Dublin incident, 51‑year‑old Guillermo Salazar drove a Peugeot through a red light and struck a 12‑year‑old girl crossing the road. The child sustained a swollen temple, a cut eyebrow and required hospital treatment, but has since fully recovered. Salazar, who initially faced a dangerous driving charge, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious bodily harm. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, he received a nine‑month suspended sentence, with no driving disqualification imposed. The court noted Salazar's "momentary lapse in concentration," his cooperation with Gardaí, and the absence of alcohol or prior convictions. The judge highlighted the child's injuries as not severe and accepted mitigating factors, concluding that the suspended sentence was appropriate under strict conditions. The case remains at the sentencing stage, with no further legal actions reported.
Philip Ogbewe, a 59‑year‑old from Drogheda, was jailed for six and a half years for endangerment after he performed circumcisions on seven boys in their homes between 2018 and 2019. He charged parents €300‑€350, used anaesthetic spray in some cases but not all, and was on bail for a prior 2015 circumcision that caused hospitalisation. Ogbewe pleaded guilty to seven counts of endangerment and seven counts of assault causing harm. Judge Elma Sheahan noted the absence of anaesthesia in several incidents, the children's lack of long‑term harm, and Ogbewe's acceptance of wrongdoing. She imposed a global sentence of seven and a half years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions to encourage rehabilitation. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Piotr Grycuk, 45, was found in possession of 10,347 images and three videos of child sexual abuse, including 30 in the most serious category. He pleaded guilty on 23 July 2018. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, after noting that he had not reoffended since a raid six years earlier and had undergone extensive therapy, imposed a three‑year sentence fully suspended. He is required to be supervised by Probation Services for 18 months. The court highlighted his insight, remorse, and low risk of reoffending, and noted that he had no prior convictions. The raid uncovered seven devices containing the material; Grycuk had voluntarily handed over memory cards and provided passwords. The case was brought to the court following an American law‑enforcement lead that supplied an IP address. The judge emphasised that the offence carries public odium and shame, and that Grycuk will suffer considerably in this regard.
In Dublin, a barristers' strike halted criminal proceedings. Only five cases were scheduled in Court 7 of the Criminal Courts of Justice, but Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned them to the next day. The Central Criminal Court, which was handling several sexual‑abuse trials, did not sit at all. Jury members were told they were not required and were sent home at 10:30 am. No barristers were present; solicitors noted the adjournments. Barristers protested outside the courthouse, citing a 28‑60 % fee cut between 2008 and 2011 and a government failure to conduct an independent fee review promised in Budget 24. They plan to withdraw again on 15 July and 24 July, marking an escalation of the strike that began in October 2023. The strike is driven by a demand for the restoration of fee rates, not a pay rise. The courts are expected to resume tomorrow.
Eoin Claxton, 37, a hotel worker who fell into debt during the pandemic, was jailed for 18 months after a Garda posing as a courier delivered a package containing 4.8 kg of cannabis herb worth €79,824 to his home in Rathgar. Claxton pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale or supply on 14 December 2020. He had been laid off, isolated, and started gambling recklessly, building a debt of €8,000‑€9,500. He accepted a deal to take the drugs to pay off the debt. At an earlier hearing Judge Elma Sheahan accepted his remorse and the gambling debt but imposed a custodial sentence, suspending the final 18 months. Claxton was arrested at the delivery, his home searched, and his phone seized. He has 36 prior convictions, mainly traffic offences, and had been promoted twice at the hotel. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Joseph French, 33, of Neilstown Park, Clondalkin, was sentenced to five years in prison, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions, after pleading guilty to attempted robbery on 18 July 2021 and a robbery on 21 July 2021. The attempted robbery took place at Centra, Kingswood Shopping Centre, where French, armed with a large knife, demanded money from a staff member and was stopped by a customer. CCTV captured him leaving a Tesco plastic bag, which later yielded his DNA. The robbery at Applegreen, Clondalkin, involved a black rubber mallet; French forced a staff member to open the till and took just over €350 before leaving a plastic bag that again provided DNA evidence. French had 139 prior convictions, including a four‑year sentence for a 2020 robbery and a consecutive four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for the 18 July 2021 robbery.
Sean Keenan, 28, of Rosse Court Heights, Balgaddy, was sentenced to 27 months in prison for stealing a Peugeot 206 and its keys from a home in Holywell View, Swords, on 17 September 2022. He used a fishhook to snatch the keys from the hallway. Keenan has 118 prior convictions covering theft, assault, and other offences. Garda Brian Murphy presented CCTV footage and evidence from a search of Keenan's house. Keenan pleaded guilty, admitting intoxication and drug influence at the time of the crime. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted his early guilty plea and cooperation as mitigating factors, suspended the final 12 months of the sentence for 12 months, and ordered probation supervision for one year after release. Keenan is currently serving a three‑year sentence and is due for release in May 2025.
A trial date of 23 February 2026 has been set at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for three Gardaí accused of burglary and perverting the course of justice. Robert Gorman, aged 43, is charged with burglary of a basement flat at Mountjoy Square North on 7 September 2021, and with two counts of perverting the course of justice: one for allegedly signing information for a search warrant for that flat between 30 September and 30 December 2021, and another for allegedly creating three incidents on the Garda Pulse computer system on 21 September 2021. Ciaran Whelan, aged 51, is charged with burglary of the same basement flat on 7 September 2021, burglary of a flat on Kenilworth Road on 19 June 2021, and three counts of perverting the course of justice between 25 August and 27 September 2021, including a false report to a superintendent and amended data on the Garda Pulse system.
Chestin Hoogenboom, 37, a Dutch national, was jailed after admitting she smuggled more than €26,000 worth of cocaine into Dublin Airport. Customs officials stopped her at Terminal One when an X‑ray revealed an anomaly in her luggage, which contained €12,000 worth of cocaine. Gardaí questioned her and she was taken to Beaumont Hospital, where she removed an additional €14,000 worth of cocaine from inside her body. The total weight of cocaine removed from her luggage and her person was 0.38 kilograms. Hoogenboom pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply on 9 November last year and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. She cooperated fully, made an early guilty plea, and has no prior convictions in this jurisdiction or abroad. The court noted she is studying law and judicial decision‑making and that she has mental health issues and two teenage children in the care of a friend.
A 29‑year‑old non‑national was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment for assault causing harm, threats to kill and criminal damage after a three‑hour attack on his former partner in her Dublin home during the Covid lockdown. The court heard that the defendant and the victim had a volatile relationship for three years. On 12 February 2021, he struck the woman on the head and body, called her a "bitch" and a "whore", threatened to kill her and said he would "smash her head in" before leaving at 1 a.m. Four days later, on 16 February, he returned, again called her a "whore", threatened to kill her, grabbed and smashed her iPhone, and the victim's child was present. He was arrested on 1 April 2021, pleaded guilty, and admitted the assault but not the full extent of the victim's account.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Martin Nolan restored the driving licence of 27‑year‑old Shane Ward early, cutting his six‑year disqualification to four years and nine months. Ward had been convicted in February 2021 of dangerous driving causing serious harm, driving without insurance and leaving the scene after striking 28‑year‑old Ms Radhika Lausin on a footpath at Drimnagh Luas. Lausin suffered a brain bleed, multiple facial fractures and a broken arm, and has undergone two operations. Ward fled the scene, later escaping on a friend's scrambler, and did not assist the investigation before pleading guilty. Despite Garda objections citing the severity of Lausin's injuries, the judge accepted Ward's rehabilitation efforts, noting his business venture and tax compliance, and ruled that the court should not impede his rehabilitation. Ward can resume driving in November 2025. The decision was made after a hearing on 3 July 2024.
A 24‑year‑old victim of a Temple Bar gang attack, who suffered slash wounds to his face and puncture wounds to his back, neck and arms, was left with permanent facial scarring and severe anxiety. He lost six months' earnings and now lives in constant worry, avoiding large gatherings. In a victim impact statement read by his partner, he described the assault as a "senseless act of violence" that shattered his life and left him with a "deep‑seated frustration" because most of the assailants are still free. Jordan Maguire, the only attacker identified from CCTV, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to three years and nine months' imprisonment. The court accepted that Maguire was not responsible for the most serious head and facial injuries, which required life‑saving surgery. The sentencing reflected the seriousness of the gang attack.
In July 2024, a 25‑year‑old repeat offender was jailed for three and a half years after a violent incident in January 2022. While on bail, he entered his former partner's apartment, threatened to "rip her head off", slapped her, and tried to force her back inside. He then placed their four‑month‑old baby in an unstrapped buggy, causing the child to fall and injure his head. He refused to hand the baby over, threatened the woman's family, and tried to intimidate her with a key. The court found him guilty of criminal damage, making threats to kill or cause serious harm, assault, and child cruelty. Sentences of 20 months for child cruelty, two years and nine months for criminal damage, and five months for assault were imposed concurrently, with a total custodial term of three and a half years.
In a Dublin post office robbery on 11 November 2023, Mark O'Grady (35) and Paul Bradley (43) were jailed for six years each. Both pleaded guilty to robbery and to possessing an imitation firearm that resembled a handgun. O'Grady held the imitation gun at the entrance, preventing entry and exit, while Bradley entered with a third man, Lee Conlon (44), who drove the gang in a stolen car. Conlon smashed the protective glass with a scaffolding pole, stole €20,000 from the counter, and fled. The robbery was quickly stopped; the getaway car was identified and the money recovered. A customer with a three‑year‑old grandchild had to dive on her grandson to protect him when a bang was heard. All three men were arrested within minutes and received six‑year sentences for the robbery, with five years concurrent on the firearms charge. Conlon had previously been jailed for six years for a separate burglary.
Mary O'Sullivan, a 52‑year‑old housewife from Ballymakealy Grove, Celbridge, was involved in an €65,000 online fraud after she set up a bank account for a man she believed to be a US soldier. The account was used to transfer the proceeds of an invoice‑redirection scam carried out by criminals. O'Sullivan pleaded guilty to money laundering on the basis of recklessness. The court noted her vulnerability, low intellectual ability and emotional state during a marital breakdown, and that she did not understand the fraud was occurring. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended in full, citing her low culpability and the lack of prior convictions. No jail term was imposed, and the case highlighted the victim's loss of over €65,000, with some assets seized in Nigeria but no recovery of the money.
A woman from County Roscommon has received a four-year prison sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for money laundering offences connected to proceeds of prostitution. Ivanilce Vailones, aged 47, pleaded guilty to five counts of money laundering between 2018 and 2021, with ten additional counts taken into consideration. The court heard that gardaí investigations revealed two bank accounts linked to Vailones containing approximately €126,000. Evidence included CCTV footage showing her withdrawing funds using a card belonging to a former sex worker. Justice Patricia Ryan imposed a sentence of four years with the final 28 months suspended for two years. Vailones has already served an equivalent period on remand, meaning she will serve no additional custodial time. The judge noted mitigating factors including her guilty plea, remorse, and employment since release. A co-accused in related proceedings received a four-year sentence with two years suspended.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, former manager Donal Moroney, aged 70, was fined €500 for unlawfully storing and administering the euthanasia drug Dolethal to two dogs at Ashton Dog Pound in Castleknock on 24 July 2020. The drug, containing Pentobarbital Sodium, is only permitted to be stored at a veterinary practice and administered intravenously by a qualified vet. Moroney pleaded guilty to three counts: using the pound to store a veterinary‑only remedy, possessing it without being a vet, and allowing a layperson to give it orally to a Bichon Frise and an Akita. The court noted that staff lacked the experience or qualifications to handle the drug, described Moroney's culpability as "quite low," and considered mitigating factors such as his guilty plea, cooperation with Gardaí, long history of animal care, and serious health problems. He was ordered to pay the fine within three months.
Raul Rodriguez Ramirez, 36, was convicted of fraud for taking €29,042 from 18 international students who had paid for language courses in Dublin. He used the money to invest in a restaurant that failed during the pandemic, instead of enrolling the students. The students suffered financial loss, psychological distress, and some had to sleep in a church doorway or could not travel home. Ramirez pleaded guilty and paid €18,050 as a token of remorse. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced him to 18 months in prison on each count, to run concurrently, and suspended the final nine months for two years. The €18,050 was ordered to be divided pro‑rata among the 18 victims. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 27 June 2024.
Ann Wilson, 44, of Kilcock, Co Kildare, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for fraudulently claiming over €35,000 following a staged car crash. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three-year prison sentence but suspended it in full, citing Wilson's parental responsibilities for her son, who was paralysed in an unrelated accident. Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of dishonestly inducing AXA Insurance to pay personal injuries between February 1, 2013, and July 15, 2014. The incident involved a low-velocity collision at Ballycullen Roundabout on February 4, 2013, where Wilson was driving and her partner, Thomas O'Neill, was an occupant. O'Neill, 47, previously pleaded guilty to one count of deception and was jailed for two years as an "active participant" in the scheme. Deirdre Mellor, 54, O'Neill's sister and a passenger in the other vehicle, pleaded guilty to attempted deception and previously received a suspended two-year prison sentence; she did not proceed with an insurance claim as it was statute-barred. AXA Insurance identified the parties as connected via social media during its investigation. Wilson received €21,595 for herself, €550 for material damages, and €14,000 for her son in a civil case. The court noted that none of the money was recovered. Wilson has four previous road traffic convictions, while O'Neill has 70 previous convictions, and Mellor has one previous conviction for driving without insurance.
A 32‑year‑old former restaurant owner was jailed for assaulting his wife on 19 October 2022, an incident that took place at their family home. During the attack he spat on her, threatened to kill her, and knelt on her neck, causing her to struggle to breathe. The wife, who was texting her sister at the time, said she feared she would die and that the assault had left her with lasting mental health effects, including PTSD, anxiety, depression and panic attacks. The court, hearing the case under the Domestic Violence Act, imposed a custodial sentence of two years and three months, with the final 12 months suspended on conditions such as completing a programme to help men overcome violence. The husband had no prior convictions and had recently sold his restaurant businesses to focus on family and therapy. The unnamed 32-year-old pleaded guilty.
Daniel O'Connell, 42, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin for sale or supply after a Garda search of his home in Cherry Orchard Park, Ballyfermot, uncovered 113 g of diamorphine worth €15,904. He claimed he was holding the drugs for a third party to reduce a €5,000 debt and said it was the first and last time he would hold drugs. O'Connell, who has 19 prior convictions including three drug offences, voluntarily contacted Gardaí after the search and attended the station the next day. Judge Orla Crowe, noting his efforts to turn his life around and his engagement with addiction treatment, imposed a two‑year suspended sentence, suspended in its entirety for three years, and ordered 12 months of supervision and after‑care support. The court also heard that he has a job offer and has completed an up‑skilling programme.
Eoin Hannan, aged 50, appealed a four‑year jail sentence imposed for harassing Ciara Hassett, claiming the punishment was too harsh for a case he described as "mistakenly sending romantic letters to the wrong girl." He was convicted in April 2022 after a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for repeatedly contacting Hassett between February and August 2020, despite Garda warnings that she did not welcome his behaviour. Hannan also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of harassing Hassett's father between January and February 2021. He argued that his bipolar affective disorder and a psychotic episode in September 2023, which required treatment at the Central Mental Hospital, should have been considered. Hannan presented himself at the Court of Appeal, requesting a commutation or suspension of his sentence, while the State's counsel maintained that the sentence reflected the seriousness of the persistent, non‑violent offence and the impact on the victim. The court reserved judgment on the appeal.
Wade O'Brien, 32, of Wicklow, was sentenced to three years in prison for his central role in a savage attack on a homeless man at Rathsallagh Park, Shankill, on 5 April 2021. O'Brien pleaded guilty to affray, and the court accepted the plea based on full facts. CCTV footage showed O'Brien entering the victim's house, beating him with a baseball bat, and then bundling him into the boot of a car that had been pre‑arranged with the boot open. The victim was later found bleeding heavily and required medical treatment for a fractured wrist and severe bruising. O'Brien's 172 prior convictions, including 42 for road traffic offences, were noted. The judge set a headline sentence of five years, reduced to four, with the final year suspended on strict conditions, including remaining drug and alcohol‑free for the term. The case highlighted the victim's lack of cooperation and the strong evidence presented by the prosecution.
Chantal Johnston, 37, of Crumlin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and dangerous driving after she attacked a Domino's Pizza delivery driver on 9 July 2022. The victim, a health and safety officer who also worked part‑time for Domino's, described the assault as "like a vicious animal" and said Johnston called him a "bloody foreigner" and a "little Paki". Johnston bit the man's leg, drove her car toward him, and threatened to kill him. The court heard she had taken large amounts of anti‑depressants and was under the influence. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced her to 18 months, suspended for three years, and imposed a mandatory driving disqualification. Johnston also agreed to pay €1,000 to the victim as a token of remorse. No prior convictions were recorded. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 46‑year‑old Greek pizza delivery driver Georgious Nikolas pleaded guilty to importing 13.8 kg of cannabis, valued at about €276,000, after customs officials discovered the drugs in his luggage on 19 October. Nikolas had believed he was transporting tax documents for a business, not drugs, and was shocked, angry and upset when told the contents. He admitted to the customs officers and later to Gardaí, claiming he wanted extra money for his son's education and had been offered €500 by an acquaintance. He had no prior convictions in Ireland or elsewhere. The judge, citing his cooperation, early guilty plea, lack of previous convictions and personal circumstances, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, back‑dated to his arrest, and suspended the final 18 months, leaving him in custody for the remaining 18 months.
Shem Maher, 26, was sentenced to three years in prison for a violent robbery at Usher Street, Dublin 8, on 27 October 2021. He attacked a young woman, knocking her to the ground, punching and kicking her, ripping her bra and grabbing her breasts while shouting "Where's my drugs?" Forensic DNA evidence linked him to the bra. Maher denied the offences but pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery. He had seven prior convictions and had been in custody since March. The court noted the victim's fear of rape and her attempt to flee, as well as the presence of a second injured party who was also frightened. Judge Jonathan Dunphy imposed a headline sentence of six years, reduced to four years concurrent sentences, suspended the final year, and credited Maher for time served. The case involved a robbery with invasive search and physical assault, with no evidence that either victim had drugs.
Charles Santos, a 30‑year‑old Deliveroo rider from Adelaide Road, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis, cannabis resin, cocaine and MDMA after a Garda search of his bedroom on 15 February 2023. The search, conducted under a warrant, uncovered €9,328.60 worth of drugs in shoe boxes and a chest of drawers. Santos admitted to using cannabis and buying large amounts with friends, but denied knowledge of the remainder of the drugs. He claimed the shoe boxes were left in his room after a trip to Brazil. The court noted that the house, a six‑bedroom dwelling, appeared "riddled with drugs from top to bottom." Santos had no prior convictions and was cooperative. Judge Pauline Codd, considering his early guilty plea and lack of previous offences, imposed a ten‑month prison sentence, suspended in full for two years, and required him to remain drug‑free during that period.
Paul Olunaike, a 34‑year‑old professional dancer and father of four, pleaded guilty to possessing €13,738 as proceeds of crime in his bank account on 25 August 2020. He had used €13,000 of laundered money to buy a €609 juicer, a €404.99 food processor and an oil extractor machine. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, after noting his significant shame and remorse, ordered him to complete 240 hours of community service within two years in lieu of an 18‑month sentence. Olunaike transferred €4,000 of the laundered money to his mother and gave €2,000 to the prosecuting Garda as a contribution toward losses. He has no further contact with Gardaí since the incident, and the court described him as a hardworking man and a father with many responsibilities. The juicer and food processor were to be donated to a local charity or refuge.
Joseph Doyle, 42, of Queen Street, Dublin 7, was sentenced to five years in prison for robbery and assault causing harm after attacking a 39‑year‑old man in Haymarket, Smithfield. The victim was left unconscious with a skull fracture and facial fractures. CCTV showed Doyle punching the victim, stealing his phone and wallet, and leaving him on the ground. Doyle pleaded guilty in the District Court and later admitted the attack to Gardaí, though he had no memory of it. The victim suffered significant physical and psychological injuries, including loss of hearing, blurred vision, headaches, depression, and anxiety. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a six‑year sentence, suspended one year on strict conditions, and noted Doyle's cooperation and remorse. Doyle has been in custody since the incident.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced four men for their roles in a violent incident in East Wall, Dublin, where a drug buyer sustained a traumatic brain injury after reversing his car at a group. Daryl Donnery (23) pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and affray, receiving a two-year, nine-month sentence with the final 12 months suspended. Dylan Martin (21) pleaded guilty to affray and was sentenced to two years, suspended in full on strict conditions. Josh Doran (23) and Brandon Leech (25) both pleaded guilty to affray and production of an article, respectively. The judge set headline sentences of three years for both, reduced to two years after considering mitigating factors. The matter for Leech and Doran was adjourned for 12 months to allow engagement with probation services. The court noted that none of the four were involved in the drug transaction that precipitated the violence. Donnery has five previous convictions, while Leech, Doran, and Martin each have 15. The injured man, who is now the subject of a European Arrest Warrant, discharged himself from hospital against medical advice after nine days.
A man from Wicklow has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking offences at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Ryon Fitzpatrick, aged 34 and with an address in Enniskelly, was arrested in October 2020 as he accompanied a van containing approximately 304 kilograms of cannabis concealed in shoeboxes near Swords, County Dublin. The drugs, imported from Spain, had an estimated street value of €6.08 million. Fitzpatrick, who was driving a lookout vehicle, fled to Spain following his initial arrest and questioning but was apprehended there last year and extradited to Ireland in December. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a headline sentence of eleven and a half years, reduced to nine years following mitigation, with the final two and a half years suspended on conditions. Two co-accused, Anthony Kinghorn and Mark Nesbitt, both from England, were separately convicted and received eight-year sentences in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
David Weir, 49, of Eastham Park, Bettystown, was found guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of possession of cannabis for sale or supply in his home and in Raheny on 22 February 2021. He admitted possession of an air rifle and had seven prior convictions, including drug and traffic offences. Weir was arrested after handing a large black bag of cannabis to taxi driver Mark Byrne, the target of a Garda surveillance operation. Gardaí seized 5 kg of cannabis at Byrne's home and 2.7 kg at Weir's Bettystown home, along with an air rifle, weighing scales and a vacuum packaging machine. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Weir to seven years, suspended the final two and a half years on the condition of good behaviour, and imposed a five‑year custodial term. The judge noted Weir's advanced lung disease and mental health history, and considered these factors in the sentencing. The case highlights the role of a "gillie" in drug distribution.
Jordan Cunningham, 31, was sentenced to six years in prison after a judge reinstated part of a four‑year suspended sentence for a burglary he had breached. He had previously pleaded guilty to threatening to kill a female worker at Paddy Power on James' Street on 5 July and to attempting to rob Harcourt Launderette and Dry Cleaners on 4 November. In the betting shop incident, he entered at about 5 pm, shouted at the lone employee, kicked the counter, spat at the perspex screen, smashed the credit‑card machine, and threatened to slash the employee's face. A customer intervened and the employee called 999; CCTV identified Cunningham. In the launderette, he entered at 11:30 am, demanded payment, became aggressive, attempted to access the till, and was pushed out by staff.
A 27‑year‑old father of four was jailed for more than five years after attempting to attack his former partner and her mother with a knife in their Foxrock home while two of his children slept. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on 31 August 2021 and 5 September 2021, to threatening to damage the former partner's home, and to threatening to breach a safety order while on bail on 24 September 2022. The court noted 15 prior convictions, including assault, and that the offences were committed while he was on bail. Judge Martina Baxter sentenced him to 3½ years for the August assault, 3 years for the September assault, 2½ years for the bail‑related threats, and 8 months for the safety‑order threat, back‑dated to May. The final 18 months were suspended on conditions including participation in the Men Overcoming Violent Emotions group.
A 23‑year‑old American woman, Tamia Forbes, was found guilty of possession of cannabis for sale or supply after she transported a locked suitcase containing 27 vacuum packs of cannabis worth €260,000 into Dublin Airport. Forbes claimed she believed the drugs were legal in Ireland and said she had financial difficulties. She pleaded guilty and had no prior convictions. The court, mindful of the impact of drug trafficking, imposed a headline sentence of eight years but, considering her youth, guilty plea, character references and mitigating circumstances, reduced the sentence to five years with the final two and a half years suspended. The suspended portion is conditional on Forbes leaving the jurisdiction within three weeks of her release. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 17 June 2024.
Victoria Dalton, 28, pleaded guilty to theft at a Circle K petrol station in Dundrum on 24 March 2020. She entered the shop at about 9:15 pm, asked for children's medicine, and was then approached by a man who held a knife to her throat and demanded €120 from the till. The staff, fearing for their safety, complied. Dalton later claimed she had been acting as a victim and denied participation in the robbery. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced her to 18 months' imprisonment, suspending the final nine months, and directed her to probation supervision for two years. The sentence was back‑dated to 30 March 2020, when she entered custody. Dalton has a history of drug addiction and a prior conviction for possession of drugs for personal use in March 2022. She is currently receiving treatment and intends to attend a residential drug programme after release.
Ogaga Ogheneyoma, aged 17 when €31,842 was transferred into his AIB account as part of an invoice redirect fraud, pleaded guilty to handling the proceeds of crime on 19 November 2018. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing in 2024, noted he was now 22, a fourth‑year accounting student at TU Dublin, living with his parents in Lucan and working part‑time. Judge Orla Crowe applied Section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, imposing a €500 fine and a deferred 12‑month sentence, citing his youth, lack of prior convictions and significant progress since the offence. After paying the fine and avoiding any Garda attention, the court discharged him from the indictment. The case was originally uncovered when AIB reported fraudulent activity, and Gardaí found the money had been diverted from Universal Forest Products, a US company. Ogheneyoma's probation report placed him at low risk of reoffending and no supervision was required.