An English‑language student, aged 24, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of sexually assaulting his 79‑year‑old landlady in her Dublin home on the night of 17 March 2023. The court heard that the student, who had recently arrived from Asia and had lived in Ireland for only three weeks, had been out socialising and had drunk alcohol for the first time, consuming six pints of beer. He entered the landlady's bedroom, climbed into her bed, pressed his body against her and rubbed her thighs. She woke, discovered him, shouted for him to leave, alerted other lodgers, called her daughter and Gardaí, and he was arrested. He spent six weeks in custody before being granted High Court bail. The judge, citing the breach of trust and the student's cooperation, remorse and lack of prior convictions, imposed an 18‑month sentence, suspended on conditions.
In a June 2024 hearing, a convicted murderer, Graham McEvoy, 26, pleaded guilty to assaulting a prison officer outside Swiftcare clinic in Smithfield on 8 May 2023. McEvoy, who had just had an X‑ray and was released from handcuffs to sit in a waiting van, lunged at officers, shouting threats and slashing the officer's face with a sharpened toilet brush. He also faced charges of threats to kill and attempting to escape lawful custody. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, noting she could not impose a consecutive sentence to his life term for murder. The officer sustained a cut under his eye, received hospital treatment, and was left with a scar. McEvoy had spent a period in 24‑hour lock‑up after the assault and has 32 prior convictions. The court heard that McEvoy had expressed remorse and was receiving psychiatric care in prison.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Sean Dunne, 26, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm after attacking a couple of American tourists in their sixties in the elevator of the Ashling Hotel on 7 April 2023. Dunne repeatedly punched the woman, threatened her with rape and murder, and struck her husband, causing bloodshed in the elevator. Garda Stephen Lawlor, on mobile patrol, responded to a call after 9 pm, found Dunne restrained on the corridor floor, and noted blood on the carpet. The couple received on‑scene treatment but did not require hospital care. Dunne, who has ten prior convictions and was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2020, denied the assault. He has been in custody since April 2023, is on medication, and has shown improved mental health. Ms Justice Sarah Berkeley ordered a probation report and adjourned the matter until October 2024.
A former Christian Brother, John Merrick (77) of Portmarknock Park, Portmarknock, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four charges of indecent assault against one sixth class pupil and three charges of indecent assault against his classmate on dates between September 1977 and June 1978. Both victims are now 58 years old and have indicated they wish to retain their anonymity but are happy for Merrick to be named in reporting the case. Merrick, who entered the Christian Brothers at the age of 14 and left the order in 1981, has previous convictions from the District Court in relation to similar offending around the same time. These incidences of abuse were reported in 1996 and he was later convicted in 1998, resulting in a six month suspended sentence and a 12 month suspended sentence. Philipp Rahn SC, defending, told the court that at the time of the convictions from the District Court, Merrick engaged in a sex offender treatment programme and also subsequently engaged in the Restorative Justice Programme. One of the men took the stand to read his victim impact statement into the record. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a sentence of 12 months for the offences against the first man and a consecutive 10 month term for the offences against the second man. She suspended the final 10 months of the term on strict conditions for 12 months. The matter was adjourned for the purpose of the court considering the victim impact statement and other submissions.
Peter Lam, an 80-year-old defendant from Belfast, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of drugs for sale or supply at Busaras, Dublin 1, on October 11, 2021. The court heard that Lam was intercepted by gardai upon arriving by bus from Donegal with two large boxes containing MDMA valued at €470,982, which were hidden among pottery and children's toys. Lam alleged he was acting as a courier to pay gambling debts, stating to gardai that he dreamed of Roulette. Judge Mary O'Malley Costello noted that while Lam had a previous 2013 conviction for cannabis cultivation and possession, his current role as a courier made him an important part of the drug trade. The judge acknowledged mitigating factors including Lam's guilty plea, age, health conditions such as dementia, and lack of English, but emphasized the need for deterrence and societal protection. Lam had spent ten months in custody on remand. Judge O'Malley Costello imposed a sentence of four years, suspending the final ten months. She ordered that Lam be given credit for the ten months already served in custody.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 10 June 2024, George Murray, aged 55, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for possessing a realistic imitation firearm with intent to threaten. The incident occurred on 16 December 2020 at Maye's Public House, a long‑standing pub on Dorset Street, when Murray brandished a replica Glock handgun at proprietor Tom Maye, 70, and threatened to "blow his head off." Maye, who had run the pub for 31 years, was forced to close the business after the event. Murray, who has 57 prior convictions and a history of schizoaffective disorder and substance abuse, pleaded guilty to the charge. Gardaí arrested him after a panic button was pressed and the replica gun was confiscated. The judge, Pauline Codd, reduced an initial headline sentence of seven years to four, back‑dating it to November 2023. Murray acknowledged the incident and expressed "fair play" to the judge.".
Eoin Claxton, a 37‑year‑old hotel worker from Rathgar, was arrested after a Garda posing as a courier delivered a parcel containing 4.8 kg of cannabis herb to his home. The package, valued at €79,824, had been intercepted by customs and was addressed to a Jackie O'Shaughnessy from a Molly Maguire. Claxton, who had 36 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale or supply on 14 December 2020. He explained that he had been laid off during the pandemic, had accrued a gambling debt of €8,000‑€9,500, and accepted the drug deal to pay it off. Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced him to 18 months in custody, suspended for three years, and remanded him on bail until July. The court noted his employment, family responsibilities, and remorse, but emphasised the seriousness of the offence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a Ukrainian man pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, criminal damage and assault with a hammer on October 19, 2019, at a home in Dublin 15. He had no prior convictions. Gardaí were called when the defendant's then‑wife reported distress and property damage, including a broken laptop and plates. The defendant had produced a hammer and broken items after a disagreement earlier that day. He then left the house, but returned and locked himself and one of his children in the bathroom, closing the door on the wife's friend. Gardaí entered, seized the child and arrested the defendant. The wife was kicked in the head, legs and body, suffering sore ribs. The couple are now divorced and co‑parenting. The judge, citing the seriousness of the offence and the presence of children, sentenced the defendant to one and a half years' imprisonment, suspended in full, and ordered six months' probation supervision.
Edward Farrell, 49, admitted to possessing €2,173,920 worth of cannabis for sale or supply, with 105 kg found in a white Ford Transit van outside his Knocklyon home and an additional 15 kg in three black bin bags transported to Mountain Park, Tallaght. Gardaí also seized signed Oasis memorabilia, expensive whiskey, designer trainers, a disguised stun gun, drug paraphernalia including a vacuum‑packing machine, weighing scales and a mobile phone used for encrypted drug‑distribution messages. Surveillance captured Farrell moving the bin bags into a BMW X5 and then to a BMW 3 Series, where co‑accused Kevin Murphy, 41, was met. Murphy, who pleaded guilty to 15 kg of cannabis, was sentenced to four years earlier this year. Farrell, who has 32 prior convictions and claims to be on social welfare and HAP assistance, will be sentenced on 22 July.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 6 June 2024, Cedric Ingle, aged 50, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended, for assault causing harm after putting his 91‑year‑old father, Christopher Ingle, in a headlock on 4 April 2020. The incident occurred at the father's Glenageary home, where the father was shaking and had cuts on his hands. Ingle had previously been convicted 19 times and had a history of drug use, including cannabis and heroin. He pleaded guilty, and the court noted that the offence took place in the victim's own home, that the victim was elderly and vulnerable, and that the assault was not intended to cause serious injury but was an attempt to seize the father's keys. The judge, Elma Sheahan, considered the guilty plea and Ingle's lack of recent Garda attention as mitigating factors, but found the custodial threshold met, resulting in the sentence described above.
Leroy Roche Dumbrell, 37, of Griffith Rath Hall, Maynooth, Co Kildare, was sentenced to three years in prison for assault causing harm after attacking a man in Dublin City Centre on 30 August 2022. The victim, who had a deep facial cut and other injuries, later died, but the death was unrelated to the assault. CCTV identified Dumbrell as the assailant. He has 81 prior convictions, including serious offences such as setting a woman on fire and a prison brawl. He was charged in September 2023, spent months in custody, and was granted bail on strict conditions in December. A urine test showed cannabis and benzodiazepines. Judge Jonathan Dunphy imposed a headline sentence of four and a half years, reduced to three years, and suspended the final 12 months on the condition that Dumbrell engage with the Probation Service for two years after release. Roche Dumbrell pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 31 May 2024, a 28‑year‑old man was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended on the condition that he attend alcohol‑addiction treatment. He had previously received a four‑year suspended sentence for assaults on his wife. The court considered that the defendant's breach of a protection order—kicking in his wife's front door, causing criminal damage, and driving off in her car—was aggravated by his prior history and the domestic violence context. Judge Pauline Codd set headline sentences of five years for the criminal damage and ten months for the breach of the court order, but imposed a four‑year custodial term, suspending the last two years. The sentence was back‑dated to November 2023 and the court ordered two years of post‑release supervision. The unnamed 28-year-old pleaded guilty.
Thomas Kane, 29, of Ard Mor Drive, Tallaght, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis and cocaine with intent to sell or supply on 10 June 2020. Gardaí obtained a warrant and searched his apartment, finding more than 30 g of cocaine and 47.5 g of cannabis in the hot press, an additional 10 g in the kitchen, and almost 3 kg of cannabis in two Adidas bags in a bin marked with his apartment number. The drugs were valued at €60,946 for cannabis and €2,149 for cocaine. Kane claimed he kept the drugs to protect his brother, an addict with a drug debt, from threats to his life. The court accepted this explanation. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced Kane to five years, which she suspended in full on a number of conditions.
A man who was apprehended taking photographs in a female toilet cubicle at Dublin Airport has been convicted and sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Arthur Fiks, aged 47, admitted assault causing harm and possession of child sexual abuse material following an incident at Terminal One on 28 June 2022. A woman discovered a mobile phone positioned beneath her cubicle door and retrieved it. When she emerged, Fiks attempted to reclaim the device, and during the altercation pulled hair from her scalp. Gardaí subsequently found over 300 child abuse images stored across multiple phones in his possession, including material depicting children aged between one and thirteen. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Fiks to three and a half years imprisonment, with the final nine months suspended. The sentence was backdated to June 2022, when he entered custody. He was ordered to register as a sex offender and to leave the jurisdiction upon release. The court heard Fiks had recently arrived from Poland and had been employed as a farm worker in County Monaghan before losing his position.
Mark McMorrow, a 27‑year‑old law graduate and former religious youth leader, was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years in prison, with the final six months suspended, for defiling and sexually exploiting a 16‑year‑old girl, Sophia Doyle, in Dublin between September and December 2020. McMorrow pleaded guilty to defilement, sexual exploitation and communicating with a child for exploitation. Doyle, now 19, waived anonymity to name him. The court noted McMorrow was 22 when the offences began and that he had been a leader in a faith‑based youth group where Doyle was a member. He had communicated with her via social media and Discord, and had invited her to his home and other locations. Doyle's victim impact statement highlighted McMorrow's position of power and betrayal of trust. The judge imposed conditions preventing McMorrow from contacting Doyle or the Community of Nazareth, and barred him from using Discord. No prior convictions were recorded.
A 54‑year‑old maintenance man was sentenced to four years in prison after he installed hidden cameras in a friend's apartment and secretly recorded her for seven months in 2021. He recorded her during intimate moments, edited the footage by drawing love hearts around her private parts, and repeatedly entered her apartment to change camera positions. When she discovered a camera and tried to cover it, he sent a threatening message telling her not to touch it. He pleaded guilty to one count of harassment, two counts of burglary and five counts of recording without consent. The court imposed a 20‑year no‑contact order and a four‑year custodial sentence, citing the gross invasion of privacy and the aggravating factor of their long friendship. No prior convictions were noted. The victim, a childminder who had moved to Ireland in 2008, reported the incident to Gardaí in December 2021. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Edward Cruise, 66, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for repeatedly sexually abusing a girl aged between six and 14 who visited his home from 2009 to 2017. He pleaded guilty to nine counts of sexual assault. The abuse occurred whenever the girl was at his property, often multiple times in a single day, and included inappropriate touching, masturbation and oral sex. Cruise told the victim to keep the abuse secret and once offered her €5 to come to his house. The victim complained to Gardaí in 2020, after which Cruise was arrested and suggested the allegations were fabricated. Judge Martin Nolan noted the abuse took place over a prolonged period, estimating at least 100 incidents, and imposed a global sentence of six years. The court considered Cruise's guilty plea, expressions of remorse, age and lack of violence beyond the acts themselves as mitigating factors, while his prior convictions for similar offences were viewed as aggravating.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 36‑year‑old man was convicted of a single count of sexual assault against his teenage niece, who was aged between 13 and 14 at the time of the offence. The victim, who now uses he/him pronouns, was asleep when the uncle, who had moved in with her family, touched her hand. She later provided a statement after initial reluctance. The defendant voluntarily approached Gardaí and admitted to the incident, claiming he had been masturbating and that the victim had seen him. A victim impact statement was submitted but not read aloud. The victim's mother, who had asked the judge not to jail her brother, was present. Judge Pauline Codd, after considering aggravating and mitigating factors, sentenced the defendant to two years' imprisonment and refused to suspend any portion of the sentence. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
Two British men, Dylan Shears, aged 20, and Ainsley Stevenson, aged 26, were jailed after being stopped at Dublin Airport with €690,000 worth of cannabis destined for the UK market. They pleaded guilty to smuggling over 30 kg of the drug into Terminal 2 on 17 October. Stevenson, from Halifax, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison, while Shears, from Bradford, received a three‑year sentence. Judge Martin Nolan noted that if Stevenson had been an Irish national he would have received a six‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, and that Shears' younger age warranted a lesser term. The men were caught by customs officers after arriving from Las Vegas, where they had collected the cannabis and planned to transport it via Dublin to Manchester on behalf of an unnamed individual. Neither had prior convictions. Both men cooperated with Gardaí and made admissions.
Le Wang, a 42‑year‑old taxi driver from Dundrum, was found guilty of harassing a Chinese student who had rented a room in his house between December 2022 and March 2023. He secretly filmed her twice in the shower and attempted a third time, hiding his phone in a laundry basket. When she discovered the phone, he threatened to ruin her reputation and harassed her for three months, sending threatening texts and attempting contact via social media. Gardaí seized his phone and found the videos, which were deleted and then restored. Wang pleaded guilty and was given a 16‑month suspended sentence, with a ten‑year prohibition on any communication with the victim. He was remanded in custody for two weeks before the verdict and was released thereafter. No prior convictions were recorded.
Joanna McGuinness, 41, pleaded guilty to evading excise duty on over 80,000 untaxed cigarettes and 35 kg of tobacco seized from her Paul Street home in Dublin 7. The loss to the exchequer was €66,881. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, after hearing the case, imposed a three‑year sentence but suspended it entirely, citing the impact imprisonment would have on her children, one of whom has serious health problems. Judge Martin Nolan noted McGuinness's sole care of the children and her previous convictions, including revenue offences, as factors in the decision. The cigarettes and tobacco were confiscated, and a quantity of cash was also seized. McGuinness is now employed and described as being in a stable period of her life. The case was adjourned overnight for sentencing before the final decision was announced.
Lewis O'Keeffe, 22, of Ballyfermot, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to multiple counts of possessing controlled drugs and nearly €30,000 in cash. Gardaí seized cocaine worth €2,500 inside a house on O'Moore Road and an additional 7.5 kg in a van outside the house, giving a street value of over €527,000. O'Keeffe admitted he did not own the drugs but was aware of them, claiming a drug debt of €31,000. He had removed his tax and insurance discs from his car and placed them in the van. His defence counsel described him as a "patsy" or "fall guy" in the operation, noting his young age and family background. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that O'Keeffe had a low level of culpability and had been under severe pressure, concluding that young people can make bad decisions under pressure.
Oisín Cannon, 33, an IT worker, was jailed for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Gardaí first searched his home in 2017, finding a laptop with 1,011 images and 102 videos, many Category 1, and a mobile phone with 22 images. Subsequent searches in 2019 and 2020 uncovered further CSAM on an iPad, phone, and other devices, totaling hundreds of images and dozens of videos. Cannon repeatedly denied responsibility, claiming the material entered his devices through pop‑ups, viruses, or third‑party apps, and that he had no interest in child pornography. He pleaded guilty to possession on all three charges. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three years and nine months in prison, noting his repeated offences and the seriousness of accessing CSAM. The court recorded his background, psychological report, and family support, but did not alter the sentence. The case remains a criminal conviction for possession of child pornography.
Paul Lynch, 56, was jailed after a sting operation revealed he had tried to meet an 11‑year‑old girl but was confronted by an adult decoy livestreaming to Facebook. Lynch had sent a picture of his genitals to the decoy and had asked for a naked photo, which the decoy refused, claiming her camera was broken. He had also offered to give her a phone. The court heard Lynch had previously pleaded guilty to attempted meeting of a child for sexual exploitation in 2018, had a 2019 conviction in Northern Ireland for sexual communication with a child, and a 2023 breach of a sex offences prevention order. He also had seven older convictions for theft and fraud. Judge Orla Crowe described the offence as the "most serious kind" and, after taking mitigation into account, imposed a sentence of two years and three months, back‑dated to his first custody in February.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 14 May 2024, a 45‑year‑old man was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment for threatening to publish intimate images of his former partner, who was in her 20s, on Facebook and to send them to her mother and social worker. The offence, committed in December 2021 after a brief relationship ended in November, involved the man sending the woman a series of Snapchat voice recordings in which he threatened to distribute the material. He pleaded guilty to the charge of threatening to publish or distribute an intimate image with intent to cause harm, a crime punishable by up to seven years. Judge Martin Nolan, after hearing the case, described it as a serious matter and, noting the defendant's remorse and personal circumstances, imposed a custodial sentence of 20 months with the final 10 months suspended.
Adam Rzepka, 39, was released on bail for a €400k money‑laundering offence and was found the next day surrounded by over €1.1 million in drugs hidden in dog food. He pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis worth €1.1 million, to having a car used in drug trafficking, to possessing a mixing agent for drug trafficking and to possessing €33,090 in cash that was the proceeds of criminal conduct. The drugs were seized at Hickey's Yard, The Ward, Co. Dublin, where Rzepka was the only person present and was found in a loft beside vacuum‑packed cannabis. The court imposed a 15‑year global sentence, consecutive to the seven years he is already serving for money laundering, with the final two years suspended on condition of good behaviour. The judge cited the high value of the drugs and the lack of remorse as aggravating factors.
Jason Fogarty, a 48‑year‑old with 27 years in prison, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a further six years' imprisonment. He pleaded guilty to robbery at a post office on Merrion Row in November 2019 and to an attempted robbery of a B&B on Gardiner Place in May 2023. The judge imposed four years for the 2019 post office robbery, during which Fogarty threatened a cashier with a grenade, and a consecutive three‑year term for the 2023 B&B attempt, of which one year was suspended. The final effective custodial term is five years. Fogarty had been on bail for the first offence when he committed the second. The court noted his extensive criminal record, addiction history and the injuries sustained by the B&B staff member during the attempted robbery. The sentence reflects the seriousness of both offences and the lack of deterrence from prior imprisonment.
Craig Maloney, 28, of Cashel Road, Crumlin, was convicted after a jury trial of wilful obstruction, assaulting a Garda and producing a knife during a dispute at his family home on 11 February 2022. He had 24 prior convictions. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Maloney did not take reasonable steps to confirm the people at his front door were Gardaí. The officers were conducting a covert search unrelated to Maloney. When the Gardaí approached with breaching equipment, Maloney moved toward them with a large knife, causing one officer to step back. He slammed the door shut, was later apprehended upstairs, and the knife was found broken on the floor. Judge Orla Crowe imposed concurrent sentences of 18 months, three months and three months, all fully suspended, with conditions including good behaviour for three years.
Leanne Kelly, 32, was jailed for two and a half years after assaulting a 63‑year‑old hospital worker on her way home from the Mater Hospital on 28 April 2022. Kelly pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a woman outside the hospital. The victim, who had finished her shift and was collecting her bicycle, was struck on the side of her head by Kelly, who shouted abusive remarks before punching her. The blow caused the victim to fall onto the road, lose her sunglasses, and suffer bruising to her jaw and back of her head. She was taken to Mountjoy Garda Station and then to the Mater Hospital for treatment and overnight observation. Kelly had 64 prior convictions, including assault, robbery, theft and public order offences. She had previously been sentenced to two years' imprisonment with the final six months suspended in 2017. The court noted Kelly's extensive addiction history and trauma background.
Thomas O'Neill, 47, was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to one count of deception in a fraudulent insurance claim that involved a staged car crash in Rathfarnham in 2013. The incident, which was a low‑velocity collision between a white Toyota and a Mazda at Ballycullen Roundabout, was orchestrated to obtain more than €35,000 from AXA Insurance. O'Neill, who has 70 prior convictions for road traffic offences and handling stolen property, was an active participant in the fraud. His partner, Ann Wilson, 44, and his sister, Deirdre Mellor, 54, were also involved. Wilson was scheduled for sentencing the following day, while Mellor received a fully suspended two‑year sentence for attempted deception. The court noted that Wilson had received €21,595 in personal injury awards and that no claim was made by O'Neill. The case highlighted the parties' connections revealed through social media and the lack of any personal gain for Mellor.
Former 2FM presenter Nikki Hayes, aged 44 and real name Eimear Black O'Keeffe, has asked a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to defer sentencing so she may avoid a conviction under Section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act. Hayes admitted possession of €15,000 as proceeds of crime in a Permanent TSB account on 5 and 6 November 2020, comprising €10,000, €2,600 and €2,400. The money was withdrawn from the victim's account and deposited into Hayes' account, then moved to Revolut and withdrawn via ATMs in Liffey Valley. The court heard that the remaining €2,000 was blocked and returned to the victim, leaving the bank with a loss of about €2,000. Hayes has six prior convictions for minor traffic offences, has been diagnosed with bipolar and borderline personality disorder, and has been in alcohol‑free treatment.
In a case heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Abdul Rahman Mohammed, a 35‑year‑old security guard at Penneys in Dundrum, was found guilty of sexual assault, false imprisonment and demanding money with menace. The victim, a 15‑year‑old girl, was lured back into the store after shoplifting a makeup brush and a peel‑off mask. Mohammed forced her to strip, sexually assaulted her, and then demanded €250 from her, claiming it was the price for the items. He also interfered with the CCTV camera a week before the incident to blur any footage. The jury convicted him on all counts on 12 February 2024, and Judge Orla Crowe sentenced him to five years' imprisonment, back‑dated to February, after he was already in custody. The victim's impact statement described lasting fear and depression following the assault. The case highlights the severity of the offences and the court's decision to impose a substantial custodial term.
A 60‑year‑old Italian woman, Antonia Giuliana Pintus, was arrested for smuggling 19,920 cigarettes into Dublin Airport without Irish tax stamps. She was caught on a flight from Dubai, spent 12 days in custody, and was granted bail. Pintus, a dual Canadian‑Italian citizen with no prior convictions, pleaded guilty to evasion of duty on 19,920 cigarettes valued at €16,280, resulting in a duty loss of €8,954. She claimed she had been offered a €1,000 payment to bring the cigarettes to Ireland, citing financial hardship after a home‑help employer's death. Her defence highlighted her economic difficulties and her family's support. Judge Orla Crowe described the case as unusual, noting Pintus's clean record and the hardships she endured. The judge imposed a six‑month sentence, suspended in full, and ordered 18 months of good behaviour.
A 16‑year‑old boy, who cannot be named because he is a juvenile, was sentenced to two years' detention in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a series of high‑speed pursuits in suburban Dublin. He stole a Toyota from Tesco in Maynooth on 31 July 2023 and drove erratically, entering oncoming traffic and a shopping‑centre car park, forcing gardaí to leap over a barrier to avoid being hit. He was later arrested after abandoning the vehicle. Three months later, he stole an Audi, drove at over 160 km/h in an 80 km/h zone, broke a red light and was pursued again; he fled on foot. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts of endangerment, dangerous driving, taking a car without consent, driving without a licence or insurance, and possession of items used to steal a car. He has 13 prior convictions and has been detained in Oberstown juvenile centre since October.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 10 May 2024, Akuac Mawien, 26, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for importing 12.5 kg of cannabis worth €250,000 into Ireland. Mawien, who had no fixed abode in Toronto at the time of the offence, had flown to Dublin on 15 September 2023 with the cannabis in her suitcase, which was x‑rayed by customs. She pleaded guilty to charges of importing cannabis and possessing cannabis for sale or supply at Dublin Airport. Mawien told the court she was homeless and needed money for her six‑year‑old son, and that she had agreed to bring the suitcase in exchange for about €3,000. She admitted she knew the suitcase contained something "dodgy" but did not know its extent.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 9 May 2024, the court considered a sophisticated fraud that defrauded €461,275 from the Trinity College hardship fund through over 200 transactions. Jonathan McMahon (27) of Dublin 13 was arrested and admitted that the accounts used belonged to him, but he claimed the money was not his and that he had spent it. Garda investigators said the money was quickly moved to third‑party accounts and that McMahon had no connection to the university or the hardship fund. McMahon had no prior convictions and was not under duress. The defence counsel argued for a non‑conviction outcome, citing his mild intellectual disability and personal circumstances. Judge Pauline Codd rejected this, noting the scale of the scheme and the four‑month period of the offences.
Elliot Toale, 18, was jailed for two years after hijacking a mobility scooter and pushing an older man off it for 'fun', fracturing the man's hand and snapping his dentures. The incident occurred outside a Centra shop in Dublin city centre on Capel Street. Toale, who had 23 prior convictions, also stole a kitchen knife from the shop and brandished it at a Scottish tourist. He pleaded guilty to assault and theft. Judge Martin Nolan suspended the final 16 months of the sentence because of Toale's age. The victim, in his sixties, suffered serious injuries, including a broken left hand and damaged fingers. Toale admitted he had taken cocaine and alcohol that night and expressed remorse, noting he would be upset if a family member had been harmed. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Criminal Alan Hutch, 41, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for attempting to rob €100 from a woman in Dublin city centre while on bail. The offence occurred outside Tesco on Talbot Street on 3 March last year when Hutch approached a woman who had just withdrawn €100 from an ATM and tried, unsuccessfully, to take the money from her. CCTV footage captured the incident and identified Hutch, who has 80 previous convictions, including 34 Circuit Court offences. Hutch pleaded guilty to attempted robbery. He has a history of mental health difficulties, including schizophrenia, psychosis and auditory hallucinations, and has been on methadone and antipsychotic medication. The court noted his family's traumatic circumstances, including the murder of his father Eddie Hutch in 2016, and his own multiple hospitalisations. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Hutch had not intended to harm the woman and sentenced him to 21 months in prison. The sentence was imposed on 9 May 2024.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 9 May 2024, Diane Travers, 31, pleaded guilty to producing a syringe at Dealz on Lower Liffey Street on 22 October 2018. Travers, who has 114 prior convictions, had been barred from the shop but returned and became abusive toward a male shop worker. She threatened the employee, spat on him, and then produced a syringe, claiming she had "full‑blown AIDS" and threatening to use it. The shop worker reported the incident as "very traumatic" and had to wait weeks for test results. Garda John Tansey identified Travers via CCTV, and she was arrested and interviewed. Travers admitted to drug addiction and homelessness. Judge Elva Duffy, noting her guilty plea and progress since 2019, sentenced her to two years and three months in prison, suspending the final 15 months, and ordered her to remain under probation supervision upon release. The sentence was back‑dated to the date she entered custody.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 9 May 2024, Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Lee McDonnell, 32, to two‑and‑a‑half years for affray after he left a bus and joined a mob that attacked two gardaí on Kylemore Road on 20 February 2023. The officers were surrounded, threatened and had objects thrown at them by a large group that had left a funeral. McDonnell, who had 133 prior convictions, was not present when the trouble began but became part of the assault, lunging at the officers and attempting to punch them. He pleaded guilty, apologised and offered no explanation for his involvement. The judge noted the officers' frightening situation, urged McDonnell to take responsibility, and gave credit for time already served in custody.
Seán Mulhall, 26, a homeless drug addict, was sentenced to five years in prison for a series of armed robberies over ten days last year. He targeted an off‑licence, a pharmacy and a bike shed at St James' Hospital, using a firearm that appeared to be a fake Colt or Beretta. Mulhall stole nearly €9,000 from charity collection boxes and a safe, and threatened a security guard with the phrase "I'll f**king pistol you." He had 34 prior convictions, including theft and drug offences. Judge Martin Nolan imposed an eight‑year headline sentence, reduced to five years on mitigation, citing Mulhall's terrorising of staff and desperation for drugs. Mulhall is now engaged in rehabilitation, having cut his methadone dose and awaiting treatment at Coolmine, and will receive full credit for time served.
Jonathan Mafolo, a 26‑year‑old British citizen from Manchester, was arrested at Dublin Airport on 9 October after customs officials intercepted a passenger travelling from JFK to Birmingham. He was found carrying two padlocked suitcases containing over 32 kilos of cannabis worth more than €650,000. Mafolo pleaded guilty to the importation charge, claiming he did not know what was in the luggage and had no code to open it. He said he had discovered the bags outside his hotel in New York and could not have known their contents. He denied personally taking the drugs and stated he was acting to help his brother, who was in debt. The court heard that Mafolo had a clean record, a good work history, and strong community support. Judge Martin Nolan accepted his cooperation and mitigating circumstances, and imposed a headline sentence of seven years, reduced to a five‑year custodial term backdated to the arrest date.
Victor Titov, 48, of Bray, pleaded guilty to 14 fraud charges linked to false insurance policies sold by the jailed 'ghost broker' Egidijus Aleliunas. Titov acted as an intermediary, referring seven Moldovan community members to Aleliunas and earning €50 per referral. The court found Titov responsible for losses of almost €7,000 to those policy holders. He received a two‑year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge noted Titov's community standing, work history and family responsibilities, but held that he should have known Aleliunas was engaged in fraud. Titov had been in Ireland for nearly 20 years and had a long career as a car mechanic. The scheme, valued at €4 million, had previously seen three relatives of Aleliunas receive suspended sentences. The court emphasised that Titov did not act as a broker himself but facilitated the fraud by referring customers. The sentencing reflected the seriousness of the fraud while recognising Titov's personal circumstances.
Maurice O'Carroll, a 63‑year‑old former Garda from Co. Wexford, was sentenced to two years in prison for harassing and threatening to kill an ex‑wife's solicitor and his wife between December 2019 and September 2020. He sent the solicitor five letters, one to the solicitor's wife accusing her husband of gambling, cheating, genocide, gun‑running and arms dealing, and another demanding she choose a child to die. The final letter contained a live and a spent bullet. O'Carroll also threatened the solicitor's children, saying they would be targeted and suffer great pain. He represented himself at trial, pleaded guilty, and offered a letter of apology and €20,000, which the victims declined. Judge Sarah Berkeley noted his low risk of re‑offending, imposed a three‑year sentence with the final year suspended, and ordered him to refrain from contacting the victims for five years. The unnamed accused was found guilty.
Matthew Grogan, 26, of Applewood Village, Swords, was jailed for three years and nine months after pleading guilty to possession of stolen property, trespassing, criminal damage, driving without insurance and two counts of dangerous driving. The offences occurred between 22 and 23 September 2021 in County Louth and County Dublin. Grogan had stolen a taxi, reported it to the gardai, and then drove the vehicle at speeds up to 170 km/h, running red lights, weaving through lanes, passing a toll plaza and nearly colliding with an unmarked garda car. The pursuit involved armed gardai from the Armed Support Unit, Louth and Dublin. He was arrested in the Swords area, was intoxicated at the time of arrest, and later described the night as a "blur". Grogan has 64 prior convictions, including burglary and assault, and will be released in June 2026. The court noted his addiction issues and that he has two children.
Dwayne Stacey, 36, was sentenced to 32 months in prison for attempting to rob a cash‑in‑transit guard while riding an e‑scooter on Thomas Street, Dublin 8. On 18 November 2023, Stacey approached a Brinks van and threatened the guard, shouting, "Stop or I'll blow your fucking head off." The guard locked himself inside the van and triggered the panic alarm. Stacey struck the van with a hammer and was later found to have used a hammer that was seized from two addresses. CCTV confirmed his identity. The guard suffered no physical injuries and no victim impact statement was filed. Stacey has 17 prior convictions, including assault, robbery and burglary, and has been in custody since his arrest on 28 November. The judge noted his "terrible history" but also that no actual violence was used, and the sentence was back‑dated to the date he entered custody.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 7 May 2024, two men, Gavin Mangan (47) of Bracken Close, Balbriggan, and Owen Kelly (37) of Seville Place, Dublin 1, were sentenced for a burglary that took place on 20 August 2022. The pair entered an elderly man's home armed with an imitation firearm and a meat cleaver, demanding money and taking €850 in cash. The victim was described as profoundly affected and fearing for his life during the incident. Mangan, who has 93 prior convictions, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment with the final six months suspended. Kelly, with 87 prior convictions, received a sentence of eight years, with the final year suspended under a number of conditions. Both men have long‑standing drug addictions and were in custody before sentencing. The court noted their difficult childhoods and the presence of CCTV footage of the robbery. The combined jail term for the two offenders totals fourteen‑and‑a‑half years. Gavin Mangan pleaded guilty. Owen Kelly pleaded guilty.
Tie Yuen Seng, a 46‑year‑old Malaysian man with no fixed abode, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two years in prison for smuggling two women into Ireland and for possessing fraudulent travel documents. He pleaded guilty to two counts of people smuggling and two counts of possessing fraudulent documents. On 2 September 2023, Seng arrived at Dublin Airport from Italy, claiming he was on holiday. Immigration officers searched his bags and found two Taiwanese passports that matched the two women who had travelled on the same flight and who presented at immigration control claiming no documentation and seeking asylum. Seng admitted he was paid to transport the women and that he had been offered a job in an Irish factory in return. He said he had fled Malaysia after a criminal gang pressured him and his sister, and had lived illegally in Italy for several years.
Patrick Doran, 35, who fled Ireland in 2012 and lived abroad for 14 years, obtained an Irish passport under a false name in an attempt to "break the cycle of criminal offending," according to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Doran, who has 163 prior convictions—most for traffic offences—had no further convictions since leaving the country. He pleaded guilty to providing false and misleading information when applying for the passport on 13 September 2017. Gardaí discovered his passport during an investigation linked to another individual who supplied his details, and Doran was later arrested in New Zealand, extradited, and returned to Ireland voluntarily in November 2023. His wife and four children attended court. In his plea, his defence argued that Doran sought a fresh start and had established a business abroad. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three years, backdated to his November 2023 arrest, emphasizing the seriousness of tampering with passport identity.
A man from Ballinamore, Co Leitrim has been acquitted of dangerous driving following an incident at the Russian Embassy in Dublin two years ago. Desmond Wisley, aged 51, faced trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on charges of dangerous driving and criminal damage after reversing a truck into the embassy gates on Orwell Road, Rathgar on 7 March 2022. The jury returned a unanimous not guilty verdict on the dangerous driving charge. However, jurors were unable to reach agreement on the criminal damage count. Judge Elva Duffy adjourned proceedings on the criminal damage charge until 16 May and remanded Mr Wisley on continuing bail. During the five-day trial, the court heard evidence that the gates required reconstruction at a cost of €13,250. Mr Wisley had acted in protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.