Daryl Wade, 18, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, robbery and attempted robbery after stabbing an Italian student in the leg in May 2022 and a 17‑year‑old boy in the stomach in February 2023. The court described the offences as "exceptionally serious" and noted Wade's violent propensity. He was identified by CCTV and an audio recording of his admission. Wade's guilty plea and expressions of shame were considered mitigating factors, but the judge deemed a custodial period necessary for rehabilitation. Wade's partner and employer provided supporting letters, and he is no longer living in the area. The sentence was imposed as an adult, with the suspended portion to be served after the 18th birthday.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, John McDonagh (36) was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for endangerment after he drove his van over his father‑in‑law, Daniel O'Reilly (58), following a row at a family christening party. The incident began when McDonagh, his wife and a third man left the house, only to return when the third man fired two shots from a starter pistol. McDonagh, claiming he was in "absolute terror and fear," reversed his van, striking O'Reilly, who was behind the vehicle, and then drove over him again while he lay on the ground. O'Reilly suffered cardiac arrest and died from traumatic injuries. McDonagh had six prior minor convictions and pleaded guilty to one count of endangerment, a charge carrying a maximum of seven years. The judge, noting McDonagh's state of terror, reduced the headline sentence of six years to three, citing mitigating factors. The sentencing elicited protests from O'Reilly's family.
Mark Dolan, 49, received a fully suspended two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for masturbating in front of four children aged six to nine in Dublin on 6 May 2023. The court considered mitigating factors such as Dolan's lack of prior convictions and his admission of the act as a form of exhibitionism. The sentence was suspended on conditions including a ban on visiting the area where the offence occurred. Dolan was arrested two days after the incident, initially claiming an insect bite, and later admitted the behaviour but denied masturbating. Victim impact statements highlighted the children's ongoing nightmares and loss of safety. Dolan has no previous convictions, spent nine days in custody, and has begun therapy and medication. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with CCTV footage presented and statements from the children's mothers and a prosecuting Garda. Mark Dolan pleaded guilty.
During a trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Abdul Rahman Mohammed, a 35‑year‑old security guard, was found guilty of sexual assault, false imprisonment and demanding money with menace. The case concerned a 15‑year‑old girl who had shoplifted a makeup brush and peel‑off mask from Penneys, Dundrum Shopping Centre. Mohammed allegedly forced her into a room, made her strip to her underwear, touched her thigh, and demanded she pay €250 for the items. He also interfered with the CCTV camera a week before the incident to blur footage. The girl, who was with two friends, was later told that shoplifters did not have to pay security. Mohammed denied the allegations and claimed the girl and her friends had followed him. The court adjourned the matter until 13 May for finalisation.
A 40‑year‑old man was sentenced to 21 months in prison for a prolonged, vicious assault on his then‑fiancée in December 2022. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. The court heard that the couple were engaged and in a long‑term relationship. The attack began after an argument about social media, when the man entered the bathroom, accused her of cheating, and became physically aggressive. He choked her, used his knee against her neck, and repeatedly verbally abused her, calling her a "slut" and threatening to "smash her face in." The assault lasted several hours, during which the victim was held down, knocked to the ground, and forced to lie in bed. She later fled to her mother's house and reported the incident to Gardaí. The man admitted violence, expressed remorse, and cited mental health difficulties.
Charles Mavitty, 66, of Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of inducing others by deception to approve lease agreements on April 3 and 5, 2017. Judge Martin Nolan described Mavitty as the "front man" and a "vital cog" in a fraud involving the leasing of heavy plant machinery, noting that he signed paperwork and engaged financial companies using false documents, including fake utility bills, bank statements, and tax clearance certificates. The prosecution alleged that two Dublin-based financing companies, Bluestone Asset Finance and Finance Ireland, suffered a combined loss of over €240,000 after lending money to purchase two Hitachi excavators that have never been located. Mavitty provided a false address in Galway and made excuses regarding the machines' whereabouts. Defence counsel argued that Mavitty was a "pawn" and a "fall guy" in a larger scheme, stating he was pressurised by others and did not benefit financially. Judge Nolan set a headline sentence of five years but reduced it by half due to mitigating factors, including Mavitty's lack of previous convictions, his status as a family man, and his cooperation with authorities. The judge inferred that Mavitty knew what he was doing and never intended to use the machines. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the custodial sentence.
Dominik Golebiowski, a 30‑year‑old Polish chef from Krakow, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis for sale after a detector dog found the drugs at a logistics warehouse in Co Dublin. The drugs were concealed in insulation pallets, cut into ten sheets, and were discovered when customs officers searched a warehouse at Dachser Ireland. Golebiowski travelled to the warehouse to collect the pallets, signed for the consignment with a false Polish ID, and attempted to transport the goods in a rented white Tuscon hatchback. He managed to fit four insulation sheets into the car, but Gardaí intercepted him at Dublin Port, where they seized two iPhones and 14 packages of cannabis worth about €200,000. The remaining €300,000 of drugs were found in the warehouse, bringing the total seized to over 25 kg valued at €505,340.
A 75‑year‑old pensioner pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault on his sister‑in‑law, who was aged eight or nine at the time. The incident, which occurred between 1975 and 1976, involved the victim being left alone in a house, the assailant approaching her while she was asleep, and the assault lasting a few minutes. The victim later reported the abuse to Gardaí in 2019. The court heard that the defendant, who was 27 or 28 when the assault took place, sent a text to his daughter expressing remorse and claiming he could not remember the act. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to ten months' imprisonment, citing the defendant's guilty plea, remorse, work history and lack of recent convictions as mitigating factors. The sentence was out of a potential maximum of two years.
James Maloney, 44, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and attempted theft at an 80‑year‑old woman's home in Santry on 1 February 2023. He has 38 prior convictions. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, presided by Judge Elma Sheahan, found the private dwelling and victim's age aggravating, but noted Maloney's guilty plea, duress to pay a drug debt, remorse and apology as mitigating. He was sentenced to four years for the attempted burglary and two years and four months for the assault, both to run concurrently. The judge suspended the final six months of the sentence for six months. Maloney had been homeless and a drug user at the time, had admitted the offence, expressed remorse, and was engaged in a methadone programme. The victim suffered head, arm and hand injuries and had to wait over 12 hours in A&E. The court heard a victim impact statement and a letter of apology from Maloney.
Brendan Colley, a 55-year-old defendant from Drimnagh, Dublin 12, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to a charge of possession of the proceeds of crime. Gardaí discovered €102,720 in cash hidden in socks and gloves beneath the stairwell of his home during a search on March 9, 2023. Colley admitted to holding the money to reduce a drugs debt, stating he was forced to store it and intended to hand it over to the owner. He has ten previous convictions, including offences for drugs, robbery, and possession of knives. Defence counsel John Berry BL highlighted Colley's vulnerabilities, including a recent tumour diagnosis and ongoing addiction issues, and requested a suspended sentence. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged Colley's mitigating circumstances and low risk of re-offending but noted that laundering such a significant sum is a serious matter. The Judge stated that a more robust offender might have received three to four years. Consequently, Judge Nolan imposed a two-year prison sentence, ruling that an offender cannot launder that amount of money without suffering for it. The matter was finalised with this custodial sentence.
A 40‑year‑old man was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting his partner's friend while she slept on a bunk bed, with two children sleeping below. The assault occurred on 7 September 2018 and was found guilty in a trial last November. The victim, who could not be named, described feeling a hand in her vagina and hearing the assailant's voice, and later texted her partner and the accused. The accused denied the allegations but admitted to being out of bed at the time. He had ten prior convictions for drug misuse and traffic offences. Judge Patricia Ryan noted the assaults happened twice, with children present, and ordered the man onto the sex offenders register. The sentence reflected the aggravating factors and the victim's impact statement.
Conti Birali (28) was sentenced to nine years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to assault causing serious harm and violent disorder. The offences occurred on July 31, 2022, at the Old Navan Road, Dublin 7. Birali admitted to instigating an unprovoked attack on victim Austin Doherty, who suffered severe head injuries and brain trauma, leaving him a wheelchair user with lifelong disabilities. Birali, of Parlickstown Drive, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, had previously left the jurisdiction but returned and was arrested in November 2022. He expressed remorse, describing his actions as a "stupid alcoholic decision" and accepting global responsibility for the joint enterprise. Judge Martin Nolan noted Birali was the "author of the entire incident" and categorized the offence in the higher range of seriousness. The court also heard that co-accused Craig Maples (28), of Green Briar, Verdemont, Blanchardstown, Dublin, was jailed for seven years last month after pleading guilty to violent disorder and assault causing serious harm on the same occasion. Maples was identified as one of the three men who participated in the assault. The judge accepted Birali's expression of remorse and assessed a low risk of reoffending, but emphasized the severe, permanent impact on the victim, who can no longer work or care for his children.
An 86‑year‑old driver, Phillip Smith, was fined €1,500 and banned from driving for one year after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious harm. On 4 August 2021, while travelling at 34 km/h on Gardiner Street, he struck a 95‑year‑old pedestrian who had crossed the street without looking left. The collision left the woman with a spinal fracture and 31 facial stitches. CCTV showed the woman had crossed the road and Smith hit her; he had 1.5 seconds to react and did so in 0.8 seconds. Smith had no prior convictions and had never received a parking ticket. The court noted the seriousness of the injuries but also Smith's unblemished record and early guilty plea, and therefore imposed a fine and a one‑year driving disqualification rather than custodial imprisonment. The woman has since made a full physical recovery.
Leeanda Farrelly (49) was found guilty of publishing a report likely to lead to the identification of a child involved in criminal proceedings after she reposted a photo of 'Boy A', one of the boys who murdered 14‑year‑old Ana Kriégel, in a closed Facebook group on 19 June 2019. The image was posted with text encouraging others to share it. Farrelly removed the post after about 20 minutes but had already attracted police attention. She pleaded guilty in November 2023. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a fully suspended nine‑month sentence, noting that Farrelly's actions were a "self‑appointed judge, jury and executioner" and that she had little regard for the law. The court highlighted that the children were protected under the Children's Act and that the orders prohibiting their identification were in place to safeguard the judicial process.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the mother of a six‑year‑old girl whose innocence was taken by Mark Dolan, 49, demanded a clear message that such behaviour would not be tolerated. Dolan, who had initially denied the offence, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity in front of a child on 6 May 2023. CCTV footage showed him parking beside a school, walking past a group of girls aged six to eight, undressing and masturbating for over five minutes while checking for witnesses. The four girls suffered nightmares and lost a sense of safety. Dolan had no prior convictions, was arrested two days after the incident, and had admitted to exhibitionist behaviour. He spent nine days in custody, began therapy and is on medication. The case was adjourned for sentencing.
A 59‑year‑old man who sexually abused his cousin between 1979 and 1982 was arrested when he returned to Ireland after living abroad. He pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault at his cousin's Dublin home. The court noted he had serious lung disease requiring regular operations and a reduced life span, and therefore suspended the entire headline sentence of four to five years, giving him a three‑year suspended sentence. He had no prior convictions, a long work history and many references. The victim, aged six to nine at the time of the abuse, reported the incidents to Gardaí in 2023 and did not attend the sentencing hearing. The judge highlighted the seriousness of the offences and the fear they caused, but deemed imprisonment unfair due to the defendant's medical condition. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 23‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to defilement for an incident that occurred in June 2019 when he was 18 and the victim was a 15‑year‑old girl. The court imposed a fully suspended sentence, citing the defendant's young age and mitigating circumstances. The victim, now 19, gave a victim impact statement describing severe emotional distress, self‑harm, depression, an eating disorder, PTSD, and ongoing nightmares. She also noted the disruption to her education, work, and family life. Judge Martin Nolan described the offence as serious and a "terrible misjudgement" but decided against custodial imprisonment, stating the defendant's age and mitigation warranted a suspended sentence. The conviction will place the defendant on the sex offenders' register, which the court considered a punishment in itself. The case was originally reported by a local detective following a complaint by the victim's mother in December 2019.
Martin Roche, 62, was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to theft and aiding and abetting money laundering linked to a Brazilian real‑estate scam. In 2012 he became director of a company that promoted a fictitious social housing scheme in Brazil, later struck off in 2014. Roche's bank accounts in Spain were used to launder €271,958, and he admitted stealing €69,000 from investors. Two men invested €183,444.54 and €5,000 plus $6,900, expecting returns that never materialised. Victims received cold calls promising 15% and 30% returns, but the promised development never existed. Roche denied stealing any money from investors but admitted to taking the €69,000. He claimed he was used as a front by another individual and that he had a severe gambling addiction. Judge Martin Nolan described his conduct as "serious criminal behaviour" and imposed the custodial term. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In March 2024, Shannon Valley Plant Hire Ltd was fined €600,000 after the death of Christopher Miley, a 31‑year‑old worker who was knocked down by a digger at Behan Quarry in Rathcoole on 28 October 2021. Miley was refuelling vehicles for the company in wet, dark, windy conditions, with no lighting, traffic marshal or designated refuelling area. The court found that Shannon Valley failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of individuals on the site, and that Behan Aggregates and Recycling Ltd, the quarry operator, failed to maintain suitable operating procedures. The fine for Shannon Valley was the maximum allowed in such cases, while Behan Aggregates received a €50,000 fine. The judge highlighted a "certain level of complacency" on site and the lack of adequate safety measures. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the families of the deceased present for the sentencing. The companies had no prior health and safety breaches. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 27‑year‑old woman testified that she is "living in fear" after her ex‑partner, who was jailed for 18 months, slammed her to the ground, fracturing three vertebrae in her back and subjecting her to misogynistic abuse. The incident occurred on 13 November 2021 after a dispute over a third party. The man, who has 22 prior convictions, was found guilty of assault causing harm. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, with six months suspended on strict conditions, back‑dated to September when he entered custody. The court noted the victim's ongoing pain, financial hardship, and mental health issues, and praised her for coming forward. The defendant accepted the verdict, apologized, and expressed a desire to co‑parent their child while avoiding contact with the victim. The judge highlighted the aggravating factor of the verbal abuse and the defendant's drug‑related history. The sentence was imposed on 19 March 2024.
The State has applied to the Court of Appeal to increase the 2½‑year jail sentence imposed on Jason Owens, a former Irish taekwondo international, for striking Conor Kelly in a pub toilet on New Year's Day 2020. Owens pleaded guilty in June 2023, and Judge Martin Nolan had sentenced him to 3½ years with the final 12 months suspended. The State argues the headline sentence of seven years was too low and that the 50 % reduction for mitigating factors was unduly lenient, citing Owens' late guilty plea, lack of prior convictions and a letter of apology. The Court of Appeal, hearing evidence of the assault, the serious head injury sustained by Kelly, and mitigating circumstances such as Owens' remorse and psychological issues, has adjourned the decision to 9 April 2024. The case remains at the appeal stage, with no final judgment yet issued.
Jamie Geoghegan, aged 28, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for assault causing harm and false imprisonment. He had 75 prior convictions. The case involved Geoghegan attacking a man, dragging him from a home, forcing him into a Jeep, and taking him to a caravan in Clondalkin. There he was tied, beaten, and stabbed with a knife, claw hammer and a machete. Garda John Griffin said the false imprisonment lasted 30 to 45 minutes. The victim, who had been hooded and believed he would die, was found with lacerations, fractured leg and hand, and a bloody phone cable tied to his hands. Geoghegan pleaded guilty; the judge set a headline sentence of 10 years, reduced to six and a half years, and backdated it to September when he entered custody.
Victor Akinlade, a man in his sixties, has lost his appeal against convictions for violent disorder, assault causing harm, and the production of a baseball bat. In May 2022, a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court unanimously convicted Akinlade, who had pleaded not guilty to all three charges. He was sentenced to five years for violent disorder, four years for assault causing harm, and a further four years for producing the bat used to assault Garda Jonathan Ryan, with all sentences to run concurrently. The trial concerned an incident in May 2018 in Carrickmines, where Akinlade alleged he attacked an unidentified intruder who smashed his door glass. Garda Ryan testified that he had identified himself as a plain-clothes officer and that Akinlade struck him with the bat. On appeal, Akinlade argued he did not know the officer was a Garda and claimed the injuries were self-inflicted. Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh dismissed the appeal, ruling that the Section 18 defence was unavailable because the force was used against a member of An Garda Síochána acting in the course of duty. She further determined that the legality of the Garda's entry was a minor issue for the jury and that no injustice was caused by the trial judge's failure to rule on it.
Mark Doyle, a former Garda and soldier, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for a series of assaults on his wife, Meav McLoughlin‑Doyle, and their two stepsons over a 12‑year period. The court heard that Doyle repeatedly punched, choked, and kicked his wife, threw a chair at her while she was pregnant, and used an airsoft gun against a stepson. He also verbally abused the children, calling them names such as "fat cunt" and "retard." Doyle admitted five counts of assault causing harm to his wife and two counts of assault causing harm to the children. He had been suspended and later resigned from the Gardaí before pleading guilty. The judge noted the pattern of violence and the impact on the victims, describing the home as oppressive and a place of fear. Doyle's sentence was back‑dated to the day he entered custody.
Stephen Leech, 42, pleaded guilty to stealing €4,000 from his employer and setting fire to a company van on 29 September 2022. He claimed the cash had been burnt, citing a gambling addiction. The court found his betrayal of trust and the significant loss as aggravating factors. Leech received a three‑year suspended sentence, with strict conditions. He was ordered to pay €7,500 to his employer over 18 months, or to a local charity if the employer declined. The judge noted Leech's good prior conduct and lack of previous offences, suggesting he was unlikely to reoffend. The court also highlighted the damage to the van, valued at over €16,000, and Leech's remorse and efforts to address his gambling problem. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the theft and arson while considering his personal circumstances.
A 47‑year‑old man was sentenced to a fully suspended 16‑month prison term after pleading guilty to one count of harassment for sending a 12‑year‑old niece a video in which he wore only white underpants that revealed the outline of his penis. The video was discovered by the girl's foster mother, who had been checking the child's phone. In the video the man also asked the girl if they were still "besties" and claimed he was showing her "my new jocks". He handed over his phone to Gardaí, admitted the wrongdoing, expressed regret and said he would never harm a child. The foster mother's victim impact statement described the girl's feelings of betrayal and anxiety. The judge noted the defendant's mental health issues and lack of prior convictions, and imposed the suspended sentence on strict conditions.
Lee Conlon, 44, with 89 prior convictions, was jailed for seven and a half years after pleading guilty to burglary and criminal damage at a Hugo Boss shop on Grafton Street on 18 January 2023 and to robbery, criminal damage, possession of false registration plates and using a car without the owner's consent in a post‑office robbery in Ballyfermot on 11 November 2023. In the shop incident, a car reversed into the front, causing €51,000 of damage, and Conlon stole clothing worth over €7,100. CCTV identified him and Gardaí found stolen items and evidence of attempts to sell them. In the post‑office robbery, he used a blue scaffolding pole to smash the security glass, stole over €21,800, and was the getaway driver. He was on bail for both offences at the time of each crime.
Darren Ducoté, 48, a former award‑winning entrepreneur, was sentenced to two years in prison for recklessly holding €1.23 million in crime proceeds in his company's bank account. The money, transferred from German investors between January and May 2021, was allegedly intended to fund a vertical wheatgrass farm in Turkey. Ducoté claimed the funds were for a legitimate project with Mayfair International and Gonka Logistics Group, but the bank and Gardaí found no evidence of such a venture. He admitted to transferring the money out of jurisdiction and later attempted to recall payments. The judge noted the large amount involved and that criminals benefited, concluding Ducoté should have known better. He had prior convictions, including a serious assault as a minor, and a psychiatric report cited severe anxiety, ADHD and autism. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the financial misconduct and the lack of recovery of the laundered funds.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, former Garda and soldier Mark Doyle, aged 38, admitted five counts of assault causing harm to his ex‑wife Meav Doyle and two counts of assault causing harm to her sons, covering incidents from September 2007 to August 2019. The court heard that Doyle repeatedly punched, choked, and kicked his wife, threw a chair at her while she was pregnant, and pulled her by the hair. He also shot a stepson with an airsoft gun and verbally abused both stepsons. Doyle had been suspended and later resigned from the Gardaí before pleading guilty in October. He was remanded in custody overnight pending a finalisation of his sentence hearing on Friday. The hearing focused on the 12‑year period of violence and the impact on the family.
A 52‑year‑old man, Jason Ward, was sentenced to five years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions, after he set fire to an upstairs office in a Drumcondra building. He claimed he was under the mistaken belief that his former partner was having an affair there. The fire caused over €110,000 in damage, including smoke damage to a downstairs apartment, and forced tenants to relocate for three months. Ward pleaded guilty to arson and endangerment on 1 June 2022 and had 14 prior convictions. He was found to have purchased petrol, used a balaclava, and employed an accelerant. The court noted his guilty plea, remorse, and efforts to address addiction as mitigating factors. The incident was described as deliberate, cold‑planned, and executed without regard for people or property.
A 21‑year‑old man, whose name is withheld, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to false imprisonment, assault causing harm, production of an article and using an imitation firearm. The offences occurred in April and June 2023 when he broke into his ex‑partner's home, locked her inside, demanded phones, and stabbed her parents. He was arrested after a confrontation with Gardaí and later released on bail. Judge Martin Nolan described the conduct as disgraceful and noted the man's mental health difficulties, but found a custodial sentence unavoidable. The judge suspended the final two years of a six‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, citing mitigation and personal circumstances. The man was ordered to be supervised by the Probation Service for one year after release. No victim impact statement was submitted. The man had no prior convictions.
A judge in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found that David Moorehouse, 44, of Bray, had acted in a "moment of madness" when he drove his Toyota HiAce van toward a Garda on Old Connaught Avenue. The incident occurred after the officer had signalled the driver to stop. Moorehouse, who had 10 prior minor traffic convictions, was observed speeding, swerving, and nearly colliding with the Garda before stopping near the patrol car. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving for the July 2020 offence. The judge, Martin Nolan, accepted that Moorehouse may have been "acting the blaggard" and imposed a four‑month suspended prison sentence, directed him to offer €3,000 as a token of remorse to the Garda within three months, and disqualified him from driving for four years. The Garda was given the option to accept the money or have it donated to a charity of his choice. The case was heard on 12 March 2024.
Two men, Zhenmin Lin, 38, and Ervins Sermulis, 45, were convicted in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing and transporting €620,000 worth of cannabis. They pleaded guilty to having the drugs for sale or supply and to having cash they believed to be or being reckless about whether it was proceeds of crime. The drugs were found in a taxi and a vehicle transporter in Balrothery, Balbriggan, after a Garda surveillance operation. Lin admitted involvement due to gambling debt, while Sermulis said he had been paid to transport the drugs from the UK and had a prior cocaine problem. Both men were sentenced to five and a half years' imprisonment. The judge noted their good mitigation, work history, and unlikely re‑offending, but said they had committed misjudgements because of personal needs. The sentence reflects their equal roles in the transport chain.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 12 March 2024, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Daniel Doyle, 32, to a fully suspended two‑year prison term for possession of child pornography. Doyle was found in possession of 1,760 images and 282 videos of child abuse material on a laptop and phone seized during a 2019 search of his Ballybrack home. He pleaded guilty and cooperated with Gardaí, and his good work history and therapy were noted as mitigating factors. The judge highlighted that Doyle is on the sex offenders register and that the conviction is a serious matter, urging him to be "appropriately ashamed." No custodial sentence was imposed due to the absence of aggravating factors such as prior convictions. The case was heard by Judge Nolan, with counsel James B. Dwyer defending Doyle. The court received evidence from Gardaí, Doyle's employer, family, and a therapist's letter confirming insight and remorse.
In a Dublin city street incident on 11 December 2021, a French tourist, Alicia Guilleux, 31, and her partner were crossing South Great George Street hand‑in‑hand when Shaun Kelly, 33, driving a Ford Ranger, turned right from Fade Street and collided with them. Mr Avril was pushed clear, but Ms Guilleux was dragged beneath the vehicle, sustaining catastrophic injuries that led to her death two days later. Kelly, who had no prior convictions, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing death and to possession of ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and TCP for sale. Judge Martin Nolan, after hearing evidence and CCTV, found Kelly's failure to notice the pedestrians was a human error. He imposed a one‑year custodial sentence, suspended in full, and disqualified Kelly from driving for one year. The judge would decide on the drug offence the following day. The case highlighted the tragic outcome of a momentary lapse in attention on the road.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Michael, Thomas and Patrick Wall were charged with possession of stolen property after they were caught digging up almost €80,000 in coffee jars buried in a suburban field. Garda helicopter footage showed the brothers, identified as members of the "Wall Organised Crime Group", using shovels and a mini digger to excavate the cash. The court noted the brothers had approached local businesses to inquire about groundworks on the land and had claimed they were building horse fences. Michael Wall, aged 30, had no prior convictions and received a fully suspended sentence. Thomas Wall, aged 39, had served 12 months in custody and was given an 18‑month sentence, while Patrick Wall, aged 20, was adjourned to May for a probation report. The brothers were also charged with money laundering, but guilty pleas to possession of stolen property were accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Stuart Simpson, 43, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment after admitting possession of a controlled drug for sale or supply. He claimed he had found over €250,000 worth of drugs "under a bush", but the court found this false, noting that the drugs were supplied by someone else. A search of Simpson's home on 7 October 2022 uncovered more than 1 kg of diamorphine, 300 g of cocaine and 20 g of cannabis, with a combined value of €259,172, along with drug‑dealing paraphernalia. Simpson pleaded guilty and had 46 prior convictions, including two drug offences. The judge highlighted that Simpson had no signs of wealth and that the profits from the drugs were likely diverted elsewhere. He was described as a "wild young man" in his early 20s, with a history of early convictions, and the court considered the impact of his absence on his family when imposing the sentence.
A 53‑year‑old man, Eoghan Peavoy, pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment against a barrister between February 2019 and August 2022. He sent a series of increasingly threatening, vulgar and sexually suggestive text messages, emails, voicemails and WhatsApp messages, including threats of violence and claims of fantasies about killing the victim and her children. He also contacted the victim's father, colleagues and other family members. The victim described living in fear, having to print photos of the man for her childminder and removing her work website to protect herself. Peavoy, diagnosed with schizophrenia, had been involuntarily detained under the Mental Health Act multiple times. At sentencing, a judge imposed a five‑year prison term suspended on strict conditions, directing him to take prescribed medication, remain in inpatient care if discharged, and have no contact with the victim or her family for five years and thereafter.
A 13‑year‑old boy was found guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of three counts of indecent assault on his eight‑year‑old cousin in 1988. The defendant, who cannot be named, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended under conditions. The judge noted the profound impact on the victim and the fact that the offender was a child at the time. The court heard that the assaults took place in the victim's home over a six‑week period, involving the defendant unbuttoning his trousers, exposing his genitals, and forcing the victim to touch and mouth them. The victim's impact statement described the lasting trauma, addiction, and loss of childhood. The defendant denied the offences and had no prior convictions. The case was prosecuted by Gareth Baker SC and defended by John Byrne SC. The judge praised the victim's courage and dignity.
A 23‑year‑old Romanian‑born burglar, Constantin Leonard Magadau, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment for a June 2023 break‑in at Murray Mobile in Dundrum, where he used a crowbar to enter through a broken window, smashed display cases and stole €33,000 of stock. He also caused €15,000 of criminal damage. The getaway car was abandoned a short distance away, and a mobile phone and loyalty tag linked to Magadau were found there. The shop owner's impact statement described sleepless nights, staff worry and the need to refurbish the store, noting the business nearly closed. Judge Elva Duffy cited the systematic destruction, planning, significant loss and the driver's dangerous conduct as aggravating factors, while noting his early guilty plea and admission of wrongdoing as mitigating. She also disqualified him from driving for five years. The sentence was back‑dated to his custody date.
A 27‑year‑old British woman, Yejeida Johnson, was jailed for smuggling 26 kg of cannabis worth €520,340 into Ireland. She was stopped at Dublin Airport on 2 September 2023 after customs flagged her luggage, which was found to contain the drug. Johnson had arrived from New York and was about to fly to Manchester. She admitted owning the luggage and said a friend had asked her to transport it, claiming she thought it held luxury goods. She had no fixed address in Ireland and had no prior convictions there, though she had a minor UK conviction in 2018. The court accepted her guilty pleas and mitigating circumstances, noting she was "imposed upon" to transport the drugs. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to four and a half years' imprisonment, back‑dated to 4 September 2023. The sentence reflects the large quantity of drugs she moved into the jurisdiction.
Derek Delaney, a 60‑year‑old former Irish Defence Forces soldier who served 43 years and five tours in Lebanon, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 20 months in prison for indecent assault of his sister between 1982 and 1988 and to a concurrent 15‑month sentence for assault causing harm to his former partner on 2 July 2023. Delaney admitted the indecent assault occurred when he was in his early twenties and his sister, aged nine to eleven, was sexually abused at a family home on Bunratty Road, Coolock. He also admitted head‑butting and knocking his partner unconscious after an argument, citing jealousy. The judge reduced the headline sentence of two to four years on mitigating factors, including Delaney's long military service. Derek Delaney pleaded guilty.
A 24‑year‑old man, Mark O'Neill of Knockmore Drive, Tallaght, was found guilty of two counts of possession of drugs for sale or supply, with a combined value of €22,620, after being caught with drugs and dealing paraphernalia at his home twice in May 2022. He pleaded guilty, cooperated with investigators, and had seven prior minor traffic convictions. Judge Martin Nolan, hearing the case at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, noted O'Neill's early plea, good work history and support structure, but also his misbehaviour on both occasions. The judge imposed a global sentence of three years' imprisonment, refusing to suspend any part of it. Gardaí had obtained search warrants on 3 and 26 May 2022, finding cannabis, cocaine, heroin, weighing scales, mobile phones, and cash. O'Neill was released on bail after the first search and was arrested after the second. He had completed a drug awareness course and had a clean urine analysis from Tallaght Addiction Service.
A Dublin man, Keith Redmond, aged 45, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for attempting to send sexually explicit material to a fictitious 14‑year‑old girl over a three‑month period in late 2022. The case involved 83 pages of text between Redmond and a decoy named 'Amber', created by a UK‑based group called 'Volunteers for Predator Exposure'. Redmond sent four photographs of his penis and engaged in grooming‑like discussions, offering to buy a phone and plan a meeting in Leeds. He pleaded guilty to the offence, claiming he had not sought contact with a child and that the operation bordered on entrapment. The judge, citing aggravating factors such as moving the conversation to a private platform, imposed a two‑year custodial sentence with the final six months suspended for one year, and ordered probation and no unsupervised access to children.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 6 March 2024, Niall Brooks, aged 26, was sentenced to three years and three months' imprisonment for his role in an unprovoked mob attack on a nightclub bouncer at Buzz nightclub, Red Cow Moran Hotel, on 9 November 2019. Brooks pleaded guilty to an amended charge of assault with intent to commit violent disorder after initially denying assault causing harm. He received a two‑year sentence for the nightclub assault and a consecutive 15‑month sentence for possessing 150 g of crack cocaine for sale or supply, found in an air vent in his kitchen. The court noted that the security guard suffered a punctured lung, three stab wounds to his back, two fractured ribs and a fractured elbow, and that the attack involved a group of six to ten men, including Brandon Brooks, who had previously been sentenced for assault in the same incident.
A 61‑year‑old man named David Clarke was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment after the court found he had evaded excise duty on 74,148 cigarettes and 141 kg of tobacco, which he claimed he was selling to traders. The products were seized from his home and a shed at a second house he rented on St Attracta Road, Cabra, Dublin 7. Clarke admitted sourcing the goods but did not identify the supplier. He pleaded guilty to evading excise duty and to a fine cut for the rolling of cigarettes with intent to defraud the State on 5 September 2022. The State suffered a loss of €121,565, and €65,000 was found during the search, though no application had been made for that cash. Clarke has prior minor road‑traffic convictions. He is a retired newsagent, a carer for his 87‑year‑old mother, and volunteers with Vision Ireland and a local soccer club.
Niall Sheehy, a 59‑year‑old car‑sales owner from Ballinteskin, Stradbally, pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching the Data Protection Act for disclosing personal information obtained from the Garda Pulse system between June 2019 and February 2020. He had no money exchanged for the data and did not request it, but the information was sent to him by a serving Garda who had a "cosy relationship" with him. The Garda's phone was seized in March 2020, revealing ten screenshots of Pulse data sent to Sheehy. Sheehy's home was searched and he fully cooperated. Judge Martin Nolan, noting his long‑standing community standing and lack of criminal intent, sentenced him to one year in prison, suspended in full on strict conditions, and found no malice in his receipt of the data. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Paulo Ronchi, 39, a chef from Brazil, was found to have had a psychotic episode when he attacked his landlady, a fellow tenant and two Gardaí on the night of 21 August 2021. He assaulted the sleeping landlady, pulling out clumps of her hair and claiming she was the devil, then jumped from a second‑floor bedroom window onto the Gardaí below, injuring them and biting one. He also caused criminal damage to the bedroom, damaging furniture, a door and the walls. The landlady suffered bleeding from the assault and reported €800 in damage and loss of rental income, along with stress, depression and anxiety. Ronchi pleaded guilty to three counts of assault causing harm, one count of assault and one count of criminal damage. He was remanded on continuing bail and the case was adjourned to June 10 for a psychiatric report and a urine analysis to confirm he was not smoking weed.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 16‑year‑old named Calistus Omoikhudu received a fully suspended three‑year prison sentence for assault causing harm and possession of a knife after stabbing a rival group member in the thigh with a kitchen knife on Nutgrove Avenue, Churchtown, on 10 May 2019. The victim suffered a 15‑cm laceration and required surgery. Omoikhudu, who had no prior convictions, admitted the offence, expressed regret and presented an apology letter. The court noted his age, lack of parental oversight at the time, and his subsequent maturation and good behaviour after returning to Ireland from Nigeria in 2022. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the suspended sentence on strict conditions and directed Omoikhudu to be supervised by Probation Services for 15 months. The sentence was based on the Children's Act and the court's assessment that he was unlikely to re‑offend. Calistus Omoikhudu pleaded guilty.
Shane Romel Bullock, a 29‑year‑old Canadian from Toronto, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to importing 29.8 kg of cannabis, valued at €597,048, into Ireland. He was arrested after a customs sniffer dog flagged two suspicious pieces of luggage bearing his name and flight number. Bullock initially denied ownership but later admitted the bags were his, claiming he did not know their contents but had agreed to transport them from Canada to London via Dublin, for a promised €2,000. He has been in custody since his arrest. The court accepted his admission of high risk and reckless conduct, noting his remorse. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to five years' imprisonment, back‑dated to his initial remand in July 2023.