Rebecca Kavanagh, a 30‑year‑old former financial services worker, was found in her family home holding cannabis with a street value of €58,998. She pleaded guilty to one count of possession at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Kavanagh said she kept the drugs to pay a debt and later continued to trade with the dealer for personal use. She has no prior convictions. The court heard she has struggled with anxiety and depression, her partner left after their baby was born, and she began using cannabis. Since her arrest she has become drug‑free, attends counselling, and returned to work as a financial analyst. The Probation Service assessed her as low risk of re‑offending. Judge Dara Hayes imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspended it entirely, and noted her cooperation, guilty plea, and the impact on her child. The sentence was handed down with Kavanagh visibly emotional.
Joshua Bennet, 21, was given a suspended three‑year prison sentence after a high‑speed chase in which he drove up to 140 km/h on suburban streets around Blanchardstown and Dublin 15. He refused to stop when ordered by Gardaí, drove the wrong way around roundabouts, ran a red light, and drove onto footpaths, forcing pedestrians to flee. The chase lasted about 15–20 minutes and ended when Bennet skidded after a sharp left. He pleaded guilty to five endangerment charges and one dangerous driving charge. At sentencing, Judge Martin Nolan described his conduct as "appalling" and "extraordinarily reckless", noting he had not hit or injured anyone. Bennet was ordered to keep the peace, be of good behaviour for three years, and was disqualified from driving for six years. He tested negative for drugs and alcohol. The court considered his youth and lack of prior convictions in suspending the sentence.
Francie Stokes, 23, of Lucan, pleaded guilty to possessing €52,355 in his AIB account as proceeds of crime linked to an invoice redirect fraud. The money was fraudulently transferred from a German aviation company. Stokes had previously received a one‑month probation in October 2021 for laundering €3,000. He is currently on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and has no legitimate source for the €52,000. AIB recovered €28,000; about €24,000 remains withdrawn. Gardaí found multiple ATM withdrawals, but CCTV showed none were made by Stokes. He exercised his right to silence during questioning. Judge Martin Nolan adjourned the case for ten weeks to allow Probation Services to decide if Stokes is suitable for community service. If suitable, he would be ordered to carry out 150 hours of community service within one year in lieu of an 18‑month prison term. The hearing was held on 16 March 2023.
Joseph Rogerson, aged 73, was sentenced to four years in prison for possessing cocaine and heroin for sale or supply. The drugs were seized in June 2005 from his car on Rock Road, Blackrock, and from his house in Ballybrack, Co. Dublin, amounting to just over a kilo of cocaine and heroin worth €146,552. Rogerson had fled Ireland in 2006, taking a bench warrant, and lived in the Canary Islands until his voluntary return on 8 March 2023. He had 31 prior convictions, including 23 for larceny and several assault offences, but had not offended since 1987. The judge noted his age, his voluntary surrender, and cooperation with Gardaí, and backdated the sentence to the day of his return. The court highlighted that Rogerson's gambling debt and alleged coercion by third parties were factors considered in sentencing. The four‑year term is effective from 8 March 2023.
A security guard has testified at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in the trial of four men accused of an assault on a rural Roscommon property in December 2018. Michael Kane told the jury he was asleep in a security van at the 30-acre estate near Strokestown when he was awakened by shouting and roaring at approximately 5am on December 16. He described witnessing a colleague being struck and falling to the ground, and hearing a loud mechanical sound. The witness said he and three other security personnel fled the scene, believing they would be killed. Upon returning when emergency services arrived, Mr Kane found the yard ablaze with two cars and four vans on fire. He said he feared finding "charred dead bodies" of his colleagues. Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne and David Lawlor have each pleaded not guilty to 17 charges including false imprisonment, assault causing harm, aggravated burglary, arson and violent disorder. The trial before Judge Martina Baxter and a jury continues.
Liam Evans, 31, of Clondalkin, received a two‑year suspended prison sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for laundering money by cashing five cheques totalling €23,500 written by an elderly woman in her 80s. The woman had been approached by men claiming to be from a construction company and was persuaded to write cheques to various payees, including Evans. She ultimately paid over €44,000, but most of the promised construction was never carried out. Evans pleaded guilty to three counts of laundering the proceeds of crime. The court ordered him to pay €5,000 to the victim within a year. The case was brought to light after the HSE alerted Gardaí to a suspected elder‑abuse scheme, leading to the investigation and Evans' arrest. The court noted Evans' cooperation, remorse and guilty plea in handing down the suspended sentence. The stolen money was never recovered, and the victim remains at a loss.
A 71‑year‑old Christian Brother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six and a half years' imprisonment for nine counts of indecent assault on four boys between 1976 and 1978, when he was their fourth‑class teacher at a CBS school in Leinster. He had previously served a five‑and‑a‑half‑year term for indecently assaulting five other boys in the late 1970s and had about 45 prior convictions for indecent assault. The jury found him guilty after he denied the charges and refused to accept the verdicts. Victim impact statements were read at the sentencing hearing, describing physical abuse, sexual assault, and lasting psychological harm.
Martin Joyce, 42, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a nurse on 29 October 2020 while he was a voluntary inpatient at a Dublin psychiatric hospital. He was heavily medicated for a misdiagnosed schizophrenia, later re‑diagnosed with an emotionally unstable personality disorder. The assault occurred around 11 pm after Joyce had been transferred to the main ward. The nurse described Joyce staring at her, grabbing her breasts, sliding his hands down to her bottom, and then lunging at her. She activated her alarm and escaped along the corridor. Joyce later admitted the offence, expressed remorse and was found guilty. Judge Martin Nolan, hearing the case in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, imposed a fully suspended sentence, ordered Joyce to be of good behaviour for one year and to comply with Probation Services supervision. He also noted Joyce's previous seven convictions, including assault, malicious damage and failure to comply with Garda directions.
A man has received a fully suspended one-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for careless driving causing the death of a cyclist. Mariusz Karpinski, aged 32 and from Ashbourne in County Meath, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing the death of a cyclist on a local access road near Kilshane Cross in north County Dublin on 4 May 2021. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the suspended sentence, finding the case tragic but noting that Karpinski had been driving into strong sunlight that obscured his vision. The judge stated that while Karpinski was driving reasonably carefully, he failed to take appropriate steps to address the weather conditions. Evidence indicated the cyclist had been visible for approximately two seconds before impact. Karpinski, who has since relocated to Cavan and works in factory employment, was not disqualified from driving. The deceased's mother submitted a victim impact statement and was noted by the judge as displaying forgiveness toward the accused.
Tatiana Viera, daughter of the late Ohari Viera, spoke at the sentencing hearing for Dean Boland, who was convicted of unlawful killing, arson and burglary in August 2018. Viera said she had grown up with a distrust of the police as an African national but had learned "the truth of the system" through the trial and praised the "kind humanity" of the gardai. She thanked the judge, jury and prosecution team, expressed sympathy for Boland, and urged the African community that there is no need to be afraid of the police. Viera described her father's death as the tragic end of a "complicated journey" from Angola, and she highlighted the trauma she experienced when her father was taken to St James' Hospital and later died of cardiac arrest caused by smoke inhalation. The sentencing was adjourned to March 30. Dean Boland pleaded not guilty.
The trial of Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne, and David Lawlor continues before Judge Martina Baxter and a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The four men, who have all pleaded not guilty, face the same 17 charges each. They are accused of false imprisonment and assault causing harm to four security guards, including Mark Rissen, at a repossessed farm in Falsk, Strokestown, on December 16, 2018. The State alleges the group also committed aggravated burglary, four counts of arson, criminal damage, violent disorder, robbery, and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. Mr. Rissen testified that he was pushed to the ground, struck, and had his hands tied with cable ties during the attack. He reported bleeding from a leg gash and smoke inhalation, requiring treatment at Mullingar Hospital. The court heard that the accused allegedly arrived armed with various weapons, smashed the property, and set vehicles on fire. The trial is currently at the evidence stage, with the prosecution presenting witness accounts of the alleged assault and property damage.
Lee Lismore, 54, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after a revenge attack on a man he claimed had assaulted him earlier. The incident occurred at Smithfield Square, Dublin, on 3 April 2021, where Lismore, along with two other men, punched, kicked and stabbed the victim, who suffered a brain bleed and multiple stab wounds. Lismore had no prior convictions and cooperated with Gardaí, providing details of the alleged earlier assault. The court noted strong mitigating factors, including his community volunteer work and lack of criminal history. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Lismore to a three‑year term, suspended on conditions, and required him to pay €3,000 to the victim. The case remains under investigation for the alleged initial assault. The other two men were not before the court.
A former Israeli soldier, Shahar Hlinovsky, aged 53, turned pro‑Palestinian activist and was said to have been persecuted by Mossad. He lived rough in Dublin and, in two separate incidents, attacked people he mistakenly believed were working for Mossad. In the first, he shouted at a man, brandishing a butcher's knife, which forced the man to call gardaí and retreat. Gardaí found two knives on Hlinovsky. In the second, he pushed a young woman who had just arrived from Germany and was calling her mother, causing her to suffer a graze and a partially ripped nail. Hlinovsky pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, two knife‑possession counts and another assault. He was sentenced to three years, with the final two years suspended and conditions imposed, and will be supervised by the Probation Service for one year after release.
Conor O'Flaherty, 25, of Spiddal Park, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two burglaries in Chapelizod on 17 July 2022 – one at a private home and one at a medical centre. The first burglary involved a kitchen window smashed at 4 am, with homeowners finding a man holding car keys outside. O'Flaherty was later found at the medical centre, filling his pockets with supplies, after gardai followed an alarm sound. DNA from blood linked him to the earlier crime. He apologized and offered to pay for the broken window. O'Flaherty has two prior convictions and was in custody after missing a court date. The court considered his work record and remorse, and Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two and a half years, suspended in full under conditions. The sentence was imposed today.
Aaron Cunningham, aged 20, and his uncle John Cunningham, aged 38, avoided jail after pleading guilty to threatening to kill a man over unpaid Canada Goose jacket deposits. Aaron pleaded guilty to four counts of threatening to kill or cause harm and threatening to damage property between 1 and 7 February 2021. John pleaded guilty to five counts of threatening to kill or cause serious harm between 7 January and 1 February 2021. The threats were made in person, via voicemail, text and Snapchat voice messages. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced John to five years' imprisonment, suspended in full on strict conditions including probation for two years, and Aaron to four years' imprisonment, also suspended in full on strict conditions. The court noted the men's remorse and Aaron's lack of prior convictions, while John had 19 previous convictions. The case involved a series of deposit disputes and escalating threats over a year.
Sean Squires, aged 19, avoided jail after a week in custody for stabbing a young man on a Dublin bus in August 2021. Squires, who was 17 at the time, stabbed the victim in the cheek and leg after the victim tried to intervene in an argument between Squires and his girlfriend. The incident occurred when the couple were heading into the city centre for dinner; the victim's girlfriend was upset and the argument escalated. Gardaí arrested Squires shortly after he tried to board another bus. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and producing a knife. Judge Martin Nolan remanded him to understand custody, then imposed a two‑year sentence, which he suspended in full on strict conditions, citing Squires' youth. The judge warned that any repeat offence would lead to long imprisonment. No prior convictions were recorded. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Fiachra Slator, 40, of Clondalkin, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a small quantity of drugs at his home and a larger quantity at a location in Straffan, Co Kildare, together with bagging material, weighing scales and a blender. He also pleaded guilty to money laundering for €125,110 found in a locked box at his mother's home. The offences, committed on 14 April 2022, involved over €80,000 in drugs and €125,000 in cash. Garda Ciaran O'Neill explained that two search warrants, based on confidential information, led to the seizures. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Slator's early guilty plea, admissions, medical condition and desire to change, departed from the ten‑year mandatory minimum and imposed a six‑year sentence, back‑dated to the date Slator entered custody.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 60‑year‑old Andrew Edward avoided jail for his role in a "classic invoice redirection fraud." Edward, of Dun Saithne Court, Balbriggan, had allowed an ex‑colleague to use his bank account, believing the colleague trustworthy. He pleaded guilty to money laundering on 4 March 2021 and had seven prior traffic convictions. Garda Barry Griffin reported €19,095 was transferred into Edward's account, flagged as suspicious, with €17,625 recovered; about €1,500 was withdrawn and not recovered. Edward admitted to permitting the use of his account and keeping €200 for himself. Rebecca Smith BL defended him as a married family man with medical issues, noting his remorse and cooperation. Judge Martin Nolan described the case as a reckless invoice redirection fraud, imposed a nine‑month sentence, and suspended it in full on strict conditions.
In a Dublin family home on 29 November 2020, a 32‑year‑old man assaulted his pregnant partner and his 12‑year‑old son. The partner, five months pregnant, was left unconscious with a head injury and bleeding heavily. The infant was found in a cot with the mother's blood on its babygro. The son, who had bruises and a cut, was thrown against a metal bed frame after attempting to intervene. The man pleaded guilty to assaulting his partner and son. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to 40 months' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions, including two years of probation. The sentence was back‑dated to 2 December 2021, when he entered custody. The court noted the intimate relationship, the violence involved, the victim's injuries, the son's age, and the defendant's remorse and willingness to engage with support services.
Jeferson Pedrucci, 33, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Airport on 20 January 2022. He was caught smuggling €650,000 worth of cocaine in shampoo bottles and sewn into a companion's luggage. Garda Ross Brierley reported that Pedrucci and a female companion flew from São Paulo via Lisbon, were stopped at customs, and the drugs were found in two shampoo bottles (valued at €154,000) and in the lining of the companion's bag (valued at nearly €500,000). The total seized was €651,875. Pedrucci, originally from Brazil and a dual Italian citizen, admitted full responsibility. He has nine prior traffic convictions and had been threatened by loan sharks in Brazil for transporting the drugs. His mother and sister, who had been threatened, had moved to Ireland and attended the hearing.
In March 2023, a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard a case where a man violently assaulted his former partner in front of their two teenage children. He strangled her, broke her nose, and threatened to kill her and the children. The victim, who had a barring order against him, had asked him to help with the children, but he arrived drunk and attacked her. She managed to escape, and the children called Gardaí, who arrested him. While in custody, he was violent towards Gardaí, spitting and shouting about Covid‑19, and set his jumper on fire. He pleaded guilty to six charges, including assault causing harm and obstruction of a peace officer. Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced him to four and a half years' imprisonment, ordering that contact with the victim be limited to her solicitor for three years.
Erik Nemes, a 22-year-old college student from Skerries, Co Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing the proceeds of crime. Judge Martin Nolan handed Nemes a one-year sentence, which was suspended in full. Nemes pleaded guilty to possessing €14,470 as the proceeds of crime at Bank of Ireland in Balbriggan on December 14, 2018. The funds were originally intended for the college fees of a UCD medical student from New Zealand, who discovered the money had been diverted to an account in Nemes's name. Prosecution evidence indicated Nemes provided his bank details to a friend under the pretext of obtaining discounted goods, before being pressured to withdraw cash and purchase iPhones. Judge Nolan noted that Nemes knew it was a criminal enterprise. The court ordered that €1,000 brought by Nemes be paid to the injured party within one month. Nemes, who studies engineering and technology at Drogheda Institute of Further Education, has no previous convictions. Defence counsel highlighted his difficult background and cooperation with gardaí, while the prosecution agreed he was unlikely to reoffend. A victim impact statement from the student's father, who suffered anxiety and had to replace the lost fees, was submitted to the court.
The family of Richard Gracey, a 64‑year‑old cargo loader who died after falling five metres from a plane at Dublin Airport on 24 November 2018, has asked that families receive more information about workplace deaths without waiting for a prosecution to finish. Gracey, who worked for Swissport Ireland since 2005, was unloading an Air France Boeing 777 when he fell headfirst onto the tarmac. The court heard that the main deck loader was 2.7 metres from the aircraft door, a gap that should have been no more than three inches, and that a yellow safety net was not attached correctly. Swissport admitted it had failed to provide adequate fall‑prevention measures and was fined €250,000. The judge noted that if the loader had been flush to the plane, the fatal accident would not have occurred, and the family's impact statement described profound grief and anger at the loss of a meticulous, safety‑conscious worker.
A 32‑year‑old Romanian national, Gheorghe Rafaila, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for sexually assaulting a three‑year‑old boy at a Dublin homeless hub. The court found that Rafaila had touched the child's genitals in a courtyard while his wife was present, an act that lasted about four minutes. He claimed the act was "playful" in the Roma community, but the judge rejected this defence. Rafaila pleaded guilty and was extradited from the UK to face the charges. The judge imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final year, and ordered Rafaila to leave Ireland upon release. He was also required to demonstrate good behaviour for one year after his release. The sentence was back‑dated to the date he entered UK custody in October 2022. The court noted the child's young age as an aggravating factor. The mother of the child gave a victim impact statement, which was not read aloud.
Four senior executives of Custom House Capital are scheduled for sentencing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on April 21 before Judge Orla Crowe. Former CEO Harry Cassidy, former head of private clients John Whyte, and head of finance Paul Lavery pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to defraud investors and clients by intentionally misleading them regarding asset placement. Non-executive director John Mulholland also pleaded guilty to one count of neglectful discharge of a director's duty in relation to the company's dishonest acts. The offences are alleged to have occurred between October 2008 and July 2011. The sentencing hearing is expected to last one day. Separately, former senior portfolio relationship manager Ciara Kelleher pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud investors and clients. After a jury failed to reach a verdict earlier this month, Judge Martin Nolan set a re-trial date for January 13, 2025. The matter involving Kelleher remains pending and has not been concluded.
In August 2021, 17‑year‑old Sean Squires stabbed a young man in the cheek and leg after the victim tried to intervene in an argument between Squires and his girlfriend on a Dublin bus. The incident began when the victim and his girlfriend noticed Squires and his girlfriend arguing; the girlfriend became emotional and threatened the victim's girlfriend, who slapped her. The victim and his girlfriend left the bus and called the police. Squires followed them, produced a knife and stabbed the victim. He was arrested shortly thereafter while attempting to board another bus. Squires, now 19, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and producing a knife. He has no prior convictions. The case is set for sentencing next week, with the court remanding him in custody pending finalisation on March 13.
Christian Preston, aged 22, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to a two‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to possessing €37,000 of proceeds of crime. The money had been transferred to his account when a home buyer's deposit was hacked during an email exchange with the buyer's solicitor in December 2019. Preston withdrew and spent about €1,200 on a holiday and made purchases of designer goods and Apple items from his account, though the identities of the purchasers were unknown. The bank recovered €16,200 of the funds after his account was frozen, leaving the victim with a loss of roughly €21,000. Preston was not the mastermind of the hacking operation and had no prior convictions. He was ordered to pay €2,500 to the victim within a year.
Charlie Cunningham, 24, of Kellys Bay Heights, Skerries, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for demanding money with menace at a garda's home in Donabate on 1 January 2021. He knocked on the door at 4.30 pm, asked for a specific person, and when the homeowner – who identified himself as Garda Sean McIllroy – denied the request, Cunningham returned and repeated the demand. He threatened that a group of men would break doors and windows and, after leaving, told the homeowner, "Now I know you're a garda, you're cooked". The homeowner followed him to the road, saw a group of six or seven men, and called the gardai. Cunningham pleaded guilty, cooperated with investigators, and apologized. He has eight prior convictions, including assault causing harm. Judge Martin Nolan noted the seriousness of the offence and the lack of sufficient mitigation to avoid custodial punishment, and imposed the two‑year sentence.
Ross Hutch, aged 30, pleaded guilty via videolink at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two separate offences committed in August 2021. On 22 August, he allegedly slashed the face of his ex‑partner's boyfriend with a knife at Sheriff Street Lower, causing serious harm. The following day, 23 August, he allegedly assaulted his then girlfriend at The Holyhead Hostel on Gardiner Street, causing harm. The court heard that Hutch had been denied attendance at his child's communion for security reasons and that the slashing incident occurred as the boyfriend was leaving a pub in Dublin City centre. CCTV footage reportedly captured the assault on his girlfriend the next morning. Prosecutor Fiona McGowan requested victim impact statements for the two victims and others named in the indictment. Judge Martin Nolan set a sentence hearing for 29 March, remanded Hutch in custody, and vacated his earlier trial date. The case remains pending sentencing.
Paul Meehan, 47, of Dublin, pleaded guilty to burglary at Fit4Less gym in Finglas on 2 May 2020 during the first Covid‑19 lockdown. A woman passing the gym at 9.30 pm on 5 May 2020 saw Meehan removing an exercise bike from the closed premises and later gave a detailed description to the Gardaí. CCTV footage, recovered from a single hard drive, showed Meehan entering the gym as the front door was open and cutting the CCTV system. He was arrested on 6 May 2020 and, after two interviews, identified himself on the footage. The bike was not recovered. Meehan has 204 prior convictions, including over 20 for burglary. The court, after considering a medical report and his engagement with mental‑health services, imposed a 16‑month prison sentence fully suspended on strict conditions, including supervision by the Probation Service. The sentence was handed by Judge Martin Nolan.
A 78‑year‑old pensioner with more than 200 prior convictions was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 16‑year‑old girl on public transport in County Dublin. He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault on 14 February 2020 and to one count of public masturbation on 12 February 2020. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑year term for the assault and a six‑month term for the public masturbation, both to run concurrently and back‑dated to 19 February 2020 when the defendant was remanded. The court noted the victim's fear and anxiety after the incident, which lasted about eight minutes, and the impact on her schoolwork. The defendant, who is married with two sons, has further convictions pending for a separate matter later this year. The judge emphasised that the court's role is punishment, not preventative detention. The sentences are to be served in custody.
Three men – Glen Keegan (41), Karl Keegan (31) and Thomas McAllister (48) – pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm at Killinarden Heights, Tallaght, on 25 April 2017. The attack involved a balaclava‑clad armed group that struck an orange car carrying two children, damaged two motorists' vehicles, and caused a taxi driver to lose his car. The men had a combined 78 prior convictions. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Karl Keegan and McAllister to four years' imprisonment, suspended in full on strict conditions, and Glen Keegan to a three‑and‑a‑half‑year term, also suspended. The judge noted the men's remorse, their progress in rehabilitation, and the family's forgiveness. No jail time was imposed, and the men were required to pay €6,000 as a token of remorse. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 6 March 2023.
Geido Voolain, 39, of Seagrave Terrace, Finglas, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis for sale or supply after a police search uncovered a growhouse with 17 plants, 4.3 kg of cannabis, and €100,000 worth of the drug. Gardaí found a locked concrete shed containing a growhouse, 17 plants, lighting, irrigation, and vacuum‑packed bags of cannabis. Voolain claimed he had started growing as a hobby, later turning to profit after an accident left him unemployed. He denied cultivating the vacuum‑packed cannabis, stating he had bought it for €50,000 and sold it. Siobhan Myles, 44, his partner, pleaded guilty to knowingly permitting cultivation at the property. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Voolain to three and a half years' imprisonment and Myles to a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence suspended on strict conditions. Both defendants cooperated with Gardaí and signed the notebook. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Patrick Kinsella, aged 44, of St Ronan's Gardens, Clondalkin, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for endangerment, assault causing harm and driving without insurance after a 2022 incident in which he dragged a homeless woman beside his car. Kinsella, who has 174 prior convictions, had offered the woman a ride and later drove off with her. During the journey an argument erupted when the car hit a kerb and punctured a tyre. Kinsella blamed the woman, threatened to kill her, and sped up as she tried to leave, dragging her alongside the vehicle. Garda Kian Logan observed the woman hanging from the passenger door; she sustained soft‑tissue injuries to her left foot and right ankle. Kinsella pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Judge Martin Nolan, noting his guilty plea, remorse and work history, imposed a four‑year sentence back‑dated to 21 June 2022 and a four‑year driving disqualification.
Paul Storey, a 36-year-old civil servant from Clondalkin, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine and diamorphine for sale or supply. The charges relate to an incident on April 24, 2021, at Baronrath, Straffan, Co Kildare. Gardai discovered 3.3kg of cocaine and 560g of diamorphine, valued at over €310,000, inside a Honda Accord located in a container at a property subject to a search warrant. Although Storey was not present during the search, he was arrested later and initially denied knowledge of the drugs. Prosecution evidence indicated he was holding the substances for a third party, a characterization agreed upon by the investigating garda, who noted Storey was low down the chain and lacked trappings of wealth. Defence counsel Anne Marie Lawlor SC argued that Storey's involvement stemmed from a desire to help a partner with a drugs debt, describing it as a serious misjudgement rather than primary criminal intent. She highlighted his early guilty plea, remorse, full-time employment, and support for his parents as mitigating factors. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged Storey's reduced culpability due to acting on behalf of another, while noting his previous convictions for minor drug and road traffic offences. Taking into account his early plea and good work history, the Judge imposed a four-year prison sentence.
Martin Maughan, aged 30, was sentenced to 20 months in prison by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for assault causing harm and criminal damage. He attacked his pregnant former partner, who was five months pregnant, with an electric cord, a lamp, and his fists, causing soft‑tissue injuries to her arms, head and shoulder. The assault lasted about an hour and included kicking, punching, whipping, and striking her head against a wall. Maughan had previously pleaded guilty to the charges and had 26 prior convictions, including 11 public‑order offences. He was known to have alcohol and mental‑health issues. The court noted his guilty plea and remorse as mitigating factors, but also highlighted the aggravating factor of the victim's pregnancy. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the attack on a pregnant woman in her own home.
Saleban Abdisahar, a 30‑year‑old Swedish‑Somalian man with no fixed abode, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for illegally trafficking five people into Ireland. He pleaded guilty to three counts of facilitating illegal entry on flights into Dublin Airport on 23 January, 29 January and 18 February 2023. The court found he had moved five individuals who subsequently sought international protection. Abdisahar was paid up to €1,000 for each person smuggled. Judge Martin Nolan described him as the "middle cog" of the operation, noting his early plea, cooperation with Gardaí, lack of prior convictions and low likelihood of reoffending. The sentence was back‑dated to the day he entered custody, 18 February 2023. The case highlighted the role of immigration officers and mobile‑phone evidence in uncovering the smuggling scheme.
The trial of Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne, and David Lawlor continues at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Martina Baxter. The four men, who have pleaded not guilty to a total of 53 charges, are accused of participating in an attack during the Strokestown repossession case. The State alleges that on December 16, 2018, a group armed with various weapons assaulted four security guards, caused criminal damage, committed aggravated burglary, false imprisonment, arson, robbery, and animal cruelty. Each defendant is separately charged with 17 of these offences. During cross-examination, witness Ian Gordon, who testified to being forced to eat dog faeces, identified himself in bodycam footage from an eviction five days prior to the alleged assaults. Gordon stated his unlicensed security company was hired to execute a court order at the McGann family property. He described lifting a resident out of a seat to escort him out, denying any use of reinforced knuckle gloves or physical abuse beyond necessary restraint. The jury viewed this footage, which showed the resident being moved while his sister protested. The trial is ongoing and will resume on Monday.
A man with ninety previous convictions has been sentenced to four years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following an assault in the city centre. Jonathan Donovan (37) pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after the State accepted the lesser charge in lieu of the original allegation of assault causing serious harm. The incident occurred on Gardiner Street on 13 February 2022, when Donovan attacked a man, inflicting a fifteen-centimetre wound extending from ear to cheek. The victim sustained ten injuries, including chest lacerations resulting in internal bleeding, and was hospitalised with no recollection of the attack. Gardaí identified Donovan through CCTV footage and recovered evidence linking him to the assault. His criminal history includes previous convictions for assault causing serious harm and assault causing harm. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the sentence, which was backdated to February 2022 when Donovan entered custody, noting the vicious nature of the attack and his established pattern of serious violence.
A 48‑year‑old former Romanian soldier, Constantin Maxim, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment in Dublin for possessing 1,458 images of child pornography and distributing hand‑drawn images and videos of child sex abuse. He admitted to posing as a 15‑year‑old girl named Christina on Facebook and Snapchat, sending explicit messages to three children aged 10 to 12 and requesting sexualised images. When Snapchat closed his accounts, he created new ones. Gardaí found his phone contained about a thousand images of child sexual activity, 450 images of children exposing genitalia, and 12,000 adult and bestiality images of uncertain age. Maxim denied sexual attraction to children and claimed he had no real‑life intent. He had no prior convictions in Ireland but had four Romanian convictions for sexual corruption and abduction of a minor. Constantin Maxim pleaded guilty.
Jonathan Whelan, aged 48, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for a prolonged assault on his neighbour. The victim was beaten, stripped to her underwear, repeatedly forced to vomit and threatened with death. Whelan also took her keys, ransacked her apartment, and demanded money. He and a friend used a metal rod, a knife, scissors and a razor blade to threaten and beat her for hours. The assault took place in Whelan's flat on North Great Charles Street, Dublin 1, on 4 April 2021. He had previously pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and to possessing cannabis for sale, receiving four‑year and four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentences respectively, which ran consecutively. The court reduced the headline sentence to eight and a half years on mitigation. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 1 March 2023.
Derek Kavanagh, 48, turned himself in after RTÉ's Crimecall aired CCTV of him assaulting a homeless woman on James Street, Dublin 8, on 7 May 2022. He claimed he was approached, panicked, and thought he was being mugged, leading him to punch and choke the victim, who was living in hostel accommodation. Kavanagh admitted the woman was not threatening and had kept a reasonable distance. He pleaded guilty to assault and causing harm, and was given a three‑year fully suspended sentence. He paid €2,000 in compensation and was ordered to pay an additional €3,000 within six months, to be given to the victim or a local charity if she declined. The court noted his remorse, lack of prior convictions, and his efforts at anger‑management and alcohol‑abuse courses. The judge considered his mitigating circumstances and deemed him unlikely to reoffend.
Four senior executives of Custom House Capital have been directed to appear before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 8 March following guilty pleas to fraud-related charges. Between October 2022 and January 2023, former chief executive Harry Cassidy, former head of private clients John Whyte, head of finance Paul Lavery, and non-executive director John Mulholland entered pleas of guilty to conspiracy to defraud investors and neglectful discharge of directorial duty. The pleas relate to allegations that the executives intentionally misled clients regarding asset placement between October 2008 and July 2011. Publication of the pleas was delayed pending the trial of co-accused Ciara Kelleher, senior portfolio relationship manager, whose jury failed to reach a verdict at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Orla Crowe adjourned proceedings pending the defendants' appearance next week.
A jury in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court could not reach a verdict on the case of Ciara Kelleher, a former financial services manager accused of conspiring to defraud investors in Custom House Capital Ltd. The trial, which lasted over 15 hours across five days, focused on allegations that Kelleher, aged 51, helped conceal the true location of client money by issuing incorrect valuations between October 2008 and July 2011. The prosecution, led by Lorcan Staines SC, presented evidence that the firm's CEO and finance head used client funds for property investments and that Kelleher was aware of these misappropriations. Kelleher denied wrongdoing, claiming she was unaware of any fraudulent activity. The judge, Orla Crowe, accepted that the jury could not agree on a verdict and remanded Kelleher on continuing bail, with the case scheduled for mention on 8 March. The trial highlighted the firm's liquidation in 2011 and the regulatory concerns that had been raised in 2009. Ciara Kelleher pleaded not guilty. Custom House Capital pleaded not guilty.
Dylan Reddington, aged 27, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for two counts of endangerment after leading Gardaí on a high‑speed chase on 27 February 2015 when he was 19. He pleaded guilty in December 2022. Reddington has 54 prior convictions, including dangerous driving, endangerment, firearms possession and drug offences, and has spent much of his adult life in prison. He has been in residential rehabilitation since shortly after his release and is required to remain there for the duration of the programme. Judge Martin Nolan ruled that Reddington's sentence will commence on 31 July 2023, allowing him to finish his current stay in rehab before the custodial term begins. The judge noted Reddington's reckless driving and the seriousness of his convictions but also acknowledged his efforts to reform. The sentence is intended to start after the completion of the rehabilitation programme.
In a drunken altercation in Dublin's Temple Bar on 11 August 2021, a 16‑year‑old girl, later identified only as a minor, used a broken vodka bottle to slash a woman's face, leaving a two‑inch cut. The incident began when the girl and a friend approached a group of young adults for a cigarette, which was refused. A member of the group pushed the girl, causing her to fall and break the bottle. In the ensuing melee, she struck the woman with the broken bottle. Gardaí found the girl intoxicated and she was taken to a garda station for a responsible adult to collect her. She pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm to a woman. Judge Martin Nolan ordered a peace bond until July, stating that if the Probation Service deems her suitable, she will be sentenced to community service.
Alan Sallinger, 53, was sentenced to three years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to possessing €396,910 in criminal proceeds. The offence occurred on June 14, 2016, at an Applegreen service station in north county Dublin. Sallinger admitted to the charge on the basis that he was reckless, with defence counsel Garret Baker SC arguing that Sallinger did not know the specific contents of the bag he transferred from his car to another man's vehicle. Gardaí, conducting surveillance, observed the transfer and subsequently arrested the men, finding vacuum-packed cash in the bag. Sallinger, of Brookview Walk, Tallaght, was arrested in 2017 and entered his guilty plea on his trial date. Judge Martin Nolan stated it was clear Sallinger was transporting the money for a third party in exchange for payment, noting he must have known the bag contained illicit items. The judge acknowledged Sallinger's remorse and cooperation with gardaí, as well as mitigating factors including a history of drug abuse and alcohol problems at the time of the offence. Although Sallinger has 18 previous convictions, mostly from the 1980s and 1990s, the judge reduced the headline sentence of six years to three years, taking these mitigating circumstances into account.
Carl Buckley, 38, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for transporting over €1 million in cash for a criminal gang. The conviction followed the discovery of a ledger in his home detailing numerous cash‑transportation transactions and encrypted messages on his phone referencing a gang boss known as 'Mr Brownstone'. Buckley had previously been caught carrying €53,000 in cash in a transaction between two criminal entities. He pleaded guilty to possessing the proceeds of crime. His defence argued that he was coerced into the gang after a loan to buy a PlayStation for his child, and that he was the sole carer of his son. The judge noted Buckley's long‑running involvement and, despite mitigation, imposed a custodial sentence with no suspended portion. Buckley reacted with a silent "No" when the sentence was announced.
Dawood Aziz, 37, of Cabinteely, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of €300,360 worth of ketamine and possession of a mobile phone used in a drug‑trafficking offence. Gardaí, following confidential information, set up surveillance and observed Aziz moving items from a premises to his van. A search of the van revealed just over €300,000 worth of ketamine. Aziz claimed the drugs were handed to him and that he had taken them to clear debt from a failed business venture. He admitted he was in debt and had become involved to pay it off. Judge Melanie Greally noted his prior cannabis conviction, his guilty plea, good employment history and pro‑social family. She imposed a five‑year sentence, suspended the final 18 months on conditions including engagement with addiction services and 12 months under Probation Service supervision.
John Kelly, 36, of Cherrywood Villas, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to cultivating cannabis at a derelict farmyard in Johnstown Kennedy, Rathcoole, on 26 November 2018. He was found supervising a grow house that contained three tents with 140 cannabis plants and saplings, valued at €60,000 for sentencing purposes. Kelly has 89 prior convictions, mainly for traffic offences, and previously served a seven‑year sentence for drug possession and a term for endangerment. Garda Donal Donoghue reported that Kelly's suspicious electricity bill led to a search warrant and the discovery of the grow operation. The court, noting mitigating factors such as his guilty plea and his legitimate stud‑farm business, sentenced him to two and a half years' imprisonment, suspending the final six months of a three‑year term on condition of continued engagement with the Probation Service to address his addiction. The sentence was back‑dated to 17 May of the previous year.