In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 19‑year‑old John Gallagher was sentenced to an additional 21 months in prison for a knife‑point robbery that left a taxi driver unable to work nights. The judge cited the victim's impact statement, noting the driver's mental scars and loss of earnings. Gallagher had previously received a three‑year term for two similar robberies, and the new sentence is consecutive, with the final 15 months suspended on strict conditions. Gallagher pleaded guilty to robbery of €200 and a mobile phone from Nitesh Bhagat on 20 October 2018, and to a separate robbery at a Tallaght pharmacy on 22 May 2018. He had earlier convictions for road traffic offences. The court heard that the victim suffered bruises and a nick on his hand and neck, and that he was now too afraid to work at night.
Ruairc Bell, 44, pleaded guilty to possession of a syringe with intent to threaten or cause injury after a syringe fell from his underwear during a confrontation with Garda Damien Byrne at Store Street Garda Station on 29 March 2017. Bell was arrested, searched, and a needle containing heroin was found. He held the needle toward the garda, prompting a struggle that ended with Bell restrained. Judge Cormac Quinn sentenced Bell to 18 months imprisonment, suspended in full on the condition of keeping the peace and good behaviour for that period. Bell has 12 prior convictions, including robbery, theft and public order offences. His defence lawyer, Karen Dowling, noted he was homeless at the time, drug‑free for two years, and had apologised to the garda. The judge cited the seriousness of the offence and the impact on the garda as aggravating factors, while Bell's guilty plea, remorse, age and treatment history were mitigating factors.
John Doyle, 38, of Tallaght, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for trespassing at a Centra store in Kiltalown on March 2, 2018, with the intention of committing theft. Doyle pleaded guilty to the charge. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a two-year prison sentence, suspending the final 12 months. The judge stated that acting as Doyle did during the national emergency of Storm Emma justified a custodial sentence, describing the incident as serious anti-social behaviour that brought shame on his community. She considered Doyle's remorse, rehabilitation efforts, and positive references. Doyle, who has 111 previous convictions, was found with cigarettes after throwing trolleys to obstruct gardai. Co-accused David Berney, 37, previously received an 18-month suspended sentence for his role in the incident. The court noted that while Doyle was not present when the shop shutters were cut, he entered after being beckoned by others. The matter was previously adjourned in March to allow for a Probation Service report, during which time Doyle was remanded on continuing bail.
Douglas Byrne, 47, of Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to handling stolen property and possession of scissors at Rolestown Garda Station on 18 August 2018. He was found by gardaí in a highly intoxicated state, fled, was arrested, and searched. A large amount of money, €1,731.50, was discovered in his underwear and identified as belonging to Far East Chinese Restaurant on Ballyfermot Road. Byrne had 120 previous convictions, including burglary, theft and drug offences. He was charged with burglary of the restaurant but pleaded not guilty and the charge was dropped. Judge Melaine Greally sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, suspending the final 12 months on strict conditions. The sentence was backdated to 28 August, when he first entered custody for the matter. The court noted Byrne's long history of drug addiction and prior convictions as mitigating factors.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Cormac Quinn ruled that a man, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, is unfit to stand trial for an alleged sexual assault on a child due to a mental disorder. The judge, after consulting with forensic psychiatrist Dr. Anthony Kearns, found that the defendant's social and intellectual abilities were significantly impaired, preventing him from following trial proceedings or mounting a proper defence. The court noted that the man denied wrongdoing and claimed any sexual activity was consensual. Judge Quinn highlighted the need for community disability services and ordered the local disability manager to act, citing past failures of local services. The case was adjourned to July 16 next year for a review of the defendant's fitness to plead and to stand trial. Fiona McGowan BL reported that psychiatric evidence was uncontested.
Jamie McBride, a 19‑year‑old father of two from Melrose Lawn, Clonadkin, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery and three attempted robberies committed between 26 February and 1 April 2018. He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. The court heard that on 26 February he confronted a woman leaving a train station, brandishing a weapon and demanding her handbag, then withdrew €596 from her account using a bank card; the money was later reimbursed. On 30 March he tried to snatch a bag from another woman, striking her up to 15 times with a stick‑like object and causing hand injuries. The next day he threatened a KFC cashier with a knife and tried to steal money from the register, but failed. He also entered a Ladbrokes bookmaker holding a firearm‑like object and presented a bag to the cashier, who fled.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 20‑year‑old Lawrence Mubango received a partially‑suspended 10‑year prison sentence for a knife attack that left his friend Ashley Ncube eviscerated. Mubango, who had been drinking and taking cocaine with two friends, claimed he feared they would rape his partner and acted to protect her, but the judge found no basis for self‑defence. Mubango first punched the men, then armed himself with a kitchen knife, stabbing Nhlanhla Nduli in the chest and Ncube in the stomach, even as Ncube begged him to stop. The court noted the victims' injuries and the drug‑induced state of all parties. Mubango's last 18 months of the sentence were suspended on the condition of drug and alcohol rehabilitation. The sentence was back‑dated to 24 May 2018. Lawrence Mubango pleaded guilty.
James Leddy, 55, was convicted of three counts of indecent assault on 13‑year‑old Colm Bracken between May and September 1981. The sentencing hearing was adjourned to October because the judge, Pauline Codd, could not determine whether Leddy accepted his guilt. Leddy had pleaded not guilty but accepted the jury verdict, while a prior probation report stated he "adamantly denies" his guilt. Leddy, a former scout leader and father of five, had no prior convictions. Bracken, 51, gave a victim impact statement describing the abuse, his subsequent mental health struggles, and the lasting trauma. The court noted Leddy's participation in counselling and his status on the Sex Offenders' Register. No sentence was imposed at the time of the article.
A 50‑year‑old Dublin mother faced 61 charges for neglecting and abusing her two youngest children, including one sexual offence, three reckless endangerment counts and 57 neglect counts from 2002 to 2010. The children, aged seven and ten when removed from her care in December 2010, have had no contact with her since. The court found her unfit to be tried. Two psychiatrists assessed her: Dr John Hillery noted her difficulty with attention, comprehension and lack of understanding of the charges, while Dr Brenda Wright concluded her intellectual disability made her unable to instruct a legal team or challenge evidence. Judge Cormac Quinn accepted the reports, adjourned the case for 12 months to July 15, 2020, and ordered monitoring of her community support for her disability.
Damien Gray, 35, was found asleep beside a playground in Hermitage Park, Lucan, when Gardaí received a call. Officers discovered him with a Kleenex packet containing €5,700 worth of heroin in individual street deals and later found a quantity of crack cocaine. Gray, of Shancastle Close, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 31 May 2017 to possession of heroin and cocaine for sale or supply. He admitted acquiring the drugs three or four days earlier, selling them to pay debts, and that he had been smoking heroin for two weeks. He claimed someone else had wrapped the drugs into individual deals. Garda Ronan Culligan informed the prosecution that Gray was arrested and questioned. The drugs were analysed, confirming the heroin's street value of €5,700 and the crack cocaine's estimated value of €300. Gray's home was broken into after his arrest, and he was attacked with a machete, leaving him with scarring.
A Dublin man has been convicted of armed robbery at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following a trial spanning ten days. Keith Murtagh, aged 34, was found guilty on all three charges relating to a post office raid on Farmhill Road, Goatstown on January 5, 2016. The jury returned unanimous verdicts after deliberating for just under four hours. Murtagh had pleaded not guilty to the robbery of €3,174.54, possession of a shotgun, and possession of a shotgun cartridge. Evidence presented included DNA found on a shotgun cartridge recovered from an abandoned vehicle 400 metres from the post office. Forensic analysis also identified glass fragments matching material from the post office counter on clothing discovered in a separate vehicle. The court heard the raid involved two armed men who discharged a shot during the incident. Sentencing has been scheduled for October 18, with Murtagh remanded in custody pending that date.
Robert Lynch, aged 32, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a total of three and a half years' imprisonment for two robberies. He pleaded guilty to the robbery of taxi driver Alan Thompson on Malahide Road on 4 September 2016 and to the robbery of a Spar shop on 15 October 2017. Lynch, who has a history of drug addiction, was described by Garda Alan Roach as having changed significantly since the offences. Judge Pauline Codd imposed consecutive terms of three years and three and a half years, suspending the final three years on the condition that Lynch participate in drug rehabilitation programmes and keep the peace. The court noted Lynch's 54 prior convictions, including robbery, knife possession and threats to kill, and that he had been identified on CCTV before the taxi robbery. No weapons were used in either robbery. The sentence reflects the judge's assessment of Lynch's efforts at rehabilitation and the seriousness of the offences.
Patrick Dempsey, 52, of Cluain Caislean, Ferns, Co Wexford, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of heroin for sale or supply on 9 January 2017. He was found with a small package of heroin, valued at €1,988, concealed in his anus after Garda Sergeant Cillian Duffy searched him at a garda station. Dempsey admitted he had obtained the heroin for his partner and to supply friends, and that he travelled weekly to Dublin to purchase the drugs. He has 25 previous convictions, including theft and aggravated burglary. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a three‑year imprisonment sentence, fully suspended on the condition that Dempsey keep the peace, behave well for three years and comply with the Wexford Substance Misuse Team. The court noted his cooperation, guilty plea, admissions and efforts to rehabilitate, including training to become a chef and participation in the Cornmarket Project choir.
Shane McDonnell, 29, was sentenced by Judge Karen O'Connor at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two years and eight months in custody for unlawful use of a car, three counts of dangerous driving, driving without a licence or insurance, and possession of a stolen laptop and PlayStation. He was under a 10‑year driving ban and had 25 prior convictions. The judge warned he must choose between a life of crime or becoming a better father. McDonnell pleaded guilty to the offences, which occurred in Clanbrassil Street and Kennelworth Park on 17 April 2017 and in Templeogue on 16 September 2018. A second sentence of two years was suspended on condition of keeping the peace and complying with Probation Services. The court noted his transformation in custody and his sister's lack of recognition of him. The sentence was back‑dated to 17 September 2018.
Ionel Uveges, 31, pleaded guilty to 22 counts of stealing €97,900 from LJM Retail between December 2016 and August 2018. The court heard that the employer rehired him in a non‑cash role after he had been promoted to assistant manager in 2016 and had responsibility for cash management. Uveges repaid €7,000 and agreed to pay an additional €10,000 by his next court appearance. He has no prior convictions and has been in Ireland for ten years. The court noted that Uveges had spent the stolen money on city breaks, rent, bills and sending cash home to his mother in Armenia. The sentencing hearing was adjourned to 26 July.
A man accused of armed robbery at a Dublin post office in January 2016 has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Keith Murtagh, aged 34, is charged with robbing €3,174.54 from Roebuck post office on Farmhill Road, Goatstown, along with possession of a shotgun and shotgun cartridge. The prosecution alleges that two armed men arrived in a blue Subaru Impreza and demanded money and safe access, with one discharging a shotgun at the counter. The State's case relies partly on forensic evidence: tracksuit trousers found in a Renault Scenic vehicle, in which Mr Murtagh was a passenger days later, contained glass fragments matching those from the post office counter. A shotgun cartridge recovered from the abandoned getaway vehicle bore the defendant's DNA. The defence argues the evidence is circumstantial and suggests confirmation bias in the investigation. The trial before Judge Melanie Greally continues.
Mark Sorahan, 44, of Ferrycarrig Drive, Coolock, Dublin, pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of heroin for sale or supply and obstruction of a Garda during a search on Priorswood Road on 16 March 2018. He admitted buying heroin to raise money for his girlfriend's car repairs. During a Garda search, a lump was found in one of his socks and a second package was discovered "within his buttocks," totaling €1,497.50. Sorahan cooperated with Gardaí and expressed a desire for a normal life and a career in music. His defence lawyer, Luigi Rea, noted that Sorahan had recently completed a music production course and was seeking work as a DJ, claiming he was now living a very different life. Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned sentencing to 31 July to allow preparation of reports.
Eileen Ryan, 26, was found guilty of driving with unrestrained children, dangerous driving, driving without insurance and refusing a blood test. On 25 March 2018 she drove a car with a pregnant woman and two children aged two and five, without seat belts, at speeds over 120 km/h, breaking red lights and driving on the wrong side of the road. Garda Michael Brisbane chased the vehicle, which threw glass bottles at the patrol car and swerved. Ryan was abusive, smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech. She had four prior District Court convictions. She is currently an outpatient at a psychiatric facility, on medication for depression, and the case is adjourned for sentencing in October pending a probation report. The court will hear the sentencing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Martin Guerin, 68, brother of the late crime journalist Veronica Guerin, pleaded guilty on 17 September 2014 to knowingly possessing 901 images and 146 video files of child pornography at his Portmarnock home. He was arraigned at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned sentencing to October and remanded him on continuing bail. Prosecutor John Berry noted the hearing would last about 30 minutes. Guerin had earlier been charged under Section 6(1) of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 and had been granted bail on a €100 bond with no conditions.
An out‑of‑work butcher, Jason Mahony, 35, of Avonbeg, Tallaght, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to handling stolen property and money laundering. The offences relate to a break‑in at McLoughlin's butchers in Ballyfermot on 13 May 2016, when €15,861 was stolen. Mahony admitted that between 13 and 16 May he handled €9,705 in cash found in a rental car at Tymonville Lawn, where his former partner lived, and that he deposited €3,460 in his bank account, including a large amount of one‑ and two‑euro coins. Garda Detective Ronan Coffey presented evidence that the account was frozen and that €2,566 remained, leaving €904 unaccounted for. Mahony, who has prior theft convictions, was homeless at the time of the offence. He has since begun working at another butcher's shop, handed €500 to the court, and said he will pay the remaining €404 by September.
Micheal Geoghegan, 36, of Swords, pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery and production of a knife at Rathbeale Road, Swords, on August 18, 2018. He also admitted producing a large kitchen knife to intimidate and producing an iron drill bit and knife while resisting arrest. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the offences carry a potential maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Prosecution evidence detailed that Geoghegan robbed three women at knifepoint and subsequently threatened Detective Sergeant Alan Flaherty, who eventually disarmed him using a baton. Geoghegan has a previous conviction for robbery with an imitation firearm from 2005 and prior drug offences. Defence counsel Annette Kealy BL stated that Geoghegan is attempting to address his heroin addiction and had remained drug-free since the incidents. She also noted his past achievement as a best dog handler at Crufts. Geoghegan brought €2,500 to court as a token of remorse. After hearing the evidence, Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned the case to July 23 next for sentence.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Christopher Gannon, aged 35, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after attacking his former partner at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, on 6 October 2018. The victim was with their son, who required treatment, when Gannon arrived with his brother in an "irate state". He burst into the room, repeatedly punched the woman's head while the son lay on a hospital bed, was restrained by staff, escaped, and continued punching the victim. The assault left her with a fractured nose and temporary double vision. Gannon, who has three prior convictions for assault and public intoxication, claimed he lost control after learning his son had been hurt. He offered a "genuine" apology. The judge ordered a probation report and adjourned sentencing to 18 October.
In a case heard by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Joseph Heffernan, aged 43, admitted to staging a burglary at Body & Soul Salon in Rathmines on 25 July 2019 to conceal theft from two employees. Heffernan claimed the salon's owner, his former partner, was absent and that he was helping run the business. He told Gardaí that a front‑door incident had occurred, but omitted that €6,670 and £40 had been stolen from employee lockers. CCTV showed him entering the salon and leaving with a bag shortly after. He later confessed to taking money over months and stealing from employees to repay the salon. Heffernan also claimed he had dropped a laptop and recording box in a skip, only to find them missing later. He has a prior speeding conviction. The court ordered a probation report and assessment of his fitness for community service, with sentencing set for 25 October. Joseph Heffernan pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 25‑year‑old Scott Capper was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment for two separate pub assaults. The first offence, committed on 8 August 2016 at the Morgan Hotel, involved Capper punching Jaroslaw Gaska in the face after Gaska touched Capper's girlfriend's hair. Gaska suffered a broken jaw, required 10 stitches, incurred €1,100 in medical costs and lost €2,000 in earnings. The second offence, on 2 October 2016 at Sin Nightclub, saw Capper striking Nevil Picton, who sustained a cut to the lip and dental damage costing €2,680. Capper pleaded guilty to both assault‑causing‑harm charges. He has 46 prior convictions, including a suspended two‑year sentence for a 2015 assault, and has a history of drug possession, violent disorder and public‑order offences.
Ionut Neagu, 29, of Rusheeny Avenue, Clonsilla, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after punching a mother‑of‑two repeatedly in the face and head on 6 June 2018 at Hartstown Park. The attack left the victim unconscious, with loss of taste and smell, and caused ongoing anxiety, panic attacks and flashbacks. Neagu was sentenced by Judge John O'Connor to two and a half years' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended, credit for his guilty plea and lack of serious prior convictions. The sentence was back‑dated to 14 June 2018. Neagu, originally from Romania and living in Ireland for ten years, gave conflicting accounts of the incident and expressed a desire to apologise to the victim. The court noted the significant impact on the victim's life and her fear for her daughters' safety.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Karim Haddouche, a 48‑year‑old chef from Rathgar, pleaded guilty to four counts of theft and deception involving Ulster Bank. He had drawn two cheques, one for €7,600 and another for €7,500, from his Permanent TSB account and deposited them into his Ulster Bank account, despite the TSB account lacking sufficient funds. Following the cheques, he withdrew and transferred a total of €15,105, which the bank later discovered was not covered by the original account. Haddouche admitted to a gambling problem and that he had expected a friend to cover the cheques. The judge, Martin Nolan, imposed a three‑year sentence, suspended in full, and ordered that the €11,000 he had in his solicitor's possession be handed over to Ulster Bank within two weeks. No prior convictions were recorded. The case was prosecuted by Grainne O'Neill BL and defended by David Staunton BL.
Noel Ryan, 42, of Charleville Mall, Dublin, was sentenced to four years in prison, with the final year suspended, after pleading guilty to handling a stolen Toyota Land Cruiser, deceiving a victim at Woodie's car park in Lucan on 27 June 2016, and unlawfully taking a Ford Fiesta from Northside Shopping Centre, Coolock on 24 March 2017. The judge noted that Ryan had committed similar offences before and that the victims suffered significant losses. Ryan admitted to selling the stolen Land Cruiser on DoneDeal for €11,600 after the buyer had paid cash, and later stealing a Ford Fiesta that had been advertised on the same site. He was also found in possession of the victim's driver's licence, which he had altered. Ryan has 16 prior convictions, including burglary and robbery, and has struggled with a crack cocaine addiction. He has been on bail during these offences.
Ciaran Casey, 25, of Adare Park, Coolock, pleaded guilty to stealing about €8,000 from a Centra shop on New Cabra Road in Dublin on 18 January last year. He admitted that while working the cash register he voided high‑value items such as cigarettes and alcohol, pocketing the money. CCTV footage showed him voiding transactions and customers walking away with the items. Gardaí arrested him after an investigation and he made full admissions, saying he was taking the money to pay day‑to‑day debts and that he intended to repay it later. Judge John O'Connor, at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, found it disappointing that Casey had only offered to repay €1,000. He imposed a two‑year sentence, fully suspended for five years, and ordered Casey to undertake offence‑focused and victim‑focused work as directed by Probation Services. The judge noted Casey's past lack of cooperation with Probation Services.
A 46‑year‑old father of three was given a three‑year suspended sentence for spray‑painting the words "rapist out" on a camper van in north Dublin on 19 April 2023. He pleaded guilty to criminal damage at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and admitted making a threat to kill a child while speaking with a social worker on 12 April 2018, saying he would "douse (the child) in petrol and set him alight." He had previously reported that his son had been raped by a 13‑year‑old in the van. The court ordered him to pay €6,000 to the van owner within 18 months, with the possibility of the court disposing of the money if the owner declined. The judge warned that no one should take the law into their own hands and noted the defendant's mental‑health issues and previous drug convictions.
David Byrne, 43, of Kilcullen, was convicted of dangerous driving causing the death of 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne on Collins Avenue East, Killester, on 16 October 2015. He also pleaded not guilty to dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue a licence and to making a false statement while taking out insurance. A jury found him guilty on all three counts and Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to five years' imprisonment on 11 May 2018. Byrne has Type 2 Usher Syndrome, a degenerative eye disorder that causes peripheral vision loss. During the trial the court heard that Dunne was walking home with a shopping trolley, began to cross the road, a van slowed to allow her, but Byrne's car struck her, flinging her into the air before stopping. Byrne has now moved to appeal his conviction in the Court of Appeal, where judgment is reserved.
Former solicitor Michael Lynn, aged 50, appeared in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 5 July 2019 as part of pre‑trial preparations for his January 2020 trial. Lynn faces 21 charges alleging the theft of nearly €30 million from seven financial institutions, including €4.1 million from Irish Nationwide (4 April 2007) and €3.6 million from Ulster Bank (20 October 2006). He was extradited from Brazil in March 2018 after being detained there in August 2013, and was granted bail on a €100,000 surety in June 2019. The prosecution, represented by John Berry BL, informed the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions had completed 56 categories of disclosure requested by the defence. Defence counsel Padraig Dwyer SC noted that additional work was underway "behind the scenes" and requested a one‑hour hearing to address remaining matters. The pre‑trial hearing was scheduled for 28 November 2019.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Joyce Conlon, 35, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for an unprovoked assault on an eight‑week‑pregnant woman. Conlon, who suffers from paranoia and psychosis, kicked the victim in the stomach with her shoe, causing bleeding that led to a Caesarean delivery at 30 weeks. The judge described the attack as "reprehensible" and inferred a racial motive, noting the victim's Somali background and Conlon's remark about "black" something. Conlon pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and to an attempted robbery at Boyle's Sports, for which she received a separate sentence of three and a half years with the final 12 months suspended, to run concurrently with the assault sentence. The court acknowledged Conlon's mental condition and drug use but accepted her remorse and potential for rehabilitation.
Paul Barry, 37, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for assaulting his former partner, Kim Fox, causing her harm at her home in Loughlinstown on December 9, 2018. Barry pleaded guilty to the charge. Judge Martin Nolan described the incident as a serious, unprovoked assault, noting that Barry had been under the voluntary influence of alcohol and cocaine. Ms Fox sustained significant injuries, including a fractured eye socket, three fractured ribs, and two missing teeth, and reported ongoing mental trauma. The court heard that Barry initially told gardai the injuries resulted from a fall, a claim the prosecution rejected as untrue. Judge Nolan cited Barry's 17 previous convictions, including a robbery, and his callous attitude toward the victim as aggravating factors. Mitigation included his early guilty plea, good work record, and expression of remorse. The judge imposed a 32-month prison sentence, backdated to when Barry first went into custody. The maximum penalty for the offence is five years. Barry's counsel apologized on his behalf, stating he was regretful and had not contacted Ms Fox since the incident.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 52‑year‑old Christopher Lovett, a businessman from Kilnamanagh, pleaded guilty to theft of money at the Bank of Ireland after using a cheque‑kiting scheme to keep his cleaning company afloat. He had drawn three cheques totaling almost €19,000 on a closed account, which were credited to him before the bank's clearance process. The cheques were later returned unpaid, leaving the bank at a loss. Lovett withdrew the funds in card, debit and cash transactions before the cheques cleared. He had no prior convictions and was described by the defence as a family man who had lost a major contract and was trying to repay the money. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the mitigating circumstances, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence and required Lovett to repay €2,500 to the bank, with the bank retaining its own recourse for the remaining amount.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Miguel Pintos, 38, was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment for endangering two pedestrians after losing control of his motorbike on Shangan Road, Ballymun, on 6 May 2018. He was found guilty of endangering a pedestrian and of endangering a second woman, who suffered a fractured ankle. The court imposed a two‑year sentence, suspending the final nine months on strict conditions. The first victim, who sustained broken legs and required 20 stitches to her head and further surgery for plates in her legs, was described as having suffered lasting pain and a fear of motorcycles. The second victim suffered a fractured ankle and became nervous around motorcycles. Pintos had 29 prior convictions, including drug offences, drunk driving and other road traffic offences, but no alcohol or drugs were involved in this incident. He pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and had taken steps to improve his literacy and engage in voluntary work.
Sean Banks, a 19‑year‑old from Tallaght, was found in possession of a 12‑gauge double‑barrel shotgun, cannabis, cocaine and a stolen BMW motorbike at his home. Gardaí raided the house after a tip that drugs were stored there. Banks initially denied the presence of drugs but later admitted responsibility for €725 worth of cannabis and cocaine. The shotgun, stolen in a burglary in Kildare, was discovered under a bed with one cartridge. The motorbike, stolen two months earlier in Stepaside, had no ignition or registration plate. Banks pleaded guilty to possession of the gun, drugs and the stolen motorbike. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Banks' youth, prior minor convictions and cooperation, imposed a three‑year sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the judge emphasising the seriousness of the firearm possession but also recognising the defendant's potential for reform.
Daniel Duffy, aged 21, and Stephen Dargle, aged 19, from Annamoe Terrace, Cabra, Dublin, pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery of a pizza delivery man at Drumalee Grove on 10 October 2017. Dargle approached the delivery man and threatened him with a knife, saying he would stab him if he did not hand over the delivery. The victim fled, but Dargle chased him, pulling the knife out. The victim, a foreign national, screamed and knocked on a nearby flat's door. Dargle tried again to seize the delivery, but Duffy blocked him. The victim threw a bottle of a mineral drink at Dargle and screamed again. Neighbours shouted at Dargle to leave. Gardaí identified the men after speaking to a woman whose mobile phone they had used to order the pizza. Both men admitted they were high on ecstasy tablets at the time; Duffy also said he had snorted cocaine.
Pawel Buc, 24, was caught with €19,000 worth of cannabis and handed a four‑year suspended sentence. Gardaí found just under a kilogram of cannabis in his apartment, along with weighing scales, mobile phones, a tick list and €645 in cash. Buc had previously pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis for sale or supply in 2017 and had one speeding conviction. He claimed financial hardship and that he was merely transporting the drugs for €200. The court, after considering his cooperation and lack of prior serious offences, deemed his culpability low and imposed a suspended four‑year term, with no custodial time to be served. The sentence was fully suspended, meaning no immediate imprisonment was required. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Aaron Colton, 24, of Mount Olive Grove, Kilbarrack, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to demanding money with menace for an alleged drug debt at a teenager's home on November 23, 2017. Judge Martin Nolan jailed Colton for five years. The court heard that Colton threatened the 16-year-old victim, stating he would break him and kill him if he did not pay. Colton, who has 40 previous convictions, had been on remand since January this year after a warrant was issued for his failure to appear at a prior hearing. This sentence follows the May 2018 sentencing of co-accused Alan Long, 28, of Briarfield, Kilbarrack, who was also jailed for five years after pleading guilty to trespass, theft, assault, and demanding money with menaces at the victim's home in October 2017. Long had allegedly inflated a small drug debt to €8,000, stolen household items, and assaulted the teenager. The judge noted a pattern of abuse against the family, including threats to the victim's mother, and accepted that Colton's threats were convincing and believed to be carried out. Defense counsel John Moher BL argued Colton's behavior was a radical departure from his previous minor offenses, which the judge acknowledged.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, a 35‑year‑old man was found guilty by a jury of sexually assaulting the younger son of a childhood friend, while the older son was acquitted. The man had lived with the family for five months in 2012 and occasionally stayed with them thereafter. The trial presented DVD recordings of the eight‑year‑old boy's interview with specialist Gardaí, where he described the accused as "not nice", "hating" him, and "having sex with me", explaining that the man pulled down his trousers and made him touch his own genitals. The older boy, now 17, was also interviewed; he described the accused as the "person who did the things to me", stating that the man "had sex with me, meaning mating", and that he was forced to touch the man's genitals. The unnamed 35-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In July 2014, Bogdan Hainal (28), a Romanian national, participated in a violent robbery at the home of Paul and Patrick Kenny, both in their sixties, in Prosperous, Co Kildare. The raiders arrived in a black BMW, entered Patrick's bedsit, tied him with neckties, threatened him, and demanded money. They beat him, stabbed his hand and arm, and tied him to a sink with a rubber inner tube while covering his eyes with a woolly hat. The ordeal lasted one hour and six minutes. Hainal pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary on 8 July 2014. Judge Patricia Ryan set a headline sentence of 11 years, suspending the final two years on the condition that Hainal stay away from the victims for 30 years and engage with Probation Services. The victims described fear for their lives, and Paul Kenny was hospitalised for six weeks, while Patrick Kenny has suffered high blood pressure and will require lifelong medication.
Derek Murphy, 49, of Coolock, pleaded guilty to threatening a doctor with a gun gesture after she reduced his methadone dosage. The threat was made on 30 October 2013 while he was at a drug treatment centre. Murphy had been on bail for a 12‑year robbery and firearms conviction from 2015 and had 42 prior convictions, including manslaughter, robbery and a tiger kidnapping. In 2018 he was convicted of robbery again and received a nine‑year sentence, with a release date of 13 June 2025. The court found it "unjust" to extend his custody and sentenced him to one year imprisonment to run concurrently with his existing nine‑year term. No additional time was imposed. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
John Gallagher, aged 19, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two knifepoint robberies in Tallaght, one on 22 May 2018 at Springfield Medicare Pharmacy and another on 19 October 2018 in a taxi at Greenhills. In the taxi incident, he produced a knife to the driver's throat, demanded €130, and fled after receiving the cash. Gallagher claimed he was intoxicated, on drugs, owed money, and had been threatened that he would be shot in front of his children if he did not repay. He has two children and prior road‑traffic convictions. The court, after hearing the prosecution and defence, rejected a request for an adjournment and a probation report. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑year custodial sentence for each robbery, to run concurrently, noting the seriousness of the knife offence and the potential for reform.
Peter Bradshaw, 55, of Glin Court, Coolock, Dublin, pleaded guilty to arson at his apartment on 24 January 2018. The fire spread to neighbouring flats, causing €782,027 in damage and forcing residents into emergency accommodation. He was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to 11 years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended on strict conditions. After the fire, Bradshaw went to Clontarf Garda Station and confessed to a fictitious murder, claiming he had assaulted a man, set a mattress on fire, and attempted to fake his own death. He later admitted he had not murdered anyone. Bradshaw has 40 prior convictions, including arson, burglary and theft, and had a five‑year sentence for arson in 2009. The judge noted his propensity for setting fires and the danger he posed to society.
David Robinson, 22, was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to possession of cannabis, cocaine, heroin and prescribed medication found on waste ground behind his house in July 2017. Gardaí had forced entry into his home in December 2017, following confidential information, and found street‑deal drugs in his bedroom. Robinson admitted the sale or supply of drugs at his home on 22 December 2017 and earlier at Barry Avenue on 18 July 2017. He had 15 previous convictions for road traffic and public order offences. During the hearing, Robinson claimed he was under threat and that he was holding the drugs on the behest of someone else. The judge noted the seriousness of the drugs and Robinson's youth and level of involvement before sentencing him to four years in custody.
Two men have been jailed for six years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following their admission of involvement in transporting cocaine valued at €350,000. Arvydas Steponkus, aged 45, of Clondalkin, Dublin and Thomas O'Boyle, aged 33, of Sligo pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs for sale or supply on Cruiserath Road, Blanchardstown on 24 February 2018. Steponkus handed over €280,000 worth of cocaine to O'Boyle, with a further €70,000 discovered in a hidden compartment of the Ford Mondeo Steponkus was operating. Gardaí intervened following surveillance after a tip-off revealed the exchange. Judge Martin Nolan noted both men transported the drugs for payment and were aware of their involvement, acknowledging their co-operation and useful admissions to investigating gardaí. O'Boyle has 29 previous convictions including a 2008 drug offence, whilst Steponkus has no prior convictions.
Leroy Dumbrell, 32, of Carriglea Gardens, Dun Laoghaire, withdrew a sentence appeal after a senior judge warned that the Court of Appeal could increase his sentence. Dumbrell had pleaded guilty to violent disorder in 2013 and to threatening a detective in 2015. He had over 70 prior convictions, including arson and a prison brawl. He was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment with the final year suspended in 2016. The appeal was to challenge the severity of the six‑year term, but the judge noted Dumbrell's extensive criminal record and the Court of Appeal's power to increase sentences. Dumbrell's lawyers requested withdrawal, and the judge described him as "very wise." The case was dismissed before hearing.
In a 2019 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Jack Hall Ellis, 21, pleaded guilty to unlawfully killing his friend Luke O'Reilly, 20, in a drunken "one punch" assault on Halloween night 2017. Ellis admitted he was acting in drunkenness and anger, having consumed seven to ten double shots of Captain Morgan rum, and punched O'Reilly from behind as they left a pub. O'Reilly fell, hit his head, suffered traumatic brain injuries and died in hospital two weeks later. Ellis was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended. The judge noted the unprovoked nature of the assault, Ellis's early guilty plea, lack of prior violent convictions, remorse, and supportive family as mitigating factors, while emphasizing the seriousness of one‑punch attacks and the need for deterrence. The sentence reflected the low‑middle range of offending for the offence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Karl McDonnell, 27, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after an incident at the Generator Hostel's toilet on 15 April 2018. The accused claimed the Swiss tourist had made advances, while the tourist alleged McDonnell followed him into a cubicle with his penis exposed and then punched him. Gardaí interviewed the tourist, who had bruises and two black eyes, and CCTV showed McDonnell leaving the toilet and looking at his fist. McDonnell denied the claim, saying he only reacted when the tourist "commented on his manhood" and tried to grab his penis. He expressed remorse but maintained the tourist had "made advances." The court noted McDonnell's 19 prior convictions and adjourned sentencing to 18 July to allow the prosecution to decide if the tourist would testify from Switzerland.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Pauline Codd sentenced 30‑year‑old Romanian national Constantin Bodgan Chirila to three and a half years' imprisonment for burglary, theft and possession of stolen property committed shortly after his arrival in Ireland in July 2016. The judge noted that Chirila had been involved in several offences within the first few months of his stay, including a burglary of an apartment at Clonmore Villas, Ballybough on 7 August 2016, for which he pleaded guilty. The sentence was back‑dated to 23 November 2017, when he was first placed in custody for another offence, and the final nine months were suspended. Chirila admitted breaking the front door lock and stealing €80 in cash, but denied taking a €400 laptop. He had seven prior convictions, most between August and October 2016, and had been in custody since November 2017.