A 54‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a partially suspended 18‑month prison term for five counts of indecent assault committed between 1979 and 1981 when the victim was a child aged six to eight. The judge, Cormac Quinn, imposed 18 months for each count, to run concurrently, and suspended the final nine months of each sentence on the condition that the offender remain law‑abiding, exhibit good behaviour for 12 months after release, and be supervised by the Probation Service. The court heard that the offender, aged 15 to 17 at the time, dragged the victim by her hair into his bedroom, forced her to undress, licked her legs up to her genitals, and on occasions attempted to insert his penis into her vagina or mouth. He also threw darts at her, sometimes striking her. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
A 26-year-old man from Walkinstown, Dublin has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for stabbing another man in the neck during a prearranged fight. Mohammed Adan Ali pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm at Mountjoy Square on 22 June 2017. The court heard that Ali contacted the injured party, a Somalian acquaintance, demanding money and subsequently arranged to meet him for a fight. During the confrontation, Ali produced a knife from his jeans and inflicted a neck wound on the victim. Judge Melanie Greally noted it was fortuitous that the blade did not strike major blood vessels. The injured party required stitches for treatment. In mitigation, the court acknowledged Ali's traumatic background, including witnessing his father's murder in childhood, and his efforts to address alcohol-related issues. However, Judge Greally determined that stabbing someone in the neck warranted a custodial sentence despite Ali's low re-offending risk assessment.
A Dublin man has been sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment following his assault on a garda with a glass bottle. Christopher Reilly (28) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Garda Daniel Sweeney, causing him harm, on Ratoath Road, Cabra, on 10 November 2015. During the incident, Reilly swung a glass bottle at the garda, causing a serious leg wound that required thirteen stitches and resulted in permanent sensory loss. The victim, in a statement read to the court, described losing considerable blood and being unable to walk for a month following the attack. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a three and a half year sentence with the final twelve months suspended, noting the assault fell within the upper range of seriousness. She ordered Reilly to complete any violent offender programme directed by the Probation Service and to address his drug use. Reilly has sixty-seven previous convictions.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Carlos Lawrence, aged 27, and his partner Catherine Dempsey, aged 26, were sentenced to a combined 12 years for a burglary and theft that took place on 13 December 2017 at Wainsfort Manor Grove, Terenure. Lawrence pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and theft of over €16,000, using a wedge hammer, and had 51 prior convictions. Dempsey pleaded guilty to stealing €15,000 in cash and burglary at the same time and place, with seven prior convictions. Lawrence received seven years, with 12 months suspended, while Dempsey received five years, with three years suspended. The judge noted Lawrence's remorse, drug addiction, and potential for productivity, and Dempsey's remorse, pressure, and low risk of re‑offending. The case involved a violent intrusion into the home of Alan Greene, who suffered significant distress and financial loss. The court recorded that both defendants had expressed remorse to the victim and to each other.
Joseph O'Connor, 58, from west Dublin, pleaded not guilty to five counts of possession of child pornography at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. In August 2011, Garda Janette Walsh seized a Dell laptop from his home and used specialised software to analyse its hard drive. She found 43 movie files in the recycle bin, 15 of which depicted boys under ten in sexual acts, including three involving anal and oral penetration. Additional files showed boys aged ten to seventeen and a 15‑year‑old boy with an adult male. Walsh also recovered 92 images of child explicit sex and 136 images of child exposure, many duplicates, from the unallocated memory area. She reported over 300,000 adult pornographic images and 8,000 adult porn movies on the laptop, with 225,000 images in an inaccessible area. The trial, presided over by Judge Elma Sheahan, continues before a jury of ten men and two women.
The trial of a man charged in connection with a tiger kidnapping in 2014 has continued at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court with technical evidence relating to phone records. Paschal Kelly, aged 52 and resident in Cootehill, County Cavan, has pleaded not guilty to charges of trespass and false imprisonment arising from an incident at a residential address in Malahide on September 25, 2014. He has also denied robbing a post office in Dublin on the same date and making threats to kill. Additional charges of unlawful possession of a vehicle have been denied. The trial, which is proceeding before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury, continues to hear evidence as the defence contests the allegations.
John Daly (58), the appellant, pleaded guilty to five acts of gross indecency with a mentally impaired person on unknown dates between 2016 and 2017. The matter is at the appeal stage, where Judge Melanie Greally addressed the sentencing. Prosecution evidence, presented by Lisa Dempsey BL, alleged that Daly threatened the complainant with death and burning if he did not comply with the acts, which included rubbing his penis over the male and performing oral sex. Daly claimed during interview that the behavior was consensual. Defense counsel Luigi Rea BL submitted that Daly has an intellectual disability and that his guilty plea was valuable to the investigation. Judge Greally noted Daly's significant and concerning record of sexual misconduct, including a prior six-year sentence from the Court of Criminal Appeal in 2000 for rape and other sexual crimes, and a partially suspended four-year sentence served for assaulting two teenage girls in 2011. The judge imposed an 18-month sentence for one of the latest charges. Daly was remanded in custody until next year, when the court will deal with the remaining four counts on the indictment. The matter was adjourned for the sentencing of the remaining charges.
Michael Fulton, 59, of Belmont Park, Raheny, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession for sale or supply of €195,347 worth of cannabis and cocaine. He admitted storing cannabis in wheelie bins and cocaine in his kitchen, claiming he had taken cannabis for back pain and stored the drugs to pay off a debt to an unnamed person he feared. The court noted he had transported the drugs and stored more than €11,000 for the same person. Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin sentenced him to five years imprisonment, suspending the final two years on the condition of good behaviour, drug‑free status and engagement with the Probation Service. He also received a 12‑month driving ban for driving under the influence. The prosecution sought forfeiture and destruction of the money and drugs found at his home. No prior convictions were recorded.
A 19‑year‑old man was sentenced to two years' imprisonment after an appeal reduced his original three‑year term for defiling a 14‑year‑old girl. The girl, who had attended a teenage disco in Dublin, was taken by the accused from a garage and forced to perform oral sex in his car. She was later dropped off near her home, visibly upset, and reported the incident to the Gardaí. The man pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a sexual act with a girl under 15. Judge Melanie Greally had originally imposed a four‑year sentence with the final 12 months suspended. On appeal, Mr Justice George Birmingham re‑sentenced him to two years' imprisonment with 12 months of post‑release supervision, citing mitigating factors such as the victim's intoxication, the accused's apology, admissions, guilty plea, lack of prior convictions, intellectual limitations, and supportive family background.
The trial of a man charged in connection with a tiger kidnapping in 2014 has continued with legal argument held in the jury's absence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Paschal Kelly, aged 52 and from Cootehill, Co. Cavan, has pleaded not guilty to charges including false imprisonment of a postmistress and two other individuals at a property in Malahide on 25 September 2014. He also denies robbery of cash from a post office in Sutton and making threats to kill the three parties at an unknown location within the State. Mr Kelly has further denied unlawful possession of a vehicle in relation to the same date. The prosecution alleges three men were involved in the incident, which lasted approximately seven hours and resulted in the taking of approximately €90,000. Proceedings before Judge Karen O'Connor continue in legal argument, with the jury expected to return on the following Tuesday.
In October 2018, a Moldovan national, Andrei Negura, aged 36, was charged with assault and criminal damage after an incident at a neighbour's home in Drogheda. Negura allegedly attacked Bohuslav Kalias, who was working on a car with his brother, using a claw hammer. The assault left Kalias with a broken right arm that required a rod, screw, and 38 stitches, and caused him long‑term functional impairment. Negura also smashed the car, inflicting €1,900 worth of damage. He denied the assault but later pleaded guilty to the use of a claw hammer while assaulting Kalias and to criminal damage. The court dropped the assault charge after the guilty plea, and a trial date was set for January 2020, with Negura remanded on continuing bail pending a probation report on his alcohol use. The case highlighted the severity of the injuries and the property damage caused.
A man has entered guilty pleas to a series of shop robberies at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, having been driven to multiple crime scenes by a taxi driver unaware of his passenger's intentions. Dean Gray, aged 30 and of Buttercup Drive, Darndale, Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbery and knife production at XL Flintstones in Baldoyle on 21 May 2017, where he took €350. He also admitted robbing €425 from Petmania at Gulliver's Retail Park using a screwdriver on 17 March 2018, and two robberies from Tan Me salon on New Cabra Road totalling €500 on 12 March and 10 April 2018. Gray further pleaded guilty to robbing €200 from Centz on North Circular Road on 14 March 2018 and an attempted robbery with threats at Spar, Harts Corner, on 10 April 2018. Evidence indicated he made no effort to conceal his identity during any incident. The court heard Gray has 69 previous convictions including 21 robberies, and that his offences were motivated by drug addiction. The case was adjourned to late November for sentencing.
A man has pleaded guilty to assaulting a garda with a glass bottle at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Christopher Reilly, aged 28, of Cabra, Dublin, assaulted Garda Daniel Sweeney on Ratoath Road, Cabra, on 10 November 2015, causing him serious harm. The court heard that during a confrontation, Reilly swung a bottle at the officer, inflicting a leg wound that required 13 stitches. The garda has permanently lost sensation from his calf to his ankle as a result of the injury. Reilly, who has 67 previous convictions, initially disputed the circumstances but subsequently entered a guilty plea. The court was informed that Reilly has begun addressing personal difficulties and secured employment. Judge Melanie Greally remanded him on continuing bail pending sentencing the following week.
A Dublin business owner has been ordered to complete 240 hours of community service for using fraudulent documents to secure a €71,000 mortgage. Kevin Molloy, aged 49, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three offences under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act committed between December 2014 and August 2016. The Donegal native, now resident in Celbridge, Co Kildare, had submitted false salary certificates, altered tax documents, and fabricated wage slips to Ulster Bank during his mortgage application in 2016. Judge Melanie Greally imposed the community service order, to be completed within twelve months, in lieu of an eighteen-month prison sentence. The judge noted the bank sustained no financial loss, that Molloy had cooperated with gardaí, and that he maintained mortgage repayments. The offences were discovered following a Bank of Ireland report to gardaí in July 2016.
Ronald Lawlor, 36, who had been disqualified from driving for 15 years, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended, for leading Gardaí on a high‑speed chase. He had 164 prior convictions, mainly for road traffic offences, and was found guilty of endangerment, dangerous driving, damage to a Garda patrol car and refusing a breath test. During the chase, he drove at speeds up to 140 km/h, drove the wrong way around a roundabout, collided with a Garda car causing about €3,000 in damage, and threw a beer can out the window. He was arrested after refusing an alcohol test. The judge imposed a ten‑year driving ban and ordered him to work with the Probation Service on alcohol misuse and, if suitable, a road safety programme. Lawlor claimed he had stopped drinking four months earlier and suffers from depression.
A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has found Osborn Irabor, a Dublin Bus driver aged 58 from Tyrrelstown, Dublin, guilty of careless driving causing the death of cyclist Mary White on November 17th, 2014. The collision occurred at approximately 9.40pm at a T-junction on Burlington Road when the bus turned right into the path of Ms White, who was cycling towards the junction. She sustained serious head injuries and died two days later. The jury returned a unanimous verdict after two hours of deliberation. A garda crash investigator testified that the bus had begun its turn prematurely and crossed a solid white line onto the wrong side of the road. The defence argued the incident resulted from visibility issues on a dark winter's night rather than careless driving. Judge Francis Comerford remanded Irabor on continuing bail and adjourned sentencing to November 12th to allow time for character testimonials and victim impact reports to be prepared. Osborn Irabor pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin city‑centre pub, taxi driver Lawrence Doyle (51) bit off part of Christopher Darcy's ear during a violent altercation that began after the two men met at a bar. Garda Fergus Grant reported that Doyle struck Darcy with a blow to the side of the head, then bit the ear, causing a 3 cm loss of tissue that could not be stitched. Darcy was also struck dozens of times in the chest and attempted to defend himself, but was ultimately taken to Mater Hospital where he received a tetanus shot and antibiotics. Doyle pleaded guilty to assaulting Darcy at Mulletts Bar on Amiens Street on 15 May 2017. He has no prior convictions. The case was adjourned to 21 February 2024, with Judge Melanie Greally ordering a probation report and noting Doyle's €500 restitution offer. The judge described the assault as vicious, violent and out of character for Doyle. The court will hear the case next month.
In a Circuit Court hearing, Judge Melanie Greally sentenced 29‑year‑old Peter McDonagh to two and a half years' imprisonment for possessing nearly 1,000 images of child pornography, including more than 500 Category 1 images depicting children as young as two years old in explicit sexual activity. McDonagh, who pleaded guilty, had obtained the material via his Samsung phone after Canadian authorities alerted Gardaí. The judge highlighted the increasing extremity and accessibility of such images and stressed the need for deterrence. He was also ordered to serve a two and a half year post‑release supervision order under the Probation Service, with mandatory participation in sex‑offender and victim‑awareness programmes and strict compliance with social‑media restrictions. Failure to comply could result in an additional 12‑month jail term. The sentence reflected McDonagh's high risk of re‑offending and limited insight into the harm caused to children.
In an assault case, Judge Karen O'Connor recused herself from the sentencing hearing after stating that the proceedings had become an attempt to undermine the defendant's guilty plea. John Brennan, 44, had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to his then‑girlfriend on 31 August 2014. The court heard that Brennan had shouted anti‑British slogans, threatened to shoot the victim's son, and physically assaulted her, including slapping, punching, pulling her by the hair and dragging her back into his house. The victim sustained a black eye, bruises, nail marks on her neck, a broken nose and a broken cheekbone that required a plate. Brennan had a prior drink‑driving conviction. The defense argued that Brennan had acted to prevent the victim from driving off intoxicated, but Judge O'Connor halted that line of questioning, citing the guilty plea. She warned the defense counsel that questioning the victim's impact statement would be unfair.
A 22‑year‑old Dublin man, Ben Mooney, used the alias "Nicole Heffernon" to catfish teenage boys on Facebook, sending them explicit images and videos of themselves in underwear or naked. He admitted to contacting up to 15 boys over two years. Mooney pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to knowingly possessing child pornography, including 4,000 images and 300 videos on a Samsung phone. Garda Daniel Tracey noted that the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children had alerted authorities to two email addresses linked to child porn; one was the "Nicole Heffernon" address traced to Mooney's home. During a search, officers seized two mobile phones and a computer hard drive, finding 6,000 images, 70 % of which were child pornographic. Mooney's parents were present at the search, and he admitted his actions before forensic analysis. Judge Melanie Greally ordered a Probation Service report and adjourned sentencing to January, where a plea in mitigation will be heard.
Anthony Smith, 25, of Deanstown Green, Finglas, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing two taxi drivers at knifepoint. On 1 April 2018 he robbed Mark Kavanagh, taking his wallet, €200 cash, and a phone system worth up to €600, while a co‑accused held a blade to Kavanagh's neck. Ten days later, on 11 April, Smith robbed James Boylan, pulling an eight‑inch knife and stabbing at Boylan's stomach; Boylan later reported feeling the knife's pressure but was not stabbed, suffering a hip injury instead. Smith had 13 prior convictions, including theft and criminal damage, and claimed the robberies were to obtain money for drugs. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to five years' imprisonment, with 12 months suspended for each robbery, and backdated the terms to the date of his arrest. The court noted Smith's cooperation and early guilty plea. The sentence was imposed concurrently for both offences.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, James Jack, aged 20, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Markus Thomas during an incident on 6 February 2016 at Custom House Quay. The assault occurred when three men, attending a beer festival, tried to stop young men from vandalising public rental bikes. Jack, who had been 17 at the time, joined the assault after receiving a phone call that his friends were being attacked. CCTV footage shows Jack throwing punches and kicks. Thomas suffered a fractured left eye socket and a tear to his right shoulder, resulting in a €700 loss. Jack had no prior convictions and was not the main aggressor. He was given a sentence that was adjourned to 21 December to allow him to raise additional compensation beyond the €500 he had in court.
A man from Edgeworthstown in Longford has received a partially suspended sentence after pleading guilty to trespassing with intent to commit an offence at a Dublin residence. James Smith (35) of Mostrim Oaks, Ballymahon Road, entered a house on Bloomfield Avenue on October 4, 2015, where he told the occupants that someone was pursuing him. When the homeowners informed him that gardaí were en route, he replied "good". At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Smith to three and a half years imprisonment, crediting 17 months already served in custody and suspending the remainder. The court heard Smith had broken a kitchen window and admitted seeking to steal items to sell, stating he needed money urgently and was unaware anyone was home. Nothing was taken from the property. Smith carries 116 previous convictions, including 17 for burglary. The judge cited his guilty plea, difficult personal circumstances including brain damage, and addiction history as mitigating factors, while noting the window damage and impact on the family as aggravating elements.
A 24‑year‑old construction worker, Lukasz Drozdziel, was sentenced to three years in prison for assaulting his former partner in an "episode of extreme rage" that left her with serious injuries. The incident occurred on 5 August 2017 at her home in Marino, Dublin, when Drozdziel, intoxicated, beat her in the hall, broke through the front door, and inflicted cuts to her abdomen and head. He also damaged the front door. Drozdziel pleaded guilty to assault and property damage at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and had four prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally described the assault as extreme, noting the physical and psychological harm, and imposed a three‑year sentence with nine months suspended, ordering 18 months of post‑release supervision and completion of a domestic violence perpetrator programme. Drozdziel has been alcohol‑free for five months and has expressed remorse. The victim's impact statement was not read in court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, William Deans, 57, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, with 18 months suspended, for a violent break‑in at the home of a 73‑year‑old retired fire officer, Michael Hempenstall, on 8 January 2016. Deans, who has 111 prior convictions, entered the house, threatened to infect Hempenstall with AIDS, and assaulted him and a neighbour, causing physical injury and a six‑week hospital stay for Hempenstall. Deans pleaded guilty to trespass, theft, assault, and damaging a door. The court noted the severity of the assault, the victim's vulnerability, and Deans' attempts at rehabilitation while in custody. The sentence was back‑dated to May of the same year to credit the five months he had already served. The case highlighted the impact of the offence on Hempenstall, who had to relocate from his 21‑year home to be closer to his daughter.
Craig Bergin, aged 32, pleaded guilty to theft offences at Boots and Holland & Barrett on Grafton Street in 2015, stealing about €6,883 worth of perfume, cosmetics, health supplements and aftershave. He was captured on CCTV, did not disguise himself, and apologized to staff while committing the thefts. Garda Bernard Maguire reported that the stolen items were taken on six occasions between 7 October and 17 November 2015. Bergin admitted having alcohol and gambling debts and mental health issues, including anxiety, and was described as respectful to Gardaí. He has 52 prior convictions but had not been in Garda attention recently. Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced him to two and a half years imprisonment, suspended for the same period on conditions of good behaviour, engagement with probation and psychiatric services, and keeping the peace. The sentence was imposed after confirming he had secured stable accommodation following a period of homelessness.
The trial of Paschal Kelly (52), from Cootehill, County Cavan, has continued at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court with legal argument conducted in the jury's absence. Mr Kelly has pleaded not guilty to charges of trespass, false imprisonment, robbery and threatening behaviour arising from an incident at Malahide and Sutton in Dublin on 25 September 2014. He is accused of involvement in a tiger kidnapping in which approximately €90,000 was allegedly taken during an incident lasting seven hours. The prosecution has alleged that three men were involved in the offence. The trial is proceeding before Judge Karen O'Connor and is expected to last six weeks. The jury is anticipated to return to court within the coming days as legal argument continues.
A 32‑year‑old Dublin man pleaded guilty in July 2018 to six counts of sexual assault against four of his young female cousins, one of whom was four years old at the time. The offences, which occurred between 2000 and 2006 at various Dublin addresses, were brought to light after a sleepover in December 2014 when the cousins reported the abuse to their parents. Gardaí then investigated further allegations from other cousins. The victims, now aged 26, 21 and 20, gave victim impact statements describing how the family was once close but has since been torn apart. The man, who has no prior convictions, was remanded on bail for sentencing on 31 October, with the court noting his psychological vulnerability and willingness to participate in rehabilitation programmes.
Nan Wu, 36, of Blanchardstown, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to controlling and directing prostitution for gain in 2015. A Garda officer, after a public complaint about a high number of male visitors at a massage parlour in Olivemount, visited the establishment on 17 April 2017. The officer was shown a treatment room containing a naked woman and man. Wu admitted knowledge that her employees performed sex acts for money and disclosed a second massage parlour where similar acts occurred. Defence counsel argued there was no coercion, no sexual intercourse, and that the acts were considered "manual relief". Wu claimed she believed the activities were legal and had not directly profited, as employees kept the money. She has no prior convictions, lives with two children, and is originally from Dalian, China. Judge Elma Sheahan ordered a probation report and adjourned the case to 15 January next year.
Mark O'Shea, aged 33 and without a fixed abode, pleaded guilty in June 2017 to possessing a pipe bomb that was found under a prison officer's car in Marino. The bomb, discovered by the officer's eight‑year‑old son, could not explode as it lacked a fuse. O'Shea had been paid €20 and a tray of tablets by two men to place the device. He had 25 prior convictions, all minor, and claimed he was "preyed upon" by others. Judge Martin Nolan originally sentenced him to five years' imprisonment, but the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Máire Whelan, reduced the sentence by suspending the final 12 months for two years. O'Shea must enter a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period and for two years after release. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
Michael Farrell, 26, of Montpellier Gardens, Dublin, was convicted after a three‑day trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of four counts of arson during two separate incidents on 11 and 18 January 2017, and of two counts of unauthorised interference with a vehicle during the 11 January incident. He set four cars on fire, causing over €10,000 in damage, and attempted to gain access to two additional cars on the first date. The judge, Karen O'Connor, sentenced him to four and a half years' imprisonment, with the final eighteen months suspended, provided he keep the peace, be of good behaviour and engage with probation services for eighteen months after release. Farrell's lawyers argued that a childhood brain injury sustained when he was hit by a coal truck at age five left him with a mild intellectual disability and an IQ of 60, making him highly suggestible.
Tony Ward, 40, of Castlecurragh Park, Mulhuddart, Dublin, pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to endangerment, dangerous driving, assault causing harm and unlawful seizure of a vehicle. On 29 August 2017, he and another man hijacked a taxi at 2:45 am, demanding a ride to Ballymun. Ward, wearing blue rubber gloves, forced the driver to stop, then re‑entered the taxi, unbuckled the seatbelt, and threatened the driver with a four‑inch knife. He ordered the driver out, threatened to stab him, and after the driver escaped, Ward slashed the driver's finger. The taxi then drove off at high speed, pursued by Garda Keith Spackman. At Mellowes Crescent, the taxi rammed two Garda cars and struck a Garda, who was knocked down, sustaining a large laceration to his left arm that required 30 stitches. Ward, who had been drinking and had taken cocaine that evening, is aware the incident could have ended differently.
Derek Whelan, aged 22, was jailed for three years after taking part in a violent assault on David Gaynor at the Neilstown shopping centre in Clondalkin, Dublin. Gaynor was knocked to the ground, beaten, kicked and struck with a golf club, causing a broken cheekbone, a broken eye socket and cuts to his mouth that required stitches. Whelan pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on 30 November 2015. At the time of the offence he was serving a suspended sentence for a theft offence imposed in May 2015 and had no prior convictions for violent crime. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to four and a half years, suspended the last 18 months on the condition of anger‑management and victim‑awareness programmes, and noted his cocaine abuse, stable relationship and upcoming child. Whelan offered compensation, which the court declined. He expressed remorse and has taken steps to address his addiction.
James Cronin, a 36‑year‑old rapist serving a burglary sentence, was given an additional two‑year term for threatening to burn down a prison officer's house at Arbour Hill Prison. He told the officer he knew where she lived and would set her home alight if she refused to serve him tobacco at the prison tuck shop. The court noted that prisoners have scheduled times to use the tuck shop and that Cronin had lied about being unable to attend his slot a day later. Garda Redmond O'Leary said this was the first time the officer felt compelled to report the threat, despite 17 years of similar incidents. Judge Melanie Greally described the threat as "sufficiently menacing and convincing" and imposed a two‑year sentence with nine months suspended, citing Cronin's history of mental health issues and prior convictions for false imprisonment, rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and burglary.".
Colm Carroll, 54, pleaded guilty to possessing heroin for sale or supply at his Inchicore address. He claimed a man approached him in a dole queue at the post office and pressured him to hold over €20,000 worth of heroin. Carroll said he had been approached again a few days later and that the man would come to his apartment to take the drugs, but he received no payment. Gardaí searched his apartment in November, finding a safe containing over 144 g of heroin, a lightbulb with about €1,000 worth of heroin, and a digital scale. They also found €5,950 in his pockets, which he said came from a recent car sale. Judge Martin Nolan accepted Carroll's explanation, noted his past addiction and minor convictions, and imposed a three‑year sentence suspended in full. He ordered €3,000 of the cash forfeited and the remainder returned to Carroll.
Two Vietnamese men, Tham Nguyen (59) and Thang Chinh Hoang (58), were sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two years and six months and two years and nine months in prison, respectively, for possessing and cultivating cannabis in a grow house with a theoretical value of €1.6 million. Gardaí discovered €60,000 of cannabis and 2,065 plants during a raid on a warehouse in Belcamp Lane, Coolock. The men, described as "gardeners" who tended the plants 24 hours a day, pleaded guilty on 24 January 2017. Judge Karen O'Connor noted their vulnerability, limited English and low intelligence, and accepted their early pleas and cooperation, which saved State resources. The sentences were back‑dated to the day of their arrest.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Matthew Ellis, aged 38, admitted to threatening a shop security guard, Patrick Collins, that he would return to kill him after finishing a pizza. Ellis claimed he knew the guard's shift end time and would come back once he had eaten. He had previously threatened the guard earlier that day and returned around 9 pm holding five bullets between his teeth, which he displayed to the guard. He called the guard a "garda informer" and shouted, "You finish at ten o'clock. I own Inchicore. I'm gonna kill you." Gardaí were called, stopped Ellis, and the bullets fell from him. Ellis pleaded guilty to making a threat to kill or cause serious harm. He has been in custody since the incident and has 71 prior convictions, including assault, burglary, possession of knives, drug dealing and robbery.
Dean Creedy, a 28-year-old first-time offender from Ballymun, Dublin, was sentenced at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the attempted robbery of a post office on Ballymun Road on November 11, 2017. Creedy pleaded guilty to the charge. Prosecution evidence indicated that he held a knife to the throat of an 83-year-old postmaster, demanding money, before fleeing when the victim stated he could not open the safe. The victim, who suffered no injuries, did not file a victim impact report. Creedy surrendered to gardaí nine days after the incident after seeing CCTV footage on RTE's Crimecall. He told officers he committed the crime to repay a €600 drug debt and had previously attempted suicide due to the pressure. Judge Melanie Greally described the act as aberrational behavior driven by desperate circumstances, noting Creedy's remorse, lack of prior convictions, and current drug-free status. She suspended a five-year prison sentence for a period of five years. The judge acknowledged the incident was outrageous given the victim's age but highlighted the victim's fortitude and the absence of lasting consequences. Defense counsel John Moher BL submitted testimonials and a letter of remorse, arguing Creedy was unlikely to reoffend.
John Paul Byrne, aged 32, was found in possession of €42,000 worth of cannabis, which he admitted to having for sale or supply. Garda Joseph McBride explained that Byrne was a back‑seat passenger in a vehicle stopped at a north Dublin checkpoint set up to address local feud issues. The officers detected a cannabis odor, searched the car, and discovered the drugs in a hold‑all bag in the rear. Byrne claimed he owed €15,000 for a drug debt and said he had little choice in moving the drugs because of real threats. He had no recent convictions, with his last offence in 2010, and his prior convictions were mainly traffic and public‑order related. The court described him as a "gillie," a low‑level participant in the drug trade. Sentencing was adjourned to 21 January. John Paul Byrne pleaded guilty.
In October 2018, Alan Kenny, aged 26, was arrested in Islandbridge, Dublin, after Gardaí discovered over €100,000 in cash in his home. He claimed the money was a debt he owed for cannabis use and that he was threatened with murder if he did not hold it, citing the abduction and murder of his cousin, James Kenny McDonagh, in 2011. Kenny pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of €106,950 believed to be proceeds of criminal conduct on 12 January 2017. Gardaí found a weighing scale, plastic cut‑offs, bundles of cash in a plastic bag, a small safe, and a taser‑type firearm in his bedroom. Kenny had no prior convictions. The case was adjourned to 18 December, with a Probation Service report ordered and Kenny remanded on continuing bail pending sentencing.
Johnathon Harding, 46, of Mc Neill Court, Sallins, Kildare, was already serving a 10‑year prison sentence for possession of nine revolvers, four pistols, a sub‑machine gun, an assault rifle and ammunition magazines. In October 2016 he attempted to obtain a €260,000 mortgage from the Bank of Ireland by submitting false documents: three payslips dated January, February and March 2016, a false bank statement covering August 2015 to March 2016, and additional false payslips and a bank statement covering October 2014 to April 2016. The bank detected the fraud immediately and Harding withdrew the application after a few days. On 16 October 2018, Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to 18 months in prison for the mortgage fraud, to be served concurrently with his existing term. The court noted no loss to the bank and that Harding had cooperated with the Garda investigation. Harding has eight prior convictions, including a six‑year drug‑possession sentence from 2004. Johnathon Harding pleaded guilty.
Paschal Kelly, aged 52, from Cootehill, County Cavan, stands trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for charges arising from an alleged tiger kidnapping in September 2014. He has pleaded not guilty to trespassing and falsely imprisoning a postmistress, her daughter, and an Italian student at a property in Malahide, Dublin. Mr Kelly also denies robbing approximately €90,000 from Bayside Post Office in Sutton and making threats to kill the three individuals. A further charge of unlawful vehicle possession is denied. Prosecution counsel indicated three men were allegedly involved in the incident, which lasted approximately seven hours. During evidence, the postmistress described being cable-tied and placed in her vehicle by two men in black, with a third raider joining them later at a field north of Dublin. She recounted deliberately leaving physical evidence at the scene. The trial, proceeding before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury, is expected to last six weeks.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 15 October 2018, Atilia Kerekes, aged 44, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after a domestic incident on 3 July 2017. The court heard that Kerekes had dragged his wife, who had a protection order, upstairs, struck her twice on the head, and forcibly removed her jeans. The wife, who was crying and fighting back, later used a plastic bottle to strike Kerekes. He stopped, apologized, and the wife's victim impact statement described ongoing depression and daily crying. Judge Patricia Ryan, giving credit for the guilty plea, cooperation, employment record and remorse, imposed a fully suspended two‑year sentence. The sentence was suspended for a period of two years, with no requirement to engage with Probation Services to avoid jeopardising his employment. The judge noted the couple's 18‑year‑old daughter remained in school and that the defendant was a good father.
In a court hearing on 15 October 2018, James Manning, aged 49 and resident of Belclare Avenue, Ballymun, pleaded guilty to possession of 177 kg of cannabis, valued at €3.5 million, found in his van after Gardaí stopped him for driving while using a mobile phone. Garda Thomas Barrett explained that a Garda in Offaly had suspected the van, followed it to Dublin, and upon stopping Manning for mobile‑phone use, searched the vehicle and discovered 15 cardboard boxes of cannabis. Manning, who has 29 prior convictions including false imprisonment, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and a dangerous driving conviction, was arrested and has remained in custody. Judge Francis Comerford sentenced him to nine years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended for a period of three years, citing Manning's early guilty plea and mitigating circumstances. A forfeiture hearing for the van is scheduled for later in the month.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a detective gave evidence in the trial of a man accused of tiger kidnapping. Detective Garda Eamon Keane described observing a Volkswagen car driven by a man wearing a ski mask near the home of postmistress Susan Lawlor in the early hours following her alleged abduction on September 25, 2014. The vehicle braked sharply before turning onto her street in Malahide, Dublin, and departed within thirty seconds. Det Gda Keane noted the house displayed activated alarm lights and open upstairs curtains with lights on. Paschal Kelly, aged 52, from Cootehill, County Cavan, has pleaded not guilty to charges of false imprisonment, robbery at Bayside Post Office in Sutton, threats to kill, and unlawful vehicle possession. During cross-examination, the defence highlighted that the detective did not record his observations for approximately five days and that a colleague had recorded an incorrect registration number. Evidence was also heard from a Chubb Ireland monitoring centre employee and an An Post crime prevention manager regarding emergency calls received on the tiger kidnapping helpline.
An Italian language student giving evidence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has described the moment armed raiders entered the bedroom where she was sleeping during an alleged kidnapping in 2014. The witness, who was staying in the north Dublin area while studying English, told the court she felt terrified when a man dressed in black appeared at her bedside and restrained her with cable ties. She stated that during a subsequent car journey in the early hours, she believed the raiders intended to cause her serious harm. The witness further described being taken to a post office in the company of two other captives, where she said raiders removed approximately ninety thousand euros from a safe. Paschal Kelly, aged 52 and from Cootehill, County Cavan, has pleaded not guilty to charges of false imprisonment, robbery, threatening behaviour, and unlawful vehicle possession relating to the incident on 25 September 2014. The trial before Judge Karen O'Connor continues.
Paul Slevin, 48, of Rathvilly Park, Finglas, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to cultivating cannabis plants worth €23,200 at his former home on 12 April 2015. He claimed he was bullied out of his apartment by a lodger who had been growing the plants, changed the locks and forced him to sleep on the sofa. Gardaí found a black tent with 29 plants, heat lamps and a water butt; the plants were not yet ready for harvest but would be worth €800 each when mature. Judge Jude Patricia Ryan sentenced Slevin to three years imprisonment, suspended in full for two years on the condition he keep the peace and be of good behaviour. The case noted Slevin's guilty plea, lack of prior convictions and full cooperation with the investigation.
Paschal Kelly, 52, of Cootehill, Co. Cavan, is on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where he has pleaded not guilty to alleged offences committed on September 25, 2014. The defendant is charged with trespass and falsely imprisoning postmistress Susan Lawlor, her daughter Emma Carter, and Italian student Gabriella Saisa at Seabury Drive, Malahide, Dublin. He also faces charges of robbing Ms. Lawlor of cash at Bayside Post Office, Sutton, Dublin, and threatening to kill the three women at an unknown location in the State. Additionally, he denies unlawful possession of a vehicle. During testimony, Ms. Lawlor described a "tiger kidnapping" in which intruders demanded post office keys and cash, threatening violence if she contacted authorities. She stated she was driven to the post office, where the safe was opened, before she activated a panic button. Ms. Carter corroborated the account, describing the intruders as terrifying. Both women testified that gardaí did not request an identification parade, and Ms. Carter stated she could not identify the raiders. The trial continues before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury.
Two men have been sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in relation to an attempted robbery at Greendale Pharmacy, Kilbarrack on January 26, 2018. Brendan Raynor (30) of Tulip Court, Darndale and Dean Slattery (28) of Briarfield Grove, Kilbarrack pleaded guilty to the charge. Both men armed themselves with knives and wore balaclavas before entering the shop and demanding Diazepam. The incident was observed by gardaí conducting surveillance in the area. Detective Sergeant Dave Ennis stated that Slattery attempted to flee and was struck with a baton, while Raynor was caught in a nearby field. Emma Smith, a shop worker who was six months pregnant at the time, provided a victim impact statement. Raynor has 103 previous convictions, including possession of knives, robbery, and burglary. He was previously sentenced to seven years with two suspended for an aggravated burglary in 2015. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a five-year sentence on Raynor, suspending the last two years and nine months. Slattery has 87 previous convictions, including robbery, drug offences, car theft, and assault. Dt Sgt Ennis was previously sentenced to four years with two suspended for a 2014 cash in transit van robbery. Judge Greally sentenced Slattery to four and a half years with the final 18 months suspended. Both men were remanded in custody.
Tracey Deegan, 42, received a suspended three‑year prison sentence after pleading guilty to unlawfully possessing a 12‑gauge Winchester pump‑action shotgun and a 12‑gauge Reno double‑barrel shotgun. The court noted that Deegan had no prior convictions and had been a good parent to her daughter. She had testified against a former partner in a manslaughter case, after which the partner's associates threatened her with a gun and demanded she hide the firearms in her home. Gardaí found the shotguns, weighing scales and eight cartridges in her bedroom wardrobe. Deegan admitted she had been given the weapons by a drug supplier and that she had used cocaine herself every two weeks. The judge, citing her lack of prior convictions and her role as a caregiver, suspended the sentence and did not wish to see her again in court. The case highlighted the ongoing intimidation Deegan faced from the former partner's associates.