Ronaldo Lupo, 24, of Clonsilla, Dublin 15, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for two counts of assault causing harm. He pleaded guilty to the charges, which relate to incidents on December 30, 2023, where he allegedly assaulted Abby Tierney and Lauren Boyle-Hanney. The court heard that Lupo was intoxicated and his detention was suspended as he was initially unfit for interview. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a sentence of two years and nine months, backdated to February 1 last, when Lupo went into custody. The judge noted Lupo's history of similar offending and his lack of self-control, while acknowledging mitigation factors including his guilty pleas, remorse, and medical issues. Lupo has 52 previous convictions, including three for assault causing harm. The victims described feeling terrified and suffering physical and psychological trauma. The matter was finalized with this custodial sentence.
The State has argued that the fully suspended sentences given to Jim Connors, a serial driving offender who caused a serious crash and later committed further offences, were too lenient. Connors, who had 36 previous convictions, including road traffic offences, was serving a six-year driving ban when he crashed into a taxi, leaving a passenger with serious injuries. He received a four-and-a-half-year suspended sentence for dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm and four-year suspended sentences for three counts of leaving the scene to escape liability. The sentences were concurrent and suspended for five years. The State also challenged a three-year suspended sentence for reckless endangerment, which occurred a month after the taxi crash. Connors had additional charges, including drug driving and driving without insurance. The State's counsel argued that the sentences were unduly lenient given the severity of the offences and Connors' disregard for court orders. Connors' defence highlighted his cooperation, mental health issues, and rehabilitation efforts. The Court of Appeal reserved its decision until December 1.
The Court of Appeal has upheld a State appeal against the leniency of the sentence imposed on Ian Doyle, a 34-year-old defendant from Crumlin. Doyle pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting a woman causing her harm and threatening to kill or cause serious harm in February 2023. He was on bail for assaulting a different partner at the time. The original sentence, set by Judge Orla Crowe, was three years and six months, with six months suspended, running consecutively to an existing term expiring in April 2026. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice Alexander Owens, concluded the original sentence was too lenient. The court resentenced Doyle to five years' imprisonment for the two counts, to run concurrently with each other. This new term is consecutive to the sentence Doyle is currently serving for the other matter, as the offences were committed while he was on bail. Mr Justice Owens stated that the five-year term reflects the gravity of the offending and the intimate relationship context, noting it is greater than what would have been imposed had Doyle not been on bail. The court rejected any suspension of the custodial element, citing the seriousness of the assault and the lack of sufficient mitigation.
Patrick Quinn, a recidivist conman with 49 previous convictions, received a fully suspended 18-month sentence for deceiving a recruitment firm by taking €1,100 for accountancy work he never completed. Quinn, who was found five years after the crime through a Crimecall appeal, pleaded guilty to one count of deception. The court heard that Quinn, a chronic gambler, had misrepresented his qualifications and failed to complete the work, leading to the firm's strike-off. Despite his extensive criminal history, Quinn has been in recovery and attended Gamblers Anonymous. The judge acknowledged the seriousness of the offense but noted Quinn's efforts to lead a prosocial life and ordered the €1,100 to be returned to the victim. The suspended sentence reflects the judge's consideration of Quinn's rehabilitation and the impact of the crime on the victim's business.
A 24-year-old man with a long criminal history was jailed for two years and six months after pleading guilty to money laundering. Eoin Wiley had €41,920 pass through his bank account despite only receiving €120 per week in social welfare. He had 155 previous convictions for various offences, including assault and driving violations. Detective Garda Keith Colman described Wiley as a recidivist offender known to gardai. His bank records showed multiple deposits from unknown third parties, and cash was withdrawn from ATMs. The Department of Social Protection confirmed Wiley received Jobseeker's Allowance and was not employed. Although arrested for money laundering, no evidence emerged during his interview. He was charged and entered a signed plea. His defence highlighted his ADHD diagnosis, drug issues, and family responsibilities. Judge Orla Crowe suspended the final three months of his sentence.
Aaron Waddington, 36, of Louglinstown Park, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin, was sentenced to three years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to the burglary of a 94-year-old man's home on March 14 last. Judge Martin Nolan reduced a headline sentence of five years to three years, taking into account Waddington's guilty plea and mitigating factors, including his immediate departure when confronted by the victim. The sentence was backdated to March of this year, when Waddington first went into custody. The court heard that Waddington entered the property by smashing a window with a brick, cutting his leg and leaving a blood trail that linked him to the crime. He stole two watches before being stopped nearby. The victim, who struck the intruder with a shoehorn, described Waddington as "docile." A victim impact statement noted the elderly man's ongoing distress and anxiety. Waddington has a history of offending, including drugs, road traffic offences, criminal damage, and theft. His defence counsel highlighted his drug addiction and remorse, noting he is a father of three.
Jamie Robinson (25) of Windmill Avenue, Crumlin, has been jailed for two years for his role in the Dublin riots on November 23, 2023. Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of theft at a Gala store on Abbey Street and one count of rioting at Dame Street. He was under a suspended sentence for criminal damage at the time of the offences and has 24 previous convictions. During the riots, which followed a stabbing that injured a five-year-old girl and others, Robinson was seen looting eight packets of cigarettes from the Gala store and helping to place rubbish on the street, which was later set on fire. Garda footage showed Robinson entering the store with other looters, who smashed the glass door and damaged the shop shutters. The store owner described the damage as devastating, with items such as cigarettes, wine, spirits, and confectionary stolen, and the total cost of damage estimated at €87,500.
An offender who was on temporary release when he took part in an assault that left the victim with a serious brain injury has been jailed for five years. John Connors (28) of Upper Rathmines Road, Rathmines Co Dublin, pleaded guilty on a trial date to assault causing serious harm to Christopher McDonagh on January 24, 2021. His co-accused, Michael Joyce (28), was previously sentenced to seven and a half years in May 2022. The court heard that gardai arrived at an apartment complex and found Joyce and Connors heading upstairs with blood on Joyce's hands and a cut to his forehead. Inside the apartment, two fire extinguishers and bloodstains were found. Mr McDonagh was discovered in the back garden with a serious head injury and lost 11 teeth. Connors was arrested but initially deemed unfit for interview due to intoxication. He was eventually interviewed four times and commented that the video footage of the assault was 'disgusting'.
Adeleke Adelani, 27, of Riverside View, Lower Main Street, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, has been sentenced to a consecutive 21-month prison term for laundering €100,397 in criminal cash in November 2019 and in January 2020, and for laundering the proceeds of crime on dates between October 2018 and February 2021. Adelani pleaded guilty to these charges. The court heard that €124,000 passed through his bank accounts, with only €3,500 accounted for, primarily from social welfare payments. The State's case is that Adelani was not involved in setting up the invoice redirection scams but was a recruiter for money mule bank accounts to facilitate the thefts. The court heard that the money ended up in the bank account of a 41-year-old Dublin woman who received a suspended prison sentence in March 2022. Adelani admitted to withdrawing cash and purchasing high-value items. Gardai found 50 images of other people's bank accounts on his phone. Adelani has previous convictions for assault, false imprisonment, burglary, and production of an article. He is currently serving a partially suspended seven-year sentence with a release date in November 2029. The judge stated that Adelani was 'up to his neck in money laundering' and that he was procuring bank accounts for substantial rewards. The 21-month sentence will run consecutive to his existing sentence.
Omar Ahmed, 30, was sentenced to four years in prison after a court found him in possession of 23.1 kg of cannabis worth €420,080 at Dublin Airport. Ahmed arrived on a flight from Doha on 7 July and was arrested when the drugs were discovered in his luggage. He pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply and admitted responsibility for the suitcase, though he claimed he believed it contained phones and gold. Ahmed has three prior convictions in the United Kingdom and had been in custody since his arrest. His defence argued he had no financial interest in the drugs and was acting under financial duress, but the judge accepted that he was transporting the drugs for a financial reward. The judge departed from the mandatory minimum of ten years, citing Ahmed's guilty pleas and mitigation, and imposed a four‑year sentence backdated to the time he entered custody.
An unlicenced, uninsured driver, John McDonagh, aged 20, was jailed for 32 months for dangerous driving after striking a 60‑plus‑year‑old victim on Ballymun Road on 6 July 2023. The victim, a supervisory worker on the Dublin light rail project, was wearing protective gear and was crossing the road toward the grass meridian when McDonagh collided with him. The victim sustained serious head injuries and fractures, spent almost a year in hospital, and is now a wheelchair user requiring constant assistance. McDonagh pleaded guilty, failed to remain at the scene, and later admitted to smoking cannabis, which tested positive. He had no licence or insurance, and the court noted no evidence of excessive speed. The judge imposed a 32‑month sentence and a five‑year driving disqualification. The victim's impact statement highlighted the life‑changing injuries and the emotional toll on his family.
Michael Rostas, 24, was on bail when he stole a watch from a man who had fallen ill after leaving a nightclub. The victim, who was later admitted to St James's Hospital, had the watch, a sentimental item from his father, returned to him. CCTV footage showed Rostas taking the watch while the victim lay on the ground. Rostas pleaded guilty to one count of theft on 1 October 2022 and had two prior convictions. Judge Pauline Codd described the offence as vile and morally reprehensible. She imposed a headline sentence of four years, but after considering Rostas's guilty plea, age, homelessness, and a positive probation report, she sentenced him to three years' imprisonment suspended in full for three years. Rostas paid €500 to the court as a gesture of remorse and was ordered to pay an additional €500 to the victim, at least €50 per month.
On 3 January 2025, 37‑year‑old Scott Capper drove at high speed through Sutton, Howth and Baldoyle, forcing garda patrol cars to take evasive action. He eventually stopped on St Margaret's Avenue, Raheny, where he fled the vehicle and threw bags of white powder. Gardai pursued him to Kilbarrack Road, where they found him covered in cocaine. The cocaine, valued at €5,700, was intended for his own use. Capper pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and possession of drugs for sale or supply. He has 29 prior convictions, including public order and traffic offences. The court noted he was unfit for interview after arrest but later cooperated once sober. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to 27 months' imprisonment, effective from 4 January, and banned him from driving for four years.
Ryan Carroll, 29, and two men broke into a man's Dublin home on 9 August 2022 after a littering dispute. They entered the house, shouted "chop his hand off," and used a blade to slash the victim's arm, chest, back, head and hand, cutting three fingers to the tendons. The victim suffered severe lacerations and required surgery. The attackers fled after a neighbour called Gardaí. Carroll, who had 37 prior convictions and was on bail for another offence, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, criminal damage and trespass while armed. He was sentenced by Judge Sinead McMullen to three years' imprisonment, with the court noting the attack was savage, unplanned and grossly disproportionate to the initial altercation. The sentence was imposed today.
In a Dublin nightclub on 17 August 2019, Jason Aquino (29) smashed a pint glass into another man's face during a verbal dispute. The victim suffered serious eye injuries, requiring six days in hospital and ongoing treatment. Aquino was arrested, initially denied the incident, but accepted responsibility after CCTV evidence. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, violent disorder and production of an article. The court, hearing the victim's impact statement, imposed a headline sentence of eight years, reduced to four years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. Aquino was ordered to pay €20,000 to the victim within three months. The judge noted Aquino's lack of prior convictions and his remorse, but emphasised the reckless nature of his conduct and the lasting harm to the victim. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the assault and the victim's life‑changing injuries.
Josh McEnroe, 24, of Dublin 8, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in a firearm discharge incident in Dublin 2 on November 15, 2022. McEnroe pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting another person in possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a 32-month sentence, describing McEnroe's culpability as "in the middle" of the co-accused and towards the lower end. The court noted that McEnroe's two co-accused had already been sentenced in October 2023. Brandon Kelly, 21, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition for an unlawful purpose and received a global seven-year sentence. Jamie Byrne, 28, pleaded to aiding and abetting the reckless discharge of a firearm and was jailed for 27 months. Evidence indicated that following a verbal altercation with a juvenile, McEnroe dropped a jacket, which the boy later retrieved. Kelly and Byrne subsequently returned on a motorbike, with Kelly appearing to carry a firearm, which was then discharged. No injuries were reported. McEnroe, who has 48 previous convictions, apologized to the court, stating he had turned his life around and is now drug-free and working part-time.
A 77‑year‑old former coffee shop owner, Giovanni Nardone, was given a four‑year suspended sentence for laundering €89,570 in cash and for possessing an encrypted mobile phone. The cash was found under his bed after a Garda search warrant was issued following confidential information. Nardone pleaded guilty to possession of the proceeds of crime and to possession of the encrypted phone, which was deemed to be used for a criminal offence. He was on bail throughout the proceedings and had no prior convictions. The judge, after a risk assessment by probation services, considered the amount of cash, the encrypted phone, a cash‑counting machine and a vacuum packing machine as aggravating factors, while his guilty plea, lack of previous convictions and family background were mitigating. The sentence was suspended in full for four years.
Reece O'Brien, aged 23, pleaded guilty to money laundering and having the proceeds of crime, and was sentenced to two years and six months' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended for two years on strict conditions. He was found to have €5,595 in cash, cannabis, weighing scales, bagging equipment, a Volkswagen Golf, high‑value clothing and a PlayStation 5 in his apartment, all seized during a Garda search. O'Brien also spat at a Garda and threatened to "bite their faces off and kill them." Stephanie Boylan, aged 24, pleaded guilty to money laundering and received an 18‑month sentence, suspended for three years on strict conditions. Boylan had no prior convictions and was found to have paid for the car with cash from the proceeds of crime. Both defendants' pleas and youth were considered by Judge Orla Crowe.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced three former soldiers to fully suspended terms for a violent attack outside The Living Room bar in February 2024. Jordan Kavanagh (24), Jerome Kavanagh (23), and Jason Keating (24) each pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm and one count of violent disorder. All three resigned from the army prior to entering their pleas. Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin imposed a four-year sentence, suspended for five years, on Jordan Kavanagh and Jason Keating. Jerome Kavanagh received a two-year, eight-month sentence, suspended for three years. The court ordered the men to pay €6,666 each to the victim as an expression of remorse. The judge noted the defendants were suitable candidates for restorative justice and described the sentences as a "Sword of Damocles." The victim, who suffered a concussion, broken teeth, and scarring, stated the attack changed his life. The judge emphasized that while the men showed real remorse and had no previous convictions, their actions were "completely appalling" and they had thrown away their potential.
Michael Connor, aged 50, was sentenced to one year in jail for his role in a scheme that defrauded the Trinity College Hardship Fund of over €500,000. Connor admitted to providing his bank account details to a third party and to recruiting others to do the same, resulting in €9,950 being deposited into his account across four transactions between October 2020 and January 2021. He pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct. Connor received €1,650 for his involvement. He has 22 prior convictions, mainly traffic offences, and is a security guard and carer for his mother. The court found no evidence that he applied for hardship assistance himself and imposed a custodial sentence, rejecting the defence's request for a non‑custodial outcome.
Michael Daly, 27, of Knockmore Grove, Tallaght, was jailed for three years and nine months after a high‑speed chase on the N81. He drove a stolen Ford Transit van without a licence or insurance, swerved onto the wrong side of the road at up to 140 km/h, and attempted to hit Garda patrol cars. The chase caused €10,000 of damage to a patrol car and forced a Garda to run into a garden to avoid being struck. Daly pleaded guilty to endangerment, unlawful use of a vehicle, driving without insurance and two counts of criminal damage. He had been disqualified from driving since 2022 and had previous convictions for drugs and public order offences. The judge, after considering his guilty pleas and mitigating factors, imposed the sentence and a four‑year driving disqualification.
Darragh Carroll, 27, was jailed for stealing a Renault Fluence and reckless endangerment after a drunken garda pursuit in Balbriggan. Carroll, who had no driving licence and was disqualified from driving, ran red lights, overtook a stopped vehicle, drove through stop signs, onto a footpath and in the wrong direction on busy residential streets. He swerved past a pedestrian and crashed into a wooden pillar, then fled the scene, jumping over a house wall before being arrested. Carroll pleaded guilty to the theft, endangerment, two criminal damage charges and driving without a licence. The judge set a headline sentence of seven and a half years, reduced to three years, with concurrent two‑year terms for theft and criminal damage. The final 18 months were suspended on probation, and Carroll was disqualified from driving for five years. He is engaged in rehabilitation in custody. Darragh Carroll was convicted.
On 18 November 2022, Nicola Smart, 42, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply and to possessing €3,725 of proceeds of crime in her Prospect Hill home. Gardaí found €24,000 worth of cocaine, €1,160 of cannabis and zopiclone tablets in a garden shed, and a small amount of cannabis in her bedroom. The court heard that Smart's home was being used by criminals to store drugs, and that the drugs were on a top shelf in the shed, a location difficult for her to access because she is in a wheelchair. Smart has two prior convictions for minor traffic offences. She is a paraplegic, a former heroin and cocaine user who suffered a stroke in 2017, and her adult daughter is her carer. The judge, recognising her low culpability and health issues, imposed a three‑year sentence suspended in full under a number of conditions.
A van driver, Colin Radburn, 37, was jailed for four and a half years after a routine Garda checkpoint on St Luke's Road, Dublin 8, revealed €350,000 worth of cocaine and £15,520 in cash hidden in the van's air filter cabinet. Radburn, who had been driving the van at the time, panicked and attempted to abandon it when Gardaí stopped him. He pleaded guilty to one count of possessing drugs for sale or supply under Section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act. The court noted his prior convictions for road traffic offences and that he had been out of work since an injury in 2022, which contributed to a drug habit. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Radburn's role was that of transporter and holder, and set the sentence at four and a half years, backdated to his arrest.
Sandra Moneme, a 27‑year‑old South African woman, created a false name in 2019 to avoid a deportation order and used that alias to claim €6,775 in social welfare benefits. She pleaded guilty to one count of providing a false instrument at an Intreo centre in Dublin 1 on 26 November 2019. Garda Brian Giblin reported that Moneme applied for a PPS number under the false name and then claimed welfare benefits. She was arrested after a facial‑recognition check by the Department of Social Protection. Moneme has no prior convictions and cooperated with Gardaí. She is now entitled to stay in Ireland and is repaying the money to the department. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to 20 months, fully suspended on conditions, noting her cooperation and lack of prior convictions.
Mary Hall, 70, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two theft counts for taking €26,562 in Carer's and Disability Allowances in her deceased son's name between 25 May 2022 and 30 November 2023. The son had leukemia and died in 2022; Hall continued to collect his disability allowance after the Department of Social Protection was notified of his death. She admitted she was not entitled to the payments and used the money for bills, rent and funeral costs. Hall has no prior convictions. Judge Sinead McMullan imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years, suspended in full on strict conditions, including continued weekly repayments. The court noted Hall's remorse and consistent repayments as mitigating factors. The sentence reflects theft from the State, not premeditated in the normal sense, but Hall was aware of the wrongdoing. The condition requires Hall to maintain the weekly repayments.
A Cavan man previously imprisoned for handling 117 stolen bicycles has received a suspended sentence for money laundering linked to the same offence. Dinas Bimbiras, aged 50, of Maple Drive, Drumgola Wood, Cavan, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing the proceeds of crime. Following his earlier conviction in October 2022, when he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, gardaí examined his bank accounts under warrant. Analysis revealed a discrepancy of €71,141 between his legitimate income and lodgements, which prosecutors contend represents proceeds from the bicycle operation. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two-year custodial sentence but suspended it in full, determining that a further jail term would be unjust given Bimbiras's conduct since his release in February 2024 and his return to full-time employment. The judge noted the money laundering charge could have been heard concurrently with the original handling matter. He ordered forfeiture of the €71,141 to the State. Bimbiras, a Lithuanian resident in Ireland since 2001, maintains he purchased bicycles at Dublin markets intending to refurbish and resell them.
A 25‑year‑old Brazilian national, Gilson Da Costa Santos, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for importing nearly €200,000 worth of cocaine into Ireland. He pleaded guilty to the offence at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after being stopped at Dublin Airport on 7 May 2025, where 2.85 kg of cocaine was found in his suitcase. Da Costa Santos admitted the importation and claimed he had swallowed drugs, but no evidence of ingestion was found in a hospital scan. He said he was acting under threat and that his family had been threatened, prompting his travel to Ireland with the drugs. The judge accepted his signed pleas and his role as a transporter, and backdated the sentence to the date he entered prison in May. The case was prosecuted by Fergal Foley BL and defended by Marc Thompson SC.
A 17‑year‑old juvenile was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for assault causing serious harm and production of a knife after a chase on e‑scooters on the River Liffey boardwalk. The victim, an 18‑year‑old, was travelling on an e‑scooter when the defendant's co‑accused followed and kicked him off. The victim fell, was punched, and then stabbed twice in the back by the defendant, who used a large knife described as "dirty." The victim suffered a deflated lung, was hospitalized for four days, and has since fully recovered. The court heard CCTV footage, the defendant's guilty plea, and the defendant's 20 prior convictions. The judge noted the seriousness of the wounds and the defendant's propensity for violence, and imposed a 12‑month suspended portion of the sentence on strict conditions, including probation engagement for a year. The remaining term will be served in prison when the defendant turns 18.
An on‑bail offender aged 21 was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, for stabbing a woman multiple times in the vagina in a misogynistic attack that caused her to lose 25% of her blood. The offence occurred on 6 March 2024 at an apartment in Dublin, where the man, who had 15 prior convictions, was arrested immediately after the assault. Garda Colm Carroll and a colleague stopped the defendant and three other men who fled the scene. CCTV footage and a Snapchat voice note were presented to the court, showing the defendant's intent and the brutality of the attack. The victim, who suffered severe lacerations and a large hematoma, was treated at St James' Hospital and later warned that she may have difficulty giving birth vaginally. The judge noted the defendant's mental health issues and the misogynistic nature of the crime before imposing the sentence. The unnamed woman pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 7 November 2025, Eugene Tolan, aged 47, pleaded guilty to three burglaries committed on 10 October 2024 and 15 December 2024. He admitted stealing a laptop that contained a draft thesis, preventing the victim from completing her master's degree. Tolan, who has 23 prior burglary convictions, claimed he had a baby on the way and needed a pram. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Tolan's remorse and that he fled when encountering a resident, sentenced him to a cumulative term of three and a half years, backdated to his custody entry. The judge highlighted the victim's loss of peace of mind and the significant trauma caused by the loss of her thesis. No further sentences or appeals were mentioned in the article.
Shane Cowzer, 31, of Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for assault causing harm. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge, which relates to an incident on January 28, 2023. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a 15-month custodial sentence. The judge noted that Cowzer threw a phone at the victim, grabbed her by the neck twice, and bit her on the face. Prosecution evidence indicated Cowzer had threatened the victim and later threatened to visit her workplace via Instagram after she ended their relationship. The victim stated she felt unsafe and required counselling and medication. Defence counsel Luke O'Higgins BL submitted that Cowzer had been homeless and abusing substances at the time but has since become employed, engaged in drug treatment, and entered a committed relationship. He offered a €1,000 compensation payment, contingent on a non-custodial outcome, which was not accepted. The court rejected the mitigation, finding that a custodial term was appropriate for the misbehaviour. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the 15-month sentence.
Marius Mihai Popa, 41, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing the death of Darren Brodigan, 35, on Poppintree Park Lane, Ballymun, on 27 November 2022. Popa was driving at 62 km/h on a 50 km/h road that was dark due to overhanging trees. He called emergency services and flagged an ambulance, but Brodigan died from massive brain injuries. The court heard no CCTV footage; investigators confirmed the speed. Popa cooperated fully, tested negative for alcohol and drugs, and was not distracted. He expressed remorse, apologised to the Brodigan family, and noted he had no previous convictions. Judge Martin Nolan imposed an eight‑month suspended sentence, disqualified Popa from driving for one year, and extended sympathies to the Brodigan family. The case highlighted the darkness of the road and the subsequent upgrade of street lighting. The sentencing was conducted in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Christopher Oshodin, 48, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to theft and dishonestly inducing a Department of Social Protection employee to act for a gain. He had claimed over €145,000 in social welfare payments while pretending for 21 years to be Zimbabwean, using the alias "Christopher Umar." The offence spanned from 2001 to 2022. Oshodin, the sole carer of three children, admitted the fraud and sought to regularise his status. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the seriousness of the theft and the impact on the children, imposed a four‑year sentence fully suspended. He acknowledged Oshodin's cooperation, admissions, lack of prior convictions and the fact that he was paying back small amounts weekly. The court considered the effect on the children and the need to avoid depriving them of their guardian, leading to the non‑custodial outcome. The case was heard on 7 November 2025.
An 85‑year‑old former Dublin school teacher was convicted by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of 28 counts of indecent assault against eight boys, with the alleged offences occurring between 1978 and 1989. The jury delivered majority verdicts after more than seven hours of deliberation. The defendant, who pleaded not guilty, made no reaction when the verdicts were read. Judge Elma Sheahan thanked the jury, remanded the defendant on continuing bail, adjourned the case to next month, and directed the preparation of victim impact statements.
Daniel O'Neill, 30, of Dublin 17, was already serving a 3‑year‑9‑month sentence for drug offences since October 2023. He pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to money laundering and obtaining insurance by deception between 8 January 2021 and 4 January 2023. A Garda investigation, triggered by his drug‑dealing conviction, analysed several bank accounts and found €290,000 in cash lodgements in his name and a second person's name, plus further cash through a Revolut account. The money was used to buy cars, take holidays and shop online. O'Neill also secured three insurance policies for the cars using a false date of birth while he was disqualified from driving. The court imposed a seven‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, back‑dated to his initial custody in October 2023.
Terry Ward, 36, of Castle Meadows, Trim, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglaries on 20 July 2024 and 12 February 2025. On 20 July he broke into a business on Baggot Street, stole two laptops worth €3,000, and was arrested the next night while attempting to sell one to a rickshaw driver. On 12 February he carried out a series of burglaries in Dublin 2, breaking into a business, an elderly woman's unoccupied home (stealing earrings and medication), and smashing windows at the Hyde pub on Lennon Street with a beer keg and at the Duke pub with street fencing, causing €2,000 in damage. He also stole €50 from a tip jar. Ward has 176 prior convictions, including 22 burglaries in Ireland and 17 in the UK, plus assault and knife possession.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, two defendants, David O'Brien (22) and Elisabeth Bello (50), received suspended sentences for acting as money mules in a romance fraud that defrauded an 85‑year‑old pensioner of €27,000. The victim was deceived by a woman posing as a divorced American mother on Match.com, who persuaded him to purchase iTunes gift cards, transfer €2,800 to a solicitor for an "anti‑money laundering certificate," and pay €24,516.13 in storage fees. The victim's funds were moved into O'Brien's AIB account and later into Bello's account. Both defendants pleaded guilty to handling or processing proceeds of crime. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced O'Brien to one year and Bello to two years, suspending both on the condition of good behaviour and peacekeeping. No further convictions or outcomes are mentioned in the article.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Sebastian Czajka, aged 27, was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for possession of drugs for sale and possession of proceeds of criminal conduct. Gardaí seized €850,020 worth of cannabis, cocaine and ketamine, plus €226,160 in cash, from his Tallaght home. Czajka pleaded guilty to three counts of drug possession for sale or supply and one count of possession of proceeds. The judge, Martin Nolan, had originally considered a 15‑year headline sentence but, after noting Czajka's early guilty plea, his age and the possibility of rehabilitation, imposed 11 years, backdated to his arrest. Defence counsel requested a suspended portion, but the judge declined. The case was heard as a criminal trial, with no prior convictions for Czajka. The drugs were seized following a search warrant issued after a Gardaí raid. The sentence was delivered on 18 February 2024.
Luke Taaffe, aged 34, pleaded guilty before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using €1,500 of the proceeds of criminal conduct from Trinity College Dublin's Student Hardship Fund, knowing the money was illicit on 8 October 2020. He will be sentenced on 17 December. Helen Richardson, aged 46, was arraigned for a separate case involving the alleged defrauding of just under €500,000 from the same fund between 2021 and 2022, with her arraignment set for 28 January 2026.
Jamie Moonen, aged 30, was sentenced to 13 months in prison after threatening to kill Dublin city councillor Malachy Steenson on 15 May 2024. Moonen first approached a Garda patrol car on North Circular Road, verbally abusing a Garda and declaring he would kill Steenson, who was campaigning for local and European elections. He then went to Steenson's offices, where he again threatened the 62‑year‑old councillor and became aggressive when Steenson's relatives appeared. Gardaí arrested him; he admitted the threats, apologized, and claimed he was depressed. Moonen pleaded guilty to a threat to a Garda to kill or cause serious harm. The court, noting his 12 prior public order convictions and one assault, imposed a headline sentence of three years, reduced to 13 months due to mitigating factors such as his cooperation and personal difficulties.
On 21 June 2024, 31‑year‑old Dek Abdi Hassan of Basin View, Dublin 8, pushed a 66‑year‑old man onto the footpath in Dublin city centre, causing the victim to fall backwards and break his hip. The injury forced the victim, who was working full time, to retire early and has since suffered ongoing pain, stiffness and reduced independence, as detailed in his victim impact report read by Judge Martin Nolan. Hassan pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. The court described his conduct as a "wanton act of arrogance" and noted that while he did not intend the injuries, his actions were intentional and reckless. Hassan was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment. The judge acknowledged Hassan's difficult background, including trauma from civil violence in Somalia, but stressed that such behaviour is unacceptable on the street.
Joe Donogher, 55, of Ashlawn Park, Ballybrack, was sentenced to 33 months in jail after pleading guilty to transporting almost €150,000 worth of cocaine. He admitted to possessing a 2‑kg quantity of the drug, valued at €143,925, for sale or supply in Sallynoggin, Dublin, on 16 May 2024. Donogher had no prior convictions. Gardaí had set up a surveillance operation and found the drugs in a toolbox he placed in his van. He claimed he accepted the drugs because his son, who was in debt to "unsavoury characters," was threatened with violence if the debt was not paid. Donogher stated that his son's life was at risk and that he was acting to protect him. The court accepted his early guilty plea and his otherwise clean record, and the judge imposed a 33‑month term, a significant departure from the mandatory minimum of ten years.
John Joseph Carey, a 57-year-old man from Tipperary Town, was sentenced to seven years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to having 16.6 kg of cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Port on October 10, 2022. The drugs, estimated to have a street value of €1,232,560, were concealed in a Perspex box built into the chassis of a camper van driven by Carey. Prosecution evidence indicated that Carey, who has no previous convictions, was pressured to transport the cocaine to settle a debt that had risen to €250,000. Judge Martin Nolan accepted Carey's guilty plea and noted his cooperation with the Garda investigation. The judge described Carey's culpability as "low to mid," acknowledging that he did not own the drugs and acted to resolve personal financial problems. Consequently, the court imposed a sentence of seven years. The matter was finalized with this sentence, reflecting the court's assessment of the defendant's role and mitigating factors.
Cristan Turbat and Dorina Turbat, of Maynooth, Kildare, were sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for social welfare fraud. The couple pleaded guilty to sample charges representative of an indictment of over 570 charges covering April 2017 to January 2019. Cristan Turbat admitted to 10 charges of stealing cash from the Department of Social Protection and one charge of making a false statement. Dorina Turbat pleaded guilty to 10 similar theft charges and one false statement charge. Judge Martin Nolan jailed both defendants for 18 months, reducing a headline sentence of three years due to their guilty pleas, cooperation, and remorse. The court found they conspired to defraud the State of over €114,000 by having Cristan work under a false identity while Dorina claimed jobseeker's allowance, working family payment, and rent supplement. Michael McMahon, their employer, was previously sentenced to a 14-month suspended term for aiding and abetting the fraud. His sentence was suspended in full on the condition he repay €55,215. €21,350 found in the Turbats' home will be confiscated, leaving a balance of just over €13,000 to be repaid. The matter was finalised with the imposition of these custodial sentences and repayment conditions.
Michael Rooney Dignam, 44, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for a series of seven robberies committed between August and September 2024 in Dublin. The robberies involved armed threats with a broken bottle, knife and syringe, and included an incident where a teenage shopkeeper's daughter was held at knife‑point. Victims were shop staff and off‑licence workers who were threatened with stabbing or struck with a broken bottle. Rooney Dignam, who has 55 prior convictions including the manslaughter of his brother, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse. Judge Orla Crowe set a headline sentence of 10 years, reduced to seven and a half years, and suspended the final 12 months on strict conditions, including good behaviour for two years and 12 months of probation. No money was recovered from the robberies. The court noted that the offences were carried out to fund a drug addiction following his release from prison.
A man has been sentenced to fifteen months in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for two counts of animal cruelty connected to protests against asylum seeker accommodation at Thornton Hall in north Dublin. In June 2024, security personnel discovered two pigs with severe stab and slash wounds on the site, one of which was also missing a limb. Both animals were subsequently euthanised, while two others brought to the location were rehomed. Darren Jackson, aged forty and from Rivermeade in County Dublin, admitted to transporting four pigs from a County Cavan farm to the facility but maintained that an associate inflicted the injuries using a scalpel. The court heard evidence that Jackson recorded video footage while driving the animals and that some individuals involved believed introducing pigs would deter Muslim people from the site due to religious observance. Following his arrest, Jackson engaged with local community representatives and attended a mosque for discussions regarding radicalisation. Judge Martin Nolan accepted Jackson was not the primary architect of the scheme but had participated substantially. Darren Jackson pleaded guilty.
DJ Carey, a former Kilkenny hurler aged 54, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five and a half years in prison for defrauding over 20 people of almost €400,000 by falsely claiming to have cancer. Between 2014 and 2022, he obtained €394,127 and $13,000 from victims, promising repayment but never fulfilling it; only €44,200 was repaid, leaving €349,927 and $13,000 outstanding. Carey pleaded guilty to ten counts of dishonestly inducing payment, eight further charges of dishonesty, and two counts of using a false instrument. The judge described the fraud as "very low" yet "reprehensible" and imposed a global sentence of five and a half years, comprising a four‑year term followed by a consecutive one‑and‑a‑half‑year term. Carey had no prior convictions and had cooperated with Gardaí, but the court noted his reputation as a celebrated hurler had been destroyed by the case.
A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in custody at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the violent robbery of an off-duty garda in the Camden Road area on 22 January 2024. Evan Ward of Navan Road, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to the offence. CCTV footage presented at sentencing showed Ward and a juvenile accomplice attacking the garda in the early morning hours, with Ward delivering multiple punches to the victim's head before both assailants stole items including the garda's official identification badge, two passports, bank cards, mobile phones, and car keys. The victim was left unconscious on the ground. Ward admitted he was under the influence of cocaine at the time. He has 57 previous convictions. The court heard evidence of significant childhood mental health difficulties and recent diagnosis of schizophrenic spectrum disorder. The judge imposed a four-year sentence with the final year suspended on condition of continued psychiatric care. The juvenile co-accused received a deferred 22-month detention sentence earlier this year.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a victim was forced to sell his Audi S8 after a criminal, Stuart Tighe, attempted to hijack the car twice within five days. The first attempt occurred outside the victim's workplace on 29 January 2024, when Tighe and a companion tried to steal the vehicle but were thwarted. The second, more violent, attack took place on 3 February 2024, when Tighe entered the victim's home with a meat cleaver, causing the victim to lose part of his ear and sustain other injuries. Tighe pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, assault causing harm, and attempted theft. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a headline sentence of 12 years, reduced to nine years with a one‑year suspension, citing the victim's impact statement and the evidence presented. The case highlighted the severity of the assaults and the court's focus on rehabilitation.