Mareks Treinovskis, 32, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for repeatedly stealing electric toothbrushes and razors from the Grafton Street branch of Boots. He entered the store eight times between February and September 2017, taking items worth €4,323, none of which were recovered. Gardaí seized almost €400 worth of stolen Gillette razors after one theft. Treinovskis pleaded guilty to four counts of theft, with four additional counts considered. He had been arrested multiple times, first in April after CCTV captured him stealing Braun shavers and a toothbrush, and again in September and November. He has 56 prior convictions, mainly theft, criminal damage and traffic offences. The court noted his heroin addiction, his clean status at the time of sentencing, and his desire to improve contact with his young daughter. Judge Melanie Greally backdated the sentence to 11 November 2017.
John Downes, a 56‑year‑old Marks and Spencer employee, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended after pleading guilty to five counts of stealing cash from the Dundrum branch between April and July 2016. He stole a total of €24,650 over 54 separate occasions, taking the money from the till and transferring it to his pocket and later to his sock. Garda Michael Lynch reported that Downes had been working for the company since November 2014 and that he had been suspended on full pay pending investigation. During the investigation, €950 in cash was found in his bedroom, and Downes admitted the theft. He cited financial hardship caused by the breakdown of his marriage and the closure of his printing business. Downes expressed remorse, repaid the money to the store, and the judge noted his cooperation and lack of prior convictions as mitigating factors.
The trial of Independent TD Michael Lowry heard that Revenue officers, led by inspector Shelia Hanley, raided his home on 23 July 2013 under a search warrant. Hanley described encountering a woman in the house who was startled but not crying, and that she and colleagues entered through an open back door after ringing the bell and calling Lowry's mobile. She confirmed that Lowry's clothes were searched, though she could not confirm underpants, and that a small sheaf of documents was recovered but deemed not evidential. The court also heard Lowry's earlier testimony about a £248,624 commission from Norpe OY in 2002, alleged to have been diverted to a third party and later mis‑recorded in company accounts. Lowry, aged 64, pleaded not guilty to four charges of filing incorrect tax returns and one charge of failing to keep proper accounts, and his company faced similar charges. The case continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
Graham Fitzgerald, 22, and his cousin Gary Fitzgerald, 21, appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court regarding an arson at Green Hills Court Apartments in Tallaght on March 26, 2015. Graham Fitzgerald pleaded guilty to arson and an attempted robbery at Milanos in February 2016. Gary Fitzgerald also pleaded guilty to the arson charge. Judge Melanie Greally noted that Graham's case had been adjourned on successive occasions, most recently to encourage engagement with the Probation Service. She cited his young age, drug use, and antisocial peers at the time of the offences, alongside psychological vulnerabilities. The court accepted tangible evidence that Graham was now drug-free. Judge Greally imposed consecutive sentences totalling five years, suspended in full on strict conditions. Gary Fitzgerald, who had seven previous convictions, received a three-year sentence with the final six months suspended for the arson offence. The court heard that the fire caused €45,000 in damage to an unoccupied apartment in a Focus Ireland complex, forcing an evacuation. While Gardaí could not establish the exact cause of the fire, CCTV identified the defendants as intruders. Graham had four previous convictions, including criminal damage, and was on bail for the arson when he committed the attempted robbery.
A retrial concerning a Cavan childminder accused of causing serious harm to an infant continued before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Friday with legal argument conducted in the jury's absence. Sandra Higgins, aged 37, of The Beeches, Drumgola Wood, Cavan, has pleaded not guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to a ten-month-old baby at her home on 28 March 2012. The State alleges that injuries sustained by the infant, comprising head and facial bruising and swelling, intracranial bleeding, and bilateral retinal detachment, were inflicted by the accused. Prosecutors contend these injuries posed substantial risk of death or serious impairment to the child's bodily functions. The jury, comprising five women and seven men, is scheduled to return to court the following Tuesday. The trial, expected to last three weeks, continues before Judge Pauline Codd.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a jury heard that Revenue was at a loss of €5,541 when a company owned by Independent TD Michael Lowry received a payment in 2002 but only accounted for it in 2006. The State's case was that Garuda Ltd, Lowry's company, received Stg £248,624 (€372,000) in commission from Norpe OY, a Finnish refrigeration company, in August 2002. It was alleged that Lowry arranged for the payment to be made to a third party in the Isle of Man, so it did not appear in the company accounts for that year, nor was it declared as income. The accounts were then allegedly falsified in 2007 to reflect that the payment was received in 2006. Lowry (64) pleaded not guilty to four charges of filing incorrect tax returns between August 2002 and August 2007 and one charge of failing to keep proper accounts for the same period.
Two teenage boys, aged 15 and 16 at the time of the offence, were given suspended sentences after they "thrashed" a metalwork room at Oberstown detention centre for three hours, using hammers to smash items and causing €14,290 of damage. The boys threatened their teacher and refused to leave the room when asked by staff and Gardaí, leading to the Public Order Unit's intervention. They pleaded guilty to criminal damage at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 14 June 2017. The older boy, now 17, has 36 prior convictions including criminal damage, arson, vehicle seizures, theft and public order offences; the younger boy, now 16, has 28 prior convictions including criminal damage, robbery, burglary, threat to kill and public order offences. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a two‑year sentence on the 16‑year‑old and a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence on the 17‑year‑old, both suspended on strict conditions including probation supervision.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Independent TD Michael Lowry (64) pleaded not guilty to four charges of filing incorrect tax returns and one charge of failing to keep proper accounts for the period 2002‑2007, and to similar charges on behalf of his company Garuda Ltd. The case centres on a £248,624 (€372,000) commission received by Garuda from Finnish refrigeration firm Norpe OY in August 2002, which Lowry allegedly arranged to be paid to a third party in the Isle of Man and thus omitted from the company's 2002 accounts. In 2007 the accounts were allegedly falsified to record the payment as received in 2006. A tax inspector, Henry Oliver, computed that Garuda owed corporation tax, PAYE and PRSI on the amount, totaling over €500,000 in tax, fines and penalties, and that Lowry owed income tax on the same sum.
Michael Rae, 38, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty to arson at Knockmore Park on 26 May 2017, when he set fire to a car outside a family home using a makeshift petrol bomb in a plastic bottle. The incident, described by Judge Melanie Greally as an "extraordinarily dangerous" offence, was linked to a history of discord between Rae and the Brazil family. Rae was found intoxicated, with a slurred voice, and fled the scene after the car caught fire. CCTV from a petrol station and a nearby house showed Rae filling the bottle, setting it alight, and running to the Brazil house. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, and was ordered not to approach the Brazil house or family for five years. The car, valued at €750, was written off and the house suffered smoke damage. Rae has 29 prior convictions, including road traffic offences, assault and criminal damage.
In a 2018 incident, Gardaí used remote control of street cameras to track Shane Pollard (41) after he stole €500 from a shop. The cameras captured him taking money from the till, and Garda Patrick Fallon monitored his movements as he fled into a nearby café. Pollard was arrested there, breathing heavily and sweating, and all the stolen money was recovered. He later pleaded guilty to theft of €510 at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally noted no force or violence was used against staff, though Pollard had armed himself with a blade or scissors. She imposed a two‑year sentence, backdated to February to account for time already spent in custody. Pollard, who has 27 prior convictions including seven for robbery, had relapsed into cocaine use after a family bereavement. The defence highlighted his long history of drug use and his current health conditions. The court accepted his guilty plea and cooperation.
Former solicitor Michael Lynn, aged 49, was extradited from Brazil to face 21 charges of multimillion‑euro theft at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The charges allege he stole nearly €30 million from seven financial institutions, including €4.1 million from Irish Nationwide on 4 April 2007 and €3.6 million from Ulster Bank on 20 October 2006. He was denied bail by Justice Una Ni Raifeartaigh on 6 April. Lynn appealed the refusal in the Court of Appeal, where a decision was expected that afternoon. Trial is set for 13 January 2020.
In a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Michael Lowry TD pleaded not guilty to charges of filing incorrect tax returns and failing to keep proper accounts between 2002 and 2007. The case centres on a €372,000 commission from a Finnish refrigeration company, which Lowry claimed should have been recorded in 2002 rather than 2006. Neale O'Hanlon, a chartered accountant who audited Garuda Ltd, testified that Lowry instructed him in 2013 to adjust the 2006 accounts to reflect the commission as a director's loan. O'Hanlon admitted the adjustment was made but argued the company would have paid less corporation tax if the payment had been recorded in 2002. Revenue later reassessed Garuda, issuing a €30,000 bill, which was paid. The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
In a Dublin pub, Anthony Burns, 43, attempted a robbery on 12 December 2017 using a toy gun. Customers jeered, calling his plastic weapon ineffective, and one struck him with a bottle, causing head cuts. Burns, a crack cocaine addict, took €520 from barman Shay Donnelly. Donnelly, unharmed, expressed relief and sympathy for Burns. Burns pleaded guilty to robbery of the pub, a Subway restaurant, an attempted robbery of Rapeedos, and robbery of a bookmakers shop. Victims included Donnelly, Stacey Ryle, and Katarzyna Filipiak, who feared stabbing and felt threatened. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the last two years of a five‑year sentence, citing Burns' past crime‑free period and the amateurish, desperate nature of the offences. Burns' history includes false imprisonment, robbery, and unlawful car seizure in 2000.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, accountant Kevin Burke testified that he audited Garuda Ltd's books in 2007 and was unaware of a January 2007 letter from Michael Lowry requesting the inclusion of €372,000 in the company's accounts. Burke, who worked for BBT accounts from 2001 to 2007, said he had no knowledge of the letter, had not seen any backup for the transaction, and had not raised it as a query. He explained that the letter, signed by Lowry on a Streamline Enterprises letterhead, claimed an invoice to Norpe OY for €372,000 and that the amount should be reflected in the accounts as a director's loan. Burke noted that the journal entry showing a prepayment and sales of €372,000 was not his handwriting and that the total balance on the lead schedule was not fully written by him.
A consultant paediatrician has told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that medical evidence points to serious non-accidental injury in a case involving a ten-month-old infant. Dr Christopher Hobbs, a UK expert in physical signs of child abuse, testified on the second day of the trial that hospital records documented brain haemorrhages, facial bruising, detached retinas and rib fractures in the child. Dr Hobbs stated the pattern of injuries, including the characteristic triad of brain bleeding, retinal haemorrhage and brain dysfunction, indicated non-accidental trauma. Sandra Higgins, aged 37, of Cavan, has pleaded not guilty to charges of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to the infant at her home on 28 March 2012. The defence counsel put alternative explanations to the medical expert, including that the child had fallen whilst in the care of the baby's parents. The trial before Judge Pauline Codd and jury is scheduled to continue for three weeks.
During the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, barristers for Michael Lowry's company argued that a corporation tax (CT1) form submitted on behalf of Garuda Ltd was unsigned and therefore not actionable. The court reviewed several tax returns: an income tax return for 2002 showing Lowry's total income of €151,050, a CT1 for 2002 indicating a loss of almost €100,000 and a refund of €3,500, and a CT1 for 2006 showing an income of €915,000 with a tax liability of €114,000. Revenue had issued letters in 2013 claiming that £248,624 received by Garuda in 2002 constituted taxable income, amounting to €516,000 in tax, penalties and fines for Lowry and €510,000 for the company. Lowry, aged 64, pleaded not guilty to four charges of filing incorrect tax returns between 2002 and 2007 and one charge of failing to keep proper accounts for the same period.
A retrial opened at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 12 June 2018 concerning a Cavan childminder accused of causing serious harm to a ten-month-old infant. Sandra Higgins, aged 37 of Drumgola Wood, Cavan, has pleaded not guilty to intentionally or recklessly inflicting serious harm on the child at her home on 28 March 2012. The prosecution outlined that the baby was admitted to hospital with seizures and displaying significant injuries including head and facial bruising, brain bleeding, and detached retinas in both eyes. The State alleges these injuries were inflicted by Ms Higgins and posed substantial risk of death or bodily impairment. The defence accepted the severity of injuries but disputed causation. The court heard the baby had been in Ms Higgins's care full-time since November 2011, and that parents reported concerns about bumps and bruises approximately one month before the incident. The trial was scheduled to run for three weeks, with the jury instructed to base verdicts solely on courtroom evidence.
Jakub Remlein, a 40‑year‑old Polish mechanic, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to possession of €200,000 worth of cannabis at his rented home in Dublin. Gardaí discovered the drugs during a search linked to an investigation of cannabis cultivation at another site; no charges were brought against Remlein for that site. Seven vacuum‑sealed bags containing cannabis valued at €238,038 were recovered. Remlein had 14 prior road‑traffic convictions. He had received €1,600 to clear a large electricity bill in exchange for allowing the drugs on his premises. The court considered him a low‑level participant, noting his employment since 2005 and lack of addiction or duress. Judge Melanie Greally accepted his early guilty plea, cooperation, and good work history, and imposed a four‑year custodial sentence, departing from the presumptive minimum of ten years for possession of drugs over €13,000.
Sean Marlow, 64, a former DCU electrical engineering lecturer, was found guilty of criminal damage to a woman's new car after striking it with a bicycle lock. The incident occurred on Collins Avenue, Ballymun, on 28 August 2017, when Marlow, riding in a cycling lane, collided with the car's bonnet and wing mirror, causing €1,130 worth of damage. The woman, who had a 12‑year‑old daughter, was stopped at a traffic light when the collision happened and later reported the event to Gardaí. Marlow, who has bipolar disorder and no prior convictions, compensated the victim and pleaded guilty. Judge Melanie Greally, noting his cooperation, early plea, remorse, and good work record, applied section 1(2) of the Probation Offenders Act, granting him probation and leaving him without a criminal record.
Dermot Griffin, 58, of Ballyfermot, was convicted of manslaughter after setting fire to a makeshift den on Rossfield Avenue, Tallaght, on 1 September 2001, killing 12‑year‑old Stephen Hughes. The 13‑day trial concluded with a 15‑year prison sentence imposed by Judge Patricia Ryan on 23 June 2014. Griffin appealed the conviction and sentence, but the Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, dismissed the appeal in March. The court upheld the 15‑year term, citing the extreme recklessness of the offence and the high harm caused by the death of a child. Evidence included footage of an unidentified man, later identified as Griffin, approaching the den at about 5 a.m. and the den catching fire immediately. Witnesses, including former partner Tracy Deegan and others, testified that Griffin had left the house twice that night and intended to burn the hut.
The trial of Independent TD Michael Lowry is ongoing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Martin Nolan. Mr Lowry, 61, of Glenreigh, Holycross, Co. Tipperary, pleaded not guilty to four charges of filing incorrect tax returns between August 2002 and August 2007 regarding a sum of Stg £248,624 received by his company, Garuda Ltd. He also pleaded not guilty to one charge of failing to keep proper accounts during the same period. Additionally, he pleaded not guilty on behalf of Garuda Ltd to three similar tax charges and one charge of failing to keep proper accounts. The State prosecutor, Remy Farrell SC, alleged that Mr Lowry and his company were "cooking the books" by keeping the sum off the books in 2002 and later attempting to account for it in 2006 to benefit from a more favourable tax rate. Counsel stated the State's case is that the money, which would have amounted to 88% of the company's certified gross profits for the year, was directed to a third party in the Isle of Man for Mr Lowry's own use. Evidence was heard from former Norpe Oy CEO Fred Ramberg, who testified via video-link regarding agency agreements and commission payments. The trial continues.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Independent TD Michael Lowry, aged 61, pleaded not guilty to five charges of filing incorrect tax returns for the period August 2002 to August 2007, relating to a sum of £248,624 received by Garuda Ltd while he served as director, manager, secretary or other officer. He also pleaded not guilty on behalf of Garuda Ltd to four similar charges for the same dates. Judge Cormac Quinn instructed the jury to remain impartial, noting Lowry's role as a TD for County Tipperary and the nature of the case as a "tax type offence." He advised jurors to focus on the evidence presented on the screen. Eight men and four women were sworn in, and the trial is expected to resume shortly before Judge Martin Nolan, with the case scheduled for a two‑week period.
James O'Connor, aged 38, pleaded guilty to assaulting a man in Temple Bar on 10 September 2015, striking him with a crutch after believing the victim had killed his brother Gareth. Witnesses described the attack as "graphic" and "barbaric," noting O'Connor swung the crutch like a golf club and delivered blows that seemed to "chop wood." The victim was never identified, but CCTV footage proved the assault. O'Connor also admitted a separate assault and violent disorder earlier that evening. The court, considering his guilty plea, cooperation, homelessness, substance abuse, and prior conviction in 2010, imposed concurrent sentences totalling two and a half years, which were fully suspended on strict conditions. No charges were brought for Gareth O'Connor's death, and Garda Wayne Donnelly noted that the victim's injuries were life‑threatening but no prosecution followed. The case highlighted the extreme violence witnessed by bystanders and the court's decision to suspend the sentence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Joseph Rafferty, aged 38, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for a cocaine‑fuelled rampage that lasted eight hours and covered 45 km. Rafferty seized multiple vehicles at gunpoint, pursued Gardaí in a high‑speed chase, and committed false imprisonment, aggravated burglary, threats with a sub‑machine gun and reckless endangerment. He pleaded guilty to burglary at Watergate Estate, assault of a homeowner, criminal damage, two carjacking counts, three counts of possessing a sub‑machine gun, unlawful possession of 9 mm Luger ammunition and reckless endangerment. He also admitted stealing a vehicle from Carroll and Roche Subaru. The judge noted his 34 prior convictions and reduced a potential 14‑year sentence to nine years, citing guilty pleas and remorse. No serious injuries were reported, though a man sustained a head laceration during a break‑in. The case highlighted the extensive police response, including 50 Gardaí, air support and the Garda Dog Unit.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Christopher Lenihan, aged 28, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and assault causing harm after beating his ex‑partner Grace Brady at the Plaza Hotel, Tallaght, on 13 January 2017. Lenihan held Brady down, punched her repeatedly, grabbed her hair, and bit her arm, preventing her from breathing. He later sent over 200 harassing texts, threatening to release personal photographs if she did not comply. Brady reported the attack to Gardaí, who arrested Lenihan at his home on 31 January. Lenihan also admitted harassing Brady between 13 and 31 January. He has a prior conviction for breach of a barring order. The judge adjourned the case to July, noting Lenihan's alcohol abuse and high risk of re‑offending, and indicated a likely prison sentence.
Two teenage boys, aged 15 and 16 at the time, used hammers to "thrash" a metalwork room at Oberstown detention centre for three hours, causing €14,290 of damage. They threatened their teacher and smashed items, threw objects, and used fire extinguishers, resulting in extensive damage. The boys were removed by the Public Order Unit after staff and Gardaí were alerted. Both pleaded guilty to criminal damage at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 14 June 2017. The older boy, now 17, has 36 prior convictions including criminal damage, arson, vehicle seizures, theft and public order offences; the younger boy, now 16, has 28 prior convictions including criminal damage, robbery, burglary, threat to kill and public order offences. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to review reports and structure a suitable sentence. The boys admitted their roles, and Gardaí noted no injuries occurred.
David Drumm, former CEO of Anglo Irish Bank, authorised €7.2 billion of back‑to‑back transactions with Irish Life & Permanent in September 2008 that inflated the bank's customer deposits from €44 billion to €51 billion. The scheme, described by the prosecution as a "massive con", involved circular routes through the assurance arm of ILP and was presented as legitimate funding. Drumm pleaded not guilty but admitted the transactions occurred, disputing they were fraudulent. He did not call witnesses. The trial, one of the longest in Irish criminal history, concluded with a unanimous guilty verdict. The prosecution alleged Drumm conspired with former Anglo executives, including Denis Casey, Willie McAteer and John Bowe, to falsify the balance sheet and mislead investors. The case highlighted the bank's desperate liquidity situation amid global financial turmoil and the role of the Financial Regulator in overseeing the transactions. The court found Drumm's actions constituted fraud and conspiracy to defraud.
Former Anglo Irish Bank CEO David Drumm was found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on two charges: conspiracy to defraud and false accounting. The jury returned unanimous verdicts after 87 days of trial, the third-longest in the State's history. Drumm, who pleaded not guilty to both charges, was convicted of conspiring with former bank officials Denis Casey, William McAteer, John Bowe, and others to defraud depositors and investors by dishonestly creating the impression that 2008 deposits were €7.2 billion larger than they were. He was also found guilty of false accounting on December 3, 2008, for furnishing misleading information to the market regarding the bank's deposit figures. The prosecution alleged the scheme involved fraudulent circular transactions between Anglo and Irish Life & Permanent to artificially inflate customer deposits from €44 billion to €51 billion. Although Drumm was on bail throughout the trial, Detective Sergeant Michael McKenna opposed its continuation, citing flight risk and the substantial prison terms received by his co-conspirators. Defense counsel Brendan Grehan SC requested bail on humanitarian grounds, noting Drumm's family was in the US. Judge Karen O'Connor granted bail, requiring Drumm to sign daily at Balbriggan Garda Station. The matter is now at the sentencing stage, with the maximum penalty for conspiracy to defraud being unlimited and ten years for false accounting.
Dr Bassam Naser, a 51‑year‑old GP from Sutton, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two charges of filing incorrect income‑tax returns for 2006 and 2007. He had hidden a bank account that received 1,686 patient cheques, amounting to almost €100,000 in unpaid tax, and now owes an additional €200,000 in penalties and fees. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to 16 months' imprisonment, describing the offences as serious and noting that Naser had repaid €100,000 to Revenue but persisted in evasion. The judge acknowledged mitigating factors, including patient testimonials and Naser's charitable work for Palestine, but emphasised that he knowingly avoided tax. The case highlights the court's view that tax evasion undermines the tax system and that the penalty reflects the seriousness of the breach. The sentence was imposed after the court considered the evidence and Naser's admissions.
The jury in the trial of former Anglo Irish Bank CEO David Drumm was sent home after a third day of deliberations, marking day 81 of proceedings in a 16‑week trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Karen O'Connor had instructed jurors that a unanimous verdict was required for both counts against Drumm, but that each count could be considered separately, allowing an acquittal or conviction on either or both. Drumm, aged 51, had pleaded not guilty and was presumed innocent. The State alleged that he conspired with former Anglo executives to carry out €7.2 billion in fraudulent transactions to inflate the bank's deposit figures. Drumm's lawyers acknowledged the transactions occurred in 2008 but disputed their fraudulent nature. The jury had deliberated for just over seven hours before being sent home for the night.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Adam Marlowe, aged 23, was found guilty of aggravated burglary, assault, and robbery of 81‑year‑old farmer Malachy Turley in July 2016. The jury, after one hour of deliberation, returned unanimous verdicts on all counts. Evidence included DNA from blue latex material, described as a fingertip of a latex glove, found in Turley's bedroom. Marlowe was remanded in custody for sentencing on July 6th. Adam Marlowe pleaded not guilty.
In 2018, Gardaí searched the premises of M Kennedy and Sons, a Dublin art supplies shop, after a credit card company alerted them that the manager, Fionnbarr Kennedy, had purchased child pornography online. Kennedy, 56, was found to have a laptop and two phones. Forensic analysis of the laptop recovered 466 images, of which 180 depicted girls under 17 in sexual activity and 280 showed exposed genitalia; the phones contained no images. Kennedy pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on July 27, 2010, and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, a sentence fully suspended. The court noted a significant delay in charging him, citing a backlog at the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau, and acknowledged that Kennedy had not distributed the images. He had no prior convictions and had since remarried and engaged in counselling, expressing regret for his involvement.
The trial of Patrick James (PJ) Mansfield, a 41‑year‑old former billionaire's son, collapsed at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 5 June 2018. Judge Cormac Quinn directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict after the prosecution failed to prove how many rounds of ammunition Mansfield was entitled to possess. The case alleged that Mansfield unlawfully possessed 1,252 rounds of .22 calibre ammunition at his former home in Coldwater Lakes, Saggart, on 29 January 2015. Mansfield denied the allegation and claimed he was unaware of the quantity of ammunition in the house. The judge noted that Mansfield had a firearms certificate authorising him to hold a Walther .22 pistol and a certain number of .22 rounds, which Gardaí believed to be 300 bullets, but the certificate's other side, showing the exact number, was not produced. The judge also pointed out that the person who authorised the certificate had not been called as a witness.
The trial of Patrick James Mansfield, son of the late billionaire Jim Mansfield, is hearing that he is an authorised member of a gun club. Mansfield, 41, denies possessing 1,252 rounds of .22 calibre ammunition without a licence at his former home in Coldwater Lakes, Saggart, Co Dublin, on 29 January 2015. The jury has already heard that a legally-held Walther .22 pistol with a bullet in the chamber was found behind a picture frame in the master bedroom, and a 12‑gauge shotgun, also licensed, was recovered from a locked gun‑safe in a dressing‑room wardrobe, along with a large quantity of ammunition in various locations. On day two, evidence was presented about Mansfield's licence applications, one of which stated he was a person of good character, had a genuine reason for the application, and was a member of an authorised pistol club.
The trial of Adam Marlowe, 23, of Walkinstown, is ongoing in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He has pleaded not guilty to aggravated burglary and assault of 81‑year‑old Malachy Turley, who was injured during a burglary at Kettles Lane, Kinsealy, on 29 July 2016. Marlowe also pleaded not guilty to robbing €50 from Turley on the same date. On the third day of the trial, Dr Yvonne O'Dowd presented DNA evidence. She swabbed a piece of blue latex material found on Turley's bed, believed to be the tip of a glove, and generated a DNA profile that matched Marlowe 93 %. The remaining 7 % matched two other unidentified profiles. A pair of combat trousers with a mixed DNA profile of three people was also examined; the profiles did not belong to Marlowe or Turley.
Jonathan Chubb, 38, of Drimnagh, Dublin, was sentenced to seven‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, after pleading guilty to 34 thefts, two false reference offences, four deception counts, six forged licence offences and one money‑laundering count committed between March 2013 and July 2015. The court described his conduct as extremely pre‑meditated and disturbing, noting that he stole deposits from 11 people who believed he was the landlord of an apartment at Oblate View, Tyrconnell Road, and that many victims had young children. Chubb also stole four iPhone 5s from Three Ireland in 2017 and used forged standing‑order mandates to defraud bank customers while working for Wisefx. He had 27 prior convictions, including 12 theft and fraud offences. The judge highlighted that all injured parties were fully reimbursed and praised his guilty pleas for avoiding lengthy trials.
Patrick Morgan, 28, was jailed for five years after he hit and killed jogger Karl Robertson, 28, in a hit‑and‑run on Hazelwood Drive, Artane, on 8 March 2017. Morgan, who had no fixed abode and had been disqualified from driving, failed to stop, offer assistance or remain at the scene. He later drove his van to a nearby housing estate and set it alight "out of panic." He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death, failing to stop, failing to offer assistance and leaving the scene. The court noted Morgan's 47 prior convictions and three previous disqualifications. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a five‑year sentence, a ten‑year driving disqualification and highlighted the aggravating factors of speed, disqualification, escape and destruction of the vehicle. The Robertson family expressed deep anger and grief, describing their son as caring, diligent and loving.
The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm, aged 51, has been delayed for a second consecutive day because a juror was unavailable. Drumm is on trial for conspiracy to defraud and false accounting, having been in court for 17 weeks. Judge Karen O'Connor informed the jury that the case had reached a critical stage and that a unanimous verdict was required on both counts, though each count could be considered separately. She reminded jurors that Drumm had pleaded not guilty and was presumed innocent until proven otherwise. The State alleges that Drumm conspired with former Anglo executives to carry out €7.2 billion in fraudulent transactions to inflate deposit figures. Drumm's lawyers acknowledged the transactions occurred but denied they were fraudulent or dishonest. The jury had deliberated for three hours and nine minutes over two days before the interruption.
Patrick James Mansfield, 41, son of the late billionaire Jim Mansfield, faced trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for unlawful possession of over 1,200 .22 calibre bullets. He denied holding 1,252 rounds without a licence at his former home in Coldwater Lakes, Saggart, on 29 January 2015. Gardaí searched the house, finding a legally-held Walther .22 pistol with a bullet in the chamber behind a picture frame in the master bedroom, and a licensed 12‑gauge shotgun in a locked gunsafe in a dressing‑room wardrobe, along with ammunition in various locations. In total, 1,557 rounds of .22 ammunition were seized, exceeding the 300‑round licence limit by 1,257 bullets, which were confiscated. An additional 98 rounds for the shotgun were licence‑permitted. The trial opened with Judge Cormac Quinn instructing jurors to rely solely on court evidence. The proceedings continue.
The jury in the conspiracy to defraud and false accounting trial of former Anglo Irish Bank CEO David Drumm paused their deliberations because one juror was "indisposed" and could not attend court. Judge Karen O'Connor informed the jury that they had no alternative but to send them home for the day, with courts services in contact with the juror and expected to provide further information later. The jury, composed of nine men and three women, had begun considering a verdict on Tuesday, day 81 of proceedings, after a 16‑week trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. They had deliberated for a total of three hours and nine minutes. Judge O'Connor reminded the jurors that a unanimous verdict was required for both counts against Mr Drumm (51), but that each count could be considered separately, allowing for acquittal or conviction on either or both. David Drumm pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin trial, Adam Marlowe, aged 23, pleaded not guilty to aggravated burglary and assault of an elderly farmer, Malachy Turley, at Kettles Lane, Kinsealy, on 29 July 2016. He also pleaded not guilty to robbing €50 from the 81‑year‑old complainant on the same date. On the second day of the hearing, evidence of a blue latex glove fragment was presented. Garda Kevin Hynes testified that the material was found under clothing on the victim's bed. Vincent Heneghan SC argued that the fragment appeared to be the tip of a glove, suggesting a cut could expose a finger. Hynes could not recall the exact condition of the bed when first entered, and Garda Warren O'Sullivan noted photographs were taken before the search. Garda Thomas Tighe reported finding the material after moving clothing, placing it in a bag, but the evidence was mistakenly labeled under Hynes's name.
Liam Walsh, aged 26, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for a series of thefts committed in Dublin during 2017. Over a two‑month period he stole bags, purses, wallets and a handbag from unsuspecting patrons of restaurants, a bar, Christchurch Cathedral and Whitefriar Street church. CCTV footage identified him and he was arrested on 20 October 2017. While in custody at Pearse Street Garda Station he attempted to escape in a "moment of madness" when the back gate opened to admit a Garda vehicle; he was pursued and recaptured a short distance away. Walsh pleaded guilty to the thefts and the escape, and he has 66 prior convictions. The judge, citing his attempts at rehabilitation and cooperation, imposed the sentence back‑dated to October 2017.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, two men, Carl Byrne (28) and Aidan Lawlor (36), pleaded guilty to the possession, production and distribution of child pornography on 7 March 2013. Byrne had set up a fake profile posing as a 16‑year‑old girl, while Lawlor acted as the male participant in the online conversations. The court described the exchanges as "lurid and obscene" but noted that no actual child was involved, classifying the material as the lowest type of child pornography. Judge Martin Nolan imposed one‑year suspended sentences on both men, ordering them to keep the peace and exhibit good behaviour for that period. The case was highlighted as "very unusual" because the offence involved only words and no real victim, and the judge emphasized that the men were adults acting in a fantasy context.
The jury in the Anglo Irish Bank CEO David Drumm trial was sent home for a second night after deliberating for just under two hours today, bringing their total deliberation time to three hours and nine minutes. The case, which has been one of the longest in the State, involves two separate counts of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting. Judge Karen O'Connor required a unanimous verdict on each count, reminding jurors that Drumm, aged 51, had pleaded not guilty and was presumed innocent. The State alleges that Drumm conspired with former Anglo officials to carry out €7.2 billion in fraudulent transactions to inflate deposit figures. Drumm's lawyers admit the transactions occurred but dispute their fraudulent nature. The jury was told they could not listen to recorded phone evidence in the jury room but could return to court to do so. The trial is ongoing.
Thomas Merrigan, aged 22, was sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of assault causing harm in Sallynoggin on 24 April 2015. The assaults were linked to a dispute over €50 owed for ecstasy pills. Merrigan, intoxicated, cut a large chunk of a 16‑year‑old girl's hair and later punched her 16‑year‑old male friend repeatedly in the head, causing the boy to suffer two seizures and spend five days in the acute care unit of St Vincent's Hospital. The court heard that Merrigan's house contained a substantial quantity of herbal cannabis and plastic bags for drug packaging. He also pleaded guilty to possessing €1,274 worth of cannabis for sale or supply. Judge Martin Nolan described the second assault as "vicious" and at the "middle to high range" of seriousness, and imposed a combined sentence of 21 months for both the assaults and the drug offence.
A Dublin man, Adam Marlowe, 23, is on trial for aggravated burglary and assault of an 81‑year‑old farmer, Malachy Turley, on 29 July 2016. Marlowe pleaded not guilty. Turley, who had retired from farming and allowed horses on his land for €100 a month, was living alone at his family home since 1986. He described how three men in homemade balaclavas entered his house, beat him with bats, a small blade and an imitation gun, and demanded money. Turley was pushed onto his bed, beaten, and left unconscious for up to 30 minutes. He later found €50 missing from his wallet and two small bags of coins taken from his bookshelf. He received five stitches to his hand, bruising, and painkillers. The trial is before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury of eight men and four women.
Jack Walsh, 19, was sentenced to five years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in an 11-hour disturbance at Oberstown Children's Detention Campus on August 29, 2016. Walsh pleaded guilty to violent disorder and two charges of criminal damage, admitting he was present during the incident which caused €3 million in damage. Judge Martin Nolan suspended the final two and a half years of the sentence, ordering Walsh to be of good behaviour for that period. The sentence was backdated to May 2. Three other youths, Clayton Brennan, Nathan Ginty, and Luke Cronin, also pleaded guilty to arson, criminal damage, and violent disorder. It was accepted that Cronin's plea was based on adding fuel to the fire rather than starting it. Brennan had seven previous convictions and was on remand; Ginty had 22 previous convictions. A 17-year-old defendant, who also pleaded guilty to the same charges, had 22 previous convictions and was on remand. The cases of Brennan, Ginty, Cronin, and the 17-year-old were adjourned for sentence to Friday, June 1. The court noted the youths had destroyed or attempted to destroy the institution, with the judge describing the event as a frightening rampage.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Melanie Greally recorded a jury disagreement on kidnapping charges against Niall Byrne, Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, and David Byrne. The jury convicted all four men of conspiracy to robbery and five counts of robbery and false imprisonment related to the March 2005 seizure of €2.08 million from Securicor and the Richardson family. All defendants had pleaded not guilty. The State alleged Niall Byrne, a former Securicor employee, acted as the "inside man." This was the fifth trial for the case; previous proceedings resulted in hung juries, acquittals, or overturned convictions due to constitutional issues with search warrants. Farrelly, Corcoran, and Jason Kavanagh were previously jailed in 2009 but released in 2012 after their convictions were quashed. The jury deliberated for nearly 18 hours before reaching its verdict. Judge Greally remanded all four men into custody to appear before the court on June 5th for sentencing. The matter was adjourned and is not yet concluded.
Three men – Mark Farrelly (47), Christopher Corcoran (70) and David Byrne (45) – were found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of kidnapping the Richardson family and robbing a Securicor cash‑in‑transit van of €2.28 million on 13 March 2005. The jury, after nearly 16 hours of deliberation, returned a majority verdict. The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the robbery and the false imprisonment of the Richardson family at their home in Ashcroft, Raheny. The trial, which began in January before a specially enlarged jury of 15, involved testimony that armed men burst into the Richardson home, forced the family to cooperate, and transported them to the Wicklow mountains where they were held overnight. The case also included evidence of mobile‑phone activity linking the defendants to the gang's operations. The jury will continue deliberations on a fourth defendant, Niall Byrne (36).
Sean Ducque, 34, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence for the 2014 killing of Kieran Farrelly, was sentenced to eight years for an escape attempt on 8 June 2017. While in a Dublin courthouse cell, he concealed a jagged perspex "shiv" in his trousers and threatened his female barrister, demanding release or she would be killed. He used her as leverage, grabbing her from behind and placing the weapon against her throat, then shouted at prison officers to drop the shiv. A violent struggle ensued, during which Ducque tried to stab an officer and bite another. Two officers and two gardai were injured; all suffered stress and trauma. The barrister, who had been discussing the case with him, escaped the cell and later gave a victim impact statement detailing panic attacks, nightmares and lasting fear. Sean Ducque pleaded guilty.