A 20‑year‑old bioscience student, Dayo Awosanya, received a three‑year suspended sentence after his mother discovered nearly €19,000 worth of cannabis in his wardrobe. She called Garda Alan Barry, who had never seen a drug bust in such circumstances. Awosanya pleaded guilty to possession on 12 June 2017 and had no prior convictions. He claimed he was holding the drugs for a friend and was to be paid, and that he had underestimated the value, thinking it was worth about €1,000. He admitted spending €50 a week on cannabis for personal use and said he had started using it recreationally to cope with his mother's cancer diagnosis. Garda Barry and the prosecution agreed he had cooperated fully and expressed remorse. Judge Martin Nolan praised his mother's courage, noted Awosanya's clean record, early guilty plea, cooperation, and good career prospects, and therefore suspended the sentence for three years.
A 19‑year‑old from Louth, Lee Smyth, was sentenced to four years in prison for violently hijacking a taxi and assaulting its driver, Eric Byrne, on O'Connell Street in Dublin. Smyth, who admitted he was heavily intoxicated on tablets and could not fully recall the incident, said he only wanted to get home to Drogheda. He and a co‑accused seized the vehicle, attempted to take the keys, and then attacked Byrne, who fled and called the police. The car was later found burnt out in Drogheda. Smyth pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and unlawful seizure of a vehicle. He had 29 prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on strict conditions, noting Smyth's cooperation and willingness to reform. The case was prosecuted by Elva Duffy BL and defended by Grainne O'Neill BL. The court acknowledged Smyth's efforts in prison to change his behaviour.
David Drumm, the former head of liquidity at Anglo Irish Bank, is currently on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where he has pleaded not guilty to two charges. He is accused 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 actually were. Additionally, he faces a charge of false accounting on December 3, 2008, for allegedly furnishing the market with this inflated deposit figure. The trial, presided over by Judge Karen O'Connor, is in its sixth week. On day 40, the jury heard evidence from Ciaran McArdle, who told the financial regulator in a recorded October 2008 call that a €7.2 billion transaction with Irish Life and Permanent was not a real number and that the bank was manipulating its balance sheet for year-end accounts. Prosecutors presented McArdle's statements regarding the nature of the transaction as a repo deal. The matter remains ongoing before the jury, with no final verdict or sentence recorded at this procedural stage.
A 22‑year‑old Dublin man, Karl Proudfoot, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for a series of violent offences. He pleaded guilty to slashing a drug addict on the back of the head with a Stanley knife on Arran Street East on 16 June 2017, an act captured on CCTV that showed him striking the victim "out of the blue." Proudfoot also admitted to two phone‑robberies: one at Fingal Place on 17 June 2017, where he left the victim with a nasal fracture and facial bruising, and another at Phoenix Park on 24 June 2017, where he beat a Moldovan woman and stole her phone. The court noted the assaults were "extremely nasty and senseless" and that Proudfoot had never been in custody before. Judge Martin Nolan, after considering the young man's age, remorse and lack of prior convictions, imposed the sentence, warning it could have been longer without those mitigating factors.
Dylan O'Flanagan, 23, was jailed for 16 months after he threw a burning pint glass of petrol into a neighbour's garden during a barbecue. He had arrived drunk, complained about food, and left the event feeling offended. Returning home, he poured a bottle and can of alcohol over the fence and threatened to beat people. He later returned to the neighbour's house with a pint glass filled to the brim and a box of matches, striking a match to ignite the petrol. The fire damaged the wooden decking. O'Flanagan suffered burns that required four days in hospital. He pleaded guilty to damaging by fire. The judge described his conduct as petulant and aggressive, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence with 14 months suspended, and ordered probation supervision. The neighbour's partner was terrified when the decking caught fire, as an 11‑month‑old child slept upstairs. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Nicholas Smyth, aged 37, worked as a payroll clerk for Fairline Fashion until his resignation in October 2015. During his tenure, he diverted over €27,000 by depositing the wages of former staff members into his personal bank account. An annual audit later revealed that the company continued to pay two women after they had left, and their wages, along with Smyth's, were all lodged into the same account. Garda William Kavanagh confirmed the theft was easily detected and Smyth was arrested. He pleaded guilty to nine charges of theft covering October 2014 to September 2015. In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑year suspended sentence, noting Smyth's prior convictions and the unsophisticated nature of the offence. Smyth admitted the money was used to support his family, who were in financial hardship, and expressed genuine remorse. The company was compensated through insurance. Smyth has since lost his job and is seeking new employment.
A Dublin man, Pat Gillespie, aged 48, was sentenced to 18 months in jail for holding over £100,000 for criminals to settle an old drug debt. Gillespie admitted to a €5,000 debt from his own cocaine use, which had risen from an initial €2,000. Gardaí searched his home after a tip, expecting drugs, but found £104,815 vacuum‑packed in a suit carrier. They examined his phone and accepted his explanation that he did not own the cash. Gillespie pleaded guilty to possession of the proceeds of crime at his Cherry Orchard Crescent home on 28 October 2016. He has ten prior convictions, mainly traffic offences. The judge, Martin Nolan, imposed the custodial sentence, noting the seriousness of the offence and the potential impact on his family. Gillespie is a full‑time carer for his son and expressed remorse, claiming the arrangement was a way to escape his debt.
During the trial of Slawomir Gierlowski, 33, the court heard that his fingerprints were found on duct tape left at a 2016 crime scene in Knockmeenagh Lane. Detective Garda Conor Kiely explained that he had developed three marks from the grey masking tape and matched two of them to Gierlowski's left forefinger and right ring finger using the national database. Gierlowski denies the charges of false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault of three women in 2011, 2015 and 2016. He has pleaded not guilty to nine charges. The trial also heard testimony from the three alleged victims: one was attacked with a hunting knife in May 2016, another was strangled and taped in September 2015, and the third was punched and assaulted in September 2011. The case is before Judge Pauline Codd and an eleven‑man jury.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 47‑year‑old Somali‑born woman, Sujuur Abdullahi Mohamed, received an 18‑month suspended sentence for importing the East African drug khat. Mohamed, who lives in London, pleaded guilty to possession and importation after being stopped at Dublin Airport on 30 December 2017. She had been offered €1 000 to bring two suitcases of khat into Ireland. Garda David Jordan explained that only the leaves of the plant are considered drug, and that the 31.6 kg of material she carried had deteriorated before it could be weighed or valued. He estimated a street value of about €500, though the judge noted the value could be as high as €10 000. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Mohamed was uncertain whether khat was illegal in Ireland and, after considering the circumstances, imposed a suspended sentence rather than custodial time. The court also noted that Mohamed had no prior convictions.
David Radford, aged 21, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to three and a half years' imprisonment, with the final 15 months suspended, for assaulting a 14‑year‑old girl on 5 and 6 September 2017. Radford had previously been jailed for two and a half years in November 2015 for sexually assaulting a teenage girl, and he has three earlier convictions for sexual assault of women dating back to 2010. The court found that Radford attacked the girl for no apparent reason, noting a "propensity towards violence". Radford pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing the girl harm at Washington Lane, Rathfarnham. He was described as effectively homeless at the time, with difficulties in literacy, numeracy and drug use. The sentencing followed the court's statement that Radford had no welcome in his family's home and had been involved in repeated violent incidents.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, on the tenth day of trial, the prosecution presented transcripts of Garda interviews with Slawomir Gierlowski, aged 33, who denies three alleged attacks on women in 2011, 2015 and 2016 around Clondalkin. The first interview, held on 1 June 2016, covered a May 2016 incident where a man with a hunting knife attacked a woman on Knockmeenagh Lane; Gierlowski claimed he was simply driving and had no knowledge of the event. He was questioned about a jacket found in his house that had victim DNA, and he could not explain its presence. Subsequent interviews addressed a 2015 assault involving a belt and duct tape, and a 2011 attack where a woman was punched and sexually assaulted; in each case Gierlowski denied any involvement, stating he would never assault a man or a woman. Slawomir Gierlowski pleaded not guilty.
Gavin O'Reilly, 36, was given a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence after he drove a jeep in front of John and Amanda Martin's car, stopped, took an axe from the vehicle and swung it over the Martins' heads, threatening to kill them. O'Reilly had previously been in a relationship with the Martins' daughter and had two children with her. He pleaded guilty to threatening to kill Mr. Martin in Deansgrange on 13 February 2017. He had one prior conviction for possession of drugs. The court heard that the Martins were left traumatised, with their wife losing confidence in going out alone and their daughter experiencing anxiety at school. O'Reilly's actions were described as reprehensible and unjustified, and the judge suspended the custodial term on the condition that he does not contact the Martins.
David Byrne, a 42‑year‑old postman from Kilcullen, was found guilty of dangerous driving causing the death of 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne on 16 October 2015. Byrne had pleaded not guilty to the dangerous driving charge and to other counts, including dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue a licence and making a false statement on an insurance application. The jury, after three and a half hours of deliberation, returned a majority verdict on the dangerous driving charge and unanimous guilty verdicts on the remaining counts. Judge Patricia Ryan remanded Byrne on continuing bail and set sentencing for 4 May. Byrne's case involved his Usher Syndrome Type 2, a condition that impairs vision in low light and peripheral vision, and the prosecution argued that he had been advised not to drive since 1997.
Robert Bayly, a former Leeds United and Republic of Ireland youth team footballer, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after he was caught transporting almost €200,000 worth of cannabis. Bayly, aged 30, admitted to possessing the drugs for sale or supply at Cherry Orchard Drive, Ballyfermot, on 12 May 2017. Gardaí stopped his Nissan Almera and found a strong smell of cannabis; Bayly confirmed there was "weed in the boot" before officers discovered ten small packages with an estimated street value of €194,284. He claimed he agreed to transport the drugs to reduce a €6,500 gambling debt, citing fear for his life, his daughter and girlfriend. The court noted Bayly had no prior convictions and was described by his barrister as a "child prodigy" who fell into gambling after moving to Leeds at 14. Robert Bayly pleaded guilty.
During the trial of David Drumm for conspiracy to defraud, former Anglo Irish Bank finance head Colin Golden testified that he was unaware that the €7.2 billion transactions with Irish Life and Permanent were a straight cash exchange without underlying security until after they occurred. Golden said he first learned of the scale and nature of the deals in early October 2008, after being told they were collateralised. He recounted that Ciaran Cunningham informed him of the €7.2 billion deal on 30 September 2008 and that he later forwarded details to Mary Burke at the Financial Regulator. Golden also noted that Ernst & Young auditors had been briefed on the transactions and that Vincent Bergin described them as "technically sound." He expressed surprise at the regulator's hostile reaction and explained that he did not grasp the significance of who placed the money first until months later.
During the 36th day of David Drumm's conspiracy‑to‑defraud trial, former Anglo Irish Bank chief financial officer Matt Moran told the jury he was shocked by the regulator's hostile reaction to Anglo's transactions with Irish Life and Permanent. He said that at a meeting on 12 or 13 January 2009, the regulator suddenly asked him questions as if it had no knowledge of the transactions, which he had believed the regulator was aware of. Moran recounted that after the meeting he contacted Drumm, who had left Anglo, to confirm the regulator's awareness. Drumm's email, shown to the jury, indicated that Anglo's balance‑sheet management was a common practice and that the regulator was fully aware of the bank's actions. Moran noted that if the ILP transaction had not proceeded, it could have been fatal for Anglo, potentially eroding confidence in the bank. The trial, presided over by Judge Karen O'Connor, continues with a jury.
Michael Kelly, 55, a regular customer of Rush Post Office, attempted to rob the shop on 24 September 2016. After asking for a bag and offering to pay, he returned minutes later with a note threatening the cashier and demanding money in the bag or death. He also told the staff not to alert the Gardaí. The cashier refused, threatened to press the panic alarm, and Kelly left without taking anything. The incident was captured on CCTV and Kelly was arrested about five months later. He pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He has seven prior minor convictions and had not been in Garda attention since 2004. He claimed the act was a "moment of madness" and was drunk, though he had been sober for ten years before relapsing. The judge, recognising his long history of alcohol abuse but also his rehabilitation efforts, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Richard Crealy, a 37‑year‑old homeless man, was acquitted of the charge of recklessly causing €100,000 damage to The Gaiety Theatre. The incident occurred on 26 April 2015 when Crealy, searching for cardboard to sleep on, used a lighter to see inside a bin in Tangier Lane. He claimed the fire was accidental and that he had tried to extinguish it. Smoke from the bin entered the theatre's stage shutters, triggering the sprinkler system and causing significant damage. Gardaí and the fire brigade were present, and CCTV footage linked Crealy to the bin. The jury, after about half an hour of deliberation, found him not guilty, concluding that while the fire was accidental, the prosecution had not proven that he had foreseen the damage to the theatre. The case ended with Crealy's acquittal.
In a dangerous driving causing death trial, the prosecution argued that David Byrne, 42, could not have seen the road because he has no peripheral vision due to Usher Syndrome Type II. Prosecutor Fionnuala O'Sullivan said a fully sighted driver would have seen 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne as she crossed Collins Avenue East, Killester, on 16 October 2015, and that Byrne's decision to drive with this condition, despite doctors' advice, made his driving dangerous. She also alleged Byrne obtained a driving licence by deception, answering "no" to a medical difficulty question, and failed to disclose his eye condition to his insurer. Byrne denies dangerous driving and the licence fraud, pleading not guilty. The jury will deliberate tomorrow, with the trial before Judge Patricia Ryan.
Michael Rooney Dignam, a 37‑year‑old Dublin resident, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for robbing three shops over four days in May 2017. He pleaded guilty to stealing €1,200 from Spar, €662 from a Londis shop, and €1,135 from Centra, each time entering with a blood‑filled syringe, threatening staff and demanding money from the tills. Gardaí identified him from CCTV footage. Rooney Dignam had 15 prior robbery convictions and a conviction for his brother's manslaughter in 1999. He has a long history of drug addiction, reportedly since age ten, and has spent much time in jail, described as "largely institutionalised." The court noted his early guilty pleas and the fact that he was on bail when committing the last two robberies, requiring consecutive sentences. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a six‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended, acknowledging his troubled upbringing and repeated re‑offending.
A 43‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to one year in jail for sexually assaulting a 12‑year‑old girl who was a friend of his stepdaughter during a sleepover at his home. The assault occurred on 14 February 2015 when the girl was asleep beside his daughter's bed. The man placed his hand under the girl's top while she slept and attempted to get under her sports bra. He was found guilty by a jury in a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial in November 2014. Judge Cormac Quinn noted the offence was a serious breach of trust and imposed a one‑year term, citing the maximum penalty of 14 years for child sexual assault. The sentence was not suspended. The victim, now 15, described the lasting impact on her life, including fear, loss of friends, and panic attacks, and expressed uncertainty about the man's motives.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the trial of 33‑year‑old Slawomir Gierlowski, accused of attacking three women in 2011, 2015 and 2016, presented DNA evidence linking him to the victims. Dr David Casey of the Forensic Science Laboratory examined a blood‑stained jacket taken from Gierlowski's home, finding a DNA profile that matched the third victim. A DNA sample from a beer bottle found at the 2016 scene also matched Gierlowski. In the 2015 assault, DNA from a belt and the victim's underwear matched Gierlowski's profile. DNA from the underwear of a 2011 victim also matched his profile. Gierlowski denies the attacks and has pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault. The trial continues before Judge Pauline Codd and an eleven‑man jury.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 29‑year‑old Romanian burglar, Constantin Bogdan Chirila, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for a burglary that involved a physical altercation with homeowner Kevin O'Donnell. O'Donnell, who had returned from a school run, found a bicycle outside his home and a small hole in the front door lock. Garda Finbar Fleming reported that O'Donnell believed the hole had been drilled and that he confronted the intruder, shouting and banging to frighten him. The two men scuffled twice, both inside and outside the house, before Chirila escaped on a bicycle carrying a bag of tools. O'Donnell later described the fight as "blurry" but noted his arms, ribs and kidney were sore. Chirila, who had no fixed abode, had previously pleaded guilty to burglary on 12 October 2016 and had six earlier convictions in Ireland. He was arrested for the burglary in September 2017.
Anthony Callaghan, aged 45, and Paul Zambra, aged 39, were apprehended on 29 May 2015 in Coolock after a three‑day surveillance operation by specialist Gardaí. Both men were found with a Ruger Revolver and a semi‑automatic pistol, the latter wrapped in newspapers and equipped with a silencer, and a full 5‑litre petrol container. They were charged with possession of firearms with intent to endanger life. Callaghan was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment and Zambra to 10 years' by Judge Melanie Greally on 16 March 2016. On appeal, Callaghan's sentence was reduced to 11 years, while Zambra's remained unchanged. The Court of Appeal, citing a "slight distinction" in their prior convictions, quashed the original 12‑year term and substituted it with 11 years. The case remains at the appellate stage. Anthony Callaghan pleaded guilty. Paul Zambra pleaded guilty.
During day 36 of David Drumm's conspiracy‑to‑defraud trial, the jury heard an extract from a September 2008 phone call between former Anglo Irish Bank CFO Matt Moran and former Anglo head of capital markets John Bowe. The men discussed how to persuade Credit Suisse banker Ewen Stevenson to sign a "beer mat" and to facilitate a transaction that would move €7.2 billion in Anglo's favour. Moran said he would try to "get a bit of drink into him" and then say, "I'd like about five billion before the 30th." Bowe suggested they could "get him to sign the beer mat" and that Anglo would place money with Credit Suisse, possibly using a single set of cash. The conversation was recorded by the bank, and Moran confirmed that the transaction had not yet taken place. The trial continues before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury. Credit Suisse pleaded not guilty.
Gary O'Brien, aged 20, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to burglary and two counts of assault at a Dalkey home on 26 September 2017. He had been "out of his head" on tablets and Sambuca and was restrained by a 74‑year‑old man on the bathroom floor until Garda arrival. O'Brien, who has 49 prior convictions, suffered an acquired brain injury at 16 after being struck with a hammer, a fact noted by Judge Martin Nolan. The judge imposed a three‑year sentence, consecutive to a 22‑month district court term O'Brien is serving, citing the brain injury as a mitigating factor. The burglary caused €3,000 of damage, and the victim's daughter, aged 40, described feeling "battered" and anxious the following day. O'Brien claimed he had no memory of the events and had not intended to harm the occupants. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 42‑year‑old postman David Byrne denied dangerous driving that caused the death of 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne on 16 October 2015. He also pleaded not guilty to dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue a licence on 30 September 2014 and to making a false statement on insurance. Byrne claimed he had not driven at the time of the fatal collision, had not been speeding, had not drunk, and had obeyed traffic signals. An optometrist, Aengus Morrin, testified that Byrne had Usher Syndrome, diagnosed in 1997, and that his peripheral vision was "very, very poor – almost non‑existent". Dr Paul Kenna, a clinical ophthalmologist, confirmed the diagnosis and noted that Byrne had been advised against driving in daylight or at night. The trial continues with closing arguments pending.
A 59-year-old businesswoman from Virginia, Cavan has been handed a three-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to harassing three former employees at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Helen Rahill sent 93 emails and made 660 calls over a ten-month period between January and October 2015, following the liquidation of her company in 2011. The former employees subsequently purchased the company's assets and continued operating the business. Rahill, who had initially accepted the arrangement, began contacting them in January 2015, sending messages ranging from complaints to abusive allegations. She briefly apologised in May 2015 but resumed the harassment despite receiving a solicitor's letter requesting she cease contact. Judge Martin Nolan noted Rahill's remorse and successful business background, finding no likelihood of re-offence. A non-contact order has been imposed as part of her sentence.
During a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the accused, Slawomir Gierlowski, 33, denied attacking three women in 2011, 2015 and 2016 in the Clondalkin area. The court heard that DNA evidence linked the 2016 knife attack on a woman on Knockmeenagh lane to the 2011 and 2015 incidents, and that the DNA matched Gierlowski. Detective Superintendent Colm O'Malley explained that the DNA of an unknown male was identified as Gierlowski's in June 2016, leading to an extension of his detention. Gierlowski denied false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault in all three incidents, and denied possessing a hunting knife with intent to intimidate. He also denied being the driver of a white van seen near the 2016 attack scene, although CCTV footage of a white van was shown to him. The trial continues before Judge Pauline Codd and a jury of 11 men.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 42‑year‑old postman David Byrne pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving that caused the death of 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne on Collins Avenue East, Killester, on 16 October 2015. Byrne also pleaded not guilty to dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue him a licence on 30 September 2014 and to making a false statement when taking out insurance on 16 September 2015. The court heard that Byrne had an eye condition, Usher Syndrome Type 2, diagnosed in 1997, and that he had been strongly advised not to drive. Byrne denied being told not to drive and claimed he had never disclosed the condition to his insurer.
In March 2018, a Dublin man, Michael Doyle, 27, was jailed for six years after breaking into a neighbour's house, holding a knife to the homeowner's throat while heavily intoxicated on alcohol and prescription drugs. Garda Michael McGuinness reported that Doyle's intoxication made him "impossible to put down" when officers used pepper spray and batons. The pepper spray had no effect; Doyle fought and threatened five officers, resisted arrest, and threatened to kill the homeowner. He had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and threats to kill in May 2017. Doyle had 45 prior convictions, including assaults and public order offences. He was found unfit for interview for six hours but later presented as a "different person" after sobering up. The court accepted that his extreme intoxication contributed to the incident and imposed a six‑year custodial sentence, back‑dated to his arrest in May 2017.
During the seventh day of a trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Garda Sergeant Katherina Joyce informed the jury that a VW Crafter van, registered to Slawomir Gierlowski (33) of Galtymore Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, was believed to be linked to a May 2016 knife attack on a woman near a Luas stop. A warrant was obtained to search Gierlowski's home, where Garda Ronan O'Malley found a blue‑green jacket in the master bedroom but did not search a downstairs room that was reportedly rented out. Detective Garda Brian O'Shaughnessy later stated he had searched that room but seized nothing. Garda David Harte testified that he seized a roll of grey duct tape and a packet of black cable ties from the van, which also contained a shelving unit, a hi‑vis jacket, a ladder, a spirit level, drills and extension leads.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Keith Tiswell, aged 33, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment for possessing over €124,000 worth of cannabis and cocaine. The drugs were seized during a surveillance operation at an apartment in Clondalkin, where Gardaí observed Tiswell drive a black BMW into an underground car park, exit 20 minutes later, and admit to having "cannabis in the boot" before handing over a cocaine package. Tiswell pleaded guilty to possessing 5.9 kg of cannabis valued at €119,600 and 67.5 g of cocaine worth €4,725. He has 57 prior convictions, mainly for road traffic offences. The judge, considering his guilty plea, cooperation, and character, imposed the sentence backdated to his May 2017 custody entry. The case highlighted the Gardaí's use of CCTV evidence and the defendant's stated drug debt and mental health issues. The sentence was confirmed by Judge Martin Nolan.
Eamon Colley, a 51‑year‑old Dublin businessman, was found guilty of making false statements after he abandoned his Porsche Boxster in Phoenix Park following a hit‑and‑run incident on 14 February 2017. Colley had crashed into a motorist who was stopping to let a deer cross the road, causing €9,413 in damage to the victim's Volkswagen Golf. CCTV footage showed Colley driving away with smoke from his Porsche's front and later yelling at a car‑park ticket machine. He reported the vehicle stolen at Blanchardstown Garda Station on 15 February and again at his business address the same day. The court accepted his admissions of being intoxicated and of leaving the scene to avoid drink‑driving prosecution. He was sentenced to a 21‑month suspended term and an 18‑month driving ban, with no prior convictions recorded.
Hamza Ali, a 22‑year‑old Pakistani asylum seeker, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to false imprisonment and assault causing harm to one woman on 14 June 2017, and sexual assault and false imprisonment of a second woman on 15 June 2017. The incidents occurred in Dublin early in the morning. In the first case, Ali approached a woman cycling home, used a tow hook to threaten her, and attempted to force her into his car, ultimately allowing her to escape after she threw the bar out of the vehicle. In the second case, he approached a woman cycling from work, threatened her with a knife, demanded sex, and attempted to slash her, but she fled and alerted Gardaí. Gardaí later recovered a car linked to Ali and evidence of unauthorized transactions on the victims' credit cards.
During a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, David Drumm, former chief executive of Anglo, admitted that €7.2 billion worth of transactions between Anglo and Irish Life & Permanent (ILP) occurred in 2008 but denied that they were fraudulent or dishonest. He explained that he had written to senior Anglo colleagues in November 2008 urging a "war cabinet urgency" to address liquidity issues, and that he had asked his staff to "look under every rock" as liquidity fell. Witness Matt Moran, former chief financial officer at Anglo, testified that Drumm had discussed the ILP transaction with the regulator and that the bank's government guarantee had eased pressure on its funding position. Drumm has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to defraud depositors and investors and to false accounting regarding the 2008 deposits. The case is still pending before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury.
In March 2008, David Drumm, former chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank, urged executives to hold a conference call to "zoom in" on achieving the bank's target of €5 billion in customer deposits for the half‑year ending March. Mr Drumm, who is on trial for conspiracy to defraud, told the jury that Anglo was primarily a lending bank, not a treasury, and that in 2008 €7.2 billion of transactions occurred between Anglo and Irish Life & Permanent (ILP). He disputes that these were fraudulent. Former chief financial officer Matt Moran testified that by late 2007 Anglo was run by "lending people" and that executives sought funding from banks they had relationships with. Meetings were held in Mr Drumm's office to discuss "special balance sheet initiatives" aimed at increasing funding or capital and reducing lending.
John O'Donoghue, aged 38, was convicted of distributing and possessing child pornography. He admitted to the Gardaí that he was addicted to viewing such material and that he had shared illegal images and movies via email and a file‑sharing network. The offences covered the period from November to December 2009 and September 2012. O'Donoghue pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a four‑year sentence, suspending the final two years, and ordered the destruction of the material. The court noted that the material was not for general distribution but was shared with like‑minded individuals. O'Donoghue had no prior convictions and was a qualified engineer with a strong work history. The case had caused significant stress and social ostracisation for his family. The prosecution's delay was also taken into account. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and the impact on the victims involved.
During the trial of Slawomir Gierlowski, a 33‑year‑old resident of Galtymore Road, Drimnagh, Garda Warren Farrell presented evidence that the police had analysed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage to trace the movements of a white van linked to the alleged attacker. The van, identified as a white VW Crafter with black trim and three orange lights and registration 08‑D‑20729, was shown on video travelling from New Road, Clondalkin at about 5 am towards the scene of an assault on a woman on 16 May 2016, then moving towards Naas Road at 6:50 am, passing the Marble Arch pub and Galtymore Road, and finally parking near Gierlowski's home. The jury was informed that a 29‑minute gap existed in the footage between 5:12 am and 5:41 am.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Garda Gary Dillane was bitten by Cedrick Chitsime, a 29‑year‑old man from Phibsborough, after Dillane responded to a domestic incident. Chitsime, who had no prior convictions, attacked Dillane at the victim's apartment, punching him, scratching his face, and attempting to gouge his eye. Dillane was treated for bruising, cuts, and a thumb bite, and later learned Chitsime was HIV‑positive after providing a blood sample. Dillane received precautionary HIV medication for a month and was later cleared of infection. Chitsime pleaded guilty to assaulting Dillane, was sentenced to 18 months in prison with 13 months suspended on strict conditions, and was described by the judge as having acted aggressively and persistently. The case highlighted the use of pepper spray to subdue the assailant. The court noted Chitsime's lack of apology but accepted his guilty plea as an indication of remorse.
In a dangerous driving trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, 70‑year‑old Patricia Byrne was killed on Collins Avenue East in Killester on 16 October 2015. Van driver Sandjis Jansons testified that he slowed his delivery van when he saw Byrne crossing the street, stating she was "already on the road" and not on a pedestrian crossing. He claimed he had no idea what she would do and that the car that struck her was driven by David Byrne, 42, who has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing Byrne's death. Byrne also pleaded not guilty to dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue him a licence and to making a false statement in an insurance application. The prosecution alleged Byrne had Usher Syndrome Type 2, a condition that impairs vision in low light, and that he failed to disclose this when applying for a licence or informing his insurer.
The trial of Niall Byrne, Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, and David Byrne continues before Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty to the alleged false imprisonment of four Richardson family members at Ashcroft, Raheny, on March 13 and 14, 2005, and the alleged robbery of Paul Richardson and Securicor of €2.28 million on March 14, 2005. Retired Garda Chief Superintendent Nicholas Kenneally testified that he issued 66 search warrants during what was then the largest Garda investigation in history. He confirmed issuing warrants for specific Dublin addresses where investigators believed evidence, including weapons and phones, might be found. Kenneally denied that the extensive warranting constituted a "fishing expedition," stating he was satisfied evidence related to the robbery existed at each location. He acknowledged that one resident of a searched home was never prosecuted. Defense counsel noted that legal provisions in the warrants are now deemed unconstitutional. Kenneally denied issuing a specific warrant for the Richardson home but agreed investigators would have processed the premises as a crime scene. The matter is currently at the sentencing stage, though the trial continues with an enlarged jury.
A Garda investigation led to the break-up of a €3.5 million drugs and firearms operation, resulting in the sentencing of four individuals at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Jason Hughes (35) was jailed for six years after pleading guilty to possession of €757,280 worth of cannabis resin and €603,000 worth of MDMA on April 17, 2014. Ivan Tihon (35), a Moldovan national, was jailed for eight years for possession of €1.6 million worth of drugs, as well as guns and ammunition. Two Polish brothers, Slawomir Syzmala (40) and Marcin Syzmala (32), were each jailed for 10 years in March 2015 after admitting to possession of €3.5 million worth of cannabis and cannabis resin. The operation was uncovered following a surveillance operation by the Garda National Drugs Unit, during which €3.489 million worth of drugs were seized. Hughes, who had no previous convictions, claimed he was unaware of the drugs in the van he was transporting and stated he was acting on behalf of others. Judge Martin Nolan noted Hughes' role in the operation was to transport the drugs for some form of reward and stated he was part of a large drug dealing operation.
Thomas Garvan, aged 64, of Corbally Glade, Westborrk Glen, Tallaght, was sentenced to four‑and‑a‑half years in prison on 23 March 2017 for seven counts of sexually assaulting an 11‑year‑old boy between December 1996 and October 1999. The boy, aged 11 to 14 at the time, was a member of a religious congregation where Garvan taught Sunday school and was a trusted friend of the family. Garvan pleaded guilty early, a factor the Court of Appeal considered significant. The Court of Appeal, in a three‑judge panel headed by Justice Alan Mahon, held that insufficient credit had been given for the guilty plea and reduced the sentence by 25 %. Garvan was resentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment. The appeal did not alter the nature of the offences or the victim's impact, merely the length of custodial time imposed.
The Court of Appeal has adjourned the matter following an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions seeking to increase the sentence of Mark McCarthy. McCarthy, a 32-year-old from Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to the false imprisonment of Warren and Jean Marie Nawn and their ten-week-old baby in County Louth between August 1st and 2nd, 2011. He was originally sentenced to nine years' imprisonment by Judge Patricia Ryan on May 19, 2017. The DPP argued the sentence was unduly lenient, contending that the starting point should have been significantly higher than the 15 years fixed by the trial judge before mitigation. Prosecutors highlighted the severity of the ordeal, including threats to the infant and the use of surveillance equipment, comparing it to the aggravated burglary case of DPP v Dean Byrne. Defence counsel Derek Cooney BL countered that McCarthy acted under duress due to a drug debt and credible threats to his life, factors absent in the comparative case. The bench, comprising Mr Justice George Birmingham, Mr Justice Alan Mahon, and Mr Justice John Hedigan, heard submissions on whether a headline sentence of 25 years to life would have been appropriate. The court reserved its judgement, meaning the appeal is not yet concluded and the original sentence remains in effect pending the final decision.
During the trial of Slawomir Gierlowski, a 33‑year‑old man from Drimnagh, Dublin, the court heard that a white van parked near the scene of a 2016 attack on a woman was linked to him. Residents near the Clondalkin attack site recalled seeing a large white van on 26 April 2016 and again on 15 May 2016, noting registration numbers beginning 07‑D and 08‑D. One resident, Michelle McCabe, described two men who approached her, one muscular, possibly Slavic, and later identified the van as a white VW Crafter with registration 08‑D‑20729, which was registered to Gierlowski. Gierlowski denies all allegations of false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault in the 2011, 2015 and 2016 incidents. The case is proceeding before Judge Pauline Codd and an 11‑man jury.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the jury was informed that the €7.2 billion transactions between Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life & Permanent in September 2008 were "optical benefit only" and created no new cash. Former Anglo treasury manager Ciaran Cunningham, who testified on day 34 of David Drumm's conspiracy‑to‑defraud trial, confirmed the transactions took place but disputed any fraud or dishonesty. Cunningham explained that the deals were netted and would not appear in the accounts, that they were "cash neutral," and that the only benefit was optical. He noted the transactions were initially settled gross but later settled net, a fact he learned in February 2009. Drumm, the former chief executive, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to defraud and false accounting, and the trial continues before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury.
A 38‑year‑old driver, Aisling Keogh, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious harm after failing to notice a pedestrian crossing the road in Rathfarnham on 29 December 2015. The collision left the man, Paschal Walsh, with serious injuries; he later died in hospital, but the court ruled his death was not a direct result of the collision. Keogh, who had no prior convictions, stopped her car after striking the man, tended to him, called an ambulance, and reported the incident to Gardaí. For her conduct after the crash, the court deemed a prison sentence unnecessary and imposed 125 hours of community service in lieu of six months' imprisonment. The case was adjourned to April for a suitability assessment of the community service order. The judge noted no aggravating circumstances and described the incident as an accident in the true sense of the word.
Noel Darby, 42, was sentenced to a suspended three‑and‑a‑half‑year term for robbing a mobile phone from a man at a bus stop on Malahide Road, Coolock, on 9 February 2015. The robbery was the first serious offence in 13 years. Darby, who had previously been convicted of firearm possession, drug offences and robbery, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He had been identified by the victim as a former subject of the documentary "Darndale: The Edge of Town," where Darby had spoken about his desire to overcome drug addiction. Garda Liam Wright described how Darby approached the victim, seized the phone, and fled, later being pursued. The victim, who recognised Darby from the programme, confirmed the identity after watching an episode on YouTube.
In the trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm, former company secretary Natasha Mercer testified that she sought legal advice after the bank's chairman, Donal O'Connor, asked her to amend the minutes of an audit‑committee meeting held on 18 November 2008. Mercer explained that she had written down different wording than what O'Connor recalled, and that her lawyers advised her that the chairman's signed minutes were the definitive record. She denied that O'Connor had ever told her to "shut up" when she challenged him about the minutes. Mercer also noted that her handwritten minutes of three September 2008 board meetings mentioned the Irish Life & Permanent transactions, whereas her typed minutes did not. The court heard that the final wording of the minutes described the ILP transactions as normal year‑end balance‑sheet activity, with no objections from the Financial Regulator or Ernst & Young.