During a pre‑trial session at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a judge and lawyers paid moving tributes to Garda Superintendent Colm Fox, who died tragically at Ballymun Garda Station on Saturday night. Prosecutor Paul O'Higgins SC recalled knowing Fox from his early days as a garda, describing him as a most decent man both professionally and in his dealings with people. Defender Brendan Grehan SC called him a "top cop", a pleasure to work with who always drew the best from his team. Judge Karen O'Connor noted the sadness of the death and expressed her thoughts with Fox's family.
David Drumm, former chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and false accounting charges. His defence counsel admitted that Drumm authorised a series of transactions in 2008 that inflated the bank's deposits by €7.2 billion. The transactions, described as "March", "June", "September" and "December" deals, involved moving large sums between Anglo and Irish Life & Permanent to increase Anglo's non‑bank deposits and reduce Irish Life's reliance on ECB funding. Drumm admitted to authorising these transactions but disputed that they were fraudulent or dishonest. The trial, held before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury, focuses on whether the transactions were intended to falsify the bank's balance sheet. The case remains ongoing, with no verdict yet reached.
James O'Reilly, aged 21, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of a tourist's wallet on 14 June 2015. The victim, Robert Robson, a UK national, was approached by a group of 16‑ to 18‑year‑old males near his hotel. CCTV showed five men and a woman surrounding him, taking his wallet and bank cards, and punching him to the ground. O'Reilly, identified on the footage, was the first to interact with Robson but did not punch him. The robbery involved €350 in cash and cards that were later cancelled. O'Reilly had 25 prior convictions. He entered a guilty plea after a legal dispute over the admissibility of Garda CCTV. Judge Patricia Ryan described the offence as "sneaky, horrible" and imposed a one‑year probation bond, keeping him under supervision until 8 February 2019. The court noted the victim's impact statement and O'Reilly's expression of remorse, including a letter to Robson.
Gary Culhane, a 40‑year‑old Limerick man, was sentenced to four years in prison for breaking into the parochial house of The Good Shepherd Church in Churchtown, Dublin, on 15 October 2016. He pleaded guilty to burglary and was found to have 102 previous convictions, including assault, robbery and theft, and had spent 20 years in prison. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the final year of the sentence, ordering Culhane to complete a residential drug rehabilitation course at Tiglin treatment centre and to follow all after‑care plans. The priest, who had been away saying mass, was "very shaken" when he returned to find €650 stolen from his house, including money, collections and the poor box. Garda Áine Bolton identified Culhane after the priest downloaded CCTV footage.
Two Dublin men, Martin Cully (35) and Eugene Traynor (40), were sentenced to seven‑year prison terms, partially suspended, for unlawfully seizing a vehicle and forcibly removing a woman from her car. The incident occurred on Old Connacht Avenue, Bray, on 15 June 2017. Cully, who had previously been disqualified from driving for 30 years, also pleaded guilty to two dangerous driving charges. Judge Patrick Quinn imposed a lifetime driving ban on Cully, suspended the final two years of his sentence and the final two and a half years of Traynor's sentence, and required both men to remain drug‑free and engage in treatment programmes. The court noted a high‑speed chase that ended with the car crashing into a pole. Cully had 67 prior convictions, including seven burglaries; Traynor had 20 prior convictions, including robbery and theft. The victim, who suffered nightmares and flashbacks, gave a victim impact statement describing her fear and helplessness during the attack.
Steven McDonnell, 52, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing over €13,000 worth of cocaine for sale or supply at his Blessington Street address. The court also considered counts of possession of cannabis, cannabis resin and ketamine. A search warrant, executed after days of surveillance, uncovered a large slab of cocaine, cannabis, cannabis resin and a chocolate Kinder Egg containing ketamine, with the total drug value at €94,166. McDonnell admitted he had accrued about €5,000 in gambling debts and was coerced into holding the drugs, receiving €500 each time he delivered them to a dealer. He also admitted smoking about €50 of cannabis every few days. McDonnell had no prior convictions. The judge noted he had been coerced but ultimately chose to accept the drugs, describing him as a "pitiful" and isolated man who had suffered severe depression and attempted suicide. The sentence was imposed by Judge Martin Nolan.
David Marsh, 31, was sentenced to an additional 14 months in jail after he deceived a woman he met on a dating website by claiming he was anaemic and needed money for medication and a flight to the US to see a specialist. He also extracted €300 from a new girlfriend for a holiday that never occurred, and €800 from the same woman under various pretences. Marsh's criminal history includes six counts of deception, one theft from an Eir store, and possession of heroin while in prison. He had previously been jailed for two years in 2016 for fraud, including defrauding a Limerick couple of €76,000, stealing €740 from his employer, and scamming colleagues and rugby teammates out of nearly €8,000. He has 23 prior convictions, mainly for fraud. The court noted his "active fantasy life" and impulsive behaviour, but did not attribute any motive beyond his charm and confidence tactics. David Marsh pleaded guilty.
A 20‑year‑old Romanian teenager, Carmen Nicolae, was sentenced to a suspended two‑year imprisonment for stealing €10,000 worth of jewellery from an elderly couple in Artane on 2 October 2015. Nicolae pretended to be collecting for charity, claiming she was Spanish and collecting for the starving in Africa. She entered the couple's house, was allowed to use the bathroom, and then stole a collection of sentimental items including a diamond engagement ring, charm bracelet, gold chains, an eternity ring, earrings and cuff links. The stolen items were never recovered. A palm print from the jewellery box matched Nicolae's. She pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and had five prior convictions for theft and fraud. Judge Patricia Ryan described the offence as "mean and nasty" and imposed a suspended sentence, noting that if she returned to court she would be dealt with seriously.
Mercie Wambui, 32, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two years' imprisonment with 15 months suspended for fraudulently claiming €88,877 in Social Welfare payments between August 2010 and September 2016. She had arrived in Ireland from Kenya in 2006 as an asylum seeker and was only entitled to a Direct Provision weekly payment of €19, later rising to €28, and to a One Parent Allowance after her son's birth in 2011. In 2008 she obtained false identity papers and secured a job with the Daughters of the Cross, earning €650 a week, which she did not declare. She also claimed maternity benefit for six months under the false name. Wambui pleaded guilty, admitted financial pressure, and has already paid €7,000 to the State and is repaying €25 per week. The judge acknowledged her remorse, low re‑offending risk, nursing work history, and role as a mother, and back‑dated the sentence to 29 December 2017.
Daniel Doyle, aged 31, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment by Judge Terence O'Sullivan after pleading guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at his home on 12 November 2014. Gardaí had obtained a warrant to search the house following reliable information about cocaine dealing at the address. Doyle answered the door and handed over €985 from his pocket, a bag of 446 MDMA tablets (ecstasy) and a money bag of about €600 from his underpants. In his bedroom a safe contained syringes, weighing scales, €340 in cash and €2,800 elsewhere. Doyle claimed the cash came from a recent car sale, but the Garda said this was not accepted. He has 35 previous convictions, including three for drug dealing, unlawful possession of firearms and two for threatening to kill or cause serious harm.
During the opening of David Drumm's conspiracy to defraud trial, the jury was told that Drumm, then chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank, authorised deals that falsified the bank's balance sheet. Prosecutors described him as "the man who called the shots" and said the deals made it appear that customer deposits were €7.2 billion greater than they actually were. Drumm, aged 51, pleaded not guilty to conspiring with former bank officials to defraud depositors and investors by creating the impression of larger deposits in 2008. The prosecution presented recorded phone conversations in which Drumm gave permission for money to "pass go," adding several billion euros in non‑existent customer deposits that circulated rapidly between Anglo, Irish Life & Permanent and Irish Life Assurance before returning to Anglo. The case was presented by Paul O'Higgins SC, and the trial continued in front of Judge Karen O'Connor.
Ross Thompson, a 19‑year‑old father from Ballymun, was sentenced to five years in jail for possessing heroin worth €128,000 and €2,000 in cash. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Martin Nolan, suspended the final two and a half years of the sentence, citing Thompson's youth and the court's hope for reform. Thompson admitted to holding the drugs because of a €12,500 debt and had a history of 43 prior convictions, all dealt with by the Children's Court. Gardaí seized over 900 g of heroin and the cash during a search of Thompson's home a year earlier. Thompson claimed he did not know the contents of the bags or the owner of the cash. He is required to maintain good behaviour, undergo psychological counselling, and be supervised by Probation Services for 18 months after release. Ross Thompson pleaded guilty.
Bianca Francisco, a 21-year-old Brazilian national and rickshaw driver, appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where she pleaded guilty to unlawful possession for sale or supply of a controlled substance at her home in May 2017. Gardaí seized MDMA, primarily ecstasy tablets with an estimated street value of €4,570, along with lesser amounts of cocaine and other controlled drugs, weighing scales, and €1,060 in cash during a search of her flat. Francisco admitted to holding the drugs for another person without payment. Judge Patrick Quinn suspended a 12-month prison sentence on the condition that Francisco leave Ireland within three months. The judge noted that while her involvement likely stemmed from economic necessity, it was not an excuse, and he determined it was in her best interests to return to her family in Brazil. The court ordered the destruction of the seized drugs and the confiscation of the cash. This sentencing followed a previous finalisation in April 2017, where Francisco pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply of cannabis, cocaine, and MDMA. For that earlier offence, involving drugs with an estimated street value of €1,555, a Dublin District Court judge had ordered 180 hours of community service in lieu of a six-month prison sentence.
Brandon Crosbie, 19, was sentenced to three and a half years in jail after a high‑speed chase that saw him crash into five vehicles during rush hour. He pleaded guilty to three counts of endangerment, one of dangerous driving and one of driving without insurance at locations in Ballymun and Finglas on 24 April 2017. Garda Carl McSweeney described how Crosbie drove a Hyundai at very high speed toward a patrol vehicle on Longdale Terrace, forcing the garda to take evasive action. Crosbie then drove through traffic, colliding head‑on with a car, then weaving between lanes and hitting a stopped vehicle at a red light, and finally rear‑ended a taxi on St Margaret's Road, pushing it forward. He has 47 prior convictions, all at District Court level, for offences including assault, criminal damage and dangerous driving.
A Dublin man has been sentenced to two years imprisonment for his role in an aggravated burglary at a home in Crumlin on 7 December 2013. Declan Maxwell, then aged 16, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the offence. The court heard that Maxwell and another man, now deceased, forced entry to the property and tied up the occupants with rope before threatening them with an imitation firearm whilst demanding money and bank details. A third person used stolen cards to withdraw €440 from an ATM. Electronics and other items valued at approximately €1,000 were taken from the home. Maxwell, originally from Achill in County Mayo, was apprehended the following day and confessed to gardaí. Judge Martin Nolan described the crime as reprehensible. The court imposed a five-year sentence with three years suspended, and ordered 18 months post-release probation supervision.
Patrick McArdle, a 48‑year‑old former mechanic and casual truck driver from Co. Armagh, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to careless driving causing the death of Slawomir Korytowski, a married father‑of‑two who was travelling with four other motorcyclists to catch a ferry to Scotland. The fatal incident occurred on 3 July 2015 at North Wall Quay when McArdle, who had been disqualified for drink‑driving for six years a year earlier and for further driving offences last year, pulled out of a loading bay and briefly crossed onto the wrong side of the road. Korytowski, panicking at the oncoming lorry, applied the brakes, was thrown from his bike and struck under the wheel of another lorry, dying at the scene. The judge, citing McArdle's misjudgment and the aggravating factor that he was not legally permitted to drive, sentenced him to ten months' imprisonment and a six‑year driving ban.
A 33‑year‑old Waterford courier, Conor Freeman, was jailed for four years after transporting €119,000 worth of ketamine through Dublin Airport to settle a drug debt. Freeman, who had a €5,750 cocaine debt from a period living in the UK, had moved to Waterford for a "clean break." Customs officers stopped him on his return from Eindhoven, discovering £12,000 in cash and three containers of white rock‑like crystals labelled "bath salts." The drugs were later identified as ketamine. Freeman pleaded guilty to possession of 2 kg of ketamine at the airport on 9 April 2017. He had no prior convictions. The court accepted that he was motivated by fear rather than profit, noted his unlikely re‑offending, and ordered the confiscation of the seized money. The sentence was imposed by Judge Martin Nolan.
In February 2018, a Dublin father, Robert Reynolds, aged 35, was sentenced to three years in jail for preparing over €286,000 worth of heroin for street sale as a favour to a friend, Edward Maher, aged 31, whom he met at football. Garda Shona Moran noted that Reynolds could be described as "easily led" and that he had pleaded guilty to possessing just over 2 kg of heroin at his home on 19 December 2016. The investigation, triggered by surveillance of Maher, led to Reynolds' address where the two men were found mixing heroin in a garden shed. Gardaí discovered large quantities of brown powder, mixing agents, a weighing scale, a blender and gloves. Reynolds denied being a heroin addict, admitted smoking cannabis, and claimed he was asked to help as a favour. The court accepted his early guilty plea and noted his lack of insight and prior minor traffic convictions.
Alan Mahon of Tolka Estate, Glasnevin, Dublin, pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply of cocaine worth over €60,000 found in his home on 21 March 2017, and to possession of a 9mm semi‑automatic pistol. He admitted he was storing the drugs and gun for others but could not name them, claiming fear for his life. Garda Siobhan Toland and defence counsel Michael O'Higgins argued he was a vulnerable drug addict from a respectable family. Judge Martin Nolan accepted these arguments, noted the pistol's condition, and imposed a five‑year prison sentence.
Frederick Cham, a 63‑year‑old Aer Lingus ground handler from Railway Cottages, Hazelhatch, Celbridge, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for facilitating the illegal entry of five people into Ireland between 13 December 2016 and 22 January 2017. He pleaded guilty to five charges of assisting illegal immigrants or asylum seekers at Dublin Airport and to two charges of handling money he knew to be proceeds of crime. Cham admitted that he and another Aer Lingus employee used staff swipe cards to access an employee gate, bypassing passport control, and that they transported foreign nationals from the air‑side to the land‑side via a catering truck and a staff turnstile gate. The court noted that Cham's role was "invaluable" to the smuggling operation, which involved cash transfers from China totalling about €6,000 and payments of €2,000–€3,000 per smuggling run.
In 2010, Glen Holland, aged 34, was arrested in Dublin after authorities discovered €68,000 worth of cocaine, a mixing agent and two loaded 9mm handguns in the boot of his Toyota Avensis. The weapons, manufactured in Brazil, were ready for use. Holland pleaded guilty to possession of the firearms, ammunition and cocaine for sale or supply. After his arrest, he fled Ireland while on bail in 2011 and was not re‑arrested until 2017, when Spanish authorities extradited him under a European Arrest Warrant. In 2018, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Holland to six and a half years' imprisonment, a departure from the mandatory ten‑year minimum for the drug charge. The judge credited Holland's admissions, cooperation with Gardaí, his difficult childhood and the fact that he was caring for his eight‑year‑old autistic son. Holland was instructed to engage with the Probation Service upon release.
Jace Pelivani, aged 49, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in Dublin for his role in a €680,000 drug operation. He was arrested on 18 May 2017 in Clondalkin after driving a van that carried pallets of cannabis. Gardaí had received confidential information about a suspicious drug arrival at Dublin Port the previous day, discovered the drugs on a pallet, and re‑wrapped them for a controlled delivery. Surveillance followed the truck to Ashbourne, Co. Meath, where the contents were unloaded before Pelivani transported them to Clondalkin. Officers seized 34 kilos of cannabis, each wrapped separately. Pelivani pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply. The court noted that in November 2000 an Albanian court had convicted him in absentia of murder and possession of a firearm related to a pub fight in 1997. He denied prior knowledge of the drugs, claiming he had never been to Ireland, a statement the court found false.
The trial of Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, David Byrne, and Niall Byrne is ongoing before Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty to the alleged false imprisonment of four members of the Richardson family at their home in Raheny, Dublin, on March 13 and 14, 2005, and to robbing Paul Richardson and Securicor of €2.28 million on March 14, 2005. Witness testimony revealed that Niall Byrne, then a Securicor employee, reported an injured back on the day of the alleged raid. A colleague stated Byrne later inquired about the robbery, while a Securicor assistant manager described Byrne as jovial after he saw a doctor. The manager also testified that he discovered the Richardson family were being held hostage around 9am on March 14, 2005, noting that the van's GPS indicated it was in County Westmeath despite crew member Sean Kelleher claiming it was in Tallaght. Another witness, Tony Coffey, stated his commercial jeep was stolen while unlocked and later found, with some items recovered at Dollymount Strand. The trial, expected to last three months, continues with an enlarged jury.
An Aer Lingus ground handler, Frederick Cham, 63, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five charges of facilitating the entry of illegal immigrants or asylum seekers into Ireland between 13 December 2016 and 22 January 2017. He also admitted two charges of handling money he knew to be proceeds of crime in December 2016 and January 2017. Cham, originally from Hong Kong and a long‑time employee at Dublin Airport, described the scheme as a "Mickey Mouse operation" and said he earned €2,000–€3,000 per smuggling run, spending the money on Guinness. The operation involved bypassing passport control with staff swipe cards, escorting foreign nationals from the air‑side to the immigration hall via a lift and a catering truck, and using a staff turnstile gate to move them to the land‑side. Gardaí traced the scheme through CCTV, staff swipe‑card records and Western Union transfers totalling about €6,000.
Stephen Fitzgerald, a 42‑year‑old Dublin father of five, was sentenced to four years in prison at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing €84,000 that was the proceeds of crime and heroin worth €41,250, a cutting agent worth €1,000, and other drugs. He admitted holding the cash and drugs at his Tallaght home on 6 November 2016, claiming he had no ownership but was acting as a third‑party holder for others. The judge noted Fitzgerald's family had suffered two suicides, leading to stress and drug use, yet described him as a "very good family man" who had supported relatives and volunteered in community projects. The prosecution, represented by Giollaíosa O Lidheadha SC, argued that Fitzgerald had a serious drug debt and a real threat to his life. Stephen Fitzgerald pleaded guilty.
Daryl McKeon, 23, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in a violent raid on a newsagent in Finglas. He pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and assault causing serious harm to shopkeeper Kevin Tansey on March 18 last year. The court heard that McKeon and an accomplice, whose identity remains under investigation, entered the shop with covered faces. While McKeon blocked the door and restrained the victim, the other man struck Tansey three times on the head with a hammer. The attack left Tansey with extensive skull fractures, bleeding on the brain, and a comatose state. Judge Melanie Greally imposed an eight-and-a-half year sentence, with the final 18 months suspended. The jail term was backdated to March 2017, when McKeon entered custody. The judge noted that while McKeon did not wield the hammer, he participated wholeheartedly in the robbery. McKeon has 12 previous convictions and was on bail for district court offences at the time of the incident. The other raider is still under investigation.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 23‑year‑old Gavin Mulgrew was sentenced to three‑and‑a‑half years in jail, with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended. The judge described his two random assaults on July 9, 2015, as "horrific, gratuitous, violent and unprovoked." Mulgrew admitted to punching David Rooney on Suffolk Street, causing a fractured cheekbone and requiring surgery, and to assaulting French national Yannick Said on Chancery Place, resulting in a dislocated shoulder, facial injuries and a broken nose. He pleaded guilty, claiming he was high on tablets and had a hazy memory of the events. The judge noted his progress in custody, his drug‑free status, and his rehabilitation work in the prison kitchen. The suspended portion of the sentence was conditional on victim‑focused work, addiction counselling and probation appointments. The sentence was back‑dated to October 10, 2017.
Christopher Walsh, 32, was sentenced to two years in jail, with the final 14 months suspended, for deceiving Close Brothers Motor Finance. He obtained a €20,000 car loan to clear drug debt, claiming a friend had collected the car after he allegedly failed to repay. Walsh had signed a contract for a Skoda Superb, paid a deposit, and then cancelled his direct debit the next day. He admitted to drug addiction and had no intention of repaying the loan. The court noted his remorse and that he had taken control of his drug addiction. Judge Martin Nolan credited his efforts but also highlighted his prior convictions, including 13 previous offences, 12 of them for road traffic. Walsh agreed to repay the finance company at €100 per month. He is a father to a six‑month‑old son and has a forklift job available. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
During a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, CCTV footage showed two men entering a service station on the night of a €2.28 million cash‑in‑transit van robbery. Kevin Richardson, aged 13 at the time, testified that the men wore clothing similar to the raiders who later abducted the Richardson family. The accused—Mark Farrelly (46), Christopher Corcoran (70), David Byrne (45) and Niall Byrne (36)—have pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment of Paul Richardson, his wife Marie and their sons Ian (17) and Kevin (13) at their Ashcroft home on 13–14 March 2005, and to robbing Paul Richardson and Securicor. The trial, the fifth time the matter has been heard, includes testimony from the Richardson family, a former Securicor control‑room supervisor, and cross‑examination by defence counsel. The case is set to continue for three months before Judge Melanie Greally and an enlarged jury.
Gerard Neeson, 46, of Ballymun, Dublin, was sentenced to six months in prison for providing false or misleading information in a passport application. Between 23 and 30 April 2015, Neeson submitted an application and four photographs signed by Gardaí at Ballymun Garda Station. He later handed the application and photographs to a third party who altered the photo, replacing Neeson's image with that of a criminal, and mailed the altered application to the passport office. Neeson was to receive €500 if the passport was issued. The court noted Neeson's 29 prior convictions and his admission of involvement. Judge Martin Nolan emphasized that Neeson's lack of sophistication did not absolve him of responsibility, and imposed the six‑month sentence. The case highlighted the use of a passport for illicit purposes. Gerard Neeson pleaded guilty.
Stephen Kinch, 29, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for an assault committed in 2004. Kinch, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty to assaulting Gary Byrne on March 17, 2004. The court heard that Kinch, who was 16 at the time, admitted to head-butting the victim but denied striking him with an iron bar, an allegation attributed to Mr. Byrne. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced Kinch to two and a half years in prison but suspended the sentence in full. She ordered him to complete 240 hours of community service. The judge noted that Kinch was a different man today, citing his full-time employment and voluntary work. Mr. Byrne, who was not present, expressed a wish for a non-custodial sentence and accepted €6,000 in compensation handed over in court. The judge described Mr. Byrne as generous and compassionate. Kinch had previously failed to appear for sentencing in 2006, resulting in a bench warrant. He has no previous convictions. The matter was concluded with the imposition of the suspended sentence and community service order.
In a 2018 case, a 20‑year‑old driver, Melvin Rattigan, was sentenced to 240 hours of community service for dangerous driving that caused serious bodily harm to cyclist Laura Briggs. Rattigan, who had no full licence or insurance, collided with Briggs on Lower Dominick Street on 13 May 2015, after failing to see her on a green light while turning from Dorset Street onto Dominick Street. He fled the scene, claiming panic, and later pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge noted the offence was at the lower end of seriousness because Rattigan was neither speeding nor intoxicated, and highlighted his good character and educational efforts. Rattigan paid €3,000 for redress, which Briggs declined, directing it to St Francis' Hospice and a youth charity. A probation report was ordered to assess his suitability for community service.
In a 2018 trial, a mother and her two teenage sons recounted being kidnapped near the Wicklow Mountains during a €2.28 million robbery that occurred almost 15 years earlier. Marie Richardson described how she and her sons were bundled into a jeep, taken to a secluded area, kept for hours, and bound with cable ties before being released. She recalled her husband, Paul Richardson, a cash‑in‑transit driver, being forced to deliver the money at a Dublin pub car park. The defendants—Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, David Byrne and Niall Byrne—pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and robbery. The jury heard the kidnapping, the captors' orders, and the family's eventual escape, with the trial continuing before Judge Melanie Greally and an enlarged jury.
A Lithuanian man charged with importing cannabis worth €58,820 through Dublin Airport has received a fully suspended three-year sentence. Egidijus Sniauksta, aged 45, of Wylies Hill, Ballybay, County Monaghan, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drug seized on 3 February 2016. He had travelled from Alicante in Spain when stopped at customs, where nine vacuum-sealed packages of herbal cannabis were discovered in his luggage. Sniauksta was to receive €1,000 for delivering the drugs to a third party. Judge Terence O'Sullivan noted that while drug mules form part of the drugs trade, Sniauksta was not connected to a criminal organisation and described him as naive. The court considered his significant health difficulties, including frequent falls and loss of consciousness, his previous good work history, early guilty plea, and expressions of remorse. The sentence was suspended in full subject to strict conditions.
Two homeless men, Stephen Talbot (42) and Trevor Murphy (38), were found guilty of a series of office burglaries in Dublin 2's business district. Over a month, they posed as maintenance workers, gaining entry with a simple "glide" device and stealing €1,167 in cash, mobile phones, and corporate tickets. Murphy pleaded guilty to 11 counts of trespass and theft between March 21 and April 19, and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with the final year and a half suspended. Talbot admitted to five theft offences and received a three‑year sentence, back‑dated to April 21. Both men were identified through CCTV and apprehended on April 19 after being seen in Fitzwilliam Square South. The court noted their homelessness and drug difficulties, and highlighted Talbot's extensive criminal record of 67 prior convictions. The judge described the offences as "mannerly burglaries" but acknowledged the disruption caused to the businesses involved.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Dubliner Jason Kennedy, 45, to three years in prison for robbery and theft. Kennedy pleaded guilty to robbing Park Pharmacy in Cabinteely and stealing two USB keys from Shankill Garda station on August 18, 2016. Prosecution evidence indicated that Kennedy, armed with a hammer, threatened pharmacy staff before taking €500 and prescription drugs. He was later arrested after his vehicle was spotted in Rathfarnham. While being interviewed at the station, surveillance footage showed Kennedy pocketing two USB keys when the interviewing garda left the room; he later claimed it was a joke. Judge Karen O'Connor noted Kennedy's 43 previous convictions and his failure to complete a court-ordered residential drug treatment course, despite his history of addiction. The judge expressed sadness at his non-completion but acknowledged his desire for rehabilitation. Judge O'Connor imposed a three-year sentence, suspending the final 12 months on strict conditions. This means Kennedy will serve two years in custody before being released on probation for the suspended period.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Donnavan Staddon, aged 39, received a suspended prison sentence after assaulting a 12‑year‑old girl in an H&M children's clothes shop. CCTV showed Staddon entering the shop behind two girls, following one into the children's section, and touching her bottom. He then approached a second girl, who was elsewhere in the shop, and asked her for directions to the cinema, claiming she was about 17. Staddon denied inviting her to the cinema and said he had been lost. He had previously pleaded guilty to an assault in 2014. Judge Terence O'Sullivan imposed a €500 fine and a one‑month suspended sentence, requiring Staddon to keep the peace for three months. The victim's mother expressed that she did not want Staddon to go to prison, and Staddon's wife stated she did not condone his behaviour. The court noted Staddon had no prior convictions and had worked as a security guard.
Noel O'Connor, 36, was jailed for three years after smuggling almost €70,000 worth of cocaine from Brazil into Dublin Airport. Customs officers discovered 1.1 kilos of cocaine in two shampoo bottles during a random swab test. O'Connor fled the customs hall, ran into the arrivals area, and escaped in a taxi. He later returned to Ireland to face the court, pleading guilty to importation of controlled drugs. Judge Martin Nolan described him as "the ambassador of his own misfortune" but praised his clean record in custody and charity work with the Irish Red Cross. O'Connor had ten prior convictions, including theft and robbery, and had been a personal trainer. He had fled to Brazil after a breakup, accrued a drug debt, and was persuaded to smuggle drugs to repay it. The sentence was back‑dated to 23 June.
During the second day of the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Paul Richardson, a Securicor cash‑in‑transit van driver, recounted how he collapsed on the road after learning that an armed gang had released his wife and sons. Richardson said the gang had burst into his home on the evening of 13 March 2005, taken his family, and instructed him to continue his work the next day while they monitored him by phone. He described receiving aggressive calls, being told to drive to the Anglers Rest pub to deposit €2.28 million, and being pressured to keep moving. After the gang announced the family's release, Richardson felt severe chest pains and fainted, falling from the van onto the road. He was later taken to Mullingar hospital by ambulance. The trial involves four men—Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, David Byrne, and Niall Byrne—who pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and robbery charges.
Priscilla Farrelly, a 33‑year‑old Dublin woman, was found in possession of drugs worth almost €24,000, including cannabis, Alprazolam tablets and PVP, after Gardaí observed her conducting street deals in Fairview. She pleaded guilty to the offences and admitted selling drugs to pay a €1,500 debt. Farrelly, who has a prior assault conviction from 2009, cooperated fully with police, showing them where the drugs were stored. Her defence lawyer argued that her upbringing and psychiatric problems made her vulnerable to pressure from third parties. The judge, recognising her vulnerability and lack of financial gain, imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence, with the entire term suspended for that period.
Sean O'Leary, 40, was jailed for three and a half years for aggravated burglary after he burst into a 75‑year‑old man's Dublin home wearing a balaclava and wielding a knife. He forced the elderly victim to open his mouth, rummaged through his pockets and stole €900 in cash. The victim did not see the knife during the incident, but Gardaí later matched O'Leary's DNA to a blade left on the kitchen table. O'Leary pleaded guilty at Moatview Court on 31 March 2016 and had 28 previous convictions. The court heard the victim was knocked to the ground, suffered an economic loss, and had to move to a nursing home due to increased anxiety. O'Leary expressed remorse, saying he hoped the man could forgive him. The judge noted the crime's impact on the victim and imposed the sentence with credit for time already spent in custody.
Paul Richardson, a cash‑in‑transit van driver for Securicor, gave evidence at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on the first day of a retrial for four men accused of kidnapping his family and robbing €2.28 million in March 2005. The accused – Mark Farrelly (46), Christopher Corcoran (70), David Byrne (45) and Niall Byrne (36) – pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and robbery. Richardson described how armed men in navy boiler suits and balaclavas entered his home on 13 March, forced him and his family into the living room, and threatened his 17‑year‑old son with a handgun while the son suffered a panic attack. The men demanded Richardson collect cash from his van and deliver it to a pub, threatening the family's release. The trial, expected to continue until mid‑April, focuses on proving the four men's involvement in the kidnapping and robbery.
Martin Morgan, a 53-year-old London resident, appealed a €252,908 confiscation order in the Court of Appeal. Morgan had previously pleaded not guilty to organising prostitution and running a brothel at a Bachelor's Walk apartment between August 22 and October 10, 2005. He was found guilty by a jury following a 19-day trial and jailed for three years in 2008. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court subsequently ordered the confiscation of assets based on estimated net profits. Morgan's counsel argued that the State failed to prove Morgan had realisable assets, asserting he had spent all proceeds on business expenses. The State contended the burden of proof rested on Morgan to demonstrate he had no assets. The three-judge panel, comprising Justices Birmingham, Edwards, and Hedigan, noted Morgan's claim that he had nothing left was a "courageous assertion" but required corroboration. The court had previously granted Morgan legal aid for this appeal, noting his inability to pay could result in further imprisonment. The court reserved its judgement on the appeal.
Michael Royal, aged 41, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six and a half years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended. He pleaded guilty to assaulting Prison Officer Paul Hayes at Mountjoy Prison on 27 October 2012, to trespassing and theft of a BMW, an iPhone 5s and a TV on 2 December 2013, and to a burglary that led to a car theft. Royal had previously left Ireland after a trial date for the burglary but was returned to the country. The judge, citing Royal's history of 40 convictions for robbery, burglary, assault and drug offences, described him as a "menace to society." Royal was also ordered to undergo 18 months of post‑release probation supervision. The court noted that Officer Hayes suffered fractured bones and a jaw injury requiring surgery after the assault. The case highlighted Royal's long‑term drug addiction and the impact of his criminal behaviour on the community.
John Downes, 56, worked for Marks and Spencer in Dundrum from November 2014. Between 26 April and 7 July 2016 he stole €24,650 in cash from 54 cash registers, carrying the money in his pockets and sock. Security footage caught him moving bills into his pocket and later into his sock. When confronted he denied theft until he produced €650 in notes. Downes admitted the thefts, citing debt from a failed printing business and a broken marriage. He was suspended on full pay pending investigation. Gardaí found he drove a leased BMW (registration 152) and had €950 in his bedroom that he admitted came from the store. He has two minor road‑traffic convictions. Downes is now employed by a packaging sales company, which has loaned him money to repay Marks and Spencer. He has apologized, expressed remorse, and is repaying his former employer from his salary. John Downes pleaded guilty.
Rory Mullally, a 26‑year‑old former Dublin Bus employee, was found guilty of dishonestly appropriating more than €14,000 from the company by creating bogus customer refunds. Between 14 October 2016 and 20 February 2017, he logged rebates for non‑existent or mismatched Leap Card numbers and duplicated refunds, actions discovered when managers noticed 353 anomalies in his logs. Mullally admitted the fraud, citing a gambling addiction, and resigned, returning €1,045 of pension funds and over €1,000 in cash to the company. He pleaded guilty, and the court accepted that his early plea saved time. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑year suspended sentence, ordering the remaining owed amount to be handed to Gardaí for transfer to Dublin Bus. No prior convictions were recorded.
Luke Connors, a 29‑year‑old from Fairgreen Upper, Hacketstown, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for deceiving an 89‑year‑old Dublin woman, Mary Doherty, into withdrawing €400 from her bank account. Connors pretended to be a roof‑repairer for Doherty's sister and walked with her to the bank in Tallaght on 25 November 2016, standing across the road while she withdrew the cash. He pleaded guilty to dishonestly inducing the withdrawal. Connors had 11 prior convictions, including road traffic offences and two thefts. Judge Martin Nolan described the crime as "shameful" and imposed a 16‑month sentence, suspending the final 12 months. The court ordered that the €700 Connors brought to court be transferred to Doherty. The case was prosecuted by Gerardine Small BL, with Garda Kevin Boland presenting CCTV evidence of Connors walking with the victim to the bank. Connors was later arrested at a shopping centre.
Four men—Mark Farrelly (46), Christopher Corcoran (70), David Byrne (45) and Niall Byrne (36)—were tried in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a tiger kidnapping that took place on 13–14 March 2005. They were accused of abducting the Richardson family, the family of cash‑in‑transit van driver Paul Richardson, and of robbing €2.28 million from Securicor. The men allegedly burst into the Richardson home in March 2015, armed and wearing balaclavas, and forced the family to cooperate. They transported the family to the Wicklow mountains, held them overnight, and released them after the ransom was paid. The prosecution presented mobile‑phone evidence linking the accused to the robbery. All four pleaded not guilty. The trial was scheduled to continue until mid‑April 2018.
In 2013 a Dublin man, Ross Archibold, 40, was found with more than €400,000 worth of ecstasy pills in the boot of a car near his home in Snowdrop Walk, Darndale. Gardaí spotted him acting suspiciously beside the vehicle and, after he jumped a garden fence, searched the boot and discovered four bags containing over 40,000 MDMA tablets. The drugs had a street value of €403,000. Archibold was also found to have receipts from Lifestyle Sports in Swords and an Applegreen service station on the M1, and CCTV footage showed him buying a sports bag at Lifestyle Sports and being a passenger in the car that carried the drugs. He pleaded guilty to one count of possessing MDMA for sale or supply at Buttercup Park on 12 April 2013, entered an early guilty plea, was re‑charged and re‑entered a guilty plea in 2016. He has 18 previous convictions, mainly for minor offences.
A 24‑year‑old Norwegian visitor, Nikolai Vinningland, was found guilty of assault causing harm to Dr. Robert Lee Greaves at Copper Face Jacks nightclub in Dublin on 16 April 2016. Vinningland struck Greaves with a glass that broke, inflicting serious facial and dental injuries. Greaves suffered a lacerated lip, a knocked‑out front tooth, a broken incisor, cuts to his chin, neck and face, and required plastic surgery and extensive dental work. He reported anxiety, embarrassment and financial loss of €7,500. Vinningland pleaded guilty, expressed remorse and provided an apology letter. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to a three‑year custodial term suspended in full on the condition that he pay Greaves €10,000 immediately and an additional €7,500 within 18 months, and to maintain good behaviour for three years. No custodial sentence was imposed. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.