Court archive
Longford Circuit Criminal Court
2017-05-12 · Longford
A pig farmer from County Longford has been imprisoned following the dismissal of his appeal against conviction at the Court of Appeal. Donal Connaughton, aged 58, from Newtowncashel, was found guilty by jury at Longford Circuit Criminal Court in 2013 of false imprisonment, threatening to cause serious harm, assault causing harm, and criminal damage. The offences occurred on 29 April 2010 at his piggery when two repossession employees arrived to recover items on behalf of a finance company. During the incident, Connaughton made aggressive threats towards the men and ordered them to undress and enter a pen with an agitated boar. An audio recording captured by the repossession men corroborated their accounts of the incident. Connaughton was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment by Mr Justice Tony Hunt in November 2013. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, found no grounds to question the safety of the verdict and dismissed the appeal, describing the recorded evidence as crystal clear. Donal Connaughton pleaded not guilty.
2017-05-08 · Longford
A pig farmer from County Longford has appealed his conviction for false imprisonment and related offences, alleging interference with a juror during his trial. Donal Connaughton, aged 58, from Elfeet, Newtowncashel, was convicted in 2013 following an incident at his farm in April 2010 when he directed two repossession agents into a pen with an agitated boar. He was found guilty on charges of false imprisonment, threatening serious harm, and assault, and was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment. His barrister argued before the Court of Appeal that the trial did not proceed in accordance with law due to alleged contact between a juror and third parties. The prosecution contended the allegation lacked evidential foundation, noting that eleven of twelve jurors confirmed no interference occurred. The three-judge court reserved judgement on the appeal. Connaughton remains on bail pending the determination of the case. Donal Connaughton pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
2016-10-13 · Longford
A man convicted of aggravated burglary at Ballymahon, County Longford, has failed to overturn his conviction at the Court of Appeal, despite judges acknowledging that his DNA sample was unlawfully retained beyond the statutory 12-month deadline. Eamon Murphy (48) of Attracta Road, Cabra, Dublin 7, pleaded not guilty to the offence at Longford Circuit Criminal Court but was found guilty and sentenced to ten years imprisonment, with the final three years suspended, in October 2015. A forensic swab was lawfully taken following his arrest in November 2011, but no application was made to retain it beyond the required period before his charge in January 2013. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Alan Mahon, found that whilst the retention breach violated Murphy's legal rights, the trial judge had properly exercised her discretion to admit the evidence. The appeal was dismissed.
2016-05-09 · Longford
A man convicted of aggravated burglary at Ballymahon, County Longford has appealed his conviction in the Court of Appeal, arguing that gardaí unlawfully retained his DNA sample beyond a statutory 12-month period before he was charged. Eamon Murphy, aged 48, had pleaded not guilty at Longford Circuit Criminal Court to the offence at An Draigheann on July 3, 2011. He was convicted and sentenced to ten years imprisonment with the final three years suspended in October 2015. A forensic buccal swab was taken from Murphy in November 2011 following his arrest, but no court application was made to retain the sample within the required timeframe. He was not charged until January 2013. Murphy's barrister submitted that retention beyond the deadline constituted a breach of his constitutional right to privacy under section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence) Act 1990. The Director of Public Prosecutions argued the DNA profile itself was not private information. The Court of Appeal reserved judgement.
2016-03-15 · Longford
Eamon Murphy, 48, of Cabra, Dublin 7, appealed his conviction for aggravated burglary at An Draigheann, Ballymahon, Co Longford, on July 3, 2011. He had pleaded not guilty at Longford Circuit Criminal Court, where he was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on October 25, 2015, with the final three years suspended. In the Court of Appeal, Murphy's counsel, Ciarán O'Loughlin SC, argued that retaining his DNA sample beyond 12 months without a court application breached his constitutional right to privacy. The Garda investigation identified a blood stain on the rear patio door, leading to Murphy's arrest on November 21, 2011, and a buccal swab. He was not charged until January 9, 2013, and no application was made to retain the sample within the statutory 12-month limit. Counsel submitted that under the Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence) Act 1990, the sample and records should have been destroyed, rendering the evidence inadmissible. The appeal was heard by Mr Justice George Birmingham, Mr Justice Alan Mahon, and Mr Justice John Edwards. The court reserved judgment, noting the case may raise complex legal and constitutional issues. The matter was adjourned for a mention on April 15 to determine if parties wished to make additional oral submissions on these rights.
2014-02-10 · Longford
A 53-year-old mass-card salesman from Longford has begun an appeal against his conviction for possession of child pornography at the Court of Criminal Appeal. Thomas McNally was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment in October 2011 following a Longford Circuit Criminal Court jury verdict on charges relating to possessing 676 images downloaded in February 2006. The appeal centres on whether the defence was entitled to challenge expert evidence presented by the prosecution regarding handwriting found on the images. The defence sought to call a competing expert witness but the trial judge refused permission. McNally was granted bail on compassionate grounds pending the appeal. The court indicated proceedings would continue at a later hearing. Thomas McNally pleaded not guilty.
2013-12-12 · Longford
Donal Connaughton, a pig farmer from Newtowncashel, County Longford, has been granted bail pending an appeal against his conviction. The Court of Criminal Appeal made the decision on 12 December 2013. Connaughton was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment last month by Judge Tony Hunt at Longford Circuit Criminal Court. He was found guilty in December 2012 of two counts of false imprisonment, two counts of threatening to cause serious harm, one count of assault, and two counts of criminal damage relating to an incident at a pig farm in Longford on 29 April 2010. He was acquitted of a further assault charge. Presiding Justice Adrian Hardiman said the court was influenced by the likelihood that Connaughton's sentence would expire before his appeal hearing. The appeal will proceed on grounds that jurors may have been influenced during trial. Gardaí investigated allegations made by Connaughton but the Director of Public Prosecutions directed no prosecution. Bail was granted on the same terms as those imposed before trial.