Lawyers for Lisa Smith, a former Irish soldier aged 40 from Dundalk, Co. Louth, are contesting evidence of Facebook messages that prosecutors claim link her to Islamic State and a convicted terrorist. Smith denies membership in the unlawful terrorist group between 28 October 2015 and 1 December 2019 and denies financing terrorism by sending €800 via Western Union to a named man on 6 May 2015. During a hearing before a three‑judge Special Criminal Court, Detective Sergeant Carrie O'Connor informed counsel that a warrant issued in December 2019 allowed access to Facebook messages dating back to 2013. The messages allegedly show contact with John Georgelas, an American convert to Islam wanted in the United States for supporting a terrorist organisation, and with Robert Edward Cerantonio, an Australian who pleaded guilty in 2016 to preparing an incursion into the Philippines. Mr. Michael O'Higgins SC will file objections to the Facebook evidence tomorrow, while Mr. Lisa Smith pleaded not guilty.
Lisa Smith, a former Defence Forces member from Dundalk, Co Louth, pleaded not guilty to three charges at the Special Criminal Court. She is accused of membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015, and December 1st, 2019; financing terrorism by sending €800 via Western Union to a named man on May 6th, 2015; and taking part in preparations for an incursion into the Philippines to promote hostile activities. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, heard testimony from Pat Reilly, a former Irish Air Corps member, who stated that Smith made anti-western remarks and promoted Islam during a 2011 guard duty. Reilly also noted that Smith was described by a superior officer as "industrious, hard-working and reliable." The court further heard from Australian Federal Police agents regarding a counter-terrorism investigation into Robert Edward Cerantonio. Cerantonio, who is not the defendant in this Irish case, pleaded guilty to taking part in preparations for an incursion into the Philippines to promote hostile activities. He was sentenced in May 2019 at the Supreme Court of Victoria to seven years imprisonment with a minimum time to be served of five years and three months. Legal argument regarding the admissibility of the Australian officers' evidence is scheduled for the following day. The trial continues.
The Special Criminal Court resumed Lisa Smith's trial after a seven‑day break caused by a medical issue that kept the three judges away. The court, which had previously heard transcripts of Smith's Garda interviews, now focuses on legal arguments about mutual assistance requests to American and Australian authorities. Smith, 39, denies membership in the Islamic State from 28 October 2015 to 1 December 2019 and denies financing terrorism by sending €800 in 2015. The case is before Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Cormac Dunne. Lisa Smith pleaded not guilty.
The Special Criminal Court adjourned Lisa Smith's non‑jury trial to next Friday after medical difficulties prevented the three judges from attending. Smith, 39, from Dundalk, Co. Louth, denies membership of the Islamic State between 28 October 2015 and 1 December 2019 and denies financing terrorism by sending €800 via Western Union to a named man on 6 May 2015. She was not required to attend the adjourned hearing and will resume the trial on Friday. Lisa Smith pleaded not guilty.
Robert O'Leary, a 43‑year‑old used‑car salesman from Finglas, was convicted in October 2020 by a Special Criminal Court of membership in the Irish Republican Army (Óglaigh na hÉireann) after a car he sold was used in a bombing. He served three years before the conviction was quashed when it was revealed that the prosecution had not disclosed that the chief witness, Nik Kasapi, was a convicted drug dealer. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice George Birmingham, adjourned the case to allow the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide on a retrial. The DPP announced that no fresh proceedings would be brought and O'Leary was released. He has vowed to keep his case public and to challenge the existence of the Special Criminal Court, arguing that he was jailed for a crime he did not commit and that the evidence against him was withheld.
In February 2022 the Special Criminal Court heard that Garda James Kilgannon had concerns for Lisa Smith's safety after comments on local media suggested she should not return to Ireland. Kilgannon explained that part of his duty was to ensure her safety when she began living with her mother in Dundalk. He noted that Smith had reintegrated reasonably well, was accepted by the community, and had complied with all bail conditions, including a curfew and daily sign‑ins at a Garda station. Smith's family were described as decent people who had cooperated with Gardaí. Kilgannon also revealed that Smith's family had alerted him to three voice messages and texts she had sent while in the Ain Issa camp in Syria, indicating she was in "tough and dangerous conditions" and that her husband had likely been killed. Lisa Smith pleaded not guilty.
Lisa Smith, a former Irish soldier aged 39 from Dundalk, denies membership in Islamic State. She claims she saw a single atrocity – a dead man hanging on a cross with his eyes gouged out – while living in Syria, but says she did not witness public executions or other atrocities. Smith says she was there to "build the Islamic State" and that she had no involvement in terrorist activities. She denies funding terrorism, stating she sent €800 to a man named John Georgelas in 2015 for personal use, not to support the organisation. Smith says her husband kept her confined and prevented her from leaving until after Raqqa fell in 2017. The Special Criminal Court is hearing her not‑guilty pleas for membership of an unlawful terrorist group and for financing terrorism. The trial is before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Cormac Dunne. Lisa Smith pleaded not guilty.
Douglas Glynn, 37, of Dublin 1, was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to seven years and six months imprisonment for participating in the activities of a criminal organisation. The final year of the sentence is suspended, and the term is backdated to December 31, 2021, when he entered custody. Glynn pleaded guilty to charges relating to the targeting of James 'Mago' Gately between December 7, 2016, and April 6, 2017. The court found that Glynn placed a tracking device on Gately's vehicle, an act that positioned him higher in the criminal hierarchy than co-accused Stephen Fowler and others. Mr Justice Hunt, sitting with Judges Sarah Berkeley and Cormac Dunne, noted the offence arose from an ongoing plan by the Kinahan organised crime group to murder Gately, a member of the rival Hutch group. The judge highlighted that the criminal organisation was serious, well-organised, and well-financed. In mitigation, the court considered Glynn's guilty plea, entered after the trial began, and his previous minor convictions. The sentence reflects the gravity of the offence, which was prevented solely by early Garda intervention. Related proceedings include the 2018 sentencing of Imre Arakas, who was jailed for six years for conspiring to murder Gately, and the 2023 sentencing of Peter Keating, who received 11 years for directing the criminal organisation's activities.
During the Special Criminal Court trial, an FBI agent testified that it was "beyond suspicion" that former Irish soldier Lisa Smith had joined ISIS while in Syria. The agent, who cannot be named, was in Syria in 2019 when Smith was held in the Ain Issa camp. He confirmed that Smith had been a member of the Irish army and could have been recruited to train women in the Khatibah, an all‑female ISIS battalion. Another FBI witness, Agent C, provided admissible evidence that Smith met the ISIS propagandist John Georgelas (Abu Hassan) in 2012 via Facebook, travelled to Turkey in 2013, and crossed into Syria with him. Smith returned to Ireland in 2014, went back to the Middle East in 2015, and by June 2016 was living in Syria, married, and residing in Raqqa. She later moved to refugee camps Al‑Hawl and Ain Issa.
Lisa Smith, a 39‑year‑old former Irish soldier from Dundalk, denies membership in Islamic State. She was arrested at Dublin Airport after flying from Syria, where she had travelled to join the caliphate about four years earlier. In the Special Criminal Court she pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful terrorist group between 28 October 2015 and 1 December 2019, and to financing terrorism by sending €800 via Western Union to a named man on 6 May 2015. During the hearing, Smith admitted she had watched a video of men being drowned in a cage by ISIS and posted a WhatsApp message saying she now understood why they were drowned, though she said she did not agree with the killings. She described the killings as "barbaric" and "savage" and said the video made her feel "disgusted." The trial is before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, with Judges Gerard Griffin and Cormac Dunne presiding in the non‑jury court.
The Special Criminal Court delivered a sentence in the case of 'Jimmy' Mansfield, who was found not guilty of conspiring to kidnap former security guard Martin Byrne. The court accepted that on June 9, 2015, a gang led by Dessie O'Hare and Declan Duffy kidnapped Mr Byrne at Keating Park, assaulting him and holding him at The Towers. While the judge found insufficient evidence that Mansfield deliberately lured Mr Byrne for the kidnapping, he was found to have lied about his interactions with the criminals. The court determined that Mansfield was aware of and approved the involvement of New IRA and INLA members in efforts to recover properties lost during the 2008 economic crash, including the Citywest Hotel. Mansfield was also found to have instructed the destruction of CCTV footage linking him to the events. The judgment noted that Mansfield had previously associated with dissident paramilitaries to address debt demands. O'Hare and Duffy, both notorious criminals with prior convictions for serious offenses including murder and false imprisonment, were central to the plot. The court highlighted Mansfield's 'shoddy and selfish' conduct, such as failing to contact his former employee after the incident, but concluded that his lies did not establish guilt for the conspiracy charge. The matter was finalized with this sentencing judgment.
Jim Mansfield Jnr, a property magnate, was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to two years' imprisonment with the final six months suspended for a period of six months, back‑dated to 17 January 2022. The sentence followed a conviction for attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Patrick Byrne to destroy CCTV footage that showed Mansfield and former employee Martin Byrne leaving Finnstown House Hotel on 9 June 2015, the day Byrne was later kidnapped by republican terrorists Dessie O'Hare and Declan 'Whacker' Duffy. Mansfield, 54, had ordered the footage destroyed to distance himself from the kidnappers and to hide his association with them. He was acquitted of a separate conspiracy charge for falsely imprisoning Byrne. The court noted his lack of prior convictions, his mild intellectual disability, his role as a carer for his 78‑year‑old mother and his generally good character as mitigating factors. Jim Mansfield Jnr pleaded not guilty.
Jim Mansfield Jnr, a property magnate, faces sentencing at the Special Criminal Court for directing Patrick Byrne to destroy CCTV footage that showed Mansfield and former employee Martin Byrne leaving Finnstown House Hotel on 9 June 2015, the day Byrne was kidnapped by Dessie O'Hare and Declan 'Whacker' Duffy. Defence counsel Bernard Condon SC presented a psychologist's report indicating Mansfield operates at a mild intellectual disability or borderline range. Mansfield, 54, was acquitted of a separate conspiracy charge to falsely imprison Byrne. The court noted Mansfield's involvement with the New IRA and INLA in dealing with threats from traveller gangs and his efforts to recover assets lost in a crash. He has no prior convictions except a traffic offence over ten years ago, complied with bail conditions, and is a carer for his 78‑year‑old mother. The sentencing hearing will determine the final imposed term. Jim Mansfield Jnr pleaded not guilty and was found guilty.
The Special Criminal Court heard testimony from FBI Agent Alan Goehring regarding John Georgelas, an American Islamic convert who taught Lisa Smith about the Quran. Agent Goehring stated that Georgelas was placed on an Interpol red alert in June 2016 for charges including providing material support to a terrorist organisation. He further noted that in 2006, Georgelas was sentenced to 34 months in prison after pleading guilty to accessing a computer to obtain passwords protecting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) website. The court also heard from the accused, Lisa Smith, a former Irish soldier from Dundalk, Co Louth. Ms Smith has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019. She has also pleaded not guilty to financing terrorism by sending €800 in assistance via a Western Union money transfer to a named man on May 6th, 2015. During interviews with gardai, Ms Smith alleged that Georgelas helped her escape a women's "madaffa" in Syria after five months. She described the facility as a prison and stated she did not carry a weapon or provide military assistance. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, continues.
Lisa Smith, a 39‑year‑old former Irish soldier from Dundalk, pleaded not guilty to membership of the Islamic State and to financing terrorism. She told the Special Criminal Court that she travelled to Syria in 2015 because she feared eternal damnation if she did not join the caliphate, believing it would be a peaceful state where she could raise a family and teach her children the Quran. Smith said she was misled by propaganda, never owned a weapon, and did not support terrorism or brutality. She described life in a women's camp, being robbed of €7,000, forced into a marriage with a Pakistani/British Muslim, and enduring abuse and bombings. Smith claimed she escaped by walking 15 kilometres with her daughter, later returning to Ireland. The trial is ongoing before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Cormac Dunne.
The Special Criminal Court adjourned the sentencing of three brothers, Gerard, Ciaran, and Stephen Duffy, to March 4, remanding them in custody. The defendants, part of a cross-Border gang alleged to have stolen nearly €800,000 from ATMs in Cavan, Meath, and Monaghan between 2018 and 2019, appeared before a three-judge panel. Gerard Duffy pleaded guilty to the attempted theft of an ATM at the Riverfront Bar & Restaurant in Virginia, Co Cavan, in August 2019, contrary to Section 73 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. Ciaran Duffy pleaded guilty to three offences, including participating in criminal activities in a Toyota Avensis at Tullypole, Moynalty, attempting to steal the Virginia ATM, and possessing cash to facilitate a criminal offence. Stephen Duffy pleaded guilty to possessing cash at The Yard, Tullypole, in association with a criminal organisation. Prosecution evidence detailed the gang's use of stolen diggers and vehicles to rip ATMs from walls, culminating in a failed attempt in Virginia where gardaí rammed a stolen vehicle. Cash totaling over €103,000 was recovered from a vehicle and a lawnmower. Defence counsel highlighted the defendants' remorse, employment histories, and character references. In a related matter, Niall Finnegan was previously sentenced to four-and-a-half years, with the final 18 months suspended, for possessing or handling €103,000 linked to the gang's activities.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 31 January 2022, lawyers for former Irish soldier Lisa Smith, who denies membership of Islamic State, challenged the legality of her 2019 arrest. Michael O'Higgins SC argued that Smith was detained under the Offences Against the State Act 1939, which does not cover offences alleged to have occurred outside Ireland, and that she should have been charged under the 2005 Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act instead. Sean Gillane SC, representing the Director of Public Prosecutions, noted that Detective Sergeant Gareth Kane had testified that he suspected Smith of membership in an illegal organisation at the time of arrest, an offence under the 1939 Act, and that prosecutors may have altered their suspicions later. Judge Tony Hunt was to deliver a judgment the following day. Smith, aged 39 from Dundalk, Co. Louth, remains in the Special Criminal Court, having pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful terrorist group and to financing terrorism.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, witness Tania Joya testified about former Irish soldier Lisa Smith's journey into radicalisation. Joya, who met Smith in 2013 when Smith travelled to Turkey and Syria, described Smith's decision to abandon her life and join an extremist ideology as driven by rejection and a desire for acceptance within a Muslim community. Joya said Smith was influenced by her husband, an American convert to Islam named John Georgelas, who she claimed taught her about Islam and encouraged her to fight for rebels in Syria. Joya also recounted Smith's experiences in Syria, including marriage to a Tunisian man, two pregnancies, and alleged pressure to obey her husband. She further spoke about her own path out of radicalisation, noting the influence of Georgelas and the lack of exposure to criticism of Islam. The testimony was presented to a three‑judge, non‑jury court, with the trial scheduled to continue on Monday. Tania Joya pleaded not guilty.
Lisa Smith, a former Defence Forces member aged 39 from Dundalk, Co. Louth, denies membership in the Islamic State. In 2013, she exchanged messages with American Islamic scholar John Georgelas, who was living in Egypt at the time. Georgelas invited her to travel to Egypt to study under him and offered to pay her to care for his wife, Tania Joya's children. Smith replied that she would not accept money for childcare, stating that learning from him would be sufficient. Georgelas later left Egypt with Joya and arranged to meet Smith in Turkey. Joya testified that Georgelas was a respected scholar who could "overwhelm" people with his knowledge of scripture and that he wrote for Isis propaganda magazines Dabiq and Rumiyah. Lisa Smith pleaded not guilty.
A 31-year-old man from County Armagh has pleaded not guilty to charges relating to a series of ATM thefts across the Border region. The accused faced the Special Criminal Court on allegations of involvement in the attempted theft of an ATM at the Riverfront Hotel in Virginia, County Cavan, in August 2019, and the theft and criminal damage of an ATM in Castleblayney, County Monaghan, in April 2019. Both alleged offences are said to have been committed for the benefit of a criminal organisation. The prosecution concluded its case, presenting evidence including DNA findings and CCTV footage of thefts at multiple locations in Cavan and Monaghan. Defence counsel indicated an intention to apply for the charges to be dismissed when proceedings resume. The trial continues before three judges at the Special Criminal Court.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Tania Joya, a UK national radicalised in her teens, testified that former Defence Forces member Lisa Smith, aged 39, was indoctrinated into a false belief in a fake god and travelled to Syria in 2013 to join the rebellion against the Assad regime. Joya described Smith as excited, optimistic, and eager to die as a martyr. Smith, who had a military background, was respected by Arab men and married a Tunisian Al Qaeda member. Joya claimed Smith was influenced by John Georgelas, an American convert to Islam, who she said was charismatic and knowledgeable of the Koran. Smith pleaded not guilty to membership of the Islamic State between 28 October 2015 and 1 December 2019 and to financing terrorism by sending €800 in May 2015. The trial is proceeding before a three‑judge panel.
The Special Criminal Court is hearing the trial of Daniel O'Callaghan, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is accused of the attempted theft of an ATM at the Riverfront Hotel in Virginia, Co Cavan, on August 14, 2019, allegedly for the benefit of a criminal organisation. O'Callaghan faces multiple other allegations, including possessing a stolen Toyota Landcruiser, a stolen 14-tonne digger, and bolt-cutters with intent to steal, as well as possessing large sums of cash to facilitate serious offences. Co-accused Ciaran Duffy, who pleaded guilty to three offences connected to the same investigation, was found hiding in a hotel toilet after fleeing from gardaí. Detective Superintendent James O'Leary testified that the incident was part of an intelligence-led investigation into organised ATM thefts. The court heard that O'Callaghan is the fifth male to appear in relation to this case. The trial continues before Justice Tara Burns, sitting with Judges Sarah Berkeley and Michael Walsh.
Lisa Smith, a 39‑year‑old former Defence Forces member from Dundalk, is on trial before the Special Criminal Court for membership of the Islamic State and for sending €800 to a man via Western Union. Witness Carol Karimah Duffy, a Muslim teacher who converted in 2001, testified that Smith spoke about jihad, suicide bombings and the "harsh end of Islam," and that she sought a husband who would die a martyr. Duffy said Smith was "naive" and "blindly followed what was said on the internet," never reading books or attending classes. She described how Smith made other mosque women uncomfortable, who suspected her of being a "plant." Duffy denied encouraging Smith to leave the army or to wear a hijab, and said she had never supported suicide bombings. The trial is set to continue tomorrow before a three‑judge panel. Lisa Smith pleaded not guilty.
Lisa Smith, a 39‑year‑old former Irish Defence Forces member, pleaded not guilty to membership of the Islamic State and to financing terrorism. She travelled to Syria in 2015, claiming to have "made hijrah" and to have expressed a desire to live under Sharia law and to die a martyr. Smith married a UK national in Syria, who had served on the Iraq border, and she remained in ISIS‑controlled territory until the fall of Baghouz in 2019. She returned to Ireland, was arrested and interviewed eleven times, and denied any membership or support for the terrorist organisation. The Special Criminal Court will consider her statements, conduct and alleged allegiance to ISIS as evidence of membership. The trial continues tomorrow before a three‑judge panel.
The Special Criminal Court rejected Lisa Smith's application to dismiss the charges of membership in the Islamic State. Judge Tony Hunt, hearing the case under the Criminal Justice Act 1999, ruled that the trial would proceed. Smith, 39, of Dundalk, faces charges under the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 for being a member of ISIS from 28 October 2015 to 1 December 2019, and for financing terrorism by sending €800 to a named man on 6 May 2015 via Western Union. The trial is set to open tomorrow.
Lisa Smith, a 39‑year‑old former Defence Forces member from Dundalk, faces charges under the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 for alleged membership of Islamic State between 28 October 2015 and 1 December 2019, and for financing terrorism by sending €800 via Western Union to a named recipient on 6 May 2015. Her lawyers argue insufficient evidence and seek dismissal under the Criminal Justice Act 1999, while the Director of Public Prosecutions opposes the application. Justice Tony Hunt will deliver a judgment on Monday; if the case proceeds, it is expected to last 12 weeks.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 17 January 2022, defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC criticised a statement released by former Minister of State Lucinda Creighton. Creighton had said that Lisa Smith's attempt to have ISIS membership charges dismissed posed a "significant threat to European security" and that the courts must proceed with the trial. O'Higgins called the statement "very detrimental" and a "blatant contempt of court", arguing it interfered with the course of justice. Smith, 39, from Dundalk, faces charges under the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 for ISIS membership from 28 October 2015 to 1 December 2019 and for financing terrorism by sending €800 via Western Union in May 2015. Smith's defence applied under Section 4E of the Criminal Justice Act 1999 to dismiss the charges on the basis of insufficient evidence.
The Special Criminal Court has sentenced Darren Murphy to life in prison for the murder of Eamon Kelly. Mr Justice Owens, sitting with Judges Ní Chúlacháin and Dempsey, imposed the mandatory life sentence, backdating it to November 1, 2021, for time already served. Murphy, who pleaded not guilty, was convicted of acting as a "spotter" in the December 4, 2012, shooting of the 65-year-old victim on Furry Park Road, Killester. The court found he participated in the common design of the murder gang, meeting the gunman and getaway driver and facilitating their escape. He was acquitted of possessing a Glock pistol due to insufficient evidence. Co-accused Kenneth Donohoe, who also pleaded not guilty, was found not to have been the getaway driver or possessed a handgun, with the court citing insufficient evidence of his direct role. In 2015, Sean Connolly was jailed for life for the same murder. The judge stated the evidence admitted no other credible explanation for Murphy's activities, noting he was as guilty as the shooter. Murphy has six previous convictions for public order and road traffic matters. The court accepted victim impact statements from Kelly's daughter, Alison, who described the killing as a "cowardly and senseless act."
Jim Mansfield Jnr was remanded in custody by the Special Criminal Court after being found guilty of perverting the course of justice. The 54-year-old pleaded not guilty to two charges: conspiring to falsely imprison Martin Byrne and directing Patrick Byrne to destroy CCTV footage. The court acquitted Mansfield on the conspiracy charge, finding insufficient evidence that he knew Dessie O'Hare and Declan Duffy planned to kidnap Byrne. However, he was convicted of perverting the course of justice for ordering the destruction of footage showing him with Byrne on the morning of the kidnapping. Mr Justice Alex Owens stated that while Mansfield knowingly involved O'Hare and Duffy in asset recovery efforts, the court could not exclude the possibility that he was misled regarding the kidnapping plot. O'Hare was jailed for seven years in 2019 and Duffy for six years in 2018 for falsely imprisoning Byrne. Following the verdict, the court refused Mansfield's request to remain on bail and remanded him in custody. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 7.
Douglas Glynn (37) of Fitzgibbon Court, Dublin 1, was re-arraigned on November 17 and pleaded guilty to participating in activities of a criminal organisation, contrary to Section 72 (1) (A) of the Criminal Justice Act. The charge relates to his involvement between December 7, 2016, and April 6, 2017, in activities connected with the targeting of James 'Mago' Gately. Glynn had previously pleaded not guilty at his first arraignment on November 9. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding at the non-jury court, remanded Glynn in custody until February 11, when he will be sentenced. In a related case, Caolan Smyth (30) of Cuileann Court, Donore, Co Meath, was sentenced to 20 years at the Special Criminal Court for the attempted murder of Gately and for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Smyth had denied both charges. Gary McAreavey (53) of Gort Nua, Station Road, Castlebellingham, Co Louth, pleaded not guilty to acting to impede an apprehension or prosecution by purchasing petrol and assisting in the burning out of the vehicle, a black Lexus, used in the attempted murder at Newrath, Dromiskin, Co Louth on the same day. He received a four-year jail term with the final year suspended. Estonian hitman Imre Arakas (63) was jailed by the Special Criminal Court for six years in December 2018, after he admitted to conspiring with others to murder Gately in Northern Ireland between April 3 and 4, 2017. Stephen Fowler (62), of Blakestown Cottages in Clonsilla, Dublin 15, has already been jailed for providing logistical support to the plot to murder Gately. The court heard that Gately had been warned by gardaí of a threat to his life from criminals who believed him to be involved in the Regency Hotel murder of Kinahan Cartel associate David Byrne in February 2016. The court has heard in previous related cases that there was 'ongoing targeting' of Gately in the context of a feud between the Hutch and Kinahan crime groups.
Thomas Rooney (52), of Betaghstown, Co Meath, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court for his role in an international criminal organisation. Rooney pleaded guilty to possessing €254,840 in a black holdall and €7,650 at North Road, Drogheda, on May 11, 2020. He also admitted to possessing crime cash at his home, where gardaí found €32,330 and £441. Mr Justice Tony Hunt described Rooney as a mid-to-high level member trusted to transport large sums, including a Nike bag containing €289,770. The six-year sentence is backdated to December 6, 2021, when Rooney first went into custody. The court ordered the seized money be forfeited to the State. A separate application to forfeit a Mercedes used by Rooney is contested and will be heard on January 31. In a related matter, Jason Reed (40) of Dunshaughlin pleaded guilty to possessing the cash in the blue Nike bag and additional crime cash found at his home. Previously, Rooney's then-partner, Catherine Dawson (45), received a fully suspended sentence for her role in moving the gang's money.
A former All-Ireland club football champion has pleaded not guilty to 17 charges arising from a series of ATM thefts across the Meath and Cavan region. Daniel O'Callaghan (31), with an address in Co Armagh, denies involvement in the alleged criminal enterprise. His trial began at the Special Criminal Court, a three-judge non-jury forum. The prosecution alleges that Mr O'Callaghan was part of a gang that stole ATMs using consistent methods between December 2018 and August 2019. A planned theft at Virginia in Co Cavan was disrupted by gardaí on 14 August 2019. The prosecution claims gardaí observed Mr O'Callaghan emerge from a stolen vehicle near the Riverfront Bar and flee into a field. Charges include the attempted theft at Virginia, possession of stolen vehicles and equipment, and handling cash totalling over €400,000 recovered at a premises in Co Meath. Mr O'Callaghan also faces allegations of facilitating criminal organisation activity. The trial continues before Justice Tara Burns, Judge Sarah Berkeley, and Judge Michael Walsh.
At the Special Criminal Court, Dermot McManus and co-accused Terese Halpin faced trial-stage proceedings regarding alleged money laundering and vehicle offences. McManus is charged with handling €28,550 and £17,240, knowing or being reckless as to whether they were proceeds of criminal conduct on 17 June 2020, and allowing a Limerick and District Credit Union account to be used for such purposes. He is further accused of possessing a stolen blue Ford Transit van and handling a white Mercedes Sprinter. Halpin is charged with possessing the same cash sums and allowing a Permanent TSB account to be used for handling proceeds of crime between January 2019 and June 2020. Prosecution counsel alleged the cash was found in socks and a jacket pocket during a search at Keating Park, Killalee, part of Operation Coronation. Defence counsel argued McManus was not a flight risk, citing family ties and a personal injury payment explanation for bank lodgements. Presiding Judge Tony Hunt granted bail to McManus, contingent on a €10,000 surety from a legitimate person, daily sign-on at a Limerick garda station, and non-association with named persons. The judge remanded McManus in custody with consent to bail and adjourned the matter with liberty to re-enter for surety approval. Halpin, who had previously entered a bond and surrendered her passport, was scheduled to appear again on 18 February.
Lisa Smith, aged 39 and from Dundalk, Co Louth, faces charges under the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 for alleged membership of the Islamic State (ISIS) between 28 October 2015 and 1 December 2019, and for financing terrorism by sending €800 via Western Union to a named man on 6 May 2015. Her lawyers, represented by Michael O'Higgins SC, have applied to the Special Criminal Court under Section 9 of the Criminal Justice Act 1999 to have the charges dismissed due to insufficient evidence. Judge Tony Hunt, sitting with Judges Gerard Griffin and Cormac Dunne, has granted permission for the application but will review the submitted documents over several days. The court will hear the application next Monday, and any evidence presented during this stage cannot be published or broadcast. If the trial proceeds, it is expected to last 12 weeks.
A man and a woman were brought before the Special Criminal Court on charges of money laundering, a development the Gardaí described as significant in their ongoing operation against organised crime in County Limerick. Dermot McManus, aged 51, and Terese Halpin, aged 49, were arrested at their home in Keating Park, Killalee, after Gardaí executed a warrant. McManus faces charges for handling €28,550 and £17,240 in cash, allegedly proceeds of criminal conduct on 17 June 2020, and for using a Limerick and District Credit Union account for those proceeds. He is also charged with possession of a stolen Ford Transit van and a Mercedes Sprinter during specified periods. Halpin is charged with possession of the same cash sums on 17 June 2020 and for allowing a Permanent TSB account to be used for handling proceeds of crime between 17 January 2019 and 10 June 2020.
Two brothers from Monaghan have entered guilty pleas at the Special Criminal Court in relation to a cross-border gang investigation involving ATM thefts. Gerard Duffy, aged 30, admitted to the attempted theft of an ATM at the Riverfront Hotel in Virginia, Co Cavan, on 14 August 2019. His brother Ciaran Duffy, aged 27, pleaded guilty to three offences, including participating in criminal activities in Co Meath and attempting to steal the same ATM. Their elder brother Stephen Duffy, aged 35, previously admitted possessing cash at Tullypole, Co Meath, in August 2019. The pleas relate to a garda investigation into ATM thefts across Cavan and Monaghan between September 2018 and August 2019. A fourth man, Niall Finnegan, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years, with 18 months suspended, for possessing €103,000 in proceeds. Sentencing hearings for both Gerard and Ciaran Duffy have been scheduled for 1 February. Both remain on bail.
A 27-year-old man from Castleblayney, County Monaghan has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to three offences arising from his involvement with a cross-border criminal organisation in 2019. Ciaran Duffy admitted attempting to steal an ATM and its contents from a restaurant on Main Street, Virginia, County Cavan on 14 August 2019. He also pleaded guilty to participating in the movement of cash on behalf of the criminal organisation at Tullypole, Moynalty, County Meath on 20 August 2019, and to contributing to the possession of cash at the same location on 14 August with intent to facilitate further offences. The three-judge, non-jury court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, scheduled sentencing for 1 February 2022. Duffy remains on bail pending sentence.
Lisa Smith, a 39‑year‑old former Defence Forces member from Dundalk, Co. Louth, is set to stand trial at the Special Criminal Court on 11 January 2022. She denies being a member of the Islamic State. The court will hear two charges under the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005: membership of ISIS from 28 October 2015 to 1 December 2019, and financing terrorism by sending €800 via Western Union to a named man on 6 May 2015. The trial is expected to last 12 weeks. Ms Smith is on bail and did not attend the court hearing today.
Kevin Lunney, a director of Quinn Industrial Holdings, gave evidence at the Special Criminal Court detailing his abduction and assault in County Fermanagh in September 2019. Mr Lunney described being forced into a vehicle, transported to a remote farmyard near Ballina, County Mayo, where he was beaten, slashed with a knife, and doused with bleach. He was later discovered on a roadside with a fractured shin, knife wounds, and hypothermia. The trial established that the attack was connected to Mr Lunney's directorship and litigation involvement. Three men were convicted: the court identified one as YZ, aged 40, Alan O'Brien, aged 40, and Darren Redmond, aged 27. Evidence included CCTV footage, mobile phone data, and DNA recovered from a vehicle used in the crime. Luke O'Reilly, aged 68, was acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence he knew the specific nature of the offences, despite ruling he likely provided local assistance. Mr Justice Tony Hunt described Mr Lunney as a decent man subjected to brutal violence intended to prevent him conducting lawful business.
A Monaghan man has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possessing stolen cash linked to coordinated ATM thefts by a cross-border criminal organisation. Stephen Duffy, aged 35, of Tullynahinera, Castleblayney, admitted to possessing cash at Tullypole, Co Meath, on 20 August 2019. He faces charges under Section 73 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 relating to possession of proceeds for the benefit of a criminal organisation. The case concerns investigations into the theft of an ATM in Castleblayney in April 2019 and an attempted theft in Virginia, Co Cavan, in August 2019. Duffy was remanded on continuing bail until 14 January. He is the second man to admit involvement in the thefts. Last month, Niall Finnegan received a sentence of four-and-a-half years, with eighteen months suspended, for possessing €103,000 from the same operation. Detective evidence indicated the gang stole approximately €790,000 across six incidents in the Cavan and Monaghan region using excavators.
Alan Wilson, aged 42, was sentenced to ten years in prison by Ms Justice Tara Burns of the Special Criminal Court for his role in a 2010 murder conspiracy that led to a shooting outside the Player's Lounge pub. Wilson admitted to conspiracy to murder persons unknown on 26 July 2010, and to possession of a .38 calibre Smith & Wesson revolver and a .32 calibre Zastava pistol between 24 and 26 July 2010, with the inference that he possessed them for an unlawful purpose. He had pleaded not guilty to the attempted murders of Brian Masterson, Wayne Barrett and Austin Purcell, charges that were later dropped. Wilson had previously pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to murder in 2019 and had a six‑year sentence for an earlier conspiracy. He was found not guilty of the 2008 murder of teenager Marioara Rostas.
Alan Wilson, 42, appeared before the Special Criminal Court for sentencing on a conspiracy to murder charge. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder persons unknown on July 26, 2010, and to possessing a .38 calibre Smith & Wesson revolver and a .32 calibre Zastava semi-automatic pistol for an unlawful purpose. Charges of attempted murder against Brian Masterson, Wayne Barrett, and Austin Purcell were dropped. Wilson was previously acquitted of the murder of Marioara Rostas in 2014. In 2019, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder Gary Hanley and was jailed for six years, with release due in May next year. Defence counsel Padraig Dwyer SC argued that the Rostas accusation caused significant suffering and that Wilson is not a member of the Kinahan gang. Dwyer highlighted Wilson's remorse, his early guilty plea, and his desire to lead an honest life, requesting a suspended portion of the sentence to aid rehabilitation. The court scheduled the sentencing for the current conviction for 2pm that day.
Thomas Rooney (52), of Betaghstown, Co Meath, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to three charges under Section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing) Act 2010. He admitted possessing €289,770 and £65,025 in a blue Nike holdall, €254,840 in a black holdall, and €7,650 at North Road, Drogheda, all on May 11, 2020. The court heard allegations that Rooney, described as a "mid-to-high" level member of an international crime gang, organised the transaction and used an encrypted Aquarius phone. Jason Reed (40), of Dunshaughlin, also pleaded guilty to possessing the cash in the blue Nike bag and to holding €32,330 and £441 at his home. In a related May finalisation, Catherine Dawson (44), Rooney's then-partner, received a fully suspended sentence of three years and nine months for moving the gang's money, suspended on good behaviour for five years. Mr Justice Tony Hunt stated he could not see a non-custodial sentence for Rooney. Despite no Garda objection to bail, Rooney was remanded in custody until January 14 for sentencing. The matter was adjourned to that date.
Alan Wilson, a member of the Kinahan criminal gang, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to conspiracy to murder and an offence under the Firearms Act. He admitted to possessing a .38 calibre Smith & Wesson revolver and a .32 calibre Zastava semi-automatic pistol between July 24 and July 26, 2010, in circumstances giving rise to the reasonable inference that he possessed them for an unlawful purpose. The prosecution alleged he provided firearms and getaway cars for the attempted murders of Brian Masterson, Wayne Barrett, and Austin Purcell at The Player's Lounge in Dublin 3 on July 26, 2010. Wilson claimed he was acting on instructions from dissident republicans. The Director of Public Prosecutions agreed to drop three attempted murder charges against him. Wilson also pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiring to murder Gary Hanley between September 15 and November 6, 2017, for which he was jailed for six years and is due for release in May next year. The court noted his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. The matter is at the sentencing stage. Ms Justice Tara Burns, presiding with Judge James Faughnan and Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin, will hear pleas in mitigation from Wilson's senior barrister Padraig Dwyer before passing sentence on December 15.
At the appeal stage, Niall Finnegan (39) of Cherry Grove, Cullyhanna, Co Armagh, who was previously convicted of committing the offence under Section 73 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, which states that a person 'commits a serious offence for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with, a criminal organisation', has had his sentence reviewed. Finnegan had pleaded guilty to possessing or handling €103,930 at The Yard, Tullypole, Moynalty, Co Meath, following an ATM theft on 20 August 2019. The non-jury court had previously jailed Finnegan for four-and-a-half years, suspending the final 18 months for three years for possessing the cash, which was the proceeds of ATM thefts carried out by a criminal organisation. The judge then gave Finnegan the full 25% discount for his guilty plea, resulting in a four-and-a-half year sentence, and suspended the final 18 months of the sentence for three years. Finnegan's barrister had requested a postponement of the activation of the sentence until after Christmas so that Finnegan could spend the holiday season with his three children, but this was denied by Mr Justice Tony Hunt. The matter was adjourned.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has dropped three charges of attempted murder against Alan Wilson, a Kinahan Cartel member, following his guilty plea to conspiracy to murder at the Special Criminal Court. Wilson, who was secretly recorded by gardai discussing the murder plot, had been on trial since November 1, accused of attempting to murder Brian Masterson, Wayne Barrett, and Austin Purcell at The Player's Lounge Public House in Dublin 3 on July 26, 2010. He also admitted to possessing a .38 calibre Smith & Wesson revolver and a .32 calibre Zastava semi-automatic pistol between July 24 and July 26, 2010, in circumstances suggesting an unlawful purpose. Wilson previously admitted to conspiring to murder Gary Hanley in 2017 and was jailed for six years. The DPP's Ronan Kennedy SC stated the plea was acceptable, and the attempted murder charges will be dropped during a sentencing hearing on Monday. The matter was adjourned by Ms Justice Tara Burns, with Judge James Faughnan and Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin, until then.
Alan Wilson, aged 42, is on trial for the attempted murder of three men outside the Player's Lounge pub in Dublin. He is alleged to be a member of the Kinahan organised crime gang. Retired Detective Superintendent William Johnson, former head of the National Surveillance Unit, testified that on 13 October 2017 he authorised the placement of an audio listening device in a Volkswagen Caddy believed to be used by Wilson and other gang members. Johnson said the device was needed to monitor conversations to prevent further crimes. The prosecution presented recordings from 2017 in which Wilson allegedly admitted to shooting the three men in 2010 and expressed amazement at one survivor's resilience. Wilson has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murders and to possession of firearms and ammunition. The trial is before the Special Criminal Court, presided by Ms Justice Tara Burns, with Judges James Faughnan and Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin.
At the Special Criminal Court in Dublin, businessman Kevin Lunney delivered a victim impact statement describing the lasting trauma inflicted on himself and his family by his abduction and assault in September 2019. Mr Lunney, a director of Quinn Industrial Holdings, stated that the anguish experienced by his family caused him greater torment than the physical injuries he sustained. He was kidnapped from outside his home in Cavan, driven to an isolated location in Ballinagh and subjected to severe violence including beatings and torture. Three men, Alan O'Brien, Darren Redmond and a third man referred to as YZ, were previously convicted of false imprisonment and intentionally causing harm. The Director of Public Prosecutions sought a pre-mitigation sentence of between fifteen years and life imprisonment. Mr Justice Tony Hunt reserved sentencing to December 20th, allowing defence counsel to present mitigation pleas. Mr Lunney's statement reflected on the broader campaign of intimidation affecting his company while acknowledging community support.
The Special Criminal Court has ruled that international witnesses in the trial of Lisa Smith, a former Defence Forces member, may give evidence by video-link. Presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt granted the prosecution's application, citing the current public health climate and the logistical difficulties of travel from Australia and the US. Ms Smith, 39, from Dundalk, Co Louth, is charged with being a member of the unlawful terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) between October 28, 2015, and December 1, 2019, and with financing terrorism by sending €800 to a named individual in May 2015. The defence, represented by Michael O'Higgins SC, objected to the application, referencing difficulties with video-link evidence in the trial of Aaron Brady, who was convicted of the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. Mr O'Higgins argued that the prosecution had not met the necessary criteria and that his client had the right to cross-examine witnesses in person. Despite these objections, Mr Justice Hunt was satisfied the conditions for the order were met. The trial is scheduled to begin on January 11, 2022, and is expected to last 12 weeks. Mr Justice Hunt adjourned the case to December 13 for an update on how matters were progressing.
In the Special Criminal Court, Garda National Surveillance Unit members testified that they observed Alan Wilson, 42, at several Dublin locations in September and October 2017, including in a white Nissan Primastar van. The evidence, presented by prosecution counsel John Byrne SC, includes a recording in which Wilson allegedly says, "Remember the shooting at the Player's Lounge, I done that." Wilson is charged with attempting to murder Brian Masterson, Wayne Barrett and Austin Purcell at The Player's Lounge pub on 26 July 2010, and with possession of firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial is proceeding before Justice Tara Burns, with Judges James Faughnan and Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin presiding.