The Central Criminal Court heard evidence on the eighth day of the 29‑year‑old Marta Herda's trial for the murder of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos. Herda, a Polish waitress, is charged with driving Orsos into a harbour where he drowned on 26 March 2013. She pleaded not guilty and claimed the victim had been in love with her, a feeling she did not share, and that she could no longer tolerate the situation. Forensic Collision Investigator Garda Cliff Harding testified that a skid mark on the quay indicated the handbrake had been applied before the car entered the water, as the mark was consistent with a locked tyre caused by emergency braking. He noted that ABS would prevent such a mark, implying the handbrake was used.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, a Garda witness testified that a fire may have been set at the armchair where 64‑year‑old Thomas 'Toddy' Dooley was found dead in his Edenderry home on 16 February 2014. The body, covered with a cushion, was in a sitting position in the armchair, which was burned in three places. Seven footwear marks were found on the floor, and no implement was recovered. The fire caused burns to Dooley's head, upper body, and both legs of his nylon tracksuit. The prosecution also presented witnesses who described the presence of a baseball bat in the scene, but no weapon was found. The case involves three men—Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21), and James Davy (25)—who are charged with murder and have pleaded not guilty. The trial is set to continue tomorrow before Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan.
During a murder trial, witness Ms. April Murray testified that on 11 February 2014 she and her daughter were at Mangan's pub in Edenderry, where they met James Davy, Sean Davy and Jade Mooney. After the pub, they returned to Murray's house, where the men drank beer and used cocaine from a key. Murray described a chaotic scene the next morning, with damage to the living room and kitchen, and noted a light‑brown wooden baseball bat on the kitchen table. She claimed the bat had been used and was later left in a taxi. Courtleigh Maloney, an 18‑year‑old, confirmed that James Davy had brought the bat to the pub and left it in the taxi. Jade Mooney also stated that Davy had shown her the bat and said it was to "protect himself." The accused men, Matthew Cummins, Sean Davy and James Davy, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Thomas Dooley.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, a Meals on Wheels volunteer, Ms Patricia Maguire, testified that a 64‑year‑old Offaly man, Thomas 'Toddy' Dooley, appeared to be in "OK" form the day before his death. Ms Maguire, who has volunteered for 18 years, delivered a meal to Dooley's home at Sister Senan Court on Tuesday, February 11, 2014. She described a brief conversation with Dooley, who seemed fine and paid her €2 or €2.50 for the meal. Dooley was later found dead in his living room on February 16, 2014, with injuries to his upper body and head. The trial involves three men—Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21) and James Davy (25)—who were charged with murdering Dooley on February 12, 2014, and who pleaded not guilty. The case continues.
A man has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment, with the final year suspended for three years, at the Central Criminal Court for the sexual abuse of his daughter over a decade-long period. The 50-year-old pleaded guilty to two attempted rapes and ten sexual assaults committed between 2003 and 2012 at the family farm and surrounding areas in County Sligo. The abuse began when the victim was five years old and occurred almost daily. The court heard the man had been diagnosed as a paedophile by a psychiatrist following an assessment linked to an addiction to pornography. The victim, now twenty, first disclosed the abuse to her school chaplain at seventeen. Mr Justice Tony Hunt ordered the man be registered as a sex offender and undergo eighteen months post-release supervision. The court noted there were other victims within the family beyond the primary complainant.
In a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard that Thomas 'Toddy' Dooley, a 64‑year‑old Offaly resident, was found dead in his living room on 16 February 2014, four days after he was allegedly beaten to death with a baseball bat. The prosecution presented evidence that three men – Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21) and James Davy (25) – were present at a party in April Murray's house on the early hours of 12 February 2014, then travelled to Dooley's home. The men were said to have used a wooden baseball bat to inflict blunt‑trauma injuries to Dooley's head and chest, leading to his death. The prosecution also alleged attempts to set fire to Dooley's armchair and clothing, and that the men removed items from the scene, some of which were later recovered by the gardai. The accused pleaded not guilty. The trial was scheduled to continue the following day.
A 42‑year‑old man was found guilty by a jury of threatening to cut his wife's face open with a cleaver on 25 May 2014, a threat he denied, claiming he only held a butter knife while making a sandwich. The jury is still deliberating on allegations that he ordered her upstairs that night and raped her, as well as on charges of assault causing harm and four other threats to kill or cause serious harm between May and August 2014. The trial noted that the couple's marriage was under stress, with the man unhappy about the wife's career and time spent with their infant son. He had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife with a hammer in August 2014 and pleaded not guilty to the rape, assault and threat charges.
In a Central Criminal Court trial in Laois, a 38‑year‑old man was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter for killing his 26‑year‑old housemate, Deivydas Zigelis, after a dispute over ribs. The case began when Zigelis, who had gone to buy cider and ribs, returned home without the ribs. The accused, Alexander Karpovs, claimed he was offended and stabbed Zigelis with a kitchen knife. CCTV showed Zigelis making several trips to an off‑licence and a butcher's shop that day. The jury, after nearly six hours of deliberation over two days, returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. Mr Justice Paul Butler remanded Zigelis in custody until a sentencing date is set.
The jury has resumed deliberations in the Central Criminal Court trial of Alexander Karpovs, a 26‑year‑old Latvian, charged with murdering his housemate Deivydas Zigelis, a 38‑year‑old Lithuanian. The case alleges that Karpovs, who had told Zigelis to buy ribs from the butcher, stabbed him with a kitchen knife after Zigelis returned home without the requested food. Karpovs is also charged with manslaughter. The jury, composed of six men and six women, had previously deliberated for almost four hours before a break and is now continuing its discussion this afternoon. The trial is ongoing. The unnamed 26-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In a Laois Central Criminal Court trial, a jury has begun deliberating on the murder of 26‑year‑old Alexander Karpovs, who died of a single stab wound to the heart after a dispute over ribs. The accused, 38‑year‑old Deivydas Zigelis, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Both men worked as bin collectors and spent weekends drinking at home. The jury heard that Zigelis, after Karpovs returned from the butcher without ribs, became offended, took a kitchen knife, and stabbed him. CCTV showed Zigelis entering a butcher's shop that afternoon and leaving empty‑handed. The prosecution argued that intoxication was not a defence and that intent to kill or seriously harm existed. The jury deliberated for almost two hours before being sent home for the night, to resume on Tuesday morning.
A man in his fifties appeared before the Central Criminal Court in relation to serious sexual offences committed against his daughter over a decade-long period at the family farm in County Sligo. The defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted rape and ten counts of sexual assault committed between 2003 and 2012. The prosecution indicated these charges were representative of thirty-seven total offences. The victim, now aged twenty, disclosed the abuse to her school chaplain at seventeen years old. During proceedings, she provided a victim impact statement describing the systematic nature of the abuse and its profound psychological effects. A psychiatric assessment concluded the defendant presented as a paedophile. Mr Justice Tony Hunt remanded the man in custody pending sentencing on 11 July, stating he required time to consider the case carefully given the gravity of the offences and concerns regarding rehabilitation and public safety.
A Cavan man who raped his 16-year-old niece in early 1997 has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison, with three years of post-release supervision. The defendant, a 49-year-old man who cannot be named to protect the victim's identity, pleaded guilty to charges of rape, oral rape, and sexual assault. The Central Criminal Court heard that the victim's mother initially did not report the abuse to the gardaí, and the family was distressed when the girl eventually made a complaint. The victim described the impact of the abuse, stating that her world had crumbled and that her uncle had 'degraded and crushed' her. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy noted the man's guilty plea, his position of trust, and the severity of the offences. The judge also acknowledged the man's low risk of re-offending and his efforts to address alcohol dependency. The case was finalised at the sentence stage, with no adjournments.
A jury could not agree on a verdict in the trial of 54‑year‑old Aivars Sondors, who was charged with three counts of assisting an offender in the murder of 44‑year‑old Audrius Butkus. Sondors admitted moving the body from a house on Marsh Road, Drogheda, and dumping it in the sea at Mornington Beach, cleaning the scene, and disposing of carpet, clothing, a nail brush, a bin bag, bottles and tins from a derelict house on Mathew's Lane. He pleaded not guilty to all counts, claiming duress. The Central Criminal Court heard that the killer, Marius Gaizutis, had already been convicted of the murder. The jury deliberated for almost six hours but could not reach a verdict, and the judge recorded "Disagreed" for all three counts. Sondors remains on continuing bail until the next hearing on 27 June.
The Central Criminal Court heard that 44‑year‑old Audrius Butkus was 'battered to death' in a Louth house before his body was dumped at Mornington Beach. Aivars Sondors, 54, is charged with three counts of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Marius Gaizutis, who had unlawfully killed Butkus. The charges include moving the body from the house on Marsh Road, placing it in the sea, cleaning the scene, and disposing of carpet, clothing, a nail brush, bin bag, bottles and tins from the Burke House. Sondors admitted the three allegations but pleaded not guilty, claiming duress. He denied involvement when interviewed by gardai but could not explain how his fingerprint was found in blood at the scene. Detective Sergeant Liam Archbold testified that Sondors was told to seek legal advice and return to Garda Station. The trial continues before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 44‑year‑old Audrius Butkus was found 'battered to death' in a Louth house before his body was dumped at Mornington Beach. 54‑year‑old Aivars Sondors is charged with three counts of assisting an offender by impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Marius Gaizutis, who is alleged to have unlawfully killed Mr Butkus. Sondors admitted the allegations but pleaded not guilty, arguing possible duress. He gave four Garda interviews starting 13 September 2013, describing a tense night on 9 September when Gaizutis allegedly threatened him after a dispute over money. Sondors claimed he slept in the house that night, was awakened by Gaizutis asking for car keys, and later returned to bed. He stated he had never met Mr Butkus and offered no explanation for a fingerprint found on a handrail. The trial is set to continue tomorrow before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence in the trial of Aivars Sondors and Professor Marie Cassidy, both accused of three counts of assisting an offender by impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Marius Gaizutis, allegedly knowing he had unlawfully killed Audrius Butkus. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges. State Pathologist Dr. Cassidy testified that Butkus died from blunt force trauma to the head, likely caused by the blunt end of an axe, with injuries clustered to the back of his head. She noted he was intoxicated and showed no signs of drowning despite being found on Mornington Beach. Detective Sergeant Fergal O'Toole stated an axe was found at the Marsh Road house, while forensic expert Brian Barry indicated bloodstains suggested a serious assault and cleanup occurred. DNA from the axe, car boot, and a carpet matched Butkus. Sondors' counsel indicated the jury must decide if duress was present. The matter was adjourned and continues before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart.
During the trial of Aivars Sondors, charged with three counts of impeding a homicide investigation, the court heard that the killer's partner and children sought refuge in a neighbour's house before the killing, fearing the killer. Sondors, 54, claimed he was under duress when he helped move the body of 44‑year‑old Audrius Butkus from a house on Marsh Road in Drogheda to Mornington Beach and cleaned the scene. He admitted the allegations but pleaded not guilty to all three counts. The jury was asked to decide whether duress applied. Carmen Canales testified that the partner knocked on her door on the evening of 9 September, claiming her husband would beat her, and that she let the woman and her five children stay overnight. The trial was set to continue on Monday before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart.
In a Waterford abuse trial, a jury heard that a sex tape featuring the accused parents and another woman was found in the house. The father claimed the allegations were a result of "brainwashing" by the health board, stating the boy's accusations were implanted. The boy had previously alleged that his father raped him, sexually abused him with a hot poker, and forced him to have sex with his mother over several years from about age six. He also claimed his father filmed some incidents, held a gun to his head, and locked him in a box. The parents face 82 abuse charges from 2007 to 2011. Both pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of sexual exploitation and one child cruelty charge each, while the mother denied 16 sexual assault counts and the father denied 16 anal rape and 16 sexual assault with a poker.
The trial of the foster parents heard a Garda report that a child, CF, who had been with the foster family from a very young age, was accused of sexual abuse against four children. Only one set of allegations was brought to court, where CF admitted abusing his foster mother's nephew. CF, now over 18, is awaiting sentencing and no longer lives in the foster home. The foster parents were minimally cooperative with the Garda investigation and the HSE. The alleged victim in the current trial was placed with the foster family after being removed from his parents' home at age eight in 2013. The parents face 82 charges of abuse between 2007 and 2011 in Waterford, but have pleaded not guilty to 16 counts each of sexual exploitation and one charge each of child cruelty. The trial continues before Mr Justice Robert Eagar and a jury.
Jonathan Fitzgerald, 26, of Limerick, has lodged an appeal against his life sentence for the 2006 murder of Noel Crawford, a father of six, which occurred on Crawford's 40th birthday. The Central Criminal Court found Fitzgerald guilty of the shooting, a case of mistaken identity, and imposed a mandatory life term on 9 February 2011. In the Court of Appeal, his barrister Hugh Hartnett SC argues that the trial judge failed to treat prosecution witness Laura Kelly as an accomplice and to warn the jury about the dangers of convicting on her evidence. Hartnett contends that Kelly's testimony, alongside that of her partner Jonathan Kiely, was the sole evidence and that Kelly should have been on the same footing as Kiely. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Kerida Naidoo SC, counters that the judge had warned the jury of potential self‑serving motives in Kelly's testimony and that the evidence against Fitzgerald was strong. Jonathan Fitzgerald pleaded not guilty.
Kenneth Collopy, aged 25, was convicted of murdering 25‑year‑old Daniel Fitzgerald in 2009 and sentenced to life imprisonment. Collopy pleaded not guilty, claiming he had mistakenly fired at a caravan in revenge for an arson attack on his mother's van, and that he intended only to shoot at the mobile home, unaware of any victim. He admitted killing Fitzgerald but maintained he had no intent to kill. The jury found him guilty of murder and the judge imposed a mandatory life sentence. Collopy appealed, arguing the jury's verdict was perverse, citing the inclusion of a video statement from a witness, David Bussoli, and questioning whether Bussoli and Christopher Mulqueen were accomplices. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal on all grounds, affirming the trial judge's decisions, the use of the video statement, and the jury's verdict. Collopy was taken away to continue serving his life sentence.
The jury in the trial of two men accused of murdering a 23-year-old man at the Central Criminal Court will resume deliberations on Friday morning. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, with an address in Warsaw, Poland, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patryk Krupa at Bogganfin, Athlone, County Roscommon, on 20 June 2014. The court heard that Mr Krupa drowned in the Shannon River following a violent assault that left him unconscious. The prosecution alleges both men transported the deceased to the riverbank, assaulted him, and threw him into the water. The defence has contended that alternative verdicts of manslaughter or assault may be appropriate depending on the evidence of intent. Mr Justice Tony Hunt instructed the jury that they could return alternative verdicts on these lesser charges. The twelve-member jury deliberated for one hour and forty-nine minutes before adjourning for the night.
In December 2013, Johanna Kelly, aged 42, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Patrick O'Brien, a 60‑year‑old man, and was sentenced to a term with two years suspended on the condition that she engage with addiction rehabilitation and educational courses. In December 2015, the Central Criminal Court heard that since her release earlier that year, Ms Kelly had missed appointments with probation services and failed to attend the rehabilitation programme at Cluain Mhuire Addiction Treatment Centre. Probation officer Catherine Lambert reported that Ms Kelly missed a September appointment because she could not get out of bed after drinking too much, and that she had seen other people drinking at her home in Gorey. She also noted that Ms Kelly had not attended a hairdressing course arranged by social services.
A 32‑year‑old man, whose name is withheld to protect the victim's anonymity, was sentenced to three years in prison after a DNA match linked him to the newborn child of a 15‑year‑old girl. He had initially denied any sexual contact but later provided a blood sample that allowed Gardaí to confirm the match. The court heard that the girl, who had become a mother at a young age, was ostracised by her family and placed in HSE care, with half of her relatives supporting her and the other half rejecting her. Garda Sheila Kelly testified that the girl struggled with the emotional impact of early parenthood and had to attend counselling at Pieta House. The man pleaded guilty to defilement of a child under 17 at a Dublin location on 30 October 2010.
In 2015 the Central Criminal Court dismissed the appeal of Marcus Kirwan, a 22‑year‑old from Dublin, who had been convicted of murdering 19‑year‑old David Byrne in 2011. Kirwan had lured Byrne to a meeting by pretending to be a girl over text, then stabbed him nine times, including a 20‑cm wound to the back. He received a mandatory life sentence in 2013. His appeal was based on four grounds: the arrest warrant, alleged identification errors, CCTV evidence and phone analysis. The court rejected all arguments, citing statutory authority, proper Garda procedure, the ubiquity of CCTV and the sufficiency of circumstantial evidence. The decision was welcomed by Byrne's family, who expressed relief and gratitude to the police and judges for upholding justice. The case remains a stark reminder of the seriousness of violent crime in Ireland.
A 67‑year‑old man was sentenced to ten years in prison for raping and indecently assaulting his niece between 1986 and 1988. The Central Criminal Court heard that the abuse began when the niece was wearing her First Holy Communion dress. The man first touched her outside her underwear in 1986, then inside her underwear the following summer, and finally raped her in 1988. He pleaded not guilty to eight counts of indecent assault and three counts of rape, but was convicted on all eleven counts. Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan imposed a ten‑year sentence for the rape counts and five‑ and six‑year sentences for the indecent assault counts, all to run concurrently. The victim, now in her 30s, described the abuse as "far‑reaching and devastating," noting feelings of helplessness, shame, and ongoing trauma. The defendant, defended by Paul Greene SC, was described as a hard‑working family man with no prior convictions.
A Dublin man, David Cully, aged 24, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his uncle, Edward O'Connor, who died in 2013 from two gunshot wounds to the back. The Central Criminal Court heard that Cully, who had previously pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, shot his uncle after a fight in an open yard on a Sunday afternoon. Cully claimed he was provoked by a comment about a sexual‑abuse allegation, but the jury rejected this defence and returned a unanimous guilty verdict after more than eight hours of deliberation over three days. The judge imposed a mandatory life sentence back‑dated to 16 December 2013. The court heard a victim impact statement from the deceased's wife, Charlotte O'Connor. David Cully was convicted.
Marcus Kirwan, aged 21, has lodged an appeal against his murder conviction for the death of 19‑year‑old David Byrne. The Central Criminal Court heard that Kirwan lured Byrne to a meeting on 19 March 2011 by sending text messages pretending to be a girl. When Byrne arrived, Kirwan and other youths chased him into a dead‑end at an apartment complex, where Kirwan stabbed Byrne nine times – once in the face and eight times in the back – puncturing his heart and lungs. A jury found Kirwan guilty after a three‑week trial, and he was sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan on 4 February 2013. Kirwan's appeal now focuses on alleged procedural errors: an arrest warrant issued by a superintendent who may not have had the authority to delegate arrest powers, and alleged infirmities in the identification process and CCTV evidence.
David Cully, 24, was found guilty of murder after shooting his uncle, Edward O'Connor, to death in Finglas. The Central Criminal Court heard that O'Connor died from two gunshot wounds to the back. Cully had previously pleaded not guilty to murdering his uncle but guilty to manslaughter in a separate case. He claimed he shot O'Connor in the heat of the moment after O'Connor made a comment about a person who had alleged sexual abuse against him. The allegation was investigated but not prosecuted. Cully had brought a gun to an organised fight between two other men and shot his uncle after the fight. The jury, after more than eight hours of deliberation over three days, returned a unanimous verdict of guilty of murder. Mr Justice Carroll Moran thanked the jury and excused them for five years. Cully was remanded in custody for sentencing on 29 July, when the mandatory life sentence for murder will be imposed.
In the Central Criminal Court, a jury heard the case of David Cully, 41, who shot his uncle, Edward O'Connor, dead. Cully pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. He claimed he fired in the heat of the moment after O'Connor made a comment about a sexual‑abuse allegation that had been investigated but not prosecuted. The jury was told that Cully shot O'Connor in the back after a fight at a "straightener" event. Judge Carroll Moran explained that murder could be reduced to manslaughter if provocation existed. After about five hours of deliberation, the jury asked the judge to repeat the legal definition of provocation and to show part of a Garda interview with Cully. The jury then retired for the evening, to resume deliberations after the judge's response.
The jury is deliberating a trial in Dublin where David Cully, 41, is accused of murdering his uncle, Edward O'Connor, who died from two gun‑shot wounds to the back. Cully has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea he entered on 15 December 2013. He claims he shot O'Connor in the heat of the moment after O'Connor commented on a sexual‑abuse allegation that had been investigated but not prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Central Criminal Court heard that both men had attended a "straightener" that day and that Cully fired after a fight. Judge Carroll Moran explained that provocation could reduce murder to manslaughter, but the burden of proof lies with the prosecution. The jury, composed of seven women and five men, has spent under an hour on its deliberations and will resume tomorrow.
In the Central Criminal Court trial of David Cully, a 41‑year‑old from Finglas West, the defence argued for a manslaughter verdict on the basis of provocation. Cully had admitted killing his uncle, Edward O'Connor, who died from two gun‑shot wounds to the back. He claimed he shot O'Connor in the heat of the moment after O'Connor made a comment about a person who had alleged sexual abuse against him. The prosecution maintained that the killing was pre‑planned, citing evidence that Cully had threatened O'Connor a week earlier and had organised a 'straightener' that day. Cully pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The jury, composed of seven women and five men, was instructed by Mr Justice Carroll Moran to deliberate on the case the following day. The trial focused on whether Cully's actions were a result of provocation or pre‑meditated aggression.
In a Dublin murder trial, 41‑year‑old David Cully, accused of killing his uncle Edward O'Connor, testified that he shot him in the heat of the moment after a sexual‑abuse allegation was investigated but not prosecuted. The trial also heard from Claire McKiernan, who claimed to have witnessed an attack by Cully's uncles with sewer rods about six months before the shooting. McKiernan said she lived across the road from Cully's aunt, Gráinne Brannigan, in summer 2013 and saw an argument in the garden involving Cully, his brother Niall, and Brannigan's husband Paul. She described a jeep arriving at speed, men with sewer rods approaching, and a brief confrontation lasting four to five minutes before the men fled. McKiernan had never reported the incident to Gardaí and said she did not want to get involved. The case is proceeding before Mr Justice Carroll Moran and a jury of twelve. The unnamed 41-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A Dublin man, Keith O'Neill, aged 40, was sentenced to life imprisonment after a jury found him guilty of murdering 35‑year‑old John Wilson on 28 September 2012. Wilson was shot twice in the hallway of his Ballyfermot home, once in the left arm and once in the chest, the latter causing fatal internal injuries. O'Neill pleaded not guilty. The trial lasted two weeks and included testimony from Wilson's daughter, CCTV footage, and forensic evidence such as gunshot residue on jeans and a recovered Ruger 100 revolver. The jury deliberated for 3 hours 39 minutes over two days before reaching a unanimous verdict. Judge Tony Hunt imposed a mandatory life sentence, expressing sympathy to Wilson's family. The case was prosecuted by Conor Devally SC. The trial concluded with O'Neill's conviction and sentencing.
Ciaran Moran, 29, was sentenced to life in prison by the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Gerard Donnelly. Moran, who had pleaded not guilty, changed his plea to guilty on the ninth day of his trial after the judge ruled that his descriptive confession should be heard by the jury. The court heard that Moran beat Mr Donnelly over the head with a lump hammer, amputated his toe, and set his body on fire in Phoenix Park during November 28th or 29th, 2013. Mr Donnelly, a 36-year-old father of one who lived homeless in the park, was identified via DNA match due to the severity of his injuries. Moran, who had 23 previous convictions including a recent manslaughter conviction resulting in a seven-year sentence with two suspended, was found to have acted alone. His barrister requested that his sentence be backdated to December 3rd, 2013, the date he was remanded in custody. Justice Margaret Heneghan agreed to this request and imposed the mandatory life sentence. Moran stood while the sentence was imposed before being led away to custody.
The State has withdrawn all charges against a 66‑year‑old Offaly man who had been accused of sexually abusing his daughter on the day her mother died. He is already serving a 14‑year sentence imposed in 2013 for raping and sexually abusing four of his children, convictions that included four counts of oral rape, forty counts of sexual assault and two counts of indecent assault. He denied all allegations, claiming the victims were lying and that the accusations were a conspiracy. Last week he was set to stand trial at the Central Criminal Court on 21 additional counts of indecent assault against one of his daughters at three locations in Offaly between 1979 and 1987. He denied those charges as well. The trial opened but collapsed before any evidence was heard after a letter from a prison doctor stated the accused was too ill to attend. Mr Justice Paul Butler discharged the jury and adjourned the case.
A man from County Mayo was sentenced to three years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his guilty pleas to sexual assault and oral rape charges. The offences, committed between 2009 and 2010 against a child he knew well, were reported to gardaí in 2014 when the victim disclosed the abuse to his father. The court heard the man was twenty-five years old at the time of the offences. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy described the sentence as one of due leniency, citing exceptional mitigating circumstances. These included the man's own history of childhood sexual abuse, his demonstrated remorse, engagement with therapeutic intervention, and assessment as presenting low risk of reoffending. The victim's impact statement outlined significant psychological harm caused by the abuse. The man was placed on the sex offenders register. His family indicated they would support him upon release from custody.
A 29‑year‑old homeless man, Ciaran Moran, pleaded guilty to murdering 36‑year‑old Gerard Donnelly in Phoenix Park, Dublin. Donnelly's body was found on fire with a severed toe. Moran had previously pleaded not guilty, but after a judge ruled that his descriptive confession should be heard by the jury, he changed his plea. The trial heard evidence that Moran knew Donnelly had substantial money, that he sent a photo of a severed toe from his phone the night after the murder, and that CCTV showed Moran walking to the scene and spending money the next day. The prosecution presented a video of Moran's confession in Garda custody, in which he described striking Donnelly with a lump hammer, photographing the victim, cutting off the toe, and setting him on fire. The judge allowed the confession to be admitted and the case was adjourned for further preparation.
In the Phoenix Park murder trial, a 29‑year‑old homeless man, Ciaran Moran, was charged with killing 36‑year‑old Gerard Donnelly, who had €140,000 in a bank account. The jury heard a photograph of a severed toe that was sent from a phone attributed to Moran on the night after the alleged murder. Gardaí found a Sony Xperia phone and a €170 receipt from a menswear shop under Moran's bed. CCTV footage showed Moran walking toward the park before the killing, spending money the next day, and later lodging cash at an AIB branch. The trial also examined evidence of Moran's movements in the days surrounding the crime, and the case is set to continue before Justice Margaret Heneghan and a jury. Ciaran Moran pleaded not guilty.
The jury has begun deliberations in the Central Criminal Court trial of 39‑year‑old Jooda Akanbi, charged with murdering 45‑year‑old Taiwo Jamani on Main Street, Swords, on 10 October 2013. Akanbi claims he acted in self‑defence when he struck Jamani with a baseball bat, but the prosecution argues it was a fight and that he had the intent to kill or seriously injure. Judge Tony Hunt explained that the jury could find Akanbi guilty of murder, not guilty of murder, or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter if they believed he used excessive force in self‑defence. The judge emphasised that a unanimous verdict was required and that the jury would review evidence including the bats and gloves. The jury deliberated for an hour and four minutes before returning home, with deliberations to resume the next morning.
The judge has begun charging the jury in the Central Criminal Court trial of 39‑year‑old Jooda Akanbi, who is charged with murdering 45‑year‑old Taiwo Jamani with a baseball bat on Main Street, Swords, on 10 October 2013. Akanbi claims he acted in self‑defence during a fight that broke out shortly before lunchtime. He was found dead on 13 November 2013 from a severe brain injury. Akanbi pleaded not guilty, the evidence finished today, and the judge has now begun summarising the case for the jury of five women and seven men.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard that on 10 October 2013, a fight involving two baseball bats broke out on Main Street, Swords. Jooda Akanbi, aged 39, was charged with intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to 45‑year‑old Taiwo Jamani and with murdering him on 13 November 2013. Akanbi pleaded not guilty, claiming self‑defence. Detective Garda James Tracey testified that Jamani was lying on the ground when Akanbi arrived, that Jamani had grabbed a bat from Akanbi's boot, and that Akanbi then struck Jamani's head with another bat. Akanbi was arrested at 12.40pm on suspicion of assault causing harm. The court heard from Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis, who described Jamani's skull fractures as caused by severe blunt force trauma. Two baseball bats recovered from Akanbi's car were shown to the jury. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt with a jury of five women and seven men.
The trial of Graham Dwyer, who is alleged to have murdered Elaine O'Hara at Killakee, Rathfarnham on August 22nd, 2012, hours after she was discharged from a mental health hospital, continued in the Central Criminal Court. Detective Garda Bríd Wallace of the Garda Siochana's Computer Crime Unit testified that she examined Ms O'Hara's Apple laptop as part of the investigation. She found a number of adult pornographic and BDSM movie files, as well as images of mutilated bodies from a website. Additionally, she discovered images of Ms O'Hara, some of which appeared to be self-taken and others taken by a different person. The detective also found documents on the laptop, including a book on serial violence, letters written by Ms O'Hara, and a document titled 'Outline of Slave' which detailed a fictional scenario involving slavery and domination. Another document, titled 'Private,' described a harrowing experience involving torture. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of five women and seven men. Graham Dwyer has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Brid Wallace has not entered a plea.
In the Graham Dwyer murder trial, the jury heard that a search of Dwyer's home and workplace on 17–18 October 2013 yielded 219 exhibits, including computers, hard drives, and financial documents. Among the seized items were letters from A&D Wejchert Architects informing Dwyer of pay cuts: a 10 % reduction from €87,350 to €78,615 in December 2010, and a further cut to €70,000 in June 2011. The prosecution argued the pay‑cut documents were relevant, while Dwyer's defence counsel noted no instruction to seek such documents. Other seized items included a jacket, a wetsuit, and a two‑drawer filing cabinet containing the pay‑cut letters. The trial also covered CCTV stills from Ms O'Hara's apartment block and the discovery of her skeletal remains at Killakee, but the focus of this hearing was the evidence of the pay cuts and the breadth of the search.
During the 42‑year‑old Graham Dwyer's trial, the Gardaí presented CCTV stills from Elaine O'Hara's apartment block to his son, Sennan McShea, to determine if he could identify anyone in the footage. The stills depicted a man the prosecution had already identified as the architect accused of O'Hara's murder. The trial, held in the Central Criminal Court, heard from Garda Paul Corcoran, who showed the stills to McShea on 18 October 2013, and from Garda Keith Gantly, who explained that only one camera was operational in the Shangannah area on the night of O'Hara's disappearance and that it was pointed in the wrong direction. The court also heard that O'Hara's skeletal remains were found at Killakee on 13 September 2013, with her glasses and keys recovered from a lake. The proceedings continue before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of five women and seven men. The unnamed 42-year-old pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court adjourned the seventh day of evidence in the trial of 42‑year‑old architect Graham Dwyer, charged with the murder of Elaine O'Hara, because a juror could not attend. Justice Tony Hunt sent the remaining jurors home, noting that the parties had already scheduled a day of work in their absence for Monday, giving the absent juror an extra day. He also warned the jurors not to discuss the case over the long weekend. Dwyer is accused of killing the 36‑year‑old childcare worker in the Dublin Mountains at Killakee, Rathfarnham, on 22 August 2012, hours after she was discharged from hospital as a psychiatric patient.
In the Central Criminal Court trial of 42‑year‑old architect Graham Dwyer, the jury was shown a photograph of a punctured, blood‑stained mattress found in Elaine O'Hara's apartment at Belarmine Plaza, Stepaside. The mattress, removed by Detective Garda Brian Barry, displayed multiple puncture cuts and blood staining. The trial also presented evidence that O'Hara's remains were discovered in a forest in the Dublin Mountains on 13 September 2013, where forensic anthropologist Laureen Buckley testified that the skeleton was largely recovered and that the body had decomposed for about a year. Dwyer is charged with O'Hara's murder on 22 August 2012, after she was discharged from hospital as a psychiatric patient. The case continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of five women and seven men.
In October 2016, the Central Criminal Court will hear the trial of eight Tallaght residents charged in the murder of 20‑year‑old Dale Creighton, who died on 2 January after being injured on a footbridge on Saint Dominic's Road. Seven defendants—Aisling Burke (21), David Burke (26), Graham Palmer (24), Ross Callery (21), James Reid (24), Jason Beresford (21) and Gerard Stephens (25)—are charged with murder. A eighth defendant, James O'Brien (22), is charged with assault causing harm. The trial is expected to last eight weeks, with the first hearing set for 3 October 2016.
In the murder trial of 23‑year‑old David Brannock, the Central Criminal Court heard evidence linking a knife handle found outside the victim's home to a blade recovered from Brannock's house. Detective Garda Seamus O'Donnell presented the handle, a similar handle from a neighbouring house, and a seven‑inch blood‑stained blade with a spider‑web design. He also showed a blood‑stained drawer under Brannock's bed containing an ornamental box that matched the reconstructed knife, which was assembled from the recovered pieces and measured over 30 cm. Forensic scientist Dr Stephen Clifford extracted a DNA profile from the blade that matched Brannock and a partial profile that matched John O'Neill, the victim's brother‑in‑law. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Carroll Moran, continues with a jury of five women and seven men. The case involves Brannock's charges of murder, serious harm to O'Neill, and assault causing harm to Jade Byrne, Anthony Byrne and Claire Byrne. David Brannock pleaded not guilty.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, evidence was presented that a trail of blood led Garda Patrick Whelan from the body of Jason Flannery, who was stabbed in the back of his neck, to the home of the accused, 23‑year‑old David Brannock. Whelan arrived at St Joseph's Way shortly after 4.15 am, saw the deceased lying on the footpath with a silver crutch and blood speckles leading away, and followed the trail to Brannock's front door. Inside, he found Brannock hiding behind a shelving unit, claiming he was fixing the shelf. Brannock had been injured in a separate altercation and was arrested on suspicion of assault causing serious harm to Flannery. The trial also heard that Flannery died from a stab wound to the upper cervical spinal cord, with additional wounds to his stomach, and that his children and brother‑in‑law suffered serious injuries. David Brannock pleaded not guilty.