During the Central Criminal Court trial, the jury heard that Paul Wells Senior, aged 51, shot Kenneth O'Brien in his back garden on 15 or 16 January 2016, dismembered the body with a chainsaw and dumped it in the Grand Canal. The prosecution alleged that the accused, Paul Wells Junior (33), who was charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of his father, had been forced by his father to carry explosives and join the IRA. Witness Gary Wells testified that his father was a violent man who had a toxic relationship with family members, had attacked his sister and mother, and had tried to get his son to carry explosives. Gary Wells also described how his father had asked him to dispose of a chainsaw and other items, and how he had been involved in a football team to keep him busy. Paul Wells Junior pleaded not guilty.
Paul Wells Junior, 33, of Celbridge, Co Kildare, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court for impeding the apprehension of his father, Paul Wells Senior. Wells Senior was jailed for life last year after being found guilty of murdering Kenneth O'Brien in Finglas in January 2016. The prosecution alleges that Wells Junior, who endured a "life of hardship" under his father, disposed of chainsaw parts in different locations while knowing his father had taken a life. Wells Junior has pleaded not guilty to disposing of a chainsaw motor between January 19 and 20, 2016, and not guilty to disposing of a chainsaw blade and chain on January 20, 2016, in Co Kildare. The trial heard that two walkers discovered a suitcase containing a dismembered body in the Grand Canal, while a chainsaw motor was later found at Pikes Bridge. Wells Junior told gardai he panicked and deposited a blade and chain in the Curragh because he believed his father was trying to "set him up." The case is currently at the sentence stage for the convicted person, Paul Wells Senior, who received a life sentence. The trial for Paul Wells Junior continues before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the mother of 14‑year‑old Ana Kriegel described her daughter as an "ephemeral angel" and said her family was devastated by her murder. The court heard that the defendant known as Boy A admitted he caused Ana's death but denied sexually assaulting her, while Boy B rejected the unanimous jury verdict that found him guilty of murder. Boy A was also convicted of aggravated sexual assault involving serious violence. The court noted that Boy A's semen was found on Ana's top and that forensic evidence showed she had been sexually assaulted, her clothes torn, and her blood on the walls of the derelict building where she was found. Both boys were 13 at the time of the crime and are now 15, having been convicted by unanimous jury verdicts earlier this year. The judge will sentence them on November 5.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 43‑year‑old mother was committed to the Central Mental Hospital after a court order was initially voided due to lack of bed space. The woman, found not guilty by reason of insanity for smothering her three‑year‑old autistic daughter, had previously been denied admission because the hospital was at full capacity. Peter Finlay SC for the HSE reported that the capacity issue had been resolved, allowing a bed to become available. Mr Justice Michael White then ordered her commitment to the CMH for a psychiatric assessment. The case will return to court on 5 November. The trial revealed the defendant's belief that her child had a severe form of autism and her fear that the child's future would be ruined, leading to her fatal act. Two forensic psychiatrists confirmed she met the criteria for the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.
A 38‑year‑old UK businessman was convicted of raping and sexually assaulting two girls aged 10 and 12 between December 2010 and March 2011. He was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended. The girls lived with their mother and siblings in the UK when the man entered their lives; the family later moved into his house and then to Louth. He showered the children with gifts and trips, and UK social services noted his daily control and grooming. The man denied the charges. He has now appealed, arguing that specialist Gardaí interviews of the child complainants were flawed, citing leading questions, possible contamination, and pre‑prepared letters. The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment on the appeal.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a mother pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity for suffocating her three‑year‑old daughter with a pillow. Defence witnesses, including Dr Stephen Monks, described the woman as having severe depression with psychotic features, claiming she believed her child was profoundly disabled and had no future. She reportedly held a fixed, false, psychotic view of her daughter's autism, convinced of a severe form of the condition despite medical assessment. The prosecution's Dr Sally Linehan also testified that the defendant did not understand the wrongfulness of her act and was unable to refrain from it. Both expert witnesses agreed the defendant met the criteria for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. The jury was instructed to consider these findings before deliberating.
A man convicted of murdering a fellow Polish national in Letterkenny, Co Donegal has had his appeal against conviction dismissed by the Court of Appeal. Krzystof Grzegorski was found guilty of murdering Bogdan Michalkiewicz at Westside Apartments on May 13, 2013, and received a mandatory life sentence in 2016. The victim sustained 46 wounds to the head and face, along with 17 stab wounds to the abdomen, a throat laceration, and injuries to his tongue which a pathologist said were unexplained in her 28-year career. Grzegorski appealed on grounds that the trial judge failed to adequately recharge the jury on intoxication and his account of events. Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly, delivering judgment, found the trial judge had properly instructed the jury on the burden of proof and the presumption of intent. The appeal was dismissed.
In a Central Criminal Court murder trial, a mother was found to have smothered her three‑year‑old daughter with a "Minnie Mouse" pillow while the child was napping on the couch. The mother, who had become obsessed and overwhelmed by her daughter's autism diagnosis, told Garda that she held the pillow over the child's face as she struggled and screamed. She claimed she intended for her daughter to die and later called 999, stating she had tried to suffocate her child. The mother pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and a consultant forensic psychiatrist testified that she was suffering from recurrent depressive disorder with psychotic features at the time of the offence. The trial continues with the court hearing her mental state and the circumstances surrounding the killing.
In a Cork family home, John Murphy (45) abused his younger brother for a decade, from 1988 to 1997, when the victim was aged between ten and 20. The victim, now in his 40s, waived anonymity to identify his abuser. Murphy pleaded guilty in April to twelve counts, including three of oral rape. Mr Justice Micheal White set a headline sentence of 13 years, reduced to ten after Murphy's admissions and guilty pleas. The last two years were suspended on the condition that Murphy engage with psychological services, victim‑focused work, and a sex offender treatment programme while under Probation Service supervision. The victim's impact statement described the abuse as a devastating breach of trust, calling the brotherly relationship "cruelly violated" and expressing that he had become a survivor, free from the abuse. The judge noted that Murphy's sexual orientation was no excuse for his behaviour.
A 20-year-old defendant, who was 16 at the time of the offences, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child in Dublin on August 21 and August 25, 2015. The Central Criminal Court heard that the defendant forced a 12-year-old girl to perform oral sex on him in a public park while other youths recorded the act on mobile phones. Four days later, he allegedly coerced the victim into performing oral sex on a younger boy, threatening to distribute the recorded images if she refused. The defendant's legal team, led by Seamus Clarke SC, argued that the client believed the victim was 14 and did not realize his actions were illegal. The defendant submitted a letter apologizing to the victim, describing himself and the other boy as teenagers with little sense. Mr Justice Michael White adjourned the sentencing to October 17. Separately, the younger boy involved in the second incident was sentenced last August and ordered to complete 180 hours of community service. His defense counsel, Roisin Lacey SC, stated that the boy acted under fear of social media repercussions and had a limited understanding of consent. Neither defendant can be named to protect the victim's identity.
A 14‑year‑old boy was ordered to complete 180 hours of community service after he participated in an oral sex act with a 12‑year‑old girl. The boy was coerced by an older teenager who threatened to distribute pictures of a prior sexual incident unless the girl performed oral sex on the younger boy. The court heard that the incident lasted about ten seconds before the girl fled. The boy, now 17, pleaded guilty to engaging in a sexual act with a child. The judge noted the boy's age, good character, and lack of understanding of consent as mitigating factors, but also acknowledged his reprehensible participation in the victim's humiliation. He was also placed under Probation Service supervision for one year and required to undertake victim‑awareness training. The older boy, aged 20, remains unidentified to protect the complainant's anonymity. The victim described lasting psychological harm, including fear, self‑harm, and withdrawal from social activities.
A 16‑year‑old boy pleaded guilty to attempting to murder 25‑year‑old Stephanie Ng on 23 December 2017 at Sea Front, Queen's Road, Dun Laoghaire. He met Ng on the Whisper app, where he pretended to be 19, and tried to kill her during their first face‑to‑face meeting. He grabbed her from behind, choked her to unconsciousness and then slashed her neck with a knife bought at Lidl. Gardai found a book of drawings in his bedroom, including a sketch of a person being cut up and the words 'serial killer'. The boy had unsupervised access to extreme pornography from age 11 or 12, had used Tor browsers, and had been on antidepressants since October 2015. A forensic psychiatrist reported that the boy had violent thoughts since 2015, had been bullied, and had a history of violent drawings and a scuffle with another boy.
Juraci Da Silva, a 36‑year‑old Brazilian butcher, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter for killing James 'Jay' Banville in Waterford on 8 October 2016. Da Silva had been assaulted twice that evening by Banville and a friend, the first assault accompanied by racial remarks and the second by sexual comments. After the second assault, Da Silva, armed with a knife, pursued the men and stabbed Banville in the heart. The Central Criminal Court sentenced him to eight years' imprisonment, citing his knowledge of knife dangers from his occupation. The Court of Appeal upheld the sentence, noting the substantial provocation and mitigating factors, and rejected Da Silva's appeal. The case concluded with Da Silva's eight‑year term confirmed.
A 39-year-old man has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the manslaughter of his housemate in Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan on New Year's Day 2018. Tomasz Paszkiewicz was convicted by jury of fatally stabbing Marek Swider, aged 40, with a boning knife following a dispute over money lost in a poker game. The defendant was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter. Justice Tara Burns noted Paszkiewicz's expertise with the blade from his employment at a meat factory and identified the killing as falling within the serious category of such offences. She imposed a headline sentence of thirteen years, reducing it to nine years in consideration of his guilty plea, remorse, cooperation with gardaí, and personal circumstances. Paszkiewicz expressed sincere apology to the deceased's family and his own. The victim died from two stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. The unnamed 39-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A 15‑year‑old boy was given a deferred sentence after pleading guilty to repeated oral and anal rape of his eight‑year‑old nephew between June and September 2017. The abuse was discovered when the nephew's mother, after learning of the acts, took the boy to Gardaí. The boy initially denied the allegations but later admitted to repeated abuse over three months. He was found to have been exposed to heterosexual pornography on his smartphone, contributing to social isolation and difficulty forming age‑appropriate relationships. His mother has confiscated the phone, and he is now allowed only supervised use. A psychiatric report recommends supervision of his internet access. Probation Services assessed his risk of re‑offending as low. The court deferred a three‑year detention, ordered probation supervision, and set a review for July 14 next year. The judge praised the mother's courage in reporting the abuse.
A 37‑year‑old man from County Clare was sentenced to more than nine years in prison for raping a 13‑year‑old girl in 2011 after chasing her on church grounds. He denied the rape but was convicted of defilement after DNA proved he was the father of the girl's child, born when she was 16. The court described him as a "dangerous sexual predator" with a long history of sexual offences, noting he will be released while still young. He will undergo seven years of post‑release supervision, must not contact anyone under 18 and must avoid loitering near places where children gather. The victim, now 20, said the assault ruined her life, causing ongoing anxiety and affecting her relationships. The man had previously been convicted of 17 sexual offences, including the defilement charge, and had 37 convictions in total. The unnamed 13-year-old pleaded guilty.
An 18‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to raping his half‑brother when he was 14, in offences that took place between November 2014 and January 2015 at a family home in County Clare. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of defilement of his half‑sister, who was about eight, for attempts to engage in anal sex between March and May 2015 in a midland county. The court ordered a Probation Service assessment, continued bail until 21 October, and the preparation of victim impact reports with a guardian's assistance.
In a Drogheda murder trial, 46‑year‑old Paula Farrell pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for stabbing partner Wayne McQuillan, 30, four times on New Year's morning 2014. She told the jury she did not intend to kill him, only to hurt him as he had hurt her, and expressed remorse, saying she missed him "so much". Farrell recounted a history of sexual abuse from age seven to fourteen, heavy drinking from age nineteen, and ongoing depression and anxiety. She described the night's events: an argument, McQuillan's alleged sexual advances, her strangulation attempt, and her subsequent stabbing of him twice at the kitchen door, with a fourth stab to the side. She claimed she was "numb" and "blank" when stabbing, and that she had not intended to kill him. The trial proceeded before Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury of four men and eight women.
In a Drogheda trial, 46‑year‑old Paula Farrell pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter after stabbing 30‑year‑old Wayne McQuillan four times on 1 January 2014. She claimed he had attacked her, citing injuries including a bite mark on her cheek, bruises, and a large bruise on her neck, all described as fresh by Dr Marlien Mienie. Farrell said she had schizophrenia and depression, last taking medication on 30 December. Witnesses reported McQuillan's trousers were down at his ankles after the stabbing, and that Farrell told Gardaí she was attacked and did not mean to kill him. The case is heard before Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard that 46‑year‑old Paula Farrell of Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, allegedly told teenagers not to call an ambulance after her boyfriend, 30‑year‑old Wayne McQuillan, asked them to do so. Farrell, who pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, is charged with killing McQuillan on New Year's Day 2014. The prosecution described a drunken argument in the house, during which Farrell allegedly took a kitchen knife and stabbed McQuillan four times, one of which penetrated the left lung and caused massive internal bleeding. McQuillan was taken to hospital by Gardaí, suffered cardiac arrest, was revived, then died after a second arrest. The trial continues the following day before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury of eight women and four men.
A 40‑year‑old man was convicted of raping his wife's sister‑in‑law after a Christmas gathering. The victim woke in her own bedroom on Christmas night to find the accused raping her. She reported the rape to her husband, who confronted the man. He apologized, claiming he had entered the wrong bedroom and believed the victim was his wife. The Central Criminal Court sentenced him to seven years, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions. The judge noted the offence's violent nature and the victim's profound impact, citing her statements about fear, nightmares, and the breakdown of her marriage and family life. The judge also acknowledged the accused's remorse, lack of prior convictions, and good character, which mitigated the sentence. The case remains at the trial stage, with no further verdicts announced. The unnamed 40-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A meat factory worker was convicted of manslaughter but acquitted of murder at the Central Criminal Court following a trial in July 2019. Tomasz Paszkiewicz had pleaded guilty to manslaughter and not guilty to murder in connection with the death of Marek Swider on Dublin Street, Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan on 1 January 2018. The court heard that Paszkiewicz stabbed the 40-year-old Polish man twice with a boning knife after a dispute during a New Year's Eve poker game at their shared home. The accused had lost several hundred euros and attempted to reclaim the money. A witness testified that Swider returned to the living room holding his stomach, stating he had been stabbed. Swider died following surgery. The defence argued that Paszkiewicz's statements to gardaí indicated lack of intent, while the prosecution characterised the killing as deliberate and brutal. The jury deliberated for almost five hours before reaching a majority verdict. Justice Tara Burns remanded Paszkiewicz in custody pending sentencing on 15 July.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has begun deliberations in the murder trial of a meat factory worker from Cavan. The accused, a 39-year-old, admits killing his housemate with a boning knife from his workplace but denies murder, instead pleading guilty to manslaughter. The victim, a 40-year-old Polish man, died from two stab wounds to his upper body following a New Year's Eve poker game at their home on Dublin Street, Ballyjamesduff on 1 January 2018. Prosecution counsel argued the case was straightforward, characterising it as an angry response to losing money at cards, followed by an armed assault. The defence maintained there was insufficient evidence of intent to kill or cause serious injury. The jury of seven men and five women retired to consider their verdict on the afternoon of 3 July 2019 and adjourned for the night, set to resume deliberations the following morning. The unnamed 39-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A 39-year-old meat factory worker has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter following the death of his housemate in Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan, on New Year's Day 2018. The Central Criminal Court heard that Tomasz Paszkiewicz stabbed his poker opponent twice in the upper body after losing hundreds of euro in a game on New Year's Eve. The accused told gardai he obtained the knife from his kitchen, though he claimed to have no clear recollection of the incident or his actions. A witness testified that the deceased came inside holding his stomach, stating he had been stabbed and requesting an ambulance. Paszkiewicz said he took responsibility for the killing but did not decide to stab the man. The prosecution closed its case on Tuesday, with the defence indicating it would not call evidence. Closing speeches are scheduled for Wednesday morning before Justice Tara Burns and the jury.
A takeaway worker from Cavan was commended by Justice Tara Burns at the Central Criminal Court for providing first aid to a fatally injured man on New Year's Eve 2018. Alannah Sheridan, who was employed at a takeaway in Ballyjamesduff, was leaving work when she learned of a man in distress on Dublin Street. Drawing on her First Aid training with the Order of Malta, she applied pressure to a chest wound using her scarf while awaiting emergency services. The injured man, Marek Swider, a 40-year-old Polish national, was subsequently taken to Cavan General Hospital but died on New Year's morning. The trial concerns Tomasz Paszkiewicz, aged 39, charged with Mr Swider's murder. Mr Paszkiewicz has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Acting State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan testified that Mr Swider died following two stab wounds to his chest and abdomen. The trial continues before a jury of seven men and five women.
Two Dublin men, Paul O'Beirne (36) and Jeffrey Morrow (37), are on trial for the murder of 25‑year‑old Vincent Ryan on 29 February 2016. The prosecution relies on circumstantial evidence, including CCTV footage from O'Beirne's home and mobile phone traffic, to argue that the men planned and executed the shooting. Ryan was shot in broad daylight while seated in his car on McKee Road, Finglas, after dropping his partner and baby at her home. A silver Volkswagen Golf fired the fatal shots; the vehicle was later found burning near Naas. The court heard that the men attempted to conceal their involvement, including disposing of a car seat cover from the vehicle. The trial, heard by the Central Criminal Court, is expected to last five to six weeks. Paul O'Beirne pleaded not guilty. Jeffrey Morrow pleaded not guilty.
Patrick Nevin, 37, was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment for raping two women in Meath after meeting them on Tinder. He pleaded guilty to the July 12, 2014 rape in Bellewstown and to a second sexual assault four days later. Nevin had previously been convicted of a sexual assault on a Brazilian woman at UCD in 2014 and had a 5½‑year sentence for that offence. The judge, Ms Justice Creedon, found the attacks pre‑meditated and callous, noting Nevin's predatory conduct and hostility toward women. He received a 14‑year term with the final two years suspended, and a five‑year post‑release supervision order that includes restrictions on physical performance, internet use and contact with others. The sentence was back‑dated to June 2015. Nevin has been in custody since September 2014.
Alan Cawley (32) of Four Winds, Corrinbla, Ballina, has appealed his conviction for the murder of two elderly brothers with special needs at the Court of Appeal in Dublin. Cawley was unanimously found guilty by jury in 2017 and received a mandatory life sentence for killing Thomas Blaine (69) and John Blaine (76) at New Antrim Street in Castlebar on 10 July 2013. He admitted the killings but denied murder, claiming diminished responsibility on grounds of mental disorder. The appeal focused on the trial judge's directions to the jury regarding intoxication and its interaction with the diminished responsibility defence. The defence argued the jury may have been directed to exclude intoxication before considering mental disorder, whereas both issues could operate simultaneously. The prosecution maintained the trial judge's instructions were legally sound and that evidence of the crime was overwhelming. A three-judge panel reserved judgment.
The sentencing of a 16‑year‑old who attempted to murder a 25‑year‑old woman he met on the Whisper app has been postponed because he has not yet met the forensic psychiatrist required to produce a court‑ordered report. The Central Criminal Court had ordered that a consultant psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist prepare reports on the boy, who pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Stephanie Ng on 23 December 2017 at Sea Front, Queen's Road, Dun Laoghaire. He had tried to kill her during their first face‑to‑face meeting by choking and slashing her neck with a knife. Gardai found a book of drawings in his bedroom, including a sketch of a person being cut up and the words "serial killer." Mr Justice Michael White directed Professor Kennedy of the Central Mental Hospital to assign a consultant psychiatrist and clinical psychologist to assess the boy's future risk.
In 2019 a 41‑year‑old man, Andrius Lipinskas, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for violently raping a woman in her home nine years earlier. The court heard that the attack lasted about 20 minutes, during which Lipinskas repeatedly punched the victim, threatened to kill her, and orally raped her three times. The assault ended when the victim bit his penis and pushed him back. Lipinskas had previously been convicted of murder in 1998 and was given a suspended period of two and a half years on the condition that he leave the state upon release. The victim, aged in her 30s, gave a victim impact statement describing the lasting trauma and the change in her sense of safety. The trial lasted 12 days and the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict after three hours of deliberation. Andrius Lipinskas pleaded not guilty.
A 21‑year‑old man, Adam Nolan, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of his mother's partner, Bryan Cassidy, 52, on 7 February 2018. Nolan had been admitted to Tallaght Hospital after a visit to A&E where he said he had to kill the man. He was diagnosed with drug‑induced psychosis, sent home, and advised to seek treatment for drug misuse. Two weeks later he stabbed Cassidy to death. The Central Criminal Court heard that the original diagnosis was later replaced with schizophrenia, a condition for which Nolan had a genetic vulnerability. During the trial, forensic psychiatrists testified that Nolan was acutely psychotic at the time of the killing and that he had homicidal ideations. The jury, after 27 minutes of deliberation, returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, and Nolan was committed to the Central Mental Hospital for treatment.
Inga Ozolina, 48, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter after stabbing her boyfriend, Audrius Pukas, to death in their home on 20 November 2016. The Central Criminal Court heard that Pukas, 40, died from a stab wound to the chest and two other knife wounds. Ozolina had previously obtained safety orders against Pukas, which had lapsed. She claimed the attack was a self‑defence incident, stating that Pukas had pulled her hair, pushed her, and bitten her, and that she grabbed a kitchen knife to defend herself. The jury considered photographs of her injuries, including bite marks, and CCTV footage of her entering a Garda station in a dressing gown. After 12 hours of deliberation, the jury returned a 10‑2 majority verdict of not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, and Ozolina was remanded for sentencing on 1 July.
In the murder trial of Inga Ozolina, a 48‑year‑old woman from Latvia living in Mountrath, Co. Laois, the jury resumed deliberations on the fourth day. Ozolina, mother of two, is charged with stabbing her boyfriend, Audrius Pukas, to death in their Tipperary home on 20 November 2016. She pleaded not guilty, arguing self‑defence, accidental injury, or lack of intent. The prosecution, led by Paul Murray SC, maintained that the three knife wounds could not be accidental and that self‑defence was not applicable. The defense, represented by Caroline Biggs SC, urged the jury to consider the three grounds of acquittal. Judge Alexander Owens offered a third option: not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter if the jury found excessive self‑defence. The jury spent nearly nine and a half hours deliberating before returning to the courtroom on Wednesday morning. The trial continues.
In a Tipperary murder trial, a jury will resume deliberations after a six‑and‑a‑half‑hour session. The defendant, 48‑year‑old Inga Ozolina, is charged with stabbing her boyfriend, 40‑year‑old Audrius Pukas, to death on 20 November 2016. Ozolina pleaded not guilty, arguing self‑defence and that Pukas may have approached the knife during a fight. Her solicitor, Caroline Biggs SC, urged the jury to consider whether the fatal wound could reasonably have resulted from Pukas moving toward the knife, whether Ozolina acted in justifiable self‑defence, or whether she lacked intent to kill. Prosecutor Paul Murray SC insisted the wounds were not accidental and that Ozolina had the knife to an unarmed, drunken man. Justice Alexander Owens offered a third verdict option: not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter if the jury found excessive self‑defence. The jury will reconvene tomorrow morning to continue their deliberations.
A jury has begun deliberating in the trial of Inga Ozolina, 48, who is charged with murdering her boyfriend, Audrius Pukas, by stabbing him in the chest on 20 November 2016 at The Malthouse, Roscrea, Co Tipperary. Ozolina, originally from Latvia and residing at Old Court Church, Mountrath, Co Laois, pleaded not guilty and has requested an acquittal on several grounds, including self‑defence and the possibility that Pukas moved towards the knife she was holding during a fight in their Tipperary home. The Central Criminal Court heard that Pukas, 40, died at the scene from a stab wound to his chest. Caroline Biggs SC, defending Ozolina, urged the jury to consider whether there was a reasonable possibility that the fatal wound resulted from Pukas approaching the knife, that Ozolina was acting in justifiable self‑defence, or that she had no intention to kill or cause serious injury.
The Central Criminal Court has allowed the sentencing of a 16‑year‑old who attempted to murder a 25‑year‑old woman named Stephanie Ng on 23 December 2017 at Sea Front, Queen's Road, Dun Laoghaire. The boy, who met Ng on the Whisper app and pretended to be 19, tried to kill her during their first face‑to‑face meeting by choking her and slashing her neck with a knife. He pleaded guilty to the attempt. The court had previously ordered a forensic psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist to prepare reports on the boy to assess future risk. After a delay, a UK psychiatrist, Dr Richard Church, was sourced and agreed to produce the report, with access to the boy's Central Mental Hospital records. The judge adjourned the case to 20 June to monitor progress and remanded the boy in custody until then.
In the murder trial of Inga Ozolina, a 48‑year‑old Latvian‑born woman, the defence counsel, Caroline Biggs SC, urged the jury to acquit if there is a reasonable possibility that the fatal wound was caused by Mr Pukas moving toward the knife, or that Ozolina acted in justifiable self‑defence, or that she had no intent to kill. Ozolina, who lives in Mountrath, claimed she grabbed a nearby object to defend herself after Mr Pukas, a 40‑year‑old father of two, began hitting and biting her. The court heard evidence of domestic abuse, including injuries to Ozolina and witnesses describing Mr Pukas's aggression. The prosecution, represented by Paul Murray SC, argued that the knife wounds were not accidental and that Ozolina had the knife and was not in self‑defence. The jury, composed of seven men and five women, will deliberate on these points. The trial is ongoing. Inga Ozolina pleaded not guilty.
In the trial of Inga Ozolina, a 48‑year‑old mother of two, the defence presented evidence that she had arrived at a friend's house in a state of distress, with a bite on her nose, earlier in her relationship with the victim. Ozolina, originally from Latvia and residing in Old Court Church, Mountrath, claimed she was acting in self‑defence when she stabbed Audrius Pukas, a 40‑year‑old father of two, at The Malthouse, Roscrea, on 20 November 2016. The Central Criminal Court heard that Pukas died from a stab wound to his chest. Niamh Hyland, a friend of Ozolina for ten years, testified that Ozolina had visited her home twice in the early hours, both times with blood on her nose and, on the second visit, a swollen eye. Hyland described Pukas's interactions with Ozolina as often aggressive. Inga Ozolina pleaded not guilty.
A man has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for sexually abusing two teenage girls over an extended period. The 35-year-old defendant, who lived at various locations in County Mayo during the offences, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of defilement and assault. The abuse occurred between 2011 and 2013, when he was in his late twenties. He manipulated and controlled both victims, isolating them from family and friends, and introduced them to heroin. He also removed a contraceptive implant from one girl's arm using a Stanley knife. Justice Michael White described the case as particularly disturbing, noting the defendant was twice the victims' age. The judge imposed an eleven-year sentence with the final two years suspended, conditional on the defendant undergoing assessment for a sex offenders treatment programme. Both victims provided impact statements, describing the profound harm caused. The defendant was returned to Ireland on a European Arrest Warrant from the United Kingdom.
Alan Hanley, the appellant, was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment by Mr Justice Alex Owens at the Central Criminal Court following a third trial. Hanley had pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape alleged to have occurred at a house in Limerick city on the night of May 4/5, 2012. He had previously admitted assaulting the victim causing her harm on the same occasion. A jury returned a majority verdict of guilty on one count of rape but failed to agree on the other two counts, on which the State entered nolle prosequi. This follows a successful appeal last year where the Court of Appeal quashed his previous 12-and-a-half-year sentence, imposed in 2015 by Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy, due to the trial judge's failure to provide a corroboration warning. The current sentence was backdated to May 5, 2012. Mr Justice Owens ordered that Hanley complete a sex offenders course if deemed suitable, be under Probation Service supervision for six years post-release, and make no attempt to contact the victim or her family. Hanley verbally refused to comply with the course order in court. The judge cited aggravating factors including home invasion, prolonged violence, and lack of remorse.
Two 14‑year‑old boys are on trial in Dublin for the murder of 14‑year‑old Ana Kriegel. Prosecutor Brendan Grehan told the jury that one boy lured Ana from her home to a derelict farmhouse, where he watched the other boy sexually assault and kill her. The accused boy is also charged with aggravated sexual assault. Evidence presented included a zombie‑type mask in his backpack, male DNA on Ana's neck and semen in the murder scene, and a ligature tape matching the one found on her neck. The prosecution argued that the boy had planned the murder, lured Ana to the farmhouse, and then watched the assault and killing. Ana's body was found on 17 May, naked except for socks, with severe head and neck injuries. The trial is ongoing and the boys have pleaded not guilty.
A 31‑year‑old man was sentenced to five years in prison after admitting he sexually abused his six‑year‑old niece for three years, from June 2013 to July 2016. He told the Central Criminal Court that he was aroused by her innocence and that he had coerced her into sexual acts while she stayed at her grandparents' house, where he also lived. He would walk her, coax her into sexual acts, enter her bedroom, shine a light in her eyes, offer to insert his penis into her mouth, and show her pornographic videos. He promised sweets and money and told her not to disclose his actions. The abuse was reported when the niece told her cousin, who then told her mother. The court noted the defendant had no prior convictions, had limited intellectual ability, and had been sexually abused as a child.
A 42‑year‑old foreign national was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment by the Central Criminal Court for repeatedly raping and sexually abusing his step‑daughter while her mother was working. He had pleaded guilty to three counts of defilement of a child under 17 between March and June 2017, and had also pleaded not guilty to one count of oral rape, 12 counts of rape and three counts of defilement between 2011 and 2017, and denied a further count of sexual exploitation in July 2017. The jury convicted him of all these charges. The victim, aged 11 to almost 16 at the time of the offences, gave a victim impact statement describing financial hardship, loss of sleep, school difficulties and emotional distress. The judge noted the abuse was a serious breach of trust, continued over several years, and imposed concurrent sentences totalling 12 years. The defendant does not accept the jury verdicts on the other counts.
In 2016, Juraci Da Silva, a 36‑year‑old Brazilian, killed James 'Jay' Banville after being assaulted and racially abused by Banville and Conor Hogan. Da Silva admitted the killing but denied murder, and was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter and of producing a knife during an altercation. He was also found not guilty of assault causing harm to Hogan. Banville died from a single stab wound to the heart. Da Silva was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment in November 2017. He had no prior convictions, had come to Ireland a month earlier to work in a meat plant, and had three young children in Brazil. In April 2019, Da Silva's barrister, Colman Cody SC, applied to appeal the sentence, arguing it was too high given the context of the assaults and his circumstances. The Court of Appeal reserved judgment.
A 32‑year‑old man was convicted of raping a woman who had told him she would not have sex without a condom. The offence occurred at her Dublin apartment on 23 November 2014 after the pair had begun dating two weeks earlier. During the encounter the man repeatedly tried to have sex without a condom, was rebuffed, and ultimately penetrated her after she told him he was raping her. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with 18 months suspended. The man appealed the conviction, arguing that the jury should have been discharged when the victim repeatedly referred to matters she was not allowed to discuss. The appeal was dismissed by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, who found the victim's cross‑examination replies were careful and did not prejudice the jury. The case remains at the conviction stage, with no further outcome reported in the article.
A man convicted of murdering two elderly brothers in Castlebar has been granted an appeal hearing date of 21 June. Alan Cawley, aged 31, of Ballina, Co Mayo, was sentenced to life imprisonment in July 2017 after a jury unanimously found him guilty of killing Thomas Blaine, aged 69, and John Blaine, aged 76, at New Antrim Street on 10 July 2013. Cawley had admitted the killings but denied murder, arguing diminished responsibility on grounds of mental health conditions. The Central Criminal Court rejected this defence. The Court of Appeal fixed the hearing date during a procedural mention. The coroner for Mayo has indicated the inquest into the deaths cannot proceed until the appeal concludes, a matter which has caused concern to the deceased's family. Legal submissions from both parties have now been filed ahead of the June hearing.
In March 2019 the Central Criminal Court heard that a 42‑year‑old foreign national had sexually abused his step‑daughter in the family home while her mother was working. He admitted three counts of defilement of a child under seventeen between March and June 2017, and later pleaded guilty to those. He was convicted by a jury of further charges: one count of oral rape, twelve counts of rape and three counts of defilement between 2011 and 2017, and a count of sexual exploitation in July 2017. The victim, aged 11 to 16 at the time of the offences, gave a victim impact statement describing financial hardship, self‑esteem problems, sleep loss and school difficulties. She said she had broken down when she heard the verdict and does not want to see the accused again. Mr Justice Michael White adjourned the sentencing until the following month.
In a Munster case, a 16‑year‑old pleaded guilty to five counts of oral rape and 44 counts of sexual assault against his eight‑year‑old half‑sister between September 2016 and January 2017. The abuse was discovered when the boy's mother entered the living room in January 2017 and found him touching his daughter's genitals. He was arrested and admitted removing her clothes, masturbating, and penetrating her vagina with fingers and placing his penis in her mouth, while denying vaginal penetration. A psychologist reported that the boy had moved out of his mother's house after the discovery and was now living with his father, but that the environment was unsuitable for treatment. The court heard that the boy was motivated for help but needed an emotionally supportive caregiver for two years. The mother expressed shock, horror, and grief, noting her daughter's nightmares and her own anger toward the boy.
A man has been convicted of murder following a fatal stabbing in Longford town centre. Rihards Lavickis, aged 26, with an address at Annaly Court in Longford, was found guilty by unanimous verdict at the Central Criminal Court on a charge of murdering Akadiusz Czajkowski outside Longford Shopping Centre on 1st November 2016. The jury deliberated for just over three hours. Lavickis had initially pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. This was his second trial for the offence, as a previous jury had failed to reach a verdict. Evidence presented showed that Lavickis pursued the deceased with a knife and stabbed him three times. A post-mortem examination determined that a single stab wound to the heart proved fatal. The court heard that tensions between the men stemmed from a drug debt and a series of incidents involving threats and property damage. Mr Justice Michael White imposed the mandatory life sentence. The victim's mother provided an impact statement describing the psychological devastation caused by her son's death.
In a case heard by the Central Criminal Court, Latvian national Andrejs Krauze, aged 33, was convicted of murdering fellow Latvian Juris Buls, aged 30, in County Galway on 7 or 8 July 2011. Buls had failed to report for a night shift at Titan Plastics and was later found dead in Funshion Woods. Witnesses testified that Krauze had entered Buls' home in February, confronted him over a car dispute, and after Buls filed a garda complaint of assault, Krauze strangled him and moved the body to the woods. Krauze pleaded not guilty but was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment on 29 March 2017. The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction, rejecting all grounds of appeal and confirming the fairness of the trial and the validity of the evidence presented. The appeal was dismissed by a three‑judge panel led by Mr Justice George Birmingham.