2022 Case Preview

As the Central Criminal Court prepared to resume its calendar in September 2021, the Irish justice system faced several substantial cases set for trial across the following twelve months. The trial of Lisa Smith, a former member of the Defence Forces, was scheduled for January 2022 at the Special Criminal Court, where she faced charges of membership in Islamic State and financing terrorism, with proceedings anticipated to span twelve weeks. A separate indictment alleging triple murder in south Dublin was set for June 2022 and expected to occupy the court for five weeks. In Donegal, the case of two men charged with the murder of teenager Keane Mulready-Woods gained particular attention. Paul Crosby, aged 25, of Rathmullan Park in Drogheda, County Louth, and Gerard Cruise, aged 47, with addresses spanning Dublin and Drogheda, were scheduled to stand trial at the Special Criminal Court in April 2022 following a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions to transfer the matter to the non-jury tribunal. The teenager, last seen alive on 12 January 2020, had his dismembered remains discovered across multiple locations in Dublin and Louth in the weeks and months following his disappearance. The trial was expected to last approximately six weeks and would proceed before three judges without jury involvement. Additionally, a man accused of murdering a County Galway pensioner was set for trial in January 2022, with proceedings anticipated to extend for eight weeks. An appeal by a convicted teenager in connection with the death of Ana Kriegel in Lucan was also anticipated within the calendar year. A third-party matter relating to the Mulready-Woods investigation came before the courts when Gerard McKenna, aged 52, pleaded guilty to obstructing the apprehension or prosecution of another person, having cleaned up the murder scene. The case was listed for sentencing consideration following the preparation of psychological and probation reports.