Courts / Louth / Report
Jail for false imprisonment during Drogheda feud
Summary
John McGahon, aged 21, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for false imprisonment of Aaron Rochford, aged 22, during a Drogheda feud. McGahon was arrested after the Armed Support Unit forced entry into a house on the Moneymore Estate to rescue Rochford, who had been abducted and found naked in a bathtub with slash wounds, a broken jaw and a shovel injury. CCTV showed McGahon driving the car that brought Rochford to the house, helping remove him from the vehicle, and later bundling him over a rear wall into an adjacent house where he was rescued. McGahon pleaded guilty, was described as a follower rather than a ringleader, and had no prior convictions. The judge took his guilty plea, remorse, and age into account when imposing the sentence. The case involved a three‑year sentence for co‑accused Dean Thornton.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jail for false imprisonment during Drogheda feud. Charges or matters: false imprisonment of Aaron Rochford at the Moneymore Estate, Drogheda on November 11, 2018. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- November 11, 2018 Other
- 2021-05-10 Publication
Why: She felt her "heart stopped beating" because she was so upset at how he looked with bruises, cuts and blood everywhere. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: false imprisonment of Aaron Rochford at the Moneymore Estate, Drogheda on November 11, 2018 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He noted McGahon was "more a follower than a leader" but said he still deserved a reasonably substantial sentence by reason of his involvement. Judge Nolan imposed a four-and-a-half-year sentence, giving credit for time spent in custody.
Places mentioned
- Drogheda
- Drogheda house
- Hawthorn House
- Beechwood Drive
- Marley's Lane
- Drogheda
- Lawrences Park
- Moneymore Estate
- Drogheda
Topics
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