Martin O’Toole jailed for Strokestown attack; appeal judgment reserved

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Martin O’Toole was sentenced to 15 years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 28 July 2023 for his part in an attack on security guards at Falsk, near Strokestown, Co Roscommon. Judge Martina Baxter sentenced him alongside Patrick Sweeney and Paul Beirne.

O’Toole and his three co-accused had pleaded not guilty to all counts. On 2 June 2023, a jury convicted O’Toole, Sweeney and Beirne of 15 of the 17 charges arising from the attack on 16 December 2018.

The convictions covered false imprisonment of and assault causing harm to four security guards, aggravated burglary, three counts of arson involving vans, criminal damage to a door, violent disorder and animal cruelty. Each man was acquitted of robbery of a wristwatch and arson involving a car. The fourth defendant, David Lawlor, was acquitted of all 17 charges.

Judge Baxter imposed 15 years for the false imprisonment of one guard and 14 years for the false imprisonment of the other three. She imposed 13 years for aggravated burglary, ten years for violent disorder and arson, eight years for criminal damage and five years for animal cruelty. The sentences ran concurrently, were backdated to entry into custody and had no suspended element.

At trial, a garda identified O’Toole in body-camera footage as a man holding a stick. O’Toole eventually admitted being at the house but said events were nearly over when he arrived, denied assaulting anyone and said he had thought it would be a show of hands.

O’Toole, Sweeney and Beirne appealed their convictions, challenging evidence including the body-camera footage. O’Toole’s counsel adopted the submissions made by the other appellants’ lawyers. The appeal court reserved judgment. The proceedings were reported on 18 July 2024.