Strokestown sentence appeal ends after Martin O’Toole leaves court

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

Martin O’Toole left the Court of Appeal during his sentence appeal on 4 February 2025. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said his departure clearly indicated that he was withdrawing the appeal.

O’Toole had dismissed his legal team and asked to read a statement into the record. The panel read it, but Ms Justice Kennedy said it was of complete irrelevance to his appeal and refused to let him read it aloud. O’Toole said his human rights were being denied before leaving the dock.

Paul Beirne also dismissed his lawyer and left the dock. His counsel said Beirne had indicated that he did not wish to continue his sentence appeal. PJ Sweeney proceeded with his appeal.

O’Toole, Beirne and Sweeney had each been sentenced to 15 years in prison for their part in an attack on security personnel at a repossessed farmhouse at Falsk, near Strokestown, Co Roscommon, on 16 December 2018. Judge Martina Baxter imposed the sentences.

On 2 June 2023, a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury found each man guilty of 15 charges: aggravated burglary, violent disorder, criminal damage to a door, three counts of arson involving vans, causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, and the false imprisonment of and assault causing harm to Ian Gordon, Mark Rissen, John Graham and Gary McCourtney. They had pleaded not guilty to all counts. The proceedings were reported on 2 June 2023.

Each was acquitted of robbery of a wristwatch and an arson charge involving a car. A fourth defendant, David Lawlor, was acquitted of all 17 charges he faced.

On 31 July 2024, before the sentence-appeal hearing, the Court of Appeal dismissed the three men’s conviction appeals and affirmed their convictions. Delivering judgment, Mr Justice Peter Charleton rejected challenges concerning the evidence and Garda procedures.

On 10 April 2025, the Court of Appeal dismissed Sweeney’s sentence appeal. His counsel had argued that his mitigation and lower culpability warranted consideration of a suspended element. Ms Justice Kennedy said there was no evidence of insight, remorse or apology and that a sentence without a suspended element was within Judge Baxter’s remit.