Barry McArdle, 33, of Drimnagh, faced a 13‑year sentence in the Netherlands for manslaughter after a Dutch court overturned his earlier acquittal. He had previously been convicted of concealing a body, receiving a two‑year term that he had already served while on remand. After being arrested under a European Arrest Warrant on 3 May, he was remanded in Dublin and later released. McArdle intends to challenge his surrender to the Netherlands in the High Court. In May, the High Court refused him bail, and the Court of Appeal upheld that decision today. Justice John Edwards noted that McArdle, as a convicted person, does not enjoy the presumption of innocence at this time, citing his movements between Dublin and Galway and failure to collect social welfare as evidence of his flight risk. The appeal was dismissed with no error found in the High Court's approach. Barry McArdle was acquitted.
Petronel Pal, 36, was arrested in Dublin on May 3 after a second attempt to secure bail was denied. He is wanted in Romania for aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder and aggravated robbery committed on April 10, 2014, when he and others allegedly broke into the apartment of Virgil Busa, 37, at Academy Square, Navan. Busa was violently assaulted and died three days later. The alleged crime group, headed by a relative of Pal, is said to have used extreme violence and stolen a laptop, tablet, mobile phone and rucksack. Pal has eight prior convictions in Ireland, including possession of equipment for making false instruments and handling stolen property, which the Gardaí cited as evidence of a flight risk. The High Court refused bail, and the Court of Appeal upheld that decision, citing Pal's record and potential for absconding. Pal's lawyer noted that extradition proceedings will involve significant legal issues, including extra‑territoriality. The case remains pending.
A 46‑year‑old man was jailed for nine months after abducting his children and keeping them abroad for four years. He pleaded guilty to four charges of taking his children out of the country without consent at Dublin Airport on 8 November 2014. Judge Cormac Quinn sentenced him to two years' imprisonment, suspending the final 15 months on the condition that he keep the peace, behave well and engage with the Probation Service for three months after release. The court noted the seriousness of the offence, the young ages of the children (now 8 to 15), the length of time they were out of jurisdiction, the deception and pre‑planning involved, and the impact on the children and their mother. The man had no prior convictions and was a foreign national. The children were returned to their mother after his return to Ireland in October 2018, and neither the mother nor the children made victim impact statements.
Donal Billings, a 67-year-old pensioner from County Longford, has lost his appeal against convictions obtained at the Special Criminal Court. The appeal, heard by the Court of Appeal, focused on two primary issues: the sufficiency of evidence and alleged violations of his Irish language rights. Billings was found guilty of possessing an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park on May 16, 2011, and making false bomb reports on May 16, 18, and 20, 2011, targeting Busáras, Sinn Féin headquarters, Dublin Castle, and Cork airport during Queen Elizabeth's state visit. He was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years' imprisonment by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, who described the acts as outrageous and dangerous. In the appeal, counsel Martin Giblin SC argued that Billings' Irish language rights were destroyed, citing the lack of an Irish-language transcript and the unavailability of the Explosive Substances Act 1883 in Irish. President of the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice George Birmingham, dismissed these arguments, stating the evidence was sufficient and that the trial arrangements, including the use of interpreters, were reasonable. The court found no disadvantage to Billings and ruled that the State was not compelled to provide an Irish transcript or translate pre-1922 statutes. The appeal was dismissed, upholding the original conviction and sentence.
In a High Court decision on 21 May 2019, Mr Justice Tony O'Connor dismissed an injunction bid by ER Travel, trading as Easirent.com, against the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). Easirent, part of a group offering online car‑hire services in the UK, US and Ireland, had sought to prevent the DAA from stopping it from collecting customers from the airport's public car park and transporting them to its offices 2 km away. The DAA denied the claims, arguing that Easirent's activity breached airport bye‑laws and that permission is required for any firm to pick up clients at the airport. Justice O'Connor noted that while the plaintiff raised a compelling issue, damages would be an adequate remedy after a full hearing. He directed that the dispute be heard by the judge in charge of the competition list in the coming weeks, hoping a date will be set for the full hearing by autumn.
In a High Court hearing, ER Travel Ltd, trading as Easirent.com, alleges that the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) is preventing it from collecting customers at the airport, threatening the business's survival. Easirent, which began operations in 2016 and employs 33 people, claims it transports customers from the airport to its offices 2.1 km away for car pick‑up. The DAA denies the claims, stating Easirent is conducting an unlicensed activity that breaches airport bye‑laws. Easirent seeks damages and an injunction to stop the DAA from blocking access to the airport car park, a request the court will consider before Mr Justice Tony O'Connor. The DAA, represented by James Doherty SC, argues it has repeatedly warned Easirent of its bye‑law breaches and denies allegations of police intimidation. The case is scheduled to continue next week.
A Dublin taxi driver, Derek Delaney (60), of Connolly Avenue, Inchicore Dublin 8, denied exaggerating his injuries after his vehicle was allegedly rear-ended by another taxi at Dublin Airport on June 27th, 2014. Mr Delaney claimed he suffered neck, shoulder, and soft tissue injuries, and sued Ibraham Enidunmo, with an address C/o Aviva Insurance, Knocknacarra, Galway, for negligence and breach of duty of care. He alleged the defendant failed to keep an adequate look out, caused the collision, and drove in a dangerous manner. The defendant denied the collision occurred as claimed. Mr Delaney stated he did not mention the pain to his GP initially but was later diagnosed with whiplash. He denied exaggerating his claim or that his account was close to fraudulent. He explained he contacted Aviva to resolve the matter without increasing his insurance premium. Counsel for the defendant questioned the lack of colour photos and the absence of damage to Mr Delaney's car in a picture taken by the defendant. Mr Delaney denied exaggerating his injuries and stated his condition was not normal prior to the incident. After cross-examination, the parties entered into talks and the matter was settled, with the case struck out with the consent of both parties.
Rishi Raj Huree, 37, of Beaumont, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing €28,870 from Twenty Two Night Club on 12 June 2018. He stole the money to repay a loan for his mother. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to two and a half years' imprisonment, but suspended the entire term on the condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for two and a half years. Garda Jack McGovern explained that the general manager had tried to open a safe but could not find the key, and Huree initially denied knowing the key before admitting the theft and asking if he could return the money to keep his job. Huree was arrested two days later at Dublin Airport with over €15,000 in his backpack; the rest of the money was found in his house, and €25,660 was recovered by Gardaí.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 45‑year‑old man was found to have abducted his children and kept them abroad for four years, separating them from their mother. The court heard that the man had taken the children out of Ireland without consent on 8 November 2014 at Dublin Airport, and that he had pleaded guilty to four charges of taking them abroad. The children, now aged eight to 15, were returned to their mother in October 2018 after the mother contacted the court. The man had no prior convictions and had no contact with the children since their return, except a single phone call with his son on a birthday. The maximum penalty for each charge is seven years. Judge Cormac Quinn ordered a Probation Service report, remanded the man on continuing bail, and adjourned the case to 29 May for a plea in mitigation. The mother and children declined to give victim impact statements.
Jorgen Sorensen, a 65-year-old Danish bus driver, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after entering signed guilty pleas to importing and possessing cocaine for sale or supply. The offence occurred on November 1, 2018, at Dublin Airport T2, where customs officers discovered two wrapped packages of cocaine valued at €66,871 in his luggage. Sorensen alleged he had been deceived into transporting what he believed were inheritance documents for a woman he met on Facebook, claiming he was to be paid €800 to deliver them from Brazil to London. He stated he had never inspected the bag and trusted the individuals who organised his travel. Judge Melanie Greally described Sorensen's actions as showing a "huge level of naivety" and "significant level of recklessness," noting the enterprise "reeked of scam." The court accepted that his trusting nature had been exploited, though he remained criminally liable. Judge Greally imposed a three-year sentence, with the final 18 months suspended, resulting in an effective custody period of 18 months. The sentence was backdated to the date Sorensen entered custody. Additionally, the court ordered that he leave the jurisdiction within seven days of his release.
Bayo Olanrewaju, 48, was jailed for four and a half years after he was caught carrying nearly €200,000 worth of heroin into Dublin Airport. He had swallowed most of the drugs in pellets and claimed he would meet someone in Dublin and hand them over at a hotel. Olanrewaju said he had agreed to transport the drugs because he needed money to travel to Mozambique for his grandmother's funeral. He had previously borrowed money from people who took advantage of his financial situation. Garda Aoife Cusask reported that customs officials stopped him after his flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and found a plastic bag with heroin pellets taped to his inside groin area. He admitted swallowing more drugs and that he would be paid €1,000 once he delivered them. The pellets contained 1,305 g of heroin, valued at €182,700. Bayo Olanrewaju pleaded guilty.
Mudassar Khan, 27, was arrested at Dublin airport after customs officers discovered 13 kg of heroin in a suitcase he had brought from Dubai. He was stopped when attempting to enter the EU "blue channel" and was subsequently detained by Gardaí. In court, Khan pleaded guilty to importation and possession for sale or supply of heroin. He admitted living in the UK, being a drug addict with a £2,500 debt, and claimed he had agreed to transport a package he thought contained cigarettes. When questioned about the source of the drugs, he refused to name anyone, citing fear of retaliation. The judge noted his lack of knowledge of the contents did not excuse the reckless transport of a large quantity of contraband. He was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the court taking into account his remorse and the pressure he faced. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
An autistic man, Alyn Maginn, 41, was caught with over €600,000 worth of heroin and cocaine in a car park at Dublin Airport. He pleaded guilty to one count of possession on 7 July 2017. Judge Martin Nolan, after noting Maginn's autism and the unclear benefit he derived from the drugs, imposed a wholly suspended five‑year sentence on 23 February 2018, deeming it unjust to jail him. Maginn had already spent seven months in custody before sentencing. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, claiming the sentence was unduly lenient, but the Court of Appeal, led by Justice George Birmingham, upheld the judge's decision. Birmingham highlighted the unusual circumstances, including Maginn's difficulty in interviews, his emotional state, and the fact that the drugs were ultimately claimed by a friend who received a seven‑year sentence. The appeal was dismissed, leaving the suspended sentence in place.
A man from Drumlish, County Longford, has appealed his conviction for possessing an explosive substance and making hoax bomb threats during a state visit in 2011. Dónal Billings, aged 67, was found guilty by the Special Criminal Court of placing a device on a Dublin-bound bus at Longford railway station car park on 16 May 2011, and of making false reports of bombs at multiple locations including Dublin Castle and Cork Airport. He received a sentence of eight-and-a-half years imprisonment. His appeal, heard before the Court of Appeal, is being conducted in Irish, marking the first such case since the court's establishment in 2014. Counsel for Billings argued that the State failed to protect his client's Irish language rights, citing the unavailability of transcripts in Irish and the non-translation of relevant legislation. The hearing continues.
An autistic man, Alyn Maginn, 41, pleaded guilty to possessing over €600,000 worth of heroin and cocaine at Dublin Airport on 7 July 2017. He was found in a car park, having arrived from Malaga, Spain, and was arrested after a customs officer searched his vehicle. The drugs, valued at €591,752 for heroin and €16,833 for cocaine, were seized. Maginn had not imported the drugs; they were already in the car. A co‑accused, Martin Gilroy, 34, owned the drugs and received a seven‑year sentence. Judge Martin Nolan, on 23 February 2018, imposed a wholly suspended five‑year sentence on Maginn, citing his autism, borderline cognitive ability and the claim that he was manipulated by Gilroy. The Director of Public Prosecutions is seeking a review, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient, while the Court of Appeal has reserved its judgement. The case remains at the appeal stage.
A 66-year-old man from Donegal has been granted bail by the High Court pending an extradition hearing to face charges in Northern Ireland. The man was arrested at his home in Creeslough on a European Arrest Warrant relating to the deaths of two UDR soldiers killed in an explosion in Enniskillen in 1972, and charges connected to the 1982 Hyde Park bombing in London. He was released on bail comprising his own bond of €5,000 and an independent surety of €30,000. The High Court judge found bail appropriate despite serious allegations, noting residential ties and family connections reduced flight risk. Bail conditions require him to sign on daily at Letterkenny Garda Station, reside at his registered address, maintain contact with gardaí, and remain within the State. His defence counsel has indicated objections to extradition will be raised, including arguments regarding immunity under the Good Friday Agreement and abuse of process. A full extradition hearing is scheduled for 23 November.
Adam Pokorny, a 35‑year‑old Czech national, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four and a half years' imprisonment for possessing 5.6 kg of cannabis, valued at €112,120, with intent to supply at Dublin Airport on 3 May 2018. He admitted that he had agreed to transport the drugs to pay off a €30,000 credit‑card debt and to help a friend in financial trouble. Pokorny claimed he knew the substance was cannabis, not harder drugs, and that it would be used by "adults and hippies, not people standing outside schools." Judge Melanie Greally suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on the condition that he leave Ireland upon release and not return for 10 years. He has no prior convictions and pleaded guilty early, cooperating with the Garda investigation. The judge noted his charitable activities and the support he received from family and friends in the Czech Republic.
Paul Kelly, a 42‑year‑old mechanic from Santry, was fined €3,000 and disqualified from driving for four years after he ran over Daniel Ryan, a 60‑year‑old man, as Ryan was pulling out of a driveway near Dublin Airport on 26 October 2016. Ryan suffered multiple fractures to his abdomen and limbs, a pulmonary embolism, and was in an induced coma for two days. He has since lost the ability to play golf, cycle long distances, or walk in the hills, and reports ongoing panic attacks, nightmares and sleep difficulties. Kelly pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, causing serious bodily harm. The court noted the lack of street lighting on Collinstown Lane and accepted that Kelly's momentary lapse of judgment led to the accident, but also acknowledged his cooperation and remorse after the incident. The judge gave him 12 months to pay the fine and imposed the driving disqualification.
An African national, aged 28, was convicted in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to two former partners by infecting them with HIV between November 2009 and June 2010. The jury, after an eleven‑day trial and four and a half hours of deliberation, returned unanimous guilty verdicts on both charges. The judge refused bail, citing a flight risk and the likelihood of a custodial sentence, and remanded the defendant to appear again on 26 July for sentencing. The prosecution argued that the defendant knew of his HIV status, lied to the complainants, and continued unprotected sex despite being advised on safe sex. The defense contended that the complainants' evidence was unreliable and that phylogenetic analysis could not prove transmission. The case is the first of its kind in Ireland. The unnamed 28-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In the Special Criminal Court trial of Jonathan Keogh for the murder of Gareth Hutch, Mr Justice Tony Hunt ruled that ear plugs seized from Keogh on a military aircraft were admissible DNA evidence. The judge said the ear plugs were optional, not compulsory, and lawfully seized, enhancing comfort rather than being essential to life. He also accepted DNA samples, a mouth swab and fingerprints taken from Keogh after a later arrest for another offence, as admissible, stating the taking was lawful and justified. Keogh, aged 32, was extradited from RAF Northolt to Casement Aerodrome on 23 August 2017, where the ear plugs were collected by Gardaí. The trial continues with Mr Justice Hunt presiding alongside Judges Patricia Ryan and Michael Walsh. The case involves Keogh, Regina Keogh, Thomas Fox and Mr AB, all charged with Hutch's murder. The prosecution maintains the killing was pre‑planned and brutal. The court has not yet delivered a verdict. Regina Keogh pleaded not guilty. Thomas Fox pleaded not guilty.
A 24‑year‑old Latvian man, Evalds Markos, was jailed for two and a half years after swallowing 52 cocaine pellets, worth just under €36,000, before being caught by customs at Dublin Airport. He pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale or supply in the customs hall of Terminal One on 28 October. After his arrest he was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he passed the pellets and was later discharged. Markos admitted he had been told to swallow the pellets by an associate in Amsterdam and that he expected payment of €1,500, though he claimed he had not been paid. He had no prior convictions in Ireland but had a history of theft, fraud and robbery in Latvia and shoplifting and criminal damage in France.
The trial of Regina Keogh, Thomas Fox, and Jonathan Keogh, who are accused of murdering Gareth Hutch, continued before a three-judge court. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. Mr Fox has additionally denied unlawfully possessing a Makarov 9mm handgun. The prosecution alleges the killing was premeditated, with Mr Keogh threatening the victim the day before and acting as a shooter alongside an unidentified man, while Ms Keogh and Mr Fox were instrumental in planning. Evidence presented included testimony that Detective Sergeant Enda O'Sullivan seized earplugs from Mr Keogh during his extradition flight from the UK to obtain DNA evidence. Defence counsel argued the seizure was unlawful and breached constitutional rights, while the prosecution contended the earplugs were optional. The court reserved its decision on the admissibility of this evidence until Monday. The trial also heard that Mr Keogh booked a ferry to Scotland the day after Mr Hutch was fatally shot outside Avondale House flats. The matter remains ongoing, with the trial continuing before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Patricia Ryan, and Judge Michael Walsh.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Eoin Berkeley, aged 24, was sentenced to two and a half years for possessing a realistic imitation AK‑47 rifle in a public place. Gardaí had received several reports of a man walking near Dublin Airport and Santry with what appeared to be a firearm. When approached on Northwood Avenue, Berkeley claimed the gun was fake, but the device was later identified as an airgun capable of firing 6mm ball bearings. He had pleaded guilty to the offence on 29 May 2016 and had 24 prior convictions from 2013 to 2017. Berkeley had been in custody for 18 months on this charge, and the judge, citing the seriousness of the offence and his extensive criminal record, imposed the sentence while crediting the time already served. The court noted that possession of an imitation firearm is not a trivial matter and must be treated seriously.
Former Anglo Irish Bank CEO David Drumm was found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on two charges: conspiracy to defraud and false accounting. The jury returned unanimous verdicts after 87 days of trial, the third-longest in the State's history. Drumm, who pleaded not guilty to both charges, was convicted of conspiring with former bank officials Denis Casey, William McAteer, John Bowe, and others to defraud depositors and investors by dishonestly creating the impression that 2008 deposits were €7.2 billion larger than they were. He was also found guilty of false accounting on December 3, 2008, for furnishing misleading information to the market regarding the bank's deposit figures. The prosecution alleged the scheme involved fraudulent circular transactions between Anglo and Irish Life & Permanent to artificially inflate customer deposits from €44 billion to €51 billion. Although Drumm was on bail throughout the trial, Detective Sergeant Michael McKenna opposed its continuation, citing flight risk and the substantial prison terms received by his co-conspirators. Defense counsel Brendan Grehan SC requested bail on humanitarian grounds, noting Drumm's family was in the US. Judge Karen O'Connor granted bail, requiring Drumm to sign daily at Balbriggan Garda Station. The matter is now at the sentencing stage, with the maximum penalty for conspiracy to defraud being unlimited and ten years for false accounting.
The Court of Appeal has adjourned the appeal of Dónall Billings, a 67-year-old from Drumlish, County Longford, to a future list in July. Billings was previously found guilty by the Special Criminal Court of possessing an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park on May 16, 2011. He was also convicted of making false reports on May 16, 18, and 20, 2011, alleging bombs were placed at Busáras, Sinn Féin headquarters, Dublin Castle, and Cork airport during Queen Elizabeth's state visit. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding with Judges Martin Nolan and Cormac Dunne, sentenced Billings to eight-and-a-half years' imprisonment, noting he was not entitled to express low opinions of the Queen through criminality. Concurrent terms were imposed for the false reports. Billings has lodged an appeal against his conviction and sentence. During case management, his barrister, Lyndsay Duffy, formally applied for the appeal to be heard in Irish by three Irish-speaking judges. President of the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice George Birmingham, stated the court faces an "immediate crisis" due to a judge shortage, leaving only five judges available to sit unrestrictedly. He remarked on the difficulty of finding three English-speaking judges, let alone Irish-speaking ones. The matter was adjourned to allow time for the court to reach full composition and determine its linguistic capacity. No final decision on the appeal has been made.
In a Charleton tribunal hearing, former Garda press officer Superintendent David Taylor denied that he was directed by former Commissioner Martin Callinan to brief journalists negatively about Sgt Maurice McCabe's 2006 sexual‑assault allegation. Taylor said he had been instructed to mention that McCabe was motivated by revenge and that the allegation was a "smear campaign." He claimed he had clarified to reporters that the DPP had not prosecuted the case and that the narrative was "there was no smoke without fire." Taylor also testified that the campaign ended when Callinan left office and that he had been moved from the press office to the traffic division, a transfer he described as a "fall from grace." He argued that he should not have been placed in a police cell after an inquiry into Garda leaks, stating he was not a flight risk and that custody was unnecessary. No other Garda officials confirmed Callinan's alleged direction.
A 67-year-old man from Drumlish, County Longford, has sought to have his appeal heard in Irish at the Court of Appeal. Donall Billings was convicted by the Special Criminal Court of possessing an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park in May 2011, and of making false bomb reports during Queen Elizabeth's State visit to Ireland that same month. He was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years imprisonment. The charges included placing a device on a Dublin-bound bus and making hoax threats targeting Busáras, Sinn Féin headquarters, Dublin Castle, and Cork airport. Mr Justice George Birmingham indicated the case would return to a management list to facilitate proceedings conducted in Irish. Billings was not present at the hearing to fix dates for his appeal.
A 32‑year‑old Malaysian named Han Fan was arrested at Dublin Airport after drug‑sniffing dogs detected a strong chemical smell in his luggage. Customs officers found 12 vacuum‑packed bags of cannabis, worth €195,200, and a name tag identifying Fan. He initially denied owning the suitcase but later admitted it was his. Fan claimed he had agreed to transport the drugs from Spain to Scotland for loan sharks to whom he was indebted, after losing his job and facing threats from the lenders. He pleaded guilty to one count of importing cannabis with a street value over €13,000. Judge Martin Nolan struck out other possession charges, ruling they did not apply in Ireland, but upheld the importation charge. Fan was sentenced to 32 months' imprisonment, backdated to the September 2017 arrest, and is considered an enhanced prisoner with a positive governor's report. The case highlights the influence of loan‑shark debt on drug trafficking decisions.
A man charged with the murder of Peter Butterly appeared at the Special Criminal Court after his arrest in Spain. Dean Evans, aged 25, from Raheny in Dublin, failed to appear for trial in January 2017 for the alleged murder of Butterly, who was shot dead outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanstown, Co Meath in March 2013. Evans was arrested on April 5th in Spain pursuant to a European Arrest Warrant and consented to his return to Ireland. He was arrested again at Dublin Airport on Monday night. The court heard that Evans made no reply when cautioned. Mr Justice Tony Hunt indicated that Evans would be included in an October trial alongside three other men facing charges relating to the same alleged murder. Evans was remanded in custody pending a mention hearing on April 24th.
The Commercial Court has admitted a challenge by Dutch firm Koninklijke Capri-Lux Holding BV against the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) regarding the award of a €50 million contract to operate electronics stores at Terminals 1 and 2. The applicant, which submitted its tender in early January and was ranked second, claims the DAA acted unlawfully and in breach of Irish and EU law. It alleges the DAA failed to answer specific questions, acted in manifest error, and considered irrelevant factors. Koninklijke Capri-Lux seeks to have the contract award quashed, the decision remitted for reconsideration, and various declarations regarding the DAA's conduct, alongside damages. Mr Justice Brian McGovern admitted the action to the fast-track Commercial Court list on Monday. He also ordered that the successful bidder, Inmotion Entertainment Ltd, be added as a notice party. There were no objections to the applications. The matter was adjourned and will return before the court later this month.
Peter Kernan, 57, a former Aer Lingus ground staff member, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment in Dublin Circuit Court for his role in a people‑trafficking operation at Dublin Airport between December 2016 and January 2017. He pleaded guilty to four counts of facilitating the entry of illegal immigrants and to three counts of handling proceeds of crime, amounting to €40,366. Kernan was paid €2,000–€3,000 per person trafficked and used Aer Lingus staff swipe cards to bypass passport control, escorting foreign nationals from the air bridge to the immigration hall via a catering truck and a staff turnstile gate. He had no prior convictions except a traffic offence. Kernan had undergone quadruple heart bypass surgery four months earlier and had other health issues, including a cancer gene. His co‑accused, Frederick Cham, also received a four‑year sentence.
Joseph Kiernan, aged 34, was deported from the Netherlands after serving a partially suspended three‑year robbery sentence. He was then jailed in Ireland for six years for a series of driving and drug offences. In November 2014 he pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a stolen Ford Mondeo and possession of €648 of cannabis near Dublin Airport. In January 2015 he pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a stolen BMW and dangerous driving around Gormanston, Meath. In May 2015 he pleaded guilty to possession of €3,566 of cannabis at a premises he shared with his partner on Gardiner Street, Dublin. The court imposed a four‑year sentence for the earlier drugs charge, consecutive to another four years for the later drugs offence, with the final two years suspended. Kiernan was banned from driving for 20 years. He had 55 prior convictions, including robbery, vehicle theft, burglaries and possession of stolen property.
Prince Ajibola, a 50‑year‑old father of four from Castlegate Place, Adamstown, Lucan, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a child‑pornography clip that showed a child under five being raped. The clip, sent to his phone via WhatsApp on 20 July 2016, was discovered when his two mobile phones were seized after his arrest at Dublin Airport on 1 September 2016. Ajibola admitted he had only viewed the clip once, then shut it down, and claimed he had forgotten it was on his phone. He denied forwarding it to anyone. The judge, citing his early guilty plea, remorse and cooperation, imposed a one‑year suspended sentence and ordered that he be entered on the sex offenders register. The sender of the clip has pleaded guilty to distribution and will be sentenced next month.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 47‑year‑old Somali‑born woman, Sujuur Abdullahi Mohamed, received an 18‑month suspended sentence for importing the East African drug khat. Mohamed, who lives in London, pleaded guilty to possession and importation after being stopped at Dublin Airport on 30 December 2017. She had been offered €1 000 to bring two suitcases of khat into Ireland. Garda David Jordan explained that only the leaves of the plant are considered drug, and that the 31.6 kg of material she carried had deteriorated before it could be weighed or valued. He estimated a street value of about €500, though the judge noted the value could be as high as €10 000. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Mohamed was uncertain whether khat was illegal in Ireland and, after considering the circumstances, imposed a suspended sentence rather than custodial time. The court also noted that Mohamed had no prior convictions.
In March 2018 the Special Criminal Court granted bail to Martin Aylmer, 31, of Casino Park, Marino, Dublin 3, who faces charges related to the murder of Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin 1 on 25 April 2016. Aylmer is charged with participating in or contributing to activity intended to facilitate the commission of the murder by a criminal organisation or its members, and with reckless participation or contribution that could facilitate the murder. The alleged offences occurred between 23 and 25 April 2016. While the court acknowledged concerns about Aylmer being a flight risk, it decided to grant bail, noting that he would remain in custody until the judges review the financial history of the independent surety. The case was adjourned to 13 March 2018.
Keila Pineda Lopez, 29, was caught at Dublin Airport with 20 shirts soaked in cocaine, valued at €179,550. She pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply. Gardaí said the shirts could be chemically processed to extract the drug at the destination, but Lopez had no knowledge of this. She claimed she was offered €3,000 to transport the drugs from Brazil and that she faced threats. Garda Michael Higgins noted a mix of inducement and coercion. Lopez cooperated fully, admitted guilt, and expressed remorse. Her defence highlighted her role as a young mother, limited English, and coercion. Judge Melanie Greally, considering her plea, cooperation, and circumstances, imposed a three‑year custodial sentence, deviating from the typical ten‑year minimum for the offence. The sentence is to run from the date she entered custody.
An autistic man, Alyn Maginn, 41, was caught with over €600,000 of heroin and cocaine in a car park at Dublin Airport. He pleaded guilty to one count of possession. The drugs were found in a Seat Ibiza after customs profiling. Maginn had not imported the drugs; they had been in the car already. The drugs were owned by a co‑accused, Martin Gilroy, who had previously been jailed for seven years. Maginn had no prior convictions and cooperated with Gardaí. A psychological report showed Maginn had borderline cognitive ability, was on the autism spectrum, and was easily led. Judge Martin Nolan, citing Maginn's psychological make‑up and low moral culpability, imposed a suspended five‑year sentence, stating it would be unjust to jail him for this crime.
A 21‑year‑old woman, Nikita Murtagh, pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a loaded CZ model 70 semi‑automatic pistol at Dublin's Connolly train station on 19 July last year. She had handed a shoebox containing the gun to a man, Ciaran Ryan, who was about to board the Dublin‑to‑Belfast train. Ryan was later jailed for three years for possession of the firearm. Murtagh was arrested at a bus stop outside Dublin airport at 6 pm, carrying a handbag with a change of clothes and a passport. At the Special Criminal Court, she was sentenced to three years in jail, backdated to 17 July, with the balance of the sentence suspended. The judge noted her guilty plea, her role as a courier, her "misplaced sense of family loyalty", and her status as a mother of a three‑year‑old child as mitigating factors. She walked free after the suspension was granted.
In February 2018 the High Court dismissed an application by 22 North County Dublin residents who sought permission to appeal the Court of Appeal over plans for a new €320m runway at Dublin Airport. The residents had argued that the development was illegal and that Fingal County Council had failed to address their concerns about its impact on homes and land. Mr Justice Max Barrett ruled that the residents had not raised any points of exceptional public importance that would allow the Court of Appeal to consider their appeal. He expressed sympathy for the residents and respect for their fighting spirit, but found no grounds for the appeal. The residents may appeal directly to the Supreme Court. In a separate ruling the judge ordered the St Margaret's Concerned Residents Group and the DAA to pay their own legal costs.
David Marsh, 31, was sentenced to an additional 14 months in jail after he deceived a woman he met on a dating website by claiming he was anaemic and needed money for medication and a flight to the US to see a specialist. He also extracted €300 from a new girlfriend for a holiday that never occurred, and €800 from the same woman under various pretences. Marsh's criminal history includes six counts of deception, one theft from an Eir store, and possession of heroin while in prison. He had previously been jailed for two years in 2016 for fraud, including defrauding a Limerick couple of €76,000, stealing €740 from his employer, and scamming colleagues and rugby teammates out of nearly €8,000. He has 23 prior convictions, mainly for fraud. The court noted his "active fantasy life" and impulsive behaviour, but did not attribute any motive beyond his charm and confidence tactics. David Marsh pleaded guilty.
A 33‑year‑old Waterford courier, Conor Freeman, was jailed for four years after transporting €119,000 worth of ketamine through Dublin Airport to settle a drug debt. Freeman, who had a €5,750 cocaine debt from a period living in the UK, had moved to Waterford for a "clean break." Customs officers stopped him on his return from Eindhoven, discovering £12,000 in cash and three containers of white rock‑like crystals labelled "bath salts." The drugs were later identified as ketamine. Freeman pleaded guilty to possession of 2 kg of ketamine at the airport on 9 April 2017. He had no prior convictions. The court accepted that he was motivated by fear rather than profit, noted his unlikely re‑offending, and ordered the confiscation of the seized money. The sentence was imposed by Judge Martin Nolan.
Frederick Cham, a 63‑year‑old Aer Lingus ground handler from Railway Cottages, Hazelhatch, Celbridge, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for facilitating the illegal entry of five people into Ireland between 13 December 2016 and 22 January 2017. He pleaded guilty to five charges of assisting illegal immigrants or asylum seekers at Dublin Airport and to two charges of handling money he knew to be proceeds of crime. Cham admitted that he and another Aer Lingus employee used staff swipe cards to access an employee gate, bypassing passport control, and that they transported foreign nationals from the air‑side to the land‑side via a catering truck and a staff turnstile gate. The court noted that Cham's role was "invaluable" to the smuggling operation, which involved cash transfers from China totalling about €6,000 and payments of €2,000–€3,000 per smuggling run.
An Aer Lingus ground handler, Frederick Cham, 63, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five charges of facilitating the entry of illegal immigrants or asylum seekers into Ireland between 13 December 2016 and 22 January 2017. He also admitted two charges of handling money he knew to be proceeds of crime in December 2016 and January 2017. Cham, originally from Hong Kong and a long‑time employee at Dublin Airport, described the scheme as a "Mickey Mouse operation" and said he earned €2,000–€3,000 per smuggling run, spending the money on Guinness. The operation involved bypassing passport control with staff swipe cards, escorting foreign nationals from the air‑side to the immigration hall via a lift and a catering truck, and using a staff turnstile gate to move them to the land‑side. Gardaí traced the scheme through CCTV, staff swipe‑card records and Western Union transfers totalling about €6,000.
A Lithuanian man charged with importing cannabis worth €58,820 through Dublin Airport has received a fully suspended three-year sentence. Egidijus Sniauksta, aged 45, of Wylies Hill, Ballybay, County Monaghan, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drug seized on 3 February 2016. He had travelled from Alicante in Spain when stopped at customs, where nine vacuum-sealed packages of herbal cannabis were discovered in his luggage. Sniauksta was to receive €1,000 for delivering the drugs to a third party. Judge Terence O'Sullivan noted that while drug mules form part of the drugs trade, Sniauksta was not connected to a criminal organisation and described him as naive. The court considered his significant health difficulties, including frequent falls and loss of consciousness, his previous good work history, early guilty plea, and expressions of remorse. The sentence was suspended in full subject to strict conditions.
Noel O'Connor, 36, was jailed for three years after smuggling almost €70,000 worth of cocaine from Brazil into Dublin Airport. Customs officers discovered 1.1 kilos of cocaine in two shampoo bottles during a random swab test. O'Connor fled the customs hall, ran into the arrivals area, and escaped in a taxi. He later returned to Ireland to face the court, pleading guilty to importation of controlled drugs. Judge Martin Nolan described him as "the ambassador of his own misfortune" but praised his clean record in custody and charity work with the Irish Red Cross. O'Connor had ten prior convictions, including theft and robbery, and had been a personal trainer. He had fled to Brazil after a breakup, accrued a drug debt, and was persuaded to smuggle drugs to repay it. The sentence was back‑dated to 23 June.
Eamonn Cumberton, aged 30, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court for the murder of 35‑year‑old Michael Barr, the manager of the Sunset House pub in Dublin. On 25 April 2016, two men in "Freddy Kruger" masks entered the pub, shot Barr seven times—five to the head, one to the shoulder and one to the neck—and then fled in a grey Audi. The court found DNA belonging to Cumberton on a baseball cap and a rubber mask recovered from the vehicle, which was later found partially burnt on Walsh Road. Evidence also linked Cumberton to the getaway car and to a flight to Thailand taken shortly after the killing. The judge described the shooting as a deliberate and planned execution, and noted that Cumberton had 37 prior convictions. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with no mention of a suspended portion or effective custody term. The court expressed sympathy for Barr's family.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Eamonn Cumberton, aged 30, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 35‑year‑old Michael Barr, who was shot seven times at the Sunset House pub on 25 April 2016. The prosecution, led by Dominic McGinn SC, argued that a partially burnt Audi found near the crime scene was linked to the shooting and that a mask and baseball cap recovered from the vehicle contained Cumberton's DNA, which he could not explain. McGinn also cited Cumberton's travel to Thailand shortly after the murder, arriving at Dublin airport without luggage, as evidence of his involvement. Cumberton's defence, represented by Bernard Condon SC, dismissed the DNA and travel evidence as unreliable, arguing that the DNA could have been deposited indirectly and that the Thailand trip was irrelevant. Judge Tony Hunt remanded Cumberton in custody until the court will deliver judgement on 29 January 2018.
Frederick Cham, 62, of Railway Cottages, Hazelhatch, Celbridge, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two charges of organising or facilitating the entry of illegal immigrants into Ireland. The alleged offences involved helping persons bypass passport control at Dublin Airport on 29 December 2016 and 9 January 2017. Cham, originally from Hong Kong, was arrested by the Garda National Immigration Bureau. He was granted legal aid after a prior refusal. Judge Martin Nolan ordered a governor's report from Cloverhill Prison and adjourned the case to 6 February 2018.
A man has received a two-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his guilty plea to burglary at a takeaway in Castlebar, County Mayo. Yasir Ali, aged 29, of Lighthouse Apartments, East Wall, Dublin, stole equipment valued at €11,484.50 from Thomas Street Takeaway on 18 May 2015. The stolen items included commercial freezers, deep fat fryers, a burger fryer, microwave, food blender, and stainless steel fixtures. Ali was arrested shortly after the offence and subsequently apprehended at Dublin Airport attempting to leave the country with false documentation. Following his arrest, he cooperated with gardaí and led them to a farmhouse at Hollymount, County Mayo, where the concealed equipment was recovered in July 2015. Judge Karen O'Connor imposed the sentence in full suspension. Ali received an additional three-month suspended sentence for the false documentation offence. The court heard he has no previous convictions and had adhered to bail conditions.
Edward McCarthy, aged 31, travelled to Italy in May 2016 using a passport belonging to Alan O'Reilly after discovering his own passport had expired. He returned to Dublin Airport where a passport officer noticed the photograph did not match his appearance and he was arrested. McCarthy pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful use of a passport. He claimed he had booked the holiday before learning his passport was out of date, and that a new passport application had been returned incorrectly, prompting him to use another person's passport to avoid missing the holiday. The passport owner reported it missing and had a new one issued. McCarthy has 35 prior convictions, mainly for traffic offences. The court accepted his explanation as probably true and imposed a 16‑month suspended sentence with conditions.