The family of a 64‑year‑old man who was murdered by three men after they broke into his home expressed shock and horror at the brutality of his death. The family statement, read at the Central Criminal Court, said they were "horrified and shocked at the cruel and heartless way he was brutally taken from us" and that they hoped for justice. The three men, Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (22) and James Davy (25), were convicted of murder on 4–5 August. The judge imposed a mandatory life sentence on each, back‑dating the sentences to account for time spent in custody since 24 November 2014. The court heard that the men had previously been convicted of a range of offences, including arson, burglary and assault.
James Davy, aged 25, stands accused of murder after being present at the scene of Thomas 'Toddy' Dooley's death on 12 February 2014. He pleaded not guilty, as did co‑accused Sean Davy (21) and Matthew Cummins (22). The men entered Dooley's home through a window at about 5.30 am, drank with him, and at some point Dooley was beaten to death and attempts were made to set his body on fire. Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy reported eight blows to Dooley's head and two blows to his body, fracturing ribs. Defence counsel Padraig Dwyer SC argued that Davy's presence alone does not prove intent to kill, and that the prosecution failed to establish such intent. Davy maintains he did not strike Dooley or attempt arson, and he denied any involvement in the killing. The trial continues with the judge scheduled to charge the jury the following day.
Damien Halpin, 29, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possession of €17,318 of cocaine and for assault causing harm at Gibson Hotel. He pleaded guilty to both offences. The court noted that he had previously fled to Australia in 2011 after being labelled a "rat" by graffiti and that his home was shot at. In Australia he was convicted of arson, assault and being armed with intent in 2015, served one year in New South Wales, and was deported to Ireland in January 2016. Judge Melanie Greally accepted his admissions about the drugs, his chaotic lifestyle, and his positive attitude in custody, but imposed consecutive sentences totaling six years, suspending the final two years on strict conditions. The case also highlighted 21 prior convictions for traffic and public‑order offences.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, a Garda witness testified that a fire may have been set at the armchair where 64‑year‑old Thomas 'Toddy' Dooley was found dead in his Edenderry home on 16 February 2014. The body, covered with a cushion, was in a sitting position in the armchair, which was burned in three places. Seven footwear marks were found on the floor, and no implement was recovered. The fire caused burns to Dooley's head, upper body, and both legs of his nylon tracksuit. The prosecution also presented witnesses who described the presence of a baseball bat in the scene, but no weapon was found. The case involves three men—Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21), and James Davy (25)—who are charged with murder and have pleaded not guilty. The trial is set to continue tomorrow before Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan.
In a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard that Thomas 'Toddy' Dooley, a 64‑year‑old Offaly resident, was found dead in his living room on 16 February 2014, four days after he was allegedly beaten to death with a baseball bat. The prosecution presented evidence that three men – Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21) and James Davy (25) – were present at a party in April Murray's house on the early hours of 12 February 2014, then travelled to Dooley's home. The men were said to have used a wooden baseball bat to inflict blunt‑trauma injuries to Dooley's head and chest, leading to his death. The prosecution also alleged attempts to set fire to Dooley's armchair and clothing, and that the men removed items from the scene, some of which were later recovered by the gardai. The accused pleaded not guilty. The trial was scheduled to continue the following day.
Darren McKevitt, 26, of Walkinstown, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to arson of a car, dangerous driving, driving under the influence, driving without insurance, three counts of assault, possession of a stolen Toyota Avensis, a PSV certificate, an Irish driving licence and insurance certificate, and unlawful possession of a stun gun. The offences occurred between October and November 2014, including a bonfire incident on Halloween where he drove a car into a bonfire, jumped out, and assaulted three gardaí on Durrow Road, Crumlin. Blood tests showed he was five times over the alcohol limit. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a five‑year sentence, back‑dated to November 2014, with the balance suspended, and ordered continued work with probation officers, drug rehabilitation and employment training. The court noted McKevitt had nine previous convictions, including drug possession for sale or supply. The case was prosecuted by Monika Leech BL and defended by Libby Charlton BL.
Damien Halpin, 29, fled to Australia in 2011 after being labelled a "rat" following a drugs conviction and a subsequent attack on his home. He was convicted in Australia in 2015 for arson, assault and being armed with intent, claiming it was a prank gone wrong. He served one year in New South Wales before being deported to Ireland. In January 2016 he was arrested by Gardaí at Dublin Airport. Halpin has 21 prior convictions in Ireland, mainly for road traffic and public order offences. He pleaded guilty to possession of €17,318 of cocaine in 2009 and to assault causing harm in 2010. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court adjourned his sentencing to July 27, 2016, to allow an updated probation report. Bench warrants were issued in March 2012 when he failed to appear in court for both cases.
Neil Kelly, 41, pleaded guilty to criminal damage for setting fire to Garda Áine Troy's car at Scarriff Garda Station on 19 March 2013. He received a wholly suspended three‑year sentence from Judge Gerard Keyes on 1 May 2015. The Court of Appeal rejected the Director of Public Prosecutions' appeal that the sentence was "unduly lenient". Judge Garrett Sheehan noted the case was "borderline" but the suspended sentence fell within the margin of appreciation. He described how Kelly intervened to stop his co‑accused from abusing Garda Troy, who had seized a vehicle for lacking insurance. Kelly paid €6,000 compensation and expressed remorse. The court found the offence an attack on the rule of law, yet mitigation factors justified the suspended sentence. The appeal was dismissed.
Kenneth Collopy, aged 25, was convicted of murdering 25‑year‑old Daniel Fitzgerald in 2009 and sentenced to life imprisonment. Collopy pleaded not guilty, claiming he had mistakenly fired at a caravan in revenge for an arson attack on his mother's van, and that he intended only to shoot at the mobile home, unaware of any victim. He admitted killing Fitzgerald but maintained he had no intent to kill. The jury found him guilty of murder and the judge imposed a mandatory life sentence. Collopy appealed, arguing the jury's verdict was perverse, citing the inclusion of a video statement from a witness, David Bussoli, and questioning whether Bussoli and Christopher Mulqueen were accomplices. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal on all grounds, affirming the trial judge's decisions, the use of the video statement, and the jury's verdict. Collopy was taken away to continue serving his life sentence.
Anthony Locke, aged 38, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for concealing the body of Christopher Jackson, 53, and cleaning up the murder scene at Jackson's flat on Prussia Street. The court found Locke guilty of impeding the apprehension of a person he believed to be guilty of murder. His sentence was back‑dated to 9 September 2012, with the final three years suspended. Locke had previously been convicted of arson and manslaughter in 1998, and had served a ten‑year sentence for a 1995 fire that killed a man and his pregnant girlfriend. The judge noted Locke's history of alcohol and drug problems, his willingness to reform, and the high risk of re‑offending in the next 12 months. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and the need for rehabilitation. Anthony Locke pleaded not guilty.
Martin Doyle, 25, of Mount Eden Rise, Cork, pleaded guilty to burglary and arson at the home of an 81‑year‑old widower on Blarney Street on 15 October 2014. He had previously received a three‑year robbery sentence that was fully suspended to encourage treatment for heroin addiction. The Circuit Court reactivated that sentence and, on 17 June 2015, imposed a seven‑year term with the final two years suspended, giving Doyle a net ten‑year sentence with two years suspended. The Court of Appeal upheld the sentence, ruling it could not be described as excessive. The burglary and arson were deemed "extremely serious"; the victim, now 85, was left homeless for seven months and suffered loss of personal memorabilia. Doyle had 25 prior convictions and had been imprisoned eight times. The appeal was dismissed.
In a High Court hearing in Dublin, Raymond O'Neill, 37, was remanded in custody pending an extradition case to the PSNI concerning the murder of Jennifer Dornan. O'Neill faces charges of murder and arson for the stabbing and burning of Dornan's house in Hazel View, west Belfast, last August. The court adjourned the case to next month, requiring O'Neill's lawyers to file objections by March 7th, with the case to be reconsidered on March 14th.
Patrick Maughan, aged 29, was sentenced to ten years in prison, with three years suspended, for setting fire to an apartment complex in Thornfield Square, Clondalkin, on 7 July 2013. The arson was carried out outside apartment 31, where a resident, awake and caring for a sick child, raised the alarm. The blaze forced the evacuation of 39 people, including children, and required repairs to 20 apartments. Residents were housed elsewhere for eight months, and the complex owner incurred €517,000 in losses. Maughan claimed the attack was part of a family feud and that he was "out of it" due to drink and valium. A psychologist reported an IQ of 56, placing him in the bottom two per cent of the population. His appeal to reduce the sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal. Patrick Maughan pleaded guilty.
Anthony Locke, 38, of Ballyfermot, was found guilty of impeding the investigation into the murder of Christopher Jackson, 53, who was killed in Jackson's flat on Prussia Street in September 2012. The jury, after 6 hours 47 minutes, returned a majority verdict of not guilty of murder but guilty of impeding apprehension of a person believed to be guilty of murder. Locke's brother, Bernard Locke, had been convicted of Jackson's murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014. In 1998, Anthony Locke received a 10‑year prison sentence for arson that caused the deaths of Gerard Kavanagh, 30, and his pregnant girlfriend Mary Core, 29, in a Ballyfermot flat in 1995; the last three years of that sentence were suspended. The court considered a partial suspension of the custodial sentence, with a probation report to be awaited, and set a sentencing date of 18 April.
Darren Murphy, 38, of Passage West, Cork, was convicted of murdering Olivia Dunlea, a mother of three, in her Pembroke Crescent home on 17 February 2013, and of arson. He had pleaded not guilty to the murder but admitted killing her and setting the house on fire, claiming he did not want the children to find her. The Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty after four hours of deliberation and he received a mandatory life sentence on 29 May 2014. Murphy appealed on the basis that the trial judge's definition of provocation was incorrectly directed to the jury. The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, remanded him in custody, and ordered a retrial. The Director of Public Prosecutions will seek a new trial. The case involved allegations that Dunlea had provoked Murphy by suggesting a former intimate would call, which he claimed enraged him.
In 2010, Davinn Flynn, 42, set fire to the Nirvana head shop on Capel Street, Dublin, causing €1 million in damage and closing the street for three days. He pleaded guilty in 2015 and was sentenced to six years' imprisonment. On appeal, the Court of Appeal re‑sentenced him to seven years, suspending the final two years. The court noted that Flynn and another man started the fire with an accelerant, that CCTV showed Flynn entering the shop's rear, and that the blaze spread to a sex shop and another similar premises. Flynn had 65 prior convictions, including robbery, theft and public order offences. The appeal was based on the original judge's failure to address Flynn's potential for rehabilitation, which the appellate judges found an error in principle. The final sentence therefore remains seven years, with two years suspended.
Michael Doyle, aged 22 at the time of the offence, was sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan to a three‑year term with the final year suspended, following a guilty plea to defilement of a child under 15. The offence occurred on 23 July 2012 when Doyle, after meeting a 14‑year‑old girl on a bus, bought alcohol for her and a friend, and later took the girl to his father's home where they had sex. Doyle had 31 prior convictions, including violence, criminal damage, arson and handling stolen property. The judge noted Doyle's remorse, low risk of re‑offending in sexual matters, and the seriousness of the charge and victim's age. Doyle was held in custody pending sentencing after failing to attend a previous hearing. The victim reported lasting psychological effects, including paranoia, school‑work disruption, flashbacks, loneliness and isolation.
Michael Smyth, 66, a chronic alcoholic with a long history of homelessness and 362 prior convictions, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for arson at a flat in Hogan Court, Dublin, on 12 August 2014. The fire caused €25,910 in damage. Smyth admitted to being intoxicated and possibly leaving a cigarette on his bed, which he said he had left that morning and not returned to. He denied any exchange of words with his upstairs neighbour, who had reported hearing him shout threats such as "I will burn you." Garda Amy Kelly confirmed that Smyth was living in accommodation provided by Dublin City Council at the time of the incident. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the serious danger and cost of the damage, imposed the sentence and backdated it to the date Smyth entered custody. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Smyth pleaded guilty.
Darren Murphy, 38, of Passage West, Cork, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 for the murder of Olivia Dunlea, a mother of three, at her Pembroke Crescent home on 17 February 2013. He admitted unlawfully killing her and setting her house on fire, claiming he did not want the children to find her. Murphy pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but guilty to the arson charge. The Central Criminal Court jury, after four hours of deliberation, found him guilty of murder and the judge imposed the mandatory life sentence. He has now filed an appeal on four grounds, including alleged misdirection by the trial judge regarding the defence of provocation. The Court of Appeal will reserve judgment and deliver a decision as soon as possible. The appeal concerns only the conviction, not the sentence. The case remains at the appeal stage.
In a 2015 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Derek Aylmer, aged 39, pleaded guilty to criminal damage after a six‑hour incident on Christmas night 2013 in which he held a knife to his friend Gerard Sheridan's throat, threatened self‑harm, and set fire to Sheridan's home. Aylmer had no prior convictions. Sheridan, an addiction counsellor, testified that Aylmer suffered from depression, had become more aware of it, and was on a waiting list for an alcohol awareness programme. Judge Martin Nolan, persuaded by Sheridan's testimony and Aylmer's remorse, imposed 150 hours of community service in lieu of a two‑year prison sentence. Aylmer subsequently sold a car and paid Sheridan for damages. The court noted that Aylmer's behaviour was out of character and that he had made amends for his actions.
Darren McKevitt, 26, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to arson of a car, dangerous driving, driving under the influence, driving without insurance, three counts of assault, possession of a stolen Toyota Avensis, a stolen PSV certificate, an Irish driving licence and insurance certificate, and unlawful possession of a stun gun. The offences occurred on 31 October 2014 at Durrow Road, Crumlin, and on 24 November 2014 at Cushlawn Park, Tallaght. A blood sample showed he was five times over the legal alcohol limit. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a probation bond, requiring McKevitt to work with probation officers, undergo drug rehabilitation and employment training, and to return to court on 1 July 2016. He was arrested after Garda Michael Creegan and Garda Micheal O'Sullivan chased him following the bonfire incident, during which McKevitt assaulted three gardaí and was later taken to Crumlin Garda Station. The court noted his nine previous convictions, including possession of drugs for sale or supply.
Darren Rafferty, aged 40, was sentenced to three‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment on 5 June 2014 for setting fire to his former fiancée's house in Navan on 14 January 2013. The arson caused about €79,000 of damage to the conservatory, kitchen and house, and four units of the Navan fire brigade attended the scene. Rafferty was arrested at 3.20 a.m. the same day, was intoxicated and could not be interviewed, but later confirmed he started the fire, left the house and returned to the pub, citing frustration over the breakup. He pleaded guilty at Trim Circuit Criminal Court. On 10 July 2015 the Court of Appeal, hearing Mr Justice George Birmingham, upheld the sentence but suspended the balance from 31 July, allowing Rafferty to pursue a job offer in the UK. He was ordered not to contact his former fiancée again.
James McNamee, aged 23, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for arson at North Link Retail Park, where a sofa set on fire in the loading bay caused €2.2 million of damage, including €745,000 uninsured. He pleaded guilty to one count of arson on 30 June 2010 and was originally sentenced by Judge Michael O'Shea on 31 January 2014. On appeal, the Court of Appeal reduced the sentence to four years with the final 18 months suspended. McNamee, who was 18 at the time of the offence, and three minors had climbed a fence to enter the loading bay; only McNamee was prosecuted. The court noted that no one was injured or killed and that the fire caused significant business losses, some businesses closing permanently. McNamee was required to post a €100 bond for four years after release. The appeal was granted by Judges Alan Mahon, Garrett Sheehan and John Edwards.
Robert Murphy, 32, was convicted of possessing a knife, discharging a firearm, and arson. He had previously pleaded guilty to these offences in 2012 and 2013. Judge Desmond Hogan originally sentenced him to nine years with five suspended, effective eight years. The Court of Appeal, after reviewing the case, found the sentence unduly lenient and imposed a new sentence of 11 years with three suspended, effective eight years. The appeal highlighted that Murphy, a known heroin addict and "career criminal" with 60 prior convictions, had set fire to a house occupied by a mother and child, forcing them to escape through a bedroom window. The court noted that the arson was the most serious offence and that the new sentence was intended to reflect the severity of the crime. The final effective term remains eight years imprisonment.
In a 2015 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Derek Aylmer, aged 39, pleaded guilty to criminal damage after a six‑hour incident on Christmas night 2013 in which he held a knife to his friend Gerard Sheridan's throat, threatened self‑harm, and set fire to Sheridan's home. Aylmer, who had been living with Sheridan, was remanded on bail pending a sentence scheduled for October. Sheridan, an addiction counsellor, testified that Aylmer suffers from depression but had shown improvement since the incident, engaging with services and seeking help. He also claimed Aylmer had become more aware of his condition and was on a waiting list for an alcohol awareness programme. The judge adjourned the case to assess Aylmer's suitability for community service, noting Sheridan's evidence was "very helpful and very forgiving" and that Aylmer had not been imprisoned. Garda Kevin McHugh corroborated Sheridan's account, describing the confrontation, Aylmer's threats to officers, and the eventual evacuation by firemen.
Gareth Colley, aged 23, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three years' imprisonment, with the final 15 months suspended, for setting fire to the seat covers of a Ford Fiesta and a Nissan Micra after failing to secure a taxi ride. Colley, a father of one, admitted he was drunk and had no idea where he was when he attempted to break into the vehicles. He pleaded guilty to two charges of arson and an attempt to unlawfully take a car, both committed on 23 March 2014. The judge noted Colley's history of 52 prior convictions, including criminal damage, and described the offences as "the wanton destruction of two people's cars by someone who is out of his head on drink and possibly drugs." The court highlighted his propensity to damage property and his ongoing struggle with addiction, noting he has been attending a treatment centre since the beginning of the month.
Robert Murphy, 32, a drug addict, was convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing a knife, discharging a firearm, and arson. He received an effective sentence of four years imprisonment with five years suspended on 10 October 2014. The Court of Appeal, agreeing with the Director of Public Prosecutions, found the sentence "unduly lenient" and ordered a new sentence to be imposed later. The appeal highlighted that Murphy was found with a flick knife in May 2012, discharged a sawn‑off shotgun at a house door, and set fire to a house occupied by a mother and child. The court noted Murphy's history of 60 convictions, including six for knife possession, and that the suspended periods for the shotgun and arson offences were also deemed unduly lenient. The new sentence will be determined at a future hearing. Robert Murphy pleaded guilty.
John Paul McDonagh, aged 32, was sentenced to three years in prison for setting fire to the front door of his ex‑partner Caroline Maughan's house in Dublin 17 on 22 July 2014. McDonagh had been in a relationship with Maughan for six years and they had two children together. In the early hours of the incident, he arrived at the house, threw empty beer bottles at a bedroom window, shouted at Maughan as she opened the front door, and then poured petrol onto the door and set it alight. He fled in his car while the fire was still burning. Maughan's mother, Kathleen, woke up, extinguished the fire, and called the Gardaí. CCTV footage captured McDonagh pouring fuel and setting the door on fire before running away. McDonagh, who has 65 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to arson and admitted he acted only to frighten his partner.
Eugene Cullen, 30, from Sundale Villas, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a firearm and arson on 4 August 2008. He and Adam Griffiths, 27, were seen leaving a hedge in Palmerstown Green after driving a stolen Honda Civic from Cherry Orchard. Cullen leaned into the car and flames soon erupted. Gardaí stopped a vehicle driven by a third man shortly thereafter. An inspection of the charred car revealed a 9‑mm pistol in the passenger side glove box, confirming the vehicle had been reported stolen. Neither man was charged with the theft. Griffiths pleaded guilty to driving without the owner's consent. He received a two‑year suspended sentence. Cullen, already serving a life sentence for murder, was given a six‑year custodial term, with no credit for time already served on the firearm charge. The court noted that Cullen had no knowledge that the gun was in the car.
Dylan Smith, 23, of Crumlin, pleaded guilty to producing an imitation firearm, unlawful seizure of a vehicle, and arson. On 26 March 2014, he threatened a taxi driver, John Lang, with a fake gun, forced him out of the vehicle, and drove off. Smith then set fire to Bernard Curtis Apartments in Bluebell. Garda Gary Keelan and others apprehended him near Jamestown Industrial Estate. Smith, with 69 prior convictions, was already serving sentences for robbery, false imprisonment and unlawful seizure of a vehicle. At sentencing, Judge Gerard Hogan imposed a four‑year jail term, with the final two years suspended, meaning Smith will serve an effective one‑year term. He is scheduled for release in 2020. The court noted his violent background, substance issues, and that he had become a father on the day of the incident. The case was prosecuted by Gareth Baker BL and defended by Pieter Le Vert BL.
David Flynn, a 42‑year‑old father of three from York Street, Dublin, was convicted of arson at the Nirvana head shop on Capel Street on 12 February 2010. He set the shop on fire because he held a grudge over his brother's drug‑related death, which the court said may have involved the shop's sale of drugs. CCTV footage showed Flynn with another man and later with bolt cutters entering the shop's side gate. The blaze caused €1 million in damage, forced residents to evacuate, and closed a busy city‑centre street for days. Five Dublin Fire Brigade units were required to control the flames, which also destroyed a neighbouring head shop and an adult store. Flynn pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was sentenced to six years' imprisonment by Judge Martin Nolan, who noted his 65 previous convictions and his low risk of re‑offending.
A dispute over the alleged failure by insurers to pay out approximately €1.6m on a policy of a premises in Bray Co Wicklow that went on fire is to be fast tracked by the Commercial Court. The action has been brought by Veema Ltd, The Drive Cypress Downs Dublin 6w, which owns the Everest Centre, Castle Street, Bray Co Wicklow, against Great Lakes Reinsurance UK plc, of Fenchurch London, and insurance broker The Underwriting Exchange Ltd, Tower Street London. Veema says it has suffered a serious loss as a result of the insurances firm's alleged failure to pay out. The case was entered into the fast-track Commercial Court list today by Mr Justice Brian McGovern on the application of lawyers for Veema Ltd. In its action, Veema says it was furnished with a contract of insurance in respect of the Everest Centre by the broker, which was underwritten by Great Lakes Reinsurance. The policy was obtained in 2012. It claims that under the terms of the policy the premises was covered in the event of it suffering damage from fire. On July 15 2014 the Everest Centre, which has a number of tenants, accidentally caught fire. Veema says the fire occurred when a storage unit at the rear of the Everest Centre was being cleared. It says that a third party was allowed enter the property started to remove steel shelving. While using an angle grinder it is believed the third party accidentally set fire to the property. Veema says it believes its policy of insurance covered the damage. In its action it claims the insurers are not paying out because of an alleged change in tenancy, and occupation and use of the property that constituted an alternation of risk. The underwriters say they were never informed of the changes, which amount to breaches of conditions of the policy. In its action, Veema claims Great Lakes Reinsurance UK has breached the insurance policy following its alleged failure and refusal to pay out the sums insured for. It is also claimed Great Lakes has neglected to confirm it is prepared to indemnify Veema in respect of any claims against it by tenants of the property. It further claims the broker had a duty to warn them with of any unusual terms or interpretations that would be applied to the policy by the underwriter. The failure to warn Veema of such unusual terms was negligent, it is claimed. In its action Veema seeks various orders including one directing the underwriters to pay the sum necessary to reimburse the damage suffered by it caused by the fire. That figure has been estimated at €1.6m. Veema also seeks declarations including one it is entitled to an indemnity in respect of claims made against by the tenants of the Everest Centre in respect of the fire that took place last July.
Paul Hanbury, 23, was sentenced to five years in prison for setting fire to the bed in his partner's apartment in Tallaght on 4 October 2014. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan described the offence as extremely serious, noting that fatalities could have occurred. The final 18 months of the sentence were suspended and backdated to the time of arrest in October 2014. Garda Michael McGrath reported that Hanbury had entered the apartment at 2 p.m., drank with his girlfriend and her sister, and that the couple's two‑year‑old and four‑month‑old sons were present. After a quarrel sometime after midnight, Hanbury locked himself in a bedroom, set the mattress on fire, and left the window open. The fire was discovered by the girlfriend and her sister, who evacuated the children and called the fire brigade.
Robert McLoughlin, aged 66, was arrested after gardaí received an anonymous tip and searched his Marino home. The search revealed seven cannabis plants in his attic, heat lamps, and cultivation paraphernalia worth €5,600. McLoughlin pleaded guilty to cannabis cultivation on 3 October 2012. He claimed the plants were for treating his back pain, a condition caused by a car crash in the United States 25 years earlier. The court noted his medical problems, cooperation with authorities, and guilty plea. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence, citing personal circumstances and the fact that the house had since burned down, with an ongoing arson investigation. The sentence was suspended, with no custodial term imposed. The case highlighted the complexities of cannabis cultivation laws before legislative changes.
Jonathan Byrne, a 33‑year‑old former national cycling champion from Tallaght, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possession of cocaine. He pleaded guilty to possessing the drug for sale or supply at Belgard Heights on 31 October 2013. The court found him caught red‑handed, with Gardaí discovering two bags of cocaine, a suspected tick list and two weighing scales during a search of his rented accommodation. Byrne admitted selling the drugs to a few people but claimed he made no money and used most of it himself. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a two‑year sentence, suspending the last 18 months on the condition that Byrne remains drug‑free and keeps the peace for two years. He was also found to have a substantial drug debt of €15,000 and had previously received a six‑year sentence with two years suspended for an arson offence.
Joseph Lawrence, 21, of Gardiner's Hill, Balbriggan, was sentenced to four years in prison for arson at McNeil Hall apartment complex on 9 April 2012. He admitted setting the fire deliberately while drinking alcohol and taking cocaine. Lawrence and friends had entered a vacant apartment by breaking a patio door, and after leaving, he and another man set chairs on fire for "the buzz." The blaze spread to the balcony, causing €115,000 of damage, accelerated by turpentine. He has 35 prior convictions. The court noted he was the only one to admit his role and that he is no criminal mastermind. Judge Martin Nolan backdated the sentence to 12 September 2013, the date of his first custody, and suspended the final 16 months. The sentence reflects the seriousness of setting fire in a built‑up area. Joseph Lawrence pleaded guilty.
Aidan Leacy, 56, of New Ross, Co. Wexford, was convicted of sexually assaulting two seven‑year‑old girls in the west of Ireland between November 2007 and January 2008. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years' imprisonment by Judge Carroll Moran at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on 3 March 2013. In the Court of Appeal, Judge George Birmingham reduced the sentence to three years' imprisonment with a two‑year post‑release supervision period. The appeal was successful. The Court noted that Leacy had shown the girls adult pornographic magazines, encouraged them to expose themselves, and had them pull down his trousers and his own clothes. The Court also recorded that Leacy's conviction led to two arson attacks on his home, the loss of his public service job, and the removal of his children from his care. He remains on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Jason Breen, 41, a chef, set fire to his sister's home in Dun Laoghaire after she obtained a barring order against him. He poured petrol through an upstairs window while the house was empty, and a neighbour entered to rescue a dog, which was later found unharmed. Breen was arrested with singed hair and burn marks, admitting he wanted to destroy the house because it belonged to his late mother and because he had not slept for nine days while using crack cocaine and "snow blow." He pleaded guilty to arson on 30 July 2013. Judge Mary Ellen Ring sentenced him to three years in prison, suspended in full on the condition that he keeps the peace for three years. The court noted his lack of prior convictions, his drug rehabilitation at Coolmine, and his willingness to offer his culinary skills to help others. The fire caused about €30,000 in damage, paid by the local council.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, John Paget, 37, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for criminal damage by arson after he set a petrol bomb on a Renault Megane parked near a house. The homeowner, who was alone with his three‑year‑old son and a ten‑day‑old baby, was not involved in the incident. Paget pleaded guilty on 12 December 2013. The judge accepted that he was the "patsy" but noted he had gone to the garage, filled a milk bottle with petrol, rode his bike to the premises and threw the bomb. The court suspended the final 12 months of the sentence, citing the presence of other offenders. The damage was limited to the vehicle and the front edges of the neighbouring house, and no victim impact report was prepared because the harm was property‑based. The case was prosecuted by Dean Kelly BL and defended by Luigi Rea BL.
Joseph Cooney, aged 22, pleaded guilty to arson of a shed behind the Salmon Leap pub and a house on Main Street in Leixlip in November 2012, causing almost €400,000 in damage. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to five years in prison but suspended the sentence in full after Cooney accepted a Garda's view that the arson was a one‑off "act of madness". At the hearing, Nolan ordered Cooney to spend two weeks in jail to reflect on his future if he fell from grace again. Cooney was told to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for the five years of his suspended sentence. He had no prior convictions, pleaded guilty, showed remorse, and had many good references, which contributed to the mitigation. The court noted that Cooney and a co‑accused were "basically on drugs for the night and were bored and decided to liven up their lives by setting properties on fire".
Joseph Cooney, 22, pleaded guilty to setting fire to a shed behind the Salmon Leap pub and a house on Main Street in Leixlip on 25 November 2012, causing almost €400,000 in damage. He was remanded in custody for sentencing on 24 November. Judge Martin Nolan, hearing the case at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, accepted a Garda's view that the arson was a one‑off "act of madness" and noted Cooney's near‑perfect mitigation due to his guilty plea, remorse, lack of prior convictions and strong references. The judge warned that "half of Leixlip" could have been destroyed and innocent people could have died because of Cooney's "gross error of judgement". Cooney was jailed for two weeks while the judge decided on his final sentence. The case involved three fires: a shed behind the pub, the pub's lounge, and a vacant terraced house on Main Street, with the latter causing an estimated €160,000 in damage.
In 2009, John Paul Buck, aged 34, was sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice George Birmingham after a Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty of fatally stabbing 30‑year‑old Fergus Roche in a vacant house on 1 October 2005. The jury also convicted Buck of arson, for which a concurrent five‑year sentence was imposed. The post‑mortem revealed Roche died from a single chest wound before the fire, indicating he was stabbed while asleep. Buck denied involvement, but Detective Garda Larry Bergin testified that Buck confessed to the murder in August 2006 during a patrol‑car interview, describing Roche as his "best friend". The appeal, presented by Mr Michael Delaney SC, argued that the confession was improperly admitted, that the search of Buck's home was inadmissible, and that media coverage of an alleged escape attempt by Buck's brother had prejudiced the jury. The Court of Criminal Appeal reserved judgement on the appeal.
A 37‑year‑old man, Darren Murphy, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 36‑year‑old Olivia Dunlea, who was his partner for three months. The trial, held in the Central Criminal Court, lasted seven days. Murphy pleaded not guilty to murder but attempted to plead guilty to manslaughter. He admitted setting fire to Dunlea's home, claiming he did not want children to see her, and pleaded guilty to a second charge of arson. The jury found him guilty of murder by a 10‑to‑one majority after four and a half hours of deliberation. The judge imposed a mandatory life sentence, backdated to the date of his arrest, and remanded him in custody for the arson charge. The verdict was met with sobbing from Dunlea's family, while Murphy remained silent throughout the proceedings.
Darren Murphy, 37, pleaded not guilty to murder of his girlfriend Olivia Dunlea, 36, and guilty to arson of her house on 17 February 2013. The jury heard that the couple had been together for about three months and had a heated argument the night before the death. Prosecutor Thomas Creed argued that Murphy, described as possessive, had checked Dunlea's texts, drove past her home at 3 am, and then set the house on fire while she was inside. He claimed Murphy watched the blaze from Church Hill "like Nero" and left her in a situation where she could have been saved. Defence counsel Michael Delaney presented a narrative of provocation, citing a prior relationship with another man, Fás, and alleged that Murphy's loss of self‑control was sudden. The jury deliberated for 2 hours 17 minutes before returning the next day. The case remains at the trial stage.
In a murder trial in Dublin, Darren Murphy, 37, is charged with killing 36‑year‑old Olivia Dunlea in her Pembroke Crescent home on 17 February 2013. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder but guilty to arson after stabbing her. During his final interview, his barrister Michael Delaney SC questioned Garda Sergeant Anthony Harrington about a nine‑and‑a‑half‑minute gap between Murphy's release from the cell and the recorder being turned on, suggesting a pre‑interview discussion. Harrington denied any discussion, citing possible discrepancies between the station clock and the recorder. Detective Garda James Nagle agreed that no discussion had taken place. The jury heard testimony from Sergeant Stephen Dennehy about a watch inscription on Dunlea's body. The prosecution has closed its case before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of eleven.
In a murder trial, the court heard that text messages exchanged between the deceased, Olivia Dunlea, and the accused, Darren Murphy, were of a friendly nature in the days leading up to her death. Murphy, 37, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and also pleaded guilty to arson on Dunlea's home. The court noted that for about three months prior to the incident, the pair were "an item." On the night before her death, they were at the Rochestown Inn, then had a quarrel at home. Murphy claimed he "just snapped" after a confrontation, describing a rapid escalation to a knife attack. Garda testimony indicated extensive texting of a good nature, no evidence of conflict, and that Dunlea's phone was destroyed by Murphy. The case proceeded to a jury hearing on Monday.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 22 May 2014, a 37‑year‑old man named Darren Murphy pleaded not guilty to the murder of 36‑year‑old Olivia Dunlea, whom he had dated for three months. He also pleaded guilty to arson of the deceased's home on the same night. Murphy told the court that a knife was "no sooner in my hands than it was in her neck" after a heated argument. He described how he stabbed Ms Dunlea at the back of the neck, then tried to leave the scene, wiping the knife on a pillow and discarding it in the toilet to stop a ringing phone. A taxi driver, Thomas Farrell, testified that he and Ms Dunlea had been friends and had a one‑night stand months earlier, but had no further contact. The case was set to continue before a jury the following day.
A 37‑year‑old man, Darren Murphy, was accused of murdering Olivia Dunlea, 36, in Passage West, Cork, on 17 February 2013. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and he also pleaded guilty to arson on the victim's home. During the trial, Murphy admitted to handing over a pair of clothes to Gardaí that were not his, claiming they were worn on the night the body was found. He explained that a heated argument in a taxi and at the victim's house led him to stab her twice with a knife he described as a long blade with a red handle. Murphy said he lit the house on fire because he did not want her three children to find her body. He also admitted to suffering from depression and having stopped taking medication. The case was set to continue before a jury the following day.
A 37‑year‑old man, Darren Murphy, stands trial in the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Olivia Dunlea, 36, who lived in Pembroke Crescent, Passage West, Co Cork. Murphy, who had been in a relationship with Dunlea for three months, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter and to arson on her home. Prosecutor Thomas Creed SC presented evidence that the body was found in an upstairs bedroom after a fire, with six stab wounds to the neck and inhalation of toxic fumes. Murphy admitted he "snapped" and grabbed a knife, lit a quilt beside the bed and a roll of tissue paper on the kitchen table before leaving the house. He was arrested at 10:30 pm on 17 February 2013, cautioned and detained at Togher Garda Station. The case was set to continue before a jury of seven men and five women with Mr Justice Paul Carney presiding.
In 2009, John Paul Buck, aged 34, was sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice George Birmingham after a Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty of fatally stabbing 30‑year‑old Fergus Roche in a vacant house on 1 October 2005. Buck also set fire to the house and received a concurrent five‑year arson sentence. The appeal court heard that an alleged confession by Buck to Detective Garda Larry Bergin in August 2006 was admitted as evidence. Buck denied the confession, but the detective claimed Buck admitted stabbing Roche while he slept, describing Roche as his "best friend". The appeal argued the confession was improperly admitted, citing late cautioning, the lack of tape, and the influence of media coverage on the jury's deliberations. The court postponed further hearing to the next two to three weeks. Buck had seven prior convictions, including arson, robbery, and burglary.