Mark Mosley, 24, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, for a series of offences including the robbery of a €7,000 gold‑plated monstrance from St Bridget's Church in Killester, a mobile‑phone robbery at Harmonstown Dart Station, a house burglary in Edenmore, and a threat to Sergeant Basil Grimes. Mosley pleaded guilty to each charge at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He admitted abusing alcohol, tablets and heroin at the time of the offences. The monstrance, containing the Holy Sacrament, was never recovered. Mosley's criminal history includes 71 prior convictions and 88 disciplinary incidents while in prison. The sentence reflects his drug‑free status at sentencing but acknowledges his extensive disciplinary record.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martin Nolan applied the Probation Act to Richard Lowndes (51), of Inniskeen, Co Monaghan. Lowndes pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of unlawful possession of a shotgun without a firearms certificate at Kilsallaghan on April 12, 2012. The original charge of reckless discharge was dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The court heard that Lowndes, a long-distance haulage driver and father of five, used his elderly father's legally held shotgun to pursue a burglar. Judge Nolan noted his sympathy for rural dwellers at risk of burglary but warned Lowndes against acting while upset. Separately, the report details the prior sentencing of Matthew Fahey (36), previously of Finglas. Last year, Fahey received a six-year sentence with four years suspended after pleading guilty to the burglary at Kilsallaghan and another at Milrace, Rolestown, Swords, on the same date. He also admitted to a spate of burglaries and car thefts between January 2010 and April 2012, with 61 previous convictions mainly for theft, burglary, and stealing cars.
Eoin Daly, 30, of Kippure Park, Finglas, Dublin, was sentenced by Judge Patrick McCartan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a three‑year suspended sentence with two years of probation for smuggling more than €8,000 worth of heroin and cocaine into Cloverhill Prison. Daly pleaded guilty to possessing heroin for sale or supply and possessing cocaine on 10 May 2015. He was also remanded on a burglary offence after attending his son's first communion. At the sentencing hearing in June, Judge McCartan had ordered a urine sample for drug testing, but Daly claimed he could not provide one due to "stage fright," a psychological condition, and offered a blood sample instead. The judge noted Daly's good report from Probation Services and his willingness to remain drug‑free, but also highlighted his 32 previous convictions and his current five‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for burglaries. Daly is due for release in April 2016.
Eoghan McGarry, 30, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for assaulting three Mountjoy Prison officers on 23 April 2015. He attacked the officers with a homemade shiv made from razor blades melted into a toothbrush while they were delivering breakfast. The officers were injured and required treatment; one sustained facial wounds, another a wound under the chin, and the third was struck on the head. McGarry appeared in court handcuffed and surrounded by riot‑gear officers. He had already been serving a four‑year sentence for aggravated burglary, with the final year suspended, and the new sentence will run consecutively to that term. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the last year of the new sentence on the condition that McGarry engage in psychiatric care and take prescribed medication. He has 38 prior convictions, including assault, burglary and criminal damage. The incident was captured on CCTV and the cell was searched, revealing the shiv. Eoghan McGarry pleaded guilty.
Clare Dowling, 22, of Ballybough, Dublin, pleaded guilty to theft and assault causing harm to Xiao Chang on 3 May 2014. Dowling posed as an immigration officer, entered Ms Chang's apartment with an accomplice, stole her laptop and fled. She later punched Ms Chang in the face, causing bleeding. Ms Chang was not located for a victim impact statement and is believed to have returned to China. Dowling had 23 prior convictions, including burglary and theft. No charges were brought against her accomplice. Dowling was under the influence of heroin and tablets at the time of the offence and was homeless. She is now drug‑free, in a new relationship and living with her boyfriend's mother. Judge Patrick McCartan sentenced her to a suspended three‑year term for both offences, to run concurrently and suspended entirely. The judge warned that a further offence would result in imprisonment.
In a €2 million drug bust, Graham O'Toole (24), Tara Kennedy (22) and Alan Dowling (46) are set to be sentenced in November. Gardaí intercepted Dowling's van, discovering 7 kg of cocaine and 2.2 kg of heroin, and later seized 17.37 kg of cannabis from O'Toole's home. Dowling pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply, admitting responsibility for the drugs in his boot; O'Toole pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply, admitting responsibility for the drugs in his home; Kennedy pleaded guilty to allowing her home to be used for the sale, supply or distribution of cannabis. O'Toole had previously received a four‑year sentence with the final two years suspended for aggravated burglary of his father's home. All three were remanded on continuing bail, with probation reports ordered for Dowling and O'Toole and a report already prepared for Kennedy. The court will hear from each defence barrister on the next hearing.
Samuel Hutch, 40, of Finglas, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to trespass and possession of a stolen bicycle in Sandymount on 25 October 2015, to damaging a car door in Ringsend on the same date, and to a burglary in Cabra on 6 February 2016. He has 89 prior convictions, including 39 burglaries, possession of a phone in prison, robbery, theft, criminal damage, road traffic and drug offences. Judge Melanie Greally noted that Hutch would face special security arrangements in custody that isolate him from visitors, other prisoners and prison facilities, creating an environment of fear and tension. She accepted his guilty pleas and the fact that the burglaries were committed to fund his drug addiction, and sentenced him to a consecutive four‑year term, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions. The court acknowledged his ongoing drug treatment in prison and his intention to start a new life after release.
A 23‑year‑old man, Jordan Cunningham, was sentenced to six and a half years' imprisonment for a series of robberies committed while on bail. He pleaded guilty to burglary at Event Fuel (July 19 2015), robbery at Tuttys corner shop and South Circular Pharmacy, attempted robbery at Cahills Pharmacy (July 22 2015), and robbery at Ladbrookes (October 22 2015). In each offence he used knives or a broken bottle to threaten staff and demanded money. Cunningham was released on bail for the burglary and later on high‑court bail to attend drug treatment, yet he continued to commit offences to repay drug debts. The judge noted his long‑standing drug addiction and the escalation of violence he was willing to use. Consecutive sentences totalling six and a half years were imposed, with the final year suspended. The court highlighted Cunningham's admissions, apologies and progress in rehabilitation courses while in custody.
In a burglary that took place in 2013, Edward Travers, 24, along with a man and a woman, broke into the home of a 66‑year‑old priest. While the priest was on the phone, the intruders forced their way in and attempted to raid his office. Travers punched the priest in the jaw after the cleric told the burglars to leave. The sacristan of a nearby church noticed an unusual car outside the parochial house, entered to investigate, and later provided the registration of the getaway vehicle. The burglary was captured on CCTV, leading to Travers' arrest the following year. He pleaded guilty to burglary on 2 December 2013 and has 70 prior convictions. The case was adjourned to 25 November for sentencing, with a probation report and urine analysis scheduled, and the court heard that the priest suffered bruising and felt unsafe in his home.
Anthony Connors, 40, pleaded guilty to burglary at the Daughter's of Charity Community Services in Dublin on 13 October 2015. He had been released from an eleven‑year sentence in September 2015 after a 2009 conviction for burglary, false imprisonment, robbery and handling stolen property. Connors had 47 prior convictions and had relapsed into drug use after release. Garda Aidan Noonan reported that an employee found a missing laptop, CCTV identified Connors acting suspiciously, and he was arrested the next day. Judge Karen O'Connor, after hearing evidence in May, noted his long history of custody and chronic drug addiction, but that he was now methadone‑free. She imposed a one‑year sentence, suspended it in full, and warned that failure to seek help would lead to more prison time. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A 31‑year‑old Romanian man, Ovidiu Raducanu, pleaded guilty to burglary at Mountjoy Square on 6 September 2013. He had pretended to sell DJ equipment for €2,500 to lure a victim, who later discovered that the equipment was not present. Raducanu met the victim outside his home, called the victim to let him into the apartment, and then left. Two other men entered the apartment, held the victim hostage, and stole the €2,500. The victim was tied up, punched, and threatened with a knife but eventually freed himself and called the Gardaí. Raducanu admitted he had set up the victim, denied the offence initially, and claimed he had been threatened by the men. He brought €2,500 to court as a "practical expression of remorse." Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned sentencing to October to allow a probation report to be prepared. The case is pending sentencing.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 30 April 2014, Michael Hanrahan, aged 35, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after slashing Martin Wall with a Stanley blade on Henry Street. The attack left Wall with a permanent disfiguring scar requiring 43 stitches to his head, nose, lip and face. Hanrahan, who lives on Mac Uilliam Parade, Tallaght, had 68 prior convictions for road traffic offences, assault, burglary, criminal damage and assaulting a Garda. Judge Martin Nolan described the injuries as a "very apparent disfiguring scar" that would have a long‑term effect and said the attack was one that Wall "certainly didn't deserve." Hanrahan was sentenced to three years and nine months' imprisonment. The case was prosecuted by Elva Duffy BL, with Garda Nicola Connolly reporting that she responded to the incident at 4 pm and that CCTV footage identified Hanrahan, who was arrested the following November.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Patrick McCartan sentenced 43‑year‑old Robert Kealy to five years' imprisonment, suspending the final year on probation, after Kealy pleaded guilty to possession of heroin for sale or supply. Kealy was arrested following a Garda stop outside The Barge Pub, where he was found with heroin worth €7,598. A subsequent search of his home uncovered weighing scales and drug‑dealing "tick lists". The judge said the sentence was intended to remove one more dealer from the streets, noting Kealy was selling drugs to support his own habit despite medical warnings of possible amputations. Kealy's record includes 42 prior convictions for drug dealing, assault, theft, burglary and criminal damage. His defence counsel, Sarah‑Jane Callaghan, described him as a chronic drug user who was deeply sorry for the harm he caused. Garda Paddy Farrell confirmed Kealy's role as a trusted distributor within the local drug‑using community.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 5 July 2016, Thomas Wall, aged 29, pleaded guilty to attempted burglary at a foreign student's apartment on High Street. Wall claimed he had missed his daughter's First Communion because he was "locked up" and was trying to obtain money to give her after the event. He also said he had recently lost his mother and wanted money to put a picture on her gravestone. The apartment was occupied by a Venezuelan woman studying English; she woke to a noise, saw Wall on the balcony attempting to open the window, screamed, and called for help. Gardaí arrested Wall outside the balcony. He was remanded in custody until 24 October, when his sentence would be finalised. Wall, a heroin user, has 74 prior convictions, including 15 for burglary, and has been making progress in addressing his addiction.
A woman with 234 previous convictions, Winne Cash (46) of Blessington Road, Tallaght Dublin, has been sentenced to four years in prison for stealing a handbag from a 73-year-old woman and trespassing on the curtilage of a house at Main Street, Baldoyle on November 23, 2015. Cash pleaded guilty to the charges at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally noted that Cash had previously received a three-year sentence for burglary in 2013 and surmised that she would not have been out of prison for long at the time of this offence. The judge described the offence as particularly nasty with some degree of premeditation and imposed a four-year sentence, suspending the final year. The matter was adjourned for the purposes of the court's consideration of the suspended portion of the sentence. The case-subject, Tallaght Dublin, also admitted to the same charges and pleaded guilty, but no sentence was imposed at this procedural stage.
Jim Duffy, a 45‑year‑old father of three from Dundalk, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a stolen John Deere tractor between June and September 2013. The tractor, valued at €50,000, had been taken from a farm in Portlaoise during a burglary on 29 May 2013 and later found on Duffy's farm in Hollywood Little, Ballyboughal, with several identifying features altered or removed and a false UK registration plate. Duffy claimed the tractor was left on his farm by a man who owed him money and insisted he had never taken anything. He had three prior minor convictions for road traffic offences. The judge, citing his lack of serious convictions, suspended a four‑year custodial sentence and ordered 240 hours of community service, avoiding immediate imprisonment.
Noel Clarke, 33, was caught trespassing at the Honourable Society of King's Inns in Dublin on 16 June 2014. He admitted to entering the building after seeing an unsecured door, claiming he only wanted to look around and had no intention of stealing. Garda Louise Pepper reported that Clarke was caught red‑handed, wearing a hoodie and white gloves, and that he had been using a large amount of tablets at the time. He had ten previous convictions, five for burglary, but was not considered a violent offender. Clarke pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to commit theft. Judge Melanie Greally noted his efforts to address his difficulties and his genuine commitment to reform. She imposed an 18‑month sentence, suspended in full for two years, and accepted his probation report outlining progress in dealing with his problems.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Samuel Hutch, 40, a cousin of the murdered Gary Hutch, was found to face special security arrangements in prison that would isolate him from visitors, other inmates and prison facilities. The court heard that these measures were imposed because of an "environment of fear and tension" and that Hutch would be "extremely lonely." Breffni Gordon BL argued that Hutch was a different character from the Hutch family's criminal brand, citing his 89 prior convictions, including 39 burglaries, possession of a stolen bicycle, and a burglary in Cabra. Hutch pleaded guilty to trespass, possession of a stolen bicycle, damaging a car door, and a burglary. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to July 21 to allow a victim impact report and urinalysis. Gordon noted that Hutch had been in drug rehabilitation before the 2015 family tragedies, including his cousin's murder, caused a relapse.
Andrew Shannon, 51, was jailed for one year for possessing 57 stolen antique books, including a 1660 King James Bible, after a jury conviction in February. The books had been taken from Carton House library in Kildare in 2006 and were found in Shannon's home in March 2007. Shannon, who had previously been jailed for damaging a €10 million Monet painting, pleaded not guilty to the possession charge. Judge Petria McDonnell sentenced him to one year with the final six months suspended. He had denied the charge but was convicted. The books were valued at €6,500. Shannon's 35 other convictions include theft and burglary. He had appealed his earlier conviction for the Monet damage, but that appeal was still pending at the time of this article.
In October 2014, at Cloverhill Prison, convicted murderer Ciaran Moran (30) tied up his cellmate Dean Fagan, threatened to slit his throat, and cut Fagan's head with a homemade shiv. The hostage situation lasted 90 minutes before Moran walked out of the cell. Moran pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and false imprisonment. The court considered the possibility that the incident was an attempt to make a claim against the State or involved collusion between Moran and Fagan, but found no evidence. Judge Melanie Greally noted Moran's dissatisfaction with the seizure of a letter he had sent and imposed a prison term of three and a half years to run alongside his life sentence. Moran also faces separate convictions for manslaughter, assault and aggravated burglary. The incident involved negotiations by prison officers and a brief threat to Fagan's life.
Jonathan Rafferty, 38, was jailed for seven and a half years after a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing. He pleaded guilty to a series of offences: robbery of a security cash box containing €19,000 in October 2013, possession of an imitation firearm, possession of cannabis resin and herb, and stolen artwork in October 2013; robbery of a second cash box containing €230 in March 2014 with an imitation firearm; burglary at Sunrise Dry Cleaner in February 2015, along with dangerous driving and criminal damage to a car. The court noted he had been using cocaine daily and was under a €6,000 drug debt at the time of the offences. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed consecutive sentences totalling eleven years, suspending three and a half years, for a net effective custodial term of seven and a half years. Rafferty had 12 prior convictions and had written a letter of apology to the court.
Trevor Cooke, aged 40, pleaded guilty to robbing a cash transit van at Bawnogue Post Office in Clondalkin on 3 October 2013. He entered the post office while two G4S security guards were dropping off cash, approached one guard and held an imitation firearm to his face, ordering him to hand over the cash box. Cooke seized the box, which contained €50,000, and fled in a car that had been reported stolen two weeks earlier. Gardaí pursued him, and after a traffic chase he abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. He was arrested in the rear garden of a house, hiding behind a wheelie bin, and was sprayed with pepper spray before being taken into custody. A fake gun was recovered from the car, and the cash box was opened, releasing a dye that destroyed all the money. Cooke has 48 prior convictions and was already in custody for a previous burglary.
Eoin Daly, 30, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of possessing heroin for sale or supply and one count of possessing cocaine on May 10, 2015. The court heard that Daly, who was on remand in Cloverhill Prison for a burglary offence, was granted compassionate bail to attend his son's communion. Upon his return, he was placed in an observation cell where he was found asleep on the toilet with a package between his legs. Detective Garda Stephen Cullen stated that Daly had ingested the drugs, which were subsequently recovered. The package contained heroin with a street value of €7,350 and cocaine with a street value of €787. Cullen noted that serious threats were made against Daly to bring the drugs into the prison, though Daly declined to name the individuals for safety reasons. Judge Patrick McCartan noted Daly's "appalling" criminal record, which includes 32 previous convictions, and that he is currently serving a five-and-a-half-year sentence for burglaries. Although the judge expressed skepticism regarding Daly's claims of rehabilitation, he ordered a probation services report and drug testing before making a final decision. The matter was adjourned and will return to court on July 28 for sentencing, with the judge indicating Daly faces a significant term of imprisonment.
James McGinley, 38, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four counts of breaking into office buildings between 30 January and 17 July 2014 and to criminal damage for three desks damaged during one burglary. He is already serving a two‑year sentence for two similar burglaries committed in 2014 and is due for release in April 2017. Garda Shane Behan reported that McGinley entered four office buildings at Fitzwilliam Square and Windsor Place in Dublin 2, either late at night or in the early morning, when the premises were empty. He stole approximately €1,100 in petty cash, 15 laptops, an iPad and personal belongings. McGinley was identified from CCTV footage and fingerprints were found at one scene. Defence counsel Anne‑Marie Lawlor described him as homeless, drug‑abusing, and "desperate" following a long‑term relationship breakdown.
In a 2016 court hearing, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal of Darren Canning, a 36‑year‑old former Luas driver, who had pleaded guilty to burglary at an apartment block in Tallaght on 1 March 2015. Canning had been sentenced to three years' imprisonment by Judge Martin Nolan on 27 July 2015. The appeal was rejected because the Court of Appeal held that the jail term could not be deemed excessive. The case was presented as a "public service" by the Luas driver who, after seeing Canning smash a ground‑floor window, alerted her controller and prompted Gardaí to intervene. During the arrest, pepper spray was used and Canning was found with a camera, mobile phone, jewellery and two cans of beer. The judge noted Canning's 67 prior convictions, including 18 for burglary, and his long‑standing heroin addiction, but also his early engagement with rehabilitation services.
Anthony Connors, 40, with 47 prior convictions, was arrested after breaking into the Daughter's of Charity Community Services centre on 13 October 2015, three weeks after his release from an 11‑year sentence in September 2015. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Connors had relapsed into drug use after release and now seeks residential drug treatment. Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned sentencing to 10 October to allow him to attend treatment, ordering that he be collected from prison by Coolmine therapeutic community staff and that Gardaí be notified if he leaves the program. Garda Aidan Noonan reported that a staff member found a laptop missing from her desk; CCTV identified Connors acting suspiciously, leading to his arrest the next day. Connors had previously received an 11‑year sentence in 2009 for burglary, false imprisonment, robbery and handling stolen property. He was released on 26 September 2015.
Abraham Turner, 47, of Cherry Grove, Walkinstown, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary of cash and gold at Hatton Goldsmiths, Citywest Shopping Centre, on 16 January 2014. CCTV footage showed him jumping over the stall counter, prying a locked press open with a screwdriver and removing €1,050 in cash, gold worth €2,156 and two cheques totalling €750. Turner initially denied involvement but later admitted the burglary, saying he used the proceeds to pay a €1,500 drug debt from his heroin addiction. He has 106 previous convictions, including manslaughter (served five years, released 1991) and drug supply (served, released 2010). Judge Melanie Greally, acknowledging his substantial criminal record, imposed a three‑year suspended sentence, fully suspended on the condition that Turner completes a residential drugs programme. The sentence was given in full, with no custodial term imposed.
Jonathan O'Sullivan, 36, of Barrett's Building, Cork, was convicted of burglary at a city address on 22 July 2013. After a two‑day trial, a jury found him guilty and Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin sentenced him to three years' imprisonment on 27 July 2015. O'Sullivan appealed the conviction. The Court of Appeal, sitting with Justices Garrett Sheehan, George Birmingham and Alan Mahon, dismissed the appeal. Justice Sheehan held that the prosecution was not required to notify the defence of rebuttal evidence before the trial. The prosecution's case relied mainly on the occupier's testimony, who saw O'Sullivan in her kitchen at about 7.40 am, claimed he had taken €100 and had gone through bags and jackets, and later identified him in a formal parade. O'Sullivan's alibi that he was in Little Island with his girlfriend was rebutted by evidence placing him at his mother's house at the same time. Jonathan O'Sullivan pleaded not guilty.
In a care home in Monkstown, a burglar named Stuart Perry, 42, was discovered asleep in a corridor beside a "do not disturb" sign. He and a female accomplice fled the scene with a bottle of detergent and were later arrested outside. Garda David Maloney reported that staff noticed the sign had been knocked to the ground and found a male body and a female standing over it. Perry, who had previously tried crystal meth that night, was arrested with the keys to an office and the detergent bottle. He pleaded guilty to burglary at Richmond Cheshire Home on September 19, 2014, and has 67 prior convictions. Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned sentencing to July 15 to allow a probation report. Perry later admitted to drug use, expressed remorse, and explained he had simply wanted to sleep. The only items taken were the office keys and the detergent bottle. The case remains pending sentencing.
A man convicted of aggravated burglary at Ballymahon, County Longford has appealed his conviction in the Court of Appeal, arguing that gardaí unlawfully retained his DNA sample beyond a statutory 12-month period before he was charged. Eamon Murphy, aged 48, had pleaded not guilty at Longford Circuit Criminal Court to the offence at An Draigheann on July 3, 2011. He was convicted and sentenced to ten years imprisonment with the final three years suspended in October 2015. A forensic buccal swab was taken from Murphy in November 2011 following his arrest, but no court application was made to retain the sample within the required timeframe. He was not charged until January 2013. Murphy's barrister submitted that retention beyond the deadline constituted a breach of his constitutional right to privacy under section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence) Act 1990. The Director of Public Prosecutions argued the DNA profile itself was not private information. The Court of Appeal reserved judgement.
A 17‑year‑old boy in State care was sentenced to four and a half years' detention for a series of robberies committed with a group of teenagers. Between 23 June and 15 November 2015 he pleaded guilty to seven robberies in Dublin city centre and Tallaght. The offences included the early‑morning robbery of three men on 23 June, a robbery of a Chinese man on 10 July, and a robbery of three women on 15 November. The boy had prior convictions for burglary, theft and drug offences. Judge Melanie Greally noted his difficult family background, periods of homelessness and influence from negative peer groups. She observed that when away from these influences he showed insight, remorse and shame. The judge imposed a five‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence with the final year suspended, giving a total of four and a half years' detention.
Sean Ducque, aged 32 and without a fixed abode, was sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan to five years in prison for an attempted car‑jacking on 26 March 2013 at Terrace Place, Dublin, and for producing a knife during the attack. The victim, taxi driver Noel Fairman, recounted that he felt his life flash before him and feared death, heart rupture, or throat injury while Ducque held a knife to his neck. Fairman resisted, managed to open the car door, and escaped. Ducque repeatedly demanded the car keys and the knife, refusing to release them. The court noted Fairman's prior heart surgeries and stent implants. Judge Ryan imposed an eight‑year sentence, suspending the last three years on the condition that Ducque engage in addiction programmes run by the Probation Services. The case highlighted Ducque's 39 prior convictions, including robbery, burglary, drug dealing, and theft, and his history of drug addiction and homelessness. Sean Ducque pleaded guilty.
At the Central Criminal Court, an unnamed 48-year-old Waterford man was sentenced to eight concurrent life terms for offences committed between July 2 and July 5, 2015, in Dublin. The defendant pleaded guilty to the rape of two women in various ways, as well as false imprisonment, attempted rape, aggravated burglary, making threats to kill, and aggravated sexual assault. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy described the offences as "wholly exceptional" and among the most serious cases of their type he had encountered. The court heard that the accused had previously been jailed for three and a half years last December for kidnapping and seriously assaulting one of the victims. During the current proceedings, the judge extended legal aid should the defendant appeal the sentence or conviction. The sentencing followed a detailed account of the assaults, including the victim's daughter hearing the attack via a voicemail, which alerted Gardaí. The defendant's solicitor noted the client had insight into his offending and was awaiting psychological treatment in prison.
Patrick Ryan, 38, was tried for robbing a tourist office in Dublin's city centre. He claimed the gun he used was a toy wrapped in black tape and that he was "laughed out of the place" by the workers. Ryan had a large drug debt owed to criminals for his crystal‑meth addiction. The debt holders drove him around the city and forced him to commit robberies to repay it. He pleaded guilty to robbery of Londis and attempted robbery of the Tourist Information Office on College Green on 21 September 2012, and to possession of an imitation firearm. He is already serving an eight‑year sentence for 16 robberies committed in a 12‑month period. Judge Melanie Greally added a five‑year sentence with two years suspended, to run concurrently with his existing term. Ryan's history includes 135 prior convictions, including false imprisonment, burglary and aggravated burglary.
Evan Smith, 18, was sentenced to two years in prison for robbing and assaulting a deaf and mute couple, Michael and Helen Rush, in Clondalkin on 10 November 2014. Smith followed the couple from a chipper into a laneway, knocked Helen to the ground and stole her handbag, while also cutting Michael above his eye. He pleaded guilty to robbery and assault at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Smith has six prior convictions, including robbery and burglary. The judge, Melanie Greally, described the offence as serious and nasty, noted the couple's injuries and their subsequent fear of going out at night, and highlighted Smith's previous prison time and his efforts to address addiction. The final 12 months of the sentence were suspended on strict conditions, and Smith will remain under Probation Service supervision for a year. The prosecution and defence both acknowledged Smith's lack of awareness of the couple's disabilities and his admission of shame for the attack.
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.
An inmate, Eoghan McGarry, 30, was brought to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 8 April 2016, flanked by five prison officers in riot gear. He had assaulted three officers at Mountjoy Prison on 23 April 2015, using a homemade weapon made from razor blades melted into a toothbrush. The officers were delivering breakfast trays when McGarry lunged at them, causing injuries: one sustained wounds to face and torso, another a wound under the chin, and the third was struck on the head. The incident was captured on CCTV. McGarry pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. He is currently serving a four‑year sentence for aggravated burglary, with the final year suspended, and has 38 prior convictions. The court adjourned sentencing to 21 April to consider reports, including victim impact statements and reports from the prosecution and defence. The officers suffered significant psychological distress and anxiety as a result of the attacks. The case is pending further proceedings.
In a June 2016 sentencing hearing, 32‑year‑old Gavin Fitzhenry of Tallaght pleaded guilty to three failed burglary attempts in south Dublin on the night of 27 June 2014. The first incident occurred at 1 a.m. in a Palmerston Road home when a woman, awake in bed, saw a man enter her bedroom. She froze, the intruder apologized, and he fled. At 2:45 a.m. in a Kilmacud Road house, a man heard a dark figure in his dining room; he confronted the intruder, who pleaded not to be hit and escaped. At 4:10 a.m. another Kilmacud resident was awakened by a noise from his bathroom; he saw a man on his roof, shouted, and the intruder leapt off and fled. Fitzhenry was later found near the scenes, fled, and hid in bushes before being arrested. He claimed he broke in because he owed €7,000 in drug‑related debt.
Thomas Plunkett, 44, of Markievicz House, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for offences committed on Easter Monday, April 21, 2014. He pleaded guilty to burglary at St Patrick's Credit Union, Herbert Place, attempted burglary at Merrion Square, and the assault of Garda Paul Carroll at Pearse Street Garda Station. Judge Sarah Berkeley imposed a four-year sentence, suspending the final year on strict conditions, resulting in three years of effective custody. Plunkett, who has 64 previous convictions, was apprehended with stolen credit union property after a householder spotted him on a roof near her window. Garda Barry Moran testified that Plunkett initially cooperated by showing officers the smashed credit union window but became aggressive when his phone was confiscated. At the station, Plunkett was carried in by his hands and feet and allegedly spat at Garda Carroll's eye. Defense counsel Oisin Clarke BL noted Plunkett's intoxication and history of heroin addiction following bereavements, while highlighting his previous work delivering medication to the elderly. The court accepted the guilty pleas and imposed the custodial sentence with the specified suspension.
In a 2016 case, Dean Fagan, aged 26, was sentenced to six years for aggravated burglary after he and an accomplice tied up a woman, ransacked her home, and stole €1,500. Fagan, armed with garden shears, told the other man not to kill the victim while the accomplice struck her with a hammer. They searched the house, tore open furniture, and collected jewellery, laptops, and phones, demanding more cash. The woman escaped through a back door, locking the intruders inside, who fled via a window on pedal bikes. Fagan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Judge Melanie Greally noted his 79 prior convictions and the violent nature of the crime. The judge accepted his admissions, suspended the final year of the sentence on strict conditions, and highlighted the victim's fear and the thorough investigation that led to his arrest.
Eamon Murphy, 48, of Cabra, Dublin 7, appealed his conviction for aggravated burglary at An Draigheann, Ballymahon, Co Longford, on July 3, 2011. He had pleaded not guilty at Longford Circuit Criminal Court, where he was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on October 25, 2015, with the final three years suspended. In the Court of Appeal, Murphy's counsel, Ciarán O'Loughlin SC, argued that retaining his DNA sample beyond 12 months without a court application breached his constitutional right to privacy. The Garda investigation identified a blood stain on the rear patio door, leading to Murphy's arrest on November 21, 2011, and a buccal swab. He was not charged until January 9, 2013, and no application was made to retain the sample within the statutory 12-month limit. Counsel submitted that under the Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence) Act 1990, the sample and records should have been destroyed, rendering the evidence inadmissible. The appeal was heard by Mr Justice George Birmingham, Mr Justice Alan Mahon, and Mr Justice John Edwards. The court reserved judgment, noting the case may raise complex legal and constitutional issues. The matter was adjourned for a mention on April 15 to determine if parties wished to make additional oral submissions on these rights.
A 22‑year‑old man, Garrett Lyster, was identified as a lookout in an armed burglary of an elderly couple in Finglas, Dublin, after he left his mobile phone at the scene. The couple, aged in their early nineties, were asleep when the burglary occurred at about 4.30 a.m. The husband heard a noise, retrieved a saw from under the bed, and was struck by a raider who used a sharp object to cut his hand before fleeing. Gardaí arrived soon after and the victim was taken to hospital. Lyster, who pleaded guilty to burglary on 12 May 2013, admitted to "keeping sketch" during the crime. He is a father of two and was described by his defence counsel as a vulnerable man easily led. Judge Catherine Murphy expressed reluctance to impose a jail term, noting he had no prior court record, but warned him to stay out of trouble before sentencing in July.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 14 March 2016, Justice Patrick McCarthy addressed a jury of eight men and three women regarding the trial of Gary Flynn, aged 31, who is accused of being part of a "murder gang" that shot Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne to death in Tallaght on 13 March 2009. Flynn has pleaded not guilty. The judge explained that the prosecution's case is built on circumstantial evidence, which, while insufficient alone, can establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt when combined. He emphasized that the standard of proof remains the same and that the prosecution must eliminate any rational hypothesis that contradicts its narrative. McCarthy clarified that the case does not allege Flynn fired the fatal shot, but that he could still be guilty as part of the common design, citing an example of a burglary gang where the getaway driver is as culpable as the breaker.
A Dublin man, Donal O'Hara, aged 22, is serving a 12‑year sentence for an aggravated burglary in Tipperary. In November 2012 he also punched his heavily pregnant ex‑girlfriend, Réiltín Cassidy, who was 32 weeks pregnant, in the face after she had been knocked to the ground. O'Hara pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms Cassidy at Ferrycarrig Drive, Coolock. He has twenty previous convictions. His counsel argued that steroid use for bodybuilding at the time may have contributed to his aggression, a point accepted by Judge Melanie Greally. The court found no evidence of alcohol abuse. O'Hara's sentence for the assault was a two‑and‑a‑half‑year term to run concurrently with his existing 12‑year sentence, meaning he will not serve additional time in prison for the assault. Ms Cassidy did not give a victim impact statement and has reportedly reconciled with O'Hara.
A 47‑year‑old Waterford man, previously jailed for raping his daughter, was released on bail for kidnapping and assaulting his girlfriend. He later raped his girlfriend and, days later, her 60‑year‑old mother after breaking into the mother's house and threatening her with a knife. The mother was saved when her daughter heard the assault in a voicemail left by the attacker. The man pleaded guilty to rape of both women, false imprisonment, attempted rape, aggravated burglary, threats to kill and aggravated sexual assault. He was sentenced to three and a half years for the kidnapping and faces a strong possibility of life imprisonment for the latest attacks. His defence counsel requested a determinate sentence so he could work toward a target date, but the judge adjourned finalisation until May 3. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court.
Derek McCann, 35, of Walkinstown Park, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing two young boys of their mobile phones at knifepoint on 29 September 2014. He had 31 prior convictions for robbery, burglary, assault and firearm possession. The boys, aged 12 and 14, handed over their phones and €6 each; McCann returned the money before demanding silence. He expressed shame and wrote apology letters. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a four‑year sentence, suspending the final two years under strict conditions. McCann is currently serving the reactivated two‑year term, which will begin anew in April. The case highlighted the boys' fear and the older boy's maturity in calming his younger brother during the robbery.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the State announced that all charges against Edward Charles O'Reilly were dropped. O'Reilly, who had pleaded not guilty to burglary at Deansrath Avenue and to assaulting his uncle and brother‑in‑law, was cleared after the Director of Public Prosecution entered a nolle prosequi on every charge. Judge Karen O'Connor informed the jury that the case was closed and that O'Reilly was free to leave. The judge expressed regret over the family's involvement and urged the relatives to consider the children affected. Earlier in the trial, witnesses described an assault involving a slash hook and an iron bar, but the prosecution's decision to drop the case ended the proceedings. No further action will be taken against O'Reilly.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Sarah McDonagh, whose maiden name is O'Reilly, denies being the woman who made an emergency 999 call hours before the alleged slash‑hook assault. She says she was drinking with her brother, Edward Charles O'Reilly, and her husband, Michael McDonagh, at the house and cannot recall the incident. McDonagh claims she woke up to find people in the room, naming Edward Charles O'Reilly as one of them, but she does not remember the details of the alleged assault. She also denies knowing who made the recorded emergency call played by the defence. The trial, presided over by Judge Karen O'Connor, continues with a jury of eight women and four men. The accused, Edward Charles O'Reilly, 29, has pleaded not guilty to burglary and assault charges.
Trevor O'Sullivan, 40, of Curraheen Drive, Bishopstown, Cork, pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated burglary at the home of businessman Pat Glavin in Glanmire on 11 August 2013. He was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended, by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin on 25 February 2014. O'Sullivan's appeal against the severity of the sentence was dismissed by Mr Justice George Birmingham in the Court of Appeal. Birmingham noted that the offence involved an intended invasion of a family home by armed men, that Gardaí had been forewarned and had observed a reconnaissance operation on 29 July 2013, and that a Remington shotgun was recovered with live ammunition. O'Sullivan had prior convictions for public order offences, criminal damage and a drug‑related offence. The judge upheld the sentence as severe but necessary. The appeal was dismissed.
During a burglary trial, Edward O'Reilly, the alleged victim, recounted that on 11 May 2013, he, his sister and Michael McDonagh were asleep in a house on Deansrath Avenue, Clondalkin, when a group of men broke in. He claimed the accused, Edward Charles O'Reilly (29), struck him twice on the head with a slash hook, and another man hit him on the back of the legs with an iron bar. McDonagh said he was slapped in the face and told to "stay awake." O'Reilly said he fell unconscious after the hook blows. He also denied the accused's two assault charges. The accused pleaded not guilty to burglary and the assault charges. The case is before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury of eight women and four men. The trial continues.