A jury found Dean Boland, 34, guilty of unlawful killing of kitchen porter Ohari Viera, who died after the house he lived in was set on fire. Boland pleaded not guilty to unlawful killing, arson, burglary and theft at Oaklands Terrace, Terenure, Dublin, on 21 August 2018. The prosecution alleged he broke into the house, stole a rucksack and set the property ablaze. Viera re‑entered the house before emergency services arrived and later died of cardiac arrest in hospital. Witnesses described a confrontation between Viera and Boland and a fire that began in the ground‑floor bedroom. Forensic evidence indicated the fire was a deliberate act, but no DNA or fingerprints linked Boland to the scene. The trial lasted eight days, with a verdict reached after six hours and one minute. Judge Elma Sheahan set a sentencing date of 10 March 2023.
The Court of Appeal upheld a 12‑year sentence for John Faulkner, a getaway driver in a burglary gang that targeted elderly homes during mass. Faulkner, aged 40, was convicted of burglary, dangerous driving and endangerment. The judge imposed 12 years for burglary, two years for endangerment and six months for dangerous driving, and disqualified him from driving for 20 years. The appeal argued the sentence was disproportionate compared to co‑accused sentences of nine years with two suspended, but the appellate court held the 12‑year term reflected the totality of offences. The case involved a robbery at a home in Freemont, Charleville, where Faulkner drove the getaway vehicle, pursued by Gardaí, before crashing into a Garda car. The appeal was dismissed. John Faulkner pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court manslaughter trial, 34‑year‑old Dean Boland pleaded not guilty to the unlawful killing of Ohari Viera, arson, burglary and theft at Oaklands Terrace, Terenure, on 21 August 2018. Boland allegedly broke into Viera's house, stole a rucksack and set fire to the property. Viera re‑entered the house before emergency services arrived and later died of cardiac arrest in hospital. Defence counsel Garret Baker argued that the prosecution's case had a "massive gaping hole" because it could not show how Boland started the fire. He highlighted forensic evidence that the fire began in the bedroom of the ground‑floor apartment and that the window was opened during the blaze, implying the fire pre‑dated Boland's entry. Prosecutor Seamus Clarke maintained the case was based on circumstantial evidence, asserting that if the fire was the substantial cause of Viera's death, Boland would be guilty of manslaughter.
Dominik Biber, 25, was sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment with the last two years suspended for four years for attempting to murder Tomasz Grosser, 60, during a prolonged knife attack in Limerick. Biber, who claimed to be Jesus Christ after taking large amounts of drugs, stabbed Grosser repeatedly, causing multiple stab wounds and a puncture to the skull. Grosser survived with serious injuries and long‑term pain. Biber also pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and burglary at a neighbouring apartment. The judge, Mr Justice McDermott, noted Biber's early guilty plea, admissions to Gardaí, remorse, and a moderate risk of reoffending. Grosser's victim impact statement highlighted his inability to work for eight months and ongoing pain. Biber's defence counsel described his delusional state as a result of voluntary intoxication. The sentencing reflected the ferocious and spontaneous nature of the violence.
Sean Doherty, 29, of Rory O'Connor House, Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbery on 7 July 2017 after claiming he was in the IRA. He had 25 prior convictions, including burglary, aggravated burglary, assault, and drug offences. The victim had gone out for drinks, and after a night of drinking, Doherty entered the victim's apartment, threatened him with a knife, and said "I'm in the IRA." He struck the victim twice on the head with an empty vodka bottle, stole his mobile phone, and the victim fled to the balcony. The victim was taken to St James Hospital and received stitches. Doherty was on bail at the time of the offence and was already serving a five‑year sentence. Judge James McCourt, after considering Doherty's guilty plea, mental health issues, apology, remorse, drug dependency and troubled background, sentenced him to four years in prison to run consecutively to his existing sentence.
Mark Rooney, aged 49, was jailed for seven years after a series of armed robberies. He first entered a chipper in Finglas on 18 November 2019 with a meat cleaver, demanding money from staff. On 19 January 2021 he entered a Burger King in Clearwater, Finglas armed with a small knife, held the knife to a young worker's neck, forced the till open, and fled. He left his mobile phone at the scene, which allowed Gardaí to identify him from a photograph on the phone's screen. Rooney had recently reported a burglary at his home and was on bail pending prosecution. He later attempted to rob a pharmacy in Dublin city centre on 13 July 2021, holding a knife to a security guard's throat; the guard seized the knife handle and forced Rooney out. Rooney was questioned by Gardaí, admitted to taking 20 Xanax tablets, and had a history of ten robbery convictions and thirteen drug offences. Mark Rooney pleaded guilty.
Ross Gaffney, aged 20, was sentenced next month after breaking into Balbriggan Garda Station armed with a curtain pole and damaging a patrol car. He pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and criminal damage on 15 October 2020. Gaffney has no prior convictions and has been under psychiatric care since his teens, including admission to a psychiatric unit in 2020. He was arrested after gardaí subdued him while he shouted for a sergeant and held the curtain pole. CCTV showed him entering the staff car park, striking a garda car three times, then entering the station through a back entrance. No victim impact statements were filed, and the gardaí involved did not take time off. The court ordered further reports, a probation assessment, and a urine analysis, and adjourned the case to 16 December for finalisation. The judge described the case as "highly unusual.".
A 33-year-old man who abducted his two-year-old daughter from a health centre in County Mayo last October has had sentencing adjourned pending trial on separate charges. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that both parents were heavily involved in substance abuse at the time of the abduction on October 12th. The man pleaded guilty to intentionally taking his daughter during a scheduled access visit. Following a nationwide Child Safety Alert, gardaí located the family at a Dublin hotel where the child was removed and the parents arrested. The court heard that weeks later the man attempted to abduct the child again from a house in County Mayo. He now faces trial in Castlebar Circuit Court next year on charges including assault, burglary and criminal damage. His co-parent, a UK national, pleaded guilty to abduction but failed to appear for sentencing and is now residing in London. Judge Martin Nolan adjourned sentencing until March 8th next.
A 50‑year‑old convicted sex offender, whose identity is withheld to protect his victim, had his sentence increased at the Court of Appeal after the State appealed his original 5½‑year term. The man broke into his ex‑partner's home in the middle of the night, armed with a hook‑like gardening implement, and sexually assaulted her after striking her with the tool. He also assaulted her in the living room during a struggle. The original judge had sentenced him to 5½ years for aggravated burglary (final year suspended) and 5 years for sexual assault (final six months suspended), plus additional terms for assault causing harm, criminal damage and making threats to kill. The appeal argued the sentence was unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal quashed the original sentence, set a headline sentence of nine years, suspended two and a half years, and ordered probation and a safety order after the 5½‑year custodial term. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
Robert Terry, 42, of Bentley House, Dun Laoghaire, was caught trespassing on a building site where he attempted to steal copper. Gardaí stopped him in the hallway, found a knife in his pocket that he claimed was a fishing knife, and searched him. He had previously pleaded guilty to attempted burglary at Mellifont Avenue on 19 October 2019. Terry has 54 prior convictions, many for theft, and has been homeless since 2010. He has worked as a plasterer, butcher, barman and fisherman, but stopped after an injury in 2019. He has struggled with addiction since 2008, is on methadone, and is awaiting a residential treatment centre. Judge Martin Nolan, hearing the case at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, noted Terry's remorse and sentenced him to 12 months in prison.
A burglar was caught after he rang a phone he had left at a Dublin suburb burglary scene. Garda Stephen White answered the phone, which was covered in glass, and arranged a meeting with the owner, David Lynch, who was 50. White met Lynch in plain clothes at the Molly Malone statue, and Lynch was found to be carrying a knife. Lynch was arrested and later convicted of possession of a knife, burglary, criminal damage and obstruction of a peace officer. He was sentenced to three years and three months in prison. The appellant appealed, arguing that White had failed to identify himself as a Garda and had not cautioned him. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, finding no error in the trial judge's ruling and that White was entitled to ask questions and arrest Lynch when he identified the phone as his own.
Jason Paget, 35, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four and a half years in prison for offences committed in 2021. Judge Orla Crowe imposed a three-year sentence for the burglary of the Marble Arch Pub in Drimnagh and using a car without consent on August 12, 2021. Paget pleaded guilty to these charges. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, taking possession of a vehicle without consent, and dangerous driving on December 18, 2021, at Longs Place, Dublin 8. For these counts, the judge imposed two-year sentences on the assault and vehicle taking counts to run concurrently with each other and consecutively to the burglary sentence. The final six months of the two-year sentence were suspended on strict conditions. A mandatory two-year driving disqualification was also imposed. The court noted Paget was on bail for the pub incident when he committed the December offences, which included a high-speed chase and an assault on Garda Dara Higgins, resulting in a fractured hand. Separately, Charles Darcy, 34, pleaded guilty to the same burglary count and possession of a firearm at Longs Place. Darcy's sentencing is adjourned to next month. Conor McGregor is identified as the owner of the pub.
Kyle Walsh, 30, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary and making a threat at his former partner's home on 30 December 2019. In a "spasm of jealousy," he threw a brick at the door, entered the house, and threatened to kill her before leaving. The judge, Martin Nolan, described the offence as frightening and serious, noting Walsh's lack of prior convictions and that the incident had not recurred. He acknowledged mitigation through Walsh's plea, cooperation and good work history, but considered the seriousness of the conduct. Nolan imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term, suspended in full, and ordered Walsh to avoid unnecessary contact with the victim. The court warned that any further harassment would result in imprisonment. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
Stephen Butler, aged 30, was jailed for burglary and criminal damage after breaking into a Canada Goose shop on Grafton Street while it was closed for Covid‑19. CCTV showed him smashing the front door and stealing ten jackets and jumpers worth €7,100, causing €5,600 in damage. Butler had a history of 54 convictions and was serving a suspended sentence of two and a half years at the time of the theft. He suffered a brain injury from a 2016 car accident, which left him with a learning disability, and had a drug addiction. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Butler's vulnerability and drug issues, imposed a sentence of two years and nine months, recognising his lesser culpability compared to his co‑accused and not reactivating the previous suspended sentence. Butler pleaded guilty, admitted his role, and expressed remorse. The court considered his medical background and early admission of guilt.
Patrick Cawley, aged 30, was sentenced to three years in prison for stealing six bottles of gin and several Yankee Candles from Marks & Spencer and Dealz. On 16 January, he entered the Dealz shop through a fire exit, began filling his bag with candles, and when confronted by staff he became verbally aggressive, threatening to stab them and to burn their cars. He pulled a knife from his jacket and made further threats, causing staff to flee. Gardaí later arrested him and found the stolen gin in his bag. Cawley admitted the thefts and has 97 prior convictions, including robbery, burglary and drug offences. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted Cawley's cooperation in custody and his reduced methadone intake, and suspended the final 15 months of the sentence, backdating it to 16 January. Patrick Cawley pleaded guilty.
Marius Pughineanu, 42, was sentenced to ten months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing an ATM bank reader and criminal damage to an ATM on Main Street, Lucan, on 7 January 2008. He also admitted using two stolen credit cards to purchase PlayStation consoles worth about €1,200 at GameStop stores in September 2007. The court heard that he had absconded twice, including a seven‑year stay in Thailand after bench warrants were issued. Garda Stuart Gleeson presented evidence that the stolen cards were traced to U.S. owners who had not authorised the transactions. Pughineanu was arrested in January 2008 after tampering with a Bank of Ireland ATM, where CCTV showed him removing the front of the machine with a Stanley knife. He has three prior burglary convictions but claims to have reformed, working 45 hours a week as a fire‑proofer and paying taxes.
A burglar, David Lynch, 50, was arrested after a garda rang a phone he had left at a burglary scene. The garda, Stephen White, answered the phone in plain clothes and arranged a meeting with Lynch, who claimed to have lost the phone. Lynch was identified as the owner and later convicted of possession of a knife, burglary, criminal damage and obstruction of a peace officer, receiving a sentence of three years and three months. Lynch has appealed, arguing that White failed to give a proper caution when meeting him. The appeal court heard that White believed Lynch was the culprit and that he should have identified himself and cautioned Lynch. The judge noted that while suspicion is not a reason to caution, a suspect should be identified and cautioned. The judgment was reserved for a later date.
Mantas Sankalas, aged 33, was jailed for 16 months after stealing more than €10,000 worth of designer clothes from Deja Vu, a Dublin shop. He was arrested days after the burglary when Gardaí stopped him cycling the wrong way on a one-way street. Sankalas was found carrying two designer bags, one containing items stolen from the shop, with a total value of €10,807. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the burglary that occurred between 8 and 13 September 2018. Judge Melanie Greally noted the crime was opportunistic and that Sankalas had originally intended to seek shelter for the night. She sentenced him to 24 months imprisonment, suspending the final eight months on the condition that he engage with drug treatment programmes and keep the peace for eight months after release. The burglary caused the owner to close the business. The case also involved a second person, as DNA evidence suggested.
In a court hearing on 18 October 2022, the judge considered the case of Myles Howe, aged 49, who on 22 August 2020 broke into the Garda roads policing office at Dublin Castle through an emergency exit. Howe stole handcuffs, a radio, pepper spray and items of Garda uniform. CCTV footage later showed him attempting to conceal the stolen items in grass and a bin, after which the radio and handcuffs were recovered by Gardaí. The stolen uniform items were found at Howe's home in Dublin 8. Howe pleaded guilty to trespass and theft at Dublin Castle and also pleaded guilty to a burglary of a flat on Dawson Street in October 2021. He had previously been convicted of burglary, theft, assault and criminal damage. The case was initially before Dublin District Court, where the Director of Public Prosecutions had consented to summary disposal, but Judge Brian O'Shea refused jurisdiction and referred it to the Circuit Court.
Dominik Biber, a 25‑year‑old Polish national, pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to attempting to murder Tomasz Grosser and to false imprisonment and burglary at Ormston House, Ellen St, Limerick, on 11 April 2020. Biber admitted using two knives during the burglary. The Director of Public Prosecutions accepted the plea and noted other counts on the indictment for sentencing. Biber's lawyer highlighted the client's drug use as a significant factor and requested a probation report. The judge adjourned the case to 5 December and ordered a probation and governor's report.
Albert Redmond, 46, a crack addict with 401 prior convictions, was sentenced to two years in prison for a series of thefts in Dublin City Centre. He pleaded guilty to two separate counts of theft: one at Frame Experts in Ranelagh on 8 October 2019, and another at the Royal Hospital in Donnybrook on 6 February 2020. The court noted that Redmond has 401 previous convictions, including 144 for burglary and 120 for theft, and is already serving a nine‑year custodial sentence for another offence. Garda Detective Gerard Hickey presented evidence that Redmond stole a woman's wallet at Frame Experts, used her bank card for €28.40 supermarket purchases, and later stole a bank card at the Marco Pierre White restaurant, spending €29.40 on cigarettes.
A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to four and a half years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a series of offences including dangerous driving, burglary, and criminal damage. Paul Darcy, with addresses in Dublin and Co Sligo, pleaded guilty to reversing a vehicle into an occupied garda patrol car on September 7, 2018, at Stockhole Lane, Santry, trapping two officers inside and injuring them. He also admitted three burglary charges relating to break-ins at properties in the Glasnevin area on September 2, 2018, unauthorised taking of a taxi from Palmerstown on October 11, 2018, and making off without payment for fuel at a service station two days later. Judge Nolan imposed consecutive sentences on the primary counts while suspending the final 18 months subject to strict conditions. He disqualified Darcy from driving for six years, noting the seriousness of deliberately reversing into an occupied vehicle. The court heard Darcy, who had been on bail at the time of the incident, has since engaged in mental health treatment and is drug-free.
A Dublin construction worker, Aaron Broderick, aged 29, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for assaulting his ex‑girlfriend after their break‑up. On 27 July 2019, he approached the woman as she walked home from work near Crumlin, put his arm around her, threatened to stab her, and forced his fingers into her mouth to silence her. She struggled, fell, and he grabbed her by the neck, pushing her over a neighbour's wall. She screamed, attracting her mother's attention, and Broderick fled. Later that night he entered her home, stole her mobile phone and clothing, and left a handwritten note. He had previously broken into her home two days earlier, taken her phone, and returned it after she demanded it back. He pleaded guilty to assault, burglary, theft and trespass, and the court noted his remorse and participation in drug detox and violence‑reduction programmes. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the assault and the subsequent offences.
David Hogan, 31, an electrician whose life had unraveled, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for aggravated burglary and drug possession. On 22 March 2021 he and another man broke into a family home at The Gallops, Leopardstown, armed with a wheel brace, shouting threats and demanding the homeowner's son. Six days later, Hogan and two others returned; the homeowner closed the door, but they again threatened the occupants and damaged the car. Gardaí later found over €45,000 of drugs in Hogan's possession at Russell Crescent, Tallaght. Hogan pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, burglary and possession of drugs for sale or supply. Judge Melanie Greally noted the high level of threat and aggression, the family's intimidation, and Hogan's prior life as a qualified electrician. She imposed an eight‑year sentence, suspended the final two years, and back‑dated it to 31 March 2021 when he entered custody.
Criminals Jason Paget (35) and Charles Darcy (34) were arrested by Gardaí after breaking into Conor McGregor's Marble Arch pub in Drimnagh on 12 August 2021. Both pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and to using a car without the owner's consent. Darcy, who has 43 convictions including an attempted murder sentence, was initially arrested for trespass after hiding in a bush near the pub. He later claimed he was visiting a married woman on the street. Paget, with 15 prior convictions, was found intoxicated, unsteady, and with a head cut; he was also charged with a public order offence. Gardaí found DNA linking Paget to a black hat left at the scene. Judge Orla Crowe adjourned the case to 3 November, ordering probation reports and urine analyses for both men.
Philip Daly, a 52‑year‑old former fisherman from Balbriggan, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three burglary offences committed in 2020. He was found at a Supermacs in a Texaco service station on 24 May 2020, wearing underpants on his head, and had also broken into a hairdresser on 2 February 2020. Earlier that year he had been convicted of a burglary at the same Texaco station, for which he received a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended; he has served that term and is now under probation supervision. Judge Orla Crowe adjourned the case to clarify why sentencing had proceeded on one count separately and ordered an updated probation report and fortnightly drug testing. Garda Stephen O'Toole described how Daly jumped a fence, prised open the emergency door, and later returned to the station after a panic alarm.
A 13‑year‑old boy, now 16, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm, production of a bicycle pump during an assault, two robberies and two attempted robberies on 20 October 2019. He had 24 prior convictions for burglary and robbery, all committed to fund a drug addiction that began when he was 12. The boy, born addicted to heroin and raised by his grandmother and aunts, began abusing cocaine and tablets after a traumatic encounter with his biological mother at age 12. He was said to spend €1,000 per day on drugs. The court sentenced him to 18 months' detention, backdated to January 2021 when he was first remanded in Oberstown. The case involved a violent mugging of teenagers at Na Fianna GAA grounds in Drumcondra, where a victim was struck with a bicycle pump, left with bruising, swelling, a black eye and leg bruises. Photographs and a medical report were presented.
Chad Redmond, aged 29, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for assault causing harm and criminal damage after a February 2020 incident in which he threatened to throw his ex‑partner off her balcony. The assault took place at her apartment on Hampton Wood Drive, Finglas, after Redmond forced entry, shouted at her friends, struck her on the head, and threatened to push her off the balcony. He had previously been convicted of burglary at the same home, where he also assaulted her. Redmond was intoxicated, having taken cocaine, and had a history of drug addiction. The victim withdrew her statement to Gardaí and did not give a victim impact statement. Judge Martin Nolan reduced the headline sentence of three and a half years to 20 months, citing mitigating factors such as the victim's cooperation and Redmond's intoxication. Chad Redmond pleaded guilty.
Daryl McCarthy, 29, was sentenced to ten years in prison for raping a 19‑year‑old woman twice after breaking into her home and threatening her with a crowbar. He pleaded guilty to rape, oral rape and aggravated burglary on 2 December 2019. The Central Criminal Court heard that the victim remains deeply affected, having moved from her home to feel safe. Justice Tara Burn, hearing the case via video link, noted McCarthy's intoxication and lack of recall but described the offences as "absolutely and utterly dreadful." She set a headline sentence of 14 years, reduced to 12 years for his guilty plea and remorse, and suspended an additional two years on the condition that he comply with probation recommendations and avoid contact with the victim. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the sexual acts and the burglary with a crowbar. The victim's impact statement detailed ongoing trauma, including flashbacks, nightmares and PTSD.
Stephen Wilson, 46, of Brehon Grove, Kingston, Dublin 16, pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary committed on the early hours of 24 April 2020 at Leeson Street Lower. The offences involved a building with two top‑floor apartments and offices on the first and ground floors, occupied by The Agency and Sea Spray. Garda Kevin Cassidy received a call from a resident who heard loud banging and later found Wilson attempting to force entry into an apartment. Gardaí entered the building, found Wilson on the top floor, restrained him and arrested him. Wilson has 89 prior convictions, including burglary, trespassing with a weapon, criminal damage and public order offences. He represented himself via video link and claimed he was let into the building by three others.
Judge Pauline Codd, presiding over the sentencing of Michael Collins, 32, imposed an eight‑year prison term with the final year suspended on strict conditions for the knife‑point robbery of two taxi drivers in April and May 2021. Collins, who had been arrested on 13 May 2021 after a TV was found in a trolley and a stolen credit card recovered, pleaded guilty to robbery, four counts of theft, handling stolen property and criminal damage. He had 43 prior convictions, mainly for robbery and burglary. The judge highlighted the seriousness of the robberies, the aggravating factor of the knife, and the impact on the drivers, who suffered financial loss and ongoing psychological effects. Collins expressed remorse, citing family tragedies and substance abuse, and seeks assistance with reading and writing while serving his sentence.
The Court of Appeal has increased the jail sentence of John McDonagh, a knife-wielding burglar who carried out a violent home invasion in Sligo Town in January 2020. McDonagh and a teenage accomplice broke into a house, threatened four occupants with a knife, and caused significant damage to property. The occupants were threatened with death if they contacted the gardaí. Both McDonagh (27) of Brookfield, Ballinode, Sligo, and his accomplice pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and burglary at a house at Glencarrig, Ballinode, and were sentenced in March of last year. Sligo Circuit Criminal Court judge Francis Comerford initially sentenced both men to five-and-a-half years in jail with the final two years suspended for three years. However, the Court of Appeal found the original sentence unduly lenient. The court heard that the offences were in the upper range of offending and that a headline sentence between nine and 14 years should have been identified. The appeal court quashed the previous sentence and substituted it with a seven-year term, with the final 18 months suspended for two years. The sentence was backdated to August 1, 2020, when McDonagh was first taken into custody. The matter was adjourned at the appeal stage.
Philip McCabe, aged 23, was sentenced to four years for criminal damage at Oberstown Children's Detention Centre, where he and a group caused €120,000 worth of damage to furniture, IT equipment and kitchen and staff rooms over several hours. He also pleaded guilty to driving a car without permission in 2017 and to three burglary counts in 2019. Judge Melanie Greally noted the offence occurred when McCabe was a juvenile and that prosecution was delayed by staff retirements. The judge imposed two‑year sentences for each of the other counts, back‑dated to 8 July 2021, and ordered them to run concurrently with his current five‑and‑half‑year robbery sentence, with a release date in 2025. McCabe has 118 prior convictions, a history of substance abuse and mental health difficulties, and is in a relationship with a young child.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Michael French, aged 28, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for a violent burglary that took place at a city‑centre home on 30 January 2021. French entered the victim's house at about 1.30 a.m., wearing only shorts, and confronted the homeowner, who was in his 40s, with a knife. French shouted threats, including "I want to kill you," and pinned the victim against a wall, striking him in the stomach. The victim eventually calmed the situation by agreeing that the house was his, and a neighbour called the Gardaí. French fled but was apprehended after attempting to jump a fence. He admitted to taking cocaine and ecstasy that night and had a history of schizophrenia, drug and alcohol addiction, and homelessness. The judge, citing French's mental health issues, suspended the last 18 months of a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, resulting in a final term of three years' imprisonment. Michael French pleaded guilty.
Darren Kelly, aged 25, pleaded guilty to possessing €29,645 of proceeds of crime in a sock hidden in his mother's freezer in County Westmeath. The cash was discovered in three bundles bound with elastic bands during a Garda search on 24 October 2019. Kelly admitted the money was criminal proceeds, though DNA of a third party was found on the sock, who denied responsibility. He had been in custody since January 2020 on separate burglary matters and had 61 prior convictions, 52 of which were traffic offences including dangerous driving. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing the case via video link, noted Kelly's good behaviour in prison and his completion of a psychology course. Judge Martin Nolan, acknowledging the seriousness of the offence and Kelly's record, sentenced him to 20 months' imprisonment.
In June 2022, Shane Westwood, aged 26, was sentenced to two years in prison for assaulting his former partner. The victim was punched repeatedly, bitten, threatened with a knife, and an attempt was made to smother her. Westwood had previously pleaded guilty to assault causing harm in March 2018. Gardaí found him hiding under his mother's bed after the incident. He denied the assault, claiming it was only shouting, while his defence lawyer cited drug addiction and jealousy. The court noted his 19 prior convictions, including drug dealing and burglary. Judge Elma Sheahan imposed a three‑year sentence with the final 12 months suspended on the condition of keeping the peace for three years, and ordered him to attend probation, anger‑management, and drug‑treatment programmes.
Dylan Murphy, 26, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for offences committed while on bail. He pleaded guilty to the attempted robbery of a taxi driver at Dolphins Barn, Dublin city, on September 20, 2019, as well as robbery and attempted robbery at St Stephen's Green on August 2, 2021. During the latter incident, Murphy allegedly posed as a garda to rob two teenagers, resulting in injuries to the male victim. Judge Pauline Codd described both attacks as vicious assaults. Acknowledging Murphy's tragic background and entrenched drug addiction, the judge imposed a total operative sentence of eight years. However, she suspended the final year to incentivise rehabilitation, conditional on Murphy engaging with the Probation Service and drug addiction treatment. The sentence was backdated to last March, when Murphy pleaded guilty to the offences. This decision follows his admission of guilt to the charges, which included his 65 previous convictions for robbery, burglary, and assaults.
Mark Taylor, aged 32, was sentenced to two years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for allowing himself to be carried in a stolen Nissan car on 3 December 2019. The car was stolen from a house in Orwell Park, Templeogue, crashed after theft, and was later recovered in Cabra. DNA from a glove, hat and Yop yoghurt bottle linked Taylor to the offence. The owner's victim impact report noted €20,000 purchase price and €14,000 damage. Taylor has 152 prior convictions, including traffic, drugs, assault, vehicle theft, burglary and endangerment. He has been in custody since October for a five‑year endangerment sentence. His defence argued a personal change after his twin brother's death, but the judge noted his behaviour was less culpable than earlier offences and did not extend his sentence beyond the two years imposed. The sentence is effective from the hearing date.
Robert Kinlan, aged 35, was convicted of aggravated burglary after he armed himself with a six‑inch knife and forced entry into the apartment of a 69‑year‑old retired soldier on Ballygall Road, Glasnevin, on 25 August 2019. The victim answered the door and attempted to escape, but Kinlan seized him, pushed him to the floor, and used electric cables to bind him. He then locked the man inside a wardrobe, using a chair to keep the door shut, and placed a mattress against the door to keep it closed. During the 35‑minute confinement, Kinlan ransacked the flat, taking €600, an iPhone, a laptop and two old Nokia phones, and left the victim still imprisoned in the wardrobe. The soldier later escaped, raised the alarm and was treated for two fractured ribs and cuts to his elbows. Gardaí recovered CCTV footage that identified Kinlan, who was arrested the following month. Robert Kinlan pleaded guilty.
Alan Downey, aged 40, was sentenced to seven‑and‑a‑half years in prison for a violent burglary that took place in the home of a 73‑year‑old neighbour. The offence occurred while Downey was on bail for three earlier attempted robberies. He and a co‑perpetrator entered the victim's house after the victim recognised Downey, demanding €6,000. Downey was armed with a screwdriver, the other man with a knife. The victim was dragged, had his walking stick broken, and was left in a state of terror. Downey pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and was given consecutive sentences totalling seven and a half years. The judge suspended the final 22 months, imposing strict conditions including 18 months of probation and two years of good behaviour. The sentence reflects Downey's prior convictions, drug difficulties, and the seriousness of the assault on the victim.
Joseph Curran, aged 22, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years' imprisonment for a series of robberies targeting elderly women in Crumlin, Walkinstown and Beechwood in 2021. He stole bags from four women, including a 76‑year‑old, a 67‑year‑old, an eight‑year‑old and a 72‑year‑old, causing injuries to the 76‑year‑old who was pushed to the ground. The robberies were aggravated by the victims' age and vulnerability. Curran pleaded guilty to robbery and theft at three locations and had a prior burglary conviction in 2019. He has 65 previous convictions. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a suspended two‑and‑a‑half‑year portion of the sentence, subject to strict conditions, after noting his negative drug test and a probation report indicating motivation to cease offending. The case was prosecuted by Aideen Collard BL and defended by Marc Thompson BL. The court considered the impact on the victims and Curran's addiction history.
Joseph O'Brien, aged 35, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, for a series of robberies and violent assaults committed while serving a suspended sentence. On 21 January 2019, he struck a robbery victim on the back of the head with a glass bottle, then repeatedly kicked the man 20–30 times before stealing his phone. The victim suffered a laceration, facial bruising, black eyes and a broken tooth. O'Brien had previously robbed the same pharmacy on 19 January and again on 23 April 2019, using a knife and a screwdriver to threaten staff and steal cash. His 56 prior convictions include robbery, burglary, theft, assault of a peace officer and drug‑related offences. The judge noted the offences were aggravated by his suspended sentence and his drug difficulties, and he must comply with strict probation conditions for 12 months after release. Joseph O'Brien pleaded guilty.
Jason Davis, aged 28, had originally been sentenced to seven years' imprisonment with 18 months suspended for aggravated burglary at a Drogheda address in May 2020. The Court of Appeal quashed that sentence, citing the judge's failure to balance aggravating and mitigating factors and the disparity with co‑accused Dean McKenna's three‑and‑a‑half year sentence for the same offence. The appellate court, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham with Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy and Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly, re‑sentenced Davis to six years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended. The decision was made after noting the damage caused during the break‑in, the use of weapons, and the cost of repairs estimated at €1,589. The court emphasised that the new sentence, while still substantial, was intended to reduce the disparity between the two co‑accused sentences.
Anthony Horgan, 46, was originally jailed for six years in April 2021 after pleading guilty to one aggravated burglary and five burglaries, including a 4 am raid on an 83‑year‑old pensioner's home during the first Covid lockdown. His accomplice, Christopher Jones, received a four‑year term, later increased by one year after the Director of Public Prosecutions argued the original custodial term was too lenient. The DPP appealed Horgan's sentence, claiming Judge Sean O'Donnabhain had set an unduly low headline term of seven years, arguing it should have been between nine and fourteen years. In the Court of Appeal, the DPP sought a similar increase. The appellate judges agreed, quashing the original term and re‑sentencing Horgan to eight years' imprisonment, with one year suspended. The decision was made by Mr Justice John Edwards, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy.
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 15 February 2022, a senior judge warned Stephen Ennis, 32, that the "ball was in his court" if he wished to avoid a prison term after a one‑year sentence was quashed. Ennis had stabbed a hospital doctor three times in the back with a needle taken from his own arm during the first wave of the pandemic in St James' Hospital, Dublin. The doctor, a foreign national who had moved to Ireland to train as an emergency medicine consultant, was left "shattered" and later gave up that career. Ennis had 72 prior convictions, including violent disorder, drug possession, knife possession, burglary and begging. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the original sentence, arguing it was unduly lenient, while Ennis' counsel argued he was a drug‑addicted, mentally detached offender who had been drug‑free for six months. Stephen Ennis pleaded guilty.
Daniel Leonard, 32, of Barton Park, Dundalk, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to theft, assault and burglary at a residential premises on Chapel St, Dundalk, on 28 June 2020. He was caught by the homeowner moments after stealing a bicycle, a car key and a power drill, and then began to throw punches at the homeowner before being restrained and arrested. Leonard, who has five previous burglary convictions, appealed the severity of his sentence at Trim Circuit Criminal Court. In his appeal, his lawyers conceded that he had been detained in the street by the homeowner and that he had been drug‑addicted for several years at the time of the offence. The Court of Appeal, hearing submissions from both sides, found no error in principle in the original sentencing and dismissed the appeal. Leonard's sentence of three years remains in force, with no reduction or suspension granted.
Paddy Lynch, 36, a homeless man from Ashlawn Court, Bray, was found guilty of trespassing and criminal damage after breaking into the General Register Office on 9 May 2020. He entered the closed building shortly after midnight, triggered an alarm, broke an electronic gate and damaged an internal security door with a metal object. The damage amounted to €8,000, with the gate alone costing €7,000 to repair. Lynch claimed he was looking for a place to sleep and was intoxicated, with a needle found nearby. He has prior convictions for burglary and theft. A psychological report linked his drug addiction to trauma from the 2015 Carrickmines fire. Judge Melanie Greally, after adjournment for a probation assessment, imposed a fully suspended two‑year sentence, requiring Lynch to keep the peace and continue drug treatment and probation services if needed. No documents were harmed during the incident.
Eddie Cawley, 22, pleaded guilty to burglary at a Portmarnock house on 9 March 2020. He and a co‑accused rang the doorbell, knocked, and when no one answered they damaged the front door to enter. The homeowner's son, who was in the bathroom, heard the noise, confronted one intruder on the stairs, and the men fled. Cawley claimed he would not have entered if he had known someone was home and had no weapon, though a claw hammer was used in the confrontation. No items were taken, only door damage. He was arrested after a chase, and the pair were taken into custody. Judge Melanie Greally, considering his guilty plea, past convictions, and personal circumstances, sentenced him to four and a half years, suspending 18 months on strict conditions including 12 months probation supervision. The sentence was imposed in 2022.
Eddie Johnson, 41, pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to his partner in Wolfe Tone Park on 28 April 2020. He was sentenced to six years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended, under strict conditions including probation supervision for two years, participation in anger‑management and intimate‑partner‑violence courses, reporting any new relationships, and drug and alcohol intervention. Johnson has 233 prior convictions, including assault, burglary, robbery, and possession of knives. The victim, who suffered a 12‑cm wound on her forehead and a 5‑cm wound under her right eye, later died from unrelated causes. The judge noted Johnson's guilty plea, remorse, and engagement with drug services, and highlighted the seriousness of the violent act and the risk of re‑offending. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with evidence presented by Gardaí and a witness video of the attack.
Michelle O'Leary, 34, was jailed for six years after she broke into the homes of two elderly men in April 2021. She first forced entry into a 90‑year‑old man's house, brandishing a knife, demanding money, and taking €60 before leaving. The next day she called a 69‑year‑old neighbour, claiming her mother was ill and needed money for a hospital visit. He gave her €70, but later that evening O'Leary and an accomplice entered his home, demanded €100, and tried to walk him to a shop to withdraw the money. The shop manager, recognising the victim, called the Gardaí. O'Leary was arrested at her mother's apartment, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, production of a knife, burglary, attempted robbery and false imprisonment, and admitted to 30 prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced her to seven years, suspending the final 12 months on strict conditions. The case highlighted the targeting of vulnerable, elderly men living alone.