The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by alleged drug dealer John McCormack against a Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) order that several Mid‑West properties were bought with proceeds of crime. The High Court had found that evidence showed McCormack had been involved in serious criminal activity for many years and that the income from that activity likely funded the purchase of the properties at Purcell Park, Cloontra West and Claughan Fort. In 2020 Mr Justice Alexander Owens made orders restraining McCormack and others from dealing with the properties. McCormack appealed to the Court of Appeal, which upheld the findings, and then sought a Supreme Court appeal on the grounds that the case involved matters of general public importance. The Supreme Court, in a written decision, held that McCormack had not established any such issue and that it was not in the interests of justice to allow the appeal.
Jonathon Farrelly (33) of Lucan, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to the false imprisonment of Martin Byrne and his wife Lisa Byrne, violent disorder, and the assault causing harm of John Roche, all occurring on June 9, 2015, at The Towers, Garter Lane, Saggart. Judge Orla Crowe adjourned the matter to allow time for consideration, remanding Farrelly in continuing custody until April 7 for sentence. The court heard that Farrelly was part of a group of seven men, including convicted murderer Declan Duffy and INLA member Dessie O'Hare, who forcibly evicted the Byrne family. Five co-accused were convicted in the Special Criminal Court in 2019. Desmond McGrath (50) of Tallaght, Dublin, who pleaded guilty to the same offences, was sentenced in February 2021 to four years imprisonment with the final 12 months suspended. Additionally, Jim Mansfield Junior was jailed for 18 months last month after being found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice for ordering the destruction of CCTV footage. Mansfield was acquitted of a separate charge of conspiracy to falsely imprison Byrne. Prosecution evidence detailed the violent nature of the incident, including injuries to Roche and threats made to Byrne, leading the family to enter the Witness Protection Programme. Defense counsel noted Farrelly was not a ringleader and has rehabilitated from drug addiction.
A getaway driver, Matthew Bell, 25, was jailed for eight years for using his mother's car to help gangland murderers escape after the killing of 28‑year‑old John Gibson in a Dublin carpark. Bell pleaded guilty to participating in or contributing to the murder on 18 September 2017. The judge, Mr Justice Paul McDermott, sentenced Bell to nine years and three months, with the final 15 months suspended, citing Bell's role in driving the getaway vehicle and his lack of suitability to his assigned role in the gang. Bell's early guilty plea and his struggle with drug addiction were mitigating factors. The sentence was reduced from the headline term of 12 years and six months. The court heard the victim's mother, Tara Gibson, express sorrow and hope for further convictions, and the police described the vehicle movements and Bell's involvement in the escape.
Eamon Cahill, a 25‑year‑old carpenter from St Samsons Court, Balgriffin, Dublin, pleaded guilty in December 2021 to possession of proceeds of criminal activity after Gardaí discovered €100,000 in cash, an encrypted iPhone and a diary in a suitcase in his master bedroom on 6 November 2020. Cahill claimed he was given the items by someone he met at the back of the airport and that he knew the money was from crime but did not know its source or use. He admitted he had been using drugs during the pandemic lockdown and had accrued a €10,000 drug debt, which he was holding the cash to pay off. Garda Detective Linda Haren noted Cahill's full cooperation and that he had no prior convictions. Judge Pauline Codd, considering his early guilty plea, lack of convictions and cooperation, imposed a four‑year suspended sentence, requiring Cahill to remain under probation supervision for four years and maintain good behaviour.
Mark Hyde, 42, of Kippure Park, Finglas, was sentenced to 32 months' imprisonment for possession for sale or supply of cannabis. He pleaded guilty after Gardaí found 15 seed trays, plants in two tents, and four large Tupperware tubs of cannabis leaf at his home on 4 February 2020. The leaf was valued at just under €7,000. Hyde admitted he intended to harvest and sell the plants to three friends to pay his bills, claiming financial hardship. He had a prior conviction for cultivation in 2012, for which he received a suspended three‑year sentence and community service for forgery. The judge noted his moderate risk of reoffending and imposed a suspended 16‑month portion, with one year of probation supervision and a requirement to engage with the Probation Service to learn skills to avoid future drug cultivation.
Alexander Rojas Rey, 44, of Cork, was found guilty in 2019 of possessing mescaline for sale and of possessing the drug itself, and received a 100‑hour community service order instead of 12 months' imprisonment. He appealed, arguing that the trial judge had erred by allowing the jury to decide whether the substance he possessed was a controlled drug. The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction. At a hearing, the Director of Public Prosecution said it intended to bring Rey to retrial, and Rey's counsel had no objection. The case was adjourned to 29 March. The appeal judge noted that the judge had failed to inform the jury that determining whether the powdered substance was mescaline required deciding if it had been extracted from its natural form and rendered consumable. The court also observed that the jury had been told the powder was not a controlled drug, yet the judge had directed that mescaline is a controlled substance. Alexander Rojas Rey pleaded not guilty.
Trevor Rowe, 29, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 71‑year‑old Ann Butler in her Kilkenny home on 20 March 2020. In Central Criminal Court, he told officers he could not explain what happened, saying the truth would not help her family and that he could not even close his eyes. Rowe admitted making anonymous calls to Gardaí, claiming he wanted the woman found and was ashamed. He also claimed to have committed five other murders, worked for the Kinahan Cartel, and received €5,500 for a murder. Gardaí presented CCTV showing him walking to Maudlin Street that night. Rowe described taking large amounts of drugs and alcohol before the incident. The trial continues before Ms Justice Karen O'Connor and a jury.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, John Tobin of Corran Ard, Athy, was found guilty of assault causing harm after he kicked in the door of a man's home and carried out a prolonged attack. Tobin claimed he had been misinformed that the victim had harmed a woman, the victim's partner, and that his actions were a misguided attempt to help. He admitted his wrongdoing. The victim, who wished to remain unnamed, suffered cuts, a punctured lung and other injuries but no serious consequences. Tobin, who has prior convictions for assault and public order offences and a history of alcohol and cocaine abuse, was given €1,000 as an expression of remorse, which the victim accepted. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a 30‑month prison sentence, suspended the final 15 months, and required Tobin to keep the peace and engage with Probation Services for 15 months after release.
In 2019, a judge jailed Maciej Masznic, 41, for seven‑and‑a‑half years after a five‑day trial in Tralee Circuit Criminal Court found him guilty of possessing cannabis and methylamphetamine for unlawful sale or supply at his home. The drugs, valued at over €13,000, were seized during a Garda raid. Masznic appealed, arguing that the judge failed to instruct the jury on the legal concepts of possession and knowledge, which he claimed were fundamental to the case. His counsel, Dean Kelly SC, contended that without proper instruction, no reasonable jury could convict. The Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel, Thomas Rice BL, countered that the jury was adequately informed and that the prosecution's case of guilty knowledge was clear. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, noted the dispute and reserved judgment. The appeal remains pending. Maciej Masznic pleaded not guilty.
Lee O'Brien, 35, was sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment after a jury convicted him of attempted robbery at Centra, Drimnagh Road, Crumlin, and robbery at Spar, Walkinstown Roundabout, Crumlin on 23 April 2018. During the first incident he threatened staff with a butter knife, which was removed by the staff, and he failed to steal the till. In the second incident he entered Spar with a small knife, threatened a staff member, jumped over the counter, stole the till containing €260–€300, and fled in a car that was later traced to his girlfriend's house. O'Brien had 175 previous convictions, including robbery, theft, drug possession, and criminal damage. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Judge Martin Nolan noted no actual violence but the threat of violence in both offences, and gave credit for his cooperation in the trial process. The judge also considered his desire to rehabilitate and his drug treatment history.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 4 March 2022, Tara Gibson, mother of 28‑year‑old John Gibson, wept as she recounted the loss of her son, who was shot five times by rival drug gang members at Citywest Shopping Centre. John Gibson, a father of two, was killed on 18 September 2017. Matthew Bell, 25, pleaded guilty to participating in or contributing to the murder, admitting he had driven a Volkswagen Caddy to the scene and later used a black Opel Corsa, which was traced to Bell's mother. Bell claimed his involvement was due to stupidity and drug use, and expressed remorse. The court adjourned the hearing to 14 March, with no sentencing or further proceedings reported in the article. The mother described her son as a kind, loving man and expressed that his death was a living nightmare, a part of her dying that day. The article does not mention any sentencing or further legal outcomes.
Phillip McBride, aged 44, was arrested with a loaded semi‑automatic handgun, ammunition, gloves, a balaclava and a burner phone. He and his co‑accused Derek Byrne were both wearing two sets of clothing at the time of arrest. McBride pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition on 3 December 2019. He has six prior convictions for road traffic offences and no prior violent convictions. Byrne, aged 38, had 78 prior convictions, including drug possession and public order offences, and had previously been sentenced to seven‑and‑a‑half years with 18 months suspended. At sentencing, Judge Melanie Greally imposed a six‑year term on McBride, suspending the final three years on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation. The judge noted McBride's cocaine addiction and his efforts at rehabilitation, describing him as a pro‑social person who had fallen into debt and drug‑related pressure. Byrne's earlier sentence was not altered in this hearing.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Gardaí raided the home of Jurijs Savcuks (40) and Vladimirs Savcuks (43) after discovering €19,000 worth of cannabis hidden beneath "strong smelling homemade sausages" in a car stopped in Cork. The brothers, both from Chapelton, Hollystown, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply on 31 January 2020. Gardaí found cannabis plants, stored in tubs of pickled gherkins and ice‑cream, and a bundle of cash worth about €8,000, bringing the total value of seized cannabis to €85,330. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced Jurijs to eight years' imprisonment, suspending the final two years on strict conditions, and Vladimirs to eight years, suspending the final 12 months on strict conditions. Both were described as non‑addicts and the operation as financially driven. The court noted the brothers' prior convictions and the amount of cash found as evidence of a commercial enterprise.
A 16‑year‑old boy with 62 prior convictions was convicted of robbery on a bus in Dublin on 23 March 2021. He dragged a victim off the bus, punched him, threatened him with a knife and stole his phone and ear‑phone. The victim suffered facial swelling and cuts and was a promising footballer. The boy pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally noted the victim's psychological effects and the boy's history of violence, drug use and association with anti‑social peers. She said the boy was making good progress in education and skill development while in detention. The judge sentenced him to two‑and‑a‑half years' detention. The boy had been on bail for assault and theft offences at the time of the robbery. The defence counsel highlighted the client's family difficulties and foster placements, and that no knife was actually produced during the incident. The boy is receiving counselling for addiction while detained.
A 26-year-old postal worker from Dublin has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison following his conviction on drug trafficking charges. Darren Cumberton was arrested in April 2021 after gardaí observed him transferring cannabis from a van to a car at a Dublin location. The total quantity recovered amounted to approximately €79,000 worth of cannabis herb. He pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of drugs for sale or supply. The court heard that Cumberton had incurred substantial gambling debts and borrowed money from an unlicensed lender, leading him to become involved in drug trafficking. At the time of his arrest, his partner had recently given birth. His defence counsel highlighted his previously unblemished record, stable employment history, cooperation with gardaí, and engagement with treatment services. However, Judge Martin Nolan determined that whilst departing from the mandatory minimum ten-year sentence, the case did not warrant a non-custodial outcome.
A man from Finglas has been jailed for purchasing two vehicles that were used in an arson attack on a property seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau. Joseph Richards, aged 30, of Lanesborough Square, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of money laundering between August 6 and August 12, 2020. Gardaí identified Richards as a suspect through analysis of mobile phone records and CCTV footage. During interview, he stated he was unaware the cars would be used for arson and had simply purchased them for payment without enquiring about their intended use. Richards has 83 previous convictions, including robbery and drug-related offences. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a sentence of three years, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions. The judge noted Richards played an important but subordinate role in what she described as an enterprise orchestrated by more significant criminal elements. She observed that whilst in custody and abstinent from drugs, he demonstrates capacity for prosocial living and remains motivated to overcome his addiction.
Gardai followed a trail of blood to catch Kevin Maughan, 48, a serial offender with 240 convictions, carrying a stolen cash register from a high‑end bar closed during the first lockdown. Maughan broke a window that bore a "stay safe, stay home" sign, cutting his hands and leaving DNA‑containing blood throughout the bar. He stole a cash register and alcohol during the break‑in on 28 April 2020 at Bar 37, Dawson Street. The blood trail led to St Stephen's Green where Maughan was seen carrying the register. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally noted his intoxication, the damage caused, and his addiction‑related offending. She imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final year on strict conditions, including drug and alcohol intervention and cooperation with community mental health treatment.
In February 2022 the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction of Alexander Rojas Rey, 44, who had been found with dried cactus extract containing mescaline. Rey had pleaded not guilty to possession of mescaline for sale or supply and to possession of the drug itself. He was found guilty in a trial and sentenced in November 2019 to 100 hours of community service instead of 12 months' imprisonment. Rey appealed, arguing that Judge James McCourt had erred by allowing the jury to decide a question of law about whether the substance was a controlled drug. Justice Isobel Kennedy ruled that the trial judge should not have permitted the jury to decide that question and therefore quashed the conviction. A hearing will decide whether a retrial is required. The case centred on whether dried cactus extract is a controlled substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977.
A 55-year-old man from Longford town is fighting extradition to France to serve the remainder of a custodial sentence for offences relating to the transportation of war materials, the High Court heard on Wednesday. Roger Bergin was arrested in January 2003 after customs officials discovered approximately 775 kilograms of cannabis resin, cocaine, two handguns, ammunition and cash concealed in a truck at the France-Spain border. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to four years imprisonment. Following his release in 2005, French prosecutors successfully appealed his acquittal on firearms charges, prompting the issue of a European Arrest Warrant in 2006. Bergin contends the French authorities had knowledge of his Longford address for over fifteen years without pursuing his arrest, and that he was denied a fair opportunity to appeal his conviction. Justice Caroline Biggs noted the alleged denial of appeal rights as central to the case. The matter was adjourned to 23 March.
Kaitlin O'Driscoll, a 21‑year‑old mother from Cork, was arrested in Dublin after Gardaí discovered 200 g of heroin, worth €28,000, wrapped in a nappy in her bag at a house on Bride Street. She had travelled from Cork with cash given by an unidentified man and had taken her child with her to the house, claiming she was doing a favour for someone she could not identify. Gardaí also arrested a man in the house, finding €4,450 in envelopes that he said belonged to another man. O'Driscoll pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply. The court noted her 15 prior theft convictions but no drug‑dealing convictions. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced her to a three‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term, back‑dated to her arrest, and suspended the final 18 months on the condition that she engage with the Probation Service addiction support programme.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, 36‑year‑old Jason Goddard of Cloonlara Road, Finglas, was discharged from an indictment under the Probation Act after pleading guilty to violent disorder on 16 October 2018. The incident involved Goddard and 21‑year‑old Ryan Thompson following a man known to Gardaí who had made a lewd suggestion to teenage girls and produced a knife. The pair entered a nursing home where an altercation occurred; Thompson sustained slash marks and was taken to hospital. Goddard later admitted to Gardaí that he could not recall details due to drug influence. Judge Elma Sheahan noted Goddard had no Garda attention since 2014, had engaged well with the Probation Service, and had reduced his risk of re‑offending to low. She discharged him on the condition of good behaviour for 12 months, citing his minor previous convictions and lack of subsequent offences.
Christopher Donoghue, 40, of Dublin 2, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply at his address on May 19, 2017. Sergeant Barry Moran stated that gardaí conducted a surveillance operation following a tip-off, securing a warrant for a raid. Donoghue cooperated with officers, volunteering that he possessed two bags of cocaine, weighing 25.199 grams with an estimated street value of €1,763. He admitted some was for sale and some was intended for his daughter's first communion. The court noted he had 12 previous convictions for drug dealing, theft, criminal damage, and public order violations, though he had not come to the attention of gardaí since 2017. Defending counsel Mark Lynam BL highlighted that Donoghue is terminally ill with pancreatic cancer, currently receiving palliative care after a tumour removal in 2020 and chemotherapy. Judge Orla Crowe acknowledged the highly unusual situation, noting that but for Donoghue's health, she would have imposed a two-year and six-month custodial sentence. Considering his guilty plea and cooperation with the gardaí, Judge Crowe imposed a sentence of two years imprisonment, which was suspended entirely due to his medical condition. Donoghue thanked the judge and left the court.
In a DART incident on 31 May 2020, 23‑year‑old Ivan Bruton, who was already serving a suspended sentence for assault, bit John Rock Sr. and punched his son Adam after Rock Sr. tried to stop Bruton's verbal dispute with a woman. Bruton, who had prior convictions for assault, stolen property and drugs, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and assault at Salthill & Monkstown DART Station. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Bruton's age and the "chivalrous" intervention of the Rocks, imposed a 16‑month prison term but suspended it entirely, subject to strict conditions including 12 months of probation. The judge also ordered Bruton to hand over €500 he had in court to the victims or a charity and to raise an additional €1,000 within a year. Bruton's lawyer highlighted his remorse, full‑time employment and young daughter, and the judge expressed hope for reform.
Robert O'Leary, a 43‑year‑old used‑car salesman from Finglas, was convicted in October 2020 by a Special Criminal Court of membership in the Irish Republican Army (Óglaigh na hÉireann) after a car he sold was used in a bombing. He served three years before the conviction was quashed when it was revealed that the prosecution had not disclosed that the chief witness, Nik Kasapi, was a convicted drug dealer. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice George Birmingham, adjourned the case to allow the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide on a retrial. The DPP announced that no fresh proceedings would be brought and O'Leary was released. He has vowed to keep his case public and to challenge the existence of the Special Criminal Court, arguing that he was jailed for a crime he did not commit and that the evidence against him was withheld.
Adrian Power, 50, recently released from prison, broke into Sheeran Insurance Brookers in Sandymount to escape the cold. He entered by kicking a PCV door, sat in an armchair, and told Gardaí he needed a place to stay. No damage or theft was reported. Power had previously pleaded guilty to trespass in May 2020 and had 87 prior convictions. He now claims he has turned his life around, is drug‑free, and lives with his partner in Athlone. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced him to a six‑month prison term, suspended for one year, on the condition that he keeps the peace and behaves well. The sentence was imposed after the court heard that Power had been awake on the Luas, walked around Sandymount, and sought shelter in the office. The court noted that Power had no fixed abode at the time of the offence.
David O'Brien, 44, was arrested in June 2017 after Gardaí searched his hostel and discovered a packet of heroin hidden in his back passage. While officers were searching the premises, O'Brien was asked to enter the building; during the search, a string was found coming from his back passage, which he attempted to conceal further up his body. Garda Emmett Brannigan reported that the heroin had a street value of €2,000. O'Brien, who has 35 prior convictions for robbery, drug and public order offences, pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 21 June 2017. He was described as a lifelong drug user and had no fixed abode. Judge Melanie Greally, after considering his admissions and background, imposed a 16‑month sentence, noting that the drugs' presence in a hostel was damaging to other residents. The sentence reflects his cooperation and progress in a methadone maintenance programme.
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.
Michael O'Leary, aged 41, was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment for a series of violent incidents involving Gardaí. In March 2019 he attacked a patrol car with a hurl, smashed windows, and struck a detective in the hip. He pleaded guilty to criminal damage and obstructing a peace officer. In April 2020 he returned armed with a hatchet and kitchen knife, threatened to kill Gardaí, and threw a hatchet at a garda's head, smashing a car window. He pleaded guilty to threatening to kill a garda and endangerment. The court noted his recent widowhood and struggles with alcohol and prescription drugs. Judge Martin Nolan described his conduct as violent, aggressive and threatening, and warned that re‑offending would lead to further imprisonment. The sentence was back‑dated to his 2020 arrest. The judge emphasised that the incidents were a one‑off, but the court remained cautious.
In a case heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Lee Gannon, a 26‑year‑old Tesco employee, was sentenced to a one‑year suspended term for stealing nearly €6,000 in phone credit from the retailer over July and August 2018. Gannon, who managed rosters and payroll at Tesco Express in Rathmines, was caught when an operations manager noticed discrepancies in mobile phone credit sales. CCTV footage linked the theft to Gannon's store code, and he was seen ringing up the credit in the till before pocketing it. He pleaded guilty to three counts of theft between 24 July and 22 August 2018. Gannon had no prior convictions. He claimed that his ex‑partner's drug debt pressured him into the theft, a claim the prosecution accepted.
Conor Kirwan, 27, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, after pleading guilty to multiple offences including robbery, impersonation of a Garda, and producing a syringe. He stole 11 pieces of corned beef from Supervalu in June 2020, three legs of lamb from Dunnes Stores in January 2021, and €30 from a student on Eden Quay in September 2020. In each incident he used threats or a syringe to intimidate victims. Kirwan's crimes were linked to his drug addiction, and he was homeless at the time. The judge noted his positive steps since custody. He has 52 prior convictions, including theft, assault and drug offences. The court emphasised that the suspended portion of the sentence was imposed on strict conditions. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
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.
A 47‑year‑old Limerick man was jailed for three and a half years after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting his sister in an apartment on 26 October 2019. He had been heavily intoxicated, drinking alcohol and smoking a joint, and had called his sister by another woman's name before telling her he would have sex with her. He dragged her to the bedroom, hit her, pulled down his trousers and grabbed her breasts. The attack ended when neighbours heard screams and intervened. The man had three prior convictions and had been in custody for two years on this and other matters. He was sentenced by Mr Justice Paul McDermott, who noted the unexpected, humiliating nature of the assault and the victim's vulnerability. The judge imposed a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence with the final year suspended for two years, requiring the man to attend rehabilitation, abstain from alcohol and illicit drugs, and receive multi‑agency support.
A 44-year-old Lithuanian man has failed in his appeal against a four-year custodial sentence imposed for managing a cannabis cultivation operation in Ballymote, County Sligo. Danius Gastilavicius pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis plants at the premises on 26 March 2020 and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment with the final year suspended by Judge Francis Comerford at Sligo Circuit Criminal Court in December 2020. Gastilavicius argued the sentence was disproportionate compared to that of his teenage co-accused, who received three years with the last 20 months suspended. His counsel submitted both men were apprehended at the scene and noted fewer than 20 plants were recovered. The Director of Public Prosecutions contended the appellant held a managerial position and had significant previous convictions, distinguishing his culpability from his younger co-accused. The Court of Appeal dismissed the application, finding Judge Comerford had properly assessed each offender's respective roles.
In a case heard by the Court of Appeal, Dmitrijs Venskovics, a 45‑year‑old Latvian farmer turned lorry driver, was denied a reduction of his eight‑year jail sentence for the importation of 36 kg of cocaine. Venskovics had pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having the drugs for sale or supply on 24 April 2020 at a Maxol service station in Donabate. He claimed he was paid €200 to place the cocaine in his lorry and that he had no serious financial gain from the contraband. His counsel argued that his client, who suffers from a heart condition and does not speak English, should have part of the sentence suspended so he could return to Latvia. The Director of Public Prosecutions maintained that the eight‑year term was within the ambit of previous sentences for similar offences.
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.
Hazel Byrne, 31, pleaded guilty to possession of articles in connection with drug trafficking after moving a large suitcase of paracetamol and caffeine powder from her mother's Dublin home on 29 May 2018. The powder was used as a bulking agent to cut heroin and cocaine. Byrne's mother, Catherine Byrne, 56, had earlier received a five‑year suspended sentence for holding over €190,000 worth of heroin, cocaine and mixing agents at her home. The court heard that gardaí had stopped a car driven by Catherine Byrne and found a large box with a shotgun, but the judge accepted that the box likely contained drugs. Judge Melanie Greally suspended a two‑year prison term for Hazel Byrne, requiring her to engage with Probation Services for another year, including drug screening and therapeutic work. The sentence was fully suspended, with no custodial time imposed.
In a murder trial, a fisherman, aged 25, was found dead in a teenage boy's home after sustaining a single stab wound to the front of his chest that penetrated his heart. The jury heard from retired Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis that the wound was 13 cm deep, 4.5 cm long, and the force used was moderate. Dr Curtis noted the victim's intoxication with alcohol and cocaine, and that he was over three times the legal driving limit. The victim, a fisherman who worked on his father's boat, had no defensive injuries. The accused, 20‑year‑old Dean Kerrie, pleaded not guilty to the murder of the fisherman, who was found dead on 26 July 2018 in Waterford. The trial continues before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury.
The Supreme Court has refused to order the extradition of Slawomir Wiktur Palonka, a 41-year-old Polish national residing in Ireland, to serve a prison sentence for drug offences committed in 1999 and 2003. The five-judge panel, including Mr Justice Peter Charleton and Mr Justice Gerard Hogan, rejected the appeal against the High Court's decision, citing exceptional delays and procedural confusion by Polish authorities. Mr Palonka was convicted of importing cannabis and received suspended sentences, which a Polish appeal court lifted in 2006, resulting in a ten-month custodial sentence. The court found that the 23-year delay between the offences and the extradition request was inordinate and oppressive to his family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Mr Justice Hogan noted that Poland lacks a central authority for European Arrest Warrant matters, leading to disjointed requests and human errors. The court concluded that the delay prejudiced justice and that surrender must be refused, as the Polish authorities failed to provide adequate explanations for the inordinate lapse in time.
John Jervis, 43, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years' imprisonment for endangerment after he fled in a car while a Garda was holding onto his shoulder. Jervis had been allowed by Gardaí to remove tools from a Land Rover and an Audi that were being seized at his Ballymun address. He then drove away, accelerating aggressively and dragging the Garda along the ground. The Garda narrowly avoided collision with a patrol car. Judge Melanie Greally accepted that high emotions may have been involved but found the offence highly dangerous. The final six months of the sentence were suspended on strict conditions, including abstaining from illicit substances for 12 months after release. Jervis has 105 prior convictions, including unauthorised taking, theft, drug possession and road traffic offences. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Courts. John Jervis pleaded guilty.
A 15‑year‑old boy was found in a tent with two older men preparing €30,000 of drugs for sale. The boy, now 17, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply in Dublin city on 3 April 2020. Gardaí discovered the tent, a well‑hidden structure in a shrubby field, and saw three people inside through a mesh window. They seized a large amount of drugs, bagging, and paraphernalia, including cannabis, heroin, tablets and cocaine, valued at €32,692. The boy's parents were described as hard‑working and prosocial. The court, after receiving a positive probation report, deferred a two‑year detention order under Section 144 of the Children Act 2001 until the end of July, pending an updated probation report. The judge urged the boy to continue engaging with the probation service and noted his positive changes in education and sports. The two co‑accused received two‑year jail terms.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Nsa Okpo, aged 53, was found guilty of careless driving causing serious harm after his car collided with a motorcyclist, Michael Sorahan, on July 11, 2013. Okpo, who was uninsured and had a suspended sentence at the time, failed to keep an adequate lookout while turning right at a junction. Sorahan, an athlete who had represented Ireland in Taekwondo, suffered severe ankle injuries, described as "burst open like a tomato," and has endured ongoing pain and surgery, with doctors stating he will never run again. Okpo's previous convictions included assault, drugs and road traffic offences, and he had served an eight‑year sentence in the UK for grievous bodily harm. Judge Pauline Codd, noting the lack of speed, alcohol or drug evidence, suspended a one‑year prison term and disqualified Okpo from driving for six years. Nsa Okpo pleaded not guilty.
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.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, John Hogan, aged 32, was found in possession of a small quantity of cannabis valued at €70 and a larger quantity of cannabis valued at almost €20,000. Garda Dean Foster observed Hogan acting agitated while entering a taxi on Fonthill Road, Clondalkin, on 9 October 2020. The taxi smelled strongly of cannabis, and an Iceland shopping bag containing two vacuum‑sealed bags of cannabis was discovered. Hogan admitted ownership of the small quantity but refused to identify the owner of the larger quantity, claiming he had been instructed to transport it. He was arrested, questioned, and pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply. Judge Martin Nolan, considering Hogan's early guilty plea and cooperation, sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, suspended in full on the condition of good behaviour and keeping the peace.
A 62‑year‑old man was jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to 15 charges of sexual assault, including oral, anal and vaginal rape, and a single incident of sexual abuse involving a cucumber. The offences occurred between 2018 and 2019 in his Co Kildare home when the victim was aged 13 to 15. He believed the 15‑year‑old girl was his biological daughter, a belief that was disproved by a DNA test after her 2020 birth. The man used emotional manipulation, alcohol and drugs to groom the victim, who had autism. He was ordered to have no contact with the girl or her family, to undergo five years of post‑release supervision, and to never be alone with a child under 18 without supervision. The court noted the victim's strength and the serious harm caused. The sentence was back‑dated to the time of his arrest.
Conor Kirwan, aged 27, pleaded guilty to several offences in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He admitted to stealing three legs of lamb from a Dunnes Stores supermarket in January 2021, intending to sell them on the street to raise money for drugs, and to threatening a security guard with an uncapped syringe while pointing it at the guard. He also pleaded guilty to a robbery at Supervalu in June 2020, where he stole 11 pieces of corned beef, and to impersonating a garda at Eden Quay in September 2020, during which he forced a student to remove shoes and socks, demanded identification, and stole €30 from the student's wallet. Kirwan has 52 prior convictions, including theft, assault and drug offences, and is currently in custody. The court adjourned the case for finalisation on 14 February.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal by Darren King, a father-of-five from Ballyfermot, Dublin, who challenged the severity of his seven-year prison sentence. King had previously pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and cocaine for sale or supply at locations on Ballyfermot Road, Cole Park Road, and his home on April 23, 2019. The original sentence, handed down by Judge Pauline Codd at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, was reduced from a headline term of 12 years. King's counsel, Seamus Clarke SC, argued that King was not a typical courier and cited mitigating factors, including a back injury and a co-accused who received a wholly suspended sentence. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel, Eoghan Cole BL, maintained that the sentence contained a significant deterrent element and was well within bounds. The appellate panel, presided over by Mr Justice John Edwards with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, agreed with the sentencing judge's assessment that King was actively storing and distributing drugs. The court stated it was "unimpressed" by King's arguments, noting he made a "commercial decision" to store €700,000 worth of drugs to pay off debts. The appeal was rejected, and the seven-year sentence stands.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 33‑year‑old mother pleaded guilty to two counts of wilfully neglecting her 12‑ and 5‑year‑old sons between September 2017 and November 2018. The court heard that the mother, who admitted she had chosen her drug addiction over her children, was "evidently devoted to the children" despite her addiction. Social workers had observed her slurring and unfocused, and her children's school attendance remained problematic. On one occasion a 16‑year‑old niece was found unconscious in the home, and the 5‑year‑old was left in the house with the niece. The children were removed from her care and placed with their great‑aunt. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced the mother to three months imprisonment, suspended the sentence in its entirety, and imposed strict probation conditions for 12 months.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 26 January 2022, two men were sentenced to two years' imprisonment each for drug dealing from a tent in a public park. Gardaí, as part of an ongoing operation to disrupt drug activity along the Grand Canal in Clondalkin, located the tent on 3 April 2020. Garda Ciaran O'Neill explained that surveillance had been set up, and a man arriving on a motorbike with a package was followed into a field where the tent was found. Three men fled but were apprehended. The tent contained heroin estimated at €15,000, cocaine worth €4,150, cannabis valued at €13,267 and €40 of Diazepam tablets. Gary Lawlor, aged 24, of Cushlawn Park, Tallaght, and Sean Greene, aged 20, of Lealand Drive, Clondalkin, were charged with possession for sale or supply of drugs exceeding €13,000. Both pleaded guilty.
Trevor Keyes, 48, was sentenced for transporting almost €100,000 of cannabis, but the sentencing was adjourned to allow him to undergo brain surgery. Keyes had borrowed money from a group and tried to repay it, only to be told the group wanted him to do a job instead. He had previously helped apprehend a man who stabbed a 60‑year‑old woman in 2010, an act for which he was commended by the Circuit Court judge. Keyes suffered a brain aneurysm that has left him unable to work, and he is scheduled for surgery in February. The court heard that the drugs were hidden in the boot of a red Toyota Avensis taxi on Harold's Cross Road, where 10 vacuum‑packed bags of cannabis worth €99,200 were found. The judge ordered a report from the Probation Service and remanded Keyes on continuing bail until 27 July. Trevor Keyes pleaded guilty.
Karl Hughes, a 28‑year‑old prospective art student, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment in May 2022 for harassing the Kennedy family in Rathfarnham over an €8,500 drug debt owed by their son. CCTV footage showed Hughes repeatedly banging on the family's front door, shouting threats and kicking the door, and he threatened to kill the son unless the debt was paid. The harassment began after the family had paid €15,000 to a man following a threat from the son. Hughes pleaded guilty to harassment at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. On appeal, Court President Mr Justice George Birmingham, with Mr Justice John Edwards and Ms Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh, suspended the final year of the sentence, citing Hughes' mental health issues, his treatment, and an offer of employment and a place at the National College of Art and Design. The decision was made to encourage rehabilitation. Karl Hughes was convicted.