Jake Kelly, a 31‑year‑old former League of Ireland footballer, was found with €14,000 of cannabis in his car during a Garda surveillance operation in Carrickmines Green on 11 September 2019. He pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply. The court heard that Kelly's involvement in the drug offence stemmed from a gambling‑related debt, not a drug addiction. He had two prior convictions for minor road traffic offences. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to three years' imprisonment but suspended the entire sentence on strict conditions, noting that Kelly had addressed his gambling problems and was considered low risk of reoffending. The judge described him as a "cog" in drug distribution but acknowledged his vulnerability and the influence of gambling on his decisions. No charges were brought against Kelly for the cocaine found in a car driven by another man during the same operation.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, a 36‑year‑old mother and her 38‑year‑old partner were found guilty of wilful neglect after failing to obtain medical care for their 14‑month‑old daughter, who suffered extensive bruising at a derelict house. The mother claimed the baby had fallen from a mattress, but doctors determined the injuries were non‑accidental. The couple had previously taken the children from their grandmother's home, where they were cared for, to the derelict property. The judge noted the couple's chaotic lifestyle, homelessness and addiction issues, and that they had tried to conceal the injuries. Both were sentenced to suspended terms: the partner received a two‑year sentence suspended in full, and the mother a three‑year sentence suspended in full. The child remains in care, and the parents are now drug‑free and living in permanent accommodation. The case was reported under restrictions to protect the child's identity. The unnamed girl pleaded not guilty.
Ciaran Aspin, 36, was sentenced to a fully suspended three‑year term for possession of €55,000 worth of cannabis and cocaine. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 27 October 2018. Aspin attempted to flee on a bicycle when stopped by Gardaí, sliding on a garda car's bonnet before being searched. Gardaí found cannabis in a bag he carried and, after searching his home, discovered additional cannabis in the back garden and cocaine in a bedroom, totalling €57,642.14. Aspin claimed he was threatened that he would be "whacked" and denied being a dealer, stating he was merely holding the drugs. He has four prior convictions, including drink driving, and was employed as a delivery driver during the Covid emergency. Judge Elma Sheahan, after hearing a Probation Service report, suspended the sentence on strict conditions, including two years of engagement with the service.
Mark O'Shea, aged 41, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, for burglary and harassment. The burglary occurred on 19 December 2018 at a Dublin City centre location, when O'Shea, accompanied by two other knife‑wielding men, entered the ex‑partner's home after using a woman as a decoy. All three men wore black balaclavas and gloves and were armed with knives. O'Shea had previously pleaded guilty to burglary and to harassment between 19 October 2018 and 31 December 2018. The court described the offence as pre‑meditated, conducted with assistance, involving physicality and intimidation. O'Shea had 44 prior convictions, including burglary, trespass, criminal damage, handling stolen property, possession of drugs, public order and road traffic offences. The judge noted that O'Shea had been in a residential treatment programme for a short period before the hearing. The sentence requires O'Shea to comply with all Probation Service directions for 12 months after release.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Dylan Meagher, aged 22, pleaded guilty to possession of a machete after an incident at Energie Fitness in Drimnagh on 26 September 2020. The incident began when Meagher, lacking his access fob, demanded entry through a gym gate and, after being ignored, approached the other customer and later returned to the gym's exterior with a machete while riding a small e‑bike. Garda Aisling McDonald reported that Meagher had threatened the other customer and was seen wielding the knife in a threatening manner. Judge Melanie Greally described the offence as an "outrageous outburst of anger" and noted Meagher's otherwise pro‑social character and early guilty plea. She imposed an 18‑month sentence, suspended in full, with conditions of 12 months probation supervision, offence‑focused work and drug screening. No weapon was recovered and no victim impact statement was made.
Conor Emerson, 20, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply after a search of his Cabra garden shed revealed almost €20,000 worth of cannabis and €888 of cocaine. He had 15 prior convictions, including drug possession and assault, and was 18 at the time of the offence. Judge Melanie Greally noted his severe dependence on cannabis and cocaine, his early guilty plea, and his efforts to change his life, such as distancing from a negative peer group and addressing his addiction. Although a presumptive mandatory minimum of ten years existed, the judge considered the circumstances exceptional and imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years, with 12 months of intense probation supervision. The sentence aimed to allow Emerson to continue rehabilitation and seek employment. The court did not impose any custodial term.
Ciaran Brennan, 42, of Celtic Park Avenue, Beaumont, Dublin 9, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Martin Nolan to a fully suspended two‑year imprisonment for possession of €6,200 worth of cannabis resin and other drugs. Brennan pleaded guilty in October to possessing half a kilo of cannabis and other drugs at his home on 4 February 2020. Gardaí found four packs of cannabis resin, weighing scales, additional cannabis, two ecstasy tablets, magic mushrooms and €505 in a Liverpool FC bag at his address, following a warrant to search the premises. Brennan admitted responsibility, cooperated with Garda Michael Byrne, and explained that €300 of the money was for rent and the rest was won on a horse. He has no prior convictions, is a father of one, and runs a carpentry business.
Patrick Doyle, aged 36, was jailed for five-and-a-half years after hijacking a retired doctor, 72, by forcing her to hand over her handbag and attempting to drive away in her car. The incident, captured on CCTV, showed Doyle dragging the woman along the front of the vehicle while she clutched her bag. He was convicted of seizing a vehicle by force or threat and robbery of a handbag and its contents. Doyle pleaded guilty and had 104 prior convictions, including one Circuit Court robbery. Judge Melanie Greally highlighted the serious threat to the victim's safety, noting Doyle's heroin and crack cocaine addiction as the motive. She sentenced him to seven years, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, and praised his remorse and efforts to reduce drug use in custody.
Patrick Duff, a 69‑year‑old pensioner, was caught selling zopiclone and alprazolam tablets while walking his dog along the Royal Canal in Dublin 3. Gardaí observed him talking to two people who fled when officers arrived, and later found Duff rummaging in bushes for his stash, which he kept in two black socks. A search of his flat revealed more tablets. The drugs seized had a street value of €5,200. Duff pleaded guilty to four counts of possessing drugs for sale or supply at the canal and at his home on 21 January 2020. He had a prior conviction for a similar offence in May 2020. In June, a judge imposed a suspended two‑year sentence for the second offence, with the value of drugs then just under €10,000. Duff has no other convictions and now stays at home, no longer walking his dog.
Daniel Corry, aged 29, was one of several men who attacked two Brazilian men in a late‑night incident in Dublin City centre. The attack was described by the judge as "cowardly and vicious" and was unprovoked. CCTV footage showed Corry punching one victim and another individual head‑butting the other. Corry pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Mary's Abbey on 17 February 2017. He has a history of drug addiction and homelessness. The court noted that one victim left Ireland the same year, partly due to the attack. Corry was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, but the sentence was fully suspended on strict conditions for four years, requiring him to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
Paulina Galantkiewicz, a 34‑year‑old learner driver from Belmont Park, Raheny, was convicted of dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm after she ran over cyclist Aline Taveres, 34, on Oak Road, Clondalkin, on 1 June 2018. Galantkiewicz told the court she panicked, pressed the accelerator instead of the brakes, and rolled over the cyclist. She had no prior convictions. The jury found her guilty on the sole count after an hour and a half of deliberation. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the lack of aggravating factors such as speed, alcohol or drugs, and Galantkiewicz's unblemished record, imposed a two‑year suspended sentence and a four‑year automatic disqualification from driving, with no requirement to retake the driving test. The sentence reflected the serious injuries sustained by Taveres, who now uses a wheelchair and has not worked since the accident. The court heard that the collision occurred in wet weather, with no independent witnesses but CCTV evidence. Paulina Galantkiewicz pleaded not guilty.
In September 2020 a 16‑year‑old boy, still a juvenile, robbed a young man of €250 in cash at the Q car park in St Stephen's Green. Ten days later he killed a 39‑year‑old man, Claudio Robu, by kicking him to death in a laneway off Madison Road. The boy, who is now 17, pleaded guilty to the robbery and is serving a life sentence for the murder with a review after eight years. He was sentenced to 18 months' detention for the robbery, to run concurrently with the life sentence. The court noted his chaotic childhood, abandonment, and drug use, and that he had no prior convictions before the robbery. The 18‑month term is to be served at Oberstown detention centre. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Ank Vu, a 20‑year‑old chef from Vietnam, was sentenced to four‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment for possession of cannabis for sale or supply at his Kilmainham address on 24 September 2020. He pleaded guilty and was described by the judge as having acted only as an "errand boy" or courier, unaware of the contents of the bags he carried. The cannabis, valued at €399,480, was seized from a van after a surveillance operation. Vu had been paid to load bags into a suitcase and hand them over to another person; he claimed he thought the bags contained clothing. The judge noted his lack of financial interest in the drugs and his family's residence in Vietnam, and suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on strict conditions, back‑dating the term to 15 October 2020 when he first entered custody.
In a dispute over a mobile phone that was later found in the accused's flat, Scott Byrne, aged 31, stabbed his neighbour Jamie Shortt, aged 28, on 11 July 2020. Byrne and two friends had been at a party celebrating a six‑year‑old's birthday, then joined another party in Shortt's flat where alcohol and cocaine were consumed. After the party, Byrne's friend could not locate his phone and suspected it was in Shortt's flat. Byrne and two others forced entry, and Shortt locked himself in a bathroom. Shortt later armed himself with a hammer and entered Byrne's flat, where Byrne, holding a knife, stabbed Shortt six to eight times around the shoulder and neck. Shortt sustained superficial injuries and fully recovered. Byrne was arrested, tried, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assault causing harm, and was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment. The court noted Byrne's 16 prior convictions, including burglary, theft and violent disorder.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Vincent Kelly, aged 45, died from a catastrophic brain injury after being punched in the face by Paul O'Carroll, aged 46, outside the Royal Hotel in Bray on 9 June 2018. O'Carroll, who pleaded not guilty, claimed he struck Kelly only to remove him from a verbal altercation. Kelly was on blood‑thinning medication, including aspirin, following a transient ischemic attack two years earlier, which a pathologist said likely worsened his injuries. Post‑mortem findings showed a single blow to Kelly's left face causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground, with skull fracture, brain bleeding and bruising. CCTV footage corroborated the sequence of events. Kelly was taken to St Vincent's Hospital, then Beaumont, where he underwent surgery, suffered cardiac arrest, was revived, but died early on 10 June. Traces of cocaine were found in Kelly, suggesting recent use. The case remains before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury.
John Daly, aged 41, was sentenced to seven years in prison for a series of armed robberies carried out over five years. He used a large kitchen knife, a claw hammer, a screwdriver and a bottle of beer to threaten staff in Dublin pharmacies, convenience stores and a bookmakers, taking €2,562 and various drugs. Daly pleaded guilty to eight robberies between August and October 2016 and four more between June and September 2020. He had 76 prior convictions, 23 of which were robbery. The court noted his long‑term drug use, family difficulties and limited insight into his offending. He was remanded in custody after his arrest on 2 October 2020. Judge Melanie Greally imposed consecutive terms of eight and a half years, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, including engagement with the Probation Service for 18 months.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Suzanne Maguire (37) and her brother Edward Maguire (46) pleaded guilty to attempting to defraud Axa Insurance by falsely claiming an elderly motorist had reversed into their car and caused damage. The alleged incident occurred in a car park on Glasnevin Avenue on 22 September 2017. Suzanne claimed she had spilled hot coffee on herself and that Edward was in the vehicle, while Edward later tried to lodge a claim with Axa. CCTV footage proved no impact and that Edward was not in the car, leading to the claim's rejection and the pair's arrest. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Edward to a two‑year term, fully suspended, and imposed strict conditions including Probation Service engagement. Suzanne received a three‑year term, also fully suspended, with similar strict conditions. Both were noted to have extensive prior convictions and ongoing efforts to address drug addiction.
Gavin Murphy, 36, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment with the final 12 months suspended after pleading guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at his Ballyfermot address on 13 January 2020. Gardaí seized over €170,000 worth of heroin, cocaine, cannabis, MDMA and PVP, plus seven mobile phones, during a search warrant executed at the premises. Murphy admitted he had the drugs to deal or sell and that he had lost his factory job and had no money. He claimed arthritis in every bone and said he had been living with his parents as a condition of bail. The court noted his "wake‑up call", his employment with a delivery company, his focus on his family and his health issues, and gave him credit for these improvements, resulting in a headline sentence of nine years reduced to seven years. The sentence was set in the upper mid‑range of the statutory scale.
Karl Dalton, aged 24, was convicted of violent robbery of a businessman who had purchased over €10,000 worth of mobile phones for his shop. The robbery took place near the victim's home on 16 February 2019, when Dalton and two other gang members attacked the victim, one attempting to stab him and another striking him with a wheel brace. Dalton's fingerprints were found on a car at the scene, linking him to the crime. He pleaded guilty to robbery and was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally to six years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation. The victim's phones, valued between €11,000 and €12,000, were taken and the robbery caused a personal loss as the shop's insurance did not cover them. Dalton has prior convictions for drug possession and traffic offences. He has since claimed to have stopped drug use and is employed.
In 2010, Andrzej Benko, aged 50, attempted to murder his wife Joanna by striking her with a hammer while she slept. He was arrested, pleaded not guilty, but a jury convicted him and the Central Criminal Court sentenced him to 15 years. Benko appealed, claiming the sentence was too long and that he had cooperated with Gardaí after his arrest. The Court of Appeal considered mitigating factors such as his drug‑addicted wife, concern for their toddler, and a low risk of re‑offending. The prosecution argued that the case remained ongoing 11 years after the attack and that Benko had shown no remorse. The court noted Joanna's severe injuries, her need for lifelong care, and the marital problems that preceded the assault. The appeal was heard on 21 October 2021.
James Ryan, a 33‑year‑old Dublin resident, was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting he had moved almost €400,000 worth of cannabis to pay a €5,000 drug debt. Gardaí discovered four 5‑kg packages of cannabis in the boot of his car on 11 August 2020, and Ryan claimed the drugs were being transported to settle the debt. He noted that his nose had been damaged by cocaine use, implying a history of drug use. The prosecution, led by Tony McGillicuddy BL, relied on confidential information that led to an operation targeting the vehicle in the Rathfarnham area. The drugs were wrapped in four large packs and later valued at €395,600. Judge Martin Nolan accepted Ryan's claim of debt, acknowledged possible coercion, and imposed the four‑year sentence. The case was heard at Scholarstown Road, Dublin 16.
Judge Martin Nolan imposed a 12‑year prison sentence on Michael "Mikey" Greene (20) for a series of extremely violent robberies and burglaries. Greene beat a couple with a wrench in their home, struck an office worker with a hammer, and held a broken bottle to a man in his seventies. He also used a hammer to assault a sales clerk, attacked workers with scissors, and broke into a private house, hitting the occupants with a wrench. Greene pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery, burglary and assault, and had 51 prior convictions. The judge noted Greene's youth, guilty pleas, chronic drug addiction and some remorse as reasons for suspending three years of the sentence. The court heard that Greene's violent acts caused physical and psychological harm to the victims, but no victim impact statements were read into the record.
Derek O'Callaghan, aged 41, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for possessing drugs for sale or supply, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. He was found to be storing over €44,000 worth of cocaine and ecstasy in a bedroom in his uncle's house and over €29,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis in another home, his caravan and two cars during Garda searches in 2017 and 2018. The total street value of the drugs was €73,450. O'Callaghan pleaded guilty to two counts of possession for sale or supply, one at his Tallaght address in February 2017 and one at a Saggart address in June 2018. He has 12 previous convictions, including a drug‑supply offence in 2003, for which he received a suspended two‑year sentence. The judge noted his cooperation, vulnerability and efforts to rehabilitate, but said his level of involvement did not warrant a suspended sentence for the offence.
Felix Moorehouse, 19, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three burglaries and an attempted burglary at a gated retirement complex in Dun Laoghaire on 14 January 2021. The victims were all over 90 and Moorehouse stole cash, bank cards, expensive jewellery and a phone. He had 25 prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan noted that Moorehouse did not admit he knew the complex housed elderly residents, and that the incidents were particularly upsetting because the victims were cocooning during lockdown. The judge suspended the final 15 months of a five‑year sentence on the condition that Moorehouse engage with the Probation Service for 15 months after release. Garda Deirdre Finn described how Moorehouse entered the homes, stole items, and was identified by CCTV. His mother testified that he was influenced by his father, a chronic heroin addict with a criminal record, and that he had been well‑behaved at school but spent most weekends with his father.
Dylan Deegan, 24, pleaded guilty to three robberies – €684 from Cash for Clothes (July 2020), €684 from Insomnia Café (February 2021) and a prior robbery of a man at Back Lane Hostel (April 2020). He also admitted producing a knife on 2 July 2020. He had 15 prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to three years for the July 2020 robbery and 18 months for the February 2021 robbery, both to run consecutively with his earlier three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for a violent mugging in April 2020. The judge suspended both new sentences on strict conditions, including three years of probation. Deegan had approached a solicitor's office, claiming he wanted to hand himself in after the February 2021 robbery, stating he was suicidal, drug‑addicted and wanted to go to prison. The court noted he had no knife at the time of the February robbery and that the cash was never recovered.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Dylan Cronin, aged 20, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to three counts of demanding money with menace. Cronin and a second man had entered a family home at night, falsely claiming a child was involved in a €50,000 drug debt and demanding €25,000. The claim was proven false. The men returned twice more, damaging property and leaving threatening notes. Cronin admitted he was coerced and would receive €2,000–€3,000 for his involvement. The judge noted the offences were planned, occurred at night, and caused significant stress and fear for the family. The sentence included strict probation conditions for 18 months post‑release. The case remains under investigation.
Phelim Coady, aged 22, was found in tears beside the body of Stephen Gleeson after a fatal crash on June 30, 2019, in Garrykennedy, Co. Tipperary. The 1995 Toyota Starlet, owned by Gleeson, overturned at 5am after hitting a bend, throwing Gleeson from the rear window. Coady, who was intoxicated and under the influence of alcohol and cannabis, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and driving a dangerously deficient vehicle. Judge Patrick Meghen sentenced him to two years and six months' imprisonment, suspended entirely, and banned him from driving for four years. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the sentence as unduly lenient, citing insufficient weight to aggravating factors. Coady's counsel described the incident as highly unusual, noting the car's poor condition and the fact that the other occupants walked away uninjured. The Court of Appeal heard the case and reserved judgment. The judge expressed sympathy for Gleeson's family and emphasized the need for consequences.
A 22‑year‑old man was sentenced to one year and ten months in prison for defilement after a Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty of having sex with a 15‑year‑old girl at a Dublin house party in June 2018. The victim, who is unnamed to protect her identity, gave a victim impact statement in which she said the offence had a massive toll on her life and mental well‑being, robbed her of her virginity, and caused a loss of motivation for her studies. She described herself as standoffish with men and said the man's actions had made her feel like a liar. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Coffey, noted the defendant's 107 previous convictions, mainly for theft and burglary, and his history of alcohol and drug abuse, but also that he had no prior sexual offences. The unnamed 22-year-old pleaded not guilty.
David Savage, 29, was found guilty of three robberies and two attempted robberies committed in Dublin between December 2019 and January 2020. He first tried to rob Paddy Powers on Manor Street with a toy gun and a Halloween skeleton mask, but fled after a panic alarm was triggered. He then attempted to rob an An Post office and a Lidl store, the latter resulting in a €1,765 theft before he fled. On 14 January 2020 he robbed a Burger King, threatening a cashier with a knife. Savage admitted to daily heroin use and a drug debt that pressured him into the offences. He presented himself at Garda stations, expressed remorse, and sought rehabilitation. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to five years, suspending the final year on strict conditions, including 12 months' probation supervision.
Elvis Chiriac, aged 35, was sentenced to two years in prison, with the final six months suspended, after pleading guilty to 15 counts of theft at AIB ATMs and banks in Dublin between 8 and 10 January 2020. He used a rented GoCar and a "Transaction Reversal Fraud" technique to withdraw €8,520 from 22 ATMs over three days, damaging several machines. Gardaí traced his movements using the GoCar's GPS and CCTV footage from a Centra shop, identifying him at the ATMs. Chiriac's prior convictions for fraud and money laundering in Romania were considered, as were his efforts to address a drug habit and his impact on his partner and young family. The €3,000 he brought to court was ordered to be paid to a charity nominated by the bank. The case was heard by Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Roy Carroll, a 28‑year‑old former youth boxer from Cork, had a drugs conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal after a jury found him guilty of possessing a quantity of cocaine for sale. He was originally sentenced to four years' jail with 18 months suspended. The appeal was based on the fact that evidence of Carroll's silence during Garda interviews was admitted to the jury without proper direction on how to consider the exercise of his right to remain silent. The Court of Appeal ruled the trial was unsatisfactory and that the verdict was unsafe, noting that Carroll had been advised of his right to silence and had not answered questions. The court said it was disposed to order a retrial and returned the case to Cork Circuit Criminal Court, where the State intends to retry the matter on the basis of the Garda evidence. Roy Carroll pleaded not guilty.
In October 2021, the Court of Appeal quashed the drugs conviction of former youth boxer Roy Carroll, 28, after finding that the jury had been improperly directed regarding the admissibility of evidence of his silence during Garda interviews. Carroll had been found guilty of possessing 124.6 g of cocaine for sale and sentenced to four years' jail with 18 months suspended in February 2020. He had exercised his constitutional right to remain silent during the interview, a fact that was admitted to the jury without proper guidance on how to interpret it. The appellate judges ruled that the trial was unsatisfactory and that the verdict was unsafe because the jury was not given the necessary legal parameters to consider the right to silence. The case remains open for a potential retrial pending further submissions. Roy Carroll pleaded not guilty.
Brandon Brannock, aged 19, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, after pleading guilty to endangering traffic and criminal damage to a car in Ballymun on 6 December 2019. He was 17 when the offence occurred. The court heard that during a high‑speed pursuit in the middle of the day, Brannock's vehicle left the ground on speed ramps, crossed to the wrong side of the road repeatedly, broke a red light and narrowly missed an elderly woman. He crashed into a parked car, causing significant damage, and fled with three male passengers to a nearby house where they were refused entry by a man at the door. Brannock was disqualified from driving for four years. He has 32 prior convictions, including drug and road traffic offences, and the judge noted his youth and the stress and fear caused to others. The incident was not pre‑meditated.
Mark Taylor (31), of no fixed abode in the Tallaght area, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for offences committed on December 9, 2019. Taylor, who had 142 previous convictions including 24 for dangerous driving, pleaded guilty to three counts of dangerous driving, one count of endangerment, one count of criminal damage, and one count of driving with no insurance. He was already disqualified from driving for 25 years and on bail for another driving-related offence at the time. Judge Melanie Greally noted the extreme risk to road users during the high-speed pursuit, which involved Taylor allegedly attempting to run over a garda and ramming two patrol cars. The court heard that Taylor drove over 100km/h, crossed onto the wrong side of the road, and caused €12,000 in damage to garda vehicles. Judge Greally handed down an eight-year sentence, suspending the final three years on conditions. Taylor was banned from driving for life. As a condition of the suspended portion, he was ordered to enter a drug rehabilitation programme upon release and complete it. The sentence was backdated to when Taylor first went into custody on these offences.
A Dublin man, Mark Whelan, aged 48, was found guilty of murder by a unanimous jury at the Central Criminal Court after he stabbed Noel Whelan, 22, to death on 30 March 2019. Whelan was intoxicated with a mixture of cocaine, cannabis and benzodiazepines at the time of the offence and claimed he was psychotic through intoxication, not knowing the nature or wrongness of his actions. The jury rejected this defence and returned a guilty verdict in two hours. The judge, Ms Justice Tara Burns, confirmed that the prosecution and defence had accepted that Whelan killed Noel Whelan and that the evidence did not meet the threshold for diminished responsibility or not‑guilty by reason of insanity. The case was adjourned to 15 November for sentencing and victim impact statements. The trial included expert testimony from Dr Francis Kelly and Professor Harry Kennedy, who found no underlying mental disorder. Mark Whelan pleaded not guilty.
Derek Hackett, 55, a former French Foreign Legion member, was jailed for three‑and‑a‑half years after being caught with just under €80,000 of cannabis. Gardaí, conducting a surveillance operation aimed at another man, observed Hackett handing a black refuse bag containing the drugs to that man at Drumfinn Road, Ballyfermot, on 1 August 2020. Hackett pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply. Judge Melanie Greally, noting his prior convictions for traffic offences, attributed his drug use to a debt stemming from escalating cocaine use linked to trauma from war‑torn areas where he served. She sentenced him to four‑and‑a‑half years, suspending the final 12 months on strict conditions. The case highlighted the seriousness of assisting drug distribution and the judge's emphasis on the need for serious consequences. The prosecution and defence discussed his PTSD symptoms, low re‑offending risk, and family ties, but the sentence remained unchanged.
In a trial held on 6 October 2021, Mark Whelan, aged 48, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Noel Thomas Whelan, the partner of his daughter, on 30 March 2019. The prosecution suggested that Whelan might be found not guilty by reason of insanity or diminished responsibility. A defence psychiatrist, Dr Francis Kelly, testified that at the time of the offence Whelan was voluntarily intoxicated with cocaine, cannabis and benzodiazepines, and that his psychosis was caused by intoxication rather than a pre‑existing mental disorder. He argued that Whelan did not know the nature or wrongness of his act and could not refrain from stabbing Noel Whelan. The state rebuttal psychiatrist, Prof Harry Kennedy, maintained that Whelan's symptoms were fully explained by substance misuse and that he had no underlying mental disorder. The case was set to continue before Justice Tara Burns and a jury.
Jakub Gorski, 37, pleaded guilty in 2011 to possessing €40,000 worth of cannabis and was due to be sentenced in April 2012. He fled Ireland in 2012, before the hearing, and was later arrested in Denmark in August 2021. Gorski, who had built a new life in Denmark with a wife, two children, a house, a mortgage and a job, was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally to a three‑year term suspended on the condition that he leave Ireland within 72 hours and not return for 15 years. The judge noted his reformation and the potential disproportionate impact of a custodial sentence, and highlighted that he had no prior convictions and had not committed any offences since leaving Ireland. The suspended sentence reflects the court's view that his new life should not be unduly disrupted.
Tomasz Lorenc, a 32‑year‑old Polish national living in Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing cannabis for sale or supply. The offence involved €467,000 worth of cannabis found in a rented 40‑foot metal storage container at Meadowfield Storage in Saggart. Gardaí obtained a search warrant and matched Lorenc's fingerprints to those taken from the drugs. The container had been rented under an alias, Karl Finnegan BL, which later proved to be Lorenc's. He is wanted in Poland for an assault charge and faces an outstanding European arrest warrant. Lorenc has one prior UK conviction for drug importation. He will be returned to Poland after serving his sentence. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to five years' imprisonment, back‑dated to his September 2020 arrest. The sentence was imposed after a psychologist report noted Lorenc's addiction, depression and other mental health issues.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, 39‑year‑old Graham Whelan pleaded guilty to laundering money for an organised crime group, possessing €1.2k in cash and a €28k watch, and paying €2,140 for a three‑night stay at the Intercontinental Hotel on 31 January 2019. He also admitted to possessing cannabis in a penthouse suite on the same night, and to having cocaine and cannabis at his Walkinstown home. Whelan claimed the cash was from a "Swiss roll" and that he had bought the watch on a credit card for €8k, though a valuer placed its value at €28k. He was granted bail in March after judges considered the death of his partner a crucial factor. The court adjourned sentencing to 15 November. The case also noted Whelan's prior convictions, including drug offences and a suspended two‑year sentence for grievous bodily harm in Spain.
A man has been convicted and sentenced following the shooting of a garda during a raid on a Dublin property in December 2017. Charles Moore, aged 48, of Barnwell Drive, Ballymun, was found guilty on all counts at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, including possession of a firearm without lawful purpose, possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life, and reckless discharge of a firearm. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Moore to nine years imprisonment for the endangerment offence. Sergeant Paul McManus was struck in the forearm when Moore discharged a semi-automatic pistol as gardaí secured the premises for a drugs search. The officer subsequently underwent multiple surgeries and physiotherapy, and was later medically discharged from An Garda Síochána. Moore, who has eighteen previous convictions, maintained he did not intend to shoot a garda, claiming he believed his home was under attack. The judge accepted Moore was intoxicated at the time and unable to properly assess the situation. Charles Moore pleaded not guilty.
During a Central Criminal Court murder trial, Chief State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan testified that the deceased, Noel Thomas Whelan, suffered 18 knife wounds to his head, neck and trunk, including a fatal neck wound that severed the carotid artery and a lung‑penetrating wound that collapsed the lung. She identified nine additional stab wounds and seven incised wounds that contributed to his death, concluding the cause was multiple stab wounds with no other factors. The accused, Mark Whelan, 48, pleaded not guilty to the murder. The trial noted that the victim and accused were not related but the victim was the partner of one of Mark Whelan's daughters. Dr Mulligan arrived at the scene at 21:41, found the body at the bottom of a narrow staircase, and observed bloodstains, finger prints and two blood‑stained knives in the kitchen. Toxicology revealed cocaine but no alcohol.
Anthony Keogh, a 64‑year‑old farmer and former director of Keogh's Crisps, was charged with unlawfully possessing and cultivating 39 cannabis plants in his greenhouse, valued at €7,800. He pleaded guilty on 9 July 2020. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Keogh grew the plants out of curiosity about their medicinal benefits, describing the activity as a "gardening experiment." Judge Melanie Greally had initially proposed an eight‑month prison sentence but, after Keogh met the judge's conditions—including a bond to keep the peace, good behaviour for the adjourned period, and a €200 contribution to the Father Peter McVerry Trust—discharged him under Section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. The case was therefore dismissed without conviction, and Keogh was released from the indictment. The Gardaí had found the plants during a search warrant, noting they were seedlings and unlikely to enter drug circulation. The prosecution described the circumstances as "very unusual.".
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster testified that Peter Donnelly, a 39‑year‑old homeless man from Kilkenny, was killed on Dublin's O'Connell Street on the early hours of 11 June 2019. Dr Bolster described two fatal stab wounds inflicted by a single‑blade knife: a 4 cm‑deep wound to Donnelly's jugular vein and a branch of the aorta, and a V‑shaped wound near his backbone that missed the spine. The left lung had collapsed, with 500 ml of fresh blood in the cavity. Donnelly's blood alcohol level was 241 mg ml⁻¹, and cocaine, heroin and antidepressants were present. The knife recovered by Gardaí was 14 cm and matched the wounds. The case is before a jury of eight men and four women, with Mr Damien Singleton, 30, pleading not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of Donnelly. The trial continues tomorrow.
Stephen Fowler (62) pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to participating in a criminal organisation with the intention of enhancing its ability to commit the serious offence of the murder of James Gately. The court heard that Fowler offered his home as a safe-house to Estonian hitman Imre Arakas, who was jailed for six years in December 2018 for conspiring in the attempted murder. Fowler, who previously served six years for cannabis possession, was on a two-year suspended sentence at the time of the 2017 offence. The court will review this suspended sentence as part of the finalisation. Sentencing for Fowler, which carries a maximum of 15 years, is scheduled for October 4. Related convictions include Peter Keating, jailed for 11 years for directing a criminal organisation; David Duffy, sentenced to five years with one year suspended for participating in the organisation; and Caolan Smyth, sentenced to 20 years for attempted murder and firearm possession after denying charges. Gary McAreavey, who pleaded not guilty to impeding prosecution by assisting in burning a vehicle, received a four-year term with the final year suspended. These cases stem from a feud between the Hutch and Kinahan crime groups.
Conor Dreelan, aged 25, was sentenced to four years in prison at the Central Criminal Court for intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to his mother, Phyllis Dreelan, and stepfather, David Dignam, during a cocaine‑induced psychotic episode. He had taken 2 grams of cocaine the day before the assault. Dreelan was found to have no evidence of psychosis when not using drugs and was described as being in shock when he realised the harm he had caused. The court imposed a six‑year sentence on each count of causing serious harm, suspended the final two years on the condition of good behaviour and supervision by probation services, and ordered the sentences to run concurrently. The victims reported that they knew the attack was not truly carried out by their son and expressed hope for his return home after his diagnosis of an acute psychotic episode secondary to drug consumption. Conor Dreelan pleaded guilty.
Daniel Murtagh, aged 34, was found guilty of murdering his former partner Nadine Lott, a 30‑year‑old beautician, after a brutal assault on 14 December 2019 that left her with severe head, neck and chest injuries. The jury, after five hours and forty‑six minutes over two days, rejected Murtagh's defence that intoxication negated intent, concluding that despite his consumption of alcohol, drugs and methadone, he had formed the intent to kill. Murtagh had admitted to smoking a joint, taking pills and drinking rum before the attack, and to having been on methadone for three months. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with the judge ordering a mandatory sentence and remand until the sentencing date. The case highlighted the extreme violence inflicted, with witnesses describing him as "like a wild animal" and the victim as "completely unrecognisable" after the assault. Daniel Murtagh pleaded not guilty. Nadine Lott pleaded not guilty.
Jordan Stone, a 23‑year‑old father of three, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale and supply after Gardaí seized 2.9 kg of cannabis, €1,420 in cash, and 1.1 g of cocaine from his home in Ringsend. He has prior convictions for drug possession and assault. At his sentencing hearing, Stone admitted he had a drug addiction and had been under pressure to hold drugs for someone else, but he would not name anyone. The judge noted the seized amount was significant but within the middle range for the Circuit Court, and considered his good work record and recent loss of his mother as mitigating factors. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a five‑year prison term, suspended for three years, and ordered Stone to attend courses on victim awareness and substance misuse, to destroy the drugs and surrender the cash. She urged him to rehabilitate and warned he should not return to court.
Dermot O'Callaghan, 55, was sentenced to an additional eight years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, for the armed robbery of Ulster Bank in Stillorgan on 26 September 2017. He pleaded guilty under Section 27B of the Firearms Act to possession of an imitation firearm with intent to rob. The robbery involved a gun pressed into a bank worker's chest, forcing staff to drop to the floor and comply with demands for €13,200 in cash and £800 sterling. O'Callaghan was already serving an eight‑year sentence for robbery and firearms possession, set to expire in February 2024, and the new term is to run consecutively. The court noted his guilty plea, addiction to heroin, and personal circumstances as mitigating factors, but also his aggressive conduct during the robbery. The sentence was imposed by Judge Pauline Codd.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, Daniel Murtagh, 34, faced murder charges for killing his ex‑girlfriend Nadine Lott, 30, in Arklow on 17 December 2019. Prosecution barrister John O'Kelly SC argued that Lott suffered "the most appalling and dreadful blunt trauma injuries" to her face, with flesh separated from underlying structures, and that the assault was sustained, violent and fueled by anger, drink and drugs. He highlighted eyewitness testimony, a neighbour's account, and pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan's evidence of 64 injuries, including fractured jaws, severe brain injury and a stabbing above the Adam's apple. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC contended that Murtagh's intent was unclear, citing intoxication and a claim that the violence would not have occurred without alcohol and drugs. Murtagh pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The jury heard that Lott never regained consciousness and died three days later in St Vincent's Hospital.