Bradford Meehan, a 54-year-old serial offender with 116 previous convictions, had his five-month prison sentence suspended on appeal. Meehan was convicted in the District Court of burglary contrary to section 12(1b)(3) of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001, after allegedly causing €5,000 worth of damage to an apartment complex on Bonham Street, Dublin 8, in July. He was originally sentenced to five months consecutive to a 42-month sentence he is currently serving for a different matter. Meehan appealed against the severity of this sentence. Defence counsel Seosaimhín Ní Chathasaigh BL argued that Meehan's reoffending was driven by a chronic drug addiction and that he is now a model prisoner in Mountjoy Prison, free of illicit substances. Judge Christopher Callan acknowledged that seeking a suspended sentence was "a stretch" given Meehan was on release from prison when the alleged crime occurred and had succumbed to addiction again. However, the judge decided to suspend the five-month sentence for two years. The conditions require Meehan to keep the peace and come under the supervision of the probation service upon release. Additionally, the judge directed that Meehan remain on the enhanced privilege regime while in custody.
Stelian Ciuciu, 32, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for organising prostitution across Dublin by leasing eight properties as brothels. He posed as part of a couple with an escort, rented properties from unsuspecting landlords using false documents, and advertised them to escorts via a WhatsApp group of about 450 members. Ciuciu laundered roughly €320,000, which was used to pay rent and was held in cash. He pleaded guilty to 20 counts, including enhancing the ability of a criminal organisation, organising prostitution, brothel‑keeping, using false instruments and money laundering. The court noted he had no prior convictions, had family responsibilities, and had been well‑behaved in custody. The eight‑year sentence was back‑dated to his first custody in November 2023, and he forfeited seized cash to the State. No further charges were made against those who provided fake references.
James Lynch, 44, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply in Galway on 29 August 2022. He had 86 prior convictions, including traffic offences, theft, fraud, drug possession, public order, criminal damage, assault, and weapons. The court noted that Lynch was dealing heroin, an aggressive approach to arrest, and threw the drugs into the River Corrib to evade capture. Judge Brian O'Callaghan set a headline sentence of six years, then imposed a custodial term of four years, suspending the final two years. Lynch was ordered to serve the sentence from the date he entered custody, and to be supervised by the Probation Service for one year after release. He was found with €614 on his person and a package of heroin worth about €6,500, which was recovered from the river. The court considered his addiction and lack of financial benefit from the offence, and noted his need for rehabilitation.
Stelian Ciuciu, a 32‑year‑old brothel keeper described as stateless and of Roma origin, pleaded guilty to 20 counts including organising prostitution, brothel‑keeping, using false instruments and money laundering. He rented eight properties from unsuspecting landlords by posing as one half of a couple with an escort partner, using a WhatsApp group of about 450 members to advertise the premises. Ciuciu maintained the properties, advised escorts to remain discreet, and laundered roughly €320,000, mostly in cash, to pay rent. Gardaí discovered the scheme when landlords raised concerns, leading to investigations that uncovered brothels in the rented homes and cash deposits in Ciuciu's accounts. He was arrested in November 2023, and €11,000 in cash was seized. The court noted the maximum sentences for the offences range from five to 15 years, and the case was adjourned for finalisation.
Marese Craig, 28, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six and a half years' imprisonment for a series of thefts that included stealing a €27,000‑worth bag of cancer medication from an elderly American tourist and a handbag from a mother in a neonatal intensive care unit. The judge noted Craig's 191 prior convictions, including 18 burglaries, nine robberies, 102 thefts and 16 deception offences, and her drug addiction. Craig pleaded guilty to thefts, burglaries and possession of stolen bank cards between 2022 and 2024. She admitted the offences, expressed regret and was found to have been unaware of the contents of the bags she stole. Judge Orla Crowe imposed consecutive sentences totalling seven and a half years, suspended the final 12 months, and required Craig to engage with the Probation Service for 18 months after release. The court described her conduct as "deplorable" but allowed her a chance to re‑enter society constructively.
During a sentencing hearing on 21 July 2025, the court considered the case of Richard Treacy, 36, who had previously been convicted of manslaughter, dangerous driving, violent disorder and other offences. Treacy pleaded guilty to a money‑laundering offence under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010, admitting that between 1 January 2014 and 12 January 2021 he concealed the true source of funds used to pay for renovations at his family home in Limerick. The court heard that €100,000 had been spent on the property, which had been purchased by another party in 2014, and that the renovations were carried out over several years. Garda Ronan O'Reilly presented evidence that cash, including £3,900 and €4,000, was found in the house, and that Treacy had no employment record.
Casandra Lingurar, a 19‑year‑old Romanian‑born teenage mum living in Tallaght, was sentenced to seven months' imprisonment at Tallaght District Court for stealing groceries worth €577.07 from a Lidl store on Nutgrove Avenue, Rathfarnham, on 6 October 2024. She entered the store at 4.50 pm with an empty trolley, filled it with groceries, and was caught by store security and Gardaí around 5.03 pm while attempting to exit. Lingurar pleaded guilty to a theft charge under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001. The court noted she has nine prior convictions, seven of which are for theft, and that she had previously received a three‑month suspended sentence for stealing clothing and jewellery from The Square Shopping Centre. The judge accepted her early guilty plea but, given her extensive criminal record, imposed the seven‑month custodial sentence. The case was heard in Tallaght District Court.
Michael Ward, 33, and Melissa Collins, 26, pleaded guilty to theft in a south Dublin accommodation fraud case. Ward admitted stealing €1,800 from a bank account between 9 and 18 September 2022, while Collins admitted stealing €600 from a bank account on 27 July 2022. Both pleaded before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after reaching an agreement with the Director of Public Prosecutions. The case involves fraud against international students. A sentence hearing is scheduled for 24 November.
Brian Cummins, a 27-year-old from Tuam, Co Galway, had his prison sentence for money laundering halved on appeal. At the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Michael MacGrath quashed the original sentence of seven years, with the final two years suspended, imposed by Judge Brian O'Callaghan at Galway Circuit Court on July 19, 2024. The appellate judge found the original headline sentence disproportionate, noting it erred in principle. Cummins, who pleaded guilty to money laundering contrary to the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010, was resentenced to three years, with the final six months suspended. The court considered his high culpability, the €1,000 amount involved, his guilty plea, age, and drug dependency history. The case stemmed from an investigation into Barry Young, the 'Scourge of Sligo,' whose seized phone revealed Cummins as a contact known as 'Tuam.' Messages indicated a €1,000 transfer linked to criminal damage. Young, who pleaded guilty to directing a criminal organisation at the Special Criminal Court in July 2023, was jailed for 11 years. Cummins' appeal, argued by Philip Sheahan SC, successfully challenged the proportionality of the original sentence.
Callum Howell, 21, of Sandyford, Dublin 18, was sentenced at Tallaght District Court after pleading guilty to trespassing, theft, public order offences, road traffic matters, and failing to appear in court. The court heard that gardaí found Howell on a residential driveway in Stepaside in April 2025 in possession of stolen goods. He admitted to the charges, which included offences under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, and the Road Traffic Act. The judge noted Howell's 26 previous convictions but accepted evidence of severe mental health issues, including anxiety, neurodivergence, and substance misuse. Judge Patricia McNamara convicted and sentenced him on the trespassing charge to eight months in prison. This sentence was suspended for 12 months on the condition that Howell does not reoffend, possesses no illicit or non-prescribed substances, attends all medical appointments, complies with prescribed medication, and engages fully with Cluain Mhuire once a place becomes available. The judge warned that failure to comply would result in the immediate activation of the eight-month sentence. All remaining matters were taken into consideration in the disposal.
A Palestinian man living in the West Bank has applied to the High Court for an order to quash a February 2025 Garda decision not to investigate a complaint that Israeli settlers had barred him from his land, built cabins on it, and advertised those cabins for rent on an Irish‑registered website. The man, whose identity was anonymised by the court, is joined by the Palestinian rights group Sadaka – The Ireland Palestine Alliance Limited. The applicants allege that the website's booking of the cabins constitutes a crime, claiming the site is an accessory to transfer, appropriation and money laundering. They argue that the cabins were still advertised online as of May 2025 and that the Israeli Defence Forces had prevented the man from accessing his land since the late 1990s, a situation that continued until 2004 when settlers began construction.
DJ Carey, a former hurling star aged 54, pleaded guilty on the morning of his trial to ten counts of defrauding people by falsely claiming to have cancer and needing money for treatment. The charges cover the period 2014‑2022 and involve 13 complainants, including Denis O'Brien and the Conway family. One count of dishonestly inducing a person to pay was struck out, leaving the remaining counts for sentencing. Carey's defence highlighted his genuine health problems, noting he underwent heart surgery last summer, and requested legal aid and a psychological report. Judge Patricia Ryan granted these requests, set a sentencing hearing for 29 October, and remanded Carey on bail until then. The case was to be heard without a jury, with the prosecution originally expecting about 28 witnesses. Carey is a celebrated former Kilkenny hurler who has won five All‑Ireland medals and served as a selector and U21 manager after retirement.
The former Ireland hockey international Catriona Carey, aged 47, faces a money‑laundering trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court scheduled for 27 January 2027. She is charged with three offences under Section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010, one each in 2019, 2020 and 2021, for allegedly converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using proceeds of crime. The alleged proceeds were held in a bank account in the name of Careysfort Asset Estates Ltd at Wise Europe SA. Carey's barrister, Kevin Roche BL, requested a trial date and indicated the trial would last four to six weeks. Judge Orla Crowe set the trial date and bailed Carey to that date. Two co‑accused, John Steadmond (48) and Paddy Maher (57), were also before the court, each charged with 17 related offences, including unlawful solicitor activity and false representation to induce deposits.
David Rogers, a 69‑year‑old former car dealer from Dublin, pleaded guilty to deception offences relating to the sale of cars during the 2008‑2009 financial crash. He defrauded three victims: the first sold a car for €9,500, the second sold a deceased father's car for €22,000, and the third bought an SUV that was later traded in. Rogers failed to pay the victims, claiming he was abroad and that the matter was beyond the statute of limitations. He eventually returned €20,000 to the second victim and €24,000 to the third, the latter including a €2,000 token of remorse. The court found Rogers had a prior road‑traffic conviction and that he had lost his home. Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain sentenced him to 18 months in prison, but substituted 240 hours of community service, citing his guilty plea, remorse, good character and the long delays victims endured.
Former solicitor Herbert Kilcline, aged 64, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for his role in a €266,000 property fraud scheme that involved falsifying deeds to change ownership of two Dublin properties on Phibsborough Road and St Mary's Road. Kilcline was convicted of two counts of using a false instrument, two counts of failing to keep records, two counts of fraudulent procurement of an entry into the Property Registration Authority's registry and two counts of failing to apply required measures as a designated person. The court noted that Kilcline had previously acted as a covert human intelligence source for Gardaí and that the scheme had caused losses to the injured parties and threatened the integrity of the land registry system. Kilcline's sentence was imposed with consideration of his medical and mental health issues. The case also involved former businessman Philip Marley, who received a three‑year sentence for related offences. Philip Marley pleaded guilty.
Sean Carroll, 31, of Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, had his custodial sentence overturned on appeal in the District Court Appeals Court. Carroll, who pleaded guilty to theft under section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001, was originally sentenced to six months in prison. The court heard that on July 26, 2019, Carroll allegedly arranged a meeting on Henry Street, Dublin, where he received €550 from an injured party for Electric Picnic tickets that were subsequently found to be fake. The stolen money was never recovered. Carroll has 28 previous convictions, including for theft and attempted robbery. Defence counsel Róisín Burnside BL submitted that Carroll has undertaken treatment for drug addiction and is now free of drugs and alcohol. Judge Jonathan Dunphy noted the prevalence of ticket scams on Henry Street and questioned the impact on the victim. The judge increased the original sentence from six months to ten months but fully suspended it for two years. The suspension is conditional on Carroll keeping the peace and continuing his treatment. Judge Dunphy warned that if Carroll returns before the court, every second of the ten-month term will be activated.
A 27-year-old man from County Galway has brought an appeal against his five-year sentence for money laundering, contending the term was disproportionate. Brian Cummins, Balgaddy Road, Tuam, pleaded guilty to money laundering contrary to the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010. He was sentenced to seven years with the final two suspended at Galway Circuit Court in July 2024. The Court of Appeal heard that Cummins had connections to organised crime figure Barry Young, who was convicted of directing a criminal organisation. Cummins facilitated a €1,000 transfer to an account nominated by Young following criminal damage to a house in Tuam in October 2019. Defence counsel argued the sentence was excessive given the modest sum involved and Cummins' limited involvement with the criminal enterprise. The Director of Public Prosecutions opposed the appeal, stating the judge had exercised proper discretion. Justice Tara Burns indicated judgment would be reserved until 14 July.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain refused to revisit the three‑year prison sentence imposed on Philip Marley, a 53‑year‑old former millionaire businessman from Rathbourne Court, Ashtown. Marley had pleaded guilty in November to procuring fraudulent entry into the Property Registration Authority's registry, deception and registering a false deed that altered ownership of two Dublin properties. The judge had previously deferred the sentence to allow Marley to arrange care for his adult son with severe neurological symptoms. During the hearing, counsel for Marley presented a forensic psychologist's report, but the judge declined to suspend any portion of the sentence, citing the report's findings and directing that it be forwarded to prison authorities. The court also heard mitigation for co‑accused Herbert Kilcline, who faces a separate sentencing on 23 June. Herbert Kilcline was convicted.
Aaron Finn, 28, of Tallaght, was charged in Tallaght District Court with 12 offences after breaking into a commercial van in an underground carpark of a Dublin apartment complex on the night of 8 June. CCTV footage showed him smashing a window of a Scania van and stealing three mobile phones, a black sledgehammer, an air pump, a valve and several bags of tools. He was arrested shortly after the incident. Finn faces ten counts of possession of stolen property under Section 18 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, one count of criminal damage and one count of handling stolen property. The court refused bail, citing the seriousness of the alleged offences, the strength of the evidence and the use of a wrench to gain entry. Finn was remanded in custody to appear via video link at Cloverhill District Court on 13 June for DPP directions, and legal aid was granted.
Linda Byrne, 45, of Tymon North Gardens, Tallaght, was sentenced to three months in prison at Tallaght District Court for a two‑year shop‑lifting spree that took place between December 2022 and April 2024. The final month of the sentence was suspended for 24 months, and the whole term was back‑dated to 3 April 2024, the day she was first taken into custody. Byrne pleaded guilty and the judge noted a "significant shift" in her behaviour while remanded at the Dóchas Centre, where she is now receiving addiction treatment and education. The thefts involved goods worth €60 to €270 from stores such as Dunnes, Penneys and Spar; all items were recovered in saleable condition. A serious incident on 10 October 2024 at Spar in Tallaght led to Byrne's arrest under Sections 4 and 3 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.
Two men, Mark McCourt, 34, of Edencrieve, Newry, and Conor O'Brien, 28, of Kilpatrick, Ardee, are set to be tried before the Special Criminal Court on firearms charges. McCourt faces 24 counts for possessing parts for .223 calibre Remington AR‑15 semi‑automatic rifles and various pistol parts, including Lugers and Sig Sauers, along with pistol magazines and ammunition, all at John St, Blackstick, Ardee, on 19 July 2024. O'Brien is charged with 24 similar offences on the same date and location, plus an additional count for aiding a criminal organisation in importing firearms and ammunition between 10 February 2023 and 19 July 2024. He is also charged under the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act for handling €7,450 and $20 Canadian, and for possessing €9,980 in criminal proceeds at Hazelbrook Square, Dublin. The court will hear the case in June.
Alida Kuiken, 50, of Knockraha, Cork, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to allowing €16,997 of stolen money to be transferred through her bank account on 27‑28 September 2022. The money had been sent by a fraudster who posed as a U.S. marine and claimed to be her fiancé. Kuiken had met him online in February 2021 but never met him in person. She admitted she was "utterly naive" and had transferred the money to an account she believed belonged to the man, later sending it by Bitcoin. Gardaí seized her diary, which listed goals such as paying back the money and finding a husband. The judge accepted her plea on the basis of recklessness and imposed a one‑year suspended sentence, fully suspended, with no custodial term. No prior convictions were recorded.
A District Court judge in Tallaght refused jurisdiction over a case involving Abbie Kinsella, a 20‑year‑old from The Green, Earl's Court, Kill, Co. Kildare, who was charged with a phone scam that allegedly defrauded a man of more than €16,000. Kinsella was living in Dublin at the time of the alleged offence and was arrested and charged there. Garda O'Connor explained that the victim received a text message purporting to be from the Eir mobile network, warning that his phone service would be cancelled unless he paid an outstanding bill. Believing the message to be genuine, the man provided his banking details, and later discovered that more than €16,400 had been withdrawn from his account. Garda O'Connor stated that €4,900 was allegedly transferred into Ms Kinsella's Revolut account. Ms Kinsella is charged with an offence under Section 7(1) of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010.
In May 2025 the Court of Appeal sentenced Susan McGovern, 44, to three years' imprisonment after quashing her fully suspended four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence from Waterford Circuit Criminal Court. McGovern had been convicted of robbery under the Criminal Justice Theft and Fraud Offences Act 2001 and a Section 3 assault for luring a man to her apartment and attacking him with a knife. The appeal judge, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, found the earlier full suspension too lenient, citing McGovern's 19 prior convictions, including theft, knife possession and child abduction, and her history of drug addiction. The new sentence retained the four‑and‑a‑half‑year term with 18 months suspended, and the court noted that the knife caused facial injury to the victim, who required stitches. McGovern had previously been jailed for five years in 2001 for abducting a newborn from a Cork maternity hospital. Susan McGovern pleaded guilty.
Amy McAuley, 35, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to using a false instrument by submitting a false death notification form to Wexford County Council on January 19, 2023. She also admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice on January 23, 2023, and forging a medical report on November 23, 2022. The court heard that McAuley faked her death to avoid attending trial for prior theft and fraud offences. Judge Orla Crowe described the matter as complex and directed Probation Services to prepare a risk assessment report. The case was adjourned to October for finalisation. Defence counsel Rebecca Smith BL noted McAuley is now living in Dublin and successfully applied to change the Garda station where she must sign on twice weekly. Judge Crowe granted this application and remanded McAuley on continuing bail. The court also noted that the Director of Public Prosecutions had previously appealed a 2015 sentence of two years, suspended for ten years, for theft of nearly €111,000, citing undue leniency. The Court of Appeal declined to alter that sentence but extended the repayment period to seven-and-a-half years, with the balance still outstanding.
A 46‑year‑old serial offender, Stepan Pavlov, who had 93 prior convictions, had a 15‑month jail sentence for burglary in three separate incidents at Dublin restaurants replaced by a fully suspended term on appeal. The District Court had found him guilty of burglary under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001, for stealing more than €1,000 from staff lockers at Murray's Bar on O'Connell Street on 14 July 2023, a wallet and laptop worth over €1,600 from Chequer Lane on 10 March 2023, and a purse worth €200 from a restaurant on Molesworth Street on 10 October 2023. The appeal court, hearing on 14 July 2023, granted a two‑year suspended sentence on the condition that Pavlov keep the peace, provide monthly urine analysis and stay out of the city centre without just cause. The decision was based on his rehabilitation efforts for drug addiction, as presented by his defence counsel.
Richard Treacy, 36, of Downey St, Garryowen, Limerick, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to a money‑laundering offence under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010. He admitted that between 1 January 2014 and 12 January 2021 he concealed the true source of funds used for renovation work at his home, knowing or being reckless that the money was the proceeds of criminal conduct. The case, originally scheduled for a two‑week trial, was adjourned to 21 July for sentencing by Justice Karen O'Connor.
Seán Keogh, 34, of Emmet Crescent, Inchicore, pleaded guilty to burglary at Morehampton Road, Donnybrook, on 26 December 2023. The break‑in, which took place at about 3 pm, involved the theft of a PlayStation 5, a laptop and a phone, with a total value exceeding €5,000. Keogh was charged under Section 12(1)(b) and (3) of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001. Garda Conor McCarthy testified that he was stopped shortly after the incident. Keogh has 88 prior convictions, including burglary, theft, criminal damage, public order offences, violent behaviour in a Garda station, and 31 road‑traffic offences. He had a five‑month suspended sentence for a July 2024 driving‑without‑insurance offence. Judge Anne Watkin imposed a six‑month custodial sentence, recognising €500 in the event of an appeal, bringing his total convictions to 89.
In Waterford Circuit Criminal Court, Susan McGovern, 44, pleaded guilty to robbery under the Criminal Justice Theft and Fraud Offences Act, 2001. She was sentenced by Judge Eugene O'Kelly to a four‑and‑a‑half‑year term, fully suspended, on 10 October 2024. The State, represented by Conor O'Doherty BL, argued that the suspended sentence was too lenient, citing the seriousness of the robbery, the use of a nine‑inch knife, the victim's injuries, and McGovern's 19 prior convictions, including a knife possession offence. The State also highlighted McGovern's false claims of self‑defence and sexual assault, which were later admitted as unfounded. McGovern's counsel, Gareth Hayden BL, maintained that the sentence was not unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal will reserve its judgment until later in the week.
Patrick Lynch, 50, of Rosemount Glade, Dundrum, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment by Judge Anne Watkin at Dun Laoghaire District Court for a series of burglaries. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts of burglary, theft and trespassing. On 9 January 2024 he unlawfully entered the Rosemount Resource Centre at Waldermere Terrace, stole five Samsung tablets worth €5,500 and was prosecuted under Section 4 of the Theft and Fraud Offences Act 2001. The next night, 10 January, he returned, stole additional Samsung devices and €450 in cash. Gardaí later recovered five of the stolen tablets. While on bail, he committed further offences on 29 and 30 April, including entering a property through an open window and stealing a phone and a laptop worth about €1,000. Lynch has 134 prior convictions, including 11 for theft under the 2001 Act, and a history of drug addiction and mental health difficulties.
Ifeanyichukwu Nwaneri, 37, of Donore Avenue, Dublin 8, was convicted by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury of four counts of money laundering for the period February to October 2017. He pleaded not guilty but admitted in Garda interviews that he had handed his bank accounts to another man for use in a larger laundering scheme. The accounts were used to lodge €34,918, €17,109 and €10,000, with an additional €7,000 bounced back. Nwaneri allowed further lodgements into a second account after the first was frozen. Judge Elva Duffy noted his accounting studies should have given him some awareness of the activity. He was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions. The case involved Innocent Aigbekaen, who recruited Nwaneri and was sentenced to four years, three of which were suspended. Nwaneri had no prior convictions and had been in Ireland since 2015.
A 45‑year‑old woman from Tymon North Gardens, Tallaght, Dublin 24, is due to be sentenced next month after pleading guilty to a series of theft and deception offences that spanned from December 2022 to October 2024. She stole cosmetics, clothing and toiletries worth between €60 and €270 at several locations, including Penneys on O'Connell Street, Arnotts, Citywest Shopping Centre and a Spar outlet in the Village Green. In one incident she was stopped after taking two suitcases worth €90 from Penneys, and in another she stole €150 worth of cosmetics. All items were recovered in saleable condition. The most recent offence occurred on 10 October 2024 when Gardaí were called to Spar; she became abusive and was arrested for theft and deception under Section 4(3) of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001. An active bench warrant was executed during her court appearance that day.
Anthony Macken, a 21‑year‑old from Oakpark Avenue, Santry, appeared before Judge Michael Connellan at Tallaght District Court after admitting he had handled a stolen motorbike and was later convicted of dangerous driving. The incident occurred on 28 October 2023 on the M50 northbound at Ballymount, Dublin 24, when Garda Aaron Wogan found a damaged motorbike that had been stolen. Macken pleaded guilty to handling stolen property under Section 18 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 and was convicted of dangerous driving under Section 53(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, as amended by the Road Traffic (No. 2) Act 2011. He was fined €200 for handling the stolen motorbike and €50 for dangerous driving, each with a six‑month payment period, and was disqualified from driving for two years. The court heard that a probation report assessed Macken as posing a moderate risk of re‑offending.
Jordan Ryan, 28, sold a financed car for €13,700 to a buyer who was unaware of the outstanding debt. Ryan had missed two repayments and had tried unsuccessfully to arrange a payment plan. After the buyer discovered the debt, Ryan paid €2,500 and later an additional €10,000 to the buyer. He pleaded guilty to deception on 9 February 2023. The court noted his addiction, gambling, mental health issues and a personal tragedy but said these did not excuse his conduct. Judge Elva Duffy imposed an 18‑month sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions, and ordered Ryan to pay €2,000 to the buyer within six months. The buyer remains €1,200 short of the original purchase price. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
William Kiely, aged 52, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to three counts of dishonestly appropriating money from Barrington Capital Ltd's accounts between 2007 and 2010. The court found that he had transferred about €2 million of investors' funds into unauthorised stock‑market trades, losing roughly $1.47 million USD and €700,000 in the process. Kiely also pleaded guilty to operating the company with intent to defraud creditors from July 2008 to February 2010 and to falsifying a financial statement on 12 March 2010. He had set up Barrington Capital as a legitimate investment vehicle to buy U.S. commercial property, but after the 2008 crash he diverted the money to the stock market and used it for lifestyle expenses and personal payments. No investors received any restitution, and the court noted the significant financial and emotional harm suffered by the victims. Kiely is also disqualified from serving as a company director for five years.
Court proceedings in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 31 March 2025 found Courtney Fitzpatrick, aged 26, and Leah York, aged 22, guilty of money laundering for possessing proceeds of crime. The offence stemmed from a Revolut scam that cost a doctor €11,000. The doctor received a call from an unknown person claiming to be a Revolut agent, who told her her account was compromised and requested app access. The caller then transferred €5,500 to each woman's account, which was subsequently moved into a cryptocurrency account. The women were identified and interviewed by Gardaí; they did not name the scammer, citing fear. The judge noted their cooperation but also that they were aware the activity was criminal. He imposed a one‑year sentence on each, suspended on the condition that each pays €1,500 to the doctor within nine months. The sentences were suspended to punish and deter future gullibility.
A 28‑year‑old Irish national, Iskilu Awolumate, was sentenced to 18 months in jail, with the final year suspended, for his role in a large‑scale smishing fraud that targeted Permanent TSB customers. The court heard that between March 2020 and January 2021 he handled €25,800 that had been transferred from 22 affected accounts, though only three victims were identified. Awolumate's account was used to move the money, and Garda evidence suggested he was not merely a mule but part of a wider operation. He had previously moved to the Netherlands, where he works as an engineer, and had been contacted by Gardaí 13 times before surrendering to Tallaght Garda Station. He claimed he was coerced and feared for his safety. The judge noted the operation was "large‑scale" and that the money could not be accounted for by ordinary work. Iskilu Awolumate pleaded guilty.
Former Ireland hockey international Catriona Carey, 46, of Co Carlow, was granted an arraignment date before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on money laundering charges. She is charged with three offences contrary to Section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010, alleged to have occurred in 2019, 2020, and 2021. It is alleged that she converted, transferred, or handled proceeds of criminal conduct involving funds in a Wise Europe SA account under Careysfort Asset Estates Ltd. Judge Sarah Berkeley listed the case for 30 June, when Ms Carey will be formally asked to plead. Her co-accused, John Steadmond, 48, of Co Wexford, and Paddy Maher, 57, of Co Wicklow, also appeared before the court. Each man faces 17 related charges, including allegations that they unlawfully acted as solicitors without qualification. The majority of these charges allege they induced individuals to pay deposits by falsely representing that Careysfort Asset Estates Ltd could secure finance for distressed mortgage holders, with the intent to gain for themselves or cause loss to others. Mr Steadmond and Mr Maher were also assigned the same arraignment date of 30 June. The matter remains at the pre-trial stage, with no pleas entered or findings made.
Sodiq Jimoh (30) of Rossfield Close, Rossfield, Tallaght, Dublin 24, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to contributing to the activities of a criminal organisation and nine charges of money laundering on dates between May 2019 and August 2020. Jimoh admitted to laundering €1,000,065 from various individuals and small Irish companies. The court heard that some of the victims' money was reimbursed and some of the cash was recovered. Detective Garda Ester Devally stated that Jimoh was involved in a global investigation into invoice redirect fraud and compromised email scams, known as Operation Skean. Gardaí found suspicious activity in accounts with Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Bank, with various lodgements totalling €26,000 into accounts linked to Jimoh over a 16-month period. Analysis of his phone revealed WhatsApp conversations with others involved in the fraud, including a comment from Jimoh stating, "Fam, at the end of the day it's free money." Jimoh was arrested and questioned multiple times, but no evidential value was gained from the interviews. Victim impact statements were submitted but not read out. Defence counsel highlighted Jimoh's background, including his early arrival in Ireland and a promising football career, and his role as a family breadwinner during the pandemic. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged Jimoh's mitigation but stated that the wrongdoing was serious and sentenced him to five years and four months, with credit for six weeks spent on remand in custody.
Danny Cirstea, 27, of Dublin 2, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for his role in a money‑laundering scheme and for obtaining €15,000 in social welfare fraud. He pleaded guilty to possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct, possession of drugs and deception. Garda investigations revealed that Cirstea's address was used to open bank accounts for himself and a co‑accused, and that he had control over a third‑party account. Payments totalling over €5,500 were made to his account in November 2019, and approximately €43,000 was lodged in an AIB account between August and June 2019. Around €58,000 moved through a further account between July 2019 and April 2020. A search of his home in December 2020 uncovered a small amount of cannabis, valued at €140, and later, in August 2022, four bags of tetrahydrocannabinol in edible chocolate, valued at €80, were seized.
Judge Martin Nolan sentenced four members of the Lawrence family at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for multigenerational insurance fraud. Eileen Lawrence (52) pleaded guilty to deception and attempted deception between 2010 and 2016. Despite acknowledging her serious involvement, the judge imposed a three-year prison sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions, citing her role as a primary carer for family members with additional needs. Her husband, Patrick Lawrence (54), pleaded guilty to deception and attempted deception between 2013 and 2018. The judge imposed a two-year custodial sentence, noting his medical and mental health issues but stating the wrongdoing merited imprisonment. Their sons, Tom Lawrence (24) and John Lawrence (26), both pleaded guilty to attempted deception and deception respectively, with offences occurring between 2014 and 2016. As they were minors at the time, the judge imposed one-year suspended sentences on both men, deeming it unjust to imprison them. The family allegedly used false identities to submit personal injury claims, resulting in payouts of €9,370, €15,000, and €6,155. Grandmother Winnifred Lawrence was separately sentenced last year to three and a half years, with 18 months suspended, for similar offences.
Patrick Lawrence (54) was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to deception and attempted deception between 2013 and 2018. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two-year prison term, acknowledging Lawrence's medical and mental health issues but deeming the conduct serious wrongdoing. His wife, Eileen Lawrence (52), also pleaded guilty to deception and attempted deception between 2010 and 2016. The judge noted her significant involvement but cited her role as a primary carer for a son with additional needs as a factor against immediate imprisonment. The matter was adjourned, with Judge Nolan indicating he would reflect over the weekend before imposing a sentence on Tuesday. The court heard that the couple used false identities to pursue personal injury claims, resulting in payouts of €9,370 and €15,000 respectively. Their mother-in-law, Winnifred Lawrence (74), was jailed last year for three and a half years, with the final 18 months suspended, for similar claims between 2012 and 2014. She fraudulently received €23,150. The investigation was triggered when a private investigator photographed the family attending medical appointments under false names.
A 24‑year‑old pregnant woman was sentenced to 20 months in jail for money laundering after depositing €33,715 into her bank account between January 2021 and April 2022 and spending over €20,000 on designer goods while receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. The court heard that she had no knowledge of the money's source and had not asked her former partner, who was also charged, about it. She is protected by a court order and has fled to a women's refuge due to domestic violence. Gardaí discovered the illicit activity after finding €700 in cash and designer items in a Mercedes Benz in Coolock in June 2021, and later recovered luxury goods from the couple's home. The defendant had a prior theft conviction in Spain and was between 20 and 22 at the time of the offences. The judge acknowledged mitigating circumstances but imposed the custodial sentence for her recklessness and participation in the laundering scheme. The unnamed 24-year-old pleaded guilty.
A Brazilian man has pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to operating a network of brothels across rural Ireland using falsified documents and landlord deception. Ilamar Rodrigues Ribeiro, aged 54, rented ten properties under a false Italian identity, with two located in Roscommon Town and others in Longford, Cavan, Leitrim, Carlow, Wexford and Kildare between 2018 and 2023. When arrested at Dublin Airport in November 2023, gardaí from the Human Trafficking and Co-ordination Unit recovered approximately €788,000 in proceeds of crime across multiple bank accounts. He also pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material on his phone comprising nine images and sixteen videos. Ribeiro entered guilty pleas to nineteen sample counts including fraud, inducing landlords to rent properties under false pretences, and possession of criminal proceeds. The investigation began following trafficking allegations from two women who identified properties being misused as brothels. Ribeiro has remained in custody since his arrest. Sentencing proceedings are scheduled for 21 March.
Daniel Byrne, 26, of Camolin, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to making threats, demanding cash and handling proceeds of crime between February and June 2024. He extorted €22,750 from a former classmate who had contacted him to buy a small amount of cannabis. Byrne threatened the victim and his family, demanding €700, then €5,000, and later collected €15,000 in multiple meetings. He also threatened the victim's father and contacted the victim at his workplace. Byrne's prior convictions include money laundering, possession of drugs, obstruction and threatening behaviour. He was on a suspended sentence for money laundering when the extortion began. The court reduced the initial headline sentence of seven and a half years to five and a half years, citing mitigating factors and Byrne's guilty plea. The victim's impact statement was not read in court.
The High Court has ruled that Michelle Keane, an unsuccessful Independent Dáil candidate in Kerry, is out of time to challenge the November 2024 General Election result. Ms Keane, of Talbot Bridge, Knocknagoshel, claimed she witnessed ballots being torn from boxes at the Toureencahill polling station. She sought an order to release the marked register of electors and halt the destruction of election documents, naming the Clerk of the Dáil, the Irish Government, and Returning Officer Padraig Burke as respondents. Mr Justice Garrett Simons refused leave to present the election petition, noting that the 14-day limit under the Electoral Act 1992 had expired. The election was declared on November 30, 2024, but Ms Keane's application was not moved until March 7. The judge stated that Ms Keane was aware of her complaint on the night of the poll and that this was not a case of concealed fraud. He described her as "entirely unsuccessful" in the proceedings. Separately, last December, Ms Keane was jailed at Listowel Circuit Civil Court for refusing to comply with an injunction order prohibiting her from posting online about Listowel Garda Sergeant Melanie Walsh. She was released by Killarney Circuit Civil Court on December 13 after signing an undertaking to desist from such postings.
Nathan Ndaba, 26, of Coolmine, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to money laundering €8,500 on August 15, 2019. The court heard that an injured party fell victim to a phishing scam, resulting in an unauthorised transfer to Ndaba's account. Garda Darragh Cash testified that Ndaba was approached by a man known as "Black John" to use his account, though another individual later attempted to withdraw the funds. Under cross-examination, the garda acknowledged Ndaba's peripheral role, his early plea, and that the full amount was recovered. Judge Nolan noted Ndaba's 29 previous convictions for road traffic offences and failing to appear, but accepted his defence counsel's mitigation that these were not of a similar nature. The judge stated that the appropriate sentence was 20 months, which he suspended in full on strict conditions. Additionally, Ndaba was ordered to pay €1,000 to gardai for application to a charity within three months. The judge remarked that providing one's bank account to others indicates wrongdoing, and the fine was intended to remind Ndaba not to re-offend.
Oluwasegun Azeez, 31, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison after the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found him guilty of participating in a Ghanaian criminal organisation that carried out PUP fraud, money laundering, social welfare theft, business email compromise and loan fraud between 2020 and 2022. Azeez recruited money mules, opened bank accounts, sent false documents to secure loans, and directed others to move money. Garda investigations revealed he used staff details to claim €49,500 in Pandemic Unemployment Payments, fraudulently purchased a suit from Louis Copeland, and entered a hire‑purchase agreement for an Audi Q3 jeep. He also attempted to recruit others for phishing and smishing scams. The court noted his early guilty plea and personal circumstances, but imposed the six‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence.
David Williams, 68, was sentenced to six years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to multiple counts of deception, providing legal services while unqualified, and acting as an unauthorised personal insolvency practitioner between January 2019 and June 2020. The court found that Williams, who was not a practising barrister, defrauded hundreds of foreign nationals through bogus firms including THL Legal and Moore, Barrington and Walters. In a separate bill, he admitted to defrauding a Galway woman in her 80s by dishonestly inducing her to purchase a Kuboto U27 mini-digger for €7,841. Co-accused Crystal Talia, 46, pleaded guilty to impeding an investigation by allowing Williams to use her bank accounts. Talia, who has no previous convictions, was previously given a one-year suspended sentence. Judge Orla Crowe described Williams as an "endemic recidivist fraudster" who breached the trust of victims seeking to regularise their status in Ireland. Williams had previously failed to attend a sentencing hearing, resulting in two bench warrants. Defence counsel cited Williams' cardiac condition and employment history in mitigation, while noting his multiple prior convictions dating back to the 1970s. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the custodial sentence.
Roy Oti, aged 22, was found guilty of stealing €13,974 from a catering company that operated at Aviva Stadium, using a Sumup card‑reader system. He was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, with a headline term of four years from which a final year was suspended. Oti's co‑accused included his sister Nikkel Oti (21) and Chidera Anago (22), who each pleaded guilty to thefts of €2,371 and €4,888 respectively. Both were dealt with under Section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 and will be discharged if they donate €750 to The Simon Community before the finalisation date in July. A further co‑accused, Sean Atowo (23), pleaded guilty and his case was adjourned to allow a probation report. The court noted the pre‑planned nature of the fraud and the breach of trust involved. The total amount stolen was €32,489, with €9,334 recovered, leaving the catering company a loss of €23,154.