David Robinson, 22, was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to possession of cannabis, cocaine, heroin and prescribed medication found on waste ground behind his house in July 2017. Gardaí had forced entry into his home in December 2017, following confidential information, and found street‑deal drugs in his bedroom. Robinson admitted the sale or supply of drugs at his home on 22 December 2017 and earlier at Barry Avenue on 18 July 2017. He had 15 previous convictions for road traffic and public order offences. During the hearing, Robinson claimed he was under threat and that he was holding the drugs on the behest of someone else. The judge noted the seriousness of the drugs and Robinson's youth and level of involvement before sentencing him to four years in custody.
James Broderick, 45, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after punching his supervisor at Cleveland Cable Company in Finglas on 10 October 2016. The supervisor suffered a fractured jaw and a black eye but did not file a victim impact report. Broderick, who lives in Markievicz House, claimed he had been treated unfairly by the supervisor before the incident. The court noted that hostilities had been brewing for days. Broderick had 37 prior convictions, mainly for public order offences, and had voluntarily met with Gardaí. He was sentenced by Judge Cormac Quinn to a headline term of two years, reduced to 12 months suspended for two years. He must pay €3,000 to the victim within four months, comply with Probation Services for 12 months, and keep the peace for two years.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Thomas McMahon, 35, pleaded guilty to exposure on a Dublin bus in Crumlin on 28 June 2017. He claimed he had been urinating when the bus jerked forward, pushing him toward a female passenger. Judge Melanie Greally noted the offence appeared not to be for sexual gratification but occurred while McMahon was inebriated and in need of "relieving himself." She considered his long‑standing drug and alcohol addictions, mental health history, and his remorse. The judge imposed a one‑year sentence, suspended for 12 months on strict conditions. McMahon was identified by CCTV, arrested, and cooperated with the investigation. He has ten previous convictions for District Court offences such as public order and assault. The victim described the incident as "the scariest thing that had happened me on a bus" and took two days off work, with no lasting impact reported.
Michelle Ruth, 40, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for assaulting a shop worker at Londis, O'Connell Street, Dublin on 8 November 2015. She pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The offence involved Ruth throwing boiling water and a jar of powdered chocolate at the female staff member, causing her severe facial injury and shock. Ruth has 158 prior convictions, mainly shoplifting and public order offences, and several for assault, robbery, criminal damage and knife possession. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a three‑year sentence but suspended the final 18 months, conditional on Ruth keeping the peace, behaving well and following Probation Service directions for 18 months after release. The judge described the act as an "extremely serious offence of wanton violence" and noted Ruth's remorse and engagement with drug services. The victim's impact statement was not read in court. The case was prosecuted by Elva Duffy BL and defended by Luigi Rea BL.
Patrick Dignam, 45, threatened a staff member with a rusty knife and stole €170 from a Centra shop on Harold's Cross Road on 15 April 2018. Gardaí tracked him from the robbery scene to his home using CCTV footage from the shop and surrounding street cameras, locating his distinctive tracksuit bottoms at his residence. He pleaded guilty to robbery at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to four and a half years' imprisonment, suspending the entire term for four and a half years on the condition that he keep the peace, behave well and engage with the Probation Service for 18 months. Dignam has 47 prior convictions, mainly for public order and road traffic offences, and was previously jailed for robbery in 1992. No cash was recovered and the staff member suffered no injuries. The judge noted the offence was "isolated" and "out of character" for Dignam.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 16‑year‑old from Bray, Co. Wicklow pleaded guilty to burglary of a house in Dalkey on 29 February 2016. The burglary involved the theft of a camera and laptop that held the last photos and videos of the widow and her late husband. The homeowner's husband had died about four months earlier, and the victim reported that an urn containing his ashes had been disturbed and "gone through". The teenager, who cannot be identified, admitted he did not understand the impact of his actions at the time but now feels remorse and apologised. He has prior convictions for robbery, criminal damage, public order offences and breaches of the road traffic act. He has been in Oberstown children detention centre since last year, and the court noted his progress in completed courses. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to 17 October.
Keelan Hand, 28, of Cyprus Grove, Birr, was placed on a 12‑month probation bond after pleading guilty to assault causing harm on 26 August 2016. The assault occurred when Hand punched a victim in the face over an alleged drug debt of €8,200. The victim withdrew his complaint, but the DPP proceeded. Judge Melanie Greally noted Hand's strong links to the criminal community and his history of addiction, mental health issues and a difficult family background. She ordered Hand to undergo probation supervision, comply with his officer's recommendations, have no contact with criminal associates, and submit to urine analysis and updated probation and psychiatric reports. Hand's 26 previous convictions include assault, drug and firearms offences, criminal damage and public order. The court adjourned the case to April next year, warning that compliance must be absolute to avoid custodial sentencing.
Keegan Davidson, 25, appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where he pleaded guilty to four offences under the 2010 Money Laundering Act. The charges relate to engaging in the transfer or conversion of monies knowing they were proceeds of crime, or being reckless as to whether they were, on September 30, 2017. Prosecution evidence indicated that Davidson provided his bank account details to a criminal gang involved in an "invoice redirect" fraud scam. A bogus email directed an engineering company to pay €104,107 into Davidson's account. He subsequently withdrew approximately €43,759 across various bureaux de change and post offices in Dublin, using his Irish passport for identification. Detective Garda Thomas Burke stated there was no evidence Davidson was involved in the initial fraud, only the laundering of proceeds. Around €46,000 was later retrieved by the bank. Davidson's previous convictions include possession of knives, public order, theft, and trespass; in 2011, he received a suspended sentence for possession of a sawn-off shotgun. Defence counsel Luigi Rea BL noted Davidson's history of psychosis exacerbated by drug abuse. Judge Pauline Codd adjourned the case to July 1 for sentencing and remanded Davidson on continuing bail. The matter was adjourned and not concluded at this stage.
Sean Jackson, 27, of Doon Court, Ballymun, was jailed for biting a large portion of another man's ear off in the smoking area of Ardlea Inn, Dublin 5, after a very minor altercation on 23 August 2014. He had no memory of the incident due to intoxication and pleaded not guilty to assault causing serious harm. A jury found him guilty and Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to five years imprisonment on 4 December 2017. Jackson had 24 prior convictions, including drug possession and public order offences. In the Court of Appeal, Justice Isobel Kennedy upheld the sentence, noting the violent and unprovoked nature of the attack and that intoxication was not a mitigating factor. The appeal was dismissed with no error found. The case remains at the five‑year imprisonment stage.
Sam Maughan, 24, of Mount Brown, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a Stanley blade with intent to incapacitate a person at the Criminal Courts of Justice on 15 August 2018. He was arrested after security staff at the entrance detected a suspicious item in his bag, which he later discarded into a bin. A garda alerted to the knife's presence approached Maughan in the foyer and asked him to leave, suspecting a breach of peace. Maughan admitted he had brought the knife to attack a man seeking bail, who had been arrested for assaulting his sister's friend. He has 77 prior convictions, including knife possession, assault, drug and public order offences. Judge Melanie Greally accepted his guilty plea, noted the effectiveness of the screening machines, and acknowledged his difficult upbringing and ongoing efforts to address addiction and risk factors. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Conor Metcalfe, 28, of Monastery Park, Clondalkin, was found guilty of membership in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment, backdated to 10 December 2018. The court relied on belief evidence from Detective Chief Superintendent Anthony Howard, who asserted Metcalfe was a member on 24 November 2015 based on material reviewed, and on inferences drawn from Metcalfe's failure to answer questions under Section 2 of the Offences Against the State Act. The judge noted Metcalfe's persistent and active membership, though not a high‑level member, and applied a 10% discount for modest mitigating factors. Metcalfe had 13 prior convictions, mainly for criminal damage, public order offences and drunk driving, dating back to 2009. The sentence was imposed by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, with Judges Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin and Cormac Dunne presiding.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 36‑year‑old Graham Stafford was found guilty of false imprisonment after breaking into a terminally ill woman's home in the early hours of the morning. Stafford, who had previously been convicted of minor drug and public order offences, entered the house believing a family member owed him €3,000. He repeatedly struck the 32‑year‑old male occupant, who was the son of the ill woman, for over four hours. Stafford kicked, hit, and used a kitchen knife to threaten the man, and struck him with a Yankee Candle. The victim sustained a cut to his left eye, head lumps, and mouth wounds, and reported dizziness and headaches afterwards. Stafford was remanded in custody pending sentencing, with a Probation Service report to be submitted before the April hearing. The court did not read the victim impact statement.
In February 2017, Dean Fitzpatrick, 26, assaulted David Curran on Grafton Street, causing a broken nose, three jaw fractures and a fracture above his eye. Curran required surgery, multiple stitches and spent seven months recovering, suffering nerve damage and losing several teeth. The assault left him traumatised, leading to a drop‑out from college and loss of his degree. Curran's victim impact statement, read by Antonia Boyle BL, detailed his mental health decline, social life disruption and ongoing physical injuries. Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to 25 July to allow Fitzpatrick to complete a residential drug treatment programme and ordered a probation report. Garda Paul Jordan recounted finding Curran with blood from nose and mouth, and that the incident followed a night out at a nightclub and McDonald's. Fitzpatrick's 70 prior convictions include assault, theft, public order and road traffic offences.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, 33‑year‑old Eric Hogan pleaded guilty to criminal damage after crashing a grey Peugeot into the outer gates of the British Embassy in Ballsbridge on 9 June 2018. Garda Declan Dunne, who was on duty outside the embassy that night, observed Hogan's vehicle collide with the gates, which were knocked off their rails. Hogan was shouting but his speech was incoherent, leading the Garda to suspect intoxication. However, the defence counsel, Pieter Le Vert, argued that Hogan was "off his medication" and dealing with psychiatric issues, and that he had no knowledge of drinking. Hogan had five prior convictions for public order offences and is the sole carer of his eight‑year‑old son. The judge, Pauline Codd, ordered a psychiatric report and adjourned sentencing to 12 April 2019. The repair cost for the gates was €33,500 plus VAT.
A Dublin man found guilty of IRA membership will be sentenced next week at the non-jury Special Criminal Court. Conor Metcalfe (28), of Monastery Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, was found guilty by the three-judge court in December of membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army (IRA) on November 24, 2015. The court had entered a not guilty plea on Metcalfe's behalf, as he had made no reply when the membership charge was put to him at the start of his trial. The prosecution's case was based on the belief evidence of Detective Chief Superintendent Anthony Howard, who stated he believed Metcalfe was a member of the IRA on November 24, 2015, based on material he had reviewed. This belief evidence was supported by inferences drawn from Metcalfe's failure to answer material questions at interview after gardai had invoked Section 2 of the Offences Against the State Act. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, said that the 'combined weight of evidence' was sufficient to establish Metcalfe's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. He noted the 'heavy weight' attached to Metcalfe's failure to answer numerous material questions regarding his activities and those of other convicted IRA members. At today's sentence hearing, Detective Inspector William Hanrahan summarised the facts of the case. Det Insp Hanrahan noted that Metcalfe had 13 previous convictions dating back to 2009, including criminal damage, public order offences, and drunk driving. In mitigation, defence counsel Paul Greene SC asked the court to consider that his client was in a long-standing relationship and had four children. He also highlighted that Metcalfe qualified as a weaver in 2015 and had used his time productively in prison taking various courses. Another mitigating factor was that Metcalfe lost his father in 2006 and was of assistance to his widowed mother. Mr Greene stated this was his client's first serious conviction. During the trial, Det Sgt Padraig Boyce gave evidence that he observed Patrick Brennan walking out of Metcalfe's house following his arrest on November 24. Brennan was jailed for four years for IRA membership in 2005. Prosecuting counsel Anne-Marie Lawlor SC noted that Metcalfe was asked material questions about his meeting with David Nooney in Blanchardstown on August 7, 2015, and about his fingerprint being on a document found at David Murray's home in March 2015. Murray was convicted of IRA membership in 2017 and jailed for four and a half years. Ms Lawlor said that Metcalfe adopted a mantra of 'I am not a member of the IRA' when questions were put to him in these interviews. Mr Justice Hunt, who sat with Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin and Judge Cormac Dunne, remanded Metcalfe in custody to next Friday, when he will be sentenced.
Aaron Dawson, aged 23, was released from Swords Garda Station after being arrested for a public order offence and giving Gardaí a false name and address. Within an hour and a half of his release, he burglarised six nearby buildings within about 250 metres, leaving blood, fingerprints and documents bearing the false name he had supplied. The burglaries included Dillons Hair Salon, Zest, Abbey Travel, Havana Therapy and Pink Elephant Thai Restaurant. He damaged doors, took items such as an iPad, a watch and cash, and left his blood at the restaurant and fingerprints at the salon. The court heard he had been drinking heavily, up to two bottles of whiskey per day, and that no planning or disguise was involved. He pleaded guilty to eight burglary and criminal damage charges and was sentenced to three years, with two years suspended, to run consecutively to a term he is currently serving.
In a 2018 Court of Appeal decision, the court found that a District Court judge had erred in dismissing charges against James Kelly, a Dublin protestor, for obstructing a flatbed truck operated by an Irish Water contractor on York Road, Dun Laoghaire, on 18 May 2015. Kelly was charged under Section 9 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 for preventing or interrupting the free passage of the vehicle without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, and under Section 8 for failing to comply with a Garda direction. The District Court judge, Anne Watkin, dismissed both charges, citing uncertainty about the presence of lawful authority or reasonable excuse and the sergeant's reasonable suspicion. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, held that the evidence clearly showed deliberate blocking of the truck's free passage without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, and that the judge's dismissal was incorrect.
In a Dublin bus incident, Thomas McMahon, 35, admitted to touching a fellow passenger's shoulder with his penis while attempting to urinate after the vehicle jerked forward. McMahon claimed alcohol and drug addiction impaired his judgment and that he had no sexual intent. He expressed remorse and stated he had taken steps toward rehabilitation. Garda Conor O'Neill and counsel David Staunton noted McMahon's mental health issues and lack of recollection. The victim, who was traveling to town, reported the contact, screamed, and alerted the driver, who called the Gardaí. The incident was captured on CCTV, leading to McMahon's arrest and cooperation with the investigation. He faces a maximum two‑year sentence at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the case adjourned to March 13 for sentencing and a psychiatric report. McMahon has ten prior convictions for public order and assault offences. Thomas McMahon pleaded guilty.
Patrick Dignam, 45, was tracked by Gardaí from the robbery scene to his home using CCTV footage. He threatened a staff member at a Centra convenience store on Harold's Cross Road with a rusty knife and stole €170. The footage showed him wearing distinctive tracksuit bottoms, which were later found at his home in Eagle Lodge, Leinster Road West, Dublin. Dignam pleaded guilty to the robbery at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He has 47 prior convictions, mainly for public order and road traffic offences, and was previously jailed for robbery in 1992. Garda Stephen Pendred reviewed shop footage, then canvassed local shops for additional footage, enabling the tracking of Dignam's movements to his residence. A warrant was obtained, and clothing matching the suspect was found. Dignam was arrested, but no cash was recovered. A victim impact statement noted the staff member was not injured but feels more nervous.
A Garda, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has taken a High Court action against Google to compel the removal of a YouTube video that he says defames him. The video, over three minutes long, was filmed at a 2016 public order incident where the Garda and other officers were involved in an arrest. In the commentary, the Garda is falsely accused of kicking a minor in the head, assaulting the young person, and "booting" him. He argues that the audio does not match the images and that the statements are unfounded, damaging his reputation as an officer. After attempts to contact the uploader failed, the Garda's solicitors wrote to YouTube, demanding removal. When the video remained online, the Garda sought an injunction against YouTube and Google Ireland, as well as orders to disclose the uploader's identity and prevent further postings. A temporary injunction had previously been granted but was replaced by an undertaking.
A man with previous convictions for manslaughter has been imprisoned after carrying out armed raids whilst serving a suspended sentence. Mark Bissett, aged 33, of Swords Road, Dublin 9, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to threatening to burn down the house of a charity worker in May 2016. The threat was made at Central Bank Plaza, Dame Street, during a soup run for homeless people in Dublin city centre. Judge Karen O'Connor had suspended a two-year sentence for this offence in June 2017, cautioning Bissett that he faced imprisonment if he reoffended. Within four months, Bissett carried out armed robberies on two shops in Ranelagh. On 15 October 2017 he wielded a knife during one raid, and on 26 October he used a fork during a pharmacy robbery. Judge O'Connor activated the suspended sentence, imposing the full two-year term. Bissett has sixty previous convictions including manslaughter, assault and public order offences.
A 21‑year‑old Dublin man, Michael McDonagh, was jailed for one and a half years after acting as a look‑out in a 2014 hijacking of a black Toyota Yaris at Hampton Wood, Finglas. The shop manager, listening to his car radio at 7.10 am, noticed McDonagh and two other men. One of the men broke the car's driver‑side window with a screwdriver, and the victim was pulled out of the car and kicked after slipping. McDonagh, from Carton Road, Poppintree, Ballymun, pleaded guilty to the hijacking but later took a bench warrant. He had 39 prior convictions, including public order offences, thefts and criminal damage. The court noted his peripheral role, lack of routine, drug use, and lack of a fixed abode. Judge Melanie Greally gave him a three‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended, ordering him to engage with addiction services and education or training courses.
Leroy Howard, a 28‑year‑old father of two, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions. He was found in possession of €115,000 worth of drugs, including 5 kg of cannabis (valued at €99,868) and 250 g of cocaine (valued at €15,060). Howard had previously pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply on St Joseph's Avenue, Drumcondra, on 20 December 2017. He has 65 prior convictions, 49 of which are driving offences, plus convictions for public order, theft and drug offences. The judge noted his history of disregard for the law and his role as a devoted father, accepting that he was remorseful and had a drug addiction at the time of the offence.
A 31‑year‑old, Anthony Walsh, was found guilty of murdering 54‑year‑old Dermot Byrne in Swords on 16 July 2017 after a drunken altercation over a cigarette. The jury, after deliberating 2 hours 41 minutes, returned a unanimous verdict. Shawna Byrne, the victim's daughter, gave an emotional statement describing the loss of her father's life and dignity, noting that the family's world stopped that day. Walsh was sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment for the murder and an additional seven years for theft of the victim's bank card, Zippo lighter and keys. The court also noted Walsh's prior convictions for public order, burglary, criminal damage and drug misuse. The trial concluded with the judge expressing sympathy for the Byrne family and confirming the life sentence.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Jonathan Hawthorn, 45, of Ballintyre Downs, Dublin, was convicted of membership in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) after an FBI agent uncovered a Dublin-based plot to purchase a grenade and Semtex on the Dark Web. The court found that Hawthorn received a fake delivery of explosives, photographed on a balcony at Dolphin House, and was later arrested with a dummy grenade and fake Semtex in a sports bag. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, backdated to 16 July when he entered custody. His co-accused, James Geraghty (61) and Donal O'Ceallaigh (33), were found not guilty of IRA membership. The judge noted Hawthorn's prior public order convictions and family circumstances as mitigating factors, but emphasized the seriousness of his deliberate conduct involving explosive materials. The case highlighted the use of undercover FBI operations and Garda surveillance to intercept the illicit purchase and delivery of weapons.
Michelle Ruth, 40, of Spring Garden Street, North Strand, Dublin, pleaded guilty to assaulting a female shop worker at Londis on 8 November 2015. She had previously been barred from the shop and, when the staff member asked her and a male companion to leave, Ruth grabbed the woman by the hair, filled a paper cup with boiling water and flung it at her face, also throwing a jar of powdered chocolate. The victim suffered a sore, swollen, red face and was taken to hospital; she later reported mental distress but no physical scarring. Ruth, who has 158 prior convictions mainly for shoplifting and public order offences, was arrested after CCTV footage identified her. She apologized in court, claiming she was not drug‑free and had been under stress. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to allow further urine analysis, with the case to be finalised on 14 November.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Mark Byrne, a 39‑year‑old homeless man, received a 12‑month suspended sentence for possessing a realistic imitation firearm. Byrne, who lived at a homeless unit on Newtown Avenue, Blackrock, admitted to buying an air pistol and about 1,000 6mm plastic pellets from a toy shop on Talbot Street for €10. He claimed he had no real life and that the gun was meant for shooting at the back of street cars. The court noted Byrne was under the influence and giggling while waving the pistol out of a DART carriage, frightening an American passenger. Witnesses described the incident as frightening but harmless, and Garda Siobhán Frisby confirmed Byrne's actions were not intended to harm anyone. Judge Karen O'Connor accepted Byrne's remorse, citing his extensive history of public order offences and addiction issues, and warned of serious consequences if he breached bail conditions. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
Peter McDonagh, 29, of Clontarf, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing almost 1,000 images of child pornography, including more than 500 Category 1 images depicting extreme sexual activity involving children as young as two years old. The images were found on his mobile phones during a search on 18 January 2017, after Canadian authorities alerted Irish police to the material. McDonagh admitted full cooperation and was present during the search. He has minor prior convictions under the Public Order Act and a history of mental health issues, including an adult personality disorder. His defence counsel argued that he was a "taboo seeker" with no paedophilic interest and urged a sentence of probation and welfare support. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to 3 July.
Two teenage boys, aged 15 and 16 at the time of the offence, were given suspended sentences after they "thrashed" a metalwork room at Oberstown detention centre for three hours, using hammers to smash items and causing €14,290 of damage. The boys threatened their teacher and refused to leave the room when asked by staff and Gardaí, leading to the Public Order Unit's intervention. They pleaded guilty to criminal damage at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 14 June 2017. The older boy, now 17, has 36 prior convictions including criminal damage, arson, vehicle seizures, theft and public order offences; the younger boy, now 16, has 28 prior convictions including criminal damage, robbery, burglary, threat to kill and public order offences. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a two‑year sentence on the 16‑year‑old and a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence on the 17‑year‑old, both suspended on strict conditions including probation supervision.
Two teenage boys, aged 15 and 16 at the time, used hammers to "thrash" a metalwork room at Oberstown detention centre for three hours, causing €14,290 of damage. They threatened their teacher and smashed items, threw objects, and used fire extinguishers, resulting in extensive damage. The boys were removed by the Public Order Unit after staff and Gardaí were alerted. Both pleaded guilty to criminal damage at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 14 June 2017. The older boy, now 17, has 36 prior convictions including criminal damage, arson, vehicle seizures, theft and public order offences; the younger boy, now 16, has 28 prior convictions including criminal damage, robbery, burglary, threat to kill and public order offences. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to review reports and structure a suitable sentence. The boys admitted their roles, and Gardaí noted no injuries occurred.
Jonathan Conway, 36, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for stealing a BMW that had been left with its keys inside by the owner. He drove the vehicle in a highly dangerous manner, losing control at a roundabout, briefly becoming airborne and crashing into a lamppost and the wall of a pub. Two female passengers suffered minor injuries. Conway had 120 prior convictions, mainly for traffic and public order offences, theft and court‑appearance failures. He pleaded guilty to taking possession of a car without consent, dangerous driving, driving without insurance and refusing a sample. The judge imposed a five‑year driving ban and noted Conway's limited cooperation with Gardaí, his guilty plea and rehabilitation efforts. He was also in custody on other district court matters. The court heard he had lost a local‑authority accommodation in Blanchardstown. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Melanie Greally.
In March 2018, a Dublin man, Michael Doyle, 27, was jailed for six years after breaking into a neighbour's house, holding a knife to the homeowner's throat while heavily intoxicated on alcohol and prescription drugs. Garda Michael McGuinness reported that Doyle's intoxication made him "impossible to put down" when officers used pepper spray and batons. The pepper spray had no effect; Doyle fought and threatened five officers, resisted arrest, and threatened to kill the homeowner. He had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and threats to kill in May 2017. Doyle had 45 prior convictions, including assaults and public order offences. He was found unfit for interview for six hours but later presented as a "different person" after sobering up. The court accepted that his extreme intoxication contributed to the incident and imposed a six‑year custodial sentence, back‑dated to his arrest in May 2017.
Thomas Jackson, aged 21 and a homeless man living in Focus Ireland managed accommodation, was sentenced to two years in prison for taking part in two "vicious" robberies on Mary's Lane and Cuckoo Lane in Dublin city centre on 1 May 2017. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge, Martin Nolan, described the attacks as very violent, with victims being kicked, punched and one losing consciousness. Jackson's sentence of four and a half years was reduced, with the last two and a half years suspended on the condition that he keep the peace and engage with Probation Services after release. The court heard that the robberies involved forced theft of phones, wallets and a key, and that victims suffered injuries such as broken teeth, a broken wrist and bruising. Jackson had two prior convictions for public order and theft offences.
Dorota Samulak, 47, was sentenced to three and a half years in jail for stabbing her ex‑partner during a drunken argument. The incident occurred on 16 March 2017 at their shared flat in Buckingham Village, Dublin. The victim suffered a collapsed lung and spent three days in hospital. Samulak pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and producing a knife. She had two prior convictions for a bench warrant and a public order offence. Judge Martin Nolan noted the severity of the knife wound and, despite acknowledging her remorse and cooperation, imposed a custodial sentence. Two and a half years of the term were suspended. The court recorded that the assault was committed in a drunken state and had a domestic background. No further court matters were pending against her.
In February 2018, a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Jason Burke, 34, to a one‑year suspended sentence after he assaulted his two sisters with a hurley and pulled one by the hair following a dispute over a family holiday. The court heard that the sisters were traumatised when Gardaí arrived, but that they had since reconciled and booked the holiday. Burke pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and criminal damage at the Fettercairn premises in Tallaght on 26 April 2016. He had previously been convicted of assaults and public order offences. Garda Stephen Gillespie reported that the sisters observed Burke was under the influence when he entered the house, smashed a glass table and a mobile phone, and threatened both women. The court noted that one sister managed to call the Gardaí using a second phone.
Stephen Bennett, 45, of Pearse Green, Sallynoggin, was convicted in the District Court for a 20‑second sit‑down protest that obstructed the Israeli Ambassador's car and an unmarked Garda vehicle outside the Israeli Embassy in Dublin. The protest, which occurred after the July 2014 Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, was described as generally peaceful and without any threat of violence. Bennett and another protester lay on the road, causing a brief obstruction that was ended by Garda intervention. Bennett argued that the prosecution had not proved he had obstructed traffic without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, but the District Judge found safety, security, and sensitivity concerns made the obstruction unlawful. He was given a five‑month suspended sentence. The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction, noting that the protest could not be justified under the Public Order Act because no lawful authority or reasonable excuse existed in this case.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 24‑year‑old Sean Flood was given a suspended sentence for punching 18‑year‑old Leah Fay during a "rolling" football fight in the city centre. Flood had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms Fay on D'Olier St on 16 May 2015, an offence that left her with a broken jaw in two places and required steel plates. The judge, Gerard Griffin, noted that Flood had four prior convictions for assault and public order offences, but also that he had undergone significant rehabilitation since the offence, including addressing alcohol abuse. Griffin imposed a headline sentence of three‑and‑a‑half years but reduced it to a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence, subject to conditions. Ms Fay testified that the assault caused ongoing pain, depression and social anxiety, and that she had not been able to recover fully.
In a Special Criminal Court sentence hearing, Jonathan Harding, 45, of McNeill Court, Sallins, and James Walsh, 33, of Neilstown Drive, Clondalkin, were found guilty of possessing an arsenal of firearms and ammunition. The weapons, recovered on 24 January 2017 at a unit in Greenogue Business Park, included nine revolvers, four pistols, a sub‑machine gun, an assault rifle, an AK‑47, and over a thousand rounds of ammunition. The men were arrested after a surveillance operation that followed their travel in a Ford Transit van to the park. Harding had two prior convictions, including a six‑year sentence for drug possession, while Walsh had previous public order offences. The court remanded both men in custody until 30 January, when sentencing will occur.
Two men, Joseph Connors (22) and John Connors (20), were sentenced to three years' imprisonment for violent disorder after an unprovoked attack on three Afghan nationals, including a thirteen‑year‑old boy, in Marlay Park on 5 May 2016. Judge Cormac Quinn suspended the last 18 months of each sentence on the condition that the men keep the peace and engage with Probation Services. The attack involved shouting, physical assault and the use of kicks and punches, with CCTV footage showing the Connors men striking the Afghanis. One victim sustained a broken nose and the teenager subsequently left Ireland. Both men had prior convictions; Joseph had 56, including burglary and public order offences, while John had two minor traffic convictions. The court denied a request for Joseph to remain on bail until after Christmas, citing his wife's due birth. The Connors were present with €1,000 in compensation for the victims. Joseph Connors pleaded guilty. John Connors pleaded guilty.
John Theaddus, a 30‑year‑old former refugee from Nigeria, was found guilty by a jury of conspiring to import cocaine and of possessing cocaine. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, back‑dated to the day of his conviction, November 15. The case involved a total of €23,644 worth of cocaine seized by Gardaí. Theaddus had been arrested after a package containing cocaine was delivered to a hostel where he was staying, and further drugs were found at his South Circular Road address. He had previously been convicted of public order offences. James Onwuka, who was co‑accused and pleaded guilty to the same counts, received a separate sentence of two and a half years' imprisonment. The trial was held at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Theaddus had been granted a residential permit in 2014, allowing him to work and study, and had no prior criminal record beyond the public order convictions.
Charles Schlaubitz, 45, was jailed for 18 months after producing an imitation firearm in the beer garden of the Pygmalion Public House and a second replica at a pharmacy on Berkeley Road. He pleaded guilty to possession of imitation firearms with intent to cause injury or intimidate. Schlaubitz, who is bipolar with manic depression, admitted to having a "bad run of things" and that he had gone too far. He was intoxicated and unfit to be interviewed after his arrest. Judge Melanie Greally noted that no major harm had been caused and that people could not circulate in public places producing what appeared to be a firearm. She handed down a three‑year sentence but suspended the final 18 months on a number of conditions. The article reports that Schlaubitz had 91 previous convictions, mainly for public order and theft offences. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Derek Walsh, aged 29, was sentenced to 200 hours of community service over the next year in lieu of an 18‑month prison term. The sentence followed his guilty plea to one count of producing a hatchet during a dispute on St Anthony's Road on 10 June 2016. Gardaí were called after neighbours reported men fighting with knives; Walsh, highly intoxicated, ran toward a man brandishing a large hatchet. He fled, was pursued, and threw the hatchet over a house roof before being apprehended. No injuries occurred. Walsh has 71 prior convictions, including theft and public order offences. He has expressed remorse, regrets his actions, and wishes to apologise. He is currently substance‑free, working as a scaffolder, and hopes to resume his pharmaceutical studies. Judge Karen O'Connor noted the seriousness of using a hatchet and accepted Walsh's remorse and qualifications.
Dwayne Cullen, 28, was caught on CCTV smashing windows of six cars in a church car park and taking items from three of them. He was later arrested at a hostel where stolen goods were found. Cullen pleaded guilty to criminal damage, theft and possession of stolen items, including a laptop, guitar, pedals and amplifier worth €7,000. He has 23 prior convictions, mainly for minor public order offences. Garda Niall McLoughlin reported that two bags taken from two cars were recovered and the stolen items at the hostel were returned to owners. Cullen wrote a remorse letter and offered to meet victims under the Restorative Justice Programme. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to a suspended term of two and a half years, suspended for 18 months, and directed probation supervision. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 25 January 2017.
During a Garda search for drugs in February 2016, a 23‑year‑old man named Glen Synott was found with a black sock containing four 9mm Makarov rounds hidden beneath decking in his back garden. Synott admitted hiding the sock but claimed the bullets were not his, saying he had been asked to hold them for a €200 drug debt. He also stated he was out of breath and sweating because he had been "having a wank", an explanation the Garda found "flippant" and did not accept. Synott was arrested and later pleaded guilty to possession of firearms ammunition under suspicious circumstances. The court imposed a five‑year custodial sentence, suspended for five years on strict conditions, including remaining drug‑free, engaging with addiction services, random urine tests and probation appointments. He had three prior convictions, two for public order offences and one for not wearing a crash helmet on a motorbike.
John McGovern, 25, set fire to the Station Hill apartment complex in Clongriffin, Dublin, causing €1.25 million in damage and leaving 25 people temporarily homeless. He pleaded guilty to one count of arson and one count of assault on his partner, Gráinne O'Brien, on 1 November last year. The court found the arson a very serious offence because it placed residents' lives at risk. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced McGovern to six and a half years' imprisonment, suspended the last 12 months, and imposed a two‑year period of good behaviour and supervision by Probation Services. McGovern had 26 prior convictions, including theft and public order offences, and had been in custody since the incident. The fire was extinguished after four‑and‑a‑half hours, with no injuries, but six homes were destroyed and many residents suffered financial and emotional hardship. The judge noted McGovern was making good use of his time in custody and seeking rehabilitation.
A 25‑year‑old Dublin man, Dean Comerford, was sentenced to one year in jail for providing false information in a passport application. The application, which contained his personal details, was submitted with a photograph that had been spliced to include a different person's image. Comerford had attended Tallaght Garda station in January 2015 to obtain a certification for the application, and the photo was stamped normally. The passport office's fraud department later discovered the splicing. Judge Karen O'Connor found the premeditated nature of the offence aggravating and imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation supervision. The case also involved co‑accused Derek Corr, who received a five‑year sentence with four years suspended, and a GP who was prosecuted for endorsing the identity form without meeting Comerford. The court noted Comerford's history of 14 convictions, including public order and road traffic offences. Dean Comerford pleaded guilty.
William Baker, 34, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a stolen motorcycle on the basis of recklessness. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a fully suspended two‑year sentence, conditioned on good behaviour and payment of €2,200 to the owner within 15 months. The motorcycle was stolen on 1 April 2016 from a National College of Ireland car park and was later scrapped; its ignition had been damaged and the chassis number altered. Garda Adrien Buckley stopped Baker and a second man on 9 May 2016, noting the missing key and false registration plate. Baker was a passenger; the driver was found with a screwdriver and has a bench warrant. Baker has 77 prior convictions, including 56 road traffic offences, four public order offences, three thefts and two firearms offences. He has not been charged since 2009 except for a 2016 shop‑lifting conviction.
On 2 October 2015, Charles Schlaubitz, aged 45, produced an imitation firearm in the beer garden of the Pygmalion Public House on Coppinger Row. He was wearing army gear, had a can of beer, and pulled a replica gun from his pocket. Garda John Clancy was alerted and found Schlaubitz intoxicated, slurring, and unsteady. He did not conceal the gun, which was in his bag, and was restrained. Schlaubitz was arrested and bailed for a public order offence that did not proceed. Later that day he returned to a pharmacy on Berkeley Road to retrieve toiletries he had purchased for his children. He produced the same imitation handgun, was aggressive, and was asked to leave. The pharmacy staff called Gardaí, who found him semi‑naked in a corridor at his hostel. He was arrested again. Charles Schlaubitz pleaded guilty.
A 28‑year‑old Kildare man was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting his half‑sister between November 2008 and December 2010. He pleaded guilty on the third day of his trial after the 19‑year‑old victim gave evidence. The court heard that the abuse involved touching her private parts, breasts and inserting a finger into her vagina. The victim, aged 11‑13 at the time, had reported the abuse to Gardaí in July 2014 and the man was arrested in October 2014. He had previously admitted the abuse to the police and had minor convictions for theft and public order offences. The judge noted the victim's vulnerable situation and the man's remorse, ordering full medical and educational assistance while in custody. The case highlighted a dysfunctional family background and the victim's ongoing emotional distress.
Ethan Emmett, 24, of Finglas, Dublin, received a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to assault causing harm and criminal damage in Finglas on March 31, 2011. Judge Karen O'Connor described Emmett's conduct as "disgraceful" but suspended the sentence, citing the time he has already spent in custody and his young age. Prosecution evidence alleged that Emmett threw beer bottles at a chipper owner after being refused a phone charger loan, causing approximately €2,000 in damage. Emmett fled to Australia on bail in 2011 and was not returned to Ireland until March of this year, following the completion of a five-year and eleven-month sentence for reckless wounding in Australia. He was arrested by gardaí upon his arrival at the airport. The court noted Emmett has 30 previous convictions, mostly from his minority, including assault and public order offences. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the suspended sentence.