James Doyle, 36, of Walkinstown, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment by Judge Martin Nolan at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for dangerous driving that caused serious bodily harm to Emily Doyle. On 23 April 2020, Doyle was riding a motorbike at up to 130 km/h in a 50 km/h zone on Cromwellsfort Road when he struck Emily Doyle, who was crossing the road. At impact he was travelling about 80–90 km/h, having reduced speed to 110 km/h after braking. Doyle's high speed was deemed intentional and reckless. Emily suffered fractures to both legs, a spinal fracture and a dislocated shoulder, spent three months in hospital and continues to endure pain, scarring and reduced mobility. Doyle pleaded guilty, showed remorse, and had a history of 47 convictions, but the judge noted his cooperation and good work history in determining the sentence.
Joshua Bennet, 21, was given a suspended three‑year prison sentence after a high‑speed chase in which he drove up to 140 km/h on suburban streets around Blanchardstown and Dublin 15. He refused to stop when ordered by Gardaí, drove the wrong way around roundabouts, ran a red light, and drove onto footpaths, forcing pedestrians to flee. The chase lasted about 15–20 minutes and ended when Bennet skidded after a sharp left. He pleaded guilty to five endangerment charges and one dangerous driving charge. At sentencing, Judge Martin Nolan described his conduct as "appalling" and "extraordinarily reckless", noting he had not hit or injured anyone. Bennet was ordered to keep the peace, be of good behaviour for three years, and was disqualified from driving for six years. He tested negative for drugs and alcohol. The court considered his youth and lack of prior convictions in suspending the sentence.
A man has received a fully suspended one-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for careless driving causing the death of a cyclist. Mariusz Karpinski, aged 32 and from Ashbourne in County Meath, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing the death of a cyclist on a local access road near Kilshane Cross in north County Dublin on 4 May 2021. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the suspended sentence, finding the case tragic but noting that Karpinski had been driving into strong sunlight that obscured his vision. The judge stated that while Karpinski was driving reasonably carefully, he failed to take appropriate steps to address the weather conditions. Evidence indicated the cyclist had been visible for approximately two seconds before impact. Karpinski, who has since relocated to Cavan and works in factory employment, was not disqualified from driving. The deceased's mother submitted a victim impact statement and was noted by the judge as displaying forgiveness toward the accused.
Paul Storey, a 36-year-old civil servant from Clondalkin, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine and diamorphine for sale or supply. The charges relate to an incident on April 24, 2021, at Baronrath, Straffan, Co Kildare. Gardai discovered 3.3kg of cocaine and 560g of diamorphine, valued at over €310,000, inside a Honda Accord located in a container at a property subject to a search warrant. Although Storey was not present during the search, he was arrested later and initially denied knowledge of the drugs. Prosecution evidence indicated he was holding the substances for a third party, a characterization agreed upon by the investigating garda, who noted Storey was low down the chain and lacked trappings of wealth. Defence counsel Anne Marie Lawlor SC argued that Storey's involvement stemmed from a desire to help a partner with a drugs debt, describing it as a serious misjudgement rather than primary criminal intent. She highlighted his early guilty plea, remorse, full-time employment, and support for his parents as mitigating factors. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged Storey's reduced culpability due to acting on behalf of another, while noting his previous convictions for minor drug and road traffic offences. Taking into account his early plea and good work history, the Judge imposed a four-year prison sentence.
Dylan Reddington, aged 27, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for two counts of endangerment after leading Gardaí on a high‑speed chase on 27 February 2015 when he was 19. He pleaded guilty in December 2022. Reddington has 54 prior convictions, including dangerous driving, endangerment, firearms possession and drug offences, and has spent much of his adult life in prison. He has been in residential rehabilitation since shortly after his release and is required to remain there for the duration of the programme. Judge Martin Nolan ruled that Reddington's sentence will commence on 31 July 2023, allowing him to finish his current stay in rehab before the custodial term begins. The judge noted Reddington's reckless driving and the seriousness of his convictions but also acknowledged his efforts to reform. The sentence is intended to start after the completion of the rehabilitation programme.
Franklin Olukoya, 18 at the time of the incident, was jailed for eight months after driving without a licence and insurance, causing serious harm to his 17‑year‑old passenger. On 24 June 2019, while driving along Portmarnock, he lost control of the car, which hit a low wall, spun and landed on its side. The passenger suffered a broken back in two places, a fractured thumb and a head contusion, and has undergone surgery and ongoing physiotherapy. Olukoya pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious harm and driving without insurance. The judge noted the aggravating factors of no licence or insurance, reduced the charge from dangerous driving, and imposed an eight‑month custodial term back‑dated to November, along with a four‑year driving disqualification. He had four prior convictions and admitted he had epilepsy and a history of seizures. The court accepted his guilty plea and remorse.
Ciaran Dolan, 32, of Lucan, was convicted of dangerous driving causing the death of barrister Edward O'Hara on Peamount Road, Newcastle, on 29 January 2022. He was driving a silver Volkswagen Golf at high speed, filmed on his phone at 160 km/h, and collided with O'Hara from behind. O'Hara, walking in the direction of Newcastle, was struck, carried 118 m, and later died at Tallaght Hospital. Dolan fled the scene, later turning the car around and pulling into a lay‑by before being apprehended. He was found to be under the influence of cannabis, had admitted smoking two joints that day, and had signed pleas. The court noted his previous five convictions for road offences, his remorse, and his signed pleas, but also his grossly reprehensible conduct and failure to assist the victim. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to five and a half years' imprisonment, deeming a custodial sentence inevitable.
In a 2023 Court of Appeal decision, a 24‑year‑old teacher, Norma Kiely, had her four‑year driving ban for a head‑on collision in Limerick in 2018 reduced to two years. Kiely, a qualified secondary school teacher from Coolaboy, Dromcollogher, had originally been charged with dangerous driving causing serious harm but pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious harm. She received a one‑year suspended sentence, a €5,000 fine, and a four‑year ban in October 2021. The Court of Appeal found that a mandatory ban was not required for first‑time offenders and that the sentencing judge had erred. The appeal did not alter the suspended sentence or fine; only the ban was halved to two years, with the judge noting the offence's significant lack of attentiveness and the grave consequences for the victim.
Lauren Larkin, 27, was jailed for two years after two separate Gardaí raids on her Finglas home. In August 2020, a search warrant seized over €14,000 worth of cannabis, which Larkin claimed she was holding for her "boss" to pay a €1,000 drug debt. A year later, while on bail for that offence, a second raid found cannabis and cocaine worth just under €5,000. Larkin pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis for sale or supply on 14 August 2020 and to possessing cocaine for sale or supply on 23 August 2021. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to one year for each offence, to run consecutively, citing the second offence while on bail as the decisive factor. She has eight prior road traffic convictions and is a carer for her sister with serious medical issues.
Gezim Idrizi, 37, of Lutterstown Heights, Castleknock, was found guilty by a jury of one count of assault causing harm after punching a salesman in the face during a prolonged "serious assault" on 1 February 2016 at GZ Security, Rosemount. He was acquitted of a false imprisonment charge. Idrizi had two prior road traffic convictions. Judge Patricia Ryan, citing the injuries sustained, the effect on the victim, and the prolonged nature of the assault, imposed a custodial sentence of three years and nine months, with the final six months suspended for two years. The judge considered his cooperation, lack of relevant prior convictions, and the hardship to his family as mitigating factors. The victim suffered facial fractures, a lip laceration, bruising, and incurred €200 in medical bills and €4,000 in lost wages. Idrizi denied wrongdoing and offered compensation. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Court.
Michael Welby, 24, was originally sentenced to three years' imprisonment with 18 months suspended for dangerous driving that caused the death of 16‑year‑old Róisín Hession in March 2020. The Court of Appeal increased his jail term by a year, quashing the original sentence and imposing a six‑year headline sentence, with two years discounted for his guilty plea and remorse. The 18‑month suspended portion remains, leaving Welby to serve two‑and‑a‑half years in custody and a four‑year driving ban. The appeal was based on the State's argument that the original sentence was unduly lenient, citing Welby's speed, alcohol level, defective vehicle and the tragic loss of a teenager. The court noted the severe impact on Hession's family and the aggravating circumstances of the crash.
Owen Kavanagh, aged 53, was given a suspended three‑year prison sentence and a four‑year driving disqualification after he hijacked a car on 4 January 2021. He admitted to having drunk two bottles of whiskey, a bottle of gin and prescribed medication before confronting a woman at Campus Oil, East Wall Road, Dublin, demanding her car keys. CCTV showed him threatening the woman with a kitchen knife and two men attempting to stop him. During the subsequent Garda pursuit, Kavanagh broke red lights, drove on the wrong side of the road, drove at excessive speed, collided with a patrol car, and drove around a traffic island. Gardaí used a stinger device to stop his vehicle, deflating its tyres and causing a collision. The court found him guilty of seizing a car by threat or force, criminal damage to a patrol car, three dangerous driving offences and driving without insurance.
Kyle Boland, 27, of Ringsend, Dublin, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment after pleading guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing over five kilograms of cannabis for sale or supply, valued at €117,762. Garda Stephen Gillespie reported that Boland's van was stopped on Rathfarnham Road following a tip, where a holdall containing a kilogram of cannabis was found beside the sliding door and a cardboard box with the remainder of the drugs was discovered after the vehicle was seized and taken to a Garda station. A phone and a tick list were also found in the van's front. Boland's 99 prior convictions were mainly for road traffic offences, including possession of a flick knife. He had been staying in a hotel at the time and claimed he was transporting the drugs for €500 to reduce a drug debt, suggesting he was acting on someone else's instructions.
Michael Delaney, 36, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in June 2022 for hijacking a car and violently assaulting a Good Samaritan, Zolt Tolmowski, who offered him a lift. Delaney had a 12‑13 year driving ban and was on bail at the time. The Court of Appeal quashed the original sentence and re‑sentenced him to seven years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended. The new sentence includes five years for the hijacking, three years for assault causing harm, and 12 months for violent disorder, with the latter suspended. Delaney's concurrent sentences for dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving without a licence and failing to supply a urine specimen remain at four months each. The Court noted his 99 prior convictions and his participation in rehabilitation programmes while incarcerated. The decision was made after the State appealed the original sentences as unduly lenient. Michael Delaney pleaded guilty.
A man has been sentenced to three years in custody at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following a road incident in Lucan that endangered innocent bystanders. Martin Mongan, aged 47, was convicted by jury of endangerment and dangerous driving arising from an incident on Newcastle Road on 6 May 2018. The court heard that Mongan, embroiled in a family feud originating from a violent incident at a Roscommon funeral in 2017, deliberately drove his truck at a van containing family members he was in dispute with. The collision caused the van to strike an uninvolved car with three occupants who had no connection to the parties involved. Judge Patricia Ryan noted the incident occurred in broad daylight and considered aggravating factors including the repeated nature of the driving at the van. The judge stated a custodial sentence was necessary to mark the seriousness of the offence and its effects on the injured parties.
Luke Yates, aged 21, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for attempting to impede the arrest of Robert O'Connor, aged 34, during an incident in north Dublin on 12 October 2021. Yates pleaded guilty to the offence. O'Connor, who was later convicted of unlawful possession of firearms and jailed for six and a half years, was fatally attacked 48 hours after his sentencing and died five days later. Yates had been in 23‑hour lockup since the fatal attack. The court noted Yates' prior convictions, including drug offences, hit‑and‑run, possession of a mobile phone in custody and dangerous driving, some of which were committed as a minor. The judge considered Yates' guilty plea and age as mitigating factors and imposed the sentence from the date of the offence, 12 October 2021.
Michael Delaney, 36, was sentenced by Waterford Circuit Criminal Court in June 2022 to three years' imprisonment for assault causing harm and unlawful vehicle seizure after he violently attacked a 'Good Samaritan' who offered him a lift during a car‑jacking incident on 21 June 2021 in Kilmeaden. Delaney, who was on bail and serving a 12‑13 year driving ban at the time, dragged the injured party from his Saab, punched him repeatedly, threw him into a ditch and drove the hijacked car into parked vehicles. The assault left the victim with broken teeth, vision problems and tinnitus. Delaney's 99 prior convictions, including for dangerous driving and assault, were cited as aggravating. The judge imposed a fully‑suspended 18‑month sentence for violent disorder, while the State appealed the three sentences as unduly lenient. The case remains pending. Michael Delaney pleaded guilty.
Kevin O'Keefe, 37, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to three burglaries, two thefts, criminal damage, unlawful use of a car and dangerous driving on 15 August 2017. The offences were committed in Howth, Co Dublin, where he stole €164 worth of goods from a pharmacy, an iPad from a restaurant, car keys and a phone from a pub office, a staff member's mobile phone from behind a bar, and caused €100 worth of damage to a car at a hire company. O'Keefe, who has 98 prior convictions, told the court he wants to turn his life around and apologized to those affected. Judge Martin Nolan, noting his cooperation and admissions, imposed the custodial sentence and disqualified him from driving for two years. No victim impact statements were presented.
John Fanning, 48, a bank employee from Skerries, was fined €2,000 and disqualified from driving for three years after he drove his black Jaguar into a C&T Supermarket front while intoxicated. CCTV showed him attempting to park when his foot slipped onto the accelerator, propelling the car through the shop front and into the fruit and vegetable stand. Gardaí noted he had a blood alcohol concentration of 72mg per 100ml, over three times the legal limit. No injuries were reported. The court considered Fanning's strong work history and lack of prior convictions, and deferred the disqualification until February 1 to allow him to arrange care for his elderly mother, provided he abstains from alcohol during that period. The shop owner closed the store for the day and incurred about €30,000 in repair costs, fully covered by insurance. Fanning pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and drink driving.
Samy Taib, aged 21, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, coercive control, endangerment, driving without licence and insurance, and dangerous driving. He had previously been convicted of 22 road traffic offences. The court found the victim endured significant trauma and physical injury, including permanent foot damage. Taib's mental health, diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia, was cited as a mitigating factor. Judge Elma Sheahan imposed a five‑year prison sentence, crediting time served in Scotland and any time already spent in custody. The final 12 months were suspended for two years, with strict conditions: probation supervision, no contact with the victim, and avoidance of her home and workplace. Taib was also disqualified from driving for six years. The case highlighted the severity of his offences and the impact on the victim's life.
Kenneth Williams, a repeat offender with 113 prior convictions, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving, endangerment, driving without insurance and property damage after a high‑speed chase in November 2019. He was sentenced to four years' imprisonment and a four‑year driving disqualification. The judge noted Williams' dangerous conduct, the threat he posed to the public and Gardaí, his drug problems and the fact he was already serving a lengthy sentence. The court heard that Gardaí pursued Williams in an unmarked car after he fled a petrol station incident, driving through red lights, a T‑junction and a roundabout, and attempting to ram a Garda vehicle. He was eventually apprehended after a chase involving air support and a stinger. Williams, who represented himself, claimed he was under the influence of drugs at the time.
Mary Magowan, 88, was given a one‑year suspended sentence after she reversed her car in Stillorgan Shopping Centre's overflow carpark and drove over Suzanne Brennan, who was walking behind her vehicle. Magowan knocked Brennan to the ground and continued reversing at speed, striking her again while she lay on the ground. The car then crashed into a parked vehicle and railings before stopping. Brennan suffered a broken pelvis, dislocated shoulder, multiple fractures to her right arm, nerve damage to both arms, broken ribs, and a torn bladder, requiring seven weeks of hospital treatment and ongoing care. Magowan pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious injury on 18 October 2021. She surrendered her licence after the incident. The judge, citing her remorse, lack of prior convictions and immediate licence surrender, imposed a suspended one‑year term, disqualified her from driving for three years, and did not order custodial imprisonment.
On 1 April 2021, Nathan Kiernan (21) drove an uninsured Ford Focus at high speed, causing a chase that ended in a crash that seriously injured his passenger, Jason O'Rourke, who suffered a ruptured bladder, fractured pelvis and pubic bone fractures. Kiernan was arrested after a patrol car spotted the vehicle with no headlights. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm, endangerment for driving at high speed, and driving without insurance or a licence. Judge Martin Nolan, after hearing evidence, ordered Kiernan to undergo a Probation Service assessment and imposed 200 hours of community service in lieu of a two‑year prison term, noting he had no prior convictions and was suitable for community service. Kiernan was remanded on continuing bail until the hearing. O'Rourke fully recovered and the two remain friends. The incident involved multiple patrol cars, a high‑speed chase, and a crash into a traffic island and tree.
Martin O'Brien, 40, of Brookwood Heights, Artane, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and a five‑year driving disqualification for driving without insurance. He had 68 prior convictions, 40 of which were traffic offences. O'Brien admitted to one count of endangerment on Cheeverstown Road, six counts of dangerous driving in Tallaght, and one count of driving without insurance. He claimed he had panicked when an unmarked Garda car appeared and drove at speeds between 80 and 120 km/h, using bus lanes, mounting footpaths, breaking red lights and overtaking dangerously. The car, falsely registered, eventually crashed into a parked BMW. The judge noted no injuries but significant danger to other road users. The sentence was back‑dated to 4 June, when O'Brien was taken into custody for the offence. Martin O'Brien pleaded guilty.
The Court of Appeal has ruled that a mandatory driving ban is not required for those convicted of careless driving causing death where it constitutes a first offence. The court determined that mandatory disqualification applies only when a person has accumulated at least two previous driving convictions within three years prior to the offence in question. The decision followed a civil appeal brought by Colleen McCann, aged 27, of Drumacon, Castleblayney, County Monaghan, who was convicted of careless driving that resulted in the death of a teenager in July 2012 at Maghernakill, Castleblayney. McCann received a 12-month fully suspended sentence at Monaghan Circuit Court in October 2021. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said the case would be returned to the Circuit Court for finalisation regarding the matter of any discretionary driving disqualification order.
In a tragic incident on 3 October 2021, 20‑year‑old Craig Hunter was killed when the car he was riding in, driven by 33‑year‑old Stephen Kennedy, collided with a street lamp on Sarsfield Road. Kennedy, who was unlicensed, had no insurance and was drinking seven times the legal limit. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death, driving under the influence and driving without a licence or insurance. The court sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, disqualified him from driving for five years for the no‑insurance offence and imposed a mandatory two‑year disqualification for drink driving. Kennedy's plea and cooperation were noted as mitigating factors, while the speed, high alcohol level and unsafe vehicle were aggravating factors. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the victim impact statement of Hunter's mother read by the judge. The court also considered credible threats against Kennedy that were being investigated by the Gardaí.
Sean Connell, 32, of Poppintree, Dublin, is serving a six‑year sentence for the seizure of €1.5 million of cocaine at Rosslare Harbour. He pleaded guilty to possession of diamorphine for sale or supply on 10 March 2020. Gardaí later found nearly €70,000 of heroin in his car, and he was on bail when he and another man led gardaí on a high‑speed chase after shots were fired at a house in Finglas. The pursuit ended when the car overturned and Connell was taken to hospital. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and possession of a firearm on 29 September 2020. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced him to seven and a half years for the drug offences, with six months suspended, and to 18 months for the firearm and dangerous driving offences, with six months suspended. The sentences are consecutive to the Wexford drugs matter, and he is disqualified from driving for two years.
The Court of Appeal upheld a 12‑year sentence for John Faulkner, a getaway driver in a burglary gang that targeted elderly homes during mass. Faulkner, aged 40, was convicted of burglary, dangerous driving and endangerment. The judge imposed 12 years for burglary, two years for endangerment and six months for dangerous driving, and disqualified him from driving for 20 years. The appeal argued the sentence was disproportionate compared to co‑accused sentences of nine years with two suspended, but the appellate court held the 12‑year term reflected the totality of offences. The case involved a robbery at a home in Freemont, Charleville, where Faulkner drove the getaway vehicle, pursued by Gardaí, before crashing into a Garda car. The appeal was dismissed. John Faulkner pleaded not guilty.
Paul Coen, 47, of Templemany, Buttevant, was sentenced in May 2021 to four years' imprisonment with the last year suspended for dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm after a head‑on collision at Quartertown Upper, Mallow, where a woman was seriously injured and air‑lifted to hospital. He also received six months' imprisonment for refusing to provide a urine or blood sample to Gardaí. The judge imposed a 10‑year driving ban, describing the crash as "like a bomb exploding." Coen's counsel argued the ban was unduly punitive, citing his mental health issues and rural employment needs. At the Court of Appeal, the ban was reduced by three years to seven, while the sentence remained unchanged. The appeal decision acknowledged the serious injuries sustained by the victim and the impact on her life, but also considered Coen's personal circumstances and the need for rehabilitation. Paul Coen pleaded guilty.
John Maughan, 35, of Cloghran, was jailed for six months after pleading guilty to possessing items for the theft of catalytic converters and driving without insurance on 10 February 2021. He admitted to driving a car with no registration plate, no licence, and no insurance, and was found with a trolley jack, a reciprocating saw, gloves and saw blades. Maughan, who has 119 previous convictions including 81 for road traffic offences, said he wanted to turn his life around and promised the judge he would never drive again. He was also found to have Covid‑19 at the time of the offence but did not inform Gardaí until his arrest. The judge noted his progress in custody, including education and addiction counselling, and imposed a 12‑month sentence with the final six months suspended.
Samy Taib, 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm, one count of coercive control, endangerment, driving without a licence and insurance, and dangerous driving. The offences occurred between May 2018 and October 2019, involving repeated physical abuse of his former partner, including choking, punching, and driving over her leg. He admitted to running her over with his car on 9 May 2019, causing permanent injury to her foot. Gardaí pursued him after a high‑speed chase on 13 October 2019, seized his black Volvo, and arrested him in July 2019. Taib has 22 prior convictions, mainly traffic offences, and was diagnosed with schizophrenia in early 2020. The case was adjourned to 20 January 2023 for finalisation. The court heard the victim's impact statement describing lasting physical and psychological harm. Taib had moved to Scotland in 2020 and returned to Ireland in April 2022.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Pauline Codd sentenced 31‑year‑old Ian Doyle to five months' imprisonment for each of two assault charges against his ex‑partner, Lisa Byrne. Doyle, who had pleaded not guilty, was found guilty of the lesser offence of assault after Byrne failed to attend the trial. He had previously been on bail for other offences and was required to stay away from Byrne and her home. The judge highlighted the severity of the violence, noting Doyle's use of a game‑console controller to strike Byrne's head, followed by choking and attempts to silence her screams. Byrne described feeling terrified and threatened, fearing further harm. Doyle's prior convictions included drug dealing, dangerous driving and possession of weapons.
Paul O'Dowd, 37, was found to possess 78 images and 10 videos of child abuse material on his Samsung phone. He admitted to having viewed and downloaded the material but denied ever sending it to others. Gardaí searched his home after a tip, seized the phone, and analysed the content, which included 52 images or videos showing children with exposed genital or anal areas and the remainder depicting children witnessing or engaging in sexual activity. O'Dowd pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 12 February 2021 and was sentenced to 21 months in prison, a term fully suspended on strict conditions. He must engage with Probation Services for 12 months and will be registered as a sex offender. He has five prior convictions for road traffic offences. The judge noted the case was not the largest in terms of image quantity and considered his lack of relevant convictions and admissions when deciding the suspended sentence.
An unlicensed 21‑year‑old driver, Mark Fagan of Galtimore Park, Drimnagh, was given a four‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to a series of offences including endangerment, dangerous driving, driving without insurance and possession of cannabis. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court noted that Fagan had turned his life around since the 2020 incidents, with no prior convictions. Judge Orla Crowe imposed a consecutive term totalling four years, suspended in full on strict conditions: engagement with the Probation Service for two years, maintaining peace and good behaviour for four years, and providing urine analysis as requested. Fagan was disqualified from driving for four years. The court heard that during the July 2020 pursuit he reached speeds up to 160 km/h, ran multiple red lights, and drove dangerously on wet roads, nearly colliding with a cyclist and a patrol car. Cannabis was found in his possession, and a blood sample later revealed a controlled drug.
Patrick O'Donnell, aged 20, was charged after he accidentally reversed into a woman's car in a Dundrum Town Centre car park. He offered to pay €1,000 for the damage, but the woman refused and tried to stop him from driving away. CCTV showed O'Donnell driving forward slowly, striking her several times before finally hitting her again, causing injuries. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and dangerous driving. Judge Melanie Greally, after viewing the footage, noted the woman's attempts to prevent the incident and her pre‑existing depression and anxiety. O'Donnell's early guilty plea, remorse, lack of prior convictions and his age were mitigating factors. He received a two‑year prison sentence suspended in full for assault and a four‑month sentence suspended in full for dangerous driving, plus a four‑year driving ban. The woman was treated for severe bruising and headaches and has initiated a civil claim.
Jason Paget, 35, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four and a half years in prison for offences committed in 2021. Judge Orla Crowe imposed a three-year sentence for the burglary of the Marble Arch Pub in Drimnagh and using a car without consent on August 12, 2021. Paget pleaded guilty to these charges. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, taking possession of a vehicle without consent, and dangerous driving on December 18, 2021, at Longs Place, Dublin 8. For these counts, the judge imposed two-year sentences on the assault and vehicle taking counts to run concurrently with each other and consecutively to the burglary sentence. The final six months of the two-year sentence were suspended on strict conditions. A mandatory two-year driving disqualification was also imposed. The court noted Paget was on bail for the pub incident when he committed the December offences, which included a high-speed chase and an assault on Garda Dara Higgins, resulting in a fractured hand. Separately, Charles Darcy, 34, pleaded guilty to the same burglary count and possession of a firearm at Longs Place. Darcy's sentencing is adjourned to next month. Conor McGregor is identified as the owner of the pub.
Sandra Kavanagh, 47, was driving on the M50 near Finglas on 19 November 2019 when she moved part‑way into the hard shoulder and collided with Nebojsa Sarcevic, 29, who was riding his motorbike in the same direction. The impact threw Sarcevic from his bike and into the motorway barrier, where he died from his injuries. Kavanagh pleaded guilty to careless driving causing death. She had four prior traffic convictions, including speeding and failing to wear a seat belt. Judge Martin Nolan found no aggravating factors such as alcohol, drugs or excessive speed. He imposed a suspended sentence of eight months and disqualified her from driving for four years, citing her inattentive driving as the cause of the fatal accident. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Court on 7 November 2022.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, former soldier Graham Hayes, aged 33, was given a fully suspended 32‑month prison sentence for possession of heroin and cocaine for sale or supply. Hayes was caught when Gardaí stopped him beside a silver car whose boot he had just opened, revealing €10,683 worth of drugs and a stun gun. He fled but was chased and apprehended. The judge noted that Hayes' role was limited to holding the drugs and that this was his first offence of this type. He had previously been discharged from the army after a positive random drug test and had built a drug debt of €20,000. The sentence was suspended on the condition that he keep the peace for the period and engage with drug intervention services. The court heard he had four prior convictions for road traffic offences. The case was prosecuted by Sinead McMullan BL and defended by Sarah‑Jane O'Callaghan BL. Graham Hayes pleaded guilty.
Jason Paget (35) and Charles Darcy (34) pleaded guilty to charges arising from a high-speed car chase in Dublin 8. Paget admitted to taking possession of a vehicle without consent, assaulting Garda Dara Higgins causing him harm, and dangerous driving. Darcy admitted to possession of a firearm found in the car after it crashed at Longs Place. The court heard that Paget, who has previous convictions including aggravated sexual assault, resisted arrest, resulting in Garda Higgins suffering a fractured hand. Judge Orla Crowe refused Darcy's application for naming restrictions. The matter was adjourned for sentencing next week, and Paget was remanded in custody. Darcy is due for sentence next month.
Muiris Flynn, an electrician convicted of dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Ms Áine O'Connor and Catherine Carey, drink-driving, and driving without insurance in Doon, Co Roscommon, on 24 September 2017, has won an unfair dismissal claim against Irish Rail. Flynn pleaded guilty to these charges and was sentenced in October 2019 to four years in prison, with the final 30 months suspended. Although the Court of Appeal later deemed the original sentence unduly lenient, it did not increase the active custody portion, instead imposing a €20,000 fine. Irish Rail terminated Flynn's employment in March 2020, arguing his contract was frustrated by his imprisonment. However, the Workplace Relations Commission rejected this argument. Adjudicating officer Brian Dolan found that Irish Rail failed to consult Flynn and that his absence did not necessitate termination. The tribunal awarded Flynn €4,000 in compensation, noting that while his conduct contributed to the dismissal, the employer had not proven the contract ended by frustration. This decision upholds Flynn's complaint under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977, confirming that his dismissal was unlawful despite his criminal conviction and imprisonment.
A 19‑year‑old man, Joel Omokhudu, was jailed for six months after driving his car at pedestrians in a Dublin shopping centre on 8 December 2020. He had been ejected from the centre and, in a temper, drove erratically in the car park and onto the pedestrian area, narrowly missing a woman with her daughters and several security guards. He then reversed into a flower bed, almost hitting a guard. No injuries were reported. Omokhudu pleaded guilty to endangerment, two counts of dangerous driving, driving without insurance and criminal damage. The court heard he had previous assault convictions. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to 18 months, suspended the final year, and disqualified him from driving for four years.
Iancu Nicola, 31, was jailed for three years after he followed a 73‑year‑old woman from a city centre casino to her home and stole €23,000 she had just won. Nicola, who had previously lived in The Boulevard, Mount Garret, Tyrrelstown, pleaded guilty to robbery outside her home in Templeogue on 7 October 2016. He had six prior convictions for road traffic offences and absconded the day after the attack, only being arrested in Romania five years later and returned to Ireland under a European Arrest Warrant in October 2021. He was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally, who suspended the final 18 months of a four‑and‑a‑half‑year term on the condition that he keep the peace and engage with the Probation Service. Nicola's accomplices, Declan Connolly (41) and Brian English (32), received five‑year and three‑year suspended sentences respectively. Connolly pleaded guilty to the robbery and had 11 prior minor convictions.
Gary Foy, 21, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious bodily harm, driving without insurance and driving under the influence of cannabis after a scrambler collided with a stationary quad bike in a Dublin park on 17 September 2020. The collision left a two‑year‑old toddler with a traumatic brain injury. Foy, who had ridden scramblers for ten years, claimed he could not remember the incident. Judge Melanie Greally set a headline sentence of two years for the careless driving count and five months for each of the other two counts. She imposed a 16‑month prison sentence for the careless driving offence, suspended on strict conditions, and 180 hours of community service for the remaining counts. Foy was also disqualified from driving for five years and placed under probation supervision for 12 months. The court noted the child's serious injuries and Foy's remorse and steps to address his addiction.
John Mangan, 54, escaped from Loughlan House open prison in October 2021 and was captured riding a motorcycle at high speed through the Dublin suburbs on a November afternoon. During the chase, which lasted about 20 minutes, he ignored Garda instructions, ran red lights, overtook vehicles, drove the wrong way around a roundabout, and nearly collided with several cars. The pursuit ended when Gardaí, with air support, blocked him on Carpenterstown Road. Mangan pleaded guilty to endangerment, dangerous driving and driving without insurance. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison, to be served consecutively to his existing term, and was disqualified from driving for two years. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and is expected to be brought before the District Court for the escape charge.
Lee McMullen, aged 22, pleaded guilty on 31 July 2019 to two counts of endangerment and two counts of dangerous driving after driving a car on the wrong side of a motorway at high speed with its lights off. The incident, which lasted eight to ten minutes, involved McMullen driving at speeds up to 160 km/h, crossing road dividers, and continuing onto the motorway in the outbound lane. Garda Michael Martin chased the vehicle, which eventually broke violently at the Leixlip junction and was abandoned. McMullen was apprehended nearby; passengers were later found in a taxi. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a sentence of 21 months for the endangerment count, with the remaining two years and three months suspended on strict conditions. The sentence reflects McMullen's eight prior convictions and the serious nature of the offence.
Niall Smyth, aged 30, was sentenced to 240 hours of community service for his role in a 2019 incident of "wanton thuggery" in Tallaght. He was one of six men who entered a garden on Dromcarra Avenue, smashed the windows of a Mini car parked in the driveway, and then smashed the downstairs window of a house. Smyth was the only member whose face was visible on CCTV, which identified him. He pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal damage. The incident stemmed from an altercation between Smyth's family and another family. The victims did not cooperate with Gardaí and did not give a victim impact statement. Smyth had no prior convictions except two old road traffic offences in 2011, and he was described as extremely remorseful. Judge Melanie Greally noted his lack of previous convictions, his work ethic, and employment history before ordering the community service.
Faye Buckley, aged 43, was jailed for 18 months after stealing €204,834 from her employer, music booking agency Audio Networks, over a six‑year period. She diverted client booking deposits into her personal account, exploiting her close friendship with employer Mark Downing, who had been her best man at her wedding. Buckley pleaded guilty to seven of 71 theft counts between May 2014 and May 2020. She admitted compulsive gambling as the motive and expressed remorse, offering €45,000 to Downing and moving in with her mother‑in‑law to save money for repayment. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to two and a half years, suspending the final year on strict conditions, including handing over the €45,000 within 11 months of release. Downing's victim impact statement highlighted the emotional betrayal and financial harm caused by the theft. Buckley has prior convictions, including a 2004 dangerous driving offence. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to four and a half years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a series of offences including dangerous driving, burglary, and criminal damage. Paul Darcy, with addresses in Dublin and Co Sligo, pleaded guilty to reversing a vehicle into an occupied garda patrol car on September 7, 2018, at Stockhole Lane, Santry, trapping two officers inside and injuring them. He also admitted three burglary charges relating to break-ins at properties in the Glasnevin area on September 2, 2018, unauthorised taking of a taxi from Palmerstown on October 11, 2018, and making off without payment for fuel at a service station two days later. Judge Nolan imposed consecutive sentences on the primary counts while suspending the final 18 months subject to strict conditions. He disqualified Darcy from driving for six years, noting the seriousness of deliberately reversing into an occupied vehicle. The court heard Darcy, who had been on bail at the time of the incident, has since engaged in mental health treatment and is drug-free.
Karol Zawadski (36) pleaded not guilty to drug driving after being stopped for speeding at Gortinty, Carrick-on-Shannon on May 10, 2021. A roadside oral fluid sample tested positive for cannabis, leading to arrest and a subsequent blood test confirming cannabis in his system. The defence challenged the garda's opinion formation, but Judge Sandra Murphy found no prejudice and convicted the defendant, imposing a €350 fine and a one-year driving ban.
Callum Taylor, 29, a father-of-three from Ballinaglera, pleaded guilty to driving with no insurance, drink driving, and no driving licence on July 11, 2020 at Acres, Drumshanbo. This was his fourth conviction for driving with no insurance, with 12 previous convictions overall. Judge Murphy imposed a €250 fine, a 3-month suspended sentence for 1 year, and dual driving bans totalling 6 years, citing deterrence and the defendant's medium risk of re-offending despite completing a Pro Social driving course.