Court archive
2022-09-30 · Leitrim
Sebastian Cobala, a 22-year-old Polish national working as an apprentice cabinet maker, was detected driving with no insurance at River Meadow, Dromod on March 12. He pleaded guilty and was fined €250, with no driving ban imposed due to special circumstances. The defendant had wrongly assumed he was insured on his friend's car and had been in the country for only a short time.
2022-09-26 · Fermanagh
Matthew Nolan, 25, from Co. Fermanagh was remanded in custody after being charged with attempted murder and related offences. The incident allegedly occurred when police attended an address in the Tattenabuddagh Lane area near Fivemiletown in response to reports of a drunk driver, and Nolan allegedly rammed three police vehicles with a tractor while attempting to evade officers. He faces multiple charges including attempted murder, threats to kill, dangerous driving, driving while unfit, and criminal damage.
2022-09-22 · Longford
Vincent Johnson (62) was caught driving without a licence or insurance on St Mel's Road, Longford on July 3rd. He was already disqualified from driving for 10 years and has 35 previous convictions, many for road traffic offences. Despite his extensive history, the judge granted him leniency due to his poor health and medical conditions, placing him on a €250 bond with a 15-year driving disqualification, with the warning that any future offence would result in custody.
2022-09-07 · Leitrim
Corina Short was fined a total of €500 for driving without insurance and a valid driving licence following a minor road traffic collision on September 7, 2021. She failed to produce the required documents within 10 days as promised and subsequently became difficult with gardaí, claiming she would not need to produce documents if the accident had occurred in Northern Ireland. She was disqualified from driving for two years.
2022-07-29 · Ireland
Keith Paget, 39, was sentenced to an 18‑month suspended term for cycling dangerously on the wrong side of the road in Finglas on 29 September 2020. While travelling at speed, he collided with a 17‑year‑old pedestrian who was crossing behind a white van at the junction of Barnham Drive and Wellmount Drive. The impact caused the victim to hit his head, suffer between five and ten seizures, and be admitted to intensive care for a brain bleed. Paget pleaded guilty to the offence. Judge Martin Nolan noted Paget's 34 previous convictions, including 18 for road traffic offences, and stated that a cyclist must ride safely even though a bicycle can cause less harm than motorised vehicles. The judge, believing Paget did not deserve custodial time, suspended the sentence in full under strict conditions. No victim impact statement was made.
2022-07-26 · Monaghan
The Court of Appeal heard argument on whether the law mandates a driving ban for those convicted of careless driving causing death as a first offence. Colleen McCann, aged 27 with an address at Drumacon, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, was given a 12-month fully suspended sentence for careless driving that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old in July 2012 at Maghernakill, Castleblayney. McCann was deported from the United States in 2017 to face charges relating to the collision. Her legal team argues that a first conviction for careless driving does not constitute a "qualifying offence" under the Road Traffic Act, meaning any driving disqualification remains discretionary rather than mandatory. The State contends that a consequential ban reflects the legislature's intention and is a matter of public safety. The three-judge court reserved judgment.
2022-07-07 · Dublin
John Fitzpatrick, 39, of The Gardens, Carrickmines Manor, Dublin, pleaded guilty to driving away from a car accident involving an injury, careless driving and driving without insurance after he ran over a drunk man who had been lying in the road on September 6, 2019. The victim, intoxicated after leaving a pub on Cork Street, was walking into oncoming traffic when a bus swerved away and Fitzpatrick, driving behind the bus, did not see him and struck him. Fitzpatrick's daughter screamed after the collision. He was uninsured and had 45 prior convictions, including 11 for road traffic offences and five for lack of insurance. He voluntarily returned to the scene the next day and admitted guilt. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to two years and four months' imprisonment, suspended in full for three years, and disqualified him from driving for 12 years.
2022-07-05 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 5 July 2022, Carl Reilly, aged 33, was sentenced to one year in prison for endangerment, dangerous driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance. Reilly, who had been disqualified from driving due to earlier road‑traffic offences, rented a van to work during the Covid lockdown. In May 2020 he drove the van through a garda checkpoint in Rathfarnham, forcing a Garda to jump out of the way. He then accelerated to 100 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, broke a red light and was later arrested. The court noted that the Garda who had to evade the van suffered flashbacks and sleeplessness. Reilly pleaded guilty and was given a one‑year custodial sentence.
2022-07-04 · Ireland
In a 2020 hearing, a tour bus driver claimed he was denied a pay claim of nearly €5,000 after being accused by two colleagues of falling asleep at the wheel. The driver denied the allegation and opted for a medical assessment rather than taking eight weeks' pay in lieu. He worked cleaning duties until early April 2019, then was removed from the roster again. He argued he was owed wages from 21 March to 1 May 2019 because he was taken off the roster "through no fault of his own". The company cited concerns about dangerous driving and a loss of concentration. The adjudicating officer found the driver had gone absent without explanation after agreeing alternative duties, and that all outstanding payments had been discharged by the firm, dismissing the claim.
2022-06-27 · Dublin
Karl Cummins, 29, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a four‑month suspended sentence for dangerous driving after he forced a Garda patrol car to take evasive action in Tallaght in 2017. Cummins, who has 65 prior convictions including 15 for dangerous driving and was banned from driving for 16 years in 2015, pleaded guilty to the offence at Fettercairn Ring Road on 21 July 2017. During the sentencing hearing in March, the court heard that Cummins had turned his life around, had brought €500 to the court as a token of remorse, and had been engaged in voluntary work. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the sentence in full on the condition that Cummins engage with the Probation Service for 12 months and disqualified him from driving for eight years. The case was brought by Detective Garda David Jennings, who described the pursuit and the car's evasive manoeuvre.
2022-06-24 · Offaly
In February 2020, Martin Feehan, 42, was convicted of dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm after a reckless overtaking manoeuvre on the Mallow‑to‑Cork road in Granagh, Co Cork, on 16 February 2015. The incident left 40‑year‑old Brid Hallihan with a broken pelvis and months of hospital treatment. Feehan was sentenced by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin to a three‑year suspended sentence and a 20‑year driving ban. In March 2022, Feehan appealed the conviction and sought to reduce the ban. The Court of Appeal, after hearing arguments, quashed the 20‑year ban and substituted a 10‑year ban, back‑dated to the original sentencing date of 6 February 2020. The conviction itself remained upheld. The case highlighted the severity of the offence and the court's stance on public safety.
2022-06-23 · Kildare
Mark Fox, aged 29, was given a suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after a high‑speed chase on three tyres. On 9 May 2021, Fox, driving a Nissan Qashqai with a missing fourth wheel, pursued Gardaí through Dublin and two counties, ramming two patrol cars and a garda helicopter. He threw bags of white powder, suspected cocaine, from his open door, accelerated past red lights, and smashed a taxi driver's wing mirror. The chase lasted 30 minutes over 28 km. Fox was found to have almost three times the legal blood‑alcohol limit and was disqualified from driving at the time of the offence. He pleaded guilty to eight charges, including endangerment, dangerous driving, drink driving, driving without a licence and resisting arrest. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspended in full on the basis of Fox's mental‑health problems, and ordered a five‑year driving disqualification.
2022-06-22 · Dublin
Darren Kelly, aged 25, pleaded guilty to possessing €29,645 of proceeds of crime in a sock hidden in his mother's freezer in County Westmeath. The cash was discovered in three bundles bound with elastic bands during a Garda search on 24 October 2019. Kelly admitted the money was criminal proceeds, though DNA of a third party was found on the sock, who denied responsibility. He had been in custody since January 2020 on separate burglary matters and had 61 prior convictions, 52 of which were traffic offences including dangerous driving. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing the case via video link, noted Kelly's good behaviour in prison and his completion of a psychology course. Judge Martin Nolan, acknowledging the seriousness of the offence and Kelly's record, sentenced him to 20 months' imprisonment.
2022-06-21 · Dublin
Vincent Kelly, 37, a taxi driver from Kilmore, Dublin, was jailed for 18 months after being found with €112,000 of crime cash hidden in a secret compartment of his VW Passat. The money was not for his use; he acted as a courier. Kelly had previously pleaded guilty to money laundering in January 2021 and had four prior convictions for road traffic offences. Judge Melanie Greally, acknowledging his cooperation and remorse, suspended the final 18 months of a three‑year sentence, ordering the confiscation of his taxi and a Rolex watch. She noted his cocaine and gambling addictions as motivating factors. Kelly has been in full‑time employment since May and has received character references, including from Kilmore Football Club. Gardaí discovered the hidden compartment after a warrant‑driven search of his home and vehicle. The case was prosecuted by Diarmuid Collins BL, with defence counsel Ger Small BL.
2022-06-21 · Dublin
Dorian Brylewicz, 23, pleaded guilty to impersonating a Garda during lockdown in April 2020 and to theft in May 2019. He drove an Audi A3 with a blue flashing light, stopped pedestrians and a bus driver, claiming to be a Garda, but did not produce identification when asked. He also attempted to take a man's phone and had previously stolen €560 from a Cork man via a phone sale on donedeal.ie. The court noted his prior convictions for road traffic offences and bicycle theft. Judge Nolan, after hearing the defendant's remorse and current employment, sentenced him to 18 months in prison, suspended in full on the condition that he pay €5,000 within three months – €4,000 to a Castleknock charity and €1,000 to the victim. The judge emphasised that the suspended sentence was a punitive measure and a reminder of the defendant's wrongdoing. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
2022-05-31 · Dublin
A 34‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to six and a half years' imprisonment for a high‑speed chase on the M50 that endangered his partner and two small children. He had 226 prior convictions and was already serving a sentence for a petrol‑bomb attack. The court heard he pleaded guilty to endangerment, dangerous driving, criminal damage, driving without a licence and insurance, possession of a foil bag for theft, and refusal to provide a blood or urine sample. He also admitted to a Tesco Metro robbery in 2020. CCTV showed him driving over a shopping centre median, evading barriers, and then speeding onto the motorway, where he swerved between lanes and used the hard shoulder. The judge noted his long history of offending, his drug addiction, and the lack of a licence or insurance, and disqualified him from driving for ten years.
2022-05-17 · Dublin
John Kelly, 36, of Cherrywood Villas, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis at Old Farm Yard, Johnstown Kennedy, Rathcoole, Co Dublin, on 26 November 2018. He was remanded in custody pending sentence. Kelly, who has 89 prior convictions mainly for road traffic offences, had been supervising a grow‑house set up in a derelict farmyard. The landowner noticed a rise in electricity bills and flashlights near the buildings, prompting Garda Donal Donoghue to obtain a search warrant. Gardaí found three grow tents containing 140 cannabis plants and saplings. If all were mature females, the potential street value would have been €112,000; the agreed valuation for sentencing purposes was €60,000. Kelly was arrested, interviewed five times with no information emerging, and later entered a guilty plea. He is a legitimate businessman in the horse industry and owns a stud with 35 stables. The case was adjourned to 19 October, with Judge Melanie Greally remanding him in custody.
2022-04-04 · Dublin
Dubliner James Maughan (36) was given a four-year suspended sentence for endangerment, dangerous driving and driving without insurance at locations around Blanchardstown and Mulhuddart on February 27, 2020. The matter was heard at the sentence stage in court. Maughan pleaded guilty to the charges. Judge Pauline Codd noted that Maughan had already served time in custody on this matter and imposed a four-year sentence suspended in full for four years from today. The sentence is subject to two years of probation supervision. Maughan was also banned from driving for life. His defence highlighted that he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and that his 20-year-old nephew was in the car and allegedly threatened him with a Taser during the chase. The court heard that gardai abandoned the high-speed chase due to the danger it posed. Judge Codd acknowledged Maughan's background, vulnerabilities and the support he has from his family and the probation service. The case was finalised at the sentence stage with no adjournment. Maughan has a history of road traffic offences, including 10 for dangerous driving, 23 for driving without insurance and 21 for driving without a licence. His defence also noted that his nephew was a ringleader in many of these offences and has a history of convictions dating back to his juvenile years.
2022-04-01 · Louth
Keith Lennon, aged 23, was convicted of manslaughter after his 3‑litre Audi, driven at 225 km/h, collided with a Peugeot 108 on the N1, killing Mary (82) and Kevin (58) Faxton and Bryan Magill (24). Lennon had been filming Snapchat videos while driving at 105 km/h above the limit. He pleaded guilty in February 2021 and was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, a 20‑year driving ban, and a 14‑year custodial term, with the judge describing his car as a "weapon". Lennon appealed the severity of the sentence, arguing the judge had over‑penalised him. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, rejected the appeal, stating the custodial sentence was inevitable and that the Snapchat videos and high speeds made the case particularly reckless. The court upheld the original nine‑year term and the 20‑year driving ban. The decision was delivered on 1 April 2022.
2022-03-29 · Dublin
Cian White, 21, of Corduff Park, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing a car in Northwood, Dublin 9, on June 26, 2020. He also admitted to dangerous driving and endangerment by ramming train barriers at Ashtown Level Crossing on the Navan Road while a train was imminent. Additionally, White pleaded guilty to allowing himself to be carried in a stolen car and possessing vice grips on August 8, 2021. Judge Melanie Greally imposed consecutive sentences totalling five years. She suspended the final 18 months of the term on strict conditions, requiring White to engage with alcohol and drug treatment for 18 months upon his release from prison. Consequently, he faces three and a half years of effective custody. The judge also disqualified White from driving for six years. The court noted White had 74 previous convictions and was already disqualified at the time of the offences. Judge Greally acknowledged his young age, expressed remorse, and difficult early life in foster care, while describing the driving as prolonged and intensely dangerous. The matter was finalised with this sentencing.
2022-03-29 · Galway
Martin Feehan, 42, was convicted of dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm after his Citroen Berlingo collided with on‑coming traffic during an overtaking manoeuvre on the Mallow‑to‑Cork road at Granagh on 16 February 2015. The crash left his passenger, 40‑year‑old Brid Hallihan, with a broken pelvis and months of hospital treatment. Prosecutors alleged Feehan was driving too fast and lost control when the overtaking lane merged with a slower lane, causing his vehicle to cross the carriageway. A jury found him guilty and Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin imposed a three‑year suspended sentence and a 20‑year driving ban. Feehan appealed, arguing the judge erred in law and fact, but the appeal was dismissed. The appellate court noted the judge's explanations were "plainly attempting to further explain the level of fault required to prove the charge" and rejected the claim that the judge had erred in summarising facts.
2022-03-25 · Dublin
A 21‑year‑old Dublin man, Dylan Maughan, was sentenced to eighteen months in prison for endangerment and dangerous driving after a 40‑minute high‑speed chase on the M50. The court heard that Maughan drove over 200 km/h, turned his headlights on and off, drove in the wrong direction on a dual carriageway, and failed to obey traffic lights and stop signs. Gardaí used air surveillance and stingers to stop his vehicle, finding four other occupants. Maughan was highly intoxicated and pleaded guilty. Judge Melanie Greally, considering his guilty plea, age, and cooperation with probation, imposed a three‑year sentence with the final eighteen months suspended, a six‑year driving disqualification, and conditions of good behaviour and addiction services. The sentence was back‑dated to account for time already served.
2022-03-25 · Louth
Keith Lennon is appealing the severity of his nine-year prison sentence for three counts of manslaughter at the Court of Appeal. Lennon, of Forest Park, Dromintee, Co Armagh, pleaded guilty at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court after his vehicle collided with another car on the N1 in Dundalk, Co Louth, on February 29, 2020, killing Mary and Kevin Faxton and Bryan Magill. Judge Marina Baxter sentenced him to nine years' imprisonment in February 2021, stating he had turned his car into a "weapon," and imposed a 20-year driving ban. Lennon's counsel, Patrick Gageby SC, argued the sentence was too severe, noting a lack of comparable cases and that the offense was not one of intention. He also conveyed Lennon's public apology. Conversely, Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, representing the Director of Public Prosecutions, maintained the sentence was fair and within the judge's discretion. She highlighted that Lennon was driving at excessive speeds, was uninsured, and had made two Snapchat videos of the speedometer while driving, which she described as a pivotal factor in his culpability. The court has reserved judgment on the appeal.
2022-03-22 · Dublin
A 64‑year‑old taxi driver, Tajudeen Balogun, was sentenced to 14 months in jail for careless driving that caused serious harm to a German couple on Trinity Street, Dublin, on 6 September 2018. Balogun failed to look ahead before turning right from Dame Street onto Trinity Street, driving straight into the couple as they crossed. The driver's car struck Verena Schneider, who sustained minor bruising, and her husband Benjamin Schneider, who was thrown onto the road, sustaining multiple skull and spinal fractures and severe brain trauma. The court found no evidence of intoxication or speeding. Balogun pleaded guilty; the judge noted his good character and lack of prior convictions but imposed a custodial sentence. The sentence was 21 months, reduced to 14 months with six months suspended, and Balogun was disqualified from driving for four years.
2022-03-07 · Dublin
Karl Cummins, 29, a serial driving offender with 65 convictions including 15 for dangerous driving, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a dangerous driving offence on 21 July 2017. Cummins had been banned from driving for 16 years since 2015. At the sentencing hearing, he offered €500 as a token of remorse, which the judge directed to be paid to the Irish Red Cross Crisis Appeal to aid Ukrainian refugees. The case was adjourned to 16 June for a community service report. Cummins, who lives on Drumcairn Avenue, Tallaght, has claimed to have turned his life around, describing himself as a committed father and community volunteer. The prosecution noted the incident involved a high‑speed pursuit by Gardaí that was halted to avoid endangering other road users. The judge accepted the charity nomination and ordered the payment to the Red Cross campaign. Karl Cummins pleaded guilty.
2022-03-02 · Dublin
Phillip McBride, aged 44, was arrested with a loaded semi‑automatic handgun, ammunition, gloves, a balaclava and a burner phone. He and his co‑accused Derek Byrne were both wearing two sets of clothing at the time of arrest. McBride pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition on 3 December 2019. He has six prior convictions for road traffic offences and no prior violent convictions. Byrne, aged 38, had 78 prior convictions, including drug possession and public order offences, and had previously been sentenced to seven‑and‑a‑half years with 18 months suspended. At sentencing, Judge Melanie Greally imposed a six‑year term on McBride, suspending the final three years on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation. The judge noted McBride's cocaine addiction and his efforts at rehabilitation, describing him as a pro‑social person who had fallen into debt and drug‑related pressure. Byrne's earlier sentence was not altered in this hearing.
2022-03-01 · Longford
A 26-year-old man who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death has consented to his surrender to Northern Ireland authorities at the High Court. Conor Jeremiah Briody was sentenced to six years imprisonment, with three years suspended, by Newry Crown Court in October 2016 following a high-speed chase in Enniskillen in August 2014. The court heard he was significantly over the drink-drive limit when driving at speeds up to 100mph. A passenger, Vaidas Urbonas, died six days after the crash. After serving three years, Briody was released on licence but breached conditions by relocating to the Republic without probation service approval. A warrant for his arrest was issued in September 2021, and he was apprehended in December. Ms Justice Caroline Biggs granted bail with residence at an Edgeworthstown address, requiring daily reporting to Longford garda station. Briody was remanded pending his surrender within twenty days.
2022-02-28 · Wicklow
Joseph Bonass, 19, was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment for unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle, criminal damage, dangerous driving, driving without insurance, and driving without a licence in Co Wicklow and Co Dublin on June 16 and 17, 2020. Judge Elma Sheahan suspended the final 18 months of his sentence on strict conditions, requiring him to attend all Probation Service appointments for two years post-release. Bonass pleaded guilty and has no previous convictions. The judge noted with surprise that Bonass failed to engage with the Probation Service during a previous adjournment intended for that purpose. Co-accused Jordan Carroll, 21, pleaded guilty to endangering traffic, criminal damage, and allowing himself to be carried in a stolen vehicle on the same dates. Carroll, who has 34 previous convictions, was previously sentenced in April 2021 to four and a half years imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. The incidents involved a stolen Toyota Land Cruiser driven dangerously on the N11 and M11, during which Carroll threw gardening equipment from the vehicle. The pursuit ended when the jeep crashed into two garda patrol cars. Judge Sheahan stated that no injuries were sustained by luck and emphasized the risk posed to first responders. Both defendants were intoxicated at the time of arrest.
2022-02-14 · Limerick
Daniel Kelly, aged 35, was convicted and jailed for two years after a high‑speed chase in County Limerick. He had repeatedly rammed Garda patrol cars, driven at 130 kph in 80 kph zones, and collided with other vehicles while evading arrest. The jury found him guilty of one count of damaging property, one count of endangerment, and three counts of dangerous driving. He was banned from driving for six years. Kelly appealed, claiming the trial judge erred in law and fact, and that the judge failed to properly instruct the jury on the lack of forensic examination of his van. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, ruling that the judge's conduct was not unfair and that the jury instructions were adequate. The convictions and bans remain in force.
2022-02-11 · Mayo
The Court of Appeal has rejected Martin Kearney's bid to have his driving licence restored, upholding a previous decision by Judge Francis Comerford at Sligo Circuit Criminal Court. Kearney, of Castlefield Manor, Ballina, Co Mayo, was jailed for four years in 2012 by Judge Anthony Hunt after admitting dangerous driving causing serious harm to passenger Lydia Branley. He was initially banned from the roads for 20 years, a sentence reduced to 12 years on appeal in December 2014. Kearney's barrister, Liam Dockery BL, argued before the Court of Appeal that Judge Comerford erred in law under Section 29(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, claiming the ban was purely punitive. However, Mr Justice John Edwards ruled that the application must be rejected. The incident occurred in September 2010 when Kearney lost control of his BMW at 150 km/h near Ballisodare, leaving Branley, then 25, paralysed. She spent nine months in a coma and remains unable to eat or talk without assistance. Ms Branley attended the proceedings in person, expressing relief at the outcome. Her representatives noted that Kearney had already been banned and should not have been driving that night. The court's decision effectively maintains the 12-year driving ban, denying Kearney's request to restore his licence.
2022-02-08 · Dublin
John Jervis, 43, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years' imprisonment for endangerment after he fled in a car while a Garda was holding onto his shoulder. Jervis had been allowed by Gardaí to remove tools from a Land Rover and an Audi that were being seized at his Ballymun address. He then drove away, accelerating aggressively and dragging the Garda along the ground. The Garda narrowly avoided collision with a patrol car. Judge Melanie Greally accepted that high emotions may have been involved but found the offence highly dangerous. The final six months of the sentence were suspended on strict conditions, including abstaining from illicit substances for 12 months after release. Jervis has 105 prior convictions, including unauthorised taking, theft, drug possession and road traffic offences. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Courts. John Jervis pleaded guilty.
2022-02-08 · Dublin
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Nsa Okpo, aged 53, was found guilty of careless driving causing serious harm after his car collided with a motorcyclist, Michael Sorahan, on July 11, 2013. Okpo, who was uninsured and had a suspended sentence at the time, failed to keep an adequate lookout while turning right at a junction. Sorahan, an athlete who had represented Ireland in Taekwondo, suffered severe ankle injuries, described as "burst open like a tomato," and has endured ongoing pain and surgery, with doctors stating he will never run again. Okpo's previous convictions included assault, drugs and road traffic offences, and he had served an eight‑year sentence in the UK for grievous bodily harm. Judge Pauline Codd, noting the lack of speed, alcohol or drug evidence, suspended a one‑year prison term and disqualified Okpo from driving for six years. Nsa Okpo pleaded not guilty.
2022-02-08 · Sligo
Muiris Flynn, a 32-year-old electrician from Co Sligo, is appealing his unfair dismissal from Iarnród Éireann to the Workplace Relations Commission. Flynn, who pleaded guilty in 2019 to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Ms Áine O'Connor and Catherine Carey, drink-driving, and driving without insurance in Co Roscommon, was sentenced to 30 months in prison with the final year suspended. He served 10 months of this sentence. In March 2020, while incarcerated, he received a letter terminating his contract due to frustration. Iarnród Éireann's solicitor, John Brosnan, stated the company relied on legal advice that Flynn could not fulfil his contract while in jail and that a disciplinary process was inappropriate. Flynn's barrister, Michael Kinsey, argued the dismissal was a "flag of convenience" and highlighted that Flynn's employee handbook allowed for leave of absence up to two years. Adjudicating officer Brian Dolan noted the termination letter was sent halfway through Flynn's term, questioning the legal basis of frustration. The matter was adjourned, with the adjudicator to issue a decision in due course based on case law and Flynn's evidence. Separately, the Court of Appeal previously found Flynn's original sentence unduly lenient but did not increase his active custody, instead ordering a €20,000 fine.
2022-02-07 · Dublin
In April 2016, builders Stuart Cromer (43) and Michael Jones (27) attacked a street clamper at Dublin Street Parking Services after Cromer's van was clamped for illegal parking. Cromer, the main instigator, pushed and shoved the worker, threatened to "put a grenade in your mouth," and then allowed the men to empty the van of its tools before leaving. Both men pleaded guilty to assault; Cromer also pleaded guilty to making a threat to kill. Cromer received a six‑month suspended sentence and was ordered to pay €5,000 to the victim, while Jones received a four‑month sentence. Jones is already serving a five‑year sentence for dangerous driving causing death and will be released in September. The court noted Cromer's leadership in the assault and the victim's terror. The other four men involved were not before the courts. The incident was captured on CCTV and reported by staff. The defendants' prior convictions were also mentioned.
2022-01-28 · Cork
Daniel Wyse, 18, of Killiney Heights, Cork, had his sentence reduced after an appeal. He had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving that caused the death of 16‑year‑old Kimberly O'Connor and serious injury to a 17‑year‑old male passenger in a crash on Harbour View Road in February 2020, when he was 16. He also pleaded guilty to failing to stop, driving without a licence and insurance, and failing to give gardaí appropriate information. The original sentence was four years detention followed by four years supervision, a 15‑year driving ban, and restrictions on naming him. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, reduced the detention to six years, suspended the final 18 months of the remaining four years for 18 months, and reduced the driving ban to ten years. The appeal was based on the fact that Wyse was a juvenile and had no prior convictions.
2022-01-24 · Dublin
John Greene, 24, was sentenced to two years in prison for dangerous driving during a high‑speed Garda chase on June 5, 2019, near the old Naas road. He pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving, criminal damage to a road sign, resisting a police officer, driving without insurance and without a licence. Greene drove over 90 km/h in a 50 km/h zone on wet roads, repeatedly used handbrake turns, skidded across traffic lanes and Luas lines, and at one point spun 180 degrees before colliding head‑on with a patrol car in pursuit. He later crashed into an electronic road sign, after which Garda officers used an ASP baton to break his window, removed his keys, and restrained him, with pepper spray deployed. A warrant was found for his arrest; his real address was in Bluebell, Dublin. John Greene was convicted.
2022-01-17 · Dublin
The Special Criminal Court has sentenced Darren Murphy to life in prison for the murder of Eamon Kelly. Mr Justice Owens, sitting with Judges Ní Chúlacháin and Dempsey, imposed the mandatory life sentence, backdating it to November 1, 2021, for time already served. Murphy, who pleaded not guilty, was convicted of acting as a "spotter" in the December 4, 2012, shooting of the 65-year-old victim on Furry Park Road, Killester. The court found he participated in the common design of the murder gang, meeting the gunman and getaway driver and facilitating their escape. He was acquitted of possessing a Glock pistol due to insufficient evidence. Co-accused Kenneth Donohoe, who also pleaded not guilty, was found not to have been the getaway driver or possessed a handgun, with the court citing insufficient evidence of his direct role. In 2015, Sean Connolly was jailed for life for the same murder. The judge stated the evidence admitted no other credible explanation for Murphy's activities, noting he was as guilty as the shooter. Murphy has six previous convictions for public order and road traffic matters. The court accepted victim impact statements from Kelly's daughter, Alison, who described the killing as a "cowardly and senseless act."
2022-01-13 · Dublin
Michael McDonagh, aged 30, crashed his partner's car into a tree during a high‑speed Garda pursuit, then fled the scene. His partner reported the vehicle stolen and filed an insurance claim. Gardaí seized McDonagh's and his partner's phones, uncovering messages that McDonagh had driven the car and had asked his partner to falsely state it was stolen. McDonagh pleaded guilty to knowingly making a false statement at Tallaght Garda Station on 3 April 2020 and to attempting to deceive RSA insurance between 3 April and 5 May 2020. He also had a prior drink‑driving conviction that resulted in a four‑year driving ban. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two years' imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions. The court noted the tree replacement cost was just over €2,000 and that the insurance claim for €7,000 was never paid.
2021-12-21 · Limerick
A man from Coventry, England, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Kevin Sheehy, a five-times Irish boxing champion, at the Central Criminal Court. Logan Jackson, aged 31, was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict of murdering the 20-year-old at Hyde Road in Limerick city on 1 July 2019. Jackson had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The jury rejected his defence of provocation. Evidence presented at trial established that Jackson repeatedly ran over Mr Sheehy with a Mitsubishi Shogun jeep following a brief altercation outside a house party. A concurrent sentence of seven years was imposed on a second conviction for endangerment involving dangerous driving. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon backdated the sentence to 1 July 2019, when Jackson entered custody. Victim impact statements were read to the court by Mr Sheehy's family members.
2021-12-10 · Dublin
Kenneth Williams, a 38-year-old appellant from Finglas, Dublin, was found guilty by a jury of 20 offences, including dangerous driving, endangerment, and criminal damage, arising from a high-speed Garda pursuit in March last year. The court heard that Williams, who has 130 previous convictions, was on bail and already disqualified from driving at the time of the incident. Prosecution evidence detailed that he drove at 120km/h in a 60km zone, drove on the wrong side of the road, and rammed Garda patrol cars. Despite the title referencing a six-year term, Judge Pauline Codd handed down a seven-year sentence, suspending the final year on conditions. She also disqualified Williams from driving for 20 years. The judge praised the courage of the Gardaí involved in apprehending him. Defence counsel cited mental health issues and PTSD as mitigating factors. Williams has indicated he plans to appeal his convictions. The matter is currently at the appeal stage.
2021-12-10 · Meath
Mr Kevin Thompson, a company director from Donaghpatrick, Navan, Co Meath, launched a constitutional challenge against the Judicial Council and the 2019 Judicial Council Act. The matter was briefly mentioned before Mr Justice Charles Meenan on Friday, who adjourned the case to a date in January when other proceedings arising from the adoption of new personal injuries guidelines are due to be mentioned. Mr Thompson claims his 2018 road traffic accident injuries were deliberately held up by the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) until new guidelines were introduced. He alleges that the Judicial Council's March 2021 vote to adopt these guidelines, which reduce awards, breaches the separation of powers and judicial independence. He seeks declarations that sections of the 2019 Act are incompatible with the Constitution, specifically Article 15.2.1, arguing that assigning judges a legislative role in formulating guidelines is unconstitutional. The State defendants, including the Minister for Justice and Equality, deny the claims, asserting the Act enjoys a presumption of constitutionality. They argue the guidelines promote consistency, transparency, and cost control, and contend the action is premature as Mr Thompson's claim outcome is unknown. Mr Thompson is represented by John Roger SC, Miriam Reilly SC, Frank Callanan SC, Conor Duff BL, and Blaithin Gallagher BL. The State is represented by Eoin McCullough SC, Catherine Donnelly SC, and Francis Kiernan BL.
2021-12-09 · Limerick
At the Central Criminal Court, the prosecution closing argument in the trial of Logan Jackson concluded on December 9th. Mr Jackson, aged 31, of Coventry, England, denies murdering Kevin Sheehy, a five-time Irish boxing champion aged 20, but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter. The death occurred on July 1st, 2019, on Hyde Road in Limerick city, when Mr Sheehy was struck repeatedly by a Mitsubishi Shogun jeep, sustaining fatal injuries including a catastrophic skull fracture. The prosecution barrister contended that CCTV evidence contradicted the defendant's account to gardaí, describing his statements as fabricated. The defence counsel argued the case lacked conclusive detail and that manslaughter remained the appropriate verdict. Mr Jackson also faces a charge of dangerous driving contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. Justice Eileen Creedon is expected to charge the jury of five men and six women before deliberations commence. Logan Jackson pleaded not guilty.
2021-12-07 · Limerick
At the Central Criminal Court, a forensic pathologist gave evidence concerning the death of Kevin Sheehy, a five-time Irish boxing champion, who died on July 1, 2019, following a fatal road traffic collision in Limerick city. Dr Allan Cala, testifying via video link from Australia, detailed multiple severe injuries sustained by the twenty-year-old, including a catastrophic skull fracture, extensive skeletal fractures, and profuse internal bleeding. Logan Jackson, aged thirty-one, of Longford Road, Coventry, England, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denies murder. Evidence presented included witness testimony describing the vehicle striking Mr Sheehy repeatedly, and forensic findings consistent with the deceased being struck and dragged. The trial, before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury, continues at the Central Criminal Court.
2021-12-07 · Dublin
Thomas Doran, 29, with 64 prior convictions, was jailed for six years after driving the wrong way on the N7 dual carriageway in the early hours of 21 September 2020. Doran, who was on bail and disqualified from driving for ten years, drove 700 metres against traffic before colliding head‑on with a Toyota Yaris. The collision killed driver Anatolie Butucel and seriously injured passenger Serghei Grigoras and Doran's uncle Patrick Connors. Doran was uncooperative at the scene, refusing to give details and telling Gardaí to "fuck off." He was found guilty of dangerous driving causing death and serious bodily harm. The judge set a headline sentence of eight years but, after considering Doran's guilty plea, remorse, €1,500 payment to Grigoras, and his poor mental health, imposed a final sentence of six and a half years with the last six months suspended on strict conditions, and a 20‑year driving disqualification.
2021-12-03 · Dublin
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard the case of Dubliner James Maughan, who pleaded guilty to endangerment, dangerous driving, and driving without insurance at locations around Blanchardstown and Mulhuddart on February 27, 2020. Prosecution evidence detailed a high-speed incident where Maughan drove straight at a garda, forcing the officer to jump aside, before continuing at speed through red lights and into oncoming traffic. Gardaí ultimately abandoned the pursuit due to the serious risk posed to the public. Maughan claimed his 20-year-old nephew, who was a passenger, threatened him with a Taser, compelling him to drive. Defence counsel highlighted Maughan's diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and argued the nephew was the ringleader. The court noted Maughan's extensive criminal history, including 174 previous convictions and prior driving bans in 2011 and 2018. Judge Pauline Codd described the record as horrendous but adjourned the matter to February 14 to allow time for an assessment by the Probation Service. No sentence was imposed at this stage.
2021-11-26 · Dublin
A 19‑year‑old teenage car thief, Ross Crea, was jailed for three and a half years after a high‑speed chase across Dublin. He stole a car from a house on Kilmacud Road, drove through a patrol block, and then drove onto the M50, weaving through traffic, breaking red lights, and making a U‑turn. He crashed into a barrier near Harolds Cross and later into a petrol station kerb. Gardaí were not injured, and the incident lasted about 45 minutes. Crea pleaded guilty to three counts of reckless endangerment, three of dangerous driving and one of unlawful taking of a car. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to five years for endangering the gardai, suspended the final 18 months on condition of keeping the peace for five years, and banned him from driving for four years. He also received a two‑year concurrent prison term for a separate assault that occurred four weeks before the car chase.
2021-11-26 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 35‑year‑old oil rig engineer Graham Foran pleaded guilty to assaulting a taxi driver and a Garda on 22 May 2015. Foran, who had previously been convicted of a road traffic offence, was found to have punched the Garda several times in the face, fell on top of him during a struggle, and continued to punch him while they were on the ground. The Garda sustained torn ligaments in his ankle, requiring surgery and possibly further surgery, and also suffered wrist injury. Judge Martin Nolan described Foran's conduct as "disgraceful" and noted the Garda's dreams and ambitions had been thwarted. Foran was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years imprisonment, the sentence being fully suspended on strict conditions, including a €5,000 payment to the Garda within one year. The court heard that Foran had already paid €10,000 in compensation to the Garda and €500 to the taxi driver.
2021-11-25 · Tipperary
Phelim Coady, aged 24, avoided prison for a second time after a Court of Appeal decision. He had been convicted of dangerous driving causing death, driving a dangerously deficient vehicle, and driving while intoxicated with alcohol and cannabis, and without insurance. The original sentence of two years and six months' imprisonment was fully suspended, and he received a four‑year driving ban. The Court of Appeal quashed that sentence, ruling it too lenient, but imposed a new non‑custodial term of four and a half years, with a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended portion and a two‑year custodial term suspended for three years. The driving ban remained unchanged. The judge noted Coady's remorse, mental fragility, and the mitigating influence of his friend's family's plea not to jail him. The case involved the fatal crash on 30 June 2019, when Stephen Gleeson, 21, was thrown from a Toyota Starlet and died. The other three occupants survived uninjured. Phelim Coady pleaded guilty.
2021-11-24 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 34‑year‑old mother of two pleaded guilty to two child‑neglect charges under the Children Act 2001 and one refusal‑to‑give‑sample charge under the Road Traffic Act 2010. The case stemmed from an incident on 1 September 2019 when Garda Lee Kelly pulled her car over at about 4 a.m. after noticing it swerved and was driven on the wrong side of the road. The mother, who had been drinking, was found to be slurring and smelled of alcohol. She became abusive toward the Garda, screamed at her four‑ and six‑year‑old children, calling them "your fucking fault," and refused a breathalyser. The Garda waited until the mother's father arrived to take the children, then took her into custody. A Tusla investigation later classified the incident as neglect but found no other child‑welfare issues, and the children remain with the mother.
2021-11-23 · Dublin
An apprentice electrician, Mohammad Jelan, aged 23, pleaded guilty to money laundering at a location within the state on 24 April 2018. He had allowed his bank account to be used by a third‑party who sent the details to a construction company that claimed to be a subcontractor whose email had been hacked. The company transferred €28,290 into Jelan's account, but he never accessed the money and was promised €500 for the use of his account, which he did not receive. Jelan had two prior convictions for road traffic offences. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions, and noted he was at the very bottom rung of culpability and had made a foolish mistake. The court heard that Jelan had not been in contact with Gardaí since the offence and had answered all questions in detail. The case was prosecuted by Diana Stuart BL and defended by David O'Brien BL.