The Minister for Justice announced a protocol to fast‑track rape and murder cases involving children, aiming to resolve them within one year. Seventeen agencies signed up, acknowledging that delays harm child victims and defendants. The protocol activates when a child under 18 reports rape or when a defendant under 18 is named in such an investigation. Courts will notify judges of protocol cases and, where practicable, expedite them. Expert reports, including psychological and psychiatric assessments, will be sought early. The Central Criminal Court will set a trial date within eight weeks of a case's first appearance, though complexity may extend this. The Director of Public Prosecutions must inform the court of pre‑trial applications within seven days, and lawyers must do so within 14 days. If a child is convicted, a sentencing hearing will occur within 28 days of the verdict, where practicable.
A 51‑year‑old man named Richard Hayes of Ledwill Park, Kilcock, Co. Kildare, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of possessing child pornography. The court found 33 videos and 84 images on two phones belonging to Hayes, including a toddler being raped, a boy with a disability forced to perform oral sex, and a boy being masturbated by a male adult. Twenty‑six of the videos and 57 images were classified as category one, the most serious category for child sexual abuse material. Gardaí also discovered hundreds of images of pre‑teen girls in swimwear and some hardcore pornography. Hayes had no prior convictions. The judge, Martin Nolan, imposed a two‑year sentence, fully suspended, and placed Hayes on the sex offenders' register, stating he was unlikely to re‑offend and no Probation Service involvement was required. The sentence was handed down on 18 February 2025.
In a Dublin Central Criminal Court trial, a 33‑year‑old man, whose identity is protected for the duration of the proceeding, pleaded not guilty to a single count of rape committed on 1 January 2019. The alleged victim, a Spanish tourist, was in Dublin to celebrate New Year's Eve and, after a fireworks display, became separated from a companion. She later recalled being in a shop, feeling ill, and being approached by the defendant. She claimed the man held her tightly, kissed and touched her, and that she did not consent to sexual activity, which she said occurred around 2 a.m. The prosecution presented CCTV footage of the encounter and the subsequent walk to Dublin Castle, where the alleged rape took place. The jury was informed that the Director of Public Prosecutions had only charged the defendant, with no charges yet brought against a second man who was also alleged to have been involved.
A 20‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to defilement after engaging in sexual activity with a 15‑year‑old girl in Co. Westmeath on 25 September 2021. The girl repeatedly said "No" but later gave "OK", and the defendant continued to have sex against her will. She reported the incident to Gardaí in October, after the defendant was arrested in May 2022 and denied the allegations. The court heard the victim's impact statement, detailing ongoing physical, emotional and educational harm. Mr Justice Paul McDermot noted the defendant's persistent refusal to accept responsibility and imposed a three‑year sentence, suspending 20 months on strict conditions, including probation, treatment programmes and no contact with the victim or her family. The defendant's letter of remorse was considered late in the process. The case was adjourned for updated reports. The defendant had no prior convictions.
Ignac Aradi, 51, a Hungarian national, was sentenced to a concurrent 21‑month term for possessing child sexual abuse material after he was caught flying €8.4 million worth of heroin into Ireland on a light aircraft. While being arrested by Gardaí, 1,480 child sexual abuse images were found on his phone, including 820 category‑one images depicting sexual activity involving children and 57 category‑one videos. The remaining images were category‑two, involving child exposure. Aradi pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography. He had previously been convicted of embezzlement, theft, counterfeiting, fraud and drug importation. He has five children, one of whom died in a car crash at age 21. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the 21‑month sentence without extending his existing 10‑year term for the heroin importation offence. The sentence is to run concurrently with his current custodial term.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Daniel Cashen, a 12‑year‑old victim in 2004, recounted how Anthony Lynch, 75, repeatedly abused him at Lynch's Rathsallagh Park home. Lynch, already serving a long sentence for similar offences, was found guilty of anal rape, oral rape and two sexual assault counts between 2004 and 2007. Cashen, who has since struggled with trust, friendship, and substance addiction, gave a victim impact statement describing Lynch's ongoing psychological torment. The judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, imposed a global headline sentence of 12 years, but ruled Lynch would serve an additional three years consecutively to his current term, extending his release to 2033. Lynch was also ordered to be supervised by the Probation Service for two years after release. The sentencing considered Lynch's age, medical conditions, and lack of a guilty plea.
Martin Burke, 28, of Ballinorig Estate, Tralee, was on bail when he strangled a woman at 3 am on 18 December 2022 and then repeatedly raped her. He pleaded guilty to four counts – rape, oral rape, anal rape and sexual assault – and was sentenced by the Central Criminal Court to 17 years, with the final two years suspended. The sentence was reduced from an initial headline of 22 years after mitigation. Burke is to remain under Probation Services supervision for five years post‑release, must keep the peace and be of good behaviour, and is prohibited from any contact with the victim. The victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, described the attack as an unspeakable ordeal and expressed ongoing fear and trauma. The judge noted Burke's history of 17 prior convictions and that he was on bail for similar offences at the time of the attack.
A 53‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to five and a half years' imprisonment for raping and sexually abusing his younger sister between January 1987 and August 1991. The court heard that the victim was about seven when the defendant, then 15, began forcing her to perform oral sex and touch him inappropriately in their family home, a laneway and a field in County Dublin. He pleaded guilty to nine counts, including indecent assault and two oral rapes. The judge imposed a global sentence of six years and six months, with the final 12 months suspended for two years on strict conditions. The victim, whose name is withheld, said the abuse destroyed her childhood, caused ongoing shame, nightmares and mental health problems, and that she had finally come forward after years of silence. The court noted the defendant's young age at the time of the offences, his health issues and his willingness to engage in therapeutic programmes.
A 55-year-old man has appealed to the Court of Appeal against a High Court decision that he should face trial for a single count of alleged indecent assault committed between January 1987 and December 1988. The appellant, represented by Michael O'Higgins SC, argued that the delay in prosecution caused prejudice due to deceased witnesses and that his severe anxiety and suicidal ideation constituted exceptional circumstances preventing a fair trial. He contended that the High Court judge, Ms Justice Marguerite Bolger, erred in preferring a GP report over a psychological report that documented his suicidal ideation and a plan to crash his car. The State, represented by Kieran Kelly BL, countered that the trial court was the appropriate forum to assess fairness and noted that the appellant's anxiety was linked to other factors. Presiding Judge John Edwards highlighted inconsistencies between the reports regarding the suicidal ideation. The Court of Appeal has reserved its judgment, meaning the matter was adjourned and remains unresolved.
At the High Court, counsel for Nikita Hand alleged that Conor McGregor is in breach of a court order regarding the dissemination of CCTV footage from their civil trial. Mr Justice Alexander Owens adjourned the matter to March 6 to allow time to consider an affidavit sworn by Mr McGregor. The judge had previously ordered Mr McGregor to destroy or hand over all case materials and directed him to ensure his business associate, Gabriel Ernesto Rapisarda, also refrained from sharing the footage. Hand's counsel, John Gordon SC, described Mr McGregor's affidavit as "entirely inadequate" and raised concerns about his bona fides, while reserving the right to apply to cross-examine him. Remy Farrell SC, for Mr McGregor, did not object to the adjournment. This follows a November ruling where a jury awarded Ms Hand €248,000 in damages, finding Mr McGregor liable for rape. The jury found co-accused James Lawrence not liable for the assault. The court ordered interim payments of €100,000 in damages and €200,000 in costs to Ms Hand, with the remainder stayed. The judge noted the civil trial was over and the jury had conclusively determined the verdict.
Paul Craven, 55, a former manager of Daughters of Charity family centres, was sentenced to a global term of four years in prison for sexually abusing his nephew, Alan Jenkins, between 1989 and 1999. Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court convicted Craven of 11 counts, including sexual assault and indecent assault. The judge noted that Craven breached the trust of a vulnerable boy aged six or seven, using his position as a youth worker to groom and isolate the victim. Aggravating factors included the abuse occurring in the victim's home and the significant age disparity. Although Craven received glowing references and had no previous convictions, the judge highlighted that he did not accept guilt or express remorse. Mr Jenkins, who waived his anonymity, described the abuse as taking away his childhood and criticized a previous Tusla investigation that found his allegations unfounded. He stated that Craven continued working with vulnerable children until 2022. Defence counsel Kathleen Leader SC argued that the offences were not at the top of the scale and highlighted Craven's long history in youth work. Craven was remanded on bail following a previous hearing to sign contracts for a house purchase, which defence counsel confirmed had been completed. The matter was adjourned for the purpose of this bail arrangement prior to the final sentencing.
Eugene O'Sullivan (62) of Dorset Street Upper, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of the possession of child pornography at his home on November 19, 2018. During a previous hearing, Detective Garda Sean Harrington stated that a warrant was issued for O'Sullivan's home following confidential information, where a USB stick and a folder of printed images were recovered. The USB contained 160 images of child sexual abuse material, all described as 'category one' images, while the folder contained 170 printed images, with around 25 also described as 'category one'. O'Sullivan was cooperative with gardai and made some admission at the scene. He was not arrested until 2023, after which he made a voluntary statement and was charged. O'Sullivan's defence counsel, Fiachra Treacy BL, stated that O'Sullivan had a difficult childhood and has suffered from chronic anxiety for the past 14 years. He also noted that O'Sullivan is at a high risk of suicide and that prison would be very difficult for him. Judge Dara Hayes noted that the creation of such images involves the sexual abuse of children, an aggravating factor, and that a 'reasonably significant quantity' of images in O'Sullivan's possession fell within 'category one'. He also noted O'Sullivan's guilty plea, co-operation, and efforts to rehabilitate. However, the judge stated that a wholly suspended sentence was not appropriate in this case, as it was not at the lowest level of seriousness. He imposed an 18-month custodial sentence with the final six months suspended on strict conditions. The matter was adjourned for the purposes of appeal.
A 77‑year‑old De La Salle Brother, originally from Northern Ireland, was convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in November 2024 of five counts of sexual assault against a boy who was about 12 at the time, occurring between April and July 1991 and April and December 1992. The brother, who had been a teacher and a local GAA club member, abused the boy by touching him inappropriately while visiting the family home, sometimes bringing him to football matches and gifting him football gear. The boy tried to resist and later denied the abuse to his father. The court heard the brother's long‑term relationship with the family, his role as a trusted figure, and the boy's emotional and educational impact. Judge Dara Hayes imposed a sentence of two years and three months, with nine months suspended, and directed the brother to probation for 12 months after release. The brother accepted the verdict and will not appeal.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, William Ryan, a 41‑year‑old Garda, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for three counts of sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment. The offences occurred on 29 September 2020 at Aughrim Garda Station, where Ryan prevented a woman from leaving the station, sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, and held her captive. The victim, whose identity is protected, described feeling "broken" and "degraded" during the trial and testified that Ryan's version of events was false and "badly‑written erotica." Ryan admitted guilt, resigned from the force, and had no prior convictions. Judge Elma Sheahan set a headline sentence of eight years, reduced to six years after mitigation, and backdated it to the time Ryan entered custody. The sentence reflects the breach of trust inherent in the offence. The court heard the victim's impact statement, detailing long‑term psychological harm and the effect on her family.
Andrew Sankey, aged 57, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually assaulting a child between September 1996 and October 2000, when the victim was about eight or nine. The abuse occurred while the child's parents were on holiday; Sankey took the child and her brother to a B&B, then forced the child to touch his penis and later digitally penetrated her under the pretext of bathing her. Sankey had previously been convicted of indecent assault in the UK in 1989 and of possession of child abuse material in Ireland, for which he served six months. The complainant, now in her 30s, testified that the abuse had a deep, lifelong impact, causing anxiety, distrust and anger. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Sankey to two and a half years' imprisonment, a reduction from the headline sentence of three and a half years. The sentence reflects the maximum five‑year term for the offence.
Three men—Anthony Hickey (39), Fabio Vicente (42) and Matin Zolfaghari (34)—were found guilty of rape, oral rape and sexual assault against a woman who was recorded repeatedly saying "no" during the attack. The offences took place on 31 August 2019 at an unknown location in a car and in a Dublin house. The jury, after 13 hours of deliberation, returned guilty verdicts on six of the seven charges. Hickey was convicted of rape, oral rape and sexual assault; Vicente of two counts of rape; and Zolfaghari of oral rape. The men pleaded not guilty to the remaining counts. The judge remanded all three men in custody, adjourned the case for sentencing to 10 March and directed the preparation of a victim impact statement. The complainant was present at the verdicts and the court heard her testimony of being drugged, of memory gaps and of being raped twice in a car and once in a house.
The jury in the trial of three men accused of raping and sexually assaulting a woman they met at a Dublin nightclub is set to continue deliberations for a fourth day. The defendants, aged 39, 42 and 34, have pleaded not guilty to a total of seven counts, including rape, oral rape and sexual assault at an unknown location, in a car and in a Dublin house on 31 August 2019. After about three and a half hours of discussion, Justice Paul Burns instructed the jury to pause and resume the next day. He also read evidence from a Garda to whom the victim first reported the incident and clarified the legal definitions of rape and consent. The case remains at the deliberation stage, with no verdict yet reached.
Edmund O'Sullivan, 32, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with an eight‑year post‑release supervision order after the Central Criminal Court heard that he had stabbed and raped a woman in her bedroom just ten days after his release from a three‑year sentence for a knife attack. The court noted O'Sullivan's 108 previous convictions, including four for assaults on women, and that his prior partly suspended sentences had failed to change his behaviour. The judge emphasised the need for close monitoring and protection of society, particularly women, and highlighted the victim's traumatic impact statement. O'Sullivan pleaded guilty to rape, anal rape and threats to kill, and the court set a headline sentence of 23 years before imposing 16 years, suspending the final year on strict conditions. The case was placed in the 15‑years‑to‑life category.
The jury in the trial of three men accused of raping and sexually assaulting a woman they met at a Dublin nightclub has been instructed to pause deliberations for the bank holiday weekend. The men, aged 39, 42 and 34, have pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape, oral rape and sexual assault, involving a car and a Dublin house on 31 August 2019. After about four hours of discussion, Mr Justice Paul Burns directed the jury to resume on the following Tuesday.
Patrick Flynn, 60, of Islandbridge, Dublin 8, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to having child pornography at his home in June 2020. The court heard that gardaí, acting on information from the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children regarding suspicious online activity, searched Flynn's residence. Officers discovered multiple images and videos of child abuse material, including a screen recording of a child rape upload. Flynn, who has a mild to moderate learning disability, admitted the material was on his phone but claimed he had deleted it, a statement Detective Sergeant Elaine Murtagh described as "patently untrue." Prosecutors noted Flynn's previous 2018 conviction for sexual assault. Defense counsel highlighted Flynn's intellectual difficulties and his willingness to work with Probation Services. Judge Martin Nolan considered whether a custodial sentence was just, noting Flynn's "serious deficiencies" and reclusive lifestyle. The judge stated it would be "unfair and unjust" to imprison Flynn given his personal circumstances. He imposed a two-year prison sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions. These conditions require Flynn to place himself under the supervision of the Probation Services for one year.
The jury in the trial of three men accused of raping and sexually assaulting a woman at a Dublin nightclub remains in deliberation. The defendants, aged 39, 42 and 34, have pleaded not guilty to seven counts, including rape, oral rape and sexual assault at an unknown location, a car and a Dublin house on 31 August 2019. Jurors spent about four and a half hours today considering their verdicts. Judge Paul Burns instructed them to pause for the day and resume tomorrow to continue their deliberations.
Jason Paget, aged 38, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on charges of possessing stolen property taken from a Dublin 8 apartment on 6 December 2021. The items included a motorised skateboard and headphones belonging to a young woman whose home was broken into. Paget pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of stolen property. Judge Patricia Ryan noted aggravating circumstances, including that Paget was on bail for 25 matters and serving a suspended sentence at the time of the offence. The judge imposed the sentence with a backdated commencement of 23 March 2023. Paget, currently imprisoned at the Midlands, has an extensive criminal history including convictions for aggravated sexual assault and aggravated burglary dating to 2003, when he was 16 years old.
The jury has begun deliberations in a trial involving three men accused of raping and sexually assaulting a woman they met at a Dublin nightclub nearly six years ago. The defendants, aged 39, 42, and 34, each pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of rape, oral rape, and sexual assault, with alleged incidents occurring in a car and a Dublin house on 31 August 2019. Mr Justice Paul Burns delivered his charge to the jury at the Central Criminal Court and, after about an hour of discussion, instructed the jurors to pause for the day and resume tomorrow.
In the Munster Abuse case, the father of the victims, aged 60, was denied a Supreme Court appeal that sought to overturn his life sentence for the prolonged and depraved abuse of his three older children. The Court of Appeal had increased his original 15‑year term to life after finding the original sentence too lenient. The father argued that the life sentence was disproportionate compared with the 18.5‑year term given to the children's 52‑year‑old uncle, who was convicted of fewer offences and not of rape. The Supreme Court rejected the appeal, noting that the father's role as the primary caregiver and the gravity of his offences warranted a harsher sentence. The Court found no general public importance in the alleged disparity and refused leave to appeal.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a woman alleged she was raped and sexually assaulted by three men she met at a nightclub. The prosecution presented her testimony as "dignified and credible," emphasizing that she did not consent. Defence counsel argued her memory was unreliable and that the men's accounts were more consistent with the evidence. The three accused, aged 34 to 42, pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape, oral rape and sexual assault, involving incidents in a car and a Dublin house on 31 August 2019. The trial examined CCTV footage, WhatsApp messages, and video clips recorded by the accused, with counsel from each side questioning the reliability of the woman's statements and the interpretation of the evidence. The case remains ongoing.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, DNA profiles matching two of the three men accused of raping a woman at a Dublin nightclub were found on her clothing. The forensic examiner reported saliva and seminal fluid on the bra and underwear, with DNA from the first and third accused identified, while the second's DNA was not found. Whatsapp exchanges showed the men arranged to meet the day before their September 2020 Garda interviews. The accused, aged 34 to 42, pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape, oral rape and sexual assault at an unknown location, a car and a Dublin house on 31 August 2019. The prosecution's case has rested; the trial continues before Mr Justice Burns and a jury.
A 36‑year‑old man was sentenced to a global term of nine years, with the final year suspended for the rape and sexual assault of his younger sister. The victim, now 30, disclosed the abuse to her family on the night of the Late Late Toy Show because she could not face another Christmas with him at the table. She was about seven when the abuse began in 2001, and the man was 14, with the abuse continuing until 2008 when he was around 20. The court found him guilty of two counts of anal rape and two counts of sexual assault. He pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault before the trial and to two counts of oral rape during the trial. The judge noted the abuse escalated and included violence, and imposed the suspended year on strict conditions. The unnamed 36-year-old was convicted.
Three men aged 34 to 42, with addresses in Dublin and Wicklow, are on trial for seven counts of rape, oral rape and sexual assault against a woman at an unknown location in a car and a Dublin house on 31 August 2019. The defendants have pleaded not guilty. One defendant, 34, admitted to recording two videos of the incident – one 30 seconds long and one six seconds – and sharing them in a group chat he described as a "locker room chat" for a laugh. He claimed the videos were taken in darkness and that he did not see any rough play or force. He denied giving the woman cocaine and insisted she consented throughout. The court has seen the videos, which contain only a female voice saying "No" and a male voice allegedly saying "Stick it up her arse." Forensic evidence showed bruising on the woman's arms and legs but no genital injuries.
A 47-year-old man has been jailed for two and a half years by the Central Criminal Court after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a vulnerable woman at a property in Longford on 11 February 2021. The court heard that the woman was intoxicated when the accused digitally penetrated her without consent while she slept. She discovered the assault upon waking and immediately left the room. The woman subsequently attended a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit and provided a victim impact statement describing profound trauma, including feelings of shame, social withdrawal, and ongoing distress. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed a headline sentence of five years, reducing it to four years to account for the guilty plea and the accused's work history. The final 18 months were suspended for 18 months on condition of engagement with the Probation Service and completion of victim-focused work. A contact ban with the victim was also imposed.
The trial of three men accused of raping a woman in Dublin and Wicklow in August 2019 continues at the Central Criminal Court. The accused, aged 34, 39, and 42, have all pleaded not guilty to a total of seven counts of rape, oral rape, and sexual assault. The 42-year-old second accused, with a Wicklow address, faces two counts of rape, allegedly occurring in his car and a house. The 39-year-old first accused, from Dublin, is charged with one count of rape at his home, one count of oral rape, and one count of sexual assault in a car. The 34-year-old third accused, also from Dublin, faces one count of oral rape in the house and one count of sexual assault in a car. During testimony, the second accused told gardai the complainant was 'in control' and that the group 'had a laugh.' He denied the woman was intoxicated or forced, stating she was 'conscious and allowing.' The court heard video clips where a female voice says 'no,' which the accused claimed were refusals of specific acts rather than rape. The men deny all wrongdoing, and the trial is ongoing.
The trial of three men, aged 34 to 42, accused of raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Dublin and Wicklow on August 31, 2019, has heard evidence regarding WhatsApp messages and video clips. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty to a total of seven counts of rape, oral rape, and sexual assault, denying any wrongdoing. The jury viewed two video clips shared between the first and third accused; one 30-second clip featured a female voice saying 'No' repeatedly, while the other was six seconds long with no audible words. An investigating garda stated he believed a male voice was heard in the first clip but agreed with defense counsel that no allegations of anal rape exist in this case. The court noted that the clips were not found on phones seized from the second or third accused, and gardai could not determine the exact recording times or order. The first accused, aged 39, provided a detailed account to gardai, claiming the woman consented to sexual activity and that she later refused anal sex. He described the interactions as consensual and stated he was '100% shocked' by the accusations. The second accused, aged 42, and the third accused, aged 34, also maintain their innocence. The trial continues.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 41‑year‑old father was sentenced to 13 years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. He pleaded guilty to 11 counts, including nine of sexual assault, one rape and one oral rape, for offences committed between 2016 and 2018 when his daughter was aged nine to 11. The abuse began with inappropriate touching and forced masturbation, escalated after the family moved to Portugal, and continued after their return to Ireland. The father posted online in 2023 describing sexual acts with the victim as consensual, breaching court orders. He also drafted a letter to Tusla acknowledging some abuse and referencing classical literature. The judge noted the victim's impact statement and the aggravating factors of the child's age and the parent‑child relationship. The sentence includes a seven‑year post‑release supervision order and a prohibition on contact with the victim and any child under 18.
A trial heard that gardai reviewed approximately 160 hours of CCTV footage during the investigation into the alleged rape and sexual assault of a woman by three men she met in a Dublin nightclub. The three accused men, aged 34 to 42 with addresses in Dublin and Wicklow, have pleaded not guilty to a total of seven counts of rape, oral rape, and sexual assault alleged to have occurred on August 31, 2019, in a car and a Dublin house. The first accused, aged 39, pleaded not guilty to one count of raping the woman in his home address, one count of oral rape, and one count of sexually assaulting her in a car. The second accused, aged 42, pleaded not guilty to one count of raping the woman in the car and one count of raping her in the house. The third accused, aged 34, pleaded not guilty to orally raping the woman in the house and sexually assaulting her in the car. Evidence indicated that CCTV was used to identify the vehicle, a Volkswagen SUV registered to the second accused, and to trace its journey. A 15-minute compilation was shown to the jury. The complainant alleged she may have been drugged, though no evidence of this was found in the footage. The matter was adjourned, and the trial continues.
Kielan Mooney, a 30-year-old Defence Forces member from Derry, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to eight and a half years' imprisonment for the repeated rape of a fellow soldier. Mooney, who pleaded not guilty to six charges including two counts of rape, two of oral rape, one of anal rape, and one of sexual assault, was convicted by a jury on three counts: rape, oral rape, and anal rape. The jury failed to reach a verdict on the remaining three charges. Mr Justice Tony Hunt imposed a global sentence of eight and a half years, backdated to Mooney's initial custody in December. The judge also ordered a two-year post-release supervision period, requiring Mooney to engage with the Probation Service. Mr Justice Hunt stated he had intended to reduce the headline sentence by two years but withheld this reduction after finding he was "significantly misled" by mitigation material describing Mooney as a "dedicated father." The judge labelled these claims a "false prospectus" and a "gross overstatement," noting evidence that Mooney had no meaningful contact with his children. The victim, a serving soldier, read a statement detailing the impact on her life and career. Mooney's legal team argued the initial encounter was consensual, but the judge rejected suggestions of false allegations, describing Mooney's actions as "selfish, arrogant and forceful."
The trial heard that the housemate of a woman who claims she was raped and sexually assaulted by three men at a nightclub had no concerns for her friend's safety when she left the club. The housemate testified that she and the complainant had drinks and socialised on 30 August 2019 before the complainant went to the nightclub. She recalled the club was busy and that they danced near others but not with them. The housemate said the complainant called her the next morning, saying she had been raped, and that she had sent a location pin. She described the complainant's accounts of being taken to a car and a house where the men allegedly raped her, and of the complainant's attempts to fight back. The housemate's statements were cross‑examined by counsel for each of the three accused men, who all pleaded not guilty to the seven counts of rape, oral rape and sexual assault.
A 38‑year‑old Defence Forces member, Alan O'Connor of Acorn Downes, Newbridge, was found guilty of raping a friend of his partner, Siobhan Murphy, at a property in Portarlington on 17 June 2020. The victim, who had known the attacker for 15 years, testified that she was fully clothed when O'Connor entered her bed and forced himself upon her, pulling down her trousers and underwear. O'Connor denied wrongdoing and maintained his innocence. He had no prior convictions and had served in the Defence Forces for nearly 19 years. The Central Criminal Court, after hearing victim impact statements and a letter from a priest describing the offence as "totally out of character," sentenced him to five and a half years' imprisonment, with a six‑month suspended portion to be served over two years. The judge noted his medical needs and family support as mitigating factors. The sentence was imposed by Justice Kerida Naidoo.
Paul Arthur, 59, of Letterkenny, Co Donegal, was sentenced today at the Central Criminal Court to 10 years' imprisonment after being found guilty by a jury of two counts of anal rape and one count of vaginal rape of his former partner, Susan Lynch. The offences occurred between September 2017 and July 2018. Mr Justice Patrick McGrath described the attacks as a repeated, pre-meditated breach of trust. In mitigation, the judge noted Arthur had no previous convictions and health issues, but determined prison would not be unduly oppressive. The sentence was backdated to when Arthur entered custody following the guilty verdicts in November. Ms Lynch, who waived anonymity, read a victim impact statement detailing her trauma, including panic attacks, surgeries, and alopecia. She stated she declined counselling because notes could be used against her at trial, a regret she expressed to the court. She also highlighted financial losses and the loss of her home and identity. Defence counsel John Berry SC confirmed there would be no appeal against the conviction. The court heard that a proposed law to protect rape survivors' counselling notes from admissibility has yet to be passed.
A woman denied that any consensual sexual contact occurred with the three men accused of raping and sexually assaulting her. The men, aged 34 to 42, have pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape, oral rape and sexual assault at an unknown location in a car and in a Dublin house on 31 August 2019. In her direct evidence, the woman said she was out socialising with a friend when she met the men at a Dublin nightclub, that she believed she had been drugged, and that she was raped twice in a vehicle she thought was a taxi and once in a bed in a house with a man on top of her. She woke the next morning in bed with a man sleeping beside her before leaving the house. She stated she had no recollection of any consensual sexual activity with any of the accused and that she did not remember any conversation with them.
In the High Court, Mr Justice Alexander Owens addressed post-trial applications in the civil case involving defendant Conor McGregor and applicant Nikita Hand. Following a jury finding that Mr McGregor was liable for the assault of Ms Hand in December 2018, while co-accused James Lawrence was found not liable, the judge issued orders regarding trial materials and damages. Mr Justice Owens ordered Mr McGregor to destroy or return all case materials, including CCTV footage, to his solicitor, citing a real risk of dissemination. He warned Mr McGregor that he does not get another run at the case by throwing out allegations on social media or using surrogates. The judge refused to find Mr McGregor in contempt for his social media posts, stating it would be a distraction. Regarding financial obligations, the court ordered an interim payment of €100,000 in damages and €200,000 towards Ms Hand's costs, with the remainder stayed pending a potential appeal. The matter was adjourned to February 12.
In a 2025 Court of Appeal decision, the court declared it unlawful and unfair to tie the suspended portion of a convicted rapist's sentence to his participation in a sex‑offender rehabilitation programme that required him to acknowledge guilt, despite his maintained innocence. The 58‑year‑old man had been convicted in 2018 of five counts of raping his cousin in 1985 and 1986 and one attempted rape in 1984. He received a headline sentence of six years for the attempted rape and nine years for the four rape counts. The original sentencing judge had suspended the final year of the nine‑year term if the defendant completed the "Building Better Lives" programme.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a woman accused three men of rape and sexual assault. She testified that she believed she was drugged after leaving a pub with a housemate on 30 August 2019, and that she was subsequently raped in a vehicle and again in a house. She described feeling "faded and hazy" and that a "bag of white powder" was nearby. The men, aged 34 to 42 and residing in Dublin and Wicklow, pleaded not guilty to seven counts including rape, oral rape and sexual assault in a car and a house. The case is before Mr Justice Paul Burns and a jury, with the trial ongoing. The woman made a complaint at a Garda station and was examined at the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit. The trial continues.
Three men aged 34 to 42, living in Dublin and Wicklow, have pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape, oral rape and sexual assault against a woman they met in a Dublin nightclub. The alleged assaults took place on 31 August 2019 at an unknown location in a car and in a Dublin house. The first defendant, 39, is accused of raping the woman in his home, orally raping her and assaulting her in a car. The second, 42, is accused of raping her in the car and in the house. The third, 34, is accused of orally raping her in the house and assaulting her in the car. The prosecution says the woman's recollection is fragmented and that she was highly intoxicated. CCTV from the nightclub shows the woman entering a car with the three men, and the car is registered to the 42‑year‑old.
Anthony Nugent, 38, was sentenced to five years and six months' imprisonment for raping three children between 1999 and 2002 when he was a teenager. The Central Criminal Court heard that the victims, aged eight to ten at the time, suffered lasting harm. Nugent was convicted of sexual assault, oral rape and anal rape of the first boy, and of anal and oral rape of a second boy, and of anal rape of a third boy. The judge applied headline sentences of 14 years for the first two offences and eight years for the third, then reduced them to seven and four years respectively, citing Nugent's youth as a mitigating factor. The final sentence was back‑dated to 24 October, with the last six months suspended under strict conditions and a two‑year probation order.
The Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal against conviction by a Donegal man sentenced to ten years imprisonment for the repeated rape of a teenager. Liam Carr, aged 62, with an address in Ballina, Falcarragh, County Donegal, was convicted following trial at the Central Criminal Court in Sligo in 2021 of 31 counts including sexual assault, anal rape and oral rape of the boy between September 1995 and September 2000. The trial was the fifth proceeding on the same charges, after juries in three earlier trials were discharged for legal reasons and a fourth jury could not reach agreement. Carr argued the multiple trials breached his right to a fair trial and raised concerns about witness evidence and jury directions. Justice Isobel Kennedy rejected these grounds, finding no abuse of process and noting the trial judge had properly directed the jury on the standard of proof and presumption of innocence. The conviction appeal has been dismissed.
A secondary school teacher from Donegal Town has had her conviction upheld by the Court of Appeal following a challenge to her trial proceedings. Jacinta McSherry O'Connor, aged 64, was found guilty in October 2023 at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of two counts of indecent assault against a male student in 1985. The assaults occurred in the student's home while she was providing grinds; she was 24 at the time and the boy was 13. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy dismissed McSherry O'Connor's appeal, which contended that the jury should not have heard evidence of disclosures she made about her own alleged sexual assault. The court determined that such evidence was relevant to establishing grooming behaviour. McSherry O'Connor was sentenced to three years on each count concurrently, with the final six months suspended. McSherry O'Connor pleaded not guilty.
A 35‑year‑old convicted sex offender was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for raping a 17‑year‑old girl who was staying with her family after becoming homeless. The offender, who is the mother's partner's nephew, had previously been convicted of child defilement in 2018. He pleaded guilty to one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The court noted that the victim was intoxicated and homeless, and that the offender had repeatedly assaulted her in a car and at home, culminating in rape. The judge imposed a headline sentence of 12 years for rape, but, after mitigation, sentenced him to eight years with the final 12 months suspended for two years, and directed strict conditions and a five‑year post‑release supervision order. The offender was ordered to have no contact with the victim. The victim's impact statement described lasting physical and psychological harm. The offender expressed remorse and accepted his punishment.
A man with previous convictions for rape and kidnapping has pleaded guilty to harassing three female journalists at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Mark McAnaw, aged 52 and previously resident in Letterkenny, County Donegal, admitted to three counts of harassment against Sunday World staff members on various dates in August 2023. Judge Martin Nolan ordered the preparation of victim impact statements. McAnaw was remanded in custody pending sentence, scheduled for March 7 next. McAnaw has an extensive criminal history including a nine-year sentence imposed in 2012 for sexually assaulting a student in Donegal in 2010, and a 1989 conviction for kidnapping. He received an eight-year and four-month sentence in June 2023 for a separate assault, with the final 16 months suspended for 16 years subject to probation supervision.
A member of the Irish Defence Forces has been convicted of raping a fellow soldier at a Dublin hotel in July 2021. Kielan Mooney, aged 30 and from Londonderry, was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court this month on charges of anal rape, oral rape, and rape. He had pleaded not guilty to six charges in total; the jury could not reach verdicts on three remaining counts. The complainant, also a serving member of the Defence Forces, chose not to be publicly identified. According to evidence, the assault occurred in a hotel room in Dublin city centre. The woman stated she had instructed Mooney to stop, but he continued. She subsequently contacted friends, who arrived at the hotel and removed him from the room before gardaí were called. In a victim impact statement, the woman described the lasting trauma and its effects on her career and mental health. Mr Justice Tony Hunt remanded Mooney in custody pending sentencing on 20 January 2025.
A man from Galway, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, was convicted on 30 November 2022 of five counts of indecent assault against two sisters‑in‑law and one brother‑in‑law, all of whom were children at the time of the offences. The jury at the Galway Circuit Court found him guilty and Judge Brian O'Callaghan sentenced him to 23 months' imprisonment on 15 June 2023. The defendant appealed to the Court of Appeal, arguing that the verdict was "perverse" because of alleged inconsistencies in the evidence and that the trial judge had erred by refusing to sever the indictment. Ms Justice Tara Burns dismissed the appeal, stating the appellant failed to meet the high threshold for a perverse verdict and that the trial judge had not erred in refusing to separate the cases. The conviction was upheld and the appeal against conviction was dismissed. The unnamed appellant pleaded not guilty.
Thomas Collins, 59, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for the sexual abuse of his three cousins, Gretta Conlon, Catherine Conlon, and Gerard Conlon. Collins pleaded guilty to 21 sample counts of indecent assault, attempted rape, and rape committed between 1978 and 1992. Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring handed down a sentence of 12 and a half years, suspending the final year on conditions. The sentence was backdated to Collins' guilty pleas in October this year. He is currently serving a separate nine-and-a-half year sentence for abusing another person decades later. The court noted that Collins made "wholesale admissions" to gardaí in 1997 and 2002, yet was not charged until 2023. Ms Justice Ring stated the case should have been dealt with decades ago and highlighted that a garda's conduct in discouraging the victims from proceeding in 1997 had "all the hallmarks of misconduct in public office." The judge praised the victims' determination after waiting 27 years for justice. Collins' barrister argued he was a juvenile for much of the offending and that his early cooperation spared the complainants further re-traumatisation. The victims, who attended the sentencing, described the long struggle for justice and the lasting impact of the abuse.