In a victim impact statement before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, a 28‑year‑old woman who was sexually abused by her teenage cousin 15 years earlier told the court that the burden of the abuse was now the man's responsibility. She recalled that the 30‑year‑old accused, who was convicted earlier this year of two counts of sexual assault when she was 13 and he was 15, had denied the allegations and claimed she was "prone to invention". The accused had later admitted to fondling her breasts and performing oral sex, asserting that the relationship had developed during her visit to Ireland and that she had been the "forward person". The court noted that the accused had not pleaded guilty, which had reduced mitigation. The woman described the lasting impact of the abuse, her treatment for PTSD and depression, and her fear of not being believed by her family. The unnamed 28-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A 46‑year‑old man was accused of oral rape in Galway on the night of 5 November 2015. The complainant, a 20‑year‑old woman, said she was given a lift home after a night out and was taken into the front passenger seat of the van. She claimed that while the van was moving she woke to find the man thrusting his penis into her mouth. She pushed him off, screamed, and fled to a nearby house where she rang the doorbell and told the occupants what had happened. The occupants called the Gardaí. The complainant described herself as distressed, having had several drinks earlier, and denied any consensual contact or prior interaction with the accused. The case is before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury. The accused has pleaded not guilty to the charge of oral rape.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Jadesola Agbalade, 51, pleaded guilty to knowingly distributing a child pornography clip that showed an infant being raped. The clip, depicting a child aged between two and five, was forwarded by Agbalade to a friend and later discovered during a Garda investigation into credit card fraud. Agbalade admitted to sending the clip and claimed she did not understand the seriousness of the offence. Judge Karen O'Connor wholly suspended a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, citing the case as a one‑off instance of poor judgement and noting a psychological report found no sinister motive. The judge ordered Agbalade to remain on the sex offenders register for five years, but she avoided custodial jail time. The court highlighted her cooperation, remorse, and lack of prior convictions. The case was presented as an unusual, non‑profit‑based distribution of a single clip.
The Central Criminal Court saw the collapse of a trial involving a 40‑year‑old man accused of raping his partner's sister. He had pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape at his Dublin home between September 2009 and July 2013, and to additional charges of oral rape and sexual assault involving contact with the complainant's thigh and vagina between August 2009 and August 2010. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy discharged the jury after a procedural issue arose, and remanded the accused on continuing bail until a new trial date is set.
In 2009 and 2010, a 40‑year‑old man from Meath was convicted by a jury of one count of rape and 12 counts of sexual assault against his fiancée's three daughters, who were in their early to mid‑teens at the time. The convictions were for offences committed in the family home in the east of the country. The judge sentenced him to ten years' imprisonment, noting the severe psychological harm inflicted on the victims, who are now in their early twenties, and praising their resilience. The man's appeal against conviction was dismissed by the Central Criminal Court. The appeal argued that the trial judge should have warned the jury about the dangers of convicting without corroboration for all three complainants; the court found the judge's partial warning adequate and upheld the conviction. No further details about the man's identity or prior convictions were provided. The case remains at the conviction stage.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a woman accused her sister's partner of rape and testified that she had blocked some of the abuse but retained vivid memories of other incidents. She stated she suffers from PTSD and experiences flashbacks of alleged sexual abuse that occurred when she was aged 13 to 16. She confirmed that she gave details of five separate sex abuse allegations to the jury. The accused man, 40, pleaded not guilty to seven charges of raping the then‑teenager at his Dublin address on dates from September 2009 to July 2013. He also pleaded not guilty to oral rape and sexually assaulting the complainant by rubbing his penis on her thigh and touching her vagina at the same location on a date between August 2009 and August 2010.
A 21‑year‑old woman testified in Central Criminal Court that she was raped by a man described as a "father figure" who had been her sister's partner. She said the assault began when she was 13, with the accused's children present in the bedroom. The victim claimed she was forced to perform oral sex on him weeks later. The accused, 40, pleaded not guilty to seven rape charges covering dates from September 2009 to July 2013, when the victim was aged 13 to 16. He also faced not‑guilty pleas for oral rape and sexual assault involving rubbing his penis on the victim's thigh and touching her vagina between August 2009 and August 2010. The prosecution argued the accused claimed consensual sex, while the defense contested the allegations. The trial continues with cross‑examination before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a 29‑year‑old Galway man was sentenced to seven and a half years' imprisonment for the weekly rape of his foster sister over a decade. He was also convicted of raping two other foster girls aged six to ten, with the rapes occurring in a hut by the family home and in other locations such as a field and the parents' room. The court heard that the accused asked the first victim to "do that thing for me" and forced her to hold a pornography magazine and clean herself with a dock leaf after an assault. The second victim, aged 11 when she reported the abuse in 2007, had been denied prosecution because the first victim denied it. The third victim, aged eight, was raped in the parents' room after being instructed to wear the mother's underwear.
Two Meath brothers, both in their late 40s, were convicted of raping their sisters in the 1980s and 1990s. The first brother was found guilty in January of four counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault, with the abuse occurring when the victim was aged 14 to 20. At sentencing on 20 March, Justice Deirdre Murphy imposed a 10‑year term, suspending the last two and a half years, noting the offender's juvenile status at the time of most offences but continued adult offending. The second brother, convicted in a separate trial, faced two counts of indecent assault and one count of rape between 1987 and 1988; his case was scheduled for a hearing on 19 April. Both men remain unnamed to protect victim anonymity. The victim described the abuse as escalating from touching to rape, occurring in various family locations, and expressed that her brother's actions ruined her teenage years. The defendants maintain their innocence.
In March 2018 the Central Criminal Court heard the case of Anthony Cassidy, 34, who raped and severely assaulted a woman in her fifties in Carlow. The victim was found unconscious on the outskirts of town 12 hours after the attack, with her top pulled up to her collarbone and her trousers partially removed. CCTV footage and DNA evidence linked Cassidy to the scene. He pleaded guilty to rape and assault causing serious harm on 25 June 2017. The victim suffered a multifocal brain injury, extensive bruising and was admitted to intensive care for weeks. She is now dependent on family care, experiences ongoing pain, immobility and night terrors. The court noted the offence was of exceptional seriousness and adjourned sentencing to 23 April, with a potential sentence above 12½ years up to life in prison.
A 39‑year‑old man, described by the court as a paedophile who poses a serious threat to society, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for sexual assault and child pornography offences. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault against an older boy aged 10‑11 and to producing child pornography involving that boy between September and December 2012. He also pleaded guilty to producing child pornography involving a younger boy aged 4‑5 in July 2013, and admitted possession of child pornography in December 2014 and contravening a sex offenders order in May 2016. The judge imposed a suspended 18‑month period and required the offender to engage in services and counselling while in custody. Gardaí seized laptops, an external hard drive and a USB key containing thousands of category‑one and category‑two images and videos of the two boys, which were identified by the police and specialist interviewers.
An unnamed 64-year-old man from Tipperary was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court following an appeal. He pleaded guilty to one count of rape, one count of attempted rape, and three counts of sexual assault committed against his niece, who was aged between five and ten, between December 1999 and May 2005. Mr Justice Tony Hunt imposed a headline sentence of 12 years, which was reduced to eight-and-a-half years due to the defendant's early guilty plea and admissions. The final year of the sentence is suspended on the condition that the man remains under Probation Service supervision for two years post-release, resulting in an effective custody period of seven-and-a-half years. The judge noted the defendant's limited cognitive ability and lack of previous convictions. The court heard allegations that the man terrorised the victim, who is now 23, and that the abuse caused severe long-term psychological harm, including depression and suicide attempts. The judge stated he would have imposed a longer sentence but was constrained by Court of Appeal guidelines. The matter was finalised with this sentencing.
A 68‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for serial sexual abuse of his family. He was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury in August of indecent assault and rape of his grandson from 2004 to 2015, when the boy was aged four to fifteen. He also pleaded guilty to indecent assault of three daughters, attempting to rape one and raping another between 1981 and 1987, when the girls were nine to fourteen. The judge described the abuse as a "grim catalogue" across two generations. The sentence, with some consecutive elements, was back‑dated to the time the man entered custody after the trial. The article reports the details of the assaults, the victims' impact statements, and the defendant's lack of prior convictions. No further legal outcomes are mentioned.
A Polish roofer, Slawomir Gierlowski, aged 33, was found guilty by a jury of carrying out three random violent sexual attacks on women in Dublin between 2011 and 2016. The first attack occurred on 11 September 2011, when he dragged a woman to the ground, sexually assaulted her and punched her repeatedly. The second, on 3 September 2015, involved a leather belt and duct tape, followed by sexual assault. The third, on 16 May 2016, took place in daylight on Knockmeenagh Lane; Gierlowski, armed with a hunting knife, pulled a woman backwards, threatened to slit her throat, and cut tendons in three fingers when she grabbed the blade. DNA evidence linked all three incidents to Gierlowski, who had been in custody since his arrest in June 2016. The trial, held at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, concluded with unanimous guilty verdicts for all three offences, and he remains remanded for sentencing.
In 2018 the Court of Appeal upheld a 12‑year sentence for a 55‑year‑old man convicted of sexually abusing his step‑daughter. The man had pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape, ten counts of sexual assault, one count of oral rape and two counts of using an object to penetrate the complainant between 2001 and 2005. The victim was aged 11 to 15 at the time. The Central Criminal Court had imposed concurrent sentences ranging from five to 12 years. The appeal was dismissed by Mr Justice Alan Mahon, who found that the trial judge had properly exercised discretion in admitting admissions and evidence. The Court found neither of the two grounds of appeal successful, and the conviction and sentence were confirmed. The case involved allegations of digital penetration, touching, oral rape and attempted intercourse, with evidence from the victim's mother, siblings and grandmother.
A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found Slawomir Gierlowski, 33, guilty of six counts of sexual assault, assault and false imprisonment against two women in Clondalkin over a four‑year period. The convictions relate to attacks in 2011 and 2015, when Gierlowski dragged the women to the ground, used a leather belt or duct tape, and sexually assaulted them. A third attack on 16 May 2016 involved a hunting knife; the victim was pulled backwards, cut three fingers, and escaped. DNA evidence linked Gierlowski to all three incidents, matching blood, semen and other trace material from the scenes. The jury deliberated over three additional charges from the 2016 attack, which will be considered tomorrow. The case remains at the jury stage for those further charges. The unnamed woman pleaded not guilty.
A jury has begun deliberating in the trial of Slawomir Gierlowski, a 33‑year‑old man from Drimnagh, Dublin, who is accused of carrying out violent sexual attacks on women in Dublin. Gierlowski denies all nine charges, which include false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault. He denies attacking and sexually assaulting women on dates in 2011 and 2015 at locations around Clondalkin in south Dublin, and also denies attacking a woman with a knife in 2016. One woman testified that on 16 May 2016 a man armed with a hunting knife attacked her on Knockmeenagh Lane, and she grabbed the blade to stop the attack, causing the knife to cut tendons in three of her fingers. Another woman said that on 3 September 2015 a man put a leather belt around her neck, knocked her to the ground, wrapped duct tape around her face and hands and sexually assaulted her.
During the trial of Slawomir Gierlowski, a 33‑year‑old man from Drimnagh, the prosecution presented DNA evidence as the central link between him and three violent sexual attacks on women in Clondalkin and Knockmeenagh Lane between 2011 and 2016. One victim recounted a 2016 assault where a man with a hunting knife threatened her throat and she cut his blade, leaving tendon injuries on her fingers. Another victim described a 2015 incident where a man wrapped a leather belt around her neck, knocked her to the ground, and used duct tape to restrain her before sexually assaulting her. The third victim reported a 2011 attack involving punches and sexual assault. The prosecution argued that DNA from Gierlowski's semen and blood was found at each scene, including on a jacket he owned and a Polish beer bottle near the 2016 site, and that cable ties linked to his van were found near the 2016 scene. Slawomir Gierlowski pleaded not guilty.
A 31‑year‑old man, who has 57 prior convictions but no previous sexual offences, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to eight charges of sexual assault against an 11‑year‑old boy in Cork between July 2011 and March 2012. The victim, now 18, was a child at risk who had previously attempted suicide and was in a care home when he confided in a friend. The man had become a friend of the boy's older brother, supplied the boy with alcohol, cigarettes and clothes, and eventually moved into the family home. Abuse involved mutual masturbation and the boy performing oral sex on the man. The boy reported that the man never threatened or used violence. The man was remanded in custody and sentencing is adjourned to 20 April. The victim's impact statement describes his confusion, vulnerability and gratitude for help received.
The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court will hear closing speeches in the trial of Slawomir Gierlowski, a 33‑year‑old man from Drimnagh, who is accused of violent sexual attacks on three women between 2011 and 2016. Gierlowski denies all nine charges, which include false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault. The prosecution, led by Roisin Lacey SC, has presented evidence from the three alleged victims. One victim recounted an attack on 16 May 2016 when Gierlowski, armed with a hunting knife, threatened her on Knockmeenagh Lane and she forced the knife to cut her fingers. Another victim described an assault on 3 September 2015 in Clondalkin, where Gierlowski used a leather belt and duct tape before sexually assaulting her. The third victim reported being punched and sexually assaulted on 11 September 2011 in Clondalkin. Judge Pauline Codd informed the jury that closing speeches would be delivered next Tuesday, followed by a charge on Wednesday and the start of deliberations.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 16 March 2018, Eoghan O'Connell, a 29‑year‑old former cancer survivor from Dargle Heights, Bray, was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for attempting to murder a man in his driveway on 8 April 2016. O'Connell fired a shotgun twice at the victim, a father of three in his late 30s, as the man left his home to go to work. Both shots misfired because the cartridges were damp, and the victim survived. The court noted that O'Connell had 65 prior convictions, including rape and assault, and that the victim had known him since childhood. The judge described the evidence as extremely strong, citing DNA and spent cartridges, and acknowledged the victim's family had moved away and suffered trauma. O'Connell's guilty plea led the judge to impose a 12‑year term, back‑dated to 2 May 2016.
Raymond Stewart, 31, was sentenced to four years in prison by the Central Criminal Court for threatening to rape and kill a woman he met in a Galway nightclub. On 18 July 2016, Stewart followed the woman from his house, repeatedly kicking and pushing her, and in a laneway threw her to the ground while telling her he would rape and kill her. He also shouted that she was "not worth raping." The woman, who had been told friends would be at Stewart's house, fled the scene after a house‑mate intervened. Stewart pleaded guilty to the threat to kill and sexual assault. He had nine prior convictions and was already serving a two‑year sentence for a separate assault. The court imposed concurrent sentences totalling four years, giving credit for time already spent in custody. The victim's impact statement described lasting distress, nightmares, migraines and a withdrawal from social activities.
Prince Ajibola, a 50‑year‑old father of four from Castlegate Place, Adamstown, Lucan, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a child‑pornography clip that showed a child under five being raped. The clip, sent to his phone via WhatsApp on 20 July 2016, was discovered when his two mobile phones were seized after his arrest at Dublin Airport on 1 September 2016. Ajibola admitted he had only viewed the clip once, then shut it down, and claimed he had forgotten it was on his phone. He denied forwarding it to anyone. The judge, citing his early guilty plea, remorse and cooperation, imposed a one‑year suspended sentence and ordered that he be entered on the sex offenders register. The sender of the clip has pleaded guilty to distribution and will be sentenced next month.
During the trial of Slawomir Gierlowski, 33, the court heard that his fingerprints were found on duct tape left at a 2016 crime scene in Knockmeenagh Lane. Detective Garda Conor Kiely explained that he had developed three marks from the grey masking tape and matched two of them to Gierlowski's left forefinger and right ring finger using the national database. Gierlowski denies the charges of false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault of three women in 2011, 2015 and 2016. He has pleaded not guilty to nine charges. The trial also heard testimony from the three alleged victims: one was attacked with a hunting knife in May 2016, another was strangled and taped in September 2015, and the third was punched and assaulted in September 2011. The case is before Judge Pauline Codd and an eleven‑man jury.
David Radford, aged 21, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to three and a half years' imprisonment, with the final 15 months suspended, for assaulting a 14‑year‑old girl on 5 and 6 September 2017. Radford had previously been jailed for two and a half years in November 2015 for sexually assaulting a teenage girl, and he has three earlier convictions for sexual assault of women dating back to 2010. The court found that Radford attacked the girl for no apparent reason, noting a "propensity towards violence". Radford pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing the girl harm at Washington Lane, Rathfarnham. He was described as effectively homeless at the time, with difficulties in literacy, numeracy and drug use. The sentencing followed the court's statement that Radford had no welcome in his family's home and had been involved in repeated violent incidents.
A 31‑year‑old man was jailed for three and a half years for raping a woman he was dating. The Central Criminal Court heard that the woman had told him she was not interested in sex without a condom, but he penetrated her after she told him he was raping her. In her victim impact statement she said the rape had "destroyed her spirit" and that she slept with a knife under her pillow for a time afterwards, describing the event as having "effected every branch of my life in a profound way". The man, whose identity is withheld to protect the woman, was convicted by a jury of raping her at her Dublin apartment on 23 November 2014. Mr Justice Paul Butler, who has dealt with rape cases for 18 years, said the case fell into one of the lowest categories he had seen, noting that the only clear rule was no unprotected sex, which was ignored.
A 55‑year‑old Galway man was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for two counts of rape and anal rape of his daughter between 2000 and 2002, and for sexually assaulting her from 1995 to 2002 when she was aged 11 to 18. The judge, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, said the sentences would run concurrently and that the man would be registered as a sex offender and supervised by the Probation Service for five years after release. The 32‑year‑old victim read a victim impact statement describing the father's abusive behaviour, his alcohol use, and the emotional and physical harm she endured. The defendant pleaded guilty, claimed remorse, and was noted to have a prior minor traffic offence. The judge described the crimes as "despicable" and a gross breach of his paternal role.
A 43‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to one year in jail for sexually assaulting a 12‑year‑old girl who was a friend of his stepdaughter during a sleepover at his home. The assault occurred on 14 February 2015 when the girl was asleep beside his daughter's bed. The man placed his hand under the girl's top while she slept and attempted to get under her sports bra. He was found guilty by a jury in a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial in November 2014. Judge Cormac Quinn noted the offence was a serious breach of trust and imposed a one‑year term, citing the maximum penalty of 14 years for child sexual assault. The sentence was not suspended. The victim, now 15, described the lasting impact on her life, including fear, loss of friends, and panic attacks, and expressed uncertainty about the man's motives.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the trial of 33‑year‑old Slawomir Gierlowski, accused of attacking three women in 2011, 2015 and 2016, presented DNA evidence linking him to the victims. Dr David Casey of the Forensic Science Laboratory examined a blood‑stained jacket taken from Gierlowski's home, finding a DNA profile that matched the third victim. A DNA sample from a beer bottle found at the 2016 scene also matched Gierlowski. In the 2015 assault, DNA from a belt and the victim's underwear matched Gierlowski's profile. DNA from the underwear of a 2011 victim also matched his profile. Gierlowski denies the attacks and has pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault. The trial continues before Judge Pauline Codd and an eleven‑man jury.
Faisal Ellahi, a Pakistani national, was convicted in 2016 of raping a young woman with Down syndrome in Dublin. He received a 13‑year prison sentence after a jury found him guilty of rape and sexual assault. Ellahi had pleaded not guilty and had lodged an appeal outside the 28‑day deadline. The Central Criminal Court scheduled a procedural hearing for July 17 to decide whether to grant him an extension of time to appeal. Ellahi was not present; the court heard that the victim was with her mother that day but had become separated. Testimony from 16 women described Ellahi's attempts to approach them, and Ellahi himself admitted to propositioning women and claiming consensual encounters, while denying penetrative sex with the victim. He also denied knowledge of her Down syndrome, stating he had never heard of it before his arrest.
Sean Thackaberry, aged 24, was sentenced to seven‑and‑a‑half years in 2013 for an aggravated sexual assault on Michelle Hennessey, who later took her own life. He was released in June 2017 but failed to attend 12 probation appointments, citing holidays and property viewings, and moved to an unapproved address near Hennessey's family, breaching the Sex Offenders Act. In December 2017 the suspended portion of his sentence was activated, adding three months for an assault committed in custody. Judge Patrick McCarthy noted Thackaberry's drug use and lack of community supervision, deeming further release unsafe. The court therefore imposed the suspended term, effectively extending his custodial period while allowing a chance for rehabilitation. The case highlights the court's decision to protect the community and enforce probation conditions. Sean Thackaberry pleaded guilty.
During a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the accused, Slawomir Gierlowski, 33, denied attacking three women in 2011, 2015 and 2016 in the Clondalkin area. The court heard that DNA evidence linked the 2016 knife attack on a woman on Knockmeenagh lane to the 2011 and 2015 incidents, and that the DNA matched Gierlowski. Detective Superintendent Colm O'Malley explained that the DNA of an unknown male was identified as Gierlowski's in June 2016, leading to an extension of his detention. Gierlowski denied false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault in all three incidents, and denied possessing a hunting knife with intent to intimidate. He also denied being the driver of a white van seen near the 2016 attack scene, although CCTV footage of a white van was shown to him. The trial continues before Judge Pauline Codd and a jury of 11 men.
Hamza Ali, a 22‑year‑old Pakistani asylum seeker, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to false imprisonment and assault causing harm to one woman on 14 June 2017, and sexual assault and false imprisonment of a second woman on 15 June 2017. The incidents occurred in Dublin early in the morning. In the first case, Ali approached a woman cycling home, used a tow hook to threaten her, and attempted to force her into his car, ultimately allowing her to escape after she threw the bar out of the vehicle. In the second case, he approached a woman cycling from work, threatened her with a knife, demanded sex, and attempted to slash her, but she fled and alerted Gardaí. Gardaí later recovered a car linked to Ali and evidence of unauthorized transactions on the victims' credit cards.
A 25‑year‑old Dublin man, Darragh Meehan, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for the online sexual exploitation and defilement of a 13‑year‑old girl. Meehan met the girl when she was 13 and he was 19, and they communicated regularly via Skype, Facebook and text. He exposed himself, masturbated on camera, and invited the girl to masturbate or penetrate herself. In person, he asked her to masturbate him and performed sexual acts. The girl's mother reported concerning messages, leading to Gardaí involvement. Meehan pleaded guilty to one count of defilement and three counts of sexual exploitation between December 2011 and May 2012. He had no prior convictions. The judge noted the victim's lack of true consent and the grooming that occurred, and sentenced him to six and a half years for defilement and a concurrent five years for exploitation.
The High Court has authorised proceedings for an additional sexual assault charge against a 78-year-old retired teacher currently in UK custody. The man, a UK citizen with a Donegal address, was extradited to the United Kingdom in July 2017 to face historical sexual assault charges and remains imprisoned awaiting trial. The High Court heard that he is now alleged to have sexually assaulted an underage student at a UK primary school between 1978 and 1980. As this charge was not included in the original European Arrest Warrant, UK authorities required High Court consent to proceed. Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly granted approval for the prosecution on the new matter today.
In a first‑time appearance before the Disclosures Tribunal, Sergeant Maurice McCabe alleged that former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan was "obsessed" with him and instructed former Garda press secretary Superintendent Dave Taylor to "bury" him. McCabe said Taylor, who was temporarily suspended in September 2016, claimed he had been ordered by Callinan to spread rumours that McCabe had been investigated for sexual assault. McCabe described an orchestrated campaign involving whispering, phone calls and texts, which Taylor allegedly forwarded to journalists and to Noirin O'Sullivan, who would approve the material. McCabe also recounted a meeting with Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness, during which Callinan allegedly warned McGuinness that McCabe was untrustworthy and had abused vulnerable children. Callinan and O'Sullivan denied the smear‑campaign allegations. McCabe's protected disclosure was made on 26 September 2016.
During the trial of Slawomir Gierlowski, a 33‑year‑old man from Drimnagh, Dublin, the court heard that a white van parked near the scene of a 2016 attack on a woman was linked to him. Residents near the Clondalkin attack site recalled seeing a large white van on 26 April 2016 and again on 15 May 2016, noting registration numbers beginning 07‑D and 08‑D. One resident, Michelle McCabe, described two men who approached her, one muscular, possibly Slavic, and later identified the van as a white VW Crafter with registration 08‑D‑20729, which was registered to Gierlowski. Gierlowski denies all allegations of false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault in the 2011, 2015 and 2016 incidents. The case is proceeding before Judge Pauline Codd and an 11‑man jury.
Garda whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe gave evidence at the Charleton tribunal, describing the 2011 response to his complaints as "a kick in the teeth." Chief Superintendent Colm Rooney, now retired, admitted his 2011 circular letter congratulating Bailieboro station was inappropriate, stating his vindication of the station's standards was not warranted. McCabe testified that he felt forced out of his position as Sergeant in Charge in March 2008 and described a culture in An Garda Síochána that made it "extremely hard to speak out." He noted that his revelations regarding penalty points "really hit hard in the force." The tribunal also examined a 2006 allegation by Miss D against McCabe, where the DPP recommended against prosecution, finding no basis for an assault or sexual assault. McCabe stated he was exonerated and received support from colleagues. He also referenced a 2009 Facebook comment calling a puppet "Maurice the rat," which the O'Higgins commission later described as "vile and offensive." The proceedings are part of a trial-stage inquiry into whether unjustified grounds were used to discredit McCabe, including serious allegations against former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan. The matter remains ongoing as the tribunal continues to hear evidence.
During the fourth day of his trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Slawomir Gierlowski, aged 33, denied attacking three women in 2011, 2015 and 2016. A woman, whose identity is withheld, testified that on 16 May 2016 she was attacked while walking to a Luas stop. She described being grabbed from behind by two arms, one holding a hunting knife and the other a dirty grey rag. The knife was pressed against her right cheek and moved down to her throat. She felt the blade cut through her fingers as she pulled it away, and she screamed before the attacker fled. She was taken to hospital where she was treated for severed tendons in three fingers and still cannot fully bend them. Gierlowski denies all allegations of false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault on the three women. The trial continues before Judge Pauline Codd and a jury of 11 men.
A man who received a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence for forcing a young friend to have sex with him when the boy was 15 was found guilty on appeal. The accused, now 23, abused the boy, who was 10 or 11, by threatening to keep him in the house and to set his dogs on him if he did not comply. He was convicted by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for defilement in his Dublin home between January and July 2011. He denied the charge. Judge Petria McDonnell described the assault as heinous. The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction, stating the trial was satisfactory and the verdict safe, while the appeal was dismissed by Justices Edwards, Birmingham and Mahon. The case was not withdrawn from the jury.
A 49‑year‑old Meath man was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury of four counts of raping and three counts of sexually assaulting his sister between 1983 and 1990, while he was found not guilty of one count of assault in their father's car in 1982. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial lasted a week in January and the jury deliberated for six hours. At the sentencing hearing, the victim, aged 49, described how her brother repeatedly raped and assaulted her with a "smirk" on his face, despite her pleas to stop. She said the abuse began when she was about 14 and continued until she was 20, occurring in fields, a shed, the family house and the hall. She revealed the abuse only after her brother confronted her at a family meeting, and she had kept it secret for years.
During the trial of Slawomir Gierlowski, a 33‑year‑old man charged with multiple sexual assaults, Garda Niall Kenny testified that he and Garda Brian Campbell responded to a late‑night incident in Clondalkin on 3 September 2015. Kenny described arriving in a patrol car, hearing a muffled scream, and finding a woman bound with black duct tape. He observed a suspect who fled the scene, running in zig‑zag patterns to avoid street lighting, and shouted for help. The suspect was pursued but lost from view. Gierlowski is charged with false imprisonment, assault, and sexual assault against three women at different dates and locations, including a 2016 incident near Naas Road and a 2011 incident. Dr Killian Bates provided a forensic medical report detailing injuries to a 2015 victim, noting possible semen and the suspect's non‑Irish origin, which influenced the decision to prescribe anti‑HIV prophylaxis. The case remains at the trial stage.
A 43‑year‑old man, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, was found guilty of raping his wife in their home in May 2014, making him the third person convicted of marital rape since the offence was made illegal in 1990. The jury also found him guilty of threatening to kill his wife and cutting her face, charges he denied, and of assaulting her with a hammer. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy originally sentenced him to 12 years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended in June 2016. On appeal, the Court of Appeal agreed that a 10‑ or 11‑year sentence was "somewhat out of kilter" for a single instance of rape without premeditation or unusual violence. The man was re‑sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended. His appeal against conviction was dismissed, a decision he also rejects.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 23‑year‑old woman described how her 64‑year‑old uncle terrorised and brain‑washed her into hiding sexual abuse from her parents. She said she was frightened whenever the uncle visited and feared what he would do, especially on her Holy Communion Day. The uncle pleaded guilty to one count of rape, one count of attempted rape and three counts of sexual assault between December 1999 and May 2005. He had no prior convictions. The victim was aged five to ten at the time of the offences. The court heard the first assault occurred on New Year's Eve 1999 when the uncle forced her to touch his penis while she was alone. Subsequent incidents included rape in a shed, forced contact under blankets, and forced touching in her bedroom in 2004 and 2005. The last incident was when he held her down in her bedroom in 2005.
Noel Kelleher, 64, an auctioneer described as a man of some standing in his community, was found guilty by a jury of six counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, three counts of oral rape and one count of attempted oral rape of a girl who was aged between 12 and 14 when the attacks took place. The offences occurred at various locations in County Clare between June 1991 and August 1992. Kelleher was also tried for 16 further counts of rape, indecent assault and sexual assault but was found not guilty on those charges. The victim, who waived her right to anonymity, said the abuse had a deep and lasting impact on her life. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy sentenced Kelleher to nine years, suspended the final 12 months, and ordered that he have no contact with the victim in perpetuity. Kelleher has not admitted guilt or expressed remorse. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court.
During the trial of Slawomir Gierlowski, a 33‑year‑old man charged with nine offences including false imprisonment, assault and sexual assault, a woman testified that she believed she was about to die during one of the attacks. She described being forced to the ground by a belt‑like restraint around her neck, her hands taken behind her back, and her mouth and nose covered. She said the attacker, who she identified as having an Eastern European accent, threatened to kill her and then taped her head and face. She felt light‑headed and thought she might pass out, describing the experience as both brief and endless. The attack ended when police arrived after a witness called 999. The case is still before Judge Pauline Codd. Slawomir Gierlowski pleaded not guilty.
In February 2018 the Court of Appeal heard that a 43‑year‑old man, who cannot be named, remains unremorseful for raping his wife and threatening her. He had been jailed for ten years after a jury in the Central Criminal Court convicted him of raping his wife in May 2014, threatening to cut her face, and threatening to kill her over the phone. The jury did not reach verdicts on charges of head‑butting and threatening serious damage when discussing custody of their son. He had admitted assaulting his wife with a hammer. He was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, in June 2016. His appeal was dismissed in December 2017, and the Court of Appeal has now upheld his conviction, noting that he has not shown any remorse for the rape offence. The appeal of his sentence remains pending.
A 33‑year‑old Dublin man, Slawomir Gierlowski, has gone on trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for nine charges covering three alleged attacks on women over five years. He is accused of false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault in each incident, and of unlawfully possessing a hunting knife with intent to intimidate in the 2016 case. Gierlowski pleaded not guilty to all charges. The prosecution, led by Roisin Lacey SC, presented evidence from three victims describing attacks in September 2011, September 2015 and September 2016. Witnesses recounted being choked, punched, and sexually assaulted, with injuries such as a broken nose and swollen eyes. DNA evidence allegedly linked Gierlowski to each crime scene, and a blood‑stained jacket and cable ties were found at his home and in a white van. A jury of 12 men has been empanelled for the trial.
Ibrahim Ahmed Gharib, 39, an illegal immigrant, was convicted of raping a 27‑year‑old foreign student in his Carlow home after following her from a shared bus. The victim, who had been sexually assaulted by Gharib on the bus, was taken to his house where he threatened to kill her if she did not remain silent. A jury found him guilty on all charges after a three‑week Central Criminal Court trial. Justice Isobel Kennedy sentenced him to ten years' imprisonment, reducing the initial twelve‑year recommendation due to his lack of relevant prior convictions and his non‑national status. Gharib denied all allegations, claiming the sex was consensual, and maintains his innocence. The victim expressed profound fear and loss of trust following the assault. No further legal actions were reported in the article.
A 29‑year‑old man, Eoghan O'Connell, was sentenced for attempting to murder a Wicklow man in front of his wife and children. On 8 April 2016, O'Connell tried to shoot the victim twice as he left the family home, but the shotgun misfired both times because the cartridges were damp. The victim and his family later sold their home and moved away. O'Connell, who had pleaded guilty to the attempted murder, was brought before the Central Criminal Court for sentencing. He had a history of 65 convictions, including rape and assault. The victim's wife gave a detailed impact statement describing the lasting fear, anxiety, and disruption to the family's life. Mr Justice McCarthy was set to deliver the sentence on 16 March, with O'Connell remanded in custody until then.