Michael Scott, a farmer who drove over his elderly aunt with a teleporter, had his manslaughter sentence reduced from six years to four years and six months on appeal. The court acknowledged Scott's remorse and lack of prior convictions but noted his "thuggish" behavior toward his aunt. The incident occurred in 2018 when Scott, who had a long-standing land dispute with his aunt, failed to keep a proper lookout while reversing across her yard. The court found that Scott's actions were negligent but not premeditated. His sentence was reduced after considering his character and the impact of the original sentence. Scott was tearful as he embraced his family following the appeal. The case highlights the complex relationship between Scott and his aunt, which had been marked by conflict and tension over land ownership.
A garda, Eoghan McGowan, who assaulted a 17-year-old boy by pouring puddle water over his tracksuit bottoms in a deliberate act of degradation, had his two-month jail sentence overturned on appeal. The incident occurred in 2023 when McGowan, in plain clothes, approached the teenager, searched him, and then poured water over his clothing, calling him names. The victim, who was in the care of the State, reported feeling humiliated and left on the street dirty. McGowan apologized and paid €5,000 in compensation. The appeal court found that the sentence was too harsh and replaced it with 60 hours of community service and an additional €5,000 payment. The judge acknowledged the severity of the act but noted McGowan's guilty plea, remorse, and lack of prior offenses. The case highlights the need for accountability within An Garda Siochana and the impact of such actions on vulnerable individuals. Eoghan McGowan had the case dismissed.
Dean Byrne (32) has lost his appeal against a conviction for conspiring to pervert the course of justice in the trial of garda murderer Aaron Brady. Byrne had attempted to dissuade witness Daniel Cahill from giving evidence by sending his garda statement to a third party. Mr Justice Brian O'Moore dismissed Byrne's appeal, stating that the use of the witness statement was unlawful. Byrne's lawyers had argued that no offence was committed if lawful means were used to dissuade a witness from giving false evidence, but the court found that Byrne had used unlawful means. The Director of Public Prosecutions intends to appeal the leniency of Byrne's two-year sentence. Byrne, who has spent most of his adult life in prison, is no longer in custody but was present for the ruling.
A burglar's jail time was halved after his sentence for criminal damage at a Lidl store was replaced with a suspended term on appeal. Thomas Carlyle (50), of no fixed abode in Dublin 2, was convicted of burglary at 'Saint Street Sneakers' and damaging a coin drawer at the Lidl store. He was initially sentenced to four months in prison for both incidents. Carlyle appealed against the severity of his sentence, citing personal circumstances, including drug use. Sergeant Stephen Walsh provided evidence that Carlyle was in possession of a screwdriver and that blood-stained sneakers were found at the scene. Carlyle has 17 previous convictions. Defence counsel Lydia Daly BL argued that Carlyle has stable accommodation arranged for his release and is an enhanced prisoner with a good work ethic. Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin affirmed the four-month sentence for the burglary but suspended the sentence for the criminal damage incident for one year, under conditions of good behaviour and engagement with the probation service.
Lawyers for John McDonagh, a 51-year-old man serving a 24-year prison sentence for the rape and murder of a Connemara schoolgirl, have argued that advances in forensic technology could undermine his conviction. McDonagh was found guilty in 2001 of the rape and murder of Siobhan Hynes (17) at Tismeain beach. Fibres from Hynes's clothing were found on McDonagh's jumper and in his car, supporting the prosecution's case. McDonagh's legal team, led by Michael O'Higgins SC, is seeking to re-examine the forensic evidence using modern technology. They argue that the trial did not consider new testing methods and that some forensic samples were not tested. Expert witnesses will provide evidence in February, and the court is considering whether new testing could affect the outcome of the case. The appeal is based on the potential for new technology to reveal previously unseen details in the forensic evidence. The unnamed 51-year-old pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal has ruled that Jim Connors (31) should not have received a fully suspended sentence for dangerous driving that caused serious harm to a taxi passenger and fleeing the scene. Ms Justice Tara Burns stated that the sentencing judge failed to impose a proportionate sentence for the serious nature of the offence. Connors, from Carrickmines, Dublin, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm and failing to assist the injured person. Judge Martina Baxter had initially imposed a four-and-a-half-year sentence, which she suspended in full on the condition that Connors keep the peace and be of good behaviour for five years. The DPP appealed, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal agreed that the suspension was inappropriate, noting that the rehabilitation evidence was not exceptional enough to justify the full suspension. The court quashed the original sentence and resentenced Connors to four years and six months in prison, with a ten-year driving disqualification. A bench warrant was issued for Connors' arrest as he failed to appear for the resentencing.
A 51-year-old man who has spent 24 years in prison for the rape and murder of a Connemara schoolgirl has claimed that his conviction was a miscarriage of justice, arguing that he should have the right to retest forensic evidence. Barrister Michael O'Higgins SC launched an appeal on behalf of John McDonagh, who was found guilty in 2001 of the rape and murder of Siobhan Hynes (17) at Tismeain beach in Keeraunbeg. McDonagh, who had pleaded not guilty, was sentenced to life in prison after a three-day trial. At the Court of Appeal, O'Higgins argued that new evidence and improved forensic testing methods could cast doubt on the original conviction. He highlighted a dispute between expert witnesses regarding the forensic evidence and claimed that the State was blocking access to the samples. O'Higgins emphasized that the potential of new testing methods had not been considered during the trial and that the defence expert, Dr Clare Jarman, disagreed with the State's expert, Dr Dorothy Ramsbottom, on the reliability of DNA testing.
George Hackett, a 39-year-old man with over 200 previous convictions, had his six-year jail sentence reduced to four years and six months on appeal. Hackett was found guilty of burglary and two attempted theft charges after breaking into a house and stealing a Revolut card. During the burglary, he threatened to use a knife when restrained by a neighbor. The Court of Appeal noted that the original sentence was too harsh and that Hackett's rehabilitation efforts should have been considered. The court acknowledged the aggravating factors, including the burglary at a dwelling and the threat of violence, but also recognized Hackett's willingness to engage in rehabilitation. The new sentence includes six months suspended, and Hackett is encouraged to seek help to break the cycle of criminality.
A man convicted of sexually assaulting his younger cousin over a four-year period has had his conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal and will face retrial. The 29-year-old, who cannot be identified to protect the complainant, was sentenced to five and a half years imprisonment following conviction on ten counts of sexual assault at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The alleged assaults occurred during a holiday in Leitrim and subsequently at a Dublin residence between 2007 and 2011, when the complainant was aged six to ten years old. The accused maintained his innocence throughout proceedings. In his judgement, Mr Justice Peter Charleton found that the trial judge's charge to the jury contained problematic language regarding the standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt. The judge's references to being "fairly sure" and a ruler analogy were deemed to have undermined an otherwise adequate instruction, potentially lowering the threshold for conviction. The Court of Appeal determined the conviction must be set aside. The matter is scheduled for mention at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 28 November 2025.
The Court of Appeal has issued new sentencing guidance for sexual assault offences after finding that the sentence imposed on Gerard Nevin was too lenient. Nevin, 42, pleaded guilty to 22 counts of sexual assault committed between 2012 and June 2020 against his stepdaughters, Catalina Grancea and Alexa Grancea. The charges included 12 counts relating to Catalina Grancea, involving inappropriate touching of her buttocks, breasts, and thigh. In November 2024, Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin imposed a global sentence of six years, with the final two years suspended. The State appealed, arguing the reduction from a nine-year headline sentence was excessive and that the suspension lacked evidential basis. Mr Justice Peter Charleton agreed, stating that the six-year sentence does not meet the gravity of the offences, which he described as systematic and calculated. The court noted that without the new guidance, the trial judge's approach was not sufficiently informed. The matter was adjourned to December 4 for re-sentencing in light of the new analysis, which places the offending in the upper range with a recommended headline sentence between nine and 14 years.
The State has argued that the fully suspended sentences given to Jim Connors, a serial driving offender who caused a serious crash and later committed further offences, were too lenient. Connors, who had 36 previous convictions, including road traffic offences, was serving a six-year driving ban when he crashed into a taxi, leaving a passenger with serious injuries. He received a four-and-a-half-year suspended sentence for dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm and four-year suspended sentences for three counts of leaving the scene to escape liability. The sentences were concurrent and suspended for five years. The State also challenged a three-year suspended sentence for reckless endangerment, which occurred a month after the taxi crash. Connors had additional charges, including drug driving and driving without insurance. The State's counsel argued that the sentences were unduly lenient given the severity of the offences and Connors' disregard for court orders. Connors' defence highlighted his cooperation, mental health issues, and rehabilitation efforts. The Court of Appeal reserved its decision until December 1.
The Court of Appeal has heard submissions in an appeal by Gerard Stokes and Samantha Campbell, who were convicted of seriously assaulting a woman, falsely imprisoning her, assaulting her friend, and aggravated burglary. The matter was adjourned as the court reserved judgment. Stokes, 44, received a 13-and-a-half-year sentence with two years suspended, while Campbell, 36, received a 12-year term with two years suspended. The victim, a grandmother in her 50s, lost an eye in the attack and now uses a prosthesis. Defence counsel Roderick O'Hanlon SC argued that the victim's hospital statement should not have gone before the jury because she was "in and out of consciousness" and "virtually asleep" during the reading back. He contended that medical evidence confirming her fitness to testify was absent, and that morphine may have still been administered. Counsel for the State, Timothy O'Leary SC, countered that a substantial voir dire took place and the circumstances were serious. The appeal centres on the admissibility of the statement, with the court hearing that the victim later sought to withdraw it due to memory loss. The procedural stage is an appeal, and the finalisation is an adjournment.
The Court of Appeal has upheld a State appeal against the leniency of the sentence imposed on Ian Doyle, a 34-year-old defendant from Crumlin. Doyle pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting a woman causing her harm and threatening to kill or cause serious harm in February 2023. He was on bail for assaulting a different partner at the time. The original sentence, set by Judge Orla Crowe, was three years and six months, with six months suspended, running consecutively to an existing term expiring in April 2026. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice Alexander Owens, concluded the original sentence was too lenient. The court resentenced Doyle to five years' imprisonment for the two counts, to run concurrently with each other. This new term is consecutive to the sentence Doyle is currently serving for the other matter, as the offences were committed while he was on bail. Mr Justice Owens stated that the five-year term reflects the gravity of the offending and the intimate relationship context, noting it is greater than what would have been imposed had Doyle not been on bail. The court rejected any suspension of the custodial element, citing the seriousness of the assault and the lack of sufficient mitigation.
Kenneth Kelly, 54, of Monaseed Demesne, Gorey, was sentenced to six years in prison by Judge James McCourt at Wexford Courthouse for demanding €1,000 from a victim over an alleged drug debt on 31 January 2024, a crime that involved threats and the possession of a .177 calibre air pistol and ammunition. Kelly had 12 prior convictions, including armed robbery. He appealed, arguing the judge had wrongly linked his threats to the victim's subsequent suicide and that the eight‑year headline sentence was excessive. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice Anthony Collins, rejected the appeal, noting the maximum penalty for such an offence is 14 years and that the judge had not erred in assessing the gravity of the crime or Kelly's culpability. Collins upheld the six‑year sentence, stating no evidence justified suspending any part of it. The appeal was dismissed. Kenneth Kelly pleaded guilty.
Career criminal Robert 'Roo' Redmond has lost his appeal against his conviction for the murder of Barry Wolverson. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Brian O'Moore, dismissed the bid, ruling that there was no risk of contamination to a North Face jacket containing gunshot residue that strongly supported Redmond's position as the shooter. Redmond, of Kilbarrack, Dublin 5, is serving life imprisonment for the 2020 murder of Wolverson, a father-of-eight, at Madigan's Yard, Swords. He had denied the charge. His co-accused, Bernard Fogarty, of Coolock, Dublin 5, was also sentenced to life imprisonment for the same murder. Redmond's legal team argued the jacket evidence should have been excluded due to improper storage by gardaí, claiming potential contamination. However, the court accepted the Director of Public Prosecutions' submission that the contamination argument was speculative. Mr Justice O'Moore noted that forensic evidence indicated the jacket's wearer was the shooter, a finding not directly disputed during cross-examination. The court found no error by the Special Criminal Court and confirmed adequate evidence placed Redmond at the scene. The appeal was dismissed in its entirety.
Patrick Quinn, a recidivist conman with 49 previous convictions, received a fully suspended 18-month sentence for deceiving a recruitment firm by taking €1,100 for accountancy work he never completed. Quinn, who was found five years after the crime through a Crimecall appeal, pleaded guilty to one count of deception. The court heard that Quinn, a chronic gambler, had misrepresented his qualifications and failed to complete the work, leading to the firm's strike-off. Despite his extensive criminal history, Quinn has been in recovery and attended Gamblers Anonymous. The judge acknowledged the seriousness of the offense but noted Quinn's efforts to lead a prosocial life and ordered the €1,100 to be returned to the victim. The suspended sentence reflects the judge's consideration of Quinn's rehabilitation and the impact of the crime on the victim's business.
The Court of Appeal has reduced the jail term for a Limerick man, who was 16 at the time of offending, regarding two separate violent disorder offences. The appellant, who cannot be named due to his age when first appearing in court, had previously been sentenced by Judge Colin Daly to three and a half years for an August 2021 home invasion in Limerick, with the final six months suspended. At that same sitting, he received a consecutive two-year sentence for an August 2023 attack at a filling station, where he pleaded guilty to using a slash hook. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, ruled that the appellant's status as a minor was a salient mitigating factor. Mr Justice McCarthy found that the sentencing judge erred by setting a headline sentence of seven years. He determined an appropriate headline sentence of three years for both offences, reduced to two years after mitigation. The two-year sentence for the filling station offence was ordered to run consecutively to the other sentence but was suspended for two years, conditional on the applicant entering a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour. Consequently, the court ordered the defendant to serve two years in prison.
Nathan Hutch, a 32-year-old appellant and nephew of Gerard "The Monk" Hutch, had his conviction discharged under the Probation of Offenders Act, 1907, following an appeal to the District Court Appeals Court. In the District Court, Hutch had pleaded guilty to intoxication in a public place and was convicted of threatening, abusive, or insulting behaviour in a public place. He was originally sentenced to two months consecutive to an existing 18-month sentence for a separate matter. Sergeant Lee Kelly testified that Hutch was observed running from gardai near Talbot Street, Dublin city centre, and was described as "extremely aggressive" while intoxicated. Defence solicitor Andrew Molony argued that Hutch, who has 104 previous convictions, suffers from severe trauma and anxiety following the 2018 murder of his brother, and requested a probation bond to facilitate treatment. Judge Deirdre Browne discharged the conviction under Section 1(1)(ii) of the Probation of Offenders Act, 1907. The conditions require Hutch to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for three years. He must also enter the supervision of probation services for 12 months after his release from custody and abide by their instructions. Judge Browne stated that if there is any breach, Hutch must turn up for conviction and sentence.
The President of the Court of Appeal, Ms Justice Caroline Costello, noted that several cases involving young offenders sentenced to life for murder are likely to be reviewed following a Supreme Court ruling that life sentences for child killers should only be imposed in exceptional circumstances. Two 17‑year‑olds have applied for extensions to challenge their sentences. Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC seeks more time for his client, who received a life sentence for the 2018 murder of Adam Muldoon, stabbed 183 times. Mr Ó Lideadha said many similar applications exist, but the DPP will advise the court. Solicitor Patrick Geraghty, representing the DPP, explained that the Supreme Court held life sentences with review are not recognised in law and that the DPP is examining cases where a review is possible. Mr Geraghty cited the case of a teenager convicted for the murder of Cameron Blair, noting it has been adjourned to December 5 for further consideration. The unnamed accused pleaded guilty.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeals against conviction lodged by Dion Genockey and Daryl Rooney, who were previously convicted of the gang rape of a vulnerable teenager who had recently left State care. The court ruled that the trial was "appropriate, fair and balanced," rejecting arguments that issues surrounding consent rendered the proceedings unfair. Genockey, of Clarion Quay Apartments, and Rooney, of Railway Street, Dublin City Centre, were convicted at the Central Criminal Court in March 2022 following a second trial; the first trial in 2020 ended without a verdict. Genockey was sentenced to nine years by Mr Justice David Keane, while Rooney received a ten-year sentence. A third accused, Troy Ryan, was also convicted and sentenced to nine and a half years. The appellants had argued that the trial judge failed to adequately address their right to silence and their belief in the complainant's consent. The Court of Appeal, in a judgment delivered by Mr Justice John Edwards and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, found that the jury was properly instructed on these matters and that there was prima facie evidence of the mental element of the offence. The appeals were dismissed, leaving the original convictions and sentences intact.
The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction of Christopher Slator for the 2016 murder of Michael Barr at Dublin's Sunset House pub, confirming that DNA evidence was correctly admitted. Mr Justice John Edwards dismissed Slator's appeal, noting the DNA profile matched Slator on both a rubber mask and the tongue of runners recovered from the vehicle used by the murderers. The court found the evidence relevant, probative and admissible, and rejected arguments that the prosecution failed to prove no innocent explanation for the DNA's presence. It also rejected claims of contamination or cross‑contamination, stating the SCC's conclusions were cogent and grounded in evidence. The appeal concerning a trip to Thailand was deemed admissible as circumstantial evidence. The judgment affirmed the SCC's detailed, comprehensive analysis and confirmed Slator's conviction as safe and final. Christopher Slator pleaded not guilty. Sunset House pleaded not guilty.
A woman convicted of child cruelty for smacking and hitting her children was discharged under the Probation of Offenders Act on appeal. She had pleaded not guilty to two counts of cruelty to children under the Children Act, 2001, for incidents between 2012 and 2017. She was sentenced to three months on each count, fully suspended for two years. The appeal was based on evidence from 2018 garda interviews where her children described smacking, hitting, and being thrown water bottles. The children's victim impact statements said the abuse destroyed their social life and future prospects. The court found the evidence credible, noted the woman's lack of prior convictions, and ordered her to keep the peace for 24 months, attend parenting and psychological courses, and have no contact with her children except as directed by the court. The discharge does not constitute an acquittal but removes the criminal record.
Dominik Biber, a 28‑year‑old Polish national, was convicted of attempting to murder his flatmate Tomasz Grosser, falsely imprisoning him and burglarising a neighbouring apartment. The Central Criminal Court sentenced him to 13 years, with the last two years suspended for the attempted murder, after a judge described the attack as a "ferocious and spontaneous eruption of terrible violence". Biber's appeal to reduce the 11‑year sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal. The appeal argued that the offences occurred under "very unusual circumstances" and that Biber's drug‑induced psychosis and prior rehabilitation should have led to a lighter sentence. The Director of Public Prosecutions countered that Biber had persisted in drug use despite previous psychosis. The judge upheld the sentence, noting no extraordinary life‑altering injuries to Grosser and that the 35% reduction was appropriate. The case remains at the appellate stage. Dominik Biber pleaded guilty.
In the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Peter Charleton dismissed Feliks Andrianov's appeal against his conviction for assault causing harm. Andrianov, who represented himself, had argued that subsidised jury lunches created bias, but the judge found no rational basis for such a claim. He also rejected Andrianov's allegations of judicial bias, claims that the judge had created a "psychological relation" with the jury, and that the judge had allowed the court to view videos of the assault. The judge noted that the evidence from body‑cam and CCTV was admissible and that Andrianov's statements about the judge and his own actions were unfounded. The appeal was rejected, and the original sentence of 18 months suspended for 18 months was upheld. The case remains at the trial stage, with no further review of the sentence requested.
The Court of Appeal has upheld the convictions of Jason Bonney, aged 55, and Paul Murphy, aged 64, who were found guilty of acting as getaway drivers during the 2016 Regency Hotel attack in Dublin, in which Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne was killed. Mr Justice John Edwards dismissed all grounds of appeal advanced by both men, finding the evidence presented to the Special Criminal Court was capable of supporting the convictions. The judge rejected contentions that CCTV footage was insufficiently reliable to identify the vehicles involved and that the men lacked knowledge of the Hutch criminal organisation. He also dismissed arguments that pre-arrest interviews should have been ruled inadmissible. Murphy, from Swords, County Dublin, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, while Bonney, from Portmarnock, Dublin, received eight and a half years. Both men indicated they will proceed with separate appeals against their sentences. Paul Murphy pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
A non‑national defendant, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, had an 11‑month jail sentence for breaching a safety order replaced with a fully suspended term on appeal. The defendant had previously posted an animated Facebook video featuring his ex‑wife's distorted voice and a second video showing cropped images of her family and current partner. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of breaching a safety order under section 33(1) of the Domestic Violence Act 2018. The District Court convicted him of ten months and eleven months in custody, to run concurrently, and he appealed the severity of the sentence. The District Court Appeals Court, after hearing the defendant's counsel, decided to fully suspend the ten‑ and eleven‑month terms for a maximum period of 24 months, ordering the defendant to be supervised by probation services and to comply with all related orders.
In a 2025 Supreme Court ruling, Justice Iseult O'Malley held that a life sentence for a child convicted of murder may only be imposed in exceptional cases where the child's intent and actions mirror those of an adult, and that sentencing courts lack jurisdiction to review detention terms for child offenders. Following this decision, the Court of Appeal granted Boy A, a 14‑year‑old convicted of murdering 14‑year‑old Ana Kriegel and of aggravated sexual assault, an extension to appeal his life sentence with a 12‑year review and a separate 12‑year sexual assault sentence. The extension was granted because the Director of Public Prosecutions did not object. Boy A and Boy B were convicted in 2019 for the 2018 murder at a derelict house in Lucan. The Court also heard a similar request from another former juvenile offender now an adult, and scheduled a further hearing for December 5.
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 7 November 2025, the appeal of retired Defence Forces member Richard Muldarry was dismissed. Muldarry had been convicted in a Court Martial in April 2024 of multiple sexual assault offences committed at a military base on 13 November 2021, including assaulting a female colleague by placing his hand on her leg and a male colleague by hugging and moving his face towards him. He also faced charges of conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline, such as lying on his back, raising his legs and presenting his buttocks area, and simulating oral sex. Muldarry argued that the trial judge erred by admitting forensic psychiatric evidence and by refusing photographs of his injuries. The Court of Appeal found no error in those decisions and upheld the conviction. The case remains at the conviction stage, with no further outcome announced.
Oliver Berry, aged 68, failed to reduce his seven‑year sentence on appeal for indecent assault of his daughter Sharon between 1980 and 1986. He had pleaded not guilty to 25 counts but was convicted in June 2023 and sentenced by Ms Justice Patricia Ryan on 25 July 2023 to run consecutively to a prison term he was already serving for the sexual abuse of his other daughter, Jennifer. The court found Berry abused Sharon up to three times a week, subjected her to physical violence, and she ran away at age 12. Berry had previously been jailed for ten years in 2018 for 104 counts of rape and sexual assault of Jennifer, aged 7 to 19, between 1982 and 1994; that sentence was increased by three years after a State appeal. Berry maintained his innocence, and his mother, who has since separated, gave evidence in his defence.
Anthony Finnegan, 46, of Portmarnock, had pleaded guilty to assault for spitting on a neighbour from a second‑floor window and was fined €300. He appealed, arguing the sentence was too severe. The District Court Appeals Court heard that the victim, who had asthma, reported the incident to Garda Jordan Metcalfe, who noted the spit struck her leg and shoe. Defence counsel Lydia Daly BL highlighted ongoing neighbour disputes and a restraining order against the victim. The victim's impact statement described the act as violent, causing stress‑related asthma attacks and flashbacks. Judge Deirdre Browne acknowledged the wrongdoing but focused on the conviction's impact on Finnegan, who had already paid €500 as an expression of remorse. The judge struck the conviction from his record, allowing the appeal to succeed.
Kieran Fogarty, aged 21, was resentenced by the Court of Appeal to a total of 14 years in prison, with the final year suspended, after the original eight‑year sentence was deemed unduly lenient. The appeal concerned his role in the fatal hit‑and‑run that killed 21‑year‑old student Joe Drennan on Dublin Road, Limerick, on 13 October 2023. CCTV showed Fogarty driving at 100–122 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, colliding with Drennan's car, then wiping the steering wheel for 14 seconds before fleeing. The Court of Appeal also addressed his other offences: a drive‑by shooting and a drugs‑for‑sale charge. Sentences for the firearms offence and the drugs charge were reduced to eight and four years respectively, while the dangerous‑driving‑causing‑death sentence was set at eight years, to run concurrently with the firearms sentence. Fogarty was disqualified from driving for 20 years. Kieran Fogarty pleaded guilty.
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 6 November 2025, the court found that a judge had erred by attributing the suicide of a man who had been threatened over a €1,000 drug debt to the actions of Kenneth Kelly, a 54‑year‑old convicted armed robber. Kelly, who had pleaded guilty to demanding money with menaces and was sentenced to six years in prison in June 2025, had been accused of a prolonged campaign of threats. Defence counsel argued that the judge over‑extended the causal link between Kelly's conduct and the victim's death, noting the victim's mental health difficulties. The appeal focused on the severity of the sentence, with counsel suggesting a seven‑year term would have been more appropriate. The court, led by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, upheld the original sentence but reserved further judgment, with a decision scheduled for 20 November 2025.
An appeal has been heard in the Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court regarding Leighton Morrison (49) of Woodfield, Galway Road, Tuam, Co Galway, who pleaded guilty to six sample charges from a total of 13 offences committed between January 2023 and June 2024. The charges include two separate counts of sexual assault against an eight-year-old girl and a nine-year-old girl, exploitation of a child, and possession and production of child pornography. Judge Eoin Garavan stated that Morrison remains a paedophile and a grave danger to children, regardless of the length of his incarceration. His sentence was backdated to July 2, 2024, and Morrison was ordered to undergo probation supervision for a year post-release, during which time he must get counselling and undertake a sexual offenders' programme. The court heard that Morrison is at high risk of recidivism and can never have unsupervised access to children again. The matter was adjourned.
Ross O'Shea, a former army captain, was found guilty by a General Court Martial in October 2022 of sexually assaulting a female non‑commissioned officer at a barracks social function on 25 June 2020. He was convicted of two charges – sexual assault and a Section 2 assault under the Non‑Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 – and was dismissed from the Defence Forces. A custodial sentence of six months at the Curragh Camp was imposed but suspended for one year. O'Shea had pleaded guilty to five of 18 charges, was acquitted of seven, and four were withdrawn. In a Court of Appeal hearing on 4 November 2025, Mr Justice John Edwards upheld the dismissal, noting the conduct was "corrosive of discipline" and that the psychological impact on the victims was significant. The victims welcomed the decision. The appeal argued the offences were an aberration in an otherwise glittering career, but the court found the dismissal justified.
Two men, Stephen Mulvey (34) and Jamie Berry (30), pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder a Dublin teenager on February 23‑24, 2021. They were arraigned before the Central Criminal Court and remanded on bail until January 19 next year. Their guilty pleas follow a Court of Appeal order to retrial, overturning a 2023 Central Criminal Court decision that had acquitted them due to insufficient evidence. The State had alleged Berry was the shooter and Mulvey assisted, while the teenager gave testimony but could not recall the day's events and was on medication.
A 61-year-old man has appealed his conviction for repeatedly sexually abusing his teenage sister-in-law, arguing that evidence regarding his temper created undue prejudice. The appellant, identified as Barry McDonagh, was found guilty by a jury of 17 counts of rape and one count of sexual assault following a Central Criminal Court trial in June 2024. He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison by Ms Justice Caroline Biggs in October 2024. The abuse occurred between 1999 and 2000 when the victim, who waived anonymity, was aged 15 to 16. In the Court of Appeal, counsel for the appellant argued that testimony about the man's violent temper, including allegations he broke his wife's ribs, was irrelevant and highly prejudicial. The Director of Public Prosecutions countered that this evidence was necessary to explain the victim's fear and lack of resistance. The appellant also claimed the judge erred in failing to discharge the jury after a question referencing a holiday to Tunisia. The three-judge court, led by Mr Justice Peter Charleton, reserved its judgment, meaning the matter was adjourned and not concluded.
Megan Coleman, aged 20, pleaded guilty to burglary of Footlocker on O'Connell Street on 23 November 2023, with a second burglary charge of the Asics store considered. Garda Brian Kenny presented evidence that a public appeal for information on 99 persons of interest was part of the Dublin Riots investigation, and that Coleman was named by a member of the public and later formally identified by Gardaí. CCTV footage showed her entering Footlocker three times and Asics once, but did not capture any protest or criminal damage. The court was informed that Footlocker suffered €435,201 in losses and Asics €135,367. Coleman admitted taking items, apologised, and had no prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan imposed an 18‑month fully suspended sentence, placed her under Probation Services supervision for one year, and noted her youth and lack of previous convictions.
Amy McAuley (35) has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of the use of a false instrument through submitting a false death notification form to Wexford County Council on January 19, 2023. She also pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice on January 23, 2023, and to a count of forgery of a medical report on November 23, 2022, both at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Parkgate Street. The case is currently at the appeal stage. Judge Orla Crowe imposed a global sentence of four years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions for four years. McAuley was also directed to place herself under the supervision of the Probation Services for 12 months post-release. The judge noted that McAuley's actions were a deliberate scheme to pervert the course of justice and involved significant breaches of trust. McAuley has four previous convictions for theft and deception offences. The matter was adjourned for appeal.
Romer Huarita, 31, of Dublin 4, was sentenced to 15 months in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to knowingly distributing child pornography material on January 7, 2022, and December 8, 2021. He also admitted to possessing child pornography. Prosecutors stated that 74 images and 45 videos, totaling over three hours, were found on his phone during a March 2022 search. Huarita sent two explicit videos via WhatsApp, later asking the recipient if the children were "too young." He expressed regret to gardai. Defense counsel Eanna Mulloy SC highlighted Huarita's lack of prior convictions, his employment history, and a psychological report indicating low reoffending risk. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged the mitigating factors of his guilty pleas and work history but imposed the 15-month sentence, noting the maximum penalty for distribution is 14 years. The judge referenced a Court of Appeal ruling regarding non-custodial sentences in the absence of aggravating factors. The matter was concluded with this custodial sentence.
A 55‑year‑old taxi driver, Feliks Andrianov, appealed his conviction for assaulting a security guard at a McDonald's restaurant near Dublin Airport. He argued that the jury's subsidised lunch created a "psychological relation" with the State, biasing the verdict, and that the trial judge was biased by questioning the jury about their meal. Andrianov claimed his defence team failed to present a legitimate defence, that CCTV footage was admitted without verification, and that he was denied the right to finish his testimony. He also alleged misdirection regarding the offence under the Non‑Fatal Offences Act and that his counsel had not followed his instructions. The Director of Public Prosecutions countered that the judge's rulings were justified and that the evidence was admissible. The court will reserve judgment on the appeal.
Michael Lynn, a former solicitor convicted of stealing €18 million from Irish banks, is appealing to the Supreme Court to reduce his five‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term by crediting the four‑and‑a‑half years he served in Brazil's Cotel Prison. The Supreme Court will consider how remission for good behaviour, normally a 25 % discount in Ireland, should apply to time served abroad. Lynn was convicted on ten counts in February 2024 and sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Martin Nolan to 13 years, later reduced to 5 years 9 months after the Court of Appeal added three months for severity. The appeal focuses on whether the courts should aggregate his Brazilian imprisonment and apply remission for the entire period, rather than only time served in Ireland. The Supreme Court has allowed the challenge to proceed, noting no statutory formula exists for crediting time abroad. The outcome could increase or decrease his sentence.
In a High Court appeal-stage proceeding, an unnamed father who had sought orders directing the State to assist in the return of his daughter from Poland dramatically withdrew his legal proceedings immediately after winning a ruling against the State. The man, who cannot be identified to protect the child's identity, had accused the State of abandoning his rights after the child's mother took her to Poland in February 2024 without his consent. Despite holding a valid Polish return order since May, he claimed he had made 11 unsuccessful attempts to locate his daughter. The State, represented by Gerard Durkan SC, had argued that Irish authorities were bound by Hague and Vienna Conventions to respect Polish sovereignty and that it was up to Polish authorities to execute the return order. Mr Justice Garrett Simons refused the State's motion to strike out the case, stating it involved significant legal issues of public interest that must go to trial. However, immediately following this favorable ruling, the appellant stated he no longer wished to continue, citing a lack of time and a desire to stop filing paperwork. He expressed that he only wanted to know his daughter was safe. Mr Justice Simons acknowledged the situation as a "nightmare" for the man, gave him two weeks to reconsider if he wanted to continue with the case, and then adjourned the matter.
Philip Ogbewe, a 61-year-old man from Drogheda, Co Louth, appeared at the Court of Appeal to challenge his sentence for performing illegal circumcisions on seven boys between January 2018 and October 2019. Ogbewe pleaded guilty to seven counts of endangerment and seven counts of assault causing harm. In July 2024, Judge Elma Sheahan imposed a four-and-a-half-year sentence on each endangerment count, with one running consecutively and the rest concurrently. After applying the principles of totality, the effective sentence was reduced to seven and a half years, with the final 12 months suspended. Ogbewe's counsel, Giollaosa Ó Lidheada SC, argued the headline sentence was too high and that Ogbewe was not given sufficient credit for his remorse and reformation after "seeing the light." He contended that Ogbewe's prior three-year sentence for a separate 2015 offence, which expired just before these charges were laid, should have influenced the totality calculation. The Director of Public Prosecutions, represented by Shane Costelloe SC, maintained the sentence was sound, citing grave aggravating factors including the number of victims and Ogbewe's knowledge that his actions were illegal. The court reserved its judgment, meaning the matter was adjourned and not concluded.
The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions regarding the sentencing of Maureen McCormack. McCormack, a former Bank of Ireland employee, pleaded guilty to arson at a Banagher branch in October 2021 and three theft charges involving approximately €200,000. In October 2024, Judge Keenan Johnson at Tullamore Circuit Court sentenced her to 240 hours of community service in lieu of four years' imprisonment for the arson charge. Additionally, a four-year prison sentence for one theft charge was suspended for six years. The DPP argues this fully suspended sentence is unduly lenient, asserting that the custodial threshold was clearly passed and the decision represents a substantial departure from the norm without deterrence. Counsel for the DPP highlighted the planning involved and McCormack's disregard for public safety. In response, McCormack's legal team emphasized substantial mitigation, including her early guilty plea and the repayment of over €115,886 in compensation, arguing the judge was entitled to exercise discretion given the exceptional circumstances. The matter was adjourned, with the court set to deliver its decision at a later date.
Stephen Penrose, aged in his 40s, appealed against a two‑year prison sentence for threatening to damage a prison officer's home at Cloverhill. He argued that his right to a fair trial was breached because the State failed to provide contemporary prison logbooks and that the documents were falsified. The Court of Appeal found no evidence that the logs recorded any fire alarm or sprinkler activity and that the prison officers' testimony that no sprinkler went off was accurate. The judges noted that the State had eventually produced the journal entries on the day of sentencing, and that Penrose had been told the entries were in an archive but not indexed. The appeal was dismissed on all grounds, with the court stating that the material had no reasonable impact on the case. Penrose also claimed a failure to disclose CCTV and alleged witness falsehoods, but these were not accepted.
Two men sought by United Kingdom authorities on charges connected to a 1975 RUC shooting have argued before the Court of Appeal that decades-long delays in pursuing their extradition amount to an abuse of process. John Edward McNicholl, aged 73, of Newmills, Letterkenny, County Donegal, and Seamus Christopher O'Kane, aged 74, of Scalestown, County Meath, face charges relating to the investigation into the murder of Constable Robert John McPherson in County Derry on 26 July 1975 and an attempted murder. Both men escaped from the Maze Prison in May 1976 before trial. The High Court previously ruled in their favour regarding delay grounds was insufficient to refuse surrender, though noting some periods of inaction by authorities. At appeal, counsel for both men contended the nearly 50-year delay constituted an abuse of process, with prosecution decisions dating to 1976. The Minister for Justice's representative characterised the case as fundamentally one of delay rather than abuse of process. The three-judge court reserved judgement.
In an appeal hearing, a man's conviction for breaching a protection order by allegedly grabbing his ex‑partner's arm during an argument over a child's car seat was overturned. The man, who pleaded not guilty in the District Court, had been convicted under section 33(1) of the Domestic Violence Act 2018 and sentenced to a six‑month term that was fully suspended. He appealed the conviction, arguing that his hand had only touched the woman while demonstrating the tension of the seat belt and that the contact was inadvertent. The prosecution maintained that the woman's fear was justified. Judge Deirdre Browne found the woman's testimony credible, noted that the contact was likely accidental, and ruled that the action did not meet the threshold for a breach of the protection order, allowing the appeal to stand.
A man was arrested by Gardaí after drunkenly attempting to climb into his ex‑partner's Dublin home, following repeated breaches of a safety order issued in January 2024. He was convicted in the District Court of two counts of breaching the order under section 33(1) of the Domestic Violence Act 2018 and sentenced to three months' custody. On appeal, the District Court Appeals Court increased the custodial term to six months but suspended the entire sentence for one year, subject to the defendant's compliance with probation supervision, psychological counselling and alcohol‑abuse treatment. The appeal was based on the defendant's cooperation with Gardaí, his stated mental‑health struggles, sobriety, and family responsibilities, as presented by his counsel and the judge's remarks on the seriousness of the breaches and the impact on the victim's children.
A suspended sentence was imposed on Gedas Bertulis (34) during an appeal stage at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Bertulis pleaded guilty to possessing 35 videos of child sexual abuse material at his home in Mulhuddart in March 2022. The videos involved children aged between five and 13 years old in various sexual activities, including five videos of children in sexually explicit poses. Bertulis admitted to the charges and expressed remorse, stating he was glad he was caught and that his behaviour made him feel sick. His defence, Karl Monahan BL, explained that during the lockdown, Bertulis began drinking heavily and downloaded the material from websites designed to obscure user identity. Bertulis, a Lithuanian national with no relevant previous convictions, has not come to adverse garda attention since the offence. Judge Martin Nolan referenced the 2006 'DPP v Loving' judgment, which advised that in the absence of aggravating factors such as distribution or prior offending, a non-custodial sentence should be considered. As such, the judge imposed a two and a half year suspended sentence, conditional on Bertulis keeping the peace and being of good behaviour for that period.
The Court of Appeal heard an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions against the sentence imposed on Ian Doyle, who pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman causing her harm and threatening to kill or cause serious harm to her in February 2023. Doyle, who was on bail for assaulting a different partner at the time, was sentenced by Judge Orla Crowe to a headline term of five years, reduced to three years and six months with the final six months suspended. This sentence runs consecutive to a term expiring in April 2026. The State argued the sentence was too lenient, contending it represented a gross departure from the norm and that the sentencing judge erred by failing to adequately reflect aggravating factors, including Doyle's 74 previous convictions and the fact he committed the offences while on bail. Counsel for the DPP argued the threat to kill should have been the gauge offence rather than the assault, and that excessive weight was given to the late guilty plea. Doyle's counsel argued the sentence was within the available range and that the judge correctly treated the assault as the primary offence. The court reserved its judgment on the appeal.