During an interview about a robbery he had committed, Dubliner Jason Kennedy (45) stole two USB keys from Shankill Garda station. He was captured on footage putting the keys in his pocket when a Garda stepped out of the interview room. Kennedy pleaded guilty to robbery at Park Pharmacy, Cabinteely, and the theft of the USB keys on 18 August 2016. He has 43 prior convictions and had been drug‑free for years before a "slip" led to these offences. Judge Karen O'Connor granted him bail, ordering him to attend a residential treatment programme at Coolmine and a step‑down and after‑care programme, with a staff member accompanying him. The court will finalise sentencing in January after a progress report. Kennedy was also charged with threatening pharmacy staff, stealing €500 and prescription drugs, and was arrested after a car search recovered medication and the hammer used in the robbery.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 5 July 2017, Jeff Hendrick (25) and Jonathan Doran (26) denied charges of violent disorder at Harcourt Street on 12 October 2013. Darren McDermott testified that Hendrick dragged him from a taxi outside Krystal nightclub, where he was kicked and struck. McDermott could not recall any "slagging" of Hendrick's teammates or family, and denied shouting threats. He said Hendrick had asked him to leave the group and that he had been aggressive. McDermott also denied any intent to harm Hendrick's career, though he admitted sending hostile messages online a month later. The court heard that bouncers had tackled Hendrick and escorted him out, and that McDermott left the club after further verbal altercations outside. No verdict was reached in the article.
A 26‑year‑old man, Jason Keating of Lower Main Street, Rush, was charged with the murder of Noel Kirwan, 62, outside Kirwan's house on St Ronan's Drive, Clondalkin, on 22 December 2016. He applied for bail in the High Court on 28 June 2017, but the State objected. Inspector Mark O'Neill argued that Keating would commit further offences if released and might not attend trial. Chief Superintendent Lorraine Wheatley also opposed bail under Section 2(A) of the Bail Act, citing the need to prevent serious offences. Judge Paul Butler rejected the application, and Keating was remanded in custody.
Two men, Jordan Carthy (22) and Shane Walsh (18), pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and robbery of two necklaces worth €22,000 at Dame Lane, Dublin 2 on 9 September 2016. The victim, Richard Bergin, was attacked by three men after a night out and had his bag stolen. The bag contained the necklaces, which he had borrowed for his aunt from a jewellery shop where he worked. Garda Frank Johnson identified the accused on CCTV footage, noting that the men repeatedly kicked Bergin while he was on the ground and that Carthy performed a taunting dance. Walsh took the bag and was later arrested in Stephen's Green, where he was found wearing one of the necklaces and a jacket belonging to Carthy. Both men were intoxicated at the time of the assault and claimed they did not remember the incident. They were out on bail when the incident occurred.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 19 June 2017, 39‑year‑old Alan Daly pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at Dunnes Stores, Ongar Village, on 13 March 2016. Daly, who had 13 prior convictions, was armed with an imitation firearm described as a "BB gun" and a co‑accused carried a knife. The pair entered the store with balaclavas, but Daly remained at the door while the co‑accused approached the tills. Staff alerted security, who pursued the men. Both fled empty‑handed and were arrested in a car that had been taken from its owners' house earlier that day. Garda Peter Foley recovered the imitation firearm, a large kitchen knife and balaclava. Daly's defence argued he had been compelled by criminals to repay a drug‑related debt and had acted in desperation after being assaulted. The judge adjourned sentencing to allow further consideration of the case and reports.
Patrick O'Reilly, 49, of Brownswood, Enniscorthy, was denied bail by the High Court after being charged with threatening to kill Garda Paul Donoghue and Detective Inspector John Hunt in February in Limerick. The State argued that O'Reilly was a flight risk and could interfere with witnesses, citing O'Callaghan objections and Section 2A of the Bail Act. Justice Michael Moriarty ruled the bail refusal necessary, hearing evidence from Chief Superintendent John Roche and the two Gardaí who were allegedly threatened. O'Reilly now awaits trial at Clonmel Circuit Court.
Lawyers for the Minister for Justice have asked the High Court to refer a 2012 Supreme Court decision that placed an absolute bar on the extradition of Ian Bailey to France to the European Courts of Justice. The case concerns Bailey, 60, who denies involvement in the 1996 death of Sophie Tuscan du Plantier, found dead outside her holiday home in Schull. French authorities sought Bailey's surrender in 2010 and again in 2016, but the Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that Section 44 of the European Arrest Warrant Act created an absolute jurisdictional bar because the alleged offence was committed outside French territory and Irish law does not allow prosecution for the same offence abroad by a non‑Irish citizen. Counsel for the Minister, Robert Barron SC, argues that the Supreme Court's majority interpretation was incorrect and that the dissenting judge's view should be examined by the European Courts.
A trial date has been set for a teenager charged with murder in County Mayo. The 17-year-old accused, who cannot be named due to his age, faces a charge of murdering 17-year-old Dovydas Jenkus on 19 December 2015 at Claremount Manor in Claremorris. The defendant, with an address in County Mayo, will stand trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Castlebar on 11 July. The alleged incident occurred approximately eighteen months before the court proceedings were scheduled.
Hasan Bal, 25, formerly of Waterford, was charged with providing and attempting to collect funding for the terrorist group Isis. At the High Court, Justice Aileen Donnelly refused him bail under Section 2A of the Bail Act, after hearing evidence from Chief Superintendent Dominic Hayes that bail would risk the commission of a serious offence. The State's barrister, John Berry BL, noted that the full book of evidence will be served within a month.
Mr Vincent O'Donoghue has filed an application in the High Court seeking to halt the imminent sale of the State's shareholding in AIB. He requests an injunction to prevent the government from disposing of any part of its stake until his case is heard, and a declaration that the proposed sale is contrary to the common good and unlawful. In a sworn statement he cites AIB's history of governance failures, including the 1980s bailout of subsidiary ICI, the rogue trader John Rusnak, DIRT tax evasion, and the €21.8 billion bailout in 2009, arguing that private ownership would make the bank serve only foreign shareholders and pursue profits relentlessly. The State and AIB oppose the action, filing motions to strike it out on grounds of vexatiousness and frivolity. The court has scheduled a hearing for Friday, with Mr O'Donoghue contesting the urgency of the matter and noting the government's recent Dáil defeat of the sale vote.
James Joseph Cassidy, aged 53 and resident of Tullycollive in Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan, has been charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army. The alleged offence occurred on 21 September 2016. At the Special Criminal Court, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy set a trial date of 18 June 2018. Mr Cassidy was remanded on continuing bail pending the commencement of proceedings.
During a High Court bail hearing on 19 May 2017, Hasan Bal, a 25‑year‑old Irish Muslim, pleaded that he had changed and would not commit offences or contact Islamic fundamentalists if released. Bal, formerly residing on O'Connell St, Waterford, said he now focuses on family, community and multi‑faith groups. He told Justice Aileen Donnelly that he would not contact the Islamic State or commit any offences, adding "On the Koran, 100 per cent." The court adjourned the bail application to hear evidence from community members about his behaviour since his 2015 arrest. Bal faces charges of providing funding for a foreign terrorist group on 2 October 2015 and attempting to collect funding for a foreign terrorist group on 23 October 2015. Chief Superintendent Dominic Hayes opposed bail under Section 2A of the Bail Act, arguing it was necessary to prevent a serious offence.
In a Dublin District Family Court hearing on 18 May 2017, a mother testified that she saw her son outside a Garda station while his father was being charged with criminal damage. She claimed that the father, who had been granted joint custody and regular overnight visits, had refused to return the child for two days. The mother recounted that she had to plead for over an hour outside the father's house to retrieve the boy, and that the father had kept him for an additional two nights. She then went to a Garda station, where she saw her son with a young woman known to both parties in a car outside the station. The judge, Gerard Furlong, ruled that the father must hand the child back to the mother after visits and that he must pay €1,110 in child maintenance within eight weeks. The mother retained primary care and control of the boy.
Georgia Saunders, the partner of the murdered gangster Eamon Dunne, has filed a High Court claim against Irish Life Assurance Plc seeking €250,000 from a life insurance policy the couple took out in 2008. Dunne was killed in April 2010 while attending a birthday party in a Cabra pub; at the time of his death he was on bail awaiting trial for armed robbery and had been linked to about a dozen gangland murders. Saunders, who lives in the Netherlands, requests an order that Irish Life pay the policy amount and to enforce the contract. Irish Life contests the claim, arguing that the couple failed to disclose relevant medical information when applying online. The court heard that Irish Life had asked Saunders for details about Dunne's medical visits and alleged substance use, which Saunders had not provided.
A Monaghan man has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organization styling itself the Irish Republican Army before the Special Criminal Court. Jim Smyth, aged 44, with an address at Aghalissabeagh, Scotstown, is accused of IRA membership on November 25th, 2015. The prosecution opening heard that gardaí conducted an operation near two derelict houses at Knockatallon, County Monaghan, following a briefing by senior officers at Monaghan Garda Station. A detective garda gave evidence of observing Mr Smyth walking up a laneway at approximately 9:25pm before his arrest by Detective Sergeant Gerry Doherty. The prosecution outlined that interviews conducted under the Offences Against the State Act would be heard, along with evidence from a seven-day search following his arrest. A fingerprint matching Mr Smyth's was found on a medicine pillbox recovered during the search. The trial, before Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy and two other judges, continued.
A Dublin man, Gary Walsh, 32, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of former rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, who died after a row at a Terenure flat on 8 February 2014. Walsh had previously faced two jury trials that ended in hung juries. At a brief hearing, he pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. He has spent 22 months in custody, is now on bail, and has complied with all bail conditions. The court adjourned sentencing to 3 July to allow Walsh to complete a bus‑driving course and to hear the victim's family statement.
The Special Criminal Court has heard evidence that two "very well-made" and "viable" improvised explosive devices were discovered in a vehicle stopped by gardai on the N52 in County Meath. Michael Connolly, aged 44 and from Grange Drive in Dundalk, County Louth, has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA, on 16 December 2014. The prosecution alleges Mr Connolly was observed driving in convoy with a man who was later found with the two devices. A retired army captain and a detective garda gave expert testimony describing the IEDs as cylindrical plastic containers powered by nine-volt batteries, each containing a timing unit programmed for approximately eight hours and pyrotechnic material. Both devices were confirmed as completed and viable. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding with Judge John O'Hagan and Judge Flann Brennan.
Dublin woman Hazel Waters, 46, pleaded guilty to manslaughter of her two‑year‑old son, Muhammad Hassan Khan, who was found dead with stab wounds in their home on 16 October 2014. She denied murder but admitted manslaughter. The plea was accepted by the State. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC noted psychiatric reports would be submitted and issues of diminished responsibility considered. Justice Patrick McCarthy adjourned sentencing to 23 May.
In 2015, 18‑year‑old Melvin Rattigan, who had no full licence or insurance, drove a green Peugeot onto Lower Dominick Street and collided with cyclist Ms Laura Briggs, who was cycling home from work. Rattigan, who later admitted panic and fled the scene, was found to have turned right from Dorset Street onto Dominick Street without observing Briggs, who had the right of way. Briggs suffered serious injuries, including a hairline skull fracture, and reported ongoing physical and mental effects. Rattigan pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm. The court noted his lack of prior convictions and his status as an inexperienced driver, and adjourned sentencing, remanding him on bail until 22 June. No sentence was imposed in the article.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Brian Kenna, 54, pleaded not guilty to membership of the Irish Republican Army. The court considered handwriting evidence from an alleged IRA communiqué smuggled from Portlaoise prison. Detective Garda John Sweetman examined the communiqué, written on three cigarette papers, and compared it with Christmas cards Kenna carried. He concluded the comparison was inconclusive and could not reliably determine common authorship. The trial is set to resume on Friday morning before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, Judge John O'Hagan, and Judge Flann Brennan.
Thomas Fox, 29, of Rutland Court, Dublin, was charged with the murder of Gareth Hutch, who was shot dead outside his home on North Cumberland Street, Dublin 1, on 24 May 2016. Fox had previously applied for bail on 10 February 2016, which was refused by Justice Isobel Kennedy under the "O'Callaghan" principles and section 2 of the Bail Act 1997. He applied again in the High Court on 2 May 2017. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Eoghan Cole BL, argued that there had been no sufficient change of circumstances to justify bail, citing Fox's claim of asthma and the fact that he received three stab wounds while in custody. Fox's counsel, Dean Kelly BL, contended that the assault represented a change in circumstances. Justice Paul Coffey rejected the bail application, stating the matter had been "substantially considered" previously by Justice Kennedy. The High Court therefore refused bail for a second time.
Dwayne Keane, 25, of Raheen Drive, Ballyfermot, was charged with attempted murder of Jason Williams, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and assault causing harm. The High Court refused his bail application, citing Chief Superintendent Lorraine Wheatley's evidence under Section 2(A) of the Bail Act that bail would risk a serious offence. Justice Paul Coffey applied the "O'Callaghan" principles and Section 2 of the Bail Act 1997 to reject the application. Keane was remanded in custody until the trial, expected to start on 9 April next year.
Joseph Walsh, Michael Gilmartin, and Sean Walsh, all accused of membership in an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army (IRA), appeared at the Special Criminal Court. Walsh (36) of Glengarriff Road, Fair Hill, and Gilmartin (46) of Chestnut Drive, Cluain Ard, Newtown, Cobh, were freshly charged with possession of firearms and ammunition. The new allegations state that on December 14, 2016, they possessed a 9mm parabellum pistol, a suitable magazine, a double-barrel sawn-off shotgun, 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and eight shotgun cartridges at the Chestnut Drive address. These charges follow earlier allegations of IRA membership against all three men, including Sean Walsh (50) of St John's Well, Fair Hill, who was arrested in Cork in December 2016. No pleas were entered, and no findings or sentences were recorded at this procedural stage. The court remanded the men in custody until May 26, when their case is listed for mention again. The matter was adjourned and is not concluded.
Declan Brady, 51, of Kildare, was arrested on 24 January for unlawful possession of five revolvers, 20 rounds of ammunition and a silencer, and for possession of 22 kg of cocaine, 11 kg of heroin and 53 g of cannabis, drugs worth an estimated €3.2 million. He faces three firearms charges under the Firearms Act and three drug‑possession charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The High Court refused his bail application, with the State and the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Unit arguing that release could lead to further offences. Justice Isobel Kennedy rejected the application.
In a Dublin District Family Court hearing, a man who admitted pushing his wife during a drunken altercation was denied a protection order against her. He recounted that after a night out, his wife of 17 years began accusing him of being gay and visiting sex workers, and that a scuffle over his keys may have led to him pushing her. He also claimed she accused him of trying to strangle her the following afternoon and that she had tried to order him out of their apartment. The man acknowledged that his wife had previously obtained a protection order against him during a similar incident involving alcohol. Judge Ann Ryan noted that the criteria for a protection order were not met and declined to grant it, advising the parties to resolve their issues outside court.
A director of a carpet company based in Charlestown, County Mayo, admitted at the Central Criminal Court to breaching competition law through a price-fixing arrangement. Brendan Smith, aged 39 and a director of Aston Carpets and Flooring, pleaded guilty to engaging in an anti-competitive agreement with a rival firm between July 2012 and April 2013. The agreement involved the companies coordinating bids to artificially inflate prices for their products. Smith further admitted to a second charge of attempting to obstruct a prosecution investigation by instructing an individual to delete emails in April 2013. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy remanded Smith on bail pending sentencing on May 4th.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 7 April 2017, Mark Heffernan, a 32‑year‑old Limerick resident, was acquitted of alleged involvement in a 2015 assault that left a 53‑year‑old victim, Dan Quilligan, with a nail embedded in his left foot. Heffernan denied assaulting Quilligan on 14 September 2015 at 6 Larch Court. The court found the evidence insufficient to convict him. The prosecution had presented a tracking device indicating an Audi parked outside the Larch Court house, with Heffernan as the driver, and CCTV footage showing him with Gerard Mackin, a 33‑year‑old Northern Irishman, and Patrick Hayes, a 52‑year‑old Limerick resident, both of whom admitted to the assault. The judge noted that while Heffernan's association with the other men was evident, the indictment was too narrow to secure a conviction. Consequently, the court acquitted Heffernan of all charges.
Ian Bailey, aged 60 and resident of The Prairie, Liscaha, Schull, was taken into custody at the Criminal Courts of Justice building on 30 March 2017 after a High Court judge endorsed a European Arrest Warrant issued by French authorities. The warrant seeks to bring Bailey to France to face charges of voluntary homicide in the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, who was found beaten to death outside her holiday home in Schull in December 1996. Bailey was remanded on bail following a brief hearing. He was given a copy of the warrant and, when asked if he had anything to say, he replied that the warrant was "severely factually flawed." His legal team has indicated that they will oppose the application to send him to France.
Patrick Joyce, a 23‑year‑old from Greenpark Meadows, Mullingar, was charged with violent disorder and assault against Michael and Annemarie Nevin on 13 October 2016. The High Court heard his bail application on 29 March 2017. The State objected to bail under Section 2 of the Bail Act, which allows refusal if the court believes the person may commit a serious offence while on bail. Garda Bobby Feery, representing the State, agreed with the objection. During cross‑examination, Joyce's counsel suggested that offering an alternative address might reduce concerns. Judge Tony Hunt noted that the evidence might be "a bit short of it" for a serious offence. Consequently, the court granted bail on Joyce's own bond of €300 and an independent surety of €4,000, with €2,000 to be lodged in court.
A trial date has been set for Ciprian Grozavu, charged with murdering 42‑year‑old Jonathan Duke at Bridge House, Bandon, on 13 November 2011. At a brief hearing in the Central Criminal Court, prosecution lawyer Liam Mulholland requested a trial date. Both sides agreed to a provisional date of 16 January 2018, to be heard in Cork. Grozavu was not present at the hearing.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, a detective reported that a protected witness, Tom Lillis, directed Gardaí to a site where he had disposed of two suits after being instructed by another man. The witness claimed to have seen the accused, Mark Heffernan, in a white suit at the Larch Court house on the day of an alleged assault on Dan Quilligan. Heffernan, aged 32, has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Quilligan and to false imprisonment at the same address on 14 September 2015. Heffernan's lawyers objected to the protected witness's evidence. The court considered the witness statement as part of a voir dire to assess its admissibility. The trial will resume on Monday before Justice Tony Hunt, Judge John O'Hagan and Judge Ann Ryan.
James Walsh, 33, of Neilstown Drive, Clondalkin, was arrested on 24 January for unlawful possession of five revolvers, 20 rounds of ammunition and a silencer at a unit in Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole. He faces three charges under the Firearms Act. The State objected to bail, and Detective Sergeant Michael Cuffe argued that Walsh would be a flight risk and might not attend trial. Detective Chief Superintendent James McGowan also testified that bail should be refused to prevent a serious offence. Justice Tony Hunt rejected the bail application.
The Special Criminal Court ordered that the public be excluded from the hearing of evidence given by members of the Garda National Surveillance Unit in the trial of Lithuanian man Eimantas Valteris, aged 33, who was arrested in 2013 as part of an operation to counter dissident republican activity in the border area. Valteris, the first Lithuanian charged before the Special Criminal Court, pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of a .32‑inch semi‑automatic pistol (IZH 79‑8 model Baikal, serial TPB358706) found at his car sales depot in Balmoral Industrial Estate, Navan, Co. Meath. The court heard that Valteris operated the depot and that on 10 June 2013 he was observed moving a red Fiat Ducato van and a black VW Passat, the latter of which was stopped by Gardaí in Castlebellingham, Co. Louth, where the pistol was recovered in the boot. A later search of Valteris's yard yielded €2,000 in another car.
The Special Criminal Court in Dublin opened a trial on 14 March 2017 for Eimantas Valteris, a 33‑year‑old Lithuanian, who is the first Lithuanian charged with terrorism‑related offences in Ireland. Valteris was arrested by the Gardaí in 2013 during an operation targeting dissident republican activity in the border area. He pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of a .32 inch (7.65 mm) calibre IZH 79‑8 semi‑automatic pistol, serial number TPB358706, found at his car‑sales depot in Balmoral Industrial Estate, Navan, County Meath, on 10 June 2013. The prosecution, presented by Tony Mc Gillicuddy, claimed Valteris operated the depot and stored the firearm on his premises, acting in a storage and transfer role.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 13 March 2017, Helen Geoghegan, sister of Deirdre McCarthy, delivered a victim‑impact statement describing the profound grief and lasting trauma her family endured after McCarthy's strangulation and body was dumped in the sea near Fanore Beach on 31 March 2011. Geoghegan recalled McCarthy as a kind, family‑loving woman who enjoyed Christmas and birthdays, and lamented that her mother died of a broken heart and that sleepless nights have become part of the family's daily life. She noted that the accused, Colm Deely, 45, had worked with McCarthy's brother the day after the murder and had shown no remorse. The court heard that Deely had admitted to Gardaí that he killed McCarthy, who he had known since childhood, and that the cause of death was manual strangulation. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy remanded Deely in custody and adjourned sentencing until 20 March. Colm Deely pleaded not guilty.
The Cannon Kirk group of property development firms, alongside individuals Michael Cannon, Cathal Cannon, Seamus Cannon, and Owen Kirk, have launched a High Court action against National Asset Loan Management Designated Activity Company (NALM). The applicants, represented by Lyndon MacCann SC and Niall Buckley Bl, challenge an alleged €15m penalty imposed on loans originally advanced by AIB in 2010, later taken over by NAMA and transferred to NALM. Counsel stated that while the group reduced its indebtedness by over 50%, a 2016 agreement extending loan facilities included a clause requiring a €5m redemption fee plus monthly fees, which NALM now claims totals approximately €15m. The applicants allege this clause operates as an unlawful penalty and an impermissible clog on redemption, arguing the fees are unrelated to the debt quantum. They seek declarations that the clause is void and unenforceable, repayment of monies paid, and damages for alleged intentional interference with economic interests, breach of contract, and breach of duty. Mr Justice Paul Gilligan granted permission to bring the action ex-parte, noting a substantial issue had been raised. The matter was adjourned to a date later this month.
In a Family Court hearing on 7 March 2017, a husband sought a safety order against his wife after alleging repeated assaults and a false rape accusation. He claimed the wife had been charged with drink driving four years earlier, lost her job, and began drinking daily. He described incidents of being punched, kicked, threatened with a knife, and having her slash his car tyres. The wife admitted to drinking and to slashing one tyre, but denied intent to harm. She also said she had made a false rape allegation and was now cooperating with her children. The judge granted a two‑year safety order, citing the husband's fear for his life and the alleged threats. The case remains at the safety‑order stage.
Jonathan Harding, 44, was denied bail by the High Court after being charged with possession of five revolvers, ammunition and a silencer seized from a warehouse in west Dublin. He appeared before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, who rejected the bail application on the grounds that it was necessary to prevent a serious offence. The prosecution, represented by Kathleen Leader BL, objected to bail, while the defence, Michael Hourican BL, noted Harding's occupation and family ties. Harding was arrested on 24 January and faces charges for the firearms and silencer found at the Greenogue Business Park.
A man arrested in County Donegal on a European Arrest Warrant appeared at the High Court in Dublin in connection with the murder of David Black, a Northern Ireland prison officer shot dead on the M1 motorway in November 2012. Damien Joseph McLaughlin, aged 40 and with an address in Belfast, faces charges of aiding and abetting the murder and possession of an article suspected for use in the killing. He is also charged with engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism and membership of a proscribed organisation. Detective Sergeant Padraig Boyce of the Special Detective Unit outlined the arrest made in Donegal on Thursday. The defence argued excessive force was used during apprehension and challenged the validity of the arrest. Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly rejected the application, noting the serious nature of the terrorism allegations and that the accused had previously breached bail conditions in Northern Ireland. She found the arrest lawful and proportionate. Mr McLaughlin was remanded in custody with the case listed for mention on 20th March.
At a High Court hearing in Dublin on 27 February 2017, Justice Aileen Donnelly said it was "totally inappropriate" that a letter had been sent to her office on behalf of Liam Campbell, a 54‑year‑old Irishman facing terror charges in Lithuania. The letter, which she believed was written by Campbell, was not read beyond the first paragraph because it could have influenced the judge's decision on his extradition application. Campbell, who was arrested on 2 December 2016 under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Lithuanian authorities, had been granted bail and was remanded on continuing bail until 20 March. The warrant alleged that between late 2006 and early 2007 he had organised smuggling for the "terrorist grouping" the RIRA, arranging illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, explosives and substances. The High Court had endorsed the warrant in November 2016, and Campbell's counsel, Brian Gageby, said he had not seen the letter.
At the Central Criminal Court, the State entered a Nolle Prosequi in the case against a 53-year-old man from Magherennan, Raphoe, County Donegal, discontinuing a murder charge. The defendant had been accused of the murder of a 67-year-old man at a residential address in Churchill, Donegal on 16 and 17 June 2012. The case was scheduled for trial before Justice Patrick McCarthy when the prosecution, represented by Brendan Grehan SC, formally withdrew the charge, indicating the State would not proceed further with the prosecution.
Sean Walsh, 50, of St John's Well, Fair Hill, Co Cork, was charged on 14 December 2016 with membership of the Irish Republican Army, an unlawful organisation. At a bail hearing in the High Court, the State objected to his bail application, citing the seriousness of the charge. Detective Sergeant Patrick Murphy and Chief Superintendent Barry McPolin presented evidence under Section 2A of the Bail Act, arguing that bail would risk the commission of a serious offence. Judge Paul Coffey agreed, refusing bail and remanding Walsh in custody.
Anthony O'Connor, aged 74, burst into his estranged wife Phyllis O'Connor's home on 19 July 2016, shouting "surprise" and launching a sustained assault. He threatened her with death, saying "You are going tonight and I'll go with you" and "If I don't get you someone else will. You'll get a bullet in the head." Neighbours heard her screams and dragged him away, preventing a fatal outcome. O'Connor pleaded guilty to assault and threat of murder at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He received a three‑year suspended sentence, with the full term suspended on the condition he remain in a sanctioned nursing home, continue medication, and have no contact with his wife. He is currently in a Dublin nursing home receiving psychiatric care for bipolar disorder, and his wife has secured a barring order against him. The judge noted the assault occurred during divorce proceedings and that O'Connor had no prior convictions or history of mistreatment.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Paddy Rooney, father of the 21‑year‑old Lorcan O'Reilly, expressed profound grief after his son was fatally stabbed by a 14‑year‑old boy during a Halloween party at the Oliver Bond flats. Rooney said the family could no longer celebrate Halloween and that Lorcan's death robbed them of a "happy, kind and thoughtful" son. The accused, now 16, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Court footage showed the teenager swinging a hurley, confronting Lorcan, and then striking him with a knife. Rooney read a victim impact statement, noting Lorcan's love of music and the loss of his future. The case was adjourned for sentencing, with the accused remanded on continuing bail. The judge described the case as a serious homicide.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Donal O'Hara, 51, pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis and possessing a sawn‑off shotgun. Gardaí had searched his home on 11 February 2015, finding 72 cannabis plants in the master bedroom, which could have been worth €55,600 if all were mature females. On 22 June 2016, a second search uncovered a 12‑gauge single‑barrel sawn‑off shotgun and cartridges in a bag in a trailer at the rear of the house; O'Hara had helped locate the weapon. He claimed people were trying to kill him and that he would fire if someone approached, but denied intent to kill. O'Hara has 29 prior convictions, none for firearms. The judge adjourned sentencing to 3 March 2017. No further details on sentencing were provided in the article.
In a High Court hearing on 2 February 2017, Justice Aileen Donnelly ordered the surrender of Naoufal Fassih, a 36‑year‑old Dutch citizen of Moroccan origin, to Dutch authorities under three European Arrest Warrants. Fassih was arrested in Dublin in April 2016 during a Garda swoop on an apartment believed to belong to the Kinahan gang. The warrants cover alleged attempted murder, assault, possession of false documents and money laundering in Ireland, and an alleged money‑laundering offence in the Netherlands. Justice Donnelly rejected all objections raised by Fassih's lawyers, awarded legal costs to the State, and noted that the State was entitled to only one day's worth of costs due to the staggered nature of the proceedings. Fassih made no reaction to the judgment. The court found no grounds to prohibit his surrender on the points raised by his counsel. The decision confirms the extradition of Fassih to the Netherlands for the pending charges.
The State withdrew a charge against Geraldine Delahunty, a disabled woman, who had been accused of harassing 98FM presenter Jeremy Dixon between 4 August 2014 and 16 January 2015. The alleged harassment involved social media communications and was charged under section 10 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the prosecution entered a nolle prosequi, meaning the case would not proceed. A prior hearing had heard a psychologist's report stating Ms Delahunty was incapable of standing trial and that her condition was unlikely to improve with time or medication. The defence argued that her disability, rather than a psychiatric issue, was the main concern, noting she lived under constant supervision of her parents. The Director of Public Prosecutions had requested an independent expert to examine Ms Delahunty, and the prosecution acknowledged a delay in responding to the defence report. The case was adjourned to the day the charge was withdrawn.
Amir Essalhi, 32, pleaded guilty to six counts of robbery in a drug‑fuelled spree in Clondalkin during April and May last year, after a series of attacks on women in west Dublin. He targeted three women in their cars, a pharmacy, and a tanning salon, using a knife, a spoon he pretended was a knife, and a kitchen knife. Essalhi also admitted to robbing a woman's handbag in May 2015. The court heard that he carried out the offences to feed his heroin addiction, and that his brother had been murdered in 2011. He was remanded in custody until sentencing, with a probation report ordered and the matter adjourned to April 6 for full defence submissions. Victim impact statements were presented, and most stolen property was not recovered. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm, aged 50 and residing in Skerries, Co Dublin, has been granted free legal aid for his upcoming conspiracy to defraud trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Karen O'Connor approved the aid to cover four barristers, including a documents counsel, after hearing that Drumm is in a "catch‑22" financial situation and is an undischarged bankrupt. The ruling applies only to the criminal proceedings and does not affect any civil matters that may be pending. The Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel, Mary Rose Gearty SC, did not object, emphasising the need for a fair and timely trial. Drumm faces two charges of conspiring to defraud depositors and investors by misrepresenting the size of deposits in 2008, and a third charge under the EU transparency directive. He has not yet entered a plea. The trial is expected to begin in April, with a pre‑trial hearing scheduled for 24 March.
At the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy set a trial date of November 13, 2017, for Keith Brady, 29, of Cartron Estate, Sligo, and his sister Janice Brady, 32, of Maryville Hostel, Finisklin, Sligo. Keith Brady is charged with murdering Martin Kivlehan, 59, on August 3, 2015, at Holbron Street, Sligo. He is also charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of another for murder. Janice Brady is charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of another for murder. Both defendants are accused of these offences, and the charges remain alleged or contested. No plea, finding, sentence, or finalisation has been recorded at this procedural stage. The matter was adjourned to the set trial date, and it has not been concluded or finalised. All allegations are attributed to the charges brought against the accused, and no conviction has been established. The court proceedings are at the charge or pretrial stage, with no suspended portions, effective custody, conditions, or additional adjournments noted beyond the trial date setting.