In a High Court case concerning the auction of more than 1,000 cattle owned by Peter and Tracey Kingston of Craden Hill Farm, the action was adjourned. The Kingston farm had entered receivership last year, and a receiver was appointed. The Cork County Sheriff, Sinead McNamara, secured an injunction to prevent protesters from disrupting the sale, which was held on 12 April and resulted in the cattle being sold. Two bidders who had won about 500 animals failed to pay, raising the possibility of resale. The Sheriff's counsel, Frank Callanan SC, requested an extension of the injunction, citing urgent developments, including an expiring export licence. Jerry Beades, representing himself, challenged the injunction's validity, claimed he was not involved with the Kingstons, and sought to have the order set aside. He also accused the judge of unfairness and requested recusal, but Justice Paul Gilligan denied the request and rejected the accusations.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Dublin resident Pierce Moran, 59, faced charges of unlawful possession of multiple semi‑automatic pistols, a silencer, a sawn‑off shotgun, various magazines and assorted ammunition, all allegedly found during a Special Detective Unit search of his East Wall flat on 15 November 2014. During a garda interview on 17 November 2014, Moran refused to explain the presence of the firearms and ammunition, citing his solicitor's advice. The court ruled the interview evidence admissible. Moran entered not‑guilty pleas for each of the three charges. The prosecution argued that the search proved Moran's knowledge and control of the items, citing lack of evidence of a second bedroom and absence of fingerprints. The defence contended that no evidence linked Moran to the firearms. The trial was set to resume on 27 April 2016.
In April 2016, the High Court ruled that Section 99 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, which allows the Director of Public Prosecutions to bring cases of re‑activation of suspended sentences before the courts, is unconstitutional. The decision was made by Mr Justice Michael Moriarty, who cited concerns that the law creates unequal treatment of defendants, particularly regarding their rights of appeal. A State solicitor informed Judge Melanie Greally that the DPP was awaiting the judgment and that subsections 9 and 10 of the Act were now unconstitutional. Consequently, Judge Greally was instructed not to make an order in the two cases before her under Section 99 and to request that the two men attend the next sitting of the relevant District Court. She noted that she no longer has jurisdiction to remand a person but can only request that the accused attend the next court session.
Two Dublin men, John Brock, 43, and John Roche, 52, were charged at an out‑of‑hours sitting of the Special Criminal Court on 15 April 2016. They face possession of 150 kg of explosives, including 57 kg of homemade ammonium nitrate fuel mix and thirty‑eight 2.5 kg rolls of Kemegel industrial explosives found at Naas Road, Dublin 12, on 13 April 2016. Both men are also charged with membership of an unlawful organisation, the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Brock was arrested by the Special Detective Unit on St Ronan's Avenue, Clondalkin, and Roche on Rossmore Avenue, Ballyfermot. Each was detained at a Garda station before being taken to the Special Criminal Court, where they were shown the charge sheet and made no reply. The court remanded them in custody until 21 April, when bail applications are expected.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Pierce Moran, 59, of Church Road, East Wall, Dublin 3, faces charges of unlawful possession of several semi‑automatic pistols—including an 8mm Knall Valtro AP29, a 9mm CZ 83, a 9mm Makarov PM, and a 9mm Baikal IZH79‑8—along with a silencer for the Makarov pistol and a 12‑gauge Beretta A.300 sawn‑off shotgun. He is also charged with possession of magazines for those pistols and assorted ammunition, all allegedly found at his residence on 15 November 2014. The trial is set to resume tomorrow afternoon.
In a 2016 High Court decision, Mr Justice Max Barrett ruled that AIB Mortgage Bank could not obtain summary judgment against Dr Samuel Van Eeden and his wife Zelda over the balance of a €1.65 million loan. The bank had sought summary judgment after the couple allegedly failed to repay a loan used to purchase a property in Malahide in 2007, which was secured by a mortgage. AIB claimed the couple defaulted in August 2008, and after the bank obtained possession in 2010 and sold the property for €305 k in 2012, it issued a summary summons in May 2015 for the remaining balance. The Van Eedens argued the matter should be heard in full, citing a six‑year limitation period that had expired in 2014 and a structural defect that reduced the property's value by 83 %.
David Drumm, aged 49, will face two separate trials in 2017 and 2018 for alleged offences committed while he was CEO of Anglo Irish Bank. He is charged with 33 counts under two bills, including conspiring to defraud depositors and investors by falsely presenting €7.2 billion of deposits as larger than they were in 2008, and an additional charge relating to the EU transparency directive. The first trial is scheduled for 24 April 2017 and is expected to last 12 weeks, though the solicitor warns it could be longer. The second trial, set for 12 January 2018, covers 16 counts of offering unlawful financial assistance to members of businessman Sean Quinn's family and 10 other individuals, plus 14 charges of falsifying documents, and is expected to take about two months. Drumm has not yet entered a plea. His bail conditions were relaxed, allowing him to sign on at a Garda station once per day instead of twice.
In April 2016 the High Court, under Justice Miriam O'Regan, ordered AIB, Bank of Ireland and Bunclody Credit Union to supply details of bank accounts and addresses of people alleged to have intimidated James Richard Hodgins into signing cheques that led to €83,000 being paid to them. The orders were part of a broader effort to identify those who, according to Hodgins, threatened and coerced him over several years. The court also continued injunctions restraining 14 individuals from approaching Hodgins or his farm, while the injunctions against three others were deemed unnecessary. Hodgins, who lives alone near Roscrea, claimed the defendants had repeatedly offered work, then demanded money, and that he was forced to write cheques totalling €102,000, of which €83,000 was cashed. The case was adjourned to June for further proceedings.
Two men have pleaded guilty to explosives offences at the Special Criminal Court. Paul Dodd, aged 29, of St Matthews Park, Ballymahon, County Longford, admitted possession of component parts of an improvised explosive device, including shotgun cartridges, propellant, cardboard tubing and clingfilm at his home. He also pleaded guilty to possession of approximately 30 assorted shotgun cartridges at the same address. Brendan Hope, aged 49, of Springfield Cottages, Mullingar, County Westmeath, pleaded guilty to possession of a complete improvised explosive device containing similar materials, discovered at St Matthews Park, Ballymahon. The three-judge court, presided over by Mr Justice Paul Butler alongside Judge Alison Lindsay and Judge Flann Brennan, remanded Hope in custody until 11 May and released Dodd on bail until 13 July, both pending sentencing.
Michael Lowry, 60, former TD and minister, is set to stand trial on March 20, 2017, for alleged tax offences. He faces charges of knowingly filing incorrect tax returns in 2003 and 2007. Lowry had previously lost a High Court application to dismiss the case. He was first heard in Thurles District Court in 2014, charged with three counts for October 31, 2003, and one count for August 3, 2007. Judge Elizabeth MacGrath sent him to Nenagh Circuit Criminal Court, but the case was later transferred to Dublin on the DPP's application.
In a High Court judicial review, eight of the 33 indecent assault charges against retired consultant surgeon Dr Michael Shine (83) were dropped. The charges, originally filed at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, span from 1964 to 1990 and involve 22 alleged victims. Prosecutor Kathleen Noctor BL informed Judge Melanie Greally that the Director of Public Prosecutions was withdrawing these eight counts, with the intention to re‑enter them later. Dr Shine remains scheduled to stand trial next year on the remaining 25 charges. The court discharged him from the indictment for the eight counts as counsel indicated.
A 31‑year‑old Dublin mother, Shineen Mulhall, received a 12‑month suspended sentence and was ordered to complete 150 hours of community service within two years. She pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €16,885 from Oaklee Housing Trust on 4 February 2013 and €5,564 from the Irish College of General Practitioners on 3 March 2013. Gardaí described her as a "pawn" in the operation, noting that two cheques totalling over €21,500 were lodged into her account and later withdrawn under instructions from a man. Mulhall had 19 prior convictions for road traffic offences. The judge, Catherine Murphy, noted that she had not attracted adverse Garda attention and had fully cooperated. The case involved CCTV evidence of her lodging the cheques and the Garda interview in October 2013 where she admitted to cashing them on behalf of the man.
The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court adjourned the case of Independent TD Michael Lowry, 60, for mention until April 6. Lowry, of Glenreigh, Holycross, Co. Tipperary, faces charges of filing incorrect tax returns in 2003 and 2007. He was excused from court today. Prosecutor Grainne O'Neill noted the adjournment had been delayed by pending High Court judicial review, with final orders due April 5. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case and excused Lowry's attendance for the next hearing. The case originated in Thurles District Court in 2014 and was later transferred to Dublin.
Dylan Thomas, 19, was remanded on bail after pleading guilty to assaulting Garda Stephen Harte and Garda Keith Delaney on 2 May 2015. The incident occurred at Swords Town Park during a public order event. Thomas attacked the officers, punching and kicking them, and was handcuffed and taken to Swords Garda Station. While in custody he continued to be aggressive, striking Garda Harte's knee, which caused cartilage and ligament damage, requiring a brace and physiotherapy. Thomas was described as heavily intoxicated and a former schoolboy boxer. His defence cited a psychologist's report highlighting alcohol, possible cannabis use, and a lack of structure. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to 7 June, ordering a probation report and noting the report's call for intervention.
Robert Day, 54, of Cabra, Dublin, was released on bail by the Special Criminal Court after being charged with membership of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The court accepted his application and set a €100 personal bond and a €10,000 independent surety. Conditions include surrendering his passport, daily reporting to Mountjoy Garda Station, a curfew from 11 am to 7 am, staying within the jurisdiction, avoiding contact with other charged persons, and providing a phone number. He remains on bail until April 5, when his case will be mentioned again.
The High Court rejected a request to extradite a 34‑year‑old father‑of‑five to the UK to face two sex‑abuse charges dating from 1994. The man, who cannot be named, was alleged to have sexually assaulted a six‑year‑old girl when he was thirteen. Mr Justice Tony Hunt noted a significant delay between the complaint and prosecution, rejecting the UK authorities' explanation of an administrative delay. He said this diluted the public interest in extradition. The man remains on continuing bail until March 16, when he will be discharged.
A 43-year-old man from Carndonagh in County Donegal has been sent forward for trial at the Central Criminal Court on charges of murdering his parents. Julian Cuddihy of Churchtown faces two counts of murder in relation to the deaths of his father, aged 77, and his mother, aged 73, at their home in Carndonagh on or around 22 October 2014. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy fixed the trial date for 7 June 2016. Cuddihy remains in custody pending trial.
A 40‑year‑old man, Terence Connors of Drumcairn Drive, Tallaght, is accused of murdering Peter Conroy in the Palmerstown area of Dublin on 9 June 2015. His trial, originally set for May 2017, has been moved forward to 12 December 2016 at the Central Criminal Court.
Larry McCarthy, 37, appeared before the Special Criminal Court in Limerick on 26 February 2016. He is charged with threatening to kill Noel Moore at Windsor House, Donoughmore, on 28 July 2015, and with threatening to damage Moore's house on the same day. McCarthy also faces separate charges of threatening to use unlawful violence with two others, and of assaulting David Foran at Cornmarket Villas on 25 November 2014. Judge Paul Butler remanded him in custody until 6 April, noting he may apply for bail.
In a Special Criminal Court out‑of‑hours sitting, John Costello, 59, of Glenashrone, Abbeyfeale, was charged with possession of more than 700 rounds of ammunition. Gardaí arrested him in Abbeyfeale on 21 February after finding 450 rounds of .38 special calibre and 329 rounds of 9mm calibre ammunition on Main Street, and an additional three rounds of 9mm calibre at his home on 22 February. Detective Garda Michael Herlihy formally arrested Costello, explained the reasons for his arrest, and warned him that he would be brought before the Special Criminal Court. Costello was transported to the court, given a copy of the charge sheet, and read the charges while wearing a purple jumper. His counsel, Mr Dean Kelly BL, requested a mention and possible bail application for 1 March at 11 a.m. The presiding judge, Mr Justice Paul Butler, with Judges Flann Brennan and William Hamill, remanded Costello in custody until Tuesday morning.
In a High Court hearing in Dublin, Raymond O'Neill, 37, was remanded in custody pending an extradition case to the PSNI concerning the murder of Jennifer Dornan. O'Neill faces charges of murder and arson for the stabbing and burning of Dornan's house in Hazel View, west Belfast, last August. The court adjourned the case to next month, requiring O'Neill's lawyers to file objections by March 7th, with the case to be reconsidered on March 14th.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 17 February 2016, applications to exclude evidence in the case of Samuel Devlin, a 55‑year‑old Northern Irishman accused of unlawfully possessing PETN, were dismissed. Devlin, who had stayed at Finnstown House Hotel under a false name, pleaded not guilty to the charge. His counsel, Bernard Condon SC, sought to exclude DNA samples taken while Devlin was in custody, arguing the garda had not properly informed him of potential use in evidence, and to exclude testimony from Detective Garda Brian Barry, who had compared detonating cord found in the hotel room with plastic tubing from a bin outside the hotel. The court ruled that the DNA samples and Barry's testimony were admissible, noting that the DNA collection complied with requirements and that only part of the cord had been destroyed, with samples retained for defence use.
Siobhan Hatton, a woman in her 30s from Wicklow, is wanted in the United States over an alleged multi‑million euro steroid enterprise. She appeared briefly at the High Court on 17 February 2016, where her lawyer, Mr Sean Guerin BL, informed Justice Aileen Donnelly that the required psychological report had not been completed. The psychologist had not met with Ms Hatton enough times, causing a delay. Justice Donnelly suggested hiring a new psychologist, but Mr Guerin preferred to continue with the current expert. The court remanded Ms Hatton until 12 April, setting aside two days for the extradition hearing.
Ian Quinn, 34, of St Aongus Park, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to attempted robbery of Kilnamanagh Post Office on 6 June 2015 and to possession of a Crossman C11 firearm at his home on 1 October 2015. Judge Melanie Greally remanded him in continuing custody until 8 March, when evidence will be heard.
Jason Kearns, a 30‑year‑old expectant father from Crumlin, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of 61 grams of cocaine (worth €4,300) and 1,515 grams of cannabis herb (worth €30,300) found at his home on 20 March 2015. He has two prior road‑traffic convictions. The judge adjourned the case to 9 May, ordering a probation report. Garda Catriona Gallagher reported that the house was searched after a tip‑off; cocaine was found in the kitchen and cannabis herb in the sitting room. Kearns said he stored the drugs because of a debt his brother had incurred after a drug haul seized by Gardaí. His brother was out of jurisdiction at the time, and threats were made against him.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, a 55‑year‑old Northern Irish man, Samuel Devlin, pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of a high‑order explosive (PETN) at Finnstown House Hotel, Lucan, on 11 May 2014. The court heard that Devlin had booked the hotel room under a false name and that a detonating cord containing PETN was found in the room. Three rolls of cord, 26 metres long, were wrapped in towels inside a laptop case. Forensic analysis confirmed PETN and revealed plastic tubing and fibres that matched the cord. A plastic bag containing these remnants was discarded in a public bin outside the hotel, where a National Surveillance Unit member observed Devlin deposit it on 9 May 2014. DNA from latex gloves and a laptop plug in the bin matched Devlin, as did DNA lifted from the laptop itself. The trial resumed on Tuesday.
A 48‑year‑old former defence forces sergeant, Michael Tobin, has filed a High Court challenge to overturn a decision by the Private Security Authority to revoke his licence to work as a doorman. Tobin, who has worked as a doorman in Kilkenny and Clonmel and was employed at Matt the Millers Public House on New Year's Eve, was informed on 13 January that his licence had been revoked. He argues the revocation was fundamentally flawed, citing a lack of notification, no reasons given, and no opportunity to be heard. He seeks an order quashing the revocation, a declaration that the decision contravened natural justice and the Irish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, and that provisions of the 2004 Private Security Services Act are incompatible with those instruments. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is a notice party. The judge granted permission ex‑parte and set a later date for the case to be heard.
The High Court has allowed a prosecution to proceed against a man accused of sexually assaulting another man in an elevator. The accused, who denies the allegation, had sought an order to halt the trial because he claimed that video evidence of the alleged assault had been destroyed, which he said was prejudicial. The Director of Public Prosecutions opposed the application, arguing the case should go ahead before the District Court. The alleged assault took place in January 2013 in the elevator of an apartment block where both men lived. The accused allegedly asked a question about men with "big cars" and then grabbed the other man's crotch, squeezing his testicles. The complainant, who was believed to be intoxicated, later followed the accused to his apartment. Both parties took photos and videos on their phones, but the accused claimed the images were deleted in the presence of a Garda.
A 43‑year‑old man from Templeogue, Aidan Quigley, was remanded on bail pending sentencing after pleading guilty to two burglary and one attempted burglary offences committed between June 2014 and May 2015. He had 41 prior convictions, 21 of them for burglary, and had been on bail for each offence before the court heard the latest. Gardaí accepted that Quigley only broke into unoccupied houses to fund a heroin addiction, and that all stolen items were returned to their owners while he was still in possession of them. His barrister, Luigi Rea BL, argued that Quigley had become a father of three, lost his job after his youngest daughter's death, and had increased drug use, leading to burglary. Rea said Quigley had stopped using heroin and methadone in July of the previous year and had not committed any further burglaries since May 2015.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Samuel Devlin, aged 55, pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of an explosive substance (PETN) at his address in the Golf Suite of Finnstown House Hotel, Lucan, on 11 May 2014. The prosecution alleged that Devlin booked the chalet under a false name and that an explosive was found there while he was staying. Forensic evidence from Dr Thomas Hannigan showed that three samples of white plastic cord seized from the chalet contained PETN. Earlier testimony from hotel staff confirmed that a man named Joe Murphy had booked a long‑stay in the Golf Suite in late March 2014. Detective Garda Patrick Casey reported that Special Detective Unit members forced entry into the chalet on the morning of the alleged offence, where they saw a man who is now known to be Devlin.
Eugene Hanratty Senior, aged 57, of Castleblaney Road, Crossmaglen, and Eugene Hanratty Junior, aged 34, of Dundalk Road, Armagh, face charges of assault causing harm to a man in Castleblaney, County Monaghan on 24 November 2012. The trial of the father and son was scheduled to commence this week at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court but could not proceed. Defence counsel cited particular reasons for the adjournment. Judge Sarah Berkeley rescheduled the trial to commence on 25 October, with a pre-trial hearing set for June. Both men were charged following the alleged assault in the Monaghan locality.
A High Court judge indicated on 26 January 2016 that a second Special Criminal Court is unlikely to commence operations before the end of the current legal term, with sittings expected after Easter. Mr Justice Paul Butler made the remarks during mentions at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin, where trial dates for several cases allegedly involving dissident republican activity were scheduled for November 2017. The judge clarified that the establishment process, including appointment of a registrar and judges, remains under way. He addressed recent media reports suggesting he held pessimistic views about the court's creation, stating those reports mischaracterised comments he had made regarding a specific case involving two Mayo brothers charged with IRA membership and possession of explosives. The Government announced plans for a second court in October 2015 to address case backlogs, with delays of nearly two years reported in trial listings. Lawyers in pending cases may seek earlier trial dates once the new court becomes operational.
The family of Shane Rogers, a 32‑year‑old man charged with the murder of GAA player James Hughes, settled a High Court damages action for €50,000. Rogers was found unconscious in a holding cell beneath Cloverhill Courthouse on 20 December 2011, after being transferred from Cloverhill Prison for a scheduled hearing. He was taken to hospital and died shortly thereafter. The family alleged that the Governor of Cloverhill Prison, the Minister for Justice, Ireland and the Attorney General were negligent and breached duty and the European Convention of Human Rights. They claimed the prison failed to search Rogers for a ligature, did not provide adequate psychological assessment or treatment, and failed to monitor him in solitary confinement or holding cells. The judge, Ms Justice Deidre Murphy, approved the settlement and acknowledged a report by Judge Michael Reily that identified failures in record‑keeping, communication and governance within the prison system.
Alan McNamara, 48, of Mountfune, Murroe, Co Limerick, faces trial for the murder of Andrew O'Donoghue on 20 June 2015 at the Road Tramps motorcycle club. His stepson, Robert Cusack, 26, of Abington, Murroe, Co Limerick, is charged with impeding the Garda investigation. Both were sent to trial by Justice Patrick McCarthy for 10 July 2017.
The trial of 27‑year‑old footballer Anthony Stokes, accused of assaulting 42‑year‑old Anthony Bradley at Buck Whaleys nightclub in June 2013, has been adjourned again to later in the year. The adjournment follows the unavailability of an essential witness who is immobilised due to back problems. The case, originally set for last year, was postponed because no judges were available. Judge Melanie Greally scheduled a new trial date for 22 November and remanded Stokes on continuing bail.
The family of Seamus Ludlow, a 47‑year‑old forester from Co. Louth who was shot dead on 1 May 1976, has filed a High Court action demanding that the State set up a commission of investigation into his murder. Ludlow's body was found near his home in Culfore, Dundalk, and no one has ever been charged. The family says the Gardaí investigation was suspended after three weeks, that the police failed to follow up on information from the RUC about loyalist suspects, and that the Gardaí allegedly spread a smear campaign blaming the IRA. They allege possible involvement of British Army or UK state agents, citing the kidnapping of Ludlow's brother‑in‑law and questioning by a SAS officer. An Oireachtas committee in 2006 recommended a formal inquiry; the family argues the State's refusal to establish a commission breaches their constitutional rights and the European Convention on Human Rights.
The High Court adjourned the extradition hearing of James Anthony Oliver Albert Corry, 46, until 22 February. Corry was arrested in Killorglin, Co Kerry, last October under a European Arrest Warrant issued by German authorities. He is suspected of taking part in a 1996 Provisional IRA mortar attack on a British army barracks in Osnabruck, Germany, where three mortar shells were fired. Counsel for the Minister of Justice said an inquiry had been made to determine whether Irish and German authorities had communicated about the case. Corry remains remanded on continuing bail.
A former National Asset Management Agency official, Enda Farrell, aged 39, faces 13 charges for disclosing confidential information in May, June and July 2012. His trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was adjourned after new material was received on 8 January. Defence counsel Michael Bowman SC requested the case be removed from the trial list and re‑listed in two weeks for a new trial date. Prosecutor Kerida Naidoo SC said the State had no objection. Judge Patricia Ryan remanded Farrell on continuing bail to appear for mention on 1 February.
A 57‑year‑old Dublin woman, Anne Fennell, pleaded guilty to making persistent obscene and menacing phone calls to the President, the Department of Finance, the European Commission, An Post and several TDs between February and December 2014. She threatened to bomb President Michael D Higgins if he visited England, and also threatened bombs and bullets at other officials, including the Environment Minister and TDs. Fennell, a former An Post worker, claimed she was lonely and that her threats were "just words". She had no prior convictions and lived alone in poor conditions, reportedly in a sleeping bag in a bottom room of her house. The court remanded her on continuing bail to July, allowing her to continue psychological therapy and engage with probation services, and ordered a welfare report to explore pro‑social support structures. The judge noted her isolation as a key factor in her offending.
Richard Mansfield, 21, was remanded in custody after being arrested by Gardaí at a routine checkpoint in Tallaght, Dublin, on Tuesday. Mansfield had previously appeared on RTE's Crimecall as a wanted man and had failed to attend his arraignment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in July, prompting Judge Martin Nolan to issue an arrest warrant. He faces charges from the District Court for taking a vehicle and endangerment in Foxrock on 7 January 2015. Mansfield had been on High Court bail, living at his mother's address in Kiltalown Way, but Gardaí had difficulty locating him, partly because he had travelled to the UK. Garda Stephen Murray reported that Mansfield's family and friends were aware of his wanted status but did not assist in his capture. He has a history of 11 prior failures to appear at court. Judge Melanie Greally refused bail and remanded him until Monday, when he is expected to enter a plea to the charges.
A French woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was granted bail at the High Court in Dublin while facing an extradition application. She was arrested last week by gardai on foot of a European arrest warrant issued in France for allegedly abducting her 16-year-old son. TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly were present at the hearing. The State objected to the bail application, and Sergeant James Kirwan expressed serious concerns that the woman posed a flight risk. The woman is expected to contest the extradition application. Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly offered two alternatives for securing bail: either her own bond of €75,000 or her own bond of €100 plus an independent surety of €75,000. The judge remanded the woman in custody, with consent to bail, until January 11th next year. The matter remains at the charge or pretrial stage, with no final determination on the extradition request yet made.
A 22‑year‑old named Raymond Walsh of Cabra, Dublin 7, was charged with the murder of 41‑year‑old engineer Kevin Molloy, who was found dead on Glendhu Road, Navan Road, Cabra between 23 January and 1 February 2015. The Central Criminal Court set his trial for 11 January 2017.
A trial date has been set for Darren Murphy, a Cork man from Dan Desmond Villas, Passage West, who is accused of murdering 36‑year‑old Olivia Dunlea at Pembroke Crescent, Passage West, on 17 February 2013. The trial will be held at the Central Criminal Court on 15 May 2017.
In June 2017, three defendants – Laura Dempsey, 25, Sean Ducque, 22, and Yasmin Stephens, 21 – will stand trial together at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Kieran Farrelly, 33, who was killed on 26 October 2014 at Killarney Court, Killarney Street, near Portland Row. All three are charged with the murder and have no fixed address. The provisional trial date is 14 June 2017.
A 35‑year‑old Louth man, Owen McCann, appeared before the Special Criminal Court on a Sunday hearing. He was charged with membership of the Irish Republican Army, an unlawful organisation, and with two counts of possessing firearms, including a rifle, a pistol conversion kit and ammunition. McCann was arrested on 18 December 2015 by the Special Detective Unit in Dundalk as part of an operation targeting dissident republican activity. He was taken to Dundalk Garda Station, given his rights and then brought to the court. Wearing a navy jumper, he stood when the charge was read. Counsel Conan Fegan applied for legal aid and a bail application was scheduled for the following Tuesday at 10 a.m. The presiding judge remanded McCann in custody until that hearing. The case is still pending at the time of the report.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 18 December 2015, Neil Mannion (34) and Richard O'Connor (34) pleaded guilty to possession of LSD, amphetamine and cannabis resin with intent to sell or supply. The drugs, valued at €143,000, were seized during a Garda raid on a business premises in south Dublin in October 2014. Mannion, a former Eircom employee, had set up an online drug‑dealing operation that used the darknet sites Silk Road and Agora, and was paid to post packages to customers in Japan, Argentina, the Czech Republic and the USA. O'Connor, a self‑employed film grip, handled the packaging and posting of the drugs. Both men had no prior convictions and were remanded in custody pending sentencing. The court heard that Mannion had quit a €36,000‑a‑year job to run the online business, while O'Connor was described as having a drug dependency at the time but was now clean.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Shane Murphy, 24, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Aidan Mullen on 10 July 2011 over a stolen green bin. The court heard that Mullen, who was in bed at about ten that night, was awakened by two men taking a wheelie bin from in front of their home. Mullen went outside to see the bin on fire and attempted to stop it when Murphy confronted him. Murphy struck Mullen from behind, knocking him to the ground, then knelt on his chest and struck him again in the face. Mullen suffered fractures to his skull and cheekbone, extreme pain, and incurred €1,500 in medical bills and €4,200 in lost income. Murphy admitted the assault, apologized, and claimed he would have said sorry if Mullen were present. The judge adjourned sentencing to read the victim impact and psychological reports.
A 52-year-old man from Cork has been granted bail at the Special Criminal Court following charges relating to IRA membership and explosives offences. Martin McHale of Blackwater Grove, Togher, Cork, was charged on November 1st, 2013, with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, and with possession of an explosive substance consisting of ten sealed bags of white prills containing ammonium nitrate and calcium carbonate discovered at Mall Road, Tirkeenan, Monaghan. The State consented to the bail application. Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding with Judge John O'Hagan and Judge Ann Ryan, imposed strict conditions including a daily curfew from 12pm to 7am, three weekly sign-ons at Togher Garda Station, and surrender of his passport. Mr McHale was also prohibited from associating with individuals charged or convicted of scheduled offences and from contacting proposed prosecution witnesses.
Joseph Finnegan, 54, of Cullenstown, Readypenny, Dundalk, County Louth, was charged before the Special Criminal Court on 11 July 2015 with membership of the Irish Republican Army and possession of two stolen cars, a Ford Focus and an Audi A4. He was also charged that same month with possession of an 8mm blank‑firing pistol and seven rounds, a double‑barrel shotgun and three cartridges. The court was informed of the charges by Detective Garda Graham Dunne, who handed Finnegan a copy of the charge sheet. He was remanded on bail until 26 January next year.
In a court hearing on 14 December 2015, it was revealed that a woman was deceived into purchasing a stolen Toyota Vitz for €4,300 after seeing it advertised on Done Deal. Garda Martina Drew explained that the seller, Stewart Crosbie, 45, was identified through a smartphone photo taken by the woman's suspicious friend. Crosbie later admitted he had passed the money to a third party owing him a drug debt. He had previously pleaded guilty to possessing the same stolen vehicle in January 2015 and was serving a partially suspended three‑year sentence for a similar offence in November 2014. Judge Martin Nolan imposed an eight‑month sentence to run consecutively to the time Crosbie was already serving, as he was on bail when he committed the offence. The woman discovered the deception upon returning home when the vehicle's registration did not match the documents, prompting her to contact the Gardaí.