Stephanie Hoey, 33, told the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that a violent attack by her former partner, Conor Murphy, left her with permanent vision loss and ongoing PTSD. Two years ago, Murphy struck her with a closed fist, causing a blow‑out fracture of her left eye socket. Hoey required surgery that used bone from her hip to repair the eye socket and cheekbone, yet she continues to suffer nerve and muscle damage, double vision, and constant flashbacks. She described her life as "torn apart," noting that her daughter has also endured trauma. Hoey said she had been unable to leave or stay in her home for a long time, and that her only sense of safety returned after Murphy's arrest. Murphy, 23, had previously pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm, burglary and possession of a knife. The case was adjourned to 20 December for mitigation and finalisation.
In the victim impact statements presented at the court, the family of Aidan Moffitt described the murder as a brutal and senseless act that shattered their lives. They highlighted Aidan's gentle nature and success as a businessman, noting that the violence inflicted upon him was "even harder to understand." The family expressed deep grief, feeling that the media's coverage was intrusive and overstepped boundaries, focusing more on the victim's image than on the perpetrator. They described their lives as a "living nightmare," with unanswered questions about why Aidan was targeted. The statements also included remarks from Aidan's brother, Christy Moffitt, who spoke of the shock of learning Aidan had been murdered in his own home, and from a friend, Blaine Gaffney, who lamented the loss of a man full of life. The family's overarching message was that the murder was an attack on the nation's freedoms and compassion, and they hoped the accused would never again harm another person.
The trial of former solicitor Michael Lynn, aged 55, is set to begin this week at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He faces 21 counts of stealing property from various financial institutions between 2006 and 2007 and has pleaded not guilty. An extended panel of 15 jurors, comprising seven men and eight women, has been selected. The trial, presided over by Judge Martin Nolan, is expected to last eight weeks.
In October 2022, Tracey McGann, former finance chief at ERS Genomics Ltd, told the company's CEO, Eric Rhodes, that she was "not a waitress" after he remarked that a dinner group had no red wine. McGann claims the incident was part of a broader pattern of discrimination, victimisation and constructive dismissal under the Employment Equality Act 1998. She alleges that she was given a smaller pay rise in 2020 than male colleagues, that the company tried to demote her when she sought part‑time work in 2022, and that a proposed salary cut to €80,000 was halted when Rhodes sanctioned a contractor instead. In November 2022, Rhodes suggested a new VP of finance role would replace her, telling her to "start looking for a new job." McGann resigned in January 2023 after sending a legal letter with grievances, to which she received no response. ERS Genomics disputes the claims, arguing the constructive dismissal test could not be met.
In a hearing before the Workplace Relations Commission, Kayam Noordally, father of a disabled boy, alleged that a Garda officer removed him from the grounds of Ireland's largest mosque during a dispute over disabled parking on Eid‑al‑Fitr. Noordally claimed he arrived by car with his son, who uses a wheelchair, and found the main entrance gate half‑closed, allowing only pedestrians. He said a security worker at the gate refused him access, citing a full car park, and that he was later "pulled" off the premises by a Garda. The mosque's administrator, Ahmed Hassain, explained that the car park was full due to an unusually large crowd, that parking was first‑come, first‑served, and that security staff had not called Gardaí until Noordally's car blocked the entrance. Hassain argued that Noordally had not requested wheelchair access and that the security team had no authority to remove him.
In October 2023, Mr Paul McGrath of Mount Eagle Square, Sandyford, settled a High Court case that had sought to restrain the Tuath Housing Association from evicting him. McGrath had previously obtained an injunction after being accused of anti‑social behaviour, claiming instead that he was attacked while socialising at a neighbouring property and that he had sustained injuries. He argued that the landlord had no right to terminate his lease and that the eviction should be postponed until the Residential Tenancies Board could decide the dispute. The court had issued orders preventing the landlord and its agents from evicting or entering the premises pending that determination. On Friday, the parties reached a confidential settlement, and the court was instructed to strike out the case. No further details of the agreement were disclosed.
Michael Carroll, 43, of Bride St, Dublin 8, faces a significant sentence in the Special Criminal Court after a series of violent offences. He was originally charged with the attempted murder of John Hutch, who died in 2016, but later pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. Carroll also pleaded guilty to an attempted murder of Edward Staunton in March 2017, after a car attack that left Staunton severely injured. He has 58 prior convictions, including robbery, theft, drug offences and knife possession. A barrister urged the court to consider suspending part of the sentence, citing Carroll's progress in prison and the need for intense rehabilitation. Judge Tony Hunt acknowledged the value of turning people around and adjourned the sentencing to 2 October, noting the possibility of probation involvement.
A 23-year-old man from Sligo has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to two counts of murder and one count of causing serious harm. Yousef Palani, of Markievicz Heights, admitted to the murder of Aidan Moffitt on April 10, 2022, at Cartron Heights, Sligo, and the murder of Michael Snee on April 12, 2022, at City View, Connaughton Road, Sligo. He also pleaded guilty to causing serious harm to Anthony Burke on April 9, 2022, at Cleveragh Road, Sligo. Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring expressed sympathy to the families of the deceased and directed that victim impact statements be prepared. The case was previously scheduled for a four-week trial on November 13 but has now been adjourned to October 23 for sentencing purposes.
A 29‑year‑old Brazilian man, Miller Pacheco, is charged with the murder of 28‑year‑old Bruna Fonseca, a qualified librarian who had moved to Cork in September last year and worked as a cleaner at Mercy University Hospital. Fonseca was found dead in a bedsit flat on Liberty Street on New Year's Day, just hours after she had gone out to celebrate New Year's Eve in Cork city centre. Justice Melanie Greally has set a trial date of 24 June 2024 at the Central Criminal Court, with case management scheduled for 24 November.
A former Luas employee, Matthew Cullen, claims a security manager at Transdev Dublin Light Rail Ltd said he would not hire black or Indian staff during a training session in April 2021. Cullen alleges the remarks were illegal and that he reported equipment faults and safety concerns that were ignored. He also says he was sent home after raising a health‑and‑safety issue about being rostered with only one guard. Transdev denies any penalisation or protected disclosure. An employment tribunal has issued an order preventing Cullen from discussing the case on his podcast until the Workplace Relations Commission decides the matter. The tribunal also ruled Cullen's secret recordings inadmissible and barred him from making further public comments about the case. The tribunal will issue a written decision later.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Daniel Webb, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of active and passive corruption for receiving confidential Garda Pulse system intelligence from former civilian employee Holly Hayden, 27. Webb had been spending up to €200 a night on cocaine and Xanax when Hayden supplied him with 17 lines of intelligence, including screenshots, about Webb and his associates on 6 and 9 September 2019. Hayden also provided a synopsis of Pulse data via Telegram and sent information on Garda checkpoints to a third party. Webb cooperated during a search of his home and car, and his mobile phone was seized. Hayden later pleaded guilty to disclosing confidential information and accessing it for personal gain. The court adjourned Webb's case for finalisation on 6 October, and Hayden's case on 6 November. Judge Orla Crowe noted the seriousness of the breach and considered Webb's clean record and early guilty plea before sentencing.
In a July 2023 decision, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) ruled that a Labour Court deputy chairman is entitled to judicial immunity, dismissing a disability discrimination complaint lodged by a lawyer with Parkinson's disease. The lawyer alleged that the deputy chairman repeatedly berated her, refused to allow breaks for medication or bathroom use, and made remarks implying her disability hindered her professional conduct. She claimed the deputy chairman's conduct impeded her ability to represent her client and that she was forced to request breaks publicly. The WRC found the complaint misconceived, noting the Labour Court's role as an administration of justice and that the case was not within the 2000 Act's scope. Consequently, the complaint was struck out, with the WRC affirming the deputy chairman's judicial immunity and the registrar's assertion that the hearing was conducted fairly.
In Dublin, a bomb threat prompted evacuations from government offices and the abandonment of a Workplace Relations Commission hearing. The threat, received by a Department of Enterprise telephonist, led to the building's clearance and locking at 2 pm. The hearing, presided over by Michael MacNamee BL, was halted at 1:45 pm when staff announced an evacuation. MacNamee asked parties to take their papers and offered to hear applications downstairs. Gardaí later confirmed the threat was a hoax and declared the area safe. The case was the only matter remaining at Lansdowne House that week. Solicitor Barry Crushell, who was evacuated, noted that such urgent evacuations are not uncommon, whether or not a bomb scare is real. The incident caused no further proceedings to be held at the venue.
Two British men pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing approximately €2.3 million worth of cannabis for sale or supply on 22 December 2022. Daniel Bowker, aged 40, of Bolton, United Kingdom, and Ibrar Sharif, aged 47, also from Bolton, were arrested in Dublin after gardaí conducted a surveillance operation at an industrial estate in Chapelizod. Officers observed the men unloading cardboard boxes from a van at a residential address in Kilmainham, where 119 kilos of vacuum-packed cannabis was later seized, concealed beneath frozen chicken. The court heard both men occupied a minor role within an organised crime operation and were vulnerable to exploitation owing to financial hardship and alcohol dependency. Defence counsel submitted character references and noted neither man had displayed signs of material benefit from the crime. Judge Orla Crowe adjourned sentencing to 9 October pending educational and prison governor reports.
Schoolteacher Enoch Burke, dismissed from Wilson's Hospital School for alleged gross misconduct, was ordered by Mr Justice Alexander Owens to pay the school legal costs in a High Court action. Burke, who denied wrongdoing, argued that his suspension stemmed from his opposition to transgenderism and a school directive to refer to a student wishing to transition with a different name and pronoun. He claimed the disciplinary process breached his constitutional rights, including freedom of expression of religious beliefs. The court found Burke had been lawfully suspended and awarded the school costs, while restraining him from trespassing on the school premises. Burke appealed the dismissal, but a temporary injunction was granted to halt the appeal hearing, a move he contested. The case remains at the disciplinary appeal stage.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Angela Manning, 59, admitted stealing €122,000 from the elderly couple Laetitia Lynam and Enda O'Regan during the pandemic. Manning, initially hired as a carer, used an ATM card and PIN given by Lynam to withdraw cash between April 2019 and September 2021. She claimed the money was a loan to a fictitious U.S. soldier named Sam, whom she met on Facebook. Manning converted the cash into cryptocurrency and sent it to a fake account. The couple's home deeds were transferred to them, and Manning also took her husband's retirement savings. The court noted that the couple's assets were now in their possession and that Manning had no prior convictions. The case was adjourned for finalisation on 27 July. Angela Manning pleaded guilty.
Claire Moloney, a psychologist, claimed the Irish Prison Service discriminated against her by refusing a disability waiver for pandemic mask rules. She said she was forced to wear a mask for 7½ hours daily under threat of disciplinary action, leading her to resign in October 2021. Moloney alleged the service presented her as an "anti‑mask extremist" and threatened payroll removal if she did not comply. She cited chronic rhinusitis, anosmia, wheezing, allergies and polyps, and a GP letter describing claustrophobia when wearing a mask. The Prison Service's chief medical officer, Dr Thomas Donnelly, concluded her condition did not preclude mask use. The Workplace Relations Commission found her condition was not a protected disability and rejected her discrimination claim. The tribunal noted no reasonable accommodation was available to allow her to work without a mask. The decision was issued on 13 July 2023.
A 39‑year‑old William Duffy of Dundalk, who had been charged with attempted murder in County Louth four years earlier, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to a firearms offence. He admitted discharging a firearm recklessly on 28 May 2019 at Marian Park, Dundalk. Justice Caroline Biggs ordered a psychological assessment and a victim impact statement, and adjourned the sentencing hearing to 23 October. Duffy remains on bail.
During a Christmas Eve visit to a major transport hub, a man with prostate cancer and severe post‑surgery incontinence found the accessible toilet locked and was forced to soiled himself. He reported being soaked in blood‑stained urine and that another man in uniform sniggered when he asked for help. The transport operator denied discrimination, claiming the incident was a negative customer experience and that the man used foul language. CCTV footage was reviewed but not preserved. The tribunal has barred the press from naming the operator and will issue a decision in writing. The case highlights the man's distress and the operator's refusal to admit a disability‑related failure to provide access to the toilet. The tribunal will consider the evidence and the operator's arguments before deciding.
The Central Criminal Court has heard that the trial of ten individuals and three companies accused of anti-competition offences regarding school bus services may be split into two separate proceedings. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms Tessa White BL, informed Mr Justice Paul McDermott that trying all 13 accused together posed practical difficulties. She applied to divide the cases into two batches, with the first indictment covering five accused and the second covering the remainder. The DPP alleged that the defendants, including Larry Hickey, Noel Browne, Frances Collison, Andrew Walsh, Margaret Callanan, Edward Callanan, Raymond Heney, Anthony Flynn, Elaine Glasheen, and Malachy Collison, entered into or authorized agreements that prevented, restricted, or distorted competition in the provision of school bus services between January 2014 and December 2016. These alleged offences are contrary to the Competition Act 2002. Defence counsel noted they had only recently received the proposal, with one stating he had no instructions on their attitude. Mr Justice McDermott adjourned the matter to the next list on July 26 to fix dates for the first trial, estimated to last four to five weeks, noting the second trial could be scheduled later. The cases were taken forward by the DPP at the behest of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission following a 2016 investigation.
Fayed Azeez, 20, of Lucan, was remanded in custody until 10 July after pleading guilty to one count of assault causing harm at Blanchardstown District Court on 6 September 2022. The incident occurred when a security guard warned that youths were fighting outside the courthouse. Azeez arrived with a hammer and a metal gas canister, raised his fists threateningly, and moved toward another male. The injured party, who was assisting a colleague, intervened, took the hammer, and placed Azeez under arrest. Azeez resisted, grabbing the victim's arm and attempting to pull her hands away, resulting in bruising on her left arm. No victim impact statement was available. Azeez had no prior convictions. The Director of Public Prosecution sought summary disposal, but the District Court refused jurisdiction. The investigating Garda and defence lawyer agreed that Azeez had not used or threatened the victim with the hammer and that he was attempting to help a cousin.
Irish Distillers was ordered to pay €35,000 to Yvonne Foley after she was dismissed for being late 91 times and allegedly using offensive language toward a supervisor. The company claimed Foley was on a final written warning for a pattern of unacceptable behaviour, citing 91 late arrivals out of 118 occasions. Foley's solicitor argued she used alcohol as a crutch for an anxiety disorder and that the dismissal violated the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 because the final written warning was not in force at the time. The Workplace Relations Commission found that Irish Distillers had improvised its disciplinary process and had misapplied its own handbook, which lists only a verbal warning, a written warning and a final written warning of 12 months. The commission upheld the complaint and awarded Foley €35,000 in redress.
In a High Court hearing on 4 July 2023, Mr Paul McGrath, a tenant at Mount Eagle Square, Sandyford, secured a temporary injunction preventing the Tuath Housing Association from evicting him over alleged anti‑social behaviour. McGrath, who has lived there for two years under a lease, claimed he was the victim of violent assault by several individuals in early June and that the landlord had given him only seven days to leave following a notice of termination alleging violent and threatening behaviour. He denied any anti‑social conduct and argued that the landlord had no grounds to terminate the lease. McGrath sought resolution through the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) and obtained the injunction on an ex‑parte basis, which restrains the landlord and its agents from evicting or entering the premises pending the RTB's determination. The judge, Ms Justice Eileen Roberts, accepted the evidence presented and set a return date for later that month.
A 22-year-old man charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in Sligo has changed his senior counsel ahead of trial. The accused appeared via video link from Castlerea Prison in Roscommon at the Central Criminal Court today. He is charged with the murder of two men in April 2022 and the attempted murder of another man the same month, all occurring in Sligo. Brendan Grehan SC was released from the case and Michael Bowman SC was appointed in his place. The trial is scheduled to commence on 13 November at the Central Criminal Court and is expected to last three weeks. The court heard that outstanding matters include records from the Central Mental Hospital and Castlerea Prison, along with other minor administrative issues. A case review was set for 19 July.
A 29‑year‑old man awaiting trial on sexual assault charges threatened to kill his estranged wife's family members, including the alleged victim, and to throw acid at her sister in a series of WhatsApp voice notes. The court heard that the defendant also threatened to damage two properties and intimidate witnesses, including his wife's brother, whom he is accused of sexually abusing. He pleaded guilty to seven counts, all occurring on 19 January 2022, and has nine prior convictions including arson and robbery. The defendant is also before the Central Criminal Court on a separate sexual assault allegation involving his brother‑in‑law. Garda Patrick Browne presented the voice messages, which described violent threats and a desire to "go to the UK" after "ripping out one of their throats." The defendant was on bail at the time and has been in custody since the incident. Judge Martina Baxter ordered a Probation Services report and adjourned sentencing to 9 October.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Victoria Dalton, aged 26, pleaded guilty to one count of theft after a petrol station robbery at Circle K, Dundrum, on 24 March 2020. Dalton entered the station at about 9.15 pm, asked for children's medicine, and was approached by a man whose face was covered with a scarf. He held a knife to her throat and demanded €120 from the till, threatening to kill her if she refused. The staff, fearing for their safety, handed over the money. Dalton later told Gardaí she was fine, but when a second officer arrived she admitted the knife had been held to her neck. She denied any role in the robbery, claiming she had gone to buy medicine for a toothache. The man, who matched the description of the accomplice, fled to a nearby apartment complex. Dalton was arrested shortly after the theft.
A 53‑year‑old Limerick man, Dermot McManus, pleaded guilty to three money‑laundering offences. He admitted handling €28,550 and £11,795 in cash on 17 June 2020, knowing or recklessly ignoring whether the money was criminal proceeds. Between 1 January 2018 and 17 June 2020 he used money credited to an account in his own name at the Limerick and District Credit Union, again recklessly ignoring its source. He also admitted handling a white Mercedes Sprinter van from 2 June 2020 to 23 May 2021. The case is adjourned to 16 October for sentencing, and his curfew bail condition has been lifted. His partner, Terese Halpin, 50, was charged with possession of the same cash and allowing a Permanent TSB account to be used for the proceeds of crime; those charges were dropped after a nolle prosequi was entered.
Sean Johnston, 21, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to assault causing serious harm to a teenager in Tymon Lane, Tallaght, on 2 January 2021. He also pleaded guilty to making six threats to kill a male between 1 January and 14 April 2021 at five unknown locations and once at the Red Cow Luas stop. The DPP will withdraw the attempted murder charge and enter a nolle prosequi when Johnston appears for sentencing on 17 July. Johnston has no prior convictions and a psychiatric assessment report is being prepared.
Andrew Revell, a chiropractor who worked alone at the Life and Balance Centre in south Dublin, was dismissed after a dispute over a non‑compete clause. Revell claimed the clause was void and that the dismissal was summary and unfair. He told the Workplace Relations Commission that the centre's owners, Peter Ross and Dr Tammy Verlaan‑Ross, threatened him and that the meeting ended awkwardly because he could not give an address for a new job. The tribunal found that the dismissal had been made before a proper meeting and that the employer had not followed its own disciplinary procedures. Revell was awarded €12,000 for financial loss and an additional €2,500 for a breach of the Terms of Employment (Information) Act, bringing the total award to €14,500. The case was decided by adjudicating officer Kara Turner in April 2023.
Paul Gibbons, 48, pleaded guilty to burglary and two counts of criminal damage after breaking into St Paul's Church, Avrfield, Dublin 13, on 20 March 2020. He had 59 prior convictions and was on bail when the offence occurred. Garda evidence included CCTV footage, a spade found in the parish centre, damage to two doors costing €320.20, and a blood‑like substance that matched DNA taken from Gibbons at Coolock Garda Station. The judge noted that Gibbons had lived a law‑abiding life until his marriage ended in 2017, after which his drug use increased. He expressed remorse, offered to pay for the door damage, and the court ordered probation, urine analysis and a governor's report, with the case adjourned until 28 July.
Patrick O'Connor, a Wexford County Council worker, was awarded €20,000 by the Workplace Relations Commission for penalisation under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. O'Connor alleged that a colleague, identified as Mr F, strangled him with a seatbelt in November 2019 and later threatened to "sort [him] out" during a July 2021 confrontation at the 1798 Rebellion centre in Enniscorthy. Following a formal complaint, O'Connor claimed he suffered diminished duties, isolation, and blocked overtime. The council's HR officer, Ciara O'Reilly, stated the complaint was investigated and not upheld, denying that O'Connor was ostracised or lost overtime. However, adjudicating officer Niamh O'Carroll found O'Connor to be a credible witness and noted the council lacked supporting documentation for its position. The tribunal ruled that the council's failure to investigate and the resulting detriments were "at the most serious end of the scale." The decision, published this morning, upheld the complaint and awarded compensation, rejecting the council's defense that no procedural breaches occurred.
Edward Riordan, a 73‑year‑old truck driver, told the Workplace Relations Commission that he defecated in a Flextronics loading bay during an urgent diarrhoea episode and did not report it because he thought the waste would wash away in a thunderstorm. He claimed the incident was caused by a peptic ulcer and that his former employer, All Star Logistics Ltd, discriminated against him on age and disability grounds by hiring a younger driver, cutting his hours and dismissing him after the incident. The company denied discrimination, arguing that the stool found was solid and inconsistent with diarrhoea, and that Riordan's failure to clean up or report the matter constituted gross misconduct. The tribunal heard that Riordan was identified on CCTV, admitted responsibility, and that the company had suspended him before formally addressing the issue. Adjudicating officer Ewa Sobanska will issue a decision in writing.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 15 June 2023, Stephen McMullen, aged 25, pleaded guilty to assault and intimidation of a witness after an incident on 19 August 2021 in Clondalkin. McMullen, who was on bail for three offences and had 92 prior convictions, attacked a man outside his home, kicking him and punching him on the head. The victim, who had previously bought "weed" from McMullen, was later called by McMullen while Gardaí were present, asking what the officers were doing and what the victim had told them. McMullen's DNA matched evidence from the scene. He expressed remorse and requested placement in a rehabilitation centre. The judge adjourned sentencing for one week. No victim impact statement was made. The case was the first violent offence for McMullen before the court.
A Workplace Relations Commission adjudicating officer has ruled that a part-time postal clerk was subjected to ageist harassment under the Employment Equality Act 1998. The complainant alleged that her supervisor made a discriminatory remark in 2020, stating that a Gilbert O'Sullivan song playing on the radio was "more [name of complainant]'s vintage." The supervisor admitted making the comment but described it as a light-hearted joke, expressing regret that the worker was offended. Adjudicating officer Davnet O'Driscoll found that the remark constituted harassment on age grounds, noting the complainant was close to retirement, and awarded her €1,000 in compensation. The WRC rejected the worker's other complaints, including claims of victimisation, disability discrimination regarding reasonable accommodation, and penalisation for reducing sick pay. The adjudicator determined there was no evidence of victimisation and that the pay reduction was consistent with the employer's attendance management policy. Additionally, the tribunal dismissed complaints under the Payment of Wages Act and the Terms of Employment (Information) Act. The decision upholds the single discrimination complaint while rejecting the broader series of employment rights grievances brought by the applicant against the government agency.
In a 2023 decision by the Workplace Relations Commission, Dorinda Walsh, a single mother who had lived in a Dublin City apartment for just over two years, accused her landlord Martin Murray of discrimination under the Equal Status Act 2000. Walsh had been told in August 2022 that she was no longer eligible for a rent supplement and would need to claim Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). She sent the HAP application to Murray, who replied that he was willing to honour the contract but did not complete the form. After no response, Walsh filed a complaint. Murray then served her with an eviction notice in October 2022, and later presented a new tenancy agreement with a rent increase that Walsh deemed invalid. The tribunal found that Murray had used "delay and diversionary tactics" to avoid completing the HAP form, and ordered him to pay Walsh €12,500, equivalent to ten months' rent, for discrimination.
A clinical nurse manager, whose identity is withheld pending investigations, was dismissed in summer 2021 after admitting to taking prescription tablets from her workplace and forging a doctor's signature on blank prescription forms, using patient data. She claimed her dismissal was unfair, citing her admission, ongoing addiction counselling, and willingness to work in roles without access to medication. She appealed to the Workplace Relations Commission under the Unfair Dismissal Act. The commission found her conduct amounted to gross misconduct and that dismissal was a reasonable response. The hospital cited breaches of internal policy, the Misuse of Drugs Act, and professional conduct codes. The manager had been employed full‑time, earning €1,105 per week, and had begun a two‑year alcohol treatment programme, but the commission upheld the dismissal, stating the breach of trust was irreparable and the dismissal fell within the band of reasonable responses.
A dental practice run by former Fine Gael election candidate Jagannadha Muttumula and his wife was ordered to pay Canadian dentist Dr Min Li over €15,000 for unfair dismissal and illegal pay deductions. The case arose after Dr Li, who had been hired under a Critical Skills work permit, was sacked for refusing to sign a new contract that would pay her €9,000 less than the salary required by the Department of Enterprise. Dr Li had previously agreed to a €55,000 salary, but the Department had demanded a €64,000 rate to issue the visa. She claimed the employer sent a revised contract to the Department without providing it to her, and that the signature on the €64,000 contract was forged.
A former Roche drug safety manager, Dr Bruno Seigle‑Murandi, testified that Roche Products Ireland Ltd tried to protect itself before patients and that he was "the snitch to be managed out." He alleged that Roche issued marketing brochures that mimicked regulated risk documents but omitted adverse reaction details, and that he was threatened by the general manager, Pierre‑Alain Delley, during an alignment meeting. Seigle‑Murandi claimed colleagues altered documents and spreadsheets without his knowledge, and that he was penalised with bonus reductions and a performance improvement plan after making protected disclosures. Roche's barrister, Mark Connaughton, dismissed the allegations as "ridiculous," asserting the company was fully transparent with the HPRA and that the recall decision was ultimately a regulatory matter. The Workplace Relations Commission closed the hearing after six days of evidence, with a decision to be issued later.
Paul Hendrick, a retired school principal and former Christian Brother, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of indecent assault on Kenneth Grace between 1980 and 1984. The abuse began when Grace was 13, a first‑year student at CBS Westland Row, and continued as he aged, involving repeated sexual and physical misconduct in various school locations, including the furnace room, a reception room at the priest's residence, and during camping trips in Waterford and Tipperary. Grace recalled being forced into wrestling, being restrained, and experiencing sexual contact while in his underwear. He was isolated from classmates and subjected to verbal abuse. Grace's victim impact statement described lasting mental health effects, including depression, anxiety and PTSD. Hendrick, who had no prior convictions, was remanded on bail pending a final hearing scheduled for July 10. The case highlights the prolonged nature of the abuse and its enduring impact on the victim.
Inita Romanovska, 36, was due before the Central Criminal Court for a sentencing hearing after pleading guilty to attempting to cause serious harm to Stephen O'Flaherty, whom she met on Tinder. The alleged incident occurred on 11 March 2020 at an apartment complex on Henry St, Limerick. Romanovska, residing at Cahercalla, Kilrush Road, Ennis, Co Clare, had originally been charged with attempting to murder O'Flaherty. Her lawyer, Michael Bowman SC, confirmed she did not attend the hearing and was unreachable by phone. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon issued a bench warrant and postponed the sentencing hearing.
A new trial date of 31 October 2023 has been set for the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing of former Garda David Bourke (52) of Main Street, Oola, Co. Limerick, and Limerick businessman Stephen O'Sullivan (41) of Farrehy, Broadford, Co. Limerick. Both pleaded not guilty to corruption counts at Bruree on 22 December 2018. Judge Patricia Ryan, after a pre‑trial hearing focused on disclosure issues, fixed the new date.
In a decision by the Workplace Relations Commission, Alan Collins, owner of the Tile & Wood Factory Outlet in Limerick, was ordered to pay his estranged wife Michelle Collins €20,000 for unfair dismissal. Collins had terminated Michelle's employment in 2021 after she had been on sick leave in 2020 and had allegedly used a company credit card without consultation and spoken about their divorce to staff and customers. Michelle claimed she was bullied out of the shop floor and that her husband had brought their personal life into the workplace. The tribunal found that Michelle had been treated as an employee at all material times, that no proper disciplinary investigation had taken place, and that her dismissal violated the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977. Consequently, the commission awarded her compensation for the unlawful termination.
The Central Criminal Court trial of 32‑year‑old Jozef Puska, accused of murdering 23‑year‑old teacher Ashling Murphy in Offaly, has been postponed to the autumn. Puska, who lives in Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, was charged with the fatal assault that occurred on 12 January 2022 while Murphy was jogging along the Grand Canal near Tullamore. The trial, originally scheduled for 7 June, was delayed after the State received an expert report from the defence and the prosecution needed time to respond and obtain a further report. Prosecutor Ms Anne Marie Lawlor SC requested the June date be vacated and the case be listed for the first day of the Michaelmas term on 2 October. The judge set a new trial date of 2 October 2023 and agreed to renew an application for a Slovakian interpreter. The case will be mentioned again on 21 July for a pre‑trial management hearing.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 12 May 2023, a 27‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to threatening to kill his former partner, burn her house, and "dance" on her face over access to their baby daughter. The offences, committed between June and July 2022, included threatening to kill the woman, damaging her home, harassing her, and violating a Family Court order by repeatedly contacting her. The man had been in a relationship with the woman for about a year and they share a child. A care order gave the mother full custody and the right to decide the father's access. The man sent harassing emails and WhatsApp messages, calling the woman a "selfish c***" and threatening violence. He remains under supervised access to his daughter, is barred from contacting the woman except for child‑access matters, and is required to pay maintenance. He has two prior assault convictions from 2017.
In a hearing before the Special Criminal Court, the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) was ordered to retain the original versions of documents seized from a woman accused of money‑laundering. The documents were intended for the legal defence of Jennifer Dunne, who is 38, and her partner Nathan Kinsella, 44, both from Richmond in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Michael Bowman SC requested the originals, arguing that CAB had already provided copies and that the originals would better serve his client. CAB's Grainne O'Neill BL explained that the seized papers could be relevant to other cases and that returning them might raise evidential or forensic issues. Judge Tony Hunt ruled that the originals should remain in CAB's possession, citing their potential broader use beyond Ms. Dunne's case. Ms. Dunne and Mr. Kinsella face six money‑laundering charges under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 and are scheduled to go on trial on 31 October 2023.
The Workplace Relations Commission adjourned a preliminary hearing in a case where three senior directors of the Irish Prison Service accuse the agency of ageist discrimination. Operations director Don Culliton, corporate services head Donna Creaven, and acting HR director Trevor Jordon have lodged complaints under the Employment Equality Act 1998, alleging they are paid less than a fourth director, Fergal Black. The Prison Service and the Chief State Solicitor's Office, acting as applicants, sought an adjournment to prepare for Mr Jordon's testimony and to argue for a joint hearing of all three cases. Adjudicating officer Breiffni O'Neill granted the adjournment, rejecting the complainants' objection that the State had delayed its response. The matter was not concluded; instead, the three cases are expected to be heard in person on a single day later this year at Lansdowne House in Dublin 4. The hearing was closed after the adjournment was granted, with no findings or sentences issued at this pretrial stage.
A prison officer who was dismissed after being accused of going AWOL to Australia for 18 months won her job back. The officer had requested a career break in 2018 because of personal stresses, including coming out as gay at work and the death of her father‑in‑law, and was refused. She was taken off payroll after exceeding her paid sick leave limit and remained absent into 2020. The employer sent letters demanding medical certificates and later sent a dismissal plan to the supervising department, which approved it. The Workplace Relations Commission found the dismissal unfair, citing the officer's blemish‑free disciplinary record and the employer's failure to follow fair procedures. The officer was re‑engaged as a prison officer on 24 April 2023, with her dismissal period treated as unpaid suspension.
Four years ago, 15 workers for Guinness delivery subcontractor Shannon Warehousing and Transport Ltd (STL Logistics) were dismissed without notice after a covert surveillance operation by Diageo security officers at a Dublin pub. The company alleged the workers had carried out "unscheduled and undocumented" keg deliveries, amounting to 31 kegs on 20 occasions, and accused them of gross misconduct. The workers, represented by barrister David Byrnes, argued that the practice of swapping kegs between pubs was routine customer service, not misconduct, and that no evidence showed any loss to Diageo. In 2023, the Workplace Relations Commission adjudicating officer Andrew Heavey rejected the company's view, finding the dismissals disproportionate and awarding the 11 workers between €2,320 and €21,000 each under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977. A shop steward also received €5,200 for unfair dismissal and €2,720 in notice pay, bringing total compensation to €114,240. Two other former workers' claims were dismissed.
The Workplace Relations Commission awarded Charlotte O'Brien €50,440 in compensation after finding that her employer, Deadline Direct Ltd trading as Deadline Couriers, failed to implement harassment prevention measures. Adjudicating officer Breiffni O'Neill determined that the company's handling of the incident did not mitigate its liability. Ms O'Brien alleged that a male colleague, identified as Mr X, attempted to pull down her trousers in an open-plan office on 27 May 2021. The officer accepted her evidence as credible, noting that Mr X subsequently joked about the act to other staff. The company, represented by Century Law, argued that the incident was unforeseeable and that Ms O'Brien failed to engage with their grievance process. However, the tribunal found no documentary evidence that a clear sexual harassment policy had been provided to her or that staff received prior training. The company's appointed investigator, accountant Austin Bergin, left the hearing before giving evidence. The officer concluded that the alleged investigation did not mitigate the employer's failure to take preventative measures. Consequently, the maximum compensation of two years' pay was ordered. The matter was concluded with this final award.
The Central Criminal Court is currently hearing the trial of five accused individuals, including a 66-year-old man, his three sons aged 38, 40, and 41, and the 63-year-old wife of the first accused. They face over 100 counts of alleged rape, sexual assault, and other offences against four family members, who were children between September 1999 and February 2004. All defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The first accused denies 25 charges, including anal rape of his granddaughter and offences against his nephew. The second accused, aged 41, denies 31 charges, including rape and sexual assault of his sister. The third accused, aged 38, denies 36 charges, including anal rape of a cousin and rape of his sister. The fourth accused, the mother of the three men, denies concealing the effects of anal rape by providing an adult diaper to her granddaughter and assaulting her nephew and granddaughter. The fifth accused, aged 40, denies 31 charges, including rape and sexual assault of his sister. On the second day of the trial, a complainant testified to alleged incidents involving her grandfather. The trial continues before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring and is expected to last three weeks.