John McClean, aged 75, a former rugby coach and teacher at Terenure College, admitted to sexually abusing 23 boys over a 17‑year period from 1973 to 1990. He pleaded guilty to 27 charges of indecent assault in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The charges are organised into three separate books of evidence. McClean was due to stand trial but entered guilty pleas before the court. Judge Pauline Codd remanded him on continuing bail and scheduled a sentence hearing for March 9, 2021, where all evidence will be considered over two days. Prosecutor Paul Murray noted that some complainants were present in court and others observed via Zoom, and that victim impact statements may be read during the hearing. Defence counsel Sean Guerin requested a later sentence date, citing a forthcoming trial expected to finish in early March. A mention date of January 18 was set for any necessary documentation to be submitted before the sentence hearing.
The Special Criminal Court sentenced David Hunter to life imprisonment for the 2016 murder of Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin. Presiding Judge Alexander Owens, sitting with Judges Gerard Griffin and David McHugh, backdated the sentence to April 2019, when Hunter was arrested in the UK on a European Arrest Warrant. Hunter, a 42-year-old Liverpool native, had pleaded not guilty but was found guilty based on compelling evidence, including DNA from a ski-mask recovered from the getaway car that matched his profile. The court rejected his defence that he was in Dublin for a concert and that the mask was lost during a prior car-stealing trip. Hunter is the second individual convicted for this Kinahan Cartel-linked killing; Eamon Cumberton was convicted in January 2018. During sentencing, Detective Garda Colm Kelly noted Hunter's 15 previous convictions. Prosecution counsel Mr Barr argued Hunter should serve his full sentence in Ireland to avoid transfer to Liverpool. Detective Superintendent Colm Murphy described the murder as cold and callous, confirming the investigation remains ongoing to bring all involved to justice. Victim impact statements from Barr's sister Noeleen and former partner Jade O'Shea highlighted the lasting trauma on Barr's five children and family.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Pauline Codd fined 53‑year‑old Karen Cohalan €4,000 and imposed a four‑year driving disqualification after she pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious bodily harm to 25‑year‑old Aengus Cunningham. Cohalan, a chartered accountant and mother of two, had a "momentary lapse" when she turned right at a busy junction on South Lotts Road, Ringsend, on 20 March 2019, without indicating and failing to look out for a cyclist travelling in the same direction. The collision left Cunningham with a head injury, 50 % deafness in one ear and loss of smell. Judge Codd noted the incident was a split‑second lapse, considered Cohalan's impeccable character and genuine remorse, and said the sentence served a general deterrent by urging motorists to "take that second look" for cyclists. The court heard Cohalan accepted full responsibility, and Cunningham's victim impact statement described the life‑changing effects of the injuries.
In March 2016, 48‑year‑old Boguslaw Szbisty, a contract worker for Key Waste Management, was crushed by a Manitou Telehandler while sorting waste at the company's Dublin site. The incident occurred after the telehandler driver mistakenly believed the workers had finished and began reversing. CCTV footage showed the vehicle operating close to the workers and colliding with Szbisty, who was later pronounced dead. An investigation by the Health and Safety Authority found Key Waste had failed to segregate pedestrian workers from the telehandler, and the vehicle lacked side and rear‑view mirrors and had an expired safety certificate. The company pleaded guilty to one count of failing to ensure employee safety at its Greenhills Road site. On 30 October 2020, the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court fined Key Waste €60,000, a fraction of the €3 million maximum, after the directors Mark Butler and Neville O'Boyle appeared for sentencing.
A High Court judge has warned that any person occupying a farm at Falsk, Strokestown, Co Roscommon after 6pm on Sunday is likely to face imprisonment for contempt of court. Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds made the remarks after being informed that whilst the three McGann siblings have complied with orders to vacate the property, which is subject to a repossession order by KBC bank, other individuals are preventing the bank from taking possession. The court heard that a retired garda and possibly others remain on the farm. Counsel for KBC stated that the retired garda has acted in a threatening manner towards the bank's agents and that social media posts have encouraged defiance of court orders. Ms Justice Reynolds expressed concern at what she described as a deliberate breach of the court's order and indicated she would hear applications for committal if the property was not vacated by the deadline. The case will return to court the following week.
Tracey McManus, 47, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for a rent‑relief fraud that left her owing over €73,000 to Revenue. She pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of claiming relief from income tax for periods in 2009 and 2012, and to two counts of producing false receipts for medical and dental treatments she had not undergone. McManus had submitted receipts claiming €12,000 for IVF and €4,700 for dental work, and a claim for rent relief for an address she did not occupy between 2005 and 2008. She had also made a legitimate rent‑relief claim for 2009. Revenue Inspector Bernadette Dorigan said McManus was identified after a random spot check. The judge described her conduct as an orchestrated, pre‑meditated campaign for personal enrichment, suspended the final six months of the sentence on strict conditions, and noted the debt remains outstanding.
A 25‑year‑old man was jailed for six years after raping his partner and assaulting her with a sweeping brush and a knife. He pleaded guilty to rape, assault causing harm and possession of an article at an address in Co Clare on 11 September 2018. The victim, whose identity is protected, had been in a relationship with the accused for about a year. In the days before the offence the man grew paranoid about alleged infidelity, searched her phone for evidence and, on the afternoon of the incident, found her at home with smoke and disarray. He struck her with a brush, threw a knife into a wall, forced her to the ground, demanded an apology, and raped her. She escaped and called Gardaí. The man had 40 prior convictions, including assault and public order offences.
Mark Adams, a 41‑year‑old former airport policeman and male model, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for laundering over €1 million. He pleaded guilty to handling €582,045 of criminal proceeds at Dublin Airport on 11 September 2015 and to laundering €227,130 at Bank of Ireland, €298,280 at PTSB, Malahide and €78,990 at Bank of Ireland Credit Card Centre between January 2012 and March 2017. Customs officials intercepted him at the airport with a concealed sum of cash, and a subsequent investigation uncovered €604,400 deposited into three accounts linked to Adams. He had no prior convictions, was a father, and was on a waiting list for treatment for drug and gambling dependencies. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the five‑year term without suspension, citing the seriousness of money laundering and Adams' capacity for reform. The court noted he had not used his former policing role to facilitate the offences.
A Central Criminal Court jury found electrician Sean Nolan, 36, guilty of murdering his partner Amanda Carroll, 33, after a binge‑drinking session. The jury rejected the defence's claim that Nolan was too intoxicated to form intent, concluding he had intended to kill or seriously injure her when he strangled her for about 20 seconds in her bedroom. The trial included evidence of a prior road‑traffic collision, the couple's drinking at multiple locations, and Nolan's admission that he knew she was dead the next morning. The jury deliberated for eight hours and eight minutes over five days, returning a majority verdict of 10‑2. Mr Justice MacGrath will impose a mandatory life sentence on 4 November and remand Nolan in custody until then. The case remains at the murder‑trial stage. Sean Nolan pleaded not guilty. Amanda Carroll pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, David Keena, aged 21, was sentenced to six and a half years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, for his role in a 2015 arson attack on Ciarán Murphy, a low‑level drug dealer in Offaly. Keena, who was 17 at the time, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm and criminal damage by arson. He was found to have stabbed Murphy 16 times and poured petrol over him, resulting in 96 % burns and multiple stab wounds, including to the heart. Murphy survived but suffered life‑threatening injuries and permanent physical and mental trauma. Keena's sentence runs consecutively with a previously imposed six‑year term for a drug‑dealing offence. The court noted Keena's youth, lack of prior convictions and drug use as mitigating factors. The case involved a false rumour that Murphy was a Garda informant, spread by his former girlfriend, which the court found to be untrue.
Thomas McCabe, 56, who was convicted in 1990 of murdering 16‑year‑old Richard Hunt in London, voluntarily surrendered to Northern Irish authorities after two years on the run. He had been released on licence in December 2008, but his licence was revoked in January 2018 following breaches. In August, Gardaí arrested him in Dublin under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Laganside Courts. McCabe gave evidence before Mr Justice Paul Burns, consenting to serve the remainder of his life sentence in Northern Ireland. Mr Burns remanded him in custody, to be surrendered in less than ten days, for licence breaches that involved leaving the jurisdiction without notifying Northern authorities. McCabe expressed concerns about his safety in prison, seeking assurance that he would be kept apart from the general prison population. The case highlights the ongoing enforcement of licence conditions and the handling of a convicted murderer who had absconded from the jurisdiction.
A 33‑year‑old Lithuanian man, Arnoldas Ivanauskas, was sentenced to six years in prison with the final year suspended for the manslaughter of a 24‑year‑old Belarusian man, Dmitry Hrynkevich, who was 7ft 5in tall. The court found that Ivanauskas did not intend to kill or seriously injure Hrynkevich, who had a compromised heart and Marfan syndrome, and that a second man, not before the court, was the principal assailant. The judge noted that Ivanauskas had been identified as a potential victim of human trafficking and had a troubled past. He was given a suspended sentence on the condition of good behaviour for two years after release, and his sentence was back‑dated to November 2018. The judge also acknowledged Hrynkevich's tragic death and his mother's description of his struggles and character. Arnoldas Ivanauskas was convicted.
Darren King, a 34-year-old father of five from Ballyfermot, Dublin, appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where he confirmed signed pleas of guilty to possessing drugs for sale or supply. The charges relate to incidents on April 23, 2019, at locations including Ballyfermot Road, Cole Park Road, and his home. Prosecution evidence alleged that gardaí intercepted King during a handover involving a bag containing five kilogrammes of cannabis valued at €102,000. Subsequent searches allegedly revealed a further 29kg of cannabis worth €590,000 and 209g of cocaine valued at €15,000 in a vehicle at his residence, along with cash. King made admissions to possessing the drugs for sale or supply. Detective Garda Val Russell noted that King previously received a suspended sentence for robbery but acknowledged his cooperation with the investigation and his claim that he began using drugs after a back injury. Judge Pauline Codd remanded King on continuing bail and adjourned sentencing to January 29. She ordered an updated probation report and urine analysis for that date. The matter was adjourned and is not yet concluded.
A 25‑year‑old man was sentenced to eleven years in prison, with the final two years suspended, for sexually abusing and videoing two of his nieces in their grandparents' home. He pleaded guilty to two counts of orally raping an 11‑year‑old niece, one count of sexually assaulting her, and one count of possessing child pornography of her, and to two counts of sexually assaulting a nine‑year‑old niece and one count of possessing child pornography of her. The offences occurred between May 2018 and May 2019. He threatened the girls with posting images online and threatened to kill the younger girl's father. He had an autism spectrum disorder and a history of child pornography addiction. The judge imposed strict conditions, including prohibition of internet use without Probation Service approval, mandatory treatment assessment, and destruction of the images. The sentence was suspended for two years under probation supervision, followed by two years of post‑release supervision.
Businessman Jim Mansfield Jnr, aged 52, pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and perversion of justice charges before the Special Criminal Court. He is accused of conspiring to falsely imprison Martin Byrne between 1 January and 30 June 2015, and of directing Patrick Byrne to destroy CCTV footage to pervert justice regarding Byrne's false imprisonment at Finnstown House Hotel from 9 to 12 June 2015. The court heard that Byrne is now in the Witness Protection Programme. Mansfield appeared in a navy suit with family members, while defence counsel Bernard Condon SC argued that an employee isolated due to Covid‑19 could be a defence witness. The judge ruled the employee was not entitled to attend. The Director of Public Prosecutions noted disclosure issues and protected witnesses, and the case was postponed to Tuesday, with the trial expected to last three weeks. Mansfield remains on bail with conditions including weekly Garda sign‑ons and a €10,000 surety.
Jordan Duffy, 23, of Glin Road, Coolock, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply at his home on 2 May 2019. Gardaí searched the house with a warrant, finding a small quantity of cocaine, weighing scales and a safe. When asked to open the safe, Duffy revealed more cocaine and €350 in cash. He claimed he was holding the drugs for someone else to repay a debt, but the court found this explanation uncredible, noting the presence of scales and cash indicated dealing. Duffy had no prior convictions, worked as a gym instructor, and had recently begun a four‑year electrician apprenticeship. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to 18 months, suspended in full, and ordered 18 months of probation supervision. The sentence was imposed on 22 October 2020.
Farah Damji, 53, a former con woman and daughter of a wealthy property tycoon, fled to Ireland in February 2020 during her UK trial. She was convicted in absentia by Southwark Crown Court for twice breaching a restraining order in 2018. At a High Court extradition hearing, her lawyer, Brian Storan, argued that Damji has a serious psychological condition that can only be treated by Dr O'Donnell in Ireland, and that treatment in the UK would be inadequate and potentially life‑threatening. The State's counsel, Emily Farrell, maintained that Damji had breached restraining orders and absconded from her trial, and that the European Arrest Warrant was clear that she attended the trial and fled. The judge adjourned the case to November 2 to consider further medical assessment and additional information from the UK. Damji had previously been denied bail in September, was deemed high‑risk of absconding, and was arrested in Dublin on the warrant.
Ross Kenny, 28, of St Anthony's Road, Rialto, Dublin, pleaded guilty to possession of a handgun on Reuben Walk on 12 March 2019. Gardaí saw him on CCTV carrying what appeared to be a handgun; on arrival they found he was intoxicated and holding a plastic airsoft pistol. Kenny claimed he had taken the weapon from youths who had thrown snowballs at him and was "messing" with it. Garda Colm Reynolds described his behaviour as reckless and "acting the cowboy". Kenny had 25 prior convictions, mainly for public order and drug offences, and one for possession of a stun‑gun. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to one year imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions, after noting that the people of Reuben Walk would have been greatly alarmed had they seen him with the weapon.
A 17‑year‑old, who was 15 when he committed the offence, was sentenced by the Central Criminal Court to 18 months' detention for defilement of a 15‑year‑old intoxicated girl in Dublin on 9 August 2018. He pleaded guilty, had no prior convictions, and was described by the judge as having "taken advantage" of the victim's confused and intoxicated state. The victim, who had been drinking with others, was found to have had sexual intercourse with the accused for about two minutes. She suffered physical pain, required Hepatitis B injections, missed 160 school days, lost weight, and expressed fear and loss of trust. The judge cited the accused's youth, guilty plea, remorse, and low re‑offending risk as mitigating factors, but rejected a deferred sentence, imposing the full 18‑month term without post‑release supervision.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Samantha Otto, a 58‑year‑old Filipino woman, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after she poured boiling water over a man's face at Empire Casino on 27 April 2019. The court found that Otto had harassed the victim for months, sending sexual text messages and demanding he unblock her phone. When the victim refused to speak to her, Otto pushed him, called him an "asshole" and then poured boiling water onto his face, causing burns to his face, neck, shoulders and chest. Otto had no prior convictions. The judge, citing the unprovoked nature of the assault and the period of harassment, imposed a three‑year custodial sentence but suspended it in full on strict conditions, taking into account Otto's good character and life difficulties. The victim has fully recovered from his injuries. The case was concluded with the suspended sentence.
An uncle, aged 17 when he first began sexually abusing a six‑year‑old girl while babysitting, was jailed after the abuse continued for two years. The child, then nine, told him, "I don't like this and it has to stop," after which the abuse ceased. The court noted the uncle's role as a trusted caregiver and that he was a minor at the time of some offences, with the offences extending beyond his minority. He was assessed by the Probation Service as a moderate risk of re‑offending. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to five years' imprisonment, suspending the final two years on strict conditions, including compliance with Probation Service directions for two years after release. The victim, now 12, testified that the abuse made her feel blamed, unsafe around men, and that she uses clothing to cover herself. The unnamed 25-year-old pleaded guilty.
On 7 March 2020, Raymond Neeson (44) and Francis Duffy (43) were caught breaking into Central Park Apartments in Leopardstown. Neeson assaulted three residents, spat blood in a Garda car, broke a wing mirror and defecated in a Garda cell, while Duffy tried to hand Neeson a shatter hammer and fire extinguisher before both were restrained by the residents. Neeson pleaded guilty to burglary, three counts of assault causing harm, a threat to kill or cause serious harm to a Garda, and criminal damage to a squad car. Duffy pleaded guilty to burglary. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Neeson to four and a half years' imprisonment and Duffy to two and a half years' imprisonment, noting Neeson's more serious conduct and Duffy's lesser role. Both men have numerous prior convictions. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Devin Walker, 35, was given a suspended three‑year sentence after pleading guilty to cultivating cannabis at a derelict farmyard in Johnstown Kennedy, Rathcoole. He was discovered when the landowner noticed a rise in electricity usage and flash lights, prompting Garda Donal Donoghue to obtain a search warrant. At the site, Walker was seen leaving a shed with a bucket of water and was later found inside with three grow tents holding 140 cannabis plants and saplings. Garda estimates suggested a potential street value of €112,000 if all plants were mature females. Walker, originally from the Caribbean and recently arrived from Birmingham, had no prior convictions and was considered a low‑level operative. Judge Martin Nolan accepted his guilty plea, noted he had not profited, and imposed a suspended sentence. The court highlighted that Walker's involvement was limited to irrigation and feeding the plants. The sentence was suspended in full.
A man from Longford who pleaded guilty to resisting arrest following an incident in Dublin in 2016 has received a four-month suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Brian Farrell, aged 40, of Longford Villas, Sallynoggin, had initially denied charges of assaulting gardaí and possessing a claw hammer and knuckle duster. Two days into his trial, he changed his plea to guilty on two counts of resisting arrest, which the prosecution accepted. During the hearing, gardaí described encountering determined resistance when they attended the scene following a report of property damage. Judge Martin Nolan noted the incident occurred four years prior and that Farrell had remained out of trouble since then, though he remarked the defendant had behaved disgracefully. The suspended sentence came with conditions, and Farrell was ordered to pay €1,000 to a charity of the complainant garda's selection. The court heard Farrell has seven previous convictions, most dating back a decade.
Gary O'Brien, 32, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting prison officer John Cullen at Mountjoy Prison on 27 August 2016. O'Brien had been observed ingesting something in his cell and was unsteady when staff attempted to escort him to the reception area. He resisted and acted aggressively, telling staff he would not be searched. Officer Cullen sustained a broken finger, requiring two surgeries and a steel fixer in his hand, and reported the assault had a devastating effect on his mental health and mobility. O'Brien, who has 55 prior convictions, expressed deep shame and apologized, but Officer Cullen did not accept the apology. The court noted the incident had a "life altering" impact on Cullen and imposed the sentence with a suspended year, subject to probation, substance misuse work, and anger management.
A 39‑year‑old woman who discovered her husband was having sex with her 16‑year‑old daughter was charged with reckless endangerment of a child. After the discovery, she kicked both the man and her daughter out of their home. The couple stayed in Dublin city‑centre hostels, where staff noticed the man's behaviour and contacted Gardaí. The Gardaí found the pair, and the woman told them she was aware of the man's presence but did not disclose the sexual relationship. The Gardaí, after a second encounter, deemed the child at immediate risk and placed her in Tusla care. The woman pleaded guilty to one count of reckless endangerment and was given a suspended sentence. The stepfather remains charged with multiple counts of defiling a child, and the case is still before the courts. The daughter, now 18, lives with a foster family. The woman's baby, born with severe health issues, died shortly after birth.
Robert O'Leary, an 'Arthur Daley' type car dealer, has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment at the non-jury Special Criminal Court for membership of an unlawful organisation, contrary to Section 21 of the Offences against the State Act 1939, as amended by section 48 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005. O'Leary pleaded not guilty to the charge but was found guilty by the court. He had supplied a vehicle used in a dissident operation to plant a bomb under a PSNI officer's jeep in Belfast. Mr Justice Hunt initially read out a sentence of three years and six months but suspended the final six months for two years after considering O'Leary's letter to the court. O'Leary had written to the court, undertaking not to associate with militant or violent Republicanism upon release and not to come to the attention of gardaí. The court accepted the letter as a major factor in the sentencing. The judge noted that the Skoda Octavia was used to survey the area around the PSNI officer's home and was involved in planting the device. O'Leary had invented a purchaser for the car to break the link between him and the IRA operation. The court was satisfied that O'Leary sourced and purchased the car for a specific purpose and disposed of it using dubious personal details. The final sentence of three years' imprisonment was backdated to September 29, 2020, when O'Leary was found guilty. The matter was not adjourned and is now finalised at the sentence stage.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 36‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting his sister between 2000 and 2001 and to possession of 642 images and 61 videos of child pornography found in his home in 2016. He also pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography. The judge, taking into account the man's age and the long‑term harm to his sister, imposed a custodial sentence of three years, suspending the final 15 months on condition of probation supervision. The sister, who was 15 when she reported the abuse, described feeling isolated, using drugs, and suffering depression, panic attacks, self‑harm and a suicide attempt. She said she hopes the case being open will allow her to move on. The man cooperated with Gardaí, admitted wrongdoing, and showed insight into his behaviour. The court noted the distribution of child pornography was not for profit.
Abdifatah Nur, 38, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for possession for sale or supply and unlawful importation of khat, a drug he brought into Ireland worth €10,000. He pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Nur claimed he had purchased the khat in Somalia for €500, where it is legal, and was unaware of its illegality in Ireland. He said he intended to supply the drug at his brother's wedding for the elders' celebration, not for profit. He was stopped by customs at Dublin Airport on 30 November 2019 and found in possession of the drug. The judge, Patricia Ryan, suspended the balance of the sentence on the condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for one year. No prior convictions were recorded. The case was prosecuted by Eoin Lawlor BL and defended by Ciaran O'Loughlin SC.
Stephen Ennis, a 30‑year‑old heroin addict, was sentenced to one year in prison after he stabbed a treating doctor three times in the back at St James' Hospital on 7 March 2020. Ennis had been found collapsed outside a Garda station with a seizure and was brought to the hospital by ambulance. While in the hospital he refused to stay on his trolley, bothered nurses, and eventually withdrew a needle he had taken from his own arm. He held the needle over his head and charged at the doctor, who fled down the corridor. The doctor was not aware of the stabs until a colleague informed him. Ennis pleaded guilty to assaulting a person providing medical care. He has 72 prior convictions, including violent disorder, drug possession, knife possession, burglary and begging. The judge noted that Ennis probably did not intend the assault and that the doctor has made a full recovery.
Two men, Tayab Kourtishe (47) and Jagjeet Singh (41), were sentenced to two and a half years in prison, suspended in full on strict conditions, for stealing almost €18,000 from Expo Casino in The Square, Tallaght. Kourtishe and Singh were caught on CCTV footage manipulating the casino's machines. Kourtishe removed the glass cover from a roulette table, placed a ball on a number, and then used a stolen key to unlock the fruit machine and withdraw the money that a third person had loaded into it. Singh later cleared the machine's transaction records, erasing evidence of the €50 notes that had been deposited. Kourtishe stole €8,895 from the fruit machines and the roulette table, while Singh stole €8,988. Both pleaded guilty, made full restitution, and had no prior convictions. The judge noted their actions were a breach of trust and that the offences were out of character, but accepted their cooperation and restitution.
John Tierney, aged 53, of Rockhouse, Gowna, County Cavan, received a fully suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his guilty plea to dangerous driving causing death. The collision occurred on the N4 motorway near Junction 3 in Lucan, County Dublin, on 10 December 2018, when Tierney's vehicle suddenly moved into a bus lane, striking the motorcycle of Stephen Fee, who was fatally injured. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a one-year custodial sentence, suspended in full, and disqualified Tierney from driving for eight years. The court heard that Tierney's vehicle had begun losing power due to a diesel particle filter issue, leading him to change lanes without ensuring the path was clear. Tierney had no previous convictions. The judge characterised the driving as a misjudgement rather than reckless behaviour, citing strong mitigating factors including Tierney's guilty plea, cooperation with gardaí, and significant health difficulties. Impact statements from the victim's family were read to the court.
Lynda Goldsmith, aged 65, stole more than €2,700 from a 90‑year‑old friend over three months. She took cash from the victim's bank account by using the victim's debit card to buy groceries and also withdrew money from the victim's purse, which was kept in a drawer in the victim's bedroom. Goldsmith admitted in a Garda interview that she stole the cash because she felt her pension was insufficient and that she thought it would be "nice to have a bit of money". She pleaded guilty to four charges of stealing cash and one of theft of an ATM card, representing a sample of 31 thefts between 16 January and 4 April 2019. The court heard that after stealing the victim's card in hospital, Goldsmith accepted €70 from the victim's son, claiming it was owed for petrol money.
Joseph O'Brien, a 50-year-old businessman from Ballyfermot, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possession of drugs for sale or supply. He pleaded guilty to the charge after gardaí discovered 7.5kg of cannabis resin, with an estimated street value of €45,810, in his camper van during a surveillance operation on February 7, 2019. The court heard that O'Brien had gone to meet drug dealers to intervene regarding a young man's significant drug debt. Judge Melanie Greally noted that the dealers allegedly "foisted" the package on him and threatened him not to dispose of the drugs. While acknowledging the case was unusual and involved an otherwise respectable family man, the judge described his actions as foolhardy but did not believe he intended to hold the drugs. Taking mitigating factors into consideration, including his status as a pro-social community member and the impact of the pandemic on his catering business, Judge Greally set a sentence of two and a half years imprisonment. This sentence was suspended on the condition that O'Brien keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
Roxana Dufficy, aged 32, was sentenced to a fully suspended two‑and‑a‑half‑year term for harassment of a man over a five‑year period. She repeatedly sent threatening messages to the victim's family, friends and workplace, claiming he was not the father of his girlfriend's unborn child and threatening to release compromising photos of him. Dufficy also made constant phone calls to his work and sent letters to his mother's home. She was arrested in June 2018 and pleaded guilty to harassment at unknown locations between 1 October 2013 and 12 June 2018. The court imposed a suspended sentence on the condition of good behaviour and prohibited her from contacting the victim or his relatives. She has not contacted him since her arrest. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The High Court heard that Thomas McCabe, convicted in London in October 1990 for the murder of 16-year-old Richard Hunt, has indicated a willingness to consent to his surrender to Northern Ireland authorities. McCabe, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for attacking Hunt with a scaffolding pole, had been released on licence from Maghaberry Prison but had his licence revoked in January 2018 following breaches. He was arrested by gardaí in August on a European Arrest Warrant issued by the PSNI after absconding for two years. Counsel Mr Kieran Kelly stated that McCabe seeks assurances he will be kept separate from the general prison population due to safety concerns, including potential implications in a gang-related incident. Mr Justice Paul Burns noted that Northern Ireland authorities already have an obligation regarding McCabe's safety and expressed a preference to determine the matter immediately. However, acknowledging that an agreement to surrender might be reached within two weeks, the judge adjourned the proceedings until October 28. The State solicitor sought an explicit statement of consent, while counsel for McCabe requested correspondence with prison authorities to facilitate his separation from the mainstream population. The matter was adjourned, not concluded, to allow for these discussions.
Aaron Brady has been sentenced to life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe in January 2013. Brady, aged twenty-nine and from New Road in Crossmaglen, County Armagh, was convicted in August following a trial lasting more than six months. Under the Criminal Justice Act 1990, he must serve a minimum of forty years before becoming eligible for parole. Justice Michael White imposed an additional concurrent sentence of fourteen years for robbery in connection with the credit union raid in County Louth, during which seven thousand euros was stolen in fifty-eight seconds. The court heard victim impact statements from Detective Donohoe's family and colleagues. Brady has maintained his innocence despite conviction, with supporters gathering outside the Courts of Criminal Justice to protest the outcome.
Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead during a robbery at Lordship Credit Union on 25 January 2013. Aaron Brady, 28, was convicted of capital murder and robbery of €7,000. Brady faces a mandatory life sentence with a minimum of 40 years for the murder. Mr Justice Michael White is hearing evidence and will prepare a sentence for the robbery. Donohoe's parents, Hugh and Peggy, said his death was a waste of a good man and expressed their grief at the hearing.
A 23‑year‑old Georgian national was sentenced to three years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for organising and distributing false identification cards and driving licences that enabled illegal immigrants to enter Ireland. He pleaded guilty to 13 charges, including possession of false documents, deception, money laundering and trafficking of illegal immigrants between 5 October 2017 and 23 May 2019. The court found he was a "vital cog" in a larger scheme that produced bogus identities for Georgian migrants, who paid him a total of €23,817 for the documents. He received the money, sorted the paperwork and sent the finished products back to clients via DHL or An Post. The judge noted his guilty plea, lack of serious prior convictions and his willingness to learn a lesson, and imposed the custodial sentence. The other three accused are yet to be listed for trial or plea.
Ben Merriman, aged 22, was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a fully suspended two‑year imprisonment for assault, trespass and criminal damage committed on 27 March 2018 at a house in Flemington Lane, Balbriggan. The offence involved Merriman and a co‑accused who entered the home in search of the co‑accused's former partner. They threatened the woman's parents, shouted that they would kill her, and forced the door down with a metal bar. Merriman spat in the mother's face, kicked the father while he was on the ground, and the other man struck the father with the metal bar. The court noted Merriman's full‑time employment, stable relationship, and compensation offered to the injured parties. The sentence is suspended on the condition that he keeps the peace and behaves well for two years. No prior convictions were recorded for Merriman. Ben Merriman pleaded guilty.
During a demolition at a Dublin building site, a workman discovered a black bag containing 65 rounds of ammunition and four firearms, including a 7.62 calibre assault rifle, two revolvers and a semi‑automatic pistol. Robert Smullen, 35, of Halliday Road, Dublin 7, was arrested two months later. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of ammunition and the assault rifle at waste‑ground in O'Devaney Gardens on 14 August 2018. Smullen, who has 17 prior convictions and is already serving an eight‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended, was sentenced to two years in prison, to be served consecutively to his existing term. The court noted his cooperation, forensic evidence linking him to the weapons, and his ongoing rehabilitation efforts in custody. The sentence was imposed despite his defence's argument that the discovery was fortuitous and that he was vulnerable due to drug debt and addiction.
Alan Flynn, 29, of Swords, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for possession of €1.2 million worth of cocaine, with the final three years suspended on strict conditions. The offence was committed on 29 September 2019 when a silver VW Golf was stopped on O'Casey Road, Parkwest, by an unmarked Garda patrol. Flynn was driving the vehicle with his two‑year‑old daughter in the front passenger seat. Gardaí found 18 packages of cocaine in the car's footwell and an open cardboard box, totalling €1,263,920. Flynn admitted he had a debt for cannabis and had been instructed by a contact to pick up the drugs and deliver them to a gym in Parkwest. A search of his home revealed a stun gun and pepper‑spray, which he claimed were for his own protection. He has seven prior convictions for road traffic offences. Alan Flynn pleaded guilty.
At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Naranbat Ganbat (37), Altankhundaga Badrakh (37), and Gantulga Turbayan (42) pleaded guilty to providing false documentation when applying for an Irish passport on a date unknown between July 23, 2015 and August 12, 2015. The same offence was also alleged on the basis that they were reckless. The case was at the sentence stage. Ganbat was sentenced to a three-year suspended sentence, with the condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour. Badrakh received a suspended sentence of two and a half years, with the condition that she keep the peace for that time. Turbayan was sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence, with the condition that he be of good behaviour for two years. The matter was not finalised and was not described as concluded. The charges against another Mongolian national were alleged or contested, and no plea was entered. The court heard that the couple paid €19,000 to an intermediary to obtain a false naturalisation certificate, while Turbayan paid €25,000 for the same. The court also heard that the couple used doctored Czech passports and the PPSN of another Mongolian native to work in Ireland. The case was brought to light through Operation Porcelain, a garda operation investigating the issuing of Irish passports to non-nationals using false documentation.
Aaron Brady, aged 29 and last resident of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was found guilty of the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe by an 11‑to‑one jury verdict on 11 August. He is expected to receive the mandatory life sentence for capital murder, with a minimum term of 40 years to be served. Brady also pleaded guilty to a separate robbery of €7,000 at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgen, Co Louth, on 25 January 2013, and will be sentenced for that offence separately. On 13 October, special arrangements were made for the sentencing hearing at the Central Criminal Court. Lorcan Staines SC, on behalf of the DPP, applied for an overflow court; the judge, Mr Justice Michael White, granted the request and scheduled the hearing in Court 17 with a live feed to a second court in the Criminal Courts of Justice.
Patrick Cawley, aged 49, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for sexually abusing his niece, Winnie McDonagh, who was 23 at the time of sentencing. McDonagh was taken into Cawley's home when she was four after her mother's death and was abused from the age of 15. Cawley pleaded guilty to two counts of defilement of a child for acts that occurred between 23 November 2011 and 22 November 2014. The court heard that Cawley, while acting as her de facto parent, forced sexual acts on McDonagh on several occasions, including in a car, a hotel and while she was shopping. He threatened her with death if she disclosed the abuse. The judge noted his guilty plea, remorse and family background as mitigating factors, but emphasised the persistent nature of the abuse and the vulnerability of the victim. The sentence was imposed with no mention of a suspended portion or effective custody.
Sean Brady, aged 26, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for two burglaries committed on the night of 9 May 2017 in Dublin's north. He broke into the home of a mother who was in bed with her two children, brandishing knives and demanding money, and also entered the house of an innocent man whom he called a paedophile, stole his laptop and attempted to escape through a window. Brady pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and had 22 prior convictions. The judge noted Brady's intoxication was self‑induced and that he had not fled when confronted. He was given a six‑year term, with the final year suspended on strict conditions, and was ordered to serve five years in custody. The court described the offences as "terrifying" and the victims as having endured a traumatic experience.
In a High Court hearing on 12 October 2020, Mr Justice Paul Burns refused to order the extradition of British citizen Ian Bailey to France, where he faces a 25‑year prison sentence for the murder of filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier. The judge held that Bailey's surrender remains precluded under Section 44 of the European Arrest Warrant Act 2003, citing an "accrued or vested right" from earlier judicial determinations that barred his surrender. The decision follows two prior French extradition attempts: a 2010 request that was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2012, and a 2017 High Court ruling that deemed the request an abuse of process. Bailey, aged 63, was arrested in December 2019 on a European Arrest Warrant and has been remanded on bail. The judge adjourned formal orders for two weeks to allow the State to seek leave to appeal.
A 25-year-old student has received a fully suspended 12-month sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for money laundering. Jonathan Angbalu pleaded guilty to facilitating the lodgement of a stolen and altered €9,000 cheque into his bank account between March 2016. Gardaí established that the cheque, originally issued by market research firm Millward Brown, was intercepted and modified before being deposited in Angbalu's account at Permanent TSB on St Stephen's Green. The account was subsequently frozen, and €6,094.50 was recovered. The court heard that Angbalu was approached by three men who promised him €2,000 to use his account for lodging and withdrawing funds. He was instructed not to display nervousness during withdrawals. Angbalu later realised the arrangement was fraudulent. He never received payment and withdrew only €700 before providing it to the men. Judge Pauline Codd imposed the sentence on strict conditions, noting his youth and lack of previous convictions. Angbalu brought €1,350 to court as an expression of remorse.
Denis Ward, 39, was given a two‑year suspended sentence after he head‑butted Daragh Comerford at D Two Nightclub on Halloween 2017. Ward, who had been dressed as Superman, took a fake bible from Comerford and then lunged at him, leaving Comerford with a broken nose and a deviated septum that required surgery. Gardaí were alerted to the assault and security staff identified Ward as the Superman costume wearer. CCTV footage showed Ward removing the pretend bible before the attack. Ward pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. He had four prior convictions, including three road traffic offences. Judge Melanie Greally, after hearing a victim impact statement that Comerford lost €1,100 in medical bills and time off work, suspended the two‑year sentence in full. The judge noted that alcohol was a significant factor and that Ward's behaviour was out of character.
Gerard Griffin, 63, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for a series of violent attacks on the staff of the Chicken Hut on Clanbrassil Street, Dublin. The first assault occurred in April 2017, when he punched the owner, threatened staff and smashed the shop with a hockey stick. He later stabbed the owner's hand in February 2020. Griffin pleaded guilty to assault, criminal damage, threats to kill and possession of a knife. He also admitted to earlier offences, including assault, firearms possession and theft. The judge noted his mental collapse following the death of a son and the loss of four children, and suspended the final three years of a six‑year sentence on the condition that he stay away from the flat. He was ordered to engage with the Probation Service to address bereavement and racism issues. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the repeated violent conduct and the impact on the victim.