A 40‑year‑old male model, Mark Adams, was stopped at Belfast International Airport on 9 May 2018 with €180,000 in two brown envelopes in his hand luggage. Northern Irish authorities allege he concealed the money, attempted to remove it from Northern Ireland on that date, and knew or suspected it was proceeds of crime. They seek his extradition on charges of concealing the money and attempting to remove criminal property, with each offence carrying a maximum penalty of 14 years' imprisonment. The High Court, hearing the case on 16 July 2020, found that Adams had failed to provide evidence that surrender would breach his fundamental rights. Mr Justice Paul Burns ordered his surrender to the UK, but postponed it until a later date and remanded him in custody until 19 July 2021, pending domestic proceedings in Dublin. Mark Adams was convicted.
Gerard Lennon, aged 76, was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment for indecent assault on a 12‑year‑old boy at St Patrick's National School, Drumcondra, in 1978. Lennon had previously been convicted of indecent assault on four boys between 1969 and 1980 and had served a four‑year sentence in 1999. In the 1978 incident, the victim was lured into a storage room, had his trousers removed, and Lennon masturbated while repeatedly asking the boy if it felt good. The victim's impact statement, read by Garda Anita Brannigan, described the assault as having derailed his life and left him feeling as though he had let himself and his family down. Judge Melanie Greally noted the breach of trust, the victim's youth and innocence, and the profound effect on the boy, and imposed a 15‑month term, the maximum for the offence at the time.
During an Irish High Court extradition hearing, Mr Justice Paul Burns expressed condolences to the family of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, whose body was found outside her holiday home in Schull 24 years ago. The judge noted that extradition proceedings can feel "dry" but should not suggest the tragedy has been forgotten. Mr Ian Bailey, 63, is wanted in France for a 25‑year prison sentence for the murder of Ms du Plantier. He was convicted in absentia by a Paris court in May 2019, after French authorities had sought his surrender in 2010 and 2017, the latter being dismissed as an abuse of process. Bailey denies involvement, describing the proceedings as a "farce," and has been living openly in Ireland since his arrest under a European Arrest Warrant in December 2019. The hearing, the third attempt by France, continues to address the legal and procedural aspects of his extradition.
A man pleaded guilty to assault causing harm following an incident at a nightclub in Swords, Dublin in December 2017. The victim, then aged 19, sustained serious injury to his left eye when struck with a glass during an altercation in the toilets at Wrights Cafe Bar. Medical treatment included surgery for a severe perforation and prolapse, resulting in permanent corneal scarring, though satisfactory vision was later restored. The accused, aged 22 at the time of the assault, initially denied involvement but subsequently entered a guilty plea in November 2019. The Director of Public Prosecutions entered a nolle prosequi on the more serious charge of assault causing serious harm. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the victim read a statement describing the lasting impact on his life, including abandonment of his ambition to play senior Gaelic football for Dublin and subsequent mental health difficulties. The court adjourned sentencing to July 30, 2020, with the accused remanded on continuing bail.
Michael Power, aged 25, was serving an eight‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for a serious assault when he escaped from St James's Hospital on 20 March 2019. While escorted by three prison officers for treatment of an abscess on his jaw, he slipped his handcuffs, ran, and jumped a wall of a nearby housing estate. He was not located until the following July. Power pleaded guilty to escaping lawful custody. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, his barrister argued that morphine given for pain had impaired his judgment, but Judge Martin Nolan noted that Power had shown "admirable speed, dexterity and agility" while on morphine and had taken advantage of the officers' kind behaviour. The judge sentenced him to an additional six months in prison, consecutive to his existing term.
Corrie Grimes, 24, received a fully suspended 18‑month prison sentence for threatening to slit a Garda's throat and smash her face at Ferrymans Crossing on 28 February 2017. He initially denied the threat, calling it "a load of bollox", but later pleaded guilty and apologized to the Garda. Judge Melanie Greally noted the serious impact on the victim and considered Grimes's two young children. The sentence was suspended on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation. Grimes has 11 prior convictions, nine for drug offences, and is in recovery from drug addiction. He has been employed and is in a residential drug treatment programme, though he did not complete it. No contact has occurred between Grimes and the Garda since the incident. The court ordered a probation report to assess his rehabilitation efforts.
In a High Court hearing on 15 July 2020, Mr Ian Bailey, aged 63, defended his right not to be extradited to France for a third time over the 1996 murder of filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier. His counsel, Ronan Munro SC, argued that the 2012 Supreme Court decision in Minister for Justice v Tobin, applying section 44 of the European Arrest Warrant Act 2003, gave Bailey an "ironclad right" against surrender because the offence was committed outside France and Irish law did not allow prosecution for it abroad. Munro contended that the 2019 Criminal Law (Extraterritorial Jurisdiction) Act did not materially alter this right and that the repeated extradition attempts constituted an abuse of process. The case, which had previously seen a 2017 extradition request dismissed as an abuse of process, was set to continue for three days in the Irish High Court. Ian Bailey was convicted.
Michael Reilly, aged 50, was sentenced to two years in prison for a road‑rage incident at the Pavilion Shopping Centre Roundabout on Malahide Road, Swords, on 11 November 2017. Reilly stopped his van in front of another driver after the victim shouted at him for pulling across traffic. He exited his van, struck the windscreen with a lump hammer (causing no damage), then grabbed the victim as he tried to exit the car and repeatedly punched him in the head, shouting that he would kill him. Witnesses reported Reilly holding the victim in a headlock and punching him up to four times. After driving the victim off, Reilly was identified by Gardaí and arrested 18 months later. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 14 July 2020, Sandro Teixeira, aged 30, was found guilty of assault causing harm after he slashed the face of Ismail Mustafa on the Luas on 22 January 2018. Teixeira, who lives on North Circular Road, was initially charged with assault causing serious harm but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge. The attack left Mustafa with a 10‑centimetre wound and a severed ear lobe, requiring plastic surgery and three days in hospital. Mustafa's victim impact statement described ongoing pain, sleeplessness and permanent disfigurement, and his fear of showing his face to family in Sudan. Gardaí identified Teixeira from Luas CCTV footage and he was arrested. Teixeira has six prior convictions in the UK, including a 2009 four‑year sentence for grievous bodily harm. He has no convictions in Ireland. The judge adjourned the case to Friday for sentencing and to determine whether Mustafa would accept a monetary settlement offered by Teixeira.
Ramin Badalov, of Oakdale Park, pleaded guilty in January to producing a large kitchen knife during a dispute in south Dublin on 12 March 2019. He was remanded on continuing bail but failed to attend his sentencing. His lawyers claimed he was unaware of the date and that he was detoxing in Azerbaijan, where treatment is cheaper. Judge Elma Sheahan adjourned the case again to 6 October 2020, after a bench warrant had been issued at a previous Dublin District Court sitting.
Gary Simpson, aged 32, pleaded guilty to robbery at Dublin's Jury's Inn on 25 March 2020. The hotel was closed due to the Covid‑19 epidemic and contained no money in its tills. Simpson entered the hotel, walked behind the reception counter holding a broken glass bottle, demanded the tills be opened and took a phone from a desk, returning it when asked. He left the premises voluntarily. Gardaí identified him quickly, aided by a description from hotel staff and the low footfall in the city at the time. Simpson had 155 prior convictions, including robbery, burglary and theft. The court described the offence as a "particularly pointless attempt at robbery" and noted the lack of violence and material gain. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to 21 months' imprisonment.
Patrick Carter, of Coombe Court, Dublin city, was sentenced at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his part in a violent 2009 knife attack on Patrick Fowler. Carter pleaded guilty to assault causing harm but had previously failed to appear on his sentence date, fleeing to the UK where he was later imprisoned for aggravated burglary before being extradited to Ireland. The court heard that on April 19, 2009, Carter and Gerard Howe assaulted Fowler in a restaurant on Dame Street. Fowler alleged that Howe slashed his face with a blade, causing severe injuries including exposed facial muscles and a permanent scar. Carter admitted his role in the assault, stating he intervened to help a friend. Judge Martin Nolan rejected defense arguments that Carter had changed, noting he should not benefit from evading justice. Carter received a two-year prison sentence, with the final nine months suspended on conditions of good behaviour and payment of €2,000 to the victim. The sentence was backdated to June 19 of the previous year. Gerard Howe, who was jailed in 2013 for the same offence, was not present for this sentencing.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 19‑year‑old woman was heard to have been sexually abused by her older brothers from age six to ten. One brother, now 26, was jailed for four years for six counts of sexual assault and one count of anally raping the girl over a five‑year period between 2007 and 2011. He admitted to assaulting her about three times a week while she was aged six to ten. The anal rape was a single isolated incident. Three other brothers faced charges; one case was dropped. The remaining two, aged 33 and 29, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual exploitation respectively. Sentences of three‑and‑a‑half years and two years were previously handed down but deferred to January next year. The judge noted the victim's courage and lack of parental support, and highlighted the family's dysfunctional sexual dynamics.
In July 2020, a 24‑year‑old father of three, Devon Hennessey, was charged after he punched a man outside Blanchardstown District Court, prompting a volatile scene that required the assistance of 20 Gardaí to restrain him. Hennessey had previously pleaded guilty to violent disorder in November 2017 and had five prior road‑traffic convictions. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Melanie Greally acknowledged that Hennessey's role was limited and that some provocation had occurred. She sentenced him to 18 months' imprisonment, suspended in full on conditions including 12 months' engagement with the Probation Service. The case highlighted the Gardaí's intervention and the defendant's claim that a comment about his disabled son had sparked the incident. The court noted no further hostility between the parties.
A 45-year-old man was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sexual assault committed at a boy's home in May 2013. The defendant, who met the victim's mother through a dating website, initially denied the charge but pleaded guilty the day before his trial. Judge Melanie Greally, who had previously adjourned the case in February 2019 while placing the man on a 12-month probation bond, imposed a 12-month prison sentence today. This sentence was suspended in full on the condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for 12 months. Additionally, the judge imposed a 10-year condition prohibiting unsupervised contact with children and barring him from the immediate vicinity of creches, schools, playgrounds, or other areas where children congregate. The judge warned that breaching either condition would result in the man being jailed for a year. The court heard that the man had two previous convictions for theft and had attended 44 psychotherapy sessions. While acknowledging the offence was in the lower range of sexual offending, the judge noted the serious impact on the victim, who is now 16, and his mother. The defence highlighted the defendant's remorse, history of depression and anxiety, and low risk of re-offending.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Edward McDonnell, aged 55, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a Grand Power G9 semi‑automatic pistol at Lein Park, Harmonstown, Dublin, on 14 September 2019. The plea came just hours after his defence counsel, Michael Bowman SC, had applied to the court for a not‑guilty verdict on both counts. McDonnell had originally pleaded not guilty to possession of the pistol with intent to endanger life. Evidence presented during the five‑day trial included a loaded handgun found under the passenger seat of an Audi, two baseball hats, two balaclavas, gloves, a red petrol can, and a long‑handled lighter. The prosecution argued that the circumstances collectively proved the charge. The court set a sentence hearing for 21 July 2024. A second defendant, Stephen Little, 46, also pleaded guilty to the same offence and will have his sentence hearing on the same date.
Daragh Coyne, who had been jailed for failing to obey court orders that prohibited interference with lands designated as a National Heritage Area, was released from the Four Courts after purging his contempt. Four weeks earlier, Mr Justice Anthony Barr had committed him to Mountjoy prison following a finding that Coyne was in "flagrant breach" of orders obtained by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. On Friday, Coyne returned to the judge, his counsel stating he was prepared to comply with the orders. Coyne undertook to remove a gate and signage he had installed on the lands and pledged not to cut any turf. The judge, satisfied with the undertakings, declared Coyne had purged his contempt and allowed him to leave. The judge also agreed to adjourn the matter until late July to monitor compliance with the undertakings.
Sean Paul Farrell, a 32‑year‑old from Dublin, was wanted in Northern Ireland for an alleged attempted murder of a PSNI officer and possession of explosives at Eglinton, Co Derry, on 18 June 2015. He fled to the UK to avoid extradition, travelling to Scotland where he was arrested in May. A High Court hearing on 10 July 2020 addressed his extradition application. Mr Justice Paul Burns noted that a family member had posted a €25,000 bail surety and an additional €5,000, both forfeited after Farrell failed to appear for a court date. A bench warrant was issued on 2 March when he did not attend the High Court, leading to forfeiture of the bond and surety. Mr Justice Burns confirmed that Farrell is now in custody in Northern Ireland under a bench warrant for the attempted murder charge and will face trial in a Belfast court.
Conor McCormack, a 30‑year‑old apprentice carpenter, was severely brain‑injured after being punched in the jaw by Raul Pop, 25, during a night out on Dublin's O'Connell Street. Pop, along with Cosmin Sandor, 24, and Vladut Bindea, 21, were involved in a brawl that began after the trio had been drinking vodka at a nightclub. CCTV footage showed the attackers assaulting a homeless man and then following McCormack and his friends. Pop struck McCormack, who was knocked unconscious and hit the ground head‑first. McCormack suffered a life‑threatening brain injury, required surgery, spent 11 days in a coma, and now has lasting hearing loss, speech difficulties and physical weakness. In court, Pop pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm; Sandor and Bindea pleaded guilty to violent disorder. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Pop to five years' imprisonment with the final two years suspended, Sandor to two years, and Bindea to a suspended two‑year sentence.
Wayne Lynch, 37, a bread delivery man from Newtown Meadows, Drogheda, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a pistol and ammunition in suspicious circumstances at the Lidl Car Park, Tallaght, and possession of cannabis herb at his home on 19 July 2019. He had a previous conviction in 2004 for possession of drugs. Gardaí, acting on confidential information, followed Lynch in his bread van on 19 July 2019, approached the van at the Lidl car park, and searched it, recovering two black handguns and rounds of ammunition under the passenger seat. Lynch was arrested and taken to Crumlin Garda Station. A search of his home yielded cannabis herb valued at €35,606. Lynch claimed he was afraid for his life, had a cocaine habit that worsened after his father's death, and was told to drop off the package for a €1,000 discount.
A man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison following a series of attempted car thefts in a Dublin housing estate while under the influence of crack cocaine. Thomas Cahill Donohue, aged 35, pleaded guilty to twelve charges including burglary, attempted robbery, criminal damage, unlawful use of a vehicle, threatening behaviour and assault on gardaí at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. On 25 October 2019, Donohue approached multiple residents in the Whitethorn Walk estate in Lusk, making threats and attempting to take their vehicles while holding his pet chihuahua. Residents reported that he made violent threats towards them. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the sentence on Thursday, noting that whilst Donohue expressed a desire to reform and seek drug treatment, the seriousness of his conduct and the trauma caused to civilians and gardaí necessitated custodial punishment. The judge stated that substance abuse was no defence. The sentence was backdated to 1 January last.
Patrick Harte, aged 78, was convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of 11 counts of indecent assault on seven pupils at Sancta Maria Christian Brothers primary school between September 1968 and September 1970. The trial heard that Harte repeatedly molested boys while subjecting them to severe corporal punishment and verbal abuse. Victims testified that he would call them to his desk for praise or correction, warn the class to keep their heads down, and fondle their genital areas. Harte denied the allegations, claiming the State had validated his teaching and that the prosecution was sectarian. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to a total of three years' imprisonment: two years for the first count, one year for the second, and one year for each of the remaining nine counts, all running concurrently. The sentence was imposed after Harte's repeated failure to attend earlier hearings and his subsequent hospitalization. Patrick Harte pleaded not guilty.
Jamie O'Rourke, aged 26, was sentenced to four years in prison for two offences: an attempted robbery of a Centra store in Swords and a robbery of a tanning salon in the same town on 26 August 2019. The Centra incident involved O'Rourke, armed with a knife, attempting to rob the shop while the owner chased him out with a step ladder. Gardaí were called to the salon after O'Rourke fled the Centra store and demanded money from the salon assistant, taking €156 in cash. He was apprehended shortly after by the Armed Response Unit, who tasered him and followed the taser wire to a bush where he was hiding. O'Rourke pleaded guilty to both counts and has 36 prior convictions, including robbery and attempted robbery.
Patrick Harte, 78, former principal of Sancta Maria Christian Brothers primary school, was convicted in March 2020 of 11 counts of indecent assault on seven boys between 1968 and 1970. At his sentencing hearing, Harte denied the allegations, claiming the victims had a "vendetta" against him and that the state had "validated" his teaching. He said he would appeal to the High Court if the sentence was sectarian. The court heard that Harte repeatedly molested pupils in a class environment marked by severe corporal punishment and verbal abuse. Victims testified that he would call them to his desk for praise or correction, warn the class to look at their books, and fondle their genital areas. Harte's lawyers argued that the prosecution had not brought charges of child cruelty or physical abuse. The judge remanded Harte in custody and adjourned sentencing to the next day. Patrick Harte pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a judge praised a survivor of child sexual abuse for her courage in coming forward. Ms Jennifer Lydon McElwaine, who was aged six to eleven when abused, waived anonymity to name her father, Raymond McElwaine, who pleaded guilty to eight counts of indecent assault and sexual assault between 1988 and 1994. She described the lasting impact of the abuse, noting how her father's control and manipulation affected her and her mother, and how she felt unheard as a child. Ms Lydon McElwaine highlighted her father's lack of remorse and his attempts to manipulate her into silence. The judge acknowledged her early bravery and her ongoing concern for other children, and adjourned sentencing to allow a probation report while remanding her in custody until October 8, 2020. The hearing also covered the father's admissions during Garda interviews and the court's assessment of his low risk of re‑offending.
Dermot Whelan, 67, of The Crescent, Belgard Heights, Tallaght, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography on two computer devices and to knowingly distributing child pornography between October 2012 and July 2014. He was found to have hundreds of child abuse images, including 53 explicit images, 182 exposure images, and three explicit videos, on a laptop seized by Gardaí following an undercover FBI operation that had placed an advertisement to attract users of child pornography. Whelan admitted viewing and emailing the material, claiming he was sexually aroused by it and that he had not bought or contributed to it. The judge noted the seriousness of creating a market for child abuse and imposed strict conditions for the suspended term, including compliance with the Probation Service for two years. No prior convictions were recorded.
James Doran, aged 29, was sentenced to 28 months in prison for an aggravated burglary that took place on 12 January 2013. He broke into the home of a taxi driver in Dublin 16, armed with a knife, and demanded €400. The victim's wife and five‑year‑old son were locked in a bedroom while Gardaí arrived. Doran threatened the victim with the knife, who sustained a cut on his thumb while defending himself. Doran was arrested at his own home after a warrant was issued in February 2014 when he failed to attend a sentence hearing. He had fled to the UK, was extradited back to Ireland in August 2023, and has been in custody since. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a five‑year sentence, suspending all but 28 months on strict conditions. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. James Doran pleaded guilty.
Chun Cheng, a 36‑year‑old Chinese national living in Rutland Place, Dublin 1, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cocaine worth €79,000, cannabis worth €22,000, €176,015 in proceeds of criminal conduct, and seven rounds of 9mm ammunition, all found at his apartment on 6 October 2019. He had no prior convictions and had cooperated with Gardaí. Judge Martin Nolan noted Cheng's deepening involvement in the drug operation, his receipt of rent for the apartment and a bank balance of just over €19,000, and described him as an intelligent man likely to reform. The judge suspended the final four years of a nine‑year sentence, ordered forfeiture of the cash and bank balance to the State, and highlighted Cheng's remorse and desire to help others with addiction.
John Cullen, aged 61, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to making a gain for himself by deception by lodging €155,724.68 into his own Bank of Ireland account on 1 December 2014. The money had been stolen from University College Cork and was described by the court as "undoubtedly fraudulently obtained." Cullen's role was to provide a bank account for the funds to be channeled, and he was said to have been "used by others" for a very small reward. Judge Melanie Greally characterised the offence as a "very serious lapse in judgement" and noted that the full restitution to UCC and the lack of actual loss were mitigating factors. She sentenced Cullen to three years' imprisonment, suspended in full on the condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for three years.
A 41‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting his daughter between 2009 and 2015. The victim, who was ten when the abuse began and married in 2015, testified that she was telling the truth and denied that she had fabricated the allegations to explain why she was not a virgin to her husband. The court heard that the abuse ended after the victim's marriage. The judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, described the offence as a serious breach of trust, suspended the final year of the sentence on the condition of obeying probation, and ordered the defendant to have no contact with the victim. The victim's impact statement described her childhood as stolen and her father as the one who hurt her. The defendant denied the allegations and claimed a blameless life. The unnamed 41-year-old was convicted.
Stephen Fowler, 61, of Blakestown Cottages, Clonsilla, Dublin 15, was charged with involvement in the attempted murder of James 'Mago' Gately, a target of the Kinahan cartel. The offence, under Section 72(1A) of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, alleges that between 7 December 2016 and 6 April 2017, Fowler, knowing of a criminal organisation, participated in activities that would enable the murder of Gately. Gately was shot multiple times on 10 May 2017 at the Topaz filling station on Clonashaugh Road, Dublin 17. Fowler was arrested on 1 July 2020 at Blanchardstown Garda Station on a warrant. Despite objections from Garda Suzanne Lyons, Mr Justice Alexander Owens granted bail under Section 2 of the Bail Act, ordering a €20,000 bond, residence at his daughter's address, daily reporting to Blanchardstown Garda Station, and restrictions on travel and contact with co‑accused Peter Keating.
Patrick Harte, 78, a former school teacher convicted of fondling boys at Sancta Maria Christian Brothers primary school between 1968 and 1970, failed to attend his sentencing hearing after being admitted to Tallaght Hospital with cardiac issues. His lawyers argued that he should not be compelled to attend court due to Covid‑19 guidelines for people over 70 and his medical condition, and requested a two‑month adjournment. Judge Martin Nolan refused the application, citing concerns about Harte's behaviour and the need for finality, and scheduled the hearing for 4 pm out of hours on Thursday. The prosecution, led by Anne Rowland SC, opposed the adjournment, noting that five of the seven victims had already attended court and were willing to read their impact statements. Judge Nolan emphasized that Harte's health is stable but vulnerable to coronavirus and that sentencing must proceed. The case remains in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Patrick Harte pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Daryl Coyle, aged 30, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, for an unprovoked assault on Magdi Mustafa Rashid on South Richmond Street on 5 May 2015. Coyle, who had been intoxicated, used a broken pint glass to head‑butt Rashid, causing a broken nose and subsequent nasal problems. Rashid, aged 54, had been visiting a friend and was approached by Coyle and two other men who shouted at him before the attack. The court noted Rashid's ability to identify the attackers from a distance and the delayed Garda arrival. Coyle pleaded guilty after a trial date; he had 37 prior convictions, including two for assault. The judge emphasised that the sentence reflected Coyle's conduct, not his housing situation. The suspended portion is conditional on good behaviour for two years.
David Johnston, 38, of Golden Lane, BrideStreet, Dublin 8, was sentenced to four years in prison, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions, after pleading guilty to burglary at a flat on Cooke Street on 14 November 2019. He had previously been convicted 28 times. Johnston broke into the flat by kicking in a glass panel of the front door while the occupants were watching television. He forced his way in, threatened the victim with a Stanley knife held to the victim's neck, and demanded €20 that the victim owed him. The victim received a small cut to his throat that did not require medical attention. After the victim paid the €20, Johnston left the flat, elbowing a kitchen window as he exited. He was later arrested and has been on remand in prison since his arrest. The victim did not submit a victim impact statement.
Peter Brazil, 41, was caught on CCTV stealing six kegs of beer from The Great Wood Wetherspoons Pub in Blanchardstown on 7 September 2016. He pleaded guilty to theft of €800 worth of Fosters and Beamish kegs. Brazil, who has 268 previous convictions, was identified by Gardaí and is the driver of a white transit van that transported the stolen kegs. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, and sentencing is adjourned to 2 November, with a court order for him to engage with the Probation Service on methadone.
A businessman from County Donegal who was imprisoned for nine weeks in 2019 over illegal dumping has initiated High Court proceedings against another waste disposal operator. Jim Ferry, whose former company Ferry Refuse Collection faced enforcement action by Donegal County Council for illegally burying waste at Rossbraken, has brought the action against firms operating at Labbadish, Manorcunningham, Letterkenny. Mr Ferry claims the facility is functioning without proper planning permission in breach of the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Waste Management Act 1996. He seeks orders to restrain the respondents from continuing unauthorised waste and recycling operations at the site, alleging environmental damage to lands adjoining the Corkery River, which flows upstream from Lough Swilly. The matter was mentioned before Mr Justice Charles Meenan at the High Court on Monday, where adjournment was granted to allow the respondents time to prepare a sworn reply to the allegations.
A 61‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman who was sleeping in a bed with her young son at a mutual friend's home on 18 December 2015. He admitted being present but claimed he was drunk and could not remember the incident. The court noted the victim's impact statement was not read in open court. Judge Pauline Codd highlighted the aggravating factor of the victim being asleep with a child, and the mitigating factor of the man's immediate apology and cooperation. The judge set a headline sentence of six years, reduced to four years with three years suspended, citing the need for deterrence. The man was assessed as low risk of re‑offending and will be on the sex offenders register. No prior convictions were recorded. The sentence was imposed in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Patrick Harte, 78, a former school teacher, was due to be sentenced in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for indecent assault of seven primary school boys at Synge Street between 1968 and 1970. He had been convicted in March of the previous year on eleven counts. Harte, who is on bail, did not attend the sentencing hearing; his defence lawyer, Patrick Gageby SC, submitted medical documents on his behalf, citing diabetes, chronic heart disease and the risk of COVID‑19 for someone over 70. Gageby requested a two‑month adjournment, arguing that Harte should not be compelled to attend court during the pandemic. Prosecutor Anne Rowland SC opposed the application, noting that five victims were present and that the case required finality. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged Harte's health but ruled that the sentence must proceed, adjourned the hearing to the next day and scheduled it for 4 pm, when the court building would be relatively empty. Harte denied the allegations.
Alan O'Brien, aged 39, with an address at Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin 3, appeared before the Special Criminal Court on July 6th, 2020 to seek dismissal of charges relating to the false imprisonment and assault of Kevin Lunney. Mr Lunney was allegedly abducted near his home in County Fermanagh on September 17th, 2019, and subjected to serious harm during an ordeal lasting approximately two and a half hours before being left on a roadside in County Cavan. Mr O'Brien's application under Section 4E of the Criminal Justice Act 1999 was adjourned, with the hearing scheduled for July 29th. He was remanded in custody pending that date. Three co-accused face identical charges. Luke O'Reilly and Darren Redmond, who were granted High Court bail in April, had their case also mentioned. Trial of all four defendants was set for January 11th, 2021.
John Lawrence, 29, was spared a prison sentence after pleading guilty to possession of a stolen caravan and driving dangerously in a high‑speed pursuit. The court heard that he had completed an addiction studies programme and was volunteering as a mentor in a prison after‑care programme, a role described as "inspiring" by professionals. Lawrence, from Drogheda, drove a Jeep towing a €12,000 caravan stolen from Hertfordshire, England, at speeds over 140 km/h in a 100 km/h zone, forcing gardaí and the public to avoid collisions. He had prior convictions for theft, deception and traffic offences. Judge Karen O'Connor, after hearing mitigation, suspended a two‑year prison term on the condition that Lawrence continue his studies and voluntary work with prisoners.
James McDonagh, aged 33, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to two counts of attempted robbery and one count of assault causing harm. On 15 March 2020, while intoxicated, he approached two women returning from IKEA, claiming his girlfriend had coronavirus, and attempted to steal handbags, kicking and punching when they resisted. A third woman intervened, leading McDonagh to target her handbag; both women fell and the incident was recorded. Later that day he assaulted Patrick Sylvester, punching him and throwing a traffic cone. McDonagh admitted drinking that day and cited prior alcohol problems. He has 55 previous convictions, including assault and public order offences, and has two children. Judge Martin Nolan emphasised that McDonagh should stop drinking if he wishes to reform. The court imposed the two-and-a-half year custodial sentence.
Deborah Malcolmson, 43, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for stabbing her former partner, Brian Kelly, 56, in their home on 29 July 2019, an act that left him seriously injured and requiring a colostomy bag. The court heard that the couple had a "dysfunctional" and "combustible" relationship, with both experiencing alcohol problems and periods of homelessness. Malcolmson also pleaded guilty to threatening Kelly's son and assaulting Kelly in St James Hospital on 11 September 2019, when she swung a punch at him while he was receiving treatment. The judge noted her long‑term alcohol difficulties and her early guilty plea, but imposed the sentence without a medical report that might have elevated the charge. She has 52 prior convictions and was living without a fixed abode at the time of sentencing. The court considered her history of violence and alcohol issues but did not alter the three‑year term.
William Kinlan, 36, with 206 prior convictions, was jailed for 16 months after stealing a phone from a young woman on a bus stop in Dublin. He cycled past the victim, took her phone, and left it on a windowsill. Garda Michael O'Donnell, who heard the woman scream, recognised Kinlan and pursued him, arresting him on the spot. Kinlan claimed he was a drug addict needing money to repay a drug debt. He pleaded guilty to theft at O'Connell Street on 29 February 2020, the same offence for which he had just been released from a previous sentence. The phone was returned to the victim. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Kinlan's extensive criminal history and drug addiction, imposed a 16‑month sentence consecutive to the term he was already serving, expressing doubt about his likelihood of reform. The case was prosecuted by Maurice Coffey BL and defended by Derek Cooney BL.
In December 2018, Tomi Jinad, a 24‑year‑old KBC bank customer‑services worker, deactivated a security feature that required customers to receive a text‑message authorisation code for online transactions. This action enabled approximately 100 fraudulent transactions totalling €21,460, with individual amounts ranging from €100 to about €500. Jinad passed account details to unidentified parties. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts of unlawfully operating a computer to gain or cause loss to others. The offences occurred between 22 and 30 December 2018. Jinad had a prior drug‑dealing conviction and claimed he was persuaded by others to act. He did not receive any money. The court noted his apology, youth, and that he ceased the activity before the investigation. Judge Patricia Ryan suspended a two‑and‑a‑half‑year prison sentence for four years, conditioned on peace‑keeping, and ordered annual payments of €5,200 until the stolen sum was repaid.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 2 July 2020, 27‑year‑old Emilio Flynn pleaded guilty to robbery, false imprisonment and extortion after he attacked Dr Patrick Duffy on Buckingham Street on 26 June 2015. Flynn approached the doctor after his shift at James' Hospital, demanded his wallet and phone, and after the doctor withdrew cash at an ATM, Flynn took the money and later returned the SIM card. He then wrote a note demanding further payment, threatening that the doctor would be "done" if he did not comply. Flynn, who was homeless at the time and claimed his judgment was affected by medication, admitted to 29 prior convictions. Judge Elma Sheahan, noting Flynn's role as a father of four, imposed a 12‑month probation bond, requiring him to remain drug‑ and alcohol‑free and to attend anger‑management and grief‑counselling sessions. No custodial sentence was imposed.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Martin Nolan explained that Patrick O'Neill, 27, had a lifelong neurological development disorder stemming from a birth brain injury, which severely impaired his cognitive function. O'Neill had been caught in October 2017 with over €50,000 worth of heroin, cocaine and cannabis at his home in Kilronan View, Clondalkin, and pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply. He had previously received a four‑month prison sentence in 2018 for drug dealing. The judge noted that O'Neill's condition made him vulnerable to manipulation by more serious criminals, who could exploit his weaknesses. He was concerned that O'Neill, despite knowing right from wrong, might be re‑exploited and re‑offend. Consequently, the judge suspended a four‑year prison term on the condition that O'Neill continue to engage with Probation Services.
Larry McCarthy Jr., 43, of Tower Lodge, Old Cork Road, Limerick, was denied bail by the Special Criminal Court on 1 July 2020. He is charged with providing a vehicle to the McCarthy‑Dundon gang for the attempted murder of Christy Keane at the University of Limerick car park on 29 June 2015. The court heard that the State, represented by State barrister Ms Anne‑Marie Lawlor SC, objected to bail on the grounds that McCarthy could commit a serious offence while on bail, was a flight risk, and might interfere with witnesses. Garda evidence from Detective Garda Donnacha Coakley and Chief Superintendent Gerard Roche cited Sections 2 and 2(A) of the Bail Act. Judge Mr Justice Alexander Owens refused bail and remanded McCarthy in custody until 14 September. Two co‑accused, Noel Price, 42, and John Costello, 39, were also remanded to the same date.
Mark Egan, 41, of Cabra Road, Dublin 7, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to two burglaries and one attempted burglary at Bishop Street, Dublin 8, on May 28, 2019. Prosecution evidence presented by Garda Greg Moroney alleged that Egan entered a building housing multiple organisations, stealing laptops valued at €4,700 and cash from two companies, while ransacking the offices of a third without taking items. Egan admitted responsibility during interview after viewing CCTV footage, noting he was on medication that prevented him from recalling the events. Judge Melanie Greally acknowledged Egan's 41 previous convictions and his history of relapse following a probation bond, but commended his recent successful supervision and efforts to address addiction. During the hearing, Egan requested to remain in custody to complete a two-month drugs course at Mountjoy Prison. The judge agreed to finalise sentencing, imposing a three-year prison term. However, she suspended the final two years of the sentence on strict conditions. The sentence was backdated to January 17, the date Egan first went into custody, resulting in an effective custody period of one year.
Patrick Kelly, aged 54, pleaded guilty to one count of rape, 12 counts of defilement and 13 counts of sexual exploitation of a 15‑year‑old girl between February 2014 and December 2015. The abuse was uncovered when Gardaí investigating separate child‑abuse allegations seized Kelly's diary, which contained dates, phone numbers and "squiggles" indicating sexual contact, along with the victim's initials. The diary and a large volume of text messages (17,500) showed Kelly's persistent grooming, gifting, and repeated sexual acts, including anal sex and intercourse. The victim's impact statement described physical, mental and emotional abuse, insomnia, PTSD and suicidal thoughts. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed a concurrent custodial sentence of four years, to run consecutively to a nine‑year sentence for other child‑abuse offences, and ordered five years of post‑release supervision with conditions preventing unsupervised contact with children and the victim. The court noted Kelly's guilty plea and lack of insight as mitigating factors.
In September 2015 a low‑level drug dealer, Ciarán Murphy (29), was stabbed 16 times and set on fire at his home in Coolcor, Offaly, after his ex‑girlfriend spread a false rumour that he was a Garda informant. Murphy suffered 96 % burns from the neck down, multiple stab wounds including to the heart cavity, and lost both ears. He was treated at Tullamore Regional Hospital and later St James's Hospital, Dublin, undergoing several emergency surgeries and skin grafts. David Keena (21) was remanded in custody after admitting he was present when Shaun Groome (31) stabbed Murphy and poured petrol over him. Keena pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm and criminal damage by arson. Groome had been charged with assault causing serious harm in November 2015, but no prosecution has yet taken place. The case was adjourned to 28 July 2020 for sentencing.