In May 2020 a burglar, Dominic Rogers, 21, was caught by a homeowner standing in a bush near the scene of a burglary in Lucan. Rogers had earlier pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a stolen car at an M1 toll plaza on 28 June 2019 and to burglary at Foxpark on 26 September 2019. He had five prior convictions, including drug possession and deception. Gardaí had CCTV showing him driving the stolen car and later found him in a bush holding a torch after a house in Lucan had been broken into. Rogers denied involvement in the burglary but later accepted responsibility. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to one year for the car offence and two years for the burglary, to run consecutively for a total of three years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions.
Denise Bergin, aged 50, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment after pleading guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of drugs for sale or supply, firearms and ammunition. On 18 July 2019 Gardaí seized two semi‑automatic pistols and ammunition hidden in a dog‑food box under her kitchen sink, 37 packages of cannabis, six small bags of cocaine and about 40,000 prescription tablets, totalling €758,000 in value. Bergin claimed she had been asked to hold the items for €400 to pay a drug debt and to visit her sick mother in the UK. She was described as a vulnerable person with a diagnosed emotionally unstable personality disorder, and her mother died two weeks after her arrest. The court noted the exploitation of her vulnerability and imposed the five‑year sentence with mitigation considered.
Gerard O'Toole, 23, pleaded guilty to a violent robbery on December 3, 2018, at Fownes Street Upper, Dublin 2. In the early morning, he attacked a man who was walking home from a pub, grabbing him, pushing him to the ground, and punching him in the face. While the victim was on the ground, O'Toole told a woman to take his money and phone; she removed his wallet and phone, but only the victim's student card was recovered. The victim, a foreign national studying computer science in Ireland, left the country after the incident and has no plans to return. O'Toole, who has 36 prior convictions including robbery and drug offences, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to three years' imprisonment. He has been receiving addiction counselling while in custody and has expressed willingness to return stolen items if their location is known. The sentence reflects the aggravated nature of the violence and the prolonged attack.
Dylan Brophy, 22, of Reuben Street, Rialto, Dublin, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for robbing Arch Cafe, Reuben Plaza, Dublin 8, on 25 June 2018. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Garda Kevin Cassidy described Brophy as approaching the counter with his face covered and hood up, holding a knife by his chest, demanding money and pressing the green button on the till. He took €650 and left. CCTV footage showed him sitting in the cafe an hour before the robbery and later changing clothes. Brophy is a regular customer and has 43 prior convictions, including robbery, assault causing harm and drug possession. He was cooperating with the investigation after arrest. Judge Martin Nolan noted the lack of violence and Brophy's admissions, and imposed the sentence starting from the day of sentencing.
In a High Court hearing, French authorities requested to view Ian Bailey's legal submissions regarding his extradition to France for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. Bailey faces a 25‑year sentence in France and will contest the extradition at a three‑day hearing scheduled for July 15. His counsel, Ronan Munro, said the submissions are about 40 pages and will be finalised in two weeks. French officials sent letters on March 18 and April 14 requesting the documents, a move Munro described as unprecedented and outside normal statutory procedure. The Minister for Justice will not release the submissions without a court ruling. Bailey, who denies involvement, is remanded on bail and will not attend the next court session. The case follows two prior French extradition attempts that were dismissed in 2012 and 2017. The hearing will address whether the French request is permissible under Irish law. The unnamed 63-year-old was convicted.
A 23‑year‑old man, Christopher O'Callaghan, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with 18 months suspended, for the manslaughter of his 66‑year‑old grandfather, Joseph O'Callaghan, who was found dead in his own blood on the morning of 2 July 2018. The Central Criminal Court heard that the defendant had "snapped" after his grandfather admitted sexually abusing two individuals. O'Callaghan claimed he had no intention to kill or seriously injure his grandfather, but he struck him up to four times, kicked him twice and stomped on him, causing blunt‑force trauma to the head and extensive bruising. The judge noted the defendant's consumption of alcohol, his early guilty plea, remorse and efforts to address alcohol abuse. The suspended portion requires abstinence from alcohol, attendance at treatment and continued employment or study. The case remains a manslaughter conviction, not a murder conviction. Christopher O'Callaghan pleaded not guilty.
A 19‑year‑old teenage burglar, Martin Connors of Cloonmore Park, Tallaght, was arrested again after Gardaí noticed a damp patch on the back of his trousers, indicating he had climbed over a wet wall at a house he had just broken into. Connors had previously pleaded guilty to burglary and possession of a chisel on 11 January 2019, and was already serving a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for a separate burglary and robbery in August 2018. Judge Martin Nolan, hearing the case in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, ordered Connors to serve an additional six months after his current sentence ends. The burglary in question involved an empty house, and no items were taken. Connors' defence lawyer, Sarah Jane O'Callaghan, highlighted his difficult upbringing, drug addiction, and the impact of his parents' prison sentences on his life. The owner of the home declined to give a victim impact statement. The other two burglars involved were not identified.
In a sentencing hearing at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, John Barry, principal of St Michael's secondary school in Finglas, explained that the school's insurance premiums had risen by €10,000 over two years due to claims from schools for theft and criminal damage. Barry cited the case of Tara Fay, a 46‑year‑old from Premier Square, who was convicted of burglary at the school in October 2016. Fay admitted stealing jumpers, tracksuits, €250 in cash and a mobile phone, and was caught on CCTV entering and leaving the building. Barry noted that while the items were small, the financial impact on the school was significant, and he would prefer the increased premiums to be used for teaching supplies. Fay, who has 39 prior theft convictions and 29 traffic offences, pleaded guilty, and her sentence was adjourned to May 19 by Judge Patricia Ryan.
David Banks, 45, a homeless man with 22 prior convictions, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for possession of heroin for sale or supply. He pleaded guilty to offences at Mountjoy Square on 21 June 2018 and 4 July 2018, and at Store Street Garda Station on 26 July 2018. Garda Gerard Whelan reported that police entered a friend's address at Mountjoy Square in June, finding €2,330 worth of heroin that Banks had stored there. A subsequent raid on 4 July uncovered an additional €2,150 worth of heroin. On 26 July, Banks was stopped on the street, searched, and a further €1,700 worth of heroin was found in his underwear at Store Street Garda Station. Judge Melanie Greally noted that Banks had been a chronic drug addict from a young age, had worked as a painter and decorator, and had been homeless intermittently.
James O'Malley, aged 26, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery and the production of a syringe after threatening a cashier with a syringe and stealing a tray from a Costcutter shop on 13 April 2019. Gardaí CCTV footage showed O'Malley and a second man attempting to empty the till before taking the tray, then changing clothes in an abandoned yard. The shop suffered a €450 loss, and the tray was recovered after O'Malley's arrest. O'Malley admitted the offence, describing himself as "out of his head and strung out," and cited a history of 66 prior convictions, including robbery, assault, and drug offences. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to four‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, including mandatory residential drug treatment if directed by the Probation Service. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the syringe threat and O'Malley's need for comprehensive drug treatment.
Rhys Moran, 24, of Cabra, Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbery on Charleville Road (10 May 2018), robbery on D'Olier Street (9 May 2018) and to perverting the course of justice and criminal damage at Bridewell Garda Station (10 May 2018). He had 18 prior convictions, including a juvenile robbery. At sentencing, Judge Melanie Greally described him as "clearly out of control" and noted his urination in his cell as a "self‑defeating act of defiance". She imposed a six‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final two‑and‑a‑half years on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation supervision. The judge considered his guilty pleas, insight, extensive difficulties and youth. The case also involved a broken golf club that Moran ripped open during an interview, destroying evidence, and a €69.46 damage claim for cell cleaning.
Gareth Hamilton, aged 26, from Drumconnick, County Cavan, was sentenced to three years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his guilty plea to robbery at an Applegreen Service Station in Inchicore on 28 November 2018. Gardaí identified Hamilton after discovering his DNA and fingerprints on a juice box he consumed inside the premises during the incident. Hamilton entered the service station, requested cigarettes, then produced a box cutter and took €350 from the till before leaving with the money and cigarettes. The court heard Hamilton had previous convictions for attempted robbery, burglary, and possession of stolen property, all committed within a finite period in 2018 and 2019. He was on bail at the time of the offence. Judge Melanie Greally noted Hamilton had secured employment on his father's farm and expressed potential for rehabilitation should he address his drug dependency. The sentence is to run consecutively to a sentence already being served, ending 14 November next.
James Fagan, 27, of Cushlawn Park, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to a robbery at Merchants Quay on 14 July 2017. He was one of three men on the steps of a Franciscan church when a victim passed by with his partner. Fagan struck the victim first with a pen, then with a beer can that hit the victim's head, and later struck him in the face while the victim was held. The victim suffered a hairline fracture to the nose and bruising to the eye socket. The court noted Fagan's history of drug‑related convictions and his addiction's influence on his behaviour. Judge Melanie Greally considered his guilty plea, family circumstances, mental health issues and a remorseful letter. She sentenced him to five‑and‑a‑half years, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation after release.
David Allen, 35, was on bail for a robbery when he knocked 89‑year‑old Nina MacAuley to the ground outside a Dublin hairdresser, bashed her, and stole her handbag. MacAuley suffered head and arm injuries and later discovered her handbag missing. Allen, who has no fixed abode and a history of 25 convictions including robbery, burglary and theft, pleaded guilty to the robbery at Aungier Street on 1 July 2019 and to the armed robbery of a 73‑year‑old taxi driver on 5 February 2019. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to three years for the earlier robbery and five years for the MacAuley robbery, making a total of eight years imprisonment with the final two years suspended on strict conditions. The sentence was imposed with the two terms running consecutively. Allen's victim impact statement was read in court, and he admitted to being "strung out" on heroin during the incidents.
A 25‑year‑old man named Jake Kearney pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to unlawful possession of a Grandpower semi‑automatic pistol. The pistol was found in his possession on 30 October 2019 at Oscar Traynor Road, Santry, Dublin 9. Kearney also faced a separate charge for unlawful possession of eight rounds of nine‑millimetre ammunition, which was heard in Dublin District Court the previous year. The court ordered a governor's report, a probation report and a urine analysis for Kearney, and remanded him in custody until 29 June when sentencing will occur.
Damien Ionut, 34, was sentenced to three years in prison for a series of ATM attacks across eight European cities, including Dublin, Louth, Kildare, Wicklow, Meath, Westmeath, and Dublin. He and a group used a "transaction reversal fraud" technique, first withdrawing a small amount with a legitimate chip‑and‑pin card, then inserting a clip into the cash drawer to block the release of a larger withdrawal. They swapped the card for a dummy, causing the machine to think the customer had walked away, and then used a chisel to break into the drawer and take the cash. The attacks caused about €12,881 in damage and resulted in €5,980 in stolen cash. Ionut had 30 prior convictions for similar offences and was identified on CCTV footage. The court back‑dated the sentence to November 5, 2019. The case highlighted the vulnerability of ATMs to this type of fraud.
Derek Hearns, 35, was sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after a February trial on eight counts related to an attack on David O'Sullivan's home in Baldoyle in February 2016. He was found guilty of producing a knife, robbing €10 and stealing a mobile phone, while the jury could not agree on the remaining charges, which were struck out. Hearns maintains his innocence on all counts. The judge, noting the night‑time assault occurred when O'Sullivan's partner and child were present, imposed a three‑year sentence with the final year suspended under conditions. Hearns, a father of four with 46 prior convictions, is now confined under strict Covid‑19 prison rules, spending 22 hours and 40 minutes a day in his cell and unable to see his family. He had hoped to represent Ireland in bodybuilding before the pandemic and has recently completed drug rehabilitation. Derek Hearns was acquitted.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 30 April 2020, the judge refused bail for 21‑year‑old Dominic Rogers, who had been on bail since June 2019. Rogers had been caught with a stolen car and later broke into a home in Lucan. He has five prior convictions, all while on bail, including drug possession and traffic offences. He pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen car at M1 Toll Plaza on 28 June 2019 and to burglary at Foxpark on 26 September 2019. Rogers has taken nine bench warrants between May and July 2019 and failed to comply with bail conditions, notably signing on at Lucan Garda Station 83 times. The judge, citing the likelihood of a custodial sentence and concerns that Rogers might commit further offences, remanded him in custody and set sentencing for 13 May 2020.
A construction worker from Sligo has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment for his involvement in a tax fraud scheme at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Martin Stokes, aged 35, pleaded guilty in April 2016 to charges under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act, including forgery and deception, relating to offences committed in 2006, 2008 and 2011. He was one of five people who registered as contractors while falsely undertaking to remit tax payments on behalf of sub-contractors. Revenue issued approximately €107,000 in tax refunds and credits to bank accounts controlled by another individual, which were subsequently withdrawn via ATMs. Stokes failed to appear for sentencing in June 2016 and was arrested abroad before being returned to Ireland. Judge Martin Nolan described the scheme as relatively sophisticated and noted it exploited weaknesses in the contractor tax system. Stokes, who has previous convictions for dangerous driving, deception and counterfeiting, was credited with character references and community contributions, resulting in a reduction from an indicative sentence of five years.
William Nolan, 30, was sentenced to eight‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment for a spree of offences in Tallaght. He pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal damage and endangerment at several sites, including a petrol station, a supermarket, a residential home and a shop. The most serious offence was the crash of a stolen van into the front of a Maxol petrol station, which caused €68,000 in damage and endangered two Gardaí. Nolan also stole a van, a vape machine and other items, and had 127 previous convictions. He was on bail for an earlier burglary when the later offences occurred. The judge described the offences as a "tsunami of criminality" and imposed a sentence of eight years, with the final six months suspended on strict conditions. The one‑year sentence for the March burglary runs consecutively to the eight‑year term.
Sean Keenan, a 24‑year‑old homeless man, pleaded guilty to robbery at Red Cow Luas Stop on 4 November 2017. Garda Christopher Hogan described how Keenan and two other men followed Andrew O'Sullivan, who had just disembarked from a bus carrying a duty‑free bag with two bottles of spirits and 400 cigarettes. The men attacked O'Sullivan, with Keenan punching and kicking him, and the third man striking him in the head with a bottle. They threatened to kill him before leaving. Cigarettes taken from O'Sullivan were found in Keenan's possession and his clothes bore the victim's blood. Keenan had 99 prior convictions, including robbery, attempted robbery, criminal damage, burglary and car theft, and was highly intoxicated during the offence. He had no recollection of the attack. The judge noted the assault was "extremely violent and vicious" and sentenced Keenan to five years' imprisonment, suspending the final two years on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation after release.
During a sentencing hearing in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a 64‑year‑old man was convicted of sexually assaulting his seven‑year‑old son in 1989. The victim, who was a child sexual assault survivor himself, gave a victim impact statement in which he described how his father had taken him swimming, hypnotised him, and then sexually assaulted him. He recalled being told by his father that he was "washing him, cuddling him, sucking him" and that he was "just playing around with his penis" to bond with him. The defendant, who was a victim of abuse at Letterfrack Industrial School as a teenager, denied the offence and claimed it was false. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to four and a half years' imprisonment, suspending the last six months on the condition that he engage with the Probation Service.
Ruzmond Muwaniri, 32, was sentenced to four years in prison for a series of unprovoked assaults that took place between April 29 and June 12, 2019. He admitted attacking two men in April, a woman in June, and head‑butting Garda Barry Ryan while the Garda was taking his details at Bridewell Garda Station. Muwaniri pleaded guilty to three charges of assault causing harm and one charge of assault. He has 71 previous convictions, including seven for assault. The judge noted his diagnosed schizophrenia, cannabis use, and mental health difficulties, and suspended the final 12 months of the sentence on strict conditions, including engagement with the Probation Service for a year after release. The court emphasised the need to protect society while acknowledging the possibility of future re‑offending. The sentencing took place at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Austin Byrne, aged 43, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years' imprisonment for a series of burglaries committed in April 2019. He pleaded guilty to breaking into three Dublin residences: Wintergarden on 10 April, Byrnes Lane on 17 April, and Fitzwilliam Street Lower on 19 April. The offences involved the theft of clothing, foreign currency, an Apple MacBook, an Apple Watch, earrings, chains, anti‑epileptic medicine, a wedding ring, and other jewellery. Byrne had 73 prior convictions, including burglary, aggravated burglary and robbery. The judge, Melanie Greally, noted that Byrne's primary motive appeared to be raising money for drugs, and that his previous convictions and the value of the stolen items aggravated the case. She gave credit for his guilty pleas and engagement with addiction services, and suspended the final 12 months of the sentence on strict conditions.
Mr Justice Paul Burns is scheduled to deliver a decision tomorrow at 10:30 am on bail applications for Luke O'Reilly (66) and Darren Redmond (25), who are charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Quinn Industrial Holdings Director Kevin Lunney. The alleged offences occurred on September 17, 2019, at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan. The State opposed bail, citing risks of interference with justice and flight, while defence counsel argued there was no evidential basis for refusal. Both men were sent forward for trial to the Special Criminal Court on March 26, with proceedings potentially beginning in January 2021. Separately, Alan O'Brien (39), of East Wall, is also charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney on the same occasion. A fourth accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, faces similar charges. All four men are to be tried at the non-jury Special Criminal Court. Last week, Mr Justice Tony Hunt indicated the trial could last eight to 12 weeks and transferred the case to Court 2 for a mention on June 10. The current procedural stage involves the pending bail determination for O'Reilly and Redmond, while the broader case remains in pre-trial preparation.
A 19‑year‑old Dubliner was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, for stabbing his uncle in the chest with a kitchen knife on 27 August 2018. The teenager, who had threatened the uncle earlier that day, stabbed him once in the chest, causing a collapsed lung and serious injury. He had followed the uncle after the attack and attempted to finish him off, and had also beaten the victim with his crutch. The court noted the defendant's history of carrying knives, drug addiction, alcohol use, ADHD, dyslexia and being on the autism spectrum. He pleaded guilty in January 2020 and had a prior conviction for assault. The judge reduced the headline sentence from six to four years, citing the early guilty plea and remorse, and imposed a suspended year on conditions of abstaining from drugs, attending education and addressing anger management. The victim fully recovered and forgave the nephew.
A Facebook analyst, Abed Benchenna, aged 25, was sentenced to two years in prison without any suspended portion after failing to return from France for several months. He was found in possession of €7,500 worth of cannabis and had previously been convicted six times, including for obstructing a drug search. Benchenna had been given two opportunities by the court, including a chance to plead guilty early and provide negative urine samples, but he did not engage with probation services or notify authorities of his return from France. He claimed injuries from insect bites and a dislocated shoulder prevented his return, but the judge deemed these excuses insufficient. The court noted his failure to cooperate wasted the court's time and the probation service's resources, and he is now in custody following the bench warrant.
Anthony Maguire, 30, of Courtown, Co Wexford, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possession of drugs for sale or supply. He pleaded guilty to the charge relating to an incident at Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Co Dublin, on June 3, 2017. The court heard that during the Forbidden Fruit music festival, gardaí in plain clothes observed Maguire engaging in drug transactions. He allegedly resisted a search and attempted to flee before being arrested, at which point MDMA tablets with a total value of €3,468 were found in his bag. Judge Melanie Greally had previously adjourned the case for 12 months in March 2019, remanding Maguire on bail under Probation Service supervision. However, the judge noted that probation supervision "never got off the ground" and that Maguire experienced a complete relapse into drug use. She also acknowledged his guilty plea, expression of remorse, and the explanation that he had a significant drug debt at the time of the offence. Judge Greally sentenced Maguire to two-and-a-half years imprisonment. She suspended the final 12 months of the sentence on strict conditions, requiring him to follow all directions of the Probation Service for 12 months post-release.
Anthony Rossitter, a 32‑year‑old drug addict from County Wexford, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three attempted robbery charges after threatening staff in three city‑centre shops on 15 May 2019 with a large pair of stainless‑steel scissors. He entered a Gala shop on Abbey Street, placed a plastic bag on the counter and demanded cash, threatening to cut a staff member if he did not comply. After leaving without money, he went to a Spar shop in Temple Bar and then to a Gala shop on Dorset Street, again demanding cash and showing the scissors, but left empty‑handed and was arrested shortly thereafter. Rossitter has 85 prior convictions, including 46 for traffic offences, and a history of assault and drug dealing. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to four‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, suspending the final 12 months on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation after release.
Liam Brannigan, 37, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years' imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court for conspiring to murder Gary Hanley. Mr Justice Paul Coffey described Brannigan as having a central role in the Kinahan Cartel plot, noting his culpability was high due to his management and oversight of the plan. The sentence includes a suspension of the final six months, conditional on Brannigan completing his degree at UCD or a vocational course in prison. The sentence was backdated to November 6, 2017. Brannigan was the fifth person jailed for this conspiracy. Previously, Luke Wilson pleaded guilty to conspiracy and unlawful possession of a Beretta, receiving 11 years; Alan Wilson pleaded guilty to conspiracy, receiving six years; Joseph Kelly pleaded guilty to conspiracy and a weapons charge, receiving 12 years; and Dean Howe pleaded guilty to conspiracy, receiving six years. The court found that Brannigan was at the centre of the plot, which was foiled when gardai intercepted a vehicle containing a loaded pistol near Hanley's home. The judge highlighted the elaborate nature of the plan and the imminent danger to Hanley. Detective Superintendent David Gallagher praised the convictions as significant successes against organised crime.
Martin Stokes of Woodford Heights, Clondalkin, was arrested during the Covid‑19 lockdown after failing to appear for a sentence hearing in 2016 for tax fraud offences under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act. He had pleaded guilty in April 2016 to charges relating to tax registration on dates in 2006, 2008 and 2011. The court had adjourned the case for a week when his lawyers claimed he was an employed father of three, but he did not appear a week later, leading the judge to issue a bench warrant. The warrant was executed last Monday, and Judge Melanie Greally refused bail, remanding Stokes into custody for sentencing. His defence lawyer, Keith Spencer BL, argued that Stokes could not attend court because he was in a 14‑day quarantine imposed by the Prison Service, and that a video‑link meeting had been booked but not attended.
Myles Byrne, 28, was sentenced to ten months' imprisonment after a shop robbery in Dublin's city centre. He entered a Tesco at about 9 am, attempted to purchase four cans of cider, and when staff refused to sell him alcohol he threatened a staff member with a syringe, saying "get away or I'll stab you" and that he was lucky he didn't rob the tills. Garda Aine Hogan reported that staff feared for their lives, and the deputy manager described Byrne as "out of it" and "swaying". Byrne pleaded guilty to robbery and to making a threat to kill or cause serious harm. He has 79 prior convictions, including assault, robbery and traffic offences, and was on bail when the offence occurred. His defence counsel, Rebecca Smith BL, noted his ongoing alcohol problems and lack of memory of the incident, and that he wished to address his addiction but was unable to access residential treatment due to pandemic restrictions.
James Cash Wall, a 27‑year‑old from Wicklow, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for burglary and trespassing after he gate‑crashed a 21st birthday party at Aine Kenny's home on Stillorgan Road, south Dublin. The homeowner confronted him on the stairs, and when he claimed to be "with Jason" she realised he was lying and called for security. Private security and Garda Patrick Collins were present. Wall tried to flee, tripped, and dropped stolen jewellery. A crowd at the party blocked his escape and demanded he empty his pockets. He was arrested, found very drunk and initially unfit for interview. Wall pleaded guilty to the December 30 offence. He has 79 prior convictions, including car theft, public order offences and nine burglaries. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted that Wall was drunk but still attempted to steal, and the sentence was back‑dated to December when he entered custody.
Mark Taylor, aged 30, was driving a stolen VW Golf at a fuel pump in Newcastle, Co. Dublin, on 22 February 2019 when Gardaí noticed he had not paid for fuel and was driving at high speed. He overtook two vehicles dangerously, then drove off without Gardaí being able to keep up. The next day he was again seen in the same car and, after a high‑speed chase, he reversed at speed, smashed into another car, mounted a traffic island, crossed the road, drove the wrong way down the carriageway, broke a red light, mounted a footpath and drove away at speed, losing Gardaí in pursuit. Later that day Gardaí in Naas were alerted to a VW Golf driving dangerously on the N7; the car pulled into a service station on the M7 where an armed unit arrived and approached Taylor. He became aggressive and abusive and was arrested. Mark Taylor pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, a 59‑year‑old man was convicted of sexually assaulting a four‑year‑old girl he had babysat. The case was notable for the child's testimony, which was given and cross‑examined over nine days. The man denied the charges and was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison, with the sentence running concurrently with a six and a half year term for a second offence. Judge Elma Sheahan highlighted the egregious breach of trust, the premeditated nature of the assaults, and the psychological impact on the child, including night terrors and bed wetting. She noted mitigating factors such as the defendant's psychological vulnerability, his role as a father to a special‑needs son, and his community volunteer work, but declined to suspend any portion of the sentence because he refused to accept the verdict.
Gareth Levins, aged 33, was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment for stealing €10,549 from a woman who lived in a care home and has since died. The thefts took place over a three‑week period in late January and early February 2017, when Levins used a bank card that had been obtained by a relative who had worked as a carer for the victim. None of the money was recovered. Levins pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, and the court noted that the victim's daughter had discovered suspicious transactions and alerted the bank. Levins had been on bail for an assault conviction that was due to expire in April 2021. Judge Martin Nolan described the offence as "pretty cunning" and sentenced Levins to two‑and‑a‑half years, suspending the final 14 months on strict conditions and ordering that the sentence run consecutively to the three‑year sentence Levins is currently serving.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a man in his 50s, already serving a prison term for repeated sexual abuse of a teenage boy from 2009 to 2015, pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault against two victims. He admitted forcibly kissing and grabbing the bottom of an underage girl in mid‑2014, and similarly assaulting a second victim by grabbing her bottom, placing a hand on her bottom and kissing her neck between July 2011 and July 2012. Judge Karen O'Connor remanded him in continuing custody until 29 June 2020.
Anthony Sweeney, 37, of St Marks Crescent, Clondalkin, was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to seven-and-a-half years imprisonment for multiple robberies, including two at McDonald's Liffey Valley on 5 August 2019 and 5 September 2019, a robbery of a nail salon on Collinstown Road, and a robbery of a pedestrian on the Liffey Valley footbridge on 27 May 2019. He pleaded guilty to all charges. The court noted his 35 prior convictions, his drug addiction, and his attempts to address it while in custody, though the school he attended closed due to coronavirus. The sentence was aggravated by the use of a knife, placing it near a victim's throat, and by the fact that the last offence was committed while he was on bail. Two years of the term were suspended on strict conditions, including probation supervision for six months before release and 12 months after release.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced 44‑year‑old Keith McCarthy to four years' imprisonment for a series of robberies carried out after a relapse into drug addiction. McCarthy, a former drug counsellor who had previously overcome his addiction, pleaded guilty to two robberies at Eddie Rocket's in Finglas, a robbery at BoyleSports in Donabate, an attempted robbery at Ladbrokes in Mulhuddart, and two driving‑without‑insurance offences. He admitted stealing almost €2,000 from Eddie Rocket's and €5,000 from BoyleSports, using an imitation firearm and a scarf to conceal his face. The judge noted McCarthy's history of 38 convictions, including 30 traffic offences, and his prior suspended robbery sentence in 2015. He highlighted McCarthy's remorse, cooperation with Gardaí, and his role as a caring father and son, while emphasising the need for him to overcome his addictive habits. McCarthy was also disqualified from driving for four years.
A 17‑year‑old boy was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 13 years for the murder of 20‑year‑old Cameron Blair, a college student, outside a house party in Cork city. The boy stabbed Blair in the neck with a kitchen knife on 16 January 2020. He pleaded guilty and the judge, Mr Justice Paul McDermott, described the killing as deliberate, extreme violence and "shocking". The sentence will be reviewed in November 2032, with the earliest possible release in January 2033, subject to the boy's behaviour in custody. The boy will be detained at Oberstown Children Detention Campus until he turns 18, when he will be transferred to an adult prison. The sentence was back‑dated to 24 January 2020. The judge emphasised that the use of knives by young people must be deterred and the public protected. The sentence was delivered at the Central Criminal Court on 20 April 2020.
Four men appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Kevin Lunney, a director of Quinn Industrial Holdings. Luke O'Reilly, aged 66, from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, County Cavan, Darren Redmond, aged 25, from East Wall, Dublin, and Alan O'Brien, aged 39, also from East Wall, are accused of offences relating to an alleged incident at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, County Cavan on 17 September 2019. A fourth accused cannot be identified for legal reasons. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding over the three-judge court, indicated the trial is likely to last between eight and twelve weeks. The case was transferred to a different courtroom and adjourned for mention on 10 June. A trial is anticipated to commence in January 2021. All four accused were remanded in custody.
Kieran Greene, 35, who was found guilty of murdering Patricia O'Connor in Rathfarnham in May 2017, has had his sentencing adjourned until June 22 due to Covid-19 restrictions. Mr Justice Paul McDermott stated that the court could not proceed with the mandatory life imprisonment sentence at this time. Greene, who pleaded not guilty, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of inflicting catastrophic injuries on the retired hospital worker. His sentence hearing was originally scheduled for today but was postponed as part of reduced court sittings. Four other defendants—Louise O'Connor, Stephanie O'Connor, Keith Johnston, and Augustine 'Gus' O'Connor—were also excused from attending their sentence hearings today. Louise O'Connor and Stephanie O'Connor were found guilty of impeding the apprehension of Greene, with Louise specifically found guilty of acquiescing in Stephanie disguising herself as the deceased to conceal her death. Johnston was found guilty of assisting Greene in purchasing implements to conceal the remains. Augustine 'Gus' O'Connor, the deceased's husband, pleaded guilty to reporting his wife as missing while knowing she was dead. All four were previously remanded on continuing bail. The court indicated that parties may not need to appear in person if restrictions remain in place on June 22.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 20‑year‑old Cameron Blair, a biochemistry student at Cork Institute of Technology, was stabbed in the neck by a 17‑year‑old teenager at a house party on Bandon Road, Cork, on 16 January 2020. Blair, who had been monitoring the party's entry, was not aware of the knife until he collapsed. The defendant, who pleaded guilty to murder, had earlier that night invited Blair and his friends into the party and had acted as a peacemaker, according to witnesses. Blair's mother, father and younger brother read victim impact statements describing the loss as "unnatural" and "unbearable grief." The court heard that the knife was 21 cm long, and that the defendant had no prior convictions. The defendant was remanded in custody at Oberstown Children Detention Centre pending sentencing.
John Slattery, a 30‑year‑old Limerick man who has changed his name to John Flynn, was granted bail by the High Court while awaiting extradition to the United States on allegations of wildlife trafficking. Slattery is accused of three offences in the US involving the purchase and sale of endangered black rhino horn. US authorities claim he and two others bought horns for $18,000 in Austin, Texas, then sold them for $50,000 in New York, and later bought additional horns for $10,000 between April and November 2010. They also allege that in early 2011 six horns were sold for $260,000 at an auction in Macon, Missouri. Slattery has spent about nine months in custody and has consented to extradition, but the Covid‑19 crisis has delayed the handover.
The Special Criminal Court has adjourned the trial of Jim Mansfield Jnr, of Tasaggart House, Garters Lane, Saggart, Co Dublin, to October 5 due to complications with witness availability caused by the Covid-19 crisis. The trial was originally scheduled for April 20 on charges of conspiring with one or more persons to falsely imprison Martin Byrne on a date unknown between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2015, both dates inclusive. Additionally, Mansfield Jnr is charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Patrick Byrne to destroy recorded CCTV footage, with the alleged intention of perverting the course of public justice in relation to the false imprisonment of Martin Byrne at Finnstown House Hotel, Newcastle Road, Lucan, Co Dublin between June 9, 2015 and June 12, 2015. The matter was adjourned following concerns over witness availability during the pandemic. Mansfield Jnr, who is currently on bail, was present in court for the brief mention. In December, he was granted legal aid after the Special Criminal Court heard that he had had a €6 million judgment against him.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Joseph Behan, aged 45, was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment for shooting two men during an attempted robbery of Mizzoni's Pizza on 1 January 2019. He fired twice when the workers resisted, and a paramedic's early intervention likely saved one victim who sustained a serious gunshot wound to the lower abdomen. The other victim suffered a less serious injury. Behan's brother, Anthony Behan, 60, pleaded not guilty to impeding his brother's apprehension and was convicted and sentenced to two-and-a-half years' imprisonment. Both were remanded in custody by Judge Martin Nolan, who noted Behan's reprehensible conduct and the potential for greater harm. The court also considered the brothers' personal histories as presented by their counsel. The sentence was delivered on 3 April 2020.
In a Dublin 2 street on 26 September 2017, 32‑year‑old Bolivian national Jose Lacerna Pena orally raped a woman while she was walking to meet friends after a nightclub. CCTV showed Pena approaching, linking his arm around her, pushing her head down and inserting his penis into her mouth twice. Two men intervened, the victim fled, and Pena was arrested. He pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court, but a jury convicted him on 13 December 2019. Mr Justice Paul McDermott sentenced him to six years' imprisonment, noting the offence was "brazenly in the most public and humiliating manner" and that Pena had no prior convictions. The victim's impact statement described lasting fear, sadness, anger and loneliness, and she thanked the men who intervened. Pena's defence argued the act was out of character and requested leniency. The judge acknowledged the difficulty of serving the sentence far from his family and considered deportation upon release.
In a High Court hearing on 2 April 2020, Mr Justice Tony Hunt refused to grant bail to a Dublin man convicted of raping his 10‑year‑old daughter in 2010. The defendant, whose name is withheld to protect the victim, had been remanded into custody after a jury found him guilty on multiple counts of sexual assault and rape following a two‑week trial at the Central Criminal Court. His lawyers argued that his Crohn's disease and concerns for his asthmatic children's health amid the Covid‑19 pandemic warranted release. The judge rejected the application, stating that the concerns were hypothetical and that the prison service had not demonstrated an inability to manage the defendant's health. He noted that rapists and murderers can have difficult family circumstances, but the defendant was facing a significant prison term. The case was adjourned to 11 May for sentencing, with no interference of witnesses reported.
John Slattery, a 30‑year‑old Limerick man who has changed his name to John Flynn, is currently in custody awaiting extradition to the United States for alleged wildlife trafficking. He is accused of three offences involving the purchase and sale of endangered black rhino horn. US authorities claim that Slattery and two others bought horns for $18,000 in Austin, Texas, and later sold them for $50,000 in New York. They also allege that between April and November 2010 Slattery bought two more horns for $10,000 and that in early 2011 he and co‑accused sold six horns for $260,000 at an auction in Macon, Missouri. Slattery's counsel, Mark Lynam, said the client has agreed to extradition but that the Covid‑19 crisis prevents immediate surrender.
In March 2020 the High Court confirmed the removal of former deputy primary school principal Brian Fitzgerald from the teaching register after his conviction for child pornography offences. Fitzgerald, a 50‑year‑old former teacher, pleaded guilty in 2017 to possession of 555 images and 1,162 videos of children under 17, and to distributing over 50 images of child pornography. He also possessed 529 category two images and 1,018 videos of children under 18 with exposed genitalia. He was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, to be served at Midlands Prison. The Teaching Council, following an investigation, imposed a disciplinary order removing him from the register and barred him from applying for reinstatement for 15 years. Fitzgerald had initially denied the allegations but later admitted the offences. The High Court upheld the council's sanction as appropriate.