In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Garda Sean Lucey, aged 42, was set to be sentenced for assaulting RTÉ cameraman Mr Colm Hand during street protests on 6 February 2016. Lucey, a public order officer stationed at Crumlin Village and Sundrive Road, struck Hand in the groin with a baton while Hand was filming. Hand suffered bruising and pain and later described sleeplessness, worry and stress in his victim impact statement, claiming the incident shattered his confidence. Lucey pleaded not guilty to one count of assault causing harm and to damaging Hand's camera. He was convicted of assault after a five‑day trial in December and acquitted of the criminal damage charge. The judge adjourned finalisation of the case until the following Friday, remanding Lucey on continuing bail while considering a deferred sentence under Section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006.
A man from Donegal has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court following his conviction for multiple counts of rape. The 25-year-old was found guilty on unanimous jury verdicts of two counts of anal rape and two counts of vaginal rape committed in July 2016. The offences occurred in a field and at a residential address in the county. Justice Tara Burns heard evidence that the victim, a teenager at the time, was unable to consent due to intoxication. The judge noted the man exploited the victim's vulnerability and her initial willingness to spend time with him. In mitigation, the court considered his late acknowledgement of guilt, previous good character, and role as father figure to young children. The judge reduced an indicated headline sentence of nine years, citing these factors. The victim provided a statement describing the lasting psychological impact of the attacks.
Keith Johnston, 43, was found guilty of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Kieran Greene, knowing or believing Greene had murdered Patricia O'Connor on May 29, 2017. The jury accepted that Johnston, a handyman and ex-partner of the victim's daughter Louise O'Connor, assisted Greene in purchasing DIY tools intended for the dismemberment of Mrs O'Connor's remains. Louise O'Connor, 41, and Stephanie O'Connor, 22, were also found guilty of impeding justice. Augustine 'Gus' O'Connor, the victim's husband, pleaded guilty to reporting his wife as missing while knowing she was dead. Mr Justice Paul McDermott remanded Johnston on continuing bail until April 20, when he will be sentenced alongside the other convicted defendants. Greene, who was found guilty of murder, will receive a mandatory life sentence on that date. The court noted that Greene had altered his account of the killing, initially claiming self-defense and later alleging Gus O'Connor was responsible. The matter was adjourned for sentencing on April 20.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, McAleer & Rushe UK Ltd was found guilty of failing to carry out an asbestos risk assessment during refurbishment work at Findlater House, Cathal Brugha Street, on 23 June 2016. The company had previously conducted two asbestos surveys the year before, but the area where the work was carried out had not been included because it was not part of the planned conversion. While asbestos had been removed elsewhere in the building by a specialist, the subcontractor's workers discovered a tile with a warning sticker during demolition. Analysis confirmed the presence of amosite or brown asbestos. The company's director, Declan McLogan, pleaded guilty on behalf of the firm, acknowledging that the failure to assess risk could have exposed employees to asbestos dust.
Shane Fay, who was 18 when he was caught with 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition in his bedroom, was sentenced to two years in prison. He admitted to storing the bullets after being asked to do so and claimed a cocaine dependency. Fay pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 3 October 2018. While awaiting sentencing, he was attacked and stabbed ten times, suffering severe wounds and lung damage. His attackers also cut his fingers, severing tendons. Fay was a carer for his wheelchair‑bound parents; his father had lost his legs to alcohol abuse and his mother had an extreme reaction to a mosquito bite during a state‑funded respite holiday. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the final year of a three‑year term, citing his early guilty plea, his youth and his difficult background.
Brian O'Connor, 25, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for burglary at McGrath's Pub in Drumcondra on February 28, 2019. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge. Prosecution evidence indicated O'Connor entered the premises by kicking through ceiling boards after climbing in through the roof. He was discovered hiding in the attic by gardaí, who had been alerted by a carpenter who saw him looking out a window. O'Connor was arrested but was too intoxicated to be interviewed initially and made no admissions when later questioned. Judge Melanie Greally noted that O'Connor caused substantial damage to the roof and ceiling and intended to steal alcohol and cash. She also acknowledged his history of 103 previous convictions. In mitigation, defense counsel highlighted O'Connor's chaotic childhood, a suicide attempt as a teenager, and his cooperation during arrest despite intoxication. The court sentenced O'Connor to three years in prison, suspending the final nine months on strict conditions.
Marius Gaizutis, aged 55, is appealing a life sentence for the axe murder of Audrius Butkus, aged 44, who was found dead on a Meath beach. Gaizutis admitted killing Butkus at his home on 9 or 10 September 2013 but denied murder, claiming provocation after threats from the victim. The prosecution argued Butkus died from multiple axe blows to the back of his head; the defence alleged Gaizutis was attacked with a bottle. Gaizutis' account changed over two interviews, first claiming no recollection, then stating the victim insulted him and struck him with a bottle. A jury, after 2 hours 40 minutes, found him guilty of murder and sentenced him to mandatory life by Justice Margaret Heneghan on 20 May 2015. He now appeals, arguing insufficient evidence for murder and that the trial judge should have directed acquittal on that charge, allowing only manslaughter to be considered.
In the High Court, Susan McGovern, a former prisoner at Limerick Women's Prison, brought a damages claim against the Irish Prison Service, the Minister for Justice, Ireland, the Attorney General, and the Governor of Limerick Prison. McGovern alleges that the slopping-out regime imposed on her between 2000 and 2003, and again from April 2012 to May 2013, constituted degrading treatment that breached her constitutional and European Convention on Human Rights. She claims that sleeping on mattresses in overcrowded, unhygienic cells without toilets, and using a shared bucket in plain view of cellmates, deprived her of human dignity and affected her physical and mental health. The State parties deny these allegations and argue the claim is statute-barred. Counsel for the State suggested the case be referred to a State redress board, following a Supreme Court ruling that awarded damages to former prisoner Gary Simpson for similar conditions. Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds directed the State parties to file a defence within 12 weeks and adjourned the action. Separately, a claim by Christopher Coakley regarding his detention at Mountjoy Prison in 2011 and 2012 was mentioned before the Master of the High Court. Coakley alleged he was forced to defecate into a pot or bag in the presence of cellmates. Although an application to remit the claim to the Circuit Court was pending, the Master was informed that the matter had been resolved between the parties.
Martin Lumsden, 35, with 110 prior convictions, was arrested after climbing over the railings of Gaelscoil Cholmcille in Coolock and stealing €880.78 from Trócaire boxes. Garda Finbarr Fleming found a heavy bag with coins and evidence of a smashed side window and rummaged principal's office. Lumsden pleaded guilty to burglary of the school on 18 April 2018 and to robbery and possession of a firearm at Mace shop on 7 May 2018, where he stole about €500 from two tills and used a gun. The firearm and money were not recovered. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to a two‑year term for burglary and a consecutive five‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term for armed robbery, suspending all sentences for seven years on the condition of remaining drug‑free, keeping the peace and engaging with the Peter McVerry Trust. John Finn, 32, was also convicted of the burglary; he received a separate sentence at a prior hearing.
In February 2014, 16‑year‑old Michael Cawley, with two other men, attempted to force entry into a home on Brewery Road, Stillorgan, Dublin. While the couple inside held their bodies against the door, Cawley used a screwdriver to try to jimmy the lock, but the men failed and left after the door was destroyed. Later that evening, Cawley forced open a window in an empty house on Wilson Road, Mount Merrion, and stole €5,000 worth of property, including a PlayStation console, 600 cigarettes, and a family BMW. The car was later found near his home in Ballycullen. Cawley fled to the UK, where he was charged with burglary in 2016, and returned to Ireland, where he pleaded guilty to attempted burglary and burglary at the Stillorgan house.
The High Court has granted KBC Bank permission to pursue proceedings that could result in the imprisonment of three siblings for alleged non-compliance with a court order to vacate their family home near Strokestown, County Roscommon. Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds made directions on a motion seeking the attachment and committal to prison of Michael Anthony, David, and Geraldine McGann. The bank claims the siblings have breached an October injunction requiring them to leave the property at Falsk by November 12th. The court ordered that any personal service of documents on the McGanns be carried out with gardaí present, with the motion to return next month. In a related application, the judge allowed the McGanns' former solicitors to cease representation after losing contact with the clients, though she directed them to inform their former clients of the court's decision and explain the gravity of their situation. The case stems from a December 2018 eviction following a possession order secured by KBC years earlier.
A 19‑year‑old Clare man was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended on strict conditions, for repeatedly raping his half‑brother and attempting to rape his half‑sister between November 2014 and May 2015. The offences occurred while the younger siblings were visiting their mother and older brother at weekends. The man, who was 14 at the time of the abuse, pleaded guilty to six counts of orally raping his half‑brother, one count of anally raping the boy, and one count of attempting to anally rape the girl. He was found to have an unstable childhood, frequent moves, early drug use and eight prior convictions, including possession of a knife and traffic offences. The court noted the abuse was aggravated by its nature and the sustained period over which it occurred, and that the victim's age at the time was a major factor in sentencing.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Laura Pennick, aged 33, received a three‑year suspended sentence for stealing €41,935 from pensioner Marie McNally between January 2010 and December 2012. Pennick had acted as an "unofficial carer" for McNally, who was grieving after her sons were shot dead and was in ill health. Pennick accessed McNally's bank accounts and ATM cards, withdrawing amounts ranging from small sums to €600, which she spent on home improvements, fashion, furnishings, appliances and holidays. She has pleaded guilty to the thefts and has already paid €20,500, with an estimated four years remaining to repay the full amount. Judge Melanie Greally imposed the suspended sentence on the condition that Pennick continue to set aside €100 a week for repayment. Pennick has 29 prior convictions, including five thefts, and had owed money to individuals who threatened her.
In a 2020 Central Criminal Court hearing, a 32‑year‑old man was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for a series of violent offences against his former partner and their three‑year‑old child. He pleaded guilty to assault, false imprisonment, threatening to kill and to burn the house, and to producing knives. A separate trial found him guilty of rape. The court described the incident as of "utmost seriousness" and noted the aggravating factors of the victim's status as the mother of his child and the continued harassment for six weeks after the assault. The judge highlighted the victim's testimony of enduring "horrific" false imprisonment and sexual assault, her ongoing trauma, and her fear of the offender's release. The sentencing reflected the severity of the violence and the victim's impact statement, with no mention of any mitigating factors beyond the offender's troubled childhood. The sentence was imposed by Mr Justice White.
David Fox, 51, of Croftwood Crescent, Ballyfermot, Dublin, was sentenced to four years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended, for storing over €320,000 worth of illegal drugs in his bedroom in exchange for €50. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis and cocaine for sale or supply at his address on 5 November 2016. Gardaí, acting on a warrant, found a large cardboard box beside Fox's bed containing 6.92 kg of cannabis and 2.59 kg of cocaine. Fox initially claimed one of his daughters was responsible but later accepted sole responsibility. He said he was short on money and agreed to hold the drugs for one night for €50, claiming no drug debt. He had no prior convictions and had recently split from his partner, fighting custody of his two youngest daughters.
Mark Tims, 46, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court following a jury verdict that found him not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter for the killing of his father, Anthony 'Tony' Tims, at their home in Clondalkin, Dublin 22, on July 13, 2018. Tims had pleaded guilty to manslaughter and not guilty to murder, a plea initially rejected by the DPP before the trial. During the sentencing hearing, Mr Justice Tony Hunt questioned the validity of the provocation defence, which the jury accepted based on the deceased's verbal abuse, noting that Tims recovered his composure quickly and acted callously by purchasing alcohol and removing his SIM card. The judge highlighted that Tims was free to leave the shared residence. Prosecution counsel Michael Delaney SC argued the offence fell in the medium range of culpability, while defence counsel Vincent Heneghan SC agreed with this assessment, citing a comparable seven-year sentence in another case. The court heard evidence of Tims's remorse, low intelligence, and previous minor convictions, including a 2009 assault fine. Impact statements from the deceased's sister and partner were read. Mr Justice Hunt reserved his decision, and the matter was adjourned until March 16 for the imposition of sentence.
Liam Brannigan, 37, was convicted by the Special Criminal Court of conspiring to murder Gary Hanley between September 15 and November 6, 2017. Although Brannigan pleaded not guilty, the court found the evidence overwhelming, including covert audio recordings and phone data. His sentencing is scheduled for March 23. In related proceedings, four co-accused pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy charge. Luke Wilson, who also admitted unlawful possession of a Beretta, was jailed for 11 years. Alan Wilson received a six-year sentence. Joseph Kelly, who also admitted a weapons charge, was jailed for 12 years. Dean Howe, who also pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder Mr Hanley, is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3. The court noted Brannigan has 28 previous convictions, primarily for road traffic matters, and has been in custody since November 2017. Defense counsel argued for a non-custodial outcome, citing his lack of prior custodial sentences and his active role as a father. The judge emphasized the cogency of the evidence linking Brannigan to the operation, which involved armed gardai intercepting a van near Hanley's home where two men were found with a loaded pistol.
In early May, a High Court hearing will consider the French request to extradite Ian Bailey to France, where he faces a 25‑year prison sentence for the murder of filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier. The case is the third French attempt to secure Bailey's surrender. Bailey, 63, lives in Schull, Cork, and was convicted in absentia by a Paris court last year, receiving the 25‑year sentence. He denies any involvement, did not attend the French proceedings, and has described them as a "farce." Lawyers for the Irish Minister for Justice have received a voluminous affidavit from Bailey's solicitor, Frank Buttimer, and will need time to review it. Judge Donald Binchy set a provisional hearing date of 5 May, expected to last three days, and has remanded Bailey on continuing bail until then. The hearing will be mentioned on 30 March, but Bailey need not attend that day.
Michael Barry, aged 35, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for two violent assaults on shop assistants that caused them to leave their jobs. In the first incident at a Spar shop on Liffey Street, Barry hurled shopping baskets and beer cans at a staff member, fracturing the man's arm. CCTV footage showed Barry assaulting the victim while he lay on the ground. Two months later, Barry and an accomplice attempted to steal five coats from the Patagonia outlet on Exchequer Street. Their co‑accused pushed a shop assistant, who injured her wrist, and Barry threatened a colleague with a blade as they fled with five jackets. Barry pleaded guilty to assault and theft, had 37 prior convictions, and was given consecutive sentences totalling four years, with the final year suspended on strict conditions. The court noted the relentless nature of the violence and Barry's efforts to address his drug addiction.
Oliver Callely, 28, of Clontarf, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for igniting fireworks at Copper Face Jacks nightclub on Harcourt Street on July 6, 2015. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge. Judge Karen O'Connor, who heard evidence in December, ordered Callely to perform 240 hours of community service over a 12-month period in lieu of a two-year prison sentence. The maximum penalty for the offence was five years. The court heard that the firework struck a victim in the smoking area, causing burns that required eight visits to a burns unit over two months. The victim stated the injuries impacted his sports career but did not wish for Callely to be imprisoned. Defence counsel Dean Kelly BL described the act as reckless rather than intentional, noting Callely had paid €6,500 to the victim. Judge O'Connor acknowledged the difficult family circumstances and high-profile father but stated that drinking was no defence. She emphasized that Callely had opportunities most people lacked and warned him that this was his last chance. The matter was concluded with the imposition of the community service order.
Lisa Geoghegan, aged 34, was found guilty by a jury of one count of assault causing harm to Aidan Kenna and one count of assaulting Garda Anthony Sugrue. She also pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage to a prison cell wall at Blanchardstown Garda Station. The jury found her not guilty of five other counts, including producing a stanley knife in the course of an assault, two counts of assault causing harm to two gardaí, one count of damaging a garda ballistics vest and one count of intimidating a witness. The trial, held at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, described how Geoghegan assaulted Kenna's brother, stabbed him with a knife, bit his hand, and later kicked a garda in the groin during her arrest. After being detained, she wrote the word 'PIGS' on the cell wall using menstrual blood, an act that cost €150 to clean.
A 70‑year‑old man was convicted of raping his 16‑year‑old niece in 1978 while she was staying with her grandparents in Co. Carlow. The trial lasted two weeks in January 2020 and the jury found him guilty on the sole count. He had no prior convictions. Mr Justice Paul Coffey noted that the offence was aggravated by the victim's age and the breach of trust, and that 42 years had passed since the crime. He also considered the man's health and the negligible risk of re‑offending. The judge sentenced him to four‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, with no mention of a suspended portion or effective custody. The sentencing was delivered at the Central Criminal Court, and the man was remanded in custody following the conviction. The unnamed 70-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Jeffrey Crowley, aged 23, received a nine‑year and three‑month sentence, with the final 15 months suspended, for a series of violent offences. He pleaded guilty to crashing a stolen bicycle into 72‑year‑old English tourist Christine Booth at Smithfield Square on 2 August 2019, causing serious injuries, and to damaging a bike lock and stealing a phone on the same day. He also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Jason Kidd at Merchants Quay on 24 October 2018, to stealing a phone at Queen Street on 24 July, and to damaging a phone at Georges Lane on 11 December 2016, during which he pushed a woman to the ground and kicked her. The judge noted the offences were a sequence of gratuitous violence and that Crowley had refused help from state bodies, including probation visits. He has 92 previous convictions and is currently serving a suspended sentence for a prior assault conviction.
In July 2016, Thomas Cassin, 49, entered an off‑licence in Killbarrack Shopping Centre wearing a ski mask and demanding money. He threatened staff with a knife, though none was seen, and the staff member initially thought it was a joke. Cassin was pursued by security guards who tried to restrain him until Gardaí arrived. A ten‑minute struggle ensued, part verbal and part physical; Cassin punched a guard, fracturing the guard's nose, and sustained a cut above his eye. Cassin left the store empty‑handed on a push bike. CCTV footage and DNA from blood on the guard's shirt identified him. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Sentencing was adjourned to May 5, 2020 to allow a probation report to be prepared.
Shaeed Adeola Ishola, a 44‑year‑old convicted drug dealer, lost a High Court challenge to a deportation order. He was jailed in 2012 for seven years after pleading guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply, following the discovery of €1.4 million worth of cocaine in a fake diplomatic bag at Dublin Airport. Released in 2016 after enhanced remission, he had lived in Ireland without incident. In August 2019 the Minister for Justice ordered his deportation, citing the seriousness of the offence and a fraud conviction in the UK. Ishola and his family argued the decision was delayed, disproportionate, irrational and breached their constitutional and privacy rights under the European Convention of Human Rights. The Minister's lawyers said all relevant information had been considered. Mr Justice Max Barrett upheld the Minister's decision, rejecting the application and finding no breach of rights, and declined to set aside the deportation order.
James Brady, 25, was found by Gardaí at his parents' home in Donaghmede, Dublin, with several bags of cannabis hidden in a punching bag and a tracksuit top. He pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply on 29 September 2017. Garda James Mulhern reported that Brady admitted to holding the drugs and selling some to friends, receiving payment in cannabis rather than money. The seized cannabis was valued at €4,492, while a small amount of cocaine worth €40 was deemed for personal use. Brady has five prior drug possession convictions and a 2019 sentence that was fully suspended on condition of engaging with Probation Services. Judge Melanie Greally noted Brady's sister's death in 2012 as a factor in his drug use and indicated she would consider a non‑custodial sentence if he complies with the probation regime, with the matter adjourned to 30 April.
Aidan Keane, aged 22, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for robbing a student, Kieran Flynn, at a McDonald's in Grafton Street on 3 April 2019. Flynn, a 20‑year‑old student, had entered a basement cubicle when a man began banging on the door and shouting "Gardaí open up." Keane seized Flynn's mobile phone while the victim was in a chokehold and fled. He was later found with the phone by Garda Ruth Finnegan, who told him he had taken it from the ground after it fell out of Flynn's pocket during the robbery. Keane has 27 prior convictions, including a 7‑year sentence in 2015 with 3½ years suspended, which was partially reactivated after later offences. The judge noted Keane's efforts to stay drug‑free and his 14‑month‑old son, and imposed the 18‑month suspended term on strict conditions. Aidan Keane pleaded guilty.
Businessman Jim Mansfield Jnr was refused permission to vary his bail to travel to Spain for his mother's 75th birthday. Mr Justice Paul Coffey at the Special Criminal Court denied the application, noting that the celebration could have been held within the jurisdiction and criticizing the timing of the booking changes after Mansfield had surrendered his passport. Mansfield, of Saggart, Co Dublin, is charged with conspiring to falsely imprison Martin Byrne between January 1 and June 30, 2015, and attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Patrick Byrne to destroy CCTV footage. His trial is scheduled for April 20. The court noted that Dessie O'Hare and Declan Duffy, who are alleged to have conspired with Mansfield, have already pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and assault charges related to the same incident. O'Hare was sentenced to ten years in prison, with three years suspended, for falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne and assaulting John Roche in Saggart on June 9, 2015. Duffy was jailed for six years after pleading guilty to falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne and assaulting John Roche at The Towers, Garter Lane, Saggart, on the same date. The judge emphasized the seriousness of the offences and the proximity of the trial date in refusing the bail variation.
A man named Declan Murphy, from North Frederick Street, Dublin, is on trial for his alleged participation in a burglary at a Howth home. The burglary involved a woman and her eight‑year‑old daughter who were tied up with cable ties and held in a bathroom while the men searched the house for cash and jewellery. The perpetrators fled in a 2007 Honda CR‑V that was later abandoned with a flat tyre in Howth village. Prosecutor Dominic McGinn argued that Murphy was one of two or three men who carried out the burglary, invoking the joint enterprise doctrine to hold him liable for all acts committed during the crime, even if he did not personally tie the victims or take the loot. Declan Murphy pleaded not guilty.
At the Central Criminal Court, a man accused of the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe has claimed he was engaged in diesel laundering at the time of the fatal shooting. Aaron Brady, aged 29, from Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, denies the murder of Det Gda Donohoe, who was shot at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth on 25 January 2013. He also denies robbing approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques from the same location. An alibi notice submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions states that Brady was loading diesel waste at a yard on Concession Road in Cullaville, Co Armagh, for between 90 minutes and two hours around the time of the shooting. Brady told gardaí previously that he had initially provided an inaccurate account of his movements owing to concerns about incriminating himself in diesel laundering activities. The trial, before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury, continues. Aaron Brady pleaded not guilty. Adrian Donohoe pleaded not guilty.
A 62‑year‑old man was jailed for 18 months for indecent assault on his younger cousin between January 1978 and December 1980. He pleaded guilty to four charges and had no prior convictions. The victim, now 52, had first complained to Gardaí in December 2018 while visiting her family in Ireland. She had waited until the deaths of her mother and aunt before reporting the abuse, citing kindness to them. The court noted the unusual admission of guilt and the victim's extreme emotional suffering. Judge Melanie Greally imposed consecutive sentences totalling three years, then suspended the final 18 months, citing the man's guilty pleas, lack of convictions, remorse, age, time elapsed, employment and a psychological report. The case highlighted the long‑term impact on the victim, including alcohol difficulties and psychiatric help. The man remains a caretaker in the family home.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing in January 2020, a 70‑year‑old man was convicted of raping his niece in County Carlow in 1978. The victim, who was 16 at the time, described the perpetrator as a "wolf disguised as an uncle" and recounted being forced into her bedroom, raped while she pretended to be dead. She said the assault left her unable to sleep and caused her mother to "crumbled into dust" when she learned of the crime. The defendant pleaded not guilty, offered various motives for the alleged false claim, and was remanded in custody. He had no prior convictions. The case was adjourned to February 21 for sentencing. The court did not discuss any prior or subsequent legal actions.
Damien Gray, 36, was found asleep beside a playground in Hermitage Park, Lucan, where officers discovered a Kleenex packet containing €5,700 worth of heroin in individual street deals and later a quantity of crack cocaine. He pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 31 May 2017. With 12 prior convictions, including three drug offences, Judge Cormac Quinn sentenced him to two years imprisonment but suspended the sentence in full on strict conditions, requiring compliance with Probation Service directions for 12 months. Gray admitted acquiring the drugs three or four days earlier to fund his living and claimed he owed €500 to a friend. He stated he had been smoking heroin for two weeks and feared trouble after the drugs were seized. Garda Ronan Culligan noted that Gray's home was broken into and he was attacked with a machete, leaving scars.
Two men from Leitrim have been sentenced to seven years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court following their conviction for the rape of a woman who was intoxicated at a house party in 2017. A jury found the first man guilty of rape in November last year, while the second man was convicted of oral rape. The second man has indicated his intention to appeal. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon imposed the sentences this morning, noting that the victim was vulnerable due to intoxication and that the men had exploited this vulnerability. The judge observed that both defendants continue to deny the offences and have demonstrated no remorse or empathy for the harm caused. The final year of each eight-year sentence was suspended on condition of engagement with sexual offending assessments and treatment programmes. The men, who are in their early twenties and knew the complainant from school, cannot be identified to protect the victim's anonymity. During sentencing, supporters of the accused made hostile remarks towards the victim outside the courtroom. The unnamed woman pleaded not guilty.
At the Special Criminal Court, Gareth Brophy was sentenced for his role in the 2016 murder of David Douglas. Brophy, who pleaded guilty to helping facilitate the murder, was jailed for ten years by Mr Justice Paul Coffey. The sentence was backdated to November 18, 2018, when Brophy entered custody. The final six months of the term were suspended on the condition that Brophy enters a vocational course while in prison. Additionally, the court ordered Brophy to enter a peace bond of €100 for three years from his release. The judge noted Brophy played a critical role as the getaway driver, describing the killing as a gangland execution-style murder. In related proceedings, Frederick Thompson was found guilty of the murder in August 2018 and sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment. Nathan Foley, who pleaded guilty in November 2018 to helping a criminal organisation carry out the murder, was jailed for six years. The court expressed its deepest sympathies to the family of the deceased.
A man who disposed of the chainsaw used to dismember the body of Kenneth O'Brien and impeded the prosecution of his father, who carried out the murder and dumped the victim's body parts in the Grand Canal, has been jailed for 18 months. Paul Wells Junior (33), of Beatty Park, Celbrudge, Co Kildare, was found guilty last November of disposing of a blood-stained chainsaw used to dismember the body of Mr O'Brien. He had denied disposing of the chainsaw motor at a time unknown between January 19 and 20, 2016 in Co Kildare, and had also pleaded not guilty to disposing of a chainsaw blade and chain on January 20, 2016 in the same location. His father, Paul Wells Senior (51), of Barnamore Park, Finglas in Dublin 11, was jailed for life in 2018 having been found guilty of murdering Mr O'Brien at his home in Finglas on January 15 or 16, 2016. Wells Snr admitted to shooting Mr O'Brien in his back garden, dismembering his body, and dumping it in a suitcase in the Grand Canal. At his own trial, Wells Snr argued that he had acted in self defence when he shot Mr O'Brien. The court heard that Wells Jnr had a 'difficult history' with his father and a credible threat had been placed upon his life by his father. Wells Jnr was sentenced to three years in prison with the last 18 months suspended on condition he keep the peace for that period of time. The judge said she had given 'great consideration' to handing down a fully suspended sentence but said she did not think it would mark the gravity of the offence.
In the early hours of March 24 last year, 25‑year‑old Alfie Wood was standing in Temple Bar, Dublin, holding two beer bottles when Mark Canavan and his girlfriend passed by. Canavan warned Wood that Gardaí were nearby and that he might get in trouble for the bottles. Wood replied, "What did you say to me?" and then charged at Canavan, punching him in the face and knocking him to the ground. Wood pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm. He had no prior convictions. The court noted that Canavan had suffered a lacerated lip requiring five sutures and two rounds of dental treatment. Wood's early guilty plea, cooperation with Gardaí, and €2,000 token of remorse were considered mitigating factors. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced Wood to two years, suspended in full. Wood admitted the assault was unjustified and that he had been out socialising, separated from friends, and that it was "a bit of a blur.".
Patrick Murphy, 43, of Cabra, Dublin, pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to an assault on the Navan Road on June 23, 2016. The court heard that Murphy, who has longstanding mental health issues and 20 previous convictions including two for assault, grabbed a child he mistakenly believed was his kidnapped niece. Garda Jennifer Connolly testified that Murphy ran across the road with a "crazy look in his eyes," seized the child around the waist, and stated he thought someone had her for ransom. He released the child after her grandmother held on tightly. The court noted Murphy had been discharged from Connolly Hospital the day prior and was taken to the Mater Hospital psychiatric department by gardaí the morning of the incident, where he was discharged to attend a GP clinic. He was holding his hospital referral letter during the event. The family expressed concern for Murphy's mental health rather than seeking imprisonment. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a one-month sentence of imprisonment, which she deferred until May 15. She indicated she will strike out the sentence on that date, leaving Murphy without a conviction.
James Gallagher, aged 33, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm and recklessly discharging a firearm at Cullen's Yard, Greenhill Road, Walkinstown on 4 August 2018. He fired a single‑barrel shotgun at a man, John O'Connor, who was buying car parts at the scrapyard. O'Connor was not the intended target; he was struck by multiple pellet wounds, knocked to the ground, and later taken to Tallaght Hospital. Another man received minor injuries but did not require hospital treatment. The shotgun was never recovered. CCTV identified Gallagher, and a discarded tracksuit bottom linked to him was found. Gallagher has 42 prior convictions, including theft, criminal damage, drug possession for sale, and traffic offences. He has two children. The judge imposed a five‑year concurrent sentence, effective from 4 December 2018, after noting his efforts to overcome drug addiction.
KBC bank has moved to seek committal orders against three siblings from near Strokestown, County Roscommon, over alleged non-compliance with a High Court direction to vacate their family farm. The High Court heard on Friday that Michael Anthony, David and Geraldine McGann have not left the property at Falsk despite an injunction granted in October requiring them to vacate by November 12th. Justice Leonie Reynolds adjourned the matter to early the following week after being informed that related proceedings concerning the removal of legal representation for David and Geraldine McGann are pending. The case stems from a December 2018 eviction executed following a possession order obtained by KBC years earlier. The borrower had fallen into arrears on a loan of approximately €431,000, with the last repayment recorded in February 2014. The McGanns have remained on the property since returning after that eviction.
Two Dublin men are to be extradited to Northern Ireland to face charges of attempted murder of a Police Service of Northern Ireland officer and possession of explosive substances with intent to endanger life. Ciaran Maguire, aged 29, and Sean Paul Farrell, aged 32, were arrested in County Donegal in June following the discovery of an improvised explosive device at a PSNI officer's home. Mr Justice Donald Binchy of the High Court ruled that arguments against their extradition should be rejected. The judge declined to summarise his detailed judgement. The defence had raised concerns regarding interviews conducted at Milford and Letterkenny Garda Stations, but the Northern Irish authorities confirmed they would not seek adverse inferences at trial. Extradition orders were held pending a further court mention scheduled for 26 February.
A youth convicted of manslaughter in connection with the death of a teenager in Claremorris, County Mayo, will be sentenced on 20 March following a brief hearing at the Central Criminal Court. The defendant was found guilty in July 2017 of the manslaughter of Dovydas Jenkas, aged seventeen, who died from a stab wound in the early hours of 19 December 2015. He had been charged with murder but acquitted of that charge. Justice Eileen Creedon indicated the offender should expect a custodial sentence and directed him to prepare accordingly. The sentencing hearing had been delayed pending the defendant's recovery from brain surgery. The judge noted that the victim's family requires finality in the matter.
In 2014, 29‑year‑old Darren Byrne, then struggling with a chronic drug addiction, pointed a knife at two 17‑year‑old girls on Trinity Street, demanding their belongings. He pressed the knife to one girl's throat, took a handbag with cash and an iPod, and fled. The girls were later apprehended by Gardaí. Byrne admitted the robbery, claiming he was under the influence of tablets. He was charged with robbery and pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court noted his prior convictions for robbery and theft, his escape to the UK, and his subsequent return to Dublin where he secured employment. Judge Pauline Codd, acknowledging his rehabilitation and remorse, imposed a suspended sentence of three and a half years, conditional on maintaining peace. The co‑accused received a suspended two‑year sentence. The case highlights Byrne's significant turnaround from drug use to stable employment and community involvement.
Stephen Byrne, 46, of Tallaght, was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to burglary at Pandora Jewellers on 3 March 2019. Garda James O'Donnell reported that a staff member saw Byrne stooped over a safe in the back office, claiming he was looking for tissues. Byrne denied this and said he had taken tablets and blacked out. No items were taken. Byrne has 108 prior convictions, including 53 burglaries, 16 thefts and two robberies. He has a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and a long history of drug addiction. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final year on strict conditions, including compliance with his probation officer and mental health team. The sentence aimed to break his cycle of offending.
Ciaran Wolverson, 53, of Edenmore Crescent, Raheny, was charged with permitting his home to be used for the sale or supply of controlled drugs after local drug dealers threatened to smash his house following his mother's death. He admitted that youths would come to his house, enter a back room while he stayed elsewhere, and mix and bag drugs, leaving him a small piece of heroin. Gardaí, acting on confidential information, searched his home on 5 October 2017 and seized eight bags of cocaine (worth about €17,000) and heroin (about €740). Wolverson pleaded guilty. Judge Melanie Greally, after hearing evidence, placed him on one year's probation, noting his cooperation, family support and efforts to address his long‑standing heroin habit. She imposed a four‑year sentence suspended for four years and ordered an additional 12 months of probation supervision. No prison time was imposed.
A 57-year-old man from County Donegal has been convicted of sexually assaulting a boy in his care between 2003 and 2004. The defendant, whose identity is protected to safeguard the victim, faced trial at the Central Criminal Court on seven counts of oral rape, to which he pleaded not guilty. A jury acquitted him of these charges but convicted him of the alternative lesser offence of sexual assault involving molestation of the child's genitals when the victim was aged between 13 and 15 years. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart imposed a two-year sentence, suspending the final six months on strict conditions. The victim, now in his twenties, delivered an impact statement describing how the abuse had destroyed his childhood and caused ongoing trauma. During sentencing, the court noted the defendant had offered to plead guilty to sexual assault prior to trial, an offer rejected by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
John Keady, 45, who pleaded guilty to a sexual assault at the Heritage Hotel Killenard in December 2018, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended in its entirety, and ordered to be placed on the sex‑offenders register for five years. He brought €5,000 to court as a token of remorse. Keady has now filed a High Court challenge, arguing that the notification requirements of the 2001 Sex Offenders Act do not apply because his sentence was wholly suspended and his victim was neither mentally impaired nor under 17. He claims the District Court lacked jurisdiction to order his inclusion on the register and seeks an order quashing that directive. The High Court granted permission ex‑parte, with the matter to be returned in April.
In February 2020, Gerard Dunne, aged 32, was jailed for four years after he hurled an ignited petrol bomb toward Garda Karl Kelly, who was waiting for a vehicle to be towed on the Link Road, Darndale, Dublin. Dunne, who had been cycling on a pink and white bike, threw the device across the road; it struck a curb, exploded, and produced a flame. Garda Kelly narrowly avoided injury by moving out of the way. Dunne was arrested, shown CCTV footage of the incident, and later pleaded guilty to endangerment and possession of a petrol bomb. He denied intent to target the Garda but admitted the possibility after being named a suspect. The court noted his 97 prior convictions and his heroin addiction, and sentenced him to four and a half years, suspending the final six months for 12 months on strict conditions.
An IT specialist, Alexander Jones, 33, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dishonestly operating a computer with intent to gain at Eircom. Between 4 February and 24 April 2014, while employed by a tech‑support firm for Eircom, Jones accessed confidential data, claiming it was through system vulnerabilities. Investigations found he copied data onto his personal laptop, including customer telephone conversations and insurance claims. The court described the offence as unusual, noting it caused worry for the company. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a suspended three‑year sentence, ordering Jones to pay €15,000 to injured parties within a month and an additional €20,000 in a year. Jones, who had no prior convictions, had previously generated unauthorised Xbox discount codes and had been subject to a European arrest warrant. The case highlighted the misuse of IT skills for personal gain.
Adil Muhammad, 32, of Ankers Court, The Bower, Athlone, Westmeath, was ordered by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to complete 240 hours of community service instead of a four‑year prison term for his role in a human‑trafficking operation. He pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of false passports on 15 January 2018, having supplied fake Indian passports to six Afghan nationals who entered the State as Afghan Sikhs. Muhammad, originally from Pakistan, claimed he had no payment for his involvement and that he was persuaded by a family friend. Judge Martin Nolan noted the case was troubling and that Muhammad had become involved after a friend's request, but found no evidence of profit. The judge warned that failure to carry out the community service would result in a four‑year prison sentence. The six individuals were linked to a criminal group that trafficked them from Afghanistan to Europe, with the final leg of the journey to Ireland.