A Dublin man pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possessing a 9mm Beretta handgun and silencer following an armed garda operation in September 2017. Andrew O'Keeffe, aged 29, from Drumcliff Road, Cabra West, Dublin 7, was arrested after gardai responded to intelligence regarding a firearm at Ballyfermot. During the incident, officers pursued a white van which fled at speed towards Inchicore. The vehicle came to a stop at bollards on Kylemore Way, and as O'Keeffe and another man ran towards a parked jeep, a garda officer discharged his firearm seven times when the jeep was driven towards gardai. O'Keeffe was detained and the weapon, containing nine rounds, was recovered from a plastic bag discarded during the pursuit. His fingerprints and DNA were found on items connected to the incident. The court heard O'Keeffe has seventy-one previous convictions and a long-standing cocaine addiction. His barrister highlighted his early guilty plea and lengthy period in custody. The three-judge panel remanded him in custody pending sentencing on 31 July.
In July 2018, a 52‑year‑old man was found guilty of raping his young cousin on a weekly basis during the mid‑1980s. The victim, who was seven when the first attempted rape occurred, was abused repeatedly between mid‑1985 and mid‑1986. The man, who cannot be named, was convicted of one count of attempted rape in January 1984 and of five counts of rape for the subsequent weekly offences. He denied all charges, but a jury returned a guilty verdict after a trial last month. The court heard the victim's impact statement, describing lifelong pain, anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, and how the conviction has improved her health and well‑being. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Friday, with the judge indicating a custodial sentence will be imposed. The accused has been remanded in custody awaiting sentencing.
David McCarton, a former defence forces member aged 38, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment with the final two years suspended for possession of child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child. The offence involved a young girl aged 11‑13 who believed she was communicating with a 14‑year‑old girl. McCarton recorded and possessed multiple illegal video and image files, including category one and category two child pornography, and admitted to viewing them out of curiosity. He also pleaded guilty to theft of ammunition and a magazine clip. The court noted his lack of prior convictions, his cooperation, and remorse, as well as the aggravating circumstances of the offence's nature and duration. The sentence, back‑dated to his custody, includes strict probation conditions and participation in a sex offenders treatment programme. No further offences have been reported since his admission of guilt.
A 38-year-old Roscommon man has pleaded guilty to threatening to kill a woman and harassing her, whilst facing a separate attempted murder charge. Gerard Mooney of Castle Hill, Castlerea appeared before the Central Criminal Court on 23 July 2018, where he admitted to burglary at a residence in Cartron, Carrick-on-Shannon on 12 February 2017. He also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, possession of a shotgun, making threats to kill or cause serious harm, and criminal damage during the same incident. Additionally, Mooney admitted to harassing the woman by persistently following, watching and communicating with her between 7 and 12 February 2017. Mr Justice Michael White remanded him in custody pending trial on the attempted murder charge and outstanding counts scheduled for 27 May 2019. The court noted that the firearms offence carries a presumptive minimum sentence of five years, with sentencing to follow after trial.
Ryan Callaghan, 25, of Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing drugs for sale or supply at a rented property in Palmerstown on 31 July 2015. Gardaí were alerted to a burglary at the house and found Callaghan's bedroom the only ransacked room. They seized €6 of prescription medication, €24,103 of heroin, €16 of cannabis resin, €14,746 of cannabis herb and €5,348 of cocaine, along with six mobile phones, weighing scales, surgical gloves and plastic cut‑offs. Text messages on one phone suggested drug dealing. Callaghan was questioned at his girlfriend's home and later allowed to retrieve some property, but nothing was found on him. The court noted a strong cannabis smell and that Callaghan's father had paid €10,000 to alleged debtors. Judge Karen O'Connor remanded Callaghan on continuing bail, adjourned sentencing to 8 October, and ordered an updated probation report.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 22‑year‑old Emily Stewart of Coolock pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Shannon Ryan and her mother Sabrina Ryan on a Dublin bus in March 2017. Stewart was found to have pulled clumps of hair from Shannon's head, left her with facial scratches and bleeding, and later bit, punched and scraped Sabrina's face. The judge, Martin Nolan, fully suspended a six‑month sentence, citing pre‑existing tensions between the families. Stewart, who has three prior theft convictions, was also noted to suffer from mental health issues, anger problems, borderline personality disorder, and drug addiction at the time of the assaults. She was ordered to pay €750 to each victim within one calendar year. No jail term was imposed. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
In Dublin, a 25‑year‑old man named Eoin Berkley pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to three counts of raping an 18‑year‑old Spanish student who was staying with a host family. The offences occurred at the Irish Glass Bottle Company site on Pigeon House Road between 15 and 16 July 2017. Judge Michael White advised the victim of her right to submit a Victim Impact Statement and adjourned sentencing to allow her to prepare. Berkley was remanded in custody for a sentencing hearing scheduled for 22 October, with the court to finalise the matter that week.
A 19-year-old man from Ramelton, County Donegal, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment with the final three years suspended at the Central Criminal Court. Bailey Laughlin pleaded guilty to orally raping a 16-year-old woman at Fanad on 1 May 2016. The victim, who waived her right to anonymity, had followed Laughlin outside a party to ensure his welfare after observing him in a distressed and heavily intoxicated state. Mr Justice Michael White imposed strict conditions on the suspended portion, including probation supervision, alcohol abstinence, and engagement with sex offender management services. The judge acknowledged both aggravating factors, including the serious nature of the offence and its impact on the victim, and mitigating factors, including Laughlin's age at the time and difficult upbringing. He noted particular societal concerns regarding youth alcohol consumption and exposure to violent pornography.
A man from County Mayo has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment following his conviction at the Central Criminal Court for the anal rape of his wife on two occasions in a single night in December 2015. The 39-year-old was found guilty by jury of two counts of anal rape after a trial in May 2018. He was acquitted of four further rape charges relating to earlier dates in 2015. During sentencing, Mr Justice Michael White described the offences as most serious, noting aggravating factors including the nature of the assault, aggression involved, and degradation of the victim. The judge acknowledged the man's lack of previous convictions and medical conditions but noted the absence of a guilty plea. The victim provided an impact statement detailing the psychological consequences she had endured. The sentence was backdated to May 2018 when the man entered custody.
Anthony McDonnell, a 27‑year‑old Dublin man, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for arson after a Supreme Court‑ordered retrial overturned his 2014 acquittal. The original trial had acquitted him because the prosecution failed to produce evidence of how the CCTV system operated, making the footage inadmissible, and because alleged admissions during Garda interviews were ruled inadmissible under the right‑to‑silence rules. The Supreme Court held that CCTV footage was real evidence and that Gardaí could question McDonnell about his presence at the crime scene. McDonnell pleaded guilty to setting fire to a car that caused €77,000 of damage to an apartment block and destroyed two vehicles. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a six‑year sentence, suspending the final two and a half years, and ordered 18 months of probation supervision and mandatory training.
Two Dublin grandparents, Annette McCluskey (57) and her husband Edward McCluskey (61), admitted fraudulently claiming over €72,000 in social welfare payments over 11 years. Annette worked as a cleaner under an assumed name while Edward falsely claimed adult‑dependent allowance payments. Both pleaded guilty to multiple counts of stealing adult‑dependent allowance and other related offences. The court imposed a three‑year suspended sentence on Annette and a two‑year suspended sentence on Edward, after arrangements were made for the couple to pay €28 a week to the Department of Social and Family Affairs and having already repaid over €3,000. The judge noted their ill health, lack of lavish lifestyle, and the impact of Edward's alcohol addiction, concluding that the couple had learned a "salutary lesson" and were unlikely to re‑engage in such offences. The court did not impose a custodial sentence or community service.
A man formerly of Foxford, County Mayo, has been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the sexual abuse of his daughter throughout her childhood. John Murphy, aged 61, a former member of the Irish Defence Forces, pleaded guilty to rape, indecent assault and sexual assault of his eldest daughter between 1988 and 2001, with a further incident in 2010. The abuse occurred at locations in Counties Galway and Mayo when the complainant was aged between three and fifteen years. Mr Justice Michael White described the offending as characterised by "length, intensity and depravity" and noted the grave breach of trust involved. Murphy is currently serving an eight-year sentence imposed in February for sexual abuse of two younger sisters. The complainant, now aged 33, waived her right to anonymity and read a victim impact statement in court, urging others in similar situations to come forward and break silence surrounding abuse. The sentence was backdated to December 2017.
A man arrested in Spain following his failure to appear at trial has pleaded guilty to murdering dissident republican Peter Butterly at the Special Criminal Court. Dean Evans, aged 27 and from Dublin, admitted to the charge of murdering Mr Butterly, who was shot dead outside The Huntsman Inn, Gormanstown, County Meath on 6 March 2013. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy remanded Evans in custody pending sentencing on 31 July, when he will receive a mandatory life sentence. Evans is the third person to receive a life sentence for the killing, following the conviction last year of Edward McGrath and Sharif Kelly. Three other men remain scheduled to stand trial later this year on the same charge, including a man with an address in Cavan. Evans had absconded before his trial was due to commence in January 2017, prompting a European Arrest Warrant. He was apprehended in Spain in April and subsequently surrendered to Irish authorities.
During a 2018 incident, Garda Thomas Gallagher (39) attempted to seize a vehicle driven by Christina Joyce (30), who was under the influence of crack cocaine. Gallagher held onto the Volvo's driver's door to avoid being dragged under the car. He fell, skidded into a parked vehicle, and sustained severe injuries, including a dislocated knee and shoulder damage that required an eight‑week brace and a two‑year sports hiatus. Joyce, a mother of three with no fixed abode, admitted assaulting Gallagher and causing him harm on 9 April 2018, along with charges of trespass, damaging a wall, and damaging a car. She also admitted to driving at speed, crashing into a Dublin City Council van, and breaking into two homes while evading Gardaí. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to four and a half years, consecutive to a term she was already serving, and disqualified her from driving for six years.
In a Dublin street incident, 23‑year‑old Donna Dineen, a homeless woman who had recently given birth in custody, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after slashing a stranger's stomach with a 25‑cm wound. The victim, Saurjan Syergaz, was found bleeding from Dorset Street to St Benedict's Gardens and later underwent surgery. Dineen claimed self‑defence, stating the man had pulled a knife on her, but she also admitted to robbing his wallet. The court noted her 17 prior convictions and her history of abuse and addiction. While her defence sought a suspended sentence to allow her to keep her infant son for 18 months, Judge Melanie Greally rejected this, citing the severity of the wound. Dineen remains in custody, with sentencing postponed to November pending further reports. The co‑accused remains unnamed as his case is still before the courts.
Eoin Morrow, 38, a Louth bricklayer, will be sentenced for possessing cannabis and prescription drugs worth €1.38 million. Gardaí set up a surveillance operation on a Scania truck that met Morrow's Volkswagen Jetta. They observed Morrow and truck driver John Needham, 31, removing boxes from the truck onto a trolley bound for a storage unit in Newcourt Business Park. A subsequent search uncovered four large cardboard boxes of cannabis resin and 29 boxes of Zopiclone tablets. The 96 kg of cannabis was valued at €580,200 and the 400,000 Zopiclone pills at €800,000. Morrow pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis resin and supplying a prescription‑only drug. He has 15 previous convictions, including assault, burglary and theft. He fled to Europe after a bench warrant was issued but returned and surrendered. Needham also pleaded guilty to the same drug offences and was sentenced to eight years earlier this month.
Ross Thompson, 19, was jailed for 16 months after deliberately driving a Toyota Yaris at a Garda patrol car three times during a high‑speed chase. Thompson, who had no valid licence or insurance, repeatedly drove over the median strip, broke red lights, entered residential green areas and drove on the wrong side of the road. He performed numerous hand‑brake turns and, in three instances, positioned the vehicle to face the patrol car head‑on before driving straight at the officers. He pleaded guilty to two charges of endangerment and one of dangerous driving. Garda Robert English noted that Thompson's driving frightened other road users and that no one was injured or damaged. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Thompson to 16 months in prison, consecutive to his current term, and disqualified him from driving for six years. Thompson is due for release in December 2019.
A court heard that a serial burglar, Lewis Smith, 21, was linked to a 2015 burglary after a two‑year delay in a forensic report that identified his DNA on blood left at the scene. Smith had 30 prior convictions, ten of which were burglaries, and pleaded guilty to trespass and theft at Hazel Grove, Tallaght. The burglary caused €1,400 in damage and theft of items worth €800. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a two‑year sentence with nine months suspended and reactivated six months of a partially suspended robbery sentence to run concurrently. Smith was already serving another sentence due to expire next year. The judge noted the burglary lacked aggravating factors but had an upsetting effect on the victim, who declined to give a victim impact statement. Smith's personal turmoil, including a family death, was cited as a factor in his criminal behaviour.
Two brothers, Jason Bradley (20) and Dean Bradley (24), were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Neil Reilly, a 36‑year‑old mechanic, on 18 January 2017. The murder occurred after Reilly had previously broken into the Bradley home and shot at their house. Jason inflicted seven chop wounds on Reilly with a sharp weapon before Dean drove over the deceased, causing fatal crush injuries. A third brother, Ryan Bradley, pleaded guilty to impeding the investigation and will be sentenced later. The brothers' father, Paul Bradley, was found not guilty of murder. The sentencing hearing took place in the Central Criminal Court, where Justice Paul Coffey imposed a life sentence on Jason and Dean, noting their remorse and the impact on Reilly's family. The case highlighted the violent confrontation that led to Reilly's death and the subsequent legal proceedings against the Bradley brothers.
A 42‑year‑old Pakistani man, Muhammed Kashif, and his 39‑year‑old Singaporean wife, Deepa Vaswani, were arrested in a Dublin hotel after Gardaí discovered an "Aladdin's cave" of stolen goods. Their laptop contained 200 pages of chat logs revealing the use of thousands of stolen credit‑card details. They used these cards to purchase €1,452 of toys from Smyths Toys, €161 of sex toys, and a six‑night stay at the Fitzwilliam Hotel costing €2,781. Flights from Dublin to New York (€3,592) and Dublin to Kuala Lumpur (€8,798) were also bought with stolen cards. Over 140 items were seized, including a €4,000 watch, six phones, new clothes, and €15,000 in foreign currencies. The couple pleaded guilty to handling stolen card information, fraudulently buying flights, obtaining hotel accommodation, theft from Smyths and Love Toy Shopper, and criminal damage to toy packaging. They remain remanded in custody, with no prior convictions.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 15‑year‑old woman recounted being raped by a 59‑year‑old man who later threatened her with a defamation lawsuit after she disclosed the abuse to a family member. The victim described the assault as occurring while she was babysitting at the man's home, where he showed her pornographic material and then raped her. She had previously told two siblings before 2004, a doctor in 2013, and a relative at a charity event in 2014. After the last disclosure, the man sent a solicitor's letter threatening legal action. He pleaded not guilty to the rape, was convicted in May, and will be sentenced later. He was acquitted of two additional sexual assault charges. The woman's testimony highlighted long‑term psychological effects, including loss of confidence, nightmares, and claustrophobia, and she emphasized reclaiming her self‑worth and identity as a survivor.
A 28‑year‑old Dubliner, Michael Corbett, was sentenced to nine years in prison for attempting to murder a 17‑year‑old and assaulting two friends at the Hellfire Club on Dublin's Montpelier Hill on 27 June 2016. Six years of the sentence were suspended because Corbett was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time. He pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court. The judge praised the victim's courage and the two friends' assistance, noting the victim had a four‑inch stab wound to the chest and was close to losing his life. Corbett's sentence will be finalised on 31 July after a probation report. The victims expressed disappointment at the suspended portion, describing fear, trauma and lasting psychological effects. The case remains in custody pending the probation review.
In a case heard at the Central Criminal Court, Ivan Peev, a 34‑year‑old Bulgarian circus worker, pleaded guilty to defiling a 15‑year‑old girl in a town in County Cork in February 2015. Peev's work involved travelling with a circus for nine months a year and then returning to Bulgaria. The victim, who was intoxicated and "three quarters asleep," was taken by Peev to a tent or caravan where he lifted her onto a bed, undressed her and had sex with her. She described the experience as a "bad feeling" and said it still haunts her. Peev has no prior convictions and has been in custody since his return to Ireland under a European Arrest Warrant. He remains remanded until the court finalises his sentence on 30 July.
In 2018, a 51‑year‑old Limerick man pleaded guilty to seven charges of rape and sexual assault against a 12‑year‑old girl in the 1990s. The offences were alleged to have occurred in various locations around County Limerick. The trial took place at the Central Criminal Court, and the man's plea was entered on the second day of the proceedings in May. Patrick McGrath SC informed Justice Deirdre Murphy that the defence was struggling to obtain necessary reports for the sentencing hearing, and requested an adjournment. The judge agreed to postpone the hearing to 8 October next year.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Lydia Simpson, 35, pleaded guilty to robbery at the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre car park on 21 January. The victim, a mother, was seated in her car with a five‑year‑old son. Simpson attempted to take a purse from the front seat; the owner resisted, and during the struggle the purse ended up in the back of the car. Simpson reached over the front seats to retrieve it and unintentionally struck the child, who sustained no injuries. Paul Carroll SC described the incident as frightening for the children. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Simpson to two years' imprisonment, to run from next January, noting her history of drug addiction and prior convictions for shoplifting and trespassing. Simpson admitted the robbery was motivated by a need for money to buy drugs and expressed remorse, saying she was ashamed and "at the bottom.".
Barry Watters, a 42-year-old man formerly of Infirmary Road, Dublin, and originally from Dundalk, Co Louth, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of indecency in December 2014 and possession of child pornography on October 20, 2016. The court heard that Watters exposed himself to children on their way to school in 2014, an incident that led to his arrest. In 2016, gardaí observed him viewing illegal images at an internet cafe on Middle Abbey Street; a USB key recovered from him contained 23 illegal images of child pornography and 422 images of children in various states of undress. Watters has six previous convictions, including a four-year sentence in 2012 for possession of child pornography, with the final year suspended. He also received a three-year sentence in 2010 and a two-year suspended sentence in 2009 for similar offences. Judge Martina Baxter remanded Watters in custody and ordered a psychologist's report to address community protection concerns. The matter was adjourned to December 3rd for the finalisation of his sentence, with a plea in mitigation to be concluded in the same month.
Two Dublin men, Gary Gleeson (34) and Stephen Dunne (39), who were contracted by senior figures in an organised crime group to murder Michael Frazer, will be sentenced at the Special Criminal Court. They pleaded guilty in May to possession of a 9mm Luger pistol and 10 rounds of ammunition with intent to endanger life, offences committed on Naas Road, Crumlin on 7 August 2017. The court heard that the men were intercepted by Garda detectives in a Fiat Doblo that contained a loaded firearm, a can of petrol, a lighter, rubber gloves and a small amount of cocaine. The men had previously been charged with conspiracy to murder Frazer between 28 July and 7 August. Defence counsel highlighted the defendants' personal circumstances, including addiction and mental health issues, and pleaded for leniency. The court remanded both men in custody until 30 July when they will be sentenced.
Anthony Ward, 27, was sentenced to five years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended on condition of compliance with the Probation Service, after pleading guilty to two robberies in Santry in April 2018. Ward, who had 125 previous convictions, robbed a Spar shop on Shanowen Road at 12:40 pm, taking €250 and threatening the shop assistant with a knife. The next morning he entered a Maxol Service Station on Swords Road, demanding money and taking the assistant's wallet; a struggle left the assistant with two cut fingers. Gardaí identified Ward via CCTV and arrested him after a vehicle stop. Ward's lawyer noted his long‑standing drug problems, early guilty plea, remorse, and supportive pregnant partner, while the judge highlighted his difficult prison experience and respectable background in structuring a rehabilitative sentence.
An African national, aged 28, was convicted in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to two former partners by infecting them with HIV between November 2009 and June 2010. The jury, after an eleven‑day trial and four and a half hours of deliberation, returned unanimous guilty verdicts on both charges. The judge refused bail, citing a flight risk and the likelihood of a custodial sentence, and remanded the defendant to appear again on 26 July for sentencing. The prosecution argued that the defendant knew of his HIV status, lied to the complainants, and continued unprotected sex despite being advised on safe sex. The defense contended that the complainants' evidence was unreliable and that phylogenetic analysis could not prove transmission. The case is the first of its kind in Ireland. The unnamed 28-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A Dublin man, Donal O'Ceallaigh, 33, was arrested at the crowded entrance of St James' Hospital by armed gardai, some with weapons drawn, during a Special Criminal Court hearing. O'Ceallaigh, along with Jonathan Hawthorn, 45, and James Geraghty, 61, pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styled the Irish Republican Army. The court heard that the arrest followed a tip from an FBI agent who had monitored Darknet activity and received a message from a user named 'Meat Cleaver' seeking Semtex. A mock‑explosive package was sent to Geraghty's Dolphin House address, delivered by a garda disguised as a DHL driver. Hawthorn signed for the package in Geraghty's name. Detective Sergeant Padraig Boyce testified that he detained O'Ceallaigh at 11.32 am under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, noting that firearms were drawn and a large crowd was present. The trial continues before Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy and Judges Gerard Griffin and Gerard Haughton.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, a 17‑year‑old boy pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after throwing a stone at a 16‑year‑old victim's head on 17 July 2016. The victim, a young actor, sustained a facial scar requiring 11 stitches above his right eye. Garda Eoin Brennan reported that the boy and another youth had called the victim "a dope" and "a fag" before the stone struck. The victim described the scar as a constant reminder of being attacked because of his sexuality, expressing fear, low confidence, stress, anxiety, and a belief that the scar had cost him acting opportunities. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to set a sentencing date later in the month, noting the defendant's 24 prior convictions and serious risk factors, and remanded him on continuing bail until 25 July. The defendant accepted responsibility and expressed shock at the seriousness of the injury. The case remains pending sentencing.
A 19‑year‑old woman who was raped and sexually assaulted by two 27‑year‑old cousins while en‑route to a party criticised the court process for making victims appear "untrustworthy." She said her previous sexual history was brought up during one cousin's trial, which she found confusing. The first cousin denied a rape charge at a Waterford address on 20 December 2015, but was convicted by a jury in a Central Criminal Court trial in May. Mr Justice Paul Butler sentenced him to eight years for rape, suspending the final two years, and the second cousin to five years for sexual assault, suspending the final 24 months. The woman read a victim impact statement in which she said parts of her past unrelated to the case were used to portray her as untrustworthy, and that the court process had shattered her faith in humanity. The unnamed accused pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin case, 21‑year‑old Daryl Ralph pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault of a 20‑year‑old woman during a birthday party on 16 August 2014. The court heard that Ralph and another man forced the victim to touch them sexually, held her head, ripped off her underwear, and attempted to make her touch his penis before stopping. Ralph offered €1,000 in compensation, which the judge directed to be given to the victim, and was ordered to pay an additional €1,500 within three days. Mr Justice Paul Butler imposed a two‑year sentence suspended in full, contingent on Ralph's full engagement with the Probation Service and compliance with its directions. He was also placed on the sex offenders register. The judge noted the victim's distress and the celebratory context of the incident. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court.
David Murphy, 39, was sentenced in October for an attempted robbery of a Centra shop on Camden Street, Dublin, on 28 December 2017. He had been released from a seven‑year prison term in August 2017 and had 64 prior convictions. Murphy planned the robbery to help his 21‑year‑old son, who had a drug debt. He entered the shop at about 6 pm, wearing a scarf and armed with a scissor, and threatened the shop assistant, Marco Moniz, saying he would stab him if he did not give money. Moniz tackled Murphy to the ground; his colleague, Hyeon Seok Kim, called the Gardaí. Officers arrived while Murphy was on the floor. Murphy pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally remanded him in custody until 25 October for sentencing and ordered a probation report, noting that no post‑release supervision had been in place after his August 2017 release.
David Drumm, former chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank, has received a fully suspended sentence of fifteen months at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his involvement in an unlawful loan scheme. The 51-year-old from Skerries, County Dublin pleaded guilty to ten counts of authorising unlawful financial assistance to the Maple Ten group of developers and businessmen between July 2008. The loans were designed to unwind a substantial undisclosed shareholding in Anglo Irish Bank accumulated by Cavan businessman Sean Quinn through financial instruments. Judge Karen O'Connor imposed the suspended sentence to run concurrently with a six-year custodial sentence imposed following Drumm's conviction on conspiracy and false accounting charges. The judge noted Drumm's role as chief executive meant he held responsibility for ensuring legal compliance and transparency. Drumm was also disqualified from acting as a company director for five years as an automatic consequence of the conviction under the Companies Act.
Ronald Lawlor, 36, who had been disqualified from driving for 15 years, led Gardaí on a high‑speed chase in Dublin's Belmayne area. Garda Neil Plunkett reported that Lawlor, with 164 prior convictions mainly for road traffic offences, ignored warnings and drove at speeds up to 140 km/h, even driving the wrong way around a roundabout and colliding with a Garda patrol car, causing nearly €3,000 in damage. During the pursuit, Lawlor threw a beer can out of the window and refused to provide a breath sample after his arrest. He pleaded guilty to endangerment, dangerous driving, damage to a Garda vehicle and refusal to give a breath sample. Judge Melanie Greally remanded him in custody until 3 October, ordered a probation report, and noted his intention to abstain from alcohol, while emphasising the seriousness of his offences and the need for future management of his drinking.
A trial at the Central Criminal Court heard evidence yesterday concerning allegations against a 19-year-old youth charged with rape in County Donegal. The accused denies raping and orally raping a 16-year-old girl behind a building in the early hours of March 18, 2016. A witness who saw the complainant shortly after the alleged offences testified that although the girl had consumed alcohol, she remained responsive and coherent, though visibly distressed with visible injuries. The court heard testimony from another witness describing panic-stricken phone calls in which the complainant sought help. A medical examination two days later revealed multiple bruising and abrasions across the girl's body. Forensic evidence indicated the complainant's blood on the accused's clothing and her DNA on a recovered condom. The trial before Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy continues.
David Drumm, former CEO of Anglo Irish Bank, pleaded guilty to ten counts of authorising unlawful financial assistance for the purchase of bank shares by the Maple Ten group between 10 and 17 July 2008. The loans were part of a scheme to unwind a 28 % stake that businessman Sean Quinn had built in the bank using contracts for difference (CFDs). Drumm's defence argued that he was trying to resolve a problem entirely created by Quinn, who had used CFDs to speculate on Anglo shares and whose position threatened the bank's stability. Drumm, aged 51, was transferred from Mountjoy Prison, where he is serving a six‑year term for a separate €7.2 bn fraudulent loan scheme, to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing. The court heard that Drumm had attempted to persuade Quinn to reduce his CFD position and, after other options failed, proposed that ten high‑net‑worth individuals purchase a portion of the Quinn shareholding. David Drumm was convicted.
Garrett Phillips, 46, of Galway, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for a single charge of orally raping a 20‑year‑old woman on the outskirts of Galway on 5 November 2015. The judge described the offence as "predatory" and "callous", noting that the victim was alone, vulnerable and upset in a park at night. Phillips had offered her a lift home, but did not take her to her destination. He pleaded not guilty and denied that the act was consensual. The court accepted his clean record and imposed a six‑year sentence, down from an eight‑year headline. Phillips was ordered to undergo a therapeutic programme and was described by his siblings as a devoted husband and father. The victim's impact statement highlighted the lasting psychological harm she has suffered, including depression, anxiety and a loss of confidence in walking alone. Garrett Phillips was convicted.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Daryl Coyle, 27, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Brian Griffin on 16 October 2015. Coyle admitted striking Griffin with a "sucker punch" after a friend of the victim threw a drink at him. The prosecution highlighted Coyle's 34 prior convictions, including assault, violent behaviour in a police station and drug possession, describing a chaotic lifestyle of drug use and anger management issues. Defence counsel argued that a hormonal imbalance and self‑medication with steroids may have contributed to his aggression, citing the phenomenon of "roid rage." Judge Martin Nolan suspended a one‑year prison sentence, conditioning it on Coyle's good behaviour and engagement with the Probation Service, and warned that any further aggression would trigger the full sentence. The court also heard that Coyle's earlier drug use had ceased and that he was working two jobs.
Mark Carlyle, a former All Ireland junior boxing champion aged 28, was sentenced to three years in custody for unlawfully possessing a sawn‑off shotgun in Pearse Park, Crumlin, on 21 June 2015. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court noted his 108 prior convictions, including assault and obstruction of a garda, threatening behaviour, intoxication in public, dangerous driving and allowing a horse to pose a danger. Judge Martin Nolan highlighted Carlyle's early boxing success and subsequent poor choices, citing his alcohol misuse as a factor in his career decline. Carlyle was found with a 12‑gauge semi‑automatic shotgun wrapped in plastic, which was discovered in undergrowth after a witness heard a bang and called the police. The gun was seized, and forensic tests revealed firearms residue on Carlyle's clothing. The judge back‑dated the custodial sentence to last May.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Adam Marlowe, 24, was convicted of aggravated burglary, robbery of €50, and assault on 81‑year‑old farmer Malachy Turley. DNA evidence linked Marlowe to a blue latex glove fragment found in Turley's bedroom. Turley, who lives alone in a rural north County Dublin cottage, suffered bruises, a deep hand cut requiring five stitches, and lasting trauma. Marlowe, who has 79 prior convictions and was on bail for other offences, maintains his innocence. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to 12 years' imprisonment, citing the pre‑planned, violent nature of the crime against an isolated, vulnerable victim, while noting mitigating factors such as Marlowe's age, family background, and current stable relationship. The sentence reflects the aggravated burglary headline of 15 years, reduced to 12 years with a suspended portion and effective custody as stated in the court order. Adam Marlowe pleaded not guilty.
In 2006, Niall Healy, 42, was sentenced to 20 years for aggravated sexual assault and false imprisonment, with the final 10 years suspended. He had a prior 12‑year rape conviction in 1993, the last six years of which were suspended. After his release in January 2014, Healy was jailed for two years for robbery. He was released again in January 2018 and subsequently relapsed into drug use, attacked a woman's car at traffic lights, and broke into an unoccupied house. On 6 June 2015, six years of the suspended term were re‑activated and back‑dated, leaving four years suspended on strict conditions. Mr Justice McCarthy ordered drug treatment, anger management, and educational courses, noting that Healy had failed to fulfil the obligations imposed by the courts. The judge emphasised that the community's protection required Healy to remain under a suspended term upon release.
On 17 December 2017, Andrew Peel of Coultry Drive, Ballymun, Dublin, after a "three‑day bender", attacked neighbours in their homes. He struck Kim Hutchinson with a golf club, breaking a bone in her arm, and hit David Tyson with a cue ball, rendering him unconscious and hospitalised. Peel's behaviour was described as "out of character" and "not the person they knew". He pleaded guilty to criminal damage, burglary and assault causing harm. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing victim impact statements, found Peel intoxicated that night. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a 33‑month sentence, back‑dated to the arrest, noting Peel's history of drug possession, assault, knife possession and car theft. Peel has since worked as a courier, assisted homeless soup runs and is training for social care. The court highlighted his mother's testimony of his long‑standing mental health and drug problems. Peel was sentenced to 33 months in custody.
A Dublin businessman has admitted to submitting fraudulent documents to obtain a €71,000 mortgage from Ulster Bank in April 2016. Kevin Molloy, aged 49, of Dublin Road, Celbridge, County Kildare, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three offences under the Theft and Fraud Acts committed between December 2014 and August 2016. The owner of a debt recovery business had initially applied to Bank of Ireland in late 2014, but that application was declined after officials questioned the authenticity of his documentation. When Molloy subsequently approached Ulster Bank, he provided altered bank statements, a falsified P60 tax document, and wage slips from companies in liquidation. The offences came to light in July 2016 following a Bank of Ireland report to gardaí. Molloy continues to reside in the property with his family and maintains mortgage repayments. Ulster Bank has not pursued charges. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to October 2018 and ordered a community service assessment. Molloy was remanded on continuing bail.
Lorcan Merriman, a 21‑year‑old Dubliner, was sentenced to five years in prison for unlawful possession of a semi‑automatic machine gun and ammunition that he had hidden in his parents' attic. He admitted that he had agreed to hide the weapon to pay off a drug debt. The gun was found to be functioning and had been altered for criminal use, and it was accompanied by working ammunition. Judge Melanie Greally initially imposed a headline sentence of ten years but reduced it to five years, citing Merriman's age, chronic drug addiction, early guilty plea, and the support of his parents who attended the hearing. The case was assessed by the Director of Public Prosecutions as falling in the higher range of firearms offences, with a presumptive mandatory minimum of five years, which the court upheld. The judge noted that the weapon's purpose was for the commission of criminal offences and potentially serious harm or death.
A 24‑year‑old Latvian man, Evalds Markos, was jailed for two and a half years after swallowing 52 cocaine pellets, worth just under €36,000, before being caught by customs at Dublin Airport. He pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale or supply in the customs hall of Terminal One on 28 October. After his arrest he was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he passed the pellets and was later discharged. Markos admitted he had been told to swallow the pellets by an associate in Amsterdam and that he expected payment of €1,500, though he claimed he had not been paid. He had no prior convictions in Ireland but had a history of theft, fraud and robbery in Latvia and shoplifting and criminal damage in France.
In a sting operation, a Garda officer disguised as a postman used an An Post van to deliver a parcel containing 36,000 ecstasy tablets to Philip Noonan, who signed for it and was immediately arrested. Customs had flagged the package as suspicious after it arrived from Germany to Portlaoise Mail Centre in June 2015. The parcel, addressed to Noonan, was found to contain MDMA tablets worth €288,000. Noonan, aged 49, had previously been convicted of 20 offences, including a robbery in 1992, and was charged with possessing drugs for sale or supply. He pleaded guilty at his trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment. The judge noted he was not the owner of the drugs but had knowingly received the package for onward delivery. The sentence reflected the seriousness of the drug‑dealing activity, despite mitigating circumstances.
A 67‑year‑old Dublin man, whose name is withheld by court order, was jailed after being caught masturbating at a children's party a day after his release. He has two prior convictions for sexual assault on juveniles and had an 18‑month sentence imposed in March 2017 for breaching an order that prohibited interaction with children. The sentence was suspended on the condition that he complied with all Probation Service directions and remained abstinent from intoxicants. He had previously failed to appear in court, leading to bench warrants. The court found he had been intoxicated and had his hand on his crotch with his zip undone at the party. Judge Patricia Ryan re‑activated the suspended sentence and ordered the man to appear again in September for the indecency allegations. The Probation Service had noted his alcohol abuse as a contributory risk factor. The unnamed 67-year-old pleaded guilty.
Niamh Fitzpatrick, 39, was sentenced to five years in prison with the final two years suspended, following a guilty plea at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing a Smith & Wesson revolver in an air vent at her home on 23 February 2017. The judge, Melanie Greally, found her explanation for how she acquired the gun uncredible and noted her 21 prior convictions, mainly minor traffic offences, and her history of heroin addiction and mental health issues. Fitzpatrick claimed the firearm was for self‑protection after a threat on her life, a claim the judge said did not stand up to scrutiny. She was ordered to remain under 18 months of probation supervision upon release. The case involved a search that seized the gun, heroin, mobile phones and €4,200 in drugs, with Fitzpatrick admitting possession of heroin and the gun during the interview.