A 35‑year‑old Nigerian wedding photographer, Adewale Yusuf, avoided jail after repaying all stolen money he had transferred from an account that had been used by a Russian company to receive €30,000 from an Italian firm. The money, totalling €9,002, had been transferred to Yusuf's account and then to other accounts linked to him. Yusuf pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of transferring property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct while knowing or being reckless about its source. Judge Karen O'Connor suspended a two‑year prison sentence, noting Yusuf's low risk of re‑offending and his full repayment. Yusuf admitted he had no knowledge of the money's origin and had transferred it because he lacked a card for the account, which normally held little money. He had five prior traffic convictions and had been in financial trouble in 2013.
Costel Tudor, a 44‑year‑old Romanian, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for his role in a bank‑machine scam that targeted elderly victims in Dublin. Tudor recruited two women to distract ATM users after they entered their PINs. One woman tapped the victim's shoulder, claiming a €20 drop, while the other, who had seen the PIN, swapped the victim's card for a different one. Tudor then used the swapped card to withdraw cash. The scheme took place at the Bank of Ireland in Stillorgan Shopping Centre on 27 April 2015 and at Permanent TSB on Main Street, Dundrum on 7 November 2015. Garda Stephen Dunican noted Tudor's extensive criminal record, including convictions in the Netherlands, Finland, England and Germany. Judge Melanie Greally, citing the women's instrumental role and the CCTV evidence, imposed the sentence and suspended the final 18 months of a 10‑year ban on returning to Ireland.
Peter McDonagh, 29, of Clontarf, was found in possession of 980 images of child pornography, including more than half with extreme sexual content involving children as young as two. The images were discovered on his mobile phones during a search on 18 January 2017, after Canadian authorities alerted Irish police to the material. McDonagh pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was remanded on continuing bail. Judge Melanie Greally revoked his bail and remanded him in custody pending a sentence in October, ordering a probation report for his eventual release. The court noted that 536 images were Category 1, involving explicit sexual activity between children and adults, while the remainder were Category 2. McDonagh has prior minor convictions and a history of mental health issues, but the judge concluded that a custodial sentence was necessary due to the explicit nature of the material and his method of acquisition.
In a sentence hearing on 2 July 2018, Mr Justice Michael White praised a 28‑year‑old man and a young woman for preventing the death of their 17‑year‑old friend who was stabbed at the Hellfire Club on 27 June 2016. The teenager had been attacked by Michael Corbett, who had a knife and was described as "in the throws of a psychotic episode". Corbett had attempted to murder the teen, stabbing him in the chest and cutting his throat three times before the teen managed to push him away. The teen was later stabbed again in the chest, the knife breaking and a log being used to strike him. The two other teenagers intervened, one of whom was also assaulted. The judge highlighted the courage of the friends in stopping the attack and noted that the teen had survived with serious injuries. Corbett pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was remanded in custody until 16 July.
Ian Browne, aged 44, was jailed for two years after he hid in a Supervalu shop under renovation and stole alcohol, cigarettes and food worth €2,031 when the store was closed. He concealed himself behind building materials, damaged fire doors and attempted to open cash registers, as captured on CCTV. The store manager alerted Gardaí, who found missing spirit bottles and five damaged tills. Browne pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 20 August 2017. He has 94 previous convictions and is already serving a sentence of two years and nine months for another burglary. The court noted his long history of homelessness and heroin addiction, his recent drug‑free period, and his efforts to stabilise himself in custody. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final 18 months to motivate him.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Glen Byrne, aged 40, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment for possessing €350,000 in criminal proceeds. The money was found in seven bales, each about €50,000, wrapped in masking tape and stored in a box inside a van driven by Byrne. The court described the operation as "planned and very well executed" and noted that Byrne had no financial duress, no declared drug addiction or debts, and had a strong work history. Judge Martina Baxter suspended the final six months of the sentence, citing Byrne's lack of prior convictions, his early guilty plea, and supportive letters. The case involved co‑accused Paul Carew, who had earlier been jailed for eight years for related money‑laundering offences. The possession of the cash was discovered during a surveillance operation targeting large organised crime. Byrne's sentence was back‑dated to 19 June 2017, the date he entered custody.
A 25-year-old man has received a fully suspended sentence for his involvement in an armed robbery at a pizzeria in Tallaght in September 2015. Craig Dempsey, now resident in Achill, County Mayo, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing Apache Pizza in Oldbawn Shopping Centre, where approximately €2,535 was taken. He also admitted robbing a Spar store in Ballycullen in July 2015 while producing a broken bottle. The court heard that Dempsey and an accomplice, who carried an electric chainsaw, entered the pizzeria in the early hours demanding money. Judge Melanie Greally imposed consecutive sentences totalling six years, fully suspended for three years. The judge noted that Dempsey's principal risk factors, including cocaine use and association with antisocial peers, had been addressed. The court was informed that Dempsey had relocated to Mayo to distance himself from negative influences and was now caring for his unwell mother.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 14‑year‑old teenager with a mild intellectual disability pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting his eight‑year‑old half‑brother on 4 December 2015. The court found the accused had lived in various foster families and was now in state care at a residential boys' home, having sat his Junior Cert that summer. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy noted the teenager's history of self‑harm, psychiatric treatment, and obsessive interest in pornography, and described him as a troubled youth from a dysfunctional family. He imposed a two‑year sentence suspended in full, conditioned on the teenager keeping the peace, behaving well for three years, and complying with Tulsa and Probation Service requirements. The victim, now ten, gave a brief impact statement expressing distress and anger at the assault. The accused had completed about two‑thirds of an 18‑month treatment programme for aberrant sexual behaviour.
Martin Sherlock, aged 30, was convicted of raping a woman he met on the dating app Badoo. The victim had told him they could not have sex without a condom and repeatedly said "no" during the encounter. Sherlock admitted stealing her mobile phone. He was found guilty after a four‑day trial and sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with a three‑year post‑release supervision order. The court noted that Sherlock had no prior convictions, had lost his job and cancelled wedding plans, and that the victim had a history of mental illness. The judge emphasised that the conviction was based on the victim's refusal to have sex without a condom and that the sentence was not an act of vengeance. No further legal actions or appeals are mentioned in the article. Martin Sherlock pleaded not guilty.
A 37‑year‑old UK businessman was convicted in Dublin Central Criminal Court of three counts of rape and eight counts of sexual assault against two girls aged 10 and 12, who were abused between December 2010 and March 2011. The victims were targeted while their mother was neglectful, and the man moved the family to Ireland to avoid detection. He was extradited from the United States in 2014 after authorities discovered he planned to travel to Florida. Mr Justice Michael White found the offences "grave" and imposed a 14‑year custodial sentence, suspending the last two years on the condition that the man remain law‑abiding and participate in the "Better Lives" treatment programme for sex offenders. The judge noted the lasting impact on the victims, who now age 17 and 19, and highlighted the role of the foster parents in their recovery.
In a Dublin homeless hostel, 46‑year‑old George Donovan stabbed fellow resident Alan Rattigan in the face with a butter knife after a dispute over loud television. Donovan pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on 27 October 2015. Judge Melanie Greally, after a one‑year adjournment and a probation report showing progress, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence and suspended it in full. Rattigan suffered five superficial facial wounds and scarring. Donovan, who has 30 prior convictions and a serious heart condition, admitted the assault immediately to Gardaí, claiming he lost his temper. He has been homeless since age 15, was on methadone, and has since moved to a new hostel with staff support. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 35‑year‑old Sameer Summun pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis for sale or supply on 4 September 2015. The judge, Martina Baxter, noted that Summun continues to abuse cannabis and has nine prior convictions, including a suspended sentence for dealing cannabis issued four months earlier. Summun's defence, represented by Olan Callanan BL, presented a letter from a local imam describing him as kind and gentle, and a letter from his wife praising his parenting. Judge Baxter questioned the relevance of these letters and criticised Summun for not addressing his drug addiction, stating he "has to face reality." She remanded him to custody for one month, adjourned sentencing to 20 July, ordered a urine test, and directed him to engage with the Probation Service while in prison. The case involved the recovery of 122.5 g of cannabis, valued at €2,450, from a bag thrown under a parked car.
Yasmin Stephens, 23, of Albert College Avenue, Glasnevin, was charged with murdering her 33‑year‑old boyfriend, Kieran Farrelly, but the charge was dismissed under Section 4E of the Criminal Justice Act. She was then arraigned for robbing a homeless man, Hugh Gildea, on Mabbot Lane, where she stole a mobile phone, wrist watch and €520. CCTV footage showed the robbery lasted over 20 minutes. Stephens pleaded guilty. Judge Michael White sentenced her to four years in prison, but suspended the sentence for four years on a €100 bond, requiring her to keep the peace, maintain good behaviour, continue methadone treatment and provide urine analysis. The judge noted her new status as a mother as a key factor in the suspended sentence. The court considered the offence serious but weighed her parental responsibilities. The probation report was not negative. The unnamed 23-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm, aged 51, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to authorising or permitting illegal loans to ten businessmen in 2008 to purchase shares in the bank. The loans were given to the so‑called Maple 10 group, comprising Brian O'Farrell, Gerard Conlon, Gerard Gannon, Gerard Maguire, John McCabe, Joseph O'Reilly, Patrick Kearney, Patrick McKillan, Seamus Ross and Sean Reilly, between 10 and 17 July 2008. Drumm was transferred from Mountjoy Prison, where he is serving a six‑year sentence for conspiracy to defraud and false accounting, to the court. He answered "guilty" to the ten charges. The prosecution, led by Paul O'Higgins SC, announced that the remaining 21 charges would be withdrawn, including six relating to loans to the wife and children of former billionaire Seán Quinn, 14 concerning false documents, and one about breaching an EU transparency directive.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Mark Byrne, a 39‑year‑old homeless man, received a 12‑month suspended sentence for possessing a realistic imitation firearm. Byrne, who lived at a homeless unit on Newtown Avenue, Blackrock, admitted to buying an air pistol and about 1,000 6mm plastic pellets from a toy shop on Talbot Street for €10. He claimed he had no real life and that the gun was meant for shooting at the back of street cars. The court noted Byrne was under the influence and giggling while waving the pistol out of a DART carriage, frightening an American passenger. Witnesses described the incident as frightening but harmless, and Garda Siobhán Frisby confirmed Byrne's actions were not intended to harm anyone. Judge Karen O'Connor accepted Byrne's remorse, citing his extensive history of public order offences and addiction issues, and warned of serious consequences if he breached bail conditions. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
A 27-year-old Dublin man has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for violent disorder at a public house in Finglas. Dean Thomas of Glenties Drive pleaded guilty to his role in the incident at the Cardiff Inn, Cardiffsbridge Road, on 19 October 2017. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Thomas kicked, punched and stomped on a man during an altercation between two groups, after the injured party arrived with associates and approached Thomas's group with a baseball bat. Judge Martin Nolan noted that while Thomas's group had acted in self-defence initially, the encounter subsequently escalated to vengeance. The court heard character references describing Thomas as a talented footballer and popular with pub staff and customers, and noted his expression of remorse. Thomas has 11 previous convictions for minor offences. Other participants in the violent disorder received sentences ranging from nine months to two and a half years.
In June 2018 a bench warrant was issued for a 67‑year‑old Dublin man who had previously been identified by Gardaí as a risk to the public due to a predilection for juveniles. Judge Martin Nolan in 2015 had ordered that the man could not be identified and imposed a five‑year Sex Offenders Act order restricting contact with children and loitering near them. In 2017 Judge Patricia Ryan found the man had breached this order by attempting to communicate with children while intoxicated, with his hand on his crotch and his zipper undone. She imposed an 18‑month sentence, back‑dated to the offence, and suspended the balance on the condition that he comply with Probation Service directions and remain abstinent from non‑prescription intoxicants. The man failed to attend a subsequent court appearance, prompting the bench warrant. The unnamed 67-year-old was convicted.
A 37‑year‑old man was jailed for 18 years after breaking into his ex‑partner's home on 10 September 2016 and repeatedly raping her and her 16‑year‑old foster daughter. The judge described the case as a "night of horror" and noted the man's repeated sexual assaults, threats with a knife, and attempts to rape both victims while intoxicated with whiskey and cocaine. The ex‑partner testified that she was threatened with a knife and forced to bring the child upstairs, where the man raped both women. The court heard that the man had pleaded guilty to six counts of rape. He was found to have been in full command of his senses, but the judge imposed a severe sentence reflecting the prolonged abuse and the victims' suffering. The sentence was 18 years, with no mention of a suspended portion or effective custody beyond the imposed term.
In a case heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Dean Creedy, aged 28, pleaded guilty to attempting to rob a post office on Ballymun Road on 11 November 2017. He admitted that, driven by a €600 debt to drug dealers and a desire to self‑medicate with cannabis after stopping anti‑depressants, he had approached the post office with a knife. While the postmaster was collecting his pension, Creedy held the knife to the throat of an 83‑year‑old pensioner, threatening to cut him if money was not handed over. The victim suffered no injuries and did not file a victim impact report. Creedy had no prior convictions, expressed remorse, and had previously attempted suicide due to drug‑related pressure. Judge Melanie Greally remanded him on continuing bail, adjourned the case to 17 October for sentencing, and required a urine test to confirm he was drug‑free.
Philip Nolan, 30, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of child pornography, including text stories, images and videos, found in his home during a 2011 search. Australian investigators had alerted Irish authorities via Interpol about an IP address linked to Nolan's residence. Forensic examination in 2017 uncovered 106 files, including videos of pre‑teens masturbating, images of pre‑teen boys and girls with exposed genitals, and hentai images depicting five‑year‑olds in penetrative sex with an adult male. Nolan admitted attempting to masturbate to the material but expressed shame and regret. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years, conditional on Nolan attending a sexual offenders treatment programme. He was deemed low risk of re‑offending, had no prior convictions, and had accepted responsibility for his actions.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Independent TD Michael Lowry and his company Garuda Ltd were convicted of two charges each of filing incorrect corporation tax returns and of failing to keep proper accounts. Judge Martin Nolan, after the jury's verdict, ruled that a custodial sentence would be inappropriate and imposed a total fine of €25,000 – €15,000 on Lowry personally and €10,000 on Garuda – and disqualified Lowry from acting as a director for three years. The judge noted Lowry's lack of prior convictions, his role as a good employer and public representative, and his earlier payment of a €1.4 million tax bill in 2007. The case involved alleged concealment of a €372,000 commission paid in 2002, which was later re‑mortgaged by Lowry to settle the tax bill. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
Michael Lowry, a former TD, and his company Garuda Ltd were found guilty of two charges: delivering an incorrect corporation tax return and failing to keep proper accounts. The jury, after eight and a half hours of deliberation, convicted him on these charges but could not decide on four remaining ones. Judge Martin Nolan announced a later sentencing and remand on continuing bail. The case centred on a £248,624 (€372,000) commission paid by Norpe OY in August 2002, allegedly routed through the Glebe Trust in the Isle of Man and omitted from Garuda's accounts. The prosecution argued the payment should have been recorded in 2002, while Lowry's defence claimed it was a commission owed to the company. The jury was instructed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Lowry knew the money was not included in the accounts and tax computations. The trial concluded with convictions on the two charges, while the other four remained unresolved. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
A 37‑year‑old Limerick man was jailed for 18 years after breaking into his ex‑partner's home on 10 September 2016 and repeatedly raping her and her 16‑year‑old foster daughter. The man, who was heavily intoxicated with whiskey and cocaine, threatened the foster mother with a knife and forced both victims to submit to repeated sexual assaults. He held the ex‑partner's mouth shut, pressed a knife to her throat, and attempted to rape her before ultimately raping her while threatening to stab her. He then forced her to bring the foster daughter upstairs, threatened her with the knife, and together they were repeatedly raped. The ordeal lasted several hours, during which the man drank whiskey, struck the ex‑partner, smashed her mobile, and prevented her from using the bathroom. The unnamed 37 year old pleaded guilty.
David Mulvey, 36, of Berryfield Drive, Finglas, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two and a half years in prison and disqualified from driving for four years. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder, dangerous driving, and endangerment arising from an incident on October 19, 2017. The court heard that Mulvey was part of a group that assaulted Chris Duggan at the Cardiff Inn. After leaving the pub, Mulvey allegedly drove his Toyota Avensis onto the footpath on Cardiffsbridge Road, attempting to strike Duggan and another man before narrowly missing them. Judge Nolan described the driving as "pretty intentional" and "vicious," noting Mulvey's participation in a "ferocious attack." Mulvey, who has 27 previous convictions, has been on remand since November last year. In a related matter, Duggan, 28, of Cardiffsbridge Road, was previously sentenced by Judge Cormac Quinn last April to two years for violent disorder, with the final 15 months suspended. Duggan had also pleaded guilty to violent disorder stemming from the same confrontation. The prosecution noted that while Mulvey attempted to kick and stamp on Duggan, CCTV did not show contact, and he left the scene while the assault continued. Defense counsel acknowledged the response was disproportionate.
Gerard Creighton, aged 49, was sentenced again in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for failing to notify Gardaí of his change of address. He had previously been jailed for three years in March 2015 for the same offence, as well as for an attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm. In the current case, Creighton pleaded guilty to not informing Gardaí of his address between 5 and 24 June 2016. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a one‑year prison term. The judge warned Creighton that he must comply with the Garda regime and that failure to do so could result in further imprisonment. Garda Niall Murray noted that Creighton was due for release in May 2016 and had been warned by a prison officer to notify the Gardaí of any address change. The court heard that Creighton had not returned to a Garda station after being told to do so.
James McDonagh, aged 26, was sentenced to four years in prison after he pointed a handgun at Dolores Doyle's head when she asked his children to stop pulling down bunting she had erected in her garden. The incident occurred after Doyle and her husband Patrick, both in their sixties, had repeatedly asked McDonagh's two children to leave their garden. McDonagh threatened violence, including burning the house and killing Doyle's son, and returned with a black six‑inch handgun. He pointed it at Doyle as she tried to return home, then at her husband's face, and later pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or seriously harm the Doyles. The court accepted evidence that the gun was likely not real and that McDonagh had a history of road traffic offences. He had taken steps toward rehabilitation and had moved away from the area. The judge imposed a custodial sentence, suspending the final two years of the four‑year term.
Robert Day, a 47‑year‑old from Cabra, Dublin, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court for membership of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The sentence, back‑dated to the day he entered custody on 1 June, followed his conviction on 1 June for belonging to an unlawful organisation. Day had been a member of the IRA in Dublin since about age 18 or 19. In 2014 he participated in an attempt to purchase €20,000 of forged €50 bank notes for €2,200 in legitimate money, an operation that was foiled by Gardai. He was also convicted under the Theft Act for possession of the forged notes. In August 2015, members of the Belfast Brigade questioned Day and others at a house in Castleknock to identify the person responsible for the failed operation.
In a 2018 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Alan Donoghue, aged 35, received a three‑year sentence for his part in a pre‑meditated violent assault on fellow inmate Gary Hanley at Wheatfield Prison on 29 April 2015. Donoghue, who was already serving an eight‑year manslaughter sentence, pleaded guilty to violent disorder. He admitted leaving the scene after the initial assault and not pursuing Hanley when the stabbing began. The court noted that Donoghue had no weapon and had left the area before the spoon‑shaped improvised weapon was used by co‑accused Gary Howard, who was sentenced to four years, and Mark Dignam, who received three and a half years. Judge Melanie Greally imposed the three‑year term to run concurrently with part of Donoghue's existing sentence, with the final three years suspended for possession of a firearm and assisting an inmate to escape.
Two foot soldiers, Gary Gleeson (34) and Stephen Dunne (39), were arrested in August 2017 after Garda detectives intercepted a Fiat doblo van in Dublin. The van contained a loaded 9mm Luger pistol with ten rounds, a can of petrol, tissues, a lighter, rubber gloves and a small amount of cocaine. DNA evidence linked Dunne to a SIM card in a tracking device found on Michael Frazer's van, and to the firearm's handle and trigger. A recorded conversation from 7:19 pm on 7 August revealed Gleeson demanding "head shots" to secure payment, with Dunne agreeing to approach Frazer. The men had previously been charged with conspiracy to murder Frazer. At the Special Criminal Court, they pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life. The court remanded them in custody until 13 July for further reports, with no sentencing yet announced.
A 65‑year‑old man from County Waterford pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to a series of sexual offences against three children. He admitted two counts of rape and 13 counts of indecent assault against one girl aged 12 to 15 between 1983 and 1987, one count of indecent assault against a second girl aged 13 to 14 between 1979 and 1981, and two counts of indecent assault against a third girl aged 9 to 12 between 1988 and 1991. The defendant was not named for legal reasons. Michael Delaney SC informed Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy that the guilty pleas were acceptable to the Director of Public Prosecutions on the condition that full facts would be presented at the sentencing hearing. Mary Rose Gearty SC, the defence counsel, requested that the defendant remain on bail to manage family and administrative matters, acknowledging that he would soon enter custody for a substantial period.
Brendan Delappe, 58, avoided jail after a suspended sentence of two and a half years for failing to pay €150,000 in tax. The court found his offences were not systemic fraud but stemmed from a poor business model and bad management, exacerbated by depression following his wife's death in 2008. Delappe had provided merchandising services, charged VAT to a company, but did not remit the payments to Revenue. He also failed to file correct income tax returns between 2007 and 2012. Revenue Officer Karen Burns reported €140,626 in unpaid VAT and €19,615 in unpaid income tax. Delappe pleaded guilty, cooperated with Gardaí, and showed genuine remorse. His three adult daughters now manage his affairs and are organising repayments. Judge Melanie Greally noted mitigating factors, including his depression, guilty plea, and cooperation, and commended the daughters' support. The headline sentence was four years, but the final imposed term was fully suspended.
In a decision on 21 June 2018, a court lifted an order that had barred the media from naming Slawomir Gierlowski, a 34‑year‑old Polish roofer from Drimnagh, who had been jailed in March for a series of violent sex attacks. Gierlowski was convicted of attacking three women in 2011, 2015 and 2016 around Clondalkin, south Dublin. Two of the attacks involved sexual assault and occurred late at night, while the third, in daylight, saw Gierlowski brandishing a hunting knife at Ruth Maxwell as she walked to the Luas. He pleaded not guilty to nine charges and maintains his innocence. Judge Pauline Codd, at his May sentencing hearing, described the attacks as brutal and primal, using a leather belt, a hunting knife, duct tape and cable ties. She imposed consecutive sentences of eight years, nine and a half years and five years, suspending the final four years on the condition that he complete sex‑offender programmes in custody.
In a High Court case involving two lawyers accused of misleading the court to delay the deportation of Polish criminal Thomas Bebenek, Mr Justice David Keane reserved his decision on whether further action should be taken. The judge noted that the lawyers, a solicitor and a barrister, used litigation as a tactic to postpone Bebenek's deportation long enough for a new order to be issued and challenged. He criticised the lawyers for failing to properly inform the court of relevant immigration law, an obligation of court officers. The judge considered referring the matter to the Law Society and the Bar Council. The solicitor was ordered to reimburse the State's legal costs for gross negligence. The case remains pending, with the judge awaiting further submissions from the lawyers' representatives. The matter is still before the court.
Former Anglo Irish Bank CEO David Drumm was sentenced to six years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for conspiracy to defraud and false accounting. Judge Karen O'Connor described the conduct as "grossly reprehensible" and part of a "premeditated and planned" scheme. Drumm, who pleaded not guilty, was convicted by a jury of conspiring with former officials Denis Casey, William McAteer, John Bowe, and others to dishonestly inflate Anglo's 2008 deposits by €7.2 billion. He was also found guilty of false accounting for misleading the market on December 3, 2008. The judge noted that while the bank was in difficult circumstances, this did not excuse the fraud. Drumm received credit for five months previously served in a US federal penitentiary. He had been on bail throughout the trial, and his bail was continued following the conviction. The judge acknowledged the personal impact on Drumm and his family but emphasized the abuse of trust and significant planning involved in the alleged fraud.
A man from Lucan has been sentenced to six years imprisonment at the Special Criminal Court for his involvement in a kneecapping incident in County Dublin in January 2013. Eamon McNamee, aged 37, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence, namely assault causing harm. The court heard that a man was shot in the leg at Fairgreen, Saggart after being brought to the location by McNamee and others. Gardaí recovered a bullet and found firearms residue on McNamee matching residue on the injured party's clothing. McNamee remained silent during police interviews. The three-judge court reduced his sentence from eight years and six months to six years, suspending the final two years following his public disassociation from unlawful organisations. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy noted this undertaking was a rare occurrence before the court and that McNamee held the lowest rank in the chain of command. He was also ordered to enter a €1,000 bond to keep the peace for five years.
Niamh Fitzpatrick, 39, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a Smith & Wesson revolver found in an air vent in her Ringsend home on February 23, 2017. The firearm, which contained one round of ammunition, was seized by gardaí during a search for drugs, where over €4,200 of heroin was also recovered. Fitzpatrick admitted to gardaí that she kept the gun for self-protection following a threat to her life, a claim supported by Garda Michelle Fitzpatrick, who confirmed colleagues had served GIM forms notifying Fitzpatrick of the threat, though it had since expired. Defence counsel Keith Spencer BL highlighted Fitzpatrick's history of trauma, including abduction and violent attack, which he stated caused profound Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He noted her 21 previous convictions, mostly minor road traffic offences, and argued she was now drug-free apart from prescribed medication. Spencer requested a lengthy suspended sentence to reflect the offence's seriousness while acknowledging her regret and support from her father. Judge Melanie Greally did not pass sentence immediately. Instead, she remanded Fitzpatrick on continuing bail pending her sentencing hearing scheduled for July.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Eoin Berkeley, aged 24, was sentenced to two and a half years for possessing a realistic imitation AK‑47 rifle in a public place. Gardaí had received several reports of a man walking near Dublin Airport and Santry with what appeared to be a firearm. When approached on Northwood Avenue, Berkeley claimed the gun was fake, but the device was later identified as an airgun capable of firing 6mm ball bearings. He had pleaded guilty to the offence on 29 May 2016 and had 24 prior convictions from 2013 to 2017. Berkeley had been in custody for 18 months on this charge, and the judge, citing the seriousness of the offence and his extensive criminal record, imposed the sentence while crediting the time already served. The court noted that possession of an imitation firearm is not a trivial matter and must be treated seriously.
Patrick Nevin, 36, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to rape of a woman in Bellewstown, Co. Meath on 12 July 2014 and to sexual assault of a second woman at an unknown location in Co. Meath on 16 July 2014. These charges follow a prior conviction in December 2017 for sexually assaulting a Brazilian student in July 2014. Nevin had met all three victims on the Tinder dating app and, on each first date, drove them to secluded spots where the assaults occurred. The court allowed evidence from the other two victims to be presented because the modus operandi was similar. Nevin's defence sought removal of media reports of his earlier convictions, but the judge rejected this request, finding no real risk of an unfair trial. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for 26 July 2018.
A 30‑year‑old Meath man, Martin Sherlock, was convicted of raping a woman he met on the dating app Badoo. The victim had told him they could not have sex without a condom and had repeatedly said "no" during the encounter. Sherlock admitted he had ejaculated inside her and had stolen her mobile phone. He pleaded not guilty but was found guilty after a four‑day trial. The court noted that Sherlock had lost his job and cancelled wedding plans. Gardaí arrested him following a sting operation in which they posed as buyers of a phone he was selling. He was remanded in custody until a sentencing hearing on 2 July. The case was presented as a clear instance of non‑consensual sex after the victim's explicit refusal to have sex without a condom.
Peter McDonagh, 29, of Clontarf, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing almost 1,000 images of child pornography, including more than 500 Category 1 images depicting extreme sexual activity involving children as young as two years old. The images were found on his mobile phones during a search on 18 January 2017, after Canadian authorities alerted Irish police to the material. McDonagh admitted full cooperation and was present during the search. He has minor prior convictions under the Public Order Act and a history of mental health issues, including an adult personality disorder. His defence counsel argued that he was a "taboo seeker" with no paedophilic interest and urged a sentence of probation and welfare support. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to 3 July.
A 25-year-old asylum seeker has been sentenced to five years imprisonment for rape following his guilty plea at Dublin Central Criminal Court. The man pleaded guilty to raping his former girlfriend at a location in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo on 10 January 2016. Imposing sentence, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy acknowledged the severe impact on the victim and her resilience. The court heard that during an incident at a house party, the accused locked the woman in a bathroom, ignored her refusals of consent, and used force against her. The man, an African national who arrived in Ireland in 2012, had his asylum application rejected and remains in direct provision accommodation. The judge noted the defendant's guilty plea, difficult childhood circumstances, and absence of prior criminal behaviour in Ireland, whilst considering the gravity of the offence. The victim disclosed in her impact statement that she had experienced suicidal ideation and required psychiatric medication following the attack.
Mareks Treinovskis, 32, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for repeatedly stealing electric toothbrushes and razors from the Grafton Street branch of Boots. He entered the store eight times between February and September 2017, taking items worth €4,323, none of which were recovered. Gardaí seized almost €400 worth of stolen Gillette razors after one theft. Treinovskis pleaded guilty to four counts of theft, with four additional counts considered. He had been arrested multiple times, first in April after CCTV captured him stealing Braun shavers and a toothbrush, and again in September and November. He has 56 prior convictions, mainly theft, criminal damage and traffic offences. The court noted his heroin addiction, his clean status at the time of sentencing, and his desire to improve contact with his young daughter. Judge Melanie Greally backdated the sentence to 11 November 2017.
John Downes, a 56‑year‑old Marks and Spencer employee, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended after pleading guilty to five counts of stealing cash from the Dundrum branch between April and July 2016. He stole a total of €24,650 over 54 separate occasions, taking the money from the till and transferring it to his pocket and later to his sock. Garda Michael Lynch reported that Downes had been working for the company since November 2014 and that he had been suspended on full pay pending investigation. During the investigation, €950 in cash was found in his bedroom, and Downes admitted the theft. He cited financial hardship caused by the breakdown of his marriage and the closure of his printing business. Downes expressed remorse, repaid the money to the store, and the judge noted his cooperation and lack of prior convictions as mitigating factors.
A 78-year-old man has been sentenced to four years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court following his guilty plea to five sample charges of rape. The offences occurred between 1973 and 1974 at a family home in County Mayo, perpetrated against his daughter when she was between nine and twelve years old. The woman, now 54, reported the abuse to gardaí in 2015 after decades of silence. In her victim impact statement, she described how the repeated assaults had damaged her relationships and caused lasting trauma. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed the sentence, noting it was substantially reduced from what would otherwise have been imposed due to the accused's advanced age and poor health. The judge acknowledged the depravity inherent in such offences whilst balancing mitigating factors including the man's immediate admission and remorse upon arrest. The sentence was backdated to May when he entered custody.
Stephen Watters, 50, of Kilcurry, Dundalk, Co Louth, is wanted in the UK for alleged conspiracy to fraudulently evade excise duty and for facilitating the acquisition, use or control of criminal property as part of an organised crime gang. He was arrested under a European Arrest Warrant issued earlier this year and is currently in High Court extradition proceedings. Watters' lawyers have requested more time to file points of objection, citing a legal point related to Brexit. Justice Aileen Donnelly has remanded him on continuing bail until 8 October, allowing him to apply for early resolution of the Brexit matter before that date. The warrant alleges the gang operated between 1 January 2014 and 4 September 2015, involved in illegal importation and distribution of non‑UK duty‑paid tobacco, with seizures of over 17 million cigarettes and 1.5 tonnes of hand‑rolling tobacco, equating to roughly £3 million in evaded duty.
Michael Rae, 38, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty to arson at Knockmore Park on 26 May 2017, when he set fire to a car outside a family home using a makeshift petrol bomb in a plastic bottle. The incident, described by Judge Melanie Greally as an "extraordinarily dangerous" offence, was linked to a history of discord between Rae and the Brazil family. Rae was found intoxicated, with a slurred voice, and fled the scene after the car caught fire. CCTV from a petrol station and a nearby house showed Rae filling the bottle, setting it alight, and running to the Brazil house. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, and was ordered not to approach the Brazil house or family for five years. The car, valued at €750, was written off and the house suffered smoke damage. Rae has 29 prior convictions, including road traffic offences, assault and criminal damage.
In a 2018 incident, Gardaí used remote control of street cameras to track Shane Pollard (41) after he stole €500 from a shop. The cameras captured him taking money from the till, and Garda Patrick Fallon monitored his movements as he fled into a nearby café. Pollard was arrested there, breathing heavily and sweating, and all the stolen money was recovered. He later pleaded guilty to theft of €510 at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally noted no force or violence was used against staff, though Pollard had armed himself with a blade or scissors. She imposed a two‑year sentence, backdated to February to account for time already spent in custody. Pollard, who has 27 prior convictions including seven for robbery, had relapsed into cocaine use after a family bereavement. The defence highlighted his long history of drug use and his current health conditions. The court accepted his guilty plea and cooperation.
A 28-year-old Dublin man has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to unlawful possession of a firearm and silencer. Andrew O'Keeffe, with an address on Drumcliff Road in Cabra West, Dublin 7, admitted to possessing a 9mm Beretta handgun and silencer at Kylemore Way in Ballyfermot on 6 September 2017. The three-judge court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt alongside Judge Patricia Ryan and Judge Michael Walsh, remanded O'Keeffe in custody pending sentencing. He will return before the court on 24 July for sentencing to be imposed.
In a Dublin pub, Anthony Burns, 43, attempted a robbery on 12 December 2017 using a toy gun. Customers jeered, calling his plastic weapon ineffective, and one struck him with a bottle, causing head cuts. Burns, a crack cocaine addict, took €520 from barman Shay Donnelly. Donnelly, unharmed, expressed relief and sympathy for Burns. Burns pleaded guilty to robbery of the pub, a Subway restaurant, an attempted robbery of Rapeedos, and robbery of a bookmakers shop. Victims included Donnelly, Stacey Ryle, and Katarzyna Filipiak, who feared stabbing and felt threatened. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the last two years of a five‑year sentence, citing Burns' past crime‑free period and the amateurish, desperate nature of the offences. Burns' history includes false imprisonment, robbery, and unlawful car seizure in 2000.
The Irish Government has announced its intention to appeal the European Court of Human Rights' (ECHR) finding that 14 men in Northern Ireland were not tortured when detained by the British Army in 1971. The appeal will be directed to the ECHR's Grand Chamber, following a ruling last March. The decision comes after Mary McKenna, daughter of Sean McKenna, one of the detainees known as 'the hooded men,' initiated proceedings in the Irish High Court to compel the government to inform her of its appeal intentions. Michael Halleron, representing Ms. McKenna, stated that the referral to the Grand Chamber offers another opportunity to revise the 1978 ECHR ruling, which found the treatment of the men to be inhuman and degrading but not torture. In 1971, Mr. McKenna and 13 others were subjected to interrogation and sensory deprivation practices by the British Army. Mr. McKenna was released into a psychiatric hospital and died in 1975. Ms. McKenna believes his death was directly attributable to the treatment he suffered. The Irish Government had requested a revision of the 1978 decision in 2014 after new information was disclosed. Last March, the ECHR refused the request. The Government had until June 20th to seek a referral to the Grand Chamber. Ms. McKenna brought High Court proceedings after being informed that any decision on the appeal would be made on June 19th. Mr. Justice Seamus Noonan adjourned the matter to Wednesday's sitting of the court.