Jakub Remlein, a 40‑year‑old Polish mechanic, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to possession of €200,000 worth of cannabis at his rented home in Dublin. Gardaí discovered the drugs during a search linked to an investigation of cannabis cultivation at another site; no charges were brought against Remlein for that site. Seven vacuum‑sealed bags containing cannabis valued at €238,038 were recovered. Remlein had 14 prior road‑traffic convictions. He had received €1,600 to clear a large electricity bill in exchange for allowing the drugs on his premises. The court considered him a low‑level participant, noting his employment since 2005 and lack of addiction or duress. Judge Melanie Greally accepted his early guilty plea, cooperation, and good work history, and imposed a four‑year custodial sentence, departing from the presumptive minimum of ten years for possession of drugs over €13,000.
During a sentencing hearing in the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Paul Butler emphasised that rape complainants should receive legal advice throughout trials. He referred to a case involving a 24‑year‑old Dublin man who had raped a 17‑year‑old girl after forcing her into a park. The trial had collapsed twice before a jury heard it a third time, the first collapse due to a panic attack by the victim. The man was convicted of one rape charge and acquitted of another involving the same complainant. He received a five‑year sentence, with the final year suspended, and had 51 prior non‑violent convictions. Butler noted the presumption of innocence remains until guilt is proven, and warned that while complainants must be considered, the process should not bias the jury toward guilt. The judge also highlighted the victim's ongoing mental health struggles and the impact of the assault on her life. The unnamed 24-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 11 June 2018, Mr Justice Paul Butler imposed a two‑year suspended sentence on Gabriel Prunariu, aged 24, for attempting to defile a 16‑year‑old girl. Prunariu pleaded guilty to attempted defilement of a child at his Dublin home on 6 February 2016. The judge noted that the offence carried a maximum five‑year custodial term, that no violence was involved, and that Prunariu had no prior violent convictions. He had one minor conviction for burglary. The court considered that Prunariu was now on the Sex Offenders Register, which would affect his future, and that he had cooperated fully with the investigation. The judge therefore suspended the custodial sentence, leaving the non‑custodial penalty in place. The case was prosecuted by Garnet Orange SC and defended by Michael Bowman SC. The victim's impact statement described flashbacks, missed school and emotional distress.
Robert Day, 47, of Cabra, Dublin, was convicted on 1 June 2023 of membership of an unlawful organisation, the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He had previously been convicted in 2016 for possession of €20,000 in forged €50 bank notes, a charge for which he was on bail when the membership offence occurred. At a Special Criminal Court hearing, Detective Sergeant Padraig Boyce described how National Surveillance Unit listening devices monitored a group of men suspected of IRA involvement, including a house takeover in Castleknock on 7 August 2015. Day was questioned on 8 August about a February 2014 operation to buy counterfeit cash. He denied IRA membership and knowledge of the operation, repeating "no comment." The court noted the maximum sentence is eight years and remanded Day in custody until 25 June, when sentencing will take place.
James O'Connor, aged 38, pleaded guilty to assaulting a man in Temple Bar on 10 September 2015, striking him with a crutch after believing the victim had killed his brother Gareth. Witnesses described the attack as "graphic" and "barbaric," noting O'Connor swung the crutch like a golf club and delivered blows that seemed to "chop wood." The victim was never identified, but CCTV footage proved the assault. O'Connor also admitted a separate assault and violent disorder earlier that evening. The court, considering his guilty plea, cooperation, homelessness, substance abuse, and prior conviction in 2010, imposed concurrent sentences totalling two and a half years, which were fully suspended on strict conditions. No charges were brought for Gareth O'Connor's death, and Garda Wayne Donnelly noted that the victim's injuries were life‑threatening but no prosecution followed. The case highlighted the extreme violence witnessed by bystanders and the court's decision to suspend the sentence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Joseph Rafferty, aged 38, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for a cocaine‑fuelled rampage that lasted eight hours and covered 45 km. Rafferty seized multiple vehicles at gunpoint, pursued Gardaí in a high‑speed chase, and committed false imprisonment, aggravated burglary, threats with a sub‑machine gun and reckless endangerment. He pleaded guilty to burglary at Watergate Estate, assault of a homeowner, criminal damage, two carjacking counts, three counts of possessing a sub‑machine gun, unlawful possession of 9 mm Luger ammunition and reckless endangerment. He also admitted stealing a vehicle from Carroll and Roche Subaru. The judge noted his 34 prior convictions and reduced a potential 14‑year sentence to nine years, citing guilty pleas and remorse. No serious injuries were reported, though a man sustained a head laceration during a break‑in. The case highlighted the extensive police response, including 50 Gardaí, air support and the Garda Dog Unit.
Dessie O'Hare, 61, of Slate Rock Road, Newtownhamilton, County Armagh, was charged with assault, false imprisonment and threatening to kill. The assault charge involves John Roche, whom O'Hare allegedly assaulted at The Towers, Garter Lane, Saggart, County Dublin, causing him harm and committing violent disorder. The false imprisonment charges involve Martin Byrne at Rathcoole and Saggart, and Lisa Byrne and Brandon Byrne at The Towers. O'Hare also faces a charge of threatening to kill Martin Byrne or cause him serious harm. All alleged offences date from 9 June 2015. O'Hare had been granted bail and a trial date of 29 April next year. On 8 June 2018 the Special Criminal Court varied his bail to allow him to travel to Lourdes with his wife from 6 to 12 July, provided he supplies travel documents and continues to sign in at a Garda station twice a week and obey a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Christopher Lenihan, aged 28, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and assault causing harm after beating his ex‑partner Grace Brady at the Plaza Hotel, Tallaght, on 13 January 2017. Lenihan held Brady down, punched her repeatedly, grabbed her hair, and bit her arm, preventing her from breathing. He later sent over 200 harassing texts, threatening to release personal photographs if she did not comply. Brady reported the attack to Gardaí, who arrested Lenihan at his home on 31 January. Lenihan also admitted harassing Brady between 13 and 31 January. He has a prior conviction for breach of a barring order. The judge adjourned the case to July, noting Lenihan's alcohol abuse and high risk of re‑offending, and indicated a likely prison sentence.
Former Anglo Irish Bank CEO David Drumm was found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on two charges: conspiracy to defraud and false accounting. The jury returned unanimous verdicts after 87 days of trial, the third-longest in the State's history. Drumm, who pleaded not guilty to both charges, was convicted of conspiring with former bank officials Denis Casey, William McAteer, John Bowe, and others to defraud depositors and investors by dishonestly creating the impression that 2008 deposits were €7.2 billion larger than they were. He was also found guilty of false accounting on December 3, 2008, for furnishing misleading information to the market regarding the bank's deposit figures. The prosecution alleged the scheme involved fraudulent circular transactions between Anglo and Irish Life & Permanent to artificially inflate customer deposits from €44 billion to €51 billion. Although Drumm was on bail throughout the trial, Detective Sergeant Michael McKenna opposed its continuation, citing flight risk and the substantial prison terms received by his co-conspirators. Defense counsel Brendan Grehan SC requested bail on humanitarian grounds, noting Drumm's family was in the US. Judge Karen O'Connor granted bail, requiring Drumm to sign daily at Balbriggan Garda Station. The matter is now at the sentencing stage, with the maximum penalty for conspiracy to defraud being unlimited and ten years for false accounting.
Dr Bassam Naser, a 51‑year‑old GP from Sutton, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two charges of filing incorrect income‑tax returns for 2006 and 2007. He had hidden a bank account that received 1,686 patient cheques, amounting to almost €100,000 in unpaid tax, and now owes an additional €200,000 in penalties and fees. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to 16 months' imprisonment, describing the offences as serious and noting that Naser had repaid €100,000 to Revenue but persisted in evasion. The judge acknowledged mitigating factors, including patient testimonials and Naser's charitable work for Palestine, but emphasised that he knowingly avoided tax. The case highlights the court's view that tax evasion undermines the tax system and that the penalty reflects the seriousness of the breach. The sentence was imposed after the court considered the evidence and Naser's admissions.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Adam Marlowe, aged 23, was found guilty of aggravated burglary, assault, and robbery of 81‑year‑old farmer Malachy Turley in July 2016. The jury, after one hour of deliberation, returned unanimous verdicts on all counts. Evidence included DNA from blue latex material, described as a fingertip of a latex glove, found in Turley's bedroom. Marlowe was remanded in custody for sentencing on July 6th. Adam Marlowe pleaded not guilty.
In 2018, Gardaí searched the premises of M Kennedy and Sons, a Dublin art supplies shop, after a credit card company alerted them that the manager, Fionnbarr Kennedy, had purchased child pornography online. Kennedy, 56, was found to have a laptop and two phones. Forensic analysis of the laptop recovered 466 images, of which 180 depicted girls under 17 in sexual activity and 280 showed exposed genitalia; the phones contained no images. Kennedy pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on July 27, 2010, and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, a sentence fully suspended. The court noted a significant delay in charging him, citing a backlog at the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau, and acknowledged that Kennedy had not distributed the images. He had no prior convictions and had since remarried and engaged in counselling, expressing regret for his involvement.
A Cavan bus driver has been sentenced to fifteen years in prison following conviction for the sexual abuse of three children at the Central Criminal Court. Shane Costello, aged 49, from Hillview, Ballyhaise, was found guilty after trial in March of rape, oral rape and attempted oral rape of his teenage stepdaughter on dates in 2012 when she was between thirteen and fourteen years old. He had pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, one of oral rape and three of attempted oral rape. Following the jury's verdicts, Costello subsequently pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two other children on dates between 2001 and 2013. Justice Ní Raifeartaigh imposed nine years and nine months imprisonment for the offences against his stepdaughter, with consecutive sentences for the remaining charges totalling fifteen years. The court heard the stepdaughter, now nineteen, delivered a victim impact statement describing enduring trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. Costello has previous convictions for assault causing harm from 1998.
Jonathan Chubb, 38, of Drimnagh, Dublin, was sentenced to seven‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, after pleading guilty to 34 thefts, two false reference offences, four deception counts, six forged licence offences and one money‑laundering count committed between March 2013 and July 2015. The court described his conduct as extremely pre‑meditated and disturbing, noting that he stole deposits from 11 people who believed he was the landlord of an apartment at Oblate View, Tyrconnell Road, and that many victims had young children. Chubb also stole four iPhone 5s from Three Ireland in 2017 and used forged standing‑order mandates to defraud bank customers while working for Wisefx. He had 27 prior convictions, including 12 theft and fraud offences. The judge highlighted that all injured parties were fully reimbursed and praised his guilty pleas for avoiding lengthy trials.
Tony Rochford, aged 50, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment after he climbed the M50 gantry, cut wires, smashed sensors and damaged fuses on the eFlow toll collection system. His actions left the system out of operation for 26 hours and closed the northbound carriageway for three hours in June 2017, causing an estimated €619,000 in losses. Rochford admitted the offence and said he hoped the disruption would draw media attention to his concerns about a 2002 fire at the Verdemont Apartments, where two people died, and a recent fire at a Blanchardstown apartment complex. He pleaded guilty to criminal damage to property belonging to Transport Infrastructure Ireland. The court, noting his prior convictions and his motivation, imposed the custodial sentence after a hearing in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Patrick Morgan, 28, was jailed for five years after he hit and killed jogger Karl Robertson, 28, in a hit‑and‑run on Hazelwood Drive, Artane, on 8 March 2017. Morgan, who had no fixed abode and had been disqualified from driving, failed to stop, offer assistance or remain at the scene. He later drove his van to a nearby housing estate and set it alight "out of panic." He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death, failing to stop, failing to offer assistance and leaving the scene. The court noted Morgan's 47 prior convictions and three previous disqualifications. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a five‑year sentence, a ten‑year driving disqualification and highlighted the aggravating factors of speed, disqualification, escape and destruction of the vehicle. The Robertson family expressed deep anger and grief, describing their son as caring, diligent and loving.
A Dublin man, Robert Day, aged 55, was found guilty of membership in an unlawful organisation, the Irish Republican Army (IRA), after Gardaí used bugging devices to listen to conversations in a private house in Castleknock where they believed an IRA meeting was taking place. Day had pleaded not guilty to the charge on 9 October 2015. In the non‑jury, three‑judge Special Criminal Court, the prosecution presented evidence that Gardaí had planted a bug in the house on 8 August 2015 to record conversations between alleged IRA members, including Day. The court accepted the chief superintendent's belief that Day was a member on that day, supported by Day's refusal to answer Gardaí's questions about his activities in the house and by the recorded conversations. The judges upheld the Gardaí's claim of privilege over the nature and deployment of the listening devices. Day was remanded on continuing bail until 11 June for a sentence hearing.
Liam Walsh, aged 26, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for a series of thefts committed in Dublin during 2017. Over a two‑month period he stole bags, purses, wallets and a handbag from unsuspecting patrons of restaurants, a bar, Christchurch Cathedral and Whitefriar Street church. CCTV footage identified him and he was arrested on 20 October 2017. While in custody at Pearse Street Garda Station he attempted to escape in a "moment of madness" when the back gate opened to admit a Garda vehicle; he was pursued and recaptured a short distance away. Walsh pleaded guilty to the thefts and the escape, and he has 66 prior convictions. The judge, citing his attempts at rehabilitation and cooperation, imposed the sentence back‑dated to October 2017.
Jason Hennessy, 21, pleaded guilty to violent disorder after attacking Dylan Campbell and Lee Whelan on D'Olier Street in 2015. He was found to have used a hammer and an iron bar, causing a 4‑cm head wound and tendon injury to Campbell. Hennessy later gave Campbell €500 and has attended anger‑management sessions. Judge Cormac Quinn sentenced him to a headline term of three and a half years, reduced to a two‑year suspended sentence due to mitigating factors such as his apology, remorse and age (18 at the time). He must keep the peace for three years, be supervised by the Probation Service for 18 months, and comply with substance‑misuse and victim‑awareness programmes. The court also noted that no victim impact statements were filed and that a bus driver's footage captured the assault. Three other co‑accused received community service or suspended sentences.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, two men, Carl Byrne (28) and Aidan Lawlor (36), pleaded guilty to the possession, production and distribution of child pornography on 7 March 2013. Byrne had set up a fake profile posing as a 16‑year‑old girl, while Lawlor acted as the male participant in the online conversations. The court described the exchanges as "lurid and obscene" but noted that no actual child was involved, classifying the material as the lowest type of child pornography. Judge Martin Nolan imposed one‑year suspended sentences on both men, ordering them to keep the peace and exhibit good behaviour for that period. The case was highlighted as "very unusual" because the offence involved only words and no real victim, and the judge emphasized that the men were adults acting in a fantasy context.
A 26-year-old Dublin man has been remanded in custody pending sentencing at the Special Criminal Court following his guilty pleas to assault and false imprisonment offences. Donal O'Hara, of Glin Park, Coolock, Dublin 17, admitted assaulting John Roche at The Towers, Saggart, County Dublin on June 9, 2015, and falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne at Rathcoole and Saggart. False imprisonment charges against two other individuals were taken into consideration. The court heard that Mr Byrne, a security worker, was brought to an office meeting where multiple men entered and told him he would be removed from his residence by day's end. He was subsequently driven to The Towers in a three-vehicle convoy, where Mr Roche was located and assaulted by five men including O'Hara. Gardaí attended following a resident's emergency call. Forensic evidence linked O'Hara to the assault. The defendant has previous convictions for assault causing harm and aggravated burglary. The three-judge court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, ordered a probation report and remanded O'Hara in custody until July 24.
Thomas Merrigan, aged 22, was sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of assault causing harm in Sallynoggin on 24 April 2015. The assaults were linked to a dispute over €50 owed for ecstasy pills. Merrigan, intoxicated, cut a large chunk of a 16‑year‑old girl's hair and later punched her 16‑year‑old male friend repeatedly in the head, causing the boy to suffer two seizures and spend five days in the acute care unit of St Vincent's Hospital. The court heard that Merrigan's house contained a substantial quantity of herbal cannabis and plastic bags for drug packaging. He also pleaded guilty to possessing €1,274 worth of cannabis for sale or supply. Judge Martin Nolan described the second assault as "vicious" and at the "middle to high range" of seriousness, and imposed a combined sentence of 21 months for both the assaults and the drug offence.
Jack Walsh, 19, was sentenced to five years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in an 11-hour disturbance at Oberstown Children's Detention Campus on August 29, 2016. Walsh pleaded guilty to violent disorder and two charges of criminal damage, admitting he was present during the incident which caused €3 million in damage. Judge Martin Nolan suspended the final two and a half years of the sentence, ordering Walsh to be of good behaviour for that period. The sentence was backdated to May 2. Three other youths, Clayton Brennan, Nathan Ginty, and Luke Cronin, also pleaded guilty to arson, criminal damage, and violent disorder. It was accepted that Cronin's plea was based on adding fuel to the fire rather than starting it. Brennan had seven previous convictions and was on remand; Ginty had 22 previous convictions. A 17-year-old defendant, who also pleaded guilty to the same charges, had 22 previous convictions and was on remand. The cases of Brennan, Ginty, Cronin, and the 17-year-old were adjourned for sentence to Friday, June 1. The court noted the youths had destroyed or attempted to destroy the institution, with the judge describing the event as a frightening rampage.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Kevin Braney (44) and Ciaran Maguire (30) were found guilty of membership in the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The court considered evidence that on 13 July 2017 the men travelled from Dublin to Longwood, County Meath, where they threatened an accident victim, saying they were the IRA and would shoot him if he did not withdraw a claim against a former employer. The victim, who had suffered injuries after falling from a roof, had filed a claim for unpaid wages and hospital bills. The court accepted belief evidence from Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Maguire that the men were IRA members, and corroborated this with CCTV and National Surveillance Unit testimony. The judge concluded beyond reasonable doubt that the men were IRA members and that their threats were deliberate intimidation. The defendants remain in custody until sentencing on 24 July.
Three men – Mark Farrelly (47), Christopher Corcoran (70) and David Byrne (45) – were found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of kidnapping the Richardson family and robbing a Securicor cash‑in‑transit van of €2.28 million on 13 March 2005. The jury, after nearly 16 hours of deliberation, returned a majority verdict. The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the robbery and the false imprisonment of the Richardson family at their home in Ashcroft, Raheny. The trial, which began in January before a specially enlarged jury of 15, involved testimony that armed men burst into the Richardson home, forced the family to cooperate, and transported them to the Wicklow mountains where they were held overnight. The case also included evidence of mobile‑phone activity linking the defendants to the gang's operations. The jury will continue deliberations on a fourth defendant, Niall Byrne (36).
Sean Ducque, 34, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence for the 2014 killing of Kieran Farrelly, was sentenced to eight years for an escape attempt on 8 June 2017. While in a Dublin courthouse cell, he concealed a jagged perspex "shiv" in his trousers and threatened his female barrister, demanding release or she would be killed. He used her as leverage, grabbing her from behind and placing the weapon against her throat, then shouted at prison officers to drop the shiv. A violent struggle ensued, during which Ducque tried to stab an officer and bite another. Two officers and two gardai were injured; all suffered stress and trauma. The barrister, who had been discussing the case with him, escaped the cell and later gave a victim impact statement detailing panic attacks, nightmares and lasting fear. Sean Ducque pleaded guilty.
Sean Darragh, 49, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for possessing 263 g of heroin worth €37,366, which he had agreed to transport from Dublin to Newry to settle a drug debt of €4,000. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 19 September 2017. Darragh, a grandfather of two from Cois Locha, had 48 prior convictions, mainly for drugs and thefts in Northern Ireland. Garda Killian Leydon described how Darragh and co‑accused Josephine Hoey were caught after suspicious activity in an apartment car park; Hoey later received a four‑year suspended sentence for possession. Darragh sold his Volkswagen to pay Hoey's bail and had two dogs impounded, which she later reclaimed. Judge Martin Nolan noted Darragh's cooperation and steps taken in custody to address his drug addiction, back‑dating the sentence to his arrest date.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, 43‑year‑old carpenter David McKeon pleaded guilty to assaulting his former wife, Caroline McKeon, on 22 May 2015. The assault occurred in their family home after both had drunk three bottles of Heineken each. McKeon discovered his affair from his phone, grabbed Caroline by the waist, pushed her onto the couch, strangled her, slammed her onto tiles and kicked her lower spine. Witnesses, including their children, saw the injuries. The court found psychological and physical harm, including scarring on Caroline's nose, and noted the aggravating factor of the children's presence. McKeon received an 18‑month suspended sentence, was ordered to pay €10,000 to his former wife, to comply with structured arrangements for child access, and to be supervised by Probation Services for 12 months. He has no prior convictions except minor traffic matters.
Brian Manning, a 52‑year‑old Dublin father of four, pleaded guilty on 15 March 2017 to possessing 37 images and one video of child pornography accessed via the Kik Messenger instant‑messaging app. The images mainly showed pre‑teen girls in explicit sexual activity with adults. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced him to an 18‑month fully suspended term, with the headline sentence being two and a half years, and imposed a probation period under the Probation Service. Judge Cormac Quinn cited Manning's early guilty plea and remorse as mitigating factors, noting the case's media coverage had impacted his personal life and marriage. Gardaí were alerted by Canadian authorities, who identified a user "biman4377" distributing child pornography on Kik. Manning's Samsung S5 phone was seized, revealing the offending material. He cooperated fully, expressed regret, and acknowledged that he no longer used Kik or viewed child pornography.
Pawel Wisniewski, aged 43, was sentenced to an additional 33 months in jail for possessing cannabis and a stolen Ford Mondeo after being caught at a Dublin grow‑house. He had previously received a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for diesel theft and possession of cannabis and a firearm. The new sentence runs consecutively to a two‑and‑a‑half‑year term for earlier cannabis and firearm offences, and to a two‑year term for diesel theft. Wisniewski, who has 34 prior convictions, pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 12 October 2017. Judge Martin Nolan noted his mechanical and electrical skills and his cooperation, but highlighted that he was on bail for other offences at the time of the arrest. The court emphasised that he must avoid further criminal conduct. The case involved the seizure of 35 cannabis plants worth up to €28,000 and a stolen car found at Collinstown Cross Industrial Estate.
Dary Sharif, aged 24, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended, for violent disorder after a knife attack at a Luas stop on 5 April 2015. Sharif was stabbed 14 times by two men, one of whom was Daryl Smith, 26, who later required brain surgery. Security staff pulled Smith to the ground, and Sharif, along with two other co‑accused, kicked Smith while he lay helpless. The court considered Sharif's claim of lawful self‑defence, noting he had been severely provoked and had suffered a frenzied knife attack. Judge Cormac Quinn set a headline sentence of four years but reduced it due to mitigating factors, including Sharif's rehabilitation efforts and good behaviour. The sentence reflects the incident's violent nature and the court's assessment of self‑defence and aggravating circumstances. Dary Sharif pleaded guilty. Daryl Smith pleaded guilty.
Conor O'Hora, 41, of Portmarnock, was sentenced to three years in prison for harassing RTÉ newsreader Sharon Ní Bheoláin and for three counts of possessing child pornography. He pleaded guilty to harassing Ní Bheoláin between March 2013 and January 2014, which involved posting over 30 altered photographs of her on a website and engaging in 40 sexually explicit and violent online conversations. He also pleaded guilty to knowingly possessing child pornography on a mobile phone and a computer hard drive, with 93 images of children aged eight to 17 found on his devices. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final 18 months, and ordered O'Hora not to contact Ní Bheoláin. He was also required to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for 18 months under probation supervision. The court noted his cooperation with Gardaí and his efforts at rehabilitation. The co‑accused received an 18‑month suspended sentence earlier this year.
A 34‑year‑old man was sentenced to 18½ years in prison for three pre‑meditated, brutal sex attacks on women in Clondalkin, south Dublin, in 2011, 2015 and 2016. The judge described the attacks as primal and brutal, noting an escalation of violence. The first attack occurred late at night on 11 September 2011, when the victim was sexually assaulted and repeatedly punched. The second, on 3 September 2015, involved a leather belt, duct tape and a sexual assault. The third, on 16 May 2016, took place in daylight; the attacker used a hunting knife and the victim sustained injuries to her fingers. The judge imposed consecutive sentences of eight years, nine and a half years and five years, suspending the final four years on completion of sex‑offender programmes. A nine‑year post‑release supervision period was also imposed. The man has been in custody since his arrest in June 2016.
Cathal Forde, 52, of Buttercup Park, Darndale, was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing 4,168 images of child pornography, including 34 movie files, and for distributing such material between 19 May 2011 and 11 January 2013. He also pleaded guilty to producing child pornography on 20 December 2012. Garda Brian Healy traced Forde to two email addresses used to purchase DVDs of naked children from a Canadian company, leading to a search warrant. During the search, Forde admitted possession of child porn, surrendered a computer hard drive, CDs, DVDs, passwords, and two laptops. Forensic examination uncovered over 1,000 explicit images, some of children as young as six months, and two text documents he had sent to contacts. The case took three years to reach court due to a backlog in the relevant Garda unit.
The jury in the trial of four men accused of a €2.28 million cash‑in‑transit robbery and tiger kidnapping will continue deliberations tomorrow. Mark Farrelly (47), Christopher Corcoran (70), Niall Byrne (36) and David Byrne (45) all pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the false imprisonment of Securicor driver Paul Richardson and his family at their home at Ashcroft, Raheny, Dublin, on 13 and 14 March 2005. They also pleaded not guilty to robbing Mr Richardson and Securicor of €2.28 million on 14 March 2005. The trial began last January before a specially enlarged jury of 15. Three jurors were discharged due to personal commitments and 12 jurors are now deliberating on the evidence. After six and a half hours of deliberations on Wednesday afternoon, Judge Melanie Greally told the jurors to suspend deliberations and sent them home for the night.
A 78-year-old man from County Mayo has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to five sample charges of rape committed against his daughter between 1973 and 1974. The man, whose identity is protected, admitted to the offences at the family home while the child's mother was at work. The now 54-year-old woman provided a victim impact statement describing the lasting harm caused by the abuse sustained from age nine to twelve. Justice Patrick McCarthy remanded the defendant in custody and adjourned sentencing to 18 June. The woman, who first reported the matter to gardaí in 2015, detailed how the abuse had affected her family relationships and trust. The defence counsel acknowledged the man's guilty plea, expressed remorse, and referenced significant health difficulties and social isolation. The prosecution indicated the abuse occurred regularly throughout a three-year period during the 1970s.
Conor O'Hora, 41, of Heather Walk, Portmarnock, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to harassing RTÉ newsreader Sharon Ní Bheoláin between 27 March 2013 and 7 January 2014 and to three counts of knowingly possessing child pornography. The harassment involved posting over 30 modified photographs of Ní Bheoláin on a website reachable via a Google search of her name. The child‑pornography charges concerned roughly 100 images of children in sexually explicit activity and 40 explicit online conversations between O'Hora and a co‑accused. The images were found on O'Hora's HP Pavilion laptop and iPhone, depicting children aged eight to 17, including three identified children. O'Hora was remanded overnight pending sentencing; Judge Martin Nolan warned that he would certainly face jail for his "debasing behaviour" and "insidious harassment." The court heard that the co‑accused had received an 18‑month suspended sentence earlier this year, now being appealed by the DPP for undue leniency.
A burglar, Matthew Ahern, 53, was jailed for 17 months after a CCTV video captured him having a haircut in a barbershop next to the house he broke into. He pleaded guilty to burglary at Collins Avenue East, Killester, on 17 February 2016. The home was occupied by a mother and her twins who were napping when the crime occurred. Ahern entered the house, stole an iPad, a laptop, and two mobile phones, and left without any weapons. He had 48 prior convictions, including seven for burglary, dating back to 1982. Judge Karen O'Connor, noting the seriousness of violating a family home, sentenced him to three years' imprisonment with the final 19 months suspended, citing his guilty plea and efforts to change his lifestyle. The suspended portion was intended to keep him out of trouble while in custody. The sentence reflects the judge's concern for the victim's safety and the property stolen.
Anthony McDonnell, 26, pleaded guilty to arson after the Supreme Court overturned his 2014 acquittal. He set fire to a car in the car park of an apartment block, causing about €77,000 in building damage and destroying two cars. The original trial judge, Sarah Berkeley, had acquitted him because CCTV footage was deemed inadmissible and alleged admissions during Garda interviews were excluded. The Supreme Court ruled that CCTV footage is real evidence and that Gardaí could question McDonnell, ordering a retrial. McDonnell pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He later committed a robbery in May 2017 and was sentenced to four years and six months in February 2018. The court adjourned the case to July and ordered a report from the prison governor. The case is referred to as the AMcD case.
A jury has begun deliberations in a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court involving four men—Mark Farrelly (47), Christopher Corcoran (70), Niall Byrne (36) and David Byrne (45)—who are accused of a €2.28 million cash‑in‑transit robbery and tiger kidnapping. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the false imprisonment of Securicor driver Paul Richardson and his family at their Ashcroft home in Raheny on 13 and 14 March 2005, as well as to the robbery of Richardson and Securicor on 14 March 2005. The trial started last January before a specially enlarged jury of 15, but three jurors were discharged, leaving 12 to deliberate. Judge Melanie Greally spent over two days explaining the law and summarising the evidence before sending the jury out to deliberate for just under three hours, after which they were sent home for the night.
Gerard Creighton, aged 50, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for false imprisonment and robbery. He held a female shop worker at the Healthy Hut on Bolton Street for a few minutes before stealing €285 from the till. Two days earlier, he forced another female worker back into a shop she was closing, armed with a knife, and robbed €150. Creighton pleaded guilty to one count of false imprisonment and one count of robbery at the Healthy Hut, and to one count of robbery at the Old World New shop on Leinster Street. He has 22 prior convictions, including a nine‑year sentence in 1999 for rape and false imprisonment, and a three‑year sentence in 2015 for attempted robbery of a bookmaker. The judge noted his desire to reform and suspended the final two years of the sentence on conditions.
Stephen Doherty, 50, was jailed for two-and-a-half years after robbing an Applegreen petrol station in Baldoyle, Dublin, while high on heroin. He used a meat thermometer, which he initially claimed was an ice pick, to threaten a cashier and force the release of €200. Doherty also attempted to rob a woman outside the station, who escaped. He pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of attempted robbery on 31 October last year. Doherty, who has 62 prior convictions including theft, burglary and drug misuse, told the court he committed the robbery to raise money for his mother's funeral, the only family member who could not contribute. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two-and-a-half years, backdated to the time of his first arrest in October. The sentence was imposed in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The case highlights the intersection of drug addiction and criminal activity.
Father‑of‑three Besnik Vucaj, aged 49, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to five counts of deception for fraudulently claiming over €51,000 in rent supplements and carer's allowances from the Department of Social Protection between June 2012 and March 2016. He had purchased two Italian identity cards from a former resident of his past address to present himself as an Italian worker at a Dublin construction firm. Vucaj admitted to using these false identities to obtain benefits while working in Terenure, Dublin. The court noted his lack of prior convictions, his cooperation with investigators, and his efforts to repay the debt, and therefore suspended two years of a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence. He is now paying €100 per week toward the €49,000 still owed to the department. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with Judge Pauline Codd presiding.
John Whelan, 47, avoided jail after a four‑year suspended sentence for possession of child pornography. He had previously pleaded guilty to harassing eight women at the National Rehabilitation Hospital between July 2011 and January 2012, for which he received a suspended sentence in 2012. Gardaí discovered over 5,500 child pornographic images on his laptop during the harassment investigation, including six explicit child sex images and the rest of children exposing themselves or animated. The images were downloaded between 2009 and 2012. Judge Martin Nolan noted that the Garda Cyber Crime Bureau lacked resources, delaying analysis until 2016, which allowed the prosecution to proceed. He suspended a three‑year sentence on strict conditions, requiring Whelan to engage with the Probation Service for 18 months, citing his role as a carer for elderly parents and low risk of re‑offending.
A 21-year-old man from Cavan has received a three-year suspended sentence following his guilty plea to sexually assaulting his 15-year-old cousin at the Central Criminal Court. The offence occurred on May 17, 2015, when the accused was 18 years old. The court heard that both had grown up closely together and that the man had developed a romantic interest in his cousin. He lacked sexual education and maturity for his age, with his first discussion about sexual consent occurring during garda interview after the incident. The victim, now 18, provided a victim impact statement describing the emotional distress caused but noting she did not regard her cousin as dangerous. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy suspended the sentence in full, conditional on the man's compliance with the Probation Service and completion of a community-based treatment program for sex offenders. The judge noted that psychological assessment indicated low re-offending risk and considered the probation reports favourably.
A 37‑year‑old UK man was found guilty by a Dublin jury of three counts of rape and eight counts of sexual assault against two girls aged 10 and 12 when they were neglected by their mother. The man, a family friend, moved the family into his home in an upmarket area of Dublin and later to Louth, where he sexually assaulted both girls, including in bed at night and in a hotel room. UK and Irish social services intervened, and the children were placed in foster care. The man fled to Chile in 2011, was extradited from the United States in 2014, and was released on bail before being remanded. The trial lasted 12 weeks, and the jury returned a unanimous verdict after three hours. The girls, now 17 and 19, gave victim impact statements describing the abuse and its lasting effects. The case will return to court on 20 June for a plea of mitigation.
Pedro Miguel Dos Santos E Silva, a 25‑year‑old Brazilian rickshaw driver, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for sexually assaulting a Dutch student at a Dublin city centre hostel on 20 January 2018. The victim, who was returning from a night out, was approached by Dos Santos E Silva as she tried to enter her room. He initially offered to help her but then took her key, removed her hat and scarf, and entered the female toilets. He attempted to kiss her, remove her jeans, and expose himself, eventually placing his penis in her face. The assault ended when the victim became distressed. Gardaí found a small amount of MDMA in his bag and he was believed to have been under its influence. He had no prior Irish convictions and had lived in the hostel for four days before the incident. The 18‑month sentence was back‑dated to his first arrest in January. Pedro Miguel Dos Santos E Silva pleaded guilty.
Garrett Phillips, a former Ros na Rún actor, was convicted of orally raping a 20‑year‑old woman in Galway on the night of 5 November 2015. The victim, who had accepted a lift from Phillips after he approached her on a park bench, fell asleep in the van and woke to find Phillips thrusting his penis into her mouth. She fled, memorised the registration and sought help at a nearby house. During the four‑day trial at the Central Criminal Court, Phillips pleaded not guilty and claimed the act was consensual, describing it as "very tender" and "chemical". The court heard the victim's impact statement, detailing her pre‑incident life, the trauma she endured, and her ongoing mental health struggles. Phillips was found guilty and the case was adjourned for sentencing, with reporting restrictions lifted and a Probation Service report ordered.
Stephen Bollard, 27, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for six robberies in north Dublin and possession of €270 worth of cocaine. The court heard that Bollard used an imitation firearm, knives and a wheel‑brace to "terrify" victims. He was identified by CCTV in most of the incidents and had previously been on bail for the first offence. After being arrested, a plastic bag containing cocaine was found in his possession. Bollard had left Ireland for Scotland in late 2014, served a robbery sentence in Edinburgh, and was returned to Ireland on a European Arrest Warrant in February 2018. The judge, Martin Nolan, took into account Bollard's guilty plea, cooperation, psychological report and attempts at rehabilitation, and imposed consecutive sentences back‑dated to January. The court noted that Bollard's drug addiction was a factor in the offences. The sentence was imposed in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Stephen Keenan, aged 31, was sentenced to six‑and‑a‑half years in prison for four counts of unlawful possession of two handguns and bullets, and for stealing a car on 24 October last year. The firearms were found in a rucksack on Casement Drive, Finglas, and were in working order, capable of firing lethal ammunition. Keenan admitted he had agreed to hold the guns for "dangerous people" to whom he owed a €50,000 drug debt, and that he still owed €5,000. He claimed the debt pressured him into the crimes, though he had previously served a suspended sentence for a similar offence in 2015. The judge noted Keenan's drug addiction and his attempts at rehabilitation, but imposed the statutory mandatory minimum of five years, back‑dating the sentence to October 2017. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Stephen Keenan pleaded guilty.