In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 29‑year‑old Romanian burglar, Constantin Bogdan Chirila, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for a burglary that involved a physical altercation with homeowner Kevin O'Donnell. O'Donnell, who had returned from a school run, found a bicycle outside his home and a small hole in the front door lock. Garda Finbar Fleming reported that O'Donnell believed the hole had been drilled and that he confronted the intruder, shouting and banging to frighten him. The two men scuffled twice, both inside and outside the house, before Chirila escaped on a bicycle carrying a bag of tools. O'Donnell later described the fight as "blurry" but noted his arms, ribs and kidney were sore. Chirila, who had no fixed abode, had previously pleaded guilty to burglary on 12 October 2016 and had six earlier convictions in Ireland. He was arrested for the burglary in September 2017.
Paul Flaherty, aged 30, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting a woman he met on Tinder. The assault occurred on 31 August 2015 at his parents' house in Tallaght, while they were in the next‑door bedroom. The victim had made it clear she was not interested in sexual contact, but Flaherty ignored her refusal. The judge described the behaviour as "disgusting" and noted the assault had a "very serious impact" on the victim's life. Flaherty's defence cited his immaturity, alcohol and gambling problems, but the court rejected any mitigation. The sentence was back‑dated to 7 March 2018, the day Flaherty entered custody. The victim's impact statement detailed lasting physical and mental harm, and she expressed that the event had profoundly altered her life. The judge refused to suspend any portion of the sentence. Paul Flaherty was found guilty.
Gary O'Brien, aged 20, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to burglary and two counts of assault at a Dalkey home on 26 September 2017. He had been "out of his head" on tablets and Sambuca and was restrained by a 74‑year‑old man on the bathroom floor until Garda arrival. O'Brien, who has 49 prior convictions, suffered an acquired brain injury at 16 after being struck with a hammer, a fact noted by Judge Martin Nolan. The judge imposed a three‑year sentence, consecutive to a 22‑month district court term O'Brien is serving, citing the brain injury as a mitigating factor. The burglary caused €3,000 of damage, and the victim's daughter, aged 40, described feeling "battered" and anxious the following day. O'Brien claimed he had no memory of the events and had not intended to harm the occupants. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Robert Maguire, aged 35, was originally sentenced to two concurrent four‑year terms for assault causing harm and false imprisonment of his ex‑partner on 14 January 2012. The sentences were suspended for the final two years each. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient. A three‑judge court, led by Mr Justice Alan Mahon, reviewed the case and imposed a new three‑year jail term. The judge noted Maguire's history of 13 convictions, his minimisation of the assault, lack of insight, and high risk of reoffending. The court found the original net custodial sentence of two years too lenient and resentenced Maguire to four years imprisonment on both counts, to run concurrently with the final 12 months of each suspended for three years. He was required to enter a good behaviour bond for the suspended period. The court praised his progress while in prison and encouraged continued improvement. Robert Maguire pleaded guilty.
Sean Thackaberry, aged 24, was sentenced to seven‑and‑a‑half years in 2013 for an aggravated sexual assault on Michelle Hennessey, who later took her own life. He was released in June 2017 but failed to attend 12 probation appointments, citing holidays and property viewings, and moved to an unapproved address near Hennessey's family, breaching the Sex Offenders Act. In December 2017 the suspended portion of his sentence was activated, adding three months for an assault committed in custody. Judge Patrick McCarthy noted Thackaberry's drug use and lack of community supervision, deeming further release unsafe. The court therefore imposed the suspended term, effectively extending his custodial period while allowing a chance for rehabilitation. The case highlights the court's decision to protect the community and enforce probation conditions. Sean Thackaberry pleaded guilty.
A 59-year-old businesswoman from Virginia, Cavan has been handed a three-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to harassing three former employees at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Helen Rahill sent 93 emails and made 660 calls over a ten-month period between January and October 2015, following the liquidation of her company in 2011. The former employees subsequently purchased the company's assets and continued operating the business. Rahill, who had initially accepted the arrangement, began contacting them in January 2015, sending messages ranging from complaints to abusive allegations. She briefly apologised in May 2015 but resumed the harassment despite receiving a solicitor's letter requesting she cease contact. Judge Martin Nolan noted Rahill's remorse and successful business background, finding no likelihood of re-offence. A non-contact order has been imposed as part of her sentence.
During a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the accused, Slawomir Gierlowski, 33, denied attacking three women in 2011, 2015 and 2016 in the Clondalkin area. The court heard that DNA evidence linked the 2016 knife attack on a woman on Knockmeenagh lane to the 2011 and 2015 incidents, and that the DNA matched Gierlowski. Detective Superintendent Colm O'Malley explained that the DNA of an unknown male was identified as Gierlowski's in June 2016, leading to an extension of his detention. Gierlowski denied false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault in all three incidents, and denied possessing a hunting knife with intent to intimidate. He also denied being the driver of a white van seen near the 2016 attack scene, although CCTV footage of a white van was shown to him. The trial continues before Judge Pauline Codd and a jury of 11 men.
In March 2018, a Dublin man, Michael Doyle, 27, was jailed for six years after breaking into a neighbour's house, holding a knife to the homeowner's throat while heavily intoxicated on alcohol and prescription drugs. Garda Michael McGuinness reported that Doyle's intoxication made him "impossible to put down" when officers used pepper spray and batons. The pepper spray had no effect; Doyle fought and threatened five officers, resisted arrest, and threatened to kill the homeowner. He had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and threats to kill in May 2017. Doyle had 45 prior convictions, including assaults and public order offences. He was found unfit for interview for six hours but later presented as a "different person" after sobering up. The court accepted that his extreme intoxication contributed to the incident and imposed a six‑year custodial sentence, back‑dated to his arrest in May 2017.
During the seventh day of a trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Garda Sergeant Katherina Joyce informed the jury that a VW Crafter van, registered to Slawomir Gierlowski (33) of Galtymore Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, was believed to be linked to a May 2016 knife attack on a woman near a Luas stop. A warrant was obtained to search Gierlowski's home, where Garda Ronan O'Malley found a blue‑green jacket in the master bedroom but did not search a downstairs room that was reportedly rented out. Detective Garda Brian O'Shaughnessy later stated he had searched that room but seized nothing. Garda David Harte testified that he seized a roll of grey duct tape and a packet of black cable ties from the van, which also contained a shelving unit, a hi‑vis jacket, a ladder, a spirit level, drills and extension leads.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Keith Tiswell, aged 33, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment for possessing over €124,000 worth of cannabis and cocaine. The drugs were seized during a surveillance operation at an apartment in Clondalkin, where Gardaí observed Tiswell drive a black BMW into an underground car park, exit 20 minutes later, and admit to having "cannabis in the boot" before handing over a cocaine package. Tiswell pleaded guilty to possessing 5.9 kg of cannabis valued at €119,600 and 67.5 g of cocaine worth €4,725. He has 57 prior convictions, mainly for road traffic offences. The judge, considering his guilty plea, cooperation, and character, imposed the sentence backdated to his May 2017 custody entry. The case highlighted the Gardaí's use of CCTV evidence and the defendant's stated drug debt and mental health issues. The sentence was confirmed by Judge Martin Nolan.
Eamon Colley, a 51‑year‑old Dublin businessman, was found guilty of making false statements after he abandoned his Porsche Boxster in Phoenix Park following a hit‑and‑run incident on 14 February 2017. Colley had crashed into a motorist who was stopping to let a deer cross the road, causing €9,413 in damage to the victim's Volkswagen Golf. CCTV footage showed Colley driving away with smoke from his Porsche's front and later yelling at a car‑park ticket machine. He reported the vehicle stolen at Blanchardstown Garda Station on 15 February and again at his business address the same day. The court accepted his admissions of being intoxicated and of leaving the scene to avoid drink‑driving prosecution. He was sentenced to a 21‑month suspended term and an 18‑month driving ban, with no prior convictions recorded.
Hamza Ali, a 22‑year‑old Pakistani asylum seeker, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to false imprisonment and assault causing harm to one woman on 14 June 2017, and sexual assault and false imprisonment of a second woman on 15 June 2017. The incidents occurred in Dublin early in the morning. In the first case, Ali approached a woman cycling home, used a tow hook to threaten her, and attempted to force her into his car, ultimately allowing her to escape after she threw the bar out of the vehicle. In the second case, he approached a woman cycling from work, threatened her with a knife, demanded sex, and attempted to slash her, but she fled and alerted Gardaí. Gardaí later recovered a car linked to Ali and evidence of unauthorized transactions on the victims' credit cards.
A 25‑year‑old Dublin man, Darragh Meehan, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for the online sexual exploitation and defilement of a 13‑year‑old girl. Meehan met the girl when she was 13 and he was 19, and they communicated regularly via Skype, Facebook and text. He exposed himself, masturbated on camera, and invited the girl to masturbate or penetrate herself. In person, he asked her to masturbate him and performed sexual acts. The girl's mother reported concerning messages, leading to Gardaí involvement. Meehan pleaded guilty to one count of defilement and three counts of sexual exploitation between December 2011 and May 2012. He had no prior convictions. The judge noted the victim's lack of true consent and the grooming that occurred, and sentenced him to six and a half years for defilement and a concurrent five years for exploitation.
John O'Donoghue, aged 38, was convicted of distributing and possessing child pornography. He admitted to the Gardaí that he was addicted to viewing such material and that he had shared illegal images and movies via email and a file‑sharing network. The offences covered the period from November to December 2009 and September 2012. O'Donoghue pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a four‑year sentence, suspending the final two years, and ordered the destruction of the material. The court noted that the material was not for general distribution but was shared with like‑minded individuals. O'Donoghue had no prior convictions and was a qualified engineer with a strong work history. The case had caused significant stress and social ostracisation for his family. The prosecution's delay was also taken into account. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and the impact on the victims involved.
During the trial of Slawomir Gierlowski, a 33‑year‑old resident of Galtymore Road, Drimnagh, Garda Warren Farrell presented evidence that the police had analysed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage to trace the movements of a white van linked to the alleged attacker. The van, identified as a white VW Crafter with black trim and three orange lights and registration 08‑D‑20729, was shown on video travelling from New Road, Clondalkin at about 5 am towards the scene of an assault on a woman on 16 May 2016, then moving towards Naas Road at 6:50 am, passing the Marble Arch pub and Galtymore Road, and finally parking near Gierlowski's home. The jury was informed that a 29‑minute gap existed in the footage between 5:12 am and 5:41 am.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Garda Gary Dillane was bitten by Cedrick Chitsime, a 29‑year‑old man from Phibsborough, after Dillane responded to a domestic incident. Chitsime, who had no prior convictions, attacked Dillane at the victim's apartment, punching him, scratching his face, and attempting to gouge his eye. Dillane was treated for bruising, cuts, and a thumb bite, and later learned Chitsime was HIV‑positive after providing a blood sample. Dillane received precautionary HIV medication for a month and was later cleared of infection. Chitsime pleaded guilty to assaulting Dillane, was sentenced to 18 months in prison with 13 months suspended on strict conditions, and was described by the judge as having acted aggressively and persistently. The case highlighted the use of pepper spray to subdue the assailant. The court noted Chitsime's lack of apology but accepted his guilty plea as an indication of remorse.
The trial of Niall Byrne, Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, and David Byrne continues before Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty to the alleged false imprisonment of four Richardson family members at Ashcroft, Raheny, on March 13 and 14, 2005, and the alleged robbery of Paul Richardson and Securicor of €2.28 million on March 14, 2005. Retired Garda Chief Superintendent Nicholas Kenneally testified that he issued 66 search warrants during what was then the largest Garda investigation in history. He confirmed issuing warrants for specific Dublin addresses where investigators believed evidence, including weapons and phones, might be found. Kenneally denied that the extensive warranting constituted a "fishing expedition," stating he was satisfied evidence related to the robbery existed at each location. He acknowledged that one resident of a searched home was never prosecuted. Defense counsel noted that legal provisions in the warrants are now deemed unconstitutional. Kenneally denied issuing a specific warrant for the Richardson home but agreed investigators would have processed the premises as a crime scene. The matter is currently at the sentencing stage, though the trial continues with an enlarged jury.
A Garda investigation led to the break-up of a €3.5 million drugs and firearms operation, resulting in the sentencing of four individuals at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Jason Hughes (35) was jailed for six years after pleading guilty to possession of €757,280 worth of cannabis resin and €603,000 worth of MDMA on April 17, 2014. Ivan Tihon (35), a Moldovan national, was jailed for eight years for possession of €1.6 million worth of drugs, as well as guns and ammunition. Two Polish brothers, Slawomir Syzmala (40) and Marcin Syzmala (32), were each jailed for 10 years in March 2015 after admitting to possession of €3.5 million worth of cannabis and cannabis resin. The operation was uncovered following a surveillance operation by the Garda National Drugs Unit, during which €3.489 million worth of drugs were seized. Hughes, who had no previous convictions, claimed he was unaware of the drugs in the van he was transporting and stated he was acting on behalf of others. Judge Martin Nolan noted Hughes' role in the operation was to transport the drugs for some form of reward and stated he was part of a large drug dealing operation.
During the trial of Slawomir Gierlowski, a 33‑year‑old man from Drimnagh, Dublin, the court heard that a white van parked near the scene of a 2016 attack on a woman was linked to him. Residents near the Clondalkin attack site recalled seeing a large white van on 26 April 2016 and again on 15 May 2016, noting registration numbers beginning 07‑D and 08‑D. One resident, Michelle McCabe, described two men who approached her, one muscular, possibly Slavic, and later identified the van as a white VW Crafter with registration 08‑D‑20729, which was registered to Gierlowski. Gierlowski denies all allegations of false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault in the 2011, 2015 and 2016 incidents. The case is proceeding before Judge Pauline Codd and an 11‑man jury.
A 38‑year‑old driver, Aisling Keogh, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious harm after failing to notice a pedestrian crossing the road in Rathfarnham on 29 December 2015. The collision left the man, Paschal Walsh, with serious injuries; he later died in hospital, but the court ruled his death was not a direct result of the collision. Keogh, who had no prior convictions, stopped her car after striking the man, tended to him, called an ambulance, and reported the incident to Gardaí. For her conduct after the crash, the court deemed a prison sentence unnecessary and imposed 125 hours of community service in lieu of six months' imprisonment. The case was adjourned to April for a suitability assessment of the community service order. The judge noted no aggravating circumstances and described the incident as an accident in the true sense of the word.
Noel Darby, 42, was sentenced to a suspended three‑and‑a‑half‑year term for robbing a mobile phone from a man at a bus stop on Malahide Road, Coolock, on 9 February 2015. The robbery was the first serious offence in 13 years. Darby, who had previously been convicted of firearm possession, drug offences and robbery, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He had been identified by the victim as a former subject of the documentary "Darndale: The Edge of Town," where Darby had spoken about his desire to overcome drug addiction. Garda Liam Wright described how Darby approached the victim, seized the phone, and fled, later being pursued. The victim, who recognised Darby from the programme, confirmed the identity after watching an episode on YouTube.
Egita Jaunmaize, a 34-year-old woman of no fixed abode, has been sentenced to three years in prison for staging the suicide of her housemate, Antra Ozolina, in an effort to impede the prosecution of the man who strangled her. The sentence was imposed by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy during a sentencing hearing at the Central Criminal Court. Jaunmaize had pleaded not guilty to the charge of carrying out the offence, without reasonable excuse, at their home at The Old Post, Main Street, Kilnaleck, Co Cavan on or about June 27 or June 28 2014. The judge noted that the maximum penalty for the offence was 10 years in prison, but imposed a custodial sentence of three years, backdated to 22nd February 2017. He acknowledged that Jaunmaize had a suspended sentence due to be activated in her native Latvia and did not want to come to garda attention. The court heard that the deceased, Antra Ozolina, had sustained blunt force injuries and died from asphyxiation. The judge accepted that Jaunmaize's involvement was due to her abusive relationship with the assailant, who was described as the murderer. However, the jury found her fully responsible for her actions. The judge took into account her lack of a previous criminal record, her work in Ireland, and her vulnerabilities, including post-traumatic stress disorder and a history of childhood trauma. The matter was not adjourned and was finalised at the sentencing stage.
At the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, Anna Marie Pezzillo, 34, and Rachel Comiskey, 35, both pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ian Quinn, 32, but guilty to manslaughter. The offence occurred in an apartment in Block B, Annally Grove, Ongar, Dublin 15, between 30 and 31 May 2014. The prosecution accepted their pleas. Justice Patrick McCarthy remanded Comiskey on bail and Pezzillo in custody until 16 April, when sentencing will take place.
During the fourth day of his trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Slawomir Gierlowski, aged 33, denied attacking three women in 2011, 2015 and 2016. A woman, whose identity is withheld, testified that on 16 May 2016 she was attacked while walking to a Luas stop. She described being grabbed from behind by two arms, one holding a hunting knife and the other a dirty grey rag. The knife was pressed against her right cheek and moved down to her throat. She felt the blade cut through her fingers as she pulled it away, and she screamed before the attacker fled. She was taken to hospital where she was treated for severed tendons in three fingers and still cannot fully bend them. Gierlowski denies all allegations of false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault on the three women. The trial continues before Judge Pauline Codd and a jury of 11 men.
Ariunaa Purevjal, a 54‑year‑old former illegal immigrant from Mongolia who later became a naturalised Irish citizen, pleaded guilty to five counts of dishonestly claiming social welfare payments between October 2007 and June 2014. She also pleaded guilty to two counts of making a false instrument (a child benefit claim form and a bank form) and one count of possessing a false instrument – a bank card in a false name. The claims included child benefit, domiciliary care allowance, respite care grant, maternity benefit and other payments, totalling €43,132. Purevjal had used a false identity and did not disclose her status to authorities. She repaid the €4,500 maternity benefit she was not entitled to, and the Department of Social Protection is not seeking repayment of the remaining amounts. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to two years, suspended in its entirety, and noted that she had no prior convictions and would not re‑offend.
Thomas Folliard, aged 63, of Church Road, Aughamore, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, has moved to appeal his conviction for sexual exploitation of a child at the Court of Appeal. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment by Judge Rory McCabe in October 2017 following his conviction at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court. The charge related to an alleged incident in January 2016 in which Folliard allegedly offered €50 to a 13-year-old boy for sex. His legal representatives argue the case exhibits characteristics of a miscarriage of justice, citing the gardaí's failure to conduct a formal identification parade and the manner in which CCTV footage was presented to the complainant. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions maintained the evidence was compelling and the complainant's account consistent throughout proceedings. The three-judge panel, chaired by Mr Justice George Birmingham, reserved judgment. Thomas Folliard pleaded not guilty.
Two teenage cousins, aged 16 and 17, will be sentenced on March 22 for assault causing harm to a 14‑year‑old boy at Father Collins Park, Donaghmede, on 9 April 2016. The victim, who knew the attackers, had a falling out with the 14‑year‑old cousin shortly before the incident. While walking with a friend, the 14‑year‑old confronted the victim, accusing him of spreading rumours about wanting to kill him. The victim denied the claim and tried to walk away, but was punched in the cheek three times. The older cousin then punched him once in the mouth, causing him to fall. A group of about seven boys surrounded the victim, preventing escape. The victim left with four top teeth missing and required extensive medical care. Neither cousin has prior convictions, and their parents were notified and interviewed voluntarily. The unnamed 17-year-old pleaded guilty.
John Paul Mulready, aged 40, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for stabbing and biting his upstairs neighbour, Dermot Byrne, after an alleged "incessant" recitation of poetry. Mulready entered Byrne's flat with a serrated knife, shouted about music, and after a brief standoff in which Byrne brandished a frying pan, Mulready tackled him to the ground, stabbed him in the leg and bit him on the face. Byrne, a poet, defended himself with a vodka bottle and was helped by another neighbour. Mulready pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary with a knife in 2015 and has 116 prior convictions, including drug offences, knife possession, assault and criminal damage. He admitted the attack was triggered by the upstairs poetry. The court noted his history of offending and his recent drug‑ and alcohol‑free status at a residential treatment centre, but deemed the crime too serious for a suspended sentence.
Michael Cummins, 32, was jailed for two years after a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found him guilty of falsely imprisoning and threatening two teenage boys during a drug‑induced paranoid episode in Swords in August 2017. Cummins, who had 230 prior convictions, approached a 13‑year‑old and a 15‑year‑old from across the street, demanding they look him in the eyes and threatening to pour what he claimed was acid into their eyes and to blow up their house. He struck the younger boy twice, forced the older boy to delete pictures from his phone, and entered the boys' home, where he also stole a wallet and an iPhone. Gardaí recovered the stolen items and the boys later reported increased fear and distress. Cummins pleaded guilty to theft, burglary, false imprisonment, assault and a threat to kill, and the court accepted his remorse, noting his drug‑induced paranoia but holding him fully liable for his actions.
In February 2018, Christopher Dunne, a 27‑year‑old Kildare resident, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison after the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found him guilty of possessing 19 kg of cocaine worth €1.3 million and under 1 kg of heroin worth €170 000. Dunne had rented a flat on his own name for third parties and broke down bulk drugs arriving at the premises into smaller packages. He claimed he had lost his job at Intel, became depressed and spent thousands of euros a week on cocaine, and that he was involved to offset a substantial drug debt. The case began when a caretaker mistakenly entered the flat, saw white powder, and reported it to the letting agent, who then called Gardaí. Gardaí found the flat empty but containing eight wrapped packages of cocaine, a digital weighing scale, loose white powder, a black hold‑all bag and a wooden spoon.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Declan Hendley, a 49‑year‑old former community worker, pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm in a public place with the intention of intimidating a security guard at a Centra shop on Poppintree Parade, Ballymun, on 25 May 2015. The court found that Hendley had brought an air‑soft AK‑47 type imitation gun to the shop after a verbal altercation with the guard, who was attempting to move a group of young people outside. Hendley had threatened the guard with a pole during a brief physical confrontation, then returned ten minutes later with the imitation firearm, which was found to be non‑functional. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑year sentence, suspending the final 14 months on strict conditions. The case highlighted Hendley's 29 prior convictions, mainly for road traffic offences, and his claim that the incident was a "moment of utter madness.".
Anthony Heffernan, 32, of Blanchardstown, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for robbery. He pleaded guilty to robbing a Centra shop in Huntstown on April 8, 2017. Prosecution evidence stated that Heffernan entered the store armed with a knife, shouted at a staff member, and took approximately €250. He subsequently surrendered himself to gardaí at Blanchardstown Garda Station, identifying himself on CCTV footage. The court heard that Heffernan was a gambling addict who had run out of cash to bet, and he was transferred to a psychiatric unit after his arrest. He has 13 previous convictions, mainly for road traffic offences. Defence counsel Sarah Connolly BL highlighted his cooperation, remorse, and efforts to overcome addiction through Gamblers Anonymous and programs at Coolmine. Judge Martin Nolan noted letters demonstrating Heffernan's positive character and past difficulties. The judge stated that a custodial sentence was not justified and imposed a two-year suspended term.
Graham Armstrong, 33, was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment for stabbing Thomas McDonnell, his partner's father, in the back of the neck with a screwdriver on 11 September 2015. The wound measured two to three millimetres and McDonnell recovered after a tetanus injection. Armstrong also pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery at Eddie Rockets on 16 December 2015, where he tried to force a worker to bring cash into the restaurant. He was arrested an hour later. The court noted Armstrong had 42 prior convictions, including possession of stolen property and burglary, and that he had been struggling after his mother's death in 2016. He was ordered to pay €1,500 to his victims as a token of remorse. Armstrong and his partner have since reconciled, and McDonnell declined to pursue the matter further. The judge, Martin Nolan, imposed the custodial sentence on the basis of Armstrong's serious criminal record.
A 49‑year‑old Meath man was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury of four counts of raping and three counts of sexually assaulting his sister between 1983 and 1990, while he was found not guilty of one count of assault in their father's car in 1982. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial lasted a week in January and the jury deliberated for six hours. At the sentencing hearing, the victim, aged 49, described how her brother repeatedly raped and assaulted her with a "smirk" on his face, despite her pleas to stop. She said the abuse began when she was about 14 and continued until she was 20, occurring in fields, a shed, the family house and the hall. She revealed the abuse only after her brother confronted her at a family meeting, and she had kept it secret for years.
During the trial of Slawomir Gierlowski, a 33‑year‑old man charged with multiple sexual assaults, Garda Niall Kenny testified that he and Garda Brian Campbell responded to a late‑night incident in Clondalkin on 3 September 2015. Kenny described arriving in a patrol car, hearing a muffled scream, and finding a woman bound with black duct tape. He observed a suspect who fled the scene, running in zig‑zag patterns to avoid street lighting, and shouted for help. The suspect was pursued but lost from view. Gierlowski is charged with false imprisonment, assault, and sexual assault against three women at different dates and locations, including a 2016 incident near Naas Road and a 2011 incident. Dr Killian Bates provided a forensic medical report detailing injuries to a 2015 victim, noting possible semen and the suspect's non‑Irish origin, which influenced the decision to prescribe anti‑HIV prophylaxis. The case remains at the trial stage.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 23‑year‑old woman described how her 64‑year‑old uncle terrorised and brain‑washed her into hiding sexual abuse from her parents. She said she was frightened whenever the uncle visited and feared what he would do, especially on her Holy Communion Day. The uncle pleaded guilty to one count of rape, one count of attempted rape and three counts of sexual assault between December 1999 and May 2005. He had no prior convictions. The victim was aged five to ten at the time of the offences. The court heard the first assault occurred on New Year's Eve 1999 when the uncle forced her to touch his penis while she was alone. Subsequent incidents included rape in a shed, forced contact under blankets, and forced touching in her bedroom in 2004 and 2005. The last incident was when he held her down in her bedroom in 2005.
Noel Kelleher, 64, an auctioneer described as a man of some standing in his community, was found guilty by a jury of six counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, three counts of oral rape and one count of attempted oral rape of a girl who was aged between 12 and 14 when the attacks took place. The offences occurred at various locations in County Clare between June 1991 and August 1992. Kelleher was also tried for 16 further counts of rape, indecent assault and sexual assault but was found not guilty on those charges. The victim, who waived her right to anonymity, said the abuse had a deep and lasting impact on her life. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy sentenced Kelleher to nine years, suspended the final 12 months, and ordered that he have no contact with the victim in perpetuity. Kelleher has not admitted guilt or expressed remorse. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court.
A woman is set to be sentenced tomorrow for staging the suicide of her housemate in an attempt to hinder the prosecution of her boyfriend for strangling her. Egita Jaunmaize, of no fixed abode, was found guilty by a jury earlier this month of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of the killer, knowing or believing him to have murdered Antra Ozolina (49). She had pleaded not guilty to carrying out the offence, without reasonable excuse, at their home at The Old Post, Main Street, Kilnaleck, Co Cavan on or about June 27 or June 28 2014. Jaunmaize admitted placing a blue cord around her fellow Latvian's neck to simulate her suicide. She later explained that this was because her boyfriend had a suspended sentence due to be activated in his native Latvia and did not want to come to garda attention. The matter was adjourned for sentencing, with the judge to pass sentence tomorrow.
Keila Pineda Lopez, 29, was caught at Dublin Airport with 20 shirts soaked in cocaine, valued at €179,550. She pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply. Gardaí said the shirts could be chemically processed to extract the drug at the destination, but Lopez had no knowledge of this. She claimed she was offered €3,000 to transport the drugs from Brazil and that she faced threats. Garda Michael Higgins noted a mix of inducement and coercion. Lopez cooperated fully, admitted guilt, and expressed remorse. Her defence highlighted her role as a young mother, limited English, and coercion. Judge Melanie Greally, considering her plea, cooperation, and circumstances, imposed a three‑year custodial sentence, deviating from the typical ten‑year minimum for the offence. The sentence is to run from the date she entered custody.
An autistic man, Alyn Maginn, 41, was caught with over €600,000 of heroin and cocaine in a car park at Dublin Airport. He pleaded guilty to one count of possession. The drugs were found in a Seat Ibiza after customs profiling. Maginn had not imported the drugs; they had been in the car already. The drugs were owned by a co‑accused, Martin Gilroy, who had previously been jailed for seven years. Maginn had no prior convictions and cooperated with Gardaí. A psychological report showed Maginn had borderline cognitive ability, was on the autism spectrum, and was easily led. Judge Martin Nolan, citing Maginn's psychological make‑up and low moral culpability, imposed a suspended five‑year sentence, stating it would be unjust to jail him for this crime.
A man has been sentenced to two years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following a burglary at Carndonagh Park, Donaghmede, Dublin, in June 2017. Mark O'Mahony (33) of St Donagh's Road, Donaghmede, pleaded guilty to burglary and to possessing property belonging to another person found at the scene. The court heard that the householder discovered O'Mahony asleep in his kitchen armchair in the early morning and retained him until gardaí arrived. O'Mahony, who was in an exceptionally intoxicated state, had also taken approximately €100 in cash from a bag in the kitchen. Judge Martin Nolan noted the non-violent nature of the offence and described the burglary as inept. The sentence was backdated to June of the previous year when O'Mahony entered custody. The defendant has eighty-six previous convictions.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Alison Walker (32) and Gillian Walker (39) to two‑and‑a‑half years each, with the sentences suspended under conditions. The sisters had fraudulently claimed over €50,000 in social welfare benefits after their father's death, with Alison claiming €22,078 in carer's allowance and respite care grants and Gillian claiming €32,398 in carer's allowance and state pension. Both pleaded guilty to four counts of stealing from the Department of Social Protection at Drimnagh Post Office between 2013 and 2016. The judge noted the sisters' knowledge of wrongdoing, their financial motives, and mitigating factors such as Alison's pregnancy and Gillian's single parenthood of four children. The court accepted their remorse and the mitigating circumstances presented by their defence lawyers. The sentences were suspended pending compliance with the court's conditions.
During the trial of Slawomir Gierlowski, a 33‑year‑old man charged with nine offences including false imprisonment, assault and sexual assault, a woman testified that she believed she was about to die during one of the attacks. She described being forced to the ground by a belt‑like restraint around her neck, her hands taken behind her back, and her mouth and nose covered. She said the attacker, who she identified as having an Eastern European accent, threatened to kill her and then taped her head and face. She felt light‑headed and thought she might pass out, describing the experience as both brief and endless. The attack ended when police arrived after a witness called 999. The case is still before Judge Pauline Codd. Slawomir Gierlowski pleaded not guilty.
Gareth Carroll, 36, was jailed for one year after he brought heroin, Valium and Xanax into Mountjoy Prison on a temporary release. He was told by inmates that if he refused, his brother's leg would be broken. Carroll returned to the prison and officers found drug paraphernalia in his cell; the drugs fell out of his underwear when he was searched. He pleaded guilty to possession of €1,497 of heroin, €768 of diazepam and €286 of alprazolam on 10 May 2015 while serving a drug offence sentence. Both he and his brother were in Mountjoy at the time. The court noted Carroll's long history of drug abuse and the credible threat to his brother. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a two‑year sentence, suspending the final 12 months, and highlighted the seriousness of bringing drugs into prison.
Joseph Mulraney, a 54-year-old man from Kimmage, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for false imprisonment and threatening to spray blood at Our Ladies Hospice in Harolds Cross on April 18, 2017. Mulraney pleaded guilty to the charges. The court heard that the defendant, who was distressed about his partner's stay at the hospice, confronted a social worker, cut his hand with a razor blade, and threatened to transmit "the virus" via his blood. He also rubbed blood on office surfaces. Judge Martin Nolan described the incident as a "fairly insidious and disgusting crime," noting the significant impact on the victim. However, the judge acknowledged Mulraney's guilty plea, remorse, and the fact that he had no intention of stabbing the worker. Considering the defendant's minor previous convictions from the 1980s and his current circumstances, Judge Nolan imposed a three-and-a-half-year sentence, which was suspended in full. The matter was concluded with this suspended sentence, meaning Mulraney avoided immediate custody.
Alice Connors, 46, of Kiltalown Path, Tallaght, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for burglary after she tricked her way into the home of an 84‑year‑old dementia sufferer in Newcastle, Co. Dublin, on 14 March 2017. Connors pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. She had 98 prior convictions, including 20 for burglary. The victim was visited by her 75‑year‑old sister when the two women, accompanied by a child, knocked on the door. Connors and co‑accused Margaret Cawley, 27, entered the house, brushed past the homeowner into the sitting room, and stole handbags. The stolen items were recovered from a maroon car that fled the scene. Connors was found remorseful; the judge noted no violence and described the offence as a "crime of stealth." She was given credit for time already spent in custody on this charge alone.
A 30‑year‑old man from Kilcarrig Green, Fettercairn, Tallaght, Glen Fitzpatrick, who had suffered severe domestic violence in childhood and used alcohol and drugs to black out, was jailed for one year after pleading guilty to three robberies and an attempted robbery. He admitted stealing €420 from a Centra shop on Thomas Street in November 2016, and later robbing a Dwarf Jar shop on Wellington Quay and attempting to rob a Centra on Wicklow Street in June 2017. He had 36 prior convictions, mainly for traffic offences. After a binge he found unexplained money in his pockets and voluntarily turned himself in to a Garda station in a distressed state. The judge, Martin Nolan, imposed consecutive sentences totalling two years, suspended the final year on conditions, and noted Fitzpatrick's remorse and drug‑free status since August 2017. The case highlighted his ongoing rehabilitation efforts at Coolmine and his willingness to cooperate with authorities.
A 33‑year‑old Dublin man, Slawomir Gierlowski, has gone on trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for nine charges covering three alleged attacks on women over five years. He is accused of false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault in each incident, and of unlawfully possessing a hunting knife with intent to intimidate in the 2016 case. Gierlowski pleaded not guilty to all charges. The prosecution, led by Roisin Lacey SC, presented evidence from three victims describing attacks in September 2011, September 2015 and September 2016. Witnesses recounted being choked, punched, and sexually assaulted, with injuries such as a broken nose and swollen eyes. DNA evidence allegedly linked Gierlowski to each crime scene, and a blood‑stained jacket and cable ties were found at his home and in a white van. A jury of 12 men has been empanelled for the trial.
Patrick Dunne, aged 30, was jailed for robbing a Centra shop on Coultry Road, Ballymun, on 12 September 2017. He entered the shop in a black jacket with his hood up before 8 pm, waited in line with his hand in his jacket, and then pointed a realistic imitation firearm at a shop assistant. He demanded the cashier open the till, threatening to shoot if he did not comply. The cashier eventually opened the till and Dunne took €880, placing it in a blue plastic bag. While the robbery was underway, two Gardaí were in the back of the shop checking CCTV footage for another investigation. They drew their firearms, called out "Armed Gardaí," and chased Dunne out of the shop. He was arrested and later pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to four and a half years' imprisonment, back‑dating the term to 12 December 2017.
A 36‑year‑old labourer, Aidan O'Hara, was sentenced to 27 months' imprisonment for assaulting his ex‑girlfriend, Jessica Ayodeji, in their car while driving around Dublin. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that O'Hara, of Hand Caravan Park, dragged Ms Ayodeji back into the vehicle after she tried to escape at traffic lights, and that he had also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to remain at the scene of a collision on the same day. The court noted that O'Hara had 14 prior convictions, including assaults, drug offences, burglary and criminal damage, and that he had a history of violent conduct toward partners. He was also banned from driving for two years. The judge highlighted that O'Hara had cooperated with Gardaí, shown remorse, and completed an alternative to violence course while in custody. The sentence was back‑dated to the time he entered custody in July 2017.