In 2010, Glen Holland, aged 34, was arrested in Dublin after authorities discovered €68,000 worth of cocaine, a mixing agent and two loaded 9mm handguns in the boot of his Toyota Avensis. The weapons, manufactured in Brazil, were ready for use. Holland pleaded guilty to possession of the firearms, ammunition and cocaine for sale or supply. After his arrest, he fled Ireland while on bail in 2011 and was not re‑arrested until 2017, when Spanish authorities extradited him under a European Arrest Warrant. In 2018, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Holland to six and a half years' imprisonment, a departure from the mandatory ten‑year minimum for the drug charge. The judge credited Holland's admissions, cooperation with Gardaí, his difficult childhood and the fact that he was caring for his eight‑year‑old autistic son. Holland was instructed to engage with the Probation Service upon release.
Jace Pelivani, aged 49, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in Dublin for his role in a €680,000 drug operation. He was arrested on 18 May 2017 in Clondalkin after driving a van that carried pallets of cannabis. Gardaí had received confidential information about a suspicious drug arrival at Dublin Port the previous day, discovered the drugs on a pallet, and re‑wrapped them for a controlled delivery. Surveillance followed the truck to Ashbourne, Co. Meath, where the contents were unloaded before Pelivani transported them to Clondalkin. Officers seized 34 kilos of cannabis, each wrapped separately. Pelivani pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply. The court noted that in November 2000 an Albanian court had convicted him in absentia of murder and possession of a firearm related to a pub fight in 1997. He denied prior knowledge of the drugs, claiming he had never been to Ireland, a statement the court found false.
The trial of Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, David Byrne, and Niall Byrne is ongoing before Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty to the alleged false imprisonment of four members of the Richardson family at their home in Raheny, Dublin, on March 13 and 14, 2005, and to robbing Paul Richardson and Securicor of €2.28 million on March 14, 2005. Witness testimony revealed that Niall Byrne, then a Securicor employee, reported an injured back on the day of the alleged raid. A colleague stated Byrne later inquired about the robbery, while a Securicor assistant manager described Byrne as jovial after he saw a doctor. The manager also testified that he discovered the Richardson family were being held hostage around 9am on March 14, 2005, noting that the van's GPS indicated it was in County Westmeath despite crew member Sean Kelleher claiming it was in Tallaght. Another witness, Tony Coffey, stated his commercial jeep was stolen while unlocked and later found, with some items recovered at Dollymount Strand. The trial, expected to last three months, continues with an enlarged jury.
An Aer Lingus ground handler, Frederick Cham, 63, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five charges of facilitating the entry of illegal immigrants or asylum seekers into Ireland between 13 December 2016 and 22 January 2017. He also admitted two charges of handling money he knew to be proceeds of crime in December 2016 and January 2017. Cham, originally from Hong Kong and a long‑time employee at Dublin Airport, described the scheme as a "Mickey Mouse operation" and said he earned €2,000–€3,000 per smuggling run, spending the money on Guinness. The operation involved bypassing passport control with staff swipe cards, escorting foreign nationals from the air‑side to the immigration hall via a lift and a catering truck, and using a staff turnstile gate to move them to the land‑side. Gardaí traced the scheme through CCTV, staff swipe‑card records and Western Union transfers totalling about €6,000.
John Joseph Malone, aged 54, was convicted of murdering 69‑year‑old Ann 'Nancy' Smyth in Kilkenny on 11 September 1987 and sentenced to life imprisonment. The conviction followed a Central Criminal Court jury's unanimous decision after 3 h 26 min of deliberation. Malone had pleaded not guilty. The case was reopened as a cold‑case investigation in 2012 after new witness statements and confessions emerged. Malone's appeal, filed on the ground that the trial judge should have withdrawn the case at the close of the prosecution's case, focuses on the credibility of Geraldine Brennan's 2013 statement, which differs from her 1987 statement. The appeal is pending; the court has reserved judgment. No new verdict or outcome is reported in the article.
Stephen Fitzgerald, a 42‑year‑old Dublin father of five, was sentenced to four years in prison at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing €84,000 that was the proceeds of crime and heroin worth €41,250, a cutting agent worth €1,000, and other drugs. He admitted holding the cash and drugs at his Tallaght home on 6 November 2016, claiming he had no ownership but was acting as a third‑party holder for others. The judge noted Fitzgerald's family had suffered two suicides, leading to stress and drug use, yet described him as a "very good family man" who had supported relatives and volunteered in community projects. The prosecution, represented by Giollaíosa O Lidheadha SC, argued that Fitzgerald had a serious drug debt and a real threat to his life. Stephen Fitzgerald pleaded guilty.
A County Cavan man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to sexually assaulting his 15-year-old cousin as she slept beside him at his home in May 2015. He was 18 years old at the time of the offence. The court heard the pair had been raised closely together and that the man had developed a crush on his cousin. Following a birthday party where both drank alcohol, the girl fell asleep in his bed, a normal occurrence between them. She woke during the night aware of his presence and subsequent unusual sensations. The following morning, she confided in her mother. In garda interview, he admitted to touching his cousin inappropriately. A psychologist report noted he was sexually immature, had received no sex education, and his first discussion of sexual consent occurred in the garda station. The victim, now 18, stated in her impact statement that while frightened and emotionally distressed initially, she does not regard him as dangerous.
Daryl McKeon, 23, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in a violent raid on a newsagent in Finglas. He pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and assault causing serious harm to shopkeeper Kevin Tansey on March 18 last year. The court heard that McKeon and an accomplice, whose identity remains under investigation, entered the shop with covered faces. While McKeon blocked the door and restrained the victim, the other man struck Tansey three times on the head with a hammer. The attack left Tansey with extensive skull fractures, bleeding on the brain, and a comatose state. Judge Melanie Greally imposed an eight-and-a-half year sentence, with the final 18 months suspended. The jail term was backdated to March 2017, when McKeon entered custody. The judge noted that while McKeon did not wield the hammer, he participated wholeheartedly in the robbery. McKeon has 12 previous convictions and was on bail for district court offences at the time of the incident. The other raider is still under investigation.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 23‑year‑old Gavin Mulgrew was sentenced to three‑and‑a‑half years in jail, with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended. The judge described his two random assaults on July 9, 2015, as "horrific, gratuitous, violent and unprovoked." Mulgrew admitted to punching David Rooney on Suffolk Street, causing a fractured cheekbone and requiring surgery, and to assaulting French national Yannick Said on Chancery Place, resulting in a dislocated shoulder, facial injuries and a broken nose. He pleaded guilty, claiming he was high on tablets and had a hazy memory of the events. The judge noted his progress in custody, his drug‑free status, and his rehabilitation work in the prison kitchen. The suspended portion of the sentence was conditional on victim‑focused work, addiction counselling and probation appointments. The sentence was back‑dated to October 10, 2017.
Christopher Walsh, 32, was sentenced to two years in jail, with the final 14 months suspended, for deceiving Close Brothers Motor Finance. He obtained a €20,000 car loan to clear drug debt, claiming a friend had collected the car after he allegedly failed to repay. Walsh had signed a contract for a Skoda Superb, paid a deposit, and then cancelled his direct debit the next day. He admitted to drug addiction and had no intention of repaying the loan. The court noted his remorse and that he had taken control of his drug addiction. Judge Martin Nolan credited his efforts but also highlighted his prior convictions, including 13 previous offences, 12 of them for road traffic. Walsh agreed to repay the finance company at €100 per month. He is a father to a six‑month‑old son and has a forklift job available. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
The Special Criminal Court sentenced two Cork men to prison for firearms offences following a garda investigation into the "New IRA". Joseph Walsh (36) and Michael Gilmartin (47) both pleaded guilty to possession of firearms, including a 9mm parabellum pistol, a magazine, and a double-barrel sawn-off shotgun, as well as ammunition, at Chestnut Drive, Cobh, on September 14, 2016. The court heard that gardai intercepted the pair in December 2016 while monitoring subversive activity, finding the weapons in a bag at Gilmartin's home. Mr Justice Tony Hunt noted mitigating factors, including their early guilty pleas, describing Walsh as a recent recruit and Gilmartin's involvement as limited to logistical support. Walsh was sentenced to five years and six months for possession of firearms and two years for possession of ammunition. Gilmartin received five years for possession of firearms and two years for possession of ammunition. The sentences are to run concurrently and were backdated to December 14, 2016.
The High Court has reserved judgement in the State's application to dismiss a damages claim brought by Peter Pringle. Pringle, an applicant, was originally sentenced to death for the murder of gardaí John Morley and Henry Byrne during a 1980 bank robbery in Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon. His sentence was later commuted to 40 years imprisonment, of which he served 14 years and ten months until his conviction was quashed by the Court of Criminal Appeal in 1995. He now alleges the State was negligent and breached his constitutional rights by failing to disclose crucial evidence before his trial. The State seeks dismissal of the claim, initiated in the mid-1990s, citing inordinate delay, while Pringle denies any delay on his part. Additionally, Pringle has brought a separate motion for the State to discover documents related to a 2002 DNA analysis by the Forensic Science Service in Birmingham. This analysis compared hair samples from the robbery vehicle with a voluntary blood sample provided by Pringle in 1994. The State informed Pringle's lawyers in 2003 that the results provided strong support for the hair originating from him. Pringle believes this report is intended to halt his damages claim and seeks the associated paperwork, which he claims has not been provided. The State denies these claims and opposes the discovery motion. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart reserved judgement on both applications following submissions from both parties.
During a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, CCTV footage showed two men entering a service station on the night of a €2.28 million cash‑in‑transit van robbery. Kevin Richardson, aged 13 at the time, testified that the men wore clothing similar to the raiders who later abducted the Richardson family. The accused—Mark Farrelly (46), Christopher Corcoran (70), David Byrne (45) and Niall Byrne (36)—have pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment of Paul Richardson, his wife Marie and their sons Ian (17) and Kevin (13) at their Ashcroft home on 13–14 March 2005, and to robbing Paul Richardson and Securicor. The trial, the fifth time the matter has been heard, includes testimony from the Richardson family, a former Securicor control‑room supervisor, and cross‑examination by defence counsel. The case is set to continue for three months before Judge Melanie Greally and an enlarged jury.
Gerard Neeson, 46, of Ballymun, Dublin, was sentenced to six months in prison for providing false or misleading information in a passport application. Between 23 and 30 April 2015, Neeson submitted an application and four photographs signed by Gardaí at Ballymun Garda Station. He later handed the application and photographs to a third party who altered the photo, replacing Neeson's image with that of a criminal, and mailed the altered application to the passport office. Neeson was to receive €500 if the passport was issued. The court noted Neeson's 29 prior convictions and his admission of involvement. Judge Martin Nolan emphasized that Neeson's lack of sophistication did not absolve him of responsibility, and imposed the six‑month sentence. The case highlighted the use of a passport for illicit purposes. Gerard Neeson pleaded guilty.
Stephen Kinch, 29, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for an assault committed in 2004. Kinch, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty to assaulting Gary Byrne on March 17, 2004. The court heard that Kinch, who was 16 at the time, admitted to head-butting the victim but denied striking him with an iron bar, an allegation attributed to Mr. Byrne. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced Kinch to two and a half years in prison but suspended the sentence in full. She ordered him to complete 240 hours of community service. The judge noted that Kinch was a different man today, citing his full-time employment and voluntary work. Mr. Byrne, who was not present, expressed a wish for a non-custodial sentence and accepted €6,000 in compensation handed over in court. The judge described Mr. Byrne as generous and compassionate. Kinch had previously failed to appear for sentencing in 2006, resulting in a bench warrant. He has no previous convictions. The matter was concluded with the imposition of the suspended sentence and community service order.
In a 2018 case, a 20‑year‑old driver, Melvin Rattigan, was sentenced to 240 hours of community service for dangerous driving that caused serious bodily harm to cyclist Laura Briggs. Rattigan, who had no full licence or insurance, collided with Briggs on Lower Dominick Street on 13 May 2015, after failing to see her on a green light while turning from Dorset Street onto Dominick Street. He fled the scene, claiming panic, and later pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge noted the offence was at the lower end of seriousness because Rattigan was neither speeding nor intoxicated, and highlighted his good character and educational efforts. Rattigan paid €3,000 for redress, which Briggs declined, directing it to St Francis' Hospice and a youth charity. A probation report was ordered to assess his suitability for community service.
In a 2018 trial, a mother and her two teenage sons recounted being kidnapped near the Wicklow Mountains during a €2.28 million robbery that occurred almost 15 years earlier. Marie Richardson described how she and her sons were bundled into a jeep, taken to a secluded area, kept for hours, and bound with cable ties before being released. She recalled her husband, Paul Richardson, a cash‑in‑transit driver, being forced to deliver the money at a Dublin pub car park. The defendants—Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, David Byrne and Niall Byrne—pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and robbery. The jury heard the kidnapping, the captors' orders, and the family's eventual escape, with the trial continuing before Judge Melanie Greally and an enlarged jury.
A Lithuanian man charged with importing cannabis worth €58,820 through Dublin Airport has received a fully suspended three-year sentence. Egidijus Sniauksta, aged 45, of Wylies Hill, Ballybay, County Monaghan, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drug seized on 3 February 2016. He had travelled from Alicante in Spain when stopped at customs, where nine vacuum-sealed packages of herbal cannabis were discovered in his luggage. Sniauksta was to receive €1,000 for delivering the drugs to a third party. Judge Terence O'Sullivan noted that while drug mules form part of the drugs trade, Sniauksta was not connected to a criminal organisation and described him as naive. The court considered his significant health difficulties, including frequent falls and loss of consciousness, his previous good work history, early guilty plea, and expressions of remorse. The sentence was suspended in full subject to strict conditions.
Two homeless men, Stephen Talbot (42) and Trevor Murphy (38), were found guilty of a series of office burglaries in Dublin 2's business district. Over a month, they posed as maintenance workers, gaining entry with a simple "glide" device and stealing €1,167 in cash, mobile phones, and corporate tickets. Murphy pleaded guilty to 11 counts of trespass and theft between March 21 and April 19, and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with the final year and a half suspended. Talbot admitted to five theft offences and received a three‑year sentence, back‑dated to April 21. Both men were identified through CCTV and apprehended on April 19 after being seen in Fitzwilliam Square South. The court noted their homelessness and drug difficulties, and highlighted Talbot's extensive criminal record of 67 prior convictions. The judge described the offences as "mannerly burglaries" but acknowledged the disruption caused to the businesses involved.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Dubliner Jason Kennedy, 45, to three years in prison for robbery and theft. Kennedy pleaded guilty to robbing Park Pharmacy in Cabinteely and stealing two USB keys from Shankill Garda station on August 18, 2016. Prosecution evidence indicated that Kennedy, armed with a hammer, threatened pharmacy staff before taking €500 and prescription drugs. He was later arrested after his vehicle was spotted in Rathfarnham. While being interviewed at the station, surveillance footage showed Kennedy pocketing two USB keys when the interviewing garda left the room; he later claimed it was a joke. Judge Karen O'Connor noted Kennedy's 43 previous convictions and his failure to complete a court-ordered residential drug treatment course, despite his history of addiction. The judge expressed sadness at his non-completion but acknowledged his desire for rehabilitation. Judge O'Connor imposed a three-year sentence, suspending the final 12 months on strict conditions. This means Kennedy will serve two years in custody before being released on probation for the suspended period.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Donnavan Staddon, aged 39, received a suspended prison sentence after assaulting a 12‑year‑old girl in an H&M children's clothes shop. CCTV showed Staddon entering the shop behind two girls, following one into the children's section, and touching her bottom. He then approached a second girl, who was elsewhere in the shop, and asked her for directions to the cinema, claiming she was about 17. Staddon denied inviting her to the cinema and said he had been lost. He had previously pleaded guilty to an assault in 2014. Judge Terence O'Sullivan imposed a €500 fine and a one‑month suspended sentence, requiring Staddon to keep the peace for three months. The victim's mother expressed that she did not want Staddon to go to prison, and Staddon's wife stated she did not condone his behaviour. The court noted Staddon had no prior convictions and had worked as a security guard.
Noel O'Connor, 36, was jailed for three years after smuggling almost €70,000 worth of cocaine from Brazil into Dublin Airport. Customs officers discovered 1.1 kilos of cocaine in two shampoo bottles during a random swab test. O'Connor fled the customs hall, ran into the arrivals area, and escaped in a taxi. He later returned to Ireland to face the court, pleading guilty to importation of controlled drugs. Judge Martin Nolan described him as "the ambassador of his own misfortune" but praised his clean record in custody and charity work with the Irish Red Cross. O'Connor had ten prior convictions, including theft and robbery, and had been a personal trainer. He had fled to Brazil after a breakup, accrued a drug debt, and was persuaded to smuggle drugs to repay it. The sentence was back‑dated to 23 June.
The State has applied to the High Court to dismiss a damages claim brought by Peter Pringle, alleging want of prosecution and inordinate delay. Pringle, who was wrongly convicted of the 1980 murders of gardai John Morley and Henry Byrne, served 14 years and 10 months in prison before his conviction was quashed in 1995. He claims the State was negligent and breached his constitutional rights by failing to disclose crucial evidence prior to his Special Criminal Court trial. The State argues that many witnesses from the 1980 Ballaghadreen incident are now deceased or unable to recall events accurately. Pringle opposes the dismissal, asserting that any delay was caused by the State. He has moved for the discovery of documents relating to a 2002 DNA analysis by the Forensic Science Service in Birmingham, which reportedly matched hair from the robbery vehicle to him. Pringle's legal team, including Declan McGovern SC, states these materials are essential to demonstrate his innocence and progress the claim. The State denies the allegations regarding the report and opposes the discovery motion. The hearing before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart continues on Friday.
During the second day of the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Paul Richardson, a Securicor cash‑in‑transit van driver, recounted how he collapsed on the road after learning that an armed gang had released his wife and sons. Richardson said the gang had burst into his home on the evening of 13 March 2005, taken his family, and instructed him to continue his work the next day while they monitored him by phone. He described receiving aggressive calls, being told to drive to the Anglers Rest pub to deposit €2.28 million, and being pressured to keep moving. After the gang announced the family's release, Richardson felt severe chest pains and fainted, falling from the van onto the road. He was later taken to Mullingar hospital by ambulance. The trial involves four men—Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, David Byrne, and Niall Byrne—who pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and robbery charges.
In the Central Criminal Court, Paul Crosby of Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, faced charges of attempting to murder, false imprisonment and serious harm against Gerard Boyle, aged 22, on 10 November 2016. The alleged attacks occurred first at Knockcommon, Beauparc, Slane, where Boyle was stabbed 28 times, and later at Boyne Canal, Drogheda, where he was reportedly locked into a car boot that was pushed into the canal. Crosby pleaded not guilty to all charges. Dr Asim Rafeeque treated Boyle in Drogheda hospital, describing a surgical emergency with severe shortness of breath, elevated heart rate, reduced oxygen and multiple sharp‑edge wounds, and performed immediate chest decompression. Garda Ronan Geraghty testified that Boyle had named a passenger who allegedly pulled him from the car and placed him in the boot; this person was not arrested and no other individuals were charged.
Priscilla Farrelly, a 33‑year‑old Dublin woman, was found in possession of drugs worth almost €24,000, including cannabis, Alprazolam tablets and PVP, after Gardaí observed her conducting street deals in Fairview. She pleaded guilty to the offences and admitted selling drugs to pay a €1,500 debt. Farrelly, who has a prior assault conviction from 2009, cooperated fully with police, showing them where the drugs were stored. Her defence lawyer argued that her upbringing and psychiatric problems made her vulnerable to pressure from third parties. The judge, recognising her vulnerability and lack of financial gain, imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence, with the entire term suspended for that period.
Sean O'Leary, 40, was jailed for three and a half years for aggravated burglary after he burst into a 75‑year‑old man's Dublin home wearing a balaclava and wielding a knife. He forced the elderly victim to open his mouth, rummaged through his pockets and stole €900 in cash. The victim did not see the knife during the incident, but Gardaí later matched O'Leary's DNA to a blade left on the kitchen table. O'Leary pleaded guilty at Moatview Court on 31 March 2016 and had 28 previous convictions. The court heard the victim was knocked to the ground, suffered an economic loss, and had to move to a nursing home due to increased anxiety. O'Leary expressed remorse, saying he hoped the man could forgive him. The judge noted the crime's impact on the victim and imposed the sentence with credit for time already spent in custody.
Paul Richardson, a cash‑in‑transit van driver for Securicor, gave evidence at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on the first day of a retrial for four men accused of kidnapping his family and robbing €2.28 million in March 2005. The accused – Mark Farrelly (46), Christopher Corcoran (70), David Byrne (45) and Niall Byrne (36) – pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and robbery. Richardson described how armed men in navy boiler suits and balaclavas entered his home on 13 March, forced him and his family into the living room, and threatened his 17‑year‑old son with a handgun while the son suffered a panic attack. The men demanded Richardson collect cash from his van and deliver it to a pub, threatening the family's release. The trial, expected to continue until mid‑April, focuses on proving the four men's involvement in the kidnapping and robbery.
Michael Royal, aged 41, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six and a half years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended. He pleaded guilty to assaulting Prison Officer Paul Hayes at Mountjoy Prison on 27 October 2012, to trespassing and theft of a BMW, an iPhone 5s and a TV on 2 December 2013, and to a burglary that led to a car theft. Royal had previously left Ireland after a trial date for the burglary but was returned to the country. The judge, citing Royal's history of 40 convictions for robbery, burglary, assault and drug offences, described him as a "menace to society." Royal was also ordered to undergo 18 months of post‑release probation supervision. The court noted that Officer Hayes suffered fractured bones and a jaw injury requiring surgery after the assault. The case highlighted Royal's long‑term drug addiction and the impact of his criminal behaviour on the community.
John Downes, 56, worked for Marks and Spencer in Dundrum from November 2014. Between 26 April and 7 July 2016 he stole €24,650 in cash from 54 cash registers, carrying the money in his pockets and sock. Security footage caught him moving bills into his pocket and later into his sock. When confronted he denied theft until he produced €650 in notes. Downes admitted the thefts, citing debt from a failed printing business and a broken marriage. He was suspended on full pay pending investigation. Gardaí found he drove a leased BMW (registration 152) and had €950 in his bedroom that he admitted came from the store. He has two minor road‑traffic convictions. Downes is now employed by a packaging sales company, which has loaned him money to repay Marks and Spencer. He has apologized, expressed remorse, and is repaying his former employer from his salary. John Downes pleaded guilty.
Rory Mullally, a 26‑year‑old former Dublin Bus employee, was found guilty of dishonestly appropriating more than €14,000 from the company by creating bogus customer refunds. Between 14 October 2016 and 20 February 2017, he logged rebates for non‑existent or mismatched Leap Card numbers and duplicated refunds, actions discovered when managers noticed 353 anomalies in his logs. Mullally admitted the fraud, citing a gambling addiction, and resigned, returning €1,045 of pension funds and over €1,000 in cash to the company. He pleaded guilty, and the court accepted that his early plea saved time. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑year suspended sentence, ordering the remaining owed amount to be handed to Gardaí for transfer to Dublin Bus. No prior convictions were recorded.
Luke Connors, a 29‑year‑old from Fairgreen Upper, Hacketstown, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for deceiving an 89‑year‑old Dublin woman, Mary Doherty, into withdrawing €400 from her bank account. Connors pretended to be a roof‑repairer for Doherty's sister and walked with her to the bank in Tallaght on 25 November 2016, standing across the road while she withdrew the cash. He pleaded guilty to dishonestly inducing the withdrawal. Connors had 11 prior convictions, including road traffic offences and two thefts. Judge Martin Nolan described the crime as "shameful" and imposed a 16‑month sentence, suspending the final 12 months. The court ordered that the €700 Connors brought to court be transferred to Doherty. The case was prosecuted by Gerardine Small BL, with Garda Kevin Boland presenting CCTV evidence of Connors walking with the victim to the bank. Connors was later arrested at a shopping centre.
Four men—Mark Farrelly (46), Christopher Corcoran (70), David Byrne (45) and Niall Byrne (36)—were tried in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a tiger kidnapping that took place on 13–14 March 2005. They were accused of abducting the Richardson family, the family of cash‑in‑transit van driver Paul Richardson, and of robbing €2.28 million from Securicor. The men allegedly burst into the Richardson home in March 2015, armed and wearing balaclavas, and forced the family to cooperate. They transported the family to the Wicklow mountains, held them overnight, and released them after the ransom was paid. The prosecution presented mobile‑phone evidence linking the accused to the robbery. All four pleaded not guilty. The trial was scheduled to continue until mid‑April 2018.
Two Dublin men, Jonathan Harding (45) and James Walsh (33), were sentenced to ten years and nine years in prison respectively for possessing a lethal arsenal of weapons, including nine revolvers, four pistols, a sub‑machine gun, an assault rifle, and various ammunition magazines. The weapons were discovered on 24 January 2017 at a unit in Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, which was presented as a logistics company. The men had pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court, and the judge noted that without the guilty pleas they would have received twelve‑year sentences. Harding had a prior six‑year drug‑related sentence in 2004; he received a ten‑year term with one year suspended. Walsh, with previous public‑order convictions, received a nine‑year term with one year suspended. The judge described the arsenal as "enormous potential for death and destruction" and a "lethal arsenal stored for the purpose of organised and very serious crime.".
Ciaran Ryan, 24, of Summerhill, Dublin, was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to three years in prison, with four months suspended, for unlawful possession of a CZ model 70 semi‑automatic pistol and two rounds of 7.65 Browning ammunition. The gun and ammunition were recovered by Gardaí at Connolly Station on 19 July last year. Ryan had pleaded guilty in December to the offence. He was acting as a "courier" for the weapon, and there was no evidence he intended to use it. On the day in question, a surveillance operation had been in place around Connolly station. Ryan entered the station at 3:05 pm, bought a ticket, met a woman who handed him a white bag, and boarded the Belfast train at 3:30 pm. Gardaí followed him onto the train, arrested him, and found the gun in a shoebox inside the bag.
Two men were sentenced at the Special Criminal Court for their roles in a mob that intimidated a man and forced his family to leave their home. Declan Duffy, aged 44, was jailed for six years for false imprisonment of Martin Byrne in Rathcoole/Saggart on 9 June 2015, and for assaulting John Roche at the Towers, Garters Lane, Saggart, on the same date. Christopher Maguire, aged 39, received a three‑year suspended sentence for falsely imprisoning Lisa Byrne in the same incident. Both men pleaded guilty. The mob, recruited to intimidate Byrne, forced him to leave his apartment in the Towers complex, assaulted him, and threatened his life. Duffy had prior convictions for false imprisonment and IRA membership, while Maguire had no prior convictions. The judge noted Duffy did not lead the mob and was not armed, and that the mob's violence was intended to supplant the legal process. The sentencing was carried out by Mr Justice Tony Hunt.
In 2013 a Dublin man, Ross Archibold, 40, was found with more than €400,000 worth of ecstasy pills in the boot of a car near his home in Snowdrop Walk, Darndale. Gardaí spotted him acting suspiciously beside the vehicle and, after he jumped a garden fence, searched the boot and discovered four bags containing over 40,000 MDMA tablets. The drugs had a street value of €403,000. Archibold was also found to have receipts from Lifestyle Sports in Swords and an Applegreen service station on the M1, and CCTV footage showed him buying a sports bag at Lifestyle Sports and being a passenger in the car that carried the drugs. He pleaded guilty to one count of possessing MDMA for sale or supply at Buttercup Park on 12 April 2013, entered an early guilty plea, was re‑charged and re‑entered a guilty plea in 2016. He has 18 previous convictions, mainly for minor offences.
In a Tipperary case, Christopher Mulready, aged 33, received a partially suspended ten‑and‑a‑half‑year prison sentence for a rape and savage assault of his former partner, who is now 28. The victim was attacked while sleeping on a couch on 28 April 2016, suffering a fractured eye socket and cheekbone. The next morning Mulready raped her. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm but denied the rape charge; a jury found him guilty of rape. Judge Michael Moriarty described the assault as cowardly and despicable, noting the victim's bruises and the lack of remorse shown by Mulready. The judge suspended the last nine months of the sentence, backdated it to April 2016, and ordered no contact with the victim, declaring Mulready a sex offender. The victim, who suffered PTSD, depression, and anxiety, has sought treatment and is rebuilding relationships with her family.
A 24‑year‑old Norwegian visitor, Nikolai Vinningland, was found guilty of assault causing harm to Dr. Robert Lee Greaves at Copper Face Jacks nightclub in Dublin on 16 April 2016. Vinningland struck Greaves with a glass that broke, inflicting serious facial and dental injuries. Greaves suffered a lacerated lip, a knocked‑out front tooth, a broken incisor, cuts to his chin, neck and face, and required plastic surgery and extensive dental work. He reported anxiety, embarrassment and financial loss of €7,500. Vinningland pleaded guilty, expressed remorse and provided an apology letter. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to a three‑year custodial term suspended in full on the condition that he pay Greaves €10,000 immediately and an additional €7,500 within 18 months, and to maintain good behaviour for three years. No custodial sentence was imposed. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a 12‑day trial at the Central Criminal Court, Judge Paul Butler directed a jury to acquit a 35‑year‑old man of all charges of rape, oral rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment against a 19‑year‑old woman. The judge cited the failure to swab the accused's neck for DNA as a serious risk of an unfair trial, and noted that the accused had claimed the complainant had kissed him on the neck, a claim the woman denied. The accused had pleaded not guilty. The prosecution had also dropped all charges against a 44‑year‑old co‑accused due to insufficient evidence. The judge's direction ended the trial, and the jury was excused from service for ten years. The case involved allegations that the woman was forced onto a tour bus after a Jason Derulo concert and was assaulted by two men, but the accused denied all allegations.
A 59‑year‑old Galway man was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for raping and sexually assaulting two nephews while they stayed at his mother's house between 1991 and 1997. He pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court. The judge described the abuse as a "horrific breach of trust" and noted the victims' courage in coming forward. The court heard that one nephew was repeatedly anally raped from October 1995 to June 1997, aged 15 to 17, while the other was assaulted from April 1991 to December 1993, aged 13 to 16. The accused entered the spare room, raped the boys, and gave them money afterward. Both victims were told not to disclose the assaults. The judge back‑dated the sentence to December of the previous year when the man entered custody. The accused, who has no prior convictions, claimed he had been abused as a child and apologized, stating he had "completely lost control of his moral compass.".
Daniel Daudet, a French music teacher, was jailed for three and a half years after using dual identities to fraudulently claim €175,000 in social welfare payments between 2002 and 2015. He obtained a PPS number as Alexander Daude in 2002 and later used his real name to claim benefits under both aliases. Daudet also rented a Dublin penthouse with a private pool for €3,000 a month, which he used to fund a lifestyle beyond his means. He was convicted of using a false instrument and a false French national identity card, plus 711 further fraud charges. The court noted his significant dishonesty over a long period and his use of taxpayers' money. Judge Melanie Greally imposed concurrent sentences totaling three and a half years, struck him off the music teachers' register, and acknowledged his repayment arrangements of €100 a week since 2016, with a remaining debt of €167,800.
Paul Buckley, a 45‑year‑old Cork man, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment on 29 January 2018 for impersonating a Garda and threatening to arrest a schoolgirl. In November 2017, while drinking in Dublin city centre, Buckley approached a teenage girl in school uniform, claimed to be a Garda, and offered her a coffee. When she declined, he threatened to arrest her for truancy, rubbed her hand, and told her she was "sexy". The girl reported feeling uncomfortable and frightened. Buckley pleaded guilty to the impersonation offence. The judge, citing the seriousness of impersonating a Garda, imposed the six‑month term, noting that the court could not infer beyond reasonable doubt that Buckley intended sexual assault. Buckley's prior convictions include a 2005 rape and assault conviction. The sentence reflects the offence of impersonation, with no mention of any suspended portion or effective custody beyond the six‑month term.
A man from County Dublin has had his sentencing adjourned at the Special Criminal Court following a dispute over the facts of a firearms case. Eamon McNamee, aged 37, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence, namely assault causing harm, at Fairgreen in Saggart on 19 January 2013. The prosecution alleges McNamee shot and wounded a man during an operation targeting unlawful IRA activity in Dublin. Evidence presented included gunshot residue analysis and testimony from a detective sergeant. However, the defence has suggested multiple individuals were present at the scene, questioning whether McNamee was the person who fired the shot. The court indicated a Newton hearing may be necessary to resolve the factual disagreement between the prosecution and defence. McNamee was remanded on continuing bail until 5 February to allow the defence to confirm whether such a hearing is required.
In January 2018, Paddy Harty, a 44‑year‑old convicted burglar, was sentenced to four years imprisonment for a sexual assault committed on 23 April 2015. Harty met the victim in a pub, they drank together, and he later drove her to a secluded area of The Curragh in County Kildare. While she was still wearing a dress, he forced her down, removed her leggings and underwear, and held her down by her arms. The victim escaped, hid in nearby bushes, and later called the gardai, who could not locate her. She testified that the memory of the attack haunted her daily. Harty pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court. The sentence is consecutive to a previous four‑year term for theft and fraud offences. He has 168 prior convictions, including 42 thefts, three burglaries and 12 breaches of domestic violence orders, but no prior sexual offences.
Eamonn Cumberton, aged 30, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court for the murder of 35‑year‑old Michael Barr, the manager of the Sunset House pub in Dublin. On 25 April 2016, two men in "Freddy Kruger" masks entered the pub, shot Barr seven times—five to the head, one to the shoulder and one to the neck—and then fled in a grey Audi. The court found DNA belonging to Cumberton on a baseball cap and a rubber mask recovered from the vehicle, which was later found partially burnt on Walsh Road. Evidence also linked Cumberton to the getaway car and to a flight to Thailand taken shortly after the killing. The judge described the shooting as a deliberate and planned execution, and noted that Cumberton had 37 prior convictions. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with no mention of a suspended portion or effective custody term. The court expressed sympathy for Barr's family.
A man from Castleblayney, County Monaghan has been sentenced to life imprisonment following his guilty plea to murder at the Central Criminal Court. Anthony Lambe (34) admitted killing a 43-year-old mother of three in her kitchen on Demesne Road, Dundalk on 6 April 2005. The victim's body was discovered by her mother that morning, bearing 34 stab wounds. The investigation lay dormant for years before a television appeal in 2012 prompted an anonymous call from a woman in Australia, who reported that Lambe had confessed to her. Lambe was arrested in January 2017 and subsequently told gardaí he had been paid to carry out the killing by an individual acting on behalf of another party. He was studying for a doctoral degree in history at the time of his arrest. Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed the mandatory life sentence following Lambe's guilty plea.
Paul Buckley, 45, pleaded guilty to impersonating a garda at Aston Quay, Dublin, on November 11, 2017. The court heard that Buckley, a registered sex offender, approached a teenage girl in school uniform, displayed a business card with a garda logo, and threatened to arrest her for skipping school. He allegedly rubbed her hand, called her sexy, and told her she could not leave. Buckley was identified via CCTV and arrested. He admitted to gardai that he struggled with alcohol abuse. Prosecutors stated Buckley revealed to the Probation Service that the offence was sexually motivated, while his defense counsel argued his motive was to seek human interaction due to loneliness and depression. Buckley was previously convicted of rape and assault causing harm in October 2005, for which he was jailed for four years at the Central Criminal Court. He was released in autumn 2009. Judge Martin Nolan remanded Buckley in custody and stated he would sentence him on Monday. The matter was adjourned for sentencing.
During the trial of a 35‑year‑old man accused of raping a 19‑year‑old woman at a Jason Derulo concert in Cork on 27 June 2014, a jury heard evidence of the complainant's text messages. Detective Sergeant Jason Lynch presented forensic analysis of the complainant's phone, showing a 3:50 am text to her boyfriend stating she was bruised and had no one, and a later message apologising for texting and mentioning five men. He also showed a 11 am text from a cousin about radio coverage and the complainant's reply that she was at a Garda station. Forensic scientists found no semen on the complainant's body or clothing, and DNA was not detected on six condoms from the tour bus. The prosecution case closed before the judge and jury, with the trial set to resume on Monday. The unnamed 35-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Declan Garnett, a 46‑year‑old father of three, pleaded guilty to possessing 198 grammes of cocaine worth €13,923 found near his apartment complex bins. He claimed he discovered the drugs in a shopping bag, brought them home, and hid them in his wife's jacket, holding them for up to three days before deciding what to do. Garda Cathal Connolly reported that the police raided Garnett's home on a warrant, finding no wealth, paraphernalia, or cash. Garnett had no prior convictions. His defence highlighted his lack of secondary education, strong work ethic, and family support, submitting employment testimonials and letters from his wife and children. Judge Karen O'Connor, shocked by the children's letters, set a headline sentence of five years' imprisonment but adjourned sentencing to March 14 to assess suitability for community service, noting Garnett's apologetic nature and potential to give back to the community. The case remains pending.