Jason Molyneaux, 26, of North William Street Flats, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a screwdriver with intent to use it in connection with the unlawful use of a motor vehicle. The offence occurred on 9 May 2016 at East Wall Road, Dublin 3, when he was a passenger on a stolen motorcycle. Molyneaux had 120 previous convictions, mainly for road traffic offences, and no history of violence. Judge Karen O'Connor described the offence as "particularly horrible" and noted the significant inconvenience caused to the motorbike owner, Matthew Leonard, who had lost his independent transport and had to extend his commute from half an hour to two hours. The judge imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended in full, and ordered Molyneaux to pay €1,000 compensation to Leonard. She warned that a repeat offence would trigger the full sentence. Molyneaux's co‑accused, William Baker, received a similar suspended sentence and a €2,000 compensation order.
Jonathan Hynes, a 31‑year‑old Wicklow man, stole between €1,000 and €7,000 from his employer, Zurich Life Assurance plc, between January and December 2015. He used the stolen money to pay for prescription medication and hospital bills for his drug‑addicted ex‑girlfriend. Hynes has refunded €30,000 to the insurer and still owes €40,000, which he must repay within three years. He pleaded guilty to the thefts. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing the case, found that Hynes's motive was a desperate act driven by emotion rather than greed. Judge Martin Nolan suspended a three‑year sentence, noting that a less noble motive would have led to a different outcome, and ordered the repayment of the remaining debt. No prior convictions were recorded for Hynes.
Oyindamola Ojo, a 37‑year‑old Nigerian mother of six living in Balbriggan, Dublin, received a three‑year suspended sentence for her role in a complex money‑laundering scheme that involved Ireland, the UK and Nigeria. She opened seven credit‑union accounts across three Irish counties, using forged Electric Ireland bills and "compromised" UK debit and credit cards to withdraw €1,800 from St Mary's Credit Union, €2,500 from Palmerstown Credit Union and attempted to withdraw €4,800 from Dunboyne Credit Union between December 2014 and January 2015. Ojo also pleaded guilty to using false bills at Dunboyne, Nolan's and Waterford Credit Unions, and to dishonestly inducing a replacement of an iPhone 6 Plus at Carphone Warehouse. She claimed she was drawn into the operation by an ex‑partner and a friend, both based in Nigeria, and that she feared for her three children's safety. Ojo had no prior convictions.
At the Special Criminal Court, Darren Gleeson, 34, admitted to being a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) on 18 May 2017. He pleaded guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation. The court, presided over by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy with Judges Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin and Cormac Dunne, remanded him in custody until 14 November, when sentencing will occur. Paul Greene SC suggested a possible re‑arraignment on the charge.
Mark Donovan, 49, of Liscarne Court, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to possessing €160,000 worth of cocaine for sale or supply at his rented unit in Rowlagh Shopping Centre. Gardaí discovered a large bag of suspicious powder during repairs, seized 2.3 kg of cocaine, a Colombian bank note and a list of names written in Donovan's hand. Donovan admitted storing the drugs for about six weeks, claiming financial pressure and fear for his safety. He denied that the list was a drug‑tick list, stating it was of business contacts. Donovan had previously been convicted of a minor road traffic offence. He has been in custody since the offence and will be sentenced on November 16, with the court noting he is facing a custodial sentence.
A 51‑year‑old mother of three, Jadesola Agbalade, pleaded guilty on 20 July 2016 to knowingly distributing child pornography after she forwarded a clip of a child being raped to a friend via WhatsApp. The clip, showing a child aged between two and five, was an international recording that had circulated since about 2014. Gardaí discovered the clip when investigating a man arrested for credit‑card fraud at Dublin Airport in July 2017; the man's phone contained the clip and the sender's number traced back to Agbalade. She admitted to sending the clip to a female friend with three young children to warn her against leaving her children with her boyfriend. Agbalade has no prior convictions, lives in temporary accommodation, and will be sentenced on 9 November. The court ordered a probation report and remanded her on continuing bail.
Patrick Kennedy, 69, pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court to unlawfully possessing two revolvers: a .455 Colt New Service and a .455 Webley Mark 6 with serial number 324736. He admitted the weapons were in his possession at James' Street, Dublin 8, on 14 September 2013. Judge Tony Hunt remanded him on continuing bail until 11 January next year, when sentencing will occur.
Real IRA leader Seamus McGrane was bugged by the Gardai as he plotted in a well-known Dublin pub with another man to carry out an operation involving explosives during the run-up to the State visit of Prince Charles two years ago. The Garda National Surveillance Unit planted a sophisticated listening device in the snug of the Coachman's Inn on the Airport Road, which recorded conversations between McGrane – a founder of the Real IRA – and engineering graduate Donal O'Coisdealbha. McGrane (63), from Dromisikin in Co Louth, is only the second person to be convicted of directing a terrorist organisation in the State. His former colleague and fellow founder of the Real IRA Michael McKevitt was jailed for 20 years in 2003 for directing terrorism between August 1999 and October 2000. He was released from prison in 2016. During McGrane's trial at the Special Criminal Court, during which there was no cross-examination of prosecution witnesses, the court heard recordings of the conversations between McGrane and O'Coisdealbha in April, 2015. McGrane told O'Coisdealbha: 'Go with whatever plan you wish. I think he's coming on the 19th (a reference to Prince Charles). I don't like an embarrassment.' McGrane then mentioned 'military significance.' 'Symbolic,' O'Coisdealbha replied. 'Symbolic is right,' replied McGrane. The two men were heard in the recording of April 19th discussing a location 'around 400 metres from the target.' Detective Sergeant Padraig Boyce said that the location being discussed was approximately 400 metres from the Cross of Sacrifice, a monument in Glasnevin Cemetery commemorating British and Irish soldiers who fought in World War 1. The two men were also recorded discussing a bomb found on a train line in Northern Ireland in February 2015 and an attack on MI5 Headquarters in London in April, 2010. The court also heard that gardai found bomb making components in a field adjacent to McGrane's house. McGrane was jailed for four years by the Special Criminal Court in 2001 after he pleaded guilty to training others in the use of firearms.
A Real IRA leader, Seamus McGrane, has been found guilty by the Special Criminal Court of directing the activities of an unlawful organisation, styling itself the Irish Republican Army (IRA), between April 19th and May 13th, 2015. He was also convicted of IRA membership between January 18th, 2010, and May 13th, 2015. McGrane, of Little Road, Dromiskin, County Louth, had denied both charges. The court heard that there was 'the clearest evidence of directing an illegal organisation,' including audio recordings from April and May 2015, which showed McGrane issuing instructions to Donal O'Coisdealbha regarding meeting others and providing bomb-making material. The recordings also referred to a 'military operation' of significance and 'the main attack' on May 19th, the date Prince Charles was due to carry out a State visit. Gardai discovered a veritable arsenal of weapons and explosives substances in hides on land adjoining McGrane's house. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, presiding, sitting with Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain and Judge Cormac Dunne, remanded Mr McGrane in custody for sentencing on November 14th next. Michael McKevitt was jailed for 20 years in 2003 for directing terrorism.
Mary O'Driscoll, 61, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing cigarettes and tobacco for sale after being caught with nearly 14,000 cigarettes in her Summerhill home. She had bought the cigarettes in Newry, Northern Ireland, and intended to sell them on North Earl Street, Dublin. The court noted she has 119 prior convictions, 108 of which are casual trading offences, and that she has severe kidney problems requiring dialysis. Judge Melanie Greally, citing her age and ill‑health, imposed a two‑year suspended jail sentence, warning that continued street trading would lead to incarceration. The court also heard that customs officers seized the cigarettes in a child's buggy and that O'Driscoll had admitted plans to sell them at €4 per pack and €10 per packet of tobacco. The judge emphasised the need to stop her trading activities.
Michael Darcy, 37, of Parkhill West, Tallaght, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to attempting to commit an indictable offence of deception by making a false insurance claim to Axa Insurance Limited. The offence was alleged to have occurred on 1 September 2013. Judge Karen O'Connor set a sentencing hearing for 23 November, when full facts will be considered.
Alan McNamara, 51, of Mountfune, Murroe, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Andrew O'Donoghue. Found guilty last July, McNamara was convicted of killing the Road Tramps member at the club gates on June 20, 2015, during a territorial dispute. Justice Paul McDermott imposed the mandatory life sentence, backdating it to December 1, 2015. McNamara's stepson, Robert Cusack, 28, of Abington, Murroe, pleaded guilty to impeding his stepfather's apprehension. Cusack was sentenced to six years in prison, with 18 months suspended for two years on condition he commits no further crime. The judge noted Cusack's late guilty plea and cooperation with gardai reduced the sentence from seven years. The sentence was backdated to August 14 to account for time in custody. The court heard from the victim's family, who described O'Donoghue as a hero who will never be forgotten. McNamara expressed remorse in a letter to the court. The judge considered McNamara's 11 previous convictions, including assault and drug offenses, and Cusack's three prior road traffic convictions.
In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Melanie Greally ordered that Eve Doherty, 50, be remanded in custody next Monday ahead of her sentencing on January 19. Doherty, a detective sergeant with An Garda Síochána, was found guilty by a jury of harassing State solicitor Elizabeth Howlin between September 2011 and March 2013. The jury found her not guilty of two counts of making false statements in March 2012. The trial heard that Doherty sent abusive letters and emails to Ms Howlin, her workplace, and her GP, using anonymous accounts from an internet café. Judge Greally stated that a custodial sentence is "inevitable," citing Doherty's lack of a guilty plea and evident remorse. The judge rejected the defence's request for a community service sentence, despite character references and a psychological report detailing Doherty's severe work-related stress, depression, and anxiety. Doherty has no previous convictions and was suspended from the force but remains a serving member. She was ordered to organise her affairs before being placed into custody on Monday morning.
Alan McNamara, 51, of Mountfune, Murroe, Co Limerick, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Andrew O'Donoghue. Found guilty last July, McNamara was convicted of killing O'Donoghue, a member of the Road Tramps motorcycle club, at the club's gates on June 20, 2015, during a territorial dispute. Justice Paul McDermott imposed the mandatory life sentence, backdating it to December 1, 2015. Prosecutors alleged that after tensions flared between the Road Tramps and the Caballeros, McNamara drove to the clubhouse and shot O'Donoghue, claiming he believed the victim was holding a gun. McNamara has 11 previous convictions, including assault and drug offences. His stepson, Robert Cusack, 28, of Abington, Murroe, pleaded guilty to impeding his stepfather's apprehension. Cusack admitted to taking the shotgun from McNamara after the incident and concealing it in pine trees near his mother's house. He expressed remorse and complied with bail conditions. Justice McDermott stated he would pass sentence on Cusack later that afternoon. The matter regarding Cusack was adjourned for sentencing and has not yet been concluded.
Two men, Glenn Murray, 28, and Frank Dunne, 50, pleaded guilty to possessing €95,000 worth of cocaine. They were arrested after a tip led Gardaí to a car‑park at Dunnes Stores, Saggart, on 15 September 2016. Murray was seen entering a blue Ford Focus, opening the passenger door, and carrying a black shopping bag that contained over 1,000 g of cocaine valued at €70,126. Two additional bags with 369 g of cocaine, worth €25,877, were found in a bedside locker at Dunne's house. Murray claimed he had no knowledge of the quantity, was promised €700 for transport, and described the operation as a "once‑off" job to earn extra money. Dunne said he had been promised €500, had a debt from cocaine use, and had no idea who the main organiser was.
Peter Hilliard, 54, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of sexual assault against vulnerable residents at Bloomfield nursing home between February 2013 and June 2016. The first assault was discovered when a colleague saw a video of Hilliard touching an elderly resident's breasts on his Facebook page. Garda Shane Whelan reported that the video also showed a male present during the assault. Following a search of Hilliard's devices, investigators found a second video of a similar attack on another resident. Hilliard had no prior convictions. After his arrest he expressed remorse and mentioned suicidal thoughts. The judge noted Hilliard's loss of employment and his engagement with counselling. A suspended sentence of 18 months was imposed, conditioned on Hilliard keeping the peace, attending weekly therapy, and remaining under Probation Service supervision for 18 months.
Siobhan Maguire, aged 47, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for fraud and theft offences that spanned 14 years. She worked as a personal assistant and shared secretary at two Dublin offices, where she fraudulently lodged 660 cheques into her own bank account, ranging from a few hundred euros to €5,000 each. The total amount stolen was €1,187,616, of which about €325,000 remains outstanding. Maguire pleaded guilty in the District Court and entered a signed guilty plea before the Circuit Criminal Court. She had no prior convictions. The judge noted her early plea, full admissions, remorse, and the impact on her young children, and imposed concurrent four‑year terms for each count. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the judge taking into account the financial details and the circumstances of the theft. The former employers received partial reimbursement from banks and did not wish to give victim impact statements.
John O'Keefe, 26, was stopped by Garda Stephen Connor after the officer observed him using a mobile phone while driving a van toward the city centre. The Garda noted O'Keefe was extremely nervous and detected a strong smell of cannabis. A search of the van uncovered a bag of 248 MDMA tablets worth €2,480 and a bag of cannabis herb worth €4,734. O'Keefe admitted to transporting the drugs for €200, claiming he was unaware of their value and did not know the recipient. He pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at Greenhills Road, Tallaght, on 11 April 2016. The court, hearing his 16 prior convictions, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation supervision. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Sarah Hanson, 44, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious harm after her car struck 72‑year‑old Sandra Molloy in a Clondalkin retail park car park on 13 November 2015. Molloy suffered two broken legs, a pelvic fracture and a skull base fracture, requiring 32 days in Tallaght Hospital, nine in intensive care, and multiple surgeries. Hanson was sentenced by Judge Terence O'Sullivan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 120 hours of community service and a €1,000 fine, with no custodial sentence. The judge cited Hanson's guilty plea, lack of prior convictions, remorse, and character references from colleagues as mitigating factors. Hanson, a clinical psychologist with three children, had no intention to harm Molloy and accepted responsibility immediately after the incident. The judge emphasised that the judgment focused on the driving rather than the extent of Molloy's injuries.
A 37‑year‑old Kildare construction worker, Paul Gill, was found not guilty of manslaughter after a six‑day trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The case involved an altercation on Sarto Road, Naas, on 22 August 2015, where Gill attacked Patrick "Patsy" Kelly over noise and late‑night drinking. Gill admitted assaulting Kelly and pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Kelly's friend, Martin Curtis. The jury, after just under two hours of deliberation, returned a verdict of not guilty of manslaughter. Gill remains on continuing bail and will be sentenced on 20 November for the assault charges. The trial focused on medical evidence that Kelly's death was primarily due to heart disease, with alcohol and injuries as contributory factors. Victim impact statements were scheduled for the sentencing date.
In Dublin City Centre, on 23 November 2016, Bernard McGrath, aged 27, punched pregnant Barbara O'Beirne, 23 weeks pregnant, in the stomach during an unprovoked attack. McGrath, who shouted at passing cars and then struck O'Beirne hard, also told her "Boo hoo, you're pregnant." O'Beirne was left in shock, unable to feel her baby, and later sought medical care at Holles Street hospital. She described the assault as a pregnant woman's worst nightmare and, despite the trauma, gave birth to a healthy baby girl a few months later. McGrath, a heroin addict with a troubled childhood and schizophrenia, had 21 prior convictions. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final nine months suspended, on the condition that he fully engage with probation services. The judge called the incident "deeply cowardly and bizarre.".
William McGlone, aged 34, was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for 21 counts of sexual assault, rape and oral rape of his twin sisters, Wendy and Stacey, between 1995 and 2001. He began abusing them at age 13, when they were eight, and continued until he was 19. McGlone admitted to raping Wendy with a shampoo bottle and a vibrator, and to assaulting Stacey when she was eight. He pleaded guilty to seven counts of assaulting Wendy, three counts of raping her, and one count of assaulting Stacey, but denied other charges. The court noted his history of alcohol and drug abuse, a personality disorder diagnosis, and claims of being abused himself. He was ordered to post‑release supervision for seven years. The sisters testified about the abuse, describing it as frequent and devastating, and expressed shame, guilt and ongoing trauma. The sentence was back‑dated to his first custody in February of the year. William McGlone was found guilty.
A builder's supplier company, Knauf GMBH, has been fined €40,000 for a safety breach that led to the death of Sergei Piller (33) in 2014. Piller was struck by a forklift at the company's site on Broomhill Road, Tallaght, Dublin. The company pleaded guilty to exposing a non-employee to a risk to their safety, health, or welfare, causing personal injury or death. The forklift driver had been loading pallets when he felt the forklift bearers pulling off the ground and found Piller underneath. Piller died from massive chest injuries. The court heard that there were no traffic management measures in place on the site, and regular visitors were not informed of safety procedures. The company has since implemented new safety measures and is now described as a 'model site.' The judge expressed her condolences to Piller's family and noted the company's cooperation with the Health and Safety Authority investigation.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 22‑year‑old Niky Sosso pleaded guilty to possessing over €27,000 worth of cocaine for sale or supply in his bedroom at Parslickstown Drive, Mulhuddart, on 28 January 2016. Garda Ronan Farrelly explained that a search warrant was executed after information that drugs were present in the home. Sosso answered the door, and while sniffer dogs searched, he immediately directed officers to the drugs, which were found in an iPhone box, a bag in his dresser and a shoebox, totaling 387 g with a street value of €27,115. He admitted the drugs were for other people and that he had taken orders to "make a bit of money." Sosso had no prior convictions and was described by his defence as naive and at the lowest end of the operation. He was a student with no significant assets.
Tom Humphries, a former sports journalist, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two and a half years in prison for grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl. The court heard that Humphries exchanged over 16,000 text messages with the girl over a three‑month period ending March 2011, then met her and the abuse escalated to sexual acts over a 14‑month period. He pleaded guilty to four counts of inviting a child to a sexual act between January 2010 and March 2011 and to two counts of defilement between December 2010 and February 2011. The victim, aged about 16, was a 47‑year‑old Humphries' daughter. Judge Karen O'Connor noted the impact on the victim's childhood and mental health, and imposed the sentence with no post‑release supervision, backdating it to his entry into custody on 3 October 2017. The sentence was concurrent with a two‑year term for the exploitation charge.
An 18‑year‑old man was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, after a jury found him guilty of raping a 15‑year‑old girl at a house party in Co. Wexford on 24 July 2014. The defendant, who was 16 at the time of the offence, had pleaded not guilty. He had met the girl, a secondary school student, through a mutual friend and taken her to a party where she was given vodka and became incapacitated. While she was unable to consent, the defendant raped her and later bragged to friends that he had "bagged her". The victim, now 17, described lasting emotional trauma and self‑harm thoughts. The judge noted the defendant's lack of prior convictions, his remorse, and the 18‑month delay between charge and trial, and ordered that he not contact the victim or approach her on social media.
Thomas Joyce, 37, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison, with the final year suspended, for robbing two taxi drivers in Finglas on 7 and 8 November 2016. He had previously been convicted of five robberies and three attempted robberies against taxi drivers, bringing his total convictions to 32. Joyce told the first driver he would "cut him" and the second that he had "blades" and would "slash his face to bits." He fled after taking phones and cash. The court noted the crimes were linked to drug use, but that Joyce was now in rehabilitation, having attended a residential treatment course from March to August 2016. He pleaded guilty, showed remorse, and cooperated, factors that were considered in the sentencing. The judge highlighted the terror inflicted on the victims and the high risk of re‑offending identified in Joyce's probation report. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offences while acknowledging his efforts at rehabilitation.
Michael Kinsella, aged 25 and formerly of Ardkeen, County Cavan, has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment for assaulting a fellow prisoner at Wheatfield Prison on 13 April 2012. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Karen O'Connor heard that Kinsella slashed the victim's face with a weapon, causing injuries requiring nine stitches. Kinsella, who is currently serving a 15-year sentence for manslaughter in relation to the 2011 death of Adil Essahli in Dublin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. The judge ordered the three-year sentence to run concurrently with his existing sentence, meaning no additional time will be served. The court was informed that Kinsella has engaged in educational and rehabilitative programmes while in custody and is not due for release until 2025. Michael Kinsella was convicted.
In a Dublin Central Criminal Court trial, Egyptian national Mohamed Okda, aged 31, was found guilty of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after a 2014 incident in a city centre flat. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts after a seven‑day trial. Judge Michael Moriarty sentenced Okda to eleven years for each rape and five years for the assault, with all terms running concurrently and the final year suspended. The judge noted the difficulty of imprisonment for foreign nationals and acknowledged Okda's claim of threat while in custody. The victim, a married mother, described panic attacks, depression and a "broken" life in her impact statement, and the judge highlighted her ongoing struggle to rebuild her life with family support. Okda has 16 prior non‑sexual convictions in Ireland. Mohamed Okda pleaded not guilty.
Vincent Banks, aged 49, of Smithfield Gate Apartments in Dublin 7, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment following his conviction by the Special Criminal Court in July for membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the IRA. The non-jury court heard that Banks purchased a Toyota Camry in a clandestine manner, which was subsequently used in the November 2012 murder of David Black, a Northern Irish prison officer shot whilst en route to Maghaberry prison. Evidence presented to the three-judge court included forensic links between Banks and the vehicle, including his fingerprint on the car's registration certificate, which he had signed under a false name. An ordnance survey map with the Leitrim page removed and bearing Banks' fingerprints was recovered from a friend's vehicle. Justice Isobel Kennedy noted Banks held a position of trust within the organisation. The sentence was backdated to April 16th 2016. Banks was previously acquitted in 2014 of withholding information related to Mr Black's death.
Adrianne Bradley, 53, was sentenced to 18 months in jail, with the final year suspended, after pleading guilty to possessing €68,154 worth of 3.5 kg of cannabis for sale or supply at her home on 11 August 2015. She admitted smoking cannabis occasionally but denied having a drug problem or debt. The judge noted she was a grandmother with four children, two under 18, and that she was vulnerable to manipulation by drug dealers, having a schizoid personality disorder. Bradley claimed she had been given the drugs about two weeks earlier and had not touched them, and that she was on social welfare at the time of arrest. Garda Alan Flaherty said the drugs were found after a warrant was issued following a tip‑off, and that Bradley's home had been invaded and destroyed in 2013, affecting her mental health. The sentencing court heard her daughters cry and hug her before she was taken into custody.
The High Court heard that the Lithuanian authorities' "intention" to put Liam Campbell on trial for alleged terrorism offences and weapons trafficking to Ireland is sufficient to order his extradition. Campbell, 54, was arrested in Dundalk on a European Arrest Warrant issued by Lithuania. The warrant alleges he organised the preparation for smuggling weapons to support the Real IRA between late 2006 and early 2007, arranging illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, explosives and substances. Remy Farrell SC, representing Campbell, argued that the client would face a long pre‑trial detention and that a trial was uncertain. Counsel for the Minister for Justice, Patrick McGrath SC, insisted that the Lithuanian prosecutor's "intention" to charge and try Campbell was clear and not merely investigative. The case was adjourned to 5 December for further submissions, and Campbell remains remanded on continuing bail.
Nassour Saleh, a 25‑year‑old Palestinian national, was given a suspended two‑year sentence for endangering Gardaí after a high‑speed chase on Navan Road in 2008. He had been 16 at the time and was not licensed to drive. In 2010 he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving under the influence of cannabis, receiving a six‑month suspended detention and a four‑year driving disqualification. The case was adjourned for a probation report, but Saleh fled to Norway, where he lived and worked as a mechanic for six years. He returned to Ireland last year, was arrested during a random Garda check, and was sentenced by Judge Terence O'Sullivan, who noted the unusual circumstances and the fact that no one was injured. The sentence was suspended on conditions including two years of probation supervision. The court emphasised the protection of front‑line services and the seriousness of the offence.
During an investigation of a crashed van on a laneway, Gardaí discovered a cannabis growhouse at a rented house on Heronford Lane, Rathmichael. The house, which had been rented three months earlier, contained 917 plants under artificial lights, valued at €733,600, with 501 plants ready for harvest worth €400,800. Harvested cannabis bagged for street sale was worth €29,960. The operation's electricity supply had been spliced. Steven Hudson, 39, the van driver and a low‑level participant, was arrested after returning to the site at 11 pm. He pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply. The court sentenced him to four and a half years, suspending the final two years, and directed him to keep the peace for two years and engage with probation and addiction programmes. Hudson had 15 prior convictions and was described as not the mastermind or a man of means.
A High Court judge has requested further information on strip searches in a Northern Ireland prison before deciding on the extradition of an unnamed 40-year-old defendant. The defendant, Mr Damien Joseph McLaughlin, was arrested in County Donegal last March under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Northern Ireland authorities. He is wanted in connection with the murder of prison officer David Black in 2012, as well as charges related to engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism and being a member of a proscribed organisation. The maximum penalties applicable to each of the four offences are ten years, 15 years, and two penalties of life imprisonment. The judge rejected claims that restrictions on movement or strip searches in Maghaberry prison would constitute inhuman or degrading treatment. However, she noted that the use of full-body searches may be unnecessary due to available technology, as indicated by credible evidence from a Joint Oireachtas Committee. The judge requested further information from the Minister for Justice and the UK regarding the use of such technology. A resumed hearing will take place on November 21, and Mr McLaughlin was remanded in custody until that date.
James Walsh, 33, pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court to possessing a cache of firearms, including ten revolvers, four pistols, a sub‑machine gun, an assault rifle and ammunition magazines, found on 24 January at Greenogue Business Park. He was remanded in custody until 11 January next year, when sentencing will occur. Co‑accused Jonathan Harding, 44, and Declan Brady, 51, were also remanded until 10 November, when their cases will be mentioned again. Both were charged with unlawful possession of five revolvers, twenty rounds of ammunition and a silencer, also discovered on 24 January at the same unit.
Szymon Flizikowski, aged 20, faces sentencing for possession of drugs worth over €150,000 and for two other offences committed in 2015. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of 30 cans of beer, assault with a Stanley knife in a Londis supermarket, and a separate knife assault in Leixlip. Garda Eoin O'Flaherty reported that Flizikowski threatened a staff member with a knife and fled with the beer. He was later arrested and, during a search of his home, police found MDMA, cocaine and ecstasy. Flizikowski claimed he was holding the drugs for a debt and feared a "bullet" if he refused. He admitted to calling a man a racist slur and slashing him with a knife, apologising and presenting a victim impact statement. He is currently remanded for sentencing on December 21 and is due for release in 2020.
In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, 36‑year‑old Ashley Lucas pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering for setting up a bank account at AIB Drogheda on 24 March 2015. The account was used to defraud Swiss student Marlene Lienau, who transferred €1,040 for a room that did not exist. Lucas admitted opening the account with a false utility bill and a passport, and he claimed he was instructed by a Nigerian man in the UK. Lienau suffered an economic loss of €1,346 and expressed distress at being scammed and the impact on her view of Ireland. Lucas has no prior convictions, has complied with bail, and has expressed remorse, offering to pay the outstanding sum. Judge Karen O'Connor warned Lucas that a custodial sentence will be imposed and postponed sentencing to 15 December to obtain an updated probation report. The co‑accused, who pleaded guilty to using a false instrument, received an 18‑month suspended sentence.
A 25‑year‑old Dublin man, Dean Comerford, was sentenced to one year in jail for providing false information in a passport application. The application, which contained his personal details, was submitted with a photograph that had been spliced to include a different person's image. Comerford had attended Tallaght Garda station in January 2015 to obtain a certification for the application, and the photo was stamped normally. The passport office's fraud department later discovered the splicing. Judge Karen O'Connor found the premeditated nature of the offence aggravating and imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation supervision. The case also involved co‑accused Derek Corr, who received a five‑year sentence with four years suspended, and a GP who was prosecuted for endorsing the identity form without meeting Comerford. The court noted Comerford's history of 14 convictions, including public order and road traffic offences. Dean Comerford pleaded guilty.
In a High Court hearing, the Minister for Justice argued that there is no reason to refuse the surrender of Liam Campbell, a 54‑year‑old Irishman, to Lithuania where he faces charges of terrorism and weapons trafficking. Campbell was arrested in Dundalk on 2 December 2016 under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Lithuanian authorities. The warrant alleges that between late 2006 and early 2007 he organised the preparation for smuggling weapons to support the Real IRA, arranging for illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, explosives and related substances. If surrendered, Campbell could face a maximum sentence of twenty years' imprisonment. His barrister, Remy Farrell, opposed the surrender, arguing that pre‑trial detention would be significant and that a trial in Lithuania would raise concerns about fair trial rights, especially regarding translation. The hearing, expected to last three days, will resume tomorrow, with Campbell remanded on continuing bail.
Stephen Bailey, aged 30, was sentenced to three years in prison after a high‑speed chase in torrential rain on the M50 led to a garda car aquaplaning and crashing. Bailey had pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and heroin, intentionally or recklessly ramming a garda, endangerment of Garda Gary Dunne and two dangerous driving charges. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a four‑and‑a‑half‑year term, suspending the final 18 months, and banned Bailey from driving for ten years. The chase began when gardaí, following a surveillance operation on Old Glenamuck Road, spotted a red Audi A3 driven by Bailey. The gardaí pursued him, but the patrol car aquaplaned, causing injuries to Sgt Divian Rock and Garda Tara Byrne. Both officers suffered significant injuries and ongoing medical costs. Bailey's guilty pleas and steps toward drug treatment were noted by the judge.
David Radford, 21, was remanded in custody for one month after the court found he had breached bail conditions by refusing emergency accommodation and sleeping rough. Radford had been released in March after a 3½‑year sentence for sexual assault, with the final 12 months suspended on the condition of full compliance with the probation service. He has 15 prior convictions, including three for sexual assault of women. Probation Officer Rob Pickles reported that Radford had not followed directions, had begun using substances, and the situation was deemed unworkable. Radford's defence argued that he had been attacked and feared for his safety, but the judge said he would re‑activate the suspended sentence if he refused accommodation. Judge Martin Nolan remanded him for a month, stating it was Radford's decision where he wished to reside.
In a case before the Special Criminal Court, Declan Duffy, 43, and Christopher Maguire, 38, both pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne in Rathcoole/Saggart on 9 June 2015. Duffy also admitted assaulting John Roche on the same day, while Maguire admitted falsely imprisoning Lisa Byrne. Daniel Kane, 28, was charged but did not attend court. Mr Justice Tony Hunt set a sentencing date of 18 December, remanded Duffy in custody and kept Maguire on continuing bail until that date.
Jerry O'Keefe, 69, of Oakhill, Youghal, Cork, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to three charges of rape, five of indecent assault and one of sexual assault. The nine sample charges represent a subset of 78 offences covering January 1980 to March 1987. The rape and indecent assault charges involved his eldest daughter, who was aged eight when the abuse began and twelve when it ended in 1985. The elder daughter was repeatedly asked to sit on O'Keefe's lap, sexually assaulted in the sitting room, then taken to his bedroom where he removed his clothes and raped her. The remaining charges concerned the younger daughter, abused at the family's new home on Catherine's Street. O'Keefe would enter her bedroom late at night after returning from the pub, climb into bed beside her and molest her.
A 30‑year‑old Somali man, Muhydine Adillahi, was captured on CCTV fishing through letterboxes at two Dublin apartment buildings in early July 2016. He was later charged with trespass and theft at The Poolbeg, The Gasworks, and Barrow Street between 1 and 3 July, and also with dishonestly appropriating keys and attempted theft at a post box on 1 July. Adillahi pleaded guilty to further trespass, theft, and key appropriation at The Jessop, Charlotte Quay Dock on 2 July, and to alcohol theft at Eurospar, Barrow Street on 1 and 2 July. He had 18 prior convictions. Garda Bryan Hunt noted that Adillahi's DNA matched that on a Heineken bottle left at the scene, and that he had left a bottle with his DNA as he and two accomplices fled with items worth €1,440. Adillahi's defence highlighted his background as a refugee who became homeless after turning 18.
Aaron Parrot, a 22‑year‑old from Dublin, received a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence for unlawfully keeping 17,000 Zopiclone prescription sleeping tablets worth €35,000 and possessing €1,050 of cannabis. The court heard that Parrot had a €700 per weekend cocaine habit and had been storing and selling the sleeping tablets to pay off a drug debt. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Karen O'Connor warned him to use all available assistance to tackle his drug addiction and ordered strict conditions, including engagement with probation services, anger‑management and victim‑awareness treatments, disengagement from antisocial peers, and continued drug rehabilitation. The judge noted Parrot's willingness to re‑enter employment and his low risk of re‑offending. No custodial sentence was imposed.
Juraci Da Silva, 36, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the death of James Banville, 28, who was stabbed in the heart on New Street in Waterford on October 8, 2016. Da Silva has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State has not accepted. He also pleads not guilty to assaulting Conor Hogan and producing a knife. The trial heard that Banville had eight previous convictions, including a four-month jail sentence in March 2009 at New Ross District Court for threatening to kill under section 5 of the Non-fatal Offences Against the Person Act. Other convictions included assault, carrying an offensive weapon, and criminal damage. Defence counsel noted that Banville and Hogan allegedly assaulted and racially abused Da Silva before the incident. Detective Garda Darren Colfer testified that Da Silva was interviewed on October 9, 2016, where he denied stabbing anyone despite witness identification. The prosecution has finished calling evidence. Mr Justice Michael White is currently dealing with matters in the jury's absence and has asked them to return tomorrow morning. The matter is therefore adjourned.
In October 2017, a court was asked to make no order against Kieran Lynch, a 50‑year‑old Limerick man who had previously killed his partner, Catherine McEnery, aged 36. Lynch had been sentenced to life in prison in March 2007 after a Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty of murder. He successfully appealed the conviction in 2013, arguing issues with the trial judge's charge to the jury on provocation and the introduction of fresh evidence. The Court of Criminal Appeal quashed the conviction, and Lynch was re‑arraigned in May 2016, pleading not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. He was sentenced to 12 years, with the last four years suspended for two years post‑release. In July 2016, Lynch entered a bond to be of good behaviour for two years and comply with probation directions.
Noel Reddington, aged 30, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for a series of armed robberies, some committed while he was on bail. He pleaded guilty to robbery of cash from a bookmakers in Rialto on 17 November 2016, possession of a semi‑automatic handgun during that robbery, robbery of a Spar on Errigal Road in March, and robbery of a Gala the day before. In the Spar incident he was armed with a large knife and shouted, "it's a robbery, give me the money"; the shopkeeper Mark Cahill sprayed an aerosol can at him, after which Reddington fled. Gardaí used Cahill's description to arrest him later that day. Reddington had previously served a sentence for robbery offences and was serving a suspended sentence at the time of the March incidents.
Vytautas Tarasevicius, 40, of Swords, Co Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possession of card trapping equipment. He pleaded guilty to possessing such equipment with the intention that it be used in connection with a theft in Howth on March 1, 2016. Judge Karen O'Connor ordered him to perform 240 hours of community service in lieu of 18 months imprisonment. The judge had previously adjourned the case in June to assess Tarasevicius's suitability for community service, considering testimonials regarding his voluntary work and a medical report outlining his health difficulties. Tarasevicius, who has seven previous convictions, was stopped by gardaí with a friend, Deividas Sevcenko, 34, of Swords. Gardaí recovered metal implements from Sevcenko and further similar items from Tarasevicius's car, along with images of ATM machines on his iPhone. Sevcenko, the co-accused, had earlier received 240 hours of community service in lieu of twelve months imprisonment for his role in the matter. Defence counsel Leanora Frawley BL highlighted Tarasevicius's remorse, his status as a father of two, and his lack of garda attention for the last 12 years. The court accepted his plea and imposed the community service order as the final disposal.