In a Dublin court on 13 October 2017, Darren Perkins, aged 40 and resident on Kings Inn Street, was given a suspended twelve‑month sentence for sexually assaulting a woman on 22 August 2015 in Smithfield. The victim, who was walking down a busy street at about 8.45 pm, was groped on the breast and squeezed tightly by Perkins, who denied touching her. She called out, lost him in the crowd, and later identified him to Gardaí after she had entered an apartment block. Perkins was arrested, admitted bumping into the woman but denied contact, and had five prior convictions. The judge ordered him to attend a victim awareness programme and to address his cannabis and alcohol problems. His wife described him as a "gentleman" in a letter to the court, and the defence argued his previous convictions were related to a drinking problem and were in the past. Darren Perkins was found guilty.
Brian Bobey, 64, was sentenced to 18 months in jail at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for fraudulently claiming his late mother's pension for 17 years, from 1997 to 2013. He admitted stealing €158,726 from the State. Judge Patricia Ryan rejected a repayment plan of €50 a week, noting it would take over 63 years to repay. The court considered the long period of fraud serious enough for custodial punishment but excused repayment due to Bobey's medical conditions, including blindness in one eye from a tumour and osteoporosis, and his remorse. Bobey has 15 prior convictions, the latest in 2002 for drink driving. He remains living at his parents' former home in Walkinstown Parade with his partner and daughter, receiving €195 a week in social welfare and paying €35 a week in rent.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Theresa Chennaux, aged 49 and diagnosed with schizophrenia, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for attempting to remove a five‑year‑old child from a Luas tram and for restraining a 12‑year‑old and assaulting her 14‑year‑old sister on 20 November 2015. The court noted she had not been taking her medication and had been moved in and out of psychiatric facilities without meeting involuntary admission criteria. Consultant forensic psychiatrists for both sides agreed she suffered a severe, enduring mental disorder. Judge Melanie Greally ordered that her detention at the Central Mental Hospital be extended, citing progress but ongoing need for care. The case involved CCTV footage of Chennaux removing the children, shouting about paedophiles, and refusing to answer questions, leading to her remand and transfer to the hospital.
A teenager who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a fellow 17-year-old in Claremorris, County Mayo, will be sentenced next month at the Central Criminal Court. The accused, now 17, was convicted by jury in July following a trial at the court sitting in Castlebar. He cannot be named due to his age. The deceased, Dovydas Jenkas of Mount Street, Claremorris, died from a single stab wound in the early hours of 19 December 2015. Evidence presented during sentencing indicated both families had relocated from Lithuania to Claremorris and the boys knew each other through their secondary school and playing basketball together. The court heard the fatal stabbing occurred in a garden during an altercation that began when the accused discovered the deceased in his mother's bedroom with his younger sister. Justice Eileen Creedon adjourned sentencing. Medical evidence is scheduled for hearing on 7 November, with sentencing expected on 14 November.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 13 October 2017, Danny Keena, a 55‑year‑old farmer from Empor, Ballynacargy, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his partner, Brigid Maguire, who was 43 and the mother of their two teenage children. Keena had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, claiming provocation after Maguire accused him of being a bad father to their 12‑year‑old son. A jury convicted him of murder on 14 November 2015, the day of the killing. During the sentencing, Jade Maguire, Maguire's daughter, delivered a victim impact statement describing the loss, anger, and grief endured by the family. Judge Patrick McCarthy imposed a mandatory life sentence, back‑dated to 17 November 2015, when Keena entered custody. Keena remained emotionless as he was escorted to prison. Jade Maguire thanked the Gardaí and urged domestic‑abuse victims to seek help promptly.
Catherine Simpson, a 72‑year‑old pensioner, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to ten counts of social welfare fraud committed between 1998 and 2016, totalling €206,696.09. She used two PPS numbers to claim Deserted Wives' Allowance and the non‑contributory State pension under her married name, while working under her maiden name, Maguire, and receiving additional benefits such as Job Seekers' Benefit, Illness Benefit and the Contributory State Pension. The fraud was uncovered in 2015 after facial image‑matching software was introduced by the Department of Social Protection. Simpson was sentenced to three years in prison, fully suspended, after expressing remorse and cooperation. She is required to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for three years, and her Contributory State Pension is being docked by €20 as repayment to the State. The court noted her long‑term alcoholism recovery, liver cirrhosis, and the support of her family.
William Baker, 34, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a stolen motorcycle on the basis of recklessness. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a fully suspended two‑year sentence, conditioned on good behaviour and payment of €2,200 to the owner within 15 months. The motorcycle was stolen on 1 April 2016 from a National College of Ireland car park and was later scrapped; its ignition had been damaged and the chassis number altered. Garda Adrien Buckley stopped Baker and a second man on 9 May 2016, noting the missing key and false registration plate. Baker was a passenger; the driver was found with a screwdriver and has a bench warrant. Baker has 77 prior convictions, including 56 road traffic offences, four public order offences, three thefts and two firearms offences. He has not been charged since 2009 except for a 2016 shop‑lifting conviction.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Seamus McGrane, 63, of Dromiskin, County Louth, pleaded not guilty to charges of IRA membership from 18 January 2010 to 13 May 2015 and of directing the activities of an unlawful organization styled the Irish Republican Army between 19 April and 13 May 2015. McGrane denied being an IRA member and denied purchasing Shamrock glucose in that capacity. The court heard that he was interviewed under Section 2 of the Offences Against the State Act on 15 April 2015, and that he refused to answer questions about IRA membership. An audio recording of a conversation in a Dublin pub, bugged by detectives, was presented, in which McGrane spoke of using Shamrock glucose to manufacture explosives. Chief Superintendent Sean Ward provided belief evidence that McGrane was an IRA member during the relevant period.
Ann Byrne, aged 34, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and attempted robbery after attacking a female colleague on Burlington Road on 25 August 2015. Byrne kicked the victim in the head, stood on her mouth when she screamed, and left a footprint on the victim's head. Garda John Cahill reported finding the victim in a distressed state with blood on her face and a swollen lip, cheekbone and eye. Byrne initially denied the assault, gave a false name, and claimed she was tipsy, but later admitted the offence. She has 17 prior convictions, including theft and traffic offences. The court heard she has a young child and wishes to improve her future. Judge Karen O'Connor imposed an 18‑month suspended sentence, noting the assault was violent and unprovoked, and that the victim's medical report showed serious impact. The sentence was suspended on conditions intended to encourage Byrne to build a better future.
Richard Burbridge, 46, of Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to eleven sample counts of stealing from the Department of Social Protection between April 2009 and December 2014. The court heard that Burbridge, who operated a courier business with an annual turnover exceeding €100,000, collected disability allowance payments from the post office in Inchicore. Although the payments were conditional on his income remaining below a specific threshold, his business generated net profits ranging from €33,000 to €41,500 during the period. Garda Thomas Burke stated that Burbridge received €66,961 in overpayments without entitlement. Judge Karen O'Connor noted that the case differed from typical social welfare fraud involving social deprivation, as the offending was discovered when a former employee found no record of PRSI payments. Burbridge's defence, John Noonan BL, highlighted that the defendant had already repaid over €10,000 through monthly payments of €400 and no longer claimed benefits. Judge O'Connor suspended a three-year jail sentence for five years, conditional on Burbridge continuing his monthly repayments to the Department. She noted that the Department of Public Prosecutions could apply to the court if his circumstances changed, stating that repaying the debt was more beneficial to the excheurer than incarceration.
Vincent Maher, 45, was sentenced to seven years in prison for possession of a loaded Smith & Weston revolver found in a laneway beside a Dublin pub. He was arrested after a surveillance operation and pleaded guilty to the firearm offence on 6 December 2016. The revolver, fully loaded with six bullets and wrapped in a black scarf, was recovered in a plastic bag by workmen; Maher's DNA was found on the butt. He claimed he kept the gun for personal protection, citing threats to his life, but no Garda Information Message had been issued to him. Maher also pleaded guilty to possession of heroin for personal use (22 November 2015) and possession of heroin for sale or supply (15 March 2016). All three offences occurred while he was serving a suspended sentence for possession of €20,000 worth of heroin.
In a case heard at the Central Criminal Court, Egyptian national Mohamed Okda, aged 30, was found guilty of raping a woman he met in February 2014 after she became lost and upset during a night out in Dublin. The woman, a married mother, had been visiting Dublin with two female friends, became drunk and tired, and lost contact with them. Okda approached her, offered help, and after she returned to his flat, he raped her. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after a seven‑day trial. Okda's defence, led by Ciaran O'Loughlin SC, requested an adjournment of the sentencing hearing to obtain a psychological report, citing concerns that two other men were present in the flat and had not been interviewed by Gardaí. The judge agreed to adjourn the sentencing to 23 October, and the victim was not present at the hearing. Mohamed Okda pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Derek Naylor, 46, and Paul Goddard, 57, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis resin and related drugs. Gardaí, acting on confidential information, tracked the men and discovered they had acted as mules for a drug operation, transporting almost €150,000 of cannabis resin. Naylor, a taxi driver with no prior convictions, admitted he was involved to repay a drug debt and was later found with three bags of resin worth €147,498. Goddard, who had four prior traffic convictions, admitted possession of amphetamine and cannabis at his home and claimed he was paid €1,000 for his role. Both men were described by the Garda as "just mules" who were "preyed upon" by others. Judge Karen O'Connor ordered probation reports and adjourned sentencing until December 8, 2017. The case highlighted the men's remorse, their lack of prior drug involvement, and the threat they faced from the drug network.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Derek Walsh, aged 29, pleaded guilty to producing a hatchet during a dispute over a broken laptop on St Anthony's Road on 10 June 2016. The incident began when neighbours reported men fighting with knives; Walsh, highly intoxicated, ran toward one man brandishing a large hatchet, which he later threw over a house roof before being apprehended. He has 71 prior convictions. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to 18 months' imprisonment but allowed a conditional alternative of 200 hours of community service, pending a suitability report. The matter was adjourned to 1 December for a final decision. No injuries were reported, and no victim impact statements were filed. The judge noted Walsh's remorse and background, and remanded him on continuing bail while awaiting the community services report.
Danny Keena, a 55‑year‑old farmer from Empor, Ballynacargy, was found guilty of murder by a jury at the Central Criminal Court after he strangled his former partner, 43‑year‑old Brigid Maguire, on 14 November 2015. Maguire and their two children had left Keena in September 2015. Keena pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, claiming provocation after Maguire accused him of being a bad father. The court heard that Keena had previously strangled Maguire to the point of dizziness, but the jury did not hear the witness statement that described a prior strangulation that stopped her breathing. The jury returned a verdict of guilty of murder, 11 to 1, after 4 hours and 55 minutes of deliberation. Keena will receive a mandatory life sentence, with remand pending sentencing.
A Dublin man convicted of IRA membership will be sentenced later this month at the Special Criminal Court. Vincent Banks, aged 49, of Smithfield Gate Apartments in Dublin 7, was found guilty in July of membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army. The conviction relates to his role in purchasing a Toyota Camry that was subsequently used in the fatal shooting of Northern Ireland prison officer David Black in November 2012. During sentencing proceedings, detectives outlined how Banks had acquired the vehicle under a false name and how forensic evidence, including fingerprints on a car registration certificate and an ordnance survey map of County Leitrim, connected him to the car. The map had a page displaying County Leitrim torn out. Banks' fingerprints were also found on the document. The court heard Banks has no significant previous convictions. He was remanded in custody pending sentencing on 23rd October.
Michael Power, aged 21, was convicted of two counts of assault, one count of causing serious harm and two counts of possession of a knife after stabbing Thomas Hanrahan and later slicing his face. Hanrahan suffered life‑threatening injuries, including a removed spleen and permanent facial scar, and will require lifelong medication. Power, who has 33 prior convictions, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment with 18 months suspended, back‑dated to July 2015. The judge imposed the suspended portion to encourage rehabilitation and barred Power from contacting Hanrahan for five years after release. Power has completed various courses in custody, including the alternative to violence programme, and is now a facilitator. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 27 June 2015 and the sentence was delivered by Judge Elma Sheahan. The trial was conducted by a jury.
Ronald McMillan, 69, was jailed for importing 30 kg of the banned plant khat into Ireland. He was caught at Dublin Airport and had previously been linked to a stolen rental car that he had taken to Portugal. McMillan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to theft of a Toyota Yaris on 10 March 2016 and to possession of khat for sale or supply and importation of the drug at Dublin Airport ten days later. Gardaí found the khat in wet form in a bag he claimed contained clothes, with an estimated street value of €15,000. McMillan has 28 prior convictions from 1971 to 2016, including offences in Gibraltar, Algeria, Austria, Australia, Monaco, France, Spain, Morocco and Yugoslavia. Judge Cormac Quinn sentenced him to two years, suspending the last 12 months on the condition that he keep the peace.
In a case heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, 21‑year‑old Dean Sutcliffe of Cushlawn Park, Tallaght, was found guilty of assault causing serious harm after striking 17‑year‑old Keith Fennelly on the head with a golf club on 3 November 2013. The incident followed an argument between the victim, his brother and Sutcliffe, who was sitting on a wall outside his home. Sutcliffe struck Fennelly from behind with such force that the club's head detached. Fennelly suffered a fractured skull, internal bleeding and required intensive care for several days. Sutcliffe had no prior convictions and was not known to the Gardaí. Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, and directed him to engage with Probation Services and undergo anger‑management treatment upon release. The judge noted Sutcliffe's youth, impending fatherhood and lack of previous offences as mitigating factors.
John Joyce Junior, aged 25, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to threatening to kill and possession of a firearm. He pointed a rifle at Bernard Joyce's head and fired a shot, after an altercation that began when a car with four men pulled up outside Joyce's house on 16 November 2014. The attackers shouted threats, broke kitchen windows, and Joyce produced the rifle, firing a bullet that passed over Joyce's head. He then left the garden and fired at the next‑door house, home of Joyce's brother. Patrick Joyce, 22, also pleaded guilty to the same charges. Judge Cormac Quinn sentenced Joyce Junior to eight years, suspending the last 18 months, with the sentence back‑dated to March 2016. Patrick Joyce received a four‑year sentence, also with an 18‑month suspension, back‑dated to June 2016. The court noted Joyce Junior's 92 prior convictions and his history of substance abuse.
At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Karl Fields (22), of Ayleward Green, Church St, Finglas Dublin, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply at a house in The Griffith, Finglas, on October 6, 2016, and to unlawfully impeding or obstructing a garda on the same date. The charges were admitted, and Fields was found guilty. Judge Karen O'Connor imposed a two-year sentence, which was suspended in full, consecutive to the term he is currently serving. The court heard that Fields was known to gardaí as a supplier of heroin in the Finglas area. During a search of the house, Fields threw two packages of cocaine out of a window, nearly into the hands of gardaí. The packages had a combined street value of €3,176. Fields has 168 previous convictions, including 11 for drug sale or supply and over 100 for road traffic offences. He has a chaotic family background and began using drugs at the age of 13. Defence counsel stated that Fields wishes to enter a residential treatment program on his release. The matter was adjourned.
Two men, Darren Watters (21) and Michael Joyce (28), pleaded guilty to stealing an Adria camper van worth €27,000 on 13 June 2016. At a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Karen O'Connor imposed suspended sentences: Joyce received a two‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term fully suspended, and Watters a two‑year suspended sentence for this offence and a separate offence involving a stolen car. The judge urged both to learn from their mistakes and warned that failure to do so could lead to future incarceration. Both were ordered to keep the peace, complete victim focus work, engage with probation services for 12 months and comply with all professional directions. The case was adjourned for mention on 13 October to decide the disposition of Joyce's €500 gesture of remorse.
Brian Bobey, a 64‑year‑old Dublin resident, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to fraudulently claiming his deceased mother's pension for 17 years, from 1997 to 2013, amounting to €158,726. He admitted to taking the benefits after her death in May 1997 and stopped in October 2013 following an investigation by the Department of Social Welfare. Bobey has not yet repaid any of the money. He lives at his late parents' house in Walkinstown Parade with his partner and daughter. Garda Niall Gaynor noted that Bobey cooperated fully when a warrant was obtained to search his house and that he had no evidence of living a "high life" from the false claims. Bobey has 15 previous convictions, the most recent being drink driving in 2002. The case was adjourned for sentencing on 13 October 2017.
Mr Justice Brian McGovern referred alleged inconsistencies in the income declarations of Ben Gilroy to the Revenue Commissioner's Investigations Unit. In July, the judge found Mr Gilroy in contempt of court for an affidavit in Allied Irish Banks proceedings that accused the court of criminal intimidation. The judge was minded to impose a community service order in lieu of three months in prison. On Friday, the court noted a Probation Service report deemed Mr Gilroy suitable for 80 hours of community service. However, the judge highlighted a discrepancy: Mr Gilroy had previously stated he had no income to qualify for legal aid, yet the probation report indicated full-time employment. The judge stated the court lacked resources to investigate this and referred the matter to Revenue, noting the DPP could liaise with them regarding potential false declarations. The judge also cited another inconsistency where Mr Gilroy claimed to lack a passport while expressing a desire to holiday in Spain. Counsel for Mr Gilroy maintained his client has no income. The contempt arose from an affidavit in AIB's enforcement of a €3.25m judgment against Seamus McQuaid, where Mr Gilroy made allegations against the court and AIB's legal team. Mr Gilroy admitted criminal contempt and apologized. The underlying AIB proceedings, which also involved co-accused Charles McGuinness, remain adjourned and will return to court later this month.
Gerard Cleary, aged 33, pleaded guilty to possessing 1,976 g of cocaine for sale or supply outside his home in Lucan, Dublin, on 8 August 2017. He admitted holding the drugs for a few minutes before Gardaí seized them, after being instructed by a third party to keep a package for no more than a day to repay a €9,000 debt incurred through his own cocaine use. Cleary, a waste‑management engineer, claimed he was paid to hold the drugs in an unlocked car, but could not name the person who owed him or who asked him to do so. He has 14 prior convictions, including nine traffic offences, one assault and one under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The court heard he had been a functioning cocaine addict, had lost his job, and that his debt had increased dramatically. He was remanded on continuing bail to be sentenced on 16 November.
On 2 October 2015, Charles Schlaubitz, aged 45, produced an imitation firearm in the beer garden of the Pygmalion Public House on Coppinger Row. He was wearing army gear, had a can of beer, and pulled a replica gun from his pocket. Garda John Clancy was alerted and found Schlaubitz intoxicated, slurring, and unsteady. He did not conceal the gun, which was in his bag, and was restrained. Schlaubitz was arrested and bailed for a public order offence that did not proceed. Later that day he returned to a pharmacy on Berkeley Road to retrieve toiletries he had purchased for his children. He produced the same imitation handgun, was aggressive, and was asked to leave. The pharmacy staff called Gardaí, who found him semi‑naked in a corridor at his hostel. He was arrested again. Charles Schlaubitz pleaded guilty.
In November 2015, Theresa Chennaux, a 49‑year‑old woman diagnosed with schizophrenia, attempted to remove a five‑year‑old child from a Luas tram and later tried to restrain a 12‑year‑old girl and assault her 14‑year‑old sister at two separate stops. She claimed she was protecting the children from a paedophile and accused Gardaí of being vampires. Chennaux had not been taking her medication and had been moved between psychiatric facilities without meeting criteria for involuntary admission. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a jury of twelve returned a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity on all charges in under twenty minutes. Judge Melanie Greally committed her to the Central Mental Hospital for assessment, with a report due on 13 November. The incidents were captured on CCTV and witnessed by passengers who described her as dishevelled and speaking of witches and the devil.
Declan Duffy, aged 43, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to assaulting John Roche and to falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne, both offences committed on 9 June 2015. The court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, remanded Duffy in custody until 18 October, when the case will be mentioned again. The judge ordered victim impact statements to be prepared for a future sentencing hearing. Duffy's co‑accused, Christopher Maguire (38) and Daniel Kane (28), were also involved in the same false imprisonment allegations, with Kane failing to attend court.
Christopher Geraghty, 48, of Oldtown, Santry, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of control substances for sale or supply. He was found in possession of 27 bars of PVP, a drug described in court as "poor man's cocaine", worth €242,984. Gardaí searched his residence on 15 October 2014 and discovered the white powder, which Geraghty and the supplier believed to be cocaine. He was arrested, cooperated during questioning, and was held in custody until 27 March 2015, a period taken into account at sentencing. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to four years imprisonment, with the final 24 months suspended, and imposed a 24‑month probation period. The sentence was mitigated by his health problems, addiction, family support and early plea. He had previously served a ten‑year sentence in 2005 for the manslaughter of Anthony Jordan.
Gillian Philip, 36, pleaded guilty to damaging a neighbour's property with fire on 21 October 2015. She was arrested that evening after Garda Robert Whitty interviewed two children who witnessed her pushing a flaming laminated paper through a letterbox. The children quenched the fire, but the hall carpet was scorched. Philip had been in custody since January 2017 and will live with her father in Co Cork after release. Judge Karen O'Connor described the act as reckless, noted Philip's limited cognitive function and tragic life, and considered her early guilty plea, remorse letter and positive use of custody time. She imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the balance from today's date on strict conditions. The case stemmed from a bin dispute, and Philip has five children and prior convictions for theft, public intoxication and failing to appear.
Joseph Moore, a 30‑year‑old supermarket security guard, was found with nearly €10,000 worth of cannabis and cocaine at his father's home. The drugs, valued at €7,735 for cocaine and €2,142 for cannabis, were discovered during a planned search. Moore told Gardaí the drugs were for his own use, but he later pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply. The court heard that Moore came from a stable, hard‑working family; his father, a retired civil servant, was deeply disappointed. Judge Karen O'Connor, after considering his work history and family support, decided against imprisonment. She ordered Moore to perform 240 hours of community service in lieu of a three‑year jail term. The case was adjourned for a probation report. The court noted that Moore's father, now a taxi driver, was mortified by his son's behaviour.
Christopher Maguire, 38, pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court to falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne and Lisa Byrne in Saggart on 9 June 2015. The court accepted the plea, remanded him on continuing bail until 18 October when sentencing will occur, and ordered victim impact statements to be prepared.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Gregory Kearns, aged 44, pleaded guilty to 14 counts of illegally possessing false instruments and items that could be used to make false instruments. Gardaí found at his home a fake €50 note, fake bank statements, a fake driver's licence, a fake motor tax disc, scanners, laminators, a vehicle registration plate maker, gold and silver foil, a harp stamp, laminate strips and a circular cardboard template for making motor tax discs. Kearns, who lives with his wife, two children and a grandchild, told officers he would replace all the equipment within a week and that he had wiped the computers. He has seven previous convictions, including one for handling stolen property and several road traffic offences. The court heard he is a charity volunteer who has dressed as Santa Claus for sick children. Judge Karen O'Connor will sentence him next Friday, October 6.
Keith Byrne, 32, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of €300 worth of cannabis herb and making threats to kill or seriously harm staff at Bewleys Hotel, Sandyford, on 15 February 2014. Byrne, who had 44 prior convictions, threatened staff, saying he had a barrister on speed dial and would slit a staff member "from ear to ear." He also threatened to stab a staff member with a screwdriver after the staff member had the bag of cannabis. Byrne had completed a residential rehabilitation programme and a favourable probation report was presented. Judge Melanie Greally, noting the violent conduct but also the rehabilitation, imposed a two‑year sentence suspended for two years on strict conditions, deciding that incarceration would be counter‑productive at this stage.
A man from Mayo has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to twenty counts of child sexual abuse against a boy over a twelve-year period between 1997 and 2008, as well as eleven counts of rape against his own daughter between 2007 and 2009. The victim impact statements revealed the profound harm caused, with both complainants describing lasting psychological damage, including depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. The male victim, now aged 31, detailed how the accused groomed him from age ten, exploiting his vulnerable family circumstances. His daughter was first assaulted at fourteen and subjected to repeated attacks characterised as routine abuse. The accused initially denied the allegations but subsequently admitted culpability to gardaí. Mr Justice Tony Hunt adjourned sentencing to December pending a medical report, noting that the guilty pleas had spared the victims a trial while acknowledging that the offences had fundamentally altered their life trajectories.
James Maher, aged 64, was jailed for eight years after pleading guilty to six counts of sexually abusing his two nephews between 1980 and 1984. The victims, aged eight and six at the time of the first abuse, were abused at various locations in Dublin. Maher admitted to indecent assault and other sexual offences, describing the abuse as "pain and violence" and "like an animal." The court heard the brothers turned to drugs and suffered depression as a result of the abuse. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced Maher to nine years, suspending the final year due to his age, health issues, guilty plea and lack of prior convictions. The victims waived anonymity and testified that the abuse had robbed them of their youth and spirit. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court formally discharged charges against ten of the eleven Jobstown water charge protesters. Judge Melanie Greally entered a nolle prosequi for all accused except Dylan Collins, whose case remains active. Prosecution barrister Sean Gillane SC stated that Collins, aged 22, is alleged to have committed violent disorder and criminal damage to a garda car rear window on November 15, 2014. He will be arraigned on November 20, with a trial date likely unnecessary. The other ten defendants, including Antoinette Kane and Calvin Carlyle, faced allegations of violent disorder at Fortunestown Road, Jobstown, on the same date. Their charges were dropped following a request from the DPP. This decision follows a previous trial where six men, including Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, were found not guilty of falsely imprisoning former Tánaiste Joan Burton and her advisor Karen O'Connell. Protesters celebrated the discharge outside the court, demanding a public inquiry into the prosecution. The matter for the ten discharged individuals was concluded, while Collins's case proceeds to arraignment.
Kevin Braney, a 43‑year‑old Dublin man, was charged by the Special Criminal Court with membership of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and with the murder of Peter Butterly, a 35‑year‑old father of two, who was shot dead outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston, Co. Meath on 6 March 2013. Braney is also charged with possession of a 9 mm Beretta pistol and seven rounds of ammunition, allegedly intended for a murder on 5 March 2013 at Blackthorn Apartments, Balbriggan. He was brought before the court on 14 September 2017, where he protested the charges as politically motivated and demanded a jury trial. The court, following the Director of Public Prosecutions' request, ordered that he be tried before the Special Criminal Court. Judge Tony Hunt remanded him in custody for a further hearing on 21 September. No objections were raised to Braney's application for legal aid.
A Limerick biker, Alan 'Cookie McNamara, 51, from Mountfune, Murroe, Co Limerick, was found guilty of the murder of Andrew 'AOD' O'Donoghue at the gates of the Road Tramps motorcycle club at Mountfune on June 20, 2015, by a jury in the Central Criminal Court. The case was heard at the sentence procedural stage. McNamara had pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder. The jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty. The matter was adjourned, and McNamara was remanded in custody for sentencing on October 27th. Robert Cusack, 28, of Abington, Murroe, Co Limerick, had pleaded not guilty to impeding McNamara's apprehension but later changed his plea to guilty. Alan McNamara had also pleaded not guilty to the charge of impeding McNamara's apprehension. No findings or sentences were recorded for Robert Cusack or Alan McNamara. The case was not finalised, and no suspended portions, effective custody, conditions, or adjournments were specified for the other named case subjects.
John Morley, aged 31, was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to assaulting a Romanian refuse collector at Virgina Park, Finglas, on 5 August 2015. The incident began when a bin was not collected because it had been "blacklisted" for non‑payment. Three men, including Morley, confronted the bin crew, pushing the collectors and threatening violence. Morley was under the influence of alcohol, but the judge, Melanie Greally, found this not a justification. He received a three‑year sentence with the final year suspended, conditional on participation in victim awareness work and maintaining peace for that period. The case also involved two other men who received partially suspended sentences. Morley's 20 prior convictions were noted, and the court highlighted the seriousness of the assault.
Ahmed Ayadi, aged 25, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for possession of a 9mm Glock pistol in suspicious circumstances and for possession of cannabis. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Ayadi had approached undercover Gardaí to buy a firearm, claiming he was involved in drug sales and wanted a weapon "just in case." He initially wanted an AK‑47 but chose a Glock after seeing a picture, paying €450 on 12 May 2016. Gardaí had been alerted through confidential information and set up a surveillance operation, recording meetings with Ayadi. He was arrested after his vehicle was intercepted. The judge, Karen O'Connor, noted his early guilty plea, remorse, and community work, but considered the offence serious. She imposed a six‑year term, suspended the final 12 months, and ordered 12 months of probation supervision upon release.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Detective Sergeant Eve Doherty, aged 49, was found guilty of harassing State solicitor Elizabeth Howlin. Doherty had pleaded not guilty to the harassment charge and to two counts of making false statements alleging Howlin was perverting the course of justice. The jury convicted her on the harassment charge but acquitted her on the false statements. The court heard that Doherty sent abusive letters and emails to Howlin's home, workplace and GP, calling her a "corrupt bitch" and other slurs, and that she also distributed A4 posters claiming Howlin was a political appointee who would "pull" files. Doherty was remanded on continuing bail until 27 October, with conditions prohibiting contact with parties in the proceedings and no social‑media postings about the case. The trial lasted just over three hours and involved 15 days of evidence. The judge thanked the jury for their careful assessment of the evidence.
Carl Murphy, 45, pleaded guilty to possessing 121 images of child pornography after "stumbling" across them while searching for adult porn late at night. He was in a state of emotional flux following his marriage collapse and had checked himself into St Patrick's Hospital. The material, mainly depicting young females under 17, was seized from two laptops and a desktop. Murphy admitted he had not sought the illegal content and had deleted it after viewing. Judge Martin Nolan noted the modest number of images and Murphy's psychological problems, and imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence suspended in full. Murphy has no prior convictions, is undergoing therapy, and has expressed deep remorse for the impact on his family and community.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 49‑year‑old Dublin man was convicted of raping his 14‑year‑old niece twice between 1 January 2012 and 1 April 2013 while she lived with him. The victim, now 19, testified that the assaults occurred in her bedroom after she had fallen asleep, describing the uncle's force and the fear he instilled. She reported feeling "dirt, shame and disgust" and later suffered severe depression, self‑harm and suicidal thoughts. The defendant denied the allegations, claiming the niece had lost her virginity to a boyfriend and that he was not drunk when the incidents occurred. He has 37 prior convictions for road traffic offences. Mr Justice Paul McDermott sentenced him to nine years, with the final year suspended, for two "nasty, violent rapes" that breached the trust of a vulnerable child. The defendant's wife and children supported him, and he has applied for legal aid to appeal.
Vincent Banks, aged 47, from Smithfield Gate Apartments in Dublin 7, has been found guilty by the Special Criminal Court of membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army. The conviction follows his trial regarding the purchase of a Toyota Camry used in the fatal shooting of Northern Ireland prison officer David Black on 1 November 2012. Mr Black was killed in a drive-by shooting on the M1 near Lurgan, County Armagh. The vehicle was subsequently found burnt out in a ditch near Carrigallen, County Leitrim, with firearm cartridges connected to the death recovered from inside. Banks had denied the charge, maintaining he knew nothing of Mr Black or the vehicle. However, the court accepted evidence from Chief Superintendent Gerry Russell regarding Banks' membership and found his conduct surrounding the car's purchase surreptitious. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, presiding with judges Gerard Griffin and Gerard Haughton, noted that inferences could be drawn from Banks' failure to answer material questions during garda interviews. He was remanded in custody pending sentencing on 9 October.
Larry McCarthy, aged 37, was convicted by the Special Criminal Court of violent disorder and assault causing harm. The violent disorder charge stemmed from an incident on 25 November 2014 at Cornmarket Villas, Limerick, where McCarthy, along with two others, threatened to use "unlawful violence" and assaulted David Foran, a cyclist who had been involved in a minor road accident with a motorcyclist. Foran was stabbed in the leg with a knife and struck on the head with a baseball bat. McCarthy pleaded not guilty to the assault but was found guilty. He received a six‑year sentence for violent disorder and a three‑year sentence for assault causing harm, both to run concurrently and back‑dated to 30 July 2015. The court noted the use of a knife and bat as aggravating factors and limited mitigating circumstances. The sentences were imposed by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Gerard Haughton.
Jade Seddon, a 25‑year‑old mother of three from Oldham, Manchester, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for importing €70,000 of cocaine into Dublin Airport on 30 March 2017. She admitted to carrying just over one kilogram of the drug in a suitcase when she flew in from Brussels. After her arrest, Seddon told Gardaí she had flown to Amsterdam to collect the package, knowing it contained cocaine, and that she was to meet a man in Dublin to receive €3,000. She claimed she did so because her home was being repossessed and she needed money for a rent deposit. Defended by Luigi Rea, she was described as a single mother of limited means who had previously worked as a bingo caller and cleaner. Jade Seddon pleaded guilty.
Two brothers, aged 44 and 44, stood in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual abuse of their uncle, who was 64. The abuse took place between January 1980 and March 1984, when the brothers were aged eight to thirteen and six to seven. The uncle admitted to indecent assault, placing his penis in each boy's mouth and anus, and urinating in one boy's mouth. He had considered murdering them but said he would not do so. The brothers waited to come forward until after their grandparents died, fearing the impact on their family. They described the uncle's reassurance that the abuse was "OK" and "our secret." The brothers suffered drug addiction, depression and relationship problems. The court ordered a probation report and adjourned sentencing to 2 October, noting the seriousness of the offence.
In a Dublin Circuit Court hearing, Judge Martin Nolan expressed surprise that possession of empty firearm cartridges was a criminal offence. He sentenced 26‑year‑old Paul Honer to a three‑month suspended sentence for unlawful possession of blank ammunition. Honer admitted keeping the cartridges in a red box under a fish tank in his bedroom; he claimed they were given to him by his father before the father's death ten years earlier. Garda Thomas Wafer discovered the shells during a search of Honer's house on 26 March 2016. Honer, who had previously pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearm ammunition, was arrested for the offence while already serving a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for a firearms offence. Judge Nolan noted that many people in rural areas possess spent shells and that he would not sentence someone to imprisonment unless the state proved sinister intent.
Jonathan Doran, a 26‑year‑old barber from Artane, was convicted of violent disorder after a row outside Krystal nightclub in Dublin in 2013. He claimed he acted out of "misguided loyalty" because he mistakenly believed his friend, Republic of Ireland footballer Jeff Hendrick, had been struck. Doran admitted chasing Darren McDermott down a laneway and sitting on him, but denied any assault. The jury found Hendrick not guilty and convicted Doran. Judge Martin Nolan, noting no evidence of assault and Doran's good record, imposed a two‑year suspended sentence and ordered him to pay €6,000 within a year, to be given to charity if McDermott declined. Doran had no prior convictions and had cooperated with the investigation. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the trial lasting 29 minutes before the verdict. Jonathan Doran was acquitted.