A 28‑year‑old Kildare man was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting his half‑sister between November 2008 and December 2010. He pleaded guilty on the third day of his trial after the 19‑year‑old victim gave evidence. The court heard that the abuse involved touching her private parts, breasts and inserting a finger into her vagina. The victim, aged 11‑13 at the time, had reported the abuse to Gardaí in July 2014 and the man was arrested in October 2014. He had previously admitted the abuse to the police and had minor convictions for theft and public order offences. The judge noted the victim's vulnerable situation and the man's remorse, ordering full medical and educational assistance while in custody. The case highlighted a dysfunctional family background and the victim's ongoing emotional distress.
Ethan Emmett, 24, of Finglas, Dublin, received a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to assault causing harm and criminal damage in Finglas on March 31, 2011. Judge Karen O'Connor described Emmett's conduct as "disgraceful" but suspended the sentence, citing the time he has already spent in custody and his young age. Prosecution evidence alleged that Emmett threw beer bottles at a chipper owner after being refused a phone charger loan, causing approximately €2,000 in damage. Emmett fled to Australia on bail in 2011 and was not returned to Ireland until March of this year, following the completion of a five-year and eleven-month sentence for reckless wounding in Australia. He was arrested by gardaí upon his arrival at the airport. The court noted Emmett has 30 previous convictions, mostly from his minority, including assault and public order offences. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the suspended sentence.
In a victim impact statement at the Central Criminal Court, a married mother described how she is now a "broken person" after being raped by Mohamed Okda in February 2014. She said she suffers from panic attacks and depression, feels her trust and belief in people have been shattered, and that she has lost friends and feels unable to talk about the night. Okda, 30, was found guilty by a jury of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts after a seven‑day trial. The case will return to court on 9 October. The mother thanked her husband for support and said she is working to repair their relationship. Okda has 16 prior convictions in Ireland, none for sexual offences, and has been in custody since his conviction.
A 33‑year‑old man accused of raping a woman in her 50s on the grounds of Pollerton Castle in Carlow was refused bail by the Central Criminal Court. He had previously been denied bail at the District Court. The State argued the seriousness of the rape and assault charge, the potential for a lengthy sentence and a flight risk. Justice Paul Coffey accepted these objections and denied bail.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Joseph Beacom, aged 34, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for discharging a shotgun into the bedroom of his neighbour, Patricia Weldon, after a dispute with his brother over childcare. The incident occurred on 3 April 2016 at Kilmahuddrick Lawn, Clondalkin, when Beacom, enraged that his children had witnessed a fight with his brother, returned to Weldon's home with a shotgun and fired through a bedroom window. The shot shattered glass and caused Weldon to seek refuge in her bathroom, where she called the Gardaí. Beacom had previously pleaded guilty to the offence and had 36 prior convictions, including six threats to kill. The court noted his history of alcohol misuse but also his participation in a residential treatment programme at Chuain Mhuire, and imposed a five‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended.
Bryan Quigley, 44, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of an Anschutz rifle found in his flat on 29 November 2016. Garda David Chapman reported that a search of Quigley's former home recovered the disassembled rifle and 11 rounds of ammunition. The rifle, stolen in a burglary, was in usable condition but had its telescopic sight installed backwards. Quigley claimed he had no involvement in the burglary and had been drinking when a man, whom he would not name, brought the weapon to his home and asked him to leave it there. Quigley said he feared the man and felt forced to agree. He was homeless after a fire at his flat and had difficulties with alcohol and depression. The court found Quigley a vulnerable person who had been taken advantage of. Judge Nolan, noting Quigley's guilty plea, cooperation and lack of benefit from the offence, imposed a four‑year sentence, which he suspended in full.
A Louth man (29), who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual intercourse with a minor at a hotel in Co. Dublin between November 28 and December 6, 2013. The man told the 15-year-old schoolgirl he could get her a fake passport if she wanted to come away with him to Northern Ireland, warning her she would have to dye her hair and live as the name on the fake passport. The girl later told gardaí that she had consensual sex once with the man while staying at various hotel accommodations over a few nights while waiting for the passport. The man has 38 previous convictions, including assault, burglary, criminal damage, and theft. Sergeant Louise McHugh testified that the girl had met the man outside a pub the previous summer and had kept in phone contact with him. They met twice to play pool together, and on another date, the girl stayed with the man in a hotel after spending a night out drinking with him. The girl had a half day from school when she met the man at a shopping centre on November 28, still in her uniform. The man bought her a €60 phone and they spent the day drinking together at the centre before she agreed to stay with him when she missed her bus home. Over the next few nights, the man booked them into hotel and B&B accommodation and organised a change of clothing for the schoolgirl from his female friend. He told the 15-year-old that they would stay at the final hotel a bit longer while they waited for the passport. The girl told gardaí that the man had sex with her once and that she had been happy to run away with him. She said that another couple joined them in the hotel room for the last few nights and she described spending the daytime with the female while the males went out to work. Gardaí tracked the girl down to an internet cafe on December 6, after stopping the man and his male friend on a different street. The girl told officers that the ten-year age gap between her and the man didn't bother either of them and that while he never said he loved her, she felt there was something there. She declined to make a Victim Impact Statement. Dominic McGinn SC, defending, agreed with Sergeant McHugh that his client had had a history of self-harm and had made serious attempts to take his own life. He further agreed that the man had co-operated with gardaí fully. Mc McGinn submitted to Judge Cormac Quinn that it was the disparity in age that made the case against his client as there was no evidence of coercion or violence. Referring to a psychologist's report, Mr McGinn submitted that some of the tragic elements of his client's background had been the catalyst for drug abuse and antisocial behaviour. Counsel said the man had tried to take his own life three weeks before the incident with the girl and that he was at a place in his life where he was looking for support. Mr McGinn said being in prison awaiting sentence had given his client stability and structure and that he wants to deal with his drugs issue. Judge Quinn ordered a probation services report and put the matter back to October for sentence.
Carl Freeman, aged 22, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, back‑dated to January, for an aggravated burglary at a 77‑year‑old Dublin woman's home in Tallaght on 12 March 2013. The court noted the victim was left severely traumatised, fearing for her life and subsequently never returned to the house, now living with her daughter. Freeman pleaded guilty to the burglary and had 62 prior convictions, including dangerous driving, burglary and assault. The judge described him as a "menace to society" and imposed a five‑year term, with the court's decision reflecting the serious impact on the victim. The burglary involved the theft of jewellery, a TV, cash and other items, and the perpetrators used a stolen Audi A4 to escape. Freeman's defence highlighted his family's support and his history of drug abuse and ADHD. The court accepted his guilty plea as a genuine benefit to the victim.
The Court of Appeal has allowed the State's appeal, setting aside a High Court judgment that had declared the 2014 arrest of Mark Finnegan unlawful. Finnegan, a resident of Tallaght, was convicted in November 2008 of allowing himself to be carried in a mechanically propelled vehicle without the owner's consent. He was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment on May 27, 2009. After serving two months in Wheatfield Prison, he was transferred to Shelton Abbey open prison, from which he escaped on October 31, 2009. He remained at large until his arrest in November 2014, during which time he collected social welfare and fathered a child. Mr Justice John Hedigan, writing for the court, stated that the delay in his recapture was attributable to a human error by authorities who failed to enter his absconding details into the Garda PULSE system, preventing nationwide notification. The judge described Finnegan's conduct as a "protracted evasion of justice" and "simply ignoring" his lawful sentence. The court found that the arrest and detention were in accordance with law, noting that the role of gardaí is to catch escapees and hand them to prison authorities. The appeal was allowed, and Finnegan faces a return to prison to complete his sentence. However, lawyers for the State undertook not to arrest him if his solicitor lodges a Supreme Court appeal.
Ryan Lee Thomas, aged 25, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for three counts of sexual assault in Dublin's city centre and two counts of possessing the controlled drug GBL. The assaults occurred on 30 December 2016, over an hour‑and‑a‑half, while Thomas was under the influence of GBL, which he had purchased online. He was found guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty. Thomas had previously been convicted in Melbourne, Australia, for sexual offences while under the influence of the same drug. The court noted that Thomas had apologized to each victim and had a good employment history, but he was also ordered to undergo two years of post‑release supervision by the Probation Service. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the repeated assaults and the risk of re‑offending. The court did not alter the custodial term for the drug possession charges.
Two Dublin men, Jordan Carthy, 22, and Shane Walsh, 18, were sentenced to three and a half years in prison for assault causing harm and robbery of two necklaces worth €22,000. The incident occurred on 9 September 2016 at Dame Lane, Dublin 2, when the men attacked Richard Bergin, took his bag, and stole the necklaces. CCTV footage showed the men kicking and stamping on Bergin, with Carthy taunting him. Bergin suffered a broken nose and head bruising. Both men pleaded guilty. Judge Karen O'Connor, after viewing the footage, imposed the custodial sentence and suspended the final 20 months, citing the men's remorse. Each was ordered to pay €1,000 to Bergin as a practical expression of remorse. The men were intoxicated at the time of the assault and had prior convictions. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
An unnamed 72‑year‑old Dublin man, previously jailed for indecently assaulting two brothers, returned to prison to serve a further year for a similar abuse of a third brother. He admitted to inviting a then‑seven‑year‑old boy into his bed when alone and rubbing his penis against the child's naked backside. He pleaded guilty to six counts of indecent assault between September 1981 and October 1982. In 2012 he received a four‑year sentence for the earlier offences, with the final three years suspended. The judge noted the seriousness of the breaches of trust, the man's guilty plea, remorse and the late complaint. The prosecution presented a victim impact statement describing the man's lifelong emotional damage and alcoholism, and the court considered his prior sentence and age in imposing the current term. The man was arrested in May after the victim's formal complaint. The sentence reflects the court's view of the repeated nature of the offences.
Anthony Eya, a 42‑year‑old Nigerian naturalised Irish citizen, was arrested in May 2017 after a Garda surveillance operation that followed a customs alert about a suspicious package. The package, identified as suspicious when it passed through customs, was delivered to an address in Adamstown, Lucan, and later placed in Eya's car. Garda Marcella Shanahan described the "controlled delivery" and the subsequent stop at Ballyowen Lane, where two kilograms of cocaine were recovered. Eya pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drugs for sale or supply, admitting he had paid €3,000 to Charles Twesigye for the package. He had previously served a drug offence sentence in 2006 and had left Ireland for Nigeria in 2013, returning to face the charges. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Eya's guilty plea and cooperation, imposed a four‑and‑a‑half‑year imprisonment sentence, deviating from the mandatory ten‑year minimum for the offence.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the Minister for Justice must reconsider a decision to deport an unnamed Algerian man with alleged links to Islamic terrorism. The State claimed the man, who is in his 50s, was convicted of terrorism offences in Algeria and France. The Minister issued a deportation order after gardaí informed the Department of Justice that the man's activities were of serious concern. The man, represented by Michael Lynn SC and David Leonard Bl, denies involvement in terrorism and claims he faces a risk of torture in Algeria. He appealed a High Court order which found the Minister's decision lawful. In its judgment, a five-judge Supreme Court unanimously quashed the Minister's refusal to revoke the deportation order and remitted the case for further reconsideration. Mr Justice Donal O'Donnell stated there was no reasonable basis for the Minister to conclude there was no real risk of a breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The court noted the Minister's finding contrasted with an earlier Refugee Appeals Tribunal finding that the man was at risk. The judge directed that the fresh consideration should occur promptly, with focused submissions on the risk of ill-treatment. The man remains in detention pending the outcome. During the 1990s, he was convicted of several offences in Algeria, receiving three life sentences and two death sentences. He was also convicted and jailed for eight years following his arrest in France in 2002, where a French court found him guilty of membership of a criminal organisation preparing an act of terrorism.
Patrick Stokes, 36, of Hill Street, Dublin, was convicted of burglary and criminal damage at a Boots chemist on Drimnagh Road on 14 January 2017. He admitted that a silver Honda Civic had been reversed into the front doors twice, smashing the door and setting the shop ablaze. CCTV showed Stokes and an accomplice loading Dior, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana perfumes and aftershave into a wheelie bin. The stolen goods were valued at €3,183 and the door damage at €6,969. Stokes, who has 50 previous convictions including five for burglary and nine for theft, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to three and a half years, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, including Probation Supervision to begin before his release. The case highlighted Stokes' mild intellectual disability and his history of drug addiction, which his defence argued made him vulnerable.
Glen Conroy, aged 29, was sentenced to an additional 18 months in prison for assaulting a prison officer at Mountjoy Prison on 20 March 2013. Conroy, who was already serving a six‑year sentence for aggravated burglary and had 57 prior convictions, had complained that his new cell lacked a television. Prison officer Paul Brady promised to arrange a TV, but Conroy lunged at him, head‑butting him and punching him in the face. Conroy resisted restraint attempts by other officers and was brought to the ground by three officers. Officer Brady suffered facial injuries and was out of work for a month. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, after a three‑day trial, imposed the 18‑month term to be served consecutively to Conroy's existing sentence. The court noted Conroy's long history of violent offences and his limited time at liberty over the past 15 years.
A 65‑year‑old Galway man, whose identity is withheld to protect his daughter's anonymity, will be sentenced on 13 November for raping his daughter and threatening her mother with a shotgun. He denied one count of rape and six counts of sexual assault that took place between August 1991 and August 1993. A jury at the Central Criminal Court found him guilty on all charges after just under three hours of deliberation. The offences occurred in the family home where the victim lived with her parents and three siblings. The complainant, who was about nine or ten when the first incident occurred, described her father entering her room drunk, using a shotgun, removing her underwear, molesting her for a few minutes, and threatening to shoot her mother if she reported the abuse. She reported similar incidents on six to eight further occasions, including a brief rape attempt, a slap, and repeated threats.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Detective Sergeant Eve Doherty (49) denies harassing Elizabeth Howlin, a former DPP officer, between September 2011 and March 2013. Doherty is accused of sending abusive letters and emails, calling Howlin a "corrupt bitch" and "incompetent useless hobbit," and of making false statements that Howlin was perverting the course of justice. The material, including A4 posters, alleged Howlin was a political appointee who would "pull" files to protect those connected to her or the Government. On day eleven, civilian Gardai member Suzanne Lindsay presented a linguistic analysis of the documents, identifying 60 literary features common to both the "Liz Howlin" documents and suspect documents linked to Doherty. These features included spelling and punctuation errors, repeated insults, and claims of nepotism, waste of taxpayer money, and calls for EU intervention. The trial continues before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury, with Mr O'Higgins expected to cross‑examine Ms Lindsay tomorrow.
Two men sought by Northern Irish authorities in connection with the attempted murder of a PSNI officer have been granted leave to pursue judicial review at the High Court. The applicants, arrested in County Donegal in 2015, allege that An Garda Síochána failed to provide custody records, statements, and details of samples taken during their detention at Letterkenny and Milford stations. They contend the withheld information is material to defending extradition proceedings. Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly agreed to hear the applications and scheduled a motion returnable for October 9th. The men, who face charges including possession of explosives with intent to endanger life, remain on continuing bail. Extradition proceedings have been adjourned pending the judicial review hearing.
Colin O'Kelly, 36, was given a two‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assault causing harm to Dominic O'Keefe at Finnstown Castle Hotel in Lucan on 1 May 2015. O'Kelly had been attending a funeral that day and, in the early hours, punched O'Keefe twice in the face, fracturing his cheekbone. O'Keefe, who had just attended a wedding, was left unable to eat solid foods for three weeks and out of work for six weeks, which he said led to his restaurant failing. O'Kelly had no prior convictions, had expressed deep remorse, and was caring for a seriously ill child. The judge, Patricia Ryan, noted mitigating factors and accepted a €3,000 payment to O'Keefe as an expression of remorse. The sentence was suspended for two years.
Daniel O'Neill, a 21‑year‑old Dublin father, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment after a series of drug‑related offences. He had previously received a five‑year suspended sentence in 2014 for possessing over €100,000 of heroin for sale or supply while still a teenager. The suspended sentence was not activated, but O'Neill was later caught with €1,320 of heroin in the city centre and again with almost €2,400 of heroin and €45 of cannabis during a search of one of his addresses in March 2016. He pleaded guilty to possessing €1,320 of heroin on 5 November 2015 and to possessing heroin and cannabis on 26 March 2016. The judge, noting his young age and some evidence of reform, imposed 18 months for the Dolphin House offence and two years for the November 2015 possession, to run consecutively, resulting in a total custodial term of three and a half years.
In August 2015, Gardaí raided the flat of Alan Norman, 40, on Fitzroy Avenue, Drumcondra, after obtaining a warrant based on confidential information. During the search, which took place while Norman and his mother were present, officers seized approximately 1,500 tablets of Xanax and Valium. Norman was arrested and later pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply. He claimed he was storing the drugs to offset a €150 debt and that he was on a methadone programme. After the raid, he falsely told his landlord that the Gardaí had entered the wrong door, prompting the landlord to claim damages for the damaged door. In court, the judge noted Norman's drug‑free status, lack of wealth, and a single prior traffic conviction, and imposed a three‑year suspended sentence with a condition that he engage with Probation Services.
Brandon Cumberton, 19, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, with nine months suspended for one year, after pleading guilty to four phone thefts in Dublin. The court heard he cycled around the city, snatching phones from women while intoxicated, and later apologized to some victims. He had eight prior convictions for minor theft. Judge Karen O'Connor noted the premeditated nature of the offences and the fact all victims were women. Cumberton cooperated with Gardaí, claimed no violence was used, and was described by his defence as a "talented underage footballer" who had played for Belvedere College and Hardwick FC. The judge warned him he could either move past his offending or face significant time in custody. No phones were recovered.
Peter Colleran, a 33‑year‑old former skipper from Cork, was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years in prison for possessing cocaine and cannabis worth €105,372. He was found with the drugs in a container at City West Storage in Tallaght on 21 October 2016. Colleran, who has no fixed abode, pleaded guilty. Judge Karen O'Connor handed down a five‑year sentence, suspending the final two‑and‑a‑half years. She noted his addiction and destitution following the 2007 sinking of the fishing trawler Honeydew II, which had claimed the life of his captain and mentor. Colleran admitted to drug‑making to repay debts and to having been homeless and sleeping in his car. He had a small number of prior public‑order convictions. The court heard he was supported by his family, who were present at the hearing.
Neven Vukovic, 40, received a suspended three‑year sentence for assault causing harm to his ex‑partner Fionnuala Ní Mhartín after a September 2015 attack at her Dublin home. Vukovic had previously pleaded guilty to assault and had a prior conviction for cannabis possession in Croatia. The assault involved punches and kicks, including a full‑force punch to the eye, resulting in a fractured eye socket and other injuries. Following the attack, Vukovic repeatedly threatened and harassed Ní Mhartín via text and Facebook, sending messages that included threats of violence and death. The court imposed a 30‑year prohibition on any contact with Ní Mhartín and ordered Vukovic to stay away from her. He has since completed anger‑management and counselling courses. The judge noted his remorse and lack of prior violent convictions. The sentence was suspended for three years.
A 30-year-old man from Ballina has been convicted of the murder of two elderly brothers at the Central Criminal Court. Alan Cawley was found guilty of killing Thomas Blaine, aged 69, and John Blaine, aged 76, at their home on New Antrim Street in Castlebar on 10 July 2013. Both men had learning difficulties and were receiving HSE care. Cawley had admitted the killings but pleaded not guilty to murder, arguing diminished responsibility due to mental health conditions. A jury rejected this defence after hearing evidence from psychiatric experts. Justice Paul Coffey imposed a mandatory life sentence, describing the attacks as "wanton" and "savage". A victim impact statement was read by a family member, who recalled the brothers as gentle men who had cared for each other and were valued members of their community.
In a 2017 case, a 56‑year‑old Tipperary man pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting his seven‑year‑old niece between December 1994 and July 1995. The victim, now 29, had kept the abuse secret for years, fearing her grandmother's retaliation after she confided. She reported being beaten with a stick and living in fear of further attacks. The court noted the victim's long‑term psychological harm, including depression, suicidal thoughts, nightmares and anxiety about her children. The judge, Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy, acknowledged the victim's admission of guilt and her desire not to see the accused jailed. She imposed a four‑year sentence, suspended in full, after the defendant's guilty plea and the victim's statement of vindication. The case ended with a non‑custodial outcome.
Andrei Panzariu, 32, of Mountjoy Square Apartments, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to four charges of theft committed on March 25, 2014. The defendant admitted to withdrawing €4,042 through four separate transactions following a scam that defrauded a woman of €5,000. Prosecution evidence indicated the victim was targeted via a phishing email impersonating Permanent TSB, leading to unauthorized transfers. Panzariu was identified on CCTV making two ATM withdrawals and two sterling exchanges at post offices. He claimed he was approached by two men at a casino and offered €300 to perform the withdrawals. Judge Melanie Greally noted that Panzariu had 25 previous convictions, primarily for road traffic offences, but acknowledged he had repaid the full stolen amount to the victim, the bank, and the phone company. Defence counsel highlighted the defendant's personal tragedies and financial desperation at the time, noting he is now employed and has apologized to the victim. The judge suspended a sentence of 18 months imprisonment, citing the full restitution and the defendant's current circumstances.
Shane Fitzgerald, 26, of Tullorum, Spa, Killarney, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for burglary and sexual assault committed in September 2015. He entered a flat in a Co Kerry town on a "drunken spree," barged in, pulled down his pants, exposed his penis and forced the vulnerable woman, in her fifties, to mouth it. The victim was awakened at 3.30 am, fled screaming, and was later assisted by a neighbour. Fitzgerald pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and has 56 prior convictions. The judge noted the crime's squalid nature, the victim's vulnerability, and Fitzgerald's dysfunctional background. He imposed a five‑year custodial sentence, followed by three years of post‑release supervision with the Probation Service. No other charges were brought against the accomplices. The victim remains in counselling and has not returned to her flat.
John McGovern, aged 25, pleaded guilty to arson and assault at the Station Hill apartment complex in Clongriffin, Dublin, after a tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend Grainne O'Brien. The fire, set in November, caused €1.25 million in damage, destroyed six homes, and left 25 people, including children, temporarily homeless. McGovern, who had 25 prior convictions, was heavily intoxicated and on drugs during the incident. He threatened O'Brien's ex‑partner, left the building, and later was arrested at Raheny after acting erratically. The court heard that 14 fire trucks responded and the blaze took four‑and‑a‑half hours to control. McGovern's guilty plea and the impact statements from victims were noted, and the case was adjourned for a probation report. The sentencing is scheduled for 27 October.
Andrew Roche, 28, pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to one count of orally raping a 12‑year‑old boy and one count of anally raping him between 25 December 2008 and 17 March 2009. The victim, who came forward in 2014, described how Roche lured him to a lane, forced himself on him, and warned him not to tell anyone. Roche, who was 20 at the time of the attack, was initially relaxed when questioned by Gardaí but denied knowledge of the events once he was told the victim was a boy. He has 41 previous convictions and has been in custody on other matters since February 2016. Mr Justice Paul Coffey imposed a sentence of five and a half years' imprisonment, back‑dated to 19 April 2016, and ordered post‑release supervision for six years. Roche has been certified as a sex offender.
Colin Goode, 49, a former school caretaker, was found with more than €230,000 of drugs in his garden shed and wheelie bin. He initially told Gardaí he had discovered bags of cocaine, MDMA and zopiclone tablets in his back garden and had placed them in the bin and shed with the intention of discarding them. He later admitted he was holding the drugs for another person, but could not recall how he became involved because he was intoxicated. Gardaí discovered over 103,000 zopiclone tablets, worth €207,928, in Goode's shed, along with cocaine worth €19,166 and MDMA powder worth €4,216 in his bin. Goode pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and MDMA, keeping zopiclone for sale without a prescription and without the wholesaler's authorisation. The case was adjourned for sentencing on 27 October.
A 15‑year‑old boy was sentenced to twelve months' detention for assault and robbery. He had previously served eight months at Oberstown Children's Detention Campus for assault and a threat to kill, and had 24 convictions. In April 2017 he robbed a 17‑year‑old from a churchyard, demanding his phone and then stealing a €350 bike. During the incident he struck the victim with a two‑foot wooden post, causing the victim to fall and flee. The boy was arrested the next day, was aggressive in the interview, and later admitted remorse. He had a history of assault, theft, burglary and criminal damage, and was facing another charge later that year. Judge John Aylmer, noting the boy's immediate return to crime after release, imposed the twelve‑month sentence to run consecutively with his current term, starting on the scheduled release date of November 21. The unnamed 15-year-old pleaded guilty.
Clayton McMahon, 24, of Crumlin, Dublin, was convicted in May 2017 of reckless endangerment, dangerous driving, assault of a Garda, driving without insurance or a licence, and failing to produce evidence of insurance or a licence. He had pleaded not guilty. The jury found him guilty on all counts. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to three and a half years, suspended the final year on condition he attends a victim awareness programme and anger‑management counselling, and disqualified him from driving for five years. McMahon, described as an avid boxer, admitted having anger issues. During the incident on 17 November 2016, he shouted threats, punched a window, refused to be handcuffed, spat on a Garda, and was subdued after pepper spray was used. He was later allowed to be handcuffed. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Janet Morrissey, 35, a single mother from Lucan, was found by Gardaí with €117,800 in cash in April 2016, which she claimed were proceeds of crime. She pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the cash. The court noted her cocaine addiction, heavy debts, and that she had been exploited by serious criminals who used her as a bookkeeper. She had been paid €600 a week for handling the money and had sorted it into bundles of €5,000 and €10,000. Judge Gerard Griffin, after considering her cooperation, drug‑free status, full‑time job, and a letter from her father, suspended a five‑year sentence. He warned that any future contact would not be a pleasant experience. The case ended with a suspended sentence and no custodial term.
A 28-year-old man from Tallaght has been sentenced to 20 months imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to stealing five iPhones from Three mobile phone stores across the country between November 3 and 7, 2015. Viorel Rostas participated in robberies in Navan, Cavan, Letterkenny in Donegal, and Tralee and Killarney in Kerry. Rather than stealing the phones himself, Rostas acted as a distraction or obstructed staff attempting to prevent the thefts while accomplices took the devices, which were collectively valued at over €3,500. Judge John Aylmer considered Rostas's guilty plea and €1,000 compensation offered as mitigating factors, but noted his previous convictions for theft made a suspended sentence inappropriate. The court heard Rostas became involved following his mother's death and financial pressure from a loan taken for funeral expenses in Romania. None of the five phones were recovered by gardaí.
Larry McCarthy, 37, was found guilty of assaulting David Foran, 33, by stabbing him in the leg during a dispute over compensation for a road accident. The incident occurred on 25 November 2014 at Cornmarket Villas, Limerick, after a motorcyclist offered Foran €5,500 and directed him to meet McCarthy. McCarthy, present in the car park, challenged Foran and stabbed him with a knife. Foran suffered a puncture wound to his left thigh, treated at University Hospital Limerick. McCarthy had previously been arrested on 4 March 2015 for violent disorder and had eight prior convictions, including dangerous driving and firearm offences in the UK. He was remanded in custody until 31 July, when he will be sentenced by the Special Criminal Court. The court noted that Foran made a full recovery and declined a victim impact statement. The sentencing hearing was presided over by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, with Judges Gerard Griffin and Gerard Haughton. Larry McCarthy pleaded not guilty. David Foran pleaded not guilty.
Ciara McGlynn, 43, of Elmwood, Clonsilla, pleaded guilty to robbing €10,700 from a health shop in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre on 29 February 2015. She disguised herself as a young man, wearing a hoodie and hat, and cycled up to the store manager, who was leaving the centre with the takings in a bag. McGlynn seized the bag and was caught by Gardaí on the scene. She has significant psychiatric issues, including post‑natal depression and post‑traumatic stress disorder, and was suffering financial hardship at the time. Judge Karen O'Connor, describing the crime as "bizarre" and "acting out of character", imposed an 18‑month suspended sentence, noting McGlynn's remorse and unlikely future court appearances. The manager, now in the UK, declined to give a victim impact statement. McGlynn has two prior convictions for road traffic offences.
The High Court has granted an injunction in a dispute over Valley Lane, Portrane, North Co Dublin. Applicants, including Desmond Guinness, alleged that owners Kieran and Maura Morrissey blocked the lane by locking a gate, placing stones, and digging a trench, preventing residents from accessing the public road. The applicants claimed a long-standing right of way existed. The Morrisseys denied wrongdoing, stating no right of way exists on the land folio and that their actions were necessary to remove hazardous rubble placed by the plaintiffs. Mr Morrissey alleged the plaintiffs had locked him and his family in their home on two occasions and that he was assaulted in April. In a sworn statement, Mr Guinness alleged Mr Morrissey engaged in intimidating and abusive behaviour and threatened his family with imprisonment for trespass. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart granted the injunction, ordering the Morrisseys to restore the lane for vehicular and pedestrian access by the close of business on Tuesday. A gate may remain at the top of the lane but must not be locked. The judge cited the need for emergency vehicle access as a key ground for the order. The injunction remains in place until the full hearing of the dispute, where the applicants also seek a declaration that a right of way exists.
In July 2017, Judge Melanie Greally sentenced 26‑year‑old Munir Ghariani to four years in prison, back‑dating the term to 19 May 2016 after he had been given a partly suspended sentence for robbery in May 2017. Ghariani had admitted attacking a woman and robbing her phone on Granville Road, Cabinteely, on 21 March 2016. He had previously pleaded guilty to robbery and was warned that the three‑year balance of his sentence could be activated if he breached any conditions. In June 2017, his probation officer, Michelle Richardson, reported that he had failed to attend two required meetings and had behaved inappropriately, including urinating outside a glass building in front of female staff on 7 July. Garda Padraig Nagle testified that Ghariani had attracted police attention five times since May 2016, including incidents of staring at a 17‑year‑old girl, walking with trousers down, and allegedly stealing a mobile phone.
Jamie Kavanagh, a professional boxer, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for assaulting a doorman and engaging in threatening or abusive behaviour on Harcourt Street on September 23, 2014. Kavanagh pleaded guilty to these summary offences, which were sent to the Circuit Court alongside co-accused Paul Rice and Mark Carlyle, who pleaded guilty to the more serious charge of violent disorder. The court heard that Kavanagh played a peripheral role in the incident, which prosecutors described as an "explosion of violence" outside Copper Face Jacks nightclub. Judge Elma Sheahan applied section 1(1) of the Probation Offenders Act, ordering Kavanagh to be of good behaviour and keep the peace for 12 months, leaving him without a conviction. This disposal was granted to prevent a recorded conviction from interfering with a significant US fight contract. In contrast, co-accused Mark Carlyle, who has multiple serious previous convictions and was identified as an instigator of the brawl, received a sentence of five years in December 2015, with the final 18 months suspended. Paul Rice, also an instigator with 11 previous convictions, was sentenced in April 2016 to three years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended. The court noted that Kavanagh had no previous convictions and had complied with a prior order to provide 20 hours of coaching to his local amateur boxing club.
At the sentence stage of the trial, Alan 'Cookie' McNamara (51), from Mountfune, Murroe, Co Limerick, pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Andrew 'AOD' O'Donoghue on Saturday June 20, 2015 at Mountfune, as well as to impeding his apprehension knowing or believing him to have committed a serious offence. Robert Cusack (28), of Abington, Murroe, also pleaded not guilty to impeding Mr McNamara's apprehension. Sgt Louise Casey, acting as the garda in charge at Roxboro Rd Garda Station during Mr McNamara's detention, provided details of his interviews with gardai. Alan McNamara's plea was not guilty, and no finding or sentence was recorded at this stage. The matter was adjourned and will continue next week in front of Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of seven men and four women.
In July 2017, Gardaí stopped a stolen vehicle in heavy traffic near St Margaret's, Dublin. The driver, Michael Boylan, 45, refused to exit when ordered, revving the car and endangering other road users. Officers opened the doors and, after Boylan's continued refusal, managed to free themselves and the vehicle. Boylan was later arrested at his home, where he was found hiding in a downstairs toilet. He pleaded guilty to driving a stolen car and reckless conduct at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. With 54 prior convictions, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, to run consecutively with his current sentence, with the final 12 months suspended. The court noted his efforts to address drug addiction and his status as a model prisoner. The stolen vehicle was recovered and returned to its owner.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 20 July 2017, the court considered the case of Colm O'Hara, 49, who stabbed his older sister, Miriam O'Hara, on 23 June 2016 at her home on Edenmore Green, Raheny. O'Hara, who had no fixed abode and was suffering from mental health issues, had stopped taking his medication on the day of the attack. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. The court heard that he had become agitated, grabbed a knife from a kitchen counter, and lunged at his sister, stabbing her in the back and later cutting her arm and wrist. Miriam O'Hara, who had been in fear of her life, later told the court that she had forgiven her brother and felt no animosity toward him. Judge Karen O'Connor, after hearing the victim impact statement, suspended a two‑year sentence on the condition that O'Hara keep the peace and continue his medication.
George Simpson, aged 30, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for attempting to rob the Rush Post Office on 28 November 2016. He entered armed with an air pistol and a hatchet, threatened to chop a customer's head off, and smashed a glass panel in front of the tills. Simpson pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to rob, production of a weapon, threat to kill or cause serious harm, and criminal damage. The judge, after viewing CCTV footage, noted the incident was frightening for staff and customers, and that Simpson's behaviour was out of character. His final 18 months were suspended, leaving an effective custodial term of four years and six months. Simpson has since moved out of his shared home and has begun attending a psychologist. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Lithuanian man Julian Matiunin, aged 34, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment for assault causing harm after punching Jan Wielgus, aged 46, in the jaw on 21 June 2015 at St Stephen's Green West. Witnesses described Wielgus falling "like a tree" and hearing the crack of his head on pavement. Wielgus suffered severe head injuries, was admitted to intensive care, spent over three weeks in an induced coma, and later returned to hospital with stomach problems from intubation. He continues to suffer headaches and vomiting. Matiunin pleaded guilty and had two prior public order convictions. Judge Karen O'Connor suspended the last 12 months of the custodial term, noting the violent attack on a person walking away and describing Wielgus as a "peace maker" who tried to calm the situation.
Kenneth McCabe, 25, received a suspended one‑year jail sentence after he threw a glass into the air in a crowded bar, unintentionally striking a beam and showering glass on a woman named Corrigan Serpa. Serpa suffered injuries to her nose and left thumb, requiring stitches. McCabe pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on 14 February 2016 at The Quay Public House, Temple Bar. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that the assault was reckless but not intentional, and imposed a suspended sentence on the condition that McCabe keep the peace and behave well. He also ordered McCabe to pay €3,000 to Serpa within 12 months. McCabe, who was severely intoxicated, apologized and said he did not intend to harm her. The court warned that a future conviction could lead to jail.
Atif Saeed, a 29‑year‑old Pakistani pizza delivery man, pleaded guilty to removing €5,000 from the State that was part of a €2.8 million online fraud. He claimed he believed he was helping a third party pay university fees when he transferred the money to the UK. The court found he was not involved in the fraud itself and accepted his guilty plea as reckless. Judge Karen O'Connor noted Saeed had no prior convictions, lived frugally and had not benefited materially from the offence. She imposed a two‑year sentence, backdated to his entry into custody, and suspended the balance from today. The case remains under investigation, with most of the €2.8 million recovered and the remaining funds frozen in Saeed's account. The court highlighted the difficulty Saeed faced in prison, including lack of visitors and observing Ramadan.
Ryan Lee Thomas, 25, was found guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of sexually assaulting three women in the city centre on 30 December 2016 while under the influence of the party drug GBL, which he had purchased online. The assaults occurred over an hour‑and‑a‑half at a house party on Lower Gardiner Street and involved repeated attempts to touch and kiss the victims, who were all young women. Thomas also pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a controlled drug. Gardaí recovered additional GBL from his home the following day. Thomas has ten prior convictions in Melbourne for sexual offences committed while under the influence of the same drug. He will be sentenced on 27 July. The court heard that Thomas admitted possession of GBL but could not recall the events of that night. He has expressed regret and wishes to apologise to each victim.
Kyle Foley, 25, of Claddagh Green, Ballyfermot, Dublin, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for hijacking a pizza delivery man's car on 9 May 2015. He pleaded guilty to unlawful seizure of a vehicle, three counts of criminal damage, driving without insurance and driving without a licence. The incident involved Foley and two other men approaching the delivery vehicle, opening the doors, stealing a wallet, and then Foley striking the delivery man with a bottle before driving off. The car was abandoned in Monksfield Heights, and the delivery man was later found to have left the jurisdiction. DNA evidence linked Foley to a beer bottle left in the car, and his keys were recovered in a garden. He had prior convictions for theft, drugs, public order and trespass, and was serving a four‑month sentence for obstruction.