In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 39‑year‑old Garda Shane Flanagan pleaded guilty to inciting two men to rape a woman and to six counts of endangerment for impersonating her on FetLife.com and Facebook, inviting violence against her and her two teenage daughters between 2018 and 2020. He also pleaded guilty to possession of four images of child sexual abuse material. The victim, who had no romantic or sexual history with Flanagan, described the impersonation as a calculated, predatory act that left her lifelong scars. Flanagan, who had been suspended in 2021 and retired in March 2024, was remanded in custody for finalisation of sentence. The court heard extensive evidence, including over 2,000 screenshots, 219 doctored images, and the victim's address and personal details shared by Flanagan. The case highlighted the breach of trust by a fellow Garda and the severe impact on the victim's safety and mental health.
A 43-year-old man was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for raping his estranged wife at their Tipperary home. The defendant, who pleaded not guilty to two charges of rape alleged to have occurred in April and May 2022, was convicted by a jury on one count. The jury failed to reach a verdict on the first incident, and the Director of Public Prosecutions entered a nolle prosequi, meaning that charge will not be tried again. Mr Justice Paul Burns imposed a sentence of seven years, with the final year suspended for three years. The court heard that the victim, who had been married to the accused since 2010, used a rolling pin to fight him off during the May 2022 incident. The judge noted the accused had broken trust by taking advantage of the victim while she was asleep in her own bed, citing their prior relationship as an aggravating factor. Mitigating factors included the defendant's lack of prior convictions, work history, cooperation with gardaí, and status as a good father. The victim's impact statement described severe mental and financial distress, including PTSD and an inability to work. Defence counsel noted the client did not accept the verdict but had been cooperative during the investigation.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 30 June 2025, Cristian Topiter, aged 39, pleaded guilty to the theft of a mobile phone and a suitcase from a Ukrainian woman in Smithfield Square, two hours after he had set fire to St Michan's Church. The arson, for which he was jailed for six years in February, destroyed two mummified bodies, including an 800‑year‑old Crusader, and caused a financial crisis for the parish. The court heard that the stolen phone was never recovered, while the suitcase, found at Topiter's address, remained unopened. Topiter claimed no memory of the incident and offered apologies to the victim, who has since returned to Ukraine. Judge Pauline Codd, noting his trauma and progress in prison, imposed a one‑year term to run concurrently with his existing sentence for the arson, and declined to add any further time for the theft.
Conal Sheridan, aged 32, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to multiple counts of sexual assault, oral rape and defilement of a girl aged nine to sixteen between 2004 and 2011. The abuse began with inappropriate touching and escalated to digital penetration, oral rape, and grooming, including sending pornography. Sheridan's four prior convictions were for minor road traffic and drug offences. The victim, who remained anonymous, testified that the abuse destroyed her life, leading to overdose attempts, self‑harm, drug and alcohol problems, severe mental health issues and complex PTSD. Sheridan's plea of mitigation highlighted his early fatherhood and employment history. Judge Paul McDermott imposed a concurrent seven‑year prison term, suspended the final 18 months for two years on strict conditions, and ordered Sheridan to have no contact with the victim. The sentence reflects the prolonged, repeated nature of the offences and the significant harm caused.
During the trial, Gardaí questioned Ryan Kearney, 39, who pleaded not guilty to the murder of Jeffrey Jackson, 50, at The Lamps, Kilcock, on 8 February 2024. Kearney claimed he stabbed Jackson in self‑defence after a scuffle, stating he had no intention to kill and was afraid for his life. He said he had taken a knife from Jackson's partner, stabbed him in the neck, and later stabbed him again when Jackson attacked him. Gardaí noted that Kearney's account was inconsistent: he admitted to stabbing Jackson in the back, washing the knife, and cleaning his hands, yet the prosecution's evidence showed 16 separate knife wounds, including one 17 cm deep, and Jackson was over eight times the legal drink‑driving limit. Kearney also admitted to fabricating parts of his story, including claims of intruders in the apartment. The prosecution's evidence was presented, and the trial was set to continue tomorrow before Mr Justice Paul Burns and a jury.
Sumod George Sam, 45, pleaded guilty at Tallaght District Court to being in charge of a vehicle while exceeding the legal breath alcohol limit. The court heard that on August 9, 2023, Garda Dylan O'Malley found Sam asleep at the wheel of a white Honda Insight on Greenhills Road, Dublin 12, with the engine running and an empty vodka bottle in the passenger seat. A subsequent breath analysis recorded 99 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath. Sam, who resides in Terenure, Dublin 6, had a previous drink-driving conviction and was already serving a three-year disqualification imposed in May 2024. Defence counsel Lauren Flanagan BL described the incident as an act of "stupidity" while Sam was "partying with friends," noting his remorse and willingness to undertake a driver awareness course. Judge Patricia McNamara described the alcohol level as "extremely dangerous." The court convicted Sam and imposed a five-year driving disqualification, effectively extending his existing ban by three years. Additionally, a four-month prison sentence was imposed, suspended for two years on Sam's own bond of €400. Conditions require him not to drive or be in control of a vehicle and to remain of sober habits. Sam had already surrendered his licence to Blanchardstown Garda Station.
A 19‑year‑old, who was 17 when he first appeared before the courts, pleaded guilty to murdering 43‑year‑old Aaron Keating on 13 June 2023. The defendant began using drugs at 12 and had a history of medical and educational disengagement. He stabbed Keating with a knife hidden behind a bin on Main Street, Ongar, Dublin 15, after a brief confrontation that lasted about five seconds. Keating died from a single stab wound that severed his aorta. The court noted the defendant is at high risk of reoffending without support interventions. He will not face a mandatory life sentence because he was a child when the murder was committed, and sentencing is adjourned to 7 July 2025. The case highlights the defendant's drug use, prior disciplinary issues in custody, and the family's profound grief.
A 25‑year‑old sportsman, Calvin Dunne, was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison for the manslaughter of Dylan McCarthy, 29, who died after being assaulted during a melee outside a Kildare pub in August 2022. The judge found that Dunne had delivered a one‑stride kick to McCarthy's head, which caused a traumatic head injury and spinal injury. Dunne had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter but withdrew the plea; he was later found guilty of both manslaughter and violent disorder. The sentence was reduced by 25 % from a headline of nine years, with the final six months suspended for 12 months. A co‑accused, Sean Kavanagh, 27, received a two‑year‑six‑month sentence for assault causing harm, with four months suspended for 12 months. Both defendants were found not guilty of murder. The court noted the impact on the McCarthy family and the defendants' low risk of reoffending.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, a 49‑year‑old man was found guilty of assault causing serious harm to his then partner, assault causing harm, and two counts of producing a knife. He also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to his stepdaughter. The court heard that on 20 October 2022 he left the home, returned, and attacked his partner in their child's bedroom, dragging her by the hair, punching, kicking, and stabbing her twice in the chest and once in the cheek. He also attempted to stab his stepdaughter, who escaped with a scratch to her neck. The victim spent four days in hospital, suffered permanent facial disfigurement and potentially fatal chest wounds. The judge sentenced the defendant to ten years' imprisonment, citing the domestic setting, trust relationship, and psychological harm, and backdated the sentence to 2022.
Shane Mulvey, 26, a former supermarket assistant manager, was arrested after Gardaí discovered over €2.6 million worth of drugs in his apartment and vehicle. Surveillance revealed him handing a kilo of cocaine to a contact at a Swords car park. A concealed unit in his car contained 14 kg of cocaine valued at about €1 million, and further cocaine, amphetamine, cannabis, MDMA, a mixing agent, a counting machine and other paraphernalia were found in his spare bedroom. €66,700 in cash was seized. Mulvey pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale, possession of proceeds of crime and possession of an article in connection with a crime. He received a headline sentence of 11 years, reduced to nine years with the final year suspended, backdated to his November 2024 arrest. The court noted his prior convictions, family background, apology, early guilty plea and rehabilitation efforts.
Trevor Robinson, 34, of Navan Road, Dublin 7, was sentenced to two months in prison after pleading not guilty to two counts of assaulting Gardaí under the Non‑Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. The offence occurred at Dundrum Garda Station shortly after 2 am on 21 February 2023, when Robinson was arrested for a public order offence and found in a custody cell in a highly distressed state, lying partially under a mattress. When Garda Fergus Holly and Garda Anthony Browne entered to ensure his safety, Robinson became combative, shouting, abusive and physically aggressive, and spat at both officers. Garda Browne reported hearing the spitting and feeling it land on his back and neck, while Garda Holly was directly spat at. Robinson's defence claimed he was extremely intoxicated and possibly affected by hallucinogenic substances, suggesting the spitting may have been accidental amid shouting and disorientation. The court rejected this defence.
A 14‑year‑old boy was caught on CCTV taking part in a robbery of an off‑duty Garda on Camden Road, Dublin 8, on 22 January 2024. He kicked the victim repeatedly to the head while the 29‑year‑old co‑accused punched him to the ground. The pair then stole the Garda's phone, two passports, a Garda ID card and bank cards, and returned to re‑check the victim's pockets, kicking him again. The boy, who had no prior convictions, pleaded guilty to one count of robbery. He had been in special care as a baby due to maternal neglect and had been removed from care in recent years because of drug use, missing from care, and exploitation by criminals. Social workers had recommended emergency special care shortly before the attack, but no bed was available. The court heard that the boy was later placed in care and has not gone missing for several months.
Andrew Cooney, 44, was sentenced to 13 years in prison with a two‑year suspended portion after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual assault, assault causing harm and threats to kill against two escort women. The first victim, who had recently arrived in Ireland, was attacked on 9 October 2022 while at Cooney's home in Collins Place. He threatened her with a knife, forced sexual contact and struck her repeatedly, causing broken nose, lip cuts and other injuries. The second victim was assaulted on 8 September 2023 after Cooney lured her to his house, again using a knife, striking her, removing her clothes and sexually assaulting her. Both women suffered severe physical injuries and reported ongoing fear and inability to work. Cooney had been on bail for the first offence when the second attack occurred.
David Rogers, a 69‑year‑old former car dealer from Dublin, pleaded guilty to deception offences relating to the sale of cars during the 2008‑2009 financial crash. He defrauded three victims: the first sold a car for €9,500, the second sold a deceased father's car for €22,000, and the third bought an SUV that was later traded in. Rogers failed to pay the victims, claiming he was abroad and that the matter was beyond the statute of limitations. He eventually returned €20,000 to the second victim and €24,000 to the third, the latter including a €2,000 token of remorse. The court found Rogers had a prior road‑traffic conviction and that he had lost his home. Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain sentenced him to 18 months in prison, but substituted 240 hours of community service, citing his guilty plea, remorse, good character and the long delays victims endured.
Jibola Moses Akanni, 27, of Drogheda, Co Louth, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court after being found guilty by a jury of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The offences occurred in a Dublin city centre apartment in February 2018, where the court heard the 17-year-old victim was intoxicated and barely conscious. Mr Justice David Keane noted aggravating factors including the victim's vulnerability and the age disparity. Although Akanni has 28 previous convictions for other matters, the judge stated no credit was given for a guilty plea as none was offered, nor for remorse. The judge determined there was no realistic hope of rehabilitation and refused to suspend any part of the sentence. Akanni was sentenced to eight and a half years on each rape count and three and a half years for sexual assault, all to run concurrently and backdated to November when he entered custody. To protect the public from the risk of sexual reoffending, the judge ordered that Akanni be placed under the supervision of the Probation Services for two years post-release, instructing him to carry out all directions deemed necessary by the service.
A woman in her 50s was convicted and fined €500 for three breaches of a protection order her husband had obtained in September 2024. The breaches included shouting abusive language at her husband and their daughter, calling the husband "useless", "gay" and a "f**wit", and calling the daughter "an itinerant", "fat" and a "stupid slut". She also shouted "where are your sluts?" and "I'll mop the floor with you," causing fear but no physical violence. The court noted she had voluntarily left the home as a bail condition and had no prior convictions. Judge Conor Fottrell warned of the long‑term emotional impact on the child and expressed concern about the effect on the child's well‑being. He was not convinced a custodial sentence was appropriate, citing the woman's guilty plea, work history and ongoing treatment at the Rutland Centre. She must pay the fine within six months.
Joseph Thorpe, aged 73, a former Dublin football club coach, pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault for sexually assaulting a boy aged 12‑14 during a club trip to County Kerry between September 1974 and September 1976. The victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, stated that the assault occurred in a shared caravan bed while other children were present. Thorpe has five prior convictions, including a 1990 suspended sentence for indecent assault of another teenage boy. Judge Martina Baxter, noting Thorpe's position of trust and the profound impact on the victim, imposed a 20‑month imprisonment sentence suspended in full for 24 months and ordered 18 months of probation supervision. Thorpe was remanded in custody last week and described the conditions as shocking. The court heard that Thorpe is estranged from his children, has a history of postal work, and has complex medical issues.
Randi Gladstone, a 41‑year‑old Guyanese sex offender, was sentenced by Mr Justice Paul McDermott to six months' imprisonment for failing to register as a sex offender within seven days of arriving in Ireland, a separate offence from the rape and false imprisonment for which he had already been convicted and sentenced to ten years by Mr Justice Patrick McGrath. Gladstone, who had been in Ireland for only a few days before raping an 18‑year‑old in a holiday complex in County Dublin on 25 August 2023, had not notified An Garda Síochána of his status as a convicted sex offender, a breach punishable by up to five years' imprisonment. The judge imposed the six‑month term consecutively to the existing ten‑year sentence, meaning Gladstone will serve the additional six months on top of the original custodial period. He will serve the sentence at Midlands Prison. Randi Gladstone pleaded guilty.
Former solicitor Herbert Kilcline, aged 64, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for his role in a €266,000 property fraud scheme that involved falsifying deeds to change ownership of two Dublin properties on Phibsborough Road and St Mary's Road. Kilcline was convicted of two counts of using a false instrument, two counts of failing to keep records, two counts of fraudulent procurement of an entry into the Property Registration Authority's registry and two counts of failing to apply required measures as a designated person. The court noted that Kilcline had previously acted as a covert human intelligence source for Gardaí and that the scheme had caused losses to the injured parties and threatened the integrity of the land registry system. Kilcline's sentence was imposed with consideration of his medical and mental health issues. The case also involved former businessman Philip Marley, who received a three‑year sentence for related offences. Philip Marley pleaded guilty.
A 21‑year‑old driver, Richard McSweeney, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm after a car he was driving on the R341 became airborne and crashed into a field, striking an ESB pole. The crash left the vehicle "barely recognisable" and caused severe injuries to the driver and two passengers, including an open fracture to the ulna and radius of Harry Toomey, who required multiple surgeries and long‑term rehabilitation. McSweeney's blood alcohol level was above the legal limit. He had no prior convictions and was a novice driver. The court imposed a headline sentence of five years, reduced to two and a half years, with the final 18 months suspended. A one‑year custodial sentence was deferred pending a suitability assessment for a 240‑hour community service order and a detailed injury report. The sentence will be finalised on 25 July.
James Walsh, 54, of Liskeavy, Tuam, pleaded guilty to engaging in electronic communication to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child between May and November 2020. He had previously been convicted of road traffic offences, criminal damage and a public order offence. The court heard that Walsh believed he was speaking to a 12‑year‑old girl named Eve, who was actually a decoy. He sent sexual images, asked for nude pictures, and tried to delete messages to hide them from the girl's mother. Gardaí seized two phones and found no evidence of a broader interest in children. Judge Brian O'Callaghan set a headline sentence of five years, reduced it to two and a half years and suspended it in full for the same period, subject to strict conditions. Walsh will be placed on the sex offenders register. The judge declined a request for reporting restrictions on his address.
Brian Reilly, a 29‑year‑old banned driver with 126 prior convictions, was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally in 2021 to seven and a half years' imprisonment for crashing into the Armstrongs' car in January 2020, an act that left Ellen Armstrong with a thumb amputation and lifelong pain. The sentence included an 18‑month suspended period and a lifetime driving disqualification. Reilly was released from jail six weeks before the 2024 incident, when he again caused a serious collision in Meath, injuring a grandmother's wrist and endangering a family of five. He pleaded guilty to ten counts of dangerous driving, four of endangerment and several damage offences. Judge Orla Crowe reactivated the suspended sentence, ordering an additional 18 months of imprisonment and two years of Probation Service supervision, after Reilly refused to enter a bond in court. The court noted the severity of his repeated endangerment offences shortly after release.
Alanna Quinn Idris testified in court about prior harassment by Jack Cummins, who procured a gang attack on her, resulting in her being blinded in one eye. Jack Cummins (21) of Rossmore Road, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to procuring the commission of assault causing serious harm to Ms Quinn Idris on Ballyfermot Road on December 30, 2021, and to violent disorder and assault causing harm. He admitted to making two phone calls to his cousin Josh Cummins (20) to orchestrate the attack. Ms Quinn Idris, who was 17 at the time, suffered serious injuries, including a shattered tooth, a broken cheekbone, and a ruptured eyeball, leading to permanent vision loss in her right eye. Her friend Louis O'Sullivan was also assaulted. Josh Cummins pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Ms Quinn Idris, violent disorder, and assault causing harm to Mr O'Sullivan. He received a five-year sentence, with the final two years suspended in November 2023. Darragh Lyons (21) of Weir View, Glenaulin, Chapelizod, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Ms Quinn Idris, assault causing harm to Mr O'Sullivan, and violent disorder. He was sentenced to four and a half years in March 2023. The court adjourned the case to July 29 for finalisation and remanded Jack Cummins on continuing bail.
Beatriz Carvalho, 23, a Brazilian national with no fixed abode, was stopped at Dublin Airport on 17 November 2024 after travelling via Paris. Immigration officers suspected her because she travelled alone. When questioned, she admitted swallowing about 50–60 cocaine pellets and storing more in her body. She had €1,345 in cash and claimed she was paid the Brazilian equivalent of €2,000 to bring the drugs to Ireland. While at the airport, she passed seven pellets in a bathroom and later retrieved 30 from her body. A total of 110 pellets, worth €86,763, were recovered. Carvalho pleaded guilty to one count of importing drugs. She has no prior convictions in Brazil and was in custody since her arrest. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced her to three years' imprisonment, reduced from an initial six‑year sentence, taking mitigating factors such as her early admission and cooperation into account. The sentence was back‑dated to the date of her arrest.
Aidan Clohessy, aged 85, was sentenced yesterday to four years for indecently assaulting two boys in the 1980s. He had previously been convicted of 19 counts of indecent assault involving six boys, with five counts from a second trial for assaulting four boys between 1969 and 1986. Judge Martin Nolan, after considering the totality principle and Clohessy's age, imposed an additional 16‑month sentence to run consecutively with the earlier four‑year term, giving a global sentence of five years and four months. The offences involved inappropriate touching and physical chastisement of boys aged 10 to 13 who were pupils, and some boarders, at St Augustine's School in Blackrock, Dublin, where Clohessy served as principal from the early 1970s until 1993. The court noted that Clohessy was in a position of trust and that the victims were vulnerable. The 16‑month term is to be served after the four‑year sentence already imposed. Aidan Clohessy pleaded not guilty.
Stuart Murphy, 46, of Tallaght, was jailed for five years after admitting he had stored €360,000 worth of cannabis resin in a van outside his home. Gardaí said he was under duress, having been shown photographs of his father, fiancé and a younger family member to pressure him into holding the drugs. Murphy had a drug debt of €8,000 and had relapsed into addiction during the Covid pandemic. He had previously been clean for over 20 years but lost his job during Covid, leading to depression and a relapse. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, offered an unreserved apology, and was found to have held the drugs for a short time without intent to sell. The judge accepted his duress claim, set a headline sentence of 12 years, but imposed a final sentence of six years, suspending the last 12 months for 12 months on condition of probation engagement.
A 74‑year‑old man was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for sexually assaulting his nephew, who was six at the time, in December 1991. The abuse occurred in three separate incidents on the same night, in the toilet and TV room, when the man placed his hand on the boy's penis and forced the boy to touch him. The victim disclosed the abuse to his mother that day, and the family contacted authorities. The boy later attended St Louise's Unit in Crumlin Hospital, where records and social‑worker transcripts were read at trial. The accused, who cannot be named to protect the victim's identity, denied the allegations but accepted the jury's verdict. Judge Elva Duffy imposed the custodial sentence after arranging a health plan to meet the defendant's complex medical needs. The victim's impact statement described 34 years of trauma and the relief of the guilty verdict. The unnamed 74-year-old was convicted.
An 85‑year‑old former principal of St Augustine's School, Aidan Clohessy, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment after being convicted of 19 counts of indecent assault against six boys aged 10 to 13. The offences, which took place between 1969 and 1986, involved inappropriate touching and were described by the judge as "atrocities at night time". Clohessy, who served as principal from the early 1970s until 1993, was found guilty in two separate trials at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. In the first trial he received 14 counts of indecent assault, and in the second he received five counts. He was acquitted of three further counts. Victim impact statements highlighted lasting mental health, educational and employment effects. Clohessy denied wrongdoing and acknowledged corporal punishment used at the school. He will not appeal the verdicts. The sentence was imposed with consideration of his age and health.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing in Limerick, Thomas "Tossy" Nyhan, a 60‑year‑old married farmer from Crookstown, Co Cork, was convicted of two counts of rape. The victim, who had been raped by Nyhan in January 2011 and again in April 2019, delivered a victim impact statement in which he described the assaults as "cold, calculated and violent." He said he had told Nyhan about his trauma and vulnerabilities, and that Nyhan had used references to his children to manipulate him. The victim reported feeling constantly anxious, "trapped" and "a ghost" of his former self. He urged the court to impose a sentence that reflected the impact of the rapes and thanked those who had supported him. Justice Mary Ellen Ring revoked Nyhan's bail, remanded him in custody and postponed sentencing to 21 July 2025. Nyhan denied the allegations and his lawyer maintained his innocence. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
An asylum seeker, Omar Haddouche, aged 25, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for violent disorder after he joined others in stamping on a stranger's head during a melee on Dublin's O'Connell Street. The incident began when a group of men, including Haddouche, collided with another group outside the Savoy Cinema. A fight erupted, involving punches, kicks and the use of a belt wrapped around a fist. Haddouche and an accomplice stamped on the victim's head while he was on the ground, causing severe injury that left him with 75 % loss of sight in one eye. The incident lasted about 60 seconds and was captured on CCTV. Haddouche pleaded guilty, admitted his behaviour was unacceptable, and the judge described the violence as "inherently serious." The court imposed a custodial sentence, with no mention of a suspended portion.
Two drug dealers, Viorel Doroscan (23) and Otniel Richardo Clejan (24), were sentenced to life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of 22‑year‑old footballer Mahamud Ilyas. The court heard that the pair beat Ilyas in an apartment in Blanchardstown, stamped on him, kicked him, and struck his head with a hammer. They tied his hands and feet, wrapped him in a duvet and drove him to a wooded area at Belgree Lane, Co. Meath, where they left him to die. The judge described the killers' conduct as "massive loss of control" and "callous". Ilyas's mother, Muna Ali, spoke of her son's promise and the pain of his death. The sentencing followed a unanimous jury conviction of murder. The case also involved co‑accused Robert Burns and Lorenzo Cantaragiu, who pleaded guilty to impeding the arrest or prosecution of the killers.
Michael Uhrovic, 46, of Landsdale Lawns, Tallaght, was stopped by gardaí on 25 September 2023 at Catherine Tynan Road for driving without a licence or insurance. He pleaded guilty. The Tallaght District Court noted he had 12 prior convictions, including several road‑traffic offences, and had been disqualified from driving for four years in 2018 and again for ten years in 2020. Judge Patricia McNamara convicted him of driving without insurance, disqualified him for a further five years, and imposed a €600 fine payable within five months. He received a five‑month custodial sentence, suspended for two years on a €200 bond, with a warning that a repeat offence would activate the sentence. The case was heard under sections 38(1) and 38(5)(a)(i) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, as amended, and sections 56(1) and (3) of the same Act.
A 89‑year‑old Tipperary man, Sid Green, was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment, with the final five years suspended, for 22 counts of rape and one count of sexual assault of a child committed between 1993 and 1998. The victim, who remains unnamed, testified that the abuse began when she was seven and continued until she was about twelve, describing lasting emotional and psychological damage. Green, who has no prior convictions and is now in a nursing home in Offaly, was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Tullamore. The judge, Mr Justice Patrick McGrath, noted Green's advanced age and medical difficulties, including limited mobility and the need for nursing care, as mitigating factors. The sentence will take effect from 10 July 2025, with the prison service prepared to accommodate Green's medical needs. The victim praised her resilience and the support she received from her husband and family.
Patrick Berry, 40, of Ballyfermot, Dublin, was sentenced at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for theft. He pleaded guilty to stealing 12 electric scooters, valued at €7,780, from a storage unit at a business park in Ballymount on November 16, 2020. The scooters have not been recovered. Judge Orla Crowe described the offence as "opportunistic," noting it occurred during the pandemic when the area was quiet. The judge highlighted that the theft nearly caused the collapse of the victim's new business, causing significant stress. Aggravating factors included Berry's 30 previous convictions, eight for theft, and the value of the goods. Mitigation included his addiction issues, which he is addressing, and a €3,200 payment offered by his parents as a token of remorse. Judge Crowe imposed a sentence of two years and six months, which was suspended for four years on strict conditions, including remaining drug-free. The court directed that the €3,200 be paid to the injured party's company. The judge stated the court wished to "give this man a chance."
Deirdre Arnold, a former HSE addiction counsellor, pleaded not guilty to two counts of impeding the prosecution of Brian McHugh and perverting the course of public justice. A jury found her guilty of assisting McHugh, who was sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment on March 10 for murdering Lisa Thompson. The court heard that Arnold drove McHugh to the crime scene, waited outside, and helped him evade arrest by checking him into a hotel and allowing her Hyundai Tucson to be used to dispose of evidence. Defence counsel Patrick Gageby SC argued that Arnold acted under fear of abuse and had become addicted to heroin and crack cocaine after meeting McHugh. He noted she has resigned from her state job and is the sole financial support for her three children. Mr Justice Patrick McGrath remanded Arnold on continuing bail until July 4, when she will be sentenced. Victim impact statements highlighted the lasting trauma on Thompson's family, with her daughter stating that Arnold's actions silenced her mother's voice forever.
In a Dublin shopping centre, 24‑year‑old Stephan Obelngoa, who was on bail, dragged an 11‑year‑old visually impaired girl away from her mother and brother. The mother, who was walking with her family, saw the boy, who was topless, and tried to avoid him. She then noticed her daughter had vanished from her peripheral vision and turned to find the child being dragged by Obelngoa. The girl screamed, cried and struggled; Obelngoa threw her into a concession stand. Two security guards subdued him, and when Gardaí arrived he shouted, spat a mixture of blood and saliva, and tried to bite them as they attempted to cuff him. The girl was examined the next day, suffering minor spinal tenderness and abrasions, and reported extreme anxiety and trouble sleeping in public places thereafter. Stephan Obelngoa pleaded guilty.
Gary Coffey, 37, was found guilty by a jury of one count of anal rape and one count of sexual assault after a Central Criminal Court trial in March 2025. The offence occurred at Coffey's home in Dublin, where the victim had been invited and had consented to vaginal sex but repeatedly refused anal sex. Coffey persisted, eventually inserting a finger and then raping her anally. The victim, who wished to remain anonymous, reported the assault to gardaí and was taken to a sexual assault treatment unit. Coffey was sentenced to a headline term of seven years, reduced to six years, with the final nine months suspended. He must be supervised by the Probation Service for 12 months after release. The court noted that consent can be withdrawn and that Coffey had no legal consent to perform anal sex. The case also revealed Coffey's prior convictions and possession of tasers and cannabis.
A 40‑year‑old man was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, after pleading guilty to threatening to kill and rape the mother of his children and assaulting her in front of their two younger children. The court heard that the couple had been together for 11 years and had three children, but the relationship ended eight years before the offences. On 1 April 2022, a dispute over money led the defendant to send a series of threatening WhatsApp voice notes, including threats to "bounce a kettle bell off her head" and to rape her. Three days later, he assaulted the woman outside her home, punching her and kicking her while she was on the ground. The judge noted that the threats were "no joke" and described them as obscene, menacing, humiliating and insulting, and imposed the custodial sentence with supervision by the Probation Service.
Mary Higgins, 63, a former bursar at Mount Sackville Secondary School, was sentenced to one year in prison for stealing €500,000 from the school between 2012 and 2017 to fund a gambling addiction. She had full control over the school's cash flow, was the main signatory on bank accounts, and directed how money was allocated. Higgins sold her home and pension to repay the school and has repaid €470,949.62. She has no prior convictions and has since pursued addiction treatment, counselling studies, and voluntary work. The court noted her remorse, the lack of oversight that enabled the theft, and her long service to the school. Judge Orla Crowe imposed a custodial sentence, suspended two years on a €100 bond, and acknowledged her cooperation with Gardaí and forensic accountants. The case highlights the breach of trust and the impact of gambling on her life. Mary Higgins pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain refused to revisit the three‑year prison sentence imposed on Philip Marley, a 53‑year‑old former millionaire businessman from Rathbourne Court, Ashtown. Marley had pleaded guilty in November to procuring fraudulent entry into the Property Registration Authority's registry, deception and registering a false deed that altered ownership of two Dublin properties. The judge had previously deferred the sentence to allow Marley to arrange care for his adult son with severe neurological symptoms. During the hearing, counsel for Marley presented a forensic psychologist's report, but the judge declined to suspend any portion of the sentence, citing the report's findings and directing that it be forwarded to prison authorities. The court also heard mitigation for co‑accused Herbert Kilcline, who faces a separate sentencing on 23 June. Herbert Kilcline was convicted.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, the State presented evidence that a 50‑year‑old man, Jeffrey Jackson, suffered 16 knife wounds in a Co Kildare apartment, a pattern the prosecution said could not be explained by the accused, Ryan Kearney's, claim of self‑defence. Kearney, 39, had told the first garda that men in balaclavas had attacked the scene and later said he had stabbed Jackson but not killed him. The prosecution argued that the injuries were distributed around the body, including head, face, chest and legs, and that Kearney had only a small cut on a finger. The jury was told Kearney had been arrested at 4.30pm, charged with murder, and that his statements to the garda and to the emergency call taker were inconsistent with the evidence. The trial was scheduled to continue for two weeks before Mr Justice Paul Burns. The unnamed 50-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Joseph Thorpe, aged 73, pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault committed between September 1974 and September 1976 during a club trip to County Kerry. The victim, aged 12 to 14 at the time, remains anonymous but described Thorpe as "vile", "evil" and a "danger to children". Thorpe, who had previously been convicted of indecent assault on a teenage boy in the 1980s and received a two‑year suspended sentence in 1990, was found to have lived on a mobile home site in County Meath. The court noted Thorpe's history of five prior convictions, his complex medical issues, and his willingness to engage with the Probation Service. The judge adjourned the case for one week, remanded Thorpe in custody until 25 June, and directed that he receive all required medical treatment while in custody.
Trevor Bolger (48), a former garda detective, pleaded guilty to assaulting his former wife, Margaret Loftus, on October 25, 2012. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court, with the validated procedural stage being sentence. Ms Loftus, who is also a garda, described the assault as a 'protracted assault' that had a significant impact on her personal and professional life. She stated that she lost everything and faced a stigma within An Garda Siochana for standing up for herself. Bolger admitted to the charges and was found to have assaulted Ms Loftus 13 years ago. The court heard that the maximum penalty for the assault, under Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, is six months imprisonment or a fine. Judge Martina Baxter described the assault as 'egregious' and said she would seek the assistance of the Probation Service before adjourning the case for sentencing in October. Bolger was remanded on continuing bail, and the matter was adjourned.
In Tallaght District Court, 45‑year‑old Norman Purfield pleaded guilty to simple possession of heroin under Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act after a police stop on Old Bawn Road. He was found with 6.8 g of heroin, worth about €952, and claimed it was for personal use, bought in bulk to avoid theft. Judge Patricia McNamara dismissed the original charge of possession for sale or supply, citing insufficient proof beyond reasonable doubt, and convicted him of simple possession. She imposed a three‑month sentence, suspended for 12 months, conditional on Purfield attending a drug treatment programme in Deonach, Tallaght. Purfield, who has 42 previous convictions including three drug‑related offences, was warned that failure to attend treatment could lead to the sentence being imposed. The judge noted the lack of weighing scales, paraphernalia, or evidence of supply, and accepted Purfield's explanation and willingness to engage with treatment.
An 18-year-old defendant, previously convicted of violent disorder during the fatal assault on Tristan Sherry at Browne's Steakhouse, pleaded guilty to multiple offences at the Special Criminal Court. The charges relate to incidents at Tolka Valley Park, Blanchardstown, on May 7/8, 2024, including the possession of a side-by-side shotgun, 15 rounds of 9mm Makarov ammunition, and ten 12 Gauge shotgun cartridges. He also faced charges for possessing controlled drugs, including cannabis, diamorphine, cocaine, ketamine, and Phenacetin, allegedly for supply. Garda evidence indicated the defendant was burying these items for the Hennessy criminal gang. The court heard that the defendant is currently serving a sentence of two years and four months for the earlier violent disorder conviction, with the final year suspended. Defence counsel argued the defendant acted under the direction of others and cited his difficult background. Judge Karen O'Connor, presiding, adjourned the matter to July 7 for sentencing. The defendant was 17 at the time of the park offences but has since turned 18. The court noted the separate conviction for violent disorder arising from the Christmas Eve 2023 incident where Sherry was beaten to death.
Ines Perez, 43, of Willowpark Avenue, Glasnevin, pleaded guilty at Tallaght District Court to drink‑driving on 7 October 2023. She was driving a Volkswagen Polo on Scholarstown Road, Knocklyon, shortly after 2 am when she crashed into a light pole, causing traffic lights to topple and block the road. Garda Mark Faul, who was in the area, spoke to Perez, noted signs of intoxication, and she failed a roadside breath test. A blood sample taken at a Garda station showed 144 mg of alcohol per 100 ml, nearly three times the legal limit of 50 mg. Perez had no previous convictions and was fully cooperative. Her defence counsel noted she was a mother of two, had been going through an emotionally difficult breakup, and rarely drank. The court heard she was deeply embarrassed and anxious to be before the court.
At the Central Criminal Court, a jury convicted Jozef Puska's brothers, Lubomir Puska Jnr and Marek Puska, of withholding information from An Garda Síochána regarding the murder of Ashling Murphy. The brothers were found guilty of failing to disclose that Jozef Puska returned home on the night of January 12, 2022, with visible injuries and admitted to cutting a female with a knife. Their wives, Viera Gaziova and Jozefina Grundzova, were convicted of burning Jozef's bloodstained clothes to impede his prosecution. Gaziova was convicted by an 11-1 majority, while Grundzova was found guilty by a 10-2 majority. All four defendants had pleaded not guilty. Jozef Puska's wife, Lucia Istokova, had previously pleaded guilty to withholding information. Ms Justice Biggs ordered probation reports for all five defendants. The matter was adjourned to July 7 for sentencing, with the defendants remanded on continuing bail until that date. Jozef Puska is currently serving a life sentence for the murder, having been convicted in November 2023.
Alexandru Enacke, 32, of Hazelgrove Estate, Tallaght, appeared before Tallaght District Court after a Garda stop at Killinarden on 5 December 2023. He was found driving a Mercedes with a fake AXA insurance disc and a false NCT disc, while the vehicle was uninsured, had no valid NCT, and Enacke held no valid Irish driving licence. He pleaded guilty to driving without insurance, driving without a valid licence, and using false insurance and NCT discs with intent to mislead. Enacke had eight prior convictions, including two for driving without insurance, and had been disqualified for two years in February 2024. The court, hearing his defence that a policy had lapsed due to a typo, rejected his explanation. Judge Patricia McNamara sentenced him to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, a five‑year driving disqualification, a €650 fine, and required him to sign a bond and comply with existing disqualifications.
A jury of twelve, comprising seven men and five women, will return to the Central Criminal Court tomorrow to continue deliberating on the verdicts in the trial of family members of Jozef Puska. The trial concerns charges of obstructing the arrest of Puska, who murdered school teacher Ashling Murphy in January 2022. The jury began deliberations last Wednesday and has spent 10 hours and five minutes in the jury room. Judge Caroline Biggs announced that the jurors would be dismissed for the day after a request to cease deliberations on Monday. The jurors will resume at 11.30am tomorrow. The accused—Lubomir Puska Jnr (38), Marek Puska (36), Viera Gaziova (40) and Jozefina Grundzova (32)—all pleaded not guilty to the charges. The case remains at the deliberation stage.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, jurors paused their deliberations over the weekend. The case concerns family members of Jozef Puska, who murdered school teacher Ashling Murphy in January 2022 and is serving a life sentence. The accused—Lubomir Puska Jnr (38), Marek Puska (36), and their wives Viera Gaziova (40) and Jozefina Grundzova (32)—are charged with withholding information from gardai and impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Jozef by burning his clothes. All pleaded not guilty. The jury asked the judge whether the accused needed to know their actions were unlawful to be guilty, and whether protecting the family could be a reasonable excuse. Justice Caroline Biggs explained that preventing Jozef's apprehension or prosecution cannot be a reasonable excuse, though self‑incrimination may be. She advised the jury to consider evidence beyond witness statements but warned against speculation.