A man with previous convictions for rape and kidnapping has pleaded guilty to harassing three female journalists at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Mark McAnaw, aged 52 and previously resident in Letterkenny, County Donegal, admitted to three counts of harassment against Sunday World staff members on various dates in August 2023. Judge Martin Nolan ordered the preparation of victim impact statements. McAnaw was remanded in custody pending sentence, scheduled for March 7 next. McAnaw has an extensive criminal history including a nine-year sentence imposed in 2012 for sexually assaulting a student in Donegal in 2010, and a 1989 conviction for kidnapping. He received an eight-year and four-month sentence in June 2023 for a separate assault, with the final 16 months suspended for 16 years subject to probation supervision.
The State has withdrawn the attempted murder charge against Philip Cox, a 40‑year‑old man, after a second Central Criminal Court jury failed to reach a verdict. The charge was dropped following a nolle prosequi entered by the Director of Public Prosecutions, as the judge noted the high standard required to prove an attempted murder, which demands proof of both an attempt to kill and an intention to kill. Cox had pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of his former partner, Cristal O'Brien, but had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, aggravated burglary and the production of a knife. The judge directed that the case proceed to a sentence hearing on the three remaining charges, with Cox remanded in custody until the hearing on 20 January. The victim, Ms O'Brien, expressed satisfaction with the decision, and the judge highlighted the difficulty juries face in proving the specific intent required for attempted murder.
A member of the Irish Defence Forces has been convicted of raping a fellow soldier at a Dublin hotel in July 2021. Kielan Mooney, aged 30 and from Londonderry, was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court this month on charges of anal rape, oral rape, and rape. He had pleaded not guilty to six charges in total; the jury could not reach verdicts on three remaining counts. The complainant, also a serving member of the Defence Forces, chose not to be publicly identified. According to evidence, the assault occurred in a hotel room in Dublin city centre. The woman stated she had instructed Mooney to stop, but he continued. She subsequently contacted friends, who arrived at the hotel and removed him from the room before gardaí were called. In a victim impact statement, the woman described the lasting trauma and its effects on her career and mental health. Mr Justice Tony Hunt remanded Mooney in custody pending sentencing on 20 January 2025.
Three men convicted of the kidnapping and torture of Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney have appealed their sentences at the Court of Appeal, arguing that crucial DNA evidence from a Renault Kangoo van should not have been admitted at trial. Alan Harte, Alan O'Brien, and Darren Redmond were convicted in December 2022 of false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, County Cavan on 17 September 2019. Harte received a 30-year sentence, O'Brien 25 years, and Redmond 18 years with the final three suspended. Their legal representatives argued the van, which was destroyed by fire while in garda custody, was not properly preserved, depriving the defence of independent forensic examination. DNA matching Mr Lunney was found inside the vehicle, whilst DNA matching Redmond was discovered on bars behind the front seats. The prosecution contended the evidence remained admissible and highly probative. The appeal hearing continues.
Thomas Collins, 59, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for the sexual abuse of his three cousins, Gretta Conlon, Catherine Conlon, and Gerard Conlon. Collins pleaded guilty to 21 sample counts of indecent assault, attempted rape, and rape committed between 1978 and 1992. Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring handed down a sentence of 12 and a half years, suspending the final year on conditions. The sentence was backdated to Collins' guilty pleas in October this year. He is currently serving a separate nine-and-a-half year sentence for abusing another person decades later. The court noted that Collins made "wholesale admissions" to gardaí in 1997 and 2002, yet was not charged until 2023. Ms Justice Ring stated the case should have been dealt with decades ago and highlighted that a garda's conduct in discouraging the victims from proceeding in 1997 had "all the hallmarks of misconduct in public office." The judge praised the victims' determination after waiting 27 years for justice. Collins' barrister argued he was a juvenile for much of the offending and that his early cooperation spared the complainants further re-traumatisation. The victims, who attended the sentencing, described the long struggle for justice and the lasting impact of the abuse.
Derek Landers, 42, who has lived in Lanzarote, Spain for 20 years, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of drugs for sale or supply after a pallet of cannabis was seized at Dublin Port. The pallet, weighing 54 kg and valued at €1,046,000, was hidden under towels and discovered by customs and Gardaí. Landers admitted he believed he was collecting horse feed and was offered €250 for the job, later claiming he was asked to do a job for €1,000. He has 19 prior convictions in Spain and Ireland. Judge Elva Duffy, noting that Landers was not at the top rung of the drug‑distribution ladder, sentenced him to five years' imprisonment. The case involved a joint customs‑Garda operation that intercepted the shipment and examined the contents. Landers expressed remorse and apologized to his family, society and the court. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and Landers' guilty plea.
Maria Stefan, 33, pleaded guilty to fraudulently claiming €18,045.60 in one‑parent and rental allowances between December 2017 and December 2018. She had previously lived at Thomas Moore Road, West Dublin, but was seen at an Ashton Drive house in Swords where her then‑partner lived. An investigation began after a welfare inspector noticed inconsistencies in February 2021. A search of the Ashton Drive house on 4 June 2021 found a letter addressed to Stefan and other items, and evidence that she used the address online 54 times. Stefan admitted the online account was hers and that she sent the messages. She has 10 prior convictions, including theft and burglary. Judge Orla Crowe directed her to complete 240 hours of community service in lieu of a two‑year, three‑month prison term and to engage with probation services for one year.
Paul Bissett, 38, was sentenced to three years in prison for burglary and criminal damage after stealing seven designer watches from Cullen Jewellers in Dublin 2 on 18 November 2023. The shop owner was alerted by an alarm at 6.45 am, found the window broken and the case of 10 Tag Heuer watches opened, with seven taken and three left on the ground. The stolen watches were valued over €13,000 and the damage to the shop was between €15,000 and €20,000. Later that day Bissett and another man tried to sell the watches to Dawson Jewellers, but the owner, already aware of the theft, called the gardaí and Bissett was arrested. Five of the watches were recovered, worth over €10,000. Bissett had 75 prior convictions, including assault, and had recently received a four‑year sentence for a robbery committed a month after the jewellery heist. Paul Bissett pleaded guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Philip Griffin, 37, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Anthony O'Brien, 30, and his five‑year‑old daughter Nadine after a house fire in Tralee on 12 May 2012. Griffin, who had no fixed abode and was originally from Tralee, had previously been convicted of 41 offences. He voluntarily approached Gardaí in May 2022, admitting that he and another man had entered the O'Brien home, set fire to a couch with a lighter, and fled. The fire caused the deaths of Anthony and Nadine; Kelly O'Brien survived but fractured her heel. Griffin, who appeared by video link from prison, said he could not live with the guilt and wants to be locked up. The court heard that the case had been closed after a 2013 inquest that found no evidence of a criminal act.
Paul Bourke, aged 56, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to eight counts, including possession of cocaine for sale, possession of €18,100 in cash from criminal proceeds, and possession of three Glock 17 pistols. The offences occurred across several locations: his home in Tullyvolty, Johnstown, Co Kilkenny; Ballygall Parade, Finglas, Co Dublin; Tallaght, Co Dublin; and Ashbourne, Co Meath. On 3 November 2023, Bourke was arrested in Finglas after a Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau operation, following a confidential tip‑off. He was observed leaving his Kilkenny home in a transit van, dropping packages in Tallaght, Ashbourne and Finglas, where each package was seized and the recipients arrested. The Tallaght package contained just over €70,000 of cocaine; the Ashbourne and Finglas packages each held over €17,000 of cocaine. In Finglas, his van contained €18,100 in cash.
David Dunne, 40, was convicted of murdering fellow inmate Robert O'Connor, 34, at Mountjoy Prison on 29 July 2022. CCTV footage showed Dunne luring O'Connor into his cell, where he was knocked to the ground and stamped on the head repeatedly. Prison officers heard a yell and a cry of "No, no" before silence, and later saw Dunne stamp on O'Connor's head more than once. O'Connor was taken to Mater Hospital, placed on life support, and pronounced dead three days later after brain‑stem testing revealed no activity. Dunne, who had 123 convictions since 1998 and was serving a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for robbery, was found guilty by a jury in less than three hours. Robert O'Connor pleaded not guilty.
Lisa O'Meara, who waived her anonymity, told the Central Criminal Court that she had been kept hostage in her own home by Barry Murphy, who repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted her between February 2018 and February 2020. Murphy, 39, was convicted of three rapes, one sexual assault, three assault causing harm, one false imprisonment and coercive control over an 18‑month period. He was also found guilty of a separate assault abroad. The court heard that the front door of the couple's house was riveted shut and that O'Meara had no means of communication until she escaped the night after the final rape. Murphy's bail was revoked when O'Meara lived with him. The judge imposed a headline sentence of 17 years for the rapes, four years for coercive control, and other sentences for the remaining offences, all running concurrently. The final global sentence was 15½ years, with the last year suspended on strict conditions.
Patrick Murphy, 52, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Joseph Brosnan, 53, who was stabbed to death in Abbey Court, Tralee, on 22 May 2022. Murphy had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, yet the jury found him guilty of murder after a two‑hour deliberation. The judge described the attack as a "cowardly" and "vicious" knife assault carried out in a "drunken rage" against a "defenceless and unarmed" man. Murphy had been drinking and had brought a large kitchen knife to the apartment where he and Brosnan had shared drinks with a Polish friend, Kamil Lisowski. The victim's family delivered emotional impact statements, describing Brosnan as a beloved son, father and grandad, and expressing profound grief and anger at the loss. The court noted Murphy's 15 prior convictions, mainly for traffic, public order and drug offences. The judge thanked the family for their statements and emphasised the seriousness of the crime.
The family of 26‑year‑old Cian Gallagher, murdered on 2 November 2022 in Tallow, Co. Waterford, delivered an emotional victim impact statement at the Central Criminal Court during the sentencing of Maurice Boland. They urged Irish society to consider who should be role models for young men, citing the three young men who helped Cian as examples of kindness and self‑lessness. The family described Cian as shy, kind, and principled, and expressed profound grief over his loss. They condemned the attacker's boast that he had punched Cian "like Conor McGregor in the UFC" and highlighted the senseless violence that ended a promising life. Boland, 37, was found guilty of murder and received the mandatory life sentence, to commence after the expiry of his earlier assault conviction. The statement underscored the lasting trauma endured by the Gallagher family. Maurice Boland pleaded not guilty.
A 43‑year‑old homeless man, Liam Whelan, was convicted in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of assault causing serious harm and robbery after he attacked a cardiologist with a champagne bottle in the victim's home on 25 August 2023. The attack left the doctor with a skull fracture, a large life‑threatening blood clot, permanent hearing loss in one ear, and a six‑month work‑inability due to seizure risk. Whelan pleaded not guilty but was found guilty by a unanimous jury in November. He claimed self‑defence, alleging the victim had assaulted him, but the court rejected this defence. The case was adjourned for sentencing, with the prosecution seeking 10‑15 years, the maximum being life imprisonment. The court considered medical reports, CCTV footage, and Whelan's 63 prior convictions in its deliberations.
Cristian Topiter, 39, of Dublin, appeared before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after being sent forward from the District Court on a signed guilty plea. He admitted to committing arson at St Michan's Church on 11 June, damaging the crypt's mummified remains, including an 800‑year‑old Crusader. Judge Orla Crowe initially set a sentencing date for 24 March but later adjourned it to 20 February. Topiter was remanded in continuing custody and requested, and was granted, to be sentenced by videolink from Cloverhill Prison.
Stephen Bedford, 38, who lives in a hostel on Merchants Quay, admitted on his trial date that he drove a car into a crowd of immigration protestors at Five Lamps Junction on 15 February 2023. He pleaded guilty to one count of driving a vehicle through a crowd, creating a substantial risk of death or serious harm. Bedford was remanded on continuing bail and will appear before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing on 27 March next year.
Richard McGreevy, 28, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of making threats to kill or cause serious harm to Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. The threats were made on 16 July without lawful excuse, with the intent that the recipients would believe they would be carried out. McGreevy appeared via videolink from Cloverhill Prison. The judge ordered victim impact statements and remanded him in continuing custody for sentencing in March.
Two members of a Romanian organised crime gang were sentenced to a combined ten years in prison for a series of vehicle‑ram raids on commercial premises in July 2023. The men, Ricardo Stancu (19), Daniel Murgea (31) and Ionut Leonard Petriu (38), were arrested during Garda Operation 'Docht' and pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal damage and organised crime offences. Stancu received five years with the final 12 months suspended; Murgea was sentenced to six years after a headline of eight years was considered, taking into account his prior convictions in France and Italy. Petriu, who pleaded guilty to assisting the group, was placed on bail and his case was adjourned to March 20 for a probation report. The court described the offences as highly organised, with extensive damage to three unoccupied commercial premises and no items stolen.
Siquen Buongiovanne Rey, 36, a former chef with no fixed abode in Spain, was found with 11 kg of cannabis worth €220,000 in his luggage at Dublin Airport on 5 April. Customs officials, alerted by his suspicious behaviour after arriving from Malaga, X‑rayed his luggage and discovered 11 black‑plastic‑wrapped packages. Rey admitted possession to the Gardaí, claiming the drugs were for personal use, and pleaded guilty. He had no prior convictions in Ireland or Spain and was in custody since his arrest. The court accepted his early plea and the fact that he had financial difficulties after losing his job during the Covid‑19 pandemic. Judge Dara Hayes, noting the seriousness of the offence and the quantity of drugs, imposed a sentence of two years and nine months, back‑dated to 5 April, and allowed the early plea to reduce the mandatory minimum. Rey intends to serve the remainder of his sentence in Spain if permitted.
Three Romanian men—Ricardo Stancu (38), Daniel Murgea (31) and Ionut Leonard Petriu (19)—were sentenced for a series of ram‑raid burglaries in eastern Ireland in July 2023. The gang used a stolen "dummy" silver Mercedes to smash into the front windows of a Dublin phone shop and a Vodafone shop in Newbridge, and later rammed a car into the gates of a motor dealer on Naas Road. They stole a 5‑series BMW from a dealership in Clondalkin, which was later used as a getaway vehicle. The men pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal damage and organised‑crime offences. Stancu and Murgea remain in custody; Petriu is on bail. The court heard the incidents caused extensive property damage—over €49,000 at the 3 Store, €16,000 at Whitewater, €4,000 at the dealership and €1,753 at the motor dealer—yet no mobile phones were stolen as they were kept in a safe.
Jamie Griffin, 29, with over 40 prior convictions, was on bail when he joined a group assault at Bow Lane Bar, Aungier Street, while high on cocaine. He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm. Tommy Doran, 32, with no prior violent convictions, also pleaded guilty. The incident began when an unidentified person attacked three men; Doran escalated the violence, punching a victim, kicking him, and striking him with a chair, causing a fractured nose. Griffin, though not the initiator, quickly joined and inflicted violence on two men. Both defendants paid €4,000 in compensation. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Doran to two and a half years, fully suspended, with conditions including victim‑focused work and addiction services. Griffin received a four‑year sentence, fully suspended, with similar conditions. Both were released after sentencing.
Thomas Finnegan, 36, of Tallaght, was found guilty by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury of assault causing serious harm and the production of an article in the form of a guitar at an Applegreen service station on 22 June 2023. The attack left the victim blind in his left eye, with the eye shrunken and the loss of sight likely permanent. CCTV footage showed Finnegan striking the victim with a guitar after a brief departure from the scene. Finnegan has 38 prior convictions, including assault, criminal damage, public order and road traffic offences. Judge Jonathan Dunphy sentenced him to nine years for the assault, suspending the final eighteen months, and to three and a half years for the article, suspending the final twelve months; both sentences run concurrently. He will be supervised by probation services for two years after release. The sentence was back‑dated to the date of his arrest.
Richard Farrell, aged 61, was convicted by a jury of four counts of defilement for sexual acts with a 16‑year‑old girl who played on his soccer team between August 2008 and January 2009. The victim, who was 16 at the time, gave a victim impact statement describing the lasting harm to her confidence, trust and relationships, and how Farrell's grooming and sexual conduct had ruined her love of soccer. Farrell pleaded not guilty but was found guilty. He received a headline sentence of seven years, reduced to six years with the final two years suspended, subject to two years' probation, therapeutic assessment and treatment, and restrictions on contact with children. The court noted his prior road traffic offence and community contributions, and that he had been assessed as low risk of reoffending. The sentence was imposed by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon.
Alan Jenkins, aged 30 when first abused, presented a victim impact statement in which he described Tusla's investigation of his uncle Paul Craven as a "farce". Jenkins said Tusla found his allegations unfounded after interviewing Craven, who had been convicted last month of 11 counts including sexual assault and indecent assault between 1989 and 1999. Jenkins claimed Tusla ignored his and his sister's attempts to contact the agency and that Craven continued to work with vulnerable children. He recounted the abuse beginning when he was six or seven, involving inappropriate touching and sexual acts, and described the emotional toll, including panic attacks, anxiety, shame and suicidal thoughts. Jenkins urged other survivors to come forward and thanked the Gardaí, the jury and his family for their support. The court heard that the case would be adjourned to January 28 for a full plea of mitigation. The statement was read by Jenkins' daughter Sophie.
A 52‑year‑old convicted rapist who fathered a son with his estranged daughter has been allowed to pursue a High Court action against the governor of the Midlands Prison and the Minister for Justice after his request for temporary release on medical grounds was refused. The man, who was sentenced in January 2023 to 10 years' imprisonment with the final year suspended, suffers ill health, including a chronic, infected wound on his right knee that may require inpatient care. His lawyers argue that there is no statutory prohibition on temporary release for sexual offence offenders and that the refusal was unlawful. They seek a declaration that the Minister's fixed policy denying release for such offenders is unlawful, an order for the reasons for the refusal, and a declaration that the Minister's discretion has been fettered. The High Court has granted permission for the case to proceed and adjourned it to January.
The Central Criminal Court heard on 9 December 2024 that Damian Szatkowski (38) pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Marcel Kusenda (48) on 8 March 2023. Kusenda, a Slovakian man who had lived in Ireland for 20 years, was found in his Newbridge home with severe head injuries after being repeatedly kicked and punched by Szatkowski, who had recently moved in. A post‑mortem revealed a displaced nasal fracture and a 15 mm subdural hematoma, with death caused by complications of blunt‑force head injury. Szatkowski, with 61 prior convictions, was arrested and denied intent to kill, claiming he had only punched once. The court adjourned sentencing to 17 February, noting the offence's high culpability and the defendant's remorse. The case remains pending.
At the High Court, Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty granted permission for a judicial review and adjourned the matter to January. The applicant, Juma Palani, is challenging the State's decision to disallow his claims for jobseeker's and disability allowance. He argues that the Criminal Assets Bureau, Chief Appeals Officer, and relevant Ministers erred in law and fact by concluding there were reasonable grounds to infer he engaged in criminal activity, a finding he contends lacks supporting evidence. Mr Palani seeks an order quashing these decisions, repayment of monies paid, and declarations that the State breached his procedural rights under the Constitution and the European Court of Human Rights Act. He is also seeking a declaration that the respondents failed to vindicate his rights. The application notes that in February, his solicitor requested evidence supporting the inference of criminal conduct, which has not been produced. The case involves the father of Yousef Palani, who was jailed for life last year for the murders of Michael Snee and Aidan Moffitt and for stabbing Anthony Burke in the eye with a kitchen knife. These offences occurred over a four-day period in Sligo, driven by hatred of gay men. Yousef Palani, who was 23 at sentencing, decapitated one victim in his own home. The matter was adjourned and is not concluded.
Emer Tighe, 46, of Windsor Court, Blackrock, was given a suspended sentence after crashing her BMW into a nursing home wall on New Year's Day. Witnesses saw her speeding and running a red light on Rochestown Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, before the vehicle struck the rear wall of the nursing home's conservatory and dining room, causing over €70,000 of damage. Tighe pleaded guilty to criminal damage, drink driving and dangerous driving. Her blood alcohol level was 172 mg per 100 ml, the highest category for drink driving offences. She had been prescribed medication for a chest infection and had no memory of the incident. Judge Elva Duffy imposed a headline sentence of three years for criminal damage, suspended the two‑year custodial term in full, fined €7,000, and disqualified her from driving for five years. The nursing home's insurance covered the damage, and Tighe has not driven since the incident.
David Carroll, 48, of Dublin 2, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five offences committed between December 2023 and April 2024: three thefts at St Francis Xavier Church on Gardiner Street, one theft at Erin College on North Great George Street, and one burglary of an apartment in Dublin City Centre. CCTV footage identified him at each incident. The court heard that Carroll's motivation was to fund a drug habit, and that he had previously received a diploma in addiction studies from Dublin Business School. He had 30 prior convictions and had become homeless after his hostel was raided. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, back‑dated to his arrest on 29 April 2024, and suspended the final six months for 12 months, placing him under Probation Services for 12 months. The sentence was imposed after Carroll's guilty pleas, admissions, cooperation with Gardaí, and a letter of apology were considered mitigating factors.
A 31‑year‑old tenant, Dmitrus Aleinkovs, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for raping his landlady in June 2016. The victim had earlier been raped by a drug‑spiking courier who left her in a temporary state of paralysis after she took cocaine. Aleinkovs had been sub‑letting part of the house and had a history of consensual sexual contact with the victim, which ended when he stopped paying rent. After the courier's assault, Aleinkovs entered the sitting room, saw the victim still in a state of paralysis, and raped her for five minutes. He later returned the victim's jeans and left. The court noted the breach of trust, the victim's vulnerability, and Aleinkovs' lack of prior convictions. He was extradited from Latvia in December 2022 and has been in custody since. The judge imposed a seven‑year sentence, back‑dated to his December 2022 custody.
After two trials, Maurice Boland, 37, was found guilty of murder for the death of 26‑year‑old Cian Gallagher. The attack occurred on 2 November 2022, with Gallagher dying eight days later. Boland had claimed he had punched Gallagher "like Conor McGregor in the UFC" and later lied to Gardaí about the victim's alleged initial swing. CCTV showed Boland pursuing Gallagher down the street, delivering a "haymaker" that caused Gallagher to fall and hit his head. The prosecution argued that Boland intended to cause serious injury, while the defence maintained no intent to kill. The jury, after five hours and eleven minutes, reached a unanimous verdict of murder. Boland will be sentenced to life imprisonment on 16 December, with the victim's family invited to speak. The case was presided over by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, who thanked the jury and exempted them from further service for five years. Maurice Boland pleaded not guilty.
Joanna Zochowska, a 40‑year‑old Polish artist, was found at Dublin Airport with a pink suitcase containing 13.5 kg of cannabis worth €270,208. She claimed she had not packed the bag herself and believed it held precious metals to avoid customs duties. Zochowska said she was contacted via an app, promised $10,000 CAD, and received $1,000 for flight costs. She admitted to being in an abusive relationship and feeling financially pressured. The court accepted her early guilty plea and cooperation, noting her vulnerability and lack of prior convictions. Judge Dara Hayes sentenced her to three years and three months, suspending the final 21 months, and backdated the sentence to the day she was taken into custody. The judgment highlighted her naivety, financial hardship, and the aggravating factor of the drug amount and promised payment.
Kamila Henrique Lopes, 28, a Brazilian drugs mule, was intercepted at Dublin Airport on 5 June 2024. She admitted to swallowing 102 pellets of cocaine and hiding three more in a condom in her vagina to settle a €163 loan‑shark debt. The total value of the drugs was €83,510. Garda Emmet O'Byrne reported that Lopes had borrowed the debt from a street lender in Brazil, with penalties raising it to about €580. She cooperated with Gardaí, revealing that she was instructed to swallow the pellets in a hotel room in Brazil and that she found it physically difficult. Lopes has no prior convictions and was taken to Beaumont Hospital, where she passed the 102 pellets. She has been in custody since 10 June 2024 and has taken educational courses. Judge Elva Duffy, after considering mitigating factors, set a headline sentence of five and a half years, reduced to three years and nine months, backdated to 5 June 2024. Kamila Henrique Lopes pleaded guilty.
A 31‑year‑old Brazilian man, Jostiel Dias Da Silva, pleaded guilty in June 2023 to possessing false identity documents, using a false instrument to open a bank account in March 2021, and facilitating the acquisition of a false instrument in October 2020. He admitted using these documents to obtain a PPS number, secure employment and open a bank account, and acted as a middleman for a false Spanish passport for another person. A multi‑agency search in June 2020 uncovered an Italian passport, a Portuguese driving licence and a Portuguese passport in his home. Da Silva was working legitimately and paying taxes under a false name at the time of the offences, and he now works legally for a new employer. Judge Orla Crowe imposed an 18‑month suspended sentence, fully suspended on strict conditions, after acknowledging his cooperation and the fact that he had paid taxes and was contributing to society.
Darrel Brown, 43, of Leeds, was arrested at Dublin Airport after a sniffer dog detected cannabis in his suitcase. The drugs, weighing just under 14 kg, were valued at €253,730. Brown pleaded guilty to possession and importation for sale and supply. He was a low‑level participant in the drug trade, having been recruited to transport the cannabis from Spain to Dublin. Brown explained that he had left his job and relationship, struggled to find work in Spain, and was offered €2,000 for the job. He has one prior traffic offence conviction and has been in custody since his arrest. The court noted his mental health issues and lack of a lavish lifestyle, and accepted his early guilty pleas and cooperation. The case was adjourned to 24 March 2025 for finalisation.
Suzanne Shannon, 40, of Avondale House, Dublin, was jailed for two and a half years after pleading guilty to eight thefts of beauty products from two Boots stores in Rathmines and Donnybrook between January and April 2024. The thefts, valued between €500 and €1,000, were committed while she was serving the suspended portion of a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for a drug‑dealing offence involving €69,608 worth of heroin. Garda Stephen Walsh arrested her after a panic alarm at Boots, Rathmines, and she admitted the stolen goods and her intent to sell them to fund her drug addiction. Judge Orla Crowe imposed a consecutive term of two years and three months for the thefts, suspended the final three months of the drug sentence on strict conditions, and ordered her to engage with the Probation Service for one year upon release.
Adam Doyle, 31, of Balbriggan, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm after a verbal argument with Evan Somers on Dame Street, April 2022. CCTV footage shown in court showed Doyle walking away, followed by Somers, then Doyle punching him, causing Somers to fall and suffer a fractured eye socket and ankle fractures, requiring surgery and six days in hospital. Doyle had previously handed himself in after the footage aired on RTE's Crimecall, claiming no homophobic element. He admitted full responsibility, offered a letter of apology and €13,000 as a token of remorse, and presented a psychological report indicating low re‑offending risk. Judge Orla Crowe accepted the evidence, noted the serious consequences for Somers, and imposed an 18‑month suspended sentence, requiring Doyle to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for two years, with the sentence re‑entered if he attracts garda attention.
At the Central Criminal Court, defence counsel for Dean Caffrey has urged the jury to acquit his client of murdering Sean McCarthy, arguing that the prosecution case lacks foundation. Lorcan Staines SC submitted that conviction would constitute a travesty, contending there is no evidence Mr Caffrey lured the deceased to his apartment for execution. Mr Staines criticised the Director of Public Prosecutions for partisan presentation and breach of disclosure obligations, noting that material supporting the defence was withheld until six weeks into the trial. Mr Caffrey, aged 38 of Beaucourt, Achill Road, Drumcondra, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to murder. The prosecution alleges Mr McCarthy was executed; the defence maintains he was shot during a struggle after arriving armed at Mr Caffrey's home in August 2022. Mr Staines emphasised Mr McCarthy's background as a drug dealer with known firearm access, contrasting this with his client's lack of violence history. The jury will hear Mr Justice Paul McDermott's charge on Friday before retiring to consider their verdict.
A 38‑year‑old child psychiatrist, Amirul Arif Bin Mohd Yunos, was sentenced to eight and a half years' imprisonment for sexually abusing a 15‑year‑old girl in 2023. Yunos, who worked at a CAMHS centre in Clonskeagh, had been approached by the girl's parents to help their daughter with mental health difficulties. The victim was not formally his patient. Between May and September 2023, Yunos engaged in a series of sexual acts with the girl, including inappropriate touching, oral sex, and penetration of her vagina and anus, at locations such as a car, his home, her home and his workplace. He pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with a child under 17, one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one of meeting a child for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Cailean Crawford, 28, was convicted of the murder of Thomas McCarthy, 55, at Croftwood Park, Ballyfermot, on July 27, 2020. The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict after deliberating for eight hours and 20 minutes, rejecting Crawford's not guilty plea and his defense that he merely loaned a van to associate Charles McClean. Prosecutors alleged Crawford was the gunman who fatally shot McCarthy, who had returned from the UK to visit his mother. Mr Justice Tony Hunt described Crawford as a "cold-blooded" and "dangerous individual," noting the crime was not a victim of circumstance. The judge highlighted Crawford's prior conviction for conspiracy to murder Wayne Whelan in 2019, for which he was sentenced to seven years with two suspended. McClean, who pleaded guilty to lesser offences in that case, was sentenced to eight years. Following the verdict, Crawford shouted at the court and stormed out. Mr Justice Hunt remanded Crawford in custody until December 20, when he will be handed the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment for murder. The matter was adjourned for sentencing.
A 65‑year‑old man, Ciaran Watters, received a suspended two‑year sentence after he struck his elderly neighbour, Patrick Dunne, with a shovel while Dunne was trimming a hedge on their shared boundary. The assault occurred on 14 June 2021 when Dunne was on a ladder leaning against a wooden fence; Watters hit the fence twice, causing Dunne to fall flat on his back. Dunne, who has had two hip replacements, suffered pain, anxiety and flashbacks, and now requires medication for his spine. Watters, who had a prior assault conviction, admitted alcohol influence, completed an inpatient addiction course, and offered €5,000 to Dunne. The judge imposed a three‑year suspended sentence with conditions to refrain from interfering with neighbours and to pay the compensation. The unnamed 65-year-old pleaded guilty.
A 56‑year‑old man, Adrianus Johannes Kees, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment after defrauding the Irish biotechnology company Ovagen of €840,000. Ovagen, seeking €28 million to patent a germ‑free egg for vaccines, was persuaded by Kees to deposit the money into an alleged escrow account in Lichtenstein. No such account existed; the funds were transferred to Kees' personal accounts and spent on a pool house, a Mercedes‑Benz lease and other expenses. Ovagen had to repay the loan taken from AIB and lost the money. Kees pleaded guilty on the fifth day of his trial, apologized to the victims, and was granted a reduced sentence after a European Arrest Warrant had led to his extradition from Spain. The court noted his lack of prior convictions and cooperation with authorities. The sentence was back‑dated to account for time already spent in custody. The unnamed 56-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Juma Palani, from Sligo, has initiated High Court proceedings to challenge the State's decision to withdraw his jobseeker's and disability allowances. Mr Palani is seeking to overturn determinations made earlier this year by the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Chief Appeals Officer, and the Minister for Social Protection. He claims the State has failed to provide evidence supporting assertions that he engaged in criminal activity, and contends the investigation was conducted unlawfully. Mr Palani's son, Yousef Palani, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2023 for the murders of Michael Snee and Aidan Moffitt in Sligo in April 2022, and for stabbing Anthony Burke. Mr Palani's legal representatives argue their client was denied fair procedures and constitutional justice, having received no opportunity to respond to allegations before his allowances were disallowed and repayment demands issued. Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty adjourned the case for hearing the following week.
A 79‑year‑old man was given a 20‑month suspended prison sentence for indecent assaults on his teenage sister‑in‑law that occurred in 1973. The victim was 13 at the time and the defendant was 29. The judge, Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring, highlighted the significant breach of trust by a family member and the lasting impact on the victim's life, noting that the abuse took 46 years to be formally reported. The sentence was imposed with strict conditions and the judge explained that it would be served in the community. The defendant pleaded guilty, and the court considered his age, health, and prior good character, deciding that custodial imprisonment was not warranted. The judge expressed hope that the defendant's acceptance of responsibility would help the victim move forward.
Mary O'Sullivan, aged 52, pleaded guilty to one count of deception, four counts of using a false instrument and four counts of false accounting for taking €16,024 from her non‑profit employer, Leargas, between 2016 and 2019. She oversaw the petty cash process and falsified receipts and accounting records. A 2019 review uncovered irregularities, including altered receipts and incomplete records. O'Sullivan was interviewed by Gardaí, attempted to blame colleagues, claimed she was bullied and that the petty cash book was accurate, and suggested the money was used for budget purposes. She offered €16,000 as restitution. The court imposed a two‑year sentence, fully suspended it, and required her to enter a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour, while ordering payment of the restitution to Leargas. The sentence was imposed by Judge Orla Crowe.
A 22‑year‑old man, Brandon Gavin, was sentenced to a mandatory life term in prison for the murder of his former friend, Marius Mamaliga, who was stabbed in the neck on 23 February 2023. The victim's parents, Inga and Victor Mamaliga, delivered an emotional impact statement, describing the loss as a void that will never be filled. Gavin had pleaded not guilty, claiming self‑defence after a drug debt dispute, but the jury found his defence "self‑serving nonsense." Witnesses testified that Gavin had been messaging women on Tinder minutes before the attack and had searched for "prison sentence for murder in Ireland" the day before. Marius was in the driver's seat with two friends when Gavin entered the rear passenger side, reached across, stabbed him once in the neck, and fled. He was taken to hospital in critical condition and died three days later.
Adam Roe-Dwyer (25), of Johnfield Road, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of assault causing harm to a security officer at Centra, Dame Street, Dublin 2, on March 18, 2022. His co-accused, Ian Lynch (25), of Weaver Street, Dublin 18, had previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and received a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence earlier this year. Both men admitted to the offence, which involved striking the security guard after he refused entry to a plastic pint glass. The victim sustained two fractures to his nose, requiring surgery and five days of hospitalisation. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced Roe-Dwyer to a two-and-a-half-year term, suspended in full on conditions. This follows Lynch's earlier sentencing, where he also received a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence after paying €4,000 towards the victim's losses. Roe-Dwyer also paid €4,000 today. The judge noted the seriousness of the assault but considered mitigating factors, including both men's lack of previous convictions, their cooperation with gardaí, and their apologies. The matter was finalised with the imposition of these suspended sentences.
John O'Brien, 44, with 119 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to stealing an electric scooter from a shop on Dame Street on 31 January 2022. The theft occurred after an argument between shop security, O'Brien and two other men. O'Brien seized the scooter and fled toward Trinity College, threatening the victim with death. The victim pursued him, pleaded for the scooter, and was assaulted by another man who also threatened him. Gardaí later apprehended O'Brien while he was riding the scooter. O'Brien was on bail for other offences at the time and is already serving a sentence. Judge Orla Crowe described the offence as a "mean‑spirited theft", noted his chronic addiction and previous convictions, and imposed a two‑year sentence back‑dated to his guilty plea. The sentence will run concurrently with his current term, with release projected for December 2027 and support structures in place for his eventual release.
A 33-year-old man from Claremorris, County Mayo, has been sentenced to four and a half years imprisonment, suspended in full, after pleading guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. James Glynn was apprehended in November 2023 following a garda surveillance operation in Tallaght, Dublin, during which officers observed him receiving a suitcase containing 10.7 kilograms of cannabis valued at approximately €215,000. During interview, Glynn disclosed that he had accumulated a €1,000 drug debt whilst relocating from Dublin to Mayo. When he later sought to settle this obligation, he was informed the amount had escalated to €26,000, with additional "tax" imposed. He agreed to transport the drugs to repay the inflated debt under duress. Judge Pauline Codd noted the circumstances as exceptional, describing it as extraordinary that a modest debt could multiply so dramatically at the discretion of higher-level drug traffickers. The sentence includes 12 months' probation supervision and mandatory continuation of counselling.