Chestin Hoogenboom, 37, a Dutch national, was jailed after admitting she smuggled more than €26,000 worth of cocaine into Dublin Airport. Customs officials stopped her at Terminal One when an X‑ray revealed an anomaly in her luggage, which contained €12,000 worth of cocaine. Gardaí questioned her and she was taken to Beaumont Hospital, where she removed an additional €14,000 worth of cocaine from inside her body. The total weight of cocaine removed from her luggage and her person was 0.38 kilograms. Hoogenboom pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply on 9 November last year and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. She cooperated fully, made an early guilty plea, and has no prior convictions in this jurisdiction or abroad. The court noted she is studying law and judicial decision‑making and that she has mental health issues and two teenage children in the care of a friend.
A 29‑year‑old non‑national was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment for assault causing harm, threats to kill and criminal damage after a three‑hour attack on his former partner in her Dublin home during the Covid lockdown. The court heard that the defendant and the victim had a volatile relationship for three years. On 12 February 2021, he struck the woman on the head and body, called her a "bitch" and a "whore", threatened to kill her and said he would "smash her head in" before leaving at 1 a.m. Four days later, on 16 February, he returned, again called her a "whore", threatened to kill her, grabbed and smashed her iPhone, and the victim's child was present. He was arrested on 1 April 2021, pleaded guilty, and admitted the assault but not the full extent of the victim's account.
A 20‑year‑old man was sentenced to three years in prison, with the final 20 months suspended, for raping his younger cousin when he was about 13. The offences, committed between April 2017 and March 2018, included three counts of rape, one anal and one oral. He was ordered to have no unsupervised contact with children, to avoid the victim and to comply with child‑safety measures. The judge noted the victim, now 14, had suffered trauma and praised her courage. The defendant pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and has no prior convictions. He is studying at third level and the sentence will commence after his August exams. The court also directed him to engage in relevant programmes and cooperate with probation services. The case was brought after a Tusla referral and investigation by specialist Gardaí.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Martin Nolan restored the driving licence of 27‑year‑old Shane Ward early, cutting his six‑year disqualification to four years and nine months. Ward had been convicted in February 2021 of dangerous driving causing serious harm, driving without insurance and leaving the scene after striking 28‑year‑old Ms Radhika Lausin on a footpath at Drimnagh Luas. Lausin suffered a brain bleed, multiple facial fractures and a broken arm, and has undergone two operations. Ward fled the scene, later escaping on a friend's scrambler, and did not assist the investigation before pleading guilty. Despite Garda objections citing the severity of Lausin's injuries, the judge accepted Ward's rehabilitation efforts, noting his business venture and tax compliance, and ruled that the court should not impede his rehabilitation. Ward can resume driving in November 2025. The decision was made after a hearing on 3 July 2024.
A 24‑year‑old victim of a Temple Bar gang attack, who suffered slash wounds to his face and puncture wounds to his back, neck and arms, was left with permanent facial scarring and severe anxiety. He lost six months' earnings and now lives in constant worry, avoiding large gatherings. In a victim impact statement read by his partner, he described the assault as a "senseless act of violence" that shattered his life and left him with a "deep‑seated frustration" because most of the assailants are still free. Jordan Maguire, the only attacker identified from CCTV, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to three years and nine months' imprisonment. The court accepted that Maguire was not responsible for the most serious head and facial injuries, which required life‑saving surgery. The sentencing reflected the seriousness of the gang attack.
A 23‑year‑old Wexford man was jailed for two years and ten months after being found guilty of 14 counts of sexual assault on his younger cousin between 2013 and 2020. The victim, aged five to eleven at the time of the abuse, was forced by the defendant, aged thirteen to twenty, to touch his own penis and to touch the boy's penis. The abuse took place in the boy's home and a grandparent's house. The defendant has maintained his innocence. The victim confided in his mother in April 2020, leading to police involvement. He was interviewed by specialist Gardaí and said the abuse occurred more than fifteen times. The victim's behaviour deteriorated, leading to aggression and criminal offending.
In July 2024, a 25‑year‑old repeat offender was jailed for three and a half years after a violent incident in January 2022. While on bail, he entered his former partner's apartment, threatened to "rip her head off", slapped her, and tried to force her back inside. He then placed their four‑month‑old baby in an unstrapped buggy, causing the child to fall and injure his head. He refused to hand the baby over, threatened the woman's family, and tried to intimidate her with a key. The court found him guilty of criminal damage, making threats to kill or cause serious harm, assault, and child cruelty. Sentences of 20 months for child cruelty, two years and nine months for criminal damage, and five months for assault were imposed concurrently, with a total custodial term of three and a half years.
In a Dublin post office robbery on 11 November 2023, Mark O'Grady (35) and Paul Bradley (43) were jailed for six years each. Both pleaded guilty to robbery and to possessing an imitation firearm that resembled a handgun. O'Grady held the imitation gun at the entrance, preventing entry and exit, while Bradley entered with a third man, Lee Conlon (44), who drove the gang in a stolen car. Conlon smashed the protective glass with a scaffolding pole, stole €20,000 from the counter, and fled. The robbery was quickly stopped; the getaway car was identified and the money recovered. A customer with a three‑year‑old grandchild had to dive on her grandson to protect him when a bang was heard. All three men were arrested within minutes and received six‑year sentences for the robbery, with five years concurrent on the firearms charge. Conlon had previously been jailed for six years for a separate burglary.
A 15‑year‑old boy, abused by his older cousin from age eight to eleven, told the Central Criminal Court that he had tried to kill himself to escape the pain. He said the abuse began when he was eight and the cousin was thirteen, lasting three years in a rural Leinster area. The boy's family moved away from their "forever home" and his father has suffered a stroke from the stress. He read his victim impact statement at the sentencing of the 20‑year‑old accused, who pleaded guilty to two sexual assault charges, oral and anal rape, and child exploitation for showing him pornographic images between January 2018 and February 2020. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a three‑year sentence, suspending the final year on conditions, and directed the defendant to receive autism support and counselling.
In a Central Criminal Court sentencing, a 36‑year‑old Meath doctor was convicted of anal rape and false imprisonment of his wife on 14 February 2019. The wife reported the offence to Gardaí the same night, leaving the house with her baby and going to a local station. The doctor was arrested the following month and, during Gardaí interviews, claimed he did not rape his wife, saying "I get it every day for free" and that marriage implied blanket consent. The judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, noted the defendant's lack of understanding of consent and the extraordinary recklessness displayed. He imposed a nine‑year sentence, suspended the final year, and ordered strict conditions preventing contact with the wife, along with probation service engagement for two years after release. The judge also highlighted the domestic context and the defendant's failure to recognise the impact on his wife. The unnamed 36-year-old pleaded not guilty.
The Special Criminal Court adjourned several matters scheduled for July 15 due to a planned barrister strike, with proceedings rescheduled for the following day. Aaron Brady, convicted of the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, was due to be sentenced for attempting to pervert the course of justice. He had pleaded guilty to video-recording an interview between witness Ronan Flynn and An Garda Síochána. The matter was adjourned and is not concluded. Additionally, four men accused of the murder of Tristan Sherry at Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown were scheduled to appear. Noah Musueni, Wayne Deegan, David Amah, and Michael Andrecut face murder charges; their cases were adjourned. Jonas Kabangu and an unnamed juvenile are charged with violent disorder at the same location, while Jaures Kumbu is charged with possession of a submachine gun. All these matters were adjourned to July 16. The court noted the strike dates of July 9, 15, and 24. No sentences or findings were delivered during this session.
Mary O'Sullivan, a 52‑year‑old housewife from Ballymakealy Grove, Celbridge, was involved in an €65,000 online fraud after she set up a bank account for a man she believed to be a US soldier. The account was used to transfer the proceeds of an invoice‑redirection scam carried out by criminals. O'Sullivan pleaded guilty to money laundering on the basis of recklessness. The court noted her vulnerability, low intellectual ability and emotional state during a marital breakdown, and that she did not understand the fraud was occurring. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended in full, citing her low culpability and the lack of prior convictions. No jail term was imposed, and the case highlighted the victim's loss of over €65,000, with some assets seized in Nigeria but no recovery of the money.
A woman from County Roscommon has received a four-year prison sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for money laundering offences connected to proceeds of prostitution. Ivanilce Vailones, aged 47, pleaded guilty to five counts of money laundering between 2018 and 2021, with ten additional counts taken into consideration. The court heard that gardaí investigations revealed two bank accounts linked to Vailones containing approximately €126,000. Evidence included CCTV footage showing her withdrawing funds using a card belonging to a former sex worker. Justice Patricia Ryan imposed a sentence of four years with the final 28 months suspended for two years. Vailones has already served an equivalent period on remand, meaning she will serve no additional custodial time. The judge noted mitigating factors including her guilty plea, remorse, and employment since release. A co-accused in related proceedings received a four-year sentence with two years suspended.
Raymond Carroll, 16 at the time, was part of a group that caused trouble in a Lidl store on Moore Street on 11 March 2020. He opened a pack of biscuits and threw them, tossed a cardboard box, and became aggressive when a security guard took it. He also pushed a guard, grabbed a plastic cone and raised it over the guard's shoulder, then pulled the guard to the floor. CCTV footage was shown in court. Carroll pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of Section 2 Assault, carrying a maximum six‑month sentence. The judge, noting his lack of prior convictions and his plea, set a headline sentence of five months for an adult but reduced it to three months because he was a juvenile. The final sentence was two and a half months, fully suspended on strict conditions.
A High Court judge sentenced Ronan O'Grady, 33, to two years' imprisonment for eight counts of sexual assault against his niece, Keely O'Grady, aged six to nine between 2004 and 2008. O'Grady, who was 13 to 17 at the time, pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court. The judge noted the defendant's lack of remorse, his "talented" and "well‑educated" background, and the continued support he received from his family, which the court said had disrupted the victim's family relationships. Keely, now 26, gave a victim impact statement describing long‑term trauma, depression, anxiety and self‑harm, and criticised her grandparents for protecting him. The judge reduced the headline sentence from an initial eight years to two years, citing O'Grady's youth, lack of prior convictions, guilty pleas and low re‑offending risk, and did not suspend any part of the sentence. The sentence was back‑dated to the day he entered custody.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, former manager Donal Moroney, aged 70, was fined €500 for unlawfully storing and administering the euthanasia drug Dolethal to two dogs at Ashton Dog Pound in Castleknock on 24 July 2020. The drug, containing Pentobarbital Sodium, is only permitted to be stored at a veterinary practice and administered intravenously by a qualified vet. Moroney pleaded guilty to three counts: using the pound to store a veterinary‑only remedy, possessing it without being a vet, and allowing a layperson to give it orally to a Bichon Frise and an Akita. The court noted that staff lacked the experience or qualifications to handle the drug, described Moroney's culpability as "quite low," and considered mitigating factors such as his guilty plea, cooperation with Gardaí, long history of animal care, and serious health problems. He was ordered to pay the fine within three months.
Raul Rodriguez Ramirez, 36, was convicted of fraud for taking €29,042 from 18 international students who had paid for language courses in Dublin. He used the money to invest in a restaurant that failed during the pandemic, instead of enrolling the students. The students suffered financial loss, psychological distress, and some had to sleep in a church doorway or could not travel home. Ramirez pleaded guilty and paid €18,050 as a token of remorse. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced him to 18 months in prison on each count, to run concurrently, and suspended the final nine months for two years. The €18,050 was ordered to be divided pro‑rata among the 18 victims. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 27 June 2024.
Ann Wilson, 44, of Kilcock, Co Kildare, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for fraudulently claiming over €35,000 following a staged car crash. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three-year prison sentence but suspended it in full, citing Wilson's parental responsibilities for her son, who was paralysed in an unrelated accident. Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of dishonestly inducing AXA Insurance to pay personal injuries between February 1, 2013, and July 15, 2014. The incident involved a low-velocity collision at Ballycullen Roundabout on February 4, 2013, where Wilson was driving and her partner, Thomas O'Neill, was an occupant. O'Neill, 47, previously pleaded guilty to one count of deception and was jailed for two years as an "active participant" in the scheme. Deirdre Mellor, 54, O'Neill's sister and a passenger in the other vehicle, pleaded guilty to attempted deception and previously received a suspended two-year prison sentence; she did not proceed with an insurance claim as it was statute-barred. AXA Insurance identified the parties as connected via social media during its investigation. Wilson received €21,595 for herself, €550 for material damages, and €14,000 for her son in a civil case. The court noted that none of the money was recovered. Wilson has four previous road traffic convictions, while O'Neill has 70 previous convictions, and Mellor has one previous conviction for driving without insurance.
Ronnie Wilde, aged 23, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment for a series of unprovoked assaults and a robbery. On 1 September 2023 he robbed a Dublin 8 shop of €40 worth of groceries while armed with a possible knife. The following day he assaulted a delivery driver at his home, punching him several times. On 26 September 2023 he punched a woman twice in the face in the A&E department of St James's Hospital, causing her to fall and sustaining extensive facial injuries. Wilde pleaded guilty to all three counts. He has 52 prior convictions, most from his juvenile years, and was highly intoxicated and under the influence of drugs at the time of the attacks. The judge, citing his long history of offending, set a headline sentence of five years, reduced to three and a half years after mitigating factors, and backdated it to his October 2023 arrest.
A 32‑year‑old former restaurant owner was jailed for assaulting his wife on 19 October 2022, an incident that took place at their family home. During the attack he spat on her, threatened to kill her, and knelt on her neck, causing her to struggle to breathe. The wife, who was texting her sister at the time, said she feared she would die and that the assault had left her with lasting mental health effects, including PTSD, anxiety, depression and panic attacks. The court, hearing the case under the Domestic Violence Act, imposed a custodial sentence of two years and three months, with the final 12 months suspended on conditions such as completing a programme to help men overcome violence. The husband had no prior convictions and had recently sold his restaurant businesses to focus on family and therapy. The unnamed 32-year-old pleaded guilty.
Daniel O'Connell, 42, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin for sale or supply after a Garda search of his home in Cherry Orchard Park, Ballyfermot, uncovered 113 g of diamorphine worth €15,904. He claimed he was holding the drugs for a third party to reduce a €5,000 debt and said it was the first and last time he would hold drugs. O'Connell, who has 19 prior convictions including three drug offences, voluntarily contacted Gardaí after the search and attended the station the next day. Judge Orla Crowe, noting his efforts to turn his life around and his engagement with addiction treatment, imposed a two‑year suspended sentence, suspended in its entirety for three years, and ordered 12 months of supervision and after‑care support. The court also heard that he has a job offer and has completed an up‑skilling programme.
In a June 2024 decision, Judge Dara Hayes sentenced 45‑year‑old Graham Rosarius to 240 hours of community service for assaulting Samson Samuel with a tyre iron, resulting in three facial fractures. Rosarius, who has 11 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on 15 September 2021. The incident occurred when Rosarius, driving a white van, confronted Samuel, a delivery driver, after a perceived traffic dispute. Rosarius grabbed a tyre iron and struck Samuel on the head, leading to emergency treatment at The Mater Hospital. The judge noted Rosarius's addiction history, recent rehabilitation, and low risk of re‑offending, deciding that custodial imprisonment was unnecessary. The sentence also considered a second count of producing the tyre iron during the dispute. The community service must be completed within two years.
Wade O'Brien, 32, of Wicklow, was sentenced to three years in prison for his central role in a savage attack on a homeless man at Rathsallagh Park, Shankill, on 5 April 2021. O'Brien pleaded guilty to affray, and the court accepted the plea based on full facts. CCTV footage showed O'Brien entering the victim's house, beating him with a baseball bat, and then bundling him into the boot of a car that had been pre‑arranged with the boot open. The victim was later found bleeding heavily and required medical treatment for a fractured wrist and severe bruising. O'Brien's 172 prior convictions, including 42 for road traffic offences, were noted. The judge set a headline sentence of five years, reduced to four, with the final year suspended on strict conditions, including remaining drug and alcohol‑free for the term. The case highlighted the victim's lack of cooperation and the strong evidence presented by the prosecution.
Chantal Johnston, 37, of Crumlin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and dangerous driving after she attacked a Domino's Pizza delivery driver on 9 July 2022. The victim, a health and safety officer who also worked part‑time for Domino's, described the assault as "like a vicious animal" and said Johnston called him a "bloody foreigner" and a "little Paki". Johnston bit the man's leg, drove her car toward him, and threatened to kill him. The court heard she had taken large amounts of anti‑depressants and was under the influence. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced her to 18 months, suspended for three years, and imposed a mandatory driving disqualification. Johnston also agreed to pay €1,000 to the victim as a token of remorse. No prior convictions were recorded. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 46‑year‑old Greek pizza delivery driver Georgious Nikolas pleaded guilty to importing 13.8 kg of cannabis, valued at about €276,000, after customs officials discovered the drugs in his luggage on 19 October. Nikolas had believed he was transporting tax documents for a business, not drugs, and was shocked, angry and upset when told the contents. He admitted to the customs officers and later to Gardaí, claiming he wanted extra money for his son's education and had been offered €500 by an acquaintance. He had no prior convictions in Ireland or elsewhere. The judge, citing his cooperation, early guilty plea, lack of previous convictions and personal circumstances, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, back‑dated to his arrest, and suspended the final 18 months, leaving him in custody for the remaining 18 months.
Stephen Lane, aged 52, was convicted of repeatedly sexually abusing a girl aged five to seven between February 1986 and June 1988. He pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent assault, with eighteen additional counts considered at sentencing. The abuse occurred at several locations, including the victim's home, and stopped after her father discovered it. The victim, who remains anonymous, filed a complaint in June 2019 and later gave a victim impact statement describing the long‑term trauma and the way Lane had manipulated her into believing the abuse was normal. Judge Eileen Creedon, noting Lane's juvenile status, imposed a headline sentence of six years but reduced it to a final term of two and a half years, with the last six months suspended on strict conditions. Lane was also placed on the sex offenders' register for three years. The court considered his guilty plea, psychological reports, and work history in determining the sentence.
Shem Maher, 26, was sentenced to three years in prison for a violent robbery at Usher Street, Dublin 8, on 27 October 2021. He attacked a young woman, knocking her to the ground, punching and kicking her, ripping her bra and grabbing her breasts while shouting "Where's my drugs?" Forensic DNA evidence linked him to the bra. Maher denied the offences but pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery. He had seven prior convictions and had been in custody since March. The court noted the victim's fear of rape and her attempt to flee, as well as the presence of a second injured party who was also frightened. Judge Jonathan Dunphy imposed a headline sentence of six years, reduced to four years concurrent sentences, suspended the final year, and credited Maher for time served. The case involved a robbery with invasive search and physical assault, with no evidence that either victim had drugs.
Declan 'Mr Nobody' Brady, a former senior Kinahan cartel member, was sentenced at the Special Criminal Court to a nine-year prison term for facilitating the murder of Christopher Kirwan. The court found that Brady attached a tracker device to Kirwan's vehicle, aiding the gang in the December 2016 killing of the innocent man, who was shot after being photographed attending a funeral. Mr Justice Tony Hunt described the act as a pre-planned, execution-style murder and noted Brady's status as a trusted operative. Brady pleaded guilty to the single charge of participating in a criminal organisation to facilitate a serious offence. The judge fixed a 13-year headline sentence, reduced by three years for the guilty plea, resulting in a ten-year term with the final year suspended conditional on dissociation from the Kinahan group. This sentence runs concurrent to previous convictions: an 11.5-year term for supervising a firearms arsenal and an eight-year, three-month term for laundering over €400,000, both with suspended portions. The court also referenced Michael Crotty, who admitted buying phone credit for Sean McGovern, an act deemed reckless as to whether it facilitated the Kinahan organisation in the murder. Crotty's case is distinct from Brady's sentencing, which was backdated to April 30 last year.
A 44-year-old man from Derry has been ordered surrendered to UK authorities by the High Court in Dublin following an extradition hearing. Stephen Andrew McLaughlin faces extradition for breaching the terms of his release after serving a sentence for human trafficking conspiracy. He was convicted in 2015 of conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into Britain in a scheme involving Afghan migrants, one of whom died during transport in 2014. UK authorities are also pursuing charges against McLaughlin in Northern Ireland, including attempted murder, making a threat to kill, criminal damage and assault, allegations arising from an incident in September 2022. Mr Justice Patrick McGrath determined that the UK and Northern Irish matters were substantially more serious than domestic charges pending before Buncrana District Court and proceeded with the extradition order. McLaughlin has been remanded in custody pending his surrender within 25 days.
Charles Santos, a 30‑year‑old Deliveroo rider from Adelaide Road, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis, cannabis resin, cocaine and MDMA after a Garda search of his bedroom on 15 February 2023. The search, conducted under a warrant, uncovered €9,328.60 worth of drugs in shoe boxes and a chest of drawers. Santos admitted to using cannabis and buying large amounts with friends, but denied knowledge of the remainder of the drugs. He claimed the shoe boxes were left in his room after a trip to Brazil. The court noted that the house, a six‑bedroom dwelling, appeared "riddled with drugs from top to bottom." Santos had no prior convictions and was cooperative. Judge Pauline Codd, considering his early guilty plea and lack of previous offences, imposed a ten‑month prison sentence, suspended in full for two years, and required him to remain drug‑free during that period.
Paul Olunaike, a 34‑year‑old professional dancer and father of four, pleaded guilty to possessing €13,738 as proceeds of crime in his bank account on 25 August 2020. He had used €13,000 of laundered money to buy a €609 juicer, a €404.99 food processor and an oil extractor machine. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, after noting his significant shame and remorse, ordered him to complete 240 hours of community service within two years in lieu of an 18‑month sentence. Olunaike transferred €4,000 of the laundered money to his mother and gave €2,000 to the prosecuting Garda as a contribution toward losses. He has no further contact with Gardaí since the incident, and the court described him as a hardworking man and a father with many responsibilities. The juicer and food processor were to be donated to a local charity or refuge.
A High Court judge welcomed the return of a vulnerable elderly woman to the nursing home from which her son had unlawfully removed her. Mr Justice David Nolan said the son had manipulated his mother for his own satisfaction and failed to comply with a court order obtained by the woman's daughter to return her to the facility. The judge described the son's non‑compliance as contempt of court and warned that, unless he returned his mother to the nursing home staff, he would be jailed for contempt. The son, represented in court, claimed he had attempted to return her over the weekend and that she was vehemently opposed to staying in the facility. The judge accepted that the woman had been returned and was prepared to extend orders restraining the son from removing her or interfering with her care.
Joseph Doyle, 42, of Queen Street, Dublin 7, was sentenced to five years in prison for robbery and assault causing harm after attacking a 39‑year‑old man in Haymarket, Smithfield. The victim was left unconscious with a skull fracture and facial fractures. CCTV showed Doyle punching the victim, stealing his phone and wallet, and leaving him on the ground. Doyle pleaded guilty in the District Court and later admitted the attack to Gardaí, though he had no memory of it. The victim suffered significant physical and psychological injuries, including loss of hearing, blurred vision, headaches, depression, and anxiety. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a six‑year sentence, suspended one year on strict conditions, and noted Doyle's cooperation and remorse. Doyle has been in custody since the incident.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced four men for their roles in a violent incident in East Wall, Dublin, where a drug buyer sustained a traumatic brain injury after reversing his car at a group. Daryl Donnery (23) pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and affray, receiving a two-year, nine-month sentence with the final 12 months suspended. Dylan Martin (21) pleaded guilty to affray and was sentenced to two years, suspended in full on strict conditions. Josh Doran (23) and Brandon Leech (25) both pleaded guilty to affray and production of an article, respectively. The judge set headline sentences of three years for both, reduced to two years after considering mitigating factors. The matter for Leech and Doran was adjourned for 12 months to allow engagement with probation services. The court noted that none of the four were involved in the drug transaction that precipitated the violence. Donnery has five previous convictions, while Leech, Doran, and Martin each have 15. The injured man, who is now the subject of a European Arrest Warrant, discharged himself from hospital against medical advice after nine days.
A man from Wicklow has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking offences at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Ryon Fitzpatrick, aged 34 and with an address in Enniskelly, was arrested in October 2020 as he accompanied a van containing approximately 304 kilograms of cannabis concealed in shoeboxes near Swords, County Dublin. The drugs, imported from Spain, had an estimated street value of €6.08 million. Fitzpatrick, who was driving a lookout vehicle, fled to Spain following his initial arrest and questioning but was apprehended there last year and extradited to Ireland in December. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a headline sentence of eleven and a half years, reduced to nine years following mitigation, with the final two and a half years suspended on conditions. Two co-accused, Anthony Kinghorn and Mark Nesbitt, both from England, were separately convicted and received eight-year sentences in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
David Weir, 49, of Eastham Park, Bettystown, was found guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of possession of cannabis for sale or supply in his home and in Raheny on 22 February 2021. He admitted possession of an air rifle and had seven prior convictions, including drug and traffic offences. Weir was arrested after handing a large black bag of cannabis to taxi driver Mark Byrne, the target of a Garda surveillance operation. Gardaí seized 5 kg of cannabis at Byrne's home and 2.7 kg at Weir's Bettystown home, along with an air rifle, weighing scales and a vacuum packaging machine. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Weir to seven years, suspended the final two and a half years on the condition of good behaviour, and imposed a five‑year custodial term. The judge noted Weir's advanced lung disease and mental health history, and considered these factors in the sentencing. The case highlights the role of a "gillie" in drug distribution.
Jordan Cunningham, 31, was sentenced to six years in prison after a judge reinstated part of a four‑year suspended sentence for a burglary he had breached. He had previously pleaded guilty to threatening to kill a female worker at Paddy Power on James' Street on 5 July and to attempting to rob Harcourt Launderette and Dry Cleaners on 4 November. In the betting shop incident, he entered at about 5 pm, shouted at the lone employee, kicked the counter, spat at the perspex screen, smashed the credit‑card machine, and threatened to slash the employee's face. A customer intervened and the employee called 999; CCTV identified Cunningham. In the launderette, he entered at 11:30 am, demanded payment, became aggressive, attempted to access the till, and was pushed out by staff.
A 27‑year‑old father of four was jailed for more than five years after attempting to attack his former partner and her mother with a knife in their Foxrock home while two of his children slept. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on 31 August 2021 and 5 September 2021, to threatening to damage the former partner's home, and to threatening to breach a safety order while on bail on 24 September 2022. The court noted 15 prior convictions, including assault, and that the offences were committed while he was on bail. Judge Martina Baxter sentenced him to 3½ years for the August assault, 3 years for the September assault, 2½ years for the bail‑related threats, and 8 months for the safety‑order threat, back‑dated to May. The final 18 months were suspended on conditions including participation in the Men Overcoming Violent Emotions group.
A 23‑year‑old American woman, Tamia Forbes, was found guilty of possession of cannabis for sale or supply after she transported a locked suitcase containing 27 vacuum packs of cannabis worth €260,000 into Dublin Airport. Forbes claimed she believed the drugs were legal in Ireland and said she had financial difficulties. She pleaded guilty and had no prior convictions. The court, mindful of the impact of drug trafficking, imposed a headline sentence of eight years but, considering her youth, guilty plea, character references and mitigating circumstances, reduced the sentence to five years with the final two and a half years suspended. The suspended portion is conditional on Forbes leaving the jurisdiction within three weeks of her release. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 17 June 2024.
Victoria Dalton, 28, pleaded guilty to theft at a Circle K petrol station in Dundrum on 24 March 2020. She entered the shop at about 9:15 pm, asked for children's medicine, and was then approached by a man who held a knife to her throat and demanded €120 from the till. The staff, fearing for their safety, complied. Dalton later claimed she had been acting as a victim and denied participation in the robbery. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced her to 18 months' imprisonment, suspending the final nine months, and directed her to probation supervision for two years. The sentence was back‑dated to 30 March 2020, when she entered custody. Dalton has a history of drug addiction and a prior conviction for possession of drugs for personal use in March 2022. She is currently receiving treatment and intends to attend a residential drug programme after release.
A 21‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to six counts of oral rape of his older sister between 2014 and 2016, when the sister was eight to ten and the accused was twelve to fourteen. He also faced two counts of sexual assault of his younger sister, who was eight to eleven at the time. The abuse occurred every second weekend during the girls' visits to their father's house. The older sister, now 17, gave a video interview; the younger sister declined. The accused admitted the abuse, said he did not want to put his sisters on the stand, and had no prior convictions. The court heard victim impact statements describing the sisters' trauma and the defendant's cooperation. The case was heard on a full‑facts basis, with the judge to sentence on 22 July. The defendant is currently in a hostel and has no work. The court considered his age, maturity, and psychological reports in determining the sentence.
Ogaga Ogheneyoma, aged 17 when €31,842 was transferred into his AIB account as part of an invoice redirect fraud, pleaded guilty to handling the proceeds of crime on 19 November 2018. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing in 2024, noted he was now 22, a fourth‑year accounting student at TU Dublin, living with his parents in Lucan and working part‑time. Judge Orla Crowe applied Section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, imposing a €500 fine and a deferred 12‑month sentence, citing his youth, lack of prior convictions and significant progress since the offence. After paying the fine and avoiding any Garda attention, the court discharged him from the indictment. The case was originally uncovered when AIB reported fraudulent activity, and Gardaí found the money had been diverted from Universal Forest Products, a US company. Ogheneyoma's probation report placed him at low risk of reoffending and no supervision was required.
Bláthnaid Raleigh, a 21‑year‑old from Mullingar, was raped with a bottle by Jonathan Moran, a 26‑year‑old acquaintance, in a garden shed in Galway on 21 July 2019. Moran was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of section four rape and aggravated sexual assault for penetrating her vagina and anus with a bottle. He denied using an implement and claimed the activity was consensual. Raleigh, who suffered extensive physical injuries requiring months of treatment, read her victim impact statement and said the conviction allowed her to use the word "rape." She expressed a desire to become a support and advocate for other victims of sexual violence, thanking the Rape Crisis Centre and Gardaí for their help. The court remanded Moran in custody until 1 July for sentencing. No further sentencing details are provided in the article.
Owen Maughan, 22, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the murder of Christopher Hall, 65, at his home in Dun Saithne Green, Balbriggan, Co Dublin. The single charge on the indictment alleged that Maughan murdered Mr Hall between November 23 and 24, 2021. Although the pre-trial hearing before Mr Justice Paul McDermott was scheduled to last two and a half weeks, Maughan indicated his wish to be arraigned and entered a guilty plea during the proceedings. The prosecution was led by senior counsel Garret Baker, while Philipp Rahn SC headed the defence team. Following the plea, the judge directed the preparation of a victim impact report. Maughan was remanded in custody until July 8, when it is expected that he will be sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment. The court did not impose a final sentence at this stage, but rather adjourned the matter for sentencing after the report is completed.
A 65‑year‑old man was jailed for seven years after sexually assaulting and raping a 25‑year‑old housemate who had recently arrived in Ireland and spoke no English. The assault began on 19 October 2022 when the man touched the woman, forced her to touch him, and pulled her trousers down. She fled to her room and stayed there for two days, fearing the man. On 21 October he forced his way into her room, took her to his bedroom, and raped her. She escaped, used Google Translate to type "I was raped," and was rescued by Gardaí. DNA from a swab matched the accused. The court heard the victim was physically unwell for three months, homeless, and deeply affected. The judge set a headline sentence of eight years and six months for the rape, imposed concurrent sentences totalling seven years back‑dated to October 2022, and ordered three years of post‑release supervision. The unnamed 65-year-old pleaded guilty.
A 41‑year‑old man was sentenced to 11½ years' imprisonment for raping his 12‑year‑old stepdaughter on four occasions in 2014. The abuse occurred in the family home in the south‑east of the country, with the victim being in her bed on three occasions and on the floor of a sibling's room on one occasion. After the second incident she told her mother, but the stepfather continued to assault her, including on Christmas Eve. He put his hand over her mouth, bit her breasts and pulled her hair, leaving clumps on her pillow. A jury found him guilty of three counts of rape, two counts of anal rape and one count of sexual assault. He denies the abuse and intends to appeal. The sentence was reduced from an initial headline of 13½ years to 11½ years, backdated to his March 2024 arrest. The court noted the victim's vulnerability and the brutality of the offences.
An English‑language student, aged 24, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of sexually assaulting his 79‑year‑old landlady in her Dublin home on the night of 17 March 2023. The court heard that the student, who had recently arrived from Asia and had lived in Ireland for only three weeks, had been out socialising and had drunk alcohol for the first time, consuming six pints of beer. He entered the landlady's bedroom, climbed into her bed, pressed his body against her and rubbed her thighs. She woke, discovered him, shouted for him to leave, alerted other lodgers, called her daughter and Gardaí, and he was arrested. He spent six weeks in custody before being granted High Court bail. The judge, citing the breach of trust and the student's cooperation, remorse and lack of prior convictions, imposed an 18‑month sentence, suspended on conditions.
A violent thug, Dean Byrne, aged 30, was convicted by the Special Criminal Court of conspiring to pervert the course of justice during Aaron Brady's murder trial of Garda Adrian Donohoe. Byrne, already serving an 18‑year sentence with four suspended for a 2013 burglary, conspired with Brady to dissuade key witness Daniel Cahill from giving evidence. Byrne attempted to contact Cahill's family and persuaded a former housemate of Cahill's father to pressure Cahill, repeatedly urging him not to testify. He also circulated excerpts of Cahill's statement to a third party. Brady, aged 33, had previously pleaded guilty to sending a video of a witness interview to Gardaí. The court found the conspiracy intended to interfere with the trial and adjourned Byrne's sentencing to 15 July. The hearing for Brady is scheduled for the same date.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, Raymond Shorten, 50, of Clondalkin, was found guilty by a unanimous jury of two counts of rape and one of anal rape against two young female passengers. The jury deliberated for 76 minutes after hearing evidence that the women, aged 19 and 20, had been in Shorten's taxi following nights out in Dublin city centre in June and August 2022. Both women testified that they were raped in the back of the taxi, describing loss of memory, shock and physical injury. Shorten denied the allegations, claiming the encounters were consensual, and provided written statements supporting this view. The prosecution presented CCTV footage, forensic DNA evidence, and testimony from other women who said they had consensual sex with Shorten in his taxi. The judge thanked the jury, excused them from service for five years, remanded Shorten in custody for sentencing on 1 July, and ordered victim impact statements. Raymond Shorten pleaded not guilty.
In a June 2024 hearing, a convicted murderer, Graham McEvoy, 26, pleaded guilty to assaulting a prison officer outside Swiftcare clinic in Smithfield on 8 May 2023. McEvoy, who had just had an X‑ray and was released from handcuffs to sit in a waiting van, lunged at officers, shouting threats and slashing the officer's face with a sharpened toilet brush. He also faced charges of threats to kill and attempting to escape lawful custody. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, noting she could not impose a consecutive sentence to his life term for murder. The officer sustained a cut under his eye, received hospital treatment, and was left with a scar. McEvoy had spent a period in 24‑hour lock‑up after the assault and has 32 prior convictions. The court heard that McEvoy had expressed remorse and was receiving psychiatric care in prison.