A 32‑year‑old man, Graham McGuinness, admitted in a brief hearing that he produced a "homemade shank" and caused serious harm to Martin Reilly during an attack in Dublin City Centre on 11 June 2020. He pleaded guilty to the charge of causing serious harm, and the plea was accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Justice Karen O'Connor adjourned the case to 19 July to hear evidence before sentencing. The judge ordered a prison governor's report, an education report and a urinalysis. Mr Reilly was invited to give a victim impact statement before sentencing.
A plumber, Gavin Dennan, 39, was given a three‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assault causing harm for head‑butting a man in a pub toilet on St Patrick's Day. The victim suffered a mild brain bleed after being knocked to the ground outside the Grange pub in Deansgrange. Judge Pauline Codd ordered Dennan to pay €1,000 to the victim as a token of remorse, with the money going to a charity if the victim declined. Dennan, who had no prior convictions and was described as a family man, expressed remorse and said he acted out of character after a heated argument about Irish traditional music. The court heard that the victim was heavily intoxicated, was hospitalized, and later recovered, but did not file a victim impact report. Ten testimonials supporting Dennan's good character were presented. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A former Christian Brother, John Merrick (77) of Portmarknock Park, Portmarknock, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four charges of indecent assault against one sixth class pupil and three charges of indecent assault against his classmate on dates between September 1977 and June 1978. Both victims are now 58 years old and have indicated they wish to retain their anonymity but are happy for Merrick to be named in reporting the case. Merrick, who entered the Christian Brothers at the age of 14 and left the order in 1981, has previous convictions from the District Court in relation to similar offending around the same time. These incidences of abuse were reported in 1996 and he was later convicted in 1998, resulting in a six month suspended sentence and a 12 month suspended sentence. Philipp Rahn SC, defending, told the court that at the time of the convictions from the District Court, Merrick engaged in a sex offender treatment programme and also subsequently engaged in the Restorative Justice Programme. One of the men took the stand to read his victim impact statement into the record. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a sentence of 12 months for the offences against the first man and a consecutive 10 month term for the offences against the second man. She suspended the final 10 months of the term on strict conditions for 12 months. The matter was adjourned for the purpose of the court considering the victim impact statement and other submissions.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 11 June 2024, a 50‑year‑old taxi driver accused of raping two young women denied the allegations. He claimed the 20‑year‑old woman was smiling and kissing him while they had consensual sex and that she asked, "was this off the bill?" He said he replied jokingly that it was not. The driver said he had been working that night, the woman had asked to be taken home, and that they engaged in consensual sex after she kissed him. He stated he had no reason to doubt her willingness. The court heard CCTV footage, location data and DNA evidence linking the driver to the woman, and a forensic examiner described bruises and an internal vaginal injury, but the trial remains ongoing. The unnamed 20-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Peter Lam, an 80-year-old defendant from Belfast, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of drugs for sale or supply at Busaras, Dublin 1, on October 11, 2021. The court heard that Lam was intercepted by gardai upon arriving by bus from Donegal with two large boxes containing MDMA valued at €470,982, which were hidden among pottery and children's toys. Lam alleged he was acting as a courier to pay gambling debts, stating to gardai that he dreamed of Roulette. Judge Mary O'Malley Costello noted that while Lam had a previous 2013 conviction for cannabis cultivation and possession, his current role as a courier made him an important part of the drug trade. The judge acknowledged mitigating factors including Lam's guilty plea, age, health conditions such as dementia, and lack of English, but emphasized the need for deterrence and societal protection. Lam had spent ten months in custody on remand. Judge O'Malley Costello imposed a sentence of four years, suspending the final ten months. She ordered that Lam be given credit for the ten months already served in custody.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 10 June 2024, George Murray, aged 55, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for possessing a realistic imitation firearm with intent to threaten. The incident occurred on 16 December 2020 at Maye's Public House, a long‑standing pub on Dorset Street, when Murray brandished a replica Glock handgun at proprietor Tom Maye, 70, and threatened to "blow his head off." Maye, who had run the pub for 31 years, was forced to close the business after the event. Murray, who has 57 prior convictions and a history of schizoaffective disorder and substance abuse, pleaded guilty to the charge. Gardaí arrested him after a panic button was pressed and the replica gun was confiscated. The judge, Pauline Codd, reduced an initial headline sentence of seven years to four, back‑dating it to November 2023. Murray acknowledged the incident and expressed "fair play" to the judge.".
Daniel Sheehan, aged 24, was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to three years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to possessing 263 rounds of ammunition in suspicious circumstances. The ammunition was found in a bag in his shed on 3 June 2022, alongside a replica pistol and a small amount of cannabis. Gardaí also discovered Republican memorabilia at his home. Sheehan admitted the ammunition to the police and had previously been involved in Republican colour parties, pipe bands and commemorations. He had no serious prior convictions, had been working in construction, and had expressed remorse. The judge noted his youth, lack of maturity, and potential for rehabilitation, and ordered that he have no contact with militant or paramilitary individuals. The charge of membership in an illegal organisation was later dropped. The sentence was set at a headline of six years, mitigated to three years, with the 18‑month suspension applied.
Anthony Canning, 74, of Fadden, Carrig, Birr, Co Offaly, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to two charges of indecent assault, three of sexual assault and one of oral rape of Celine Daly, who was between seven and 13 years old at the time of the offences, which occurred between December 1987 and December 1993 in his home. Canning, who was married to Ms Daly's aunt, was between 37 and 43 years old during the abuse. Ms Daly gave a victim impact statement in which she described the abuse as leaving emotional scars and said she had finally been heard after reporting to the Gardaí. Judge Tony Hunt set a headline sentence of 10 years, taking into account the age disparity and the fact that the abuse occurred in what was effectively an extension of her home, and imposed a seven‑year jail term for the offence of oral rape. The sentence was not suspended.
Jonathan Kenny, 40, was found guilty of a 'psychic assault' after he pointed to his eyes and flexed his biceps in Courtroom 4 at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Dublin, during a hearing where a witness gave evidence. The judge described the gesture as a form of intimidation that caused the witness to feel fear and distress. Kenny had previously been charged with witness intimidation but pleaded guilty to assault, a plea accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions. He has 108 prior convictions, including robbery, assault and theft, and is serving a custodial sentence for other offences with an earliest release date in February 2027. The judge imposed a four‑month sentence, suspended in full for two years, to commence after the expiry of his current custodial term, and ordered him to stay away from the victim, their home and family during the suspension. The victim's impact statement was submitted but not read aloud. Jonathan Kenny was acquitted.
Eoin Claxton, a 37‑year‑old hotel worker from Rathgar, was arrested after a Garda posing as a courier delivered a parcel containing 4.8 kg of cannabis herb to his home. The package, valued at €79,824, had been intercepted by customs and was addressed to a Jackie O'Shaughnessy from a Molly Maguire. Claxton, who had 36 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale or supply on 14 December 2020. He explained that he had been laid off during the pandemic, had accrued a gambling debt of €8,000‑€9,500, and accepted the drug deal to pay it off. Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced him to 18 months in custody, suspended for three years, and remanded him on bail until July. The court noted his employment, family responsibilities, and remorse, but emphasised the seriousness of the offence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a Ukrainian man pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, criminal damage and assault with a hammer on October 19, 2019, at a home in Dublin 15. He had no prior convictions. Gardaí were called when the defendant's then‑wife reported distress and property damage, including a broken laptop and plates. The defendant had produced a hammer and broken items after a disagreement earlier that day. He then left the house, but returned and locked himself and one of his children in the bathroom, closing the door on the wife's friend. Gardaí entered, seized the child and arrested the defendant. The wife was kicked in the head, legs and body, suffering sore ribs. The couple are now divorced and co‑parenting. The judge, citing the seriousness of the offence and the presence of children, sentenced the defendant to one and a half years' imprisonment, suspended in full, and ordered six months' probation supervision.
Edward Farrell, 49, admitted to possessing €2,173,920 worth of cannabis for sale or supply, with 105 kg found in a white Ford Transit van outside his Knocklyon home and an additional 15 kg in three black bin bags transported to Mountain Park, Tallaght. Gardaí also seized signed Oasis memorabilia, expensive whiskey, designer trainers, a disguised stun gun, drug paraphernalia including a vacuum‑packing machine, weighing scales and a mobile phone used for encrypted drug‑distribution messages. Surveillance captured Farrell moving the bin bags into a BMW X5 and then to a BMW 3 Series, where co‑accused Kevin Murphy, 41, was met. Murphy, who pleaded guilty to 15 kg of cannabis, was sentenced to four years earlier this year. Farrell, who has 32 prior convictions and claims to be on social welfare and HAP assistance, will be sentenced on 22 July.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 6 June 2024, Cedric Ingle, aged 50, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended, for assault causing harm after putting his 91‑year‑old father, Christopher Ingle, in a headlock on 4 April 2020. The incident occurred at the father's Glenageary home, where the father was shaking and had cuts on his hands. Ingle had previously been convicted 19 times and had a history of drug use, including cannabis and heroin. He pleaded guilty, and the court noted that the offence took place in the victim's own home, that the victim was elderly and vulnerable, and that the assault was not intended to cause serious injury but was an attempt to seize the father's keys. The judge, Elma Sheahan, considered the guilty plea and Ingle's lack of recent Garda attention as mitigating factors, but found the custodial threshold met, resulting in the sentence described above.
In a court hearing on 5 June 2024, Caitriona Shaw, 42, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty to two counts of invoice redirect fraud in March 2020. Shaw's bank account, previously holding €55, received over €170,000 from Cembrit Ireland and Circle K after fraudulent emails altered bank details. The Bank of Ireland froze her account, recovering most of the money, but Circle K lost €18,180. Shaw had no prior convictions and had not attracted Garda attention before or after the offence. She was described by Judge Pauline Codd as a "mere money mule" and was given a fully‑suspended three‑year sentence, with the judge noting her vulnerable circumstances and lack of benefit from the offence. The sentence was suspended in full for three years. The case highlighted the use of innocent individuals to facilitate illicit transfers.
Leroy Roche Dumbrell, 37, of Griffith Rath Hall, Maynooth, Co Kildare, was sentenced to three years in prison for assault causing harm after attacking a man in Dublin City Centre on 30 August 2022. The victim, who had a deep facial cut and other injuries, later died, but the death was unrelated to the assault. CCTV identified Dumbrell as the assailant. He has 81 prior convictions, including serious offences such as setting a woman on fire and a prison brawl. He was charged in September 2023, spent months in custody, and was granted bail on strict conditions in December. A urine test showed cannabis and benzodiazepines. Judge Jonathan Dunphy imposed a headline sentence of four and a half years, reduced to three years, and suspended the final 12 months on the condition that Dumbrell engage with the Probation Service for two years after release. Roche Dumbrell pleaded guilty.
A 46‑year‑old man was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for a single count of rape, three counts of aggravated sexual assault, three counts of assault causing harm and one count of coercive control. The offences occurred in a border county between July 2020 and May 2022. The victim, a Brazilian woman who was heavily pregnant at the time of the final assault, described the abuse as "sadistic and humiliating". She said the husband tied her up, cut her vagina with a knife, punched her, used a phone‑charger as a weapon and raped her after striking her repeatedly. He also threatened to kill her and prevented her from contacting family in Brazil. The court noted the victim's fear, anxiety attacks and depression. The man denied the allegations and did not accept the jury verdict. The unnamed 46-year-old was found guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 31 May 2024, a 28‑year‑old man was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended on the condition that he attend alcohol‑addiction treatment. He had previously received a four‑year suspended sentence for assaults on his wife. The court considered that the defendant's breach of a protection order—kicking in his wife's front door, causing criminal damage, and driving off in her car—was aggravated by his prior history and the domestic violence context. Judge Pauline Codd set headline sentences of five years for the criminal damage and ten months for the breach of the court order, but imposed a four‑year custodial term, suspending the last two years. The sentence was back‑dated to November 2023 and the court ordered two years of post‑release supervision. The unnamed 28-year-old pleaded guilty.
A 35‑year‑old chronic drug abuser with 153 prior convictions was sentenced to four years in prison, with the final year suspended for three years, for a degrading sexual assault and robbery at a Luas stop in Dublin 12 on 26 January 2023. The court heard that the victim was forced to undress, had her legs held open, and was searched inside her vagina by a female co‑accused while the defendant held her down. The victim's €200 was taken, she suffered injuries, and a local man intervened with a golf club. The defendant, who has no prior sexual convictions, was described as having mental health problems and schizophrenia. The judge noted the assault was part of a robbery and set the headline sentence at six years, but ultimately imposed the suspended term. The victim remains in treatment and has experienced severe trauma and relapse into drug use. The unnamed 35-year-old pleaded guilty.
A 41‑year‑old Dublin man was given a fully suspended two‑year sentence for assaulting his former wife over a decade ago. He pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm, with other assault counts considered; the State dropped the remaining charges. The judge noted the victim was isolated and the man's bullying and dominant behaviour caused fear and violence, including throwing sharp objects that left a scar. He was ordered to cooperate with the Probation Service, attend therapeutic and domestic violence courses, and have no contact with the former partner except for childcare arrangements. If he breaches any condition or re‑offends, the sentence will be reactivated. The couple, now divorced, share custody of their child, and the man has expressed remorse and is engaged in psychiatric care.
Thomas Kane, 29, of Ard Mor Drive, Tallaght, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis and cocaine with intent to sell or supply on 10 June 2020. Gardaí obtained a warrant and searched his apartment, finding more than 30 g of cocaine and 47.5 g of cannabis in the hot press, an additional 10 g in the kitchen, and almost 3 kg of cannabis in two Adidas bags in a bin marked with his apartment number. The drugs were valued at €60,946 for cannabis and €2,149 for cocaine. Kane claimed he kept the drugs to protect his brother, an addict with a drug debt, from threats to his life. The court accepted this explanation. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced Kane to five years, which she suspended in full on a number of conditions.
Gerard O'Brien, 59, a former Circuit Court judge, was sentenced to five years and nine months' imprisonment, with 21 months suspended, for one count of attempted anal rape and eight counts of sexual assault against six young men. The offences, committed while he was a teacher at CBC Monkstown between 1991 and 1997, involved victims aged 17 to 24, four of whom were students or former students. O'Brien pleaded not guilty, resigned as a judge in January 2024, and had his sentencing hearing postponed twice. The judge noted O'Brien's age, disability and psychological vulnerability, but also highlighted his misuse of disability to exploit victims, lack of remorse, and predatory behaviour. O'Brien will serve the custodial term, be subject to a two‑year post‑release supervision order, and his conviction was deemed to show he was unsuitable to hold judicial office.
Stephen Andrew McLaughlin, a 44‑year‑old from Rose Park, Limavady, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment in 2016 for conspiring to illegally traffic Afghan migrants into the UK. The High Court heard that he supplied a lorry and shipping account for a container that carried 35 Afghan nationals, including a man who died of a heart attack, and that a second container was intercepted in France. McLaughlin denied the conspiracy charge but was convicted by a jury at Basildon Crown Court. In February 2024, a warrant was issued by Southend Magistrates Court for his arrest after he breached the terms of his licence. In January 2024, a warrant was issued by Laganside Magistrates Court in Belfast for seven alleged offences, including attempted murder. The alleged attempted murder occurred on 19 September 2022 at Ness Woods Country Park, Co.
A man who was apprehended taking photographs in a female toilet cubicle at Dublin Airport has been convicted and sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Arthur Fiks, aged 47, admitted assault causing harm and possession of child sexual abuse material following an incident at Terminal One on 28 June 2022. A woman discovered a mobile phone positioned beneath her cubicle door and retrieved it. When she emerged, Fiks attempted to reclaim the device, and during the altercation pulled hair from her scalp. Gardaí subsequently found over 300 child abuse images stored across multiple phones in his possession, including material depicting children aged between one and thirteen. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Fiks to three and a half years imprisonment, with the final nine months suspended. The sentence was backdated to June 2022, when he entered custody. He was ordered to register as a sex offender and to leave the jurisdiction upon release. The court heard Fiks had recently arrived from Poland and had been employed as a farm worker in County Monaghan before losing his position.
Anthony Walker, a 54-year-old taxi driver, was sentenced at the Special Criminal Court to concurrent terms of five years' imprisonment on two charges of possessing a firearm and five rounds of ammunition. Walker pleaded guilty to possessing a .38″ special calibre Smith & Wesson revolver and ammunition on November 23, 2021. Mr Justice Paul Burns suspended the final 18 months of each sentence for three years, during which Walker must engage with probation services. The judge described Walker as a "psychologically vulnerable" man who acted in a "moment of madness" while transporting the weapon for Ryan Kelly. Kelly, who pleaded guilty to possessing the same firearm and ammunition, was jailed for six years in January for his role in a "sophisticated enterprise." Walker was intercepted by armed gardaí after receiving the gun from Kelly, who was arrested separately with three other men. The court noted Walker's history of abuse, mental health issues, and remorse, deeming him a good candidate for rehabilitation despite his involvement in a larger plan. Walker's counsel highlighted his lack of prior serious convictions and his fear for his family if he named others involved.
Gerard O'Brien, a former Circuit Court judge aged 59, had his sentencing hearing for attempted rape and sexual abuse of six young men adjourned to Friday. He was convicted in December at the Central Criminal Court of one count of attempted anal rape and eight counts of sexual assault involving six victims, all of whom were aged 17 to 24 at the time of the offences, which took place in Dublin between March 1991 and November 1997. O'Brien, who taught at CBC Monkstown and was aged 27 to 33 during the incidents, pleaded not guilty to all allegations. He had no prior convictions and resigned from the judiciary in January after being appointed in 2015. The court noted his rare congenital condition, Phocomelia, caused by Thalidomide, which left him without upper limbs and missing a lower limb, requiring assistance with daily tasks.
Mark McMorrow, a 27‑year‑old law graduate and former religious youth leader, was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years in prison, with the final six months suspended, for defiling and sexually exploiting a 16‑year‑old girl, Sophia Doyle, in Dublin between September and December 2020. McMorrow pleaded guilty to defilement, sexual exploitation and communicating with a child for exploitation. Doyle, now 19, waived anonymity to name him. The court noted McMorrow was 22 when the offences began and that he had been a leader in a faith‑based youth group where Doyle was a member. He had communicated with her via social media and Discord, and had invited her to his home and other locations. Doyle's victim impact statement highlighted McMorrow's position of power and betrayal of trust. The judge imposed conditions preventing McMorrow from contacting Doyle or the Community of Nazareth, and barred him from using Discord. No prior convictions were recorded.
A 54‑year‑old maintenance man was sentenced to four years in prison after he installed hidden cameras in a friend's apartment and secretly recorded her for seven months in 2021. He recorded her during intimate moments, edited the footage by drawing love hearts around her private parts, and repeatedly entered her apartment to change camera positions. When she discovered a camera and tried to cover it, he sent a threatening message telling her not to touch it. He pleaded guilty to one count of harassment, two counts of burglary and five counts of recording without consent. The court imposed a 20‑year no‑contact order and a four‑year custodial sentence, citing the gross invasion of privacy and the aggravating factor of their long friendship. No prior convictions were noted. The victim, a childminder who had moved to Ireland in 2008, reported the incident to Gardaí in December 2021. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Edward Cruise, 66, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for repeatedly sexually abusing a girl aged between six and 14 who visited his home from 2009 to 2017. He pleaded guilty to nine counts of sexual assault. The abuse occurred whenever the girl was at his property, often multiple times in a single day, and included inappropriate touching, masturbation and oral sex. Cruise told the victim to keep the abuse secret and once offered her €5 to come to his house. The victim complained to Gardaí in 2020, after which Cruise was arrested and suggested the allegations were fabricated. Judge Martin Nolan noted the abuse took place over a prolonged period, estimating at least 100 incidents, and imposed a global sentence of six years. The court considered Cruise's guilty plea, expressions of remorse, age and lack of violence beyond the acts themselves as mitigating factors, while his prior convictions for similar offences were viewed as aggravating.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 36‑year‑old man was convicted of a single count of sexual assault against his teenage niece, who was aged between 13 and 14 at the time of the offence. The victim, who now uses he/him pronouns, was asleep when the uncle, who had moved in with her family, touched her hand. She later provided a statement after initial reluctance. The defendant voluntarily approached Gardaí and admitted to the incident, claiming he had been masturbating and that the victim had seen him. A victim impact statement was submitted but not read aloud. The victim's mother, who had asked the judge not to jail her brother, was present. Judge Pauline Codd, after considering aggravating and mitigating factors, sentenced the defendant to two years' imprisonment and refused to suspend any portion of the sentence. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
Two British men, Dylan Shears, aged 20, and Ainsley Stevenson, aged 26, were jailed after being stopped at Dublin Airport with €690,000 worth of cannabis destined for the UK market. They pleaded guilty to smuggling over 30 kg of the drug into Terminal 2 on 17 October. Stevenson, from Halifax, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison, while Shears, from Bradford, received a three‑year sentence. Judge Martin Nolan noted that if Stevenson had been an Irish national he would have received a six‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, and that Shears' younger age warranted a lesser term. The men were caught by customs officers after arriving from Las Vegas, where they had collected the cannabis and planned to transport it via Dublin to Manchester on behalf of an unnamed individual. Neither had prior convictions. Both men cooperated with Gardaí and made admissions.
Le Wang, a 42‑year‑old taxi driver from Dundrum, was found guilty of harassing a Chinese student who had rented a room in his house between December 2022 and March 2023. He secretly filmed her twice in the shower and attempted a third time, hiding his phone in a laundry basket. When she discovered the phone, he threatened to ruin her reputation and harassed her for three months, sending threatening texts and attempting contact via social media. Gardaí seized his phone and found the videos, which were deleted and then restored. Wang pleaded guilty and was given a 16‑month suspended sentence, with a ten‑year prohibition on any communication with the victim. He was remanded in custody for two weeks before the verdict and was released thereafter. No prior convictions were recorded.
Winnifred Lawrence, a 74‑year‑old mother of 14, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended, after pleading guilty to three counts of deception for making false personal injury claims between September 2012 and May 2014. She used the false name Margaret Mongan to file six claims, receiving a net total of €23,185.50 from insurance companies. The court noted her previous conviction in 2019, where she received a three‑year suspended sentence for a similar offence. Lawrence's claims included incidents at Tesco Ireland, a bookshop, a bus, and a heater, with payouts ranging from €5,000 to €12,460. The judge highlighted her poor health and the significant amount of money she benefited from, and the sentence was imposed after her guilty plea and lack of further offences.
Robert Redmond (35) was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for conspiring to murder Jordan Davis in 2019. Redmond, who is already serving a life sentence for the murder of Barry Wolverson, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed a seven-year term, which runs consecutively to Redmond's existing 12-year sentence for firearms possession. This results in a total of 19 years' imprisonment to be served concurrently with his mandatory life sentence. The judge rejected defense arguments that the consecutive structure constituted a disproportionate 'quasi-life sentence,' citing Redmond's 'deep involvement' in the 'cold-blooded' killing and his 99 previous convictions. Evidence presented included threatening text messages from Redmond to Davis regarding a €70,000 drug debt and 'tick lists' found at addresses linked to Redmond. Wayne Cooney (33), who was convicted of the actual murder of Davis in July 2022, is currently serving a life sentence. The court noted that Davis was shot while pushing his infant son in a pram near a school in Darndale.
A man has been convicted of unlawfully killing his 88-year-old mother by arson at their shared home in Coolvoy, Doochary, County Donegal on 12 April 2022. Geunter Lohse, aged 63, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the Central Criminal Court after a charge of murder was withdrawn. The court heard that three fires were deliberately lit inside the house using matches. Firefighters discovered the victim seated in an armchair; she died from inhaling fumes. Lohse admitted starting the fire and told gardaí he had intended to take his own life. He claimed he attempted to move his mother and extinguish the flames but was unsuccessful. Defence counsel indicated Lohse's family suspected he suffered from schizophrenia, though he had never received expert diagnosis or psychiatric treatment. Justice Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to 29 July to allow consideration of psychiatric and psychological reports. The judge noted that Lohse will require community support upon release, given the absence of family support structures.
Joanna McGuinness, 41, pleaded guilty to evading excise duty on over 80,000 untaxed cigarettes and 35 kg of tobacco seized from her Paul Street home in Dublin 7. The loss to the exchequer was €66,881. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, after hearing the case, imposed a three‑year sentence but suspended it entirely, citing the impact imprisonment would have on her children, one of whom has serious health problems. Judge Martin Nolan noted McGuinness's sole care of the children and her previous convictions, including revenue offences, as factors in the decision. The cigarettes and tobacco were confiscated, and a quantity of cash was also seized. McGuinness is now employed and described as being in a stable period of her life. The case was adjourned overnight for sentencing before the final decision was announced.
Conor Carty, 23, was jailed for three and a half years after pleading guilty to three counts of sexual assault on a friend in her bedroom in July 2020. The victim, who wished to remain anonymous, said Carty had been highly intoxicated and had sexually assaulted her three times over 20 minutes while she pretended to be asleep. She later reported the assault to her sister and to a sexual assault treatment unit, where swabs showed male DNA but no full profile. Carty voluntarily contacted Gardaí the next day and was interviewed, claiming he could not remember the assault. He had no prior convictions. The court noted the breach of trust and the victim's ongoing trauma, and imposed a sentence of four years and six months, suspending the final year on strict conditions, including probation supervision and no contact with the victim. The probation officer expressed concern about Carty's lack of memory of the night.
Lewis O'Keeffe, 22, of Ballyfermot, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to multiple counts of possessing controlled drugs and nearly €30,000 in cash. Gardaí seized cocaine worth €2,500 inside a house on O'Moore Road and an additional 7.5 kg in a van outside the house, giving a street value of over €527,000. O'Keeffe admitted he did not own the drugs but was aware of them, claiming a drug debt of €31,000. He had removed his tax and insurance discs from his car and placed them in the van. His defence counsel described him as a "patsy" or "fall guy" in the operation, noting his young age and family background. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that O'Keeffe had a low level of culpability and had been under severe pressure, concluding that young people can make bad decisions under pressure.
Oisín Cannon, 33, an IT worker, was jailed for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Gardaí first searched his home in 2017, finding a laptop with 1,011 images and 102 videos, many Category 1, and a mobile phone with 22 images. Subsequent searches in 2019 and 2020 uncovered further CSAM on an iPad, phone, and other devices, totaling hundreds of images and dozens of videos. Cannon repeatedly denied responsibility, claiming the material entered his devices through pop‑ups, viruses, or third‑party apps, and that he had no interest in child pornography. He pleaded guilty to possession on all three charges. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three years and nine months in prison, noting his repeated offences and the seriousness of accessing CSAM. The court recorded his background, psychological report, and family support, but did not alter the sentence. The case remains a criminal conviction for possession of child pornography.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 15‑year‑old boy pleaded guilty to raping his younger cousin, aged seven to eight, on 10 to 13 occasions between June 2021 and November 2022. The offences were committed while both children were staying at their grandparents' house. The victim's parents described the impact of discovering the abuse, noting the family's fractured relationships and the child's ongoing therapy. The defendant, who has no prior convictions, admitted he had been abused as a child and was living with his father at the time of sentencing. Justice Caroline Biggs imposed 18 months' detention under Section 151 of the Children Act, with the remaining 18 months under supervision, and ordered the defendant to be placed on the sex offender register for ten years. The court also prohibited any further contact between the defendant and the victim.
Paul Lynch, 56, was jailed after a sting operation revealed he had tried to meet an 11‑year‑old girl but was confronted by an adult decoy livestreaming to Facebook. Lynch had sent a picture of his genitals to the decoy and had asked for a naked photo, which the decoy refused, claiming her camera was broken. He had also offered to give her a phone. The court heard Lynch had previously pleaded guilty to attempted meeting of a child for sexual exploitation in 2018, had a 2019 conviction in Northern Ireland for sexual communication with a child, and a 2023 breach of a sex offences prevention order. He also had seven older convictions for theft and fraud. Judge Orla Crowe described the offence as the "most serious kind" and, after taking mitigation into account, imposed a sentence of two years and three months, back‑dated to his first custody in February.
Michael Crotty (42) was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for facilitating a serious offence by a criminal organisation. Crotty, a gym owner from Cashel, Co Tipperary, initially pleaded not guilty to facilitating the murder of Noel Kirwan but entered a guilty plea in February to participating in activity reckless as to whether it would facilitate a serious offence. The court found that Crotty bought €20 in phone credit for Sean McGovern, a leading Kinahan cartel member, which was used to coordinate the 2016 murder of Mr Kirwan. Presiding Judge Caroline Biggs set a headline sentence of six years, reduced to two years due to Crotty's guilty plea, lack of prior convictions, and 21 exceptional character references. The judge noted that while Crotty did not intend the credit to be used for murder, its use in the killing was an aggravating factor. This is the fourth conviction related to the case. Previously, Jason Keating (32) was jailed for 10 years for his significant role in the murder. Declan 'Mr Nobody' Brady (57) and Martin Aylmer (37) also pleaded guilty to facilitating or contributing to the murder of Mr Kirwan, though their specific sentences are not detailed in this report. The matter was finalised with Crotty's sentencing.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 14 May 2024, a 45‑year‑old man was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment for threatening to publish intimate images of his former partner, who was in her 20s, on Facebook and to send them to her mother and social worker. The offence, committed in December 2021 after a brief relationship ended in November, involved the man sending the woman a series of Snapchat voice recordings in which he threatened to distribute the material. He pleaded guilty to the charge of threatening to publish or distribute an intimate image with intent to cause harm, a crime punishable by up to seven years. Judge Martin Nolan, after hearing the case, described it as a serious matter and, noting the defendant's remorse and personal circumstances, imposed a custodial sentence of 20 months with the final 10 months suspended.
A 40‑year‑old Dublin man was jailed for nine months after he attacked his ex‑partner on 14 May 2020. He claimed he had gone to her home to give her money for baby food, but found the 10‑month‑old child severely malnourished and in a very bad state. The woman said they had both been drinking and that the assault stemmed from a dispute over her mobile phone. Neighbours heard her screaming and called the Gardaí, who found the couple still present. The woman suffered a fractured nose, a deviated septum, a black eye and a swollen nose; she and the baby were taken to hospital. The baby was later placed in care. The court heard the couple had been in a relationship from 2012 to 2019 and shared an older child, who has lived with the man's father since 2019.
A 72‑year‑old former Christian Brother, who taught at a primary school in County Kilkenny, was sentenced to six and a half years' imprisonment for indecent assault on six boys between 1976 and 1981. He had been convicted in March on 25 charges, after earlier trials that produced 55 convictions. The new sentence, back‑dated to the March conviction, means he will be released in September 2030. The judge noted that the victims were isolated by the Brother, who targeted those he deemed disadvantaged. The Brother denied wrongdoing and remains in court for other pending matters. The court heard that the victims endured lasting mental‑health harm and that the Brother had cooperated with the Garda investigation. The sentence is consecutive to his earlier terms. The Brother's earliest release date is now September 2030. The unnamed 72-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Adam Rzepka, 39, was released on bail for a €400k money‑laundering offence and was found the next day surrounded by over €1.1 million in drugs hidden in dog food. He pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis worth €1.1 million, to having a car used in drug trafficking, to possessing a mixing agent for drug trafficking and to possessing €33,090 in cash that was the proceeds of criminal conduct. The drugs were seized at Hickey's Yard, The Ward, Co. Dublin, where Rzepka was the only person present and was found in a loft beside vacuum‑packed cannabis. The court imposed a 15‑year global sentence, consecutive to the seven years he is already serving for money laundering, with the final two years suspended on condition of good behaviour. The judge cited the high value of the drugs and the lack of remorse as aggravating factors.
Jason Fogarty, a 48‑year‑old with 27 years in prison, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a further six years' imprisonment. He pleaded guilty to robbery at a post office on Merrion Row in November 2019 and to an attempted robbery of a B&B on Gardiner Place in May 2023. The judge imposed four years for the 2019 post office robbery, during which Fogarty threatened a cashier with a grenade, and a consecutive three‑year term for the 2023 B&B attempt, of which one year was suspended. The final effective custodial term is five years. Fogarty had been on bail for the first offence when he committed the second. The court noted his extensive criminal record, addiction history and the injuries sustained by the B&B staff member during the attempted robbery. The sentence reflects the seriousness of both offences and the lack of deterrence from prior imprisonment.
Craig Maloney, 28, of Cashel Road, Crumlin, was convicted after a jury trial of wilful obstruction, assaulting a Garda and producing a knife during a dispute at his family home on 11 February 2022. He had 24 prior convictions. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Maloney did not take reasonable steps to confirm the people at his front door were Gardaí. The officers were conducting a covert search unrelated to Maloney. When the Gardaí approached with breaching equipment, Maloney moved toward them with a large knife, causing one officer to step back. He slammed the door shut, was later apprehended upstairs, and the knife was found broken on the floor. Judge Orla Crowe imposed concurrent sentences of 18 months, three months and three months, all fully suspended, with conditions including good behaviour for three years.
Eamon Larkin, a 69‑year‑old man from Kilcock, was found guilty of possession of cocaine for sale or supply on 12 June 2023. Gardaí stopped a Skoda in Ashbourne, discovering six kilos of cocaine in the boot, valued at €420,000. Larkin admitted he was approached in a pub and offered €200 to transport the drugs, though he claimed he did not know the type of drug. CCTV showed him swapping vehicles with another man at a petrol station an hour before the Skoda was seized. He has six prior road‑traffic convictions and has been living in Portugal. The court noted his poor physical and mental health, financial pressure, and long work history. Judge Martin Nolan accepted the guilty plea and mitigation, sentencing Larkin to two years' imprisonment. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence while considering his health and cooperation.
Leanne Kelly, 32, was jailed for two and a half years after assaulting a 63‑year‑old hospital worker on her way home from the Mater Hospital on 28 April 2022. Kelly pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a woman outside the hospital. The victim, who had finished her shift and was collecting her bicycle, was struck on the side of her head by Kelly, who shouted abusive remarks before punching her. The blow caused the victim to fall onto the road, lose her sunglasses, and suffer bruising to her jaw and back of her head. She was taken to Mountjoy Garda Station and then to the Mater Hospital for treatment and overnight observation. Kelly had 64 prior convictions, including assault, robbery, theft and public order offences. She had previously been sentenced to two years' imprisonment with the final six months suspended in 2017. The court noted Kelly's extensive addiction history and trauma background.
In May 2024, a 46‑year‑old woman from Cork lost her appeal against a conviction for wilful neglect, sexual assault and sexual exploitation of her toddler son. The conviction, obtained by a jury in June 2022, covered neglect from September 2010 to June 2015 and sexual offences between September 2013 and June 2015. The woman, described as having very limited cognitive functioning, argued that the neglect charge was vague and that the delay in trial had erased the child's memory of the abuse. She also claimed the trial was unfair because her lawyers could not fully cross‑examine the child. The Court of Appeal rejected both grounds, noting that the evidence from video‑recorded interviews and the child's foster‑care testimony supported the charges. The Director of Public Prosecutions now intends to appeal the suspended sentence, arguing it was unduly lenient. The case remains at the appellate stage, with no further outcome reported.