A 39-year-old man with 174 previous convictions has been sentenced to 14 months imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for breaching conditions of a suspended sentence, including a lifelong driving disqualification. James Maughan was convicted in February in the District Court of 16 offences arising from a hit-and-run incident involving an off-duty garda's vehicle. No injuries resulted from the collision. Judge Pauline Codd described Maughan's continued driving despite the ban as an "intolerable" and "outrageous" situation, noting that someone would eventually be injured. Maughan, previously of Cloghran, County Dublin, has an extensive history of road traffic offences spanning a decade. The court heard he became homeless after his suspended sentence was imposed in 2022 and was not accessing required medication for paranoid schizophrenia. Upon release, the judge requested continued medical supervision.
A 38‑year‑old Lithuanian woman, Sandra Sandaraite of Academy Street, Navan, was charged with the murder of a 47‑year‑old Polish man, Zbigniew Czech, at the same address on 10 December 2022. At the Central Criminal Court she pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea accepted by the State. She said "not guilty to murder, guilty to manslaughter" when the charge was read. Her lawyer said the charge arose from a domestic dispute. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned the case to a sentence hearing on 16 May to allow for urinalysis and probation reports.
In a sentencing hearing at the Central Criminal Court, a woman gave a victim impact statement after being raped by Aidan Kestell, 55, the husband of a friend. She described the assault as an "atrocious attack" that left her a "waking corpse," causing anxiety, paranoia, nightmares and a loss of her former self. She said the rape ended her habit of walking home alone after nights out and that society's perceptions of sexual assault are "all wrong." She noted that Kestell had no prior convictions and that the crime involved an abuse of trust, premeditation and occurred in a public place near her home. The court heard that Kestell was remanded in custody pending a March 15 sentencing and that the case was being treated as a higher‑category offence by the DPP. The woman thanked the court, Gardaí, the prosecution and her family for their support.
Three sisters from Galway accused their older brother, Martin Davis, of repeated sexual abuse during the 1970s. Carmel Connelly, aged 10 at the time, was raped by Davis, who was then 15‑16, and later subjected her to digital penetration while masturbating. Michelle Davis, aged seven when first abused, was forced into anal penetration and later had her underwear removed and her anus penetrated by Davis, who was 23. Audrey Stanley, nine at the time, was abused with tickling games that escalated to genital touching. Davis denied all charges during a 2018 interview. A Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty of one count of rape and eight counts of indecent assault. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to eight years' imprisonment, back‑dated to his custody, and placed him on the sex offender register. The sisters read victim impact statements, urging others to come forward for support.
Kevin Murphy, 28, of Bray, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of harassment and one count of making a threat to kill between July 2021 and July 2022. He sent 200 abusive, violent and distressing messages to a family, including graphic sexual texts, threats to kill, and insults. The victim was a 16‑year‑old girl who had been his surfing student; her mother also received harassing messages. Murphy's communications included threats to "clip their car" and to kill the boyfriend of a family member. He was initially detained in February 2022, later arrested again, and admitted to some of the messages. Garda Rachel Corcoran and counsel noted that his behaviour occurred during an episode of psychosis and that he had voluntarily committed himself to hospital for four weeks in March 2022. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two and a half years in prison, suspended in full, and imposed a 15‑year no‑contact order with the injured parties.
A 35‑year‑old serial offender, Dean Masterson, who had 122 prior convictions and was on bail, was sentenced to one year in prison for robbing an Italian man in St Stephen's Green on 1 May 2018. Masterson and two accomplices followed the victim, who was walking from Harcourt Street, and attacked him from behind. One of the men placed the victim in a chokehold, forced him to the ground, and seized his phone, ATM card, cigarettes, Italian ID card and €1 in cash. The incident was captured on CCTV. Masterson pleaded guilty before trial. The court noted his guilty plea, apology, and claims of drug addiction at the time of the offence, and considered mitigating factors. The judge imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended the final 12 months, and ordered 12 months of probation after release. The victim has returned to Italy and declined to give a victim impact statement.
Darren Foster, 44, pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage after breaking into a warehouse in the Dublin Industrial Estate on the night of 9 July 2023. He used a forklift to lift security doors and caused extensive damage to the interior, including cutting telecom lines and damaging tools stored in a secure area. The warehouse, operated by St Micheal's House for the HSE, suffered about €4,400 in damage. Foster was found in a van near the site, covered by a blanket, and was arrested while on bail. He claimed he had no intention to steal but wanted to draw attention to an alleged debt. The court, noting his prior convictions and current sentence, imposed an additional 10‑month sentence consecutive to his existing term, extending his custody until July 2025. No victim impact statement was presented. The case highlighted Foster's addiction issues and his recent detox and volunteer work in custody.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Brian Lucey (44) was sentenced for illegally possessing a submachine gun at the M11 Shankill roundabout on March 7, 2020. Lucey, of Ashford, Co Wicklow, initially took a trial date but later pleaded guilty. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Lucey, a 'gilly' expecting to collect cannabis, was 'completely taken by surprise' when an unknown individual threw the firearm into his car. The judge noted Lucey's low culpability and 'agony of the moment,' resulting in a four-year fully-suspended sentence. The court heard that Lucey was used by co-accused to move the weapon. In related proceedings, Robert Redmond and Jamie Gray pleaded guilty to possessing the firearm for an unlawful purpose and were jailed in July 2023. Redmond, who denied the charge of murdering Barry Wolverson in January 2020, was sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2022. His co-accused, Bernard Fogarty, was also sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Mr Wolverson. Separately, Fogarty pleaded guilty to possession of the submachine gun in 2020 and was jailed for five years by the Special Criminal Court.
During a search of a Renault van at Dublin Port, Gardaí uncovered a secret, lead‑lined compartment beneath the floor carpet containing 167,000 Xanax tablets, valued at €334,950. The van had arrived from Manchester on 4 July of the previous year. The owner, Conor Kealy, 42, of Gleann na hEorna, Springfield, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to importing controlled drugs. He was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four and a half years' imprisonment, a sentence backdated to the July offence. Kealy claimed he was unaware of the compartment's contents. He has 21 prior convictions, including two drug offences, and has a history of addiction dating back to his teens. The court noted his vulnerability and the role of drug debt in his actions. He is reportedly adapting well to prison life.
Moise Muhula, 54, was sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to assault causing harm for repeatedly stabbing his former partner in the shoulder during a dispute over dinner. On 22 December 2017, at the partner's home in west Dublin, the couple argued when he asked about dinner and she told him to leave. He became aggressive, obtained a knife, and entered the sitting room where the victim was watching TV. He threatened her, stabbed her at least three times in the shoulder, punched her, and took her upstairs. The victim was treated for four shoulder wounds and a head injury. The court noted the incident was a one‑off, the use of a knife and the relationship were aggravating factors, but the guilty plea and lack of prior convictions were mitigating. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the 21‑month sentence.
Enoch Burke, a teacher, remains in Mountjoy Prison after refusing to comply with a court order to stay away from Wilson's Hospital School in Co. Westmeath. Judge Mark Sanfey noted that Burke has not paid any of the fines imposed by the High Court last year or the costs orders made against him by the courts in favour of the school. Burke, who claims he is being punished for his religious beliefs and opposition to transgenderism, said he has spent almost a year behind bars because he was being punished for his religious belief, his opposition to transgenderism and his refusal to comply with a direction from the school to address a student by a different pronoun. The judge adjourned the matter to late March to review the "profoundly unsatisfactory situation" and to consider possible alternatives to Burke's ongoing imprisonment, including sequestration of his assets.
Daniel Martin, aged 47, was sentenced to 13 years in prison, with the final year suspended for three years, for a series of sexual offences against a teenage girl aged 15-16 between 2019 and 2020. The offences included sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, oral rape, anal rape, vaginal rape and sexual exploitation. He also received a 12‑year sentence for a child‑trafficking offence involving a second teenage girl aged 14-15, and a 10‑year sentence for the sexual assault offences. Martin was additionally jailed for two years for causing a child to watch pornography. The judge noted the deliberate, calculated nature of the campaign, the use of drugs and threats, and the significant impact on the victim. The sentences are concurrent, and Martin was not given a post‑release supervision order due to the suspension conditions. Daniel Martin was convicted.
David Hackman, 24, was jailed for four and a half years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to purchase a firearm in suspicious circumstances between 31 March and 28 May 2019. Gardaí observed a silver Ford Focus near a Spar in Waterville, Dublin 15, where Hackman and three other occupants, including his mother, were found. A search revealed a 9mm firearm, orange latex gloves, and evidence of a €4,000 cash transaction between Hackman and his mother. Hackman's mother was charged but the case against her was dropped following his guilty plea. Hackman has prior convictions for assault and drug possession. The court noted his youth, addiction issues, and the mitigating circumstances of his background, and rejected a post‑release drug treatment condition. The sentence reflects the offence's mid‑range sentencing guidelines of seven to ten years.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, two repeat offenders, Cian Cleary (23) and Patrick McCarthy (28), were sentenced for a "cowardly, nasty and violent" assault on twin American tourists aged 20. The incident occurred on July 19 when the men were walking home through Temple Bar. Cleary, who had 61 prior convictions, and McCarthy, with 18 prior convictions, attacked the tourists, punching, kicking, and robbing one of them. CCTV footage showed the attackers separating the brothers, assaulting them, and stealing a wallet and mobile phone. Cleary received a three‑year, three‑month sentence with nine months suspended; McCarthy received a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence with twelve months suspended. Both were warned that the suspended portions could be enforced if they reoffend during probation. The court noted the assault's severity and the victims' injuries, including a brain scan for one and a sore, shaken condition for the other. Cian Cleary pleaded guilty. Patrick McCarthy pleaded guilty.
Stephen Corbally, a 28‑year‑old hairdresser, was sentenced to 27 months in prison and disqualified from driving for four years after a series of hijackings and vehicle thefts in April 2023. Corbally pretended to test‑drive cars advertised for sale on Facebook Marketplace and Done Deal. On 5 April he drove off a 2008 Volvo after a test drive; on 20 April he took a 2012 Renault from a seller in Mulhuddart, brandishing a kitchen knife while the seller was in the car, and fled the scene. The next day he offered to swap the Renault for an Audi in Carpenterstown, claiming the car belonged to his late mother, and was caught by Gardaí driving the Audi. He had no licence and had been disqualified for 12 years. Corbally pleaded guilty to hijacking, taking a vehicle, dangerous driving and deception.
James McGinn, 35, of Bray, was found guilty of possession of drugs for sale or supply after a search of his home revealed €197,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis. He pleaded guilty on 22 January 2023. The court noted his four prior convictions for minor traffic offences and his admission that he was holding the drugs to reduce an €8,000 debt. McGinn's case was marked by the tragic loss of his two children and another family member in a 2017 house fire, which his defence argued was the root of his addiction. Judge Martin Nolan, citing these exceptional circumstances, imposed a sentence of four and a half years, suspending the final three years on strict conditions. The remaining one and a half years of custodial time were to be served, with the court recognising McGinn's previous good conduct and his 11‑month period of sobriety. The sentence was delivered on 26 February 2024.
A 45-year-old man from Limerick has been remanded for sentencing following his guilty plea to making a vehicle available to an organised crime gang for use as a getaway car in an attempted murder. Larry McCarthy pleaded guilty in October 2023 to an offence contrary to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment. The incident occurred in June 2015 when two gunmen fired 13 rounds at Christy Keane as he sat in his vehicle at University of Limerick gym, causing four gunshot wounds. McCarthy assisted in positioning both a red Ford Focus and a white Volvo Estate used by the gunmen to escape. The Special Criminal Court heard evidence of the decades-long feud between the McCarthy-Dundon and Keane-Collopy criminal organisations. Defence counsel submitted that McCarthy has since relocated to Donegal, maintained employment and education engagement, and has not offended in nearly a decade. Ms Justice Caroline Biggs adjourned the case until 11 March for sentencing.
Sandra Hehir (56), sister of convicted drug dealer Christy Keane, was sentenced at the Special Criminal Court to three years and six months in prison for money laundering. The final year of the sentence was suspended for two years, conditional on good behaviour. Mr Justice Michael MacGrath found that Hehir knew the €124,055 found in her attic and funds in her bank accounts were proceeds of crime. Although she had no direct involvement in the Keane group's criminality, the judge stated she was not a passive participant in laundering. Hehir pleaded guilty in October last year to handling, acquiring, and possessing the cash, knowing it was the proceeds of criminal conduct, under Section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010. In mitigation, the court noted her early guilty plea, lack of previous convictions, and good employment record as a hairdresser. The judge acknowledged her likely difficulty adjusting to prison at age 56 and a probation report indicating low reoffending risk. The case stemmed from a 2020 anti-money laundering operation targeting the Keane Organised Crime Group. During the search of her Limerick City home, €124,055 in 13 bundles was found in the attic. The court also heard that Warren Hehir (33), Christy Keane's nephew, was sentenced in July last year to five years and three months, with the final 12 months suspended, for laundering €59,000 through house renovation works.
The Special Criminal Court heard details of Declan 'Mr Nobody' Brady's involvement in facilitating the murder of Noel Kirwan, who was shot dead outside his home in Dublin in December 2016. Bernadette Roe, Kirwan's partner, told the court that her 'soulmate had his life extinguished' because he was photographed walking to the funeral of life-long neighbour, Eddie Hutch. Kirwan's daughter, Donna, stated that Brady and his co-defendants should have known her father was an innocent man. Gardai have confirmed that Kirwan was not involved in criminality and was targeted by the Kinahan cartel due to a false belief he might be linked to the Hutch organisation. Brady was caught on CCTV near a car dealership where a tracking device was removed from Kirwan's BMW and placed on his new Ford Mondeo. Gardai found a laptop used to communicate with the tracker and a toothbrush with DNA matching Brady. However, Det Supt Mark O'Neill confirmed that Brady's DNA was not found on the laptop and that there is no evidence he owned or operated it. Brady, who is already serving 11.5 years in prison for supervising a firearms arsenal and eight years and three months for laundering crime cash, was adjourned to April 30 to allow a probation report to be prepared. Previous Brady pleaded guilty in July 2019 to supervising a firearms arsenal and was sentenced to 11.5 years in prison with the final year suspended. In 2021, he pleaded guilty to laundering more than €400,000 in crime cash and was sentenced to eight years and three months with the final year suspended, in a term which was to run from April 2021.
Michael Delaney, a 50‑year‑old transport manager for Rehab Group, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €6,000 from the charity by secretly selling three company trucks he claimed were scrapped. The theft, uncovered during an internal audit in 2021, occurred between 11 April 2019 and 29 December 2021. Delaney resigned in December 2021 and agreed to repay the money, having paid €600 to date and presenting €5,400 in cash at the hearing. He has one minor prior conviction for a road traffic offence. Defending counsel Colm Hennessy noted Delaney's cooperation and early guilty plea. Judge Martin Nolan, recognising Delaney's candid admissions and good work history, imposed a nine‑month suspended sentence and ordered the €5,400 to be handed over to the charity.
A 29‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to four and a half years' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended, for sexually assaulting his partner's little brother between October 2013 and August 2015. The victim, aged seven to ten at the time, was abused while the man was babysitting him and had gained his trust as a family member. The man pleaded guilty to sexual assault, not rape, after the complainant's description of the assault was deemed "imprecise". He had previously been convicted of intimidating witnesses in the same case, a fact the judge highlighted as relevant. The judge also noted the man's history of threatening to murder the victim and his relatives, including a series of threatening WhatsApp messages to his estranged wife. The sentence was back‑dated to 18 December 2023, and the man was ordered to have no contact with the victim indefinitely.
Craig Maples, 28, of Green Briar, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for violent disorder and assault causing serious harm after he kicked and stamped on Austin Doherty's head during a 45‑second attack in Mulhuddart on 21 July 2022. Doherty, who was left in a coma with a traumatic brain injury, now has limited mobility, requires a wheelchair for long distances and suffers significant impairments. He described his life as being in his own prison and missing key moments with his children. The court heard that the assault began after a dispute in a casino, with Maples arriving in a car and joining two other men who continued the attack. Maples pleaded guilty, showed remorse, and had no prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan set a headline sentence of 12 years, reduced to seven years after mitigating factors such as early guilty plea and cooperation.
Pamela Bird, 40, of Ringsend, Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbery, two attempted robbery and one theft between 29 September and 3 November 2021. She was the getaway driver in a series of shop robberies in Dublin, driving a wine‑coloured Toyota Corolla that fled the scenes. Bird had 194 prior convictions, 114 of them thefts. Garda evidence included CCTV footage of her arriving at a petrol station, loading fuel, and later driving the co‑accused away from a shop after he attempted robbery. Bird admitted to driving and changing licence plates, stating the offences were planned to obtain money for drugs. She had a history of heroin use and had been in rehabilitation. The court, noting her early guilty plea and admissions, imposed a two‑year custodial sentence, crediting six months already served, to run from the hearing date.
A 59-year-old man has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to twelve counts including rape, oral rape, and sexual assault committed against two victims over separate periods. The charges relate to offences occurring primarily in Dublin and Kildare, with one incident on the road between Sligo and Dublin. The first victim was between twelve and seventeen years old when abused from 1992 to 1997 by a family friend employed in her parents' business. The second victim, the niece of his former partner, was aged eleven to seventeen when assaulted between 2000 and 2006. Both complainants provided impact statements describing lasting psychological harm and the abuse of trust. The defendant acknowledged the serious aggravating factors, including the age disparity and exploitation of familial relationships. Mr Justice Tony Hunt adjourned sentencing to 8 April, noting the man will likely face community release following imprisonment and stating sex offenders require careful judicial scrutiny. The defendant remains in custody.
A 31-year-old man was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for assault, trespassing, obstruction of a police officer, and breaching a protection order. The defendant, who cannot be named to protect the victim's anonymity, pleaded guilty to charges arising from incidents at a Dublin address between December 14, 2022, and February 26, 2023. Judge Martin Nolan described the events as three frightening incidents involving the defendant's former partner. During the first incident, the man allegedly attacked the woman and had to be restrained by gardai using pepper spray. He subsequently breached a protection order on two further occasions, with the final incident requiring the intervention of the armed support unit. The court noted the defendant has 59 previous convictions. Judge Nolan sentenced him to a total of three and a half years in prison. This sentence was backdated to the date he entered custody on this matter. The judge acknowledged the defendant's guilty plea and his good behavior in custody, where he is currently working in the kitchens, but emphasized his long history of offending.
In a case described by the judge as "bizarre", a 75‑year‑old Canadian man, Edward Bystrom, was arrested on Temple Street, Dublin, on 3 September 2023 for possession of over €80,000 worth of cocaine. Gardaí found two black packages of white powder in his laptop bag, which tested positive for cocaine. Bystrom, who had no prior convictions in Ireland or elsewhere, told the police that he had been asked by "agents of the United Nations" to collect money. He claimed to have travelled from Canada to New York, Brazil and back to the USA before arriving in Ireland, and said he had not profited from the drugs. He pleaded guilty. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two years' imprisonment, suspended 18 months, and ordered him to leave Ireland within a week of release and not to return for ten years.
A 77‑year‑old man was threatened with a stabbing and had his €40,000 car hijacked while listening to a true‑crime podcast. Max Corcoran (21) and a co‑accused entered the underground parking of the man's apartment complex, forced him out of the car, struck him in the jaw, took his keys and phone, and drove the vehicle into the parking gate. Unable to open the gate, they reversed the car to smash it, causing €24,536 in damage. The car was later found burnt out elsewhere in Dublin. Corcoran, who had 14 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to possession of a motor vehicle without consent and criminal damage. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Corcoran's cooperation, remorse and mitigating factors, sentenced him to 20 months' imprisonment, back‑dated to his March 2023 arrest.
Leigh Deegan, 23, of Coolock, pleaded guilty to possession of the proceeds of crime after his bank account was used in an invoice redirect fraud involving St Andrew's College. Gardaí were alerted when staff discovered a change in the IT services company's bank details and a €11,480 payment had been lodged. €9,200 was transferred to Deegan's account and withdrawn in three ATM transactions. Deegan claimed he lost his debit card and someone guessed his PIN. Gardaí agreed he was not the mastermind but a "cog" in the scheme and was cooperative. He had no prior convictions and was 19 at the time of the offence. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a one‑year suspended sentence on strict conditions and directed that €5,000 be paid to the school within two weeks or to a local charity if the school declined it. The judge noted Deegan's mental health difficulties and his apprenticeship as a plumber.
Conor Murphy, aged 23, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for stabbing a shop security guard three times in the neck with a ballpoint pen. The attack took place at Centra, Neilstown Shopping Centre during the Covid‑19 pandemic, after the guard asked Murphy to wear a mask. Murphy later approached the guard and stabbed him, saying to the victim that it was "lucky it's only a pen". The victim suffered superficial injuries and no victim impact statement was filed. Murphy has six prior convictions, including a six‑year sentence for assault causing serious harm. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on 18 March 2021. The judge noted Murphy's intoxication at the time and his "bad humour", and remarked that the pen is not mightier than the sword. His earliest possible release is November 2027.
Michael Dickson, a 59‑year‑old Briton from Nottingham, was given a two‑year suspended sentence for violent disorder during the anti‑Pegida riot in Dublin in February 2016. The offence occurred at the Four Courts Luas stop on February 6, 2016, when a group of ten men attacked three men travelling on the Luas, shouting, punching and kicking them. CCTV footage was presented to the court. Dickson pleaded guilty. He has seven prior convictions, including a 1996 IRA mortar attack on the Osnabrück army base in Germany, for which he was sentenced to six years and six months for attempted murder and causing an explosion. He served three years of that sentence and was released under the Good Friday Agreement. The court imposed a suspended sentence, with no custodial term, for the 2016 incident.
Patricia Kelly, 61, the widow of the late founder of the suicide‑prevention charity Console, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to keep proper books of account as a director between December 2006 and May 2015. The court found that 96 payments totalling €223,000 were traced to accounts controlled by her husband, Paul Kelly, who had died by suicide in 2020. The prosecution could not prove a wilful failure, so no custodial sentence was imposed. Judge Martin Nolan fined Kelly €1,500, to be paid within six months, and disqualified her as a director for five years. The charity, which received €2.03 million from the HSE between 2010 and 2016, is in liquidation and is subject to ongoing civil proceedings by its liquidator. The case highlighted a lack of cooperation with audits and the movement of records offsite. The fine was considered modest given Kelly's limited means and widow's pension.
A 35‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment for assaulting his former partner and breaching a protection order. The court heard that the woman had obtained a live protection order two months earlier. On the night of the assault, the man, who had been watching their son, became agitated, appeared intoxicated and violently struck the woman, banging her head against a wall three or four times, throwing her to the ground, pulling her by the hair, shouting and stamping on her head. She blacked out, managed to escape, called the Gardaí and was taken to Beaumont Hospital for head injuries. The man had previously been granted High Court bail with a condition to stay away from the woman's home and not contact her or their son. He breached this bail and the protection order by returning to the house, where he also struck a babysitter. The unnamed 35-year-old pleaded guilty.
Ryan Murphy, 25, of Lusk, Dublin, pleaded guilty to knowingly making a false report to Gardaí and money laundering. He claimed a robbery in Balbriggan on 2 April 2020, alleging masked men took his bank cards and deposited €32,000 into his account. Gardaí found no CCTV evidence of such men and discovered an unusual €31,912 lodgement. Murphy admitted lying about the robbery, citing a €500 drug debt and fear of the criminals. He had provided his bank details via Snapchat, hoping to receive €3,000–€4,000, but never received money. The account was frozen upon receipt of the funds; he sought to "un‑freeze" it by filing a robbery complaint. Judge Martin Nolan described the crime as "pure stupidity" and imposed a two‑year suspended sentence, deciding Murphy did not deserve jail at this stage.
Rodin Van Hooff, 43, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to two counts of intentionally or recklessly assaulting two gardai at Lynwood, Ballinteer, Co Dublin, on March 2, 2023. The court heard that Van Hooff, who was living in a tent at the time, refused to leave the area when directed by officers and swung at them, striking one on the back of the head. He was restrained with pepper spray and arrested. Van Hooff's bail was revoked in July last year, resulting in two months spent in custody. Judge Martin Nolan noted that the officers were performing their duty and sustained no injuries. Acknowledging Van Hooff's "unusual lifestyle and philosophy of life," the Judge stated that such views are permissible provided no crime is committed. Judge Nolan initially intended to impose a suspended sentence of three months but reduced this to a suspended one-month sentence to account for the time Van Hooff had already spent in custody. The matter was finalised with this suspended sentence.
A Central Criminal Court jury has convicted two men of raping and sexually assaulting a teenage girl in a hotel car park in Leinster in December 2017. The first defendant, aged 25, pleaded not guilty to rape, oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault. The second defendant, aged 24, pleaded not guilty to rape and oral rape. The State alleged the then 17-year-old victim was assaulted by the men, who were aged 17 and 18 at the time, after going for a drive with them. This was the second trial in the case, following a hung jury in 2023. After seven and a half hours of deliberation, the jury convicted the 25-year-old of all charges against him. The 24-year-old was convicted of oral rape, while the jury indicated it was not in a position to reach a verdict on the rape charge against him. Both defendants broke down in tears as the verdicts were read. They were remanded in custody pending sentence on April 22 next, when a victim impact report will be submitted to the court. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon thanked the jury for their time.
Egidijus Aleliunas, 43, of The Paddocks Way, Adamstown, Lucan, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to multiple counts including deception, possession of false documents, use of a false instrument, and possessing and transferring the proceeds of criminal conduct over a seven-year period. Judge Nolan described Aleliunas as a "very competent man" who could reform himself. His wife, Anastasija Pavola, 37, of The Paddocks; father-in-law Viaceslav Pavlov, 68, of Earlsfort Road, Lucan; and mother-in-law Natalja Pavlova, 65, of Abbeydale Gardens, Lucan, each pleaded guilty to engaging in the transfer of property that was the proceeds of crime between June and August 2017. The court found they acted recklessly by allowing their bank accounts to be used for transfers to a Dubai investment company. Judge Nolan handed each of them suspended sentences of two years. He noted their good work histories and lack of previous convictions, stating it would be unjust to imprison them. Judge Nolan also agreed not to disqualify Pavola as a director to protect her business. The matter was finalised with these sentences.
Aaron Brock, a 19‑year‑old from Manchester, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison after pleading guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to smuggling 29.3 kg of cannabis worth an estimated €586,000 into Ireland from the United States. The drugs were found at Dublin Airport on 9 July 2023, shortly after Brock's flight from Los Angeles. He had no prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan noted that Brock was under financial debt, reportedly £10,000, due to gambling, and that he felt pressured to repay the debt. The judge considered Brock's young age, lack of previous convictions, cooperation with Gardaí, and early guilty plea, and concluded he was unlikely to re‑offend. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence while taking into account the defendant's circumstances. The case was prosecuted by Pieter Le Vert BL and defended by Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC.
Glen Duff, 36, of Doon Court, Poppintree, Dublin 11, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for two robberies and an assault causing harm in Temple Bar. The first offence occurred on 17 April 2022 when Duff and an accomplice attacked a tourist, kicking and stomping on his head before taking a €300 wallet. The victim suffered concussion and ongoing memory problems. The second offence took place on 23 June 2023, when Duff and another man robbed an American tourist who had just arrived in Ireland, stealing his wallet, passport and driving licence and leaving him with a broken finger. Both incidents were captured on CCTV and led to charges in May 2023 and November 2023, respectively. Duff pleaded guilty to all charges.
Ryan O'Toole, aged 34, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment after a cocaine‑fueled assault on Garda Karl Byrne outside a Dublin apartment block on 11 December 2022. O'Toole, heavily intoxicated, repeatedly punched, bit and knocked Byrne unconscious, also lifting him into a headlock and throwing him to the ground. Byrne suffered a concussion and a fractured nose, though the fracture's cause was uncertain. O'Toole pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and had seven prior convictions, none for serious offences. Judge Martin Nolan noted O'Toole's extreme intoxication and aggression, concluding he deserved prison. Garda Sergeant Paul Daly confirmed Byrne returned to work two weeks later. O'Toole's early guilty plea was seen as a sign of remorse, and he has since addressed his addiction issues. The court imposed the 18‑month term without further details on suspension or custody.
Lisa Lee, 41, was granted bail after a bench warrant was issued for her arrest following a failure to appear at the Central Criminal Court. Lee had previously received a half‑suspended four‑year sentence for discarding a knife used by Noel Lennon in the fatal stabbing of Isaac Horgan on 29 March 2021. The judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, described Lee as being in the "last‑chance saloon" and emphasized that her bail conditions would require her to reside at a named hostel in south Dublin, remain sober, keep her phone on hand for Garda and probation officers, and stay out of Dublin 2. The court noted that Lee had breached release conditions by committing public order offences and allegedly stealing a mobile phone. Mr Justice Hunt adjourned the matter to 8 April, stating that Lee's engagement with probation services could affect future cases. Lisa Lee was found guilty.
John Doyle, 49, of Littleton, Co. Tipperary, was convicted in Wexford of two counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault against his two daughters and his niece. The offences occurred between 2006 and 2017 in the family home and a mobile home. Doyle denied wrongdoing and maintains his innocence. The judge, Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford, described the acts as a "breach of trust of the gravest kind" and imposed concurrent sentences of 12 years for the rape counts, with one year suspended on strict conditions. He received additional sentences of six and four years for the sexual assault counts, all to run concurrently, and was directed to remain away from the victims for five years post‑release under probation supervision. The court noted Doyle's refusal to accept responsibility and the impact on the victims' safety and trust.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 19 February 2024, taxi driver Neville Griffin, aged 49, pleaded guilty to endangerment after a 2021 incident in which he drove off while an inter‑county playing Garda was pursuing a suspect. Griffin, who had five prior convictions, was described by the judge as having acted in a "spur of the moment" decision, a "total misjudgement" that was "extremely dangerous." He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, but the sentence was fully suspended on strict conditions, including a €3,500 payment to the injured Garda within 12 months. Griffin brought €1,500 to court as a token of remorse. The Garda, who was injured and out of work for seven weeks, received medical treatment and was unable to resume county training. The court noted Griffin's good character and the lack of serious harm caused, but upheld the suspended sentence for the offence.
Mamadou Alpha Bah, 27, was sentenced to six years in prison by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a violent sexual assault that occurred on 2 September 2020. The offence involved Bah chasing a 43‑year‑old woman through a hotel corridor after she had gone to his room, where he pinned her to a bed, threatened her, punched her, forced her to remove her clothes and sexually assaulted her through her clothing. He also attempted to force her legs open and followed her to the bathroom, where she escaped. CCTV footage captured the chase. Bah pleaded guilty on the morning of his trial and was found remorseful. He had no prior convictions at the time of the offence but had been convicted of sexual assault and false imprisonment in August 2021, receiving a five‑year sentence with one year suspended in October 2023.
Former solicitor Michael Lynn, aged 55, was found guilty of stealing €18,144,385 from six banks during the Celtic Tiger era. He was convicted on ten counts of theft in a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial; the jury could not agree on the remaining eleven counts. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Lynn to five and a half years' imprisonment, crediting him for seven and a half years spent in Brazilian prison. The headline sentence was 13 years, but the final imposed term was five and a half years, with the credit for time served. Lynn was extradited from Brazil in 2018 after spending four and a half years in a harsh prison. He and his wife Brid Murphy were present at sentencing, showing no visible reaction. The court set a hearing for asset confiscation on 16 April. Michael Lynn pleaded not guilty.
Sandra Hehir, sister of Christy Keane, pleaded guilty in October to laundering €124,055 found in her attic. Defence counsel requested a suspended sentence, citing her lack of prior convictions and positive rehabilitation. The Special Criminal Court adjourned the matter to February 26 for sentence finalisation. In related proceedings, her son Warren Hehir, who pleaded guilty to laundering €59,000 and possessing a Rolex, was jailed for five years and three months, with the final 12 months suspended. His wife, Vicky Hehir, also known as Victoria O'Halloran, pleaded guilty to laundering the same €59,000. The court sentenced her to two years in prison, fully suspended, on conditions that she refrain from contact with the Keane gang and reside away from Garryowen and Kilmurry. The court noted that a custodial sentence would be unduly harsh on her three children. Prosecutors indicated that five other counts could be considered, while three others would receive a nolle prosequi. The investigation targeted the Keane Organised Crime Group, with evidence suggesting Hehir's financial activities were inconsistent with her legitimate income.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the family of 78‑year‑old John O'Neill, who was killed by his nephew Thomas Lorigan (34), expressed profound grief and fear. The niece, Niamh Higgins, described the murder as a "heinous" act that left a "hollowness" in the family. She highlighted the brutality shown in CCTV footage and the impact on the community of Lisdoonvarna, where elderly residents now feel a shared trauma. The court heard three victim impact statements, all detailing the emotional devastation and the sense that the crime was "beyond torture" because it was committed by a relative. Judge Paul McDermott noted the mandatory life sentence imposed on Lorigan, back‑dated to his 2022 arrest, and emphasized the importance of the victim's voice in such proceedings. The sentencing reflected the severity of the violence and the lack of remorse from the offender. The family thanked responders and expressed that John's memory would remain with them forever.
The Special Criminal Court has adjourned the sentencing hearing for Nathan Kinsella until June 17 to allow gardai to complete an investigation into newly filed tax returns. Kinsella, 44, of Richmond, Blackrock, Co Dublin, previously pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to deliver full and true Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT) returns for the years 2018, 2019, and 2020. The charges alleged he failed without reasonable excuse to comply with section 46(2) of the Capital Acquisitions Tax Consolidation Act 2003 while residing at addresses in Saggart, Dublin, and Blackrock. During the hearing, the Director of Public Prosecutions stated that Kinsella had recently filed income tax returns for the same period, which the State described as "not in keeping with the evidence" regarding funds on which CAT should have been paid. Defense counsel explained the returns were filed on accountant advice to encompass all money received. Mr Justice Michael MacGrath, presiding on behalf of the three-judge court, ordered the adjournment to permit gardai to investigate the basis of these new returns and any overlap with the funds in question. Kinsella was previously sentenced to two years in prison in 2012 after pleading guilty to membership of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), an unlawful organisation, following an investigation into paramilitary activity at the funeral of Alan Ryan.
Andrew 'Andy' Cash, aged 30, was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment with the final year suspended for the manslaughter of his brother‑in‑law John Cash, aged 40, who was stabbed to death on Hebron Road, Kilkenny City, on 3 May 2022. Cash was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter after a jury verdict of 10‑2. The judge noted that the attack occurred in broad daylight on a busy street, in front of John Cash's wife, and that Cash had continued to shout threats and abuse at the victim while he lay on the ground. Cash had been drinking and taking tablets at the time of the incident. He had previously been accused of assault causing harm to John Cash's wife and of producing a knife during a dispute, but was found not guilty of those charges.
A former senior official at the Department of Justice, Niall Colgan, 39, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of possessing child abuse material. He admitted to having two indecent videos and two indecent images of children, which he had at his home on 1 February 2022. The judge set a sentence hearing for 7 May, after a report will be prepared.
Gerard O'Brien, a former Circuit Court judge aged 59, was convicted in December 2023 by a Central Criminal Court jury of one count of attempted anal rape and eight counts of sexual assault involving six young men. The offences, which took place between March 1991 and November 1997 in Dublin, were committed while O'Brien was a teacher in his 30s. The complainants, four of whom were his students, were aged 17 to 24 at the time. O'Brien denied all charges. He resigned from the judiciary in February 2024. Defence counsel requested a delay of the sentence hearing to allow completion of several reports, which are expected to be ready by mid‑April. The court agreed to adjourn the hearing to 29 April, and O'Brien remains on continuing bail.