Four men entered a Dublin secondary school at about 2 pm on 13 October 2022 and violently confronted a teenage boy. CCTV showed the men entering the school, the boy taking a hammer from his bag in self‑defence and fleeing, and the fourth man—who is not yet before the courts—throwing a steel pole at the boy, narrowly missing him. The third man, Josh Neary (22), grabbed the boy's bag and threw it. Staff removed the men from the school; no physical injuries were reported. Garda Aisling Halligan told the court that students were frightened and a staff member retired because of the incident. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced the three men who pleaded guilty to violent disorder to 16 months' imprisonment, suspending the sentence in full for Jack Craig (21) who had no prior convictions and played a minor role. Neary and Scott Purdue (25) received the full 16‑month terms.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Elva Duffy heard that Lee Byrne (23) and Sam Garvey (25) pleaded guilty to robbery on Phibsborough Road on 1 October 2022. The robbery involved a mobile phone taken from a cyclist who was then punched, threatened and struck with a bottle. The victim suffered bruising and swelling to the back of his head and reported lasting emotional distress. Byrne and Garvey were arrested after a search that recovered the stolen phone. Both men have prior convictions and have been in residential treatment for addiction. The judge noted their rehabilitation efforts but emphasised the robbery's profound effect on the victim. She adjourned the case to 20 January 2025, remanded them on bail, and said further positive steps would influence future sentencing. The hearing included the victim's impact statement and letters of remorse from the accused.
Aaron Ryan, aged 23 when the incident occurred, was punched in the head by his former best friend Jamie Tyler, who was serving a suspended sentence for a drug offence. The blow caused Ryan to fall, hit the floor and suffer a catastrophic brain bleed, leaving him unconscious and severely injured. Ryan spent eight months in hospital and rehabilitation, with permanent short‑term memory loss, paralysis, pain, headaches, vertigo, hypersensitivity and PTSD. He has been unable to perform simple tasks and lives with constant double vision and fear of noise. Tyler, aged 27, was sentenced to two years in prison for assault causing serious harm. He has denied full responsibility, offered no apology, and has not called emergency services. The court noted his remorse and the mitigating circumstances, reducing the sentence to two years. The case will return on 15 February to decide how to apply Tyler's suspended sentence.
A 41‑year‑old man was sentenced to 18 months in prison, with the last six months suspended, for sexually assaulting his partner's 15‑year‑old niece at a birthday party in her family home. He pleaded guilty on 19 September 2020 after initially denying the charge. The assault involved the accused placing his hands on the girl's hips, making sexual suggestions, entering her bedroom after she went to bed, touching her bottom and digitally penetrating her. The victim's mother witnessed the man in the bedroom and the girl later reported the incident to Gardaí. She has since experienced suicidal thoughts and self‑harm. The judge cited the age difference, power imbalance, the setting in the victim's home and the serious impact on the victim as aggravating factors, while noting the defendant's guilty plea, remorse and lack of prior convictions as mitigating factors. The sentence includes 12 months of probation supervision after release.
Phung Sein Tran, 43, an American from Seattle, pleaded guilty to smuggling 27 kg of cannabis into Dublin Airport on 29 May. The drug, valued at €540,820, was found in two large suitcases after an X‑ray anomaly. Tran admitted the purpose was to smuggle the cannabis for €8,000, meeting an unknown person at the Burlington Hotel. He was arrested, entered custody on the same day, and was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five and a half years in jail, a sentence backdated to the arrest date. Tran had cooperated with Gardaí, pleaded early, and had a good work history, though he has minor juvenile misdemeanour and traffic offences. He has shown remorse and is training with the Irish Red Cross in prison. The judge noted his previous good behaviour and unlikely re‑offending.
Lucas Procopio Jefferson, 24, was sentenced to two years in prison for smuggling 1.9 kilos of cocaine, worth about €138,000, into Dublin Port on 1 June last year. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan described the offence as a "crime of desperation" carried out to relieve threats against him and his family, and possibly for profit. Jefferson came from a very poor background in rural Brazil, had lived in Portugal for several years, and had no prior convictions in Ireland, Brazil or Portugal. Garda officers stopped him at the immigration desk, examined his suitcase and found the concealed compartment with the drugs. Jefferson cooperated and made admissions. He is seeking asylum in Ireland and has used his time in custody constructively, working in the kitchen and studying. The sentence was back‑dated to the date of his arrest in June.
Miley McDonald, 19, was sentenced by Judge Orla Crowe to a fully suspended two‑year imprisonment for robbing €4,000 in cash from a woman who had withdrawn the money to buy a car for her autistic son. The robbery took place on 18 November 2021 in Wicklow Town when McDonald, then 17, followed the victim from an AIB branch, seized the envelope of €50 notes, and fled in a silver Peugeot. The money was recovered under the passenger seat after the vehicle was stopped at a Garda checkpoint. McDonald pleaded guilty and expressed remorse, noting the incident was isolated. The judge highlighted the victim's ongoing distress and the lack of prior convictions, and warned that any future Garda attention could lead to the sentence being re‑entered. The case remains at the District Court stage.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a jury unanimously found 34‑year‑old Thomas Lorigan guilty of murdering his 78‑year‑old uncle, John O'Neill, in Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare. Lorigan, who had no fixed abode, was alleged to have stamped O'Neill to death while wearing steel‑capped boots. CCTV footage showed Lorigan delivering calculated kicks and stamping the widower, who had previously run a bed and breakfast with his wife, who died in 2021. A Garda witness testified that O'Neill was severely beaten and left unrecognisable. Blood‑stained boots recovered from a house Lorigan stayed at the night before the body was found contained a mixed DNA profile, including Lorigan's. The prosecution argued the attack was "something personal" with no robbery motive. The jury, after three days of deliberation, returned a unanimous guilty verdict for murder. Mr Justice Paul McDermott will hand down a mandatory life sentence on 19 February and remand Lorigan in custody until then. Thomas Lorigan pleaded not guilty.
Andrew Cash, 32, was sentenced to eight years in prison, with the final year suspended, after pleading guilty to multiple offences including theft, robbery, attempted robbery and assault causing harm. The court heard that between May and November 2020 he carried out a series of violent robberies across Dublin, most notably an attack in Crane Lane where he punched a victim, kicked him to the ground, stamped on his head and left him with a concussion, slipped discs and a minor brain bleed. CCTV footage showed Cash returning with two accomplices to repeat the assault. He also pleaded guilty to a robbery at a launderette and theft of a debit card and mobile phone from an unconscious man. The judge cited his 66 prior convictions, the violence used and the threat of knives as aggravating factors, while noting his guilty plea, homelessness and substance abuse as mitigating.
Kacper Koszarski, 23, faced a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing after a series of violent burglaries and high‑speed car chases. He pleaded guilty to 17 charges, including four counts of dangerous driving, four of trespass, one of endangerment, four of criminal damage, two of burglary, one of knife production and one of unauthorised vehicle taking. The court noted his 39 prior convictions, seven of them theft, and warned that a "sentence of some significance" would be imposed. Judge Elva Duffy adjourned the case to 22 March for a probation report, urine analysis and governor's report, remanding Koszarski in custody. The hearing covered incidents from a Maynooth burglary where a Renault Megane was taken and chased, to multiple garden trespasses in Dublin where knives were found. Koszarski's partner testified about their son with additional needs, and he expressed remorse and a desire for rehabilitation. The court considered his young age, addiction history and willingness to cooperate. The case remains pending.
Jonathan Moles, aged 30, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a series of violent offences. He pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman and assault causing harm to her at a flat on Botanic Avenue on 8 August 2020, to assaulting a man at an ATM on Capel Street on 8 July 2019, to assaulting a man on 18 November 2019 and robbing him of over €2,000, and to assaulting a man on 18 November 2019. The court noted Moles' "violent disposition" and cumulative misbehaviour. He has 40 prior convictions, mainly for money laundering and drug possession, and no other convictions for assault or robbery. The judge accepted his guilty pleas, remorse and rehabilitation efforts, and imposed the sentence accordingly.
Charlie Lawlor, 21, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a woman and assaulting her partner during an incident on 11 August 2022 in Church Street, Dun Laoghaire. The attack followed a dispute with his girlfriend after they had been chatting with a gay couple in a local pub. Lawlor threw homophobic slurs such as "fuck the gays" and "dirty gays" and punched one woman, causing a facial laceration that required surgery and numerous stitches in her mouth. The other woman suffered bruising to her face. The court heard the victims were emotionally scarred and that one woman was left with a permanent facial scar. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Lawlor to two and a half years, fully suspended, and ordered him to pay €7,000 to the more seriously injured woman and €1,000 to the other within nine months, with compensation to a charity if declined. Lawlor expressed remorse and is studying for a PLC course.
Ciaran Foster, 30, a former Defence Forces member, was jailed for a year after pleading guilty to a robbery on Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2, on 23 July 2019. He punched an unarmed victim, knocking him unconscious for three and a half minutes, and stole a bag, a mobile phone and a watch. Garda Sean Tully reported that the victim had stopped to chat with someone he knew when Foster attacked him. CCTV footage showed the assault and Foster's escape. Foster was arrested on 9 November 2019. He had 13 prior convictions for traffic offences, criminal damage, public order and drug misuse. Judge Elma Duffy described the attack as "callous" and "unprovoked", noting Foster's difficult childhood and Defence Forces service as mitigating factors, but also the cowardly nature of the robbery as aggravating. Foster was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions.
Michael Kelly, 34, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting a female taxi driver after they refused to pay her fare. The incident occurred on 19 December 2022 when Kelly and his partner left a taxi without paying, walked into their home, and the driver pursued them to the front door. Kelly pulled the driver by her jumper and punched her several times, causing bruising and tenderness to her face. CCTV contradicted his claim of self‑defence. He has seven prior minor traffic convictions. The judge, Martin Nolan, imposed a suspended two‑year jail sentence and ordered Kelly to pay the driver €3,000 within nine months, or donate the amount to charity if she declines. The sentence was suspended on conditions, and no custodial time was imposed at this stage. The driver suffered nausea and dizziness and was treated at hospital the next day.
Oliver Moore, 55, was sentenced to a four‑year suspended term for attempting to set fire to a house on 18 November 2022. He had a long‑standing grievance with the former resident, unaware that the house was now occupied by three students. Gardai found him early in the morning trying to push burning newspaper through the letterbox, claiming he intended to "burn him out." The students heard banging, saw him shouting, and fled to the garden before calling the police. Moore pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge noted his attempts were ineffectual but serious, and, citing mitigating factors, imposed the suspended sentence with conditions, warning him it was his first and last chance. He had no prior convictions and had not returned to the property since the incident.
A 42‑year‑old convicted murderer, Richard Kearney, was sentenced to eight years in prison for a series of offences committed while on temporary release from a life sentence. In March 2023 he briefly imprisoned a former prison chaplain in her bathroom, then robbed and assaulted an 86‑year‑old woman in Clondalkin, and later attacked two priests in Clondalkin. He attempted to choke a 74‑year‑old priest, broke the hip of an 86‑year‑old priest, and locked both priests in an office while taking a phone and cash. The court noted the victims were elderly and unable to resist. Kearney's temporary release was revoked after the offences, and the Parole Board will consider his conduct separately. The judge highlighted that the attacks were similar to the murder for which Kearney was originally convicted in 2001. The sentence was back‑dated to March 2023. Richard Kearney pleaded guilty.
Three men – Steven Byrne (36), Jonathan Dolan (47) and Anthony Grogan (55) – pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting Gardaí and one count of violent disorder for an unprovoked attack on two Gardaí outside a takeaway on Ballyfermot Road on 21 November 2022. The Gardaí, Phillip Nash, Sean Savage and Nicole Malcolmson, were injured; Savage required staples and stitches to his head and Malcolmson suffered a knee injury. CCTV footage was shown in court. The men were arrested at the scene or later that day. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced each to 27 months imprisonment, to run concurrently on each count of assault and the violent disorder count. The sentence was imposed after the men pleaded guilty, cooperated, made admissions and expressed remorse. The court noted the Gardaí were performing their lawful duty when assaulted. The men's prior convictions were mentioned but did not affect the sentencing. The sentence was delivered in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A 32‑year‑old South African woman, Anele Ngwenya, was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for assisting the entry of a 16‑year‑old Congolese girl into Ireland on a fake passport. Ngwenya pleaded guilty to the offence of assisting the entry of another person at Terminal Two, Dublin Airport on 5 October 2023. She claimed she had agreed to escort the girl for €971 after being approached by members of her church in Johannesburg, describing the act as a "crime of desperation". The girl, who is now under Tusla's care, travelled from Paris with Ngwenya, who was questioned by immigration officers about her purpose of travel. Ngwenya had no prior convictions in Ireland or South Africa. The court accepted that there were no aggravating features and imposed a 16‑month custodial sentence, describing the offence as serious but not an insidious human trafficking case.
A 36‑year‑old woman, Christine Ward, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for her role in a violent robbery of a 79‑year‑old widower in Artane on 2 November 2018. Ward, who had previously called the victim for money, entered his home with her former partner Derek Bewley, who wielded a claw hammer. The victim was stabbed repeatedly, had his hearing aid shattered, and was robbed of €600, his phone, and his car. Ward pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and other counts, and the judge noted the offence was against a vulnerable elderly man. Ward's sentence of 10 years, with 18 months suspended, reflects the seriousness of the crime. Bewley, aged 48, is due to be sentenced later. The court also heard of a separate robbery of a visually impaired man on the same day, but Ward's sentence concerns the Artane incident.
Mark Kelly, 26, of Blanchardstown, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three and a half years in prison. Kelly pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply and possession of cash believed to be proceeds of crime, both alleged to have occurred at his home on June 29, 2022. The court heard that Gardaí found cocaine with an estimated street value of €285,000, along with €3,575 in cash, weighing scales, knives, and baggies during a warrant search. Kelly admitted to officers that he was holding the drugs to settle a €3,000 debt incurred through his own cocaine use, stating he had been threatened and was in debt for approximately six months. Defence counsel Tony McGillicuddy SC submitted that Kelly had no previous convictions, had lost his job, and immediately took responsibility for the drugs to protect others. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged that Kelly acted at the lower end of the enterprise and had "got in over his head" due to addiction, but noted he was a "vital cog" in the supply chain. The judge jailed Kelly for three and a half years.
Nicolae Dulea, 36, of Tyrellstown, Dublin, was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to non‑payment of duty on 40,000 untaxed cigarettes and to keeping 60,600 cigarettes and 4.5 kg of fine‑cut tobacco without tax stamps. The cigarettes were discovered in a pallet that a detection dog flagged on 11 November 2021; the pallet, listed as children's playthings, contained two boxes of untaxed cigarettes totalling a €24,580 loss to the State. A separate search of a storage container rented to Prunesso Europe Ltd on the same day uncovered 60,600 cigarettes and 4.5 kg of tobacco, a €38,198.75 loss. The total loss to the State was €61,788. Dulea had two prior convictions, the most recent in 2013. He claimed to be a wholesaler of dried fruits and said he was collecting the boxes for a friend. He was cooperative, pleaded early, and his wife attended court.
Charles McClean, aged 35, already serving 16.5 years for facilitating a criminal organisation and conspiracy to murder Wayne Whelan, pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension of the person who murdered gangland figure Mark 'Guinea Pig' Desmond in Lucan on 2 December 2016. McClean admitted he knew or believed the murderer was guilty of an arrestable offence, namely Desmond's murder, and that he had impeded the investigation. He was originally charged with Desmond's murder on the same day. The case was heard before the Central Criminal Court, where Mr Justice Paul McDermott remanded McClean in custody until 6 February for a sentence hearing and directed the preparation of a victim impact report. The hearing was scheduled to last 40 minutes. McClean's earlier convictions include an eight‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for facilitating the fatal shooting of Thomas McCarthy in 2020 and an eight‑year sentence for conspiracy to murder Whelan in 2021.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 29 January 2024, the sentencing of a 46‑year‑old man for raping a teenage girl and sexually abusing another was interrupted when two men attacked him in the dock. The assault occurred while the prosecuting garda was giving evidence of the abuse. The men were restrained and removed by prison staff and gardai, and the defendant, bleeding, received medical attention. Judge Paul Burns described the incident as a serious breach of security and said it would be investigated by the Courts Service, with possible further steps to protect court safety. The defendant had been convicted in December of 11 counts of sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation, against a 15‑ to 16‑year‑old girl, and one count of causing a 14‑ to 15‑year‑old girl to watch pornography. The judge remanded him in custody and adjourned the sentencing to 26 February 2024.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 33‑year‑old Daragh Houlihan pleaded guilty to robbery for an incident on 4 May 2021 in which he attacked his pregnant girlfriend, wrestled with her over a knife, pushed and kicked her, and stole her phone. The judge described his conduct as "utterly reprehensible" and noted the victim's pregnancy and the relationship's end. Houlihan's addiction to cocaine and heroin was cited as a mitigating factor. The court imposed a headline sentence of three years, reduced to two years and three months, and suspended the entire term for three years on strict conditions, including no contact with the victim and notification of any new intimate relationship. Houlihan agreed to participate in programs addressing intimate partner violence, anger management, and offence‑focused intervention. The victim's impact statement highlighted her fear and emotional distress following the assault. The case concluded with a fully suspended sentence and no custodial time.
A 61-year-old former scout leader has been sentenced to six years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his guilty plea to three counts of sexual assault committed between 1991 and 2000. The man, whose identity is protected to safeguard victims' anonymity, abused three boys aged between 11 and 14 at a scouting den in Dublin and at locations in Waterford and Monaghan. The abuse included inappropriate touching, masturbation and oral sex. Judge Martin Nolan described the defendant's conduct as "very serious" and "very reprehensible," noting he had abused his position of trust and authority over vulnerable, impressionable children and their families. The court imposed three-year sentences on each count, with two to run consecutively. Three victim impact statements were presented, with victims describing long-term psychological harm, damaged trust and ongoing mental health difficulties. The defence highlighted the defendant's guilty plea, work history and psychological assessment indicating low re-offending risk, though the judge found these factors provided only limited mitigation.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, William Cassidy, 59, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for arson at Apache Pizza and three and a half years for assault causing harm, the last two years suspended. Cassidy had thrown two petrol bombs into the pizzeria on 9 July, set his jacket on fire, and then attempted to stab a female pedestrian on Drumcondra Road. He told Gardaí he sought "suicide by cop" and that the petrol bombs were intended for self‑harm. The court noted he had previously complained about noise from the shop, had a history of suicidal ideation and had stopped seeing his psychiatrist. Cassidy pleaded guilty to arson, possession of petrol bombs, assault, and possession of a knife. The judge described him as a dangerous man suffering mental health difficulties and said he was unlikely to reoffend with proper treatment.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Chen Hsien Tsai, 59, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for money‑laundering after he was found carrying more than €1.78 million in cash at Dublin Airport's Terminal One on 7 March. The cash, in euro, sterling and US dollars, was discovered in two envelopes and in bags that also contained food and sanitary items. Tsai, who has no fixed abode in Ireland and no prior convictions in Ireland or the UK, claimed he was merely transporting the money for a friend and was not paid for the service. He admitted to being afraid and frightened when arrested. Judge Martin Nolan noted that an English‑speaking national might have received a longer sentence and that the prison could be a lonely place for a foreign national. The sentence was back‑dated to the day of his arrest. The case has attracted the interest of UK authorities. Chen Hsien Tsai pleaded guilty.
Tadhg Keely, 19, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for stealing a Toyota Aqua from Belview Court, Blackrock, Co Dublin, and endangerment on the N81 Tallaght bypass. He pleaded guilty to these charges and further admitted to dangerous driving on the N7 in Naas, Co Kildare. Judge Martin Nolan described the incident as extremely dangerous, noting Keely's "disgraceful behaviour" when he drove through traffic cones, forcing a workman to "jump for his life." The court heard Keely led ten garda patrol cars on a 40-minute chase at speeds exceeding 160km/h, blowing two tyres and driving on the wrong side of the road. He was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, with the final year suspended due to his young age, guilty plea, and difficult background. Judge Nolan disqualified Keely from driving for three years and ordered one year of probation supervision upon release. Keely, who has 36 previous convictions, was in State care at the time. The matter was finalised with this sentence.
Michael Dunne, 50, a serial offender with 51 prior convictions, was sentenced by Judge Orla Crowe at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 18 months for throwing blue paint on a Luke Kelly statue, causing €240 damage. Nine months of the sentence were suspended on strict conditions. Dunne pleaded guilty on 12 July 2020 and had previously missed a sentencing date in December, leading to a bench warrant. The judge cited aggravating factors such as his criminal history and the bench warrant, but also noted mitigating factors including his guilty plea, expressions of remorse, vulnerable history, and personal circumstances. Garda David Kelly identified Dunne through CCTV footage. Defence counsel highlighted his drug addiction, mental health difficulties, and the impact on his family. The court acknowledged the case's media attention but emphasized that Dunne must face the consequences of his actions.
Steven Russell, 47, of Cooperhill, Julianstown, was given a fully suspended one‑year prison sentence after pleading guilty to exposing his penis to a 10‑year‑old school girl in September 2020. He was ordered to pay €5,000 to the child's parents or guardians within six months to help cover therapy and counselling costs. The case had been listed for trial three times before the guilty plea, with the child prepared to give evidence each time. Russell had no prior convictions. The court noted the offence's seriousness and the impact on the child, but also considered his early plea, lack of previous convictions, family responsibilities, and the brief nature of the interaction. The offence does not result in Russell being registered as a sex offender. The suspended sentence means no custodial time unless the sentence is later activated.
A 30‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment, with the last two years suspended, for a single count of rape committed on 9 February 2018. He claimed the act was involuntary, citing a sleep disorder called sexsomnia and describing himself as an "automaton." The victim, who had previously worked with him, was persuaded to lie in bed, fell asleep, and was then raped. She reported the assault to the Gardaí on 15 February, and DNA evidence linked the man to her clothing. The judge noted the seriousness of the offence and the victim's impact, but also considered the defendant's lack of prior convictions and supportive testimonials from family and employers. The sentence included strict conditions, such as supervision by the Probation Service, and the court acknowledged the defendant's remorse while noting he did not accept wrongdoing. The unnamed 30-year-old was found guilty.
Nathan Kirby, 22, of Grand Canal House, Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6, was given a fully suspended two‑year sentence and ordered to pay €7,500 to a 76‑year‑old pensioner who was injured on Lower Rathmines Road on 6 January 2022. Kirby pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after an argument over change in a Holland and Barrett shop where he worked. He punched and kicked the pensioner, fracturing his jaw, breaking his dentures and knocking out a front tooth. The court noted Kirby's guilty plea, good work history and lack of prior convictions as mitigating factors. Judge Martin Nolan said Kirby had lost his temper but was unlikely to reoffend, and ordered him to maintain good behaviour for the suspended period. Kirby admitted the assault, expressed remorse, and is currently employed by Hertz Car Hire, planning to open a café in the future.
Anthony Dennis, 39, of Ballyfermot, was sentenced to an additional year and nine months in prison for threatening to kill a prison officer at Cloverhill Prison on 29 September 2020. The judge described the conduct as part of a "pattern of intimidation" that included several incidents. Dennis, who has 331 prior convictions—almost 200 for traffic offences—has spent half his life in custody. The first threat occurred while he was smoking on the prison landing, after which he ignored officers' requests to return to his cell. He later called the officer a "tramp" and a "scumbag" and threatened to "blow his head off" after being placed in a close‑supervision cell. The court noted that Dennis had been remanded since 12 January and that he has three prior assault convictions but no prior convictions for threats to kill. The sentence was back‑dated to 12 January. Anthony Dennis pleaded guilty.
A 75-year-old milk collection haulier from Castlederg, County Tyrone, has received a fully suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for failing to remit over €160,000 in VAT to the Revenue Commissioners between 2012 and 2015. James Wauchope pleaded guilty to six sample counts of the offence. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a headline sentence of five years but suspended it in full for three and a half years, citing extenuating circumstances. The court heard that Wauchope suffers severe post-traumatic stress disorder following an incident in which he was locked in one of his trucks with a bomb by the IRA, and that he endured the death of a son who required round-the-clock care following a 1986 road accident. The judge stated that life had inflicted sufficient punishment on the defendant. Wauchope was ordered to repay €65,000 to Revenue within one year, in addition to €60,000 already repaid. He has no previous convictions.
In a January 2024 sentencing, 52‑year‑old Jason Kennedy, who has 100 prior convictions, was jailed for a series of violent offences. On 16 November 2017 he attacked his date, stole her car, drove it at high speed, crashed it 200 metres down the road and assaulted two gardaí, one of whom suffered a fractured hand. Kennedy pleaded guilty to assault, dangerous driving and criminal damage to a garda's stab vest. He also pleaded guilty to trespass and theft of a €285 till at an unoccupied Aunt Annie's bakery kiosk in Jervis Shopping Centre on 9 August 2022, where CCTV captured him and his DNA was found on the till. The judge, Martin Nolan, sentenced him to three years for the first incident and 2 years 3 months for the second, to run consecutively. Kennedy is currently serving a four‑year sentence for another matter and has a son and two grandchildren.
In a high‑speed chase on 27 December 2022, 20‑year‑old Kian Andrews drove a Toyota Avensis at 160 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, repeatedly rammed two Garda patrol cars, and drove on the wrong side of the road. Garda Sergeant Daniel Cuffe, patrolling the Sandyford and Dundrum area, pursued the vehicle, but Andrews refused to stop and continued to drive at dangerous speeds. When the Garda cars blocked the Avensis, Andrews attempted to drive into Sergeant Cuffe's car, prompting the officers to produce firearms. Andrews immediately raised his hands, cooperated, and was arrested. A small amount of cocaine and a flick knife were found in the vehicle. Andrews pleaded guilty to endangerment, dangerous driving and possession of drugs, and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and a three‑year driving disqualification. The judge noted that the firearms produced by Gardaí had the desired effect in securing his arrest.
William Connors, aged 30, pleaded guilty to providing false documents for a fake passport application. He supplied his birth certificate and other papers to a third party who used them to apply for a passport at a Garda station in Kildare in January 2020. The application was certified by a Garda who is now facing charges. The Passport Office detected that the photos did not match Connors' previous passport and launched an investigation. Connors has 19 prior convictions, all for road‑traffic offences. He was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to a two‑year term, suspended on conditions, after the court accepted his remorse and the minor nature of his earlier offences. The case is part of a broader investigation involving several co‑accused, including the certifying Garda, who are due to stand trial next year.
Cian Jones, 22, was found guilty of two counts of robbery and two of attempted robbery for leading a gang that robbed mobile phones from four teenage boys on a northbound Dart train between Dun Laoghaire and Tara Street. The court described the offence as serious, noting the victims were travelling home and were forced to sit beside the robbers, who threatened to stab them and demanded their phones. Jones took three iPhones and a Samsung A52, returned a blue iPhone and the Samsung, and demanded a factory reset from one victim. He also demanded cash, which the boys did not have, and warned them not to report to Gardaí. The judge imposed a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspended the final 18 months on strict conditions, and noted Jones's early guilty plea and personal circumstances as mitigating factors.
Killian McCabe, aged 27, was arrested on 20 November 2022 in Knocklyon, Dublin, with €718,240 worth of cannabis, cannabis resin, cocaine, amphetamine and heroin in two vans. He also had €30,800 in cash seized. Charlene Murphy, aged 33, was found with €87,240 worth of cannabis resin in her car and an additional €4,480 worth of cocaine in her home. Both pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale or supply; McCabe also pleaded guilty to possessing proceeds of crime. McCabe, with 43 prior convictions, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment. Murphy, with 25 prior convictions, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. The sentences were imposed by Judge Martin Nolan in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The article reports the convictions and sentences only, without further speculation or future outcomes.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 22 January 2024, Nepalese native Kamal Kumar Nepali, aged 24, was found guilty by a jury of rape, burglary, assault causing harm, sexual assault and four counts of trespass in Cork. The offences occurred on 1 March 2022 during student Rag Week celebrations. Nepali had burglarised four houses in an attempt to find an intoxicated woman to rape; all four houses had male occupants. He then broke into a house at 5:30 am on 28 February 2022, where he raped a woman who had returned from a pub, slept, and was later found with bruises and injuries. The victim, who had been drinking, described the assault and the subsequent panic. Nepali denied the charges, but his statements changed during detention. He has no prior convictions. The case was adjourned for finalisation on 11 March 2024.
A 17-year-old male was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to one count of assault causing harm on January 17, 2023, and one count of production of an article, a vice grip, during a dispute on December 5, 2022. Judge Elma Sheahan described the unprovoked attacks on two victims, including one on the Luas, as "disturbing" and "appalling," noting the defendant's significant role and use of the vice grip in a "frenzied manner." While the judge initially intended to impose a global period of detention of 34 months, with the final six months suspended under Probation Service supervision, she determined this order was not enforceable under the Children's Act. Consequently, she imposed a sentence of 28 months in detention, with the teenager required to liaise with relevant services during this period. The court considered mitigating factors, including the defendant's lack of previous convictions, age, expressions of remorse, and family support, alongside aggravating factors such as the level of violence and the unprovoked, repeated nature of the offending.
Mark Dolan, 49, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to masturbating in front of a child at a north Dublin address on 6 May last year. Judge Martin Nolan set a sentence date of 20 March and remanded Dolan on continuing bail until that date.
Daniel Sheehan, aged 24, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possessing 263 rounds of ammunition in suspicious circumstances on 3 June 2022. He admitted to the ammunition and a replica Beretta pistol found in a laptop bag during a search of his home, which was part of a misuse‑of‑drugs investigation. The search also uncovered a small amount of cannabis, a laptop bag, and Republican literature. Sheehan had previously been charged with membership of the Irish Republican Army but that charge was dropped. He has three prior convictions for drug possession and public order. The DPP noted the offence falls in the lower range of offending, with a maximum penalty of 14 years and a presumptive mandatory minimum of five years if no exceptional evidence is presented. The case was adjourned to 8 April to allow a probation report to be prepared.
James Anthony Kelly, 57, of Ballycashin, Waterford, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for raping and sexually abusing a boy he had befriended. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault, two counts of oral rape and two counts of gross indecency involving a child under 17, committed between March 2000 and March 2003. The victim, aged 14 to 17 at the time, was a friend of Kelly's who had been involved in local youth clubs. The abuse took place while the boy was camping or in isolated spots during car drives, involving mutual masturbation and oral sex. Kelly denied grooming and claimed the boy had initiated some encounters. He was a former Garda Reserve member. The judge imposed an eight‑year sentence, suspended 18 months, with strict conditions for probation and therapeutic intervention.
Dermot McManus, 53, of Keating Park, Killalee, Co. Limerick, was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to four years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended on the condition of good behaviour, after pleading guilty to three money‑laundering charges. The judge set a headline sentence of five years but reduced it to four years, citing McManus's blindness in one eye and Crohn's disease. McManus had been claiming a single‑rate disability allowance of €230 per week and had not paid tax. He had hidden €28,550 in cash in two socks and a jacket pocket, and had a Mercedes Sprinter van valued at €10,500. The court ordered forfeiture of the cash seized and the van. The case stemmed from Operation Coronation raids in September 2021, which targeted organised crime in Co. Limerick. The judge noted McManus's 22 previous convictions, including a burglary‑related offence. The sentencing hearing was presided over by Mr Justice Paul Burns.
Vicky Hehir and Warren Hehir were sentenced at the Special Criminal Court after pleading guilty to money laundering charges linked to the Keane organised crime group. Vicky Hehir, 30, admitted to laundering €12,000 in cash for renovations at a Limerick City home and one charge relating to €59,000 for works at Kilmurry Court. The court found her involvement was solely due to her marriage and placed her offending at the lower end of the scale. She was sentenced to two years in prison, fully suspended, on conditions that she refrain from contact with organised crime groups and reside away from the Garryowen and Kilmurry areas. Her husband, Warren Hehir, 33, pleaded guilty to handling €59,000 in cash and a Rolex watch, both alleged to be proceeds of criminal conduct. The judge noted his mid-level status within the gang and 54 previous convictions. He received a headline sentence of seven years and three months, reduced to five years and three months, with the final 12 months suspended. Conditions require him to refrain from contact with organised crime and demonstrate a law-abiding lifestyle. The court also ordered the forfeiture of two seized Rolex watches and all seized money. Sandra Hehir, Warren's mother, previously pleaded guilty to laundering over €100,000 at her home, though she was not sentenced in this specific hearing.
A man from Letterkenny, County Donegal, has been sentenced to twenty-one months in prison following a dangerous driving conviction at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Kevin McMenamin, aged forty-two, pleaded guilty to causing serious bodily harm to a cyclist in Ballsbridge on July twenty-second, twenty twenty-one. The court heard that McMenamin drove through a red light and made a sudden left turn, striking the woman and trapping her beneath his truck for two metres. The cyclist, in her late sixties, sustained a fractured pelvis and severe leg injuries, requiring hospitalisation for nearly five months and placement in an induced coma. McMenamin was disqualified from driving at the time of the incident. Judge Martin Nolan noted McMenamin's thirty-three previous convictions, including road traffic offences, and stated he showed no regard for the law. The judge imposed an additional five-year driving disqualification.
An extradited criminal, Dragos Cirstea, 38, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for laundering money and purchasing luxury goods with €51,000 stolen from Adare Manor. He pleaded guilty to three money‑laundering counts in Dublin on 3 June 2019 and had four prior UK convictions. Cirstea used a bank card to buy items at Brown Thomas, Arnotts and Weir & Sons, spending €51,044, including a Rolex watch and jewellery worth about €44,000. The money had been sent by a Belgium Vintage Automobile Club to a fraudulent bank account, not to the hotel. No luxury items were recovered. The judge noted Cirstea's guilty plea and good work history as mitigating factors but also his role as a vital link in the criminal enterprise. He will receive credit for time served. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with Judge Martin Nolan presiding.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 64‑year‑old man was found guilty of rape and indecent assault by a jury in December. The victim, a deaf woman with a mild intellectual disability who was 24 at the time of the offence, gave a victim impact statement that described feeling "dirty, sad, scared, sick, confused, embarrassed" after the assault, which occurred in a rural area of the west of Ireland between September and November 1985. She was taken in a white vehicle, forced into a mobile home, and had her clothing removed before the perpetrator forced sexual contact. The court heard the victim's sister also read a statement, noting the severe impact on the woman's independence and personal space. The defendant, who had worked as an emergency first responder, had no prior sexual convictions and was arrested in 2017. The case was adjourned to April 8 for sentencing.
In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Mohamed Axmed, aged 20, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for his role in a violent robbery of two UK tourists in Temple Bar on 17 September 2022. The court heard that Axmed, part of a group of young men, manhandled and assaulted the visitors, taking a bag that contained £1,050 sterling, bank cards, passports and a mobile phone. He pleaded guilty before the hearing, and the judge noted his prior convictions and the fact that he is already serving a sentence that will end in June 2025. Judge Martin Nolan extended his current stay in prison, citing his youth and the seriousness of the offence. The sentence was imposed with the intention that it would be a deterrent, though the judge acknowledged that the outcome might change upon his release. The other co‑accused have either taken trial dates, received bench warrants or remain unlocated.