Joao Silva Pinto, 25, of Mabbot Lane, Dublin 1, downloaded 78 videos of child sexual abuse material to his Google Drive, which Google reported to the Gardaí. The online child exploitation unit was alerted to the content on an account in Silva Pinto's name, and a mobile number linked to him was used to upload 784 CGI anime images classified as category four material. Gardaí obtained a warrant in February 2022 and searched Silva Pinto's home on 18 June 2022, seizing his phone and identification documents. Analysis of the phone revealed 78 videos, 43 of which were category one and 35 category two. Silva Pinto pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on a phone at his home. He has no prior convictions and has not attracted Garda attention since the incident. The case was adjourned to 18 July for finalisation.
Eoin Considine, a 24‑year‑old Limerick law graduate, was sentenced to four years in prison for raping a woman after they had engaged in consensual sex. The incident occurred on 11 August 2019 when the couple, who had met in a pub that evening, went to the woman's home. She reported that Considine began pulling her hair, striking her head, and later choking and pinning her down. She withdrew consent and begged him to stop, but he continued sexual penetration for about 90 seconds. Considine pleaded not guilty and denied rape, but was convicted in January. The judge noted the lack of a guilty plea or remorse, set a headline sentence of four and a half years, and imposed a four‑year custodial term with 18 months of post‑release supervision. The victim's impact statement described bruising, bleeding, loss of safety in her own bedroom, and suicidal thoughts. No contact with the victim is allowed.
Michael Noonan, 61, pleaded guilty to stealing €22,400 from Hyde Court Property Management Company Ltd in August 2016 and to creating false invoices and accounting entries in 2015 and 2018. He admitted writing cheques to himself for money he claimed was owed due to unpaid fees by property owners, and that he used his own money to cover day‑to‑day bills while the company's bank account was "cleaned out". The court noted his long work history and previous good reputation, but found the thefts pre‑meditated and planned. Judge Martina Baxter imposed a four‑year prison sentence, fully suspended for five years on the condition that Noonan keep the peace. Civil proceedings have concluded and the money has been returned. Noonan has no intention of sitting on a management company again and is legally disqualified for five years.
Wayne Cooney, 32, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty to demanding money from a mother in Raheny on 21 April 2019, claiming her son owed €11,000. He threatened her, saying they would return to collect. The woman, frightened, photographed him and reported him. Cooney had 26 prior convictions, including murder, firearm and ammunition offences. Judge Orla Crowe, hearing the case, noted the aggravating factors of his criminal history and the daylight setting, but also considered his guilty plea, apology and remorse as mitigating. She sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, adding to his existing life term. The court heard that the victim did not wish to give an impact statement, and that Cooney expressed shame and a desire to apologise. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Aidan Horan, 39, of East Wall, Dublin, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court after pleading not guilty to two counts of assaulting his wife on January 1, 2019, and February 22, 2019. Following a trial, he was convicted of both charges. Prosecution evidence detailed that during the first incident, Horan struck the woman in the head and face, while the second involved her finger being hyper-extended, requiring surgery. Mr Justice Paul Burns acknowledged claims that violence was mutual but noted that only Horan was convicted. He described the relationship as tempestuous but stated there is no excuse for violence. The court imposed a 12-month custodial sentence. The final three months of this sentence were suspended on strict conditions, requiring Horan to engage with the Probation Service for three months upon his ultimate release from prison. The judge emphasized the specific impact of domestic violence under the Domestic Violence Act. Horan had no previous convictions, and his defense counsel offered €4,500 as a token of remorse, which the victim declined.
A former League of Ireland footballer, Edward Fitzpatrick, 39, and two other men were jailed for moving almost €200,000 in crime cash. Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, while Jonathon Barton, 42, and Gary O'Neill, 40, pleaded guilty to counts of money laundering. Garda surveillance showed Barton driving a van to Fitzpatrick's home, where they entered the property together. Barton later left with a heavy blue shopping bag, which was found in O'Neill's car containing €199,505 in cash and an additional €2,250. The court noted the men's remorse, guilty pleas, and family responsibilities. Justice Melanie Greally imposed four‑year, 42‑month and 30‑month sentences on Barton, Fitzpatrick and O'Neill respectively, suspending the final year of each sentence. The men had no prior convictions for serious offences, and the court considered their rehabilitation efforts. The case highlighted the role of drug debt and addiction in the operation.
A 24‑year‑old man was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment for sexually assaulting a six‑year‑old neighbour when he was 15. The offence occurred on 14 October 2014 at the victim's home in the east of Ireland. The girl, who was a frequent visitor, reported bleeding and cuts on her private area after falling from a bed. She identified the boy as the one who touched her. The boy was asked to leave the house and an exchange took place on the doorstep. The court heard that the boy had no prior convictions, had cooperated with Gardaí, and had not been involved with the police since. The judge noted the victim's psychological impact and the boy's continued denial of guilt, and imposed the sentence without suspension. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The unnamed 24-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A 58‑year‑old man was sentenced to 14 years in prison after a Central Criminal Court trial in November convicted him of 11 offences, including rape, oral rape, sexual assault, false imprisonment, threat to kill and forcing a child to watch sexual activity. The crimes were committed against his nine‑year‑old daughter in the family home in the Midlands between December 2019 and April 2020. He used religious arguments, telling the child that the bible required obedience to a father, and threatened to kill her and other family members if she disclosed the abuse, showing her a knife. The daughter, now 11, described lasting trauma, nightmares, vomiting and fear of being ostracised by peers. Her mother also gave a victim impact statement. The judge imposed concurrent 15‑year terms for the rape offences, suspended the final year on condition of good behaviour, and ordered probation supervision for one year.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Nathan O'Neill, aged 24, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for the manslaughter of Jamie Higgins, who was stabbed five times in a nightclub fight in Shannon on 18 March 2018. O'Neill had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter and to causing serious harm to Michael Shannon, for which he received a seven‑year sentence. Both sentences run concurrently and are back‑dated to 1 April 2022. The judge noted O'Neill's prior convictions for threatening to kill, possession of a knife and criminal damage, and his earlier guilty plea and cooperation with Gardaí, which led to a reduction from the headline 14‑year sentence. O'Neill admitted the knife was taken from a car after an earlier altercation and that he feared further violence. The court heard victim impact statements from Higgins's family, describing the profound loss and the family's grief. O'Neill expressed remorse and apologised to the family.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Orla Crowe adjourned the sentencing of four men until May 12, remanding them on the same terms. The defendants, former CHC CEO Harry Cassidy, John Whyte, Paul Lavery, and John Mulholland, pleaded guilty to charges including conspiring to defraud investors and clients of Custom House Capital Ltd (CHC) by misleading them regarding asset placement between October 2008 and July 2011. Mulholland also admitted to neglecting his duties as a non-executive director. The court reviewed 197 victim impact statements detailing severe financial and emotional losses. While the judge indicated a need to review extensive material before finalising the case, the matter was adjourned rather than concluded. Cassidy is disqualified as a director for 15 years, while Whyte faces a 10-year disqualification. A fifth defendant, Ciara Kelleher, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges, with her case status remaining contested. The liquidation process has recovered €41 million of the €61 million in misappropriated funds.
Patrick Rogers, 36, was previously jailed for 10 months in 2019 for possessing 41 images and one video of child abuse material. In 2023, the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that five further illegal videos were found on a phone in 2017, but the prosecution was delayed due to a "mislabelling" oversight. Rogers pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography at his home on 16 October 2017. He has 10 prior convictions, including possession of child pornography and threats to kill. The court considered his psychiatric history, learning difficulties, and family responsibilities. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the delay and Rogers' personal challenges, imposed a 16‑month custodial sentence that was fully suspended and ordered the destruction of the images. No further prison term was imposed.
Chelsea Dooley, a 23-year-old childcare worker from Blanchardstown, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to two counts of possessing the proceeds of crime. The court heard that Dooley allowed her bank account to be used to receive €23,899 of funds stolen from a victim's AIB account following a 'smishing' fraud. Gardai were contacted in January 2021 regarding the theft, which involved nine transactions totaling €24,900 between December 2020 and January 2021. Prosecutors stated that Dooley's account, opened when she was a child, received the majority of the illicit funds, while a separate account received one euro. During her interview, Dooley claimed she had lost her bank card but could not explain CCTV footage showing an unknown male using it to withdraw cash. Defense counsel argued that Dooley did not profit from the scheme and had no previous convictions. Judge Martina Baxter noted Dooley's remorse, lack of financial gain, good employment history, and further education. The judge handed down a 12-month sentence but suspended it in lieu of Dooley carrying out 200 hours of community service.
A 58-year-old man from County Mayo has told gardaí he was not present at a December 2018 incident at a repossessed farm near Strokestown, County Roscommon, and denied seeing a firearm at the scene. Martin O'Toole of Claremorris faces charges of false imprisonment and assault causing harm to four security personnel, along with aggravated burglary, arson, violent disorder, robbery and animal cruelty. The trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard evidence today of three garda interviews conducted over two days in January 2019. In the recorded interviews, which O'Toole has pleaded not guilty to all charges relating, he stated he never witnessed a gun at the property, though he later acknowledged travelling to Elfin before the incident. Security personnel had previously testified that armed men, numbering approximately 30, attacked the farmhouse five days after its repossession. Three co-accused men face identical charges. The trial continues.
Jordan Lee, 25, of Darndale, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of robbery at Wellington Quay on 29 September 2022. Lee and a co‑accused approached two teenagers, aged 18 and 19, who declined to buy drugs. The men caught up with the teens, struck them on the side of the head and stamped on their heads repeatedly while they lay unconscious. Lee took an iPhone, an ATM card and €10 from the victims' pockets. After the robbery, the men were seen acting suspiciously in a drug‑dealing area and were stopped and searched by Gardaí. The victims suffered concussion, bruising, lacerations and headaches. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced Lee to two years' imprisonment, noting his early guilty plea, remorse and homelessness at the time of the offence. Lee is currently serving a sentence and will be released in June 2023.
A 44-year-old builder from County Donegal is on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court accused of participating in an armed attack on security personnel at a repossessed farm near Strokestown, County Roscommon on 16 December 2018. Patrick Sweeney of Ramelton faces charges including false imprisonment, assault causing harm, aggravated burglary, arson, violent disorder and animal cruelty. During interviews with gardaí, he denied being the man depicted in security footage wielding a chainsaw during the incident, which involved approximately 30 armed men. He stated he had never harmed anyone. Detective Sergeant Mark Geraghty gave evidence of five interview sessions conducted over 48 hours. Mr Sweeney has pleaded not guilty to all 17 charges. Three co-accused, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne and David Lawlor, face identical charges and have similarly pleaded not guilty. The trial continues.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Alan Leech, 38, pleaded guilty to extortion after being approached by Bryan Kennedy to murder a couple with whom Kennedy's wife was having an online affair. Leech claimed he was paid €10,000 and that he had arranged for third parties to carry out the murder, but the court found he had not contracted any killers and had merely exploited Kennedy's belief that he had criminal connections. Kennedy, who had paid Leech €8,000 and later failed to pay an outstanding €2,000, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for soliciting the murder. Leech, who has 43 prior convictions, was scheduled for sentencing on May 2, 2024. The case highlighted threats, intimidation and the impact on Kennedy's wife, who reported ongoing fear and PTSD after the incidents.
Stephen Silver, aged 46 and a resident of Aughaward, Foxford, County Mayo, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years at the Central Criminal Court following his conviction for the murder of Detective Garda Colm Horkan on 17 June 2020 at Castlerea, County Roscommon. Justice Tara Burns imposed the sentence, noting she had no discretion in light of the jury's guilty verdict on the capital murder charge. The court heard that Silver had initially pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. With standard remission for good behaviour, Silver will become eligible for parole consideration after 30 years, when he will be aged 74. Justice Burns emphasised the importance of mental health treatment maintenance, noting evidence that Silver had ceased medication for bipolar affective disorder prior to the shooting. Members of Garda Horkan's family delivered impact statements describing their profound loss and the ongoing trauma caused by his death.
Martin O'Toole, aged 58, of Stripe, Irishtown, Claremorris, County Mayo, stands trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on charges including false imprisonment, assault causing harm, aggravated burglary, arson, violent disorder and robbery relating to an incident at Falsk, County Roscommon on December 16, 2018. The trial heard that on that date, approximately 30 armed men, some masked, attacked security personnel at a repossessed farm near Strokestown. During garda interviews, Mr O'Toole initially denied attending the property, later conceding he was present after being shown body-camera footage. He stated he attended to observe and believed the gathering would be peaceful, claiming events escalated unexpectedly. He expressed views that court proceedings constituted unlawful authority. Three co-accused, Patrick Sweeney of Ramelton, County Donegal, Paul Beirne of Boyle, County Roscommon and David Lawlor of Navan, County Meath, face identical charges. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. The trial continues.
Alan Swan, 52, of Drimnagh, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to eight counts of the unauthorised use of trademarks, including Adidas, Nike, Ugg, and Hugo Boss, arising from incidents at Liberty Market on December 21, 2015, and December 19, 2017. Judge Orla Crowe described the matter as an "unusual case" and directed the Probation Service to prepare a report assessing Swan's suitability for community service. The court is "minded" to impose a community service order, subject to this assessment. Evidence indicated that gardai seized counterfeit goods with an estimated street value of over €36,000 during operations at the market. Swan, who has 13 previous convictions for similar offences, admitted to renting the stalls but claimed he did not know the items were counterfeit. Defence counsel John Gallagher BL highlighted Swan's cooperation, his care for grandchildren, and his application for a taxi licence, requesting leniency. The judge noted the value of the guilty pleas to the prosecution. The matter was adjourned to July 7 for finalisation.
At the Central Criminal Court in Monaghan, victim impact statements were heard in the case of Richard Burke, who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Jasmine McMonagle on 4 January 2019 at Forest Park, Killygordon, County Donegal. The 28-year-old was found dead in her home following a three-hour standoff with gardaí. Burke, aged 32, had initially pleaded not guilty to murder but accepted responsibility for manslaughter. A jury unanimously returned a manslaughter verdict last month after hearing psychiatric evidence that Burke was suffering from a mental disorder substantially diminishing his responsibility. During today's hearing, Ms McMonagle's mother, Jacqueline, described the devastating impact on her family, whilst her daughter spoke of ongoing trauma and separation from her sibling. The court heard Burke has 23 previous convictions. Justice Paul Burns remanded him in custody pending sentencing on 22 May.
Paul Coffey, a 46‑year‑old Limerick resident with 100 prior convictions, was sentenced to five years in prison for the reckless discharge of a firearm and possession of a firearm in circumstances suggesting it was not for a lawful purpose. He pleaded guilty in March to the offence of discharging a firearm recklessly and to possession of a firearm in circumstances implying unlawful possession. The Central Criminal Court, presided over by Mr Justice Paul Burns, imposed a headline sentence of nine years, but reduced it to six years with the final 12 months suspended for three years in respect of the possession charge. The judge also sentenced Coffey to three years for the reckless discharge offence, to run concurrently. Coffey's sentence will be back‑dated to August 2021, when he first entered custody. He will be required to work with the probation services and keep the peace upon release.
The Special Criminal Court acquitted Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch of the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in Dublin 9 on February 5, 2016. Ms Justice Tara Burns stated the court could not rely on the unsupported evidence of Jonathan Dowdall, whose credibility was severely undermined by his criminal history and inconsistencies. The court found surveillance audio did not corroborate Dowdall's claim that Hutch confessed to being a hitman, noting instead that the recordings suggested Hutch was abroad immediately after the attack. While Hutch was cleared, co-accused Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney were found guilty of participating in or contributing to the murder by providing access to motor vehicles. Their sentences are scheduled to be mentioned on May 8. Separately, Patrick Dowdall admitted to falsely imprisoning Alexander Hurley and threatening to kill him in 2015. He was initially sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, later reduced to seven years and 11 months following a successful appeal. His father, also named Patrick Dowdall, was sentenced to eight years for the same offences, later reduced to four years. The report confirms the procedural stage for the primary subjects is sentence, with specific dates and durations preserved for the convicted individuals.
Thomas McCarthy, a fifty-five-year-old father of five, was shot dead at his mother's home in Ballyfermot, Dublin, on 27 July 2020, having been due to return to England that same evening following a three-week visit. The Central Criminal Court heard that Mr McCarthy sustained nine separate gunshot injuries when he answered the door, apparently to what he believed was a postal delivery. Charles McClean, aged thirty-four, of Clondalkin, and Mark Lee, aged thirty-two, of Lucan, have each admitted to facilitating a criminal organisation in connection with the fatal shooting. Detective evidence established that Mr McCarthy had no involvement in criminality and there was no apparent motive for the attack. Victim impact statements were read to the court describing the profound devastation caused to Mr McCarthy's family and his long-term partner. Mr Justice Paul McDermott remanded McClean in custody and Lee on continuing bail to 27 April for sentencing. Thomas McCarthy pleaded guilty. Charles McClean pleaded guilty. Mark Lee pleaded guilty.
Four men accused of participating in an armed attack on security personnel at a rural property near Strokestown have pleaded not guilty to 17 charges each at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The trial, now in its twentieth day, heard evidence of WhatsApp messages and phone records retrieved from an iPhone allegedly found in a vehicle linked to one of the defendants. Garda James McCann told the court that specialist software extracted communications from the handset, including messages from a group titled "Roscommon group". A message sent on December 10, 2018, allegedly sought assistance for the following morning at Strokestown. The attack occurred on December 16, 2018, when approximately 30 armed men descended on the repossessed property at Falsk and assaulted four security guards. The accused men—Patrick Sweeney of County Donegal, Martin O'Toole of County Mayo, Paul Beirne of County Roscommon, and David Lawlor of County Meath—face charges including false imprisonment, assault, aggravated burglary, arson, and violent disorder. Defence counsel submitted that her client denies knowledge of the messages in question.
A 38-year-old man was sentenced to five years in prison at the Central Criminal Court after pleading guilty to seven counts of assault causing harm to his younger brother. The offences, committed between March 2001 and March 2006 at a Dublin family home, involved the defendant, then aged 16 to 21, subjecting the victim, then aged 11 to 16, to beatings with a nail-studded baton and other violence. Ms Justice Melanie Greally described the conduct as "sadistic" and involving "particular brutality," noting the profound and lasting damage inflicted on the victim. The court heard the defendant has 138 previous convictions and is currently serving a separate five-year sentence for assaulting another brother. Although oral rape charges were withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions during the current trial, the defendant admitted to the seven assault counts. Defence counsel Kathleen Leader SC urged the judge not to extend his custody beyond his current term, citing his history of substance abuse and family instability. Ms Justice Greally handed down a five-year sentence, backdated to February 2020, when the man first entered custody for the other brother's convictions. The judge considered the guilty pleas as a mitigating factor while emphasizing the breach of trust and the vulnerability of the child victim.
Fr Foley, a 93-year-old retired priest, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to driving a vehicle in a manner dangerous to the public. The charges related to an incident on June 25, 2018, outside the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Clondalkin, where his vehicle struck mourners, causing the death of Christopher Phillips and grievous bodily harm to Jason Kelly, Martin Cawley, and Rebecca Meredith. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged the tragic consequences, noting that the driver's confusion and lack of experience with the hybrid vehicle led to the loss of control. However, the Judge determined that Fr Foley did not deserve a custodial sentence, citing his advanced age, current residence in a nursing home, and the fact that he will not drive again. Consequently, the court imposed concurrent sentences of 18 months, which were suspended in full. The matter was finalised with this suspended sentence, reflecting the Judge's view that the defendant's circumstances warranted a non-custodial disposal despite the severe injuries and death caused.
Bryan Kennedy, 35, was sentenced by Ms Justice Caroline Biggs at the Central Criminal Court to five years' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended. Kennedy had hired a man known as 'AL', described as unhinged and with prior convictions, to murder a Canadian couple who were having an online affair with Kennedy's wife. He paid €8,000 to AL and had planned to kill both women, later considering whether to kill only one. Kennedy accessed his wife's Facebook to obtain details of the couple. He pleaded guilty to soliciting the murder of Stephanie Poirier and her partner Clara Houdebrumette. The judge noted Kennedy's cooperation with Gardaí, his role as a good father, and his depression, but found no mitigating effect in his decision to pursue the plan. The sentence was reduced from an initial headline of eight years to five years with a suspended six‑month portion. Kennedy's address is Mount Tallant Avenue, Harold's Cross, Dublin 6W.
A 33-year-old man has been acquitted of murder at the Central Criminal Court following a trial concerning a stabbing at a housing estate in Swinford, County Mayo. The jury, comprising nine men and three women, returned a majority verdict after deliberating for nine hours and 54 minutes over three days. The accused had pleaded not guilty to the murder of a 24-year-old man on 16 November 2020. The defence case centred on self-defence, with the accused maintaining throughout that he feared for his life during the incident. Expert psychiatric evidence was presented indicating the accused has paranoid schizophrenia, which was likely active at the time of the stabbing. A pathologist confirmed the fatal wound was a single stab to the abdomen. Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring thanked the jury for their service in what she described as a difficult trial and excused them from jury duty for ten years.
Lisa Lee, 41, of Annalivia Apartments, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty to assaulting Garda Caoimhe O'Reilly on 9 January 2022 during a domestic incident. Lee pulled clumps of the Garda's hair, struck her, and feared she would be stabbed. The assault occurred after Gardaí intervened at Lee's home at 3 am. Lee was arrested, later expressed remorse, and was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally to 20 months' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended on strict conditions, including 12 months' probation. The sentence was back‑dated to 24 November, when Lee entered custody. Garda O'Reilly suffered soft‑tissue injuries and is undergoing physiotherapy. Lee has three prior convictions for breach of bail and drug possession, cares for her mother, and has addressed addiction while in custody. The judge noted Lee's remorse, early guilty plea, and rehabilitation efforts as mitigating factors. The sentence reflects the seriousness of assaulting a Garda.
The Roscommon eviction assault trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has been adjourned until Monday, April 17, following the Easter break. Defendants Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne, and David Lawlor have each pleaded not guilty to 17 charges. These include false imprisonment, assault causing harm to four security personnel, aggravated burglary, arson, criminal damage, violent disorder, robbery, and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. The alleged incident occurred on December 16, 2018, at Falsk, where a group of armed men attacked security guards at a repossessed property. On Day 19 of the trial, evidence was presented regarding a search warrant executed at Mr. Beirne's home in Co Roscommon on December 19, 2018. Gardaí seized electronic devices and keys to a Volvo lorry, which was later impounded. Mr. Beirne was arrested under section 30 of the Offences against the State Act and detained at Castlerea Garda Station. Testimony detailed his refusal of food and medical attention, leading to a doctor's visit for indigestion. The matter remains ongoing and was adjourned, not concluded.
Maurice Fitzgerald, 29, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to false imprisonment and assaulting a 26‑year‑old woman with chronic schizophrenia on 27 August. The court heard he travelled from Cork to Dublin, bought duct tape and a claw hammer, and planned to abduct the victim. Gardaí were called when residents heard tape being wrapped and the victim screaming. Fitzgerald dragged her, bound her with tape, and gagged her in an alleyway. He was restrained, cuffed, and a knife was used to free tape from her mouth. The victim was taken to Mater Hospital, then transferred to a Midlands hospital under the Mental Health Act. Fitzgerald's prior convictions and guilty plea were noted, and he was ordered to comply with probation for five years post‑release. The sentence was back‑dated to the day of the offence.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, it was reported that convicted drug dealer Christy Keane was shot 13 times on 29 June 2015 while parked at the University of Limerick gym. Two gunmen from the McCarthy‑Ryan gang fired eight shots from a Glock and five from a Luger semi‑automatic pistol. A nurse who was running nearby witnessed the attack and provided immediate medical assistance, treating four non‑life‑threatening wounds, including a lung puncture. The attackers fled in a red Ford Focus, later found burned out, and a white Volvo and black BMW were involved in transporting them. John Costello, aged 41, was charged with providing transport to the shooters and pleaded guilty to aiding an assault causing serious harm. The case was delayed over five years due to a separate Garda prosecution. Costello was remanded in custody pending sentencing.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 56‑year‑old Wexford man was convicted of five sexual assault and two oral rape offences against a 36‑year‑old victim, with incidents spanning 1991 to 2005. His defence argued that the prolific nature of his attacks indicated an underlying compulsion that could be a mitigating personal characteristic, but Judge David Keane dismissed the claim as unattractive and lacking medical evidence. The judge imposed a 14‑year prison term for the rape offences and sentences of three and seven years for the sexual assaults, all concurrent and back‑dated to the date of custody. He did not suspend any portion of the sentence and ordered the offender to be supervised by the Probation Service for two years after release. The victim gave a victim impact statement describing the abuse and her resilience, while the defendant continued to deny the charges.
A homeless addict, Dean Boland, 35, was sentenced to eight years in prison for the unlawful killing of Ohari Viera, an Angolan man, after Boland broke into a downstairs apartment of a Dublin residential property, stole a rucksack and set fire to the building on 21 August 2018. Viera, who lived upstairs with two other men, had evacuated the building when the fire started but returned to the house for an unknown reason and never re‑entered. The fire engulfed the property, preventing anyone from re‑entering. Boland was convicted by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury of unlawful killing, arson and burglary. He had pleaded not guilty. Judge Elma Sheahan, noting Boland's drug addiction, homelessness and intoxication at the time, imposed an eight‑year sentence, acknowledging the victim impact statement of Viera's daughter and the circumstances that made the case unusual. The sentence runs from the date of his December conviction.
The High Court heard evidence on the third day of an action brought by Wilson's Hospital School against Enoch Burke, who was dismissed for allegedly intimidating a colleague and breaching a student's confidence. The school seeks a permanent order directing Burke to stay away from the premises. Evidence from staff member Freda Malone and Deputy Principal John Galligan detailed Burke's conduct during board meetings and school events, including allegations that he shouted over colleagues and publicly opposed the school's direction to use a student's preferred name and pronouns. The court noted that following Burke's refusal to leave the school premises during his suspension, High Court injunction proceedings were brought, which ultimately resulted in Burke being jailed for contempt of court. Burke, who denies wrongdoing, has brought a counterclaim arguing the disciplinary proceedings were unlawful. He was excluded from the courtroom by Justice Alexander Owens for interrupting the proceedings and failing to comply with rulings regarding documents. The judge stated Burke could return if he undertook to comply with court rules. The matter is currently at the sentence stage regarding the injunction, with the broader case expected to conclude on Friday.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Bernard Fogarty, 35, pleaded guilty to attempting to murder Mark Ivers on 6 September 2019. Witnesses, including a taxi driver and a woman, reported seeing Fogarty in a balaclava with a large black gun approach Ivers' house on Streamville Road. The woman warned others before shots were fired. Ivers was shot twice in the femur and lower abdomen, sustaining a liver laceration, and was taken to hospital. CCTV and forensic evidence linked Fogarty to the scene, including a Nissan Almera that was later set alight. Fogarty was arrested on 22 October 2020 and has 54 prior convictions, including a life sentence for murder. He was remanded in custody pending sentencing on 19 May.
Gerard Mackin, 40, pleaded guilty to laundering €4,780 as proceeds of criminal conduct at Rhebogue Road, Limerick, on April 17, 2019, contrary to Section 7 of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act 2010. The Special Criminal Court heard that Mackin, who was extradited from Spain in December 2022, admitted to handling the cash, which prosecution counsel stated was not a legitimate deposit but crime proceeds. Defence counsel Ronan Kennedy SC submitted that Mackin accepted he had made poor choices, has never met his infant son due to his custody, and intends to return to Spain to rebuild his life. The court noted his previous conviction in March 2016, where he was jailed for three years for a 'depraved and barbaric' assault involving a nail-gun. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding with Judges Sarah Berkeley and Alan Mitchell, remanded Mackin in custody until May 19, when he will be sentenced. The matter was adjourned for sentencing and is not yet concluded.
Michael Scott, 58, of Gortanumera, Portumna, was found guilty of manslaughter but cleared of murder after a jury heard that he ran over his 76‑year‑old aunt, Chrissie Treacy, while reversing an agricultural teleporter across a yard outside her home in Derryhiney, Portumna, on 27 April 2018. The jury, after nearly 15 hours, concluded that Scott's death of his aunt was caused by gross negligence rather than intent to kill. The prosecution had argued that Scott deliberately reversed over Treacy amid a long‑running land dispute, but his lawyers maintained it was a tragic accident. The trial detailed that Scott had been reversing the machine when he felt a "thump," thought he might have struck a trailer, and only later discovered Treacy lying on the ground. Michael Scott pleaded not guilty.
Ross Hutch, 31, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for two separate assaults in August 2021. On 22 August he slashed the face of a man outside a pub on Sheriff Street, leaving serious disfiguring scars. The next day he violently attacked his ex‑girlfriend at Holyhead Hostel on Gardiner Street, punching, kicking, and stomping her down two flights of stairs. Video evidence showed the brutal attacks. Judge Martin Nolan imposed seven and a half years for the slashing and two and a half years for the assault on the woman, sentences to run consecutively. Hutch pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm in both cases. He has 75 prior convictions, including assault, firearms, and robbery. The sentence was back‑dated to 25 August 2021 when he entered custody. The court noted his history of drug and alcohol use but found no recognised psychological problem. The judge said Hutch could change his life if he wanted to.
Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne, and David Lawlor have pleaded not guilty to 17 charges each at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The defendants are alleged to have participated in an attack on four security guards at a repossessed property in Falsk, Strokestown, on December 16, 2018. The charges include false imprisonment, assault causing harm, aggravated burglary, arson, criminal damage, violent disorder, robbery, and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. On day 17 of the trial, Detective Garda Enda Jennings testified that he identified Sweeney in body-camera footage based on prior acquaintance in Ramelton. Defense counsel challenged the reliability of this identification, noting that protocols governing such recognitions were not implemented in 2019. The court heard that the identification process lacked a second witness and contemporaneous notes, which are now required under 2023 guidelines. The trial continues.
Thomas Cunningham, 55, of Dublin 8, was convicted of attempting to communicate with a child for sexual exploitation between July and August 2019. He had been under an eight‑year post‑release supervision order after a 2017 release from a 10‑year sentence for 41 sexual offences. In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to four years, suspending the final year, and imposed a five‑year good‑behaviour period with Probation Service engagement. Cunningham pleaded guilty to three charges and admitted sending 1,660 messages to a decoy profile set up by a child‑protection group, believing the recipient to be a 14‑year‑old. He also sent 185 messages to an unidentified number and 211 to a third number, claiming the child was 15. He denied any sexual content but admitted intent to meet the children. The judge noted no contact had occurred and highlighted Cunningham's prior serious sexual assault conviction.
Paul O'Carroll, aged 45, was found guilty of possessing 3,910 images and 376 videos of child pornography, all of which were seized from his home in Knocklyon, Dublin 16. The material included sexual acts involving children aged three to 15, with the court noting that any images of children younger than ten were inadvertently downloaded. O'Carroll had no prior convictions and was cooperative during the Garda investigation, which began after a U.S. child‑protection organisation flagged a Facebook account linked to the material. He pleaded guilty on 4 August 2017. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to a fully suspended three‑year term, citing strong mitigating factors such as his remorse, lack of prior offences, and a forensic psychologist's report describing him as psychologically vulnerable with untreated depression and anxiety. The court noted his low risk of reoffending and his willingness to seek help. The sentence was suspended in full, with no custodial time imposed.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has begun deliberations in the case of a man charged with murdering a 24-year-old from County Mayo. Matusz Batiuk, formerly of Carrabeg Estate in Swinford, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Michael McDonagh, who died from a single stab wound on November 16, 2020. Justice Mary Ellen Ring outlined five possible verdicts available to the jury, ranging from murder to manslaughter verdicts on grounds of self-defence, excessive force, lack of intent to kill, or diminished responsibility. The accused has maintained he acted in self-defence, telling gardaí at the scene that he stabbed Mr McDonagh because he believed his life was in danger. Evidence heard during the trial included testimony from a pathologist regarding the fatal wound and psychiatric assessments of the accused. The judge reminded the jury of conflicting accounts given by a witness present at the property. The jury, comprising nine men and three women, will continue their deliberations on the following day.
Gerard McQuillan, 35, was sentenced to three years in prison for strangling his former partner, an act he denied, claiming she had attacked him. Judge Martina Baxter noted his misogynistic tendencies and the aggravating context of an intimate relationship under the 2018 Domestic Violence Act. McQuillan was convicted in December 2022 of assault causing harm and two counts of criminal damage after he lifted the woman by the neck, damaged her necklace, and punched a wall. He has 76 prior convictions, mainly for traffic offences, and was assessed as a high risk of repeat spousal abuse. The judge suspended the final six months of a 3½‑year term on the condition he engages with the Probation Service for a year, has no contact with the victim, and discloses any new partner. The sentence reflects the jury's rejection of his lies and the court's view of the assault as unprovoked and horrific.
Joseph Carroll, aged 44, was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to two counts of threatening to kill gardaí at a Tallaght address in May and July 2020. In the first incident, he emerged from a house bare‑chested, brandishing a baseball bat, a five‑foot plank of wood and a pit bulldog, threatening to kill the officers and telling them to shoot him. He was restrained by six gardaí and the dog was unharmed. Two months later, while on bail, he again threatened gardaí at the same address, brandishing a sledge‑hammer handle, a pickaxe and a bottle of bleach, and drank the bleach in front of the officers. He was restrained with incapacitation spray and refused medical treatment. The court noted he had breached a suspended 18‑month sentence from a 2018 public‑order incident.
James Doyle, 36, of Walkinstown, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment by Judge Martin Nolan at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for dangerous driving that caused serious bodily harm to Emily Doyle. On 23 April 2020, Doyle was riding a motorbike at up to 130 km/h in a 50 km/h zone on Cromwellsfort Road when he struck Emily Doyle, who was crossing the road. At impact he was travelling about 80–90 km/h, having reduced speed to 110 km/h after braking. Doyle's high speed was deemed intentional and reckless. Emily suffered fractures to both legs, a spinal fracture and a dislocated shoulder, spent three months in hospital and continues to endure pain, scarring and reduced mobility. Doyle pleaded guilty, showed remorse, and had a history of 47 convictions, but the judge noted his cooperation and good work history in determining the sentence.
A 35‑year‑old man named Declan McDonald was sentenced to five and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to money laundering at his Dublin home. Gardaí found €460,455 in cash packed in vacuum bags, along with vacuum sealers, gloves and empty packs, which they described as a "counting house" for proceeds of crime, likely drug dealing. McDonald, who has 44 prior convictions, admitted he had fallen into debt through gambling, drink and drugs and claimed he did not know the money's amount or ownership. He accepted responsibility and expressed remorse, citing a difficult childhood and chronic substance abuse. The judge considered his cooperation, family support and past drug problems, but noted the money's criminal origin as an aggravating factor, resulting in the imposed sentence. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
Four men have pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to charges arising from an assault at a repossessed farmhouse near Strokestown, County Roscommon on December 16, 2018. Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne and David Lawlor each face 17 charges including false imprisonment, assault causing harm, aggravated burglary and arson. On day 16 of the trial, Detective Sergeant Shane Killeen testified that he seized two mobile phones from O'Toole's home in Claremorris during a search warrant execution in January 2019. Defence counsel for O'Toole challenged the evidence, questioning whether the phones were recovered from the house or taken from the accused's person, and noting that mobile phones were not mentioned in the information sworn to obtain the search warrant. Detective Sergeant Killeen denied the challenge and disputed that contemporaneous records contradicted his account. The trial continues.
Mark Wolf, a 37‑year‑old UK national, was sentenced to ten years in prison in Dublin for possession of firearm components and child‑abuse material. He was found in a hostel on Gardiner Street with a Nazi flag, firearms parts, disturbing videos of atrocities, and texts about killing children. Gardaí seized four mobile phones containing child‑pornographic images, Snapchat chats with teenage girls, and videos of a live stream of the Christchurch mosque shootings. Wolf also attempted to register domain names such as paedo‑rights and accessed dark‑web sites with child‑abuse resources. He pleaded guilty to four charges of possessing firearm parts, three charges of importing such parts, and three charges of possessing child pornography. The judge, taking his guilty pleas into account, imposed concurrent terms of ten years for the firearm offences and two years for the child‑abuse material, back‑dated to his June 2021 arrest.
A 17‑year‑old boy was sentenced to 16 months' detention for raping a 15‑year‑old girl in a Dublin park on 29 June 2021. The offence occurred during their first meeting, when the boy forced sexual intercourse, put his hands around the girl's throat and called her a "slut". He was remanded on bail after sentencing because Oberstown Detention Centre had no space, but a place became available overnight and he was placed in custody. Mr Justice Paul McDermott structured the 16‑month sentence to allow a transition to adult prison after the boy's 18th birthday. The court noted the victim's first sexual experience, her victim impact statement, and the boy's acceptance of guilt and apology. The boy had no prior convictions and was acquitted of two other offences. The judge emphasised rehabilitation and the seriousness of the offence. The boy is due to turn 18 soon and will be transferred to an adult prison thereafter. The unnamed 17-year-old was found guilty.