A witness at the Special Criminal Court was treated as hostile after giving conflicting evidence in the trial of two men charged with a credit union robbery in which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was murdered. Colin Hoey told the court he did not see Aaron Brady or accused James Flynn on the night of the Lordship Credit Union raid in Bellurgan, County Louth on 25 January 2013. However, his 2017 statement to gardaí at Carrickmacross stated that both men were present in his house between 9.15pm and 10.45pm that evening. Mr Hoey claimed he had been pressured to change his account and alleged a garda had threatened him with imprisonment. Brendan Treanor and James Flynn are charged with robbing €7,000 from the credit union and conspiracy to burgle homes for car keys. Both deny the charges. Brady is serving a life sentence with a 40-year minimum for the garda's murder and the robbery. The trial continues. James Flynn pleaded not guilty.
Gavin Begley, 23, of Ballybough Road, Dublin 3, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to communication with a child using Instagram to facilitate sexual exploitation on November 27, 2019, and possession of child pornography on September 7, 2020. The court heard that Begley befriended a 12-year-old German boy, whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, through an online game. Begley requested explicit images from the child, who reported the incident to German police. A subsequent search of Begley's home recovered 57 videos and 362 images of child abuse material, most of which were classified as category one. Judge Dara Hayes noted Begley's lack of prior convictions, mental health issues, and remorse, but described the conduct as an insidious offence targeting a child. Begley was sentenced to four and a half years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended for two years on strict conditions, including no unsupervised access to children. He has been registered as a sex offender.
Paul Coffey, a 46‑year‑old Limerick resident with 100 prior convictions, was charged with discharging a firearm in 2021 after a shotgun fired accidentally while he was removing it from a car. The incident injured his friend Alan Murphy, who sustained superficial abdominal wounds and was treated at Limerick University Hospital. Coffey had originally faced an attempted murder charge for an incident on 11 June 2020, but the Director of Public Prosecutions dropped that charge and accepted a plea of guilty to discharging a firearm and possession of a firearm. The offence carries a maximum of 14 years, with a headline sentence of seven to ten years. Coffey's sentencing is scheduled for 18 April. He has a history of drug misuse and was the getaway driver in the 2000 gang‑related murder of Eddie Ryan, for which he received 15 years, seven of which were suspended.
A 30‑year‑old man named Derek Coady, who had been charged with the murder of 44‑year‑old Alan Hall in Dublin, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge at the Central Criminal Court on 28 March 2023. Hall's body was found at a fire‑damaged property on Bluebell Avenue, West Dublin, on 18 May 2020. Coady admitted that between 17 and 18 May 2020 he had intentionally or recklessly engaged in conduct that created a substantial risk of death or serious harm to Hall. The court heard that the prosecution, represented by Roisin Lacey SC, intended to proceed on count number 5 of the indictment, while the defence, led by Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC, argued that a full hearing of the facts and a probation report would be helpful. Justice Mary Ellen Ring remanded Coady in custody until 24 July for sentencing and ordered a probation report, urinalysis and victim impact statements.
Michael Small, a 56‑year‑old former solicitor from Galway, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for deception and false accounting offences that occurred between 2008 and 2009. While practising in Limerick, Small gave undertakings to a mortgage lender that the loan proceeds would be used to purchase specific properties. The money was drawn into an account, but the properties were never bought. Small admitted the money was dispersed to clients, mortgage brokers and other parties, and that he had misled his accountant. He pleaded guilty and cooperated with investigators. The court noted that although Small did not receive a large personal benefit – €88,000 was attributed to him – he was the principal cause of the offences. The judge accepted his guilty pleas and cooperation, and ordered the sentence to be adjourned for custody. The case was investigated by the Law Society and Gardaí after Small self‑reported a "secret client account.".
A 20‑year‑old Dublin man was jailed for six months after posting a collage of intimate images of his teenage ex‑girlfriend on Snapchat to 1,100 followers. He pleaded guilty to one count of distributing intimate images without consent on 21 September 2021, the offence having become criminal only seven months earlier. The judge, Dara Hayes, noted the modern nature of the crime and the potential audience. He imposed a headline sentence of two years, reduced to 18 months after mitigating factors, and suspended the final 12 months on strict conditions: engagement with probation for 18 months, required treatments, disclosure of any intimate relationship, and no contact with the victim. The offender was 19 at the time of the offence, the victim 18, and some images were taken when she was 17. The victim did not attend the hearing, and a victim impact statement was submitted but not read.
Bjorn Erlend Tveter, a 41‑year‑old Norwegian telecoms engineer, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for using a fraudulent rental agreement to lease an Irish car. The car, driven across Europe for 9,000 miles, was caught speeding in Holland and later flagged as stolen by Norwegian police. Tveter had declined to return the vehicle after the rental company requested it, and he had previously paid €1,500 and an additional €3,500 from his credit card, leaving the company a loss of €1,200. He pleaded guilty to use of a false instrument between 10 and 25 November 2020. The court imposed a 12‑month sentence, suspended the final nine months, and ordered the outstanding €1,200 to be paid. The sentence was back‑dated to 13 January 2023.
A 17‑year‑old Dublin boy was sentenced to 16 months' detention for raping a 15‑year‑old girl in a park on 29 June 2021. The offence involved the boy bringing the girl into a bush, claiming a cigarette, then forcing sexual intercourse, putting his hands around her throat and calling her a "slut". The girl, who had never had sex before, was frightened, begged him to stop, and eventually pushed him away. She later described the assault as devastating, noting self‑harm, anxiety, depression and nightmares. The boy, who had no prior convictions, apologized and wrote letters of apology. Mr Justice Paul McDermott, hearing the case in the Children's Court, reduced a headline sentence of two years to 16 months, citing mitigation and the boy's education and work. Because Oberstown detention centre has no space, the boy remains on continuing bail until a place becomes available. The sentence was back‑dated to the day of sentencing. The unnamed 17-year-old was found guilty.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Michael Carroll, aged 43, pleaded guilty to two separate offences. He admitted to attempting to murder Edward Staunton on 26 March 2017 at Railway Street, Dublin 1, and to possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life on 2 September 2016 at Drumalee Avenue, where he had also attempted to murder John Hutch, who was 63 at the time and has since died. Carroll, who was extradited from the UK in April, answered only "guilty" to each charge. His defence requested six weeks to prepare mitigating factors for the upcoming sentence hearing and a governor's report from Mountjoy Prison. Judge Tony Hunt adjourned the sentence hearing to 22 May 2023. The case remains at the sentencing stage, with no further verdicts announced.
Stephen Gregan, 42, was found in possession of 64 images and 57 movies of child sexual abuse material when Gardaí searched his Rathmines home in June 2017, following a complaint that he had sexually assaulted an 11‑year‑old girl in a Penneys shop. He pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and received a nine‑month suspended sentence in October 2019 for the sexual assault. In March 2023 Judge Melanie Greally imposed an 18‑month prison sentence for the child‑abuse‑material charge, but suspended it for two years on strict conditions, including probation supervision. The judge cited the time elapsed since the offence, Gregan's rehabilitation efforts, lack of further Garda attention, and the absence of distribution of the material as mitigating factors. The sentence was fully suspended, so no custodial time is to be served.
John Buckley AKA Maughan, 28, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to sample counts from 94 charges, including four counts of harassment and the remainder of making demands with menaces against four named victims. Judge Martin Nolan imposed concurrent sentences totalling five years and ordered Maughan to have no contact with any of the injured parties for 20 years. The court heard that Maughan extorted over €14,000 from his victims, all of which was transferred to his Boyle Sports gambling account. Prosecution evidence alleged that Maughan threatened one man in his 60s that he would falsely accuse him of being a paedophile and share these untrue allegations on social media. In a separate series of offences, Maughan allegedly threatened a woman with whom he had a relationship that he would send intimate photos of her to her boyfriend, and he harassed and extorted €2,000 from her. Judge Nolan described the false paedophile allegation as "hugely insidious and damaging" and "morally reprehensible," noting that Maughan had caused huge trauma and distress to his victims. In mitigation, the judge noted Maughan's remorse, his guilty plea, his co-operation, and that he had engaged in this behaviour as a way to deal with his gambling debts. Defence counsel highlighted Maughan's gambling and drug addictions, his stable relationship, and his two children, one of whom suffers from severe autism, arguing that a custodial term would be felt keenly by his family.
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 accused of false imprisonment, assault, aggravated burglary, arson, criminal damage, violent disorder, robbery, and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal at a property in Falsk, Roscommon, on December 16, 2018. The trial heard that a video circulated on social media two days prior to the alleged attack, depicting security personnel at the repossessed residence and describing them as "mercenaries." Sergeant Bernard Kilroy testified that after viewing the footage, a garda presence was maintained at the property, though staffing levels prevented coverage past 3am. The court also heard evidence from court messenger Padraig Gilligan regarding the repossession order. The trial continues before Judge Martina Baxter and a jury.
William Eagers, 62, was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of his wife, Jean Eagers. Eagers pleaded guilty on March 10, 2023, to killing his wife of 34 years with a samurai sword in their Clonsilla home on June 21, 2020. Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring noted the horrific circumstances, including the fact that their son, Dillon, witnessed the attack and was threatened. The judge refused to backdate the sentence to Eagers' custody date in 2020, stating the matter was resolved at a very late stage. Consequently, his life sentence commences from the date of his guilty plea, March 10, 2023. Eagers had been in custody since the incident. The court heard victim impact statements detailing the family's distress. Eagers, a former export operations manager, had one previous conviction for malicious damage in 1983. He told gardai he blacked out during the attack. The judge emphasized the loss of maternal stability for the family and rejected the defense's request to credit time spent in custody prior to the plea.
In the Central Criminal Court, a 16‑year‑old victim of rape by two older boys disclosed that the assaults led her to develop an eating disorder as a means of self‑harm. The older defendant, 17 at the time of the offence, was convicted of one count of rape, one of oral rape and two of sexual assault; the younger, 15, was convicted of one count of oral rape and one of sexual assault. The attacks occurred over two‑and‑a‑half hours on the night of 26 July 2020 in a remote lane near a Co Kerry town, while the victim was intoxicated. Justice Michael McGrath sentenced the older offender, now 19, to five years and five months' imprisonment, suspending the final year on condition of good behaviour and probation. The younger offender, now 17, received a three‑year detention order, back‑dated to 31 July.
Dylan Byrne, 27, of St Mark's Avenue, Clondalkin, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for his role in a money‑laundering operation. He pleaded guilty to possessing the proceeds of crime, including €320,675 in cash found in a sealed compartment of a Renault van, and to possessing €4,000 of cocaine for sale or supply. The cash and drugs were seized at Holywell Commercial Centre, Swords, and at Byrne's home during a subsequent search. Byrne's mobile phone was seized, revealing extensive communications on the Signal app with a member of an organised crime gang, and Garda analysts identified regular patterns of contact. Byrne's defence highlighted his guilty pleas, cooperation, lack of prior serious convictions, long employment history, and family support. The judge described Byrne as a "vital cog" in transporting money for organised crime and noted his substantial mitigation factors, including his cooperation and good character evidence. The sentence reflects the aggravating evidence of comprehensive involvement in organised crime.
Gavin Minto, 29, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of three controlled drugs for sale or supply at Kingswood Cross, Clondalkin on 16 July 2020. Judge Martin Nolan imposed an eight‑and‑a‑half‑year jail term, reducing the mandatory minimum of ten years because of Minto's guilty plea and cooperation with Gardaí. Gardaí searched a residential property on the day in question, finding 151 MDMA tablets, 33 kilos of cannabis and a third controlled drug, with a combined value of €2.21 million, plus a tablet press. CCTV showed Minto entering the garage at 2:36 pm, spending 56 minutes there, and leaving at 4 pm, while a white Renault van reversed into the premises. Minto has nine previous convictions, including three for possession of drugs, and was described by defence as homeless at the time of the incident. The court considered his plea, cooperation, and the mitigating circumstances presented by his counsel.
Christopher Graham, 41, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment after he was caught driving a van that contained 39 kilos of cannabis, worth an estimated €780,000, in an attempt to settle a long‑standing drug debt. He pleaded guilty to possession of the drug at Mill Lane, Palmerstown, on 22 June. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Graham had no ownership of the cannabis and that he was transporting it to alleviate his own debt. The judge noted Graham's guilty plea and cooperation with Gardaí as mitigating factors, but also highlighted the seriousness of the quantity involved. Garda Michael Ormond explained that authorities had followed Graham for several days before intercepting him at a pub, where he met the driver of a yellow Renault van. The van was searched and the drugs seized. Graham has 65 prior convictions, mainly minor traffic offences, and had previously used drugs between 2016 and 2019.
At the ongoing Roscommon eviction trial, a veterinarian testified that an injured Belgian Shepard dog was euthanised due to severe open wounds and distress following an attack at a property in Falsk, outside Strokestown. The incident occurred on December 16, 2018, five days after the property was repossessed. Patrick Sweeney (44), Martin O'Toole (58), Paul Beirne (56), and David Lawlor (43) have each pleaded not guilty to 17 charges at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The charges include false imprisonment, assault causing harm, aggravated burglary, arson, criminal damage, violent disorder, robbery, and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. The prosecution alleges that a group of approximately 30 armed men attacked four security guards present at the property. Security company owner Ian Gordon stated that one of the attackers struck the dog with a baseball bat, causing severe injuries. The trial continues before Judge Martina Baxter and a jury.
A 19‑year‑old named Darragh Lyons was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for his role in a savage gang attack that left 17‑year‑old Alanna Quinn Idris permanently blind in her right eye. The attack, which took place on 30 December 2021 on Ballyfermot Road, involved Lyons punching Idris and other members of the gang using a saddle from an electric scooter and a hurl. Idris was struck on the face, fractured her eye socket and lost vision in one eye. She suffered additional injuries and has undergone reconstructive surgery. Lyons pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Idris, assault causing harm to her friend Louis O'Sullivan and violent disorder.
Fire brigade officers gave evidence on day 13 of the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court concerning an incident at a property near Strokestown, County Roscommon, on 16 December 2018. Peter Carney, station officer at Elfin fire station, described arriving at the repossessed farmhouse at Falsk to find vehicles on fire and three or four seriously injured security personnel outside. He told the jury that fire officers cordoned off the property following a risk assessment and controlled access to the scene. Brendan Foy, station officer at Strokestown fire station, testified that security guards requested re-entry but were prevented from doing so due to safety concerns and the site being a crime scene. He confirmed standard procedure involved erecting cordon tape and stationing an officer to prevent tampering with evidence. Four men, Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne and David Lawlor, have each pleaded not guilty to 17 charges including false imprisonment, assault causing harm, aggravated burglary and arson. The trial before Judge Martina Baxter continues.
Luke Strong, 25, of Saul Road, Crumlin, was sentenced to three years in prison for assault causing harm after he threw a shard from a broken ceramic bowl into the eye of a 59‑year‑old neighbour during a dispute on 6 September 2021. The incident stemmed from a quarrel between the victim's sister and her neighbours over a blocked driveway. Strong, who had not started the fight, was found to have acted recklessly, and the judge noted his remorse and guilty plea. The victim lost sight in his left eye and suffered serious injury. Strong had 53 prior convictions, including threats to kill and robbery, and had a chaotic background involving drug abuse from age 13. The sentence was back‑dated to 4 March 2023.
An 18‑year‑old named Alanna Quinn Idris was attacked on 30 December 2021 by a gang of four youths. She was blinded in one eye after being struck on the face with the saddle of an electric scooter and knocked unconscious. The attack, described by Garda Ciaran Murray as an organised, retaliatory assault, also involved a brief verbal dispute at a bus stop and subsequent violence against her friend Louis O'Sullivan. Darragh Lyons (19) pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm and violent disorder and will be sentenced tomorrow. Lyons admitted assaulting O'Sullivan but denied involvement in the abusive behaviour on the bus. Two other men are facing trial and a fourth could not be identified. Ms Quinn Idris gave a victim impact statement, describing the loss of confidence, vision and the lasting emotional trauma caused by the attack. The court heard that she has undergone reconstructive surgery and may need a prosthetic eye.
A key witness in a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court gave conflicting evidence regarding events at a house in Swinford, County Mayo, on November 16, 2020. Paul Maughan testified that he did not witness the fatal stabbing of Michael McDonagh (24), despite having previously told gardaí that the accused "went for" the deceased with a knife. Mr Maughan admitted breaking into the home of the accused, Matusz Batiuk (33), and stabbing him three months before Mr McDonagh's death, for which he is currently serving a prison sentence. The witness stated that Mr McDonagh carried a carpet knife that evening. When cross-examined, Mr Maughan acknowledged making inaccurate statements to gardaí, including claims that the accused had attacked him, which he later denied. Mr Batiuk has pleaded not guilty to murder. He maintains he believed his life was in danger when he inflicted the fatal wound. The trial continues before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 22 March 2023, Carl Powell, aged 34, was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for his mid‑ranking role in a €1.5 million heroin, cannabis and cocaine operation. Powell, a UK national from Liverpool, pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale and to possessing proceeds of crime. He had 20 prior convictions, including a UK sentence for cultivating cannabis. Gary Graham, aged 48, a "foot soldier" from Dublin, received eight and a half years' jail for a lower‑level drug‑dealing offence. Graham pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis for sale and had two previous convictions, one a serious drug‑dealing case. Both men were arrested after Gardaí raids in Palmerstown and Dublin 2, where large quantities of drugs and cash were seized. The sentences were back‑dated to June 2022, when the men entered custody.
Two Dublin women, Holly McNevin (28) and Sarah Redmond (27), were jailed for two years after a Garda stop on Drimnagh Road on 20 September 2021 revealed over €65,000 worth of cannabis in a Fiat Brava and in Redmond's apartment. McNevin, driving, admitted possession of the drugs in the car and the cash seized, while Redmond admitted allowing her home to be used for storage. McNevin had two prior traffic convictions; Redmond had none. Both pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply. The court noted their low risk of re‑offending and strong family support but found them responsible for the drug activity, sentencing them to prison. The case highlighted the seriousness of drug possession and the court's willingness to impose custodial sentences even for lower‑level dealers.
David Gregan, 43, of Swords, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of making a false statement to a solicitor on October 20, 2017. The court heard that Gregan falsely claimed to have suffered soft tissue injuries in a 2017 collision between a Dublin Bus and a car registered to Trinity College. An anti-fraud investigator reviewed CCTV footage and determined Gregan was not near enough to be hit by the vehicles. Although Gregan withdrew his claim in 2018 and no payment was made, the parties incurred €9,000 in legal fees. Judge Martin Nolan noted that Gregan had "succumbed to the temptation of what he thought was easy money." Considering Gregan's lack of previous convictions, his 25 years of work in the security industry, and his history of mental health difficulties, the judge ruled that a custodial sentence was not appropriate. He sentenced Gregan to 150 hours of community service in lieu of imprisonment. However, the judge adjourned the case to allow the Probation Service to assess Gregan's suitability for the order. The matter is scheduled to return to court on June 12.
Matthew Johnstone, aged 33, received a two‑year suspended sentence for criminal damage of data after illegally accessing the iCloud accounts of three individuals in 2016 and 2017. Johnstone, who had a prior 2018 conviction for possession of child pornography and a 2021 three‑year sentence with the final two years suspended, pleaded guilty to the data‑damage offence. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the offences were discovered during the same period the child‑pornography case was investigated. Judge Martin Nolan considered whether the two cases would have been dealt with together and concluded that the original prison term would likely not have been extended. He noted no evidence of harm or dissemination of the accessed data, and that Johnstone's motivation appeared to be curiosity. The judge imposed the suspended sentence, warning that further misconduct would lead to imprisonment.
A man with a Roscommon address has been sentenced following a burglary in Dublin over a decade ago. Tomasz Bebenek, aged 34, of Harbour Road, Tarmonbarry, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to trespass and theft at a residence in Rathgar on 15 March 2010. He took two laptops, a camera, a camcorder and a music device valued at €1,080, none of which were recovered. Blood evidence left at the scene remained unmatched until 2019, when changes to European DNA sharing procedures enabled An Garda Síochána to identify Bebenek through a UK database match. Judge Martin Nolan imposed an 18-month sentence, backdated to September 2022. The court heard Bebenek has 44 previous convictions and is currently in custody pending a European Arrest Warrant relating to matters in Poland.
A security guard gave evidence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court regarding an attack on a repossessed farm at Falsk, near Strokestown, County Roscommon, on 16 December 2018. The witness told the court he was struck repeatedly, cut on the legs with a meat cleaver, doused in petrol, and bound with cable ties during an assault by a large group of armed men. The incident occurred five days after the property's repossession. Four men—Patrick Sweeney of County Donegal, Martin O'Toole of County Mayo, Paul Beirne of County Roscommon, and David Lawlor of County Meath—have each pleaded not guilty to 17 charges including false imprisonment, assault causing harm, aggravated burglary, arson, violent disorder, and robbery. The trial is ongoing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Under cross-examination, counsel challenged inconsistencies between the witness's account to gardaí and his testimony regarding events in the kitchen during the attack.
A senior Trinity College manager, Brendan Leahy, who was sacked after pleading guilty to sexual assault, has been informed by the Workplace Relations Commission that the Probation Act does not provide employment protection. Leahy's dismissal was upheld by the employment tribunal, which rejected his claim under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977. The tribunal heard that Leahy's District Court conviction on 24 March 2021, which resulted in a three-month suspended prison sentence and a €1,000 fine, was widely reported in the media. This was followed by a further allegation of sexual harassment against him by a former employee, identified as Ms X. Leahy admitted to the sexual assault charge and was given the Probation Act in July 2021. However, the tribunal found that his failure to inform his employer of the charge before the hearing left the college with only the information of his guilty plea and the Probation Act. The tribunal ruled that Trinity College was entitled to consider the sequence of events as serious misconduct and upheld the finding of sexual harassment in respect of the second allegation. The matter was adjourned and never described as concluded or finalised.
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 committed false imprisonment, assault causing harm, aggravated burglary, arson, criminal damage, violent disorder, robbery, and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal at Falsk, Strokestown, on December 16, 2018. The trial is currently ongoing before Judge Martina Baxter and a jury. Evidence presented includes testimony from KBC Bank officer Danny Noone, who stated the bank repossessed the property in December 2018 after legal proceedings began in 2009. Noone indicated that public records showed the mortgage holder owned approximately 170 acres and other residential properties. Defense counsel Blaise O'Carroll SC argued that the execution order used for the eviction was invalid due to a missing affidavit of non-compliance. A security guard witness described an attack by approximately 30 armed men who forced entry into the farmhouse, using weapons including batons, crowbars, and a chainsaw. The witness reported being struck and overpowered while attempting to defend himself and colleagues. The trial continues with further evidence scheduled for presentation.
Karina Cully, 36, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment after stealing €629,000 from a small office supplies company over seven years. She transferred the money to her personal account and spent it on holidays and eating out. Cully pleaded guilty to theft, forgery, deception in a mortgage application and money laundering between 2014 and 2021. She admitted the theft was a compulsive habit she could not stop. The court noted her early guilty plea, full admissions and cooperation, and her strong work record. She had no prior convictions. The judge highlighted the persistent nature of the theft from a small enterprise where she was known daily. The prosecution had evidence of unauthorised transfers and forged mortgage documents. Cully's apology and remorse were considered, but the sentence reflected the seriousness of the repeated theft.
During the trial of Michael Scott for the murder of his 76‑year‑old aunt Chrissie Treacy, engineer Dr Mark Jordan testified that he is not a "hired gun" and that his duty is to the court and to the oath. He explained that he provides technical advice using the scientific method and that he would inform a client if his advice conflicted with their instructions. Jordan defended a statement in his report that a jury might find it difficult to persuade that a driver of a teleporter would not know they had driven over a large woman, arguing that it was a reasonable observation. He also described the impact that caused Ms Treacy's death, noting that her injuries suggested she was upright when struck by the rear left wheel of the teleporter, and that the front wheel had already passed her when she fell. Michael Scott pleaded not guilty.
Rebecca Kavanagh, a 30‑year‑old former financial services worker, was found in her family home holding cannabis with a street value of €58,998. She pleaded guilty to one count of possession at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Kavanagh said she kept the drugs to pay a debt and later continued to trade with the dealer for personal use. She has no prior convictions. The court heard she has struggled with anxiety and depression, her partner left after their baby was born, and she began using cannabis. Since her arrest she has become drug‑free, attends counselling, and returned to work as a financial analyst. The Probation Service assessed her as low risk of re‑offending. Judge Dara Hayes imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspended it entirely, and noted her cooperation, guilty plea, and the impact on her child. The sentence was handed down with Kavanagh visibly emotional.
A 25‑year‑old English tourist, Thomas Oliver, was attacked in Dublin on 17 April 2022 and spent five and a half weeks in hospital, including three weeks in a coma at Beaumont Hospital. He suffered severe head injuries, loss of muscle mass, headaches, loss of smell and taste, and ongoing post‑traumatic stress. Oliver described waking as a "shell of a human" and expressed that the psychological damage would never leave him or his family. He thanked Irish emergency services and noted the financial cost of his care. The assailant, 19‑year‑old Stefan Bornac, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Oliver and assault causing harm to Oliver's friend James Lightly. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Bornac to four and a half years in prison, with nine months suspended, after reducing a headline sentence of six and a half to seven years because of his age, good character, lack of record, guilty plea and cooperation.
Joshua Bennet, 21, was given a suspended three‑year prison sentence after a high‑speed chase in which he drove up to 140 km/h on suburban streets around Blanchardstown and Dublin 15. He refused to stop when ordered by Gardaí, drove the wrong way around roundabouts, ran a red light, and drove onto footpaths, forcing pedestrians to flee. The chase lasted about 15–20 minutes and ended when Bennet skidded after a sharp left. He pleaded guilty to five endangerment charges and one dangerous driving charge. At sentencing, Judge Martin Nolan described his conduct as "appalling" and "extraordinarily reckless", noting he had not hit or injured anyone. Bennet was ordered to keep the peace, be of good behaviour for three years, and was disqualified from driving for six years. He tested negative for drugs and alcohol. The court considered his youth and lack of prior convictions in suspending the sentence.
Francie Stokes, 23, of Lucan, pleaded guilty to possessing €52,355 in his AIB account as proceeds of crime linked to an invoice redirect fraud. The money was fraudulently transferred from a German aviation company. Stokes had previously received a one‑month probation in October 2021 for laundering €3,000. He is currently on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and has no legitimate source for the €52,000. AIB recovered €28,000; about €24,000 remains withdrawn. Gardaí found multiple ATM withdrawals, but CCTV showed none were made by Stokes. He exercised his right to silence during questioning. Judge Martin Nolan adjourned the case for ten weeks to allow Probation Services to decide if Stokes is suitable for community service. If suitable, he would be ordered to carry out 150 hours of community service within one year in lieu of an 18‑month prison term. The hearing was held on 16 March 2023.
The High Court has reserved its decision on a constitutional challenge brought by Alan Harte, who seeks to overturn his conviction and 30-year sentence imposed by the Special Criminal Court in 2021. Harte was sentenced for the serious harm and false imprisonment of Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney at a yard in Drumbrade, Ballinagh, County Cavan in September 2019. His legal team contests the constitutionality of Section 40 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939, which prevents disclosure of whether a Special Criminal Court conviction was unanimous or by majority decision. Counsel argued that the non-jury court's 2-1 majority threshold is inequitable compared to jury trials requiring ten-to-two verdicts and creates discrimination between accused persons tried in different court systems. The State respondents opposed the application, maintaining the legislation is constitutional. Justice Marguerite Bolger heard submissions on Thursday and will deliver judgment at a later date.
Joseph Rogerson, aged 73, was sentenced to four years in prison for possessing cocaine and heroin for sale or supply. The drugs were seized in June 2005 from his car on Rock Road, Blackrock, and from his house in Ballybrack, Co. Dublin, amounting to just over a kilo of cocaine and heroin worth €146,552. Rogerson had fled Ireland in 2006, taking a bench warrant, and lived in the Canary Islands until his voluntary return on 8 March 2023. He had 31 prior convictions, including 23 for larceny and several assault offences, but had not offended since 1987. The judge noted his age, his voluntary surrender, and cooperation with Gardaí, and backdated the sentence to the day of his return. The court highlighted that Rogerson's gambling debt and alleged coercion by third parties were factors considered in sentencing. The four‑year term is effective from 8 March 2023.
A security guard has testified at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in the trial of four men accused of an assault on a rural Roscommon property in December 2018. Michael Kane told the jury he was asleep in a security van at the 30-acre estate near Strokestown when he was awakened by shouting and roaring at approximately 5am on December 16. He described witnessing a colleague being struck and falling to the ground, and hearing a loud mechanical sound. The witness said he and three other security personnel fled the scene, believing they would be killed. Upon returning when emergency services arrived, Mr Kane found the yard ablaze with two cars and four vans on fire. He said he feared finding "charred dead bodies" of his colleagues. Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne and David Lawlor have each pleaded not guilty to 17 charges including false imprisonment, assault causing harm, aggravated burglary, arson and violent disorder. The trial before Judge Martina Baxter and a jury continues.
Liam Evans, 31, of Clondalkin, received a two‑year suspended prison sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for laundering money by cashing five cheques totalling €23,500 written by an elderly woman in her 80s. The woman had been approached by men claiming to be from a construction company and was persuaded to write cheques to various payees, including Evans. She ultimately paid over €44,000, but most of the promised construction was never carried out. Evans pleaded guilty to three counts of laundering the proceeds of crime. The court ordered him to pay €5,000 to the victim within a year. The case was brought to light after the HSE alerted Gardaí to a suspected elder‑abuse scheme, leading to the investigation and Evans' arrest. The court noted Evans' cooperation, remorse and guilty plea in handing down the suspended sentence. The stolen money was never recovered, and the victim remains at a loss.
A 71‑year‑old Christian Brother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six and a half years' imprisonment for nine counts of indecent assault on four boys between 1976 and 1978, when he was their fourth‑class teacher at a CBS school in Leinster. He had previously served a five‑and‑a‑half‑year term for indecently assaulting five other boys in the late 1970s and had about 45 prior convictions for indecent assault. The jury found him guilty after he denied the charges and refused to accept the verdicts. Victim impact statements were read at the sentencing hearing, describing physical abuse, sexual assault, and lasting psychological harm.
Douglas Glynn, a manager for the Kinahan cartel, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court for managing an industrial-scale drugs warehouse. Mr Justice Tony Hunt described Glynn as "cannon fodder" used by higher-level members. Glynn pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess 335 rounds of ammunition and to conspiracy to possess cocaine and cannabis worth over €13,000. The judge fixed a headline sentence of 12 years for the drugs charge, discounted by 25% for his early plea, with the final year suspended for four years under probation supervision. He was also sentenced to four years for the ammunition charge to run concurrently. These sentences run from February 20, when he entered his first plea. Glynn is already serving a seven-and-a-half-year sentence, with the final year suspended, for his role in a foiled plot to murder James 'Mago' Gately. His brother, Anthony Glynn, pleaded guilty to possessing the ammunition and drugs for the gang and was sentenced in February of last year to seven-and-a-half years' imprisonment with the final year suspended. Emmet Fogarty, alleged to be responsible for the unit, was jailed for five years in November 2018 after pleading guilty to possession of the drugs and ammunition. The matter was concluded with these sentences.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Leroy Farrelly, 46, pleaded guilty to criminal damage after throwing industrial paint over a house on Clonliffe Road, an act triggered by a parking dispute. CCTV footage captured on CrimeCall identified him. The homeowners, who had no connection to Farrelly, suffered €18,300 in removal costs and expressed fear and distress. Farrelly, with four prior convictions, was given a three‑year suspended sentence by Judge Martin Nolan, who noted the victims' significant suffering and Farrelly's remorse. He was ordered to offer €2,200 to the victim and had 12 months to raise an additional €7,800 if desired. The judge highlighted Farrelly's responsibilities as a husband and father, and his efforts to address underlying issues through counselling.
A man has received a fully suspended one-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for careless driving causing the death of a cyclist. Mariusz Karpinski, aged 32 and from Ashbourne in County Meath, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing the death of a cyclist on a local access road near Kilshane Cross in north County Dublin on 4 May 2021. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the suspended sentence, finding the case tragic but noting that Karpinski had been driving into strong sunlight that obscured his vision. The judge stated that while Karpinski was driving reasonably carefully, he failed to take appropriate steps to address the weather conditions. Evidence indicated the cyclist had been visible for approximately two seconds before impact. Karpinski, who has since relocated to Cavan and works in factory employment, was not disqualified from driving. The deceased's mother submitted a victim impact statement and was noted by the judge as displaying forgiveness toward the accused.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has found Stephen Silver guilty of capital murder following a retrial. Silver, aged 46, a mechanic from Aughaward, Foxford, County Mayo, was convicted of fatally shooting Garda Colm Horkan with the officer's own firearm on 17 June 2020 near Castlerea, County Roscommon. The jury of seven men and five women reached their unanimous verdict after deliberating for eight hours and 39 minutes. A previous jury had been unable to reach agreement in November 2022. Silver had pleaded not guilty to capital murder but guilty to manslaughter. The trial centred on his state of mind at the time of the shooting, with defence evidence suggesting mental illness contributed to his actions, whilst prosecution submissions maintained he acted with intent to kill. Ms Justice Tara Burns will impose sentence on 19 April. Conviction for capital murder carries a mandatory minimum 40-year prison sentence.
Tatiana Viera, daughter of the late Ohari Viera, spoke at the sentencing hearing for Dean Boland, who was convicted of unlawful killing, arson and burglary in August 2018. Viera said she had grown up with a distrust of the police as an African national but had learned "the truth of the system" through the trial and praised the "kind humanity" of the gardai. She thanked the judge, jury and prosecution team, expressed sympathy for Boland, and urged the African community that there is no need to be afraid of the police. Viera described her father's death as the tragic end of a "complicated journey" from Angola, and she highlighted the trauma she experienced when her father was taken to St James' Hospital and later died of cardiac arrest caused by smoke inhalation. The sentencing was adjourned to March 30. Dean Boland pleaded not guilty.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has convicted Stephen Silver of the capital murder of Garda Colm Horkan in Castlerea, County Roscommon, on 17 June 2020. Silver, a 46-year-old motorcycle mechanic, was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years imprisonment. The court heard that Silver had deliberately provoked an encounter with gardaí that evening, conducting dangerous motorcycle manoeuvres around the Knockroe estate in Foxford and making verbal challenges to armed officers. When Garda Horkan, a 25-year veteran based in Charlestown, County Mayo, approached Silver and his companion James Coyne, a struggle ensued over the officer's firearm. Silver disarmed Garda Horkan and fired eleven shots at the wounded officer as he lay on the ground. The defence argued Silver was experiencing a relapse of bipolar affective disorder at the time, but the jury rejected this claim. Expert testimony established that Silver's pattern of prior involuntary psychiatric admissions had created a "learned impunity" whereby he expected diffusion and hospitalisation rather than serious criminal consequences. Garda Helen Gillen, who witnessed the incident, confronted and arrested Silver unarmed. Stephen Silver pleaded guilty.
The trial of Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne, and David Lawlor continues before Judge Martina Baxter and a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The four men, who have all pleaded not guilty, face the same 17 charges each. They are accused of false imprisonment and assault causing harm to four security guards, including Mark Rissen, at a repossessed farm in Falsk, Strokestown, on December 16, 2018. The State alleges the group also committed aggravated burglary, four counts of arson, criminal damage, violent disorder, robbery, and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. Mr. Rissen testified that he was pushed to the ground, struck, and had his hands tied with cable ties during the attack. He reported bleeding from a leg gash and smoke inhalation, requiring treatment at Mullingar Hospital. The court heard that the accused allegedly arrived armed with various weapons, smashed the property, and set vehicles on fire. The trial is currently at the evidence stage, with the prosecution presenting witness accounts of the alleged assault and property damage.
Lee Lismore, 54, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after a revenge attack on a man he claimed had assaulted him earlier. The incident occurred at Smithfield Square, Dublin, on 3 April 2021, where Lismore, along with two other men, punched, kicked and stabbed the victim, who suffered a brain bleed and multiple stab wounds. Lismore had no prior convictions and cooperated with Gardaí, providing details of the alleged earlier assault. The court noted strong mitigating factors, including his community volunteer work and lack of criminal history. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Lismore to a three‑year term, suspended on conditions, and required him to pay €3,000 to the victim. The case remains under investigation for the alleged initial assault. The other two men were not before the court.