A former Israeli soldier, Shahar Hlinovsky, aged 53, turned pro‑Palestinian activist and was said to have been persecuted by Mossad. He lived rough in Dublin and, in two separate incidents, attacked people he mistakenly believed were working for Mossad. In the first, he shouted at a man, brandishing a butcher's knife, which forced the man to call gardaí and retreat. Gardaí found two knives on Hlinovsky. In the second, he pushed a young woman who had just arrived from Germany and was calling her mother, causing her to suffer a graze and a partially ripped nail. Hlinovsky pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, two knife‑possession counts and another assault. He was sentenced to three years, with the final two years suspended and conditions imposed, and will be supervised by the Probation Service for one year after release.
Conor O'Flaherty, 25, of Spiddal Park, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two burglaries in Chapelizod on 17 July 2022 – one at a private home and one at a medical centre. The first burglary involved a kitchen window smashed at 4 am, with homeowners finding a man holding car keys outside. O'Flaherty was later found at the medical centre, filling his pockets with supplies, after gardai followed an alarm sound. DNA from blood linked him to the earlier crime. He apologized and offered to pay for the broken window. O'Flaherty has two prior convictions and was in custody after missing a court date. The court considered his work record and remorse, and Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two and a half years, suspended in full under conditions. The sentence was imposed today.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard testimony on 13 March 2023 in the trial of four men charged in connection with an attack on a repossessed farm near Strokestown, County Roscommon. The managing director of Trinity Asset Management Services described executing a repossession order at Falsk on 11 December 2018, following which he met a large group at Strokestown church before driving in convoy to the property. The State alleges that five days later, approximately 30 people, some masked and carrying weapons, attacked the rural premises, assaulted four security personnel, damaged vehicles, and injured a guard dog. The defence barrister characterised the convoy operation as resembling frontier justice. Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne, and David Lawlor, all pleaded not guilty to 53 charges in total, including aggravated burglary, assault causing harm, arson, false imprisonment, criminal damage, and violent disorder. The trial before Judge Martina Baxter and a jury continues.
In a High Court case, Mr Justice Paul Burns sentenced two brothers, aged 46 and 44, to three‑year terms for repeated rape and sexual assault of a younger brother in their family home. The 46‑year‑old pleaded guilty to 15 charges of sexual assault and anal rape between May 1990 and December 1993; the 44‑year‑old pleaded guilty to 13 similar charges. Each brother received a three‑year term with the final 18 months suspended for the rape charges and a concurrent 12‑month prison term for the sexual assault. Both men are now registered sex offenders. The judge noted that the brothers' low risk of re‑offending and the fact that they were children at the time of the offences meant a post‑release supervision order was unnecessary. He expressed sympathy for the victim and hoped that further intervention and family support might lessen the harm caused.
Aaron Cunningham, aged 20, and his uncle John Cunningham, aged 38, avoided jail after pleading guilty to threatening to kill a man over unpaid Canada Goose jacket deposits. Aaron pleaded guilty to four counts of threatening to kill or cause harm and threatening to damage property between 1 and 7 February 2021. John pleaded guilty to five counts of threatening to kill or cause serious harm between 7 January and 1 February 2021. The threats were made in person, via voicemail, text and Snapchat voice messages. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced John to five years' imprisonment, suspended in full on strict conditions including probation for two years, and Aaron to four years' imprisonment, also suspended in full on strict conditions. The court noted the men's remorse and Aaron's lack of prior convictions, while John had 19 previous convictions. The case involved a series of deposit disputes and escalating threats over a year.
Sean Squires, aged 19, avoided jail after a week in custody for stabbing a young man on a Dublin bus in August 2021. Squires, who was 17 at the time, stabbed the victim in the cheek and leg after the victim tried to intervene in an argument between Squires and his girlfriend. The incident occurred when the couple were heading into the city centre for dinner; the victim's girlfriend was upset and the argument escalated. Gardaí arrested Squires shortly after he tried to board another bus. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and producing a knife. Judge Martin Nolan remanded him to understand custody, then imposed a two‑year sentence, which he suspended in full on strict conditions, citing Squires' youth. The judge warned that any repeat offence would lead to long imprisonment. No prior convictions were recorded. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Fiachra Slator, 40, of Clondalkin, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a small quantity of drugs at his home and a larger quantity at a location in Straffan, Co Kildare, together with bagging material, weighing scales and a blender. He also pleaded guilty to money laundering for €125,110 found in a locked box at his mother's home. The offences, committed on 14 April 2022, involved over €80,000 in drugs and €125,000 in cash. Garda Ciaran O'Neill explained that two search warrants, based on confidential information, led to the seizures. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Slator's early guilty plea, admissions, medical condition and desire to change, departed from the ten‑year mandatory minimum and imposed a six‑year sentence, back‑dated to the date Slator entered custody.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 60‑year‑old Andrew Edward avoided jail for his role in a "classic invoice redirection fraud." Edward, of Dun Saithne Court, Balbriggan, had allowed an ex‑colleague to use his bank account, believing the colleague trustworthy. He pleaded guilty to money laundering on 4 March 2021 and had seven prior traffic convictions. Garda Barry Griffin reported €19,095 was transferred into Edward's account, flagged as suspicious, with €17,625 recovered; about €1,500 was withdrawn and not recovered. Edward admitted to permitting the use of his account and keeping €200 for himself. Rebecca Smith BL defended him as a married family man with medical issues, noting his remorse and cooperation. Judge Martin Nolan described the case as a reckless invoice redirection fraud, imposed a nine‑month sentence, and suspended it in full on strict conditions.
In March 2023 the Central Criminal Court sentenced a 40‑year‑old woman and her 52‑year‑old partner to a combined 33 years for repeated rape and sexual abuse of their five‑year‑old daughter and three‑year‑old son. The couple denied the charges, which included rape, oral rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, reckless endangerment and false imprisonment, and were tried in 2022. Mr Justice David Keane imposed 19 years on the man and 14 years on the woman, with all sentences running concurrently. The judge noted the children's profound trauma and the breach of trust by a mother who allowed the abuse. Both defendants were added to the sexual offenders register and will be supervised by the Probation Service for two years after release. No portion of the sentences was suspended. The court expressed hope that the children would find strength in the verdict. The unnamed 40-year-old was convicted.
At a sentencing hearing on 13 March 2023, Sharon Higgins, mother of 19‑year‑old Jamie Higgins, spoke of the pain of knowing that his killer, Nathan O'Neill, had remained free for more than four years after the 2018 nightclub stabbing. Higgins described her son as a loving, generous father and expressed her ongoing grief and health struggles. O'Neill, aged 24, had been tried twice for murder, was acquitted on the first trial and found guilty of manslaughter and causing serious harm to Michael Shannon on the night of 18 March 2018. The court heard that O'Neill had previous convictions for knife possession, threatening a security guard and criminal damage. O'Neill admitted responsibility, expressed remorse, and said he would never forget the impact on the family. Judge Paul Burns adjourned sentencing until 24 April.
In a Dublin family home on 29 November 2020, a 32‑year‑old man assaulted his pregnant partner and his 12‑year‑old son. The partner, five months pregnant, was left unconscious with a head injury and bleeding heavily. The infant was found in a cot with the mother's blood on its babygro. The son, who had bruises and a cut, was thrown against a metal bed frame after attempting to intervene. The man pleaded guilty to assaulting his partner and son. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to 40 months' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions, including two years of probation. The sentence was back‑dated to 2 December 2021, when he entered custody. The court noted the intimate relationship, the violence involved, the victim's injuries, the son's age, and the defendant's remorse and willingness to engage with support services.
A man has pleaded guilty to money laundering before the Special Criminal Court following his extradition from Spain. Gerard Mackin (40), originally from west Belfast, admitted to handling €4,780 in proceeds of criminal conduct at Rhebogue Road, Limerick, on April 17, 2019. He was arrested at Dublin Airport in December last year under a European Arrest Warrant. Mackin pleaded guilty to one charge under the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act 2010. The three-judge court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Alan Mitchell, adjourned sentencing to March 30. The defendant's legal team requested a governor's report from Portlaoise Prison, which was granted. Mackin has previous convictions including a 2017 sentence for assault causing harm in Limerick.
Kenneth Reilly, 63, was jailed for five years after a jury found him guilty of three counts of indecent assault on his sister‑in‑law, Helene Hallisey Power, between 1982 and 1985 when she was aged 12 to 16. The trial, held in the Central Criminal Court in Cork, concluded in October after a series of allegations that Reilly forced Power to masturbate, photographed her without clothes, and made her watch pornographic films. Power, now 54, testified that the abuse left her feeling "dirty, ashamed, empty and completely confused," and that taking the stand felt like a re‑experience of sexual assault. She described the impact on her mental health and her decision to speak out. Reilly, who has no prior convictions, accepted the verdicts and was sentenced by Ms Justice Creedon to six years, with the final year suspended on conditions, back‑dated to his entry into custody.
Paul Coffey, 46, of Limerick, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to discharging a firearm and to possession of a firearm in circumstances that suggested it was not for lawful use, in connection with the shooting of Alan Murphy on 11 June 2020 at Long Pavement, Watch House Cross. He had previously been charged with attempted murder. The court was satisfied with the indictment counts and no victim impact statement was sought. A governor's report from Limerick Prison was ordered for his sentence hearing. Coffey was remanded in custody until 27 March for sentencing.
A 55‑year‑old Cork man was sentenced to eight years in prison, with the final two years suspended, for raping and sexually abusing his younger cousin over a ten‑year period from 1985 to 1995. He was convicted on 33 counts, including 20 of indecent assault and 13 of section 4 rape. The victim, aged between five and 15 at the time of the abuse, suffered repeated sexual assault, forced masturbation, oral and anal rape, occurring on average twice a week. The defendant, who was 18 when the abuse began, pleaded not guilty and continues to deny the offences. The court noted the significant age disparity, the prolonged nature of the abuse, and the victim's negative psychological impact, including suicidal thoughts and loss of friends, jobs and a normal life. The judge, acknowledging the defendant's serious medical condition, anxiety, mild learning difficulty and sheltered life, nevertheless placed the case in the more serious category and imposed the sentence.
Jeferson Pedrucci, 33, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Airport on 20 January 2022. He was caught smuggling €650,000 worth of cocaine in shampoo bottles and sewn into a companion's luggage. Garda Ross Brierley reported that Pedrucci and a female companion flew from São Paulo via Lisbon, were stopped at customs, and the drugs were found in two shampoo bottles (valued at €154,000) and in the lining of the companion's bag (valued at nearly €500,000). The total seized was €651,875. Pedrucci, originally from Brazil and a dual Italian citizen, admitted full responsibility. He has nine prior traffic convictions and had been threatened by loan sharks in Brazil for transporting the drugs. His mother and sister, who had been threatened, had moved to Ireland and attended the hearing.
In March 2023, a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard a case where a man violently assaulted his former partner in front of their two teenage children. He strangled her, broke her nose, and threatened to kill her and the children. The victim, who had a barring order against him, had asked him to help with the children, but he arrived drunk and attacked her. She managed to escape, and the children called Gardaí, who arrested him. While in custody, he was violent towards Gardaí, spitting and shouting about Covid‑19, and set his jumper on fire. He pleaded guilty to six charges, including assault causing harm and obstruction of a peace officer. Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced him to four and a half years' imprisonment, ordering that contact with the victim be limited to her solicitor for three years.
Joe Dunne, a former priest from Ballycrystal, Geashill, pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent assault against a young woman in 1989. The victim, who had been abused and hospitalized, was driven by Dunne to the Rape Crisis Centre for counselling, during which he repeatedly assaulted her. She later wrote to her bishop, but little action was taken. In 2019, Gardaí discovered her letters and she disclosed the abuse. Dunne, who has no prior convictions and is the sole carer for his 94‑year‑old sister, was sentenced by Justice Paul McDermott to four years imprisonment. The judge suspended the entire sentence on strict conditions, citing the disproportionate impact on his sister and Dunne's health issues. The court noted the victim's 34‑year trauma and the breach of trust by Dunne. The sentence requires probation and offence‑focused work.
In a Dalkey coastal attack on 20 November 2020, 20‑year‑old Jakub Kaczar, then on bail, assaulted three victims at Hawk Cliff. He covered his hand in blood from a head cut and ran it along the face of Aisling Leahy, placing his fingers in her mouth, causing her to undergo blood tests and suffer great distress over a possible disease. Kaczar also punched David Morrell in the face and head, demanding an apology, and pushed Ciara Walsh onto a bench, bruising her leg. He pleaded guilty to separate counts of assaulting Morrell, Walsh and Leahy. The court sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions, and imposed concurrent sentences of 18 months for Walsh and two‑and‑a‑half years for Leahy, all to run consecutively to his existing 16‑month term.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, William Eagers, aged 62, pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife, Jean Eagers, aged 57, who died from wounds sustained in a samurai sword attack on 21 June 2020 at their Willow Wood Grove home in Clonsilla, north Dublin. Eagers, a former export operations manager and part‑time taxi driver, was charged with murder and the production of a samurai sword during the incident. The court set a sentencing date for 24 March to allow preparation of a victim impact statement, with the mandatory life sentence for murder pending.
Erik Nemes, a 22-year-old college student from Skerries, Co Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing the proceeds of crime. Judge Martin Nolan handed Nemes a one-year sentence, which was suspended in full. Nemes pleaded guilty to possessing €14,470 as the proceeds of crime at Bank of Ireland in Balbriggan on December 14, 2018. The funds were originally intended for the college fees of a UCD medical student from New Zealand, who discovered the money had been diverted to an account in Nemes's name. Prosecution evidence indicated Nemes provided his bank details to a friend under the pretext of obtaining discounted goods, before being pressured to withdraw cash and purchase iPhones. Judge Nolan noted that Nemes knew it was a criminal enterprise. The court ordered that €1,000 brought by Nemes be paid to the injured party within one month. Nemes, who studies engineering and technology at Drogheda Institute of Further Education, has no previous convictions. Defence counsel highlighted his difficult background and cooperation with gardaí, while the prosecution agreed he was unlikely to reoffend. A victim impact statement from the student's father, who suffered anxiety and had to replace the lost fees, was submitted to the court.
A 32‑year‑old Romanian national, Gheorghe Rafaila, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for sexually assaulting a three‑year‑old boy at a Dublin homeless hub. The court found that Rafaila had touched the child's genitals in a courtyard while his wife was present, an act that lasted about four minutes. He claimed the act was "playful" in the Roma community, but the judge rejected this defence. Rafaila pleaded guilty and was extradited from the UK to face the charges. The judge imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final year, and ordered Rafaila to leave Ireland upon release. He was also required to demonstrate good behaviour for one year after his release. The sentence was back‑dated to the date he entered UK custody in October 2022. The court noted the child's young age as an aggravating factor. The mother of the child gave a victim impact statement, which was not read aloud.
A 33-year-old man from County Mayo has been sentenced to four and a half years imprisonment following his abduction of his two-year-old daughter from a health centre in October 2021, an incident that triggered a nationwide Child Safety Alert. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the man, who cannot be named to protect his daughter's identity, collected the child during a scheduled supervised visit and departed in a car driven by the child's mother at dangerous speed. Gardaí located them at a hotel in Dublin 8 after tracing his phone. The man also pleaded guilty to assaulting two of his nieces and attacking gardaí during a second abduction attempt at his sister's County Mayo home in December 2021, when he forced entry and caused damage to property. Judge Martin Nolan noted the man's expressed remorse and acknowledged substance abuse difficulties, but stated the second offences had substantially aggravated his case. The child's mother, a UK national, pleaded guilty to abduction but failed to appear for sentencing and is now resident in London.
John Costello, 41, of Kileely, Limerick City, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to providing transport to persons allegedly involved in an assault causing serious harm to Christy Keane on 29 June 2015. He also admitted to knowing or believing others were guilty of an arrestable offence and providing transport to impede their apprehension, contrary to Section 7(2) of the Criminal Law Act 1997. The prosecution withdrew an original charge under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, alleging Costello facilitated the attempted murder of Keane for the McCarthy-Dundon criminal organisation, replacing it with the Section 7(2) charge. Detective Sergeant Padraig O'Dwyer served the Book of Evidence on Costello regarding the new charge. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding with Judges Sarah Berkeley and Alan Mitchell, adjourned the matter to 30 March for sentence. Co-accused Noel Price, 44, and Larry McCarthy, 44, both of Limerick City, remain charged with making a vehicle available to the McCarthy-Dundon criminal organisation to facilitate the attempted murder of Keane between 27 and 29 June 2015. Keane survived the shooting at the University of Limerick in 2015 after escaping via a running track.
Four senior executives of Custom House Capital are scheduled for sentencing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on April 21 before Judge Orla Crowe. Former CEO Harry Cassidy, former head of private clients John Whyte, and head of finance Paul Lavery pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to defraud investors and clients by intentionally misleading them regarding asset placement. Non-executive director John Mulholland also pleaded guilty to one count of neglectful discharge of a director's duty in relation to the company's dishonest acts. The offences are alleged to have occurred between October 2008 and July 2011. The sentencing hearing is expected to last one day. Separately, former senior portfolio relationship manager Ciara Kelleher pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud investors and clients. After a jury failed to reach a verdict earlier this month, Judge Martin Nolan set a re-trial date for January 13, 2025. The matter involving Kelleher remains pending and has not been concluded.
In the Special Criminal Court, the prosecution argued that Brendan Treanor's back tattoo was a "pictorial admission" of his role in the 2013 robbery of a Dundalk credit union where Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was killed. The tattoo, photographed by Garda Aidan Hanlon during Treanor's 2021 arrest, shows four men with hats, a woman in a balaclava holding a gun, a BMW car, a pistol, ammunition, and money. The prosecution linked the BMW's registration plate "BOSS BFT" to Treanor's initials, suggesting the tattoo's imagery reflected the robbery. Treanor (34) and James Flynn (32) are charged with the robbery and with conspiracy to break into houses to steal car keys. Both plead not guilty. The court ruled the photographs were taken lawfully, and the trial will continue tomorrow.
Christian Preston, aged 22, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to a two‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to possessing €37,000 of proceeds of crime. The money had been transferred to his account when a home buyer's deposit was hacked during an email exchange with the buyer's solicitor in December 2019. Preston withdrew and spent about €1,200 on a holiday and made purchases of designer goods and Apple items from his account, though the identities of the purchasers were unknown. The bank recovered €16,200 of the funds after his account was frozen, leaving the victim with a loss of roughly €21,000. Preston was not the mastermind of the hacking operation and had no prior convictions. He was ordered to pay €2,500 to the victim within a year.
Michael Deegan, 37, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for four counts of taking Go Car vehicles without consent in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow during October 2021. The court described Deegan as the driver who drove his or his wife's car to locations where Go Cars were parked; a second man then broke into the vehicles, which had keys inside, and stole them. Damage of €3,000 was caused to one car and two vans that were later recovered, while a third van was never recovered, resulting in a €26,000 loss to the company. Deegan had seven prior road‑traffic convictions. He pleaded guilty, cooperated with Gardaí and had no significant criminal record, factors that the judge considered in sentencing. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the custodial term without any suspended portion.
Charlie Cunningham, 24, of Kellys Bay Heights, Skerries, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for demanding money with menace at a garda's home in Donabate on 1 January 2021. He knocked on the door at 4.30 pm, asked for a specific person, and when the homeowner – who identified himself as Garda Sean McIllroy – denied the request, Cunningham returned and repeated the demand. He threatened that a group of men would break doors and windows and, after leaving, told the homeowner, "Now I know you're a garda, you're cooked". The homeowner followed him to the road, saw a group of six or seven men, and called the gardai. Cunningham pleaded guilty, cooperated with investigators, and apologized. He has eight prior convictions, including assault causing harm. Judge Martin Nolan noted the seriousness of the offence and the lack of sufficient mitigation to avoid custodial punishment, and imposed the two‑year sentence.
Ross Hutch, aged 30, pleaded guilty via videolink at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two separate offences committed in August 2021. On 22 August, he allegedly slashed the face of his ex‑partner's boyfriend with a knife at Sheriff Street Lower, causing serious harm. The following day, 23 August, he allegedly assaulted his then girlfriend at The Holyhead Hostel on Gardiner Street, causing harm. The court heard that Hutch had been denied attendance at his child's communion for security reasons and that the slashing incident occurred as the boyfriend was leaving a pub in Dublin City centre. CCTV footage reportedly captured the assault on his girlfriend the next morning. Prosecutor Fiona McGowan requested victim impact statements for the two victims and others named in the indictment. Judge Martin Nolan set a sentence hearing for 29 March, remanded Hutch in custody, and vacated his earlier trial date. The case remains pending sentencing.
A Donegal man has received a fully suspended sentence following his conviction for sexually assaulting his partner while she slept at their family home in February 2018. The 31-year-old pleaded guilty to sexual assault at the Central Criminal Court after two jury trials ended in disagreement on a more serious charge. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed a sentence of two years and six months, suspended in full, citing the guilty plea entered at the earliest opportunity, the man's lack of previous convictions, and assessed low risk of reoffending. The judge set a headline sentence of four years before mitigation. The victim told the court the offence had devastated her life and sense of security. Justice McDermott ordered three years of probation supervision and imposed a condition that the man have no contact with the woman. He also commended the complainant's courage in pursuing the case and cautioned against community attitudes that might target her.
Douglas Glynn and his brother Anthony Glynn pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to charges related to the possession of ammunition and drugs for an organised crime gang. Douglas Glynn admitted to conspiracy to possess 335 rounds of ammunition and various calibres of ammunition, as well as conspiracy to possess cocaine and cannabis valued over €13,000 for sale or supply. Anthony Glynn pleaded guilty to possessing the ammunition and drugs for an organised crime gang. The court heard that gardaí seized 20kg of cocaine, cannabis, and ammunition from a Dublin 15 business park in March 2017. Evidence included encrypted phone messages using code words for drugs and firearms, which identified Douglas Glynn as a manager of the operation. Douglas Glynn is already serving a six-and-a-half-year sentence for his role in a foiled Kinahan Cartel plot to murder James 'Mago' Gately, for which he was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years with the final year suspended. Mr Justice Hunt adjourned the matter to March 16 for sentence finalisation.
Paul Meehan, 47, of Dublin, pleaded guilty to burglary at Fit4Less gym in Finglas on 2 May 2020 during the first Covid‑19 lockdown. A woman passing the gym at 9.30 pm on 5 May 2020 saw Meehan removing an exercise bike from the closed premises and later gave a detailed description to the Gardaí. CCTV footage, recovered from a single hard drive, showed Meehan entering the gym as the front door was open and cutting the CCTV system. He was arrested on 6 May 2020 and, after two interviews, identified himself on the footage. The bike was not recovered. Meehan has 204 prior convictions, including over 20 for burglary. The court, after considering a medical report and his engagement with mental‑health services, imposed a 16‑month prison sentence fully suspended on strict conditions, including supervision by the Probation Service. The sentence was handed by Judge Martin Nolan.
A 78‑year‑old pensioner with more than 200 prior convictions was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 16‑year‑old girl on public transport in County Dublin. He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault on 14 February 2020 and to one count of public masturbation on 12 February 2020. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑year term for the assault and a six‑month term for the public masturbation, both to run concurrently and back‑dated to 19 February 2020 when the defendant was remanded. The court noted the victim's fear and anxiety after the incident, which lasted about eight minutes, and the impact on her schoolwork. The defendant, who is married with two sons, has further convictions pending for a separate matter later this year. The judge emphasised that the court's role is punishment, not preventative detention. The sentences are to be served in custody.
At the Central Criminal Court, Martin Doyle, aged 53, of Esker, Knock, County Mayo, was convicted following trial of two counts of rape and 25 counts of sexual assault. The offences comprised the rape of his wife on two occasions in May 2009 and once in November 2011, and systematic sexual assault of his daughter between 2004 and 2011 while the family resided in County Meath and subsequently County Sligo. Justice Caroline Biggs imposed a sentence of twelve and a half years imprisonment, with two years post-release supervision to follow. The court heard evidence of assaults occurring in domestic settings and at Lough Gara, Gurteen. Doyle maintained his not-guilty plea throughout proceedings. The judge noted the absence of remorse while acknowledging his work history and lack of previous convictions as mitigating factors. She described the abuse as a systematic pattern causing near-complete destruction of the child victim's childhood. Martin Doyle pleaded not guilty.
Three men – Glen Keegan (41), Karl Keegan (31) and Thomas McAllister (48) – pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm at Killinarden Heights, Tallaght, on 25 April 2017. The attack involved a balaclava‑clad armed group that struck an orange car carrying two children, damaged two motorists' vehicles, and caused a taxi driver to lose his car. The men had a combined 78 prior convictions. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Karl Keegan and McAllister to four years' imprisonment, suspended in full on strict conditions, and Glen Keegan to a three‑and‑a‑half‑year term, also suspended. The judge noted the men's remorse, their progress in rehabilitation, and the family's forgiveness. No jail time was imposed, and the men were required to pay €6,000 as a token of remorse. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 6 March 2023.
A 51‑year‑old pizza delivery driver, Earl McKevitt, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 19‑year‑old Conor O'Brien, who was shot once in the chest on the evening of 26 August 2021 while McKevitt was delivering a pizza to O'Brien's studio in Enfield. McKevitt admitted to shooting the teenager after failing to read the delivery instructions and claimed that shooting people was part of his job. He was also found guilty of possessing a firearm and a knife on 31 August 2021 at the Talbot Hotel in Carlow, where he had retrieved the gun. Concurrent sentences of seven‑and‑a‑half years and two years were imposed for the firearm and knife offences. McKevitt's life sentence was back‑dated to 31 August 2021, the date he entered custody.
A 17‑year‑old boy, who was 14 when he committed unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 15 in a public park on 31 December 2019, had a four‑year deferred sentence activated after breaching conditions set by the Central Criminal Court. The judge had originally imposed a four‑year detention order, deferred under the Children Act 2001, with conditions that the boy not commit further offences, follow all directions of the Probation Service and avoid contact with the victim. The boy pleaded guilty to defilement but denied unlawful sex, claiming the victim had instigated the acts and that they were consensual. At the hearing, the court found the boy had breached the conditions, activated 12 months of the four‑year period, and suspended the remaining three years for two years. The judge urged the boy to engage with probation services during his detention. The victim's impact statement described lasting trauma and a loss of trust.
Geido Voolain, 39, of Seagrave Terrace, Finglas, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis for sale or supply after a police search uncovered a growhouse with 17 plants, 4.3 kg of cannabis, and €100,000 worth of the drug. Gardaí found a locked concrete shed containing a growhouse, 17 plants, lighting, irrigation, and vacuum‑packed bags of cannabis. Voolain claimed he had started growing as a hobby, later turning to profit after an accident left him unemployed. He denied cultivating the vacuum‑packed cannabis, stating he had bought it for €50,000 and sold it. Siobhan Myles, 44, his partner, pleaded guilty to knowingly permitting cultivation at the property. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Voolain to three and a half years' imprisonment and Myles to a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence suspended on strict conditions. Both defendants cooperated with Gardaí and signed the notebook. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Patrick Kinsella, aged 44, of St Ronan's Gardens, Clondalkin, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for endangerment, assault causing harm and driving without insurance after a 2022 incident in which he dragged a homeless woman beside his car. Kinsella, who has 174 prior convictions, had offered the woman a ride and later drove off with her. During the journey an argument erupted when the car hit a kerb and punctured a tyre. Kinsella blamed the woman, threatened to kill her, and sped up as she tried to leave, dragging her alongside the vehicle. Garda Kian Logan observed the woman hanging from the passenger door; she sustained soft‑tissue injuries to her left foot and right ankle. Kinsella pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Judge Martin Nolan, noting his guilty plea, remorse and work history, imposed a four‑year sentence back‑dated to 21 June 2022 and a four‑year driving disqualification.
Paul Storey, a 36-year-old civil servant from Clondalkin, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine and diamorphine for sale or supply. The charges relate to an incident on April 24, 2021, at Baronrath, Straffan, Co Kildare. Gardai discovered 3.3kg of cocaine and 560g of diamorphine, valued at over €310,000, inside a Honda Accord located in a container at a property subject to a search warrant. Although Storey was not present during the search, he was arrested later and initially denied knowledge of the drugs. Prosecution evidence indicated he was holding the substances for a third party, a characterization agreed upon by the investigating garda, who noted Storey was low down the chain and lacked trappings of wealth. Defence counsel Anne Marie Lawlor SC argued that Storey's involvement stemmed from a desire to help a partner with a drugs debt, describing it as a serious misjudgement rather than primary criminal intent. She highlighted his early guilty plea, remorse, full-time employment, and support for his parents as mitigating factors. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged Storey's reduced culpability due to acting on behalf of another, while noting his previous convictions for minor drug and road traffic offences. Taking into account his early plea and good work history, the Judge imposed a four-year prison sentence.
Martin Maughan, aged 30, was sentenced to 20 months in prison by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for assault causing harm and criminal damage. He attacked his pregnant former partner, who was five months pregnant, with an electric cord, a lamp, and his fists, causing soft‑tissue injuries to her arms, head and shoulder. The assault lasted about an hour and included kicking, punching, whipping, and striking her head against a wall. Maughan had previously pleaded guilty to the charges and had 26 prior convictions, including 11 public‑order offences. He was known to have alcohol and mental‑health issues. The court noted his guilty plea and remorse as mitigating factors, but also highlighted the aggravating factor of the victim's pregnancy. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the attack on a pregnant woman in her own home.
Saleban Abdisahar, a 30‑year‑old Swedish‑Somalian man with no fixed abode, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for illegally trafficking five people into Ireland. He pleaded guilty to three counts of facilitating illegal entry on flights into Dublin Airport on 23 January, 29 January and 18 February 2023. The court found he had moved five individuals who subsequently sought international protection. Abdisahar was paid up to €1,000 for each person smuggled. Judge Martin Nolan described him as the "middle cog" of the operation, noting his early plea, cooperation with Gardaí, lack of prior convictions and low likelihood of reoffending. The sentence was back‑dated to the day he entered custody, 18 February 2023. The case highlighted the role of immigration officers and mobile‑phone evidence in uncovering the smuggling scheme.
The trial of Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne, and David Lawlor continues at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Martina Baxter. The four men, who have pleaded not guilty to a total of 53 charges, are accused of participating in an attack during the Strokestown repossession case. The State alleges that on December 16, 2018, a group armed with various weapons assaulted four security guards, caused criminal damage, committed aggravated burglary, false imprisonment, arson, robbery, and animal cruelty. Each defendant is separately charged with 17 of these offences. During cross-examination, witness Ian Gordon, who testified to being forced to eat dog faeces, identified himself in bodycam footage from an eviction five days prior to the alleged assaults. Gordon stated his unlicensed security company was hired to execute a court order at the McGann family property. He described lifting a resident out of a seat to escort him out, denying any use of reinforced knuckle gloves or physical abuse beyond necessary restraint. The jury viewed this footage, which showed the resident being moved while his sister protested. The trial is ongoing and will resume on Monday.
A man with ninety previous convictions has been sentenced to four years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following an assault in the city centre. Jonathan Donovan (37) pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after the State accepted the lesser charge in lieu of the original allegation of assault causing serious harm. The incident occurred on Gardiner Street on 13 February 2022, when Donovan attacked a man, inflicting a fifteen-centimetre wound extending from ear to cheek. The victim sustained ten injuries, including chest lacerations resulting in internal bleeding, and was hospitalised with no recollection of the attack. Gardaí identified Donovan through CCTV footage and recovered evidence linking him to the assault. His criminal history includes previous convictions for assault causing serious harm and assault causing harm. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the sentence, which was backdated to February 2022 when Donovan entered custody, noting the vicious nature of the attack and his established pattern of serious violence.
A 48‑year‑old former Romanian soldier, Constantin Maxim, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment in Dublin for possessing 1,458 images of child pornography and distributing hand‑drawn images and videos of child sex abuse. He admitted to posing as a 15‑year‑old girl named Christina on Facebook and Snapchat, sending explicit messages to three children aged 10 to 12 and requesting sexualised images. When Snapchat closed his accounts, he created new ones. Gardaí found his phone contained about a thousand images of child sexual activity, 450 images of children exposing genitalia, and 12,000 adult and bestiality images of uncertain age. Maxim denied sexual attraction to children and claimed he had no real‑life intent. He had no prior convictions in Ireland but had four Romanian convictions for sexual corruption and abduction of a minor. Constantin Maxim pleaded guilty.
The trial of David Lawlor, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne, and Patrick Sweeney continues before Judge Martina Baxter and a jury. The four defendants, who have pleaded not guilty to 53 charges including aggravated burglary, false imprisonment, arson, robbery, and animal cruelty, face allegations of a violent attack on security guards at a property in Falsk, Co Roscommon, in December 2018. Witness Ian Gordon testified that he was forced at gunpoint to eat dog faeces and identified Lawlor's voice during the incident. Under cross-examination, Gordon acknowledged his former service with the Ulster Defence Regiment and admitted his security company, GS Agencies Ltd, operated without a company licence, for which he previously entered a guilty plea. Defense counsel suggested Gordon was mistaken in identifying Lawlor, but Gordon maintained he was 100% certain of the identification. The State alleges a group of approximately 30 armed men assaulted four guards, set fire to vehicles, and beat a guard dog unconscious. The defendants are charged with criminal damage, assault causing harm, and violent disorder. The matter is currently at the trial stage, with proceedings ongoing.
Jonathan Whelan, aged 48, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for a prolonged assault on his neighbour. The victim was beaten, stripped to her underwear, repeatedly forced to vomit and threatened with death. Whelan also took her keys, ransacked her apartment, and demanded money. He and a friend used a metal rod, a knife, scissors and a razor blade to threaten and beat her for hours. The assault took place in Whelan's flat on North Great Charles Street, Dublin 1, on 4 April 2021. He had previously pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and to possessing cannabis for sale, receiving four‑year and four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentences respectively, which ran consecutively. The court reduced the headline sentence to eight and a half years on mitigation. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 1 March 2023.
Derek Kavanagh, 48, turned himself in after RTÉ's Crimecall aired CCTV of him assaulting a homeless woman on James Street, Dublin 8, on 7 May 2022. He claimed he was approached, panicked, and thought he was being mugged, leading him to punch and choke the victim, who was living in hostel accommodation. Kavanagh admitted the woman was not threatening and had kept a reasonable distance. He pleaded guilty to assault and causing harm, and was given a three‑year fully suspended sentence. He paid €2,000 in compensation and was ordered to pay an additional €3,000 within six months, to be given to the victim or a local charity if she declined. The court noted his remorse, lack of prior convictions, and his efforts at anger‑management and alcohol‑abuse courses. The judge considered his mitigating circumstances and deemed him unlikely to reoffend.
Dylan Reddington, aged 27, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for two counts of endangerment after leading Gardaí on a high‑speed chase on 27 February 2015 when he was 19. He pleaded guilty in December 2022. Reddington has 54 prior convictions, including dangerous driving, endangerment, firearms possession and drug offences, and has spent much of his adult life in prison. He has been in residential rehabilitation since shortly after his release and is required to remain there for the duration of the programme. Judge Martin Nolan ruled that Reddington's sentence will commence on 31 July 2023, allowing him to finish his current stay in rehab before the custodial term begins. The judge noted Reddington's reckless driving and the seriousness of his convictions but also acknowledged his efforts to reform. The sentence is intended to start after the completion of the rehabilitation programme.