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2022-08-04 · Longford
Michal Luczak was arrested following a Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau operation at Abbeyshrule Aerodrome, Longford on August 4, 2022. He was charged with possession of cocaine and possession with intent to supply. His solicitor applied for bail citing presumption of innocence and trial delays, but the application was refused by Judge Cronin.
2022-08-04 · Longford
Michael Nevin was brought before the court for breach of a community service order after failing to attend required sessions. The probation officer reported he had not attended any appointments since May 24. Judge Owens adjourned the matter to September 6 after hearing that Nevin had completed 190 of 240 required hours and was making progress, but warned a bench warrant would be issued if he failed to appear.
2022-07-29 · Dublin
Declan Fagan, 38, of Sallynoggin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to two separate counts of possession of drugs for sale or supply. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a custodial sentence of four years in prison for the September 2019 offence, with the final 18 months suspended. Additionally, Fagan received a two-year prison term for the December 2020 offence. Both sentences will run concurrently. The court heard that Gardaí seized cannabis valued at over €20,000, cocaine, cash, and drug paraphernalia during the first raid, while the second search yielded cannabis valued at €2,374, cash, and phones. Judge Nolan noted that Fagan appeared to be dealing to fund his own addiction. Mitigating factors included his early guilty pleas, cooperation with Gardaí, and his role as the primary carer for his three-year-old daughter. The judge stated that Fagan deserved a custodial sentence given the nature of the offences. Post-release, Fagan is to be under the supervision of probation services.
2022-07-29 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Paul Farrell, aged 65, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for a single count of sexual assault and to eighteen months' imprisonment for each of ten sample counts of sexual assault, all of which will run concurrently. The offences, committed between 1992 and 1993, involved Farrell assaulting his niece, Anita Byrne, when she was aged 12 to 13. The first assault occurred on the day of her grandfather's funeral, when Farrell asked Byrne to retrieve an item from a cupboard, then placed his hands under her clothes and touched her breasts, almost reaching her genital area before she fled the room. Byrne later returned to find Farrell waiting and told her not to disclose the incident. The court noted the large age gap, the victim's age, the aggravating factor of Farrell's threat to silence Byrne, and the mitigating factor of his medical condition. Paul Farrell was found guilty.
2022-07-29 · Louth
Aaron Brady, aged 31, and Dean Byrne, aged 29, are set to stand trial at the Special Criminal Court on charges of conspiring to pervert the course of justice. They are accused of attempting to persuade State witness Daniel Cahill not to testify during Brady's 2020 murder trial for the killing of Garda Adrian Donohoe. Brady's trial, which ran from January to August 2020, saw Cahill testify that he heard Brady admit to shooting a Garda. Brady is also charged with recording a video of a witness interview and distributing it on social media, an act described by Judge Michael White as "the most outrageous contempt of court." A phone recovered from Byrne's cell yielded WhatsApp exchanges offering intimidation to Cahill. The court set a trial date for October 2, 2023, with a mention scheduled for November 7, 2023.
2022-07-29 · Dublin
At the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Paul McDermott remanded Joseph Byrne in custody until October 6 for sentencing. Byrne, 33, pleaded guilty to possessing a G9A Grand Power semi-automatic handgun with intent to endanger life and possessing Luger Barnaul ammunition on March 6, 2021, at Bluebell, Dublin 12. The court heard that Byrne provided the firearm to Dean McCarthy, who was jailed for 15 years last April after pleading guilty to the attempted murder of Sinead Connolly. Ms Connolly, who was left paralysed, rejected Byrne's apology during her victim impact statement, stating he facilitated the attack. Earlier this week, Paul Mooney, 34, also pleaded guilty to possessing the same firearm and ammunition at the same location. The judge ordered that Byrne remain in custody pending his final sentence hearing in October.
2022-07-29 · Ireland
Keith Paget, 39, was sentenced to an 18‑month suspended term for cycling dangerously on the wrong side of the road in Finglas on 29 September 2020. While travelling at speed, he collided with a 17‑year‑old pedestrian who was crossing behind a white van at the junction of Barnham Drive and Wellmount Drive. The impact caused the victim to hit his head, suffer between five and ten seizures, and be admitted to intensive care for a brain bleed. Paget pleaded guilty to the offence. Judge Martin Nolan noted Paget's 34 previous convictions, including 18 for road traffic offences, and stated that a cyclist must ride safely even though a bicycle can cause less harm than motorised vehicles. The judge, believing Paget did not deserve custodial time, suspended the sentence in full under strict conditions. No victim impact statement was made.
2022-07-29 · Cork
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a Cork woman recounted a 18‑year‑old toxic relationship with her ex‑partner, who raped her on 2 August 2019 after threatening to cut her fingers with garden secateurs. He forced her to perform oral and vaginal sex, then raped her again until a child returned home. The woman fled, stayed in hotels and with friends before securing rental accommodation. The ex‑partner later broke into the property, brandishing a modified nail file and claiming he had paid €10,000 to a hired killer. In his victim impact statement, the woman described ongoing terror and nightmares. He pleaded guilty to interfering with a witness, trespass, assault causing harm, criminal damage and a threat to kill. The case was adjourned to 17 October for finalisation. The court heard the woman's testimony of the assault and her fear of further harm. The hearing focused on the charges and the plea, not on any subsequent outcome. The unnamed woman was convicted.
2022-07-29 · Ireland
In a 2022 trial, a man was convicted on 61 counts of sexual offences, including raping his partner twice and sexually assaulting her and her son. The court heard that the offences occurred between 2013 and 2015, with the partner's son aged nine to eleven at the time of the rape. The defendant was found guilty of four counts of assaulting the boy and one count of rape, as well as two counts of cruelty towards the children. He denied the charges and intends to appeal. Mr Justice Michael McGrath imposed a 12‑year sentence, reduced from an initial 14 years, with all sentences running concurrently. The judge noted the defendant's lack of remorse and the impact on the victim and her children, and he imposed a 12‑month post‑release supervision order. The case highlighted the hidden nature of domestic violence.
2022-07-29 · Louth
Richard Morrissey (45) was convicted by a jury of six counts of sexual assault against a girl who was aged seven to fourteen when the abuse occurred between 1996 and 2003 in Louth. The jury could not agree on all counts, so a second trial was held earlier this year, where he was found guilty of one additional count of sexual assault and one count of oral rape. The abuse began with grooming, touching, kissing and culminated in forced oral sex when the girl was fourteen. Morrissey, who was aged 18 to 25 at the time of the offences, maintains his innocence. He has been in custody since the first trial in November last year. Justice Karen O'Connor sentenced him to ten and a half years, suspending the final year on conditions.
2022-07-29 · Dublin
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 35‑year‑old Bryan Kennedy of Mount Tallant Avenue, Harold's Cross, pleaded guilty to soliciting Alan Leech to murder Clara Houdebrumette. The alleged solicitation occurred sometime between 1 October 2019 and 11 January 2020. Justice Eileen Creedon remanded Kennedy on continuing bail until 1 November, when sentencing is expected.
2022-07-28 · Dublin
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 28 July 2022, a mother was found guilty of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to her 18‑month‑old twin sons after she drenched one in boiling water and threatened to kill her children and herself. She also pleaded guilty to producing a large kitchen knife capable of inflicting serious injury, to unlawfully intimidating another person, and to falsely imprisoning a female social worker. The court heard that the social worker, who was supervising the boys in foster care, was locked out of the house and forced to hold the children to safety while the mother poured hot water over one son. The mother was admitted to psychiatric care in Tallaght Hospital and the boy was treated at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, where he sustained permanent scarring. The court noted that the mother had no prior convictions but had been detained under the Mental Health Act.
2022-07-28 · Dublin
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced three men for their roles in a romance fraud that caused a woman in her sixties to lose over €254,000 in life savings. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Omowale Owolabi (31) of Navan, Co Meath, to three years and three months in prison after he pleaded guilty to theft. Raak Sami Sadu (32) of Clonsilla, Dublin 15, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud. Samson Ajayi (33) of Grangerath, Co Meath, received a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to three money laundering charges. The court heard the defendants used a fake profile named Neil Turner on Plenty of Fish to deceive the victim, who made ten payments between November 2019 and mid-2020. Gardaí linked the profile to the three Nigerian nationals and seized devices containing evidence of the scheme, including messages regarding the division of funds. Owolabi admitted receiving €30,000 for his role, while Ajayi admitted receiving money but claimed ignorance of wrongdoing. Sadu made limited admissions. The judge noted the defendants' early guilty pleas, cooperation, remorse, and lack of previous convictions as mitigating factors, while emphasizing the severe damage such fraud inflicts on victims who often feel humiliated.
2022-07-28 · Dublin
John Rock, a 42‑year‑old former Nightline courier, used his old uniform and staff ID to pose as a delivery driver and steal mobile phones from several Dublin shops between July 2019 and January 2020. He claimed to be collecting phones booked for repair, but instead took them and sold them immediately to pay drug debts. The stolen goods included a courier bag of eight phones worth €2,789, a Samsung phone valued at €800, and additional phones totalling €1,500. After a shop manager suspected his impersonation, Rock fled, prompting a Garda investigation that uncovered his uniform and documents marked for shredding. He pleaded guilty to four theft charges, had no prior record, and was sentenced to a suspended two‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term, conditional on good behaviour and payment of €5,000 to Garda Finbarr Thompson. The judge noted this was his first offence and considered his personal circumstances.
2022-07-28 · Dublin
Alan Byrne, 46, was sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison, with the final 18 months suspended, for threatening to kill a sex worker and assaulting his 84‑year‑old father. The court heard Byrne placed an imitation gun and a knife on the escort's head, threatened to stab her, and pushed her against a wall. He had paid her €375 and US$100 for two hours of sexual activity, after which he demanded more money and, when she refused, assaulted her. In a separate incident, Byrne threw his father against a wall, breaking his hip. He pleaded guilty to both offences. Byrne, a heavy drug user, had a history of drug addiction and had been a carer for his father. The sentencing judge, Melanie Greally, suspended the last 18 months of the term. The court noted Byrne's drug use and the circumstances of the assaults. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
2022-07-28 · Dublin
David Hogan, 31, an electrician whose life had unraveled, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for aggravated burglary and drug possession. On 22 March 2021 he and another man broke into a family home at The Gallops, Leopardstown, armed with a wheel brace, shouting threats and demanding the homeowner's son. Six days later, Hogan and two others returned; the homeowner closed the door, but they again threatened the occupants and damaged the car. Gardaí later found over €45,000 of drugs in Hogan's possession at Russell Crescent, Tallaght. Hogan pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, burglary and possession of drugs for sale or supply. Judge Melanie Greally noted the high level of threat and aggression, the family's intimidation, and Hogan's prior life as a qualified electrician. She imposed an eight‑year sentence, suspended the final two years, and back‑dated it to 31 March 2021 when he entered custody.
2022-07-28 · Dublin
A 15‑year‑old girl, Bernadette Donovan, was involved in a 40‑minute brawl at the Rotunda Hospital reception during a family feud. The fight, which took place around Christmas 2018, saw a group of five women and two men shouting at a couple who had come to the hospital. The altercation included a woman being kicked and a man holding a wine bottle. CCTV identified Donovan, who did not engage in violence, and she was arrested in March 2019. She pleaded guilty to affray. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced her to nine months, suspended for two years on strict conditions, noting her age and that she was the youngest participant. Donovan has no prior convictions and is completing a baking course.
2022-07-28 · Dublin
Criminals Jason Paget (35) and Charles Darcy (34) were arrested by Gardaí after breaking into Conor McGregor's Marble Arch pub in Drimnagh on 12 August 2021. Both pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and to using a car without the owner's consent. Darcy, who has 43 convictions including an attempted murder sentence, was initially arrested for trespass after hiding in a bush near the pub. He later claimed he was visiting a married woman on the street. Paget, with 15 prior convictions, was found intoxicated, unsteady, and with a head cut; he was also charged with a public order offence. Gardaí found DNA linking Paget to a black hat left at the scene. Judge Orla Crowe adjourned the case to 3 November, ordering probation reports and urine analyses for both men.
2022-07-28 · Donegal
A man convicted of rape, assault and coercive control has been sentenced to 17 years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court. Dean Ward targeted the woman through an online dating site in May 2019, moving into her home in Killybegs, County Donegal, where he subjected her to a six-week campaign of violence and psychological control. Justice Kerida Naidoo imposed an 18-year sentence for the most serious rape offence, suspending the final year, and a concurrent four-year term for coercive control. Ward, formerly of Wexford, was convicted in 2022 of twelve offences including three counts of rape, assaults, false imprisonment and making threats to kill. The judge found the victim's consent to sexual intercourse was secured through fear and force. Following his arrest by armed gardaí in July 2019, Ward maintained his innocence. Outside court, the victim spoke of receiving support from An Garda Síochána and encouraged others in abusive relationships to seek help. Ward has previous convictions for assault and false imprisonment dating to 2016.
2022-07-28 · Dublin
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Alexander Udrea, 33, was sentenced to five and a half years' imprisonment for oral rape and sexual assault of a colleague. The offences occurred after a staff Christmas party when Udrea and the woman travelled together in a taxi to her home. While there, he forced oral sex and inserted fingers despite her refusal, causing bruising. He later attempted to insert fingers into her back passage. The court heard evidence of bruising and the victim's statement that the assaults stripped her of dignity and caused lasting anxiety. Udrea pleaded not guilty to five charges; the jury found him guilty of oral rape, sexual assault and attempted sexual assault. Justice Karen O'Connor imposed a six‑year term, suspended the final six months, and required him to engage with the Probation Service for a year. The sentence was back‑dated to March 23, when he was remanded after conviction.
2022-07-27 · Dublin
John Woodlock, 42, was given a suspended three‑year sentence for harassing a solicitor over a three‑month period from 17 August to 18 November 2021. He had approached the woman near her home, repeatedly called and emailed her, and visited her street, sometimes pointing at a wall with her initials and handing her a document he claimed was a charge sheet. He sent her private messages, tagged her in tweets, and called her a "bitch" in an email. The woman documented the harassment with screenshots and forwarded them to Gardaí. Woodlock was arrested in November 2021, detained under the Mental Health Act, and later released on bail. He pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and has complied with bail conditions. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a suspended sentence, requiring Woodlock to raise €3,000 for the woman within 18 months and forbidding any contact with her forever. If he contacts her again, the suspended term may be re‑activated.
2022-07-27 · Dublin
Robert O'Connor, 34, of Dublin 17, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a loaded semi‑automatic pistol in Finglas on 13 October 2021. The gun, which had three rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber, was found in a Tesco bag along with two jackets, two pairs of gloves, two face masks and a second jacket. Garda Sean Kelly reported that O'Connor and another man had abandoned a vehicle on the N2, were chased down North Road, and were seen removing their tops before being stopped. O'Connor claimed he carried the gun to pay off a drug debt and that he feared for his life. The court accepted his guilty plea, cooperation with the investigation and his stated ambition to reform. Judge Martin Nolan set a headline sentence of nine years but, after considering the plea and cooperation, sentenced him to six and a half years in prison.
2022-07-26 · Wicklow
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Vincent Kelly, 45, died from head injuries after being punched once in the face by Paul O'Carroll, 47, outside the Royal Hotel in Bray on 9 June 2018. O'Carroll was found guilty of unlawful killing. The court heard that Kelly had been drinking and had been in the hotel lobby when O'Carroll took his drink, walked out, and struck him once. CCTV showed no defensive action by Kelly. Kelly fell, sustained catastrophic head injuries, was taken to St Vincent's Hospital, then Beaumont Hospital, and died the next day. O'Carroll claimed he acted in self‑defence, feeling threatened, and later made a voluntary statement. The judge adjourned the case to 13 October for finalisation. The hearing also included impact statements from Kelly's wife and sister, describing the devastation and lasting change to the family's lives. The court considered O'Carroll's community involvement and prior convictions in sentencing. The case remains pending.
2022-07-26 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 16‑year‑old boy who pushed his bike at a teenage girl on the Howth Junction Dart platform, causing her to fall headfirst and briefly become trapped beside a train, was found not to have intended the fall. The judge, Martin Nolan, described the boy's conduct as prankish and irresponsible, noting it was unlikely he anticipated the outcome. The boy pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm; a second charge of violent disorder was dismissed due to insufficient evidence. He received no detention, instead being ordered to community sanctions, a Probation Services report, and an adjournment to August 24. The court heard the girl suffered a concussion, was hospitalised, and expressed feeling let down by Irish Rail. The boy's remorse and lack of prior convictions were considered mitigating factors. The case highlighted the incident's impact on the victim and the boy's subsequent reflection on his actions.
2022-07-26 · Limerick
The High Court has permitted the mother of murdered boxer Kevin Sheehy to proceed with a judicial review challenge against the Minister for Justice's decision to allow his killer's transfer to a UK prison. Tracey Tully contends that the proposed repatriation of Logan Jackson, who is serving a life sentence in Limerick Prison for Mr Sheehy's murder, breaches her rights as a crime victim under the 2017 Victims of Crime Act. Ms Tully argues that such a transfer would extinguish her entitlement to be consulted on future parole applications. Justice Siobhan Phelan found that Ms Tully had raised arguable grounds concerning victim protections and satisfied the legal threshold for the case to proceed. The matter will return for full hearing in October. Mr Sheehy died following an incident on Longford Road in 2019. Jackson, from Coventry, was convicted of murder at the Central Criminal Court and subsequently sought repatriation to England.
2022-07-26 · Dublin
In October 2021, Paul Clarke (40) and Patrick Byrne (37) carried out an armed robbery of a post office in Baldoyle, Co Dublin. Gardaí from the Emergency Response Unit arrived six minutes after the raid began. Clarke was armed with a hammer and a spade, while Byrne held an imitation firearm. The raiders shouted threats, forced customers to the ground, and threatened to kill or seriously harm them. An elderly pensioner was unable to crouch due to recent knee surgery and later reported that a gun was held to her face. The men also used the spade and hammer to damage the glass screen separating staff from customers. Both pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, false imprisonment of two female customers, and making a threat to kill or cause serious harm. Byrne also pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm.
2022-07-26 · Ireland
A 40‑year‑old man was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting his half‑sister when she was 13. The victim described how she pushed her bed against the bedroom door to keep the attacker out and how she cried all night after the assault. She said she had told her older brother she would "tell mammy or the guards" and that she had made a complaint to the Gardaí in 2018. The court heard that the accused had a dysfunctional upbringing, had been subjected to ongoing physical abuse and that a cycle of abuse had existed in his household. He pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court and the judge, taking into account a psychological report and the defendant's remorse, imposed a sentence of three and a half years, suspending the final year on strict conditions. The judge noted the victim's ongoing recovery and the defendant's acceptance of his wrongdoing.
2022-07-26 · Dublin
A 29‑year‑old Dublin woman was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for recklessly endangering her two children, one of whom was believed to have been raped by her partner when she was a toddler. The court heard that the mother knew her two‑year‑old daughter had been sexually assaulted by the partner, who is not the father, but did nothing to protect her or seek medical care. She pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless endangerment between April and November 2018 and was also considered for five counts of child cruelty, including punching her son. The children, aged two and three at the time, suffered injuries such as a fractured wrist, bite marks and bruising. The judge noted the children would endure lifelong trauma and imposed the custodial sentence accordingly. The partner is wanted and has fled the jurisdiction. The mother expressed remorse and hopes to be reunited with her children.
2022-07-26 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, truck driver David Morrissey, aged 29, received a nine‑month suspended sentence for careless driving that caused the death of 19‑year‑old cyclist Harry Boland on 18 April 2018. The incident occurred at the junction of Greenfield Park and Stillorgan Road when the traffic lights turned green and Morrissey turned left, placing Boland under his large DAF truck. Despite early medical response, Boland was pronounced dead at St Vincent's Hospital. The prosecution argued that Boland was visible from the truck's cab and should have been seen via the truck's wide‑angle mirrors. Morrissey denied seeing Boland, claiming he had checked his mirrors. The judge noted no aggravating factors such as intoxication, speeding or mobile phone use, and imposed a fully suspended nine‑month custodial sentence, a five‑year disqualification, and no additional penalties. The sentence reflected Morrissey's lack of prior convictions and his cooperation with the investigation. David Morrissey pleaded not guilty.
2022-07-26 · Dublin
Two semi‑professional footballers from Scotland, Liam Callaghan and Craig Johnston, both aged 27, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and obstruction in Dublin City Centre on 8 December 2019. The defendants, who are cousins and play for Montrose FC, attacked a victim after an altercation at the nightclub Xico on Baggot Street. The victim was punched in the jaw, struck with a traffic cone and a box, and suffered facial injuries, a fractured eye socket, and a broken ankle that required three surgeries. Garda Emmet Hayde testified that the defendants fled but were apprehended. The court heard the victim's impact statement, noting ruined Christmas, depression, anxiety, missed work opportunities and an economic loss of over €6,000. The defendants offered €2,000 as a gesture of remorse, which the victim accepted, but Judge Orla Crowe said this was insufficient. The sentencing was adjourned to 20 January 2023, with the court seeking a more concrete expression of remorse.
2022-07-26 · Dublin
Paul Mooney, 34, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to possession of a G9A Grand Power semi-automatic handgun and Luger Barnaul ammunition at Bernard Curtis House, Bluebell, Dublin 12, on March 6, 2021. The charges alleged he possessed the items in circumstances giving rise to a reasonable inference of unlawful purpose. Mooney was remanded on continuing bail, with the matter listed for mention on October 4. Joseph Byrne, 33, previously pleaded guilty to possessing the same firearm with intent to endanger life and possessing the ammunition on the same date. Byrne's sentence hearing is scheduled for Friday. Dean McCarthy, 33, was jailed for 15 years last April after pleading guilty to the attempted murder of Sinead Connolly on March 6, 2021. Ms Connolly, who was left paralysed below the chest, described McCarthy as an "evil, sadistic and cowardly bully" who led a campaign of abuse against her. Prosecution counsel Anne-Marie Lawlor SC told Mr Justice David Keane that Ms Connolly is confined to a wheelchair and anxious to have the matter disposed of. The court proceedings involve distinct pleas and procedural stages for each defendant, with Mooney's case currently at the bail remand stage and Byrne's awaiting sentencing.
2022-07-26 · Kildare
Paul Moody, a former Garda, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison for coercive control and related offences against a terminally‑ill partner. Over a four‑year period, he sent more than 30,000 threatening and abusive messages, threatened violence, took secret photographs, and threatened to post them online. He also stole her keys, caused criminal damage, and physically assaulted her on several occasions. Moody pleaded guilty to a charge of coercive control covering 2019‑2020 and to 19 other counts including harassment, assault, criminal damage, theft and threats to kill. The court noted his guilty plea and the absence of prior convictions, and reduced the maximum five‑year sentence to the stated term. He will lose his Garda position and is remanded in custody pending the decision on a psychological report. The sentencing judge highlighted the severity of his conduct and the impact on the victim.
2022-07-26 · Clare
In a Central Criminal Court sentencing hearing, mother Catherine Martin recounted the death of her son Eoin Boylan, 32, who was stabbed to death by Nassar Ahmed, 41, on 14 April 2020. Martin described how Ahmed, who had been living with Boylan's partner Susan O'Doherty, entered the house during a lockdown argument, lunged at Boylan with a knife and stabbed him three times. CCTV footage showed the attack, and the jury convicted Ahmed of murder after two hours. Justice Eileen Creedon imposed a mandatory life sentence. Martin's testimony highlighted the personal grief and the impact of Boylan's death on his family, while the prosecution argued the attack was a deliberate "sneak attack" and not self‑defence. The defence acknowledged the moral culpability of the act but maintained that Ahmed's fear justified his use of force.
2022-07-26 · Dublin
Mícheál Ó Leidhin, 38, a former RTÉ journalist, was convicted of sexual assault for an incident that occurred on the night of 13 May 2018. The assault took place at his former home in south Dublin after the victim, who remains anonymous, had been drinking with a friend. According to the court, the victim fell asleep and later woke to find Ó Leidhin on top of her, groping her breasts. He stopped after she told him to, but the victim reported the incident to Gardaí in April 2019. In April 2022, a jury found him guilty. On 26 July 2022, Justice Karen O'Connor sentenced him to 18 months' imprisonment, suspending the final three months on conditions. The judge noted the victim's traumatic impact and that Ó Leidhin had accepted the verdict but not its import. The sentence was to take effect on 1 August 2022 when he was to appear at Mountjoy Prison.
2022-07-25 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 38‑year‑old man was sentenced to 30 months' imprisonment for sexual assault. The court heard that the victim, a woman who had locked her bedroom door, believed the accused entered her apartment by climbing through an open window onto a balcony. The man had taken a photograph of the sleeping woman and sent it to her the next day, claiming he had performed a sexual act on her. He pleaded guilty to the assault, which occurred on either 1 or 2 June 2018, and had four prior convictions, including drink driving. Judge Melanie Greally noted the victim's traumatic experience and the man's substance‑use problems, and imposed a 39‑month sentence with nine months suspended for 12 months, requiring participation in drug and alcohol assessments. The judge emphasised the need for rehabilitation to prevent recurrence.
2022-07-25 · Dublin
Chico Makamda, 39, was returned to jail for two years after failing to leave Ireland as required by his 2019 sentence. He had been sentenced to seven and a half years, with the final two and a half years suspended on the condition that he leave the country within 14 days of release. Makamda was released in January 2022 but did not depart, and he accrued two convictions for failing to notify the Gardaí of his address under the Sex Offenders Act. He was re‑arrested in June and has been in custody since. The court reactivated the suspended portion of his sentence, noting he had made no genuine effort to comply with the condition. The hearing reaffirmed his willingness to leave, but the judge found he had intentionally refused to comply. The case also referenced his earlier conviction for sexual assault, false imprisonment and robbery in 2018. Chico Makamda pleaded guilty.
2022-07-25 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 43‑year‑old terminally‑ill woman gave a victim impact statement about her former partner, a 42‑year‑old Garda, who had harassed, threatened, assaulted, stolen from and controlled her for over four years after meeting online in 2017. She described how he sent more than 30,000 messages, including 652 in a single 14‑hour period, and threatened to kill her, steal her cancer medication, and record her at the hospital where he told her he was there to "watch her bleed to death". The man pleaded guilty to coercive control and 19 other counts, including assault, theft and threats to kill. He was suspended from duty in March 2021 and is set to resign. The court adjourned the case to consider a psychological report, with the man remanded pending the decision. The woman urged others in similar situations to come forward.
2022-07-25 · Dublin
Suzanne Shannon, aged 38, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, with the final six months suspended on strict conditions, for transporting heroin at the behest of her then partner. The drugs, valued at €69,608, were found at her Avondale House home on North Cumberland Street on 23 June 2017. Shannon pleaded guilty to one count of possession of heroin. Judge Orla Crowe noted her chronic drug problem and 46 prior convictions, mainly for theft, but also acknowledged that she had been acting under her partner's influence, who had taken responsibility for the drugs. The judge considered her cooperation with Gardaí, early guilty plea, and clean urine samples as mitigating factors, and ordered credit for time already spent in custody. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
2022-07-25 · Galway
Costel Pirvu, 39, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, with the final three and a half years suspended, for raping a 19‑year‑old woman with a mild intellectual disability. The offence began on the night of 4 February 2018 when Pirvu, who had previously been convicted of robbery and attempted rape, accosted the victim on a street in the west of Ireland, forced her into a black jeep, and raped her. He then took her to his apartment, where she was raped twice more under threat. Pirvu was arrested the same evening, and DNA evidence linked him to the victim. He maintains his innocence, claiming the sex was consensual, but the court found no evidence of prior acquaintance or knowledge of the victim's vulnerability. The sentence was back‑dated to his August 2018 arrest. The victim, who suffered physical injuries and ongoing PTSD, described feeling unsafe and depressed after the attacks.
2022-07-22 · Dublin
Philip Daly, a 52‑year‑old former fisherman from Balbriggan, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three burglary offences committed in 2020. He was found at a Supermacs in a Texaco service station on 24 May 2020, wearing underpants on his head, and had also broken into a hairdresser on 2 February 2020. Earlier that year he had been convicted of a burglary at the same Texaco station, for which he received a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended; he has served that term and is now under probation supervision. Judge Orla Crowe adjourned the case to clarify why sentencing had proceeded on one count separately and ordered an updated probation report and fortnightly drug testing. Garda Stephen O'Toole described how Daly jumped a fence, prised open the emergency door, and later returned to the station after a panic alarm.
2022-07-22 · Dublin
Patrick O'Brien, aged 39, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for defrauding a 72‑year‑old woman of €30,590. Between January and March 2019, O'Brien and two accomplices posed as roofers, claiming to fix the victim's roof, chimney and install solar panels. They persuaded her to allow them onto her roof, then showed her a photograph of birds nesting in a roof to convince her that work was needed. The woman withdrew €2,500 from her bank and repeatedly gave money to O'Brien, who acted as a money collector. The fraud ended when a bank employee questioned the withdrawals and the victim was advised not to give further money. O'Brien was identified on CCTV and arrested in May 2020. He has over 70 prior convictions and is currently serving a sentence for a similar deception offence. Patrick O'Brien pleaded guilty.
2022-07-22 · Cork
Luke Cronin, aged 22, was one of four juvenile detainees who caused €120,000 of damage to the Oberstown Children's Detention Centre on 20 and 21 September 2016. He pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal damage. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Melanie Greally imposed a headline sentence of six years, reduced to a final sentence of four years with the last three years suspended, reflecting mitigating factors such as his youth and an inexplicable delay in the case. Cronin must comply with Probation Service directions for 18 months after release. He was also in custody on another matter. The incident involved extensive damage to furniture, IT equipment, the kitchen and staff room, and was described as an incident of disorder lasting several hours. No victim impact statements were submitted. The sentence was back‑dated to 4 April 2022.
2022-07-22 · Dublin
Leanne O'Neill, 31, was intoxicated when she threatened to kill pharmacy staff at MediPharm in Dublin on 18 May 2020. She demanded a prescription for her aunt, who had previously instructed staff that O'Neill could not collect it. When the aunt arrived, O'Neill became aggressive, made threats to three staff members, and gestured a throat‑slitting motion captured on CCTV. She later told Gardaí her surname was Kinahan, but the court found no connection to that name. O'Neill pleaded guilty to three counts of making threats to kill. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a 20‑month suspended prison sentence, citing her intoxication, remorse, and mitigating factors, and noted the offence was aggravated by her return to the pharmacy the next day. The sentence was suspended on strict conditions.
2022-07-21 · Dublin
Tony Walsh, aged 72, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to four years in prison for indecent assault of schoolboys in the 1980s. Walsh, a former curate in Ballyfermot and chaplain at De La Salle school, abused boys between 1978 and 1986. He pleaded guilty to indecent assault of a child in a lane in Ballyfermot and at De La Salle school, as well as to indecent assault of a ten‑year‑old boy in 1982. The court heard victim impact statements describing how Walsh's actions caused lasting emotional and psychological harm. Walsh has previously served 20 years in prison since 1995, when he was first convicted of indecent assault, and has been convicted of 28 counts of indecent assault, five of sexual assault and five of buggery. The sentence reflects the cumulative nature of his offences and the harm inflicted on the victims.
2022-07-21 · Dublin
In July 2022, Daniel Haines, aged 33, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, with the final six months suspended, for assault causing harm to his ex‑partner Shauna Hunt. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Haines had contacted Hunt on 3 February 2021, staying at her apartment for several days. On 7 February, after drinking vodka, he told Hunt he had another girlfriend and demanded she choose. When Hunt refused to sleep with him, Haines became aggressive, calling her a "whore", "tramp" and "unwanted child". He repeatedly kicked her, pulled her by the hair, and tripped her down the stairs, causing her to fall. CCTV showed him throwing her to the ground and smashing her mobile phone. Hunt suffered bruises, cuts and two broken ribs, and was later admitted to Mater Hospital. Haines had 49 prior convictions, including public order offences, criminal damage, possession of a weapon, robbery and bench warrants. Daniel Haines pleaded guilty.
2022-07-21 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 21 July 2022, James Doyle, 36, pleaded guilty to assaulting his friends Dylan Gallagher and James Dixon on 28 April 2019. Doyle, who had been intoxicated after a dispute with his girlfriend, attacked the men with a stick while they were at a christening. Gallagher suffered a fractured arm, nerve damage and a seven‑inch scar, while Dixon sustained a head injury and cracked teeth. Both men were due to be married in the months following the assault and said the attack took away the joy of their wedding day. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a suspended three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence on Doyle, ordered him to pay €10,000 to Gallagher and €3,000 to Dixon, and considered the defendant unlikely to re‑offend. The court noted Doyle's remorse and lack of prior convictions.
2022-07-21 · Dublin
A 36‑year‑old man was sentenced to 32 months' imprisonment for assaulting his former partner and her 15‑year‑old daughter in their home. He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm on 23 November 2021. The judge described the attacks as having "severely traumatised" the victims in a place that should be a refuge. He was given a headline sentence of four years on both counts, reduced to three years and two months with the final six months suspended on strict conditions. The defendant has 78 prior convictions, including four for threatening behaviour, and is currently on remand. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim except in relation to their children.
2022-07-20 · Louth
Alina Buckley, aged 19, will be sentenced on 29 July after admitting possession of a knife outside Blackrock Garda Station on three occasions in 2020. She pleaded guilty to knife possession on 20 January, 1 February and 15 May 2020, and to threatening behaviour on 10 April 2020. Buckley, who had severe mental health difficulties at the time, was also abusive towards Gardaí during each incident. Garda Ciara Morris and Garda Sinead Whelan gave evidence of her behaviour, noting she was 17 during the first incident and that she had a steak knife and a razor blade in her possession. She had eight previous convictions, including two for assault, and had spent nine months in custody. Judge Orla Crowe adjourned sentencing to 29 July for finalisation.
2022-07-20 · Dublin
Kasim Muchhala, a 34‑year‑old accountant from Temple Woods, Dublin, allowed a colleague, referred to in court as "Suspect A", to use his bank account on several occasions between January and October 2019. Muchhala pleaded guilty to money laundering on the basis of recklessness when €72,070 was transferred into his account. Detective Garda David Egan said Suspect A stole €1.2 million from the company by filing fraudulent expense claims, and that €72,050 was laundered through Muchhala's account. Muchhala received no reward or money for his role. His defence argued he was unaware of the source of the funds and had trusted his long‑standing friendship with Suspect A. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Muchhala did not know the account was being used to defraud another entity and, considering his good character, suspended an 18‑month sentence on strict conditions.
2022-07-20 · Dublin
A 13‑year‑old boy, now 16, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm, production of a bicycle pump during an assault, two robberies and two attempted robberies on 20 October 2019. He had 24 prior convictions for burglary and robbery, all committed to fund a drug addiction that began when he was 12. The boy, born addicted to heroin and raised by his grandmother and aunts, began abusing cocaine and tablets after a traumatic encounter with his biological mother at age 12. He was said to spend €1,000 per day on drugs. The court sentenced him to 18 months' detention, backdated to January 2021 when he was first remanded in Oberstown. The case involved a violent mugging of teenagers at Na Fianna GAA grounds in Drumcondra, where a victim was struck with a bicycle pump, left with bruising, swelling, a black eye and leg bruises. Photographs and a medical report were presented.