Rinaldo Sciolla, 36, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct after a company in Cork mistakenly paid €13,166 to his Bank of Ireland account. He claimed he had no idea how the money arrived, saying he was expecting a €10 refund and saw the balance when checking. He withdrew €4,000 for accommodation, food and petrol, and later withdrew €2,000 and transferred €7,000 to a UK account, which he denied knowledge of. The court noted the money was not recovered and the company had to repay the supplier. Judge Melanie Greally set a headline sentence of two and a half years, gave credit for his plea and circumstances, and imposed an 18‑month sentence suspended in full.
The High Court has ordered the surrender of Martin Jude Wall to the United States authorities. Wall, 46, is wanted by the Chatham County Sheriff's office in Georgia for allegedly breaching the conditions of his release by fleeing to Ireland. In February 2012, Wall pleaded guilty to attempting to entice a child for indecent purposes after contacting a profile created by detectives in a sting operation. He was sentenced to detention of not less than 240 days and not more than a year, followed by a 15-year probation bond. Wall absconded in 2014 and was arrested in Ireland in December 2022. If found guilty of the breach in America, he faces the possible activation of his 15-year sentence, with 12 years and six months remaining on his probation. Mr Justice Paul Burns ruled that there was sufficient intent and actus reus for the attempted crime and found no basis to refuse surrender on fundamental rights grounds. Counsel for Wall, Mr Remy Farrell SC, argued that US sex offender registration conditions amounted to inhuman and degrading treatment under Article 3 of the Human Rights Convention, citing homelessness and employment restrictions. However, the court directed Wall's surrender to the US.
David Morgan, aged 30, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary, unlawful vehicle taking and property damage at LPD Cars & Commercials, Greenhills Road, Tallaght, on 3 September 2018. He also pleaded guilty to refusing a sample at Tallaght Garda Station and driving without insurance on Homelawn Avenue, both on the same date. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to two years in prison, suspended in full, after noting his admissions, remorse, apology and payment of €1,700 compensation to the dealership. The suspension is conditional on Morgan keeping the peace and good behaviour for two years. Morgan had been on a probation bond since January 2020, had engaged satisfactorily with the Probation Service, and is expected to finish his work with them in 2022. He was intoxicated during the offences and had been observed driving at high speed, crashing into parked cars, and resisting arrest.
Gerard Lynch, 34, of Main Street, Pallaskenry, Co Limerick, was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of his brother, Willie Lynch. Lynch pleaded guilty last May to the December 30, 2017, killing. At the sentence hearing, Detective Sergeant Michael Reidy told prosecuting counsel Bernard Condon SC that Lynch entered a nearby shop with blood on his hands, roaring for help, before locals discovered the victim's body. The Assistant State Pathologist reported four stab wounds, with the fatal injury damaging the thorax. Lynch admitted to stabbing his brother and identified the weapon. He had 36 previous convictions, including a three-year jail term in 2007 for arson. His barrister, Mark Nicholas SC, described the case as "absolutely tragic," noting Lynch's history of psychiatric admissions, ADHD, and substance use. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed the mandatory life sentence, backdated to 2017 when Lynch first went into custody. The judge agreed to attach a transcript of the hearing to Lynch's file, allowing the parole board to consider the mitigating factors under the Parole Act 2019, and expressed sympathy to the Lynch family.
A Dublin man, Mark Whelan, aged 48, was found guilty of murder by a unanimous jury at the Central Criminal Court after he stabbed Noel Whelan, 22, to death on 30 March 2019. Whelan was intoxicated with a mixture of cocaine, cannabis and benzodiazepines at the time of the offence and claimed he was psychotic through intoxication, not knowing the nature or wrongness of his actions. The jury rejected this defence and returned a guilty verdict in two hours. The judge, Ms Justice Tara Burns, confirmed that the prosecution and defence had accepted that Whelan killed Noel Whelan and that the evidence did not meet the threshold for diminished responsibility or not‑guilty by reason of insanity. The case was adjourned to 15 November for sentencing and victim impact statements. The trial included expert testimony from Dr Francis Kelly and Professor Harry Kennedy, who found no underlying mental disorder. Mark Whelan pleaded not guilty.
In the Special Criminal Court, defence counsel Bernard Condon SC argued that the State's chief witness, Martin Byrne, had lied and was unreliable. Condon said Byrne had told the Criminal Assets Bureau about IRA ties but denied them in court, and later could not recall what he had said. He claimed Byrne's testimony was dishonest and muddled, and that there was no evidence the abduction was intended to evict Byrne from The Towers. Prosecution counsel Shane Costelloe SC maintained that Jim Mansfield Jnr. lured Byrne to a remote office where former terrorist Dessie O'Hare and criminal Declan 'Whacker' Duffy abducted him to evict him from Mansfield's property. Mansfield, 54, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to falsely imprison Byrne and to perverting the course of justice by directing Byrne's brother to destroy CCTV. The judge, Alex Owens, set a mention for 15 November, with no verdict date announced. The case remains at the hearing stage.
Derek Hackett, 55, a former French Foreign Legion member, was jailed for three‑and‑a‑half years after being caught with just under €80,000 of cannabis. Gardaí, conducting a surveillance operation aimed at another man, observed Hackett handing a black refuse bag containing the drugs to that man at Drumfinn Road, Ballyfermot, on 1 August 2020. Hackett pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply. Judge Melanie Greally, noting his prior convictions for traffic offences, attributed his drug use to a debt stemming from escalating cocaine use linked to trauma from war‑torn areas where he served. She sentenced him to four‑and‑a‑half years, suspending the final 12 months on strict conditions. The case highlighted the seriousness of assisting drug distribution and the judge's emphasis on the need for serious consequences. The prosecution and defence discussed his PTSD symptoms, low re‑offending risk, and family ties, but the sentence remained unchanged.
Gerdas Svambaris, aged 20, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a fully suspended nine‑month imprisonment for possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct after he allowed his bank account to receive over £10,000 that was the proceeds of criminal activity. He was 18 when he agreed to store the money and could not withdraw it because the account was frozen following the lodgement. Svambaris pleaded guilty on 24 April 2019 at AIB, Main Street Lucan. He had no prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally noted that the origin of the money was not yet established and that the case involved a young man approached by more menacing elements in the criminal underworld. The sentence was suspended in its entirety on strict conditions, and the judge said Svambaris had learned his lesson and was assessed as a low risk of re‑offending. The account was frozen, preventing any loss to parties involved.
Brendan 'Benny' Treanor (34) of Dundalk, Co Louth, appeared at the Special Criminal Court to be charged with two offences relating to the January 23, 2013, robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead. Treanor is accused of entering residential premises as trespassers with the intention of stealing vehicle keys, contrary to Common Law, and robbing Pat Bellew of approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques, contrary to Section 14 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001. The court heard that a co-accused male is currently in custody in the UK, with an international warrant issued for his presence in Ireland. Defence counsel indicated a potential application regarding the court's jurisdiction and estimated the trial could last up to four months. The prosecution requested a 2022 trial date due to the volume of material. Presiding Judge Tony Hunt fixed October 3, 2022, as the trial date and December 21, 2021, for a progress mention. Separately, Aaron Brady (30) of Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was previously sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Det Gda Donohoe, a case that lasted 122 court days.
The Special Criminal Court has rejected Jim Mansfield Jnr's application to dismiss the case, so the trial will proceed to closing speeches. Mansfield, 54, denies setting up an employee to be kidnapped by a gang and denies conspiring to falsely imprison Martin Byrne between 1 January and 30 June 2015. He also denies attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Patrick Byrne to destroy CCTV footage related to Byrne's false imprisonment at Finnstown House Hotel between 9 and 12 June 2015. The prosecution will present its closing argument tomorrow, followed by Mansfield's defence. Jim Mansfield Jnr pleaded not guilty.
Anthony Leddy, 25, was driving a motorbike with passenger Cian Doherty when the bike collided with a car near his home. Leddy fled the scene with the bike, later returning to check on Doherty, who suffered a very serious head injury, required part of his skull removed, and now has life‑long injuries. Leddy pleaded guilty to failing to remain at the scene, careless driving and driving without insurance. He had no prior convictions. The court heard that Leddy was not skilled on the bike and was travelling too fast for the traffic. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to two years imprisonment, suspended in its entirety, with strict conditions of good behaviour and keeping the peace for two years. The sentence was imposed on 8 June 2018, and the case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 6 October 2021.
The Special Criminal Court heard closing submissions in the trial of Jim Mansfield Jnr, who has pleaded not guilty to conspiring with one or more persons to falsely imprison Martin Byrne between January 1 and June 30, 2015. He also denies attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Patrick Byrne to destroy CCTV footage. Defence counsel Bernard Condon SC argued that former INLA members Dessie O'Hare and Declan Duffy were on a "frolic of their own" and that there is insufficient evidence to establish a conspiracy involving Mr Mansfield. He contended that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Mansfield knew of the plot or agreed to it. Prosecution counsel Shane Costelloe SC countered that evidence shows Mr Mansfield conspired with the two men, citing the arrangement of the meeting at Keating Park and the subsequent destruction of CCTV footage as indicators of his involvement. The three-judge court, presided over by Mr Justice Alex Owens, will deliver its judgement on the defence application to acquit tomorrow morning.
Jakub Gorski, 37, pleaded guilty in 2011 to possessing €40,000 worth of cannabis and was due to be sentenced in April 2012. He fled Ireland in 2012, before the hearing, and was later arrested in Denmark in August 2021. Gorski, who had built a new life in Denmark with a wife, two children, a house, a mortgage and a job, was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally to a three‑year term suspended on the condition that he leave Ireland within 72 hours and not return for 15 years. The judge noted his reformation and the potential disproportionate impact of a custodial sentence, and highlighted that he had no prior convictions and had not committed any offences since leaving Ireland. The suspended sentence reflects the court's view that his new life should not be unduly disrupted.
Tomasz Lorenc, a 32‑year‑old Polish national living in Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing cannabis for sale or supply. The offence involved €467,000 worth of cannabis found in a rented 40‑foot metal storage container at Meadowfield Storage in Saggart. Gardaí obtained a search warrant and matched Lorenc's fingerprints to those taken from the drugs. The container had been rented under an alias, Karl Finnegan BL, which later proved to be Lorenc's. He is wanted in Poland for an assault charge and faces an outstanding European arrest warrant. Lorenc has one prior UK conviction for drug importation. He will be returned to Poland after serving his sentence. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to five years' imprisonment, back‑dated to his September 2020 arrest. The sentence was imposed after a psychologist report noted Lorenc's addiction, depression and other mental health issues.
In County Kerry, a 61‑year‑old man is set to be sentenced for repeatedly raping his wife's niece between 1990 and 1994. The victim, now 41, reported the abuse to gardaí in 2019, describing how the perpetrator would force her to lie on her side, hold her hips tightly and rape her each morning, starting when she was nine. She had visited the couple's home regularly and often slept in the same bed. The man was arrested in May 2019 after a confrontation with the victim's parents, during which he admitted to having sex with her. He pleaded guilty to four of the 13 charges. The court will consider his plea and the victim's impact statement before sentencing on 22 November 2021.
Jim Mansfield Jnr, aged 54, denies hiring Declan "Whacker" Duffy or Dessie O'Hare, both of whom have pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning one of Mansfield's employees. He is on trial at the Special Criminal Court for conspiring to abduct security man Martin Byrne and for attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Byrne's brother, Patrick, to destroy CCTV footage of Byrne's abduction. Mansfield says he never had an issue with Byrne, who worked for him and lived rent‑free at a Dublin property owned by the Mansfields. He claims he never employed Duffy or O'Hare, who he says were known to him but never worked for him, and denies bringing Byrne to them for any purpose. He also denies telling Patrick Byrne to destroy the recording device. The trial continues before a three‑judge court.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, 39‑year‑old Graham Whelan pleaded guilty to laundering money for an organised crime group, possessing €1.2k in cash and a €28k watch, and paying €2,140 for a three‑night stay at the Intercontinental Hotel on 31 January 2019. He also admitted to possessing cannabis in a penthouse suite on the same night, and to having cocaine and cannabis at his Walkinstown home. Whelan claimed the cash was from a "Swiss roll" and that he had bought the watch on a credit card for €8k, though a valuer placed its value at €28k. He was granted bail in March after judges considered the death of his partner a crucial factor. The court adjourned sentencing to 15 November. The case also noted Whelan's prior convictions, including drug offences and a suspended two‑year sentence for grievous bodily harm in Spain.
A man has been convicted and sentenced following the shooting of a garda during a raid on a Dublin property in December 2017. Charles Moore, aged 48, of Barnwell Drive, Ballymun, was found guilty on all counts at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, including possession of a firearm without lawful purpose, possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life, and reckless discharge of a firearm. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Moore to nine years imprisonment for the endangerment offence. Sergeant Paul McManus was struck in the forearm when Moore discharged a semi-automatic pistol as gardaí secured the premises for a drugs search. The officer subsequently underwent multiple surgeries and physiotherapy, and was later medically discharged from An Garda Síochána. Moore, who has eighteen previous convictions, maintained he did not intend to shoot a garda, claiming he believed his home was under attack. The judge accepted Moore was intoxicated at the time and unable to properly assess the situation. Charles Moore pleaded not guilty.
A man has been convicted at the Special Criminal Court of handling nearly €104,000 in proceeds from an organised ATM theft gang that stole approximately €790,000 across the Border region. Niall Finnegan, aged 39, was arrested at Tullypole, County Meath, with the cash in his possession. The court heard that between 2019 and the time of arrests two years later, the gang used excavators to forcibly remove ATMs from locations in Cavan and Monaghan, causing significant criminal damage during six raids and attempted raids. In one August 2019 operation on Virginia's Main Street, gardaí witnessed a stolen digger in convoy with a stolen Land Cruiser before intervening. A subsequent search of a Virginia site yielded €298,000. Finnegan admitted possessing the money knowing or believing it was criminal proceeds. The presiding judge stated the accused faced a custodial sentence, describing the thefts as highly organised. Sentencing was adjourned pending background reports.
Anthony Behan, 62, was convicted of impeding the apprehension of his brother during the violent armed robbery of Mizzoni's Pizza on New Year's Day 2019. He was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment by Judge Martin Nolan on 3 April 2020. His counsel, Michael O'Higgins SC, appealed the length of the sentence, arguing that the three months and four days he had spent in custody before bail should be credited. The High Court, presided over by Justice George Birmingham, granted the appeal, effectively back‑dating the sentence so that Behan's release would be on 7 October 2022 instead of 11 January 2022. The appeal also noted that Behan's separate appeal against conviction had been abandoned. The case was heard after a jury trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 28 February 2020, where both Anthony and his brother Joseph were found guilty of their respective roles in the robbery.
John O'Sullivan, a 59‑year‑old father of six, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to knowingly filing an incorrect 2007 tax return and evading €100,000 in tax, as well as to failing to file returns for 2009, 2010 and 2011. He admitted nine prior convictions for failing to file returns. The total tax liability, including back taxes and capital gains tax, was €299,658, which he has fully repaid. Judge John Aylmer, after considering mitigating factors such as the economic downturn of 2008, the guilty plea and repayment, sentenced O'Sullivan to 18 months imprisonment, but suspended the sentence entirely on strict conditions, requiring him to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for 12 months. The case was prosecuted by Diarmuid Collins BL on behalf of Revenue, and defended by John Fitzgerald SC.
A 32‑year‑old man, who had served a 10‑year sentence for killing his former girlfriend in his native EU country, was released on the condition he not leave that country until January 2022. He moved to County Cork in 2019, married the mother of a 12‑year‑old girl and moved into the family home. In May 2020 a neighbour reported a domestic incident; Gardaí found the girl with bruises and a cut on her nose. She later admitted to being beaten and sexually abused, describing three episodes of sexual assault and two rapes between September 2019 and May 2020. The man pleaded not guilty to charges of child cruelty, assault causing harm, sexual assault and rape. A jury convicted him on one assault charge, six child‑cruelty charges, three sexual‑assault charges and two rape charges. He has been remanded since June 2020 and sentencing is adjourned to 22 October.
During a ten‑week Munster child‑abuse trial, five family members were convicted of 78 counts, except one. The trial, held in Croke Park, involved a 15‑member jury, with 12 jurors deliberating for nearly 20 hours. After the trial, a juror wrote to Judge Paul McDermott about his views on the jury system; the judge received the letter but said it would not affect sentencing. The defendants, aged 27 to 56, were parents, aunt and uncles of the abused children, who were between one and nine years old at the time of the offences. They were found guilty of sexual abuse, neglect and mistreatment. All five were remanded in custody until a sentence hearing set for 10 January, with victim impact reports expected by December. The judge allowed defence teams to return later if they wished to raise concerns about the letter. The unnamed 35-year-old was acquitted.
Anthony Keogh, a 64‑year‑old farmer and former director of Keogh's Crisps, was charged with unlawfully possessing and cultivating 39 cannabis plants in his greenhouse, valued at €7,800. He pleaded guilty on 9 July 2020. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Keogh grew the plants out of curiosity about their medicinal benefits, describing the activity as a "gardening experiment." Judge Melanie Greally had initially proposed an eight‑month prison sentence but, after Keogh met the judge's conditions—including a bond to keep the peace, good behaviour for the adjourned period, and a €200 contribution to the Father Peter McVerry Trust—discharged him under Section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. The case was therefore dismissed without conviction, and Keogh was released from the indictment. The Gardaí had found the plants during a search warrant, noting they were seedlings and unlikely to enter drug circulation. The prosecution described the circumstances as "very unusual.".
During the Special Criminal Court hearing, Patrick Byrne testified that Jim Mansfield Jr. instructed him to destroy a digital recording device that stored CCTV footage from Finnstown House hotel. Byrne, who worked in security with Mansfield's brother Martin Byrne, said Mansfield asked him to remove the device from the system and then to bring it out the back and smash it. Byrne had already viewed the footage, which showed two men attempting to access Martin Byrne's car and both Mansfield and Byrne leaving the hotel in a black Audi A6. Mansfield, 55, denies conspiring to falsely imprison Martin Byrne, 53, between January and June 2015, and denies attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Byrne to destroy the footage. The case is ongoing at the non‑jury Special Criminal Court presided by Justice Alex Owens.
Stephen Fowler (62) was sentenced to six years and nine months at the Special Criminal Court for his logistical involvement in a plot to murder James Gately. The judge suspended the final 15 months for three years, conditional on good behaviour. Fowler pleaded guilty to participating in a criminal organisation's activities between December 2016 and April 2017. He is the sixth person jailed in this case. Peter Keating (40) pleaded guilty to directing a criminal organisation and was jailed for 11 years. David Duffy (33) pleaded guilty to contributing to the murder plot and received five years' imprisonment with one year suspended. Caolan Smyth (30), who denied charges, was sentenced to 20 years for attempted murder and firearm possession. Gary McAreavey (53) pleaded not guilty to impeding prosecution by burning a vehicle but received a four-year term with the final year suspended. Imre Arakas (63) was jailed for six years in 2018 after admitting to conspiring to murder Gately. The court described the events as part of ongoing targeting of Gately within a gang feud.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 4 October 2021, Claire Lott gave a victim‑impact statement describing the brutal murder of her daughter, Nadine Lott, by Daniel Murtagh. Lott recounted finding Nadine lying on her back in the kitchen of her apartment, gasping for air and covered in blood, and described the scene as "total horror" with broken glass and smashed mirrors. She spoke of the prolonged, savage attack that left Nadine "completely unrecognisable" and of the emotional toll on her family. The court had earlier convicted Murtagh of murder; he was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment, a sentence back‑dated to 16 December 2019. The hearing focused on the impact of the crime on Lott's family and the brutality of the assault, without discussing any subsequent legal developments.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Mark Whelan, aged 48, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Noel Thomas Whelan, a man in his twenties who was the partner of Whelan's daughter. The trial began with evidence that Whelan was found at Castlecurragh Heath on 30 March 2019 with blood on his face and clothing, and that he had called a local Garda station where he was heard saying, "It's me that you want." Forensic testimony confirmed that Noel Whelan was stabbed multiple times and died at the scene, and that a bag of clothes seized from Whelan contained Noel's DNA and blood. Garda Dwayne O'Brien recounted that Whelan was arrested after appearing at the station with blood‑spattered clothing and a Lidl bag of clothes. During his detention, Whelan made a series of disordered statements, including claims of killing "the last of the seven saints," and expressed remorse to the Garda. The unnamed accused was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
A 56‑year‑old man, who cannot be named, was sentenced by the Central Criminal Court to three years and nine months in prison for raping his sister between 1979 and 1982. The judge, Justice Deirdre Murphy, noted that the defendant was aged 14 to 16 at the time of the offences, so the sentence was set as a juvenile sentence. The court disregarded a testimonial written by a convicted sex offender, and the judge expressed concern that the defendant had known the writer's status when he invited him to write the testimonial. The defendant's apology, offered through his barrister, was deemed "tactical" and not a true acceptance of responsibility. The judge also suspended one year of the sentence for the defendant's crime‑free life and an additional three months for his acceptance of the jury's verdict. The sentencing was back‑dated to the defendant's initial custody in July.
Youcef Madani, a 53-year-old Algerian national, was granted bail by the High Court before Mr Justice Paul Burns, despite objections from the respondent, Detective Garda Robert Comerford of the Extradition Unit. Madani is wanted by French authorities following a 2001 conviction in his absence for making false documents to facilitate terrorism involving weapons trafficking. During the hearing, Comerford alleged that Madani, who resided in Tallaght, Dublin 24, was an expert in false paperwork and specialized in fake passports. He stated that Madani had fled France during the investigation or court process and posed a flight risk, noting that Madani had been sentenced to six years in 2001. Madani's counsel, Maria Brosnan BL, argued that Madani was entitled to a retrial, had significant family ties in Ireland, and was receiving medical disability for partial blindness. She noted that Madani had surrendered his passport and that his son would act as an independent surety. Mr Justice Burns granted bail with reluctance, citing Madani's health and family circumstances. Conditions include signing on daily at Tallaght Garda Station, surrendering his passport, providing a €2,000 personal bond, and keeping the peace. Madani's son provided a €10,000 surety. The matter was adjourned, with Madani remanded in custody with consent to bail to appear before the court again on October 11.
In a Dublin murder trial, Renato Gehlen, 39, was found guilty of killing his wife Anne Colomines, 37, by stabbing her through the heart on 25 October 2017. The jury, after two and a half hours, rejected Gehlen's claim that Colomines had stabbed herself. Prosecutors described his actions as an attempt to control the end of their marriage, citing his "toxic masculinity" and the fact that he had tried to grab a knife during a struggle. Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan testified that Colomines suffered four stab wounds, a 22‑cm throat incision and defensive injuries to her hands, concluding it was highly unlikely she inflicted the fatal wounds herself. The court will impose a mandatory life sentence on Gehlen, with sentencing scheduled for 22 October 2024. The trial also revealed that Colomines had been in a new relationship and had exchanged nearly 300 messages with her boyfriend in the hours before her death. Renato Gehlen pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a woman recounted years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse by her older brother, now 56, who was convicted of 11 rapes committed between 1979 and 1982. She said the abuse began when she was nine and her brother fourteen, escalating from touching to rape, with violence such as hitting and breaking fingers. The victim had reported the abuse to Gardaí in 2015, leading to the brother's arrest that year; he denied the allegations. The court heard the abuse occurred at their Dublin family home, starting at the time of her first communion. The woman described enduring fear, manipulation and a sense of isolation, and expressed that she could now confront the memories she had kept hidden. She thanked her husband, supporters, victim‑support services, the prosecution and Gardaí, and stated she would no longer be harmed by her brother.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court found a 41‑year‑old man guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a 19‑year‑old girl in a Dublin suburb on 21 August 2017. The accused, who pleaded not guilty, was acquitted of a false imprisonment charge. The victim, who testified via video link, described how she was alone in her town when the man approached her, offered her a place to stay, and then forced her into his home where he raped her. She later fled to a train station, was taken to a Garda station, and her family was notified. The man denied the allegations, claiming the girl was older and that she left his home. Forensic evidence, including DNA from a mattress, was presented. The judge remanded the man in custody until his sentencing date of 29 November 2021, ordering a victim impact statement and a probation report.
The Central Criminal Court is in the closing phase of a trial involving a 41‑year‑old man who has pleaded not guilty to rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment. The complainant, now 19, testified via video link that she was snuck out of her home after being grounded by her mother and was alone in her local town when the accused approached her. She alleges that after she went to his home she was raped, then the accused left the room, closed the door, and she could not leave because there was no handle on her side. She claims she left when the door was left open after a shower. Gardaí were alerted after the girl told a teacher in November 2017, and the accused was interviewed in February 2018.
A 41‑year‑old man, who cannot be named, pleaded not guilty to rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment after a 19‑year‑old girl alleged he raped her and held her captive in his Dublin suburb home on 21 August 2017. The girl, who was 15 at the time, said she had been grounded by her mother and was alone when the accused approached her on a street near his apartment. She claimed he took her to his home, offered her a small beer, and later forced her into his bedroom where he allegedly raped her. She said he closed the door, she could not leave because there was no handle on her side, and she escaped the next day after he left the room to shower. The accused denied all allegations, insisting he had thrown her out and that he believed she was in her twenties.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a 41‑year‑old man pleaded not guilty to rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment. The complainant, now 19, was 15 at the time of the alleged rape. She testified via video link that she had left home after being grounded, was alone in her town, and was approached by the accused. She claimed the man raped her after she went to his home. Forensic scientist Dr Charlotte Murphy examined a mattress fabric sample from the accused's bed and found DNA matching the complainant in a blood stain. No semen was detected. The accused argued the blood was menstrual, but Dr Murphy noted the absence of semen does not rule out intercourse. The trial also heard testimony from the accused's former flatmate, who described the night's events and the accused's statements about the girl's presence in the apartment. The case remains before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.
A 14‑year‑old boy and his 17‑year‑old brother pleaded guilty to raping a 17‑year‑old girl in a public field near a holiday caravan park. The attacks, which included oral, vaginal and anal rape, were carried out in front of about seven other boys. The younger defendant was sentenced to five years detention, while the older received seven and a half years with 18 months suspended. The court noted the victim's young age, the threats of violence, the humiliating public nature of the assaults and the lack of consent. The younger accused was described as "clearly out of control" and lacking empathy, while the older showed some remorse. The victim suffered post‑traumatic stress, dropped out of school and developed anorexia. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court.
A 19‑year‑old teenager, who was 15 at the time of the alleged rape, gave evidence via video link in the Central Criminal Court. She denies that she was "running away from home" on the night of 21 August 2017, when she was allegedly raped, sexually assaulted and falsely imprisoned by a 41‑year‑old man who cannot be named. The accused has pleaded not guilty. The teenager stated she left her home at about 3.45 am, was alone in her local town, and that the accused approached her several times. She said she had no plan that night, had left her phone behind by accident, and that she had gone to the accused's apartment to clear her head after a family dispute. She also said she had taken her father's medication with the intention of overdosing.
A 59‑year‑old man was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for two indecent assaults on his younger niece when he was a teenager. The assaults, committed between 1976 and 1979, involved the niece aged six to eight and took place in her family home, first in a bedroom and later in a bathroom. The Central Criminal Court in Waterford found the defendant guilty of two charges of indecent assault after he denied the allegations. Justice Mary Rose Gearty initially imposed a 20‑month sentence, citing the victim's very young age, the home setting and the lasting impact of the assaults. She reduced the term by ten months, suspended the final four months, and gave credit for the defendant's lack of further serious offences and his otherwise "largely blameless" life since 1979. The victim's impact statement described a lifetime of pain and avoidance, and the court noted the defendant's absence of remorse or a guilty plea.
Stephen Fowler (62) pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to participating in a criminal organisation with the intention of enhancing its ability to commit the serious offence of the murder of James Gately. The court heard that Fowler offered his home as a safe-house to Estonian hitman Imre Arakas, who was jailed for six years in December 2018 for conspiring in the attempted murder. Fowler, who previously served six years for cannabis possession, was on a two-year suspended sentence at the time of the 2017 offence. The court will review this suspended sentence as part of the finalisation. Sentencing for Fowler, which carries a maximum of 15 years, is scheduled for October 4. Related convictions include Peter Keating, jailed for 11 years for directing a criminal organisation; David Duffy, sentenced to five years with one year suspended for participating in the organisation; and Caolan Smyth, sentenced to 20 years for attempted murder and firearm possession after denying charges. Gary McAreavey, who pleaded not guilty to impeding prosecution by assisting in burning a vehicle, received a four-year term with the final year suspended. These cases stem from a feud between the Hutch and Kinahan crime groups.
In a Dublin suburb, a 15‑year‑old girl testified that a 41‑year‑old man brought her to a sealed room, locked the door, and raped her. She described how the man offered her whiskey, led her to a bedroom with a locked window, and forced sexual acts while she tried to resist. She said the assault lasted "forever" and she began bleeding. After escaping, she fled to a train station, eventually reached a Garda station, and her mother was called. She later spoke to a teacher and was examined at a sexual assault treatment unit. The man pleaded not guilty to rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment. The case is before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury at the Central Criminal Court. The trial continues.
Abderrahmane Yahiaoui, an Algerian man in his 50s who has lived in Ireland for about 22 years, was unable to attend a High Court hearing on 15 September 2021 because of medical reasons. He will appear again on 23 September to apply for bail. Mr Justice Paul Burns received a letter explaining the medical reasons and adjourned the hearing. Yahiaoui had been convicted of terror‑related offences involving weapons trafficking and was sentenced in his absence to six years in prison. Gardaí, working with the Extradition Unit, arrested him following an alert from the Garda PULSE and Schengen Information Systems.
At the Special Criminal Court, Dubliner Stephen Fowler (62) pleaded guilty to having knowledge of a criminal organisation and participating in activities connected with the attempted murder of James Gately between December 7, 2016, and April 4, 2017. Mr Justice Tony Hunt adjourned the matter, fixing September 16 for a sentence hearing. The court report also details related finalisations. Peter Keating (41) was sentenced to 11 years after pleading guilty to directing the activities of a criminal organisation during the same period. David Duffy (33) pleaded guilty to similar charges and received a five-year sentence with one year suspended. Caolan Smyth (30), who denied charges, was sentenced to 20 years for the attempted murder of Gately and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Gary McAreavey (53) pleaded not guilty to acting to impede an apprehension by assisting in the burning of a vehicle used in the attack; he was sentenced to four years with the final year suspended. Imre Arakas (63) was jailed for six years in 2018 after admitting to conspiring to murder Gately. These proceedings relate to a feud between the Hutch and Kinahan crime groups, during which Gately survived multiple assassination attempts.
A Dublin man, now 25, was jailed for five years after being convicted of one count of anal rape and five counts of sexual assault against his younger cousin, who was nine or ten at the time. The offences occurred between 2013 and early 2015 while the man, aged 17 or 18, was a regular visitor to the family home. He pleaded not guilty but was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court in May 2021. The judge noted the breach of trust, the victim's age and the impact on the victim and his family, and considered the accused's youth and lack of prior convictions. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment, with one year of post‑release supervision by the Probation Service. The court also ordered that breaching the supervision order would be a separate criminal offence.
Conor Dreelan, aged 25, was sentenced to four years in prison at the Central Criminal Court for intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to his mother, Phyllis Dreelan, and stepfather, David Dignam, during a cocaine‑induced psychotic episode. He had taken 2 grams of cocaine the day before the assault. Dreelan was found to have no evidence of psychosis when not using drugs and was described as being in shock when he realised the harm he had caused. The court imposed a six‑year sentence on each count of causing serious harm, suspended the final two years on the condition of good behaviour and supervision by probation services, and ordered the sentences to run concurrently. The victims reported that they knew the attack was not truly carried out by their son and expressed hope for his return home after his diagnosis of an acute psychotic episode secondary to drug consumption. Conor Dreelan pleaded guilty.
Four men have been sentenced to a combined 33 years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court following their convictions in connection with a gangland murder conspiracy. Wayne Ryan, aged 41 and with an address in Longford, pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Wayne Whelan at Griffeen Glen Park, Lucan, on September 4th, 2019, and received 15 years. Three others—Cailean Crawford, Darren Henderson, and Charles McClean—pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder Whelan between May and November 2019. McClean received eight years, whilst Henderson and Crawford each received seven years with the final two years suspended. Mr Justice Michael White noted the "callous indifference" demonstrated in the broad daylight attack outside the victim's home. Whelan survived the initial shooting but was killed in a second attack in November 2019. The judge backdated sentences according to custody commencement dates and imposed good behaviour bonds on Henderson and Crawford regarding their suspended portions.
Senior Kinahan cartel member Peter Keating has been jailed for 12 years by the Special Criminal Court for directing the activities of a criminal organisation between December 7, 2016 and April 6, 2017, within and outside the State. Keating (40) pleaded guilty in July of this year to directing the activities of the crime group in their failed attempt to murder Hutch gang member James 'Mago' Gately. The judge noted that Keating was a 'senior figure' for the Kinahan Organised Crime Group and a 'repository of trust and confidence' for the cartel. The sentence was backdated to July 1, 2020, and the final year of the 12-year term was suspended for two years. Keating entered into a bond of €100 to keep the peace for two years. The judge gave Keating a 25% discount for his early guilty plea, which saved a costly trial. The court heard that Keating was involved in the commission of a serious offence and played a significant role in the surveillance of Gately and his family regarding the proposed murder. The investigation highlighted the transnational outreach of organised crime, with Estonian hitman Imre Arakas (62) jailed for six years in December 2018 for conspiring with others to murder Gately in Northern Ireland between April 3 and 4, 2017. Arakas was arrested before the planned attack on Gately could be carried out. Caolan Smyth (30) was sentenced to 20 years last February for attempted murder in relation to a second attempt on Gately's life in May 2017. The matter was adjourned and never described as concluded or finalised.
The Special Criminal Court heard closing arguments on the final day of the trial of four men charged with the abduction and assault of Kevin Lunney, a Quinn Industrial Holdings director, at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, County Cavan on September 17, 2019. The 40-day trial opened in June. Defence counsel for Luke O'Reilly, aged 68 from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, County Cavan, submitted that the prosecution had not established beyond reasonable doubt that his client knew of the alleged offences. Counsel argued that the evidence showed Mr O'Reilly had been kept uninformed of events and that his purchase of bleach from a local shop was explainable. The three other accused, identified as a 40-year-old man known as YZ, Alan O'Brien aged 40, and Darren Redmond aged 27, both from East Wall, Dublin, have also pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm. The court will deliver its verdict on October 22. The trial was presided over by Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Gerard Griffin, and Judge David McHugh.
Daniel Murtagh, aged 34, was found guilty of murdering his former partner Nadine Lott, a 30‑year‑old beautician, after a brutal assault on 14 December 2019 that left her with severe head, neck and chest injuries. The jury, after five hours and forty‑six minutes over two days, rejected Murtagh's defence that intoxication negated intent, concluding that despite his consumption of alcohol, drugs and methadone, he had formed the intent to kill. Murtagh had admitted to smoking a joint, taking pills and drinking rum before the attack, and to having been on methadone for three months. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with the judge ordering a mandatory sentence and remand until the sentencing date. The case highlighted the extreme violence inflicted, with witnesses describing him as "like a wild animal" and the victim as "completely unrecognisable" after the assault. Daniel Murtagh pleaded not guilty. Nadine Lott pleaded not guilty.
At the Special Criminal Court in Dublin, closing arguments concluded on Wednesday in the trial of four men accused of the abduction and assault of businessman Kevin Lunney in Cavan on 17 September 2019. The accused, identified as YZ, Alan O'Brien, Darren Redmond and Luke O'Reilly, have all pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm. Defence counsel conceded that circumstances surrounding their clients appeared suspicious but argued this fell short of the proof required for conviction. They challenged the prosecution's reliance on circumstantial evidence, including DNA findings in a Renault Kangoo van, mobile phone location data, and CCTV identification. A central defence submission questioned whether forensic evidence could have been compromised, given unclear access logs at the forensic examination facility in Santry. Counsel also highlighted inconsistencies in witness identification and gaps in telephone evidence the prosecution relied upon. The three-judge court is expected to deliver its verdict following closing arguments.