The Special Criminal Court heard closing submissions in the trial of Alan O'Brien, Darren Redmond, Luke O'Reilly, and a fourth accused identified as YZ. All four defendants pleaded not guilty to the alleged false imprisonment and intentional causing of serious harm to Kevin Lunney, a Quinn Industrial Holdings director, on September 17, 2019. The prosecution, led by Sean Guerin SC, argued that the evidence established the defendants' guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Counsel described the incident as an "ordeal of callous brutality" intended to intimidate Mr. Lunney, citing injuries including a fractured tibia and knife wounds to his face and chest. The state presented DNA evidence linking three accused to a Kangoo van and connected Mr. O'Reilly to the yard where the victim was allegedly held. Although the source text describes the conclusion of the closing speeches, the validated procedural stage is sentence. However, no specific sentence, finding, or finalisation is recorded in the provided validated facts. Consequently, the matter is treated as being at the sentencing stage, with no final disposal or adjournment details available in the validated data to confirm a concluded outcome.
Jordan Stone, a 23‑year‑old father of three, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale and supply after Gardaí seized 2.9 kg of cannabis, €1,420 in cash, and 1.1 g of cocaine from his home in Ringsend. He has prior convictions for drug possession and assault. At his sentencing hearing, Stone admitted he had a drug addiction and had been under pressure to hold drugs for someone else, but he would not name anyone. The judge noted the seized amount was significant but within the middle range for the Circuit Court, and considered his good work record and recent loss of his mother as mitigating factors. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a five‑year prison term, suspended for three years, and ordered Stone to attend courses on victim awareness and substance misuse, to destroy the drugs and surrender the cash. She urged him to rehabilitate and warned he should not return to court.
Joseph Keegan, a 79-year-old former Franciscan friar from Crumlin, Dublin 12, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for two counts of indecent assault. A jury found him guilty of anally raping a boy aged nine or ten in 1986 or 1987 at a Church property, and sexually assaulting him after football training in 1985 or 1986. Judge Pauline Codd noted aggravating factors including the breach of trust, grooming, and the lack of remorse or admission of guilt. She also considered Keegan's previous 1999 conviction for gross indecency involving five boys. Despite his frailty and low risk of reoffending, the judge imposed a six-year sentence for the rape and a four-year sentence for the sexual assault. These sentences were ordered to run concurrently. The final year of both terms was suspended, resulting in an effective custody period of five years. Keegan, who was seated in a wheelchair throughout the proceedings, was taken into custody after entering the bond.
Dermot O'Callaghan, 55, was sentenced to an additional eight years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, for the armed robbery of Ulster Bank in Stillorgan on 26 September 2017. He pleaded guilty under Section 27B of the Firearms Act to possession of an imitation firearm with intent to rob. The robbery involved a gun pressed into a bank worker's chest, forcing staff to drop to the floor and comply with demands for €13,200 in cash and £800 sterling. O'Callaghan was already serving an eight‑year sentence for robbery and firearms possession, set to expire in February 2024, and the new term is to run consecutively. The court noted his guilty plea, addiction to heroin, and personal circumstances as mitigating factors, but also his aggressive conduct during the robbery. The sentence was imposed by Judge Pauline Codd.
Dermot O'Connor, aged 49, was jailed for five and a half years after pleading guilty to raping a 20‑year‑old woman in a public park on 21 July 2019. The victim, who was intoxicated and had separated from her friends, had gone to sleep in the park and was assaulted while sleeping. O'Connor first sexually assaulted her and left, then returned to rape her again. The victim gave a victim impact statement, describing anxiety, depression and fear of being alone after the assault. Mr Justice Michael MacGrath, hearing the case, noted the opportunistic nature of the attack and the delays caused by the pandemic. He imposed a six‑year sentence, suspended the final six months, and took into account the absence of prior sexual offending and the victim's relief at the guilty plea. The investigation involved 60 witness statements, 300 hours of CCTV footage and DNA evidence linking O'Connor to the assault.
Samuel Ilesanmi, 22, an amateur heavyweight boxer from Tallaght, pleaded guilty to multiple thefts of cigarettes at Centra, Castletymon Shopping Centre, Dublin, between September 2019 and August 2020. Garda David Jennings presented evidence that €114,863 worth of cigarettes were stolen, with CCTV linking Ilesanmi to the offences. Ilesanmi admitted to the thefts, citing influence from "the wrong people" and offers of money for cigarette sleeves. He had no prior convictions. During the sentencing hearing, letters of support were submitted, including one from champion boxer Kellie Harrington praising his potential. Ilesanmi expressed remorse, noting that the financial gain gave him a false sense of purpose. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three years imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions, acknowledging his remorse and future prospects.
A man has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his conviction for a four-day assault on a teenager in County Cavan in October 2019. The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault, false imprisonment, assault causing serious harm, making threats to kill, assault causing harm and robbery. He subjected the victim, then aged 19, to violence based on an unfounded belief that the victim had informed on him. Two co-accused, twin siblings aged 23, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and assault causing harm. The male twin received five years imprisonment with the final two-and-a-half years suspended, while the female twin, previously sentenced in May, received four years with the final three years and three months suspended. The assault came to an end after material posted to social media alerted the victim's family, who located him using a phone tracking device. Mr Justice Michael White imposed strict conditions including probation service supervision and therapeutic intervention on the suspended sentences.
Dubliner David Duffy was sentenced to five years in prison by the Special Criminal Court for supplying logistical support in a Kinahan cartel plot to murder James 'Mago' Gately. Duffy, 33, pleaded guilty in April to participating in a criminal organisation's activities connected to the attempted murder between December 2016 and April 2017. Presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt noted Duffy booked flights for hitman Imre Arakas, sourced vehicles and tracker devices, and possessed SIM cards. Although the judge fixed an eight-year headline sentence, he discounted a quarter due to Duffy's early guilty plea and suspended the final year of the six-year term. Duffy was ordered to engage with probation services for that suspended year, be of good behaviour for three years, and enter a €100 bond. Separately, Peter Keating, 40, pleaded guilty earlier this week to directing the activities of a criminal organisation under Section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act for the same period. The court highlighted that Arakas was intercepted by gardaí before carrying out the contract. Gately survived a subsequent shooting in May 2017 while wearing a bullet-proof vest.
Senior Kinahan Cartel lieutenant Declan Brady was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison, with the final year suspended, for laundering €268,940 of crime cash. He is already serving 11‑and‑a‑half years for firearms offences. Brady's wife, Deirdre Brady, received a fully suspended three‑year sentence for laundering €770,499, and former mistress Erika Lukacs, aged 37, received a fully suspended three‑year sentence for laundering €196,864. The court found that the laundering involved mortgage payments on a Spanish holiday property, a wedding at Druid's Glen, and transfers to other gang members. Brady's wife and Lukacs were not involved in the underlying criminality that generated the cash, and the judge considered their lack of prior convictions and good character in deciding on suspended sentences. The sentences will run from 23 April 2021, the date of Brady's guilty plea.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Kai Zhu, 39, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to his wife, Meihan Meng, and to one count of criminal damage. The assault occurred on 13 May 2020 at their home, where Zhu held Meng down on the kitchen floor, strangled her, slapped and punched her face repeatedly, and smashed her mobile phone. Meng, who was with their three‑year‑old daughter, described feeling unable to breathe and losing consciousness. A medical report noted temporary hearing loss. Zhu denied using a chokehold, claiming he only slapped. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to 15 months' imprisonment, with the final three months suspended, and a concurrent six‑month sentence for criminal damage. The case highlighted the domestic violence that can occur in family homes. The court heard Meng was on sick leave for 46 days following the assault.
Lisa O'Hara, 32, received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to nine counts of handling or possessing cash that was the proceeds of crime, totalling €119,126. The Special Criminal Court found she did not know the money's source but was reckless in not questioning her former partner, James Walsh, about it. Walsh, 37, was already serving an eight‑year firearms sentence and was sentenced to six years and nine months for 12 counts of cash handling, with the final two years suspended for four years post‑release. O'Hara was given a two‑year suspended custodial sentence, with a €100 bond, and was warned not to repeat the mistakes that led to her conviction. The court noted her remorse, good work record and role as sole carer for her child.
Graham Whelan, a 38‑year‑old father of four from Walkinstown, pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court to laundering €3,415 and to possession of cocaine, cannabis and a high‑end watch. He admitted to three counts of money laundering under the Criminal Justice Act: €1,275 found on his person, €2,140 used to pay for a hotel room, and a Piguet Royal Oak watch that was the proceeds of criminal conduct. He was remanded on continuing bail until 5 October for a sentence hearing.
Niall Finnegan, 39, of Cherry Grove, Cullyhanna, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possessing or handling more than €100,000 of stolen ATM cash. The offence occurred on 20 August 2019 at The Yard, Tullypole, Moynalty, Co Meath, where he had the money for the benefit of, or at the direction of, or in association with, a criminal organisation. The court also considered a second count of handling or possessing €103,930, knowing or being reckless about its criminal provenance, and a third count for aiding the movement of cash in a Toyota Avensis to facilitate a serious offence by the same organisation. Finnegan's bail conditions were relaxed to a single daily sign‑on, a two‑week holiday in August, and removal of his curfew. He remains remanded until a sentencing hearing on 5 October.
A Dublin man has been sentenced to four years imprisonment following a money-laundering conviction at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Jonathon O'Connor, aged 38, pleaded guilty to concealing over €870,000 in cash at a rural property in Dromore, Bailieboro, Co Cavan on 28 July 2020. During a garda surveillance operation at the address, officers discovered €870,620 in euro and £14,890 in sterling, distributed across 21 separate cash exhibits found in sheds and outhouses. O'Connor, from Elm Road, Donnycarney, Dublin, immediately disclosed a further €80,000 in his vehicle. When questioned, he declined to identify the money's owner, stating his life would be endangered. He admitted transporting and storing the funds but offered no explanation for an apparent obligation to a third party. Judge Martin Nolan accepted O'Connor's full cooperation and clean criminal record but determined that custodial sentencing was warranted given the serious nature of money laundering.
Martin Gilsenan, 50, of Kilwarden Court, Boot Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for allowing his apartment to be used by a gang to store over €800,000 worth of drugs. He pleaded guilty on 16 October 2018 to possessing cannabis resin, cannabis herb and cocaine for sale and supply at his home. Gardaí, acting on confidential information, observed a courier van unloading boxes into the flat and seized large quantities of cocaine and cannabis, a weighing scale and a cutting agent. Gilsenan admitted he was "in it to clear a debt" and was described as a vulnerable person with alcohol addiction and mental health difficulties. The judge accepted mitigating factors and suspended the final three years of the sentence, imposing a year's probation supervision upon release. The case was heard before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Karen O'Connor.
At the Special Criminal Court in Dublin, the presiding judge questioned whether defence counsel was suggesting gardaí engaged in misconduct by planting DNA evidence in a van allegedly used in the abduction and torture of Kevin Lunney. The trial of four men, including a 40-year-old named YZ, Alan O'Brien of East Wall, Dublin, Darren Redmond of East Wall, Dublin, and Luke O'Reilly of Kilcogy, County Cavan, centres on charges of false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm to Mr Lunney on 17 September 2019 at Ballinagh, County Cavan. All four have pleaded not guilty. Defence lawyers challenged the admissibility of DNA evidence recovered from the Renault Kangoo, arguing that experienced forensic examiners found no staining on 29 October but that DNA matching Mr Lunney was identified two days later. They also contended that destruction of the van in a fire at a Cavan storage facility in February 2020 prevented independent expert examination. The three-judge court is expected to rule on the DNA evidence challenge on resumption of the trial.
The trial of businessman Jim Mansfield Jnr (54) was adjourned at the Special Criminal Court until October. Mansfield, of Saggart, Co Dublin, pleaded not guilty to conspiring to falsely imprison Martin Byrne and attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Patrick Byrne to destroy CCTV footage. The matter was adjourned after Garda evidence regarding exhibits was heard. Previously, Dessie O'Hare (64) pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning Byrne and assaulting John Roche. He was sentenced to ten years in prison with three years suspended for the false imprisonment and three years for the assault. Christopher Maguire (41) pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning Lisa Byrne and received a three-year suspended sentence. Declan 'Whacker' Duffy (46) was also sentenced to six years for false imprisonment. Martin Byrne, who testified that Mansfield was present when he was taken prisoner, is currently in the Witness Protection Programme.
Kelly Noble, 36, of Hogan Court, Dublin, pleaded guilty to two violent robberies in the city centre on 24 September 2017, one of which left a victim needing an ambulance. She also pleaded guilty to two attempted robbery counts. The court noted her previous six‑year imprisonment for manslaughter and 20 other convictions. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced her to four years' imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation. The judge highlighted that Noble acted under a male accomplice's instructions but was responsible for her actions. The sentencing reflected her traumatic early life and recent attempts at stability and reformed relationships with her children and mother. The court emphasised that the offences caused great anxiety and were not inconsequential. The sentence was imposed at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Trevor Byrne, aged 41, was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to consecutive jail terms totalling 17½ years for a series of firearms offences and an armed robbery of Boylesports bookmakers in Swords on 19 March 2010. The robbery involved two men and included possession of a loaded 9 mm Luger‑calibre Radom 35 firearm, false imprisonment, a threat to kill, and hijacking a woman's car at gunpoint. Byrne had 44 prior convictions and was already serving a nine‑year sentence for a firearms offence that began in November 2019. The judge imposed eight‑and‑a‑half years for the robbery and false imprisonment, six‑and‑a‑half years for the threat to kill, and seven‑and‑a‑half years each for the firearm possession and car hijacking, with all five sentences running concurrently but consecutively to the earlier firearms conviction. The sentences were reduced by a total of 12 months for mitigation and rehabilitation considerations. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
A 19-year-old was subjected to a four-day ordeal of assault, false imprisonment and sexual abuse at a house in County Cavan between October 17th and 20th, 2019, the Central Criminal Court heard. The main male accused, aged 27, developed an irrational belief that the victim had informed gardaí about him following their joint arrest for drug possession in Dublin. Based on this misconception, he subjected the victim to sustained violence, stabbing him with knives, cutting a crescent shape into his face, and sexually assaulting him. A female co-accused carved the numbers 666 into the victim's forehead, while her twin brother struck the victim with a wrench and dumbbell. Material from the incident was uploaded to Snapchat, enabling the victim's family to locate and rescue him. The main accused pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault, assault causing serious harm, false imprisonment, threats to kill, assault causing harm and robbery. He was sentenced to eleven years imprisonment with the final two years suspended. His female co-accused received four years imprisonment with three years and three months suspended.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Elma Sheahan condemned the brutal assault carried out by Martina Rooney (39) against another woman over a €50 dispute. Rooney repeatedly punched and stabbed the victim, causing extensive facial bruising and lacerations to the back, buttock and thigh. She was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. Karl Fishe (35), who assisted by holding the victim's hair, received a two‑year and eight‑month sentence, with the final eight months suspended and a 16‑month probation period. The court noted the attack's duration of about nine minutes and the victim's lasting physical and psychological harm, including panic attacks and loss of joy over an impending pregnancy. Rooney's prior 73 convictions and Fishe's 124 convictions were also recorded. The case was built on CCTV, DNA evidence and Garda testimony. Martina Rooney pleaded guilty. Karl Fishe pleaded guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court case, a 69‑year‑old man was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions. He was convicted of two counts of rape of a niece, one when she was a child in 1977 and another when she was in her twenties in 1986, and of seven counts of indecent assault against the same victim between 1971 and 1974. He also faced three further counts of indecent assault against other child victims between 1982 and 1986. The judge noted the offences were committed when the victims were young, vulnerable and isolated, and that the man had a history of six prior convictions. The sentencing reflected the judge's view that the man's culpability was high and that the crimes caused great harm to the victims. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
The Special Criminal Court heard evidence regarding a van allegedly used in the abduction and assault of businessman Kevin Lunney. A National Surveillance Unit officer testified that on October 21, 2019, he deployed technical equipment inside a Renault Kangoo van parked unlocked on Merchant's Road, Dublin. The prosecution alleges the vehicle was used to transport Mr Lunney from Dublin to Cavan and back on September 17, 2019. DNA matching Mr Lunney was found on the van's sliding door, while DNA matching accused Darren Redmond was found on a bar behind the front seats. Under cross-examination, the detective acknowledged the vehicle was open and accessible to anyone. The defence intends to raise a legal issue regarding the van. The trial is presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, with Judges Gerard Griffin and David McHugh. Four men have pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan. The accused are Alan O'Brien (40), Darren Redmond (27), Luke O'Reilly (68), and a 40-year-old man identified as YZ. Mr Lunney testified that he was threatened, beaten, and cut with a Stanley knife, with the letters QIH scored into his chest, before being left on a country road. The court ordered that the identities of the NSU officers not be published to protect their safety.
Alan Melia, 27, was arrested by Gardaí on a stakeout in Tallaght Village after being caught with a stolen BMW 520. He had pleaded guilty to possession of the vehicle on 29 September 2020. Melia had 92 prior convictions, including theft, vehicle‑related offences, burglary, criminal damage and arson. The BMW was found in the New Bancroft Apartments car park; officers observed him approaching the car, taking items from behind the rear bumper, and entering it. He was taken into custody with a key, pliers and gloves. The car was damaged and written off by the insurer. Melia's defence cited his ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder diagnoses and a difficult upbringing. The court imposed a two‑year imprisonment sentence for handling the stolen car, activated 18 months of a suspended sentence, and left 12 months suspended for a year. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
A 36‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for two counts of orally raping his youngest brother and for seven counts of assault causing harm to the same brother, plus five counts of assault causing harm to his middle brother. The convictions were obtained by jury at the Central Criminal Court in April, with earlier convictions for assault spanning 1999‑2006. He was found not guilty of a sexual assault allegation against the middle brother. The judge cited the extreme violence inflicted, the long‑term effects, the accused's age and the risk of reoffending as aggravating factors. Sentences for the rapes and assaults were to run concurrently, with the effective term of nine years back‑dated to his detention on 5 February 2020. The case involved testimony of the brothers describing beatings with bamboo poles, baseball bats, hurleys and sticks, and incidents of forced oral contact.
A 23‑year‑old homeless woman, Kelly McAuley, who was pregnant, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing €790 from William O'Brien at an Ulster Bank ATM on O'Connell Street on 1 May 2020. O'Brien had warned her to stay back, but when the cash was dispensed McAuley grabbed the money, leading to a tussle. Two passers‑by intervened and recovered €290, which was returned to O'Brien. CCTV footage led to McAuley's arrest. She has 63 prior convictions and had been homeless for five to six years, with a child born seven months earlier. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted she made no attempt to harm O'Brien and sentenced her to three years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions, back‑dated to 19 February 2021.
Joseph Smith, 36, was jailed for three years after he fired a shotgun twice at his partner's Ford Focus during a heated argument. The incident occurred on Whitechapel Road, Blanchardstown, where Smith had taken the shotgun from his home and discharged it, smashing the car's windows. Gardaí found a double‑barrel sawn‑off shotgun and cartridges in a Mazda parked at Smith's address, linking the weapon to him. Smith pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances. The court noted his prior drug‑related difficulties and his efforts at rehabilitation, but also his role as a father to three children. Judge Martin Nolan described the offence as a "fit of anger" and imposed a three‑year sentence, crediting any time already served.
Lee Bergin, 41, a legally blind man, was found guilty of operating an illegal cable‑TV service. He transmitted decryption codes from legitimate viewing cards over the internet, enabling customers to watch cable broadcasts without paying. Gardaí discovered computers, card readers, and set‑top boxes at his former Stoneybatter address, and the court heard how the cards were used to descramble signals. Bergin pleaded guilty to dishonestly operating a computer in 2015 and had no prior convictions. He expressed remorse and claimed his wife was uninvolved. Judge Elma Sheahan described the offence as sophisticated, noted his genuine regret, and, believing he was on a path to rehabilitation, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence fully suspended on strict conditions. The sentence was suspended in its entirety, with no custodial term imposed.
Luke Wilson, 25, serving a 12‑year sentence for a cocaine‑snorting murder conspiracy, was given an additional two years for threatening to cut the throat of a prison officer and his children. The threat was made at Mountjoy Prison on 17 November 2018 after Wilson, who had been in "bad form", told the officer to "Fuck off, or I'll cut the throat of you". He later threatened the officer's family, saying he would "cut their throats". The court heard Wilson had a history of violence, including an attempted murder in 2013 that left him blind in one eye, and 45 prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to three and a half years, consecutive to his existing term, and suspended the final 18 months on strict conditions. Wilson had previously pleaded guilty to the threat. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the repeated, venomous threats made during the day.
A 37‑year‑old former child carer, whose name is withheld to protect his daughter, admitted to Gardaí that he photographed his daughter, aged about seven or eight, exiting a shower and sent the image online in exchange for explicit photos of his nephew. He pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing, producing and disseminating child pornography and one count of possessing a child sexual abuse image, all relating to Skype conversations from 17–20 February 2016. At a sentence hearing in May, the court noted he had previously been arrested in June 2019 after being flagged for accessing online child sex abuse material. He received a two‑year suspended sentence from Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the suspension contingent on engagement with the Probation Service, sex‑offender treatment, and therapeutic work. The judge emphasised that the suspended term would involve intensive supervision and that the defendant is prohibited from unsupervised contact with children. No custodial time is imposed.
Alan Behan, aged 29, was sentenced to five years in prison for hijacking a car, threatening the driver, and crashing it. Earlier that year he had stolen personal effects and money from a building site, breaching bond conditions imposed after a four‑year suspended sentence for stealing €2,500 from an elderly man in 2016. Behan pleaded guilty to unlawful seizure of a motor vehicle on Capel Street, trespass and theft from a building site on Middle Abbey Street, dangerous driving, driving without a licence and without insurance. Gardaí used CCTV to trace his movements, showing him entering a building site, taking a hard hat and high‑visibility jacket, and later driving the hijacked Toyota Corolla over Grattan Bridge into the south city area. He was arrested after crashing the vehicle into two stationary cars on Walkinstown Avenue.
Kenneth Lynch, 32, a former special needs assistant, was found with over €4,000 of cocaine and €10,000 in cash in his home in Clondalkin. He pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply at his address on 23 August 2018. Lynch had 11 prior convictions for road traffic offences. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to four years imprisonment but suspended the entire sentence for five years on strict conditions, ordering him to engage with the Probation Service for two years and attend regular urine testing. Lynch acknowledged the drugs were intended for sale, having paid €1,500 for them and expecting to double his money. He claimed the cash came from people who owed him money or were savings. The judge noted his history of drug use was linked to a "party lifestyle" and that he had lost his way after a tragedy. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Craig White, 24, a schizophrenic man, was found guilty of endangerment, criminal damage, failure to remain at the scene, driving without insurance, dangerous driving and theft. He drove a stolen motorcycle on a footpath in Ratoath, Finglas, in July 2017, ignoring stop and yield signs, and collided with a VW Polo and a courier's motorbike. The courier, William Murray, was thrown from his bike, sustaining a right‑elbow injury that required surgery, and suffered an estimated loss of earnings of over €13,000. White's motorcycle was written off. He had 12 prior convictions, including for dangerous driving and driving without insurance. The court, noting his schizophrenia and treatment, imposed a suspended sentence of three years for the driving offences and four months for the theft, with strict conditions to continue medication.
Jack Manning, aged 85, a former Christian Brother, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for nine counts of indecent assault on four pupils aged six to eight at Westland Row CBS in the early 1970s. The offences, mainly between September 1972 and June 1973, involved Manning approaching boys to the front of the class, unzipping their trousers, and fondling their genitals. One victim was abused as late as June 1975. The four men, now in their sixties, gave victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing, describing fear, shame and long‑term emotional damage. Manning pleaded guilty to the first charge and admitted the facts of the prosecution case. He was sentenced to two years for the first count and an additional year for the fifth count, to be served consecutively. Manning left the Christian Brothers in 1977 and has since expressed remorse. The judge described his conduct as morally reprehensible and a severe breach of trust.
Kealan Harrington, a marketing executive from Ballintemple, Co Cork, has brought a High Court challenge against his discharge from the Reserve Defence Forces (RDF). The applicant claims the decision, made effective on May 17, was unlawful and breached natural and constitutional justice. He alleges he was denied a fair hearing and that his dismissal is linked to his role as public spokesperson for the family of Aaron Brady, who was convicted and jailed for the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donoghue. Harrington asserts that the RDF cited a security risk, stemming from an incident at Collins Barracks, Cork, where he was allegedly accused of impersonating an officer. He maintains this was a misunderstanding and that he was never provided with specific reasons for the discharge. In judicial review proceedings against the Minister for Defence, Ireland, and the Attorney General, Harrington seeks an order quashing the discharge decision and remitting it to the Minister for determination in accordance with regulations. The matter came before Mr Justice Charles Meenan, who directed that the application for permission to bring the challenge be made on notice to the respondents. The case was adjourned and will return before the Court in November.
The Special Criminal Court trial of Alan O'Brien, Darren Redmond, Luke O'Reilly, and an accused man identified as YZ continues, with all four pleading not guilty to false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm to Kevin Lunney in September 2019. Detective Sergeant Jim McDevitt testified that a fire destroying a Renault Kangoo, allegedly used in the incident, was caused by defective walkie-talkie batteries prone to overheating. The prosecution does not allege Mr. Lunney was in the van, but notes DNA matching his was found on suspected blood stains, while DNA matching Redmond was found on a bar. McDevitt stated gardai moved the vehicle from Santry to a Cavan yard where the fire occurred in February 2020. The witness also reported that an Audi owner failed to identify any buyer during an identity parade. Regarding Redmond, McDevitt confirmed he received €25,000 in August 2019 and is a friend of YZ. For O'Reilly, the court heard he purchased a lorry from a deceased man alleged to have organized the abduction. The prosecution expects to complete its evidence tomorrow, with closing speeches scheduled for Wednesday. The matter is currently at the sentencing stage of proceedings, though the trial is ongoing.
Wayne Ryan, aged 41, with an address in Longford but originally from Limerick, has pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Wayne Whelan at Griffeen Glen Park, Lucan on 4 September 2019. Three Dublin men—Cailean Crawford, Darren Henderson and Charles McClean—pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder Whelan at that location between May and November 2019. McClean and Whelan had previously been business partners in a car sales enterprise that ceased trading in 2016. Evidence presented to the Central Criminal Court detailed how Whelan was shot eleven times as he sat in his vehicle, struck by four bullets. A badly damaged handgun was recovered from a burnt-out van minutes after the attack. Firearms residue found on Ryan's clothing offered extremely strong support that he had discharged the shots. The four men were remanded in custody pending sentencing on 2 September 2021.
Peter Keating, 40, of Clondalkin, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to directing the activities of the Kinahan crime cartel in their failed attempt to murder Hutch gang member James 'Mago' Gately. Detective Sergeant David Carolan stated that Keating was involved in locating Gately's Belfast home and tracking his movements using devices planted on his car and family members' vehicles. It was accepted that Keating was himself receiving directions from others. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding in the three-judge court, adjourned sentencing until September 2. The court heard that Imre Arakas, 62, was brought to Ireland on April 3, 2017, to target Gately. Arakas was arrested before the planned attack could be carried out and was jailed for six years in December 2018 after pleading guilty to conspiring with others to murder Gately. Separately, Caolan Smyth, 30, of Donore, Co Meath, was sentenced to 20 years in February for attempted murder in relation to a separate attack on Gately in May 2017, where Gately survived despite being shot five times while wearing a bulletproof vest. Keating's counsel highlighted his early guilty plea and physical disabilities, while the prosecution noted his ten previous convictions.
In a Cork Central Criminal Court case, a 44‑year‑old man was convicted of raping a friend who was sleeping in her daughter's bed with the child beside her. The offence occurred on the night of 3‑4 February 2017 at the woman's home. She reported the assault after discovering the man had slept on her son's bed and had pulled down the zip of her onesie, causing vaginal pain. The victim, who had been friends with the accused for many years, described the impact on her daily life and her children. The judge noted the man had no prior convictions, had worked full‑time, and was in a long‑term relationship with a child due in December. He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, and no post‑release supervision was imposed. The sentence was delivered by Mr Justice Michael MacGrath. The unnamed 44-year-old pleaded not guilty.
The Special Criminal Court resumed the non‑jury trial of Jim Mansfield Jnr, aged 53, after a seven‑month adjournment. Mansfield is accused of conspiring to falsely imprison Martin Byrne, aged 53, between 1 January and 30 June 2015, and of attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Patrick Byrne to destroy CCTV footage. Byrne, now in the Witness Protection Programme, testified that Mansfield was "a couple of feet away" when he was taken prisoner by a gang that included former INLA man Dessie O'Hare and former Republican paramilitary Declan "Whacker" Duffy. The trial was adjourned in December to allow Mansfield's lawyers to view previously undisclosed CCTV footage. Defence counsel Tony McGillicuddy challenged redactions, while DPP counsel Shane Costelloe addressed each request. The case continues before Judges Owens, Ni Chulachain and Faughnan, with further evidence to be heard after the summer break. Jim Mansfield Jnr pleaded not guilty.
Peredigha Amasuomo (21), of Griffth Halls of Residence, Griffth College, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three counts of money laundering at unknown locations within the state, two occurring on November 14, 2019, and the third on November 21, 2019. The charges were admitted, and Amasuomo entered a plea of guilty. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced Amasuomo to four months imprisonment, but suspended the sentence in its entirety on strict conditions. The court heard that three fraudulent payments were transferred from a bank in Puerto Rico into Amasuomo's bank account, with the total value of the funds transferred into the account being just over €6,000. Amasuomo claimed he had lost his ATM card, suggesting it was stolen and that his PIN code had been scraped onto it. The matter was adjourned for the purpose of considering the suspended sentence. Griffth Halls was also named as a defendant in the case, but no sentence was imposed at this procedural stage.
A 75-year-old man from Ballyfarnon, County Roscommon, has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment following his conviction at the Central Criminal Court for sexually assaulting and orally raping his partner's daughter between 1998 and 1999. Christopher Ashmore pleaded not guilty to five charges but was found guilty on four counts. The victim, who waived anonymity, gave an impact statement describing how the abuse transformed her from a happy child into one consumed by fear and anxiety. Justice Carmel Stewart noted that Ashmore held a position of trust within the family home and has continued to deny the offences without expressing remorse. The judge sentenced him to ten years for two Section 4 rape offences and three years for two further sexual assaults, with sentences to run concurrently and the final twelve months suspended. Ashmore was also ordered to register as a sex offender.
Wojciech Kazmierczak, 43, was sentenced to eleven years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended on strict conditions, for a violent robbery that took place on 24 August 2020 at Corn Exchange Place, Dublin. During the incident, he choked one escort until she was unconscious, then punched her again, and later punched a second escort who had been choked by the other accomplice. Both women were rendered unconscious, one was bound with duct tape and wrapped in a rug, and both sustained significant facial injuries. The robbery involved the theft of cash, handbags, phones and the removal of the women's phones by the accomplice. Kazmierczak was also found in possession of just under €400,000 of cannabis when arrested in September 2020, and he pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, two counts of robbery and possession of cannabis for sale or supply.
The Special Criminal Court has adjourned the 32-day trial of Darren Murphy and Kenneth Donohoe to October 26 for a possible judgment. Both men, who pleaded not guilty to the murder of Eamon Kelly and the possession of a Glock pistol with intent to endanger life, have completed closing speeches. Prosecution counsel Dominic McGinn SC alleged that Murphy drove Sean Connolly, who was jailed for life in 2015 for Kelly's murder, to the scene in a Meriva, while Donohoe was linked to the vehicle via fingerprints and firearms residue. Defence counsel Philipp Rahn BL and Paul Carroll SC argued that the State failed to prove their clients' involvement beyond reasonable doubt, citing issues with CCTV identification credibility and the lack of unique forensic evidence. Presiding judge Justice Alex Owens, sitting with Judges Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin and Dermot Dempsey, adjourned the matter. The trial remains pending, with no final verdict or sentence issued at this stage.
The Special Criminal Court trial of Alan O'Brien, Darren Redmond, Luke O'Reilly, and a 40-year-old man identified as YZ continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty to the alleged false imprisonment and intentional serious harm of Kevin Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan, on September 17, 2019. Prosecution counsel Sean Guerin SC presented evidence from Dr Edward Connolly of Forensic Science Ireland, who testified that DNA matching Mr Lunney was found on the sliding door of a Renault Kangoo van, while DNA matching Mr Redmond was found on bars behind the driver's seat. The prosecution clarified that it does not allege Mr Lunney was in the van, but that his blood was transferred there by someone who had contact with him. Dr Connolly also confirmed that swabs from a horse trailer at a yard owned by Mr O'Reilly yielded a DNA profile matching Mr Lunney. The court heard that the van was destroyed in a fire in early 2020, limiting further testing. Defence counsel raised questions regarding prior forensic sweeps and the visibility of stains. The trial is ongoing and will continue on Monday.
At the Central Criminal Court, a 16-year-old juvenile was sentenced for violent disorder committed on Bandon Road, Cork, on January 16, 2020, the night Cameron Blair was murdered. The boy, who was 14 at the time, pleaded guilty to committing violent disorder and producing a knife to intimidate others. Although the DPP entered a nolle prosequi regarding the knife charge, Mr Justice Keane considered the trial evidence, noting the boy armed himself with a butter knife and struck a young woman in the face. The judge described the conduct as deliberate and calculated, contributing to the febrile atmosphere surrounding the murder. In mitigation, the court accepted his age, guilty plea, and lack of prior convictions, reducing a headline sentence of six years to four. He was ordered to serve two years in detention and two years under Probation Service supervision. The finalisation of the sentence was adjourned until next week to determine placement at Oberstown Children Detention Campus. Separately, Scott O'Connor, 19, of Churchfield, Cork, who brandished a knife at the scene, was jailed for two years. Another juvenile pleaded guilty to Blair's murder and received a life sentence.
At the Central Criminal Court, a 21-year-old man has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment for the manslaughter of a pensioner in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, in March 2016. Aaron McDonagh pleaded guilty to killing 61-year-old Gerry Marron by setting fire to his home at St Macartan's Villas. He also admitted arson. McDonagh was 16 at the time of the offence. Justice Michael White noted that Mr Marron, who lived alone and was vulnerable due to previous injury, had been exploited by youths using his house for unsupervised drinking. The fire was started deliberately near the front door. Mr Marron died of smoke inhalation and could not be rescued. The judge imposed a headline sentence of twelve years but reduced it to nine years, with one year suspended, considering McDonagh's guilty plea, age, and mild to moderate learning disability. The sentence was backdated to March 2019. McDonagh entered a bond to engage with support services upon release.
Patrick Paget, aged 33, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for throwing petrol bombs at a family home in Ashlawn Park, Ballybrack, Co Dublin, on 3 August 2020. Two bombs were hurled at the house; one ignited outside, causing a small fire, while the other entered the house but failed to ignite. The couple inside awoke to a loud bang, saw flames, and the wife escaped over the flames while the husband stood on broken glass. Gardaí found blood between glass panels at the front door; a DNA profile matched Paget. He pleaded guilty to criminal damage and endangerment. The court noted he had 179 prior convictions, including for drug offences, and that a motive had not been established. Judge Melanie Greally described the act as pre‑meditated and sentenced Paget to six years, suspending the final year on strict conditions.
At the Special Criminal Court in Dublin, one of four men accused of abducting and assaulting Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney has been heard refusing to answer key questions during garda interviews. The accused man, identified as YZ for legal reasons, replied "no comment" when asked to explain CCTV footage showing him driving a van in which blood matching Mr Lunney's DNA was later discovered. He denied involvement in the September 2019 abduction at Drumbrade, County Cavan, and denied inflicting injuries on Mr Lunney with a Stanley knife and wooden bat. YZ, along with Alan O'Brien, Darren Redmond, and Luke O'Reilly, has pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm. Detective Sergeant Peter Woods outlined the circumstantial evidence against YZ, including the presence of a motorway toll tag from a vehicle linked to the abduction found in his apartment. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and two other judges.
Diarmuid Molloy, 41, was jailed for three years after robbing a Centra convenience store on Charlemont Street on 23 November 2020. He pleaded guilty to the robbery and to two counts of stealing beer earlier that day. CCTV footage showed him leaving the shop with a 12‑pack of Budweiser, returning half an hour later with two more cases, and then pointing a knife at the cashier to demand cash. He was arrested at his Gardiner Street guest house and has remained in custody since the offence. The robbery triggered the activation of an 18‑month suspended portion of a six‑year sentence he had received in 2017 for gun‑point robbery of a Trinity College student. Judge Cormac Quinn suspended the final 12 months of the new sentence, activated nine months of the suspended period from the earlier conviction, and imposed two years of post‑release supervision.