Taylor Moran (23), of McDermott Street, Ballina, pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Court to assault causing harm outside St Mary's Secondary School on April 2, 2021. The court heard that the victim, Martin McDonagh (23), suffered three deep puncture wounds to the lower abdomen during a brawl. CCTV footage showed Moran returning to the scene with a broken claw hammer and striking McDonagh five times. Although Moran initially denied involvement to gardaí, he admitted the charge. Judge Eoin Garavan noted the offence was premeditated and involved a deadly weapon. Defending counsel Dr Laura Byrne BL submitted a probation report highlighting Moran's difficult background, mental health medication, and remorse. Moran's mother testified regarding domestic violence in the household and his recent employment prospects. The judge adjourned sentencing until the autumn, warning Moran that custody was probable unless he demonstrated significant improvement. He was instructed to secure employment, address alcohol and cannabis issues, and engage in counselling. Moran was remanded on bail for sentencing on October 6. Co-accused Thomas Maloney (29), of Riverside Drive, Ballina, is also due to be sentenced on the next date.
Madison Jenkins, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty after customs officers found 15 packages of cannabis in her suitcase at Dublin Airport. The court heard she had travelled from Bangkok via Abu Dhabi, and Judge Elma Sheahan put the case back for finalisation on March 25 while the prosecution examined her account.
A couple in the west of Ireland pleaded guilty to two counts each of wilful neglect involving their two children, after a Castlebar Circuit Court hearing about filthy and hazardous conditions in the family home. The man was sentenced to two and a half years in prison with one year suspended, while the woman received a fully suspended two-year sentence. The court also adjourned the man's sentence until the end of March to allow accommodation arrangements to be addressed.
Jenifer Devine, 43, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to withholding information regarding the murder of her brother-in-law, Michael Tormey. The court heard that Devine stayed in two hotels with her husband, Christopher Devine, during a Garda manhunt. Christopher Devine, 44, had previously pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; a jury convicted him of murder in December, finding he was not suffering from a substance-induced psychotic disorder. Devine admitted to booking accommodation at the Osprey Hotel in Naas and The Glenview Hotel in Wicklow between January 9 and 13, 2022, which hindered police efforts to locate her husband. Defense counsel Michael Bowman SC argued that Devine was in an emotionally abusive relationship and acted under extreme distress, requesting a suspended sentence. Prosecution counsel Garret Baker SC noted the maximum penalty is five years. Ms Justice Melanie Greally remanded Devine on continuing bail until April 16, when she will be sentenced. The matter was adjourned.
Niall Smith was jailed after pleading guilty to cultivating cannabis at a Tallaght grow house where gardaí seized €68,149 worth of plants and seeds. Judge Jonathan Dunphy set a seven-year sentence after mitigation and suspended the final 12 months for two years.
Glen McLoughlin pleaded guilty after gardaí found €15,078 worth of MDMA and weighing scales in his wardrobe during an eviction search. Judge Orla Crowe imposed an 18-month sentence and suspended it fully for three years.
Donatas Sadauskas pleaded guilty to making a false statement about a Mercedes Benz theft after initiating an insurance claim for a car he never owned. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court imposed an 18-month sentence and suspended it for three years.
Aisling Cunningham pleaded guilty after directing abusive remarks at gardaí outside a Dún Laoghaire McDonald's while intoxicated. Judge Conor Fottrell imposed a €100 fine and a 12-month probation bond requiring her to avoid illegal drugs and engage with addiction supports.
Paul McCarton pleaded guilty to offences including possessing articles for use in theft, handling stolen property, possessing a knife, theft and public order offences in Tallaght. Judge Áine Shannon ordered probation and welfare reports and a restorative justice assessment before sentencing.
Craig Johnson received a six-year sentence, with the final 18 months suspended, after pleading guilty to arson and burglary offences in Dublin. The court heard that a spark caused the fire at Peruke and Periwig and that he left an antique shop empty-handed.
John Dunne, 35, of Ballymun, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary, assault causing harm, trespass, and criminal damage to nine vehicles on September 5, 2024. Judge Orla Crowe described the incident as a violent violation of a family home, noting Dunne armed with a lump hammer and threatening the homeowner with a knife. The judge stated the aggravated burglary warranted an 11-year headline sentence but imposed eight years, considering Dunne's guilty plea and difficult background. Concurrent four-year sentences were imposed for the other offences. The final nine months of the eight-year term were suspended on strict conditions, requiring Dunne to engage with the Probation Service for 18 months upon release. Dunne has 43 previous convictions, and his defence counsel attributed the offending to addiction following the loss of his family home. The court accepted his apology to the victims, who included a young child present during the attack.
John Halpin and Nicole Fallon pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following a Christmas 2024 hit-and-run in Blanchardstown that caused the deaths of Anthony Hogg and Georgina Hogg Moore. Their sentence hearing was adjourned to May 21.
A 43-year-old man who pleaded guilty to anal rape of his wife at their family home in Co Waterford was sentenced to seven years, with the final year suspended for three years. The Central Criminal Court heard that he admitted guilt during trial after previously claiming the incident was consensual.
Stephen Shiels, who has more than 230 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage after breaking into a Maxol service station on Ringsend Road. Judge Orla Crowe imposed two and a half years and suspended the final six months under probation supervision.
Jamiu Giwa pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after recklessly colliding with a plain-clothes garda while fleeing a drugs unit on Railway Street, Dublin 1. The garda suffered a concussion, shoulder fracture and knee injury, and Judge Orla Crowe imposed two years and three months with the final three months suspended.
A 55-year-old Dublin man was sentenced to four years in prison after a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury found him guilty of two sexual offences committed 25 years apart. The defendant, who maintains his innocence, was convicted of indecently assaulting his younger cousin at a Dublin address between February 1987 and February 1990, and sexually assaulting his 16-year-old daughter during a holiday in Florida in June 2014. Judge Jonathan Dunphy noted the striking similarities between the incidents, including the victims' vulnerability and the defendant's intimidating behavior. For the first offence, the judge set a headline sentence of four years, reduced to two years because the defendant was under 18 for part of the period. He suspended the final nine months on conditions, including sexual offence-focused work. For the second offence, the headline sentence of five years was reduced to four years, with the final 15 months suspended on similar conditions. The sentences were ordered to run consecutively, resulting in an effective custody term of four years. The court also imposed a condition prohibiting any contact with either victim. The judge praised the complainants for their courage, while the defendant's counsel noted his lack of remorse and previous employment history.
Rory Carr (22) and Bruno Tache (21) were sentenced to three years and six months in prison for their roles in separate attacks on Quham Babatunde, who died on St Valentine's Day. Both men, who were on bail at the time, pleaded guilty to charges including assault causing harm and violent disorder. Judge Orla Crowe noted their youth, remorse, and guilty pleas, while acknowledging they had active roles in the violence across South Anne Street, Duke Lane, and Dawson Street. The judge suspended the final six months of each sentence on strict conditions for two years and ordered 12 months of Probation Services supervision post-release. Carr was directed to undergo urine analysis. Separately, Sean Forde (24) and David Oloo Omee (19) pleaded guilty to affray and assault causing harm, respectively. Their sentencing was adjourned to April pending the preparation of probation reports. Four other men are also expected to be sentenced in April. The court heard Babatunde was fatally stabbed by another man, who is charged with murder in Northern Ireland, and that Carr and Tache assaulted him after he was injured.
Donatas Sadauskas pleaded guilty after falsely reporting that a Mercedes-Benz had been stolen and producing a purchase order later found to be false. The AXA claim was never processed, and Dublin Circuit Criminal Court remanded him on continuing bail until Thursday for sentence.
Kim Porter pleaded guilty to 10 offences including money laundering, deception, enhancing a criminal organisation, possession of cocaine and making off without payment. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court adjourned sentencing until July after ordering a Probation Service report.
Imad Qazi pleaded guilty to harassing a solicitor and a legal executive through calls, emails, social media posts and abusive leaflets over dates between September 2019 and January 2024. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court imposed a four-year sentence suspended in full, with probation supervision and a five-year no-contact order.
A Central Criminal Court jury returned a majority verdict of murder against Tomas Cypas over the death of Juris Kokenbergs at Old Bridge Park, Lucan. The jury rejected the defence case after deliberating for six hours and 54 minutes over three days; the mandatory life sentence is due to be handed down on March 23. Tomas Cypas pleaded not guilty.
Dion Timmons pleaded guilty to money laundering after €12,374.64 was deposited into her account in 23 transactions, including payments linked to a social welfare fraud. Judge Mary Morrissey reduced a headline sentence to 16 months and adjourned the case for a Probation Service assessment on whether community service could be ordered in lieu of prison.
A jury convicted Paul Rowland of intentionally or recklessly strangling his former partner in Carlow. The woman described the lasting impact of the assault in a victim impact statement; Judge Mary Morrissey adjourned sentencing to next May and remanded Rowland in continuing custody.
The Central Criminal Court heard that a teenager sexually abused and raped by his cousin had suffered a life-altering impact. The cousin pleaded guilty to eight counts of sexual assault and one count of anal rape, receiving three years with the final year suspended and three years on the sex offenders register.
Gardaí who stopped Dylan Reilly for holding a mobile phone while driving found cannabis in his car and more than €334,000 worth of cannabis herb and resin at a rented Wexford home. Reilly pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply and was remanded on continuing bail while the case was adjourned for finalisation.
John Griffiths pleaded guilty to assault with intent to cause bodily harm outside the Black Forge Inn in 2021. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court imposed a 15-month sentence and suspended it in full; the judge noted that €5,000 was available as a token of remorse.
A top US college athlete, Kristaps Kambala (22), has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for having cannabis for sale or supply at Dublin Airport on June 23, 2025. Kambala pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted that he was carrying the drugs. The court heard that Kambala was stopped at Dublin Airport after arriving from Bangkok and that his luggage was found to contain 19 kilogrammes of cannabis, valued at approximately €381,000. Kambala claimed that someone else had packed the luggage and that he was helping a friend. He stated that he had no knowledge of the weight or consequences of carrying the drugs. The court heard that Kambala is a Division One basketball player and has no previous convictions. His counsel submitted character references and highlighted his academic and sporting achievements. Judge Orla Crowe noted that Kambala was carrying a considerable amount of cannabis and that the value of the drugs was an aggravating factor. She imposed a sentence of three and a half years, backdated to when Kambala went into custody. The matter was validated at the sentence stage.
Mihail Tanasevici pleaded guilty to careless driving causing the death of Maureen Hopkins outside a Westport supermarket. Judge Eoin Garavan imposed a five-month prison sentence and did not disqualify him from driving.
An 18-year-old who was a juvenile at the time pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage after acting as the driver in a series of incidents in Carlow. Judge Mary Morrissey adjourned the case to next July for sentence.
Andrew Agwu pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary at Foot Locker stores after joining the looting that followed the November 2023 Dublin riots. The court heard that five pairs of shoes worth an estimated €750 were taken and not recovered; finalisation of sentence was adjourned to May 21.
Francis Macken pleaded guilty after gardaí found cannabis resin and cash in an extractor fan at his Dublin home. The court imposed concurrent three-year sentences for the drug dealing and money laundering charges, suspending the final six months.
Edward Evbagharu pleaded guilty to money laundering after €31,000 from an online dating scam passed through three of his accounts. Judge Dara Hayes imposed a two-year sentence and suspended the final year, finding that Evbagharu had facilitated the use of the money.
A High Court judge has emphasised the importance of media access after the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) excluded reporters from a hearing involving Detective Superintendent Brian O'Reilly. Mr Justice Garrett Simons stated that any departure from public hearings must be strictly justified, questioning the WRC's decision to hear O'Reilly's case behind closed doors. O'Reilly, the acting head of the Garda National Technical Bureau, is seeking to quash a WRC ruling that accepted Garda submissions regarding the 'sensitivities' of his disclosures. He alleges he suffered workplace detriment and pay reductions after raising concerns about defective leather pistol holsters, which he claims endangered armed gardaí and the public. O'Reilly submitted that these holsters may have contributed to the accidental self-wounding of a Garda at the Israeli ambassador's residence in June 2020. The report notes that six days after that incident, Stephen Silver murdered Detective Garda Colm Horkan in Castlerea, Co Roscommon. Silver, of Foxford, Co Mayo, was sentenced in April 2023 to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years for murdering a Garda acting in the course of his duties. O'Reilly stated that Silver told gardaí in custody that he had been able to pull Horkan's pistol from the holster. The Commissioner of An Garda Síochána is named as a notice party in the proceedings.
Kelvin Kleinovas pleaded guilty to having the proceeds of crime in his bank account after €10,000 stolen from a priest in a fake broadband-fee scam was traced to him. Judge Orla Crowe imposed an 18-month sentence, suspended for three years on payment of €2,000 for the injured party.
Laurence Nolan pleaded guilty to criminal damage, threats to kill or cause serious harm and recklessly assaulting a Garda after confronting his former partner over a paternity test. Judge Orla Crowe imposed three years suspended in full for 18 months, with probation, a MOVE programme and treatment for mental-health and addiction issues.
Denniss Anolins pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified at Anglesea Road in Dublin 4. Judge Anne Watkin convicted him and imposed a three-month prison sentence, taking the guilty plea into account.
Iwana Waldynsk was fined after the court found she had refused to provide a blood or urine sample following her arrest. Judge Anne Watkin imposed a €1,500 fine and disqualified Waldynsk from driving for four years. Iwana Waldynsk pleaded not guilty.
Det Supt Brian O'Reilly, acting head of the Garda National Technical Bureau, is challenging a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) decision to exclude the media from his hearing. At the High Court, counsel successfully applied for an expedited leave application to be heard tomorrow, seeking to quash a ruling that the case contains "sensitivities" warranting closed doors. O'Reilly claims he suffered workplace detriment and pay reductions after making protected disclosures regarding unsafe leather pistol holsters. He alleges these defective holsters endangered armed gardaí and the public, potentially contributing to an accidental self-wounding incident in 2020. O'Reilly stated that a pistol could be removed even when the retention strap was closed. He referenced the murder of Detective Garda Colm Horkan by Stephen Silver in Castlerea, noting that Silver allegedly told gardaí in custody he had pulled Horkan's pistol from the holster. Silver was sentenced in April 2023 to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years for murdering a garda acting in the course of his duties. O'Reilly, who has a 30-year career, claims he suffered work-related stress certified by his GP in April 2023. The High Court will hear the application for judicial review over the proposed press coverage ban tomorrow.
Judge Orla Crowe suspended a 12-month sentence for bus driver Svetoslav Trifonov after he pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious harm, and did not disqualify him from driving.
Hellasha Tingman (49), a single mother from New York, was sentenced to three years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to having cannabis for sale or supply at Dublin Airport on July 6, 2025. Judge Orla Crowe imposed the sentence, backdating it to the date Tingman first entered custody. The court accepted that Tingman acted out of financial desperation to address rent arrears and an eviction notice in the US, having been promised €2,000 for the transport. She was stopped by customs with just over 20 kg of cannabis, valued at approximately €434,760. Although the judge acknowledged exceptional circumstances allowing a departure from the mandatory minimum term of ten years, she noted that Tingman deliberately took the risk. Separately, her son, Shawndell Gaston (31), was jailed for four years by Judge Martin Nolan last week after pleading guilty to importing the same cannabis at Dublin Airport on the same date. Both defendants admitted their respective charges. Tingman has no previous convictions and is currently an enhanced prisoner.
A man received a four-year sentence, with the final 12 months suspended, for harassment and threatening to distribute intimate images of his then-girlfriend. The unnamed 47-year-old pleaded guilty.
Jamie Berry was sentenced after pleading guilty to affray, violent disorder and two assaults causing harm during a street fight between rival Dublin gangs armed with hatchets, knives and bats. Judge Orla Crowe suspended the final three months of a three-year sentence.
Luke Kavanagh was jailed after pleading guilty to possessing cannabis, cocaine and cannabis jellies for sale or supply. The court accepted he was under considerable fear because his family had been threatened and imposed a four-year sentence with the final year suspended.
James O'Connor admitted obtaining €2,000 from a woman in Ontario, Canada, after telling her he needed money for child support and then failing to repay it. Judge Orla Crowe described the conduct as a mean-spirited and manipulative romance fraud and suspended an 18-month prison term for four years. The unnamed woman pleaded guilty.
Tomasz Zdechlikiewicz was sentenced after being convicted of possessing 36 kilogrammes of cannabis for sale or supply and €13,000 in cash. Judge Martin Nolan found he acted as a supervisor in a sophisticated operation and imposed ten years for the drug offence, concurrent with four years for money laundering.
Declan Power has received permission from the High Court to challenge a Minister for Justice decision that bars him from living at his home within an 18-kilometre exclusion zone while on release. Declan Power pleaded guilty.
Rogerio Afonso, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman at Dublin Airport on August 4, 2025. The court heard that Afonso, who has a history of bipolar disorder, followed the complainant, sniffed her hair, and hugged and kissed her against her will. He has been in custody since his arrest and has no previous convictions. Judge Jonathan Dunphy sentenced Afonso to 12 months, noting aggravating factors such as the persistence of his actions, but acknowledged his improved mental health while compliant with medication in custody. The judge indicated a willingness to suspend the sentence in full, given Afonso has already served seven months in custody. A condition of the suspended sentence requires Afonso to return to Brazil in the care of his daughter. The finalisation of the sentence was adjourned to later this week to allow time for Afonso's daughter in Malta to be informed and to make travel arrangements. The judge requested that a family member attend the finalisation hearing to ensure they are aware of the conditions. Afonso was remanded in custody on the same terms until the adjourned date.
An unnamed Wexford man pleaded guilty to raping his sleeping partner in November 2021. Mr Justice Paul Burns called it an egregious breach of trust, imposed a seven-year sentence and suspended the final 12 months under strict conditions.
Carl McGuinness received a ten-year sentence, with the final year suspended, for a series of vehicle thefts, dangerous driving and related offences in Dublin. Judge Martina Baxter also disqualified him from driving for ten years after noting his 106 previous convictions. Carl McGuinness pleaded guilty.
Christopher Judge, 42, of Pairc na Dara, Clonard, Co Wexford, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the murder of 27-year-old Stephen Ring on October 15, 2024. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned the matter to March 27 for sentencing, where the mandatory life imprisonment will be imposed. The court also vacated a previously set trial date of April 13. In a related finalisation, Jane Corcorcan, 34, also of Pairc na Dara, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to impeding Judge's apprehension or prosecution. She admitted helping move Ring's remains from her home and assisting Judge by telling falsehoods to gardai. Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo noted that Corcoran lied about the circumstances of Ring's death, falsely accused another man of assault, and wasted police resources. CCTV showed Corcoran moving Ring's remains, wrapped in a blanket, to her car boot before driving to Carrigfoyle Quarry, where the body was dumped in the water. Ring's body, which had been in the quarry for 13 days, was discovered by children fishing. His mother, Linda Ring, stated that while the body lay in the quarry, Corcoran posted on Facebook hoping he would return home safely.