Three men remain in custody at Mountjoy Prison following a High Court ruling that they must stay detained indefinitely until they comply with orders to vacate a farm in Falsk, Strokestown, County Roscommon. Michael Anthony McGann, Kevin Taylor and Colm Granahan were jailed for contempt of court after refusing to give undertakings to stay away from the property, which was subject to a repossession order by KBC bank and subsequent vacant possession orders. Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds found their actions constituted a flagrant, deliberate and contrived breach of existing court orders. The judge noted evidence that all three were present on the farm despite having no entitlement to be there, and referenced an orchestrated social media campaign that undermined court authority and encouraged others to attend the property. The men have been offered opportunities to purge their contempt but have demonstrated unwillingness to do so. Mr Granahan is from Ballina, County Mayo, Mr Taylor is a retired Garda from Longford, and Mr McGann is from Strokestown.
In a laneway on Adare Lane, Andrew Stammers died of a drug overdose during the night of 19 October 2017. Owen Comerford (34) and his accomplice, John Murdiff (33), entered the lane and rummaged through Stammers' pockets, taking cigarettes, cash and other items. They later returned to alert emergency services, staying with Stammers until medical help arrived. The court heard that Stammers had been off drugs for years and had been a recovering addict. Judge Melanie Greally found the theft an opportunistic crime against a vulnerable man who was either dead or dying, imposing an 18‑month prison term. Comerford's earlier convictions for burglary and threatening offences added an additional five and a half years, with 12 months suspended on condition of drug‑treatment participation. Murdiff received a two‑year sentence for his role in the theft. The case highlighted the distress caused to Stammers' grieving partner and the broader impact on the community. Owen Comerford pleaded guilty.
Trevor Byrne, aged 40, pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court to possessing a loaded 9mm Luger‑caliber Radom 35 firearm found in a back‑garden cabin at 35 Woodford Grove, Clondalkin, on 15 November 2019. He also faces three additional charges: possession of ammunition, possession of €3,050 in cash deemed proceeds of crime, and reckless handling of the cash. The Emergency Response Unit raided the house at 11.30 pm, discovered Byrne seated on a couch with another man, and after a confrontation Byrne was taken to Clondalkin Garda Station where he refused to engage with the jailer and exercised his right to silence. A search of the cabin revealed the gun, five bullets in the magazine, one in the chamber, and additional ammunition. DNA evidence linked Byrne to the gun, gloves, hold‑all and balaclava found in the cabin. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for 9 December, with the court expected to pass a sentence before Christmas.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Stefan Sorici, aged 40, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a domestic‑violence victim on 14 July 2016. Sorici had held the woman captive in her home, kicking and choking her, and threatened to "do extra time" for her life. The victim, who was walking her young son to school when she saw Sorici hiding behind a wall, escaped by jumping from the first‑floor window and running barefoot to a pub where a customer helped her call Gardaí. The assault left her with bruises on her face, neck and wrists. Judge Pauline Codd suspended the final year of Sorici's three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence on the condition that he keep the peace and enrol in a domestic‑violence programme, and ordered no contact with the victim. The victim, who had been relocated by Women's Aid to escape "extreme danger", expressed ongoing fear of further harm.
A man in his early forties has been imprisoned for three and a half years following his conviction on sexual assault and assault charges at the Central Criminal Court in Castlebar. The jury found him guilty of two counts of sexual assault against his wife and one count of assault causing harm, relating to an incident in Galway city in October 2017. A rape charge could not proceed after the jury failed to reach agreement; the Director of Public Prosecutions subsequently discontinued this count with the victim's consent. The court heard the man forced his wife to a wooded area where he assaulted her, threatening violence and repeatedly striking her. The woman escaped and reported the incident to gardaí. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart imposed a four-and-a-half-year sentence with the final year suspended, backdated to his custody date in April 2019. The judge commended the victim for her courage in coming forward.
Three men remain imprisoned in Mountjoy following their refusal to comply with High Court orders at a hearing last week. Michael Anthony McGann, Colm Granahan and Kevin Taylor were found in contempt of court for breaching orders to stay away from a property at Falsk, Strokestown, County Roscommon. The men, arrested by An Garda Síochána, appeared before the High Court via video-link on Monday. Justice Leonie Reynolds invited each to purge their contempt by undertaking to comply with the orders sought by KBC Bank, but all three refused, instead disputing the validity of the court orders. The judge determined that imprisonment must continue, noting the men could return to court at any time to comply. KBC Bank's counsel indicated the bank does not seek imprisonment but requires the men's undertakings to vacate the property, which the bank has now secured. The matter originates from a €431,000 debt on the farm, with the men having remained on the property in breach of earlier possession orders.
A 21‑year‑old teenager, Xolani Mdakani, was found guilty of assaulting a woman in a laneway on 9 February 2018. He grabbed her in a headlock, threatened her, and struck her with a bottle while she tried to escape. A woman in an apartment shouted at him, prompting him to flee. The incident was captured on CCTV, which Mdakani admitted to being. He has 36 prior convictions, including assault, theft, burglary and trespass. Mdakani, who arrived in Ireland from South Africa as an unaccompanied minor around age 13, has been in custody since last October. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and is expected to be sentenced early next year, with sentencing adjourned to 23 February 2021. The case has been referred to the Probation Service. The victim declined to give a victim impact statement. The court noted Mdakani's remorse and his desire to return to South Africa after his sentence.
Sean Maher, aged 20, was arrested for possession of drugs for sale or supply on 27 June 2019. While being led to a patrol car by Garda Brendan Murphy, he attempted to discard drugs hidden in his underwear. Garda Murphy stopped him, searched him, and found a small amount of cannabis. Maher was handcuffed and, during a physical altercation, he dropped drugs onto the ground. All drugs were recovered. A search of Maher's home uncovered additional cannabis, cocaine, heroin, ketamine, and concealed weighing scales, with a total value of €13,220. Maher pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He had no prior convictions. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to three years imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions, citing his drug addiction and lack of prior convictions.
Viktor Voloshin, 51, a Ukrainian national, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended on strict conditions. He stole €95,744 in social welfare payments, claiming Jobseeker's Allowance and Rent Supplement under two false Lithuanian identities between 2008 and 2016. Voloshin obtained false Lithuanian documents and a false passport to enter Ireland in 2004, and applied for a PPSN in 2015. Gardaí discovered Lithuanian identity cards in the names of Tadeus Mezanec and Gintaras Baranauskas at his Bray address, and he pleaded guilty to using false instruments and possession of a false instrument. He admitted to purchasing the false passport and that he "did not want to beg." The court described his conduct as mean‑spirited and lacking respect for ordinary taxpayers.
Mohammad Bah, a 20-year-old part-time employee at a United Parcel Service facility in Finglas, County Dublin, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of phones on August 2, 2019. The court heard that Bah was caught by company investigators with five stolen phones hidden in his trousers and work boots. He admitted to participating in a group of employees who stole, sold, and divided profits from the devices. Although Bah stated he was initially a lookout, he later became directly involved in the thefts. The total value of the phones in his possession was just over €1,900. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Elma Sheahan noted that Bah had no previous convictions and was working to support himself while studying. The judge ordered the €1,900 held by the defense to be donated to St Vincent de Paul. She also directed Bah to engage in a restorative justice programme and ordered a probation report. The matter was adjourned for sentencing on March 5 next year. The report notes that another individual involved in the alleged operation is currently before the courts, but no specific plea or sentence was recorded for that person in this proceeding.
Colm Granahan was committed to Mountjoy Prison on Friday by Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds after refusing to provide an undertaking to stay away from a farm in Falsk, Strokestown, Co Roscommon. The judge stated she had no choice but to commit him until he purges his contempt of court orders. This follows the earlier jailing of Michael Anthony McGann, the property owner, and retired Garda Kevin Taylor, both of whom were jailed for failing to give undertakings to comply with orders to vacate the farm. KBC Bank, which holds possession orders arising from a €431,000 debt, argued that an undertaking would satisfy its requirements, though it did not seek incarceration. Mr Granahan, from Ballina, Co Mayo, objected to the court's characterization of the orders as technically flawed and refused to answer the judge's request for an undertaking, stating he was "remaining mute." The judge noted that the matter would be reviewed next week. The farm has been the subject of ongoing proceedings involving the McGann siblings and KBC Bank, including a controversial eviction in 2018 and subsequent incidents involving security personnel. The court emphasized that the refusal to comply with the injunction resulted in the contempt proceedings.
Thomas Deegan, 55, of Finglas, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of indecently assaulting a boy at a field in Dublin between May 1982 and October 1985. The court heard that Deegan, then aged approximately 18, approached the victim, who was around eight years old, and indecently assaulted him after the child felt intimidated into following him. Deegan allegedly threatened the boy not to tell his parents. The victim, now 45, read a statement describing the long-term impact on his self-esteem and anxiety, stating that Deegan's power over him as a child is gone. Deegan had previously failed to appear for a trial, leading to his arrest in Donegal. He entered his guilty plea on the first day of a retrial. Defence counsel Seoirse O Dúnlaing BL submitted that the offence was a single, isolated incident, noting Deegan has no previous convictions and wished to formally apologise for his "shocking and disgraceful" actions. Mr O Dúnlaing urged Judge Elma Sheahan to consider imposing a suspended sentence, highlighting Deegan's otherwise good character and isolated life. Judge Sheahan adjourned the matter to December 15 for sentencing.
A High Court judge in Dublin ordered the surrender of Laurence 'Larry' Connors, 29, to the United Kingdom to face three burglary charges linked to alleged thefts of clothing, jewellery, accessories and cash exceeding £100,000 from homes in Kilbride, Hamilton and Cumbernauld, Glasgow, in January 2018. The European Arrest Warrant, issued in November 2019, states the offences are aggravated by a connection with a serious organised crime organisation. Connors, already in custody on other matters and scheduled for release from prison in 2026, was arrested under the warrant in May 2020. He had previously been sentenced in February 2020 by Cork Circuit Criminal Court to ten years, with the final two years suspended, for burglary, possession of stolen property and endangerment of Gardaí. Connors has appealed the severity of that sentence. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Coffey, ordered his surrender but postponed the transfer to March 22, 2021, by which time his appeal is expected to be finalised.
Karl Fields, a 26‑year‑old father of two from Ballymun, was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment for acting as a lookout during a cocaine‑cutting operation that yielded almost €70,000 worth of cocaine. He pleaded guilty to possession of more than €13,000 of cocaine for sale or supply at a Finglas address on 3 January 2018. The court noted that Fields had a drug debt of about €28,000 and that his parents had died of overdoses, with him placed in state care at 13. He had 173 prior convictions, including drug possession and theft. Judge Karen O'Connor imposed a three‑year, nine‑month sentence, suspending the final two years on strict conditions. The court also heard that his co‑accused received a four‑year sentence with the last two years suspended.
A 46‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for a series of sexual offences against his younger sister that occurred between 1990 and 1994. He was aged 16 when he first abused his eight‑year‑old sister and continued to commit four further acts over the next three years. The victim, now 46, described the abuse as having profoundly damaged her sense of safety and innocence, and said she felt "crippled" even as an adult when her brother lived in the same house. She reported the incidents to her mother at 17, and later to Gardaí in 2018, after her children were born and she had experienced bereavement. The man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court, admitted the acts, and was found to have no prior convictions.
Chrissy Mwandira, a 23-year-old Malawian national, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct. She pleaded guilty to possessing €10,000 in stolen funds deposited into her account on September 18, 2018. Prosecution evidence indicated that emails regarding a payment from the Peninsula Group to the Herbert Group were hacked, allowing false bank details to be substituted. Mwandira stated she had met an individual on the dating app Tinder, whom she believed was a romantic contact assisting her with school fees. She provided her bank details to this person and was shocked when the funds appeared. The judge noted there was no suggestion Mwandira was linked to the hacking or had offered her account for the offence. Judge Melanie Greally described the case as one of negligence rather than intent, characterizing Mwandira as a diligent, hard-working person who was taken in and cast aside. Mwandira, who has no previous convictions, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. However, the sentence was suspended in full on strict conditions. The court also ordered that €500 in compensation, raised by the defendant, be handed over to the injured party.
Four men accused of falsely imprisoning and assaulting Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney appeared before the Special Criminal Court on 26 November to address an adjournment application. Luke O'Reilly, aged 66, from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, County Cavan; Darren Redmond, aged 25, from East Wall, Dublin; Alan O'Brien, aged 39, also from East Wall, Dublin; and a fourth man who cannot be named for legal reasons, face charges relating to the alleged abduction and assault of Mr Lunney on 17 September 2019 in County Cavan. Defence counsel cited four grounds for postponing the scheduled January trial, including the volume of disclosure materials, pending High Court judicial review proceedings, ongoing Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission investigation into a fire that destroyed a van allegedly used in the alleged offence, and uncertainty regarding mobile phone data retention law. One defendant's legal team alleged DNA evidence had been planted on the Renault Kangoo van before it was destroyed. The State opposed the application, emphasising the serious nature of the allegations and the importance of proceeding with trial.
Donal Gannon, 58, a former bomb‑maker convicted in London in 1997 of conspiracy to cause explosions and sentenced to 35 years, was remanded on bail while the court assessed his suitability for community service. He pleaded guilty to providing false information and documents in a passport renewal application for the name David O'Brien, a man who died in 1986. Gardaí found CCTV footage and photographs linking Gannon to the application, and seized a mobile phone and a genuine passport in his name. Gannon denied making the application and claimed the photographs were planted. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court adjourned the case, ordered a Probation Service report, and will consider community service before finalising the matter. The case remains at the bail stage.
Caroline Connors, aged 34, threw a television from the second‑floor balcony of her apartment in Sandyford, Dublin, in what she described as a "moment of madness" triggered by her ex‑partner. The TV fell onto a grandmother who was walking hand‑in‑hand with her granddaughter across a pedestrian crossing. The grandmother sustained leg and chest injuries and was taken to hospital that day. Connors, who had been intoxicated at the time of arrest, pleaded guilty to endangerment at her address on 27 June 2018. She had two prior convictions for criminal damage and public order. The court heard that the grandmother feared she and her granddaughter might have been killed. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Connors to three years' imprisonment, suspending the entire term on strict conditions.
Jonathan Collopy, a 34‑year‑old Limerick man, is wanted in Bulgaria for an 18‑month drink‑driving sentence. He was arrested on 5 November under a European Arrest Warrant. His barrister, Ms Katherine McGillicuddy, argued that the 2016 conviction was a historical, complex matter and that Bulgarian prison conditions required an expert report. She requested the case be adjourned to allow preparation of the report, and Mr Justice Coffey set a new hearing for 21 December. Collopy had been jailed in 2004 for serious drug offences and was granted bail by Mr Justice Paul Burns last week.
Philip Murphy, 40, was released from prison two days before he sexually assaulted two women in Dublin in February 2016. He had served most of a 10‑year sentence for false imprisonment. In the first incident, he grabbed a woman from behind on Jervis Lane, threatened to kill her, and attempted to force sex. She tried to escape, screamed, and was aided by bystanders. In the second incident on Moore Street, he similarly attacked a woman, threatening her life and attempting to choke her. CCTV footage showed him wearing gloves and following the victims. Murphy denied the offences, claimed he had received psychological treatment, and said he was gay. He was extradited from the UK in June after a European arrest warrant. The case is set for sentencing in February, with a probation report due. Philip Murphy pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Karl Fields, aged 26, pleaded guilty to possession of more than €13,000 of cocaine for sale or supply at Abbotstown Avenue, Finglas, on 3 January 2018. The court heard that Fields had a drug debt of about €28,000 and that he acted as a lookout while others "cut" the cocaine inside the house. Four men were present in the kitchen when Garda David Moran and his colleagues entered on a search warrant; two escaped, while Fields and a co‑accused were arrested. Gardaí seized large bowls of white powder, a blender, a hydraulic press, weighing scales and mobile phones, with the total value of cocaine found at €69,074. Fields has 173 prior convictions, including drug offences, theft, knife possession, traffic and public order offences. The co‑accused received a four‑year sentence with the final two years suspended earlier in the month.
A man with convictions for stalking and harassment of former partners was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Castlebar, County Mayo, of sexually assaulting his wife in Galway city on October 13, 2017. The 42-year-old man was convicted of two counts of sexual assault and one count of assault causing harm. A jury was unable to reach a verdict on a rape charge, which the Director of Public Prosecutions subsequently dropped with the victim's support. The court heard the man forced his wife to accompany him to a wooded area following an incident at a church where she had sought shelter with other homeless women. Evidence included CCTV footage of the assault. The victim provided an impact statement describing ongoing trauma and psychological effects. The man, who has 24 previous convictions in Ireland and more serious convictions in the United Kingdom, has been in custody since April 2019. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart adjourned sentencing to December 1.
During the High Court hearing on 24 November 2020, Mr Justice Michael White sentenced Colin Hoey, aged 30, to 21 days' imprisonment and a €2,000 fine for contempt of court after Hoey failed to attend a witness order in the Aaron Brady murder trial. Hoey had initially supplied an alibi for Brady but later withdrew it. He was jailed for not appearing at the Central Criminal Court on 4 March 2020, despite a bench warrant issued on 5 March. Hoey had presented himself at the Criminal Courts of Justice on 5 October 2020 to execute the warrant. The judge noted that Hoey was a "very decent young man" from a "very decent family" who had been caught up in a "very difficult situation" and that his failure to comply with the witness order was a serious matter. The sentence was imposed to reflect the seriousness of the contempt offence. Colin Hoey pleaded guilty. Aaron Brady pleaded guilty and was found guilty.
Ciaran Moore, 63, of Castleknock, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to knowingly possessing child pornography on four devices. He admitted to viewing such material for about five years, having first been alerted by Gardaí to two images posted in July 2016. The images were traced to his IP address, leading to a search of his home in November 2016. In May 2019, forensic analysis of the devices revealed 536 images and 35 video files depicting children aged one to fourteen in sexual activities, including penetrative sex involving girls aged six to ten. Moore, who has no prior convictions, acknowledged the harm caused to victims, his family, and the public. He was remanded on bail pending a Probation Service report, with the case adjourned to February 22 for sentencing. He has been registered as a sexual offender since his guilty plea.
Alma O'Connor, 51, of Finn Street, Oxmantown Road, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply with a value exceeding €13,000. On 5 December 2018, Gardaí obtained a search warrant for her address and were allowed into the house by her daughter. O'Connor showed them a black bag containing about 9,800 Alprazolam tablets, valued at €19,640. Garda Donal Donoghue explained that the tablets were delivered by post under the instructions of another person who had put O'Connor in fear. The defendant was described as an "easy target" by an individual of a more experienced criminal element. O'Connor had no prior convictions. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced her to two‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions, and noted it would be unjust to impose the mandatory minimum. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A woman and her partner were involved in a money-laundering scheme linked to an organised crime group, following a raid that uncovered an arsenal of firearms capable of 'arming a small country', the Special Criminal Court has heard. Jonathan Harding (48) of Kerdiff Avenue, Naas, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty to five charges of converting, transferring or handling property, to wit money, between 1 January, 2012, and 31 December 2016, at EBS, Bank of Ireland and AIB accounts, the proceeds of criminal conduct. Co-accused Carol Davis (45) of Clonmacnoise Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12, pleaded guilty to three offences between 1 January, 2014, and 31 December, 2016, relating to accounts held in her own name also at EBS, AIB and Bank of Ireland. The pair had originally been charged with 50 offences but pleaded guilty to a total of eight offences. The charges come under the Criminal Justice Act 2010 (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing). Declan Brady (54), known as 'Mr Nobody', was sentenced to 11-and-a-half years imprisonment after pleading guilty to possession of the weapons. Tom Anderson, the defendant, was sentenced to ten years in prison with one year suspended in January 2018 for the possession of firearms. The matter was adjourned to December 15 for sentencing.
Conor Freeman, 21, of Glenageary Court, Dun Laoghaire, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to just under three years for knowingly possessing the proceeds of crime – 142.75682712 Bitcoin – and for stealing cryptocurrency from three victims in May 2018. He pleaded guilty to the thefts, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, to aiding and abetting wire fraud, and to aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft. The High Court heard that the US is seeking his extradition on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of aiding and abetting wire fraud and four counts of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft, with a potential sentence of up to 108 years if convicted. Freeman's plea and cooperation were cited as mitigating factors, and his custodial sentence was reduced to two years and 11 months to credit time already spent in custody. The extradition request may be affected by his Irish conviction.
In a Dublin trial that began in August 2018, David Fortune, aged 33, pleaded not guilty to the murder of his father, Gerard Fortune, aged 62, who was stabbed in the neck at their family home in Crumlin. On the fifth day of the trial, the prosecution accepted a plea of manslaughter, and the jury was discharged. The judge ordered a probation report and a sentencing hearing for February 26, 2021, with victim impact statements to be heard then. The court heard that the fatal assault occurred after a day of drinking and drug taking in a granny flat, with witnesses describing the accused as paranoid and hallucinating after taking tablets. The post‑mortem showed an 8 cm stab wound that cut the carotid artery and jugular vein, causing haemorrhage and shock. Fortune was remanded in custody until the sentencing date.
Shaun Groome, aged 32, pleaded guilty via video link to a 2015 attack on drug dealer Ciarán Murphy. He admitted to causing serious harm and to criminal damage by arson at Murphy's home in Coolcor, Offaly, between 6 and 7 September 2015. Groome's co‑accused, David Keena, 21, had been jailed for five years for assault causing serious harm and arson. Murphy, 29, was stabbed 16 times and set on fire after a false rumor that he was a Garda informant. He suffered 96 % burns from the neck down and multiple stab wounds, including to the heart cavity. The court heard Groome was arrested at Baldonnel Aerodrome; a warrant had been issued. Judge Martin Nolan remanded Groome in custody and scheduled a sentencing hearing for 21 December, when full facts will be considered.
A woman serving a suspended sentence for staging a murder victim's suicide has been sent back to jail after a judge heard she has been charged with 33 new offences, has consumed crack and heroin, and failed to give notice of where she was living. Janice Brady, with a last address at Maryville Hostel, Finisklin, Sligo, was sentenced to four years in prison in November 2019 for staging a suicide to impede the prosecution of her brother for the murder of Sligo musician, Martin "Matt" Kivlehan (60). She had pleaded guilty to the impeding charge in November 2017. Keith Brady (33) was found guilty of Mr Kivlehan's murder at New Apartments, Holborn St, Sligo on August 2 or August 3, 2015. Earlier this month, a bench warrant was issued for Brady after she breached the terms of her suspended sentence again. Activating the suspended part of the original sentence, Mr Justice White said that he had to impose the balance of the ten month sentence as Brady was in trouble again with the law, had failed to cooperate with the probation services and was still abusing drugs. The matter was adjourned.
Christian Goonery, 33, was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary at Kilcronain Cross, Clondalkin, on 11 June 2020. He entered the home armed with a knife, claiming a "romantic falling out" as the motive. The owner of the house, a man in his mid‑sixties, saw Goonery walk in with the knife and threatened to stab him. The owner, his grandson and another man barricaded themselves in a shed; Goonery kicked at the shed door, screamed threats, and placed a gas cylinder through the window. Small children were present. Goonery discarded the knife in the driveway and was later found asleep on the side of the road by Gardaí, who arrested him. The court noted his intoxication and history of substance abuse, and Judge Martin Nolan praised the owner's courage and sentenced Goonery accordingly.
John Lewis, 52, of Lucan, Dublin, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for sexually abusing and "prostituting" a 16‑year‑old girl between February and October 2018. Lewis admitted to having sexual intercourse with the victim on 10 to 20 occasions, claiming he had become her "master" while she was his "sub". He also admitted to defilement of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, and possession of child pornography. Evidence included a handwritten "contract" binding the victim to obey Lewis, a list of 128 sexual acts, a black leather dog‑collar, and 77 images and five videos of child pornography. Lewis had previously been convicted of road traffic offences. The court noted that the victim had never engaged in such behaviour before meeting Lewis and that Lewis had cooperated with the investigation. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the sentence without any suspended portion, citing Lewis's immediate cooperation and the seriousness of the offences. John Lewis pleaded guilty.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Jordan Ennis, Lucy Ennis, and Aaron Flanagan for violent disorder and assault causing harm at Edenmore Park, Raheny, on September 19, 2015. All three defendants pleaded guilty. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Jordan Ennis to two and a half years' imprisonment, having stated his actions initially merited four years. He suspended the final year of the sentence on conditions that Ennis keep the peace and hand over €14,249 to the victim as a token of remorse. Lucy Ennis received a suspended prison term of 18 months. The judge noted she had likely misinformed her brother but accepted her mental health background and lack of prior convictions. Co-accused Aaron Flanagan was sentenced to a suspended prison term of two years, with a condition of good behaviour for that period. The judge cited Flanagan's age at the time as the primary mitigating factor. The court heard that the attack followed a dispute involving teenage girls, during which Jordan Ennis stabbed the victim multiple times while others assaulted him with crutches. The victim was hospitalised for ten days. The judge described the attack as savage and noted that Ennis acted on his sister's accusations, despite the victim denying any prior aggression.
The Special Criminal Court adjourned the trial of Jim Mansfield Jnr, 53, until December 15 after newly disclosed CCTV footage was discovered. Mansfield Jnr is accused of conspiring to falsely imprison Martin Byrne between January and June 2015 and of attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Patrick Byrne to destroy CCTV footage. The prosecution, represented by Shane Costelloe SC, revealed that a significant portion of CCTV footage retained on a hard‑drive seized from the Towers on 7 June 2015 had never been disclosed to the State. Defence counsel Bernard Condon SC argued that the undisclosed footage amounted to 12 days of material and that the case should not proceed until he could review it. The court agreed to certify a second junior counsel for four days to examine the footage and adjourned the trial until 15 December, with Mr Justice Alexander Owens presiding alongside Judges Sinead Ni Chulachain and James Faughnan. Jim Mansfield Jnr pleaded not guilty.
Edward Wall, 46, was sentenced to nine months in prison for a series of burglaries in which he repeatedly entered unoccupied bars in open pubs during daylight hours and stole alcohol. Lawyers for Wall told the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that most of his 68 prior burglary convictions involved this pattern of theft. Garda Niall Cunningham described how Wall slipped into closed bar areas and took drinks, noting that the judge considered this his "specialisation". In November 2019, Wall entered the Vat House bar in Temple Bar, slipped behind the bar, and stole two bottles of Jameson whiskey; the theft was discovered later during a stock take and CCTV footage was examined. On 10 January, he entered a bar at the Mercantile Hotel on Dame Street, again walked behind an unmanned bar, and was confronted by staff while holding a bottle of whiskey. Wall pleaded guilty to trespass and theft on both occasions.
The Special Criminal Court trial of Jim Mansfield Jnr, who is accused of conspiring to falsely imprison Martin Byrne and attempting to pervert the course of justice, continues before a non-jury court. Mansfield Jnr has pleaded not guilty to both counts. During cross-examination, alleged victim Martin Byrne, who is in the Witness Protection Programme, testified that the incident was "all Mansfield business" and that Mansfield Jnr was present when he was taken prisoner by a gang including Dessie O'Hare and Declan Duffy. Byrne's son, Brandon Byrne, also gave evidence, describing how his parents were held at The Towers while security guard John Roche was assaulted outside. The court heard that Christopher Maguire, who pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning Martin and Lisa Byrne on June 9, 2015, received a three-year suspended sentence. Additionally, Daniel Kane, who pleaded guilty to assaulting John Roche and falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne, was sentenced in April 2018 to five years' imprisonment with the final year suspended. Background evidence noted that James O'Gorman was previously convicted of defrauding a company director out of €54,000 in 2007. The trial is ongoing, with proceedings continuing before Mr Justice Alexander Owens and two other judges.
A 28‑year‑old Limerick man, Thomas Power, pleaded guilty before the Central Criminal Court to two counts of assault. He admitted seriously assaulting Eoin Casey on 20 August 2018 at Woodbine Avenue, Caherdavin, and also assaulting Aaron Grant on the same occasion. The judge ordered a probation and welfare report and victim impact statements from both victims, and adjourned the sentencing hearing to 28 January.
Mark Clarke, a 50‑year‑old father of three from Kenure Park, Rush, was arrested after walking into Martin's Bar carrying a decommissioned pump‑action shotgun and a belt of shotgun cartridges. He had previously held a licence for the gun until 2010, after which he surrendered it and it was rendered inoperable. Clarke admitted to possessing the firearm, 13 live and blank cartridges at his home and in the bar on 15 February 2019. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge noted that no one was threatened, that Clarke's behaviour was out of character, and that family pressures and financial stress were contributing factors. He was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment, suspended in full on strict conditions, including 12 months' engagement with the Probation Service to address alcohol use. The case was defended as a non‑pre‑meditated, non‑criminal‑intent incident.
Scott Purdue, 22, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply after a court heard that he had been caught with a Kinder Surprise egg containing about €4,300 of cannabis. The egg was found wrapped in a sock beside a car in Shancastle Park, Clondalkin, on 20 October 2019. Purdue's defence counsel, Breffni Gordon BL, described a history of violent attacks on the defendant, including being shot in the head in 2017, shot in the lower abdomen in 2018 on the anniversary of the first shooting, and having two fingers forcibly removed when he was 16. Gordon also noted that the head wound left a round lodged in Purdue's head and caused significant impairment to his peripheral vision. Judge Martin Nolan, after considering a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, imposed a 15‑month imprisonment term in light of the defendant's misfortunes.
Wojciech Strojek, 37, was sentenced to five‑and‑a‑half years in prison after he held a knife to the throat of his then‑girlfriend in her Dublin home, threatening that she would never see her children again. The incident, which lasted about 30 minutes, also involved Strojek cutting her left wrist and pouring water over her trousers. Earlier that year he had pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, assault causing harm, production of an article and making threats to kill at Barnwell Lane, Ongar, and to assault causing harm at James Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown. He had also assaulted the victim's ex‑husband and a paramedic in the months leading up to the attack. Strojek had no prior convictions in Ireland but had ten convictions in Poland for assault, threats, intoxicated driving and public order. The court noted his history of alcohol abuse and his claim of memory loss regarding the incident. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the sentence.
A 23-year-old man from Ballyfermot, Dublin has been sentenced to six years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for his role as a getaway driver in the murder of Alan O'Neill. Eric Shorthall pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Warren Nolan, who was convicted of shooting Mr O'Neill in the driveway of his Tallaght home on 27 May 2015. Shorthall provided a second getaway vehicle, strategically positioned and driven in convoy with the primary escape car used by the gunman. CCTV evidence showed the drivers communicating before the fatal attack. Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted the seriousness of Shorthall's active participation, imposing a headline sentence of nine years before reducing it to six years and nine months, having regard to his early guilty plea, youth, and remorse. The final nine months were suspended for two years on condition of compliance with probation and counselling services. The investigation remains ongoing. Mr O'Neill, described as a devoted family man, left a partner and three children.
Conor Freeman, aged 21, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three years imprisonment for his role in an online theft of $2.19 million worth of cryptocurrencies. He pleaded guilty to possession of the proceeds of crime, specifically 142.75682712 Bitcoin, and to stealing $100,000 in cryptocurrency from Darran Marble, $1,921,335 from Seth Sharpiro, and $167,622.22 from Micheal Templeman between 15 and 18 May 2018. Freeman also pleaded guilty to three counts of dishonestly operating a computer for gain during the same period. He had no prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan noted mitigating factors such as Freeman's guilty plea, cooperation, youth, and lack of prior offences, but imposed a custodial sentence to punish and deter. The sentence was reduced to two years and 11 months crediting time already spent in custody. Freeman's co‑accused are before courts in the United States.
In a case heard at the Central Criminal Court, Jason Warrington, a 47‑year‑old father of nine from Mallow, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for an unprovoked knife attack on 27‑year‑old Tadhg O'Shea. Warrington stabbed O'Shea 11 times in the back and chest while the victim was leaving a gathering at Warrington's home. O'Shea, who had been living with his grandmother, had met Warrington the previous day and had attended two gatherings where alcohol was consumed. Warrington admitted no prior threats and claimed he had intended to kill O'Shea, stating he was "disgusted" that the victim survived. He pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm and was given a seven‑year sentence, with the last year suspended on the condition of sobriety and probation. A charge of attempted murder was dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The victim's impact statement highlighted his ongoing depression and fear of seeing his family again.
Desmond Murphy, 49, was convicted of attempted robbery and robbery at two south Dublin building societies on 15 February 2018. He first held up a teller at EBS Main Street Blackrock with a gun, forcing the teller to lock the door and push him back into the public area. Fifteen minutes later he returned to EBS Georges Street Dun Laoghaire, pointed a gun at a female staff member and demanded "tiger money" – cash with serial numbers recorded for such incidents. He stole €10,380. CCTV captured a swallow tattoo on his left hand. Gardaí recovered €8,320 from his home, some matching the tiger‑money serials. Murphy has 51 prior convictions, has attended a drug rehabilitation course, and his lawyers argued he had turned his life around. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to 18 months, noting the gun was likely an imitation but the threat was serious. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Desmond Murphy pleaded guilty.
A man convicted of murdering his mother in County Mayo almost a decade ago will be sentenced for her manslaughter in February following a Supreme Court ruling that overturned his murder conviction. The Central Criminal Court hearing was disrupted when the defendant, now aged 29, shouted abuse at the prosecutor while pathology evidence was being presented. The State accepted his plea to the lesser offence on the basis that intoxication can prevent the formation of the intent required for murder. The defendant was 19 when he fatally stabbed his mother multiple times in their home near Castlebar in March 2011. He had initially pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but a jury found him guilty of murder and he received a life sentence in 2014. The Supreme Court found the trial judge's direction to the jury on intoxication and specific intent was inadequate. Justice Michael White remanded the defendant in custody pending sentencing submissions on 8th February, and ordered the Probation Service to prepare a structure should release be considered.
Dylan Fogarty, aged 26, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to multiple offences. He bit a man on Dame Street, Dublin, in an "act of savagery" following a minor altercation, and also bit his pregnant former partner's face after an argument. In addition to the assault on the man, Fogarty pleaded guilty to assaulting his former partner at their home in April 2019, criminal damage to a plasterboard wall in June 2019, and harassment at various locations between April and November 2019. He has five prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan noted Fogarty's difficulty with anger control when intoxicated, imposed concurrent sentences totalling three years, and ordered a ten‑year restriction on contact with his former partner. Fogarty has been clean of drugs in custody and is attending anger‑management courses. The court accepted his apology and expressed willingness to support his rehabilitation.
Eric Shorthall, aged 23 and resident in Ballyfermot, Dublin, is to be sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for his role as getaway driver in the May 2015 murder of Alan O'Neill in Tallaght. Shorthall pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Warren Nolan, who was convicted of the shooting in December 2018. Detective Garda evidence indicated that Shorthall, then 18, drove a strategically positioned second getaway vehicle in convoy with the primary hit car. CCTV footage showed communication between the drivers before the shooting. O'Neill, described as a devoted family man with no criminal connections, was shot in his Kiltalown Road driveway. The court heard victim impact statements from O'Neill's family members. The defence submitted that Shorthall had experienced significant personal tragedy and highlighted his early guilty plea. The investigation remains ongoing, though only Shorthall and Nolan have faced court proceedings. Sentencing is scheduled to conclude the hearing.
Stephen Kenny, 44, of Belarmine Hall, Stepaside, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply and to cultivation of cannabis at Tomdarragh, Roundwood, Co Wicklow, on 30 June 2016. Garda Brian Griffin said enquiries led to the discovery of nearly €140,000 worth of cannabis plants, plant materials and herb in a house that had been vacant since December 2014 and rented out on a short‑term basis. Kenny's fingerprints matched those found in the house, and the garda argued that the operation was "hands on" with no evidence of a superior. The court heard the house was "destroyed" and that the cost to fix it was substantial. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Kenny to five years, suspending the final two years on conditions, after noting his guilty plea, family circumstances and the high value of the drugs as aggravating factors.
Paul O'Leary, 51, of Follyhouse Lane, New Ross, Co Wexford, was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended. The sentence was imposed after O'Leary pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin, on 24 April 2017. Garda surveillance had revealed O'Leary's van parked at the quay, where he and a second driver transferred two cardboard boxes containing just over 17 kg of cannabis, valued at €350,104. O'Leary's role was described as that of a courier with no wider involvement. He has two minor prior convictions for public order offences. The judge noted his modest work history, gambling addiction, mental health issues, and role as a devoted father to three children, and accepted that a favourable probation report placed him at low risk of re‑offending.