In a High Court personal injuries case, Gerald Grimes, a 25‑year‑old from Balbriggan Street, Skerries, lost his claim after slipping in the toilets of Shenanigans Nightclub on 4 March 2012. Mr Justice Anthony Barr ruled that Grimes fell because he was "engaged in horseplay" with a friend, Mr Michael Caldwell, when a jump‑kick caused him to lose balance and fall on a wet floor. The judge found no negligence on the part of the nightclub, Highview Inns Ltd, which is in receivership, and dismissed the claim. Grimes had alleged a dislocated knee, severe pain, and loss of sporting ability, supported by Caldwell's testimony. Evidence from the nightclub's toilet attendant, Mr Elijah Fatiroti, who described the incident as horseplay and noted no liquid on the floor, was preferred by the judge.
The trial of a man charged with tax evasion has heard evidence at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin concerning significant cattle trading and agricultural grants. A former manager of Roscommon Livestock Mart testified that between 1999 and 2004, a man named Thomas Murphy traded cattle valued at over €150,000. A retired Department of Agriculture official gave evidence of farming grants totalling over €100,000 paid to an individual of that name at an address in Hackballscross, County Louth, between 1996 and 2004. The prosecution alleges the accused failed to declare income or file tax returns relating to these dealings across multiple years. The defendant has pleaded not guilty to nine counts of failing to furnish returns of income and profits to tax authorities for the period 1996 to 2004. The case, investigated by the Criminal Assets Bureau, continues before a three-judge panel.
The jury in the trial of 32‑year‑old Gary Walsh, charged with murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, is set to resume deliberations tomorrow. Walsh, who lives at Ravensdale Park, Kimmage, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sweeney, aged 62, who was killed at a house in Terenure on 8 February 2014. He had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the Central Criminal Court, but that plea was not accepted by the State. The jury began deliberating at 10.55 am, spent almost four hours, and will reconvene at 10 am tomorrow under Justice Patrick McCarthy.
The trial of Thomas Murphy, 66, of Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth, is ongoing at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin. The defendant, a prominent republican, has pleaded not guilty to nine charges alleging that he failed to furnish returns of his income, profits, or gains to the Collector General or Inspector of Taxes for the years 1996/97 to 2004. The prosecution, acting on an investigation by the Criminal Assets Bureau, contends that although Murphy received over €100,000 in grants from the Department of Agriculture and conducted significant dealings in cattle and land, he did not report this income to Revenue. Evidence presented by Patrick O'Hara, a retired Department of Agriculture employee, detailed payments made to a Thomas Murphy at the defendant's address between 1996 and 2004. These payments, totaling over €100,000, were attributed to farming grant schemes including the Slaughter Premium Scheme and the Special Beef Premium. The case is being heard by a three-judge, non-jury court. The trial continues, with no final verdict or sentence issued at this stage.
Two men found liable in civil proceedings relating to the 1998 Omagh bombing appeared before the Master of the High Court in Dublin on Wednesday to answer questions regarding their assets. Liam Campbell of Upper Faughart, Dundalk, and Michael Colm Murphy of Lower Faughart, Dundalk, County Louth, were ordered to provide details of their financial holdings as part of enforcement of a judgment requiring them to pay families of the 29 people killed in the attack. Both men denied possessing significant assets. Mr Campbell stated he owns only a half share in the family home and adjoining land. Mr Murphy claimed to hold no assets following his divorce. Lawyers acting for the victim's families sought comprehensive disclosure of property, savings, shares and company interests. Following examination, both men undertook to provide sworn statements detailing assets valued above €5,000 by 23 October.
The trial of 32‑year‑old Gary Walsh, charged with murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, has progressed to the jury's deliberations. Walsh, who lives in Ravensdale Park, Kimmage, pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but had earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the Central Criminal Court; that plea was not accepted by the State. Judge Patrick McCarthy instructed the jury of eight men and four women that the prosecution must prove every element of the murder charge beyond a reasonable doubt, and that the accused has the right not to give evidence. He explained that a murder conviction requires proof that the accused unlawfully killed the victim with intent to kill or cause serious harm. The judge urged the jury to remain impartial and to adopt any doubt in favour of the accused. Deliberations will begin at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning.
Paul Moore, aged 50, received a two‑year prison sentence for daylight sexual assaults on two women in Dublin city centre. He pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman on Gardiner Street on 21 January 2015 and another on St Mary's Place North on 8 May 2015. Judge Martin Nolan imposed an 18‑month term for the second offence, to run consecutively with six months for the first, back‑dated to when Moore entered custody in May, and suspended the final nine months. Moore had 11 prior convictions, including three rape offences, and had served prison terms for earlier sexual and indecent assaults. Garda Gavin O'Gara described how Moore approached the first victim, a woman in her early 20s, offering a cigarette and groping her breast while she spoke. The second victim, a late‑teen, was approached for a cigarette on the road to a pharmacy; Moore touched her nipple and again groped her breast.
The Special Criminal Court in Dublin has heard evidence in the ongoing trial of Thomas Murphy, a 66-year-old resident of Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth. Murphy, a prominent republican, has pleaded not guilty to nine charges alleging that he failed to furnish returns of his income, profits, or gains to the Collector General or Inspector of Taxes for the years 1996/97 to 2004. The prosecution, led by Paul Burns SC, is prosecuting on foot of a Criminal Assets Bureau investigation. The court heard that in 1991, a man named Thomas Murphy applied for a herd number from the Department of Agriculture, a registration required for farmers dealing in cattle. Retired Department of Agriculture employee Pat Rafferty testified that he received the application form, which was signed by Thomas Murphy, and visited the Ballybinaby farm for an inspection before issuing the number. Rafferty stated he likely met the applicant during the visit but could not confirm the individual's identity with certainty. The prosecution's case is that Murphy received grants totalling over €100,000 over eight years and conducted significant dealings in cattle and land, yet failed to make any returns to revenue. The trial continues.
In the murder trial of Kenneth Cummins (28) and Sabrina Cummins (37) for the killing of Thomas Horan (63) at Cambridge Court, Ringsend, a witness testified that he heard a woman's voice say "where's the wallet" early on the morning of January 6th. The witness described CCTV footage showing the Cummins siblings near the pub Sally's and later at Horan's bedsit, with Kenneth allegedly running out of the court and hiding behind a car. He also identified the Cummins as being present at the back door of the bedsit around 4.45am, when a commotion was heard. The witness, a neighbour, reported hearing the exchange and the disturbance that followed. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, is scheduled to continue next week with a jury of twelve. The defendants have pleaded not guilty. The case is expected to last three weeks.
Samuel Devlin, a man from Northern Ireland who has lived in Dublin, was charged by the Special Detective Unit in May 2014 with unlawful possession of the explosive substance Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN) at Finnstown House Hotel and with membership of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). In August 2015 the High Court granted him ten days' compassionate bail to visit his terminally ill mother in Northern Ireland. The Special Criminal Court in Dublin considered his application for bail today, noting that the court had previously ordered him to return after the earlier bail period and that he had done so. Detective Inspector Anthony Lenehan expressed concerns that Devlin might not appear for trial. Judge Paul Butler, presiding, took the objection seriously and imposed bail conditions requiring a €1,000 bond, no further offences, good behaviour, a landline contact for Gardaí, residence at an agreed address, a curfew from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and availability to the PSNI.
During a Special Criminal Court hearing in Dublin, a County Meath farmer, Brian Garvey, testified that Thomas "Slab" Murphy, aged 66, rented 246 acres from him for five or six years, paying cash and occasionally third‑party cheques from oil companies. Garvey said that from 1999 to 2002 Murphy paid 25,000 Irish pounds per year in cash, and that Murphy's nephew once gave him 5,000 euros for rent. Garvey also confirmed that in 1994, Patrick Murphy was the chief negotiator and that early payments were made by Patrick Murphy. Thomas Murphy is charged with nine counts of failing to file tax returns for 1996/97 to 2004, and he has pleaded not guilty. The trial continues.
During the murder trial of Kenneth Cummins (28) and Sabrina Cummins (37) at the Central Criminal Court, the State Pathologist, Professor Marie Therese Cassidy, presented evidence that Thomas Horan (63) died of asphyxia at his home in January 2014. She described external bruises and abrasions on Horan's face, neck, trunk, arms and legs, and noted a red, congested face and eye, indicating asphyxiation. Internal findings included a fractured left cheekbone, 14 fractured ribs, and fluid in the airways consistent with vomit. Cassidy suggested the injuries could result from blows to the head and chest combined with strangulation or neck compression, and that the death was rapid. The Cumminses pleaded not guilty, and the trial proceeded the following day before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of twelve.
In the trial of 32‑year‑old Gary Walsh, charged with murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, the defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC argued that Walsh was "a million miles away from intending to commit murder." Walsh pleaded not guilty to murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State rejected. The prosecution, led by Patrick McCarthy SC, maintained that Walsh's multiple punches and the resulting bruising and lacerations proved an intention to kill, citing the victim's frailty and the pathologist's findings. Grehan countered that Sweeney's health conditions, including blood clotting medication and past strokes, made him unusually vulnerable, and that the assault lacked a weapon or clear intent to kill. He urged the jury to consider the case as manslaughter rather than murder, noting the absence of a cold‑blooded motive and the victim's medical predispositions. The judge was set to charge the jury at 12 am.
During a murder trial, Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis testified that former Dublin rugby club captain Gary Walsh (32) was not guilty of murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea not accepted by the State. Dr Curtis described the post‑mortem findings of Cathal Sweeney, aged 62, who died on 8 February 2014. Sweeney was found to have sustained severe blunt‑force trauma to his head and face, with extensive bruising, lacerations to the forehead and upper face, fractures of the nasal and left cheek bones, and a small collection of blood on both sides of the hemispheres. The injuries were attributed to heavy punches, and the presence of Warfarin therapy and high alcohol levels were noted as contributing factors to the profuse haemorrhage and cardiac arrest that led to death.
In the murder trial of Kenneth Cummins (28) and Sabrina Cummins (37), the jury heard that the 63‑year‑old Thomas Horan was found hunched in a foetal position at his Cambridge Court home in Ringsend on 6 January. Garda Darren Coughlan, who responded to a 5 am call, reported that Sabrina Cummins, in black clothing and agitated, called to say she had found her friend dead. Fireman Micheál Carroll described arriving to a poorly lit room, finding Horan between the bed and a cluttered cabinet, with a jacket on top of him that had been placed there. He noted no pulse or breathing, a deathly pallor and a blue‑grey colour, concluding the victim had been deprived of oxygen for some time. Sergeant Peter Holmes recounted meeting Sabrina at 5:14 am, who insisted on seeing Horan and claimed she last saw him at 7:30 pm the previous evening. Kenneth Cummins pleaded not guilty. Sabrina Cummins pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Kenneth Cummins (28) and Sabrina Cummins (37) pleaded not guilty to the murder of Thomas Horan (63) on 6 January. Prosecutor Remy Farrell alleged the pair entered Horan's Ringsend home early that morning to rob him, then killed him to conceal the robbery. He described Horan as severely beaten, with a rope around his neck, a bag over his head, and an attempted poisoning with cleaning fluid. Evidence would show head, neck and chest injuries consistent with a savage beating. The Cumminses were arrested two days after Horan's body was discovered. A 999 call by Joanna, later identified as Sabrina Cummins, reported the body to authorities. Garda Ciaran Sweeney, on patrol at 5 am, met the accused and noted her claim that Horan was a "foster father" to her. Kenneth Cummins was absent from the trial by request, a decision the judge accepted without prejudice. The trial continues.
A Dublin man, Robert Day, aged 54, was charged at an out‑of‑hours sitting of the Special Criminal Court with membership of an unlawful organisation, namely the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The charge was brought under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act on 9 October 2015. Detective Garda Leanna Cruise arrested Day at 2.15 pm that afternoon on Londonbridge Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, and transported him to Irishtown Garda Station before presenting him to the Special Criminal Court. In court, Day was shown the original charge sheet and gave no comment. He wore an orange Glasgow Celtic jersey and did not react when asked to stand. The court, presided over by Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan, Judge Ann Ryan and Judge Flann Brennan, remanded Day in custody until Thursday, when a bail application is expected. Barrister Mark Lynam, representing Day, consented to the remand and reserved his position regarding the lawfulness of the arrest.
The High Court has authorised a man to be tried for the fourth time on 14 counts of rape and sexual assault alleged to have occurred in the late 1960s and 1970s. The man, whose identity is withheld for legal reasons, denies all allegations. He was first tried in 2012 before the Central Criminal Court, where the jury could not reach a verdict. A second trial in 2013 ended when the judge discharged the jury. A third trial in 2014 was abandoned after a dispute over the prosecution's disclosure of documents. A fourth trial date was set, but the man sought judicial review to stop it, arguing that a fourth trial breached his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights and that a failure by the State to fully disclose had undermined his confidence in the process. The Director of Public Prosecutions opposed the review.
In the Special Criminal Court, Thomas "Slab" Murphy, aged 66, faces nine tax‑evasion charges for failing to file returns for 1996‑2004. He denies the allegations. A County Meath farmer, who rented land to Murphy and his brothers, testified that he cannot recall the accused ever handing him money, though he began renting in 1997 or 1998. The prosecution, led by Paul Burns SC, presented this testimony. The court also heard from Brid Cannon, a Department of Agriculture employee, who confirmed that Thomas Murphy traded cattle between his own herds and those of Francis and Rosemary and Marie Murphy from 2000 to 2005. Cannon's testimony was supported by John Kearney QC. The trial, which resumed on Tuesday, continued with legal arguments. The case remains ongoing. Thomas Murphy pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court adjourned the trial of Kenneth Cummins (28) and Sabrina Cummins (37) to Monday. The siblings, who live at Ringsend Park, Dublin 4, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Thomas Horan (63) at Cambridge Court, Ringsend, Dublin 4 on 6 January 2014. Judge Tony Hunt thanked the jury of seven women and five men for agreeing to serve on a potentially five‑week case, offered them a substantial exemption from future jury service, and reminded them to base their verdict solely on the evidence presented.
In the trial of Gary Walsh, 32, accused of murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, the jury heard that Walsh claimed he had done everything that night to keep Sweeney alive. Walsh pleaded not guilty to murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State did not accept. On February 9, 2014, Walsh gave a statement to Garda officers in which he said he had not intentionally harmed Sweeney and expressed remorse, stating that the incident would ruin his life. He also said he had wiped blood from Sweeney's face and put trousers on him before the ambulance took him to St James's Hospital. The court heard that Sweeney's glasses were left on his face. The trial continues.
The Special Criminal Court in Dublin is hearing the trial of Thomas "Slab" Murphy, 66, of Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, County Louth, who has pleaded not guilty to nine charges alleging he failed to furnish income returns to the Collector General or Inspector of Taxes for the years 1996/97 to 2004. Prosecuting counsel Paul Burns SC alleged that the defendant conducted significant dealings in land and cattle, making payments exceeding €300,000 mostly in cash, yet made no returns to Revenue. The prosecution contends that Murphy received over €100,000 in farming grants from the Department of Agriculture during this period. Evidence from Department of Agriculture officer Niall McKeown confirmed these grant payments to a Thomas Murphy at the defendant's address. Witness Grainne Dalton testified that EU Area Aid applications from 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2004 were signed by a Thomas Murphy at that address. However, defending counsel John Kearney QC challenged the evidence, noting that the witness could not forensically confirm the defendant held the documents or penned the signatures. Kearney stated it is not accepted that the defendant had any part in creating or submitting the documentation. The matter is currently at the trial stage and continues.
In the trial of Gary Walsh, 32, accused of murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, the defence counsel challenged a witness's account of the alleged assault. Walsh pleaded not guilty to the murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State rejected. Taxi driver Michael McGuinness testified that Sweeney had alcohol problems and was a regular at the Terenure Inn. The prosecution's statement described a confrontation in the flat's sitting room, with Walsh allegedly punching Sweeney multiple times. Witness Colm Campbell, a friend of Sweeney, claimed he saw Walsh repeatedly hit Sweeney in the bedroom, describing a violent struggle lasting about 30 seconds. The defence argued that Campbell's testimony was fabricated, asserting that the alleged assault did not occur in the bedroom and that Campbell was attempting to distance himself from the events. The trial remains ongoing.
The trial of Thomas Murphy, 66, of Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth, is ongoing at the Special Criminal Court. The accused has pleaded not guilty to nine charges alleging that he failed to furnish a return of his income, profits, or gains, or the source thereof, to the Collector General or Inspector of Taxes for the years 1996/97 to 2004. Prosecution counsel Paul Burns SC stated that the case arises from a Criminal Assets Bureau investigation. The prosecution alleges that although Murphy conducted significant dealings in land and cattle trading, he made no returns to Revenue. Burns told the three-judge, non-jury court that Murphy applied for and received a herd number from the Department of Agriculture, subsequently obtaining grants exceeding €100,000. The prosecution further alleges that Murphy made substantial cash payments, mostly in cash or via third-party cheques, totalling over €300,000 for renting land and purchasing silage. Burns asserted that Murphy had access to significant sources of cash to facilitate these payments and engaged in cattle trading at various markets involving sums well into six figures. The matter is currently at the trial stage, and the proceedings continue.
During the trial of Gary Walsh, 32, accused of murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, the jury heard that Walsh initially told Gardaí Sweeney had arrived at a Terenure flat "in an assaulted state" and had "dropped unconscious." Walsh pleaded not guilty to murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State rejected. Prosecution witnesses included Thomas Doolin of the Dolphins Barn Fire Brigade, who reported that when he asked the two men in the flat what had happened to Sweeney, both said Sweeney had arrived thirty minutes earlier with injuries. Bryan Mullen, a general nurse, testified he had tried to resuscitate Sweeney for fifteen minutes and observed severe head injuries and bleeding. Gardaí Stephen Pendred and John Walsh recounted that Walsh, wearing blood‑soaked tracksuit bottoms, was the main speaker while the third man, Colm Campbell, remained quiet. Pendred noted Walsh's agitation and numerous questions about Sweeney.
Ceraldo Eyken, 45, of Chaplin Court, Clondalkin, was acquitted by a jury of assault causing harm to prison officer Gareth Sheeran at Cloverhill Prison on 11 April 2009. The incident occurred just before tea‑time when inmates were carrying empty trays down the stairs. Eyken claimed he was defending himself from a fellow prisoner who had pushed him down the stairs seconds earlier. Officer Sheeran, who now works at the Dóchas Centre, was injured when a meal tray was thrown at him, severing a tendon in his wrist and causing permanent nerve damage. Eyken denied the assault charge, stating he had no intention to hit an officer and was angry after an earlier altercation with another inmate. The jury returned its verdict in just under an hour after a two‑day trial. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Sarah Berkeley.
During the murder trial of Gary Walsh, a 32‑year‑old Dublin man, the jury heard that the victim, former rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, was found lying on the bedroom floor of a Terenure flat on 8 February 2014. Paramedic Coleman Gilligan testified that he was called at 17.32 by the Dublin Fire Brigade to attend a male in cardiac arrest. He entered the flat, saw an intoxicated man pointing toward an open bedroom door, and a second man in his early thirties—identified as Walsh—squatting in the doorway. Walsh repeatedly shouted, "Help him, help him," as Sweeney lay on the floor with blood on the bedclothes and walls. Gilligan began resuscitation, then moved Sweeney to St James's Hospital on a spinal board. The trial continues. Gary Walsh pleaded not guilty.
A jury was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin for the trial of Kenneth Cummins, 28, and Sabrina Cummins, 37, who are accused of murdering Thomas Horan, 63, at Cambridge Court, Ringsend, Dublin 4, on 6 January last year. Both defendants pleaded not guilty. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy informed the jury that the trial could last up to five weeks and it began on Friday afternoon.
The Central Criminal Court opened the trial of Gary Walsh, 32, accused of murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney. Walsh pleaded not guilty to murder but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State did not accept. Prosecutor Patrick McCarthy presented the case as a murder involving intoxication and a fight at a flat in Terenure on 8 February 2014. Witnesses, including Colm Campbell, testified that Walsh assaulted Sweeney after a row over alcohol and an inheritance discussion. Sweeney was found unresponsive with facial trauma and active bleeding, was taken to St James's Hospital, and died at 18:32. The trial is expected to last about six days, with a possible fortnight set aside for the case. The proceedings continue.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Ceraldo Eyken, 45, of Chaplin Court, Clondalkin, denied assault causing harm to prison officer Gareth Sheeran, 36, at Cloverhill Prison on 11 April 2009. Eyken was accused of slashing a meal tray over Sheeran's wrist, severing a tendon and causing permanent nerve damage that left Sheeran with a constant tingling sensation. Sheeran, who received 19 stitches and plastic surgery, testified that he was caught in the middle of an altercation when Eyken, after being pushed down the stairs by another prisoner, used the tray as a weapon. Eyken claimed he was defending himself after being shoved and that he would never hit an officer, expressing remorse. The trial, presided over by Judge Sarah Berkeley with a jury of eight women and four men, was set to conclude within the next day or two.
The High Court has dismissed a challenge by Cork Harbour Alliance for Responsible Development (CHARD) against An Bord Pleanála's decision to grant planning permission for a scrap metal processing facility at Cork Dockyard in Cobh. Mr Justice Seamus Noonan ruled that the planning authority's decision was neither unreasonable nor irrational. The applicants, local residents, had alleged that the development would generate excessive traffic endangering public safety and that An Bord Pleanála failed to conduct a proper Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in accordance with the Planning and Development Act 2000 and EU law. They sought orders quashing the March 2013 permission, which had been granted despite Cobh Town Council's initial refusal and An Bord Pleanála's own inspector recommending against it. An Bord Pleanála, the respondent, maintained that it had carried out the requisite EIA and determined the project would not pose unacceptable adverse effects or traffic congestion. The court found that the board had explicitly engaged with the traffic concerns and provided clear reasons for its decision. While the judge noted that one condition requiring the developer to provide car parking spaces was unenforceable, he determined this condition was severable from the permission. Consequently, the dismissal of the challenge does not prohibit the development from proceeding.
A jury was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court for the trial of Gary Walsh, 33, of Ravensdale Park, Kimmage, Dublin 15, who is accused of murdering 62‑year‑old Cathal Sweeney in Terenure on 8 February 2014. Walsh pleaded not guilty to murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State did not accept. Judge Patrick McCarthy told the eight‑man, four‑woman jury the trial should take about six days, but set aside a fortnight for the case. The trial began at 2.30 pm that day.
Belfast man Kevin Hannaway, aged 67, was granted bail by the Special Criminal Court pending trial for allegedly assisting the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He and four co‑accused were arrested on 8 August 2015 in an operation targeting dissident republican activity in the Dublin region. Hannaway was charged on 10 August 2015 with knowingly rendering assistance to the IRA on 7 and 8 August. His co‑accused, Edward O'Brien (41), Eva Shannon (59), David Nooney (52) and Seán Hannaway (47), faced similar charges. The court imposed conditions including €100 bonds, residence requirements, daily curfews, provision of mobile phones to Gardaí, and restrictions on contact with witnesses and other charged persons. Additional sureties of €15,000 and €10,500 were posted for O'Brien and Nooney. The bail remains in force until 3 November 2015, when the book of evidence is expected to be served.
Kevin Hannaway, 67, a Belfast man linked to the "Hooded Men", appeared before the Special Criminal Court on Monday, 10 August 2015. He was charged with knowingly assisting the Irish Republican Army (IRA) on 7 and 8 August 2015, an unlawful organisation. Hannaway, along with four co‑accused—Edward O'Brien (41), Eva Shannon (59), David Nooney (52) and Sean Hannaway (47)—were arrested on Saturday afternoon during a Garda operation targeting dissident republican activity in the Dublin region. The operation involved the Garda Special Detective Unit, Emergency Response Unit and Crime and Security Branch. The court remanded all five accused in custody, with a subsequent hearing scheduled for 17 August 2015. The case is part of a broader effort to address the detention of the "Hooded Men" during the Troubles and their appeal for a revision of a 1978 European Court of Human Rights judgement.
Ryan Glennon, a 24‑year‑old Dublin resident, was charged by the Special Criminal Court with membership of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) on 13 May 2015. He was arrested by the Special Detective Unit during an operation targeting dissident republicans in Dublin. The three‑judge court granted him bail on consent, imposing several conditions: a €12,000 surety, a personal bond of €100, surrender of passport and travel documents, daily reporting to a local Garda station, a daily curfew, residence at a specified address, and exclusive use of a single mobile phone kept on at all times. He must not leave the jurisdiction, avoid Wexford, refrain from contacting prosecution witnesses, associate only with his legal team, and avoid contact with other charged or convicted persons. The court also remanded him in custody with consent to bail until 27 October.
In a Dublin murder trial, the judge began his charge against Wayne Kennedy, 34, who is accused of killing 26‑year‑old David Spain on 26 December 2013 and of recklessly causing serious harm to Sean Turner on the same day. Kennedy pleaded not guilty to both counts. Prosecutor Paddy McCarthy argued that Kennedy deliberately used a knife in a cold, calculated attack, citing a text message threatening Turner and the subsequent fight in which Turner was stabbed twice. He described the incident as an ambush rather than a spontaneous altercation. Defence counsel Remy Farrell countered, emphasizing self‑defence and the possibility that Kennedy was reacting to an anticipated confrontation. He highlighted the CCTV footage showing Kennedy moving backwards, suggesting he was not the aggressor. The judge was to continue his charge the following day.
In a Westmeath case, retired army private Jimmy Devaney, aged 67, was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter in the death of prostitute Marie Greene on 13 February 2011. The jury, after 4 hours 23 minutes, returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty of murder and guilty of manslaughter. Justice Margaret Heneghan thanked the jury and excused them for 15 years, adjourned sentencing to 2 November, and remanded Devaney in custody until that date. Greene was last seen alive on the night of her death and her body was discovered nine days later in Anagorta Bog. Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy reported six stab wounds to the trunk and multiple incise wounds to the head and neck, some possibly part of a continuous attack after death. The State alleged Devaney murdered Greene because she had blackmailed him for money and threatened to reveal his wife.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard that Saverio Bellante, 36, admitted killing his landlord Thomas O'Gorman in Castleknock between 11 and 12 January 2014. Bellante, who had previously lived in Ireland and returned in 2011, claimed he was mentally disturbed and had been on anti‑psychotic medication. He told Gardaí that he had eaten what he believed to be part of O'Gorman's heart, but the body was found with a severed lung in a kitchen bowl. Evidence from Garda Patrick Traynor and Chief State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy described blunt‑force trauma to the head and multiple stab wounds to the neck and chest as the cause of death. The trial, expected to last two days, continues with the jury hearing the defence's admissions under Section 22 of the Criminal Justice Act. Saverio Bellante pleaded not guilty.
The jury in the trial of retired army private Jimmy Devaney, aged 67, is set to resume deliberations after an hour and fifteen minutes of discussion. Devaney, who pleaded not guilty, is accused of murdering prostitute Marie Greene on 13 February 2011 in Westmeath. Greene was last seen alive that evening and her body was found nine days later in Anagorta Bog. The State alleges Devaney killed Greene after she blackmailed him for money and threatened to inform his wife. Devaney claims he met Greene at Anagorta Bog, that she threatened to involve her brothers, and that he stabbed her in a struggle, losing control. He also says he had given her up to €40,000 over six months. Evidence includes a videolink testimony from Devaney's brother‑in‑law, Peter Boardman, who supplied knives used in his butcher trade. Judge Margaret Heneghan explained that provocation could reduce murder to manslaughter if the jury believes Devaney was provoked.
Wayne Kennedy, aged 33, was charged with the murder of 26‑year‑old David Spain and the serious injury of 24‑year‑old Sean Turner on 26 December 2013 at his Shankill home. In a Garda interview, Kennedy claimed he believed he was meeting Spain for a one‑on‑one fight. He described a chaotic encounter in which multiple men, including Turner, attacked him, and that Spain threw a jacket over his head. Kennedy admitted striking the men but denied killing Spain. He also admitted lending Turner €50, which Turner never returned. During cross‑examination, a detective confirmed Kennedy's statements about the fight and his lack of a weapon were false. Witness Adam McMahon testified that Kennedy had been in a bad state, had a facial cut, and had stabbed Turner and Spain. The trial is ongoing. Wayne Kennedy pleaded not guilty.
In the Central Criminal Court, retired defence forces member Jimmy Devaney, aged 67, pleaded not guilty to the murder of prostitute Marie Greene on 13 February 2011. The prosecution argued Devaney planned the killing, bringing a knife to Anagorta Bog where Greene was found. Defence counsel contended Greene regularly visited the bog and the knife might have been stolen from Devaney's jeep. Prosecutor Alex Owens highlighted Devaney's "cock and bull story" to Gardaí about the knife, suggesting an attempt to distance himself from the weapon. Owens urged the jury to consider whether Devaney's alleged provocation could have caused a sudden loss of self‑control, potentially leading to a manslaughter verdict. Defence lawyer Giollaiosa O'Lideadha denied any planning, emphasizing the seriousness of manslaughter and questioning the knife's role in the alleged plan. The jury, composed of six men and six women, was instructed to remain impartial and was later informed that one juror had been discharged.
In a Dublin murder trial, the State Pathologist testified that a 26‑year‑old man died from stab wounds to his chest and abdomen. Wayne Kennedy, 33, of Rathsallagh Park, Shankill, is charged with murdering David Spain on 26 December 2013 and with causing serious harm to Sean Turner, 24, on the same date. Kennedy pleaded not guilty. Professor Marie Cassidy identified six stab wounds on Spain's body, including a left‑side chest wound that penetrated the rib cage, lung and heart, and a right‑side abdominal wound that sliced major pelvic vessels. She concluded the cause of death was the chest and abdominal injuries. Witnesses described the night's events, noting a knife in Kennedy's hand and a fight that had ended by the time a friend arrived. The trial continues.
In the ongoing trial at the Central Criminal Court, a juror was discharged after a review by Justice Margaret Heneghan. The case concerns retired army private Jimmy Devaney, aged 67, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of prostitute Marie Greene in Westmeath on 13 February 2011. The jury, originally composed of six men and six women, confirmed they had not discussed the case with each other or any third parties. Following the discharge, the trial proceeds with the remaining six women and five men, who will deliver closing speeches this afternoon.
In a trial of three former Anglo Irish Bank staff, the jury has begun deliberations after a judge reminded them that the bank itself is not on trial and that they must set aside any pre‑existing views about Anglo. The accused—Bernard Daly, Tiarnan O'Mahoney and Aoife Maguire—have pleaded not guilty to seven alleged offences committed in 2003 and 2004. The charges allege that they conspired to conceal or alter accounts linked to former chairman Sean FitzPatrick, thereby evading potential Deposit Interest Retention Tax. The judge explained that the offence is the agreement to break the law, regardless of whether the accounts were ultimately liable. He noted that the evidence is largely circumstantial, involving alleged emails, instructions to delete accounts and changes made through anonymous logins. The jury will resume tomorrow and is expected to finish by lunch.
During the murder trial of Wayne Kennedy, a 33‑year‑old from Rathsallagh Park, Shankill, a witness, Mark McGovern, testified that Kennedy had sent him a text message on the morning of December 26, 2013, saying, "I think I murdered someone last night." McGovern said he received the message at 5:34 am and, being drunk, ignored it, later turning his phone off and sleeping. He recalled additional messages the next morning, including pleas for help. McGovern also described learning of a dispute between Kennedy and Sean Turner, the 24‑year‑old victim, through his wife's Facebook page. The prosecution also called Ian Messitt, who claimed to have heard shouting from the estate and seen Turner's blood, and Garda Neil Dunne, who found a knife handle in a grassy verge. Kennedy pleaded not guilty to murder and serious harm charges, and the trial continues.
Aoife Maguire, a 62‑year‑old former assistant manager at Anglo Irish Bank, is accused of instructing IT staff to delete accounts linked to chairman Sean FitzPatrick during a Revenue investigation into alleged deposit interest retention tax evasion. Her defence counsel, Patrick Gageby SC, argued that Maguire was merely a "gopher" at the lowest rung of the bank's hierarchy, acting as a messenger rather than an instructor, and that higher‑ranking staff carried out the deletions. He contended that the prosecution's claim of conspiracy was unfounded, as the offence was completed when the account of FitzPatrick's brother‑in‑law was removed from the list. Maguire, along with co‑accused Tiarnan O'Mahoney and Bernard Daly, pleaded not guilty to seven counts in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The trial, lasting eight weeks, is concluding with the jury set to deliberate tomorrow under Judge Patrick McCartan's direction.
A Lithuanian man, Deivydas Zigelis, aged 37, will stand trial in 2016 for the murder of a 26‑year‑old Latvian man in County Laois. Zigelis, who lives on Spa Street, Portarlington, was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court and pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of Alexander Karpov on 15 February 2014. The prosecution's counsel confirmed that a jury would still be required. A jury of seven men and five women was sworn in, but the trial was postponed to the next list, with a new date set for 28 November 2016.
A jury was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court for the trial of Saverio Bellante, 36, an Italian national charged with murdering Thomas O'Gorman in Castleknock between 11 and 12 January 2014. Bellante pleaded not guilty. Judge Patrick McCarthy informed the jury of seven men and five women that the trial would last two days and could not begin before Thursday morning, with Judge Margaret Heneghan presiding. The proceedings will include medical evidence and testimony from a civilian witness, Mr Brendan Gallagher.
In the Central Criminal Court, 66‑year‑old Jimmy Devaney pleaded not guilty to the murder of Marie Greene, a prostitute, on 13 February 2011. Devaney told Gardaí he had been blackmailed by Greene for up to €40,000, claiming she threatened to inform his wife. He admitted to stabbing Greene after a confrontation in a bog near Ballykieran, stating he had previously given her €20,000–€40,000 over six months and had not repaid it. Devaney denied bringing a knife that night, but described wrestling with Greene, grabbing a knife from her, and stabbing her before burying the body. He recalled meeting Greene a decade earlier, developing a relationship that involved sexual favors for money. The trial continues with a jury of twelve, presided over by Justice Margaret Heneghan.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a jury was informed that former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick was not a defendant in the case. Brendan Grehan SC defended Tiarnan O'Mahoney, former chief operations officer, who, along with former company secretary Bernard Daly and former assistant manager Aoife Maguire, pleaded not guilty to seven counts of conspiracy to defraud Revenue. The prosecution alleged that the trio concealed or omitted accounts linked to FitzPatrick from the bank's Core Banking System and from documents supplied to Revenue during an investigation into bogus non‑resident accounts potentially liable for Deposit Interest Retention Tax. Grehan argued that there was no evidence of loss to Revenue, no evidence that O'Mahoney knew the details of the accounts, and that FitzPatrick's alleged motive was to avoid future scrutiny as he moved from CEO to chairman.