A 30‑year‑old man accused of raping a woman he met on the dating app Badoo was interviewed by Gardaí after the complainant alleged he entered her Dublin home on 14 August 2015, raped her, and stole her phone. In his first interview he claimed he had stolen the phone to sell it for money, but later admitted he had taken it in a moment of panic because his contact details were on it. He denied the rape, stating the woman was aware he had no condom and that they had sex after she asked for one. He said he ejaculated quickly, told her she might become pregnant, and that he had no money for the morning‑after pill. Garda Rossa Smith presented evidence that the accused's WhatsApp contact matched the seller's number on DoneDeal.ie and that CCTV showed him entering the house at 3.15 am and leaving at 3.38 am. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
During the fifteenth week of David Drumm's trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a financial analyst, Eamon Hughes, testified that Anglo Irish Bank's share price fell from 0.94c to 0.48c after the release of preliminary 2008 figures. Hughes explained that the drop reflected a 50‑percent decline and that the loan‑to‑deposit ratio had risen, a key metric for investors. He described attending the bank's presentation on 3 December 2008, noting that the figures were later used by Goodbody Stockbrokers to produce an early market assessment. Hughes also acknowledged that the share price slump was traumatic and that the bank's results were below expectations. Drumm, aged 51, has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to defraud and false accounting, and the prosecution's case is described as "very close to conclusion.".
Frederick 'Freddie' Thompson, aged 37, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of shoe shop manager David Douglas, who was shot six times on Bridgefoot Street on 1 July 2016. The Special Criminal Court heard that Thompson's DNA was found in two alleged 'spotter' cars used in the shooting and that he was identified in CCTV footage as the driver of one of those cars. Thompson's barrister, Michael O'Higgins SC, argued that the private CCTV footage used by the State was unlawfully created by property owners who had not registered their systems with the Data Protection Commissioner and had no warning signs. He claimed the footage breached Thompson's right to privacy and should be deemed inadmissible. Prosecutor Sean Gillane SC countered that no legal authority supports such an argument and that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy in the circumstances. The judges will decide tomorrow.
Tadhg Butler, 37, of Seafield House, Tramore, Co. Waterford, faces a retrial for the murder of Michael O'Dwyer on 10 January 2014. After a hung jury in the previous trial, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy of the Central Criminal Court scheduled the retrial for 27 May 2019.
In a Dublin rape trial, a 30‑year‑old man accused of raping a 27‑year‑old Chinese woman on 14 August 2015 pleaded not guilty. The complainant testified that she met the accused through the dating app Badoo, agreed to a chat, and later found herself kissing and touching him in her bedroom. She repeatedly said "no" and "stop" as the encounter escalated to oral and penetrative sex, but the accused continued until he ejaculated. She claimed he refused to provide a condom and later stole her phone when leaving. Garda Rossa Smith described a sting operation that linked the accused to a phone sale on DoneDeal.ie, confirming his identity via WhatsApp contact numbers. The case is ongoing before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy.
During the Special Criminal Court trial of 37‑year‑old Frederick 'Freddie' Thompson, Detective Garda Seamus O'Donovan gave recognition evidence that Thompson was the driver of a "spotter" vehicle in the 2016 murder of shoe shop manager David Douglas. O'Donovan identified Thompson in three CCTV clips taken on the day of the shooting, showing a bearded driver of a Ford Fiesta, one of the alleged spotter cars. The prosecution does not claim Thompson fired the shots; instead, his DNA was found in two spotter cars. O'Donovan also recounted his prior investigation of Thompson in a 2013 violent disorder case at Morrissey's Pub and his involvement in Thompson's extradition from Holland. The defence, led by Michael O'Higgins SC, challenged the admissibility of the CCTV evidence, arguing the footage was insufficient for reliable identification. The court heard the dispute and will consider submissions before Judge Tony Hunt and the other judges. The unnamed 37-year-old pleaded not guilty.
During the non‑jury Special Criminal Court hearing on the murder of David Douglas, Detective Sergeant Adrian Whitelaw identified Frederick 'Freddie' Thompson, 37, as the man in one of four alleged 'spotter' cars used in the shooting. Whitelaw testified that he had seen a photograph of himself with Thompson a few months earlier and that Thompson's DNA had been found in two of the cars. He also identified Thompson in CCTV footage from Little Caesar's Restaurant and from a stall on Meath Street, describing him as wearing a dark top and a black baseball cap. Whitelaw could not identify the two females in the footage. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, with Judges Flannan Brennan and Gerard Griffin presiding. Thompson has pleaded not guilty to the murder.
The jury in the conspiracy to defraud trial of David Drumm, a 51‑year‑old from Skerries, Co. Dublin, has been informed that the prosecution will finish presenting its evidence next week. Judge Karen O'Connor noted that the case is at day 72 of hearing and is approaching its conclusion. Drumm has pleaded not guilty to conspiring with former Anglo Irish Bank officials Denis Casey, William McAteer, John Bowe and others to defraud depositors and investors by falsely presenting 2008 deposits as €7.2 billion larger than they were. He also pleaded not guilty to false accounting at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The prosecution read a witness statement from Lorraine Hanrahan, who confirmed her awareness of September and October 2008 transactions between Irish Life Investment Managers and Anglo Irish Bank, and described the transactions as non‑standard and unusually large. The jury was reminded not to conduct independent research and will return on Monday for further evidence.
The trial of David Drumm, former Anglo Irish Bank CEO, continued before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury, with the defendant pleading not guilty to conspiring with former officials Denis Casey, William McAteer, John Bowe, and others to defraud depositors and investors. He is also charged with false accounting on December 3, 2008, allegedly by furnishing information that Anglo's 2008 deposits were €7.2 billion larger than they were. On day 71, State expert witness Dan Taylor of BDO testified that including a €7.2bn transaction in the bank's preliminary stock exchange announcement was "misleading and inaccurate." Taylor stated the announcement lacked specific disclosure regarding transactions with Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) and that these transactions lacked commercial substance. Drumm accepts the transactions occurred but disputes they were fraudulent or dishonest. Judge O'Connor reminded the jury that they must decide the weight of the expert evidence, noting it is a trial by jury, not by accountant. The matter remains at the trial stage and has not been finalised.
Gary Gleeson (34) and Stephen Dunne (39) pleaded guilty before the Special Criminal Court to possessing a 9mm Luger semi‑automatic pistol and 10 rounds of 9mm Sellier and Bellot ammunition with intent to endanger life. The offence occurred at Naas Road, Crumlin on 7 August. Dunne, who lives on Meile an Ri Drive, Lucan, and Gleeson, of Muskerry Road, Ballyfermot, had earlier faced conspiracy to murder charges involving Michael Frazer. Judge Tony Hunt, with Judges Gerard Griffin and Flann Brennan, remanded them in custody for a sentence hearing on 22 June, allowing time for report preparation.
During the fifth day of the 37‑year‑old Frederick 'Freddie' Thompson's trial in the Special Criminal Court, the judges were shown CCTV footage of the shooting that killed 55‑year‑old David Douglas on Bridgefoot Street. The footage captured Douglas moving toward the shop entrance at 4.11 pm, a dark figure approaching, and Douglas being shot. It also showed Douglas's daughter arriving to help. Additional footage displayed a man leaving a Ford Fiesta on Meath Street, speaking to a woman at a stall, and breaking a mobile phone to hand parts to her. Garda Ciaran Byrne presented the clips, while the prosecution argued that Thompson was a spotter in the vehicles used in the shooting, with DNA found in two cars. The defense did not contest Thompson's identification in the footage. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and two other judges. The unnamed 37-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Tomas Gajowniczek, 37, of Dublin 8, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the attempted murder and serious harm of his former partner Alicja Kalinowska, 30, on 16 June 2016. The jury heard that he repeatedly punched her, stuffed underwear in her mouth, held her nose, beat her with a hammer and gouged her eyes. He also forced her to drink a bottle's contents. Kalinowska said she passed out and awoke when a neighbour knocked. Dr Paul O'Connell, a consultant psychiatrist, interviewed Gajowniczek on 3 May and noted his long‑standing headaches, limb pains, and delusional beliefs that Kalinowska was poisoning him and that the assault was being discussed on the radio. He described Gajowniczek as having persecutory beliefs and paranoid schizophrenia with a delusional disorder. Under Section 5 of the Criminal Law Insanity Act, Justice McCarthy committed Gajowniczek to the Central Mental Hospital for ongoing treatment, with review and possible release under Section 13.
During the 70th day of David Drumm's conspiracy to defraud trial, the jury heard from Pamela Lennon, a former Central Bank manager, who described a shared European network that recorded real‑time balances of banks. Lennon testified that the network captured daily balances and that the data was transferred to storage facilities in Germany, France and Italy. She showed the jury account statements for 29 and 30 September 2008, revealing 583 transactions on Anglo's account on 29 September and a €1 bn deposit from the Central Bank, an overnight facility with a fee. Lennon confirmed that Anglo was eligible for and received €1 bn from the European Central Bank on that day. Drumm admitted the transactions occurred but denied they were fraudulent or dishonest. The hearing continues in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury of ten men and four women. David Drumm pleaded not guilty.
Barry Kennedy, a 51‑year‑old Dublin bus driver, was tried at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for careless driving that caused the death of 25‑year‑old Brazilian motorcyclist Lucas Lapa Sanchez on 21 October 2015. Kennedy, who had been employed by Dublin Bus for 16 years, was driving a "ghost bus" with no passengers when he turned right into the Broadstone Depot on Constitution Hill. CCTV footage showed the bus travelling at about 21 km/h colliding with Sanchez's motorcycle, which was moving at about 61 km/h on a wet, windy night. The prosecution alleged Kennedy failed to exercise due care, looking out his right‑hand window during the turn. The defence argued Kennedy had no prior incidents and highlighted the difficult turn, lighting, and Sanchez's lack of high‑visibility gear. After 1 hour and 20 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty.
In the 'Freddie' Thompson murder trial, forensic evidence showed Thompson's DNA on a hand sanitiser and an air freshener recovered from alleged spotter cars used in the shooting of Dublin shoe shop manager David Douglas. Douglas, 55, was shot six times while eating at the shop counter and died from concussion, brain haemorrhage, facial injuries and obstructed breathing. The prosecution argues Thompson was in one of the spotter cars, not the shooter, and that four vehicles operated together that day. Professor Marie Cassidy testified to Douglas's injuries and cause of death, noting half the shots came from different directions, indicating movement by one or both parties. Forensic scientist Sarah Fleming matched Thompson's DNA to items in a Mitsubishi and a Ford Fiesta, estimating the chance of a coincidental match as less than one in a billion. No DNA was found on the gun or cartridges. The trial continues with a legal issue on admissibility of evidence. The unnamed 37-year-old pleaded not guilty.
During a Special Criminal Court hearing, Chief Superintendent Anthony Howard testified that the Irish Republican Army remains "very active" in both northern and southern jurisdictions of Ireland. He stated that Robert Day, 55, is charged with membership in the IRA, a claim he believes holds on the date of the charge. Howard claimed privilege over the evidence supporting his opinion, citing protection of lives, public interest and State security, and offered the material to the judges while noting that even the Director of Public Prosecutions lacks access. The trial is scheduled to continue the following day.
The trial of Freddie Thompson, 37, for the alleged murder of David Douglas on July 1, 2016, continued before the Special Criminal Court. Mr Thompson, of Maryland, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the killing of the 55-year-old shoe shop manager on Bridgefoot Street. Prosecutors allege that four vehicles operated in concert during the incident, which resulted in Mr Douglas being shot six times. While the prosecution does not argue that Mr Thompson physically fired the weapon, they seek to infer he was one of the 'many fingers on the trigger.' On the third day of the trial, witnesses Deivydas Kukanavza and Iveta Sutkote testified regarding a separate incident on Strand Road on July 4, 2016. They described a Mitsubishi repeatedly crashing into a parked silver Suzuki Swift before an occupant poured petrol over the vehicle and set it alight. Ms Sutkote identified the Mitsubishi's registration number, which was later provided to gardai. The court heard that the Mitsubishi was subsequently stopped by police, with a smell of petrol detected inside. Mr Thompson's fingerprints were found within the vehicle. The prosecution characterised the silver Suzuki as the 'ultimate getaway car,' noting it had been stolen from Greystones. The trial is ongoing before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Flannan Brennan, and Judge Gerard Griffin, with proceedings scheduled to continue on Tuesday.
During the second day of the 37‑year‑old Frederick "Freddie" Thompson's murder trial, a fingerprint expert presented evidence that Thompson's prints were found on two cars the prosecution says were linked to the killing of Dublin shoe shop manager David Douglas. Thompson, who lives on Loreto Road, Maryland, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Douglas on 1 July 2016. Douglas was shot six times in the head, neck and throat while eating a curry in his partner's shop, Shoestown, on Bridgefoot Street. A semi‑automatic pistol with its serial number removed was found next to Douglas's head. The court heard that four vehicles and their occupants, including Thompson, were operating in concert that day. Detective Garda Raymond Kane testified that fingerprints from a blue Mitsubishi Mirage and a silver Ford Fiesta matched Thompson, and that a finger mark on the Mirage's rear‑view mirror was his.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a man was acquitted of 48 counts of sexual assault and 21 counts of anally raping his wheelchair‑bound step‑daughter between 2003 and 2013. The jury, after just over six hours of deliberation, returned a not‑guilty verdict on all 69 counts. The accused, who could not be named, had pleaded not guilty. The case centred on allegations that the victim, aged eight to 18 during the alleged offences, was sexually abused by the man, who began with touching and progressed to attempts at vaginal rape and regular anally rape from age 10 or 11. The victim, now 23, testified that the abuse occurred at the family home in Dublin, where her mother and other relatives also lived. The prosecution's case was based on the victim's testimony and limited evidence from family members. The defence argued inconsistencies in the evidence and a lack of specificity in the allegations.
The jury in the trial of an unnamed man accused of repeatedly sexually abusing his stepdaughter has retired for the night after failing to reach a verdict. He pleaded not guilty to 48 counts of sexual assault and 21 counts of anally raping the girl between 2003 and 2013, when she was aged eight to 18. The jury will resume deliberations tomorrow before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy.
In the Special Criminal Court, the prosecution argued that Freddie Thompson, 36, was one of several conspirators in the carefully planned murder of David Douglas on 1 July 2016. Thompson, who lives on Loreto Road, Maryland, pleaded not guilty. The court was presented with evidence that four vehicles operated together that day, including a Mercedes that carried the shooter and was later burned, a Ford Fiesta, a Mitsubishi Mirage, and a Suzuki Swift, the latter also set on fire. Fingerprint and DNA evidence linked Thompson to the rearview mirrors of the Mirage and Fiesta, a card in the Mirage's glove box, an inhaler in the Mitsubishi, and an air freshener and hand sanitizer in the Fiesta. Witnesses described a man in black approaching the shoe shop, firing several shots, and fleeing. The trial, presided over by Justice Tony Hunt, is expected to last up to two weeks.
During the 13th week of David Drumm's trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a jury heard that a €7.2 billion transaction between Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent had no commercial substance because Anglo's asset profile did not change. Dan Taylor, a chartered accountant from BDO London, testified that the purpose of the transactions was to inflate Anglo's year‑end balance. Taylor explained that the circular nature of the deals could have continued indefinitely, limited only by the time banks' payment systems could process them. He observed that the loans appeared unsecured, with no underlying security or contract between the banks, a situation not uncommon in interbank transactions. Drumm, aged 51, admitted the transactions occurred in 2008 but denied they were fraudulent or dishonest. He remains not guilty of conspiracy to defraud and of false accounting for the 2008 deposits. The case proceeds before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury of ten men and four women.
In a High Court hearing on 1 May 2018, Mr and Mrs Gordon and Linda Smith were released from custody after apologising and agreeing to vacate their home at Hamlet Avenue, Balbriggan. The couple had been detained for contempt of court following their refusal to comply with an injunction issued by KBC Bank Ireland Plc, which had obtained a possession order for the property in 2016. KBC had sought to enforce the order in February 2018, but its security staff were forced to leave after an alleged attack. The Smiths claimed they were assaulted by armed men acting on behalf of the bank and that the bank had committed perjury. Mr Justice Tony O'Connor ruled that the couple had refused to comply with the injunction, ordered their detention at Bridewell Garda Station and directed that they be sent to Mountjoy Prison until they purged their contempt.
A wheelchair‑bound woman, aged 23, told a jury that a 44‑year‑old man, her stepfather, sexually abused her from age eight to 18. She said the abuse began with touching her private parts after her First Holy Communion, progressed to attempted vaginal rape, and then to regular anal rape from age 10 or 11. The alleged victim claimed the abuse occurred at their family home in Dublin, where her mother and other relatives lived. She said she had called the accused her father and that he threatened to kill her if she told anyone. The prosecution argued she gave a true and credible account, while the defence questioned the reliability of her testimony and urged acquittal. The case is before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
In a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the chair of Irish Life and Permanent's audit committee, Breffni Byrne, testified that he was not informed of a €7.2 billion cash‑for‑cash deal with Anglo Irish Bank until months after it occurred in September 2008. Byrne said he expected the transaction to be discussed beforehand because of its size and nature, and that he only received full details on 12 February 2009. He noted that the ILP board had met with the Central Bank on 1 May 2008 and that the September 2008 transaction was unusual. Byrne also confirmed that ILP had disclosed its 2007 borrowing from the European Central Bank. The case, in its thirteenth week, involves David Drumm, who denies the transactions were fraudulent, and is being tried for conspiracy to defraud and false accounting. The trial is before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury of ten men and four women. David Drumm pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a 23‑year‑old woman accused a 44‑year‑old stepfather of repeated sexual abuse, including rape. She said the abuse began with touching after her First Holy Communion and progressed to attempted vaginal rape, which failed, followed by regular anal rape from age 10 or 11. She alleges 29 counts of rape and 31 counts of sexual assault between March 2004 and August 2013. The accused, unnamed for legal reasons, pleaded not guilty. The woman's mother testified that the man left the family home in 2013 and was capable of sexual activity. She denied that her daughter's allegations were "false and attention‑seeking," stating she had initially doubted the claims but later believed them after further evidence. The case is before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
During the Special Criminal Court hearing, Detective Garda Leanna Cruise testified that she had been briefed in October 2015 about IRA activities in Dublin. She was told that in August, IRA members from Belfast had interviewed members of the Dublin brigade in a house in Castleknock, and that Robert Day, 55, had been seen entering that house. Cruise also noted that Day was arrested in Cabra on 9 October 2015. The court allowed audio recordings from the Castleknock house as evidence, and the trial continues before Justice Eagar, Patricia Ryan and James Faughnan.
The Special Criminal Court adjourned the murder trial of Frederick "Freddie" Thompson, 36, to Wednesday. Thompson, who lives on Loreto Road, Maryland, is charged with the July 1, 2016 shooting death of 55‑year‑old David Douglas on Bridgefoot Street, Dublin. The court had expected the trial to last two weeks. Thompson's defence, Michael O'Higgins SC, argued that most of the case would not be disputed and that the focus would be on the implications rather than the facts, but noted a significant disclosure issue. Justice Tony Hunt granted the adjournment and remanded Thompson in custody until the new date.
During the 64th day of David Drumm's conspiracy to defraud trial, former ILP credit manager Peter McCabe testified that he overheard ILP dealers discussing a €7.2 billion Anglo deposit figure in September 2008. McCabe said he warned his boss, David Gantly, that the situation was dangerous, but Gantly dismissed his concerns and told him his input was unnecessary. McCabe also provided a recorded call with Irish Life Assurance's Ger Knowles, who confirmed a €1 billion transaction between ILP and Anglo that day, noting it was a "touchy feely subject" and that the Central Bank was encouraging such deals. McCabe maintained that he was merely present by chance and that the transactions were not fraudulent. The trial, presided over by Judge Karen O'Connor, is in its thirteenth week before a jury of ten men and four women. David Drumm pleaded not guilty.
A wheelchair user, aged about ten or eleven when the abuse began, alleges that her mother's partner, a 44‑year‑old man whose name cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, sexually abused her in the family home from March 2004 to August 2013. She says the abuse started with touching her breasts and private parts after her First Holy Communion, progressed to attempted vaginal rape, and then to regular anal rape. She claims the attacks occurred weekly or daily, depending on her mother's absence, and that she tried to record the incidents with a dictaphone, which failed to capture any audio. She has given multiple statements to Gardaí, describing flashbacks and trauma that delayed her reporting. The case is being heard before Mr Justice Peter McCarthy and a jury at the Central Criminal Court, where the accused has pleaded not guilty to 29 counts of rape and 31 counts of sexual assault.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm, aged 51, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and false accounting charges. He is accused of colluding with former bank officials to defraud depositors and investors by falsely claiming Anglo's 2008 deposits were €7.2 billion larger than they were. The case also involves allegations that Drumm and others dishonestly created the impression of a larger deposit base. A senior AIB officer, John O'Donnell, testified that Anglo's chief financial officer Matt Moran had informed him that the financial regulator was aware of a proposed "back‑to‑back" transaction between Anglo and AIB. O'Donnell described how the proposal was discussed in an AIB meeting on 27 March 2008, noting that both regulatory and board approval would be required. The trial, presided over by Judge Karen O'Connor, is in its twelfth week with a jury of ten men and four women.
In the Central Criminal Court, a 41‑year‑old woman accused her 47‑year‑old brother of repeated rape and sexual assault from age four to about twelve. She pleaded that the abuse began in their family home and continued in fields, woodlands, school grounds, a community centre and a clubhouse. She said her brother threatened to slit her wrists and throat, and to shoot their mother with a shotgun if she reported the abuse. She claimed she was raped countless times, including at least four incidents on the grounds of an old building, one at night. She told the jury that she would not endure her "dirtiest secrets" being exposed if the abuse had never occurred, urging her brother to "stand up and admit what you've done." The trial is before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of eleven. The unnamed 47-year-old pleaded not guilty.
The trial of David Drumm, 51, of Skerries, Co Dublin, continued at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury. Drumm, the former Anglo Irish Bank CEO, has pleaded not guilty to two charges: conspiring with former officials Denis Casey, William McAteer, John Bowe, and others to defraud depositors and investors by allegedly creating the dishonest impression that 2008 deposits were €7.2 billion larger than they were; and false accounting on December 3, 2008, for allegedly furnishing the market with that inflated figure. The prosecution called Tony O'Hanlon, former head of credit at Anglo, who testified that the bank's practice of fast-tracking credit limit approvals was not normal. He stated he was unable to sign off on a €6.7 billion credit increase for Irish Life and Permanent in September 2008 because he could not authorise it retrospectively. O'Hanlon expressed concerns about the bank's systems and procedures, noting that instructions were given to exclude ILP from daily interbank excess reports. During cross-examination, the defence suggested the witness was applying hindsight, noting a lack of contemporaneous emails outlining his concerns. Drumm accepts that multi-million euro transactions occurred between Anglo and ILP in 2008 but disputes that they were fraudulent or dishonest. The trial, now in its twelfth week, continues.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, two Dublin men, Kevin Braney, 44, and Ciaran Maguire, 30, both pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styled the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The prosecution alleged that on 2 August 2017, one accused told another man in Longwood, County Meath that they were the IRA and threatened to shoot him if he did not drop a claim against a former employer. The defence challenged the admissibility of the interviews. Detective Garda Brian Power and Detective Sergeant Carrie O'Connor each interviewed the accused on that date, invoking Section 2 of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act, 1998, which allows inferences from a suspect's refusal to answer questions. Both men answered no questions. Judge Tony Hunt, with Judges Gerard Griffin and Flann Brennan, scheduled a ruling on the admissibility issue for the following morning. The trial continues.
Four men—Alan Wilson (39), Liam Brannigan (37), Joseph Kelly (35) and Luke Wilson (23)—are charged with conspiracy to murder Gary Hanley at a State location between 15 September and 6 November last year. Wilson and Kelly also face conspiracy to murder an unknown person at Talbot Street between 11 and 15 September. Kelly and Luke are charged with possession of a Beretta handgun and fifteen rounds of ammunition with intent to endanger life on 6 November. The court ordered the case to be tried before the Special Criminal Court.
In the Central Criminal Court, a jury is deliberating the case of Tomas Gajowniczek, 37, who denies attempting to murder his partner, Alicja Kalinowska, 30, by suffocating her with underwear and beating her with a hammer. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy explained that the jury has three possible verdicts: guilty, not guilty, or not guilty by reason of insanity. He instructed the jury to first decide whether Gajowniczek assaulted Kalinowska with intent to kill, and if so, whether he was mentally disordered at the time of the alleged offence. The defence must prove their case on the balance of probabilities. Kalinowska testified that Gajowniczek punched her, stuffed underwear in her mouth, held her nose, beat her with a hammer, and poured a drink down her throat until she passed out.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 41‑year‑old woman accused her older brother of repeatedly raping her between 1983 and 1988. She told the jury that she confronted him after the abuse stopped, writing a letter in 1995 that she later delivered to him in the family home. In the letter she declared she would never forgive him, that he had taken her virginity, robbed her of education and almost destroyed her. He did not respond to the letter. She said she had told him she would see him in court one day, and that was the last thing she said to him. She had reported the abuse to Gardaí in 2010 and again in 2015, but felt the police were unhelpful. The trial is ongoing before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury. The unnamed woman pleaded not guilty.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Kevin Braney (44) and Ciaran Maguire (30) pleaded not guilty to IRA membership. They told a witness that they would shoot him if he did not drop a claim against a former employer. The witness, who was at home in Longwood on 13 July, heard heavy knocking, saw the two men, and was told they were IRA members. They claimed the witness had a claim against his former employer, who allegedly did work for republicans in Portlaoise prison, and urged him to drop the claim, calling it fraudulent. The witness said he was shocked and that he had indeed a claim for hospital bills after a fall on a roof. The court also heard that the men were seen driving from Dublin to Longwood that day. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt.
In a Dublin trial, 37‑year‑old Tomas Gajowniczek pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and serious harm of his partner, Alicja Kalinowska, on 16 June 2016. Psychiatrist Professor Damian Mohan testified that Gajowniczek was smoking cannabis at the time and was suffering a drug‑induced psychosis, but he did not meet the criteria for a special insanity verdict. Mohan disagreed with a colleague who had previously argued that Gajowniczek had a mental disorder. He noted that the accused had been intoxicated and angry, had locked his partner out of their apartment, and had claimed she had poisoned him. Mohan said the intoxication was not a mental disorder and that Gajowniczek's claims of poisoning were unsubstantiated. The accused remains in a drug‑free high‑support unit at Cloverhill Prison, where he has not shown psychotic symptoms since July 2017. The jury will hear closing arguments tomorrow.
During a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 41‑year‑old woman testified that her older brother raped her on the day of her first Holy Communion. She said the abuse began when she was four and continued until she was between ten and twelve. The brother, whose name cannot be disclosed, pleaded not guilty to 56 counts of rape and 15 counts of sexual assault in County Waterford, covering incidents from December 1983 to June 1988. The woman described being raped in their family home, fields, woodlands, school grounds, a community centre and a clubhouse. She recounted nine or ten rapes at an estate near their home when she was about ten, and further assaults in wooded areas between ages seven and eleven. She also said the brother threatened to kill her mother if she disclosed the abuse. The trial is proceeding before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon with a jury of five women and six men.
A 24‑year‑old Dublin woman, Yasmin Stephens of Albert College Avenue, Glasnevin, is set to go on trial tomorrow after being arraigned today at the Central Criminal Court. She faces a charge of murdering 33‑year‑old Kieran Farrelly on 26 October 2014. Stephens pleaded not guilty. An eight‑man, four‑woman jury was sworn in to hear the case.
In a High Court decision dated 20 April 2018, Mr Justice Paul Coffey quashed a decision by the Garda Commissioner to reclassify the illness of Garda Deming Gao, a Chinese-born naturalised Irish citizen who had been a Garda since 2008. Gao had gone on sick leave in November 2016 after a verbal attack by a colleague and had complained of bullying, isolation and being branded a rat by other Gardai. His injury was initially classified as an "injury on duty" but was changed to an "ordinary illness" in May 2017, backdated to his sick leave. Gao argued the reclassification was erroneous and that the Commissioner had not provided any reason for the change, which he claimed caused financial hardship. The Commissioner contended that the reclassification was a correction of an error and that the decision could not be made until the bullying investigation was complete.
In a Dublin court, Tomas Gajowniczek, 37, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and serious harm against his partner, Alicja Kalinowska, 30, after an assault on 16 June 2016. The prosecution argued he was angry and high on cannabis when he used a hammer. Defence psychiatrist Dr Conor O'Neill, citing evidence of Gajowniczek's behaviour and interviews, said the accused was likely intoxicated but also suffered a mental disorder, qualifying for a not‑guilty‑by‑reason‑of‑insanity verdict. He noted that cannabis effects would subside once removed, so delusional beliefs persisted. Dr O'Neill maintained that intoxication does not exclude mental illness. The trial will hear Professor Damian Mohan's testimony on Monday, with the jury composed of six men and six women. The case remains at the hearing stage.
In the Central Criminal Court, a jury of twelve was deliberating the murder trial of 37‑year‑old Tadhg Butler, accused of killing 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer on 10 January 2014. O'Dwyer died in hospital after a stab wound to the chest at a party in Butler's Co Waterford home. Butler, who lives in Seafield, Tramore, pleaded not guilty. He claimed he had accidentally stabbed O'Dwyer while retrieving a knife from his nephew to prevent self‑harm. The nephew, Anthony O'Grady, testified that Butler had walked over and stabbed his friend with a butcher's knife, but later said he could not remember the event, citing personality disorders and medication. After about five hours of deliberation, the jury reported to the judge that they were "stuck in this ring" and saw no prospect of reaching a verdict.
A 49‑year‑old man was tried at the Central Criminal Court for serial rape and sexual assault of his younger sister over a five‑year period in the 1980s. He pleaded not guilty to 56 counts of rape and 15 counts of sexual assault, with alleged offences occurring between December 1983 and June 1988. The complainant, now 41, said the abuse began when she was four and continued until she was 10 or 12. She alleged the man abused her at their family home, in fields, woodlands, school grounds, a community centre and a clubhouse. The prosecution highlighted specific incidents, including rapes on her first Holy Communion in June 1984 and the following day. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, is set to continue for at least another week.
In the trial of 37‑year‑old Tomas Gajowniczek, who denies attempting to murder his partner Alicja Kalinowska by stuffing underwear in her mouth and striking her with a hammer, a psychiatrist for the defence, Dr Conor O'Neill, testified that the accused suffers from a delusional disorder. Dr O'Neill explained that this mental illness, as defined by the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act, prevented Gajowniczek from controlling his actions. He stated that Gajowniczek believed his partner was trying to poison him and his baby, a belief he described as delusional. The defence argued that the accused's symptoms had been present for months before the alleged assault, and that drug use, while possible, does not exclude a diagnosis of mental illness. The trial will continue before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury at the Central Criminal Court. Tomas Gajowniczek pleaded not guilty.
In a 2016 incident at the Ice Rink Apartments, Tomas Gajowniczek, aged 37, was accused of attempting to murder his partner, Alicja Kalinowska, aged 30, by suffocating her with her own underwear and striking her with a hammer. He also faced a charge of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm. During Garda interviews on 16 June 2016, Gajowniczek claimed he had "exploded" because he believed Kalinowska was poisoning his food and that she had also drugged their baby. He asked the Gardaí to take a blood sample to determine what was in his system, but the Gardaí did not collect one. He pleaded not guilty to both charges. The case was set to proceed before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury at the Central Criminal Court, with the trial scheduled for that afternoon.
In the Central Criminal Court, a jury was sent home after a night of deliberation in the trial of 37‑year‑old Tadhg Butler, charged with murdering Michael O'Dwyer, a friend of Butler's nephew, on 10 January 2014. O'Dwyer died in hospital after a stab wound to the chest at a party in Butler's Co Waterford home. Butler, who pleaded not guilty, claimed he had accidentally stabbed O'Dwyer while taking a knife from his nephew to prevent self‑harm. The nephew, Anthony (Tony) O'Grady, testified that Butler walked over and stabbed the victim with a butcher's knife, but later said he could not remember the incident due to personality disorders and medication. The jury requested further statements from O'Grady, Butler and State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy. Judge Paul Butler spent the day re‑reading the evidence before the jurors resumed deliberations, ultimately deciding to return home and reconvene the next morning with fresh minds.
David Drumm, 51, former CEO of Anglo, is on trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for conspiracy to defraud. He admits that multi‑million euro transactions occurred between Anglo and Irish Life & Permanent in 2008 but denies they were fraudulent or dishonest. Drumm has pleaded not guilty to conspiring with former bank officials to defraud depositors and investors by falsely presenting 2008 deposits as €7.2 billion larger than they were, and to false accounting on 3 December 2008. The trial, now in its eleventh week, continues with a jury of ten men and four women.
A jury has begun deliberations in the trial of 37‑year‑old Tadhg Butler, charged with murdering Michael O'Dwyer with a foot‑long butcher knife at a party in his home in Tramore on 10 January 2014. Butler, who pleaded not guilty, claims he accidentally stabbed O'Dwyer while attempting to disarm his nephew, Anthony O'Grady, who had previously taken a knife from Butler to prevent self‑harm. O'Grady, who testified that he could not remember the events due to personality disorders and medication, said Butler walked up, lifted the knife and stabbed O'Dwyer, who collapsed and later died in hospital. Butler's defence argues the act was a tragic accident, while the prosecution maintains sufficient evidence for a murder conviction. The jury, after more than two hours of deliberation, requested to review O'Grady's statement, Butler's evidence and the State Pathologist's report before resuming tomorrow.".