In the Central Criminal Court, 58‑year‑old Offaly GP Bernadette Scully faces a manslaughter charge for the death of her 11‑year‑old daughter, Emily Barut, who had microcephaly. Teresa Scully, Bernadette's sister, testified that Bernadette had used her medical expertise to try to improve Emily's life, including feeding attempts and seeking specialist advice in England. Teresa described Bernadette's devotion and the family's IVF history, noting that Emily's condition had been diagnosed after birth. She also recounted that Emily had undergone surgery two weeks before her death and suffered from pain and seizures. Bernadette has pleaded not guilty. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy with a jury of twelve.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Dr John Gibson presented DNA evidence linking Darren Weldon, 45, to a number plate recovered from the debris of a 2010 car bomb that detonated outside Newry courthouse. Gibson compared a DNA sample from Weldon to a profile obtained from the UK forensic services, concluding the probability of a coincidental match was "considerably less than one in a thousand million." He acknowledged uncertainty about how the DNA was deposited and its age, noting secondary and tertiary transfer were possible. Assistant scientific officer Chloe Holland had earlier recovered DNA from the top and bottom edges of the plate, while senior scientist Jonathan Irons reported receiving the plate on 3 March 2010. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt with Judges Martin Nolan and Cormac Dunne, continues with Weldon pleading not guilty to IRA membership charges.
In a manslaughter trial, 58‑year‑old Bernadette Scully was charged with unlawfully killing her 11‑year‑old daughter, Emily Barut, by gross negligence. The prosecution alleged that Scully, who acted as Emily's GP, administered an excessive dose of chloral hydrate on 15 September 2012. Emily, who had microcephaly, epilepsy and other severe disabilities, had recently undergone a surgical procedure and was in pain. Scully's partner was sent to the pharmacy for sedatives, but Emily was not seen until later that day. Emily was found dead in hospital with a blood level of 200 micrograms per milliliter of chloral hydrate, far above the therapeutic range. The post‑mortem confirmed chloral hydrate intoxication as the cause of death, with contributory factors including her disabilities and a hypoxic episode. Scully pleaded not guilty and the case was heard by a jury in the Central Criminal Court.
On 29 November 2016, William Gilsenan, aged 24, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 29‑year‑old Edward Fitzgerald, who was killed on 17 October 2014 at The Green, Larch Hill. The trial, scheduled to begin the following day, had a jury of seven women and five men selected the previous day. Justice Paul Butler instructed the jury to view CCTV footage in their absence and to avoid discussing the case with anyone. The trial was expected to last two weeks.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 28 November 2016, Darren Weldon, aged 45 and resident of Drinadaly, Trim, was accused of membership in the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He pleaded not guilty to the charge of belonging to an unlawful organisation. The prosecution presented DNA evidence linking Weldon to a number plate found in the wreckage of a car bomb that detonated outside the Newry courthouse on 22 February 2010. Garda investigators, led by Detective Garda Graham Dunne of the Special Detective Unit, interviewed Weldon on 14 October 2014 at Finglas Garda Station. Under Section 2 of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998, the court considered Weldon's refusal to answer questions about the Newry bomb and alleged IRA activities. The court accepted the DNA sample as admissible evidence, despite an objection from Weldon's counsel, and the trial proceeded. The hearing concluded with the court noting that Weldon had not responded to any of the questions asked.
A 29‑year‑old man, who claims he was suffering from sexsomnia, will stand for a third trial in 2018 for a single count of raping a friend in a Dublin apartment on 28 September 2008. He admitted he may have had sex with the woman but maintains he was asleep. The first trial collapsed in 2015 over legal issues, the second ended with a hung jury after eight hours of deliberation, and the third trial is now scheduled for January 2018. The judge has agreed to return the accused's passport for specified travel dates. The unnamed 29-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A 58‑year‑old Offaly woman, Bernadette Scully of Emvale, Bachelor's Walk, Tullamore, is set to begin a trial tomorrow in the Central Criminal Court. She is charged with the manslaughter of her 11‑year‑old daughter, Emily Barut, by allegedly giving her an excessive amount of chloral hydrate on 15 September 2012. Scully pleaded not guilty. A jury of seven women and five men has been sworn in, and the trial is expected to last up to three weeks.
William Gilsenan, a 24-year-old man from Larch Hill, Santry, Dublin, is set to stand trial at the Central Criminal Court for the alleged murder of 29-year-old Edward Fitzgerald. The incident is alleged to have occurred at The Green, Larch Hill, on October 17, 2014. Gilsenan pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder. A jury comprising seven women and five men will begin hearing evidence tomorrow. The trial is expected to last two weeks. This report reflects the procedural stage of the trial, where the defendant's plea has been recorded and the case is proceeding to a full hearing before the court. No findings, sentences, or final dispositions have been issued at this stage, as the matter is currently in the trial phase. The allegations remain contested, and the court will determine the outcome based on the evidence presented during the upcoming proceedings.
The High Court is hearing an appeal by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) against a Circuit Court ruling that awarded €40,000 in damages to hillwalker Teresa Wall, who fell on a wooden boardwalk on the Wicklow Way. Wall, aged 60, claims the boardwalk was unsafe because the timber had rotted and was poorly maintained, causing her to trip and suffer a knee injury requiring seven stitches. She sued the NPWS for negligence and breach of duty of care. The Circuit Court judge, Jacqueline Linnane, found that reasonable care had not been taken to maintain the boardwalk, and the failure was responsible for Wall's injuries. The NPWS argues that Wall contributed to her injuries by not looking where she was walking. The appeal will resume in two weeks.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a man accused of raping a woman at a party is under jury deliberation. The woman, who had mistakenly taken ketamine thinking it was cocaine, claims she was incapacitated and unable to speak or see. She alleges the accused struck her face with his penis before raping her while she lay in his bed. The accused, a bar manager, denies the assault and claims consensual sex. He has previously pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault. The jury, composed of eight men and four women, has heard all evidence and begun deliberations, which will resume after a recap of the woman's testimony. No verdict has been reached yet.
Ms Teresa Wall, aged 60, denied giving a different account of her fall on a boardwalk on the Wicklow Way. She told High Court Justice Michael White that she fell when her foot snagged in a hole in a railway sleeper near the JB Malone memorial on the Sally Gap to Djouce trail. She rejected claims that she had told an NPWS official she had tripped on chicken wire. The incident occurred at about 4 pm on 6 August 2013 while she and her husband were descending the mountain. Ms Wall had previously testified in the NPWS's appeal against a Circuit Court finding that the NPWS was negligent and owed her €40 000 in damages. She confirmed phone calls with NPWS employees on 14 August, but denied telling the District Conservation Officer that the fall was due to chicken wire or that she could not holiday in Slovakia.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, judges ruled that the arrest of Darren Weldon, 45, of Drinadaly, Trim, on 14 October 2014 for alleged IRA membership was lawful. Weldon pleaded not guilty to membership of the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann. The prosecution linked him to a car bomb by DNA evidence from a number plate found in the bomb's debris. The court rejected the defence's claim that a prior 2012 arrest made the 2014 arrest unlawful, citing different circumstances. The case continues with a voir dire on DNA evidence.
The trial of Philip McKevitt, 63, of Aghaboys, Dundalk, for possessing explosives began with a voir dire to decide whether evidence about the legality of his arrest and the seizure of items at his home could be admitted. McKevitt pleaded not guilty to the May 22, 2010 charge. Prosecutor Paul Greene SC argued that a trailer had been modified to hide an improvised explosive device at the Aghaboys address. The voir dire, expected to last three days, is being heard before Justice Isobel Kennedy, with Judges Sinead Ni Chulachain and James Faughnan presiding.
A jury was discharged after discovering a 29‑second gap in CCTV footage used in the murder trial of Donal Colgan, who was accused of killing 45‑year‑old David Sheridan outside Luigi's chip shop on North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Justice Carmel Stewart explained that the missing footage had not been noticed by either the prosecution or defence counsel and that it could be significant. The jury had spent about three hours deliberating before returning to court to ask about the gap. After the judge confirmed the missing portion and deemed it a mistake, she informed the jury that counsel for the defence had applied to discharge them. She noted that the defence and prosecution had questioned witnesses under the assumption that the footage was continuous, and that fair procedure required the jury to be discharged. The judge thanked the jury for their diligence and exempted them from further duty for ten years. Donal Colgan pleaded not guilty.
The Special Criminal Court heard that Philip McKevitt, 63, of Aghaboys, Dundalk, was accused of possessing an improvised explosive device (IED) at his home on 22 May 2010. The prosecution, led by Paul Greene SC, presented evidence that Garda National Surveillance Unit and Louth Garda Síochána had conducted a surveillance operation in mid‑May 2010, suspecting the manufacture of a vehicle‑mounted IED at the property. Gardaí entered the premises after 6 pm on 22 May, arrested McKevitt and a second man, and seized items used for constructing an IED. These included a trailer adapted to conceal two gas cylinders, 377 m of command wire, green spray paint to mask the wire, and 52 bags of glucose in a Vauxhall Vectra. DNA evidence was also presented. The trial continues before Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, with Judges Sinead Ni Chulachain and James Faughnan presiding. Philip McKevitt pleaded not guilty.
A woman with 40 years of hill walking experience, Teresa Wall, told the High Court she was seriously injured after falling on a rotting boardwalk on the Wicklow Way. She described being 'black and blue on her right side' and suffering a gash to her knee requiring seven stitches. Her husband had to carry her down the mountain due to lack of mobile signal. The appeal against a Circuit Court finding that the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) was negligent and must pay €40,000 in damages is ongoing. The Circuit Court had ruled that the boardwalk, made of rotted railway sleepers, was unsafe and that the NPWS failed in its duty of care. The NPWS is appealing, arguing that Ms Wall contributed to her injuries by not looking where she was going.
During the Special Criminal Court trial of Darren Weldon, a 45‑year‑old accused of IRA membership, the prosecution presented DNA evidence linking him to a car number plate recovered from the debris of a 2010 car bomb outside Newry courthouse. Christine Lumsden, a PSNI crime scene investigator, testified that she attended the scene the morning after the February 22 explosion, searched for bomb fragments, and recovered the plate. She also noted that Sergeant Michael Gilmore had seen a Mazda 6 with an Irish registration parked outside the courthouse before the blast. Darren Weldon pleaded not guilty.
Séamus McGrane, 60, of Little Road, Domiskin, Co Louth, faces trial in the Special Criminal Court for directing the activities of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) between 23 December 2009 and 13 May 2015, a period covered by a suppression order. He is also charged with membership of the IRA during the same dates. The court, presided over by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, set the trial date for 3 October 2017.
The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick, accused of misleading auditors about multi‑million euro loans, is running significantly over schedule, Judge John Aylmer told the jury. The State alleges that loans taken by FitzPatrick, his wife and family rose from about €10 million in 2002 to roughly €100 million in 2007, and that the amount was artificially reduced for two weeks around the bank's year‑end by short‑term loans from other sources, including Irish Nationwide Building Society, and that these were not disclosed to Ernst & Young auditors, contrary to the 1990 Companies Act. FitzPatrick, 68, pleaded not guilty to 21 charges of making misleading statements to auditors and six charges of furnishing false information between 2002 and 2007.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 23 November 2016, Justice Carmel Stewart instructed a jury of nine men and three women that the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that Donal Colgan, 65, committed murder. Colgan had pleaded not guilty to the killing of David Sheridan, 45, outside Luigi's chip shop on North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. The judge noted that Colgan admitted stabbing Sheridan and that the defence accepted the killing was unlawful. Colgan claimed he was attacked by Sheridan and that he "lost it" and had no intention to use the knife until provoked. Justice Stewart explained that the defence of provocation applies when a sudden, unforeseen onset of passion deprives the accused of self‑control, and that self‑defence may be considered if the force used was more than necessary.
In the Special Criminal Court, a Meath man, Darren Weldon, 45, is on trial for alleged IRA membership. The prosecution presented DNA evidence linking him to a number plate found in debris from a car bomb outside Newry courthouse on 22 February 2010. Weldon, of Drinadaly, Trim, pleaded not guilty on 14 October 2014. Evidence also showed his Mazda 6 was stolen from his Dundrum driveway in January 2010, and that he was seen in conversation with Alan Ryan and Declan Smith in April 2012. The case is heard before Justice Tony Hunt, with Judges Martin Nolan and Cormac Dunne.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, the prosecution argued that former British Army soldier Donal Colgan, aged 65, was in control of his actions when he stabbed David Sheridan, aged 45, to death outside Luigi's chip shop on North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Paul Burns SC presented evidence that Colgan left the scene after a fight, returned nine minutes later armed with a knife, and stabbed Sheridan, stating that Colgan had time to cool off on the walk home and back. The defence contended that if Colgan had lost control due to Sheridan's provocation, he should be found guilty of manslaughter, not murder, and that self‑defence was not applicable. The defence also highlighted alleged false testimony by witness Gary Kinlan and suggested Colgan's background of depression and panic attacks might explain his behaviour. Donal Colgan pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 16‑year‑old, who could not be named because of his age, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for the death of 21‑year‑old Lorcan O'Reilly. The incident occurred at the Oliver Bond flats in Dublin on the night of 1 November 2015, during a Halloween bonfire. The boy, aged 14 at the time, had been involved in a fight and was seen on CCTV with a hurley. He later returned to the scene, stabbed O'Reilly twice, the second wound puncturing the heart. O'Reilly was taken to St James's Hospital, suffered cardiac arrest and died at 4.05 am. The court noted the boy had no prior convictions and that 19 arrests were made in the investigation. Sentencing was adjourned to 6 February 2017, with the accused remanded on bail.
During the Special Criminal Court trial of Darren Weldon, a 45‑year‑old from Drinadaly, Trim, the prosecution presented DNA evidence linking him to a car registration plate found among the debris of a car bomb that exploded outside Newry courthouse on 22 February 2010. The plate, belonging to a Republic of Ireland vehicle, was discovered 28 metres from the crater. Crime scene surveyor Alison Gilbert produced a map of the scene, indicating the plate's location. Sergeant Alistair Paterson of the PSNI testified that he had observed a Mazda 6 parked suspiciously against the courthouse gates on the day of the explosion, noted its Irish registration, and later heard the blast while cordoning the area. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt with Judges Martin Nolan and Cormac Dunne, continues with Mr Weldon pleading not guilty to membership of the Irish Republican Army.
Donal Colgan, 65, pleaded not guilty to the murder of David Sheridan, 45, outside Luigi's chip shop on August 17, 2014. He told the jury he had been attacked first by Sheridan and Gary Kinlan, and that he only wanted to frighten them. Colgan said he had a difficult childhood, left Ireland at 15, served in the British Army, and later suffered depression and panic attacks. On the day of the incident he had drunk heavily, went to the chip shop, and after a confrontation with Sheridan and Kinlan he claimed to have been punched and kicked. He then grabbed a knife he found and stabbed Sheridan four times, saying he had no intention to kill but to scare. He admitted lying to Gardaí and that CCTV showed Sheridan backing away before the knife attack. The trial continues before Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury.
During a Special Criminal Court hearing, it was reported that a car with a Republic of Ireland number plate was parked outside Newry courthouse minutes before a bomb exploded there on 22 February 2010. Darren Weldon, 45, of Drinadaly, Trim, pleaded not guilty to membership of the Irish Republican Army. The prosecution presented DNA evidence linking Weldon to the car's registration plate found in the blast debris. Witness statements, including those of Gerard Traynor and Dermot Butler, described the car's suspicious presence and the timing of the explosion.
A man from Longford has been committed to the Central Mental Hospital following a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. David Egan, aged 35, faced charges of assault causing harm to two women in separate incidents in Dublin city centre on 14 April 2015. The court heard that Mr Egan has paranoid schizophrenia and was not taking prescribed medication at the time of the alleged assaults. He believed he was being hypnotised and sexually assaulted, and that the women were mocking him. A jury returned the special verdict under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006 after hearing from consultant forensic psychiatrists for both the prosecution and defence, who agreed Mr Egan did not understand the wrongfulness of his actions and was unable to control his conduct. Judge Martin Nolan ordered his detention at the Central Mental Hospital, where his treatment will be assessed and managed. The judge noted that release would be determined by the hospital's practitioners when appropriate.
In the murder trial of Donal Colgan, 65, the accused claimed self‑defence after being attacked by two men. Colgan was arrested early on 19 August 2014 and, while in a Garda car, told Sgt Chris Cahill that he was defending himself. Garda Eoin Treacy and witness Gary Kinlan confirmed that Colgan used a knife to stab 45‑year‑old David Sheridan outside Luigi's chip shop on North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan denied knowing Sheridan or being at Luigi's that night, and said he had been advised by his solicitor not to speak. Teresa Marsella, a Luigi's employee, observed a fight between Colgan and Sheridan, then saw Colgan return with a knife and stab Sheridan. Detective Sergeant Mark Watters found blood‑stained clothing and a block of knives at Colgan's home; forensic analysis matched the blood to Sheridan. The case is set to continue before Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury. Donal Colgan pleaded not guilty.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, prosecutors presented DNA evidence linking Darren Weldon, 45, to the February 2010 bomb blast outside Newry courthouse. The prosecution argued that a suspicious vehicle parked outside the courthouse was a stolen Mazda from Dundrum, and that its registration plate, found after the explosion, bore DNA matching a swab taken from Weldon's DNA while in custody on 14 October 2014. Witnesses described phone calls warning of a bomb and the timing of the explosion at 10:55 pm. Weldon, who denied IRA membership, had previously been arrested in September 2012 for suspected IRA membership after attending Alan Ryan's funeral. The court also heard from Detective Chief Superintendent Peter Kirwan regarding his belief about Weldon's involvement. The trial is presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, with Judges Martin Nolan and Cormac Dunne present. Darren Weldon pleaded not guilty.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 45‑year‑old man named David Sheridan died from multiple stab wounds inflicted outside a Dublin chip shop on 17/18 August 2014. Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis testified that he examined Sheridan's body on 18 August and identified four stab wounds: one to the abdomen severing blood vessels from the intestine to the liver, another to the left lung, and two to the arm and hand, indicating attempts to defend himself. Curtis concluded Sheridan died from the wounds. He also identified a knife from Donal Colgan's home as the most likely instrument. Colgan, aged 65, pleaded not guilty to the murder. Witness Gary Kinlan, a friend of Sheridan, claimed Colgan attacked him and then stabbed Sheridan, but was cross‑examined and admitted lying to Gardaí. The trial proceeded with a jury of nine men and three women, hearing further evidence tomorrow.
In the Central Criminal Court, Donal Colgan, aged 65, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 39‑year‑old David Sheridan outside Luigi's chip shop on North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Prosecutor Paul Burns SC presented evidence that Colgan had left the chip shop after an altercation, returned minutes later armed with a knife, and stabbed Sheridan multiple times, leading to Sheridan's death the following day. CCTV footage from the Sunset House pub, Luigi's chip shop and a nearby Centra was shown to the jury. The footage showed Colgan drinking heavily at the pub, arriving at the chip shop, engaging with other customers, leaving the shop, walking back to his home, and then returning to the shop with a knife. He was seen walking away from the scene carrying the knife, without attempting to conceal it. The trial continued the next day before Justice Carmel Stewart and the jury.
Donal Colgan, a 64-year-old man from Killarney Street, Dublin 1, pleaded not guilty to the murder of David Sheridan, a 45-year-old father of three. The alleged killing took place at North Strand Road, Dublin 1, on August 17 or 18, 2014. Colgan is accused of murdering Sheridan outside a Dublin chip shop. Following the plea, Justice Patrick McCarthy directed the jury to select a foreman and return to the Central Criminal Court the following day. The trial is scheduled to begin tomorrow. This report reflects the procedural stage of the trial, where the defendant has entered a not guilty plea to the contested charge of murder. No findings, sentences, or final dispositions have been recorded at this stage. The matter is proceeding to trial as indicated by the court's instructions for the jury's return.
Patrick O'Rourke, 63, of Cooline Drive, Ballyvoloon, Cobh, Co Cork, pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of his partner, Donna Foster, at their home on 11 August 2015. A jury was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court today to hear his trial, with Justice Patrick McCarthy asking the panel to select a foreman and return on Wednesday.
Patrick Hutch Jnr, 24, faces trial at the Special Criminal Court in January 2018 for the murder of David Byrne, 34, who was shot dead during a boxing weigh‑in at the Regency Hotel in Dublin on 5 February. Hutch was charged in May with Byrne's murder and later with possession of three AK47 assault rifles under the Firearms Act, alleging unlawful possession and intent to endanger life at the hotel. At a brief hearing, Hutch's counsel, Michael O'Higgins SC, requested a January 2018 trial date, which Judge Tony Hunt, with Judges Martin Nolan and Cormac Dunne, set for 11 January 2018. The court noted it would not consider backlog criticisms and that the date was not linked to the court's schedule. The trial is expected to last three to four weeks, and Hutch remains remanded in custody until the trial date.
The jury has begun deliberations in the Central Criminal Court trial of 53‑year‑old Liam Power, who is charged with murdering a 41‑year‑old Latvian man, Gints Intembergs, found dead on the kitchen floor of his home on 16 September 2014. Power has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Intembergs' home in Graigowen, Tullow, Co. Carlow. He also pleaded not guilty to an assault‑causing‑harm charge against another man, Aigar Sildars, on the same occasion. Power told Gardaí that he punched Intembergs and stamped on him many times, and that he tried to set fire to the victim; he claimed he did about half as much to Sildars.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing in Dublin, former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall, aged 39, and his father Patrick Dowdall, aged 59, were denied bail. Both men were charged with falsely imprisoning Alexander Hurley on 15 January at Navan Road, Dublin 7, by detaining him without consent. They also face charges of threatening to kill Hurley and assaulting him, causing harm, at the same location and date. Additionally, they are accused of possessing a firearm or imitation firearm – a sawn‑off shotgun and a handgun – with intent to facilitate the false imprisonment. Judge Robert Eagar, with Judges Sinead Ni Chulachain and James Faughnan, refused bail after hearing objections from Gardaí based on the seriousness of the charges and Section 2A of the Bail Act. The Dowdalls remain remanded in custody until 15 May next year, when their trial is expected to commence.
The State has dropped the murder charge against a 33‑year‑old man, who told Gardaí that his co‑accused had stamped on the deceased man's head and testicles numerous times. Both men have been on trial at the Central Criminal Court for almost two weeks. The court heard that Latvian man Gints Intembergs was found dead on his kitchen floor in Co Carlow on the morning of 16 September 2014. Liam Power (53) of no fixed abode and Dzintars Sackalausks (33) of Barrowvale, Graiguecullen, Co Carlow were charged with murdering him on that or the previous day. Mr Sackalausks pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Each accused also pleaded not guilty to assaulting another man, Aigar Sildars, causing him harm on the same occasion. The prosecution, represented by Paul Greene SC, addressed Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy after the jury arrived in court.
David Drumm, former chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank, was granted a one‑day relaxation of his bail conditions by Judge Melanie Greally. The court heard that Drumm, aged 49 and residing in Skerries, Co. Dublin, is charged with 33 counts under two separate bills relating to alleged offences at the now‑defunct bank. He has not yet entered a plea. Two trials are scheduled: the first on 24 April next year, where he faces charges of conspiring to defraud depositors and investors by creating a false impression that 2008 deposits were €7.2 billion larger, and a charge under the EU transparency directive; the second in January 2018, where he faces 16 counts of offering unlawful financial assistance to members of businessman Sean Quinn's family and 10 other individuals, plus 14 charges of falsifying documents. The April trial is expected to last about three months, while the January trial is expected to last about two months.
At the Central Criminal Court, Ross Callery and Gerard Stevens were remanded in custody to await sentencing for their part in the killing of Dale Creighton. The seven accused, originally charged with murder and violent disorder, had their pleas changed on the 15th day of the trial. Callery and Stevens pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Jason Beresford pleaded guilty to manslaughter and violent disorder. James Reid pleaded guilty to possession of a knife. Aisling Burke pleaded guilty to violent disorder. Graham Palmer and David Burke pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. All murder charges were dropped. The court granted Aisling Burke bail until sentencing. Callery and Stevens, who had been on bail, were remanded in custody after answering their bail. The other accused, including Palmer, Beresford, Reid, and David Burke, were remanded in custody for sentencing on December 19th. The court noted a medical report might assist regarding Stevens. The incident occurred on New Year's Morning 2014 at a footbridge in Tallaght, where Creighton was assaulted and died the following day from blunt force injuries.
During a week‑long trial at the Central Criminal Court, a jury found a 41‑year‑old man guilty of raping his teenage daughter 61 times. The victim, who was 16 when the first rape occurred, described how her father tied her arms behind her back, placed a pillow over her face, and raped her in their parents' bedroom. She testified that the abuse continued weekly from 2008 to 2009, while she was confined to home duties and denied schooling. The man had pleaded not guilty to 84 rape counts; the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on 61 counts and found him not guilty on the remaining counts as directed by Mr Justice Paul Butler. He was remanded in custody for sentencing on 19 December. The judge thanked the jury and exempted them from service for ten years.
In a 2016 Central Criminal Court hearing, 52‑year‑old Liam Power, a man of no fixed abode, told Gardaí that he had repeatedly kicked a 41‑year‑old Latvian man, Gints Intembergs, before removing his clothes and attempting to burn him. Power claimed he had been "frightened" and "like an animal" during the incident, which took place on the night of 15 September 2014, with Intembergs found dead on the kitchen floor the next morning. Power admitted drinking about 16 cans of beer and smoking crack cocaine in the hours before the alleged murder. He also said he had used a lighter to try to set fire to the victim's privates, with co‑accused Dzintars Sackalausks (33) assisting. Power pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, while Sackalausks pleaded not guilty to murder. The trial continued on Monday before Justice Isobel Kennedy and a jury.
Paul Cuddihy, 38, a former resident of St Otteran's Hospital, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of 55‑year‑old Maria O'Brien and for assaulting fellow resident Mary Nugent and nurses Breda Fennelly, Terry Hayes and Mary Grant. The jury, after 39 minutes of deliberation, concluded that Cuddihy, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, was in a psychotic episode when he stabbed O'Brien over 100 times and attacked the others. He was committed to the Central Mental Hospital, with a return to court on 14 November for a treatment plan. O'Brien's family described her as kindhearted and loving, while forensic psychiatrists testified that Cuddihy's delusions and voices drove his actions and that he was unaware of their wrongfulness. The case highlighted the application of the Mental Health Act in determining criminal responsibility.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the jury hearing former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick's trial was sent away for a week to resolve a legal issue. FitzPatrick, aged 68, faces 21 charges of misleading auditors and six charges of furnishing false information between 2002 and 2007. The State alleges that loans taken by FitzPatrick, his wife and family rose from about €10 million in 2002 to roughly €100 million in 2007, and that the amount was artificially reduced for two weeks around the bank's year‑end by short‑term loans from other sources, including Irish Nationwide Building Society, without disclosure to auditors Ernst & Young, contrary to the 1990 Companies Act. Judge John Aylmer explained that progress was stalled by an unforeseen legal matter, and the jury will reconvene on 14 November after a week's break. The trial, originally scheduled for 12 weeks, had a 15‑member jury and had already seen two jurors excused for personal reasons. Sean FitzPatrick pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Paul Cuddihy, aged 38, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of Maria O'Brien, aged 55, who died after sustaining over 100 knife wounds to her face, head and neck on 5 September 2014 at St Otteran's Hospital. Cuddihy, a former psychiatric unit resident, also faced assault charges against nurses Breda Fennelly, Mary Grant, Terry Hayes and fellow resident Mary Nugent, pleading not guilty by reason of insanity to those as well. Forensic psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright testified that Cuddihy had a long history of paranoid schizophrenia, delusions of persecution, religious fixation, and auditory hallucinations, including claims that his father had killed his mother. He had repeatedly been admitted to psychiatric care since 2000, often refusing medication, and was eventually prescribed clozapine, which led to further bizarre behaviour and auditory hallucinations.
In a Central Criminal Court trial in Carlow, two men, Liam Power (52) and Dzintars Sackalausks (33), are charged with murdering a 41‑year‑old Latvian man, Gints Intembergs, who was found dead on 16 September 2014. The prosecution alleges that Intembergs suffered a violent and sustained assault, dying from blunt force trauma to his head and neck, with a subdural haemorrhage causing death. State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy testified that the victim's injuries included patterned bruises suggesting impact with a shoe sole, a fractured rib, broken tooth, and severe facial trauma. She also reported evidence of attempts to burn his t‑shirt and other parts of his body, which appeared peri‑ or post‑mortem. Both accused pleaded not guilty to murder, with Power also pleading guilty to manslaughter, and both pleaded not guilty to assaulting a third man. The case is before Justice Isobel Kennedy and a jury.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 55‑year‑old resident of St Otteran's Hospital was found dead after suffering more than 100 knife wounds to her head and face. Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis described the injuries, noting a broken nose, a knife wound to the jugular vein, and defensive wounds on her hands. He stated that the head and neck bore the majority of the stab wounds, with one penetrating eight centimetres and damaging the jugular vein, leading to death by blood loss. The stomach, organs, lungs and heart were reported as normal. The accused, Paul Cuddihy, 38, a former resident of the psychiatric unit, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Maria O'Brien and to assault charges against nurses Breda Fennelly, Mary Grant, Terry Hayes and fellow resident Mary Nugent. A kitchen knife taken from Cuddihy at the scene was presented as evidence.
The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick began at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. FitzPatrick, 68, is accused of misleading the bank's auditors, Ernst & Young, about multi‑million euro loans taken by him, his wife and family between 2002 and 2007. The loans grew from about €10 million in 2002 to roughly €100 million in 2007 and were used to finance shopping centres, hotels and offices. Prosecutor Dominic McGinn argued that FitzPatrick artificially reduced the loan figures for two weeks around the bank's year‑end by taking short‑term loans from other sources, including Irish Nationwide Building Society, and by transferring funds from deposits and savings accounts. The case involves 27 offences under the 1990 Companies Act, including 22 charges of making misleading statements to auditors and five charges of furnishing false information. The jury will hear evidence from 75 witnesses, including former bank staff and the former chairman of Anglo's successor bank, IBRC. Sean FitzPatrick pleaded not guilty.
In a 2016 trial, Liam Power, 52, and Dzintars Sackalausks, 33, were charged with murdering Latvian national Gints Intembergs, 41, in Tullow, Co Carlow, between 15 and 16 September 2014. Power pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the State, and not guilty to assaulting Aigar Sildars. Sackalausks pleaded not guilty to both murder and assault. Forensic evidence presented by Dr Brian Gibson showed blood on Power's white Adidas runners that matched Intembergs' DNA, with a probability of less than one in a thousand million of a coincidence. Blood on Sackalausks' black Nike runners matched Sildars' DNA. Annette Ford analysed bruises on Intembergs' body, finding patterns consistent with Power's footwear but not Sackalausks'. Detective Donal Lawlor testified that Power was present at the scene, had a strong smell of alcohol, and claimed he had kicked Intembergs' head. The case proceeded before Justice Isobel Kennedy and a jury of five men and seven women.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 2 November 2016, a Dublin man, Ryan Glennon, aged 25, pleaded not guilty to membership of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The prosecution alleged that a large quantity of explosives was discovered at a property in Courttown, County Wexford, and that evidence linked Glennon to that site. Legal arguments were presented by Hugh Hartnett SC on behalf of Glennon and Tara Burns SC for the State, focusing on the legality of Glennon's arrest. The trial is proceeding before Judge Robert Eagar, with Judges Sinead Ni Chulachain and James Faughnan presiding.
During a Central Criminal Court murder trial, Paul Cuddihy, 38, a former resident of St Otteran's psychiatric unit in Waterford, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Maria O'Brien, 55, on 5 September 2014. He also faced charges of serious harm to nurse Breda Fennelly and assault causing harm to nurses Mary Grant and Terry Hayes, and to fellow resident Mary Nugent. Cuddihy claimed he was in a psychotic episode when he attacked residents and nurses, including Hayes, who said he feared for his life as Cuddihy lunged at him and continued the assault outside. Forensic psychiatrist Dr Paul O'Connell reported that Cuddihy has a 20‑year history of mental illness, including paranoid schizophrenia, and that his medication levels varied. O'Connell said Cuddihy's judgment was grossly impaired, preventing him from understanding the wrongness of his actions. The trial will proceed before a jury of seven women and five men, presided over by Justice Patrick McCarthy.