The jury in the David Mahon murder trial spent over five hours deliberating on whether the 23‑year‑old accused killed his stepson, Dean Fitzpatrick, who was stabbed outside an apartment in Dublin. The State alleged Mahon was drunk, angry and intended to kill, while Mahon claimed the death was accidental or a possible suicide. The jury reviewed evidence including a knife Mahon said the deceased had pulled, a second knife found on Mahon's balcony, and CCTV footage of the night. They were instructed on the possible verdicts: guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty. After the deliberation, the jury went home for a second night and will resume on Friday morning. The trial is still ongoing.
The second Special Criminal Court, composed of Justice Isobel Kennedy, Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain and Judge Gerard Haughton, is set to receive its first cases tomorrow in Dublin. It will convene at the Criminal Courts of Justice on Parkgate Street and will handle cases originally assigned to the first Special Criminal Court, which is currently managing a backlog. The court was created by Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald in October to address the backlog of cases linked to Garda investigations into alleged "dissident" republican activity. The earliest trial date available is April 2018. The court operates without a jury, following the model established in 1972, and has its own registrar. It was established to deal with cases involving the Provisional IRA, INLA, and other criminal activities such as those of John Gilligan's gang. The new court's establishment was a political issue, with opposition from Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams.
The State withdrew a murder charge against a 22-year-old man at the Central Criminal Court following several days of legal argument. Matthew Gralton, from Mt Prospect, County Roscommon, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Christy Daly, aged 47, on a bog lane in Kilbride, Clara, County Offaly between 29 December 2013 and 7 January 2014. Prosecution counsel Patrick Marrinan SC entered a nolle prosequi, indicating the decision not to proceed with the case. Justice Patrick McCarthy discharged Mr Gralton from the charge. The trial of Ross Allen, aged 25, with addresses in Carrickmines, County Dublin and Clara, County Offaly, continues. Mr Allen has pleaded not guilty to Mr Daly's murder. The prosecution presented evidence from witnesses during proceedings before the jury, comprising five women and six men. The trial is due to resume before Justice McCarthy on Friday morning.
The jury in the David Mahon murder trial was given the knife block from which Mahon claimed his stepson had taken the knife that caused his death. The case concerns the death of Dean Fitzpatrick on 26 May 2013. Mahon, 45, pleaded not guilty. The State alleges he was drunk, angry and stabbed Fitzpatrick with deadly intent. Mahon says the death was accidental or a possible suicide, arguing that Fitzpatrick had pulled a knife on him and that Mahon wrestled it from him and put it in his pocket, then showed it to him. The jury deliberated for more than two hours, asked for the knife block, another knife found on Mahon's balcony, and the pathologist's report, and requested explanations of the possible verdicts. The judge explained the burden of proof for a murder verdict. The jury resumed deliberations after lunch and will continue this afternoon.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, former ILP head of finance Peter Fitzpatrick, aged 63, denied acting alone in a March 2008 transaction that allegedly moved €1 billion from Anglo Irish Bank to ILP and €750 million back to Anglo via ILP's non‑banking subsidiary, Irish Life Assurance. Fitzpatrick said he had received approval from ILP chief executive Denis Casey, who had been instructed by the regulator to pursue a "green jersey" agenda of mutual support among Irish banks. Fitzpatrick claimed Casey had directed him to execute the deal and that it was risk‑free for ILP. He also stated that the transaction was a back‑to‑back, collateralised arrangement and that he could not have proceeded without Casey's approval. The case involves four former executives who all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges relating to the alleged €7.2 billion circular scheme. The trial is ongoing.
In a High Court hearing, 62‑year‑old Fergal O'Rourke from Mullaghcloe, Ballymore, claimed that while handcuffed and on the ground after his arrest on 12 July 2009, a Garda struck him several times with a weapon and another Garda grabbed him by the throat. He said the incident left him with injuries requiring hospital treatment and a lame leg, and that it made him nervous. O'Rourke also alleged that he was kicked and punched, then taken to Athlone Garda Station and later to A&E in Ballinasloe. The defendants denied the allegations, stating O'Rourke was arrested after his vehicle performed a u‑turn at a Garda checkpoint, that he resisted arrest and kicked a Garda, and that the Garda used a baton in self‑defence. O'Rourke testified he had no intention of striking a Garda, had been trying to escape, and had previously pleaded guilty to refusing a breath‑sample after arrest.
In the Central Criminal Court, the trial of a man and woman accused of sexually abusing and neglecting their son has entered its fifth week. The proceedings included brief testimony from a garda specialising in child cases, who interviewed the boy in 2011 after he was removed from the family home by social workers. She reported that the eight‑year‑old was distracted and struggled to focus during the interview, and that in a second interview he tried to hide and was very aware of the camera. The boy has previously alleged that his father raped him, sexually abused him with a hot poker, and forced him to have sex with his mother over several years from about age six. He also claims the father filmed some incidents, showed them to others, held a gun to his head, and locked him in a box. The parents face 82 abuse charges from 2007 to 2011 in Waterford. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
The jury in the David Mahon murder trial will resume deliberations on Thursday morning to decide whether Mahon killed his stepson, Dean Fitzpatrick, or whether Fitzpatrick's fatal stab wound was accidental or self‑inflicted. Fitzpatrick, 23, died after a stab wound to the abdomen outside the apartment shared by his mother, Audrey Fitzpatrick, and Mahon at Burnell Square, Northern Cross, Dublin. Mahon, 45, pleaded not guilty to murder on 26 May 2013. He claimed the death was an accident or possible suicide, stating that an argument over a water bottle led Fitzpatrick to pull a knife, which Mahon wrestled away and put in his pocket, then later showed to Fitzpatrick, who allegedly stepped onto it. The trial heard that Fitzpatrick ran downstairs, collapsed outside, and bled to death internally. Justice Margaret Heneghan explained the three possible verdicts—guilty, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty—before sending the jury home.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, a nine‑year‑old boy alleged that his father raped him with a hot poker, sexually abused him, forced him to have sex with his mother, filmed the incidents, held a gun to his head and locked him in a box. The boy, taken into care when about six, was medically examined by Dr Elizabeth Walsh, who found no bruises, lacerations or scars on his genitals or anus and negative tests for sexually transmitted diseases. Dr Walsh explained that the absence of visible injury does not rule out sexual abuse, noting that 80 % of children show no signs within seven days of abuse and 95 % after more than seven days. The unnamed boy pleaded not guilty.
In the Central Criminal Court, David Mahon's barrister argued that Mahon had no motive to kill his stepson, Dean Fitzpatrick, and that his love for Fitzpatrick's mother, Audrey, gave him every reason not to harm him. The defence suggested that Fitzpatrick's death was caused by self‑impalement and that the jury should decide whether Mahon bore criminal responsibility, not whether the death was his fault. Mahon claimed he wrestled a knife from Fitzpatrick, showed it to him, and that Fitzpatrick walked onto the blade, collapsing and bleeding to death. The barrister highlighted that the prosecution's scientific evidence did not contradict Mahon's account and urged the jury to consider the possibility of an accidental death. The judge informed the jury that they could find guilty, guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty. The case remained at the trial stage.
Four former executives from Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life & Permanent (ILP) are on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, having all pleaded not guilty to conspiring to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1 and September 30, 2008. The accused are Willie McAteer, Denis Casey, Peter Fitzpatrick, and John Bowe. They are alleged to have set up a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme to bolster Anglo's balance sheet. On day 64 of the trial, Detective Sergeant Catharina Gunne presented evidence of a voluntary statement by Mr. Casey, who served as ILP's Group Chief Executive from May 2007 to February 2009. Mr. Casey alleged that in March 2008, regulators Pat Neary and John Hurley requested ILP support a "green jersey agenda" to provide mutual in-market support during the global banking crisis. He stated he would not authorize transactions contrary to regulator wishes or company law. The jury also heard evidence of a 2010 cautioned interview with Mr. McAteer, who disputed that the deal manipulated Anglo's balance sheet. He maintained the transactions were properly accounted for and brought to the Audit Committee's attention, denying awareness of the inter-bank deal mechanics. The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
During the trial, a foster mother of a 12‑year‑old boy who had been taken into care at eight and moved to her home in March 2012, explained that she had to seek counselling after the child left her home because of the "horrendous stuff" she had to listen to. She said the boy's sexualised behaviour had increased over time, leading to therapy in 2013. The boy had alleged that his father raped him, sexually abused him with a hot poker and forced him to have sex with his mother from about age six. The father is also alleged to have filmed some incidents, held a gun to the boy's head and locked him in a box. The parents face 82 abuse charges between 2007 and 2011, with both pleading not guilty to multiple counts of sexual exploitation, assault and child cruelty.
In a 2016 trial, the prosecution argued that David Mahon's actions after his stepson Dean Fitzpatrick was stabbed were "straight out of the How to Get Away with Murder handbook." The prosecutor, Remy Farrell SC, claimed Mahon, 45, fled the scene, disposed of the knife, and made false statements to Gardaí, including that the wound was minor and that he had not called an ambulance. Farrell highlighted Mahon's alleged attempts to conceal the weapon, his drunken state, and his failure to seek medical help, portraying him as a "most unfortunate man" who nevertheless acted with deadly intent. The defence was scheduled to present its closing argument on the following day. The case centered on Mahon's alleged murder of his stepson, who was 23, following a confrontation outside the apartment. The unnamed 45-year-old pleaded not guilty.
The trial of David Mahon, 45, for the murder of his stepson Dean Fitzpatrick, 23, has progressed with the court hearing that the deceased had expressed a death wish linked to guilt over his missing sister, Amy. Mahon claimed that Dean had walked into a knife he was holding on purpose, and that the fatal stab occurred outside the apartment shared with Mahon's mother in Burnell Square. The prosecution described the wound as a 'gutting'. Detective Sergeant Eddie Carroll testified that Dean had a history of self‑harm, substance abuse, and a prior death wish, and that he had been admitted to St Ita's Hospital in 2011. Mahon also admitted to having told Gardaí that Dean had stolen his car and run over a policeman in Spain. The prosecution has closed its case, and the trial continues before Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan.
In a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, four former Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life & Permanent executives—John Bowe, Willie McAteer, Denis Casey and Peter Fitzpatrick—were charged with conspiring to mislead investors by arranging a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme between March 1 and September 30 2008. Bowe, a 52‑year‑old Glasnevin resident, testified that the scheme involved depositing money into ILP, which would then transfer it to Irish Life and back to Anglo, creating a "circle" that was difficult to unwind. He described the €7.2 billion deal as a "big funny" to chairman Sean FitzPatrick and claimed the deposits were legitimate and carried normal risks. Bowe denied any intent to misrepresent Anglo's year‑end position. The case is ongoing before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury, with evidence including recorded telephone calls and Garda interviews. Denis Casey pleaded not guilty. Peter Fitzpatrick pleaded not guilty.
During a trial at the Central Criminal Court, a foster mother of a 12‑year‑old boy who was alleged to have been raped by his father and forced to have sex with his mother, stated that she believes the child's accusations. She described the boy as a "total contradiction," noting that he sometimes behaved child‑like and at other times acted and spoke like an adult, including sexual behaviour. She said she found it hard to believe an eight‑ or nine‑year‑old could fabricate such claims, citing an incident when the boy collapsed crying and nearly couldn't breathe. The boy had previously alleged that his father raped him, sexually abused him with a hot poker, forced him to have sex with his mother, filmed some incidents, held a gun to his head, and locked him in a box. The unnamed 12 year old pleaded not guilty.
During the murder trial of David Mahon, the jury heard memos and video excerpts of Garda interviews in which Mahon, aged 45, claimed that his stepson, Dean Fitzpatrick, had walked into the knife he was holding. Mahon said he had voluntarily approached the Gardaí after his arrest on 26 May 2013, and that Fitzpatrick had pulled the knife on him shortly before the fatal incident. He described the event as a 'gutting' and stated that he had no intention to kill Fitzpatrick. Mahon also discussed his relationship with Fitzpatrick, noting it had been 'up and down', and mentioned a prior altercation in Spain where Fitzpatrick had pulled a knife. The court heard Mahon's statements and the prosecution's opening speech, and the trial continued before Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan.
In the trial of 46‑year‑old David Mahon, the jury heard that Mahon claimed he was not the killer of 23‑year‑old Dean Fitzpatrick, who was stabbed on 26 May 2013. Mahon said he had called the Gardaí from Coolock Garda Station, admitting that he had held a knife but that Fitzpatrick had walked into it. He described an argument the night before, during which Fitzpatrick allegedly brandished a knife. Mahon testified that he had put the knife in his back pocket and that he had no intention to kill Fitzpatrick. The prosecution presented a post‑mortem report describing a 14.5‑cm stab wound to Fitzpatrick's abdomen that caused fatal haemorrhage. The trial is proceeding before Justice Margaret Heneghan and a jury of twelve.
A foster mother testified that a young boy, who had been abused by his father and forced to have sex with his mother, left her foster home because she believed he required more specialist care for his sexualised behaviour. She said the boy had been raped by his father, sexually abused with a hot poker, forced to have sex with his mother, and that the father had filmed some incidents and shown them to others. The father and mother face 82 abuse charges between 2007 and 2011, and both have pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of sexual exploitation, child cruelty, sexual assault and anal rape. The foster mother described the boy's behaviour, including attempts to touch her and his fear of his father, and noted that he was never allowed to be alone with younger children again. The trial is before Mr Justice Robert Eagar and a jury.
In a murder trial, the 46‑year‑old stepfather, David Mahon, is charged with killing his brother, Dean Fitzpatrick, 23, on 26 May 2013. The prosecution described the death as a 'gutting'. Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis testified that Dean Fitzpatrick died from a single stab wound to the abdomen, about 14.5 cm deep, that entered the abdominal aorta, small intestine and ended in the spine, causing massive haemorrhage. He said the wound required moderate or considerable force. When questioned about a possible 'run‑on' – where a person advances onto a knife held by another – he could not distinguish between a run‑on and a deliberate thrust. Dr Curtis also noted old scars on Dean's forearm that might indicate past self‑harm. Forensic scientist Dr Fiona Thornton found a jagged tear in Mahon's shirt and a hole in his jeans, consistent with a knife being placed in his back pocket.
The Special Criminal Court will deliver judgement tomorrow morning at the trial of Pierce Moran, 59, of Church Road, East Wall, Dublin 3, accused of unlawful possession of various semi‑automatic pistols, a silencer, a sawn‑off shotgun and associated magazines and ammunition. The indictment lists an 8mm Knall Valtro AP29, a 9mm CZ 83, a 9mm Makarov PM, a 9mm Baikal IZH79‑8, a 12‑gauge Beretta A.300 shotgun, a silencer for the Makarov pistol, and magazines for the pistols. The prosecution alleges that Special Detective Unit officers searched Moran's flat on 15 November 2014, while he was present, and found a shopping bag with pistols and ammunition in one bedroom and a sawn‑off shotgun in an adjoining room. The court heard closing speeches from the State and defence. Vincent Heneghan BL noted that Moran admitted the gardai into the flat and that 320 Euro found in the bedroom was returned to him.
Four former executives from Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent are on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, facing charges of conspiring to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1 and September 30, 2008. The defendants, John Bowe, Willie McAteer, Denis Casey, and Peter Fitzpatrick, have all pleaded not guilty. On day 61 of the trial, the jury heard evidence from John Bowe, who told gardai he had only a "peripheral awareness" of the €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme with Irish Life and Permanent. Bowe, who was head of Capital Markets at Anglo in 2008, stated he did not consider the transactions wrong, though he acknowledged they were large and unusual. He claimed he only learned the final deal figure on September 30 or October 1, 2008. Bowe also testified that Anglo would have collapsed on September 30, 2008, without emergency overnight funding of over €1 billion from the Central Bank. The court heard an email from former CEO David Drumm urging executives to generate liquidity during the banking crisis. Detective Sergeant Gerard Doyle testified that Bowe was not under arrest when his witness statement was finalized between September 2010 and February 2011, with his solicitor present. The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a 13-member jury.
In the Central Criminal Court, 46‑year‑old David Mahon stands trial for the murder of Dean Fitzpatrick, who was stabbed on 26 May 2013. The prosecution presented text messages exchanged between Mahon, Fitzpatrick and Sarah O'Rourke in the days before the killing. O'Rourke testified that Mahon had threatened to stab her and urged her to contact Fitzpatrick, who had earlier claimed he had taken a bicycle part from Mahon. Mahon allegedly returned with a knife, and Fitzpatrick was stabbed in the abdomen outside Mahon's apartment on Burnell Square. Witness Karl O'Toole described Mahon's agitation and the presence of a whiskey bottle and tablet packets in the flat. The jury heard that Mahon claimed he had stabbed Fitzpatrick after a confrontation over the bicycle part. The case is before Justice Margaret Heneghan and a twelve‑person jury.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, a child who had been sexually abused and neglected by his parents testified that his father defecated on him as part of the abuse. The child, who had a good relationship with his second foster mother, had previously alleged that his father raped him, sexually abused him with a hot poker, forced him to have sex with his mother, filmed some incidents, held a gun to his head, and locked him in a box. He also claimed his father threatened to kill him if he told anyone. The foster mother, who gave evidence on day eleven, described the child's fear of showers and his father's sexual abuse in the shower, and his fear of being hurt by telling her. She praised the child's bravery and said she loved him. The trial continues before Mr Justice Robert Eagar and a jury.
Ross Allen (25) has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Christy Daly, aged 47, at Bog Lane, Kilbride, Clara, County Offaly between 29 December 2013 and 7 January 2014. His co-accused Matthew Gralton (22) of Mount Prospect, County Roscommon has also pleaded not guilty to the charge. At the Central Criminal Court, Detective Sergeant Jer Glavin gave evidence that Mr Allen told gardaí during interview that he attended a meeting in Clara where the use of violence against the deceased was discussed. Mr Allen stated he was instructed to obtain a hammer and torch, and that a sawn-off shotgun was collected during the journey to Bog Lane. He said he acted as lookout while others proceeded to the caravan, after which he heard two shots. Mr Allen told gardaí he believed these were warning shots and did not anticipate lethal force would be used. The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy.
During the second day of the trial of 46‑year‑old David Mahon, the Central Criminal Court heard testimony from Sarah O'Rourke, the girlfriend of Dean Fitzpatrick. O'Rourke said that on 25 May 2013, hours before the alleged murder, Mahon called her and threatened to stab her in the neck if she did not arrange for Fitzpatrick to call Mahon. She described the call as aggressive and said Mahon demanded she go to a shop, buy credit, and call Fitzpatrick, threatening to drive to Lusk and stab her if she refused. O'Rourke then hung up, called her sister, and texted Fitzpatrick to explain the situation. The court has also heard that Fitzpatrick was the older brother of Amy Fitzpatrick, who disappeared in Spain in 2008. The trial continues. David Mahon pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 12‑year‑old boy who claimed he was raped by his father and forced to have sex with his mother testified via video‑link about abuse he alleged occurred in Waterford between 2007 and 2011. He described being raped with a hot poker and having a gun held to his head. The parents face 82 abuse charges; both pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of sexual exploitation and one child cruelty charge each. The mother also denied 16 sexual assault counts, while the father denied 16 anal rape and 16 sexual assault with a poker counts. During re‑examination, the boy said he still liked his father, citing "happy times" such as holidays. A teacher testified that the boy had behavioural problems, including biting, spitting, inappropriate touching, and talking about death, and that he was taken into care in 2011 after a school visit.
In a Dublin court on 25 April 2016, 46‑year‑old David Mahon stood trial for the murder of his stepson, Dean Fitzpatrick, who was stabbed in the abdomen on 26 May 2013. Mahon pleaded not guilty and was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court. The prosecution, led by Remy Farrell SC, presented a case that Mahon, annoyed by Fitzpatrick's interference with his bicycle outside the Northwood Gym in Santry on 24 May, confronted him at his apartment. After a heated exchange, Mahon allegedly returned with a carving knife and stabbed Fitzpatrick, who collapsed and died the next day. CCTV footage and witness testimony were shown to the jury, which included six men and six women, and the trial was scheduled to continue before Justice Margaret Heneghan. The case was expected to last a week.
At the Central Criminal Court, a cage fighter and a second man have been convicted of murdering a 23-year-old Polish national in June 2014. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34 and resident at Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35 from Warsaw, Poland, were found guilty of killing Patryk Krupa at Bogganfin, Athlone, County Roscommon. The trial heard that Mr Krupa was assaulted and rendered unconscious before being left to drown in the River Shannon. Evidence presented included witness testimony, DNA findings on Sychulec's belongings, photographic documentation of drag marks leading to the water, and CCTV footage placing both men together at the scene. The jury deliberated for five hours before delivering unanimous guilty verdicts. Sentencing is scheduled for June 13th, when both defendants will receive mandatory life sentences. Leszek Sychulec pleaded not guilty. Andrzej Gruchacz pleaded not guilty. Cage Fighter pleaded not guilty.
During a trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, former Irish Life Assurance CEO Denis Casey, aged 56, testified that he only learned of a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme with Anglo Irish Bank through media reports months after the alleged deception. The scheme, allegedly designed to inflate Anglo's 2008 balance sheet, involved Anglo loaning €7.2 billion to Irish Life and Permanent (ILP), which then placed the same amount back with Anglo, recorded as customer deposits. Casey, along with former senior bankers Peter Fitzpatrick (63), John Bowe (52), and Willie McAteer (65), pleaded not guilty to conspiring to mislead investors between 1 March and 30 September 2008. Evidence presented included testimony from Kevin Murphy, who said he first became aware of the deals via February 2009 media reports and later detailed information from the regulator. The jury heard that Murphy succeeded Casey as ILP Group Chief Executive in mid‑2009.
During the child sex‑abuse trial in the Central Criminal Court, a 12‑year‑old Waterford boy gave evidence on the eighth day. He alleged that his father threatened to throw his partner out of the family home if she refused to have sex with their son. The boy also claimed that his father owned a rocket launcher, machine guns, an AK‑47, an Uzi, a sniper rifle, a silencer‑compatible gun, a Beretta similar to one in a James Bond film, an 18th‑century ceremonial sword and several knives. He said the father had filmed some of the alleged abuse and shown the footage to others, held a gun to his head, and locked him in a box. The parents face 82 abuse charges from 2007 to 2011; both pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of sexual exploitation and one child cruelty charge each. The trial continues before Mr Justice Robert Eagar and a jury.
The jury in the trial of two men accused of murdering a 23-year-old man at the Central Criminal Court will resume deliberations on Friday morning. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, with an address in Warsaw, Poland, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patryk Krupa at Bogganfin, Athlone, County Roscommon, on 20 June 2014. The court heard that Mr Krupa drowned in the Shannon River following a violent assault that left him unconscious. The prosecution alleges both men transported the deceased to the riverbank, assaulted him, and threw him into the water. The defence has contended that alternative verdicts of manslaughter or assault may be appropriate depending on the evidence of intent. Mr Justice Tony Hunt instructed the jury that they could return alternative verdicts on these lesser charges. The twelve-member jury deliberated for one hour and forty-nine minutes before adjourning for the night.
A 41‑year‑old Galway man, Declan O'Cualain, was charged with murdering his brother Adrian Folan. The prosecution alleged that O'Cualain strangled Folan with a bungee cord, then disposed of the body in a water‑filled pit near the Cliffs of Moher, covering it with rocks. He confessed to the act to a friend and to Gardaí, and was arrested at his home on 7 July 2014. Gardaí found the body, which was later identified at Limerick University Hospital, and evidence of a burnt knife fragment and bungee cords was recovered. O'Cualain pleaded not guilty on the grounds of insanity, claiming he was in an "utterly delusional" state and believed his brother was a paedophile. The trial is ongoing.
At the Central Criminal Court, the jury in the trial of two men charged with murdering a 23-year-old man in County Roscommon has been instructed that it may return alternative verdicts of manslaughter or assault. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, from Warsaw, Poland, have pleaded not guilty to murdering Patryk Krupa at Bogganfin, Athlone on 20 June 2014. Both deny a further charge of false imprisonment on the same date. The trial heard that Mr Krupa drowned in the Shannon following a violent assault that rendered him unconscious. Mr Justice Tony Hunt advised the jury it could return a manslaughter conviction if it found there was no intention to kill or cause serious injury, or alternatively convict of assault causing harm. DNA evidence linked Mr Sychulec to the deceased. The jury commenced deliberations before lunchtime.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, four former senior bankers – Denis Casey, Peter Fitzpatrick, John Bowe and Willie McAteer – pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges for allegedly misleading investors through a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme that aimed to strengthen Anglo Irish Bank's 2008 balance sheet. The alleged scheme involved financial transactions between March 1 and September 30, 2008. During the trial, former AIB Group Finance Director John O'Donnell testified that in early 2008 he attended a meeting with the Financial Regulator, who urged Irish banks to support each other's liquidity. O'Donnell recalled a golf game with Anglo's CFO Matt Moran, after which Moran approached him in a car park with a proposal for a deposit arrangement that would avoid appearing as an inter‑bank placement. O'Donnell said he later rejected the proposal and communicated this to Moran. The case is still before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
The jury in the trial of two men charged with the murder of a 23-year-old in Athlone is expected to begin deliberating on Thursday. The Central Criminal Court heard that Patryk Krupa drowned following a violent assault on 20 June 2014. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, with an address in Warsaw, Poland, have pleaded not guilty to murder at Bogganfin, Athlone, County Roscommon. Both also deny charges of false imprisonment on the same date. Mr Justice Tony Hunt began his charge to the jury on Wednesday, completing it on Thursday before the 12-member panel retire to consider their verdicts on four counts. The prosecution contended that the accused men assaulted the deceased and left him to drown in the River Shannon. The defence disputed identification evidence relating to one accused and suggested alternative liability for assault or manslaughter rather than murder.
Four former senior bankers from Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) are on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where they have all pleaded not guilty to conspiring together and with others to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1st and September 30th, 2008. The defendants, Willie McAteer, Denis Casey, Peter Fitzpatrick, and John Bowe, are alleged to have set up a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme to bolster Anglo's 2008 balance sheet. In testimony, David McCarthy, ILP's Chief Financial Officer in September 2008, stated he had no knowledge of the €7.2 billion inter-bank loan with Anglo Irish Bank at the time. McCarthy, a qualified chartered accountant who joined ILP in 1994, reported to Peter Fitzpatrick, then Finance Director. He told the court he only learned of the sum in November 2008, noting that under accounting rules, such linked loans and deposits would be netted on the balance sheet, creating no liquidity. McCarthy estimated the amount represented about 16 per cent of ILP's balance sheet at the time. The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
In a Waterford case, a 12‑year‑old boy is testifying at the Central Criminal Court about alleged abuse by his parents. He claims his father raped him, sexually abused him with a hot poker, and forced him to have sex with his mother over several years from about age six. The father is accused of filming some incidents and showing them to others, holding a gun to the boy's head, and locking him in a wooden box and later a larger metal‑barred box. The boy said he had forgotten to mention the second box to Gardaí and in last week's evidence. He described escaping by retrieving a key from a desk with a stick. The parents face 82 abuse charges and have pleaded not guilty to 16 counts each of sexual exploitation and one child cruelty charge. The trial continues before Mr Justice Robert Eagar and a jury.
At the Central Criminal Court, the jury in a murder trial heard closing arguments concerning the death of a 23-year-old man in June 2014. Prosecutors alleged that the two accused men violently assaulted the victim and left him to drown in the River Shannon near Athlone, County Roscommon. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, a resident of Warsaw, Poland, have each pleaded not guilty to murder and false imprisonment charges relating to the incident. The State's closing submission contended that DNA evidence recovered from Mr Sychulec's clothing linked him to the deceased. The defence challenged the identification evidence against Mr Gruchacz, questioning the reliability of CCTV footage and passport photographs. A witness testified that he was present during the incident. The judge will deliver his charge to the jury on Wednesday.
The trial of four former senior bankers, including Denis Casey and Peter Fitzpatrick, continues at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury. All defendants, who have pleaded not guilty, are accused of conspiring to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1st and September 30th, 2008, allegedly involving a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme to bolster Anglo Irish Bank's 2008 balance sheet. On day 55 of the proceedings, Michael O'Higgins SC, defending Casey, cross-examined State expert witness Mark Hunt, a chartered accountant. Mr. Hunt previously testified that the deal lacked commercial or economic substance and was not covered by accounting standard IAS 32. During cross-examination, Mr. O'Higgins suggested Mr. Hunt was confused by "labyrinthine" accounting standards and that the global financial situation in September 2008 had caused banks to "fall on their backsides." Mr. Hunt denied being confused, acknowledging the complexity of the standards but rejecting the characterization that the world had fallen apart. He maintained that the transactions were designed to move numbers on a balance sheet. The matter remains at the trial stage, with no findings, sentences, or finalisations recorded for the accused.
During a trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 12‑year‑old boy, who was removed from his family home after alleging that his father raped him and forced him to have sex with his mother, testified that he was sexually abused while in foster care. He said the first foster family was almost as bad as his parents, with constant shouting but no hitting or rape. He also claimed that a relative of his foster mother sexually abused him, describing an older boy who wanted to have sex with him. The boy denied that his father had a gun to his head or that the father owned 50 guns and 50 bullets, insisting the allegations were true. The trial continues with the boy's evidence before Mr Justice Robert Eagar and a jury. The unnamed 12-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Pierce Moran, 59, of Church Road, East Wall, Dublin 3, faced charges of unlawful possession of several semi‑automatic pistols, a silencer, a sawn‑off shotgun, firearm magazines and assorted ammunition, all allegedly found during a search of his home on 15 November 2014. Gardaí, acting under a search warrant, conducted the operation as part of an investigation into the importation of firearms and ammunition from the USA. Detective Sergeant John Kearney and Garda Jude Ainsworth reported finding four pistols, a silencer, magazines and ammunition in a Dunnes Stores bag in Moran's bedroom, while Garda Francis Crowley discovered a sawn‑off shotgun in a workshop room. The court accepted the admissibility of the search evidence, rejecting defence counsel's objections, and the trial continues with legal arguments.
A 41‑year‑old man, Declan O'Cualain of An Caoran Beag, An Cheathru Rua, Co Galway, pleaded not guilty to the murder of his brother, Adrian Folan (O'Cualain), at Lislorkin North, Liscannor, Co Clare, on 4 July 2014. The plea was made at the Central Criminal Court. Judge Patrick McCarthy informed a jury of nine men and three women that the case would last no more than a day, but they would be required to serve until the end of the week. He added that the matter would be handled by Ms Justice Heneghan.
The State has completed its case at the Central Criminal Court in the trial of two men accused of murdering a 23-year-old man in Athlone. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, from Warsaw, Poland, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patryk Krupa at Bogganfin, Athlone, County Roscommon on 20 June 2014. The court heard that Mr Krupa drowned after sustaining a head injury during a violent assault. Both defendants also deny charges of falsely imprisoning Mr Krupa on the same date and location. Evidence presented included CCTV footage and a statement from a witness who spoke to Mr Sychulec on the night in question. The jury, comprising four women and eight men, was adjourned to allow legal matters to be discussed in their absence. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, four former senior bankers – John Bowe, Willie McAteer, Denis Casey and Peter Fitzpatrick – pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges for allegedly misleading investors by arranging a €7.2 billion back‑to‑back deal to inflate Anglo Irish Bank's 2008 balance sheet. The scheme, which took place between 1 March and 30 September 2008, was said to have no commercial or economic substance, according to expert witness Mark Hunt, a chartered accountant with experience at the Bank of England and the UK's financial conduct authority. Hunt explained that the balance sheet is a snapshot of assets and liabilities at a specific point in time, not an average financial statement, and that the bank's manipulation of the figures was achieved through artificial means. The trial, presided over by Judge Martin Nolan, continues with a jury and is expected to conclude next month.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 12‑year‑old boy testified that his father raped him and forced him to have sex with his mother in their Waterford home over several years, beginning when he was about six. He said the father filmed some incidents and showed them to others, held a gun to his head, and locked him in a box. The boy also described being forced to use a hot poker. He recounted that his parents bought him toys, including a motorised bike, and that he enjoyed riding it up and down the driveway. He described picnics, day trips to the beach, and holidays elsewhere. The parents face 82 abuse charges from 2007 to 2011; both plead not guilty to 16 counts of sexual exploitation and one child cruelty charge each. The trial continues with further cross‑examination before Mr Justice Robert Eagar and a jury.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a jury of ten women and two men found taxi driver Lookman Kareem (48) not guilty of assaulting passenger Noelle Donohue, but could not reach a verdict on the alleged assault of passenger Darren O'Connor. The trial, held on 15 April 2016, heard that on 22 December 2013, O'Connor, Donohue and two of Donohue's sisters were in Kareem's taxi when they began laughing at his first name. Kareem allegedly shouted racial slurs, punched Donohue in the nose, hit her twice when the car stopped, and then got into a scuffle with O'Connor, allegedly biting off the top of O'Connor's thumb. O'Connor described excruciating pain and the loss of the thumb's tip. Kareem denied the assault, claiming the passengers were the aggressors and had racially abused him. The judge dismissed the jury after just under four hours of deliberation and adjourned the case to 28 April for a retrial.
The Central Criminal Court has heard DNA evidence linking a deceased man to items seized from one of two men on trial for his murder. Patryk Krupa, aged 23, drowned in the River Shannon on 20 June 2014 following an alleged violent assault in Athlone, County Roscommon. DNA profiler Dr Stephen Clifford testified that genetic material matching the deceased was recovered from a bloodstained watch and sock belonging to Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford. The scientist stated the probability of the DNA originating from another person was less than one in a billion for the watch sample and less than one in 11 million for the sock. DNA matching Mr Krupa was also found on a black BMW, the court heard. Sychulec and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, with an address in Warsaw, Poland, have each pleaded not guilty to murder and false imprisonment. The prosecution alleges both men forcibly removed Mr Krupa and left him incapacitated in the river. The trial continues.
Evidence has been heard at the Central Criminal Court in relation to a driving licence found in the name of a witness in a murder trial. Tomas Strugacz testified that his Polish driving licence went missing in Dublin in June 2013, which he reported to gardaí in Lucan before obtaining a replacement. An identification card bearing his name and address but a different photograph was produced in court during proceedings. The trial concerns Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, with an address in Warsaw, Poland. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patryk Krupa, aged 23, at Bogganfin, Athlone, County Roscommon on 20 June 2014. They also deny falsely imprisoning the deceased on the same date. The court has heard that Mr Krupa drowned following a violent assault. The trial before Mr Justice Tony Hunt continues.
In the Anglo trial, four former senior bankers—Peter Fitzpatrick, John Bowe, Willie McAteer and Denis Casey—are accused of conspiring to mislead investors by creating a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme between Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) to strengthen Anglo's 2008 balance sheet. The defendants pleaded not guilty. On day 53, the State presented Mark Hunt, a chartered accountant, who argued that the deal had no commercial or economic substance and that the paired transactions—one between Anglo and ILP and a corresponding one with Irish Life Assurance (ILA)—were circular and could have continued indefinitely. Hunt explained that such transactions should have been netted off and omitted from the balance sheet, as they would cancel each other out. He described the scheme as an unusual series of transactions that, if left in the accounts, would have inflated Anglo's assets and liabilities by €7.2 billion.