In a Waterford case, a 12‑year‑old boy testified that his father sexually abused him with a hot poker, forced him to have sex with his mother, threatened him with a gun, and locked him in a box between 2007 and 2011. The boy disclosed the abuse only after being placed in foster care at age eight, stating that the absence of his father allowed him to speak. He told the prosecutor that his foster mother was safe and kind, unlike his father who used abusive language. The parents face 82 abuse charges; both pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of sexual exploitation and one child cruelty charge each. The trial will continue with further evidence before a judge and jury.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, 48‑year‑old taxi driver Lookman Kareem was accused of biting off part of a passenger's thumb during an incident on 22 December 2013. The trial heard that the alleged assault followed a scuffle in which passengers laughed at his first name and allegedly racially abused him. Witnesses reported that Kareem was seen spitting something out of his mouth after the incident, with blood around his mouth, though he denied knowing what was spitted and denied biting the thumb. He claimed the victim was the aggressor and that he was dragged out of the taxi and beaten by three passengers. The case is in its closing stages, with jury deliberations scheduled to begin tomorrow under Judge Patricia Ryan. The trial has not yet reached a verdict. Lookman Kareem pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court trial of two men accused of murdering a 23-year-old at Bogganfin, Athlone has continued with legal argument in the absence of the jury. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, with an address in Warsaw, Poland, face charges of murdering Patryk Krupa on 20 June 2014. Both men have pleaded not guilty to murder and to a separate charge of false imprisonment. The prosecution alleges the accused removed Mr Krupa from Athlone, travelled to the Shannon riverbank, and assaulted him before he drowned while incapacitated. The trial before Mr Justice Tony Hunt began last week and entered its seventh day. Procedural matters were addressed before the jury this morning, with further evidence anticipated this afternoon.
The trial of four former Anglo Irish Bank bankers, including former finance head Willie McAteer (65) and former capital markets head John Bowe (52), continues with legal argument. They are accused of conspiring to mislead investors by using interbank loans to inflate the bank's 2008 balance sheet. The scheme allegedly involved transferring money from Anglo to Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) and then depositing it back with Anglo through ILP's life assurance division, making the deposits appear as corporate funding from a non‑banking entity. This would have increased the bank's corporate funding figure by €7.2 billion for the year‑end figures on 30 September 2008. Peter Fitzpatrick (63), former ILP finance director, former ILP CEO Denis Casey (56), McAteer, and Bowe have all pleaded not guilty. On day 48, lawyers presented a legal matter before Judge Martin Nolan without the jury; the trial will resume in evidence before the jury on Thursday morning.
In a Waterford case, a 12‑year‑old boy gave evidence to a social worker that the allegations of rape by his father and forced sexual acts with his mother were not real. He later told the trial that the abuse did occur, but he had said it was false to avoid court. The boy, who was taken into care at eight, said he was forced by his father to have sex with his mother, sometimes while the father watched football, and that it happened weekly for 45 minutes to an hour. He claimed his father held a gun to his head and used a hot poker. 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 tomorrow before Mr Justice Robert Eagar and a jury.
A key prosecution witness in a Central Criminal Court murder trial conceded during cross-examination that he disclosed nothing to gardaí about the alleged killing until after his own arrest on suspicion of murder. Kuba Zmuda testified that he witnessed the assault on Patryk Krupa, aged 23, on the banks of the River Shannon near Athlone on 20 June 2014. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, of Warsaw, Poland, are charged with Mr Krupa's murder. Both men deny the allegations and also deny a separate charge of false imprisonment. The trial heard that Mr Krupa died from a head injury sustained during an assault. Under cross-examination by the defence barrister, Mr Zmuda acknowledged that he had made no statement to gardaí prior to his arrest, despite meeting Mr Krupa's sister and receiving a phone call from his girlfriend. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and jury. The unnamed 23-year-old pleaded not guilty.
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 to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1st and September 30th, 2008. The defendants are Peter Fitzpatrick, John Bowe, Willie McAteer, and Denis Casey. On day 47 of the trial, Bruce Maxwell, the chief actuary with Irish Life Assurance (ILA) in 2008, testified that he found the alleged €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme implausible. Maxwell stated that his initial reaction to the figure was disbelief, noting that Irish Life would not have had six billion euro to invest in Anglo. He described the arrangement, where Anglo placed money with ILP, which lent it to ILA, and ILA then placed it back with Anglo, as abnormal because ILA was effectively borrowing money. Maxwell told the court that the deposits were later explained as being secured by loans from Anglo to ILP, emphasizing that the funds were not Irish Life's own capital. The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
In a Waterford case, a 12‑year‑old boy gave evidence via video‑link that his father forced him to have sex with his mother and repeatedly sexually abused him with a hot poker, threatened him with a gun, and filmed the abuse. He said the abuse began when he was six and continued for about three and a half years, occurring roughly once a month. The boy also alleged that his father threatened to kill him if he told anyone, built a box in the shed to lock him in, and forced him to watch pornographic videos. The parents face 82 abuse charges from 2007 to 2011 and have pleaded not guilty to 16 counts each of sexual exploitation and one count of child cruelty. The trial continues with the boy's testimony before Mr Justice Robert Eagar and a jury.
During a Special Criminal Court trial, detectives claimed that firearms and ammunition were discovered at a Dublin house on 15 November 2014. The accused, Pierce Moran, 59, of Church Road, East Wall, Dublin 3, faces charges of unlawful possession of several semi‑automatic pistols: an 8mm Knall calibre Valtro model AP29, a 9mm short calibre CZ model 83, a 9mm calibre Makarov PM, and a 9mm short calibre Baikal model IZH79‑8. He is also charged with possession of a silencer for the Makarov pistol and a 12‑gauge Beretta model A.300 semi‑automatic, sawn‑off shotgun. In addition, the prosecution alleges possession of various firearm magazines suitable for the pistols and assorted ammunition, all found at the same address on the same date. Vincent Heneghan, BL, opened the case, noting that Detective Sergeant John Kearney obtained a warrant after receiving confidential information and that the search yielded the items.
A witness has testified at the Central Criminal Court that he observed two men remove a 23-year-old from a vehicle, assault him for approximately 15 minutes, and subsequently drag him towards the River Shannon. Kuba Zmuda was providing evidence in the trial of Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, from Warsaw, Poland. Both men are charged with the murder of Patryk Krupa at Bogganfin, Athlone, County Roscommon on 20 June 2014. Each defendant has entered a not guilty plea to the murder charge and to a separate count of false imprisonment. Mr Zmuda described being present when the accused men located Mr Krupa on Church Street in Athlone town centre and brought him to a location near the N6 bridge crossing the Shannon. He stated the men beat and kicked Mr Krupa, who was subsequently found drowned. The trial continues at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury.
At the Central Criminal Court, a jury heard evidence that a 23-year-old man drowned in the Shannon River following a violent assault that left him incapacitated. State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy described severe blunt force trauma to the deceased's head, including a fractured nose, facial swelling, and injuries consistent with kicks and punching. She found blood-tinged froth in the airways and river debris in the lungs, indicating drowning while unconscious. The brain trauma was sufficient to cause concussion or unconsciousness, rendering the victim unable to resist being pulled into the water, the pathologist concluded. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, from Warsaw, Poland, are charged with murdering Patryk Krupa at Bogganfin, County Roscommon, on 20 June 2014. Both men have pleaded not guilty to murder and false imprisonment. The trial before Mr Justice Tony Hunt continues.
A murder trial at the Central Criminal Court has heard evidence concerning the death of a 23-year-old man recovered from the Shannon in June 2014. The deceased's mother described viewing her son's body at Roscommon mortuary, noting severe bruising and swelling to his face and head. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, with an address in Warsaw, Poland, are charged with murdering Patryk Krupa at Bogganfin, County Roscommon on 20 June 2014. Both men have pleaded not guilty to murder and to a second charge of false imprisonment. The prosecution alleges the accused subjected the victim to a severe beating before placing him in the river. A witness testified to observing two men wearing blood-stained clothing at a fuel station later that evening. The trial before Mr Justice Tony Hunt continues with a jury of twelve.
Larry McCarthy, 37, of Limerick, was denied bail by the Special Criminal Court on 8 April 2016. He faces charges of threatening to kill Noel Moore and threatening to damage Moore's house on 28 July 2015. The State objected to his bail application, citing the seriousness of the offence and the maximum ten‑year sentence. Chief Superintendent David Sheehan argued that Section 2A of the Bail Act required bail to be refused to prevent a serious offence. Judge Paul Butler, with Judges Alison Lindsay and Flann Brennan, accepted the objection and refused bail under Section 2A. McCarthy also faces separate charges of threatening unlawful violence and assaulting David Foran on 25 November 2014. He was remanded in custody until 11 May, when his case was listed for mention again.
In a 2016 trial, former Anglo Irish Bank senior accountant Peter Fitzpatrick, aged 63, testified that balance sheet management, also called window dressing, was a recognised industry practice. He explained that a €7.2 billion circular transaction with Irish Life and Permanent in 2008 was cash‑neutral and intended to manage the bank's snapshot. Fitzpatrick said the transaction increased Anglo's loans and customer accounts by €7.2 billion, making it material. He described how such transactions were treated on the balance sheet and noted that netting could remove them from the books, losing the optical advantage. The defendants, including John Bowe, Willie McAteer, Denis Casey and Peter Fitzpatrick, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges for misleading investors through these transactions. The trial was held at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A woman described finding her boyfriend's body in the Shannon River while pregnant, giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court in the trial of two men charged with his murder. Malwina Kurowski testified that she had been unable to contact Patryk Krupa after he finished work in Athlone on 20 June 2014. She said her brother told her Mr Krupa had been taken by unknown men. Ms Kurowski collected her brother and a friend, and they drove to Bogganfin near the N6 bridge where they discovered Mr Krupa's belongings and found him in the water. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, from Warsaw, Poland, are each charged with murdering the 23-year-old man by beating him unconscious and leaving him to drown. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to murder and to a second charge of false imprisonment. The trial before Mr Justice Tony Hunt is expected to last over three weeks.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence in the ongoing trial of Matthew Gralton and Ross Allen, who are accused of the murder of Christy Daly. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charge. State pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy testified that Mr Daly, whose body was found in a drain at Bog Lane, Clara, Co Offaly, likely suffered significant blunt force trauma before being shot. She detailed injuries including knocked-out teeth, a fractured nose, and facial lacerations, concluding that these impacts occurred prior to the gunshot wounds which finally incapacitated him. The cause of death was determined to be gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma, with hypothermia and coronary artery disease as contributing factors. Detective Sergeant Pat Cleary testified that he received an anonymous text message on December 30, 2013, alerting him to someone badly hurt on Curragh Road, Clara. This tip-off was linked to Mr Daly, who had been missing since December 29 and whose caravan had been burnt out. The body was located on January 7, 2014. The trial is proceeding before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury. One juror was discharged after informing the court she was overwhelmed by the proceedings following a recent bereavement. The matter was adjourned to continue tomorrow.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence from CCTV footage during the trial of two men charged with murder in County Roscommon. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan in Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, from Warsaw, Poland, are accused of murdering Patryk Krupa at Bogganfin, Athlone on 20 June 2014. The prosecution alleges the victim was beaten unconscious and left to drown in the Shannon. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and to a second charge each of false imprisonment on the same date and location. A jury of twelve was empanelled to hear the case. Video footage captured at Collins Service Station in Athlone on the evening in question was presented to the jury, along with still photographs extracted from the footage. The jury was subsequently excused pending discussion of legal matters.
The trial of four former senior bankers, including Denis Casey, is ongoing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Casey, along with Peter Fitzpatrick, John Bowe, and Willie McAteer, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1 and September 30, 2008. On day 43, witness Colin Golden, Anglo Irish Bank's Head of Group Finance in 2008, testified regarding a €7.2 billion transaction. He stated that during a November 2008 audit committee meeting, non-executive director Donal O'Connor asked if the transaction was "window dressing," to which then Head of Finance Willie McAteer responded it was "balance sheet management." Golden testified that the transaction was treated as a straight cash-for-cash deal, not collateralised, and was included grossly in the bank's balance sheet, inflating customer deposits and loans by €7.2 billion. He noted he was unaware until February 2009 that the sequence of deposits and loans had been incorrectly represented to auditors. Defence counsel Michael O'iggins SC, representing Casey, argued that the failure to consult the trader who executed the transaction constituted a "massive system's failure." Judge Nolan intervened to stop counsel from abusing the witness. The matter remains at the trial stage with no finalisation or sentence recorded.
At the Central Criminal Court, the son of a deceased man gave evidence regarding his final hours with his father on December 29, 2013. Matthew Gralton, aged 22, from Mt Prospect in County Roscommon, and Ross Allen, aged 25, with addresses in Carrickmines, County Dublin and Clara, County Offaly, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Christy Daly at Bog Lane, Kilbride, Clara. The prosecution alleges that Mr Daly discovered drugs valued at €30,000 concealed on the remote laneway where he resided, and that individuals connected to the drugs subsequently arranged his killing. The State contends that whilst neither accused was the gunman, both had a role in the death. The witness testified that he spent the day with his father and planned to meet him later that evening, but received no response when he attempted to contact him approximately 90 minutes after they parted. Mr Daly's body was discovered in a drain on January 7, 2014.
Two men appeared before the Central Criminal Court in April 2016 charged with the murder of a 23-year-old man in County Roscommon nearly two years earlier. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, of Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, with an address in Warsaw, Poland, pleaded not guilty to murdering Patryk Krupa at Bogganfin, Athlone on 20 June 2014. Both men also denied a charge of false imprisonment on the same date and location. The prosecution outlined that the victim had been subjected to severe violence and subsequently drowned in the Shannon River. Evidence was expected to show that witnesses identified the accused men leaving a black BMW vehicle at the riverside location. A pathologist was anticipated to give evidence regarding injuries consistent with footwear marks and that the victim was unconscious when entering the water. The trial, heard before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, was expected to continue for more than three weeks.
In the 2016 trial of four former Anglo Irish Bank executives, Peter Fitzpatrick, aged 63, denied abandoning his duties during a 2008 scheme that allegedly misled investors with a €7.2 billion circular transaction. The case centred on a plan to inflate Anglo's balance sheet by moving funds between Anglo and Irish Life and Permanent (ILP). Fitzpatrick, along with John Bowe, Willie McAteer and Denis Casey, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. During the trial, Fitzpatrick's lawyer, Brendan Grehan, questioned Kevin Kelly, Anglo's former head of financial reporting, about his role in accounting for the €7.2 billion. Kelly admitted that the transaction was recorded in a way that misrepresented its sequence, but argued that the risk was still present. The trial is ongoing before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a Waterford couple faced 82 charges of sexual abuse and exploitation of their son, aged between five and nine, and the father was also accused of raping him with a poker over a four‑year period. The parents denied all allegations, claiming the boy was a "difficult child" with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and behavioural problems. They pleaded not guilty to 16 counts each of sexual exploitation and one charge each of child cruelty, while the mother also denied 16 counts of sexual assault and the father denied 16 counts of anal rape and 16 counts of sexual assault with a poker. The prosecution presented a medical examination that found no physical trauma but did not rule out sexual abuse. The boy, now 12, was to testify in the ongoing trial before Mr Justice Robert Eagar.
A witness told the Central Criminal Court that Christy Daly, aged 47, expressed concern about men in dark clothing loitering near his home on the day he went missing. Gary Gonoude gave evidence at the trial of Matthew Gralton, aged 22, from Co Roscommon, and Ross Allen, aged 25, from Co Dublin and Offaly, who have pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Daly at Bog Lane, Kilbride, Clara, Co Offaly between December 29, 2013 and January 7, 2014. Mr Gonoude told prosecuting counsel that when towing a car to Mr Daly's residence on December 29, 2013, they encountered several hooded figures in the laneway. Mr Daly questioned their presence. Defence counsel for Mr Gralton challenged inconsistencies in Mr Gonoude's accounts to gardaí and in court testimony regarding the number and appearance of those present. Mr Daly's brother confirmed they last met that day. The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
At the Central Criminal Court, a prosecution barrister opened the trial of two men accused of murdering a 47-year-old man in Co Offaly in late 2013. The court heard that the alleged killing occurred at Bog Lane, Kilbride, Clara, between late December 2013 and early January 2014. Matthew Gralton, aged 22 and from Mt Prospect, Co Roscommon, and Ross Allen, aged 25 with addresses in Dublin and Offaly, have each pleaded not guilty to murder. The prosecution alleges both men admitted involvement in the killing during interviews with gardaí in February 2014, though neither claims to have fired the fatal shots. The court was told the victim discovered a €30,000 drugs stash on the laneway where he lived. The prosecution contends this triggered his death at the hands of individuals sent from Dublin. The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma, and his remains were discovered in a drain in January 2014. The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy.
In a trial heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, four former senior bankers – Peter Fitzpatrick (63), John Bowe (52), Willie McAteer (65) and Denis Casey (56) – pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. They are accused of orchestrating a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme between Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) and Anglo Irish Bank from March 1 to September 30, 2008. The alleged scheme involved ILP receiving money from Anglo, then placing it on deposit with Anglo on behalf of Irish Life Assurance, inflating Anglo's corporate deposits and misleading investors. Gerard Doyle, former Head of Group Financial Risk at ILP, testified that the transactions exceeded ILP's €150 million credit limit by €1.1 billion, and that no physical payments were made when the loans matured. The jury was instructed to remain silent about the case, and the trial was set to resume on April 4 after a two‑week Easter break.
In a Central Criminal Court case, a jury acquitted a man of raping a woman in the back office of a Limerick pub on 10 November 2012. The woman testified that she had been on a date with another man when the accused brought her into the back office to show her the CCTV system, which she described as "fascinating." She alleged that she was "brutally, brutally raped" there, and she held up her wrist to show bruises from being held against a wall. During cross‑examination she suggested the accused might have destroyed CCTV footage and said her children were now afraid to go to certain places because of the incident. The jury deliberated for 36 minutes on day five and returned a verdict of not guilty. The judge thanked the jurors and allowed the accused to leave with his family.
A jury in the Central Criminal Court will start deliberations on the trial of Gary Flynn, 31, who is accused of being part of the murder gang that killed Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne at Tymon Park North in Tallaght on 13 March 2009. Flynn has pleaded not guilty. The trial began almost nine weeks ago, with more than 100 witnesses giving evidence, and Justice Patrick McCarthy will finish his charge on Wednesday, after which the jury will consider their verdict.
The trial of Denis Casey, 56, of Raheny, Dublin, is ongoing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Casey, along with Peter Fitzpatrick, John Bowe, and Willie McAteer, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1 and September 30, 2008. The defendants are accused of establishing a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme between Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent to bolster Anglo's balance sheet. Evidence presented to the jury includes testimony from Matt Moran, Anglo's then Chief Financial Officer, who stated that Anglo's auditor, Vincent Bergin, expressed being "very uncomfortable" in February 2009 regarding the transaction's accounting treatment. Moran testified that Anglo's Finance department was "very annoyed" when it emerged that ILP had recorded the deposits and loans as netted, contrary to Anglo's representation that they were not. The jury heard that Anglo's auditors required evidence to support the absence of a set-off agreement. Defense counsel Michael O'Higgins SC argued that Casey's public press release in February 2009, indicating the transaction was collateralised, prompted a review of internal telephone recordings by auditors and Finance staff. The matter remains at the trial stage, with no final verdict or sentence recorded.
In 2009 the Secretary General of the Department of Finance contacted Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) about how the bank was accounting for a €7.2 bn transaction that had been described as circular. The trial of four former bankers, including ILP's former CEO Denis Casey (56), alleges that they conspired to mislead investors by using inter‑bank loans to manipulate Anglo Irish Bank's balance sheets in 2008. Casey told Gardaí that Anglo had misrepresented the €7.2 bn transactions, insisting they be fully collateralised, but that Anglo presented them as non‑collateralised. After Casey resigned in February 2009, three phone calls were made to change the accounting treatment to show the transactions as non‑collateralised. The calls were from Matt Moran, Donal O'Connor and Kevin Cardiff. Casey and three other former banking executives pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. The trial is being heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 14 March 2016, Justice Patrick McCarthy addressed a jury of eight men and three women regarding the trial of Gary Flynn, aged 31, who is accused of being part of a "murder gang" that shot Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne to death in Tallaght on 13 March 2009. Flynn has pleaded not guilty. The judge explained that the prosecution's case is built on circumstantial evidence, which, while insufficient alone, can establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt when combined. He emphasized that the standard of proof remains the same and that the prosecution must eliminate any rational hypothesis that contradicts its narrative. McCarthy clarified that the case does not allege Flynn fired the fatal shot, but that he could still be guilty as part of the common design, citing an example of a burglary gang where the getaway driver is as culpable as the breaker.
The Central Criminal Court trial of a man accused of raping a woman in a Limerick pub's back office has entered its closing stages. The woman, who was on a date with another man, says the accused brought her into the office to show her CCTV, where she was "brutally brutally raped." She pleaded not guilty. Evidence has finished; the jury will deliberate tomorrow after counsel's closing speeches.
Shane Rowan, aged 39, from Forest Park, Killygordan, County Donegal, was charged at an out-of-hours sitting of the Special Criminal Court with possession of three assault rifles and associated ammunition discovered at Tuiterath, Balrath, Slane, County Meath on March 9th, 2016. The charges include possession of a Chinese Type 56, a Romanian PM63 and a Zastava M70 rifle, together with nine magazines and 75 rounds of 7.62 by 39mm calibre ammunition. Mr Rowan was additionally charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army. Detective Sergeant Padraig Boyce of the Special Detective Unit said Mr Rowan was arrested in Drogheda under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and made no reply when cautioned or shown the charge sheet. Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding with Judge Martin Nolan and Judge William Hamill, remanded Mr Rowan in custody pending mention on March 16th.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, four former Anglo Irish Bank senior bankers—Willie McAteer, Denis Casey, Peter Fitzpatrick and John Bowe—were accused of conspiring to mislead investors by using interbank loans to manipulate Anglo's balance sheet between 1 March and 30 September 2008. The alleged scheme involved transferring €7.2 bn from Anglo to Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) and then re‑depositing it through ILP's life assurance division, making the transfer appear as corporate deposits rather than interbank loans. This would inflate Anglo's corporate funding figure for the year‑end accounts published on 2 December 2008. All four pleaded not guilty. Witness Matt Moran, Anglo's former CFO, testified that the accounts did not link the €7.2 bn deposits to the bank's funding figures, and that a note indicating the linkage would have been beneficial. The trial, presided over by Judge Martin Nolan, is set to continue until May.
In a 2016 rape trial, a witness testified that he was in "extreme shock" after a woman he had arranged to meet in a bar told him his friend of twenty years had "forced himself on her" that evening. The alleged victim said she was on a date with another man when the accused brought her to the back office to show her the CCTV system, where she claimed she was "brutally raped." The accused pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to raping the woman in a Limerick pub on 10 November 2012. The witness described meeting the complainant in the bar's smoking area a week before the alleged rape, arranging a meeting, and spending most of the night together. He said they kissed "on and off," later went to a disabled toilet where they kissed passionately for about 15 minutes, and then returned to the bar.
In March 2016, Mrs. Rosarii Molloy Curran settled a High Court medical negligence claim against Dr. Colm Quigley and the HSE for €60,000. The claim arose from her husband John Curran's death from lung cancer in April 2011. Mrs. Curran alleged that between August 2009 and his death, Dr. Quigley failed to diagnose, investigate, or follow up on lung cancer despite Mr. Curran's smoking history and repeated requests for further tests. He was misdiagnosed with low sodium, Raynaud's phenomenon, and other conditions, and no bronchoscopy or other investigations were arranged. The court approved the settlement, and Dr. Quigley apologized. The case highlighted alleged deficiencies in patient management and prompted calls for improved testing protocols. The settlement was accepted by the Curran family, who hoped it would lead to safer procedures for future patients.
The trial of four former Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent executives continued in legal argument on 10 March 2016. Willie McAteer, 65, former Head of Finance at Anglo, Denis Casey, 56, former CEO of ILP, and two others were accused of conspiring to mislead investors by manipulating Anglo's balance sheets through interbank loans. The alleged scheme involved transferring money from Anglo to ILP and then back to Anglo via ILP's life assurance division, presenting the transfers as corporate deposits rather than interbank loans to inflate Anglo's corporate funding figures for the year‑end on 30 September 2008. McAteer, Casey, Peter Fitzpatrick (63), and John Bowe (52) pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. A legal issue on day 36 halted evidence before the jury, and the judge asked them to return the next day. The court did not sit on Thursday morning due to the funeral of Supreme Court judge Adrian Hardiman.
The trial of four former banking executives at Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) is proceeding at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The accused are Denis Casey, former ILP CEO; William McAteer, former Anglo Head of Finance; Peter Fitzpatrick, former ILP director of finance; and John Bowe, former Anglo head of capital markets. All four have pleaded not guilty to conspiring together and with others to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1st and September 30th, 2008. The prosecution alleges the defendants manipulated Anglo's balance sheets using interbank loans, where money was allegedly transferred from Anglo to ILP and then redeposited with Anglo via ILP's life assurance division. This process allegedly disguised interbank loans as corporate deposits, artificially inflating the bank's corporate funding figures for its year-end report on September 30, 2008. On day 35 of the trial, Judge Martin Nolan stated that certain legal rulings had probably shortened the proceedings, which were originally scheduled to last five months. The judge assured the jury the trial was running according to timetable. He adjourned the court for the day due to a new legal issue and further suspended proceedings until the following afternoon to observe the funeral of Supreme Court Justice Adrian Hardiman, who died suddenly that week. The matter remains ongoing.
In a Central Criminal Court case, a woman accused of rape by a man in a Limerick pub's back office on 10 November 2012 presented her testimony. She claimed she was on a date with another man that night, that the accused had shown her the CCTV system, and that she was then raped. She alleged the accused may have destroyed CCTV footage and that her children now fear certain places. During cross‑examination, she said she had been told by the other man not to go to Gardaí. Defence counsel Sean Gillane SC criticised her conduct, calling it "pouring poison and prejudice into the case." The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, was set to continue on Friday. The accused pleaded not guilty. The case remains at the trial stage.
The jury in the murder trial of Hungarian national Zoltan Almasi, aged 44, continues its deliberations. Almasi, who lives at Harbour View, Naas, Co. Kildare, is charged with the murder of 20‑year‑old Joseph Dunne at the same address on 16 May 2014. He pleaded not guilty two weeks ago at the Central Criminal Court. The jury retired to deliberate on Monday at 12.44 am and has spent 9 hours 19 minutes so far. After 4 hours 48 minutes of deliberation yesterday, Justice Margaret Heneghan offered the option of a majority verdict. Today, after 8 hours 56 minutes, the foreman asked for a definition of a "terminal collapse." Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis testified that a deep abrasion on Dunne's right knee was typical of a person collapsing onto a rough surface. At 4 pm the foreman reported that at least ten jurors had not agreed on a verdict and requested more time.
A book of evidence has been served on Eamon McNamee, a 34-year-old man from Larkfield Square, Lucan, County Dublin, who is charged with possession of a firearm with the intent to commit an indictable offence, namely assault causing harm. The alleged incident occurred at Fairgreen, Saggart, Co Dublin, on January 19th, 2013. State Solicitor Liam Mulholland informed the non-jury court that the prosecution was in a position to serve the book of evidence on the accused. Presiding Judge Mr Justice Paul Butler remanded Mr McNamee on continuing bail until April 24th, when the case will be listed for mention. The matter remains at the trial stage, with the charges alleged or contested, and no plea, finding, sentence, or finalisation has been recorded. The court did not conclude the case but adjourned it for a future mention date.
In a 2016 Limerick rape trial, the complainant testified that she had been celibate for 18 years and had no interest in sex. She described being violently attacked in a pub office on 10 November 2012, held against a wall, bruised, and threatened with violence. She said the accused, who had been drunk after a match, later apologized to her and her daughter. The complainant reported the incident to Gardaí two days later but did not file a formal complaint. She returned in December, stating the accused had locked the door and raped her. She denied any flirtation with the accused, insisted she was older and uninterested in sex, and rejected a defence claim that another man was present. The case proceeded before Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan and a jury. The unnamed woman pleaded not guilty.
During a trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, four former senior bankers of Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life & Permanent were accused of conspiring to mislead investors by manipulating interbank loans. The alleged scheme involved Anglo transferring money to ILP, which then deposited it back into Anglo through its life assurance division, disguising the transaction as a corporate deposit rather than an interbank loan. This would inflate Anglo's corporate funding figures for the year‑end on 30 September 2008. The defendants—Willie McAteer (65), Denis Casey (56), Peter Fitzpatrick (63), and John Bowe (52)—all pleaded not guilty. Anglo's former Chief Financial Officer, Matt Moran, testified that he learned on 30 September 2008 that the interbank loans exceeded €7 billion, a figure he described as "very significant" and expressed surprise at.
The jury in the trial of Hungarian national Zoltan Almasi, 44, accused of murdering 20‑year‑old Joseph Dunne at their shared address in Harbour View, Naas, Co. Kildare, will continue deliberations. Almasi pleaded not guilty two weeks ago. The jury began deliberations at 12:44 am, spent five hours and 55 minutes, and after four hours and 48 minutes the judge offered the option of a majority verdict. At 4 pm the foreman reported that at least ten jurors had not agreed on a verdict and requested more time. Deliberations will resume at 11 am tomorrow.
During the trial of four former Anglo Irish Bank bankers, witnesses testified that Anglo had considered a merger with Irish Life & Permanent (ILP) during the 2008 financial crisis. The alleged scheme involved interbank loans that would be recorded as corporate deposits, inflating Anglo's corporate funding figures for the year‑end 30 September 2008. The defendants – Willie McAteer, Denis Casey, Peter Fitzpatrick and John Bowe – pleaded not guilty to conspiring to mislead investors. Witness Matt Moran, Anglo's former CFO, described a project called "Universe" that aimed to create a universal bank by merging Anglo with ILP and Permanent TSB. He also recounted discussions with Allied Irish Bank about depositing funds with Anglo, but the merger never materialised. The trial is ongoing.
The jury in the trial of Hungarian national Zoltan Almasi, 44, accused of murdering 20‑year‑old Joseph Dunne in Naas, Co. Kildare, will resume deliberations tomorrow at 11 am. Almasi, who pleaded not guilty, was charged with the murder that occurred on 16 May 2014 at the same address. The jury had been deliberating for two hours and eight minutes before retiring at 12:44 am this morning.
The trial heard that former Irish Life and Permanent finance director Peter Fitzpatrick, aged 63, was concerned that Anglo Irish Bank would lose money if it went bust. Fitzpatrick, along with Anglo's former head of finance Willie McAteer (65), former ILP CEO Denis Casey (56), and two others, is accused of conspiring to mislead investors by using €7.2 bn of inter‑bank loans to manipulate Anglo's balance sheets. The alleged scheme involved transferring money from Anglo to ILP and then back to Anglo via ILP's life assurance division, making the transfers appear as corporate deposits rather than inter‑bank loans. This would inflate Anglo's corporate funding figures for the year‑end on 30 September 2008. During the trial, excerpts of a telephone call were heard in which Fitzpatrick discussed the possibility of "set‑off" or netting the loans against each other to protect the banks' positions if Anglo collapsed. Denis Casey pleaded not guilty.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, the prosecution argued that Gary Flynn, 31, was linked to the gang that killed Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne on 13 March 2009. They cited CCTV, mobile phone and forensic evidence, including gunshot residue on Flynn's hoodie and a phone credit purchase at a Topaz garage shortly before the shooting. The prosecution claimed Flynn travelled in a Nissan Primera to Tymon Park with Garrett O'Brien, who shot O'Byrne, and that Flynn's alleged gang members fled after the victim's girlfriend, Sharon Rattigan, tackled O'Brien. Defence counsel countered that Flynn's phone use was not proven and that he may have simply bought credit for Eugene Cullen. The jury heard evidence that Flynn was seen with Cullen in Coolock after the shooting but not during the crime. The case was presented to a jury of nine men and three women, with the trial continuing on Monday. Gary Flynn pleaded not guilty.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Kevin Power, 38, pleaded not guilty to membership of the Irish Republican Army. The court heard evidence that on 19 May 2011, between 1:55 and 2:05 a.m., a caller with a Northern accent warned of bombs at University College Cork and the Rock of Cashel, noting the Queen's visit the next day. Security officer David Maher testified that he received the call and called the gardai. A Samaritan volunteer also received a call at 1:59 a.m., receiving the codeword "Heather Bay." Detective Sergeant William Blaney confirmed a warning about the Rock of Cashel. The prosecution presented evidence that a grenade, deemed non‑viable and for training, was found in UCC's car‑park, and that a plastic bag containing the device had three fingerprints linked to Power.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, four former Anglo Irish Bank bankers—Willie McAteer (65), John Bowe (52), Peter Fitzpatrick (63), and Denis Casey (56)—have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. They are accused of orchestrating inter‑bank loan transfers between March 1 and September 30, 2008, to inflate Anglo's balance sheet by €7.2 billion, thereby misleading investors. The trial, presided over by Judge Martin Nolan with a jury, continues to examine the alleged financial manipulations.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, Zoltan Almasi, a 44‑year‑old Hungarian national, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Joseph Dunne, a young Kildare man, at their shared address on 16 May 2014. Almasi told Gardaí that he had brought a baseball bat that night, believing it might be needed for self‑defence against men he considered "not kids" and "bigger" than him. He claimed he was about 2–3 metres from Dunne when the latter fell and denied that he struck him with the bat, saying the distance was too great. When questioned whether he had swung the bat, Almasi said he could not remember doing so and that it "looks like I did but I didn't reach him." He maintained that any contact would have been accidental and that he had no intention to hit anyone. Almasi has three prior convictions for road‑traffic offences. The trial continues.