In the Central Criminal Court, a forensic psychiatrist testified that Shane Smyth, 29, suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and lacked the capacity to form intent during the murder of Mairead Moran, 26, on 8 May 2014. Dr. Brenda Wright, called by the prosecution, presented a psychiatric report prepared at the request of the Director of Public Prosecutions. She described Smyth's long history of psychosis, including auditory hallucinations, delusions of persecution, and a belief that Moran was part of a conspiracy. She noted that Smyth did not understand the nature or moral wrongness of his actions at the time of the offence. The court was informed that Smyth's mental illness required long‑term treatment at the Central Mental Hospital to manage the risk he posed to others. The trial continues. Shane Smyth pleaded not guilty. Mairead Moran pleaded not guilty.
Stephen Tuohey, aged 25, was tried for assaulting Garda John Santry in a Dublin cell. The trial, lasting two days, ended with a not‑guilty verdict after just over an hour of jury deliberation. Tuohey denied any aggression, claiming he had blocked the cell's viewing hatch to request a phone call and that Santry had attacked him first. He alleged Santry threw him against the wall, struck him with a tie, and that other officers subsequently assaulted him, describing one as "dancing on my head." Tuohey said he was struck in the ribs and that Santry threatened him with pepper spray. The prosecution's evidence was a brief CCTV clip from the hallway, while the defence argued it showed Santry initiating the violence. No footage of the cell interior was available. The jury accepted the defence's account and acquitted Tuohey. Stephen Tuohey pleaded not guilty.
During a Special Criminal Court hearing, Gardaí seized detonator cords and a remote‑controlled quad‑copter from a hotel room in Lucan, where Samuel Devlin, 55, was accused of unlawfully possessing PETN. The search also uncovered an Irish passport, a Social Welfare Card, a Social Welfare payment receipt, a bank card and an HSE medical card, all bearing Devlin's name. The prosecution alleges that Devlin booked the Finnstown House Hotel chalet under a false name and was residing there at the time of the alleged offence. Defence counsel Bernard Condon SC objected to all evidence and requested a voir‑dire to determine its admissibility, noting that the evidence might be reported. The trial continues with the court considering the admissibility of the evidence presented. Samuel Devlin pleaded not guilty.
A book of evidence has been served on two men following their arrest in County Longford in June 2015 as part of investigations into dissident republican activity. Paul Dodd, aged 29, of St Matthews Park, Ballymahon, faces charges of membership of an unlawful organisation, possession of component parts of an improvised explosive device, and possession of approximately 30 assorted shotgun cartridges. Brendan Hope, aged 49, of Springfield Cottages, Mullingar, County Westmeath, is charged with membership of an unlawful organisation and possession of an improvised explosive device. Both men appeared before the three-judge Special Criminal Court. Mr Justice Paul Butler remanded Mr Hope in custody and granted Mr Dodd bail. Both cases have been adjourned to 15 March, when a trial date is expected to be set.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 29‑year‑old Shane Smyth pleaded not guilty to the murder of 26‑year‑old Mairead Moran on 8 May 2014 at Kilkenny's Market Cross Shopping Centre. The jury was told the facts were undisputed and that two consultant psychiatrists reported Smyth was suffering from psychosis at the time. Witnesses, including his cousin Rosemary Grogan, his partner Christy Fahy, and others, testified that Smyth claimed Moran had stolen a "vile of his blood," installed hidden cameras, and placed black‑widow spiders in his house. He also alleged that he had been bitten by spiders and that he was forced into a gang war. Smyth was arrested at his cousin's home at 10:05 pm that night, and the trial continues. The prosecution presented evidence of a blood sample taken while Smyth was in custody, which showed no detectable substances. The case remains in progress.
Stephen Tuohey, aged 25, is accused of assaulting Garda John Santry in a Blanchardstown Garda Station cell on 25 June 2011. He pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The prosecution's main evidence is a few seconds of CCTV footage from the hallway outside the cell, showing Tuohey becoming aggressive because he could not have his own clothes and was returned to the cell for safety. The defence argues the footage shows Santry becoming aggressive, "getting up in his face," before throwing Tuohey into the cell and beating him. Santry, acting as jailer that morning, claims he checked on Tuohey, who was banging the cell door and covering the hatch. He says Tuohey lunged at him, spat, kicked and punched, and that Santry was forced to restrain him. Santry reports minor injuries and denies assault, stating the CCTV lacked audio. The trial will conclude before Judge Petria McDonnell and a jury.
A 30‑year‑old man, Dragos Nica of Mourne Park, Skerries, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of Michael Gannon, 55, at Gannon's home on 14 November 2013. Nica, originally from Bacau, Romania, had lived in Ireland for 19 years and claimed he believed Gannon's daughter Jade had poisoned him. He said he woke with a numb finger and a "bubbling" arm, and that he was panicking and wanted to "take it out on the world." He armed himself with a second knife and went to Jade's house, where Gannon was babysitting children. Gannon was stabbed in the chest and died a few feet from the wound. Nica called emergency services after the attack. Two psychiatrists testified that Nica was suffering from an acute psychosis of schizophrenia at the time of the stabbing.
Gary Flynn, of Rossfield Drive, Tallaght, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court, having pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne at Tymon North Park on March 13, 2009. Prosecuting counsel Alex Owens SC stated it is the prosecution's case that Flynn was part of a "murder gang" that plotted the killing. Detective Garda Michael McGrath testified that gardai trawled through days of CCTV footage from south and west Dublin to investigate the incident. He presented footage tracking a Ford Transit Van, a red Honda Accord, and a white Nissan on March 12. The evidence showed Eugene Cullen arriving in the Ford Transit to purchase petrol, while Garret O'Brien arrived in the Honda Accord wearing a New York Yankees cap and blue hoodie. A second man in a grey Nike jumper was also observed. Footage from the Red Cow Hotel area indicated an interaction between the vehicles. On the day of the alleged murder, a speed camera captured the Nissan Micra with a driver wearing similar attire to O'Brien. The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of nine men and three women.
The trial of four senior bankers – Denis Casey, former CEO of Irish Life and Permanent; Willie McAteer, former Head of Finance at Anglo Irish Bank; Peter Fitzpatrick, former ILP director of finance; and John Bowe, former Anglo head of capital markets – continues in legal argument until next week. They are accused of conspiring to mislead investors by using interbank loans to inflate Anglo Irish Bank's value by €7.2 billion between 1 March and 30 September 2008. All four pleaded not guilty. The court has paused the jury for a legal dispute and will resume on Monday.
In a Kilkenny murder trial, the jury heard that Shane Smyth, aged 29, was accused of stabbing Mairead Moran, aged 26, to death on 8 May 2014 at Market Cross Shopping Centre. The court was told that weeks before the murder, security staff reported that Smyth was "hanging around" the centre and "freaking" Moran out. On 3 April 2014, security guard John O'Donoghue received a call from Moran, who said her ex‑boyfriend was present and unsettling. O'Donoghue saw Smyth, informed colleague Liam Dwyer, and asked him to leave. A second guard, Richard O'Donoghue, reported that on 10 March 2014, Moran had requested Smyth's removal and described him as walking up and down outside the shop. The trial continues with Smyth pleading not guilty on grounds of insanity, supported by psychiatric reports of psychosis. The jury has been told the facts are not disputed. The case remains in progress.
A jury was instructed to consider the ill health of Dragos Nica, 30, who was accused of murdering his neighbour's father, Michael Gannon, 55, in Skerries, Co Dublin on 14 November 2013. Nica, of Mourne Park, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The court heard that Gannon was babysitting his daughter Jade's children and a neighbour's child when a child reported a man looking in the living‑room window. Gannon opened the door and was stabbed to death. Nica claimed he had been deliberately poisoned by Jade Gannon and was "freaked out". Prosecutor Mr Patrick Treacy SC described Nica as remorseful and cited two psychiatrists who agreed that Nica was suffering from an acute psychosis of schizophrenia at the time of the stabbing. Defence counsel Jonathan Kilfeather SC argued that the case was not a typical criminal trial, emphasising the insanity defence and the experts' agreement that Nica meets the requirements for a special verdict.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 3 February 2016, Samuel Devlin, aged 55, was tried for unlawful possession of an explosive substance (PETN) and membership of an unlawful organisation, Oglaigh na hEireann (IRA). The prosecution alleged that Devlin was residing in a chalet at Finnstown House Hotel, Lucan, from 31 March 2014, using a fictitious booking name, Joe Murphy. On 9 May 2014, surveillance officers observed Devlin leave the hotel on a bicycle, deposit a bag in a bin on Adamstown Avenue, and the Gardaí recovered the bag containing plastic tubing, fibres, a J‑cloth, gloves and a newspaper. Forensic analysis linked the tubing to the bag and the detonator cord found in the chalet on 11 May 2014 to Devlin. Devlin pleaded not guilty to the charge of possessing explosives. The trial, expected to last two weeks, continued with mapping evidence and legal arguments.
During the trial, a jury heard that on 8 May 2014, Shane Smyth, aged 29, stabbed Mairead Moran, aged 26, to death at the Market Cross Shopping Centre in Kilkenny. Witnesses described a chaotic scene in the Holland and Barrett shop where Moran was crying and upset. Security guard James Coffey confronted Smyth, who was calm and emotionless, and attempted to remove a blood‑stained knife from his hand. Smyth resisted, kicked Coffey, and fled while Moran was being attended to. Coffey later handed the knife to Gardaí. Witnesses also reported that Moran had previously been admitted to St. Luke's Acute Psychiatric Unit. Smyth pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The trial continues.
In a Kilkenny murder trial, a 29‑year‑old man, Shane Smyth, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity after stabbing Mairead Moran, 26, at the Market Cross Shopping Centre on 8 May 2014. The prosecution presented evidence that Smyth had been diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2005, had received treatment in a psychiatric hospital, and had remained untreated since 2006. Two consultant psychiatrists reported that he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and was experiencing active psychotic symptoms at the time of the killing, impairing his capacity to form intent and understand the nature of his act. The court heard that Smyth had previously confronted Moran, spat at her, and that on the day of the murder he entered the Holland and Barrett shop, attacked her with a knife, and fled to a cousin's house before being arrested. The trial continues.
In a 2016 Central Criminal Court hearing, Detective Garda Janette O'Neill presented a Webley & Scott revolver found in a car near the site where Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne was shot dead in 2009. The gun had been decommissioned by the Birmingham Proof House museum, but O'Neill noted that the firing arm had been replaced and the barrel refilled, restoring its functionality. Five spent cartridges were recovered, and State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy confirmed five bullets in O'Byrne's body, though they were of the wrong calibre for the revolver. Gary Flynn, 31, pleaded not guilty to the murder. The court also heard CCTV evidence from a local Spar showing a nervous man purchasing items on the day of the shooting, and additional surveillance from petrol stations and a Topaz shop. The trial proceeded before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
A trial date of January 11, 2018, has been set for Séamus McGrane (60), of Little Road, Domiskin, Co Louth, and Donal O Coisdealbha (23), of Abbeyfield, Killester Dublin 15, who were arrested last year on IRA and explosives charges. Séamus McGrane is alleged to have been a member of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army (IRA) between December 23, 2009, and May 13, 2015. He is also alleged to have directed the activities of the IRA during the same period. Donal O Coisdealbha is alleged to have been a member of the IRA on May 13, 2015, and to have possessed a component part of an improvised explosive device, namely a time and power unit (TPU), at a personal storage locker under his control at Protector Life Sciences, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Co Kildare, on the same date. The case is currently at the trial stage, with no pleas, findings, sentences, or finalisations recorded. The matter was adjourned to a trial date in January 2018.
The Special Criminal Court adjourned the trial of Samuel Devlin, 55, charged with unlawful possession of PETN explosives and membership of the IRA, to tomorrow morning. Devlin, who lives at Golf Suite, Finnstown House Hotel, Lucan, was accused of holding the explosive on 11 May 2014. Prosecuting counsel Tara Burns SC requested the adjournment after Gardaí obtained new evidence over the weekend that had previously been unavailable. The case remains pending at the three‑judge, non‑jury court.
In the Central Criminal Court, Dragos Nica, 30, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity for stabbing Michael Gannon, 55, to death on 14 November 2013. Nica admitted to the stabbing and that Gannon died from the wound. He claimed he was poisoned by Gannon's daughter, Jade, and that the poison forced him to act. Garda Sergeant David Kemp recounted that Gannon was babysitting children when Nica entered the house, stabbed him, and fled. Nica later called 999, stating he was poisoned and had to kill to stop it. He was interviewed four times, during which he described feeling a "poison" sting, being angry and despairing, and that he had stopped his medication and smoked cannabis. The jury heard evidence of Nica's acute schizophrenia at the time of the killing. The trial is expected to last three days.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence during the ongoing trial of Gary Flynn, who has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne at Tymon Park North in Tallaght on March 13, 2009. Detective Sergeant Daniel Kelly testified that gardai traced a can of Red Bull found at the scene to a specific batch produced in Switzerland. The can was linked to a Spar shop in Ballymount, where it was delivered on January 16, 2009. Factory records indicated the can was one of a maximum of 800 produced with that specific code. Garda Patrick Tarrant presented CCTV stills from the same shop showing a man identified as Garrett O'Brien purchasing two cans of Red Bull at 6.35 pm on the day of the shooting. Tarrant noted that the green rain jacket worn by O'Brien matched one found in a vehicle believed to have been used by the group alleged to have killed Mr O'Byrne. Prosecuting counsel Alex Owens SC stated the prosecution intends to demonstrate that Flynn was part of a "murder gang" that executed a plot to kill the victim. The trial continues on Tuesday.
The trial of five senior bankers accused of conspiring to mislead investors by making Anglo Irish Bank appear €7.2 billion more valuable than it was between March 1st and September 30th, 2008, has entered legal argument and will continue until Thursday. The accused include William McAteer, Denis Casey, Willie McAteer, Peter Fitzpatrick, and John Bowe, who have all pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiring together and with others to mislead investors through financial transactions. The trial is ongoing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. On day nine of the trial, the State's first witness, Matt Cullen, a former director of treasury at Anglo, completed his direct evidence and was cross-examined by Diarmaid McGuinness SC, defending John Bowe. Legal disputes regarding the admissibility of certain evidence arose, prompting Judge Martin Nolan to ask the jury to leave the courtroom temporarily. The jury was instructed to return on Thursday. The trial is in the validated procedural stage of trial, with no findings, sentences, or finalisations yet determined.
The jury in the trial of Andrew Shannon, 51, accused of illegally handling 67 alleged stolen antique books including a 1660 King James Bible, will resume deliberations tomorrow. The books, originally from Carton House library, were reportedly found in Shannon's home after a Garda search. Shannon claimed he bought them for about Irl£300 at a fair and used them for decoration. He pleaded not guilty to possession of the books while knowing or being reckless about their stolen status. The jury had previously deliberated for two and a half hours before returning home.
A 29‑year‑old man, Shane Smyth, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 26‑year‑old Mairead Moran at the Market Cross Shopping Centre in Kilkenny on 8 May 2014. He claims the offence was committed by reason of insanity. The case is being heard at the Central Criminal Court, where Justice Margaret Heneghan informed a jury of nine women and three men that the trial would likely finish within a week, but it would not begin until the following day at 11 a.m. The hearing will proceed with evidence from tomorrow onward.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Dragos Nica, aged 30, admitted stabbing his neighbour's father, Michael Gannon, who was 55. The incident occurred at Mourne Park, Skerries, Co Dublin, on 14 November 2013. Nica pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming he was suffering from acute schizophrenia at the time. A consultant psychiatrist testified to this condition. Defence counsel Jonathan Kilfeather SC confirmed Nica's admission and that Gannon died from the stab wound. Prosecuting counsel Patrick Treacy SC instructed the jury to decide on the insanity plea. The trial continues.
During a trial in Dublin, former executives of Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) were accused of conspiring to mislead investors by disguising €750 million in short‑term interbank loans as legitimate deposits. The defendants, including former ILP CEO Denis Casey, former Anglo finance head Willie McAteer, former ILP finance director Peter Fitzpatrick and former Anglo capital markets head John Bowe, pleaded not guilty. Testimony revealed that Anglo transferred money to ILP, which was then returned to Anglo via Irish Life Assurance, creating the appearance of large corporate deposits for the 30 September 2008 year‑end report. Calls between executives in March 2008 discussed keeping the transactions "tight as a duck's arse" and breaking the €750 million into smaller amounts to disguise the scheme. Additional evidence included internal emails showing daily outflows of deposits in September 2008, with the collapse of Lehman Brothers exacerbating the bank's liquidity crisis.
The trial of 22‑year‑old Grace Tormey, accused of assaulting a partially paralysed woman with a wine bottle during an aggravated burglary, heard that DNA from the bottle matched Tormey's. Tormey pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the burglary at Rollins Villas, Sallynoggin, on 16 November 2012. The alleged victim, Lisa Lee, had suffered a stroke and was partially paralysed. Lee told prosecutor Gerardine Small that she could not hold the door and that Tormey and an unidentified man entered her bedroom, kicking and punching her. Lee said the attackers pulled out a knife and Tormey smashed a wine bottle over her head, also kicking, punching and pulling hair. Dr Linda Williams of Forensic Science Ireland analysed a blood sample from the bottle and found a mixed DNA sample. She stated it was highly likely, to a factor of one to a billion, that the DNA matched Tormey and Lee.
The evidence phase of the trial of Andrew Shannon, aged 51, accused of illegally possessing 67 antique books including a rare 1660 King James Bible, has concluded. The books, originally from Carton House's library, were allegedly missing after storage during a restoration and later found in Shannon's Dublin home. Shannon claimed he bought them at a fair for about Irl£300 and used them as ornaments. He pleaded not guilty to possession of stolen books at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the jury set to deliberate next Monday.
Professor Marie Cassidy, State Pathologist, gave evidence at the Central Criminal Court regarding the murder of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne, who was shot five times on 13 March 2009 at Tymon Park North, Tallaght. She described the bullet wounds: one in the head, two in the back, one in the right shoulder and one in the left thigh. The wounds to the torso caused extensive bleeding and damaged the lungs and heart, leading to death. The head wound caused bruising to the brain surface, while the hip wound was a superficial flesh injury. Cassidy noted that the hip bullet might also have injured Sharon Rattigan, who was shot when she tried to wrestle the gun. She could not determine if all bullets came from the same gun. Garda evidence included swabs and fingerprints taken from Gary Flynn, the accused, by Sergeant Ciaran Loughrey and Garda Declan Claffey. The trial continues before a jury and Justice Patrick McCarthy. Gary Flynn pleaded not guilty.
Grace Tormey, 22, is on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for aggravated burglary and assault at Rollins Villas, Sallynoggin, on 16 November 2012. She pleaded not guilty. According to the trial, Lisa Lee, a partially paralysed woman who had suffered a stroke, was asleep in a downstairs bedroom when she heard banging on the front door at about four a.m. Lee and her partner Jason Kelly barricaded themselves in an upstairs bedroom. Lee reported that voices shouted threats and that men entered the house. Lee said a man and a woman, who identified themselves as Grace Tormey and an unnamed male, attacked her by kicking and punching. Lee claimed the attacker used a knife and smashed a wine bottle over her head, and that Tormey pulled lumps out of her hair. Lee was bleeding with facial injuries when Garda Garvin Alan arrived.
Andrew Shannon, 51, was accused of illegally handling 67 antique books that had disappeared from Carton House's library during a restoration. The books, including a rare 1660 King James Bible, were found in his home during a March 2007 search. Shannon pleaded not guilty to possession of stolen property, claiming he had bought the books for decoration at a market fair for €300 and that they were of no real value. He told Gardaí he "can't read too well" when asked to identify his signature on a list of seized books. The court heard that the books were valued at about €6,000 in 2006, with a defence expert estimating £3,000. The case is pending before Judge Petria O'Donnell and a jury.
Gary Flynn, aged 31, was arrested in a silver Nissan Primera shortly after the March 13, 2009 shooting that killed Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne at Tymon Park North, Tallaght. Detective Garda Mary Moore, of the NBCI, stopped the car in Kimmage, noting it matched the description of a vehicle the Gardaí were seeking. She reported that Flynn was seated in the front passenger seat and that three people were inside the vehicle. Flynn was handcuffed and evidence bags were placed over his hands to preserve any firearm residue. Garda Alan Curry examined the car, noting it lacked a tax disk, had an out‑of‑date NCT, and contained a mobile phone and McDonald's wrappers. Additional evidence was seized from a Ford Transit van, including a mismatched chassis number and fingerprints. The case is pending before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury. Gary Flynn pleaded not guilty.
During the restoration of Carton House, 67 valuable antique books, including a rare 1660 edition of the King James Bible, went missing after being stored. Andrew Shannon, 51, stands trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for unlawfully possessing the books, having them in his home when found during a March 2007 search. He pleaded not guilty, claiming ignorance or recklessness regarding their stolen status. The prosecution, represented by Monika Leech BL, argued that the State's case was not that Shannon stole the books but that he possessed them. Conor Mallon, who has overseen the house's restoration since 1994, testified that the books were photographed before storage and identified by the Fitzgerald family crest on their spines. He noted the books dated from the mid‑17th century onward and that no family member had sold or lent them. The trial continues before Judge Petria McDonnell.
The High Court in Ireland has ordered the surrender of an unnamed man to the United Kingdom for extradition under a European Arrest Warrant. The man was arrested last year on the warrant, which was issued by British authorities. He faces charges of sexual assault by penetration, sexual assault and assault causing harm to a woman, alleged to have occurred at a house in Swindon, Wiltshire, during the night of December 20th and early morning of December 21st, 2013. If convicted, he could face a life sentence. Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly, hearing the case, found no valid objection to the extradition and made the order, which will take effect after fifteen days. The man, who was on bail, applied for continued bail until the order takes effect. He is a native of Ireland who had lived in England for twelve years at the time of the alleged offences.
At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the trial of four senior bankers, including former Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) CEO Denis Casey and Anglo's former group finance director William McAteer, continued. The accused, who include Peter Fitzpatrick and John Bowe, have all pleaded not guilty to four charges of conspiring to mislead investors between March 1st and September 30th, 2008. The charges allege that they engaged in transactions between Anglo, ILP, and Irish Life Assurance (ILA) to make Anglo appear €7.2 billion more valuable than it was. Anglo Irish Bank applied for €1 billion in emergency funding from the Central Bank at the same time as these alleged transactions. Testimony from Anglo's former head of treasury, Matt Cullen, indicated that the executive directors were aware of the purpose of the transactions and assumed the board was also aware. The scheme involved transferring money from Anglo to ILP, which would then be deposited back by ILA to appear as corporate deposits in Anglo's accounts. The matter was adjourned after a legal issue arose, with the jury sent home until Monday at the earliest.
Brian Kenna, 54, of Crumlin Park, Crumlin, was denied a variation in bail that would have allowed him to drive his wife to a wreath‑laying ceremony in Belfast on 30 January for the former INLA chief‑of‑staff, Gino Gallagher, who was murdered in 1996. Kenna had been arrested in Co. Laois in November by the Special Detective Unit as part of an operation targeting dissident republican activity and was charged at the Special Criminal Court with membership of an unlawful organisation, namely the Irish Republican Army (IRA). At the bail hearing, Detective Inspector William Hanrahan argued that Kenna had been found with documents allegedly intended for senior IRA members and that allowing him to attend the commemoration could expose convicted or charged individuals to the event. Kenna explained that his wife, who walks with crutches, needed a car to travel to Belfast, but he would not attend the ceremony himself.
A widow from Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, has settled her High Court damages action for €500,000 following the death of her husband at Galway Sportsgrounds. Dolores Byrne sued her late husband Declan's employer, CDM Steel Ltd, and the Connacht and Irish Rugby Football Unions after he was fatally injured on the site in April 2008. Mr Byrne, a steel fabricator, died when a steel girder fell and struck him while he was realigning it as part of gym construction works. Mrs Byrne had alleged the defendants failed to provide a safe workplace and adequate safety equipment. The defendants denied liability, with CDM Steel claiming Mr Byrne's own negligence caused the accident. Mr Justice Kevin Cross approved the settlement at the High Court on Wednesday, describing it as a very good outcome. The case against another defendant, Portant Developments Ltd, has been struck out.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, four former Anglo Irish Bank executives—Denis Casey, Willie McAteer, Peter Fitzpatrick and John Bowe—were accused of conspiring to mislead investors by creating an artificial €7.2 billion increase in the bank's customer deposits between March and September 2008. Prosecutor Paul O'Higgins described a scheme involving repeated interbank transfers, including a €1 billion move from Anglo to Irish Life and back, and a €978 million transfer from an Isle of Man subsidiary that was later reversed. The alleged transactions had no commercial substance and were intended solely to inflate Anglo's financial position. All four pleaded not guilty. The case, heard by Judge Martin Nolan, included testimony from Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation members and former Anglo employees. The trial focused on the alleged deceptive financial manoeuvres and the executives' alleged intent to deceive investors.
The Circuit Criminal Court began a trial on 20 January 2016 involving four former executives from Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent. The defendants – William McAteer (65), Denis Casey (56), Peter Fitzpatrick (63) and John Bowe (52) – are accused of conspiring to mislead investors by using interbank loans to make Anglo appear €7.2 billion more valuable between 1 March and 30 September 2008. They pleaded not guilty. The case will hear from dozens of witnesses, including 14 Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation members and former employees of Anglo, ILP, Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank of Scotland and RBC Capital Bank. The trial is expected to last about five months before a jury of fifteen, sworn two weeks earlier, will decide the matter. The prosecution, represented by Paul O'Higgins SC, will open the proceedings before Judge Martin Nolan.
The trial of Gary Flynn, 31, of Rossfield Drive in Tallaght, continued at the Central Criminal Court. Flynn has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne at Tymon Park North in Tallaght on March 13, 2009. Sharon Rattigan, a co-defendant in the case, testified that she was shot in the leg while grappling with a gunman who allegedly killed her partner. She described the suspect as a stocky man in dark clothing who fired at Mr O'Byrne before turning on her. Rattigan stated she disarmed the man, and they both fell over a wall before he fled. She kept the weapon and placed it in her car. Prosecution counsel Alex Owens SC presented CCTV footage showing a car and van entering the estate, followed by four shots within 12 seconds, and a vehicle speeding away. Neighbours Elizabeth and Anthony Caffola corroborated hearing the shots and seeing the victims. Garda John O'Connell detailed the audio and visual evidence, while Garda Adrian King and Eddie Fallon described securing a Red Bull can and mobile phone found near the scene. The jury, comprising nine men and three women, was sent home for two days for legal arguments before Justice Patrick McCarthy. The matter is adjourned, with the jury scheduled to return on Friday.
A Central Criminal Court jury found 49‑year‑old Seamus Morgan, of The Hollands, Athy, guilty of murdering 56‑year‑old Laurence Keane in Athy on 19 July 2013. Morgan had pleaded not guilty. The jury, consisting of three men and nine women, deliberated for three hours and six minutes before delivering a unanimous verdict. Judge Robert Eagar thanked the jury for their concentration and thought, then exempted them from service for four years.
A High Court judge presiding over the Special Criminal Court has expressed growing scepticism regarding the establishment of a second such court, which the Government announced in October 2015. Mr Justice Paul Butler made the remarks during proceedings concerning two brothers from Claremorris, County Mayo. Colin Mannion, aged 33, and Brian Mannion, aged 31, both of Burriscarra, Clogher, face charges of membership of an unlawful organisation, namely the IRA, on 9 June 2012. They are also charged with unlawful possession of explosive substances and related components discovered at their home on the same date. The second court was proposed to address a significant backlog in the existing court's caseload. Mr Justice Butler indicated he remained doubtful that a trial date would be fixed at the next mention, scheduled for 26 January 2016.
In the Central Criminal Court, State lawyers argued that Gary Flynn, 31, of Rossfield Drive, Tallaght, was a member of a "murder gang" that planned and carried out the killing of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne at Tymon Park North on 13 March 2009. Prosecutor Alex Owens SC told the jury that the gang met at Moran's Hotel on Naas Road, travelled to Tallaght in three vehicles—a Nissan Primera, a Volkswagen Golf and a Mercedes Van—and left around 7.30 pm. At about 8.15 pm, a gang member shot O'Byrne, was tackled by Sharon Rattigan who was waiting outside, and the shooter fell over a wall, separating from the rest of the gang. Rattigan was wounded in the leg. Owens said the shooter returned alone to Moran's Hotel, and that Flynn's membership and involvement in the common design to murder O'Byrne were central to the State's case. Flynn pleaded not guilty.
The jury in the Kildare murder trial of Seamus Morgan, 49, will resume deliberations tomorrow after a brief pause. Morgan, who lives at The Hollands, Athy, is charged with the murder of Laurence Keane, 56, on 19 July 2013. He pleaded not guilty last week at the Central Criminal Court. The jury began deliberating at 11:52 am this morning and had been discussing the case for two hours and 16 minutes when Justice Robert Eagar instructed them to suspend and reconvene at 11 am tomorrow, prohibiting any discussion with outsiders.
The Central Criminal Court began the sentencing hearing for Faisal Ellahi, 34, who was convicted by a jury in December of rape and sexual assault of a woman with Down's syndrome. The jury had seen DVDs of the victim's interview, where she described being separated from her mother on the street and then taken to Ellahi's house, where the assault occurred. Ellahi pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court will consider an impact statement from the victim's mother while the victim watches via video link. The sentencing could impose up to life imprisonment.
The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life and Permanent executives, including Denis Casey, Willie McAteer, Peter Fitzpatrick and John Bowe, has been postponed to the following Wednesday. The defendants are charged with conspiring to mislead investors by using interbank loans to inflate Anglo's value by €7.2 billion between 1 March and 30 September 2008. They have all pleaded not guilty. An expanded jury of 15 was sworn in at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and the case is expected to last about five months. The hearing will feature testimony from 14 Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation officers, former Anglo staff and employees of Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank of Scotland and RBC Capital Bank London. The trial will proceed after the jury's rescheduled return.
In a Kildare town, Seamus Morgan (49) is charged with murdering Laurence Keane (56) on 19 July 2013. At the Central Criminal Court, Morgan pleaded not guilty. Prosecution counsel Orla Crowe BL delivered a closing speech, asserting that the evidence—witness statements, post‑mortem findings of blunt‑force trauma, and accounts of a scuffle—would allow the jury to be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of Morgan's guilt. She highlighted admissions from Morgan, observations by witnesses Nathan Robinson and Ricky Moriarty, and the post‑mortem report of ten significant blows to Keane's head. Defence counsel Sean Gillane urged the jury to scrutinise the credibility of witnesses and to consider the possibility of false testimony. The trial was scheduled to continue with the judge's instructions on Monday.
The Special Criminal Court in Dublin adjourned a case involving two Dundalk men, Conan Murphy, aged 29, and Philip McKevitt, aged 62, charged with possessing explosive substances at Aghaboys, Mount Pleasant, on 22 May 2010. Murphy's counsel, Kerida Naidoo SC, requested a trial date and the court agreed to postpone the case for four weeks. Paul Greene SC, representing the prosecution, consented. Judge Paul Butler, with Judges Alison Lindsay and John Hamill, set the adjournment until 12 February, when a trial date is expected to be fixed.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has begun deliberating in a rape trial involving two teenagers at a nightclub in County Donegal on 23 December 2010. The accused, now 20 years old, pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. Justice Margaret Heneghan instructed the jury that a person under 15 cannot legally consent to sexual activity, regardless of apparent willingness. The complainant testified she was pushed into a toilet cubicle where the accused restrained her against a wall and raped her. She stated she did not consent and asked him to stop and release her. The defence suggested consensual contact that escalated, which the complainant denied. The accused told gardaí he had no recollection of being in the female toilet. The jury of seven men and five women commenced deliberations following the judge's charge.
During a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, evidence was presented that CCTV footage from Athy on 18 July 2013 showed Seamus Morgan (49) and the deceased, Laurence Keane (56), walking together in the town centre. Garda Declan O'Dwyer supplied 23 clips, with the first showing Keane entering an off‑licence at 18:50 wearing a hat, a t‑shirt and a stick. Subsequent clips placed the two men on Leinster Street, Barrow Bridge, and St John's Lane between 20:57 and 23:33, with Morgan identified as the man closer to the road and Keane as the one holding a stick. The prosecution argued the fatal attack occurred shortly before midnight on 18 July, between 23:30 and 23:45, and that Morgan was seen entering Marcari's chip shop at 23:33. The trial was scheduled to continue the following day. Seamus Morgan pleaded not guilty.
A man from County Donegal has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with rape and sexual assault. He is accused of attacking a younger girl in a nightclub toilet in Donegal Town on December 23, 2010, when he was aged 15. The complainant was 14 at the time. The defendant, who is entitled to anonymity, has pleaded not guilty to both charges. During evidence, the woman testified that the accused pushed her into the female toilets and assaulted her in a cubicle without consent. She told the court she reported the matter to gardaí seven months later, and that her life was significantly affected afterwards, including leaving school and self-harm. The defence contested her account, suggesting the encounter was consensual and escalated beyond the pair's intentions. The accused told gardaí he had no recollection of being in the toilet. The trial, before Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan and a jury, continues.
In a murder trial in Athy, a witness, Nathan Robinson, testified that he saw the accused, Seamus Morgan, swing an object about 12 inches long at the victim, Laurence Keane, three times on the night of the killing. Robinson, who was cycling with friends around 10 pm on 18 July 2013, described a scuffle at the top of the hill on St John's Lane where Morgan and Keane were fighting. He claimed to have seen Morgan swinging the object and heard the victim being struck on the head. The defense argued that Robinson could not have seen the act because he had not reached the corner of the lane. A second witness, Ricky Moriarty, also on his bike that night, reported hearing noises and seeing Keane struck by a bar. The trial is ongoing. Seamus Morgan pleaded not guilty.