Faye Buckley, aged 43, was jailed for 18 months after stealing €204,834 from her employer, music booking agency Audio Networks, over a six‑year period. She diverted client booking deposits into her personal account, exploiting her close friendship with employer Mark Downing, who had been her best man at her wedding. Buckley pleaded guilty to seven of 71 theft counts between May 2014 and May 2020. She admitted compulsive gambling as the motive and expressed remorse, offering €45,000 to Downing and moving in with her mother‑in‑law to save money for repayment. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to two and a half years, suspending the final year on strict conditions, including handing over the €45,000 within 11 months of release. Downing's victim impact statement highlighted the emotional betrayal and financial harm caused by the theft. Buckley has prior convictions, including a 2004 dangerous driving offence. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Barry Keane faces multiple charges including trespassing and handling stolen property (a keg of beer) at Park Road, theft of chocolate bars from a market, and cannabis possession. A Garda search of a vacant property at Park Road found a stolen keg and identification belonging to the defendant. The matter was adjourned to October 25, 2022.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 7 October 2022, PJ Bennett, father of 29‑year‑old Sharon Bennett, delivered a victim‑impact statement after Patrick Ballard was sentenced to a mandatory life term for murdering his girlfriend. Bennett described the murder as a "nightmare" that has devastated his family, noting that Sharon was a loving daughter and mother of two girls. He expressed remorse for not protecting her and stated he does not blame the Ballard family, only Patrick. Bennett recounted the difficulties caused by Covid‑19 restrictions, which prevented him from seeing Sharon in intensive care for five days and from holding a proper funeral. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Burns, highlighted the brutality of the attack, the victim's blamelessness, and the impact on her children. Ballard, 35, had pleaded guilty to murder and had a history of 140 convictions, including assault and theft. The sentencing was back‑dated to 28 January 2021, when Ballard entered custody. Sharon Bennett pleaded not guilty.
Albert Redmond, 46, a crack addict with 401 prior convictions, was sentenced to two years in prison for a series of thefts in Dublin City Centre. He pleaded guilty to two separate counts of theft: one at Frame Experts in Ranelagh on 8 October 2019, and another at the Royal Hospital in Donnybrook on 6 February 2020. The court noted that Redmond has 401 previous convictions, including 144 for burglary and 120 for theft, and is already serving a nine‑year custodial sentence for another offence. Garda Detective Gerard Hickey presented evidence that Redmond stole a woman's wallet at Frame Experts, used her bank card for €28.40 supermarket purchases, and later stole a bank card at the Marco Pierre White restaurant, spending €29.40 on cigarettes.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Detective Garda David Jennings explained that Amanda Fitzgerald, a 39‑year‑old mother of five, was coerced by painters to provide her bank details and mobile phone access. The painters, who had increased the quoted cost of a kitchen painting from €250 to €500, demanded payment through her account. After Fitzgerald supplied the information, the details were passed to a west Dublin gang that used her account to receive €3,100 of money stolen from another woman's bank account via a "smishing" text. From Fitzgerald's account, €2,400 was moved to a Revolut account and €700 was withdrawn in cash. Fitzgerald pleaded guilty to money laundering on 21 January 2021. Judge Elma Sheahan discharged her from the charge, imposing a six‑month bond to keep the peace under the Probation Act, citing the duress she faced and her role as a mother.
A Dublin construction worker, Aaron Broderick, aged 29, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for assaulting his ex‑girlfriend after their break‑up. On 27 July 2019, he approached the woman as she walked home from work near Crumlin, put his arm around her, threatened to stab her, and forced his fingers into her mouth to silence her. She struggled, fell, and he grabbed her by the neck, pushing her over a neighbour's wall. She screamed, attracting her mother's attention, and Broderick fled. Later that night he entered her home, stole her mobile phone and clothing, and left a handwritten note. He had previously broken into her home two days earlier, taken her phone, and returned it after she demanded it back. He pleaded guilty to assault, burglary, theft and trespass, and the court noted his remorse and participation in drug detox and violence‑reduction programmes. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the assault and the subsequent offences.
Richard McAleer, aged 22, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for stealing a bicycle from a woman who was waiting outside a shop with her sleeping children. The theft occurred on Lower Liffey Street, Dublin, on 10 November 2019. McAleer pleaded guilty to the theft. The victim, who was waiting with her children, saw McAleer mount her bike and claimed it was hers, but he insisted it was his. When she tried to take the handlebars, he pulled back his arm, made a closed fist, and fled after dropping the bike. He was arrested shortly thereafter while highly intoxicated. McAleer expressed remorse and apologized to the victim. He has prior convictions for theft and criminal damage and is currently serving a separate three‑month sentence. The judge noted his long history of offending, his difficult family background, mental health and addiction issues, and imposed a 20‑month sentence, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions.
James Flynn, aged 31 and from Raven's Glen, Newry, Northern Ireland, was extradited from the UK to face a robbery charge at the Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, where Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was murdered. The robbery, which took place on 25 January 2013, involved the theft of €7,000 from Pat Bellew's property. Flynn is also accused of conspiring with Aaron Brady, Brendan Treanor and others to enter a residential premises with the intent to steal a motor vehicle's keys between 11 September 2012 and 23 January 2013. The Director of Public Prosecutions applied to transfer the case to the non‑jury Special Criminal Court, and the three‑judge court accepted the application, adjourned the matter to 6 October 2022, and allowed the transfer. Flynn's extradition appeal was unsuccessful, and the case will now be heard at the Special Criminal Court alongside Brendan Treanor's trial.
David Nevin, a teenager, pleaded guilty to multiple charges including violent disorder at St Mel's College in April 2021 (part of a seven-person gang attack), possession of stolen shoes, and drug-related offences in June 2022. He had been held on remand for 120 days prior to sentencing. Judge Owens sentenced him to 9 months total imprisonment with the latter 4 months suspended for 12 months, citing a favourable probation report and noting that sentencing would grant him access to rehabilitation services.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced three men for their roles in a romance fraud that caused a woman in her sixties to lose over €254,000 in life savings. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Omowale Owolabi (31) of Navan, Co Meath, to three years and three months in prison after he pleaded guilty to theft. Raak Sami Sadu (32) of Clonsilla, Dublin 15, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud. Samson Ajayi (33) of Grangerath, Co Meath, received a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to three money laundering charges. The court heard the defendants used a fake profile named Neil Turner on Plenty of Fish to deceive the victim, who made ten payments between November 2019 and mid-2020. Gardaí linked the profile to the three Nigerian nationals and seized devices containing evidence of the scheme, including messages regarding the division of funds. Owolabi admitted receiving €30,000 for his role, while Ajayi admitted receiving money but claimed ignorance of wrongdoing. Sadu made limited admissions. The judge noted the defendants' early guilty pleas, cooperation, remorse, and lack of previous convictions as mitigating factors, while emphasizing the severe damage such fraud inflicts on victims who often feel humiliated.
John Rock, a 42‑year‑old former Nightline courier, used his old uniform and staff ID to pose as a delivery driver and steal mobile phones from several Dublin shops between July 2019 and January 2020. He claimed to be collecting phones booked for repair, but instead took them and sold them immediately to pay drug debts. The stolen goods included a courier bag of eight phones worth €2,789, a Samsung phone valued at €800, and additional phones totalling €1,500. After a shop manager suspected his impersonation, Rock fled, prompting a Garda investigation that uncovered his uniform and documents marked for shredding. He pleaded guilty to four theft charges, had no prior record, and was sentenced to a suspended two‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term, conditional on good behaviour and payment of €5,000 to Garda Finbarr Thompson. The judge noted this was his first offence and considered his personal circumstances.
A divorced couple received fully suspended sentences at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for money laundering nearly €180,000 stolen through an invoice redirect fraud targeting an education board. Zanab Ibrahim, aged 51, of Wolfe Tone Street in Cavan, and her ex-husband Francis Falaye, aged 54, of Lobinstown Apartment in Navan, Co Meath, pleaded guilty to the offence. The Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board was defrauded when an email purporting to come from a construction company redirected payment for school works in Tullamore to accounts controlled by the defendants. Ibrahim received €178,695 into her fashion boutique account, from which €50,000 was transferred to Falaye four days later. The fraud emerged when the genuine contractor advised non-receipt of payment. Judge Elma Sheahan imposed a suspended two-and-a-half-year sentence on each defendant, conditional on keeping the peace. Falaye was ordered to pay €1,000 to the Peter McVerry Trust. Gardaí recovered all but €1,000 of the stolen funds.
In October 2021, Paul Clarke (40) and Patrick Byrne (37) carried out an armed robbery of a post office in Baldoyle, Co Dublin. Gardaí from the Emergency Response Unit arrived six minutes after the raid began. Clarke was armed with a hammer and a spade, while Byrne held an imitation firearm. The raiders shouted threats, forced customers to the ground, and threatened to kill or seriously harm them. An elderly pensioner was unable to crouch due to recent knee surgery and later reported that a gun was held to her face. The men also used the spade and hammer to damage the glass screen separating staff from customers. Both pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, false imprisonment of two female customers, and making a threat to kill or cause serious harm. Byrne also pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm.
Paul Moody, a former Garda, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison for coercive control and related offences against a terminally‑ill partner. Over a four‑year period, he sent more than 30,000 threatening and abusive messages, threatened violence, took secret photographs, and threatened to post them online. He also stole her keys, caused criminal damage, and physically assaulted her on several occasions. Moody pleaded guilty to a charge of coercive control covering 2019‑2020 and to 19 other counts including harassment, assault, criminal damage, theft and threats to kill. The court noted his guilty plea and the absence of prior convictions, and reduced the maximum five‑year sentence to the stated term. He will lose his Garda position and is remanded in custody pending the decision on a psychological report. The sentencing judge highlighted the severity of his conduct and the impact on the victim.
Chico Makamda, 39, was returned to jail for two years after failing to leave Ireland as required by his 2019 sentence. He had been sentenced to seven and a half years, with the final two and a half years suspended on the condition that he leave the country within 14 days of release. Makamda was released in January 2022 but did not depart, and he accrued two convictions for failing to notify the Gardaí of his address under the Sex Offenders Act. He was re‑arrested in June and has been in custody since. The court reactivated the suspended portion of his sentence, noting he had made no genuine effort to comply with the condition. The hearing reaffirmed his willingness to leave, but the judge found he had intentionally refused to comply. The case also referenced his earlier conviction for sexual assault, false imprisonment and robbery in 2018. Chico Makamda pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 43‑year‑old terminally‑ill woman gave a victim impact statement about her former partner, a 42‑year‑old Garda, who had harassed, threatened, assaulted, stolen from and controlled her for over four years after meeting online in 2017. She described how he sent more than 30,000 messages, including 652 in a single 14‑hour period, and threatened to kill her, steal her cancer medication, and record her at the hospital where he told her he was there to "watch her bleed to death". The man pleaded guilty to coercive control and 19 other counts, including assault, theft and threats to kill. He was suspended from duty in March 2021 and is set to resign. The court adjourned the case to consider a psychological report, with the man remanded pending the decision. The woman urged others in similar situations to come forward.
Suzanne Shannon, aged 38, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, with the final six months suspended on strict conditions, for transporting heroin at the behest of her then partner. The drugs, valued at €69,608, were found at her Avondale House home on North Cumberland Street on 23 June 2017. Shannon pleaded guilty to one count of possession of heroin. Judge Orla Crowe noted her chronic drug problem and 46 prior convictions, mainly for theft, but also acknowledged that she had been acting under her partner's influence, who had taken responsibility for the drugs. The judge considered her cooperation with Gardaí, early guilty plea, and clean urine samples as mitigating factors, and ordered credit for time already spent in custody. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Costel Pirvu, 39, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, with the final three and a half years suspended, for raping a 19‑year‑old woman with a mild intellectual disability. The offence began on the night of 4 February 2018 when Pirvu, who had previously been convicted of robbery and attempted rape, accosted the victim on a street in the west of Ireland, forced her into a black jeep, and raped her. He then took her to his apartment, where she was raped twice more under threat. Pirvu was arrested the same evening, and DNA evidence linked him to the victim. He maintains his innocence, claiming the sex was consensual, but the court found no evidence of prior acquaintance or knowledge of the victim's vulnerability. The sentence was back‑dated to his August 2018 arrest. The victim, who suffered physical injuries and ongoing PTSD, described feeling unsafe and depressed after the attacks.
In July 2022, Daniel Haines, aged 33, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, with the final six months suspended, for assault causing harm to his ex‑partner Shauna Hunt. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Haines had contacted Hunt on 3 February 2021, staying at her apartment for several days. On 7 February, after drinking vodka, he told Hunt he had another girlfriend and demanded she choose. When Hunt refused to sleep with him, Haines became aggressive, calling her a "whore", "tramp" and "unwanted child". He repeatedly kicked her, pulled her by the hair, and tripped her down the stairs, causing her to fall. CCTV showed him throwing her to the ground and smashing her mobile phone. Hunt suffered bruises, cuts and two broken ribs, and was later admitted to Mater Hospital. Haines had 49 prior convictions, including public order offences, criminal damage, possession of a weapon, robbery and bench warrants. Daniel Haines pleaded guilty.
A 13‑year‑old boy, now 16, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm, production of a bicycle pump during an assault, two robberies and two attempted robberies on 20 October 2019. He had 24 prior convictions for burglary and robbery, all committed to fund a drug addiction that began when he was 12. The boy, born addicted to heroin and raised by his grandmother and aunts, began abusing cocaine and tablets after a traumatic encounter with his biological mother at age 12. He was said to spend €1,000 per day on drugs. The court sentenced him to 18 months' detention, backdated to January 2021 when he was first remanded in Oberstown. The case involved a violent mugging of teenagers at Na Fianna GAA grounds in Drumcondra, where a victim was struck with a bicycle pump, left with bruising, swelling, a black eye and leg bruises. Photographs and a medical report were presented.
Patrick Fahey, aged 47, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison by Judge Martin Nolan at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a series of robberies and attempted robberies committed between August 2019 and October 2021. The offences included a €400 theft from a Soho adult shop, a €30 theft from a vintage clothes shop where he left with only fruit and a chocolate bar, a €350 theft from Londis, a €700 theft and €500 damage at a café, and a €200‑€300 theft from a Spar shop. Fahey pleaded guilty to seven counts and had 18 prior convictions. He had been remanded since October 2021 and had admitted his involvement, expressed remorse, and apologized for his actions. The judge noted the lack of violence but the fear caused to victims, and highlighted Fahey's previous attempts at reform. The sentence was back‑dated to 3 October 2021.
Lee Swift, 28, was jailed for three and a half years after raiding a convenience store on Kimmage Road Lower in Terenure three times in one week. The third raid saw Swift in the shop when staff called the Gardaí; he threatened officers Brendan Stynes and Jason O'Carroll with a knife, forcing them to retreat. Additional Gardaí were called, and Swift was arrested after a brief pursuit. He pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and one count of attempted robbery between 4 and 8 August 2021. The court found €455 in cash and over €2,400 in cigarettes and tobacco were stolen. Swift has 258 prior convictions, mainly traffic offences, but also criminal damage and theft. He has a history of chronic drug abuse and a heart attack at 18. The judge noted his long offending history and handed down a five‑year sentence, suspending the final 18 months on conditions.
Salaiman Sultan Alghurayr, 28, was sentenced to six months in prison for stealing nearly €5,000 from his 75‑year‑old landlady after she lent him her credit card in February 2020. He used the card to withdraw €4,558 in cash and attempted further thefts of €4,400 that failed. Alghurayr pleaded guilty to three theft counts in Dublin. The landlady, a hospital worker who rents rooms to supplement her income, said the repeated borrowing left her in financial difficulty and that Alghurayr abused her trust. He has no prior convictions. The court noted he is a college student from Saudi Arabia with a gambling addiction and plans to continue his studies. The judge imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended 18 months, and required Alghurayr to raise €4,500 for the victim.
In July 2022 the State appealed a trial judge's direction to acquit a 38‑year‑old man accused of robbing an elderly Laois woman of her pension and holiday money at her back door. The man had been acquitted in May 2021 after the defence argued that a garda line‑up used to identify him was inadmissible because he had not been informed he was participating. The line‑up was informal, conducted without the man's knowledge, and he was the only participant who spoke to a garda during the pass. The trial judge agreed with the defence that the identification was unfair and ordered acquittal, refusing further evidence. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed under Section 23 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2010, arguing the evidence was compelling and the line‑up was conducted to a high standard. The Court of Appeal has reserved its judgment.
Judge Pauline Codd, presiding over the sentencing of Michael Collins, 32, imposed an eight‑year prison term with the final year suspended on strict conditions for the knife‑point robbery of two taxi drivers in April and May 2021. Collins, who had been arrested on 13 May 2021 after a TV was found in a trolley and a stolen credit card recovered, pleaded guilty to robbery, four counts of theft, handling stolen property and criminal damage. He had 43 prior convictions, mainly for robbery and burglary. The judge highlighted the seriousness of the robberies, the aggravating factor of the knife, and the impact on the drivers, who suffered financial loss and ongoing psychological effects. Collins expressed remorse, citing family tragedies and substance abuse, and seeks assistance with reading and writing while serving his sentence.
Gerard Hughes, 25, was sentenced to one year in prison for criminal damage after smashing 21 doors at Citywest Hotel, Saggart, Dublin, in September 2018, causing over €7,000 in damage. He received an additional 18‑month consecutive sentence for possessing cannabis for sale, found at his home in March 2021. Witnesses, including security officer Conor Flynn, reported Hughes breaking hotel doors and attempting to smash a safe with a fire extinguisher. The hotel paid €7,717 for repairs, and an office was broken into with keys later found on Hughes. Hughes admitted the acts, expressed remorse, and cited the murder of his brother a year earlier as a distressing factor. He has 81 prior convictions, including drug offences, and was on bail for the criminal damage charge at the time of sentencing. The judge back‑dated the sentences to May 21, when Hughes entered custody for a separate robbery and endangerment matter. Gerard Hughes pleaded guilty.
Wayne Sullivan, 38, of Beauvale Park, Artane, Dublin, was convicted of robbing a Spar shop in Coolock on 12 January 2021. He travelled to the shop by taxi, asked the driver to make a U‑turn and wait, then entered the shop armed with a plastic gun. Sullivan took cash and scratch cards, including a winning €5,000 card, which he later cashed at the GPO. He had written his name and address on the back of the card. Gardaí traced the card via its barcode, searched Sullivan's home under warrant and recovered clothing and a facemask containing his DNA. The taxi driver and shop staff provided testimony. Sullivan pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two and a half years, with the final year suspended and the sentence back‑dated to 18 March, when he was already in custody for other matters. The €5,000 prize was not recovered.
Ndricim Qema, 27, an asylum seeker who had arrived from Albania in 2018 and lived in Direct Provision, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for his role in a people‑smuggling operation that illegally brought 12 Albanian nationals into Ireland. Qema pleaded guilty to three counts of people smuggling at Dublin airport in 2019, and to one count each of money laundering, possessing a false instrument and using a false instrument at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He had been in custody since April 2021 and had 29 prior convictions, mainly for alcohol theft. Gardaí recovered a phone containing 30 photos of false IDs and messages linking Qema to his father, a senior smuggler, and to others seeking to enter Ireland. The judge described Qema as an "integral part" of the operation in Ireland, noting that the leaders were based in Albania. The sentence was back‑dated to the time of his arrest.
The Court of Appeal has quashed the fully suspended sentence of Darren Rice, a convicted person, following an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions on grounds of undue leniency. Rice, aged 32, was originally convicted in September 2021 at Cork Circuit Criminal Court of robbery and three attempted robberies committed in March 2021 while on bail. The trial judge, Judge Helen Boyle, had imposed a three-year suspended sentence to run consecutively to a separate three-year term he was already serving. The DPP argued that this resulted in effectively no additional punishment for the new offences. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, presiding, agreed the original sentence was unduly lenient. He quashed the suspended sentence and imposed a new sentence of four years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended for two years. This new term is to run consecutively to the three-year sentence Rice is currently serving. The court noted Rice's responsible approach in not contesting the application and his positive conduct in prison. His brother, Eugene Rice, who was also convicted of the same offences, received a two-year sentence with the second year suspended, running consecutively to a one-year term he was already serving. The appeal focused solely on Darren Rice's disposal.
Gerard Russell, a 55‑year‑old former purchasing and procurement manager at St Vincent's University Hospital, pleaded guilty to six counts of theft and deception for fraudulently using a company credit card to purchase items worth €22,353 between August 2014 and June 2015. An audit triggered by domestic‑and‑personal purchases revealed the misuse, and items were delivered to the hospital and recovered from Russell's home. He had no prior convictions and no victim impact statement. Judge Martin Nolan, considering Russell's cooperation, guilty pleas, lack of criminal record, letters from acquaintances, and a psychological report, imposed a three‑year suspended sentence and ordered the €22,353 to be paid back to the hospital within one week. Russell's wife and other family members provided letters describing his struggles with alcoholism, depression, and bipolar disorder, and his efforts to recover. The court noted Russell's job loss and public humiliation as part of the case context.
In a Court of Appeal hearing, Patrick Gageby SC argued that Judge Tara Burns erred by refusing the defendant, Gheorghe Goidan, the right to cross‑examine one victim on her sexual history and by failing to discharge the jury after prejudicial material was presented. Goidan, 49, had been convicted in 2019 of two rapes and robberies of Czech sex workers, receiving 20 years' imprisonment (10 years for each rape, 7 years for robbery, concurrent). He appealed both conviction and sentence, claiming the judge's headline 17‑year sexual‑offence term was disproportionate and that his lack of prior convictions should have been weighted more heavily. The Director of Public Prosecutions upheld the conviction and sentence, citing the premeditated, ultra‑violent nature of the attacks and the victims' vulnerability. The appeal judgment remains reserved. Gheorghe Goidan pleaded not guilty.
A 42‑year‑old Dublin martial arts instructor was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for sexually exploiting three teenage students aged 13‑14 between September and October 2014. He pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation, having harassed the girls with daily "creepy" texts, groping, kissing and threatening to drop them from the gym if they resisted. The court noted he had previously been convicted of driving offences, property damage and theft, and had been extradited from the UK where he had served three years of a six‑year sentence. Judge Martin Nolan described the conduct as a serious breach of trust and manipulation, and the sentence was back‑dated to account for time already served. The victims were described as innocent, and a victim impact statement was submitted but not read aloud.
Philip McCabe, aged 23, was sentenced to four years for criminal damage at Oberstown Children's Detention Centre, where he and a group caused €120,000 worth of damage to furniture, IT equipment and kitchen and staff rooms over several hours. He also pleaded guilty to driving a car without permission in 2017 and to three burglary counts in 2019. Judge Melanie Greally noted the offence occurred when McCabe was a juvenile and that prosecution was delayed by staff retirements. The judge imposed two‑year sentences for each of the other counts, back‑dated to 8 July 2021, and ordered them to run concurrently with his current five‑and‑half‑year robbery sentence, with a release date in 2025. McCabe has 118 prior convictions, a history of substance abuse and mental health difficulties, and is in a relationship with a young child.
Alan Giles, 30, of Glasnevin Road, Finglas, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for robbery at DCU Glasnevin Campus on February 9, 2021. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge. Judge Melanie Greally described the incident as involving a considerable degree of violence, noting that the victim was punched and kicked, resulting in injuries and the theft of a phone and cards. The court heard that Giles has 28 previous convictions, including for drug possession and theft. Judge Greally rejected a defence application for more time to engage with Probation Services, citing inconsistent engagement, a failure to submit urine samples since November 2021, and uncompleted community service hours. The judge handed Giles a five-year custodial sentence, suspending the final two years on the condition that he enter a bond to keep the peace for two years. The sentence was backdated to the date Giles entered custody. He is ordered to remain under Probation Services supervision for 12 months upon release. The judge stated that the violent nature of the robbery required a custodial sentence, despite mitigating factors such as remorse and addiction. Defence counsel noted that Giles had paid €1,000 in compensation and that his co-accused received a fully suspended five-year sentence.
Patrick McDonagh, 33, of Balbriggan, was one of eight men who attacked Martin Collins in a family feud on 7 February 2015. The attackers used two cars to ram Collins' vehicle, then assaulted him with golf clubs, baseball bats and slash hooks. While Collins was on the ground, McDonagh repeatedly stabbed him in the shoulder with a screwdriver, as other assailants struck him with weapons. Collins' brothers and his young son witnessed the assault, which left Collins with a broken arm, stab wounds and head cuts. He later required a plate in his arm and remains on painkillers. McDonagh had pleaded guilty to affray in April and was already serving a sentence for theft. In February 2016 he received seven years for driving a stolen car at a Garda. Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced McDonagh to three and a half years' imprisonment for the affray, to commence after his current term.
The Court of Appeal heard that the posting of Aaron Brady's trial transcripts on social media is being kept under review by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Aaron Brady, 31, was jailed for life for the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, with a minimum term of 40 years. He was also sentenced to 14 years for the robbery of €7,000 at Lordship Credit Union, a sentence running concurrently with the life term. The transcripts, from the State's longest murder trial, were posted on Facebook by his father, Tony Brady, in support of Aaron's appeal against conviction. This action contravened instructions from Mr Justice George Birmingham, who had permitted transcript release solely for the appellant's use without further distribution. At a brief hearing, Lorcan Staines SC, for the DPP, stated that nothing further was required from the court at this time and that the matter was being kept under review. Michael O'Higgins SC, for Aaron Brady, accepted that the material should not have been posted and assured the court it would be removed. The appeal against the murder conviction was lodged in October 2020.
William Twomey appealed his conviction at the Court of Appeal, arguing he effectively withdrew from a joint enterprise to rob and extort businessman Edward McAndrew in Co Louth in 2017. Twomey, 58, was found guilty at the Special Criminal Court of robbery, assault, and demanding money with menaces, though acquitted of false imprisonment. His counsel, Dominic McGinn SC, contended that Twomey communicated his withdrawal to co-accused Anthony Finglas, gardaí, and the PSNI, negating his mens rea at the time of the attack. The prosecution, represented by Anne Marie Lawlor SC, countered that Twomey was the "architect" of the plan and failed to demonstrate effective withdrawal, noting the fruits of the crime were made available to him. The court heard that Finglas, 51, pleaded guilty to demanding money with menaces and was sentenced to four years and nine months in December 2020. The appeal judges questioned whether vague warnings to police constituted valid withdrawal. Presiding Judge George Birmingham stated the Special Criminal Court properly determined the facts and law. The Court of Appeal reserved its judgment, meaning the matter was adjourned pending a decision.
In a Dublin Circuit Court hearing, Buti Sashi, aged 26, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for a series of offences. He was found guilty of assaulting two women, one of whom he choked and threatened with a knife, and of theft involving €35,000 obtained through an invoice‑redirection fraud. The court heard that Sashi had supplied a prostitute with his bank account details, which was used to transfer the money. He pleaded guilty to the theft and the assaults. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑year sentence for each assault, to run concurrently, and a two‑year sentence for the theft, back‑dated for time already served and consecutive to the assault sentences. The total custodial term was five years. The case highlighted the use of a mobile phone and CCTV evidence in linking Sashi to the crimes. The court noted his drug addiction and expressed regret for his actions. The sentences were delivered in November 2021.
Anthony Bradley, aged 28, pleaded guilty to robbery at a McDonald's in Blanchardstown on 17 January 2020. He threatened the manager with a broken bottle and demanded money from the till, taking about €40. The court found the offence "drugs‑fuelled" and linked it to Bradley's addiction history. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to three and a half years, suspending the final 12 months on the condition of a bond to keep the peace. Bradley has 42 prior convictions, including assault, theft and drug offences, and has previously completed a residential treatment programme. He is a father of one and has expressed a desire to address his addiction and support his family.
Patrick Sheedy, 53, was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment for a series of fraud offences. He had previously been convicted 97 times, about 70 of them for fraud. While on bail for earlier convictions, he carried out new crimes between January and March 2020. He pretended to be a documentary maker for RTE and convinced an electronics company to supply an iPad and 15 mobile phones, claiming a sick child would use them. The company lost €13,539 when Sheedy failed to pay. He also posed as a Department of Education employee and ordered 12 mobile phones from an educational supplies company, losing €9,801. Additionally, he claimed to work for BMW and ordered five iPhones worth €4,200 from a mobile phone company, again not paying. He pleaded guilty to six counts of deception and four counts of theft.
A 16‑year‑old boy with 43 prior convictions was sentenced to a two‑year period of detention for robbery after he helped hijack a motorbike during a road‑block by a gang of four teenagers. The offence occurred on 18 October 2020 in Dublin. The boy pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the detention, hoping the boy would use the time to help himself and society. He is currently detained at Oberstown Detention Campus on a separate matter. The court heard that the gang blocked the road at 9 pm, the motorcyclist fell, and one teenager approached the victim with a hammer. DNA on a jacket linked the boy to the scene; CCTV was also presented. The boy denies a physical confrontation but accepts his role. The probation report described his impulsive, thrill‑seeking behaviour and the court ordered the sentence to run concurrently with his existing detention.
Brendan Treanor, 34, was refused bail by the Special Criminal Court regarding charges of participating in the January 25, 2013, robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead. Mr Justice Michael MacGrath, delivering the ruling of the three-judge court, stated there was a real risk of witness interference and upheld a Section 2 Bail Act objection based on fears of further serious offences. Treanor's lawyers had argued that continued custody offended his dignity by separating him from his newborn son, noting his trial was adjourned from October to January next year to allow the DPP to try him alongside James Flynn. Flynn, 31, is currently awaiting an appeal against his extradition from the UK to face the same robbery charge. The report also details the finalised sentencing of Aaron Brady, 30, who was found guilty of the murder of Det Gda Donohoe by an 11-to-1 majority jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court on August 11, 2020. Brady was sentenced to the mandatory life imprisonment term, with a minimum of 40 years to be served due to the victim being a garda acting in the course of duty. He also received a concurrent 14-year sentence for the robbery of €7,000 at the credit union.
Lisa O'Connor, 45, of St Brandon's, Crumlin, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing almost €9,000 from an elderly woman she cared for during lockdown. She pleaded guilty to three theft charges covering 90 transactions made with the victim's bank card between March and July 2020. O'Connor also pleaded guilty to possessing over €7,000 worth of heroin for sale or supply, found in her home on 3 February 2021. The judge described her actions as a huge breach of trust, noting she had betrayed the family who had hired her privately after she lost a placement agency job. She had worked for the Downeys for nearly three years, earning €250 a week plus an additional €70 from the daughter. The 18‑month sentence applies to both the theft and drug offences, running concurrently.
A farmer from County Cavan has been awarded €13,400 by the Workplace Relations Commission following a finding of unfair dismissal. Padraig Cunningham was dismissed from Pat the Baker Unlimited, based in Granard, County Longford, in May 2020 after being accused of stealing waste flour from the facility. Mr Cunningham maintained he had removed the material, which included flour and waste dough, to prevent it entering the animal feed chain and had composted it on his own land. The company contended the waste could be sold for processing and that Mr Cunningham lacked authorisation to remove it. An appeal of his dismissal was subsequently upheld by management. However, adjudicating officer Marguerite Buckley determined the disciplinary process failed to comply with fair procedures and natural justice principles. She noted the practice was widely known within the organisation, no written warning had been issued, and Mr Cunningham's 24 years of service merited consideration. The commission concluded dismissal fell outside the range of reasonable responses available to the employer.
Megan Creighton, 34, pleaded guilty to robbery on Old Navan Road on 3 December 2020. The victim was approached by Creighton and her partner, who demanded money, phone and wallet. Creighton threatened to bite his nose, bit him, and then told her accomplice to use a knife. The accomplice struck the victim with a screwdriver, causing facial damage and neck marks. An off‑duty Garda intervened, leading to the muggers' arrest. The victim's injuries were documented and a victim impact statement was submitted but not read. Creighton, a mother of five with 17 prior convictions and a history of heroin addiction, claimed she was a victim of domestic violence. She expressed remorse and accepted responsibility. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to three years' imprisonment.
Dorian Brylewicz, 23, pleaded guilty to impersonating a Garda during lockdown in April 2020 and to theft in May 2019. He drove an Audi A3 with a blue flashing light, stopped pedestrians and a bus driver, claiming to be a Garda, but did not produce identification when asked. He also attempted to take a man's phone and had previously stolen €560 from a Cork man via a phone sale on donedeal.ie. The court noted his prior convictions for road traffic offences and bicycle theft. Judge Nolan, after hearing the defendant's remorse and current employment, sentenced him to 18 months in prison, suspended in full on the condition that he pay €5,000 within three months – €4,000 to a Castleknock charity and €1,000 to the victim. The judge emphasised that the suspended sentence was a punitive measure and a reminder of the defendant's wrongdoing. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Michael Lynn, a former solicitor aged 53, faces a retrial set for 16 October 2023 after a previous trial in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court ended with a hung jury. He was accused of stealing about €27 million from seven banks between 2006 and 2007, including Bank of Ireland, National Irish Bank, Irish Life and Permanent, Ulster Bank, ACC Bank, Bank of Scotland Ireland Ltd and Irish Nationwide Building Society. Lynn pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of theft covering the period from 23 October 2006 to 20 April 2007. During the original trial he claimed the banks knew he held multiple mortgages on the same properties and that this was a common practice in Celtic Tiger Ireland. He also alleged he had secret deals with bankers that allowed him to use loan money for property developments abroad. Prosecutor John Berry said the Director of Public Prosecutions sought a retrial to make certain enquiries following Lynn's assertions.
The High Court deferred judgment on a bail application for Brendan Treanor until June 24. Treanor is charged with participating in a robbery at the Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013. His counsel argued that refusing bail while his trial was delayed from October to January next year offended his client's dignity, particularly given his limited contact with his newborn son. The Director of Public Prosecutions objected to bail under Section 2(a) of the Bail Act, citing fears of further serious offences. The court ordered that details of the application not be published. Separately, Aaron Brady was found guilty of the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe by an 11-to-1 majority jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court on August 11, 2020. Brady was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 40 years, as the victim was a garda acting in the course of duty. He was also sentenced to 14 years for the robbery of €7,000 at the Lordship Credit Union, a sentence to run concurrently with the life term. James Flynn, also charged with the robbery, is awaiting an appeal against his extradition from the UK to Ireland.
A Central Criminal Court jury found food‑delivery cyclist George Gonzaga Bento not guilty of murdering 16‑year‑old Josh Dunne. The jury accepted Bento's claim that he acted in self‑defence after being attacked by a gang while trying to recover a stolen bike. He had pulled out a utility knife he carried for cutting fruit and stabbed three people, including Josh. The State argued that Bento had exaggerated the threat and used unnecessary force. The jury rejected that view, concluding that Bento believed the force he used was necessary to protect himself and his friend Guilherme Quieroz. Bento, who had been in custody for about 18 months, was released after the verdict. The jury also acquitted him of producing the knife in a threatening manner and of assaulting two other young men. The trial lasted six weeks and the jury deliberated for a little over eight hours. The verdict was unanimous.
In a decision published on 14 June 2022, the Workplace Relations Commission found that Lidl had unfairly dismissed deputy manager Arkadiusz Grzyb, who had nine years' service, over an incident in which he discounted €7.20 worth of baked goods for himself near the end of his shift. Grzyb argued the goods were stale and would have been written off, and that he applied a "waste not" procedure similar to that used for poultry and meat. He admitted to breaches of cash management and inventory control procedures at a disciplinary hearing on 3 March 2021, but claimed he was not informed of an accusation of theft until he saw an investigation report dated 15 February 2021. The adjudicating officer noted Lidl's procedures required bakery items to be disposed of at close of business each day, and found the dismissal disproportionate.