Adrian Power, 50, recently released from prison, broke into Sheeran Insurance Brookers in Sandymount to escape the cold. He entered by kicking a PCV door, sat in an armchair, and told Gardaí he needed a place to stay. No damage or theft was reported. Power had previously pleaded guilty to trespass in May 2020 and had 87 prior convictions. He now claims he has turned his life around, is drug‑free, and lives with his partner in Athlone. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced him to a six‑month prison term, suspended for one year, on the condition that he keeps the peace and behaves well. The sentence was imposed after the court heard that Power had been awake on the Luas, walked around Sandymount, and sought shelter in the office. The court noted that Power had no fixed abode at the time of the offence.
A former Irish rugby international, Brendan Mullin, 58, has been scheduled for a trial on May 7, 2024, after appearing before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on a new mention date. Mullin faces nine theft charges, five false accounting charges and one deception charge, all linked to Bank of Ireland between July 2011 and March 2013. He was remanded on continuing bail. Mullin, who earned 55 caps for Ireland from 1984 to 1995 and played in three Rugby World Cups, is represented by Brendan Grehan SC.
David O'Brien, 44, was arrested in June 2017 after Gardaí searched his hostel and discovered a packet of heroin hidden in his back passage. While officers were searching the premises, O'Brien was asked to enter the building; during the search, a string was found coming from his back passage, which he attempted to conceal further up his body. Garda Emmett Brannigan reported that the heroin had a street value of €2,000. O'Brien, who has 35 prior convictions for robbery, drug and public order offences, pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 21 June 2017. He was described as a lifelong drug user and had no fixed abode. Judge Melanie Greally, after considering his admissions and background, imposed a 16‑month sentence, noting that the drugs' presence in a hostel was damaging to other residents. The sentence reflects his cooperation and progress in a methadone maintenance programme.
Brendan Treanor, 33, of Dundalk, faces charges for a 2013 robbery at Lordship Credit Union where Garda Adrian Donohoe was murdered. He is also charged with conspiracy to burgle but not murder. Treanor has been denied bail and is remanded in Portlaoise Prison. He has filed a judicial review against the DPP, the Minister for Justice, and the Attorney General, challenging the decision to try him before the Special Criminal Court (SCC). His lawyers argue the DPP failed to give detailed reasons for the SCC trial, citing that the murder suspect, Aaron Brady, was tried in a jury court. Treanor claims the SCC's permanent status breaches constitutional rights and seeks an order preventing prosecution before the SCC, declarations of breach of equality, and a requirement for detailed reasons. The case was heard by Mr Justice Charles Meenan, with a hearing scheduled for March.
In a case heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Lee Gannon, a 26‑year‑old Tesco employee, was sentenced to a one‑year suspended term for stealing nearly €6,000 in phone credit from the retailer over July and August 2018. Gannon, who managed rosters and payroll at Tesco Express in Rathmines, was caught when an operations manager noticed discrepancies in mobile phone credit sales. CCTV footage linked the theft to Gannon's store code, and he was seen ringing up the credit in the till before pocketing it. He pleaded guilty to three counts of theft between 24 July and 22 August 2018. Gannon had no prior convictions. He claimed that his ex‑partner's drug debt pressured him into the theft, a claim the prosecution accepted.
Conor Kirwan, 27, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, after pleading guilty to multiple offences including robbery, impersonation of a Garda, and producing a syringe. He stole 11 pieces of corned beef from Supervalu in June 2020, three legs of lamb from Dunnes Stores in January 2021, and €30 from a student on Eden Quay in September 2020. In each incident he used threats or a syringe to intimidate victims. Kirwan's crimes were linked to his drug addiction, and he was homeless at the time. The judge noted his positive steps since custody. He has 52 prior convictions, including theft, assault and drug offences. The court emphasised that the suspended portion of the sentence was imposed on strict conditions. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Daniel Leonard, 32, of Barton Park, Dundalk, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to theft, assault and burglary at a residential premises on Chapel St, Dundalk, on 28 June 2020. He was caught by the homeowner moments after stealing a bicycle, a car key and a power drill, and then began to throw punches at the homeowner before being restrained and arrested. Leonard, who has five previous burglary convictions, appealed the severity of his sentence at Trim Circuit Criminal Court. In his appeal, his lawyers conceded that he had been detained in the street by the homeowner and that he had been drug‑addicted for several years at the time of the offence. The Court of Appeal, hearing submissions from both sides, found no error in principle in the original sentencing and dismissed the appeal. Leonard's sentence of three years remains in force, with no reduction or suspension granted.
The trial of former solicitor Michael Lynn, aged 53, was adjourned for one week after a juror tested positive for Covid‑19. Lynn faces 21 theft charges, alleging he stole about €27 million from seven financial institutions between October 2006 and April 2007. He denies all charges. Judge Martin Nolan informed the jury that the infected juror would need to isolate for seven days. The case is being heard by an extended panel of 15 jurors, as the trial is expected to last up to 14 weeks. Judge Nolan said he would adjourn the trial for one week and resume on the following Monday. Lynn has pleaded not guilty to the 21 counts of theft. The trial opened last Wednesday and will resume next week. The financial institutions involved are Bank of Ireland Mortgages Bank Ltd, Danske Bank, Irish Life and Permanent, Ulster Bank, ACC Bank PLC, Bank of Scotland Ireland Ltd, and Irish Nationwide Building Society.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, former solicitor Michael Lynn, aged 53, faces 21 theft charges for allegedly siphoning about €27 million from seven financial institutions between October 2006 and April 2007. Lynn denies all allegations. Building society officials testified that they would not have approved a €4.1 million mortgage to Lynn if they had known a second mortgage existed on Glenlion House, Howth. Lynn and his wife Bríd Murphy secured the property, valued at €5.5 million, through multiple lenders: Irish Nationwide Building Society, Bank of Scotland Ireland, ACC Bank, and others. The court heard that Lynn's assets were valued at over €45 million and that he maintained an "immaculate repayment record." The trial, expected to last up to 14 weeks, resumed on Monday before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury. The proceedings focus on the alleged dual mortgages and the resulting financial loss to the banks. Michael Lynn pleaded not guilty.
Paddy Lynch, 36, a homeless man from Ashlawn Court, Bray, was found guilty of trespassing and criminal damage after breaking into the General Register Office on 9 May 2020. He entered the closed building shortly after midnight, triggered an alarm, broke an electronic gate and damaged an internal security door with a metal object. The damage amounted to €8,000, with the gate alone costing €7,000 to repair. Lynch claimed he was looking for a place to sleep and was intoxicated, with a needle found nearby. He has prior convictions for burglary and theft. A psychological report linked his drug addiction to trauma from the 2015 Carrickmines fire. Judge Melanie Greally, after adjournment for a probation assessment, imposed a fully suspended two‑year sentence, requiring Lynch to keep the peace and continue drug treatment and probation services if needed. No documents were harmed during the incident.
In a theft trial, Irish Nationwide Building Society admitted it wrote off a €4 million mortgage taken by former solicitor Michael Lynn, aged 53, ten months after the loan was issued. Prosecutor Patrick McGrath presented the State's case that Lynn secured multiple mortgages on the same properties from different lenders, unaware of each other's applications. Killian McMahon, former internal auditor for INBS, testified that he had no personal dealings with Lynn but reviewed bank records. He described a loan application by Lynn and his wife Brid Murphy for a Howth home, amounting to €4 125 000, signed on 2 April 2007. McMahon noted a solicitor's undertaking dated 16 January 2007, signed by Fiona McAleenan, which assured the bank there were no other mortgages on the property. He also presented evidence of a cheque issued by Irish Nationwide for €4 125 000 on 4 April 2007 and the account statement showing the debit and subsequent bounced direct‑debit payments.
Former solicitor Michael Lynn, aged 53, faces 21 theft charges for allegedly stealing about €27 million from seven banks. Prosecutors say he obtained multiple mortgages on the same properties, misled lenders, and used forged documents. Lynn applied for mortgages from at least two, often several, institutions, each unaware of the others' loans. He presented false statements of affairs and forged letters of undertaking, claiming they were signed by a solicitor and partner at his firm. The prosecution alleges he used these tactics to secure over €11 million for a family home in County Dublin and additional funds for investment properties. Lynn denies all charges. The trial, heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, is before a 15‑member jury and is expected to last up to 14 weeks, with over 70 witnesses scheduled. The case involves Ulster Bank, Bank of Ireland Mortgages, Bank of Scotland Ireland, Danske Bank, ACC, Irish Life and Permanent, and Irish Nationwide Building Society.
John Jervis, 43, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years' imprisonment for endangerment after he fled in a car while a Garda was holding onto his shoulder. Jervis had been allowed by Gardaí to remove tools from a Land Rover and an Audi that were being seized at his Ballymun address. He then drove away, accelerating aggressively and dragging the Garda along the ground. The Garda narrowly avoided collision with a patrol car. Judge Melanie Greally accepted that high emotions may have been involved but found the offence highly dangerous. The final six months of the sentence were suspended on strict conditions, including abstaining from illicit substances for 12 months after release. Jervis has 105 prior convictions, including unauthorised taking, theft, drug possession and road traffic offences. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Courts. John Jervis pleaded guilty.
In 2020 the Central Criminal Court convicted a 60‑year‑old man of 30 counts of sexual assault against 14 girls aged 11 to 17, after he had pleaded guilty in 2002 to ten of those offences and received a nine‑year sentence with two years suspended. The court found that he lured the children into his apartment with money, jewellery and cigarettes before assaulting them. Ms Justice Tara Burns sentenced him to seven years for the additional 20 convictions. The defendant's lawyers appealed, arguing that the announcement of the first Covid lockdown the day before deliberations began, his prior theft convictions in England, missing Facebook messages, delays in prosecution and misdirection of the jury had made the conviction unsafe. The Court of Appeal rejected all grounds, upheld the conviction and affirmed that the jury had not been pressured or misdirected. The judge described the man as a "true predator" who offered a false refuge before assaulting the children.
A jury has been empanelled ahead of the trial of former solicitor Michael Lynn at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, which opens tomorrow. Mr Lynn, aged 53 and with an address in County Wicklow, faces 21 charges relating to the alleged theft of approximately €27 million from seven financial institutions between 2006 and 2007. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The accused is a native of County Mayo who previously practised as a solicitor. The prosecution alleges the thefts relate to 21 different mortgage applications on properties during the specified period. A jury panel of 15 has been sworn in, with the trial expected to last up to 14 weeks and hear evidence from over 70 witnesses. Judge Martin Nolan instructed jurors that the case must be decided solely on evidence presented in court and warned against any external research.
Eddie Johnson, 41, pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to his partner in Wolfe Tone Park on 28 April 2020. He was sentenced to six years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended, under strict conditions including probation supervision for two years, participation in anger‑management and intimate‑partner‑violence courses, reporting any new relationships, and drug and alcohol intervention. Johnson has 233 prior convictions, including assault, burglary, robbery, and possession of knives. The victim, who suffered a 12‑cm wound on her forehead and a 5‑cm wound under her right eye, later died from unrelated causes. The judge noted Johnson's guilty plea, remorse, and engagement with drug services, and highlighted the seriousness of the violent act and the risk of re‑offending. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with evidence presented by Gardaí and a witness video of the attack.
Michael McGauley, aged 49 and formerly of Highfield, Carrickmacross, has had his prison sentence increased following a successful appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions. McGauley pleaded guilty at Monaghan Circuit Criminal Court to five counts of deception and theft committed between February 2016 and October 2018, defrauding victims of approximately €149,600 in total. He was initially sentenced to three years' imprisonment with sentences running concurrently. The Court of Appeal, presiding over the case on 7 February 2022, found the original sentence unduly lenient and quashed it. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, sitting with Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy and Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh, increased the sentence to five years' imprisonment, with sentences to run consecutively. The court noted the manner in which offences were perpetrated caused particular harm to victims. McGauley was ordered to surrender himself to prison authorities on 16 February 2022.
Michael Lynn, aged 53, pleaded not guilty to 21 charges of stealing approximately €27 million from seven banks between 2005 and 2007. The banks named are Ulster Bank, Bank of Ireland Mortgages Bank Ltd, Bank of Scotland Ireland Ltd, Danske Bank trading as National Irish Bank, ACC, Irish Life and Permanent trading as PTSB, and Anglo Irish Bank. Lynn also pleaded not guilty to a single count of stealing €2,742,000 from Bank of Ireland Mortgages Bank Ltd on 13 December 2006. Prosecutor Patrick McGrath SC told the jury that the alleged thefts involved Lynn applying for multiple mortgages on the same properties. The trial, set to last 12–14 weeks, will hear from 70 witnesses and requires a 15‑member jury; 11 jurors were empanelled today. Judge Martin Nolan adjourned the case to allow the remaining jurors to be empanelled and warned that jurors must not seek information about the case online.
Michelle O'Leary, 34, was jailed for six years after she broke into the homes of two elderly men in April 2021. She first forced entry into a 90‑year‑old man's house, brandishing a knife, demanding money, and taking €60 before leaving. The next day she called a 69‑year‑old neighbour, claiming her mother was ill and needed money for a hospital visit. He gave her €70, but later that evening O'Leary and an accomplice entered his home, demanded €100, and tried to walk him to a shop to withdraw the money. The shop manager, recognising the victim, called the Gardaí. O'Leary was arrested at her mother's apartment, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, production of a knife, burglary, attempted robbery and false imprisonment, and admitted to 30 prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced her to seven years, suspending the final 12 months on strict conditions. The case highlighted the targeting of vulnerable, elderly men living alone.
A man convicted of his role in a rental deposit scam affecting six potential tenants in Dublin has been ordered to complete community service rather than face imprisonment. Robert Long, with an address in Carndonagh, County Donegal, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six counts of theft and two counts of deception relating to offences committed between July and August 2017. The scheme involved advertising a Dublin apartment on Daft.ie under false pretences, with victims paying deposits after meeting a man using a false name. Long acted as the sitting tenant during viewings, though gardaí established he was not the primary instigator and did not financially benefit. The court heard nearly €11,000 was obtained from the victims. Judge Melanie Greally imposed 240 hours of community service to be completed within eighteen months, in lieu of a two-year custodial sentence. Long had brought €10,700 to court for victim compensation, with one outstanding payment expected within three months or to be redirected to a homeless charity.
The Special Criminal Court adjourned the sentencing of three brothers, Gerard, Ciaran, and Stephen Duffy, to March 4, remanding them in custody. The defendants, part of a cross-Border gang alleged to have stolen nearly €800,000 from ATMs in Cavan, Meath, and Monaghan between 2018 and 2019, appeared before a three-judge panel. Gerard Duffy pleaded guilty to the attempted theft of an ATM at the Riverfront Bar & Restaurant in Virginia, Co Cavan, in August 2019, contrary to Section 73 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. Ciaran Duffy pleaded guilty to three offences, including participating in criminal activities in a Toyota Avensis at Tullypole, Moynalty, attempting to steal the Virginia ATM, and possessing cash to facilitate a criminal offence. Stephen Duffy pleaded guilty to possessing cash at The Yard, Tullypole, in association with a criminal organisation. Prosecution evidence detailed the gang's use of stolen diggers and vehicles to rip ATMs from walls, culminating in a failed attempt in Virginia where gardaí rammed a stolen vehicle. Cash totaling over €103,000 was recovered from a vehicle and a lawnmower. Defence counsel highlighted the defendants' remorse, employment histories, and character references. In a related matter, Niall Finnegan was previously sentenced to four-and-a-half years, with the final 18 months suspended, for possessing or handling €103,000 linked to the gang's activities.
Conor Kirwan, aged 27, pleaded guilty to several offences in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He admitted to stealing three legs of lamb from a Dunnes Stores supermarket in January 2021, intending to sell them on the street to raise money for drugs, and to threatening a security guard with an uncapped syringe while pointing it at the guard. He also pleaded guilty to a robbery at Supervalu in June 2020, where he stole 11 pieces of corned beef, and to impersonating a garda at Eden Quay in September 2020, during which he forced a student to remove shoes and socks, demanded identification, and stole €30 from the student's wallet. Kirwan has 52 prior convictions, including theft, assault and drug offences, and is currently in custody. The court adjourned the case for finalisation on 14 February.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, two 19‑year‑old teenagers, Andrew Hillick and Michael Matthews, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and robbery after attacking a 31‑year‑old taxi driver outside a Garda station on 17 November 2020. The court heard that the teenagers broke the taxi's glass partition, punched and kicked the driver, and stole €60 in cash and his mobile phone. The driver sustained a broken nose, blood on his shirt, and damage to his glasses. Both accused were arrested shortly after the incident; Matthews was found with a broken bottle. The judge noted their lack of prior convictions and significant adversity in their lives, and remanded them on continuing bail until 10 February. The case remains at the pleading stage, with no sentencing yet announced.
Michal Gaszeich, 27, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and theft at a Dunnes Stores shop in Citywest on 8 November 2020. He head‑butted security guard Sean Murphy, who was trying to stop him from stealing hot food and alcohol. The guard was injured, receiving three stitches above his left eye and a permanent scar. Gaszeich was arrested after a customer intervened and gardaí arrived. He had no prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions, including payment of compensation to the victim. The case was originally directed for summary disposal in the District Court, but the judge sent it to the Circuit Court. Gaszeich has since stopped drinking and has been in Ireland for a decade, working continuously since arrival.
A 31-year-old man from County Armagh has pleaded not guilty to charges relating to a series of ATM thefts across the Border region. The accused faced the Special Criminal Court on allegations of involvement in the attempted theft of an ATM at the Riverfront Hotel in Virginia, County Cavan, in August 2019, and the theft and criminal damage of an ATM in Castleblayney, County Monaghan, in April 2019. Both alleged offences are said to have been committed for the benefit of a criminal organisation. The prosecution concluded its case, presenting evidence including DNA findings and CCTV footage of thefts at multiple locations in Cavan and Monaghan. Defence counsel indicated an intention to apply for the charges to be dismissed when proceedings resume. The trial continues before three judges at the Special Criminal Court.
The Special Criminal Court is hearing the trial of Daniel O'Callaghan, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is accused of the attempted theft of an ATM at the Riverfront Hotel in Virginia, Co Cavan, on August 14, 2019, allegedly for the benefit of a criminal organisation. O'Callaghan faces multiple other allegations, including possessing a stolen Toyota Landcruiser, a stolen 14-tonne digger, and bolt-cutters with intent to steal, as well as possessing large sums of cash to facilitate serious offences. Co-accused Ciaran Duffy, who pleaded guilty to three offences connected to the same investigation, was found hiding in a hotel toilet after fleeing from gardaí. Detective Superintendent James O'Leary testified that the incident was part of an intelligence-led investigation into organised ATM thefts. The court heard that O'Callaghan is the fifth male to appear in relation to this case. The trial continues before Justice Tara Burns, sitting with Judges Sarah Berkeley and Michael Walsh.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Suzanne Danker, 48, was found guilty of deception and theft for ruining a young couple's wedding in Spain in September 2012. Danker's company, Spanish Dream Weddings, had run out of money in September 2012, yet she continued to ask the couple, Sarah Foran and Colm Moriarty, for payments. The couple had paid about €10,000 for the event, but none of the contractors—florist, DJ, videographer, singer, flamenco troupe, and church fees—were paid. Danker's chaotic management and failure to communicate left the couple in debt and emotionally distressed. She received a suspended three‑year prison sentence, with a €9,500 payment to the victims and an additional €5,000 to be paid within two years. The court noted her remorse and unlikely re‑offending.
Janet Agbontaen, 55, a Nigerian woman who arrived in Dublin in 2001 under a false identity claiming to be from Sierra Leone, was jailed for two years after fraudulently claiming more than €100,000 in child welfare and single parent benefits. She used a fake name to obtain about €55,000 in child benefit, €3,000 in early childcare allowance, and €83,700 in one parent family payments. In 2002 she challenged a deportation order and her sworn statements led to charges of perjury and perverting the course of justice. Agbontaen pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft from the Minister of Social Protection, giving false information to a births registrar, and fraudulently obtaining a driving licence. She was described as a victim of domestic violence and coercion by her husband, and the court noted her lack of prior offending when imposing the sentence.
Albert Redmond, 45, was sentenced to 12‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment with four‑and‑a‑half years suspended for a spree of burglaries, criminal damage, credit‑card fraud and theft between October 2019 and March 2020. He appealed, arguing the judge had mis‑classified the severity of his offences and had not given enough weight to his personal circumstances. The Court of Appeal quashed the original sentence but upheld the appeal, ruling that Redmond must still serve eight years in prison. In a written judgment, Mr Justice John Edwards explained that the original sentence was structured with a mixture of consecutive and concurrent terms totalling nine years, with the final year suspended for 12 months. The judge noted Redmond's "appalling track record" and the risk of re‑offending, and acknowledged his expressed intention to move away from crime. The decision left Redmond's custodial term unchanged at eight years, with the suspended portion remaining in place. Albert Redmond pleaded guilty.
A former Revenue employee received a fully suspended eighteen-month sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for her role in generating fraudulent tax refunds. Linda Kinsella, aged 38, pleaded guilty to two counts of dishonestly inducing a gain by deception and one count of using a false instrument at Revenue offices on Belgard Road, Dublin 24, between December 2013 and June 2015. She created false tax returns totalling over €8,000 for her ex-boyfriend Eric Maher and his twin brother Brian Maher. Both men also received suspended eighteen-month sentences after pleading guilty to stealing from the Revenue Commission. Eric Maher obtained €1,921.95 while Brian Maher, with an address in Charlestown Shopping Centre, Finglas, obtained €6,121.45. Judge Martin Nolan noted Kinsella was the "vital cog" in the scheme, though the brothers had imposed upon her to some degree. All three accused have since repaid the money in full. Kinsella lost her job following the investigation.
Kellie Walton, a payroll administrator at Virgin Media Television, stole €872,437 over ten years, beginning in 2009. She pleaded guilty to multiple thefts and false accounting, with the largest single theft exceeding €120,000. Walton's role gave her exclusive access to the payroll system, enabling her to make unauthorised payments to former employees and transfer the money to two bank accounts she controlled. She was arrested in January 2020 and, after a series of interviews, pleaded guilty to sample charges. In December 2021, Judge Melanie Greally considered her circumstances, including her husband's unemployment and her family's financial stress, and imposed a four‑year sentence, suspending the final two years on strict conditions. The court noted Walton's lack of prior convictions and her efforts to mitigate the impact on her children. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Ethan Zeitman and Levani Shavgulidze to two years' imprisonment each after both pleaded guilty to charges related to an immigration fraud organisation. Zeitman, 46, admitted to money laundering, possession of fraudulent documentation, and organising or facilitating the entry of illegal immigrants or asylum seekers between 2017 and 2019. Shavgulidze, 24, pleaded guilty to stealing €5,950 in pandemic unemployment payments, money laundering, possession of fraudulent documentation, and facilitating illegal entry between 2018 and 2020. Judge Martin Nolan described the men as "gofers" at the bottom of a hierarchy that caused a surge in Georgian nationals arriving in Ireland. The judge noted Zeitman's involvement ended over a year before his arrest when he became drug-free, while Shavgulidze had no previous convictions. Both men have been in custody since late 2020. The court heard the investigation began in 2018 following international referrals, with the accused distributing false documents via post or courier. Defence counsel highlighted Zeitman's addiction-driven involvement and Shavgulidze's lack of profit, but the judge imposed the two-year sentences, considering their foreign national status and roles in the organisation.
Michael McDonagh, aged 30, crashed his partner's car into a tree during a high‑speed Garda pursuit, then fled the scene. His partner reported the vehicle stolen and filed an insurance claim. Gardaí seized McDonagh's and his partner's phones, uncovering messages that McDonagh had driven the car and had asked his partner to falsely state it was stolen. McDonagh pleaded guilty to knowingly making a false statement at Tallaght Garda Station on 3 April 2020 and to attempting to deceive RSA insurance between 3 April and 5 May 2020. He also had a prior drink‑driving conviction that resulted in a four‑year driving ban. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two years' imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions. The court noted the tree replacement cost was just over €2,000 and that the insurance claim for €7,000 was never paid.
A former All-Ireland club football champion has pleaded not guilty to 17 charges arising from a series of ATM thefts across the Meath and Cavan region. Daniel O'Callaghan (31), with an address in Co Armagh, denies involvement in the alleged criminal enterprise. His trial began at the Special Criminal Court, a three-judge non-jury forum. The prosecution alleges that Mr O'Callaghan was part of a gang that stole ATMs using consistent methods between December 2018 and August 2019. A planned theft at Virginia in Co Cavan was disrupted by gardaí on 14 August 2019. The prosecution claims gardaí observed Mr O'Callaghan emerge from a stolen vehicle near the Riverfront Bar and flee into a field. Charges include the attempted theft at Virginia, possession of stolen vehicles and equipment, and handling cash totalling over €400,000 recovered at a premises in Co Meath. Mr O'Callaghan also faces allegations of facilitating criminal organisation activity. The trial continues before Justice Tara Burns, Judge Sarah Berkeley, and Judge Michael Walsh.
In January 2022, a 32‑year‑old man was sentenced to 30 months in prison for defiling his 16‑year‑old cousin on a church grounds in Galway in May 2018. He pleaded guilty to a sexual act with a child under 17, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of five years. At the time of the offence he was 29. The victim, who was intoxicated and unable to keep her eyes open, described how the man kissed and groped her after she refused to go to the bushes. He denied any wrongdoing during questioning. The court noted his 140 prior convictions, including assault, robbery, burglary, knife possession, theft, public order offences and four Covid‑related convictions. The judge, citing the victim's vulnerability and the lack of grooming or violence, set a headline sentence of three and a half years, reduced by one year for mitigating factors, and imposed a two‑year post‑release supervision period.
Eoram Dobnam De Lima, a 26‑year‑old university student, pleaded guilty to three counts of stealing €6,936 from his employer, Centra, in Charlemont Street between 1 November 2019 and 15 January 2020. He regularly voided transactions on the till and, at the end of his shift, took the cash. De Lima had no prior convictions. He was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 120 hours of community service in lieu of 18 months imprisonment. The judge noted he had made full restitution to the injured party, Robert O'Leary, and had engaged in restorative justice. De Lima is studying for a Master's in Dispute Resolution and was on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. The sentence was adjusted to avoid undue interference with his studies and work commitments.
At the Special Criminal Court, Dermot McManus and co-accused Terese Halpin faced trial-stage proceedings regarding alleged money laundering and vehicle offences. McManus is charged with handling €28,550 and £17,240, knowing or being reckless as to whether they were proceeds of criminal conduct on 17 June 2020, and allowing a Limerick and District Credit Union account to be used for such purposes. He is further accused of possessing a stolen blue Ford Transit van and handling a white Mercedes Sprinter. Halpin is charged with possessing the same cash sums and allowing a Permanent TSB account to be used for handling proceeds of crime between January 2019 and June 2020. Prosecution counsel alleged the cash was found in socks and a jacket pocket during a search at Keating Park, Killalee, part of Operation Coronation. Defence counsel argued McManus was not a flight risk, citing family ties and a personal injury payment explanation for bank lodgements. Presiding Judge Tony Hunt granted bail to McManus, contingent on a €10,000 surety from a legitimate person, daily sign-on at a Limerick garda station, and non-association with named persons. The judge remanded McManus in custody with consent to bail and adjourned the matter with liberty to re-enter for surety approval. Halpin, who had previously entered a bond and surrendered her passport, was scheduled to appear again on 18 February.
Two young men, Joel Kialunda, 20, and Emmanuel Esuku, 23, were sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to fully suspended one‑year imprisonment for laundering money defrauded from a Swedish trade union. The fraud involved fraudulent emails claiming that three ventilators would be purchased for donation to a hospital for Covid‑19 treatment. The union transferred €27,594.63 into an account provided in the email, which was later found to belong to Kialunda. Over €23,000 was withdrawn or transferred elsewhere, including €3,000 sent to a Revolut account belonging to Esuku. Both men pleaded guilty to money laundering on 22 and 23 April 2020, respectively. Judge Martin Nolan, citing their age and mitigation, suspended the sentences in their entirety on strict conditions. The court noted that neither accused had been involved in the initial defrauding of the union and that the money had been recovered and returned to the union.
A man and a woman were brought before the Special Criminal Court on charges of money laundering, a development the Gardaí described as significant in their ongoing operation against organised crime in County Limerick. Dermot McManus, aged 51, and Terese Halpin, aged 49, were arrested at their home in Keating Park, Killalee, after Gardaí executed a warrant. McManus faces charges for handling €28,550 and £17,240 in cash, allegedly proceeds of criminal conduct on 17 June 2020, and for using a Limerick and District Credit Union account for those proceeds. He is also charged with possession of a stolen Ford Transit van and a Mercedes Sprinter during specified periods. Halpin is charged with possession of the same cash sums on 17 June 2020 and for allowing a Permanent TSB account to be used for handling proceeds of crime between 17 January 2019 and 10 June 2020.
Two brothers from Monaghan have entered guilty pleas at the Special Criminal Court in relation to a cross-border gang investigation involving ATM thefts. Gerard Duffy, aged 30, admitted to the attempted theft of an ATM at the Riverfront Hotel in Virginia, Co Cavan, on 14 August 2019. His brother Ciaran Duffy, aged 27, pleaded guilty to three offences, including participating in criminal activities in Co Meath and attempting to steal the same ATM. Their elder brother Stephen Duffy, aged 35, previously admitted possessing cash at Tullypole, Co Meath, in August 2019. The pleas relate to a garda investigation into ATM thefts across Cavan and Monaghan between September 2018 and August 2019. A fourth man, Niall Finnegan, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years, with 18 months suspended, for possessing €103,000 in proceeds. Sentencing hearings for both Gerard and Ciaran Duffy have been scheduled for 1 February. Both remain on bail.
John Matthews, 42, returned to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after breaking into a house on Upper Glenageary Road on 5 September 2020, a month after his release from prison on a suspended sentence. He had served half of a nine‑year term for 56 burglaries committed in 16 months; the second half was suspended on conditions including keeping the peace for five years and attending drug treatment. Matthews pleaded guilty to the September burglary, which involved a smashed back window and the theft of small‑value cash, including a 200,000 Thai baht note. The note was later found at Matthews' home. He has 124 previous convictions, 115 of which are burglary convictions. Judge Pauline Codd noted his record is shocking, acknowledged his drug habit, and adjourned the case to 21 February next year to consider his placement on a drug treatment programme. She said he is now facing a substantial amount of time in prison.
Noel Shannon, a 40‑year‑old electrician from Finglas, pleaded guilty to disclosing personal data from a Garda intelligence board that contained information on 108 people. He photographed the board while working on emergency lighting at Kilmainham Garda Station in March 2019, later sending the images to two other electricians. The pictures were subsequently circulated on social media. The case was the first criminal breach of the Data Protection Act 2018 prosecuted on indictment. Judge Melanie Greally found no premeditation or malice, noting the offence was committed while intoxicated. She imposed a headline sentence of three years but, considering mitigating factors such as his early guilty plea, remorse, stable family and work life, she suspended a two‑year custodial term in full for two years. The court recorded that Shannon had four prior convictions, including theft and a public order offence. The prosecution and defence agreed that Shannon had not foreseen the consequences of his actions.
A Monaghan man has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possessing stolen cash linked to coordinated ATM thefts by a cross-border criminal organisation. Stephen Duffy, aged 35, of Tullynahinera, Castleblayney, admitted to possessing cash at Tullypole, Co Meath, on 20 August 2019. He faces charges under Section 73 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 relating to possession of proceeds for the benefit of a criminal organisation. The case concerns investigations into the theft of an ATM in Castleblayney in April 2019 and an attempted theft in Virginia, Co Cavan, in August 2019. Duffy was remanded on continuing bail until 14 January. He is the second man to admit involvement in the thefts. Last month, Niall Finnegan received a sentence of four-and-a-half years, with eighteen months suspended, for possessing €103,000 from the same operation. Detective evidence indicated the gang stole approximately €790,000 across six incidents in the Cavan and Monaghan region using excavators.
Moira Gleeson, 62, of Donabate, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three counts of theft and three of forgery, with offences alleged to have occurred between April 2010 and March 2015. The charges relate to the theft of approximately €47,000 from the businesses of John McQuaid, a former Olympic cyclist. Gleeson admitted to forging McQuaid's signature on cheques and cashing them, attributing the payments to invoices already settled in cash. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Gleeson to two years' imprisonment, suspending the final 15 months on the basis that she is a first-time offender with a low risk of reoffending. She was ordered to engage with the Probation Service for 15 months post-release. The judge noted that while Gleeson expressed remorse, her failure to make any repayments rendered her apology hollow. McQuaid described the betrayal as a "kick in the face," stating the thefts caused significant financial stress and mental suffering. Although the source text mentions an appeal as the validated procedural stage, the report details the sentencing hearing where the guilty plea and sentence were imposed. No other defendants were named in the finalisation details provided.
Michelle O'Leary, aged 31, broke into the home of a 90‑year‑old neighbour in St Peter's Court, Phibsborough, by pretending to be a police officer and demanding money. She produced a knife, took €60 from the victim's pocket, dropped the weapon and fled. The victim identified her and she was arrested at her mother's apartment, where she was not supposed to be staying. O'Leary pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, production of a knife and making a false statement to Gardaí on 15 April 2021. She has 30 prior convictions for robbery, assault and theft. She has been remanded in custody since the arrest and is scheduled for sentencing in February 2022. The case was adjourned by Judge Melanie Greally to allow time for reports and she remains in custody until the hearing. The victim's family is seeking a nursing home placement for the neighbour. The incident was described as swift and frightening by Garda Kelly Mannion.
Nikkita Brogan, 24, of Letterkenny, Co Donegal, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for her role in a violent taxi hijacking. The validated procedural stage for this report is an appeal, as the case was previously sent to the Court of Appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions to clarify a procedural matter regarding the service of books of evidence. Brogan pleaded guilty to the unlawful seizure of a vehicle at Rutland Grove, Crumlin, on May 6, 2019. She admitted to unbuckling the taxi driver's seatbelt and assisting in reattaching the gearstick knob while two men assaulted the driver. Judge Melanie Greally handed down a 32-month sentence, suspending the final 12 months on conditions. Brogan has been in custody since January. The court noted her remorse and rehabilitation efforts. The two male accomplices, Peter and Jason Collins, were sentenced in December 2019 for robbery, assault causing harm, and unlawful seizure of a car. Peter Collins received four and a half years' imprisonment, while Jason Collins received three and a half years, with the final 12 months suspended. Brogan has 76 previous convictions, mainly for shoplifting, and was on bail for theft offences at the time of the incident.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 13 December 2021, Martin Ward, 43, was found guilty of possession of a stolen school safe and possession of burglary articles. Ward, who has 42 prior convictions, was on bail for 11 other offences when he was caught by gardai running down a busy city street with a school safe under his arm. Gardaí had earlier observed him attempting to enter premises using a plastic slip, and on 4 August 2020 he was seen trying to gain entry to an apartment block on Bolton Street. He was apprehended in the foyer before accessing any apartments. The safe, taken from St Declan's school, was returned to the school. Judge Melanie Greally imposed consecutive sentences totalling three years, suspending the final six months to encourage Ward's efforts to address his drug difficulties.
William Kiely, a 49‑year‑old former Director of Corporate Finance at Cantor Fitzgerald Ireland, was charged in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court with 15 counts of alleged property fraud under the Criminal Justice Theft and Fraud Offences Act. The alleged offences involved investors who wanted to invest in U.S. property between August 2008 and February 2013, with claims of losses ranging from €50,000 to €120,000 each and a total estimated defrauded amount of €750,000 to €1 million. Gardai began investigating in 2012, but Kiely was not charged until July 2019. He sought a judicial review to halt the proceedings, arguing that the delay breached his right to a fair trial. In March, High Court Justice Miriam O'Regan rejected the application. Kiely appealed to the Court of Appeal, where Justice George Birmingham dismissed the application today, stating a written judgment would follow.
Jacob Breaw, aged 24, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment for robbery and possession of over €29,000 of cannabis. Breaw's lawyers explained that in an 18‑month period he fell from a law‑abiding life into drug addiction and crime. In May 2019 he was found with a school bag of cannabis in his mother's bedroom during a Garda search; he pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply. In November 2019 he robbed a victim at Cherbury Park, armed with a knife; he pleaded guilty to robbery. Breaw has four prior convictions, including knife possession and public order offences. Judge Melanie Greally noted his remorse, his commitment to drug treatment, and the support of his family. She suspended the final two years of the sentence on the condition that he remain law‑abiding and engage with the Probation Service.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Richard Power, a 35‑year‑old former letting negotiation manager for Wyse Property Management Ltd, pleaded guilty to stealing €69,530 in tenant deposits over a two‑year period. Power accessed the company's system and altered tenant bank details to redirect refunded deposits to his own account, then reverted the changes before detection. The theft, uncovered during an audit prompted by a supervisor's notice of missing refunds, was linked to Power's gambling addiction. He admitted manipulating accounts and confessed to ongoing counselling for the addiction. Power has no prior convictions, is currently unemployed, and lives in a parent‑owned property while receiving pandemic unemployment payments. He has lost his property management licence, was fined €5,000, and the court adjourned sentencing to February 1. The case highlights the misuse of employee access to client funds for personal gambling expenses.