In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Joseph O'Brien, aged 35, was found to have robbed a victim on James Street on 21 January 2019. O'Brien struck the victim twice on the back of the head with a glass bottle, then kicked him 20 to 30 times while he lay on the ground before stealing his phone. The victim suffered a laceration requiring stitches, heavy facial bruising, black eyes and a broken tooth. Witnesses saw O'Brien use the bottle and a woman also kicked the victim two or three times. O'Brien had previously committed a pharmacy robbery two days earlier, where he forced a staff member to open the till and stole about €300. He has 56 prior convictions, including robbery, burglary, assault and drug‑related offences. The court noted his history of drug addiction and homelessness, and Judge Melanie Greally ordered a Probation Service report and adjourned sentencing to 29 March, indicating a likely lengthy sentence. Joseph O'Brien pleaded guilty.
William Kiely, a former Director of Corporate Finance at Cantor Fitzgerald Ireland, is appealing a High Court decision that allowed criminal proceedings to proceed against him for alleged theft and fraud offences. The case involves 15 counts under the Criminal Justice Theft and Fraud Offences Act, alleged to have occurred between August 2008 and February 2013, involving investors who claimed losses between €50,000 and €120,000 each, with a total alleged defrauded amount ranging from €750,000 to €1.2 million. Kiely, aged 49, was charged in July 2019 after an investigation that began in 2012. He argued that the delay in prosecution breached his right to a fair trial and sought a judicial review, which was rejected by Ms Justice Miriam O'Regan in March. He is now appealing that decision to the Court of Appeal, where his lawyers contend the delay was so great that prohibition of the proceedings is warranted.
Kellie Walton, a 40‑year‑old payroll administrator from Kilfenora Road, Kimmage, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €70,614 in 2019 and €34,961 in 2009 from Virgin Media Television, plus one charge of false accounting between 2009 and 2019. She admitted that the money was transferred to two bank accounts she controlled, with the largest single theft over €120,000 and a total of €872,437. Walton's barrister explained that she did not use the proceeds for a lavish lifestyle but to "soften the edges of family life," citing financial stress and her partner's ill health. Judge Melanie Greally noted the amounts exceeded mere softening and remanded Walton on bail pending sentence, allowing her to spend Christmas with her four children. The case was adjourned to 19 January 2024. The court considered reports, letters and testimonials before deciding on the next steps.
At the appeal stage, Niall Finnegan (39) of Cherry Grove, Cullyhanna, Co Armagh, who was previously convicted of committing the offence under Section 73 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, which states that a person 'commits a serious offence for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with, a criminal organisation', has had his sentence reviewed. Finnegan had pleaded guilty to possessing or handling €103,930 at The Yard, Tullypole, Moynalty, Co Meath, following an ATM theft on 20 August 2019. The non-jury court had previously jailed Finnegan for four-and-a-half years, suspending the final 18 months for three years for possessing the cash, which was the proceeds of ATM thefts carried out by a criminal organisation. The judge then gave Finnegan the full 25% discount for his guilty plea, resulting in a four-and-a-half year sentence, and suspended the final 18 months of the sentence for three years. Finnegan's barrister had requested a postponement of the activation of the sentence until after Christmas so that Finnegan could spend the holiday season with his three children, but this was denied by Mr Justice Tony Hunt. The matter was adjourned.
David Rodgers, a 47-year-old English teacher, appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of cannabis for sale or supply at his then home. The court heard that gardaí discovered just under €25,000 worth of cannabis, including a makeshift grow-house, during a search of his Dublin residence following an incident on Henry Street in October 2018. Rodgers admitted to selling cannabis but maintained during his interview that the substance was a natural herb. He has 12 previous convictions, primarily for theft and public order offences dating back to the 1980s. Defence counsel highlighted Rodgers' unusual profile, noting his academic achievements, multilingual abilities, and a severe brain injury sustained in an assault by his brother, which left him with short-term memory difficulties. Judge Karen O'Connor noted that Rodgers has had no further garda attention since the offence and is still recovering from his injury. Determining that incarceration would offer no benefit to society, the Judge fully suspended a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence. The suspension is conditional upon Rodgers keeping the peace and engaging with drug addiction treatment.
Paul Murray, 41, struck Josh Byrne, 29, with an iron bar in the head while Byrne was being led away by Gardaí after Byrne's arrest for criminal damage. The incident occurred after Byrne had turned on all the taps in the apartment above Murray's, causing water damage to Murray's unit. Murray pleaded guilty to producing a metal bar in the course of a dispute on 2 February 2021. He has 30 prior convictions, including robbery and traffic offences. Byrne, who has no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal damage at the same location and received a two‑year fully suspended sentence. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced Murray to two years imprisonment, suspended in its entirety on strict conditions, citing a high degree of antagonism and Murray's loss of control. Byrne sustained a laceration to his head but declined to make a complaint. Murray apologized and acknowledged his wrongdoing.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Andrew Byrne, 35, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for assault causing harm and theft after he punched a homeless man in the back of the head at Temple Bar on 11 September last year. Byrne struck the victim, who was unconscious, causing facial fractures, a broken jaw, broken teeth and a split tongue. The victim, a homeless man living in a hostel, suffered ongoing memory loss, fear and anxiety, and has stopped going out alone. Byrne, who has 93 prior convictions including assault and public order offences, was arrested after CCTV footage captured the incident. He pleaded guilty, admitted the assault, and expressed deep regret. The judge noted Byrne's high culpability and backdated the sentence to his custody in January. The woman who accompanied Byrne remains before the courts.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Martin Nolan addressed the case of Dylan Culloty, a 21‑year‑old from Clondalkin, who pleaded guilty to two counts of money laundering involving over €40,000 obtained through a 2019 "smishing" scam. Culloty's account was used to transfer stolen funds, which he withdrew by visiting post offices and purchasing foreign currency. The court noted that the scam enticed victims to provide banking details via a fraudulent website, resulting in €43,800 being taken from two bank accounts and moved to Culloty's account. The Bank of Ireland's financial crime unit reported the unauthorized transactions, and the bank refunded the victims, but the money was never recovered. Judge Nolan, citing the prevalence of such cases, decided not to imprison Culloty but to impose 200 hours of community service, pending Probation Service assessment.
Anita Gallagher, 54, worked as a receptionist for Dr John Peters' practice in Clonee, Dublin 15, from 2001 until September 2019. In 2019 Dr Peters noticed irregularities and, after an internal investigation, discovered that Gallagher had been diverting the €60 fee paid by private patients into her own pocket. Between 2013 and 2019 she had taken an average of €8,000 a year, totalling over €55,000. Gallagher resigned after admitting the thefts, pleaded guilty to eight charges, and was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally to 15 months' imprisonment, suspended on the condition of keeping the peace for that period. She was ordered to engage with the Probation Service, attend a mental‑health review, and receive therapeutic and budgeting support. Gallagher's father later repaid the full amount stolen. The case was remanded on continuing bail for further consideration.
Caroline Tiernan Kanza, 43, of Myrtle House, Baldoyle, was found guilty of forging invoices and stealing €30,519 from the National Shared Services Office while employed in a position of trust. She pleaded guilty to five counts of forgery and theft in two periods of offending, March–July 2018 and June–November 2019. The court noted her self‑defeating personality disorder, financial pressure, debt, mortgage arrears, and alleged domestic violence. She had repaid the full amount and cooperated fully with probation services, showing low risk of reoffending and attending counselling. Judge Elma Sheahan imposed a headline sentence of four years but, considering mitigating factors, set a two‑year sentence suspended in full on the condition she pays €1,000 within six months and another €1,000 to charity in the following six months. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 15 November 2021.
Derek Moore, 49, a bookkeeper who had worked for Energy Saver Insulations Ltd for 22 years, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended. He pleaded guilty to five counts of stealing just over €92,700 from the company between February and November 2018 and to one count of falsifying accounts. Moore admitted colluding with three customers who paid cash for discounted materials, which he deposited into his own account. He claimed the money was to fund his child's scoliosis operation, but the judge noted evidence of substantial spending on eating out and an off‑licence. He has repaid €33,000 and will transfer an additional €7,000 to the victims. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Padraig Dwyer SC represented Niall Finnegan, a 39‑year‑old family man from Cherry Grove, Cullyhanna, who pleaded guilty in July to possessing €103,000 after an ATM theft on 20 August 2019. Dwyer highlighted Finnegan's lack of prior convictions, his community involvement, and the supportive references from family and local groups. He argued the offence was out of character and that Finnegan had cooperated with Gardaí, expressing a desire to stay out of trouble. Dwyer urged the court to consider a non‑custodial sentence, noting that custodial terms should be a last resort. Judge Hunt cautioned that a light sentence could be viewed as unduly lenient and potentially overturned on appeal, and he postponed sentencing to 29 November. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
A serial fraudster from Carrickmacross is the subject of an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions against the leniency of his sentence. Michael McGauley pleaded guilty in October 2020 at Monaghan Circuit Criminal Court to five counts of deception and theft committed between February 2016 and October 2018, obtaining approximately €149,600 from his victims. He was sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment on each count, with sentences ordered to run concurrently and the final nine months suspended on condition of probation supervision and abstinence from gambling and alcohol. The DPP contends the sentence was unduly lenient, arguing that consecutive rather than concurrent sentences should have been imposed. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of Appeal, Ms Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh noted the deliberate emotional manipulation involved in the offences, questioning the connection between McGauley's gambling addiction and his deceptive conduct toward victims. The case was adjourned pending the court's determination on the appeal.
John Saul, aged 37 and also known as John Keegan, was found in possession of a bag of heroin while attempting to deliver it. He was stopped by Gardaí, who discovered the drugs in his underwear and seized them. Saul pleaded guilty to possession of heroin for sale or supply at a location within Dublin on 8 November 2020. He has 15 prior convictions, the most recent dating back to 2010, including drug offences, assault, burglary and theft. The judge, Melanie Greally, noted that Saul's involvement in the offence was a "very serious error" and that it coincided with financial hardship caused by pandemic pressures on his family. She acknowledged that he had made some progress in his life and therefore suspended an 18‑month prison sentence in its entirety, imposing strict conditions.
Anita Gallagher, 54, worked as a receptionist at Dr John Peters' practice in Clonee from 2001 until her resignation in September 2019. In 2019 the doctor noticed irregularities in the practice's income and discovered that Gallagher had been diverting the €60 fee paid by private patients into her own pocket. Between 2013 and 2019 she had taken an average of €8,000 a year, totalling over €55,000. Gallagher admitted the thefts, resigned, and apologized, but requested that her family remain unaware of the matter. She was arrested in June 2020 after the doctor reported the thefts. She pleaded guilty to eight counts of stealing from the clinic. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the sentencing to 17 November, remanded her on continuing bail, and noted that Gallagher was under no financial pressure and that the crime was one of opportunism over a sustained period. The case remains pending.
The High Court quashed two suspended prison sentences that had been imposed on a 17‑year‑old boy who admitted stealing electrical goods worth about €400 from a supermarket in the West of Ireland. The sentences, each four months of imprisonment, were to run consecutively and were suspended for two years. The Director of Public Prosecutions, represented by Niall Nolan BL, argued that the sentences were unlawful because the boy is a minor under the 2001 Children Act, and that a minor may be sentenced to detention but not to imprisonment, and that a 2017 Court of Appeal decision bars suspended sentences for minors. Mr Justice Anthony Barr agreed to quash both sentences and remitted the case back to the District Court for new sentencing. The boy, who will turn 18 next year, was the respondent in the proceedings. The unnamed 17-year-old pleaded guilty.
Eugene Farrell, 42, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for transporting firearms in a gym bag to settle his son's drug debt, after the family endured intimidation and attacks. He admitted to moving the bag, which contained a revolver, a Harrington and Richardson sawn‑off shotgun, a Mossberg sawn‑off shotgun, two Beretta shotguns and ammunition, some of which had been stolen in earlier burglaries. Farrell had 21 prior convictions, mainly traffic offences, and had previously transported drugs for the same people. Judge Elma Sheahan noted the family's terror but accepted that Farrell acted under duress, had no personal benefit, and had shown remorse. She imposed a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final nine months, with strict conditions including probation engagement for nine months after release. The weapons were seized during a Garda drug search of a Peugeot in Tallaght. Farrell's son's debt has since been paid. Eugene Farrell pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Raymond Valentine, aged 60, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for sexual exploitation of a 16‑year‑old girl between June 2012 and June 2013. The victim, who was in care and described as extremely vulnerable, was abused by Valentine who gave her alcohol, assaulted her and attempted penetrative sex. Valentine continued the relationship despite a court order and the victim's attempts to leave care. The court noted that Valentine had been attacked by the victim's then partner in August 2015, resulting in life‑threatening injuries after repeated kicks to the head. The partner and the victim later pleaded guilty to assault and received suspended sentences. Valentine's guilty plea was entered before his trial, and he admitted the wrongdoing and expressed remorse. The victim's impact statement described the lasting damage to her self‑confidence. The case also highlighted Valentine's prior convictions for theft and drunk driving.
In County Laois, Robert Wojtanowicz, aged 41, was found with 25 large boxes of stolen industrial workwear from his former employer, K and S Industrial Supplies. He claimed he had permission to take the stock because it was damaged and unfit for sale, but the company's statement confirmed the items were in perfect condition. Wojtanowicz pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to recklessly possessing the goods, valued at €19,847, on 22 August 2017. He also faced a European arrest warrant for four minor road‑traffic offences dating back to 2012. Garda Shane Barry executed the warrant, discovered the boxes, and returned the goods to the company. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Wojtanowicz to a two‑year prison term, which she suspended on strict conditions, citing his cooperation and lack of prior convictions as mitigating factors. The case highlighted the Gardaí's role in recovering the stolen stock.
Mark O'Shea, aged 41, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, for burglary and harassment. The burglary occurred on 19 December 2018 at a Dublin City centre location, when O'Shea, accompanied by two other knife‑wielding men, entered the ex‑partner's home after using a woman as a decoy. All three men wore black balaclavas and gloves and were armed with knives. O'Shea had previously pleaded guilty to burglary and to harassment between 19 October 2018 and 31 December 2018. The court described the offence as pre‑meditated, conducted with assistance, involving physicality and intimidation. O'Shea had 44 prior convictions, including burglary, trespass, criminal damage, handling stolen property, possession of drugs, public order and road traffic offences. The judge noted that O'Shea had been in a residential treatment programme for a short period before the hearing. The sentence requires O'Shea to comply with all Probation Service directions for 12 months after release.
Avril O'Brien, 51, was convicted of stealing €80,000 from the Loreto playgroup in Tallaght, Dublin, between October 2013 and March 2016. The playgroup, which helps single mothers return to work, suffered financial hardship when O'Brien, then office manager, transferred money to her personal accounts under fictitious names such as 'wages'. Gardaí discovered the theft in February 2017 after O'Brien falsely claimed she had permission from the director, Sister Teresa McCullagh. O'Brien's diaries revealed extravagant spending on home renovations, a mobile home in Wexford and family holidays to Florida. She pleaded guilty to 11 counts of theft, and the court agreed that €80,000 had been stolen, though €119,000 was later deposited into her accounts. On 3 November 2021, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to three years' imprisonment, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, including a €12,000 payment to the playgroup within a month.
Patrick Doyle, aged 36, was jailed for five-and-a-half years after hijacking a retired doctor, 72, by forcing her to hand over her handbag and attempting to drive away in her car. The incident, captured on CCTV, showed Doyle dragging the woman along the front of the vehicle while she clutched her bag. He was convicted of seizing a vehicle by force or threat and robbery of a handbag and its contents. Doyle pleaded guilty and had 104 prior convictions, including one Circuit Court robbery. Judge Melanie Greally highlighted the serious threat to the victim's safety, noting Doyle's heroin and crack cocaine addiction as the motive. She sentenced him to seven years, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, and praised his remorse and efforts to reduce drug use in custody.
In September 2020 a 16‑year‑old boy, still a juvenile, robbed a young man of €250 in cash at the Q car park in St Stephen's Green. Ten days later he killed a 39‑year‑old man, Claudio Robu, by kicking him to death in a laneway off Madison Road. The boy, who is now 17, pleaded guilty to the robbery and is serving a life sentence for the murder with a review after eight years. He was sentenced to 18 months' detention for the robbery, to run concurrently with the life sentence. The court noted his chaotic childhood, abandonment, and drug use, and that he had no prior convictions before the robbery. The 18‑month term is to be served at Oberstown detention centre. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a dispute over a mobile phone that was later found in the accused's flat, Scott Byrne, aged 31, stabbed his neighbour Jamie Shortt, aged 28, on 11 July 2020. Byrne and two friends had been at a party celebrating a six‑year‑old's birthday, then joined another party in Shortt's flat where alcohol and cocaine were consumed. After the party, Byrne's friend could not locate his phone and suspected it was in Shortt's flat. Byrne and two others forced entry, and Shortt locked himself in a bathroom. Shortt later armed himself with a hammer and entered Byrne's flat, where Byrne, holding a knife, stabbed Shortt six to eight times around the shoulder and neck. Shortt sustained superficial injuries and fully recovered. Byrne was arrested, tried, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assault causing harm, and was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment. The court noted Byrne's 16 prior convictions, including burglary, theft and violent disorder.
John Daly, aged 41, was sentenced to seven years in prison for a series of armed robberies carried out over five years. He used a large kitchen knife, a claw hammer, a screwdriver and a bottle of beer to threaten staff in Dublin pharmacies, convenience stores and a bookmakers, taking €2,562 and various drugs. Daly pleaded guilty to eight robberies between August and October 2016 and four more between June and September 2020. He had 76 prior convictions, 23 of which were robbery. The court noted his long‑term drug use, family difficulties and limited insight into his offending. He was remanded in custody after his arrest on 2 October 2020. Judge Melanie Greally imposed consecutive terms of eight and a half years, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, including engagement with the Probation Service for 18 months.
Karl Dalton, aged 24, was convicted of violent robbery of a businessman who had purchased over €10,000 worth of mobile phones for his shop. The robbery took place near the victim's home on 16 February 2019, when Dalton and two other gang members attacked the victim, one attempting to stab him and another striking him with a wheel brace. Dalton's fingerprints were found on a car at the scene, linking him to the crime. He pleaded guilty to robbery and was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally to six years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation. The victim's phones, valued between €11,000 and €12,000, were taken and the robbery caused a personal loss as the shop's insurance did not cover them. Dalton has prior convictions for drug possession and traffic offences. He has since claimed to have stopped drug use and is employed.
Judge Martin Nolan imposed a 12‑year prison sentence on Michael "Mikey" Greene (20) for a series of extremely violent robberies and burglaries. Greene beat a couple with a wrench in their home, struck an office worker with a hammer, and held a broken bottle to a man in his seventies. He also used a hammer to assault a sales clerk, attacked workers with scissors, and broke into a private house, hitting the occupants with a wrench. Greene pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery, burglary and assault, and had 51 prior convictions. The judge noted Greene's youth, guilty pleas, chronic drug addiction and some remorse as reasons for suspending three years of the sentence. The court heard that Greene's violent acts caused physical and psychological harm to the victims, but no victim impact statements were read into the record.
A 15‑year‑old boy, whose identity is withheld because he is a minor, is charged with the murder of Urantsetseg Tserendorj, a Mongolian national who lived in Dublin. Ms Tserendorj was stabbed on her walk home from work at 9:30 pm on 20 January 2021 at the Custom House Quay building and died two weeks later at Mater Hospital. The boy also faces charges of possession of a knife and robbery arising from the same incident. Judge Paul McDermott set a trial date of 14 March 2022 and urged a swift, appropriate proceeding.
Dylan Deegan, 24, pleaded guilty to three robberies – €684 from Cash for Clothes (July 2020), €684 from Insomnia Café (February 2021) and a prior robbery of a man at Back Lane Hostel (April 2020). He also admitted producing a knife on 2 July 2020. He had 15 prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to three years for the July 2020 robbery and 18 months for the February 2021 robbery, both to run consecutively with his earlier three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for a violent mugging in April 2020. The judge suspended both new sentences on strict conditions, including three years of probation. Deegan had approached a solicitor's office, claiming he wanted to hand himself in after the February 2021 robbery, stating he was suicidal, drug‑addicted and wanted to go to prison. The court noted he had no knife at the time of the February robbery and that the cash was never recovered.
At the Special Criminal Court, William Twomey, 58, was sentenced for his role in the 2017 attack on businessman Edward McAndrew in Omeath, Co Louth. Twomey, who pleaded not guilty, was found guilty of assault causing harm, demanding £50,000 with menaces, and robbing McAndrew of various items including a passport and mobile phones. He was found not guilty of false imprisonment. The judge described Twomey as the initiator of a joint enterprise, noting that the violent outcome exceeded his contemplation. He received a headline sentence of two years for the assault and four years for the robbery and demanding money with menaces. The last year of the robbery and demanding money sentences was suspended for two years, resulting in two years' imprisonment on each charge to be served concurrently. The sentence was backdated to August 29, 2023. Twomey signed a €100 bond upon release. Co-accused Thomas McGuinness, who also pleaded not guilty, was acquitted of all charges on September 30. Separately, Anthony Finglas, 49, pleaded guilty to demanding money with menaces and was jailed for four years and nine months.
A 22‑year‑old man was sentenced to one year and ten months in prison for defilement after a Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty of having sex with a 15‑year‑old girl at a Dublin house party in June 2018. The victim, who is unnamed to protect her identity, gave a victim impact statement in which she said the offence had a massive toll on her life and mental well‑being, robbed her of her virginity, and caused a loss of motivation for her studies. She described herself as standoffish with men and said the man's actions had made her feel like a liar. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Coffey, noted the defendant's 107 previous convictions, mainly for theft and burglary, and his history of alcohol and drug abuse, but also that he had no prior sexual offences. The unnamed 22-year-old pleaded not guilty.
David Savage, 29, was found guilty of three robberies and two attempted robberies committed in Dublin between December 2019 and January 2020. He first tried to rob Paddy Powers on Manor Street with a toy gun and a Halloween skeleton mask, but fled after a panic alarm was triggered. He then attempted to rob an An Post office and a Lidl store, the latter resulting in a €1,765 theft before he fled. On 14 January 2020 he robbed a Burger King, threatening a cashier with a knife. Savage admitted to daily heroin use and a drug debt that pressured him into the offences. He presented himself at Garda stations, expressed remorse, and sought rehabilitation. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to five years, suspending the final year on strict conditions, including 12 months' probation supervision.
Elvis Chiriac, aged 35, was sentenced to two years in prison, with the final six months suspended, after pleading guilty to 15 counts of theft at AIB ATMs and banks in Dublin between 8 and 10 January 2020. He used a rented GoCar and a "Transaction Reversal Fraud" technique to withdraw €8,520 from 22 ATMs over three days, damaging several machines. Gardaí traced his movements using the GoCar's GPS and CCTV footage from a Centra shop, identifying him at the ATMs. Chiriac's prior convictions for fraud and money laundering in Romania were considered, as were his efforts to address a drug habit and his impact on his partner and young family. The €3,000 he brought to court was ordered to be paid to a charity nominated by the bank. The case was heard by Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Judge Pauline Codd, presiding over the sentencing of Marcin Konar, a 43‑year‑old former Lidl store manager, highlighted the duty of bookmakers to scrutinise accounts that receive large sums of stolen money. Konar had stolen €26,600 from Lidl between February and May 2018, using the cash to fund an online gambling addiction. He admitted the theft, confessed to the gardaí, and expressed remorse, claiming he intended to repay the money. Codd noted that the stolen funds had been transferred to an online gambling account, effectively "walking into the sunset" for the bookmaker. She imposed a suspended two‑year imprisonment, suspended in its entirety for four years, and required Konar to hand over €3,700, repay a minimum of €500 monthly to Lidl, and comply with strict conditions. The judge urged the gardaí to investigate the bookmaker's handling of the proceeds, as no prior inquiry had been made. Marcin Konar pleaded guilty.
David Tyrell, a 36‑year‑old gym manager from Firhouse, Dublin, was found guilty of stealing €22,264 from his employer by redirecting payments from the online voucher site Pigsback.com to his own bank account. He had been tasked with changing the password for accessing the payments and used that opportunity to alter the bank account details. Tyrell pleaded guilty to four counts of theft at Permanent TSB in Tallaght between April and August 2016 and had three prior convictions for road traffic offences. He resigned when the theft was discovered and later made full restitution. Judge Melanie Greally, noting the full repayment and lack of further offending, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year prison sentence that was fully suspended on strict conditions, citing Tyrell as a low‑risk offender. The court recorded that the case had been adjourned previously to allow the restitution to be completed.
Maura Keogh, 60, former accounts manager at CS Construction Spares Ltd, stole €23,366 from her employer by forging bank lodgement slips. She pleaded guilty to 18 theft charges and three false accounting counts for the period 31 December 2015 to 6 September 2016. Keogh, the sole breadwinner of her household, admitted the theft after a discrepancy was discovered in August 2016 and was dismissed in September 2016. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced her to two‑and‑a‑half years imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions, after noting her remorse, repayment of the stolen amount, lack of prior convictions and low risk of reoffending. The case caused a restructuring of the company's Dublin premises and job losses for several colleagues. The judge described the offence as a serious aberration from an otherwise law‑abiding life.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Noel Shannon, a 40‑year‑old electrician from Finglas, admitted to taking photographs of a Garda intelligence board that listed personal details of 108 individuals involved in ongoing investigations. The board, located at Kilmainham Garda Station, was accessed by Shannon on 13 March 2019 while he was contracted to check emergency lighting. He later sent the images to two other electricians, and the pictures were subsequently shared on social media under the caption "never let an electrician into a garda station." The case is noted as the first criminal breach of the Data Protection Act 2018 to be prosecuted on indictment. Shannon, who has four prior convictions including theft and a public order offence, pleaded guilty to disclosing personal data without authorisation. He was remanded on bail, with the matter scheduled for finalisation on 17 December.
Brendan 'Benny' Treanor (34) of Dundalk, Co Louth, appeared at the Special Criminal Court to be charged with two offences relating to the January 23, 2013, robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead. Treanor is accused of entering residential premises as trespassers with the intention of stealing vehicle keys, contrary to Common Law, and robbing Pat Bellew of approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques, contrary to Section 14 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001. The court heard that a co-accused male is currently in custody in the UK, with an international warrant issued for his presence in Ireland. Defence counsel indicated a potential application regarding the court's jurisdiction and estimated the trial could last up to four months. The prosecution requested a 2022 trial date due to the volume of material. Presiding Judge Tony Hunt fixed October 3, 2022, as the trial date and December 21, 2021, for a progress mention. Separately, Aaron Brady (30) of Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was previously sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Det Gda Donohoe, a case that lasted 122 court days.
A man has been convicted at the Special Criminal Court of handling nearly €104,000 in proceeds from an organised ATM theft gang that stole approximately €790,000 across the Border region. Niall Finnegan, aged 39, was arrested at Tullypole, County Meath, with the cash in his possession. The court heard that between 2019 and the time of arrests two years later, the gang used excavators to forcibly remove ATMs from locations in Cavan and Monaghan, causing significant criminal damage during six raids and attempted raids. In one August 2019 operation on Virginia's Main Street, gardaí witnessed a stolen digger in convoy with a stolen Land Cruiser before intervening. A subsequent search of a Virginia site yielded €298,000. Finnegan admitted possessing the money knowing or believing it was criminal proceeds. The presiding judge stated the accused faced a custodial sentence, describing the thefts as highly organised. Sentencing was adjourned pending background reports.
Anthony Behan, 62, was convicted of impeding the apprehension of his brother during the violent armed robbery of Mizzoni's Pizza on New Year's Day 2019. He was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment by Judge Martin Nolan on 3 April 2020. His counsel, Michael O'Higgins SC, appealed the length of the sentence, arguing that the three months and four days he had spent in custody before bail should be credited. The High Court, presided over by Justice George Birmingham, granted the appeal, effectively back‑dating the sentence so that Behan's release would be on 7 October 2022 instead of 11 January 2022. The appeal also noted that Behan's separate appeal against conviction had been abandoned. The case was heard after a jury trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 28 February 2020, where both Anthony and his brother Joseph were found guilty of their respective roles in the robbery.
The Central Criminal Court is set to resume with several high-profile matters, including the appeal of Aaron Brady. Brady, 30, was convicted by an 11-to-1 majority jury verdict for the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe in January 2013. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years, plus a concurrent 14-year sentence for robbery. His appeal is expected in 2022. Other upcoming trials include that of Sameer Syed, 37, accused of murdering his wife Seema Banu and their two children in Rathfarnham in October 2021; his trial is scheduled for June 15, 2022. Michael Scott, 55, faces trial on January 11, 2022, for the alleged murder of Chrissie Treacy in Portumna in 2018. Stephen Silver, 44, is charged with the murder of Garda Colm Horkan in Castlerea in June 2020; his trial is also set for June 15, 2022. Additionally, an appeal by Boy B regarding the 2018 murder of Ana Kriegel is expected before the Court of Appeal. Boy B and Boy A were found guilty in 2019; both were 13 at the time, denied the offences, and were remanded to Oberstown Detention Centre.
Dermot O'Callaghan, 55, was sentenced to an additional eight years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, for the armed robbery of Ulster Bank in Stillorgan on 26 September 2017. He pleaded guilty under Section 27B of the Firearms Act to possession of an imitation firearm with intent to rob. The robbery involved a gun pressed into a bank worker's chest, forcing staff to drop to the floor and comply with demands for €13,200 in cash and £800 sterling. O'Callaghan was already serving an eight‑year sentence for robbery and firearms possession, set to expire in February 2024, and the new term is to run consecutively. The court noted his guilty plea, addiction to heroin, and personal circumstances as mitigating factors, but also his aggressive conduct during the robbery. The sentence was imposed by Judge Pauline Codd.
Samuel Ilesanmi, 22, an amateur heavyweight boxer from Tallaght, pleaded guilty to multiple thefts of cigarettes at Centra, Castletymon Shopping Centre, Dublin, between September 2019 and August 2020. Garda David Jennings presented evidence that €114,863 worth of cigarettes were stolen, with CCTV linking Ilesanmi to the offences. Ilesanmi admitted to the thefts, citing influence from "the wrong people" and offers of money for cigarette sleeves. He had no prior convictions. During the sentencing hearing, letters of support were submitted, including one from champion boxer Kellie Harrington praising his potential. Ilesanmi expressed remorse, noting that the financial gain gave him a false sense of purpose. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three years imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions, acknowledging his remorse and future prospects.
A man has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his conviction for a four-day assault on a teenager in County Cavan in October 2019. The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault, false imprisonment, assault causing serious harm, making threats to kill, assault causing harm and robbery. He subjected the victim, then aged 19, to violence based on an unfounded belief that the victim had informed on him. Two co-accused, twin siblings aged 23, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and assault causing harm. The male twin received five years imprisonment with the final two-and-a-half years suspended, while the female twin, previously sentenced in May, received four years with the final three years and three months suspended. The assault came to an end after material posted to social media alerted the victim's family, who located him using a phone tracking device. Mr Justice Michael White imposed strict conditions including probation service supervision and therapeutic intervention on the suspended sentences.
Niall Finnegan, 39, of Cherry Grove, Cullyhanna, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possessing or handling more than €100,000 of stolen ATM cash. The offence occurred on 20 August 2019 at The Yard, Tullypole, Moynalty, Co Meath, where he had the money for the benefit of, or at the direction of, or in association with, a criminal organisation. The court also considered a second count of handling or possessing €103,930, knowing or being reckless about its criminal provenance, and a third count for aiding the movement of cash in a Toyota Avensis to facilitate a serious offence by the same organisation. Finnegan's bail conditions were relaxed to a single daily sign‑on, a two‑week holiday in August, and removal of his curfew. He remains remanded until a sentencing hearing on 5 October.
Kelly Noble, 36, of Hogan Court, Dublin, pleaded guilty to two violent robberies in the city centre on 24 September 2017, one of which left a victim needing an ambulance. She also pleaded guilty to two attempted robbery counts. The court noted her previous six‑year imprisonment for manslaughter and 20 other convictions. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced her to four years' imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation. The judge highlighted that Noble acted under a male accomplice's instructions but was responsible for her actions. The sentencing reflected her traumatic early life and recent attempts at stability and reformed relationships with her children and mother. The court emphasised that the offences caused great anxiety and were not inconsequential. The sentence was imposed at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Samantha Irwin, 37, lost her appeal against a five‑year sentence for a syringe‑assisted robbery at Real Brazil in Dublin on 20 September 2018. During the incident she grabbed the shop assistant by the jumper, uncapped a syringe and tried to strike her arm; the assistant pulled her arm out of the jumper and the robbery was stopped. Irwin handed over €55 to the shop manager. She was identified by a bloodstained post‑it that fell from her pocket, which Gardai matched to her DNA. The court noted her 19 prior convictions, mainly traffic offences, and the use of a syringe as a key factor in sentencing. The judge suspended 18 months of the five‑year term; the appeal was dismissed by Justice Patrick McCarthy, who found no error in the original sentencing. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Samantha Irwin pleaded guilty.
Trevor Byrne, aged 41, was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to consecutive jail terms totalling 17½ years for a series of firearms offences and an armed robbery of Boylesports bookmakers in Swords on 19 March 2010. The robbery involved two men and included possession of a loaded 9 mm Luger‑calibre Radom 35 firearm, false imprisonment, a threat to kill, and hijacking a woman's car at gunpoint. Byrne had 44 prior convictions and was already serving a nine‑year sentence for a firearms offence that began in November 2019. The judge imposed eight‑and‑a‑half years for the robbery and false imprisonment, six‑and‑a‑half years for the threat to kill, and seven‑and‑a‑half years each for the firearm possession and car hijacking, with all five sentences running concurrently but consecutively to the earlier firearms conviction. The sentences were reduced by a total of 12 months for mitigation and rehabilitation considerations. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
A 19-year-old was subjected to a four-day ordeal of assault, false imprisonment and sexual abuse at a house in County Cavan between October 17th and 20th, 2019, the Central Criminal Court heard. The main male accused, aged 27, developed an irrational belief that the victim had informed gardaí about him following their joint arrest for drug possession in Dublin. Based on this misconception, he subjected the victim to sustained violence, stabbing him with knives, cutting a crescent shape into his face, and sexually assaulting him. A female co-accused carved the numbers 666 into the victim's forehead, while her twin brother struck the victim with a wrench and dumbbell. Material from the incident was uploaded to Snapchat, enabling the victim's family to locate and rescue him. The main accused pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault, assault causing serious harm, false imprisonment, threats to kill, assault causing harm and robbery. He was sentenced to eleven years imprisonment with the final two years suspended. His female co-accused received four years imprisonment with three years and three months suspended.
Alan Melia, 27, was arrested by Gardaí on a stakeout in Tallaght Village after being caught with a stolen BMW 520. He had pleaded guilty to possession of the vehicle on 29 September 2020. Melia had 92 prior convictions, including theft, vehicle‑related offences, burglary, criminal damage and arson. The BMW was found in the New Bancroft Apartments car park; officers observed him approaching the car, taking items from behind the rear bumper, and entering it. He was taken into custody with a key, pliers and gloves. The car was damaged and written off by the insurer. Melia's defence cited his ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder diagnoses and a difficult upbringing. The court imposed a two‑year imprisonment sentence for handling the stolen car, activated 18 months of a suspended sentence, and left 12 months suspended for a year. The case remains at the sentencing stage.