In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Limerick resident Pat Sheedy, 51, faced a new fraud charge after admitting he scammed a Westmeath publican, Con Gilsenan, out of €548 by promising four "premium" rugby match tickets that never arrived. Sheedy had previously pleaded guilty to the theft in January 2019 and had a history of 59 fraud convictions, many involving deception. He has a chronic gambling addiction and has engaged in treatment since custody. Judge Karen O'Connor, after hearing the victim's distress, granted Sheedy a "one last chance" by suspending a two‑year prison term for four years, conditional on maintaining peace and continuing gambling‑addiction treatment. Sheedy remains in custody for other offences, with a release date in January 2023. The court noted he had already repaid the stolen money. The hearing highlighted his ongoing struggle with gambling and the court's willingness to offer a conditional reprieve.
In a case heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Paddy Lynch, a 36‑year‑old homeless man from Ashlawn Court, Bray, pleaded guilty to one count of trespass and criminal damage after breaking into the General Register Office on Werburgh Street, Dublin, on 9 May. Lynch entered the closed building shortly after midnight, triggered an alarm, broke an electronic gate and damaged an internal security door with a metal object. He claimed he was looking for a place to sleep. Garda Greg Moroney reported that Lynch was intoxicated and a needle was found nearby. The damage amounted to €8,000, with the electronic gate alone costing €7,000 to repair. No documents were harmed. Lynch, who has prior convictions for burglary and theft, has remained in custody. Judge Melanie Greally ordered a Probation Services report and adjourned the case to 23 February.
Two Cork men, Niall Fitzpatrick (53) and Jerry O'Leary (62), appealed their seven‑year sentences for a burglary at a home in Charleville on 19 October 2023. The crime, described as carefully planned, targeted an elderly couple who were away at Mass. The men were caught by armed Gardaí after an intelligence‑led investigation. Fitzpatrick had 70 prior convictions, including escape and post office robbery; O'Leary had 48, eight of them burglary. Their counsel argued that mitigating factors such as age, health issues, and the fact that Fitzpatrick had never seen his child due to the pandemic had been insufficiently considered, and that a portion of the sentences should have been suspended to encourage rehabilitation. The Court of Appeal, presiding over the appeal, will decide on Monday. The case highlights the seriousness of the planning and the lack of aggravating factors such as violence or weapons. The appeal is pending. Niall Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty. Jerry O'Leary pleaded guilty.
A woman from Kiltoom, County Roscommon, has pleaded guilty to theft and forgery offences at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Nicola Henry, aged 32, admitted forging colleagues' signatures on 37 cheques while serving as secretary of a Johnson & Johnson social club, obtaining €17,326 which she spent on luxury holidays to Australia, Sri Lanka and Dubai, along with restaurants, shopping and beauty treatments. A further €3,233 was spent using a company credit card after the initial thefts came to light in August 2015. Ten cheques totalling €35,340 were unsuccessful. Henry pleaded guilty to three counts of theft and two counts of attempted theft, along with two counts of making a false instrument. A total of 65 additional counts were taken into consideration. The court heard she failed to appear at several earlier hearings, resulting in her arrest. Judge Pauline Codd ordered psychological and probation reports and remanded Henry in custody pending sentencing on 8 March 2021.
A 65‑year‑old woman, Lynda Goldsmith, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, with 14 months suspended, after pleading guilty to four counts of stealing cash and one of theft of an ATM card from a 90‑year‑old friend while the victim was in hospital. Goldsmith had taken more than €2,700 from the victim's bank account over three months, using the victim's debit card and a stolen ATM card, and had also taken an unquantified amount from the victim's purse. The judge noted that the thefts were aggravated by the victim's illness and that Goldsmith had memorised the victim's PIN. Goldsmith's guilty plea, admissions, ill health and remorse were considered in mitigation. She will serve 14 months of probation and is prohibited from unsupervised volunteer care work. The victim's son gave a victim impact statement describing the thefts as a profound loss of security and trust. The case was prosecuted by the Gardaí.
Thomas Griffin, 47, a regular patron of BoyleSports in Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbery on 15 July 2018. He entered the bookmakers after closing, followed a staff member through a staff door, and demanded money from a woman behind the till. Using a toilet brush handle he had taken from a toilet in the premises, he threatened the staff but no one was injured. Griffin was identified on CCTV and received €500 in notes and coins before leaving. He had eight prior convictions, including drug possession. In court, he explained the robbery was a spur‑of‑the‑moment act driven by gambling problems. Judge Elma Sheahan, noting his familiarity with the victims and his efforts to stop gambling, imposed a two‑year prison sentence fully suspended for three years, with strict probation conditions for 18 months.
At the Special Criminal Court, books of evidence were served on five men accused of ATM thefts and related offences in Cavan and Monaghan. The accused are Daniel O'Callaghan, Ciaran Duffy, Gerard Duffy, Niall Finnegan, and Stephen Duffy. O'Callaghan, a former Crossmaglen footballer, is charged with 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. He also faces charges of theft and criminal damage involving an ATM in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, in April 2019. Additionally, he is accused of possessing €298,000, a petrol can, a stolen Toyota Landcruiser, a stolen 14-tonne digger, bolt-cutters, and a stolen flatbed trailer. Ciaran and Gerard Duffy are charged with participating in the movement and possession of cash to facilitate a criminal organisation, as well as the attempted ATM thefts in Virginia and Castleblayney. They are also accused of possessing the stolen digger, trailer, Landcruiser, bolt-cutters, and petrol can, and handling sums of €280,900, €103,930, and €22,000. Niall Finnegan and Stephen Duffy are accused of participating in the movement of and handling €103,930. All charges are alleged or contested. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, sitting with Judges Sarah Berkeley and Michael Walsh, remanded all five men on continuing bail until February 1, when their cases are listed for mention again.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Pauline Codd praised Garda Fergus Holly's bravery after he was dragged and run over by a car driven by Clive Sweeney, 37, who was attempting to flee from Dundrum Town Centre. Sweeney, who had 85 prior convictions and was on bail, pleaded guilty to endangerment and failing to stop. Holly sustained bruising and a permanent finger injury. The judge noted Sweeney's reckless driving, his guilty plea, remorse, and personal circumstances, including drug addiction. She imposed a four‑year sentence, suspending the final year on the condition of one year of probation supervision, and a ten‑year driving ban. The incident involved a blue Fiat Bravo that had been used in a theft at Snow and Rock earlier that month. The judge commended Holly for his courage and acknowledged the aggravating factor that Sweeney knew Holly was a garda.
Michael Geoghegan, 36, a former Crufts best dog handler, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three knife‑point muggings on Rathbeale Road, Swords, on 18 August last year. He also admitted producing a large kitchen knife to intimidate victims and an iron drill bit and knife while resisting arrest. The court heard he threatened a garda who chased him, and that he had a history of drug addiction and 52 prior convictions, including robbery with an imitation firearm in 2005. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, suspending the final year on strict conditions, including six months of probation after release. Geoghegan had handed €2,500 to the victims as a gesture of remorse. The case involved three random women who were robbed at knife‑point in the morning, with Geoghegan demanding cash and threatening to stab them. The garda was disarmed with a baton after Geoghegan lunged at him.
Dubliner William Morrison (56) appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sentence after pleading guilty to the robbery of An Post on St Andrew Street, Dublin, on April 16. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a sentence of five and a half years on Morrison, of Kilmartin Drive, Fettercairn, Tallaght. The court heard that a 64-year-old post office worker discovered Morrison behind the counter stuffing cash into his pockets. During a struggle, Morrison allegedly grabbed a large pair of scissors, but the worker disarmed him and forced him to the floor. Defending counsel Stephen Montgomery BL told the court that Morrison, a recovering drug addict, turned to hard drugs at 35 after suffering systematic sexual and emotional abuse at a reformatory school in the 1970s. He described the incident as an opportunistic crime committed to feed a drug habit, noting Morrison's 286 previous convictions, including 64 for theft. Judge Greally acknowledged Morrison's difficult childhood and his current engagement with psychiatric services through the National Drugs Treatment Centre. She suspended the final 18 months of the sentence to motivate Morrison to continue addressing his addiction issues. The matter was finalised with this custodial order.
Patrick O'Grady, 37, of Carrickmount Drive, Rathfarnham, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a knife‑point robbery at Daybreak, Beaumont Avenue, Churchtown, on 20 June 2020. He had 29 prior convictions, including burglary, theft and drug possession. Garda Declan O'Connor described how O'Grady entered the shop with a hood and black scarf, walked behind the counter, drew a knife and demanded both tills be opened. The shopkeepers complied and he stole about €750 before leaving. CCTV footage identified him and showed him waiting outside before the robbery. O'Grady, who began using drugs at 12 and is now clean while in custody, was on temporary release during the offence. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to two‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions and ordering the sentence to run consecutively with the one he is currently serving. The sentence is set to run until March 2021.
Jonathan Grimes, aged 33, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for burglary offences. He pleaded guilty to stealing a €300 tablet from the Irish Whiskey Museum on 8 February 2019, and to two burglaries at Bewley's café on 23 February and 6 March 2019. In the first café burglary he entered a women's changing room and stole a cash belt; in the second, with a companion, he stole a bottle of gin and a laptop valued at about €1,500. He had 161 prior convictions, including burglary, robbery and theft. The court noted he was on bail for the first burglary when the later offences occurred. He was sentenced to four years for the museum burglary and three and four years for the café burglaries, to run consecutively, giving an eight‑year term with the final two years suspended on strict conditions. No stolen property was recovered.
James Maughan, 35, was arrested after a 30‑minute high‑speed pursuit in Dublin during which he drove while disqualified, intoxicated, and dangerously. He was found to have 13 stolen power tools worth €6,500 in his vehicle and tested positive for cannabis and cocaine. Maughan claimed he was heading to his child's birthday party. He pleaded guilty to possessing stolen goods, driving while intoxicated, driving without insurance, and two counts of dangerous driving. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced him to 18 months' imprisonment and a 15‑year driving disqualification. The judge cited his 160‑previous convictions, including dangerous driving, as an aggravating factor. Maughan's defence noted his severe psychotic disorder and ongoing treatment with the HSE. The stolen tools were largely returned to their owners.
In a laneway on Adare Lane, Andrew Stammers died of a drug overdose during the night of 19 October 2017. Owen Comerford (34) and his accomplice, John Murdiff (33), entered the lane and rummaged through Stammers' pockets, taking cigarettes, cash and other items. They later returned to alert emergency services, staying with Stammers until medical help arrived. The court heard that Stammers had been off drugs for years and had been a recovering addict. Judge Melanie Greally found the theft an opportunistic crime against a vulnerable man who was either dead or dying, imposing an 18‑month prison term. Comerford's earlier convictions for burglary and threatening offences added an additional five and a half years, with 12 months suspended on condition of drug‑treatment participation. Murdiff received a two‑year sentence for his role in the theft. The case highlighted the distress caused to Stammers' grieving partner and the broader impact on the community. Owen Comerford pleaded guilty.
A 21‑year‑old teenager, Xolani Mdakani, was found guilty of assaulting a woman in a laneway on 9 February 2018. He grabbed her in a headlock, threatened her, and struck her with a bottle while she tried to escape. A woman in an apartment shouted at him, prompting him to flee. The incident was captured on CCTV, which Mdakani admitted to being. He has 36 prior convictions, including assault, theft, burglary and trespass. Mdakani, who arrived in Ireland from South Africa as an unaccompanied minor around age 13, has been in custody since last October. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and is expected to be sentenced early next year, with sentencing adjourned to 23 February 2021. The case has been referred to the Probation Service. The victim declined to give a victim impact statement. The court noted Mdakani's remorse and his desire to return to South Africa after his sentence.
Mohammad Bah, a 20-year-old part-time employee at a United Parcel Service facility in Finglas, County Dublin, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of phones on August 2, 2019. The court heard that Bah was caught by company investigators with five stolen phones hidden in his trousers and work boots. He admitted to participating in a group of employees who stole, sold, and divided profits from the devices. Although Bah stated he was initially a lookout, he later became directly involved in the thefts. The total value of the phones in his possession was just over €1,900. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Elma Sheahan noted that Bah had no previous convictions and was working to support himself while studying. The judge ordered the €1,900 held by the defense to be donated to St Vincent de Paul. She also directed Bah to engage in a restorative justice programme and ordered a probation report. The matter was adjourned for sentencing on March 5 next year. The report notes that another individual involved in the alleged operation is currently before the courts, but no specific plea or sentence was recorded for that person in this proceeding.
A High Court judge in Dublin ordered the surrender of Laurence 'Larry' Connors, 29, to the United Kingdom to face three burglary charges linked to alleged thefts of clothing, jewellery, accessories and cash exceeding £100,000 from homes in Kilbride, Hamilton and Cumbernauld, Glasgow, in January 2018. The European Arrest Warrant, issued in November 2019, states the offences are aggravated by a connection with a serious organised crime organisation. Connors, already in custody on other matters and scheduled for release from prison in 2026, was arrested under the warrant in May 2020. He had previously been sentenced in February 2020 by Cork Circuit Criminal Court to ten years, with the final two years suspended, for burglary, possession of stolen property and endangerment of Gardaí. Connors has appealed the severity of that sentence. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Coffey, ordered his surrender but postponed the transfer to March 22, 2021, by which time his appeal is expected to be finalised.
Karl Fields, a 26‑year‑old father of two from Ballymun, was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment for acting as a lookout during a cocaine‑cutting operation that yielded almost €70,000 worth of cocaine. He pleaded guilty to possession of more than €13,000 of cocaine for sale or supply at a Finglas address on 3 January 2018. The court noted that Fields had a drug debt of about €28,000 and that his parents had died of overdoses, with him placed in state care at 13. He had 173 prior convictions, including drug possession and theft. Judge Karen O'Connor imposed a three‑year, nine‑month sentence, suspending the final two years on strict conditions. The court also heard that his co‑accused received a four‑year sentence with the last two years suspended.
Niall Byrne, 37, of Crumlin Road Flats, withdrew his appeal against a 10‑year sentence for conspiracy to rob Securicor of €2.08 million and for being the 'inside man' in a €2 million cash‑in‑transit robbery that involved the tiger kidnapping of Paul Richardson's family. The robbery took place on 14 March 2005, when the gang forced Richardson to deliver the cash to a carpark after holding his wife and teenage sons at gunpoint in the Dublin Mountains. Byrne had previously pleaded not guilty to the kidnapping and robbery charges. The Court of Appeal had upheld the convictions earlier in the year, noting that Byrne's role was central to the operation. After the judge warned that the court could increase or decrease the sentence, Byrne's counsel, Feargal Kavanagh SC, withdrew the appeal, accepting the court's decision. The case had spanned five trials and two appeals over 11 years.
Chrissy Mwandira, a 23-year-old Malawian national, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct. She pleaded guilty to possessing €10,000 in stolen funds deposited into her account on September 18, 2018. Prosecution evidence indicated that emails regarding a payment from the Peninsula Group to the Herbert Group were hacked, allowing false bank details to be substituted. Mwandira stated she had met an individual on the dating app Tinder, whom she believed was a romantic contact assisting her with school fees. She provided her bank details to this person and was shocked when the funds appeared. The judge noted there was no suggestion Mwandira was linked to the hacking or had offered her account for the offence. Judge Melanie Greally described the case as one of negligence rather than intent, characterizing Mwandira as a diligent, hard-working person who was taken in and cast aside. Mwandira, who has no previous convictions, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. However, the sentence was suspended in full on strict conditions. The court also ordered that €500 in compensation, raised by the defendant, be handed over to the injured party.
Ian O'Sullivan, aged 32, appealed against a 12‑year prison sentence for a violent robbery of Thomas Lonergan in Clonmel on 26 February 2017. The Court of Appeal, led by Justice John Edwards, found the headline sentence excessive, noting a lack of guidance for judges on robbery. O'Sullivan's offence was deemed a serious instance of robbery with significant culpability but no weapon was used and the attack was spontaneous. The court re‑sentenced him to six years' imprisonment, suspending the final year on conditions, and upheld a €2,000 compensation order. Lonergan suffered severe physical and psychological harm, including blurred vision and diabetic complications, and his family relocated due to fear of further attacks. The appeal focused solely on the sentence, not on the facts of the robbery. The unnamed 32-year-old pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Karl Fields, aged 26, pleaded guilty to possession of more than €13,000 of cocaine for sale or supply at Abbotstown Avenue, Finglas, on 3 January 2018. The court heard that Fields had a drug debt of about €28,000 and that he acted as a lookout while others "cut" the cocaine inside the house. Four men were present in the kitchen when Garda David Moran and his colleagues entered on a search warrant; two escaped, while Fields and a co‑accused were arrested. Gardaí seized large bowls of white powder, a blender, a hydraulic press, weighing scales and mobile phones, with the total value of cocaine found at €69,074. Fields has 173 prior convictions, including drug offences, theft, knife possession, traffic and public order offences. The co‑accused received a four‑year sentence with the final two years suspended earlier in the month.
Ian O'Sullivan, 32, appealed the 12‑year sentence he received for a 2017 unprovoked assault on Thomas Lonergan in Clonmel. O'Sullivan, one of three attackers, was found guilty of robbery after a CCTV‑recorded attack in which Lonergan was punched, kicked, and forced to hand over money and a phone. Lonergan suffered severe injuries, hospital treatment, eight weeks out of work, blurred vision, and long‑term health complications, including diabetic shock. O'Sullivan had 18 prior convictions, including assault and knife possession. Judge Thomas Teehan imposed a 12‑year term with four years suspended and a €2,000 compensation order. O'Sullivan's lawyer argued the sentence was too harsh, citing the victim's impact, while the DPP defended the judge's decision. The Court of Appeal will decide on Thursday.
Conor Freeman, 21, of Glenageary Court, Dun Laoghaire, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to just under three years for knowingly possessing the proceeds of crime – 142.75682712 Bitcoin – and for stealing cryptocurrency from three victims in May 2018. He pleaded guilty to the thefts, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, to aiding and abetting wire fraud, and to aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft. The High Court heard that the US is seeking his extradition on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of aiding and abetting wire fraud and four counts of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft, with a potential sentence of up to 108 years if convicted. Freeman's plea and cooperation were cited as mitigating factors, and his custodial sentence was reduced to two years and 11 months to credit time already spent in custody. The extradition request may be affected by his Irish conviction.
Edward Wall, 46, was sentenced to nine months in prison for a series of burglaries in which he repeatedly entered unoccupied bars in open pubs during daylight hours and stole alcohol. Lawyers for Wall told the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that most of his 68 prior burglary convictions involved this pattern of theft. Garda Niall Cunningham described how Wall slipped into closed bar areas and took drinks, noting that the judge considered this his "specialisation". In November 2019, Wall entered the Vat House bar in Temple Bar, slipped behind the bar, and stole two bottles of Jameson whiskey; the theft was discovered later during a stock take and CCTV footage was examined. On 10 January, he entered a bar at the Mercantile Hotel on Dame Street, again walked behind an unmanned bar, and was confronted by staff while holding a bottle of whiskey. Wall pleaded guilty to trespass and theft on both occasions.
Conor Freeman, aged 21, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three years imprisonment for his role in an online theft of $2.19 million worth of cryptocurrencies. He pleaded guilty to possession of the proceeds of crime, specifically 142.75682712 Bitcoin, and to stealing $100,000 in cryptocurrency from Darran Marble, $1,921,335 from Seth Sharpiro, and $167,622.22 from Micheal Templeman between 15 and 18 May 2018. Freeman also pleaded guilty to three counts of dishonestly operating a computer for gain during the same period. He had no prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan noted mitigating factors such as Freeman's guilty plea, cooperation, youth, and lack of prior offences, but imposed a custodial sentence to punish and deter. The sentence was reduced to two years and 11 months crediting time already spent in custody. Freeman's co‑accused are before courts in the United States.
Desmond Murphy, 49, was convicted of attempted robbery and robbery at two south Dublin building societies on 15 February 2018. He first held up a teller at EBS Main Street Blackrock with a gun, forcing the teller to lock the door and push him back into the public area. Fifteen minutes later he returned to EBS Georges Street Dun Laoghaire, pointed a gun at a female staff member and demanded "tiger money" – cash with serial numbers recorded for such incidents. He stole €10,380. CCTV captured a swallow tattoo on his left hand. Gardaí recovered €8,320 from his home, some matching the tiger‑money serials. Murphy has 51 prior convictions, has attended a drug rehabilitation course, and his lawyers argued he had turned his life around. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to 18 months, noting the gun was likely an imitation but the threat was serious. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Desmond Murphy pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Conor Freeman, aged 21, pleaded guilty to knowingly possessing proceeds of crime, amounting to 142.75682712 Bitcoin, and to stealing cryptocurrency from three victims in May 2018. He admitted to stealing $100,000 from Darran Marble, $1,921,335 from Seth Sharpiro, and $167,622.22 from Micheal Templeman. Freeman also pleaded guilty to three counts of dishonestly operating a computer to make a gain between 15 and 18 May 2018. The court noted that Freeman was identified by U.S. Homeland Security as the person behind certain internet handles linked to the offences. He had been part of an online group that targeted individuals with cryptocurrency, using social media to obtain email addresses and phone numbers, and then exploiting password‑reset protocols to access accounts. Freeman's co‑conspirators transferred phone numbers to SIM cards and initiated protocols to gain access.
A 17-year-old defendant, who cannot be identified due to his minor status, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years' detention for the manslaughter of 18-year-old Azzam Raguragui. Mr Justice Paul McDermott delivered the sentence after a jury found the defendant not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter in September. The victim died in May 2019 after being stabbed five times during a fight in Finsbury Park, Dundrum, Dublin 14, which allegedly stemmed from a dispute over a stolen bicycle. The judge noted that while the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the fatal wound was inflicted after the victim fell, the defendant brought a knife to the altercation, an aggravating factor. Further aggravating circumstances included the defendant's failure to seek assistance, his pursuit of the victim while he lay on the ground, and his attempt to dispose of the weapon. CCTV footage showed the defendant celebrating with friends shortly after the attack. Mitigating factors included the defendant's early guilty plea offer, cooperation with gardai, and his young age. Emotional statements were read from the victim's parents, Abdul and Hajiba Raguragui, and cousin Younes Talibi. Abdul Raguragui described being haunted by images of the killer 'high-fiving' friends after the stabbing, while his wife expressed grief over the loss of their 'kind' son. The matter was concluded with the imposition of the custodial sentence.
Gerard Dempsey, 25, a homeless man with no fixed abode, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for robbery at Barrow Street, Ringsend, on 18 May 2020. He attacked a woman at night, stealing her phone to sell it for drugs after Covid‑19 stopped him from receiving charity money. The court noted his substance abuse as the main reason for the offence, and that he had four children with whom he had no contact. The offence was aggravated by its violent nature and the victim's isolation. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year term, suspending the final six months on strict conditions. The case involved a detailed account of the assault, the victim's attempts to escape, and Dempsey's admission of the crime. He had 57 prior convictions, including assault, burglary, theft, criminal damage and threats of serious harm. Gerard Dempsey pleaded guilty.
A 44‑year‑old recovering addict, Albert Redmond, was sentenced to 12½ years in prison for a spree of 20 burglaries, two criminal damage offences, three counts of possession of stolen credit cards, a handbag theft and four deception counts involving stolen cards. The crimes, committed between October 2019 and March 2020 in south Dublin, were linked to a relationship that began after his release from prison. Redmond claimed he had devised strategies to avoid relapse, but the relationship introduced him to a partner with a crack cocaine problem, leading to drug use and further offences. Judge Elma Sheahan, after a probation report, imposed the sentence and suspended the final four and a half years on the condition that Redmond engage with the Probation Service and drug counselling programmes upon release. The judge noted his past drug‑free period in 1996 and his desire to remain drug‑free while in custody.
Tony Hunt, 47, was sentenced to two years in prison after the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found he had no choice but to hold 198 rounds of 9mm Parabellum ammunition. The bullets were moved from a wheelie bin into the spare wheel well of his car when the bins were due for collection. Gardaí discovered the package during a random stop after seeing the car leave a known drug dealer's home in Kildare. Hunt initially claimed the ammunition belonged to a deer‑hunting colleague, later admitting he had been told a package would be left in his bin for 24 hours but did not know its contents. He pleaded guilty to possession of the rounds, which were mainly used in semi‑automatic handguns. Judge Pauline Codd suspended the final three years of a five‑year sentence, requiring Hunt to keep the peace for the entire period. Hunt's only prior conviction was for possession of stolen property in 2004.
Jake O'Neill, aged 22, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for assault causing harm and robbery. In August 2016 he attacked an Austrian doctor and his son outside a café in Temple Bar after they refused to give him money. O'Neill punched the doctor's son and then the doctor, who suffered a broken eye socket, fractures to his cheek and jaw, and lost teeth. In October 2017 he participated in a robbery on James' Street, where he and another person assaulted a man who had given him a cigarette, taking the man's phone, wallet and keys. O'Neill pleaded guilty to both offences, admitted the robbery was an "act of bravado" after drinking and drug use, and was found to have a history of drug addiction. The judge suspended the final six months of the sentence on strict conditions. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Jason Murtagh, a 41‑year‑old former film actor known for roles in The Commitments, The Snapper, The Boxer and In The Name Of The Father, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three years in prison for robbing a Costcutters convenience store on 13 March 2017. Murtagh, who has 126 prior convictions and is a homeless crack cocaine addict, pleaded guilty to the offence. He and an accomplice entered the shop at about 6 a.m., armed with knives, forced a female shop assistant to open the tills, and stole €200 in cash. The store manager, who spotted them on CCTV, pursued them and saw them flee to a nearby flat complex. Murtagh requested custody to aid his rehabilitation, and Judge Pauline Codd imposed a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final 18 months to facilitate his rehabilitation. The judge praised the shop assistant and manager for their courage during the incident.
Philip Dunbar, aged 20, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Adam 'Floater' Muldoon, a 23‑year‑old man with cerebral palsy, who was stabbed 183 times in an unprovoked attack at Butler Park, Jobstown Park, Tallaght on 22 or 23 June 2018. The Central Criminal Court found Dunbar guilty by unanimous jury verdict. The sentencing judge, Mr Justice Paul McDermott, backdated the life sentence to the date of the murder, 24 June 2018, and noted that the victim's family had suffered immense grief. Dunbar's defence argued intoxication and lack of intent, but the jury rejected these claims. The judge also acknowledged that Dunbar had previous convictions under the Theft Act, for possession of drugs and for Road Traffic Act violations. The case remains subject to appeal by Dunbar's counsel. Philip Dunbar pleaded not guilty and was found guilty.
Steven Smith, a 44-year-old former resident of Dundalk, Louth, appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on appeal regarding his conviction for possession and unlawful importation of cocaine. Smith pleaded guilty to concealing 49 pellets of cocaine, valued at €42,920, internally while arriving at Dublin Airport from Brazil via Amsterdam on November 21, 2013. He had previously left Ireland on High Court bail in 2014 but was returned from the United Kingdom in June following a Crime Watch appeal. Judge Martin Nolan noted that Smith, a drug user at the time, acted for reward or debt alleviation and was likely at the lowest level of the trafficking operation. The judge acknowledged Smith's cooperation and admissions. Judge Nolan imposed a sentence of three years and three months, backdated to June to reflect time already spent in custody. Defense counsel Dominick McGinn SC highlighted Smith's history of moving to Canada, his subsequent downward spiral, and his recent efforts to reform, including ending drug use and gaining employment in the UK. The court accepted that the method of importation indicated desperation rather than high-level criminal enterprise. Smith has prior convictions in Canada, the UK, and Ireland for various offences, including assault and theft.
In Lusk, Co Dublin, Declan Turner, aged 23, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, for a string of hold‑ups that took place over a ten‑minute period within 500 metres of each other. The offences, committed on 15 November 2019, included an attempted robbery at Supervalu, a robbery at Gino's takeaway, and an attempted robbery at Orlynn Park. Turner was identified by CCTV, arrested the following day and has been in custody since. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, admitted a drug problem and expressed remorse. The judge, on condition of keeping the peace for the suspended period, required Turner to cooperate with the Probation Service for 18 months and to engage in residential drug treatment if directed. Turner has 33 previous convictions and a history of mental health issues. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the repeated armed robberies.
Anthony Dwyer, aged 28, pleaded guilty to robbery at Manor Pharmacy in Dublin 7 on 28 May 2020. He entered the pharmacy an hour before the robbery, asking about job vacancies and about foot cream. He returned later with a hood on, pulled a screwdriver, demanded a female employee open the till, but she refused and fled. Dwyer opened the till himself and stole €275. He was identified from CCTV footage and arrested. In police interviews he admitted the robbery, claimed he used a pen instead of a screwdriver, and said he had taken crack cocaine that morning. He stated he stole the money to "bribe" his girlfriend to allow him to see his children. He was on bail at the time of the offence. Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced him to three‑and‑a‑half years imprisonment. The court noted his 110 previous convictions, including robbery, attempted robbery and burglary.
Christopher Prentice, 25, of Tallaght, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for two armed carjackings committed on February 6, 2020. Prentice pleaded guilty to two counts of seizing control of a vehicle by force in south Dublin. He also admitted to dangerous driving in Clondalkin and assaulting two gardaí during a high-speed chase that ended when he rammed their patrol car. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Prentice to six and a half years in prison and disqualified him from driving for ten years. The judge noted that Prentice was serving the suspended portion of a January 2019 sentence for dangerous driving of a stolen car when these offences occurred. Prentice had previously been convicted of a carjacking in December 2014. In mitigation, his defense counsel, James Dwyer SC, highlighted Prentice's remorse and his claim that he was grieving the recent death of a cousin while under the influence of alcohol and cannabis. Victims described severe trauma, with one female driver stating she could no longer work in sales due to anxiety, and a taxi driver wishing to leave the profession. The court acknowledged the vulnerability of the victims and the traumatic nature of the attacks.
Patrick Russell, a former barrister aged 57, was sentenced to four years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended, for stealing €235,000 from businessman Paul O'Connell. Russell pretended to arrange the purchase of a warehouse in Co Kildare for O'Connell, using forged deeds and false documents to convince the victim to transfer €15,000 and €5,000 to a UK account and an account in his wife's name, and to pay an additional €215,000 to solicitors who believed the documents were genuine. The solicitors and O'Connell's family later reported the fraud to Gardaí. Russell pleaded guilty to the theft in March 2019 and had previously been struck off the bar in 2012 for professional misconduct. The judge noted Russell's limited criminal history, his cardiac condition, and his willingness to restore the stolen sum, but imposed a custodial sentence because he had not made tangible efforts to return the money. The €215,000 remains frozen in AIB.
James Tracey, 31, a former painter who lost his job in December, held up a cash‑in‑transit van on 6 January 2020 using an imitation firearm. He pointed the realistic pistol at the driver, shouted "drop the box", and the driver froze, then fled. Tracey escaped in a getaway car parked near the M3 motorway, where Garda Emergency Response Unit officers arrested him and a co‑accused. The €27,000 cash box was recovered intact. In court, Tracey pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to commit robbery and to robbery of a cash box. He claimed he had a drug debt and needed money, but the detective superintendent found no evidence of a drug problem. The judge adjourned finalisation to 8 February 2021. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Five men, including a former All-Ireland club footballer, have been charged with a combined 38 new offences at the Special Criminal Court relating to alleged ATM thefts across Cavan and Monaghan. Daniel O'Callaghan, aged 30, a former Crossmaglen player, faces charges concerning an attempted ATM theft in Virginia in August 2019 and a criminal damage and theft matter in Castleblayney in April 2019, both allegedly connected to organised crime. He is also charged with possession of cash and stolen vehicles, including a digger and flatbed trailer. Three brothers—Ciaran Duffy, aged 26, Gerard Duffy, aged 29, and Stephen Duffy, aged 34—alongside Niall Finnegan, aged 38, have been charged with related offences including handling money, possession of stolen property, and facilitating organised crime. All five accused have been released on bail pending further proceedings.
Paul Keating, aged 25, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearms, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. He pleaded guilty on 27 October 2017 to possessing broken shotgun parts that could not be assembled or fired. Gardaí found the parts during a drug search for cocaine at his home in Brookhaven Grove, Blanchardstown, Dublin. Keating had agreed to hold the parts in exchange for a €1,000 reduction of a €2,000 drug debt, which he later paid off with family help. He claimed he had not used the parts or attempted to fire them between February and October 2017. The court noted he had not reported the offence to the Probation Service and had subsequent convictions for road traffic and theft offences. The judge emphasised the seriousness of the offence and urged Keating to be ashamed of his actions.
Peter Brazil, 41, was convicted of stealing six kegs of beer from The Great Wood Wetherspoons Pub in Blanchardstown on 7 September 2016. The stolen goods, valued at €800, were not recovered. Brazil, who has 268 prior convictions, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Pauline Codd, after hearing evidence in July, sentenced him to 18 months in prison, suspended in full for two years on the condition that he engage with the Probation Service. The judge noted Brazil's long‑term drug addiction and its impact on his health, stating that continued thieving must stop. Garda Terrance Nevin had identified Brazil from CCTV footage showing him driving a white transit van that carried the kegs. Keith Spencer BL defended Brazil, noting his client's efforts to address his drug addiction. The case was adjourned to allow Brazil time to work with the Probation Service.
The Special Criminal Court sentenced David Hunter to life imprisonment for the 2016 murder of Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin. Presiding Judge Alexander Owens, sitting with Judges Gerard Griffin and David McHugh, backdated the sentence to April 2019, when Hunter was arrested in the UK on a European Arrest Warrant. Hunter, a 42-year-old Liverpool native, had pleaded not guilty but was found guilty based on compelling evidence, including DNA from a ski-mask recovered from the getaway car that matched his profile. The court rejected his defence that he was in Dublin for a concert and that the mask was lost during a prior car-stealing trip. Hunter is the second individual convicted for this Kinahan Cartel-linked killing; Eamon Cumberton was convicted in January 2018. During sentencing, Detective Garda Colm Kelly noted Hunter's 15 previous convictions. Prosecution counsel Mr Barr argued Hunter should serve his full sentence in Ireland to avoid transfer to Liverpool. Detective Superintendent Colm Murphy described the murder as cold and callous, confirming the investigation remains ongoing to bring all involved to justice. Victim impact statements from Barr's sister Noeleen and former partner Jade O'Shea highlighted the lasting trauma on Barr's five children and family.
Darren King, a 34-year-old father of five from Ballyfermot, Dublin, appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where he confirmed signed pleas of guilty to possessing drugs for sale or supply. The charges relate to incidents on April 23, 2019, at locations including Ballyfermot Road, Cole Park Road, and his home. Prosecution evidence alleged that gardaí intercepted King during a handover involving a bag containing five kilogrammes of cannabis valued at €102,000. Subsequent searches allegedly revealed a further 29kg of cannabis worth €590,000 and 209g of cocaine valued at €15,000 in a vehicle at his residence, along with cash. King made admissions to possessing the drugs for sale or supply. Detective Garda Val Russell noted that King previously received a suspended sentence for robbery but acknowledged his cooperation with the investigation and his claim that he began using drugs after a back injury. Judge Pauline Codd remanded King on continuing bail and adjourned sentencing to January 29. She ordered an updated probation report and urine analysis for that date. The matter was adjourned and is not yet concluded.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 20 October 2020, Judge Martin Nolan expressed concern over Paul Rooney, a 30‑year‑old with an acquired brain injury sustained in 2003, who had repeatedly committed crimes. Rooney had attacked Garda Patrick Barker in January 2019 after attempting to steal a bike on Beaver Street, punching the officer five to six times and cutting his nose. Rooney's mother and brothers were present and his mother administered medication to calm him. Rooney pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a Garda and had 37 prior convictions, including criminal damage, theft and handling stolen property. The judge accepted the defence's argument that Rooney's brain injury was significant but noted his recent escalation in offending. He questioned the court's role, said only one tool remained, and adjourned the case to 25 March 2021, ordering immediate return if Rooney commits further offences.
Stefan Schaufler, a 53-year-old engineer formerly employed in Formula 1, has appealed his sentence at the Court of Appeal for an attack on his 81-year-old landlord in Sligo on 20 June 2018. Schaufler lured Michael Lally to a bedroom under false pretences before beating him with a metal bar, stealing his wallet and car, and confining him in a locked room for 29 hours. Mr Lally sustained life-threatening injuries including multiple facial and skull fractures, a brain bleed, and spinal fractures. At Sligo Circuit Court, Schaufler pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm, false imprisonment, and robbery. Judge Francis Comerford imposed concurrent sentences totalling nine years imprisonment. Schaufler's barrister argued the sentencing judge erred in severity and failed to adequately consider mitigating factors. The Director of Public Prosecutions contended the offence's gravity justified the sentence, noting Mr Lally's survival depended on chance discovery. Court President Justice George Birmingham reserved judgement pending full deliberation by the three-judge panel.
Two men, Tayab Kourtishe (47) and Jagjeet Singh (41), were sentenced to two and a half years in prison, suspended in full on strict conditions, for stealing almost €18,000 from Expo Casino in The Square, Tallaght. Kourtishe and Singh were caught on CCTV footage manipulating the casino's machines. Kourtishe removed the glass cover from a roulette table, placed a ball on a number, and then used a stolen key to unlock the fruit machine and withdraw the money that a third person had loaded into it. Singh later cleared the machine's transaction records, erasing evidence of the €50 notes that had been deposited. Kourtishe stole €8,895 from the fruit machines and the roulette table, while Singh stole €8,988. Both pleaded guilty, made full restitution, and had no prior convictions. The judge noted their actions were a breach of trust and that the offences were out of character, but accepted their cooperation and restitution.
Lynda Goldsmith, aged 65, stole more than €2,700 from a 90‑year‑old friend over three months. She took cash from the victim's bank account by using the victim's debit card to buy groceries and also withdrew money from the victim's purse, which was kept in a drawer in the victim's bedroom. Goldsmith admitted in a Garda interview that she stole the cash because she felt her pension was insufficient and that she thought it would be "nice to have a bit of money". She pleaded guilty to four charges of stealing cash and one of theft of an ATM card, representing a sample of 31 thefts between 16 January and 4 April 2019. The court heard that after stealing the victim's card in hospital, Goldsmith accepted €70 from the victim's son, claiming it was owed for petrol money.