In October 2017, John Murdiff, aged 33, and an accomplice stole items from Andrew Stammers, a former heroin addict, in Adare Lane, Dublin. Stammers had overdosed that night, but it could not be determined whether he was dead when the theft occurred. Murdiff later returned to the lane, discovered Stammers was not breathing, and sought help. He was charged with theft and pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Murdiff had 50 prior convictions, including theft, public order, and assault causing harm. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, consecutive to a three‑year term for assault, after a judge noted his remorse and the tragic circumstances surrounding Stammers' death. The case highlighted the difficulties in determining the exact time of Stammers' death and the impact on his family.
Noel McKeon, a former hospital security guard, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for the rape and violent assault of two sex workers. McKeon pleaded guilty to sexual assault, assault, robbery, and rape of the two women, as well as false imprisonment of the first victim. The attacks occurred in 2016 and 2018 after McKeon contacted the women via an escorts website. In the 2016 incident, he allegedly assaulted the victim, forced her into sexual acts, and attempted to stab her as she escaped from a window. In the 2018 incident, he allegedly punched the victim, pulled her hair, and raped her vaginally and anally. Mr Justice Tony Hunt described the conduct as degrading and humiliating. He imposed consecutive headline sentences of ten years for each victim. Taking into account McKeon's guilty pleas, the judge applied a four-year discount, resulting in a total term of 16 years. The court suspended the final two years of this sentence on the condition that McKeon engages in sex offender treatment, addiction treatment, and anger management specifically addressing violence towards women. McKeon's defense counsel highlighted his history of drug abuse and suicide attempts, noting he wished to express remorse. The victims provided impact statements describing their fear and humiliation.
On 16 March 2020, Judge Melanie Greally of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court informed lawyers that those scheduled to attend court that morning had been advised not to attend due to the Covid‑19 outbreak. She announced that all cases would be adjourned to an unspecified date after 10 June, with investigating Gardaí and the courts service coordinating to inform defendants and practitioners of the new dates. Defendants in custody could either be adjourned or observe proceedings via video link. One man, Mark McCabe, 26, a homeless remand prisoner, was sentenced to four years with the final two years suspended after pleading guilty to robbery at Spar on Malahide Road on 25 October 2019; no cash was taken and no weapon was used. Judge Greally adjourned several cases, including a plea of guilty with a July sentencing date subject to review.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Mr Justice Tony Hunt remanded Thomas McGuinness, 33, on bail until 25 May after McGuinness was unable to attend the hearing due to ill health. McGuinness is charged with falsely imprisoning, assaulting and robbing Edward McAndrew at a Co Louth farmhouse on 2 December 2017, and with demanding £50,000 from McAndrew. The charges include detaining McAndrew without consent, assault causing harm, theft of car keys, money, travel bag, wallet, briefcase, two mobile phones and an Irish passport, and making an unwarranted demand with menaces. Two other men, William Twomey, 56, and Anthony Finglas, 49, are also charged with the same offences. Twomey was granted bail on 25 February, while Finglas' bail application was denied. Mr Justice Hunt expressed hope that the world would be a different place by the end of May.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Nicole Byrne, aged 26, pleaded guilty to robbery of a Subway shop on 27 May 2018. Byrne entered the shop wearing a hoodie and a scarf, brandishing a knife and demanding cash from the staff member behind the counter. She seized €230 from the till and left. The next day she returned to the shop, identified by the staff, and told her she would not threaten her with a knife and that she wanted a drink. The staff member fled to a bathroom and called the police. When Gardaí arrived, the till was empty, containing €289 and Subway cards. Byrne was identified from CCTV footage and claimed she had just taken "crack" before the robbery, stating she did not intend harm and did not know where the till was. She had two prior convictions.
Lisa Comerford, 46, and her partner robbed a homeless man on a Dublin city street. Comerford approached the man, demanded €5, and when he refused, she grabbed his feet and forced him to the ground. The victim, who was homeless, later reported that he was kicked, punched, and had his throat squeezed by Comerford. She then searched his pockets and took his rucksack, which contained his phone and clothes. A nearby security guard intervened and called the Gardaí. Both Comerford and her accomplice were present when the police arrived. Comerford was arrested, and the victim's belongings were returned. She pleaded guilty to robbery at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for an incident on Winetavern Street on 16 March 2019. She has 80 prior convictions, including theft and robbery. The judge adjourned her case to 11 June, revoked her bail, and remanded her in custody, ordering a probation report. The case remains pending.
Eduards Babinjans, 32, manager at Gourmet Burger Kitchen in Liffey Valley, Dublin, was jailed for eight months after failing to deposit €920 into the company safe at the end of his shift. He had signed a form confirming the cash was dropped, but Garda Emily Beddingfield noted the safe was checked weekly and the money was not found. The chef, who witnessed Babinjans counting the cash that night, later stated he saw Babinjans place the cash in a bag, seal it, and hand it back to him, but did not see it put in the safe. Babinjans was arrested, interviewed without admission, and suggested the bag might have been stuck in the safe. The money was never recovered. He pleaded guilty to theft on 24 May 2018, has five prior convictions, and is due for release in September.
Romeo Stanescu, a 30‑year‑old Romanian, pleaded guilty to burglary at The Playwright pub in Kilkenny on 11 June 2018, stealing €3,500 in banknotes. He was originally sentenced to three years' imprisonment by Judge Terence O'Sullivan on 29 October 2019. On appeal, the Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, reduced his term to two years. Edwards noted that Stanescu entered the pub shortly after opening, claimed he was looking for coffee, and later sought a toilet, leaving the premises after taking money from a cupboard. CCTV captured him removing bundles of cash and attempting to access a safe. Edwards described the offence as an opportunistic theft with limited premeditation, and the loss did not threaten the business. The final sentence was two years' imprisonment, with the last 18 months suspended.
John Connolly, 38, the former general manager of IMC Cinema in Dublin, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison after admitting to stealing €217,203 from the cinema between April 2016 and July 2018. Connolly claimed he was heavily drinking and suffering mental health issues at the time and believed he could return the money. He had access to the cinema's safe after a security change in 2016, and the thefts were uncovered when a shortfall was noticed in May 2018. Connolly's main expenditure of the stolen funds was gambling, mainly on the lotto, and he was one number away from a €250,000 win. The judge, taking into account his difficult upbringing and addiction, imposed a sentence of two years and three months with the final 12 months suspended, subject to strict conditions and 18 months of probation supervision. No money was recovered and Connolly had no prior convictions.
Samantha Irwin, 36, was convicted of robbing a shop in Dublin on 20 September 2018, stealing €55 from a shop assistant while armed with a syringe. A bloodstained note found in her pocket, containing numbers for out‑of‑hours homeless accommodation, was identified by CCTV and matched to her DNA. She pleaded guilty to robbery and to possession of two shotgun cartridges found in her accommodation in April 2019. The court, hearing that she had no history of violence and was in a severe addiction episode, imposed a headline sentence of seven and a half years but reduced it to five and a half years with the final 18 months suspended. Conditions include residential drug treatment. She also received a nine‑month term for the cartridge offence, to run concurrently with the robbery sentence. The judge noted her remorse, drug‑free status, and steps taken in rehabilitation.
In 2011, two armed men robbed Lordship Credit Union in Co Louth, taking €22,500 in cash and €35,000 in cheques from a bag left by volunteer chairman John Kenwright. The robbers, who drove a car with yellow Northern Irish plates, used a sawn‑off shotgun and a firearm to threaten Kenwright and smash his car's passenger side window. They fled within 23 seconds. In 2013, Aaron Brady (29) pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe (41), who was to escort Kenwright to an AIB bank in Dundalk. Brady also pleaded not guilty to a robbery charge for the same day and location. The Central Criminal Court heard the details, noting that Donohoe was scheduled to escort Kenwright and that the robbery car was later found burnt out near the border. The case was presented to a jury of seven men and seven women, with legal matters to be addressed in the defendant's absence.
A man from Carrick-on-Shannon has lost an appeal against his six-year prison sentence for involvement in a sophisticated online fraud involving cloned stolen vans. Tom Reilly, aged 50, pleaded guilty to four sample counts of handling stolen property between August 2009 and June 2010. He was sentenced by Judge John Aylmer in May 2019, with the Court of Appeal upholding that decision today. The scheme involved vans stolen in the UK being brought to Ireland and sold to unsuspecting buyers through online platforms, resulting in losses totalling €50,150 across eight purchases. Evidence indicated that fraudulent logbooks were obtained using details from legitimate vehicles, which were then used to clone the stolen vans before importation to Ireland. The Court of Appeal found no error in principle in the original sentencing, confirming the six-year term was justified given the scale and sophistication of the operation.
Gardai responded to a 999 call at 4.38 am on 21 January 2013, reporting a suspicious male at a house linked to Aaron Brady, the man accused of murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. The occupants of the house, belonging to Brady's best friend's parents, claimed three men in black were in the yard. Gardai found no intruders, no footprints on wet grass, no damage to a lorry container lock, and no vehicles nearby. The report was made four days before Donohoe's shooting. Brady (29) from Crossmaglen has pleaded not guilty to Donohoe's capital murder and to a robbery of about €7,000 on the same date and location. The trial is before Mr Justice Michael White with a 14‑person jury.
The Court of Appeal has increased the prison sentences of four men convicted of robbing the Cleaboy Post Office in Waterford on May 3, 2018. Alan Wall, Michael Tynan, Conor O'Connor, and Barry Walsh each pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a sawn-off shotgun. The original sentences, deemed unduly lenient by the Director of Public Prosecutions, were five years for Wall and Tynan (with 18 months suspended) and six years for Walsh and O'Connor (with 12 months suspended). The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice John Edwards, re-sentenced the defendants to longer terms: Wall to seven years, Tynan to seven years and three months, Walsh to seven-and-a-half years, and O'Connor to eight years. Additionally, concurrent five-year sentences were imposed for the firearms offences. The court found the initial headline sentences too low and noted that too much credit was given for mitigating factors. The robbery involved the use of a firearm and hammers, resulting in the theft of approximately €45,000. The appeal was successful, leading to these increased custodial terms.
In the Central Criminal Court, Aaron Brady, aged 29, denies the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. He allegedly told his girlfriend, Jessica King, to "tell the truth" after she initially withheld his whereabouts on the night of the shooting. King said Brady had been on bail and under curfew, and she feared implicating him. Brady reportedly instructed her to correct the times he had spent at her home. King described Brady as "messy" and "cheeky," noting he was "smiling and joking." She recounted that Brady had been at her house around 11 pm and left around 2:30 am, and that he had told her to change the recorded times. Brady has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder and to a related robbery charge. The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White with a jury of fourteen.
A witness in the trial of Aaron Brady at the Central Criminal Court has testified that she initially provided false information to police about the accused's whereabouts on the night of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe's fatal shooting. Jade Fitzpatrick told the court she was pressured into claiming Mr Brady, from Crossmaglen, County Armagh, had left a house in Armagh by 21:30 on 25 January 2013, when he had actually remained there until approximately 3am. Ms Fitzpatrick said she corrected her statement the following day because she wished to help Mr Brady comply with curfew conditions imposed as part of his bail. Under cross-examination, she confirmed Mr Brady appeared relaxed and exhibited no unusual behaviour during his time at the residence. Mr Brady, aged 29, denies capital murder in relation to Detective Garda Donohoe's death at Lordship Credit Union, County Louth, shortly before 9:30pm that evening. He also denies robbery of approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques from the same location and date. The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White. Aaron Brady pleaded not guilty.
A man accused of involvement in a violent extortion has been granted bail at the Special Criminal Court, despite garda objections. William Twomey, aged 56, from Warrenpoint, County Down, faces charges relating to the alleged attack and false imprisonment of Edward McAndrew at a farmhouse in Omeath, County Louth on 2 December 2017. He is also charged with robbery and making an unwarranted demand for €50,000 with menaces. A second defendant, Anthony Finglas, aged 49, also from Warrenpoint, had his bail application refused on the grounds that he posed a risk of committing further offences and interfering with witnesses. Twomey was released on condition that he provide a €14,000 surety, sign on daily at Ballinasloe Garda Station between 8am and 8pm, avoid interfering with witnesses, and remain outside County Mayo. Both men have been remanded in custody since their separate arrests on 11 February.
Martin Lumsden, 35, with 110 prior convictions, was arrested after climbing over the railings of Gaelscoil Cholmcille in Coolock and stealing €880.78 from Trócaire boxes. Garda Finbarr Fleming found a heavy bag with coins and evidence of a smashed side window and rummaged principal's office. Lumsden pleaded guilty to burglary of the school on 18 April 2018 and to robbery and possession of a firearm at Mace shop on 7 May 2018, where he stole about €500 from two tills and used a gun. The firearm and money were not recovered. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to a two‑year term for burglary and a consecutive five‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term for armed robbery, suspending all sentences for seven years on the condition of remaining drug‑free, keeping the peace and engaging with the Peter McVerry Trust. John Finn, 32, was also convicted of the burglary; he received a separate sentence at a prior hearing.
In the capital murder trial of Aaron Brady, the court heard that about ten text messages were deleted from his girlfriend Jessica King's phone in the hours surrounding the fatal shooting of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe on 25 January 2013. One deleted message, sent the afternoon after the shooting, read, "Please Jess, I just want to get away til this blows over." Brady, 29, pleaded not guilty to the murder and to a robbery charge involving roughly €7,000. Sergeant Karen Coughlan presented 156 relevant pieces of evidence extracted from King's phone using Cellebrite, including exchanges with a contact named AaronX and another called Brades2. The messages revealed a heated argument the night before the shooting, Brady's attempts to contact King after the incident, and a series of deleted texts that were later recovered. The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury of eight men and seven women.
In a High Court hearing, a psychiatric nurse who had worked for nearly two decades was struck off the nursing register after it was found that between 2012 and 2014 she stole money from the bank accounts of four mental health service users. The nurse withdrew amounts ranging from about €100 to €900 without the patients' consent and kept the money for her own benefit. An investigation by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland's Fitness to Practice Committee concluded that she had committed professional misconduct and violated the Board's code of conduct. Although the nurse expressed insight, regret and remorse, repaid the money, and was not publicly named, the High Court President, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, cancelled her registration, citing a breach of the enormous trust placed in nursing professionals. The unnamed woman was found guilty.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Laura Pennick, aged 33, received a three‑year suspended sentence for stealing €41,935 from pensioner Marie McNally between January 2010 and December 2012. Pennick had acted as an "unofficial carer" for McNally, who was grieving after her sons were shot dead and was in ill health. Pennick accessed McNally's bank accounts and ATM cards, withdrawing amounts ranging from small sums to €600, which she spent on home improvements, fashion, furnishings, appliances and holidays. She has pleaded guilty to the thefts and has already paid €20,500, with an estimated four years remaining to repay the full amount. Judge Melanie Greally imposed the suspended sentence on the condition that Pennick continue to set aside €100 a week for repayment. Pennick has 29 prior convictions, including five thefts, and had owed money to individuals who threatened her.
Michael Barry, aged 35, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for two violent assaults on shop assistants that caused them to leave their jobs. In the first incident at a Spar shop on Liffey Street, Barry hurled shopping baskets and beer cans at a staff member, fracturing the man's arm. CCTV footage showed Barry assaulting the victim while he lay on the ground. Two months later, Barry and an accomplice attempted to steal five coats from the Patagonia outlet on Exchequer Street. Their co‑accused pushed a shop assistant, who injured her wrist, and Barry threatened a colleague with a blade as they fled with five jackets. Barry pleaded guilty to assault and theft, had 37 prior convictions, and was given consecutive sentences totalling four years, with the final year suspended on strict conditions. The court noted the relentless nature of the violence and Barry's efforts to address his drug addiction.
Jeffrey Crowley, aged 23, received a nine‑year and three‑month sentence, with the final 15 months suspended, for a series of violent offences. He pleaded guilty to crashing a stolen bicycle into 72‑year‑old English tourist Christine Booth at Smithfield Square on 2 August 2019, causing serious injuries, and to damaging a bike lock and stealing a phone on the same day. He also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Jason Kidd at Merchants Quay on 24 October 2018, to stealing a phone at Queen Street on 24 July, and to damaging a phone at Georges Lane on 11 December 2016, during which he pushed a woman to the ground and kicked her. The judge noted the offences were a sequence of gratuitous violence and that Crowley had refused help from state bodies, including probation visits. He has 92 previous convictions and is currently serving a suspended sentence for a prior assault conviction.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the father of suspect Mr Brady, aged 29, was described by retired detective inspector Pat Marry as "semi‑angry" when he arrived at a Garda station to inquire about the seizure of his car. Marry explained that the vehicle had been taken because it was seen driving at speed away from the scene after the fatal shooting of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, 41, on 25 January 2013 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth. The car was seized in March 2013 by a Garda in Castlebellingham and later taken to Dundalk Garda Station. Mr Brady has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Donohoe and to a robbery charge involving approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Michael White, continues with a jury of eight men and seven women.
During a robbery at Real Brazil on 20 September 2018, 36‑year‑old Samantha Irwin, armed with a syringe, stole €55 from a shop assistant. A bloodstained post‑it note fell from her pocket while she was being recorded on CCTV; the note listed out‑of‑hours homeless accommodation services. Detective Garda Michelle Fitzpatrick identified the note and matched DNA from the blood on it to Irwin. The shop assistant, who managed to pull her arm free, later stated she now works only day shifts and feels anxious about being alone in the shop. Irwin pleaded guilty to robbery and to possession of two shotgun cartridges found in her accommodation in April 2019. She has 19 prior convictions, mainly for traffic offences, and has sought help for drug addiction. The court adjourned sentencing to 5 March 2020 for a full plea in mitigation.
Aidan Keane, aged 22, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for robbing a student, Kieran Flynn, at a McDonald's in Grafton Street on 3 April 2019. Flynn, a 20‑year‑old student, had entered a basement cubicle when a man began banging on the door and shouting "Gardaí open up." Keane seized Flynn's mobile phone while the victim was in a chokehold and fled. He was later found with the phone by Garda Ruth Finnegan, who told him he had taken it from the ground after it fell out of Flynn's pocket during the robbery. Keane has 27 prior convictions, including a 7‑year sentence in 2015 with 3½ years suspended, which was partially reactivated after later offences. The judge noted Keane's efforts to stay drug‑free and his 14‑month‑old son, and imposed the 18‑month suspended term on strict conditions. Aidan Keane pleaded guilty.
The Central Criminal Court trial of Aaron Brady, 29, from Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, continued before Justice White. Mr Brady has pleaded not guilty to the alleged capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe (41) and the alleged robbery of approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013. Detective Inspector Mark Phillips testified regarding text messages sent by Mr Brady to his then-girlfriend, Jessica King, on the day of the incident. Mr Brady allegedly stated he was "loading the lorry" at 19:54, approximately 90 minutes before the shooting. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC highlighted discrepancies between Mr Brady's account to gardai, who claimed he was in the yard for only 10 to 15 minutes, and the texts suggesting a longer duration. Mr O'Higgins also noted that the diesel laundering yard in south Armagh, where Mr Brady claimed to be working, was not searched by the PSNI. Inspector Phillips stated he did not recall suggesting a search and could not explain why it did not occur. The court adjourned the matter, with the jury instructed to return the following day.
Aaron Brady, a 29‑year‑old labourer from New Road, Crossmaglen, denied involvement in the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, who was shot during an armed credit union robbery on 25 January 2013. Brady appeared at Dundalk Garda Station on 5 and 6 February 2013 to give a voluntary statement, describing his movements before and after the shooting. He admitted that he had previously lied to a Garda about his whereabouts on the evening of the shooting, claiming he did not think the Garda would investigate deeply. Brady said he first learned of the robbery from an RTE news report. He pleaded not guilty to both the capital murder charge and the charge of robbing approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques at Lordship Credit Union. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Michael White with a jury of eight men and seven women.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, two men, William Twomey (56) and Anthony Finglas (49), were charged with luring Edward McAndrew to a Louth farmhouse, assaulting him with iron bars, placing him in a car boot, and demanding £50,000. The alleged assault also involved contacting McAndrew's daughter and setting his home on fire. The men face robbery charges for taking McAndrew's phones and passport. The court considered bail applications, with the prosecution seeking financial information to assess flight risk. Twomey has been in custody since last week, while Finglas is awaiting a hearing. The court remanded both men in custody, with a further hearing scheduled for next Tuesday. The case remains at the bail stage, with no trial or sentencing yet.
Brendan Sheehan, a former project manager at Flextronics, was convicted of fraudulently claiming over €300,000 in overtime payments between 2010 and 2014. He pleaded guilty to multiple theft counts and was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, on 29 March 2019. Sheehan had overseen 'Project Stryker' and authorised overtime for ten employees, who then gave him a share of the payments, averaging €400 to €600 each. While some overtime work was performed, the exact amount could not be determined. After being released on a community service scheme, Sheehan's lawyers withdrew his appeal against the sentence, and the Court of Appeal allowed the withdrawal. The case was described by Judge O'Donnell as one of the most bizarre he had encountered.
James Gallagher, aged 33, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm and recklessly discharging a firearm at Cullen's Yard, Greenhill Road, Walkinstown on 4 August 2018. He fired a single‑barrel shotgun at a man, John O'Connor, who was buying car parts at the scrapyard. O'Connor was not the intended target; he was struck by multiple pellet wounds, knocked to the ground, and later taken to Tallaght Hospital. Another man received minor injuries but did not require hospital treatment. The shotgun was never recovered. CCTV identified Gallagher, and a discarded tracksuit bottom linked to him was found. Gallagher has 42 prior convictions, including theft, criminal damage, drug possession for sale, and traffic offences. He has two children. The judge imposed a five‑year concurrent sentence, effective from 4 December 2018, after noting his efforts to overcome drug addiction.
In 2014, 29‑year‑old Darren Byrne, then struggling with a chronic drug addiction, pointed a knife at two 17‑year‑old girls on Trinity Street, demanding their belongings. He pressed the knife to one girl's throat, took a handbag with cash and an iPod, and fled. The girls were later apprehended by Gardaí. Byrne admitted the robbery, claiming he was under the influence of tablets. He was charged with robbery and pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court noted his prior convictions for robbery and theft, his escape to the UK, and his subsequent return to Dublin where he secured employment. Judge Pauline Codd, acknowledging his rehabilitation and remorse, imposed a suspended sentence of three and a half years, conditional on maintaining peace. The co‑accused received a suspended two‑year sentence. The case highlights Byrne's significant turnaround from drug use to stable employment and community involvement.
Giovanni Protacio, 49, a former respected nurse with two decades of experience, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a nine‑month prison term that was fully suspended. Protacio had worked at Clonmethan Lodge nursing home in north County Dublin since November 2015. In that month a patient struck him on the head with a metal bar, causing soft‑tissue injury. To cope with the pain he began taking painkillers and sleeping tablets, becoming severely addicted. He used his access to locked medical cabinets to steal sleeping tablets and forged prescriptions. The thefts were uncovered in May 2017 when a pharmacist noticed a suspicious prescription linked to the nursing home. CCTV identified Protacio bringing the prescription in, and Gardaí searched his home in Lusk, finding stolen blank prescriptions and various brands of sleeping tablets. He pleaded guilty to one count of forgery of a prescription and three counts of theft of medicines and blank prescription sheets.
In the Central Criminal Court, Aaron Brady, 28, pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, 41, and to a robbery charge. Brady admitted that the first account he gave to Gardaí after the shooting was untrue, claiming he did not think they would investigate it thoroughly. He explained that he had been with a BMW driver the day after the incident, traveling around the area, eating at a local restaurant, and staying at his girlfriend's house until 3 a.m. Brady said he was unaware of the shooting until that morning. Inspector John Moroney noted inconsistencies between Brady's statements and those of the driver, and that Brady's initial account was contradicted by the driver's version. The jury heard testimony from Garda Finbar Gurhy and Garda David Byrne about the BMW's movements, and the trial proceeded before Mr Justice Michael White and a 15‑person jury.
During a Central Criminal Court hearing, Dr Edward Connolly reported that forensic tests on numerous items from the scene of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe's fatal shooting found no DNA linking Aaron Brady, the accused, to the crime. Samples examined included swabs from cars, a hammer, cigarette butts, a handbag, car keys, chewing gum, gloves, a €2 coin, a shotgun cartridge, CDs, a plastic wallet, a Tayto crisp packet, a cable tie, a Starburst wrapper and a popcorn packet. Three unknown male DNA profiles were generated but matched no individuals in the national database; other profiles matched Garda or witnesses present. Brady, 28, pleaded not guilty to the capital murder and to a robbery charge at the same location and time. The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury of 15.
In the Central Criminal Court, a ballistics expert testified that the fatal shot that killed Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was fired from a distance of six to seven feet. The expert, Detective Garda Seamus O'Donnell, demonstrated a semi‑automatic Beretta A301 12‑gauge shotgun similar to the weapon used, and compared impact patterns on targets with the wound on Donohoe's right eye. He measured a 60‑mm diameter impact at the same range, concluding the shooter was within six to seven feet of the muzzle. The cartridge found at the scene was a 12‑gauge round from a Spanish manufacturer, containing about 250 lead pellets, with 90 pellets recovered from Donohoe's body. The testimony was presented to a jury of seven women and eight men, with the trial proceeding before Mr Justice Michael White. The accused, Aaron Brady, 28, pleaded not guilty to the capital murder and robbery charges.
Two men from Havelock Place, Warrenpoint, Co Down, Anthony Finglas (49) and William Twomey (56), appeared before the Special Criminal Court on 11 February 2020. They were charged with four non‑scheduled offences: falsely imprisoning, assaulting and robbing Edward McAndrew at One Ferry Hill, Cornamucklagh, Omeath, Co Louth on 2 December 2017, and demanding £50,000 from him with menaces. The robbery included car keys, about £200, a travel bag, a wallet, a briefcase, two mobile phones and an Irish passport. Finglas was arrested on Castle Street, Trim, Co Meath, and Twomey on Eyrecourt, Co Galway, both on warrants issued by the court the previous day. The court heard the charges, the defendants' responses, and the judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, remanded Twomey for a bail hearing next Tuesday, noting that the defendants are likely to be of substantial means.
In 2014, Garda Nicholas Keogh made a protected disclosure alleging that a senior member of the Athlone drugs unit, Garda A, had an improper relationship with a heroin dealer, Ms B, and that Garda A had tipped her off on drug searches. Keogh also claimed that in 2009 Gardaí had planted half a kilo of heroin worth €75,000 on two suspects and that a file had been prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). He further alleged evidence destruction, theft of an investigation file, non‑compliance with a court order, exclusion of a known heroin dealer from an investigation, incorrect evidence storage and improper motives for a drug operation. The DPP, after reviewing the investigation, concluded that the evidence against Garda A was circumstantial and did not reach the threshold for criminal prosecution. The Disclosures Tribunal is hearing evidence on whether Keogh was targeted or harassed after his disclosure. The tribunal is chaired by Judge Sean Ryan.
During the capital murder trial of Aaron Brady, witness Frances Malone testified that she recognised a speeding car on the night of the Lordship Credit Union robbery. She was driving home with her husband after 9 pm on 25 January 2013 when she saw two cars approaching her very fast near the Ballymascanlon roundabout. Both had their headlights on and she could not identify their make or licence plates. About five minutes later she saw another car, also very fast, belonging to a man she knows in his 60s; the car's personalised number plate was familiar to her. Malone said the owner was "in an awful hurry" and wondered if the cars she saw were connected to the shooting of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury. Aaron Brady pleaded not guilty.
In a 2019 incident on Clogher Road, Dublin, 39‑year‑old Derek McCann attempted to rob a taxi driver by presenting an imitation firearm. The driver braked abruptly, wrestled the plastic gun from McCann, and the two struggled outside the vehicle. A second taxi driver intervened, kicking the gun away and alerting the Gardaí. McCann was arrested, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, and was sentenced to five years in custody, backdated to June 2019. He had a suspended sentence for prior offences and may face reactivation of that portion. The judge noted McCann's drug addiction, family support, and progress in custody, and credited his guilty plea and cooperation. The case was adjourned for a later hearing. The incident left the driver unable to work nights due to its impact.
Anthony Sweeney, 37, pleaded guilty to multiple robberies, including two at a McDonald's in Clondalkin, while on High Court bail. He first robbed the McDonald's on 5 August 2019, wearing a wig and sunglasses, and was chased by Gardaí; the wig, glasses and €450 were recovered. A month later he returned to the same branch, threatening staff with an iron bar and was identified on CCTV and arrested. Earlier that year he had robbed a beauty salon and a pedestrian on a footbridge, and had a history of 25 convictions for firearms, robbery and possession of an article with intent to cause injury. Gardaí and the prosecution agreed he was in the throes of a drug addiction and highly intoxicated at the time of the offences. Judge Melanie Greally ordered a probation report and adjourned sentencing to 21 April, when a full plea in mitigation will be presented by his legal team.
Contantin Dirlescu, 31, of Dawson House, Patrick Street, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six counts of using false passports to open bank accounts and four counts of operating accounts for money laundering between January and July 2019. Garda Shane Fitzsimons explained that the accounts, opened with false Danish passports, were linked to Dirlescu's address and were used by a Romanian criminal organisation involved in money laundering and cyber fraud. Dirlescu said he was paid €1,300 for opening four accounts and €400 for each subsequent account, plus 5 % of withdrawals, and that he had been instructed by Romanian associates to open accounts for them. He had prior convictions for larceny in Spain (2015) and receiving stolen goods in Italy (2009). Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to three‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, back‑dated to his first custody date, August 2 2019.
In the Central Criminal Court, the case of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe's murder was heard. Inspector Darren Kirwan testified that he discovered Donohoe had been shot at 21.45 on 25 January 2013 and immediately went to the deceased's home to inform his wife, Caroline Donohoe, who identified his body in the credit union car park at 11pm. Aaron Brady, aged 28, pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Donohoe and to the robbery of about €7,000 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth. Dr Khalid Jaber performed a post‑mortem, finding extensive brain and skull damage and a penetrating shotgun wound to the face as the cause of death. Witnesses, including Leona White, Christina Birch, and Garda Rachel Copperthwaite, described hearing gunshots, seeing a robbery, and finding Donohoe's body. The trial continued on Monday before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury.
A 34‑year‑old man, David Allen, was on bail for robbery when he knocked an 89‑year‑old woman, Nina MacAuley, to the ground outside a Dublin hairdresser and stole her handbag. MacAuley suffered head and arm injuries and later described the incident in a victim impact statement, noting her difficulty sleeping and feeling vulnerable at her age. Allen, who has 25 prior convictions, had pleaded guilty to two earlier robberies in July and February 2019. He admitted to being "strung out" on heroin during the February robbery and claimed he used a pen to make a taxi driver think it was a knife. The court, hearing his apology and shame, ordered a probation report and remanded him in custody until May 5, with a lengthy custodial sentence expected.
At the Central Criminal Court, a credit union volunteer described the moment she feared for her life during a fatal armed robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, County Louth, on 25 January 2013. Bernadette McShane told the court she witnessed Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe fall after hearing gunshots and subsequently believed an armed raider approaching her vehicle intended to kill her because she had seen the incident. Aaron Brady, aged 28, from New Road, Crossmaglen, County Armagh, has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Detective Garda Donohoe and to robbing approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques on the same date and location. Ms McShane said the raider smashed her car window and demanded money before fleeing the scene. Additional witnesses, including staff from Cooley and Lordship credit unions, detailed their observations of the incident and the armed men involved. The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury.
John Farrell, 47, of Ballymun, Dublin, pleaded guilty to criminal damage after smashing 28 television screens at Boyle Sports in September 2016. He claimed he was owed winnings from a bet he believed had been processed incorrectly and placed on the wrong race. The staff member explained that the first horse on his ticket had not won, making the bet a loss. Farrell returned later with a hammer and smashed the screens, causing €10,450 in damage. He had 25 prior convictions, the most recent in 2001 for handling stolen property. In court, he admitted the act, expressed remorse, and was receiving treatment for an aggressive form of cancer. Judge Melanie Greally, noting the incident was out of character and influenced by his circumstances, imposed a four‑year suspended sentence.
A 20‑year‑old man was sentenced to eight years in prison for violently raping a 15‑year‑old girl at his Co Meath home on 27 March 2018. The judge described the offence as a "violent rape" and noted the victim was "completely innocent" and not consenting. The sentence was reduced to six years with the final two years suspended, conditional on the offender completing the Better Lives programme while in custody. The court heard that the victim had been lured to the house with a friend, was isolated on the couch, and was forcibly raped, choked, and threatened with violence. The offender had 14 prior convictions, including sexual assault, assault causing harm, theft, and other offences. The victim's impact statement highlighted her fear, shame, and desire to move on, while her father expressed guilt and a sense of failure for not protecting her. The judge praised the victim's resilience and urged her to hold her head high. The unnamed 15-year-old pleaded guilty.
In a capital murder trial, the jury was shown CCTV footage of the moment Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead in the car park of Lordship Credit Union on 25 January 2013. The footage shows a vehicle blocking the exit while four men emerge, one carrying a shotgun that appears to recoil. The prosecution argues Donohoe died from a single shotgun blast. Aaron Brady, aged 28, pleaded not guilty to the capital murder and to robbery of approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques at the same location. The evidence also includes testimony from credit union employees who counted the stolen money, totalling €27,375, and a dashcam view from a Mazda. The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White with a jury of eight men and seven women.
Liam Sheridan, aged 40, was sentenced to three years in prison for endangerment after he struck an elderly woman with a stolen car on Mountjoy Street, Dublin, on 31 August 2016. The incident occurred when Sheridan, who had lost his car key, was approached by four young men who had found the key and urged him to steal the vehicle. While the woman and her male companion, both in their 70s, were searching for the key, Sheridan drove the car in reverse, causing the woman to fall and sustain two leg fractures. She was hospitalized and continues to receive care. Sheridan pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and claimed he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time. Judge Elma Sheahan suspended the final nine months of a 3‑year, 9‑month sentence, requiring him to keep the peace and engage with the Probation Service upon release. Sheridan's prior convictions include theft and drug‑dealing offences.
Michael Fagan, 48, was jailed for two years after a bench warrant was issued for a 2010 burglary of McCormack Jewellers, Grafton Street, where jewellery worth €64,000 was taken. Fagan had lived in the same area and signed on weekly at his local post office, giving gardai his brother's name when stopped. He had 62 convictions before 2012 and had been off the radar since a bench warrant was executed in December 2012. Garda Aidan Larkin presented CCTV footage from Crimecall and evidence that Fagan had sold the jewellery for €3,000 to a third party. Fagan pleaded guilty, claimed he had overcome drug addiction, and was described by his lawyer as a "desperate man" who had been clean for eight years. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a four‑year sentence with the final two years suspended, noting the damage to the shop and the rapid dissipation of the stolen goods.