Gerard Kelly, of Ballybough Road, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the production of an article capable of inflicting serious injury on March 27, 2015. The court heard that Kelly allegedly held a large kitchen knife to the throat of a man drinking at Lowry's pub on Summerhill Parade. Although another patron was reportedly stabbed in the leg, no assault charges were before the court. Kelly was arrested nearby while in a state of alcohol delirium. His defence counsel, Luigi Rea BL, stated that Kelly did not know the victims and has since taken steps to address his alcoholism. Detective Garda Michael O'Brien described Kelly's rehabilitation as a "remarkable turnaround," noting he is a different person than when first met in 2015. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged the seriousness of the offence, rejecting intoxication as an excuse. However, noting Kelly's remorse and efforts to reform, the judge suspended a sentence of two and a half years. Judge Nolan warned that if Kelly re-offends, he will go to prison. The record noted that Kelly has 48 previous convictions, all for District Court offences including theft and possession of knives.
James Barry, aged 34, robbed a McDonald's on Lower Rathmines Road on 2 February 2016, holding a knife to a female cashier's stomach in front of customers and children and taking €330 in cash. He also pleaded guilty to robbing €460 from a chemist on 5 March 2015. Barry was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison on 5 July 2017, with consecutive sentences because the McDonald's robbery occurred while he was on bail. During the arrest, Barry jumped into the Dodder River, believing the water would conceal his body temperature from a pursuing garda helicopter, although no air pursuit was taking place. The Court of Appeal upheld his sentence, noting the seriousness of the offences and his previous convictions for attempted robbery and possession of a syringe. Barry admitted remorse and described his actions as a "cry for help.".
A court heard that Jonathan Goulding (28), also known as Goulding Aka Farrell, pleaded guilty to burglary at Mr Price, Coolock Retail Park, on March 27, 2017, and dangerous driving around the Malahide area, Dublin, on October 2, 2014. The charges were admitted, and the case was at the charge_or_pretrial stage. Goulding has 48 previous convictions, including burglary, theft, and a seven-year sentence for a past drugs offence. The court heard that during the burglary, Goulding held a screwdriver in a menacing way towards the shop staff. In the dangerous driving incident, he was involved in a high-speed chase, drove the wrong way on a dual carriageway, and caused multiple vehicles to take evasive action. Judge Melanie Greally noted that Goulding had been in the throes of drug addiction at the time of the offences. She commended his successful rehabilitation, including completing a drug treatment programme and taking up full-time employment in construction. The judge imposed a fully suspended three and a half year prison term and a two-year driving ban. Conditions included remaining sober and substance free and continuing to attend AA meetings. The matter was adjourned.
A 16‑year‑old youth, now 17, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a stolen phone after attacking a delivery man on Deerhaven Avenue, Clonee, Dublin. The victim, a pensioner, was repeatedly kicked and beaten, sustaining a broken nose, concussion and chipped teeth, and suffered ongoing headaches and fear of further attacks. The court heard the youth had no prior convictions, a good educational record, supportive family and a favourable probation report, and had pleaded guilty early. Judge Melanie Greally set a headline sentence of six years but imposed a four‑year suspended sentence, to be suspended in full if the youth keeps the peace for four years and undergoes 12 months' supervision by the probation services. The start of the sentence was deferred until 31 July 2019 in accordance with the Children Act. The case involved two other youths who fled the scene, and the victim's impact statement highlighted financial loss and ongoing trauma.
Michael Lynch, 34, of Emmet Place, Inchicore, has been issued a bench warrant after failing to appear in court again. He has 16 prior convictions for failing to turn up. Lynch pleaded guilty to theft at Fairfield House, Newbridge Avenue, Dublin 4, on 26 February 2017 while on temporary release for other charges. He was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with 18 months suspended, by Judge Patricia Ryan on 6 October 2017. The Director of Public Prosecutions seeks a review, arguing the sentence was "unduly lenient". In the Court of Appeal, Lynch was absent but had been notified by Gardaí. The court noted he had been charged with fresh offences recently and had been granted compassionate bail to visit his family during a hospital fire in Inchicore. He was denied visitation of his daughter in the ICU because of his handcuffs and prison officers.
Three men have been arraigned at the Special Criminal Court on charges of murdering a dissident republican shot dead outside a public house in Meath over five years ago. Michael McDermott, aged 58, of Ballinagh, County Cavan; Kevin Braney, aged 43, from Dublin; and Frank Murphy, aged 58, of Bettystown, County Meath, have all pleaded not guilty to murder. McDermott and Braney also deny possessing a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and ammunition in March 2013, while Murphy denies possession of the same firearm and rounds on the date of the killing itself. The prosecution opened its case before three judges, outlining that the victim was shot multiple times in a carpark whilst in his vehicle, with witnesses present. The court heard that a stolen vehicle was used in the attack and subsequently recovered. The prosecution indicated that accomplice evidence will feature prominently, noting that a protected witness will testify regarding the planning and execution of the murder. The trial is expected to last approximately ten weeks.
The Court of Appeal ruled that it could not alter the sentence of a 20‑year‑old who had been sentenced as a minor to one year's detention in a children's centre for serious offences, because a "legal lacuna" in the Criminal Justice Act 1993 prevents re‑sentencing when the offender is no longer a child. The case involved a 17‑year‑old who crashed a stolen car into the Liffey, was chased by Gardaí, later assaulted an elderly man and stole his car. He was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one year's detention, but the Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal agreed the sentence was too light but found no legal means to re‑sentence him, citing that the 1993 Act's provisions could only apply to a child.
Blaine Coakley, a 31‑year‑old chronic heroin addict with 100 prior convictions, pleaded with Judge Karen O'Connor in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to be readmitted to the Coolmine drug rehabilitation centre after robbing a Gala shop in August 2017. He claimed he had changed since the robbery and that prison had not helped him, describing how he had been with another drug user upon release and struggled to cope. Judge O'Connor noted that Coakley had absconded from Coolmine, which limited her options, but she accepted his remorse and desire to address his drug problems. She imposed a four‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended, ordered 18 months of post‑release supervision, and required him to complete a Coolmine residential treatment programme when a bed becomes available. The robbery involved €780 taken with a bread knife while he was on a suspended sentence for theft. Blaine Coakley pleaded guilty.
Siobhan Maguire, 48, of The Brambles, Skerries, was convicted of 32 sample theft and fraud charges for fraudulently lodging 660 cheques into her personal bank account between 2001 and 2015. The cheques, falsely endorsed on the back, ranged from €5,000 to several hundred euros, and the total theft amounted to €1,187,616. She had initially faced 1,320 charges. The Court of Appeal found her original four‑year sentence too harsh compared with similar offences and re‑sentenced her to three years imprisonment, with the final year suspended. The judge noted her early guilty plea, cooperation, good character, low re‑offending risk, genuine remorse, and lack of wealth. She entered a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended year and pledged to comply. The sentence was imposed on 3 October 2018.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, a 17‑year‑old minor was due to be sentenced for assault after throwing a stone at a fellow youth's head, an act the victim described as homophobic. The victim, a young actor, sustained a facial scar requiring 11 stitches. The teenager pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on 17 July 2016 and has 24 prior convictions for assault, theft, burglary, criminal damage and trespass. He has been suspected of involvement in a burglary, a mugging, two assaults and criminal damage. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the sentencing to 3 December to review updated reports from the agencies dealing with the teenager, who has a history of missing from his care home 20 times in the last three months and is still addicted to cannabis. The case remains pending.
In the Central Criminal Court, a 35‑year‑old man named Jason O'Driscoll is on trial for the murders of 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond, who were found shot in their heads and fused together inside a stolen car in Co. Louth on 7 March 2012. O'Driscoll, who lives on Richmond Avenue, Fairview, has pleaded not guilty. The State alleges he was involved in the killings, travelling to and from the scene in a stolen silver Mercedes S Class, and that the prosecution can rely on circumstantial evidence to convict him. The jury, composed of five women and seven men, began deliberations on Monday afternoon and had deliberated for just over five hours when the judge informed them that a majority verdict of at least ten could be accepted.
In a week‑long spree in November 2016, 21‑year‑old Jordon Boyle, of Sheephill Green, Blanchardstown, used large knives to rob an Esso garage on Navan Road, a petrol station in Castleknock, and attempted to hijack a Bentley in the same garage forecourt. During the first robbery he held a butcher's knife to a cashier's face, demanded money, stole a bottle of vodka and fled. The second robbery involved a woman in her 60s whom he grabbed from behind, held a machete to her face, and forced a cashier to hand over money. The third incident saw him jump onto a Bentley's hood, threaten the driver and try to open the door before the car was driven away. Boyle pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, one of false imprisonment and one of attempted unlawful seizure of a vehicle.
In July 2018, a homeless Dublin man, Alan Jackson, 32, set fire to an acquaintance's flat on Rathmines Avenue, causing damage exceeding €29,000. Jackson, who had no fixed abode and a history of 50 convictions, pleaded guilty to criminal damage by arson on 21 August 2017. He had previously received a four‑year suspended sentence for robbery. The victim, Patricia Martin, and her daughter were forced to leave their 17‑year home and seek emergency accommodation. Jackson threatened to burn the flat after a phone call and was found with a burning wooden stick, which he claimed was for protection. He later wrote a letter from prison expressing remorse and claiming he only wanted to "get back" at Martin. The court, hearing the victim's impact statement, remanded Jackson in custody and will finalize the sentence in December. The case highlights the severe breach of trust and the ongoing legal proceedings.
In a 2018 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, 24‑year‑old Daragh Brown was sentenced to a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended term for robbing a Centra shop at Old Bawn Shopping Centre, Tallaght, on 14 April 2017. Brown entered the shop armed with a knife, demanded money from the tills, and after failing to obtain cash fled with a quantity of John Player Blue cigarettes. He was pursued by two bread delivery men, Will Murray and Joe Daniel, who were stocking the shelves. During the chase Brown's trousers fell, revealing colourful boxer shorts, and he threatened the men with a knife, claiming that "ten lads" were waiting in a nearby estate. Gardaí, alerted by witnesses, described the robber and stopped him a short distance away on Allenton Avenue, where two packets of cigarettes and a knife were recovered. Brown pleaded guilty to robbery and making threats to kill.
Luke Wilson, 23, from Ballyfermot, admitted to conspiring to murder Gary Hanley between 15 September and 6 November 2017. He was recorded by Gardaí in extensive discussions about the plot, stating he had "no problem" camping in the back of a van to "get" Hanley and that he wanted "money not jail." Wilson also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a Beretta handgun with intent to endanger life on 6 November 2017. Gardaí monitored a Seat Leon with false plates, a white Nissan Primastar van and a white Volkswagen Caddy, and placed surveillance on Hanley and his partner's vehicle. Audio recordings captured Wilson and another man planning routes, escape vehicles, and the use of a van to approach Hanley's home. Wilson was found with a 9‑mm pistol, a silencer, 15 rounds, a black ski mask, and three petrol containers in the van. He has 36 prior convictions, including theft and traffic offences.
In a 2018 robbery at Dolphin's Barn, 41‑year‑old Mark Dwyer broke a woman's finger while smashing the window of her car and seized her handbag containing €920. Dwyer pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and was sentenced to three years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended. The judge noted the victim, Christine Pollard, suffered both physical injury and emotional distress, and that the robbery occurred in full public view. Dwyer's prior convictions included assaults, drug misuse, burglaries and possession of a weapon. He had previously served a three‑year sentence in 2013 for firearm possession. The suspended portion of the sentence was conditioned on his engagement with the Probation Service for two years. The case highlighted the victim's ongoing treatment for a broken ring finger and her feelings of vulnerability after the incident. The stolen goods, valued at €990, were not recovered.
The jury has begun deliberating in the trial of a 35‑year‑old man charged with murdering two fellow Dubliners, who had planned to sell him a stolen car. Jason O'Driscoll, of Richmond Avenue, Fairview, has been on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the past month. He has pleaded not guilty to murdering 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond in Co Louth on 7 March 2012. Firefighters were called to a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park shortly before 11 o'clock that night. The bodies of the two men were discovered fused together inside the Volkswagen Golf they had stolen that morning. They had been shot in their heads. The State's case is that Mr O'Driscoll was involved in the murder, travelling to and from the scene in a stolen silver Mercedes S Class. The prosecutor told the jury that it could rely on circumstantial evidence to convict him.
John Wheeler, 49, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to attempting to rob a post office on Botanic Road on 13 October 2017. He entered the shop with a plastic bag that concealed a sweeping brush, which he claimed was a gun. The post office owner, 72, heard a banging noise, checked a safe, and later saw Wheeler banging on the counter and demanding money. The owner pressed a panic button and called Garda Barry Brennan, who reviewed CCTV and identified Wheeler. Wheeler later admitted to the Garda that he had tried to rob the post office "as a joke" and had no intention to actually commit robbery. He denied having the brush during the attempt. Wheeler had 55 prior convictions, including assault, robbery, theft, larceny, forgery, dangerous driving and drunk driving. He was sentenced to four years, with 18 months suspended, for a final effective custodial term of two and a half years.
A man from Strokestown, County Longford, has been sentenced to four years in prison for causing over €50,000 in damage to Oberstown Children Detention Campus during four separate incidents in 2016. The 18-year-old, who was 16 at the time, pleaded guilty to four counts of criminal damage at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The incidents involved stand-offs with staff spanning between three and four hours each. One incident included a fire being set in a multi-purpose room. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed the sentence with the final year suspended, and ordered two years' probation supervision upon release. The court acknowledged Ward's efforts at rehabilitation while in detention and his expressions of remorse, but noted the incidents were violent and aggressive, causing significant anxiety to staff and residents. Two further counts of assault and theft were taken into account.
In July 2018, a 35‑year‑old man, Jason O'Driscoll, stood trial at the Central Criminal Court for the murders of 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond, who had planned to sell him a stolen car. The prosecution alleged that the men were shot in their heads inside a Volkswagen Golf that was later set on fire in Ravensdale Forest Park on 7 March 2012. O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty. Defence counsel Vincent Heneghan SC argued that the prosecution's theory was implausible, likening it to a James Bond film, and questioned the feasibility of two shots being fired within two minutes inside a cramped car. He highlighted alleged gaps in Garda evidence, the lack of forensic links between O'Driscoll and the silver Mercedes cited by the State, and the absence of proof that the victims were shot inside the vehicle.
Stephen O'Connor, a 19‑year‑old from Castle Manor, Newcastle, Co Wicklow, stole two bags of cash totalling €12,480 while employed by G4S Cash Services Ltd. He pleaded guilty to theft of €4,890 on 31 October 2017 and €7,590 on 2 November 2017 at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. O'Connor claimed the money was needed to repay a €6,000 drug debt that had risen from an original €4,000 "taxed" debt. He admitted hiding the bags under his jumper and that he had been on sick leave after the second theft. G4S detected the loss via CCTV analysis and an internal investigation led to his admission. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to an 18‑month prison term, suspended in full on strict conditions, noting his cooperation, lack of prior convictions, and family support. The sentence was imposed with the expectation that he would not return to such conduct.
David McCarton, a former defence forces member aged 38, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment with the final two years suspended for possession of child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child. The offence involved a young girl aged 11‑13 who believed she was communicating with a 14‑year‑old girl. McCarton recorded and possessed multiple illegal video and image files, including category one and category two child pornography, and admitted to viewing them out of curiosity. He also pleaded guilty to theft of ammunition and a magazine clip. The court noted his lack of prior convictions, his cooperation, and remorse, as well as the aggravating circumstances of the offence's nature and duration. The sentence, back‑dated to his custody, includes strict probation conditions and participation in a sex offenders treatment programme. No further offences have been reported since his admission of guilt.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 22‑year‑old Emily Stewart of Coolock pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Shannon Ryan and her mother Sabrina Ryan on a Dublin bus in March 2017. Stewart was found to have pulled clumps of hair from Shannon's head, left her with facial scratches and bleeding, and later bit, punched and scraped Sabrina's face. The judge, Martin Nolan, fully suspended a six‑month sentence, citing pre‑existing tensions between the families. Stewart, who has three prior theft convictions, was also noted to suffer from mental health issues, anger problems, borderline personality disorder, and drug addiction at the time of the assaults. She was ordered to pay €750 to each victim within one calendar year. No jail term was imposed. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
John Stokes, aged 30, was found guilty of 343 counts of theft related to a sophisticated social welfare fraud that spanned from April 2008 to December 2013. He had originally received a wholly suspended four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence from Judge Michael O'Shea on 30 June 2017. The Director of Public Prosecutions argued that the sentence was unduly lenient, and the Court of Appeal agreed. Judge Patrick McCarthy, sitting with Judges George Birmingham and John Hedigan, imposed an 18‑month custodial term, with the remainder of the four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence suspended. The fraud involved €55,000 in Jobseekers Allowance and €47,000 in Rent Allowance, and Stokes had rented a house in Sallins, Co. Kildare, to facilitate the scheme. He had also provided €4,000 in restitution and an additional €2,000 through withheld child allowance, and was paying €28 a week in restitution from social welfare payments.
A couple, Muhammed Kashif (42) and his wife Deepa Vaswani (39), were found with an "Aladdin's cave" of stolen goods in a Dublin hotel room. Garda analysis of Kashif's laptop revealed 200 pages of chat where four people shared stolen credit‑card details. The couple used these details to purchase €1,452 worth of toys from Smyths Toys, €161 of sex toys, a six‑night stay at the Fitzwilliam Hotel (€2,781), flights from Dublin to New York (€3,592) and to Kuala Lumpur (€8,798). Seized items included a camera, a €4,000 watch, six phones, new clothes and €15,000 of foreign currency. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced them to four years, suspending three, and ordered them to leave Ireland for 20 years. They pleaded guilty to handling stolen card information, fraud, theft and criminal damage. They have no prior convictions.
Two Dublin grandparents, Annette McCluskey (57) and her husband Edward McCluskey (61), admitted fraudulently claiming over €72,000 in social welfare payments over 11 years. Annette worked as a cleaner under an assumed name while Edward falsely claimed adult‑dependent allowance payments. Both pleaded guilty to multiple counts of stealing adult‑dependent allowance and other related offences. The court imposed a three‑year suspended sentence on Annette and a two‑year suspended sentence on Edward, after arrangements were made for the couple to pay €28 a week to the Department of Social and Family Affairs and having already repaid over €3,000. The judge noted their ill health, lack of lavish lifestyle, and the impact of Edward's alcohol addiction, concluding that the couple had learned a "salutary lesson" and were unlikely to re‑engage in such offences. The court did not impose a custodial sentence or community service.
In the trial of 35‑year‑old Jason O'Driscoll, a vehicle‑identification expert, Andy Wooller, testified that the car the State claims O'Driscoll fled in was a very good match for a vehicle seen near the scene. Wooller examined CCTV footage of two vehicles driving in Ravensdale Forest Park at about 10.45 p.m. on 7 March 2012, the night two men were found shot dead in a burnt‑out car. He identified the first vehicle as a large, light‑toned car consistent with a Mercedes, and the second as a dark hatchback consistent with a Volkswagen Golf. Wooller and a colleague ran a CCTV identification parade and described both the Mercedes S Class and the Volkswagen Golf as very good matches for the original footage. The State alleges O'Driscoll drove north to sell the stolen Golf to a victim, and the trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
Eoin Morrow, 38, a Louth bricklayer, will be sentenced for possessing cannabis and prescription drugs worth €1.38 million. Gardaí set up a surveillance operation on a Scania truck that met Morrow's Volkswagen Jetta. They observed Morrow and truck driver John Needham, 31, removing boxes from the truck onto a trolley bound for a storage unit in Newcourt Business Park. A subsequent search uncovered four large cardboard boxes of cannabis resin and 29 boxes of Zopiclone tablets. The 96 kg of cannabis was valued at €580,200 and the 400,000 Zopiclone pills at €800,000. Morrow pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis resin and supplying a prescription‑only drug. He has 15 previous convictions, including assault, burglary and theft. He fled to Europe after a bench warrant was issued but returned and surrendered. Needham also pleaded guilty to the same drug offences and was sentenced to eight years earlier this month.
A court heard that a serial burglar, Lewis Smith, 21, was linked to a 2015 burglary after a two‑year delay in a forensic report that identified his DNA on blood left at the scene. Smith had 30 prior convictions, ten of which were burglaries, and pleaded guilty to trespass and theft at Hazel Grove, Tallaght. The burglary caused €1,400 in damage and theft of items worth €800. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a two‑year sentence with nine months suspended and reactivated six months of a partially suspended robbery sentence to run concurrently. Smith was already serving another sentence due to expire next year. The judge noted the burglary lacked aggravating factors but had an upsetting effect on the victim, who declined to give a victim impact statement. Smith's personal turmoil, including a family death, was cited as a factor in his criminal behaviour.
A 42‑year‑old Pakistani man, Muhammed Kashif, and his 39‑year‑old Singaporean wife, Deepa Vaswani, were arrested in a Dublin hotel after Gardaí discovered an "Aladdin's cave" of stolen goods. Their laptop contained 200 pages of chat logs revealing the use of thousands of stolen credit‑card details. They used these cards to purchase €1,452 of toys from Smyths Toys, €161 of sex toys, and a six‑night stay at the Fitzwilliam Hotel costing €2,781. Flights from Dublin to New York (€3,592) and Dublin to Kuala Lumpur (€8,798) were also bought with stolen cards. Over 140 items were seized, including a €4,000 watch, six phones, new clothes, and €15,000 in foreign currencies. The couple pleaded guilty to handling stolen card information, fraudulently buying flights, obtaining hotel accommodation, theft from Smyths and Love Toy Shopper, and criminal damage to toy packaging. They remain remanded in custody, with no prior convictions.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions against the sentence imposed on Mark Hehir, a former GAA star who admitted stealing €305,072 from his employer, Galway City Bin company. Hehir pleaded guilty to transferring funds from the company's account to his personal account on 71 separate occasions between April and September 2016 to fund an online gambling addiction. In January, Judge Rory McCabe at Galway Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Hehir to a wholly suspended two-year term and ordered him to complete 240 hours of community service. Additional conditions require Hehir to remain gambling-free, refrain from opening bookmakers' accounts, continue counselling, and pay €100 weekly in restitution. Prosecutors, represented by Lorcan Staines BL, argued the sentence was unduly lenient and that the addiction did not constitute an exceptional circumstance justifying avoidance of custody. However, Mr Justice John Hedigan, sitting with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice John Edwards, upheld the Circuit Court decision. The Court of Appeal found that the sentencing judge had carefully balanced all factors, including Hehir's status as a first-time offender, his full admissions, and his engagement in restorative justice. The court concluded there was no basis to intervene, leaving Hehir's suspended sentence and conditions intact.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Lydia Simpson, 35, pleaded guilty to robbery at the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre car park on 21 January. The victim, a mother, was seated in her car with a five‑year‑old son. Simpson attempted to take a purse from the front seat; the owner resisted, and during the struggle the purse ended up in the back of the car. Simpson reached over the front seats to retrieve it and unintentionally struck the child, who sustained no injuries. Paul Carroll SC described the incident as frightening for the children. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Simpson to two years' imprisonment, to run from next January, noting her history of drug addiction and prior convictions for shoplifting and trespassing. Simpson admitted the robbery was motivated by a need for money to buy drugs and expressed remorse, saying she was ashamed and "at the bottom.".
A man from County Kildare has lost an appeal against his refusal to withdraw a guilty plea to theft and criminal damage charges at Roscommon Circuit Criminal Court. Conor Judge, aged 31, was sentenced to three years imprisonment in December 2016 for stealing equipment from a windfarm construction site near Arigna in north Roscommon in October 2010. The Court of Appeal upheld the Circuit Court judge's rejection of Judge's application to change his plea, with Mr Justice John Edwards stating the accused had given "blatant lies" and was an "unreliable witness". The court found Judge had failed to demonstrate good and substantial grounds for setting aside his guilty plea. Judge had also alleged coercion by his former legal representatives, claims which were rejected. A psychiatric assessment confirmed he was fit to plead. The Court of Appeal additionally upheld the three-year sentence as correct and proportionate.
Judge Melanie Greally sentenced four men to a total of 53 years for their roles in the 2005 €2.08 million robbery of Paul Richardson and Securicor, along with the false imprisonment of the Richardson family. Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, David Byrne, and Niall Byrne, all of whom pleaded not guilty, were convicted by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury. Farrelly, identified as the mastermind, received 17.5 years. David Byrne was sentenced to 13.5 years. Corcoran was sentenced to 12 years, with the final five years suspended due to his age and health. Niall Byrne, the former Securicor worker convicted of conspiracy to rob, received 10 years. The jury failed to reach a majority verdict on a kidnapping charge against Niall Byrne. The judge noted the victims' "uncommon and unbending faith" in the justice system after five trials. She ordered the forfeiture of €19,220 in cash and a BMW belonging to Niall Byrne. This sentencing follows previous legal history where convictions for Farrelly and Corcoran were overturned in 2012 and later acquitted in 2015 before those acquittals were overturned by the Court of Appeal.
In November 2016 a burglary at a mosque in Milltown Bridge, Dundrum, saw 30‑year‑old Stefan Boyle, who has 110 prior convictions, including 63 burglaries, stab him with a knife and steal his phone. Boyle, who has a history of drug and alcohol addiction, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Earlier this year Judge Karen O'Connor granted him bail to attend a drug‑treatment residential programme, but he later used cocaine and the judge offered one more chance. At a hearing in June Boyle asked to be remanded into custody because he was struggling on bail. The judge adjourned the case to 20 July, told Boyle he looked healthier than before, and Boyle thanked her for "saving" his life by sending him back into custody. The court noted Boyle had previously admitted to stealing two phones from the mosque's caretaker, Ali Yassine, and had returned them after a chance encounter. The case remains pending.
David Murphy, 39, was sentenced in October for an attempted robbery of a Centra shop on Camden Street, Dublin, on 28 December 2017. He had been released from a seven‑year prison term in August 2017 and had 64 prior convictions. Murphy planned the robbery to help his 21‑year‑old son, who had a drug debt. He entered the shop at about 6 pm, wearing a scarf and armed with a scissor, and threatened the shop assistant, Marco Moniz, saying he would stab him if he did not give money. Moniz tackled Murphy to the ground; his colleague, Hyeon Seok Kim, called the Gardaí. Officers arrived while Murphy was on the floor. Murphy pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally remanded him in custody until 25 October for sentencing and ordered a probation report, noting that no post‑release supervision had been in place after his August 2017 release.
Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the sentencing of Niall Byrne, Mark Farrelly, Christopher Corcoran, and David Byrne until July 16, remanding them in continuing custody. The men were convicted by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury for their roles in the €2.08 million robbery of Paul Richardson and Securicor on March 14, 2005, and the false imprisonment of the Richardson family at their Raheny home on March 13 and 14, 2005. All four defendants had pleaded not guilty. The jury convicted Farrelly, Corcoran, and David Byrne of robbery and false imprisonment. Niall Byrne was convicted of conspiracy to robbery, while the jury failed to reach a majority verdict on a kidnapping charge against him. This was the fifth trial for the case; previous convictions for Farrelly and Corcoran were overturned in 2012 due to unconstitutional search warrants, and subsequent acquittals were reversed by the Court of Appeal. During the hearing, victim Paul Richardson described the crime as "heinous and inhumane" and driven by greed. His wife and sons also submitted impact statements detailing the long-term trauma. The court noted Farrelly had 25 previous convictions, while Corcoran, David Byrne, and Niall Byrne had prior records for minor offences. The matter was adjourned for sentence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Adam Marlowe, 24, was convicted of aggravated burglary, robbery of €50, and assault on 81‑year‑old farmer Malachy Turley. DNA evidence linked Marlowe to a blue latex glove fragment found in Turley's bedroom. Turley, who lives alone in a rural north County Dublin cottage, suffered bruises, a deep hand cut requiring five stitches, and lasting trauma. Marlowe, who has 79 prior convictions and was on bail for other offences, maintains his innocence. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to 12 years' imprisonment, citing the pre‑planned, violent nature of the crime against an isolated, vulnerable victim, while noting mitigating factors such as Marlowe's age, family background, and current stable relationship. The sentence reflects the aggravated burglary headline of 15 years, reduced to 12 years with a suspended portion and effective custody as stated in the court order. Adam Marlowe pleaded not guilty.
In 2006, Niall Healy, 42, was sentenced to 20 years for aggravated sexual assault and false imprisonment, with the final 10 years suspended. He had a prior 12‑year rape conviction in 1993, the last six years of which were suspended. After his release in January 2014, Healy was jailed for two years for robbery. He was released again in January 2018 and subsequently relapsed into drug use, attacked a woman's car at traffic lights, and broke into an unoccupied house. On 6 June 2015, six years of the suspended term were re‑activated and back‑dated, leaving four years suspended on strict conditions. Mr Justice McCarthy ordered drug treatment, anger management, and educational courses, noting that Healy had failed to fulfil the obligations imposed by the courts. The judge emphasised that the community's protection required Healy to remain under a suspended term upon release.
On 17 December 2017, Andrew Peel of Coultry Drive, Ballymun, Dublin, after a "three‑day bender", attacked neighbours in their homes. He struck Kim Hutchinson with a golf club, breaking a bone in her arm, and hit David Tyson with a cue ball, rendering him unconscious and hospitalised. Peel's behaviour was described as "out of character" and "not the person they knew". He pleaded guilty to criminal damage, burglary and assault causing harm. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing victim impact statements, found Peel intoxicated that night. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a 33‑month sentence, back‑dated to the arrest, noting Peel's history of drug possession, assault, knife possession and car theft. Peel has since worked as a courier, assisted homeless soup runs and is training for social care. The court highlighted his mother's testimony of his long‑standing mental health and drug problems. Peel was sentenced to 33 months in custody.
A Dublin businessman has admitted to submitting fraudulent documents to obtain a €71,000 mortgage from Ulster Bank in April 2016. Kevin Molloy, aged 49, of Dublin Road, Celbridge, County Kildare, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three offences under the Theft and Fraud Acts committed between December 2014 and August 2016. The owner of a debt recovery business had initially applied to Bank of Ireland in late 2014, but that application was declined after officials questioned the authenticity of his documentation. When Molloy subsequently approached Ulster Bank, he provided altered bank statements, a falsified P60 tax document, and wage slips from companies in liquidation. The offences came to light in July 2016 following a Bank of Ireland report to gardaí. Molloy continues to reside in the property with his family and maintains mortgage repayments. Ulster Bank has not pursued charges. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to October 2018 and ordered a community service assessment. Molloy was remanded on continuing bail.
A 24‑year‑old Latvian man, Evalds Markos, was jailed for two and a half years after swallowing 52 cocaine pellets, worth just under €36,000, before being caught by customs at Dublin Airport. He pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale or supply in the customs hall of Terminal One on 28 October. After his arrest he was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he passed the pellets and was later discharged. Markos admitted he had been told to swallow the pellets by an associate in Amsterdam and that he expected payment of €1,500, though he claimed he had not been paid. He had no prior convictions in Ireland but had a history of theft, fraud and robbery in Latvia and shoplifting and criminal damage in France.
In a sting operation, a Garda officer disguised as a postman used an An Post van to deliver a parcel containing 36,000 ecstasy tablets to Philip Noonan, who signed for it and was immediately arrested. Customs had flagged the package as suspicious after it arrived from Germany to Portlaoise Mail Centre in June 2015. The parcel, addressed to Noonan, was found to contain MDMA tablets worth €288,000. Noonan, aged 49, had previously been convicted of 20 offences, including a robbery in 1992, and was charged with possessing drugs for sale or supply. He pleaded guilty at his trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment. The judge noted he was not the owner of the drugs but had knowingly received the package for onward delivery. The sentence reflected the seriousness of the drug‑dealing activity, despite mitigating circumstances.
A 35‑year‑old Nigerian wedding photographer, Adewale Yusuf, avoided jail after repaying all stolen money he had transferred from an account that had been used by a Russian company to receive €30,000 from an Italian firm. The money, totalling €9,002, had been transferred to Yusuf's account and then to other accounts linked to him. Yusuf pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of transferring property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct while knowing or being reckless about its source. Judge Karen O'Connor suspended a two‑year prison sentence, noting Yusuf's low risk of re‑offending and his full repayment. Yusuf admitted he had no knowledge of the money's origin and had transferred it because he lacked a card for the account, which normally held little money. He had five prior traffic convictions and had been in financial trouble in 2013.
Craig O'Donnell, aged 21, was convicted in 2014 of aggravated burglary, burglary, possession of a knife, robbery, possession of a firearm and escape from lawful custody in Limerick. He received a ten‑year sentence, with 18 months suspended, imposed by Judge Tom O'Donnell on 5 May 2017. In a Court of Appeal hearing, Mr Justice George Birmingham asked whether the sentence should be increased in light of recent guidance on burglary sentencing. The three‑judge panel, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, upheld the original eight‑and‑a‑half‑year jail term. Edwards noted that O'Donnell's first offences were committed at age 17 and 18, that he had a history of drug problems and four prior convictions, and that the Court of Appeal found no error in principle. The appeal was dismissed, leaving the sentence unchanged. Craig O'Donnell pleaded guilty.
A 25-year-old man has received a fully suspended sentence for his involvement in an armed robbery at a pizzeria in Tallaght in September 2015. Craig Dempsey, now resident in Achill, County Mayo, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing Apache Pizza in Oldbawn Shopping Centre, where approximately €2,535 was taken. He also admitted robbing a Spar store in Ballycullen in July 2015 while producing a broken bottle. The court heard that Dempsey and an accomplice, who carried an electric chainsaw, entered the pizzeria in the early hours demanding money. Judge Melanie Greally imposed consecutive sentences totalling six years, fully suspended for three years. The judge noted that Dempsey's principal risk factors, including cocaine use and association with antisocial peers, had been addressed. The court was informed that Dempsey had relocated to Mayo to distance himself from negative influences and was now caring for his unwell mother.
Martin Sherlock, aged 30, was convicted of raping a woman he met on the dating app Badoo. The victim had told him they could not have sex without a condom and repeatedly said "no" during the encounter. Sherlock admitted stealing her mobile phone. He was found guilty after a four‑day trial and sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with a three‑year post‑release supervision order. The court noted that Sherlock had no prior convictions, had lost his job and cancelled wedding plans, and that the victim had a history of mental illness. The judge emphasised that the conviction was based on the victim's refusal to have sex without a condom and that the sentence was not an act of vengeance. No further legal actions or appeals are mentioned in the article. Martin Sherlock pleaded not guilty.
Gerard Lawlor, 68, of Balrothery, Tallaght, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 11 counts of fraudulently claiming €167,873 in social welfare payments from 2005 to 2015. The fraud was uncovered during a Revenue audit of his former wife's dieting company, which revealed that Lawlor had been claiming pre‑retirement payments for himself and adult dependent allowances for his estranged wife. On 15 June 2017 Judge Karen O'Connor imposed a wholly suspended three‑year sentence with strict conditions, citing a reluctance to imprison Lawlor because it would be detrimental to the life of his sisters, who rely on his support. The Director of Public Prosecutions has requested a review of the sentence on the grounds that it was unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal has reserved its judgment. The case remains at the appeal stage, with no further outcome reported.
Mark Hehir, a 27‑year‑old former captain of the Galway Under‑21 All Ireland football team, pleaded guilty to stealing €259,072 from his former employer, Galway City Bin, over a six‑month period in 2016. In January, Judge Rory McCabe at Galway Circuit Criminal Court imposed a wholly suspended two‑year sentence, ordered 240 hours of community service, required Hehir to remain gambling‑free, to avoid opening a bookies account, to attend counselling, and to pay €100 a week in restitution. The Director of Public Prosecutions, represented by Lorcan Staines BL, requested a review of the sentence, arguing that gambling was not an exceptional circumstance and that the sentence was unduly lenient. Hehir's counsel, Bernard Madden SC, countered that Hehir's addiction and his efforts to repay the debt were exceptional factors. The Court of Appeal, with Justices George Birmingham, John Edwards and John Hedigan, reserved judgement on the review.
Sabrina O'Connor, a former care worker aged 37, was acquitted on ten charges of theft and deception after a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found her not guilty. The case involved allegations that she stole over €43,000 from an elderly stroke victim she cared for between June 2010 and December 2011. The jury could not reach verdicts on three counts and remanded her on continuing bail until July 9 to address those charges. O'Connor admitted that accepting money from a client was against her work policy and said she had been under pressure. She claimed she had attempted to repay the largest sum of €15,000 but the victim said the money was "in custody." The judge ordered that sum to be paid back to the complainant. The trial also covered allegations of bank account theft, use of cheques, and a vehicle purchase, but these were not resolved in the verdict.