Anthony Connors, aged 42, was sentenced to four years in prison for a burglary that turned violent when he attacked Michael Tonra in Tonra's home on 20 June 2016. Connors had convinced Tonra he was looking for a long‑lost friend and, after Tonra offered to write down his contact details, Connors entered the house, pushed Tonra, and tried to force his way past him. Tonra resisted, and a struggle ensued in which Tonra pinned Connors to the ground, struck him, and forced him out of the house. Connors shouted threats of return and demanded his jacket, which he had taken during the fight. The court noted Connors' 60 prior convictions, including burglary and robbery, and his history of drug abuse. Judge Karen O'Connor, after hearing the case, imposed a five‑year sentence, suspended the last year on the condition that Connors participate in Probation Service programmes to address violent offending and substance abuse. Anthony Connors pleaded guilty.
A bookkeeper from Virginia, County Cavan, has avoided imprisonment after admitting theft from a Dublin creche. Elizabeth Ingram (61) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €14,000 from Ballyfermot Resource Centre during 2011 and 2012. Judge Melanie Greally imposed 240 hours of community service in lieu of a one-year prison sentence. The court heard Ingram had worked in bookkeeping at the resource centre for eight years before the thefts were uncovered during a mandatory Government funding audit. She admitted taking approximately €100 from every €1,000 in creche payments over several weeks, plus €800 from the centre's restaurant. Ingram repaid the full amount by bank draft following her admission. Judge Greally acknowledged the serious breach of trust but noted Ingram was under financial pressure at the time and described the offence as uncharacteristic of an otherwise law-abiding woman who raised four children as a single parent.
Trevor McDonagh, aged 19, was convicted in the Central Criminal Court of anally raping a 16‑year‑old girl, biting her breast, and engaging in a sex act with a child under 17 on 4 March 2014 in County Wicklow. He pleaded not guilty to these offences but pleaded guilty to stealing the victim's phone on the same date. The court heard that McDonagh, who was 15 at the time of the offence, lured the girl into a lane, forced her against a wall, bit her breast while she struggled, and then fled when he thought Gardaí were nearby. The victim suffered hair loss, seizures, and attempted suicide; she described the assault as "disgusting, dirty, unwanted." McDonagh was sentenced to eight years, with the final 18 months suspended, on the condition he makes no contact with the victim, stays away from her area, and behaves well.
A man has received a two-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his guilty plea to burglary at a takeaway in Castlebar, County Mayo. Yasir Ali, aged 29, of Lighthouse Apartments, East Wall, Dublin, stole equipment valued at €11,484.50 from Thomas Street Takeaway on 18 May 2015. The stolen items included commercial freezers, deep fat fryers, a burger fryer, microwave, food blender, and stainless steel fixtures. Ali was arrested shortly after the offence and subsequently apprehended at Dublin Airport attempting to leave the country with false documentation. Following his arrest, he cooperated with gardaí and led them to a farmhouse at Hollymount, County Mayo, where the concealed equipment was recovered in July 2015. Judge Karen O'Connor imposed the sentence in full suspension. Ali received an additional three-month suspended sentence for the false documentation offence. The court heard he has no previous convictions and had adhered to bail conditions.
Warren Brennan, aged 26, was re‑sentenced to ten years' imprisonment with the final three years suspended after the Court of Appeal found his original seven‑year sentence unduly lenient. Brennan had pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, robbery and related offences at a bookmakers shop on Lombard Street in December 2014 and at Alderwood Park in October 2015. He was convicted of robbing a 71‑year‑old pensioner with a hammer, repeatedly striking him on the head and body, and also striking the victim's nephew. Brennan had previously been convicted of 54 offences, including robbery and possession of a firearm. The Court of Appeal, judging that the evidence was overwhelming and that the guilty pleas had earned excessive credit, imposed a consecutive five‑year term with the final three years suspended, requiring a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period.
Sarah Doyle, a 24‑year‑old single mother from Killaley, Togher, Drogheda, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for her role in the robbery of Clogherhead Post Office on 3 May 2016. The robbery involved three armed men who used a sledgehammer, a firearm and a taser to break into the post office and stole about €7,000. Doyle, who had no direct participation in the robbery or in threatening staff, helped the raiders by waiting in her car and driving them to safety. She received €1,000 from the proceeds. At sentencing, the judge suspended the final two years, but on appeal the Court of Appeal increased the suspended portion to two‑and‑a‑half years, keeping the overall term at four years. Doyle was required to enter a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period. The appeal decision was based on the judge's failure to fully consider the detrimental effect of custody on the mother‑child relationship. Sarah Doyle pleaded guilty.
Nathan Coakley (24) has been sentenced to five years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in an armed robbery. Coakley, of Buckingham Street Upper, Dublin, pleaded guilty to possessing a kitchen knife during a hold-up at a Spar shop on Long Brook Quay on December 10, 2015. His accomplice carried an imitation firearm and assaulted a staff member when unable to access a time-locked safe. The raiders escaped with €6,114, which was never recovered. Judge Cormac Quinn imposed the five-year sentence with the final 18 months suspended, conditional on compliance with the Probation Services. The court noted that a victim, who has since relocated to Donegal, found the robbery traumatic. Coakley's previous convictions number 82, predominantly for road traffic offences, though Judge Quinn acknowledged his recent achievement in becoming drug-free and noted the absence of prior violent crime convictions.
A 21‑year‑old man named Lee Harris, who served as a lookout during an armed robbery of a G4S cash‑in‑transit van on 11 February 2016, was later apprehended by Gardaí for drink driving. While being stopped, officers discovered €2,850 in €50 bank notes on Harris that were stained with a blue‑green security ink, indicating they had been taken from a security cash box. Harris had pleaded guilty to robbery at La Touche Road, Bluebell, Dublin, and the court found his role was to watch for Gardaí. The robbery involved a handgun, a knife, and a getaway driver. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Harris to four years' imprisonment, suspending all but the final 16 months on the condition of cooperation with Probation Services. The case highlighted the use of security ink to trace stolen cash. The article does not mention any further legal proceedings or outcomes beyond this sentencing.
Derek Reville, 40, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to stealing a suitcase and its €250 worth of contents from the Arc Bar, Liffey Valley, on July 21, 2017. He also admitted to endangerment on the M50 and at a junction at Clonshaugh Road, dangerous driving at Bothar Na Life, Lucan, and having no insurance at Greencastle Road, Coolock, on the same date. Prosecution evidence detailed that Reville led gardai on a ten-minute chase, driving his Renault Laguna at speeds up to 180 kmph, weaving through traffic, and driving the wrong way down a dual carriageway. The chase ended when he crashed at Greencastle Road. Judge Martin Nolan described the actions as "reprehensible" and the driving as "deplorable." Reville, who had 17 previous convictions, was on bail for seven other offences and had a four-month suspended sentence at the time. The court imposed a three-and-a-half-year jail term, backdated to when he entered custody. He was also banned from driving for four years.
Christopher Keeley, aged 53, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in a car chop‑shop operation and drug offences. He pleaded guilty to possession of stolen cars and to possession for sale or supply of cannabis. Gardaí seized six stolen vehicles, €70,000 worth of cannabis, and additional drugs including cocaine, as well as fake bank drafts, from a series of searches at an industrial unit in Summerhill, Meath, Keeley's home in Rossfield Court, Tallaght, and a lock‑up in Blessington, Co. Wicklow. The court noted that the stolen cars had been taken during burglaries across the country. Judge Martin Nolan, taking into account Keeley's serious medical problems, accepted his remorse and imposed the sentence, stating Keeley would not appear again for similar offences. The sentence reflects the profit motive behind the drug dealing. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
Charles Schlaubitz, 45, was jailed for 18 months after producing an imitation firearm in the beer garden of the Pygmalion Public House and a second replica at a pharmacy on Berkeley Road. He pleaded guilty to possession of imitation firearms with intent to cause injury or intimidate. Schlaubitz, who is bipolar with manic depression, admitted to having a "bad run of things" and that he had gone too far. He was intoxicated and unfit to be interviewed after his arrest. Judge Melanie Greally noted that no major harm had been caused and that people could not circulate in public places producing what appeared to be a firearm. She handed down a three‑year sentence but suspended the final 18 months on a number of conditions. The article reports that Schlaubitz had 91 previous convictions, mainly for public order and theft offences. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Lisa Lynch, 33, a former director of AGL Logistics, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €460,660 from Bibby Financial Services over a three‑month period in 2013. She created 93 false invoices in the names of eight of her companies, which Bibby treated as legitimate and advanced 80 % of the debt to AGL. The money was transferred to a personal account and partially repaid to Bibby, allowing AGL to maintain cash flow. Lynch admitted falsifying emails and invoices, claiming she acted to keep her company solvent and protect her employees. She was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, with the court noting her low risk of re‑offending and her cooperation with the Garda investigation. AGL Logistics has since dissolved, and Lynch's family home faces repossession. The sentence was adjourned until after Christmas to allow her to inform her children of the offence.
In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Melanie Greally adjourned Laura Pennick's sentence for another year, allowing her to continue paying €100 a week to repay Marie McNally the €41,000 stolen inheritance. Pennick, aged 30, pleaded guilty to thefts totalling €41,935 from McNally between January 2010 and December 2012. McNally, whose sons were shot dead and who was ill, had been living two doors away from Pennick in Finglas. Pennick acted as an unofficial carer, accessing McNally's pension, bank accounts and ATM cards, and withdrew money for home improvements, fashion, furnishings, appliances and holidays. McNally's son Alan was killed in 2012, and her older brother Graham had died earlier. Pennick has 29 prior convictions, including five thefts, and the judge warned that the adjournment does not preclude a custodial sentence. The case will return to court in December next year.
Thomas McCann, 43, of Morristown Estate, Newbridge, Co Kildare, was sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a total of six years' imprisonment, with two years suspended. He has spent 22 years in custody and has 150 prior convictions, mainly for burglary and theft. McCann pleaded guilty to smashing a glass panel on a house on Strand Road, Sandymount, and was found guilty of burglary at a house on Maretimo Place, Blackrock, on 30 September 2011. He was acquitted of a second burglary attempt at comedian Mario Rosenstock's home. Judge Ryan sentenced him to four years for the Maretimo burglary, with one year suspended, and to two years for the 2016 criminal damage, with one year suspended, to be served after the first sentence. McCann, who has been drug‑free for 27 years, expressed remorse, thanked the court, and pledged to dedicate the rest of his life to his wife and child.
Aaron Murdiff, 20, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to three counts of robbery, three counts of attempted robbery, and one count relating to the production of a knife. The offences occurred at various locations in Shankill, Dublin, on October 21, 2015. Prosecution counsel Antonia Boyle BL detailed a three-hour crime spree during which victims were robbed of wallets, phones, and headphones, while others were threatened with knives or physical violence. Defence counsel Justin McQuaid BL highlighted that Murdiff, of Dargle Heights, Bray, Co Wicklow, had no previous convictions, was under the influence of drugs, and wished to enter the Aisling Centre for addiction treatment. Judge Patricia Ryan noted the serious nature of the charges but considered Murdiff's youth, his early guilty plea, his cooperation with gardaí, and his engagement with probation services, which assessed him as a low risk of re-offending. The judge also credited his desire to address substance abuse issues. Judge Ryan sentenced Murdiff to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years. She warned that if he came to garda attention during that period, she would not hesitate to jail him.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 37‑year‑old Larry Connors was sentenced to two years and three months' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended. Connors, a father of six, pleaded guilty to assaulting his estranged wife, Margaret Connors, on 31 March 2016, after a two‑day period of violent conduct that included pulling a knife, threatening to kill her, slashing her car tyres and stealing her phone. He also breached two Safety Orders and damaged her property. Connors denied all charges but admitted the assault. The judge, citing the seriousness of the breaches and Connors' remorse, noted his completion of a 12‑week rehabilitation programme at Cuan Mhuire and his involvement in his children's lives. The sentence was back‑dated to 8 July 2017, and Connors was ordered to keep the peace and exhibit good behaviour for two years after release. The court refused to defer the sentence until after Christmas, despite Margaret's request.
A jury could not reach a verdict in the trial of 34‑year‑old Jason O'Driscoll, charged with murdering 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond in Co. Louth on 7 March 2012. The case centred on a car that the two men had stolen and were attempting to sell to O'Driscoll for €700. O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty. The prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence, including CCTV footage of the men and a stolen Mercedes S Class W221 that was later found abandoned. The defence argued that the evidence did not prove O'Driscoll's involvement or motive. After 11½ hours of deliberation over four days, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous or majority verdict and was discharged from service. O'Driscoll was remanded in custody pending further court dates.
Denise O'Brien, 38, of Cedar House, Marlborough Street, Dublin, was sentenced to 16 months in jail for stealing €1,494 worth of No 7 and L'Oréal products from a Boots store in the Ilac Centre on 23 July 2017. She pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. CCTV footage captured O'Brien and an unknown male entering the store; she placed a large amount of cosmetics in a bag held by the male before they left without paying. O'Brien has 126 previous convictions, 87 of which are for theft. The prosecution, represented by Diane Stuart BL, described her as a "persistent shoplifter" whose life had been destroyed by long‑term drug abuse. Defence counsel, Luigi Rea BL, noted that O'Brien began using cannabis at 12, later used other drugs, completed a FÁS course after leaving school, and was working on film locations before her addiction made her unemployable.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Francis Leahy, aged 58, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for robbing a Spar shop in Ringsend on 18 February 2017. He pleaded guilty to one count of robbery, stealing €360 in cash, and one count of possessing a firearm with 10 rounds of ammunition. Leahy entered the shop masked, pointed the gun at a shop worker, demanded money, and fled with the cash. Gardaí found him with the gun loaded with two rounds, eight additional rounds, and cash. He claimed he had gambling debts and had received threatening bullet cartridges in his letter box. Judge Karen O'Connor described the offence as very serious, imposed the sentence, and suspended the final 18 months on strict conditions, including drug treatment and a victim awareness programme. The victim's impact statement noted fear for his life during the robbery.
The jury in the trial of 34‑year‑old Jason O'Driscoll, charged with murdering 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond, will resume deliberations on the fourth day. O'Driscoll, who lives on Richmond Avenue, Fairview, pleaded not guilty. The case alleges the men were killed in a stolen Volkswagen Golf in Ravensdale Forest Park on 7 March 2012, with gunshot wounds to the head. Defence counsel suggested another person may have been responsible or that one victim betrayed the other. The jury, consisting of seven men and five women, must reach a unanimous verdict.
Gregory Kearns, 44, a grandfather who dresses as Santa to visit sick children, was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years in jail after a police raid uncovered equipment capable of producing fake driving licences, motor tax discs and car registration plates. Gardaí found false bank statements, a counterfeit €50 note, a fake drivers licence and a counterfeit motor tax disc in the attic of his home. Kearns pleaded guilty to 14 counts of illegally possessing false instruments and items that could be used to make false instruments. He also admitted to possessing a counterfeit €50 note, though it was not made by him. The judge, Karen O'Connor, noted his seven previous convictions, including handling stolen property, and his financial pressures. He was sentenced to four years with the final eighteen months suspended, meaning he will serve two and a half years in custody.
Jacqueline Walsh, a 33‑year‑old former civil servant, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four counts of stealing €6,736 from the Department of Social Protection between October 2011 and May 2012. The theft involved fake Jobseekers allowance claims made under her brother William Walsh's PPS number. Walsh accessed her brother's details and used the department's system to submit the claims, which were discovered when William attempted a Revenue claim. She had no prior convictions except minor traffic offences. The court, after considering her difficult upbringing, family responsibilities, and the premeditated nature of the offence, imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence. She was ordered to serve 18 months of probation supervision and complete victim‑focused work. No money was recovered, and the case highlighted security lapses in the Tallaght office where computers were often left unlocked.
David McDonagh, 42, of St Margaret's Halting Site, Ballymun, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to handling stolen property on 6 April 2015 and possession of stolen property on 16 April 2015. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to two and a half years imprisonment, suspended for the same period on the condition of keeping the peace and good behaviour. He was ordered to pay €4,200 compensation to the victim and to engage with the probation service for 12 months. The judge also suspended his driving licence for two years because he had used a vehicle without insurance and failed to produce insurance. McDonagh was identified as the "front man" in a stolen car operation that involved Volkswagen Passat and Golf vehicles advertised on the Done Deal website, with false number plates, NCT and tax discs. He has 81 previous convictions, 59 of which are road traffic offences, and one theft conviction.
Jason Whelan, 28, of Woodhazel Terrace, Ballymun, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to trespass and theft offences at Clifton Court Hotel and The Gresham Hotel in 2017. He admitted stealing a receptionist's phone and seven bottles of spirits worth €225, and burglary of €257 worth of spirits at Clifton Court. Garda Michelle Fitzpatrick reported that Whelan also took €43 worth of spirits from The Grand Central pub after leaving ten bottles in a bag behind a function room door. Whelan has 28 prior burglary convictions, ten theft convictions and other handling‑stolen‑property offences. Judge Martin Nolan remarked that Whelan "cannot stop himself from committing burglaries" and sentenced him to two and a half years' imprisonment, crediting time already served. His brother, Stephen Whelan, 34, pleaded guilty to the same offences and received a 16‑month sentence. No violence was reported in any incident.
The jury will resume deliberations tomorrow morning in the trial of a 34‑year‑old Dubliner, Jason O'Driscoll, who has pleaded not guilty to the murders of 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond. The case concerns a car that was stolen and later sold to O'Driscoll, with the men found dead in a burning vehicle in Ravensdale Forest Park on 7 March 2012. The defence has suggested another person may have been responsible, and the jury is required to reach a unanimous verdict.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal against the severity of a 15-year prison sentence imposed on Michael Maughan for aggravated burglary. Maughan, aged 24, pleaded guilty to breaking into the caravan of Martin and Winnie McDonagh on Turlough Road, Castlebar, on November 18, 2013. During the attack, Maughan allegedly used a machete to slash the occupants, including an 11-year-old child, causing severe lacerations. The original sentence was handed down by Judge Rory McCabe at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court on February 19, 2016. On appeal, counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions argued the offence was among the most serious possible, while the defence compared it to a less severe Tipperary case. The three-judge panel, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, rejected this comparison, stating both cases represented the highest level of seriousness for aggravated burglary. The court noted that Maughan was also sentenced on four other bills of indictment for violent disorders and robbery committed after the caravan attack. Judge McCabe had imposed concurrent sentences for these additional offences, made consecutive to the aggravated burglary term but suspended in their entirety. The Court of Appeal found that the 15-year sentence for the aggravated burglary fell within the appropriate range and that no error in principle was identified, thereby upholding the original custodial term.
A jury will start deliberating on the trial of 34‑year‑old Jason O'Driscoll, who is charged with murdering 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond in County Louth on 7 March 2012. The case alleges that the two men were on their way to sell O'Driscoll a stolen Volkswagen Golf when they were shot in a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park. Firefighters found the bodies with gunshot wounds to the heads. O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty. The defence suggested that another person might have been responsible or that one of the deceased betrayed the other, leading to a different shooter. Judge Patrick McCarthy explained the trial's proceedings, the legal definitions, and the jury's requirement for a unanimous verdict. He also noted that evidence of a substance found in an abandoned Mercedes in Northern Ireland was deemed unreliable and excluded from consideration. The jury will retire tomorrow morning to consider the verdict.
Nathan Coakley, 24, of Buckingham Street Upper, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for unlawful use of a stolen motor vehicle and unlawful possession of a knife as a weapon. On 24 December 2015, Coakley and another male drove a stolen Hyundai i30 through the Ballsbridge area, breaking several red lights and narrowly avoiding a collision. The chase ended when the car flipped over and landed upright on four wheels. Coakley and the other man fled on foot, entered a house where a group of young males were gathered, and were not pursued by Gardaí. A knife, two petrol containers and a strip of paper were found in the vehicle; DNA on the knife matched Coakley. He was arrested, returned from the UK, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan, who also ordered a ten‑year driving disqualification.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Derek McGovern, 35, was acquitted of unlawful possession of a Glock 26 pistol, 14 rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition, and stolen car keys. Judge Melanie Greally directed the jury to return a verdict of not guilty on all charges after concluding that the Director of Public Prosecutions had insufficient evidence to prove McGovern's control over the items. The prosecution's case relied on demonstrating a common design to possess the items and suggested a joint enterprise with a co‑accused, but the judge found this evidence inadequate. McGovern had pleaded not guilty at the start of the trial. Judge Greally thanked the jury for their time and noted that the lack of evidence meant the jury could not convict on any of the charges.
Verka Georgieva, 49, was convicted in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of stealing €10,000 from a businessman in 2008 and attempting to steal a similar amount from a medical student in 2017. She had previously been charged with the 2008 offence and taken a bench warrant, but returned to Ireland after a 2014 car accident that caused memory loss. Garda Alan O'Dowd described how Georgieva stole the businessman's cash from his pocket as he left Allied Irish Bank, and how she followed the student to Brown Thomas after watching her deposit the money into her bag. CCTV footage showed Georgieva in the bank's security hatch with the businessman, and she was arrested shortly after the student alerted security. Georgieva pleaded guilty to both thefts and was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment, with the court noting the crimes were committed in "cold blood.".
Brian O'Neill, 47, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final 20 months suspended, for stealing €32,460 from an 89‑year‑old woman over an 18‑month period beginning in October 2013. He posed as a handyman, calling the victim, Teresa Byrne, to her home to perform odd jobs and was paid in cash and cheques. He then stole her chequebook and wrote cheques in his own name. Byrne discovered the fraud when her bank manager noticed her account was severely depleted and numerous cheques were drawn in O'Neill's name. Garda Colleen Doherty witnessed O'Neill demanding €400 in cash from Byrne and became aggressive when she refused. O'Neill was arrested on 14 May 2015 after a search warrant was obtained. He pleaded guilty to 99 counts of theft. The court noted his early guilty plea, good employment record and remorse, but also a moderate risk of re‑offending according to a probation report.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Kastriot Boza, a 44‑year‑old Albanian national with no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to burglary at the home of Teresa (83) and Edward Keenan (86) on 28 June. The couple had withdrawn €9,600 for an inter‑generational holiday, but Boza knocked them to the ground, stole €3,000 from Teresa's wallet, €5,000 from her bag and €300 from her purse, and fled. Gardaí recovered the money and arrested Boza in Swords the next day. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, back‑dated to the date he entered custody. The court noted the victims' panic attacks, sleeplessness, anxiety and stress, and the impact on their confidence and family life. Boza had 33 prior convictions, including robbery, and the judge considered his apology and remorse in imposing the sentence.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Derek Walsh, aged 29, was sentenced to 200 hours of community service over the next year in lieu of an 18‑month prison term. The sentence followed his guilty plea to one count of producing a hatchet during a dispute on St Anthony's Road on 10 June 2016. Gardaí were called after neighbours reported men fighting with knives; Walsh, highly intoxicated, ran toward a man brandishing a large hatchet. He fled, was pursued, and threw the hatchet over a house roof before being apprehended. No injuries occurred. Walsh has 71 prior convictions, including theft and public order offences. He has expressed remorse, regrets his actions, and wishes to apologise. He is currently substance‑free, working as a scaffolder, and hopes to resume his pharmaceutical studies. Judge Karen O'Connor noted the seriousness of using a hatchet and accepted Walsh's remorse and qualifications.
Costel Tudor, 43, from Bucharest, was jailed for his role in an ATM scam that involved the theft of bank cards with "military precision." The scam took place at a Bank of Ireland ATM in Ranelagh, Dublin, on 17 October 2015. Tudor, together with two women, distracted a customer by placing a €20 note on the ground and tapping him on the shoulder. While the victim was momentarily distracted, Tudor switched the victim's card with another. Garda Joseph O'Callaghan presented CCTV footage to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, showing the group's actions and Tudor's subsequent attempt to withdraw cash, which failed. Tudor pleaded guilty to dishonestly taking the card and attempting to withdraw cash. He also admitted taking cash from a bank account on three occasions in May 2017, including a case where a woman's card was stolen from her purse on Harcourt Street, resulting in €845 fraudulently withdrawn.
In a double‑murder trial, defence counsel Seán Guerin SC argued that one of the deceased car thieves might have betrayed the other, leading to their deaths in a stolen car they had agreed to sell to the accused, Jason O'Driscoll. Guerin highlighted that the two men had only known each other for about a week before the incident and that they had not yet travelled north to meet O'Driscoll. He questioned whether a third party, such as witness Richie Cullinan, could have been involved or tipped off a killer. Guerin also raised the issue of an unknown phone number appearing in the victims' records that night, suggesting it could have been used to arrange the murders. He urged the jury to consider these alternative explanations before finding O'Driscoll guilty, noting that the prosecution had not investigated these possibilities. The judge has begun charging the jury for deliberation. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
In a 2017 double‑murder trial, the prosecution presented CCTV footage and mobile‑phone records to the jury, arguing that the accused, 34‑year‑old Jason O'Driscoll, was escorting the stolen Volkswagen Golf to its destruction. The evidence included a call from the deceased men to a phone linked to O'Driscoll, a brief period of traffic footage showing two cars near the scene, and a later sighting of O'Driscoll in a blue shirt leaving a chip shop. The prosecution claimed these strands, taken together, proved O'Driscoll's presence, participation and guilt. The defence was scheduled to present its closing argument before the judge. The case remained at the trial stage, with no verdict announced. The article does not state any outcome or further proceedings. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
The jury is hearing closing speeches in the trial of a 34‑year‑old Dubliner charged with the double murder of 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond in Louth on 7 March 2012. The accused, Jason O'Driscoll, has pleaded not guilty. The State alleges the victims were on their way to sell a stolen car to O'Driscoll and that he participated in their killings. Prosecutor Alexander Owens SC presented witness statements, mobile‑phone records and other evidence to the jury before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy.
Daniel Polanksi, 33, of Charlestown Place, Finglas, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He pleaded guilty to one count of possessing three signal blockers used for breaking into cars on March 7 this year. He also pleaded guilty to one count of possessing crowbars, torches, binoculars, and pen-knives for use in a theft on the same date. Judge Karen O'Connor imposed a sentence of three years and three months. The court heard that gardaí recovered the items from a vehicle at St Margaret's Road, Finglas, along with a USB stick and an iPod allegedly stolen from other cars. Polanksi has 72 previous convictions, including 40 for theft. Two further counts relating to the theft of the USB stick and iPod were taken into account. Defence counsel Luigi Rea BL noted Polanksi is currently in custody for a previous offence, is an enhanced prisoner, and is attending addiction counselling. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the custodial sentence.
A Dublin drug addict, Glen Egan, aged 34, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for his role in a Christmas Eve drive‑by robbery and several other offences. CCTV footage showed Egan and a co‑accused driving up in a Ford Fiesta while a male victim withdrew cash from an ATM. The co‑accused removed a car jack from the boot and placed it behind the victim's back as Egan threatened him. Garda Cormac O'Donnell reported that the pair searched the victim's pockets when he fell, taking coins and a set of car keys, then drove away. They returned moments later demanding €20 for the keys, which the victim refused to pay. Egan pleaded guilty to robbing Mercedes Benz car keys and coins at Old Stillorgan Road, €220 cash from Vape Island, and €10 from Spar, James's Street. He has 75 prior convictions.
Dwayne Cullen, 28, was caught on CCTV smashing windows of six cars in a church car park and taking items from three of them. He was later arrested at a hostel where stolen goods were found. Cullen pleaded guilty to criminal damage, theft and possession of stolen items, including a laptop, guitar, pedals and amplifier worth €7,000. He has 23 prior convictions, mainly for minor public order offences. Garda Niall McLoughlin reported that two bags taken from two cars were recovered and the stolen items at the hostel were returned to owners. Cullen wrote a remorse letter and offered to meet victims under the Restorative Justice Programme. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to a suspended term of two and a half years, suspended for 18 months, and directed probation supervision. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 25 January 2017.
Stephen Feery, 28, of The Water Rill, Malahide, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a stolen vehicle and criminal damage to electric gates at an apartment block in Balgriffin. He stole a Euro Car rental on 24 February, was pursued by Gardaí, sprayed with pepper spray, collided with gates, fled, and was later found hanging from a window of his brother's apartment. The damage to the gates cost €3,500. Feery has 128 prior convictions, including burglary, dangerous driving and driving without insurance, and a 2008 suspended sentence for endangerment. He left school at 12, has three children, and had completed a residential drug programme. Judge Patrick Quinn sentenced him to two years, suspending ten months, with strict conditions. The case was investigated by Garda Jason Flynn.
Michael Darcy, a 37‑year‑old Dubliner, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for making a false insurance claim to AXA. He alleged that jewellery worth over €40,000 had been stolen during a fictitious break‑in on 1 September 2013. Darcy had previously listed an 18‑carat gold engagement ring (€25,000), a lady's bracelet (€11,000) and a man's bracelet (€5,400) on his AXA policy, though he never owned them. He also forged an AIB bank statement to show €48,783.42 in his account, when the real balance was €34.42. The court noted his prior convictions for burglary, theft and traffic offences, but also his capacity for work and reform. The sentence was back‑dated to 27 October, when he entered custody. The judge described the fraud as a "thought‑out" white‑collar crime. The case highlighted the cost to AXA, which spent €6,200 on the investigation. Michael Darcy pleaded guilty.
Terence Gavin, 25, was found guilty of fraudulently claiming job seekers allowance for two years under a false name and also claiming other state benefits in his own name. He admitted to stealing €8,100 from the Department of Social and Family Affairs at An Post, Donaghmede Shopping Centre between October 2010 and July 2012. Gavin has ten prior convictions, including burglary and theft. Garda Gareth Ryan explained that social welfare officials had flagged a suspicious claim made under the name "Alan McDonagh," which Gavin had used. CCTV footage from the post office identified him when the claim was paid. The judge, Melanie Greally, noted Gavin's difficult upbringing and limited work history but emphasized the seriousness of his dishonesty. She ordered him to complete 240 hours of community service within 12 months, with one year to be served in default, and imposed a one‑year suspended sentence on strict conditions.
Carl Cullen, aged 30, pleaded guilty to robbery at Tolka Valley Road on 27 February 2017. He and a co‑accused entered a taxi at about 6 am, behaved drunkenly and violently, and forced the driver to stop. Cullen seized the driver's mobile phone, chased him, and attempted to punch him. CCTV showed the robbers rummaging through the taxi and taking a phone, MP3 player and coins. Garda Barry Hehir informed the court that the victim used a "find phone" app to locate Cullen and his co‑accused on St Helena's Road, Finglas. The court noted Cullen's 40 prior convictions, his guilty plea, remorse and athletic background, but also his propensity for violence. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three and a half years' imprisonment. The sentence was imposed in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The case involved a violent robbery of a taxi driver.
Christopher O'Reilly, a 60‑year‑old former army private, was sentenced to five years in prison for two separate offences. On 10 June 2010 he attacked a young woman on O'Connell Street with a broken glass bottle, striking her cheek and leaving her bleeding profusely; the victim suffered panic attacks, a loss of confidence, nightmares and a scar that has since faded but remains noticeable. O'Reilly pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm. He also pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery on 5 September 2013 at Wolf Tone Quay, where he approached a woman on a Dublin Bus, brandishing a hammer over her head before calmly retreating. The judge, citing the "reasonless attack" and the victim's psychological impact, gave him four years for the assault and two years for the robbery, with the final 12 months suspended. The sentences run consecutively, resulting in a total of five years' imprisonment.
Bashkim Osaj, 39, pleaded guilty to robbery and false imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, on the condition of good behaviour and keeping the peace. Osaj had fled to Belgium after informing Gardaí he would not attend his trial, but was later arrested and returned to Ireland. The robbery involved the owner of a takeaway, Nunzio Del Duca, who was bound, gagged, and stabbed with a screwdriver. Osaj was one of two men who entered the premises, and a third man had lured Del Duca to the house. Osaj had 26 prior convictions, including burglary and robbery. The judge noted the violence was "of a particular nasty nature" and considered mitigating factors such as his guilty plea, difficult background, and family responsibilities. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Garry Carroll, a former legal executive who had worked for Connolly Sellors and Geraghty Solicitors from 1978 to 2009, was jailed for three years after admitting to theft, larceny and embezzlement over a ten‑year period. He stole about €260,000 from the firm, and the civil case in 2014 awarded the firm €323,000. In November 2017 the High Court approved an order appointing a receiver over Carroll's pension fund held by Irish Life Assurance, which was due to be paid to him on his 60th birthday in June 2019. The receiver will receive the pension proceeds, less tax and a €25,000 retention for Carroll. Carroll, aged 58, said his actions were driven by a gambling addiction. The court noted that the fraud was uncovered when a property developer complained about a missing mortgage payment, leading to Carroll's confession and subsequent counselling.
Sean Dowdall, aged 23, was sentenced to 13 months in prison for stealing a taxi driver's car after a drug and alcohol binge. He claimed a woman, with whom he was not closely acquainted, had told him she was pregnant and that he was the father. Dowdall denied this later, stating he was not the father. He had stolen two cars over two days, the first being a taxi that crashed into a lamp post after he drove off while intoxicated. He had previously pleaded guilty to stealing a car from a petrol station on Tir Chonaill Road on 12 February 2016, and had 57 prior convictions, including assault, theft and car theft. The court noted he had 57 previous convictions and that the stolen car was written off due to damage. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the 13‑month sentence. The prosecution, represented by Pieter LeVert BL, described the circumstances of the theft and the subsequent crash.
Alan Jones, 42, of Knockmore Park, Tallaght, was given a 10‑year jail term for four robberies and one attempted robbery in Dublin between 2007 and 2013. He had previously received suspended sentences for a €1,800 bank robbery in 2007 and a €2,000‑€3,000 bookmaker robbery in 2008, which were activated in December 2014 when he was convicted of robbing an off‑license, attempting to rob a woman at a Luas stop, and robbing a woman at an ATM. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed an eight‑year cumulative sentence, and Judge Desmond Hogan added a five‑year sentence with the final three years suspended, making the total 10 years. Jones appealed the severity of the sentence, but the Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice John Hedigan, dismissed the appeal, upholding the 10‑year term and the activation of the suspended sentences. Alan Jones pleaded not guilty.
John Power, 28, pleaded guilty to burglary and unlawful taking of a car at Baggot Court, Dublin, on 22 June 2017. The victim used a "locator app" on his stolen mobile phone to pinpoint Power's location in a laneway off Parnell Street. Garda Enda Dowling reported that the occupiers woke to find their home burgled and car stolen while they slept. Power was found sleeping rough in the laneway, and the victim later discovered him with a Nike bag that matched his own. Gardaí recovered the stolen mobile phone, laptop, tablet and other items from the bag. CCTV showed Power opening the victim's car with the key fob, driving off, and later returning on a bike. Power, who has 75 previous convictions, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended on strict conditions. The judge noted the burglary was non‑violent and a crime of opportunity, and that Power had expressed a desire to rehabilitate.