Sean Kerins, a 26-year-old Limerick man with 105 previous convictions, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for offences committed in Clondalkin on October 9, 2016. Kerins pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a vehicle, criminal damage to an unmarked patrol car, and two counts of dangerous driving. The court heard that Kerins, who was disqualified from driving at the time, drove a stolen Honda Civic at speeds exceeding 160 km/h during a police pursuit. He failed to stop, drove through red lights, and subsequently reversed at speed into a patrol vehicle, causing damage. Defence counsel Carol Doherty BL highlighted Kerins' difficult background, lack of parental support, and drug use, describing him as heavily institutionalised and genuinely apologetic. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged Kerins' challenging life circumstances but characterised him as a "menace to society" who endangered the public. The judge imposed a three and a half year sentence, suspending the final year on strict conditions. The matter was finalised with this sentencing order.
In November 2017, two brothers, Dylan Fogarty (24) and Dean Fogarty (21), were sentenced in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a self‑confessed "nasty and unprovoked attack" on Garda Denise Larkin and Garda Peter Ryan on 5 August 2016. The brothers punched the officers several times to the head, causing concussions and scarring. CCTV footage showed them smiling and high‑fiving after the assault. Dylan received a two‑year sentence, with six months suspended, while Dean received a one‑year‑nine‑month sentence, with nine months suspended. Both were also convicted of two counts of theft of bikes. The court noted their prior convictions and the officers' injuries, and the judge emphasised the seriousness of the assault. The sentencing reflected the brothers' admissions and the impact on the Gardaí. Dylan Fogarty pleaded guilty. Dean Fogarty pleaded guilty.
Linda Wall, 37, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at a Luas stop in June 2015 after being directed by a drug dealer to seize a mobile phone to pay part of a debt. She had 16 prior convictions and was addicted to "snow blow." The victim, a Chinese woman, was punched, kicked, and had her hair pulled before being rescued by another passenger. Wall denied intending to injure the victim. The court accepted her remorse and the steps she had taken to address risk factors. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a four‑year suspended sentence, directed 12 months of probation supervision, and urged Wall to use this opportunity to rebuild her life. The hearing noted her history of nursing studies and the loss of her daughter last year. The sentence was suspended for four years, with no immediate custodial term.
John Paul Sheehan, a 38‑year‑old homeless man from Cork, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after a burglary at the Dublin Visitors Centre on Grafton Street. He stole more than €26,000 in cash and cheques, plus a €100 Panasonic Lumix camera. Sheehan was arrested the same day for a drug offence and was found with €9,475 of the stolen cash. He pleaded guilty to trespass and theft. The court noted he had 100 prior convictions, mainly for burglaries, and that he had used the stolen money for food, clothing and to support his drug habit. The judge, taking his guilty plea into account, imposed the sentence without a suspended element, citing a lack of evidence of rehabilitation. The camera was never recovered. The case highlighted the challenges faced by homeless and drug‑addicted individuals who may be compelled to steal to survive.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Darren Gleeson, 35, pleaded guilty to membership of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) on 18 May 2017. The court heard that the Special Detective Unit had investigated attempts to import explosives into Dublin. Two parties were identified on the Dark Net, one using the alias "guilleoteen" who sought two grenades and paid with Bitcoin. The grenades were intercepted and a controlled delivery was arranged to Gleeson's address, where he accepted the package. Gleeson was arrested for IRA membership and has prior convictions for knife possession, burglary and robbery. He pleaded guilty early, and the court remanded him in custody until 7 December when sentencing will occur. The case remains at the membership charge stage.
Gareth Joyce, 35, a recovering heroin addict with a long criminal record, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of stolen items worth over €11,000. He was caught on 16 October 2016 with a hedge trimmer, a Black & Decker drill and a gas cooker, each valued at €288, and on 6 October 2016 with a laptop, phones, foreign currency, a pearl necklace and other jewellery totalling €11,000. Forensic evidence linked his thumbprints to the stolen laptop. Joyce initially claimed the property was not his, saying it had been left at his brother's house by a party guest. He has 93 prior convictions, including burglary, handling stolen property, theft, criminal damage and trespass. The judge, citing his extensive criminal history and drug addiction, sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, suspended for five years, and imposed strict rehabilitation conditions. The sentence will be re‑activated if he fails to comply.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Jason Halpin, 45, was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment for attempting to rob Lloyds Pharmacy in Castleknock on 9 March 2016. The offence was thwarted by an off‑duty Garda armed with pepper spray, who entered the shop at 7.30 pm after receiving a call about suspicious activity. Halpin, wearing a hoodie and a face mask, entered the pharmacy, pushed a female customer toward the till and shouted, "Give me the money." He was immediately pushed to the ground and subdued with pepper spray, which also affected two staff members and a customer, all of whom later described the incident as terrifying. No money was taken and Halpin did not produce or threaten to use a knife that was reportedly hidden in his tracksuit. He had 25 prior convictions, including robbery and drug misuse, and was on bail for another offence at the time of the robbery. Jason Halpin pleaded guilty.
Joseph Berry, aged 30, was jailed for his part in the theft of an ATM from a Maxol/Mace service station in Enniscorthy on 24 July 2009. The ATM, owned by Ulster Bank, contained €205,100 at the time of removal. Berry had pleaded guilty to theft and related offences and was originally sentenced to four years' imprisonment by Judge Barry Hickson on 28 June 2016. On appeal, the Court of Appeal found that the Circuit Court had not given enough weight to mitigating factors such as Berry's youth, guilty plea and clean record. The Court suspended the final nine months of a new four‑year term, re‑sentencing Berry to four years with the suspended portion, and backdated the sentence to 9 December 2015 to account for time spent in German custody awaiting extradition. The decision was made by Judges Alan Mahon, Michael Peart and George Birmingham. The appeal was granted on 13 November 2017.
Derek Hutch, a first cousin of the late Gary Hutch, was sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan to a four‑year term for possession of an imitation firearm and robbery of a Spar shop on Styles Road, Clontarf, on 11 June 2015. The sentence was suspended on a number of conditions after the court noted that Hutch had made "trojan efforts" in rehabilitating himself, remained drug‑free, and had received a favourable probation report. Hutch, aged 27, had nine previous convictions, including three for theft, but no prior firearm offences. The robbery involved Hutch and accomplice Christopher Coakley holding a shop manager at gunpoint with an imitation firearm, demanding the alarm code, and escaping with about €1,215. Gardaí later recovered approximately €700. Hutch has not been in contact with the Gardaí since the offence and is now focused on his family. The court emphasised his progress in drug treatment and his current drug‑free status.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Derek Shevlin, aged 24, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill David McGrath and damaging property at Cromcastle Road on 11 September 2015. Shevlin, who had dated Ciara McGrath for five years until January 2015, entered McGrath's family home with an imitation gun and a hurley. He demanded €400 for an iPhone he had bought for her in 2013, shouted abuse, smashed the front door and windows, and pointed the handgun at McGrath. McGrath fled into the house after seeing the gun. Shevlin claimed he was "lost" that night and wanted what he was owed. He has 15 prior convictions, including robbery and firearms offences. A psychological report was submitted by his counsel, and the judge adjourned sentencing to 6 December, remanding Shevlin on continuing bail.
Dillon Campbell, aged 22, was sentenced to two years for a robbery at Topaz filing station on Beaumont Road, Dublin, where he used half a garden shears as a weapon. He had already been serving a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for a similar robbery two months earlier, and the new sentence will not extend his time in custody. Campbell pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He demanded the shop assistant open the till, threatened with the shears, and stole €200 before discarding the weapon. He has ten prior convictions, including a five‑year robbery sentence with the final two and a half years suspended in March 2017. The court noted his history of mental health issues and drug debt, and the judge imposed a three‑year sentence concurrent with his current term, suspending the final year on strict conditions. The judge urged him to use the resources available to improve his life.
In a Dublin garda station, Michael Alexis, aged 53, appeared in a distressed state and admitted involvement in a burglary that occurred on 25 September 2015 at The Gasworks Apartments, Dublin 4. He was physically and mentally unwell, and he claimed he had been a lookout, not the main perpetrator, and that he had received €200 for his role. The burglary took place between 9.30 am and 11 am while residents were away, resulting in the theft of four laptops, a tablet and an iPad mini. Alexis had previously been sectioned under the Mental Health Act but was interviewed by gardaí a month later. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where the judge ordered a probation report and adjourned the case to 21 December for finalisation. The court noted his prior convictions and his personal circumstances, including a history of alcohol abuse and a desire to re‑enter employment.
In a double murder trial, the jury heard technical evidence on a reconstruction of CCTV footage to identify vehicles involved in the 2012 killings of Anthony Burnett (31) and Joseph Redmond (25) in Louth. The defendant, Jason O'Driscoll (34) of Fairview, pleaded not guilty. Firefighters responded to a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park before 11 pm, where the bodies were found with gunshot wounds to the head. The prosecution presented CCTV of vehicles before and after 11 pm, and forensic image analysts Matthew Cass and Andrew Wooller testified about a reconstruction exercise. Cass described testing about a dozen vehicles, using side‑by‑side comparisons due to operational constraints. Wooller noted the reconstruction's limited value after CCTV changes, but identified a large light‑toned car as a Mercedes S‑Class and a dark‑toned hatchback as possibly a Volkswagen Golf. The State's case links the victims to a stolen black Volkswagen Golf, which was later found abandoned in Meigh.
In a 2016 daylight robbery on Essex Quay, Dublin, 39‑year‑old Charlene Curran of Kells, Co. Meath, attacked 25‑year‑old Rebecca Kelly. Curran tried to snatch Kelly's iPhone, flung her across the road, pulled her hair, punched her face and attempted to take the phone. Kelly, holding onto her bag, released the phone to keep her bag, and Curran fled with it. Garda Ian Lawlor arrived, found Kelly upset and injured, and used a phone‑tracking app on his own phone to locate Curran. The app led them to Heuston Station where Kelly identified the attacker. Judge Karen O'Connor described the assault as vicious and unprovoked, sentencing Curran to two and a half years' imprisonment, suspending the last 18 months on the condition of cooperation with Probation Services. The court noted Curran's two prior minor non‑violent convictions and her drug use at the time. Charlene Curran pleaded guilty.
The double murder trial of Dubliner Jason O'Driscoll, 34, continues at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy. O'Driscoll has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of 31-year-old Anthony Burnett and 25-year-old Joseph Redmond in Co Louth on March 7th, 2012. The prosecution alleges the victims, who were car thieves, were shot dead in a layby at Ravensdale Forest Park and their vehicle set on fire. The State's case asserts that O'Driscoll and another man fled the scene in a stolen black Volkswagen Golf, which was later found abandoned in Meigh, Armagh. A vehicle identification expert, Andrew Wooller, testified that he was contacted by Gardaí to analyze CCTV footage from both locations. Wooller, who manages a UK-based imagery analysis firm, identified a light-toned vehicle in Ravensdale as consistent with a Mercedes S Class and a following dark hatchback as potentially a Volkswagen Golf. He further stated that a vehicle entering a carpark in Meigh was immediately apparent as a Mercedes S Class. The jury has reviewed the relevant CCTV footage. The trial is ongoing, with no final verdict or sentence recorded at this procedural stage.
A Dublin man, Robert Hedderman, aged 33, pleaded guilty to two burglaries. The first was at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel on Bachelor's Walk, Dublin 1, on 7 October 2016. He smashed a glass security panel to enter and was later confronted by a church volunteer who took him to the parish priest and called the police. Garda Michael O'Donnell found a screwdriver, scissors and many keys on him. While on bail, he committed a second burglary at the Irish Whiskey Museum on Grafton Street on 9 December 2016. CCTV showed him smashing two windows and stealing €300 in cash, merchandise and a laptop, causing the museum a €5,273 loss. He has 40 prior convictions, eight for burglary. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two years for the chapel burglary and 18 months for the museum burglary, with the final year suspended, giving a total of two and a half years in prison.
Ian McCluskey, aged 20, pleaded guilty to a knifepoint robbery at the Seventh Lock on the Royal Canal, Dublin, on 31 July 2016. While Fiach McHale was cycling, McCluskey approached, demanded the time, and when McHale produced his mobile phone, McCluskey brandished a Stanley "box‑cutter" knife, ordering him to dismount and run. McCluskey then stole the victim's mobile phone and a second phone in the bike's panniers, and later was arrested by gardaí. He admitted the theft, expressed remorse, and the victim's impact statement noted the threat and the victim's fear. Sentencing is scheduled for 19 December.
Rainis Koovit, aged 21, was found guilty of robbing a tip jar at Kaph Cafe in Dublin and of brandishing a syringe to threaten a barista. He claimed the syringe was HIV‑infected, though the court heard it was not. Koovit had previously used the alias Stephen McCormack and had ten earlier convictions under that name, including theft, criminal damage and drug possession, plus one theft conviction under his own name. He entered the cafe earlier that day, obtained a syringe from Merchants Quay, returned to the coffee shop, attempted to seize the chained tip jar, threatened the barista with the syringe, then grabbed foreign bank notes worth about €20 and fled. The barista and a male worker pursued him but did not catch him. Koovit was arrested about a month later, pleaded guilty, and was remanded in custody with a sentence hearing scheduled for December 21.
A man pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the attempted robbery of a flower shop on Aungier Street in Dublin on 26 November 2015. Andrew Cash, aged 26 and of no fixed abode, produced a Stanley blade and pointed it at the pregnant shop owner's stomach during the incident. The woman, noticing Cash appeared to be under the influence of drugs, managed to grab his arm and push and kick him from the premises. The blade was recovered at the scene. Cash was identified through CCTV footage and arrested several months later whilst serving a sentence in Cloverhill prison for another offence. He has 50 previous convictions including burglary, attempted robbery and assault. The defence submitted that the offence was not premeditated and lasted approximately 10 seconds, with Cash reportedly having recently reconnected with his family in Cavan. Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned the case pending a probation report and remanded Cash in custody until sentencing on 21 December 2017, acknowledging the gravity of threatening a pregnant woman with a blade.
Anthony Connors, 42, pleaded guilty to burglary at Linenhall St, Dublin, on 20 June 2016. He entered a house by convincing the homeowner, Michael Tonra, that he was looking for a long‑lost friend. Tonra offered to write down Connors' contact details, but Connors stopped him and demanded his jacket. Connors' behaviour changed from normal to intimidating, and he pushed Tonra, forcing him to the ground. Tonra resisted, pinned Connors, and tried to reason with him. Connors threatened to return with other men, struck him, and pushed him toward the front door. After leaving, Connors shouted and demanded his jacket. Gardaí found bail bonds and other documents in Connors' jacket, and CCTV footage confirmed his presence. Connors has 60 prior convictions, including burglary, aggravated burglary, false imprisonment, robbery and impersonating a Garda. Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned sentencing to 19 December and remanded Connors in custody.
In a 2016 robbery at a Topaz service station on Naas Road, Rathcoole, Robert Patchell (37) acted as the getaway driver while two co‑accused entered the store armed with knives. Two off‑duty Gardaí, who were using the petrol station at the time, observed the robbery and restrained the robbers. Patchell remained in the driver's seat, while one robber was restrained in the passenger seat and a third escaped. The Gardaí were threatened with knives and one officer, Garda Stephen Byrne, sustained a forearm wound. Patchell pleaded guilty to robbery of cash and a till. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Melanie Greally, after noting Patchell's positive steps and a clean recent drug test, imposed a three‑year suspended sentence, with the offence considered very serious. The sentence was suspended, and no custodial time was imposed. The case was heard in the criminal court in Dublin.
Paul Heaney, aged 33, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for two robberies at Paddy Power Bookmakers on 3 January and 28 October 2016. In the first offence he threatened a staff member with a large kitchen knife and stole €1,200. In the second he pointed an imitation firearm at the same staff member and stole €250. He pleaded guilty to both robberies and to possession of a realistic imitation firearm. He claimed he was under the influence of drugs and feared for his life due to debt. He wrote an apology letter and expressed remorse. Judge Karen O'Connor accepted his apology and his desire to change, imposing consecutive sentences totalling five and a half years, suspending the final 21 months on strict conditions. No money was recovered from either robbery.
Michael Murray, aged 46, was sentenced to 19 years in prison after an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions increased his original 15‑year term. The Court of Appeal found the original sentence unduly lenient, citing the appalling nature of the offences, his extensive prior criminal record and the absence of any mitigating factors. Murray was convicted of rape, attempted rape, oral rape, aggravated sexual assault, child abduction, threats to kill or cause serious harm, false imprisonment, and theft. He lured a woman into an apartment by claiming an elderly woman was dying, bound and drugged her, raped her, and abducted her four‑year‑old son, abandoning the child in a city centre square. The judge noted the severity of the crime, the prolonged duration of the assault, the use of restraints and threats, and the lack of any mitigating circumstances.
Wayne Gilligan, 22, was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four years in prison for stealing two family cars from a house in Swords on 3 January 2016 and for possessing €28,600 worth of cannabis at his home on 9 January 2016. The judge suspended the last 18 months of the sentence, citing Gilligan's serious drug addiction, debts, death threats and the impact on the car owners. She credited his early guilty pleas, young age and cooperation with Gardaí, and directed him to seek treatment at Coolmine Residential Centre.
John McGovern, 25, set fire to the Station Hill apartment complex in Clongriffin, Dublin, causing €1.25 million in damage and leaving 25 people temporarily homeless. He pleaded guilty to one count of arson and one count of assault on his partner, Gráinne O'Brien, on 1 November last year. The court found the arson a very serious offence because it placed residents' lives at risk. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced McGovern to six and a half years' imprisonment, suspended the last 12 months, and imposed a two‑year period of good behaviour and supervision by Probation Services. McGovern had 26 prior convictions, including theft and public order offences, and had been in custody since the incident. The fire was extinguished after four‑and‑a‑half hours, with no injuries, but six homes were destroyed and many residents suffered financial and emotional hardship. The judge noted McGovern was making good use of his time in custody and seeking rehabilitation.
Irmantas Paulauskas, 39, a Lithuanian national with no fixed abode, was convicted of armed robbery of €1.1 million worth of jewellery from Hartmann jewellers in Galway on 11 February 2015. He pleaded not guilty to robbery and possession of an imitation firearm with a silencer. A jury found him guilty and Judge Rory McCabe sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment on 12 May 2016. Paulauskas lost an appeal against his conviction but successfully appealed his sentence. The Court of Appeal, hearing that the robbery involved imitation firearms rather than loaded guns, reduced the sentence to 12 years, discounting one year for the difficulty of imprisonment for a foreign national. The conviction was upheld, the sentence cut, and no further changes were made to the outcome of the case.
A 29-year-old man pleaded guilty to burglary at a takeaway in Castlebar, County Mayo on 18 May 2015. Yasir Ali of Lighthouse Apartments, East Wall, Dublin removed equipment valued at €11,484.50 from Thomas Street Takeaway, including commercial freezers, deep fat fryers, and stainless steel fixtures. Ali had been operating the premises after subletting it without the owner's consent. He was arrested shortly after the theft and subsequently apprehended at Dublin Airport attempting to leave the country with false documentation. Following his arrest, Ali cooperated with gardaí and led them to a farmhouse at Hollymount, County Mayo, where the stolen equipment was recovered. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the judge noted Ali's cooperation and adherence to bail conditions. He received a three-month suspended sentence for the false documentation offence. Sentencing on the burglary charge has been adjourned to 18 December to allow submission of medical reports. Ali has no previous convictions.
Jason Molyneaux, 26, of North William Street Flats, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a screwdriver with intent to use it in connection with the unlawful use of a motor vehicle. The offence occurred on 9 May 2016 at East Wall Road, Dublin 3, when he was a passenger on a stolen motorcycle. Molyneaux had 120 previous convictions, mainly for road traffic offences, and no history of violence. Judge Karen O'Connor described the offence as "particularly horrible" and noted the significant inconvenience caused to the motorbike owner, Matthew Leonard, who had lost his independent transport and had to extend his commute from half an hour to two hours. The judge imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended in full, and ordered Molyneaux to pay €1,000 compensation to Leonard. She warned that a repeat offence would trigger the full sentence. Molyneaux's co‑accused, William Baker, received a similar suspended sentence and a €2,000 compensation order.
Jonathan Hynes, a 31‑year‑old Wicklow man, stole between €1,000 and €7,000 from his employer, Zurich Life Assurance plc, between January and December 2015. He used the stolen money to pay for prescription medication and hospital bills for his drug‑addicted ex‑girlfriend. Hynes has refunded €30,000 to the insurer and still owes €40,000, which he must repay within three years. He pleaded guilty to the thefts. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing the case, found that Hynes's motive was a desperate act driven by emotion rather than greed. Judge Martin Nolan suspended a three‑year sentence, noting that a less noble motive would have led to a different outcome, and ordered the repayment of the remaining debt. No prior convictions were recorded for Hynes.
In the trial of Jason O'Driscoll, a 34‑year‑old Dublin man charged with the murders of Anthony Burnett, 31, and Joseph Redmond, 25, on 7 March 2012, a CSI named Belinda Kennedy gave evidence to the Central Criminal Court. Kennedy, a crime scene investigator with the PSNI in Belfast, examined a silver Mercedes that had been abandoned on the northern side of the border the morning after the killings. She photographed the vehicle, noted damage, tested for firearms residue and DNA, lifted fibre tape, and collected soil samples. Kennedy reported that she had swept the entire car for fingerprints but found none, and that a smell of cleaning fluid suggested the car had been cleaned. She also noted that the car had been driven through Dublin City after being stolen that early morning. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
A masked man, Francis Leahy, 58, robbed a Spar shop in Ringsend on 18 February, taking €360 in cash and using a loaded gun with 10 rounds. He was immediately recognised by a shop worker as a regular customer, who initially thought Leahy was joking until the gun was pointed at him. Leahy claimed he had gambling debts and had received threatening bullet cartridges in his letter box, prompting the robbery. He was arrested shortly after, found with the gun, cash and additional ammunition, and pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of firearm possession. Leahy has 21 prior convictions, including drug possession, theft, larceny and assault, and has been in custody since the offence. The case was adjourned to 28 November. The victim expressed fear for his life during the incident. The court noted the seriousness of the offence and the presence of a live firearm and ammunition.
During a murder trial in Dublin, a jury heard that the deceased, a 34‑year‑old man named Jason O'Driscoll, had tried to sell a stolen 2011 black Golf GTI to a friend for €1,000 just hours before the car was found burned in Ravensdale Forest Park. The friend, who gave evidence to the Central Criminal Court, testified that O'Driscoll had offered the vehicle to him, and that the friend declined to purchase it, stating he did not want anything to do with the car. The friend also confirmed that the car had been stolen from a driveway in Sandymount early on March 7, 2012, the night two Dublin men, Anthony Burnett (31) and Joseph Redmond (25), were shot dead inside it. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, has already heard that the bodies were found with gunshot wounds to the head and that the incident occurred shortly before 11 o'clock that evening. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
Siobhan Maguire, aged 47, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for fraud and theft offences that spanned 14 years. She worked as a personal assistant and shared secretary at two Dublin offices, where she fraudulently lodged 660 cheques into her own bank account, ranging from a few hundred euros to €5,000 each. The total amount stolen was €1,187,616, of which about €325,000 remains outstanding. Maguire pleaded guilty in the District Court and entered a signed guilty plea before the Circuit Criminal Court. She had no prior convictions. The judge noted her early plea, full admissions, remorse, and the impact on her young children, and imposed concurrent four‑year terms for each count. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the judge taking into account the financial details and the circumstances of the theft. The former employers received partial reimbursement from banks and did not wish to give victim impact statements.
Olga Leschen, aged 50, was found guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of stealing over €10,000 in rental deposits from eight prospective lodgers between September and October 2015. She advertised her house on Daft.ie, collected deposits ranging from €200 to €2,600, and then prevented the lodgers from moving in, citing health issues and surgery. None of the deposits were returned. Leschen pleaded guilty at her first court appearance, expressed remorse, and had written apology letters to the victims. She had already paid one victim €200 and entered court with €5,000. Judge Terence O'Sullivan, noting no sophistication in the theft, ordered the €5,000 to be divided evenly among the victims and adjourned sentencing to 25 October 2018, giving Leschen a 12‑month period to repay the full amount. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 20‑year‑old Nicolae Carmen pleaded guilty to stealing €10,000 worth of jewellery from an elderly couple in Artane on 2 October 2015. Carmen, who had previously been convicted five times for theft and fraud, posed as a Spanish charity collector. She knocked on the door of an 84‑year‑old man, received €5, and asked to use the bathroom. While the man waited, she went upstairs, returned, thanked him and left. The couple's wife later found the jewellery missing from a bedroom box. The stolen items included a diamond engagement ring, charm bracelet, gold chains, an eternity ring, earrings and cuff links. A palm print from the box matched Carmen. None of the items were recovered. The judge adjourned sentencing to December to consider the couple's household income.
Jamie Shorthall, a 30‑year‑old plumber, carried out an armed raid on an Applegreen petrol station in Monkstown, Dublin, on 17 June 2015. He pointed an imitation Glock pistol at shop worker Phil Collins, demanded the cash tills be opened and took €1,100 before escaping on a bicycle. Shorthall pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of an offensive weapon. He has a history of 20 convictions, including burglary, criminal damage and theft. The court heard he has been attending residential treatment at Coolmine Therapeutic Community and is progressing well, with his programme ending in February 2018. Judge John Aylmer, impressed by his rehabilitation, imposed an 18‑month sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions, including completion of his treatment. The firearm was a realistic replica and the victim was unaware it was an imitation. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Szymon Flizikowski, aged 20, faces sentencing for possession of drugs worth over €150,000 and for two other offences committed in 2015. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of 30 cans of beer, assault with a Stanley knife in a Londis supermarket, and a separate knife assault in Leixlip. Garda Eoin O'Flaherty reported that Flizikowski threatened a staff member with a knife and fled with the beer. He was later arrested and, during a search of his home, police found MDMA, cocaine and ecstasy. Flizikowski claimed he was holding the drugs for a debt and feared a "bullet" if he refused. He admitted to calling a man a racist slur and slashing him with a knife, apologising and presenting a victim impact statement. He is currently remanded for sentencing on December 21 and is due for release in 2020.
Siobhan Maguire, 47, of The Brambles, Skerries, Dublin, pleaded guilty to 32 theft and fraud offences for fraudulently lodging 660 cheques from her employers' accounts into her personal bank account between 2001 and 2015. The total amount stolen was €1,187,616. She used the money to pay her mortgage, take holidays and support her children. The fraud was discovered in January 2015 when a bank employee noticed suspicious cheques deposited into her account. Maguire was suspended, resigned, and cooperated fully with the Garda investigation, admitting all offences. She has no prior convictions. The employers have been partially reimbursed by banks; the remaining loss is about €325,000. Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned sentencing to 26 October and remanded Maguire on bail. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after her guilty pleas in the District Court. The article does not state any sentencing outcome.
In a double‑murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 34‑year‑old Dublin man, Jason O'Driscoll, was charged with the 2012 killings of Anthony Burnett and Joseph Redmond, two Co. Louth criminals who were shot dead in a stolen Volkswagen Golf. O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty. Prosecutor Alexander Owens SC presented a circumstantial case, arguing that O'Driscoll was present at the scene and therefore a participant in the murders, without needing to prove he fired the fatal shots. Owens described the victims as "full‑time criminals" involved in car theft, noting they had stolen the Golf from a Sandymount home and later drove it north to a layby at Ravensdale Park, where they were shot in the head and the car was set on fire. The jury, composed of eight men and four women, was instructed to consider whether O'Driscoll's presence alone made him guilty.
A 30‑year‑old Somali man, Muhydine Adillahi, was captured on CCTV fishing through letterboxes at two Dublin apartment buildings in early July 2016. He was later charged with trespass and theft at The Poolbeg, The Gasworks, and Barrow Street between 1 and 3 July, and also with dishonestly appropriating keys and attempted theft at a post box on 1 July. Adillahi pleaded guilty to further trespass, theft, and key appropriation at The Jessop, Charlotte Quay Dock on 2 July, and to alcohol theft at Eurospar, Barrow Street on 1 and 2 July. He had 18 prior convictions. Garda Bryan Hunt noted that Adillahi's DNA matched that on a Heineken bottle left at the scene, and that he had left a bottle with his DNA as he and two accomplices fled with items worth €1,440. Adillahi's defence highlighted his background as a refugee who became homeless after turning 18.
Noel Reddington, aged 30, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for a series of armed robberies, some committed while he was on bail. He pleaded guilty to robbery of cash from a bookmakers in Rialto on 17 November 2016, possession of a semi‑automatic handgun during that robbery, robbery of a Spar on Errigal Road in March, and robbery of a Gala the day before. In the Spar incident he was armed with a large knife and shouted, "it's a robbery, give me the money"; the shopkeeper Mark Cahill sprayed an aerosol can at him, after which Reddington fled. Gardaí used Cahill's description to arrest him later that day. Reddington had previously served a sentence for robbery offences and was serving a suspended sentence at the time of the March incidents.
Vytautas Tarasevicius, 40, of Swords, Co Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possession of card trapping equipment. He pleaded guilty to possessing such equipment with the intention that it be used in connection with a theft in Howth on March 1, 2016. Judge Karen O'Connor ordered him to perform 240 hours of community service in lieu of 18 months imprisonment. The judge had previously adjourned the case in June to assess Tarasevicius's suitability for community service, considering testimonials regarding his voluntary work and a medical report outlining his health difficulties. Tarasevicius, who has seven previous convictions, was stopped by gardaí with a friend, Deividas Sevcenko, 34, of Swords. Gardaí recovered metal implements from Sevcenko and further similar items from Tarasevicius's car, along with images of ATM machines on his iPhone. Sevcenko, the co-accused, had earlier received 240 hours of community service in lieu of twelve months imprisonment for his role in the matter. Defence counsel Leanora Frawley BL highlighted Tarasevicius's remorse, his status as a father of two, and his lack of garda attention for the last 12 years. The court accepted his plea and imposed the community service order as the final disposal.
Brian Bobey, 64, was sentenced to 18 months in jail at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for fraudulently claiming his late mother's pension for 17 years, from 1997 to 2013. He admitted stealing €158,726 from the State. Judge Patricia Ryan rejected a repayment plan of €50 a week, noting it would take over 63 years to repay. The court considered the long period of fraud serious enough for custodial punishment but excused repayment due to Bobey's medical conditions, including blindness in one eye from a tumour and osteoporosis, and his remorse. Bobey has 15 prior convictions, the latest in 2002 for drink driving. He remains living at his parents' former home in Walkinstown Parade with his partner and daughter, receiving €195 a week in social welfare and paying €35 a week in rent.
William Baker, 34, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a stolen motorcycle on the basis of recklessness. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a fully suspended two‑year sentence, conditioned on good behaviour and payment of €2,200 to the owner within 15 months. The motorcycle was stolen on 1 April 2016 from a National College of Ireland car park and was later scrapped; its ignition had been damaged and the chassis number altered. Garda Adrien Buckley stopped Baker and a second man on 9 May 2016, noting the missing key and false registration plate. Baker was a passenger; the driver was found with a screwdriver and has a bench warrant. Baker has 77 prior convictions, including 56 road traffic offences, four public order offences, three thefts and two firearms offences. He has not been charged since 2009 except for a 2016 shop‑lifting conviction.
Ann Byrne, aged 34, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and attempted robbery after attacking a female colleague on Burlington Road on 25 August 2015. Byrne kicked the victim in the head, stood on her mouth when she screamed, and left a footprint on the victim's head. Garda John Cahill reported finding the victim in a distressed state with blood on her face and a swollen lip, cheekbone and eye. Byrne initially denied the assault, gave a false name, and claimed she was tipsy, but later admitted the offence. She has 17 prior convictions, including theft and traffic offences. The court heard she has a young child and wishes to improve her future. Judge Karen O'Connor imposed an 18‑month suspended sentence, noting the assault was violent and unprovoked, and that the victim's medical report showed serious impact. The sentence was suspended on conditions intended to encourage Byrne to build a better future.
Richard Burbridge, 46, of Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to eleven sample counts of stealing from the Department of Social Protection between April 2009 and December 2014. The court heard that Burbridge, who operated a courier business with an annual turnover exceeding €100,000, collected disability allowance payments from the post office in Inchicore. Although the payments were conditional on his income remaining below a specific threshold, his business generated net profits ranging from €33,000 to €41,500 during the period. Garda Thomas Burke stated that Burbridge received €66,961 in overpayments without entitlement. Judge Karen O'Connor noted that the case differed from typical social welfare fraud involving social deprivation, as the offending was discovered when a former employee found no record of PRSI payments. Burbridge's defence, John Noonan BL, highlighted that the defendant had already repaid over €10,000 through monthly payments of €400 and no longer claimed benefits. Judge O'Connor suspended a three-year jail sentence for five years, conditional on Burbridge continuing his monthly repayments to the Department. She noted that the Department of Public Prosecutions could apply to the court if his circumstances changed, stating that repaying the debt was more beneficial to the excheurer than incarceration.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 33‑year‑old civil servant Jacqueline Walsh pleaded guilty to four counts of stealing €6,736 from the Department of Social Protection between October 2011 and May 2012. Walsh, who worked at the Tallaght branch, accessed her brother William Walsh's PPS number and used three different staff usernames to submit fake jobseeker allowance claims in his name. The court noted that computers were often left unlocked, allowing such access. Walsh resigned in 2015 and moved to a private company. She admitted receiving the money into her account, though her superior claimed she was competent at using the claims system. No stolen money was recovered. Walsh, with no prior convictions, is on bail and has four children, two of whom have health issues. Judge Karen O'Connor ordered a probation report and adjourned sentencing to December 6, citing a significant breach of trust.
Ronald McMillan, 69, was jailed for importing 30 kg of the banned plant khat into Ireland. He was caught at Dublin Airport and had previously been linked to a stolen rental car that he had taken to Portugal. McMillan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to theft of a Toyota Yaris on 10 March 2016 and to possession of khat for sale or supply and importation of the drug at Dublin Airport ten days later. Gardaí found the khat in wet form in a bag he claimed contained clothes, with an estimated street value of €15,000. McMillan has 28 prior convictions from 1971 to 2016, including offences in Gibraltar, Algeria, Austria, Australia, Monaco, France, Spain, Morocco and Yugoslavia. Judge Cormac Quinn sentenced him to two years, suspending the last 12 months on the condition that he keep the peace.
Two men, Darren Watters (21) and Michael Joyce (28), pleaded guilty to stealing an Adria camper van worth €27,000 on 13 June 2016. At a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Karen O'Connor imposed suspended sentences: Joyce received a two‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term fully suspended, and Watters a two‑year suspended sentence for this offence and a separate offence involving a stolen car. The judge urged both to learn from their mistakes and warned that failure to do so could lead to future incarceration. Both were ordered to keep the peace, complete victim focus work, engage with probation services for 12 months and comply with all professional directions. The case was adjourned for mention on 13 October to decide the disposition of Joyce's €500 gesture of remorse.
Michael McDonagh, 29, of Carna Road, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to robbing an Applegreen filling station in Ballyfermot on 25 July 2014 while on temporary release from prison. He was sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan on 29 April 2016 to five years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended and the final six months suspended, making a consecutive term of three years. McDonagh, who was 26 at the time of the robbery and had 126 previous convictions, was described by the court as having a very bad record and a long‑standing alcohol and drug problem. The robbery involved an accomplice who threatened a staff member with a knife and a knife was used by the accomplice. The pair stole €1,050. McDonagh appealed to the Court of Appeal, arguing the sentence was excessive and that the judge had not adequately considered his background and drug debt.