In a Special Criminal Court hearing, a Garda chief superintendent testified that he believed James Smithers, 38, of St Patrick's Park, Tullow, was a member of the Irish Republican Army. Smithers had pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation on 31 October 2015. The superintendent, citing confidential information, stated his belief during cross‑examination. He also mentioned that on 30 October 2015 he travelled with other detectives to County Limerick, where a stolen Volkswagen Golf was found outside Rathkeale, containing two men, a sawn‑off shotgun and petrol. The trial is ongoing.
Naila Zaffer, a 38‑year‑old former senior claims official at IPB Insurance, was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment after a Court of Appeal found her earlier two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence too lenient. Between April 2007 and August 2012, Zaffer defrauded her employer of €220,000 by forging insurance claims, adding an extra claim to policies paid out by IPB. She had pleaded guilty to ten counts of using a false instrument, theft and attempted theft. The original Circuit Court judge noted the money was not recovered and questioned the need for imprisonment. The appellate court, led by Mr Justice Alan Mahon, upheld the headline sentence but suspended all but eight months, citing her cooperation, guilty plea, remorse, lack of prior convictions, psychological vulnerability and efforts to address addiction. She was required to enter a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period.
James Mongan, 33, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery in Ballymun on 11 July 2016 and will be sentenced in April. While driving a taxi, the driver was flagged down by Mongan, who asked to be taken to St Margaret's. After a brief conversation, Mongan moved to the centre of the rear seat, put a knife to the driver's throat and threatened to stab him if he did not give money. The driver slammed on the brakes, grabbed the blade, and escaped by spraying deodorant and shouting for Gardaí. Mongan was pursued and caught by two officers. No knife was recovered. The driver suffered cuts to his fingers requiring stitches and now feels vulnerable, fearing for his life and the dark. Mongan, who has 65 prior convictions, has been in custody, is drug‑free, and has begun learning to read in prison.
A Carlow man, James Smithers, 36, was accused in the Special Criminal Court of providing a stolen car for an IRA operation. He pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation, claiming the IRA. The prosecution, led by Anne‑Marie Lawlor BL, relied on Chief Superintendent Peter Kirwan's belief that Smithers was an IRA member on the relevant date. Evidence included Smithers' alleged activities that night, Garda interviews, and the discovery of a sawn‑off shotgun, petrol, and matches near the arrest site in Rathkeale. The trial continues.
Dylan Brophy, 19, was given a suspended three‑year sentence after pleading guilty to robbing two students on Reuben Street on 12 March 2015. The robbery involved a steel mop handle that struck one victim, Bronte Kavanagh, and a metal object that struck the other, Ryan Donnelly. Kavanagh was dragged to the ground, had her bag ripped from her hands, and suffered a mild concussion; Donnelly was punched in the face, bruised and had swelling on his cheek, arms, legs and ribs. Brophy had 21 prior convictions for traffic, public order and drug offences and had spent six months in custody for the robbery last year. He denied threats, claimed he was defending a friend, and was described as extremely remorseful. The judge noted his upbringing in a broken home and drug‑related activity at the time of the offence. The sentence was suspended, with no custodial time imposed.
Anthonie Van Wilderoden, a 44‑year‑old Dutch national living in Wicklow, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for a professional shop‑lifting scheme. He operated a business called Eddiebug that sold edible insects and also directed a chocolate‑making company. Van Wilderoden admitted to placing online adverts on the Donedeal website for household goods, then stealing the items from stores such as Arnotts, Curries and Harvey Norman. He used a modified baby's pram to conceal items including a Nespresso machine, crockery sets, a vacuum cleaner and an electric blanket. He was also convicted of stealing a €900 Jimmy Choo handbag from Brown Thomas, claiming it was a Mother's Day present. The judge suspended the last six months of the sentence because he is a foreign national. He had previously been arrested in 2015 and again after the handbag theft, and had fled to Belgium before his sentence date, where he was later apprehended under a European Arrest Warrant. Van Wilderoden pleaded guilty.
Patrick Brazil, aged 42, was sentenced to eight years in prison, with the final two and a half years suspended, for a series of robberies committed while on bail between August 2014 and January 2016. In one incident, he entered a shop on Oxmantown Road, Dublin 7, brandishing an imitation Smith & Wesson gun and threatening a shop assistant's head, demanding the till be emptied. A trainee off‑duty Garda intervened, and a struggle ensued in which the Garda overpowered Brazil, disarming him and causing the gun to fall. Brazil, who has spent 25 years in prison since age ten and has 76 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery, one count of trespassing, criminal damage and possession of a knife. The judge, taking into account his addiction history and efforts to seek treatment, imposed the suspended sentence and 18 months of probation supervision.
Anthonie Van Wilderoden, a 44-year-old Dutch national and businessman, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to ten sample counts of theft from four stores between December 2014 and March 2015. He also admitted possession of a specially modified pram and three stolen gold-plated mirrors. The court heard that Van Wilderoden allegedly ran a professional shoplifting scheme, placing advertisements on the Donedeal website for high-value household goods which he then stole from Arnotts, Curries, Harvey Norman, and Brown Thomas. He used a modified baby's pram to conceal items, including a Nespresso machine, crockery, and a vacuum cleaner. Although he claimed the thefts were driven by heavy debt and personal hardship, he has 19 previous convictions across Ireland, the Netherlands, and Belgium for fraud, forgery, theft, and embezzlement. After entering an early guilty plea, Van Wilderoden fled to Belgium before his sentencing date. He was subsequently arrested under a European Arrest Warrant and returned to Ireland in November 2016. Defence counsel highlighted his history of childhood abuse and financial instability, noting he was "totally incapable of handling money." Counsel stated that Van Wilderoden had purchased a plane ticket to the Netherlands and was willing to promise not to return to Ireland if granted a suspended sentence. The matter is currently at the sentencing stage, with Judge Cormac Quinn scheduled to hand down the sentence.
A former solicitor from Castlebar, County Mayo, has appealed a 12-month jail sentence imposed for stealing €260,000 from clients. Jacqueline Durcan pleaded guilty to the theft, which occurred between February 2008 and January 2011 while she was operating Durcan Solicitors. The funds were withdrawn from mixed client deposit accounts during a period when she and her husband faced significant financial difficulties owing €6.5 million to banks. Durcan has since repaid all stolen monies. At the Court of Appeal hearing on 12 January 2017, her barrister argued that full restitution, her cooperation with authorities, and her personal circumstances as a young mother warranted reconsideration of the sentence. The prosecution submitted the 12-month term fell within the lower range of available custodial sentences. The three-judge court reserved judgement, with decision scheduled for 23 January.
Michael Murray, 46, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for rape, attempted rape, oral rape, aggravated sexual assault, child abduction, threats, false imprisonment and theft during a Dublin apartment incident in February 2010. He lured a woman by claiming an elderly woman needed help, tied her up, assaulted her, abducted her son, and later drugged and raped her. Murray denied the charges but was found guilty on all counts by a unanimous jury. He filed an appeal against his conviction, initially through his legal team led by Vincent Heneghan SC. After the court was informed that Murray had lost confidence in his team, he advanced the appeal himself. The Court of Appeal noted that Murray had been deemed unfit for police interview due to intoxication and that the state could not rely on the initial interview data.
Karl Smith, a 19‑year‑old former employee of Industrial Insulation Specialists, was mistakenly credited with almost €20,000 when his former employer transferred his wages incorrectly. Smith, who had a €1,000 drug debt and was described as being in a very low place, withdrew most of the money in three transactions and spent it over three weeks on drugs, gambling, a new bed and a PlayStation. He pleaded guilty to theft of the cash from his former employer, John Naughton, on 21 January 2016. The court noted Smith's chronic social anxiety and low self‑esteem, and sentenced him to four years' imprisonment with the final two years suspended. No repayment has been made and the money has not been recovered.
John McDonald, aged 58, was sentenced to 18 months in jail in May 2015 for stealing nearly €10,000 from the life savings of his 74‑year‑old friend, Matthew Murphy, while Murphy was hospitalised. McDonald had befriended Murphy, who was 80 at the time of the theft, and had given him an ATM card and PIN to manage his errands. When Murphy was admitted to hospital, McDonald withdrew €9,843 in 29 transactions. After Murphy's discharge, his account held only €15. McDonald pleaded guilty in 2012 and sought a postponement to repay the victim, claiming he had inherited €20,000 and needed time for the cheque to clear. He fled to Northern Ireland until 2015. He has 15 prior convictions, mainly for forgery and larceny.
Shane Fowler, 34, received a suspended two‑year prison sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of criminal damage and unlawful possession of an axe for smashing four cars belonging to an innocent family in Finglas. The incident, which occurred on 31 October 2015, stemmed from a mistaken identity; Fowler had believed the house was that of a local drug dealer who had introduced his ex‑partner to crack cocaine. Gardaí arrested him near the scene, but he was too intoxicated to be interviewed. Judge Terence O'Neill, noting Fowler's significant rehabilitation and genuine remorse, suspended the sentence on the condition that he pay €500 to the victims within three months, in addition to a €500 token of remorse already paid to court. The total damage cost was €7,188. Fowler's prior convictions include dangerous driving, endangerment and car theft, most from 2007. The case was defended by Seamus Clarke BL and prosecuted by Anne Marie Lawlor BL.
A first cousin of the late Gary Hutch, Derek Hutch, appeared in court charged with holding up a Spar shop on Styles Road, Clontarf, on 11 June 2015. He and accomplice Christopher Coakley used an imitation firearm to threaten the shop manager, demanding the alarm code. Gardaí apprehended them a few hours later in an empty house near the robbery site, where they attempted to conceal the stolen coins and notes. Hutch, aged 26, pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm and robbery. He was placed under probation supervision until 3 November 2017. The prosecution claimed the pair escaped with about €1,215, of which roughly €700 was recovered. Coakley, aged 25, had already been jailed for six years for the robbery and other offences. The court heard that the robbers forced the manager to deactivate the alarm by holding her by the neck and dragging her through the aisles.
Two men, Paul Reilly (36) and Ray Donnelly (49), were convicted of robbery and possession of an imitation firearm after breaking into Clanna Gael GAA club in Irishtown, Dublin, on the night of the semi‑finals on 2 September 2012. They used a fake gun to threaten the bar manager, Paul Lynch, and a patron, Paul McDonald, tying them with duct tape and leaving them face‑down on the floor. The intruders ransacked the club's safe and stole €7,569, which has not been recovered. Donnelly was also found guilty of handling stolen property for attempting to sell a stolen Volkswagen Golf on DoneDeal. Both men pleaded guilty to robbery, false imprisonment and possession of an imitation firearm. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced them to five‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment; Donnelly received an additional four months for the stolen‑property charge.
Jamie Daly, aged 20, pleaded guilty to burglary and unlawful possession of a motor vehicle after breaking into a Blackrock home on 17 February. He and a co‑accused loitered in the house, stealing expensive items, then fled in the victim's black Jaguar, which crashed on the road. CCTV identified them; the co‑accused received a five‑year sentence with one year suspended. Daly was given a suspended three‑year sentence. He had four prior convictions for minor offences and was homeless at the time of the crime, having been displaced from Ballymun. He was on drugs during the offence and had little recollection. Since then, he has enrolled in a horticulture course at Blackrock Further Education Institute and engaged positively with the Probation Service. The judge noted the burglary was aggravated by the prolonged presence in the victim's home but also acknowledged Daly's efforts to reform.
Christopher Coakley, aged 25, was sentenced to six years in prison for hijacking a nurse's car while in a drug‑induced psychosis. The incident occurred early on 6 April 2015 near Temple Street Hospital when Coakley forced a nurse to hand over her keys, then reversed the vehicle without lights, later colliding with another car. The nurse's car was ultimately found burnt out. Coakley had previously pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at Ladbrokes in December 2014, unlawful seizure of a car in April 2015, and criminal damage to two cars. He already serves a six‑year term for an armed robbery imposed in December 2014 and a three‑year term for a 2012 hijacking. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a six‑year sentence with the final two years suspended, ordering 18 months of probation, drug treatment and employment or educational courses. The sentence does not extend his time in custody, and he is due for release in 2020.
The sentence hearing for seven accused in the 2014 death of Dale Creighton was adjourned, with Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy indicating sentences will be announced in January. The accused, originally charged with murder, pleaded guilty to lesser offences after their initial not-guilty pleas were withdrawn during trial. Graham Palmer, Ross Callery, Gerard Stevens, Jason Beresford, and David Burke pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Jason Beresford and Aisling Burke pleaded guilty to violent disorder. James Reid pleaded guilty to possession of a knife. Evidence presented included CCTV footage and testimony from Sergeant Brian Cagney, who stated Creighton was found unconscious on a Tallaght footbridge without a mobile phone, despite an allegation he had stolen one. Creighton died from blunt force injuries. The court noted prior convictions for David Burke, James Reid, and Gerard Stevens. A letter from Beresford, read by counsel, apologized to the Creighton family. The matter remains pending final sentencing.
Aidan Quigley, 43, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two burglary and one attempted burglary offences committed between June 2014 and May 2015 while on bail for each. He had 41 prior convictions, 21 for burglary. Gardaí noted he always ensured houses were unoccupied and that each raid was to fund a heroin addiction. All stolen items were returned to owners as Quigley was still in possession when arrested. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed consecutive sentences totalling four years, suspended in full, citing Quigley's "trojan efforts at rehabilitating himself". Quigley's counsel argued that a personal tragedy and drug addiction had driven his crimes, and that he had ceased burglaries and was drug‑free since July of the previous year. No further burglary charges had been brought against him since May 2015. The suspended sentence reflects the court's view that Quigley was moving away from the lifestyle he had lived.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 16 December 2016, Darren Bewley, aged 39, pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a car, criminal damage, dangerous driving and drunk driving after he drunkenly drove a stolen Renault Captur on the wrong side of the North Circular Road, crashing into a bus stop. Bewley, who had 27 prior convictions and was over the legal alcohol limit, admitted he had taken prescribed medication and vodka, and that the car's keys were in the vehicle. The court noted that no one was injured and that Bewley had been working on overcoming his heroin addiction. Judge Terence O'Sullivan imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended the final nine months, and disqualified Bewley from driving for seven years. The stolen car was written off and the bus stop suffered €800 in damage, with the owner paying a €300 excess on insurance. The case highlighted Bewley's ongoing struggle with substance abuse and his attempts at rehabilitation.
Conor Clarke, 24, was released on bail after pleading guilty to burglary, theft and criminal damage at Tessa House, a homeless shelter in Dublin. He admitted breaking into the shelter on 21 November 2015, smashing a cash register and causing damage costing just over €2,600, including €2,122 for repairs and a €500 new register. Clarke, who has 47 prior convictions, was in custody since February and has undergone drug counselling in prison. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned finalisation to March 28, allowing Clarke to remain on bail for several months to see if he can maintain the progress he has made in prison, citing his recent fatherhood as motivation. The case will return to court for finalisation on 28 March.
Gediminas Zigmantas, a 35‑year‑old Lithuanian, had his eight‑year prison sentence for robbing a prostitute at Cork's Metropole Hotel reduced to six years on appeal. He pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and robbery in 2015. The Court of Appeal, led by Justice Garrett Sheehan, found the original eight‑year term "somewhat excessive" compared with similar cases from 2003 to 2013. Zigmantas had previously been convicted of a similar robbery in Ennis, receiving a five‑year sentence with 18 months suspended, which he was serving when the new sentence was imposed. The appeal court noted that Zigmantas showed no remorse and that the victim, Sylvia, was freed after 20 minutes with minimal injuries. The court therefore mitigated the sentence to six years imprisonment.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Terence 'Terry' Connors, aged 42, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of Peter Conroy, 27, who was stabbed at Palmerstown Lodge B&B on 9 June 2015. Professor Marie Cassidy testified that Conroy suffered four knife wounds, including one to the neck that severed a major artery. Connors also faced a not‑guilty plea for assaulting Elaine Blunt at the same address. During the trial, Blunt was warned by Judge Paul Butler that she could be removed and held if she did not behave after a confrontation with defence counsel Garnet Orange SC. Blunt testified that she had been at a wedding that night, that she had a fight with Connors' partner Brigid over stolen jeans, and that she saw Connors stab Conroy with a knife. The trial continues before Justice Butler and a jury.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 19‑year‑old Ross Behan pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, attempted robbery and possession of a knife after stabbing a Brazilian man on a Luas tram on 6 May. The victim, who had tried to defend himself with a fake taser, suffered a one‑inch laceration and was taken to St James's Hospital. Behan also pleaded guilty to breaking and entering a house in Inchicore and stealing two cars, which he crashed and abandoned. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to six years' imprisonment, suspending the final three years, and ordered drug treatment on release. Behan had 27 prior convictions, including burglary and theft, and had pleaded guilty to the earlier offences. The court heard he was on drugs at the time of the attacks and that his childhood was marked by hardship. The judge noted that a prolonged incarceration would not best serve the community.
In a High Court hearing on 13 December 2016, Canada Life Assurance (Ireland) Ltd secured a €1.199 million judgment against former tied agent Martin Reilly, aged 60. Reilly, who had worked for the insurer from 1997 to 2011, admitted in 2015 to 80 counts of stealing money from clients between 2002 and 2011. He had been jailed for four and a half years for the thefts, which amounted to over €832,000. The insurer's counsel, Cian Ferriter SC, presented the case without contest, arguing that Canada Life was entitled to damages for Reilly's fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of contract and deceit. The judgment was granted by Mr Justice Seamus Noonan, recognising the insurer's right to recover compensation for the defrauded clients and the additional costs incurred from investigating Reilly's activities. Reilly was not present at the hearing and remains in custody at Shelton Abbey. The judgment confirms the insurer's claim for the full €1.199 million.
Samba Sow, an asylum‑seeker who arrived from Senegal in 2007, used a false identity, Moussa Sow, to work in Ireland and later claim €50,000 in social welfare payments between 2011 and 2014. He obtained a PPS number under the false name, worked in a Dublin pub, paid income tax and PRSI, and was made redundant during the recession. After losing his job, he claimed job seekers' benefit, job seekers' allowance and rent allowance under the false name, totalling €50,006. In 2015, when he was granted permission to remain, he stopped claiming under the false name and made a legitimate claim in his real name. The Department of Social Protection's facial‑recognition system flagged his deception, leading to his arrest. In court, Sow pleaded guilty to 18 counts of stealing social welfare payments. Judge Catherine Murphy imposed a suspended two‑year sentence, noting that Sow never attempted to double‑dip or claim payments under two names.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Christy Connors, aged 27, was given a suspended three‑year sentence after pleading guilty to producing a rod‑like device for burglary in Dun Laoghaire on 28 January 2015. Connors had 162 prior convictions and was caught with house‑breaking tools within 24 hours of his release on 9 January 2015. He had previously received a four‑year sentence in 2013, with the final year suspended, for assaulting an off‑duty Garda and stealing a handbag in 2011. Judge Melanie Greally, after hearing evidence and a probation report, imposed a suspended sentence and ordered 18 months of probation supervision. Garda Neill Doyle recounted spotting Connors with a whip‑like implement used to fish out car keys, leading to his arrest and pepper‑spray restraint. The court noted Connors' difficult background, his recent desire to reform, and his lack of family contact since 2008.
Imelda Hanlon, 36, stole €18,752 from ten elderly pensioners over four years while working part‑time at her mother's post office in Oak Court Grove, Palmerstown. She targeted old‑age pension payments, taking small amounts each time customers collected their money and keeping the rest for herself. The thefts were uncovered in 2014 when An Post investigated unusual transactions; Hanlon admitted the crimes, repaid the victims and the company. She used some of the proceeds to pay her mortgage and to support her partner's children, hoping to strengthen their relationship. In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court she pleaded guilty to ten counts of theft out of an 81‑count indictment. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to two years, suspended on strict conditions, and noted the seriousness of the offence against a vulnerable community. No prison term was imposed.
A man who pleaded guilty to robbing an Apache Pizza outlet in Tallaght in September 2015 appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Craig Dempsey, aged 25, admitted the robbery of the restaurant in Oldbawn Shopping Centre, where €2,535 was taken. He also pleaded guilty to a separate robbery of a Spar store in Ballycullen in July 2015, during which he produced a broken bottle. Gardaí recovered his DNA from a blood-stained till and clothing found at the scene. The court heard Dempsey had relocated from Dublin to Mayo to distance himself from negative influences and had engaged with local boxing and community activities. His defence counsel cited a significant drug debt as the motivation for the offences and referenced personal trauma. Judge Melanie Greally expressed concern about his non-engagement with probation services previously but offered one final opportunity for him to comply with such services in Mayo. Sentencing has been adjourned to April 2017.
Michael Bayley, a 23‑year‑old from Clondalkin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two burglaries in Sallynoggin and dangerous driving on 12 May 2016. He admitted owing €15,000 to people who had brought him to the burglary sites to repay a debt. During a high‑speed chase that reached 160 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, Bayley fled in a stolen car, which crashed in Blackrock. He was arrested alone in the vehicle. The burglaries involved the theft of a Samsung Galaxy tablet and an iPad from a sick child's home, and a €100 note was found in a birthday card at the victim's house. Bayley acknowledged drug addictions, claimed he did not recall taking the items, and offered a full apology. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to allow victim impact statements and a probation report before the next hearing on 1 February 2017.
A former solicitor from County Mayo has been sentenced to one year in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for stealing €260,000 from her clients between February 2008 and January 2011. Jacqueline Durcan, aged 47, pleaded guilty to a single count of theft from mixed client deposit accounts. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed the custodial sentence, noting the serious breach of professional trust, the sustained nature of the offending, and the substantial sum involved as aggravating factors. The court heard Durcan, who ran Durcan Solicitors in Castlebar, made the thefts whilst facing severe financial pressures from property investments. Most funds were redirected into the family practice, with €51,000 applied towards her home purchase. The Law Society paid out €206,184 in compensation claims. Durcan has since made reparations and was struck off the roll. She has since relocated to Belgium.
A German national, Giovanni Obaseki, aged 23, had his seven‑year jail term for a "viscous" robbery of Francis Crossan in Dublin reduced on appeal. The original sentence, handed down by Judge Martin Nolan on 14 April 2016, had two years suspended. On 8 December 2016, the Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, found the suspension insufficient and increased the suspended portion to three‑and‑a‑half years. Obaseki, who had pleaded guilty to the robbery and to two earlier attacks, was required to enter a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period. The appeal was based on mitigating factors such as his lack of prior convictions and his efforts to improve his life. The final sentence remained seven years imprisonment, with the final three‑and‑a‑half years suspended.
Jamie Shorthall, a 30‑year‑old plumber from Monkstown Farm, Dún Laoghaire, carried out an armed raid on an Applegreen petrol station in Dublin on 17 June 2015 to pay off drug and gambling debts. He wore a white boiler suit and a black balaclava, pointed a realistic replica of a Glock pistol at shop worker Phil Collins, and demanded the cash tills be opened. Collins, frightened, handed over €1,100. Shorthall escaped on a push bike left outside the shop. He pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of an offensive weapon. The court noted his 20 prior convictions, including burglary, criminal damage and theft, and that he had relapsed into cocaine and gambling problems. His father had previously paid up to €14,000 to menacing individuals demanding money for his son's debts. A psychological report said Shorthall was under duress and threatened with harm to his family. Judge John Aylmer adjourned sentencing to the following Monday.
In December 2016, 21‑year‑old Carl McGuiness was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for robbing a taxi driver, Harry Boland, to obtain money for drugs. McGuiness and an accomplice, who had been in the back seat, seized Boland's vehicle on Glasnevin Avenue, threatening him with a syringe and demanding cash. After the robbery, McGuiness drove the taxi, crashed into a woman's car in Blanchardstown, and was later arrested in Dublin's IFSC. He pleaded guilty to robbery, damaging a car and leaving the scene of an accident. The judge, Melanie Greally, noted his 48 prior convictions and the escalation of violence after a 2013 prison term. McGuiness's final 18 months of the sentence were suspended, and he was placed on a methadone programme in custody. Boland has since quit taxi driving due to the risk.
In a robbery on 2 November 2015, John Joyce, aged 25, used an Airsoft pistol to threaten a staff member at a dry‑cleaning shop he had previously visited for alterations. He forced the employee to hand over €436 in cash. Joyce was later apprehended at a halting site where a car containing an Airsoft handgun was found. He pleaded guilty to this robbery, as well as to a robbery on 21 August 2014 and to damaging cars with a screwdriver in mid‑2014. The judge imposed a six‑year sentence, suspending the last 18 months. Joyce has 66 prior convictions, including robbery, burglary and handling stolen property. The victim reported nightmares and a change of workplace following the incident. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Amanda Daly, 36, was arrested after dropping a purse containing a social welfare receipt near the scene of a robbery on Summer Street South on 15 April 2015. She pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of €700 from a taxi driver. Daly, who has no fixed abode and 39 prior convictions for district court offences, was allowed out on bail to attend residential drug treatment. Judge Melanie Greally remanded her in custody with consent to bail on the condition that she stay at the treatment centre for the duration of her rehabilitation, and adjourned the case to 19 January to assess her progress. Her accomplice, Jason Hynes, 43, had earlier received a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for his role. The robbery involved the taxi driver being threatened with a syringe and forced to hand over money, a wallet and keys. Daly was found by Gardai after the purse was dropped and was subsequently arrested.
Mark McCowen, aged 40, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing a man with cerebral palsy on 31 March 2014. He admitted he was heavily intoxicated, had no knowledge of the victim's disability, and had previously been convicted 66 times, including a five‑year manslaughter sentence in 1996. McCowen claimed he had stopped drinking, attends Alcoholic Anonymous, and expressed remorse. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to 15 February next year, ordering a probation report and a condition that he abstain from alcohol over the adjourned period, with potential custody if he is found drunk. He was arrested after Gardaí received CCTV footage; he sold the stolen phone for €100 and spent it on alcohol. The victim suffered a cut from a kick but declined to give a victim impact statement. The court noted McCowen's long‑term addiction and health issues.
James Maughan, 38, was sentenced to three years in jail with the final two years suspended after a repeat social welfare fraud conviction. He had previously claimed disability benefit in his own name and then fraudulently applied for Jobseeker's Allowance under the false name 'Terence Maughan', stealing €438. Facial‑recognition software used by Department of Social Protection staff linked his public services card photo to his true identity. Maughan had 11 prior social welfare fraud convictions dating back to 2013 and a total of 55 convictions overall, most theft‑related. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, was remanded in custody since November 1, and had attended rehabilitation at Cuan Mhuire in August before leaving in September. Judge Melanie Greally noted his drug‑free status, work while remanded, and repayment of the debt to the State, and imposed the suspended sentence. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Paul Mason, 28, was sentenced to two years in prison with eight months suspended after pleading guilty to assaulting Keith Lynch at Lynch's home in County Louth. The offence, committed on 16 February 2014, stemmed from a 2013 campaign in Ardee that listed Lynch's name among alleged drug dealers. On the night of the assault, Mason and two others confronted Lynch at his front door, claiming to be INLA members and demanding money. They punched, kicked and kicked Lynch to the ground, striking his face and eyes. Lynch later reported that the attackers threatened him with a deadline to pay a ransom. Mason was on bail for a prior theft conviction at the time of the assault. The Special Criminal Court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, found aggravating factors in the pre‑planned nature of the attack and the extortion threat, but noted mitigating factors such as Mason's lack of prior convictions and his apology.
In a case reported on 30 November 2016, Charles Farrell, aged 44, was arrested by Gardaí for loading two historic gates from Convent Cottage, Firhouse Road, into the back of a van. The gates, dating from 1710, were described by the owner as "priceless." Farrell was also charged with dangerous driving after he drove a stolen car through Tallaght on 25 June 2015, ignoring traffic signals and driving on the wrong side of the road. He pleaded guilty to theft of the gates and to unlawful use of a car and dangerous driving. The court adjourned his sentencing to 14 February 2017 to allow a probation report. Two co‑accused, James Spellman Junior and Trevor Matthews, received two‑year suspended sentences in January for their roles in the theft. Farrell has six prior convictions and was on bail at the time of the dangerous driving incident.
Thomas Lennon, aged 24, was one of eight inmates who caused a riot at Cloverhill Prison on 29 July 2015. During the disturbance, a 21‑year‑old Afghan inmate was held hostage, punched, kicked and stabbed with a broken piece of Perspex, suffering superficial cuts to his face, hands and arms. Lennon was heard threatening staff and shouting, "You think Isis are bad? We are going to behead him." A female prison officer was also kicked and forced to the ground. Lennon pleaded guilty to violent disorder, false imprisonment, assault causing harm and criminal damage. He had a three‑year robbery sentence pending, set for release in May 2018, and 34 prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a concurrent four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions, including good behaviour for four years.
James McLoughlin, 42, of Summer Street South, was given a suspended three‑year sentence for tampering with ESB and Bord Gais meters between July 2013 and February 2014. He admitted to criminally damaging two Bord Gais meters and an ESB meter, possessing a stolen Bord Gais meter, and interfering with meters at Benbulbin Road, Drimnagh. McLoughlin offered a "cheaper" energy service, claiming to allow free gas flow for €100 and advising a woman to top her meter by €10 a week. Engineers from Bord Gais and ESB described his actions as extremely dangerous, risking electrocution, gas leaks and explosions. He has 42 prior convictions, including traffic and theft offences, and has serious mental health and addiction problems. The judge noted his efforts at rehabilitation and imposed a suspended sentence to avoid detrimental incarceration at this time. James McLoughlin pleaded guilty.
Ciaran Kenny, aged 20, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a meat cleaver in Crumlin on 30 November 2015. Gardaí Cathal McGeoghan and David Currivan were on duty at a checkpoint in Crumlin when they were alerted to two armed men entering a nearby shop. The officers chased the men in their patrol car and on foot, using pepper spray when the men threatened the cashiers. One man was arrested by McGeoghan, while the other, Kenny, was spotted by a Garda helicopter hiding in a back garden and was subsequently arrested. Kenny was found with a meat cleaver. Judge Elma Sheehan sentenced him to three and a half years, suspending the final nine months on the condition that he engage with the Probation Service. The sentence takes into account any time he has spent in custody. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
An English man, Mark Barber, 49, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for stealing 67 laptops from a Dublin technology company. In October 2014 he contacted the company, inquired about 98 laptops, and sent a purchase order for €675 each. When informed that only 67 were in stock, he accepted the partial shipment. Barber used a false identity to place the order and rented a premises on a three‑month lease under that name to receive the laptops. He pleaded guilty to theft at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 24 October 2010 and had 21 prior convictions in England. The company suffered a loss of just over €45,000. Judge Pauline Codd noted the planning involved and suspended the final two years of the sentence on strict conditions. The case was prosecuted by Fiona Murphy BL, with Detective Garda Kelly Dutton providing evidence.
In a case heard in the Special Criminal Court, Paul Mason, aged 28, pleaded guilty to assaulting Keith Lynch on 16 February 2014 at The Saltings, Annagassan, County Louth. Mason, who had been on bail for a prior theft conviction, claimed to be a member of the INLA and told Lynch that his name was on a list of "Drug Dealers Out" that had been posted around Ardee in December 2013. According to Lynch, Mason and two other men entered his home, where Lynch was with his partner and a 14‑month‑old daughter, and began punching and kicking him. Lynch reported that Mason struck him on the left cheek and that the men were "laying into him," before they left. The court remanded Mason in custody until 2 December, when he will be sentenced. The case was presented by Detective Sergeant Peter Cooney and prosecuting counsel Caroline Cummings BL, with defense counsel Hugh Hartnett SC.
A 19‑year‑old named Dylan Thomas was sentenced to three years' detention for robbing a group of American tourists in a north Dublin park and for assaulting two gardai. CCTV footage showed Thomas, part of a large group of youths, robbed the tourists of a camera bag and attacked them when they tried to recover it. He later punched and kicked a garda who directed him to leave the area and again assaulted another garda who attempted to search him at the garda station. Thomas pleaded guilty to assaulting Garda Stephen Harte and Garda Keith Delaney, and to the robbery. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a four‑year detention sentence, suspending the final year on strict conditions, including cooperation with the Probation Service, attendance at psychiatric and educational services, and addressing drug, alcohol and anger‑control issues. The court noted Thomas's prospects for rehabilitation and his willingness to engage in positive pursuits.
James Kennedy, 34, from Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty to arson on Westland Row on 12 September 2015. He set a motorbike on fire, causing a passing woman and child to flee for safety. CCTV shows Kennedy moving the bike, tampering with the petrol tank, placing lottery slips under it, and then setting them alight in a nearby café. The bike, worth €3,000, was completely destroyed. Kennedy had 40 prior convictions, including criminal damage, theft, public order and violent behaviour. He admits alcohol problems, stating he was "full of alcohol" after drinking a bottle of vodka that day, and does not recall the incident. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to allow assessment for residential drug treatment and ordered a probation report. Kennedy will be sentenced next February.
In the Special Criminal Court, a Meath man, Darren Weldon, 45, is on trial for alleged IRA membership. The prosecution presented DNA evidence linking him to a number plate found in debris from a car bomb outside Newry courthouse on 22 February 2010. Weldon, of Drinadaly, Trim, pleaded not guilty on 14 October 2014. Evidence also showed his Mazda 6 was stolen from his Dundrum driveway in January 2010, and that he was seen in conversation with Alan Ryan and Declan Smith in April 2012. The case is heard before Justice Tony Hunt, with Judges Martin Nolan and Cormac Dunne.
A 55‑year‑old Dundalk man, Joseph Finnegan, pleaded guilty to possession of an 8mm blank‑firing pistol, seven rounds of ammunition, a 12‑gauge double‑barrel shotgun, three shotgun cartridges, and a stolen Ford Focus. He admitted these offences on July 11‑12, 2015, at his Cullenstown, Readypenny address. During a Special Detective Unit investigation into IRA activity, Gardaí stopped the stolen car, found a black backpack containing a semi‑automatic pistol and ammunition, and later discovered more firearms and ammunition in his home. Finnegan claimed he was asked to do a "wee message" and feared for his life. The Special Criminal Court, presided over by Mr Justice Robert Eagar, sentenced him to five years' imprisonment for the firearms offences, five years for each ammunition offence, and two years for the stolen car, all to run concurrently and back‑dated to 7 November 2016, with one year suspended on the firearms sentence.
A former solicitor who pleaded guilty to stealing €260,000 from clients will have her case re-sentenced after the presiding judge stood aside on grounds of a potential conflict of interest. Jacqueline Durcan, previously from County Mayo but now resident in Brussels, took the money from mixed client deposit accounts between February 2008 and January 2011 whilst running Durcan Solicitors in Castlebar. Judge Melanie Greally, sitting at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, adjourned sentencing after learning that a member of her wider family was known to Durcan's family. The case has been transferred to Judge Patricia Ryan, with proceedings to resume on 2 December. Durcan admitted making multiple withdrawals, including €51,500 used to purchase her own home. The Law Society subsequently paid €206,184 in compensation to affected clients, which Durcan has repaid. She was struck off the roll and has since relocated to Belgium, where she teaches English as a foreign language.