On 22 January 2025, Ahmed Ramic, 26, of Brookview Court, Tallaght, crashed a DriveYou car‑sharing vehicle into a ditch on Killakee Road, Rathfarnham, after Garda Mark Cullen, in an unmarked patrol car, attempted to stop it. Cullen had been patrolling because several DriveYou cars had been reported stolen. He followed the vehicle for about a minute at speed before it left the road and crashed. Ramic had initially pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving under section 53, but the court accepted a plea to the lesser section 52 careless driving charge. Defence counsel argued Ramic was unaware of the unmarked Garda car and that the vehicle belonged to his former girlfriend's father. The court found the driving reached the threshold for careless but not dangerous driving, spared Ramic a second disqualification, and remanded him to a restorative‑justice driving‑awareness programme with the case adjourned to 13 February. The judge noted Ramic's remorse and disappointment.
On 22 March, Stephen Hall, 40, was arrested near the Cheeverstown Luas stop after Gardaí observed him leaving the Glenveagh Properties building site with a stolen generator. The generator, valued at about €500, had been taken minutes earlier. Hall pleaded guilty to possessing the stolen generator, trespassing on the site and having cannabis at locations in Tallaght. Gardaí also found a small amount of suspected cannabis worth €20. He was remanded to Green Street courthouse for a drug‑treatment programme and probation assessment.
Michael Rostas, 24, was on bail when he stole a watch from a man who had fallen ill after leaving a nightclub. The victim, who was later admitted to St James's Hospital, had the watch, a sentimental item from his father, returned to him. CCTV footage showed Rostas taking the watch while the victim lay on the ground. Rostas pleaded guilty to one count of theft on 1 October 2022 and had two prior convictions. Judge Pauline Codd described the offence as vile and morally reprehensible. She imposed a headline sentence of four years, but after considering Rostas's guilty plea, age, homelessness, and a positive probation report, she sentenced him to three years' imprisonment suspended in full for three years. Rostas paid €500 to the court as a gesture of remorse and was ordered to pay an additional €500 to the victim, at least €50 per month.
Mark Duffy, aged 44, was convicted of burglary under section 12(1b)(3) of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 and of trespassing, possession of stolen property and possession of certain articles. He was sentenced to nine months imprisonment for burglary and six months consecutive for trespassing, with the final three months suspended, for a total of 12 months in custody. Duffy appealed against the severity of the sentence. Judge Deirdre Browne, hearing the appeal, noted that Duffy had "been around the block" and was "well aware of what he was doing". She affirmed the original sentence, stating that the District Court had "considered matters very thoroughly" and that the order was "carefully thought through and structured". The appeal was dismissed and the original 12‑month custodial sentence was upheld. Mark Duffy pleaded not guilty.
Michael Daly, 27, of Knockmore Grove, Tallaght, was jailed for three years and nine months after a high‑speed chase on the N81. He drove a stolen Ford Transit van without a licence or insurance, swerved onto the wrong side of the road at up to 140 km/h, and attempted to hit Garda patrol cars. The chase caused €10,000 of damage to a patrol car and forced a Garda to run into a garden to avoid being struck. Daly pleaded guilty to endangerment, unlawful use of a vehicle, driving without insurance and two counts of criminal damage. He had been disqualified from driving since 2022 and had previous convictions for drugs and public order offences. The judge, after considering his guilty pleas and mitigating factors, imposed the sentence and a four‑year driving disqualification.
Darragh Carroll, 27, was jailed for stealing a Renault Fluence and reckless endangerment after a drunken garda pursuit in Balbriggan. Carroll, who had no driving licence and was disqualified from driving, ran red lights, overtook a stopped vehicle, drove through stop signs, onto a footpath and in the wrong direction on busy residential streets. He swerved past a pedestrian and crashed into a wooden pillar, then fled the scene, jumping over a house wall before being arrested. Carroll pleaded guilty to the theft, endangerment, two criminal damage charges and driving without a licence. The judge set a headline sentence of seven and a half years, reduced to three years, with concurrent two‑year terms for theft and criminal damage. The final 18 months were suspended on probation, and Carroll was disqualified from driving for five years. He is engaged in rehabilitation in custody. Darragh Carroll was convicted.
Mary Hall, 70, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two theft counts for taking €26,562 in Carer's and Disability Allowances in her deceased son's name between 25 May 2022 and 30 November 2023. The son had leukemia and died in 2022; Hall continued to collect his disability allowance after the Department of Social Protection was notified of his death. She admitted she was not entitled to the payments and used the money for bills, rent and funeral costs. Hall has no prior convictions. Judge Sinead McMullan imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years, suspended in full on strict conditions, including continued weekly repayments. The court noted Hall's remorse and consistent repayments as mitigating factors. The sentence reflects theft from the State, not premeditated in the normal sense, but Hall was aware of the wrongdoing. The condition requires Hall to maintain the weekly repayments.
A Cavan man previously imprisoned for handling 117 stolen bicycles has received a suspended sentence for money laundering linked to the same offence. Dinas Bimbiras, aged 50, of Maple Drive, Drumgola Wood, Cavan, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing the proceeds of crime. Following his earlier conviction in October 2022, when he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, gardaí examined his bank accounts under warrant. Analysis revealed a discrepancy of €71,141 between his legitimate income and lodgements, which prosecutors contend represents proceeds from the bicycle operation. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two-year custodial sentence but suspended it in full, determining that a further jail term would be unjust given Bimbiras's conduct since his release in February 2024 and his return to full-time employment. The judge noted the money laundering charge could have been heard concurrently with the original handling matter. He ordered forfeiture of the €71,141 to the State. Bimbiras, a Lithuanian resident in Ireland since 2001, maintains he purchased bicycles at Dublin markets intending to refurbish and resell them.
A Castlebar man has pleaded guilty to three thefts totalling over €34,000 from a Lidl supermarket in Westport during the Christmas and New Year period of 2023. Mantas Kerusauska, aged 39, admitted to stealing €11,250 on Christmas Eve, €10,700 on December 29th, and €12,300 on New Year's Eve. Appearing at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court, the court heard that a gambling addiction described as particularly egregious had contributed to the offences. Defence counsel submitted that his client's criminal conduct could be attributed in whole or in part to this addiction. Kerusauska was remanded on bail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for March 3rd next.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 7 November 2025, Eugene Tolan, aged 47, pleaded guilty to three burglaries committed on 10 October 2024 and 15 December 2024. He admitted stealing a laptop that contained a draft thesis, preventing the victim from completing her master's degree. Tolan, who has 23 prior burglary convictions, claimed he had a baby on the way and needed a pram. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Tolan's remorse and that he fled when encountering a resident, sentenced him to a cumulative term of three and a half years, backdated to his custody entry. The judge highlighted the victim's loss of peace of mind and the significant trauma caused by the loss of her thesis. No further sentences or appeals were mentioned in the article.
Christopher Oshodin, 48, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to theft and dishonestly inducing a Department of Social Protection employee to act for a gain. He had claimed over €145,000 in social welfare payments while pretending for 21 years to be Zimbabwean, using the alias "Christopher Umar." The offence spanned from 2001 to 2022. Oshodin, the sole carer of three children, admitted the fraud and sought to regularise his status. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the seriousness of the theft and the impact on the children, imposed a four‑year sentence fully suspended. He acknowledged Oshodin's cooperation, admissions, lack of prior convictions and the fact that he was paying back small amounts weekly. The court considered the effect on the children and the need to avoid depriving them of their guardian, leading to the non‑custodial outcome. The case was heard on 7 November 2025.
The Workplace Relations Commission upheld the dismissal of Michael Walsh, a Galway County Council employee, after an internal inquiry found he had made unauthorised diesel purchases using council funds. Walsh, employed since 2013, was accused of theft, fraud and falsification of records. He had used a council‑supplied low‑value payment card to buy fuel on three occasions in December 2022, claiming the purchases were for a Transit van hired for his work. The inquiry determined he had made over 12 unauthorised fuel purchases totalling €1,217, with additional inappropriate purchases amounting to €652.25, later reduced to €395.25 after further findings. Walsh admitted the use of council cards for personal use but denied any wrongdoing. The WRC found no unfair dismissal and rejected his claim for statutory notice pay, confirming the council's decision to terminate his employment in February 2024.
Terry Ward, 36, of Castle Meadows, Trim, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglaries on 20 July 2024 and 12 February 2025. On 20 July he broke into a business on Baggot Street, stole two laptops worth €3,000, and was arrested the next night while attempting to sell one to a rickshaw driver. On 12 February he carried out a series of burglaries in Dublin 2, breaking into a business, an elderly woman's unoccupied home (stealing earrings and medication), and smashing windows at the Hyde pub on Lennon Street with a beer keg and at the Duke pub with street fencing, causing €2,000 in damage. He also stole €50 from a tip jar. Ward has 176 prior convictions, including 22 burglaries in Ireland and 17 in the UK, plus assault and knife possession.
Cristan Turbat and Dorina Turbat, of Maynooth, Kildare, were sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for social welfare fraud. The couple pleaded guilty to sample charges representative of an indictment of over 570 charges covering April 2017 to January 2019. Cristan Turbat admitted to 10 charges of stealing cash from the Department of Social Protection and one charge of making a false statement. Dorina Turbat pleaded guilty to 10 similar theft charges and one false statement charge. Judge Martin Nolan jailed both defendants for 18 months, reducing a headline sentence of three years due to their guilty pleas, cooperation, and remorse. The court found they conspired to defraud the State of over €114,000 by having Cristan work under a false identity while Dorina claimed jobseeker's allowance, working family payment, and rent supplement. Michael McMahon, their employer, was previously sentenced to a 14-month suspended term for aiding and abetting the fraud. His sentence was suspended in full on the condition he repay €55,215. €21,350 found in the Turbats' home will be confiscated, leaving a balance of just over €13,000 to be repaid. The matter was finalised with the imposition of these custodial sentences and repayment conditions.
Michael Rooney Dignam, 44, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for a series of seven robberies committed between August and September 2024 in Dublin. The robberies involved armed threats with a broken bottle, knife and syringe, and included an incident where a teenage shopkeeper's daughter was held at knife‑point. Victims were shop staff and off‑licence workers who were threatened with stabbing or struck with a broken bottle. Rooney Dignam, who has 55 prior convictions including the manslaughter of his brother, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse. Judge Orla Crowe set a headline sentence of 10 years, reduced to seven and a half years, and suspended the final 12 months on strict conditions, including good behaviour for two years and 12 months of probation. No money was recovered from the robberies. The court noted that the offences were carried out to fund a drug addiction following his release from prison.
A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in custody at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the violent robbery of an off-duty garda in the Camden Road area on 22 January 2024. Evan Ward of Navan Road, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to the offence. CCTV footage presented at sentencing showed Ward and a juvenile accomplice attacking the garda in the early morning hours, with Ward delivering multiple punches to the victim's head before both assailants stole items including the garda's official identification badge, two passports, bank cards, mobile phones, and car keys. The victim was left unconscious on the ground. Ward admitted he was under the influence of cocaine at the time. He has 57 previous convictions. The court heard evidence of significant childhood mental health difficulties and recent diagnosis of schizophrenic spectrum disorder. The judge imposed a four-year sentence with the final year suspended on condition of continued psychiatric care. The juvenile co-accused received a deferred 22-month detention sentence earlier this year.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a victim was forced to sell his Audi S8 after a criminal, Stuart Tighe, attempted to hijack the car twice within five days. The first attempt occurred outside the victim's workplace on 29 January 2024, when Tighe and a companion tried to steal the vehicle but were thwarted. The second, more violent, attack took place on 3 February 2024, when Tighe entered the victim's home with a meat cleaver, causing the victim to lose part of his ear and sustain other injuries. Tighe pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, assault causing harm, and attempted theft. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a headline sentence of 12 years, reduced to nine years with a one‑year suspension, citing the victim's impact statement and the evidence presented. The case highlighted the severity of the assaults and the court's focus on rehabilitation.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 31 October 2025, Maxwell Itumelang Mosia, aged 34, was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment for a 2019 assault causing harm on his former partner. Mosia pleaded guilty to the charge. The court heard that the attack began downstairs and continued upstairs, during which Mosia punched the woman in the face, arms, shoulders and legs, struck her repeatedly in the face, forced her into the bathroom, undressed her, slapped her ears and sprayed her with the shower hose, especially around her genital area. The victim was treated at The Rotunda Hospital for a burst lip, pain to her right ear, right upper jaw and a mild concussion. Mosia had 29 prior convictions, including 24 for traffic offences, public order and theft. Justice Karen O'Connor set a headline sentence of 30 months, reduced to 20 months, and backdated it to the week he entered custody.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Noel Smullen, 58, of Silverdale, Clara, Co. Offaly, was sentenced to six and a half years' imprisonment for the unlawful importation of 40 kilos of cocaine, worth €2.8 million, hidden beneath a legitimate cargo of Lego toys. Smullen's role was described as lower than that of co‑accused Killian McNay, 40, who received a seven‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence earlier that month. Smullen pleaded guilty to the offence, which occurred at Dublin Port on 22 September 2024, after customs officers detected a concealed metal compartment in his lorry's trailer. He had nine prior convictions, including burglary and possession of stolen property. The judge, Martina Baxter, noted his cooperation, early guilty plea and lack of drug‑dealing convictions, and suspended the last 18 months of his sentence for two years on the condition of good behaviour and engagement with the Probation Service.
Amy McAuley (35) has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of the use of a false instrument through submitting a false death notification form to Wexford County Council on January 19, 2023. She also pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice on January 23, 2023, and to a count of forgery of a medical report on November 23, 2022, both at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Parkgate Street. The case is currently at the appeal stage. Judge Orla Crowe imposed a global sentence of four years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions for four years. McAuley was also directed to place herself under the supervision of the Probation Services for 12 months post-release. The judge noted that McAuley's actions were a deliberate scheme to pervert the course of justice and involved significant breaches of trust. McAuley has four previous convictions for theft and deception offences. The matter was adjourned for appeal.
In October 2025, Eric Norton, a 32‑year‑old drug dealer who advertised cocaine and tablets on Snapchat, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison. He pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing drugs for sale or supply and two counts of possession of drugs at addresses in Dublin in October 2020 and March 2021, and to one count of burglary at a Tesco store in Adamstown on 26 March 2023. Norton had 101 previous convictions. An undercover Garda rang him after seeing his Snapchat ad, and the Garda bought drugs from him on three occasions. In February 2021, Gardaí discovered a basement flat leased by Norton containing Diazepam tablets, cannabis, ketamine and documents linked to him. In March 2023, Norton and three men disguised as workmen entered a Tesco store during a fire test, accessed the store through an open shutter, and stole €89,000 worth of mobile phones, razors and cigarettes.
Jason Desmond, 32, of Donaghmede, was denied bail after being charged with hijacking a taxi, false imprisonment and theft. On 25 July 2025, at about 1.21 am, he allegedly entered a taxi on Malahide Road, demanded to be taken to Circle K, and after the driver stopped, a group entered the shop and stole nearly €1,000 worth of alcohol and energy drinks. Desmond is accused of producing a kitchen knife to intimidate the driver, refusing to pay the €40 fare, and taking the stolen goods to a property in Priorswood, where Gardaí found the men asleep with the items strewn across the apartment. He was arrested at Coolock Garda Station and admitted to theft‑related offences. The judge cited the seriousness of the allegations, strong evidence, potential custodial sentence and risk of further offences, and sent the case to the Circuit Court for trial.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Valdas Sakinis, aged 40, was sentenced to four years and five months in prison for possession of cannabis and zopiclone tablets for sale or supply. Gardai discovered over €680,000 worth of illegal drugs in a storage unit on Mount Seskin Road, Tallaght. The unit contained 33.4 kg of cannabis, valued at €668,000, and €12,600 of zopiclone tablets. Sakinis was found with €200 of cannabis for personal use, a small amount of ketamine in a hidden compartment, cling film, a key to the unit, and a van. He had no fixed abode, claimed to live in Lithuania, and refused to identify the key owner. He had three prior convictions for theft, criminal damage and trespass dating back to 2011. The court accepted his early guilty plea, cooperation, and a letter from his priest, and noted his lower‑to‑middle offending level and foreign‑national status.
Carley Hopkins, 35, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to endangerment, theft and production of an article for stealing €246 worth of clothing from Dundrum Town Centre on 12 February 2023. She fled with a security officer clinging to her car's bonnet, driving off while the officer held onto the bonnet until she reached the barrier. Hopkins admitted the offence at the scene and in a Garda interview, expressed remorse, and handed over her car keys. She is a part‑time cleaner, suffers mental health difficulties, and cares for her mother, cousin and teenage child. Judge Patricia Codd sentenced her to two and a half years for endangerment and 18 months for theft, both concurrent, and suspended the entire sentence for three years. The production of an article charge was also considered.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Karl Keogh, 38, admitted using forged documents—including a fake Virgin Media bill, counterfeit pay slips and a counterfeit Irish driving licence—to open an account at Ballygall Credit Union in Ballymun and borrow €19,000. The loan was never repaid, and the account fell into arrears. Keogh pleaded guilty to theft and fraud offences on 4 and 8 April 2021. The court, noting his severe gambling problem, imposed a 20‑month prison sentence.
Michael Lynn, a former solicitor convicted of stealing €18 million from Irish banks, is appealing to the Supreme Court to reduce his five‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term by crediting the four‑and‑a‑half years he served in Brazil's Cotel Prison. The Supreme Court will consider how remission for good behaviour, normally a 25 % discount in Ireland, should apply to time served abroad. Lynn was convicted on ten counts in February 2024 and sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Martin Nolan to 13 years, later reduced to 5 years 9 months after the Court of Appeal added three months for severity. The appeal focuses on whether the courts should aggregate his Brazilian imprisonment and apply remission for the entire period, rather than only time served in Ireland. The Supreme Court has allowed the challenge to proceed, noting no statutory formula exists for crediting time abroad. The outcome could increase or decrease his sentence.
The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions regarding the sentencing of Maureen McCormack. McCormack, a former Bank of Ireland employee, pleaded guilty to arson at a Banagher branch in October 2021 and three theft charges involving approximately €200,000. In October 2024, Judge Keenan Johnson at Tullamore Circuit Court sentenced her to 240 hours of community service in lieu of four years' imprisonment for the arson charge. Additionally, a four-year prison sentence for one theft charge was suspended for six years. The DPP argues this fully suspended sentence is unduly lenient, asserting that the custodial threshold was clearly passed and the decision represents a substantial departure from the norm without deterrence. Counsel for the DPP highlighted the planning involved and McCormack's disregard for public safety. In response, McCormack's legal team emphasized substantial mitigation, including her early guilty plea and the repayment of over €115,886 in compensation, arguing the judge was entitled to exercise discretion given the exceptional circumstances. The matter was adjourned, with the court set to deliver its decision at a later date.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 17 October 2025, Kevin Cronin, 45, was ordered to pay €3,000 to an escort after he forced her to transfer money to his Revolut account. Cronin, who had no prior convictions, pleaded guilty to robbery on 7 February 2023. He claimed he was "high on drugs" and threatened the woman, who was described as vulnerable, to transfer €180. The judge noted Cronin's cooperation, guilty plea, and long work history, and imposed a two‑year suspended sentence, citing mitigation. He also directed Cronin to pay the victim the €3,000, or, if she declined, to donate it to a local charity. The case highlighted Cronin's drug use and the alleged threat that he was a gang member, which the prosecution denied. The court did not impose custodial time, citing the conviction's stigma and the victim's financial loss.
Paul Cullen, 45, of Crumlin, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six years and nine months in prison, with the final 12 months suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to seven offences including assault, robbery, attempted robbery and theft. The judge highlighted a pattern of violent crime, drug use and the use of weapons such as a meat cleaver, screwdriver, claw hammer and an imitation firearm. Cullen's crimes included a violent robbery at a Luas stop where a victim suffered a broken ankle, an attempted robbery at a hotel where he brandished a cleaver, a robbery of Boyle Sports Bookmakers where he stole €7,400, and an attempted robbery at Paddy Power Bookmakers while wearing a white hazmat suit. He also robbed a beauty salon and an estate agency, and was found with a scorched hazmat suit at a mortuary.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 16 October 2025, 21‑year‑old Morgan Devlin of Tallaght pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of assault causing harm for an incident on 8 May 2022 on Sean Whelan Road. Devlin, who has six prior convictions, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment. The court noted that the victim sustained a serious injury close to the femoral artery, suffered multiple blows, a knife stab from a co‑accused, and a bite wound. CCTV identified Devlin, who was the least culpable of the three assailants. The judge considered sentences of other co‑accused, including a minor who received five years with two and a half years suspended for a separate robbery. The case highlighted the victim's severe injuries and the defendants' varying culpability.
A 25‑year‑old man was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended for two years, by Mr Justice Paul McDermott at the Central Criminal Court for sexually assaulting his 13‑year‑old cousin. The court heard that the defendant lured the child to an abandoned shed, forced her into a sexual assault, and threatened to drown her in a river if she disclosed the crime. He also threatened the child's father, saying he would leave him looking like the horror‑movie doll 'Chucky'. The defendant pleaded guilty to the assault and to witness intimidation. He has 81 prior convictions, including theft, fraud, road‑traffic offences and criminal damage. The judge noted the victim's bravery and the aggravating nature of the threats, and ordered the defendant to engage with Probation Services, Tusla and a therapeutic group programme while in custody and for two years after release.
Maria Moldovan, 51, pleaded guilty to stealing €610 worth of groceries from Dunnes Stores on 7 February and €300 worth of clothing from Penneys on 3 May 2024. Security staff stopped her after she placed items in bags and left without paying; Gardaí arrested her at the scene and she was taken to Tallaght Garda station. The items were recovered in resaleable condition. Moldovan, originally from Romania and living in Ireland for ten years, has no prior convictions. She claimed she "didn't know what came over her." The court ordered a probation report and adjourned sentencing to 9 January 2026.
Thomas Carlyle, 49, who is already serving a 12‑month sentence for burglary, was given a one‑month prison term that runs concurrently with his existing sentence after pleading guilty to stealing a €5.58 Buzzball can from a Spar store in Stillorgan on 27 September 2024. The offence was committed in breach of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 2001. Carlyle repeatedly interrupted the hearing at Dún Laoghaire District Court, prompting Judge Anne Watkin to ignore his rudeness and contempt, pause the case until he calmed down, and later hear his plea. Defence counsel Michael O'Brien highlighted Carlyle's long‑standing addiction struggles, recent bereavement, and lack of convictions between 1998 and 2021, noting his improved behaviour in custody. The judge noted the low value of the stolen item but imposed the one‑month sentence, to run concurrently with the existing term.
The Criminal Assets Bureau seized a range of items from Jamie Geoghegan, a 29‑year‑old former footballer who was jailed for six‑and‑a‑half years for a 2023 assault involving dragging a victim into a Jeep, driving him to a caravan, tying him up, beating and stabbing him. At sentencing Geoghegan pleaded guilty to assault and false imprisonment and had 75 prior convictions, including theft, burglary, firearms and drug offences. He had represented Ireland at under‑age level and at the Homeless World Cup. In a High Court hearing on 15 October 2025, Geoghegan did not contest the CAB's application to seize assets deemed proceeds of crime. The court was told the CAB had identified 23 items – €4,000 cash, £2,000 cash, a VW Golf, a Skoda Superb, a modular home and a watch – seized from his Dublin home and another location.
The High Court has granted leave for an ex parte application by a 16-year-old, acting through his father, to challenge a July 2025 Dublin District Court sentence. The teenager was sentenced to a fully suspended three-month prison term after the District Court judge stated he was precluded from imposing a Probation Residential Supervision Order (PRSO) due to the absence of available hostel residences for minors. The applicant seeks to quash the sentence as allegedly unlawful, arguing that the judge's discretion was fettered by the State's failure to provide certified hostels under Section 126 of the Children Act 2001. The action is brought against the District Court judge, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Minister for Justice, Ireland, and the Attorney General. It demands a declaration that the State failed to protect the boy's constitutional rights and comply with statutory obligations, and requests details on available hostel capacity. The boy, who has faced multiple charges including drug offences and theft since 2023, is alleged to have been eligible for a PRSO but was denied one because no suitable premises existed. Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty granted leave for the application and adjourned the matter to November.
Three men with a combined 106 previous convictions pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Tom Niland at the Central Criminal Court on Monday. John Irving (31) of Foxford, Co Mayo; Francis Harman (58) of Ballina, Co Mayo; and John Clarke (37) of Ballina attacked the 82-year-old at his home in Skryne, Co Sligo on January 18th, 2022, stealing approximately €800 from his wallet. Mr Niland suffered severe injuries including brain trauma and multiple fractures. He was hospitalised but his condition deteriorated, and he died from his injuries in September 2023, some 20 months after the assault. The State Pathologist attributed his death to blunt force trauma. All three were initially charged with murder but the Director of Public Prosecutions reduced the charges to manslaughter. Harman and Clarke pleaded guilty on the first day of trial; Irving initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea during proceedings. The prosecution submitted that sentences between 15 and 20 years were warranted. Justice Paul McDermott will sentence the defendants on Thursday.
An intensive care nurse at Mayo General Hospital has received a fully suspended sentence at Castlebar Circuit Court for forging prescriptions to obtain painkillers. Sinéad Donohoe, aged 42, of Scrigg, Ballyhaunis, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and four counts of forgery, representing 112 charges overall. Between September 2019 and February 2021, she stole three prescription pads and used forged prescriptions across pharmacies in Ballyhaunis, Ballaghdereen, Claremorris, Castlebar, Castlerea, Knock, and Kiltimagh to obtain Solpadol. Judge Eoin Garavan imposed a headline sentence of two years, suspended in full for 16 months, citing mitigating factors including her low reconviction risk and positive employment history. The judge noted Donohoe's struggle with endometriosis and workplace stress during the Covid-19 pandemic, describing her as dealing with addiction whilst employed in challenging frontline conditions. Her nursing registration has been suspended and she is currently not working. She has no previous convictions and is a married mother of two.
Patrick McGregor, 39, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to four counts of demanding money with menaces from two families in North Dublin in November and December 2024, and to theft of a Ring doorbell and acquisition of €5,000 as proceeds of crime. He also pleaded guilty to possessing a heavy‑duty stun gun without a valid certificate. McGregor claimed he had been threatened by men over a drug debt owed by others and that he took it upon himself to collect the money, admitting he had acted in the "wrong way" and was "deeply ashamed". The court heard that he had threatened to burn the families' houses and that a taser gun was seized during a search of his home. He has 101 previous convictions, mainly for traffic offences. The sentence was back‑dated to the date of his arrest.
Brian Comiskey, aged 46, was first arrested in 2013 after robbing a Texaco service station in Shankill, Co Dublin, on Valentine's Day. The robbery was televised on RTE's Crimecall, and an anonymous tip led to his arrest, but insufficient evidence prevented charges. In 2021, an off‑duty detective spotted Comiskey entering the same service station armed with a hammer, wearing a face covering and latex gloves. He was taken to a Garda station before he could steal anything and claimed he had robbed the station in 2013. That confession was inadmissible. Comiskey pleaded guilty to one count of robbery at the Texaco station and one count of burglary at Centra on the same day, February 14, 2013. He had 45 prior convictions, including robbery, burglary, knife possession and public order offences. Sergeant Bernard Dunne described how Comiskey entered Centra, stole a screwdriver, left, then demanded €700 from a worker at the Texaco station, taking the money and leaving.
In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Govonor Ogbonnaya, 27, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at a Tallaght address on 20 October 2020. He had 52 prior theft convictions. Gardaí obtained a search warrant for a Tallaght home, finding 26.6 g of cannabis in the house and 2,067 g in bags on adjacent bins, totaling €43,854 in seized cannabis. Ogbonnaya admitted to taking the drugs after seeing them stored under a bush, but claimed uncertainty about what to do with them. He presented himself to Gardaí when the house owner was arrested and took responsibility. Judge Martin Nolan, noting mitigation, departed from the ten‑year mandatory minimum and sentenced Ogbonnaya to two years in prison, back‑dated to his custody entry. The sentence reflects the court's view that the defendant deserves custodial punishment while acknowledging his desire to leave that life behind.
Terry Maughan, 47, of Balbriggan, Dublin, had a seven‑month jail term for stealing nearly €9,000 of electrical cable and a six‑month concurrent sentence for burglary at Skerries Sailing Club overturned on appeal. The District Court Appeals Court replaced both sentences with a fully suspended sentence for 12 months, conditional on compliance with probation. Maughan was identified on CCTV stealing €8,982 worth of cable from an industrial estate in Santry and later admitted the theft, selling the cable for €535. He was also caught on CCTV removing a €300 barbecue from a concrete shed at the sailing club, which he returned. He has 133 prior convictions, including 15 thefts, and was described by Garda Jake Digney as "massively cooperative" and "deeply sorry.".
Ian Maloney, a former jewel thief turned poet, was sentenced to ten years in prison, with the final eighteen months suspended, after pleading guilty to possession of a 9mm semiautomatic firearm with intent to endanger life. The offence involved firing several rounds into a family home in Crumlin where a child was present. Maloney, aged 37, had 109 prior convictions and had previously been sentenced to 12 years for a 2008 robbery and four years for a 2009 assault. He voluntarily contacted Gardaí to confess, citing guilt and a desire to do the right thing. The judge noted his early plea and self‑reporting as mitigating factors, while also acknowledging his history of anger, substance use and mental health issues. The sentence was back‑dated to account for time already spent in custody.
Rebecca Rolleston, 39, of Tallaght, was banned from driving for four years after refusing to give a blood or urine sample when arrested on 4 October 2024 for suspected drink‑driving. She pleaded guilty to the refusal, was fined €450 with a five‑month payment period, and was also found guilty of stealing four cans of Captain Morgan rum from a Maxol station in Bray on 28 April 2024. The court noted her two prior convictions and applied the Probation Act to the theft, requiring a €100 bond for good behaviour.
A 23‑year‑old e‑scooter rider, Jason Thornton, was convicted of a public order offence after shouting abuse at Garda Jack Hamilton during a criminal damage investigation on 15 June 2024 in south Dublin. Thornton, who was on an e‑scooter on a nearby walkway, raised his middle finger and shouted "F*** you, you red prick" while Hamilton was speaking to the injured party. Hamilton tried to issue a warning but Thornton accelerated away, and a crowd gathered. The court found that the incident, occurring while Gardaí were already dealing with a criminal damage case, met the threshold for a public order offence. Thornton pleaded not guilty, but Judge Anne Watkin convicted him. He has 38 prior convictions, including assault, criminal damage, misuse of drugs, burglary, robbery, theft and threats to kill, and his most recent conviction was under the Misuse of Drugs Act on 16 May 2025.
Jason O'Brien, 39, of Mac Uilliam Green, Tallaght, was sentenced at Tallaght District Court after pleading guilty to 15 charges. The offences included stealing €72 worth of cologne from Lloyds Pharmacy in May 2023 and multiple road traffic violations, such as driving without insurance, a licence, or valid tax and NCT certificates, arising from incidents in 2019 and 2021. Despite having 123 previous convictions, O'Brien avoided prison. His defence solicitor, Padraig O'Donovan, argued that incarceration had not been effective and requested a community-based disposal, noting O'Brien had a job lined up. Judge John O'Leary imposed 120 hours of community service in lieu of a five-month prison term. The judge described this as a final chance, stating he believed O'Brien had changed his ways. In a notable exchange, the judge advised O'Brien to thank his solicitor for the outcome, to which O'Brien replied he would buy his lawyer a bottle of wine. The matter was finalised with this sentence.
Gerard Wilson, 46, serving a two‑year sentence in Mountjoy Prison for burglary, knife possession and criminal damage, was further sentenced by Tallaght District Court after a relapse. On 25 March 2024, Gardaí found him intoxicated in another person's car in the car park of The Square Shopping Centre, Tallaght, where he admitted to being under the influence, threatening and abusive behaviour. Five days later, on 30 March 2024, he stole items from Dealz in Nutgrove Shopping Centre, Dublin 14; the goods were recovered only after his apprehension. Wilson, who holds a diploma in addictions studies from UCD, pleaded guilty to public order, road traffic and theft offences. Judge John O'Leary imposed a three‑month sentence for the traffic offence and a two‑month sentence for the public order matter, to run concurrently and take effect immediately. He also imposed a separate two‑month sentence for the theft at Dealz, to run consecutively to Wilson's current prison term.
In a Tallaght District Court hearing on 16 September 2025, a man in his 20s was denied bail after a judge found that a pregnant woman, who is unnamed for legal reasons, was left in fear for herself and her unborn child. The accused, who pleaded not guilty to criminal damage and theft, had allegedly threatened to drag the woman to an abortion clinic and had engaged in violent conduct at her home, including jumping on her car, smashing a wardrobe and chandeliers, and refusing to return her house keys. Garda Brendan Byrne cited the O'Callaghan principles, arguing the man might not appear in court and could interfere with the complainant. The court noted that a key to the woman's home was found in the accused's pocket. The accused, represented by Padraig O'Donovan, claimed any damage was accidental and offered compensation, stating he would stay away if bail were granted.
David Fagan, 40, with 131 prior convictions, was convicted in the District Court for stealing €1,300 from the same shop on three occasions. He pleaded guilty to three counts of theft under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001, and received two concurrent six‑month sentences plus a concurrent ten‑month term. On appeal, Judge Jonathan Dunphy upheld the two six‑month sentences but suspended the ten‑month term for the €700 theft on 7 May 2024 for a full two years. The suspension is conditional on Fagan being supervised by the probation services upon release, attending all meetings and referrals, and keeping away from the service station in Portmarnock. The court noted that the other offences were non‑violent and that Fagan had shown remorse and had no disciplinary record while in custody. The appeal was based on the claim that the original sentences were manifestly excessive.
Daryl Boyd, 28, pleaded guilty in the District Court to multiple offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 between 2020 and 2022. He received three consecutive six‑month prison sentences for supplying controlled drugs into prisons, with one of those sentences suspended. Additional charges included possession of controlled drugs and failure to appear in court. Boyd appealed the severity of his sentence. Sergeant Shay Leonard recounted that on 16 May 2020, 28 November 2020 and 26 September 2022, Boyd threw copper pipes and other items containing controlled drugs over the walls of Wheatfield Prison, the last incident involving 700 euros worth of cannabis. Boyd has 40 prior convictions, including theft and public order offences. Defence counsel noted his drug debt and severe pressure after a threat to a family member. Judge Jonathan Dunphy suspended Boyd's entire sentence for two years, requiring him to enter probation supervision, complete residential treatment and engage in education and training as directed.
Charles Dunne, 48, of Ace Fencing Ltd, was found guilty at Carlow Circuit Criminal Court of possessing stolen power tools and of providing five false invoices to Gardaí to prove ownership. He also pleaded not guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice. The jury, after almost six hours of deliberation, returned guilty verdicts on the possession charge, five counts of using a false instrument and the charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice, while acquitting him on all other charges. Judge Sinéad McMullan remanded Dunne on continuing bail until a sentencing hearing in November. He was directed to surrender his passport upon return from a family holiday and to sign in once a week at Carlow Garda Station. The case involved a large quantity of tools seized from Dunne's yard in Tullow in January 2019, with Gardaí presenting evidence of the tools' stolen status and the fraudulent invoices supplied by Dunne.