In December 2020 the Court of Appeal reserved judgment on the appeal of Sharif Kelly and Edward McGrath, who were convicted of murdering Peter Butterly in 2013. The men had been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court. Their conviction relied heavily on testimony from former co‑accused David Cullen, who had pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a pistol and was later turned into a State witness. Cullen's evidence, which alleged a planning meeting and the men's presence, was contested by the defence as unreliable and tainted. The appeal argued that Cullen's testimony was not credible and that the men's state of mind at the time of the murder was not established. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice George Birmingham, has not yet ruled on the appeal.
A jury has begun deliberations in the trial of a 17‑year‑old boy accused of raping a 15‑year‑old girl in a public park in south Dublin on 13 April 2019. The defendant pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and not guilty to one count of sexual assault. The trial is being held at the Central Criminal Court. On the seventh day of the trial, Justice Eileen Creedon instructed the jury to suspend deliberations for the evening and return on Thursday morning. In the prosecution's closing speech, Garnet Orange SC described the defendant as an "accomplished repeated liar," citing three interviews with Gardaí conducted ten days after the alleged rape. He urged jurors to treat the defendant's final interview with extreme caution.
Joanne Hayes, who was wrongly accused of murdering an infant in 1984, seeks a High Court declaration that all findings of wrongdoing against her and her siblings by the Kerry Babies Tribunal were unfounded and incorrect. The family was arrested after a newborn with stab wounds was found in Cahersiveen. Hayes was accused of being the mother of the child, baby John, and of murdering him, but a blood test later proved she was not the mother. The charges were dropped in October 1984. Hayes claims the Gardaí forced her and her family into false confessions, which they later withdrew. The Tribunal, led by Justice Kevin Lynch, made numerous unsubstantiated findings, including allegations of assault and lying, and was alleged to have shown bias by allowing inappropriate statements about Hayes' character and private health. Hayes and her siblings now seek declarations that the investigation, arrest, charge and Tribunal findings breached her constitutional rights.
In a murder conviction appeal, the DPP's counsel, Paul O'Higgins SC, acknowledged that David Cullen, a former murder suspect who became a State witness, was a 'tarnished' witness. Cullen had previously pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a semi‑automatic pistol and was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, half suspended, for that offence. He testified for four and a half days in the Special Criminal Court trial of Sharif Kelly and Edward McGrath, who were convicted of murdering Peter Butterly in 2013. The defence argued that Cullen's evidence was tainted and should have been excluded, citing his prior perjury conviction. O'Higgins countered that no rule bars a person convicted of perjury from giving evidence, and that the trial court could rely on Cullen's testimony only if corroborated by other evidence. The appeal remains before the Court of Appeal.
The appeal of Edward McGrath and Sharif Kelly, who were convicted of the murder of Peter Butterly in 2013, is ongoing before the Court of Appeal. McGrath's barrister, Paul Greene SC, argued that while McGrath was 'caught red-handed' in the criminal enterprise, there was a lack of evidence regarding his state of mind at the time of the shooting. The appeal hinges on the reliability of David Cullen's testimony, who was originally charged with the murder but later pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of a semi-automatic pistol at the Huntsman Inn on the day of the shooting. Cullen's evidence was central to the convictions of McGrath, Kelly, and others. The appeal is examining whether the trial judges erred in accepting Cullen's testimony, which was the basis of the convictions. The matter was adjourned for further submissions from the DPP, with Paul O'Higgins SC set to continue his arguments tomorrow. Dean Evans, who pleaded guilty to the murder, was not present for the trial but was extradited back to Ireland. The case remains in the appeal stage, with no finalised conclusions yet.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 17‑year‑old was accused of raping a 15‑year‑old girl in a south Dublin park. He pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault. During the trial, the jury heard three interviews with the defendant. In the first interview he claimed he was at home at 7 pm, had not kissed any girls that evening, and denied any sexual activity. In the second interview, after viewing CCTV, he admitted being with the complainant at a Tesco but insisted he had not raped her, describing the encounter as a kiss. In the third interview, after DNA evidence linked his semen to the complainant, he admitted that she had asked him for a blowjob and for sex, but he said he was physically unable to perform penetrative sex.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 13 April 2019, a 17‑year‑old boy was tried for raping a 15‑year‑old girl in a south Dublin park. The defendant pleaded not guilty to both the rape and a separate sexual assault charge. The girl's mother testified that she saw her daughter, who was dishevelled and barely able to walk, after the alleged incident. She described how she tried to get her daughter into a car, wrestled with her, and later found her in a state of distress. The mother also recounted a prior incident in 2018 where the girl claimed a boy had forced sexual activity, which the mother denied. The trial was proceeding before Ms Eileen Justice Creedon with a jury present.
Two men, Edward McGrath and Sharif Kelly, are appealing their convictions for the murder of Peter Butterly, a dissident republican, in a five‑day hearing before the Court of Appeal. The appeal focuses on the reliability of evidence given by former murder suspect David Cullen, who became a State witness. Cullen's testimony, which lasted four and a half days, is alleged by the defence to be tainted and untrustworthy. The defence argues that Cullen's statements were inconsistent, often vague, and that he used evasive language such as "don't know" and "possibly" to undermine his credibility. The appeal contends that the trial judges erred by accepting Cullen's evidence and not adequately addressing his credibility. The hearing will continue the following day before a three‑judge panel of the Court of Appeal.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 7 December 2020, 18‑year‑old Josh Henney was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, with the last six months suspended, for a violent disorder offence committed on 11 November 2018. Henney, who was 16 at the time, was the ringleader of a group of teenagers who attacked 20‑year‑old Christopher Palmer after Palmer tried to steal a greeting card from a newsagent. CCTV footage showed Henney pushing Palmer into the shop with the front wheel of his bike, repeatedly punching him, dragging him outside and kicking him while he lay on the ground. The court noted Palmer was helpless and unprovoked, and that Henney returned to the scene to inflict further assaults. Palmer died five days later from a drug overdose, a death not linked to the assault. Josh Henney pleaded guilty.
In a case involving the alleged murder of Elzbieta Piotrowska, a 57‑year‑old Polish woman found decapitated in her Ardee home on 8 January 2019, the Central Criminal Court is set to decide whether her son, Tomasz Krzysztof Piotrowski, aged 33, is fit to stand trial. Dominic McGinn SC, representing the Director of Public Prosecutions, presented evidence that Piotrowski's body was discovered with multiple stab wounds and that an axe and Stanley knives were nearby. Piotrowski was arrested the same day and was previously declared unfit to be tried after assessments at the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum. However, Dr Mary Davoren reported on 3 December that Piotrowski is now fit to stand trial, following a November consultation in which he admitted lying to psychiatrists. Contrarily, Dr Conor O'Neill, a consultant psychiatrist at the CMH, disagreed, asserting that Piotrowski remains suffering from delusional beliefs consistent with paranoid schizophrenia and is still unfit to plead.
A Central Criminal Court jury found Darren Houlden not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter after he admitted stabbing Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh 40 times. Houlden, 44, arrived at Arklow Garda Station in blood‑stained clothes with a knife, claiming he had lost control and was provoked by Kavanagh's threat that "gangsters" would come to shoot him over missing cocaine. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan argued a partial defence of provocation, citing Kavanagh's anger and threats. The jury rejected the State's claim that Houlden had weighed his options and reasoned before attacking. The verdict was reached after 3 hours 16 minutes of deliberation. Sentencing was adjourned to February 1, with Houlden remanded in custody pending a victim impact statement. The judge thanked the jury and exempted them from service for five years. The case was heard in the early hours of May 6, 2019.
A man from Dublin has failed in his appeal against extradition to Northern Ireland on a charge of attempted murder of a Police Service of Northern Ireland officer. The Court of Appeal dismissed the case today. The 29-year-old man was arrested in County Donegal following the discovery of an improvised explosive device beneath a PSNI officer's vehicle. He had challenged his surrender on the grounds that his exercise of the right to silence during interviews at Milford and Letterkenny Garda Stations could be used against him in Northern Ireland proceedings, potentially breaching his constitutional rights. The High Court had previously ordered his extradition in February. The Court of Appeal, presided over by three judges, upheld that decision, finding the High Court's legal analysis sound and expressed confidence in the Northern Irish judiciary's commitment to safeguards regarding adverse inferences. If convicted in the North, he faces a possible life sentence.
In a case heard at the Central Criminal Court, a 17‑year‑old girl alleged that she was raped in a public park by a 17‑year‑old boy on 13 April 2019. She told Gardaí she was "really drunk" and "wasn't really aware of what was happening." The defendant pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault. The girl, now 17, was interviewed by a child specialist three days after the alleged assault. She recounted that she and a friend had been drinking vodka and gin, then went to a Tesco where a group of boys met them. One boy asked her to kiss him for more drinks, then led her to a park, kissed her, and allegedly forced sexual contact while she was intoxicated. She later attempted self‑harm and was rescued by her step‑father. The trial is proceeding before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, defence counsel Brendan Grehan argued that Darren Houlden, aged 44, lost control and snapped when he stabbed Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh, 37, over 40 times after a dispute over missing cocaine. Grehan claimed fear of personal harm and threats to Houlden's parents drove the accused to act in a "hot‑blooded" frenzied attack, and urged the jury to find him guilty of manslaughter rather than murder. Prosecution counsel John Fitzgerald countered that Houlden was not provoked, had weighed his options, and intended to kill Kavanagh, rejecting the loss‑of‑control defence. The case centred on a May 6, 2019 incident at Meadowvale, Arklow, where Houlden claimed he stabbed Kavanagh to prevent a second phone call that threatened his family. The jury was to deliberate on the appropriate verdict. Darren Houlden pleaded not guilty.
In a laneway near St Stephen's Green, Dublin, on 4 June 2020, 25‑year‑old Keith Devine, who has no fixed abode, assaulted an unconscious homeless man. Devine first exchanged words with the victim, then attempted a head‑butt and punched him eight times. The victim was knocked unconscious and fell to the ground. Devine stamped on the victim's head five times, dislodging the victim's false teeth. He then moved the victim off the road and searched his pockets, but did not steal anything. Witnesses called the Gardaí, who arrested Devine. The victim was taken to hospital for a head wound and later discharged. Devine pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The case is set for finalisation on 17 February 2024, with a report from the Probation Service ordered by Judge Melanie Greally.
During the trial of a 17‑year‑old boy accused of raping a teenage girl in a South Dublin park, the jury heard from a doctor who treated the girl in a sexual assault treatment unit. The girl, who cannot be named, pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and not guilty to one count of sexual assault. The doctor explained that the girl was accompanied by her mother and a Garda when she presented to the SATU on 13 April 2019. He took a history of the alleged attack, noting that the girl described the assailant as a stranger and that she was drunk and not thinking straight. She reported that a boy asked her to kiss him, then asked if she wanted to do "this", and she said no. She described the boy asking for oral sex, pulling down her leggings, and attempting anal sex.
During the second week of Darren Houlden's murder trial, the defence cross‑examined Rory "Tar" Kavanagh, a friend of the 37‑year‑old Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh, who was stabbed over 40 times on 6 May 2019. Kavanagh denied that the victim had asked him to help with missing cocaine or that he had sold drugs. He said the victim called him at 10:30 pm on 5 May for a normal conversation and that the victim had asked him to come to Houlden's house in Meadowvale that night, but Kavanagh refused. Kavanagh also denied that the victim had threatened to "get bodies down" to Houlden's house. The trial heard that Houlden, who pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, claimed he had taken a blood‑stained knife to stop the victim from making a second phone call. The case remains in court before Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Stefan Sorici, aged 40, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a domestic‑violence victim on 14 July 2016. Sorici had held the woman captive in her home, kicking and choking her, and threatened to "do extra time" for her life. The victim, who was walking her young son to school when she saw Sorici hiding behind a wall, escaped by jumping from the first‑floor window and running barefoot to a pub where a customer helped her call Gardaí. The assault left her with bruises on her face, neck and wrists. Judge Pauline Codd suspended the final year of Sorici's three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence on the condition that he keep the peace and enrol in a domestic‑violence programme, and ordered no contact with the victim. The victim, who had been relocated by Women's Aid to escape "extreme danger", expressed ongoing fear of further harm.
A man in his early forties has been imprisoned for three and a half years following his conviction on sexual assault and assault charges at the Central Criminal Court in Castlebar. The jury found him guilty of two counts of sexual assault against his wife and one count of assault causing harm, relating to an incident in Galway city in October 2017. A rape charge could not proceed after the jury failed to reach agreement; the Director of Public Prosecutions subsequently discontinued this count with the victim's consent. The court heard the man forced his wife to a wooded area where he assaulted her, threatening violence and repeatedly striking her. The woman escaped and reported the incident to gardaí. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart imposed a four-and-a-half-year sentence with the final year suspended, backdated to his custody date in April 2019. The judge commended the victim for her courage in coming forward.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing, Darren Houlden, aged 44, admitted to a violent confrontation with Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh, 37, on the morning of 6 May 2019. Houlden told detectives that he had been threatened by Kavanagh over missing cocaine and that he feared retaliation from others. He claimed he had a knife and an axe for protection and that he stabbed Kavanagh after a scuffle, stating he did not intend to kill him but was forced to stop. Houlden described himself as a "functioning addict" with a history of drug use and treatment. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the DPP. The trial continues before Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury.
A 21‑year‑old teenager, Xolani Mdakani, was found guilty of assaulting a woman in a laneway on 9 February 2018. He grabbed her in a headlock, threatened her, and struck her with a bottle while she tried to escape. A woman in an apartment shouted at him, prompting him to flee. The incident was captured on CCTV, which Mdakani admitted to being. He has 36 prior convictions, including assault, theft, burglary and trespass. Mdakani, who arrived in Ireland from South Africa as an unaccompanied minor around age 13, has been in custody since last October. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and is expected to be sentenced early next year, with sentencing adjourned to 23 February 2021. The case has been referred to the Probation Service. The victim declined to give a victim impact statement. The court noted Mdakani's remorse and his desire to return to South Africa after his sentence.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 44‑year‑old Darren Houlden pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of 37‑year‑old Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh. Houlden told detectives he stabbed Kavanagh after the victim threatened him that "gangsters" would shoot him over missing cocaine. He claimed the devil "took him over" and that he was a "lunatic" when he attacked. Houlden drove to Arklow Garda Station at 12.35 am on 6 May, handed a blood‑stained knife to a guard and admitted responsibility. He said he had taken a knife from his kitchen, stabbed Kavanagh in the neck, face, head and back at least seven times, and that he had "went for" the victim's brain. The trial continues before Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury.
In a Central Criminal Court murder trial, Darren Houlden (44) was described by Garda Patrick Phelan as arriving at Arklow Garda Station around 12.35 am on 6 May 2019, covered in blood and holding a 10.5 cm knife. Houlden told the officer that he had attacked Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh (37) over a dispute about missing drugs, admitting "It's my fault. I attacked him." He claimed to have smoked cocaine that morning and had a sip of beer. CCTV footage showed Houlden entering the public area with the knife, after which he was cautioned and taken away. Dr Michael Curtis testified that Kavanagh died from a multiplicity of about 40 stab and slash wounds to the head, neck and face, including severed jugular and thyroid vessels. The trial continued the next day before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury. The case remains ongoing. Darren Houlden pleaded not guilty.
Joseph McGrane, a fruit and veg salesman aged 60, was convicted of 11 indecent assault and seven sexual assault offences committed between 1985 and 1993. The victims, all of whom worked for him at different times, included three boys aged 13 to 18 and a 22‑year‑old woman. McGrane denied the charges but was found guilty by a jury in March 2019. The trial judge, Elma Sheahan, reduced the headline sentence from 18 to 13 years, suspended the final year, and considered that McGrane had not reoffended for 26 years. The Court of Appeal upheld the 12‑year sentence, noting that the trial judge had been misled about the maximum sentence for sexual assault under the Criminal Law (Rape) Act 1990. McGrane's appeal against the severity of the sentence was dismissed. The case was heard by Justices Isobel Kennedy, George Birmingham and Patrick McCarthy. The final sentence remained 13 years with the last year suspended.
Four men accused of falsely imprisoning and assaulting Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney appeared before the Special Criminal Court on 26 November to address an adjournment application. Luke O'Reilly, aged 66, from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, County Cavan; Darren Redmond, aged 25, from East Wall, Dublin; Alan O'Brien, aged 39, also from East Wall, Dublin; and a fourth man who cannot be named for legal reasons, face charges relating to the alleged abduction and assault of Mr Lunney on 17 September 2019 in County Cavan. Defence counsel cited four grounds for postponing the scheduled January trial, including the volume of disclosure materials, pending High Court judicial review proceedings, ongoing Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission investigation into a fire that destroyed a van allegedly used in the alleged offence, and uncertainty regarding mobile phone data retention law. One defendant's legal team alleged DNA evidence had been planted on the Renault Kangoo van before it was destroyed. The State opposed the application, emphasising the serious nature of the allegations and the importance of proceeding with trial.
Ian O'Sullivan, aged 32, appealed against a 12‑year prison sentence for a violent robbery of Thomas Lonergan in Clonmel on 26 February 2017. The Court of Appeal, led by Justice John Edwards, found the headline sentence excessive, noting a lack of guidance for judges on robbery. O'Sullivan's offence was deemed a serious instance of robbery with significant culpability but no weapon was used and the attack was spontaneous. The court re‑sentenced him to six years' imprisonment, suspending the final year on conditions, and upheld a €2,000 compensation order. Lonergan suffered severe physical and psychological harm, including blurred vision and diabetic complications, and his family relocated due to fear of further attacks. The appeal focused solely on the sentence, not on the facts of the robbery. The unnamed 32-year-old pleaded guilty.
In a murder trial, Rachel Kearney testified that Darren Houlden, 44, stabbed her boyfriend Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh, 37, to death on 6 May 2019 at Houlden's home. Kearney described seeing Houlden "slaughtering" Kavanagh, with Houlden's knees on Kavanagh's back as he stabbed him. She recounted that Kavanagh had been upset over missing crack cocaine, that Houlden had become aggressive, and that Kavanagh pleaded for help before being stabbed. Kearney said she tried to stop Houlden, who calmly replied, "Ok, I will." The final wounds were to Kavanagh's neck and head. Houlden pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; the plea was rejected by the DPP and he is on trial at the Central Criminal Court. The trial is set to continue before a jury.
Ian O'Sullivan, 32, appealed the 12‑year sentence he received for a 2017 unprovoked assault on Thomas Lonergan in Clonmel. O'Sullivan, one of three attackers, was found guilty of robbery after a CCTV‑recorded attack in which Lonergan was punched, kicked, and forced to hand over money and a phone. Lonergan suffered severe injuries, hospital treatment, eight weeks out of work, blurred vision, and long‑term health complications, including diabetic shock. O'Sullivan had 18 prior convictions, including assault and knife possession. Judge Thomas Teehan imposed a 12‑year term with four years suspended and a €2,000 compensation order. O'Sullivan's lawyer argued the sentence was too harsh, citing the victim's impact, while the DPP defended the judge's decision. The Court of Appeal will decide on Thursday.
A man with convictions for stalking and harassment of former partners was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Castlebar, County Mayo, of sexually assaulting his wife in Galway city on October 13, 2017. The 42-year-old man was convicted of two counts of sexual assault and one count of assault causing harm. A jury was unable to reach a verdict on a rape charge, which the Director of Public Prosecutions subsequently dropped with the victim's support. The court heard the man forced his wife to accompany him to a wooded area following an incident at a church where she had sought shelter with other homeless women. Evidence included CCTV footage of the assault. The victim provided an impact statement describing ongoing trauma and psychological effects. The man, who has 24 previous convictions in Ireland and more serious convictions in the United Kingdom, has been in custody since April 2019. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart adjourned sentencing to December 1.
Darren Houlden, 44, walked into an Arklow Garda station wearing blood‑stained clothes and carrying a knife, admitting to stabbing Stephen 'Apples' Kavanagh, 37, to death. The Central Criminal Court jury will hear that Houlden, who pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, claimed he went into a rage after Kavanagh allegedly threatened to call about missing drugs. Prosecutor John D Fitzgerald SC will argue that the act of killing is clear but the jury must decide Houlden's intent and mental state. The case will cover the night of March 6, 2019, when Houlden and Kavanagh, along with Kavanagh's girlfriend, smoked and drank at Houlden's home, leading to a confrontation over missing drugs. Kavanagh suffered stab wounds to the head and neck and was pronounced dead at St Vincent's Hospital. Houlden admitted the stabbing to Gardaí and handed over the knife.
Ibrahim Gharib, 41, an Egyptian national, appealed his rape conviction after a trial in which he was found guilty of raping a 27‑year‑old foreign student at her home following a sexual assault on a bus. The appeal argued that a doctor's evidence about "foreign debris" on the victim's body was unreliable and that the debris had not been preserved for forensic analysis. Gharib claimed the intercourse was consensual and occurred while standing over a couch in the living room. The prosecution maintained that the victim's testimony, eyewitness accounts, and text messages supported the claim that Gharib followed her home, did not leave her alone, and raped her. The trial judge sentenced him to ten years' imprisonment, a verdict upheld by the jury. The appeal was heard by the Court of Appeal, but the judge's decision was not yet finalized.
During the High Court hearing on 24 November 2020, Mr Justice Michael White sentenced Colin Hoey, aged 30, to 21 days' imprisonment and a €2,000 fine for contempt of court after Hoey failed to attend a witness order in the Aaron Brady murder trial. Hoey had initially supplied an alibi for Brady but later withdrew it. He was jailed for not appearing at the Central Criminal Court on 4 March 2020, despite a bench warrant issued on 5 March. Hoey had presented himself at the Criminal Courts of Justice on 5 October 2020 to execute the warrant. The judge noted that Hoey was a "very decent young man" from a "very decent family" who had been caught up in a "very difficult situation" and that his failure to comply with the witness order was a serious matter. The sentence was imposed to reflect the seriousness of the contempt offence. Colin Hoey pleaded guilty. Aaron Brady pleaded guilty and was found guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 23 November 2020, Judge Martin Nolan faced a dilemma over the release of 26‑year‑old John Delaney, who had no fixed abode and was awaiting trial for assault, intimidation and criminal damage at the Fr Peter McVerry shelter. Delaney was on the waiting list for the Central Mental Hospital, which was full, and had spent nine months in Portlaoise prison. After a consultant psychiatrist confirmed Delaney was unfit to stand trial, the judge remanded him in custody but later ordered his immediate release, citing the lack of accommodation. The Peter McVerry Trust was found to provide housing, and Delaney was referred to Tallaght Mental Health Services for treatment. Dr John Francis Kelly, a psychiatrist, noted Delaney's deteriorating autistic spectrum disorder and his inability to understand the proceedings. The court thanked all parties and hoped the new arrangements would benefit Delaney.
A 44‑year‑old man named Darren Houlden, who lives in Arklow, Co Wicklow, has been charged with murdering 37‑year‑old Stephen Kavanagh at the same address. Houlden pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter on 6 May 2019; the plea was rejected by the DPP. Mr Justice Michael White has sworn a jury of eight men and four women to hear the case. The trial, to be heard by Ms Justice Carmel Stewart, will begin at 11.30 am tomorrow and is expected to last two weeks.
A Co Down man has pleaded guilty to demanding money with menaces from a Mayo businessman in Omeath, Co Louth, in December 2017. Anthony Finglas, aged 49, appeared before the Special Criminal Court on charges arising from an incident in which the businessman was attacked by multiple assailants armed with iron bars and a knuckle-duster. The court heard that the victim was forced into a car boot and threatened with death unless he paid £50,000. Following the assault, the businessman reported receiving threatening phone calls and messages demanding payment. A victim impact statement indicated the man suffered severe psychological trauma, including suicidal ideation. Finglas's defence counsel argued his client played a minor role in the attack and showed restraint by urging the assailants to cease the violence. The defendant entered an early guilty plea and cooperated with gardaí. The Special Criminal Court adjourned sentencing to December 15th, with the maximum penalty for the offence being fourteen years imprisonment.
In a Dublin trial that began in August 2018, David Fortune, aged 33, pleaded not guilty to the murder of his father, Gerard Fortune, aged 62, who was stabbed in the neck at their family home in Crumlin. On the fifth day of the trial, the prosecution accepted a plea of manslaughter, and the jury was discharged. The judge ordered a probation report and a sentencing hearing for February 26, 2021, with victim impact statements to be heard then. The court heard that the fatal assault occurred after a day of drinking and drug taking in a granny flat, with witnesses describing the accused as paranoid and hallucinating after taking tablets. The post‑mortem showed an 8 cm stab wound that cut the carotid artery and jugular vein, causing haemorrhage and shock. Fortune was remanded in custody until the sentencing date.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Martin Nolan expressed that he was in a "terrible position" after being asked to release John Delaney, a 26‑year‑old autistic man, into society. Delaney, who has spent about nine months in Portlaoise prison, was charged with assault, intimidation with a butter knife, and criminal damage at the Fr Peter McVerry shelter in Finglas on 18 February 2020. A consultant psychiatrist testified that Delaney was unfit to stand trial. Judge Nolan initially ordered a release in one week, but the prosecution advised that this was not legally permissible. He therefore stayed the release until Monday, hoping a suitable accommodation could be found, and warned that releasing Delaney without proper care would leave him "in limbo" and potentially endanger the community.
Shaun Groome, aged 32, pleaded guilty via video link to a 2015 attack on drug dealer Ciarán Murphy. He admitted to causing serious harm and to criminal damage by arson at Murphy's home in Coolcor, Offaly, between 6 and 7 September 2015. Groome's co‑accused, David Keena, 21, had been jailed for five years for assault causing serious harm and arson. Murphy, 29, was stabbed 16 times and set on fire after a false rumor that he was a Garda informant. He suffered 96 % burns from the neck down and multiple stab wounds, including to the heart cavity. The court heard Groome was arrested at Baldonnel Aerodrome; a warrant had been issued. Judge Martin Nolan remanded Groome in custody and scheduled a sentencing hearing for 21 December, when full facts will be considered.
In November 2020, a 36‑year‑old serial sex attacker appealed his convictions, claiming unlawful detention after a knife‑wielding assault. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, found the evidence overwhelming but left the appeal undecided. The defendant had been convicted of nine offences across three attacks in Clondalkin between 2011 and 2016, including false imprisonment, sexual assault, and assault causing harm. He was sentenced to 18 years and six months' imprisonment, described by Judge Pauline Codd as "brutal and primal" and "premeditated," with aggravating factors such as a hunting knife, duct tape, and cable ties. Post‑release, he faces a nine‑year supervision period, curfew, residence notification, and travel log. The appeal centred on alleged procedural breaches during his arrest, specifically the lack of a custody record book and an unlawful extension of detention, which the Director of Public Prosecutions deemed "unfortunate" but not unlawful. Mr Justice Birmingham reserved judgement.
In the trial of 33‑year‑old David Fortune, the court heard that after his father Gerard was stabbed in the neck on 19 August 2018, Fortune allegedly hijacked a car on Rutland Grove, drove across Dublin, and fled into James Connolly Memorial Hospital with one shoe on. Witnesses described him as "out of it" with black eyes, and he was seen running frightened through the hospital, claiming he was being followed and that his father was trying to kill him. He was later given Valium in the emergency department and was arrested by Gardaí for murder after learning his father had died. The trial continues on Monday. David Fortune pleaded not guilty.
A woman serving a suspended sentence for staging a murder victim's suicide has been sent back to jail after a judge heard she has been charged with 33 new offences, has consumed crack and heroin, and failed to give notice of where she was living. Janice Brady, with a last address at Maryville Hostel, Finisklin, Sligo, was sentenced to four years in prison in November 2019 for staging a suicide to impede the prosecution of her brother for the murder of Sligo musician, Martin "Matt" Kivlehan (60). She had pleaded guilty to the impeding charge in November 2017. Keith Brady (33) was found guilty of Mr Kivlehan's murder at New Apartments, Holborn St, Sligo on August 2 or August 3, 2015. Earlier this month, a bench warrant was issued for Brady after she breached the terms of her suspended sentence again. Activating the suspended part of the original sentence, Mr Justice White said that he had to impose the balance of the ten month sentence as Brady was in trouble again with the law, had failed to cooperate with the probation services and was still abusing drugs. The matter was adjourned.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Jordan Ennis, Lucy Ennis, and Aaron Flanagan for violent disorder and assault causing harm at Edenmore Park, Raheny, on September 19, 2015. All three defendants pleaded guilty. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Jordan Ennis to two and a half years' imprisonment, having stated his actions initially merited four years. He suspended the final year of the sentence on conditions that Ennis keep the peace and hand over €14,249 to the victim as a token of remorse. Lucy Ennis received a suspended prison term of 18 months. The judge noted she had likely misinformed her brother but accepted her mental health background and lack of prior convictions. Co-accused Aaron Flanagan was sentenced to a suspended prison term of two years, with a condition of good behaviour for that period. The judge cited Flanagan's age at the time as the primary mitigating factor. The court heard that the attack followed a dispute involving teenage girls, during which Jordan Ennis stabbed the victim multiple times while others assaulted him with crutches. The victim was hospitalised for ten days. The judge described the attack as savage and noted that Ennis acted on his sister's accusations, despite the victim denying any prior aggression.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing on 19 November 2020, a witness, Eddie Byrne, testified that he saw Gerard Lambe place a large blue tablet into the mouth of David Fortune, the accused in the murder of his father, on the day before the alleged stabbing. Byrne said Lambe offered the tablet to calm Fortune, who did not ask for it and was unaware of its contents. Byrne also reported seeing Lambe give a different tablet an hour before the incident, though he did not witness the act. The testimony was cross‑examined by the defence counsel, who confirmed the act. The trial also included a post‑mortem report by Dr Margot Bolster, describing the fatal neck wound and its cause as haemorrhage and shock. The case remains in progress. David Fortune pleaded not guilty.
An appeal has been heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court regarding the case of Aaron Flanagan, Jordan Ennis, and Lucy Ennis, who admitted to charges of violent disorder and assault causing harm at Edenmore Park, Raheny on September 19, 2015. The three appellants pleaded guilty to the charges. During the hearing, Judge Martin Nolan remanded the three in continuing custody for sentence tomorrow. The incident involved a 15-year-old victim who was repeatedly stabbed, punched, and kicked by a group of teenagers after he intervened to protect a friend. The victim, now an adult, cannot be identified due to a recent Court of Appeal decision on the identification of juvenile victims of crime. The court heard that the victim was in the park when he saw a group of four teenage girls shouting at another girl, accusing her of making comments on Facebook. The victim attempted to assist the girl, leading to an altercation. The court also heard that Lucy Ennis was the instigator, and her brother Jordan Ennis was involved in the attack. The victim was later assaulted again by Jordan Ennis and others. The court heard that Jordan Ennis had a previous record of being a law-abiding young man and that the attack was out of character for him. The matter was adjourned for sentence.
During the second day of the trial at the Central Criminal Court, Gerard Lambe, the brother of David Fortune, denied that he had put black‑market diazepam tablets into his half‑brother's mouth earlier that day. Gerard was cross‑examined by the defence counsel. The case concerns the murder of David's father, Gerard Fortune, who was stabbed in the neck on 19 August 2018 after watching the All‑Ireland final. David Fortune, aged 33, has pleaded not guilty to the murder. The court heard that David had been taking a number of tablets, cocaine and beer, and that he was experiencing hallucinations and paranoia. Gerard stated that he had no prescription for the tablets and that they were not genuine diazepam. He also said he had not forced David to take the tablets or any other drugs. The trial continues.
A 28‑year‑old Limerick man, Thomas Power, pleaded guilty before the Central Criminal Court to two counts of assault. He admitted seriously assaulting Eoin Casey on 20 August 2018 at Woodbine Avenue, Caherdavin, and also assaulting Aaron Grant on the same occasion. The judge ordered a probation and welfare report and victim impact statements from both victims, and adjourned the sentencing hearing to 28 January.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, David Fortune, aged 33, is charged with the murder of his father, Gerard (Gerry) Fortune, who was 63 when he died. The incident occurred on 19 August 2018, the day of the All‑Ireland final, in the family home on Rutland Grove, Crumlin. According to the prosecution, the house was crowded with relatives and friends who were drinking and using drugs. On that day, the accused allegedly behaved erratically, shouting threats and eventually brandishing a knife. He swung the knife at his father, who fell and was stabbed in the neck. The victim was taken to hospital but died from haemorrhage and shock. The accused has pleaded not guilty and the trial is set to continue for three weeks before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury.
Scott Purdue, 22, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply after a court heard that he had been caught with a Kinder Surprise egg containing about €4,300 of cannabis. The egg was found wrapped in a sock beside a car in Shancastle Park, Clondalkin, on 20 October 2019. Purdue's defence counsel, Breffni Gordon BL, described a history of violent attacks on the defendant, including being shot in the head in 2017, shot in the lower abdomen in 2018 on the anniversary of the first shooting, and having two fingers forcibly removed when he was 16. Gordon also noted that the head wound left a round lodged in Purdue's head and caused significant impairment to his peripheral vision. Judge Martin Nolan, after considering a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, imposed a 15‑month imprisonment term in light of the defendant's misfortunes.
Wojciech Strojek, 37, was sentenced to five‑and‑a‑half years in prison after he held a knife to the throat of his then‑girlfriend in her Dublin home, threatening that she would never see her children again. The incident, which lasted about 30 minutes, also involved Strojek cutting her left wrist and pouring water over her trousers. Earlier that year he had pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, assault causing harm, production of an article and making threats to kill at Barnwell Lane, Ongar, and to assault causing harm at James Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown. He had also assaulted the victim's ex‑husband and a paramedic in the months leading up to the attack. Strojek had no prior convictions in Ireland but had ten convictions in Poland for assault, threats, intoxicated driving and public order. The court noted his history of alcohol abuse and his claim of memory loss regarding the incident. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the sentence.
In a 2018 incident on Finglas Road, 20‑year‑old Ryan Thompson, armed with a golf club shaft, attacked two men he believed were harassing teenage girls outside a supermarket. The men were known to Gardaí. During the confrontation, one target pulled a Stanley knife and cut Thompson's throat under his chin, a wound only millimetres from being life‑threatening. Thompson was taken to hospital and later admitted his role in the attack but expressed fear of the two men, one of whom is awaiting trial. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder. The court, noting his youth and lack of prior convictions, discharged him under the Probation Act, requiring him to keep the peace for two years, rather than imposing a prison term. The judge highlighted the extreme fright caused by the injury and Thompson's good character and family support.