Philip Dunbar, aged 20, is accused of stabbing Adam Muldoon, aged 23, 183 times in Tallaght on 22–23 June 2018. He pleaded not guilty to murder. Dunbar told police and psychiatrists he was drunk and on drugs when he entered the field where Muldoon's body was found the next morning, claiming a blackout and hallucinations. Judge Paul McDermott instructed the jury that if they are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that Dunbar carried out the stabbing, they must consider whether intoxication negated the intent to kill or cause serious injury. If that is reasonably possible, the conviction would be manslaughter rather than murder. The jury began deliberations this afternoon and will return to the Central Criminal Court on Monday.
A 25‑year‑old man was jailed for six years after raping his partner and assaulting her with a sweeping brush and a knife. He pleaded guilty to rape, assault causing harm and possession of an article at an address in Co Clare on 11 September 2018. The victim, whose identity is protected, had been in a relationship with the accused for about a year. In the days before the offence the man grew paranoid about alleged infidelity, searched her phone for evidence and, on the afternoon of the incident, found her at home with smoke and disarray. He struck her with a brush, threw a knife into a wall, forced her to the ground, demanded an apology, and raped her. She escaped and called Gardaí. The man had 40 prior convictions, including assault and public order offences.
In a High Court hearing, lawyers for a 56‑year‑old convicted child rapist argued that the victims, who were under ten when the abuse began in 1993, could not be identified under the Children Act. The defendant pleaded guilty in 2015 to repeated rape and sexual assault of his wife's two sons over a decade. In 2016, Mr Justice Tony Hunt sentenced him to 21 years, suspending the final five. The victims, now adults, had previously waived their statutory anonymity to allow the step‑father's name to be public, but a stay was placed pending related cases. Those cases have finished, and the Director of Public Prosecutions seeks to lift the stay. The defence cited a Court of Appeal decision that the Children Act applies to deceased victims, suggesting it may also prevent identification of child victims. The court adjourned the case to 11 November, noting it would consider a short stay to allow appeal decisions to be known.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, a 46‑year‑old man was convicted of 15 counts of sexually assaulting his niece between 1991 and 1994 and four counts of indecent assault between 1988 and 1991. The jury could not reach verdicts on 20 counts of assault against the niece's sister from 1992 to 1995. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced the defendant to seven years' imprisonment, describing the abuse as "in the most grievous way" and estimating over 100 occasions of abuse. The defendant appealed, arguing that the trial judge failed to warn the jury about the lack of corroborating evidence and the possibility of collusion between the two complainants, who had shared notebooks. The appeal was heard by the Court of Appeal, with the judges reserving judgment. The appeal does not alter the conviction or sentence.
In the Central Criminal Court, Philip Dunbar, aged 20, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 23‑year‑old Adam Muldoon, who was stabbed 183 times in Butler Park, Jobstown Park, Tallaght, on 22 or 23 June 2018. His barrister, Giollaiosa Ó Lideadha SC, argued that the prosecution had not proved Dunbar had the intent to kill or cause serious injury, citing Dunbar's intoxication and long‑term drug use. Ó Lideadha highlighted that Dunbar had no memory of the incident, having blacked out after approaching the victim. He challenged the reliability of a prosecution witness who claimed Dunbar admitted "slaughtering" Muldoon, pointing out ten fundamental problems with that witness's evidence. The barrister urged the jury to consider that Dunbar's intent was not established, given his intoxication and the circumstances surrounding the crime. The judge, Paul McDermott, began addressing the jury, with proceedings to continue the next day.
A Central Criminal Court jury found electrician Sean Nolan, 36, guilty of murdering his partner Amanda Carroll, 33, after a binge‑drinking session. The jury rejected the defence's claim that Nolan was too intoxicated to form intent, concluding he had intended to kill or seriously injure her when he strangled her for about 20 seconds in her bedroom. The trial included evidence of a prior road‑traffic collision, the couple's drinking at multiple locations, and Nolan's admission that he knew she was dead the next morning. The jury deliberated for eight hours and eight minutes over five days, returning a majority verdict of 10‑2. Mr Justice MacGrath will impose a mandatory life sentence on 4 November and remand Nolan in custody until then. The case remains at the murder‑trial stage. Sean Nolan pleaded not guilty. Amanda Carroll pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal rejected an application by several media outlets to name a woman who smothered her three‑year‑old child to death with a pillow. The woman had been found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity in a short trial in October last year. Two High Court judges had ordered that the deceased child should not be identified, and the Court of Appeal upheld that order. Paul Murray SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, had argued that Section 252 of the Children Act 2001 makes it an offence to publish anything that could identify a child who is an alleged victim of an offence, including a deceased child. The media argued that the Act does not cover a deceased child and that the order protected the mother rather than the child. Mr Justice George Birmingham, President of the three‑judge Court of Appeal, found that the judges had properly applied the law.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, Philip Dunbar, aged 20, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Adam Muldoon, aged 23, who was stabbed 183 times in Tallaght in June 2018. His barrister, Giollaiosa O'Lideadha SC, argued that the prosecution failed to prove intent, citing a pathologist's view that the injuries could stem from a mental disorder. O'Lideadha highlighted that Dunbar had no memory of the act, had blacked out, and was intoxicated with cannabis and benzodiazepines at the time. The defence presented Dr. Brenda Wright, a forensic psychiatrist, who found no mental disorder and no diminished responsibility, but noted intoxication may have influenced behaviour. The prosecution's counsel, Pauline Walley SC, countered that intoxication did not negate intent, citing CCTV showing Dunbar's composed demeanor and a claim that he was not overcome by drugs. The jury was asked to weigh these conflicting accounts. Philip Dunbar was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
In a coercive control trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a 52‑year‑old Dublin man is charged with coercive control, intimidation, endangerment and multiple assaults against his former partner. He pleaded not guilty to one count of controlling behaviour between 1 January and 22 September 2019, and to 13 assault counts, one endangerment and one intimidation count covering May 2018 to January 2020. The endangerment charge involves an alleged incident on a Dublin bridge where the man pushed the woman toward the railings, creating a serious risk of death or injury. Assault allegations include burning her foot with a cigarette, pushing her down stairs, head‑butting, punching, standing on her head, stamping on her arm and strangling her. A medical witness presented 12 reports, the latest dated 12 September 2019, detailing bruises, scratches, strangulation marks on the neck, fractured noses, swelling, and a 6‑cm cut on the back of her head that required seven stitches.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, David Keena, aged 21, was sentenced to six and a half years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, for his role in a 2015 arson attack on Ciarán Murphy, a low‑level drug dealer in Offaly. Keena, who was 17 at the time, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm and criminal damage by arson. He was found to have stabbed Murphy 16 times and poured petrol over him, resulting in 96 % burns and multiple stab wounds, including to the heart. Murphy survived but suffered life‑threatening injuries and permanent physical and mental trauma. Keena's sentence runs consecutively with a previously imposed six‑year term for a drug‑dealing offence. The court noted Keena's youth, lack of prior convictions and drug use as mitigating factors. The case involved a false rumour that Murphy was a Garda informant, spread by his former girlfriend, which the court found to be untrue.
In the trial of Sean Nolan, accused of murdering his partner Amanda Carroll, the jury has been deliberating for a fifth day. The case centers on a binge‑drinking session that began early in the day and continued into the night, during which Nolan allegedly strangled Carroll in her bedroom. Defence counsel argued that Nolan was too intoxicated to form intent, seeking a manslaughter verdict. The prosecution maintained that a drunken intent still constitutes intent to kill. The jury, composed of six men and six women, has spent over seven hours across four days considering the verdict. The judge instructed the jurors to remain silent about the case and to return tomorrow morning for a final decision. The trial is still ongoing, with no verdict yet reached. Sean Nolan pleaded not guilty. Amanda Carroll pleaded not guilty.
A 33‑year‑old Lithuanian man, Arnoldas Ivanauskas, was sentenced to six years in prison with the final year suspended for the manslaughter of a 24‑year‑old Belarusian man, Dmitry Hrynkevich, who was 7ft 5in tall. The court found that Ivanauskas did not intend to kill or seriously injure Hrynkevich, who had a compromised heart and Marfan syndrome, and that a second man, not before the court, was the principal assailant. The judge noted that Ivanauskas had been identified as a potential victim of human trafficking and had a troubled past. He was given a suspended sentence on the condition of good behaviour for two years after release, and his sentence was back‑dated to November 2018. The judge also acknowledged Hrynkevich's tragic death and his mother's description of his struggles and character. Arnoldas Ivanauskas was convicted.
Conor Dreelan, also known as Conor Dignam, a 25-year-old father of one from Snowdrop Walk, Darndale, Dublin 17, has been charged with the attempted murder of his parents, David Dignam and Phyllis Dreelan. The alleged incident occurred at the Darndale address on June 13, 2020. In addition to the primary charge, the accused faces two counts of assault causing harm and one charge of producing a kitchen knife as a weapon. The matter is currently at the pre-trial stage, with the charges alleged or contested. No plea, finding, sentence, or final disposal has been recorded. Mr Justice Michael White fixed the trial date for October 11, 2021, at the Central Criminal Court. Legal aid has been granted in the case. The report does not indicate any suspended portions, effective custody, specific conditions, or adjournments beyond the scheduling of the trial. All allegations remain unproven pending the outcome of the upcoming trial.
The Central Criminal Court heard a jury deliberating the murder trial of Sean Nolan, 36, accused of strangling his partner Amanda Carroll, 33, in her Dublin apartment after a binge‑drinking session. The jury, composed of six men and six women, had spent six hours and 22 minutes over three days considering their verdict. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins argued that Nolan was too intoxicated to form the intent to kill, seeking a manslaughter verdict on the basis of lack of intent. The prosecution, led by Shane Costelloe, maintained that Nolan's 20‑second strangulation constituted intent to kill or cause serious injury. The case involved evidence of alcohol, sedatives, and other drugs in Carroll's system, and testimony that Nolan had put his hand on her neck and over her mouth. The jury was instructed to return a unanimous verdict of either guilty of murder or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
A 24‑year‑old man from West Dublin, Lorcan Merriman, is charged with the murder of Thomas Farnan, aged 37, who was shot several times at his home in Clondalkin on 25 April 2016. Merriman's trial is scheduled for 18 January 2021 at the Central Criminal Court.
In a coercive control trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a 52‑year‑old man pleaded not guilty to a range of charges involving his former partner. He faced one count of coercive control, one count of intimidation, one count of endangerment and 13 counts of assault causing harm, with the assault allegations spanning from May 2018 to January 2020. The endangerment charge stemmed from an incident at a Dublin bridge where the accused allegedly pushed the woman toward the railings, creating a substantial risk of death or harm. The assault accusations included burning her foot with a cigarette, pushing her down stairs, headbutting, punching, standing on her head, stamping on her arm and strangling her. A Garda witness reported that the accused was arrested on 22 September 2019, charged the following day, and that he repeatedly declared "not guilty." The case is proceeding before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury.
A trial date has been set for a man accused of murdering a Donegal woman. Richard Burke, aged 28, of Forest Park in Killygordon, is charged with the murder of Jasmine McMonagle at her home in the same area on January 4, 2019. Ms McMonagle, also aged 28, was found dead at her residence on that date. The Central Criminal Court has scheduled the trial to commence on July 5, 2021, before Mr Justice Michael White. Burke has been granted free legal aid in connection with the proceedings.
In a High Court hearing on 27 October 2020, the State announced it would not appeal the court's refusal to surrender Ian Bailey to French authorities for a 25‑year sentence imposed by a French court for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. Robert Barron SC represented the Minister for Justice and informed Mr Justice Paul Burns that the State was not seeking a certificate to appeal. Mr Burns ordered that Mr Bailey recover legal costs for two senior barristers, a junior barrister and a solicitor from the State. He also directed that a copy of the judgment be made available to Ms Toscan du Plantier's family and the French authorities. Mr Bailey, aged 63 and resident in Schull, denies any involvement in Ms du Plantier's death.
In the trial of Sean Nolan, 36, for the murder of his partner Amanda Carroll, 33, a jury asked the judge whether intoxication could negate intent. Defence counsel argued Nolan was too drunk to form intent, seeking a manslaughter verdict. The judge explained that voluntary intoxication can reduce murder to manslaughter if the prosecution fails to prove intent to kill or cause serious injury. He also clarified that "serious injury" is a matter of judgement. Nolan had been involved in a road collision earlier that day, fled the scene, and was later arrested after the body was found. The jury will return to decide between a murder or manslaughter verdict. The case is heard at Homestead Court, Quarry Road, Cabra. The judge emphasized that the jury must remain unanimous. The prosecution maintains that Nolan intended to kill when he strangled Carroll for 20 seconds. The trial continues. Sean Nolan pleaded not guilty.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 20‑year‑old Dublin man, Philip Dunbar, accused of stabbing a homeless man 183 times, was examined by consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright. She stated that Dunbar was intoxicated at the time of the alleged offence and that, if not intoxicated, he would not have behaved as he did. Dr Wright found no mental disorder qualifying for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity or diminished responsibility. She described Dunbar's experiences of hearing voices and seeing outlines of faceless bodies as pseudo‑hallucinations caused by substance use, noting his voluntary use of alcohol, cannabis, prescription pills, and other drugs. She concluded that intoxication is excluded as a mental disorder under the Criminal Law Insanity Act and that Dunbar's blackout was partial. The defence closed its case after her testimony, and the jury will hear closing speeches on Tuesday.
Brian Ibe, 19, of no fixed abode and formerly of Moore Park, Newbridge, Co Kildare, is charged with the murder of Peter Kennedy, 65, at Kennedy's Kildare home on 28 April 2020. Kennedy suffered injuries on that day and died on 12 May. Ibe's trial is scheduled for 7 February 2022 in the Central Criminal Court and is expected to last three weeks. He appeared by video‑link and was remanded in custody at Cloverhill Prison. The assault‑causing‑harm and trespassing charges that were originally brought against Ibe have been withdrawn.
In 2022, Andrew Lacey, 32, of Riverside, Loughlinstown, Dublin 18, will stand trial at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Derek Reddin, 31, a volunteer with the You're Not Alone charity. Reddin was found with stab wounds early on 15 October 2019 at Loughlinstown Drive, south Dublin, and died shortly after Gardaí and emergency services arrived. Mr Justice Michael White remanded Lacey on continuing bail to his trial date of 14 November 2022. The trial is expected to last up to four weeks.
Two men, Christopher O'Sullivan, 37, and James Brady, 26, are accused of murdering Timmy Hourihane, a 53‑year‑old homeless man from West Cork, at Mardyke Walk in Cork City on 13 October 2019. Hourihane was found dead in Cork University Hospital after a fire was reported at a tent near Mardyke Walk. The Central Criminal Court in Dublin will hear the case from 31 January 2022, with a trial expected to last up to three weeks. Mr Justice Michael White adjourned the matter to that date and allowed the possibility of a Cork venue. Both accused men appeared by video‑link and were remanded in custody until the trial date. The case remains pending, with no verdict yet reached.
In a murder trial, a forensic pathologist, Dr Carl Gray, testified that many of the 183 stab wounds on the body of Adam 'Floater' Muldoon, a homeless man with cerebral palsy, were deliberately placed rather than random and some may have been inflicted after death. He noted the symmetry and even spacing of the wounds, suggesting a possible mental illness or abnormal state of mind in the assailant. Dr Gray agreed with the cause of death determined by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster and stated that the mental state of the accused, Philip Dunbar, is for the jury to decide. Dunbar, aged 20, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Muldoon, aged 23, at Butler Park in Jobstown Park, Tallaght, on 22 or 23 June 2018. The trial continues with the prosecution's evidence concluded and the next day's proceedings scheduled before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of six men and five women.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, a 52‑year‑old man is charged with coercive control, intimidation, endangerment and multiple assaults against his former partner. He pleaded not guilty to one count of controlling behaviour between 1 January and 22 September 2019, and to 13 assault counts, one endangerment and one intimidation between May 2018 and January 2020. The endangerment charge involves an incident at a Dublin bridge where the accused allegedly pushed the woman toward the railings, creating a substantial risk of death or harm. Assault allegations include burning her foot with a cigarette, pushing her down stairs, head‑butting, punching, standing on her head, stamping on her arm and strangling her.
Christopher McDonald, 37, from the East Wall area of Dublin, appealed his murder conviction to the Court of Appeal. He was found guilty by a unanimous jury at the Central Criminal Court three years ago for the murder of Keith Walker, 36, at the Blanchardstown Pigeon Racing Club on June 12, 2015. McDonald had pleaded not guilty to the charge, which was proven, and was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice Patrick McCarthy. His barrister, Michael Bowman SC, argued that the trial judge erred in refusing to discharge the jury after witness Jason O'Connor allegedly threatened McDonald. Counsel also contended that the jury was prejudiced by hearing McDonald's reply to his arrest, 'Go F**k yourself,' which Bowman suggested indicated a hardness associated with a professional hitman. Additionally, Bowman submitted that the judge erred in ruling that McDonald was unlawfully detained between 5.40 a.m. and 6.10 a.m. on June 13, 2015, and in admitting evidence from an informal identification and forensic samples taken during that period. Justice John Edwards questioned whether the jury would have been so undiscerning as to be prejudiced by the reply to the garda. Court President Justice George Birmingham, presiding with Justice Edwards and Justice Brian Murray, adjourned the hearing of the rest of the appeal to allow both parties to submit further written submissions on the ground regarding the forensic samples and detention.
A jury of twelve, consisting of six men and six women, is deliberating a verdict in the trial of Sean Nolan, 36, who is accused of murdering his partner, Amanda Carroll, 33, by strangulation in her Dublin apartment on 21 October 2018. Nolan pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The judge, Mr Justice Michael MacGrath, instructed the jurors to focus on Nolan's statements about his actions and the role of intoxication, noting that voluntary intoxication may be a defence to murder. He warned that if doubt exists regarding Nolan's intent due to intoxication, the jury must acquit him of murder. The jury may return either a guilty verdict for murder or a not‑guilty‑of‑murder but guilty‑of‑manslaughter verdict. The trial is ongoing, and no final judgment has been reached.
In 2022, Gerard McKenna, 50, of Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, will stand trial for impeding the investigation into the murder of 17‑year‑old Keane Mulready Woods. The teenager was last seen alive on 12 January, after which dismembered body parts were found in a holdall in Coolock, Dublin, and later the head, hands and feet were discovered in a burning car in Drumcondra. Mr Justice Michael White set the trial to start 17 January 2022, noting a three‑week duration and a temporary suspension of new trials for four weeks due to Covid‑19 backlog.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, a 52‑year‑old man charged with coercive control, intimidation, endangerment and multiple assaults against his former partner pleaded not guilty to 14 counts. The charges cover incidents from May 2018 to January 2020, including an alleged endangerment at a Dublin bridge where he pushed the woman toward railings, and assault allegations such as burning her foot with a cigarette, pushing her down stairs, head‑butting, punching, standing on her head, stamping on her arm and strangling her. A civilian witness, a former colleague of the complainant, testified that the woman always had bruises when she saw the accused with his partner, a condition absent while they worked together. She described the woman's physical injuries and emotional state after a night out, and noted the accused's harsh remarks. The trial is proceeding before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury.
Two brothers, Lee Quinn, 24, and Gavin Quinn, 26, are charged with the attempted murder of Garda Alan Murphy, who was responding to a stabbing incident on St Vincent's Street, Inchicore, on the night of 30 March 2020. The brothers are also charged with possession of a knife and obstruction. Garda Murphy was injured by a large laceration to his head after being assaulted by the two men while he was helping a wounded man. The DPP had directed trial on indictment, but Mr Justice Michael White scheduled the trial for 11 January 2022, citing a backlog of cases caused by Covid‑19. The brothers were remanded in custody at Cloverhill Prison and Mountjoy Prison. The court also noted that requests for trials to be held in Cork and Kerry would be adjourned to the CCJ in Dublin for the foreseeable future. The trial will take place in 2022.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Sean Nolan, 36, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of his partner Amanda Carroll, 33, who died on 21 October 2018. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins argued that Nolan was too intoxicated to form intent, describing the death as accidental and citing witnesses who saw Nolan caring for Carroll. The prosecution, led by Shane Costelloe, maintained that Nolan intentionally strangled Carroll for 20 seconds, arguing that intoxication does not negate intent. Evidence included Carroll's blood containing alcohol, sedatives, and cocaine, and a pathologist's testimony that asphyxiation caused her death. The jury was instructed to decide whether Nolan intended to kill or cause serious injury, with the case centred on the question of intent under severe intoxication. The trial was set to continue the following day.
The trial of Philip Dunbar, 20, who has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of 23-year-old homeless man Adam 'Floater' Muldoon, continued before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury. The prosecution presented evidence from Detective Garda Mark Shortt regarding a mobile phone attributed to Mr Dunbar. Shortt testified that a text exchange was found on the device, sent on the evening following the alleged stabbing in Butler Park, Jobstown Park, Tallaght, on June 22 or 23, 2018. The messages included statements such as "I'm killing myself tonight" and a request to delete the messages. Mr Dunbar has accepted carrying out the stabbing but claims no memory of the incident. Mr Muldoon's body was found with 183 stab wounds. Additionally, the mother of an unnamed friend, protected by a court order, testified that her son had previously stated Mr Dunbar visited him with a knife and admitted to the stabbing. She reported her son expressed concern for Mr Dunbar's safety and begged her not to disclose the information. The matter was adjourned and the trial continues tomorrow.
In a High Court hearing on 20 October 2020, Mr Justice Tony Hunt considered an application by the legal representatives of a 56‑year‑old man who had pleaded guilty in 2015 to repeated rape and sexual assault of his wife's two sons, aged under ten at the time of the abuse, which occurred between 1993 and 2003. The victims, now adults, had previously requested that their statutory anonymity be waived so that the perpetrator could be named publicly. However, Mr Hunt had placed a stay on the waiving of anonymity because related cases were pending in Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court. In July, the prosecutor informed the judge that the Wicklow trials had concluded and the Director of Public Prosecutions was now seeking to lift the anonymity order. The defendant has changed legal counsel several times; at a recent hearing he expressed fear that publication of his identity would endanger him and stated he was in therapy.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Samantha Otto, a 58‑year‑old Filipino woman, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after she poured boiling water over a man's face at Empire Casino on 27 April 2019. The court found that Otto had harassed the victim for months, sending sexual text messages and demanding he unblock her phone. When the victim refused to speak to her, Otto pushed him, called him an "asshole" and then poured boiling water onto his face, causing burns to his face, neck, shoulders and chest. Otto had no prior convictions. The judge, citing the unprovoked nature of the assault and the period of harassment, imposed a three‑year custodial sentence but suspended it in full on strict conditions, taking into account Otto's good character and life difficulties. The victim has fully recovered from his injuries. The case was concluded with the suspended sentence.
On 7 March 2020, Raymond Neeson (44) and Francis Duffy (43) were caught breaking into Central Park Apartments in Leopardstown. Neeson assaulted three residents, spat blood in a Garda car, broke a wing mirror and defecated in a Garda cell, while Duffy tried to hand Neeson a shatter hammer and fire extinguisher before both were restrained by the residents. Neeson pleaded guilty to burglary, three counts of assault causing harm, a threat to kill or cause serious harm to a Garda, and criminal damage to a squad car. Duffy pleaded guilty to burglary. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Neeson to four and a half years' imprisonment and Duffy to two and a half years' imprisonment, noting Neeson's more serious conduct and Duffy's lesser role. Both men have numerous prior convictions. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a coercive control trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a 52‑year‑old man was charged with coercive control, intimidation, endangerment and multiple assaults against his former partner. He pleaded not guilty to one count of controlling behaviour between 1 January and 22 September 2019, and to 13 assault counts, one endangerment count and one intimidation count covering May 2018 to January 2020. The endangerment charge involved an incident at a Dublin bridge where the accused allegedly pushed the woman toward the railings, creating a serious risk of death or injury. Assault allegations included burning her foot with a cigarette, pushing her down stairs, head‑butting, punching, standing on her head, stamping on her arm and strangling her. Witness testimony described the woman's injuries and the accused's claim that he had "saved her" by taking her off the street. The case is pending before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, forensic evidence was presented linking clothing found in a bag at the home of Philip Dunbar (20) to the murder victim, Adam 'Floater' Muldoon, 23. The bag contained tracksuit bottoms, a black t‑shirt, white socks and runners. Blood stains on the tracksuit's right hand pocket and lower left leg, the black t‑shirt, the outer part of a runner and a sock toe matched Muldoon's DNA. A mixed DNA profile from the tracksuit's waistband included Dunbar's DNA and that of three unknown individuals. The scientist also examined blood from another man's clothing, whose DNA matched the owner, and noted that this man was a person of interest because he was seen in the area that night with blood on his clothes. Garda Jennifer Brogan reported that four mobile phones were seized from Dunbar's home, two found in a pillow case in a bedroom. Philip Dunbar pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal adjourned a murder‑conviction appeal until 30 October to allow the appellant, Warren Nolan, to attend in person rather than remotely because of his cognitive difficulties. Nolan, 23, had been convicted of shooting Alan O'Neill, 35, dead in the victim's front garden on 27 May 2015. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. His barrister requested the adjournment after it was discovered that Nolan had not been physically brought from prison to the Criminal Courts of Justice but had been connected remotely. The court noted that it had ordered Nolan's physical appearance despite Covid‑19 restrictions, citing the exceptional circumstances. Justice Birmingham, presiding, directed that Nolan be brought to court to facilitate access to his lawyers and postponed the hearing to the end of the month, with the possibility of further delay into the next year.
Sean Nolan, 36, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of 33‑year‑old Ms Carroll in Dublin. He told detectives he had put one hand on her neck and the other over her mouth after she called him by her ex‑boyfriend's name and said she never loved him. Nolan said he had no intention to kill and that the death was accidental. He claimed he had been angry, wanted her to sleep, and panicked when he realised she was dead. He described the incident as a brief struggle lasting about 20 seconds. The court heard that Carroll's body was found in her apartment, her death caused by compression of neck and mouth, with drugs in her system. The trial continues with the jury hearing closing arguments.
A man convicted of rape and sexual assault has had his sentence reduced by eighteen months following a Court of Appeal finding that the trial judge may have imposed a longer sentence than warranted due to comments about remission. The Court of Appeal quashed the twelve-year sentence imposed on Richard Moloney and re-sentenced him to ten-and-a-half years imprisonment. The appeal court found that remarks by the sentencing judge at Dublin's Central Criminal Court in November 2019 suggested he was taking potential early release into account when determining the headline sentence, which departed from standard sentencing practice. Moloney was convicted in July 2019 of rape, oral rape, and sexual assault against his foster daughter in July 2016. He was acquitted of a further charge of anal rape. The court rejected Moloney's appeal against conviction, finding no error in the trial judge's jury instructions.
Stefan Schaufler, a 53-year-old engineer formerly employed in Formula 1, has appealed his sentence at the Court of Appeal for an attack on his 81-year-old landlord in Sligo on 20 June 2018. Schaufler lured Michael Lally to a bedroom under false pretences before beating him with a metal bar, stealing his wallet and car, and confining him in a locked room for 29 hours. Mr Lally sustained life-threatening injuries including multiple facial and skull fractures, a brain bleed, and spinal fractures. At Sligo Circuit Court, Schaufler pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm, false imprisonment, and robbery. Judge Francis Comerford imposed concurrent sentences totalling nine years imprisonment. Schaufler's barrister argued the sentencing judge erred in severity and failed to adequately consider mitigating factors. The Director of Public Prosecutions contended the offence's gravity justified the sentence, noting Mr Lally's survival depended on chance discovery. Court President Justice George Birmingham reserved judgement pending full deliberation by the three-judge panel.
Sarah Doyle, 30, of The Heath, Ramsgate Village, Gorey, Co Wexford, is charged with murdering her husband Philip Doyle, 33, at their home on 26 January. The Central Criminal Court in Dublin scheduled her trial for 25 April 2022, a delay of two years caused by a backlog partly due to the Covid‑19 outbreak. The trial is expected to last three weeks.
A 51‑year‑old woman with schizophrenia, Grace Miano of Foxrock, is set to stand trial in June for the murder of 27‑year‑old Malawian national Limbani "Robert" Mzoma, who was killed on 1 November 2018 at her Tudor Lawns home. Miano had been declared unfit to plead last year, but a hearing last month saw Mr Justice Paul McDermott of the Central Criminal Court rule that she is now fit to stand trial after evidence of improvement from forensic psychiatrist Dr Ronan Mullaney. The trial will last three days.
Gary O'Brien, 32, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting prison officer John Cullen at Mountjoy Prison on 27 August 2016. O'Brien had been observed ingesting something in his cell and was unsteady when staff attempted to escort him to the reception area. He resisted and acted aggressively, telling staff he would not be searched. Officer Cullen sustained a broken finger, requiring two surgeries and a steel fixer in his hand, and reported the assault had a devastating effect on his mental health and mobility. O'Brien, who has 55 prior convictions, expressed deep shame and apologized, but Officer Cullen did not accept the apology. The court noted the incident had a "life altering" impact on Cullen and imposed the sentence with a suspended year, subject to probation, substance misuse work, and anger management.
Sean Nolan, a 36‑year‑old electrician, was arrested after Garda detectives found him on Navan Road following the discovery of Amanda Carroll's body in her Dublin apartment. Nolan denied murdering Carroll but admitted to choking her, saying he had "freaked" and spent the day walking around. He claimed he had put a hand over her mouth and another around her neck while they were lying in bed, and that he tried to wake her the next morning. The body, found by her 16‑year‑old son, showed bruising on the neck, blood on the nose and scrapes on the forehead. Nolan pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The trial, held at Homestead Court, focused on the circumstances of the alleged choking and the presence of sedative drugs in Carroll's system. The case is still pending before Mr Justice Michael MacGrath and a jury.
In a coercive control trial, a 43‑year‑old woman accused a 52‑year‑old Dublin man of holding a knife to her throat and of multiple assaults. She said she would kill herself first "before I let him do it to me". The accused is charged with coercive control, intimidation, endangerment and 13 counts of assault. The endangerment charge involves an incident on a Dublin bridge where he allegedly pushed her toward the railings. Assault allegations include burning her foot, pushing her down stairs, head‑butting, punching, standing on her head, stamping on her arm and strangling her. The trial is before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury, with the accused pleading not guilty to all counts. The case continues at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Patrick Quirke, aged 51, awaits the Court of Appeal's decision on his appeal against a murder conviction for the killing of Bobby "Mr Moonlight" Ryan, aged 52, in 2011. The appeal, presented over four days, lists about 50 grounds, including claims of unfair trial due to prejudicial evidence, flawed search warrant, and improper jury admission of seized material. Quirke's counsel argues the warrant omitted computer references, yet a computer was seized, containing a disputed audio recording of Mary Lowry and Flor Cantillon. They contend the recording was inadmissible and prejudicial. The prosecution maintains the warrant was lawful, the recording admissible, and the evidence of a motor‑vehicle impact credible. The Court of Appeal will consider these arguments before issuing a ruling.
In the Central Criminal Court, 20‑year‑old Philip Dunbar, accused of stabbing a homeless man 183 times, testified that he felt guilty for not staying with his mother on the night she died. His grandmother, Mary Dunbar, gave evidence that Philip had been caring for his ill mother and had planned to stay with her that night, but instead stayed with her grandmother. She described Philip's upbringing, his mother's drug problems, and his own mental health struggles, including suicidal thoughts and hearing voices. Mary Dunbar also recounted Philip's movements on the night of the alleged murder, noting that he had been with a youth who had been with him all night. She said Philip had taken responsibility at Tallaght Garda station but could not remember the incident. The trial continues before Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of eleven. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
Robert O'Leary, an 'Arthur Daley' type car dealer, has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment at the non-jury Special Criminal Court for membership of an unlawful organisation, contrary to Section 21 of the Offences against the State Act 1939, as amended by section 48 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005. O'Leary pleaded not guilty to the charge but was found guilty by the court. He had supplied a vehicle used in a dissident operation to plant a bomb under a PSNI officer's jeep in Belfast. Mr Justice Hunt initially read out a sentence of three years and six months but suspended the final six months for two years after considering O'Leary's letter to the court. O'Leary had written to the court, undertaking not to associate with militant or violent Republicanism upon release and not to come to the attention of gardaí. The court accepted the letter as a major factor in the sentencing. The judge noted that the Skoda Octavia was used to survey the area around the PSNI officer's home and was involved in planting the device. O'Leary had invented a purchaser for the car to break the link between him and the IRA operation. The court was satisfied that O'Leary sourced and purchased the car for a specific purpose and disposed of it using dubious personal details. The final sentence of three years' imprisonment was backdated to September 29, 2020, when O'Leary was found guilty. The matter was not adjourned and is now finalised at the sentence stage.
During the Central Criminal Court trial of 20‑year‑old Philip Dunbar, his aunt Doreen (Donna) Dunbar testified about the death of 23‑year‑old Adam 'Floater' Muldoon, whom Dunbar is charged with murdering. She described how, on the morning Muldoon's body was found in Butler Park, she had called her mother and learned that the accused was present with another person. She then called the accused three times to ask if he knew what had happened. He answered that he did not remember much and began crying. Dunbar said she brought him to her home and later to Tallaght Garda Station, where he admitted to being involved in a murder. She also noted that he had taken tablets and heard voices before the stabbing, and that he offered to show officers where he had thrown the knife, which was recovered from a small lake. The unnamed 20-year-old pleaded not guilty.