In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 58‑year‑old Dublin man was found guilty of 30 counts of sexual assault against four girls, having previously pleaded guilty to ten similar offences in 2002 and 2003. He received a nine‑year sentence with the final two years suspended. The court heard victim impact statements from three of the four women, who described long‑term emotional damage, drug use, abusive relationships and a sense of survivor identity. The judge adjourned the case for finalisation. The accused, who had been in custody since March 2018 after extradition from the UK, had also been convicted of burglary in both Ireland and the UK. No new charges were brought for his time in the UK, where he worked at a homeless charity centre. The court considered his prior sentence and the possibility of a lenient sentence. The hearing concluded with the judge setting a date for finalisation. The unnamed 58-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Christopher Maguire, 42, of Moatview Close, Priorswood, Dublin, was convicted in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 10 May 2019 for producing an article, assault, and threats to kill or seriously harm his sister and her husband at Killester Avenue, Killester. He also pleaded guilty on 6 September 2019 to two counts of intimidating a witness at Harry Byrne's public house, Howth Road, Clontarf. For these offences he received a combined 21‑month sentence. In January 2018, Maguire had previously been given a three‑year suspended sentence by the Special Criminal Court for his role in a "mob" that falsely imprisoned Martin Byrne and Lisa Byrne in Saggart on 9 June 2015. The Special Criminal Court judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, reactivated that suspended sentence following the recent Circuit Court conviction. The judge noted that the original sentence was an "exceptional chance" and that Maguire was not the most serious player.
A 53‑year‑old man appealed his convictions for indecent assault on his younger sisters in the 1980s, arguing that the judge allowed his 'no comment' answers to Gardaí to be presented to the jury. He had pleaded not guilty to five counts against one sister aged 11 or 12 when he was 14 or 15, and denied one count against another sister aged 12 or 13 when he was 18 or 19. The trial, held before the Circuit Criminal Court in Tipperary last June, resulted in a guilty verdict and a sentence of five and a half years, with the final two years suspended. In the appeal, his barrister, Colman Cody SC, claimed the judge erred by admitting the 'no comment' answers, which he said prejudiced the defendant and violated his right to silence. He also argued the sentence failed to give sufficient weight to the defendant's age and good character. The unnamed 53-year-old was found guilty.
The Special Criminal Court has sentenced Mark Capper to eight years and three months imprisonment, with the final nine months suspended, for facilitating the Kinahan organised crime group in planning the murder of Patrick Hutch. Presiding Judge Tony Hunt accepted garda evidence that the cartel operates a hierarchical structure involving execution-style murders and international trafficking of drugs and firearms. Capper, who pleaded guilty in March to participating in activities intended to facilitate a serious offence, was found to have intentionally assisted in the plot before withdrawing three days prior to the attempted killing. The judge noted Capper's financial motivation and drug addiction as mitigating factors, reducing his headline sentence of 11 years by 25 percent for his early plea. This sentencing follows the July 2019 convictions of Gary Thompson, Glen Thompson, and Robert Browne, who were jailed for 12.5 years, 12.5 years, and 11.5 years respectively for unlawful possession of four firearms with intent to endanger life during the same operation. The court emphasized that the prevention of the murder was due to police intervention, not the defendants' actions.
In a 2020 case, a 29‑year‑old man from County Kildare was found guilty of raping two boys. He used his membership in a voluntary paramedic organisation to gain the boys' trust and drugged them with Penthrox, a pain‑relief drug normally used by medical professionals. In the first incident, a 15‑year‑old was forced to inhale the drug through an oxygen mask and was then orally raped. In the second, the man raped an unconscious child while another man recorded the assault on a mobile phone. The defendant pleaded guilty to oral rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation and aiding the production of child pornography. He was sentenced to eleven years' imprisonment, with eighteen months suspended, and was ordered to abstain from any work involving children and to attend probation treatment programmes.
A 33‑year‑old Moldovan man, Alerian Burcovsehi, was sentenced to 32 months' imprisonment for a savage assault on 26 April 2019 that left victim Jason Brophy with fractures to his skull, nose, ribs and spine. Burcovsehi, who had no prior convictions, approached Brophy on Price's Lane, knocked him to the ground and repeatedly struck him, including kicking his head and striking his face with his heel. Garda Christopher Fitzgerald reported that Burcovsehi had been seen outside a nightclub the previous evening, behaving erratically and doing press‑ups on the pavement. In a CCTV interview he admitted the assault and said, "I do deserve to be locked up." Brophy, barely conscious when police arrived, suffered severe injuries and now lives with balance problems, difficulty dressing, and a reliance on liquefied foods. Burcovsehi denied drug use but admitted alcohol consumption and was described by the defence as operating under a personality disorder. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
Lawyers informed a High Court judge that the State intends to conduct a single trial for six women and five men accused of multiple offences involving alleged sexual abuse and neglect of children. The 11 defendants, aged between 25 and 76, face more than 200 charges, including sexual assault, sexual exploitation and child cruelty and neglect under Section 246 of the Children Act 2001. The alleged victims are all juveniles, and the offences are said to have occurred at various locations in Limerick between 2014 and 2016. The defendants, who have addresses in several Munster counties, were arrested and charged earlier last year, and books of evidence were served on them at a District Court sitting in November. The case was listed for mention in the Central Criminal Court, where Mr Justice Paul McDermott heard applications concerning disclosure of material by the prosecution to the defence teams.
The trial of Aaron Brady, 28, from Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, continued at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury. Brady has pleaded not guilty to the alleged capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, who was on active duty, and to a charge of robbing approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques. Both alleged offences are said to have occurred on January 25, 2013, at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth. Prosecution counsel Lorcan Staines SC called Matt Cass of Acuity Forensics, who testified via video link that his company specialises in impartial image analysis and vehicle identification. Cass explained that his colleague, Andy Wooller, conducted a "blind analysis" of CCTV footage from the night of the shooting and from two nights prior, without receiving background information from gardai to prevent bias. Wooller identified potential vehicles, including BMW 5-Series models, Volkswagen Passats, and a Peugeot 508. Detective Garda Garreth Kenna presented original CCTV footage alongside reconstructed versions using these identified vehicles to assist the jury in comparison. The prosecution alleges a Volkswagen Passat used in the robbery was stolen from Clogherhead, Co Louth, prior to the incident. The matter remains at the trial stage and continues.
Seamus Marley, a 46‑year‑old Belfast native, was sentenced in May 2020 at the Central Criminal Court for raping two teenage boys in County Louth in the early 1990s. He was found guilty on six counts of sexual assault and two counts of rape after a six‑day trial and received concurrent seven‑year and six‑year sentences. Marley had filed for an appeal outside the 28‑day period normally required to lodge an appeal. His counsel, Michael Bowman SC, applied to the Court of Appeal for a date to hear a motion to extend the time for the appeal. The Court of Appeal set 25 June for the hearing, which will last 30 minutes, and the Director of Public Prosecutions will contest the application. The case remains at the appeal stage.
A 29‑year‑old former voluntary paramedic was found guilty of orally raping a 15‑year‑old boy and sexually assaulting another child after drugging them with Penthrox, a powerful pain‑relief agent. In the first incident, the accused used an oxygen mask to force the boy to inhale the drug, then sexually assaulted him. In the second, the boy was unconscious while the accused orally raped him and another man recorded the act on a mobile phone. The defendant pleaded guilty to oral rape, sexual exploitation, aiding and abetting child pornography, sexual assault and theft of Penthrox and a carbon dioxide chamber. He was suspended from the paramedic organisation and a nursing course. The court heard that the whistle device had been altered to increase potency, and that the defendant had searched online for ways to incapacitate victims. The case was adjourned to Wednesday for sentencing.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 38‑year‑old woman who was raped while asleep delivered a victim impact statement in which she said she would be alone for the rest of her life. She described the past three or four years as "hell", blamed herself for not being strong enough for her children, and said she feels she has failed as a mother and has been robbed of everything. She cannot watch any media containing a kiss and wishes to be free of pain. The accused, a 38‑year‑old man with a prior assault conviction, pleaded not guilty to rape. A jury found him guilty on the sole count. The court adjourned the matter for finalisation on 19 June. The woman's statement was read before the judge. The accused accepted the verdict and expressed remorse. The case is pending finalisation.
Gavin Sheehan, aged 33, was convicted of shooting Ciara Sheehan in the neck through a house window in Cork on 15 May 2016. He was found guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition, reckless discharge of a firearm and assault causing serious harm. Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin sentenced him to 14 years' imprisonment on 14 February 2017, suspending the final three years. Sheehan appealed, arguing the case relied on circumstantial evidence, lacked forensic links between the bullet and the gun, and that a bullet casing was found several houses away. He also cited time discrepancies on CCTV, a 999 call and Garda arrival, and claimed the trial judge wrongly refused his lawyers to speak off‑record. The Court of Appeal, led by Justice John Edwards, found no miscarriage of justice, upheld the conviction and dismissed the appeal, noting only an error in the trial judge's refusal to allow off‑record counsel. The conviction remains affirmed.
In January 2020, a 29‑year‑old Italian man was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting his flatmate while she slept on a couch in their Dublin home. He pleaded guilty to the offence committed on 28 April 2018. The Court of Appeal reserved judgement, noting that a decision could have been reached more quickly if the judges had been able to debate in person rather than remotely. The three judges will deliver their judgement at a later date. The sentencing court had heard that the victim and defendant had become friends after she began sharing a flat with him. On the night in question, the victim fell asleep on the couch next to the defendant and awoke to find him sexually assaulting her. She described the assault as a traumatic event that had taken her dignity and femininity.
A man convicted of stabbing a friend seventeen times with scissors in Letterkenny has failed in his appeal against an eight-and-a-half year prison sentence. Kenneth Broe was found guilty of assault causing serious harm following an incident on October 9, 2008, in which the victim sustained multiple wounds to the neck, head, and chest and required two life-saving operations. The Court of Appeal dismissed Broe's challenge to the sentencing decision, upholding the original ten-year term with eighteen months suspended imposed by the Circuit Court in May 2018. The court found the sentencing judge had properly exercised discretion in opting for part-suspension rather than outright reduction, citing rehabilitation efforts as justification. Broe had fled to County Monaghan following the attack and was apprehended with cocaine in his possession. The three-judge panel noted his continued progress in custody and encouraged further reformation.
In the trial of Aaron Brady, a 28‑year‑old from Crossmaglen, the jury was shown a frame‑by‑frame analysis of CCTV footage by Garda witness Garreth Kenna. Kenna testified that a car belonging to a friend of Brady, suspected in the credit‑union robbery that led to the death of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, passed the scene with its passenger‑side front window open. Defence counsel Fiona Murphy challenged the claim, arguing the footage did not show an open window and that the appearance might be a trick of light. Under re‑examination, Kenna reiterated that the colour and tone of the front and back passenger windows differed as the car drove past Lordship Credit Union less than eight hours before Donohoe was shot. Brady pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Donohoe and to the robbery of about €7,000.
An 86‑year‑old man, whose name is withheld to protect a victim, was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury of three counts of indecent assault against his son between 1977 and 1979. The son was described by the defendant's lawyers as a "sexual plaything" and was subjected to oral and anal rape, gagging and restraint. The judge, Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy, imposed consecutive sentences totalling four years, noting that the maximum penalty at the time of the offences was two years and that the court was "hugely constrained" by sentencing limits. The defendant appealed on the ground that the trial judge failed to warn the jury about the uncorroborated evidence of the complainant. The Court of Appeal, led by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, found no impermissible error and dismissed the appeal.
Justice Eileen Creedon will hear medical evidence at the Central Criminal Court regarding whether a young man with a serious brain condition can be imprisoned, three years after his conviction for manslaughter. The offender, now aged 20 and subject to a legal anonymity order, was found guilty of the fatal stabbing of Dovydas Jenkas, aged 17, in Castlebar, County Mayo, in December 2015. He had been acquitted of murder. The court previously heard that Mr Jenkas, from Mount Street in Claremorris, sustained a single stab wound. The judge has indicated the victim's family requires closure and that the defendant should prepare for a custodial sentence. Since conviction, the offender has undergone treatment for his brain condition, including a surgical procedure in 2018. Sentencing has been repeatedly deferred pending medical assessment and court monitoring.
In a trial for the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, Judge Michael White requested the High Court president extend daily sittings beyond the usual two‑hour limit due to Covid‑19 concerns. He informed the jury that a direction had been received preventing the trial from exceeding two hours per day, and he is awaiting approval for an extension. The jury, consisting of six men and seven women, heard cross‑examination of Detective Garda Gareth Kenna, who presented a CCTV montage of vehicles in County Louth around the time of the robbery and shooting. Kenna explained that the montage included footage of a Volkswagen Polo stolen from Clogherhead and a dark‑toned saloon resembling a 5‑Series BMW with fog lights. He clarified that fog lights are common and that a distinct roof texture is not unique. The trial continues under Judge White. Adrian Donohoe pleaded not guilty.
In a Court of Appeal hearing, Dylan Hayes (25) and Ger Hogan (37) appealed convictions for the murder of Shane Murphy at a house‑party in Pallasgreen, Co. Limerick. The appeal argued that the prosecution failed to prove joint enterprise and that the provocation defence was inadequately instructed. Hayes claimed he was provoked after a confrontation over alleged drug use, then stabbed Murphy with a knife, causing a heart wound and other injuries. Hogan was alleged to have participated in the attack, with witnesses stating he stabbed Murphy with a screwdriver, though the pathologist found only knife wounds. The DPP maintained that witnesses implicated both men in a common design, and that no evidence showed Hogan withdrew. The Court of Appeal reserved judgment, noting the complexity of the appeals and the need for further consideration. Dylan Hayes was found guilty. Ger Hogan was found guilty.
Amir Essalhi, 35, of Burg an Ri Walk, Balgaddy, Clondalkin, Dublin, pleaded guilty to four armed robberies and one attempted robbery committed over a nine‑day period in November 2018. The incidents included robberies at Ebano Hair & Beauty Salon, Ballinteer Shopping Centre, Centra on Drummartin Road, Centra on Ballinteer Road, and an attempted robbery at Spar on Rockville Road, Blackrock. Essalhi admitted possession of weapons ranging from a screwdriver to a knife at each event, with threats of violence but no actual violence. He has 65 prior convictions for robbery, arson, burglary and assault causing harm. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the seriousness of the offences and the mitigating effect of Essalhi's guilty pleas, sentenced him to four‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment. The defence highlighted Essalhi's background, his brother's murder in 2011, his drug‑free status at the time of the offences, his two children and parental support, and his remorse, requesting leniency.
The trial of Aaron Brady, charged with the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, may have to shorten its daily hearings because of new Covid‑19 health advice. Judge Michael White told the jury that hearings could be limited due to the pandemic and would update them the following day. The change follows advice from microbiologist Professor Martin Cormican, who warned that anyone present at a hearing lasting two hours or more could be considered a Covid contact if they develop the virus within two days, requiring 14 days of self‑isolation. The courts service has requested urgent further advice on the matter. Brady, 29, pleaded not guilty to the murder and to a robbery of about €7,000 at the Lordship Credit Union on 25 January 2013. The trial continues.
Lawrence Mubango, 31, was already serving a 10‑year prison term for a 2018 knife attack that left a victim severely injured. In 2017 he pleaded guilty to using a stolen credit‑card machine at Mary's Pub in Dublin. The court heard that on the day of the offence he had the machine for less than ten minutes, activated the refund function and entered €7,500, but the transaction was cancelled before any money was transferred, so the pub suffered no loss. CCTV captured him taking the machine from behind the bar. Judge Martin Nolan described the attempt to steal €7,500 as "absolutely asinine" and, considering it a minor matter compared with the earlier violent offence, sentenced Mubango to three months' imprisonment, to run consecutively with his existing sentence. The court noted that without his current sentence the penalty would have been considerably longer.
Tara Fay, 46, was sentenced to a fully suspended two‑year imprisonment for burgling St Michael's secondary school on Wellmount Road, Finglas, on 4 October 2016. She admitted trespassing and stealing jumpers, tracksuits, €250 in cash and a mobile phone. Fay told Gardaí she was stealing to pay for drugs. The judge, Patricia Ryan, noted the offence was aggravated by its consequences, though the amount stolen was small, and cited Fay's guilty plea, cooperation and rehabilitation efforts as mitigating factors. She was given a suspended sentence on the condition of keeping the peace and good behaviour for three years. The school's principal, John Barry, said the burglary contributed to a €10,000 rise in the school's insurance costs over two years, a figure insurers attributed to claims made by schools for theft and damage. Dean Kelly BL, Fay's defence lawyer, highlighted her abusive relationship and the murder of her partner.
Christopher Maguire, 42, was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a series of violent and threatening offences. He pleaded guilty to assaulting his sister Nicola Byrne and to making threats to kill or seriously harm her and her husband David Byrne on 10 May 2019 at Killester Avenue. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of intimidating a witness at Harry Byrne's pub on 6 September 2019. Earlier, he had been convicted of false imprisonment and drug possession. During the May incident, Gardaí found him holding a kitchen knife and he threatened David Byrne with a "sawn‑off shotgun" and later claimed to have a gun. In September he threatened to shoot both Byrne and his sister after purchasing a gun. The judge, Martin Nolan, found the threats credible and imposed consecutive sentences of six months for the earlier offences and 15 months for the later ones, totaling 21 months of imprisonment.
Eamonn Cumberton, 32, was given a life sentence for the 2016 murder of Michael Barr, 35, at the Sunset House pub. Barr was shot seven times by two men in "Freddy Kruger" masks. The Special Criminal Court found Cumberton one of three culprits who dumped items linked to the killing into a getaway car, later found partially burnt on Walsh Road. DNA on a baseball cap and a rubber mask matched Cumberton, and circumstantial evidence included his unusual trip to Thailand and failure to answer Garda questions. Cumberton appealed on 28 grounds, but the Court of Appeal dismissed all, affirming the trial's safety and the court's findings. He remains jailed for life, with no part of the sentence suspended. The appeal was rejected on 19 May 2020.
Patrick Nevin, a 38‑year‑old serial sex offender, is set to appeal the 14‑year sentence handed to him for raping and sexually assaulting women he met on the Tinder dating app. The judge, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, found Nevin had a preoccupation with sex, hostility towards women and a high risk of re‑offending. He pleaded guilty to raping a woman in Bellewstown, Co. Meath on 12 July 2014 and to a sexual assault of a second woman four days later at an unknown location in Co. Meath. The judge imposed a 14‑year term with the final two years suspended and noted Nevin was already serving a five‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for a third Tinder‑related assault at the UCD campus on 23 July 2014. The State has lodged a counter‑appeal arguing that the two‑year suspended portion was too lenient. Both appeals will be heard remotely on 30 July 2020.
Michael McCarville, a 53-year-old farm labourer, is set to appeal his 20-year prison sentence at the Court of Appeal. The Monaghan native, residing in Cootehill, Cavan, was charged with 187 counts of indecent assault and sexual assault involving seven children from the same family between 1982 and 1999. The alleged abuse, which reportedly began when McCarville was 15 and the victims were as young as seven, took place in farm sheds, outhouses, and fields. In December 2016, McCarville pleaded guilty to 52 sample charges of indecent and sexual assault. He was subsequently sentenced in March 2017 to 20 years in prison. The seven victims, who agreed to McCarville being named in the media while retaining their anonymity, have not waived their right to privacy. At the Court of Appeal today, Mr Justice George Birmingham set a date of Monday, 9th November, for the hearing of McCarville's appeal against the sentence. The matter is currently at the appeal stage, with the specific procedural step being the scheduling of the appeal hearing rather than a final determination of the case.
Two brothers, Brian (21) and Martin Stokes (18), were sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after they robbed a pizza delivery driver, Paul Wright, on November 21, 2019. The robbery took place on Wellmont Road, Finglas, where the brothers had been given a lift by Wright. While driving the brothers to an address, one of them forced Wright to hand over his money, leading to a physical assault that left Wright with a black eye, a swollen jaw and a severe headache. The brothers stole €150 in cash, a mobile phone, car keys and a wallet with bank cards. They were later stopped on Finglas Road, found in possession of the stolen cards, and resisted arrest. Both pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of stolen property and resisting arrest, and were sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan, who described the robbery as "particularly nasty.".
Imre Arakas, 62, a former Estonian separatist, is jailed in Portlaoise Prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to murder James Gately in Northern Ireland in April 2017. He received a six‑year sentence from the Special Criminal Court in December 2018. Lithuanian authorities suspect Arakas was part of a three‑man gang that planned the murder of a man who had an affair with Lithuanian pop star Vita Jakutiene. They seek his surrender on a European Arrest Warrant, alleging he faces charges of murder, firearms offences and conspiracy related to the shooting of Deimantas Bugavicius. Arakas was arrested in Dublin in February 2018 under the EAW. His extradition hearing date will be set next month, with the case adjourned for four weeks until 15 June. He remains remanded in custody awaiting that hearing. The hearing will be conducted via video‑link from Portlaoise Prison.
During the trial of Aaron Brady, accused of murdering Garda Adrian Donohoe, mobile phone analyst Edward McGoey testified that he was not informed of Brady's claim that he was laundering diesel on the night of the murder. McGoey explained that he was only given phone numbers and asked to analyse contacts at relevant times, without knowledge of any fuel‑laundering allegations. He also was unaware of links between five men known to Brady and diesel laundering. Brady, 29, pleaded not guilty to the murder and to a robbery of €7,000 from Pat Bellew on the same day. McGoey spent five days presenting phone‑contact evidence between Brady, two robbery suspects, and a brother of one suspect. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins used the evidence to illustrate the investigation's focus on phone contacts, noting that Brady had claimed to be at a diesel‑laundering site in south Armagh that evening.
In a High Court hearing on 18 May 2020, Mr Justice Paul Burns dismissed two letters from French authorities that sought access to Ian Bailey's legal submissions regarding his extradition. The judge ruled the correspondence was not from the Issuing Judicial Authority and therefore irrelevant to the proceedings, describing the request as "a storm in a teacup." Bailey, 63, faces a 25‑year sentence for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier and is scheduled to contest the extradition on 15 July. Counsel for the Minister, Robert Barron SC, noted the State had brought the letters to the court's attention, while Bailey's solicitor, Ronan Munro SC, argued the request was non‑justiciable and outside statutory procedure. Mr Justice Burns emphasised that proper communication should have been with the Issuing Judicial Authority, and the court would treat the letters as a matter of caution until further instruction.
In the Special Criminal Court, two men pleaded guilty to roles in an alleged plot by the Kinahan Cartel to murder Patrick 'Patsy' Hutch. Ciaran O'Driscoll, 24, admitted to participating in activities intending to facilitate the commission of a serious offence by a criminal organisation, specifically acting as a look-out and helping plan the intended shooting. Stephen Curtis, 32, also pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder by providing mobile phones, SIM cards, and credit top-ups, and passing on O'Driscoll's number. Both defendants had their cases adjourned to Friday, 29 May. Michael Burns, 43, who has already pleaded guilty to passing instructions and acting as a communications conduit, is also scheduled to appear on 29 May. Mark Capper, 31, pleaded guilty to providing and repairing vehicles and carrying out reconnaissance; his case was adjourned to 28 May. Mohammed Smew, 27, is accused of supplying and repairing vehicles, with his case adjourned via video-link to June 15 to allow for the furnishing of transcripts while he is in prison. The matter remains at the trial stage, with no sentences or final findings recorded for the defendants mentioned.
In an appeal regarding the Essex migrant deaths, the Court of Appeal reserved judgment on Eamon Ronald Harrison's challenge to his extradition warrant. Harrison, of Mayobridge, Co Down, is alleged to have delivered the trailer containing the 39 deceased migrants to a Belgian port. He faces 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. Separately, Maurice Robinson, of Craigavon, Co Armagh, admitted to 39 counts of manslaughter at the Old Bailey. He had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and acquiring criminal property, specifically cash, while denying a further charge of transferring criminal property. Robinson awaits sentencing. Meanwhile, Ronan Hughes, a Monaghan haulier alleged to be the ringleader, is fighting his proposed extradition in the High Court. Counsel for the Minister for Justice dismissed arguments that the offences were extraterritorial, describing the submission as a "red herring" and asserting the crimes occurred within UK territory. Hughes, who faces 39 manslaughter charges and one conspiracy count, was remanded in custody until June 12 for a judgment. The State argued that the UK clearly asserted jurisdiction over acts committed within its borders, including the conspiracy and the deaths of the migrants.
The State argues that a review of the sentence imposed on a 17‑year‑old who tried to murder a 25‑year‑old woman after meeting her on a dating app is too early. The teenager was sentenced to 11 years' detention in November 2019, with a review set for 1 January 2023. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder after luring the victim to an isolated area, choking her, and slashing her neck. The State appeals on grounds of "unduly leniency", claiming the five‑year review does not reflect the gravity of the offence. The DPP does not challenge the 11‑year sentence but argues the review period is too short. The Court of Appeal will consider the case and decide when it has sufficient information. The case remains at the review stage.
Robert Kinlan, 33, of Ballygall Parade, Finglas, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for offences committed on October 20, 2018. Kinlan pleaded guilty to charges of attempted robbery and robbery at Cuffe Street, Dublin 2. Judge Melanie Greally noted that Kinlan had a "lamentable history" of previous convictions, including numerous robberies. The court heard that Kinlan was arrested the night before the incident for another robbery and was released on bail. During the daylight offence, he allegedly threatened a victim, pushing him against a gate and causing facial injuries, including a broken nose, while demanding his phone and wallet. Kinlan was subsequently arrested after a witness identified him on a Luas tram. Judge Greally imposed a prison sentence of four and a half years. However, she suspended the final two years of the term, resulting in an effective custody period of three and a half years. The suspension is conditional upon Kinlan keeping the peace and engaging with drug treatment during that period. The Judge acknowledged Kinlan's difficult start in life and his current engagement with Probation Services.
Gerard O'Toole, 23, pleaded guilty to a violent robbery on December 3, 2018, at Fownes Street Upper, Dublin 2. In the early morning, he attacked a man who was walking home from a pub, grabbing him, pushing him to the ground, and punching him in the face. While the victim was on the ground, O'Toole told a woman to take his money and phone; she removed his wallet and phone, but only the victim's student card was recovered. The victim, a foreign national studying computer science in Ireland, left the country after the incident and has no plans to return. O'Toole, who has 36 prior convictions including robbery and drug offences, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to three years' imprisonment. He has been receiving addiction counselling while in custody and has expressed willingness to return stolen items if their location is known. The sentence reflects the aggravated nature of the violence and the prolonged attack.
Dylan Brophy, 22, of Reuben Street, Rialto, Dublin, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for robbing Arch Cafe, Reuben Plaza, Dublin 8, on 25 June 2018. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Garda Kevin Cassidy described Brophy as approaching the counter with his face covered and hood up, holding a knife by his chest, demanding money and pressing the green button on the till. He took €650 and left. CCTV footage showed him sitting in the cafe an hour before the robbery and later changing clothes. Brophy is a regular customer and has 43 prior convictions, including robbery, assault causing harm and drug possession. He was cooperating with the investigation after arrest. Judge Martin Nolan noted the lack of violence and Brophy's admissions, and imposed the sentence starting from the day of sentencing.
In a High Court hearing, French authorities requested to view Ian Bailey's legal submissions regarding his extradition to France for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. Bailey faces a 25‑year sentence in France and will contest the extradition at a three‑day hearing scheduled for July 15. His counsel, Ronan Munro, said the submissions are about 40 pages and will be finalised in two weeks. French officials sent letters on March 18 and April 14 requesting the documents, a move Munro described as unprecedented and outside normal statutory procedure. The Minister for Justice will not release the submissions without a court ruling. Bailey, who denies involvement, is remanded on bail and will not attend the next court session. The case follows two prior French extradition attempts that were dismissed in 2012 and 2017. The hearing will address whether the French request is permissible under Irish law. The unnamed 63-year-old was convicted.
A 23‑year‑old man, Christopher O'Callaghan, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with 18 months suspended, for the manslaughter of his 66‑year‑old grandfather, Joseph O'Callaghan, who was found dead in his own blood on the morning of 2 July 2018. The Central Criminal Court heard that the defendant had "snapped" after his grandfather admitted sexually abusing two individuals. O'Callaghan claimed he had no intention to kill or seriously injure his grandfather, but he struck him up to four times, kicked him twice and stomped on him, causing blunt‑force trauma to the head and extensive bruising. The judge noted the defendant's consumption of alcohol, his early guilty plea, remorse and efforts to address alcohol abuse. The suspended portion requires abstinence from alcohol, attendance at treatment and continued employment or study. The case remains a manslaughter conviction, not a murder conviction. Christopher O'Callaghan pleaded not guilty.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Michael White warned the jury not to consult social media and to focus solely on the evidence presented in court. The case concerns Aaron Brady, 29, who has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe and to the robbery of approximately €7,000 from Mr Pat Bellew on 25 January 2013 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth. Prosecutors presented CCTV footage and mobile phone data linking Brady and two suspected accomplices. The data showed no outgoing calls from Brady's phone between 20:01 and 22:45 that evening, and a marked increase in call activity on 26 January. The trial continues with a jury of six men and seven women hearing the evidence presented by prosecution counsel Lorcan Staines SC.
The Special Criminal Court heard sentencing submissions for Mark Capper and Michael Burns, both of whom pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder of Patrick Hutch by a Criminal Organisation between February 1 and March 10, 2018. Capper, 31, admitted to a single count involving knowledge of the organisation and participation in activities to facilitate the serious offence, including planning the shooting and providing vehicles. Burns, 43, pleaded guilty to participating in the organisation's activities, including acting as a communications conduit, providing mobile phones and SIM cards, and assisting in planning the murder. Detective Superintendent Dave Gallagher testified that the Kinahan gang operated through hierarchical sub-cells and that Capper, described as a foot soldier, expressed reluctance and withdrew from the plot three days before it was foiled. The court noted Capper's 65 previous convictions and personal circumstances, including ADHD and financial difficulties. Justice Tony Hunt, sitting with Judges Sarah Berkeley and Dermot Dempsey, adjourned the finalisation of Capper's sentence to June 9th. No sentence was imposed on either defendant during this hearing.
In April 2019, a 17‑year‑old was convicted of robbery, assault and false imprisonment of three 15‑year‑old boys in St Aidan's Park, Marino. He was sentenced to four years' detention for the false imprisonment count by Judge Martin Nolan, with the other offences considered. Garda Kevin Murphy testified that the boy was part of a group that forced the boys to hand over phones and money, threatened them with a knife, and that the teenager later kicked and punched one boy. The defendant admitted participation after viewing CCTV and had 18 prior convictions. On 8 May 2020 he appealed the sentence, arguing the judge failed to incorporate rehabilitation and that a less severe sentence could have been imposed if he had been dealt with as an adult. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice George Birmingham, noted the case would be decided in about two weeks. The unnamed 15-year-old pleaded guilty.
In the trial of Aaron Brady, a 28‑year‑old from Crossmaglen, the Central Criminal Court heard that a BMW 5‑Series belonging to one of the suspects passed Lordship Credit Union less than eight hours before the robbery and fatal shooting of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. Detective Garda Gareth Kenna told counsel that the suspect's face was visible through the open front passenger window at 1.46 pm, and that seconds later the vehicle was seen on CCTV with the window closed. The robbery took place at about 9.30 pm on 25 January 2013, when Brady pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Donohoe, who was 41 and on active duty, and to the robbery of approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques.
In 2020 the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction of Ger Hehir, a stable owner, for raping and sexually assaulting a teenage girl between 2010 and 2013. Hehir, aged 59, had pleaded not guilty to the rape and four counts of sexual assault at his home and at horse events. The Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty after a seven‑day retrial and sentenced him to seven years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended. Hehir appealed, arguing that the trial judge failed to warn the jury about uncorroborated evidence and confused the issue of consent. The Court of Appeal rejected these arguments, stating that the judge's charge was clear enough to leave no doubt that the complainant had not consented and that the defence's case was that no sexual activity had occurred. The appeal was dismissed, leaving the original conviction and sentence intact.
A man has brought an appeal against his eight-and-a-half year sentence for stabbing his friend seventeen times with scissors in Letterkenny, County Donegal, in October 2008. Kenneth Broe was convicted by jury of assault causing serious harm following an incident in the early hours of the morning on Main Street. The victim sustained multiple wounds to the neck, head and chest, requiring two life-saving operations and two weeks in intensive care. At the Court of Appeal hearing on 8 May 2020, Broe's counsel argued that the sentencing judge had erred by suspending eighteen months of the sentence rather than reducing the overall term, given mitigating factors and rehabilitation efforts made during the significant delay between offence and trial. The Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel contended that mitigating circumstances and rehabilitation were appropriately addressed through the suspended portion, whilst maintaining public protection. The Court of Appeal reserved judgment.
A man from County Mayo has unsuccessfully appealed his conviction for sexually assaulting three sisters over an eighteen-year period beginning in 1976. He was found guilty by a Mayo Circuit Criminal Court jury in October 2017 on nineteen counts of indecent assault against one sister and one count each against her two siblings. The trial heard that the abuse began when the victims were aged between nine and twelve years old. He received concurrent prison sentences totalling seven years. On appeal, his counsel argued that the trial judge erred in refusing to sever the indictment, contending the three separate complaints should not have been heard together as they lacked the striking similarities required. The Court of Appeal, however, determined that the trial judge correctly admitted all counts simultaneously, identifying significant common features across the allegations including the victims' ages, familial connection, and methods of abuse. The court dismissed the appeal.
The Court of Appeal has reserved its judgment in the extradition appeal of Eamon Ronald Harrison, who is alleged to have delivered the trailer in which 39 migrants died in Essex. Harrison's legal team argued the European Arrest Warrant was "wholly unsatisfactory" and lacked precise details regarding the time, place, and his specific involvement. Conversely, counsel for the Minister for Justice contended the warrant was validly issued by the Issuing Judicial Authority and contained sufficient detail. The court, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, remanded Harrison in custody pending the decision. In related proceedings, Ronan Hughes, alleged to be the ringleader of the trafficking group, was refused bail by the High Court ahead of his extradition hearing. He faces 39 counts of manslaughter and one count of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. Meanwhile, Maurice Robinson, who admitted 39 counts of manslaughter, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and acquiring criminal property, while denying a charge of transferring criminal property. He awaits sentencing. Four other men are scheduled to stand trial at the Old Bailey in October.
At the Central Criminal Court, jurors have viewed CCTV footage documenting events preceding a fatal robbery at Lordship Credit Union in County Louth. Detective Garda Gareth Kenna testified regarding surveillance material from January 2013, depicting a BMW 5-Series at a service station near the border, with subsequent footage tracking a similar vehicle southward through County Louth locations including Monasterboice and Clogherhead. A Volkswagen Passat stolen from the Clogherhead area was later discovered burned out in Armagh. Aaron Brady, aged 28 from Crossmaglen, County Armagh, has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe on 25 January 2013, and to robbery of approximately €7,000 and cheques from the credit union on the same date. The court also heard evidence concerning fuel laundering activity in the Armagh area, where a witness reported pursuing a white Transit van dumping diesel waste near Castleblayney in 2012. The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury.
James O'Malley, aged 26, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery and the production of a syringe after threatening a cashier with a syringe and stealing a tray from a Costcutter shop on 13 April 2019. Gardaí CCTV footage showed O'Malley and a second man attempting to empty the till before taking the tray, then changing clothes in an abandoned yard. The shop suffered a €450 loss, and the tray was recovered after O'Malley's arrest. O'Malley admitted the offence, describing himself as "out of his head and strung out," and cited a history of 66 prior convictions, including robbery, assault, and drug offences. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to four‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, including mandatory residential drug treatment if directed by the Probation Service. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the syringe threat and O'Malley's need for comprehensive drug treatment.
In 2019 a Central Criminal Court jury convicted a 49‑year‑old Wicklow man of repeated sexual attacks on a nine‑year‑old neighbour. He pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault between 1987 and 1989. Mr Justice Michael White sentenced him to seven years in May 2019 and, during the trial, imposed an order preventing the publication of the identities of both parties. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) later sought to lift the order after the victim wished to waive her anonymity so the rapist could be named. The DPP's application was rejected in November 2019 because the court had no mandate to alter the trial‑time order. The DPP is now appealing that judgment, and the case is scheduled for hearing before the Court of Appeal.