In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 22‑year‑old Emmet Prizeman received a suspended 18‑month prison sentence for assaulting Stephen Merchant, a professional referee from England, after a row with his girlfriend escalated outside a Harcourt Street nightclub. CCTV showed Prizeman punching Merchant once and then kicking him twice while he was on the ground, striking him on the head. Merchant was briefly unconscious, taken to hospital, and fully recovered. Prizeman pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on 24 May 2017. The judge, citing his lack of prior convictions, good work record, and a character reference from a catering teacher, reduced a headline three‑year sentence to 18 months, suspended on the condition of keeping the peace for two years and engaging in victim‑ and offence‑focused work with the Probation Service.
Marius Purcil, 39, of Woodbrook Hall, was sentenced to six years in prison for sexual assault and assault causing harm at a holistic treatment centre in Dublin on 21 January 2017. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan imposed five years for sexual assault and three years for assault causing harm, to run consecutively, and suspended the final two years on strict conditions. Purcil entered the premises, requested a massage from a receptionist who was absent, offered money for sex, and when she refused, he became aggressive, struck her, held a knife to her throat, and forced her to undress. He cut her leggings and underwear and inflicted lacerations to her genitals, as well as injuries to her face, head and neck. The victim, who was unconscious, later described the assault in a victim impact statement, expressing fear and a desire not to hate the attacker.
A 43-year-old man from Donegal has been convicted of sexually abusing his sister during their childhood. The Central Criminal Court jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on all charges following a trial in March, finding him guilty of four counts of anal rape, one of oral rape, and one of sexual assault at the family home between May 1991 and June 1993. Evidence presented included a secret audio recording in which the woman confronted her brother about the abuse during a family meeting. The man, who cannot be identified to protect the complainant's privacy, had pleaded not guilty to all charges. He has no previous convictions. During sentencing submissions, defence counsel noted his client's long employment history and community involvement, requesting leniency. Justice Tara Burns remanded him on continuing bail until May for sentencing, allowing him time to arrange his affairs.
A 36‑year‑old woman, Laura Kenna, was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment, with the last five years suspended, for attempting to murder civil servant Fionnuala Burke on Lower Drumcondra Road on 3 January 2017. Kenna, who had no fixed abode, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, a plea rejected by a Central Criminal Court jury on 5 March. The jury heard that Kenna attacked Burke, who was walking home from work, by pushing her onto a grassy area and stabbing her. Burke suffered a deep slash across her neck that penetrated muscle and the thyroid gland, requiring surgery and intensive care. Kenna later admitted to the Gardaí that she had "sliced her like you would a goat." Justice Tara Burns, after considering Kenna's mental health history and admissions, imposed a 15‑year term, suspending the final five years on the condition that Kenna comply with psychiatric treatment and remain drug‑ and alcohol‑free during the suspended period. Laura Kenna was found guilty.
In 2019, a journalist recalled the 1988 trial of Dessie O'Hare, who had been sentenced to 40 years for the kidnapping and torture of dentist John O'Grady. The article describes a 2019 sentencing hearing where O'Hare, still in court, was given a ten‑year term with three years suspended for false imprisonment and a concurrent three‑year assault sentence. The judge noted that O'Hare's threat to society had not fully abated and cited his past violent offences as aggravating factors. O'Hare had pleaded guilty to a violent assault. The piece also recounts his 1988 speech from the dock after his 40‑year sentence, where he denounced Irish authorities, called for violence, and threatened war against British and Irish forces. The article ends with his being escorted to prison after the speech.
Former INLA member Dessie O'Hare, known as "The Border Fox", was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to seven years' imprisonment. The court accepted his guilty pleas to assaulting John Roche and falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne at Rathcoole and Saggart on June 9, 2015. O'Hare was jailed for three years for the assault and ten years for the false imprisonment, with three years suspended for life. The sentences run concurrently and were backdated to April 3, 2019. Mr Justice Tony Hunt described the assault on Roche as "disturbingly violent" and noted O'Hare's "appalling record" as an aggravating factor. The judge rejected a non-custodial sentence, stating the offending was too serious and premeditated. O'Hare entered a bond to be of good behaviour for life. The court also noted that former Republican paramilitary Declan "Whacker" Duffy was previously sentenced to six years for his role in the same incident. The Byrne family, who were evicted from their home, are now in the Witness Protection Programme.
A 32‑year‑old Liverpool man, Adam James Wood, is to be extradited to the UK where he faces life imprisonment for possession of firearms, ammunition and class A drugs. He was arrested in 2017 under a European Arrest Warrant and brought before the High Court in Dublin. UK authorities describe him as having a scar on his left hand and a tattoo reading 'Ciara' on his neck. Police seized firearms, ammunition, phones with images of weapons, heroin and cocaine at his Woodlands Road address in August and September 2014. He is also charged with conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to cause fear or unlawful violence, and with a dispute involving brandishing firearms and criminal damage. His lawyers challenged the extradition on several grounds, including a Brexit argument, but High Court Judge Aileen Donnelly rejected all objections and ordered his surrender under the European Arrest Warrant Act of 2003.
A retired 86‑year‑old doctor lost an appeal against his conviction for abusing two 15‑year‑old teenage patients in the mid‑1970s. He had pleaded not guilty to eight charges of indecent assault, but a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found him guilty of indecently assaulting the two boys. The trial judge directed a not guilty verdict for one complainant and acquitted him on the remaining counts. He received two consecutive 10‑month sentences, totalling 20 months imprisonment, under Judge Cormac Quinn. The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction, noting that both victims were 15 when the doctor groped them during medical examinations. One victim described being tied to a bed, restrained with rubber bungee, and having his testicles massaged under a blanket. The second victim testified that the doctor massaged the base of his penis during follow‑up examinations for undescended testes, and the victim forced himself to ejaculate to end the assault.
Mansoor Uddin, 41, a taxi driver from Castleway, Adamstown, pleaded guilty to three sexual assault offences committed between January and February 2016. He sexually assaulted an 18‑year‑old German national, a 20‑year‑old woman, and an 18‑year‑old schoolgirl within two weeks. The first victim was forced to stay in the car, was touched and verbally abused, and later reported Uddin. The second victim was also touched and coerced, then left the vehicle. The third victim was touched and an attempt was made to touch her underwear; she resisted and tried to photograph Uddin. Gardaí used CCTV, a database of registered public service vehicles, a computer‑generated likeness, and GPS data from the HALO app to identify Uddin. The case was adjourned to May 8 for sentencing, and Uddin remains on continuing bail. Victim impact statements describe fear, isolation, and loss of trust in taxi services.
A man in his late thirties has filed a High Court application to stop the prosecution of four charges of rape and sexual assault against his younger siblings, alleged to have occurred in the late 1990s when he was aged 13 to 15. He argues that the law at the time made children aged 7 to 14 incapable of committing a criminal offence, and that the dates of the alleged offences are unclear, leaving open the possibility he was under 14. He seeks an order to prohibit further prosecution, declarations that the delay has prejudiced him, that a trial would be unfair and unjust, and that proceeding would breach his rights under the Irish Constitution and the European Convention of Human Rights. Mr Justice Seamus Noonan granted permission ex‑parte, put a stay on the prosecution, and adjourned the matter to June. The case is pending before the Central Criminal Court.
In a High Court hearing, the barrister for Roy Norman Kenyon argued that the 64‑year‑old, who served 31 years in prison for a 1971 murder committed as a child, no longer poses a risk to society and should not be extradited to the UK. Kenyon, who escaped to Ireland in 2003 and lived under the alias Alan McPherson for 15 years, is now facing potential return to the UK to continue his life sentence. The court heard that Kenyon had been drinking at a public house on the night of the crime, then attacked Margaret Potts with a poker. He was arrested in Eyeries, Co Cork, in May 2018. The barrister contended that Kenyon's behaviour in custody shows no unacceptable risk, and that the UK has not committed to reviewing his case before 2021. Justice Aileen Donnelly will decide on May 21, after remanding Kenyon in custody.
In 2016, Juraci Da Silva, a 36‑year‑old Brazilian, killed James 'Jay' Banville after being assaulted and racially abused by Banville and Conor Hogan. Da Silva admitted the killing but denied murder, and was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter and of producing a knife during an altercation. He was also found not guilty of assault causing harm to Hogan. Banville died from a single stab wound to the heart. Da Silva was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment in November 2017. He had no prior convictions, had come to Ireland a month earlier to work in a meat plant, and had three young children in Brazil. In April 2019, Da Silva's barrister, Colman Cody SC, applied to appeal the sentence, arguing it was too high given the context of the assaults and his circumstances. The Court of Appeal reserved judgment.
The trial of Farmer Patrick Quirke, 50, of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary, continued before Justice Eileen Creedon. Quirke, who has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Bobby Ryan, a part-time DJ known as Mr Moonlight, faced cross-examination regarding internet searches for "body decomposition timeline." Quirke told gardai his son had recently died, stating, "That's all I'm saying." However, prosecution evidence indicated a similar search occurred in July 2012, prior to his son's death in August 2012, which gardai argued undermined his explanation. Quirke denied that this prior search invalidated his account for later searches. The court heard that gardai sent a sub aqua unit to Ardmore, Co Waterford, after a water diviner claimed the body would be found there. Quirke was arrested in June 2014 and interviewed regarding a seized hard drive containing searches on DNA limitations and decomposition. He denied staging the discovery of Ryan's body, which was found in an underground tank on a farm leased by Quirke in April 2013. Quirke alleged gardai did not properly investigate previously dropped assault charges against him. The prosecution claimed Quirke murdered Ryan to rekindle an affair with Mary Lowry. Quirke maintained his innocence, questioning the logic of murdering a man and then revealing the body's location. The jury was adjourned until Thursday.
A 23‑year‑old drug addict, Robbie Walsh, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment with one year suspended for manslaughter after stabbing Karl "Gobbo" Haugh in the back during a row at Marion Estate, Kilkee, in August 2017. The court found that Walsh had not brought a knife to the scene; the knife used was taken from a kitchen block belonging to Haugh's friend. Walsh pleaded guilty to manslaughter and had previously been convicted of drug‑related offences. The judge noted his cooperation with Gardaí and his remorse, and reduced the headline sentence from ten to eight years. The suspended year was to run for three years, back‑dated to the date of his arrest. The sentence was imposed at the Central Criminal Court, with the judge urging Walsh to attend addiction and counselling services while in custody. Robbie Walsh pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
A 38‑year‑old Limerick man was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment for a series of violent rapes that took place on the night of 10 September 2016. He broke into his ex‑partner's home and, over a seven‑and‑a‑half‑hour period, threatened the woman with a knife, assaulted her, and raped her and her 16‑year‑old foster daughter. The man pleaded guilty ten days before the trial and expressed remorse through his counsel. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed a headline sentence of life imprisonment but reduced it to 18 years because of the guilty plea, the man's remorse, and his rehabilitation efforts. The Court of Appeal upheld the sentence as proportionate. The case involved two victims, one of whom was a minor, and the man had a prior conviction for breach of a barring order.
Barry O'Donoghue, 38, was found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of assault causing harm and threat to kill or cause serious harm. The offence took place at his home on 20‑21 October 2016, when he confronted his former partner, knocked her to the ground, punched her, kicked her in the face, and continued to hit her in the kitchen. He threatened her with a bread knife, saying "tonight was her execution" and asking if she wanted to be shot. The victim, who had to undergo eye surgery and suffered facial nerve damage, described nightmares of her death and fear of revenge. O'Donoghue had no prior convictions and was remanded in custody, with the case to be finalised on 12 April. The court noted his lack of previous offences and his age as factors in the sentencing decision.
Oliver Kierans, aged 60, of Drumbannon, Bailieborough in Cavan, has lodged an appeal against his conviction and sentence at the Court of Appeal. Kierans was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence following the death of his wife, Patricia Kierans, at their home on 5 September 2013. He was also convicted of possessing a sawn-off shotgun and of pointing the weapon at a member of An Garda Síochána in a public house in Bailieborough. He had pleaded not guilty to murder. Justice Aileen Donnelly sentenced him to nine years imprisonment for manslaughter, with additional concurrent sentences imposed for the firearms offences in April 2015. During proceedings at the Court of Appeal, counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions submitted that Kierans's moral culpability was significant, particularly regarding the incident involving the garda. The court, presided over by President Mr Justice George Birmingham, reserved judgement. Oliver Kierans was acquitted.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 4 April 2019, Keith Curran, 40, pleaded guilty to a one‑punch assault that fractured the skull of a 32‑year‑old male outside The Clock pub on 18 June 2017. The victim, who suffered permanent hearing loss, loss of smell and taste, and ongoing headaches, had been refused entry to the pub due to intoxication. Curran, who had no prior convictions, was sentenced to 240 hours of community service instead of a three‑year jail term. Judge Melanie Greally noted the assault occurred after a verbal disagreement fueled by alcohol, and that the victim had known Curran's family. She credited Curran's guilty plea, cooperation and remorse, and ordered the community service to be completed within 12 months.
Sean Jackson, 27, of Doon Court, Ballymun, was jailed for biting a large portion of another man's ear off in the smoking area of Ardlea Inn, Dublin 5, after a very minor altercation on 23 August 2014. He had no memory of the incident due to intoxication and pleaded not guilty to assault causing serious harm. A jury found him guilty and Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to five years imprisonment on 4 December 2017. Jackson had 24 prior convictions, including drug possession and public order offences. In the Court of Appeal, Justice Isobel Kennedy upheld the sentence, noting the violent and unprovoked nature of the attack and that intoxication was not a mitigating factor. The appeal was dismissed with no error found. The case remains at the five‑year imprisonment stage.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 4 April 2019, John Gavin, 31, pleaded guilty to threatening Garda Sergeant Amanda Flood at the Four Courts on 29 May 2015. Gavin, who was already serving a six‑year sentence for rape, followed the sergeant around the courtroom, shouting that the law was corrupt and that she would "get run over by a bus." He also threatened to "smash this court up" and said "I hope you die roaring," until additional Gardaí arrived. The court heard that Gavin had 108 prior convictions, including assault and violent disorder, and that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was taking anti‑psychotic medication. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to 20 months imprisonment, to run consecutively to his existing sentence. The victim impact statement noted that the incident was the most distressing of Sergeant Flood's 15‑year career, prompting her to return home for a few weeks.
The trial of farmer Patrick Quirke, 50, for the alleged murder of Bobby Ryan, a part-time DJ known as Mr Moonlight, continued at the Central Criminal Court. Quirke, of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary, has pleaded not guilty to the charge. The prosecution alleges he murdered Ryan to rekindle an affair with Ryan's girlfriend, Mary Lowry. Ryan went missing in June 2011 and his body was found in an underground tank on a farm leased by Quirke in April 2013. Chief Superintendent Dominic Hayes, testifying for the defence, stated that injuries to Ryan's body were not caused by debris falling when the concrete lid covering the tank was removed. He confirmed that only minor debris fell and that the detachment of Ryan's arm was the only damage sustained during removal. Hayes also testified that Quirke has no previous convictions and is not suspected of other crimes, noting that prior burglary charges were withdrawn by the DPP. The cross-examination covered various investigative details, including the timing of phone masts, the examination of Lowry's home, and the handling of fingerprints and phone data. Hayes acknowledged that fingerprints from Ryan's van were not tested against Quirke's until recently, attributing this to a responsibility issue at Garda headquarters. He also noted that the Deputy State Pathologist did not attend the scene, which he stated had no negative impact on the examination. The matter was adjourned, with cross-examination to continue before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury.
Nathan Foley, aged 20, was jailed for a year after a prison officer found a mobile phone in his cell, the eighth time in two years. He was due to appear before the Special Criminal Court on charges of facilitating the murder of David Douglas in July 2016. Foley declined an interview with Gardaí but said through his legal team that he had the phone to call his family before sentencing. He had previously pleaded guilty to having a mobile while a prisoner, with 34 convictions including drug offences and seven phone‑related offences. In January 2019 he was jailed for six years for participating in or contributing to the murder of Mr Douglas. Judge Melanie Greally ordered the 12‑month term to run consecutively with the six‑year sentence, citing his history of drug addiction and repeated phone offences. The judge noted that prior sentences had not deterred him.
Luke Murphy, 32, of Abbey View, Monkstown, Dublin, was sentenced to five years in prison for threatening to kill his former partner and her children. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to making threats to kill or cause serious harm on 12 and 13 February 2018. The judge, Melanie Greally, suspended the final two years of the sentence on strict conditions, including engagement with the Probation Service and attendance at a domestic‑violence perpetrator programme if deemed suitable. Murphy had two prior drug convictions. The judge described the offences as a breach of trust, extremely menacing, accompanied by pictures and concrete suggestions of execution, and noted the substantial trauma inflicted on the victim and children. The case had previously involved a protection order issued on 2 January 2018, and Garda Aaron Bradshaw had recorded multiple threatening communications and altercations between Murphy and the victim.
Aaron Nolan, 21, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for assaulting his then‑girlfriend, 19, on 5 November 2017. The court heard that Nolan punched, kicked and dragged her over a green area and down a laneway, pulling clumps of hair and causing her to vomit all night. He also burst her eardrum and inflicted severe facial injuries, including a swollen face, blood‑matted hair, a burst nose and lip. Nolan pleaded guilty to two assault charges and had no prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on strict conditions: two years of Probation Service supervision, no contact with the victim, and attendance at a domestic‑violence programme if suitable. The victim suffered post‑traumatic stress disorder, depression, neck pain and hearing loss, and she now speaks less and feels trapped by the memory of the attack.
Former INLA member Dessie O'Hare, known as "The Border Fox", was remanded in custody until April 11 for sentencing by the Special Criminal Court. O'Hare (62), of Newtownhamilton, County Armagh, pleaded guilty to assaulting John Roche, causing him harm, and falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne at Rathcoole and Saggart on June 9, 2015. The court was asked to take two further counts of false imprisonment concerning Byrne's wife and son into consideration. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding with Judges Patricia Ryan and Ann Ryan, stated that despite a "thought-provoking" plea in mitigation, a non-custodial sentence was an "unlikely outcome". O'Hare told gardai he was employed by Jim Mansfield Junior to evict Byrne and his family. He has four previous convictions, including a 40-year sentence in 1988 for false imprisonment and assault causing grievous bodily harm, from which he was released in 2008. In a related matter, former Republican paramilitary Declan "Whacker" Duffy was sentenced to six years imprisonment last year after pleading guilty to the same assault on Roche and false imprisonment of Byrne. Three other men have also been jailed for the attack.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, defence counsel Dominic McGinn SC argued that it was "inconceivable" that Gardaí would have missed an assault rifle and ammunition during a search of a Kildare house on 24 January 2017. He cited the fact that a landlord's nephew later found a rifle, ammunition and drugs in the base of a bed, four days after the Gardaí search. Michael Brady (54) is charged with possession of €1.5 million worth of cocaine, €1.26 million worth of heroin and over 180 rounds of ammunition at a property in Sallins, Co Kildare. He pleaded not guilty to all seven counts. The court found him not guilty of possessing an assault rifle and the State withdrew a charge of three ammunition magazines. Brady's brother, Declan Brady (52), pleaded guilty to possession of 15 firearms and over 4,000 rounds of ammunition at Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co Dublin. Michael Brady was acquitted.
The Court of Appeal has adjourned the appeal of Christopher Redmond, a 75-year-old man convicted of raping and sexually assaulting his granddaughter. Redmond, of Finglas, pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape and five counts of sexual assault committed between January 2002 and May 2004 at the Tolka Valley pitch and putt club. He was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury in early 2018 and sentenced to five years' imprisonment by Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh on April 27, 2018. His defence counsel, Andrew Sexton SC, argued that a post-conviction forensic psychiatric report, which identified significant cognitive impairment, raised doubts about his fitness to plead under Section 4 of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006. The report noted his condition likely predated the trial but did not explicitly address fitness to plead as the conviction had already occurred. President of the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice George Birmingham, stated the court required specific expert opinions on his fitness to be tried. The State indicated its intention to have Redmond assessed by a Central Mental Hospital expert. The matter was adjourned for mention on June 21 to allow for these further assessments. Redmond is currently detained in Midlands Prison.
Three Dublin youths – Harry Walsh (18), Gordon Robinson (20) and Darragh Smith (20) – filmed themselves laughing after a violent hour‑long rampage that involved seven separate incidents of violent disorder and assaults on eight members of the public between 3am and 4am on 3 November 2017. The court heard CCTV showing the trio attacking victims on Camden Street, Harcourt Street and Montague Street, with injuries including a shattered eye socket, fractured cheekbone, broken jaw, knocked‑out teeth, unconsciousness and cracked ribs. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a five‑year sentence on Robinson and a four‑year sentence on Smith, each with the final 12 months suspended, and adjourned Walsh's sentence until July. The judge directed that the €11,000 raised by the offenders be used to offset medical expenses, with any remaining balance divided equally among the injured parties. The court noted the extreme nature of the offences and the unit operation of the three assailants. Harry Walsh pleaded guilty. Gordon Robinson pleaded guilty. Darragh Smith pleaded guilty.
In 2017, Jack Hall Ellis, a 21‑year‑old apprentice carpenter, punched 20‑year‑old Luke O'Reilly once after a night of heavy drinking. The assault occurred on Old Blessington Road, Tallaght, when O'Reilly was walking away from a pub. The single blow to the right side of O'Reilly's head caused a fall that left him with brain injuries. He was taken to hospital in a coma and died 13 days later. Ellis, who had consumed seven to ten double Captain Morgan rums that night, pleaded guilty to unlawful killing at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court adjourned sentencing to allow reports to be prepared and will hear a plea in mitigation next month. O'Reilly's mother, Janet O'Brien, delivered a victim impact statement describing her son as a gentle giant and expressing the family's profound loss. The case highlights the fatal consequences of a single punch delivered in a drunken state.
A man convicted of murdering two elderly brothers in Castlebar has been granted an appeal hearing date of 21 June. Alan Cawley, aged 31, of Ballina, Co Mayo, was sentenced to life imprisonment in July 2017 after a jury unanimously found him guilty of killing Thomas Blaine, aged 69, and John Blaine, aged 76, at New Antrim Street on 10 July 2013. Cawley had admitted the killings but denied murder, arguing diminished responsibility on grounds of mental health conditions. The Central Criminal Court rejected this defence. The Court of Appeal fixed the hearing date during a procedural mention. The coroner for Mayo has indicated the inquest into the deaths cannot proceed until the appeal concludes, a matter which has caused concern to the deceased's family. Legal submissions from both parties have now been filed ahead of the June hearing.
A man in his late sixties, whose identity is withheld for legal reasons, has filed a High Court challenge to stop his trial for a series of alleged indecent assaults that he claims occurred more than 30 years ago. He argues that a fair trial is impossible because many witnesses to the alleged events have died, his memory is incomplete and fading, and evidence has been lost over the intervening years. He also alleges that the Gardai's delay in prosecuting him is inordinate, culpable and unfair, and that proceeding with the prosecution would breach his rights to an expeditious and fair trial under the Irish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. Mr Justice Seamus Noonan granted permission for the challenge, placed a stay on the prosecution pending the judicial review, and the case is set to return to court in May.
Liam Concannon, 25, of Killorglin, was convicted of assault causing serious harm after striking Darren Moriarty, 22, with a pool cue on St Patrick's Day 2014. The attack, described as vicious and unprovoked, left Moriarty with a fractured skull, lacerations, a subdural haematoma, severe headaches, contusions, ongoing migraines, distorted vision and night terrors. Concannon was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, by Judge Thomas O'Donnell on 29 May 2018. The Court of Appeal upheld the sentence, finding it fair and proportionate to the seriousness of the assault. Concannon had previously been convicted of assault, was extradited from the UK, and had claimed self‑defence, a claim rejected by the court. The appeal was dismissed by the three‑judge panel. Liam Concannon pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 19‑year‑old Clayton Brennan was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for an unprovoked assault on Mexican national Jose Mondragon on Bachelors Walk on 27 April 2016. Brennan, who claimed he wanted to appear tough before friends, punched and kicked Mondragon, who was sitting on the Liffey boardwalk. The attack left Mondragon with half of his front teeth lost, costing €4,205 to repair. Brennan, who was 16 at the time of the offence, had eight prior convictions, including a serious assault in May 2016 and a violent disorder, arson and criminal damage case that had a five‑year sentence with the last two years suspended. Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin imposed a two‑year term, suspended the final six months on condition of no mind‑altering substances and compliance with the Probation Service. Brennan is to be released on 30 January 2020 and remain under probation supervision for 18 months. Clayton Brennan pleaded guilty.
A 16‑year‑old boy was sentenced by Mr Justice Michael White at the Central Criminal Court to a five‑year detention that was fully suspended for five years, provided he follows Probation Service directions, keeps the peace and behaves well. The court also ordered that he live away from his parents for a period recommended by NIAP, an inter‑agency project dealing with adolescents who sexually abuse, and that this condition remain in force when he turns 18. He must also participate in a treatment programme to educate him on the consequences of his offending behaviour. The boy pleaded guilty to five counts of oral rape and 44 counts of sexual assault against his eight‑year‑old half‑sister, committed between September 2016 and January 2017. The abuse was discovered when the boy's mother found him inappropriately touching his sister's genitals in January 2017.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Detective Garda Fiona Maguire presented evidence that fingerprints recovered from a black diary and a driving licence taken from Bobby Ryan's van did not match those of the accused, Patrick Quirke. The prints were collected in 2013, after Ryan's body was found in an underground tank in April 2013. Maguire identified five marks on the diary and two palm marks on the licence, four of which belonged to Ryan's daughter Michelle; the remaining marks could not be identified. None matched Quirke's prints, and a national database search yielded no match. Detective Ernie Fraser also reported that fingerprints taken in 2012 from an aftershave bottle and the driver's door in the van likewise did not match Quirke. Quirke, 50, has pleaded not guilty to Ryan's murder.
A judge denied the State's request to bar the media from naming John Gibson, a former Christian Brother teacher, after he was convicted of indecent assault on two children in the 1980s. Gibson, aged 72, was jailed for two years for sexual assaults on a 12‑year‑old girl in 1983 and a 12‑year‑old boy in 1985. The Director of Public Prosecutions sought an order to prevent reporting on the case, citing potential prejudice in future trials. Publishers of the Irish Times, Irish Independent and Irish Daily Mirror applied to lift the restrictions, and the court found no compelling reason to impose them. Judge Elma Sheahan ruled that no reporting restrictions were necessary and that a future warning would suffice. Gibson was subsequently named in press coverage of his trial and sentencing.
Two men have been convicted and sentenced by the Special Criminal Court in connection with the 2013 murder of dissident republican Peter Butterly. Michael McDermott of Ballinagh, County Cavan, received four years imprisonment with the final six months suspended after pleading guilty to assisting an unlawful organisation in the killing. Frank Murphy of County Meath was sentenced to three years with the final year suspended after pleading guilty to impeding the apprehension of a prosecution witness. Mr Butterly, aged thirty-five, was fatally shot outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston on 6 March 2013. Four other men have previously received life sentences for his murder. The three-judge panel took into account both men's guilty pleas, clean records, and family circumstances when determining sentences. Both sentences were backdated to reflect time already spent in custody.
In March 2019 the Central Criminal Court heard that Mary Lowry, aged 52, visited a psychic in Nenagh after her boyfriend Bobby "Mr Moonlight" Ryan disappeared on 3 June 2011. Ryan's body was found in an underground run‑off tank on Lowry's farm in Fawnagown, Tipperary, 22 months later in April 2013. Patrick Quirke, 50, is charged with Ryan's murder and has pleaded not guilty. Quirke allegedly called Lowry a "right bitch" and threatened to remove her from a Mass for his son. Evidence from Acting State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis suggested the most likely cause of Ryan's injuries was impact with a vehicle, but the pathology evidence was described as "sub‑optimal". The trial continues before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of twelve.
Martin Hanley, aged 55, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a violent robbery on 23 November 2017 in Gardiner Lane. He knocked victim Frank O'Neill to the ground, demanded money, and stamped on O'Neill's leg, breaking his tibia. O'Neill, aged in his 60s, was left unable to run and later unable to walk, with the injuries likely to cause arthritis. Hanley, who is undergoing cancer treatment and has had a lung removed, pleaded guilty. Judge Karen O'Connor described the attack as vicious and frightening, suspended the last two and a half years of a five‑year term, and imposed a longer custodial period. Hanley was placed on a two‑year bond for good behaviour and required to engage with Probation Services. No order was made regarding a €2,000 offer of remorse from Hanley's family. The Probation Service assessed him as a moderate risk of re‑offending.
In the Special Criminal Court, Michael Brady, 54, of Blackrock, Co Dublin, was directed to be found not guilty of possessing an assault rifle by Mr Justice Paul Coffey. The judge ruled there was no evidence beyond reasonable doubt linking Brady to the rifle, which was found concealed in a bed base at Sallins Bridge, Co Kildare, on January 24, 2017. Although DNA from skin cells matching Brady was found on socks containing ammunition, an expert noted this did not exclude the possibility that another person placed the rounds in socks Brady had worn. The judge further stated there was no evidence establishing when Brady accessed the bed or when the rifle was placed there. The State also withdrew a separate charge regarding the possession of three ammunition magazines. Brady had pleaded not guilty to all nine counts on his indictment, which included allegations of possessing €1.5 million worth of cocaine and €1.26 million worth of heroin. Separately, his brother, Declan Brady, 52, pleaded guilty last month to possessing 15 firearms and more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition at Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co Dublin, on the same date. Declan Brady is currently awaiting sentence. The trial for Michael Brady continues on Monday.
In a case heard in Naas Circuit Criminal Court, Laurence Carthy, aged 43, was convicted of assault causing harm to his ex‑wife Joanne Carthy. The conviction was based largely on the victim's testimony that she recognised Carthy's voice during the assault. She identified him by the phrase "it's just because I miss you so much" and noted his breathing and grunting. No forced entry occurred, Carthy retained a key, and the family dog did not bark. A jury found him guilty and Judge Brian O'Callaghan sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, with 18 months suspended. Carthy appealed, arguing the voice‑recognition evidence was weak and that no other supporting evidence existed. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, accepting the witness's familiarity with Carthy's voice as sufficient for conviction and rejecting further procedural objections. The appeal was dismissed by Justice Isobel Kennedy, Justice George Birmingham and Justice Patrick McCarthy. Laurence Carthy pleaded not guilty.
Graham Doyle, aged 31, was convicted in Dublin of four counts of sexual assault and one count of oral rape against a 13‑year‑old girl he met on a social networking site while claiming to be a teenager. He had previously been convicted of defilement of a child under 15 in 2011. Doyle pleaded guilty to the offences committed between 1 August 2004 and 31 March 2005. Mr Justice Michael White sentenced him to five years' imprisonment, suspending the final three and a half years on the condition of good behaviour and probation. The judge noted Doyle's prior convictions, the seriousness of the offences, the victim's age and the psychological coercion used. Doyle was 16 at the time of the offences. The victim gave a victim impact statement describing the abuse and its lasting effects. The judge emphasised that the victim was innocent and should not feel responsibility for the abuse. The sentence was imposed in 2019.
In a High Court hearing on 28 March 2019, the extradition of 64‑year‑old Roy Norman Kenyon was discussed. Kenyon, convicted of murdering Margaret Potts in 1971, had been serving a life sentence in the UK when he absconded to Ireland in 2003. He lived under the alias Alan McPherson in Tullamore for 15 years before being arrested in Eyeries, Co. Cork, on 2 May 2018. The court heard that Kenyon was in the process of having his sentence reviewed when he fled. His barrister, Sean Guerin SC, noted that Kenyon had been deemed suitable for release in 1985 after completing the punitive portion of his sentence, but he absconded again, losing five years of potential release each time. Kenyon has not committed any further offences since the murder. The hearing will continue next month.
A 66‑year‑old man named Alan Clarke, who worked as a security guard at the FÁS Training Centre in Loughlinstown, was found to possess child pornography after he brought his laptop to the centre for repair. The centre's IT staff discovered 41 videos and 28 images depicting boys and girls aged 5 to 15 in sexual activities or poses. Clarke admitted to having a "curiosity" about such material and said he had lost interest the previous month. The material was determined to have been downloaded between March and May 2009. Clarke denied paying for the material and claimed no evidence of sharing or profiting from it. He had a prior assault conviction from 1987. The case was adjourned pending a psychiatric report, with a new hearing scheduled for June 20. The court heard that Clarke did not attempt to destroy the hard drive after being advised to do so. Alan Clarke pleaded guilty.
Deanna Brogan, 21, avoided jail after a judge placed her on a six‑month good behaviour bond for her role in a violent robbery on a Dublin city bus on St Patrick's Day 2015. Brogan, who had previously been involved in a street assault on a Brazilian man and a violent disorder offence in Temple Bar, admitted to slapping a minor victim twice in the face after the victim had returned his borrowed mobile phone. The attack was captured on CCTV and the victim has expressed ongoing fear of entering the city centre. Brogan's 12 prior convictions include two assault offences. The judge described the bus incident as "mean spirited" and "thuggish," and warned that any further offence would result in a prison sentence. She ordered Brogan to appear again on 10 October. The case also involved her partner Edward Doran, who pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension of a robber.
Sarah English, 59, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm after she swung a glass at Paul Clarke, 59, in Belcamp Green, Priorswood on 12 July 2016. The glass shattered, cutting Clarke's head and face and severing a vein in his neck, causing him to lose consciousness and requiring surgery. He now bears a five‑inch scar on the right side of his face. English claimed she believed Clarke had ridiculed her late husband and deceased son, and that her reaction was a spur of the moment. She has no prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan accepted her remorse, noted her role as a mother and grandmother, and imposed a four‑year sentence suspended in full on strict conditions. She must pay €3,000 as a token of remorse, €1,400 immediately and €1,600 within a year, and is unlikely to re‑offend.
In the ongoing trial of Patrick Quirke, who has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of part-time DJ Bobby Ryan, Professor Jack Crane provided expert pathologist evidence. Crane, a former State Pathologist for Northern Ireland, reviewed the post-mortem conducted by Dr. Khalid Jaber, who was unavailable to testify. He confirmed that Ryan died from blunt force trauma to the head, causing brain bleeding, with injuries including skull fractures, nine rib fractures, and a femur fracture. Crane stated these severe head injuries could not have resulted from a simple fall into the tank where the body was found 22 months after Ryan went missing in June 2011. He rejected the possibility of a motor vehicle collision, noting the injury pattern was inconsistent with such an impact. Crane also testified that it was plausible the body was placed rather than thrown into the sealed tank, citing the unnatural position of the arms and limited insect infestation. During cross-examination, Crane criticized aspects of Dr. Jaber's report, including incorrect assumptions about toxicity and insufficient examination of the skull. He noted that concrete fragments fell on the body during recovery, which he had not previously known about. The trial continues, with no verdict or sentence recorded at this stage.
In March 2019, an 18‑year‑old named Dylan Lynch was sentenced to six years in prison for a series of violent offences. In July 2018, he assaulted a teenage girl in his home, repeatedly slamming a door into her head, setting fire to her hair, cutting clumps of singed hair and throwing them out the window. He also filmed the incident and shared it on Snapchat. The assault was described by Judge Melanie Greally as "sadistic" and "degrading." Lynch had previously been convicted of robbery and assault with a vodka bottle three months earlier, for which he received a four‑and‑a‑half‑year term. The two sentences run consecutively, with the last 18 months suspended on the condition that he engage with the Probation Service. The judge noted his youth, childhood trauma, remorse and drug addiction issues in determining the suspended period. The unnamed teenager pleaded guilty.
A jury has found an alleged IRA member guilty of sexually assaulting and anally raping two teenage boys at a 'republican safe house' in Co. Louth in the early 1990s and in 2001. The defendant (45) had pleaded not guilty to the charges. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on six counts of sexual assault and two counts of anal rape relating to the two complainants. However, the jury also returned not guilty verdicts on one count of sexual assault and one count of anal rape relating to one of the complainants, alleged to have occurred in 2001 when the complainant was in his 20s. The matter was adjourned for sentence to April 29, with the accused remanded in custody. The defendant denied the allegations, stating he had only stayed at the house a few times in the early 1990s while working a casual job and had no involvement in paramilitary organisations. The case is now adjourned for sentence.
In March 2019, Gerard Cully, a 32‑year‑old crack cocaine addict, was sentenced to seven and a half years' imprisonment for a series of violent robberies. He robbed a taxi driver on Railway Street, demanding €30 and the driver's car keys while threatening him with a pointed weapon and an accomplice strangling the victim with a rope. Cully also attempted to rob a convenience store and successfully robbed two other shops in Dublin's city centre, taking a total of €415. He was armed with a knife and a hammer during these offences. Judge Melanie Greally described the crimes as a "spree of severe offences committed at a very high level" to obtain money for his addiction. Cully pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and had previously sought help for his addiction. The judge imposed concurrent sentences, suspended the final 18 months on strict conditions, and considered his psychological report and prior attempts at treatment.