Adam James Wood, 32, of Liverpool, is in Irish custody awaiting a High Court decision on his extradition to the UK. He faces 12 offences, including possession of firearms, ammunition and class A drugs, and conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to cause fear or unlawful violence. The European Arrest Warrant, issued in 2017, was based on evidence found at his Woodlands Road address and at North Sudely Road in August and September 2014, where police seized firearms, ammunition, heroin and cocaine, and phones containing images of firearms and ammunition. The warrant also cites a dispute with another Liverpool male involving brandishing firearms and criminal damage. UK authorities describe Wood as having a scar on his left hand and a tattoo reading 'Ciara' on his neck. His lawyers have challenged the extradition on several grounds, including a Brexit‑related argument.
A forensic anthropologist giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court has expressed doubt that a fractured femur found on the remains of Bobby Ryan could have resulted from concrete debris falling during the body's removal from a tank. Dr Rene Gapert, examining bones retrieved from an underground run-off tank on a farm at Fawnagown, County Tipperary, identified human and animal remains among the fragments. He told the court the femur, being the body's strongest bone, was unlikely to have sustained such an injury from the falling concrete when gardaí used a digger to remove a slab covering the tank. Mr Ryan's body was discovered in April 2013, approximately 22 months after he went missing in June 2011. Patrick Quirke, aged 50, of Breanshamore, County Tipperary, has pleaded not guilty to his murder. The trial, before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury, continues.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Patrick Quirke, aged 50, denied claims that he tried to exploit Mary Lowry, a 52‑year‑old widow, for financial gain. Quirke, who is charged with the murder of DJ Bobby Ryan, explained that his financial dealings with Lowry involved tens of thousands of euros, including a €20,000 loan and a €50,000 cheque that he denied Lowry ever issued. He described a long‑running affair with Lowry from 2008 to 2010, noting that he was angry when she began a relationship with Ryan but denied jealousy. Quirke also detailed his rental of Lowry's farm, payments received from EU subsidies, and his investment in contracts for difference, claiming he managed the money responsibly. He maintained that Lowry was not vulnerable and that any financial arrangements were mutual. The case remains pending before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury. Patrick Quirke pleaded not guilty.
A jury has begun deliberating in the trial of an alleged IRA member accused of raping two teenage boys at a "republican safe house" in County Louth in the early 1990s and again in 2001. The accused has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault and anally raping the boys. Mr Justice Paul McDermott instructed the jury to start deliberations and sent them home for the night, to resume tomorrow morning. Prosecutor Patrick Gageby SC told the jury that the boys lived in a large home owned by a "dedicated republican" that was used as a safe house for IRA volunteers. The first complainant, who was 13 or 14 at the time, said the accused first stayed there around 1991 or 1992 and later abused him, describing incidents of the accused masturbating and sucking his penis. He also claimed the accused groped him in 2001, an act he denies.
Laura Kenna, 35, was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury on March 5, 2019, of attempting to murder civil servant Fionnuala Burke and of assault causing serious harm on January 3, 2017. Kenna, who had no fixed abode, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to both counts, but the plea was rejected. The trial described how Kenna attacked Burke on Lower Drumcondra Road, stabbing her and slashing her neck with a deep cut that penetrated muscle and the thyroid gland, requiring intensive care surgery. Kenna had 59 prior convictions, including assault and knife possession, and had a history of mental health and substance abuse problems. She had previously been found not guilty by reason of insanity for an attempted eye gouge at a LUAS stop 16 days earlier. The hearing will resume before Ms Justice Tara Burns on April 11, 2019, when Kenna is expected to be sentenced.
In a six‑day trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 43‑year‑old man was convicted of three counts of sexual assault and nine counts of anal rape against his daughter, who was aged between seven and thirteen at the time of the offences. The abuse occurred at the man's parents' home, his own home and at a wake, and began in the summer before the girl's communion when the father first pushed his penis against her anal area. He later progressed to anal rape. The daughter, who could not recall how many times she was abused, gave evidence describing the abuse as "distraught" and "heartbreaking". Judge Tara Burns imposed a 15‑year sentence, suspending the final two years, and urged the defendant to consider expressing remorse. The case highlighted the father's alcohol dependency and the daughter's ongoing emotional distress. The defendant's defence counsel noted his past tragedies and substance use.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 25 March 2019, a 15‑year‑old male was sentenced for attempting to murder a 25‑year‑old woman he met on the Whisper social media app. The accused had lured the victim to Dun Laoghaire's water's edge, where he choked her and slashed her neck with a knife. The victim suffered a 10‑cm midline neck laceration that penetrated her trachea, along with injuries to her thumb and arm. She was taken to St Vincent's Hospital, placed in a medically‑induced coma, and underwent emergency surgery. The court heard a victim impact statement in which the woman described the assault, her injuries, and the lasting psychological effects. The judge adjourned the case to 12 April for psychiatric reports. The accused was accompanied by his parents and had previously been in therapy for depression and suicidal thoughts. The case was brought by Paul Burns SC. The court did not disclose the final sentence. The unnamed 15-year-old pleaded guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Bridget Haugh, mother of Karl Haugh, delivered a victim impact statement after her son was stabbed in the back by Robbie Walsh. Haugh, who had previously lost her daughter Stacey in a car crash, described the emotional toll of losing her children and the memory of her son's life. The court had earlier found Walsh, 23, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter of Karl Haugh, 25, on a unanimous verdict. Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis testified that Haugh died from a single stab wound puncturing his lung. The hearing also covered Walsh's prior convictions, his remorse, and the judge's decision to remand him in custody until sentencing on April 8. The judge expressed sympathy for the Haugh family and noted the profound loss they endured. Robbie Walsh was acquitted.
In a Munster case, a 16‑year‑old pleaded guilty to five counts of oral rape and 44 counts of sexual assault against his eight‑year‑old half‑sister between September 2016 and January 2017. The abuse was discovered when the boy's mother entered the living room in January 2017 and found him touching his daughter's genitals. He was arrested and admitted removing her clothes, masturbating, and penetrating her vagina with fingers and placing his penis in her mouth, while denying vaginal penetration. A psychologist reported that the boy had moved out of his mother's house after the discovery and was now living with his father, but that the environment was unsuitable for treatment. The court heard that the boy was motivated for help but needed an emotionally supportive caregiver for two years. The mother expressed shock, horror, and grief, noting her daughter's nightmares and her own anger toward the boy.
A 19-year-old man from Strokestown, County Longford, has been sentenced to four years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for violent offences committed during an escape from Oberstown Children's Detention Campus in Lusk, County Dublin, on 29 May 2017. Michael Ward pleaded guilty to criminal damage, assault causing harm, and assault while attempting to commit theft. During the incident, Ward struck the campus director with a metal bar, causing bleeding, and caused extensive damage to the facility estimated at €17,135. He and other detainees barricaded themselves in an office, armed themselves with metal fixtures, and used an angle grinder to breach the campus perimeter fence. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed concurrent sentences of four years for assault and five years for criminal damage, suspending the final 12 months of both terms. She considered Ward's early guilty plea, efforts at rehabilitation, youth, and apology. Ward is currently serving an earlier four-year sentence, with 12 months suspended, for separate criminal damage offences at Oberstown.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, it was revealed that Mary Lowry's computer was used to search for Bobby Ryan's name the day before his body was recovered from a tank on her land. The computer, handed to Garda Cyber Crime Bureau detective Paul Fitzpatrick in May 2015, showed a search for "trace Ireland Bobby Ryan" at 21:45 on 29 April 2013. Mr. Ryan's body was found the following day by the accused, Patrick Quirke, who is 50 and pleaded not guilty to the murder. Mr. Ryan had gone missing on 3 June 2011 after leaving Lowry's home, and his body was discovered 22 months later in an underground run‑off tank on the farm owned by Lowry and leased by Quirke. The prosecution alleged that Quirke killed Mr. Ryan to rekindle an affair with Lowry, who is 52.
Alan Hutch, 36, was jailed after breaking into the Offices of the Revenue Commissioners on 7 March 2018, stealing a mobile phone and assaulting Karl Higgins, who tried to stop him. Hutch entered the building through an unlocked door, walked to Higgins' office, took a white box containing the phone, and when Higgins confronted him, a scuffle ensued. Hutch punched Higgins several times, grabbed a steel pole and struck him in the neck or chest area. Two colleagues subdued Hutch until Gardaí arrived. Hutch was arrested, pleaded guilty to burglary and assault, and was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally to four years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions. The sentence was back‑dated to the date of the offence. Hutch has 73 prior convictions and has been in custody since his arrest. No victim impact report was filed.
In a 2019 case, lawyers for a man charged with assault argued that the prosecution must prove the alleged victim did not consent to the incident. The defence cited a Supreme Court decision involving a prisoner who claimed another prisoner asked to be assaulted to secure transfer to an open prison. The defendant, Gerard Brown, alleged that former Garda Stephen Cooper instructed him to feign an attack, saying "Don't hold back" and "Just make sure there is blood," and promised €1,000 and sensitive information. After the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal against conviction, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a further appeal, focusing on whether the offence of section 3 assault requires proof of absence of consent. The Court of Appeal had ruled that consent could not be a defence on public policy grounds. The Supreme Court disagreed, stating that absence of consent is not a necessary ingredient in a section 3 assault.
A man has been convicted of murder following a fatal stabbing in Longford town centre. Rihards Lavickis, aged 26, with an address at Annaly Court in Longford, was found guilty by unanimous verdict at the Central Criminal Court on a charge of murdering Akadiusz Czajkowski outside Longford Shopping Centre on 1st November 2016. The jury deliberated for just over three hours. Lavickis had initially pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. This was his second trial for the offence, as a previous jury had failed to reach a verdict. Evidence presented showed that Lavickis pursued the deceased with a knife and stabbed him three times. A post-mortem examination determined that a single stab wound to the heart proved fatal. The court heard that tensions between the men stemmed from a drug debt and a series of incidents involving threats and property damage. Mr Justice Michael White imposed the mandatory life sentence. The victim's mother provided an impact statement describing the psychological devastation caused by her son's death.
In a case heard by the Central Criminal Court, Latvian national Andrejs Krauze, aged 33, was convicted of murdering fellow Latvian Juris Buls, aged 30, in County Galway on 7 or 8 July 2011. Buls had failed to report for a night shift at Titan Plastics and was later found dead in Funshion Woods. Witnesses testified that Krauze had entered Buls' home in February, confronted him over a car dispute, and after Buls filed a garda complaint of assault, Krauze strangled him and moved the body to the woods. Krauze pleaded not guilty but was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment on 29 March 2017. The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction, rejecting all grounds of appeal and confirming the fairness of the trial and the validity of the evidence presented. The appeal was dismissed by a three‑judge panel led by Mr Justice George Birmingham.
In March 2019 the Central Criminal Court heard that a computer seized from Patrick Quirke's home was used to search Google for "rate of human decomposition" in December 2012, 18 months after Bobby Ryan disappeared and four months before Ryan's body was found on land leased by Quirke. The search led to articles titled "The five stages of decomposition" and "How the human body decomposes after death," and to YouTube videos about body farms. The court also heard that Quirke, aged 50, sent emails to Vodafone.ie on 12 and 13 May 2013 requesting call and text logs for 2–5 June 2011. Quirke has pleaded not guilty to Ryan's murder, which the prosecution alleges he committed to rekindle an affair with Ryan's girlfriend, Mary Lowry, aged 52. The evidence presented was part of the ongoing trial before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of twelve.
Amir Essalhi (34), of Millbrook Avenue, Dublin 13, was sentenced in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to two car thefts committed in 2017. During the sentencing, Essalhi told Judge Melanie Greally that he turned to heroin to cope with the 2011 murder of his brother, Adil Essalhi, who was stabbed and burnt in west Dublin. Wayne Kinsella (46), formerly of the Plaza, Tyrellstown, was previously convicted of murdering Adil Essalhi and jailed for life. Essalhi stated that his addiction led to job loss and criminal activity, including a 2017 partially suspended sentence for six counts of robbery in Clondalkin, which was conditional on seeking drug treatment. His defence counsel, Gerardine Small BL, noted that Essalhi sought treatment but relapsed while awaiting placement. The court acknowledged the disturbing impact of his brother's murder and Essalhi's remorse. Judge Greally imposed concurrent sentences of 12 months and 21 months, to run from December when he went into custody.
An alleged IRA member, 45, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court for alleged sexual assault and anal rape of two teenage boys in Co Louth during the early 1990s and in 2001. The accused has pleaded not guilty to the charges. During the second day of the trial, the second complainant testified that the accused told him he would be 'found on a border road' if he informed anyone of the alleged rape. The complainant stated that he was 17 when the accused groped him and later sexually assaulted him. He claimed the accused threatened him after the incident. The complainant also mentioned that he had a conversation with the other complainant in 2002 about the alleged incidents. The first complainant rejected claims by the defence that he had a consensual relationship with the accused in 2001. He stated that the accused was a sexual predator who used alcohol to manipulate him. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 20 March 2019, the landlord of a house at Sallins Bridge, Sallins, Co Kildare, testified that his nephew discovered an assault rifle, more than 180 rounds of ammunition, and large amounts of cocaine and heroin in the base of a bed while "clearing out" the property. The landlord, who entered a tenancy agreement with Declan Brady in February 2015, said he had no key to the house and had gained access through a neighbour. He described how the nephew found a cardboard box containing the rifle, magazines, and drug packets wrapped in brown tape. The landlord also reported that Gardaí had searched the premises on 28 January 2017. Michael Brady, 54, is charged with nine counts of possession of firearms, ammunition and drugs, and has pleaded not guilty. The court heard evidence to determine the lawfulness of the Gardaí search. The judge will rule tomorrow.
A murder trial at the Central Criminal Court heard closing arguments concerning a fatal stabbing outside Longford Shopping Centre in November 2016. Rihards Lavickis, a 26-year-old with an address in Longford, is charged with murdering Akadiusz Czajkowski. He has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The defence argued that the accused lacked the necessary intent to kill or cause serious injury, noting he stabbed the deceased three times before stopping when the man fell to the ground. Counsel submitted that a series of incidents, including threats to the accused's family and damage to his home, constituted provocation. The prosecution contended that stabbing someone in the chest naturally risks death or serious injury, and that the accused had time to plan the attack between discovering a broken window and carrying out the killing. The jury was charged and sent to consider its verdict.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, John Gibson, aged 72, was found guilty of two indecent assault charges against a 12‑year‑old girl in 1983 and a 12‑year‑old boy in 1985 at a Christian Brothers' School in Co. Wexford. The trial, lasting five days, included testimony from the victims who described how Gibson molested them while washing them after manual work and later during showering or painting tasks. Gibson denied the charges but was convicted by a jury. The victims recounted the lasting impact of the abuse, including the man's loss of interest in sport, binge‑drinking, and eventual school dropout, and the woman's withdrawal, fear, and difficulty with intimacy. Gibson, now retired, lives under a structured community safety plan and is on the Sex Offenders' Register. The sentencing hearing was adjourned to 1 April for finalisation.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 45‑year‑old man accused of being an IRA member pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault and anal rape of two teenage boys in a republican safe house in County Louth during the early 1990s and again in 2001. The prosecution, led by Patrick Gageby SC, presented testimony that the complainants lived in a large home owned by a "dedicated republican" which was used as a safe house for IRA volunteers. One complainant, aged 13 or 14 at the time, alleged that the accused began abusing him after he joined the household around 1991 or 1992, describing repeated incidents of the accused masturbating and performing anal and oral sex on him. He claimed the accused demanded secrecy and later apologized for past actions. A second incident in 2001, when the complainant was living independently, involved the accused again performing anal and oral sex while the complainant was intoxicated.
The Special Criminal Court heard evidence in the ongoing trial of Michael Brady, 54, who has pleaded not guilty to all nine counts on the indictment. He is charged with possessing €1.5 million worth of cocaine, €1.26 million worth of heroin, an assault rifle, and more than 180 rounds of ammunition at a property in Sallins, Co Kildare, on January 24, 2017. Prosecution counsel stated that forensic evidence links the accused to the items and the address. During interviews, Brady told gardai that he and his brother, Declan Brady, lived separate lives and were like "chalk and cheese." Brady denied possessing the ammunition found in the house and stated he did not know about firearms found at a separate location. His brother, Declan Brady, 52, previously pleaded guilty to possessing 15 firearms and more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition at the same address on the day in question. Declan Brady is currently awaiting sentence. The court heard that gardai conducted a search of the property, finding drugs and a firearm under a bed. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Coffey, sitting with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge David McHugh.
The Special Criminal Court heard evidence regarding a search at Sallins Bridge, Sallins, Co Kildare, on January 24, 2017. Michael Brady, 54, of Blackrock, Co Dublin, pleaded not guilty to nine counts, including alleged possession of €1.5 million worth of cocaine, €1.26 million worth of heroin, an assault rifle, and ammunition. Prosecution counsel Fiona Murphy SC alleged that gardaí failed to find these items during the initial search, which she described as a "very fast-moving operation." She stated that the property owner later discovered drugs and a firearm under a bed. The State's case is that forensic evidence links Mr Brady to the items. Earlier, the court ruled that Mr Brady's arrest and detention were lawful. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Coffey, sitting with Judges Gerard Griffin and David McHugh. Separately, Declan Brady, 52, of Celbridge, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty to possessing 15 firearms and over 4,000 rounds of ammunition at Greenogue Business Park on the same day. He is awaiting sentence. Jonathan Harding and James Walsh were previously sentenced to ten and nine years' imprisonment, respectively, for possessing a "lethal arsenal" of weapons at the same location.
A 43‑year‑old man was convicted by a jury after a six‑day trial of three counts of sexual assault and nine counts of anal rape against his daughter, who was aged between seven and thirteen at the time of the offences. The abuse took place at the man's parents' home, his own home and at a wake. The victim said she could not remember how many times she was abused because it happened so often. She reported that the father would push his penis against her anal area and later progressed to anal rape, telling her he "loved" her and treating her as a favourite by buying her things her siblings did not receive. She complained to Gardaí in 2015, but the father denied the allegations, claiming she was lying and blaming him for a family issue. The court adjourned sentencing to 25 March to allow the judge to consider the matter.
A 65‑year‑old man pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six counts of sexual assault against a girl who was 10 years old in 2013. The court heard that the man had abused the girl on several occasions, including when she was sleeping in a camper van, during walks in Wicklow, and while she was on his knee in a shed. He claimed some of the touching was accidental and that he had memory problems. He also hinted that he had killed a former partner to keep the girl silent. The girl, now a teenager, reported ongoing fear, nightmares, and difficulty trusting people. The case was adjourned pending a psychological report, and the man remains on bail until sentencing in May.
A man accused of murder told gardaí during interview that he stabbed another man three times outside Longford Shopping Centre in November 2016 because initial strikes with the knife proved ineffective, the Central Criminal Court heard. Rihards Lavickis, aged 26, originally from Latvia, with an address at Annaly Court in Longford, is charged with murdering Akadiusz Czajkowski, a 31-year-old Polish father-of-two. He has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. During his interviews with detective gardaí, the accused admitted carrying a knife that morning intending to confront the deceased over previous window damage to his apartment and alleged threats made against his family. The accused described the incident occurring in broad daylight near the shopping centre, stating the deceased ran backwards as he pursued him. The jury at the Central Criminal Court heard interview notes in which the accused acknowledged using greater force after his initial attempts proved unsuccessful. The State concluded its case, and the jury has been instructed to return Wednesday for further proceedings before Justice Michael White.
The murder trial of Rihards Lavickis, 26, continued at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Michael White. Lavickis, originally from Latvia, is charged with the murder of Akadiusz 'Arik' Czajkowski on 1st November 2016 at Rue Noyal Chatillon, Townspark, Longford. He has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. On the fourth day of the trial, the jury viewed CCTV footage showing the accused chasing the deceased while grasping a knife. Detective Sergeant Eric Godfrey testified that the footage depicted Lavickis running across the street with his right arm raised, holding an implement believed to be a knife. The jury also heard evidence regarding the previous convictions of both men; Lavickis had prior convictions for knife possession, dangerous driving, and drug supply, and had previously been sentenced to periods of imprisonment. Retired State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy testified that Czajkowski died from a single stab wound to the chest that penetrated his rib cage into his heart, causing fatal blood loss. She noted that both drugs and alcohol were present in the deceased's system. The trial continues.
In the Central Criminal Court, the prosecution presented evidence that an anonymous text message sent to Mary Lowry after her boyfriend Bobby "Mr Moonlight" Ryan went missing accused her of hiding something and threatened to watch her until she cracked. Garda Tony O'Brien detailed call logs from phones linked to Ryan and the accused, Patrick Quirke, and also from Lowry's phone, revealing the text in September 2011. The court heard that Ryan's body, found in an underground tank on Lowry's farm in 2013, had multiple fractures from at least four impacts, possibly from a road traffic accident or blunt blows. Dr Anthony Ryan's CT scan indicated severe head, facial, rib and femur injuries requiring significant force. Quirke, 50, pleaded not guilty to Ryan's murder, while the trial continues before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury.
Sam Maughan, 24, of Mount Brown, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a Stanley blade with intent to incapacitate a person at the Criminal Courts of Justice on 15 August 2018. He was arrested after security staff at the entrance detected a suspicious item in his bag, which he later discarded into a bin. A garda alerted to the knife's presence approached Maughan in the foyer and asked him to leave, suspecting a breach of peace. Maughan admitted he had brought the knife to attack a man seeking bail, who had been arrested for assaulting his sister's friend. He has 77 prior convictions, including knife possession, assault, drug and public order offences. Judge Melanie Greally accepted his guilty plea, noted the effectiveness of the screening machines, and acknowledged his difficult upbringing and ongoing efforts to address addiction and risk factors. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment.
Kevin Coughlan, aged 23, was sentenced to five years in prison for burglarising 17 occupied homes and stealing 13 cars, engagement rings, passports and other items between May 2016 and September 2017. He admitted stealing baby clothes, a baby's birth certificate and a marriage certificate during one burglary. Victims reported severe emotional distress, including sleeplessness and financial hardship, with a total economic loss exceeding €130,000. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the final two and a half years of the sentence on strict conditions, requiring Coughlan to engage with the Probation Service for 18 months and attend addiction counselling. He pleaded guilty, citing hunger, rent and a drug debt as motives, and expressed remorse in a letter to the court. The case was largely based on his admissions, with no violence reported during the burglaries. The judge noted his homelessness and drug addiction at the time of the offences.
The Special Criminal Court has heard that Michael Brady, 54, is the brother of Declan Brady, who was previously caught with 15 firearms and over 4,000 rounds of ammunition. Michael Brady, of Blackrock, Co Dublin, is currently on trial for allegedly possessing €1.5 million worth of cocaine, €1.26 million worth of heroin, an assault rifle, and more than 180 rounds of ammunition at a property in Sallins, Co Kildare, on January 24, 2017. He has pleaded not guilty to all nine counts on the indictment, including charges under Section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act and unlawful possession of a 7.62 x 39mm VZ 58 assault rifle and various ammunition. Prosecutors stated the Sallins property was under surveillance as part of a wider operation targeting Greenogue Business Park, where Declan Brady, Jonathan Harding, and James Walsh were arrested earlier that morning. Declan Brady pleaded guilty to possessing the firearms and ammunition at Greenogue and is awaiting sentence. Harding and Walsh were sentenced in January to ten and nine years' imprisonment, respectively, for possessing a "lethal arsenal." The trial has entered legal argument regarding the lawfulness of Michael Brady's arrest in Naas, where he allegedly provided a false name. The court is expected to rule on these issues on Friday before resuming the case.
A witness in a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court has testified that she feared for her family's safety following repeated attacks on their apartment in Longford. Sanita Rozkalna gave evidence on the third day of proceedings against Rihards Lavickis, aged 26, originally from Latvia and resident at Annaly Court, Longford. He is charged with murdering Akadiusz Czajkowski on 1st November 2016 at Townspark in the town. Lavickis has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Ms Rozkalna told the court that windows in the shared apartment had been smashed approximately five times before the killing. She stated she called gardaí twice on the morning of the incident as she believed someone was attempting to break in and felt her life and her child's were in danger. The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White.
In the moonlit trial of Patrick Quirke, a garda documents and handwriting expert examined an A4 page found in Quirke's home. Using an electrostatic detection device, the expert revealed indentations that, when developed, showed a series of fragmented notes. The visible text included phrases such as "dispose of clothes phone any other evidence," "Murdered poss in house," "Mary walk kids to school?" and "Mary had to see him, be with him." The expert noted that some indentations could have come from multiple pages and that extensive cross‑writing made it impossible to determine the exact number of notes. Quirke, aged 50, pleaded not guilty to the murder of part‑time DJ Bobby Ryan, who disappeared in 2011 and whose body was found in 2013. The trial also heard from solicitor Aidan Leahy, who represented Ms Lowry in 2012 regarding the termination of Quirke's lease on her land.
In a High Court decision on 12 March 2019, Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly refused Declan "Whacker" Duffy's application to appeal his extradition to Northern Ireland, ruling that the issue of a "no‑deal Brexit" does not constitute a point of law of exceptional public importance. Duffy, aged 44, had been serving a life sentence for the 1992 murder of Sergeant Michael Newman and had been released on licence in March 2013. He was re‑arrested in December 2015 and sentenced in 2016 to six years for false imprisonment. The court found no evidence supporting the defence's claims that Brexit or the Good Friday Agreement posed a risk to the legal system. Consequently, the judge declined to grant an appeal, affirming the extradition order. The decision emphasised that the extradition case remained a routine legal matter rather than one of exceptional public significance.
A man charged with murder at the Central Criminal Court has pleaded not guilty to the charge but guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State has rejected. Rihards Lavickis, aged 26 and with an address at Annaly Court in Longford, is accused of the murder of Akadiusz Czajkowski on 1st November 2016 at Townspark in Longford town. During the trial's second day, the accused's partner testified that the deceased had attacked him with a knuckle duster months prior and had damaged their apartment windows multiple times following a disputed drug debt of €300. She identified a knife recovered from their bedroom as the weapon believed used in the alleged stabbing outside a shopping centre. The witness stated the accused had told her he fought the deceased with a knife and stabbed him twice. Under cross-examination, she described the accused as someone who cared for their child, despite his involvement in drug dealing. The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury.
During a 2013 search of Patrick Quirke's home, Garda John Walsh found a handwritten note on an A‑4 sheet that mentioned Mary Lowry and the disappearance of Bobby Ryan. The note, which was underlined and read "Mary last one to see him" and "body naked, either murdered and clothes taken off or never left the house," also contained a series of questions directed at Mary Lowry about her actions on the day of Ryan's disappearance. Quirke, aged 50, has pleaded not guilty to Ryan's murder. Ryan vanished on 3 June 2011 after leaving Lowry's home and was found in an underground run‑off tank in April 2013. The prosecution alleges Quirke killed Ryan to rekindle an affair with Lowry, who is 52. The trial, before Justice Eileen Creedon and a twelve‑person jury, has also heard testimony about a hotel booking made under Quirke's name and the seizure of various electronic devices and physical evidence from Quirke's property.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, 22‑year‑old Eoin McKinley pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after a confrontation at Weatherspoon's, Westend Retail Park, Blanchardstown, on 30 May 2016. McKinley, who was 19 at the time, had been drinking with a friend when he overheard a group of men criticizing the loudness of his friends. He threw a glass at the group's table, which shattered on a fence, and then struck the victim's face with another glass. The victim suffered a broken nose and a scar on his left eyebrow. He claimed a €1,000 financial loss from medical bills and lost wages. McKinley had no prior convictions and was intoxicated during the incident. The judge described the assault as a "very serious glassing" and ordered a community service report, with the matter adjourned to 25 June.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing in Dublin, Michael Brady, aged 54, was charged with nine counts including possession of an assault rifle, ammunition and nearly €3 million worth of drugs. The indictment alleges that on 24 January 2017 Brady was found at Sallins Bridge, Co Kildare, with €1.5 million of cocaine, €1.26 million of heroin, a 7.62 × 39 mm VZ 58 assault rifle and over 180 rounds of ammunition. Brady was arrested after a traffic stop in Naas where he gave a false name, and was later rearrested under the Offences Against the State Act. He pleaded not guilty to all charges, including possession of the rifle, ammunition and the drugs for sale or supply. The case is being heard by Judges Paul Coffey, Gerard Griffin and David McHugh.
A garda giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court murder trial in Dublin heard the accused man say he would "get the fella" responsible for smashing his front window, just hours before a fatal stabbing occurred in Longford town. Garda Daniel Lynch responded to a report of criminal damage at a property in Annaly Court on 1st November 2016 at 9.10am. The defendant, Rihards Lavickis, then identified the person he believed responsible for the broken window. Within two hours, Garda Lynch was called to Longford Shopping Centre, where a man was found with stab wounds. The victim, Akadiusz Czajkowski, died in hospital. Mr Lavickis, originally from Latvia, stands charged with murder but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State rejected. His trial before Mr Justice Michael White continues with a jury of twelve.
The Special Criminal Court has adjourned the sentencing of Frank Murphy and Michael McDermott to April 1, remanding both men in custody. Murphy, 58, pleaded guilty in November 2018 to committing an act to impede the apprehension or prosecution of David Cullen, whom he allegedly believed was guilty of possessing a firearm. McDermott, 60, pleaded guilty to helping an unlawful organisation, identified as the IRA, murder Peter Butterly. The court heard evidence that Butterly was shot dead in a Meath car park in March 2013. David Cullen, who was originally charged with murder, pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of a semi-automatic pistol. His plea was accepted by the DPP, resulting in a nolle prosequi on the murder count. Cullen turned State's witness and was sentenced to seven years in prison, with three and a half years suspended, for the firearm possession. The court noted that four other men have already received life sentences for Butterly's murder. Neither Murphy nor McDermott has previous convictions. The judges, presiding over the non-jury court, indicated they will deliver their sentences on April 1.
The Central Criminal Court trial of Rihards Lavickis, a 26-year-old Latvian national residing in Longford, is ongoing before Mr Justice Michael White. Lavickis is accused of the murder of Polish man Akadiusz Czajkowski on 1st November 2016 at Rue Noyal Chatillon, Townspark. He has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Prosecutor Patrick McGrath outlined the State's case, alleging that Lavickis told gardai he intended to "sort out" the deceased the night before the killing, despite police advice against it. According to the prosecution, Lavickis subsequently armed himself with a knife and confronted Czajkowski near Longford Shopping Centre. CCTV footage reportedly shows Lavickis emerging from a concealed position and running toward the deceased with his arm raised, though the stabbing itself was not captured. There is no dispute that Lavickis stabbed Czajkowski three times outside a nearby shop; the victim died en route to hospital. Lavickis admitted to the stabbing when questioned by gardai. The prosecution argues that the evidence supports a finding of intent to kill or cause serious harm, which would mandate a murder verdict. The trial, expected to last approximately 10 days, continues with a jury of eight men and four women.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 31‑year‑old Graham Doyle pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault and one count of rape of a 13‑year‑old girl between August 2004 and March 2005. Doyle, who had previously been convicted of defiling a child in 2011, met the victim on a social networking site while claiming to be a teenager. He convinced her to keep their relationship secret, invited her to his home, and engaged her in sexualised truth‑or‑dare games. The abuse escalated to forced oral sex and two instances of sexual intercourse. The victim, who came forward in 2013, described being psychologically coerced and expressed deep trauma. The court adjourned sentencing for March 29, 2019, and Judge White emphasized that the victim was innocent and should not be blamed for the abuse.
Gardai seized computers, documents, a Ford pick‑up and trailer from Patrick Quirke's property less than three weeks after DJ Bobby "Mr Moonlight" Ryan's body was found in an underground run‑off tank on a farm owned by Ms Lowry and leased by Quirke. Quirke, 50, of Breanshamore, Co. Tipperary, pleaded not guilty to Ryan's murder. He had asked the Garda to show the warrant, after which he told them the media were wrong about finding Ryan's clothes and wallet in the tank and asked how Ryan died, to which the Garda replied they could not tell him. The search, authorised by a warrant from Tipperary District Court, began at 9.30 am and ended at 4.45 pm, with items seized from both the house and surrounding land. The trial, heard by Justice Eileen Creedon with a jury of twelve, continues.
A 26-year-old man proceeded to trial at the Central Criminal Court on charges of murdering another man in Longford in November 2016. Rihards Lavickis, with an address in Longford, is accused of the murder of a man at a location in Townspark on 1st November 2016. Mr Justice Michael White presided over jury selection, swearing in eight men and four women. The trial commenced this afternoon, with the judge indicating proceedings would likely span approximately ten days.
Michael Shine, aged 86, is awaiting the outcome of an appeal against his conviction for abusing two teenage boys in the mid‑1970s. He had pleaded not guilty to eight charges of indecent assault at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda between 1964 and 1991. In October 2017, a jury found him guilty of indecent assault on two 15‑year‑old patients; the 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, below the then‑maximum two‑year sentence. Counsel Hugh Hartnett SC argues the complaints were unusually orchestrated via media campaigns, all complainants used the same solicitor and psychiatrist, and the trial judge failed to address this. He also contends the judge improperly admitted evidence of civil settlements (€70k) to rebut claims of financial motivation, calling it prejudicial and lacking probative value.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on March 8, 2019, Michael Donohue, aged 20, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm for an attack on his ex‑girlfriend on November 11, 2017. Donohue was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended on the condition that he keep the peace, behave well and engage with Probation Services for 12 months after release. The court described how Donohue ran toward the woman while she was walking with her sister, grabbed her around the head and neck, struck her head against a wall, kicked her in the stomach and head, dragged her by the hair, and pushed her sister to the ground when she tried to intervene. The victim's impact statement noted cuts to her legs, a lump on her head, ongoing panic attacks and reluctance to leave her house. Donohue had no prior convictions and had accepted responsibility for his "monstrous" actions, presenting himself to Gardaí.
A man convicted of assaulting his former partner on two occasions has been sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following a breach of a protection order. John Paul Gantley, aged 35 and residing in Dublin, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm committed in May 2017. He received a three-year custodial sentence, with the final twelve months suspended. Upon his release from prison in November, Gantley contacted his former partner by telephone and text message, threatening violence and demanding to see their daughter, contrary to a court-ordered contact prohibition. He later appeared at her workplace in an intoxicated state and made further threats. In February, he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for breaching the protection order. At a subsequent hearing, the judge declined to activate the suspended portion of the original sentence, instead extending the suspension for a further two years with a renewed direction that Gantley have no contact with the injured party during that period.
Ross Outram, aged 28, was found guilty of murdering 90‑year‑old retired farmer Paddy Lyons, who was discovered dead in his own home. A jury of eight men and four women rejected Outram's claim that he struck Lyons in self‑defence after the pensioner, who had osteoporosis and only one arm, allegedly attacked him with a stick. The trial heard that Lyons' body lay slumped in his armchair, with blood smeared on his face and his penis exposed through his underpants. Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster testified that Lyons suffered multiple blows to his head and neck from a blunt weapon, with fractures of his hip joint, jawbone and ribs. Outram, who has 25 previous convictions including burglary and assault, was sentenced to life imprisonment, the mandatory term for murder, with the sentence back‑dated to the date he entered custody. The court noted that the jury had taken three hours and 29 minutes to reach a unanimous verdict. The unnamed 28-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In the murder trial of Ross Outram, a 28‑year‑old from Ferryland, the jury requested a re‑hear of evidence from two pathologists and to view clothing belonging to both the accused and the 90‑year‑old deceased farmer, Paddy Lyons. The jury had deliberated for 2 h 29 min and, after a note from the foreman, asked to see a grey hoodie that Outram owned and a grey hat that belonged to Lyons. Forensic scientist John Hoade testified that the hoodie had blood matching Lyons' DNA. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC highlighted that Outram had claimed Lyons was alive when he left the house, citing a grey hat found near Lyons' fireplace. The jury also sought to re‑hear Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster's findings on Lyons' injuries and a defence pathologist's report. They requested a picture of blood staining at Lyons' front door. Ross Outram pleaded not guilty.