Farmer Patrick Quirke, 50, of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court, having pleaded not guilty to the murder of DJ Bobby Ryan, known as Mr Moonlight. The prosecution alleges Quirke killed Ryan between June 3, 2011, and April 2013, to reunite with Ryan's girlfriend, Mary Lowry, with whom Quirke had previously had an affair. Ryan's body was found in a run-off tank on a farm leased by the accused in April 2013. During the trial, witness Siobhán Kinnane testified she was "80 per cent sure" a man she saw walking near her home on the morning of Ryan's disappearance matched a photo of the deceased. Another witness, bus driver Jim Cully, stated he was "almost certain" he saw Ryan's van driving away from the area where it was later found. Other witnesses reported seeing a van similar to Ryan's at Kilshane Woods car park. The trial continues before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Garda Richard O'Donnell was punched in the face by Willie Connors (42) while attempting to escort him into court. O'Donnell was knocked to the floor, suffered a permanent scar on his upper lip, and was unable to work for a week. The assault, the second in two weeks, prompted his wife to advise him to leave the job and avoid front‑line duties. O'Donnell expressed guilt for putting himself in danger and reported a loss of confidence in hostile situations, raising personal safety concerns for his family. Connors, from Bachelors Walk, pleaded guilty to assault on 10 October 2017. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the final 18 months of a three‑year sentence, conditional on anger‑management and victim‑focus work, and backdated the sentence to April 2018. The court noted Connors' 141 prior convictions and his history of drug abuse. The hearing focused on the assault and the sentencing decision.
A 55‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to ten charges of indecent assault against his younger brother, aged 11‑14, between September 1982 and October 1985. The court heard the abuse involved oral rape, touching the brother's penis and forcing him to masturbate. The assaults were habitual, occurring weekly or twice weekly in the family home while other members were present. The victim lived in dread and anxiety, especially after the final assault in October 1985, which he linked to the death of actor Rock Hudson. The judge, Melanie Greally, noted mitigating factors such as the accused's early guilty plea, remorse, and current responsible family life, and reduced an eight‑year headline sentence to a six‑year suspended sentence. The court recorded that the accused had no prior convictions and had lived abroad for over 30 years. The victim's impact statement described the lasting damage to his life and family.
In a murder trial in Kilkee, Kilkee, County Clare, Robbie Walsh, aged 23, pleaded not guilty to the killing of Karl Haugh, aged 25, on 6 August 2017. Witness Sam Lucey, Haugh's cousin, testified that he and Haugh confronted Walsh and two cousins near Haugh's house after a heated phone argument. Lucey claimed he had taken a golf club each and a knife from his kitchen, which fell out of his pocket when a Walsh approached with a metal bar. He denied that Haugh had a knife or that the knife came from the same set of knives seized by Gardaí. Under cross‑examination, Lucey admitted the fatal knife was from his kitchen and that he did not know who stabbed Haugh. Conor Murphy, a member of the group, said he saw the Walshs approaching "roaring and shouting" and that he did not see Walsh with a knife.
During a murder trial, bus driver Jim Cully testified that he almost certainly saw the van of the missing DJ known as Mr Moonlight driving away from the site where it was later found on the morning of June 3, 2011, the day Bobby Ryan went missing. Cully, who had given a Garda statement on June 5, described seeing the van moving at a normal speed from the direction of Annacarty toward Dundrum Village around 8.40 a.m. He could not identify the driver but noted a salute exchange that he believed was from Ryan. The van bore the Mr Moonlight sticker on its windscreen. Patrick Quirke, aged 50, is on trial for Ryan's murder, alleged to have been committed to regain Ryan's girlfriend. The case is before Justice Eileen Creedon with a 12‑person jury. The trial continues. Patrick Quirke pleaded not guilty.
Aaron Doran, a 32‑year‑old taxi driver, was sentenced to one year in prison for sexually assaulting a friend of his fiancée at the engagement party on 21 June 2015. The assault took place at Kilcarraig Close, Tallaght, after a night of heavy drinking. Doran entered the victim's bedroom, touched her vagina and demanded she show him her clit before leaving. The victim, who had waived anonymity, described the incident as traumatic and a betrayal of trust. Doran pleaded not guilty, claiming he was drunk and had mistaken the victim for his girlfriend. The judge noted his lack of acknowledgement of wrongdoing and the breach of trust, but suspended the final 18 months of a 2½‑year sentence, citing his good character and employment history. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Aaron Doran was convicted.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, 86‑year‑old retired surgeon Michael Shine pleaded not guilty to thirteen charges of indecent assault alleged to have occurred during medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda and two private clinics. Shine claimed he had "some senile dementia" and insisted that a nurse was always present during patient appointments, stating he saw about 18,000 patients a year. When questioned about a complainant's testimony that he groped a patient's genitals after a finger surgery, Shine denied the allegation, saying he had no memory of it and that he would never grope a patient. He also dismissed allegations of inappropriate examinations, such as masturbating a patient's penis during a rectal exam, calling them "nonsensical" and "crazy." The trial was set to continue the following day before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
Slaven Tokic, 40, was arrested after he punched Andy Lynch in the face at Dublin's Portobello Bar, claiming Lynch had laughed at his penis while he was urinating. Tokic said Lynch had pointed at him and laughed, and that they were both leaving the bathroom when the incident occurred. Lynch reported that Tokic punched him, knocking out two front teeth and splitting his lip. Tokic pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He has no prior convictions. The case was adjourned to February next year, with Tokic remanded on continuing bail. The judge considered a potential settlement of €4,000 with the victim and discussed future dental costs. Tokic is a Croatian national living in Ireland for five years, recently married, with an eight‑month‑old daughter and a new house. The court played CCTV footage showing Tokic swinging twice at Lynch, with one punch connecting with the face.
In February 2017, Dean Fitzpatrick, 26, assaulted David Curran on Grafton Street, causing a broken nose, three jaw fractures and a fracture above his eye. Curran required surgery, multiple stitches and spent seven months recovering, suffering nerve damage and losing several teeth. The assault left him traumatised, leading to a drop‑out from college and loss of his degree. Curran's victim impact statement, read by Antonia Boyle BL, detailed his mental health decline, social life disruption and ongoing physical injuries. Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to 25 July to allow Fitzpatrick to complete a residential drug treatment programme and ordered a probation report. Garda Paul Jordan recounted finding Curran with blood from nose and mouth, and that the incident followed a night out at a nightclub and McDonald's. Fitzpatrick's 70 prior convictions include assault, theft, public order and road traffic offences.
A 54‑year‑old Tipperary man was convicted of two counts of sexual assault and two counts of defilement of a child in 2014, after a jury found him guilty of abusing a 14‑year‑old schoolgirl in 2009 and 2010. He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment by Judge Thomas Teehan. The man appealed only on the ground that his lawyers should have been allowed to introduce text messages exchanged between the victim and a 13‑year‑old boy, which he claimed could undermine the girl's credibility. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, rejected the appeal, holding that the text messages did not meet the statutory threshold for admissibility and that the defence had no other evidence of penetration. The court noted that the victim had denied any sexual relationship with the boy and that the texts were not relevant to the conviction. The appeal was dismissed, leaving the six‑year sentence in place.
Tony Ward, 40, of Castlecurragh Park, Mulhuddart, Dublin, was convicted at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for endangerment, dangerous driving, assault causing harm and unlawful seizure of a vehicle. The offence occurred on 29 August 2017 between Dublin city centre and Finglas when Ward hijacked a taxi, threatened the driver with a knife, and forced the vehicle into a high‑speed chase that ended with the taxi colliding with two Garda cars. Garda Ciaran Garry was injured, suffering a large wound to his left arm that required 30 stitches. Ward pleaded guilty, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment, with the final 21 months suspended on the condition of good behaviour and compliance with probation for 12 months. He was also disqualified from driving for two years and credited for time already spent in custody.
A man accused of murdering a disc jockey known as Mr Moonlight knew of the existence of a tank where the victim's remains were discovered, the Central Criminal Court has heard. Patrick Quirke, aged 50, of Breanshamore in County Tipperary, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Bobby Ryan, aged 52, between June 2011 and April 2013. Mr Ryan disappeared in June 2011 and his body was found in a run-off tank on a farm at Fawnagowan, Tipperary, in April 2013. Prosecution evidence suggests Mr Quirke killed Mr Ryan to resume a relationship with the deceased's girlfriend. Witness testimony established that Mr Quirke was familiar with the tank's location, built in the late 1970s on the farm. A neighbour recalled seeing an unusual silver van—matching the type driven by Mr Ryan—parked on a nearby laneway the morning he went missing. The trial before Justice Eileen Creedon and jury continues at the Central Criminal Court.
During the murder trial of Robbie Walsh, a 23‑year‑old, the court heard that Karl Haugh, 25, had been admitted to Limerick University Hospital with a chest stab wound and was initially stable, sitting up and reassuring his family that he would be fine. An "unexpected chain of events" led to his condition deteriorating; he became unstable, required surgery, and was pronounced dead at 5.20 am after about an hour of resuscitation. The surgeon explained that Haugh had a leak of air into his left chest cavity and was in shock; a blood clot may have formed, causing a sudden bleed that could not be controlled. Witnesses described a brief fight at the Walsh estate, during which Haugh was stabbed, and the accused's cousins were present. The trial continues before Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury. Robbie Walsh pleaded not guilty. Karl Haugh pleaded not guilty.
In February 2019, Dr. Kevin Mulcahy, 61, stood trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for alleged sexual assault of a teenage patient in Mallow, County Cork, in 1995. He pleaded not guilty to the first charge and denied a second charge of assault between May and December 1996. The complainant, now 41, testified that she was 17 when she visited Dr. Mulcahy after a family death. She described being asked to undress, feeling uncomfortable as the doctor examined her breasts and pressed on them. She claimed he later sat with his legs apart, rocked her, and attempted to kiss her, saying he was "what a loving dad does to a child." The final alleged assault occurred in summer 1996 when the doctor exposed himself and touched her hand, offering to "teach" her. The case was heard by Judge Pauline Codd with a jury of twelve. The trial was scheduled to last a week.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 86‑year‑old retired surgeon Michael Shine pleaded not guilty to thirteen indecent assault charges linked to medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda and two private clinics. On the thirteenth day of the trial, Shine told the jury he had no memory of any of the seven complainants and denied any improper conduct during examinations. He explained that he began working at Lourdes in March 1964 and continued until 1995, and that he had written a paper on misdiagnosis of testicular torsion. Shine argued that touching testicles is necessary during such exams, that touching the penis is unavoidable, and that he could not have masturbated a young patient in a hospital bed. He also dismissed Bernadette Sullivan's campaign as "over, over the top." The trial was set to continue the next day before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
A Catholic priest in his seventies, whose identity is withheld for legal reasons, has filed a High Court application to halt his pending criminal trial for an alleged indecent assault that allegedly occurred in the mid‑1970s. The priest denies the single charge that he touched a ten‑year‑old girl while she was seated on his knee during a film shown on a projector, a scene that was witnessed by the girl's family and other people. He claims that the complainant's delayed complaint to the Gardai in 2015, and earlier complaints to a bishop in 2004 and to the girl's parents in the 1980s, have prejudiced his case. The priest argues that many witnesses who were present have died, preventing them from providing evidence that could aid his defence, and that this creates a real risk of an unfair trial.
During the murder trial of Gary Watson, a witness, Emma Cooney, testified that she heard a shout of "Smiley I think you killed him" the night a former soldier, Warren O'Connor, was stabbed to death on Hole in the Wall Road, Donaghmede. Cooney, who was at a restaurant in Swords on the evening of January 15, 2010, later drove to Louise Kinsella's apartment on the same street. She described a gathering that was not chaotic and had no loud music. Cooney observed that Mr. Woodcock, his partner Suzanne Martin, and their son entered the apartment with a take‑away. She reported a scuffle between two groups of men, knives being waved, and a "bang" heard a few minutes later. The witness stated she had spoken to the Gardaí before returning home that night. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Michael White, continues on Wednesday. Gary Watson pleaded not guilty.
Petru Pinto, a 50‑year‑old former professional footballer from Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to reckless assault causing harm after a five‑a‑side match on 16 November 2012. The incident occurred at Ellenfield Park, Santry, when Pinto, during a heated verbal exchange with Paul Ceusan, ran toward him and jumped with his knees raised. Pinto's knees struck the side of Ceusan's torso, causing Ceusan to fall and suffer a Grade 4 renal injury, commonly called a "split kidney". Ceusan required a stent and has since lost 25 % of kidney function, suffers high blood pressure, incurred €1,350 in medical costs and was unable to work for about 20 weeks. The court heard that the original charge of intentional assault failed to reach a verdict, leading to the amended reckless assault indictment. Pinto, who works as a painter and decorator and has sole custody of his 17‑year‑old son, has prior minor traffic convictions.
John Shaw, a 73-year-old English national serving a life sentence for murders committed in 1976, has been granted an extension of time to appeal a High Court decision at the Court of Appeal. Shaw has been in Irish custody since September 1976, when he and Geoffrey Evans were arrested for the abduction, rape, torture and murder of two women in Wicklow and Mayo. Both men received life sentences in February 1978. In 2016, the Parole Board recommended Shaw be granted two days of escorted temporary release annually, a recommendation the Minister for Justice declined to support. Shaw's legal challenge to that decision was dismissed by the High Court in March, though the presiding judge noted the Minister's reasoning was inadequate. At today's hearing, President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham approved the late filing of Shaw's appeal, accepting that he had formed clear intention to appeal within the required timeframe.
Keith Harris, 42, of Seville Place, Dublin, was convicted of assault causing harm after stabbing his former partner's 18‑year‑old son, Darrell Hutch, in the stomach during an argument over drinking. The incident occurred on the morning of 30 August 2016 when Harris, who was heavily intoxicated, entered the home, shouted at the son, and then pulled a knife from his tracksuit and jabbed it near the belly button. He fled and was later found asleep in a nearby flat. Harris pleaded not guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court but was found guilty by a jury on 21 November 2018. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to four and a half years' imprisonment, suspending the final six months on the condition that he keep the peace, behave well, and follow probation directions for six months after release. The case highlighted Harris's 18 prior convictions, none of which were for violent crime.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 28‑year‑old Robbie Walsh of Island View, Kilrush, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 25‑year‑old Karl Haugh, nicknamed Gobble, who was killed on 6 August 2017 at the Marian Estate in Kilkee. Prosecutor Patrick Gageby SC presented a narrative that on the Saturday of the August Bank Holiday, Walsh and his cousins Mitchell and Clinton were socialising in Kilkee. Phone calls recorded between the cousins and Haugh suggested a hostile encounter. Gageby alleged that after a brief altercation involving a vandalised Passat, Walsh stabbed Haugh in the back with a knife, causing a single penetrating wound that sliced a rib and lung, leading to Haugh's death at University Hospital Limerick. Walsh was arrested the next day, freely admitted the stabbing and expressed remorse. The trial, before Justice Carmel Stewart, continues with a jury of five women and seven men.
At the Central Criminal Court, the son of Bobby Ryan told how he encountered Mary Lowry at her farm on the morning his father vanished in June 2011. Robert Ryan Junior said Ms Lowry appeared visibly shaken and upset, and he sensed immediately that something was wrong. He noted her behaviour seemed designed to hurry him away from the property. Patrick Quirke, aged 50 from Breanshamore, County Tipperary, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Ryan between June 2011 and April 2013. Mr Ryan's body was discovered in a waste tank on a farm at Fawnagown that Ms Lowry owned and Mr Quirke leased. The deceased's daughter, Michelle Ryan, a DJ herself, described finding her father's Citroen van in Breansha Wood after he failed to appear for work. She noted the vehicle's condition suggested her father had not been the last person to drive it. The trial before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon continues before a jury.
Kevin Braney, 44, of Tallaght, Dublin, was found guilty by the Special Criminal Court of the premeditated murder of dissident republican Peter Butterly. The three-judge panel, presided over by Mr Justice Paul Coffey, concluded beyond reasonable doubt that Braney was involved in the organisation and planning of the killing, which occurred outside The Huntsman Inn, Gormanston, Co Meath, in March 2013. Mr Butterly, 35, was chased and shot dead in view of students waiting for a school bus. Braney had pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. The court accepted evidence from State's witness David Cullen, who testified that Braney attended a meeting at Cullen's Balbriggan flat the night before the shooting, where the plan was discussed. Circumstantial evidence further linked Braney to the location and the other perpetrators. The court noted that Edward McGrath, Sharif Kelly, and Dean Evans have already received life sentences for the same murder. In a separate 2018 proceeding, Braney was sentenced to four years after being found guilty of IRA membership by the Special Criminal Court. Following today's verdict, the convicted man was remanded in custody until Friday, when he will be sentenced.
Michael Ward, 19, of Co Longford, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to criminal damage, assault causing harm, and assault while attempting to commit theft at Oberstown Children's Detention Campus in Lusk, Co Dublin, on May 29, 2017. The court heard that Ward is currently serving a four-year sentence, with the final 12 months suspended, for prior criminal damage offences at the same facility. Prosecution evidence alleged that Ward assaulted a staff member, barricaded himself in an office with other youths, and struck Campus Director Pat Bergin in the head with a metal bar. Ward and two others allegedly used an angle grinder to cut through the campus fence to escape, causing €17,135 in damage. Ward has 56 previous convictions. Judge Patricia Ryan noted that Ward minimised his actions and ordered a governor's report and a probation report to be prepared. The matter was adjourned for sentencing to March 22 of this year.
Brendan Heaney, 51, was sentenced to 16 months in prison after a Garda search of his Kimmage home uncovered a large quantity of drugs, including 395 g of heroin and various prescription tablets. He admitted to storing and supplying these drugs for a Finglas-based gang after his daughter, a recovering crack cocaine addict, was threatened by dealers who said they would kill her. Heaney claimed he was forced into the activity to protect his daughter, who had accrued €26,000 in debt to the gang and had been threatened with violence. He had previously received a five‑year sentence in the UK for drug possession. Judge Martin Nolan, acknowledging Heaney's circumstances and his lack of profit from the operation, reduced the mandatory minimum of ten years to a 16‑month custodial term. The sentence was deferred until early this year at the request of his defence counsel. Brendan Heaney pleaded guilty.
In the murder trial of Gary Watson, Richard Grant, a witness, testified that he and his friend Warren O'Connor were at a party on 15 January 2010 when they entered Philip Woodcock's apartment. Grant described seeing knives and a red‑haired man, and he says he grabbed knives in a reflexive act, later giving one to a friend. He recounts a chaotic scene involving a Honda Civic and a Ford Focus, a fight with Woodcock, and a black‑haired driver. Grant claims he saw O'Connor lying on his left side with a snapped knife between neck and collarbone, and that he wrapped his top around the knife to stop the bleeding. He says he tried to keep O'Connor awake by reassuring him and holding his hand, but O'Connor had no pulse. The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury. Gary Watson pleaded not guilty. Warren O'Connor pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution's case has closed in the trial of retired surgeon Michael Shine, 86, who is accused of groping boys during medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda and two private clinics. He pleaded not guilty to thirteen charges of indecent assault. The trial will continue tomorrow before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
During the murder trial of Gary Watson for the 2010 killing of Warren O'Connor, witness Philip Woodcock testified that he had intended to "beat the bollocks out" of the driver of a Honda Civic that rammed his Ford Focus. Woodcock, aged 34, said he had cut the power fuse in his apartment building to end a noisy party and then drove to a garage. He later returned with four friends, including O'Connor, and a fight broke out when the Honda Civic attempted to overtake the Focus. Woodcock claimed he was not trying to cause serious trouble, denied firing bottles, and admitted he had lied to Gardaí about a knife in the car, calling himself a "scumbag" for that night. He also denied assaulting Watson and producing a knife to intimidate others. The trial is ongoing before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury. Gary Watson pleaded not guilty.
In the third day of the murder trial, 52‑year‑old Mary Lowry denied asking a relative of the deceased whether Gardaí could detect a body in a car boot. She said she is a "kind, decent person" and wants to "solve this murder mystery". Lowry was questioned about a phone call she made to Ann Stapleton on 5 June 2011, after Bobby Ryan's disappearance, in which Stapleton asked if Gardaí could tell if a body had been in a car. Lowry said she never mentioned a body in the boot. She also denied telling "devious" lies or trying to portray Patrick Quirke in a bad light. During cross‑examination she reiterated that she told the truth to the best of her memory and that she was a young widow with three small children when she began an affair with Quirke. The judge adjourned the trial for the next day. Patrick Quirke pleaded not guilty.
During the trial of retired surgeon Michael Shine, who pleaded not guilty to thirteen charges of indecent assault at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital and two private clinics in Drogheda, a medical expert, former consultant surgeon Richard Stevens, testified. Stevens, who now teaches at the Royal College of Surgeons, had examined the medical records of all seven complainants and was aware of their allegations. He told the court that there was no reasonable reason for Shine to examine the genitals of a patient who had undergone finger surgery, as alleged. Stevens described the allegations that Shine masturbated a 13‑year‑old to ejaculation as "incredible" and said he was "quite shocked" by the whole thing. He explained that normal practice involves examining testicles after surgery for testicular torsion, but there is no medical basis for a surgeon to masturbate a patient's penis, nor to examine a child's genitals in the absence of a parent.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, 35‑year‑old Gary Watson is accused of killing 24‑year‑old Warren O'Connor on 16 January 2010. Watson, who lives on Millbrook Avenue, Kilbarrack, pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. He also denies assaulting 34‑year‑old Philip Woodcock and using a knife to intimidate another person. Woodcock, an apprentice electrician and former soldier, gave evidence describing the events on the night of 15 January. He said he heard shouting and music from a neighbour's apartment, cut the building's power, and later met with friends who were allegedly waiting for him. Woodcock claimed that a man in a Russell Athletic hoodie struck him, and that he and his friends were attacked by men in a Honda Civic who tried to run him over. Woodcock testified that Warren O'Connor was stabbed, bleeding from the chest, and died after failing to respond to attempts to make him blink.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Mark Doyle (34) and Patrick Farrelly (32) were given suspended prison sentences after they damaged The Village Inn in Clondalkin. The pair had been thrown out for drunkenness, refused to leave, and then returned to the pub, smashing heaters, picture frames and vodka bottles. Farrelly punched bar staff member Patrick McCarthy, breaking his jaw, while Doyle assaulted pub manager Alan McKenzie. Both men pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and criminal damage on 9 September 2012. Judge Melanie Greally suspended an 18‑month term for Doyle, noting his remorse, and a two‑year term for Farrelly, citing his alcohol abuse but efforts to address it. Each man paid €2,200 as a token of remorse. No further Garda attention has been reported since the incident.
Patrick Quirke writes a letter to a woman named Patricia, confessing that he has made a mess of his life and needs help moving forward. He explains that four years ago his best friend, who was also his wife's cousin, died, leaving a wife and young children. Quirke says he tried to support the friend's family and became involved in the friend's business, which led to an affair with the friend's wife. He claims the affair lasted three years and ended abruptly when he discovered she was seeing someone else. Quirke says she told him she had fallen out of love and was waiting for an opportunity to end "us." He says she has moved on, introduced a new lover to the family, and that he is left broken‑hearted and angry. He says he has been diagnosed with depression and that his wife is supportive but he is not in love with her.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, Gary Watson, aged 35, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Warren O'Connor, 24, which occurred on 16 January 2010 at Hole in the Wall Road, Donaghmede. Prosecutor James Dwyer SC presented evidence that a noise dispute at a neighbouring apartment led to an altercation involving Watson, the Coyles, and O'Connor. The confrontation escalated in the car park, where Watson allegedly brandished a knife. Witnesses, including a neighbour named Mr Foy, testified that Watson shouted "get that into you" as he stabbed O'Connor. Pathology confirmed a fatal stab wound to the neck. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Michael White, is expected to continue for over two weeks with a jury of twelve. The prosecution seeks to prove Watson's guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The case remains in the early trial stage.
In the Central Criminal Court, Patrick Quirke, aged 50, denies murdering Bobby Ryan, a DJ known as Mr Moonlight, who was found dead in a run‑off tank on Fawnagowan farm in April 2013. Witness Mary Lowry, 52, testified that Quirke wrote a letter to an agony aunt, published in the Sunday Independent in 2011, admitting he had fallen in love with a woman who later cheated on him. Lowry also claimed Quirke stole underwear from her clothes line and that CCTV footage from December 2012 showed him on her property. She said she confronted him, he admitted writing the letter, and that he had no one else to turn to. Lowry's testimony also covered her relationship with Quirke, her feelings of being manipulated, and her statements to Gardaí in 2011. The trial continues with cross‑examination scheduled for the next day.
Stephen Browner, aged 36, received a suspended 20‑month prison sentence for eight counts of sexual assault against a girl aged eight to ten while he was a teenager between December 1997 and December 1999. The court heard Browner admitted guilt and expressed remorse, describing intense feelings of shame. Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin noted the victim's lasting sadness and the impact on her view of love. Browner was ordered to complete all Probation Service treatment programmes, including victim‑awareness training, and to inform future partners of his sex‑offender register status. He was found to be a minor at the time of the offences, 14 to 16 years old, and was considered a low risk of re‑offending. The judge emphasised that Browner had not yet taken concrete steps such as counselling. The victim's family had reported the abuse in 2016, and Browner's apology letter was rejected by the victim's family. Stephen Browner pleaded guilty.
The trial of retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 86, is in legal argument before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury. Shine has pleaded not guilty to thirteen charges of indecent assault, alleged to have occurred during medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda and at two private clinics in Drogheda. The jury is set to return tomorrow.
Jason Tuite, aged 20, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a knife with intent to cause injury after providing a flick knife to his cousin, Alan Tuite, who used it to slash a Luas passenger, Sebastian Rostas, at Rialto Luas Stop on 3 July 2017. Tuite also faced an additional assault charge. He received a two‑year prison sentence, with the final two and a half years suspended under strict conditions, including 12 months of Probation Service supervision upon release. Alan Tuite, aged 28, was sentenced to five years, with 18 months suspended, for assault and knife production. The court noted Tuite was 17 at the time and acted under his cousin's influence. The case involved CCTV evidence of the attack and the subsequent arrest of Alan Tuite. The victim incurred significant medical costs and ongoing anxiety. The judge highlighted the distinction between the two men and the role of the knife provision.
A 16‑year‑old boy pleaded guilty to five counts of oral rape and 44 counts of sexual assault against his eight‑year‑old half‑sister between 1 September 2016 and 31 January 2017. He admitted to removing her clothes, masturbating while looking at her, penetrating her vagina with his fingers, placing his penis in her mouth, and rubbing his penis on her vagina and anus, but denied penetrating either. He said he was copying what he had seen on the pornographic website PornHub. The mother discovered the abuse on 30 January 2017 when she entered the living room and found her son inappropriately touching her daughter. She filed a complaint, and the boy was arrested. In court, she described the shock and horror of discovering her daughter's innocence had been violated, and she expressed grief for both her daughter and her son.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, a 67‑year‑old former primary school teacher was convicted of 15 counts of indecent assault and three counts of sexual assault against five pupils between 1972 and 1998. He denied the allegations. The judge sentenced him to three years imprisonment, consecutive to a ten‑year term for raping and abusing a female relative. On appeal, the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction, finding the trial satisfactory. Justice Isobel Kennedy rejected the defence's arguments that the indictment should have been severed, that evidence from one victim was prejudicial, and that missing roll books warranted an acquittal. She noted commonalities among the allegations, such as the victims' ages, their status as pupils, and the teacher's role, and dismissed the appeal. The conviction remains in force.
Mary Lowry, aged 50, is testifying in the trial of Patrick Quirke, who is accused of murdering 52‑year‑old Bobby Ryan between June 2011 and April 2013. Lowry describes her relationship with Quirke as a "seedy affair" that began after her husband's death in 2007. She says Quirke, a farmer married to her late husband's sister, helped her with farm work and finances, and they became intimate in early 2008. Lowry claims Quirke was controlling, demanding money, and physically aggressive when she refused. She says she ended the affair in summer 2010 to focus on her children. In 2010 she began a relationship with Ryan, who was later reported missing. Lowry states she has no knowledge of Ryan's disappearance and that Quirke has no involvement. She will continue to give evidence before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury tomorrow. Patrick Quirke pleaded not guilty. Mary Lowry pleaded not guilty.
A man arrested on a European Arrest Warrant faces extradition proceedings in the High Court over allegations connected to a 1972 bombing in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. John Downey, aged 67, is wanted by Northern Irish authorities to stand trial for the murder of two British Army soldiers and aiding and abetting an explosion on 25 August 1972 on the Irvinestown Road. The device killed Lance Corporal Alfred Johnston and Private James Eames. Mr Downey was arrested at his home in Creeslough, County Donegal, in November. His counsel argued that extradition would be unfair, citing concerns about the integrity of evidence, the death of key prosecution witnesses, and a previous direction against prosecution issued in 1985. The defence also referenced controversies surrounding Mr Downey's involvement in an earlier case regarding the 1982 Hyde Park bombing. The Minister for Justice's counsel countered that fairness could be remedied through proper legal process. Justice Aileen Donnelly reserved judgment.
Liam O'Dwyer, 45, of Capparoe, Adare, Co. Limerick, was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for eight counts of sexual assault, four counts of rape and one count of oral rape after a retrial. The offences occurred in his then partner's bedroom between October 1996 and December 2001, when the victim was aged 12 to 17. O'Dwyer denied the charges. Witnesses described him as obsessed with the girl, calling the house repeatedly and insisting on knowing her whereabouts. The victim, who later struggled with drug addiction and PTSD, gave a victim impact statement describing ongoing fear and trauma. The judge noted O'Dwyer was groomed into submission and, despite his denial, imposed the sentence and ordered three years of post‑release supervision. The court heard he had six prior convictions, including assault and false imprisonment. The victim's partner remains supportive of O'Dwyer's innocence.
A man charged with murder in County Sligo will face trial for a third time in November 2019 after his previous trial collapsed at the Central Criminal Court. Keith Brady, of Cartron Estate in Sligo, was tried in connection with the death of Martin Matt Kivlehan at New Apartments, Holborn Street, Sligo in August 2015. Mr Brady pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Justice Carmel Stewart discharged the jury after an RTE Prime Time segment aired while jurors were deliberating. The defence barrister argued the programme had undermined the provocation defence, and five jurors subsequently watched the broadcast. Justice Stewart criticised what she termed a "parallel justice system in the court of public opinion" operating without regard to trial proceedings. The new trial is scheduled to commence on 4 November 2019 and is expected to last approximately two weeks.
Patrick Quirke, 50, of Breanshamore, Co. Tipperary, is on trial for the murder of 52‑year‑old Bobby Ryan, who was found dead in a disused waste tank on a farm at Fawnagowan between June 2011 and April 2013. Quirke has pleaded not guilty. The Central Criminal Court will hear evidence tomorrow, after a day of no evidence, following a jury visit to the farm last Friday. The trial is expected to last up to eight weeks.
Desmond Coyle, 60, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for the manslaughter of 58‑year‑old Calo Carpaci, an "annoying" Romanian beggar, on 24 May 2017. Coyle left his Limerick home, drank at two pubs, then armed with a knife sought Carpaci. Unable to find him, Coyle entered Carpaci's home, stabbed him in the heart, and fled. CCTV captured the 13‑second assault. Coyle later told authorities he believed Carpaci deserved the death and that Carpaci had "stopped f***ing annoying me." Judge Michael White described the killing as "entirely needlessly" and "at the upper end of the scale" for manslaughter. Coyle had no prior convictions, had pleaded guilty to manslaughter before trial, and expressed remorse. The judge noted Coyle's civil demeanour but imposed the sentence for the serious nature of the crime. The eight‑year term is effective from 12 December 2018.
Joseph Hillen was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court today for the manslaughter of 53-year-old Martin Mulligan, who was killed at Carnmore, Balriggan, Dundalk, Co Louth, on September 28, 2015. A jury previously found Hillen not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon stated the killing fell in the upper-mid range of such offences, setting a headline sentence of ten years. Considering mitigating factors, including Hillen's offer to plead guilty, his stable employment, lack of previous violent convictions, and expressed remorse, she reduced the sentence to seven years. The final year was suspended on conditions of good behaviour, keeping the peace, and engaging with probation services. Hillen, of Glendasha Road, Forkhill, Co Armagh, was assessed as a moderate risk of re-offending. The court noted the jury accepted his claim of self-defence but found he used excessive force. Outside court, Martin Mulligan's daughter Shauna Mulligan stated the justice system had failed the family, calling the outcome unfair. His wife Grainne described the family as devastated, while his other daughter Sharon noted the family's grief. The family expressed that they felt the legal process did not adequately reflect the severity of the loss.
The trial of retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 86, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court involves thirteen charges of indecent assault allegedly committed during medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda and two private clinics. Shine pleaded not guilty. On the seventh day of the trial, Detective Garda Seamus Nolan informed the court that he had no dealings with the support group Dignity 4 Patients, but was aware that the group had referred people to Gardaí. He explained that Dignity 4 Patients is a support group for victims of medical abuse and that any campaign it ran was a matter of the group's own initiative. Nolan noted that Gardaí did not attend the group's meetings and that he had not examined the group's website. He met with Shine after the complainants had made statements to Gardaí, and Shine had prepared a statement denying all allegations.
Paschal Kelly, aged 53, of Cootehill, County Cavan, has been convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of false imprisonment, robbery, and threatening to kill three women during a tiger kidnapping in September 2014. The convictions relate to the abduction of postmistress Susan Lawlor, her daughter Emma Carter, and an Italian student from their Malahide home, followed by a €92,000 robbery at Bayside Post Office in Sutton. Kelly was also found guilty of possessing a stolen vehicle. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial extended to nine weeks. DNA evidence recovered from items at the scene linked Kelly to the offence. The court heard of his sixty previous convictions, including assault, robbery, and road traffic offences. Sentencing has been adjourned to the following week, with Kelly remanded in custody. The three women's victim impact statements were submitted but their contents were not disclosed in court at their request.
Nathan Foley, a 20‑year‑old "gillie" who assisted a criminal organiser in the 2016 murder of David Douglas, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court. Foley admitted in November 2017 that he had helped facilitate the murder, an offence under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, which carries a maximum penalty of fifteen years. He was found to have driven a Mitsubishi Mirage used in the killing, had scouted the area, placed a petrol can in the getaway car, and supplied phones later discovered in that vehicle. The court noted Foley was not involved in planning but acted as a runner for the main organiser, who had already been dealt with by the court. Mitigating factors included his young age, limited cognitive ability, and guilty plea, leading to a six‑year sentence back‑dated to December 2017.