In the Central Criminal Court trial of Stephen Tynan, 41, and Raymond Fitzgerald, 37, the brother of Andrew Guerrine, the man stabbed to death in 2015, identified the accused on CCTV footage. Paul Guerrine showed stills from a dark‑coloured hatchback that stalled at a petrol station on Fortunestown Way at 5.20 am on 22 May 2015. He recognised Fitzgerald and Tynan, stating he had known Fitzgerald for over 20 years and that he and Tynan were first cousins. The trial heard that Guerrine's body, found on Steelstown Lane in Rathcoole early on 23 May, bore 20 stab wounds, two penetrating his skull and spine. Both men pleaded not guilty to the murder of Guerrine's cousin. The court considered the CCTV evidence as part of the proceedings.
A man convicted of murdering a Romanian national at a brothel in Cavan six years ago is awaiting the outcome of his appeal against conviction at the Court of Appeal. Przemyslaw Trebacz, a Polish national aged 39, of Bramble Rise, Killynebber, Cavan, received a mandatory life sentence in February 2014 after a Central Criminal Court jury returned a majority guilty verdict for the killing of Costel Catalin Cretu on 13 or 14 October 2012 at Connolly Court, Cavan. Trebacz maintained his innocence regarding the murder charge, though he admitted criminal damage. His defence argued he sought services as a customer, while the prosecution contended he and another man attended to commit robbery. The appeal challenged the trial's adequacy, questioning the judge's direction to the jury and the reliability of a key female witness. The Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel cited corroborating evidence from a taxi driver. The Court of Appeal reserved judgment. Przemyslaw Trebacz pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court heard the murder trial of 32‑year‑old Renars Veigulis, who pleaded not guilty to the death of his 29‑year‑old partner, Rita Apine, at their Freshford home on 14 May 2017. Veigulis had told gardaí that Apine had fallen down the stairs, but a post‑mortem revealed severe blunt‑force injuries inconsistent with a fall. Forensic evidence showed blood spatter on the scene and on Veigulis's clothing that did not match a simple fall, and investigators noted that blood had been wiped from a wall before paramedics arrived. The court heard that Veigulis maintained his version of events during garda interviews, while the forensic team and the post‑mortem findings contradicted his account. The trial is proceeding before Justice Tara Burns.
During a Central Criminal Court hearing on 13 November 2018, Stephen Tynan (41) of Deerpark Lodge, Kiltipper, Tallaght, and Raymond Fitzgerald (37) of Knockmore Grove, Killinarden, Tallaght, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Andrew Guerrine, Tynan's cousin, who was found dead on Steelstown Lane, Rathcoole, on 23 May 2015. Guerrine's body had 20 stab wounds, two penetrating his skull and spine. Tynan testified that he last saw Guerrine the week before the murder, when Guerrine stayed overnight at Tynan's apartment and later left to collect €80. Tynan described a confrontation in which Guerrine allegedly injected drugs; Tynan claimed he struck Guerrine in response. Tynan characterised Guerrine as a "real soft lad" who was not violent but "always wheeling and dealing." The trial continued later that day.
The Central Criminal Court heard the trial of Stephen Tynan, 41, and Raymond Fitzgerald, 37, both from Tallaght, who have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Andrew Guerrine, Mr Tynan's first cousin. Guerrine's body was discovered on Steelstown Lane, Rathcoole, early on 23 May 2015, with 20 stab wounds, two penetrating his skull and spine. Garda Eamon O'Neill testified that he escorted the body to the mortuary and that the deceased's sister identified him. Items taken from Guerrine included earphones, a gold chain, a letter, €350 in cash, and a box of tablets. The cash was found in his sock and the tablets in his hoodie. Forensic scientist John Power identified the tablets as 96 Zopiclone, a tranquiliser similar to Diazepam, though not then a controlled drug. A witness had told the Gardaí that Guerrine was on his way to sell 3000 Diazepam tablets on the night he disappeared. The trial continues.
Sean Healy, a 28‑year‑old from Beechpark, Cahir, withdrew an appeal against a €20,000 compensation order after the Court of Appeal warned that custody could be reconsidered if he proceeded. Healy had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to former hackney driver John Bailey in March 2017. Bailey, who had run a hackney in the Burncourt area, ended his business after the assault. Healy received a wholly suspended three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence and was ordered to pay €20,000, with a two‑year payment period. His barrister sought to limit the appeal to the compensation order, citing the amount's burden. The Court of Appeal's President, Mr Justice George Birmingham, reminded the counsel that all aspects of the sentence, including the suspended term, could be considered, potentially bringing custody back into play. Following this, Healy chose to withdraw the appeal.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, Desmond 'Des' Duffy, aged 70, is accused of murdering his partner, Desmond 'Dessie' Sullivan, aged 59, at their home in Somerville Park, Rathmines, on 23 May 2016. A friend, Lois Farrell, testified that Duffy was a "big soft teddy bear" and a gentleman, describing him as intelligent but lacking confidence, often submissive and quiet when Sullivan, who she said was the boss in the relationship, was drunk. Farrell recalled that Sullivan would put Duffy down, interrupt him, and become rude and disrespectful. She noted that Duffy never raised his voice or fought back. Duffy pleaded not guilty, claiming self‑defence. State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy explained that Sullivan died from neck compression causing oxygen deprivation, with petechiae around the eyes suggesting pressure applied for a few seconds. The prosecution's evidence was concluded, and the jury was instructed to return on Wednesday.
A 32‑year‑old man, Renars Veigulis of Old Bridge Street, Freshford, is set to go on trial in the Central Criminal Court for the murder of 29‑year‑old Rita Apine on or about 14 May 2017. He pleaded not guilty. A jury of five women and seven men has been empanelled. The trial is expected to last three weeks.
An Estonian man, Imre Arakas, 59, pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court to conspiring to murder James Gately in Northern Ireland between 3 and 4 April last year. The court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt with Judges Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin and Cormac Dunne, accepted his plea and vacated a previously scheduled trial date. Arakas was remanded in custody until 30 November, when sentencing will occur. A governor's report was ordered, and a European Arrest Warrant from Lithuania was endorsed for charges pending there.
During the murder trial of Stephen Tynan and Raymond Fitzgerald, evidence was presented that a child's blue jacket was found under the body of Andrew Guerrine, the deceased, in a car linked to the case. The jacket was discovered at the feet of Guerrine's body, which lay on its back with arms outstretched, and a photo of Guerrine's left foot on the jacket was shown to the jury. Detective Sergeant Tom Power described the scene and held the jacket for the jury. Darren Finnegan testified that he sold a black Peugeot 307 to Tynan and another man on 22 May 2015, and that he had left documents, a baby's car seat and jackets belonging to his own children in the car. He identified the jacket as belonging to his son. The trial continues with the State's case nearly concluded. Stephen Tynan pleaded not guilty. Raymond Fitzgerald pleaded not guilty.
Tony Walsh, a former "singing" priest aged 64, will be sentenced in December for indecently assaulting a teenage boy in 1983. He has already been serving a seven‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for raping another boy three times in the 1980s, with a crucifix used in one of those assaults. Walsh pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the 1983 charge. Garda John Barrett described the incident: the boy, who had been drunk, woke up naked and in pain with Walsh on top of him in a single bed; Walsh allegedly inserted his penis into the boy's anus for a "split second". The victim reported a "stabbing pain" and later turned to drinking. A victim impact report was filed but not read. Walsh's defence argued that his guilty plea spared the victim from testifying and highlighted a long delay in the case.
Karl Zambra, 31, of St Teresa's Gardens, Dublin, pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of drugs for sale or supply after an undercover operation on 18 August 2014. Two plain‑clothes Gardaí entered St Teresa's Gardens to see if they would be offered drugs. Zambra and another man were on the steps when the Gardaí approached; they spoke briefly before Zambra signalled to the other man and said, "Them boys are okay, sort them out?" The Gardaí then purchased €40 of cocaine. Zambra gave them his brother's mobile number and told them to call it to "sort themselves out" in the future. The Gardaí believed Zambra was "directing" the drug operations. He was not arrested until almost a year later to preserve the undercover operation's cover. Zambra has 77 previous convictions, including drug misuse, burglary, dangerous driving, drunk driving and a violent disorder offence in a Garda station.
The trial of Stephen Tynan (41) and Raymond Fitzgerald (37) for the murder of Andrew Guerrine, Tynan's cousin, is ongoing in the Central Criminal Court. Guerrine's body was found on Steelstown Lane, Rathcoole, with 20 stab wounds, two penetrating his skull and spine. The jury heard technical evidence about mobile phone use and a burnt car in Tallaght. A Peugeot 307, whose engine number matched one allegedly bought by Tynan, was found burnt in Barley Fields, Killinarden. Mechanic Thomas Menton testified about the car's fire, removal, and subsequent calls from an unknown number. Garda Ronan O'Malley identified the car's registration and engine number, confirming it matched the one photographed by Menton. Darren Finnegan testified that he sold the Peugeot to Tynan and another man on 22 May 2015. The jury heard this evidence in the morning; the trial continues this afternoon. Stephen Tynan pleaded not guilty. Raymond Fitzgerald pleaded not guilty.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, two men have been sentenced for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman while she lay asleep in a private room at a nightclub in Swords, Dublin in July 2017. Joshua Sykes, of Ardlo Manor, Mullagh, County Cavan, and Adam McCabe, of Clusker Park, Navan, County Meath, both pleaded guilty to the offence. Each received a three-year sentence, with the final eighteen months suspended. Judge Cormac Quinn described the case as shocking, noting the woman was vulnerable at the time and had been preyed upon. CCTV footage showed the assault occurring over five minutes while the woman remained unresponsive. Both men, who were attending a birthday party, claimed memory loss but were identified on camera. In a victim impact statement, the woman detailed ongoing psychological harm, including self-harm, panic attacks, and anxiety. The judge considered the men's early guilty pleas, youth, cooperation with probation services, and expressions of remorse when imposing sentence.
Luke Wilson, aged 23, was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to 11 years' imprisonment for conspiring to murder Gary Hanley between 15 September and 6 November last year. Wilson admitted in July that he had planned the murder and had also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a Beretta handgun with intent to endanger life on 6 November. The firearm offence carried a headline sentence of 16 years, but Wilson received 12 years with the final year suspended for three years. He also received a six‑year concurrent sentence for the conspiracy charge. The judge noted Wilson's history of drug use, a traumatic childhood, and his early guilty plea as mitigating factors. Wilson's sentence was back‑dated to his arrest on 6 November 2017. The case involved other defendants charged with the same conspiracy and firearm offences. The court highlighted the Garda investigation and the interception of a vehicle used in the plot.
The Special Criminal Court will resume the Regency Hotel shooting trial in December, with the first session scheduled for December 3. Senior prosecuting counsel Sean Gillane SC confirmed that the final report on the death of lead investigating Garda Detective Superintendent Colm Fox has been received and will be reviewed early next week. The report contains extensive material that the court must examine. Patrick Hutch, aged 26, is listed for trial in December; his defence counsel, Justin McQuade BL, noted that the defence had been told the report would be available around October 22, which has caused frustration. Hutch is accused of murdering David Byrne, aged 34, at the Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016, and of possessing three AK‑47 assault rifles. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder and denies the rifle possession.
In a murder trial in Dublin, Stephen Tynan (41) and Raymond Fitzgerald (37) pleaded not guilty to the killing of Andrew Guerrine, who was found dead with 20 stab wounds on May 23, 2015. The prosecution presented evidence that a burnt-out car in Tallaght, discovered a few days after the murder, had the same engine number as a Peugeot 307 allegedly bought by Tynan hours before the stabbing. Mechanic Thomas Menton testified that he saw the car on fire in Barley Fields, collected it, and later handed the engine to the Gardaí. Garda Ronan O'Malley confirmed the engine number matched a photograph and a registration certificate. Darren Finnegan, who sold the car to Tynan on May 22, also testified about the sale. The trial was scheduled to continue the following morning.
Martin McDonagh, 27, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for violent disorder and assault causing harm arising from an incident on November 19, 2016, at Old Castle Drive, Clondalkin. He pleaded guilty to both charges. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to three years for violent disorder and two and a half years for assault causing harm, with both sentences fully suspended for three years. The court heard that McDonagh struck Patrick Reilly with a baseball bat, breaking his nose. Judge Greally noted McDonagh acted in an unjustifiable manner but was no worse than others involved. She credited his lack of prior or subsequent violence and efforts to stabilize his family life. Previously, Martin McDonagh Snr, Ellen McDonagh, Nora McDonagh, Helen McDonagh, and Shannon Sherlock pleaded guilty to violent disorder in the same incident. McDonagh Snr received a four-year sentence fully suspended, while the other four received two-year sentences fully suspended. The prosecution alleged the group arrived at the Reilly home armed with weapons, including a sickle, hurleys, and a baton. The defense stated McDonagh had no substance issues and had moved his family from the area following the incident.
A 70‑year‑old man, Desmond Duffy, pleaded not guilty to the murder of his partner, Desmond Sullivan, 59, who died on 23 May 2016 at their home in Somerville Park, Rathmines. Duffy told Gardaí that he had been abused by Sullivan for many years, citing incidents of bleach, milk, a mug and a basket of sausages being thrown at him, and that Sullivan had become increasingly psychotic and paranoid. He described a night of drinking in a pub, after which Sullivan attacked him in the kitchen. Duffy tried to restrain Sullivan, who fell and stopped moving; Duffy called a relative, who later confirmed Sullivan was dead. Duffy said he did not call an ambulance because he was very drunk and did not think Sullivan was injured. The case is before the Central Criminal Court.
A man with previous convictions for manslaughter has been imprisoned after carrying out armed raids whilst serving a suspended sentence. Mark Bissett, aged 33, of Swords Road, Dublin 9, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to threatening to burn down the house of a charity worker in May 2016. The threat was made at Central Bank Plaza, Dame Street, during a soup run for homeless people in Dublin city centre. Judge Karen O'Connor had suspended a two-year sentence for this offence in June 2017, cautioning Bissett that he faced imprisonment if he reoffended. Within four months, Bissett carried out armed robberies on two shops in Ranelagh. On 15 October 2017 he wielded a knife during one raid, and on 26 October he used a fork during a pharmacy robbery. Judge O'Connor activated the suspended sentence, imposing the full two-year term. Bissett has sixty previous convictions including manslaughter, assault and public order offences.
During a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Desmond Duffy, aged 70, pleaded not guilty to the killing of his partner Des Sullivan, aged 59, at their shared home in Somerville Park, Rathmines, on 23 May 2016. The court heard that the couple had a long history of domestic disputes. In October 2013, Garda Michael Cunningham responded to a report of a domestic argument at the Duffy–Sullivan residence. Sullivan told the officer that they had been together for 35 years and that they had been arguing, adding that he had thrown bleach at Duffy. He also said that arguments had become more frequent.
A 66-year-old man from Donegal has been granted bail by the High Court pending an extradition hearing to face charges in Northern Ireland. The man was arrested at his home in Creeslough on a European Arrest Warrant relating to the deaths of two UDR soldiers killed in an explosion in Enniskillen in 1972, and charges connected to the 1982 Hyde Park bombing in London. He was released on bail comprising his own bond of €5,000 and an independent surety of €30,000. The High Court judge found bail appropriate despite serious allegations, noting residential ties and family connections reduced flight risk. Bail conditions require him to sign on daily at Letterkenny Garda Station, reside at his registered address, maintain contact with gardaí, and remain within the State. His defence counsel has indicated objections to extradition will be raised, including arguments regarding immunity under the Good Friday Agreement and abuse of process. A full extradition hearing is scheduled for 23 November.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 70‑year‑old Desmond Duffy pleaded not guilty to the murder of his partner Des Sullivan, aged 59, who died at their home in Somerville Park, Rathmines, on 23 May 2016. Garda Mark Twomey reported that Duffy told him the couple had drunk about five pints in a local pub before an argument. When they returned home, Duffy said Sullivan punched, kicked and pulled his hair, and that Duffy tried to restrain him by placing his hands on Sullivan's neck, causing Sullivan to fall. Duffy claimed he was injured, noting a cut on his finger and blood on his sleeve. Duffy had no prior convictions and had previously stayed in hotels in Rathmines, as shown by his credit‑card records. The case is before Justice Paul McDermott with a jury of twelve.
Eoin Morrow, a 38‑year‑old bricklayer from Dundalk, was sentenced to eight years in prison for possessing €1.38 million worth of cannabis resin and prescription drugs. Gardaí, using confidential information, set up a surveillance operation on a Scania truck that met Morrow's Volkswagen Jetta. The truck driver, John Needham, 31, and Morrow removed boxes of cannabis and 29 boxes of Zopiclone tablets onto a trolley bound for a storage unit in Newcourt Business Park, Finglas. A subsequent search uncovered 96 kg of cannabis, valued at €580,200, and 400,000 Zopiclone pills, valued at €800,000. Morrow pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis resin and supplying a prescription‑only drug on 25 July 2015. He had 15 prior convictions, including assault, burglary and theft. He had taken a bench warrant, fled to Europe, but returned and surrendered.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 7 November 2018, Karl McDermott, aged 21, was sentenced to five and a half years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended, for a robbery at Dunnes Stores on 25 May 2018. McDermott used a homemade machete‑type weapon that his brother, a metal fabricator, had constructed for a Halloween costume. The weapon was described as a long silver knife with a padded handle covered in tin foil, and was found in the back of a drawer at the family home. McDermott pleaded guilty to robbery and the production of the homemade machete. He had 45 prior convictions, including robbery, possession of knives, criminal damage, violent disorder and drug offences. The court noted that McDermott had been taking tablets and alcohol, and that he had been struggling mentally. The judge accepted his early guilty plea but emphasised that the weapon was capable of serious injury.
Paddy McCarthy, 35, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after punching a stranger, Glen Verdun, at a Subway store on Wexford Street, Dublin, on 30 July 2016. McCarthy, who was intoxicated, entered the store early in the morning, shouted at Verdun when he was asked to give his girlfriend space, and was escorted out by staff. He returned, told Verdun he would wait outside, and then punched him on the right side of the face. Verdun fell, suffered a broken eye socket, underwent surgery with a titanium plate, and was out of work for eight months, losing €9,000. McCarthy claimed he was tired of being abused by his father, a disciplinarian who had assaulted him many times. He was a carer for his father, who had Alzheimer's, at the time. McCarthy did not remember the incident, cried when viewing CCTV footage, and identified himself to Gardaí.
Neil Dolan, a 26‑year‑old finance worker, was found guilty of forging documents and using them to apply for three loans between 30 June and 7 July 2017. He altered identity papers with Microsoft Paint and presented them to KBC and Permanent TSB under the alias "Neil Nolan." All applications were rejected after the banks detected the alterations, and Gardaí confirmed Dolan's involvement. He admitted 14 counts of forging documents and 14 counts of using forged documents in the loan applications. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court imposed an 18‑month prison sentence, suspended on the condition that Dolan complete a computer training course. No loss of income to the banks was reported, and the case involved no violence. Dolan had a prior conviction for forging a death certificate and had previously received a fine in 2013. The court noted his stress and anxiety at the time of the offences.
During a Central Criminal Court hearing on 6 November 2018, the family of the late Kenneth O'Brien delivered victim impact statements. They described O'Brien as a devoted family man, a hardworking son who began working at 15, and a loving partner to Eimear Dunne. The statements expressed profound grief over his murder, noting the traumatic discovery that his body was found as a torso in a suitcase. The family highlighted the loss of their son and the impact on their four‑year‑old child, who had never seen his father again. The court imposed a life sentence on the accused, Paul Wells, back‑dating it to 6 February 2016, the date of Wells's arrest. The judge, Mr Justice Paul McDermott, acknowledged the family's dignity and the shocking nature of the crime. The statements were delivered by the family members and by Detective Gda Aine O'Sullivan on behalf of Dunne.
In November 2018, a 23‑year‑old homeless woman, Donna Dineen, was sentenced to six years in prison for slashing the stomach of a man who had come to help her in the street. Dineen, who had previously given birth in custody, admitted to stabbing Saurjan Syergaz, a 27‑year‑old man, with a 25‑cm knife wound on 8 May 2017, and to robbing his wallet on the same occasion. She pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and robbery at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally imposed concurrent terms of six years for robbery and five years for assault, suspending the final two years on strict conditions. The sentence reflected Dineen's unstable background, history of abuse, drug and alcohol dependence, and her expressed remorse and desire to keep her newborn son with her for an extended period while in custody.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 70‑year‑old man, Desmond Duffy, pleaded not guilty to the death of his 59‑year‑old civil partner, Desmond Sullivan, who was found dead at their home in Somerville Park, Rathmines, on 23 May 2016. Duffy claimed he acted in self‑defence, saying he had been attacked and strangled Sullivan to protect himself. The prosecution described the couple as a drinking pair, known as "Little Des" and "Big Des," and due to be married in July 2017. Garda Maurice Ward, who arrived at the scene around 10:45 pm, testified that Duffy had called him to report the death and that the body had been present for some time. Ward noted that Duffy appeared shaken and that the couple had never shown aggression in his experience. The trial was set to continue before a jury the following day.
Paul Wells Snr, 50, of Barnamore Park, Finglas, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Kenneth O'Brien. The defendant pleaded not guilty to murdering the 33-year-old at his home in Barnamore Park on 15th or 16th January 2016, alleging he acted in self-defence after a scuffle over a gun. However, the court found him guilty of murder. The prosecution established that Wells shot O'Brien in the back of the head, dismembered the body using a chainsaw, and dumped the remains in the Grand Canal. Despite Wells's claims that O'Brien had requested he murder O'Brien's partner, forensic evidence, including post-mortem findings indicating the gun was held against the victim's head, contradicted the self-defence plea. The jury rejected his account, leading to a guilty verdict. Wells was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment. The case involved extensive evidence, including bank transfers totalling almost €53,000 from O'Brien to Wells, and CCTV footage of the disposal of body parts. The court emphasized the premeditated nature of the cover-up and the brutality of the act, resulting in the maximum penalty for the offence.
Joseph O'Connor, 58, pleaded not guilty to five counts of possession of child pornography at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Gardaí seized a Dell laptop from his west Dublin home during an August 2011 search. The laptop contained 12 videos depicting boys under ten and between ten and seventeen in explicit sexual acts, including with a male adult. O'Connor denied downloading or viewing the material, claiming it was uploaded by someone else and that his laptop was unsecured and used by visitors. He alleged a man who had visited his home the night before the seizure had corrupted the computer. O'Connor also recounted a separate incident involving a man who stole his Garda ID and €20, which led to a confrontation and a subsequent complaint to the Garda Ombudsman. The court heard that an Inspector Fox investigation found no evidence of rape or sexual assault, attributing alleged injuries to consensual acts. The case remains at the trial stage.
Brian Willoughby, a 40‑year‑old Dublin murderer convicted of murder in 2003, received a two and a half year sentence for assaulting a prison officer at Mountjoy Prison on 31 December 2017. The officer, supervising inmates during lunchtime, was punched in the back of the head by Willoughby, who was later restrained. The officer sustained soft tissue damage to his neck, shoulder and head and was off work for two months. Willoughby, who has been on psychiatric medication since his incarceration 18 years ago, pleaded guilty to the assault. He has four prior convictions, including the 2003 murder, two assaults in 2000 and another assault in a courtroom in 2017. Judge Melanie Greally, noting his history of extreme violence and psychiatric treatment, imposed the sentence concurrent with his life sentence, giving credit for his early guilty plea and cooperation.
A 41‑year‑old woman who had taken a summer job looking after animals on local farms to prepare for a future as a vet was raped by John Phelan, 54, between 1992 and 1993 when she was aged 14 to 16. Phelan pleaded guilty to four sexual assault charges and two rapes at his home and other locations in Laois. He had previously served seven years for raping a girl aged nine to 11 in 1989 and 1990. At sentencing, the judge noted Phelan's false claim of no sexual preference for minors and described the abuse as calculated and exploitative. Phelan was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, with 18 months suspended, and ordered to serve three years of post‑release supervision. The victim's impact statement highlighted how the abuse ended her dreams of becoming a vet and left her with lasting trauma.
The Court of Appeal has refused an application by an unnamed 45-year-old man for an extension of time to appeal his sentence. The defendant, whose identity is protected to preserve victim anonymity, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to representative counts of rape, sexual assault, and anal rape committed between 1989 and 2001. He was sentenced to consecutive terms totalling 14 years on November 11, 2016, for abusing three young relatives. His counsel, Roderick O'Hanlon SC, argued the client intended to appeal within the 28-day window but was overwhelmed by the sentencing process and incarceration. However, the application was lodged in March 2018, approximately 16 months late. President of the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice George Birmingham, sitting with Mr Justice John Edwards and Ms Justice Máire Whelan, rejected the request. The court held that the victims were entitled to closure and that reopening the case so long after the fact would deny them the ability to move forward. The judges noted that no discrete grounds of appeal were identified beyond a formulaic claim that the sentence was severe. The panel emphasized the public interest in finality and the necessity of allowing victims to put the matters behind them, thereby refusing the extension of time.
The Central Criminal Court jury has begun deliberating in the trial of Paul Wells Senior, 50, of Barnamore Park, Finglas. Wells is charged with murdering 33-year-old Kenneth O'Brien at his home in Barnamore Park on 15th or 16th January 2016. While Wells admitted to shooting O'Brien and dismembering his body, he pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder. The defence contends that the killing occurred during a scuffle after O'Brien allegedly asked Wells to murder his partner, Eimear Dunne, to facilitate a move to Australia. Wells claims he panicked and used a chainsaw to dispose of the body in the Grand Canal. During jury charging, Mr Justice Paul McDermott outlined seven coincidences cited by defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC to support the conspiracy theory, including a disabled CCTV system, a cancelled birthday party, and missing passports. The prosecution, conversely, argued the killing was premeditated. The jury retired to consider their verdict shortly after noon on Friday and will resume deliberations tomorrow morning.
A 70‑year‑old man, Desmond Duffy, has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of his partner, Des Sullivan, aged 59, who was killed on 23 May 2016 at their home in Somerville Park, Rathmines, Dublin 6. Duffy pleaded not guilty. The two‑week trial will be presided over by Mr Justice Paul McDermott, who instructed a jury of six men and six women to return tomorrow and to keep the proceedings confidential.
The High Court ordered the surrender of an unnamed man to the UK to face a murder charge. He had claimed that if extradited to Northern Ireland's Maghaberry Prison he would be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment. The court, presided over by Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly, considered the man's alleged risk of self‑harm and the overall safety protocols of the Northern Irish Prison System. She noted that the system had robust inspection and risk‑assessment procedures and that any adverse findings had been acted upon. The court found no substantial risk that the man would be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment if surrendered. The man is wanted to face a charge of murdering 30‑year‑old Jennifer Dornan, who was stabbed to death in her burning house in Hazel View, west Belfast, in August 2015.
Alan Tuite, 28, of Ennel Park, Artane, was sentenced to five years in prison with the final 18 months suspended after pleading guilty to assault causing harm and production of a knife at the Rialto Luas stop on 3 July 2017. He slashed a passenger's face with a flick knife during a "moment of madness" over a prior alleged altercation between their children. The victim suffered facial injuries requiring six stitches, incurred €8,000–€10,000 in medical costs, and now experiences anxiety when using the Luas. The attack occurred in front of the victim's wife, two children, and a two‑year‑old girl who woke to see blood. CCTV showed Tuite and a co‑accused watching the victim, then Tuite disembarking, receiving the knife, and fleeing after the assault. Tuite admitted the harm, expressed regret, and claimed he had no control at the time. He has seven prior minor convictions and a psychological report indicating borderline personality disorder.
A man convicted in February of multiple counts of rape and sexual assault against his daughter has opened an appeal against his conviction in the Court of Appeal. The 47-year-old was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment, with the final year suspended, following trial at the Central Criminal Court. The offences, which occurred between 2006 and 2010 in County Mayo and abroad, involved the complainant when she was between seven and eleven years old. The accused maintains his innocence and had pleaded not guilty to all charges. His counsel is seeking to adduce new evidence concerning an alleged recantation by the complainant. The appeal also raises grounds including claims of procedural unfairness during trial, cross-examination length, and challenges to certain evidentiary rulings. The Director of Public Prosecutions will respond to these submissions. The hearing continues before three Court of Appeal judges.
Sean Foster, 21, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at St Joseph's Adolescent Unit on 5 January 2015 and at Oak Ward, Phoenix House Care Centre on 7 April 2017. He struck music teacher Dean McEvoy with a pool cue, breaking the cue and fracturing McEvoy's skull and severing a brain artery, causing PTSD. Foster also punched staff member Michael Kelly, knocking out a tooth and requiring €7,500 in dental work. Foster suffers from treatment‑resistant schizophrenia and was an in‑patient at St Joseph's during the first assault. Judge Cormac Quinn sentenced him to 18 months' imprisonment for the first assault, suspending the final six months on conditions of good behaviour, drug‑free status and medical compliance, and to 12 months' imprisonment for the second assault; the sentences run concurrently.
Craig O'Connor and Chelsea Curtis, both of Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to violent disorder in Temple Bar on September 10, 2015. Judge Cormac Quinn sentenced O'Connor to two and a half years' imprisonment and Curtis to 12 months' imprisonment. The judge suspended the entirety of both sentences on the condition that they keep the peace and be of good behaviour for the duration. Prosecution evidence alleged that O'Connor punched and kicked Alan Delve, who had previously punched O'Connor's uncle, Gareth O'Connor. Gareth O'Connor subsequently fell unconscious and never regained consciousness. James O'Connor, who also pleaded guilty to violent disorder, received a fully suspended two and a half-year sentence on June 8, 2018. CCTV footage reportedly showed O'Connor and Curtis struggling with a second man, with Curtis kicking a third male. Mr. Delve, who suffered a fractured cheekbone and head injuries, stated in a victim impact statement that he did not want anyone to go to prison. Defence counsel noted O'Connor was not the instigator and that the couple has two children. The judge cited the seriousness of the offence and effect on the victim as aggravating factors, while considering the guilty pleas, the defendants' ages, and the victim's wishes as mitigating factors.
A 54‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a partially suspended 18‑month prison term for five counts of indecent assault committed between 1979 and 1981 when the victim was a child aged six to eight. The judge, Cormac Quinn, imposed 18 months for each count, to run concurrently, and suspended the final nine months of each sentence on the condition that the offender remain law‑abiding, exhibit good behaviour for 12 months after release, and be supervised by the Probation Service. The court heard that the offender, aged 15 to 17 at the time, dragged the victim by her hair into his bedroom, forced her to undress, licked her legs up to her genitals, and on occasions attempted to insert his penis into her vagina or mouth. He also threw darts at her, sometimes striking her. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Jonathan Keogh, 33, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the deliberate and callous murder of Gareth Hutch, 35, who was shot dead outside Avondale House flats on 24 May 2016. Keogh was found to have fired the fatal shots in a cold‑blooded manner and to have been involved in almost every aspect of the planning. Thomas Fox, 31, was also convicted of murder and sentenced to life, found to have contributed to the planning and acted under Keogh's direction. Regina Keogh, 41, mother of five, was convicted of murder for colluding with her brother to facilitate the killing and received a mandatory life sentence. The court noted Keogh's 22 prior convictions, Fox's 106 prior convictions, and the evidence of Keogh's involvement in the planning and execution of the murder. The sentencing followed a nine‑week trial that ended in July.
A murder trial at the Central Criminal Court heard that Paul Wells Senior (50) of Barnamore Park, Finglas, has admitted shooting dead fellow Dubliner Kenneth O'Brien and dismembering his body. However, he has pleaded not guilty to murdering the 33-year-old at his home in Barnamore Park on 15th or 16th January, 2016. Mr Wells claims that Mr O'Brien had wanted him to murder Mr O'Brien's partner so that he could take their child back to Australia. He told gardai that Mr O'Brien had brought a gun to his house for this purpose on the evening of the 15th but that he didn't want to do it. He said this resulted in a scuffle between them, that the gun fell, they both tried to get it, but that he got to it first and shot his friend in the back of the head. He said that he then panicked, 'chopped him into pieces' with a chainsaw Mr O'Brien had lent him, put the torso into Mr O'Brien's suitcase and dumped it in the Grand Canal. Mr Justice Paul McDermott told the jury that the 'horror' shouldn't determine its verdict, with the main issue to decide being how his death was brought about. He explained that the jury must consider whether Mr Wells intended to cause death or serious injury when discharging the firearm into the back of Mr O'Brien's head. The matter was adjourned and will continue on Monday.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Thomas Fox, aged 31, was found guilty of contributing to the murder of Gareth Hutch, aged 36, who was shot dead on 24 May 2016 outside Avondale House flats. The court accepted the prosecution's case that Fox, a subordinate of Jonathan Keogh, acted under Keogh's influence and direction. Fox denied the murder but was convicted of unlawfully possessing a Makarov 9 mm handgun on the day of the shooting. The court rejected Fox's defence of withdrawal and coercion, stating there was no evidence of a clear intention to leave the criminal enterprise. Additionally, Regina Keogh, aged 41, was found guilty of colluding with her brother to cause serious injury to Hutch, based largely on testimony from Mary McDonnell. Both convictions were delivered by a three‑judge panel led by Justice Tony Hunt.
Jonathan Keogh, 33, was found guilty of the murder of Gareth Hutch at the Special Criminal Court. The non-jury court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, determined that Keogh fired the fatal shots in a "cold-blooded manner" and played a central role in planning the killing. The court rejected Keogh's denial, finding that the evidence pointed "firmly and unequivocally" to his involvement. The verdict relied on circumstantial evidence, including DNA links to a black BMW used in the attack and CCTV footage of Keogh purchasing cleaning supplies, which corroborated the testimony of protected witness Mary McDonnell. The court noted that the plan was in place by May 2016, when mobile phones were acquired. While Keogh was convicted, the court has yet to deliver verdicts for co-accused Thomas Fox and Regina Keogh, both of whom have also denied the murder charge. The matter regarding Fox and Regina Keogh remains pending, with the court still to determine their findings. The trial concluded with Keogh's conviction, but the overall case is not fully finalised until the remaining verdicts are delivered.
A 26-year-old man from Walkinstown, Dublin has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for stabbing another man in the neck during a prearranged fight. Mohammed Adan Ali pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm at Mountjoy Square on 22 June 2017. The court heard that Ali contacted the injured party, a Somalian acquaintance, demanding money and subsequently arranged to meet him for a fight. During the confrontation, Ali produced a knife from his jeans and inflicted a neck wound on the victim. Judge Melanie Greally noted it was fortuitous that the blade did not strike major blood vessels. The injured party required stitches for treatment. In mitigation, the court acknowledged Ali's traumatic background, including witnessing his father's murder in childhood, and his efforts to address alcohol-related issues. However, Judge Greally determined that stabbing someone in the neck warranted a custodial sentence despite Ali's low re-offending risk assessment.
In the Central Criminal Court, a jury heard CCTV footage of a dark‑coloured hatchback with one headlight and one taillight out of service, moving through Tallaght on the night Andrew Guerrine was stabbed. The car was first seen at 11.51pm in Killinarden, then tracked along Blessington Road until just before 1am. At about 5am it was captured outside a pharmacy, then moved to a garage where it stalled, after which the driver and passenger pushed it to a petrol pump. The vehicle was later seen on Cushlawn Way, last at 5.28am, and again leaving the same spot at 2.42am the following night. Stephen Tynan (41) and Raymond Fitzgerald (37) pleaded not guilty to Guerrine's murder, which involved 20 stab wounds, two penetrating the skull and cervical spine. The trial continues before Justice Michael McDermott with a jury of seven men and five women.
Eddie Barnaville, a former kickboxing champion, has lost his appeal against the severity of his sentence for two robberies committed within 24 hours of each other in Thurles in January 2016. Barnaville pleaded guilty to the offences, which involved violently assaulting victims on Liberty Square and Kickham Street. At Nenagh Circuit Criminal Court on April 28, 2017, Judge Thomas Teehan imposed consecutive five-year sentences, totalling 10 years, with the final four years suspended. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice John Edwards alongside President Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, dismissed the appeal. The court held that the sentencing judge correctly assessed the gravity of the offences, noting the victims were in vulnerable, semi-conscious states when subjected to extreme violence. Mr Justice Edwards described the sentencing approach as "impeccable" and the four-year discount for mitigation as adequate and generous. The court rejected the argument that the gravity was over-assessed, emphasizing that Barnaville's culpability was significant due to his prior convictions and the gratuitous nature of the attacks. The appeal was dismissed, upholding the original sentence.