Gary Flynn, aged 32, of Rossfield Drive, Tallaght, lost an appeal against his conviction for the murder of Seamus Shay O'Byrne, which occurred at the victim's home on 13 March 2009. Flynn pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court. After a nine‑week trial, the jury found him guilty of murder in one hour and forty minutes, and he received a mandatory life sentence on 16 March 2016, imposed by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy. The prosecution alleged that Flynn, Eugene Cullen and others assisted in the planning, execution and aftermath of the murder, while Garrett O'Brien was the gunman. The Court of Appeal, in a three‑judge panel, upheld Flynn's conviction, stating the trial was satisfactory in all respects and that the evidence against him was more than mere coincidence. The appeal was dismissed by Mr Justice George Birmingham. The article does not mention any subsequent developments.
Kevin Malone, aged 32, was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment for his role in a violent disorder incident at Tallaght Hospital on 18 September 2016. The incident involved a dispute over a stolen phone, during which Malone and two other men attacked a victim who was found lying on the ground with blood seeping from his head. CCTV footage captured the attackers arriving in a BMW, removing a wooden pole from a track suit, and striking the victim. Malone was described by the judge as "the lesser of those involved" and was found to have punched the victim once and kicked him four times. The sentence was back‑dated to the date of his initial arrest in September 2016. The other two attackers were not present at sentencing; one was awaiting trial and the other was not named in the article. The victim did not provide a victim impact statement, and details of his injuries were not disclosed in court. Kevin Malone pleaded guilty.
A 29‑year‑old man, Eoghan O'Connell, was sentenced for attempting to murder a Wicklow man in front of his wife and children. On 8 April 2016, O'Connell tried to shoot the victim twice as he left the family home, but the shotgun misfired both times because the cartridges were damp. The victim and his family later sold their home and moved away. O'Connell, who had pleaded guilty to the attempted murder, was brought before the Central Criminal Court for sentencing. He had a history of 65 convictions, including rape and assault. The victim's wife gave a detailed impact statement describing the lasting fear, anxiety, and disruption to the family's life. Mr Justice McCarthy was set to deliver the sentence on 16 March, with O'Connell remanded in custody until then.
Graham Dwyer, aged 45, has asked the High Court to strike down parts of the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 that allowed Gardaí to obtain and use mobile phone data as evidence in his murder trial. He was convicted of the murder of childcare worker Elaine O'Hara and sentenced to life imprisonment in April 2015. Dwyer claims the Act breaches his constitutional rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, arguing that the 2011 Act implements the invalid 2006 EU Directive 2006/24/EC, which the European Court of Justice struck down in 2014 for violating privacy and data protection. He seeks declarations that the Act is incompatible with EU law, damages for breaches of his rights, and an order that his legal costs be paid by the respondents. The case is pending before Mr Justice Tony O'Connor and will affect his appeal against conviction.
A 25-year-old man charged with murder at the Central Criminal Court has testified that he did not intend to harm the deceased during an incident in Longford in November 2016. Rihards Lavickis of Annaly Court, Longford, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of a 31-year-old man at Townspark on 1 November 2016. He admitted stabbing the deceased but told the court he experienced a loss of control and a "blackout" at the time, only realizing later what had occurred. Mr Lavickis described escalating tensions with the deceased over several months, including a prior assault and property damage to his home. He stated he brought a knife to the deceased's residence intending only to confront him but that events spiralled when they encountered each other later. The prosecution suggested his account of losing control was a deliberate fabrication designed to support a manslaughter defence. Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh adjourned proceedings to allow a juror to attend a family event. The trial resumes before the jury on Friday.
In a late‑night incident in Dublin's Temple Bar, 23‑year‑old forklift driver Kamil Stawicki punched 38‑year‑old Fred Murray in the head, and the victim's leg was fractured in four places. Stawicki claimed he could not remember breaking the leg, but a taxi driver who witnessed the assault testified that Stawicki stomped on Murray's leg, wedging it between the kerb and cobbles, and that the leg was broken as if a stick were snapped for firewood. Murray suffered four fractures, metal plates and screws, and had to take four months off work. In a victim impact statement he expressed concern about future arthritis. Judge Patrick Quinn sentenced Stawicki to two years, suspended on the condition he keep the peace and pay €5,000 to Murray, which he paid in court. Stawicki had previously denied the assault charge, but a jury convicted him in September 2013.
In February 2018, Graham Dwyer, a convicted murderer, was set to begin a High Court challenge against the Garda Commissioner, the State, and other officials. The challenge concerned the use of his mobile phone records during his 2015 murder trial. Dwyer argued that the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 violated his constitutional privacy rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. He cited the 2015 European Court of Justice ruling that struck down the directive underpinning the Act, claiming that the data collected from his phone was therefore invalid. The case, expected to last about two weeks, was to be heard by Justice Tony O'Connor, with Dwyer absent. He sought declarations, possible damages, and a referral to the European Court of Justice. The Garda Commissioner, Director of Public Prosecutions, Ministers for Justice and Communications, the Attorney General, and the State opposed his claims.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 42‑year‑old David McDermott pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm to his 22‑year‑old adult stepson, Daniel Conlon, after a row over the garden. McDermott, who has a history of alcoholism, entered Conlon's late grandmother's house after several drinks, punched him in the eye, repeatedly struck him in the head, kicked him in the torso and threatened to slit his throat. Conlon recorded the assault on his phone and later provided the audio to Gardaí. McDermott initially denied the assault and threatened to kill Conlon, claiming he loved him as a son. He admitted to drinking a naggin of vodka and several pints before the incident. The court noted the assault was serious and that McDermott had no prior convictions. Sentencing was adjourned to 30 July.
The Special Criminal Court adjourned the Regency Hotel shooting trial to Thursday after hearing that new material presented "unprecedented conundrums". The trial, which had been scheduled to resume that morning, was delayed because the defence requested copies of emails exchanged between four Gardaí involved in the case. Patrick Hutch, aged 25, pleaded not guilty to the murder of David Byrne, aged 34, at the Regency Hotel on 5 February 2016, and denied possession of three AK‑47 assault rifles linked to the shooting. Michael O'Higgins SC informed the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions had disclosed material that the defence would need to examine further, and he applied for the case to be put back. Sean Gillane SC described the material as presenting "unprecedented conundrums". Judge Tony Hunt, with Judges Patricia Ryan and Ann Ryan, noted that proceedings were continuing behind the scenes even though the trial was adjourned.
A 33‑year‑old man was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to raping his 20‑year‑old niece on 9 July 2016. The victim, who was close to her uncle and trusted him, described how the offence fractured her wider family and damaged her trust and studies. The court noted the man's apology letter, his immediate acknowledgement of guilt, and his severe mental health difficulties. The judge highlighted the breach of trust and the man's out‑of‑character behaviour, noting his history of depression, bipolar disorder and a childhood sexual assault. He imposed a six‑year sentence, suspending the final two years, and ordered the man to attend a prison or post‑prison education course on sexual violence under probation supervision. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court.
In April 2017, Ingrid Olivares, 28, threw a glass of alcohol at Mr Padraig Hennessy during a late‑night dispute over jackets at Flannery's pub, Camden Street, Dublin. The impact left Hennessy with a permanent scar requiring nine stitches. Olivares, a Mexican national studying for a master's in marketing at DIT, admitted she had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol and became irate when she witnessed a verbal altercation between her boyfriend and another man, each claiming a jacket on a stool. She pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Karen O'Connor, noting Olivares' full admissions, early guilty plea, lack of prior convictions, and letters describing her as law‑abiding, imposed a two‑year sentence. She was ordered to complete 200 hours of community service within 12 months, with the court recognising the benefit of community service over custodial time.
Anthony McDonnell (26) was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for two counts of robbery committed on May 1, 2017, in Mary's Lane and Cuckoo Lane. McDonnell pleaded guilty to the charges, which involved the violent attack of two victims who were kicked, punched, and robbed of their phones and wallets. Judge Martin Nolan handed down a four-and-a-half-year sentence, suspending the final 18 months on a number of conditions. The judge noted that McDonnell, who has 22 previous convictions, deserved a longer term than his co-accused due to his age and extensive criminal record. His co-accused, Thomas Jackson (21), a homeless man, was jailed for two years. Prosecution evidence detailed how the attackers blocked the victims' paths, used physical force to seize property, and left one victim with a broken wrist and another with broken teeth. Defence counsel Keith Spencer BL argued that McDonnell was remorseful and heavily intoxicated at the time, urging a sentence similar to Jackson's. The court accepted the guilty plea and imposed the custodial sentence with the specified suspended portion.
A murder trial at the Central Criminal Court heard that a 25-year-old man from Annaly Court, Longford fatally stabbed another man following escalating disputes over a €300 cannabis debt. Rihards Lavickis has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of Akadiusz Czajkowski on November 1, 2016 at Townspark, Longford. The State rejected the manslaughter plea, and the trial proceeded. Detective Garda evidence outlined how Lavickis told gardai he armed himself with a knife after his home window was smashed, intending to confront Czajkowski. The accused stated he encountered Czajkowski near Longford Shopping Centre and pursued him with the knife, saying he intended only to frighten him but decided to use it when the opportunity arose. The fatal wound penetrated Czajkowski's chest and heart. The trial continues before Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh and a jury.
Thomas Jackson, aged 21 and a homeless man living in Focus Ireland managed accommodation, was sentenced to two years in prison for taking part in two "vicious" robberies on Mary's Lane and Cuckoo Lane in Dublin city centre on 1 May 2017. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge, Martin Nolan, described the attacks as very violent, with victims being kicked, punched and one losing consciousness. Jackson's sentence of four and a half years was reduced, with the last two and a half years suspended on the condition that he keep the peace and engage with Probation Services after release. The court heard that the robberies involved forced theft of phones, wallets and a key, and that victims suffered injuries such as broken teeth, a broken wrist and bruising. Jackson had two prior convictions for public order and theft offences.
In February 2018 the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court extended the prison term of 22‑year‑old Eric Harcourt by one year for a burglary at the home of two elderly sisters aged 78 and 80 in Ballybough on 22 October 2015. Harcourt, who had been in custody since age 13 and had previously been sentenced to six months for violent disorder in December 2015, pleaded guilty to the burglary. He had been out on High Court bail for two and a half weeks when he broke into the sisters' house, broke a lock, and removed items from a cupboard. Garda Mark Deasy described the break‑in as "random" and noted Harcourt had not known the occupants' ages. The sisters declined to give a victim impact statement.
At the Central Criminal Court, a jury has been instructed that they may return a majority verdict in the trial of a woman charged with impeding the prosecution of her boyfriend for murder. The 34-year-old defendant is accused of staging the death of her 49-year-old housemate, Antra Ozolina, at their home in Kilnaleck, County Cavan in June 2014. She admits placing a cord around the victim's neck to simulate suicide but has pleaded not guilty to the charge of obstructing justice without reasonable excuse. The defence has submitted that she acted under duress, claiming she feared for her life and was following her boyfriend's orders after witnessing the alleged killing. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy instructed the jury of seven men and five women that they must determine whether the defendant had a reasonable excuse for her actions and whether duress applied. The jury may now reach a verdict by a margin of at least ten to two. Deliberations are continuing.
Rihards Lavickis, 25, of Longford, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Akadiusz 'Arek' Czajkowski, 31. Lavickis pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; the plea was not accepted. The trial is currently at the finding stage before Justice Una Ni Raifeartaigh. State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy testified that the deceased died from a stab wound to the heart, with toxicology revealing valium, amphetamines, and alcohol in his system. She noted evidence of chronic alcohol use. Forensic Science Ireland confirmed blood on the accused's jacket matched the deceased. Detective Sergeant Eric Godfrey presented CCTV showing Lavickis chasing the deceased with a raised arm. The prosecution alleges Lavickis stabbed Czajkowski moments later. Both men had prior convictions: Lavickis has 20, including drug possession, while Czajkowski had 15, including driving with excess alcohol and burglary. The trial continues.
Dorota Samulak, 47, was sentenced to three and a half years in jail for stabbing her ex‑partner during a drunken argument. The incident occurred on 16 March 2017 at their shared flat in Buckingham Village, Dublin. The victim suffered a collapsed lung and spent three days in hospital. Samulak pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and producing a knife. She had two prior convictions for a bench warrant and a public order offence. Judge Martin Nolan noted the severity of the knife wound and, despite acknowledging her remorse and cooperation, imposed a custodial sentence. Two and a half years of the term were suspended. The court recorded that the assault was committed in a drunken state and had a domestic background. No further court matters were pending against her.
Herton Diansambu, 21, was jailed for two and a half years after a series of violent robberies. He first stole a €700 phone from a mother with her baby and teenage son on 7 July 2016, then on 21 August 2016 robbed a Gourmet Pizza delivery man at The Boulevard, Mount Garrett, taking €130 worth of food, €50 cash and a phone. Diansambu admitted the crimes and claimed the robberies were motivated by hunger. He was found guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and had no prior convictions. The court noted his cooperation, full admissions and a drug problem, and imposed a four‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended due to his young age and good record. The sentence was to be served consecutively, with the suspended portion not to be enforced. The case was prosecuted by Lisa Dempsey BL and defended by Kenneth Kerins BL.
A woman testified at the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday that she feared reprisals from associates of a man fatally stabbed in Longford in 2016. Inita Rozkalne, partner of the accused, told the jury she believed friends of the deceased would seek revenge following the incident at Townspark on November 1st. She described an earlier violent confrontation in which her partner was assaulted by the deceased and another man, and recalled windows at their Annaly Court home being broken repeatedly in the months preceding the stabbing. A defence witness, a neighbour and friend of the accused, testified that the deceased had made threats hours before the window damage occurred. The witness also stated he disposed of a knife used in the incident, subsequently recovered by gardaí near Longford Town football stadium. Rihards Lavickis, aged 25, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Akadiusz Czajkowski, 31. His guilty plea was rejected and the trial continues before Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh.
At the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, the trial of Rihards Lavickis, a 25-year-old Latvian man from Annaly Court, Longford, heard evidence relating to the death of Akadiusz Czajkowski on November 1st, 2016. Mr Lavickis has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. His partner gave evidence that approximately six months prior to the fatal stabbing, Mr Czajkowski had attacked Mr Lavickis outside their home, beating him while another man kicked him. On the morning in question, she stated Mr Lavickis returned to their apartment with blood on his trousers and told her he had stabbed Mr Czajkowski twice in the belly. Garda evidence indicated Mr Lavickis had complained to officers hours earlier that Mr Czajkowski was "always at me" and that he intended to "sort him out" following a window-breaking incident the previous night. The stabbing resulted in three wounds to the deceased. The trial, before Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh and jury, continues.
In February 2018, a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Jason Burke, 34, to a one‑year suspended sentence after he assaulted his two sisters with a hurley and pulled one by the hair following a dispute over a family holiday. The court heard that the sisters were traumatised when Gardaí arrived, but that they had since reconciled and booked the holiday. Burke pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and criminal damage at the Fettercairn premises in Tallaght on 26 April 2016. He had previously been convicted of assaults and public order offences. Garda Stephen Gillespie reported that the sisters observed Burke was under the influence when he entered the house, smashed a glass table and a mobile phone, and threatened both women. The court noted that one sister managed to call the Gardaí using a second phone.
At the Central Criminal Court, a garda gave evidence that a murder accused had expressed intent to "sort out" the deceased hours before a fatal stabbing in Longford. Garda Daniel Lynch testified that Rihards Lavickis complained the victim, Akadiusz Arek Czajkowski, had broken his windows and was "always at me" wanting to fight. When Lavickis stated he would "sort him out," the garda advised against this and said gardai would investigate the property damage. Lavickis, aged 25, with an address in Longford, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in connection with Czajkowski's death on 1 November 2016 at Rue Noyal Chatillon, Townspark. The victim was stabbed three times at approximately 11.45am. The trial before Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh continues.
At the Special Criminal Court, tributes were paid to Detective Superintendent Colm Fox, who died suddenly at Ballymun Garda Station. The tributes were led by Sean Gillane SC, senior prosecuting counsel in the trial of Patrick Hutch for the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel. The trial, scheduled to resume, was adjourned until Monday. Gillane described Fox as a gentleman, fiercely intelligent, modest, and a respected officer who never raised his voice. He praised Fox's dedication to public service and expressed condolences to his family and colleagues. Michael O'Higgins SC echoed the admiration, noting Fox's universal respect and affection. Judge Tony Hunt, with Judges Patricia and Ann Ryan, joined the sentiments and requested the adjournment. Patrick Hutch, 25, remains pleading not guilty to Byrne's murder and denies possession of three AK‑47 rifles. The case involves a raid during a boxing weigh‑in where armed men, including a woman‑dressed suspect, entered the hotel.
A trial at the Central Criminal Court heard evidence that a 34-year-old woman accused of impeding the prosecution of her partner in connection with a death would have had limited capacity to resist his control due to childhood trauma. A consultant forensic psychiatrist testified that the woman, charged with obstructing the apprehension or prosecution of a man in connection with the death of a housemate at The Old Post, Main Street, Kilnaleck, Co Cavan in June 2014, had been a victim of violent crime as a child. The psychiatrist said this early traumatic experience left her vulnerable to abusive relationships and with impaired ability to recognise danger in others. The woman has pleaded not guilty to the charge but accepts that her housemate's death was not suicide and does not dispute that her former partner caused it. She told gardaí she acted under his orders while in fear for her life. The defence has closed its case, and the trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 64‑year‑old auctioneer, Noel Kelleher, was found guilty of six counts of rape, three of sexual assault, three of oral rape and one of attempted oral rape against a victim aged 12 to 14 between June 1991 and August 1992. The jury acquitted him of 16 other counts of rape, indecent assault and sexual assault. The victim, who waived anonymity, described the abuse as beginning when she was 12, involving rape, sexual assault and forced oral sex in two office locations, and ending shortly before her 14th birthday. She recounted attempts to kill herself, post‑natal depression, psychiatric care and repeated suicide attempts. In her victim impact statement she said the shame should be Kelleher's, not hers, and that the abuse had ruined her education, relationships and mental health.
A 39‑year‑old Egyptian man, who is an illegal immigrant, was found guilty by a jury of one count of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of threatening to kill a 27‑year‑old foreign student. The victim was travelling from Carlow to Dublin on a bus, where the accused groped her and later followed her home. He entered her house, masturbated in front of her, threatened her, and raped her in the hall. The victim, who was living and working in Ireland in 2016, described the assault as terrifying and said she wished she were dead at the time. She declined to have the perpetrator named to avoid destroying his life. The court has imposed reporting restrictions and will consider sentencing next week. The accused has a prior conviction for public masturbation and is appealing a deportation order. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court.
Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy of the Central Criminal Court has set dates for three murder trials in Cork. Two trials will start on 31 May: Paul Horgan, 27, charged with killing his mother Marian, 61, on 24 November 2015 at their family home on Murmont Avenue, Montenotte; and Darren Murphy, 41, charged with killing Olivia Dunlea on 17 February 2013 at her Pembroke Crescent home, Passage West. The third trial, for Cathal O'Sullivan, 45, charged with the murder of Nicola Collins on 27 March last year at his flat on Popham's Road, Farranree, is scheduled for 6 November.
A teenager convicted of manslaughter in connection with a fatal stabbing in County Mayo has had his sentencing adjourned pending brain surgery. The Central Criminal Court in Dublin heard that the defendant, who cannot be identified due to his age, has developed epilepsy causing multiple daily seizures and is currently unfit for custody. The 17-year-old was found guilty of manslaughter, not murder, following a trial at the court sitting in Castlebar. The victim, Dovydas Jenkas of Claremorris, died from a single stab wound on 19 December 2015. Medical evidence from a consultant neurologist indicated the defendant has a localised brain lesion requiring surgery within three to four months, with subsequent observation periods making immediate imprisonment inadvisable. Justice Eileen Creedon adjourned the matter to 24 July for a further update on the defendant's medical situation.
James O'Reilly, aged 21, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of a tourist's wallet on 14 June 2015. The victim, Robert Robson, a UK national, was approached by a group of 16‑ to 18‑year‑old males near his hotel. CCTV showed five men and a woman surrounding him, taking his wallet and bank cards, and punching him to the ground. O'Reilly, identified on the footage, was the first to interact with Robson but did not punch him. The robbery involved €350 in cash and cards that were later cancelled. O'Reilly had 25 prior convictions. He entered a guilty plea after a legal dispute over the admissibility of Garda CCTV. Judge Patricia Ryan described the offence as "sneaky, horrible" and imposed a one‑year probation bond, keeping him under supervision until 8 February 2019. The court noted the victim's impact statement and O'Reilly's expression of remorse, including a letter to Robson.
Gary Culhane, a 40‑year‑old Limerick man, was sentenced to four years in prison for breaking into the parochial house of The Good Shepherd Church in Churchtown, Dublin, on 15 October 2016. He pleaded guilty to burglary and was found to have 102 previous convictions, including assault, robbery and theft, and had spent 20 years in prison. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the final year of the sentence, ordering Culhane to complete a residential drug rehabilitation course at Tiglin treatment centre and to follow all after‑care plans. The priest, who had been away saying mass, was "very shaken" when he returned to find €650 stolen from his house, including money, collections and the poor box. Garda Áine Bolton identified Culhane after the priest downloaded CCTV footage.
In 2009 and 2010, a 40‑year‑old man from Meath sexually abused his fiancée's three daughters, who were in their early to mid‑teens at the time. He was convicted by a jury of one count of rape and 12 counts of sexual assault, and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment by Mr Justice Paul Coffey. The judge praised the resilience of the victims, now in their early twenties, and noted the profound psychological harm inflicted. The man, whose name is withheld to protect the victims, had no prior convictions. He has now filed an appeal, arguing that the trial judge should have warned the jury about the lack of corroboration for all three complainants. Mr Justice George Birmingham, along with two other judges, has reserved judgment on the appeal.
John Doherty, aged 55, was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment for sexually assaulting his stepdaughter between January 1996 and April 1998 when she was 12 and 13. The court heard that Doherty pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and that the case had been delayed for years due to police incompetence. The victim, now 35, waived anonymity and described the abuse as a "huge breach of trust" that ruined her childhood, education and family relationships. She detailed repeated sexual advances, forced contact and the impact on her mental health. Doherty had undertaken therapy and expressed remorse, but the judge noted the seriousness of the offence. He was registered as a sex offender following the conviction. The sentence reflected the maximum penalty of five years at the time of the offence.
A 34-year-old Latvian woman is on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with impeding the prosecution of a man suspected of murdering Antra Ozolina, a 49-year-old woman found dead at their shared home in Kilnaleck, County Cavan in June 2014. The accused is alleged to have placed a cord around the deceased's neck to simulate suicide. She has pleaded not guilty but accepts that Ms Ozolina did not take her own life and does not dispute that another person caused her death. The trial heard that the male suspect has not been charged due to severe injuries sustained during a violent car hijacking in Longford in October 2014. Following a collision with a civilian vehicle during a garda pursuit, he sustained a traumatic brain injury and has remained in hospital care, now requiring spoon feeding and hoisting. Evidence regarding the deceased's injuries and the circumstances of her death was presented to the jury. The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy.
A 25-year-old Latvian man has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a Polish construction worker at the Central Criminal Court. Rihards Lavickis of Annaly Court, Longford has denied murder in relation to the death of Akadiusz Czajkowski, 31, at Rue Noyal Chatillon, Townspark on 1 November 2016. The prosecution opened its case this week, outlining that the accused brought a knife to confront the deceased following an overnight incident in which his apartment windows were damaged. CCTV footage showed Mr Lavickis concealing himself before approaching Mr Czajkowski as he crossed the road. The deceased sustained three stab wounds and collapsed inside a nearby shopping centre, dying shortly after. The accused was arrested at Longford Garda Station where he admitted responsibility for the stabbing. The trial continues before Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh. Rihards Lavickis pleaded not guilty.
In 2015, David O'Loughlin (30) was convicted of murdering Liam Manley (59) after forcing him into a refuse chute at Garden City Apartments, Cork. The Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty and imposed a mandatory life sentence. In 2018, the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction because the jury had visited the chute during deliberations without permission from either the defence or prosecution, an action deemed technically unlawful under the Juries Act. During the visit, a juror threw a stone down the chute, an experiment that introduced new, unexamined evidence. The judge ruled that the jury should have been discharged under these circumstances. The case remains pending, with the court to decide whether a retrial will be ordered. The summary reflects only the facts presented in the article. David O'Loughlin pleaded not guilty.
Francis Lanigan, 53, an ex‑paramilitary who lived in west Dublin, was sought by Northern Irish authorities for a 1998 murder in Co Tyrone. He was arrested in 2013 under a European Arrest Warrant while working as a barber, after authorities discovered he had been living under the alias "Ciaran McCrory." Lanigan claims the warrant is not a "forthright account" and questions why his surrender was not requested earlier. He has faced multiple High Court proceedings, a Court of Appeal case, a Supreme Court hearing and a European Court of Justice referral. In January 2024, the Court of Appeal dismissed his latest challenge, with the judge criticizing the delays and the strategy of reopening settled matters. Lanigan maintains that he was targeted by loyalists and that the warrant lacks full evidence, including CCTV footage. The court upheld the High Court's decision to surrender him to Northern Ireland.
A 25-year-old man charged with murder in Longford in 2016 has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but the State has rejected the lesser plea. Rihards Lavickis, of Annaly Court, Longford, denies the murder of Akadiusz Czajkowski on November 1, 2016, at Rue Noyal Chatillon, Townspark. The trial began at the Central Criminal Court before Ms Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh, with a jury of twelve sworn in. Prosecuting counsel Patrick McGrath SC confirmed the Director of Public Prosecutions declined to accept the manslaughter plea. The judge addressed the jury on their role regarding facts and evidence, while she would provide legal direction. The trial is expected to last three weeks, with prosecution opening speeches set to resume tomorrow. Witnesses will subsequently give evidence, followed by closing arguments and jury deliberation on the facts presented. Rihards Lavickis pleaded not guilty.
Brandon Crosbie, 19, was sentenced to three and a half years in jail after a high‑speed chase that saw him crash into five vehicles during rush hour. He pleaded guilty to three counts of endangerment, one of dangerous driving and one of driving without insurance at locations in Ballymun and Finglas on 24 April 2017. Garda Carl McSweeney described how Crosbie drove a Hyundai at very high speed toward a patrol vehicle on Longdale Terrace, forcing the garda to take evasive action. Crosbie then drove through traffic, colliding head‑on with a car, then weaving between lanes and hitting a stopped vehicle at a red light, and finally rear‑ended a taxi on St Margaret's Road, pushing it forward. He has 47 prior convictions, all at District Court level, for offences including assault, criminal damage and dangerous driving.
Patrick Hutch, aged 25, is pleading not guilty to the murder of David Byrne, aged 34, at the Regency Hotel on 5 February 2016. Hutch is also accused of possessing three AK‑47 assault rifles. The prosecution alleges Hutch was the man dressed as a woman who, along with others in tactical‑style garda uniforms and armed with handguns and assault rifles, raided the hotel during a boxing weigh‑in. The court heard that Hutch did not shoot Byrne but was part of a shared intention to commit the offence. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC requested disclosure of emails between four gardai involved in the investigation. The request was delayed because the emails number in the thousands and would need to be downloaded and printed.
Jace Pelivani, aged 49, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in Dublin for his role in a €680,000 drug operation. He was arrested on 18 May 2017 in Clondalkin after driving a van that carried pallets of cannabis. Gardaí had received confidential information about a suspicious drug arrival at Dublin Port the previous day, discovered the drugs on a pallet, and re‑wrapped them for a controlled delivery. Surveillance followed the truck to Ashbourne, Co. Meath, where the contents were unloaded before Pelivani transported them to Clondalkin. Officers seized 34 kilos of cannabis, each wrapped separately. Pelivani pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply. The court noted that in November 2000 an Albanian court had convicted him in absentia of murder and possession of a firearm related to a pub fight in 1997. He denied prior knowledge of the drugs, claiming he had never been to Ireland, a statement the court found false.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court acquitted Paul Crosby of one attempted murder charge – the attempt to kill Gerard Boyle by pushing a car into a canal on 10 November 2016 – after five hours of deliberation. The jury, composed of five women and six men, could not reach a verdict on the remaining three charges: two counts of attempting to murder Boyle by stabbing him 28 times and by placing him in a car boot, and a charge of false imprisonment and serious harm. The foreman reported an impasse, and the judge recorded a "disagree" on those issues, discharged the jury, and remanded Crosby until a new trial date on 26 February. Boyle, who suffered a punctured lung and was found in the canal, denied naming the wrong person as his attacker and claimed Crosby had forced him into the car boot before the vehicle was pushed into the water. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, Paul Crosby of Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, faced charges of attempting to murder Gerard Boyle twice in November 2016. The first attempt involved stabbing Boyle 28 times, and the second involved locking him in a car boot that was then pushed into a canal. Boyle, aged 22, pleaded not guilty to all charges. After closing arguments, the jury, instructed by Justice Patrick McCarthy, was allowed to return a majority verdict on any charge if ten jurors agreed.
John Joseph Malone, aged 54, was convicted of murdering 69‑year‑old Ann 'Nancy' Smyth in Kilkenny on 11 September 1987 and sentenced to life imprisonment. The conviction followed a Central Criminal Court jury's unanimous decision after 3 h 26 min of deliberation. Malone had pleaded not guilty. The case was reopened as a cold‑case investigation in 2012 after new witness statements and confessions emerged. Malone's appeal, filed on the ground that the trial judge should have withdrawn the case at the close of the prosecution's case, focuses on the credibility of Geraldine Brennan's 2013 statement, which differs from her 1987 statement. The appeal is pending; the court has reserved judgment. No new verdict or outcome is reported in the article.
Daryl McKeon, 23, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in a violent raid on a newsagent in Finglas. He pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and assault causing serious harm to shopkeeper Kevin Tansey on March 18 last year. The court heard that McKeon and an accomplice, whose identity remains under investigation, entered the shop with covered faces. While McKeon blocked the door and restrained the victim, the other man struck Tansey three times on the head with a hammer. The attack left Tansey with extensive skull fractures, bleeding on the brain, and a comatose state. Judge Melanie Greally imposed an eight-and-a-half year sentence, with the final 18 months suspended. The jail term was backdated to March 2017, when McKeon entered custody. The judge noted that while McKeon did not wield the hammer, he participated wholeheartedly in the robbery. McKeon has 12 previous convictions and was on bail for district court offences at the time of the incident. The other raider is still under investigation.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 23‑year‑old Gavin Mulgrew was sentenced to three‑and‑a‑half years in jail, with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended. The judge described his two random assaults on July 9, 2015, as "horrific, gratuitous, violent and unprovoked." Mulgrew admitted to punching David Rooney on Suffolk Street, causing a fractured cheekbone and requiring surgery, and to assaulting French national Yannick Said on Chancery Place, resulting in a dislocated shoulder, facial injuries and a broken nose. He pleaded guilty, claiming he was high on tablets and had a hazy memory of the events. The judge noted his progress in custody, his drug‑free status, and his rehabilitation work in the prison kitchen. The suspended portion of the sentence was conditional on victim‑focused work, addiction counselling and probation appointments. The sentence was back‑dated to October 10, 2017.
Patrick Hutch, aged 25, is on trial in the Special Criminal Court for the murder of David Byrne, aged 34, at the Regency Hotel on 5 February 2016. Hutch pleads not guilty and denies owning three AK‑47 assault rifles linked to the shooting. The court heard that the incident occurred during a boxing weigh‑in when a man dressed as a woman, another in a flat cap, and three others in tactical‑style Garda uniforms armed with handguns and assault rifles raided the venue. Prosecutor Sean Gillane SC stated that the prosecution's case is that Hutch was the man dressed as a woman and that he did not fire the shots but was part of a "shared intention" to commit the offence. Following a ruling on Friday that admitted evidence identifying Hutch as the man in the woman's costume, the defence requested a wide range of information. Michael O'Higgins SC for Hutch said the defence needed specific answers.
The jury will resume deliberating tomorrow morning in the trial of Paul Crosby, a Louth man charged with attempting to murder Gerard Boyle, 22, on 10 November 2016. Crosby allegedly stabbed Boyle 28 times and then locked him in a car boot that was pushed into a canal. He is also accused of a second attempted murder on the same day at Boyne Canal, Drogheda. Boyle pleaded not guilty to all charges. Both sides delivered closing speeches last Thursday; the jury had deliberated for almost three hours and 24 minutes before being sent home.
Egita Jaunmaize, a 34-year-old Latvian woman of no fixed abode, is due to go on trial tomorrow in the Central Criminal Court. She has been charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of a man, knowing or believing him to have committed the offence of murder or some other arrestable offence at The Old Post, Main Street, Kilnaleck, Co Cavan, on or about June 27 or June 28, 2014. The prosecution alleges that Ms Jaunmaize placed a blue cord around the deceased person's neck to simulate a suicide. Ms Jaunmaize was arraigned before the court today and pleaded not guilty to the charge. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy swore a jury of seven men and five women to hear the trial. The proceedings are scheduled to begin tomorrow and are expected to last two weeks. As the matter is at the trial stage and has not yet concluded, no findings, sentences, or final disposals have been recorded. The case remains active, with the accused facing the allegation of obstructing justice regarding a homicide victim.
An Estonian man, Imre Arakas, aged 58, will stand trial at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin next year. He is charged with conspiring to murder James Gately in Northern Ireland between 3 and 4 April last year, an offence under Section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. Prosecutor Paul Greene SC told the court the trial is expected to last six weeks. Justice Tony Hunt, with Judges Patricia Ryan and Ann Ryan, set the trial date for 14 January 2019, and the case was also listed for mention on 7 March. Arakas remains in custody.