During the Central Criminal Court hearing, Billy Burns, aged 55, was accused of murdering his 75‑year‑old mother, Miriam Burns, between 12 and 15 August 2022. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and admitted to killing her. The jury heard that Burns had previously broken his mother's jaw in 1993 and had a history of verbal abuse and drug use. Witnesses, including his siblings Sharon and Shane Kelleher, testified that Burns was often violent and that their mother had tried to help him despite fearing his aggression. Gardaí interviewed Burns on 16 August 2022, during which he denied responsibility for the murder and claimed he had not killed his mother. The trial continues before a jury of eight men and four women.
The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction of Christopher Slator for the 2016 murder of Michael Barr at Dublin's Sunset House pub, confirming that DNA evidence was correctly admitted. Mr Justice John Edwards dismissed Slator's appeal, noting the DNA profile matched Slator on both a rubber mask and the tongue of runners recovered from the vehicle used by the murderers. The court found the evidence relevant, probative and admissible, and rejected arguments that the prosecution failed to prove no innocent explanation for the DNA's presence. It also rejected claims of contamination or cross‑contamination, stating the SCC's conclusions were cogent and grounded in evidence. The appeal concerning a trip to Thailand was deemed admissible as circumstantial evidence. The judgment affirmed the SCC's detailed, comprehensive analysis and confirmed Slator's conviction as safe and final. Christopher Slator pleaded not guilty. Sunset House pleaded not guilty.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced three former soldiers to fully suspended terms for a violent attack outside The Living Room bar in February 2024. Jordan Kavanagh (24), Jerome Kavanagh (23), and Jason Keating (24) each pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm and one count of violent disorder. All three resigned from the army prior to entering their pleas. Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin imposed a four-year sentence, suspended for five years, on Jordan Kavanagh and Jason Keating. Jerome Kavanagh received a two-year, eight-month sentence, suspended for three years. The court ordered the men to pay €6,666 each to the victim as an expression of remorse. The judge noted the defendants were suitable candidates for restorative justice and described the sentences as a "Sword of Damocles." The victim, who suffered a concussion, broken teeth, and scarring, stated the attack changed his life. The judge emphasized that while the men showed real remorse and had no previous convictions, their actions were "completely appalling" and they had thrown away their potential.
On 18 March, 31‑year‑old nurse Theophilus Annum Tetty, of Mulgrave Street, Dún Laoghaire, was arrested for a public order offence after becoming intoxicated on the N81 Tallaght Bypass. He was taken to Tallaght Garda Station where he became aggressive, spat at the Perspex screen of the public counter hatch and caused damage. The court heard that the incident led to two charges: criminal damage and violent behaviour in a garda station. Defence counsel said Tetty was experiencing an acute period of intense stress, which contributed to his conduct. He has no prior convictions and works as a nurse. The judge, Patricia McNamara, noted his clean record, cooperation and medical circumstances, and warned him to "stay out of trouble". She ordered him to engage with restorative justice services, to pay €150 compensation to the station, and to submit a full medical report. He remains on continuing bail until 16 January, when his progress will be reviewed.
David O'Sullivan, aged 22, was sentenced to nine years in prison for raping two girls aged 14 and 10 whom he groomed via Snapchat. He was also found in possession of 1,629 files of child sexual abuse material, including 915 videos and 714 images. Justice Melanie Greally imposed a headline sentence of 11½ years for the rapes and possession, suspending the final two and a half years on condition that O'Sullivan keep the peace, engage in sexual offence treatment and refrain from contacting either victim for 50 years. The court heard that O'Sullivan had met the first victim in June 2022, lied about his age, and had repeatedly attempted to groom and assault her, including a sexualised encounter in a shopping centre in February 2023. He also groomed a second 10‑year‑old in August 2024, sending explicit images and meeting her in secluded locations, where he orally and vaginally raped her. David O'Sullivan pleaded guilty.
In a trial in Killarney, the State argues that Billy Burns, 55, who strangled his mother Miriam Burns, 75, while experiencing a manic or hypomanic episode of bipolar disorder, understood his actions and is guilty of murder. The prosecution, led by Sean Guerin SC, presents evidence that Burns was mentally ill at the time but still committed the acts that caused his mother's death. Witnesses describe a violent encounter on 12 August, with Burns shouting abuse and later returning to the house, where he strangled Miriam. Burns' defence, represented by Anthony Sammon SC, admits the killing and the manner of death but contends that his client's psychiatric illness meant he did not understand the nature or wrongness of his actions. The trial will consider the impact of Burns' mental state and possible intoxication on his culpability. The case is heard before Ms Justice Karen O'Connor and a jury. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
A key witness in the trial of Ruth Lawrence at the Central Criminal Court suffered a heart attack requiring hospitalisation during proceedings, creating significant complications for the case. The witness, who had provided crucial testimony following a garda investigation that began over a decade earlier, was unable to attend court in person. The prosecution successfully applied for his evidence to be delivered via video-link, arguing this had become standard practice. The defence objected strenuously, contending the jury required to see the witness in person given the serious nature of the allegations. The trial judge ruled the application admissible, citing fairness to the accused and the impracticality of further delay. During the case, defence counsel also attempted to introduce evidence relating to the defendant's involvement in charitable work abroad, which the judge deemed irrelevant and excluded. A subsequent application to withdraw one murder charge was rejected, with the judge finding sufficient evidence of joint enterprise to allow the matter to proceed to the jury.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence in the trial concerning the 2014 disappearances of Eoin O'Connor and Anthony Keegan. The prosecution alleged that the pair went to Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan, to collect a debt of approximately €70,000 owed by Jason Symes and South African national Neville van der Westhuizen. Testimony from the O'Connor brothers described attempts to locate the missing men at the homes of Symes and his son, Sean, who reported being threatened by a group of men. The court heard that van der Westhuizen was in a relationship with Ruth Lawrence, with whom he lived in Patrick's Cottage near Lough Sheelin. The prosecution described their relationship as symbiotic and alleged a plan was formed in 2013 to rob drugs from O'Connor's house. While the source text details the trial proceedings and witness accounts, it does not contain the final verdict or sentencing for Ruth Lawrence or Neville van der Westhuizen in this specific instance. However, factual records indicate that Neville van der Westhuizen is currently serving a 15-year sentence in Westville Prison in Durban, having been convicted in 2020 on six counts of kidnapping, attempted murder, and murder. The report does not specify a plea, finding, or sentence for Ruth Lawrence, nor does it detail any adjournments or suspended portions of the sentence.
The Central Criminal Court will hear a fifth day of deliberations in the trial of Ruth Lawrence, 46, who is accused of shooting drug dealer Eoin O'Connor and another man, Anthony Keegan, between 22 April and 26 May 2014. Lawrence, originally from Clontarf, Dublin, was extradited from South Africa in 2023 and has pleaded not guilty to both murder charges. The jury, composed of 12 members, has been considering verdicts for 12 hours and may return a majority verdict on one or both counts if at least ten jurors agree. The prosecution, led by Michael O'Higgins SC, argues that Lawrence and her boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen acted as a unit to lure and murder the victims, while the defence, represented by Patrick Gageby SC, contends that key witnesses, the Symes, are unreliable. The trial continues with the jury scheduled to return on Wednesday morning to finalize their verdicts.
A 55‑year‑old Kerry man, Billy Burns of Arlington Lodge, Tralee, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of his 75‑year‑old mother, Miriam Burns, at her home in Ardshanavooley, Killarney, between 12 and 15 August 2022. He was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court on 11 November 2025, where he answered the murder charge with the plea. The trial will be heard by a jury of eight men and four women, sworn in on the same day. Justice Karen O'Connor, presiding, informed the jury that the case is expected to conclude by the end of next week, with a possible extension of one or two days. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions is Sean Guerin SC with Ronan Prendergast BL, while Burns is represented by Anthony Sammon SC and Kate O'Connell. The judge noted Burns' background as a native of County Kerry who had worked as a waiter some years ago.
On 11 November 2025, a woman in her 30s pleaded guilty to murdering her four‑year‑old stepson at her home in March 2021. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, had begun with the defendant pleading not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. After a child witness's evidence was read, the accused's barrister requested time with his client. The jury returned at 3.03 pm, and the defendant was arraigned on the single charge of murder. She pleaded guilty to that charge. Mr Justice Paul McDermott thanked the jury and adjourned the case to 1 December, when the defendant will face the mandatory life sentence for murder. The child's mother will give a statement before sentencing. The defendant's identity is withheld to protect the child witness whose evidence was read into the record.
A 25‑year‑old Dublin man was jailed for four years after stabbing two neighbours during a cocaine‑induced paranoid episode. He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm and one count of producing a knife capable of serious harm. The victims were a father in his 50s and his son in his 20s, who had no prior issues with the defendant. He entered their garden, claimed he was looking for a football, and used a hunting knife to stab the older man in the back three times and cut his thumb. He then stabbed the son to the right side of the head. Both victims were taken to hospital; the father suffered three stab wounds to the back and cuts to the neck and thumb, while the son had a head cut requiring five staples. The court heard victim impact statements describing lasting physical and psychological effects.
Gintaras Jankevicius, 53, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with the final year suspended, for raping and sexually assaulting a woman over several hours. He threatened to keep her in his home until she became pregnant and gave her a knife, telling her to use it if she wanted him to stop. The victim, who was terrified, did not stab him and later reported the assault to gardaí. Jankevicius pleaded guilty to rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment. He is already serving a three‑year sentence for drug possession and has been in custody since March 2025. The judge imposed strict conditions on the suspended year, including no contact with the victim, abstinence from alcohol and drugs, and offence‑focused work, and ordered five years of post‑release supervision. The court noted Jankevicius showed little remorse and was considered a high risk of reoffending. The victim's impact statement described lasting trauma, nightmares and anxiety.
A man from County Monaghan has been sentenced to four years imprisonment following his conviction for sexual assault. James Rafferty, aged 21 and from Gola, Scotstown, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to sexually assaulting a female acquaintance on 14 August 2022. The assault occurred as the victim walked home after socialising. Justice Eileen Creedon described the offence as extremely serious and persistent, noting that Rafferty repeatedly assaulted the woman despite her resistance and explicit refusals. The court heard he initially denied the allegations to gardaí before later accepting the incident occurred. A Probation Service report indicated Rafferty has accepted the victim's account and acknowledged his behaviour was inappropriate. The final year of his sentence has been suspended on condition he engages with probation services for offence awareness work. Rafferty has no previous convictions.
A 17‑year‑old juvenile was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for assault causing serious harm and production of a knife after a chase on e‑scooters on the River Liffey boardwalk. The victim, an 18‑year‑old, was travelling on an e‑scooter when the defendant's co‑accused followed and kicked him off. The victim fell, was punched, and then stabbed twice in the back by the defendant, who used a large knife described as "dirty." The victim suffered a deflated lung, was hospitalized for four days, and has since fully recovered. The court heard CCTV footage, the defendant's guilty plea, and the defendant's 20 prior convictions. The judge noted the seriousness of the wounds and the defendant's propensity for violence, and imposed a 12‑month suspended portion of the sentence on strict conditions, including probation engagement for a year. The remaining term will be served in prison when the defendant turns 18.
An on‑bail offender aged 21 was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, for stabbing a woman multiple times in the vagina in a misogynistic attack that caused her to lose 25% of her blood. The offence occurred on 6 March 2024 at an apartment in Dublin, where the man, who had 15 prior convictions, was arrested immediately after the assault. Garda Colm Carroll and a colleague stopped the defendant and three other men who fled the scene. CCTV footage and a Snapchat voice note were presented to the court, showing the defendant's intent and the brutality of the attack. The victim, who suffered severe lacerations and a large hematoma, was treated at St James' Hospital and later warned that she may have difficulty giving birth vaginally. The judge noted the defendant's mental health issues and the misogynistic nature of the crime before imposing the sentence. The unnamed woman pleaded guilty.
Dominik Biber, a 28‑year‑old Polish national, was convicted of attempting to murder his flatmate Tomasz Grosser, falsely imprisoning him and burglarising a neighbouring apartment. The Central Criminal Court sentenced him to 13 years, with the last two years suspended for the attempted murder, after a judge described the attack as a "ferocious and spontaneous eruption of terrible violence". Biber's appeal to reduce the 11‑year sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal. The appeal argued that the offences occurred under "very unusual circumstances" and that Biber's drug‑induced psychosis and prior rehabilitation should have led to a lighter sentence. The Director of Public Prosecutions countered that Biber had persisted in drug use despite previous psychosis. The judge upheld the sentence, noting no extraordinary life‑altering injuries to Grosser and that the 35% reduction was appropriate. The case remains at the appellate stage. Dominik Biber pleaded guilty.
A 30‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to five years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended, for a series of domestic violence offences spanning 2016‑2022. He pleaded guilty to six counts of criminal damage, three counts of assault causing harm and two counts of threatening to kill the woman and her family. The court heard he physically abused his partner, punched her, threw a lamp, smashed her phone and forced her into a bath, and threatened her with murder‑suicide. He also threatened to kill her mother, sister and herself. The judge noted the psychological impact of his jealousy and control, ordering him to attend intimate partner violence programmes and to have no contact with the victim during custody and for five years thereafter. The victim's impact statement described feeling worthless and fearful, and she praised the judge's recognition of her bravery.
The jury in the trial of Ruth Lawrence, accused of shooting drug dealer Eoin O'Connor and murder suspect Anthony Keegan, has been allowed to return a majority verdict. The panel of four men and eight women began deliberations on Thursday and have spent eight hours and 21 minutes over three days. Lawrence, 46, pleaded not guilty to both murder charges. The judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, explained that a majority verdict could be accepted if at least ten jurors agreed, and that an alternative verdict of "guilty of assisting an offender" could be used only if the jury found her not guilty of murder. The trial has heard statements from protected witnesses Jason and Stacey Symes, who claimed Lawrence told them she had shot O'Connor and that Neville van der Westhuizen, a South African national, was involved.
In the Central Criminal Court, State Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers testified that a boy who died on 16 March 2021 suffered extensive bruising across his face, back, chest, arms and legs, with severe head and liver injuries. The bruises varied in colour and age, and the brain showed swelling, subdural haemorrhage and axonal injury, indicating rapid head movement and impact against a hard surface. The liver lacerations suggested blunt abdominal trauma, likely from a punch or kick. Dr Okkers rejected the claim that the injuries were caused by a fall from a bunk bed, noting that such falls rarely produce the observed head trauma. She concluded the cause of death was a traumatic head injury combined with blunt force abdominal trauma. The stepmother, a woman in her 30s, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The trial, presided by Mr Justice Paul McDermott, continues with a jury of four women and eight men.
In the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Peter Charleton dismissed Feliks Andrianov's appeal against his conviction for assault causing harm. Andrianov, who represented himself, had argued that subsidised jury lunches created bias, but the judge found no rational basis for such a claim. He also rejected Andrianov's allegations of judicial bias, claims that the judge had created a "psychological relation" with the jury, and that the judge had allowed the court to view videos of the assault. The judge noted that the evidence from body‑cam and CCTV was admissible and that Andrianov's statements about the judge and his own actions were unfounded. The appeal was rejected, and the original sentence of 18 months suspended for 18 months was upheld. The case remains at the trial stage, with no further review of the sentence requested.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Eric Shorthall after he failed to comply with the conditions of his release. Shorthall was convicted in November 2020 as a getaway driver in the gang‑style murder of Alan O'Neill, who was shot dead on 27 May 2015 in the driveway of his home on Kiltalown Road, Tallaght. Shorthall, aged 28, was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison, with the final nine months suspended for two years. The suspension was conditional on Shorthall keeping the peace and attending all appointments set by the Probation Service. Mr Justice Paul McDermott, who imposed the sentence, learned that Shorthall had not adhered to these conditions and that his probation officer could not contact him. Consequently, the judge issued an arrest warrant for Shorthall. The warrant follows the earlier conviction of Warren Nolan, who was convicted of O'Neill's murder and is serving a life sentence.
A 26-year-old man from north Dublin has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to attempted murder. Darragh Quigley of Carndonagh Road, Donaghmede, admitted the charge relating to an incident on Chatham Row, Dublin 2 on November 16, 2023. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned proceedings to December 16 for the hearing of evidence and a victim impact statement. The case carries connections to Carndonagh in County Donegal through the defendant's address registration.
Sean McGovern, 39, previously of Kildare Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12, appeared before the Special Criminal Court to address his legal aid application. The accused is charged with the murder of Noel Kirwan on December 22, 2016, at St Ronan's Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin. Additional allegations include directing a criminal organisation in connection with that murder, facilitating a criminal organisation in the conspiracy to murder James Gately, and directing surveillance of Mr. Gately. Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, sitting with Judges Sarah Berkeley and David McHugh, stated the court was not satisfied with the statement of means provided, describing it as containing "at best, scant detail." The judge noted the document offered no information on how McGovern funded his lifestyle in Dubai over the past eight years. Defence counsel Seán Guerin SC stated he could provide no further assistance beyond the instructions received. The prosecution, represented by Maddie Grant BL, indicated the State had no observations. The court adjourned the matter for mention next week to allow the defence to provide further answers regarding the defendant's financial position. McGovern was previously extradited from the United Arab Emirates, where his lawyers had raised concerns about the legality of his return.
A non‑national defendant, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, had an 11‑month jail sentence for breaching a safety order replaced with a fully suspended term on appeal. The defendant had previously posted an animated Facebook video featuring his ex‑wife's distorted voice and a second video showing cropped images of her family and current partner. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of breaching a safety order under section 33(1) of the Domestic Violence Act 2018. The District Court convicted him of ten months and eleven months in custody, to run concurrently, and he appealed the severity of the sentence. The District Court Appeals Court, after hearing the defendant's counsel, decided to fully suspend the ten‑ and eleven‑month terms for a maximum period of 24 months, ordering the defendant to be supervised by probation services and to comply with all related orders.
In a 2025 Supreme Court ruling, Justice Iseult O'Malley held that a life sentence for a child convicted of murder may only be imposed in exceptional cases where the child's intent and actions mirror those of an adult, and that sentencing courts lack jurisdiction to review detention terms for child offenders. Following this decision, the Court of Appeal granted Boy A, a 14‑year‑old convicted of murdering 14‑year‑old Ana Kriegel and of aggravated sexual assault, an extension to appeal his life sentence with a 12‑year review and a separate 12‑year sexual assault sentence. The extension was granted because the Director of Public Prosecutions did not object. Boy A and Boy B were convicted in 2019 for the 2018 murder at a derelict house in Lucan. The Court also heard a similar request from another former juvenile offender now an adult, and scheduled a further hearing for December 5.
Shane Cowzer, 31, of Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for assault causing harm. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge, which relates to an incident on January 28, 2023. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a 15-month custodial sentence. The judge noted that Cowzer threw a phone at the victim, grabbed her by the neck twice, and bit her on the face. Prosecution evidence indicated Cowzer had threatened the victim and later threatened to visit her workplace via Instagram after she ended their relationship. The victim stated she felt unsafe and required counselling and medication. Defence counsel Luke O'Higgins BL submitted that Cowzer had been homeless and abusing substances at the time but has since become employed, engaged in drug treatment, and entered a committed relationship. He offered a €1,000 compensation payment, contingent on a non-custodial outcome, which was not accepted. The court rejected the mitigation, finding that a custodial term was appropriate for the misbehaviour. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the 15-month sentence.
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 7 November 2025, the appeal of retired Defence Forces member Richard Muldarry was dismissed. Muldarry had been convicted in a Court Martial in April 2024 of multiple sexual assault offences committed at a military base on 13 November 2021, including assaulting a female colleague by placing his hand on her leg and a male colleague by hugging and moving his face towards him. He also faced charges of conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline, such as lying on his back, raising his legs and presenting his buttocks area, and simulating oral sex. Muldarry argued that the trial judge erred by admitting forensic psychiatric evidence and by refusing photographs of his injuries. The Court of Appeal found no error in those decisions and upheld the conviction. The case remains at the conviction stage, with no further outcome announced.
Oliver Berry, aged 68, failed to reduce his seven‑year sentence on appeal for indecent assault of his daughter Sharon between 1980 and 1986. He had pleaded not guilty to 25 counts but was convicted in June 2023 and sentenced by Ms Justice Patricia Ryan on 25 July 2023 to run consecutively to a prison term he was already serving for the sexual abuse of his other daughter, Jennifer. The court found Berry abused Sharon up to three times a week, subjected her to physical violence, and she ran away at age 12. Berry had previously been jailed for ten years in 2018 for 104 counts of rape and sexual assault of Jennifer, aged 7 to 19, between 1982 and 1994; that sentence was increased by three years after a State appeal. Berry maintained his innocence, and his mother, who has since separated, gave evidence in his defence.
The High Court trial of a civil action brought by John Bowe against Supt Rory Sheriff, the Garda Commissioner, the Attorney General, and Ireland continues before Mr Justice Micheál Ó Higgins. Sgt Mick Dee, an applicant in the proceedings, testified regarding an incident outside Bunclody, Co Wexford, on December 5, 2014, following a high-speed pursuit. Sgt Dee stated he believed Mr Bowe was carrying a knife and behaving in a threatening manner, prompting him to alert Supt Sheriff. Supt Sheriff subsequently struck Mr Bowe on the head with a baton. Under cross-examination, Sgt Dee accepted that Mr Bowe did not have a knife, attributing his initial belief to a gut reaction. Mr Bowe claims wrongful and violent assault, alleging he was diagnosed with functional neurological disorder, claims which are denied by the defendants. Witness Det Sgt Noel McSweeney testified that he observed the officers and Mr Bowe walking together without dragging, and noted a cut on Mr Bowe's head. Mr Bowe was previously convicted of dangerous driving arising from the chase but acquitted of a cannabis possession charge. The matter is at the trial stage and has not been finalised; the proceedings continue.
The jury in the trial of Ruth Lawrence, accused of shooting drug dealer Eoin O'Connor and working with her boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen to murder him and Anthony Keegan, has paused deliberations for the weekend and will resume on Monday. The trial, which began five weeks ago, has heard that Lawrence, 46, was extradited from South Africa and pleaded not guilty to the two murder charges. Two protected witnesses, Jason and Stacey Symes, testified that Lawrence told Stacey she had shot O'Connor but that Neville finished the killing, and that they were asked to move the bodies. The judge explained that the jury can return three verdicts for each murder: guilty, not guilty but guilty of assisting an offender, or not guilty. He emphasized that a conviction requires proof beyond reasonable doubt that Lawrence was part of a joint enterprise to kill the men.
Two men have been sentenced at the Central Criminal Court following a serious assault arising from a feud between Traveller families in Mullingar, Co Westmeath. Michael Nevin, aged 41, of Grange Heights, Mullingar, was sentenced to ten years imprisonment with the final two years suspended. Christopher Nevin, aged 31, of Grange Crescent, Mullingar, received five-and-a-half years with the final eighteen months suspended. The assault occurred on 2 August 2024 on Austin Friars Street during a busy Friday afternoon. The victim sustained multiple stab wounds, including a perforated liver requiring emergency surgery and blood transfusions. Michael Nevin pleaded guilty to causing serious harm whilst Christopher Nevin pleaded guilty to violent disorder. Mr Justice David Keane described the attack as particularly severe and vicious. He noted the assault was deliberately planned rather than impulsive and occurred against a background of ongoing incidents between the families. Both men's sentences included credit for early guilty pleas. The families have since engaged the Traveller Mediation Service to resolve their differences.
An 85‑year‑old former Dublin school teacher was convicted by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of 28 counts of indecent assault against eight boys, with the alleged offences occurring between 1978 and 1989. The jury delivered majority verdicts after more than seven hours of deliberation. The defendant, who pleaded not guilty, made no reaction when the verdicts were read. Judge Elma Sheahan thanked the jury, remanded the defendant on continuing bail, adjourned the case to next month, and directed the preparation of victim impact statements.
In the Central Criminal Court, a jury of 12 deliberated for 1 hour 22 minutes on the second day of the trial of Ruth Lawrence, aged 46, accused of murdering drug dealer Eoin O'Connor (32) and drug dealer Anthony Keegan (33) between 22 April and 26 May 2014. Lawrence, extradited from South Africa in 2023, pleaded not guilty. The prosecution alleged that Lawrence and her boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen acted as a "unit" and "tag team", luring O'Connor to their home and shooting him, and that van der Westhuizen also shot Keegan. Two protected witnesses, Jason and Stacey Symes, testified that Lawrence told Stacey she had shot O'Connor but that Neville "took over", and that they were asked to move the bodies.
Leighton Morrison, 49, of Woodfield, Galway Road, Tuam, Co Galway, was sentenced to eight years in prison at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court, with the final year suspended. He pleaded guilty to six sample charges from a total of 13 offences committed between January 2023 and June 2024. The charges include sexual assault against two girls, aged eight and nine, exploitation of a child, and possession and production of child pornography. Judge Eoin Garavan stated that Morrison remains a paedophile at high risk of recidivism and a grave danger to children. The court noted that Morrison videoed the assaults for his own gratification and can never have unsupervised access to children again. His sentence was backdated to July 2, 2024, when he entered custody. Upon release, he is ordered to undergo one year of probation supervision, during which he must complete counselling and a sex offenders' programme. The judge ordered the destruction of seized videos. Morrison's defence counsel noted his public apology and difficult childhood, while the judge described him as a talented dancer who caused significant destruction. The parents of the victims, who retained their children's anonymity, delivered victim impact statements detailing the severe trauma suffered by their daughters.
On 9 February a 50‑year‑old man named Shane Berkeley, of Knockmore Crescent, Tallaght, caused a drunken outburst at the Plaza Hotel, Tallaght. He was seen pacing the corridor, topless and barefoot, smelling strongly of alcohol and described as a danger to himself and others. He attempted to re‑enter his locked room, then struck a staff member twice in the face and grabbed him by the shirt before being restrained. Gardaí arrested him and he was taken to Tallaght Garda Station, where officers noted he was extremely intoxicated. A chair worth €200 was broken in his room. Berkeley pleaded guilty to criminal damage, threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour and being intoxicated in a public place. He repaid the €200, withdrew assault charges, and apologised to the staff member. Judge Patricia McNamara directed him to a restorative justice programme and adjourned the case to 16 January 2026 for finalisation.
Anthony Finnegan, 46, of Portmarnock, had pleaded guilty to assault for spitting on a neighbour from a second‑floor window and was fined €300. He appealed, arguing the sentence was too severe. The District Court Appeals Court heard that the victim, who had asthma, reported the incident to Garda Jordan Metcalfe, who noted the spit struck her leg and shoe. Defence counsel Lydia Daly BL highlighted ongoing neighbour disputes and a restraining order against the victim. The victim's impact statement described the act as violent, causing stress‑related asthma attacks and flashbacks. Judge Deirdre Browne acknowledged the wrongdoing but focused on the conviction's impact on Finnegan, who had already paid €500 as an expression of remorse. The judge struck the conviction from his record, allowing the appeal to succeed.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 6 November 2025, doctors described the injuries of a four‑year‑old boy alleged to have been murdered by his stepmother. Consultant paediatrician Dr Stephen O'Riordan testified that the boy had 17 bruises or injuries, including black eyes, bruises around both ears, and extensive bruising on the back of the head, all consistent with physical abuse or non‑accidental injury. He noted that the pattern of bruises, including different colours and ages, raised significant concern for intentional harm. A consultant intensive‑care doctor said the injuries would normally be associated with a severe crash or a fall from a very high height. The stepmother, a woman in her 30s, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Paul McDermott with a jury of four women and eight men.
Terry Ward, 36, of Castle Meadows, Trim, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglaries on 20 July 2024 and 12 February 2025. On 20 July he broke into a business on Baggot Street, stole two laptops worth €3,000, and was arrested the next night while attempting to sell one to a rickshaw driver. On 12 February he carried out a series of burglaries in Dublin 2, breaking into a business, an elderly woman's unoccupied home (stealing earrings and medication), and smashing windows at the Hyde pub on Lennon Street with a beer keg and at the Duke pub with street fencing, causing €2,000 in damage. He also stole €50 from a tip jar. Ward has 176 prior convictions, including 22 burglaries in Ireland and 17 in the UK, plus assault and knife possession.
A Galway man has been sentenced to four years in prison, with the final year suspended, following a violent assault at a petrol station in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo in January 2023. Tommy Sweeney, aged 23, of Castlepark, Ballybane, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and producing a weapon at Corrib Oil service station on Neale Road. At Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Eoin Garavan heard that the victim, who was sitting in his car, suffered serious head injuries including skull fractures and blood loss after being attacked by two men armed with a machete and slash hook. The assailants had waited approximately 45 minutes at the garage before striking. CCTV footage showed Sweeney holding the machete during the coordinated attack. The judge described the incident as part of an ongoing feud involving families from the travelling community across Galway and Mayo. Upon release, Sweeney must complete a year of probation supervision and remain substance-free.
An appeal has been heard in the Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court regarding Leighton Morrison (49) of Woodfield, Galway Road, Tuam, Co Galway, who pleaded guilty to six sample charges from a total of 13 offences committed between January 2023 and June 2024. The charges include two separate counts of sexual assault against an eight-year-old girl and a nine-year-old girl, exploitation of a child, and possession and production of child pornography. Judge Eoin Garavan stated that Morrison remains a paedophile and a grave danger to children, regardless of the length of his incarceration. His sentence was backdated to July 2, 2024, and Morrison was ordered to undergo probation supervision for a year post-release, during which time he must get counselling and undertake a sexual offenders' programme. The court heard that Morrison is at high risk of recidivism and can never have unsupervised access to children again. The matter was adjourned.
Three lifelong friends were sentenced for assaulting two foreign nationals in Dublin. Shane Kinsella (27) and Ross Law (29) received suspended sentences after pleading guilty to assaulting a Romanian carpenter in a Spar shop on 18 May 2024; Kinsella also verbally abused the victim and later punched him twice. Law claimed his sister had identified the victim as someone who had previously grabbed her arm, but no complaint had been reported. Jordan Dean Roddick (28) was jailed for his role in the same attack and for a separate assault on an Algerian man three weeks later, where he stamped on the victim's head. Roddick pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on both occasions. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a 20‑month suspended sentence on Law, a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence on Kinsella, and a three‑year jail term on Roddick, with a concurrent one‑year term for the first attack.
The jury has begun deliberations in the trial of Ruth Lawrence, 46, accused of shooting drug dealer Eoin O'Connor and killing drug dealer Anthony Keegan with her boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen. The case, heard at the Central Criminal Court after a five‑week trial, relies on statements from protected witnesses Jason and Stacey Symes, who claim Lawrence told them she shot O'Connor but that Neville finished the act, and that they were asked to move the bodies. The judge explained that Lawrence could be found guilty of murder on the basis of joint enterprise only if she assisted in a concrete way and had a purpose to help the killings. The jury may return a verdict of guilty of murder, guilty of assisting an offender, or not guilty for each murder charge, and must decide unanimously.
Jamie Moonen, aged 30, was sentenced to 13 months in prison after threatening to kill Dublin city councillor Malachy Steenson on 15 May 2024. Moonen first approached a Garda patrol car on North Circular Road, verbally abusing a Garda and declaring he would kill Steenson, who was campaigning for local and European elections. He then went to Steenson's offices, where he again threatened the 62‑year‑old councillor and became aggressive when Steenson's relatives appeared. Gardaí arrested him; he admitted the threats, apologized, and claimed he was depressed. Moonen pleaded guilty to a threat to a Garda to kill or cause serious harm. The court, noting his 12 prior public order convictions and one assault, imposed a headline sentence of three years, reduced to 13 months due to mitigating factors such as his cooperation and personal difficulties.
In the trial of Ruth Lawrence, Mr Justice Tony Hunt explained that the jury may return an alternative verdict of assisting an offender if they are not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that she participated in a joint enterprise to murder drug dealer Anthony Keegan and his friend Eoin O'Connor between 22 April and 26 May 2014. He clarified that for a murder conviction on joint enterprise, the accused must have assisted in a concrete way and had a purpose to deliberately assist in the killings. The judge noted that the two murder counts must be considered separately and that a conviction on one does not automatically imply a conviction on the other. He warned the jury to assess the reliability of the Symes witnesses, who are in the Witness Protection Programme, and to consider the impact of any benefits they receive on their testimony. Ruth Lawrence pleaded not guilty.
On 21 June 2024, 31‑year‑old Dek Abdi Hassan of Basin View, Dublin 8, pushed a 66‑year‑old man onto the footpath in Dublin city centre, causing the victim to fall backwards and break his hip. The injury forced the victim, who was working full time, to retire early and has since suffered ongoing pain, stiffness and reduced independence, as detailed in his victim impact report read by Judge Martin Nolan. Hassan pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. The court described his conduct as a "wanton act of arrogance" and noted that while he did not intend the injuries, his actions were intentional and reckless. Hassan was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment. The judge acknowledged Hassan's difficult background, including trauma from civil violence in Somalia, but stressed that such behaviour is unacceptable on the street.
Joe Donogher, 55, of Ashlawn Park, Ballybrack, was sentenced to 33 months in jail after pleading guilty to transporting almost €150,000 worth of cocaine. He admitted to possessing a 2‑kg quantity of the drug, valued at €143,925, for sale or supply in Sallynoggin, Dublin, on 16 May 2024. Donogher had no prior convictions. Gardaí had set up a surveillance operation and found the drugs in a toolbox he placed in his van. He claimed he accepted the drugs because his son, who was in debt to "unsavoury characters," was threatened with violence if the debt was not paid. Donogher stated that his son's life was at risk and that he was acting to protect him. The court accepted his early guilty plea and his otherwise clean record, and the judge imposed a 33‑month term, a significant departure from the mandatory minimum of ten years.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a woman in her 30s from the southwest of Ireland is accused of killing a four‑year‑old boy. The accused told Gardaí that the boy was a "bold cheeky child" and that she had kept him in his room, on the floor, for several days to hide bruising. On 13 March 2021, after the boy fell from a bunk bed, emergency services found him unconscious with multiple bruises of different colours. The prosecution argues that the boy's brain injury was caused by shaking and blunt force, not a fall. The accused pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. She had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting the child in January and March 2021. The trial is before Mr Justice Paul McDermott with a jury of four women and eight men.
A man has been sentenced to three years imprisonment at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court following his conviction for sexual offences against a woman in County Mayo. Jorge Paris, aged 62 and resident in Dublin, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault and one of attempted sexual assault occurring between December 2000 and February 2003. The complainant, now 48, was between six and seven years old when the abuse began. Judge Eoin Garavan imposed a headline sentence of six years, subsequently reduced to four and a half years with the final 18 months suspended, citing mitigation including Paris's 25-year employment record and stable 40-year marriage. The judge noted Paris had been removed from the Jehovah's Witnesses congregation following disclosure of the abuse. In her victim impact statement, the woman described lasting psychological and physical harm, stating the offences had destroyed her childhood, adulthood and sense of safety. The defence presented a letter of apology from Paris and a testimonial from his adult daughter.
The Central Criminal Court trial of seven men accused of sexually abusing a deaf family member is proceeding with extensive sign language interpretation support. The complainant, giving evidence via videolink, is assisted by an Irish Sign Language interpreter, a deaf relay, and an intermediary linguistics expert. Ms Justice Caroline Biggs informed the jury that the court is in "new territory," noting that monitoring interpreter teams will alert the court to translation errors. The trial, expected to last four months, involves 98 counts of abuse alleged to have occurred between 1996 and 2013. All defendants deny the charges. Accused A, a 55-year-old uncle, faces one count of rape. Accused B, another uncle, is accused of eight counts of rape, oral rape, and anal rape. Accused C, a 34-year-old brother, faces 45 counts of rape and anal rape against the complainant, plus additional charges of sexual assault, rape, and anal rape against two other sisters. Accused D, 33, pleaded not guilty to 19 counts of rape and three of anal rape. Accused E, 32, denied nine counts of anal rape and seven of rape. Accused F, also 32, denied five counts of rape and anal rape. Accused G, 45, denied one count of rape. The matter is currently at the trial stage.