Michael Maughan, 22, of Ballymun, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for theft, assault, and making threats to kill. He pleaded guilty to offences committed on October 29, 2016, at Silloge Golf Club, where he allegedly stole a golf buggy and equipment from three men. Prosecution evidence indicated that after one victim chased him, Maughan struck the man in the chest and threatened to kill him. Later, as a third victim attempted to leave in his vehicle, Maughan allegedly blocked the car with a van and assaulted the occupant. He was arrested at the scene, and all stolen property was recovered. Although the victims did not wish to proceed, the Director of Public Prosecutions instructed that the case continue. Judge Martin Nolan described the conduct as "shameless and arrogant" and "fairly craven," noting the aggravating nature of the threats and return assault. While acknowledging Maughan's guilty plea entered on a trial date and his personal circumstances, including a young child, the judge imposed a sentence of two and a half years' imprisonment. Maughan was ordered to receive credit for time already spent in custody.
A 55‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for a series of sexual offences against his sister and niece. He pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault on his niece between 1978 and 1980. A jury had earlier convicted him of further indecent assaults on his sister and niece, and of two counts of rape of his niece between 1976 and 1984. The court noted that the abuse began when the man was 14, when his sister was 7 to 10, and continued when he was 16 to 22, while the niece was 5 to 11. The judge highlighted the profound impact on the victims, the secrecy of the crimes, and the delay before they were reported in 2012. He imposed concurrent sentences totalling six years, with two years of post‑release supervision and a prohibition on any contact with the victims, directly or indirectly, including through social media.
Clodagh Forde, aged 19, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for her role in a violent robbery that left victim Kevin Carthy with a broken eye socket and other injuries. The robbery took place on 17 May 2016 at Palace Place, Dublin, when a group attacked Carthy in a lane‑way, kicking and punching him while he lay on the ground. Forde, who had previously served a suspended sentence, pleaded guilty to the robbery. She was described by Judge Melanie Greally as an intelligent person with potential but prone to extreme violence, and she had eight prior robbery convictions, most committed as a juvenile. The assault caused Carthy severe physical harm, including a fractured eye socket, bruising, swelling, and lasting back pain. He suffered a financial loss of about €14,000, and his victim impact statement expressed fear, humiliation, and a sense that the robbery was motivated by sport rather than desperation.
In the Special Criminal Court, a barrister argued that evidence used to identify Patrick Hutch as the man dressed as a woman outside the Regency Hotel on 5 February 2016 may have been compromised by press coverage. Hutch, aged 25, pleads not guilty to the murder of David Byrne, aged 34, and denies possession of three AK47 rifles. The prosecution maintains Hutch was the woman‑dressed suspect and part of a shared intent to commit the offence. The defence challenges the identification made by detectives Fergal O'Flaherty and Jonathan Brady after viewing a photograph taken by a Sunday World photographer. The barrister contended that a Garda witness, Michael Ryan, could have been influenced by a January 17 Irish Independent report detailing the detectives' identification. The court is hearing the admissibility of this evidence in a voir dire, with the trial set to resume on Monday before Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Patricia Ryan and Judge Ann Ryan.
During the Charleton Tribunal, a Garda witness testified that former Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan did not contribute to a draft document that outlined legal instructions to challenge whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe's motivation. The draft, produced in May 2015, incorrectly alleged that McCabe had told Superintendent Noel Cunningham in August 2008 that his complaints were aimed at forcing a senior officer to release the Director of Public Prosecutions' (DPP) directions in a sexual‑assault case. McCabe later revealed an audio recording of the meeting, proving the alleged admission never occurred. The recording and a subsequent report prepared by Superintendent Cunningham, sent to Chief Superintendent Colm Rooney, confirmed McCabe's account. The tribunal examined whether false allegations of sexual abuse or other unjustified grounds were inappropriately relied upon by Commissioner O'Sullivan to discredit McCabe at the O'Higgins Commission of Investigation. The witness clarified that the Commissioner's legal team was involved in drafting the document, but the Commissioner herself was not.
A 13‑year‑old boy was sentenced to ten months' detention after sexually assaulting a 16‑year‑old girl in a public park. The incident occurred while the boy was with his uncle and cousin, who were described by Garda Timothy McCaul as bad influences and who had bullied and intoxicated him. The victim, who was distressed, offered to help the boy get a taxi; he then pushed her to the ground, assaulted her and fled. CCTV identified the boy, who was arrested and later pleaded guilty to sexual assault. He had no prior convictions and was described by his defence counsel as a child with a chaotic background and low maturity. Judge Martin Nolan, considering the boy's need for "normality," imposed the detention and ordered ten months of probation supervision thereafter.
During the trial at the Central Criminal Court, two men aged 35 and 44 were accused of raping a 19‑year‑old woman on a Jason Derulo tour bus in Cork on 27 June 2014. The 35‑year‑old pleaded not guilty to rape, oral rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment; the 44‑year‑old pleaded not guilty to anal rape and false imprisonment. The complainant's friend described the bus as dingy and jammed, and said she left after hearing a man say, "If you're not on this bus to have sex then get off." Witnesses reported the complainant was forced onto the bus, allegedly raped by two men—one from behind and one from the front—while she was half in and half out of a bunk bed. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Paul Butler with a jury of ten men and two women. Mr Derulo is not charged with any offence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, judge Martin Nolan sentenced 23‑year‑old Eduard Boaca to seven years in prison for two separate offences. The first, committed on 18 December 2016, involved Boaca following a woman off a Nitelink bus, robbing her, threatening her with a knife and demanding oral sex. He was convicted of robbery and sexual assault and received a five‑year term. The second offence, on 4 May 2017, saw Boaca lock a woman in a McDonald's toilet cubicle, again threatening with a knife and demanding oral sex. He pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and was given a four‑year term, to run consecutively with the first. The judge suspended the final two years of the sentence, hoping for Boaca's rehabilitation. Boaca's prior convictions were for minor offences. The court heard that the victim's trust in men was severely affected, and she suffered financial loss and emotional distress following the attacks.
An unnamed 46-year-old man has appealed his conviction at the Central Criminal Court, where the matter was adjourned with the court reserving its judgement. The appellant was found guilty by a jury of eight counts of indecent assault, one count of anal rape, and one count of sexual assault, allegedly committed between 1988 and 1991 against his eight-year-old nephew. At sentencing, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed a ten-year prison term, citing the "appalling regularity" of the abuse and the victim's age. The appellant's barrister, Mary Rose Gearty SC, argued that society is in a time of "great vindication" for victims, but contended that the investigation failed to engage with specific allegations and that the complainant changed his account regarding the most serious charges. She submitted that the trial judge should have intervened to protect the accused's rights. Conversely, DPP counsel Orla Crowe SC noted that 26 of 36 allegations were withdrawn by the trial judge and maintained that the complainant's account remained consistent. The appeal was heard by a bench including Mr Justice Alan Mahon, who stated the court would reserve its judgement.
During the Regency Hotel shooting trial, the court heard that about 500 Gardaí viewed a photo of a man dressed as a woman holding a gun outside the hotel on the day of the fatal shooting. Two detectives, Fergal O'Flaherty and Jonathan Brady, identified the man as Patrick Hutch, 25, who is pleading not guilty to the murder of David Byrne, 34, and to possession of three AK‑47 rifles. The prosecution alleges Hutch was the woman in the photo and part of a shared intention to commit the offence, though he did not fire the gun. The defence objects to the identification evidence, noting that 498 Gardaí did not recognise Hutch and that no records were kept of whether they knew him. The hearing continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, with Judges Patricia Ryan and Ann Ryan presiding.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, a 39‑year‑old man was jailed for ten months after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 15‑year‑old girl in August 2014. The victim, who was contacted by the man's friend, told Gardaí that he had pulled her into a shed on his property, touched her breasts and genital area under her clothes, and threatened her. She later agreed to go to the shed after receiving texts and was told she would be killed if she reported the assault. The man admitted to forcing her to masturbate him, a claim not part of the victim's allegation. The court considered his guilty plea, remorse and cooperation, and imposed a two‑year sentence with 14 months suspended, requiring him to keep the peace for the entire period. He will be registered as a sex offender and lose his occupation as a result of the offence.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Detective Garda Jonathan Brady testified that he and colleague Fergal O'Flaherty had identified a man in a photo taken outside the Regency Hotel as Patrick Hutch, a 25‑year‑old from Dublin 1. The photo, taken by a Sunday World photographer during a boxing weigh‑in on 5 February 2016, showed a man wearing a wig and holding a gun. Brady claimed he "immediately recognised" Hutch and had known him since youth, noting prior Garda records of Hutch's minor incidents. He denied that he and O'Flaherty were separated during the identification. The court heard Brady's statements and cross‑examined him on the timing and context of the identification, noting that the evidence was being considered for admissibility in the trial of Hutch's murder charge. The trial continues under Judge Tony Hunt.
A woman who claims she was raped by two men after a Jason Derulo concert says her evidence was the whole truth, and that conflicting accounts she gave to a garda, a nurse and her first official garda statement were "false memories". The defendants, aged 35 and 44, deny the offences alleged to have occurred in a hired tour bus in Cork on 27 June 2014. The 35‑year‑old pleaded not guilty to rape, oral rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment of the 19‑year‑old woman; the 44‑year‑old pleaded not guilty to anal rape and false imprisonment. The court heard that the complainant first gave a statement to gardaí on 27 June and a second statement 10 days later. She admitted that she had said things that "simply didn't happen" when describing what had occurred in the hours after the alleged incident, and agreed with counsel that these were "false memories".
Zoltan Almasi, a 46‑year‑old Hungarian national living in Harbour View, Naas, was convicted of murdering 20‑year‑old Joseph Dunne with a baseball bat on 16 May 2014. The Central Criminal Court found him guilty after 11 hours of deliberation and imposed a mandatory life sentence on 16 March 2016. Almasi, who worked for a courier company and had lived alone, was born in Serbia and became a Hungarian national around 2007 before moving to Ireland. He has now filed an appeal, arguing that the partial defence of provocation was improperly excluded from the jury's consideration and that the prosecution had edited certain interviews. His barrister, Dominic McGinn SC, contended that the damage to Almasi's van by "drunken yobs" outside his house may have caused him to lose self‑control, a question the jury should have assessed. The appeal will be heard by the court, which has reserved its judgment.
During a Special Criminal Court hearing on 16 January 2018, the court considered evidence relating to the fatal shooting at the Regency Hotel in Dublin on 5 February 2016. The prosecution alleged that a raid on the hotel involved a man dressed as a woman, a man in a flat cap, and three individuals in tactical‑style Garda uniforms carrying assault rifles. CCTV footage showed two men in fake Garda uniforms shooting David Byrne (34) as he fled. Patrick Hutch (25) was identified by the prosecution as the man dressed as a woman and was charged with murder, though he denied both the shooting and possession of three AK‑47 assault rifles. Garda Finbar Fleming reported that a crowd of about twenty to thirty people outside the hotel was "extremely hostile" and offered no information. Sergeant Noel Nolan also described the crowd as "very agitated" and hostile.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 24‑year‑old Sean Flood was given a suspended sentence for punching 18‑year‑old Leah Fay during a "rolling" football fight in the city centre. Flood had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms Fay on D'Olier St on 16 May 2015, an offence that left her with a broken jaw in two places and required steel plates. The judge, Gerard Griffin, noted that Flood had four prior convictions for assault and public order offences, but also that he had undergone significant rehabilitation since the offence, including addressing alcohol abuse. Griffin imposed a headline sentence of three‑and‑a‑half years but reduced it to a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence, subject to conditions. Ms Fay testified that the assault caused ongoing pain, depression and social anxiety, and that she had not been able to recover fully.
A teenager will be sentenced next month for the manslaughter of a 17-year-old boy in Claremorris, County Mayo, in December 2015. The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was convicted of manslaughter by jury at the Central Criminal Court in Castlebar in July following a not guilty verdict on a murder charge. The victim, Dovydas Jenkas, died from a single stab wound in the early hours of 19 December 2015. A consultant's report is to be prepared and sentencing has been adjourned until 12 February to allow its completion. Justice Eileen Creedon agreed to the adjournment, noting her wish to conclude proceedings given the length of time the matter has been ongoing. Detective evidence indicated the deceased had visited the accused's home late on the evening in question and that an altercation occurred in the garden area.
A 19‑year‑old woman accused two men of rape and false imprisonment on a tour bus after a Jason Derulo concert in Cork on 27 June 2014. The defendants, aged 35 and 44, pleaded not guilty to rape, oral rape, sexual assault, false imprisonment, and anal rape. The complainant described the bus scene as "like something from Amsterdam," detailing how a man with a cap approached her, forced her to remove her jumpsuit, and raped her while she was restrained. She claimed a second, larger man also raped her. She escaped after a third man threatened her. The trial is ongoing before Mr Justice Paul Butler and a jury. The case involves allegations of sexual assault and false imprisonment, with the defendants denying the charges.
The Charleton tribunal heard evidence concerning discussions between gardai and lawyers about a decade-old indecent assault allegation against Sergeant Maurice McCabe in the days before the O'Higgins Commission of Inquiry began hearings in May 2015. The Director of Public Prosecutions had directed no prosecution in 2006, finding it unclear whether any crime had occurred. The tribunal is examining whether false allegations or other unjustified grounds were improperly used by Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan to challenge Sergeant McCabe's credibility. Evidence was heard from Ken Ruane, legal advisor to An Garda Siochana, and solicitor Annmarie Ryan regarding a 11 May 2015 meeting at which the allegation was discussed. Mr Ruane stated that an internal garda report had accepted Sergeant McCabe acted in good faith. Ms Ryan's notes indicated Chief Superintendent Fergus Healy raised the allegation, and that counsel subsequently advised the commissioner to challenge Sergeant McCabe's motivation. Tribunal counsel questioned whether the discussion represented an effort to portray Sergeant McCabe as embittered. The inquiry continues.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, David McFadden, aged 29, was sentenced to six‑and‑a‑half years for a one‑punch assault that caused severe brain injuries to 38‑year‑old solicitor Kevin Geraghty. The attack occurred outside the Back Door Pub on 25 June 2016, when McFadden, who claimed to be a boxer, struck Geraghty on the head without provocation. Geraghty suffered catastrophic brain damage, required two emergency surgeries, spent ten days in a coma, and has been unable to return to work or drive. McFadden had been assaulted minutes earlier by another man, a fact he cited in court. The judge noted the unprovoked nature of the attack and the high culpability of McFadden, who had 24 prior convictions. The prosecution's victim impact statement highlighted Geraghty's ongoing physical and psychological difficulties. McFadden's defence argued the assault was not pre‑meditated and that he was highly intoxicated at the time. David McFadden pleaded guilty.
An 18-year-old male, convicted in 2016 of one count of anal rape and two counts of sexual assault committed in July 2015 when he was 16, was sentenced today by Mr Justice Coffey in the Central Criminal Court. The court heard the accused, who was diagnosed with ADHD and is on the autism spectrum, had a difficult upbringing. During the trial, he claimed the incidents were consensual. Following a one-year deferral of sentence to allow for a multi-agency care plan, the judge imposed a three-year prison term today. This sentence was suspended on strict conditions, including that the accused must return to court in one year for review. The judge noted that while multi-agency supports were producing desired results, the case could not be definitively finalised. Additional conditions prohibit the use of intoxicants, require no contact with the injured parties or their families, and mandate compliance with Probation Service directions and all recommended treatments. The judge reserved the right to re-enter the case in January 2019 if conditions are breached. The victims, who were 13 at the time, remain in counselling. The accused also made three allegations of being abused himself, one of which remains under investigation.
The Special Criminal Court viewed CCTV footage of the fatal shooting of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel, Dublin, on 5 February 2016. The footage shows men in Emergency Response Unit (ERU) gear, including a man in a flat cap and a man in a wig, exiting a silver van and entering the hotel via the laundry room. Three men, referred to as "Tacs 1, 2 and 3," wearing tactical‑style Garda uniforms and helmets, carried assault rifles and entered the lobby. "Tac 1" shot Byrne, who was seen crawling toward the reception. "Tac 2" later pointed a rifle at a BBC journalist and shot Byrne again before moving toward the laundry‑room door. Witnesses, including journalists and hotel staff, described the scene as chaotic, with gunfire and men shouting "Get down, get fucking down." The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Patricia Ryan and Judge Ann Ryan.
A man dressed as a woman fired shots inside the Regency Hotel in Dublin on 5 February 2016, the Special Criminal Court heard on the second day of the trial of Patrick Hutch, charged with the murder of David Byrne. Witnesses described the attackers' arrival disguised as gardaí, with one person wearing a blonde wig and the other a cap. A boxing weigh-in was underway when shooting began. Mel Christie, former president of the Boxing Union of Ireland, told the court that initial gunfire caused panic before two men dressed as police entered the room. He said one of these men then opened fire on a person in the crowd. Other witnesses corroborated accounts of the gunman in the wig and the shooter disguised as a garda. The accused, aged twenty-five, denies murder and denies possessing three AK47 assault rifles in connection with the fatal shooting.
Two men, aged 35 and 44, are on trial in the Central Criminal Court for rape, false imprisonment and related offences against a 19‑year‑old woman. The alleged incidents took place in a vehicle at an unknown location in Cork city on 27 June 2014, after a "VIP party" following a Jason Derulo concert. The 35‑year‑old pleaded not guilty to rape, oral rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment; the 44‑year‑old pleaded not guilty to anal rape and false imprisonment. The prosecution, led by Timothy O'Leary SC, outlined that the complainant was present at the nightclub, was invited to a second location, and was allegedly taken in a vehicle by a man wearing a cap (the 35‑year‑old) who allegedly raped and assaulted her, and by a larger man (the 44‑year‑old) who allegedly anally raped her.
A 23‑year‑old man, Daryl McKeon, was on bail when he participated in a raid on Tansey's newsagents in Finglas on 18 March. McKeon and a second raider entered the shop with their heads and faces covered. The victim, Kevin Tansey, tried to leave but McKeon blocked the door and held him. The second raider struck Tansey's head three times with a hammer, causing severe brain injury and fractures. CCTV footage showed Tansey collapsing and bleeding, while McKeon attempted to open the cash register. The raiders fled in a car. McKeon's fingerprints linked him to the assault; the other raider remains under investigation. Tansey suffered a seizure, entered a comatose state, and his condition later deteriorated, affecting his mood and behaviour. McKeon, who had 12 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and assault causing serious harm. He was remanded in custody pending sentencing on 5 February.
In a High Court action brought by convicted murderer Graham Dwyer, the court decided not to convene a three‑judge divisional court. Dwyer, who was convicted of the murder of Elaine O'Hara in 2015, alleges that provisions of the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 breach his constitutional rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. He claims that the European Court of Justice's 2015 ruling invalidated the Irish legislation implementing the directive, rendering mobile‑phone data collected by Gardaí during the investigation of O'Hara's murder unlawful. The case, which is opposed by the State, will be heard by Mr Justice Tony O'Connor on 20 February and is expected to last six to eight days. Dwyer seeks damages and, if necessary, a reference to the European Court of Justice. The State's motion aims to ensure the case proceeds efficiently. The decision was made after discussions with the President of the High Court and concerns over judge availability.
Patrick Kennedy, aged 69, will be sentenced by the Special Criminal Court later this month. He pleaded guilty in October to unlawful possession of a .455 Colt "New Service" revolver and a .455 Webley Mark 6 revolver (serial 324736) found on James Street, Dublin 8, on 14 September 2013. Kennedy acted as a courier for two guns during a planned transfer of firearms between IRA members. Garda surveillance captured Kennedy handing a beige canvas bag with an LV logo to co‑accused Gary Yeung, who had previously been jailed for five years with three suspended for possession of firearms. Kennedy later entered a pub, placed the bag at his feet, and Gardaí searched it, discovering the two firearms. A ballistics report noted one gun was rusted but functional, the other non‑working. Kennedy has three prior convictions, the latest being an assault in 1978. He remains on bail until 22 January, when sentencing will occur.
Joseph Walsh and Michael Gilmartin, who pleaded guilty to firearms offences linked to a garda investigation into the "New IRA," had their sentencing adjourned until February 5. The co-accused admitted to possessing a 9mm parabellum pistol, a magazine, a double-barrel sawn-off shotgun, and ammunition at Chestnut Drive, Cobh, on September 14 last year. They also admitted to an assault at Cork Circuit Court. At the sentence hearing, the court heard that Walsh initially took a "no comment attitude" but later stated he had a "fair idea" the bag contained something illegal. Walsh has previous convictions, including assault causing harm in 2013 and a suspended sentence in 2010. Gilmartin, who also initially remained silent, later told gardai he feared for his life. He has only previous Road Traffic Act convictions. Defence counsel for Walsh highlighted his guilty plea and a reference from a former employer. Counsel for Gilmartin argued he was of outstanding good character, suffered from health issues, and was not a "prime mover" in the offences. Justice Tony Hunt, sitting with Judges Patricia Ryan and Ann Ryan, stated they had a "fair bit to think about" and adjourned the matter. The case was not concluded or finalised at this stage.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Patrick Hutch, aged 25, was tried for the murder of David Byrne, 34, at the Regency Hotel in Dublin on 5 February 2016. The prosecution described the incident as a "resourced, carefully planned, targeted, murderous attack." Hutch allegedly entered the hotel in a silver van with a man wearing a flat cap and a man in a blonde wig. CCTV showed the trio carrying handguns and assault rifles, firing shots that caused panic. Byrne was shot twice by men in garda‑style uniforms while lying on the reception desk. Hutch denied the murder charge and denied possession of three AK‑47 rifles. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, was set to resume the following day.
In October 2016, 24‑year‑old Charles Cleary murdered Leo Carolan, a 25‑year‑old student of creative music at IADT, after a robbery attempt at the South Circular Road flat. Cleary, who had no fixed abode but was from Rathfarnham, was motivated by the €14,000 that Swiss student Ludovic Thomas had withdrawn from a bank. Thomas had approached Carolan for an envelope for the money; when Carolan left the room, Cleary stabbed Thomas with a butterfly knife, allowing Thomas to escape. Cleary then returned and stabbed Carolan to death, inflicting 12 wounds that severed his jugular vein and pierced his heart and lungs. Thomas survived with multiple knife wounds, including a liver laceration. Cleary pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court and was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder and a concurrent 15‑year term for the attempted murder, with the robbery taken into account.
In a Special Criminal Court sentence hearing, Jonathan Harding, 45, of McNeill Court, Sallins, and James Walsh, 33, of Neilstown Drive, Clondalkin, were found guilty of possessing an arsenal of firearms and ammunition. The weapons, recovered on 24 January 2017 at a unit in Greenogue Business Park, included nine revolvers, four pistols, a sub‑machine gun, an assault rifle, an AK‑47, and over a thousand rounds of ammunition. The men were arrested after a surveillance operation that followed their travel in a Ford Transit van to the park. Harding had two prior convictions, including a six‑year sentence for drug possession, while Walsh had previous public order offences. The court remanded both men in custody until 30 January, when sentencing will occur.
Aaron Byrne, aged 24, was sentenced to an additional twelve months in prison for his role in a four‑way altercation that took place on Crumlin Road, Dublin 12, on 3 February 2014. He pleaded guilty to affray at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Byrne, who was already serving an eight‑year sentence for assault causing serious harm, was charged with violent disorder but the charge was later reduced to affray. According to Garda Paul Keville, Byrne and two other men chased an injured party off a Dublin Bus number 122 and pursued him into the forecourt of a Maxol petrol station. The injured party produced a knife to defend himself. Byrne threw a bag of fire logs at the injured party. In cross‑examination, Byrne admitted he had a minimal role and was not actively engaged in the four‑way altercation.
Michael Shine, an 85‑year‑old retired consultant surgeon from Dublin, was jailed last month for indecently assaulting two 15‑year‑old boys in the 1970s. He was convicted on eight counts of indecent assault at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda between 1964 and 1991, but was acquitted on the remaining counts. The jury found him guilty of the two 1970s assaults, and the judge imposed consecutive 10‑month sentences, totalling 20 months, a term within the offence's two‑year maximum. Shine has lodged an appeal against both conviction and sentence. On 2 December, the three‑judge court granted him bail pending the appeal, subject to conditions such as residing at his home, attending court dates, signing in weekly at a Garda station, not applying for a passport, and expediting his appeal. The appeal focuses on alleged procedural errors and the harshness of the custodial term given Shine's age and health. Michael Shine pleaded not guilty.
In a 2015 incident at a house party in Clarehall, Dublin, 17‑year‑old Leon Kavanagh, then intoxicated, assaulted Garda Paula Carter. While Carter was attempting to locate a missing boy, Kavanagh pushed her to the ground, striking her head and rendering her unconscious. He then kicked her several times while she lay on the footpath. Kavanagh fled but was later arrested and pleaded guilty to assault of a peace officer and violent disorder. In 2017, the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court imposed a suspended sentence of three years, suspended in full on strict conditions, including attendance at alcohol, offending behaviour and anger‑management courses. The judge noted Kavanagh's early guilty plea, remorse, and his enrollment in courses and full‑time employment. The court also heard that Carter suffered anxiety and physical injuries from the assault. The case highlighted the seriousness of assaulting a peace officer and the court's willingness to impose suspended sentences under certain conditions.
Two men, Joseph Connors (22) and John Connors (20), were sentenced to three years' imprisonment for violent disorder after an unprovoked attack on three Afghan nationals, including a thirteen‑year‑old boy, in Marlay Park on 5 May 2016. Judge Cormac Quinn suspended the last 18 months of each sentence on the condition that the men keep the peace and engage with Probation Services. The attack involved shouting, physical assault and the use of kicks and punches, with CCTV footage showing the Connors men striking the Afghanis. One victim sustained a broken nose and the teenager subsequently left Ireland. Both men had prior convictions; Joseph had 56, including burglary and public order offences, while John had two minor traffic convictions. The court denied a request for Joseph to remain on bail until after Christmas, citing his wife's due birth. The Connors were present with €1,000 in compensation for the victims. Joseph Connors pleaded guilty. John Connors pleaded guilty.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Eamonn Cumberton, aged 30, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 35‑year‑old Michael Barr, who was shot seven times at the Sunset House pub on 25 April 2016. The prosecution, led by Dominic McGinn SC, argued that a partially burnt Audi found near the crime scene was linked to the shooting and that a mask and baseball cap recovered from the vehicle contained Cumberton's DNA, which he could not explain. McGinn also cited Cumberton's travel to Thailand shortly after the murder, arriving at Dublin airport without luggage, as evidence of his involvement. Cumberton's defence, represented by Bernard Condon SC, dismissed the DNA and travel evidence as unreliable, arguing that the DNA could have been deposited indirectly and that the Thailand trip was irrelevant. Judge Tony Hunt remanded Cumberton in custody until the court will deliver judgement on 29 January 2018.
David Shanley, aged 48, was originally sentenced to five years' imprisonment for the manslaughter of John Lawlor, also 48, who died after a lower‑leg stab on Christmas Eve 2014. The sentence, with 2½ years suspended, was increased to six‑and‑a‑half years with three years suspended following an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Shanley had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and the Court of Appeal found the original sentence "unduly lenient." The case involved a dispute over a 10‑year‑old daughter, menacing text messages, and a confrontation at Lawlor's home where Shanley entered with a knife. Lawlor was struck in the lower leg, a wound that caused massive blood loss and death. Shanley accepted responsibility and was required to enter a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period. The final sentence was imposed by a three‑judge court, including Mr Justice Alan Mahon.
A 34‑year‑old Dubliner, Jason O'Driscoll, was denied bail by the Central Criminal Court after being charged with the double murder of 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond on 7 March 2012. The victims were found shot dead in a burnt‑out car in Ravensdale Forest Park that night, after having stolen the vehicle in Dublin earlier that morning. O'Driscoll's lawyer, Diana Stuart BL, applied for bail, offering his mother's life savings of €9,000 and the possibility of him living in her family home, and citing his brother's willingness to contribute €5,000 as evidence of his reliability. The State, represented by Detective Inspector Patrick Marry, opposed the application, arguing that O'Driscoll could breach conditions. Judge Patrick McCarthy, noting the trial was scheduled for 25 June, refused bail and remanded O'Driscoll in custody until the trial date.
A 42‑year‑old man, previously convicted of kidnapping a child in London, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for raping a 13‑year‑old boy in Dublin between June and September 1994. He pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court and was ordered to serve five years of post‑release supervision. The court noted his 28 prior convictions, including a kidnapping conviction at the Old Bailey. The victim, who was 13 at the time, was abused while the man lived in the same house as the boy and befriended the boy's mother. The man admitted to molesting the boy, giving him money, threatening to expose the boy's mother, and raping him twice, with the third assault involving physical violence. He denied any violence, but the court found evidence of it. The judge considered the man's genuine remorse and his history of being abused as a child, but stated that these did not excuse his actions.
A Dublin man has been sentenced to 32 months' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his guilty plea to assaulting a champion power lifter at College Green on 17 January 2017. Dermot Dowd, aged 25, of Allenton Gardens, Tallaght, stabbed the injured party with scissors after being asked to leave a nightclub entrance. The victim, Thomas Gleeson, sustained a 10-centimetre wound to his back and lacerations to his shoulder, requiring hospital treatment. The assault prevented Mr Gleeson from competing in European weightlifting championships and caused him to withdraw from representing Ireland in his sport. He was absent from work for 38 weeks and reported suffering anxiety and chest pains since the incident. Judge Martin Nolan noted the offence fell at the higher end of the assault scale given the severity of injuries and the weapon used. Dowd, who has 42 previous convictions, is also facing sentencing in the New Year for dangerous driving causing death in Donegal. The sentence was backdated to 17 January 2017.
A Mayo man and former member of the Anti-Corruption Taskforce has been imprisoned for a hit-and-run incident involving a garda sergeant. Joseph Doocey (51) of Knoxbarret, Ballina, was convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following a nine-day trial in October on charges of endangerment, dangerous driving, and assault causing harm to Sergeant Declan Casey. The offences arose from an incident on 8 June 2015 near Font Cross, Ballina, when Doocey failed to stop at a garda checkpoint. He drove his vehicle at Sgt Casey, struck him multiple times, reversed over his foot, and collided with a van before driving at speed towards the sergeant while he remained on the roadway. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a three-and-a-half-year sentence with the final year suspended, conditional on Doocey signing a bond restricting online posts about gardaí and court personnel. When Doocey refused to sign, the judge imposed the full custodial term. He was also disqualified from driving for five years. Joseph Doocey pleaded not guilty.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, defence counsel Bernard Condon SC has applied for a not‑guilty direction in the murder trial of Eamonn Cumberton, 30, who is accused of killing 35‑year‑old Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub on 25 April 2016. Cumberton was shot seven times at the bar counter. The prosecution alleges that Cumberton is "inextricably linked" to items recovered from a silver Audi, a partially burnt‑out getaway car, and that these items are linked to the shooting. Condon argues that the evidence of Cumberton travelling to Thailand the day after the murder is "incredibly weak" and that the prosecution has not proved Cumberton was not the last wearer of a rubber mask found in the car. DNA matches on a rubber mask and a baseball cap are cited by the prosecution, who say no innocent explanation has been offered. Eamonn Cumberton pleaded not guilty. Sunset House pleaded not guilty.
Kevin Braney, 43, of Tallaght, was charged with the murder of Peter Butterly, 35, who was shot dead outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston on 6 March 2013, and with membership of the Irish Republican Army. At the Central Criminal Court on 20 December 2017, Braney was refused bail. John Berry BL argued that the State was objecting under Section 2(A) of the Bail Act, citing fears that Braney might commit another serious offence if released. Detective Chief Superintendent Anthony Howard gave evidence, and Justice Patrick McCarthy ruled that bail was reasonably necessary to prevent a serious crime.
In a High Court action launched in 2015, convicted murderer Graham Dwyer seeks to challenge the use of his mobile phone records by the Garda Commissioner and State. Dwyer, who was convicted of the 2012 murder of Elaine O'Hara, argues that provisions of the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 violate his constitutional right to privacy, the European Convention on Human Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. He cites the 2015 European Court of Justice ruling that struck down the directive underlying the Act, claiming that the Irish legislation implementing it is therefore illegal and that the data collected on his phone is invalid. The State, represented by Sean Guerin SC, contends that the case raises significant legal questions and may be heard by a three‑judge divisional court. Ms Justice Caroline Costello has adjourned the matter to early January to allow pre‑trial issues to be addressed, with the hearing expected to last several weeks.
Charles Cleary, 24, pleaded guilty to the murder of Leo Carolan, 25, who was stabbed to death in a Dublin flat on 4 October 2016. Cleary, who has no fixed abode and is from Rathfarnham, appeared briefly at the Central Criminal Court where he was arraigned on the single charge. The prosecution requested that he be remanded in custody until 11 January for sentencing, and the victim's family was scheduled to give a statement on that date.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 19 December 2017, Noel Parsons, aged 54, and his son Craig Parsons, aged 22, were sentenced to suspended prison terms for a "vicious and unprovoked" assault that took place outside Brady's Pub in Shankill on 13 May 2012. The court described the attack as having caused serious injuries to bartender William Kelly, who suffered a bleeding bite to his left arm, and to customer Ronan Mulcahy, who required six stitches to his forehead after being punched and kicked. Noel Parsons received a two‑year prison sentence suspended for two years and was ordered to pay €800 in compensation, while Craig Parsons received an 18‑month sentence suspended for 18 months and was ordered to pay €2,000. Both defendants pleaded guilty, and the judge noted their recent bereavements, medical conditions, and character references in determining the suspended sentences.
Anthony Connors, aged 42, was sentenced to four years in prison for a burglary that turned violent when he attacked Michael Tonra in Tonra's home on 20 June 2016. Connors had convinced Tonra he was looking for a long‑lost friend and, after Tonra offered to write down his contact details, Connors entered the house, pushed Tonra, and tried to force his way past him. Tonra resisted, and a struggle ensued in which Tonra pinned Connors to the ground, struck him, and forced him out of the house. Connors shouted threats of return and demanded his jacket, which he had taken during the fight. The court noted Connors' 60 prior convictions, including burglary and robbery, and his history of drug abuse. Judge Karen O'Connor, after hearing the case, imposed a five‑year sentence, suspended the last year on the condition that Connors participate in Probation Service programmes to address violent offending and substance abuse. Anthony Connors pleaded guilty.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Eric Harcourt pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Cloverhill Prison, Clondalkin, Dublin, on July 29, 2015. Judge Martin Nolan found Harcourt to be an active participant in the disorder and imposed a six-month sentence consecutive to his current jail term, which is due to expire in April 2019. Harcourt was on remand at the time for an offence of endangerment, for which he received a four-and-a-half-year jail term. Dean Byrne, of Belcamp Crescent Priorswood, received a six-month consecutive sentence for aiding and abetting violent disorder on the same date. The court heard that Harcourt climbed onto the prison roof using clothing tossed up by other inmates and remained there for hours with Byrne. Both refused attempts by a prison negotiator and their grandmothers to persuade them to descend. Harcourt was seen throwing debris onto prison officers below and smashing an aerial. He eventually descended at 1:30 am after the riot began around 11 am the previous day. The judge noted that Harcourt had 74 previous convictions and very low cognitive ability, and that he was a father of one. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the consecutive sentences.
A man serving a life sentence for the 2011 murder of his mother in Castlebar, County Mayo, has lodged an appeal against his conviction at the Court of Appeal. Celyn Eadon was convicted in February 2014 of murdering his 46-year-old mother, whom he fatally stabbed on 9 March 2011. He had pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted manslaughter. During his eight-day trial at the Central Criminal Court in early 2014, the court heard evidence of Eadon's long-standing substance abuse and his mental state at the time of the killing. His legal team argued that the trial judge failed to adequately address the question of intoxication in relation to specific intent. Counsel contended that instructions given to the jury regarding voluntary intoxication may have prevented proper consideration of whether the charge should be reduced to manslaughter. The three-judge panel reserved judgement on the appeal.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 19 December 2017, DNA evidence linking Eamonn Cumberton, aged 30, to a rubber mask found in a suspected getaway car was accepted. The court had earlier heard that the DNA profile on the mask was "one in a thousand million times more likely" to belong to Mr Cumberton and two unknown persons rather than to three unknown persons. Mr Cumberton, of Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of 35‑year‑old Michael Barr, who was shot seven times at the Sunset House pub on 25 April 2016. The prosecution argued that Mr Cumberton was "inextricably linked" to items recovered from a silver Audi, partially burnt‑out near the scene, and that those items were "inextricably linked" to the shooting.