A Cavan man has been sentenced to five years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his guilty plea to offences against a 14-year-old boy. Michael Galligan, aged 40 and residing in Springfield, Cavan, pleaded guilty to three counts of defilement of a child under 15 years and two counts of sexual assault. The offences occurred in 2015 after the accused made contact with the complainant through a website. The court heard they met on three occasions that year. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a seven-year sentence with the final two years suspended on strict conditions. The judge noted Galligan should have recognised the boy's age after their first meeting. Galligan, who holds previous convictions including sexual assault and breach of sex offenders legislation, has been in custody since 2015. His defence counsel highlighted his early guilty plea and cooperation with psychiatric services while in prison.
Sean Dowdall, aged 23, was sentenced to 13 months in prison for stealing a taxi driver's car after a drug and alcohol binge. He claimed a woman, with whom he was not closely acquainted, had told him she was pregnant and that he was the father. Dowdall denied this later, stating he was not the father. He had stolen two cars over two days, the first being a taxi that crashed into a lamp post after he drove off while intoxicated. He had previously pleaded guilty to stealing a car from a petrol station on Tir Chonaill Road on 12 February 2016, and had 57 prior convictions, including assault, theft and car theft. The court noted he had 57 previous convictions and that the stolen car was written off due to damage. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the 13‑month sentence. The prosecution, represented by Pieter LeVert BL, described the circumstances of the theft and the subsequent crash.
A murder trial at the Central Criminal Court heard that a Sligo man told gardai he was deeply sorry for the death of a 59-year-old and would sacrifice his own life if he could. Keith Brady, aged 30, of Cartron Estate, Sligo, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in relation to the death of Martin Kivlehan at New Apartments, Holborn Street, Sligo on 2–3 August 2015. The prosecution rejected the guilty plea, and the trial is proceeding. During interviews at Sligo Garda Station on 4–5 August 2015, Mr Brady initially gave no comment responses before providing an account of events. He told gardai that he had consumed alcohol, Xanax, and heroin at the deceased's home, and that he stabbed Mr Kivlehan after an incident involving his sister. The accused stated he had no intention of killing anyone and attributed his actions to substance use. The trial continues before Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.
In a double‑murder trial, a witness named Richie Cullinan initially refused to testify, claiming the deceased had told him they were planning to sell a car to the accused, Jason O'Driscoll, on the night the victims were found shot in a Louth forest. Cullinan later admitted that the two deceased, Anthony Burnett and Joseph Redmond, had come to his home that evening to collect a car that Burnett had left in his carpark and were heading north to sell it. He said they left around 9 pm and that he had tried to call them at 11 pm but could not reach them. Cullinan also confirmed he had been arrested on suspicion of the murders and spent seven days in custody. The judge ordered him to take the oath, but he refused, leading to a contempt of court ruling. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, continues with a jury of eight men and four women. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
John Power, 28, pleaded guilty to burglary and unlawful taking of a car at Baggot Court, Dublin, on 22 June 2017. The victim used a "locator app" on his stolen mobile phone to pinpoint Power's location in a laneway off Parnell Street. Garda Enda Dowling reported that the occupiers woke to find their home burgled and car stolen while they slept. Power was found sleeping rough in the laneway, and the victim later discovered him with a Nike bag that matched his own. Gardaí recovered the stolen mobile phone, laptop, tablet and other items from the bag. CCTV showed Power opening the victim's car with the key fob, driving off, and later returning on a bike. Power, who has 75 previous convictions, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended on strict conditions. The judge noted the burglary was non‑violent and a crime of opportunity, and that Power had expressed a desire to rehabilitate.
The Central Criminal Court trial of Jason O'Driscoll, a 34-year-old Dubliner who has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Anthony Burnett and Joseph Redmond in Co Louth on March 7th, 2012, continued before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy. Prosecuting counsel Alexander Owens SC called witness Richie Cullinan to give evidence for the State. However, when asked to stand to take the oath, Mr Cullinan refused, stating, "It was all lies I told on him." Despite the judge warning that refusal constituted contempt of court and ordering him to take the oath, Mr Cullinan maintained his refusal. The judge subsequently excused the jury while the State moved on to other technical evidence. This incident marked the second instance in the trial where a witness refused to testify; previously, Crystal Jackson had also refused to swear, stating she did not stand by her statement. The trial, which involves charges of murdering two men found with gunshot wounds in a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park, continues before a jury of eight men and four women.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence regarding the arrest of Keith Brady, 30, of Cartron Estate, Sligo, who is on trial for the death of Mr Kivlehan, 59, at New Apartments, Holborn St, Sligo, on August 2/3, 2015. Mr Brady pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; this plea was not accepted, and he is currently standing trial. Sergeant Pat Harney of Sligo Garda Station testified that Mr Brady and his sister, Janice Brady, were at the garda station on August 3, 2015. Mr Brady had previously been arrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act by Detective Garda Conor Jordan, who noted Mr Brady was a heroin addict. Sgt Harney stated the decision was made to arrest Mr Brady on suspicion of Mr Kivlehan's murder. During the arrest, Mr Brady was described as extremely agitated and aggressive, shouting to his sister: "Don't say anything, they are trying to stitch us up." Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC agreed with the prosecution that Mr Brady was not aggressive towards any person, but only towards inanimate objects. The trial continues before Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of seven women and five men.
In a Dublin murder trial, a 34‑year‑old Dubliner, Jason O'Driscoll, pleaded not guilty to the 2012 killings of 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond in Louth. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women. The prosecution presented evidence that firefighters responded to a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park on the night of 7 March 2012, where the bodies of Burnett and Redmond were found with gunshot wounds to the head. Anita Doran, Redmond's sister, testified that she and her brother had been at home with Burnett that evening, that Burnett had called to look for her brother, and that she had sent him into his bedroom. She recalled hearing Burnett mention a possible trap and that the bedroom door was closed after a short time.
In November 2017, two brothers, Dylan Fogarty (24) and Dean Fogarty (21), were sentenced in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a self‑confessed "nasty and unprovoked attack" on Garda Denise Larkin and Garda Peter Ryan on 5 August 2016. The brothers punched the officers several times to the head, causing concussions and scarring. CCTV footage showed them smiling and high‑fiving after the assault. Dylan received a two‑year sentence, with six months suspended, while Dean received a one‑year‑nine‑month sentence, with nine months suspended. Both were also convicted of two counts of theft of bikes. The court noted their prior convictions and the officers' injuries, and the judge emphasised the seriousness of the assault. The sentencing reflected the brothers' admissions and the impact on the Gardaí. Dylan Fogarty pleaded guilty. Dean Fogarty pleaded guilty.
David Radford, 21, was released from prison in March after a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for sexual assault. The final 12 months of his sentence were suspended on the condition that he complied with the probation service. He had 15 previous convictions, including three for sexual assault. At an October hearing Judge Martin Nolan found that Radford had breached bail conditions by refusing emergency accommodation and sleeping rough. He had also begun using substances. The judge said Radford's refusal to live in the accommodation provided by the probation service meant the suspended portion of his sentence had to be re‑activated. Radford was remanded in custody for one month, and the judge noted that the decision was not without difficulty, as Radford had been ordered to cooperate fully with the probation service. The court also heard that Radford had been attacked on several occasions and was concerned for his safety in a hostel.
Linda Wall, 37, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at a Luas stop in June 2015 after being directed by a drug dealer to seize a mobile phone to pay part of a debt. She had 16 prior convictions and was addicted to "snow blow." The victim, a Chinese woman, was punched, kicked, and had her hair pulled before being rescued by another passenger. Wall denied intending to injure the victim. The court accepted her remorse and the steps she had taken to address risk factors. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a four‑year suspended sentence, directed 12 months of probation supervision, and urged Wall to use this opportunity to rebuild her life. The hearing noted her history of nursing studies and the loss of her daughter last year. The sentence was suspended for four years, with no immediate custodial term.
At the Central Criminal Court, the Deputy State Pathologist gave evidence in the murder trial of a 30-year-old Sligo man accused of fatally stabbing a musician in his home. Dr Michael Curtis testified that the deceased, Martin Kivlehan, aged 59, had consumed alcohol at potentially fatal levels—approximately eight times the legal drink-driving limit—and bore no defensive injuries. The pathologist identified two stab wounds to the neck, either of which could have proved fatal independently. He stated it was a distinct possibility the victim was incapacitated by intoxication and unable to defend himself. Keith Brady of Cartron Estate has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in connection with Mr Kivlehan's death on August 2nd or 3rd, 2015 at New Apartments, Holborn Street. The plea was rejected and Brady faces trial. Evidence regarding CCTV footage and forensic findings was also presented. The trial continues before Justice Paul McDermott and jury.
A man from Carrigallen, County Leitrim, has had his eight-year prison sentence upheld by the Court of Appeal following his conviction for serious sexual offences against a child. Damien Reilly, aged 40, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to three counts of sexual assault and five counts of rape committed between 1994 and 2000, when the victim was between nine and approximately fourteen years old. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed the eight-year sentence in January 2017. Reilly's legal team argued that the sentencing judge had failed to adequately account for mitigating factors beyond the guilty plea. However, Mr Justice Alan Mahon, delivering judgment for the three-judge panel, rejected this submission, finding that the four-year reduction from the headline sentence of twelve years reflected all mitigating circumstances. The court emphasised the gravity of the offences, which occurred over an extended period and exploited a position of trust. While acknowledging the sentence represented the outer limit of appropriateness, the court found it remained within judicial discretion.
David Cashin, aged 49, was convicted in 2014 of sexual assault and buggery of a teenage girl between October 2002 and February 2005. He received concurrent sentences totalling seven years imprisonment. Cashin applied for an extension of time to appeal his conviction and sentence, but the Court of Appeal refused on the basis that justice would not be served by allowing the extension. The court noted that Cashin had denied the charges, claimed his former solicitor advised him he could not appeal, and that his grounds of appeal were generic and not specific to the facts of the case. The court also highlighted that no new information had been presented to support a successful appeal. The refusal was made by Mr Justice George Birmingham, with Mr Justice Seán Ryan and Mr Justice Alan Mahon presiding. The victim was 14 at the time of the abuse, and Cashin was 35.
A musician found dead in his Sligo home with a knife on his chest and stab wounds to his neck was remembered as a "gentleman who wouldn't hurt a fly" as a murder trial heard evidence at the Central Criminal Court. Martin Kivlehan, aged 59, was discovered at New Apartments on Holborn Street on 3 August 2015. Keith Brady, aged 30, of Cartron Estate, Sligo has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in relation to the death. The prosecution's plea was not accepted and the trial proceeded. Gardaí described the scene as ransacked, with burnt tinfoil indicating heroin use nearby. One sergeant characterised the body's position as appearing "staged". Witnesses described Mr Kivlehan as a regular drinker who was well-liked in the community. The trial, heard before Justice Paul McDermott and a jury, continued before the court.
In a June 2016 incident at Cafe En Seine in Dublin, 42‑year‑old Oleksander Zavhorodniy punched French bar‑goer Guillaune Demarest repeatedly, striking him in the head and throat. The assault fractured Demarest's oesophagus and required eight stitches for a forehead wound, leading doctors to place him in a medically‑induced coma for 16 days. Zavhorodniy pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He brought €4,000 in compensation, which Demarest accepted. Judge Patricia Ryan, noting Zavhorodniy's remorse, lack of prior convictions, and his staying at the bar until Gardaí arrived, sentenced him to two years' imprisonment. The sentence was suspended for two years under conditions, with the judge urging good behaviour and caution against attracting Gardaí attention during the suspension period.
A 30-year-old man from Sligo has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of a 59-year-old bachelor at the Central Criminal Court. Keith Brady of Cartron Estate is accused of causing Martin Kivlehan's death on August 2nd or 3rd, 2015, at New Apartments on Holborn Street, Sligo. The State rejected his manslaughter plea, and the case proceeded to trial before Justice Paul McDermott. The prosecution outlined that the deceased sustained two stab wounds to the neck, with depths of 7.8 centimetres and 9 centimetres respectively. A pathologist's report indicated death resulted from blood haemorrhage, though not instantaneously. Evidence emerged that Mr Kivlehan had consumed substantial quantities of alcohol. The trial heard testimony regarding the scene where the body was discovered, including photographs documenting the apartment's condition. The jury, comprising five men and seven women, will continue hearing evidence.
A 24‑year‑old Dublin man, Raymond Walsh, admitted to murdering a 41‑year‑old man in Cabra. He was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court, charged with the murder of Kevin Molloy. Walsh pleaded guilty to the offence committed on Glendhu Road, Navan Road, Cabra, between 23 January and 1 February 2015. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy remanded him in custody until 27 November.
Ronan McCormack, a 75-year-old former GAA coach and farmer from Cloonloo, Co Sligo, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for indecent assaults committed in the 1970s. McCormack had pleaded not guilty to 26 counts of indecent assault of one boy between June 1972 and March 1975, as well as three counts regarding a second boy. A jury convicted him of 14 counts of indecently assaulting two boys aged seven to 13, while acquitting him of 15 other counts. Judge Martin Nolan imposed consecutive sentences of two years and one year on five specific counts, resulting in a total prison sentence of seven years. The judge noted that the maximum penalty for indecent assault of a male in the 1970s was two years, increasing to five years for a second conviction. McCormack was sentenced globally, with all remaining counts taken into consideration. This follows a 2014 conviction where he received a seven-year and ten-month sentence for abusing schoolboys in the 1980s. Victim impact statements described long-term psychological effects, including depression and distrust, with one victim noting McCormack showed no remorse.
Derek Hutch, a first cousin of the late Gary Hutch, was sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan to a four‑year term for possession of an imitation firearm and robbery of a Spar shop on Styles Road, Clontarf, on 11 June 2015. The sentence was suspended on a number of conditions after the court noted that Hutch had made "trojan efforts" in rehabilitating himself, remained drug‑free, and had received a favourable probation report. Hutch, aged 27, had nine previous convictions, including three for theft, but no prior firearm offences. The robbery involved Hutch and accomplice Christopher Coakley holding a shop manager at gunpoint with an imitation firearm, demanding the alarm code, and escaping with about €1,215. Gardaí later recovered approximately €700. Hutch has not been in contact with the Gardaí since the offence and is now focused on his family. The court emphasised his progress in drug treatment and his current drug‑free status.
Jonathan Harding, 44, pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court to possessing a cache of firearms at Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole. The cache included ten revolvers, four pistols, a sub‑machine gun, an assault rifle and various ammunition magazines. Harding was remanded in custody until 11 January next year, when he and co‑accused James Walsh, 33, will be sentenced. Declan Brady, 51, was also remanded until 8 December for unlawful possession of five revolvers, twenty rounds of ammunition and a silencer found on 24 January at the same unit.
Eoghan O'Connell, 28, of Dargle Heights, Bray, pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to attempting to murder Clinton McCormack on 8 April 2016 at Old Court Park, Bray. He was dressed in a navy sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms during the offence. The court remanded him in custody until 29 January and ordered a victim impact report, while his defence requested time for a psychological and governor's report.
Stephen "Hoppy" Kinch, aged 29, will be sentenced in early 2018 for an assault committed when he was 16 in 2004. The incident occurred on 17 March 2004 in Tallaght, where Kinch allegedly struck Gary Byrne in the face with an iron bar and was also involved in head‑butting Byrne during the attack. Byrne suffered a broken nose, broken finger, damaged teeth, swollen jaw and a cut lip. Kinch pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, admitted to head‑butting but denied using the iron bar. He has no prior convictions and was living in Tallaght at the time of the hearing. The judge, Karen O'Connor, noted his current employment, voluntary work and family responsibilities, and adjourned the case to February to allow him to pay an additional €4,000. She also indicated a potential probation report and assessment of suitability for community service, though she did not commit to imposing community service.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Derek Shevlin, aged 24, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill David McGrath and damaging property at Cromcastle Road on 11 September 2015. Shevlin, who had dated Ciara McGrath for five years until January 2015, entered McGrath's family home with an imitation gun and a hurley. He demanded €400 for an iPhone he had bought for her in 2013, shouted abuse, smashed the front door and windows, and pointed the handgun at McGrath. McGrath fled into the house after seeing the gun. Shevlin claimed he was "lost" that night and wanted what he was owed. He has 15 prior convictions, including robbery and firearms offences. A psychological report was submitted by his counsel, and the judge adjourned sentencing to 6 December, remanding Shevlin on continuing bail.
A former British Army soldier, Donal Colgan, aged 66, was found guilty of murder after stabbing 44‑year‑old David Sheridan to death outside Luigi's takeaway on Dublin's North Strand Road on 17 August 2014. Colgan had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. He claimed he lost self‑control after Sheridan struck him on the head with a bag of cans, and that the prosecution's claim of an earlier altercation was false. The jury, after five days of evidence and 6 hours 44 minutes of deliberation, returned a unanimous guilty verdict for murder. Justice Tony Hunt thanked the jury, excused them from further service for ten years, and sentenced Colgan to life imprisonment. The case was the second trial for the murder; the first collapsed due to a gap in CCTV footage.
In a double murder trial, the jury heard technical evidence on a reconstruction of CCTV footage to identify vehicles involved in the 2012 killings of Anthony Burnett (31) and Joseph Redmond (25) in Louth. The defendant, Jason O'Driscoll (34) of Fairview, pleaded not guilty. Firefighters responded to a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park before 11 pm, where the bodies were found with gunshot wounds to the head. The prosecution presented CCTV of vehicles before and after 11 pm, and forensic image analysts Matthew Cass and Andrew Wooller testified about a reconstruction exercise. Cass described testing about a dozen vehicles, using side‑by‑side comparisons due to operational constraints. Wooller noted the reconstruction's limited value after CCTV changes, but identified a large light‑toned car as a Mercedes S‑Class and a dark‑toned hatchback as possibly a Volkswagen Golf. The State's case links the victims to a stolen black Volkswagen Golf, which was later found abandoned in Meigh.
Mark Nash is appealing his 2015 conviction for the murder of two women whose bodies were discovered in sheltered accommodation in Grangegorman twenty years earlier. Nash was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court and received a mandatory life sentence. He had already been serving life imprisonment for two murders committed in Ballintober, County Roscommon in 1997. At the Court of Appeal hearing, Nash's counsel challenged the forensic evidence, particularly DNA findings on a jacket seized during the investigation. The defence contended there was a risk of contamination at the State's Forensic Science Laboratory. The Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel argued the contamination theory required "a mind boggling series of coincidences" and submitted the case against Nash was "coercive and compelling" based on his admissions, DNA evidence, and footprint matches. The three-judge court reserved judgment.
In a 2016 daylight robbery on Essex Quay, Dublin, 39‑year‑old Charlene Curran of Kells, Co. Meath, attacked 25‑year‑old Rebecca Kelly. Curran tried to snatch Kelly's iPhone, flung her across the road, pulled her hair, punched her face and attempted to take the phone. Kelly, holding onto her bag, released the phone to keep her bag, and Curran fled with it. Garda Ian Lawlor arrived, found Kelly upset and injured, and used a phone‑tracking app on his own phone to locate Curran. The app led them to Heuston Station where Kelly identified the attacker. Judge Karen O'Connor described the assault as vicious and unprovoked, sentencing Curran to two and a half years' imprisonment, suspending the last 18 months on the condition of cooperation with Probation Services. The court noted Curran's two prior minor non‑violent convictions and her drug use at the time. Charlene Curran pleaded guilty.
The double murder trial of Dubliner Jason O'Driscoll, 34, continues at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy. O'Driscoll has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of 31-year-old Anthony Burnett and 25-year-old Joseph Redmond in Co Louth on March 7th, 2012. The prosecution alleges the victims, who were car thieves, were shot dead in a layby at Ravensdale Forest Park and their vehicle set on fire. The State's case asserts that O'Driscoll and another man fled the scene in a stolen black Volkswagen Golf, which was later found abandoned in Meigh, Armagh. A vehicle identification expert, Andrew Wooller, testified that he was contacted by Gardaí to analyze CCTV footage from both locations. Wooller, who manages a UK-based imagery analysis firm, identified a light-toned vehicle in Ravensdale as consistent with a Mercedes S Class and a following dark hatchback as potentially a Volkswagen Golf. He further stated that a vehicle entering a carpark in Meigh was immediately apparent as a Mercedes S Class. The jury has reviewed the relevant CCTV footage. The trial is ongoing, with no final verdict or sentence recorded at this procedural stage.
A jury will return to the Central Criminal Court tomorrow to consider its verdict in the trial of former British Army soldier Donal Colgan, aged 66, who has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of 44‑year‑old David Sheridan outside Luigi's chip shop on Dublin's North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan's plea was not accepted and he remains on trial. The jury heard evidence from witnesses present at the chip shop when the fatal stabbing occurred. Justice Tony Hunt instructed the jury to consider whether Colgan was provoked by Sheridan to the point of losing self‑control, which would support a manslaughter verdict, or whether the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that he was not provoked and was in control, which would support a murder verdict.
Gerard Dowling, 40, of Kilkenny, was committed to the Central Mental Hospital after stabbing 60‑year‑old Simon Bourke in a shopping centre. He was charged with attempted murder, assault and knife possession. A jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity on all charges. Justice Paul McDermott said the CMH is the appropriate place for his ongoing treatment and that his committal is necessary for his safety and that of others. Dr Paul O'Connell noted Dowling's poor insight into his illness and difficulty with medication, and that his treatment will take some time.
A teenager convicted of manslaughter in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old in Claremorris, County Mayo, is experiencing an epileptic-type condition characterised by up to ten seizure-like episodes daily, the Central Criminal Court heard during sentencing proceedings in Castlebar. The accused, now aged 17, was found guilty of manslaughter in July following a jury trial, having been acquitted of murder. The victim, Dovydas Jenkas, died from a single stab wound in the early hours of 19 December 2015. At the sentence hearing, the defence outlined that the teenager's medical condition involves transient alterations of consciousness and automatic behaviours, with no memory retention during episodes. The court learned that neurological specialists are pursuing diagnostic assessment and potential surgical intervention. The defence highlighted mitigating factors including the accused's previous good character, low re-offending risk, positive probation report, and educational potential. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon indicated reluctance to proceed with sentencing pending clarification of the teenager's medical status. The hearing was adjourned to 21 November to receive medical evidence from the accused's physician.
A man pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the attempted robbery of a flower shop on Aungier Street in Dublin on 26 November 2015. Andrew Cash, aged 26 and of no fixed abode, produced a Stanley blade and pointed it at the pregnant shop owner's stomach during the incident. The woman, noticing Cash appeared to be under the influence of drugs, managed to grab his arm and push and kick him from the premises. The blade was recovered at the scene. Cash was identified through CCTV footage and arrested several months later whilst serving a sentence in Cloverhill prison for another offence. He has 50 previous convictions including burglary, attempted robbery and assault. The defence submitted that the offence was not premeditated and lasted approximately 10 seconds, with Cash reportedly having recently reconnected with his family in Cavan. Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned the case pending a probation report and remanded Cash in custody until sentencing on 21 December 2017, acknowledging the gravity of threatening a pregnant woman with a blade.
Jerry O'Keeffe, a 69-year-old retired soldier from Youghal, Co Cork, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to ten years in prison for sexually abusing his two daughters. He pleaded guilty to three charges of rape, five of indecent assault, and one of sexual assault. These nine sample charges represented a total of 78 offences committed between January 1980 and March 1987. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed a seven-year sentence for the rape offences and a three-year term for the sexual assaults, ordered to run consecutively. The judge noted that the crimes destroyed the victims' childhoods and that O'Keeffe's guilty plea, entered late in proceedings, provided limited mitigation. He also rejected age as a mitigating factor. O'Keeffe was ordered to be added to the sex offenders register and must liaise with probation services for three years post-release. The victims, Amy Barrett and Melissa O'Keeffe, waived their anonymity and expressed satisfaction with the sentence, describing it as a necessary step for closure and protection of other children. The court heard detailed victim impact statements describing the long-term trauma inflicted by the abuse, which occurred at family homes in Youghal. The sisters reported the abuse to gardaí in 2014 after initial reports in 1999 were withdrawn under family pressure.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Donal Colgan, 66, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for stabbing David Sheridan, 44, outside Luigi's chip shop on Dublin's North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan claimed he was provoked after Sheridan struck him with a bag of cans, but the prosecution argued that provocation requires an immediate loss of control and that Colgan had time to cool his anger. They highlighted that Colgan had returned to the shop armed with a large knife, showing he was in control of his mind. The defence presented Colgan's history of assault, humiliation, and personal hardships, arguing he acted in a state of mind that could not be judged by the jury's own standards. The jury, composed of eight women and three men, was instructed to consider whether all elements of provocation were reasonably possible and to decide if Colgan was guilty of manslaughter rather than murder.
John O'Donoghue, a 58‑year‑old former teacher and table tennis coach, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on March 27, 2012, at his former home in Weaver's Hall, Stepaside, Dublin 18. Gardaí searched the premises in 2008, retrieving 2,500 images and 13 movie files across a computer, laptop, memory stick and two external hard drives. Of the images, 496 were Category 1 (explicit sexual activity) and 2,048 were Category 2 (genital exposure). Two of the movie files contained explicit sexual activity, while 11 showed genital exposure. O'Donoghue had four prior convictions for indecent assault of a young boy in 2013, for which he received a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended. He has since pleaded guilty, served a sentence, completed a Safer Lives programme, and undergone individual and group therapy. The court will sentence him on November 10, 2017, and he will remain on the list of child sex offenders indefinitely.
Anthony Connors, 42, pleaded guilty to burglary at Linenhall St, Dublin, on 20 June 2016. He entered a house by convincing the homeowner, Michael Tonra, that he was looking for a long‑lost friend. Tonra offered to write down Connors' contact details, but Connors stopped him and demanded his jacket. Connors' behaviour changed from normal to intimidating, and he pushed Tonra, forcing him to the ground. Tonra resisted, pinned Connors, and tried to reason with him. Connors threatened to return with other men, struck him, and pushed him toward the front door. After leaving, Connors shouted and demanded his jacket. Gardaí found bail bonds and other documents in Connors' jacket, and CCTV footage confirmed his presence. Connors has 60 prior convictions, including burglary, aggravated burglary, false imprisonment, robbery and impersonating a Garda. Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned sentencing to 19 December and remanded Connors in custody.
During a murder trial, former British Army soldier Donal Colgan, aged 66, pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder in the death of 44‑year‑old David Sheridan outside Luigi's chip shop on North Strand Road, Dublin 1, on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan said he had lost complete control after a series of confrontations involving Sheridan, his friend Gary Kinlan, and a young man named Keith Ledden. He described being provoked by a bottle hit to the head and feeling shocked and angry, leading him to stab Sheridan. Colgan claimed he had no intention to kill and that he had returned to the shop to frighten the parties involved. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, will continue to the next phase before Justice Tony Hunt and a jury.
Donal Colgan, a 66‑year‑old former British Army soldier, is giving evidence in his defence at the Central Criminal Court. He has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to the murder of 44‑year‑old David Sheridan, who was killed outside Luigi's chip shop on the North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan's plea was not accepted by the State, so the case proceeds. In his testimony, Colgan described his upbringing in the North Strand area, his school experience, and his decision to join the British Army at 16. He served with the Ulster Rifles, was posted to Gibraltar and Libya, and was injured in a desert exercise. He returned to Ireland in 1969, married in 1972, had four children, and later moved to Clontarf after a relationship breakdown in 1997. He will continue to testify before Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of eight women and three men.
Michael Murray, aged 46, was sentenced to 19 years in prison after an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions increased his original 15‑year term. The Court of Appeal found the original sentence unduly lenient, citing the appalling nature of the offences, his extensive prior criminal record and the absence of any mitigating factors. Murray was convicted of rape, attempted rape, oral rape, aggravated sexual assault, child abduction, threats to kill or cause serious harm, false imprisonment, and theft. He lured a woman into an apartment by claiming an elderly woman was dying, bound and drugged her, raped her, and abducted her four‑year‑old son, abandoning the child in a city centre square. The judge noted the severity of the crime, the prolonged duration of the assault, the use of restraints and threats, and the lack of any mitigating circumstances.
John McGovern, 25, set fire to the Station Hill apartment complex in Clongriffin, Dublin, causing €1.25 million in damage and leaving 25 people temporarily homeless. He pleaded guilty to one count of arson and one count of assault on his partner, Gráinne O'Brien, on 1 November last year. The court found the arson a very serious offence because it placed residents' lives at risk. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced McGovern to six and a half years' imprisonment, suspended the last 12 months, and imposed a two‑year period of good behaviour and supervision by Probation Services. McGovern had 26 prior convictions, including theft and public order offences, and had been in custody since the incident. The fire was extinguished after four‑and‑a‑half hours, with no injuries, but six homes were destroyed and many residents suffered financial and emotional hardship. The judge noted McGovern was making good use of his time in custody and seeking rehabilitation.
In a 2017 appeal, lawyers for Maurice Power, a 34‑year‑old from Kilmoyler, argued that Gardaí supervising his cigarette breaks during an interview on suspicion of murdering Shane Rossiter violated proper procedure. Power, who had pleaded not guilty to Rossiter's 2012 murder, was found guilty by a jury of 11‑1 and received a mandatory life sentence in 2014. His barrister, Dominic McGinn SC, contended that the Gardaí's involvement in the breaks, supposedly due to resource constraints, effectively influenced Power's confession. He claimed the Gardaí provided information that Power repeated, thereby inducing the confession, and that the trial judge failed to question the admissibility of the confession and related evidence. The Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel dismissed these claims, describing them as lacking substance, and the court was to reserve judgment.
A 66‑year‑old Dublin man, Donal Colgan, was arrested on 19 August 2014 after a fatal stabbing outside Luigi's chip shop on North Strand Road. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder of 44‑year‑old David Sheridan. Colgan claimed he acted in self‑defence after two young men attacked him. Garda Sergeant Chris Cahill testified that Colgan told the police it was self‑defence. Detective Sergeant Mark Waters found Colgan's clothes and a knife at his home, both bearing the victim's blood, and noted that Colgan behaved normally the day after the incident. Teresa Marcela, a Luigi's employee, described a fight between Colgan and the victim, after which Colgan allegedly stabbed Sheridan with a large vegetable knife. Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis confirmed multiple stab wounds, including a 20‑cm abdominal wound, and identified the knife as the likely weapon.
In a High Court hearing on 2 November 2017, Justice Aileen Donnelly examined whether to extradite Raymond O'Neill, a 38‑year‑old Belfast man, to Northern Ireland for murder and arson charges linked to the 2015 killing of Jennifer Dornan. O'Neill was arrested in Dublin under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Northern Ireland authorities. He raised three objections: the impact of Brexit, insufficient linkage to the offences, and a real risk of inhuman treatment in Maghaberry prison due to his vulnerability. The judge rejected the Brexit and linkage objections, citing prior decisions and sufficient detail in the warrants. She expressed concern over Maghaberry's safety, citing a 2016 report that highlighted high violence levels and deficiencies for vulnerable prisoners. A 2017 report was deemed inadequate. A further hearing is scheduled for 12 December, with O'Neill remanded in custody until then.
In a 2017 trial, retired consultant surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, was found guilty by a jury of indecent assault on two teenage male patients during the 1970s. The convictions concerned incidents between 1974 and 1976 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and Shine's private clinic in Drogheda. Shine admitted attending to the patients but denied any inappropriate conduct. Testimony from one victim described being restrained on a bed, having a blanket and rubber bungee straps applied, and the doctor's hand slipping under the blanket to massage his testicles. A second victim recounted that during follow‑up examinations for undescended testes, Shine massaged the base of his penis. The jury acquitted Shine of several other charges, including four counts of groping other teenage boys and one count of assault between 1988 and 1991. Judge Cormac Quinn remanded Shine on continuing bail until December 1 for sentencing.
Jason Molyneaux, 26, of North William Street Flats, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a screwdriver with intent to use it in connection with the unlawful use of a motor vehicle. The offence occurred on 9 May 2016 at East Wall Road, Dublin 3, when he was a passenger on a stolen motorcycle. Molyneaux had 120 previous convictions, mainly for road traffic offences, and no history of violence. Judge Karen O'Connor described the offence as "particularly horrible" and noted the significant inconvenience caused to the motorbike owner, Matthew Leonard, who had lost his independent transport and had to extend his commute from half an hour to two hours. The judge imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended in full, and ordered Molyneaux to pay €1,000 compensation to Leonard. She warned that a repeat offence would trigger the full sentence. Molyneaux's co‑accused, William Baker, received a similar suspended sentence and a €2,000 compensation order.
A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court acquitted retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, of four counts of indecent assault on three teenage patients in 1964, 1970 and 1976. Shine had pleaded not guilty to seven charges relating to alleged assaults on five patients between 1964 and 1991 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda. The jury found him not guilty of the four counts involving the teenagers, citing a lack of corroborating evidence and missing medical records that could confirm the alleged encounters. Judge Cormac Quinn warned jurors that reasonable doubt arising from the delay in the complaints required them to give the benefit of the doubt to the accused. Shine denied ever seeing the patients and denied any inappropriate conduct during examinations. The remaining three counts, involving alleged assaults on two teenage patients between 1974 and 1976, were not addressed in the verdict.
During a murder trial, witness Gary Kinlan testified that he saw his friend David Sheridan being stabbed to bits by Donal Colgan outside Luigi's chip shop on North Strand Road, Dublin 1, on 17/18 August 2014. Kinlan, who was drinking with Sheridan in the Summerhill area, claimed that Colgan emerged from the shop, confronted him, and then returned a few minutes later with a large blade. Kinlan said he ran to a nearby car, saw Colgan holding Sheridan against a window and stabbing him, and tried to stop him, but Colgan walked away as if nothing had happened. Kinlan denied any role in the events leading up to the stabbing, and the prosecution's cross‑examination questioned his account. The trial is proceeding before Justice Tony Hunt and a jury. Donal Colgan pleaded guilty.
In a double murder trial, the jury watched CCTV footage of the night two Dublin men were shot dead in County Louth. The footage, shown to the Central Criminal Court, covered movements of people and vehicles before and after 11 pm, including a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park and a licensed chip shop in County Armagh. Jason O'Driscoll, 34, charged with murdering 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond, pleaded not guilty. The trial moved into legal argument before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and will resume with the jury on Monday.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, faced eight charges of indecent assault against five teenage male patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda between 1964 and 1991. Shine pleaded not guilty. Judge Cormac Quinn warned the jury that convicting on the uncorroborated evidence of any complainant would be dangerous, emphasizing that the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that Shine attended to the complainants, that the alleged acts occurred, were not legitimate medical examinations, and were intended as indecent. He noted the absence of credible independent corroboration for any complainant and urged jurors to exercise special care when assessing each claim. The judge also highlighted the challenges posed by the 42‑year delay, including missing records and the difficulty of defense, and advised that any reasonable doubt should favor the accused. The jury was sent home for the night, with deliberations to resume the next morning.