Gerard Cleary, aged 33, pleaded guilty to possessing 1,976 g of cocaine for sale or supply outside his home in Lucan, Dublin, on 8 August 2017. He admitted holding the drugs for a few minutes before Gardaí seized them, after being instructed by a third party to keep a package for no more than a day to repay a €9,000 debt incurred through his own cocaine use. Cleary, a waste‑management engineer, claimed he was paid to hold the drugs in an unlocked car, but could not name the person who owed him or who asked him to do so. He has 14 prior convictions, including nine traffic offences, one assault and one under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The court heard he had been a functioning cocaine addict, had lost his job, and that his debt had increased dramatically. He was remanded on continuing bail to be sentenced on 16 November.
The Charleton tribunal received three out of four requested statements from senior garda officers, according to tribunal barrister Diarmaid McGuinness SC. Statements from Chief Superintendent Terry McGinn, Chief Superintendent Tony McLoughlin, and Superintendent Eugene McGovern were submitted on Thursday morning. Retired assistant commissioner Kieran Kenny was unable to provide a statement as he was 'on the far side of the world.' The tribunal requested the statements following the discovery of handwritten notes taken by Chief Superintendent McGinn at a garda conference in Letterkenny station on 8 October 2013. Tribunal chairman, Mr Justice Peter Charleton, sought to determine each officer's knowledge of the meeting, which occurred two days after a complaint was made by Marisa Simms, the partner of whistleblower Garda Keith Harrison. McGuinness noted that Chief Supt McGinn's notes were submitted to Garda HQ months ago but not forwarded to the tribunal. Garda HQ reviewed the documents and found no reference to Tusla or HSE, leading to the omission. The tribunal is currently examining contacts between gardaí and HSE/Tusla regarding Garda Harrison. Supt Eugene McGovern, cross-examined by Mark Harty SC on behalf of Garda Harrison, stated that a decision was made to refer Ms Simms' complaint to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) under Section 102 of the Garda Siochana Act, which allows for referrals where a Garda has caused death or serious harm. Harty questioned whether distress was considered serious harm and if charges of assault causing serious harm would be brought without physical injury. McGovern said that the decision on charges would be for the DPP and that gardaí believed there was a 'substantial risk of death' to Ms Simms. Harty noted that no crime prevention advice was given to Ms Simms and questioned the response to the threat. McGovern stated that the matter was referred to the garda ombudsman, though the ombudsman has no powers of arrest or crime prevention. A letter from Chief Supt Tony McLoughlin in Garda HQ questioned the appropriateness of a Section 102 referral, suggesting confinement on indoor duties. Chief Supt McGinn responded that the threats outlined by Ms Simms constituted a 'substantial risk of death.' McGovern stated that the referral to the HSE was based on Ms Simms' statement, which she made voluntarily. Ms Simms later withdrew her statement.
Conor Hogan, aged 28, denies that he racially abused the Brazilian accused, Juraci Da Silva, during a 2016 assault in Waterford. Hogan admitted to assaulting Da Silva twice, but denied a third assault and said he could not recall telling Da Silva to "go back to your own country." Da Silva, 36, is on trial for murder and has pleaded not guilty to that charge but guilty to the manslaughter of James Banville, 28, who was stabbed by Da Silva. Da Silva also faces charges of assaulting Hogan and producing a knife. During cross‑examination, Hogan explained that he and Banville attacked Da Silva because he would not leave them alone, and that the colour of his skin was irrelevant. The trial is before Justice Michael White with a jury of twelve.
During the Central Criminal Court trial of Danny Keena, the teenage son of the accused, who is not named because of his age, gave emotional testimony about his father's behaviour towards his mother, Brigid Maguire. He described how Keena had threatened to kill her, saying "I'd kill you," and had repeatedly harassed her, including an incident where he spilled milk on her hair. The son recalled being woken one night in sixth class when Keena held a hammer and threatened his mother, and that he and his sister tried to protect her but were prevented from leaving. He said that after the family moved out in September 2015, Keena continued to threaten her. The son's testimony was interrupted by a break when he became upset. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of seven men and five women.
In November 2015, Theresa Chennaux, a 49‑year‑old woman diagnosed with schizophrenia, attempted to remove a five‑year‑old child from a Luas tram and later tried to restrain a 12‑year‑old girl and assault her 14‑year‑old sister at two separate stops. She claimed she was protecting the children from a paedophile and accused Gardaí of being vampires. Chennaux had not been taking her medication and had been moved between psychiatric facilities without meeting criteria for involuntary admission. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a jury of twelve returned a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity on all charges in under twenty minutes. Judge Melanie Greally committed her to the Central Mental Hospital for assessment, with a report due on 13 November. The incidents were captured on CCTV and witnessed by passengers who described her as dishevelled and speaking of witches and the devil.
Declan Duffy, aged 43, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to assaulting John Roche and to falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne, both offences committed on 9 June 2015. The court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, remanded Duffy in custody until 18 October, when the case will be mentioned again. The judge ordered victim impact statements to be prepared for a future sentencing hearing. Duffy's co‑accused, Christopher Maguire (38) and Daniel Kane (28), were also involved in the same false imprisonment allegations, with Kane failing to attend court.
Danny Keena, a 55‑year‑old farmer from Empor, Ballynacargy, Westmeath, is on trial for the murder of 43‑year‑old Brigid Maguire, the mother of his two children. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. During the trial, Keena demonstrated to Gardaí how he strangled Maguire after a dispute at her new home. He described following her to her bedroom, arguing, and then choking her for a few minutes until she fell and her tongue turned blue. He claimed he did not intend to kill her, stating he panicked when she was dying. Keena also admitted having attempted suicide twice and that he had threatened to kill himself. The court heard a post‑mortem report indicating extensive neck injury and asphyxiation as the cause of death. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
Christopher Geraghty, 48, of Oldtown, Santry, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of control substances for sale or supply. He was found in possession of 27 bars of PVP, a drug described in court as "poor man's cocaine", worth €242,984. Gardaí searched his residence on 15 October 2014 and discovered the white powder, which Geraghty and the supplier believed to be cocaine. He was arrested, cooperated during questioning, and was held in custody until 27 March 2015, a period taken into account at sentencing. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to four years imprisonment, with the final 24 months suspended, and imposed a 24‑month probation period. The sentence was mitigated by his health problems, addiction, family support and early plea. He had previously served a ten‑year sentence in 2005 for the manslaughter of Anthony Jordan.
During a murder trial, Conor Hogan, aged 28, recounted the events that led to the fatal stabbing of his friend James Banville on 8 October 2016. Hogan said he and Banville had celebrated Banville's first week in a new job, drinking in a few pubs in Waterford City. They were assaulted twice by Brazilian national Juraci Da Silva, 36, who later pursued them. Hogan and Banville attempted to hit Da Silva in an alley on Cross Lane, but Da Silva returned to the car on New Street and stabbed both men. Banville died from his injuries; Hogan required about ten stitches. Da Silva pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Banville, a plea not accepted by the State, and is on trial at the Central Criminal Court. He also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Hogan and to producing a knife. The trial continues tomorrow before Justice Michael Kelly and a jury of twelve.
In the Central Criminal Court, the niece of Danny Keena, charged with murdering Brigid Maguire, testified that he had threatened to run his car into her if they met on the road. She recalled a phone call six or seven weeks before Maguire's death, during which Keena said he was "sick of it all" and would kill himself after driving into her. The niece, who had a good relationship with Keena, said she did not believe he would hang himself. She also confirmed that she had not told the Gardaí about the call. The court heard that Maguire's post‑mortem revealed extensive neck injury and asphyxiation. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, continues with a jury of seven men and five women.
In the Central Criminal Court, Jade Maguire testified that her father, Danny Keena, had threatened to kill her mother, Brigid Maguire, with a hammer and later a poker before Brigid's strangulation on 14 November 2015. Jade and her brother had left the Keena household weeks earlier, but Keena returned with a baseball bat and attempted to stop them from leaving. Jade described hearing her father shout that he would kill her mother and seeing marks on Brigid's neck. She found Brigid lying dead on the floor after entering the house. Keena, 54, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, is expected to last five days, with a jury of seven men and five women hearing the evidence.
Stephen Cahoon, aged 44, was found guilty of murdering his pregnant ex‑girlfriend Jean Teresa Quigley, aged 30, who was 10 weeks pregnant when strangled at Cornshell Fields in Derry on 26 July 2008. Cahoon denied the murder. He was first tried in the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, where a hung jury failed to reach a verdict. In April 2012 he was again found guilty, but the conviction was overturned because the judge's instruction on provocation was incorrect. A retrial in December 2015 resulted in a unanimous conviction. Cahoon now appeals the conviction, arguing that a witness's Section 16 statement was admitted without proper consideration of a threat from police officers and that the statement's reliability was compromised. The appeal is pending, and the court has reserved judgment. The case is notable for being the first murder in Northern Ireland tried in the Republic under the Criminal Law Jurisdiction Act 1976.
Keith Byrne, 32, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of €300 worth of cannabis herb and making threats to kill or seriously harm staff at Bewleys Hotel, Sandyford, on 15 February 2014. Byrne, who had 44 prior convictions, threatened staff, saying he had a barrister on speed dial and would slit a staff member "from ear to ear." He also threatened to stab a staff member with a screwdriver after the staff member had the bag of cannabis. Byrne had completed a residential rehabilitation programme and a favourable probation report was presented. Judge Melanie Greally, noting the violent conduct but also the rehabilitation, imposed a two‑year sentence suspended for two years on strict conditions, deciding that incarceration would be counter‑productive at this stage.
The Court of Appeal has reserved its judgment on an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions seeking a review of Michael Murray's 15-year prison sentence as unduly lenient. Murray, 46, formerly of Killiney, Dublin, was found guilty by a unanimous jury of rape, attempted rape, oral rape, aggravated sexual assault, child abduction, threats to kill, false imprisonment, and theft committed in February 2010. He had previously denied the charges and lost an appeal against his conviction in March. Prosecutors argued the sentence failed to account for aggravating factors, including pre-meditation, deception, and explicit threats to the victim's four-year-old son. Defense counsel contended the trial judge exercised proper discretion. The court, comprising Justices Birmingham, Mahon, and Edwards, heard submissions but did not finalize the sentence, instead adjourning the matter to reserve judgment.
Danny Keena, 54, of Empor, Ballynacargy, Westmeath, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of his partner, 41‑year‑old Brigid Maguire, who was strangled in her home on 14 November 2015. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the Director of Public Prosecutions. A jury of seven men and five women is hearing the case. Prosecutor Remy Farrell SC described the couple's long‑term partnership, their two teenage children, and the breakdown of their relationship by 2015. He noted that Maguire's daughter, Jade, found her mother lying on the floor and that the mother had been dead for some time, having been strangled. Farrell highlighted that Keena was absent at the time of the killing, had fled, slept rough, and later admitted the killing at a neighbour's house.
In a Waterford murder trial, 36‑year‑old Juraci Da Silva pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of 28‑year‑old James Banville, who was stabbed to death on New Street at about 3.15 am on 8 October 2016. Da Silva also pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Conor Hogan and to a third count of producing a knife. The prosecution presented CCTV footage showing that Banville and Hogan had assaulted Da Silva twice over a 20‑minute period, then left him. Da Silva, after changing clothes, followed them, produced a long knife and inflicted the fatal injury. The jury was told that the acts did not constitute self‑defence and that intent to kill or cause serious injury was required for murder. The trial continued before Justice Michael Kelly and a 12‑person jury.
Freddie Thompson, 36, was charged with the murder of David Douglas, 55, on 1 July 2016 at Bridgefoot Street, Dublin. In a High Court hearing on 3 October 2017, Judge Paul McDermott refused Thompson's bail application, citing flight risk and the seriousness of the charge. Thompson, wearing a grey zip‑up jumper, shouted obscenities at the judge, saying "Fuck off, I'm not listening to that" and "I'm not fucking going back in", and attempted to leave the courtroom. Two women present left before the judge finished ruling. The State, represented by Ronan Prendergast BL, objected to bail on the grounds of flight risk and potential further serious offences. Sergeant Brendan Brogan of Pearse Street Garda Station and Chief Superintendent Francis Clerkin provided evidence supporting the refusal under Section 2A of the Bail Act. Thompson was remanded in custody and the DPP had previously obtained an order for him to face trial at the Special Criminal Court.
A High Court judge will decide whether 36‑year‑old Frederick "Freddie" Thompson, who lives on Loreto Road, Maryland, Dublin 8, should be granted bail. Thompson is charged with the murder of 55‑year‑old David Douglas, who was killed on Bridgefoot Street, Dublin, on 1 July 2016. The Director of Public Prosecutions had previously obtained an order for Thompson to be tried at the Special Criminal Court, arguing that ordinary courts were inadequate for effective administration of justice. Thompson applied for bail in the High Court, but the State objected. Sergeant Brendan Brogan of Pearse Street Garda Station told the court that the seriousness of the charge made Thompson a flight risk and that his release could lead to further serious offences. Chief Superintendent Francis Clerkin also testified that, under Section 2A of the Bail Act, refusal of bail was necessary to prevent the commission of a serious offence.
The Charleton tribunal, chaired by Mr Justice Peter Charlton, continued its trial examining allegations that Garda Keith Harrison was targeted for making a protected disclosure. Ms Marisa Simms, Harrison's partner, testified that she was followed by Garda vehicles and received death threats, denying suggestions that Harrison sought whistleblower fame. She stated that a complaint forwarded to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) in October 2013 was not made under pressure. Harrison alleged the GSOC referral was motivated by malice stemming from his previous posting in Athlone and his relationship with Simms, whose brother was charged with the manslaughter of Garda Gary McLoughlin. Social worker Una Coll testified that she contacted Sergeant Brigid McGowan in 2012 regarding an anonymous letter and later learned a referral had been sent for the Simms children. Coll stated that social services consult with Gardaí but do not accept direction from them. Principal social worker Gerry Hone confirmed receiving a notification about the children in October 2013, noting that a box indicating emotional abuse was ticked but further information was required before action could be taken. Hone stated it would be highly inappropriate for an outside agency to direct social work investigations. The tribunal is currently examining contacts between Gardaí and the HSE/Tusla, with details of the protected disclosure yet to be heard.
In Waterford City, a jury was sworn in to hear the trial of Juraci Da Silva, a 36‑year‑old Brazilian, accused of murder and assault causing harm. Da Silva was alleged to have murdered 28‑year‑old James Banville on 8 October 2016 at New Street. He pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the State. He also pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm against Conor Hogan and to a third count of producing a knife. All charges stem from the same incident.
A Kilkenny man, whose identity is protected to preserve the anonymity of his now 33-year-old cousin, must await the outcome of an appeal against his conviction for rape and sexual assault of the then 14-year-old. The 49-year-old appellant pleaded not guilty to 35 counts, with the trial judge directing not guilty verdicts on the balance. He was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of 15 counts of rape and oral rape and one charge of sexual assault. On February 8, 2016, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment, with the final year suspended. The appeal, heard by Mr Justice George Birmingham, Mr Justice Alan Mahon, and Mr Justice John Hedigan, was based on alleged new material regarding the timing of the parties' move to a specific property. Defence counsel argued that fresh records indicated the move occurred in mid-1999, after the complainant turned 15, potentially rendering the alleged pre-1999 offences impossible. The prosecution contended the records were unreliable and raised more questions than answers. The court reserved its judgment, meaning the matter was adjourned and not concluded.
James Maher, aged 64, was jailed for eight years after pleading guilty to six counts of sexually abusing his two nephews between 1980 and 1984. The victims, aged eight and six at the time of the first abuse, were abused at various locations in Dublin. Maher admitted to indecent assault and other sexual offences, describing the abuse as "pain and violence" and "like an animal." The court heard the brothers turned to drugs and suffered depression as a result of the abuse. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced Maher to nine years, suspending the final year due to his age, health issues, guilty plea and lack of prior convictions. The victims waived anonymity and testified that the abuse had robbed them of their youth and spirit. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court formally discharged charges against ten of the eleven Jobstown water charge protesters. Judge Melanie Greally entered a nolle prosequi for all accused except Dylan Collins, whose case remains active. Prosecution barrister Sean Gillane SC stated that Collins, aged 22, is alleged to have committed violent disorder and criminal damage to a garda car rear window on November 15, 2014. He will be arraigned on November 20, with a trial date likely unnecessary. The other ten defendants, including Antoinette Kane and Calvin Carlyle, faced allegations of violent disorder at Fortunestown Road, Jobstown, on the same date. Their charges were dropped following a request from the DPP. This decision follows a previous trial where six men, including Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, were found not guilty of falsely imprisoning former Tánaiste Joan Burton and her advisor Karen O'Connell. Protesters celebrated the discharge outside the court, demanding a public inquiry into the prosecution. The matter for the ten discharged individuals was concluded, while Collins's case proceeds to arraignment.
Jason Keating, aged 26, was charged with the murder of Noel 'Duck Egg' Kirwan, 62, who was shot in the head and chest outside his Ford Mondeo on St Ronan's Drive, Clondalkin, on 22 December 2016. The DPP applied for Keating to be tried at the Special Criminal Court, a non‑jury court, and the application was granted by Judge Isobel Kennedy. The court will now hear the case in the Special Criminal Court, where the ordinary courts are deemed inadequate for effective administration of justice.
Two men, Laurence Murphy, 60, and Ray Kennedy, 38, were granted bail by the Special Criminal Court after being charged with membership of the unlawful organisation Oglaigh na hEireann (IRA) in connection with the murder of Peter Butterly, 35, who was shot dead outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston, Co. Meath on 6 March 2013. Solicitor Rioghnach Corbett informed the court that the State consented to the bail applications, subject to conditions. Murphy's bail was set on a €100 bond and a €10,000 independent surety; Kennedy's bail was on a €100 bond and a €16,000 independent surety. Conditions require both men to surrender passports, not apply for new travel documents, sign daily at an agreed Garda station, reside at an agreed address, observe a curfew from 12 am to 7 am, stay within jurisdiction, avoid Northern Ireland, refrain from attending Republican commemorations, and not contact prosecution witnesses.
The charge against Dublin man Jason Keating, 26, for the murder of Noel Kirwan, 62, outside Kirwan's house on St Ronan's Drive, Clondalkin, on 22 December 2016, has been struck out by the Special Criminal Court. The Director of Public Prosecutions applied for the strike‑out, and the presiding judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, told Keating he was "free to go". Keating's counsel, Mr Giollaiosa O Lideadha SC, noted difficulties with the original certificate and charge sheet and that the prosecution intends to restart proceedings against him.
Kevin Braney, a 43‑year‑old Dublin man, was charged by the Special Criminal Court with membership of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and with the murder of Peter Butterly, a 35‑year‑old father of two, who was shot dead outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston, Co. Meath on 6 March 2013. Braney is also charged with possession of a 9 mm Beretta pistol and seven rounds of ammunition, allegedly intended for a murder on 5 March 2013 at Blackthorn Apartments, Balbriggan. He was brought before the court on 14 September 2017, where he protested the charges as politically motivated and demanded a jury trial. The court, following the Director of Public Prosecutions' request, ordered that he be tried before the Special Criminal Court. Judge Tony Hunt remanded him in custody for a further hearing on 21 September. No objections were raised to Braney's application for legal aid.
A 26‑year‑old Dublin man, Jason Keating of Lower Main Street, Rush, Co. Dublin, is charged with the murder of Noel Kirwan, aged 62, who was killed outside his house on St Ronan's Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, on 22 December 2016. At a brief hearing in which Keating was excused, a State solicitor informed the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions had applied for Keating to be tried before the Special Criminal Court. Judge Tony Hunt, sitting with Judges Cormac Dunne and Ann Ryan, granted the order for a non‑jury trial.
Four men appeared before an out-of-term sitting of the Special Criminal Court on charges arising from the death of Peter Butterly. Mr Butterly, aged thirty-five, was shot outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston, County Meath on 6 March 2013. Michael McDermott, aged fifty-eight, from Ballinagh, County Cavan, faces a murder charge alongside allegations of membership of an unlawful organisation and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Laurence Murphy, aged sixty, and Frank Murphy, aged fifty-eight, both from Bettystown, County Meath, are charged with membership of an unlawful organisation. Frank Murphy additionally faces murder and firearm possession charges. Ray Kennedy, aged thirty-eight, from Dublin, is charged with membership of an unlawful organisation. All four were remanded in custody pending their return to the Special Criminal Court on 14 September.
A 40‑year‑old woman, Regina Keogh of Avondale House, Cumberland Street North, has been charged with the murder of Gareth Hutch on 24 May 2016. She appeared before the Special Criminal Court, a three‑judge, non‑jury court, where Judge Tony Hunt tentatively set her trial for 25 June. Her defence solicitor, Patrick Gageby SC, requested the case be mentioned again on 6 October. Separately, a 32‑year‑old man, Jonathan Keogh of Gloucester Place, is also charged with Hutch's murder and will be tried by the same court, with the case to be mentioned again next Friday.
The Special Criminal Court has denied Frederick "Freddie" Thompson's request to dismiss the murder charge against him. Thompson, 36, is charged with the July 1st, 2016 killing of David Douglas, 55, who was shot dead in a shop on Bridgefoot Street, Dublin. Thompson's barrister, Michael O'Higgins SC, argued for dismissal under Section 4E of the Criminal Justice Act 1999, while Seán Gillane SC represented the prosecution. Justice Isobel Kennedy, presiding, stated that the three‑judge panel had reviewed all evidence and submissions and found sufficient evidence to proceed with a trial.
A Limerick biker, Alan 'Cookie McNamara, 51, from Mountfune, Murroe, Co Limerick, was found guilty of the murder of Andrew 'AOD' O'Donoghue at the gates of the Road Tramps motorcycle club at Mountfune on June 20, 2015, by a jury in the Central Criminal Court. The case was heard at the sentence procedural stage. McNamara had pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder. The jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty. The matter was adjourned, and McNamara was remanded in custody for sentencing on October 27th. Robert Cusack, 28, of Abington, Murroe, Co Limerick, had pleaded not guilty to impeding McNamara's apprehension but later changed his plea to guilty. Alan McNamara had also pleaded not guilty to the charge of impeding McNamara's apprehension. No findings or sentences were recorded for Robert Cusack or Alan McNamara. The case was not finalised, and no suspended portions, effective custody, conditions, or adjournments were specified for the other named case subjects.
John Morley, aged 31, was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to assaulting a Romanian refuse collector at Virgina Park, Finglas, on 5 August 2015. The incident began when a bin was not collected because it had been "blacklisted" for non‑payment. Three men, including Morley, confronted the bin crew, pushing the collectors and threatening violence. Morley was under the influence of alcohol, but the judge, Melanie Greally, found this not a justification. He received a three‑year sentence with the final year suspended, conditional on participation in victim awareness work and maintaining peace for that period. The case also involved two other men who received partially suspended sentences. Morley's 20 prior convictions were noted, and the court highlighted the seriousness of the assault.
Kieran Lynch, 50, had his 2007 murder conviction quashed after a successful appeal and was later convicted of manslaughter for the death of his partner, Catherine McEnery, in 2005. In July 2016, the Central Criminal Court sentenced him to 12 years' imprisonment, with the last four years suspended for two years post‑release. He was required to remain in good behaviour for two years and attend probation appointments. The court heard that Lynch has not complied with these conditions, failing to attend four probation appointments and not residing at the address specified. On an application by the prosecution, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy set a hearing for 9 October and ordered that Lynch be served notice of that date. The case remains at the suspended‑sentence compliance stage. Kieran Lynch pleaded not guilty.
A former Catholic priest has filed a High Court application to stop his upcoming trial for alleged indecent assault of a boy over 30 years ago. He argues that the delay in prosecution, the destruction of documents he requested, and the lack of fair procedures have compromised his right to a fair trial. The case, set for the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, was heard by Mr Justice Seamus Noonan, who allowed the challenge to proceed on an ex‑parte basis and adjourned the matter to October.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 49‑year‑old Dublin man was convicted of raping his 14‑year‑old niece twice between 1 January 2012 and 1 April 2013 while she lived with him. The victim, now 19, testified that the assaults occurred in her bedroom after she had fallen asleep, describing the uncle's force and the fear he instilled. She reported feeling "dirt, shame and disgust" and later suffered severe depression, self‑harm and suicidal thoughts. The defendant denied the allegations, claiming the niece had lost her virginity to a boyfriend and that he was not drunk when the incidents occurred. He has 37 prior convictions for road traffic offences. Mr Justice Paul McDermott sentenced him to nine years, with the final year suspended, for two "nasty, violent rapes" that breached the trust of a vulnerable child. The defendant's wife and children supported him, and he has applied for legal aid to appeal.
Vincent Banks, aged 47, from Smithfield Gate Apartments in Dublin 7, has been found guilty by the Special Criminal Court of membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army. The conviction follows his trial regarding the purchase of a Toyota Camry used in the fatal shooting of Northern Ireland prison officer David Black on 1 November 2012. Mr Black was killed in a drive-by shooting on the M1 near Lurgan, County Armagh. The vehicle was subsequently found burnt out in a ditch near Carrigallen, County Leitrim, with firearm cartridges connected to the death recovered from inside. Banks had denied the charge, maintaining he knew nothing of Mr Black or the vehicle. However, the court accepted evidence from Chief Superintendent Gerry Russell regarding Banks' membership and found his conduct surrounding the car's purchase surreptitious. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, presiding with judges Gerard Griffin and Gerard Haughton, noted that inferences could be drawn from Banks' failure to answer material questions during garda interviews. He was remanded in custody pending sentencing on 9 October.
Larry McCarthy, aged 37, was convicted by the Special Criminal Court of violent disorder and assault causing harm. The violent disorder charge stemmed from an incident on 25 November 2014 at Cornmarket Villas, Limerick, where McCarthy, along with two others, threatened to use "unlawful violence" and assaulted David Foran, a cyclist who had been involved in a minor road accident with a motorcyclist. Foran was stabbed in the leg with a knife and struck on the head with a baseball bat. McCarthy pleaded not guilty to the assault but was found guilty. He received a six‑year sentence for violent disorder and a three‑year sentence for assault causing harm, both to run concurrently and back‑dated to 30 July 2015. The court noted the use of a knife and bat as aggravating factors and limited mitigating circumstances. The sentences were imposed by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Gerard Haughton.
During a hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Melanie Greally criticised existing contempt of court laws as "hopelessly inadequate" for curbing social media commentary that could interfere with trials. She spoke ahead of a trial set for 3 October involving six defendants charged with violent disorder and false imprisonment following a 2014 protest in Jobstown, Tallaght. Greally had considered imposing a bail condition preventing defendants from making social media comments aimed at influencing the trial, but after defence submissions she decided no change was needed, citing the usual condition to keep the peace and good behaviour. She warned that any such commentary would be evidence of contempt. The judge also cautioned mainstream media against linking the upcoming defendants to the previous trial and noted the DPP's sensitivity to recent broadcast comments. The hearing highlighted the tension between freedom of expression and the need to protect the integrity of ongoing trials.
Two brothers, aged 44 and 44, stood in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual abuse of their uncle, who was 64. The abuse took place between January 1980 and March 1984, when the brothers were aged eight to thirteen and six to seven. The uncle admitted to indecent assault, placing his penis in each boy's mouth and anus, and urinating in one boy's mouth. He had considered murdering them but said he would not do so. The brothers waited to come forward until after their grandparents died, fearing the impact on their family. They described the uncle's reassurance that the abuse was "OK" and "our secret." The brothers suffered drug addiction, depression and relationship problems. The court ordered a probation report and adjourned sentencing to 2 October, noting the seriousness of the offence.
Jonathan Doran, a 26‑year‑old barber from Artane, was convicted of violent disorder after a row outside Krystal nightclub in Dublin in 2013. He claimed he acted out of "misguided loyalty" because he mistakenly believed his friend, Republic of Ireland footballer Jeff Hendrick, had been struck. Doran admitted chasing Darren McDermott down a laneway and sitting on him, but denied any assault. The jury found Hendrick not guilty and convicted Doran. Judge Martin Nolan, noting no evidence of assault and Doran's good record, imposed a two‑year suspended sentence and ordered him to pay €6,000 within a year, to be given to charity if McDermott declined. Doran had no prior convictions and had cooperated with the investigation. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the trial lasting 29 minutes before the verdict. Jonathan Doran was acquitted.
Ethan Emmett, 24, of Finglas, Dublin, received a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to assault causing harm and criminal damage in Finglas on March 31, 2011. Judge Karen O'Connor described Emmett's conduct as "disgraceful" but suspended the sentence, citing the time he has already spent in custody and his young age. Prosecution evidence alleged that Emmett threw beer bottles at a chipper owner after being refused a phone charger loan, causing approximately €2,000 in damage. Emmett fled to Australia on bail in 2011 and was not returned to Ireland until March of this year, following the completion of a five-year and eleven-month sentence for reckless wounding in Australia. He was arrested by gardaí upon his arrival at the airport. The court noted Emmett has 30 previous convictions, mostly from his minority, including assault and public order offences. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the suspended sentence.
In a victim impact statement at the Central Criminal Court, a married mother described how she is now a "broken person" after being raped by Mohamed Okda in February 2014. She said she suffers from panic attacks and depression, feels her trust and belief in people have been shattered, and that she has lost friends and feels unable to talk about the night. Okda, 30, was found guilty by a jury of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts after a seven‑day trial. The case will return to court on 9 October. The mother thanked her husband for support and said she is working to repair their relationship. Okda has 16 prior convictions in Ireland, none for sexual offences, and has been in custody since his conviction.
In a 2017 appeal, a 58‑year‑old carer from Mullingar was found guilty of indecent assault on a 24‑year‑old vulnerable male resident at a residential care centre. The resident, who had a mild intellectual disability and various physical ailments, alleged that the carer, while the resident was bathing at about 8 pm, had put his hand in the bath and attempted to touch him. The resident had previously complained to a nurse in December, leading to an internal investigation and the carer's suspension with pay, after which he was allowed to resume work. Gardaí later opened a criminal investigation, resulting in the 2014 conviction of a single count of indecent assault, for which the court imposed a wholly suspended 12‑month sentence. The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction, ruling that the offence covers both the apprehension of and actual uninvited, unwelcome physical contact. The appeal was dismissed on all grounds. The unnamed 58-year-old pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal has upheld the serious assault convictions of Bill O'Driscoll (31) and Damien Fitzgerald (28), both from Cork, despite their legal teams' arguments for acquittal due to insufficient evidence. Both men had pleaded not guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to charges of assault causing serious harm to Karol O'Keeffe at the Quarry Steps, Windsor Cottages, St Luke's, Cork on November 25, 2013, and also denied a charge of robbery. They were found guilty by a jury on both counts and sentenced to eight years imprisonment by Judge David Riordan on June 15, 2015. Both remain in custody serving their sentences. The appeal was based on the claim that the trial judge erred in not instructing the jury that the men had 'no case to answer'. However, Mr Justice John Edwards dismissed this, stating that the evidence was sufficient to support the convictions. The court noted that the prosecution's case was based on circumstantial evidence, but that multiple pieces of evidence, including forensic and CCTV evidence, as well as the men's replies during garda interviews, were significant. The appeal was allowed on the ground that the trial judge erred in law regarding the possibility of an alternative verdict on the robbery charge. The convictions for serious harm were upheld, while the robbery convictions were quashed. The Director of Public Prosecutions will consider whether a retrial on the robbery charge is appropriate.
A 33‑year‑old man accused of raping a woman in her 50s on the grounds of Pollerton Castle in Carlow was refused bail by the Central Criminal Court. He had previously been denied bail at the District Court. The State argued the seriousness of the rape and assault charge, the potential for a lengthy sentence and a flight risk. Justice Paul Coffey accepted these objections and denied bail.
A Louth man (29), who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual intercourse with a minor at a hotel in Co. Dublin between November 28 and December 6, 2013. The man told the 15-year-old schoolgirl he could get her a fake passport if she wanted to come away with him to Northern Ireland, warning her she would have to dye her hair and live as the name on the fake passport. The girl later told gardaí that she had consensual sex once with the man while staying at various hotel accommodations over a few nights while waiting for the passport. The man has 38 previous convictions, including assault, burglary, criminal damage, and theft. Sergeant Louise McHugh testified that the girl had met the man outside a pub the previous summer and had kept in phone contact with him. They met twice to play pool together, and on another date, the girl stayed with the man in a hotel after spending a night out drinking with him. The girl had a half day from school when she met the man at a shopping centre on November 28, still in her uniform. The man bought her a €60 phone and they spent the day drinking together at the centre before she agreed to stay with him when she missed her bus home. Over the next few nights, the man booked them into hotel and B&B accommodation and organised a change of clothing for the schoolgirl from his female friend. He told the 15-year-old that they would stay at the final hotel a bit longer while they waited for the passport. The girl told gardaí that the man had sex with her once and that she had been happy to run away with him. She said that another couple joined them in the hotel room for the last few nights and she described spending the daytime with the female while the males went out to work. Gardaí tracked the girl down to an internet cafe on December 6, after stopping the man and his male friend on a different street. The girl told officers that the ten-year age gap between her and the man didn't bother either of them and that while he never said he loved her, she felt there was something there. She declined to make a Victim Impact Statement. Dominic McGinn SC, defending, agreed with Sergeant McHugh that his client had had a history of self-harm and had made serious attempts to take his own life. He further agreed that the man had co-operated with gardaí fully. Mc McGinn submitted to Judge Cormac Quinn that it was the disparity in age that made the case against his client as there was no evidence of coercion or violence. Referring to a psychologist's report, Mr McGinn submitted that some of the tragic elements of his client's background had been the catalyst for drug abuse and antisocial behaviour. Counsel said the man had tried to take his own life three weeks before the incident with the girl and that he was at a place in his life where he was looking for support. Mr McGinn said being in prison awaiting sentence had given his client stability and structure and that he wants to deal with his drugs issue. Judge Quinn ordered a probation services report and put the matter back to October for sentence.
The trial of Detective Sergeant Eve Doherty, who denies harassing Elizabeth Howlin between September 2011 and March 2013 and making false statements in March 2013, continued at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Doherty faces charges related to letters, emails, and posters sent to Ms Howlin, then a DPP solicitor, containing defamatory claims. On day 13, defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC questioned Chief Superintendent John O'Driscoll regarding a separate man under investigation for harassment and facing trial for threatening a garda via Facebook. The court heard this man's previous District Court convictions for harassment and assault were overturned on appeal. Chief Supt O'Driscoll testified that the man's modus operandi differed from the case against Doherty, noting the man used his own name without anonymity and did not use emails, posters, or letters. The superintendent stated the Facebook posts dated to August 2015 and confirmed that any new lines of inquiry would not be ignored. The trial continues before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury.
Carl Freeman, aged 22, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, back‑dated to January, for an aggravated burglary at a 77‑year‑old Dublin woman's home in Tallaght on 12 March 2013. The court noted the victim was left severely traumatised, fearing for her life and subsequently never returned to the house, now living with her daughter. Freeman pleaded guilty to the burglary and had 62 prior convictions, including dangerous driving, burglary and assault. The judge described him as a "menace to society" and imposed a five‑year term, with the court's decision reflecting the serious impact on the victim. The burglary involved the theft of jewellery, a TV, cash and other items, and the perpetrators used a stolen Audi A4 to escape. Freeman's defence highlighted his family's support and his history of drug abuse and ADHD. The court accepted his guilty plea as a genuine benefit to the victim.
Ryan Lee Thomas, aged 25, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for three counts of sexual assault in Dublin's city centre and two counts of possessing the controlled drug GBL. The assaults occurred on 30 December 2016, over an hour‑and‑a‑half, while Thomas was under the influence of GBL, which he had purchased online. He was found guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty. Thomas had previously been convicted in Melbourne, Australia, for sexual offences while under the influence of the same drug. The court noted that Thomas had apologized to each victim and had a good employment history, but he was also ordered to undergo two years of post‑release supervision by the Probation Service. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the repeated assaults and the risk of re‑offending. The court did not alter the custodial term for the drug possession charges.