The Central Criminal Court heard that a 17‑year‑old autistic boy, who had raped a 13‑year‑old and sexually assaulted another 13‑year‑old on two separate occasions, was not being sought for a jail term by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The judge considered a deferred sentence, a rare form where a jail term is imposed but postponed, and indicated that if treatment and support programmes were put in place he might suspend part or all of the sentence. The boy, who was 16 at the time of the offences, pleaded not guilty to three counts of anal rape and was convicted on one count of rape and two lesser counts of sexual assault. He had claimed the incidents were consensual and called them an "experiment gone wrong." The court noted the victims were still in counselling and that the abuse was discovered when the boy told other children he had "had sex" with the boys.
In February 2017, a 25‑year‑old prisoner named Scott Hallion was captured on CCTV holding a 21‑year‑old Afghan inmate hostage during a riot at Cloverhill Prison that caused over €30,000 in damage. Hallion was seen with his arm around the hostage's neck and a shaved piece of perspex in his hand. The hostage suffered punches, kicks, cuts and a stab with a pen, and was later treated for injuries. Hallion pleaded guilty to violent disorder, assault causing harm, false imprisonment and criminal damage on 29 July 2015. He has 52 prior convictions. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court adjourned sentencing to 20 February 2018, stating Hallion was not a ringleader but was swept up in the mayhem. The new sentence will run consecutively to his existing term, with Hallion due for release in 2019.
Sean Keenan, aged 26, attacked Anthony Kelly, 79, after Kelly had just exited his car to go home. Keenan struck Kelly from behind, demanding the car keys, and then drove the Mercedes Benz over Kelly, nearly reversing the vehicle onto the garden wall. While Kelly was on a stick after a recent stroke, Keenan also assaulted Joseph Cooke, aged in his 70s, who had come to help. Cooke was struck several times in the head and body with what was believed to be the butt of a sawn‑off shotgun; he later received treatment for a head wound. Keenan fled, driving the wrong way down Malahide Road before abandoning the car in Ballymun after a crash. He was sentenced to five‑and‑a‑half years, with the final two years suspended, for robbery of car keys, hijacking, assault, and other offences. The hijacked vehicle, valued at about €25,000, was later written off by insurance. Sean Keenan pleaded guilty.
In the 2017 trial of Wayne Cluskey, 25, and Josh Turner, 24, both accused of murdering Christopher Nevin on 19 November 2015, the prosecution argued that the two men acted together to kill Nevin during a dispute over a pedigree chihuahua. Michael O'Higgins SC presented evidence that Turner had loaned a male chihuahua to Nevin, who owned three females and only one became pregnant, creating friction. The prosecution claimed that Cluskey and Turner drove to Nevin's home, where Nevin emerged with a hatchet. CCTV footage was cited to show Cluskey striking Nevin with an axe, followed by Turner's blows, and later Cluskey's use of the hatchet. The prosecution urged the jury to consider the defendants' claims of self‑defence and the possibility of manslaughter if the force used was deemed excessive. Both men had pleaded not guilty and were set to give their closing arguments the following day.
Norma Phillips, 47, appeared before the Central Criminal Court for sentencing after being convicted of manslaughter for the killing of 36-year-old Stefan Neanu at her Phibsboro Road home on April 12, 2015. Although initially charged with murder, a jury found her not guilty of that charge but guilty of manslaughter. During the hearing, Detective Garda Martin McInerney stated that Mr. Neanu died from a stab wound to the heart following a drunken argument. Phillips alleged she acted in self-defence when he pulled a knife on her, though she initially provided false statements to gardai before admitting her involvement. Mitigation was presented by Sean Gillane SC, who highlighted Phillips's chronic alcohol problem, lack of prior convictions, and her subsequent rehabilitation through Focus Ireland. The court also heard a statement from the victim's aunt, Gabi Corina Tapu, who described the family's devastation. Justice Margaret Heneghan remanded Phillips on continuing bail until February 20 to consider the appropriate sentence. The matter was adjourned.
Monika Matracka, 35, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Michal Rejmer, 38, at The Pines, Briarfield, Castletroy, Limerick, between 8 pm on 30 December and midnight on 31 December 2015. She told Gardaí she stabbed Rejmer in self‑defence. Rejmer was reported missing on 6 January 2016 after failing to attend work. Garda Pat Whelan testified that the back garden became a crime scene on 8 January when a body was found. Matracka had a long‑distance relationship with Rejmer, moved to Ireland in 2012, and they lived together from March 2014 after breaking up in January 2013. She claimed she had been asked for €300 and that Rejmer had helped her financially. After the body was discovered, she was taken to Henry Street Garda Station, where she admitted to killing Rejmer, describing the stabbing and burial. The case is before Mr Justice Paul Butler with a jury of twelve.
The 14‑year‑old who stabbed 21‑year‑old Lorcan O'Reilly to death at a Halloween bonfire party in the Oliver Bond flats was sentenced by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy to four‑and‑a‑half years' detention. The boy pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The judge described the incident as occurring in an open area where about 23 people were present; the accused had a hurley, was taken away, returned with a knife and struck O'Reilly in the chest. The judge noted the seriousness of a knife‑related manslaughter and the impact on the victim's family, quoting a statement from O'Reilly's father that the family's hearts were broken. The sentence was reduced by two years from an eight‑year recommendation because of the early guilty plea, and the last 18 months of the term will be suspended, subject to good behaviour and other conditions.
Arnis Labunskis, 57, is on trial for the murder of his flatmate Dainius Burba, 39, in Limerick on 21‑22 April 2015. He has admitted to the jury that he inflicted serious injuries on Bur — including a fractured skull and broken jaw—after a confrontation in the middle of the night. Labunskis claimed he had taken a table leg from Bur 's hand when the latter swung it at him, and that he had called Bur into a darkened room before the assault. He has also said he threw a plastic bag containing a t‑shirt stained with Bur 's blood into a wheelie bin that morning. During cross‑examination, Labunskis could not explain why he gave Gardaí a different account of the death than he gave in court, stating he did not know why he had done so. The trial is proceeding before Justice Deirdre McCarthy with a jury of ten.
A jury of six men and six women was sworn in by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy for the trial of Richard Dekker, 30, and Trevor Noone, 28, who are charged with the murder of 17‑year‑old Daniel McAnespie at Tolka Valley Park, Blanchardstown, on 26 February 2010. Both men pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court. The jury is to return on Wednesday at 10.55 am to begin a trial expected to last three weeks.
In the Peter Butterly murder trial, a protected witness, David Cullen (32), testified that he was warned he would be removed from the Witness Protection Programme if he refused to give evidence. Cullen said he had been contacted a few months earlier to return from his host country to testify against two men accused of the murder. When he declined, he was told he would be removed from the programme. He also agreed under cross‑examination to seek a written assurance that he would receive €10,000 for his testimony. Cullen, originally accused of the murder, turned State's witness over a year after the shooting and has implicated his former co‑accused, Edward McGrath (35) and Sharif Kelly (47), both of whom pleaded not guilty. A third accused, Dean Evans (24), failed to appear and has not been located.
During the eighth day of his Central Criminal Court trial, 57‑year‑old Arnis Labunskis, accused of murdering 39‑year‑old Dainius Burba, became emotional while describing the incident. He said he had been washing his hands in the kitchen when Bur a grabbed him from behind and tore his clothes. Labunskis opened the door and told Bur a to leave, but Bur a ran upstairs. Later, Labunskis went downstairs for a cigarette and was called back to Bur a's room, which was dark except for shadowy light from a window. Bur a pushed the door closed and, according to Labunskis, began swinging an object. Labunskis claimed he grabbed the object, which turned out to be a table leg, and struck Bur a once, causing a scream. Bur a shouted, "Stop old man," before Labunskis fled into the corridor and turned on the light. The trial is proceeding before Justice Deirdre McCarthy and a jury of twelve.
In the Special Criminal Court, David Cullen, an accused who became a State witness, denied that he had lied about the alleged roles of Edward McGrath and Sharif Kelly in the 2013 murder of Peter Butterly. Cullen, who was originally charged with the murder, had turned State witness after the shooting and testified that he had waited at Gormanston College's gate to pick up and dispose of the gun, and that Kelly was to pick up McGrath and Dean Evans. During cross‑examination, the counsel for Kelly, Giollaíosa Ó'Lideadha, accused Cullen of telling lies, to which Cullen replied that he had not been told about Kelly's role and that he had made a deal with the Director of Public Prosecutions to drop the murder charge. The court is hearing Cullen's evidence as part of a voir‑dire to determine its admissibility, while the accused men's counsel objects. Edward McGrath pleaded not guilty. Sharif Kelly pleaded not guilty.
Monika Matracka, 35, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Michal Rejmer, 38, at her home in The Pines, Briarfield, Castletroy, between 8 pm on 30 December and midnight on 31 December 2015. She claimed self‑defence, stating she stabbed Rejmer. Rejmer was reported missing on 6 January 2016 after failing to report to work at MacDonald's. Witnesses from the Kilmurry Lodge Hotel testified that Matracka was "very honest and sincere" and had been visibly upset and crying on 7 January, citing stress and the ongoing search for Rejmer. CCTV footage showed Matracka's movements at the hotel and in the area, including a clip of her walking near The Pines with something across her arm or shoulder. The trial is before Mr Justice Paul Butler and a jury of twelve.
In a High Court hearing on 10 February 2017, Thomas Fox, aged 29 and resident of Rutland Court in north inner city Dublin, was denied bail after being charged with the murder of Gareth Hutch, who was shot dead outside his home on North Cumberland Street in Dublin 1 on 24 May 2016. Fox had applied for bail, but counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Eoghan Cole BL, argued against it on several grounds. The court considered evidence presented by Chief Superintendent Pat Leahy and Detective Sergeant Bob O'Reilly, and applied section 2 of the Bail Act 1997. Justice Isobel Kennedy refused bail, citing the need to prevent a further serious offence and the possibility that the accused might abscond. The decision was made under the principles of "O'Callaghan" and the provisions of section 2.A of the Bail Act, which require the court to weigh the seriousness of the offence and the likely sentence upon conviction.
Stephen Comey, 29, was sentenced to a three‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term for hijacking a car and repeatedly punching a heavily pregnant woman in the passenger seat while driving through Dublin's city centre. He had 70 prior convictions and had been released from prison six weeks earlier. The court heard he had a "tragic background" and had been working on rehabilitation while in custody. Judge Patricia Ryan back‑dated the sentence to May 2014, the date Comey entered custody, and suspended the remaining term from today's date. The offence involved unlawful seizure of a car, assault causing harm and possession of a syringe. The victim, a seven‑and‑a‑half‑month‑pregnant woman, was unable to escape the moving vehicle and was repeatedly punched by Comey. The case was adjourned several times to allow Comey to continue his rehabilitation work. The court noted his efforts to become drug‑free and the support of his family. Stephen Comey pleaded guilty.
Amanda Daly, 36, was sentenced to three years in jail, with the final six months suspended, for robbing a taxi driver of €700 on 15 April 2015. She was caught after dropping her purse, which contained a social welfare receipt, near the robbery site. Daly, who has no fixed abode and 42 prior convictions mainly for public order offences, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. She and accomplice Jason Hynes (43) had planned the robbery; Hynes had previously received a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence. The judge noted Daly's severe drug addiction and tragic life, and that she had an active role, attempting to tie the driver's hands to the steering wheel. She had been released on bail for drug treatment but failed to complete the programme and was returned to custody. The robbery involved a syringe and an attempt to extort money from the driver, who was frightened by the assault.
Kevin Mulcahy, a former GP aged 57 from Cork, was convicted of indecently assaulting a 15‑year‑old patient in 1989. After a retrial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, he was found guilty following 39 minutes of deliberation and sentenced to two years' imprisonment by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin on 25 November 2015. His appeal against conviction was dismissed in October, and he was re‑sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment following a sentence appeal. During case‑management procedures in the Court of Appeal, Justice George Birmingham directed that a legal‑aid certificate be issued to cover the hearing of a Supreme Court appeal. Justice John Edwards, who had previously ruled on Mulcahy's unsuccessful appeal, noted that Mulcahy had regularly visited the complainant's home to treat her mother, and that during one visit he allegedly touched the patient's vagina. Mulcahy was arrested and interviewed in 2011 on the complaint of indecent assault. Kevin Mulcahy pleaded not guilty.
In a 2017 trial, 25‑year‑old Josh Turner, of Mooretown, Ratoath, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 27‑year‑old Christopher Nevin, who was killed on Tailteann Road, Navan, on 19 November 2015. Turner took the stand at the Central Criminal Court and admitted that he had "lost it" and struck Nevin multiple times with an axe, describing the act as a "minute of madness." He said he had been "dizzy" and "panicking" when he picked up the axe and that he had hit Nevin more than once, contrary to his earlier claim of a single blow. Turner recounted that Nevin had threatened him with a hatchet, that a friend, Wayne Cluskey, was present, and that Turner had later found the axe on the ground and used it. He also said he had tried to call for help after Nevin lay dying.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Gardaí warned 57‑year‑old Arnis Labunskis, accused of murdering his flatmate Dainius Burba, that a judge and jury could draw inferences if he failed to disclose any facts he intended to rely on in his defence. Labunskis, who lives on Wolfe Tone Street, Limerick, was found to have discovered Burba's body in their unlocked flat on 21 or 22 April 2015. He had previously pleaded not guilty to the murder of the 39‑year‑old Lithuanian father of two. Detective Sergeant Brian O'Connor, who interviewed Labunskis multiple times after the discovery, warned him that any omission could be used against him. Labunskis replied that he had nothing to say. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Deirdre McCarthy with a jury of three women and nine men, will resume this afternoon.
Gerard Brown, 34, was convicted by a jury at Portlaoise Circuit Criminal Court of assaulting fellow inmate Stephen Cooper in the Midlands Prison on 20 May 2014. Brown was sentenced to three years imprisonment, consecutive to a term already being served. Brown appealed the sentence, arguing that the offence was committed in prison and that the judge had double‑counted aggravating factors. He also claimed that Cooper had consented to the assault, having requested Brown to attack him to facilitate Cooper's early release on safety grounds, and that Cooper had agreed to provide Brown with documents, information and €1,000. Cooper denied any consent or agreement. The Court of Appeal, with Mr Justice Alan Mahon presiding, dismissed the appeal, holding that the sentence was not unduly harsh and that the fact the offence occurred in prison should not have been treated as an aggravating factor. The appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal upheld a 73‑year‑old man's four‑year jail term for sexually assaulting his granddaughter. The man had pleaded not guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to four counts of assault between July and October 2013. He was originally sentenced to seven years, with the final three years suspended, by Judge Seán O'Donnabháin on 21 April 2016. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was too lenient, while the man's lawyers cross‑appealed, claiming the man could die before serving the term. The Court of Appeal, hearing arguments about the man's frailty and multiple medical difficulties, found the sentence within the margin of appreciation for sentencing judges and dismissed the appeal, thereby upholding the four‑year custodial term. The man did not attend the hearing.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, a former accused who became a prosecution witness in the Peter Butterly murder case was informed two days before he gave a statement to the gardai that his murder charge would be dropped. The case involves two Dublin men, Edward McGrath (35) and Sharif Kelly (47), who pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of 35‑year‑old Peter Butterly, who was shot outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston on 6 March 2013. McGrath also pleaded not guilty to firearms offences. A third accused, Dean Evans (24), failed to appear and has not been located. The court also heard cross‑examination of David Cullen, who had previously offered statements on several IRA‑related cases, including Butterly's shooting. Cullen claimed he was told the murder charge would be dropped before he gave his statement, a claim that his counsel, Giollaíosa Ó'Lideadha SC, used to question the admissibility of Cullen's evidence.
During the seventh day of the 57‑year‑old Arnis Labunskis's trial, the court heard his garda interviews. Labunskis, who lives on Wolfe Tone Street, Limerick, was charged with murdering 39‑year‑old Dainius Burba, a Lithuanian father, in their shared flat on 21 or 22 April 2015. He told the police that he arrived home at about 11 pm after drinking in the park, found the front door unlocked, and turned on the lights. He claimed to have seen a table leg covered in blood near the stairs and, fearing an intruder, took the leg upstairs. He then found Burba with blood from his head, almost dead, and described him as roaring and calling out in Russian. Labunskis said he did not call 999 because he did not know the number. The jury will hear further details on Friday.
Donna O'Brien, aged 25, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for the manslaughter of her cousin Bernadette Cash, 20, who died alone and unaided after a violent assault at O'Brien's home in Blanchardstown on 30 October 2013. O'Brien pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Witnesses described a series of punches and kicks to Cash's face and head, with O'Brien admitting to punching but denying kicking. The victim was found dead the next morning in a hallway, with a post‑mortem revealing brain swelling and head injuries as the cause of death. Toxicology showed morphine and codeine in Cash's system. O'Brien also received a consecutive 18‑month suspended term for unrelated theft offences committed in September 2013. The judge noted O'Brien's history of drug abuse, childhood exposure to violence, and her remorse, taking these into account when imposing the sentence. The case highlighted the severe violence that Cash had endured prior to the fatal assault.
In the murder trial of Wayne Cluskey (25) and Josh Turner (24) for the killing of 27‑year‑old Christopher Nevin on 19 November 2015, Justice Patrick McCarthy found no evidence presented. He informed the jury that legal matters required resolution before proceeding and instructed the nine men and three women to return to the Central Criminal Court the following day. Wayne Cluskey pleaded not guilty. Josh Turner pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court heard a murder trial in which Monika Matracka, aged 35, pleaded not guilty to the killing of Michal Rejmer, aged 38, at their shared home in Limerick between 8 pm on 30 December and midnight on 31 December 2015. The prosecution presented evidence that Rejmer was reported missing on 6 January 2016 after failing to attend work, and that he was last seen on 30 December. Witnesses, including former athletics club members Mike Purtill and Adrian Kiely, testified that they visited the house on 7 January and observed suspicious activity, such as burning papers and a laptop. On 8 January, a search party discovered Rejmer's body wrapped in a blood‑stained bedsheet in the back garden. Garda James Muldowney and Sergeant David Burke provided statements about the discovery and subsequent evidence collection. The trial, presided over by Justice Paul Butler, is expected to last two to three weeks.
The Special Criminal Court heard evidence from David Cullen, a former accused who turned State's witness, regarding the alleged murder of Peter Butterly outside The Huntsman Inn, Gormanston, in 2013. Edward McGrath and Sharif Kelly, both accused of the alleged murder and firearms offences, have pleaded not guilty. A third accused, Dean Evans, failed to appear and has not been located, while the court proceeded with the trial for McGrath and Kelly. Cullen, who previously pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a semi-automatic pistol, described being asked to pick up a gun and dispose of it at Gormanston College. He testified that he witnessed a gun thrown from a vehicle and was arrested while retrieving it. This testimony is part of a voir dire, or trial within a trial, to determine the admissibility of Cullen's evidence, to which defence counsel for Kelly objects. This is the second trial for McGrath and Kelly, following the collapse of the original proceedings in January 2015. The matter is currently at the trial stage before a non-jury court presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt.
In a court hearing on 8 February 2017, it was reported that Garda Cathal McGeoghan had to deploy pepper spray three times against two youths during a robbery at a Spar shop. Craig Moloney, aged 21, was armed with an iron bar, while his accomplice carried a meat cleaver. The incident occurred when the pair had just stolen €358 from the cashier. McGeoghan, fearing for his safety, used pepper spray to subdue Moloney, who then attempted to assault the Garda with a bar. The accomplice, wielding the cleaver, was also pepper‑sprayed and fled before being arrested with the aid of a Garda helicopter. Moloney, previously convicted of theft and assault, will be sentenced in May 2017. The court noted his earlier convictions and the Garda's actions during the arrest. Craig Moloney pleaded guilty.
Adam McCarthy, a 24‑year‑old college student, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after he punched and kicked Niall McHale during a taxi dispute outside the White Sands Hotel nightclub in Portmarnock on 27 December 2014. McHale, who had returned from London for Christmas holidays, was knocked unconscious, suffered a brief loss of consciousness, and received seven stitches to the head along with bruising and lacerations. McCarthy was restrained by nightclub bouncers until Gardaí arrived. At a sentence hearing in November, Judge Melanie Greally considered a probation report and ordered McCarthy to complete 240 hours of community service within 12 months in lieu of a one‑year jail term. The judge noted McCarthy's remorse, background, completion of an anger‑management course, and his efforts to curb drinking. McHale's family was requested to receive €5,000 from McCarthy's court‑ordered funds to support Headway Ireland. The court accepted McCarthy's apology and the financial restitution he offered.
James Kennedy, 34, of Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin, was sentenced to four and a half years' imprisonment for arson on Westland Row on 12 September 2015. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Kennedy's 40 prior convictions include criminal damage, theft, public order and violent behaviour in a Garda station. The incident involved setting a motorbike on fire, which caused a passing woman and her child to flee for safety. The judge, Melanie Greally, described the act as "senseless but highly dangerous" and noted that Kennedy had alcohol problems and did not recall the event. The final two years of the sentence were suspended on strict conditions, including treatment and liaison with the Probation Service for 18 months after release. The court accepted a probation report indicating that the Probation Service could assist Kennedy in the future. The motorbike, valued at €3,000, was completely destroyed by the blaze.
In a 2017 trial at the Central Criminal Court, 35‑year‑old Monika Matracka pleaded not guilty to the murder of 38‑year‑old Michal Rejmer, who was found dead at their shared house in Castletroy, Limerick, between 8 pm on 30 December and midnight on 31 December 2015. Prosecutor Paul Carroll presented evidence that Rejmer had worked at McDonald's, left work at 8 pm on 30 December, and was not seen again. Gardaí called the house on 6 January and 8 January; Matracka claimed she last saw Rejmer at 11 pm on 30 December and that she had sent him a New Year's text. She later admitted to stabbing him after he allegedly entered her room with a knife, claiming self‑defence. A post‑mortem found haemorrhage from stab wounds to the arms, with defensive wounds on Rejmer's hands.
Wayne Cluskey (25) and Josh Turner (24) pleaded not guilty to the murder of 27‑year‑old Christopher Nevin on 19 November 2015. In interviews on 23 and 24 November, Garda Michael Fitzpatrick showed Cluskey CCTV footage from a house across the road where Nevin suffered blows that caused his death. Cluskey said the footage made it appear they had "made it our business to kill him" and that he had not expected the violence. He explained that the dispute began when Nevin owed Turner €100 for a male chihuahua loaned to breed with three females, and that only one dog became pregnant. Cluskey claimed he had not struck the first blow, that Nevin had a hatchet when he left the house, and that Turner delivered the fatal blow. He admitted to telling "white lies" after seeing the footage.
Gary Davis, 28, of Wicklow, is alleged to have administered the Silk Road website, which dealt in illegal drugs and hacking software. He faces US charges of conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to commit computer hacking and conspiracy to commit money laundering, with a potential life sentence if convicted. The High Court ordered his extradition in August, but he appealed. The Court of Appeal heard the appeal today and has reserved judgment. Davis's lawyers argue that his Asperger's Syndrome and depression would make him vulnerable to inhumane treatment and violence in US prisons, and that he would be isolated from family support. They cite expert testimony from Professor Simon Baron‑Cohen and claim the US prison system lacks the individualized care he needs. The Attorney General's counsel maintains that extradition is lawful and that mental health does not preclude imprisonment. The three‑judge panel will decide the case later.
In 2014, a 65‑year‑old former primary school teacher was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of one count of rape and 115 counts of indecent assault and sexual assault against his sister‑in‑law between 1981 and 1993. He was sentenced to ten years for rape and two concurrent five‑year terms for each assault count. The defendant, who had denied all charges, was acquitted on 29 counts and found not guilty on 27 further counts. In 2017, he appealed the conviction. Judge George Birmingham dismissed the appeal, ruling that the trial judge had not acted unfairly or unsafely, that the jury's verdicts were safe, and that the evidence presented, including that of six witnesses, was admissible and relevant. The Court of Appeal therefore upheld the original conviction and sentence.
In a murder case, Wayne Cluskey (25) and Josh Turner (24) pleaded not guilty to the killing of 27‑year‑old Christopher Nevin on 19 November 2015. Turner voluntarily appeared at Navan Garda station on 23 November, where he gave several interviews. In a second interview on 24 November he claimed he struck Nevin's fatal blow after Nevin attacked him with a hatchet during a dispute over a chihuahua. Turner said he had loaned Nevin a male dog for €250, and a disagreement arose when Nevin claimed the dog had gone missing and later that it was "shooting blanks." Turner described meeting Nevin at a friend's house on Tailteann Road, where Nevin allegedly approached him with a green hatchet. Turner said he took the hatchet from Nevin's hand and struck Nevin on the head with the blunt side, seeing blood but not realizing he was fighting for his life. The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
Anthony O'Connor, aged 74, burst into his estranged wife Phyllis O'Connor's home on 19 July 2016, shouting "surprise" and launching a sustained assault. He threatened her with death, saying "You are going tonight and I'll go with you" and "If I don't get you someone else will. You'll get a bullet in the head." Neighbours heard her screams and dragged him away, preventing a fatal outcome. O'Connor pleaded guilty to assault and threat of murder at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He received a three‑year suspended sentence, with the full term suspended on the condition he remain in a sanctioned nursing home, continue medication, and have no contact with his wife. He is currently in a Dublin nursing home receiving psychiatric care for bipolar disorder, and his wife has secured a barring order against him. The judge noted the assault occurred during divorce proceedings and that O'Connor had no prior convictions or history of mistreatment.
During the fifth day of the 57‑year‑old Arnis Labunskis's murder trial, the Central Criminal Court heard that when Gardaí arrived at the Wolfe Tone Street flat on 21 or 22 April 2015, there was blood on the walls, on a bed and a body face‑down on the floor. Labunskis, who pleaded not guilty, claimed he had come home to find his Lithuanian flatmate, 39‑year‑old Dainius Burba, seriously injured. Denis O'Loughlin, who answered a call at 5.20 am, described how he was led to the house, saw blood spatter on the stair architrave and in a bedroom, and found Burba unresponsive on the ground. Garda Martin Crowley later found a bin with a white liner and blue fabric bearing blood, and DNA from the bin's t‑shirt matched Burba's profile while Labunskis's DNA was found on the underarm area. The trial continues before Justice Deirdre McCarthy and a jury.
In the Central Criminal Court, Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis testified that four severe blows, consistent with an axe, caused the death of 27‑year‑old Christopher Nevin. Two blows struck the head and one the neck, producing skull fractures, internal bleeding and brain swelling, leading to blunt‑force trauma death. A fourth blow to the body caused extensive injuries but did not kill him. The case involves Wayne Cluskey (25) and Josh Turner (24), who plead not guilty to Nevin's murder, amid a dispute over a male chihuahua given to Nevin.
Warren Dumbrell, a convicted murderer from Emmet Place Inchicore, has brought a High Court challenge regarding his detention conditions in a segregation unit at Midlands Prison. Dumbrell, aged 42, is serving a life sentence for the 2006 murder of Christopher Cawley, for which he was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court in 2011. He alleges that prison authorities have kept him segregated from the mainstream population for years without invoking the required prison rules, claiming this constitutes a breach of his constitutional rights. Dumbrell seeks orders to quash the segregation decision, direct his release from the unit, and declare his separation unlawful. He contends that his isolation stems from a 1997 Mountjoy Prison siege incident, for which he received a ten-year sentence, though counsel acknowledged this link would be difficult to prove. While prison authorities assert his cell is standard and he has access to various facilities and classes, Dumbrell's counsel disputes this, citing barred structures and denied association requests. Permission to bring the action was granted on an ex-parte basis by Mr Justice Seamus Noonan, with the matter set to return to court in late March.
In the Special Criminal Court, evidence was presented that the six discharged cartridges found at the scene of Peter Butterly's shooting matched a Beretta semi‑automatic pistol located almost a kilometre away. Butterly, aged 35, was killed outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston on 6 March 2013. Two Dublin men, Edward McGrath (35) and Sharif Kelly (46), are charged with his murder and have pleaded not guilty. McGrath also pleaded not guilty to firearms offences. A third accused, Dean Evans (24), failed to appear and has not been located. The court heard from Detective Garda David O'Leary, who examined the scene, and from Detective Sergeant Ciaran Murphy, who provided testimony about a meeting concerning a potential plea by State witness David Cullen. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, continues after a previous trial collapsed. The accused's barristers challenge the admissibility of Cullen's evidence and the alleged deal to drop the murder charge.
Two men, Wayne Cluskey (25) and Josh Turner (24), from Mooretown, Ratoath, Co Meath, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 27‑year‑old Christopher Nevin on 19 November 2015. The Central Criminal Court heard that the accused suffered injuries to their hands and heads four days after the fatal fight. Dr Thomas Ravenscroft examined Cluskey on 23 November and found a cut on the top of his head, lacerations and bruises on both hands and wrists, and cuts on both shoulders. Turner had lacerations on both hands and a small cut on the top of his head, with scratch marks on his right shoulder. The injuries were described as about four days old. The trial, presided over by Justice Patrick McCarthy, continues with a jury of nine men and three women. The case involves a dispute over chihuahua pups that escalated into a fatal axe attack. The accused are charged with murder. The trial is ongoing.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Paddy Rooney, father of the 21‑year‑old Lorcan O'Reilly, expressed profound grief after his son was fatally stabbed by a 14‑year‑old boy during a Halloween party at the Oliver Bond flats. Rooney said the family could no longer celebrate Halloween and that Lorcan's death robbed them of a "happy, kind and thoughtful" son. The accused, now 16, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Court footage showed the teenager swinging a hurley, confronting Lorcan, and then striking him with a knife. Rooney read a victim impact statement, noting Lorcan's love of music and the loss of his future. The case was adjourned for sentencing, with the accused remanded on continuing bail. The judge described the case as a serious homicide.
In a Dublin criminal court, a 53‑year‑old man was sentenced to seven and a half years' imprisonment for drugging and sexually assaulting his heavily‑pregnant partner. The judge described the man as a danger to society and to women, noting the victim was eight months pregnant with their second child. The judge found the man's actions "sneaky, underhand and clandestine" and said the victim felt humiliated and degraded, especially when the assault videos were played in court. The final six months of the sentence were suspended unconditionally, and a further two years were suspended on the condition that the man attend a sexual offenders treatment programme. He was also registered as a sex offender. The man maintains his innocence and faces a retrial on rape charges that were not proven at this hearing. The unnamed 40-year-old pleaded not guilty and was found guilty.
In the Central Criminal Court, the trial of 57‑year‑old Arnis Labunskis, accused of murdering 39‑year‑old Dainius Burba, progressed on the fourth day. Labunskis pleaded not guilty. Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis testified that Burba's death resulted from a multiplicity of blows—estimated at 19—to his head and face, causing lacerations, extensive skull fractures, and severe brain injury. The cause of death was blunt force injury to the head and face. Forensic scientist Dr Stephen Doak presented evidence of a violent assault, including blood‑stained items and DNA matching the accused. He concluded that the evidence strongly supported the proposition that Labunskis assaulted Burba. The trial is before Justice Deirdre McCarthy with a jury of twelve.
In 2016, Gardaí recorded 5,988 domestic‑violence incidents, up 40 % from 3,678 in 2014, yet the figures are criticised as too low compared with Northern Ireland's 28,811 incidents in the same period. Orla O'Connor of the National Women's Council of Ireland argues the numbers are unreliable and calls for better reporting and data breakdowns, including victim‑offender relationships. A Garda spokesman said the rise could reflect improved recording, increased reporting or more incidents, and that further study is needed. The data lack district detail, though Fingal's Joint Policing Committee reported 649 incidents in north Dublin in 2016. Women's Aid noted 12,041 women were victims in 2015, and a 2014 Garda Inspectorate review found only 3 % of 10,373 recorded calls led to an arrest. The Policing Authority will monitor progress against the 2017 Policing Plan and aims to release quarterly domestic‑violence statistics.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, the court decided to proceed with the trial of Peter Butterly's alleged murderers, Edward McGrath and Sharif Kelly, after a third accused, Dean Evans, failed to appear. Both McGrath and Kelly pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, and McGrath also pleaded not guilty to firearms offences. The court heard from Adriana Skorus, who lived opposite the Huntsman Inn where Butterly was shot. She described hearing two gunshots, seeing a man with a small black handgun in the carpark, and observing a vehicle leave the premises. Skorus also noted a second car entering the carpark minutes later. The defence had previously applied to exclude evidence of the accused men's arrests, arguing the detentions were unlawful, but the court rejected that application. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, continues after the earlier trial collapsed in January 2015. The hearing took place on 3 February 2017.
Michael Dunn, an English priest aged 67, was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for three counts of sexual assault committed against a 12‑year‑old boy during a holiday in Ireland more than 40 years ago. The victim, who was bullied at school, described Dunn as a trusted confidant who groomed him, forced him to masturbate and share a bed nightly, and coerced him into kissing. Dunn pleaded guilty in August 1975 when he was 26 and had previously served 18 months in England for a similar offence. He intends to appeal the sentence. The court noted the profound negative impact on the victim's life, and Judge Melanie Greally denied bail for Dunn pending appeal. The victim's statement highlighted the lasting emotional trauma and the effect on his family. The priest's defence counsel expressed remorse and requested consideration of his client's lack of further crimes. Michael Dunn was convicted.
During the second day of the 57‑year‑old Arnis Labunskis's trial, witness Igars Makulens testified that the accused told him he needed to get rid of the body after a morning visit to the flat where 39‑year‑old Dainius Burba was murdered on 21 or 22 April 2015. Makulens said the accused's daughter had called him early that morning, asking him to check on her father's home. He knocked on Labunskis's door, was denied entry until he claimed the daughter had sent him, and then was told the man was upstairs and dead. Labunskis allegedly said he had hit Burba, had a mobile phone and passport in his hands, and told Makulens to hide them and get rid of the body. The witness was cross‑examined by Michael Bowman SC, who questioned whether Labunskis had suggested the body be taken to the woods or that the police be called. Labunskis has pleaded not guilty.
During the Central Criminal Court trial of Wayne Cluskey (25) and Josh Turner (24) for the murder of 27‑year‑old Christopher Nevin, a witness, Wayne Casserly, admitted he had lied to the prosecution. He had omitted that Nevin entered the scene with a hatchet. Casserly said Nevin had taken the hatchet to confront the accused about a male chihuahua that had been lent to Nevin for breeding. After Nevin emerged with the hatchet, Cluskey allegedly took an axe from his car and struck Nevin, while Turner allegedly struck Nevin several times after retreating to Casserly's house. Casserly also admitted that Turner had told him to "keep your mouth shut." The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of nine men and three women.
In a High Court hearing on 2 February 2017, Justice Aileen Donnelly ordered the surrender of Naoufal Fassih, a 36‑year‑old Dutch citizen of Moroccan origin, to Dutch authorities under three European Arrest Warrants. Fassih was arrested in Dublin in April 2016 during a Garda swoop on an apartment believed to belong to the Kinahan gang. The warrants cover alleged attempted murder, assault, possession of false documents and money laundering in Ireland, and an alleged money‑laundering offence in the Netherlands. Justice Donnelly rejected all objections raised by Fassih's lawyers, awarded legal costs to the State, and noted that the State was entitled to only one day's worth of costs due to the staggered nature of the proceedings. Fassih made no reaction to the judgment. The court found no grounds to prohibit his surrender on the points raised by his counsel. The decision confirms the extradition of Fassih to the Netherlands for the pending charges.