James Redmond, aged 60, was charged with murdering Mary Dargan and attempting to murder her daughter Karina Dargan at their Killinarden Estate home on 15 March 2014. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity at the Central Criminal Court. The prosecution presented three interviews from Tallaght Garda Station on 16 March 2014. In the first interview Redmond claimed that Karina had been "chanting" he was a paedophile for nearly three months before the incident, describing it as a game and mind‑games that drove him to shoot. He said he had been sleepless, had taken cartridges from a shotgun he owned for 20 years, and fired at the house. In the second interview he said he felt "rotten" and that the chanting had made his head "fit to burst," prompting him to go to the Dargan house. The trial continues.
During a Central Criminal Court hearing, a murder accused admitted to the Garda that he struck the deceased once with a baseball bat, but claimed the blow did not kill him. The accused, Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21) and James Davy (25), all pleaded not guilty to the murder of 64‑year‑old Thomas "Toddy" Dooley, who was found dead at his home in Sr Senan Court, Edenderry, on 12 February 2014. The trial is ongoing before a jury and Justice Margaret Heneghan.
Mantis Kerbelis, 23, was arrested at Dublin Airport after customs discovered a whiskey bottle containing 83 pellets of cocaine worth €91,079. He claimed he had no knowledge of the drugs and that the container was given to him in Dubai as part of a deal for a short holiday in Ireland. Kerbelis pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at Terminal Two on 5 February 2016. Judge Melanie Greally, noting his good cooperation, imposed a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final 18 months on the condition he leaves the country within seven days of release. He has one prior domestic‑violence conviction in Lithuania and had recently divorced after financial difficulties. He has been in custody since his arrest and has used his time productively.
The Central Criminal Court has set a trial date for the re-trial of Thomas O'Connor, a 35-year-old man from Burnaby Court, Greystones, Co Wicklow. O'Connor is the appellant in this matter, having previously been convicted of the murder of John O'Brien at Farrankelly Road, Delgany, Co Wicklow, on June 5, 2010. In 2011, he was sentenced to life imprisonment following his conviction at the Central Criminal Court. However, in November 2014, the Court of Criminal Appeal quashed his murder conviction and ordered a retrial. Today, the case was called before the Central Criminal Court, where Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy scheduled the re-trial to commence on December 5, 2016. This procedural step marks the next stage in the legal proceedings following the appellate court's decision to overturn the original finding. The report confirms that the matter is currently at the pre-trial stage, with the specific date for the new trial now established by the presiding judge. No new charges, pleas, or sentences were recorded in this specific court appearance, which focused solely on fixing the timeline for the upcoming re-trial of the accused.
In a 2016 murder trial, 60‑year‑old James Redmond pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity for killing Mary Dargan and attempting to kill her daughter Karina in their Killinarden Estate home on 15 March 2014. Redmond, who owned and licensed a shotgun, shot Dargan in the kitchen while she was drinking tea, severing an artery and killing her. He then fired at Karina's head as she fled, but she survived after a neighbour took her to hospital. Redmond claimed he was being called a paedophile by the Dargans and that he had been depressed and had sought medical help in January 2014. The prosecution presented evidence that the families had lived peacefully together for years and that Redmond had been under psychiatric care since the incident. The case was set to continue before Mr Justice Robert Eagar.
The trial of Sean Davy, James Davy, and Matthew Cummins for the alleged murder of 64-year-old Thomas "Toddy" Dooley continues before Justice Margaret Heneghan. All three accused have pleaded not guilty to killing Mr. Dooley at his home in Edenderry, Co Offaly, on February 12, 2014. The jury heard that during an interview, Matthew Cummins stated that Sean Davy claimed the deceased had raped his cousin. Evidence presented included a text message allegedly received by James Davy from Chloe McBride, identified as the deceased's granddaughter, which read: "Toddy a rapist. I never going there again." Prosecutors suggested this indicated a pre-planned motive. However, Detective Garda Joe Hughes agreed with defense counsel that Mr. Dooley had never come to the attention of gardai and that there were no concerning rumors regarding him. Cummins testified that he believed the group was entering the house to drink and was unaware of any plan to attack. He stated he was too afraid to call an ambulance or alert police immediately after the incident. The court noted that the matter was adjourned and the trial continues.
Jonathan Turley, 35, of Clandeboye Drive in Belfast, was arrested by gardai in May under a European Arrest Warrant. He appeared briefly at the High Court in Dublin for an extradition hearing on charges of kidnapping a woman, assault and dangerous driving. Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly remanded him in custody until 19 October, when the extradition case is expected to be heard.
Jonathan Fitzgerald, 26, of Limerick, was convicted of murdering Noel Crawford, a father of six, on December 18, 2006, in a case of mistaken identity. A jury found him guilty and he received a mandatory life sentence on February 9, 2011. Fitzgerald appealed the conviction, but the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal. The court cited the testimony of Laura Kelly, a prosecution witness who described Fitzgerald and another youth arriving at her home, wearing bullet‑proof vests, and leaving with a shotgun. Kelly heard gunshots and later returned with the youths. She stated that Fitzgerald said, "I got him, I got Paul Crawford." The appeal was rejected because the court found the trial judge had adequately addressed the defence's challenges to Kelly's evidence and had not misled the jury. The appeal was dismissed by Justice George Birmingham, with Justices Garrett Sheehan and Alan Mahon in attendance. Jonathan Fitzgerald pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 19‑year‑old Karl Smith was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for a series of violent offences committed over a month. The offences included assault causing harm to 21‑year‑old Devon Whiston, threatening a 16‑year‑old boy, criminal damage to a front door, and two counts of producing a weapon. Judge Patrick McCartan suspended the last two years of the sentence on strict conditions, emphasising the need for Smith to face the consequences of his conduct, particularly towards Mr Whiston, whose life had been "turned upside down." The judge expressed willingness to grant Smith "considerable leniency" to encourage rehabilitation, noting his potential for positive change. Smith's defence counsel highlighted a psychiatric report diagnosing social anxiety and paranoia, and reported that Smith was now drug‑free and engaged in educational opportunities while on remand. The court also ordered a probation report and a psychiatric report. The unnamed 16-year-old pleaded guilty.
Naoufal Fassih, a 36‑year‑old Dutch national of Moroccan origin, was arrested in April during a raid on a luxury apartment on Baggot Street that Gardaí believed was linked to the Kinahan criminal gang. He appeared before the High Court on a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) seeking his surrender to the Netherlands, where he faces charges of money laundering, assault and possession of false documentation. The court confirmed that the man in attendance was the same individual named in the new EAW and remanded him in custody until 27 July. In April, at Dublin District Court, Fassih was charged with possessing a false passport and identity card, an offence under the Immigration Act and a minor drugs charge for simple possession of cannabis. He had previously pleaded guilty to possessing a false passport and cannabis at Cloverhill District Court.
The Court of Appeal ordered a retrial for Romanian national Ciprian Grozavu (42) after finding that the trial judge should have simply answered "yes" to a jury question. Grozavu had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Duke on 12 November 2011 and was convicted of that murder by a jury at the Central Criminal Court, receiving a mandatory life sentence on 17 July 2013. During the trial, the jury asked the judge whether they could find one defendant guilty of murder without prejudicing the verdict in the case of the other defendant, referring to his girlfriend Catherine O'Connor (40). The judge replied that he was only concerned with Grozavu's case, a response the Court of Appeal deemed "of concern" and likely to have confused the jury. The Court therefore set aside the murder verdict and directed a retrial. Grozavu has also appealed his conviction for the murder of John Forrester.
In the Central Criminal Court, a jury will resume deliberations on Tuesday morning in the trial of Marta Herda, a 29‑year‑old Polish waitress from Arklow, charged with the murder of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos. The case concerns an incident on 26 March 2013 when Herda drove her car into a harbour at South Quay, Arklow, causing Orsos to drown. Herda escaped the water, but Orsos could not swim and his body was recovered from a nearby beach later that day. The trial established that the two had worked together and that Orsos had been in love with Herda, who denied feeling the same way. She claimed he had followed her for two years, phoned and sent messages, and that they were arguing in the car when she drove into the water.
A 15‑year‑old boy, whose name cannot be disclosed because he is a minor, has been set to appear at the Central Criminal Court on 21 November to face charges of murdering Lorcan O'Reilly, a 21‑year‑old from Robert Emmet Close. O'Reilly was stabbed in the Oliver Bond flat complex on 1 November. The Director of Public Prosecutions sought an early trial date, which Justice Patrick McCarthy confirmed.
Michael Kinsella, aged 24, pleaded guilty in December 2015 to manslaughter for his role in the 2011 killing of Adil Essalhi in Tyrrelstown, Dublin. Justice Deirdre Murphy sentenced him to 15 years in June 2016, describing the case as "difficult to envisage a more horrific case of manslaughter". The sentence was backdated to 10 December 2014 to account for the delay between the investigation's completion and Kinsella's charging. No part of the sentence was suspended, but Justice Murphy suggested a one‑third reduction if he engages in addiction treatment and education while incarcerated.
James Redmond, aged 60, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Mary Dargan and the attempted murder of her daughter Karina Dargan, both of whom lived with him at the Killinarden Estate in Tallaght. The alleged offences occurred on 15 March 2014. The Central Criminal Court has sworn in a jury of seven men and five women for a trial expected to last two to three days. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy instructed the prosecution to provide brief information, noting that the Redmond and Dargan families had lived side by side for many years.
In Dublin Central Criminal Court a 42‑year‑old man was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for threatening, assaulting and raping his wife during a marital breakdown in 2014. The judge described the assaults as "cowardly" and "brutal" and noted that the rape was committed in the context of a marital breakdown but was not excused. The man had been convicted of rape, threats to kill, assault, and an earlier attempt to cause serious harm. He received a 12‑year sentence for rape with the final two years suspended, and lesser concurrent sentences for the other counts. The victim, who had sought a separation, endured repeated threats, a petrol‑covered living room, a knife threat, a rape in a spare bedroom, and a hammer attack that left her bloodied and unconscious. She reported the violence to the court and described the lasting impact on her sense of power and safety. The unnamed 42-year-old pleaded guilty.
The trial of Marta Herda, a 29‑year‑old Polish waitress, is set to begin jury deliberations on Monday. She is charged with the murder of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos, who drowned after the car she was in drove into a harbour on 26 March 2013. Herda escaped the water, but Orsos could not swim and his body was recovered later that day. The prosecution presented evidence that the couple had been arguing in the car and that Orsos had been following Herda for two years, calling and texting him. Herda pleaded not guilty. Judge Patrick McCarthy explained to the jury that they could find her guilty of murder, acquitted, or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, noting that intent to kill could arise on the spot and that motive need not be proven. He also clarified that gross negligence would be required for a manslaughter verdict. The jury must reach a unanimous verdict.
David Shanley, 47, of Courtown Harbour, Gorey, Co. Wexford, admitted to killing a 42‑year‑old man on Christmas Eve 2014 and pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He has been on bail since the High Court charged him, with conditions that he reside at his parents' address. However, he has been living with the deceased's widow and daughter at the widow's house, a situation that has caused concern for the family. Shanley is a carer for his partner, who has serious health problems and is receiving ongoing treatment in hospital. The court heard that a probation report was not yet completed, so sentencing was deferred. The case was adjourned to next Thursday morning to consider a variation of the bail conditions. The judge expressed dissatisfaction with the current bail arrangement but deferred to the bail judge's decision. The matter remains pending. David Shanley pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 22 July 2016, Judge Patrick McCarthy began charging the jury in the trial of Marta Herda, a 29‑year‑old Polish waitress from Arklow, with the murder of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos. The case concerns an incident on 26 March 2013 when Herda drove her car into a harbour at South Quay, Arklow, causing Orsos to drown. Herda had pleaded not guilty. The trial established that both were in the car when it entered the water shortly before 6 a.m., that Herda escaped while Orsos could not swim and his body was recovered later that day. Herda had told police that Orsos was in love with her and had followed her for two years, but she did not reciprocate. She also claimed they were arguing in the car when she drove into the water.
Sean Rausch, 18, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a total of five and a half years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. He received a consecutive three‑year term for an endangerment charge arising from a high‑speed chase in which he drove a stolen Hyundai Santa Fe on three wheels, breaking 24 traffic lights, crossing two green areas, and driving on the wrong side of a national road for 2 km. He also received a five‑year term for assault causing serious harm to a 17‑year‑old schoolboy, who sustained life‑threatening injuries including a brain bleed, fractured jaw, broken eye socket, multiple broken teeth and missing chin skin. The court noted the victim's injuries and the severity of the assault, while Rausch had previously pleaded guilty to two attempted robberies, two robberies, possession of a stolen vehicle, handling stolen keys, endangerment and dangerous driving.
In a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, the defence counsel for Marta Herda, a 29‑year‑old Polish waitress, argued that if she had deliberately driven her car into the harbour at South Quay, Arklow, it would have constituted suicide rather than murder. Herda is charged with the death of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos, who drowned after the vehicle entered the water on 26 March 2013. The defence highlighted that the prosecution's case was unsustainable, noting that the handbrake may have been pulled by Orsos and that the evidence did not prove intent to kill. The counsel suggested that any verdict should consider whether Herda's actions were reckless or intentional, and urged the jury to consider a not‑guilty outcome. The trial was scheduled to continue with the jury hearing on Friday.
During the murder trial of three men accused of killing 64‑year‑old Thomas "Toddy" Dooley, Matthew Cummins, aged 22, testified that he and co‑accused Sean Davy and James Davy had been drinking and using cocaine at a house party on 11 February 2014. Cummins said James Davy had a baseball bat and that after the party they decided to break into Dooley's house through a window. Cummins entered first, then let the others in. While inside, Cummins claimed he and the others drank with Dooley, who refused vodka but drank Budweiser. Cummins alleged that Sean Davy struck Dooley on the back of the head with the bat, then again on the chest, and that James Davy attempted to stab Dooley with a knife that broke. Cummins said he shouted at Davy and that the trio left the house with a plastic bag, the bat and prescription sleeping pills. Matthew Cummins pleaded not guilty. Sean Davy pleaded not guilty. James Davy pleaded not guilty.
A book of evidence was served on Larry McCarthy, 37, of Tower Lodge, Crossgalla, who is accused of threatening to kill Noel Moore and damage Moore's house on 28 July 2015. He also faces separate charges of threatening unlawful violence with two others and assaulting David Foran on 25 November 2014. At the Special Criminal Court, State Solicitor Michael O'Donovan confirmed the evidence was ready, while McCarthy's counsel Patrick O'Neill BL said the case would likely take two weeks. Mr Justice Paul Butler remanded McCarthy in custody until 26 July for a further mention.
A 50‑year‑old man, Denis Leahy, was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment for attempting to murder his former partner, Rose Kenny, on 23 September 2014 at School Street Flats, Dublin 8. Leahy had pleaded guilty to the attempted murder charge and to a separate charge of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Ms Kenny at the same address on the same date. The attack occurred in the stairwell of her apartment complex while she was heading to work at a local creche. Ms Kenny sustained three stab wounds to her neck and three to her chest, one of which pierced the front of her larynx. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Butler, noted the ferocity of the assault, the lack of remorse shown by Leahy, and the severe injuries sustained by Ms Kenny. He imposed the 14‑year term, back‑dated to the date of the offence, and declined to suspend any portion of the sentence.
In a 2016 Central Criminal Court trial, the prosecution argued that Marta Herda, a 29‑year‑old Polish waitress, deliberately drove her car into the sea at Arklow harbour on 26 March 2013, resulting in the drowning of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos. Herda, who was in the car with Orsos that morning, escaped the harbour while Orsos' body was found later that day on a nearby beach. The prosecution's case relied on circumstantial evidence, including CCTV footage showing Herda's car moving from her home toward Orsos' residence around 5.30 am, a brake‑mark of 13 ft 6 in at the scene, and phone records indicating she called Orsos three times that morning, the last at 5.37 am. Herda had previously claimed that Orsos had been stalking her and that she could not stand his anger, but she also stated she knew he could not swim.
Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the matter to next October, when she will set dates for the trials of 19 defendants, including Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy and Alliance Councillor Michael Murphy, who are accused of falsely imprisoning former Tánaiste Joan Burton. The charges stem from a water charges protest in Jobstown in November 2014, where it is alleged violence broke out, delaying Ms Burton for approximately two hours. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the Director of Public Prosecutions proposed dealing with the accused via three separate trials, a structure the judge previously ruled was necessary to avoid placing unrealistic demands on jurors. Defence counsel, including David Staunton BL and Peadar Ó Maolain BL, argued that their clients would be disadvantaged in the third trial because prosecution witnesses would have already been cross-examined twice, removing the element of surprise. Prosecuting counsel Tony McGillicuddy BL stated that scheduling the trials would inevitably disadvantage some parties. Before hearing submissions, Judge Greally warned that anyone recording proceedings on mobile phones could be removed from the courtroom and found in contempt of court. Several defendants, including Paul Murphy, were absent as their attendance had been previously excused due to work commitments. The court also noted related proceedings before the Children's Court. The matter was adjourned, not concluded.
The trial of Sean Davy, Matthew Cummins, and James Davy, all accused of the murder of Thomas Dooley, continued before Justice Margaret Heneghan. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty to the alleged killing of the 64-year-old man at his home in Edenderry on February 12, 2014. The court heard testimony from Chloe McBride, the deceased's granddaughter, who exchanged text messages with James Davy on the night of the alleged incident. She stated that Davy told her he was drinking and heading to a "session" with Sean Davy. Later, they discussed meeting at her grandfather's house, but Davy claimed he was busy with "stuff" and heading to Sean Davy's father's house. Four days later, upon learning of her grandfather's death, Davy expressed shock and hoped the perpetrators would be caught. He later inquired about arrests and whether a sock was found in Mr. Dooley's mouth. Prosecution also presented CCTV footage from the early hours of February 12, showing three men, one carrying a white bag, near Sweeney's Topaz and subsequently at Granary Court, where they lingered near bins. Garda Joseph Bradley identified one man as Matthew Cummins entering Granary Court. Other footage traced James Davy and Sean Davy walking together until 7am. The matter was adjourned, with the trial set to continue the following day.
Anthony Fitzgerald, a 32‑year‑old former professional boxer from Gloucester Place, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm after a confrontation with bus driver Toufik Slali on North Circular Road on 18 November 2014. The incident began when a Mini pulled out in front of Slali's bus without signalling, forcing the driver to brake hard and honk. Fitzgerald, who had been on the bus, shouted at Slali, accusing him of being a "foreign" and demanding he speak to him. When Slali did not respond, Fitzgerald allegedly struck him with an open hand, head‑butting him on the nose and then punching him. Slali suffered dizziness, blurred vision, headaches and a fractured nasal bone that required surgery. Fitzgerald denied head‑butting and punching but admitted striking with an open hand.
Christopher Byrne, 29, of Coolock, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, for slashing the face of his ex‑girlfriend's 17‑year‑old brother in February 2015. Byrne pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and to possessing a stun gun without a certificate. The incident occurred at the ex‑girlfriend's apartment in Santry when Byrne, acting under a "cloud of anger" after their relationship ended, grabbed a knife from the kitchen sink and struck the boy across the nose and cheek, leaving him in a pool of blood. The boy required 16 stitches and reported being afraid to leave home for a month. Byrne had 28 prior convictions, including two for assault. He was described as remorseful, drug‑free, in a new relationship and training to become a fitness instructor. The judge characterised the assault as vicious, unprovoked and an act of rage, noting the victim's disfiguring laceration.
In a 2016 trial, Marta Herda, a 29‑year‑old Polish waitress, was charged with the murder of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos, who drowned after being driven into a harbour on 26 March 2013. Herda and Orsos had been in her car when it entered the water that morning; she escaped, but Orsos' body was recovered later that day on a nearby beach. The prosecution alleged that Herda had lured Orsos out of his house, citing phone records showing she called him at 5.30 am and that he had been in love with her, though she did not reciprocate. Detective Sergeant Fergus O'Brien testified about interviews conducted after Herda's arrest, and portions of those interviews were played to the jury. The prosecution closed its case, with closing speeches scheduled before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women.
Marta Herda, 29, of Arklow, is on trial for the murder of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos, who drowned after their car entered a harbour on 26 March 2013. She pleaded not guilty. During the trial, excerpts of her garda interviews were played. In them, she described a struggle in the car as they approached the harbour, saying she had to "fight for my life" in the water. She recounted losing her shoes and sweater, hearing waves, and being unable to swim or say goodbye. She claimed she had been pursued by Orsos for two years, receiving calls and texts. The court heard her statement that she wanted the situation to stop when she drove into the water. The trial is before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy with a jury of eight men and four women.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy testified that Thomas Dooley, aged 64, died from blunt‑force trauma after being struck eight times on the head, with fractures to his skull and internal brain injuries. She noted additional blows to his body that fractured three ribs, contributing to his death. Cassidy examined Dooley's body on 17 February, five days after the alleged murder on 12 February, and observed scorch marks indicating an attempted fire. She identified a baseball bat, which the prosecution claims was the murder weapon, as consistent with the injuries. Under cross‑examination, Cassidy suggested the head injuries were likely inflicted by a single implement, though she could not confirm whether one or more assailants were involved. The defendants—Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21) and James Davy (25)—remain not guilty pleas. The trial continues before Justice Margaret Heneghan.
Glen Kiely, 29, of Ballymun, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Balbutcher Lane on 27 November 2013. He was sentenced to three‑and‑a‑half years in prison with the final 12 months suspended by Judge Patricia Ryan on 19 October 2015. On appeal, the Court of Appeal increased the suspended period by 12 months, making the total suspended period 24 months. The three‑judge panel, led by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, found that the original judge had not given sufficient credit for Kiely's progress in overcoming addiction, securing employment at the Dogs Trust and completing a detoxification programme. Kiely must remain of good behaviour for two years after release; if he fails, he will be returned to prison for two years. He entered a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period and agreed to abide by it.
During the tenth day of her trial, the Central Criminal Court heard portions of video interviews conducted by Garda Detective Sergeant Fergus O'Brien with Marta Herda, a 29‑year‑old Polish woman charged with the murder of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos. The interviews, taken a few months after Herda's arrest in August 2013, were played to the court. Herda was accused of driving Orsos into a harbour where he drowned. She pleaded not guilty. In the interviews she stated that she had wanted the situation to stop, referring to the phone calls and text messages she had been receiving from Orsos, who had been following her for two years. The defence cross‑examined O'Brien about the context of her statement, and the barrister for Herda suggested that the statement might describe the events in the car that morning rather than an admission of intent. The trial continues.
A 39-year-old man from Killygordan in County Donegal has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin to multiple charges including possession of three assault rifles and ammunition. Shane Rowan admitted to possessing a Chinese Type 56 rifle, a Romanian PM63 rifle, and a Zastava M70 rifle, together with associated magazines, discovered at a location in County Meath on 9 March 2016. He further pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing ammunition: 75 rounds of 7.62 by 39mm calibre rounds and 78 rounds of 9mm parabellum calibre rounds. Rowan also admitted to membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army. The three-judge panel remanded him in custody pending sentencing on 27 July 2016.
Tony Walsh, a former priest aged 62, was sentenced by Judge Elma Sheahan to seven and a half years' imprisonment for raping a boy three times, including once with a crucifix. The offences, committed between 1980 and 1982 when the maximum penalty was two years, were treated as indecent assault under the Criminal Law (Rape) Amendment 1990, which allows up to 14 years for sexual assault of a child under 17. Walsh pleaded not guilty to five counts of indecent assault but was found guilty on all counts. The judge imposed consecutive sentences: two years for the rape, 15 months for the remaining indecent assault charges, and an additional 15 months for the other two charges, with the total term reduced by one year for prior convictions. Walsh's sentence is back‑dated to his conviction last month, making him eligible for release in June 2023.
Ms Marta Herda, 29, of Pairc Na Saile, Arklow, is charged with the murder of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos, who drowned after being driven into a harbour on 26 March 2013. Both were in Herda's car when it entered the water; she escaped, but Orsos's body was found later that day. During her trial, video of Herda's garda interviews was shown. She stated she had hoped to save him if she had seen him in the water, but a friend told her not to think of it, fearing they would die together. She described Orsos as a good‑hearted person who had fallen "in love with me badly" and admitted she was afraid of him. The court heard that she had no sexual relationship with him and that she had never been with someone who would "lock me somewhere." The trial continues.
In July 2016, a 49‑year‑old Limerick man, Kieran Lynch, who had spent 11 years in prison after a murder conviction was quashed, was set to be sentenced for manslaughter. Lynch had originally been convicted of murdering his partner, Catherine McEnery, in 2005 and sentenced to life in 2007. He appealed in 2013, arguing issues with the jury charge on provocation and the introduction of new evidence. The Court of Criminal Appeal quashed the conviction, citing his near‑drowning experience and high‑dose benzodiazepine medication. In May 2016, Lynch pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and the State accepted his plea. He was before Justice Patrick McCarthy for sentencing, with the court hearing testimony about his intoxication, the assault, and the impact on McEnery's family. The sentence was to be announced on 28 July 2016.
The Director of Public Prosecutions will argue before the Court of Appeal in November that a 12-year prison sentence imposed on a man for attacking his estranged wife was "unduly lenient". Pearse McAuley, aged 50 and resident in Ballyconnell, Co Cavan, pleaded guilty to serious assault and false imprisonment of his estranged wife, along with related offences committed at their former home in Kilnaleck on Christmas Eve 2014. He was sentenced at Cavan Circuit Criminal Court in December 2015 to 12 years imprisonment, with the final four years suspended. The DPP seeks a review of the sentence on grounds of undue leniency. Mr Justice George Birmingham set November 7 as the hearing date during case management procedures at the Court of Appeal. McAuley was not present for the procedural matter.
Patrick Davis Snr (51), of Marrowbone Lane flats, Dublin city, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for two charges of assault causing harm to Garda Kieran Byrne and Brian Dunphy on Thomas Street, Dublin, on February 9, 2014. Davis Snr pleaded guilty to both charges. Judge Patrick McCartan imposed a three-year jail sentence, noting that Davis Snr used considerable and determined violence against the garda, who suffered a fractured eye socket. The court heard that the attack on Garda Byrne occurred after the accused and his son, Patrick Davis Jnr, had earlier assaulted the Dunphy brothers. Davis Jnr, who was sentenced last November to a suspended term of two and a half years by Judge Martin Nolan, had initiated the confrontation. Defense counsel Emmet Nolan BL argued that Davis Snr acted out of misguided loyalty to his son and in a state of drunkenness. The accused, who has 14 previous convictions including for assault on a garda, offered €600 in compensation. The judge rejected mitigation, emphasizing the severity of the injuries and the repeated identification of the victim as a garda during the sustained assault.
A 38‑year‑old Polish man, Andrzej Wawrzyniak, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter for stabbing fellow Polish national Jacek Kozakiewicz to death in an abandoned pub squat on Dublin's North Wall Quay on 26 February 2014. Wawrzyniak also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to another occupant, Filip Talaj. The jury, after a little over four hours, delivered a unanimous verdict. Wawrzyniak was remanded in custody until 10 October for a sentencing hearing. The trial revealed that the squat was a makeshift living space where the occupants, including Kozakiewicz who was described as "the boss", were required to stay indoors during daylight to avoid attention. On the night of the incident, an argument erupted; Wawrzyniak stabbed Talaj several times and later fled the squat, boarding a tram.
In 2016, a Dublin woman, aged 46, was beaten by her husband with a hammer and later raped. She thanked a passer‑by who set the husband's dog on him, chasing him away. The husband, 42, was convicted of rape, threatening to kill, and assault. He pleaded guilty to attempting serious harm and assaulting the victim's mother. During the sentencing hearing, the victim described fearing murder in front of her four‑year‑old son and the husband's "absolute determination" to kill her. The court noted the husband's low risk of future violence but the victim remained terrified of his release. He was remanded in custody until the sentencing date. The case was the third marital‑rape conviction since the 1990 law change. The victim's impact statement detailed lasting trauma and fear for herself and her son.
Ross Allen, 26, from Clara, Co Offaly, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter for his role in the killing of Christy Daly at Bog Lane in Clara. The Central Criminal Court heard that Allen, who had been taken from his drug‑addicted mother as a baby and had lost both foster parents as a child, was involved in retrieving a shotgun he believed would be used to scare Daly. He acted as a lookout while two other men beat and shot Daly eight times. Allen claimed he did not know Daly would be killed. His defence counsel, Blaise O'Carroll SC, described Allen's unsettled background, his early life in care, the deaths of his foster parents, and his attempts to lead a productive life, including work in carpentry and landscaping. Allen had 25 previous convictions but no custodial sentences. He will be sentenced on Wednesday, 27 July.
Dubliner Laura Dempsey, a 25-year-old mother of two, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for assisting an offender in connection with the murder of 33-year-old Kieran Farrelly on October 26, 2014. Dempsey pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension or prosecution of the person she believed was guilty of the killing, which involved concealing a shotgun used at Killarney Court, Killarney Street, Dublin 1. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy noted that Dempsey admitted being present at the shooting and placing the firearm in a wheelie bin after being given it by another accused. The judge acknowledged mitigating factors, including Dempsey's early guilty plea, her attempt to discourage the attack, and her heroin addiction, while recognizing the serious nature of the offence. Dempsey was sentenced to three years in prison, with the final two years suspended for a period of three years. She must comply with a probation officer and attend the Merchant's Quay Project or a suitable alternative. The sentence commences from the date of sentencing, with credit given for time already served. A separate murder charge against Dempsey was previously dismissed following an application under Section 4E of the Criminal Justice Act 1999.
Patrick Brunell, 35, was jailed for five years after Gardaí seized €2.5 million worth of drugs and a large weapons cache at his father's transport company in Tallaght. He handed over 29 kg of cocaine, 6.4 kg of heroin, a Czech CZ rifle with silencer, a Beretta shotgun, a Yugoslavian AK‑47 style assault rifle and a German Sauer rifle with telescopic sight, plus 105 rounds of ammunition. Brunell, who had held the items for two weeks, claimed he was paid €1,500‑€2,000 and that he had no choice. He pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs and weapons. Judge Patrick McCartan, citing the seriousness of the weapons but noting Brunell was not the dealer, imposed a seven‑year sentence with the final two years suspended. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The article reports no further legal developments.
Joseph O'Neill, 41, of Ballyfermot, was sentenced to seven years in prison for possessing €1.4 million worth of heroin concealed in two fire extinguishers. He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply on 19 August last year. O'Neill had been in Cloverhill Prison for nine months when he became chairman of the jail's Red Cross organisation and worked on a programme to reduce prison violence. He had given media interviews and spoke at an international conference in Dublin Castle, where he was one of four Irish prisoners invited and was not restrained. The judge noted his transformation and imposed a seven‑year sentence, suspending the final three years on strict conditions, backdating it to the date he entered custody. O'Neill apologized, said he was a chronic cocaine addict, and expressed remorse for the potential harm caused by the drugs. The operation was described as sophisticated, with the heroin hidden in hollowed fire extinguishers.
During a murder trial, the prosecution presented CCTV footage that showed three men acting suspiciously near a clothes bank at Granary Court apartments in Edenderry on the morning after the alleged murder of Thomas Dooley. The footage, captured at about 6:30 am on February 21 , 2014, was reviewed by Sergeant Carlo Griffin and Garda Alan Melia, who testified that the men were seen around the bin area. The men, Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21) and James Davy (25), are charged with murdering Dooley, who was found dead in his home on February 16 , 2014. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan, continues with a jury of eight men and four women. The defendants have pleaded not guilty. The prosecution maintains that Dooley died from instrumental trauma to the head and chest. The case remains in the early stages of the trial.
In the Central Criminal Court, Marta Herda, 29, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 31‑year‑old Csaba Orsos, who drowned after the car she drove entered a harbour on 26 March 2013. Herda, a Polish waitress from Arklow, claimed she was not in love with Orsos and that the incident was accidental. She said she had been arguing with him in the car and that she did not want to drive fast. Garda testimony revealed that she had called Orsos at 5.20 am and again at 5.35 am, and that the handbrake had been applied before the car entered the water. Forensic evidence showed a skid mark consistent with handbrake use and a shattered driver's side window. The trial was set to continue on Monday before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women.
A 23‑year‑old man, Jordan Cunningham, was sentenced to six and a half years' imprisonment for a series of robberies committed while on bail. He pleaded guilty to burglary at Event Fuel (July 19 2015), robbery at Tuttys corner shop and South Circular Pharmacy, attempted robbery at Cahills Pharmacy (July 22 2015), and robbery at Ladbrookes (October 22 2015). In each offence he used knives or a broken bottle to threaten staff and demanded money. Cunningham was released on bail for the burglary and later on high‑court bail to attend drug treatment, yet he continued to commit offences to repay drug debts. The judge noted his long‑standing drug addiction and the escalation of violence he was willing to use. Consecutive sentences totalling six and a half years were imposed, with the final year suspended. The court highlighted Cunningham's admissions, apologies and progress in rehabilitation courses while in custody.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 14 July 2016, an elderly woman, Jenny Lynch, denied that she had wrongly accused her neighbours, Paul Smith (49) and Stephen Smith (41), of assaulting her. Lynch, who is in her eighties, claimed that both men had attacked her and that she had believed they were responsible for the death of her son, Eddie, who died of a ruptured spleen after being struck by a car. She rejected the defence's suggestion that she had misinterpreted Andrew Smith's assault as an opportunity to target Paul and Stephen. Lynch also denied that she had sent a mass card to the Smiths or that she had asked Paul to intervene for her son. The Smiths pleaded not guilty to the assault charge. The hearing focused on Lynch's allegations and the defendants' denials, with no verdict reached in the article.