A man accused of murdering his wife in County Cavan in 2013 has told the Central Criminal Court that her death was accidental. Oliver Kierans, aged 57, from Drumbannon, Bailieboro, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patricia Kierans on 5 September 2013, as well as charges relating to unlawful possession of a shotgun and intent to endanger life with it. Giving evidence, the accused stated he had shortened the shotgun barrels intending to take his own life after his remaining child emigrated to Australia. He told the jury that on the day in question, his wife discovered the gun and was shot when she attempted to stop him from using it. The prosecution contended the accused had deliberately created the circumstances of the incident and was an angry man at the time. The trial before Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly continues.
The trial of Graham Dwyer, who is alleged to have murdered Elaine O'Hara at Killakee, Rathfarnham on August 22nd, 2012, hours after she was discharged from a mental health hospital, continued in the Central Criminal Court. Detective Garda Bríd Wallace of the Garda Siochana's Computer Crime Unit testified that she examined Ms O'Hara's Apple laptop as part of the investigation. She found a number of adult pornographic and BDSM movie files, as well as images of mutilated bodies from a website. Additionally, she discovered images of Ms O'Hara, some of which appeared to be self-taken and others taken by a different person. The detective also found documents on the laptop, including a book on serial violence, letters written by Ms O'Hara, and a document titled 'Outline of Slave' which detailed a fictional scenario involving slavery and domination. Another document, titled 'Private,' described a harrowing experience involving torture. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of five women and seven men. Graham Dwyer has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Brid Wallace has not entered a plea.
In a 2015 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, 44‑year‑old Declan Christie pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after a fight on Infirmary Road. Christie, who had 19 prior convictions, stabbed victim Ian Dunne in the lower back with a knife he found at the scene, claiming self‑defence. Garda Jennifer Woods noted that Christie voluntarily turned himself in when authorities sought him. Judge James O'Donohoe sentenced Christie to two years' imprisonment, suspended for three years, and imposed a €100 bond and a good‑behaviour condition.
In a 2015 hearing, a jury heard that Mark Nash, aged 42, gave a written statement to Gardaí on 17 August 1997, admitting he had stabbed two women in a house in Grangegorman, Dublin, five months earlier. Nash described leaving the GPO, drinking at a club, taking a wrong turn to Orchard View, breaking into the house, and using a bread knife to stab a woman in her bedroom and a second woman in another bedroom. He claimed he later regained control, left the house, and returned to his flat where he showered and slept. Nash also provided sketches of the house and a letter to his girlfriend. The statement was read by Detective Garda Gerard Dillon, and the case was presented to the Central Criminal Court, where Nash pleaded not guilty to the double murder of Sylvia Shields (59) and Mary Callanan (61).
Barry Doyle, 29, pleaded not guilty to the murder of rugby player Shane Geoghegan, who was shot in a case of mistaken identity on 9 November 2008. A jury at the Central Criminal Court found Doyle guilty and imposed a mandatory life sentence on 16 February 2012. Doyle's appeal to the Court of Appeal centres on the claim that Gardaí induced his admissions during interviews, using psychological pressure involving his child and a woman named Victoria Gunnery. Doyle's counsel argues the admissions were obtained non‑voluntarily and should not be admissible. The DPP's counsel maintains that Doyle confessed voluntarily, driven by guilt, and that he had access to legal advice throughout the interrogation. The Court of Appeal will decide the appeal as soon as possible. The article reports only the procedural status of the appeal, not any outcome. Barry Doyle was found guilty. Shane Geoghegan was found guilty.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the conviction of a 61‑year‑old former Kerry County Council worker for sexually assaulting four girls was "safe" and dismissed his appeal. The man, who was jailed for eight years in 2012 after being found guilty of 29 counts of sexual assault between 2003 and 2008, had failed to sustain any grounds of appeal. The appeal was dismissed by Mr Justice John Edwards, who noted that the defendant had worked for a family business on weekends and was a partner of the victims' aunt. The court found that the defendant had repeatedly abused the girls, who ranged in age from 10 to 14, in various settings including the home and after school. The defendant was returned to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence. The unnamed 61-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Ross Cahill, 22, of Portrane, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the unlawful seizure of a taxi van at Castleknock on May 18 last. Judge James O'Donohoe sentenced him to five years in prison but suspended the final two years, noting that Cahill has since been charged with eight other offences and has 30 previous convictions, including two for robbery. The court heard Cahill was highly intoxicated during the attack, where he encouraged an accomplice to stab the driver, Feargal MacEoin, after a €5 fare. In a separate matter concerning a violent attack on MacEoin in April 2012, James Murphy, 20, and Dean Daly, 19, both of Tallaght, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and robbery of a mobile phone, wallet, and cash. Judge Mary Ellen Ring suspended a three-year prison sentence for both men, citing their youth and lack of previous convictions, while describing the incident as a shocking and unprovoked attack. MacEoin stated the 2012 incident left him with significant mental and physical scarring. The accomplice in the 2013 hijacking remains before the courts.
During the 20th day of the murder trial of Graham Dwyer, evidence was presented that a text message reading "Must get fit for the murder" was backed up onto Elaine O'Hara's laptop. Computer crime experts examined O'Hara's Apple Mac, which had been synced with an iPhone, and extracted hundreds of SMS messages from a forensic copy of the hard drive. The messages were traced to a number 083 1103474, which was also found in O'Hara's calendar as "Graham's phone number." The jury saw screenshots of messages sent from this number, including one dated March 31 2011 that referenced a child's name, and another from November 15 2011. Additional testimony detailed the purchase of Nokia phones and mobile top‑ups linked to the number, but no definitive link to the murder was established in the court record. The trial proceeded before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of five women and seven men.
A murder trial at the Central Criminal Court heard on Wednesday that a Cavan mother of four died from a shotgun injury to the chest. Patricia Kierans, aged fifty-four, was found dead at her home in Bailieborough on September 6th, 2013. Oliver Kierans, fifty-seven, of Drumbannon in the same locality, has pleaded not guilty to her murder on September 5th, 2013, and to related firearms charges. State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy told the court she observed a single gunshot wound to Ms Kierans's upper right chest, with injuries of such severity that death would have been almost immediate. The wound was consistent with discharge from approximately 1.2 metres distance. Detective Garda evidence included text messages exchanged between the accused's phone and the deceased's phone in the days preceding her death. The trial before Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly continued.
At the Central Criminal Court, the jury foreman in the trial of Mark Nash, accused of murdering two women in 1997, was excused from duty after disclosing his intention to sit a garda assessment test. Mr Justice Carroll Moran determined that the foreman's aspiration to join An Garda Síochána presented a perception of bias, particularly given that garda witnesses and their credibility form part of the case. The jury was subsequently reduced from twelve to eleven members, and a replacement foreman was elected. Detective Garda Anthony Reidy, now retired from Mill Street station in Galway, gave evidence concerning interviews conducted with Nash on 16 August 1997. During questioning about an assault in Roscommon, Nash allegedly volunteered an account of stabbing two women in Phibsborough months earlier. The court also heard that Nash subsequently pointed out a house at Orchard View in Grangegorman, which he identified as the location of the alleged murders. The trial continues. Mark Nash pleaded not guilty.
At the Central Criminal Court, a jury has been presented with CCTV footage in the trial of Oliver Kierans, aged 57, from Drumbannon, Bailieborough, County Cavan. Mr Kierans has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patricia Kierans on 5 September 2013 at their home address, and to related firearms charges. Garda Paul Fee gave evidence of surveillance footage showing the movements of both parties in Bailieborough on the date in question, including footage from a public house. Detective Garda Jerome Crawford outlined admissions made by the accused during garda interviews regarding a shotgun and events at a bar. The accused reportedly told gardai the firearm discharged accidentally and that he was in distress following the death of his wife. The trial before Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly and a twelve-member jury continues.
During a Waterford murder trial, 21‑year‑old Gavin Walsh testified that William Moran, the accused, stamped 22‑year‑old Martin Brophy's head with a Timberland boot while shouting "This is out of American History X." Walsh described how Moran had dragged Brophy, kicked and stamped him six or seven times, and then dropped a brick on his head, causing blood to spatter. Walsh said he tried to stop Moran, who pushed him away, and that Moran later threatened to hit Brophy three more times with the brick. Walsh also recounted that Moran called his cousin Ray Connolly, laughed on the phone, and later burned two jackets. The testimony was given before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of four women and eight men. The accused remains on trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. William Moran pleaded not guilty.
Michael Dickenson, aged 29, was convicted of murder for the death of Stephen O'Meara, whose body was found in a shallow grave in Wicklow. He was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court and sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy on 7 July 2012. Dickenson appealed against the conviction, arguing that he had not known O'Meara would be shot and that his initial arrest under the Public Order Act was unlawful. The Court of Appeal, hearing the appeal, dismissed it. Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, sitting with Mr Justice Seán Ryan and Mr Justice George Birmingham, held that Dickenson had driven O'Meara to the woods where a shallow grave was dug and another man shot him, constituting a joint enterprise. The court found the subsequent arrest on suspicion of murder lawful, despite the earlier unlawful arrest, and upheld the conviction and life sentence. Michael Dickenson pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin city‑centre robbery, 38‑year‑old Deborah Lee lured drunken Mark O'Brien onto a dark back street, where two accomplices seized him in a choke hold and threatened him with a syringe. Lee pleaded guilty to the robbery of O'Brien on 9 June 2014 at Great Strand Street. Judge James O'Donoghue sentenced her to six months, noting the sentence was already served from a prior offence, and conditioned it on her participation in a residential drug‑treatment programme. The judge described Lee's role as a minor, non‑violent consort who set up the robbery but did not take part in the assault. CCTV footage of the trio cashing the victim's winning betting slip led to their arrest. Lee had no convictions at the time of the robbery, though she had been on bail for other offences, and the judge believed she could turn her life around with treatment.
The Central Criminal Court in Dublin has heard evidence in the trial of Oliver Kierans, aged 57, of Drumbannon in Bailieborough, County Cavan, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patricia Kierans on 5 September 2013 at their family home. He also denies unlawful possession of a 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun and possession of the firearm with intent to endanger life. Detective Garda Jerome Crawford told the court that during interview on 9 September, the accused stated he had turned the gun on himself for "peace of mind" hours after the fatal shooting. The garda confirmed the accused said the weapon had slipped and fallen while at a public house in Bailieborough that afternoon. When pressed on his state of mind, the accused replied he was hurting and knew his wife was dead. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly and a jury, continues.
The trial of Oliver Kierans (57), of Drumbannon Bailieborough in Cavan, continues before Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly and a jury. Kierans has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of his wife, Patricia Kierans (54), on September 5, 2013, at their home. He also pleaded not guilty to the unlawful possession of a 12-gauge double barrel shotgun and not guilty to possessing the same firearm with intent to endanger life. The jury heard evidence from Detective Garda Jim Mathews regarding Kierans' statements in garda interviews. Kierans allegedly stated he took his wife upstairs to show her he intended to end his own life, claiming the gun discharged accidentally, resulting in "blood everywhere." He further alleged he prayed and attempted to close his wife's eyes. Kierans admitted to having consumed alcohol and stated he kept the shotgun under the bed for protection against intrudants. Garda Cathal Buggy testified that Kierans appeared distressed in Cavan General Hospital, asking why he had not taken his own life. Kierans allegedly told Garda Buggy the incident followed an argument over a non-existent affair. The court heard Kierans had hoped to "finish things" at a pub prior to the incident. The trial is ongoing and was not adjourned or finalised at the time of this report.
A 48‑year‑old Clare resident, unnamed for legal reasons, abused his Limerick niece from age six, raping her from nine on a regular basis in his bedsit. The victim, now in her early 20s, testified that she begged her mother not to let her stay with him, yet her mother still allowed it every few weeks. The man forced the child to touch his private parts, perform explicit sexual acts, and even oral rape. In December a jury found him guilty of eight counts of rape and 17 counts of sexual assault between October 1998 and April 2003; he pleaded not guilty to 32 counts of rape and assault between October 1998 and October 2004, with seven counts undecided. He was remanded in custody for sentencing next Monday. The victim's impact report described how the abuse ruined her childhood, caused her to turn to alcohol, and left her fearful of visiting his flat.
In 2015, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal of Greg Crawford, 27, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Gareth Brosnan‑Grant in Limerick in 2007. Crawford had pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court, where a jury found him guilty and Mr Justice Paul Carney imposed the mandatory life sentence on 3 March 2012. The appeal was rejected on all grounds, including Crawford's request that the trial judge give the jury an adequate identification warning. Mr Justice George Birmingham noted that the deceased's partner, Ms Claire Ronan, had identified Crawford shortly after the shooting, and that her identification was later confirmed by Garda Sergeant Gerry Cleary. The Court held that the appeal failed and dismissed it. The case remains at the life‑sentence stage.
A 74‑year‑old Kerry man pleaded not guilty to eleven counts of indecent assault alleged to have occurred in County Kerry between January 1971 and December 1974. The Central Criminal Court will begin his trial on Thursday morning in Court Six before a different judge, with Mr Justice Paul Carney informing an eight‑man, four‑woman jury that the hearing will last three days.
In February 2015, Neilus Keogh, a 27‑year‑old former Limerick rugby player, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm after attacking Michael Frisby during a poker game at The Sporting Emporium Casino in Dublin. Keogh struck Frisby in the face and threw a chair, causing three broken facial bones and nerve damage that required surgery with metal plates and screws. Frisby's victim impact statement described being struck while lying unconscious. Keogh had previously been ordered by Judge Patrick McCartan to attend anger‑management counselling and to pay €10,000 to Frisby as a sign of remorse. The court imposed the Probation Act, so no conviction is recorded, and required Keogh to pay the €10,000. The case ended with Keogh's rugby contract not renewed and his subsequent employment as a labourer in London. The judge noted the loss of Keogh's career as a regrettable but inevitable consequence of his wrongdoing.
A Dublin man has been convicted of manslaughter but acquitted of murder following a five-day trial at the Central Criminal Court. Kevin Moran, aged 30, was charged with the murder of archaeologist Emmett Connolly, 32, at Lodgeview in Cootehill, Co Cavan on 29 September 2013. The jury returned a majority verdict of 10 to 2, finding Moran guilty of manslaughter and not guilty of murder after five hours and eleven minutes of deliberation. Evidence presented during the trial outlined that the deceased sustained 17 stab wounds following an alcohol-fuelled altercation. The court heard testimony regarding Moran's statements to gardaí, in which he described both panic and rage as motivations. Moran was remanded in custody pending sentencing on 9 March. Mr Justice Paul Carney directed the jury to consider provocation as a potential partial defence to the charge.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has been discharged for the weekend in the trial of a man accused of murdering archaeologist Emmett Connolly. Kevin Moran, aged 30, from Cootehill, County Cavan, is charged with the murder of Mr Connolly at Lodgeview, Cootehill on 29 September 2013. Mr Moran has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea not accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Over five days of evidence, the jury of seven men and five women heard that the deceased was stabbed 17 times following a drink-fuelled argument on 28 September 2013. The court was told Mr Moran gave conflicting accounts to gardaí, initially stating he panicked during a fight before later claiming he acted in a rage. The jury began deliberations this morning and sat for four hours and 43 minutes before Mr Justice Paul Carney adjourned proceedings. Deliberations will resume Monday at 11am.
Two Dublin men, Dean Evans (24) and Edward McGrath (33), were charged with the murder of dissident republican Peter Butterly and with firearm offences on 6 March 2013 in the car park of the Huntsman Inn, Gormanston, Co Meath. A 55‑day trial at the Special Criminal Court collapsed after a failure in evidence disclosure. A third man, Sharif Kelly (44), was also charged with the murder but had remained on bail throughout the trial. At a High Court bail hearing, Mr Justice Michael Moriarty granted bail to Evans and McGrath, despite objections from senior Gardaí, citing the need for justice and the presumption of innocence. The retrial of all three men was fixed for the Special Criminal Court in January 2017. The judge set bail conditions including a curfew, daily Garda sign‑ins, provision of mobile phone numbers and keeping devices switched on, and warned that any breach would bring the matter back before him.
In the trial of William Moran, a 20‑year‑old Waterford man, the court heard that the 22‑year‑old victim, Martin Brophy, died of blunt force trauma to the head. The forensic pathologist, Dr Khalid Jabbar, described extensive fractures to Brophy's skull, including temporal bone fractures and a hinge fracture across the base of the skull. He noted subarachnoid haemorrhage, brain swelling, and bruising to both sides of the brain and the base of the skull. Additional injuries included trauma to the eyelids, ears, nose, neck, shoulders, abdomen, back, chest, and all four limbs. Dr Jabbar stated that the head bore the brunt of the impact, which could have been caused by kicking, stamping or stomping, and that acute ethanol intoxication was a contributing factor. The jury heard that Brophy's death was rapid but not instantaneous. The trial, expected to last three weeks, continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of four women and eight men. William Moran pleaded not guilty.
Stephen Devoy, aged 33, was given a three‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to threatening to kill Garda Sam Taylor on 26 February 2012. The court heard that Devoy had been extremely drunk and had been binging on a cocktail of drink and drugs for days after selling his car for €700. He was arrested outside Ned's pub on Townsend Street in the early hours of the morning. Devoy had no recollection of making the threats, but later made full admissions. He has 14 previous convictions, all dealt with in the District Court, including theft, public order offences and violent behaviour in a garda station. Judge Desmond Hogan noted that Devoy has been drug‑free for over a year and is attending Crumlin College studying Graphic & Web Design. He was also placed on a peace bond for three years and directed to undergo a drugs and alcohol treatment programme.
The trial of a Cavan man charged with murder resumed at the Central Criminal Court on Friday with legal arguments. Oliver Kierans, aged 57, of Drumbannon in Bailieborough, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patricia Kierans on 5 September 2013 at their home address. He has also entered not guilty pleas to unlawful possession of a 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun and to possession of the same firearm with intent to endanger life. Following procedural matters heard during the sitting, the trial is scheduled to resume on Monday when evidence will be heard.
A man from Roscommon has been sentenced to fourteen years imprisonment following a Court of Appeal determination that his original eight-year sentence was manifestly inadequate. The accused had pleaded guilty to repeated counts of rape and sexual assault of a young neighbour between 2004 and 2008. The victim was five years old when the offences commenced and continued for approximately three and a half years until the child was taken into care by the Health Service Executive. President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice Seán Ryan described the crimes as standing "on the most heinous level" of offending, involving depravity that amounted to torture. The Director of Public Prosecutions successfully applied for the sentence to be reviewed in December 2014. Mr Justice Ryan stated that whilst mitigating factors including the accused's late guilty plea and difficult background were considered, a much more severe sentence could have been imposed. The court imposed fourteen years on each of the fifteen rape counts to run concurrently, with no change to the sexual assault convictions.
In a 30‑minute incident in south Dublin, 41‑year‑old Francis Gavigan, a drug addict, forced a woman, Eleanor McCarthy, to drive his car while threatening to Taser her and take her children. He showed the children a memorial card of his late mother and claimed he was a "bad apple" desperate to avoid bank robbery. Gavigan pleaded guilty to robbery and false imprisonment. He was sentenced to five years in prison, with the sentence backdated to May 17, 2014. The court noted the victims felt severely threatened but that Gavigan had no intent to harm them. He had 34 prior convictions, including vehicle theft and violent theft, and was reported to be engaging with prison chaplaincy and drug‑addiction support at the time of sentencing.
A murder trial at the Central Criminal Court heard that archaeologist Emmett Connolly sustained 17 stab wounds during an incident at a house in Cootehill, County Cavan on September 28, 2013. Kevin Moran, aged 30, of Lodgeview, Cootehill, is charged with Mr Connolly's murder. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea the Director of Public Prosecutions did not accept. Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis gave evidence describing the fatal injuries, predominantly to the deceased's left shoulder, arm and upper back. Several wounds penetrated deeply, with one reaching 12 centimetres and damaging the left lung. Dr Curtis stated the cause of death was multiple stab wounds. The court heard Mr Connolly, aged 32, an archaeologist who had recently returned from Australia, had high levels of alcohol in his system. The prosecution argued the evidence pointed to murder, while the defence submitted circumstances surrounding Mr Moran's personal loss were relevant to the case. The trial was continuing.
Nina Lee, 19, from Hardwick Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after attacking a man with an umbrella on Lord Edward Street on 2 August 2013. Lee, who was heavily intoxicated, could not recall the incident and was shocked to see herself on CCTV. She admitted the attack was "cowardly and violent." The victim, walking home after a night out, was struck by Lee and later treated at St James Hospital. The court described the assault as unprovoked and nasty. Judge Martin Nolan imposed an 18‑month suspended sentence, citing Lee's first offence and remorse, and declined to order a fine, noting her care for a sick grandmother. The case remains a single‑charge conviction with a suspended custodial term.
Mary Maughan, a 39‑year‑old mother of six from Palmerstown Woods, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, after pleading guilty to assault causing harm. The offence occurred on 29 November 2011 at the Mill Shopping Centre in Clondalkin when Maughan, carrying a Stanley blade, attacked her sister‑in‑law Teresa Maughan. Maughan shouted insults, struck Teresa with the blade, slashing her neck and face. Teresa suffered severed tendons in her hands and required surgery. Garda Kamil Pawel Linder reported that Teresa was shopping in Dunnes Stores when the attack began, and that an off‑duty Garda intervened before Maughan was arrested. Maughan had two prior convictions involving the same sister‑in‑law, including a 100‑hour community service order for damaging her car.
In February 2015, lawyers for Joe O'Reilly, who was convicted of murdering his wife in 2007 and sentenced to life imprisonment, applied to the Central Criminal Court for inspection facilities while he appeals his conviction. The request, made by counsel Ronan Munro BL, was granted by Mr Justice Paul Carney without objection from the State. The inspection facilities are intended to allow O'Reilly's legal team to examine the trial file. O'Reilly has filed an appeal under Section 2 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1993, claiming his conviction was a miscarriage of justice. The State has moved to strike out the appeal, a motion that will be heard by the Court of Appeal on 3 March. The appeal's grounds include alleged mishandling of evidence and questionable meetings during the 2007 trial. O'Reilly has previously lost appeals in 2009 and 2012, and in November 2012 he was granted legal aid to pursue the miscarriage‑of‑justice claim.
The trial of Graham Dwyer at Dublin Central Criminal Court heard that on the night before Elaine O'Hara's murder, a nurse suggested she report a man who was repeatedly visiting her apartment. A friend warned O'Hara that she was "playing a dangerous game" by allowing an architect she met online to cut her. Witnesses gave evidence on the 15th day of the trial. Dwyer, 42, is charged with the murder of the 36‑year‑old childcare worker on 22 August 2012, hours after she was discharged from a mental‑health hospital. The court heard that O'Hara had been in a relationship with a man who liked to cut her, that she had not reported him to Gardaí because he had children, and that she had been physically hurt by him. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
A man charged with murdering an archaeologist has been presented to the Central Criminal Court with evidence of his changing accounts to gardai following the death. Kevin Moran, aged 30, of Lodgeview in Cootehill, County Cavan, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The charge relates to the death of Emmett Connolly on 29 September 2013 at the same address. During the trial before Justice Paul Carney, the jury heard that Moran initially told gardai from Bailieborough station he had stabbed Mr Connolly in panic during a fight, but subsequently claimed he had acted in a rage. Prosecution counsel presented evidence of a seven-inch kitchen knife recovered at the scene and pathology findings indicating eighteen stab wounds primarily to the victim's back and left arm. Forensic evidence suggested the injuries were inflicted whilst the deceased was in a seated position on the floor. The trial continues.
Paul Henry, a 29-year-old Roscommon man, brought an appeal against his acquittal for the alleged murder of his mother, Ann Henry, at The Spinney, Abbeystown, Roscommon, in September 2011. Henry had pleaded not guilty to the charge. At a previous Central Criminal Court sitting in Castlebar, a jury acquitted him of murder by reason of insanity. On May 7, 2014, Mr Justice Paul Carney ordered his commitment to the Central Mental Hospital. Today, in the Court of Appeal, Henry sought to appeal this acquittal. The three-judge panel, comprising Mr Justice George Birmingham, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, and Mr Justice John Edwards, raised immediate jurisdictional concerns. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Úna Ní Raifeartaigh SC, described the situation as very unusual, noting that the right to appeal typically arises only upon conviction. The judges observed that Henry was not a convicted person regarding the murder charge; rather, he was liable to detention at the State's discretion without a criminal record, meaning the State had vindicated his good name. Consequently, the court did not determine the appeal on its merits. The matter was adjourned and put back to March 5 next.
In a Dublin bar, Karl Harffy, 34, struck Ronan Flood, 24, with a glass after a confrontation. Harffy first punched Flood and then hit him again with a glass. Flood sustained minor cuts and was treated at the Eye and Ear Hospital, where no glass entered his eye. Harffy was identified by a barman and later claimed self‑defence, saying Flood and his friends provoked him. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm for an incident on 1 December 2013. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to a two‑year term suspended in full and ordered a €3,000 payment to Flood, to be paid over 18 months. Harffy, a first‑time offender, was described as a hard‑working man who had married since the incident. The judge noted that drunkenness does not excuse the offence.
During the 14th day of Graham Dwyer's murder trial, Dr Matthew Corcoran, Elaine O'Hara's GP, testified that her depression had improved in the years before her death. He treated her mainly for asthma, noting she also had low Vitamin B12, mild diabetes and was on a cholesterol tablet. Corcoran confirmed he had not managed her depression but received discharge letters from her psychiatric hospital and sometimes renewed her prescriptions. He described her last visit on 10 July 2012, when she had sinusitis and mild respiratory symptoms, and prescribed antibiotics and steroids. Under cross‑examination, he acknowledged she had been admitted to hospital 14 times, some involving self‑harm, and that she had a history of depression and anxiety. He did not comment on the circumstances of her death, which remains undetermined. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury.
At the Central Criminal Court, a jury heard that gardaí discovered the body of Patricia Kierans at her family home in Drumbannon, Bailieboro, County Cavan, on the evening of 5 September 2013. Garda Adrian O'Hanlon of Virginia Garda Station testified that he found Ms Kierans lying on the floor of a bedroom containing a cot. Oliver Kierans, aged 57, has pleaded not guilty to her murder on that date, and also to unlawful possession of a double-barrel shotgun and possession of the weapon with intent to endanger life. The court heard evidence that gardaí attended The Square bar in Bailieboro as part of a critical incident response, where the accused was later arrested at 3.20am. The trial, before Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly and a jury, addresses legal issues and will resume with evidence on Friday.
The trial opened for 21‑year‑old William Moran, charged with the murder of 22‑year‑old Martin Brophy, who died from severe head injuries in Waterford in May 2012. Moran pleaded not guilty. The prosecution presented evidence that Moran had told a friend on Facebook that he had "beat" Brophy to death with a lock and had used a concrete block on his head. CCTV footage showed Moran and another man with two girls entering the old WIT building on 19 May 2012; the girls left around 9:50 pm, while the men remained. Witnesses testified that an argument arose between Moran and Brophy over a cousin, Ray Connelly, and that Moran subsequently assaulted Brophy, grabbing him, kicking his head, stamping on a metal locker, and throwing a concrete block at him. The prosecution described the injuries as forced trauma to the head, with alcohol intoxication as a contributing factor.
In February 2015 the Court of Appeal ordered the return of 71‑year‑old former hurling coach James Maher to prison after finding his original two‑year sentence for indecently assaulting two boys between 1982 and 1985 too lenient. Maher had pleaded guilty to 18 counts and received a concurrent two‑year term on each count in 2013. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was unduly light. The Court of Appeal agreed, increasing the sentence by one year and ruling that the maximum penalty for indecent assault on a male in the 1980s was two years, not ten as the DPP had suggested. The court noted that the 1981 legislative change had equalised the maximum penalty for males and females, and that a 2007 judgment had limited the penalty for males to that for females. The decision was delivered by Mr Justice Seán Ryan, with Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice John Edwards.
A barman has given evidence at the Central Criminal Court that the accused man aimed a sawn-off shotgun at a garda on the day his wife went missing. Oliver Kierans, aged 57, of Drumbannon in Bailieboro, County Cavan, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patricia Kierans on 5 September 2013 at their home address. He also denies unlawful possession of a 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun and possession of the weapon with intent to endanger life. The witness testified that after the accused and his wife had separated, he had abstained from alcohol, but resumed drinking in early September. On 5 September, the witness described the accused as heavily intoxicated and recalled him saying there would be significant news in the town the following day. The court heard that when a garda arrived at a public house, the accused raised the shotgun and directed it at the officer while asking him to leave. A delivery man also gave evidence of seeing the accused that day. The trial continues before Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly.
Mihail Lurescu, 28, of Thurles, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to his former wife on 17 July 2013 in Dublin. The judge, Martin Nolan, sentenced him to a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended term after a three‑week pre‑sentencing custody period. Lurescu had previously been convicted of ten non‑violent offences. The assault involved repeated punches to the woman's head, a fracture to her cheekbone and bruising. He also took her mobile phone and threatened further violence. Garda Enda Muldoon reported that the victim was too frightened to return to her apartment. Lurescu admitted partial remorse, saying "a part of me is." The judge noted that alcohol was a factor but not an excuse. The couple, now legally separated, share a child. The sentence was imposed to deter future behaviour.
In the 2015 trial of 42‑year‑old Graham Dwyer, the jury was shown video footage of him flying a model aeroplane at a family day on 19 August 2012, three days before the alleged murder of childcare worker Elaine O'Hara. The footage was presented by John Flynn, a member of the Roundwood Model Aeronautical Club, who confirmed Dwyer's participation in a 2011 competition and his flying of a blue and black Extra 300 electric plane on 24 June 2012. Flynn also verified that no club event occurred on 22 August 2012. Additional witnesses from the Shankill Radio Flying Club discussed a dead sheep found near the club and Dwyer's use of various cars. The trial also examined Dwyer's work records, confirming he worked a normal eight‑hour day on 22 August 2012, and noted that O'Hara's skeletal remains were found at Killakee on 13 September 2013.
At the Central Criminal Court, a murder trial heard that a fifty-seven-year-old man from Bailieboro in Cavan appeared depressed in the days before his wife's death in September 2013. Oliver Kierans has pleaded not guilty to murdering Patricia Kierans on 5 September 2013 at their home in Drumbannon. He also denies unlawful possession of a shotgun and intent to endanger life with the weapon. A witness told the court that Mr Kierans seemed "down in the dumps" when they met on 31 August 2013, and spoke about harming himself. Another witness, a local dressmaker, said she had expected to meet Mrs Kierans on the day she died but received no answer when she rang. A manager at a local off-licence testified that Mr Kierans purchased two naggins of whiskey on the morning of 5 September. The trial continues before Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly and a jury.
Daniel McDonnell, who was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court of murdering Melanie McCarthy McNamara (16) and sentenced to a mandatory life term by Mr Justice Paul Carney, has brought a High Court challenge against his prison conditions. Represented by Bernard Condon SC, McDonnell argues that his 23-hour daily lock-up regime at Wheatfield Prison is disproportionate and violates his constitutional and European Convention on Human Rights. He claims he is denied access to structured activities and adequate exercise, with only one hour outside his cell daily. Opposing counsel, Seamus Woulfe SC, stated that the isolation is necessary for McDonnell's safety due to threats from other prisoners, and proposed allowing him gym access three days a week. Following submissions, Mr Justice Brian Cregan reserved judgment, indicating a decision would be issued early the following week. Separately, Keith Hall, of Kilmartin Drive, Tallaght, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to Ms McCarthy McNamara's manslaughter, while denying her murder. The court proceedings regarding McDonnell's challenge remain pending, with the matter adjourned for the judge's decision.
A Dublin man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with the murder of Emmett Connolly at a house in Cootehill, County Cavan on 29 September 2013. Kevin Moran, aged 30, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea the Director of Public Prosecutions did not accept. The court heard that gardaí discovered Mr Connolly with stab wounds to his chest, shoulder and back at the property. The prosecution alleges Mr Moran used excessive force during an altercation between the two men, who had not previously known each other. Mr Moran's account suggests the confrontation arose over drugs and that he acted in self-defence with a kitchen knife. A witness who was present at the house stated the two men appeared to get on well before he retired to bed. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury.
William Moran, aged 20, stands trial in the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Martin Brophy, which occurred at the old Waterford Institute of Technology building between 20 and 21 May 2012. Moran pleaded not guilty. Judge Patrick J McCarthy informed the jury that the trial is expected to last three weeks and will open tomorrow.
During a hearing at Swords District Court, James Heraghty, aged 50, was removed from the courtroom after calling the Gardaí a "gang of thugs" and "dirty liars" and shouting "Make me" at Judge Dermot Dempsey. Heraghty had been charged with assaulting Garda Gavin McGee, obstruction, using threatening and abusive behaviour and being intoxicated on 29 April 2014 at Vauxhall Street, Balbriggan. The Gardaí had detained him after an incident at the Combined Clubs Community Centre where he had shouted at the building and struck the Garda. Heraghty was arrested, brought to the station and later stood up and refused to sit when Judge Dempsey ordered him to. He was warned not to disrupt the court again. Judge Dempsey convicted him of obstruction, assault and threatening behaviour, sentencing him to four months in prison, with the terms run concurrently. The court noted he had 68 previous convictions, including four for assaulting Gardaí. James Heraghty pleaded not guilty.
Michael McDonagh, a 36‑year‑old bare‑knuckle boxer, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife, Jacqueline McDonagh, on 29 August 2012. The Central Criminal Court heard that the assault lasted one hour and twenty minutes and that Jacqueline was brutally beaten to death in their Dundalk home. CCTV footage showed McDonagh leaving his car in good form after a family party, and the investigation revealed extensive bruising and penetrating wounds inflicted with a long‑handled implement found at the scene. A post‑mortem confirmed severe injuries, including three large scalp wounds and multiple bruises on the left thigh. McDonagh pleaded guilty and was given a life sentence, back‑dated to 1 September 2012, after the court considered the victim impact statement and the evidence of domestic violence. The sentence was imposed by Justice Paul Carney.
The trial of Graham Dwyer, a 42‑year‑old architect, has heard that he worked a normal eight‑hour shift on the day he is alleged to have murdered childcare worker Elaine O'Hara. Testimony from Siobhán McKevitt, manager of the Baggot Street firm, confirmed that Dwyer's office records show he worked a standard 40‑hour week in the weeks ending 19 and 26 August 2012, and that he worked a normal eight‑hour day on 22 August 2012, the day of the alleged murder. No record indicated he left early that day. The jury also heard that O'Hara's skeletal remains were found at Killakee on 13 September 2013, with no cause of death determined, and that her glasses, keys, and other personal items were recovered from the Vartry Reservoir. The case is proceeding before Mr Justice Hunt and a jury of five women and seven men.