A 19‑year‑old pleaded guilty to murdering Aaron Keating on 13 June 2023 in Dublin. The defendant, who was a child when the offence was committed, is no longer subject to a mandatory life sentence because a Supreme Court ruling last year removed the mandatory life rule for those who were under 18 at the time of the crime, regardless of their current age. A further Supreme Court decision yesterday overturned a Court of Appeal ruling that a child could be identified if they turned 18 during proceedings, so the defendant's name cannot be released. The defendant had previously sought to halt the proceedings after turning 18, fearing a mandatory life sentence. After the guilty plea, senior counsel James Dwyer said the mandatory regime does not apply and a full sentencing hearing is required. Seamus Clarke SC represented the defendant, who had no prior convictions.
Three female students – Margaret Eyong Taku, Wendy Briggs and Christina Igweze – have taken a joint High Court challenge against their expulsions from Dundalk Institute of Technology. They allege that the college imposed disproportionate sanctions without providing reasons or considering alternative measures. The expulsions followed four alleged violent altercations between the students, three on campus and one off campus, that took place on 30 and 31 January 2024. The incidents involved physical aggression, including a head stomp, a wet‑floor warning sign, and the pulling out of hair. A disciplinary committee recommended expulsion in February 2024, and an Appeals Committee rejected the students' appeals in April. The students were granted judicial review in July 2024. At the High Court hearing, counsel argued that the appeals committee failed to explain its decision and that the sanctions were disproportionate. The judge said he would reserve judgment.
The Central Criminal Court trial of Rachel Redmond (34) continues before Mr Justice Paul Burns. The State alleges that Redmond, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Wayne Cooney for the murder of Jordan Davis, drove Cooney away from the scene and later checked him into a hotel. Prosecution evidence presented includes "tick lists" found at addresses linked to Robert Redmond, Rachel's older brother. Detective Garda Alan Roche testified that a list found in Kinsealy listed the nickname "Jordo" owing €153,000, while another list found at Woodview Close in Donaghmede showed "Jordo" with €70,000 and the words "not yet." The court heard that in May 2013, Robert Redmond pleaded guilty to the possession of heroin worth almost €37,000 and was jailed for five years. Sergeant Shane Behan also testified that he observed Robert Redmond and Jordan Davis on Grafton Street in August 2018, where Davis handed over cannabis. The jury, comprising three men and nine women, is tasked with determining whether Rachel Redmond knew or believed Cooney committed the murder. The matter was adjourned and the trial continues tomorrow.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 38‑year‑old husband and his 41‑year‑old sister‑in‑law were convicted of assault after a domestic dispute over laundry. The husband was found guilty of two counts of assault causing harm and one count of common assault, while the sister‑in‑law was convicted of two counts of assault causing harm. The incident occurred at the couple's shared home, where the husband and his wife argued upstairs, then the husband slapped the wife, who was later struck by the sister‑in‑law. The wife suffered bruises, cuts and breathing difficulties and was taken to hospital. She has since moved to emergency accommodation and has expressed that the abuse has caused her health problems and emotional distress. The defendants denied the allegations and had no prior convictions.
During the trial of Daniel Blanaru, a 37‑year‑old accused of murdering his partner Larisa Serban, Detective Sergeant Robert Madden was cross‑examined by defence counsel Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha. The defence argued that Madden had "already judged" Blanaru before the interview, claiming the detective had decided the accused had committed murder. Madden denied this, stating that each investigation is approached with an open mind and that any admission by a suspect must be corroborated with evidence. He explained that photos of the crime scene were shown to establish the murder weapon's location and that a doctor assessed Blanaru's fitness for interview after a night of sleeplessness. Madden also refuted claims that he had caused Blanaru pain to elicit information, insisting the interview was conducted professionally. The trial proceeds before Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury. Daniel Blanaru pleaded not guilty.
Stephen McKeever, 49, of Drimnagh, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to assault causing harm to a neighbour in a SuperValu Walkinstown carpark on 22 November 2023. The attack, described as "90 seconds of madness", followed McKeever's consumption of 17–18 pints of beer the night before. CCTV showed him kicking and punching the victim for up to two minutes, resulting in a broken nose, fractured eye socket and chipped teeth. The victim required surgery and spent three days in St James' Hospital. McKeever, who has no prior convictions and is a father of ten children and ten grandchildren, expressed remorse and claimed the incident was a moment of madness. The judge set a headline sentence of seven years, reduced to four with the final year suspended, and imposed a one‑year probation period and a three‑year restriction on contact with the victim.
In the Central Criminal Court, witness Stacey Hayes testified that she was driving a silver Volkswagen Golf on May 22 2019 when she and Rachel Redmond, a 34‑year‑old woman, were directed to a bus stop to pick up Wayne Cooney, Redmond's boyfriend. Hayes said Redmond had been on the phone and instructed her to go to the bus stop opposite Tesco on Clarehall Road. Minutes after learning that 22‑year‑old Jordan Davis had been shot dead in Darndale, Hayes and Redmond drove to the scene, but Redmond asked to be dropped home. Hayes described the journey, noting that Redmond had told Cooney that a shooting had occurred. The prosecution alleges Redmond knowingly aided Cooney's escape from prosecution, while Redmond pleaded not guilty to the two counts of aiding a murder. The case is set to continue before Mr Justice Paul Burns and a jury.
Jack Manning, an 88‑year‑old former Christian Brother and teacher, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for repeatedly sexually abusing eight boys at a primary school in the 1970s. The court heard that Manning would call each boy to the top of the class, have them read a book from his desk, then approach them closely and touch their genitals, both inside and outside their clothing. He pleaded guilty to 14 charges of indecent assault, which were part of 74 charges in total. The judge noted that Manning had abused the boys on at least 100 occasions, that the victims were not protected, and that his behaviour had a profound impact on their lives. Despite his age and infirmities, the judge imposed two consecutive two‑year terms, citing the seriousness of the offences and the need for punishment. The victims, who wished to remain anonymous, were allowed to read their own impact statements in court.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing, Detective Sergeant Mark Looby explained that Daniel Blanaru, a 37‑year‑old from Rathmore, Athboy, Co. Meath, repeatedly deflected questions during his August 12, 2022 interview at Ashbourne Garda Station. Looby described how Blanaru would shift from the questions asked, often speaking about unrelated matters. The detective also denied the defence's claim that Gardaí had "pushed" a narrative onto Blanaru. He stated that Blanaru's statements about the knife and the victim's injuries were his own free narrative, not imposed by the Garda. Looby noted that Blanaru had admitted to being guilty and wanting to be locked up, but had not agreed to any statements for the sake of agreement. The trial continues before Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury. Daniel Blanaru pleaded not guilty.
Craig Maples, 29, of Green Briar, Dublin, is serving a seven‑year sentence for violent disorder and assault causing serious harm to Austin Doherty in 2022. In December 2023 he pleaded guilty to a 2020 assault on a housemate in Huntstown, Dublin 15, where he and two men attacked the victim, who was sleeping in his rented room. The victim suffered head wounds and a fractured elbow, required surgery, and later emigrated to Croatia after becoming homeless and unable to work. Maples was sentenced to two years and three months for the 2020 assault, back‑dated to his guilty plea, meaning he will not serve additional time beyond his existing sentence. The court noted the victim's life was severely disrupted by the attack. The other two men were never identified. The sentence was imposed by Judge Orla Crowe.
In March 2025, 18‑year‑old Josh Kenny of Tallaght was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for assault causing serious harm after he threatened and then slashed a security guard's face with a 13‑cm wound. The incident began when Kenny, riding an e‑scooter, confronted a guard in a car park. A verbal altercation escalated, and after a brief departure, Kenny returned and, while the guard was on camera, struck him in the face before fleeing. The guard was hospitalized and required stitches. Kenny pleaded guilty to the charge on 25 April 2024. He had no prior convictions at the time, but later accrued seven offences. The judge noted Kenny's age and personal circumstances as mitigating, yet described the crime as "nasty" and "vicious vengeance." The sentence was back‑dated to the day he entered custody.
Badruzzaman Masum, a 47-year-old taxi driver from Swords, Co Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the sexual assault of an 18-year-old passenger. Masum pleaded guilty to the charge, which relates to an incident on November 27, 2024. Prosecution evidence presented by Garda Ciara Ryan alleged that Masum touched the victim's thigh, made crude sexual comments, and roughly groped her breast as she exited the vehicle. The victim had ordered the taxi via an app, and Masum was identified through CCTV and app analysis. Although Masum made no admissions during his interview, he has expressed remorse and has not worked as a taxi driver since entering his plea. Judge Patricia Ryan noted the significant breach of trust and the victim's young age as aggravating factors, while acknowledging Masum's lack of previous convictions. The court imposed a two-year custodial sentence. Additionally, Masum was ordered to be placed on the sex offender's register. The matter was finalised with this sentence.
Paul Byrne, 52, faces a trial set for 10 June 2026 in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after a defence application. He has not yet entered a plea. Byrne was charged in the District Court with three counts of assault causing harm to a woman, alleged to have occurred between September 2017 and May 2022. The court expects the trial to last four days.
Two women, aged 33 and younger, testified that they were sexually abused by an older cousin and a second cousin, and that their families did not believe them. The 33‑year‑old accused pleaded guilty to rape, oral rape and sexual assault of the older girl and sexual assault of the younger girl between 2004 and 2008 at their grandparents' home. His older brother, aged 34, pleaded guilty to one count of rape and sexual assault of the older girl in 2005. The second cousin, aged 14 at the time of the offence, was charged only for one incident. The court heard the women described lifelong trauma, PTSD and loss of family support. Mr Justice Tony Hunt adjourned sentencing to 31 March, remanded the men in custody and praised the women's strength. The accused men read apology letters and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
Georgina Tuohey, mother of three children who were raped and sexually abused by Brendan Cornally, spoke from the court during his sentencing at the Central Criminal Court. Cornally was sentenced to a total of 17½ years for the rape and sexual assault of her two sons and the sexual assault of her daughter. He had previously served 10 years for the rape of a boy aged 10‑14 and 21 months for the assault of a sister aged 13‑15. The judge imposed a headline sentence of 20 years, with the final two and a half years suspended on strict conditions for five years. Tuohey expressed that the sentence was lenient and that the justice system would let people like her down, while the judge noted the impact of Cornally's actions on her son, who suffered a severe decline in health and became catatonic. The sentencing was consecutive to his existing 11‑year‑nine‑month term. Brendan Cornally pleaded guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a woman who was gang‑raped by three men in a Dublin nightclub on 31 August 2019 gave a victim impact statement. She described how the men – Anthony Hickey (39), Fabio Vicente (42) and Matin Zolfaghari (34) – watched her movements, used her body as an object and raped her in a car and in a house. The statement detailed her fear, anxiety, flashbacks and nightmares, and her anger at the men's videos of the assault that were shared for a laugh. She said the criminal process was long and daunting, and that the men had taken away her freedom, her body and her love for life. The court noted the men were remanded in custody and the case was adjourned for sentencing on 27 March. The statement was given in plain Irish‑English prose, with no additional claims or inferences beyond the facts presented in the article. Anthony Hickey pleaded not guilty and was convicted. Fabio Vicente pleaded not guilty and was found guilty. Matin Zolfaghari pleaded not guilty and was convicted.
During the Central Criminal Court trial of Daniel Blanaru, a 37‑year‑old accused of murdering his partner Larisa Serban, Detective Sergeant Mark Looby rejected the defence's claim that the interview was tainted by the accused's tiredness. Looby told the jury that Blanaru had changed his account three times and that the detective did not accept that the accused's statements about being tired raised any concern. The detective noted that Blanaru had admitted to being drunk and unable to remember everything, but he insisted that the interview was conducted properly. Looby also stated that the accused had not introduced the word "knife" into his narrative and that any mention of a knife was a new account given during the interview. The trial continues tomorrow before Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury. The unnamed 37-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A 28‑year‑old man, John Glynn, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment by the Central Criminal Court for six counts of sexual assault against a girl aged between eight and thirteen who was being minded by his mother at his family home in Co. Kildare. The victim, who chose to waive anonymity, described ongoing fear, trust issues and psychological distress in her impact statement. Glynn pleaded guilty to the assaults, which occurred between 2013 and 2018, and was also charged with possession of child sexual abuse material, a charge pending sentencing in May. The judge noted Glynn's high risk of re‑offending, his admission of shame, and his ongoing cannabis use, and imposed a two‑year post‑release supervision order and a requirement to engage in a sex‑offender treatment programme. The sentence was reduced from a potential seven years to five years and six months, reflecting that Glynn was a juvenile for part of the offending period.
A 59-year-old man from Dunfanaghy, County Donegal has been sentenced to 11 years imprisonment following his conviction for the sexual abuse of two teenage girls over two decades ago. Andrew Robert John McElhinney was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury on seven of nine counts following trial in Monaghan last July. He was convicted of three counts of sexual assault and three sample counts of rape relating to the first complainant, and one count of sexual assault against the second. The offences occurred between May 1998 and September 2000 and took place predominantly in McElhinney's home. At the time, the victims were approximately 14 and 16 years old, while McElhinney was 19 years their senior. Justice Patrick McGrath imposed the sentence having regard to the serious and lasting impact on the victims, the breach of trust involved, the age disparity, and the repeated nature of the abuse. The judge noted McElhinney's lack of cooperation with probation services and his continued assertion of innocence despite the jury verdict.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Lucas Da Silva Cruz, a 30‑year‑old Brazilian, was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 23‑year‑old flatmate on 4 July 2019. The assault occurred while the victim was sleeping on a sofa in a three‑bedroom house shared with 12 others. Da Silva Cruz claimed the act was consensual, but the victim's impact statement described ongoing anxiety, sleepless nights, nightmares, anger, sadness and vulnerability, and her need for regular therapy. She also noted her pregnancy and gratitude for justice. Da Silva Cruz had no prior convictions, had resigned from his IT job after conviction, and was supporting his elderly mother in São Paulo. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, back‑dated to 17 January, and placed him on the sex offenders register. The sentence was reduced from a headline four‑year term. The case highlighted the breach of trust and the victim's lasting psychological harm.
Brian McHugh, 40, was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of 52-year-old Lisa Thompson. The sentence was backdated to July 11, 2022, when he entered custody. McHugh had pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Thompson at Sandyhill Gardens, Ballymun, Dublin 11, on May 9, 2022. A jury unanimously found him guilty after rejecting his defence that she was a "woman of secrets." The court heard three emotional victim impact statements from Ms Thompson's teenage daughter, son, and sister, Ashley Duckett. The daughter described the injuries as resembling "horror movies" and stated McHugh's face would haunt her. The judge, Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, noted the "horrific and brutal circumstances" of the death. Prior to sentencing, the Court of Appeal overturned a pre-trial ruling that had excluded CCTV identification evidence, restoring it for the trial. Evidence included McHugh's DNA on a blind cord used to strangle the victim and text messages from a named woman referencing the killing. McHugh has 50 previous convictions, including theft, robbery, and drug offences. The matter was concluded with the imposition of the life sentence.
In a Darndale lane on 22 May 2019, a young father, Jordan Davis, was shot to death while pushing his four‑month‑old son in a pram. CCTV footage, examined by Garda Cormac Flynn, shows Davis walking with a pram on Primrose Grove at 3.56 pm, then meeting a man who later is identified as Wayne Cooney. At 4.00 pm a cyclist in dark clothing, holding a weapon, points it at Davis and he collapses. The cyclist then rides back toward Primrose Grove. Fire‑brigade officer Gerry Woods later found Davis lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds, deemed incompatible with life. The case is before Mr Justice Paul Burns with a jury of three men and nine women, expected to last three weeks. Rachel Redmond, 34, is charged with two counts of aiding and abetting murder by facilitating Cooney's escape, and she has pleaded not guilty. The trial continues on Tuesday.
In a County Meath murder case, Daniel Blanaru, 37, pleaded not guilty to the stabbing death of Larisa Serban, 26, on 12 August 2022. During his fourth and final Garda interview, Blanaru admitted to killing Serban, saying, "I am guilty, I killed her. Please lock me up." He denied seeing Serban with another man before her death and claimed he had found her with her brother and a "tall guy." Gardaí presented statements from his sister and her husband, who alleged Blanaru had beaten and cut Serban. Blanaru also described throwing a knife he had found in his car onto the floor, which he could not recall removing. The trial heard video of Blanaru crying while viewing crime‑scene photographs and his refusal to return to the scene or retrieve the knife. The case proceeded to the Central Criminal Court with an enlarged jury.
Mark McAnaw, 52, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the harassment of Nicola Tallant, Amanda Brunker, and Deirdre Reynolds on various dates in August 2023. The court heard that McAnaw, who has previous convictions including rape and kidnapping, sent explicit and threatening emails to the three women, who are journalists. He also turned up at the Sunday World's office and contacted Ms. Brunker via social media. McAnaw is currently detained in the Central Mental Hospital. The court noted that at the time of the offending, he was not taking his medication. Judge Pauline Codd adjourned the case until June 5 to prepare a probation report and obtain an up-to-date psychiatric report. The matter was adjourned and not concluded. McAnaw previously received an eight-year, four-month sentence for an attack in 2018, with the final 16 months suspended for 16 years, and was placed under Probation Services supervision. The victims described living in fear due to the threats.
Shane Flanagan, 39, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to impersonating a woman online, inciting two men to rape her, and possessing child abuse material. He admitted to two counts of inciting rape between November and December 2020, six counts of endangerment for impersonating the woman on Facebook and fetlife.com and inviting violence between 2018 and 2020, and one count of possession of four images of child sexual abuse material on 7 January 2021. The victim wishes to remain anonymous. The judge ordered Flanagan to remain on bail until June pending sentencing.
Alan Vial and Nikita Burns were convicted of the murder of Robin Wilkin, 66, at the Central Criminal Court on Thursday following a two-month trial. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed the mandatory life sentence on each defendant yesterday. Vial, aged 39, from Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, and Burns, aged 23, of Carrick, County Donegal, had both pleaded not guilty to the charge. A jury returned guilty verdicts by majority, ten to two. The court heard that Mr Wilkin suffered severe head injuries after being struck multiple times with a rock near Killybegs on June 25, 2023. His body was subsequently disposed of from Sliabh Liag cliffs. At sentencing, Mr Wilkin's sister Irene McAleer delivered a victim-impact statement, stating the family was overwhelmed by the defendants' absence of remorse and distressed by the manner in which the body was discarded. Vial's sentence was backdated to July 14, 2023, and Burns' to August 29, 2023.
Rachel Redmond, 34, from Coolock, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court for two counts of knowingly or believing that Wayne Cooney committed murder and then acting to impede his apprehension or prosecution. The prosecution alleges that on 22 May 2019, after Jordan Davis was shot dead in a cold‑blooded execution while pushing his infant son in a pram, Redmond drove a vehicle with witness Stacey Hayes, picked up Cooney, and later checked him into the Clayton Hotel near Dublin Airport using her name and credit card. The prosecution claims these actions were intended to help Cooney evade prosecution. Redmond pleaded not guilty. The trial is scheduled to continue before Mr Justice Paul Burns and a jury, with an expected duration of three weeks.
In a murder trial, a 37‑year‑old man from Rathmore, Athboy, Co. Meath, pleaded not guilty to the killing of his 26‑year‑old partner, Larisa Serban, on or about 12 August 2022. He told Gardaí that he might have stabbed her with a very sharp kitchen knife, but he could not say how deep the wound was. Gardaí reported that the stab wound to Serban's chest was 12 cm deep, penetrating the rib and left lung, and that defensive wounds were present on her hands, forearms, arms and legs. The State argued that the victim could not have inflicted the wound herself. The jury heard the accused's statements, the pathologist's report, and the Garda interview footage, and the trial will continue before Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury.
Alan Vial and Nikita Burns have been found guilty of murdering 66-year-old Robert Wilkin at the Central Criminal Court. The jury returned majority verdicts of ten to two against each accused. Wilkin's body was discovered in the sea below Sliabh Liag cliffs in County Donegal on June 25, 2023, eight days after his death. The trial heard that Wilkin suffered at least two depressed fractures to the head before being thrown from the cliff. DNA evidence linked blood and hair found on a rock at the cliff top to the victim. Both accused blamed the other for the assault, but the prosecution argued they acted in joint enterprise to cause serious harm. Vial, aged 39 from Killybegs, and Burns, aged 23 from Carrick, had pleaded not guilty. Both will receive the mandatory life sentence at a sentencing hearing, where the victim's family will make statements to the court.
A jury in the Central Criminal Court found Christopher O'Grady, 33, guilty of raping a 19‑year‑old Spanish tourist on New Year's Eve 2019 in Dublin's Castle area. The victim, who was intoxicated and unable to consent, was led by O'Grady to a car‑park area where the assault occurred. She described the assault as forceful and non‑consensual, noting a lack of memory and physical pain. O'Grady was homeless at the time and remains in custody. The trial also considered a separate sexual encounter the victim had with another man that night, but the jury's verdict focused solely on the charge against O'Grady. The case is scheduled for sentencing on 19 June. The court heard CCTV footage of the assault and the victim's subsequent medical examination. The prosecution highlighted the victim's honest account and urged a guilty verdict. The defense questioned the similarity of the two encounters and the victim's capacity to consent.
Alan Vial and Nikita Burns were convicted of murder by a jury at the Central Criminal Court. The court found that the pair killed 66-year-old Robert Wilkin and disposed of his body by throwing it off Sliabh Liag, Ireland's tallest cliffs. Following their convictions, Vial and Burns face the mandatory term of life imprisonment for murder. The prosecution alleged that the defendants struck Wilkin with a rock, stole his cash and personal items, and fabricated a story claiming he had sexually assaulted Burns. Vial testified in his own defence, alleging Wilkin attacked him first, but the jury rejected his account. The State Pathologist testified that the blows to Wilkin's head would not have caused instant death, contradicting Vial's claims. The court noted Vial's history of offending and his attempts to destroy evidence, including washing blood from his hands at Teelin Pier. The matter was finalised with the mandatory life sentences imposed on both defendants.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 37‑year‑old man named Daniel Blanaru, who pleaded not guilty to the murder of his 26‑year‑old partner Larisa Serban, told Gardaí that it was possible he had put a knife into her body during a pushing and shoving argument. Blanaru, from Rathmore, Athboy, claimed that after an argument in their Co Meath home, Larisa had a knife in her hand and that he had taken it from her. He said the knife was already in his hand when he turned with her and that it was "possible" he had put it into her body, indicating the left side near the heart. He said he struck her once when trying to take the knife away. Gardaí questioned him about his reaction to her being stabbed and his subsequent taking of cocaine, to which he replied that he had taken the cocaine before the knife was in her chest.
Philip Crowley, 33, of Lein Park, Raheny, was sentenced to three years in prison with the final 16 months suspended on strict conditions after pleading guilty to assault causing harm for stabbing a man twice in the back of his head. The incident occurred on 22 October 2021 when the victim was walking his seven‑month‑old baby and encountered Crowley, who had just exited a taxi. A tussle ensued, and after the victim left the house, Crowley pursued him, striking him with a knife. The victim required stitches for two wounds and was taken to hospital by ambulance. Crowley had previously been convicted 12 times for drug possession and traffic offences. He offered apologies to the victim and the Gardaí, wrote a letter of apology, and paid €5,000 to the victim. The court accepted his remorse and noted his supportive family and former sporting background.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has sought clarification on the legal definition of joint enterprise whilst deliberating in the trial of two Donegal residents accused of murder. Alan Vial, aged 39, from Drumanoo Head, and Nikita Burns, aged 23, of Carrick, are charged with murdering a 66-year-old man whose body was disposed of at Sliabh Liag in June 2023. Both defendants deny the charge and have each accused the other of committing the fatal act. The prosecution contends that both participated in a joint enterprise to cause serious injury. Mr Justice Paul McDermott instructed the jury that mere presence at a crime scene does not constitute participation, and that the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that each accused assisted in the killing with intent to kill or cause serious harm. The jury also examined bloodstained clothing belonging to Ms Burns, with defence counsel suggesting an alternative explanation for the presence of DNA evidence. Deliberations are ongoing.
Vasile Manole, 46, and Daniella Voroneanu, 42, were sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for a savage knife attack on an innocent man sleeping in a tent on Tara Street, Dublin, in April 2024. Manole, a convicted rapist with prior violent offences, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm. Judge Martin Nolan described the unprovoked attack as "extremely savage" and "reprehensible," noting the victim lost sight in one eye and required 190 stitches. Manole was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment. Voroneanu, who initially faced a charge of assault causing serious harm, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of assault causing harm after discussions between her defence and the prosecution. The court accepted she likely did not expect the viciousness of the assault but had encouraged Manole to act. She was sentenced to three years. Both defendants were intoxicated at arrest, suspending their detention periods for six hours. The judge backdated both sentences to the date they went into custody. The matter was finalised with these sentences imposed.
In a Rathmore murder case, Daniel Blanaru, 37, denied killing his partner Larisa Serban, 26, who died from stab wounds. During an August 2022 interview at Ashbourne Garda Station, Blanaru claimed that Serban had a knife in her bag to protect herself and that she had approached him with it during an argument. He said the knife accidentally struck her as he turned, and that she had been upset. Blanaru also admitted to pushing and hitting Serban, and to being drunk and smoking that night. He stated he could not remember the exact time he left the house and that he had called his brother to check on a party. The Central Criminal Court heard this testimony and video footage, and the trial continues before Justice Eileen Creedon.
A jury has begun deliberations in the Central Criminal Court in the murder trial of two Co Donegal residents. Alan Vial, aged 39, from Drumanoo Head in Killybegs, and Nikita Burns, aged 23, from Carrick, have each pleaded not guilty to the murder of Robert Robin Wilkin on 25 June 2023. The 66-year-old's body was discovered at Sliabh Liag. The prosecution alleges both accused engaged in a joint enterprise to cause serious harm to Mr Wilkin. However, each has accused the other of striking the fatal blow with a rock. Mr Justice Paul McDermott charged the jury that if they find either accused not guilty of murder, they may consider an alternative verdict of impeding the prosecution of their co-accused. The jury of seven women and five men spent approximately two hours deliberating before adjourning. They will resume consideration of their verdict tomorrow.
The Central Criminal Court saw the trial of a woman, her brother and another man accused of sexually assaulting and raping the woman's daughter collapse. Justice Melanie Greally announced that developments during the proceedings led her to conclude that the case should be concluded immediately and heard by a different jury on a new date. She explained that this decision was not taken lightly, citing the impact on the complainant and the court's duty to ensure a fair trial. The three accused, all residing in the west of Ireland, are entitled to anonymity. The complainant's mother had pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of sexual assault and one count of rape, alleging repeated assaults on her daughter between 2000 and 2009, again between 2012 and 2014, and during a family holiday in 2001. The mother's testimony also described an incident where the daughter was taken to her uncle's bedroom, where the uncle raped her while the mother watched.
A 41‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for coercive control and assault against his partner. He had forced her to keep a doorbell camera on her at all times, monitored her movements, isolated her from family, and restricted her access to a phone and welfare payments. He also installed a house alarm but withheld the code, locked doors, and used a Ring doorbell to demand she answer instantly and show her hands. The victim's impact statement described daily beatings, injuries sustained in Dublin, Co Clare, Scotland, and Spain, and a fractured finger when she tried to protect herself. She had two children with him, a miscarriage, and a fourth pregnancy during which he assaulted her. The court noted the man's drug use and that he was now drug‑free. Judge Martin Nolan set a headline sentence of eight years, reduced to five years, citing repeated physical and verbal violence, control, and humiliation. The unnamed 41-year-old pleaded guilty.
A Jordanian man, Saif Waleed Al Hindawi, was jailed for three and a half years after a violent sexual assault on a woman in South Dublin. The victim was bitten on the mouth and forced to the ground, suffering injuries that required hospital treatment and ongoing medical care. Al Hindawi, who had no fixed abode, falsely claimed to be a Syrian asylum seeker and denied any sexual conduct. He also refused a disease test, delaying the victim's knowledge of potential infection. The court heard the victim's impact statement, detailing PTSD, loss of confidence, and ongoing medication. Al Hindawi pleaded guilty to sexual assault on 23 May 2024. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three and a half years, noting possible deportation after release. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
A man accused of murdering his partner at their County Meath home in August 2022 told gardaí during interview that he pushed and hit her following a dispute over a gathering at their residence, the Central Criminal Court has heard. Daniel Blanaru, aged 37, from Rathboy, Athboy, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Larisa Serban, aged 26, on or about 12 August 2022. During his first interview at Ashbourne Garda Station on 12 August 2022, Mr Blanaru stated through an interpreter that he discovered his partner hosting a party with her brother and another man when he returned home from Navan. He described an altercation in which physical contact occurred, claiming the other man intervened. Mr Blanaru told detectives he subsequently travelled to Drogheda and contacted gardaí, learning thereafter that Ms Serban had died. The trial, before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of fifteen, continues.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Peter Doyle, aged 68, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for indecent assault and rape of two girls aged six to nine between 1977 and 1991. The victims, who wish to remain anonymous, recounted how they were ignored when they tried to alert adults, with one told the abuser was "just experimenting." Doyle pleaded guilty to all charges. The judge, Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo, set a headline sentence of 15 years but, citing mitigating factors such as Doyle's guilty plea, lack of prior convictions, good work history and remorse, imposed consecutive sentences totalling eight years. The court noted the deep and lasting harm suffered by the victims and the breach of trust involved. The case was classified as "more serious" by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Joseph Collins, 27, of Avila Park, Finglas, pleaded guilty to robbery at Boyles Sports on 27 November 2023. He held a Stanley blade near the cashier's face, demanded €280, and left before closing. CCTV identified him; he was arrested and charged. Collins has ten prior convictions and a history of alcohol and drug abuse, having completed residential rehabilitation at Coolmine Treatment Centre. He expressed deep shame and a willingness to work, supported by family and Probation Services. Judge Orla Crowe acknowledged the seriousness of the offence and the victim's frightening experience, but noted Collins' rehabilitation efforts. She imposed a custodial sentence of three years, suspended the final 18 months, and ordered structured release with strict conditions, including two years of Probation Service engagement. The court considered Collins' lack of violence history and his commitment to rehabilitation.
Diarmuid Phelan, a law lecturer and barrister, was acquitted of murder after a 10‑week trial that concluded on 3 January 2025. The case involved a shooting at Hazelgrove Farm, Tallaght, where Phelan fired three shots at trespassers on his land. The third shot struck Keith Conlon in the head, killing him. Phelan claimed the fatal shot was accidental and that he acted in self‑defence. A jury found him not guilty. Following the trial, Michael Bowman SC, one of Phelan's senior counsel, requested that the court decide whether the State should pay Phelan's legal costs. The matter will be heard by Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford on 10 March. Phelan, who has assets in the millions, was represented by two senior and two junior counsel and did not receive legal aid. The case also involved expert witnesses who testified after the prosecution's case closed.
A 50-year-old woman, November Phelan, was sentenced to six years imprisonment with the final year suspended for a period of three years, on the condition that she remain under the supervision of the probation services and engage with counselling and addiction services. The sentence was passed by Mr Justice Paul Burns at the Central Criminal Court following a validated procedural stage of sentence. Phelan had pleaded guilty to manslaughter when she was arraigned before the court. The court heard that Phelan had been in a relationship with the deceased, David Ennis, and that both had significant problems involving long-term substance abuse. Mr Justice Burns noted that Phelan had acted in self-defence in response to an anticipated attack from Ennis. The judge acknowledged Phelan's guilty plea, her expression of remorse, and her long-term struggle with drug addiction and depression. The matter was not adjourned and was finalised with the sentence being backdated to October 27, 2023, when Phelan went into custody.
Gardai hacked into the phone of Stephen Mooney (52), who had been accused of stabbing his wife, Anna Mooney (46), to death on 15 June 2023 at their home on Kilbarrack Road, Kilbarrack, Dublin 5. The Central Criminal Court heard that the phone, seized at the crime scene, was initially inaccessible due to a missing pin code or password. However, an update to the Cellebrite software used by Gardai allowed the phone to be unlocked without a password. Once unlocked, the phone contained video and audio footage of the minutes leading up to the fatal incident and the incident itself. The new evidence prompted the prosecution to inform the court of a "significant development." Mooney pleaded guilty to the single charge of murder, faces a mandatory life sentence, and remains in custody while a sentencing date is set for 18 June. The court adjourned sentencing to allow the victim's family to make statements.
In a trial in the West of Ireland, a rape complainant testified that she has a clear recollection of her mother and uncle having sex when she was a child. She said she was 11 years old when the uncle allegedly had sexual intercourse with her, and she also recalled an incident with another man who was a friend of her former partner. The complainant's mother and uncle face a total of 21 counts of sexual assault and rape, alleged to have occurred between 2000 and 2014, mainly at a family home in the west. The uncle pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and one of oral rape; the other man pleaded not guilty to one count of oral rape; the mother pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of sexual assault and one count of rape. The case is before Justice Melanie Greally and a jury.
A 47‑year‑old man was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for sexual assault and exploitation of a teenage girl in foster care. He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault, five counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and three counts of using technology to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child. The offences took place between November 2021 and April 2023, when the victim was aged 14 to 16. The court heard that the man was in a relationship with the daughter of the girl's foster mother and that the abuse was discovered after the foster mother found sexual messages. The girl described repeated incidents of the man masturbating in front of her, giving her vapes and cannabis, and touching her breasts. She also reported that the man sent explicit voice messages in exchange for vapes.
A man has been convicted and sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for serious sexual offences against his sister. Kyle Jinks, aged 31, of Slievemore, Ballytivnan, County Sligo, was found guilty on 21 sample counts of rape and four sample counts of sexual assault committed between 2008 and 2014. The offences occurred at the family home in County Sligo when the victim was aged between 11 and 17 years old and the defendant was between 14 and 20. Mr Justice David Keane imposed sentence on 28 February 2025, noting the severe breach of familial trust, the victim's vulnerability, and the persistent pattern of offending over seven years. The judge observed that the family home became a place of fear rather than safety. Jinks maintains his innocence and intends to appeal the verdicts. He has 25 previous convictions. The court heard he is assessed as very high risk of re-offending. Two years' post-release supervision has been directed.
A 50‑year‑old man was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting his 12‑year‑old daughter between January 2016 and August 2017 at a Dublin address. He pleaded guilty and had five prior convictions, including rape and sexual assault. The court heard that the victim and her siblings were in his sole care after their mother's death in 2012, and that the children often watched films in his room while he drank downstairs. The victim recalled being touched on the outside of her underwear and then being digitally penetrated; she fled to her bedroom and later told a family member before filing a complaint in 2023. The judge noted the aggravating factor that the victim was his daughter and that he had failed to fulfil parental responsibilities. The sentence was back‑dated to the date of the guilty plea.