Three men have had their convictions upheld by the Court of Appeal following a vigilante attack on security personnel at a repossessed farmhouse near Strokestown, County Roscommon, in December 2018. Martin O'Toole, aged 60, of Claremorris, County Mayo; PJ Sweeney, aged 59, of Ramelton, County Donegal; and Paul Beirne, aged 58, of Boyle, County Roscommon, were each sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment after being convicted of fifteen charges including aggravated burglary, violent disorder, false imprisonment and assault causing harm. Mr Justice Peter Charleton described the offences as "the most barbaric violations of human rights", rejecting arguments regarding evidence admissibility and identification procedures. The judge noted that approximately thirty to forty people participated in the incident, during which armed assailants beat security staff, set vehicles alight, and fatally injured a dog. The court dismissed all appeals and affirmed the convictions.
A former Olympic swimming coach has been convicted and sentenced to ten years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the rape and sexual assault of a teenage girl over three decades ago. Derry O'Rourke, aged 78, of Virginia Road, Cavan, pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and fifteen counts of indecent assault allegedly committed between October 1989 and June 1990 at a Leinster school. A jury unanimously convicted him of rape and eleven sexual assault charges following a six-day trial. The offences occurred when the victim was aged thirteen to fourteen. Justice Melanie Greally imposed concurrent sentences and described O'Rourke as a serial child abuser, noting aggravating factors including his abuse of authority as swimming coach, grooming behaviour, and the vulnerable age of the victim. O'Rourke has previous convictions dating from 1998 involving multiple victims, all entered through guilty pleas. The victim provided a detailed impact statement during sentencing.
During a billiards tournament at the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire on 29 September 2023, 70‑year‑old software company owner Steven Gillman felt his refereeing abilities were belittled by a fellow club member. In a fit of anger, Gillman punched the victim repeatedly in the face, then again after the victim fell. The assault caused the victim a fractured eye socket, a dislocated eye lens, and ongoing medical issues including double vision and tinnitus. Gillman pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm. He has no prior convictions and was described by his defence counsel as a "model citizen." He has since resigned from the yacht club, paid €5,000 as a token of remorse, and is awaiting a probation report. The court adjourned the matter to 24 November, noting that a higher sum of €15,000 would be more appropriate.
A 59-year-old Meath man was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of one count of anal rape and 31 counts of sexual assault. The offences, which occurred between June 2005 and March 2013, involved the abuse of his son, who was aged between five and 13 at the time. Following a trial at the Central Criminal Court in April, the defendant was found guilty. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed a headline sentence of 12 years for the rape charge and concurrent sentences of 10 years for the sexual assault charges. The sentence was backdated to May 1, when the defendant entered custody. The judge declined to suspend any portion of the term, citing the defendant's continued denial of the offences and lack of remorse. He also imposed five years of post-release supervision and ordered that the man have no contact with the victim. The court noted the defendant's low risk of sexual re-offending but moderate risk of general re-offending, while highlighting that his attitude creates its own risk. The judge emphasized that the shame for the offences lies entirely with the offender, not the victim, who stated that the abuse dominated his childhood and teenage years.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 30 July 2024, a 32‑year‑old defendant pleaded guilty to nine counts of sexual assault against his younger brother between 2000 and 2002, when the victim was aged 14‑16 and the defendant 9‑11. The abuse, described as occurring weekly in the family home in Dublin, included mutual masturbation and an incident where the defendant forced the victim to give oral sex. The court heard the brothers grew up in a household of widespread neglect, with their mother later jailed for serious crimes. The victim's impact statement highlighted ongoing depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation stemming from the abuse. The judge, Justice Karen O'Connor, sentenced the defendant to two years' imprisonment, suspending the final four months on conditions, after noting the significant age disparity and the lasting impact on the victim. The defendant had previously admitted the abuse in a family meeting in 2017 and had undergone counselling.
Barry O'Donnell, 37, of Cromlech Fields, Ballybrack, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison for two separate assaults on his sister. The first incident on 22 March involved O'Donnell stabbing her in the back, arm and knee after an argument over loud music, and then beating her with her own crutch while she was recovering from hip surgery. The second assault on 30 August saw him again armed with a knife, kicking her in the ribs and stabbing her multiple times. He fled the house after each attack. Judge Orla Crowe suspended the final nine months of the sentence on strict conditions, including engagement with the Probation Service, victim‑focused work and treatment for alcohol addiction. O'Donnell has been in custody since the arrests and has a prior 2011 drug possession conviction. The victim, who declined to seek emergency treatment, described lasting physical scarring and emotional trauma. Barry O'Donnell pleaded guilty.
A man has been convicted at the Central Criminal Court of raping and sexually assaulting a schoolgirl in Cavan during the late 1980s. Derry O'Rourke, aged 78, of Virginia Road, Cavan, was found guilty of one count of rape and eleven counts of indecent assault following a six-day trial. The offences occurred between October 1989 and June 1990 when the complainant was aged thirteen to fourteen years old. O'Rourke, a former Olympic swimming coach, had pleaded not guilty to one rape charge and fifteen indecent assault charges. The court heard he singled the girl out during school swimming sessions and subjected her to abuse under the guise of conducting muscle checks in a room adjoining the pool, before raping her in a boiler room in September 1990. At sentencing hearing, the now forty-eight-year-old victim delivered an impact statement describing the "brutalisation" she suffered and its lasting effects on her life. Justice Melanie Greally remanded O'Rourke in custody pending sentencing. The prosecution submitted the case warrants a sentence of between fifteen years and life imprisonment.
Jason 'Jay' O'Connor, aged 46, was found guilty of conspiracy to murder Charlie Cooper, a victim of a December 2016 shooting that left him seriously injured but alive. O'Connor, linked to the Kinahan cartel, admitted helping plan the attack, which involved ten shots fired in Cooper's kitchen. He also faced charges for possessing a 9mm firearm and ammunition, and for facilitating drug supply. O'Connor's defence highlighted that the death of his friend Keith Walker in 2015, whom he believed he was targeted for, had caused him severe mental distress, leading to suicidal thoughts and psychiatric treatment. He pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge, and the court noted his 70 prior convictions, including assault and burglary. The Special Criminal Court adjourned sentencing to 14 October, with a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment. The case underscored O'Connor's involvement in the Kinahan organisation and his alleged role in the 2016 murder plot.
Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring handed down five life sentences at the Central Criminal Court to family members convicted of murdering Thomas Dooley at Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee, Co Kerry, on October 5, 2022. The defendants, including Patrick Dooley, Thomas Dooley Senior, Thomas Dooley Junior, Michael Dooley, and Daniel Dooley, had all pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. The judge described the killing as an "honour killing" involving "medieval violence" and noted that no explanation for the death had been proffered. Thomas Dooley Junior was additionally found guilty of assault causing harm to Siobhán Dooley. He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years for this offence, backdated from his custody on November 16, 2022, with the term running concurrently to his life sentence. The life sentences for the five adults were backdated to their respective custody dates. A sixth defendant, a male teenager, was not sentenced today as he is expected to seek a judicial review; his matter was adjourned for a mention on October 29. The court heard a victim impact statement from Siobhán Dooley, who stated her husband's last act was telling her to run to save herself. The judge emphasized that the only innocents were the victim, his wife, and their children.
In the Munster Abuse case, the Court of Appeal quashed the original 15‑year sentence for the father, who had been convicted of rape, sexual exploitation, sexual assault and child cruelty, and imposed a life sentence. The judge noted the father's position of trust and the egregious nature of his abuse, describing the victims as vulnerable children who were raped, violated and subjected to acts of depravity for his sexual gratification. The mother's original nine‑year term was increased to 12 years, and the uncle's original 15‑year term was reduced to 18½ years after a headline of 20 years was set. The appeal was brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions, who argued the original sentences were unduly lenient given the severity and prolonged nature of the abuse that occurred between August 2014 and April 2016. The court's decision reflects the gravity of the offences and the impact on the children's emotional, physical and psychological well‑being.
Robert Duffy, a former IRA member aged 52, was convicted in 1996 for the murder of John Gibson in Belfast and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was released after four years under the Good Friday Agreement in 2000. In 2007, Duffy attempted to murder Colin O'Neill at the Emerald Bar in Dundalk by firing a shotgun at O'Neill's face, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2008 after pleading guilty. In 2023, the Northern Irish authorities sought his extradition to return him to prison for breaching the release terms by attempting the murder. A High Court hearing in June 2024 dismissed objections to the extradition, ordering his surrender to Northern Ireland. The order will be executed within 15 days, with an additional 10‑day extension, and will lapse if not carried out. Duffy remains in a South Irish prison awaiting release or parole before extradition can occur.
A 70‑year‑old man, John Sheridan, was given a fully suspended sentence for assaulting his wife, Ann Sheridan, over a ten‑year marriage. Sheridan pleaded not guilty to four counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and three counts of assault causing harm, committed between 1994 and 2002. The court found that the abuse began with verbal insults from the first day of marriage and escalated to physical violence, including repeated hits with an open hand, a closed fist, and kicks with a steel‑capped boot. Sheridan admitted to hitting his wife but denied kicking her. He had no prior convictions. The judge, citing Sheridan's transfer of his interest in the family home to the victim, imposed a headline sentence of three years, reduced to 18 months, and suspended it entirely. Sheridan was also ordered to stay away from the victim and his children and to hand over his interest in the family home.
Aaron Barwell, aged 29, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with a two‑year suspended portion, for a series of violent sexual offences committed against three escort victims between January and August 2021. He pleaded guilty to one count of oral rape, one of rape and one of attempted rape. The court described the offences as "abysmal" and noted that Barwell had arranged for each victim to come to his residence, where he used violence, threats and a screwdriver to coerce sexual acts. He also faced a separate charge of possession of cocaine for sale or supply, for which he received a suspended sentence. The judge imposed four years of post‑release supervision, prohibited contact with the victims and required him to commit no further sexual offences. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the crimes and the need for rehabilitation.
James O'Neill, aged 57, was convicted of causing serious harm to Patrick Hansard, aged 78, after a pre‑meditated assault in a stairwell near Hansard's home on 17 August 2019. O'Neill, wearing a "V for Vendetta" mask, waited in the stairwell and struck Hansard with a shovel, inflicting a fractured cervical spine, skull fractures, lacerations, a haematoma and a traumatic brain injury. Hansard was hospitalised from August 2019 until May 2020 and remains impaired. O'Neill's prior convictions include a suspended sentence for actual bodily harm in 1992. Gardaí recovered a phone containing a "selfie" of O'Neill in the mask and holding the shovel, taken about 15 minutes before the assault. The court, after a jury trial, imposed a headline sentence of 13 years, reduced to 11½ years on mitigating factors such as intoxication and cooperation with the investigation. The sentence reflects the unprovoked nature of the attack and the significant impact on Hansard's life.
A 72‑year‑old former Christian Brother teacher, already serving a sentence that will end in September 2030 for indecent assaults on boys at a Kilkenny primary school, was sentenced today to five years' imprisonment for the indecent assault of four boys between September 1976 and June 1977. The jury found him guilty on 23 counts after a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial in June. The judge, Elma Sheahan, described the offences as a "significant breach of trust" and noted the defendant's long history of similar conduct. The five‑year term was back‑dated to the June conviction, meaning he will not spend additional time in jail for these particular offences. Victim impact statements highlighted the lasting psychological harm, with one boy describing the teacher as a "monster" and the abuse affecting him into adulthood. The defendant, who has no other complaints from his subsequent teaching career, has pleaded not guilty and has further matters pending in court.
An unnamed 35-year-old defendant appeared at the Central Criminal Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to charges related to the death of his four-year-old son in March 2021. The man admitted to wilfully causing or procuring the child's assault, wilfully neglecting him by failing to provide medical aid, and recklessly endangering the child. He also pleaded guilty to reporting the cause of the boy's injuries as an accidental fall to a garda station with intent to impede the apprehension of another person he believed guilty of murder. The court heard that the child died from traumatic head injury and blunt force trauma to the abdomen. While the defendant's co-accused pleaded guilty to manslaughter, the Director of Public Prosecutions did not accept that plea, and her trial date remains unfixed. The defendant, who previously received a suspended sentence for violent disorder, was not sentenced today. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned the case until October 11 and remanded the defendant in custody until that date.
James Kilroy was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court today following his conviction for the murder of his wife, Valerie French, at their home in Kilbree Lower, Westport, County Mayo, between 13 and 14 June 2019. Kilroy had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but a jury rejected that defence. The State Pathologist determined that Ms French died from ligature strangulation combined with blunt force trauma and a stab wound to the neck. During sentencing, Ms French's family called for legislative change to prevent convicted murderers from retaining parental rights over their children, citing similar protections in the United Kingdom. The victim's brother told the court that Kilroy has demonstrated no remorse and attempted to avoid accountability for the killing. Ms French's family emphasised the widespread impact on relatives, friends and the community, and urged women experiencing abuse to contact gardaí.
In July 2019, two take‑away workers, Dawei Zhang (37) and Han Chung Tang (45), fought violently over a dispute about who was the better chef in the kitchen of Jumbo Wok takeaway in Kimmage, Dublin. Tang struck Zhang with a meat cleaver, after which Zhang repeatedly stabbed Tang with a knife. Tang was found in the back yard of the restaurant with severe blood loss and multiple stab wounds, while Zhang suffered lacerations to his scalp, chest and shoulder. Both men pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and to producing a knife in the course of a dispute. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing the case in 2024, sentenced each man to 240 hours of community service in lieu of prison terms—Zhang in lieu of a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence and Tang in lieu of a two‑year sentence. The judge noted the violence was gratuitous and that neither man had prior convictions.
Sandra Sandaraite, 39, was sentenced to five and a half years' imprisonment for the manslaughter of her on‑off partner, Zbigniew Czech, 47, who was found dead on the stairwell of their Academy Street apartment on 10 December 2022. The Central Criminal Court, presided over by Ms Justice Caroline Biggs, described the relationship as toxic and volatile, with alcohol contributing to repeated violent incidents. Sandaraite had earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter with excessive force in self‑defence, a plea accepted in March. She claimed that, if she had not taken a chef's knife from a closed box, she would have been beaten. The knife was found in Czech's hand, and a pathology report identified a fatal stab wound to his upper left lung. The judge accepted her early plea, reduced the sentence by three years, and suspended the final six months for two years to encourage rehabilitation. The sentence was back‑dated to the date of her initial arrest.
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 29 July 2024, a 46‑year‑old mother was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for wilful neglect and sexual abuse of her toddler son. The judge, Ms Justice Tara Burns, overturned a previously fully suspended sentence, citing the child's severe neglect, inability to use utensils, drink from a cup, dress himself, and poor language skills. The child had been placed in foster care before age five. The mother had been convicted in June 2022 of neglect from September 2010 to June 2015, and of sexual assault and exploitation between September 2013 and June 2015. She received a three‑year sentence for each of the sexual offences and one year for child cruelty, with all sentences running concurrently and no suspended portion. The mother denied the allegations and showed no remorse. The child remains in state care. The unnamed 46-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Mary O'Donnell, 33, told the court she is "one of the lucky ones" for surviving a prolonged abusive relationship with Mark Leonard, 30. Leonard was jailed for 10 years after a Central Criminal Court jury convicted him of seven assault charges, a false imprisonment charge and several sexual offences. He pleaded guilty to the assault charges but denied the assault causing harm, false imprisonment and sexual offences. Leonard accepted the verdict, wrote an apology letter and was sentenced to 11 years concurrent, with the final year suspended on strict conditions, including probation and no contact with O'Donnell. O'Donnell read a victim impact statement describing the abuse as "sinister" and the lasting fear it caused. The judge expressed sympathy and noted her support from a loving husband. The case highlighted the prolonged campaign of physical and sexual abuse she endured.
Matthew Fadeyi, 34, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison, with the final year suspended, after a re‑trial in May 2024. He was convicted of one count of rape for assaulting a 20‑year‑old woman he had given a lift to in August 2018. The court heard that Fadeyi, who had previously been convicted of a minor road traffic offence, offered to drop the woman home, became flirtatious, and after she declined to have sex, forced himself on her in the back seat of his car. The victim, who described the experience as traumatic, had previously made a formal complaint to Gardaí in January 2019. Fadeyi, a father of three, was found to have no additional violence beyond the act itself, and the judge noted the victim's relative youth and lack of experience. The suspended year is subject to a number of conditions.
Aaron Brady, already serving a life sentence for the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to an additional three years for conspiring to pervert the course of justice. Brady admitted responsibility for recording a video of an interview between Garda officers and witness Ronan Flynn, in which Flynn claimed Brady had admitted to shooting Donohoe three times. The video was later posted on social media, accusing Flynn of "touting" and calling him a "rat." Brady's co‑conspirator, Dean Byrne, aged 31, received a two‑year sentence for persuading a witness not to give evidence. Byrne had been due for release later that year after a 14‑year sentence for aggravated burglary. The judge noted that the offences struck at the heart of the administration of justice but did not involve violence, threats or inducements, and therefore the sentences were reduced from the headline years to the final terms.
Michael Nolan, aged 54, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to indecent assault of a child between November 1984 and September 1985, when he was 14‑15 and the victim 4‑5. He had no prior convictions. The court heard that Nolan's parents and the victim's parents met after the offences were discovered, and that both children were referred to therapy. The victim's impact statement described lasting physical, emotional and psychological harm, including PTSD, anxiety and nightmares, and her motivation to report the abuse to prevent further victims. Judge Pauline Codd noted the offence's seriousness and the victim's enduring suffering. She considered the passage of time, Nolan's rehabilitation, his guilty plea, remorse, and €6,500 contribution to counselling costs. The judge imposed a headline sentence of four years, suspended for three years, and placed Nolan on the sex offenders register for two years, avoiding custodial imprisonment. The case was concluded with no further convictions or charges.
The 48‑year‑old defendant, whose name is withheld to protect the victim, was convicted of rape at his home in the midlands on 7 August 2018. The Central Criminal Court in Tullamore found him guilty after a February trial, and he received a nine‑year jail sentence for the rape, with a four‑and‑a‑half‑year term for assault and false imprisonment, the final year suspended. He appealed, arguing that two "goading" videos taken on his phone before the alleged rape were inadmissible and prejudicial. The Court of Appeal heard the case on 26 July 2024, with counsel for the State maintaining the videos were admissible for credibility, while the defence claimed they were irrelevant and highly prejudicial. The court will decide after the summer break. The defendant continues to deny the offence and has shown no remorse or rehabilitation.
The Central Criminal Court trial of Brian Ibe, aged 23, collapsed after the judge ruled that the defence could not call additional witnesses who were not classified as experts. Ibe, who had no fixed abode and was formerly of Moore Park, Newbridge, was accused of murdering retired Peter Kennedy, 65, who had offered him and his mother a place to stay. Ibe denied murder but admitted causing Kennedy's death, and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. He also faced a separate assault charge against Garda Brendan O'Donnell. The judge explained that the court could not accommodate the defence's request for non‑expert witnesses and that it would be unfair to keep the jury empanelled for an extended period. Consequently, the jury was excused for five years and the case was postponed. The trial, which had been scheduled to last up to two weeks, was therefore abandoned.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Garda William Ryan (41) was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment after a jury deliberated for about three and a half hours. The case centred on an incident at Aughrim Garda Station on 29 September 2020, when a woman sought help to retrieve her son's car. Ryan allegedly prevented her from leaving the station, slapped her bottom, groped her breasts, and sexually assaulted her again by digitally penetrating her vagina. He claimed the encounters were consensual, citing a prior phone conversation and the woman's Snapchat photos. The prosecution described his testimony as implausible and "badly‑written erotica." Ryan was remanded in custody until a sentencing date of 7 October, with the judge noting his status as a serving Garda and his family responsibilities. The trial concluded with the jury issuing a unanimous guilty verdict. William Ryan pleaded not guilty.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has unanimously convicted James Kilroy of the murder of his wife, Valerie French Kilroy, at their home in Kilbree Lower, Westport, County Mayo, in June 2019. The conviction marks the conclusion of his third trial since 2021, with previous proceedings having collapsed due to unforeseen difficulties. Kilroy had mounted an insanity defence, claiming he was suffering cannabis-induced psychosis when he fatally beat, stabbed and strangled his wife. The jury of eight women and four men rejected this claim after deliberating for approximately two hours. Expert psychiatric evidence was divided on whether cannabis-induced psychosis constitutes a valid defence under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act, though the prosecution's consultant psychiatrist argued such conditions fall within the definition of intoxication rather than mental disorder. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, stated the verdict represented the correct outcome, noting that self-induced scenarios cannot serve as defences. Kilroy will receive the mandatory life sentence at sentencing on the following Monday, when the victim's family will be afforded the opportunity to address the court.
The trial of Garda William Ryan, 41, has entered its final stages. Ryan has pleaded not guilty to three sexual assault charges and to one false imprisonment charge relating to a woman held at Aughrim Garda Station on 29 September 2020. Judge Elma Sheahan delivered her charge to the jury, who deliberated for two and a half hours before returning home, with deliberations to resume tomorrow morning.
John O'Toole, a 33‑year‑old chef from Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after biting a co‑worker's shoulder twice on 17 July 2023 at the Clayton Hotel. He admitted the act was "the most stupid thing I had done" and apologized via text. The victim, who was working in the dining area, described shock, fear and a throbbing shoulder, later receiving antibiotics and a tetanus shot. She filed a victim impact statement expressing ongoing distress. Judge Pauline Codd, noting the workplace setting and the victim's safety, imposed an 18‑month headline sentence, suspended in full for one year, and ordered O'Toole to pay €3,000 to the victim within six months. He had no prior convictions and had been working at the hotel for ten years before resigning. The court highlighted his early guilty plea and steps toward therapy as mitigating factors.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, witnesses described Peter Kennedy, aged 65, as a kind, "absolute gentleman" who had taken in Brian Ibe's mother and offered his home to the homeless. Ibe, 23, denied murdering Kennedy but admitted causing his death. He claimed Kennedy demanded money from him and threatened to kill him. Ibe's mother, Martha, testified that her son had threatened Kennedy, used a knife, and stabbed him in the back of the neck. Garda Shane Lehane found Kennedy flat on his back, saturated in blood, and the victim was taken to Naas and Beaumont hospitals before dying on 12 May 2020. A pathology report cited multiple contusions, fractures, and brain injury as the cause of death. The trial will determine whether Ibe's defence of not guilty by reason of insanity applies.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court is considering whether cannabis-induced psychosis constitutes a mental disorder that could support an insanity defence in the trial of James Kilroy, charged with the murder of his wife Valerie French Kilroy at their home in Kilbree Lower, Westport, County Mayo, between 13th and 14th June 2019. Mr Justice Tony Hunt charged the jury following conflicting expert psychiatric evidence. The defence called Dr Ronan Mullaney and Dr Lisa Wootton, who concluded that Mr Kilroy was experiencing drug-induced or acute psychotic disorder and met criteria for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. The prosecution's Professor Harry Kennedy argued that cannabis-induced conditions fall within intoxication, which cannot constitute a legal defence. The judge instructed the jury to determine the ordinary meaning of "intoxicating influence" in this context. The prosecution closing submission questioned whether the defence experts' conclusions withstand scrutiny, whilst the defence emphasised toxicology evidence showing no THC intoxication. The jury, having deliberated less than an hour, will resume tomorrow. The unnamed man was acquitted.
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 25 July 2024, Sebastian Bazczuk, aged 36, appealed his 2020 conviction for the murder of former flatmate Michal Kurek, aged 33, who was found dead with 62 stab wounds in Ballyboughal on 4 August 2017. Bazczuk argued that the trial was unsafe because the prosecution failed to establish the locations of mobile phone masts used in the case, and that phone traffic and location data retained under the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 were inadmissible. He contended that the prosecution's schedule of phone records, which included maps of around 40 masts, was not properly proved, with evidence missing for nine of the cells. The appeal also highlighted that the prosecution had not demonstrated whether human interaction was required to assign cell numbers, and that the jury was presented with improperly proved material. The court reserved judgment on the appeal. The case remains at the appeal stage, with no outcome yet declared.
The Central Criminal Court has convicted all six defendants of the murder of Thomas Dooley, a 42-year-old father of seven, who was killed during a funeral at Rath Cemetery in Tralee, Co Kerry, on October 5, 2022. The jury, comprising ten men and two women, returned guilty verdicts after five days of deliberation. Daniel Dooley (42), the final defendant to be dealt with, was convicted by a majority verdict of 11-1 after pleading not guilty. He protested his innocence upon hearing the verdict. The other five defendants—Michael Dooley (29), Patrick Dooley (36), Thomas Dooley Senior (43), Thomas Dooley Junior (21), and a male teenager—were previously convicted unanimously, having also pleaded not guilty. The prosecution alleged the group acted in a joint enterprise to commit an "honour killing" using bladed weapons. Thomas Dooley Junior was additionally convicted of assault causing harm to the victim's wife, Siobhán Dooley, who sustained a shoulder wound requiring stitches. Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring remanded the five adult defendants in custody until July 30, when she is expected to impose the mandatory life sentence for murder. The male teenager will not be sentenced on that date, as he is seeking a judicial review, and will appear for a mention on October 29. The judge exempted the jurors from service for 15 years.
Raymond Shorten, aged 50, was sentenced by Mr Justice Paul McDermott to a total of 30 years in prison for a series of sexual offences. The sentence comprises a 17‑year term for raping a 19‑year‑old woman on 26 June 2022 and a 13‑year term for raping a 20‑year‑old woman on 9 August 2022, both to run consecutively with a 13‑year sentence for the rape and sexual assault of a seven‑year‑old girl in 2012. The judge noted Shorten's lack of remorse and described the offences as a gross betrayal of the trust placed in taxi drivers. He imposed no suspended portion and added a ten‑year post‑release supervision period, prohibiting contact with the victims or unsupervised contact with children. The sentencing highlighted the severity of the crimes and the danger posed by Shorten to society. Raymond Shorten was convicted.
A 61‑year‑old Dublin soccer coach was found guilty by a jury of four counts of defilement of a teenage student, aged 16 at the time, between August 2008 and January 2009. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts for the defilement charges after deliberating just under five hours. The coach was found not guilty of rape, anal rape and 30 counts of sexual assault. He was remanded in custody for sentencing on 4 November. The case involved allegations that the coach, who was the student's team coach, used his position to contact her, eventually engaging in sexual activity while she was under 17. The prosecution argued that the coach knew she was under 17 and that the evidence was corroborated, while the defence denied any sexual relationship before she turned 18. The judge thanked the jurors and excused them from service for five years.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Garda William Ryan, 41, pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment. He claimed the complainant, who had come to the Aughrim Garda Station to retrieve her son's car, had masturbated him in a shower room while facing away, asserting the encounter was fully consensual. Ryan described the woman's behaviour as "sexually‑charged" and said he was "hot under the collar" and "fully aroused." The State's counsel, Maurice Coffey SC, described Ryan's account as "badly‑written erotica," arguing the woman's actions were implausible and that Ryan had prevented her from leaving the station and assaulted her three times. Defence counsel Breffni Gordon BL argued no crime was committed, noting the woman left the station the same day and later told her husband about the incident. The judge will deliver her charge on Thursday.
During a sentencing hearing for Daniel Okungbowa, a 35‑year‑old of Thornfield Square, Clondalkin, two women who were raped while asleep read victim impact statements. The first woman, now 31, was raped in 2016 and had pleaded guilty to the offence after a 2020 conviction. She described the assault as a loss of her soul, depression, anxiety and self‑harm, and said she forgives the rapist and prays for his healing. The second woman, now 32, was raped in September 2020 while celebrating with friends. She said the event changed her life, damaged her family relationships, and caused her to stop working. Both women described the rapist's attempts to blame them and his denial of the offences. The judge noted the offences were pre‑meditated, involved sleeping victims, and imposed a headline sentence of 14½ years, with a final 13‑year term and 18 months suspended on strict conditions. Daniel Okungbowa pleaded not guilty.
In a murder trial, the jury heard that Brian Ibe, aged 23, allegedly killed Peter Kennedy in Newbridge between 28 April and 12 May 2020. Ibe, who had previously lived in Moore Park, Newbridge, and was associated with the Peter McVerry Trust, Dublin 12, had allowed Kennedy to stay in his home and also permitted Kennedy's mother to stay there until they found other accommodation. The State argued that Kennedy had become unhappy with Ibe's behaviour, leading to verbal disputes that prompted Gardaí to visit the house in December 2019. On the night of the killing, Ibe allegedly travelled from Dublin, smashed a window to enter the house, and attacked Kennedy, who sustained serious head injuries and died at Beaumont Hospital. Ibe has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder and to an assault charge against Garda Brendan O'Donnell. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Paul Burns, is expected to last up to two weeks.
A 30‑year‑old Dublin man, whose name is withheld to protect the victim's anonymity, appealed his February 2018 conviction for one count of rape. He argued that the prosecution's closing address unfairly focused on his failure to give evidence and repeatedly scorned the testimony of Dr John Garvey, a sleep‑disorder expert who testified that the man suffered from sexsomnia. The defence maintained that the man was asleep during the assault, citing Dr Garvey's expert report. The appeal also challenged the judge's decision to allow evidence of a co‑worker's prior observation of the man's behaviour with the victim, and the use of video‑link testimony from abroad. The appellant contended these rulings prejudiced his right to a fair trial and made the verdict unsafe. The appeal was heard at the Court of Appeal on 23 July 2024. The article reports only the appellant's arguments and the court's hearing, without any outcome of the appeal.
At the Central Criminal Court, a jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts against five of six defendants charged with the murder of Thomas Dooley at Rath Cemetery, Tralee, on October 5, 2022. Michael Dooley, 29, of Cork, was found guilty of murder after pleading not guilty; he publicly declared his innocence in the courtroom. The jury also convicted Patrick Dooley, 36, of Killarney; Thomas Dooley Senior, 43, of Cork; and Thomas Dooley Junior, 21, of Cork, all of whom had pleaded not guilty. Thomas Dooley Junior was additionally convicted of assault causing harm to Siobhán Dooley, a charge he also denied. The prosecution alleged the group acted with "medieval violence" using bladed weapons, causing fatal injuries including a severed femoral artery. The matter regarding the sixth defendant, Daniel Dooley, 42, of Tralee, who pleaded not guilty to murder, remains pending. The jury was adjourned to continue deliberations on Thursday, as the court could not sit the following day. No sentences have been imposed, and the trial is not concluded.
A 21‑year‑old man was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court in Waterford for pleading guilty to six counts of sexual assault against his younger sisters. The offences began in 2010 when the victims were eight to ten years old and continued until the older sister was ten. The court heard that the man controlled and sexually abused the sisters while they visited their father's home, forcing them to comply and threatening them not to tell anyone. The older sister, now 17, described the abuse as having torn her family apart and left her with nightmares and ongoing therapy. The younger sister, now 14, said she feared further harm and had lost focus at school. The judge, Justice Karen O'Connor, imposed a five‑year sentence with two and a half years suspended, back‑dated to June 17, and placed the defendant on the sex offenders register for five years.
At the Central Criminal Court, two toxicologists have given evidence that it is "highly unlikely" a man accused of murdering his wife was intoxicated from cannabis at the time of the alleged killing. James Kilroy, aged 51, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of his wife at their home in Kilbree Lower, Westport, County Mayo, between 13th and 14th June 2019. Dr Johann Grundlingh, called by the defence, based his assessment on blood and urine tests taken after Mr Kilroy's arrest, both of which were negative for THC. He noted the symptoms described by Mr Kilroy—including hallucinations and delusions—were inconsistent with cannabis intoxication or withdrawal. Dr Atholl Johnston, called by the prosecution, concurred with these findings. The trial has heard conflicting psychiatric evidence regarding Mr Kilroy's mental state at the time. Mr Justice Tony Hunt adjourned proceedings, describing the expert evidence as complex, before the jury returns to hear closing speeches on Thursday.
In a Central Criminal Court trial in May, Anthony Byrne, 55, was found guilty of two counts of raping his stepdaughter Kim Jordan, now 36, in 2002. Jordan, who had been raped on her 15th birthday while on a family holiday in Spain, waived her anonymity to name Byrne. She described how Byrne, who claimed he was "having an affair" with her, had abused her during a strip‑poker game and later in their home. Jordan said Byrne blamed her for his actions and portrayed her as a "teenage sexual temptress." She recounted the assault in detail, noting her emotional state and fear of pregnancy. Byrne's defence acknowledged sexual contact but denied rape. Justice Mary Ellen Ring noted Byrne's claim of an affair and that sentencing would be delayed until July 31 due to late documents, while also referencing recent changes to the Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking Bill that affect sentencing procedures.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Sandra Sandaraite, 39, pleaded guilty to manslaughter for stabbing her partner, Zbigniew Czech, 47, to death on 10 December 2022 at their Academy Street apartment. She claimed that if she had not taken a knife, she would have been "battered" and that she felt free after the killing. The court heard that the couple's relationship, lasting about three years, was marked by excessive alcohol consumption and 24 complaints of violent behaviour from both sides. Sandaraite said Czech had become aggressive after drinking vodka, grabbed her arms, and she armed herself with a knife, cutting him before he fled. A pathology report identified a stab wound to the upper left chest causing a major pulmonary injury, leading to his death. The prosecution accepted her plea of manslaughter, and the case was adjourned for sentencing.
Terence 'Terry' Connors, aged 49, was convicted of manslaughter for stabbing Peter Conroy to death during a brawl at Palmerstown Lodge B&B on 9 June 2015. In 2017, a jury found him guilty of manslaughter and he received a seven‑year sentence with the final two years suspended. He was released in July 2019, but in May 2023 he was re‑sentenced to three years after being found in possession of stolen goods. The possession offence triggered the suspended portion of his 2017 sentence, and the court activated the full two‑year suspension, which will run after his current term for the possession conviction. The case was heard by Mr Justice Paul McDermott at the Central Criminal Court, with counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions and for Connors present. Evidence at the 2017 hearing described a chaotic scene at the B&B, with Connors claiming he feared for his children's safety and subsequently stabbed Conroy.
A 54‑year‑old man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to four charges of sexual assault against a 28‑year‑old woman who was a teenager when the offences occurred. The victim, aged 16‑17 at the time, described the defendant as a "sub‑human monster" and a "master manipulator" who repeatedly assaulted her while she babysat his children. She said he would stay up with her after his wife and children left, give her alcohol, and then sexually assault her in his home, on the couch, and in two local pubs. The victim's impact statement detailed how he groomed her, used derogatory language, isolated her, and caused her to feel ashamed and powerless. She also spoke of the emotional and psychological toll, including thoughts of self‑harm.
A murder trial at the Central Criminal Court heard that a Westport man accused of killing his wife was experiencing acute and transient psychotic disorder at the time of the alleged killing. James Kilroy, aged 51, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Valerie French Kilroy at their home in Kilbree Lower between June 13th and 14th, 2019. Defence psychiatric expert Dr Lisa Wootton testified that Mr Kilroy was likely suffering from the condition rather than cannabis-induced psychosis. She outlined that he held various delusional beliefs, including that his wife was involved in a plot with associates of Donald Trump to have him captured and killed, and that he was on a divine mission. Dr Wootton stated such delusions would have prevented him from understanding the wrongfulness of his actions. The prosecution called Professor Harry Kennedy, who offered a different diagnosis relating to cannabis intoxication. The trial continues.
In a Dublin city‑centre assault on New Year's Day, 24‑year‑old Jordan Maguire, who had been drinking and taking drugs for 48 hours, stamped on a man's head at Aston Quay and Price's Lane, causing a severe brain injury. The victim was left unconscious, required a craniotomy and 96 staples, and suffered a significant bleed, memory loss, slurred speech and depression. Maguire pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. The Court of Appeal quashed his original two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, citing the State's objection that the headline sentence of four years was unduly lenient. The Court set a headline of five years, then reduced it by 25% to three years and nine months, suspended the final six months, and back‑dated the term to 24 July 2023. Maguire will serve three years and three months in prison. The decision was based on the seriousness of the offence, the victim's long‑term impact and Maguire's 45 prior convictions.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, Hamed Azeez, 53, was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault against a girl aged six to eight, and two counts of sexual assault against her sister aged eight to ten. The offences occurred between 2013 and 2015 in County Dublin, while Azeez was in loco parentis of the girls. The court heard that the rape took place on a counter at Azeez's home, and that other children were playing nearby. Azeez also touched the girl inappropriately, and later assaulted her sister by touching her breasts and buttocks. The victims gave impact statements describing lasting pain, fear, anxiety and a sense of loss of safety. Azeez denied wrongdoing. Justice Eileen Creedon sentenced him to 11 years' imprisonment, with a headline term of 12 years for rape and eight years for the assault offences, reduced by one year each and imposed concurrently.