A 27‑year‑old father of four was jailed for more than five years after attempting to attack his former partner and her mother with a knife in their Foxrock home while two of his children slept. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on 31 August 2021 and 5 September 2021, to threatening to damage the former partner's home, and to threatening to breach a safety order while on bail on 24 September 2022. The court noted 15 prior convictions, including assault, and that the offences were committed while he was on bail. Judge Martina Baxter sentenced him to 3½ years for the August assault, 3 years for the September assault, 2½ years for the bail‑related threats, and 8 months for the safety‑order threat, back‑dated to May. The final 18 months were suspended on conditions including participation in the Men Overcoming Violent Emotions group.
A 21‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to six counts of oral rape of his older sister between 2014 and 2016, when the sister was eight to ten and the accused was twelve to fourteen. He also faced two counts of sexual assault of his younger sister, who was eight to eleven at the time. The abuse occurred every second weekend during the girls' visits to their father's house. The older sister, now 17, gave a video interview; the younger sister declined. The accused admitted the abuse, said he did not want to put his sisters on the stand, and had no prior convictions. The court heard victim impact statements describing the sisters' trauma and the defendant's cooperation. The case was heard on a full‑facts basis, with the judge to sentence on 22 July. The defendant is currently in a hostel and has no work. The court considered his age, maturity, and psychological reports in determining the sentence.
Bláthnaid Raleigh, a 21‑year‑old from Mullingar, was raped with a bottle by Jonathan Moran, a 26‑year‑old acquaintance, in a garden shed in Galway on 21 July 2019. Moran was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of section four rape and aggravated sexual assault for penetrating her vagina and anus with a bottle. He denied using an implement and claimed the activity was consensual. Raleigh, who suffered extensive physical injuries requiring months of treatment, read her victim impact statement and said the conviction allowed her to use the word "rape." She expressed a desire to become a support and advocate for other victims of sexual violence, thanking the Rape Crisis Centre and Gardaí for their help. The court remanded Moran in custody until 1 July for sentencing. No further sentencing details are provided in the article.
Owen Maughan, 22, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the murder of Christopher Hall, 65, at his home in Dun Saithne Green, Balbriggan, Co Dublin. The single charge on the indictment alleged that Maughan murdered Mr Hall between November 23 and 24, 2021. Although the pre-trial hearing before Mr Justice Paul McDermott was scheduled to last two and a half weeks, Maughan indicated his wish to be arraigned and entered a guilty plea during the proceedings. The prosecution was led by senior counsel Garret Baker, while Philipp Rahn SC headed the defence team. Following the plea, the judge directed the preparation of a victim impact report. Maughan was remanded in custody until July 8, when it is expected that he will be sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment. The court did not impose a final sentence at this stage, but rather adjourned the matter for sentencing after the report is completed.
A 65‑year‑old man was jailed for seven years after sexually assaulting and raping a 25‑year‑old housemate who had recently arrived in Ireland and spoke no English. The assault began on 19 October 2022 when the man touched the woman, forced her to touch him, and pulled her trousers down. She fled to her room and stayed there for two days, fearing the man. On 21 October he forced his way into her room, took her to his bedroom, and raped her. She escaped, used Google Translate to type "I was raped," and was rescued by Gardaí. DNA from a swab matched the accused. The court heard the victim was physically unwell for three months, homeless, and deeply affected. The judge set a headline sentence of eight years and six months for the rape, imposed concurrent sentences totalling seven years back‑dated to October 2022, and ordered three years of post‑release supervision. The unnamed 65-year-old pleaded guilty.
A 41‑year‑old man was sentenced to 11½ years' imprisonment for raping his 12‑year‑old stepdaughter on four occasions in 2014. The abuse occurred in the family home in the south‑east of the country, with the victim being in her bed on three occasions and on the floor of a sibling's room on one occasion. After the second incident she told her mother, but the stepfather continued to assault her, including on Christmas Eve. He put his hand over her mouth, bit her breasts and pulled her hair, leaving clumps on her pillow. A jury found him guilty of three counts of rape, two counts of anal rape and one count of sexual assault. He denies the abuse and intends to appeal. The sentence was reduced from an initial headline of 13½ years to 11½ years, backdated to his March 2024 arrest. The court noted the victim's vulnerability and the brutality of the offences.
Two brothers, Glen Ward, 31, and Eric O'Driscoll, 22, are charged with possession of firearms and reckless discharge of an assault rifle in the Finglas area of north Dublin in January 2022. Ward is accused of possessing a .223 Remington AR‑15 semi‑automatic rifle on 1 January 2022 at Ratoath Drive and of discharging it recklessly. O'Driscoll faces the same charges as Ward plus additional allegations of possessing a .223 Remington AR‑15 on 9 January 2022 and a .380 ACP calibre military submachine gun, the Ingram M11, on the same date. The offences contravene the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 and the Firearms Act 1964. The Director of Public Prosecutions applied to transfer the trials to the non‑jury Special Criminal Court, and Mr Justice Tony Hunt granted the application. The brothers will appear before the court at a later date.
A violent thug, Dean Byrne, aged 30, was convicted by the Special Criminal Court of conspiring to pervert the course of justice during Aaron Brady's murder trial of Garda Adrian Donohoe. Byrne, already serving an 18‑year sentence with four suspended for a 2013 burglary, conspired with Brady to dissuade key witness Daniel Cahill from giving evidence. Byrne attempted to contact Cahill's family and persuaded a former housemate of Cahill's father to pressure Cahill, repeatedly urging him not to testify. He also circulated excerpts of Cahill's statement to a third party. Brady, aged 33, had previously pleaded guilty to sending a video of a witness interview to Gardaí. The court found the conspiracy intended to interfere with the trial and adjourned Byrne's sentencing to 15 July. The hearing for Brady is scheduled for the same date.
In a June 2024 hearing, a convicted murderer, Graham McEvoy, 26, pleaded guilty to assaulting a prison officer outside Swiftcare clinic in Smithfield on 8 May 2023. McEvoy, who had just had an X‑ray and was released from handcuffs to sit in a waiting van, lunged at officers, shouting threats and slashing the officer's face with a sharpened toilet brush. He also faced charges of threats to kill and attempting to escape lawful custody. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, noting she could not impose a consecutive sentence to his life term for murder. The officer sustained a cut under his eye, received hospital treatment, and was left with a scar. McEvoy had spent a period in 24‑hour lock‑up after the assault and has 32 prior convictions. The court heard that McEvoy had expressed remorse and was receiving psychiatric care in prison.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Sean Dunne, 26, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm after attacking a couple of American tourists in their sixties in the elevator of the Ashling Hotel on 7 April 2023. Dunne repeatedly punched the woman, threatened her with rape and murder, and struck her husband, causing bloodshed in the elevator. Garda Stephen Lawlor, on mobile patrol, responded to a call after 9 pm, found Dunne restrained on the corridor floor, and noted blood on the carpet. The couple received on‑scene treatment but did not require hospital care. Dunne, who has ten prior convictions and was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2020, denied the assault. He has been in custody since April 2023, is on medication, and has shown improved mental health. Ms Justice Sarah Berkeley ordered a probation report and adjourned the matter until October 2024.
The State argued that the nine‑to‑15‑year sentences imposed on three family members in the Munster abuse trial were too lenient. The father (59) received 15 years for rape, sexual exploitation, assault and child cruelty; the mother (37) received nine years for assault, exploitation and cruelty; the uncle (51) received 15 years for rape, assault and exploitation. The offences occurred between August 2014 and April 2016 when the victims were aged five, six and seven. The State cited the "astonishing features" of the case and the headline sentences of 16 years for the father and uncle, arguing the court should have considered the seriousness at the top level. The judge noted the lack of mitigation despite no prior convictions, and the court was to reserve judgment. The children were taken into state care after the trial. The article reports the State's appeal before the Court of Appeal.
A plumber, Gavin Dennan, 39, was given a three‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assault causing harm for head‑butting a man in a pub toilet on St Patrick's Day. The victim suffered a mild brain bleed after being knocked to the ground outside the Grange pub in Deansgrange. Judge Pauline Codd ordered Dennan to pay €1,000 to the victim as a token of remorse, with the money going to a charity if the victim declined. Dennan, who had no prior convictions and was described as a family man, expressed remorse and said he acted out of character after a heated argument about Irish traditional music. The court heard that the victim was heavily intoxicated, was hospitalized, and later recovered, but did not file a victim impact report. Ten testimonials supporting Dennan's good character were presented. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A 73‑year‑old Seamus Christopher O'Kane, originally from Garvagh in County Derry, was arrested in County Meath on a High Court extradition warrant issued by the Garda Extradition Unit. The warrant, endorsed under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, relates to four offences alleged to have been committed on 16 February 1976 at Brockaghboy, Garvagh. Those offences include possession of explosive substances—two electric detonators and two improvised pressure mat switches—intended to endanger life or property, and possession of firearms and ammunition, including two Walther pistols, a Browning pistol, a 0.22 rifle, a Remington shotgun and 104 rounds of ammunition, also intended to endanger life or property. The warrant states that the items were recovered during a search of a farmhouse where O'Kane and two other men were found hiding. O'Kane was interviewed on 17 February 1976 and allegedly admitted possession of the explosives, firearms and ammunition.
A former Christian Brother, John Merrick (77) of Portmarknock Park, Portmarknock, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four charges of indecent assault against one sixth class pupil and three charges of indecent assault against his classmate on dates between September 1977 and June 1978. Both victims are now 58 years old and have indicated they wish to retain their anonymity but are happy for Merrick to be named in reporting the case. Merrick, who entered the Christian Brothers at the age of 14 and left the order in 1981, has previous convictions from the District Court in relation to similar offending around the same time. These incidences of abuse were reported in 1996 and he was later convicted in 1998, resulting in a six month suspended sentence and a 12 month suspended sentence. Philipp Rahn SC, defending, told the court that at the time of the convictions from the District Court, Merrick engaged in a sex offender treatment programme and also subsequently engaged in the Restorative Justice Programme. One of the men took the stand to read his victim impact statement into the record. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a sentence of 12 months for the offences against the first man and a consecutive 10 month term for the offences against the second man. She suspended the final 10 months of the term on strict conditions for 12 months. The matter was adjourned for the purpose of the court considering the victim impact statement and other submissions.
An army captain, Ross O'Shea, appealed his October 2022 conviction for sexually assaulting a female non‑commissioned officer at a Leinster barracks in June 2020. He argued that missing CCTV footage, which might have captured the incident, deprived him of a possible line of defence. The State countered that the footage could not add to the established facts and that the contested area was "vanishingly tiny." O'Shea was found guilty of moving his open palms up and down the woman's back and saying "come on, come on" at the Officer's Mess, and of one charge of assault under the Non‑Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. He was dismissed from the army as part of the sentence. The Court of Appeal heard the appeal, with counsel highlighting discrepancies in prosecution evidence and the loss of potential CCTV, while the Director of Military Prosecutions maintained that the missing footage was irrelevant to the core facts. The court reserved judgment.
A 21‑year‑old woman testified at the Central Criminal Court that a taxi driver raped her after she fell asleep in his vehicle. She said she had been drinking, had gone home at about 4 a.m., and then entered the taxi to get a phone charger. The driver allegedly forced sexual contact, which she denied consent to, and after the act he asked her to pay the fare. She claimed her phone had died, her parents gave the driver cash, and she was later taken to a sexual assault treatment unit. The accused, in his fifties, pleaded not guilty to the rape and to an alleged anal rape of another woman. He denies all allegations, asserting any sexual activity was consensual and initiated by the women. The trial is ongoing before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.
In a High Court challenge, an unnamed man argues that the Garda Commissioner's alleged blanket policy of refusing station bail to individuals accused of breaching domestic violence orders is unlawful. He was arrested two years ago for allegedly breaching a protection order against his estranged wife, at a time when their relationship had collapsed. Despite no objection to bail, he was denied station bail and remained in custody until a District Court hearing. He claims the policy, in force since 2017, lacks legal basis, violates his constitutional liberty and European Convention rights, and seeks orders to quash the refusal, the policy's publication, and to remove it from the 2017 "Policy of An Garda Siochana on Domestic Abuse Intervention Revised Edition." The court granted permission ex‑parte, and the case will return later this month.
Anthony Canning, 74, of Fadden, Carrig, Birr, Co Offaly, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to two charges of indecent assault, three of sexual assault and one of oral rape of Celine Daly, who was between seven and 13 years old at the time of the offences, which occurred between December 1987 and December 1993 in his home. Canning, who was married to Ms Daly's aunt, was between 37 and 43 years old during the abuse. Ms Daly gave a victim impact statement in which she described the abuse as leaving emotional scars and said she had finally been heard after reporting to the Gardaí. Judge Tony Hunt set a headline sentence of 10 years, taking into account the age disparity and the fact that the abuse occurred in what was effectively an extension of her home, and imposed a seven‑year jail term for the offence of oral rape. The sentence was not suspended.
A man convicted of manslaughter in the death of a garda has withdrawn his appeal against a sentence imposed for a separate incident at a Covid-19 checkpoint in Donegal. Martin McDermott, aged 39 and of Abbey Park, Manorcunningham, Co Donegal, pleaded guilty at Donegal Circuit Court in March 2022 to charges including endangerment, assault, drink-driving and driving without a licence. The offences occurred on 14 April 2020 when McDermott accelerated towards Garda Kilcoyne at a checkpoint near Raymoghey, Manorcunningham, forcing the officer to jump clear. Following a pursuit and crash, McDermott assaulted the garda by kicking him. Judge John Aylmer sentenced him to five and a half years, with the final nine months suspended. McDermott's appeal against sentence severity came before the Court of Appeal on 10 June 2024. Court President Mr Justice George Birmingham noted McDermott's previous conviction for the manslaughter of Garda Gary McLoughlin in 2009, describing the current offences as an "almost carbon copy" of that earlier incident. Following consultation with his legal team, McDermott withdrew his appeal.
A man serving a life sentence for his role in the murder of Irene White in 2005 appeared before the Court of Appeal to report difficulties in advancing his appeal. Niall Power, aged 51, from Riverstown, County Louth, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced in 2019. He was described as "the middle man" in arranging the killing of the 43-year-old woman at her home in Dundalk on 6 April 2005. Power told the court he has been unable to secure legal representation despite approaching approximately twenty or thirty solicitors. Court president Mr Justice George Birmingham noted that many solicitors on the legal aid panel actively seek work and adjourned proceedings to 6 December. Power indicated he had already experienced a two-and-a-half year period without representation. Anthony Lambe, who carried out the fatal stabbing, received a life sentence in 2018 after pleading guilty to the same offence.
Nicola Brennan, aged 33, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Juris Viktorovs at their shared home in Shillelagh, Ballyconnell, County Wicklow on 10 February 2022. The Central Criminal Court accepted her plea, with the Director of Public Prosecutions withdrawing the murder charge. Brennan had previously pleaded not guilty to murder in December 2023, but a month-long trial resulted in jury disagreement. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned the case for sentencing on 7 October pending probation and prison governor reports. Brennan has remained in custody at the Dochas women's prison since June 2022. The trial heard evidence from a witness who identified Brennan as responsible for the fatal stabbing, though the defence contended the witness account was unreliable given the circumstances.
Jonathan Kenny, 40, was found guilty of a 'psychic assault' after he pointed to his eyes and flexed his biceps in Courtroom 4 at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Dublin, during a hearing where a witness gave evidence. The judge described the gesture as a form of intimidation that caused the witness to feel fear and distress. Kenny had previously been charged with witness intimidation but pleaded guilty to assault, a plea accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions. He has 108 prior convictions, including robbery, assault and theft, and is serving a custodial sentence for other offences with an earliest release date in February 2027. The judge imposed a four‑month sentence, suspended in full for two years, to commence after the expiry of his current custodial term, and ordered him to stay away from the victim, their home and family during the suspension. The victim's impact statement was submitted but not read aloud. Jonathan Kenny was acquitted.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a Ukrainian man pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, criminal damage and assault with a hammer on October 19, 2019, at a home in Dublin 15. He had no prior convictions. Gardaí were called when the defendant's then‑wife reported distress and property damage, including a broken laptop and plates. The defendant had produced a hammer and broken items after a disagreement earlier that day. He then left the house, but returned and locked himself and one of his children in the bathroom, closing the door on the wife's friend. Gardaí entered, seized the child and arrested the defendant. The wife was kicked in the head, legs and body, suffering sore ribs. The couple are now divorced and co‑parenting. The judge, citing the seriousness of the offence and the presence of children, sentenced the defendant to one and a half years' imprisonment, suspended in full, and ordered six months' probation supervision.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 6 June 2024, Cedric Ingle, aged 50, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended, for assault causing harm after putting his 91‑year‑old father, Christopher Ingle, in a headlock on 4 April 2020. The incident occurred at the father's Glenageary home, where the father was shaking and had cuts on his hands. Ingle had previously been convicted 19 times and had a history of drug use, including cannabis and heroin. He pleaded guilty, and the court noted that the offence took place in the victim's own home, that the victim was elderly and vulnerable, and that the assault was not intended to cause serious injury but was an attempt to seize the father's keys. The judge, Elma Sheahan, considered the guilty plea and Ingle's lack of recent Garda attention as mitigating factors, but found the custodial threshold met, resulting in the sentence described above.
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 6 June 2024, the appeal of Josh Turner, aged 31, was dismissed. Turner had been convicted in 2017 of murdering Christopher Nevin, a 31‑year‑old man he had loaned a Chihuahua to breed, after a dispute over payment. The incident occurred on 19 November 2015 on Tailteann Road, Navan. Turner and his co‑accused, Wayne Cluskey, both carried hatchets to the scene. Turner struck Nevin with a hatchet several times, while Cluskey also struck Nevin. Turner claimed a loss of self‑control after Nevin threatened him, but the trial judge instructed the jury that a defence of provocation or self‑defence would only apply if the accused had a total loss of self‑control and was not acting in self‑defence. The appellate court found no error in the judge's directions and rejected all grounds of appeal. The case remains a murder conviction with a life sentence. Josh Turner pleaded not guilty.
In a Court of Appeal decision on 6 June 2024, Ms Justice Tara Burns rejected John O'Donoghue's application for legal costs after his convictions for assault causing serious harm and violent disorder were quashed. O'Donoghue, aged 55, had been convicted in November 2021 of attacking 74‑year‑old Willie O'Driscoll Sr with a machete and of violent disorder during a family dispute in Rathkeale. He had been sentenced to 10 years for the assault and a concurrent eight‑year term for the disorder, but after two years in custody he successfully appealed, arguing that Gardaí had failed to harvest vital CCTV footage and had withheld a garda notebook until the trial. The Court found that the lack of CCTV investigation deprived him of a realistic prospect of defence, yet it held that this failure did not create an obligation to pay his costs. John O'Donoghue pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal rejected Helen Jones's appeal to quash her murder conviction on the basis that the wording of a search warrant was improper. Jones, 57, was convicted in December 2021 of murdering her 52‑year‑old brother Paul Jones on 4 September 2019. The conviction followed a month‑long trial at the Central Criminal Court in Cork, where a jury found her guilty and she was sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice Michael MacGrath. The appeal argued that a search warrant issued on 10 September 2019 was unlawful because the detective Garda's oath did not use the exact wording required by law. The three‑judge panel, led by Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh, held that the oath was sufficient, that the warrant was lawful, and that the absence of a contemporaneous record did not affect the case.
Karen Harrington, who argued that her privacy rights were breached during the investigation into the murder of two-year-old Santina Cawley, is to remain serving her life sentence after failing in a bid to have her conviction overturned at the Court of Appeal. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy stated that the court has consistently held that individuals do not have an expectation of privacy while moving through public spaces. The CCTV footage from Clanrickarde Estate, which was central to the trial, was deemed relevant and admissible. Ms Justice Kennedy noted that no issue was raised at trial regarding the admissibility of memoranda of interview and that the defence had sought specific extracts of the footage to be played to the jury. The court dismissed the appeal, stating that the footage was harvested from commercial and private sources and did not concern the mass retention of data. The matter was adjourned and never described as concluded or finalised. Santina Cawley, who is to remain serving her life sentence after failing in a bid to have her conviction overturned, was the victim of the murder. Elaine O'Hara, who is an applicant in the case, has no charges, plea, finding, sentence or finalisation associated with her in this case.
In a 2016 hijacking, 29‑year‑old Ryan Cannon stabbed a taxi driver seven times, leaving the victim severely injured and bleeding on a road. The driver, who had parked outside a McDonald's in Airside Retail Park, was attacked after two men entered his cab. Cannon forced the driver to drive, then stabbed him while the driver tried to escape. The cab was later found burnt out in Balbriggan. Cannon, who had previously been convicted of drug and public‑order offences, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and unlawful seizure of a vehicle. The court, noting the victim's extensive injuries and the use of a knife, imposed a four‑year prison sentence on Cannon, with no part of the sentence suspended. The judge highlighted the seriousness of the offence and the victim's forgiveness, but did not reduce the custodial term. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Leroy Roche Dumbrell, 37, of Griffith Rath Hall, Maynooth, Co Kildare, was sentenced to three years in prison for assault causing harm after attacking a man in Dublin City Centre on 30 August 2022. The victim, who had a deep facial cut and other injuries, later died, but the death was unrelated to the assault. CCTV identified Dumbrell as the assailant. He has 81 prior convictions, including serious offences such as setting a woman on fire and a prison brawl. He was charged in September 2023, spent months in custody, and was granted bail on strict conditions in December. A urine test showed cannabis and benzodiazepines. Judge Jonathan Dunphy imposed a headline sentence of four and a half years, reduced to three years, and suspended the final 12 months on the condition that Dumbrell engage with the Probation Service for two years after release. Roche Dumbrell pleaded guilty.
A 46‑year‑old man was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for a single count of rape, three counts of aggravated sexual assault, three counts of assault causing harm and one count of coercive control. The offences occurred in a border county between July 2020 and May 2022. The victim, a Brazilian woman who was heavily pregnant at the time of the final assault, described the abuse as "sadistic and humiliating". She said the husband tied her up, cut her vagina with a knife, punched her, used a phone‑charger as a weapon and raped her after striking her repeatedly. He also threatened to kill her and prevented her from contacting family in Brazil. The court noted the victim's fear, anxiety attacks and depression. The man denied the allegations and did not accept the jury verdict. The unnamed 46-year-old was found guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 31 May 2024, a 28‑year‑old man was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended on the condition that he attend alcohol‑addiction treatment. He had previously received a four‑year suspended sentence for assaults on his wife. The court considered that the defendant's breach of a protection order—kicking in his wife's front door, causing criminal damage, and driving off in her car—was aggravated by his prior history and the domestic violence context. Judge Pauline Codd set headline sentences of five years for the criminal damage and ten months for the breach of the court order, but imposed a four‑year custodial term, suspending the last two years. The sentence was back‑dated to November 2023 and the court ordered two years of post‑release supervision. The unnamed 28-year-old pleaded guilty.
A 35‑year‑old chronic drug abuser with 153 prior convictions was sentenced to four years in prison, with the final year suspended for three years, for a degrading sexual assault and robbery at a Luas stop in Dublin 12 on 26 January 2023. The court heard that the victim was forced to undress, had her legs held open, and was searched inside her vagina by a female co‑accused while the defendant held her down. The victim's €200 was taken, she suffered injuries, and a local man intervened with a golf club. The defendant, who has no prior sexual convictions, was described as having mental health problems and schizophrenia. The judge noted the assault was part of a robbery and set the headline sentence at six years, but ultimately imposed the suspended term. The victim remains in treatment and has experienced severe trauma and relapse into drug use. The unnamed 35-year-old pleaded guilty.
A 41‑year‑old Dublin man was given a fully suspended two‑year sentence for assaulting his former wife over a decade ago. He pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm, with other assault counts considered; the State dropped the remaining charges. The judge noted the victim was isolated and the man's bullying and dominant behaviour caused fear and violence, including throwing sharp objects that left a scar. He was ordered to cooperate with the Probation Service, attend therapeutic and domestic violence courses, and have no contact with the former partner except for childcare arrangements. If he breaches any condition or re‑offends, the sentence will be reactivated. The couple, now divorced, share custody of their child, and the man has expressed remorse and is engaged in psychiatric care.
Gerard O'Brien, 59, a former Circuit Court judge, was sentenced to five years and nine months' imprisonment, with 21 months suspended, for one count of attempted anal rape and eight counts of sexual assault against six young men. The offences, committed while he was a teacher at CBC Monkstown between 1991 and 1997, involved victims aged 17 to 24, four of whom were students or former students. O'Brien pleaded not guilty, resigned as a judge in January 2024, and had his sentencing hearing postponed twice. The judge noted O'Brien's age, disability and psychological vulnerability, but also highlighted his misuse of disability to exploit victims, lack of remorse, and predatory behaviour. O'Brien will serve the custodial term, be subject to a two‑year post‑release supervision order, and his conviction was deemed to show he was unsuitable to hold judicial office.
Stephen Andrew McLaughlin, a 44‑year‑old from Rose Park, Limavady, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment in 2016 for conspiring to illegally traffic Afghan migrants into the UK. The High Court heard that he supplied a lorry and shipping account for a container that carried 35 Afghan nationals, including a man who died of a heart attack, and that a second container was intercepted in France. McLaughlin denied the conspiracy charge but was convicted by a jury at Basildon Crown Court. In February 2024, a warrant was issued by Southend Magistrates Court for his arrest after he breached the terms of his licence. In January 2024, a warrant was issued by Laganside Magistrates Court in Belfast for seven alleged offences, including attempted murder. The alleged attempted murder occurred on 19 September 2022 at Ness Woods Country Park, Co.
A man who was apprehended taking photographs in a female toilet cubicle at Dublin Airport has been convicted and sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Arthur Fiks, aged 47, admitted assault causing harm and possession of child sexual abuse material following an incident at Terminal One on 28 June 2022. A woman discovered a mobile phone positioned beneath her cubicle door and retrieved it. When she emerged, Fiks attempted to reclaim the device, and during the altercation pulled hair from her scalp. Gardaí subsequently found over 300 child abuse images stored across multiple phones in his possession, including material depicting children aged between one and thirteen. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Fiks to three and a half years imprisonment, with the final nine months suspended. The sentence was backdated to June 2022, when he entered custody. He was ordered to register as a sex offender and to leave the jurisdiction upon release. The court heard Fiks had recently arrived from Poland and had been employed as a farm worker in County Monaghan before losing his position.
Richard Walsh, of Congress Villas, Dungarvan, Waterford, appealed his jury conviction for assault causing harm at Kilrush Park, Dungarvan, on November 30, 2020. He was originally sentenced by Judge Eugene O'Kelly at Waterford Courthouse to two and a half years, with the final 12 months suspended. Defence counsel Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC argued that the trial judge incorrectly applied an objective standard to the reasonableness of force, contending that a subjective test regarding Walsh's honest belief in self-defence was required. Walsh alleged that after an organised fight, the victim threw an iron bar at his head, prompting him to push her in anticipation of further violence. Mr Justice John Edwards noted that Walsh was armed with the bar, was a stronger adult male, and had an opportunity to retreat. The judge described the incident as occurring after the victim, a supporter of one of the fighters, was "mouthing off" and throwing the bar, which Walsh picked up before advancing on her. Defence counsel also raised concerns about incomplete mobile phone footage and the inability to verify the recorder's identity or potential editing. State counsel Conor O'Doherty BL countered that the jury was properly directed to consider both subjective context and objective necessity, highlighting the significant size disparity between the boxer and the victim. The Court of Appeal reserved judgement in the matter.
Conor McGregor has secured a six‑month adjournment of a woman's damages claim for alleged assault that was filed in 2021. The claim, which will be heard by a jury in the High Court, was originally scheduled for late June or early July. McGregor, who denies all wrongdoing, requested the case be postponed to November to avoid conflict with his UFC fight against Michael Chandler on 29 June in Las Vegas. The plaintiff's counsel opposed the adjournment, citing the plaintiff's long wait for a hearing and the media attention the case has attracted. Judge Alexander Owens granted the adjournment to November, noting that the case would likely proceed then and that the hearing would last about two weeks. McGregor's legal team also reached an agreement with the plaintiff regarding pre‑trial discovery matters. The claim is one of two filed against McGregor over alleged 2018 incidents, and all allegations remain denied.
At a Cork sitting of the Central Criminal Court, five family members and a teenager pleaded not guilty to the murder of Thomas 'Tom' Dooley, 43, during a funeral at Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee, on 5 October 2022. The accused include Patrick Dooley (36), Thomas Dooley Senior (43), Thomas Dooley Junior (21), Michael Dooley (29), Daniel Dooley (42) and an unnamed teenager. Thomas Dooley Junior is also charged with assault causing serious harm to Dooley's wife, Siobhán. The trial may last over two months, potentially until 31 July, and is expected to start next week.
The Central Criminal Court has adjourned the trial of Diarmuid Phelan, a senior barrister accused of the murder of Keith Conlon. Phelan, 55, is charged with killing Conlon, 36, at Hazelgrove Farm in Tallaght on February 22, 2022. Conlon died two days later at Tallaght University Hospital. The trial, originally scheduled to begin before Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford, was delayed until October 7. Defence counsel Sean Guerin SC requested the adjournment, stating the case was not ready to proceed from the defence perspective. The prosecution, represented by Sean Gillane SC, expressed disappointment at the late application but did not oppose it. Ms Justice Lankford expressed considerable reluctance to delay the matter, noting the case had been listed for 18 months. She ordered a progress report on July 22 to ensure the trial proceeds in October. Phelan, who was present in court, was remanded on continuing bail until October. His bail was previously granted by the Court of Appeal after the High Court initially refused it, requiring two bonds of €50,000 each from Phelan and his sister.
Gerard O'Brien, a former Circuit Court judge aged 59, had his sentencing hearing for attempted rape and sexual abuse of six young men adjourned to Friday. He was convicted in December at the Central Criminal Court of one count of attempted anal rape and eight counts of sexual assault involving six victims, all of whom were aged 17 to 24 at the time of the offences, which took place in Dublin between March 1991 and November 1997. O'Brien, who taught at CBC Monkstown and was aged 27 to 33 during the incidents, pleaded not guilty to all allegations. He had no prior convictions and resigned from the judiciary in January after being appointed in 2015. The court noted his rare congenital condition, Phocomelia, caused by Thalidomide, which left him without upper limbs and missing a lower limb, requiring assistance with daily tasks.
The Special Criminal Court adjourned the sentencing hearing for Aaron Brady, who murdered Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, and the related proceedings concerning Brady's alleged campaign of witness intimidation during his 2020 trial. The court was also scheduled to hear evidence on Dean Byrne, who denies conspiring with Brady to pervert the course of justice. Mr Justice Paul Burns announced that the verdict on Byrne is not yet ready and adjourned both matters to 14 June. Byrne, aged 30, is accused of conspiring with Brady in Mountjoy Prison between 8 April and 22 June 2020 to persuade prosecution witness Daniel Cahill not to testify at Brady's murder trial, an act intended to pervert the course of justice. Byrne pleaded not guilty. Brady, aged 33, was previously convicted of Donohoe's murder in 2013 and has pleaded guilty to a 2020 charge of recording a witness interview to pervert the course of justice.
A jury in the Central Criminal Court convicted a Kilkenny man of sexually abusing eight boys, including three sets of brothers, over a period from 1995 to 2007. The man, who had pleaded not guilty to 121 charges, was found guilty on 78 counts that covered oral rape, anal rape and sexual assault. The jury deliberated for ten hours and thirteen minutes before returning the verdicts. Justice Eileen Creedon thanked the jury, excused them from duty for seven years, revoked the man's bail and remanded him in custody. She adjourned sentencing to 8 July and ordered victim impact statements from the eight complainants. The case involved allegations that the accused lured boys with cigarettes, then abused them in his home and other local areas. The trial highlighted the prolonged nature of the abuse and the delayed reporting by the victims.
Conor McGregor is accused of attempting to delay a High Court hearing over a 2021 damages claim for alleged assault. The plaintiff, a young woman who knows McGregor, seeks damages and has brought the case in 2021. McGregor, who denies all wrongdoing, has requested that the case, already adjourned, be postponed to November, citing a boxing match in the United States. His lawyer, Remy Farrell SC, seeks pre‑trial discovery of materials, including from An Garda Síochána, and has asked the court to hear these motions on 30 May. The judge, Mr Justice Alexander Owens, has agreed to consider the discovery motions but has not yet ruled on the adjournment request, stating that any such application could be dealt with at the next hearing. The case is scheduled for a jury trial in late June, and McGregor's lawyers have previously secured an adjournment.
Edward Cruise, 66, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for repeatedly sexually abusing a girl aged between six and 14 who visited his home from 2009 to 2017. He pleaded guilty to nine counts of sexual assault. The abuse occurred whenever the girl was at his property, often multiple times in a single day, and included inappropriate touching, masturbation and oral sex. Cruise told the victim to keep the abuse secret and once offered her €5 to come to his house. The victim complained to Gardaí in 2020, after which Cruise was arrested and suggested the allegations were fabricated. Judge Martin Nolan noted the abuse took place over a prolonged period, estimating at least 100 incidents, and imposed a global sentence of six years. The court considered Cruise's guilty plea, expressions of remorse, age and lack of violence beyond the acts themselves as mitigating factors, while his prior convictions for similar offences were viewed as aggravating.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 36‑year‑old man was convicted of a single count of sexual assault against his teenage niece, who was aged between 13 and 14 at the time of the offence. The victim, who now uses he/him pronouns, was asleep when the uncle, who had moved in with her family, touched her hand. She later provided a statement after initial reluctance. The defendant voluntarily approached Gardaí and admitted to the incident, claiming he had been masturbating and that the victim had seen him. A victim impact statement was submitted but not read aloud. The victim's mother, who had asked the judge not to jail her brother, was present. Judge Pauline Codd, after considering aggravating and mitigating factors, sentenced the defendant to two years' imprisonment and refused to suspend any portion of the sentence. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
Robert Redmond (35) was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for conspiring to murder Jordan Davis in 2019. Redmond, who is already serving a life sentence for the murder of Barry Wolverson, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed a seven-year term, which runs consecutively to Redmond's existing 12-year sentence for firearms possession. This results in a total of 19 years' imprisonment to be served concurrently with his mandatory life sentence. The judge rejected defense arguments that the consecutive structure constituted a disproportionate 'quasi-life sentence,' citing Redmond's 'deep involvement' in the 'cold-blooded' killing and his 99 previous convictions. Evidence presented included threatening text messages from Redmond to Davis regarding a €70,000 drug debt and 'tick lists' found at addresses linked to Redmond. Wayne Cooney (33), who was convicted of the actual murder of Davis in July 2022, is currently serving a life sentence. The court noted that Davis was shot while pushing his infant son in a pram near a school in Darndale.
A man has been convicted of unlawfully killing his 88-year-old mother by arson at their shared home in Coolvoy, Doochary, County Donegal on 12 April 2022. Geunter Lohse, aged 63, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the Central Criminal Court after a charge of murder was withdrawn. The court heard that three fires were deliberately lit inside the house using matches. Firefighters discovered the victim seated in an armchair; she died from inhaling fumes. Lohse admitted starting the fire and told gardaí he had intended to take his own life. He claimed he attempted to move his mother and extinguish the flames but was unsuccessful. Defence counsel indicated Lohse's family suspected he suffered from schizophrenia, though he had never received expert diagnosis or psychiatric treatment. Justice Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to 29 July to allow consideration of psychiatric and psychological reports. The judge noted that Lohse will require community support upon release, given the absence of family support structures.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Jason O'Connor, 46, of Whitestown Grove, Blanchardstown, was charged with facilitating a criminal gang in murder and drug dealing. O'Connor had previously faced charges for an attempted murder of Charlie Cooper on 5 December 2016, and for possession of a 9 mm firearm and 12 rounds of ammunition with intent to endanger life at the same location and date. The new charges allege that between 2 August 2016 and 7 December 2016, O'Connor, knowing of a criminal organisation, participated in or contributed to activities that could facilitate the commission of a serious offence by that organisation or its members, specifically murder and the sale or supply of controlled drugs. The charges are under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. The case is adjourned to 11 June for mention, and O'Connor has been granted free legal aid for the new charges.