A 32‑year‑old man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to false imprisonment, threat to kill, assault causing harm, sexual assault and false imprisonment for an incident on 1 August 2021. He had previously been convicted of an assault offence. The court heard that the man and his girlfriend had broken up in November 2020 but rekindled their relationship the following summer. On 1 August the man confronted the woman at his home, threatened her with a knife, held it to her throat, and later sexually assaulted her after removing her shorts. He repeatedly restrained her, blocked the door, and dragged her by the arm and shoulder. The woman escaped several times before being taken home and the man was arrested a few days later. The judge imposed a four‑year concurrent sentence, suspended the final two years on condition of probation and treatment programmes, and noted the man's medium risk of re‑offending.
A 59‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment for raping and sexually abusing his grandniece, aged eight to ten, between 2019 and 2022. He recorded the abuse on his phone and forced the child to record it, producing 19 videos and 1,191 images, of which 377 were unique. The abuse began when the family experienced homelessness and the man became a father‑figure, collecting the girl from school and giving her money. He initially told Gardaí that the girl had "come onto" him and that he was trying to stop her from doing it with someone else. He pleaded guilty to 11 sample counts, including vaginal rape, oral rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation of a child, possession and production of child pornography, and invitation of a child to sexual touching. The judge, Mr Justice Paul McDermott, described the offending as "appalling" and the recordings as "shocking".
A 73‑year‑old pensioner, whose identity is protected, lost an appeal against his conviction for sexually abusing his young daughter in the 1980s. He had pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent assault but was found guilty on two other counts and sentenced to three years and six months' imprisonment, to run concurrently. The appeal argued that missing evidence from a "healer" and delays in the prosecution had made the trial unfair. The Court of Appeal, led by Justice Patrick McCarthy, rejected the appeal, stating there was no basis that any healer's involvement was relevant to the charges or that missing evidence existed. The judge upheld the trial judge's warning to the jury about delays and found no prejudice against the appellant. The conviction remains in place.
Maurice Boland, 36, of Tallow, Waterford, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of mechanic Cian Gallagher, who was killed on Barrack Street in Tallow on 10 November 2022. The Central Criminal Court will hear the case tomorrow, with a jury of four women and eight men sworn in by Ms Justice Karen O'Connor. The trial is expected to last two weeks and will rely solely on the evidence presented in court, with no independent research or social media engagement permitted.
Over fifteen years after the mistaken‑identity murder of rugby player Shane Geoghegan, John Dundon, who ordered the hit, has been assigned a new legal team and will have his appeal against his 2013 murder conviction heard on 22 April 2024. Dundon had previously dismissed his lawyers, claiming they had failed to raise a new ground of appeal that he said had been identified recently. The Court of Appeal granted the withdrawal of his former counsel and allowed solicitor Phelim O'Neill, of Morgan Shelley, to take over. Dundon was also granted free legal aid for the new team. The judges set a strict timetable: motions for new grounds and affidavits must be filed a week before the hearing, and any documents to the State must be served in time for the State to respond. The appeal will proceed on 22 April, "come what may," with no further adjournments expected unless exceptional circumstances arise.
Lawyers for Aaron Brady, who shot Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe in 2013, warned that the upcoming trial for perverting the course of justice could generate damaging publicity. Michael O'Higgins SC told the Special Criminal Court that Brady is still awaiting the outcome of an appeal against his murder conviction. If the appeal succeeds, a retrial at the Central Criminal Court, which would involve a jury, may follow. O'Higgins expressed concern that media coverage could influence jurors and plans to apply to the court, citing the Irish Times v Murphy judgment on media reporting. The perverting the course of justice trial was adjourned to allow the defence to consider new evidence. Brady (33) and co‑accused Dean Byrne (30) are charged with conspiring to persuade State witness Daniel Cahill not to testify between April and June 2020, and with recording a video of a witness interview between February and May 2020.
A former ice‑cream parlour worker, Anita Popa, told the Workplace Relations Commission that she worked up to 90 hours a week, so long that her one‑year‑old son did not recognise her when she finished her employment. She claimed she was underpaid, denied breaks, denied maternity leave, discriminated against and was unfairly dismissed after an alleged assault by a colleague. Popa said the employer produced fabricated rosters and payroll records, which she said were fake and signed by "A.P.", not her. She alleged the company monitored her via CCTV and threatened to replace her after she announced her pregnancy. The employer denied all allegations, stating she was paid for the hours she worked and that the complaints were incorrect. The hearing is ongoing and a further date has not yet been set.
A 46‑year‑old man was jailed for 12 months for assault causing harm and a two‑year sentence for witness intimidation, with 12 months suspended on strict conditions. He was convicted after a trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in February. The case involved his wife withdrawing an earlier assault complaint at a Garda station in October 2020, then later re‑affirming her withdrawal in April 2021. She had initially claimed the husband had spat, hit and insulted her, showing bruises, but later said she was afraid of him. The jury heard her first statement and a medical report, but the judge noted she had not given a victim impact statement. The judge emphasised the seriousness of witness intimidation in a domestic setting and imposed the concurrent sentences, hoping the conditions would deter further incidents. The defendant did not accept the verdict and did not express remorse, though he acknowledged causing some injuries. The unnamed 46-year-old was acquitted.
Daryl Wade, 18, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, robbery and attempted robbery after stabbing an Italian student in the leg in May 2022 and a 17‑year‑old boy in the stomach in February 2023. The court described the offences as "exceptionally serious" and noted Wade's violent propensity. He was identified by CCTV and an audio recording of his admission. Wade's guilty plea and expressions of shame were considered mitigating factors, but the judge deemed a custodial period necessary for rehabilitation. Wade's partner and employer provided supporting letters, and he is no longer living in the area. The sentence was imposed as an adult, with the suspended portion to be served after the 18th birthday.
A man from Donegal has failed in his appeal against conviction for the repeated rape of a teenage girl in July 2016. The Court of Appeal dismissed all grounds of appeal on 22 March 2024. The man, now aged 29, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court in January 2020 after a jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on four counts of rape at two locations in the county. During sentencing, Justice Tara Burns described his conduct as vile and despicable. The victim, now in her twenties, provided a victim impact statement detailing how the attacks had transformed her from a confident young person into someone struggling with trauma and panic attacks. The appellant's legal team challenged the trial judge's handling of prosecution counsel's closing speech, questioned whether the word "stop" had been shouted during the assault, and objected to the admission of Facebook messages. The three-judge panel, led by Justice George Birmingham, found no merit in any of these contentions and upheld the conviction in full.
During a trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Abdul Rahman Mohammed, a 35‑year‑old security guard, was found guilty of sexual assault, false imprisonment and demanding money with menace. The case concerned a 15‑year‑old girl who had shoplifted a makeup brush and peel‑off mask from Penneys, Dundrum Shopping Centre. Mohammed allegedly forced her into a room, made her strip to her underwear, touched her thigh, and demanded she pay €250 for the items. He also interfered with the CCTV camera a week before the incident to blur footage. The girl, who was with two friends, was later told that shoplifters did not have to pay security. Mohammed denied the allegations and claimed the girl and her friends had followed him. The court adjourned the matter until 13 May for finalisation.
A 40‑year‑old man was sentenced to 21 months in prison for a prolonged, vicious assault on his then‑fiancée in December 2022. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. The court heard that the couple were engaged and in a long‑term relationship. The attack began after an argument about social media, when the man entered the bathroom, accused her of cheating, and became physically aggressive. He choked her, used his knee against her neck, and repeatedly verbally abused her, calling her a "slut" and threatening to "smash her face in." The assault lasted several hours, during which the victim was held down, knocked to the ground, and forced to lie in bed. She later fled to her mother's house and reported the incident to Gardaí. The man admitted violence, expressed remorse, and cited mental health difficulties.
At a sentencing hearing in the Central Criminal Court on 22 March 2024, Mary Coughlan, mother of 32‑year‑old Gearoid Coughlan, spoke about the assault she endured when her son, diagnosed with schizophrenia, tried to murder her on 4 June 2021. She described the violent attack, which left her with a 25‑cm neck wound, multiple facial wounds, a traumatic brain injury and ongoing speech and language therapy. Coughlan criticised the mental health system for failing to monitor her son's risk and medication adherence, arguing that people with paranoid schizophrenia are allowed to live in the community without adequate care. She said she would not let the assault define her life and has returned to singing, walking and spending time with grandchildren. Gearoid was arrested, sent to the Central Mental Hospital and is awaiting a psychiatric report before sentencing on 12 April. Gearoid Coughlan pleaded guilty and was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
A 75‑year‑old pensioner pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault on his sister‑in‑law, who was aged eight or nine at the time. The incident, which occurred between 1975 and 1976, involved the victim being left alone in a house, the assailant approaching her while she was asleep, and the assault lasting a few minutes. The victim later reported the abuse to Gardaí in 2019. The court heard that the defendant, who was 27 or 28 when the assault took place, sent a text to his daughter expressing remorse and claiming he could not remember the act. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to ten months' imprisonment, citing the defendant's guilty plea, remorse, work history and lack of recent convictions as mitigating factors. The sentence was out of a potential maximum of two years.
Iollan Tynan Kelleher, aged 22, was sentenced to six years in prison for raping a 15‑year‑old friend and sexually assaulting a second victim. He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault before trial. The rape occurred in July 2017 when he was 16, and the assault on the second victim happened in August 2017. The court noted the victim's trauma, including depression, suicidal thoughts, flashbacks and anxiety. Kelleher was found guilty of one rape and two sexual assault charges. He received three years and nine months for the rape, 11 months for the assault of the first victim (concurrent), and two years and three months for the assault of the second victim (consecutive). The final 12 months of the sentence were suspended for one year, and he will be supervised by probation for three years and placed on the sex offenders register for five years.
James Maloney, 44, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and attempted theft at an 80‑year‑old woman's home in Santry on 1 February 2023. He has 38 prior convictions. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, presided by Judge Elma Sheahan, found the private dwelling and victim's age aggravating, but noted Maloney's guilty plea, duress to pay a drug debt, remorse and apology as mitigating. He was sentenced to four years for the attempted burglary and two years and four months for the assault, both to run concurrently. The judge suspended the final six months of the sentence for six months. Maloney had been homeless and a drug user at the time, had admitted the offence, expressed remorse, and was engaged in a methadone programme. The victim suffered head, arm and hand injuries and had to wait over 12 hours in A&E. The court heard a victim impact statement and a letter of apology from Maloney.
A 40‑year‑old man was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting his partner's friend while she slept on a bunk bed, with two children sleeping below. The assault occurred on 7 September 2018 and was found guilty in a trial last November. The victim, who could not be named, described feeling a hand in her vagina and hearing the assailant's voice, and later texted her partner and the accused. The accused denied the allegations but admitted to being out of bed at the time. He had ten prior convictions for drug misuse and traffic offences. Judge Patricia Ryan noted the assaults happened twice, with children present, and ordered the man onto the sex offenders register. The sentence reflected the aggravating factors and the victim's impact statement.
Conti Birali (28) was sentenced to nine years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to assault causing serious harm and violent disorder. The offences occurred on July 31, 2022, at the Old Navan Road, Dublin 7. Birali admitted to instigating an unprovoked attack on victim Austin Doherty, who suffered severe head injuries and brain trauma, leaving him a wheelchair user with lifelong disabilities. Birali, of Parlickstown Drive, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, had previously left the jurisdiction but returned and was arrested in November 2022. He expressed remorse, describing his actions as a "stupid alcoholic decision" and accepting global responsibility for the joint enterprise. Judge Martin Nolan noted Birali was the "author of the entire incident" and categorized the offence in the higher range of seriousness. The court also heard that co-accused Craig Maples (28), of Green Briar, Verdemont, Blanchardstown, Dublin, was jailed for seven years last month after pleading guilty to violent disorder and assault causing serious harm on the same occasion. Maples was identified as one of the three men who participated in the assault. The judge accepted Birali's expression of remorse and assessed a low risk of reoffending, but emphasized the severe, permanent impact on the victim, who can no longer work or care for his children.
The Court of Appeal has quashed the original sentence of Edward 'Blondie' Stokes, increasing his prison term by four years. Stokes, 33, of Ferriskill, Granard, Co Longford, had previously pleaded not guilty to all counts but was found guilty by a unanimous jury after a nine-day trial. In January last year, Judge Kenneth Connolly sentenced him to three years for violent disorder, with the final six months suspended for 12 months. He also received concurrent sentences of two years and three months for endangerment and 18 months for the production of an article. The State successfully appealed on grounds of undue leniency. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, determined that the original headline sentence was incorrect given the aggravating factors, including the use of a shillelagh and the premeditated nature of the attack. The court set an appropriate headline sentence of eight years for violent disorder. After accounting for modest mitigation, Stokes was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended. He must serve six-and-a-half years in jail. The other concurrent sentences remain as originally imposed.
Peter 'Peadar' Keating, a senior Kinahan cartel member jailed for 11 years in September 2021 for directing a criminal organisation to target James 'Mago' Gately, is awaiting a High Court decision on his extradition to the UK. Keating faces nine alleged offences, including perverting the course of justice and conspiracy to possess firearms, stemming from a botched plot to amass an arsenal to help Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh reduce his sentence. Kavanagh, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and was jailed for 21 years in England in March 2022, is alleged to have directed the scheme. The UK warrant alleges Keating, using the handle 'short-texture', procured weapons from the Netherlands between January and June 2020. While Keating's counsel argued he was serving a sentence in Ireland and thus outside the UK's jurisdiction, the State's counsel rejected this, stating the warrant clearly indicates the conspiracy occurred while Keating was in the UK. The court will deliver its judgment on the surrender application by April 25. Separately, Imre Arakas was jailed for six years in December 2018 after admitting to conspiring to murder Gately in Northern Ireland in 2017.
A young woman has filed a civil damages claim against mixed‑martial‑arts star Conor McGregor for alleged assault, and the case has been scheduled for trial in the High Court next month. The action, which will be heard before a jury and presided over by a judge, was set for the week beginning 23 April after the judge, Mr Justice Alexander Owens, heard from Siún Leonowicz BL, the woman's counsel, who confirmed the case was ready to proceed. McGregor, originally from Crumlin, denies all wrongdoing. The claim is one of two initiated against the celebrity sportsman over incidents alleged to have occurred in 2018. The woman's action was filed in 2021, but no details of the claim have been disclosed in open court. A second personal‑injuries action, brought by the woman's mother, is not scheduled for jury trial.
In March 2024, the Central Criminal Court activated the suspended one‑year portion of Robbie Walsh's eight‑year manslaughter sentence after he attacked Martin Burke and threatened to kill him on 25 July 2023, just months after his release from prison. Walsh, 28, had been found not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Karl "Gobbo" Haugh, 25, in 2019. He had served five years and eight months of his sentence and was released on 23 March 2023. On 28 February 2024, Walsh was sentenced to 15 months for assault, a threat to kill and criminal damage. The judge, citing Walsh's history of serious offending and the violence involved, imposed the full 12‑month suspended term to commence after the expiry of the 15‑month sentence. The court noted that the offences occurred within months of his release.
John Dundon, convicted in 2013 of ordering the murder of Shane Geoghegan, is currently appealing his conviction. The Court of Appeal granted an application for Dundon's lawyers to withdraw from the case. Dundon told the court he discharged his legal team after claiming they failed to properly advance a new ground of appeal regarding undisclosed trial evidence. The Director of Public Prosecutions accused Dundon of a "cynical ploy," noting similar tactics were rejected by the Special Criminal Court and High Court during his 2013 trial. The DPP stated that disclosure was carried out in full and expressed anxiety to conclude the matter, citing the victim's mother's desire for an end to the proceedings. The presiding judge, Mr Justice John Edwards, granted an adjournment but warned that Dundon must instruct new lawyers immediately, with all paperwork completed by April 8. The appeal hearing is scheduled for April 22, and the court stated it would not entertain further adjournment applications barring exceptional circumstances. Dundon, who is serving a life sentence, was found guilty at the Special Criminal Court of ordering the hit that killed Geoghegan in a case of mistaken identity. Gunman Barry Doyle, who admitted shooting Geoghegan during garda interviews, later pleaded not guilty at trial. He was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012.
The 33‑year‑old man, whose name is withheld, was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court on 21 March 2024. He pleaded guilty to four charges that occurred in the southwest of the country in March 2021. He admitted that he reported his four‑year‑old son's fatal injuries as an accidental fall to a garda station on 24 March 2021, with the intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution of the person he believed had murdered the child. He also pleaded guilty to endangering the child on 13 March 2021 by placing him in a situation that posed a substantial risk of serious harm while he had authority over the child. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to wilfully causing or allowing the child to be assaulted between 6 and 12 March 2021, and to wilfully neglecting the child on 13 March 2021 by failing to provide adequate medical aid.
Eugene Hanratty Snr, 65, of Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, will remain in custody after the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeals against conviction and sentence. He was convicted by a jury in October 2022 of assault causing harm to neighbour Martin McAllister in November 2012, an incident that left Mr McAllister with multiple broken facial bones and permanent loss of peripheral vision. Hanratty Snr, who pleaded not guilty, had been sentenced to three years' imprisonment, comprising a headline sentence of five years reduced by one year in mitigation and a further year suspended. Mr Justice Birmingham, presiding over the appeal, stated the headline sentence was "entirely understandable" and the mitigation "generous," finding no basis to deem the sentence unduly severe. The court also rejected the defence argument that the trial judge erred by treating the lack of a guilty plea as an aggravating factor, noting this is deeply embedded in jurisprudence. Additionally, the court deprecated the "developing practice" of defence applications to withdraw cases from juries as a matter of course, affirming the trial judge was correct to refuse such an application. The appeals were dismissed, leaving the original conviction and sentence intact.
A man convicted of killing his wife in Finglas, Dublin in 2021 has been returned to the Central Mental Hospital for continued treatment. Diego Costa Silva, aged 35, was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity following his trial at the Central Criminal Court earlier this month. He had pleaded not guilty to the charge relating to the death of his wife on November 4, 2021 at their home in Charlestown Place. Evidence presented to the jury established that Mr Costa Silva was suffering from cannabis-induced psychosis at the time, causing him to believe his wife was possessed and posed a threat to him. Two forensic psychiatrists confirmed he met the criteria for a finding of insanity under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006. At today's hearing, Mr Justice Michael MacGrath ordered his return to the Central Mental Hospital, where a consultant psychiatrist confirmed he continues to require in-patient treatment. His case will be reviewed again on July 29.
The High Court has heard arguments regarding the extradition of Peter 'Peadar' Keating to the UK, where he faces charges including perverting the course of justice and conspiracy to possess firearms. Keating, a senior Kinahan cartel member, was jailed for 11 years in Ireland in September 2021 after pleading guilty to directing a criminal organisation involved in the targeting of James 'Mago' Gately. The UK warrant alleges Keating conspired to source weapons from the Netherlands to assist Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh in reducing his sentence. Kavanagh, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, was jailed for 21 years in England in March 2022. Counsel for Keating argued that the alleged conspiracy occurred outside the jurisdiction of England and Wales, noting Keating was serving a sentence in Ireland during the relevant period. The court also considered arguments regarding prison conditions in the UK. The hearing before Mr Justice Patrick McGrath was adjourned and continues tomorrow. Separately, Imre Arakas was jailed for six years in December 2018 after admitting to conspiring to murder Gately in Northern Ireland. Stephen Fowler and David Duffy were also jailed for providing logistical support to the plot against Gately.
A 59‑year‑old man who sexually abused his cousin between 1979 and 1982 was arrested when he returned to Ireland after living abroad. He pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault at his cousin's Dublin home. The court noted he had serious lung disease requiring regular operations and a reduced life span, and therefore suspended the entire headline sentence of four to five years, giving him a three‑year suspended sentence. He had no prior convictions, a long work history and many references. The victim, aged six to nine at the time of the abuse, reported the incidents to Gardaí in 2023 and did not attend the sentencing hearing. The judge highlighted the seriousness of the offences and the fear they caused, but deemed imprisonment unfair due to the defendant's medical condition. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In an appeal-stage report, Judge Pauline Codd sentenced a 16-year-old boy to a three-year period of detention for violent disorder and a concurrent two-year period for assault causing harm. The boy pleaded guilty to these charges following an unprovoked attack on four English tourists in Dublin's Temple Bar in August 2023. Prosecution evidence alleged the teenager punched a victim, dragged another to the ground, and stamped on the head of a third man who was already on the ground. The court heard the defendant has 18 previous convictions, including six for assault causing harm. While imposing the sentences, Judge Codd stated that if the offender were an adult, she would have imposed six years for violent disorder and four years for assault causing harm. She directed that the boy receive credit for time already in custody on a separate matter. The judge also highlighted a legislative gap, noting that supervision orders for juveniles become unenforceable once they turn 18, leaving the court's hands "effectively tied." She urged the Oireachtas to address this issue urgently and suggested the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions take it up. Defence counsel noted the boy was in State care, diagnosed with ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and had been clean from cannabis. The matter was not adjourned; the sentences were handed down.
A 62-year-old man from Donegal has pleaded guilty to the unlawful killing of his mother by arson at the Central Criminal Court. Geunter Lohse admitted to the unlawful killing of Ruth Lohse, who died in a house fire at Coolvoy, Doochary on April 12, 2022. The murder charge against him will be withdrawn, with the arson charge to be taken into account. Lohse was remanded in custody pending sentencing on May 16, when a psychiatric report will be presented to the court. The victim's family is expected to make a statement at the sentencing hearing.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 27‑year‑old woman testified that she is "living in fear" after her ex‑partner, who was jailed for 18 months, slammed her to the ground, fracturing three vertebrae in her back and subjecting her to misogynistic abuse. The incident occurred on 13 November 2021 after a dispute over a third party. The man, who has 22 prior convictions, was found guilty of assault causing harm. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, with six months suspended on strict conditions, back‑dated to September when he entered custody. The court noted the victim's ongoing pain, financial hardship, and mental health issues, and praised her for coming forward. The defendant accepted the verdict, apologized, and expressed a desire to co‑parent their child while avoiding contact with the victim. The judge highlighted the aggravating factor of the verbal abuse and the defendant's drug‑related history. The sentence was imposed on 19 March 2024.
The State has applied to the Court of Appeal to increase the 2½‑year jail sentence imposed on Jason Owens, a former Irish taekwondo international, for striking Conor Kelly in a pub toilet on New Year's Day 2020. Owens pleaded guilty in June 2023, and Judge Martin Nolan had sentenced him to 3½ years with the final 12 months suspended. The State argues the headline sentence of seven years was too low and that the 50 % reduction for mitigating factors was unduly lenient, citing Owens' late guilty plea, lack of prior convictions and a letter of apology. The Court of Appeal, hearing evidence of the assault, the serious head injury sustained by Kelly, and mitigating circumstances such as Owens' remorse and psychological issues, has adjourned the decision to 9 April 2024. The case remains at the appeal stage, with no final judgment yet issued.
Paula Doyle describes the lasting physical, mental and emotional damage she suffered after a violent assault on 6 September 2019. She recounts living with extreme fear, anxiety and paranoia for four and a half years, feeling that her future no longer mattered. Doyle says the perpetrator, Aidan Kestell, sent harassing texts, photos, videos and stalked her for three and a half years before the rape, and that he drove around her cul‑de‑sac after the attack. She calls for more than vigils, urging action, education and better legislation to protect women. Doyle thanks the Gardaí, the DPP, the legal team, the Rape Crisis Centre, her family and the jury for their support. She declares that the ordeal is over and she is now a survivor ready to rebuild her life. The article focuses on her experience and her plea for change, not on any legal outcome.
A 59-year-old man was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court after pleading guilty to one count of attempted rape and four counts of indecent assault against his niece. The offences, which occurred between 1977 and 1984 when the victim was aged six to 13 and the defendant was aged 13 to 19, were described by the judge as a "catalogue of abuse" that inflicted "unspeakable trauma." Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted that while he would have imposed a 12-year sentence on an adult for the attempted rape, he reduced the term due to the defendant's age at the time. The judge acknowledged the man's guilty plea, genuine remorse, lack of previous convictions, and his otherwise positive life over the subsequent 40 years as mitigating factors. He handed down a global sentence of four years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. The sentence was backdated to March 11, when the man entered custody, and he was directed to place himself under the supervision of the Probation Services for two years post-release. The victim, in her impact statement, described the defendant as a "monster" and "predator," stating that his actions destroyed her childhood and that his apology was worthless. The court accepted that the defendant bears full responsibility for the consequences of his actions, which undermined familial trust and bonds.
Jamie Geoghegan, aged 28, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for assault causing harm and false imprisonment. He had 75 prior convictions. The case involved Geoghegan attacking a man, dragging him from a home, forcing him into a Jeep, and taking him to a caravan in Clondalkin. There he was tied, beaten, and stabbed with a knife, claw hammer and a machete. Garda John Griffin said the false imprisonment lasted 30 to 45 minutes. The victim, who had been hooded and believed he would die, was found with lacerations, fractured leg and hand, and a bloody phone cable tied to his hands. Geoghegan pleaded guilty; the judge set a headline sentence of 10 years, reduced to six and a half years, and backdated it to September when he entered custody.
Victor Akinlade, a man in his sixties, has lost his appeal against convictions for violent disorder, assault causing harm, and the production of a baseball bat. In May 2022, a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court unanimously convicted Akinlade, who had pleaded not guilty to all three charges. He was sentenced to five years for violent disorder, four years for assault causing harm, and a further four years for producing the bat used to assault Garda Jonathan Ryan, with all sentences to run concurrently. The trial concerned an incident in May 2018 in Carrickmines, where Akinlade alleged he attacked an unidentified intruder who smashed his door glass. Garda Ryan testified that he had identified himself as a plain-clothes officer and that Akinlade struck him with the bat. On appeal, Akinlade argued he did not know the officer was a Garda and claimed the injuries were self-inflicted. Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh dismissed the appeal, ruling that the Section 18 defence was unavailable because the force was used against a member of An Garda Síochána acting in the course of duty. She further determined that the legality of the Garda's entry was a minor issue for the jury and that no injustice was caused by the trial judge's failure to rule on it.
Mark Doyle, a former Garda and soldier, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for a series of assaults on his wife, Meav McLoughlin‑Doyle, and their two stepsons over a 12‑year period. The court heard that Doyle repeatedly punched, choked, and kicked his wife, threw a chair at her while she was pregnant, and used an airsoft gun against a stepson. He also verbally abused the children, calling them names such as "fat cunt" and "retard." Doyle admitted five counts of assault causing harm to his wife and two counts of assault causing harm to the children. He had been suspended and later resigned from the Gardaí before pleading guilty. The judge noted the pattern of violence and the impact on the victims, describing the home as oppressive and a place of fear. Doyle's sentence was back‑dated to the day he entered custody.
In March 2024 a Cork woman, aged 46, who had received a fully suspended three‑year sentence for wilful neglect, sexual assault and exploitation of her toddler son, filed an appeal to overturn her conviction. The Central Criminal Court heard that the defendant, described as having very limited cognitive functioning, did not accept the jury's verdicts. She was found guilty of neglecting the child from September 2010 to June 2015, and of sexual assault and exploitation between September 2013 and June 2015. The child, who was between one and four‑and‑a‑half years old, was taken into foster care and later State institutional care. The appeal argued that the child cruelty charge was couched in generalised terms, that the trial judge erred in refusing to edit emotive Garda interviews, and that the child's evidence was unreliable due to memory loss. The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court sentenced a 51‑year‑old Irish citizen to six years' imprisonment for eight counts of child cruelty committed between September 2009 and December 2015. The victim, aged four to eleven at the time, endured sustained, systematic abuse that included physical assault, neglect of heating, food and accommodation, bullying, and forcing her siblings to assault her. The defendant repeatedly described the girl as a "vindictive, spiteful bitch", "mentally retarded" and "sexualised", and claimed she had tried to burn the house down and poison the family. He also alleged that he had killed people and would have killed a hundred more if he had a gun. The court noted the child's mother's devotion to the defendant and the family's neglect of basic hygiene and clothing. The judge imposed a six‑year sentence, refusing to suspend any portion, and highlighted the defendant's lack of remorse and the extreme cruelty of the offences. The unnamed 51-year-old pleaded guilty.
Darren Ducoté, 48, a former award‑winning entrepreneur, was sentenced to two years in prison for recklessly holding €1.23 million in crime proceeds in his company's bank account. The money, transferred from German investors between January and May 2021, was allegedly intended to fund a vertical wheatgrass farm in Turkey. Ducoté claimed the funds were for a legitimate project with Mayfair International and Gonka Logistics Group, but the bank and Gardaí found no evidence of such a venture. He admitted to transferring the money out of jurisdiction and later attempted to recall payments. The judge noted the large amount involved and that criminals benefited, concluding Ducoté should have known better. He had prior convictions, including a serious assault as a minor, and a psychiatric report cited severe anxiety, ADHD and autism. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the financial misconduct and the lack of recovery of the laundered funds.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, former Garda and soldier Mark Doyle, aged 38, admitted five counts of assault causing harm to his ex‑wife Meav Doyle and two counts of assault causing harm to her sons, covering incidents from September 2007 to August 2019. The court heard that Doyle repeatedly punched, choked, and kicked his wife, threw a chair at her while she was pregnant, and pulled her by the hair. He also shot a stepson with an airsoft gun and verbally abused both stepsons. Doyle had been suspended and later resigned from the Gardaí before pleading guilty in October. He was remanded in custody overnight pending a finalisation of his sentence hearing on Friday. The hearing focused on the 12‑year period of violence and the impact on the family.
The High Court has dismissed a judicial review application brought by Eddie Cunningham Cummins and Erica Cunningham Cummins, residents of Heron's Wood, Carrigaline, Co Cork. The applicants challenged the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal's refusal to compensate them for the 2005 shooting death of their father, Eddie Cummins Senior, in Ballincollig, Co Cork. Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty ruled that the Tribunal was correct in its decision, finding it not disproportionate or discriminatory to deny compensation to dependants where the victim died as a result of their criminality. The court noted that Mr Cummins Senior had over 20 convictions, including for drug offences, and that the killing was believed to be drug-related. Although the judge expressed sympathy for the "blameless children," she held that the State's policy of deterring crime justified the refusal. The Tribunal had previously rejected the 2011 application due to time limits and the victim's conduct, a decision upheld on appeal in 2022. The applicants sought to quash the Tribunal's decision and obtain declarations that it was irrational or breached their rights. The court found that the applicants failed to establish that the Tribunal acted outside its powers, fettered its discretion, or made an unreasonable decision. No one has been prosecuted for the murder.
Ian Horgan, a convicted rapist and killer, had his jail term increased from eight and a half years to 11 years and three months by the Court of Appeal for the assault causing serious harm on Hassan Baker. The appeal considered video evidence of the hammer attack on March 26, 2022, at McCurtain Villas, Cork, where Horgan used a claw‑hammer to strike Baker, choke him, and then continue striking him, causing severe injuries. Horgan also attacked Baker's mother, Mary O'Callaghan, breaking her wrist. The Court of Appeal found the original sentence too lenient, citing Horgan's history of violence and the extreme nature of the attack, and imposed the increased term with no portion suspended. The assault causing harm sentence for O'Callaghan was not altered. The decision was based on the evidence presented in the appeal hearing. Ian Horgan pleaded guilty.
A 21‑year‑old man, whose name is withheld, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to false imprisonment, assault causing harm, production of an article and using an imitation firearm. The offences occurred in April and June 2023 when he broke into his ex‑partner's home, locked her inside, demanded phones, and stabbed her parents. He was arrested after a confrontation with Gardaí and later released on bail. Judge Martin Nolan described the conduct as disgraceful and noted the man's mental health difficulties, but found a custodial sentence unavoidable. The judge suspended the final two years of a six‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, citing mitigation and personal circumstances. The man was ordered to be supervised by the Probation Service for one year after release. No victim impact statement was submitted. The man had no prior convictions.
In a Court of Appeal hearing, the State argued that the nine‑year jail term imposed on a 43‑year‑old former GAA coach was too lenient for the extensive sexual and physical abuse he inflicted on a boy from age 13 to 15. The coach had pleaded guilty to attempted rape, seven counts of anal rape, four counts of sexual assault, two counts of assault causing harm and one of harassment, with offences occurring between 2004 and 2010 at his home, a sports ground and a Dublin hotel. The original sentencing court had given 10½ years, with the final 18 months suspended. The State highlighted the victim's "continuum" of abuse, grooming, physical violence and later phone harassment, claiming the nine‑year sentence did not reflect the destruction of the boy's life. The defense maintained that the judge had applied a 2½‑year reduction for a significant guilty plea and that the suspended period was necessary for reintegration.
In a Workplace Relations Commission ruling, former Bidvest Noonan cleaning employee Rodica Buga was awarded a €20,000 statutory redundancy payment after her employer dismissed her safety concerns about walking to her car on a public street at 2 am in the Dublin Docklands. Buga, who had worked for the firm for nearly 20 years, had declined a redeployment offer to State Street offices in Dublin 2, citing the lack of secure parking and the risk of walking to her car at night. The adjudicator described the employer's response as "appalling" and noted that Buga's concerns were ignored despite a prior murder of a colleague in the same area. The decision awarded Buga a redundancy package based on 19 years and seven months of service, with a weekly termination pay of €500, totaling roughly €20,000, subject to PRSI confirmation. No notice pay was awarded. The case highlights the employer's failure to address legitimate health and safety concerns.
Two men, aged 29 and 28, were convicted of gang‑rape of a 14‑year‑old girl who was comatose with alcohol on 22 April 2017. They were sentenced to 11 years in prison each, with a headline sentence of 13 years. The men appealed, arguing the headline was too high and that insufficient discount had been applied for mitigating factors. The Court of Appeal in Cork dismissed the appeal, confirming the 13‑year headline and the 11‑year custodial term. The judge said the case involved a high level of degradation and that the victim was vulnerable. The men had denied the offences and had no guilty plea. The appeal was rejected, and the men must serve the full sentences. The complainant remains traumatised by the assault.
Child-killer Karen Harrington, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of two-year-old Santina Cawley, has launched an appeal to overturn her conviction, arguing that CCTV footage of her home breached her privacy rights. The appeal was heard at the Court of Appeal in Cork, where Jane Hyland SC for the appellant claimed that the footage from Clanrickarde Estate, which captured both the exterior and interior of Harrington's dwelling, was highly prejudicial and should not have been admitted into evidence. Ms Hyland argued that the footage violated Harrington's right to privacy under the Irish Constitution, EU law, and the European Convention on Human Rights. She also referenced the Data Protection Act 2018 and the case of Graham Dwyer, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of Elaine O'Hara, to support her argument. Sean Gillane SC for the State countered that the issue of CCTV had been addressed during the trial, with the footage being truncated and examined by the jury. The court reserved its judgment in the matter. The appeal is currently under consideration, and no finalised decision has been made.
A 51‑year‑old Offaly man was sentenced to 10 years and nine months in prison for a series of sexual offences against his partner's son, aged 10 to 14, between 2015 and 2019. The court found 27 counts, including oral and anal rape and sexual assault, committed at 11 locations such as the victim's home, a boat and other vehicles. The judge highlighted aggravating factors such as the victim's youth, the sustained nature of the abuse, the breach of trust, the use of alcohol and the manipulation of a game console. The sentence included a nine‑month suspended period on the anal rape counts, a six‑month suspension on the assault counts, and five years of post‑release supervision. The judge noted the man's health issues, lack of prior convictions, willingness to engage with services and apology, but also that his guilty plea was "too late" for the victim.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a jury could not reach a verdict on the attempted murder charge against Philip Cox, who allegedly broke two knives and stabbed his former partner, Cristal O'Brien, twice in the leg during an attack at her home on 1 December 2022. O'Brien described the assault as "terrifying," noting that Cox threatened to "kill her" and that she sustained two stab wounds. Witness Alice McGrath testified that Cox said he would "finish her off" and that he had no care about time in prison. Cox pleaded not guilty to attempted murder but guilty to assault causing harm, aggravated burglary and knife production. After 3 days of deliberation, the jury returned to court with no verdict, and the judge recorded a "Disagreement" on the issue paper. The case was scheduled for mention on 22 March.