In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 27‑year‑old Wexford man pleaded guilty to three sexual assault charges after repeatedly assaulting a 24‑year‑old woman at his Dublin home on 7 May 2018. The victim, who had previously had consensual sex with him, fell asleep and was digitally penetrated while she pretended to be asleep. She later fled to a hotel where staff and Gardaí assisted her. The court heard her victim impact statement, describing the assault as turning her world upside down and leaving her with lasting trauma. The man had sent apologetic messages and a letter, and had begun counselling. The judge adjourned the case to 28 July for sentencing, remanding the defendant on continuing bail. The hearing focused on the assault, the victim's statement, and the defendant's remorse and rehabilitation efforts.
In the second day of the murder trial of Conor Dolan, the jury was discharged by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon after an issue arose just before lunchtime. Dolan, aged 33, denies murdering Neil Fitzpatrick, aged 36, who was found dead on a country lane outside Dublin on 5 June 2016. Prosecutor Lorcan Staines SC argued that Dolan lured Fitzpatrick to the lane and that Fitzpatrick was "riddled" with bullets in an execution‑style killing. Staines said the prosecution would use circumstantial evidence to show that Dolan arranged to pick up Fitzpatrick from a pub in Tallaght before driving to the remote area where the body was discovered the following day. The trial, scheduled for a maximum of three weeks, will resume tomorrow with a new jury of six men and six women, and Staines will again give his opening speech. The case remains at the trial stage, with no verdict or sentencing announced. Conor Dolan pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 25‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to one count of coercive control for a series of violent and threatening incidents against his partner between December 2019 and August 2020. The court heard that the man repeatedly struck, verbally abused, and threatened the woman, including calling her names, threatening to kill her and her family, and forcing her to urinate in a glass. He also threatened the woman's mother, calling her a "scumbag" and "rat" and saying he would shoot her and her family. The woman denied that coercive control had occurred, and no victim impact statements were submitted. The judge noted the woman remained in the relationship and that the man had 48 prior convictions. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced the man to two years, giving credit for time already served, and considered the threat to the mother a serious aggravating factor.
In a High Court hearing on 4 July 2023, Mr Paul McGrath, a tenant at Mount Eagle Square, Sandyford, secured a temporary injunction preventing the Tuath Housing Association from evicting him over alleged anti‑social behaviour. McGrath, who has lived there for two years under a lease, claimed he was the victim of violent assault by several individuals in early June and that the landlord had given him only seven days to leave following a notice of termination alleging violent and threatening behaviour. He denied any anti‑social conduct and argued that the landlord had no grounds to terminate the lease. McGrath sought resolution through the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) and obtained the injunction on an ex‑parte basis, which restrains the landlord and its agents from evicting or entering the premises pending the RTB's determination. The judge, Ms Justice Eileen Roberts, accepted the evidence presented and set a return date for later that month.
A 30-year-old man accused of raping his partner's 23-month-old toddler with an object has pleaded guilty to charges of reckless endangerment and child cruelty, two weeks into his Central Criminal Court trial. The man, who cannot be named to protect the identities of the children, initially pleaded not guilty to ten charges, including Section 4 rape, sexual assault, and child cruelty to the toddler and her brother between February and April 2018. However, a plea deal was reached, and he admitted to one count of reckless endangerment of the toddler between March 29, 2013, and April 5, 2018, and two counts of child cruelty towards the toddler and two counts of child cruelty towards her brother on April 5, 2018. The matter is currently at the appeal stage. The man will be sentenced for the reckless endangerment charge and the child cruelty charges on October 9. The charges carry a maximum sentence of seven years. The trial heard that the family was under investigation by gardaí at the time of the alleged offences and had been referred to Tusla the previous November after the girl, then aged 18 months, was taken to hospital covered in bruises. The children were immediately taken into care following the hospitalisation. The man fled the jurisdiction shortly after the girl was hospitalised and has been in custody since his return. He gave one voluntary interview to gardaí in January 2018, when the initial investigation into the girl's November 2017 hospitalisation was underway. The man had also pleaded not guilty to other charges, including sexual assault and failing to seek medical help for an injury to the girl's wrist. The children's mother pleaded guilty last year to two counts of recklessly endangering her children and was given a five-year jail sentence, which she is appealing in the Court of Appeal.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, the prosecution, led by Lorcan Staines SC, argued that Conor Dolan lured 36‑year‑old Neil Fitzgerald to a country lane outside Dublin, where Fitzgerald was shot six times in an execution‑style killing. Staines presented circumstantial evidence: Fitzgerald was picked up from Madison's Bar in Tallaght by Dolan, who drove in a purple BMW 3‑series that was later found washed at a Topaz garage with palm prints matching Fitzgerald. CCTV and mobile‑phone data showed Dolan's movements, including a stop by an unmarked garda car and an automatic number‑plate recognition ping of Dolan's vehicle. A "bin phone" linked to Dolan sent a message about a white van, and both men used dual‑SIM phones. The jury was told the evidence suggested Dolan arranged the meeting and that Fitzgerald was executed, but the jury would decide whether Dolan committed the murder. The trial continues before Justice Eileen Creedon. Conor Dolan pleaded not guilty.
A man with 86 previous convictions, including for domestic violence, has had his custodial sentence doubled following a Court of Appeal ruling. Jason Doyle (28) of Tower Hill, Ballymote, County Sligo, pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm against his then partner at their home on 10 January 2021. Sligo Circuit Criminal Court had imposed a two-year sentence with 15 months suspended. The State appealed on grounds of undue leniency. The victim sustained injuries including bleeding to the head, bruising to the jaw-line, and blows to the back of her head and body during the overnight incident. Justice Isobel Kennedy, delivering the Court of Appeal's judgment, found the lower court had erred in principle by applying an excessive mitigation discount. The court substituted a headline sentence of three years with nine months credited for the guilty plea and nine months suspended, resulting in an 18-month custodial term.
A 22-year-old man charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in Sligo has changed his senior counsel ahead of trial. The accused appeared via video link from Castlerea Prison in Roscommon at the Central Criminal Court today. He is charged with the murder of two men in April 2022 and the attempted murder of another man the same month, all occurring in Sligo. Brendan Grehan SC was released from the case and Michael Bowman SC was appointed in his place. The trial is scheduled to commence on 13 November at the Central Criminal Court and is expected to last three weeks. The court heard that outstanding matters include records from the Central Mental Hospital and Castlerea Prison, along with other minor administrative issues. A case review was set for 19 July.
A man granted refugee status in Ireland despite a prior UK sexual assault conviction has been sentenced to ten years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the rape of one woman and the attempted abduction of another in County Sligo. Tayyab Salah Uddin pleaded guilty to raping a woman on 15 September 2018 and to falsely imprisoning a second woman the following day. The court heard that both victims were intoxicated and alone when Uddin approached them in a town centre. After raping the first woman, he returned the next evening and attempted to force a second woman into his car before gardaí intervened following surveillance footage. The court noted Uddin's predatory behaviour in targeting vulnerable, isolated women and his lack of remorse. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed consecutive sentences with three years post-release supervision, having assessed Uddin as presenting a high risk of reoffending. Uddin, a Pakistani national with ocular albinism, arrived in Ireland in 2018 and was granted refugee status.
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 3 July 2023, John D Fitzgerald SC argued that Edmundas Dauksa, 53, was provoked when his former partner, Ingrida Maciokaite, 31, decided not to bring their six‑year‑old daughter to his home on the day of the murder. Dauksa had been convicted in May 2021 of murdering Maciokaite by stabbing her 19 times in a darkened archway in front of the child. The defence claimed the decision to withhold the child, made after a District Court granted her sole custody, caused Dauksa to become "very distraught" and "destroyed as a human being." Fitzgerald said the phone call from Maciokaite at about 2 pm was the trigger and could amount to provocation, even though it was not a face‑to‑face confrontation. The judge, Mr Justice John Edwards, noted Dauksa was in a self‑induced state of intoxication and that the court would reserve judgment on the provocation claim. Edmundas Dauksa pleaded not guilty.
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 3 July 2023, the State argued that the fully suspended two‑year sentence imposed on James 'Jake' Boles for coercive control and five assault offences was too lenient. Boles, aged 24, had been convicted in January for repeatedly dragging his partner by the hair, slamming her head, punching her face and verbally abusing her over a period from 1 January to 5 April 2019. The victim, aged 22, had waived anonymity. The State, represented by Carl Hanahoe BL, contended that the physical violence was frequent and severe, constituting an aggravating factor, and that the judge had applied an excessive discount for mitigating circumstances. The Court of Appeal, hearing the case, noted the weekly nature of the assaults and the impact on the victim, and the judge had suspended the sentence until 2027 with onerous conditions. The Court reserved judgment until 21 July 2023.
A 29‑year‑old man awaiting trial on sexual assault charges threatened to kill his estranged wife's family members, including the alleged victim, and to throw acid at her sister in a series of WhatsApp voice notes. The court heard that the defendant also threatened to damage two properties and intimidate witnesses, including his wife's brother, whom he is accused of sexually abusing. He pleaded guilty to seven counts, all occurring on 19 January 2022, and has nine prior convictions including arson and robbery. The defendant is also before the Central Criminal Court on a separate sexual assault allegation involving his brother‑in‑law. Garda Patrick Browne presented the voice messages, which described violent threats and a desire to "go to the UK" after "ripping out one of their throats." The defendant was on bail at the time and has been in custody since the incident. Judge Martina Baxter ordered a Probation Services report and adjourned sentencing to 9 October.
A 33‑year‑old man, Conor Dolan, was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Neil Fitzgerald, 36, in Tallaght on 5 June 2016. Dolan pleaded not guilty. Justice Eileen Creedon swore in a jury of seven men and five women. The trial will start on Tuesday morning and is expected to last three weeks.
David Howard, a 54‑year‑old firefighter and paramedic, testified at the murder trial of Andrew Lacey that he and Lacey's cousin Derek Reddin went to Loughlinstown in 2019 for a "straightener." Howard said that when they met Lacey, the accused began waving a knife and a fight ensued. Reddin fell, and Lacey allegedly "straddled" the deceased and "dove the knife into him." Howard denied that Reddin had a steel baton at the scene, stating he only saw it in the car before the encounter. He claimed he was shocked at the time and could not recall describing the baton to Gardaí. Howard also denied deliberately leaving his phone at home or taking a route to avoid cameras. Lacey, 35, remains not guilty‑pleading in the murder of Reddin, 31, which occurred between 14 and 15 October 2019. The trial continues tomorrow before Justice Mary Ellen Ring and a jury of eight men and four women.
A Leaving Certificate student, aged 18, was jailed for one year after being convicted by a jury of five counts of sexual assault against his half‑sister, who was aged between eight and eleven at the time of the offences. The assaults occurred between July 2016 and August 2018 at the victim's home in Dublin and on 2 November 2019 at a restaurant. The jury found him not guilty of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault. He denied any wrongdoing. A sentencing hearing in February allowed him to sit his Leaving Certificate exams. Justice Mary Ellen Ring imposed a two‑year sentence, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions, including probation supervision for two years post‑release. The sentence was reduced because of his young age and cooperation with Gardaí. The victim's father was informed after she handed him a note in tears describing the abuse.
Three men have been convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of offences arising from an armed attack on a repossessed farmhouse at Falsk, Strokestown, County Roscommon on 16 December 2018. Martin O'Toole, a 58-year-old farmer of Stripe, Irishtown, Claremorris, County Mayo; PJ Sweeney, a 44-year-old builder of High Cairn, Ramelton, County Donegal; and Paul Beirne, a 56-year-old cattle farmer of Croghan, Boyle, were found guilty of 15 charges including aggravated burglary, violent disorder, criminal damage, false imprisonment and assault causing harm. All three were also convicted of three counts of arson relating to vehicles and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. A fourth defendant, David Lawlor, was acquitted. The court heard approximately 30 armed men breached the property following its repossession by KBC Bank. Four security personnel sustained injuries during the incident. Judge Martina Baxter adjourned sentencing to 28 July.
An 87‑year‑old former Christian Brother from County Waterford was found guilty by a jury of 30 counts of indecent assault on five boys at a County Kilkenny school between August 1975 and June 1976. He was acquitted of one count involving a sixth boy. The maximum sentence for the offences is two years, but Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced him to three years and two months, with no suspended portion, citing his lack of remorse and continued denial. The judge ordered that he receive appropriate medical treatment while in custody, noting his age and health issues. The five complainants, now men in their 50s, gave victim impact statements describing how the abuse ruined their education, caused depression, anxiety and, for some, alcohol problems. They also said they were let down by the school and the Christian Brothers. The judge praised their bravery for coming to court and urged them not to feel shame.
Damien Graham, a 53-year-old firearms dealer from Co Carlow, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to four firearm offences. The court heard that Graham arrived at Dublin Airport on November 28, 2021, with 15 firearm components in his suitcase following a trip to a Florida gun show. He admitted to possessing and importing a prohibited machine gun bolt, as well as possessing and importing an assault rifle conversion kit without the required certificate. Prosecution evidence indicated Graham concealed the items in bubble wrap and duct tape, initially claiming they were tools before acknowledging they were firearm parts. Judge Martin Nolan accepted there was no sinister motive, describing Graham as an enthusiast whose enthusiasm got the better of him. However, the judge noted that machine gun parts have been illegal in Ireland for generations and criticized the reckless nature of surreptitiously bringing such components into the country. Graham has one previous conviction for a road traffic offence. The judge determined that Graham did not deserve a custodial sentence and handed down a six-month term, which was suspended on a number of conditions.
A 26‑year‑old convicted sex offender was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison, with nine months suspended, for raping a 17‑year‑old girl at a house party. The Central Criminal Court heard that the victim was intoxicated and vulnerable, and that the defendant had taken advantage of her in a predatory manner. The judge noted the defendant's prior convictions, including a 2019 District Court sexual assault conviction, and that he had never served time before. The sentence was back‑dated to 29 May 2023. The defendant does not accept the jury's verdict. The victim's impact statement described her feelings of guilt, loss of self‑esteem and the effect on her studies and family. The judge encouraged her to resume her studies and praised her resilience. The defendant will be a registered sex offender and subject to three years of post‑release supervision. The unnamed 17-year-old pleaded guilty.
An 18‑year‑old filmed himself raping a ten‑year‑old boy and later sought to trade child‑abuse material. Gardaí seized an Apple laptop, iPad and iPhone from a rural Munster address, where a video of the anal rape was found. The accused, with no prior convictions, was arrested in September 2019 and pleaded guilty to one count of anal rape, five counts of sexual assault and one count of producing child pornography between January 2014 and February 2015. Additional explicit material involving boys aged 5‑14 and 18,000 instant‑message conversations were discovered. A victim impact statement described the boy's trauma and the accused's grooming. The defendant admitted guilt, apologized and acknowledged the harm caused. Sentencing is adjourned to 28 July for consideration of all facts.
During a murder trial, 54‑year‑old firefighter David Howard, a cousin of the victim Derek Reddin, testified that a fight erupted on Loughlinstown Drive before midnight. He said Andrew Lacey, 35, had a knife and shouted "get it on" while waving it. Howard described seeing Lacey straddle Reddin, who fell flat on his face, and Lacey digging the knife into him. Howard tried to intervene, punching Lacey, but Lacey grabbed him with the knife. Howard then ran to Reddin, found him bleeding with no pulse, and called for an ambulance. Howard denied any role in the escape and stated that the only weapon present was Lacey's knife. Lacey has pleaded not guilty to Reddin's murder, which occurred between 14 and 15 October 2019. The cross‑examination continues before Justice Mary Ellen Ring and a jury.
Sean Johnston, 21, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to assault causing serious harm to a teenager in Tymon Lane, Tallaght, on 2 January 2021. He also pleaded guilty to making six threats to kill a male between 1 January and 14 April 2021 at five unknown locations and once at the Red Cow Luas stop. The DPP will withdraw the attempted murder charge and enter a nolle prosequi when Johnston appears for sentencing on 17 July. Johnston has no prior convictions and a psychiatric assessment report is being prepared.
A High Court judge has refused to extradite a man to Scotland on humanitarian grounds, citing severe prison overcrowding and inadequate mental health provision. Mr Justice Paul McDermott found that surrendering Richard Sharples, aged 24, from Dromore West, County Sligo, would expose him to a real and substantial risk of inhuman or degrading treatment. Mr Sharples is wanted by Glasgow Sheriff Court under a European arrest warrant for offences allegedly committed in September 2021, including a firearms offence and serious assault causing injury and endangerment of life. The judge noted that Barlinnie prison operates at 132 per cent capacity, with prisoners confined to cells for 22 hours daily in less than three square metres of space. He found that Scottish prison authorities failed to provide specific assurances regarding care for Mr Sharples' diagnosed conditions, including ADHD, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and Asperger's syndrome. The court heard evidence from a psychiatrist identifying specific support measures necessary in a prison setting.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 17‑year‑old girl testified that her father had stopped visiting him after she was raped by his housemate, a 53‑year‑old Slovakian man convicted of one rape and 12 sexual assaults between September 2012 and September 2013. The girl, who was seven when the abuse began, had reported the abuse to her mother in 2019 and later to a guidance counsellor. She was interviewed by specialist Gardaí in December 2020, when she was 15, and described repeated inappropriate touching, the giving of chocolate Kinder Eggs, and a single rape after the man lured her into his room. She said the abuse ruined her childhood, caused anxiety, depression and self‑harm, and left her fearful of men. The court heard that the defendant denies wrongdoing, has a prior murder conviction from 2001, and has been in custody since July 2021.
During the murder trial of Andrew Lacey, a jury heard a 999 call recorded on 15 October 2019 in which Lacey claimed he and a friend were attacked by two men, one with a baseball bat and the other with a knife, and that one attacker was Derek Reddin. The call, played to the jury, included Lacey's statements that the attackers were trying to kill them and that he was "worried sick." The prosecution alleges that Reddin was in Loughlinstown to fight Lacey and that Lacey used more force than was reasonably necessary. Lacey, aged 35, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 31‑year‑old Derek Reddin. The jury also viewed a 19‑minute CCTV montage showing the movements of Lacey, his friend, Reddin and Reddin's friend before the fatal incident. The trial is proceeding before Justice Mary Ellen Ring and a jury of eight men and four women.
Damien Clarke, 40, of North Strand, Drogheda, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for threatening to kill or seriously harm prison officers at Cloverhill Prison on 3 January 2022. He pleaded guilty to two counts of making such threats. Judge Orla Crowe noted that prison officers perform an important function and that threatening one during work is a serious offence. The judge accepted Clarke's early guilty plea and his mental health and poly‑substance abuse issues at the time. Clarke received a three‑year sentence with the final six months suspended, subject to strict conditions including engagement with the Probation Service for two years after release. He had 44 prior convictions, including theft, public order offences and assault, and was on remand at the time of the incident.
An Irish man aged 46 was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for repeated rape and sexual assault of a girl aged 8‑11 between August 2014 and August 2017. The offences, committed at his Wexford home, included eight counts of rape, nine of anal rape, eight of oral rape and nine of sexual assault. The court noted a particularly violent incident in which he tied the victim to a bed and held a knife to her throat, threatening her. He was found not guilty of three other rape counts. The judge imposed concurrent sentences of nine years and seven months for the anal and oral rape counts and four years and ten months for the sexual assault counts, with a two‑year post‑release supervision order. The sentence was back‑dated to the date he entered custody after the trial.
Dean Synnott, aged 28, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended on strict conditions, after pleading guilty to two counts of assault causing harm for a serious, determined attack on his partner on 14 October 2017. The court heard that Synnott repeatedly punched and choked the victim, shouted threats such as "Silly little bitch, I'm going to kill you," and attempted to strangle her while she tried to leave the house. He also followed her onto a road, punched her again, and told her that no one would help her when she screamed for assistance. The victim sustained a head injury, bruises, and a cut on her lip; she reported panic attacks and difficulty sleeping as a result of the incident. Synnott had nine prior convictions, all at the District Court, and was described as intoxicated during the attack.
Three family members and a teenager accused of murdering Thomas 'Tom' Dooley, 43, will be tried at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on 29 May 2024. The defendants are Patrick Dooley (35), Thomas Dooley Senior (41), Thomas Dooley Junior (20) and a 17‑year‑old boy who cannot be named. They are charged with the murder of Mr Dooley at Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee, on 5 October 2022, after he was attacked by a group of men while attending a funeral. Thomas Dooley Junior is also charged with assault causing serious harm to Mr Dooley's wife, Siobhán, and the teenager is charged with producing an article likely to intimidate or cause serious injury to Ms Dooley. Mr Dooley died after the attack; Siobhán suffered serious injuries. The court set the trial for the four defendants, with a mention scheduled for 10 July 2024 to allow the defence to receive case materials.
In a Dublin suburb, 35‑year‑old Andrew Lacey was accused of stabbing 31‑year‑old Derek Reddin to death on 14 or 15 October 2019. Lacey claimed he was there for a "straightener" and a fight, not by coincidence, and that a history of animosity existed between their associates. He said he was attacked by two men, one of whom he identified as Reddin, and that he used a work knife to defend himself. The prosecution argued that Lacey used more force than reasonably necessary. Evidence to be presented includes a 45‑second call to emergency services, CCTV footage, forensic blood and DNA on a knife, and a short video taken by a friend's phone. The trial is before Justice Mary Ellen Ring and a jury of eight men and four women. The case remains at the opening stage, with no verdict yet. Andrew Lacey pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 23‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to raping his 16‑year‑old girlfriend in April 2019 while she was napping at her Dublin home. The victim was taking Prozac, which caused her to go in and out of consciousness, and she later reported that her boyfriend knew about the medication. She had told friends and a counsellor about the assault and eventually reported it to gardaí in April 2020. The accused admitted the rape on Instagram after the victim posted her name and called him a rapist. He was 18 at the time of the offence and had no prior convictions. Mr Justice Paul McDermott sentenced him to four years and six months, suspending the final two years on conditions including cooperation with probation and therapeutic assessment. The court noted the defendant's remorse, mental health difficulties, and the victim's forgiving attitude.
A 27-year-old man from Donegal has been sentenced to 18 months in prison by the Central Criminal Court for sexually assaulting his partner's teenage sister in June 2017. The assault occurred while the victim slept in the accused's bed alongside her older sister. He initially claimed the encounter was consensual, a position he has since abandoned. The victim outlined the profound impact of the offence and the subsequent five-year delay in the case, describing how she lost family support and endured significant psychological harm. Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted that the initial false account compounded the damage to family relationships. The judge acknowledged the accused's guilty plea, his lack of relevant convictions, and expressions of remorse as mitigating factors. He imposed a three-year sentence with the final 18 months suspended on condition that the defendant engage in assessment for relevant programmes. A contact ban was also imposed.
The trial of Thomas McConnell, accused of the murder of Gareth Hutch, has been adjourned and must restart due to the illness of Judge David McHugh. At the Special Criminal Court, presiding judge Mr Justice Alex Owens informed the parties that the trial, which began on June 8, would be re-constituted with District Court Judge Grainne Malone replacing Judge McHugh. Both the prosecution and defense agreed to restart proceedings the following morning. Mr McConnell, 37, of Ballymun, Dublin 11, pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Mr Hutch, 36, which occurred on May 24, 2016, at Avondale House, North Cumberland Street, Dublin 1. The prosecution alleges that Mr McConnell and Jonathan Keogh used Mary McDonnell's nearby apartment to surveil the victim, subsequently following and shooting him. Mr McConnell is the fourth person to face trial for this offense; Regina Keogh, Jonathan Keogh, and Thomas Fox were previously found guilty by the court in November 2018. Following the adjournment, opening speeches will be delivered again, and Mr McConnell will be re-arraigned. The defense counsel, Patrick McGrath SC, stated his client preferred restarting immediately rather than waiting for Judge McHugh's availability. The trial is expected to conclude by July 31, the end of the current legal term.
Killer Farmer Michael Scott, who drove over his elderly aunt Christina 'Chrissie' Treacy (76) outside her home in Derryhiney, Portumna, Co Galway on April 27, 2018, has been jailed for six years. The judge, Ms Justice Caroline Biggs, noted that Scott showed 'no compassion' to his aunt in the immediate aftermath of the killing and told 'fundamental, self-preserving lies' about their relationship. Following a trial earlier this year, a jury found Scott not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter on the basis of gross negligence. The prosecution case was that Scott deliberately reversed over Ms Treacy following a long-running dispute over land. The judge set Scott's headline sentence at eight years but reduced that to six years having taken into account a number of mitigating factors. Scott had pleaded not guilty to murdering his aunt. The judge also noted that Scott has more recently expressed genuine remorse and reports from the probation services suggest he has insight into the impact the killing has had. He had no previous convictions and the judge described him as a hard-working family man who was responsible in his business affairs. The judge also noted that Scott has indicated that he accepts the jury's verdict.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Jordan Cawley, aged 25, was sentenced to 18 months in jail for assaulting a vulnerable young woman twice with a closed fist over a €20 drug debt. The incident began when the woman claimed the drugs had a bad effect on her, leading to a confrontation that escalated into physical violence. Cawley, who has 37 prior convictions, was described by Judge Martina Baxter as "very imposing" and lacking regard for safety. He struck the petite, defenseless woman twice, knocking her to the ground, and later repeated the assault inside a local tyre business. The judge noted Cawley's history of drug use and trauma, and imposed a suspended six‑month period with strict conditions, including post‑release supervision to address his rehabilitation needs. The woman and her brother were considered vulnerable and less strong than Cawley, and she did not file a complaint or victim impact statement. Jordan Cawley pleaded guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a seven‑year‑old girl testified via video link that she stopped living with her mother and the mother's partner because they were "being mean." The 29‑year‑old Dublin man, who cannot be named, pleaded not guilty to ten charges, including sexual abuse, reckless endangerment, child cruelty, and assault. The girl, who was under two at the time of the alleged abuse, denied that the man had bitten her or hit her with a stick, although a specialist interview when she was four had recorded her claiming such incidents. The jury also saw videos of specialist interviews with the girl's older brother, who described the man as a "bold daddy" and said he had hurt the children daily. The trial will resume before the jury and Mr Justice David Keane.
In a 2023 appeal, Gezim Idrizi, a 38‑year‑old security provider from Luttrellstown Heights, sought to overturn a conviction for assault causing harm that left a victim out of work for six months. Idrizi was found guilty by a jury of one count of assault causing harm and acquitted of a false imprisonment charge. The trial judge, Patricia Ryan, sentenced him to three years and nine months, suspending the final six months for two years. Idrizi's appeal argued that the jury had no evidence about the functionality of the DNA extraction machine used on blood found at the scene, and that expert testimony from Sarah Fleming was inadmissible. The Court of Appeal, hearing counsel Michael Bowman SC and Eoghan Cole BL, noted that the DNA evidence was lawfully obtained and that the judge had not warned the jury about the limitations of DNA analysis. The court reserved its judgment on the matter. Gezim Idrizi pleaded not guilty.
Stephen McMullen, 25, of Rowlagh Gardens, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to assault and intimidation of a witness after attacking a man outside his home on 19 August 2021. He was on bail for three offences and had 92 prior convictions. Gardai were called to the scene, where McMullen and a group of men assaulted the victim, who managed to escape to his house and call for help. McMullen later phoned the victim, asking what the gardai were doing, and sent a threatening text. DNA evidence linked him to the scene. Judge John Martin sentenced him to two years for assault and two and a half years for intimidation, with 18 months suspended, and imposed strict supervision and no contact with the victim. The sentence was consecutive and included conditions of good behaviour and probation supervision. The court noted McMullen's remorse and his desire for rehabilitation.
During a Central Criminal Court hearing, a four‑year‑old girl testified that her mother's partner had bitten her on her private area and struck her with a stick. The girl, who was just under two years old at the time of the alleged abuse, was found to have traumatic genital injuries that could have had potentially fatal consequences if untreated. The 29‑year‑old accused, whose name is withheld to protect the child's identity, pleaded not guilty to ten charges of sexual assault, reckless endangerment and child cruelty covering incidents between March and April 2018. The charges include allegations of biting the girl's genitals, failing to seek medical care for her injuries, and assaulting a boy under three years old. The trial is ongoing before Mr Justice David Keane.
Mary McDonnell, a key witness in the Special Criminal Court trial of Thomas McConnell for the murder of Gareth Hutch, told the court that she is only "half and half" on identifying one of the gunmen. She confirmed she could identify Jonathan Keogh, whom she had known for many years, but she could not identify the second man who was in her flat on the day of the murder. McDonnell agreed that CCTV footage from a shop showed Keogh with Thomas McConnell on the day of the shooting, and she said the second person "could be" the man she saw in her apartment with Keogh as they waited to ambush Hutch. She stated that when pressured by Gardaí, she admitted she was not "one hundred per cent" certain and was "half and half" in her identification. Thomas McConnell pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 29‑year‑old man pleaded not guilty to ten charges of sexual assault, reckless endangerment and child cruelty involving a girl just under two and a boy just under three, dated March–April 2018. The prosecution argued that the girl was taken to hospital after Gardaí and social workers observed bruising and facial injuries. Doctors found severe genital trauma, describing it as "potentially fatal" if untreated, and a wrist fracture. The boy was later examined and found with bruising. Evidence included CCTV from a Dublin shopping centre, security footage, and interviews with the children. The accused denied all allegations, including penetrating the girl's vagina, failing to seek medical care, assaulting the boy's genitals, and biting the girl's genital area. The trial remains ongoing before Mr Justice David Keane.
Mary McDonnell, a mother of two, testified at the Special Criminal Court that two men, including Jonathan Keogh, barged into her apartment on the morning of Gareth Hutch's murder. She said they used her flat as a lookout, watched Hutch's apartment from a window, and signalled to Keogh that they were ready. McDonnell described how Keogh and an unnamed second man, who she described as "blocky" and wearing a hoodie, entered her home, put on gloves left by Regina Keogh, and monitored a black car parked outside. She reported hearing three bangs and later learning that Keogh had shot Hutch. McDonnell's testimony, which will continue the following day, is part of the trial of Thomas McConnell, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Hutch. The trial is presided over by Mr Justice Alex Owens, Judge Elma Sheahan and Judge David McHugh.
The Court of Appeal has quashed the original sentence of James Davy, who was convicted of impeding the apprehension of Sean Davy following the murder of Thomas 'Toddy' Dooley. Davy's conviction for murder was previously overturned in 2021, substituting it with a lesser offence for attempting to dispose of a baseball bat and burning the victim's body. Mr Justice George Birmingham ruled that the original nine-year sentence, with two years suspended, was excessive because the re-sentencing judge failed to adequately consider mitigating factors, including Davy's early plea, remorse, mental health difficulties, and productive prison conduct. The court reduced the sentence to eight years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, and marked the sentence as served. Davy had already served six years and nine months before his release in September 2021. Mr Justice John Edwards noted that the re-sentencing judge made no reference to these mitigating circumstances, which Davy was entitled to have taken into account. The court emphasized that while the offending was egregious, Davy was entitled to a proportionate sentence reflecting standard mitigation. Sean Davy, the principal offender, remains serving a life sentence for murder, while Mathew Cummins, who admitted to setting fire to the body, was also convicted of impeding apprehension. The appeal was dismissed as moot by the State, but the court affirmed Davy's right to due process and a correctly calibrated censure.
Jonathan Dowdall, a former Sinn Fein councillor, appealed his four-year sentence for facilitating the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel. Counsel Michael O'Higgins SC argued Dowdall was "duped" and placed in the "firing line" for a disinformation plan, contending the Special Criminal Court failed to adequately weigh the life changes resulting from his cooperation. Dowdall had pleaded guilty to the facilitation charge, which involved his father, Patrick Dowdall, booking a room on February 4, 2016. Patrick Dowdall was separately jailed for two years for his role in the same offence. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, noted Dowdall had previously served a substantial sentence for torturing Alexander Hurley, a conviction for which he and his father had successfully appealed earlier. The judges questioned whether a defendant with such a history could expect a better outcome, noting the sentencing court had already applied unusual discounts. The appeal challenged the headline sentence and plea discount, but the court highlighted the appellant's prior convictions and the impact of his decisions on his family. The matter was adjourned.
Christina Anderson, aged 41, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment by the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Gareth Kelly, aged 38, who was stabbed five times on 25 February 2020 while attempting to start his car outside her home. Anderson was diagnosed with schizo‑affective disorder and had been in the Central Mental Hospital since shortly after the stabbing. She pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but the Director of Public Prosecutions accepted a plea of guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility due to a mental disorder. The judge, Justice Karen O'Connor, noted that Anderson's responsibility was diminished by her mental condition and that her actions were "highly dominated by her mental condition." The sentence was reduced from a headline of 13 years to 11 years, with the final three years suspended for four years on the condition that Anderson remain under probation supervision, comply with psychiatric treatment, and refrain from drug and alcohol use.
Two survivors of sexual abuse by Patrick Killally, aged 45, told the Central Criminal Court how they spoke out to protect children and encourage others to come forward. One survivor was between six and nine years old when abused; the other was between 12 and 14. Killally was a teenager when he assaulted the first boy and an adult when he abused the second boy over two years. He was convicted of three counts of sexual assault of the first boy (1992‑1996) and 40 counts of sexual assault, attempted anal rape, oral rape and anal rape of the second boy (2005‑2007). The survivors described the long‑term emotional burden, fear of speaking out, and their decision to testify after the trial ended in May 2023. Killally maintains his innocence; the court remanded him in custody and adjourned sentencing to 10 July.
A 67-year-old man from Donegal has been sentenced to twenty years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the rape and sexual abuse of four girls spanning a twenty-six-year period from 1982 to 2008. The defendant pleaded guilty to six counts of rape, one count of attempted oral rape, nine counts of attempted rape, five counts of indecent assault, and twenty-nine counts of sexual assault. Justice Ellen Ring described him as a "committed long-term child abuser" who breached the trust of his victims and their families. The court heard the abuse occurred in various locations including his home and vehicle. The offences involved family members, including his sister-in-law and three nieces, who were aged between five and sixteen at the time. The defendant was assessed as presenting medium to high risk of re-offending with deviant sexual interest in children under sixteen. Justice Ring imposed consecutive sentences for the most serious offences while noting the defendant's guilty pleas and work history.
The Central Criminal Court heard that a 43‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to indecent assault and multiple sexual assault charges against his sister, who was abused from age three to ten. The abuse began when she was three, continued after she reported it to her parents at four and to a GP in July 1991, and persisted for five more years. The court noted that the family had attended one counselling session before the father decided not to return. The judge highlighted the sister's forgiveness and lack of desire for imprisonment, her remorse, and her efforts to rebuild her life, including studying psychology. The man was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. The hearing focused on the ongoing abuse, the sister's impact statement, and the man's admissions and cooperation with investigators.
In a Westmeath case, a 33‑year‑old man was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of raping a 15‑year‑old girl in an unoccupied apartment on 20 January 2019. The victim, aged 15‑half at the time, was invited to the apartment with a friend, where the accused entered through a window. After refusing a kiss, the man touched her, pulled down her leggings, pushed her onto a couch and raped her while she shouted for him to stop. He used abusive language and later left for the toilet. The girl did not give a victim impact statement and only later sought medical treatment for a hymen laceration, after which the matter was reported to Gardaí. The accused denies sexual contact. He has prior convictions for assault, disorder and traffic offences but none of a sexual nature.
The High Court has adjourned proceedings concerning Imre Arakas, a 63-year-old Estonian national currently in Lithuania, who is seeking to instruct legal representation. The Minister for Justice informed Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo that Lithuania requested to prosecute Arakas for offences other than those for which he was surrendered under a European Arrest Warrant. Arakas was previously extradited to face trial for the alleged murder of Deimantas Bugavicius in November 2015, along with firearms and conspiracy charges. While an eyewitness stated Arakas was not present at the scene, Lithuanian authorities allege he conspired in the killing. Arakas, who told gardai he was in Spain during the relevant dates, has a prior conviction in Ireland. In December 2018, the Special Criminal Court jailed him for six years after he admitted conspiring to murder James 'Mago' Gately in Northern Ireland in 2017. The court noted a 30-day time restraint for the new prosecution request. Ms Aoife O'Leary BL, who previously represented Arakas, stated she lacked instructions to act on the current matter and was unsure if he wished to engage Ferrys Solicitors. The judge agreed to adjourn the case for one week to allow the respondent to instruct a firm of solicitors, ensuring his interests are represented.