A jury has been sworn in at the Central Criminal Court in Monaghan to hear the trial of a 32-year-old man charged with the murder of Jasmine McMonagle in County Donegal in January 2019. Richard Burke, with an address in Killygordon, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The alleged offence occurred at Forest Park, Killygordon on 4 January 2019. Mr Justice Paul Burns informed the jury panel of twelve that the trial is expected to last approximately two weeks. The prosecution will open its case this afternoon. Both the accused and the deceased were resident in Killygordon at the time of the alleged incident.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a 17‑year‑old woman alleged she was raped by three men in a hotel car park on 20 December 2017. She said she had been invited by a friend to "go for a drive" and that the friend had shown her photos on Facebook. The woman confirmed she had not previously travelled with boys she did not know and that she believed the night was a drive, not sex. She stated she was shocked when the defendants approached her in the car and that she had not consented to any sexual activity. She told a friend she had been forced to have sex with the men and that she had been raped. The defendants, aged 22, 23 and 22, have pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges. The trial is ongoing before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and a jury.
A 25‑year‑old English tourist, Thomas Oliver, was attacked in Dublin on 17 April 2022 and spent five and a half weeks in hospital, including three weeks in a coma at Beaumont Hospital. He suffered severe head injuries, loss of muscle mass, headaches, loss of smell and taste, and ongoing post‑traumatic stress. Oliver described waking as a "shell of a human" and expressed that the psychological damage would never leave him or his family. He thanked Irish emergency services and noted the financial cost of his care. The assailant, 19‑year‑old Stefan Bornac, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Oliver and assault causing harm to Oliver's friend James Lightly. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Bornac to four and a half years in prison, with nine months suspended, after reducing a headline sentence of six and a half to seven years because of his age, good character, lack of record, guilty plea and cooperation.
During the trial of Michael Scott, a 58‑year‑old engineer from Gortanumera, Portumna, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 76‑year‑old Chrissie Treacy outside her home in Derryhiney, Portumna, on 27 April 2018. Dr Mark Jordan, a mechanical engineer hired by Scott's defence, testified that the claim that Ms Treacy was run over twice by the teleporter was "unsupported" and that all her injuries could have been caused by a single movement. He argued that only one clear imprint was found on her trousers and that the other marks were difficult to interpret. Dr Jordan also disagreed with a Garda report that Ms Treacy should have been visible to Scott as he reversed across his yard, citing blind spots, dirty windows and glare. He maintained that the injuries were consistent with one motion of the vehicle and that no unusual use of the teleporter was required to cause her death.
Joseph Rogerson, aged 73, was sentenced to four years in prison for possessing cocaine and heroin for sale or supply. The drugs were seized in June 2005 from his car on Rock Road, Blackrock, and from his house in Ballybrack, Co. Dublin, amounting to just over a kilo of cocaine and heroin worth €146,552. Rogerson had fled Ireland in 2006, taking a bench warrant, and lived in the Canary Islands until his voluntary return on 8 March 2023. He had 31 prior convictions, including 23 for larceny and several assault offences, but had not offended since 1987. The judge noted his age, his voluntary surrender, and cooperation with Gardaí, and backdated the sentence to the day of his return. The court highlighted that Rogerson's gambling debt and alleged coercion by third parties were factors considered in sentencing. The four‑year term is effective from 8 March 2023.
A security guard has testified at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in the trial of four men accused of an assault on a rural Roscommon property in December 2018. Michael Kane told the jury he was asleep in a security van at the 30-acre estate near Strokestown when he was awakened by shouting and roaring at approximately 5am on December 16. He described witnessing a colleague being struck and falling to the ground, and hearing a loud mechanical sound. The witness said he and three other security personnel fled the scene, believing they would be killed. Upon returning when emergency services arrived, Mr Kane found the yard ablaze with two cars and four vans on fire. He said he feared finding "charred dead bodies" of his colleagues. Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne and David Lawlor have each pleaded not guilty to 17 charges including false imprisonment, assault causing harm, aggravated burglary, arson and violent disorder. The trial before Judge Martina Baxter and a jury continues.
A 71‑year‑old Christian Brother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six and a half years' imprisonment for nine counts of indecent assault on four boys between 1976 and 1978, when he was their fourth‑class teacher at a CBS school in Leinster. He had previously served a five‑and‑a‑half‑year term for indecently assaulting five other boys in the late 1970s and had about 45 prior convictions for indecent assault. The jury found him guilty after he denied the charges and refused to accept the verdicts. Victim impact statements were read at the sentencing hearing, describing physical abuse, sexual assault, and lasting psychological harm.
Douglas Glynn, a manager for the Kinahan cartel, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court for managing an industrial-scale drugs warehouse. Mr Justice Tony Hunt described Glynn as "cannon fodder" used by higher-level members. Glynn pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess 335 rounds of ammunition and to conspiracy to possess cocaine and cannabis worth over €13,000. The judge fixed a headline sentence of 12 years for the drugs charge, discounted by 25% for his early plea, with the final year suspended for four years under probation supervision. He was also sentenced to four years for the ammunition charge to run concurrently. These sentences run from February 20, when he entered his first plea. Glynn is already serving a seven-and-a-half-year sentence, with the final year suspended, for his role in a foiled plot to murder James 'Mago' Gately. His brother, Anthony Glynn, pleaded guilty to possessing the ammunition and drugs for the gang and was sentenced in February of last year to seven-and-a-half years' imprisonment with the final year suspended. Emmet Fogarty, alleged to be responsible for the unit, was jailed for five years in November 2018 after pleading guilty to possession of the drugs and ammunition. The matter was concluded with these sentences.
Martin Joyce, 42, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a nurse on 29 October 2020 while he was a voluntary inpatient at a Dublin psychiatric hospital. He was heavily medicated for a misdiagnosed schizophrenia, later re‑diagnosed with an emotionally unstable personality disorder. The assault occurred around 11 pm after Joyce had been transferred to the main ward. The nurse described Joyce staring at her, grabbing her breasts, sliding his hands down to her bottom, and then lunging at her. She activated her alarm and escaped along the corridor. Joyce later admitted the offence, expressed remorse and was found guilty. Judge Martin Nolan, hearing the case in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, imposed a fully suspended sentence, ordered Joyce to be of good behaviour for one year and to comply with Probation Services supervision. He also noted Joyce's previous seven convictions, including assault, malicious damage and failure to comply with Garda directions.
During the trial of Michael Scott for the 2018 murder of 76‑year‑old Ms Treacy, accident investigator John Hayes presented evidence that Ms Treacy was likely walking away from the teleporter as it approached, attempting to escape impact. Hayes argued that a pedestrian in a light‑blue cardigan would have been clearly visible through the back window, though visibility was reduced by grime. He described two distinct tracks on Ms Treacy's body, suggesting two passes by the teleporter, and reconstructed the scene with a garda standing one metre behind the vehicle. Hayes noted that the teleporter's left rear view mirror was missing and that the driver would have needed to rotate 90° to see behind while reversing, a normal action for an agricultural vehicle. Michael Scott pleaded not guilty.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has found Stephen Silver guilty of capital murder following a retrial. Silver, aged 46, a mechanic from Aughaward, Foxford, County Mayo, was convicted of fatally shooting Garda Colm Horkan with the officer's own firearm on 17 June 2020 near Castlerea, County Roscommon. The jury of seven men and five women reached their unanimous verdict after deliberating for eight hours and 39 minutes. A previous jury had been unable to reach agreement in November 2022. Silver had pleaded not guilty to capital murder but guilty to manslaughter. The trial centred on his state of mind at the time of the shooting, with defence evidence suggesting mental illness contributed to his actions, whilst prosecution submissions maintained he acted with intent to kill. Ms Justice Tara Burns will impose sentence on 19 April. Conviction for capital murder carries a mandatory minimum 40-year prison sentence.
The trial of three men accused of raping a 17-year-old woman in a hotel car park in the Leinster area on December 20, 2017, continued at the Central Criminal Court. The complainant testified that she was in shock after the alleged attack and could not believe what had happened. She described being driven to petrol stations where the defendants purchased cigarettes, noting she was unsure if she exited the vehicle at the first stop. After being dropped off, she walked to a friend's house, where she checked for bleeding but found only fluid. She later took the morning-after pill and contacted her boss, claiming a stomach bug, before spending the day at a friend's home. Her mother subsequently arranged an appointment at a sexual assault treatment unit. The complainant stated she delayed reporting to gardaí until December 27 due to fear, providing her clothes and names obtained from Facebook searches. The first defendant, aged 22, pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault. The second defendant, aged 23, pleaded not guilty to one count of rape, one count of oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault. The third defendant, aged 22, pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and one count of oral rape. The trial continues before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and the jury.
At the Central Criminal Court, the murder trial of James Kilroy, aged 49, of Kilbree Lower, Westport, Co Mayo, has been adjourned until Monday afternoon following an unforeseen development. Mr Kilroy, a park ranger, is charged with the murder of his wife Valerie French Kilroy, aged 41, at their rural home on a date between 13 and 14 June 2019. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The trial was delayed this morning when High Court judge Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring informed the jury that an unexpected matter had arisen unknown to all parties. She noted that neither party was at fault and that additional time was required to address the issue. Evidence presented to the jury has included testimony from the Chief State Pathologist regarding the cause of death. The defence has made formal admissions that the defendant killed his wife. The trial will resume on Monday.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has convicted Stephen Silver of the capital murder of Garda Colm Horkan in Castlerea, County Roscommon, on 17 June 2020. Silver, a 46-year-old motorcycle mechanic, was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years imprisonment. The court heard that Silver had deliberately provoked an encounter with gardaí that evening, conducting dangerous motorcycle manoeuvres around the Knockroe estate in Foxford and making verbal challenges to armed officers. When Garda Horkan, a 25-year veteran based in Charlestown, County Mayo, approached Silver and his companion James Coyne, a struggle ensued over the officer's firearm. Silver disarmed Garda Horkan and fired eleven shots at the wounded officer as he lay on the ground. The defence argued Silver was experiencing a relapse of bipolar affective disorder at the time, but the jury rejected this claim. Expert testimony established that Silver's pattern of prior involuntary psychiatric admissions had created a "learned impunity" whereby he expected diffusion and hospitalisation rather than serious criminal consequences. Garda Helen Gillen, who witnessed the incident, confronted and arrested Silver unarmed. Stephen Silver pleaded guilty.
Three men, aged 22, 23 and 22, are on trial at the Central Criminal Court for alleged rape and sexual assault of a 17‑year‑old girl in a hotel car park in Leinster on 20 December 2017. The first defendant pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault; the second pleaded not guilty to one count of rape, one count of oral rape and two counts of sexual assault; the third pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and one count of oral rape. The complainant, who left home around 6 pm after a friend texted her to go for a drive, was taken to the car park by four male passengers. She alleges the defendants forced her into the car, attempted to undress her, and engaged in non‑consensual sexual acts, including rape, oral rape and forced intercourse.
The trial of Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne, and David Lawlor continues before Judge Martina Baxter and a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The four men, who have all pleaded not guilty, face the same 17 charges each. They are accused of false imprisonment and assault causing harm to four security guards, including Mark Rissen, at a repossessed farm in Falsk, Strokestown, on December 16, 2018. The State alleges the group also committed aggravated burglary, four counts of arson, criminal damage, violent disorder, robbery, and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. Mr. Rissen testified that he was pushed to the ground, struck, and had his hands tied with cable ties during the attack. He reported bleeding from a leg gash and smoke inhalation, requiring treatment at Mullingar Hospital. The court heard that the accused allegedly arrived armed with various weapons, smashed the property, and set vehicles on fire. The trial is currently at the evidence stage, with the prosecution presenting witness accounts of the alleged assault and property damage.
Lee Lismore, 54, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after a revenge attack on a man he claimed had assaulted him earlier. The incident occurred at Smithfield Square, Dublin, on 3 April 2021, where Lismore, along with two other men, punched, kicked and stabbed the victim, who suffered a brain bleed and multiple stab wounds. Lismore had no prior convictions and cooperated with Gardaí, providing details of the alleged earlier assault. The court noted strong mitigating factors, including his community volunteer work and lack of criminal history. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Lismore to a three‑year term, suspended on conditions, and required him to pay €3,000 to the victim. The case remains under investigation for the alleged initial assault. The other two men were not before the court.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing, Garda investigator Eoin O'Connor admitted he erred in his collision report concerning the fatal incident involving Chrissie Treacy, who was run over by an agricultural teleporter driven by her nephew Michael Scott. O'Connor had stated that an experienced operator would leave the machine in gear after turning it off to prevent rolling, but he acknowledged that another operator's evidence showed this would not stop the teleporter from moving. He explained that his mistake stemmed from his lack of experience with such machinery. The trial, which has heard that Mr Scott, aged 58, pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Treacy on 27 April 2018, continues before Justice Caroline Biggs and a 15‑person jury. The prosecution maintains that Mr Scott deliberately ran over Ms Treacy amid a long‑running land dispute, while his lawyers argue the death was a tragic accident.
A former Israeli soldier, Shahar Hlinovsky, aged 53, turned pro‑Palestinian activist and was said to have been persecuted by Mossad. He lived rough in Dublin and, in two separate incidents, attacked people he mistakenly believed were working for Mossad. In the first, he shouted at a man, brandishing a butcher's knife, which forced the man to call gardaí and retreat. Gardaí found two knives on Hlinovsky. In the second, he pushed a young woman who had just arrived from Germany and was calling her mother, causing her to suffer a graze and a partially ripped nail. Hlinovsky pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, two knife‑possession counts and another assault. He was sentenced to three years, with the final two years suspended and conditions imposed, and will be supervised by the Probation Service for one year after release.
The jury in the Central Criminal Court trial of Stephen Silver continues deliberations in the case concerning the death of Garda Colm Horkan at Castlerea, County Roscommon on June 17, 2020. Mr Silver, aged 46 and from Aughaward, Foxford, County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The jury, comprising seven men and five women, has deliberated for over five hours and will resume considerations on a third day. Justice Tara Burns has directed the panel that possible verdicts include capital murder, murder simpliciter, or manslaughter based on diminished responsibility or self-defence. The central issue concerns Mr Silver's mental state at the time of the shooting. The defence argues Mr Silver was experiencing a relapse of mental illness that substantially reduced his responsibility, while the prosecution contends the shooting was a deliberate act motivated by resentment towards gardaí. Expert psychiatric evidence was presented by both the defence and prosecution regarding Mr Silver's mental condition at the time of the incident.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard testimony on 13 March 2023 in the trial of four men charged in connection with an attack on a repossessed farm near Strokestown, County Roscommon. The managing director of Trinity Asset Management Services described executing a repossession order at Falsk on 11 December 2018, following which he met a large group at Strokestown church before driving in convoy to the property. The State alleges that five days later, approximately 30 people, some masked and carrying weapons, attacked the rural premises, assaulted four security personnel, damaged vehicles, and injured a guard dog. The defence barrister characterised the convoy operation as resembling frontier justice. Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne, and David Lawlor, all pleaded not guilty to 53 charges in total, including aggravated burglary, assault causing harm, arson, false imprisonment, criminal damage, and violent disorder. The trial before Judge Martina Baxter and a jury continues.
In a High Court case, Mr Justice Paul Burns sentenced two brothers, aged 46 and 44, to three‑year terms for repeated rape and sexual assault of a younger brother in their family home. The 46‑year‑old pleaded guilty to 15 charges of sexual assault and anal rape between May 1990 and December 1993; the 44‑year‑old pleaded guilty to 13 similar charges. Each brother received a three‑year term with the final 18 months suspended for the rape charges and a concurrent 12‑month prison term for the sexual assault. Both men are now registered sex offenders. The judge noted that the brothers' low risk of re‑offending and the fact that they were children at the time of the offences meant a post‑release supervision order was unnecessary. He expressed sympathy for the victim and hoped that further intervention and family support might lessen the harm caused.
Sean Squires, aged 19, avoided jail after a week in custody for stabbing a young man on a Dublin bus in August 2021. Squires, who was 17 at the time, stabbed the victim in the cheek and leg after the victim tried to intervene in an argument between Squires and his girlfriend. The incident occurred when the couple were heading into the city centre for dinner; the victim's girlfriend was upset and the argument escalated. Gardaí arrested Squires shortly after he tried to board another bus. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and producing a knife. Judge Martin Nolan remanded him to understand custody, then imposed a two‑year sentence, which he suspended in full on strict conditions, citing Squires' youth. The judge warned that any repeat offence would lead to long imprisonment. No prior convictions were recorded. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has begun deliberations in the trial of Stephen Silver, charged with the murder of Garda Colm Horkan at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. Mr Silver, aged 46 of Aughavard, Foxford, County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Justice Tara Burns instructed the jury of twelve that possible verdicts include capital murder, murder, or manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility or self-defence. The central issue concerns Mr Silver's state of mind at the time of the shooting. Expert evidence was presented regarding whether Mr Silver's bipolar affective disorder was operant during the incident, with the defence and prosecution psychiatrists disagreeing on this point. The judge emphasised that the jury must determine the facts rather than defer to expert testimony. A unanimous verdict is required. Deliberations commenced at 3:40pm and will resume on Tuesday.
In March 2023 the Central Criminal Court sentenced a 40‑year‑old woman and her 52‑year‑old partner to a combined 33 years for repeated rape and sexual abuse of their five‑year‑old daughter and three‑year‑old son. The couple denied the charges, which included rape, oral rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, reckless endangerment and false imprisonment, and were tried in 2022. Mr Justice David Keane imposed 19 years on the man and 14 years on the woman, with all sentences running concurrently. The judge noted the children's profound trauma and the breach of trust by a mother who allowed the abuse. Both defendants were added to the sexual offenders register and will be supervised by the Probation Service for two years after release. No portion of the sentences was suspended. The court expressed hope that the children would find strength in the verdict. The unnamed 40-year-old was convicted.
At a sentencing hearing on 13 March 2023, Sharon Higgins, mother of 19‑year‑old Jamie Higgins, spoke of the pain of knowing that his killer, Nathan O'Neill, had remained free for more than four years after the 2018 nightclub stabbing. Higgins described her son as a loving, generous father and expressed her ongoing grief and health struggles. O'Neill, aged 24, had been tried twice for murder, was acquitted on the first trial and found guilty of manslaughter and causing serious harm to Michael Shannon on the night of 18 March 2018. The court heard that O'Neill had previous convictions for knife possession, threatening a security guard and criminal damage. O'Neill admitted responsibility, expressed remorse, and said he would never forget the impact on the family. Judge Paul Burns adjourned sentencing until 24 April.
In a Dublin family home on 29 November 2020, a 32‑year‑old man assaulted his pregnant partner and his 12‑year‑old son. The partner, five months pregnant, was left unconscious with a head injury and bleeding heavily. The infant was found in a cot with the mother's blood on its babygro. The son, who had bruises and a cut, was thrown against a metal bed frame after attempting to intervene. The man pleaded guilty to assaulting his partner and son. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to 40 months' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions, including two years of probation. The sentence was back‑dated to 2 December 2021, when he entered custody. The court noted the intimate relationship, the violence involved, the victim's injuries, the son's age, and the defendant's remorse and willingness to engage with support services.
A man has pleaded guilty to money laundering before the Special Criminal Court following his extradition from Spain. Gerard Mackin (40), originally from west Belfast, admitted to handling €4,780 in proceeds of criminal conduct at Rhebogue Road, Limerick, on April 17, 2019. He was arrested at Dublin Airport in December last year under a European Arrest Warrant. Mackin pleaded guilty to one charge under the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act 2010. The three-judge court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Alan Mitchell, adjourned sentencing to March 30. The defendant's legal team requested a governor's report from Portlaoise Prison, which was granted. Mackin has previous convictions including a 2017 sentence for assault causing harm in Limerick.
Kenneth Reilly, 63, was jailed for five years after a jury found him guilty of three counts of indecent assault on his sister‑in‑law, Helene Hallisey Power, between 1982 and 1985 when she was aged 12 to 16. The trial, held in the Central Criminal Court in Cork, concluded in October after a series of allegations that Reilly forced Power to masturbate, photographed her without clothes, and made her watch pornographic films. Power, now 54, testified that the abuse left her feeling "dirty, ashamed, empty and completely confused," and that taking the stand felt like a re‑experience of sexual assault. She described the impact on her mental health and her decision to speak out. Reilly, who has no prior convictions, accepted the verdicts and was sentenced by Ms Justice Creedon to six years, with the final year suspended on conditions, back‑dated to his entry into custody.
Paul Coffey, 46, of Limerick, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to discharging a firearm and to possession of a firearm in circumstances that suggested it was not for lawful use, in connection with the shooting of Alan Murphy on 11 June 2020 at Long Pavement, Watch House Cross. He had previously been charged with attempted murder. The court was satisfied with the indictment counts and no victim impact statement was sought. A governor's report from Limerick Prison was ordered for his sentence hearing. Coffey was remanded in custody until 27 March for sentencing.
A 55‑year‑old Cork man was sentenced to eight years in prison, with the final two years suspended, for raping and sexually abusing his younger cousin over a ten‑year period from 1985 to 1995. He was convicted on 33 counts, including 20 of indecent assault and 13 of section 4 rape. The victim, aged between five and 15 at the time of the abuse, suffered repeated sexual assault, forced masturbation, oral and anal rape, occurring on average twice a week. The defendant, who was 18 when the abuse began, pleaded not guilty and continues to deny the offences. The court noted the significant age disparity, the prolonged nature of the abuse, and the victim's negative psychological impact, including suicidal thoughts and loss of friends, jobs and a normal life. The judge, acknowledging the defendant's serious medical condition, anxiety, mild learning difficulty and sheltered life, nevertheless placed the case in the more serious category and imposed the sentence.
At the Central Criminal Court, a murder trial heard that James Kilroy, aged 49, a park ranger from Kilbree Lower, Westport, County Mayo, described to gardai how he "waited in the long grass" before attacking his wife at their rural home. The Chief State Pathologist testified that Valerie French Kilroy, aged 41, an occupational therapist and mother of three, died from ligature strangulation, blunt force trauma to the head, and a stab wound to the neck. Mr Kilroy has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to her murder on a date between 13 and 14 June 2019. His legal team has made formal admissions that he killed his wife. During garda interviews, he described the assault as "dark and frenzied" and claimed she was alive when he left her. The trial before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring continues.
At the Central Criminal Court, defence counsel Dominic McGinn SC argued during closing submissions that Stephen Silver's shooting of Garda Colm Horkan at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020 was not a rational act and should prompt questions about his mental capacity at the time. Mr McGinn told the jury that Mr Silver's behaviour in custody was erratic, including urinating in his cell and banging his head against walls, suggesting limited social functioning. He contended that the accused was experiencing a relapse of bipolar affective disorder when the incident occurred. Expert evidence was divided: consultant psychiatrist Professor Harry Kennedy maintained mental illness played no part in the shooting, while Dr Brenda Wright, interim clinical director at the Central Mental Hospital, concluded Mr Silver's mental illness was a significant factor. Mr Silver has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The trial, at the Central Criminal Court, continues with the judge's charge to the jury expected on Monday.
In March 2023, a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard a case where a man violently assaulted his former partner in front of their two teenage children. He strangled her, broke her nose, and threatened to kill her and the children. The victim, who had a barring order against him, had asked him to help with the children, but he arrived drunk and attacked her. She managed to escape, and the children called Gardaí, who arrested him. While in custody, he was violent towards Gardaí, spitting and shouting about Covid‑19, and set his jumper on fire. He pleaded guilty to six charges, including assault causing harm and obstruction of a peace officer. Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced him to four and a half years' imprisonment, ordering that contact with the victim be limited to her solicitor for three years.
Michael Scott, 58, of Gortanumera, Portumna, Co Galway, pleaded not guilty to murder after his 76‑year‑old aunt, Ms Treacy, died when he allegedly ran her over with a JCB on 27 April 2018. In court, Scott said he did not realise he could call 999 for an ambulance and that he thought his aunt would survive. He denied deliberately rolling over her a second time and claimed the incident was an accident. Scott said he did not help her up because he needed someone with him and that he had called his friend Francis Hardiman for help. He denied any intent to kill and said he did not want his aunt to die. The trial, hearing the prosecution's case that the run‑over was deliberate, continues next week before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs and a jury.
Joe Dunne, a former priest from Ballycrystal, Geashill, pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent assault against a young woman in 1989. The victim, who had been abused and hospitalized, was driven by Dunne to the Rape Crisis Centre for counselling, during which he repeatedly assaulted her. She later wrote to her bishop, but little action was taken. In 2019, Gardaí discovered her letters and she disclosed the abuse. Dunne, who has no prior convictions and is the sole carer for his 94‑year‑old sister, was sentenced by Justice Paul McDermott to four years imprisonment. The judge suspended the entire sentence on strict conditions, citing the disproportionate impact on his sister and Dunne's health issues. The court noted the victim's 34‑year trauma and the breach of trust by Dunne. The sentence requires probation and offence‑focused work.
At the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, the Chief State Pathologist provided evidence that a woman from Westport, County Mayo, died from ligature strangulation, blunt force trauma to the head, and a stab wound to the neck. Valerie French Kilroy, aged 41, was found in a campervan at her home on Kilbree Lower, Westport, on June 15th, 2019. Park ranger James Kilroy, aged 49, is charged with her murder between June 13th and 14th, 2019. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, though his defence counsel has made formal admissions that the accused killed his wife. A witness told the court he observed a naked man walking in circles in a nearby field on the morning of June 14th, heading towards Croagh Patrick. The pathologist detailed multiple injuries including defensive wounds to the deceased's hands and a stab wound measuring 4.7 centimetres in length. The trial continues before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring.
The Central Criminal Court has set a trial for 32‑year‑old Jozef Puska, accused of murdering 23‑year‑old school teacher Ashling Murphy in Offaly. The alleged killing occurred on 12 January 2022 when Ms Murphy was fatally assaulted while jogging along Fiona's Way, a stretch of the Grand Canal near Tullamore. Puska, who lives at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, is charged with murder and will stand trial on 6 June. The court will reconvene on 31 March for a progress update. The case is expected to last up to four weeks.
In a Dalkey coastal attack on 20 November 2020, 20‑year‑old Jakub Kaczar, then on bail, assaulted three victims at Hawk Cliff. He covered his hand in blood from a head cut and ran it along the face of Aisling Leahy, placing his fingers in her mouth, causing her to undergo blood tests and suffer great distress over a possible disease. Kaczar also punched David Morrell in the face and head, demanding an apology, and pushed Ciara Walsh onto a bench, bruising her leg. He pleaded guilty to separate counts of assaulting Morrell, Walsh and Leahy. The court sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions, and imposed concurrent sentences of 18 months for Walsh and two‑and‑a‑half years for Leahy, all to run consecutively to his existing 16‑month term.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, William Eagers, aged 62, pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife, Jean Eagers, aged 57, who died from wounds sustained in a samurai sword attack on 21 June 2020 at their Willow Wood Grove home in Clonsilla, north Dublin. Eagers, a former export operations manager and part‑time taxi driver, was charged with murder and the production of a samurai sword during the incident. The court set a sentencing date for 24 March to allow preparation of a victim impact statement, with the mandatory life sentence for murder pending.
Micheal Scott, 58, of Portumna, Co Galway, is on trial for the alleged murder of his aunt, Chrissie Treacy, outside her home in Derryhiney on April 27, 2018. Mr Scott has pleaded not guilty, with his defence arguing the death was a tragic accident, while the prosecution alleges he deliberately ran her over following a long-running land dispute. During testimony, Mr Scott told gardai that his relationship with Ms Treacy was "fine" and that he gave a "deaf ear" to solicitor's letters seeking to partition their jointly owned land because he did not understand how it could be divided. He described Ms Treacy as "decent" and denied serious arguments, stating they only disagreed over minor issues like leaves or dirt. He claimed he did not see Ms Treacy when reversing a JCB teleporter, believing he might have hit a trailer tow bar. Witnesses included Detective Sergeant Paul Duane, who detailed the arrest and interviews, and agricultural consultant Declan McHugh, who testified that Ms Treacy instructed him to lease land and prevent Mr Scott from claiming farm payments for portions of the Derryhiney holding. Expert witness Robin Acheson explained the mechanics of the JCB, noting the handbrake was broken and that sudden direction changes could cause wheel tearout. The trial continues before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs and a jury.
A 17‑year‑old teenager gave evidence at the Central Criminal Court on 9 March 2023, describing the night of 24 February 2021 when he was shot in Eugene Street, Dublin 8. He said he has no memory of the events before, during or after the shooting, citing medication. The trial concerns Stephen Mulvey (31) and Jamie Berry (27), both former residents of Leo Fitzgerald House, who are charged with attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Both pleaded not guilty. Witness Yasmin Ryan, who lived on Eugene Street, reported hearing three shots and shouts of "Go on! Finish him!" before a cry for help. The prosecution alleges Berry fired the shots, Mulvey assisted, and a getaway vehicle was used. The case is before Justice Eileen Creedon with a jury of twelve.
Stephen Silver, aged 46 of Aughavard, Foxford, County Mayo, stands trial at the Central Criminal Court on a charge of murdering Garda Colm Horkan at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. Mr Silver has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. In closing submissions for the prosecution, Michael Delaney SC argued that the shooting was a deliberate act carried out with intent to kill, and that Mr Silver harboured a seething resentment toward gardaí. The prosecution contends that Mr Silver knew Garda Horkan was a member of An Garda Síochána acting in the course of his duty. The defence of diminished responsibility should be rejected, Mr Delaney submitted, noting that psychiatric evidence regarding Mr Silver's mental state remains disputed. The jury, comprising seven men and five women, will hear closing submissions from the defence before Justice Tara Burns before deliberating.
A murder trial at the Central Criminal Court has heard evidence concerning the death of a forty-one-year-old occupational therapist discovered in a campervan at a rural property near Westport, County Mayo in June 2019. Gardaí located the body in a foetal position with a child's car seat covering the face. Three young children were found in the home in a state of distress, hungry and severely dehydrated. One child requested breakfast cereal, which a garda witness purchased. Park ranger James Kilroy, aged forty-nine, from Kilbree Lower, Westport, is charged with murder. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, though his legal representative has made formal admissions that he killed his wife. A consultant psychiatrist from Mayo Mental Health Services assessed the accused on the day of discovery and determined he did not meet criteria for involuntary mental health detention. The accused indicated to the psychiatrist that killing his wife "wasn't part of the plan" and attributed the act to God's will. The trial continues before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring and a jury.
James Kilroy, aged 49, of Kilbree Lower, Westport, County Mayo, stands trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with the murder of Valerie French Kilroy at their home between June 13 and 14, 2019. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, though his defence has formally admitted he killed his wife. The jury heard evidence that Garda Leanne Nallen discovered the accused naked and distressed in a field on the morning of June 14 and brought him to Westport Garda Station. Once informed of his transfer to psychiatric care, Mr Kilroy told gardai he had killed his wife. A body was subsequently located in a campervan at the property. The State Pathologist concluded Ms French Kilroy died from ligature strangulation in association with blunt force trauma and a stab wound to the neck. During four interviews, the accused demonstrated to gardai how he had killed his wife and sketched the knife used. The trial continues before Justice Mary Ellen Ring and a jury.
During the Central Criminal Court trial, Detective Garda Eoin O'Connor testified that Michael Scott, 58, who denies murdering his 76‑year‑old aunt Chrissie Treacy, would and should have seen her if he had turned his head while reversing an agricultural teleporter. O'Connor explained that Ms Treacy's age and mobility made it unlikely she could have appeared at the point where her body was found, and that she would have been observable moving across the yard. He described the teleporter's sight‑lines, noting a large blind area to the right and rear, and argued that a driver would normally look over the left shoulder when reversing. O'Connor also examined tyre marks, the teleporter's speed in second gear, and the yard's slope, concluding that the vehicle could not have rolled over a hitch 0.48 m above the ground. The evidence will continue tomorrow before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs and a jury of eight men and seven women. Michael Scott pleaded not guilty.
In an attempted‑murder trial, a Garda officer recounted being called to a Dublin street where a 17‑year‑old boy was shot multiple times. The incident occurred on Eugene Street, Dublin 8, on 24 February 2021, around 10.55 pm. The teenager was shot in the neck, cheek and leg after boarding a taxi outside an address on the street. He was taken to St James' Hospital, where scans revealed bullets had passed through his body, but no bullets remained inside him. Two men, Stephen Mulvey (31) and Jamie Berry (27), are charged with attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Berry is also charged with criminal damage after a bullet fired by him allegedly passed through a front door, an internal wall and shattered an oven's glass. Both men plead not guilty. The trial is before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon at the Central Criminal Court.).
A consultant psychiatrist has given evidence at the Central Criminal Court in the trial of Stephen Silver, who is charged with murdering Garda Colm Horkan at Castlerea, County Roscommon on June 17, 2020. Professor Harry Kennedy told the jury that Mr Silver, aged 46, of Aughavard, Foxford, County Mayo, was "an unreliable historian" regarding his mental health. The professor said he found no positive evidence that Mr Silver had suffered a relapse of bipolar affective disorder at the time of the shooting. Mr Silver has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The court heard the main issue centres on his state of mind at the time. Cross-examination by defence counsel focused on evidence of abnormal beliefs and behaviour, including Mr Silver's admission to the Central Mental Hospital where he was placed in seclusion. Defence testimony from another psychiatrist suggested Mr Silver's illness had impaired his thinking and judgement. The trial continues.
John Costello, 41, of Kileely, Limerick City, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to providing transport to persons allegedly involved in an assault causing serious harm to Christy Keane on 29 June 2015. He also admitted to knowing or believing others were guilty of an arrestable offence and providing transport to impede their apprehension, contrary to Section 7(2) of the Criminal Law Act 1997. The prosecution withdrew an original charge under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, alleging Costello facilitated the attempted murder of Keane for the McCarthy-Dundon criminal organisation, replacing it with the Section 7(2) charge. Detective Sergeant Padraig O'Dwyer served the Book of Evidence on Costello regarding the new charge. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding with Judges Sarah Berkeley and Alan Mitchell, adjourned the matter to 30 March for sentence. Co-accused Noel Price, 44, and Larry McCarthy, 44, both of Limerick City, remain charged with making a vehicle available to the McCarthy-Dundon criminal organisation to facilitate the attempted murder of Keane between 27 and 29 June 2015. Keane survived the shooting at the University of Limerick in 2015 after escaping via a running track.
A 49-year-old man has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of his wife at their rural home near Westport, County Mayo, the Central Criminal Court heard today. The prosecution alleges that James Kilroy killed Valerie French Kilroy between 13 and 14 June 2019. Her body was discovered in a camper van on the couple's property approximately 6 kilometres from Westport. A post-mortem examination determined she died from ligature strangulation, blunt force trauma to the head, and a stab wound to the neck. The jury heard that Mr Kilroy was found naked in a field in the Westport area and was subsequently brought to Castlebar Hospital, where he stated he had killed his wife and children. The three young children were found unharmed. The defence is expected to present psychiatric evidence regarding Mr Kilroy's mental state. The prosecution contends he is guilty of murder. The trial, before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring and a jury, is expected to conclude by month's end.