At the non-jury court, former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall (44) and his father, Patrick (65), both pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016. They admitted to charges including facilitating the murder of Mr Byrne by making a room available at the hotel on February 4, 2016, and participating in or contributing to activity intending to facilitate the commission of a serious offence by a criminal organisation. Both are on bail. Patrick Hutch (58) of The Paddocks, Clontarf, Dublin 3, is charged with the murder of Mr Byrne and supplying logistical support to a six-man team suspected of carrying out the murder on February 15, 2016. He pleaded not guilty. Co-accused Paul Murphy (59) of Cabra Road is charged with supplying logistical support to the team and providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016. Jason Bonney (50) of Drumnigh Wood, Portmarnock, Dublin 13, is charged with providing access to motor vehicles on the same date. The matter is at the trial stage, with no sentences or findings yet determined.
Matthew Nolan, 25, from Co. Fermanagh was remanded in custody after being charged with attempted murder and related offences. The incident allegedly occurred when police attended an address in the Tattenabuddagh Lane area near Fivemiletown in response to reports of a drunk driver, and Nolan allegedly rammed three police vehicles with a tractor while attempting to evade officers. He faces multiple charges including attempted murder, threats to kill, dangerous driving, driving while unfit, and criminal damage.
Lisa Joyce was charged with committing an affray by threatening to use violence on John Robertson on April 12, 2021 at Farnagh, Longford. She pleaded guilty and agreed to enter a peace bond. She was bound to keep the peace for 12 months and ordered to sign an undertaking to be of good behaviour, with a personal bond of €100.
David Nevin, a teenager, pleaded guilty to multiple charges including violent disorder at St Mel's College in April 2021 (part of a seven-person gang attack), possession of stolen shoes, and drug-related offences in June 2022. He had been held on remand for 120 days prior to sentencing. Judge Owens sentenced him to 9 months total imprisonment with the latter 4 months suspended for 12 months, citing a favourable probation report and noting that sentencing would grant him access to rehabilitation services.
Ben Curry (22) was charged with breach of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act following an incident on May 1, 2022 at Five Star Pizza on Main Street, Longford, where he allegedly entered with a knife and threatened to use unlawful violence on Patryk Mikitow. The case was adjourned to allow for preparation of the book of evidence, with the defendant remaining on bail.
Alina Buckley, aged 19, received a fully suspended one‑year prison sentence after pleading guilty to possession of a knife at three separate incidents near Blackrock Garda Station in January, February and May 2020, and to threatening behaviour on Sweetman's Avenue in April 2020. The court noted her severe mental health difficulties at the time of each offence and her history of eight prior convictions, including two for assault. Judge Orla Crowe imposed the suspended term with conditions that Buckley engage with mental health services for the duration. Garda evidence detailed her abusive conduct towards officers, the discovery of knives and a razor blade, and her refusal to cooperate during arrests. Buckley had spent nine months in custody, which prompted her to seek appropriate services, and she is now living with her parents after a period of homelessness.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Paul Farrell, aged 65, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for a single count of sexual assault and to eighteen months' imprisonment for each of ten sample counts of sexual assault, all of which will run concurrently. The offences, committed between 1992 and 1993, involved Farrell assaulting his niece, Anita Byrne, when she was aged 12 to 13. The first assault occurred on the day of her grandfather's funeral, when Farrell asked Byrne to retrieve an item from a cupboard, then placed his hands under her clothes and touched her breasts, almost reaching her genital area before she fled the room. Byrne later returned to find Farrell waiting and told her not to disclose the incident. The court noted the large age gap, the victim's age, the aggravating factor of Farrell's threat to silence Byrne, and the mitigating factor of his medical condition. Paul Farrell was found guilty.
Aaron Brady, aged 31, and Dean Byrne, aged 29, are set to stand trial at the Special Criminal Court on charges of conspiring to pervert the course of justice. They are accused of attempting to persuade State witness Daniel Cahill not to testify during Brady's 2020 murder trial for the killing of Garda Adrian Donohoe. Brady's trial, which ran from January to August 2020, saw Cahill testify that he heard Brady admit to shooting a Garda. Brady is also charged with recording a video of a witness interview and distributing it on social media, an act described by Judge Michael White as "the most outrageous contempt of court." A phone recovered from Byrne's cell yielded WhatsApp exchanges offering intimidation to Cahill. The court set a trial date for October 2, 2023, with a mention scheduled for November 7, 2023.
At the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Paul McDermott remanded Joseph Byrne in custody until October 6 for sentencing. Byrne, 33, pleaded guilty to possessing a G9A Grand Power semi-automatic handgun with intent to endanger life and possessing Luger Barnaul ammunition on March 6, 2021, at Bluebell, Dublin 12. The court heard that Byrne provided the firearm to Dean McCarthy, who was jailed for 15 years last April after pleading guilty to the attempted murder of Sinead Connolly. Ms Connolly, who was left paralysed, rejected Byrne's apology during her victim impact statement, stating he facilitated the attack. Earlier this week, Paul Mooney, 34, also pleaded guilty to possessing the same firearm and ammunition at the same location. The judge ordered that Byrne remain in custody pending his final sentence hearing in October.
A young woman who had recently left State care was gang‑raped on Dollymount Strand by three teenagers, Dion Genocky (23), Troy Ryan (24) and Daryl Rooney (24). The men, aged 17–18 at the time, drove her to the beach, where they took turns raping her. After the first assault, she was forced into a second car that arrived at the scene, where two more men from that vehicle raped her before leaving her on the beach. The case went to trial twice: the first in 2020, where the jury could not reach a verdict, and a second at the Central Criminal Court this year, where the men were convicted. The woman gave a victim‑impact statement via video‑link, describing the trauma, drug addiction and ongoing struggle for justice. She expressed hope that the men will pay for the pain and loss they caused. The court adjourned the case to 21 October for mitigation pleas.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a Cork woman recounted a 18‑year‑old toxic relationship with her ex‑partner, who raped her on 2 August 2019 after threatening to cut her fingers with garden secateurs. He forced her to perform oral and vaginal sex, then raped her again until a child returned home. The woman fled, stayed in hotels and with friends before securing rental accommodation. The ex‑partner later broke into the property, brandishing a modified nail file and claiming he had paid €10,000 to a hired killer. In his victim impact statement, the woman described ongoing terror and nightmares. He pleaded guilty to interfering with a witness, trespass, assault causing harm, criminal damage and a threat to kill. The case was adjourned to 17 October for finalisation. The court heard the woman's testimony of the assault and her fear of further harm. The hearing focused on the charges and the plea, not on any subsequent outcome. The unnamed woman was convicted.
In a 2022 trial, a man was convicted on 61 counts of sexual offences, including raping his partner twice and sexually assaulting her and her son. The court heard that the offences occurred between 2013 and 2015, with the partner's son aged nine to eleven at the time of the rape. The defendant was found guilty of four counts of assaulting the boy and one count of rape, as well as two counts of cruelty towards the children. He denied the charges and intends to appeal. Mr Justice Michael McGrath imposed a 12‑year sentence, reduced from an initial 14 years, with all sentences running concurrently. The judge noted the defendant's lack of remorse and the impact on the victim and her children, and he imposed a 12‑month post‑release supervision order. The case highlighted the hidden nature of domestic violence.
Richard Morrissey (45) was convicted by a jury of six counts of sexual assault against a girl who was aged seven to fourteen when the abuse occurred between 1996 and 2003 in Louth. The jury could not agree on all counts, so a second trial was held earlier this year, where he was found guilty of one additional count of sexual assault and one count of oral rape. The abuse began with grooming, touching, kissing and culminated in forced oral sex when the girl was fourteen. Morrissey, who was aged 18 to 25 at the time of the offences, maintains his innocence. He has been in custody since the first trial in November last year. Justice Karen O'Connor sentenced him to ten and a half years, suspending the final year on conditions.
Martin Aylmer, described as a 'trusted enabler' of the Kinahan Cartel, has been sentenced to 10 years and four months with the final two years suspended after pleading guilty to participating in or contributing to the murder of Noel 'Duck Egg' Kirwan in 2016. Aylmer also pleaded guilty to a similar offence in relation to the attempted murder of James 'Mago' Gately. Both men were targeted because the Kinahan cartel believed they were associated with people involved in the murder of David Byrne in February 2016. Aylmer was found guilty of importing tracking devices from the UK by ferry to be used in both crimes. He also pleaded guilty to participating in the plan to murder James 'Mago' Gately between September 7, 2016 and April 6, 2017. Mr Justice Tony Hunt sentenced Aylmer to five years' imprisonment for his involvement in the murder of Noel Kirwan and a consecutive sentence of five years and four months for his part in the attempted murder of James Gately. The final two years of the sentence were suspended for four years to allow for rehabilitation. The case is currently at the appeal stage.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 35‑year‑old Bryan Kennedy of Mount Tallant Avenue, Harold's Cross, pleaded guilty to soliciting Alan Leech to murder Clara Houdebrumette. The alleged solicitation occurred sometime between 1 October 2019 and 11 January 2020. Justice Eileen Creedon remanded Kennedy on continuing bail until 1 November, when sentencing is expected.
The Court of Appeal has refused an application by Boy B to introduce fresh evidence in his appeal against the murder conviction of 14-year-old Ana Kriegel. Mr Justice George Birmingham, delivering the ruling of the three-judge court, stated that the application did not meet the threshold for admitting new evidence. He described the move as an attempt to "set at naught" the trial process and run an entirely different case more than three years after the original proceedings. Boy B's lawyers sought to introduce reports from psychologists claiming he was subjected to manipulation and pressure during garda interviews, arguing his mind was "substantially overborne." The court noted it was unusual to challenge the admissibility of interviews at this stage when no such challenge was raised during the trial. The judge highlighted that Boy B's final account to gardai, which admitted he witnessed Boy A assaulting Ana, was consistent with a statement he gave to a friend in June 2018. The court rejected the argument that his legal representation was inadequate. Boy B and Boy A were convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury in June 2019 of murdering Ana at a derelict house in Lucan in May 2018. Boy B was sentenced to 15 years' detention, to be reviewed after eight years. Boy A was sentenced to life imprisonment with a review after 12 years, and eight years imprisonment for aggravated sexual assault. The full appeal hearing is scheduled for October 5.
In a unanimous Supreme Court ruling, the appeal by Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch and former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall to stop their trial for the Regency Hotel murder from proceeding before the Special Criminal Court (SCC) was dismissed. The Court, led by Chief Justice Donal O'Donnell, upheld the High Court's decision that the SCC remains lawfully in operation under the 1939 Offences Against the State Act and the 1972 Proclamation. The judges rejected arguments that the SCC had become an unlawful permanent court or that its existence required continuous review by the Dáil. They also found that the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission could not act as amicus curiae in this case. The Court will later order costs. The trial of Hutch (58) and Dowdall (44) for the murder of David Byrne (33) on 5 February 2016 will therefore proceed before the SCC.
A 17‑year‑old boy was found not guilty of rape but guilty of sexual assault after a trial at the Central Criminal Court. He sexually assaulted his eight‑year‑old cousin while she was staying at his family home on 20 July 2019. The victim was told to keep the incident secret, was forced to lie on the floor, and the boy attempted to insert his penis into her bottom. He pulled down her underwear and asked if he could do it, claiming he needed to see something. The victim's bottom was sore, and she later changed her underwear, believing it would reduce soreness. Evidence of bruising was found after a specialist examination, and a specialist interview was conducted by gardai in August 2019. The victim's mother reported the incident to gardai, who searched the house and retrieved the victim's underwear.
A 73‑year‑old man, Noel Long of Maulbawn, Passage West, will stand trial next summer for the 1981 murder of 54‑year‑old Nora Sheehan, whose body was found in Shippool Woods, Cork, six days after she disappeared. The trial is scheduled to begin on 6 June 2023, exactly 42 years after Sheehan was last seen alive. Mr Justice Paul McDermott set the date and agreed to allow recorded depositions from witnesses who have given statements to the Gardaí. The case will be heard in Dublin rather than Cork.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by Caolan Smyth and Gary McAreavey regarding the admissibility of mobile phone data used in their convictions. The appellants were found guilty and convicted, respectively, of the attempted murder of James Gately and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life in 2017. McAreavey was also convicted of assisting Smyth by purchasing petrol and helping burn a black Lexus at Newrath, Dromiskin, Co Louth. The appeal challenged the use of data gathered under the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011, arguing it breached EU privacy laws following a separate ruling in the Graham Dwyer case. However, the court, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, ruled that the Act was valid in 2017 and that the public interest in investigating crime comprehensively outweighed the limited privacy rights attached to the data. The court noted the data was tightly focused and did not reveal personal details such as beliefs or sexuality. The judgment affirmed the Special Criminal Court's 2020 findings. This decision does not affect the separate appeal by Elaine O'Hara, whose case remains contested and is not part of this finalisation.
A 15‑year‑old girl, Bernadette Donovan, was involved in a 40‑minute brawl at the Rotunda Hospital reception during a family feud. The fight, which took place around Christmas 2018, saw a group of five women and two men shouting at a couple who had come to the hospital. The altercation included a woman being kicked and a man holding a wine bottle. CCTV identified Donovan, who did not engage in violence, and she was arrested in March 2019. She pleaded guilty to affray. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced her to nine months, suspended for two years on strict conditions, noting her age and that she was the youngest participant. Donovan has no prior convictions and is completing a baking course.
Criminals Jason Paget (35) and Charles Darcy (34) were arrested by Gardaí after breaking into Conor McGregor's Marble Arch pub in Drimnagh on 12 August 2021. Both pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and to using a car without the owner's consent. Darcy, who has 43 convictions including an attempted murder sentence, was initially arrested for trespass after hiding in a bush near the pub. He later claimed he was visiting a married woman on the street. Paget, with 15 prior convictions, was found intoxicated, unsteady, and with a head cut; he was also charged with a public order offence. Gardaí found DNA linking Paget to a black hat left at the scene. Judge Orla Crowe adjourned the case to 3 November, ordering probation reports and urine analyses for both men.
A man convicted of rape, assault and coercive control has been sentenced to 17 years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court. Dean Ward targeted the woman through an online dating site in May 2019, moving into her home in Killybegs, County Donegal, where he subjected her to a six-week campaign of violence and psychological control. Justice Kerida Naidoo imposed an 18-year sentence for the most serious rape offence, suspending the final year, and a concurrent four-year term for coercive control. Ward, formerly of Wexford, was convicted in 2022 of twelve offences including three counts of rape, assaults, false imprisonment and making threats to kill. The judge found the victim's consent to sexual intercourse was secured through fear and force. Following his arrest by armed gardaí in July 2019, Ward maintained his innocence. Outside court, the victim spoke of receiving support from An Garda Síochána and encouraged others in abusive relationships to seek help. Ward has previous convictions for assault and false imprisonment dating to 2016.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Alexander Udrea, 33, was sentenced to five and a half years' imprisonment for oral rape and sexual assault of a colleague. The offences occurred after a staff Christmas party when Udrea and the woman travelled together in a taxi to her home. While there, he forced oral sex and inserted fingers despite her refusal, causing bruising. He later attempted to insert fingers into her back passage. The court heard evidence of bruising and the victim's statement that the assaults stripped her of dignity and caused lasting anxiety. Udrea pleaded not guilty to five charges; the jury found him guilty of oral rape, sexual assault and attempted sexual assault. Justice Karen O'Connor imposed a six‑year term, suspended the final six months, and required him to engage with the Probation Service for a year. The sentence was back‑dated to March 23, when he was remanded after conviction.
In 2012, Keith O'Neill, aged 47, shot John Wilson, 35, dead in Wilson's Ballyfermot home, killing him in the front hallway with a shotgun. O'Neill was convicted of murder by a jury and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2015, with 116 prior convictions. He appealed to the Court of Appeal, arguing the conviction was unsafe because forensic evidence of gunshot residue on his clothing, found in a skip, had been improperly admitted. He also claimed the trial judge's commentary during cross‑examination was excessive and that the forensic evidence was contaminated by Garda handling. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, rejected both grounds, stating the judge had acted appropriately and the evidence was admissible. O'Neill remains in custody at Wheatfield Prison. The appeal was dismissed, upholding the murder conviction. Keith O'Neill pleaded not guilty.
In a 12‑year saga that began when 17‑year‑old Daniel McAnaspie vanished in February 2010, the Supreme Court rejected Richard Dekker's appeal against his murder conviction. Dekker, 35, had been acquitted in 2013 but was later retried and found guilty in 2017. The jury heard that Dekker stabbed Daniel in Tolka Valley Park, then placed the body in a suitcase and dumped it in a drain 30 km away, where it was discovered three months later. Dekker's appeal argued that the final interview conducted by Gardaí at Cabra Garda Station was improper and that his statements should not have been admitted. The three‑judge court, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, found the interview admissible, noting that Dekker's answers were self‑serving but not excluded. The appeal was dismissed, ending the case with Dekker's conviction upheld. The article does not report any subsequent sentencing or further legal action.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Vincent Kelly, 45, died from head injuries after being punched once in the face by Paul O'Carroll, 47, outside the Royal Hotel in Bray on 9 June 2018. O'Carroll was found guilty of unlawful killing. The court heard that Kelly had been drinking and had been in the hotel lobby when O'Carroll took his drink, walked out, and struck him once. CCTV showed no defensive action by Kelly. Kelly fell, sustained catastrophic head injuries, was taken to St Vincent's Hospital, then Beaumont Hospital, and died the next day. O'Carroll claimed he acted in self‑defence, feeling threatened, and later made a voluntary statement. The judge adjourned the case to 13 October for finalisation. The hearing also included impact statements from Kelly's wife and sister, describing the devastation and lasting change to the family's lives. The court considered O'Carroll's community involvement and prior convictions in sentencing. The case remains pending.
Brian Shaughnessy, a former hotelier aged 55, was convicted in March 2013 of raping a 17‑year‑old employee at his Loughrea Hotel and Spa. He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment with one year suspended. Shaughnessy appealed, claiming his defence counsel had not adequately presented his version of events, particularly a two‑hour period he alleged the victim spent in the room after the assault. He argued that key card and phone records, which he supplied to his lawyers, were not examined by the jury. His appeal was rejected in April 2020, but he successfully applied to the Supreme Court, which sent the case back to the Court of Appeal in March 2023. At the Court of Appeal, Shaughnessy reiterated that his defence was not put to the jury and that the two‑hour claim had been raised repeatedly with his legal team, yet was not pursued during the trial.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 16‑year‑old boy who pushed his bike at a teenage girl on the Howth Junction Dart platform, causing her to fall headfirst and briefly become trapped beside a train, was found not to have intended the fall. The judge, Martin Nolan, described the boy's conduct as prankish and irresponsible, noting it was unlikely he anticipated the outcome. The boy pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm; a second charge of violent disorder was dismissed due to insufficient evidence. He received no detention, instead being ordered to community sanctions, a Probation Services report, and an adjournment to August 24. The court heard the girl suffered a concussion, was hospitalised, and expressed feeling let down by Irish Rail. The boy's remorse and lack of prior convictions were considered mitigating factors. The case highlighted the incident's impact on the victim and the boy's subsequent reflection on his actions.
The High Court has permitted the mother of murdered boxer Kevin Sheehy to proceed with a judicial review challenge against the Minister for Justice's decision to allow his killer's transfer to a UK prison. Tracey Tully contends that the proposed repatriation of Logan Jackson, who is serving a life sentence in Limerick Prison for Mr Sheehy's murder, breaches her rights as a crime victim under the 2017 Victims of Crime Act. Ms Tully argues that such a transfer would extinguish her entitlement to be consulted on future parole applications. Justice Siobhan Phelan found that Ms Tully had raised arguable grounds concerning victim protections and satisfied the legal threshold for the case to proceed. The matter will return for full hearing in October. Mr Sheehy died following an incident on Longford Road in 2019. Jackson, from Coventry, was convicted of murder at the Central Criminal Court and subsequently sought repatriation to England.
A 40‑year‑old man was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting his half‑sister when she was 13. The victim described how she pushed her bed against the bedroom door to keep the attacker out and how she cried all night after the assault. She said she had told her older brother she would "tell mammy or the guards" and that she had made a complaint to the Gardaí in 2018. The court heard that the accused had a dysfunctional upbringing, had been subjected to ongoing physical abuse and that a cycle of abuse had existed in his household. He pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court and the judge, taking into account a psychological report and the defendant's remorse, imposed a sentence of three and a half years, suspending the final year on strict conditions. The judge noted the victim's ongoing recovery and the defendant's acceptance of his wrongdoing.
Two semi‑professional footballers from Scotland, Liam Callaghan and Craig Johnston, both aged 27, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and obstruction in Dublin City Centre on 8 December 2019. The defendants, who are cousins and play for Montrose FC, attacked a victim after an altercation at the nightclub Xico on Baggot Street. The victim was punched in the jaw, struck with a traffic cone and a box, and suffered facial injuries, a fractured eye socket, and a broken ankle that required three surgeries. Garda Emmet Hayde testified that the defendants fled but were apprehended. The court heard the victim's impact statement, noting ruined Christmas, depression, anxiety, missed work opportunities and an economic loss of over €6,000. The defendants offered €2,000 as a gesture of remorse, which the victim accepted, but Judge Orla Crowe said this was insufficient. The sentencing was adjourned to 20 January 2023, with the court seeking a more concrete expression of remorse.
Paul Mooney, 34, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to possession of a G9A Grand Power semi-automatic handgun and Luger Barnaul ammunition at Bernard Curtis House, Bluebell, Dublin 12, on March 6, 2021. The charges alleged he possessed the items in circumstances giving rise to a reasonable inference of unlawful purpose. Mooney was remanded on continuing bail, with the matter listed for mention on October 4. Joseph Byrne, 33, previously pleaded guilty to possessing the same firearm with intent to endanger life and possessing the ammunition on the same date. Byrne's sentence hearing is scheduled for Friday. Dean McCarthy, 33, was jailed for 15 years last April after pleading guilty to the attempted murder of Sinead Connolly on March 6, 2021. Ms Connolly, who was left paralysed below the chest, described McCarthy as an "evil, sadistic and cowardly bully" who led a campaign of abuse against her. Prosecution counsel Anne-Marie Lawlor SC told Mr Justice David Keane that Ms Connolly is confined to a wheelchair and anxious to have the matter disposed of. The court proceedings involve distinct pleas and procedural stages for each defendant, with Mooney's case currently at the bail remand stage and Byrne's awaiting sentencing.
James Kilroy, 48, of Kilbree Lower, Westport, Co. Mayo, is accused of the murder of his wife, Valerie French Kilroy, 41, at their home in June 2019. The matter is currently at the charge or pretrial stage, with no plea, finding, sentence, or finalisation recorded for either the accused or the deceased. Mr. Justice David Keane fixed a trial date of December 12, 2022, for proceedings at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. The trial is expected to last three to four days. The report attributes the allegation of murder to the accused and does not state a conviction. No suspended portions, effective custody, conditions, or adjournments are mentioned in the source text. The procedural step described is the setting of a trial date, not a finalisation of the case. All details are drawn strictly from the provided source, with no added facts or reproduction of the original article.
Paul Moody, a former Garda, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison for coercive control and related offences against a terminally‑ill partner. Over a four‑year period, he sent more than 30,000 threatening and abusive messages, threatened violence, took secret photographs, and threatened to post them online. He also stole her keys, caused criminal damage, and physically assaulted her on several occasions. Moody pleaded guilty to a charge of coercive control covering 2019‑2020 and to 19 other counts including harassment, assault, criminal damage, theft and threats to kill. The court noted his guilty plea and the absence of prior convictions, and reduced the maximum five‑year sentence to the stated term. He will lose his Garda position and is remanded in custody pending the decision on a psychological report. The sentencing judge highlighted the severity of his conduct and the impact on the victim.
In a Central Criminal Court sentencing hearing, mother Catherine Martin recounted the death of her son Eoin Boylan, 32, who was stabbed to death by Nassar Ahmed, 41, on 14 April 2020. Martin described how Ahmed, who had been living with Boylan's partner Susan O'Doherty, entered the house during a lockdown argument, lunged at Boylan with a knife and stabbed him three times. CCTV footage showed the attack, and the jury convicted Ahmed of murder after two hours. Justice Eileen Creedon imposed a mandatory life sentence. Martin's testimony highlighted the personal grief and the impact of Boylan's death on his family, while the prosecution argued the attack was a deliberate "sneak attack" and not self‑defence. The defence acknowledged the moral culpability of the act but maintained that Ahmed's fear justified his use of force.
Mícheál Ó Leidhin, 38, a former RTÉ journalist, was convicted of sexual assault for an incident that occurred on the night of 13 May 2018. The assault took place at his former home in south Dublin after the victim, who remains anonymous, had been drinking with a friend. According to the court, the victim fell asleep and later woke to find Ó Leidhin on top of her, groping her breasts. He stopped after she told him to, but the victim reported the incident to Gardaí in April 2019. In April 2022, a jury found him guilty. On 26 July 2022, Justice Karen O'Connor sentenced him to 18 months' imprisonment, suspending the final three months on conditions. The judge noted the victim's traumatic impact and that Ó Leidhin had accepted the verdict but not its import. The sentence was to take effect on 1 August 2022 when he was to appear at Mountjoy Prison.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 38‑year‑old man was sentenced to 30 months' imprisonment for sexual assault. The court heard that the victim, a woman who had locked her bedroom door, believed the accused entered her apartment by climbing through an open window onto a balcony. The man had taken a photograph of the sleeping woman and sent it to her the next day, claiming he had performed a sexual act on her. He pleaded guilty to the assault, which occurred on either 1 or 2 June 2018, and had four prior convictions, including drink driving. Judge Melanie Greally noted the victim's traumatic experience and the man's substance‑use problems, and imposed a 39‑month sentence with nine months suspended for 12 months, requiring participation in drug and alcohol assessments. The judge emphasised the need for rehabilitation to prevent recurrence.
Chico Makamda, 39, was returned to jail for two years after failing to leave Ireland as required by his 2019 sentence. He had been sentenced to seven and a half years, with the final two and a half years suspended on the condition that he leave the country within 14 days of release. Makamda was released in January 2022 but did not depart, and he accrued two convictions for failing to notify the Gardaí of his address under the Sex Offenders Act. He was re‑arrested in June and has been in custody since. The court reactivated the suspended portion of his sentence, noting he had made no genuine effort to comply with the condition. The hearing reaffirmed his willingness to leave, but the judge found he had intentionally refused to comply. The case also referenced his earlier conviction for sexual assault, false imprisonment and robbery in 2018. Chico Makamda pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 43‑year‑old terminally‑ill woman gave a victim impact statement about her former partner, a 42‑year‑old Garda, who had harassed, threatened, assaulted, stolen from and controlled her for over four years after meeting online in 2017. She described how he sent more than 30,000 messages, including 652 in a single 14‑hour period, and threatened to kill her, steal her cancer medication, and record her at the hospital where he told her he was there to "watch her bleed to death". The man pleaded guilty to coercive control and 19 other counts, including assault, theft and threats to kill. He was suspended from duty in March 2021 and is set to resign. The court adjourned the case to consider a psychological report, with the man remanded pending the decision. The woman urged others in similar situations to come forward.
Costel Pirvu, 39, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, with the final three and a half years suspended, for raping a 19‑year‑old woman with a mild intellectual disability. The offence began on the night of 4 February 2018 when Pirvu, who had previously been convicted of robbery and attempted rape, accosted the victim on a street in the west of Ireland, forced her into a black jeep, and raped her. He then took her to his apartment, where she was raped twice more under threat. Pirvu was arrested the same evening, and DNA evidence linked him to the victim. He maintains his innocence, claiming the sex was consensual, but the court found no evidence of prior acquaintance or knowledge of the victim's vulnerability. The sentence was back‑dated to his August 2018 arrest. The victim, who suffered physical injuries and ongoing PTSD, described feeling unsafe and depressed after the attacks.
Graham Dwyer, convicted of the 2012 murder of Elaine O'Hara, has secured a December 1 date to appeal his conviction in the Court of Appeal. Dwyer's legal team, represented by Brian Gageby BL, stated they are finalizing submissions to argue that his conviction should be quashed following a recent Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruling. The CJEU determined that the indiscriminate retention of mobile phone data for criminal investigations breaches EU law. This data was central to the evidence against Dwyer, used to track his movements and contacts with O'Hara. Mr Justice George Birmingham, President of the Court of Appeal, set the hearing date but warned it could change if submissions are not filed this week. Dwyer, a 49-year-old architect, was convicted by a jury at the Central Criminal Court in 2015. He had previously appealed on the grounds that the use of mobile phone metadata under the 2011 Communications (Retention of Data) Act was unconstitutional and breached his privacy rights. While the High Court ruled in his favor, the State appealed, leading to the CJEU referral. In a separate recent case, Mr Justice Tony Hunt rejected similar arguments in the trial of Wayne Cooney, who was convicted of murdering Jordan Davis, stating that EU privacy rights do not trump considerations in serious crime investigations. The matter remains at the appeal stage, with the hearing scheduled for December 1.
The Disclosures Tribunal, chaired by Mr Justice Sean Ryan, concluded oral hearings today at Dublin Castle regarding the claims of retired Garda Sergeant Paul Barry. Mr Barry alleges he was targeted by superiors after making a protected disclosure in October 2012 concerning the handling of an alleged child sexual assault in Co Cork. He claims Superintendent Michael Comyns prevented a proper investigation and subsequently bullied and harassed him. Supt Comyns denies these allegations, describing the complaints as unfounded and vexatious. The tribunal also heard that the DPP directed no prosecution for the original child abuse allegation in 2015, citing a lack of evidence, and similarly directed no prosecution for Mr Barry's claim that Supt Comyns perverted the course of justice. Counsel for Mr Barry, Shane Costelloe SC, argued that senior gardaí showed flagrant disregard for his medical certification and victimised him through attempted transfers. Conversely, John Fitzgerald SC for the Commissioner stated that superiors engaged highly with Mr Barry and that belief alone is not evidence of targeting. Mark Harty SC for Supt Comyns argued that the alleged detriment began before the disclosure, undermining the protected disclosure claim. Mr Justice Ryan praised the professional conduct of all parties and stated he hopes to issue the tribunal's report before the end of the year. The matter is adjourned pending the written decision.
Patrick Shiels, 66, was sentenced to 10 years in prison at the Central Criminal Court following a retrial. He was found guilty of oral rape and four counts of sexual assault committed against his daughter, Marlene Prakash-Shiels, between September 2000 and December 2004 at his address in Togher, Portlaoise, Co Laois. Shiels was also found guilty of two charges of child cruelty. Although convicted and jailed in a previous trial, he was released in July 2021 after the Court of Appeal ordered a re-trial. Mr Justice Tony Hunt imposed a headline sentence of 12 years for the oral rape count, reducing it to 10 years after considering minor mitigating factors, including Shiels' age and lack of prior convictions. Sentences of four years for the remaining counts were imposed to run concurrently, with credit for time served. The judge noted limited scope for mitigation as Shiels does not accept the verdict and has expressed no remorse. The victim, who waived anonymity, described the lasting trauma in her impact statement. The court highlighted that the case fell within the more serious category of sexual offences.
Lisa Smith, an Irish former soldier, was arrested after returning from Syria where she had lived with a Tunisian husband and later a Turkish man. She claimed she joined the Islamic State (IS) out of religious obligation, citing fear of hellfire and a belief that hijrah was mandatory for Muslims. Witnesses described her conversion to Islam in 2010, her relationship with an American convert who encouraged her to travel, and her subsequent travel to Istanbul and then to Syria in 2015. In Syria she lived in a "madaffa" for women, married a Turkish IS fighter, and later moved to Raqqa where she was subjected to domestic violence. She sent €800 to the fighter in 2015, which the prosecution argued was financing terrorism. The Special Criminal Court found her guilty of membership of IS but not of funding terrorism, noting the €800 could have been humanitarian. The court rejected her claim that her religious motives exempted her from criminal liability.
Tony Walsh, aged 72, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to four years in prison for indecent assault of schoolboys in the 1980s. Walsh, a former curate in Ballyfermot and chaplain at De La Salle school, abused boys between 1978 and 1986. He pleaded guilty to indecent assault of a child in a lane in Ballyfermot and at De La Salle school, as well as to indecent assault of a ten‑year‑old boy in 1982. The court heard victim impact statements describing how Walsh's actions caused lasting emotional and psychological harm. Walsh has previously served 20 years in prison since 1995, when he was first convicted of indecent assault, and has been convicted of 28 counts of indecent assault, five of sexual assault and five of buggery. The sentence reflects the cumulative nature of his offences and the harm inflicted on the victims.
In July 2022, Daniel Haines, aged 33, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, with the final six months suspended, for assault causing harm to his ex‑partner Shauna Hunt. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Haines had contacted Hunt on 3 February 2021, staying at her apartment for several days. On 7 February, after drinking vodka, he told Hunt he had another girlfriend and demanded she choose. When Hunt refused to sleep with him, Haines became aggressive, calling her a "whore", "tramp" and "unwanted child". He repeatedly kicked her, pulled her by the hair, and tripped her down the stairs, causing her to fall. CCTV showed him throwing her to the ground and smashing her mobile phone. Hunt suffered bruises, cuts and two broken ribs, and was later admitted to Mater Hospital. Haines had 49 prior convictions, including public order offences, criminal damage, possession of a weapon, robbery and bench warrants. Daniel Haines pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 21 July 2022, James Doyle, 36, pleaded guilty to assaulting his friends Dylan Gallagher and James Dixon on 28 April 2019. Doyle, who had been intoxicated after a dispute with his girlfriend, attacked the men with a stick while they were at a christening. Gallagher suffered a fractured arm, nerve damage and a seven‑inch scar, while Dixon sustained a head injury and cracked teeth. Both men were due to be married in the months following the assault and said the attack took away the joy of their wedding day. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a suspended three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence on Doyle, ordered him to pay €10,000 to Gallagher and €3,000 to Dixon, and considered the defendant unlikely to re‑offend. The court noted Doyle's remorse and lack of prior convictions.
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 21 July 2022, the State's appeal to increase the jail term for David Bannerton was dismissed. Bannerton, aged 47, had been convicted of two separate assaults in June 2016 in Galway city centre. The first assault, against a 70‑year‑old pensioner, resulted in a two‑year jail term following a three‑year headline sentence. The second assault, against a passer‑by who tried to intervene, led to a six‑year sentence with 18 months suspended, after a nine‑year headline sentence. The Court of Appeal upheld the judge's decision, noting that the suspended portion was a legitimate consideration for rehabilitation and that no additional consecutive sentence was warranted. The appeal was refused, and the original sentences were left unchanged. The case highlighted the judge's discretion in balancing punishment with rehabilitation considerations.
The Court of Appeal heard arguments in the appeal of Kieran Greene, who was convicted of murdering Patricia O'Connor at her home in Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, on May 29, 2017. Greene's counsel argued that the trial judge erred by refusing to allow the jury to consider provocation, claiming Greene suffered a "slow burn provocation" similar to domestic abuse. Counsel also contended that Greene's trial should have been separate from that of Louise O'Connor, Stephanie O'Connor, and Keith Johnston, whose charges stated Greene was the murderer, causing prejudice. Additionally, counsel sought to admit hearsay evidence regarding Augustine O'Connor and call a psychiatrist to testify about Greene's low IQ. The Director of Public Prosecutions responded that the trial judge was correct in excluding the provocation direction and the hearsay evidence. The matter was adjourned, with the three-judge panel to deliver their judgement at a later date. In related proceedings, Augustine O'Connor pleaded guilty to reporting his wife missing while knowing she was dead and was sentenced to 18 months in prison before his death. Louise O'Connor was found guilty of acquiescing in her daughter Stephanie O'Connor disguising herself as Patricia O'Connor to conceal the death, and was sentenced to two-and-a-half years. Stephanie O'Connor was found guilty of disguising herself as her mother to conceal the death and was jailed for one-and-a-half years.