Stephen Silver, a 49-year-old motorbike mechanic from Aughaward, Foxford, Co Mayo, appealed his conviction for the murder of Garda Colm Horkan. Silver, who pleaded not guilty to killing the garda knowing or being reckless as to whether he was acting in the course of his duty, argued that the State's psychiatric evidence contradicted the legal test for insanity under the Criminal Law (Insanity Act 2006). His counsel contended that the prosecution expert's testimony regarding Silver's capacity to form intent improperly excluded the possibility of diminished responsibility. The prosecution rebutted this, stating the expert merely identified purposeful actions as one factor in assessing mental capacity and that the trial judge's direction was appropriate. The appeal hearing was presided over by Mr Justice John Edwards, with Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy. The court reserved judgment, meaning the matter was adjourned and not concluded. Silver was originally sentenced in April 2023 by Ms Justice Tara Burns to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years. The trial evidence included conflicting psychiatric opinions on whether Silver's bipolar disorder contributed to his actions when he shot Garda Horkan eleven times in Castlerea, Co Roscommon, on June 17, 2020.
The Court of Appeal dismissed Randi Gladstone's challenge to his convictions for rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment. The court rejected arguments about withdrawn good-character evidence and the trial judge's directions, finding no unfairness or lack of balance. Randi Gladstone pleaded not guilty.
Former school principal Patrick Harte was jailed for a further four years after conviction on 17 counts of indecent or sexual assault against boys. Judge Martina Baxter said the offences were repetitive, involved a breach of trust and showed no remorse or prospect of rehabilitation; all sentences were concurrent and none was suspended. Patrick Harte pleaded not guilty.
The jury in Liam O'Leary's Central Criminal Court murder trial has been discharged after the judge said an 'unfortunate situation' meant the proceedings could not continue. O'Leary denies murdering 58-year-old John Casserly at a Peter McVerry Trust housing unit in Ballina in October 2024. The case will return to court on April 15, and the jurors were excused from further service for five years. Liam O'Leary pleaded not guilty.
An 18-year-old man was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to two sexual assaults on girls who were 15 at the time. He cannot be identified by order of the court. Mr Justice Paul Burns imposed two years' imprisonment, suspending the final six months for three years on conditions including engagement with sexual offending, alcohol and drug awareness and mental health programmes.
Nathan Roche had an eight-month sentence replaced on appeal after he assaulted a McDonald's worker during a dispute over a drink at Dundrum Town Centre. Judge Jonathan Dunphy imposed a 12-month probation bond on the assault charge, took the other matters into consideration and ordered €2,000 compensation for the injured worker. Nathan Roche was convicted.
Ukrainian refugee Hryhorii Sryotenko has pleaded guilty to attempting to murder Viktoriia Pavlenko by stabbing her 15 times at a Kerry holiday home. His barrister said he accepted responsibility but disputed that he intended to kill her. Mr Justice David Keane remanded him in custody until March 26 for sentence.
The Court of Appeal upheld a decision to extradite John Edward McNicholl and Seamus Christopher O'Kane to Northern Ireland over offences linked to the 1975 murder of RUC Constable Robert John McPherson and an attempted murder. The court rejected arguments that delay, alleged abuse of process, ordinary life in the Republic or health concerns justified refusing surrender. It placed a stay on the extraditions to allow the men to ask the Supreme Court to hear their cases.
Patrick Murphy, 38, was sentenced to ten years in prison at the Central Criminal Court for the manslaughter of Jordan Ronan. The jury had previously returned a unanimous verdict of manslaughter, aligning with Murphy's plea, after finding him not guilty of murder. Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo set a headline sentence of 14 years, which was reduced to ten years due to the guilty plea and other mitigating factors. The final sentence includes a suspended portion of one year for a two-year period, with the term backdated to July 26, 2024. The judge noted that Murphy failed to call an ambulance for the victim, who died from a stab wound to the chest. Murphy, who has 31 previous convictions including knife possession, claimed he was defending his property after Ronan accessed his van. The victim's father, Stephen Packenham, stated the family does not accept the verdict, describing the evidence as overwhelming and criticizing the outcome. The court also heard evidence regarding an alleged prison assault on Murphy, which resulted in facial injuries requiring stitches, though no aspersions were cast against the victim's family.
Sean McGovern has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to two charges of directing a criminal organisation. The charges concern activity connected to the murder of Christopher 'Noel' Kirwan and surveillance of James Gately. McGovern, who was extradited from the United Arab Emirates last summer, is due to be sentenced on April 27, when victim impact evidence is expected to be heard.
Laurance Connors admitted assaulting and abusing a garda who approached his van after it was parked on double yellow lines at Sandycove Point. The District Court ordered probation and community service assessments, including restorative driving programmes, before a September 14 finalisation hearing. Laurance Connors pleaded guilty.
Taylor Moran (23), of McDermott Street, Ballina, pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Court to assault causing harm outside St Mary's Secondary School on April 2, 2021. The court heard that the victim, Martin McDonagh (23), suffered three deep puncture wounds to the lower abdomen during a brawl. CCTV footage showed Moran returning to the scene with a broken claw hammer and striking McDonagh five times. Although Moran initially denied involvement to gardaí, he admitted the charge. Judge Eoin Garavan noted the offence was premeditated and involved a deadly weapon. Defending counsel Dr Laura Byrne BL submitted a probation report highlighting Moran's difficult background, mental health medication, and remorse. Moran's mother testified regarding domestic violence in the household and his recent employment prospects. The judge adjourned sentencing until the autumn, warning Moran that custody was probable unless he demonstrated significant improvement. He was instructed to secure employment, address alcohol and cannabis issues, and engage in counselling. Moran was remanded on bail for sentencing on October 6. Co-accused Thomas Maloney (29), of Riverside Drive, Ballina, is also due to be sentenced on the next date.
The Court of Appeal has granted the State additional time to file its response to Jozef Puska's appeal against his conviction for the murder of Aishling Murphy. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy extended the deadline for the Director of Public Prosecutions to submit replying submissions to April 14, maintaining the scheduled hearing dates of April 23 and 24. The extension was necessitated by a delay in Puska's legal team filing their extensive submissions, which were due in January but received in early March. The judge also granted an application for a Slovakian interpreter. Puska, who pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Murphy in Tullamore, Co Offaly, in January 2022, is serving a life sentence. His appeal challenges the admission of his confession and CCTV footage. Separately, in June 2025, his brothers Marek and Lubomir Puska were convicted of withholding information and sentenced to 30 months each. Their wives, Viera Gaziova and Jozefina, were sentenced to 24 and 21 months respectively for burning evidence. Lucia Istokova, Puska's partner, pleaded guilty to withholding information and received a 20-month sentence.
The Court of Appeal has adjourned the appeal proceedings of Boy A, one of two boys convicted of the 2018 murder of Ana Kriegel, to July 10 for mention. Boy A, who was 13 at the time of the crime, was sentenced in 2019 to life imprisonment with a review after 12 years for the murder, alongside a concurrent 12-year sentence for aggravated sexual assault. His legal team, represented by Niall Nolan BL, requested additional time to assemble necessary records, describing the upcoming hearing as requiring "document-heavy analysis." Counsel stated that custody progress records were "crucial" to the appeal, noting limited responses to requests for hard data and reports previously directed by the trial judge. The appeal follows a March 2025 Supreme Court ruling by Ms Justice Iseult O'Malley, which established that life sentences for child murder convictions should only be imposed in exceptional cases where the child's actions were akin to those of an adult. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy granted the request for more time and approved the appointment of documentary junior counsel. She adjourned the matter to July 10, indicating an expectation that a hearing date will be fixed at that point. The case involves the conviction of Boy A and Boy B, who lured the teenager to an abandoned house in Lucan, where she was assaulted and killed.
Liam O'Leary told gardaí he acted in self-defence after Mr Casserly allegedly came at him with a knife. Prosecutors told the jury that Mr Casserly died after a violent attack at an apartment in Ballina. O'Leary has pleaded not guilty to murder, and the trial continues before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and a jury.
Jenifer Devine, 43, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to withholding information regarding the murder of her brother-in-law, Michael Tormey. The court heard that Devine stayed in two hotels with her husband, Christopher Devine, during a Garda manhunt. Christopher Devine, 44, had previously pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; a jury convicted him of murder in December, finding he was not suffering from a substance-induced psychotic disorder. Devine admitted to booking accommodation at the Osprey Hotel in Naas and The Glenview Hotel in Wicklow between January 9 and 13, 2022, which hindered police efforts to locate her husband. Defense counsel Michael Bowman SC argued that Devine was in an emotionally abusive relationship and acted under extreme distress, requesting a suspended sentence. Prosecution counsel Garret Baker SC noted the maximum penalty is five years. Ms Justice Melanie Greally remanded Devine on continuing bail until April 16, when she will be sentenced. The matter was adjourned.
Nigel Kennedy was charged after an incident at McIntosh Park, Cabinteely, that left a man in his 50s in serious condition in hospital. The charges include dangerous driving, assault causing harm, violent disorder and robbery; Dún Laoghaire District Court remanded Kennedy in custody and listed a possible bail application for March 18.
John Peters pleaded guilty to assault, assault causing harm and criminal damage to his former girlfriend's phone during incidents in 2022 and 2023. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court adjourned sentencing for a probation report and remanded him in custody.
Declan Forde denied seeing John Casserly assault murder accused Liam O'Leary with a metal pole before the witness and his mother fled their Ballina apartment. O'Leary has pleaded not guilty; the trial continues before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and a jury.
The Court of Appeal has rejected Stephen 'Rossi' Walsh's application for a certificate of miscarriage of justice. Walsh, a convicted child rapist with former addresses at Belgrave Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6, and Coologmartin, Donadea, Co Kildare, argued that the State acted unlawfully by bringing him back to court in November 2024 to seek additional post-release supervision conditions. He had previously been sentenced to ten years in jail in February 2010 for raping a nine-year-old girl, and later received a consecutive 12-year sentence in December 2011 for sexual assault and defilement, with the final two years suspended. In the 2024 proceedings, Mr Justice Paul Burns refused the State's application to vary conditions under the Sex Offenders Act, 2001, ruling the statute did not permit the request. Walsh subsequently claimed this constituted a miscarriage of justice under section 9 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1993. However, the three-judge panel, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, found that the State's unsuccessful application was a legitimate procedural step, not a second sentencing. The court emphasized that inconvenience does not equate to a miscarriage of justice, which requires inappropriate deprivation of liberty. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, and Walsh's convictions remain extant.
Joanna Forde told a murder trial that she and her son fled their Ballina apartment after Liam O'Leary entered and refused to leave. O'Leary has pleaded not guilty to murdering John Casserly, and the trial continues.
John Dunne, 35, of Ballymun, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary, assault causing harm, trespass, and criminal damage to nine vehicles on September 5, 2024. Judge Orla Crowe described the incident as a violent violation of a family home, noting Dunne armed with a lump hammer and threatening the homeowner with a knife. The judge stated the aggravated burglary warranted an 11-year headline sentence but imposed eight years, considering Dunne's guilty plea and difficult background. Concurrent four-year sentences were imposed for the other offences. The final nine months of the eight-year term were suspended on strict conditions, requiring Dunne to engage with the Probation Service for 18 months upon release. Dunne has 43 previous convictions, and his defence counsel attributed the offending to addiction following the loss of his family home. The court accepted his apology to the victims, who included a young child present during the attack.
Ross Deegan pleaded guilty to assaulting broadcaster Brendan Courtney causing harm after voluntarily contacting gardaí to identify his involvement. Judge Martina Baxter directed a probation report, adjourned finalisation to July 22 and ordered Deegan's €1,500 gesture of remorse sent to the Mater Hospital.
Denis O'Donovan, a 39-year-old from Ballyryan, Donohill, Co Tipperary, is appealing his conviction at the Court of Appeal. O'Donovan, who pleaded not guilty to five offences, was convicted of false imprisonment, assault causing harm, and two counts of sexual assault, while the jury failed to reach a verdict on one alleged sexual assault. In June 2024, Judge Dermot Sheehan at Limerick Circuit Court sentenced him to seven years in prison, with six months suspended. The appeal, launched by barrister Timothy O'Leary SC, argues that the trial judge erred in admitting the entirety of a 40-minute 999 emergency call made by the victim. Defence counsel contended the full recording was unnecessary, irrelevant, and prejudicial, asserting that the victim's direct testimony was sufficient. Additionally, O'Leary argued the judge failed to adequately instruct the jury regarding the absence of forensic analysis on samples taken from the vehicle. The Director of Public Prosecutions, represented by Lily Buckley BL, countered that the call was probative and relevant, noting the victim's state of panic and the tactical decision by the defence to object to the full recording. The prosecution also maintained that the judge's directions to the jury to rely solely on the evidence before them were appropriate. Mr Justice John Edwards reserved judgment, meaning the matter was adjourned and the court will deliver its decision at a later date.
Jamiu Giwa pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after recklessly colliding with a plain-clothes garda while fleeing a drugs unit on Railway Street, Dublin 1. The garda suffered a concussion, shoulder fracture and knee injury, and Judge Orla Crowe imposed two years and three months with the final three months suspended.
Gerard O'Brien, a former Circuit Court judge, has appealed his conviction for attempted rape and the sexual abuse of six young men. O'Brien, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, was convicted in December 2023 at the Central Criminal Court of one count of attempted anal rape and eight counts of sexual assault. The offences, alleged to have occurred between 1991 and 1997 when he was a teacher, resulted in a four-year jail sentence imposed in June 2024 by Mr Justice Alexander Owens, who described O'Brien as "unsuitable to hold office." In his appeal, O'Brien's counsel argued that the trial judge's instructions to the jury were "confusing" and "weighted against the defence," suggesting the charge conveyed personal views and pressured the jury. The State's legal team countered that these suggestions were "misconceived" and urged the Court of Appeal to uphold the conviction. The three-judge court, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, has reserved judgment on the appeal.
Rory Carr (22) and Bruno Tache (21) were sentenced to three years and six months in prison for their roles in separate attacks on Quham Babatunde, who died on St Valentine's Day. Both men, who were on bail at the time, pleaded guilty to charges including assault causing harm and violent disorder. Judge Orla Crowe noted their youth, remorse, and guilty pleas, while acknowledging they had active roles in the violence across South Anne Street, Duke Lane, and Dawson Street. The judge suspended the final six months of each sentence on strict conditions for two years and ordered 12 months of Probation Services supervision post-release. Carr was directed to undergo urine analysis. Separately, Sean Forde (24) and David Oloo Omee (19) pleaded guilty to affray and assault causing harm, respectively. Their sentencing was adjourned to April pending the preparation of probation reports. Four other men are also expected to be sentenced in April. The court heard Babatunde was fatally stabbed by another man, who is charged with murder in Northern Ireland, and that Carr and Tache assaulted him after he was injured.
The Central Criminal Court heard prosecution evidence describing John Casserly's death in Ballina as involving serious violence. Liam O'Leary denies murder, and the trial continues before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and a jury.
Liam O'Leary pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of John Casserly at an apartment in a Fr Peter McVerry Trust housing unit in Ballina. Mr Justice Paul McDermott swore a jury for a trial expected to last up to three weeks.
A Central Criminal Court jury returned a majority verdict of murder against Tomas Cypas over the death of Juris Kokenbergs at Old Bridge Park, Lucan. The jury rejected the defence case after deliberating for six hours and 54 minutes over three days; the mandatory life sentence is due to be handed down on March 23. Tomas Cypas pleaded not guilty.
A jury convicted Paul Rowland of intentionally or recklessly strangling his former partner in Carlow. The woman described the lasting impact of the assault in a victim impact statement; Judge Mary Morrissey adjourned sentencing to next May and remanded Rowland in continuing custody.
The Central Criminal Court heard that a teenager sexually abused and raped by his cousin had suffered a life-altering impact. The cousin pleaded guilty to eight counts of sexual assault and one count of anal rape, receiving three years with the final year suspended and three years on the sex offenders register.
A Carlow Circuit Criminal Court jury found Colvin O'Brien not guilty of assault charges involving two gardaí and of threatening and abusive behaviour. O'Brien had pleaded guilty to being intoxicated in a public place, and Judge Mary Morrissey placed him on a 12-month probation bond.
John Griffiths pleaded guilty to assault with intent to cause bodily harm outside the Black Forge Inn in 2021. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court imposed a 15-month sentence and suspended it in full; the judge noted that €5,000 was available as a token of remorse.
The jury in Tomas Cypas's murder trial stopped deliberating after four hours and 21 minutes and will return to the Central Criminal Court on Monday. Cypas denies murdering Juris Kokenbergs in Lucan; the jury was directed that it could return verdicts of murder, manslaughter or not guilty.
A jury began deliberating in the trial of Tomas Cypas, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering Juris Kokenbergs in Lucan. The jury was told it could return verdicts of murder, manslaughter or not guilty.
Det Supt Brian O'Reilly, acting head of the Garda National Technical Bureau, is challenging a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) decision to exclude the media from his hearing. At the High Court, counsel successfully applied for an expedited leave application to be heard tomorrow, seeking to quash a ruling that the case contains "sensitivities" warranting closed doors. O'Reilly claims he suffered workplace detriment and pay reductions after making protected disclosures regarding unsafe leather pistol holsters. He alleges these defective holsters endangered armed gardaí and the public, potentially contributing to an accidental self-wounding incident in 2020. O'Reilly stated that a pistol could be removed even when the retention strap was closed. He referenced the murder of Detective Garda Colm Horkan by Stephen Silver in Castlerea, noting that Silver allegedly told gardaí in custody he had pulled Horkan's pistol from the holster. Silver was sentenced in April 2023 to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years for murdering a garda acting in the course of his duties. O'Reilly, who has a 30-year career, claims he suffered work-related stress certified by his GP in April 2023. The High Court will hear the application for judicial review over the proposed press coverage ban tomorrow.
The prosecution told the Central Criminal Court that Tomas Cypas was under no threat when he assaulted Juris Kokenbergs, while the defence argued the killing was manslaughter rather than murder. Tomas Cypas pleaded not guilty.
Jamie Berry was sentenced after pleading guilty to affray, violent disorder and two assaults causing harm during a street fight between rival Dublin gangs armed with hatchets, knives and bats. Judge Orla Crowe suspended the final three months of a three-year sentence.
Tomas Cypas told gardaí he punched Juris Kokenbergs in self-defence after an argument at his mother's home, but denied stamping on the deceased's head. Tomas Cypas pleaded not guilty.
Christopher Judge, 42, of Pairc na Dara, Clonard, Co Wexford, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the murder of 27-year-old Stephen Ring on October 15, 2024. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned the matter to March 27 for sentencing, where the mandatory life imprisonment will be imposed. The court also vacated a previously set trial date of April 13. In a related finalisation, Jane Corcorcan, 34, also of Pairc na Dara, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to impeding Judge's apprehension or prosecution. She admitted helping move Ring's remains from her home and assisting Judge by telling falsehoods to gardai. Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo noted that Corcoran lied about the circumstances of Ring's death, falsely accused another man of assault, and wasted police resources. CCTV showed Corcoran moving Ring's remains, wrapped in a blanket, to her car boot before driving to Carrigfoyle Quarry, where the body was dumped in the water. Ring's body, which had been in the quarry for 13 days, was discovered by children fishing. His mother, Linda Ring, stated that while the body lay in the quarry, Corcoran posted on Facebook hoping he would return home safely.
Sean Monaghan was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to eight counts of indecent assault against his younger sister in their family home in 1962 and 1963.
A Dublin man was jailed for three-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to assaulting his former partner, including spitting at her, striking her with a bicycle and choking her.
State pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers told Tomas Cypas's murder trial that punching alone could have caused the extensive brain damage suffered by Juris Kokenbergs, although she also confirmed contact from a shoe to the scalp. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury. Tomas Cypas pleaded not guilty.
Jenifer Devine (43) failed to appear at the Central Criminal Court for her sentencing hearing on a charge of withholding information regarding the death of Michael Tormey (49). Devine had pleaded guilty in November 2024 to failing to disclose information that might assist in securing the apprehension of her husband, Christopher Devine, concerning Tormey's death. Her lawyer, Maria Brosnan BL, stated Devine was suffering from serious mental health issues and intended to seek hospital care. Prosecuting counsel Garret Baker SC noted that gardai had visited her address and she indicated she would not attend court. Ms Justice Melanie Greally criticized the lack of documented evidence regarding Devine's condition, emphasizing the seriousness of the charge. The judge postponed the sentencing hearing for two weeks, listing the matter for March 13, allowing time for a medical report. Meanwhile, Christopher Devine (44) was convicted by a jury of murder in December 2024. He had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The jury rejected the defense argument that he suffered from a substance-induced psychotic disorder due to cocaine and alcohol use, finding he acted deliberately. The trial heard Devine shot Tormey five times with an MP5 submachine gun in Tormey's front garden in Ballyfermot in January 2022. The weapon was never recovered.
Craig Kennedy's four-month sentence after dangerous driving and criminal damage involving a scrambler bike and a garda patrol car was halved on appeal, with two months suspended subject to engagement with Men Overcoming Violent Emotions. Craig Kennedy was convicted.
Jibola Moses Akanni has been refused bail by the Court of Appeal while he awaits a conviction appeal. He was convicted of two rapes and sexual assault involving a 17-year-old at a Dublin city-centre apartment and is serving an eight-and-a-half-year sentence; the court said his appeal issues were wide-ranging rather than clear-cut.
At a murder trial, Tomas Cypas denied murdering Juris Kokenbergs in Lucan. The jury heard evidence about DNA staining found on Cypas's footwear and heard his account of the confrontation; the trial was due to continue before Mr Justice Paul McDermott. Tomas Cypas pleaded not guilty.
A former scout leader is appealing five convictions for offences against three young cousins, including rape and sexual assault. His defence argues that an anonymous letter said to be from a juror, a complainant's reference to rape and the prosecution closing speech made the convictions unsafe. Ms Justice Nuala Butler said the court would reserve judgment; the man continues to deny the offences. The unnamed 63-year-old pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
Joseph Lawlor was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Michael Ryan in Finglas after a jury rejected his claim that the stabbing was carried out in self-defence.