A 60‑year‑old man was 13 when he began a six‑year period of raping and sexually abusing his younger adopted sister, a court heard. He justified the abuse by telling her they were not biological siblings and that a Catholic priest had told him to practice sex on her. The abuse began when she was about ten or younger in their Dublin family home. He pleaded guilty to 28 counts of indecent assault and rape between 1974 and 1979, from an indictment of 103 charges. The court heard that both siblings suffered extreme violence from their adopted mother, who had bipolar syndrome and was unmedicated. The woman's victim impact statement described the abuse as an "unspeakable hell" and said the damage will never end until she dies. The man expressed deep regret and remorse, stating he will live with that guilt for the rest of his life.
In a Dublin court, a 19‑year‑old woman, who was 15 when the incident occurred, testified that a 41‑year‑old man raped and sexually assaulted her in his apartment on 21 August 2017. She described the assault as having "killed" her, saying she had not been alive since that night and was now "the walking dead." The man, who was found guilty of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault, was acquitted of a separate count of false imprisonment. The victim's impact statement highlighted her loss of motivation, trust in men, and sense of ruined life. The court noted the man's prior drug‑dealing conviction and that he had been in custody since his conviction. The sentencing hearing was adjourned to 8 December for a final sentence.
Logan Jackson, a 31-year-old British man from Coventry, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the death of boxer Kevin Sheehy. Jackson is charged with the murder of Mr. Sheehy, a five-time Irish boxing champion, who was struck by a vehicle on Hyde Road in Limerick City on July 1, 2019. He is also accused of endangerment under Section 13 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997, allegedly for driving a Mitsubishi jeep dangerously at high speed near pedestrians. When arraigned, Jackson pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but admitted to manslaughter. The Director of Public Prosecutions did not accept the manslaughter plea, and the court proceeded to trial. Jackson also pleaded not guilty to the endangerment charge. Mr Justice Paul McDermott swore in a jury of six men and six women to hear the case. The judge noted that Mr Sheehy was a well-known national championship boxer and that most civilian witnesses are from Limerick. The trial is scheduled to begin before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and is expected to last between two and three weeks.
A 52-year-old man from Rathmullan Park, Drogheda, has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to cleaning up and removing evidence from a murder scene. Gerard McKenna admitted to obstructing the apprehension or prosecution of another person in connection with the death of 17-year-old Kean Mulready Woods, who was killed in January 2020. The teenager's dismembered remains were discovered across Dublin in the days following his disappearance on 12 January. McKenna's guilty plea relates to actions taken between 12 and 14 January 2020 at or near his Drogheda address, with intent to impede the investigation. The offence is contrary to the Criminal Law Act 1997. Mr Justice Paul McDermott ordered psychological and probation reports before sentencing. McKenna was remanded in custody and the case listed for mention on 28 February 2022.
A 19‑year‑old teenage car thief, Ross Crea, was jailed for three and a half years after a high‑speed chase across Dublin. He stole a car from a house on Kilmacud Road, drove through a patrol block, and then drove onto the M50, weaving through traffic, breaking red lights, and making a U‑turn. He crashed into a barrier near Harolds Cross and later into a petrol station kerb. Gardaí were not injured, and the incident lasted about 45 minutes. Crea pleaded guilty to three counts of reckless endangerment, three of dangerous driving and one of unlawful taking of a car. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to five years for endangering the gardai, suspended the final 18 months on condition of keeping the peace for five years, and banned him from driving for four years. He also received a two‑year concurrent prison term for a separate assault that occurred four weeks before the car chase.
David Rodgers, a 47-year-old English teacher, appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of cannabis for sale or supply at his then home. The court heard that gardaí discovered just under €25,000 worth of cannabis, including a makeshift grow-house, during a search of his Dublin residence following an incident on Henry Street in October 2018. Rodgers admitted to selling cannabis but maintained during his interview that the substance was a natural herb. He has 12 previous convictions, primarily for theft and public order offences dating back to the 1980s. Defence counsel highlighted Rodgers' unusual profile, noting his academic achievements, multilingual abilities, and a severe brain injury sustained in an assault by his brother, which left him with short-term memory difficulties. Judge Karen O'Connor noted that Rodgers has had no further garda attention since the offence and is still recovering from his injury. Determining that incarceration would offer no benefit to society, the Judge fully suspended a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence. The suspension is conditional upon Rodgers keeping the peace and engaging with drug addiction treatment.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has dropped three charges of attempted murder against Alan Wilson, a Kinahan Cartel member, following his guilty plea to conspiracy to murder at the Special Criminal Court. Wilson, who was secretly recorded by gardai discussing the murder plot, had been on trial since November 1, accused of attempting to murder Brian Masterson, Wayne Barrett, and Austin Purcell at The Player's Lounge Public House in Dublin 3 on July 26, 2010. He also admitted to possessing a .38 calibre Smith & Wesson revolver and a .32 calibre Zastava semi-automatic pistol between July 24 and July 26, 2010, in circumstances suggesting an unlawful purpose. Wilson previously admitted to conspiring to murder Gary Hanley in 2017 and was jailed for six years. The DPP's Ronan Kennedy SC stated the plea was acceptable, and the attempted murder charges will be dropped during a sentencing hearing on Monday. The matter was adjourned by Ms Justice Tara Burns, with Judge James Faughnan and Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin, until then.
Patrick Harte, a former school principal aged 79, appealed the 2020 conviction for 11 counts of indecent assault on seven pupils at Sancta Maria Christian Brothers primary school between 1968 and 1970. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal, rejecting his claim that the trial was prejudiced because he had not sought a parish priest's blessing before entering a teacher training course. The court found no evidence of collusion among the complainants and upheld the joint trial as the strongest case. It also found no prejudice from the delay or from the lack of a religious reference, noting that a jury in 2020 would not have been influenced by such a factor. The appeal was rejected with no reasons to consider the trial unsafe or unfair. The conviction and 3‑year sentence remain in force.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Judge Elma Sheahan directed a not guilty verdict for Andrew Finni, 22, accused of sexually assaulting a shop worker in February 2018. The case collapsed after defence counsel Simon Matthews argued that missing CCTV footage, which could have supported Finni's defence, was lost because the shop's system overwrote recordings after eight weeks. The court found that the absence of this evidence denied Finni a fair trial. The judge emphasized that the ruling was not a judgment on the allegations or the complainant's evidence but on the importance of preserving evidence. The decision followed a similar ruling earlier that week where a different case was also dismissed due to lost CCTV footage. The judge noted that investigators had acted honestly and sought to preserve evidence as it became relevant. The complainant denied any prior conversation about gender or an invitation for Finni to "check if he liked.".
John Kavanagh, 55, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after a "vicious" attack on November 4, 2020, in which he kicked the victim in the head while the victim lay on the ground. The assault, lasting over 30 minutes, involved weapons used by other participants but not by Kavanagh. The victim, who was hospitalised with head injuries, died by suicide one week later. Kavanagh, who has no fixed abode and lives in Dublin 2, had no prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally described the incident as "particularly vicious and violent" and noted the victim's ordeal was "very frightening and distressing." She sentenced Kavanagh to two‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation. The court accepted that Kavanagh's remorse was genuine and that he had a lesser role than the other two assailants. The case was prosecuted by Fiona Crawford BL, with Garda Jordan Kennedy providing evidence of the assault and Kavanagh's arrest.
A homeless man, Damien Singleton, 31, was found guilty of murder by a unanimous jury at the Central Criminal Court after stabbing his friend Peter Donnelly, 39, on Dublin's O'Connell Street on 11 June 2019. Singleton had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The prosecution argued that Singleton, who was under the influence of a cocktail of drugs and alcohol, was capable of forming the intent to kill. The jury rejected the intoxication defence, concluding that Singleton could understand his actions and their consequences. The case was the second trial for Singleton; the first collapsed after a juror claimed to have overheard Gardaí discussing witness statements. The judge adjourned the case for a mandatory life sentence to be imposed on 3 December, when a victim impact statement will be heard. The trial highlighted the presence of alcohol, morphine, benzodiazepine and cocaine in Singleton's system and the prosecution's insistence that intoxication does not excuse intent.
Alan Wilson, aged 42, is on trial for the attempted murder of three men outside the Player's Lounge pub in Dublin. He is alleged to be a member of the Kinahan organised crime gang. Retired Detective Superintendent William Johnson, former head of the National Surveillance Unit, testified that on 13 October 2017 he authorised the placement of an audio listening device in a Volkswagen Caddy believed to be used by Wilson and other gang members. Johnson said the device was needed to monitor conversations to prevent further crimes. The prosecution presented recordings from 2017 in which Wilson allegedly admitted to shooting the three men in 2010 and expressed amazement at one survivor's resilience. Wilson has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murders and to possession of firearms and ammunition. The trial is before the Special Criminal Court, presided by Ms Justice Tara Burns, with Judges James Faughnan and Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin.
An apprentice film studio electrician, Martin Cunningham, 27, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and producing a machete near Finglas Garda Station. The assault, which took place on April 10, 2019, was originally charged as attempted murder of Kenneth Fitzsimons, 41, at Liam Mellows Road, Finglas. The Director of Public Prosecutions agreed to drop the attempted murder charge following Cunningham's guilty plea. Justice Eileen Creedon dismissed the jury, ordered a probation report and victim impact statement, and scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 31, when a nolle prosequi will be entered to formally drop the attempted murder charge.
In the murder trial of Damien Singleton, a 31‑year‑old homeless man, the judge instructed the jury to focus on the question of intent. Singleton pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of Peter Donnelly, a 39‑year‑old homeless man from Kilkenny, who was stabbed twice on O'Connell Street on 11 June 2019. The defence argued that Singleton's mind was "polluted" by alcohol and drugs, preventing him from forming intent to kill. The prosecution countered that intoxication is not a defence unless it renders the defendant incapable of understanding his actions or their consequences. The judge emphasized that the jury must decide whether Singleton intended to kill or cause serious harm, and that any doubt about his capacity to form intent would lead to a manslaughter verdict, otherwise a murder verdict.
In a murder case, Damien Singleton, 30, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for stabbing friend Peter Donnelly, 39, to death on O'Connell Street on 11 June 2019. The State reminded the jury that Singleton had sent Donnelly a threatening message before the stabbing, saying he would "slaughter" him. The prosecution argued that the intent to kill was clear, citing the message, CCTV footage of Singleton's movements, and the fact that Donnelly was stabbed twice in the jugular vein and aorta with a knife Singleton carried. The defence contended that Singleton's intoxication with alcohol and drugs, and the absence of self‑defence or provocation, negated murder intent. The judge adjourned the case to allow the jury to receive the charge and begin deliberations.
Stephen Bradley, aged 28, was sentenced to four years and four months in prison, with the final 16 months suspended, for assault causing harm, threatening to kill and false imprisonment of his girlfriend on 17 February 2020. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court heard that Bradley strangled the woman, dragging her by the hair and holding her neck until she played dead to escape. He threatened to kill her, used a knife, punched her, and kept her in the bathroom while she hyperventilated. The victim escaped after two and a half hours, called her mother, and was later taken home by her mother and sister. Bradley had no prior convictions, was diagnosed with ADHD at age seven, and had taken constructive steps to rehabilitate. The judge ordered him to engage with the Probation Service for 18 months after release and prohibited any contact with the victim.
A 62‑year‑old man was sentenced to 10½ years in prison for raping and violently sexually assaulting his daughter over a 16‑year period. He began molesting her when she was seven and continued to repeatedly rape and assault her until she was 18. The court heard that the offences included rape, oral rape, indecent assault, sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault, the latter involving an electric sander and a phone cable. The judge set headline sentences of 16 years for rape, seven years for sexual assault and ten years for aggravated sexual assault, then reduced them to 12 years, five and a half years and eight years respectively, citing guilty pleas and the defendant's otherwise offence‑free life. The last 18 months of the sentence were suspended on the condition that the defendant engage in victim‑focused programmes, have no unsupervised access to children and have no contact with the victim.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Andrew Byrne, 35, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for assault causing harm and theft after he punched a homeless man in the back of the head at Temple Bar on 11 September last year. Byrne struck the victim, who was unconscious, causing facial fractures, a broken jaw, broken teeth and a split tongue. The victim, a homeless man living in a hostel, suffered ongoing memory loss, fear and anxiety, and has stopped going out alone. Byrne, who has 93 prior convictions including assault and public order offences, was arrested after CCTV footage captured the incident. He pleaded guilty, admitted the assault, and expressed deep regret. The judge noted Byrne's high culpability and backdated the sentence to his custody in January. The woman who accompanied Byrne remains before the courts.
A High Court judicial review has been granted to a young woman challenging her exclusion from the State compensation scheme for victims of violent crime. The applicant, who was sexually assaulted as a 12-year-old in 2015, claims the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal unlawfully refused her application due to time limits. She argues that the Tribunal's April 2021 introduction of an absolute two-year limit retrospectively interfered with her rights and breached fair procedures. Mr Justice Charles Meenan granted permission to bring the challenge, making the matter returnable next month to be heard alongside a similar action. The underlying offences involved two male minors who forced the victim to perform oral sex on separate dates in August 2015. The older male, now in his early twenties, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and was sentenced to four years' imprisonment plus two years' post-release supervision. The younger male, who claimed he was coerced by the older male, pleaded guilty to engaging in a sexual act with a child and was sentenced to 180 hours of community service. Both defendants apologized to the victim, who continues to suffer from PTSD.
A man's appeal against a three-year-three-month prison sentence for assaulting two businessmen near Ballyconnell, County Cavan, has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal. James Bernard McGovern, aged 24, had pleaded guilty in March to a Section 3 assault against Kevin Lunney, whom he repeatedly punched at an Apple Green Service Station in February 2019. He also admitted a Section 2 assault against Dara O'Reilly after throwing boiling water at him in the station's dining area. Mr Justice George Birmingham, President of the Court of Appeal, rejected McGovern's claim that the sentence was excessive, describing the attack as displaying "ferocity and savagery". The judge noted that McGovern, an accomplished boxer, had inflicted a broken nose and eye damage on Mr Lunney, and remarked that in other jurisdictions such injuries caused by a trained fighter's fists would be considered caused by lethal weapons. Mr Justice Birmingham found the offending constituted an act of revenge following the appellant's father's loss of employment at Quinn Industrial Holdings, and was a very serious matter warranting the custodial term imposed.
An apprentice film studio electrician, Martin Cunningham, 27, will go on trial for attempting to murder Kenneth Fitzsimons, 41, on 10 April 2019 near Finglas Garda Station. Cunningham is charged with three counts: attempted murder, assault causing harm, and possession of a machete capable of serious injury. He pleaded not guilty at arraignment before the Central Criminal Court. The case, arising from a single incident, will be heard by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and is expected to last three weeks.
At the Special Criminal Court in Dublin, businessman Kevin Lunney delivered a victim impact statement describing the lasting trauma inflicted on himself and his family by his abduction and assault in September 2019. Mr Lunney, a director of Quinn Industrial Holdings, stated that the anguish experienced by his family caused him greater torment than the physical injuries he sustained. He was kidnapped from outside his home in Cavan, driven to an isolated location in Ballinagh and subjected to severe violence including beatings and torture. Three men, Alan O'Brien, Darren Redmond and a third man referred to as YZ, were previously convicted of false imprisonment and intentionally causing harm. The Director of Public Prosecutions sought a pre-mitigation sentence of between fifteen years and life imprisonment. Mr Justice Tony Hunt reserved sentencing to December 20th, allowing defence counsel to present mitigation pleas. Mr Lunney's statement reflected on the broader campaign of intimidation affecting his company while acknowledging community support.
The Special Criminal Court has ruled that international witnesses in the trial of Lisa Smith, a former Defence Forces member, may give evidence by video-link. Presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt granted the prosecution's application, citing the current public health climate and the logistical difficulties of travel from Australia and the US. Ms Smith, 39, from Dundalk, Co Louth, is charged with being a member of the unlawful terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) between October 28, 2015, and December 1, 2019, and with financing terrorism by sending €800 to a named individual in May 2015. The defence, represented by Michael O'Higgins SC, objected to the application, referencing difficulties with video-link evidence in the trial of Aaron Brady, who was convicted of the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. Mr O'Higgins argued that the prosecution had not met the necessary criteria and that his client had the right to cross-examine witnesses in person. Despite these objections, Mr Justice Hunt was satisfied the conditions for the order were met. The trial is scheduled to begin on January 11, 2022, and is expected to last 12 weeks. Mr Justice Hunt adjourned the case to December 13 for an update on how matters were progressing.
In a 2021 appeal, Sean Lane, aged 28, contested his nine‑year conviction for a "brutal and savage" assault with a baseball bat that left victim Eamon Sheehy with life‑changing injuries. The original trial, held in January 2018, found Lane guilty of assault causing serious harm and of producing the bat during a dispute, the latter carrying a concurrent three‑year sentence. Lane denied the charges, claiming self‑defence after Sheehy allegedly attacked him with a golf club, but the court ruled the attack went "way beyond" self‑defence. A second defendant, Jason Broderick, 21, received a three‑year sentence with one year suspended for possessing the bat. The appeal argues that prejudicial material from Broderick's statements at trial should have led to a severance of the cases, a request the defence failed to make at the outset. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice George Birmingham, has reserved judgment on the appeal.
Historian Kerron Ó'Luain, aged 34, was charged with unlawful violence after he punched a Polish man during an anti‑Pegida protest in Dublin on 6 February 2016. The incident occurred when a group of protesters, who believed the victim knew members of the far‑right group Pegida, attacked him. CCTV footage showed Ó'Luain delivering a single punch to the victim's head before leaving the scene. He pleaded guilty to the offence. In July, Judge Melanie Greally found his culpability to be in the low range for violent disorder, describing the conduct as reprehensible but very short‑lived. She ordered him to donate €200 to Pieta House and to keep the peace for a set period. At a subsequent sentencing hearing, the court noted that Ó'Luain had complied with all conditions and discharged him from the indictment. The victim sustained cuts and bruises but did not make a statement to Gardaí. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A man from Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan, has had his prison sentence increased following an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Shane Smith (32) pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting an elderly woman at her home in April 2018 after forcibly entering the property early in the morning and restraining her on her bed. He also admitted falsely imprisoning the same victim. At Cavan Circuit Criminal Court in November 2020, he received four years and six months for sexual assault and one year and ten months for false imprisonment, both to run concurrently. Smith had additionally pleaded guilty to assaulting a man with a shovel and knife in November 2018. The DPP appealed on grounds of undue leniency. The Court of Appeal found that the trial judge erred in principle by imposing concurrent rather than consecutive sentences. The court increased the overall sentence to seven years, with the final twelve months suspended, determining the original sexual assault sentence was too lenient.
Sean Rausch, 24, was convicted of assault causing harm and false imprisonment after he forcibly entered a Dublin home, took a phone, and violently attacked the woman's four‑year‑old child's mother. The woman was dragged into her bedroom, where Rausch grabbed her by the throat, punched her, and left her unconscious. She later reported a broken nose, fractured spine and collarbone, though the court found no independent evidence for the latter injuries. Rausch had previously served a four‑year sentence with the final year suspended for robberies and false imprisonment. Judge Martin Nolan imposed an additional 20‑month term, consecutive to the existing sentence, for the assault. Rausch pleaded guilty and expressed remorse, citing a chaotic upbringing and drug use. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 17 June 2020.
A 54‑year‑old man who sexually assaulted a 16‑year‑old girl in his Dublin home was sentenced in December. After the assault he sent explicit texts to the victim, claiming he had touched her breast and apologising. He threatened suicide at a pier, but Gardaí and RNLI persuaded him to return. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and a charge of sending an explicit message to a child. The judge adjourned the case to 15 December to complete a psychological report, revoked his bail and remanded him in custody, noting that Cloverhill Prison could not accept new inmates due to a Covid outbreak. The victim's mother read a victim impact statement describing the assault's lasting effect on her daughter's identity and mental health. The man described himself as a functioning alcoholic and expressed remorse. The case remains at the criminal court stage.
In the Special Criminal Court, Garda National Surveillance Unit members testified that they observed Alan Wilson, 42, at several Dublin locations in September and October 2017, including in a white Nissan Primastar van. The evidence, presented by prosecution counsel John Byrne SC, includes a recording in which Wilson allegedly says, "Remember the shooting at the Player's Lounge, I done that." Wilson is charged with attempting to murder Brian Masterson, Wayne Barrett and Austin Purcell at The Player's Lounge pub on 26 July 2010, and with possession of firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial is proceeding before Justice Tara Burns, with Judges James Faughnan and Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin presiding.
Douglas Glynn (37) of Fitzgibbon Court, Dublin 1, changed his plea to guilty at the Special Criminal Court, admitting to participating in the activities of a criminal organisation between December 7, 2016, and April 6, 2017. The charge alleged he placed a tracker device on James Gately's car in Belfast to facilitate a murder plot. Glynn had previously pleaded not guilty. Presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt adjourned the case to January 14, 2022, for a sentence hearing; the matter was adjourned and not concluded. Glynn is the fifth person convicted in cases relating to the failed bid to murder Gately. Peter Keating (40) was jailed for 11 years after pleading guilty to directing a criminal organisation targeting Gately. Stephen Fowler (62) and David Duffy (33) were jailed for providing logistical support. Imre Arakas (63) was jailed for six years in December 2018 after admitting to conspiring to murder Gately. Caolan Smyth (30) was sentenced to 20 years for the attempted murder of Gately and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Gary McAreavey (53) pleaded not guilty to impeding a prosecution and received a four-year jail term with the final year suspended.
Chad Redmond, aged 28, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three and a half years' imprisonment, with the final nine months suspended, for assault and criminal damage committed on 24 February 2019 at an apartment in Finglas. The offence involved threatening to kill the mother of his child and burn down her apartment while their three‑year‑old daughter witnessed the assault. Redmond pleaded guilty. His appeal to reduce the sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, which found the judge had applied an appropriate discount to the headline term of 4.5 years and had correctly identified aggravating factors, including that Redmond was on bail when the offence occurred. The court held the sentence fell within the margin of appreciation. The case details the assault, the threat of killing, the attempt to take the child, and the subsequent arrest the following day.
A man from Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan, is the subject of a Director of Public Prosecutions appeal against sentence at the Court of Appeal. Shane Smith, aged 32, had pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting an elderly woman during a break-in at her home on 6 April 2018, and to falsely imprisoning her. He also admitted assaulting a man with a shovel and knife on 23 November 2018. At Cavan Circuit Criminal Court in November 2020, Smith received concurrent sentences totalling four years and six months for the sexual assault, one year and ten months for false imprisonment, and three years for the assault. The DPP argues the sentences were unduly lenient, contending they should have been consecutive and substantially longer, citing aggravating factors including the victim's age and the premeditated nature of the attacks. Smith's counsel contends the sentencing was appropriate and highlights his guilty plea and mental health history. Judgment has been reserved.
Derek Stanley, 35, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for assault causing harm after biting a Garda who had taken him to Mater Hospital's A&E. The court heard that Stanley, previously jailed for sex offences, had feigned illness after breaking into a restaurant on Dorset Street. He was brought to the hospital by Gardaí, resisted restraint, and during a struggle bit a Garda's finger, breaking the skin, and attempted to bite others. The judge, Pauline Codd, noted the offence was aggravated by the victim's status as a Garda and Stanley's feigned medical condition. The sentence was suspended for 12 months, to run consecutively with the 2½‑year sentence he is currently serving. The Garda who was bitten sustained no permanent injury and missed no work. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Derek Stanley pleaded guilty.
In the Dublin trial of Damien Singleton, a 30‑year‑old man of no fixed abode originally from Cork, the prosecution presented a case that the killing of 39‑year‑old Peter Donnelly on O'Connell Street was "murder pure and simple." Singleton pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The prosecution described the two men as friends who had spent three nights together. On the night of the killing, Donnelly had returned to Dublin from Kilkenny and was "hanging around" the area. Garda Nicola Torsney had a 30‑minute conversation with Singleton earlier that night. CCTV footage later showed Singleton grabbing Donnelly, stabbing him three times, striking him with a bottle, and then fleeing. Blood droplets and a recovered knife were presented as evidence. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy, is expected to last eight days.
Patrick Quirke, aged 52, lost his appeal against a 2019 conviction for the murder of DJ Bobby "Mr Moonlight" Ryan, aged 52, whose decomposed body was found in a disused slurry tank on a farm leased by Quirke. The Court of Appeal rejected more than 50 grounds of appeal presented by Quirke's lawyers. Judge George Birmingham, delivering the judgment, said he was not persuaded by any of the arguments and expressed unease about the trial's extensive legal argument. He noted the trial was the longest in Irish history, lasting 71 days, and described the number of voir dire as extraordinary. Quirke was not present at the hearing but watched via video link. The court upheld the jury's guilty verdict and the life sentence imposed in 2019. The appeal court also dismissed the defence's claim that the trial judge should have declared the trial unfair. The judgment reaffirmed that the evidence, though circumstantial, was sufficient for conviction.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 62‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to nine counts of rape, oral rape, indecent assault, sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault against his daughter over a 16‑year period from 1990 to 2006. The abuse began when the daughter was seven and continued regularly, with the father repeatedly orally raping her, forcing her to perform sexual acts, recording the assaults with a dictaphone, and taking explicit photographs when she was 18. He also used an electric sander and a phone cable to assault her. The court heard that the victim had reported the abuse to Gardaí in July 2016 and that she was mentally, emotionally and physically tortured. The judge adjourned sentencing to 23 November. The defendant's wife and other children provided character references describing him as a "fantastic father.".
Caroline Tiernan Kanza, 43, of Myrtle House, Baldoyle, was found guilty of forging invoices and stealing €30,519 from the National Shared Services Office while employed in a position of trust. She pleaded guilty to five counts of forgery and theft in two periods of offending, March–July 2018 and June–November 2019. The court noted her self‑defeating personality disorder, financial pressure, debt, mortgage arrears, and alleged domestic violence. She had repaid the full amount and cooperated fully with probation services, showing low risk of reoffending and attending counselling. Judge Elma Sheahan imposed a headline sentence of four years but, considering mitigating factors, set a two‑year sentence suspended in full on the condition she pays €1,000 within six months and another €1,000 to charity in the following six months. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 15 November 2021.
A jury of six women and six men was sworn in on 15 November 2021 to try Damien Singleton, 31, for the murder of 39‑year‑old Peter Donnelly on Dublin's O'Connell Street Upper West on 11 June 2019. Singleton, who has no fixed abode and is originally from Cork, pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to manslaughter. He appeared in the Central Criminal Court in Dublin wearing a black button‑down shirt, black jeans and black and orange trainers. The trial will open before Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy at 11.30am tomorrow at the Criminal Courts of Justice.
At the Central Criminal Court, a sentencing hearing was held for Mark Whelan, 48, who was found guilty of murdering Noel 'Noelie' Whelan, 22, on 30 March 2019. Whelan was described as being high on drugs when he stabbed Noel 18 times, severing a carotid artery and penetrating a lung. The jury rejected a defence of intoxication and found him guilty of murder. The court heard that Noel was pregnant with his first child and that his partner, Shannon Whelan, expressed that her life had been "ruined" by the murder. Shannon, who suffered panic attacks and PTSD, could not attend the hearing but wrote that she feels she "died that day" and is trying to stay alive for her daughter. The judge announced that a mandatory life sentence would be imposed when Mark Whelan appears in court on 17 December.
Convicted murderer Freddie Thompson, also known as 'Fat Freddie', brought a High Court action against the Governors of Limerick and Portlaoise Prisons, the Irish Prison Service, and the Minister for Justice. Thompson, who received a life sentence in 2018 after being found guilty of the 2016 murder of David Douglas, alleges that prison authorities failed to respond to his solicitors' questions regarding his detention conditions. He claims his transfer to Limerick Prison, where he was reportedly confined to a padded cell without clothing, constitutes a punishment without a disciplinary hearing or formal sanction paperwork. Thompson further alleges that previous complaints about mistreatment in Portlaoise, including sleep deprivation and excessive searches, were upheld but the investigator's report was never provided to him. His legal team argues that the failure to update him on complaint statuses and answer queries regarding his detention is contrary to law, the Prison Rules, and natural justice. They seek an order compelling the respondents to reply to their questions and declarations that the authorities have a legal duty to respond to concerns about a prisoner's detention. The matter came before Mr Justice Anthony Barr, who granted Thompson permission to bring the action on an ex-parte basis. The matter was adjourned and will be mentioned before the court in late December.
An MMA fighter, Dylan Tuke, 25, was charged with assault causing harm after he punched a taxi driver in December 2018, breaking the driver's front teeth. The incident occurred when Tuke entered a taxi without asking if it was available, demanded payment upfront, and then assaulted the driver. Dash‑cam footage identified him, and he pleaded guilty to one count of assault. Judge Pauline Codd noted the aggravating factors of Tuke's threatening demeanour, pursuit of the victim, and the victim's public service role. She considered his cooperation, age, remorse, and the fact that alcohol contributed to his out‑of‑character behaviour. The judge set an 18‑month imprisonment sentence, deferred it to April 4, and imposed a €200 fine. She also ordered that €3,000 Tuke had in court be given to the victim or a charity.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Kenneth Donohoe was found not guilty of murdering Eamon Kelly, while his co‑accused Darren Murphy was convicted. The judge said there was insufficient evidence to prove Donohoe was the driver of the getaway Lexus, that he possessed a Glock handgun, or that he had a direct role in the gang. Evidence was deemed insufficient to establish Donohoe's involvement beyond reasonable doubt. Murphy, aged 51, was found guilty of the murder after evidence showed he acted as a spotter and assisted the gunman, Sean Connolly, and the getaway driver. Murphy was also found not guilty of the second charge of possession of a Glock pistol with intent to endanger life. The court will impose a mandatory life sentence on Murphy and remand him until the sentencing date. The case involved CCTV footage, fingerprints, vehicle links, DNA and firearm residue as circumstantial evidence. The court granted Donohoe a discharge from the indictment.
Stephen Penrose, aged 38, was found guilty by a jury of murdering his friend Philip Finnegan, aged 24, who was missing for three weeks before his decapitated remains were discovered in a shallow grave in Rahin Woods, Kildare. The jury rejected Penrose's defence that he had last seen Finnegan being stabbed by a group of men in a forest and that he had attempted to conceal the body's location. Evidence included a DNA match from a bloodied glove found near the remains, a forensic scientist's report linking Penrose's DNA to the glove, and testimony that Finnegan's body had suffered multiple stab wounds, including fatal ones to the liver and aorta. Penrose had previously been convicted of manslaughter in 2010. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, concluded with a unanimous verdict after five hours and 46 minutes of deliberation over two days.
In November 2021 the Court of Appeal heard an appeal by Rita O'Driscoll, aged 49, who had been convicted of murdering her former husband, Timothy 'Timmy' Foley, in October 2018. O'Driscoll's appeal argues that the trial judge erred by allowing the prosecution's chief witness, Jason Foley, to give evidence via video‑link and an intermediary. Jason Foley, who suffered an acquired brain injury in 2010, was introduced to the jury as a GP rather than an expert. O'Driscoll's counsel contended that the jury was misled into seeing Foley as a vulnerable witness, while the State's counsel maintained that Foley's intellectual disability was known to the jury and that the remote testimony did not distort the witness's appearance. The court reserved judgment on the matter. The appeal does not address the conviction itself, which remains a mandatory life sentence.
The jury in the Stephen Penrose murder trial, which concerns the death of 24‑year‑old Philip Finnegan whose decapitated body was found in a Kildare woods, has paused its deliberations for the weekend and will return to the Central Criminal Court on Monday. The panel of eight men and four women spent 3 hours and 36 minutes considering their verdict. Judge Alexander Owens instructed them to suspend deliberations at 4 pm and resume on Monday morning to decide whether Penrose, aged 38, should be found guilty of murdering Finnegan. The jury was told to ignore Penrose's choice to represent himself, his outburst in court, and his repeated hiring and firing of lawyers, and to focus solely on the evidence presented. The case has heard that Finnegan's remains were found buried in a shallow grave, that a DNA profile from a bloodied glove matched Penrose, and that the death was caused by multiple stab wounds. Stephen Penrose pleaded not guilty.
Dylan Fogarty, 27, pleaded guilty to assaulting his former partner in April 2019, criminal damage to her home in June 2019, and harassment between April and November 2019. He also pleaded guilty to assaulting an unknown man in October 2017. In November 2020, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three years' imprisonment for both assaults, describing the second attack as "an act of savagery" and noting the victim required surgery. In November 2021, the Court of Appeal quashed the original sentence and imposed a headline term of four years and six months, suspending the last 18 months on the condition of a bond to keep the peace and remain drug‑free. The decision was based on the DPP's view that the original term was too lenient and on evidence of aggravating factors such as threats, violence while intoxicated, and a controlling relationship with the victim.
Bagrat Kudzievi, a 28‑year‑old Georgian national who had been living in Ireland under a false Polish identity, was convicted in October 2021 of two counts of sexual assault against Rachel McElroy. The assaults occurred on the night of 19 October 2019 in Cork city centre after the pair had gone to a nightclub together. CCTV footage showed McElroy falling inside the club and later struggling to walk outside. Kudzievi met her in the smoking area, then took her to an alcove where he sexually assaulted her. He later lifted her and carried her across a bridge to a secluded location while people recorded them on mobile phones. McElroy, who was drinking with friends, gave a victim impact statement describing her confusion, emotional distress and the effect on her studies. The court adjourned sentencing to 22 November 2021. The case was heard by the Central Criminal Court.
The Special Criminal Court has adjourned the trial of Douglas Glynn (37) until Tuesday for the production of additional photographs, following a disclosure issue. Glynn, of Dublin 1, pleaded not guilty to placing a tracker device on James "Mago" Gately's car in Belfast in April 2017. The prosecution alleges this was part of an ongoing plan by a criminal organisation to target Gately. Presiding Judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt, sitting with Ms Justice Sarah Berkeley and Mr Justice Cormac Dunne, refused a Garda application to ban media from court during covert evidence, ruling that media presence was acceptable provided National Surveillance Unit officers were not identified. The judge warned that the failure to disclose all relevant photos "cannot happen again." In related convictions, Imre Arakas (63) was jailed for six years in December 2018 after admitting to conspiring to murder Gately. Additionally, Peter Keating (40) was jailed for 11 years after pleading guilty to directing a criminal organisation's activities relating to the targeting of Gately between December 2016 and April 2017.
John Saul, aged 37 and also known as John Keegan, was found in possession of a bag of heroin while attempting to deliver it. He was stopped by Gardaí, who discovered the drugs in his underwear and seized them. Saul pleaded guilty to possession of heroin for sale or supply at a location within Dublin on 8 November 2020. He has 15 prior convictions, the most recent dating back to 2010, including drug offences, assault, burglary and theft. The judge, Melanie Greally, noted that Saul's involvement in the offence was a "very serious error" and that it coincided with financial hardship caused by pandemic pressures on his family. She acknowledged that he had made some progress in his life and therefore suspended an 18‑month prison sentence in its entirety, imposing strict conditions.
The Special Criminal Court has ordered that the public be excluded from an attempted murder trial while evidence is heard from members of the National Surveillance Unit (NSU), a covert unit that targets terrorists and organised crime gangs. Justice Tara Burns granted the order after Detective Superintendent Ciaran Hoey explained that revealing the identities of NSU officers would endanger their lives, compromise ongoing investigations, and jeopardise future covert operations. The court will allow media members to attend, but the names, physical characteristics or any identifying details of the NSU officers will not be published. The NSU officers will give evidence in the trial of 42‑year‑old Alan Wilson, who has pleaded not guilty to attempted murders and possession of firearms and ammunition. The trial will resume on Monday, 15 November.