In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Graham Shields, aged 34, received a fully suspended 18‑month sentence for assault causing harm after punching his then partner in the face at Mulvey Park, Dundrum, on 1 July 2018. The court noted the attack followed a verbal exchange after a wedding celebration involving alcohol. Shields, diagnosed with an anti‑social personality disorder and experiencing high anxiety, pleaded guilty. The victim suffered significant injury, including swelling and bruising that took about three weeks to heal, blurred vision, and required two years of weekly counselling. Shields has no prior convictions, is on cordial terms with the victim, contributes financially to their son, and is under Probation Service supervision for 18 months. The judge suspended the entire sentence on strict conditions, citing Shields' mental health history, lack of previous convictions, and remorse.
In a High Court hearing, Mr Justice Michael White described a young girl, aged eight or nine when assaulted, as an exceptional child who endured a traumatic rape by her teenage cousin yet still loved him. The judge praised her humanity and expressed hope for her healing. The defendant, now 16, pleaded guilty to raping and sexually assaulting his cousin between December 2017 and May 2019, when he was 13 and 14. He also pleaded guilty to forcing a child to watch sexual activity. Justice White noted aggravating factors such as the use of pornography to groom the victim and the breach of trust, but also mitigating factors including the defendant's engagement with a national treatment programme and parental support.
In a 2017 Circuit Court trial, 43‑year‑old accountant Sidney Sutton of Ashbourne was convicted of four counts of assault, one count of assault causing harm and one count of producing a knife capable of inflicting serious injury. The offences occurred on the early hours of 6 February 2016 when Sutton, after a wedding in Slane, returned home with his partner Edele Aherne. He allegedly pushed her into a taxi, then punched and kicked her in their home, dragged her to the floor, stamped on her legs and finally stabbed her in the leg and shoulder with a knife. Sutton pleaded not guilty, claiming Aherne had assaulted him and self‑harmed. The Court of Appeal heard that he had fallen out with several solicitors and granted an adjournment to 26 April, warning that failure to proceed would result in the appeal being disposed of as abandoned.
An intellectually disabled man, whose identity is withheld for legal reasons, has filed a constitutional challenge against Irish law after a High Court order prevented him from marrying his girlfriend of 15 years, who also has an intellectual disability. The man had been declared a ward of court by a charity the day before his wedding, and the High Court President, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, issued an order stopping the marriage. He now seeks declarations that the 1811 Marriage of Lunatics Act, the 1871 Lunacy Regulations, and the wardship provisions of the 1936 and 1961 Courts Acts are unconstitutional and violate his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. He also requests that Section 7 of the 2015 Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act be enforced immediately to replace the existing wardship system with supported decision‑making.
Abdifatah Nur, 38, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for possession for sale or supply and unlawful importation of khat, a drug he brought into Ireland worth €10,000. He pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Nur claimed he had purchased the khat in Somalia for €500, where it is legal, and was unaware of its illegality in Ireland. He said he intended to supply the drug at his brother's wedding for the elders' celebration, not for profit. He was stopped by customs at Dublin Airport on 30 November 2019 and found in possession of the drug. The judge, Patricia Ryan, suspended the balance of the sentence on the condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for one year. No prior convictions were recorded. The case was prosecuted by Eoin Lawlor BL and defended by Ciaran O'Loughlin SC.
Austin Byrne, aged 43, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years' imprisonment for a series of burglaries committed in April 2019. He pleaded guilty to breaking into three Dublin residences: Wintergarden on 10 April, Byrnes Lane on 17 April, and Fitzwilliam Street Lower on 19 April. The offences involved the theft of clothing, foreign currency, an Apple MacBook, an Apple Watch, earrings, chains, anti‑epileptic medicine, a wedding ring, and other jewellery. Byrne had 73 prior convictions, including burglary, aggravated burglary and robbery. The judge, Melanie Greally, noted that Byrne's primary motive appeared to be raising money for drugs, and that his previous convictions and the value of the stolen items aggravated the case. She gave credit for his guilty pleas and engagement with addiction services, and suspended the final 12 months of the sentence on strict conditions.
Liam Brannigan, 37, of Bride Street, Dublin 8, had his sentencing adjourned at the Special Criminal Court due to the presiding judge's illness. Brannigan was found guilty of conspiracy to murder Gary Hanley in 2017. The court remanded him in custody and adjourned the sentence to April 24 at 2pm. Four co-accused—Joseph Kelly, Luke Wilson, Alan Wilson, and Dean Howe—previously pleaded guilty to the same charge. The prosecution alleged that Kelly and Wilson were intercepted near Hanley's home with a loaded semi-automatic pistol, silencer, and ammunition. Evidence included covert audio recordings, phone data, and CCTV footage showing Brannigan discarding an illuminated item, identified as the PB3 phone, before his arrest. The judge noted the overwhelming evidence connecting Brannigan to the conspiracy, including his central role in managing the plot via the PB3 phone. The matter was adjourned and not concluded.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Keith Bride, aged 34, was sentenced to one year in prison with the final six months suspended, after pleading guilty to assaulting Garda Ruth Molloy on 1 June 2016. The incident occurred when Bride attempted to destroy a car that the Garda was seizing, jumping onto the bonnet and smashing the windscreen. He had earlier tried to pull the car doors off and damaged the glove compartment. During the confrontation, Bride broke free and fled to a shopping centre, later being found in Mount Olive Park. Garda Molloy sustained two small cuts, bruising and pain in her thumb, and reported being unable to ride a mountain bike for some time. Bride has 80 prior convictions, including one for obstruction of gardai, and the judge noted his bad temper and intemperance. He expressed remorse and apologised, and the judge considered his family background and potential community contribution.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 26 November 2019, defence counsel for Liam Brannigan, a 37‑year‑old from Bride Street, Dublin, argued that the Garda surveillance officers' policy of not taking notes during the Kinahan cartel conspiracy‑to‑murder investigation was unacceptable and should not be allowed to slide. He contended that officers had claimed to have made identifications in the witness box that were not previously recorded, and that some had referred to other sources before asserting an identification. Brannigan is charged with conspiring to murder Gary Hanley between 15 September and 6 November 2017 and has pleaded not guilty. The defence sought to exclude evidence from surveillance officers and phone charts that linked secretly recorded conversations in bugged cars to specific individuals, arguing that the lack of notes undermined the fairness of the evidence.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 25 November 2019, defence counsel Giollaiosa Ó Lideadha argued that surveillance evidence presented by Gardaí in the conspiracy‑to‑murder case against 37‑year‑old Liam Brannigan of Bride Street, Dublin 8, was unreliable and should be excluded. Brannigan, charged with conspiring to murder Gary Hanley between 15 September and 6 November 2017, pleaded not guilty. The defence highlighted that the prosecution had not shown any phone linked to Brannigan was actually used by him, and that surveillance officers had failed to take notes, undermining the integrity of the evidence. The court had previously heard that six vehicles were bugged and that conversations recorded in those vehicles were attributed to Brannigan, Joseph Kelly, Luke Wilson and Alan Wilson based on phone data.
The Special Criminal Court heard audio evidence regarding the alleged conspiracy to murder Gary Hanley between September 15th and November 6th, 2017. Liam Brannigan, 37, of Bride Street, Dublin 8, is charged with this offence and has pleaded not guilty. The court examined a recording from a bugged Volkswagen caddy on November 6th, 2017, where unidentified men discussed a Beretta handgun with a silencer and the target. One man loaded the clip, stating, "we're laughing with this," before armed gardai intercepted the vehicle. Surveillance evidence linked the vehicle to Alan Wilson and Joseph Kelly, who were arrested that night along with Luke Wilson. Brannigan was also arrested. The prosecution presented a phone attributed to Brannigan, allegedly discarded before his arrest, containing contacts for Wilson and Kelly. While Luke Wilson, Joseph Kelly, and Alan Wilson have previously pleaded guilty to the plot and been jailed, Brannigan's trial continues. The matter is currently at the sentence stage for the co-accused, but Brannigan's case remains ongoing with no finalisation recorded for him.
In the Special Criminal Court, a surveillance garda told a barrister that it was "disgusting" to suggest their evidence was unreliable. The case concerns Liam Brannigan (37) of Bride Street, Dublin 8, charged with conspiracy to murder Gary Hanley between 15 September and 6 November 2017. Brannigan pleaded not guilty. The court heard that Brannigan was arrested minutes after a loaded semi‑automatic pistol was seized during the arrest of two men near Hanley's home on 6 November 2017. Twenty surveillance officers gave evidence about observations of Brannigan and three men who had pleaded guilty to the plot and were jailed – Luke Wilson (24), Joseph Kelly (35) and Alan Wilson (39). The garda testified that on 6 October 2017 he saw Brannigan in the front passenger seat of a black Renault Laguna, but the barrister questioned the reliability of the identification and the absence of notes.
The Special Criminal Court heard evidence in the trial of Liam Brannigan, 37, of Bride Street, Dublin 8, who is charged with conspiring to murder Gary Hanley between September 15th and November 6th, 2017. Brannigan has pleaded not guilty. The court heard that a National Surveillance Unit garda observed Brannigan driving a white Volkswagen Caddy van in the Suir Road area on October 3rd, 2017. This vehicle was later linked to the arrest of two men on November 6th, 2017, during which a 9mm Beretta pistol and silencer were seized. The defence argued that the garda's failure to record weather conditions or distance hindered the ability to test the identification. The court also noted that Luke Wilson, 24, Joseph Kelly, 35, and Alan Wilson, 39, have already pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder Mr Hanley. Luke Wilson, who also admitted unlawful possession of a handgun with intent to endanger life, was sentenced to 11 years. Joseph Kelly, who also admitted a weapons charge, was jailed for a total of 12 years, while Alan Wilson received a six-year sentence. These sentences were handed down following their guilty pleas, distinct from the ongoing trial of Brannigan.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Detective Garda Val Russell explained that after Liam Brannigan (37) was arrested on 6 November 2017 at Hanover Court, he was taken to Mater Hospital for medical treatment. Brannigan, charged with conspiracy to murder Gary Hanley between 15 September and 6 November 2017, pleaded not guilty. Garda John Altendor testified that a blue Nokia phone was found at Brannigan's Bride Street apartment. Detective Garda Peter O'Brien described the apprehension, noting that Brannigan may have had access to firearms and that the arrest involved a safe search. Cross‑examination of Garda officers raised questions about the use of force, with some officers stating that any force used was necessary and not excessive, while the court heard CCTV footage and statements from the officers involved. The trial continues.
The Special Criminal Court heard evidence in the trial of Liam Brannigan (37), of Bride Street, Dublin 8, who is charged with conspiring to murder Gary Hanley between September 15th and November 6th, 2017. Mr Brannigan has pleaded not guilty. Defence counsel suggested to Sergeant David J Campbell of the Armed Support Unit that unnecessary force was used during Mr Brannigan's arrest at Hanover Court, Dublin 8, on November 6th, 2017. The sergeant acknowledged CCTV footage showed officers on top of the accused after he had raised his hands and dropped to all fours, though he stated they were effecting an arrest. Detective Garda Val Russell testified that he arrested Mr Brannigan after hearing a thud and shouting commands, noting the accused fully cooperated. The court previously heard that Luke Wilson (24) and Joseph Kelly (35) were arrested nearby in possession of a 9mm Beretta pistol, silencer, and ammunition. Mr Wilson and Mr Kelly have pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder Mr Hanley. Luke Wilson, who also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a Beretta handgun with intent to endanger life, was jailed for 11 years. Alan Wilson (39), who pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder Mr Hanley, was jailed for six years. Joseph Kelly, who also admitted a weapons charge, was jailed for a total of 12 years.
A High Court judge criticised the prison service for failing to bring Liam Brannigan, a 37‑year‑old from Bride Street, Dublin 8, to a Special Criminal Court hearing where he was charged with conspiring to murder Gary Hanley between 15 September and 6 November 2017. Brannigan, who pleaded not guilty and is remanded at Mountjoy Prison, was absent when the trial was set to begin at 11 a.m. The court had issued a production order for his appearance, but the prison service did not comply, creating a misunderstanding. Judge Paul Coffey, joined by Judges Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin and James Faughnan, described the failure as "baffling" and "patently obvious" that the court had ordered his presence. Coffey warned the prison service that such an omission should not recur and noted the absence of any phone call to the court before the scheduled start. The trial was rescheduled to resume at 2 p.m. on the same day.
A court has heard that secretly recorded conversations involving Liam Brannigan (37) from Bride Street, Dublin 8, will be presented as evidence in his trial for conspiring to murder Gary Hanley between September 15th and November 6th, 2017. Brannigan entered a 'not guilty' plea during his arraignment in the Special Criminal Court. Three men who previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder Mr Hanley have already been jailed: Luke Wilson (24), Alan Wilson (39), and Joseph Kelly (35). Luke Wilson was jailed for 11 years for unlawful possession of a Beretta handgun with intent to endanger life, Alan Wilson received six years, and Joseph Kelly was jailed for 12 years. The prosecution will rely on seized phones, vehicles, and audio recordings from a Garda surveillance operation to prove Brannigan's involvement in the plot. The trial will include evidence of detailed discussions about how Mr Hanley was to be shot, how they would react to resistance, and how they would escape. The court will also hear about the arrest of Joseph Kelly and Luke Wilson, during which a semi-automatic pistol, a sound suppressor, and petrol were found. The trial continues tomorrow.
A 35‑year‑old Nigerian wedding photographer, Adewale Yusuf, avoided jail after repaying all stolen money he had transferred from an account that had been used by a Russian company to receive €30,000 from an Italian firm. The money, totalling €9,002, had been transferred to Yusuf's account and then to other accounts linked to him. Yusuf pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of transferring property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct while knowing or being reckless about its source. Judge Karen O'Connor suspended a two‑year prison sentence, noting Yusuf's low risk of re‑offending and his full repayment. Yusuf admitted he had no knowledge of the money's origin and had transferred it because he lacked a card for the account, which normally held little money. He had five prior traffic convictions and had been in financial trouble in 2013.
Martin Sherlock, aged 30, was convicted of raping a woman he met on the dating app Badoo. The victim had told him they could not have sex without a condom and repeatedly said "no" during the encounter. Sherlock admitted stealing her mobile phone. He was found guilty after a four‑day trial and sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with a three‑year post‑release supervision order. The court noted that Sherlock had no prior convictions, had lost his job and cancelled wedding plans, and that the victim had a history of mental illness. The judge emphasised that the conviction was based on the victim's refusal to have sex without a condom and that the sentence was not an act of vengeance. No further legal actions or appeals are mentioned in the article. Martin Sherlock pleaded not guilty.
A 30‑year‑old Meath man, Martin Sherlock, was convicted of raping a woman he met on the dating app Badoo. The victim had told him they could not have sex without a condom and had repeatedly said "no" during the encounter. Sherlock admitted he had ejaculated inside her and had stolen her mobile phone. He pleaded not guilty but was found guilty after a four‑day trial. The court noted that Sherlock had lost his job and cancelled wedding plans. Gardaí arrested him following a sting operation in which they posed as buyers of a phone he was selling. He was remanded in custody until a sentencing hearing on 2 July. The case was presented as a clear instance of non‑consensual sex after the victim's explicit refusal to have sex without a condom.
John Matthews, aged 38, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four and a half years imprisonment for 56 burglaries committed over a 16‑month period, 33 of which occurred while he was out on bail. The judge suspended an additional four and a half years on the condition that Matthews keep the peace for five years after release and attend drug treatment programmes. Matthews, from Desmond Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, had 124 previous convictions, 115 of them for burglary. Prosecutor Marie Torrens BL described how Matthews would knock on doors, check for occupants, then break in by smashing windows or door glass. Victims reported loss of jewellery, a wedding ring, Christmas presents, and €20 in loose change, and one elderly victim incurred €30 in window repair costs. Matthews pleaded guilty to sample counts of burglary between 19 January 2015 and 22 April 2016 at locations in south Dublin, including Rathfarnham and Dun Laoghaire.
A former army officer, Timothy O'Sullivan, aged 66, was sentenced to eleven years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting and raping two teenage boys between 1991 and 1996. The victims, aged 13 to 16 at the time, were repeatedly subjected to oral and anal rape, threatened with death or burial in the mountains, and given alcohol that sometimes made them ill. O'Sullivan, who was in his forties during the offences, used his position and the boys' vulnerabilities to groom and abuse them at various locations, including his home, a bathhouse, car parks, pubs and hotel rooms. The judge noted the aggravating factors of grooming, the victims' youth, and the abuse of trust, while also recognising mitigating factors such as the offenders' guilty pleas. The sentence was imposed by Mr Justice Tony Hunt at the Central Criminal Court, following the victims' courageous impact statements and the investigation that began after complaints in 2011 and 2013.
Colin O'Kelly, 36, was given a two‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assault causing harm to Dominic O'Keefe at Finnstown Castle Hotel in Lucan on 1 May 2015. O'Kelly had been attending a funeral that day and, in the early hours, punched O'Keefe twice in the face, fracturing his cheekbone. O'Keefe, who had just attended a wedding, was left unable to eat solid foods for three weeks and out of work for six weeks, which he said led to his restaurant failing. O'Kelly had no prior convictions, had expressed deep remorse, and was caring for a seriously ill child. The judge, Patricia Ryan, noted mitigating factors and accepted a €3,000 payment to O'Keefe as an expression of remorse. The sentence was suspended for two years.
Sarah Lawlor, aged 26, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to causing serious harm to Iuliun Molcalaut on July 19, 2015, after an altercation on the South Circular Road. Lawlor claimed she did not stab anyone but admitted she had obtained knives from a flat after being asked to do so. The prosecution argued that Molcalaut's injuries, including a punctured liver and significant blood loss, could have been fatal without immediate medical care, and that the severity of the wounds forced him to cancel his wedding. Lawlor was arrested about an hour after the incident and was the only one among the three involved who accepted responsibility. She has no prior convictions, has three children in their fathers' custody, and was remanded on bail with sentencing adjourned to July 3.
The trial of seven men, including Solidarity TD Paul Murphy and Councillor Michael Murphy, continues at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury. The defendants, who include Kieran Mahon, Frank Donaghy, Ken Purcell, Michael Banks, and Scott Masterson, have all pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning former Tanaiste Joan Burton and her adviser Karen O'Connell by restricting their personal liberty without consent at Fortunestown Road, Jobstown, Tallaght, on November 15, 2014. On day 22, the court heard transcripts from Councillor Michael Murphy's February 2015 garda interviews. When shown protest footage, he repeatedly stated the video "speaks for itself" and asserted that the rights of both sides were "balanced." He further told gardaí, "There will be no issue explaining that to any judge," regarding comments about Ms Burton's safety. Detective Garda David Connolly testified to the arrest and interviews. Garda John Healy described being verbally abused by protesters and threatened by two men who attempted to rob him of his wedding ring and equipment. He alleged Paul Murphy displayed a "blatant disregard" for safety and was the most senior person present. The trial is ongoing, with no findings, sentences, or finalisations recorded.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Thomas O'Connor, 29, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of John O'Brien, 22, who was bludgeoned to death with a rock on 4 June 2010. O'Connor had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The victim impact statement, read by Detective Sergeant Eamon O'Neill, described how O'Brien's fiancée, Alice O'Brien, had to replace her wedding bouquet with a wreath after the fatal attack. The statement also recounted the couple's wedding plans, the couple's drinking together before the incident, and O'Connor's attempts to destroy evidence by scrubbing his hands and burning his hoodie. O'Connor's counsel, Feargal Kavanagh SC, acknowledged his client's remorse. The sentence was back‑dated to 5 June 2010. The hearing highlighted the personal loss suffered by O'Brien's family and the impact of the crime on the community. Thomas O'Connor was convicted.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Terence 'Terry' Connors, aged 42, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of Peter Conroy, 27, who was stabbed at Palmerstown Lodge B&B on 9 June 2015. Professor Marie Cassidy testified that Conroy suffered four knife wounds, including one to the neck that severed a major artery. Connors also faced a not‑guilty plea for assaulting Elaine Blunt at the same address. During the trial, Blunt was warned by Judge Paul Butler that she could be removed and held if she did not behave after a confrontation with defence counsel Garnet Orange SC. Blunt testified that she had been at a wedding that night, that she had a fight with Connors' partner Brigid over stolen jeans, and that she saw Connors stab Conroy with a knife. The trial continues before Justice Butler and a jury.
In a 2016 hearing, a 57‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to four counts of rape and four counts of indecent assault against his four‑year‑old sister between December 1971 and October 1973. He claimed the acts were consensual, a claim the court rejected. The sister, now 49, testified that the abuse occurred two or three times a week, describing it as a "waiting game" that left her feeling imprisoned in her own body and mind. She recounted specific incidents, including being forced to perform oral sex during a family wedding and being raped while her mother was speaking to a neighbour. The court adjourned sentencing to the following Tuesday. The defendant, father of seven, had no prior convictions and was not interviewed by Gardaí after the abuse was reported to health authorities in 1994. The defense argued his juvenile status and remorse should be considered, but the court did not impose a custodial sentence at that time.
Dinah Loughlin, a 30‑year‑old GAA star from Kilbeggan, Westmeath, pleaded guilty to twenty counts of theft for stealing more than €28,000 from her employer, senior counsel Marguerite Bolger, over a five‑year period. While working as a legal secretary, Loughlin used Bolger's credit‑card and bank accounts to pay for transcription work and to make personal purchases, including online shopping at Asos, River Island, Amazon, and gift‑cards from an office‑supply site. She also withdrew cash from an ATM and bought CDs, DVDs, an iPod, and paid her motor tax through Bolger's account. After the thefts were discovered, Loughlin repaid the money with savings earmarked for a wedding and sold her car. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing that Bolger had a "very benevolent view" of the offence, imposed a two‑year suspended sentence, suspended for two years, noting Loughlin's previous good character and repayment. The judge warned that she was "perilously close" to jail.
Bianca Maria Birtas, a 25‑year‑old former cash handler, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €9,520 on 18 September 2014 and an additional €6,010 on 19 September 2014 from G4S Cash Services Ireland Ltd. CCTV footage showed her stuffing money into her sleeves as she counted notes into bundles. The cash was destined for destruction at the Central Bank, and the total missing amount was €15,530. Garda investigations revealed that Birtas had deposited €6,005 of the stolen money in her accounts and that an additional €7,840 was found in her home. She claimed she was worried about paying for her wedding and had no previous convictions. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years, noting that she was unlikely to re‑offend and that the offence could be treated as a one‑off. The stolen cash was to be returned to the Central Bank.
Stephen Kelly, 20, of Crumlin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to consecutive terms totalling seven years. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder at St Patrick's Institution on March 18, 2013, possession of a rifle on March 25, 2014, and burglary on March 12, 2014. The court heard that Kelly and three other inmates caused €33,000 in damage during an incident described as a "mini riot," during which prison officers were attacked. In the burglary, a house was ransacked, and items including a laptop, wedding ring, watches, a necklace, a silver pen, and a camera were stolen; these were later recovered from a BMW in which Kelly was a passenger. Regarding the rifle, Garda Enda Daly testified that Kelly held the weapon in a threatening manner, though examination later found it was not capable of firing. Judge Martin Nolan noted the gardaí had reason to believe their lives were in danger. The judge accepted there was "some hope" for Kelly's rehabilitation, noting his recent employment in prison laundry and course completion. The other three inmates involved in the violent disorder were previously sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan; two brothers received four-year sentences with the final two years suspended, while the fourth man received a four-year sentence with two and a half years suspended.
John Joyce, aged 28, was sentenced to five months in prison and disqualified from driving for 15 years after pleading guilty to driving without insurance and without a licence on Templeview Avenue, Clarehall, Dublin 13, on 11 November last year. This was his 13th offence of driving without insurance. Garda Michael McCallion testified that Joyce had been observed driving a Ford Focus, jumped out of the car, and ran into a house, explaining that he had no insurance. Joyce has 80 previous convictions, including 12 for driving without insurance. Defence solicitor Fiona D'Arcy noted that Joyce had been assaulted in June while attempting to rescue a taxi driver from a hijack, sustaining serious leg injuries. She appealed to Judge Dermot Dempsey not to imprison him, citing his role as best‑man at his brother's forthcoming wedding and his leg injury.
Thomas McMahon, 31, of Limerick, pleaded guilty to membership of the Irish Republican Army on 7 February 2013 alongside Noel Noonan, 34. Both were remanded on continuing bail for sentencing on 27 June. McMahon, a father of two and former chef, had previously been allowed to travel to Lithuania to attend a family wedding, with the court varying bail conditions in June and October of the previous year and again in January of the current year. On the day of the hearing, his counsel requested a final trip to Lithuania to visit his in‑laws, asking that McMahon's passport be returned and that the sign‑on conditions be removed from 2 May to 16 May. Prosecutor Tara Burns objected, citing Garda concerns that McMahon was a flight risk and that a substantial custodial sentence might be imposed.
The Special Criminal Court has granted 31-year-old Thomas McMahon permission to travel to Lithuania for a second time this year, despite objections from gardai. Mr McMahon, of Ros Fearna, Murroe, is on bail on a charge of membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA. He faces this charge alongside co-accused Noel Noonan (34), of St. Patrick's Hostel, Clare Street. Both men were arrested in February near Cahir, Co Tipperary, by the Special Detective Unit during an investigation into dissident republican activities. The court, presided over by Mr Justice Paul Butler, acceded to an application by counsel Mr Michael Bowman BL to vary bail restrictions until November 6th to allow Mr McMahon to attend a family wedding. Detective Inspector William Hanrahan stated that gardai objected because they could not monitor Mr McMahon while he was abroad, noting he is due to stand trial in March next year. However, the judge noted the variation was for a very limited period and that Mr McMahon had returned from a previous visit. The court agreed to the variation, noting the bail surety was present. The matter remains at the pre-trial stage, with the trial scheduled for next year.