A 40‑year‑old man was sentenced to twelve and a half years in prison for repeatedly raping a girl who was a friend of his daughter. The victim, now 17, was first abused when she was seven and was recorded by the offender during the assaults. He threatened to kill her pet dog if she disclosed the abuse. The court found him guilty on 12 counts, including sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, rape, anal rape and oral rape, and not guilty on one count of sexual assault. He continues to deny wrongdoing. The judge imposed concurrent sentences of 13 years, noting the rape offences warranted a headline sentence of 14 years, and suspended the final six months of the 13‑year term on strict conditions. The victim gave a victim impact statement describing ongoing fear, anxiety, depression and PTSD, and the judge praised her dignity and courage. The sentencing hearing took place in the Central Criminal Court. The unnamed 17-year-old was acquitted.
Tony McInerney, a convicted drug dealer and leader of a large network in Co Clare, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to a consecutive 27 years in prison. The court heard that McInerney, who pleaded guilty in July to the attempted murder of Daniel Harty Junior in Sixmilebridge in January 2020, will serve a 17-year term for that offence. This sentence runs consecutively to a ten-year term he is already serving for running a cocaine factory, a sentence originally set at 12 years but reduced by the Court of Appeal. McInerney also pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and making threats to kill, receiving five years for each charge to run concurrently with the attempted murder sentence. The judge described the incident as "gangland thuggery and violence," noting that the attack, allegedly linked to a drug debt and personal animosity, terrorised the public. An innocent bystander was shot in the buttock, while Harty Junior suffered three gunshot wounds, losing the use of his left arm. The judge highlighted the planned nature of the crime, involving a vehicle stored for a month, and the indifference shown to bystanders. McInerney's previous convictions and the high level of criminality necessitated the consecutive sentencing structure.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the children of Przemyslaw Klimczuk, aged ten and thirteen, said their father's death by a kitchen knife stabbing had forced them to confront a harsh reality of society. The court had earlier found David Bolger, 45, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter for the May 1, 2020 incident at a shared house in Enniscorthy. Bolger, who had been drinking since 4 pm, stabbed Klimczuk after a fight with housemates. He denied the murder charge and claimed he was provoked. The children's statement, read by James B Dwyer SC, expressed that good memories of their father were fading and that they had learned to accept this terrible side of society. Bolger's defence presented an apology letter, acknowledging his remorse and the pain caused to the family. The case was scheduled for sentencing on October 31.
The trial of former solicitor Michael Lynn, aged 55, is set to begin this week at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He faces 21 counts of stealing property from various financial institutions between 2006 and 2007 and has pleaded not guilty. An extended panel of 15 jurors, comprising seven men and eight women, has been selected. The trial, presided over by Judge Martin Nolan, is expected to last eight weeks.
At the Central Criminal Court on 23 October 2023, Yousef Palani, aged 23, from Markievicz Heights in Sligo, was sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment for the murders of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee. Justice Mary Ellen Ring imposed a concurrent 20-year sentence for causing serious harm to Anthony Burke through a knife attack to the eye. Palani had pleaded guilty to murdering Mr Moffitt on 10 April 2022 and Mr Snee on 12 April 2022, both in their Sligo homes, and to attacking Mr Burke on 9 April 2022. Evidence indicated the offences were motivated by hostility towards homosexual men. Justice Ring emphasised that the three men should be remembered for their lives and contributions to their communities rather than the circumstances of their deaths. The sentences are to date from 13 April 2022 when Palani entered custody.
Yousef Palani, aged 23, appeared at the Central Criminal Court for sentencing following guilty pleas to two murders in Sligo in April 2022. Palani admitted to the murder of Aidan Moffitt on 10 April at Cartron Heights and Michael Snee on 12 April at Connaughton Road. He also pleaded guilty to causing serious harm to a third man on 9 April. During the hearing, Detective Garda Conor Jordan of Sligo Garda Station told the court that gardai were satisfied Palani's motivation stemmed from hostility and prejudice towards homosexual men. The court heard Palani had stated he would have continued killing had gardai not intervened. While Palani cited religious objections to homosexuality during questioning, investigators determined he had not been radicalised. The garda witness indicated that claims regarding Palani's mental health had been exaggerated or fabricated. Palani, with no previous convictions, was last resident at Markievicz Heights in Sligo.
William Duffy, 40, of Dundalk, pleaded guilty last July to discharging a firearm recklessly at Marian Park on 28 May 2019, an act originally charged as attempted murder. The incident involved a confrontation with Keith Shields, who fled after hearing two shots and later called 999. CCTV showed Duffy leaving a hospital four hours before the shooting, arriving at the park, and positioning himself near Shields. DNA from Duffy's home matched shell casings found at the scene, though Duffy denied shooting and claimed possible accidental contact with casings. He has 42 prior convictions, including theft, hit‑and‑run, affray, threatening behaviour and burglary. At the Central Criminal Court, Duffy expressed remorse, pledged never to appear before the courts again if given a chance, and was remanded in custody pending sentencing on 13 November. The judge adjourned the matter for sentencing.
A 44‑year‑old social worker, whose name is withheld to protect the victim, was jailed for four years, with the final two years suspended, for sexually defiling a 16‑year‑old boy in her care at a midlands school. The offence occurred between 1 April and 15 May 2016 when the boy was at her home. She pleaded not guilty but was convicted by a jury after an 11‑day trial. She has appealed the conviction, arguing that Facebook messages exchanged with the boy, which were used as evidence, were obtained under the wrong section of the 2008 Ireland/US Mutual Assistance Treaty. The appeal contends that the request for the messages was made by the Director of Public Prosecutions rather than the Central Authority, and that the certificate of authenticity for the material was flawed. The Court of Appeal has reserved its judgment on the matter.
Francis Fennell, Christopher Mellon, Alan Fagan, Paul Fagan, and Aaron King were sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for their roles in an international cocaine smuggling ring. All five defendants pleaded guilty to various charges, including conspiracy to commit serious offences, money laundering, and conspiracy to bring proceeds of criminal conduct into the state between 2012 and 2016. Judge Pauline Codd described the enterprise as a "get rich quick scheme" exploiting price disparities in Australia and New Zealand. Fennell, identified as the mastermind, received a ten-year sentence with the final two years suspended on strict conditions. Mellon, a first-time offender, had his three-and-a-half-year sentence suspended in full and was ordered to pay €10,000 to the Anna Livia project. Alan Fagan, described as a trusted lieutenant, was sentenced to six years with the final four and a half years suspended. Paul Fagan received a six-year sentence with the final three and a half years suspended on conditions. Aaron King, the youngest defendant, was sentenced to four and a half years with the final 18 months suspended on conditions. The judge noted mitigating factors such as guilty pleas, remorse, and evidence of rehabilitation for all defendants.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 20 October 2023, a 30‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to five years for reckless endangerment and child cruelty after being accused of raping his partner's toddler. He pleaded guilty to one count of reckless endangerment of the 23‑month‑old girl between 29 March and 5 April 2018, and to two counts of child cruelty towards her and two counts towards her brother on 5 April 2018. The boy was aged two to three at the time. The court accepted the guilty pleas and dismissed the rape and sexual assault charges. The judge noted the children's vulnerability, the serious injuries sustained, and the man's history of offending and substance abuse. The sentence was back‑dated to the man's September 2021 custody entry. The children, now seven and eight, were placed in foster care and are receiving support for their recovery.
Paul Clarke, 41, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for robbing a Lidl supermarket on Malahide Road on 13 November 2019. CCTV showed him entering the store, firing a handgun into the ceiling, then demanding money from two open tills. He took about €1,000, placing the cash in a bag he had brought. When he struggled to leave, he forced the manager to open the doors by threatening him with the gun and demanded the other tills be opened, but the manager refused. Clarke then fled in a getaway vehicle driven by an accomplice. Garda patrol stopped the car, seized drug paraphernalia and cash, and found gunshot residue on Clarke's jacket and the vehicle. He has 115 prior convictions, including robbery, false imprisonment and threats of serious harm, and had previously been sentenced to five years for an attempted robbery in 2021.
A 39-year-old woman from Granard, County Longford, has been sentenced to twelve months in prison following an assault on a prison officer at the Dochas Centre in Mountjoy Prison on 29 September 2021. Stephanie Martin pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court heard that Martin grabbed food aggressively from the officer, placed her in a headlock, and pulled her hair, causing significant injury. The officer required hospital treatment and subsequently took a year off work, reporting ongoing anxiety and trauma. Judge Orla Crowe noted the seriousness of assaulting an officer in the course of duty and Martin's twenty-two previous convictions. However, the judge considered mitigating factors including Martin's early guilty plea, apology, and remorse. Martin has not come to garda attention since the incident. The headline sentence was set at eighteen months before reduction to twelve months.
Two men from County Longford have appealed their convictions for rape and sexual assault at the Court of Appeal following issues with phone evidence presented at their trial. Karl Reilly of Aghara, Carrickboy was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment with eighteen months suspended for rape; Patrick McLoughlin received five years' imprisonment with eighteen months suspended for sexual assault. Both men had pleaded not guilty to charges relating to an incident in August 2017 at Galway. Their legal representatives argued that an erroneous timestamp on mobile phone records, discovered only after defence cross-examination was completed, prejudiced trial preparation and rendered proceedings unsatisfactory. They also contended that the trial should have been separated, given inconsistencies between the men's accounts to gardaí. The State's counsel submitted that the timing discrepancies were minor and did not alter the intervals between calls or the approximate timeline of events. Justice Patrick McCarthy reserved judgment on the appeals.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Brandon Brooks, 25, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for assault causing harm to nightclub bouncer Sean Owens at Buzz nightclub on 9 November 2019. Owens, who was working to save for a wedding, was repeatedly punched and stabbed by an attacker other than Brooks during a mob attack that included Brooks. Owens now suffers from PTSD, insomnia, flashbacks and nightmares. Judge Orla Crowe noted the seriousness of Owens' injuries and the harrowing victim impact statement. Brooks, who had 49 prior convictions and was on bail at the time, pleaded guilty early and was described as an enhanced prisoner. The judge suspended the final six months of the sentence, imposed a 12‑month probation supervision period, and allowed the remaining term to be served in custody. The court considered letters from Brooks' mother and other family members as mitigating factors.
A woman has been found guilty of indecently assaulting a 13-year-old boy in the 1980s following a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Jacintha McSherry O'Connor, aged 63, of Donegal Town, was convicted on two counts of indecent assault by majority jury verdict after 11 hours of deliberation. The offences allegedly occurred between June and September 1985 while she worked as a student teacher at a Dublin secondary school. The complainant, now in his fifties, told the court the abuse occurred during tutoring sessions at his home and on a family holiday to Spain. McSherry O'Connor, who had pleaded not guilty, maintained she never engaged in sexual conduct with the boy. Judge Elma Sheahan remanded her on continuing bail pending sentencing on 8 November 2023.
The family of a young girl who underwent spinal surgery at Temple Street Children's Hospital has initiated High Court proceedings to obtain all her medical records from Children's Health Ireland (CHI). The girl, one of 19 children involved in a report on Spina Bifida surgeries, was operated on last year despite a 50% risk of complications and death. The family claims the surgery was "botched" and "inappropriate," leading to serious post‑operative complications and a split spine that will require further procedures. They argue CHI delayed providing the full suite of records and have received only partial documentation. The court granted the family permission to serve notice of the injunction, and the case will return next week for further hearings. The family seeks an order for CHI to supply all management plans, risk assessments, and to appoint an independent expert to review the case.
Linda Finnegan, 51, of Stamullen, was found guilty of fraud under the Companies Act for withdrawing €35,601 from her family's Waldorf Barbers shop in Dublin. The shop, founded by her father Liam Finnegan, had been run successfully for many years, with Liam owning 75 % and Linda 25 %. After a falling out in 2016, Liam's share was bequeathed to two employees. Following Liam's death in February 2019, Linda withdrew €4,950 and €28,000 in March 2019 without permission, and later €2,651. Gardaí seized cash from her home and CCTV captured the withdrawals. The company was liquidated, but the employees continue trading under a new name. Linda has no prior convictions and has expressed remorse; the case was adjourned for sentencing to 2 November.
An Irish celebrity, aged 40, was acquitted by a jury of three counts of engaging in sexual acts with a 16‑year‑old girl between August and December 2010. The trial, held at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, lasted eight days and the jury deliberated for just under six hours before returning not‑guilty verdicts on all counts. The accused, who could not be named, appeared anxious and emotional during the proceedings. The complainant, aged 29, testified that she met the man at the Oxegen festival in July 2010, that she initially claimed to be 18 but later revealed she was 16, and that alleged incidents of oral sex and masturbation occurred at the accused's workplace and home. The prosecution's case relied on the complainant's testimony and text‑message evidence, while the defence argued the incidents did not occur before the complainant's 17th birthday. Judge Pauline Codd thanked the jurors for their time and noted the case's historic nature. The unnamed 16-year-old pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court heard that Ashling Murphy died before paramedics could attempt resuscitation after she was found with 12 sharp force wounds to her neck in the undergrowth by the Grand Canal in Tullamore. CCTV footage showed a garda believing he could see the accused, Jozef Puska, moving in the same direction as two women, reaching into his pockets and appearing to have something in his hand before returning it to his pocket. The prosecution presented footage of Ashling's movements from leaving work at Scoil Naomh Colmcille at 2.37 pm to arriving at the Daingean Road car park at 2.50 pm and walking to the towpath. Puska, aged 33, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Murphy on 12 January 2022. The trial continues next week before Mr Justice Tony Hunt.
A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court will resume deliberations tomorrow in the trial of a teacher accused of indecently assaulting a male student decades ago. Jacintha McSherry O'Connor, aged 63 and from The Mullins in Donegal Town, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent assault on a child allegedly occurring between June and September 1985. The alleged victim was 13 years old at the time, while Ms McSherry O'Connor was aged 24 or 25 and working as a student teacher at a Dublin school. The prosecution alleges the assaults took place in the boy's home during private tuition sessions. The court also heard evidence regarding alleged sexual contact between the parties during a family holiday in Spain prior to the period covered by the charges. The jury had deliberated for over seven hours when Judge Elma Sheahan adjourned proceedings for the evening.
In a trial of a 40‑year‑old Irish celebrity accused of defiling a 16‑year‑old girl, Judge Pauline Codd told the jury that the case relied solely on the complainant's word, as no corroborating evidence existed. She warned that, over time, such cases often hinge on "one person's word against another." The judge explained that the jury must assess the truth and reliability of the complainant's testimony. The defendant, aged 27 at the time, pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual acts with a child under 17, alleged to have occurred in Dublin between August and December 2010. The State's case claimed he inserted his penis into the girl's mouth on three occasions, once at his workplace and twice at his home. The jury had deliberated for just over three hours on the eighth day before the judge paused proceedings for the evening, with a return the next day to continue deliberations.
During the 1981 Stardust fire, a survivor, Mark Swaine, testified that he tried to use his hands to extinguish flames on people escaping the nightclub. He described being trapped against a van at exit three, pushing his girlfriend off a wall, and attempting to break windows to allow people to escape. Swaine said he saw people's hands pressed against the windows and that he was trying to put out the fire. He confirmed that a chain on the main door was preventing people from exiting. Other witnesses described a van obstructing the exit and a brass padlock on the door. The inquest heard that the chain and lock were indeed in place, and that Swaine's actions were an attempt to help those on fire. The hearing continues next Tuesday.
The Central Criminal Court heard that Ashling Murphy died from 12 stab wounds to the right side of her neck, with injuries extending from under the right ear to above the collar bone. The wounds severed her voice box, damaged nerves controlling speech and swallowing, and damaged the carotid artery and jugular vein, causing severe blood loss and cardio‑respiratory arrest. Small defensive injuries were noted on her hands, suggesting she tried to protect herself. The pathologist stated no contributory factors and could not exclude strangulation, but no obvious signs were present. The case involves Jozef Puska, 33, who pleaded not guilty to her murder. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt with a jury of twelve. The court heard police accounts of the discovery of Murphy's body in a ditch near Cappincur, Tullamore, and the subsequent resuscitation attempts that were ultimately abandoned.
The trial of four Dublin men accused of raping and sexually assaulting a woman at her home in December 2018 has collapsed at the Central Criminal Court. All charges against the accused were dropped via a nolle prosequi after the complainant, who is undergoing psychiatric treatment, was deemed unable to continue giving evidence. The State's application to allow her to testify via video link was unsuccessful. Mr Justice David Keane addressed the jury, noting the trial did not reach a natural conclusion after three weeks, and exempted them from jury service for 15 years. Reporting restrictions apply to all participants. The first accused, aged 25, had pleaded not guilty to oral rape and sexual assault. The second accused, also 25, pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault. The third accused, aged 23, pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, one oral rape, and a sexual assault. The fourth accused, aged 24, pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape and sexual assault. The complainant alleged the men entered her home uninvited, forced her into sexual acts, and that one accused recorded the incidents on social media. She stated she was bleeding and sore when the men left. The matter was adjourned and concluded with the dropping of charges, not a conviction.
The High Court appointed Dessie Morrow and Dairmaid Guthrie of Azets Ireland as joint provisional liquidators for Climote Limited, a heating‑control firm with 20 employees. The appointment followed a failed Small Companies Administrative Rescue Process (SCARP) and an inability to agree on a rescue plan. Climote had been profitable until 2019 but became loss‑making due to Covid‑19 impacts, the removal of its 'Single Measure Solution' from the Energy Efficiency Obligations Scheme, and a €1.1 million loss in 2022. The company also owes significant debt to Revenue. The liquidators will preserve assets, maintain service for up to 100,000 remote heating controllers, and seek to sell the company's goodwill and assets, potentially to an identified investor, while ensuring continued maintenance until the assets are sold. The matter was adjourned to November.
E W Technologies was fined €50,000 at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after its former managing director, David Ford, pleaded guilty to failing to provide adequate fall prevention measures. The charge related to a workplace accident on January 15, 2021, at a warehouse in Blanchardstown Corporate Park. The court heard that Ludovic Tanfin, a 58-year-old employee, fell over two metres from an improvised platform constructed on a forklift while attempting to repair a damaged shutter door. Judge Orla Crowe noted that Mr Tanfin suffered a fractured skull, inter-cranial bleeds, and multiple rib fractures, resulting in a year-long absence from work and ongoing cognitive difficulties. The judge described the incident as a one-off event, highlighting the company's impeccable safety record and lack of systemic failures. The company, which has since been sold to a US firm, was fined €50,000 to be paid forthwith. Prosecutors from the Health and Safety Authority stated that staff should have left the repair to experts, but their efforts to fix the door created the serious risk. Defence counsel noted the company's early plea and full cooperation with the investigation. Mr Tanfin is currently pursuing a separate personal injury case.
The first Garda to arrive at the scene where schoolteacher Ashling Murphy was found unresponsive in undergrowth by the Grand Canal spent ten minutes performing chest compressions. Garda Tom Dunne, who was in a patrol car, arrived shortly after a distressed call and found Ms Murphy face‑up in a ditch five or six feet down a steep slope. She was wearing a navy jacket, a pair of blue runners and a pink woolly hat, and had blood in her hair and on the surrounding briars. Dunne undid her jacket and began CPR, checking for a pulse that he described as "very faint". He alternated chest compressions with a colleague because only one officer could work at a time. When paramedics arrived they moved Ms Murphy to the walkway but, finding no signs of life, they stopped treatment. Jozef Puska, 33, has pleaded not guilty to her murder.
The jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has begun deliberations on the trial of a 40‑year‑old Irish celebrity accused of defiling a 16‑year‑old girl between August and December 2010. He has pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual acts with a child under 17, alleged to have occurred at his workplace and twice at his home. The State claims he inserted his penis into the complainant's mouth on each occasion. The judge, Pauline Codd, delivered her charge this morning, and the jurors retired at 11.05 am to consider the verdicts.
A property developer was ordered by the Workplace Relations Commission to pay €35,000 to a medically vulnerable construction worker who was dismissed in August 2020 after taking sick leave during the Covid‑19 pandemic. The worker, described as an elderly gentleman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, had been on sick leave in May and June 2020 and received a two‑week notice of redundancy in July 2020. He claimed the dismissal was discriminatory under the Employment Equality Act 1998, arguing he was selected because of his age and ill health. The company denied any discrimination, citing that the worker was not required on site due to the development stage and that no formal redundancy consultation had taken place. The WRC found the evidence showed the dismissal closely followed his return to work and that the employer had not provided mitigation or alternative positions.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has continued deliberations in the trial of a Donegal woman accused of indecently assaulting a male student nearly four decades ago. Jacintha McSherry O'Connor, aged 63 and from The Mullins in Donegal Town, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecently assaulting a child between June and September 1985. The alleged offences occurred while Ms McSherry O'Connor worked as a student teacher at a Dublin school, with the incidents said to have taken place during home tuition sessions. The complainant was thirteen years old at the time. The court also heard evidence of alleged sexual contact between the accused and the boy during a family holiday to Spain prior to the period covered by the charges. Following more than four and a half hours of deliberation on the trial's fifth day, Judge Elma Sheahan directed jurors to adjourn for the evening. Deliberations are to resume the following day.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Katarzyna Wsiubiak, aged 34, was found not guilty by reason of insanity after she threw a cup of acid at workers in the One Asian Kitchen in Tallaght on 13 December 2020. The jury heard that Wsiubiak was paranoid and delusional when she entered the restaurant, and that she had known the main target, a woman who had previously provided translation services for her. The attack left the first victim with severe burns covering 16 % of her body, including her face, neck, chest and left upper arm, and caused permanent eye damage; the second victim suffered second‑degree burns to her neck, left arm and fingers while helping the injured colleague; the third victim sustained first‑degree burns to her ankle.
In a trial in Dublin, a 40‑year‑old Irish celebrity faced three counts of sexual activity with a 16‑year‑old girl between August and December 2010. The defence counsel, Morgan Shelley, urged jurors to focus on the girl's age claims, arguing she initially told the man she was 18 and later admitted she was 16. Shelley contended that no sexual acts occurred before her 17th birthday and that the prosecution relied on unavailable text messages and memory. He highlighted alleged alibis, such as the man's presence at a hotel in June 2012, and questioned the girl's recollection of visits to his house on 14 December 2010. Shelley asked the jury to find the man not guilty on all counts, stressing the importance of the legal age of consent and the need for impartial deliberation. The judge reminded jurors to consider only the evidence presented and to apply the law that a child under 17 cannot give valid consent.
At the ongoing inquest into the Stardust nightclub fire of February 1981, witnesses have testified that emergency exit doors were secured with chains and padlocks on the night of the blaze. A former employee stated that this practice of locking exits had been in place for up to two years prior to the fire, which occurred in the early hours of 14 February. He recalled hearing patrons cry out that doors were locked as the fire spread, and described how the crowd forced one door open to escape. Inside the premises, he heard sounds of people attempting to break through locked toilet windows without success. Another witness confirmed seeing a chain and lock wrapped around panic bars on an exit door that night. A third witness described the chaotic evacuation, recounting how she heard shouts that exits were locked as flames and thick smoke filled the venue. The inquest, taking place in Dublin District Coroner's Court, continues to examine the circumstances surrounding the disaster.
During a murder trial, the sister of Amadea McDermott, who died from a stab wound, testified that she punched the accused, Martin Hayes, after he smirked at her outside a hospital resuscitation room. She described arriving at the apartment, seeing Hayes sitting on a bed, and hearing her sister in cardiac arrest. She later saw paramedics working on Amadea and was told the victim had a puncture wound to the abdomen. The sister said she had given the accused's phones to Gardaí after the incident. Hayes, 34, pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. The trial is ongoing before Mr Justice Paul McDermott with a jury of eight men and four women. The case involves allegations of domestic abuse and a violent relationship. The court has heard that Hayes was a grave digger at the time of the death.
A multinational company was found by the Workplace Relations Commission to have subjected a new employee to discriminatory treatment. The employee was asked to provide a "drag queen name" on a questionnaire that was then circulated office‑wide. He later reported that his country manager made a series of offensive remarks about his sexuality, including comments about his father's reaction to his being gay, references to mascara, and a "bears" joke implying gay men. The manager also used the phrase "I'm back bitches" toward him and another colleague. An internal investigation described the language as inappropriate but not intended to offend or motivated by the employee's sexuality. The tribunal upheld the discrimination claim, rejected the constructive dismissal and victimisation claims, and ordered the company to pay €25,000 in compensation for the discriminatory conduct. The company's final written warning to the manager was deemed insufficient by the adjudicator.
In the trial of Jozef Puska, accused of murdering 23‑year‑old teacher Ashling Murphy, defence counsel Michael Bowman SC argued that Puska was attempting to help Murphy stop bleeding when a jogger arrived. Witness Jenna Stack testified that she saw Puska "trying to assist" Murphy, but she disagreed, describing him as aggressive, shouting "get away" and holding the girl down while she kicked her legs. Stack said Murphy was distressed and moving only her legs. She also noted Puska's foreign accent, shaved head and dark eyebrows. Bowman suggested Puska's shout was pain from a cut leg, not aggression, and that Murphy had reached for Puska's forearms to stop bleeding. Stack maintained she saw no weapon and that Puska could have asked for help. The case continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury. Jozef Puska pleaded not guilty.
A banking professional who worked at a Dublin pub for nearly three decades has alleged he was unfairly dismissed and denied a redundancy package because the pub owners did not want to pay him. Alan Ecock, who has worked for AIB since 1994, told the Workplace Relations Commission that his co-workers at the bank were unaware of his second job as a bar manager at Kavanaghs in Stoneybatter, where he started as a lounge boy in the late 1980s. His solicitor, Setanta Landers, claimed the pub owners' assertion that Ecock was self-employed was a 'parade of fiction.' Ecock stated he worked at the pub four nights a week throughout his college years after losing his father as a teenager and felt obliged to support his mother. He continued working there even after signing a full-time contract with AIB in 1994, reducing his hours to two nights a week when he married in 2013.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the jury has begun deliberations in the trial of a teacher accused of indecently assaulting a male student nearly four decades ago. Jacintha McSherry O'Connor, aged 63, from Donegal Town, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent assault on dates between June and September 1985, when she was a student teacher at a Dublin school and the boy was thirteen years old. The alleged incidents reportedly occurred during private tuition at the boy's home and on a family holiday to Spain. In closing speeches, the prosecution argued the evidence of the complainant, now in his fifties, was reliable and consistent, describing patterns of grooming behaviour. The defence contended there were significant inconsistencies in the complainant's account and that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. The jury will continue its deliberations the following day.
In a trial for defilement of a 16‑year‑old girl, the 40‑year‑old defendant pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual acts with a child under 17 at locations in Dublin between August and December 2010. Prosecuting counsel, Eilis Brennan SC, told the jury that the defendant's account was "unbelievable" and "riddled with inconsistencies". She contrasted the defendant's version with the complainant's, describing the latter as coherent and the former as lacking sense. Brennan highlighted specific discrepancies, such as a claimed lunch meeting in January 2011 that the complainant denied, and the defendant's assertion that he had shown her pictures of his home after discovering she lied about her age. She urged the jury to weigh the credibility of both parties, noting that the defendant had denied all wrongdoing and that consent was not a defence under the legislation. The defence's closing speech was scheduled for the following day.
Patrick Shanahan, 76, a pensioner from Cooga, Doon, Co Limerick, was convicted in 2022 by a unanimous jury at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on 14 counts of sexually assaulting his granddaughters Daria and Tara Tobin between 2010 and 2014. The abuse involved rubbing the girls' vaginas and later vaginal penetration by finger and tongue when they were aged 10 to 14. The assaults occurred in Shanahan's home, on nearby land and in his van. Shanahan appealed today on the Court of Appeal, arguing that the delay between the offences and the girls' complaints, inconsistencies in one complaint, and the admissibility of the aunt's evidence should have been challenged. He contended that the aunt's questioning was leading and that the complaint was not made at the first reasonable opportunity. The court has reserved judgment on the appeal. Patrick Shanahan pleaded not guilty.
During the Stardust inquest, a 17‑year‑old witness, Sharon O'Hanlon, recounted that she and friends were among the first to leave the club after a small fire appeared in a partitioned area. She described how a piece of ceiling fell onto their table minutes after the fire was first seen. O'Hanlon said the heat from the blaze caused the ceiling to collapse, though she could not recall if the material was burning or melted. She noted that the fire was near the back of the seating bank, not under the ceiling where they sat. She and her friends reacted quickly, gathering belongings and exiting through the front door. The doors were open when they left, and doormen later attempted to close them. The witness confirmed the incident occurred within three to six minutes of smelling smoke. The testimony was given to the Dublin District Coroner's Court.
Mr Justice Oisin Quinn granted Dr Fiona Grant an interim injunction at the High Court, restraining Gradual Investments Limited from repossessing the medical clinic premises at The Village, Stepaside, Dublin 18. The case, involving Dr Grant and Tuesday Dr Grant as applicants, was adjourned to a date later this month. The dispute centres on alleged unpaid rent, interest, and service charges claimed by Gradual Investments, which acquired the unit in 2015. Dr Grant denies these claims, asserting that she has consistently paid rent in advance except for one instance in March 2020 during the pandemic. She contends that Gradual Investments is not entitled to forfeit the lease, which she entered into in 2009, particularly while her defence to a summary judgment application for over €140,000 remains pending. Counsel for Dr Grant argued that the landlord's issuance of forfeiture notices, with the latest set to take effect on October 18, was unjustified. The judge noted that Dr Grant had raised a serious question requiring trial and that maintaining the status quo was in the interest of her patients. Both parties were granted permission to return to court before the adjourned date if necessary.
In a case heard at the Central Criminal Court in Tullamore, a 48‑year‑old man was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for raping his former partner during a 10‑hour false imprisonment ordeal. The defendant, who was previously convicted of assault and false imprisonment in 2022, was found guilty of rape on 7 August 2018. He had detained the woman in his apartment against her wishes, assaulted her, and forced sexual contact. The court noted the victim's physical and emotional suffering, her fear of leaving the house, and her panic attacks. The judge, citing the man's lack of remorse and prior convictions, imposed a headline sentence of ten years, suspended one year, and ordered two years of post‑release supervision with mandatory sex‑offender treatment. The defendant denied the rape and had not shown remorse or undertaken rehabilitation before sentencing.
Soren Constantin Gavrila, a 42‑year‑old Romanian national, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, with the last six months suspended, for raping a sex worker in Dublin on 1 September 2018. Three weeks after arriving in Ireland, Gavrila and two men approached the victim in a car after midnight, offering €50 for oral sex. The victim, who was intoxicated and struggled to understand him, performed oral sex with a condom, but Gavrila removed it and forced her to perform oral sex without a condom. He then pushed her to the ground, raped her, bit her back and arm, and cut her lip. The victim's boyfriend confronted the men, leading to a 999 call and Gavrila's arrest. DNA evidence linked Gavrila to the assault. He pleaded guilty, offered €5,000 as a token of remorse, and the judge noted his apology and prior good character in imposing the sentence.
During the opening of Martin Hayes' murder trial, the prosecution presented evidence that Hayes, a 34‑year‑old grave digger, called emergency services after Amadea McDermott, a 27‑year‑old mother of two, died at her Rathvale Drive home on 20 July 2017. Hayes claimed McDermott had stabbed herself, a claim the court heard from paramedic witnesses who described a woman lying on the floor with a stab wound to the right abdomen. A post‑mortem by Dr Marie Cassidy confirmed the fatal wound and identified a knife from the living area as the likely weapon, with DNA matching McDermott's blood on the blade. The prosecution also noted that Hayes had entered a new relationship after McDermott's death and that the new partner would testify about an argument on Christmas Eve 2018. The trial will continue before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury. Martin Hayes pleaded not guilty.
In the Central Criminal Court, Jozef Puska, aged 33, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 23‑year‑old Ashling Murphy, who was stabbed 11 times on the right side of her neck near the Grand Canal in Tullamore on 12 January 2022. Prosecutor Anne‑Marie Lawlor SC presented evidence that Y‑STR DNA from under Murphy's fingernails matched Puska's DNA, that a bright green Falcon Storm mountain bike belonging to Puska was found beside the body, and that CCTV footage showed Puska cycling in the area hours before the killing. Puska was interviewed at St James's Hospital after being admitted with stab wounds he claimed were from an attack in Blanchardstown; he later admitted in the hospital to having murdered Murphy, saying "I did it, I murdered, I am the murderer." The jury will consider whether the evidence shows Puska intended to kill or cause serious injury. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt.
In October 2022, Tracey McGann, former finance chief at ERS Genomics Ltd, told the company's CEO, Eric Rhodes, that she was "not a waitress" after he remarked that a dinner group had no red wine. McGann claims the incident was part of a broader pattern of discrimination, victimisation and constructive dismissal under the Employment Equality Act 1998. She alleges that she was given a smaller pay rise in 2020 than male colleagues, that the company tried to demote her when she sought part‑time work in 2022, and that a proposed salary cut to €80,000 was halted when Rhodes sanctioned a contractor instead. In November 2022, Rhodes suggested a new VP of finance role would replace her, telling her to "start looking for a new job." McGann resigned in January 2023 after sending a legal letter with grievances, to which she received no response. ERS Genomics disputes the claims, arguing the constructive dismissal test could not be met.
An Irish celebrity, aged 40, pleaded not guilty to three counts of engaging in sexual acts with a 16‑year‑old girl between August and December 2010. During cross‑examination on 16 October 2023, he agreed that the complainant, who is described as "someone who doesn't have a grudge," had been upset after a meeting at a Spanish festival in 2012. He said he had left his phone at the complainant's house and later sent an apology message. He denied that the alleged sexual acts occurred in the stairwell of his workplace, claiming he used a different staircase, and disputed the complainant's detailed description of the location. He also denied that the restaurant where they supposedly had lunch in January 2011 was open, but admitted they had eaten in the area. The trial is ongoing.
Jacintha McSherry O'Connor, a 63-year-old teacher from Donegal, is currently on trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. She has pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecently assaulting a child on dates between June 1 and September 1, 1985. The prosecution alleges that the accused, then aged 24 or 25, indecently assaulted the 13-year-old complainant on two occasions in his home while giving him grinds, and that further sexual contact occurred during a holiday in Spain. Ms McSherry O'Connor took the stand and denied having any sexual relations with the boy, stating she did not indecently assault him in his home or in Spain. She testified that the complainant followed her home to discover her address and that she was disappointed he knew where she lived. Prosecution counsel alleged she groomed the boy, a claim she rejected. She stated she has had no contact with the complainant since 1985 and suggested he may have been pushed into making the allegations. Defence witness Doreen Maher Ritchie, a teacher who holidayed in Spain with the accused, testified that they were together constantly and did not interact much with the boy's family. She expressed being appalled by the allegations and recalled no uncomfortable behaviour. The trial continues before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury.
In a Dublin rape trial, a 24‑year‑old woman denies that she invited four men upstairs to have sex with them. She says she invited the first accused to her home on the night of the alleged rape because her mother and sister were not home and she feared being alone. She met the first accused through a friend, had communicated with him before, and had met him previously. When he arrived, three other men were present. She says she asked what they were doing there, and they discussed "weed" and drinks. She moved to the upstairs area because it was warmer. She denies that she invited the men because she had agreed to sex, although she admits she dressed to impress the first accused. The four accused, aged 25, 25, 23 and 24, have all pleaded not guilty to various counts of rape and sexual assault.