A 25‑year‑old man, Ryan Craig, was sentenced to six years in prison, with the last twelve months suspended for two years, for dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm. He also received a four‑year sentence for endangerment, both running concurrently and back‑dated to October 2024. Craig drove a van onto a footpath in Clondalkin, dragging a 25‑year‑old nephew of convicted drug dealer John Gilligan, Dillon Gilligan, for up to 30 feet before leaving him on the roadside with a fractured skull and pelvis. Craig fled the scene without assisting the victim, an act described by the judge as a deliberate purposeful act of dangerous driving motivated by rage and hatred. The court disqualified Craig from driving for fifteen years. The sentencing hearing noted Craig's prior convictions for drug possession and public order offences, but the judge considered the current incident far more serious. The unnamed 25-year-old pleaded guilty.
Justin Doyle, 29, of Carlow, was on temporary release from a four‑year prison term when he repeatedly called the home of a woman he claimed owed him money for a drug debt. Over a two‑week period he threatened to "chop you up" if she did not pay, and made further harassing calls, including one in which he said she had only paid €4,650. The woman had already paid a total of €15,600 by November 2024. Doyle had previously been convicted of demanding money with menace at Kilkenny Circuit Criminal Court and had 110 prior convictions. At Carlow Circuit Criminal Court he pleaded guilty to four counts of demanding money with menace. Judge Eugene O'Kelly sentenced him to six years in prison, suspending the final two years on the condition of probation and compliance with the Probation Service for two years. The sentence was back‑dated to November 2024 when Doyle first entered custody.
Pat Salmon, 89, of Knock, Co Mayo, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to five counts of sexual assault committed between January and June 1995. The offences, which allegedly took place at his home, involved a five-year-old child. Salmon has no previous convictions. The court heard that the injured party disclosed the abuse after contacting a crisis helpline, and Salmon subsequently wrote a letter expressing remorse. During his interviews, Salmon denied specific charges but admitted to other acts, stating that "the devil took over" for a period. Defence counsel highlighted Salmon's age, serious health conditions including congestive heart failure, and his background as a former mental health nurse and community volunteer. He requested the court consider his early guilty plea and the isolating nature of incarceration. The injured party's victim impact statement described the long-term trauma, stating that Salmon had taught her fear and that her power over her had ended. Ms Justice Caroline Biggs described the statement as "heartbreaking." The matter was adjourned until Monday of next week to allow the judge to review all materials and consider the sentence.
A 77‑year‑old former coffee shop owner, Giovanni Nardone, was given a four‑year suspended sentence for laundering €89,570 in cash and for possessing an encrypted mobile phone. The cash was found under his bed after a Garda search warrant was issued following confidential information. Nardone pleaded guilty to possession of the proceeds of crime and to possession of the encrypted phone, which was deemed to be used for a criminal offence. He was on bail throughout the proceedings and had no prior convictions. The judge, after a risk assessment by probation services, considered the amount of cash, the encrypted phone, a cash‑counting machine and a vacuum packing machine as aggravating factors, while his guilty plea, lack of previous convictions and family background were mitigating. The sentence was suspended in full for four years.
In a High Court hearing on 13 November 2025, former Garda John Bowe (41) alleged that he was wrongfully and violently struck by Superintendent Rory Sheriff, a 6'8″ former rugby player, during a high‑speed chase that took place outside Bunclody, County Wexford, on 5 December 2014. Bowe, who had been driving at speeds over 140 kph for 25 minutes, was pursued through a field and, according to Bowe, turned back at Sheriff with a metallic object that turned out to be keys with bottle openers. Sheriff claimed he used his baton in proportionate force after Bowe lunged at him. Bowe was later convicted of dangerous driving offences arising from the chase. He now seeks compensation for alleged injuries, claiming a functional neurological disorder, and has denied that the baton strike was justified. The case is pending jury deliberation.
Reece O'Brien, aged 23, pleaded guilty to money laundering and having the proceeds of crime, and was sentenced to two years and six months' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended for two years on strict conditions. He was found to have €5,595 in cash, cannabis, weighing scales, bagging equipment, a Volkswagen Golf, high‑value clothing and a PlayStation 5 in his apartment, all seized during a Garda search. O'Brien also spat at a Garda and threatened to "bite their faces off and kill them." Stephanie Boylan, aged 24, pleaded guilty to money laundering and received an 18‑month sentence, suspended for three years on strict conditions. Boylan had no prior convictions and was found to have paid for the car with cash from the proceeds of crime. Both defendants' pleas and youth were considered by Judge Orla Crowe.
On 9 March 2025, Darren Longworth, a 40‑year‑old tradesman from Tallaght, was found by a Garda in a car park carrying two Stanley blades—one in his work belt and one loose in a pocket. He was arrested and charged with possession of a knife under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990. Longworth explained that he was a multi‑skilled tradesman who had been working that day and was living in his van, using it as both accommodation and a storage space for his tools. He claimed the blades were standard work equipment and that a larger switch‑blade tool was stored inside the van. His solicitor argued that the blades were consistent with his trade gear. Judge Patricia McNamara, after considering that Longworth had been working earlier, was wearing his work belt, and that his living circumstances made it natural for tools to be on him, dismissed the knife possession charge.
In a case heard at Dún Laoghaire District Court, a dangerous driving charge against ambulance driver Josh Hayes (24) was dismissed after the judge reviewed dash‑cam footage. The footage, captured by a different driver, showed a learner motorist who had unintentionally edged into Hayes's lane moments before the collision. The learner's car, coming from a slip road, merged into the lane and then moved further left into the inner lane directly in front of the ambulance. The ambulance struck the back of the learner's car, causing it to overturn. Both the driver and passenger sustained whiplash and bruising. Hayes had been driving with lights and sirens on while transporting a psychiatric patient. The judge, Anne Watkin, found that the learner's movement was the decisive factor and that the ambulance driver's actions were justified under the circumstances, leading to the dismissal of the charge. Josh Hayes pleaded not guilty.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing, Billy Burns, aged 55, was accused of murdering his 75‑year‑old mother, Miriam Burns, between 12 and 15 August 2022. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and admitted to killing her. The jury heard that Burns had previously broken his mother's jaw in 1993 and had a history of verbal abuse and drug use. Witnesses, including his siblings Sharon and Shane Kelleher, testified that Burns was often violent and that their mother had tried to help him despite fearing his aggression. Gardaí interviewed Burns on 16 August 2022, during which he denied responsibility for the murder and claimed he had not killed his mother. The trial continues before a jury of eight men and four women.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeals against conviction lodged by Dion Genockey and Daryl Rooney, who were previously convicted of the gang rape of a vulnerable teenager who had recently left State care. The court ruled that the trial was "appropriate, fair and balanced," rejecting arguments that issues surrounding consent rendered the proceedings unfair. Genockey, of Clarion Quay Apartments, and Rooney, of Railway Street, Dublin City Centre, were convicted at the Central Criminal Court in March 2022 following a second trial; the first trial in 2020 ended without a verdict. Genockey was sentenced to nine years by Mr Justice David Keane, while Rooney received a ten-year sentence. A third accused, Troy Ryan, was also convicted and sentenced to nine and a half years. The appellants had argued that the trial judge failed to adequately address their right to silence and their belief in the complainant's consent. The Court of Appeal, in a judgment delivered by Mr Justice John Edwards and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, found that the jury was properly instructed on these matters and that there was prima facie evidence of the mental element of the offence. The appeals were dismissed, leaving the original convictions and sentences intact.
The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction of Christopher Slator for the 2016 murder of Michael Barr at Dublin's Sunset House pub, confirming that DNA evidence was correctly admitted. Mr Justice John Edwards dismissed Slator's appeal, noting the DNA profile matched Slator on both a rubber mask and the tongue of runners recovered from the vehicle used by the murderers. The court found the evidence relevant, probative and admissible, and rejected arguments that the prosecution failed to prove no innocent explanation for the DNA's presence. It also rejected claims of contamination or cross‑contamination, stating the SCC's conclusions were cogent and grounded in evidence. The appeal concerning a trip to Thailand was deemed admissible as circumstantial evidence. The judgment affirmed the SCC's detailed, comprehensive analysis and confirmed Slator's conviction as safe and final. Christopher Slator pleaded not guilty. Sunset House pleaded not guilty.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced three former soldiers to fully suspended terms for a violent attack outside The Living Room bar in February 2024. Jordan Kavanagh (24), Jerome Kavanagh (23), and Jason Keating (24) each pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm and one count of violent disorder. All three resigned from the army prior to entering their pleas. Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin imposed a four-year sentence, suspended for five years, on Jordan Kavanagh and Jason Keating. Jerome Kavanagh received a two-year, eight-month sentence, suspended for three years. The court ordered the men to pay €6,666 each to the victim as an expression of remorse. The judge noted the defendants were suitable candidates for restorative justice and described the sentences as a "Sword of Damocles." The victim, who suffered a concussion, broken teeth, and scarring, stated the attack changed his life. The judge emphasized that while the men showed real remorse and had no previous convictions, their actions were "completely appalling" and they had thrown away their potential.
On 18 March, 31‑year‑old nurse Theophilus Annum Tetty, of Mulgrave Street, Dún Laoghaire, was arrested for a public order offence after becoming intoxicated on the N81 Tallaght Bypass. He was taken to Tallaght Garda Station where he became aggressive, spat at the Perspex screen of the public counter hatch and caused damage. The court heard that the incident led to two charges: criminal damage and violent behaviour in a garda station. Defence counsel said Tetty was experiencing an acute period of intense stress, which contributed to his conduct. He has no prior convictions and works as a nurse. The judge, Patricia McNamara, noted his clean record, cooperation and medical circumstances, and warned him to "stay out of trouble". She ordered him to engage with restorative justice services, to pay €150 compensation to the station, and to submit a full medical report. He remains on continuing bail until 16 January, when his progress will be reviewed.
David O'Sullivan, aged 22, was sentenced to nine years in prison for raping two girls aged 14 and 10 whom he groomed via Snapchat. He was also found in possession of 1,629 files of child sexual abuse material, including 915 videos and 714 images. Justice Melanie Greally imposed a headline sentence of 11½ years for the rapes and possession, suspending the final two and a half years on condition that O'Sullivan keep the peace, engage in sexual offence treatment and refrain from contacting either victim for 50 years. The court heard that O'Sullivan had met the first victim in June 2022, lied about his age, and had repeatedly attempted to groom and assault her, including a sexualised encounter in a shopping centre in February 2023. He also groomed a second 10‑year‑old in August 2024, sending explicit images and meeting her in secluded locations, where he orally and vaginally raped her. David O'Sullivan pleaded guilty.
Mark Duffy, aged 44, was convicted of burglary under section 12(1b)(3) of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 and of trespassing, possession of stolen property and possession of certain articles. He was sentenced to nine months imprisonment for burglary and six months consecutive for trespassing, with the final three months suspended, for a total of 12 months in custody. Duffy appealed against the severity of the sentence. Judge Deirdre Browne, hearing the appeal, noted that Duffy had "been around the block" and was "well aware of what he was doing". She affirmed the original sentence, stating that the District Court had "considered matters very thoroughly" and that the order was "carefully thought through and structured". The appeal was dismissed and the original 12‑month custodial sentence was upheld. Mark Duffy pleaded not guilty.
Richard Walsh, 32, of Lisminton, Ballintra, Co Donegal, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to sexually assaulting his partner's best friend while she slept on a sofa in his home on December 13, 2020. The victim, in her 20s, reported waking with pain and later told gardai she was tampered with. DNA evidence from Walsh's underwear matched the victim. Walsh initially denied contact but later admitted the offence. Justice Tony Hunt noted Walsh's previous conviction for defilement of a child under 17, for which he pleaded guilty and received a custodial sentence of one year and eight months in January 2023. Walsh was on bail for that unrelated offence at the time of the current incident. The court heard a victim impact statement detailing long-term trauma, depression, and loss of relationships. Walsh read a letter apologising for the harm caused, though the victim did not accept it. Justice Hunt commended the victim's strength and stated the guilty plea vindicated her. The judge adjourned the case to January 19, 2026, for sentencing. Walsh, who had been on bail, was remanded into custody to appear on that date. Counsel noted Walsh is a father of two and warned of community shunning upon release.
Michael Connor, aged 50, was sentenced to one year in jail for his role in a scheme that defrauded the Trinity College Hardship Fund of over €500,000. Connor admitted to providing his bank account details to a third party and to recruiting others to do the same, resulting in €9,950 being deposited into his account across four transactions between October 2020 and January 2021. He pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct. Connor received €1,650 for his involvement. He has 22 prior convictions, mainly traffic offences, and is a security guard and carer for his mother. The court found no evidence that he applied for hardship assistance himself and imposed a custodial sentence, rejecting the defence's request for a non‑custodial outcome.
Michael Daly, 27, of Knockmore Grove, Tallaght, was jailed for three years and nine months after a high‑speed chase on the N81. He drove a stolen Ford Transit van without a licence or insurance, swerved onto the wrong side of the road at up to 140 km/h, and attempted to hit Garda patrol cars. The chase caused €10,000 of damage to a patrol car and forced a Garda to run into a garden to avoid being struck. Daly pleaded guilty to endangerment, unlawful use of a vehicle, driving without insurance and two counts of criminal damage. He had been disqualified from driving since 2022 and had previous convictions for drugs and public order offences. The judge, after considering his guilty pleas and mitigating factors, imposed the sentence and a four‑year driving disqualification.
In a High Court hearing on 12 November 2025, Garda Superintendent Rory Sheriff, 6'8", defended his use of a retractable baton against former Garda John Bowe, 41, during a 25‑minute, high‑speed chase outside Bunclody, Co. Wexford. Sheriff claimed the chase involved speeds over 140 kph and that Bowe, who was driving an Audi, had a metallic object that turned out to be keys with bottle openers. Sheriff said Bowe lunged at him with the object, prompting the superintendent to strike Bowe's head with full force, aiming for the torso, after being informed by a colleague that Bowe had a knife. Bowe was arrested, later diagnosed with a functional neurological disorder, and sued Sheriff, the Garda Commissioner, the Attorney General and Ireland for alleged injuries. Sheriff maintains his actions were proportionate and justified, and he has no regrets. The case is set for jury deliberation before Mr Justice Micheál O'Higgins.
A woman convicted of child cruelty for smacking and hitting her children was discharged under the Probation of Offenders Act on appeal. She had pleaded not guilty to two counts of cruelty to children under the Children Act, 2001, for incidents between 2012 and 2017. She was sentenced to three months on each count, fully suspended for two years. The appeal was based on evidence from 2018 garda interviews where her children described smacking, hitting, and being thrown water bottles. The children's victim impact statements said the abuse destroyed their social life and future prospects. The court found the evidence credible, noted the woman's lack of prior convictions, and ordered her to keep the peace for 24 months, attend parenting and psychological courses, and have no contact with her children except as directed by the court. The discharge does not constitute an acquittal but removes the criminal record.
Dr Ashlinn Cummins, a facial aesthetics doctor at The James Aesthetic Clinic Limited, claimed constructive dismissal after leaving her €125,000‑a‑year role in November 2024. She alleged repeated breaches of contract, workplace bullying, poor clinical standards, and a failure to address serious patient safety risks. Cummins said a clinic manager, identified only as "Ms D", engaged in hostile conduct, including shouting, eye‑rolling, confrontational meetings, interference with her clinical autonomy, and passive‑aggressive retaliation. She also described an unhygienic environment, noting no rubbish collection for months, bags of refuse left to rot, and over 40 dead insects in a reception area. Cummins claimed administrative errors threatened patient safety and that portions of her salary and mileage claims were late or unpaid. The Workplace Relations Commission rejected her complaint, finding she had not invoked the company grievance process and that her resignation was not due to unfair dismissal.
In a trial in Killarney, the State argues that Billy Burns, 55, who strangled his mother Miriam Burns, 75, while experiencing a manic or hypomanic episode of bipolar disorder, understood his actions and is guilty of murder. The prosecution, led by Sean Guerin SC, presents evidence that Burns was mentally ill at the time but still committed the acts that caused his mother's death. Witnesses describe a violent encounter on 12 August, with Burns shouting abuse and later returning to the house, where he strangled Miriam. Burns' defence, represented by Anthony Sammon SC, admits the killing and the manner of death but contends that his client's psychiatric illness meant he did not understand the nature or wrongness of his actions. The trial will consider the impact of Burns' mental state and possible intoxication on his culpability. The case is heard before Ms Justice Karen O'Connor and a jury. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
A key witness in the trial of Ruth Lawrence at the Central Criminal Court suffered a heart attack requiring hospitalisation during proceedings, creating significant complications for the case. The witness, who had provided crucial testimony following a garda investigation that began over a decade earlier, was unable to attend court in person. The prosecution successfully applied for his evidence to be delivered via video-link, arguing this had become standard practice. The defence objected strenuously, contending the jury required to see the witness in person given the serious nature of the allegations. The trial judge ruled the application admissible, citing fairness to the accused and the impracticality of further delay. During the case, defence counsel also attempted to introduce evidence relating to the defendant's involvement in charitable work abroad, which the judge deemed irrelevant and excluded. A subsequent application to withdraw one murder charge was rejected, with the judge finding sufficient evidence of joint enterprise to allow the matter to proceed to the jury.
A UK‑resident trans woman, who holds Irish citizenship, has been granted leave to bring a High Court challenge against the State's refusal to register her child on the Foreign Births Register. The child was conceived via IVF using the woman's frozen sperm and delivered by her wife, who is not an Irish citizen. The State's position is that only the biological mother, i.e., the birth‑giving wife, can confer Irish citizenship through the Foreign Births Register. The woman argues that being denied registration because she is not the biological mother constitutes an offensive, discriminatory and unjust attack on her gender identity, legal status and same‑sex marriage. She seeks a declaration that she is a legal and genetic parent, an order to register the child, and citizenship for the child under Section 7(1) of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956. Ms Justice Sara Phelan granted leave for judicial review and adjourned the case to January.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence in the trial concerning the 2014 disappearances of Eoin O'Connor and Anthony Keegan. The prosecution alleged that the pair went to Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan, to collect a debt of approximately €70,000 owed by Jason Symes and South African national Neville van der Westhuizen. Testimony from the O'Connor brothers described attempts to locate the missing men at the homes of Symes and his son, Sean, who reported being threatened by a group of men. The court heard that van der Westhuizen was in a relationship with Ruth Lawrence, with whom he lived in Patrick's Cottage near Lough Sheelin. The prosecution described their relationship as symbiotic and alleged a plan was formed in 2013 to rob drugs from O'Connor's house. While the source text details the trial proceedings and witness accounts, it does not contain the final verdict or sentencing for Ruth Lawrence or Neville van der Westhuizen in this specific instance. However, factual records indicate that Neville van der Westhuizen is currently serving a 15-year sentence in Westville Prison in Durban, having been convicted in 2020 on six counts of kidnapping, attempted murder, and murder. The report does not specify a plea, finding, or sentence for Ruth Lawrence, nor does it detail any adjournments or suspended portions of the sentence.
Darragh Carroll, 27, was jailed for stealing a Renault Fluence and reckless endangerment after a drunken garda pursuit in Balbriggan. Carroll, who had no driving licence and was disqualified from driving, ran red lights, overtook a stopped vehicle, drove through stop signs, onto a footpath and in the wrong direction on busy residential streets. He swerved past a pedestrian and crashed into a wooden pillar, then fled the scene, jumping over a house wall before being arrested. Carroll pleaded guilty to the theft, endangerment, two criminal damage charges and driving without a licence. The judge set a headline sentence of seven and a half years, reduced to three years, with concurrent two‑year terms for theft and criminal damage. The final 18 months were suspended on probation, and Carroll was disqualified from driving for five years. He is engaged in rehabilitation in custody. Darragh Carroll was convicted.
On 18 November 2022, Nicola Smart, 42, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply and to possessing €3,725 of proceeds of crime in her Prospect Hill home. Gardaí found €24,000 worth of cocaine, €1,160 of cannabis and zopiclone tablets in a garden shed, and a small amount of cannabis in her bedroom. The court heard that Smart's home was being used by criminals to store drugs, and that the drugs were on a top shelf in the shed, a location difficult for her to access because she is in a wheelchair. Smart has two prior convictions for minor traffic offences. She is a paraplegic, a former heroin and cocaine user who suffered a stroke in 2017, and her adult daughter is her carer. The judge, recognising her low culpability and health issues, imposed a three‑year sentence suspended in full under a number of conditions.
A van driver, Colin Radburn, 37, was jailed for four and a half years after a routine Garda checkpoint on St Luke's Road, Dublin 8, revealed €350,000 worth of cocaine and £15,520 in cash hidden in the van's air filter cabinet. Radburn, who had been driving the van at the time, panicked and attempted to abandon it when Gardaí stopped him. He pleaded guilty to one count of possessing drugs for sale or supply under Section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act. The court noted his prior convictions for road traffic offences and that he had been out of work since an injury in 2022, which contributed to a drug habit. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Radburn's role was that of transporter and holder, and set the sentence at four and a half years, backdated to his arrest.
Sandra Moneme, a 27‑year‑old South African woman, created a false name in 2019 to avoid a deportation order and used that alias to claim €6,775 in social welfare benefits. She pleaded guilty to one count of providing a false instrument at an Intreo centre in Dublin 1 on 26 November 2019. Garda Brian Giblin reported that Moneme applied for a PPS number under the false name and then claimed welfare benefits. She was arrested after a facial‑recognition check by the Department of Social Protection. Moneme has no prior convictions and cooperated with Gardaí. She is now entitled to stay in Ireland and is repaying the money to the department. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to 20 months, fully suspended on conditions, noting her cooperation and lack of prior convictions.
Atilas Misevicius, 24, of Montpellier View, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Tallaght District Court to multiple counts of possession and possession for sale or supply of heroin and cocaine, contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Acts. The court heard that gardaí searched his home on 2 February and found 20 small bags of cocaine with an estimated street value of €210, along with €500 in cash. Misevicius accepted responsibility when questioned. The court also noted that he had previously been found with heroin and cocaine worth €1,000 at the same address on 1 May 2024. Defending solicitor Michael Hennessy stated that his client had taken responsibility at the earliest opportunity. Mr Hennessy told the court that Misevicius, who is originally from Latvia but has lived in Ireland all his life, had been homeless between the ages of 19 and 22. Counsel said his client has since moved away from the Tallaght area, secured a job with an international delivery company, and now has a one-year-old child. Mr Hennessy added that Misevicius had been using cocaine while living in hostels but is no longer taking drugs, and that he has no previous convictions. Judge Patricia McNamara ordered a probation report and remanded Misevicius on continuing bail to appear again at Tallaght District Court on 16 January next.
Mary Hall, 70, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two theft counts for taking €26,562 in Carer's and Disability Allowances in her deceased son's name between 25 May 2022 and 30 November 2023. The son had leukemia and died in 2022; Hall continued to collect his disability allowance after the Department of Social Protection was notified of his death. She admitted she was not entitled to the payments and used the money for bills, rent and funeral costs. Hall has no prior convictions. Judge Sinead McMullan imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years, suspended in full on strict conditions, including continued weekly repayments. The court noted Hall's remorse and consistent repayments as mitigating factors. The sentence reflects theft from the State, not premeditated in the normal sense, but Hall was aware of the wrongdoing. The condition requires Hall to maintain the weekly repayments.
A farmer from Dunmore, County Galway, has obtained High Court permission to challenge the residential zoning of his lands under the Residential Zoned Land Tax. Michael Knightly is seeking to quash the zoning decision imposed by Galway County Council and is pursuing proceedings against the Council, the Revenue Commissioners, Ireland, and the Attorney General. Mr Knightly contends that the zoning decision failed to consider reasonable matters, constituted disproportionate interference, and breached fair procedures, EU directives, climate policy, and Constitutional justice. He submits that the tax imposed as a result could necessitate the sale of his lands, interfering with his livelihood. Mr Knightly has actively farmed the land for two decades and receives agricultural payments and participates in environmental protection schemes. Galway County Council stated the lands occupy a strategic location suitable for immediate development to support housing needs and compact urban growth. The Council noted that rezoning to agriculture would conflict with its development plan. Mr Knightly's legal team, instructed by Ballyhaunis-based solicitors, argue the decision conflicts with EU farm sustainability regulations and climate obligations.
The Central Criminal Court will hear a fifth day of deliberations in the trial of Ruth Lawrence, 46, who is accused of shooting drug dealer Eoin O'Connor and another man, Anthony Keegan, between 22 April and 26 May 2014. Lawrence, originally from Clontarf, Dublin, was extradited from South Africa in 2023 and has pleaded not guilty to both murder charges. The jury, composed of 12 members, has been considering verdicts for 12 hours and may return a majority verdict on one or both counts if at least ten jurors agree. The prosecution, led by Michael O'Higgins SC, argues that Lawrence and her boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen acted as a unit to lure and murder the victims, while the defence, represented by Patrick Gageby SC, contends that key witnesses, the Symes, are unreliable. The trial continues with the jury scheduled to return on Wednesday morning to finalize their verdicts.
A 55‑year‑old Kerry man, Billy Burns of Arlington Lodge, Tralee, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of his 75‑year‑old mother, Miriam Burns, at her home in Ardshanavooley, Killarney, between 12 and 15 August 2022. He was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court on 11 November 2025, where he answered the murder charge with the plea. The trial will be heard by a jury of eight men and four women, sworn in on the same day. Justice Karen O'Connor, presiding, informed the jury that the case is expected to conclude by the end of next week, with a possible extension of one or two days. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions is Sean Guerin SC with Ronan Prendergast BL, while Burns is represented by Anthony Sammon SC and Kate O'Connell. The judge noted Burns' background as a native of County Kerry who had worked as a waiter some years ago.
On 11 November 2025, a woman in her 30s pleaded guilty to murdering her four‑year‑old stepson at her home in March 2021. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, had begun with the defendant pleading not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. After a child witness's evidence was read, the accused's barrister requested time with his client. The jury returned at 3.03 pm, and the defendant was arraigned on the single charge of murder. She pleaded guilty to that charge. Mr Justice Paul McDermott thanked the jury and adjourned the case to 1 December, when the defendant will face the mandatory life sentence for murder. The child's mother will give a statement before sentencing. The defendant's identity is withheld to protect the child witness whose evidence was read into the record.
The Workplace Relations Commission found that the Health Service Executive (HSE) failed to protect a junior pharmacist from repeated sexual harassment by a senior pharmacist in his late 40s. The harassment began in May 2023 and included inappropriate remarks, sexual images and repeated contact after a formal complaint. The senior pharmacist was not suspended for over a year and remained in his role. The junior pharmacist had to take stress‑related sick leave twice and was repeatedly moved to new work locations. The HSE's internal investigation cleared the senior pharmacist, but the WRC adjudicator ruled that the HSE had taken only minimal steps to safeguard the complainant. The HSE was held liable for discrimination under the Employment Equality Act 1998 and awarded the complainant €86,717 in compensation, equivalent to a year's gross pay. The adjudicator also directed the HSE to disregard the claimant's stress‑related leave when calculating sick leave entitlements.
A 25‑year‑old Dublin man was jailed for four years after stabbing two neighbours during a cocaine‑induced paranoid episode. He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm and one count of producing a knife capable of serious harm. The victims were a father in his 50s and his son in his 20s, who had no prior issues with the defendant. He entered their garden, claimed he was looking for a football, and used a hunting knife to stab the older man in the back three times and cut his thumb. He then stabbed the son to the right side of the head. Both victims were taken to hospital; the father suffered three stab wounds to the back and cuts to the neck and thumb, while the son had a head cut requiring five staples. The court heard victim impact statements describing lasting physical and psychological effects.
Gintaras Jankevicius, 53, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with the final year suspended, for raping and sexually assaulting a woman over several hours. He threatened to keep her in his home until she became pregnant and gave her a knife, telling her to use it if she wanted him to stop. The victim, who was terrified, did not stab him and later reported the assault to gardaí. Jankevicius pleaded guilty to rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment. He is already serving a three‑year sentence for drug possession and has been in custody since March 2025. The judge imposed strict conditions on the suspended year, including no contact with the victim, abstinence from alcohol and drugs, and offence‑focused work, and ordered five years of post‑release supervision. The court noted Jankevicius showed little remorse and was considered a high risk of reoffending. The victim's impact statement described lasting trauma, nightmares and anxiety.
A man from County Monaghan has been sentenced to four years imprisonment following his conviction for sexual assault. James Rafferty, aged 21 and from Gola, Scotstown, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to sexually assaulting a female acquaintance on 14 August 2022. The assault occurred as the victim walked home after socialising. Justice Eileen Creedon described the offence as extremely serious and persistent, noting that Rafferty repeatedly assaulted the woman despite her resistance and explicit refusals. The court heard he initially denied the allegations to gardaí before later accepting the incident occurred. A Probation Service report indicated Rafferty has accepted the victim's account and acknowledged his behaviour was inappropriate. The final year of his sentence has been suspended on condition he engages with probation services for offence awareness work. Rafferty has no previous convictions.
A Cavan man previously imprisoned for handling 117 stolen bicycles has received a suspended sentence for money laundering linked to the same offence. Dinas Bimbiras, aged 50, of Maple Drive, Drumgola Wood, Cavan, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing the proceeds of crime. Following his earlier conviction in October 2022, when he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, gardaí examined his bank accounts under warrant. Analysis revealed a discrepancy of €71,141 between his legitimate income and lodgements, which prosecutors contend represents proceeds from the bicycle operation. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two-year custodial sentence but suspended it in full, determining that a further jail term would be unjust given Bimbiras's conduct since his release in February 2024 and his return to full-time employment. The judge noted the money laundering charge could have been heard concurrently with the original handling matter. He ordered forfeiture of the €71,141 to the State. Bimbiras, a Lithuanian resident in Ireland since 2001, maintains he purchased bicycles at Dublin markets intending to refurbish and resell them.
A 25‑year‑old Brazilian national, Gilson Da Costa Santos, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for importing nearly €200,000 worth of cocaine into Ireland. He pleaded guilty to the offence at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after being stopped at Dublin Airport on 7 May 2025, where 2.85 kg of cocaine was found in his suitcase. Da Costa Santos admitted the importation and claimed he had swallowed drugs, but no evidence of ingestion was found in a hospital scan. He said he was acting under threat and that his family had been threatened, prompting his travel to Ireland with the drugs. The judge accepted his signed pleas and his role as a transporter, and backdated the sentence to the date he entered prison in May. The case was prosecuted by Fergal Foley BL and defended by Marc Thompson SC.
A 17‑year‑old juvenile was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for assault causing serious harm and production of a knife after a chase on e‑scooters on the River Liffey boardwalk. The victim, an 18‑year‑old, was travelling on an e‑scooter when the defendant's co‑accused followed and kicked him off. The victim fell, was punched, and then stabbed twice in the back by the defendant, who used a large knife described as "dirty." The victim suffered a deflated lung, was hospitalized for four days, and has since fully recovered. The court heard CCTV footage, the defendant's guilty plea, and the defendant's 20 prior convictions. The judge noted the seriousness of the wounds and the defendant's propensity for violence, and imposed a 12‑month suspended portion of the sentence on strict conditions, including probation engagement for a year. The remaining term will be served in prison when the defendant turns 18.
An on‑bail offender aged 21 was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, for stabbing a woman multiple times in the vagina in a misogynistic attack that caused her to lose 25% of her blood. The offence occurred on 6 March 2024 at an apartment in Dublin, where the man, who had 15 prior convictions, was arrested immediately after the assault. Garda Colm Carroll and a colleague stopped the defendant and three other men who fled the scene. CCTV footage and a Snapchat voice note were presented to the court, showing the defendant's intent and the brutality of the attack. The victim, who suffered severe lacerations and a large hematoma, was treated at St James' Hospital and later warned that she may have difficulty giving birth vaginally. The judge noted the defendant's mental health issues and the misogynistic nature of the crime before imposing the sentence. The unnamed woman pleaded guilty.
The High Court has granted Ducalla Limited, trading as Bunsen Burger, leave to challenge a decision that classified its outlets as a fast‑food establishment, a classification that led to the refusal of a visa permit for a non‑national chef de partie. Ducalla argues that Bunsen is a full‑service restaurant, with over 75% of customers receiving table service, and that the food is cooked to order rather than pre‑cooked or quickly prepared. The company contends that the department's review decision, which upheld the earlier refusal, was unreasonable and irrational, citing a lack of evidence that the food met the fast‑food definition. Ducalla also claims the department breached fair procedures and natural justice by failing to engage adequately with the applicant over the chef role and by not providing sufficient reasons for applying Section 4 of the Employment Permits Regulations 2024. The case is adjourned to January for further proceedings.
Dominik Biber, a 28‑year‑old Polish national, was convicted of attempting to murder his flatmate Tomasz Grosser, falsely imprisoning him and burglarising a neighbouring apartment. The Central Criminal Court sentenced him to 13 years, with the last two years suspended for the attempted murder, after a judge described the attack as a "ferocious and spontaneous eruption of terrible violence". Biber's appeal to reduce the 11‑year sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal. The appeal argued that the offences occurred under "very unusual circumstances" and that Biber's drug‑induced psychosis and prior rehabilitation should have led to a lighter sentence. The Director of Public Prosecutions countered that Biber had persisted in drug use despite previous psychosis. The judge upheld the sentence, noting no extraordinary life‑altering injuries to Grosser and that the 35% reduction was appropriate. The case remains at the appellate stage. Dominik Biber pleaded guilty.
A 30‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to five years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended, for a series of domestic violence offences spanning 2016‑2022. He pleaded guilty to six counts of criminal damage, three counts of assault causing harm and two counts of threatening to kill the woman and her family. The court heard he physically abused his partner, punched her, threw a lamp, smashed her phone and forced her into a bath, and threatened her with murder‑suicide. He also threatened to kill her mother, sister and herself. The judge noted the psychological impact of his jealousy and control, ordering him to attend intimate partner violence programmes and to have no contact with the victim during custody and for five years thereafter. The victim's impact statement described feeling worthless and fearful, and she praised the judge's recognition of her bravery.
The jury in the trial of Ruth Lawrence, accused of shooting drug dealer Eoin O'Connor and murder suspect Anthony Keegan, has been allowed to return a majority verdict. The panel of four men and eight women began deliberations on Thursday and have spent eight hours and 21 minutes over three days. Lawrence, 46, pleaded not guilty to both murder charges. The judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, explained that a majority verdict could be accepted if at least ten jurors agreed, and that an alternative verdict of "guilty of assisting an offender" could be used only if the jury found her not guilty of murder. The trial has heard statements from protected witnesses Jason and Stacey Symes, who claimed Lawrence told them she had shot O'Connor and that Neville van der Westhuizen, a South African national, was involved.
In the Central Criminal Court, State Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers testified that a boy who died on 16 March 2021 suffered extensive bruising across his face, back, chest, arms and legs, with severe head and liver injuries. The bruises varied in colour and age, and the brain showed swelling, subdural haemorrhage and axonal injury, indicating rapid head movement and impact against a hard surface. The liver lacerations suggested blunt abdominal trauma, likely from a punch or kick. Dr Okkers rejected the claim that the injuries were caused by a fall from a bunk bed, noting that such falls rarely produce the observed head trauma. She concluded the cause of death was a traumatic head injury combined with blunt force abdominal trauma. The stepmother, a woman in her 30s, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The trial, presided by Mr Justice Paul McDermott, continues with a jury of four women and eight men.
In the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Peter Charleton dismissed Feliks Andrianov's appeal against his conviction for assault causing harm. Andrianov, who represented himself, had argued that subsidised jury lunches created bias, but the judge found no rational basis for such a claim. He also rejected Andrianov's allegations of judicial bias, claims that the judge had created a "psychological relation" with the jury, and that the judge had allowed the court to view videos of the assault. The judge noted that the evidence from body‑cam and CCTV was admissible and that Andrianov's statements about the judge and his own actions were unfounded. The appeal was rejected, and the original sentence of 18 months suspended for 18 months was upheld. The case remains at the trial stage, with no further review of the sentence requested.
A Castlebar man has pleaded guilty to three thefts totalling over €34,000 from a Lidl supermarket in Westport during the Christmas and New Year period of 2023. Mantas Kerusauska, aged 39, admitted to stealing €11,250 on Christmas Eve, €10,700 on December 29th, and €12,300 on New Year's Eve. Appearing at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court, the court heard that a gambling addiction described as particularly egregious had contributed to the offences. Defence counsel submitted that his client's criminal conduct could be attributed in whole or in part to this addiction. Kerusauska was remanded on bail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for March 3rd next.