Court archive
2026-03-13 · Dublin
Madison Jenkins, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty after customs officers found 15 packages of cannabis in her suitcase at Dublin Airport. The court heard she had travelled from Bangkok via Abu Dhabi, and Judge Elma Sheahan put the case back for finalisation on March 25 while the prosecution examined her account.
2026-03-13 · Mayo
A couple in the west of Ireland pleaded guilty to two counts each of wilful neglect involving their two children, after a Castlebar Circuit Court hearing about filthy and hazardous conditions in the family home. The man was sentenced to two and a half years in prison with one year suspended, while the woman received a fully suspended two-year sentence. The court also adjourned the man's sentence until the end of March to allow accommodation arrangements to be addressed.
2026-03-13 · Dublin
The Workplace Relations Commission found that Karen McVeeney was sexually harassed by a manager's remarks at an Energie Fitness Christmas party and suffered gender discrimination. Adjudicator Catherine Byrne awarded €5,500 for the breach and a further four weeks' wages for a late contractual document, bringing the company's total order to €7,612.
2026-03-13 · Offaly
The Court of Appeal has granted the State additional time to file its response to Jozef Puska's appeal against his conviction for the murder of Aishling Murphy. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy extended the deadline for the Director of Public Prosecutions to submit replying submissions to April 14, maintaining the scheduled hearing dates of April 23 and 24. The extension was necessitated by a delay in Puska's legal team filing their extensive submissions, which were due in January but received in early March. The judge also granted an application for a Slovakian interpreter. Puska, who pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Murphy in Tullamore, Co Offaly, in January 2022, is serving a life sentence. His appeal challenges the admission of his confession and CCTV footage. Separately, in June 2025, his brothers Marek and Lubomir Puska were convicted of withholding information and sentenced to 30 months each. Their wives, Viera Gaziova and Jozefina, were sentenced to 24 and 21 months respectively for burning evidence. Lucia Istokova, Puska's partner, pleaded guilty to withholding information and received a 20-month sentence.
2026-03-13 · Dublin
The Court of Appeal has adjourned the appeal proceedings of Boy A, one of two boys convicted of the 2018 murder of Ana Kriegel, to July 10 for mention. Boy A, who was 13 at the time of the crime, was sentenced in 2019 to life imprisonment with a review after 12 years for the murder, alongside a concurrent 12-year sentence for aggravated sexual assault. His legal team, represented by Niall Nolan BL, requested additional time to assemble necessary records, describing the upcoming hearing as requiring "document-heavy analysis." Counsel stated that custody progress records were "crucial" to the appeal, noting limited responses to requests for hard data and reports previously directed by the trial judge. The appeal follows a March 2025 Supreme Court ruling by Ms Justice Iseult O'Malley, which established that life sentences for child murder convictions should only be imposed in exceptional cases where the child's actions were akin to those of an adult. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy granted the request for more time and approved the appointment of documentary junior counsel. She adjourned the matter to July 10, indicating an expectation that a hearing date will be fixed at that point. The case involves the conviction of Boy A and Boy B, who lured the teenager to an abandoned house in Lucan, where she was assaulted and killed.
2026-03-13 · Mayo
Liam O'Leary told gardaí he acted in self-defence after Mr Casserly allegedly came at him with a knife. Prosecutors told the jury that Mr Casserly died after a violent attack at an apartment in Ballina. O'Leary has pleaded not guilty to murder, and the trial continues before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and a jury.
2026-03-13 · Dublin
Jenifer Devine, 43, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to withholding information regarding the murder of her brother-in-law, Michael Tormey. The court heard that Devine stayed in two hotels with her husband, Christopher Devine, during a Garda manhunt. Christopher Devine, 44, had previously pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; a jury convicted him of murder in December, finding he was not suffering from a substance-induced psychotic disorder. Devine admitted to booking accommodation at the Osprey Hotel in Naas and The Glenview Hotel in Wicklow between January 9 and 13, 2022, which hindered police efforts to locate her husband. Defense counsel Michael Bowman SC argued that Devine was in an emotionally abusive relationship and acted under extreme distress, requesting a suspended sentence. Prosecution counsel Garret Baker SC noted the maximum penalty is five years. Ms Justice Melanie Greally remanded Devine on continuing bail until April 16, when she will be sentenced. The matter was adjourned.
2026-03-13 · Dublin
Nigel Kennedy was charged after an incident at McIntosh Park, Cabinteely, that left a man in his 50s in serious condition in hospital. The charges include dangerous driving, assault causing harm, violent disorder and robbery; Dún Laoghaire District Court remanded Kennedy in custody and listed a possible bail application for March 18.
2026-03-13 · Ireland
A Workplace Relations Commission adjudicator recommended that an anonymised parliamentary advisor's enhanced redundancy payment be frozen after the advisor moved with an Irish politician to another parliament. The non-binding recommendation says the payment should become payable if the politician loses their seat, subject to the stated conditions.
2026-03-12 · Dublin
Niall Smith was jailed after pleading guilty to cultivating cannabis at a Tallaght grow house where gardaí seized €68,149 worth of plants and seeds. Judge Jonathan Dunphy set a seven-year sentence after mitigation and suspended the final 12 months for two years.
2026-03-12 · Dublin
Glen McLoughlin pleaded guilty after gardaí found €15,078 worth of MDMA and weighing scales in his wardrobe during an eviction search. Judge Orla Crowe imposed an 18-month sentence and suspended it fully for three years.
2026-03-12 · Ireland
The High Court set aside an asylum refusal after finding that the International Protection Appeals Tribunal had erred in its assessment of an Angolan man's account of his parents' deaths. Mr Justice Garrett Simons remitted the matter for reconsideration by a differently constituted panel.
2026-03-12 · Dublin
Ross O'Neill pleaded guilty to rioting after CCTV showed him throwing a piece of wood towards gardaí during disturbances at the former Crown Paints site in Coolock. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court ordered a probation report and remanded him in custody until June.
2026-03-12 · Kildare
Donatas Sadauskas pleaded guilty to making a false statement about a Mercedes Benz theft after initiating an insurance claim for a car he never owned. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court imposed an 18-month sentence and suspended it for three years.
2026-03-12 · Dublin
John Peters pleaded guilty to assault, assault causing harm and criminal damage to his former girlfriend's phone during incidents in 2022 and 2023. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court adjourned sentencing for a probation report and remanded him in custody.
2026-03-12 · Mayo
Declan Forde denied seeing John Casserly assault murder accused Liam O'Leary with a metal pole before the witness and his mother fled their Ballina apartment. O'Leary has pleaded not guilty; the trial continues before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and a jury.
2026-03-12 · Dublin
The Workplace Relations Commission heard Michael Ehigiato was rostered for long hours by BGS Security Ltd but received €2,000 cash-in-hand during about three months of work. His union representative alleged systematic wage theft and racial discrimination; the company is in liquidation.
2026-03-12 · Dublin
The Court of Appeal has rejected Stephen 'Rossi' Walsh's application for a certificate of miscarriage of justice. Walsh, a convicted child rapist with former addresses at Belgrave Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6, and Coologmartin, Donadea, Co Kildare, argued that the State acted unlawfully by bringing him back to court in November 2024 to seek additional post-release supervision conditions. He had previously been sentenced to ten years in jail in February 2010 for raping a nine-year-old girl, and later received a consecutive 12-year sentence in December 2011 for sexual assault and defilement, with the final two years suspended. In the 2024 proceedings, Mr Justice Paul Burns refused the State's application to vary conditions under the Sex Offenders Act, 2001, ruling the statute did not permit the request. Walsh subsequently claimed this constituted a miscarriage of justice under section 9 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1993. However, the three-judge panel, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, found that the State's unsuccessful application was a legitimate procedural step, not a second sentencing. The court emphasized that inconvenience does not equate to a miscarriage of justice, which requires inappropriate deprivation of liberty. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, and Walsh's convictions remain extant.
2026-03-12 · Dublin
Aisling Cunningham pleaded guilty after directing abusive remarks at gardaí outside a Dún Laoghaire McDonald's while intoxicated. Judge Conor Fottrell imposed a €100 fine and a 12-month probation bond requiring her to avoid illegal drugs and engage with addiction supports.
2026-03-12 · Dublin
Paul McCarton pleaded guilty to offences including possessing articles for use in theft, handling stolen property, possessing a knife, theft and public order offences in Tallaght. Judge Áine Shannon ordered probation and welfare reports and a restorative justice assessment before sentencing.
2026-03-11 · Dublin
Craig Johnson received a six-year sentence, with the final 18 months suspended, after pleading guilty to arson and burglary offences in Dublin. The court heard that a spark caused the fire at Peruke and Periwig and that he left an antique shop empty-handed.
2026-03-11 · Mayo
Joanna Forde told a murder trial that she and her son fled their Ballina apartment after Liam O'Leary entered and refused to leave. O'Leary has pleaded not guilty to murdering John Casserly, and the trial continues.
2026-03-11 · Dublin
John Dunne, 35, of Ballymun, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary, assault causing harm, trespass, and criminal damage to nine vehicles on September 5, 2024. Judge Orla Crowe described the incident as a violent violation of a family home, noting Dunne armed with a lump hammer and threatening the homeowner with a knife. The judge stated the aggravated burglary warranted an 11-year headline sentence but imposed eight years, considering Dunne's guilty plea and difficult background. Concurrent four-year sentences were imposed for the other offences. The final nine months of the eight-year term were suspended on strict conditions, requiring Dunne to engage with the Probation Service for 18 months upon release. Dunne has 43 previous convictions, and his defence counsel attributed the offending to addiction following the loss of his family home. The court accepted his apology to the victims, who included a young child present during the attack.
2026-03-11 · Dublin
Ross Deegan pleaded guilty to assaulting broadcaster Brendan Courtney causing harm after voluntarily contacting gardaí to identify his involvement. Judge Martina Baxter directed a probation report, adjourned finalisation to July 22 and ordered Deegan's €1,500 gesture of remorse sent to the Mater Hospital.
2026-03-11 · Dublin
John Halpin and Nicole Fallon pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following a Christmas 2024 hit-and-run in Blanchardstown that caused the deaths of Anthony Hogg and Georgina Hogg Moore. Their sentence hearing was adjourned to May 21.
2026-03-11 · Kildare
The Workplace Relations Commission found Conor Gilligan was unfairly dismissed as chief executive of Derrin Group Management Ltd after he raised concerns about payments and unpaid construction creditors. The company was directed to pay him €183,426.28.
2026-03-11 · Ireland
Andrew O'Sullivan denied taking steps to penalise Garda whistleblower Lois West during evidence at a tribunal examining staffing and promotion decisions in the Garda Siochána Analysis Service. The case was adjourned overnight for cross-examination to continue.
2026-03-10 · Ireland
The High Court gave the Garda Commissioner three weeks to oppose Detective Garda Eamonn Cunnane's judicial review over an injury-on-duty claim. Cunnane claims a Garda investigation after he loaned an unclaimed bicycle caused illness and reduced pay.
2026-03-10 · Limerick
Denis O'Donovan, a 39-year-old from Ballyryan, Donohill, Co Tipperary, is appealing his conviction at the Court of Appeal. O'Donovan, who pleaded not guilty to five offences, was convicted of false imprisonment, assault causing harm, and two counts of sexual assault, while the jury failed to reach a verdict on one alleged sexual assault. In June 2024, Judge Dermot Sheehan at Limerick Circuit Court sentenced him to seven years in prison, with six months suspended. The appeal, launched by barrister Timothy O'Leary SC, argues that the trial judge erred in admitting the entirety of a 40-minute 999 emergency call made by the victim. Defence counsel contended the full recording was unnecessary, irrelevant, and prejudicial, asserting that the victim's direct testimony was sufficient. Additionally, O'Leary argued the judge failed to adequately instruct the jury regarding the absence of forensic analysis on samples taken from the vehicle. The Director of Public Prosecutions, represented by Lily Buckley BL, countered that the call was probative and relevant, noting the victim's state of panic and the tactical decision by the defence to object to the full recording. The prosecution also maintained that the judge's directions to the jury to rely solely on the evidence before them were appropriate. Mr Justice John Edwards reserved judgment, meaning the matter was adjourned and the court will deliver its decision at a later date.
2026-03-10 · Dublin
A 43-year-old man who pleaded guilty to anal rape of his wife at their family home in Co Waterford was sentenced to seven years, with the final year suspended for three years. The Central Criminal Court heard that he admitted guilt during trial after previously claiming the incident was consensual.
2026-03-10 · Ireland
A Central Criminal Court trial involving seven men accused of sexually abusing a deaf family member heard transcripts of garda interviews, including denials by a 34-year-old brother and statements made by a 55-year-old uncle. The men deny wrongdoing and the trial continues before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs.
2026-03-10 · Dublin
Stephen Shiels, who has more than 230 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage after breaking into a Maxol service station on Ringsend Road. Judge Orla Crowe imposed two and a half years and suspended the final six months under probation supervision.
2026-03-10 · Dublin
Jamiu Giwa pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after recklessly colliding with a plain-clothes garda while fleeing a drugs unit on Railway Street, Dublin 1. The garda suffered a concussion, shoulder fracture and knee injury, and Judge Orla Crowe imposed two years and three months with the final three months suspended.
2026-03-10 · Dublin
Gerard O'Brien, a former Circuit Court judge, has appealed his conviction for attempted rape and the sexual abuse of six young men. O'Brien, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, was convicted in December 2023 at the Central Criminal Court of one count of attempted anal rape and eight counts of sexual assault. The offences, alleged to have occurred between 1991 and 1997 when he was a teacher, resulted in a four-year jail sentence imposed in June 2024 by Mr Justice Alexander Owens, who described O'Brien as "unsuitable to hold office." In his appeal, O'Brien's counsel argued that the trial judge's instructions to the jury were "confusing" and "weighted against the defence," suggesting the charge conveyed personal views and pressured the jury. The State's legal team countered that these suggestions were "misconceived" and urged the Court of Appeal to uphold the conviction. The three-judge court, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, has reserved judgment on the appeal.
2026-03-10 · Dublin
A 55-year-old Dublin man was sentenced to four years in prison after a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury found him guilty of two sexual offences committed 25 years apart. The defendant, who maintains his innocence, was convicted of indecently assaulting his younger cousin at a Dublin address between February 1987 and February 1990, and sexually assaulting his 16-year-old daughter during a holiday in Florida in June 2014. Judge Jonathan Dunphy noted the striking similarities between the incidents, including the victims' vulnerability and the defendant's intimidating behavior. For the first offence, the judge set a headline sentence of four years, reduced to two years because the defendant was under 18 for part of the period. He suspended the final nine months on conditions, including sexual offence-focused work. For the second offence, the headline sentence of five years was reduced to four years, with the final 15 months suspended on similar conditions. The sentences were ordered to run consecutively, resulting in an effective custody term of four years. The court also imposed a condition prohibiting any contact with either victim. The judge praised the complainants for their courage, while the defendant's counsel noted his lack of remorse and previous employment history.
2026-03-10 · Dublin
Rory Carr (22) and Bruno Tache (21) were sentenced to three years and six months in prison for their roles in separate attacks on Quham Babatunde, who died on St Valentine's Day. Both men, who were on bail at the time, pleaded guilty to charges including assault causing harm and violent disorder. Judge Orla Crowe noted their youth, remorse, and guilty pleas, while acknowledging they had active roles in the violence across South Anne Street, Duke Lane, and Dawson Street. The judge suspended the final six months of each sentence on strict conditions for two years and ordered 12 months of Probation Services supervision post-release. Carr was directed to undergo urine analysis. Separately, Sean Forde (24) and David Oloo Omee (19) pleaded guilty to affray and assault causing harm, respectively. Their sentencing was adjourned to April pending the preparation of probation reports. Four other men are also expected to be sentenced in April. The court heard Babatunde was fatally stabbed by another man, who is charged with murder in Northern Ireland, and that Carr and Tache assaulted him after he was injured.
2026-03-10 · Mayo
The Central Criminal Court heard prosecution evidence describing John Casserly's death in Ballina as involving serious violence. Liam O'Leary denies murder, and the trial continues before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and a jury.
2026-03-09 · Cork
Adjudicator Patsy Doyle rejected Sinead Cotter's €107,000 complaint alleging gender and family-status pay discrimination at Irving Oil Whitegate Refinery. The decision found that Brendan Collins worked on larger-scale projects and that quantity surveying was central to his higher-graded role.
2026-03-09 · Kildare
Donatas Sadauskas pleaded guilty after falsely reporting that a Mercedes-Benz had been stolen and producing a purchase order later found to be false. The AXA claim was never processed, and Dublin Circuit Criminal Court remanded him on continuing bail until Thursday for sentence.
2026-03-09 · Ireland
The High Court granted an Irish woman and her daughter permission to challenge a refusal to issue the child an Irish passport. The woman, who is married to the New Zealand woman who gave birth to the child, submits that the refusal to recognise her as a legal parent is unconstitutional; the judicial review was adjourned to May 12.
2026-03-09 · Dublin
Kim Porter pleaded guilty to 10 offences including money laundering, deception, enhancing a criminal organisation, possession of cocaine and making off without payment. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court adjourned sentencing until July after ordering a Probation Service report.
2026-03-09 · Dublin
Imad Qazi pleaded guilty to harassing a solicitor and a legal executive through calls, emails, social media posts and abusive leaflets over dates between September 2019 and January 2024. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court imposed a four-year sentence suspended in full, with probation supervision and a five-year no-contact order.
2026-03-09 · Mayo
Liam O'Leary pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of John Casserly at an apartment in a Fr Peter McVerry Trust housing unit in Ballina. Mr Justice Paul McDermott swore a jury for a trial expected to last up to three weeks.
2026-03-09 · Dublin
A Central Criminal Court jury returned a majority verdict of murder against Tomas Cypas over the death of Juris Kokenbergs at Old Bridge Park, Lucan. The jury rejected the defence case after deliberating for six hours and 54 minutes over three days; the mandatory life sentence is due to be handed down on March 23. Tomas Cypas pleaded not guilty.
2026-03-09 · Tipperary
The Court of Appeal heard an appeal by a Tipperary man convicted of sexually assaulting his young cousin over five years and sentenced to 11 years, with the final year suspended. Counsel argued that his limited cognitive abilities and low risk of reoffending deserved greater weight; the court reserved judgment. The unnamed 36-year-old pleaded not guilty.
2026-03-09 · Limerick
Ms Justice Karen O'Connor ordered John O'Donovan and Shane Blackhall to be tried before the Special Criminal Court on charges including firearms offences. O'Donovan also faces allegations involving a criminal organisation, vehicle use and arson, while Blackhall faces drug and firearms charges.
2026-03-06 · Carlow
Dion Timmons pleaded guilty to money laundering after €12,374.64 was deposited into her account in 23 transactions, including payments linked to a social welfare fraud. Judge Mary Morrissey reduced a headline sentence to 16 months and adjourned the case for a Probation Service assessment on whether community service could be ordered in lieu of prison.
2026-03-06 · Carlow
A jury convicted Paul Rowland of intentionally or recklessly strangling his former partner in Carlow. The woman described the lasting impact of the assault in a victim impact statement; Judge Mary Morrissey adjourned sentencing to next May and remanded Rowland in continuing custody.
2026-03-06 · Ireland
The Central Criminal Court heard that a teenager sexually abused and raped by his cousin had suffered a life-altering impact. The cousin pleaded guilty to eight counts of sexual assault and one count of anal rape, receiving three years with the final year suspended and three years on the sex offenders register.
2026-03-06 · Carlow
A Carlow Circuit Criminal Court jury found Colvin O'Brien not guilty of assault charges involving two gardaí and of threatening and abusive behaviour. O'Brien had pleaded guilty to being intoxicated in a public place, and Judge Mary Morrissey placed him on a 12-month probation bond.