Wesley O'Brien, aged 25, was sentenced to six years in prison for violent disorder and 3½ years for intentionally causing harm after assaulting Michael Connors in his home on 14 March 2009. The Court of Appeal reduced the violent disorder sentence to four years, keeping the 3½‑year term for harm. The appeal was based on the claim that O'Brien's conduct, involving a knife, was distinct from other participants, and that his sentence should match that of a co‑accused who received a similar sentence in Wicklow. The judge noted O'Brien's assault involved sticks, golf clubs and a knife, causing severe injuries to Connors. Emma O'Brien, 32, withdrew her appeal and her six‑year sentence was upheld. The final sentence for O'Brien is four years for violent disorder, with the 3½‑year term for harm remaining. Wesley O'Brien pleaded guilty and was convicted. Emma O'Brien pleaded guilty.
A former chef, Keith McCarthy, 38, will be sentenced next year for robbing a Tallaght post office. On 9 May 2013 he stood at the door while an armed accomplice threatened a cashier with a lump hammer and forced her to open cash drawers, taking €10,351. The post office was crowded with 40‑50 customers and staff; parents asked a staff member to hide children behind her desk. McCarthy, who had relapsed into drug use after a decade of sobriety, was remanded in custody until 23 January next year. He pleaded guilty to robbery at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and had 15 prior convictions. The robbery was investigated by Garda Kieran Kilcoyne, who identified McCarthy from fingerprints on the getaway bike. The money was never recovered. The court noted McCarthy's history as a chef, drug counsellor, and his recent relapse into street methadone. He is on a waiting list for Tiglin treatment centre.
Lucky Osaseyi, a 36‑year‑old father of one from Ashford Place, Dublin 7, had previously served three years of a ten‑year sentence in Dubai for drug possession and was deported back to Ireland in 2011 because of a serious medical condition. In Dublin, he was charged with transporting 304 g of cocaine worth €21,284 at Terminal 1 of Dublin Airport on 28 April 2013. Osaseyi admitted swallowing 23 plastic‑wrapped cocaine pellets to obtain €980, claiming he needed the money. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a five‑year prison sentence, suspending the last two years on the condition that he keep the peace for three years after release. The case was prosecuted by John Quirke BL and defended by Gerardine Small BL, who noted that Osaseyi's early guilty plea and full co‑operation were beneficial, avoiding a trial.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, a 31‑year‑old Wicklow man was sentenced to one year in prison for sexually abusing two of his daughter's friends while they were playing in his house. The offences were discovered after a girl filed a complaint following a Stay Safe class at her school. The man pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse that occurred sometime in 2010. Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year term but suspended the final 18 months, requiring the defendant to remain under Probation Services supervision for 18 months after release. The judge highlighted the importance of the Stay Safe programme, noting it had previously enabled children to report abuse. The girls, aged seven and nine at the time, were playing with the defendant's daughter in his bedroom when the abuse began. The defendant admitted playing with them but claimed it was innocent.
Eoin Maughan, 37, a Westmeath member of the Travelling Community, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to endangerment, dangerous driving and criminal damage after a high‑speed chase that began in Dublin and ended in Wicklow. The chase started when Maughan's grey Renault Laguna failed to stop at a roundabout in Tallaght, then drove the wrong way around a roundabout, overtook cars on a blind bend and on the wrong side of the road, and entered Brittas village where he attempted to ram a garda patrol car. He drove through the village, was pursued by a garda helicopter, and tried to escape by crashing through a stone wall near the waterworks at Bohernabreena. The pursuit ended when gardai arrested him. During questioning he became aggressive, was pepper‑sprayed, broke an interview table, and punched a garda. The court found the damage to garda vehicles cost €10,874, and that gardai suffered whiplash, facial injuries and one required surgery.
A 35‑year‑old Romanian man, Vladislav Secrii, of Iona, Old Connaught Avenue, Bray, was found guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of transporting 606,500 cigarettes without tax stamps on 26 June 2012. He had agreed to move the cigarettes for €200, which included €50 for diesel. Secrii had no prior convictions. The judge, Mary Ellen Ring, considered that he had very little income and could not pay the maximum fine of €126,970 or a five‑year jail term. She therefore imposed a community service order of 220 hours in lieu of a two‑year prison term, pending a Probation Service report that found him suitable for community work. The case involved customs officers discovering the cigarettes on air‑freight cargo from Greece, and a surveillance team saw Secrii and four men loading the pallets onto a trailer.
Paul Roche, 31, from Wicklow, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to taxi driver Francis Mordi on the N11 at Cabinteely on 26 May 2013. The incident began when Roche, who was drunk, could not give directions and threw a €20 note at Mordi after the driver asked for money. Roche then attempted to leave the vehicle, jumped on Mordi, and tried to strangle him, shouting a racial slur. Mordi managed to escape, used a hammer to threaten Roche, and drove to the nearest Garda station. Roche was arrested, refused to give his name, and later settled a civil claim with Mordi. Judge Mary Ellen Ring remanded him briefly, then suspended a two‑and‑a‑half‑year jail sentence on the condition he keep the peace for that period. Roche is employed in financial services and has attended anger‑management and alcohol‑free courses.
In October 2013, Shane Cooney, aged 24, attacked Father Diarmuid Byrne, 70, in the priest's Rialto home with an iron bar, leaving him with a fractured skull and numerous facial wounds that required 26 stitches. Gardaí found blood‑stained iron bar and other items near the house after neighbours reported a disturbance. Cooney was arrested in an intoxicated state, pleaded guilty to burglary and assault, and was remanded on bail pending sentence. Judge Mary Ellen Ring set conditions for his bail, including residence at Tiglin, Wicklow, where he is to continue a 16‑month residential drug treatment programme. The case was adjourned to December to monitor his progress. The priest, who had been living alone, was initially confused and covered in blood when gardaí arrived at 1.30 a.m., and the house was ransacked but no items were taken. The court received a victim impact report and a medical report, though they were not read out.
A judge ordered that the Quinn family receive transcripts of the criminal trial of former Anglo Irish Bank executives after the bankers' lawyers withdrew objections. The transcripts were requested by the Quinn family, who had previously been described by Pat Whelan's lawyers as a "fishing expedition." Whelan (52) and William McAteer (63) were convicted in April of breaching the Companies Act by illegally lending money to the Maple Ten investors to support Anglo's share price. They were found guilty on ten charges each and sentenced to 240 hours of community service, while being acquitted on six further charges each involving loans to Quinn's family. The trial recorded €450 million loaned to Maple Ten and €160 million to Quinn's wife and five children. Michael Staines, solicitor for Whelan and McAteer, agreed to release the transcripts on the condition they be used only for civil proceedings by the Quinn family.
Charges were dropped against arcade night manager Calin Cucura, 31, who had been tried for allegedly taking care assistant Sean Cummins, father of nine, into a car, transporting him to an unknown location and threatening to cut off his fingers until his family paid money. The prosecution admitted insufficient evidence to proceed. Cucura pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and a threat to kill. The Director of Public Prosecutions instructed a nolle prosequi on both counts, and Judge Patricia Ryan announced the trial would not continue.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Arcade manager Calin Cucura, aged 31, pleaded not guilty to charges of false imprisonment and a threat to kill Sean Cummins on 12 January 2010. Cummins, a full‑time care assistant, was allegedly taken from a family newsagent in Coolock by four men, including Cucura, and held in a container where they demanded money from his family. Cummins later claimed the captors released him after his family complied with the gang's cash demand. Dean Cummins, the victim's son, testified that his father was abducted because he was the first to approach the gang when they entered the shop, and that his father had intended to protect other family members. The trial, presided over by Judge Patricia Ryan with a jury of four women and eight men, will resume tomorrow for further evidence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, 31‑year‑old Calin Cucura of Derrynane Square, Dublin, pleaded not guilty to charges of false imprisonment and making a threat to kill. He is accused of being one of four men who abducted care assistant and father of nine, Sean Cummins, on 12 January 2010. Cummins testified that the men, dressed in black, forced him into a jeep, drove him to an unknown location, and threatened to cut off his fingers daily until his family paid money. Cummins was later released at a housing estate after the captors claimed his family had complied. The trial, presided over by Judge Patricia Ryan, continues before a jury of four women and eight men. The case focuses on the alleged abduction and threat, with no further convictions or sentencing reported in the article.
Mark Griffin, 26, of North Strand Road, was part of a violent protest during Queen Elizabeth's visit to the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square. He threw rocks, glass bottles, a bike and pushed a burning bin at riot police and a riot van. Griffin pleaded guilty to violent disorder on Dorset Street Upper on 17 May 2011 and had 71 prior convictions. Judge Mary Ellen Ring suspended a two‑and‑a‑half‑year prison sentence on the condition that he keeps the peace for that period. The court noted that a crowd of up to 150 people had gathered at the Spire on O'Connell Street, moved to Moore Street and then to Parnell Square, where they threw missiles at gardaí. Three riot vans were called in to control the crowd. Griffin admitted taking part in the riot "because everyone else was" and claimed he had also thrown a bike at a van.
In a High Court hearing on 16 October 2014, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns announced that the court would intensify judicial management to maximise efficient use of court time, following a Supreme Court decision urging tighter case management. The comments were made in a case where Mr Kevin Breen, a signalman at Iarnrod Eireann, was awarded €25,000 in damages for alleged bullying by a colleague, Mr Louis Naessens, between 2004 and 2010 at Gorey Rail Station. Breen claimed repeated criticism, confusing instructions and threats from Naessens, and that an internal investigation in December 2009 found Naessens' conduct amounted to bullying. Breen said the company failed to act, despite offering a Corrective Coaching Programme, and that the bullying continued until his transfer to Arklow Station in February 2011. Iarnrod Eireann denied the claims, stating it had undertaken counselling, mediation and investigation.
A 35‑year‑old Dublin criminal, Alan Wilson, was found not guilty of murdering 18‑year‑old Roma teenager Marioara Rostas, who died of four gunshot wounds to the head in January 2008. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, lasted five weeks. Wilson, who had been serving a seven‑year sentence for a meat cleaver attack, was accused of killing Rostas at Brabazon Street, The Coombe, Dublin. Witnesses included Rostas' brother Dumitru, who saw her with a man in a car, and Fergus O'Hanlon, who later became a state witness. O'Hanlon testified that Wilson had brought him to a site where a dead girl was found, and that they buried her at Kippure. The jury deliberated 2 h 53 min and returned a unanimous not‑guilty verdict. Wilson showed no reaction and returned to prison to finish his sentence. The victim's family left with support staff. No one was convicted of the murder.
A quarry operator in County Mayo has failed in a High Court challenge against a requirement to conduct an environmental impact assessment for an extension of its limestone extraction works. McGrath Limestone Works, located near Ashford Castle and proximate to several designated conservation areas including Lough Carra, sought to overturn decisions by Mayo County Council and An Bord Pleanála mandating an EIA as a condition of planning permission. The company contended the requirement was not legally necessary and would effectively force cessation of operations pending compliance. Mr Justice Peter Charleton dismissed all arguments, finding the decisions lawful and reasonable given the site's proximity to environmentally significant tourist resources. The Judge held that no error in law, procedural defect, or inadequacy of reasoning had occurred, and that both the council and the board had properly applied relevant legislation in their assessments.
Sean FitzPatrick, former chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, has filed a High Court challenge to a Circuit Court ruling that denied him the legal costs of defending himself in a 48‑day trial on charges of giving illegal loans. FitzPatrick, 66, was acquitted of 16 counts of providing illegal loans to the Quinn family and the Maple 10 group of investors. In June, Circuit Court Judge Martin Nolan rejected FitzPatrick's application for costs, citing the State's opposition on the grounds that the prosecution was in the public interest. FitzPatrick's lawyers argue the judge applied the wrong legal test, failed to use the acquittal as the starting point for a costs application, and that the decision violates case law and constitutional rights. They seek to quash the ruling, obtain payment of costs, and declare Section 24 of the 2006 Criminal Justice Act unconstitutional. The case is set for a November hearing.
During the murder trial of Alan Wilson, the solicitor Bridget Rouse testified that a man who claimed to have helped dispose of the body of 18‑year‑old Marioara Rostas had offered to give a statement against Wilson, even though he could be charged. Rouse explained that she was approached by Gardaí on 3 January 2012 and advised that any immunity would only be considered after a formal statement. She confirmed that she had no memory of details beyond the memo. She also clarified that Gardaí had destroyed notes of meetings with Fergus O'Hanlon, who had requested information about his post‑trial status. The defence concluded its evidence, and the judge instructed the jury to return on Monday. The trial remains at the evidence‑gathering stage. Alan Wilson pleaded not guilty.
During the trial of a Dublin man charged with the murder of 18‑year‑old Marioara Rostas, a Garda involved in the Witness Protection Programme testified that notes of meetings with the main witness were destroyed. The accused, Alan Wilson, 35, pleaded not guilty to the murder that occurred at O'Hanlon's house on Brabazon Street in January 2008. Wilson's former friend, Fergus O'Hanlon, 37, testified that he found Rostas with a hole in her forehead and Wilson holding a gun. O'Hanlon, who was granted immunity, helped bury the body. A detective sergeant, not named due to his WPP role, said he had taken keyword notes of meetings with O'Hanlon in June 2013 and that these notes were destroyed after transcription, replaced by more comprehensive documents. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of ten men and two women.
During the trial of Alan Wilson, charged with the 2008 murder of 18‑year‑old Romanian teenager Maria Rostas, Detective Superintendent JJ Keane denied that the State's main witness, Fergus O'Hanlon, received preferential treatment or immunity in exchange for his statement. Keane testified that O'Hanlon had not been offered any deals and that no immunity was mentioned at any stage. He also confirmed that O'Hanlon had received a suspended sentence for earlier District Court offences after a superintendent informed the judge of his assistance in the murder investigation. Keane's cross‑examination was conducted by Michael O'Higgins SC, and the trial proceeded before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy with a jury of ten men and two women. The case remains at the trial stage. Alan Wilson pleaded not guilty.
In the trial of Alan Wilson for the 2008 murder of 18‑year‑old Marioara Rostas, the State's main witness, Fergus O'Hanlon, 37, denied hating Wilson and said he helped dispose of the body because he was "dead if he didn't". O'Hanlon, a convicted criminal, was granted immunity and testified that he arrived home on 8 January 2008 to find Rostas with a hole in her forehead and Wilson holding a gun. He said he had never seen the girl before, felt sick, but followed Wilson's instructions to bury the body in the Dublin Mountains and clean the scene. O'Hanlon denied ever saying he would "f**k him over" and denied making any deal for his immunity. The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of ten men and two women. Fergus O'Hanlon pleaded not guilty. Alan Wilson pleaded not guilty.
In the trial of Alan Wilson for the 2008 murder of 18‑year‑old Marioara Rostas, the State's main witness, Fergus O'Hanlon, denied that he resembled a composite photofit of the driver of the Ford Mondeo seen with the victim. O'Hanlon, who has immunity, testified that he arrived at Wilson's home on 8 January 2008 to find Rostas with a hole in her forehead and Wilson holding a gun. He claimed he helped bury her body in the Dublin Mountains and cleaned the scene. During cross‑examination, the defence barrister showed O'Hanlon a composite photograph and a photo of him, suggesting a close resemblance. O'Hanlon rejected the comparison, stating the likeness was poor. He also explained a mark on his cheek, noting it could be due to lack of sleep, and denied picking up the victim. The cross‑examination continued on Tuesday before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of ten men and two women. Fergus O'Hanlon pleaded not guilty. Alan Wilson pleaded not guilty.
Fergus O'Hanlon, a former friend of Alan Wilson, gave evidence in the trial of Wilson for the murder of 18‑year‑old Marioara Rostas. O'Hanlon, who has immunity, described how Wilson allegedly "danced" on Rostas' body after dumping it in a hole in the Dublin Mountains. He recounted that Wilson, armed with a rifle, had taken the body from a bedroom, wrapped it in plastic, and transported it in a Ford Mondeo. O'Hanlon said Wilson began digging a hole, placed the body inside, and stood on it several times. He also claimed Wilson had removed the body from a green bag and pushed it into the hole. O'Hanlon's testimony was cross‑examined by Michael O'Higgins SC, who questioned his past convictions, violent conduct, and alleged threats. The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of ten men and two women.
In the trial of Alan Wilson, 35, charged with the murder of 18‑year‑old Romanian teenager Marioara Rostas, the judge, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, apologised to the jury for a delay that had pushed proceedings beyond the expected four‑week period. The jury had been absent for more than a fortnight while complex legal matters were addressed. Mr Wilson, who pleaded not guilty, was accused of killing Rostas at a house on Brabazon Street, The Coombe, between 7 and 8 January 2008. The teenager had vanished from Dublin city centre on 6 January, and her body was discovered in a shallow grave on the Wicklow border four years later, with four bullet wounds to the head. Mr Justice McCarthy explained that the delay was due to legal issues that required discussion in the jury's absence and that a bill was being considered to prevent such delays in future trials.
The Central Criminal Court is set to resume the trial of Alan Wilson, 35, who is charged with the murder of 18‑year‑old Marioara Rostas. The jury, consisting of ten men and two women, is expected to return to court on Monday after being excused last week. Wilson pleaded not guilty to the killing that took place at a house on Brabazon Street, The Coombe, between 7 and 8 January 2008. The prosecution has presented evidence that Rostas disappeared from Dublin city centre on 6 January, and her body was later found in a shallow grave on the Wicklow border, having died from four bullet wounds to the head. Testimony from Alexandru Rostas, Marioara's brother, and from Fergus O'Hanlon, who claimed Wilson showed him the corpse and assisted in burying it, has been heard. The trial will continue before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy next week.
The Central Criminal Court is set to resume the trial of Alan Wilson, 35, who is charged with the murder of 18‑year‑old Romanian teenager Marioara Rostas. Wilson pleaded not guilty at a house on Brabazon Street, The Coombe, between 7 and 8 January 2008. The jury, which had been excused from attending the previous week, is expected to return on Thursday. The case recounts that Rostas disappeared from Dublin city centre on 6 January, and her body was later found in a shallow grave on the Wicklow border, having died from four bullet wounds to the head. Testimony includes Rostas's brother, Alexandru, who described a phone call to her brother in Romania after her disappearance, and Fergus O'Hanlon, who claimed Wilson showed him the corpse and assisted in burying it. The trial will continue before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy with a jury of ten men and two women.
The Supreme Court has dismissed Catherine Nevin's bid to appeal her conviction for murdering her husband, Tom Nevin, at Jack White's Inn near Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow, in 1996. Nevin, a 61-year-old who has always denied involvement, was jailed for life in 2000 and received a concurrent seven-year sentence for soliciting William McClean, Gerry Heapes, and John Jones to kill her husband in 1989 and 1990. Having previously lost an appeal in 2003 and a miscarriage of justice application in 2010, Nevin argued that the Court of Criminal Appeal incorrectly applied the rule against the contradiction of collateral matters regarding witness credibility. Her legal team contended that undisclosed garda "Suspect Antecedent History" forms, later revealed by journalist Niamh O'Connor, should have been available to the defence at trial. Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman, presiding, rejected this argument as a "fundamental and pretty radical misconception." He stated that the forms were not evidence but working papers, and that the disclosure via a newspaper leak did not entitle the defence to them retrospectively. The Court found the application contained "absolutely no points of any merit whatsoever" and dismissed it, noting the case had been entertained at "patient and perhaps excessive length."
The Central Criminal Court trial of Alan Wilson, 35, charged with the murder of 18‑year‑old Romanian teenager Marioara Rostas, is paused until the jury returns next week. The jury was expected to come back on Tuesday but is delayed by a legal issue. The case concerns the disappearance of Rostas on 6 January 2008 and the discovery of her body in a shallow grave on the Wicklow border four years later, with four bullet wounds to her head. Testimony included a phone call from Rostas to her brother in Romania, where she asked for her father to come get her. Prosecutor Fergus O'Hanlon testified that Wilson had shown him the corpse and assisted in burying it. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, will resume next week with a jury of ten men and two women. Alan Wilson pleaded not guilty.
In a 2008 murder trial, 18‑year‑old Marioara Rostas was reported missing after a phone call to her brother in Romania, where she pleaded for her father to come get her. Her body was later found in a shallow grave on the Wicklow border, with four bullet wounds to the head. The accused, 35‑year‑old Alan Wilson, pleaded not guilty. Evidence included a description of a man in a silver Ford Mondeo who allegedly took Marioara to a McDonald's, and a lock on a bedroom in Wilson's house. Ballistics expert Detective Garda Shane Curran examined bullets from the house and from Marioara's body, noting they were of the same calibre but could not confirm they came from the same firearm. The trial proceeded to legal argument before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of ten men and two women.
The Court of Criminal Appeal has reserved judgement on an appeal by Thomas O'Connor, 26, who was jailed for life for murdering John O'Brien, 22, in 2010. O'Connor struck O'Brien with a 1.6‑kg rock after a night of drinking, causing catastrophic head injuries. He admitted the killing to Gardaí but pleaded not guilty. In December 2011 a Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty. The appeal argues the trial judge erred in ruling no self‑defence evidence existed; the court will reserve its decision.
The High Court has wound up Paris Bakery and Pastry Ltd, the Moore Street establishment that closed in May following a worker sit-in over unpaid wages. Mr Justice Brian Cregan appointed Carl Dillon of Moore Stephens Nathans as official liquidator. The Revenue Commissioners sought the winding-up order after the company failed to satisfy a demand for €117,000 in unpaid taxes, including VAT, PRSI and PAYE. Although over €52,000 had been paid, the outstanding amount remained unsettled. The court heard the company's approximately 25 employees, mostly foreign nationals, are owed some €158,000 in unpaid wages. Following the workers' 20-day sit-in, the Migrants Rights Centre Ireland confirmed their support for Revenue's application. The company's two directors, including one resident in County Cavan, must file statements of affairs within 21 days. The matter was made returnable before the Examiner's Court in October. Workers will now be eligible for the Insolvency Payments Schemes and LRC awards.
In 2008, a 35‑year‑old man, Alan Wilson, was charged with murdering his daughter, Marioara Rostas, who disappeared on 6 January 2008 after a brief stay in Dublin. Wilson, who had moved from Romania to Ireland with his family in late 2007, left his son and daughter at home to get food and returned to find the girl missing. He waited three hours, then went to a Garda station but was not understood. He reported her missing on 9 January, three days after her disappearance. Witnesses saw a young Romanian girl begging at the junction of Pearse Street and Lombard Street that Sunday. Wilson's alleged murder scene was a three‑storey house on Brabazon Street, where a fire had been extinguished on 29 February 2008. Garda Daniel McCarthy investigated the house, noting possible accelerant use and a burnt fuel can. In October 2008, Wilson was investigated again for the disappearance.
In a Dublin murder trial, a 35‑year‑old man, Alan Wilson, stands accused of killing 18‑year‑old Romanian Roma teenager Marioara Rostas in January 2008. Prosecutor Seán Gillane presented evidence that Rostas, who had moved to Dublin with her family in late 2007, was last seen with a man in a silver Ford Mondeo. Wilson allegedly drove the car, killed Rostas with four gunshot wounds to the head, and concealed her body in a shallow grave at Kippure forest. Witnesses, including Wilson's friend Fergus O'Hanlon, testified that Wilson transported the corpse in the car's boot, buried it, and burned her belongings. The case is proceeding before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy with a jury of ten men and two women, and is expected to last three to four weeks. Alan Wilson pleaded not guilty.
Catherine Nevin has applied to have her murder conviction appeal heard by the Supreme Court in July. The Court of Criminal Appeal confirmed a hearing on 7 July, expected to last one hour, and granted a production order for Nevin to present her case. Nevin, 61, was convicted in 2000 of murdering her husband Tom Nevin at Jack White's Inn near Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow, and also received a seven‑year sentence for soliciting men to kill him in 1989 and 1990. She has denied any involvement and lost a prior appeal in 2003.
Seán FitzPatrick, former chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, will exit bankruptcy in June after the High Court adjudicated him bankrupt in 2010 with debts of €147m and assets under €47m. The new insolvency laws cut the maximum bankruptcy period from 12 to three years, allowing automatic discharge once the official assignee confirms full cooperation. Mr FitzPatrick, aged 65 and residing in Greystones, Co Wicklow, was not present when the court granted an order to pay €1.6 million to the Revenue Commissioners, a preferential creditor, on an interim basis. The payment was directed by the official assignee, Mr Chris Lehane. FitzPatrick's 2010 statement of affairs listed debts mainly to financial institutions, assets in Ireland, Spain, the UK, France, Hungary, South Africa and the US, and interests in Nigerian oil and gas and the Quinlan Property group. Revenue also claimed over €3 million owed, part of which was appealed.
Duffy Meats Trading, a Wicklow‑based meat producer employing about 750 staff, secured a High Court injunction to stop the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) from blocking trucks at its Shillelagh plant. The company said the picket had prevented or delayed deliveries and threatened to halt operations. The injunction, granted ex‑parte, prohibits the TEEU and anyone with notice from interfering with access or egress, though it does not bar picketing itself. The court heard that the union was willing to give an undertaking to comply. The matter was adjourned with the injunction remaining in force. The dispute stems from changes to workers' terms and conditions, and the picket involved 10–15 union members forming a tight line that slowed trucks, raising health and safety concerns and requiring Garda escort. The injunction was obtained on 23 May 2014.
Anthony Farrell, a 23-year-old man with a previous address at Marian Villas, Arklow, appeared before the Court of Criminal Appeal to challenge his 2011 life imprisonment sentence for the murder of John Deasy. Farrell, who was 19 at the time of the incident, was convicted by a unanimous jury in April 2011 and sentenced in May 2011 for stabbing Mr Deasy at Brauder's shop in Arklow on November 25, 2009. His counsel, Michael O'Higgins SC, argued that Farrell acted in self-defence while attempting an unlawful escape from the premises he had robbed. O'Higgins submitted that Farrell was never asked by gardaí if he was acting in self-defence and believed his life was under threat. Conversely, DPP counsel Una Ní Raifeartaigh SC contended that self-defence does not apply to unlawful force, noting that Mr Deasy was using lawful force to guard the door against a burglar wielding a knife. Farrell's interview statements indicated he stabbed Mr Deasy to clear the doorway and escape, without expressing fear. Presiding Judge Donal O'Donnell, joined by Justices Michael Moriarty and Daniel Herbert, reserved judgment in the appeal. The matter was adjourned, and no final decision was reached during this hearing.
In a 2014 trial, Vesel Jahiri, a 33‑year‑old man originally from Kosovo, pleaded not guilty to the murder of his partner Anna Finnegan and to assaulting her brother Karl on 21 September 2012. The jury heard that the couple's relationship had deteriorated sharply before Finnegan's death and that they had two children together. Social worker Karen Byrne testified that Jahiri had threatened to stab Finnegan during a meeting at the Wellmount Centre, but she claimed he would not act on the threat because he loved her. The defence plans to play an audio recording of the conversation. Witnesses described Finnegan's move to a women's refuge and the high‑risk assessment she received. The trial continued with a jury of 11, after one juror was excused.
Eugene Cullen, 30, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Seamus O'Byrne, 27, in south Dublin. The Central Criminal Court heard that O'Byrne was shot dead at Tymon Park North, Tallaght, on 13 March 2009, in front of his girlfriend Sharon Rattigan and their baby. Rattigan tackled the assassin and was shot in the leg while disarming him. The prosecution alleged that Cullen was not the gunman but a participant in the planning and execution of the murder, acting by common design. He was the second person convicted for the crime; Garrett O'Brien was the gunman, sentenced to life in 2012. The jury, after 3 hours 41 minutes, returned a unanimous guilty verdict. Mr Justice Barry White imposed a mandatory life sentence, back‑dated to 8 May 2012 for time spent in custody. Eugene Cullen pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin murder trial, forensic scientist Liam Fleury testified that no firearms residue was found on Eugene Cullen, who is 30 and accused of murdering Seamus O'Byrne, 27, in 2009. Cullen pleaded not guilty. The prosecution maintains that Cullen was not the gunman but one of four men involved in planning the murder. Fleury explained that residue appears on a gun, the hands, clothing, and face of the shooter, and can remain on hands for three to four hours and on clothing for 20 hours. He tested Cullen's clothing on 14 March 2009 and a residue kit on his hands and face, finding no residue. The jury also heard technical evidence about mobile phones linked to the case. The trial is before Justice Barry White and a jury of five men and seven women.
In the murder trial of Eugene Cullen, a 30‑year‑old from Derry Road, Crumlin, the jury has heard evidence from a radio frequency engineer, Eamon O' Gairbhith, who worked for Meteor. O' Gairbhith testified that on 16 February 2011 he visited several mobile cell sites with Gardaí, producing maps that show cell site locations, coverage directions and the best server coverage. He explained that when a cell is full of traffic the handset is assigned to a different server, and that signal strength weakens the further one moves from a site, causing hand‑over to other cells. The prosecution, represented by Alex Owens SC, maintains that Cullen was not the gunman but one of four men involved in planning the murder of Seamus O' Byrne, who was shot dead on 13 March 2009 in Tymon Park North, Tallaght. The trial is proceeding before Justice Barry White and a jury of five men and seven women. The case remains ongoing. Eugene Cullen pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court is currently hearing the trial of Eugene Cullen, a 30-year-old man from Derry Road, Crumlin, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Seamus O' Byrne (27). The prosecution alleges that Mr. O'Byrne was shot dead by a hooded gunman in the driveway of his home at Tymon Park North, Tallaght, on March 13, 2009, in front of his girlfriend and child. While the accused is not alleged to have been the gunman, the state contends he was one of four men involved in plotting, planning, and executing the killing. The prosecution asserts that Garret O'Brien, a man from Bray who has since been convicted, was recruited to carry out the shooting. During the ongoing proceedings, the jury has been presented with technical evidence regarding mobile phone calls connected to the incident. In his opening address, Mr. Alex Owens SC clarified that the case against Mr. Cullen centers on his role in the conspiracy rather than the act of firing the weapon. The trial is presided over by Mr. Justice Barry White and a jury of five men and seven women. The matter is at the trial stage, with the defendant's plea remaining not guilty. No findings, sentences, or final dispositions have been recorded at this procedural stage. The trial continues tomorrow.
In a Dublin murder trial, a jury watched CCTV footage of suspects and vehicles. Eugene Cullen of Derry Road, Crumlin pleaded not guilty to the murder of Seamus O'Byrne, 27, at Tymon Park North, Tallaght, on 13 March 2009. The prosecution said Cullen was not the gunman but one of four men who plotted and executed the killing. The gunman was identified as Garret O'Brien from Bray, who had been convicted. The court heard that on 12 March 2009 Cullen entered a service station, filled a green canister with petrol, and placed it in a silver Ford Transit van. Witnesses described two men on the green the day before the shooting. Forensic evidence included DNA from a mobile phone and swabs from O'Brien and Cullen. The deceased had five gunshot wounds, with the chest wounds causing death, and head and leg wounds contributing. The trial continues before Justice Barry White and a jury of five men and seven women.
In a Dublin murder trial, a 30‑year‑old man from Crumlin, Eugene Cullen, pleaded not guilty to the 2009 killing of Seamus O'Byrne, a 27‑year‑old father of two. The court heard that O'Byrne was shot in front of his girlfriend and child at Tymon Park North, Tallaght, at 8:15 pm. Prosecutor Alex Owens SC stated that Cullen was not the gunman but one of four conspirators. Garret O'Brien, a Bray man now convicted, was identified as the shooter. Detective Garda Mary Moore testified she arrested Cullen at 11 pm after spotting a silver Nissan Primera with three occupants, one being Cullen, and brought him to Tallaght Garda Station. Garda Alan Young reported seizing a silver Ford Transit van on Derry Road, taking fingerprint lifts. Detective Sergeant John Schley described the van's chassis and licence plates, noting it was stolen in 2008 with false tax and insurance discs.
In 2014 the Central Criminal Court heard that Eugene Cullen, aged 30, pleaded not guilty to the 2009 murder of Seamus O'Byrne, 27, in Tymon Park North, Tallaght. The prosecution said Cullen was not the gunman but one of four men who plotted and executed the killing. A man from Bray, Garret O'Brien, was identified as the shooter. Garda Kevin O'Shaughnessy testified that three years earlier he had stopped a Volkswagen with no tax, seized it, and that Cullen was the driver while O'Brien was the passenger. Garda Clifford Cullen described CCTV footage from the Leisureplex in Coolock showing three men entering at 8:50 pm, with movements until 9:47 pm. Detective Garda Camon Ryan recounted driving routes to establish timings, noting a 26‑minute trip from the shooting scene to the Leisureplex. Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy testified that O'Byrne died from five gunshot wounds, including chest, head and left leg injuries.
In the murder trial of 30‑year‑old Eugene Cullen, the State Pathologist Marie Cassidy testified that the deceased, Seamus O'Byrne, suffered five gunshot wounds, including one to the head, three to the back and one in the hip. She noted injuries to the brain, heart and lungs and stated the cause of death was the chest wounds, with head and leg wounds contributing. The prosecution alleged Cullen was not the gunman but part of a four‑man plot. Witnesses described a silver car and a Volkswagen Passat seen near the scene, and a silver Nissan Primera with a flat tyre. Garda investigations involved house‑to‑house enquiries, CCTV footage from an Applegreen station, and the discovery of a left‑handed black glove in a drain. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Barry White with a jury of five men and seven women. Eugene Cullen pleaded not guilty.
In a Tallaght murder trial, Sharon Rattigan gave evidence about a shooting that occurred on 13 March 2009. She lived with her partner and two children in Tymon Park North and had planned to leave her son at her mother's house that night. Rattigan said she saw a hooded man in dark clothes with a gun approaching the garden, and that he shot at Seamus O'Byrne, who was then killed. She claimed she ran to stop him, was shot in the leg, and then grabbed the gun, struggling with the attacker who repeatedly struck her. Rattigan said she threw the gun into her car and the man fled. She also attempted to help O'Byrne, who was lying on the ground, before being taken to hospital. The trial is before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury, with Eugene Cullen, 30, pleading not guilty to the murder.
During a murder trial in Dublin, the prosecution presented evidence that Christopher Jackson, aged 53, was stabbed more than 70 times before his body was hidden in a bedroom wardrobe. Anthony Locke, 35, pleaded not guilty to the murder. His brother, Bernard Locke, 41, had pleaded guilty to the same offence. The prosecution read statements from Locke made to Garda investigators, in which he described dragging the body from the kitchen to the wardrobe and claimed he had not personally stabbed Jackson. Locke also admitted to being present at the victim's flat on numerous occasions prior to the murder. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, is expected to last two weeks and is being heard before a jury of 12 members.
In a Dublin court on 29 January 2014, architect Graham Dwyer, originally from Cork and residing in Foxrock, was served with an eight‑volume book of evidence in connection with the murder of childcare worker Elaine O'Hara, aged 37, who was last seen on 22 August 2012 and whose remains were found on Killakee Mountain in September 2013. Dwyer, who had been charged on 18 October 2013, pleaded not guilty, was denied bail, and appeared again at Cloverhill District Court. Judge Victor Blake informed him that the book of evidence would be served and that any alibi must be communicated to the prosecution within 14 days. Dwyer was ordered to be sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court on the single charge listed in the book. The court noted that the evidence comprised one volume of statements and seven volumes of exhibits, with over 300 statements and 800 exhibits collected by Gardaí.
In 2009 Raymond O'Shea was given a wholly suspended sentence of three‑and‑a‑half years for possessing a sawn‑off shotgun and 131 cartridges. He had 19 prior convictions, including drug possession and burglary, but had stopped using drugs, was employed and paying a mortgage. He pleaded not guilty. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient and that the judge had erred in allowing an exception to the mandatory five‑year minimum for unlawful firearm possession. The Court of Criminal Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman, agreed with the DPP. Hardiman said the sentence should have been five years with four years suspended, describing the original suspended sentence as "extreme leniency". O'Shea will surrender to prison on 27 January to arrange his affairs.