In the trial of 33‑year‑old David Fortune, the court heard that after his father Gerard was stabbed in the neck on 19 August 2018, Fortune allegedly hijacked a car on Rutland Grove, drove across Dublin, and fled into James Connolly Memorial Hospital with one shoe on. Witnesses described him as "out of it" with black eyes, and he was seen running frightened through the hospital, claiming he was being followed and that his father was trying to kill him. He was later given Valium in the emergency department and was arrested by Gardaí for murder after learning his father had died. The trial continues on Monday. David Fortune pleaded not guilty.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing on 19 November 2020, a witness, Eddie Byrne, testified that he saw Gerard Lambe place a large blue tablet into the mouth of David Fortune, the accused in the murder of his father, on the day before the alleged stabbing. Byrne said Lambe offered the tablet to calm Fortune, who did not ask for it and was unaware of its contents. Byrne also reported seeing Lambe give a different tablet an hour before the incident, though he did not witness the act. The testimony was cross‑examined by the defence counsel, who confirmed the act. The trial also included a post‑mortem report by Dr Margot Bolster, describing the fatal neck wound and its cause as haemorrhage and shock. The case remains in progress. David Fortune pleaded not guilty.
During the second day of the trial at the Central Criminal Court, Gerard Lambe, the brother of David Fortune, denied that he had put black‑market diazepam tablets into his half‑brother's mouth earlier that day. Gerard was cross‑examined by the defence counsel. The case concerns the murder of David's father, Gerard Fortune, who was stabbed in the neck on 19 August 2018 after watching the All‑Ireland final. David Fortune, aged 33, has pleaded not guilty to the murder. The court heard that David had been taking a number of tablets, cocaine and beer, and that he was experiencing hallucinations and paranoia. Gerard stated that he had no prescription for the tablets and that they were not genuine diazepam. He also said he had not forced David to take the tablets or any other drugs. The trial continues.
In the Central Criminal Court, Laura Lambe, sister of David Fortune, testified that her brother was hallucinating and "possessed" after taking many tablets before stabbing their father, Gerard Fortune, on 19 August 2018. Lambe described the morning as a chaotic scene in the house's shed, where David, his friend, and her brother Gerard drank beer and cocaine while David took tablets. She recalled David becoming paranoid, arguing, and claiming he would kill someone, though no one was behind the television. When their father tried to calm him, David shouted, "Da, I'm going to die," and then swung a knife. Lambe stood between David and their father, saw the father fall, and heard him scream. The father was rushed to hospital and died shortly after. The trial continues. David Fortune pleaded not guilty.
A 28‑year‑old Limerick man, Thomas Power, pleaded guilty before the Central Criminal Court to two counts of assault. He admitted seriously assaulting Eoin Casey on 20 August 2018 at Woodbine Avenue, Caherdavin, and also assaulting Aaron Grant on the same occasion. The judge ordered a probation and welfare report and victim impact statements from both victims, and adjourned the sentencing hearing to 28 January.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, David Fortune, aged 33, is charged with the murder of his father, Gerard (Gerry) Fortune, who was 63 when he died. The incident occurred on 19 August 2018, the day of the All‑Ireland final, in the family home on Rutland Grove, Crumlin. According to the prosecution, the house was crowded with relatives and friends who were drinking and using drugs. On that day, the accused allegedly behaved erratically, shouting threats and eventually brandishing a knife. He swung the knife at his father, who fell and was stabbed in the neck. The victim was taken to hospital but died from haemorrhage and shock. The accused has pleaded not guilty and the trial is set to continue for three weeks before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury.
A 23-year-old man from Ballyfermot, Dublin has been sentenced to six years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for his role as a getaway driver in the murder of Alan O'Neill. Eric Shorthall pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Warren Nolan, who was convicted of shooting Mr O'Neill in the driveway of his Tallaght home on 27 May 2015. Shorthall provided a second getaway vehicle, strategically positioned and driven in convoy with the primary escape car used by the gunman. CCTV evidence showed the drivers communicating before the fatal attack. Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted the seriousness of Shorthall's active participation, imposing a headline sentence of nine years before reducing it to six years and nine months, having regard to his early guilty plea, youth, and remorse. The final nine months were suspended for two years on condition of compliance with probation and counselling services. The investigation remains ongoing. Mr O'Neill, described as a devoted family man, left a partner and three children.
In a case heard at the Central Criminal Court, Jason Warrington, a 47‑year‑old father of nine from Mallow, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for an unprovoked knife attack on 27‑year‑old Tadhg O'Shea. Warrington stabbed O'Shea 11 times in the back and chest while the victim was leaving a gathering at Warrington's home. O'Shea, who had been living with his grandmother, had met Warrington the previous day and had attended two gatherings where alcohol was consumed. Warrington admitted no prior threats and claimed he had intended to kill O'Shea, stating he was "disgusted" that the victim survived. He pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm and was given a seven‑year sentence, with the last year suspended on the condition of sobriety and probation. A charge of attempted murder was dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The victim's impact statement highlighted his ongoing depression and fear of seeing his family again.
Eric Shorthall, aged 23 and resident in Ballyfermot, Dublin, is to be sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for his role as getaway driver in the May 2015 murder of Alan O'Neill in Tallaght. Shorthall pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Warren Nolan, who was convicted of the shooting in December 2018. Detective Garda evidence indicated that Shorthall, then 18, drove a strategically positioned second getaway vehicle in convoy with the primary hit car. CCTV footage showed communication between the drivers before the shooting. O'Neill, described as a devoted family man with no criminal connections, was shot in his Kiltalown Road driveway. The court heard victim impact statements from O'Neill's family members. The defence submitted that Shorthall had experienced significant personal tragedy and highlighted his early guilty plea. The investigation remains ongoing, though only Shorthall and Nolan have faced court proceedings. Sentencing is scheduled to conclude the hearing.
David Fortune, a Dubliner from Rutland Grove, Crumlin, faces trial for the murder of his father, Gerard Fortune, at their home on 19 August 2018. He pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but admitted guilt to unlawful vehicle seizure on the same day, using force to remove driver Geraldine Brady from the car. The Central Criminal Court arraigned him today, and a jury of seven women and five men will hear the case, which is scheduled to last three weeks, beginning tomorrow morning before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon.
Justice Michael White issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Janice Brady, who is in automatic breach of her suspended sentence. Brady, 29, was previously sentenced to four years in prison for staging the suicide of Martin "Matt" Kivlehan to impede the prosecution of her brother, Keith Brady. Keith Brady was found guilty of Mr Kivlehan's murder at New Apartments, Holborn St, Sligo, on August 2 or August 3, 2015. Brady had pleaded guilty to the impeding charge and had already served 28 months in custody by the time of her sentencing. Her remaining sentence was suspended on the condition that she resided with her father in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal. However, she moved to a B&B in Dublin without notifying her probation officer, leading to a warning from the court. Sgt Mark McHale informed the court that Brady had been charged with 32 offences since March, mainly for shoplifting in Dublin, and is currently sleeping rough. With 10 months left in her sentence, Justice White ordered her arrest and directed that she be brought before the Central Criminal Court.
Two Limerick men, Dylan Hayes (25) and Gerard Hogan (37), were found guilty of murdering Shane Murphy at a house‑party in Pallasgreen on 30 April 2015. The jury convicted them of murder after evidence showed Hayes stabbed Murphy repeatedly with a knife, while Hogan allegedly assisted by attacking with a screwdriver and encouraging Hayes. The trial judge imposed a mandatory life sentence on both. In May 2024 the Court of Appeal dismissed appeals by both men. The appellate panel found no error in the trial judge's instructions on provocation or on joint enterprise, and concluded there was no evidence that Hogan had withdrawn from the attack. The appeals were therefore rejected, leaving the convictions and life sentences intact.
Philip Dunbar, aged 20, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Adam 'Floater' Muldoon, a 23‑year‑old man with cerebral palsy, who was stabbed 183 times in an unprovoked attack at Butler Park, Jobstown Park, Tallaght on 22 or 23 June 2018. The Central Criminal Court found Dunbar guilty by unanimous jury verdict. The sentencing judge, Mr Justice Paul McDermott, backdated the life sentence to the date of the murder, 24 June 2018, and noted that the victim's family had suffered immense grief. Dunbar's defence argued intoxication and lack of intent, but the jury rejected these claims. The judge also acknowledged that Dunbar had previous convictions under the Theft Act, for possession of drugs and for Road Traffic Act violations. The case remains subject to appeal by Dunbar's counsel. Philip Dunbar pleaded not guilty and was found guilty.
Sean Nolan, aged 36, was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of his partner Amanda Carroll, aged 33, who was strangled in her own apartment on 21 October 2018. The judge, Mr Justice Michael MacGrath, imposed the mandatory life term, back‑dated to the date of the offence, and directed that Nolan serve the full custodial period. During sentencing, Carroll's sisters Sandra and Antoinette delivered victim impact statements, expressing grief and demanding that Nolan be punished. Nolan, who had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, interjected from the dock, saying "I am sorry". The court noted that the jury had rejected the defence's claim that Nolan was too intoxicated to form intent, concluding that the death was a deliberate act. No further legal outcome was mentioned in the article. Sean Nolan was convicted.
The Central Criminal Court has ruled that a woman accused of murdering her young children must be anonymised, following a Court of Appeal decision. The mother, previously named by the media, will now be protected from identification. She is expected to plead not guilty by reason of insanity at her trial next year, which has been adjourned to allow psychiatric reports. The Court of Appeal held that the Children Act 2001, which normally prevents the identification of a child when someone is charged with an offence against them, does not apply to a deceased child. Mr Justice George Birmingham said the language in Section 252 of the Act is clear and that any change would require legislation. Mr Justice Michael White ruled that naming the mother would identify the deceased children, so she must remain unnamed. The trial is scheduled to last three days before a jury.
Warren Nolan, 18 when he shot Alan O'Neill, 35, in Tallaght on 27 May 2015, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. He appealed to the Court of Appeal on the basis that the case against him was circumstantial, citing the absence of a test on a hoodie that had been lost during the investigation. The trial had found gunshot residue on his gloves and accelerant on his t‑shirt, but the hoodie was never examined. Nolan denied both the shooting and the arson. The Court of Appeal, led by Justice George Birmingham, rejected the appeal, stating that the missing hoodie did not materially affect the fairness of the trial and that the evidence presented was sufficient to uphold the conviction. The appeal was dismissed, leaving Nolan's life sentence intact.
The trial of a woman accused of murdering her infant son was postponed because the courts cannot swear new juries under Covid‑19 restrictions. She will be called again on 14 December when a new trial date is set. The woman, whose identity is withheld to protect her deceased child, is charged with the 2017 murder of the infant.
Philip Dunbar, 20, was found guilty of murder by a jury at the Central Criminal Court for the stabbing of 23-year-old Adam Muldoon in Butler Park, Tallaght, in June 2018. The jury returned a unanimous verdict after rejecting the defence argument that Dunbar was too intoxicated to form the necessary intent for murder. Evidence presented included testimony from a friend who stated Dunbar boasted about the killing, claiming he put Muldoon "out of his misery" and expressed satisfaction at knowing what it was like to be a killer. Pathological evidence identified 183 stab wounds, including fatal injuries to the neck, liver, and lungs, as well as defensive wounds to Muldoon's hands. Dunbar had previously told gardai he experienced a "blackout" during the attack. Mr Justice Paul McDermott thanked the jury and exempted them from further service. Dunbar was not sentenced immediately; the matter was adjourned to this Friday for sentencing, where he will receive the mandatory term of life imprisonment for murder. Members of Mr Muldoon's family are scheduled to make statements to the court at that time.
Philip Dunbar, aged 20, is accused of stabbing Adam Muldoon, aged 23, 183 times in Tallaght on 22–23 June 2018. He pleaded not guilty to murder. Dunbar told police and psychiatrists he was drunk and on drugs when he entered the field where Muldoon's body was found the next morning, claiming a blackout and hallucinations. Judge Paul McDermott instructed the jury that if they are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that Dunbar carried out the stabbing, they must consider whether intoxication negated the intent to kill or cause serious injury. If that is reasonably possible, the conviction would be manslaughter rather than murder. The jury began deliberations this afternoon and will return to the Central Criminal Court on Monday.
A 25‑year‑old man was jailed for six years after raping his partner and assaulting her with a sweeping brush and a knife. He pleaded guilty to rape, assault causing harm and possession of an article at an address in Co Clare on 11 September 2018. The victim, whose identity is protected, had been in a relationship with the accused for about a year. In the days before the offence the man grew paranoid about alleged infidelity, searched her phone for evidence and, on the afternoon of the incident, found her at home with smoke and disarray. He struck her with a brush, threw a knife into a wall, forced her to the ground, demanded an apology, and raped her. She escaped and called Gardaí. The man had 40 prior convictions, including assault and public order offences.
In the Central Criminal Court, Philip Dunbar, aged 20, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 23‑year‑old Adam Muldoon, who was stabbed 183 times in Butler Park, Jobstown Park, Tallaght, on 22 or 23 June 2018. His barrister, Giollaiosa Ó Lideadha SC, argued that the prosecution had not proved Dunbar had the intent to kill or cause serious injury, citing Dunbar's intoxication and long‑term drug use. Ó Lideadha highlighted that Dunbar had no memory of the incident, having blacked out after approaching the victim. He challenged the reliability of a prosecution witness who claimed Dunbar admitted "slaughtering" Muldoon, pointing out ten fundamental problems with that witness's evidence. The barrister urged the jury to consider that Dunbar's intent was not established, given his intoxication and the circumstances surrounding the crime. The judge, Paul McDermott, began addressing the jury, with proceedings to continue the next day.
A Central Criminal Court jury found electrician Sean Nolan, 36, guilty of murdering his partner Amanda Carroll, 33, after a binge‑drinking session. The jury rejected the defence's claim that Nolan was too intoxicated to form intent, concluding he had intended to kill or seriously injure her when he strangled her for about 20 seconds in her bedroom. The trial included evidence of a prior road‑traffic collision, the couple's drinking at multiple locations, and Nolan's admission that he knew she was dead the next morning. The jury deliberated for eight hours and eight minutes over five days, returning a majority verdict of 10‑2. Mr Justice MacGrath will impose a mandatory life sentence on 4 November and remand Nolan in custody until then. The case remains at the murder‑trial stage. Sean Nolan pleaded not guilty. Amanda Carroll pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, Philip Dunbar, aged 20, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Adam Muldoon, aged 23, who was stabbed 183 times in Tallaght in June 2018. His barrister, Giollaiosa O'Lideadha SC, argued that the prosecution failed to prove intent, citing a pathologist's view that the injuries could stem from a mental disorder. O'Lideadha highlighted that Dunbar had no memory of the act, had blacked out, and was intoxicated with cannabis and benzodiazepines at the time. The defence presented Dr. Brenda Wright, a forensic psychiatrist, who found no mental disorder and no diminished responsibility, but noted intoxication may have influenced behaviour. The prosecution's counsel, Pauline Walley SC, countered that intoxication did not negate intent, citing CCTV showing Dunbar's composed demeanor and a claim that he was not overcome by drugs. The jury was asked to weigh these conflicting accounts. Philip Dunbar was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
A 33‑year‑old Lithuanian man, Arnoldas Ivanauskas, was sentenced to six years in prison with the final year suspended for the manslaughter of a 24‑year‑old Belarusian man, Dmitry Hrynkevich, who was 7ft 5in tall. The court found that Ivanauskas did not intend to kill or seriously injure Hrynkevich, who had a compromised heart and Marfan syndrome, and that a second man, not before the court, was the principal assailant. The judge noted that Ivanauskas had been identified as a potential victim of human trafficking and had a troubled past. He was given a suspended sentence on the condition of good behaviour for two years after release, and his sentence was back‑dated to November 2018. The judge also acknowledged Hrynkevich's tragic death and his mother's description of his struggles and character. Arnoldas Ivanauskas was convicted.
Conor Dreelan, also known as Conor Dignam, a 25-year-old father of one from Snowdrop Walk, Darndale, Dublin 17, has been charged with the attempted murder of his parents, David Dignam and Phyllis Dreelan. The alleged incident occurred at the Darndale address on June 13, 2020. In addition to the primary charge, the accused faces two counts of assault causing harm and one charge of producing a kitchen knife as a weapon. The matter is currently at the pre-trial stage, with the charges alleged or contested. No plea, finding, sentence, or final disposal has been recorded. Mr Justice Michael White fixed the trial date for October 11, 2021, at the Central Criminal Court. Legal aid has been granted in the case. The report does not indicate any suspended portions, effective custody, specific conditions, or adjournments beyond the scheduling of the trial. All allegations remain unproven pending the outcome of the upcoming trial.
The Central Criminal Court heard a jury deliberating the murder trial of Sean Nolan, 36, accused of strangling his partner Amanda Carroll, 33, in her Dublin apartment after a binge‑drinking session. The jury, composed of six men and six women, had spent six hours and 22 minutes over three days considering their verdict. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins argued that Nolan was too intoxicated to form the intent to kill, seeking a manslaughter verdict on the basis of lack of intent. The prosecution, led by Shane Costelloe, maintained that Nolan's 20‑second strangulation constituted intent to kill or cause serious injury. The case involved evidence of alcohol, sedatives, and other drugs in Carroll's system, and testimony that Nolan had put his hand on her neck and over her mouth. The jury was instructed to return a unanimous verdict of either guilty of murder or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
A 24‑year‑old man from West Dublin, Lorcan Merriman, is charged with the murder of Thomas Farnan, aged 37, who was shot several times at his home in Clondalkin on 25 April 2016. Merriman's trial is scheduled for 18 January 2021 at the Central Criminal Court.
A trial date has been set for a man accused of murdering a Donegal woman. Richard Burke, aged 28, of Forest Park in Killygordon, is charged with the murder of Jasmine McMonagle at her home in the same area on January 4, 2019. Ms McMonagle, also aged 28, was found dead at her residence on that date. The Central Criminal Court has scheduled the trial to commence on July 5, 2021, before Mr Justice Michael White. Burke has been granted free legal aid in connection with the proceedings.
A 25‑year‑old man was sentenced to eleven years in prison, with the final two years suspended, for sexually abusing and videoing two of his nieces in their grandparents' home. He pleaded guilty to two counts of orally raping an 11‑year‑old niece, one count of sexually assaulting her, and one count of possessing child pornography of her, and to two counts of sexually assaulting a nine‑year‑old niece and one count of possessing child pornography of her. The offences occurred between May 2018 and May 2019. He threatened the girls with posting images online and threatened to kill the younger girl's father. He had an autism spectrum disorder and a history of child pornography addiction. The judge imposed strict conditions, including prohibition of internet use without Probation Service approval, mandatory treatment assessment, and destruction of the images. The sentence was suspended for two years under probation supervision, followed by two years of post‑release supervision.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 20‑year‑old Dublin man, Philip Dunbar, accused of stabbing a homeless man 183 times, was examined by consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright. She stated that Dunbar was intoxicated at the time of the alleged offence and that, if not intoxicated, he would not have behaved as he did. Dr Wright found no mental disorder qualifying for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity or diminished responsibility. She described Dunbar's experiences of hearing voices and seeing outlines of faceless bodies as pseudo‑hallucinations caused by substance use, noting his voluntary use of alcohol, cannabis, prescription pills, and other drugs. She concluded that intoxication is excluded as a mental disorder under the Criminal Law Insanity Act and that Dunbar's blackout was partial. The defence closed its case after her testimony, and the jury will hear closing speeches on Tuesday.
Brian Ibe, 19, of no fixed abode and formerly of Moore Park, Newbridge, Co Kildare, is charged with the murder of Peter Kennedy, 65, at Kennedy's Kildare home on 28 April 2020. Kennedy suffered injuries on that day and died on 12 May. Ibe's trial is scheduled for 7 February 2022 in the Central Criminal Court and is expected to last three weeks. He appeared by video‑link and was remanded in custody at Cloverhill Prison. The assault‑causing‑harm and trespassing charges that were originally brought against Ibe have been withdrawn.
In 2022, Andrew Lacey, 32, of Riverside, Loughlinstown, Dublin 18, will stand trial at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Derek Reddin, 31, a volunteer with the You're Not Alone charity. Reddin was found with stab wounds early on 15 October 2019 at Loughlinstown Drive, south Dublin, and died shortly after Gardaí and emergency services arrived. Mr Justice Michael White remanded Lacey on continuing bail to his trial date of 14 November 2022. The trial is expected to last up to four weeks.
Two men, Christopher O'Sullivan, 37, and James Brady, 26, are accused of murdering Timmy Hourihane, a 53‑year‑old homeless man from West Cork, at Mardyke Walk in Cork City on 13 October 2019. Hourihane was found dead in Cork University Hospital after a fire was reported at a tent near Mardyke Walk. The Central Criminal Court in Dublin will hear the case from 31 January 2022, with a trial expected to last up to three weeks. Mr Justice Michael White adjourned the matter to that date and allowed the possibility of a Cork venue. Both accused men appeared by video‑link and were remanded in custody until the trial date. The case remains pending, with no verdict yet reached.
Christopher McDonald, 37, from the East Wall area of Dublin, appealed his murder conviction to the Court of Appeal. He was found guilty by a unanimous jury at the Central Criminal Court three years ago for the murder of Keith Walker, 36, at the Blanchardstown Pigeon Racing Club on June 12, 2015. McDonald had pleaded not guilty to the charge, which was proven, and was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice Patrick McCarthy. His barrister, Michael Bowman SC, argued that the trial judge erred in refusing to discharge the jury after witness Jason O'Connor allegedly threatened McDonald. Counsel also contended that the jury was prejudiced by hearing McDonald's reply to his arrest, 'Go F**k yourself,' which Bowman suggested indicated a hardness associated with a professional hitman. Additionally, Bowman submitted that the judge erred in ruling that McDonald was unlawfully detained between 5.40 a.m. and 6.10 a.m. on June 13, 2015, and in admitting evidence from an informal identification and forensic samples taken during that period. Justice John Edwards questioned whether the jury would have been so undiscerning as to be prejudiced by the reply to the garda. Court President Justice George Birmingham, presiding with Justice Edwards and Justice Brian Murray, adjourned the hearing of the rest of the appeal to allow both parties to submit further written submissions on the ground regarding the forensic samples and detention.
A jury of twelve, consisting of six men and six women, is deliberating a verdict in the trial of Sean Nolan, 36, who is accused of murdering his partner, Amanda Carroll, 33, by strangulation in her Dublin apartment on 21 October 2018. Nolan pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The judge, Mr Justice Michael MacGrath, instructed the jurors to focus on Nolan's statements about his actions and the role of intoxication, noting that voluntary intoxication may be a defence to murder. He warned that if doubt exists regarding Nolan's intent due to intoxication, the jury must acquit him of murder. The jury may return either a guilty verdict for murder or a not‑guilty‑of‑murder but guilty‑of‑manslaughter verdict. The trial is ongoing, and no final judgment has been reached.
In 2022, Gerard McKenna, 50, of Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, will stand trial for impeding the investigation into the murder of 17‑year‑old Keane Mulready Woods. The teenager was last seen alive on 12 January, after which dismembered body parts were found in a holdall in Coolock, Dublin, and later the head, hands and feet were discovered in a burning car in Drumcondra. Mr Justice Michael White set the trial to start 17 January 2022, noting a three‑week duration and a temporary suspension of new trials for four weeks due to Covid‑19 backlog.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Sean Nolan, 36, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of his partner Amanda Carroll, 33, who died on 21 October 2018. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins argued that Nolan was too intoxicated to form intent, describing the death as accidental and citing witnesses who saw Nolan caring for Carroll. The prosecution, led by Shane Costelloe, maintained that Nolan intentionally strangled Carroll for 20 seconds, arguing that intoxication does not negate intent. Evidence included Carroll's blood containing alcohol, sedatives, and cocaine, and a pathologist's testimony that asphyxiation caused her death. The jury was instructed to decide whether Nolan intended to kill or cause serious injury, with the case centred on the question of intent under severe intoxication. The trial was set to continue the following day.
A 17‑year‑old, who was 15 when he committed the offence, was sentenced by the Central Criminal Court to 18 months' detention for defilement of a 15‑year‑old intoxicated girl in Dublin on 9 August 2018. He pleaded guilty, had no prior convictions, and was described by the judge as having "taken advantage" of the victim's confused and intoxicated state. The victim, who had been drinking with others, was found to have had sexual intercourse with the accused for about two minutes. She suffered physical pain, required Hepatitis B injections, missed 160 school days, lost weight, and expressed fear and loss of trust. The judge cited the accused's youth, guilty plea, remorse, and low re‑offending risk as mitigating factors, but rejected a deferred sentence, imposing the full 18‑month term without post‑release supervision.
John Murphy, aged 46, was sentenced to ten years in prison for the repeated rape and sexual abuse of his younger brother over a decade from 1988 to 1997. The abuse began when the victim was ten and continued while he slept. Murphy pleaded guilty to 12 counts, including three oral rapes, at the Central Criminal Court. The judge set a headline sentence of 13 years, reduced to ten after considering Murphy's admissions and guilty pleas, and suspended the last two years on conditions of psychological treatment, victim‑focused work, and probation supervision. The Court of Appeal dismissed Murphy's appeal, upholding the headline sentence and the decision to suspend the final two years, citing the prolonged period of abuse and the breach of trust within the sibling relationship.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, forensic evidence was presented linking clothing found in a bag at the home of Philip Dunbar (20) to the murder victim, Adam 'Floater' Muldoon, 23. The bag contained tracksuit bottoms, a black t‑shirt, white socks and runners. Blood stains on the tracksuit's right hand pocket and lower left leg, the black t‑shirt, the outer part of a runner and a sock toe matched Muldoon's DNA. A mixed DNA profile from the tracksuit's waistband included Dunbar's DNA and that of three unknown individuals. The scientist also examined blood from another man's clothing, whose DNA matched the owner, and noted that this man was a person of interest because he was seen in the area that night with blood on his clothes. Garda Jennifer Brogan reported that four mobile phones were seized from Dunbar's home, two found in a pillow case in a bedroom. Philip Dunbar pleaded not guilty.
Sean Nolan, 36, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of 33‑year‑old Ms Carroll in Dublin. He told detectives he had put one hand on her neck and the other over her mouth after she called him by her ex‑boyfriend's name and said she never loved him. Nolan said he had no intention to kill and that the death was accidental. He claimed he had been angry, wanted her to sleep, and panicked when he realised she was dead. He described the incident as a brief struggle lasting about 20 seconds. The court heard that Carroll's body was found in her apartment, her death caused by compression of neck and mouth, with drugs in her system. The trial continues with the jury hearing closing arguments.
Mr Justice Michael White announced that if the Irish government imposes a Level 5 lockdown, no new juries will be sworn to hear trials at the Central Criminal Court. Trials already underway will continue, but new juries will not be selected. Under Level 4 restrictions, trials can proceed with juries chosen from smaller panels to maintain social distancing. The judge's outline mirrors the system used during the first lockdown, where ongoing trials, such as that of Garda murderer Aaron Brady, were allowed to conclude. A further statement from the Courts Service is expected later today.
Deirdre Morley, 44, of Parson's Court, Newcastle, Co Dublin, faces charges of murdering her three children – sons Conor (9) and Darragh (7) and daughter Carla (3). Their bodies were found at the family home on 24 January. The Central Criminal Court heard that the prosecution awaits a psychiatric report. Defence counsel Michael Bowman SC indicated the case will likely be an "insanity" trial, expected to last three days. Morley has been treated at the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum since the deaths and was not required to attend the hearing.
Sarah Doyle, 30, of The Heath, Ramsgate Village, Gorey, Co Wexford, is charged with murdering her husband Philip Doyle, 33, at their home on 26 January. The Central Criminal Court in Dublin scheduled her trial for 25 April 2022, a delay of two years caused by a backlog partly due to the Covid‑19 outbreak. The trial is expected to last three weeks.
A 51‑year‑old woman with schizophrenia, Grace Miano of Foxrock, is set to stand trial in June for the murder of 27‑year‑old Malawian national Limbani "Robert" Mzoma, who was killed on 1 November 2018 at her Tudor Lawns home. Miano had been declared unfit to plead last year, but a hearing last month saw Mr Justice Paul McDermott of the Central Criminal Court rule that she is now fit to stand trial after evidence of improvement from forensic psychiatrist Dr Ronan Mullaney. The trial will last three days.
Sean Nolan, a 36‑year‑old electrician, was arrested after Garda detectives found him on Navan Road following the discovery of Amanda Carroll's body in her Dublin apartment. Nolan denied murdering Carroll but admitted to choking her, saying he had "freaked" and spent the day walking around. He claimed he had put a hand over her mouth and another around her neck while they were lying in bed, and that he tried to wake her the next morning. The body, found by her 16‑year‑old son, showed bruising on the neck, blood on the nose and scrapes on the forehead. Nolan pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The trial, held at Homestead Court, focused on the circumstances of the alleged choking and the presence of sedative drugs in Carroll's system. The case is still pending before Mr Justice Michael MacGrath and a jury.
In the Central Criminal Court, 20‑year‑old Philip Dunbar, accused of stabbing a homeless man 183 times, testified that he felt guilty for not staying with his mother on the night she died. His grandmother, Mary Dunbar, gave evidence that Philip had been caring for his ill mother and had planned to stay with her that night, but instead stayed with her grandmother. She described Philip's upbringing, his mother's drug problems, and his own mental health struggles, including suicidal thoughts and hearing voices. Mary Dunbar also recounted Philip's movements on the night of the alleged murder, noting that he had been with a youth who had been with him all night. She said Philip had taken responsibility at Tallaght Garda station but could not remember the incident. The trial continues before Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of eleven. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
During the Central Criminal Court trial of 20‑year‑old Philip Dunbar, his aunt Doreen (Donna) Dunbar testified about the death of 23‑year‑old Adam 'Floater' Muldoon, whom Dunbar is charged with murdering. She described how, on the morning Muldoon's body was found in Butler Park, she had called her mother and learned that the accused was present with another person. She then called the accused three times to ask if he knew what had happened. He answered that he did not remember much and began crying. Dunbar said she brought him to her home and later to Tallaght Garda Station, where he admitted to being involved in a murder. She also noted that he had taken tablets and heard voices before the stabbing, and that he offered to show officers where he had thrown the knife, which was recovered from a small lake. The unnamed 20-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Sean Nolan, 36, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court, charged with murdering his partner, Amanda Carroll, 33, in her Dublin apartment on October 21, 2018. Nolan has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Michael MacGrath, heard evidence from Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster. She testified that Ms Carroll's cause of death was complex, resulting from compression of her neck and mouth, complicated by the ingestion of sedative-type drugs. Dr Bolster noted that while the death could not have occurred without asphyxia, the drugs had an added effect. She identified injuries consistent with manual strangulation and blunt force trauma to the mouth, alongside bruising on the neck and jaw. Although abrasions on the face were consistent with a prior road traffic accident, the pathologist stated that a significant amount of force was not required to cause strangulation. Under cross-examination, she acknowledged it was possible that the force used would have resulted in non-fatal injuries had drugs and alcohol not been present. Prosecution counsel Shane Costelloe SC argued that Nolan intended to kill or cause serious injury. The jury also heard from Ms Carroll's son, Denis, who discovered her body. The trial continues on Friday.
Aaron Brady has been sentenced to life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe in January 2013. Brady, aged twenty-nine and from New Road in Crossmaglen, County Armagh, was convicted in August following a trial lasting more than six months. Under the Criminal Justice Act 1990, he must serve a minimum of forty years before becoming eligible for parole. Justice Michael White imposed an additional concurrent sentence of fourteen years for robbery in connection with the credit union raid in County Louth, during which seven thousand euros was stolen in fifty-eight seconds. The court heard victim impact statements from Detective Donohoe's family and colleagues. Brady has maintained his innocence despite conviction, with supporters gathering outside the Courts of Criminal Justice to protest the outcome.