Paul Keating, aged 50, was sentenced to six years in prison for the manslaughter of his life‑long friend Mark Richardson, aged 49, who was stabbed on 16 March 2017. The stabbing occurred after an argument while both men were drinking. Keating's single stab wound severed Richardson's main pulmonary artery, causing fatal bleeding. Keating had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a factor the judge considered mitigating. He had a history of alcohol and benzodiazepine dependence, stemming from injuries sustained in his early twenties. The court noted the impact on Richardson's partner, Aisling Kenny, and their children, who suffered emotional distress. Keating expressed remorse and will be required to engage in rehabilitation courses before release. The sentence was back‑dated to the date of the offence.
In a 2019 trial, Patrick Quirke, aged 50, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 52‑year‑old Bobby Ryan, a DJ known as Mr Moonlight, who was found dead in a slurry pit on a farm in Fawnagowan, Tipperary, in April 2013. The jury, composed of six men and six women, was instructed by Justice Eileen Creedon to visit the farm to observe the relevant buildings and surrounding land, but not to conduct investigations or take photographs. They were shown photographs of a run‑off tank, a slurry tank, and various farm buildings, as well as a broken hair clip, springs, and cable ties recovered from the pit. Det. Sergeant Larry Stapleton reported that bone fragments and hair were also recovered. The prosecution alleged that Quirke had a prior relationship with Ryan's girlfriend and murdered Ryan to rekindle that affair, relying on circumstantial evidence to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court.
Brian Rattigan, 38, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for the manslaughter of 21‑year‑old Declan Gavin, who was stabbed to death outside an Abrakebabra fast‑food restaurant on Crumlin Road in Dublin on 25 August 2001. Rattigan had previously pleaded guilty to murder in 2009, but that conviction was quashed by the Supreme Court in 2017. He entered a plea to manslaughter on 22 October 2018, and the court accepted the plea, citing the case's frailties and the passage of time. The judge noted aggravating factors, including Rattigan's drug‑ and alcohol‑related state and the fatal nature of the wound, and mitigating factors such as his guilty plea, completion of drug‑awareness courses, and a letter of apology to the Gavin family, which was deemed "too late" to mitigate. The sentence was back‑dated to 1 October 2018.
A 37‑year‑old man was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with the last two years suspended, for raping his wife in their Dublin home on 30 August 2015. He was convicted in July 2016 after a trial at the Central Criminal Court. The court found him not guilty of assault causing harm to the woman. He denied all charges but later accepted the jury verdict and apologised to his wife. During the assault he ripped her clothes and covered her face to stop her from screaming. The wife, who lives with their two children and her mother‑in‑law, has repeatedly stated that she forgives her husband and does not want him to go to prison. She has written several statements to the court and Gardaí, expressing forgiveness and regret for bringing the case, and describing her husband as a good father with a good heart. The unnamed man was acquitted.
Shafiq Quadri, a 49‑year‑old Pakistani national, was sentenced to six years in prison for raping a woman he had invited to his Galway home for dinner. The conviction, delivered by the Central Criminal Court in October 2018, followed the victim's testimony that after a night of food and drinks she was assaulted while intoxicated. Quadri denied the charge, claiming he would have been convicted if he had not shaved his beard. The judge noted the crime was out of character for Quadri, who had no prior convictions, and highlighted the victim's profound distress and post‑traumatic stress diagnosis. Quadri's sentence began in October when he entered custody after the jury verdict. The case underscored the victim's experience of shame, humiliation, and ongoing psychological treatment. The court recorded the victim's impact statement, detailing her trauma and the lasting effects on her life. The sentence will run from the date of conviction.
A 60‑year‑old Limerick man, Desmond Coyle, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter after stabbing a 58‑year‑old Romanian beggar, Calo Carpaci, to death on 24 May 2017. Coyle stabbed Carpaci in the heart with a single wound while at the beggar's home. He told those who restrained him that he hoped the victim was dead and that he deserved it, and later said that if the beggar had stopped "f***ing annoying me" the incident would not have happened. Coyle had been drinking in pubs before going to the beggar's house, armed with a knife, and entered through an open front door, reemerging within 13 seconds with the fatal wound. He had no prior convictions, had been treated in a psychiatric unit after setting his home on fire, and was a single man living alone.
A teenager convicted of manslaughter following the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old boy in Claremorris in December 2015 has had his sentencing adjourned at the Central Criminal Court. The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of the manslaughter of Dovydas Jenkas in 2017 after a jury rejected a murder charge. Justice Eileen Creedon adjourned sentencing until October to allow the teenager time to recover from recent brain surgery performed to address severe epileptic seizures. Medical evidence presented to the court indicated the defendant suffers from localised epilepsy caused by a brain lesion and has undergone an anterior temporal lobectomy. The judge acknowledged the health grounds for the adjournment whilst noting her concern to finalise proceedings in consideration of the victim's family.
In 2013 a 58‑year‑old man broke into his ex‑partner's home in Cork, armed with a hatchet, and raped her for five hours, threatening to kill her and cutting her hair with scissors. He initially denied the attack but later pleaded guilty. In October 2013 Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan sentenced him to ten years, suspending the last three on the condition of good behaviour for ten years and participation in the "Better Lives" sex‑offender treatment programme. The man has no prior convictions. The DPP applied to the Central Criminal Court to revoke the suspension, arguing he had not fully engaged in the programme. A senior probation officer reported that the offender denied many aspects of his conduct and had not progressed sufficiently in offence disclosure work. Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted the offender had cleared the first stage of the programme but struggled at the next level.
A jury of twelve will travel to Tipperary on 25 January to view the farm where Patrick Quirke, aged 50, is accused of murdering 52‑year‑old Bobby Ryan between 3 June 2011 and 13 April 2013. Justice Eileen Creedon explained that the prosecution and defence believe the visit will aid the trial. The jury will depart from the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin by coach, and will return to the Central Criminal Court on Friday for the trial's opening. No further legal actions are mentioned in the article. Patrick Quirke pleaded not guilty.
A 50‑year‑old man was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended, for 22 offences of sexual abuse, oral rape, child sexual exploitation and attempted rape committed between October 2009 and July 2011 in his Dublin family home. The victim, aged 13 to 15 at the time, was abused for three years while a young teenager. She testified that the abuse left her feeling "killed inside" and described ongoing psychological harm. The judge noted the man's manipulation, control and failure to fulfil his paternal duties, and ordered him to engage with the Probation Service for six months upon release. The man denied all allegations, claimed the victim fabricated the story, and has not expressed remorse. He has prior convictions for handling stolen property and fraud and has been in custody since 2017. The court suspended the final six months of the term, taking into account his good work history.
Patrick Quirke, 50, of Breanshamore, Co. Tipperary, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 52‑year‑old Bobby Ryan, whose death occurred at an unknown location between 3 June 2011 and 13 April 2013. The case is before the Central Criminal Court, where a jury of six men and six women will hear the proceedings. Mr Justice Michael White has indicated the trial may last up to eight weeks.
In a 2019 court hearing, Gardaí investigated alleged Facebook threats made by a 38‑year‑old UK businessman, who was convicted in March 2019 of three counts of rape and eight counts of sexual assault against two girls aged 10 and 12, committed between December 2010 and March 2011. The businessman, who groomed the children in the UK and later brought them to Ireland, was found to have sexually assaulted the older girl in a Dublin hotel room in December 2010. At the Central Criminal Court sentence hearing in July, the defendant maintained his innocence and disputed the verdicts. Prosecutor Pauline Walley presented evidence that the defendant had created false Facebook accounts to claim innocence and allegedly threatened a complainant via Facebook in April. Gardaí, assisted by US and UK authorities, were conducting a detailed investigation. The judge adjourned the matter to 12 April.
A 24‑year‑old man charged with the murder of David Douglas in Dublin in 2016 was refused bail by the Central Criminal Court. Douglas, 55, was shot six times while taking a meal break in his partner's shop on Bridgefoot Street on 1 July 2016. The court described Freddie Thompson, 37, as the main organiser and noted he was already serving a life sentence. Nathan Foley, 20, admitted a lesser offence of facilitating the crime between 1 and 4 July 2016 and will be sentenced next month. Gareth Brophy, of no fixed abode, was charged with the murder, served a book of evidence on Thursday and was sent forward for trial to the Special Criminal Court. He applied for bail, but the State objected under the O'Callaghan rules, citing the gravity of the charge and the likelihood of a lengthy sentence. The court, citing the seriousness of the offence and the possibility of absconding, refused bail. Freddie Thompson was convicted.
In a south Dublin case, Maha Al Adheem, a 43‑year‑old Kuwaiti national, was found not guilty by reason of insanity after she stabbed her three‑year‑old autistic son, Omar Omran, to death. The trial revealed that Al Adheem admitted to the act, stating she had stabbed her son and then herself, and that a "power" compelled her to take a knife from a drawer. Omran was stabbed 20 times, with wounds to his chest, abdomen, trunk, lungs, heart and right thigh, and was found lying in the middle of a bed in a one‑bedroom apartment. A jury of nine men and three women returned a unanimous verdict after 1 hour 46 minutes of deliberation. Following the verdict, the court ordered Al Adheem to be committed to the Central Mental Hospital for inpatient care, where she will receive ongoing psychiatric treatment for her schizophrenia.
Graham McEvoy, a 20-year-old from Crumlin, has lost his appeal against his conviction for the murder of Paul Curran. McEvoy had admitted stabbing Curran at Seagull House on Crumlin Road in Dublin on July 16, 2016, but originally denied the charge of murder, claiming self-defence. He was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury in a majority 11-1 verdict and sentenced to a mandatory life term by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy on December 18, 2017. McEvoy appealed on the ground that the trial judge erred in allowing a Garda to explain a witness's use of the phrase "got a stripe," arguing this invited speculation about motive. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice John Edwards, dismissed the appeal. The court held the evidence was admissible and that the clarification merely explained the term's context without suggesting a revenge motive. The judges found no indication that the trial was unsatisfactory or the conviction unsafe, thereby upholding the original finding of guilt and the mandatory life sentence.
In a south Dublin case, Kuwaiti‑born doctor Maha Al Adheem, aged 43, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of her three‑year‑old autistic son, Omar Omran. On 10 July 2017, Al Adheem stabbed Omar 20 times, mainly to the trunk, and also stabbed herself. The boy's body lay in the middle of a bed, surrounded by blood. Al Adheem admitted to the act, saying a "power" compelled her to take a knife from a drawer. Two consultant psychiatrists testified that she suffered from paranoid schizophrenia in July 2017 and could not appreciate the moral wrongness of her actions. The Central Criminal Court delivered a unanimous verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity after a 1 hour 46‑minute deliberation. The judge ordered her to be committed to the Central Mental Hospital and to appear again the next day for a psychiatric assessment.
Eoin Berkley, 25, of Finglas, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for abducting and raping an 18‑year‑old Spanish student at the Irish Glass Bottle Company site on Pigeon House Road between 15 and 16 July 2017. The judge described the offences as "most horrific" and particularly degrading, noting the victim's profound shame. In addition to the custodial term, the judge imposed a three‑year post‑release supervision order, requiring Berkley to undergo assessment for the Safer Lives programme, comply with mental health providers, attend all Probation Service appointments, complete a victim awareness programme, and notify authorities of any address change. Berkley requested transfer to the Central Mental Hospital; the judge explained that such places are scarce and that non‑compliance could lead to a 12‑month sentence in the District Court.
Brian Rattigan, a 38‑year‑old Dubliner who has spent most of his adult life in prison, pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the 2001 stabbing death of his former friend Declan Gavin, a 21‑year‑old. Gavin was killed outside an Abrakebabra on Crumlin Road when Rattigan stabbed him twice, one wound to the heart. Rattigan had been tried twice in 2009, the first jury being hung and the second convicting him; that conviction was later quashed by the Supreme Court in 2017. In October 2019, at arraignment, the Director of Public Prosecutions accepted a plea to manslaughter, citing the case's exceptional features and the complex litigation history. Rattigan had previously served sentences for assault, firearms, violent disorder and drug offences, the longest being 17 years for drug dealing while in jail. He had written a letter of apology to Gavin's widowed mother, which she declined to read.
In the Central Criminal Court, Michael O'Higgins SC defended Keith Connorton, 40, who pleaded not guilty to the murder of 32‑year‑old Graham McKeever on 18 February 2017. O'Higgins argued that Connorton was attacked by McKeever's partner, Claire McGrath, who had entered the home at 4 a.m. and threatened him with a knife. He claimed Connorton was forced to defend himself after McKeever "barrelled in" and inflicted a fractured eye socket on Connorton. O'Higgins questioned the reliability of McGrath's statements, noting inconsistencies and her drug‑related vulnerability. He urged the jury to consider Connorton's right to self‑defence under the suddenness and ferocity of the attack, and to assess whether the force used was proportionate. The prosecution maintained that McKeever had no knife and that Connorton's account was a "pack of lies," seeking a guilty verdict for murder. The case was set for jury deliberation the following day.
The jury at the Central Criminal Court has begun deliberations in the trial of Maha Al Adheem, 43, who is accused of murdering her three‑year‑old autistic son, Omar Omran, in their south Dublin home on 10 July 2017. Al Adheem admitted stabbing her son and claimed a "power" compelled her to take a knife from a drawer. The boy was stabbed 20 times, with wounds to the chest, abdomen, trunk and right thigh, including penetration of lungs and heart. She pleaded not guilty. Two psychiatrists testified that she suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and was not aware of the moral wrongness of her actions, supporting a potential not‑guilty‑by‑reason‑of‑insanity verdict. The judge explained that if the jury is satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of unlawful killing, they must then consider the insanity defence, with possible verdicts of not guilty, guilty of murder or not guilty by reason of insanity.
In the Central Criminal Court, Brendan Grehan SC argued that Keith Connorton's claim of a self‑defence struggle was false. Connorton, 40, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 32‑year‑old Graham McKeever on 18 February 2017 at Connorton's Tallaght home. Grehan said McKeever was a guest, not an intruder, and that Connorton's account of a knife‑wielding attack was a "pack of lies." The prosecution's case relied on Claire McGrath's statements that Connorton found her with McKeever, armed himself, threatened her, and stabbed McKeever, and on Deputy State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan's report of four stab wounds, one penetrating the heart. Grehan urged the jury to convict Connorton of murder, noting that a reasonable‑force defence would not absolve him if the evidence contradicted his story. The trial continued before Mr Justice Tony Hunt.
In a December 2018 trial, psychiatrists testified that Maha Al Adheem, a 43‑year‑old Kuwaiti doctor, suffered from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the July 2017 murder of her three‑year‑old autistic son, Omar Omran. The witnesses agreed she could not appreciate that her actions were morally wrong and could not refrain from them. Al Adheem admitted stabbing her son 20 times, including wounds to his lungs, heart and a vital artery, and claimed a "power" compelled her to use a knife she had bought from Lidl. She had previously been admitted to St James's Hospital in March 2017 for suicidal thoughts and had a history of depression and psychosis. The court heard that Al Adheem met two of the criteria for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, and the trial was set to resume before a jury and Ms Justice Eileen Creedon.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, 40‑year‑old Keith Connorton pleaded not guilty to the murder of 32‑year‑old Graham McKeever, who was stabbed to death at Connorton's home on 18 February 2017. Connorton told Gardaí that his dream of a happy family with his son and his partner had been ruined. He claimed he had met his partner, Claire McGrath, at a Luas stop, comforted her after a breakup, and described her as "beautiful" and "nice sweet young one". Connorton said he loved her "to bits" and that he wanted to be free of heroin and have a happy family. He had been on a methadone programme, reducing his daily dose from 115mls to 55mls. The trial, presided over by Justice Tony Hunt, continues with a jury of nine men and three women. The case involves a fight between Connorton and McKeever, during which McKeever received a fatal stab wound to the heart.
Two Dublin men, Stephen Tynan (41) and Raymond Fitzgerald (37), were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Andrew Guerrine, Tynan's cousin, who was stabbed 20 times and left on a roadside in Rathcoole. The murder occurred between 22 and 23 May 2015. The defendants pleaded not guilty, but a jury found them guilty by majority verdict. At sentencing, the victim's sister, Edel Guerrine, delivered a victim impact statement describing the brutality of the crime and the profound grief it caused her family. Judge Michael White imposed a mandatory life sentence on both men, noting the severity of the offence and the lack of remorse shown by the defendants during the trial. The sentence was delivered in the Central Criminal Court, with no mention of any future release or parole. The case concluded with the men being led away to begin their sentences.
A Dublin man has been remanded in custody pending sentencing at the Central Criminal Court following his guilty plea to attempting to murder his ex-girlfriend in County Roscommon. Gerard Mooney, aged 39, admitted to the attempted murder of a woman on 12th February 2017 at Cartron, near Carrick-on-Shannon. He also pleaded guilty to charges including burglary, assault causing harm, possession of a shotgun, threats to kill, harassment, and criminal damage. Evidence heard at the court revealed that Mooney attended the victim's home in Cartron where he fired a shot through a glass door and confronted her with a sawn-off shotgun in the kitchen. He repeatedly pulled the trigger but the weapon repeatedly jammed. The victim provided a statement describing the ordeal and its ongoing psychological impact. Mooney, with previous addresses in Castlerea, was arrested later that evening. Justice Michael White remanded him in custody until 18th January for sentence.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 43‑year‑old Maha Al Adheem, a doctor, was accused of murdering her three‑year‑old autistic son, Omar Omran, by stabbing him 20 times on 10 July 2017 at their Riverside, Poddle Park home. She admitted the act, claiming a "power" compelled her to take a knife from a drawer. The prosecution argued that the defence of insanity was being raised, with psychiatrists agreeing she met the criteria for not guilty by reason of insanity. Neighbours testified that Al Adheem was a caring mother who never raised her voice, but also described her as paranoid, believing a black cat was an evil spirit and that a man forced her to have sex with him when the cat was present. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, was set to resume the following day with a jury of nine men and three women.
During a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Keith Connorton (40) pleaded not guilty to the February 18, 2017 stabbing death of 32‑year‑old Graham McKeever. Connorton told gardai that he had returned home, argued with his partner Claire McGrath, and that McKeever had come into the house with a knife. He claimed he grabbed the knife, cut his own hand, and then stabbed McKeever a few times. Connorton said he tried to keep McKeever alive, called 999, and that he did not intend to kill him. McGrath's statements to the jury and to gardai differed, and she admitted she was on painkillers and Xanax when she gave them. The trial is proceeding before Justice Tony Hunt with a jury of nine men and three women.
A 44‑year‑old man, Ciprian Grozavu, has been charged with the murder of 27‑year‑old Jonathan Duke, who was killed at Bridge House, Sean Hales Place, Bandon on 13 November 2011. He appeared before the Central Criminal Court to receive a trial date, which Judge Michael White set for 4 November 2019 in Dublin. The trial is expected to last two weeks.
Paul Wells Junior, aged 33, has been charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of his father, Paul Wells Senior, by disposing of the chainsaw used in the 2016 dismemberment of Kenneth O'Brien. Wells Senior was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017. Wells Junior was brought before the Central Criminal Court on 17 December 2018, where a trial date was set for 4 November 2019. His barrister, Damien Colgan SC, noted that this would be the fourth attempt to set a trial date, with the case having been postponed on three previous occasions over a span of three years. The court acknowledged the ongoing pressure on Wells Junior and indicated that the case would remain on the docket until a suitable date could be secured, with the possibility of an additional judge in the new year. The proceedings remain at the impeding charge stage.
Claire McGrath, aged 30, gave evidence in the Central Criminal Court trial of Keith Connorton, who is charged with the murder of Graham McKeever, 32, on 18 February 2017. McGrath said she had been in a relationship with Connorton for three years and that she had invited McKeever to stay at their home that night. She told the court that she had exchanged texts and Facebook messages with McKeever in the days before his death, in which she expressed love, insecurity and a desire for his affection. McGrath admitted that her drug use might have affected her memory and that she was not a reliable witness. She denied that she had lied to Gardaí or that Connorton had pressured her to do so, and she said she had told the truth about the events. She will continue her cross‑examination before Justice Tony Hunt and a jury. Keith Connorton pleaded not guilty.
A 43‑year‑old Kuwaiti woman, Maha Al Adheem, will be tried for the murder of her three‑year‑old son, Omar Omran, who died on 10 July 2017 at their south Dublin home. She was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court, where she pleaded not guilty. A jury of nine men and three women was sworn in, and the trial is scheduled to last three days before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon. Evidence will be presented by Gardaí from Crumlin, two civilian witnesses from the Kimmage apartment complex, and two forensic psychiatrists from the Central Mental Hospital.
Claire McGrath, 30, gave evidence in the murder trial of Keith Connorton, 40, at the Central Criminal Court. She admitted that parts of her original statements to the Gardaí after the February 18, 2017 stabbing of Graham McKeever, 32, were not true. McGrath said she had not remembered giving a second statement that the Gardaí recorded as taken that afternoon. She clarified that she had not described Connorton as cutting cannabis, nor had she said he was rolling a cigarette to avoid police suspicion. McGrath denied that she had said he grabbed her and pushed her onto the couch, that he threatened her with "I'll kill you", or that she had called him a "dirty tramp". She also denied that she had seen him stab McKeever three times or that he used the knife defensively. McGrath stated that she loves Connorton, that their relationship was on and off, and that she was trying to be fair in her testimony. Keith Connorton pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the partner of a father-of-six who was stabbed by a lifelong friend recounted the traumatic impact on her children, who witnessed their father lying in a garden covered in blood as emergency services attempted to save him. The partner, aged 50, described her life being shattered, her anxiety, panic attacks, and nightmares after the incident. She noted that her children, aged three to ten at the time, no longer feel the same bright, bubbly energy they had before, having seen their father's death. The court heard that the victim, Mark Richardson, was stabbed in the chest by Paul Keating, who was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. Keating was remanded in custody until his sentencing. The partner's testimony highlighted the profound emotional damage to her family and the loss of a male role model for her children.
In a Dublin murder trial, Deputy State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan testified that the deceased, Graham McKeever, 32, died from a single fatal stab wound to the heart, inflicted during a fight with his lover's boyfriend, Keith Connorton, 40. Dr Mulligan described the fatal wound as entering the left chest between the second and third ribs, penetrating both chambers of the right heart, causing severe bleeding into the lungs. She noted a second chest wound of four centimetres depth that did not pierce the ribs, a wound near the armpit, and a fourth to the back, none of which were fatal but could have contributed to blood loss. The pathologist also found about 40 scratches and bruises, and drug tests revealed benzodiazepines, methadone, alcohol and cocaine in the deceased's system. Connorton remains on trial at the Central Criminal Court, having pleaded not guilty. The case is set to continue before Justice Tony Hunt and a jury.
In a Limerick murder trial, Desmond Coyle, 60, was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter after stabbing Calo Carpaci, 58, at his home on 24 May 2017. Coyle claimed he had gone to stop Carpaci from demanding money and had brought a knife, though he could not recall the day or why he had the knife. CCTV showed Coyle entering Carpaci's house, a brief scuffle outside, and passersby restraining him. The jury, after less than four hours, concluded that Coyle had no intent to kill or cause serious injury, and that the death resulted from a single stab wound that pierced the heart. The judge explained the possible verdicts and the nature of manslaughter, and remanded Coyle for sentencing on 21 January. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court. The unnamed 60-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Michael White explained to the jury that Desmond Coyle, 60, could be found not guilty of murder if the jury believed he acted in self‑defence, or guilty of manslaughter if they thought the force used was excessive or the death accidental. Coyle, charged with murdering 58‑year‑old Calo Carpaci on 24 May 2017, had pleaded not guilty. He claimed he entered Carpaci's house with a knife to stop the Romanian man from demanding money, and that the killing was unintended. The prosecutor urged conviction, stating Coyle stabbed Carpaci in the chest. The judge outlined the types of manslaughter, including involuntary and gross‑negligence manslaughter, and noted that self‑defence could be a complete or partial defence. The jury was instructed to reach a unanimous verdict before deliberating further. The case remains at the deliberation stage.
During a murder trial, Claire McGrath admitted that her presence at the accused's home contributed to the death of Graham McKeever. She said she had invited McKeever to stay overnight and that McKeever had entered the kitchen where McGrath was arguing with Keith Connorton, who was intoxicated and holding a kitchen knife. McKeever allegedly shouted "She's mine now" and attacked Connorton, striking him with a heavy blow that knocked him onto a child's chair. McKeever then stabbed Connorton, after which Connorton fled the scene. McGrath expressed remorse, stating "It is my fault. If I had never brought him to my house he would be still alive. I'm so sorry." The trial is ongoing before Justice Tony Hunt and a jury. Keith Connorton pleaded not guilty.
A 40‑year‑old man, Keith Connorton, is on trial in the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Graham McKeever, a 29‑year‑old man, in a Dublin love triangle. Connorton was arraigned on 10 December 2018 and pleaded not guilty. The case, presented by Brendan Grehan SC, alleges that Connorton stabbed McKeever to death on 18 February 2017 at an apartment on Deerpark Avenue, Tallaght. The prosecution claims that McKeever was staying with Claire McGrath, Connorton's former partner, who had broken up with him about six months earlier. According to the prosecution, Connorton, armed with a kitchen knife, threatened McGrath and, when McKeever came to her aid, stabbed him in the chest. Connorton also claims he will argue self‑defence. The trial is scheduled to continue tomorrow before Mr Justice Tony Hunt.
Warren Nolan, 22, of Rowlagh Park in Clondalkin, was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court of murdering Alan O'Neill and setting fire to a vehicle. The jury returned a majority verdict of eleven to one on the murder charge and a unanimous verdict on the arson charge. Nolan had pleaded not guilty to both counts. The court heard that O'Neill was shot dead in the driveway of his home in Tallaght on May 27, 2015, in front of his partner, Michelle Usher. Prosecution evidence included CCTV footage, forensic analysis of firearms residue on gloves, and petrol traces on Nolan's clothing. Mr Justice Paul McDermott thanked the jurors for their service in a difficult trial and exempted them from jury service for ten years. Maddie Grant BL, for the prosecution, stated that O'Neill's family will make a statement to the court on January 14. On that date, Mr Justice McDermott will sentence Nolan to the mandatory term for murder of life imprisonment. The matter is currently at the sentencing stage, with the final disposal scheduled for January 14.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Judge Paul McDermott explained that a jury could find 22‑year‑old Warren Nolan guilty of impeding an investigation even if they are not convinced he was the gunman. Nolan pleaded not guilty to the murder of Alan O'Neill, 35, on 27 May 2015, and to the arson of a car at Belfry Square. The judge outlined that the jury has three options for the murder charge: guilty, not guilty, or not guilty of murder but guilty of impeding an investigation under Section 7(2) of the Criminal Law Act 1997. He noted that if the jury is not satisfied that Nolan fired the shots, they may consider whether he burned the car to aid the getaway or destroy evidence. The prosecution's case relies on circumstantial evidence and alleged lies told by Nolan in Garda interviews, which the judge said must be proven beyond reasonable doubt.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 60‑year‑old Limerick man, Desmond Coyle, was accused of murdering 58‑year‑old Calo Carpaci. The prosecution argued that Coyle entered Carpaci's house armed with the knife that later caused the fatal chest wound, citing CCTV footage that showed him trespassing and carrying the weapon. Coyle allegedly confessed to stabbing Carpaci, but his defence claimed he had gone to confront the Romanian man over money demands, not to kill. The defence highlighted Coyle's lack of intent, describing his actions as a poor decision driven by frustration. Both sides presented evidence of a struggle after the entry, with the prosecution insisting on murder and the defence seeking a verdict of not guilty. The trial remained at the stage of closing arguments, with no verdict yet announced.
A murder trial at the Central Criminal Court has collapsed following broadcast content on RTÉ's Prime Time programme concerning the legal defence of provocation. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart discharged the jury after establishing that five of the twelve jurors had viewed the segment and discussed it during deliberations. Keith Brady, aged 31, from Cartron Estate in Sligo, had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Martin Kivlehan on a date between 2nd and 3rd August 2015 at The New Apartments on Holborn Street, Sligo. The defence had relied partially on provocation. Justice Stewart expressed concern about what she termed "a parallel justice system in the court of public opinion" operating without regard to judicial proceedings. She extended sympathy to the Kivlehan family and remarked that the collapse represented "a tragedy." Brady was remanded to 17th December for a retrial date to be set.
In a Dublin murder trial, 22‑year‑old Warren Nolan was accused of shooting Alan O'Neill, 35, in the front garden of O'Neill's home on 27 May 2015. The prosecution, led by Shane Costelloe SC, argued that Nolan planned the hit, used a getaway car, and fired four shots, killing O'Neill twice. Evidence included CCTV showing a car "stalking" O'Neill, a witness, Michelle Usher, who described the shooter as a teenager, and forensic findings of firearms residue on a glove taken from Nolan and petrol on his clothing. Nolan denied being the shooter and claimed he only set the car on fire. Defence counsel Michael Bowman SC challenged the forensic analysis, the handling of evidence, and the reliability of the detective's statements, urging the jury to consider the lack of definitive proof linking Nolan to the shooting. The case was presented to a jury of twelve, with the judge to deliver the charge the following day. Warren Nolan pleaded not guilty.
A 60‑year‑old Limerick man, Desmond Coyle, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of 58‑year‑old Romanian Calo Carpaci, who was found dead at Roche's Row on 24 May 2017. Coyle pleaded not guilty. During the hearing, he told Gardaí that he had gone to Carpaci's house with a knife to stop him from demanding money and making "smart‑alecky" comments. He claimed he did not remember bringing the knife or the exact day, but that he had the knife in his hand and that Carpaci had fallen and was bleeding. He said that if he had not gone there with the knife, Carpaci would still be alive. The prosecution's detective, David Baynham, had interviewed Coyle after the incident. Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis testified that Carpaci died from a single stab wound that penetrated his chest and heart. The trial was scheduled to continue the following morning.
In December 2018, a 49‑year‑old man from Clare raped his 17‑year‑old stepdaughter after deceiving her as an online stranger who claimed to possess compromising information. He threatened her with a sexually explicit video, demanded she produce more videos, and insisted she have sex with him. He pretended to help her by sending a video of himself masturbating, then threatened to expose his abuse unless she complied. The stepdaughter, fearing jail for her stepfather and wanting to protect her mother, pleaded to allow the sexual act, leading the man to rape her under the pretense of the threats. He pleaded guilty to rape in 2010 and to harassment from 2009 to 2010. The court imposed a ten‑year sentence, suspended the last two years, and required participation in a sex‑offender treatment programme. The stepdaughter, a foreign national, was placed in foster care after the abuse was revealed.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court is deliberating in the trial of a Sligo man charged with the murder of a musician. Keith Brady, aged 31 and from Cartron Estate in Sligo, is accused of fatally stabbing Martin Kivlehan on a date between 2nd and 3rd August 2015 at the victim's home on Holborn Street. Mr Brady has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The defence argued he lacked the necessary intent for murder due to drug intoxication and claimed provocation, alleging he believed the deceased was behaving inappropriately towards his sister. The prosecution contended the defendant inflicted the wounds with deliberate precision against a vulnerable man. Justice Carmel Stewart charged the jury of eight men and four women, who deliberated for under two hours before adjourning overnight. Deliberations are to resume the following morning.
A man in his twenties has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment in absentia at the Central Criminal Court following his conviction for sexually abusing a young relative in Dublin. He was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict on fourteen counts of sexual assault occurring between 2008 and 2011, when the victim was aged five to eight years old. The defendant absconded just before the jury delivered its verdict in May and has remained at large since. A bench warrant for his arrest was issued, but gardaí have been unable to locate him. During sentencing proceedings last week, the court heard a victim impact statement from the now teenage complainant, describing ongoing psychological effects including sleep disturbance and difficulty attending school. The defendant, who had been arrested in Cavan on the allegations but made no admissions during interview, is believed to be homeless in Dublin city. Mr Justice Michael White noted the breach of trust involved and that the offences spanned several years, though acknowledged the defendant's youth as a mitigating factor. The unnamed 24-year-old pleaded not guilty.
During a Central Criminal Court hearing, forensic scientist Dr Tom Hannigan reported finding firearms residue on a black woolen glove seized from 22‑year‑old Warren Nolan, who was arrested minutes after the fatal shooting of Alan O'Neill (35) on 27 May 2015. The residue matched that found on a bullet hole in the deceased's clothing, giving "very strong support" for the prosecution's claim that Nolan was the shooter. Nolan has pleaded not guilty to the murder and to a separate charge of setting a car on fire at Belfry Square on the same day. He denied involvement in the murder, denied saying he only set the car on fire, and denied crying at his arrest. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Paul McDermott, continues with a jury of twelve.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the family of 53‑year‑old Martin Mulligan, who was stabbed and left to die on a road in Dundalk on 28 September 2015, delivered impact statements describing him as hardworking, caring, loving, patient, intelligent, amusing and affectionate. They recalled his role as a family bond, his support and encouragement, and his kindness to neighbours. The youngest daughter, Shauna, said he was "brutally, viciously and inhumanely killed for no fault of his own" and that his death left her vulnerable and afraid. The eldest daughter, Sharon, remembered his self‑lessness and how he cared for a neighbour's son. The wife, Grainne, recalled their long marriage and the last intimate moment they shared. The court heard that Joseph Hillen, 24, was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury in October and will be sentenced on 28 January.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, former Waterford County Council worker Bartholomew Prendergast was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for rape and indecent assault of three women, including sisters Stephanie Hickey (aged 12‑15 at the time of the offences) and Deirdre Fahy (aged 13‑14). He pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and thirteen counts of indecent assault against Hickey between 1983 and 1987, one count of indecent assault against Fahy between 1979 and 1981, and two counts of indecent assault against a third woman (now 39) between 1988 and 1991. The judge suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on strict conditions, requiring Prendergast to undergo a sex‑offender treatment programme and be supervised by the Probation Service for 18 months. The hearing highlighted the prolonged abuse that continued despite family intervention and a priest's counselling, and the profound impact on the victims' lives.