In the trial of 37‑year‑old Tomas Gajowniczek, who denies attempting to murder his partner Alicja Kalinowska by stuffing underwear in her mouth and striking her with a hammer, a psychiatrist for the defence, Dr Conor O'Neill, testified that the accused suffers from a delusional disorder. Dr O'Neill explained that this mental illness, as defined by the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act, prevented Gajowniczek from controlling his actions. He stated that Gajowniczek believed his partner was trying to poison him and his baby, a belief he described as delusional. The defence argued that the accused's symptoms had been present for months before the alleged assault, and that drug use, while possible, does not exclude a diagnosis of mental illness. The trial will continue before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury at the Central Criminal Court. Tomas Gajowniczek pleaded not guilty.
In a 2016 incident at the Ice Rink Apartments, Tomas Gajowniczek, aged 37, was accused of attempting to murder his partner, Alicja Kalinowska, aged 30, by suffocating her with her own underwear and striking her with a hammer. He also faced a charge of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm. During Garda interviews on 16 June 2016, Gajowniczek claimed he had "exploded" because he believed Kalinowska was poisoning his food and that she had also drugged their baby. He asked the Gardaí to take a blood sample to determine what was in his system, but the Gardaí did not collect one. He pleaded not guilty to both charges. The case was set to proceed before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury at the Central Criminal Court, with the trial scheduled for that afternoon.
In the Central Criminal Court, a jury was sent home after a night of deliberation in the trial of 37‑year‑old Tadhg Butler, charged with murdering Michael O'Dwyer, a friend of Butler's nephew, on 10 January 2014. O'Dwyer died in hospital after a stab wound to the chest at a party in Butler's Co Waterford home. Butler, who pleaded not guilty, claimed he had accidentally stabbed O'Dwyer while taking a knife from his nephew to prevent self‑harm. The nephew, Anthony (Tony) O'Grady, testified that Butler walked over and stabbed the victim with a butcher's knife, but later said he could not remember the incident due to personality disorders and medication. The jury requested further statements from O'Grady, Butler and State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy. Judge Paul Butler spent the day re‑reading the evidence before the jurors resumed deliberations, ultimately deciding to return home and reconvene the next morning with fresh minds.
A jury has begun deliberations in the trial of 37‑year‑old Tadhg Butler, charged with murdering Michael O'Dwyer with a foot‑long butcher knife at a party in his home in Tramore on 10 January 2014. Butler, who pleaded not guilty, claims he accidentally stabbed O'Dwyer while attempting to disarm his nephew, Anthony O'Grady, who had previously taken a knife from Butler to prevent self‑harm. O'Grady, who testified that he could not remember the events due to personality disorders and medication, said Butler walked up, lifted the knife and stabbed O'Dwyer, who collapsed and later died in hospital. Butler's defence argues the act was a tragic accident, while the prosecution maintains sufficient evidence for a murder conviction. The jury, after more than two hours of deliberation, requested to review O'Grady's statement, Butler's evidence and the State Pathologist's report before resuming tomorrow.".
In a Central Criminal Court case, a 46‑year‑old Galway man, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, is on trial for orally raping a 20‑year‑old woman. The alleged offence occurred on the night of 5 November 2015, when the man allegedly gave the woman a lift home. According to the victim, she fell asleep during the journey and woke to find the man standing in the van with his right leg on the seat beside her and his penis in her mouth. She later ran to a nearby house and shouted the van's registration number. The accused claims the encounter was consensual, describing it as "very tender" and "chemical," and says the woman gave him oral sex for a few seconds before she said she had a boyfriend. He denies the charge and has no prior convictions.
The Central Criminal Court trial of Tadhg Butler, formerly known as Thomas O'Grady, is at the stage of the judge's charge to the jury. Butler, 37, of Tramore, Co Waterford, is charged with the murder of Michael O'Dwyer, who died in January 2014 after sustaining a stab wound at a party in Butler's home. Butler has pleaded not guilty, alleging he accidentally stabbed O'Dwyer while attempting to disarm his nephew, Anthony (Tony) O'Grady, to prevent self-harm. Tony O'Grady, who suffers from personality disorders, initially told gardai that Butler deliberately stabbed O'Dwyer with a butcher's knife but later claimed he could not remember the incident. Defence counsel Michael Bowman SC argued the death was a tragic accident in a confined space, urging the jury to return a verdict of not guilty or, alternatively, manslaughter if they found the actions reckless. Prosecution counsel Denis Vaughan Buckley countered that there was ample evidence to convict, highlighting that Butler did not provide his accidental stabbing account to gardai during his interview. The judge has begun his charge, and the jury is expected to begin deliberations on Wednesday.
During the fifth day of his murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Tadhg Butler, 37, pleaded not guilty to the killing of Michael O'Dwyer, 25, who died on 10 January 2014 after a stab wound at a party in Butler's house in Seafield, Tramore. Butler told the court that he had taken a knife from his nephew, Anthony O'Grady, to prevent the nephew from self‑harm. He claimed that the nephew had become upset over a brother's death and, while holding the knife, said he was "sick of this f*cking life." Butler said he tried to remove the knife, pinning the nephew against a wall, and that he did not realise the knife was in O'Dwyer's chest until the victim collapsed. The prosecution cross‑examined Butler about his earlier statements to Gardaí and his religious beliefs. The trial continues with further cross‑examination scheduled for the next day.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 46‑year‑old Galway man pleaded not guilty to a single charge of oral rape at a Galway location in the early hours of 5 November 2015. He told Gardaí that the alleged encounter began with a consensual, "passionate" kiss while looking over the city from a viewpoint. He claimed they hugged, kissed, and that the woman performed oral sex on him for a few seconds before she said she had a boyfriend and became unresponsive. He said she then shouted at him, demanded her phone, and wanted him to drive her to a Garda station. He described feeling panicked when she left the van and later went home very shaken. The trial is in its closing stages before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury. The case is still ongoing.
A 47-year-old man from Co Mayo has been convicted by a jury at the Central Criminal Court of three counts of rape, five counts of anal rape and six counts of sexual assault against his daughter between 2006 and 2010, when she was aged seven to eleven years. The offences occurred both in Ireland and abroad. During proceedings, the man's legal representative stated that his client rejects the jury's verdict and maintains his innocence. Defence counsel indicated the man intends to lodge an appeal against conviction at the earliest opportunity. The court heard that the victim disclosed the abuse to social workers while in care. The defendant, who has previous convictions in Ireland and abroad, was remanded in custody pending sentencing on 23 April.
Anna Marie Pezzillo (35) and Rachel Comiskey (35) pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of Ian Quinn (32) at Annally Grove, Dublin 15, between 30 and 31 May 2014. The two women admitted that they suffocated Quinn by placing plastic bags over his head after a period of drinking vodka and taking tranquillisers. They claimed the intent was to frighten, not kill, and that they had not intended to cause death. Pezzillo had been released from Limerick prison the day before Quinn joined them, and the three had a history of drug and alcohol use. Both women expressed remorse in letters to the court. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy remanded them in custody until 14 May, when he will deliver their sentences.
A 70‑year‑old Cork pensioner, who cannot be named, has appealed the 12‑year jail sentence imposed for raping his step‑daughter from age 11 to 16 and impregnating her twice. He pleaded guilty to 18 counts of rape and sexual abuse between 1974 and 1979. The complainant, now 53, said the man entered the family home after her father's death, married her mother, and repeatedly forced sexual intercourse on her, often when her mother was absent. She reported that the defendant was an alcoholic who spent her mother's money and that the abuse caused her to become pregnant at 15, losing one child and putting another up for adoption. The Court of Appeal heard that the original 18‑year headline sentence was reduced to 14 years, with the final two suspended due to the man's age and medical issues. He had already served a four‑year sentence for indecent assault of the woman's siblings.
In a victim impact statement before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, a 28‑year‑old woman who was sexually abused by her teenage cousin 15 years earlier told the court that the burden of the abuse was now the man's responsibility. She recalled that the 30‑year‑old accused, who was convicted earlier this year of two counts of sexual assault when she was 13 and he was 15, had denied the allegations and claimed she was "prone to invention". The accused had later admitted to fondling her breasts and performing oral sex, asserting that the relationship had developed during her visit to Ireland and that she had been the "forward person". The court noted that the accused had not pleaded guilty, which had reduced mitigation. The woman described the lasting impact of the abuse, her treatment for PTSD and depression, and her fear of not being believed by her family. The unnamed 28-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In the Central Criminal Court, Tadhg Butler, 37, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer, who died after a stab wound at a party in Butler's house on 10 January 2014. Butler, a father of five, told Gardaí that he had strong religious beliefs, attending Mass, saying the rosary, and prayer meetings. He denied any involvement in the stabbing, stating it had nothing to do with him. Garda Jennifer Ryan reported that Butler was asked if he was sorry for O'Dwyer's death and how he felt about being arrested; he responded that he was saddened by the death and that "these things happen." He was also asked about his religious convictions, to which he affirmed his adherence to the commandment "Thou shalt not kill." The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Paul Butler with a jury of six men and six women.
A 37‑year‑old man, Tomas Gajowniczek of The Ice Rink Apartments, Dolphin's Barn, Dublin 8, pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Alicja Kalinowska at his home on 16 June 2016. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy has sworn a jury of six women and six men to hear the trial at the Central Criminal Court. The trial, expected to last four days, will begin tomorrow.
In a Waterford murder trial, the accused, 37‑year‑old Tadhg Butler, was found crouched behind a wall near his home shortly after a stabbing. The arresting officer, Detective Sergeant Shay Keevans, testified that he arrived at the Seafield holiday homes that night and found a man on the ground with a chest wound, pale and needing medical attention. After knocking on Butler's locked door, he and colleagues entered the house, finding no one inside but a pool of blood in the hall and an open window. Keevans later saw Butler crouched at the end of the wall and arrested him on suspicion of assault causing harm to Michael O'Dwyer. Butler pleaded not guilty. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Butler and a jury of twelve.
A 46‑year‑old man was accused of oral rape in Galway on the night of 5 November 2015. The complainant, a 20‑year‑old woman, said she was given a lift home after a night out and was taken into the front passenger seat of the van. She claimed that while the van was moving she woke to find the man thrusting his penis into her mouth. She pushed him off, screamed, and fled to a nearby house where she rang the doorbell and told the occupants what had happened. The occupants called the Gardaí. The complainant described herself as distressed, having had several drinks earlier, and denied any consensual contact or prior interaction with the accused. The case is before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury. The accused has pleaded not guilty to the charge of oral rape.
The Central Criminal Court saw the collapse of a trial involving a 40‑year‑old man accused of raping his partner's sister. He had pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape at his Dublin home between September 2009 and July 2013, and to additional charges of oral rape and sexual assault involving contact with the complainant's thigh and vagina between August 2009 and August 2010. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy discharged the jury after a procedural issue arose, and remanded the accused on continuing bail until a new trial date is set.
In 2009 and 2010, a 40‑year‑old man from Meath was convicted by a jury of one count of rape and 12 counts of sexual assault against his fiancée's three daughters, who were in their early to mid‑teens at the time. The convictions were for offences committed in the family home in the east of the country. The judge sentenced him to ten years' imprisonment, noting the severe psychological harm inflicted on the victims, who are now in their early twenties, and praising their resilience. The man's appeal against conviction was dismissed by the Central Criminal Court. The appeal argued that the trial judge should have warned the jury about the dangers of convicting without corroboration for all three complainants; the court found the judge's partial warning adequate and upheld the conviction. No further details about the man's identity or prior convictions were provided. The case remains at the conviction stage.
In the Central Criminal Court, a 37‑year‑old man, Tadhg Butler, is charged with murdering his 25‑year‑old nephew's friend, Michael O'Dwyer, on 10 January 2014. Butler pleaded not guilty. The prosecution presented a statement from Butler's nephew, Tony O'Grady, who claimed Butler had walked up to O'Dwyer and stabbed him with a butcher's knife during a party at Butler's home. O'Grady said he had no memory of the statement or the events, citing medication for mental disorders and drug use. During cross‑examination, O'Grady admitted that Butler had previously wrestled knives from him to prevent self‑harm and that Butler might have struggled to remove a knife from O'Dwyer's hand. The jury heard that O'Dwyer died from a single stab wound to the chest, with the pathologist noting a penetrating injury between the ribs that damaged the heart and left lung. The trial will continue tomorrow before Mr Justice Paul Butler and a 12‑person jury.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a woman accused her sister's partner of rape and testified that she had blocked some of the abuse but retained vivid memories of other incidents. She stated she suffers from PTSD and experiences flashbacks of alleged sexual abuse that occurred when she was aged 13 to 16. She confirmed that she gave details of five separate sex abuse allegations to the jury. The accused man, 40, pleaded not guilty to seven charges of raping the then‑teenager at his Dublin address on dates from September 2009 to July 2013. He also pleaded not guilty to oral rape and sexually assaulting the complainant by rubbing his penis on her thigh and touching her vagina at the same location on a date between August 2009 and August 2010.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing of 37‑year‑old Tadhg Butler, accused of murdering 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer on 10 January 2014, his nephew Tony O'Grady testified that he has no memory of the night of the murder or of any statement he may have given to Gardaí. O'Grady, who lives in The New Houses, Bishop's Birch, said he was a drug addict at the time and had been in and out of mental hospitals, taking heavy medication and being sectioned several times. He claimed he could not remember the past six years, including the night of the stabbing, and that he was "always blanking out" due to his drug and alcohol addiction. The judge excused the jury to return later that afternoon for the remainder of the trial. Tadhg Butler pleaded not guilty.
A 21‑year‑old woman testified in Central Criminal Court that she was raped by a man described as a "father figure" who had been her sister's partner. She said the assault began when she was 13, with the accused's children present in the bedroom. The victim claimed she was forced to perform oral sex on him weeks later. The accused, 40, pleaded not guilty to seven rape charges covering dates from September 2009 to July 2013, when the victim was aged 13 to 16. He also faced not‑guilty pleas for oral rape and sexual assault involving rubbing his penis on the victim's thigh and touching her vagina between August 2009 and August 2010. The prosecution argued the accused claimed consensual sex, while the defense contested the allegations. The trial continues with cross‑examination before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
In a Waterford murder trial, evidence was presented that emergency services discovered a blood‑soaked man outside the accused's house, which was also covered in blood and littered with alcohol cans. The trial concerns a 37‑year‑old man, Tadhg Butler, who is charged with murdering 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer on 10 January 2014. Butler pleaded not guilty. The prosecution, led by Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, argued that O'Dwyer was stabbed in the chest at Butler's address, with his heart and left lung injured, leading to death in hospital a few hours later. Butler had previously been known as Thomas O'Grady but changed his name by deed poll. Garda and paramedic witnesses described the crime scene, noting forced entry, blood on the floor, numerous empty cans, and a recent alcohol purchase. The trial is set to continue before Mr Justice Paul Butler and a jury of twelve.
A new jury of six men and six women was sworn in by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy to hear the trial of a 37‑year‑old Waterford man accused of murdering 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer on 10 January 2014. The accused, Tadhg Butler of Seafield in Tramore, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment before the Central Criminal Court. The jury, the second to be sworn for this case, will hear the trial, which is expected to last two weeks, before Mr Justice Paul Butler later that day.
A 37‑year‑old Waterford man, Tadhg Butler, is on trial for the murder of 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer, who died of a single stab wound to the chest on 10 January 2014. Butler, originally known as Thomas O'Grady, changed his name by deed poll. The prosecution, led by Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, argued that the knife used was held by Butler and that the wound was a single forward thrust, with no defensive injuries on O'Dwyer's hands or arms. Butler pleaded not guilty. Witness Tony Walsh, a caretaker, testified that he saw Butler "scampering" back into his home as Gardaí arrived and that a body lay on the ground. The trial, held before the Central Criminal Court, will continue the following day before Mr Justice Paul Butler and a jury of five women and seven men, and is expected to last two weeks.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a 29‑year‑old Galway man was sentenced to seven and a half years' imprisonment for the weekly rape of his foster sister over a decade. He was also convicted of raping two other foster girls aged six to ten, with the rapes occurring in a hut by the family home and in other locations such as a field and the parents' room. The court heard that the accused asked the first victim to "do that thing for me" and forced her to hold a pornography magazine and clean herself with a dock leaf after an assault. The second victim, aged 11 when she reported the abuse in 2007, had been denied prosecution because the first victim denied it. The third victim, aged eight, was raped in the parents' room after being instructed to wear the mother's underwear.
A 37‑year‑old Waterford man, Tadhg Butler of Seafield in Tramore, is set to go on trial for the murder of 25‑year‑old Michael O'Dwyer on 10 January 2014 in County Waterford. Butler was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court and pleaded not guilty. A jury of five women and seven men will hear the case before Mr Justice Paul Butler, with the trial expected to last two weeks.
Two Meath brothers, both in their late 40s, were convicted of raping their sisters in the 1980s and 1990s. The first brother was found guilty in January of four counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault, with the abuse occurring when the victim was aged 14 to 20. At sentencing on 20 March, Justice Deirdre Murphy imposed a 10‑year term, suspending the last two and a half years, noting the offender's juvenile status at the time of most offences but continued adult offending. The second brother, convicted in a separate trial, faced two counts of indecent assault and one count of rape between 1987 and 1988; his case was scheduled for a hearing on 19 April. Both men remain unnamed to protect victim anonymity. The victim described the abuse as escalating from touching to rape, occurring in various family locations, and expressed that her brother's actions ruined her teenage years. The defendants maintain their innocence.
In March 2018 the Central Criminal Court heard the case of Anthony Cassidy, 34, who raped and severely assaulted a woman in her fifties in Carlow. The victim was found unconscious on the outskirts of town 12 hours after the attack, with her top pulled up to her collarbone and her trousers partially removed. CCTV footage and DNA evidence linked Cassidy to the scene. He pleaded guilty to rape and assault causing serious harm on 25 June 2017. The victim suffered a multifocal brain injury, extensive bruising and was admitted to intensive care for weeks. She is now dependent on family care, experiences ongoing pain, immobility and night terrors. The court noted the offence was of exceptional seriousness and adjourned sentencing to 23 April, with a potential sentence above 12½ years up to life in prison.
Jonathan Keogh, a 32‑year‑old from Gloucester Place, was charged with the murder of Gareth Hutch on 24 May 2016 at Avondale House, Cumberland Street North. His bail application was refused by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy at the Central Criminal Court after gardai objected under Section 2 of the Bail Act 1997, citing the need to prevent a serious offence. Keogh's trial will be held at the Special Criminal Court.
An unnamed 64-year-old man from Tipperary was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court following an appeal. He pleaded guilty to one count of rape, one count of attempted rape, and three counts of sexual assault committed against his niece, who was aged between five and ten, between December 1999 and May 2005. Mr Justice Tony Hunt imposed a headline sentence of 12 years, which was reduced to eight-and-a-half years due to the defendant's early guilty plea and admissions. The final year of the sentence is suspended on the condition that the man remains under Probation Service supervision for two years post-release, resulting in an effective custody period of seven-and-a-half years. The judge noted the defendant's limited cognitive ability and lack of previous convictions. The court heard allegations that the man terrorised the victim, who is now 23, and that the abuse caused severe long-term psychological harm, including depression and suicide attempts. The judge stated he would have imposed a longer sentence but was constrained by Court of Appeal guidelines. The matter was finalised with this sentencing.
A 68‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for serial sexual abuse of his family. He was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury in August of indecent assault and rape of his grandson from 2004 to 2015, when the boy was aged four to fifteen. He also pleaded guilty to indecent assault of three daughters, attempting to rape one and raping another between 1981 and 1987, when the girls were nine to fourteen. The judge described the abuse as a "grim catalogue" across two generations. The sentence, with some consecutive elements, was back‑dated to the time the man entered custody after the trial. The article reports the details of the assaults, the victims' impact statements, and the defendant's lack of prior convictions. No further legal outcomes are mentioned.
A man from Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, has been sentenced to life imprisonment following his conviction for the murder of his infant son. John Tighe, aged 40, was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court of murdering six-and-a-half-month-old Joshua Sussbier Tighe on 1 June 2013 at his home in Lavallyroe. The jury deliberated for seven hours and 32 minutes before returning their verdict. Tighe had pleaded not guilty and maintained the death was accidental. Prosecution evidence, including expert testimony from pathologists and paediatricians, established that the child could not have independently formed or swallowed a wad of tissue found obstructing his airway. The child's mother delivered an impact statement describing the trauma she has endured since her son's death. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed the mandatory life sentence as prescribed by law.
In a Tipperary case, a 14‑year‑old teenager with a mild intellectual disability pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to sexually assaulting his eight‑year‑old half‑brother on 4 December 2015. The accused, who now resides in a state‑run residential boys' home and is due to sit his Junior Cert, had previously lived with several foster families. The mother of the boys reported the incident to Gardaí after noticing suspicious behaviour in the shared bedroom; she described the younger son bent over a bed with the older son standing behind him. A victim impact statement from the now ten‑year‑old victim expressed anger and sleeplessness. The court noted the accused had completed about two‑thirds of an 18‑month treatment programme for aberrant sexual behaviour. Judge Patrick McCarthy ordered a further report upon completion of the treatment course in May and adjourned sentencing to 25 June.
In 2018 the Court of Appeal upheld a 12‑year sentence for a 55‑year‑old man convicted of sexually abusing his step‑daughter. The man had pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape, ten counts of sexual assault, one count of oral rape and two counts of using an object to penetrate the complainant between 2001 and 2005. The victim was aged 11 to 15 at the time. The Central Criminal Court had imposed concurrent sentences ranging from five to 12 years. The appeal was dismissed by Mr Justice Alan Mahon, who found that the trial judge had properly exercised discretion in admitting admissions and evidence. The Court found neither of the two grounds of appeal successful, and the conviction and sentence were confirmed. The case involved allegations of digital penetration, touching, oral rape and attempted intercourse, with evidence from the victim's mother, siblings and grandmother.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court is to resume deliberations on Friday in the trial of John Tighe, aged 40, of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo. Mr Tighe has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his infant son on 1 June 2013. The prosecution alleges that the child choked on tissue deliberately placed in his throat, while the defence maintains the accused discovered the child choking after stepping away briefly. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy instructed the jury that three verdicts are available: guilty of murder, not guilty of murder, or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. The jury must reach a unanimous decision and has already deliberated for four hours and 25 minutes.
At the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy has begun his charge to the jury in the trial of a Ballyhaunis man accused of murdering his infant son. John Tighe, aged 40, of Lavallyroe, County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of six-and-a-half-month-old Joshua Sussbier Tighe at his home on 1 June 2013. The judge instructed the jury that they may return an alternative verdict of manslaughter if they are satisfied the child was unlawfully killed but are not convinced beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Tighe intended to kill or cause serious injury. The prosecution alleges the infant choked on tissue deliberately placed in his throat. Mr Tighe maintains he was changing the child's nappy when the choking occurred. The judge's charge to the jury continues this afternoon.
A 31‑year‑old man from Cork, David O'Loughlin, is set to stand trial on 30 April for the murder of 59‑year‑old Liam Manley, who was killed on 12 May 2013 at Garden City Apartments on North Main Street. The case is being heard by a Central Criminal Court judge and jury.
A 31‑year‑old man, who has 57 prior convictions but no previous sexual offences, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to eight charges of sexual assault against an 11‑year‑old boy in Cork between July 2011 and March 2012. The victim, now 18, was a child at risk who had previously attempted suicide and was in a care home when he confided in a friend. The man had become a friend of the boy's older brother, supplied the boy with alcohol, cigarettes and clothes, and eventually moved into the family home. Abuse involved mutual masturbation and the boy performing oral sex on the man. The boy reported that the man never threatened or used violence. The man was remanded in custody and sentencing is adjourned to 20 April. The victim's impact statement describes his confusion, vulnerability and gratitude for help received.
Rihards Lavickis, aged 25 and resident of Annaly Court in Longford, has been charged with the murder of Akadiusz Czajkowski on 1st November 2016 at Rue Noyal Chatillon, Townspark in Longford. At the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Michael White fixed the trial date for 11th March 2019. The trial will proceed before a judge and jury.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 16 March 2018, Eoghan O'Connell, a 29‑year‑old former cancer survivor from Dargle Heights, Bray, was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for attempting to murder a man in his driveway on 8 April 2016. O'Connell fired a shotgun twice at the victim, a father of three in his late 30s, as the man left his home to go to work. Both shots misfired because the cartridges were damp, and the victim survived. The court noted that O'Connell had 65 prior convictions, including rape and assault, and that the victim had known him since childhood. The judge described the evidence as extremely strong, citing DNA and spent cartridges, and acknowledged the victim's family had moved away and suffered trauma. O'Connell's guilty plea led the judge to impose a 12‑year term, back‑dated to 2 May 2016.
John Tighe, 40, of Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court, where he has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of his six-month-old son, Joshua Sussbier Tighe. The prosecution alleges that on June 1, 2013, Tighe murdered the infant by placing a wad of tissue paper in the child's throat. Tighe maintains he was changing the baby's nappy and left the child to use the toilet, returning to find the infant choking. He stated he did not see the baby put the tissue in its mouth and suggested it must have been pushed further down by his attempts to remove it. During cross-examination, Detective Garda Ken Waldron testified that Tighe and the deceased's mother, Natasha Sussbier, had a second child, a baby girl, in October 2015, though they are no longer together. The jury heard transcripts of Tighe's interviews with gardai, in which he expressed love for his son and denied ever trying to hurt him. He explained that he had a medical condition causing severe pain during urination, which prompted him to leave the baby briefly. He also addressed the presence of blood on the baby's clothes, his pyjamas, and the home, attributing it to his efforts to clear the obstruction. The pathologist removed an egg-shaped tissue wad measuring 5.5cm by 3.5cm by 2.5cm from the infant's throat. The prosecution has completed its evidence, and the trial will continue on Tuesday before Justice Patrick McCarthy.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has heard interview transcripts involving a man accused of murdering his infant son. John Tighe, aged 40, from Lavallyroe in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering six-month-old Joshua Sussbier Tighe at his home on 1 June 2013. The prosecution, represented by Patrick Reynolds BL, presented transcripts of interviews conducted with the accused by gardaí both before and after his arrest. The trial is being heard before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury comprising nine women and three men. Proceedings continued on the afternoon of the hearing.
Michael Taylor, 37, of Summerhill, Dublin, was convicted of murdering Paul Kelly, 26, at Winston Ville apartments on 6 April 2007. He was found guilty by a majority jury at the Central Criminal Court and sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment on 28 November 2011. Taylor's defence argued that the evidence was insufficient, describing it as "mere suspicion" and "short of proof." The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, dismissed the appeal, upholding the conviction. The prosecution's case rested on three circumstantial elements: DNA of Taylor on a glove found 80 m from the scene, phone activity linked to Taylor near the crime, and a family feud that could have provided motive. The court found these elements sufficiently significant to support the jury's verdict, despite acknowledging the case was "finely balanced." No further appeal was granted. Michael Taylor pleaded not guilty.
A 40-year-old man accused of murdering his six-month-old son told gardai "I did all I could" as the child died in his arms. The Central Criminal Court jury heard statements made by John Tighe of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, during interviews at Claremorris Garda Station in 2013 and 2014. Mr Tighe has pleaded not guilty to murdering Joshua Sussbier Tighe on 1 June 2013. According to his account, the infant became unresponsive while being changed and appeared to be choking on a baby wipe or tissue. He called emergency services and attempted resuscitation following their instructions. A retired paediatric consultant told the court that a tissue would not naturally lodge in a young child's throat and would require deliberate force to reach that location. The trial before Justice Patrick McCarthy continues.
A forensic pathologist has testified at the Central Criminal Court that a tear inside a six-month-old child's throat would typically result from punches, blows, or severe struggle. Dr Roger Malcolmson described as "fanciful" the defence suggestion that the infant could have caused his own death by swallowing tissue. John Tighe, aged 40, from Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of six-month-old Joshua Sussbier Tighe on June 1, 2013, at his home. Dr Malcolmson reviewed pathology findings and told prosecution counsel Paul Murray SC that it was not credible a six-month-old could ingest the two pieces of tissue found in the child's throat. He stated the injury was "highly suspicious" of inflicted trauma. Under cross-examination by defence counsel Mícheál P O'Higgins, Dr Malcolmson agreed the injury could have resulted from efforts to remove a blockage. Paediatrician Dr Hilary Stokes earlier testified that choking is the leading accidental cause of death in infants under one year. The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
A paediatrician has testified at the Central Criminal Court that choking represents the most frequent cause of accidental death in infants under one year old. Dr Hilary Stokes was cross-examined in the trial of John Tighe, aged 40, from Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his six-month-old son Joshua Sussbier Tighe on June 1st, 2013. The prosecution alleges tissue was placed in the child's throat. During examination-in-chief, Dr Stokes told the court she did not believe the infant could have formed, chewed or swallowed the tissue later recovered by a pathologist. Defence counsel drew agreement from the witness that accidental choking remained the leading cause of death in babies under twelve months. Justice Patrick McCarthy presided over proceedings, with the trial continuing before a jury of twelve.
A paediatrician has told the Central Criminal Court that a six-month-old infant could not have formed or swallowed the wad of tissue found in his throat. Dr Hilary Stokes testified during the trial of John Tighe, aged 40, of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, who denies murdering his son Joshua Sussbier Tighe on 1 June 2013. The prosecution alleges the tissue caused the child's death. Dr Stokes stated that infants at that developmental stage lack the manual dexterity and chewing ability required to compress tissue into such a wad, and would be unable to swallow an object of that size voluntarily. She further indicated the wad could not have become lodged as described through attempts to remove it. Earlier, a sergeant recalled that the child's mother asked the accused upon arriving at the home: "What have you done?" The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury at the Central Criminal Court. John Tighe pleaded not guilty.
A 55‑year‑old Galway man was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for two counts of rape and anal rape of his daughter between 2000 and 2002, and for sexually assaulting her from 1995 to 2002 when she was aged 11 to 18. The judge, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, said the sentences would run concurrently and that the man would be registered as a sex offender and supervised by the Probation Service for five years after release. The 32‑year‑old victim read a victim impact statement describing the father's abusive behaviour, his alcohol use, and the emotional and physical harm she endured. The defendant pleaded guilty, claimed remorse, and was noted to have a prior minor traffic offence. The judge described the crimes as "despicable" and a gross breach of his paternal role.
Paul Flaherty, aged 30, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting a woman he met on Tinder. The assault occurred on 31 August 2015 at his parents' house in Tallaght, while they were in the next‑door bedroom. The victim had made it clear she was not interested in sexual contact, but Flaherty ignored her refusal. The judge described the behaviour as "disgusting" and noted the assault had a "very serious impact" on the victim's life. Flaherty's defence cited his immaturity, alcohol and gambling problems, but the court rejected any mitigation. The sentence was back‑dated to 7 March 2018, the day Flaherty entered custody. The victim's impact statement detailed lasting physical and mental harm, and she expressed that the event had profoundly altered her life. The judge refused to suspend any portion of the sentence. Paul Flaherty was found guilty.