In the Louth double murder trial, the jury heard forensic evidence that partly evaporated petrol vapour was found on a sample taken during the post‑mortem of one victim. The 34‑year‑old Dublin man, Jason O'Driscoll, pleaded not guilty to the murders of 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond, who were shot in a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park on 7 March 2012. Firefighters arrived before 11 o'clock, and the bodies were discovered inside the vehicle. Dr John O'Shaughnessy testified that he examined fire debris and post‑mortem samples for accelerants. He reported finding partly evaporated petrol vapour on a sample from 'Body A' and also petrol and paraffin oil vapour from a sample taken under the car. The petrol vapour was confirmed to have come from petrol.
At the Central Criminal Court, a murder trial heard that the accused claimed he had been treated unfairly and denied involvement in a fatal stabbing. Keith Brady of Cartron Estate, Sligo has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of Martin Kivlehan, aged 59, at New Apartments on Holborn Street, Sligo on 2–3 August 2015. The State rejected his manslaughter plea, and the case proceeded to trial. Detective Garda Paul Casey gave evidence that during an interview at Ballymote Garda Station in November 2015, Mr Brady stated he had not committed murder and expressed that he felt he had "been very hard done by". Mr Kivlehan died from two stab wounds to the neck. The trial continued before Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of eleven members after one juror was excused.
A brother and sister arrested during a murder investigation were permitted to meet while in garda custody at Sligo Garda Station, the Central Criminal Court heard. The meeting, described as highly unusual, took place in August 2015 and was supervised by gardai. During the encounter, the woman encouraged her brother to tell the truth and remarked she would be sixty years old upon release. Keith Brady, aged thirty, of Cartron Estate in Sligo, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Martin Kivlehan on August 2nd or 3rd, 2015 at New Apartments, Holborn Street, Sligo. The State rejected his manslaughter plea, and he faces trial before Justice Paul McDermott and a jury. A superintendent explained he authorised the meeting after the woman expressed concern for her brother's welfare and indicated she wished to tell the truth. A garda who supervised the meeting confirmed it was unusual but stated he did not believe it would compromise the investigation. The trial continues.
In the Central Criminal Court, a jury heard technical mobile‑phone evidence in the double murder trial of a 34‑year‑old Dublin man charged with killing 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond in Louth on 7 March 2012. The defendant, Jason O'Driscoll, pleaded not guilty. Witnesses described a fire at Ravensdale Forest Park, the discovery of the bodies with gunshot wounds to the heads, and the use of Meteor top‑ups purchased in Newry. The trial continued tomorrow before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women.
The Central Criminal Court trial of 25‑year‑old Andrew Gibney, of Dromheath Avenue, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, heard that he is accused of murdering 28‑year‑old Gerard Burnett, of Castlecurragh Vale, Mulhuddart, on 21 August 2012. The prosecution alleges that Gibney and four other men entered Burnett's home shortly before midnight, with at least two armed with knives, one being Gibney. Burnett was allegedly pulled out of the house, suffered thirty stab wounds to his head, neck and chest, including six to the right side of his chest damaging lungs and liver, and died. Burnett's partner, Denise Farrell, testified that she was in the sitting room when the doorbell rang at 11.45 pm, that she did not recognise the intruders, and that her partner was dragged outside and later died. Andrew Gibney pleaded not guilty.
A teenager who fatally stabbed a 17-year-old in Claremorris on 19 December 2015 will be sentenced as an adult when he returns to the Central Criminal Court in January 2018. The accused, who turns 18 this month, was convicted of manslaughter by jury at the court sitting in Castlebar in July following a not guilty verdict on murder. The victim, Dovydas Jenkas of Mount Street, Claremorris, died from a single stab wound. A consultant neurologist has prepared a report for sentencing, though the expert requires further consultation with colleagues before forming definitive conclusions on the defendant's prognosis and future condition. The defence has highlighted that the accused suffers from an epileptic-type condition involving frequent seizures and episodes of altered awareness. Justice Eileen Creedon noted both prosecution and defence were satisfied to proceed and adjourned sentencing to 16 January, requesting an updated probation report and medical documentation.
In the Central Criminal Court, a 34‑year‑old Dublin man, Jason O'Driscoll, is on trial for the 2012 murders of 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond. The prosecution presented a statement from Crystal Jackson, Redmond's former partner, alleging that she and Redmond had tried to sell a Volkswagen Golf to O'Driscoll. Jackson said they had been at home, texting about the sale, and that O'Driscoll offered €700 for the car, which Redmond and Burnett agreed to. She claimed O'Driscoll declined to come to their house and that they eventually drove the car to him. Jackson was called to testify but refused to take the oath, leading the judge to order her imprisonment for contempt. The trial continues with the jury hearing the evidence and other witnesses. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
In a hearing on 20 November 2017, the court considered a non‑custodial sentence for 36‑year‑old Brazilian meat‑factory worker Juraci Da Silva, who was convicted of manslaughter for the death of James 'Jay' Banville. Da Silva had been assaulted and racially abused by Banville and Conor Hogan before the fatal altercation. The victim's family, represented by his sister Marie Banville, expressed grief and demanded justice, while Da Silva's barrister, Colman Cody SC, argued that Da Silva had pleaded guilty, was a family provider, and had been provoked. Cody highlighted Da Silva's background, his early departure from school to support his family, and his isolation as a foreigner. The judge, Justice Michael White, adjourned sentencing to the following Monday, leaving the outcome pending. The case remains at the sentencing stage. Da Silva was acquitted.
The trial of Andrew Gibney, a 25-year-old man from Dromheath Avenue, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, is scheduled to begin tomorrow before the Central Criminal Court. Mr. Gibney is accused of murdering Gerard Burnett, aged 28, at Castlecurragh Vale, Mulhuddart, on August 21, 2012. When arraigned before the court this morning, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder. A jury comprising five men and seven women was sworn in to hear the proceedings under the direction of Mr. Justice Paul Butler. The trial is expected to last approximately three weeks. As the matter is currently at the trial stage, no findings, sentences, or final disposals have been recorded. The allegations remain contested, and the accused has not been convicted of the alleged offense.
A murder trial at the Central Criminal Court heard that a Sligo man told gardai he was deeply sorry for the death of a 59-year-old and would sacrifice his own life if he could. Keith Brady, aged 30, of Cartron Estate, Sligo, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in relation to the death of Martin Kivlehan at New Apartments, Holborn Street, Sligo on 2–3 August 2015. The prosecution rejected the guilty plea, and the trial is proceeding. During interviews at Sligo Garda Station on 4–5 August 2015, Mr Brady initially gave no comment responses before providing an account of events. He told gardai that he had consumed alcohol, Xanax, and heroin at the deceased's home, and that he stabbed Mr Kivlehan after an incident involving his sister. The accused stated he had no intention of killing anyone and attributed his actions to substance use. The trial continues before Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.
In a double‑murder trial, a witness named Richie Cullinan initially refused to testify, claiming the deceased had told him they were planning to sell a car to the accused, Jason O'Driscoll, on the night the victims were found shot in a Louth forest. Cullinan later admitted that the two deceased, Anthony Burnett and Joseph Redmond, had come to his home that evening to collect a car that Burnett had left in his carpark and were heading north to sell it. He said they left around 9 pm and that he had tried to call them at 11 pm but could not reach them. Cullinan also confirmed he had been arrested on suspicion of the murders and spent seven days in custody. The judge ordered him to take the oath, but he refused, leading to a contempt of court ruling. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, continues with a jury of eight men and four women. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence regarding the arrest of Keith Brady, 30, of Cartron Estate, Sligo, who is on trial for the death of Mr Kivlehan, 59, at New Apartments, Holborn St, Sligo, on August 2/3, 2015. Mr Brady pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; this plea was not accepted, and he is currently standing trial. Sergeant Pat Harney of Sligo Garda Station testified that Mr Brady and his sister, Janice Brady, were at the garda station on August 3, 2015. Mr Brady had previously been arrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act by Detective Garda Conor Jordan, who noted Mr Brady was a heroin addict. Sgt Harney stated the decision was made to arrest Mr Brady on suspicion of Mr Kivlehan's murder. During the arrest, Mr Brady was described as extremely agitated and aggressive, shouting to his sister: "Don't say anything, they are trying to stitch us up." Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC agreed with the prosecution that Mr Brady was not aggressive towards any person, but only towards inanimate objects. The trial continues before Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of seven women and five men.
In a Dublin murder trial, a 34‑year‑old Dubliner, Jason O'Driscoll, pleaded not guilty to the 2012 killings of 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond in Louth. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women. The prosecution presented evidence that firefighters responded to a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park on the night of 7 March 2012, where the bodies of Burnett and Redmond were found with gunshot wounds to the head. Anita Doran, Redmond's sister, testified that she and her brother had been at home with Burnett that evening, that Burnett had called to look for her brother, and that she had sent him into his bedroom. She recalled hearing Burnett mention a possible trap and that the bedroom door was closed after a short time.
A Polish documentary filmmaker, Robert Socha, applied to Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy at the Central Criminal Court for an audio recording of the trial of Marta Herda, a 30‑year‑old former waitress convicted of murdering 31‑year‑old Hungarian man Csaba Orsos. Herda had driven her Volkswagen Passat into a harbour, causing Orsos to drown. She had pleaded not guilty, but a jury found her guilty and she was sentenced to a mandatory life term on 28 July 2016. Herda's appeal was dismissed in March 2013. The judge explained that the courts normally do not release audio recordings or transcripts to the press, citing policy reasons. Socha said his aim was to "get to the bottom of the case" for a documentary, but the request was refused.
At the Central Criminal Court, the Deputy State Pathologist gave evidence in the murder trial of a 30-year-old Sligo man accused of fatally stabbing a musician in his home. Dr Michael Curtis testified that the deceased, Martin Kivlehan, aged 59, had consumed alcohol at potentially fatal levels—approximately eight times the legal drink-driving limit—and bore no defensive injuries. The pathologist identified two stab wounds to the neck, either of which could have proved fatal independently. He stated it was a distinct possibility the victim was incapacitated by intoxication and unable to defend himself. Keith Brady of Cartron Estate has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in connection with Mr Kivlehan's death on August 2nd or 3rd, 2015 at New Apartments, Holborn Street. The plea was rejected and Brady faces trial. Evidence regarding CCTV footage and forensic findings was also presented. The trial continues before Justice Paul McDermott and jury.
A musician found dead in his Sligo home with a knife on his chest and stab wounds to his neck was remembered as a "gentleman who wouldn't hurt a fly" as a murder trial heard evidence at the Central Criminal Court. Martin Kivlehan, aged 59, was discovered at New Apartments on Holborn Street on 3 August 2015. Keith Brady, aged 30, of Cartron Estate, Sligo has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in relation to the death. The prosecution's plea was not accepted and the trial proceeded. Gardaí described the scene as ransacked, with burnt tinfoil indicating heroin use nearby. One sergeant characterised the body's position as appearing "staged". Witnesses described Mr Kivlehan as a regular drinker who was well-liked in the community. The trial, heard before Justice Paul McDermott and a jury, continued before the court.
In November 2017 a 65‑year‑old man was sentenced to 11½ years for raping and sexually assaulting his nine‑year‑old daughter between August 1991 and August 1993. He brought a shotgun into her bedroom, threatened to shoot her mother if she reported the abuse, and raped her on a subsequent occasion before assaulting her four or five more times. The abuse ceased abruptly, and the daughter only disclosed it to a relative in 2006, with no action taken. The offences came to light in December 2012 after a family gathering, leading to a Garda investigation. The man denied all charges, claimed he did not accept the verdict, and intends to appeal. The judge, citing the man's age and health, imposed concurrent sentences, suspended the final 15 months, and back‑dated the term to July when he first entered custody. The unnamed man was convicted.
A 33-year-old woman from Sligo has pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension of a man suspected of involvement in a killing in the town. Janice Brady, of Maryville Hostel in Finisklin, appeared before the Central Criminal Court on November 13th. She admitted to obstructing the apprehension or prosecution of a man between August 2nd and 3rd, 2015, at an address in Sligo, knowing or believing he was responsible for a fatal incident. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy ordered the preparation of a probation report before sentencing and remanded Brady in custody until November 24th.
A 30-year-old man from Sligo has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of a 59-year-old bachelor at the Central Criminal Court. Keith Brady of Cartron Estate is accused of causing Martin Kivlehan's death on August 2nd or 3rd, 2015, at New Apartments on Holborn Street, Sligo. The State rejected his manslaughter plea, and the case proceeded to trial before Justice Paul McDermott. The prosecution outlined that the deceased sustained two stab wounds to the neck, with depths of 7.8 centimetres and 9 centimetres respectively. A pathologist's report indicated death resulted from blood haemorrhage, though not instantaneously. Evidence emerged that Mr Kivlehan had consumed substantial quantities of alcohol. The trial heard testimony regarding the scene where the body was discovered, including photographs documenting the apartment's condition. The jury, comprising five men and seven women, will continue hearing evidence.
A 24‑year‑old Dublin man, Raymond Walsh, admitted to murdering a 41‑year‑old man in Cabra. He was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court, charged with the murder of Kevin Molloy. Walsh pleaded guilty to the offence committed on Glendhu Road, Navan Road, Cabra, between 23 January and 1 February 2015. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy remanded him in custody until 27 November.
Eoghan O'Connell, 28, of Dargle Heights, Bray, pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to attempting to murder Clinton McCormack on 8 April 2016 at Old Court Park, Bray. He was dressed in a navy sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms during the offence. The court remanded him in custody until 29 January and ordered a victim impact report, while his defence requested time for a psychological and governor's report.
The Court of Appeal hearing into Mark Nash's conviction for the 1997 Grangegorman murders in Dublin will conclude in December. Nash, aged 44, was found guilty in 2015 of murdering two women whose bodies were discovered in sheltered accommodation two decades earlier. He received a mandatory life sentence. Nash is also serving a life term for a double killing in Ballintober, County Roscommon, committed five months prior. His appeal challenges the DNA evidence linking him to the Dublin murders and raises concerns about potential contamination during forensic examination. The defence also contends his detention was unlawful and questions the circumstances of his admissions. The prosecution maintains the case against Nash is compelling, citing his confessions alongside forensic evidence and footwear matching. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions argued contamination would require an implausible series of coincidences. Replying submissions are scheduled for December 20th before the three-judge appellate panel.
In a double murder trial, the jury heard technical evidence on a reconstruction of CCTV footage to identify vehicles involved in the 2012 killings of Anthony Burnett (31) and Joseph Redmond (25) in Louth. The defendant, Jason O'Driscoll (34) of Fairview, pleaded not guilty. Firefighters responded to a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park before 11 pm, where the bodies were found with gunshot wounds to the head. The prosecution presented CCTV of vehicles before and after 11 pm, and forensic image analysts Matthew Cass and Andrew Wooller testified about a reconstruction exercise. Cass described testing about a dozen vehicles, using side‑by‑side comparisons due to operational constraints. Wooller noted the reconstruction's limited value after CCTV changes, but identified a large light‑toned car as a Mercedes S‑Class and a dark‑toned hatchback as possibly a Volkswagen Golf. The State's case links the victims to a stolen black Volkswagen Golf, which was later found abandoned in Meigh.
The double murder trial of Dubliner Jason O'Driscoll, 34, continues at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy. O'Driscoll has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of 31-year-old Anthony Burnett and 25-year-old Joseph Redmond in Co Louth on March 7th, 2012. The prosecution alleges the victims, who were car thieves, were shot dead in a layby at Ravensdale Forest Park and their vehicle set on fire. The State's case asserts that O'Driscoll and another man fled the scene in a stolen black Volkswagen Golf, which was later found abandoned in Meigh, Armagh. A vehicle identification expert, Andrew Wooller, testified that he was contacted by Gardaí to analyze CCTV footage from both locations. Wooller, who manages a UK-based imagery analysis firm, identified a light-toned vehicle in Ravensdale as consistent with a Mercedes S Class and a following dark hatchback as potentially a Volkswagen Golf. He further stated that a vehicle entering a carpark in Meigh was immediately apparent as a Mercedes S Class. The jury has reviewed the relevant CCTV footage. The trial is ongoing, with no final verdict or sentence recorded at this procedural stage.
A jury will return to the Central Criminal Court tomorrow to consider its verdict in the trial of former British Army soldier Donal Colgan, aged 66, who has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of 44‑year‑old David Sheridan outside Luigi's chip shop on Dublin's North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan's plea was not accepted and he remains on trial. The jury heard evidence from witnesses present at the chip shop when the fatal stabbing occurred. Justice Tony Hunt instructed the jury to consider whether Colgan was provoked by Sheridan to the point of losing self‑control, which would support a manslaughter verdict, or whether the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that he was not provoked and was in control, which would support a murder verdict.
Gerard Dowling, 40, of Kilkenny, was committed to the Central Mental Hospital after stabbing 60‑year‑old Simon Bourke in a shopping centre. He was charged with attempted murder, assault and knife possession. A jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity on all charges. Justice Paul McDermott said the CMH is the appropriate place for his ongoing treatment and that his committal is necessary for his safety and that of others. Dr Paul O'Connell noted Dowling's poor insight into his illness and difficulty with medication, and that his treatment will take some time.
A teenager convicted of manslaughter in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old in Claremorris, County Mayo, is experiencing an epileptic-type condition characterised by up to ten seizure-like episodes daily, the Central Criminal Court heard during sentencing proceedings in Castlebar. The accused, now aged 17, was found guilty of manslaughter in July following a jury trial, having been acquitted of murder. The victim, Dovydas Jenkas, died from a single stab wound in the early hours of 19 December 2015. At the sentence hearing, the defence outlined that the teenager's medical condition involves transient alterations of consciousness and automatic behaviours, with no memory retention during episodes. The court learned that neurological specialists are pursuing diagnostic assessment and potential surgical intervention. The defence highlighted mitigating factors including the accused's previous good character, low re-offending risk, positive probation report, and educational potential. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon indicated reluctance to proceed with sentencing pending clarification of the teenager's medical status. The hearing was adjourned to 21 November to receive medical evidence from the accused's physician.
Jerry O'Keeffe, a 69-year-old retired soldier from Youghal, Co Cork, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to ten years in prison for sexually abusing his two daughters. He pleaded guilty to three charges of rape, five of indecent assault, and one of sexual assault. These nine sample charges represented a total of 78 offences committed between January 1980 and March 1987. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed a seven-year sentence for the rape offences and a three-year term for the sexual assaults, ordered to run consecutively. The judge noted that the crimes destroyed the victims' childhoods and that O'Keeffe's guilty plea, entered late in proceedings, provided limited mitigation. He also rejected age as a mitigating factor. O'Keeffe was ordered to be added to the sex offenders register and must liaise with probation services for three years post-release. The victims, Amy Barrett and Melissa O'Keeffe, waived their anonymity and expressed satisfaction with the sentence, describing it as a necessary step for closure and protection of other children. The court heard detailed victim impact statements describing the long-term trauma inflicted by the abuse, which occurred at family homes in Youghal. The sisters reported the abuse to gardaí in 2014 after initial reports in 1999 were withdrawn under family pressure.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Donal Colgan, 66, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for stabbing David Sheridan, 44, outside Luigi's chip shop on Dublin's North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan claimed he was provoked after Sheridan struck him with a bag of cans, but the prosecution argued that provocation requires an immediate loss of control and that Colgan had time to cool his anger. They highlighted that Colgan had returned to the shop armed with a large knife, showing he was in control of his mind. The defence presented Colgan's history of assault, humiliation, and personal hardships, arguing he acted in a state of mind that could not be judged by the jury's own standards. The jury, composed of eight women and three men, was instructed to consider whether all elements of provocation were reasonably possible and to decide if Colgan was guilty of manslaughter rather than murder.
A man convicted of two murders in Dublin two decades ago has initiated an appeal against his conviction at the Court of Appeal. The defendant was found guilty in 2015 of the killings, which occurred in 1997 at sheltered accommodation in Grangegorman, and received a mandatory life sentence. He had previously been convicted of two further murders committed in Roscommon in the same year. His legal team contended that the case presented extraordinary difficulties, particularly as another individual had previously confessed to the same Dublin offences before his death. Senior counsel for the appellant raised concerns regarding forensic procedures, including potential contamination of evidence and late disclosure of material to the defence. Questions were also raised regarding the lawfulness of his detention and the circumstances surrounding a search of his premises. The prosecution's case relied principally on the defendant's admissions and forensic findings. The three-judge panel heard arguments over three days at the Court of Appeal.
During a murder trial, former British Army soldier Donal Colgan, aged 66, pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder in the death of 44‑year‑old David Sheridan outside Luigi's chip shop on North Strand Road, Dublin 1, on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan said he had lost complete control after a series of confrontations involving Sheridan, his friend Gary Kinlan, and a young man named Keith Ledden. He described being provoked by a bottle hit to the head and feeling shocked and angry, leading him to stab Sheridan. Colgan claimed he had no intention to kill and that he had returned to the shop to frighten the parties involved. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, will continue to the next phase before Justice Tony Hunt and a jury.
Donal Colgan, a 66‑year‑old former British Army soldier, is giving evidence in his defence at the Central Criminal Court. He has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to the murder of 44‑year‑old David Sheridan, who was killed outside Luigi's chip shop on the North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan's plea was not accepted by the State, so the case proceeds. In his testimony, Colgan described his upbringing in the North Strand area, his school experience, and his decision to join the British Army at 16. He served with the Ulster Rifles, was posted to Gibraltar and Libya, and was injured in a desert exercise. He returned to Ireland in 1969, married in 1972, had four children, and later moved to Clontarf after a relationship breakdown in 1997. He will continue to testify before Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of eight women and three men.
A 66‑year‑old Dublin man, Donal Colgan, was arrested on 19 August 2014 after a fatal stabbing outside Luigi's chip shop on North Strand Road. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder of 44‑year‑old David Sheridan. Colgan claimed he acted in self‑defence after two young men attacked him. Garda Sergeant Chris Cahill testified that Colgan told the police it was self‑defence. Detective Sergeant Mark Waters found Colgan's clothes and a knife at his home, both bearing the victim's blood, and noted that Colgan behaved normally the day after the incident. Teresa Marcela, a Luigi's employee, described a fight between Colgan and the victim, after which Colgan allegedly stabbed Sheridan with a large vegetable knife. Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis confirmed multiple stab wounds, including a 20‑cm abdominal wound, and identified the knife as the likely weapon.
During a murder trial, witness Gary Kinlan testified that he saw his friend David Sheridan being stabbed to bits by Donal Colgan outside Luigi's chip shop on North Strand Road, Dublin 1, on 17/18 August 2014. Kinlan, who was drinking with Sheridan in the Summerhill area, claimed that Colgan emerged from the shop, confronted him, and then returned a few minutes later with a large blade. Kinlan said he ran to a nearby car, saw Colgan holding Sheridan against a window and stabbing him, and tried to stop him, but Colgan walked away as if nothing had happened. Kinlan denied any role in the events leading up to the stabbing, and the prosecution's cross‑examination questioned his account. The trial is proceeding before Justice Tony Hunt and a jury. Donal Colgan pleaded guilty.
In a double murder trial, the jury watched CCTV footage of the night two Dublin men were shot dead in County Louth. The footage, shown to the Central Criminal Court, covered movements of people and vehicles before and after 11 pm, including a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park and a licensed chip shop in County Armagh. Jason O'Driscoll, 34, charged with murdering 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond, pleaded not guilty. The trial moved into legal argument before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and will resume with the jury on Monday.
In the trial of Jason O'Driscoll, a 34‑year‑old Dublin man charged with the murders of Anthony Burnett, 31, and Joseph Redmond, 25, on 7 March 2012, a CSI named Belinda Kennedy gave evidence to the Central Criminal Court. Kennedy, a crime scene investigator with the PSNI in Belfast, examined a silver Mercedes that had been abandoned on the northern side of the border the morning after the killings. She photographed the vehicle, noted damage, tested for firearms residue and DNA, lifted fibre tape, and collected soil samples. Kennedy reported that she had swept the entire car for fingerprints but found none, and that a smell of cleaning fluid suggested the car had been cleaned. She also noted that the car had been driven through Dublin City after being stolen that early morning. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
A 43‑year‑old man of Arabic origin was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for raping and threatening to kill his wife in 2014. The Central Criminal Court convicted him of rape, threats to cut her face, and threats to kill her over the phone. The jury could not reach verdicts on charges of head‑butting and serious damage to her. Judge Isobel Kennedy imposed a 12‑year sentence, suspending the final two years for rape, and gave lesser concurrent sentences for the other counts. The man has now appealed to the Court of Appeal, arguing that the trial judge should have issued a tailored warning to jurors about potential racial bias, citing Islamaphobia as an established reality in Ireland. The appeal is pending judgment.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, the prosecution presented evidence that Donal Colgan, 66, of Killarney Court, Dublin, murdered 45‑year‑old David Sheridan outside Luigi's chip shop on the North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not to murder, and the State rejected his plea. The prosecution alleged that on the evening in question, Sheridan and Gary Kinlan had purchased drinks from an off‑licence and then went to Luigi's. An altercation between Kinlan and Colgan outside the shop led Colgan to leave, return with a knife, and stab Sheridan multiple times. Sheridan was taken to hospital but died the next day. The prosecution said a post‑mortem would confirm death from stab wounds. Gardaí had reviewed CCTV, interviewed witnesses, and arrested Colgan.
Two men convicted of murdering a 23-year-old Polish national in County Roscommon have appealed their convictions at the Court of Appeal. Leszek Sychulec, aged 35, with an address at Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 36, were found guilty by jury in the Central Criminal Court of the killing of Patryk Krupa on 20 June 2014 near Athlone. Both received mandatory life sentences in June 2016. The victim was assaulted, rendered unconscious, and subsequently drowned in the River Shannon. Evidence presented at trial included DNA recovered from Sychulec's belongings and witness testimony. During the appeal hearing, defence counsel for Sychulec challenged the identification procedures used by gardaí, arguing that witnesses were shown a single photograph rather than a range of images. Counsel for Gruchacz raised concerns regarding the admissibility of identification evidence and trial procedure. The prosecution contested these submissions. The three-judge panel reserved judgement. Leszek Sychulec pleaded not guilty. Andrzej Gruchacz pleaded not guilty.
In the double murder trial of Jason O'Driscoll, a 34‑year‑old Dublin man charged with killing 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond on 7 March 2012, the jury was shown footage of the alleged getaway route. The route, from Ravensdale Forest Park to Newry, was captured on the onboard camera of a Garda patrol car in July 2014. The evidence was presented to the Central Criminal Court this morning. The trial had already heard that firefighters responded to a burning car in Ravensdale shortly before 11 p.m. that night, where two bodies with gunshot wounds to the head were found. A silver Mercedes, registered in the south, failed to stop for police in Newry a short time later, was pursued in a high‑speed chase, escaped, and was later abandoned near the border. The State argued that this car was used by O'Driscoll and another man to leave Ravensdale after the killings. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
During a murder trial in Dublin, a jury heard that the deceased, a 34‑year‑old man named Jason O'Driscoll, had tried to sell a stolen 2011 black Golf GTI to a friend for €1,000 just hours before the car was found burned in Ravensdale Forest Park. The friend, who gave evidence to the Central Criminal Court, testified that O'Driscoll had offered the vehicle to him, and that the friend declined to purchase it, stating he did not want anything to do with the car. The friend also confirmed that the car had been stolen from a driveway in Sandymount early on March 7, 2012, the night two Dublin men, Anthony Burnett (31) and Joseph Redmond (25), were shot dead inside it. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, has already heard that the bodies were found with gunshot wounds to the head and that the incident occurred shortly before 11 o'clock that evening. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
In the Central Criminal Court, a jury heard evidence in the double murder trial of Dublin man Jason O'Driscoll, 34, charged with killing fellow Dubliners Anthony Burnett, 31, and Joseph Redmond, 25, on 7 March 2012. The prosecution presented facial composites of the alleged getaway driver, created by facial imaging specialist Lorna Heron after receiving separate descriptions from PSNI officers Stephen Downey and Niamh Mulholland. Heron explained that she input the data into a computer program, generated images, added artwork, and produced two separate composites, which were then morphed into a single composite shown to the jury. The officers described seeing the driver of a silver Mercedes for about five seconds in Newry when they attempted to stop him; the car fled after the officers activated their blue lights. A silver Mercedes was later found abandoned near the border, with a shoe print cast taken by PSNI Crime Scene Investigator Jonathan Poole. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin case, a 50‑year‑old man who had sexually abused four sisters in their home was sentenced to nine years and six months imprisonment with four years of post‑release supervision after an appeal. He had pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to six counts of sexual assault against the girls, who were aged between seven and thirteen at the time of the assaults, which took place between 2002 and 2004. The man, who had a prior rape conviction, was the partner of the girls' mother and lived with them when the assaults occurred. The original sentence of 12 years was reduced because the Court of Appeal found that the judge had double‑counted aggravating factors for the eldest sister's prolonged abuse and the one‑off assaults on the other three sisters. The appeal judge, Mr Justice John Hedigan, ruled that the new cumulative sentence of nine years and six months would not be suspended.
In 2015, David O'Loughlin, aged 30, was convicted of murder after he placed Liam Manley, 59, in a refuse chute at Garden City Apartments, Cork, where Manley died by asphyxiation. O'Loughlin appealed, arguing that the jury should not have visited the chute before delivering the verdict. The Court of Appeal heard that the jury, at its own request, visited the chute during deliberations and even threw a stone down it, an act the defence claimed introduced new evidence. O'Loughlin's counsel, Michael O'Higgins SC, contended that the jury's visit was unlawful and that the death was not a foreseeable consequence of the act. The prosecution's counsel, Seán Gillane SC, maintained that the act was an assault and that the jury had statutory authority to visit the site. The court noted the visit occurred without either party's presence and reserved judgment. David O'Loughlin pleaded not guilty.
William McGlone, aged 34, was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for 21 counts of sexual assault, rape and oral rape of his twin sisters, Wendy and Stacey, between 1995 and 2001. He began abusing them at age 13, when they were eight, and continued until he was 19. McGlone admitted to raping Wendy with a shampoo bottle and a vibrator, and to assaulting Stacey when she was eight. He pleaded guilty to seven counts of assaulting Wendy, three counts of raping her, and one count of assaulting Stacey, but denied other charges. The court noted his history of alcohol and drug abuse, a personality disorder diagnosis, and claims of being abused himself. He was ordered to post‑release supervision for seven years. The sisters testified about the abuse, describing it as frequent and devastating, and expressed shame, guilt and ongoing trauma. The sentence was back‑dated to his first custody in February of the year. William McGlone was found guilty.
In a double murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard details of a high‑speed police chase in Newry that followed the discovery of a burning car containing two bodies. The case concerns Jason O'Driscoll, 34, of Richmond Avenue, Fairview, who is charged with murdering Dubliners Anthony Burnett and Joseph Redmond on 7 March 2012. Firefighters responded to a blaze at Ravensdale Forest Park before 11 o'clock that night, finding two bodies with gunshot wounds to the head. Constable Simon Pringle testified that he was on duty in Newry at the time and observed a silver Mercedes, unregistered, moving toward his patrol car while being pursued by a police vehicle with blue lights. The chase, occurring in a 30 mph zone, was reportedly at 70–80 mph when the Mercedes was lost. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
An 18‑year‑old man was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, after a jury found him guilty of raping a 15‑year‑old girl at a house party in Co. Wexford on 24 July 2014. The defendant, who was 16 at the time of the offence, had pleaded not guilty. He had met the girl, a secondary school student, through a mutual friend and taken her to a party where she was given vodka and became incapacitated. While she was unable to consent, the defendant raped her and later bragged to friends that he had "bagged her". The victim, now 17, described lasting emotional trauma and self‑harm thoughts. The judge noted the defendant's lack of prior convictions, his remorse, and the 18‑month delay between charge and trial, and ordered that he not contact the victim or approach her on social media.
Gerard Dowling, 40, of Kilkenny, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to attempted murder, assault and knife possession against 60‑year‑old Simon Burke at Market Cross Shopping Centre on 13 July 2016. The Central Criminal Court trial opened with Denis Vaughan Buckley SC presenting forensic psychiatric reports that both prosecution and defence psychiatrists agreed Dowling suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and was not taking medication at the time of the alleged assault. Buckley described Dowling's belief that voices in his head directed him to act, and that he could not refrain from striking Burke with a knife. Burke's partner tried to defend him with a handbag; Burke sustained knife injuries to his head but has fully recovered. If the jury finds Dowling insane, he will be committed to the Central Mental Hospital for assessment and treatment. The trial continues before Justice Paul McDermott.
An autistic 33‑year‑old man from Kilkenny, Daniel O'Connell, was found not guilty by reason of insanity after attempting to murder his pregnant sister, Olivia O'Connell, in Dublin. The Central Criminal Court judge, Mr Justice Paul Butler, ordered his commitment to the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) for 14 days under the Insanity Act. The order followed a jury's special verdict and a forensic psychiatric report by Dr Anthony Kearns, who confirmed that O'Connell's autism constituted a mental disorder that negated his capacity to form the necessary intent. The judge noted a bed was available at CMH and, after reviewing the report, made the commitment. O'Connell was taken to CMH by staff, accompanied by his family, and will receive inpatient care for his disorder. The case was heard in 2017, with the trial detailing O'Connell's preparation, motive, and the violent attack on his sister, who survived after a struggle.
Michael Ferris, a 62‑year‑old farmer from Rattoo, Ballyduff, Co Kerry, is charged with the murder of his 74‑year‑old neighbour, Anthony O'Mahony, who was killed on 4 April using a teleporter agri‑machine. The trial will begin on 9 October 2018 at the Central Criminal Court in Tralee, where it is expected to last two weeks.