In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, George Langan, 37, pleaded guilty to assaulting a 21‑year‑old autistic man on 13 August 2020. Langan and another man had grabbed the victim, questioned him about chasing two 12‑year‑old girls, and restrained him on the ground. A woman at the scene kicked the victim and shouted abuse. Gardaí found no evidence that the victim had acted inappropriately; the accusations were unfounded. Langan expressed remorse and his lawyers requested leniency. Judge Martin Nolan, after hearing the evidence, described the incident as "vigilante justice" and noted the victim's vulnerability. He imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended in full, with conditions including the payment of €3,000 to the victim or a charity within one year. No prison term was imposed. The court recorded the victim's injuries as scrapes to knees and neck, with primary emotional and psychological effects.
Tony Dean, aged 70, former director of Nephin Trading Ltd, was found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of three counts of operating an illegal landfill at Kerdiffstown, Naas, between 2003 and 2008. The charges concerned disposing of or recovering waste in breach of the Waste Management Act 1996, using a facility without the proper licence, and handling waste likely to cause environmental pollution. Dean pleaded not guilty to the first two charges and denied the third. The jury deliberated for 58 minutes before returning guilty verdicts on all counts. The case was adjourned to 12 December for sentencing. The trial lasted four weeks, with the Director of Public Prosecutions arguing that a "mountain of waste" had been deposited on a 25‑acre site, breaching two licences issued by the EPA, and that the site functioned as an active landfill producing significant leachate.
A former solicitor from Claremorris, County Mayo, has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for stealing over €200,000 from four client families. David Doyle, aged 68, pleaded guilty to nine charges of theft totalling €218,579 committed between December 2008 and November 2016. Judge Martin Nolan heard that Doyle had misappropriated funds through a method known as "teeming and lading," transferring money between accounts to conceal the offences whilst addressing his personal debts. The court noted that Doyle eventually self-reported the fraud to his senior partner in October 2017 after 38 years of practice. He was subsequently struck off the register by the Law Society. Judge Nolan acknowledged that Doyle had sold his family home to repay clients in full and expressed remorse for breaching the trust of his clients and profession. Doyle cooperated with gardaí following his arrest in December 2020 and has no previous convictions.
Gary Cosgrave, 28, of Crumlin, Dublin, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of ketamine for sale or supply. He had accrued a €300 cannabis debt he could not pay and agreed to receive a delivery of ketamine disguised as Lego parts from the Netherlands. The package, valued at €594,000 and weighing just under ten kilograms, was seized during a joint customs‑excise and Garda operation. Cosgrave had no prior convictions and initially denied knowledge of the drugs, but Garda Donal Donoghue reported that he was contacted and arrived home as officers searched the premises. His defence counsel highlighted his supportive family background and argued that he was a "good man who did a bad thing," seeking a reduced sentence. Judge Martin Nolan noted the seriousness of the offence and the high value of the drugs, concluding that a lower sentence was not possible, and imposed the five‑year term.
Bernard Nugent, 56, of Castletymon Court, Tallaght, pleaded guilty on 19 April 2008 to possession of drugs for sale or supply after transporting €200,000 worth of heroin 14 years earlier. The case was delayed due to fitness to plead issues. Garda surveillance tracked a car from Munster to Dublin, which stopped at the Red Cow Hotel car park. Nugent's van arrived, and a brown bag containing 1 kg of diamorphine was transferred between vehicles. Nugent was arrested, interviewed five times, and claimed he was instructed to move the bag to reduce a drug debt. He has 23 prior convictions, mainly traffic offences, and a drug possession conviction from 2001. One co‑accused died before the trial; the other two received suspended seven‑year sentences in 2009. The court heard that Nugent acted under instruction and feared for his life. He was a heroin addict at the time but is now drug‑free.
Michael Connors, 27, of Lambda Apartments, Monkstown Farm, Dublin, was found guilty of assaulting his wife, criminal damage, and animal cruelty. On 9 April 2020, after drinking, he brought home a 12‑week‑old puppy, forced it into a cold bath, and then threw it on the floor in front of his three small children and wife, causing the dog's death by head trauma. He later punched his wife, demanded money, and locked her and the children in the house before going to a shop. He also assaulted his wife at a relative's home, smashing her phone and throwing a scooter. Connors pleaded guilty to two counts of assault, one of criminal damage and one of animal cruelty. The judge sentenced him to 18 months for each assault and animal cruelty, 18 months for criminal damage, with the latter suspended for four years under strict conditions, and required probation supervision for two years.
Patrick O'Donnell, aged 20, was charged after he accidentally reversed into a woman's car in a Dundrum Town Centre car park. He offered to pay €1,000 for the damage, but the woman refused and tried to stop him from driving away. CCTV showed O'Donnell driving forward slowly, striking her several times before finally hitting her again, causing injuries. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and dangerous driving. Judge Melanie Greally, after viewing the footage, noted the woman's attempts to prevent the incident and her pre‑existing depression and anxiety. O'Donnell's early guilty plea, remorse, lack of prior convictions and his age were mitigating factors. He received a two‑year prison sentence suspended in full for assault and a four‑month sentence suspended in full for dangerous driving, plus a four‑year driving ban. The woman was treated for severe bruising and headaches and has initiated a civil claim.
Paul Keenan, 43, of Lucan, was sentenced to eleven years in prison after Gardaí seized €220,000, drugs, weapons, luxury goods and about ten mobile phones, including encrypted BQ Aquaris models, during searches of his home and a van. He pleaded guilty to possessing the money on 13 March 2019 and 31 March 2021 and to possessing drugs on those dates. The court heard that the van, stopped at a speed check, contained cocaine, cash, and a white bag of €155,000, while Keenan's house held heart‑shaped tablets, pepper spray, a stun gun, ammunition, and designer items. Keenan admitted he was holding money for third parties and denied ever touching a gun. Judge Martin Nolan described him as intelligent and skilled but imposed consecutive five‑ and six‑year sentences for his high level of involvement in money‑laundering and drug offences. The seized money will be frozen for seven years before forfeiture.
A 58‑year‑old married father of seven, Denis Aylmer, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexually assaulting a 21‑year‑old university student outside a nightclub on 28 April 2018. Witnesses saw Aylmer pull the victim's penis up and down while his head was close to the student's penis, and the victim was later found unconscious and unresponsive. Aylmer, who had been drinking and had taken a line of cocaine that night, claimed the victim had consented to oral sex before the assault. He had no prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, with 16 months suspended, and imposed strict conditions including probation supervision, sex‑offender interventions, and engagement with addiction services. The sentence reflected Aylmer's guilty plea, lack of previous convictions, remorse, and the impact on the victim, who was not present at sentencing.
Odinas Dziugas, 22, was sentenced to one year in jail at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for 11 counts of fuel theft from petrol stations on the M1 motorway between 6 and 21 August last year. He drove a grey Toyota Corolla, changing its registration number on several occasions, to fill up at Circle K in Dunshaughlin, Applegreen in Balbriggan and Applegreen in Castlebellingham, Co Louth, and also removed containers from his boot. The total value of the stolen diesel was €1,636. Dziugas pleaded guilty and had six prior minor theft convictions. Judge Martin Nolan, citing the defendant's desire for a "free journey", backdated the sentence to 9 May, when Dziugas entered custody. His defence lawyer noted an apology letter and family support, hoping the jail term will change his behaviour.
Daniel Walsh, a 30-year-old college student from Rush, Co Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for drug offences. He pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply of cannabis herb and ketamine on the Skerries Road on January 9, 2021. He also admitted to having MDMA and cannabis for sale or supply at his home on the same date, as well as the unlawful possession of proceeds of crime. Gardaí stopped Walsh's van after observing it cross a white line, discovering nearly 2kg of cannabis, ketamine, and €6,900 in cash. A subsequent search of his home recovered additional drugs, including MDMA, with a total estimated street value of €42,924. Walsh told officers he was instructed to test the cannabis quality before handing over cash and stated he was selling drugs to support his own use. Defence counsel highlighted that Walsh is a third-year student who has removed himself from criminal associates following a psychotic episode linked to heavy drug use. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged it was unlikely Walsh would reoffend but noted the serious quantity of drugs warranted a prison term. The court imposed a four-year sentence, suspending the final two years on the condition that Walsh keep the peace for the four-year period.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 9 November 2022, Karen Sutherland, aged 59, pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment for sending over 2,000 menacing phone messages to her former computer teacher and another victim between 1 December 2011 and 31 July 2012. The messages included threats, false accusations of rape, and hateful language, some allegedly from a former pupil. Sutherland also sent abusive messages to her own phone to appear as a victim. The court noted her lack of explanation to Gardaí and her ill health, including osteoporosis and use of a walking frame. Judge Martin Nolan described her actions as having a "malign purpose" and causing traumatic effects. She was sentenced to a three‑and‑a‑half‑year term fully suspended, with a permanent prohibition on any intentional contact with the victims. No prior convictions were recorded.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 9 November 2022, Peter Lynch, 51, pleaded guilty to four offences arising from a neighbourhood row on 28 October 2020. He was found guilty of assault, assault causing harm, producing a pen in the course of a dispute and using threatening and abusive behaviour. Lynch drove away from the scene with a neighbour clinging to his van's bonnet, an act captured on CCTV and phone footage. The judge, Elma Sheahan, imposed a 12‑month sentence for the pen offence and a 22‑month sentence for the assault causing harm, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. Both sentences run concurrently. Lynch was ordered to pay €1,500 to each victim or to the Simon Community if declined, and to be supervised by the Probation Service for 12 months. The case was adjourned for finalisation on 8 November 2023.
Kuong Lo Leong, 53, a taxi driver from Dublin, was jailed for six years after pleading guilty to possession of €500,842 worth of cannabis. The drugs were delivered in four separate packages to four different vehicles. Garda Stephen Gillespie said Lo Leong was caught after a surveillance operation set up following a tip‑off. The first haul was €117,762, the second €134,874, the third €231,634 and the final package was just over a kilogram worth €16,572. Lo Leong admitted he had been instructed by "Chinese people" to deliver the drugs and that he was motivated by debt, including a loan‑shark debt, and a promise of €200 per delivery. He had no prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan accepted the guilty plea, the defendant's cooperation and lack of criminal record, and imposed the six‑year sentence.
Jason Paget, 35, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four and a half years in prison for offences committed in 2021. Judge Orla Crowe imposed a three-year sentence for the burglary of the Marble Arch Pub in Drimnagh and using a car without consent on August 12, 2021. Paget pleaded guilty to these charges. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, taking possession of a vehicle without consent, and dangerous driving on December 18, 2021, at Longs Place, Dublin 8. For these counts, the judge imposed two-year sentences on the assault and vehicle taking counts to run concurrently with each other and consecutively to the burglary sentence. The final six months of the two-year sentence were suspended on strict conditions. A mandatory two-year driving disqualification was also imposed. The court noted Paget was on bail for the pub incident when he committed the December offences, which included a high-speed chase and an assault on Garda Dara Higgins, resulting in a fractured hand. Separately, Charles Darcy, 34, pleaded guilty to the same burglary count and possession of a firearm at Longs Place. Darcy's sentencing is adjourned to next month. Conor McGregor is identified as the owner of the pub.
Zachary McLoughlin, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of assault at the Cookstown Luas stop on June 26, 2021. Judge Elma Sheahan adjourned the sentencing hearing to May 10, 2023, when the case will be finalised. The court heard that McLoughlin assaulted a Luas ticket inspector, causing facial injuries requiring nine stitches and leaving scarring. The victim lost €1,800 in wages. Judge Sheahan noted the facts were troubling and suggested McLoughlin take out a loan to provide a more appropriate financial token of remorse. She ordered McLoughlin to pay €3,200 immediately and the remaining balance of €6,800 within six months, totaling €10,000. The judge also ordered McLoughlin to participate in a restorative justice programme and complete a probation report. Defence counsel highlighted McLoughlin's remorse, lack of prior convictions, and that he brought €3,200 to court. The judge acknowledged mitigating factors including his age and early guilty plea. The matter was adjourned and is not yet concluded.
A 50‑year‑old man was convicted of sexually assaulting a six‑year‑old girl who was a friend of his daughter. He was sentenced to four years' imprisonment by Judge Elma Sheahan, who described the offence as a significant breach of trust. The man appealed, arguing that the girl, who was 11 at the time of trial, had no memory of the abuse. He claimed that during cross‑examination the girl said she had only flashbacks and could not recall the incident. The Court of Appeal noted that the girl's interview with Gardaí was used to refresh her memory and that she could recall details of the day, such as the man being drunk and an iPad on the sofa. The State's counsel said there was no unfairness in the trial and that the evidence was reliable enough for a jury. The court reserved judgment on the appeal. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
Dean Lawlor, 34, of Balbriggan, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting a neighbour on 25 May 2020 after a drink together. He also admitted assault causing harm to another neighbour who tried to help. Lawlor had 22 prior convictions, including threatening and abusive behaviour. The victim woke up bruised, with no memory of the assault, and was taken to A&E. CCTV footage showed Lawlor beating the woman, hitting her face, attempting to smash her head off a counter, and pushing her against a wall. A neighbour and the victim's children witnessed the attack. Lawlor was arrested the next day, initially claiming self‑defence. Judge Martin Nolan accepted the guilty plea and sentenced Lawlor to 40 months' imprisonment, back‑dated to his initial custody.
Anthony O'Hanlon, 27, of Walkinstown, pleaded guilty on 2 March 2020 to assault, making threats to kill and theft. He was sentenced by Judge Orla Crowe at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 14 months' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended on strict conditions. The offence occurred in a car when an argument over alleged infidelity escalated. O'Hanlon punched, choked, threatened to kill, attempted to bite and stole the victim's phone and bank card, which were later returned. The victim suffered soft‑tissue injuries to her neck and cheekbone. O'Hanlon had seven prior convictions, including assault and criminal damage. The court noted his guilty plea, steps taken to address substance abuse and a moderate risk of re‑offending. No apology was made directly to the victim, though a letter to the court was sent. The sentence runs concurrently for all three counts.
Three men – David Ostrowski (21), Daniel Stepien (26) and Dawid Michalik (37) – were found guilty of blackmailing a secondary‑school girl who had set up an OnlyFans account. Stepien threatened to release explicit photographs to her family and friends unless she paid €10,000. He sent her screenshots of her father's Facebook page and images of her home. Gardaí set up a sting operation; the victim was advised to leave the cash in a car in Clonsilla. Michalik later retrieved the envelope, while Ostrowski supplied the information that enabled the scheme. All three pleaded guilty. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Stepien to 3½ years' imprisonment, Michalik to 2 years, and adjourned Ostrowski to a future hearing to decide on community service or a 21‑month term. The case involved possession of cannabis and other minor offences. The victim was a final‑year secondary‑school student who had blocked the account after receiving threats.
Two men have been sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for their roles in a violent robbery at a hotel in Swords in November 2019. Ioan Galben, aged 40, and Samuel Pop, aged 28, both pleaded guilty to robbery and false imprisonment. The court heard that over €6,000 was taken from a sex worker, along with personal items including phones and jewellery. A third man, now deceased, entered the room during the incident and threatened the victim with a blade. Gardaí identified the suspects through CCTV footage relating to a similar incident in Roscommon in October 2019. Judge Martin Nolan noted a pattern of similar crimes and described the victim as left terrified by the incident. He imposed a sentence of five and a half years on Galben and three years on Pop, finding both men equally culpable despite their different roles.
In a case heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Stuart Martin, aged 50, was found guilty of stealing 11 mobile phones from Three Ireland, valued at €5,399, and attempting to steal an additional 68 phones worth €31,457. Martin had the phones sent to his home and failed to pay for them. He pleaded guilty to three counts of phone theft and one count of attempted theft between March and May 2020. With 30 prior convictions, including theft, robbery and property damage, the judge noted Martin's cooperation with Gardaí and expressed remorse. He was sentenced to a three‑year prison term, fully suspended under strict conditions, and ordered to pay €4,350 in cash to compensate the company. The court heard that Gardaí had recovered two phones from Martin's home, leaving a total loss of €4,359 to Three Ireland.
A man from Castleblayney Road, Crossmaglen, Armagh has been sentenced to three years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a brutal assault on his musician neighbour in November 2012. Eugene Hanratty Snr, aged 63, was convicted by jury following trial of assault causing harm at Castleblayney, County Monaghan. The court heard the victim was punched, kicked and had his arm stamped on during a sustained attack that left him with multiple broken facial bones, damaged eye sockets and permanent loss of peripheral vision. Judge Melanie Greally noted the assault was premeditated and unprovoked, with aggravating factors including its severity and the targeting of the victim's arm, knowing him to be a musician. The final year of the sentence was suspended for ten years on condition of no contact with the victim or his family. This conviction followed two previous trials, the first resulting in a disagreement and the second being discharged. Hanratty has previous convictions from 1989 and 1997 but no garda attention since the 2012 assault. Eugene Hanratty Snr pleaded not guilty.
Mark Byrne, 50, a former drug dealer, had been jailed for seven years in 2014 after stabbing his ex‑partner's new boyfriend with a kitchen knife, causing a life‑threatening kidney injury. After his release, he sent 12 threatening voice messages to the woman on the evening of 12 February 2021, claiming he would return to prison for the "right reasons" and that he was "stupid enough to make a point". The messages were recorded and used as evidence. Byrne pleaded guilty to harassment and to possession of cannabis for sale. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term for each offence, to run concurrently, and ordered Byrne no future contact with the victim. The sentences were back‑dated to the date Byrne entered custody in February 2021. No further details of the case are provided in the article.
On the opening day of his trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Dr Ronan Keogan, aged 50, pleaded guilty to two counts: knowingly distributing child pornography on March 26 2017 and possessing three child pornography images on May 15 2017. Defence counsel indicated no jury would be required. The judge set a sentence date for January 20 next year and remanded Keogan on continuing bail. A prior no‑publicity order from Dublin District Court was lifted when the case moved to the Circuit Court.
James O'Driscoll, aged 51, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for a savage attack on a stranger on O'Connell Street in Dublin in March 2020. O'Driscoll claimed he had mistaken the victim for a man who had entered his niece's bedroom. The victim, who had spent the night at a "crack house" in the inner city, suffered a large stab wound to the leg and head injuries. The assault was captured on CCTV, showing O'Driscoll repeatedly kicking the man in the head as he cowered in a hotel doorway. O'Driscoll pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. He has 100 previous convictions, including assault, threats to kill, robbery and theft. Judge Martin Nolan described the attack as "a savage attack" and noted O'Driscoll's criminal record before handing down the sentence. The victim was taken to hospital and treated for his injuries. O'Driscoll was arrested after gardaí recognised him from the footage.
Eoin Hannan, 49, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for harassing Ciara Hassett, whom he mistakenly believed to be another woman. Hannan had a history of 44 convictions, including assault and criminal damage, and had been warned by Gardaí in 2017 and 2019 that Hassett did not welcome his behaviour. Despite these warnings, he continued to contact her, sending flowers, wine, chocolates, a watch, a bracelet, a teddy bear, a lollipop, and a letter containing a threatening phrase. He also attempted to contact her workplace and her father, who refused to provide her number. During the trial, Hannan denied the charge, but the court found he had never met Hassett and that his mental health issues, including bipolar disorder, were at the root of his offending. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
Darragh Dodrill, 27, a former British Army officer, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for possession of drugs for sale or supply. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 25 February 2021 after Gardaí found nearly €250,000 worth of cocaine in a van at Kilwarden Court. Dodrill admitted to selling small quantities of cocaine and transporting larger amounts to other dealers, and that he had been using the drug himself. He had been in debt, first €8,000 and later €50,000, and said he began dealing to pay it off. He also has a gambling addiction that increased his debt. The judge noted his addiction history, family support and fear of reprisals, and suspended the final two years of a seven‑and‑a‑half year term on the condition that he engage with addiction services.
In a north‑south Dublin feud, Jonathon Smith, 41, was jailed for one year after a violent clash between a mob from Sheriff Street and men from the Pearse House complex in November 2020. Smith, part of a gang of about 11 armed men, crossed the Liffey and engaged in fighting that left three people hospitalised. He was stabbed in the back twice, sustaining a punctured lung, a fractured shoulder blade and a broken rib. Smith pleaded guilty to one count of violent disorder at Creighton Street. The judge noted his prior convictions for firearms and drugs and that he knowingly joined a violent mob. Smith was sentenced to one year in prison, with no mention of a suspended portion or effective custody beyond the imposed term. The case remains part of a broader court proceeding involving other participants.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, former soldier Graham Hayes, aged 33, was given a fully suspended 32‑month prison sentence for possession of heroin and cocaine for sale or supply. Hayes was caught when Gardaí stopped him beside a silver car whose boot he had just opened, revealing €10,683 worth of drugs and a stun gun. He fled but was chased and apprehended. The judge noted that Hayes' role was limited to holding the drugs and that this was his first offence of this type. He had previously been discharged from the army after a positive random drug test and had built a drug debt of €20,000. The sentence was suspended on the condition that he keep the peace for the period and engage with drug intervention services. The court heard he had four prior convictions for road traffic offences. The case was prosecuted by Sinead McMullan BL and defended by Sarah‑Jane O'Callaghan BL. Graham Hayes pleaded guilty.
Ana Gomes De Limeira, a 30‑year‑old Brazilian woman with no fixed abode, was sentenced to three years in prison after customs officials found over €139,000 worth of cocaine in her suitcase at Dublin Airport. The court heard that a jacket and a small pillow contained blue packages of white powder, which were identified as cocaine and weighed just over 2 kg. De Limeira admitted that the drugs were given to her by a friend in São Paulo, who also paid for her flights and accommodation. She had known the friend for only a few months and had no links to Ireland. The judge, noting her limited English and the fact that she was at the lowest level of the criminal enterprise, imposed a three‑year sentence backdated to the date of her plea on March 28, 2022. The sentence was given under an enhanced prisoner regime at the Dochas centre. Ana Gomes De Limeira pleaded guilty.
A 23‑year‑old former civilian call‑taker for An Garda Siochana, Lauryn McCann, was jailed for two and a half years after pleading guilty to corruptly agreeing to accept an inducement to access Garda intelligence and to obtaining and disclosing Garda intelligence files to a third party. McCann, who had no prior convictions, used her access to the Pulse system to take about 70 photos of sensitive information over a week in May 2020 and sent them via WhatsApp and Snapchat to an individual known to Gardaí, referred to as "R". She claimed she was offered €500 for information about R's brother and later €3,000, which she never received. Gardaí discovered the photos and messages, searched McCann's workstation and other locations, and found over 400 photos on her phone. McCann was suspended and resigned; she cooperated fully with investigators and pleaded guilty, and the court noted her psychological vulnerability and remorse.
A blind homeless woman, aged 39 and known as Rosemarie Fearsaor or Maria Rosita Apacha Marchega, pleaded guilty last year to five counts of stealing about €40,000 in welfare benefits between 2011 and 2015. She later claimed a wish to change her plea to not guilty, but the DPP was not notified. In court she represented herself, refusing a solicitor or barrister. Judge Martin Nolan, after noting the case had been adjourned 14 times and the accused's uncooperative behaviour, imposed a fully suspended three‑year sentence on strict conditions, including a bond to keep the peace. The judge warned that refusal to accept the bond would lead to custody. The woman interrupted the judge during sentencing, initially refusing the bond but later agreeing to abide by it. The State alleged she also claimed over £50,000 in UK benefits under false identities, and that she had used multiple names and false documents.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Donal Hayes, a 64‑year‑old former business manager of an insolvent investment company, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for theft and inducing investors to invest under false premises. Hayes claimed he was unaware the company operated as a pyramid scheme, yet he persuaded investors to give him money for a "rescue fund" that would secure their initial investment. Instead, he transferred the money to his own company account and invested it in apartments in Bulgaria and a hotel in Brazil, taking €550,000 for these purchases. When the company liquidator discovered the misuse, Hayes sold the properties and returned most of the money, leaving the company a loss of €65,000. Investors suffered a combined loss of €101,000. Hayes pleaded guilty to three counts of theft and one count of inducing investment under false premises between 2008 and 2011.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Declan McGowan, aged 33, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for a series of offences committed on 18 September 2021. He was found guilty of attempted coercion, impersonating a Garda, assault and assault causing harm after he approached a woman, Andra Calauz, on Kimmage Road Lower, claiming to be a Garda and urging her to get into his car. He also threatened her husband, Daniel Ion, and physically assaulted him. McGowan had previously pleaded not guilty but later accepted the jury's verdicts. The judge cited his 31 prior convictions, including impersonation and assault, as aggravating factors, while mitigating factors included personal circumstances. The sentence was back‑dated to the day he entered custody. The court heard victim impact statements from both Calauz and Ion, detailing fear, injury and disruption to their family life. The case was concluded with McGowan's acceptance of the verdict and the judge's remarks on his repeated impersonation of Gardaí.
Carl Finnegan, 34, of Rathvilly Park, Finglas, was charged with endangerment, production of a knife and driving without insurance after he deliberately crashed his mother's car into a vehicle carrying a man and his son in Fitzwilliam Square North on 4 April 2020. Finnegan claimed he was looking for a person who had insulted his daughter about her disability and mistakenly believed the occupants were that person. He admitted to holding a knife, described as a large butcher knife or machete, and to driving at high speed before ramming the other car. No injuries were reported. The court noted Finnegan's 13 prior convictions, mainly for road offences, and the premeditated nature of the act. Judge Melanie Greally accepted his guilty plea, remorse and anger‑management steps, and imposed a 20‑month sentence, fully suspended, warning that a future weapons or violence charge would be treated more harshly. The incident was described as a case of mistaken identity by the prosecution.
Jason Paget (35) and Charles Darcy (34) pleaded guilty to charges arising from a high-speed car chase in Dublin 8. Paget admitted to taking possession of a vehicle without consent, assaulting Garda Dara Higgins causing him harm, and dangerous driving. Darcy admitted to possession of a firearm found in the car after it crashed at Longs Place. The court heard that Paget, who has previous convictions including aggravated sexual assault, resisted arrest, resulting in Garda Higgins suffering a fractured hand. Judge Orla Crowe refused Darcy's application for naming restrictions. The matter was adjourned for sentencing next week, and Paget was remanded in custody. Darcy is due for sentence next month.
A Dublin man, Ashley Medina, 33, was given a suspended two‑year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for stealing over €10,000 from his stepfather to fund a cocaine habit. Medina pleaded guilty to 54 theft charges covering the period from December 2020 to February 2021. He withdrew about €250 at a time from various ATMs using his stepfather's bank card while in the throes of addiction. The stepfather has since died, but Medina had made amends before his death and expressed remorse. The judge, Martin Nolan, described the offence as a "huge betrayal of trust" and noted the stepfather's character. Medina's sentence was suspended on the condition of good behaviour for two years and payment of €5,000 to his step‑sister as compensation. The case was brought to light when the step‑sister attempted to pay a hospital bill and discovered the account was empty. CCTV footage and bank statements confirmed the withdrawals.
Alan Brody, 52, of Clondalkin, was arrested in June 2020 after Garda Brendan Murphy spotted him cycling with a bag of cocaine. The police found 249 g of cocaine in his jacket, worth €17,430, and later discovered an additional €1,907 of cocaine in his home, along with scales and a press. Brody pleaded guilty to possession and claimed he was paid to deliver the drugs, citing a debt of about €20,000. He has four prior convictions, the latest in 1995 for robbery. The court noted his addiction, a 2013 assault that left him with facial scars and anxiety, and his clean record for the last six months. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, suspended in full, on the condition of good behaviour for three years.
Father‑of‑two Richard Kearney, 40, of Fitzgibbon Court, Dublin 1, was sentenced to two years in jail after pleading guilty to possessing €188,285 that was found in a safe in his children's bedroom. The money, discovered on 11 May 2021, was held for unknown third parties and Kearney claimed he was not benefiting from it. The court noted Kearney's clean record, long employment as a locksmith, and strong community references. He had been the sole carer for a child with special needs. Garda Mark O'Neill described Kearney as a "pure lackey" at the lowest rung of the laundering operation. Judge Martin Nolan accepted the mitigating factors, set a headline sentence of six years, and reduced it to two years, back‑dating the term to 23 May when Kearney entered custody.
Karl Brown, 45, of Belgard Heights, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to stealing more than €6,000 worth of DJ equipment from a van parked outside DjBox in Coolock Industrial Estate on 22 February 2018. CCTV showed him opening the van's rear doors before 6 a.m., using a trolley to unload cases, and carrying the items out of sight. The stolen items included 24 sets of lights (€3,600), 15 laptop stands, and two amplifiers, with a total value of €6,675. Brown was arrested months later and admitted the theft. All equipment was recovered except the two amps worth €1,700. He has 22 prior convictions. In court, his counsel noted his long heroin addiction and recent progress in recovery, as well as his caregiving responsibilities for his mother and father. Brown brought €500 in compensation. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two years, suspended in full.
James Walsh, 38, of Burnell Park Green, was found "out of it" on drugs and alcohol when he attacked taxi driver Ian Sweeney on September 29, 2018. Walsh used a silver bicycle chain, part of his Macbeth costume, to repeatedly strike Sweeney's car and then attempted to strike the driver. Sweeney, who was in his taxi, tried to move the vehicle and flagged gardaí. Walsh, who had been drinking heavily and taken Xanax, began to hallucinate and tried to strangle himself when arrested. He was taken to hospital where a CT scan showed brain abnormalities. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Walsh pleaded guilty to criminal damage. Judge Martin Nolan suspended a 20‑month prison term, ordering Walsh to pay €4,000 to the victim within six months, or to a local charity if the victim declined. The case was heard by Sinéad McMullan BL and defended by Karl Moran BL.
Zara McCabe, 34, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after attacking a homeless man she mistakenly believed had raped a woman she knew. The incident occurred on Fleet Street, Dublin 2, on 4 November 2020. McCabe, a mother of five with 21 prior convictions and a history of alcohol and mental health problems, was highly intoxicated that night. She attacked the victim for 30 minutes, later searching his pockets for a phone to photograph him. The victim was taken to hospital but discharged the next day and died by suicide a week later. No medical report was available. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced McCabe to 150 hours of community service instead of a two‑year prison term, noting the seriousness of her actions and the victim's unfortunate life. The court highlighted McCabe's remorse and her recent employment, while acknowledging her ongoing family and health challenges.
Brian Kelly, aged 60 and a survivor of the Stardust fire, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to transporting €159,922 worth of cannabis in his van on 12 March 2020. He claimed he was acting to help his nephew, who owed €30,000 in drug debt, and believed the nephew was in personal danger. Gardaí had surveillance of Kelly's van at Vernon Loughran's house, where they seized a large brown box containing eight vacuum‑packed packages and two mobile phones, one a burner phone. Loughran, aged 59, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and cocaine worth €840,000 after a search of his home. He was sentenced to six years in prison, with the final twelve months suspended. Both defendants had no prior convictions and showed remorse, factors considered by Judge Melanie Greally in determining their sentences. The court noted Kelly's family circumstances, his role in animal welfare, and his recovery from drug addiction.
Eugene Hanratty Senior, aged 63, of Castleblayney Road, Crossmaglen, Armagh, was convicted by jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following trial of assault causing harm committed at Castleblayney, County Monaghan on 24 November 2012. The victim, a musician, delivered a detailed impact statement describing severe and ongoing injuries sustained during the assault, including multiple facial fractures, permanent vision loss, and facial nerve damage requiring surgical intervention. He outlined how these injuries have fundamentally impaired his ability to read musical notation and continue causing chronic pain and sensory complications. The victim's wife, who witnessed the incident, has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Detective Garda evidence described a sustained attack occurring both within and outside a vehicle. Hanratty had claimed self-defence, which the jury rejected. Sentencing was adjourned to 8 November pending further garda cross-examination and mitigation submissions from the defence. The case reached verdict following two previous trials, the first resulting in disagreement and the second being discharged.
A man who allowed his vehicle to be used to transport nearly €60,000 worth of cannabis has been sentenced to 20 months imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. David Murray, aged 33, of Ballyshannon Road, Kilmore, Dublin 5, pleaded guilty to knowingly permitting the sale or supply of cannabis in his van at the Malahide Road Roundabout in Swords on 29 October 2020. During a surveillance operation, Murray parked his vehicle at a carpark on the Swords Road. While he was in a nearby shop, another individual placed almost three kilograms of cannabis into the back of his van. Murray was stopped shortly after leaving the carpark and the drugs were recovered. The court heard that gardaí were satisfied the drugs did not belong to Murray and that his role was limited to transporting them. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged Murray's guilty plea was of significant value to the prosecution while noting he was unlikely to reoffend. Murray has 26 previous convictions, including drug and firearms offences.
A 19‑year‑old man, Joel Omokhudu, was jailed for six months after driving his car at pedestrians in a Dublin shopping centre on 8 December 2020. He had been ejected from the centre and, in a temper, drove erratically in the car park and onto the pedestrian area, narrowly missing a woman with her daughters and several security guards. He then reversed into a flower bed, almost hitting a guard. No injuries were reported. Omokhudu pleaded guilty to endangerment, two counts of dangerous driving, driving without insurance and criminal damage. The court heard he had previous assault convictions. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to 18 months, suspended the final year, and disqualified him from driving for four years.
A 56-year-old man from Ballina in County Mayo appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in connection with allegations relating to the sale of a Spanish property owned by Our Lady's Hospice in Harold's Cross, Dublin. Michael Egan of Bunnanertish, Knockanillaun was charged with dishonestly inducing the hospice to sell the property at a loss through deception on 5 March 2015. He was returned to the Circuit Court from the District Court to face trial, which has been scheduled for 25 November 2024. Mr Egan will remain on continuing bail pending trial. Judge Martin Nolan amended his bail conditions, ordering him to sign on at his local garda station every Sunday and Monday and to provide a mobile phone number to gardaí, which must be kept fully charged at all times.
Iancu Nicola, 31, was jailed for three years after he followed a 73‑year‑old woman from a city centre casino to her home and stole €23,000 she had just won. Nicola, who had previously lived in The Boulevard, Mount Garret, Tyrrelstown, pleaded guilty to robbery outside her home in Templeogue on 7 October 2016. He had six prior convictions for road traffic offences and absconded the day after the attack, only being arrested in Romania five years later and returned to Ireland under a European Arrest Warrant in October 2021. He was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally, who suspended the final 18 months of a four‑and‑a‑half‑year term on the condition that he keep the peace and engage with the Probation Service. Nicola's accomplices, Declan Connolly (41) and Brian English (32), received five‑year and three‑year suspended sentences respectively. Connolly pleaded guilty to the robbery and had 11 prior minor convictions.
Sven Spollen Behrens, 54, a former lobbyist, pleaded guilty to stealing €10,250 from Dun Laoghaire Business Improvement District on 16 June 2017 and another €10,250 from Sandyford Business Improvement District in August 2017. The court, hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, struck out the remaining counts and will consider sentencing on a full facts basis. Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned the sentencing to 16 January next year, when the evidence will be heard.