In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, truck driver Prince Aibangbe (51) pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of 21‑year‑old Gerard Whyte on 31 May 2019. Aibangbe claimed he believed he had hit a kerb after mistakenly thinking a green filter light was on, but was later informed by his boss that dash‑cam footage showed he had driven through a red light at the Swords Road/Collins Avenue junction. Witnesses, including a bus driver and a truck driver, confirmed the truck broke the red light and that Whyte was crossing as the green man appeared. Aibangbe had nine prior convictions, including four for road traffic offences, and had recently been fined €400 for driving without insurance and failing to display an NCT. He expressed remorse, wrote a letter to the court, and asked the Whyte family for forgiveness.
In a case heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, William Gregory, aged 35, was sentenced to two years in prison for strangling his then‑partner on 22 January 2017. Gregory, who had been heavily intoxicated that day, became jealous after receiving a text message from another man. He pulled the woman by her hair, pinned her to the floor and wrapped an electric cord from a hair curler around her neck, tightening it until she lost consciousness. During the assault he threatened to kill her and spoke of her "last words" and "leaving in a body bag". The victim suffered bruising to her neck, chest and shoulder, significant weight loss and serious depression. Judge Melanie Greally noted Gregory's significant mental health issues stemming from a brain injury sustained in 2012, an organic personality disorder diagnosed in 2019, and his extreme low mental health in March 2019. William Gregory pleaded guilty.
An elderly man, Christopher O'Neill, was attacked by 26‑year‑old Nicole Byrne while using a cash machine in Dublin city centre. Byrne threatened him with a syringe and said, "I'm going to hurt you now." O'Neill, fearing for his life, struck Byrne in the face, grabbed her arms, and forced her to the ground until Gardaí arrived. Byrne, who had previously pleaded guilty to robbery offences, was found to be heavily drug‑using and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment with the final two years suspended on condition of drug treatment and victim‑focused work. O'Neill, who had recently returned to Ireland with his family, said the incident shattered his dream of living safely in the country and prompted them to seek a safer place to live. The case was described by the sentencing judge as a regrettable indictment of the risks people face in the city.
John Power, 28, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for stealing a college student's wallet and phone and for assaulting Jamie O'Connor, a "Good Samaritan", on Westmoreland Street on 11 November last year. Power, who has 88 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to one count of theft and one count of assault causing harm. The incident occurred when Power, accompanied by a woman, took the victim's belongings from a counter at Offbeat Donuts. O'Connor, who was walking his baby, confronted them and was threatened with a Stanley blade. Power struck O'Connor's face, slashing his hand; O'Connor received nine stitches. Power was found guilty, expressed remorse, and was described by the judge as a "menace to society". The court imposed a four‑year sentence, suspending the final year on conditions, and noted Power's attempts at reform and drug‑free status. The woman's case remains pending.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, John Lennon, aged 40, pleaded guilty to robbery at Thomas Court pharmacy on 2 October 2019. Lennon, who had previously served a two‑year sentence for robbery and was due for release in January 2022, was also facing a consecutive one‑year term for burglary. During the robbery he brandished a screwdriver, demanded two packets of valium from the pharmacy staff while claiming he was hallucinating due to drug use, and left after the staff threw the packets at him. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted Lennon's history of offending but also his recent rehabilitation efforts and a guilty plea. He imposed a 16‑month sentence, consecutive to the existing two‑year term but concurrent with the pending burglary term, citing good hope for reform. The case highlighted Lennon's drug‑related motives and the lack of physical confrontation with staff.
John Carlos, 32, of Tallaght, Dublin, was sentenced at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for money laundering. The defendant pleaded guilty to the possession of €17,000, identified as the proceeds of criminal conduct, which was deposited into his Ulster Bank account on October 6, 2017. Prosecution evidence indicated the funds resulted from a fraudulent email sent to an English company, directing a payment for bulbs to Carlos's account. Carlos admitted the account was his and stated he did not know the source of the money, claiming he found it while checking for wages. He withdrew €4,900 to pay college fees and transferred €12,000 to a savings account before contacting the bank to alert them to the transaction. The bank subsequently froze the remaining €11,200. Carlos has no previous convictions and cooperated with gardai. Judge Martin Nolan considered the defendant's guilty plea, his cooperation, and the fact that he has not re-offended in the three years since the incident. The judge noted Carlos was working and contributing to the country. Judge Nolan imposed a two-year suspended sentence, stating: "You are getting your first and last chance."
A 29‑year‑old man, Dylan Murphy, was arrested after a teenager was attacked during a burglary at a flat on Thomas Street, Dublin. The victim, an Iranian teenager aged 19, was taken to hospital after Murphy smashed a large bottle across the side of his head. Murphy was seen walking around the emergency department and was found to be carrying stolen Iraqi currency and rolling tobacco. He claimed he could not explain how he had the cash and denied having broken into the flat. He also admitted to taking tablets and drinking beer and whiskey. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Murphy to six years in prison, suspending the final four years, and ordered that the sentence run consecutively with two years already imposed for other robberies in 2018. The suspension was conditional on Murphy attending drug treatment, alcohol awareness and anger management programmes and maintaining good behaviour.
Alfa So, 31, a Portuguese national, was arrested at Dublin Airport on 3 July 2019 after customs officers discovered over €51,000 worth of cocaine in a wine box he carried. The drugs, 70% pure, were packed into 73 pellets with the intention of ingestion, but So admitted he could not swallow them and instead concealed them in the wine box. He pleaded guilty to one count of importing drugs, claiming he bought them from a friend in Africa and intended to sell them to buy a farm in Portugal. So had no prior convictions and expressed remorse. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced him to two years' imprisonment, a term backdated to his arrest, citing his foreign status and the difficulty of his custody conditions. The sentence was imposed after he pleaded guilty early and was found to be remorseful.
Christopher Maguire, 42, of Moatview Close, Priorswood, Dublin, was convicted in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 10 May 2019 for producing an article, assault, and threats to kill or seriously harm his sister and her husband at Killester Avenue, Killester. He also pleaded guilty on 6 September 2019 to two counts of intimidating a witness at Harry Byrne's public house, Howth Road, Clontarf. For these offences he received a combined 21‑month sentence. In January 2018, Maguire had previously been given a three‑year suspended sentence by the Special Criminal Court for his role in a "mob" that falsely imprisoned Martin Byrne and Lisa Byrne in Saggart on 9 June 2015. The Special Criminal Court judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, reactivated that suspended sentence following the recent Circuit Court conviction. The judge noted that the original sentence was an "exceptional chance" and that Maguire was not the most serious player.
Carlos Michael Mason, a 31‑year‑old UK national, was sentenced to one year in prison for fraudulently using a stolen American Express card to stay at Dublin's Shelbourne and Westbury hotels. Between 29 December 2019 and 19 January 2020, he accrued €3,735 at the Shelbourne and €4,700 at the Westbury, enjoying fine wine and dining. Gardaí identified him from CCTV and noted his distinctive multi‑coloured jacket. He pleaded guilty to two counts of dishonestly inducing the hotels to accept the fraudulent card. The court back‑dated the sentence to February, when he entered custody. Mason has 71 prior convictions, many for theft and fraud, and faces a European Arrest Warrant for other alleged offences in the UK.
Thomas Stokes, aged 30, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for a high‑speed pursuit that left Garda Thomas Bialkowski seriously injured. Stokes pleaded guilty to two counts of endangerment, one count of assaulting Garda Bialkowski, one count of dangerous driving, and a separate count of criminal damage. The judge imposed four‑and‑a‑half years for endangerment and two‑and‑a‑half years for criminal damage, to run consecutively, giving an effective term of seven years. The final two years were suspended on strict conditions. The pursuit began when Gardaí approached Stokes' car at Dublin Port; after a brief attempt to stop him, Stokes fled, driving at up to 180 km/h, swerving across lanes, and eventually crashing into a wall on Cookstown Way, Tallaght. The crash caused the Garda's firearm butt to strike him, injuring his teeth, eye, arm and shoulder.
Richard O'Doherty, 24, of Crumlin, pleaded guilty to a series of knife‑point robberies committed while on bail for earlier offences. He admitted to robberies at Maxol Station, Harold's Cross and Centra on 23 June 2019, a further robbery at Kimmage Road Lower on 8 August 2019, two robberies on 24 and 25 November 2019, and an attempted robbery at Spar on 20 December 2019. Garda reports detail how he entered each shop with a knife, demanded money, and in some cases took cash from tills or forced shopkeepers to hand over money. He had no prior convictions. The court sentenced him to three years for the earliest robbery, two additional years for the later offences, with the sentences to run consecutively. The final 18 months were suspended on strict conditions, giving an effective custodial term of three‑and‑a‑half years.
A 33‑year‑old Moldovan man, Alerian Burcovsehi, was sentenced to 32 months' imprisonment for a savage assault on 26 April 2019 that left victim Jason Brophy with fractures to his skull, nose, ribs and spine. Burcovsehi, who had no prior convictions, approached Brophy on Price's Lane, knocked him to the ground and repeatedly struck him, including kicking his head and striking his face with his heel. Garda Christopher Fitzgerald reported that Burcovsehi had been seen outside a nightclub the previous evening, behaving erratically and doing press‑ups on the pavement. In a CCTV interview he admitted the assault and said, "I do deserve to be locked up." Brophy, barely conscious when police arrived, suffered severe injuries and now lives with balance problems, difficulty dressing, and a reliance on liquefied foods. Burcovsehi denied drug use but admitted alcohol consumption and was described by the defence as operating under a personality disorder. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
In a first‑ever Irish case of its kind, a 37‑year‑old father was sentenced to five‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment for the genital mutilation of his one‑year‑old daughter, with a concurrent three‑year child‑cruelty sentence. He pleaded not guilty to both charges. The father, originally from an African nation, is appealing his conviction and sentence. His solicitor applied to the Court of Appeal for a copy of the digital audio recording of the father's trial evidence, which the Court of Appeal granted. Judge Elma Sheehan noted that the offence carries a maximum sentence of 14 years and described the act as a severe, invasive procedure performed without medical justification. She emphasised the lack of remorse and the premeditated nature of the crime, and highlighted the impact on the child's future. The father's appeal is now pending.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 25 May 2020, 36‑year‑old Ciaran O'Brien pleaded guilty to robbing the Applegreen Service Station in Celbridge on 27 November 2019. He entered the station armed with a hammer and a small machete, forced the shop assistant to open the till, and took €360 in cash before fleeing. While off‑duty, Garda PJ Cummins witnessed the robbery and pursued O'Brien. O'Brien threatened Cummins with a knife, saying he would stab him, and then drove a car straight at the Garda, forcing Cummins to jump out of the way to avoid being run over. O'Brien was later arrested and has 27 previous convictions. The case was adjourned for a Probation Services report, with sentencing scheduled for 20 July.
Alex Harris, aged 38, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to two burglary charges and the theft of a laptop from an unlocked ambulance between 26 July and 4 November 2019. The ambulance, parked on Dorset Street Upper, was left with its doors closed but unlocked while a paramedic attended a patient. Harris, who was on bail for a prior burglary, was identified through CCTV footage and DNA evidence. He had 63 previous convictions and a long history of heroin addiction, which he claimed motivated the offences. The court noted his desire to seek residential drug treatment and become a better father. Judge Martin Nolan imposed an 18‑month term for the earliest burglary and a consecutive 18‑month term for the laptop theft, totaling three years of imprisonment.
In a Dublin court hearing, Thomas Stokes, aged 30 and with 171 prior convictions, was charged after a high‑speed chase that ended with a Garda car crashing into a wall. Stokes, who drove at speeds up to 180 km/h and swerved aggressively, was attempting to flee from Gardaí who had approached his vehicle at Dublin Port. The pursuit resumed on the M50, where Stokes braked hard and crashed, causing the Garda car to swerve into a wall. The impact forced the Garda's firearm butt into his face, resulting in severe eye and facial injuries, soft‑tissue damage to his arm and shoulder, and damage to his teeth. Stokes was arrested nearby and has remained in custody, except for a brief compassionate bail in March. He pleaded guilty to two counts of endangerment, one count of assaulting a Garda, one count of dangerous driving, and one count of criminal damage. He will be sentenced on Wednesday.
In January 2020, a 29‑year‑old Italian man was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting his flatmate while she slept on a couch in their Dublin home. He pleaded guilty to the offence committed on 28 April 2018. The Court of Appeal reserved judgement, noting that a decision could have been reached more quickly if the judges had been able to debate in person rather than remotely. The three judges will deliver their judgement at a later date. The sentencing court had heard that the victim and defendant had become friends after she began sharing a flat with him. On the night in question, the victim fell asleep on the couch next to the defendant and awoke to find him sexually assaulting her. She described the assault as a traumatic event that had taken her dignity and femininity.
Ruth Ben Haim, a 19‑year‑old from Tel Aviv, was stopped at Dublin Airport after arriving from Finland with nearly €20,000 worth of the plant stimulant khat. The plant, legal in Israel in its natural form, is a controlled substance in Ireland. Ben Haim pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply. She was dealt with by the Garda Juvenile Liaison and returned to Israel without charge, having spent a week in custody and then released on bail. The court, noting her age and lack of prior convictions, imposed a fully suspended one‑year sentence, requiring her to keep the peace and behave well for one year. The case was heard by Judge Martin Nolan, with counsel for the prosecution and defence present. The other girl on the flight was also found with a similar amount of khat. The court heard that the plant is widely used in north‑east African countries such as Somalia.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 22 May 2020, 26‑year‑old Jamie O'Rourke pleaded guilty to two counts: attempting to rob the Centra store in Swords on 26 August 2019 and robbing a tanning salon in Swords on the same day. The court heard that O'Rourke fled the Centra store after a shop owner chased him out with a step ladder, then ran to the tanning salon, forced the assistant to open the till and stole €156 in cash. Gardaí from the Armed Response Unit pursued him, and after he refused to stop, they tasered him. A taser wire led officers to a bush where he was hiding. O'Rourke, who has 36 prior convictions including robbery, claimed he had no memory of the incident because he had taken heroin that day. The judge ordered a Probation Services report and adjourned sentencing to 10 July. The case remains pending.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Shane Cooney, aged 29, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for a series of burglaries that included the Sinn Fein constituency office of TD Aengus O Snodaigh and Senator Maire Devine on 20 March 2018. Cooney and an accomplice stole laptops, mobile phones and other items from the office. He also pleaded guilty to burglaries at Insomnia coffee shop and Tesco Express on South Circular Road on 5 April 2018, and at Puro clothing store on Wicklow Street on 16 December 2018, where he stole nearly €4,000 in cash. The court noted he had 93 prior convictions, had caused damage to the front doors of Tesco and Insomnia, and had a history of drug addiction. Judge Patricia Ryan considered mitigating factors such as early guilty pleas and rehabilitation efforts, and reactivated an 18‑month suspended sentence from a previous aggravated burglary, incorporating it into the three‑year term.
A 51‑year‑old man named Jessie O'Dwyer, who has a long criminal record, was jailed for a robbery of a pharmacy in Dublin city centre. He pleaded guilty to the robbery, which took place on 11 February 2019 when he entered Blackhall pharmacy on Ellis Quay, threatened staff, and used a scarf to cover his face while shouting for the till to be opened. The pharmacist, fearing he might be armed, opened the till, and security staff tackled him. O'Dwyer was found to have been abusing crack cocaine at the time of the offence. In court, his lawyers argued that he wanted to change and address his addiction. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged his desire for reform, noted his good behaviour in custody, and suspended the final two years of a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence on the condition that he remain peaceful and engage with the Probation Service.
Amir Essalhi, 35, of Burg an Ri Walk, Balgaddy, Clondalkin, Dublin, pleaded guilty to four armed robberies and one attempted robbery committed over a nine‑day period in November 2018. The incidents included robberies at Ebano Hair & Beauty Salon, Ballinteer Shopping Centre, Centra on Drummartin Road, Centra on Ballinteer Road, and an attempted robbery at Spar on Rockville Road, Blackrock. Essalhi admitted possession of weapons ranging from a screwdriver to a knife at each event, with threats of violence but no actual violence. He has 65 prior convictions for robbery, arson, burglary and assault causing harm. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the seriousness of the offences and the mitigating effect of Essalhi's guilty pleas, sentenced him to four‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment. The defence highlighted Essalhi's background, his brother's murder in 2011, his drug‑free status at the time of the offences, his two children and parental support, and his remorse, requesting leniency.
Lawrence Mubango, 31, was already serving a 10‑year prison term for a 2018 knife attack that left a victim severely injured. In 2017 he pleaded guilty to using a stolen credit‑card machine at Mary's Pub in Dublin. The court heard that on the day of the offence he had the machine for less than ten minutes, activated the refund function and entered €7,500, but the transaction was cancelled before any money was transferred, so the pub suffered no loss. CCTV captured him taking the machine from behind the bar. Judge Martin Nolan described the attempt to steal €7,500 as "absolutely asinine" and, considering it a minor matter compared with the earlier violent offence, sentenced Mubango to three months' imprisonment, to run consecutively with his existing sentence. The court noted that without his current sentence the penalty would have been considerably longer.
Tara Fay, 46, was sentenced to a fully suspended two‑year imprisonment for burgling St Michael's secondary school on Wellmount Road, Finglas, on 4 October 2016. She admitted trespassing and stealing jumpers, tracksuits, €250 in cash and a mobile phone. Fay told Gardaí she was stealing to pay for drugs. The judge, Patricia Ryan, noted the offence was aggravated by its consequences, though the amount stolen was small, and cited Fay's guilty plea, cooperation and rehabilitation efforts as mitigating factors. She was given a suspended sentence on the condition of keeping the peace and good behaviour for three years. The school's principal, John Barry, said the burglary contributed to a €10,000 rise in the school's insurance costs over two years, a figure insurers attributed to claims made by schools for theft and damage. Dean Kelly BL, Fay's defence lawyer, highlighted her abusive relationship and the murder of her partner.
Christopher Maguire, 42, was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a series of violent and threatening offences. He pleaded guilty to assaulting his sister Nicola Byrne and to making threats to kill or seriously harm her and her husband David Byrne on 10 May 2019 at Killester Avenue. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of intimidating a witness at Harry Byrne's pub on 6 September 2019. Earlier, he had been convicted of false imprisonment and drug possession. During the May incident, Gardaí found him holding a kitchen knife and he threatened David Byrne with a "sawn‑off shotgun" and later claimed to have a gun. In September he threatened to shoot both Byrne and his sister after purchasing a gun. The judge, Martin Nolan, found the threats credible and imposed consecutive sentences of six months for the earlier offences and 15 months for the later ones, totaling 21 months of imprisonment.
In a 2019 burglary at a Dublin home, Laurence Connors (28) was caught driving a stolen Audi while four accomplices looted cash and jewellery. Garda Ronan Doyle and Garda Declan Crowley confronted Connors, who drove past the patrol car and then stopped to let the burglars board. Crowley attempted to stop him, but Connors accelerated, dragging Crowley 40 metres and crashing into a parked Fiat Punto. Crowley was injured, requiring stitches, while the Fiat owner was unharmed. Connors was arrested, pleaded guilty to trespass, possession of a stolen car, assaulting a garda and criminal damage, and was sentenced to 20 months in prison, to run consecutively with a 10‑year term for a prior burglary. He has 37 prior convictions and is due for release in 2025. The case highlighted the physical harm to the garda and the financial loss to the homeowner.
Karl Mullen, 49, was sentenced to three‑and‑a‑half years in prison for criminal damage, two counts of dangerous driving and driving without insurance after he drove a car into the front of a house in Clondalkin on 27 October 2018. He reversed his vehicle through the front gates, crashed into the front window and then drove off, leaving the back bumper in the front garden. Mullen gave no explanation for his actions, claiming he was "in a very bad way on drugs" at the time. He was arrested during a Garda pursuit that ended when his vehicle struck bollards and stopped. Mullen has 49 prior convictions, including 19 for road traffic offences and a four‑year robbery sentence he is currently serving. He was also disqualified from driving for four years. The judge noted his drug use and the fear caused to the homeowner. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Karl Mullen pleaded guilty.
Two brothers, Brian (21) and Martin Stokes (18), were sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after they robbed a pizza delivery driver, Paul Wright, on November 21, 2019. The robbery took place on Wellmont Road, Finglas, where the brothers had been given a lift by Wright. While driving the brothers to an address, one of them forced Wright to hand over his money, leading to a physical assault that left Wright with a black eye, a swollen jaw and a severe headache. The brothers stole €150 in cash, a mobile phone, car keys and a wallet with bank cards. They were later stopped on Finglas Road, found in possession of the stolen cards, and resisted arrest. Both pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of stolen property and resisting arrest, and were sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan, who described the robbery as "particularly nasty.".
Graham Gardner, 35, was jailed for nine years after police found two machine guns, three revolvers, two silencers and 107 rounds of ammunition in the boot of a Ford Focus van. The van, which had a hidden compartment accessed by a pulley system, was discovered in an underground carpark near where Gardaí had approached Gardner. Gardner, who wore a bulletproof vest and carried a key he claimed was a spare, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of firearms and ammunition. He had 40 prior convictions for minor offences. Gardaí found his DNA on the weapons and noted that the van and a second vehicle had been bought under false names. Gardner had fled to England after failing to attend a court hearing, but later surrendered and was extradited back to Ireland. The judge accepted his admissions and the seriousness of the case, sentencing him to nine years in custody, backdated to his September 2023 arrest.
Patrick Hand, aged 38, admitted to attempting a robbery at an Abbey Street Luas stop on 15 July 2017. He claimed he may have been hallucinating after taking cocaine and alcohol, believing the victim's bag was his. Hand had just been released from prison the day before the incident. Gardaí arrested him after Luas security restrained him. In court, Hand pleaded guilty to attempted robbery. Judge Melanie Greally accepted his admission of drug addiction and homelessness post‑release, noting his efforts to address these issues. She imposed a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final two and a half years on the condition that he remain peaceful, reside in County Meath, and engage with addiction services. The sentence was back‑dated to 19 December 2018 when Hand entered custody.
Anthony McGurk, a 29‑year‑old father of five, was found to have smuggled nearly €60,000 worth of MDMA crystal powder into Ireland after a panic attack at Dublin Airport. He had just returned from a flight from Amsterdam, where he had purchased the drugs with the intention of selling them in Belfast. McGurk initially denied ownership, claiming the drugs were planted, but later confessed to buying them and to possessing them for sale or supply. He pleaded guilty to one count of possession for sale or supply. The court, noting his lack of prior convictions, his work as a chef, and his mental health difficulties, sentenced him to two and a half years in prison. He is currently working in the prison kitchen. The case highlighted his strained relationships and the impact on his family's housing situation.
Stephen Keogh, a former Anglo Irish Bank employee, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years' imprisonment for stealing €611,139.35 from seven victims, mainly friends and family, between 2002 and 2010. He persuaded relatives and acquaintances to invest large sums in high‑interest accounts, but deposited the money into his own account and provided false documents to conceal the theft. Keogh also used his wife's credit card without her knowledge and took money from a brother‑in‑law and a best man to pay for cars that were never registered in their names. He fled to the United States in 2010, returned in 2011, and later worked for a company servicing U.S. military bases in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was arrested in November 2019 and, after a guilty plea, was found to have created a fiction of success and lived beyond his means, leading the judge to sentence him for the extensive financial harm caused to his victims.
John McDonagh, a 30‑year‑old father of four from Labre Park, Ballyfermot, was sentenced to 20 months in prison after pleading guilty to endangerment, drink driving and driving without insurance. The offences occurred on 27 July 2019 when Gardaí were conducting an alcohol checkpoint on Kilmore Road. McDonagh was signalled to pull over but instead accelerated, overtook other vehicles dangerously, drove the wrong way around a roundabout, and continued at high speed on the M50 and M1 motorways. He was eventually stopped, found over the legal alcohol limit and without insurance. The judge described the conduct as a "litany of episodes of reckless and dangerous driving", noting that McDonagh endangered and terrified other road users. He was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final 16 months suspended and a four‑year driving ban imposed.
Robert Kinlan, 33, of Ballygall Parade, Finglas, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for offences committed on October 20, 2018. Kinlan pleaded guilty to charges of attempted robbery and robbery at Cuffe Street, Dublin 2. Judge Melanie Greally noted that Kinlan had a "lamentable history" of previous convictions, including numerous robberies. The court heard that Kinlan was arrested the night before the incident for another robbery and was released on bail. During the daylight offence, he allegedly threatened a victim, pushing him against a gate and causing facial injuries, including a broken nose, while demanding his phone and wallet. Kinlan was subsequently arrested after a witness identified him on a Luas tram. Judge Greally imposed a prison sentence of four and a half years. However, she suspended the final two years of the term, resulting in an effective custody period of three and a half years. The suspension is conditional upon Kinlan keeping the peace and engaging with drug treatment during that period. The Judge acknowledged Kinlan's difficult start in life and his current engagement with Probation Services.
In May 2020 a burglar, Dominic Rogers, 21, was caught by a homeowner standing in a bush near the scene of a burglary in Lucan. Rogers had earlier pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a stolen car at an M1 toll plaza on 28 June 2019 and to burglary at Foxpark on 26 September 2019. He had five prior convictions, including drug possession and deception. Gardaí had CCTV showing him driving the stolen car and later found him in a bush holding a torch after a house in Lucan had been broken into. Rogers denied involvement in the burglary but later accepted responsibility. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to one year for the car offence and two years for the burglary, to run consecutively for a total of three years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions.
Denise Bergin, aged 50, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment after pleading guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of drugs for sale or supply, firearms and ammunition. On 18 July 2019 Gardaí seized two semi‑automatic pistols and ammunition hidden in a dog‑food box under her kitchen sink, 37 packages of cannabis, six small bags of cocaine and about 40,000 prescription tablets, totalling €758,000 in value. Bergin claimed she had been asked to hold the items for €400 to pay a drug debt and to visit her sick mother in the UK. She was described as a vulnerable person with a diagnosed emotionally unstable personality disorder, and her mother died two weeks after her arrest. The court noted the exploitation of her vulnerability and imposed the five‑year sentence with mitigation considered.
Gerard O'Toole, 23, pleaded guilty to a violent robbery on December 3, 2018, at Fownes Street Upper, Dublin 2. In the early morning, he attacked a man who was walking home from a pub, grabbing him, pushing him to the ground, and punching him in the face. While the victim was on the ground, O'Toole told a woman to take his money and phone; she removed his wallet and phone, but only the victim's student card was recovered. The victim, a foreign national studying computer science in Ireland, left the country after the incident and has no plans to return. O'Toole, who has 36 prior convictions including robbery and drug offences, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to three years' imprisonment. He has been receiving addiction counselling while in custody and has expressed willingness to return stolen items if their location is known. The sentence reflects the aggravated nature of the violence and the prolonged attack.
Dylan Brophy, 22, of Reuben Street, Rialto, Dublin, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for robbing Arch Cafe, Reuben Plaza, Dublin 8, on 25 June 2018. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Garda Kevin Cassidy described Brophy as approaching the counter with his face covered and hood up, holding a knife by his chest, demanding money and pressing the green button on the till. He took €650 and left. CCTV footage showed him sitting in the cafe an hour before the robbery and later changing clothes. Brophy is a regular customer and has 43 prior convictions, including robbery, assault causing harm and drug possession. He was cooperating with the investigation after arrest. Judge Martin Nolan noted the lack of violence and Brophy's admissions, and imposed the sentence starting from the day of sentencing.
A 19‑year‑old teenage burglar, Martin Connors of Cloonmore Park, Tallaght, was arrested again after Gardaí noticed a damp patch on the back of his trousers, indicating he had climbed over a wet wall at a house he had just broken into. Connors had previously pleaded guilty to burglary and possession of a chisel on 11 January 2019, and was already serving a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for a separate burglary and robbery in August 2018. Judge Martin Nolan, hearing the case in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, ordered Connors to serve an additional six months after his current sentence ends. The burglary in question involved an empty house, and no items were taken. Connors' defence lawyer, Sarah Jane O'Callaghan, highlighted his difficult upbringing, drug addiction, and the impact of his parents' prison sentences on his life. The owner of the home declined to give a victim impact statement. The other two burglars involved were not identified.
In a sentencing hearing at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, John Barry, principal of St Michael's secondary school in Finglas, explained that the school's insurance premiums had risen by €10,000 over two years due to claims from schools for theft and criminal damage. Barry cited the case of Tara Fay, a 46‑year‑old from Premier Square, who was convicted of burglary at the school in October 2016. Fay admitted stealing jumpers, tracksuits, €250 in cash and a mobile phone, and was caught on CCTV entering and leaving the building. Barry noted that while the items were small, the financial impact on the school was significant, and he would prefer the increased premiums to be used for teaching supplies. Fay, who has 39 prior theft convictions and 29 traffic offences, pleaded guilty, and her sentence was adjourned to May 19 by Judge Patricia Ryan.
David Banks, 45, a homeless man with 22 prior convictions, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for possession of heroin for sale or supply. He pleaded guilty to offences at Mountjoy Square on 21 June 2018 and 4 July 2018, and at Store Street Garda Station on 26 July 2018. Garda Gerard Whelan reported that police entered a friend's address at Mountjoy Square in June, finding €2,330 worth of heroin that Banks had stored there. A subsequent raid on 4 July uncovered an additional €2,150 worth of heroin. On 26 July, Banks was stopped on the street, searched, and a further €1,700 worth of heroin was found in his underwear at Store Street Garda Station. Judge Melanie Greally noted that Banks had been a chronic drug addict from a young age, had worked as a painter and decorator, and had been homeless intermittently.
In April 2019, a 17‑year‑old was convicted of robbery, assault and false imprisonment of three 15‑year‑old boys in St Aidan's Park, Marino. He was sentenced to four years' detention for the false imprisonment count by Judge Martin Nolan, with the other offences considered. Garda Kevin Murphy testified that the boy was part of a group that forced the boys to hand over phones and money, threatened them with a knife, and that the teenager later kicked and punched one boy. The defendant admitted participation after viewing CCTV and had 18 prior convictions. On 8 May 2020 he appealed the sentence, arguing the judge failed to incorporate rehabilitation and that a less severe sentence could have been imposed if he had been dealt with as an adult. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice George Birmingham, noted the case would be decided in about two weeks. The unnamed 15-year-old pleaded guilty.
James O'Malley, aged 26, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery and the production of a syringe after threatening a cashier with a syringe and stealing a tray from a Costcutter shop on 13 April 2019. Gardaí CCTV footage showed O'Malley and a second man attempting to empty the till before taking the tray, then changing clothes in an abandoned yard. The shop suffered a €450 loss, and the tray was recovered after O'Malley's arrest. O'Malley admitted the offence, describing himself as "out of his head and strung out," and cited a history of 66 prior convictions, including robbery, assault, and drug offences. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to four‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, including mandatory residential drug treatment if directed by the Probation Service. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the syringe threat and O'Malley's need for comprehensive drug treatment.
Rhys Moran, 24, of Cabra, Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbery on Charleville Road (10 May 2018), robbery on D'Olier Street (9 May 2018) and to perverting the course of justice and criminal damage at Bridewell Garda Station (10 May 2018). He had 18 prior convictions, including a juvenile robbery. At sentencing, Judge Melanie Greally described him as "clearly out of control" and noted his urination in his cell as a "self‑defeating act of defiance". She imposed a six‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final two‑and‑a‑half years on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation supervision. The judge considered his guilty pleas, insight, extensive difficulties and youth. The case also involved a broken golf club that Moran ripped open during an interview, destroying evidence, and a €69.46 damage claim for cell cleaning.
Gareth Hamilton, aged 26, from Drumconnick, County Cavan, was sentenced to three years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his guilty plea to robbery at an Applegreen Service Station in Inchicore on 28 November 2018. Gardaí identified Hamilton after discovering his DNA and fingerprints on a juice box he consumed inside the premises during the incident. Hamilton entered the service station, requested cigarettes, then produced a box cutter and took €350 from the till before leaving with the money and cigarettes. The court heard Hamilton had previous convictions for attempted robbery, burglary, and possession of stolen property, all committed within a finite period in 2018 and 2019. He was on bail at the time of the offence. Judge Melanie Greally noted Hamilton had secured employment on his father's farm and expressed potential for rehabilitation should he address his drug dependency. The sentence is to run consecutively to a sentence already being served, ending 14 November next.
James Fagan, 27, of Cushlawn Park, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to a robbery at Merchants Quay on 14 July 2017. He was one of three men on the steps of a Franciscan church when a victim passed by with his partner. Fagan struck the victim first with a pen, then with a beer can that hit the victim's head, and later struck him in the face while the victim was held. The victim suffered a hairline fracture to the nose and bruising to the eye socket. The court noted Fagan's history of drug‑related convictions and his addiction's influence on his behaviour. Judge Melanie Greally considered his guilty plea, family circumstances, mental health issues and a remorseful letter. She sentenced him to five‑and‑a‑half years, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation after release.
David Allen, 35, was on bail for a robbery when he knocked 89‑year‑old Nina MacAuley to the ground outside a Dublin hairdresser, bashed her, and stole her handbag. MacAuley suffered head and arm injuries and later discovered her handbag missing. Allen, who has no fixed abode and a history of 25 convictions including robbery, burglary and theft, pleaded guilty to the robbery at Aungier Street on 1 July 2019 and to the armed robbery of a 73‑year‑old taxi driver on 5 February 2019. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to three years for the earlier robbery and five years for the MacAuley robbery, making a total of eight years imprisonment with the final two years suspended on strict conditions. The sentence was imposed with the two terms running consecutively. Allen's victim impact statement was read in court, and he admitted to being "strung out" on heroin during the incidents.
Joseph McGrane, a 60‑year‑old fruit and veg wholesaler, was convicted in March 2019 of 11 counts of indecent assault and seven of sexual assault against three boys and a young woman, with offences occurring between 1985 and 1993. He was sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment, the final year suspended, after a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. McGrane denied all charges. The Court of Appeal heard an appeal filed by counsel Paul Greene SC, who argued that the conviction was unsafe due to delays in prosecution, a failure to sever the indictment, and improper jury instructions. Greene cited the differing nature of the case involving the young woman and the judge's refusal to discharge the jury on acquitted counts. Counsel for the DPP, Eilis Brennan SC, countered that the offences were part of a single series and that the judge's decisions were within discretion. The Court of Appeal reserved judgment.
Damien Ionut, 34, was sentenced to three years in prison for a series of ATM attacks across eight European cities, including Dublin, Louth, Kildare, Wicklow, Meath, Westmeath, and Dublin. He and a group used a "transaction reversal fraud" technique, first withdrawing a small amount with a legitimate chip‑and‑pin card, then inserting a clip into the cash drawer to block the release of a larger withdrawal. They swapped the card for a dummy, causing the machine to think the customer had walked away, and then used a chisel to break into the drawer and take the cash. The attacks caused about €12,881 in damage and resulted in €5,980 in stolen cash. Ionut had 30 prior convictions for similar offences and was identified on CCTV footage. The court back‑dated the sentence to November 5, 2019. The case highlighted the vulnerability of ATMs to this type of fraud.