Eduards Babinjans, 32, manager at Gourmet Burger Kitchen in Liffey Valley, Dublin, was jailed for eight months after failing to deposit €920 into the company safe at the end of his shift. He had signed a form confirming the cash was dropped, but Garda Emily Beddingfield noted the safe was checked weekly and the money was not found. The chef, who witnessed Babinjans counting the cash that night, later stated he saw Babinjans place the cash in a bag, seal it, and hand it back to him, but did not see it put in the safe. Babinjans was arrested, interviewed without admission, and suggested the bag might have been stuck in the safe. The money was never recovered. He pleaded guilty to theft on 24 May 2018, has five prior convictions, and is due for release in September.
A homeless couple, Keelin Doyle (29) and Liam Dowds (38), stole €7,595 worth of clothing from River Island on Dublin's Grafton Street over four weeks in 2019. They carried out eight separate shop‑lifting incidents, walking into the store, lifting merchandise and leaving without paying, without disguising themselves or threatening staff. Doyle faced seven charges and Dowds faced eight, all from August and September 2019. Both pleaded guilty. Doyle was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally to 18 months' imprisonment with the final six months suspended; Dowds received 15 months' imprisonment with the final six months suspended. The court noted the couple's drug addiction as a motivating factor and highlighted the significant loss to the retailer. Both were remanded in custody since their arrest and have shown improvement while in custody.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a childcare worker accused of sexually assaulting four girls at a Leinster crèche from February 2015 to December 2016 denied all 23 charges. He said he was shocked and appalled by the allegations, claiming he had only read to children in the after‑school book corner and never been alone with any of them in a bathroom. Gardaí interviewed him in June 2017, and the transcript of those interviews was read to the jury. CCTV footage from the crèche, showing the worker at the entrance, at a table, and in the book corner, was also presented, along with expert testimony about blind spots in the crèche's cameras. Former colleagues and nine crèche staff members gave evidence, some praising his work and describing the children's behaviour as innocent. The trial is ongoing before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury of seven men and five women.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the mother of one of four girls alleged to have been sexually assaulted by a childcare worker testified that her daughter repeatedly expressed discomfort about attending the crèche. The mother said the child visibly did not want to go and had spoken on several occasions that she did not want to go, but did not explain why. She also noted that the alleged perpetrator's behaviour towards her had changed in the six months before the allegations surfaced, including a lack of eye contact. The mother recounted that the girl first made the allegation to her father in November 2016, and that she learned of the allegations when the crèche contacted them on 12 December 2016. She described the girl as very upset and defensive when she first told her mother that the man had touched her privates.
In a Halloween nightclub assault, 39‑year‑old Denis Ward, who was dressed as Superman, head‑butted victim Daragh Comerford after taking a pretend bible from him. CCTV showed Ward removing the bible and then lunging. Comerford suffered a broken nose and required surgery for a deviated septum. Ward pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He has four prior convictions, including three traffic offences. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to 12 October to allow Ward time to raise €1,100 to compensate Comerford for medical bills and lost wages. A victim impact statement described Comerford's physical and mental distress and the financial loss. Ward, who has not consumed alcohol since the incident, is unemployed and relies on social welfare but is willing to raise the compensation if given time.
A building contractor, McAleer & Rushe UK Ltd, was fined €100,000 by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for failing to conduct an asbestos risk assessment during refurbishment work at Findlater House, Cathal Brugha Street, on 23 June 2016. The breach occurred while the company was converting the building into a hotel. Two asbestos surveys had been carried out the previous year, but the area where the breach happened had not been included because work had not been planned there at that time. The company had previously removed asbestos elsewhere in the building in compliance with regulations. Declan McLogan, a director, pleaded guilty on behalf of the firm, acknowledging that the company would be liable for exposing employees to asbestos dust where a risk assessment was not performed. Judge Melanie Greally described the breach as a serious one caused by human error, not cost‑saving, and noted the company's strong safety reputation and low accident record.
During a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, a former colleague of a man accused of sexually assaulting four girls in a Leinster crèche described him as "devastated" after the allegations surfaced. She recalled that he had become very upset and noticeably thinner since she last saw him. The colleague, who had worked closely with him, said she had sent him a text after the allegations emerged, to which he replied, "I'm devastated." She described him as generous with the children and inventive with activities, noting that he was well-liked by staff and parents. She denied ever suspecting him of wrongdoing and stated that the four complainants would have had limited interaction with him, especially the younger ones. The trial, which continues before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury, focuses on the 23 counts of sexual assault alleged to have occurred between February 2015 and December 2016. The accused denies the charges. The complainants' identities remain protected.
John Connolly, 38, the former general manager of IMC Cinema in Dublin, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison after admitting to stealing €217,203 from the cinema between April 2016 and July 2018. Connolly claimed he was heavily drinking and suffering mental health issues at the time and believed he could return the money. He had access to the cinema's safe after a security change in 2016, and the thefts were uncovered when a shortfall was noticed in May 2018. Connolly's main expenditure of the stolen funds was gambling, mainly on the lotto, and he was one number away from a €250,000 win. The judge, taking into account his difficult upbringing and addiction, imposed a sentence of two years and three months with the final 12 months suspended, subject to strict conditions and 18 months of probation supervision. No money was recovered and Connolly had no prior convictions.
David Clail, aged 28, pleaded guilty to armed burglary, criminal damage and threatening to kill Sharon Murphy after breaking into her Kinsealy home on 20 September 2016. He entered the house, smashed furniture, tore out a TV, smashed a mirror, and threatened to kill Murphy, her family and her dog. He also threatened to kill her grandmother and called his relatives. Murphy called 999, hid her phone, and tried to calm him. Gardaí found Clail with a flick‑knife and blood on his hands. He admitted he had no reason for the attack, saying he had woken up in a "black mood" and "blanked out". The court noted his poly‑substance abuse and mental health issues. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to five years and seven months in prison, with a headline sentence of seven and a half years, after a delay and an early guilty plea.
In a 2020 hearing, Judge Melanie Greally sentenced Garda Sean Lucey, 42, to a fully suspended one‑year prison term for assaulting RTÉ cameraman Colm Hand during anti‑racism protests in Dublin in February 2016. Lucey struck Hand's camera with his baton and then hit him in the groin, causing significant bruising and pain. Hand's victim impact statement described sleeplessness, worry and stress, noting the incident shattered his confidence. Judge Greally rejected Lucey's claim that the assault was an error of judgement, stating his regret fell short of an apology and that a donation to a charity was an unsuitable gesture of remorse. She cited Lucey's clean record and lack of prior offences, viewing the act as an aberration, and therefore suspended the sentence. The conviction was for assault causing harm; Lucey was acquitted of criminal damage. The case highlighted the need for restraint and self‑control in public order situations. Sean Lucey pleaded not guilty.
The trial of a 29‑year‑old man accused of 23 counts of sexual assault against four girls at a Leinster crèche is ongoing. On day 12 of the trial, the jury viewed a video interview with the fourth complainant, who was six at the time of the alleged incidents. She described the accused touching her outside and then inside her tights, feeling "happy" during the contact. She also reported seeing the accused touch another girl in the book corner and feeling "a bit afraid" during the Garda interview. The complainant's mother testified that her daughter had complained in 2015 about the accused twisting and pinching her, and that the accused had disappeared for a period. The mother also recalled a December 2016 Garda call about a staff member incident. The trial continues before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury. No parties are named to protect complainants' identities.
Ryan Johnston, a 36‑year‑old truck driver from Cedar Grove, Magherafelt, was found carrying €166,720 in cash in a blue canvas bag in the cab of his tractor unit. He was arrested after a Garda surveillance operation and pleaded guilty to possession of the cash and the proceeds of criminal conduct on 3 June 2016. Johnston had six prior convictions in Northern Ireland, mainly for road traffic offences, and made no admissions during his interview. His defence lawyer, Justin McQuade, argued that Johnston was a valued member of his business, was embarrassed and ashamed, and that the offence was a one‑off transgression committed recklessly. Judge Melanie Greally, noting Johnston's respectable family background, good work record and character references, imposed a three and a half year sentence, suspending the final 18 months, and jailed him for two years. The sentence reflected the seriousness of money laundering and the need for deterrence in the haulage trade.
Samantha Irwin, 36, was convicted of robbing a shop in Dublin on 20 September 2018, stealing €55 from a shop assistant while armed with a syringe. A bloodstained note found in her pocket, containing numbers for out‑of‑hours homeless accommodation, was identified by CCTV and matched to her DNA. She pleaded guilty to robbery and to possession of two shotgun cartridges found in her accommodation in April 2019. The court, hearing that she had no history of violence and was in a severe addiction episode, imposed a headline sentence of seven and a half years but reduced it to five and a half years with the final 18 months suspended. Conditions include residential drug treatment. She also received a nine‑month term for the cartridge offence, to run concurrently with the robbery sentence. The judge noted her remorse, drug‑free status, and steps taken in rehabilitation.
Daniel Wildes, 32, was convicted of assault after he violently attacked his former partner, Natasha Cummins, on 1 April 2018. The incident involved grabbing Cummins by the hair, throwing her around, kicking her, and threatening her with an electric razor. He was found guilty of assault but not guilty of false imprisonment or a threat to kill. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, suspending the final year on the condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour. The suspended year also required Wildes to stay away from Cummins and avoid any contact, directly or indirectly, for 30 years. Wildes' lawyers appealed, arguing that the 30‑year stay‑away period was unworkable and arbitrary, and that it did not consider the children's future needs. The Court of Appeal will decide whether to uphold or modify the stay‑away order. Wildes has 40 prior convictions, including assault and violent disorder.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the parents of a seven‑year‑old girl alleged to have been sexually assaulted by a creche worker testified that they did not believe their daughter had been abused when she expressed discomfort with the worker's touch. The father recounted that the girl first told him on the August Bank holiday weekend of 2016 that the worker had put his hand on her groin area and that she felt it was inappropriate. He said he and his wife raised the matter with the creche manager, who agreed it was unsuitable for children to sit on a worker's knee and promised to inform staff. The parents reported the incident to the creche and monitored their daughter daily, noting a change in staff behaviour. The case involves a 29‑year‑old man accused of 23 counts of sexual assault against four girls between February 2015 and December 2016, which he denies.
In a sexual assault trial, an eight‑year‑old girl testified that a 29‑year‑old creche care worker touched her privates and the privates of two other girls in the same manner. She said she first reported the incidents to her parents in August 2016, after which the worker stopped touching her and the other girls. The worker is charged with 23 counts of sexual assault against four girls between February 2015 and December 2016. He denies the charges. The child's interview, lasting about an hour, was conducted by Garda specialists who used conversational hooks to steer the child toward the allegations. The trial is proceeding before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury of twelve. No parties are named to protect the complainants' identities.
Peter Maguire, 41, a father of four from Tallaght, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to cultivating cannabis at his home on 2 October 2017. He had set up a grow house in the attic to produce cannabis oil for pain relief from Barrett's disease, a chronic heartburn condition that can increase cancer risk. Maguire, a former heroin addict who had become reliant on painkillers, said he chose cannabis oil to avoid relapse. He admitted to learning how to grow and extract the oil online and provided Garda Robert Whitty with detailed information about the process. Judge Melanie Greally noted his full admissions, his past efforts to reduce re‑offending risk, and the positive steps he had taken. She suspended a two‑year jail term on strict conditions, deciding it was not in the community's interest to return him to custody.
Bronwyn O'Dea (54) and Paul De Brit (56), directors of a Dublin timber import business, were convicted of fraud and deception after they promised customers that payments would be taken only after timber delivery but failed to deliver. They used customer money to fund the company, which was in financial distress, and stole €19,124 from Mr Peter Andrews of The Wood Floor Store, Lancashire, England. The total loss to complainants between December 2006 and May 2008 was about €200,000. Both pleaded guilty. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced O'Dea to a three‑year prison term, suspended, and De Brit to four years, three of which were suspended. The court noted that all customers lost money and received no timber, and that the directors did not benefit from the fraud. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Garda Ciara Holmes gave evidence about her interview of a six‑year‑old girl who was a victim of alleged sexual assault by a childcare worker. Holmes explained that the child declined a recorded interview on 22 December 2016 but was interviewed on 4 January 2017 after a visit to her home on 29 December. She said she met the child and her parents, reassured the child that she had done nothing wrong, and noted the child's body language. Holmes denied that the investigation was a "box‑ticking charade" and said she would have informed the parents if the child had expressed fear or reluctance to talk. She also rejected the defence's claim that the decision‑making log was merely a form‑filling exercise, stating that it reflected the child's willingness to speak. The trial continues before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury of twelve. The unnamed 29-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A Dublin man, Anthony McNamara, aged 27, received a five‑and‑a‑half‑year prison sentence for taking part in an "animalistic" attack on a family home in Ardmore Park, Tallaght, on 9 October 2018. The gang, about ten men, most wearing balaclavas and hoods, broke a wooden fence and smashed the house's front window, with McNamara armed with a machete. He also threw a child's scooter at a female resident, who was struck on the head and later could not open her mouth for eight months. The court found McNamara guilty of violent disorder, possession of a machete during a dispute and criminal damage. Judge Pauline Codd noted the violence continued after the homeowners retreated, and she suspended the final six months of the sentence on the condition he keep the peace. The sentence runs concurrently with a three‑year term imposed in December 2018 for a separate assault, both back‑dated to October 2018.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Garda Ciara Holmes admitted she failed to instruct two child interviewees to tell the truth during January 2017 interviews, describing it as an oversight. Holmes, 29, faces 23 counts of sexual assault against four girls at a Leinster creche between February 2015 and December 2016. The trial presented video footage of the first two complainants' specialist interviews. The first girl reported the accused touched her privates in the creche and on the creche bus, while the second alleged he licked her privates in the bathroom and classroom. Garda Louise Curtin testified that the second girl, then six, had not been told she could refuse to speak and expressed fear during the interview. The case proceeds before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury of twelve. The unnamed 29-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Garda Sean Lucey, aged 42, was set to be sentenced for assaulting RTÉ cameraman Mr Colm Hand during street protests on 6 February 2016. Lucey, a public order officer stationed at Crumlin Village and Sundrive Road, struck Hand in the groin with a baton while Hand was filming. Hand suffered bruising and pain and later described sleeplessness, worry and stress in his victim impact statement, claiming the incident shattered his confidence. Lucey pleaded not guilty to one count of assault causing harm and to damaging Hand's camera. He was convicted of assault after a five‑day trial in December and acquitted of the criminal damage charge. The judge adjourned finalisation of the case until the following Friday, remanding Lucey on continuing bail while considering a deferred sentence under Section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006.
Joseph Fraser, a 43-year-old businessman from Leopardstown who formerly owned Fraser Oil, has had his appeal against the severity of his sentence dismissed by the Court of Appeal. Fraser pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman at Foxborough Downs in Lucan on September 19, 2017. Judge Melanie Greally originally sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, on November 27, 2018. Representing himself after dismissing his legal team, Fraser argued that the sentencing judge rushed to judgment and failed to consider a non-custodial option. He also contested the finding that the victim suffered a broken eye socket, claiming it was merely bruised, and suggested the judge should have heard DNA evidence regarding his boots. The Court of Appeal, led by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, rejected these submissions. She stated that the circumstances were so extreme that a custodial sentence was unavoidable and confirmed the factual basis for the injury findings. The court noted that Fraser had not sought a Newton Hearing at the original sentencing to present additional evidence. Ms Justice Kennedy further clarified that arguments regarding temporary release were matters for the executive, not the courts. The three-judge panel, including Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh, upheld the original sentence, leaving Fraser with an effective custody period of two and a half years.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, a 10‑year‑old girl, the second complainant, testified that she may have fabricated parts of her story about a 29‑year‑old childcare worker accused of sexually assaulting four girls. The girl, who was six at the time of the alleged incidents, had previously given a video interview in January 2017, describing the worker as pulling her pants down, holding her against a wall, and licking her privates. During cross‑examination, the defence counsel suggested she might have told untrue stories to amuse friends. The girl admitted uncertainty about some details, such as the worker placing his "willy" in her hand, and said she might have been scared to repeat false stories. She agreed that she had not been told she could refuse to talk to the Gardaí. The accused has pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of sexual assault spanning February 2015 to December 2016.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, McAleer & Rushe UK Ltd was found guilty of failing to carry out an asbestos risk assessment during refurbishment work at Findlater House, Cathal Brugha Street, on 23 June 2016. The company had previously conducted two asbestos surveys the year before, but the area where the work was carried out had not been included because it was not part of the planned conversion. While asbestos had been removed elsewhere in the building by a specialist, the subcontractor's workers discovered a tile with a warning sticker during demolition. Analysis confirmed the presence of amosite or brown asbestos. The company's director, Declan McLogan, pleaded guilty on behalf of the firm, acknowledging that the failure to assess risk could have exposed employees to asbestos dust.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 29‑year‑old accused of sexually assaulting four girls aged five to eight at a Leinster creche pleaded not guilty to 23 counts. The trial has heard evidence from one complainant, now 11, who was interviewed by Garda Louise Curtin in January 2017. The child described the accused touching her privates in various creche locations and said it hurt. Curtin, a specialist interviewer, admitted she did not follow all "Good Practice" guidelines, including not establishing the importance of truth, discussing fantasy versus reality, or assessing suggestibility and alliance among children. She also omitted a question about honesty. The jury viewed a video of the interview, and the case continues before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury of twelve.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a father of an 11‑year‑old girl testified that he could not imagine a sexual assault occurring in a busy creche. The accused, a 29‑year‑old child‑care worker, faces 23 counts of sexually assaulting four girls aged five to eight between February 2015 and December 2016. The father recounted that when his daughter, then eight, told him the carer had "touched her privates," he sought an innocent explanation. He visited the creche the next day, where the noise and activity made him uneasy, and later learned the manager had informed him of an allegation involving his daughter. He told the court that his daughter claimed another girl had kissed the accused's privates, and that she later felt sick. The trial continues before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury of seven men and five women. The unnamed 29-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Shane Fay, who was 18 when he was caught with 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition in his bedroom, was sentenced to two years in prison. He admitted to storing the bullets after being asked to do so and claimed a cocaine dependency. Fay pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 3 October 2018. While awaiting sentencing, he was attacked and stabbed ten times, suffering severe wounds and lung damage. His attackers also cut his fingers, severing tendons. Fay was a carer for his wheelchair‑bound parents; his father had lost his legs to alcohol abuse and his mother had an extreme reaction to a mosquito bite during a state‑funded respite holiday. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the final year of a three‑year term, citing his early guilty plea, his youth and his difficult background.
Brian O'Connor, 25, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for burglary at McGrath's Pub in Drumcondra on February 28, 2019. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge. Prosecution evidence indicated O'Connor entered the premises by kicking through ceiling boards after climbing in through the roof. He was discovered hiding in the attic by gardaí, who had been alerted by a carpenter who saw him looking out a window. O'Connor was arrested but was too intoxicated to be interviewed initially and made no admissions when later questioned. Judge Melanie Greally noted that O'Connor caused substantial damage to the roof and ceiling and intended to steal alcohol and cash. She also acknowledged his history of 103 previous convictions. In mitigation, defense counsel highlighted O'Connor's chaotic childhood, a suicide attempt as a teenager, and his cooperation during arrest despite intoxication. The court sentenced O'Connor to three years in prison, suspending the final nine months on strict conditions.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a 29‑year‑old childcare worker faced 23 counts of sexual assault against four girls aged five to eight between February 2015 and December 2016. The 11‑year‑old girl, the first to give evidence, denied that her allegations were fabricated. She testified that the accused touched her privates, sometimes under her clothes and sometimes over them, and pressed a buzzing mobile phone against her. The incidents reportedly occurred in the after‑school room's book corner, on a creche bus seat belt, a window sill, and a toilet cubicle. She said the worker also assaulted her best friend and another girl, and that he sometimes offered sweets before touching. The defence cross‑examined her via videolink, and she maintained she was not making the allegations up. The trial focused on the alleged assaults and the defendant's plea of not guilty.
Martin Lumsden, 35, with 110 prior convictions, was arrested after climbing over the railings of Gaelscoil Cholmcille in Coolock and stealing €880.78 from Trócaire boxes. Garda Finbarr Fleming found a heavy bag with coins and evidence of a smashed side window and rummaged principal's office. Lumsden pleaded guilty to burglary of the school on 18 April 2018 and to robbery and possession of a firearm at Mace shop on 7 May 2018, where he stole about €500 from two tills and used a gun. The firearm and money were not recovered. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to a two‑year term for burglary and a consecutive five‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term for armed robbery, suspending all sentences for seven years on the condition of remaining drug‑free, keeping the peace and engaging with the Peter McVerry Trust. John Finn, 32, was also convicted of the burglary; he received a separate sentence at a prior hearing.
In February 2014, 16‑year‑old Michael Cawley, with two other men, attempted to force entry into a home on Brewery Road, Stillorgan, Dublin. While the couple inside held their bodies against the door, Cawley used a screwdriver to try to jimmy the lock, but the men failed and left after the door was destroyed. Later that evening, Cawley forced open a window in an empty house on Wilson Road, Mount Merrion, and stole €5,000 worth of property, including a PlayStation console, 600 cigarettes, and a family BMW. The car was later found near his home in Ballycullen. Cawley fled to the UK, where he was charged with burglary in 2016, and returned to Ireland, where he pleaded guilty to attempted burglary and burglary at the Stillorgan house.
A 29‑year‑old childcare worker, Sean Guerin, is on trial for 23 counts of sexually assaulting four girls aged five to eight between February 2015 and December 2016. The alleged assaults took place in various locations within a Leinster creche, including an after‑school room, a bathroom and a creche bus. One complainant is charged with eight counts of Guerin licking her vagina, allegedly in an upstairs toilet and a bathroom area outside cubicles that was covered by CCTV except for a glass‑paneled door. Guerin claimed he was uncomfortable with children sitting on his knees, saying it made him vulnerable to complaints; a written policy was issued in April 2015 advising workers not to allow children to sit on their knees. The unnamed 29-year-old pleaded not guilty.
David Fox, 51, of Croftwood Crescent, Ballyfermot, Dublin, was sentenced to four years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended, for storing over €320,000 worth of illegal drugs in his bedroom in exchange for €50. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis and cocaine for sale or supply at his address on 5 November 2016. Gardaí, acting on a warrant, found a large cardboard box beside Fox's bed containing 6.92 kg of cannabis and 2.59 kg of cocaine. Fox initially claimed one of his daughters was responsible but later accepted sole responsibility. He said he was short on money and agreed to hold the drugs for one night for €50, claiming no drug debt. He had no prior convictions and had recently split from his partner, fighting custody of his two youngest daughters.
Michael Barry, aged 35, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for two violent assaults on shop assistants that caused them to leave their jobs. In the first incident at a Spar shop on Liffey Street, Barry hurled shopping baskets and beer cans at a staff member, fracturing the man's arm. CCTV footage showed Barry assaulting the victim while he lay on the ground. Two months later, Barry and an accomplice attempted to steal five coats from the Patagonia outlet on Exchequer Street. Their co‑accused pushed a shop assistant, who injured her wrist, and Barry threatened a colleague with a blade as they fled with five jackets. Barry pleaded guilty to assault and theft, had 37 prior convictions, and was given consecutive sentences totalling four years, with the final year suspended on strict conditions. The court noted the relentless nature of the violence and Barry's efforts to address his drug addiction.
Oliver Callely, 28, of Clontarf, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for igniting fireworks at Copper Face Jacks nightclub on Harcourt Street on July 6, 2015. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge. Judge Karen O'Connor, who heard evidence in December, ordered Callely to perform 240 hours of community service over a 12-month period in lieu of a two-year prison sentence. The maximum penalty for the offence was five years. The court heard that the firework struck a victim in the smoking area, causing burns that required eight visits to a burns unit over two months. The victim stated the injuries impacted his sports career but did not wish for Callely to be imprisoned. Defence counsel Dean Kelly BL described the act as reckless rather than intentional, noting Callely had paid €6,500 to the victim. Judge O'Connor acknowledged the difficult family circumstances and high-profile father but stated that drinking was no defence. She emphasized that Callely had opportunities most people lacked and warned him that this was his last chance. The matter was concluded with the imposition of the community service order.
Lisa Geoghegan, aged 34, was found guilty by a jury of one count of assault causing harm to Aidan Kenna and one count of assaulting Garda Anthony Sugrue. She also pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage to a prison cell wall at Blanchardstown Garda Station. The jury found her not guilty of five other counts, including producing a stanley knife in the course of an assault, two counts of assault causing harm to two gardaí, one count of damaging a garda ballistics vest and one count of intimidating a witness. The trial, held at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, described how Geoghegan assaulted Kenna's brother, stabbed him with a knife, bit his hand, and later kicked a garda in the groin during her arrest. After being detained, she wrote the word 'PIGS' on the cell wall using menstrual blood, an act that cost €150 to clean.
Jeffrey Crowley, aged 23, received a nine‑year and three‑month sentence, with the final 15 months suspended, for a series of violent offences. He pleaded guilty to crashing a stolen bicycle into 72‑year‑old English tourist Christine Booth at Smithfield Square on 2 August 2019, causing serious injuries, and to damaging a bike lock and stealing a phone on the same day. He also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Jason Kidd at Merchants Quay on 24 October 2018, to stealing a phone at Queen Street on 24 July, and to damaging a phone at Georges Lane on 11 December 2016, during which he pushed a woman to the ground and kicked her. The judge noted the offences were a sequence of gratuitous violence and that Crowley had refused help from state bodies, including probation visits. He has 92 previous convictions and is currently serving a suspended sentence for a prior assault conviction.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, a 29‑year‑old childcare worker, whose name is withheld, pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of sexually assaulting four girls aged 5‑8 at a Leinster creche between February 2015 and December 2016. The alleged assaults occurred in a bathroom, an after‑school room and on the creche's bus. The creche owner reported the allegations to parents in December 2016, after a child had confided in another. Parents notified Gardaí, and an investigation began. CCTV footage from the creche and interviews with the girls, conducted in January 2017, will be presented. The worker, who began working in 2013 and was due to be dismissed in 2016 for incomplete childcare training, was suspended pending the investigation. The trial is expected to last three weeks. The jury will hear the worker's denials and the presumption of innocence. The case is ongoing.
During a robbery at Real Brazil on 20 September 2018, 36‑year‑old Samantha Irwin, armed with a syringe, stole €55 from a shop assistant. A bloodstained post‑it note fell from her pocket while she was being recorded on CCTV; the note listed out‑of‑hours homeless accommodation services. Detective Garda Michelle Fitzpatrick identified the note and matched DNA from the blood on it to Irwin. The shop assistant, who managed to pull her arm free, later stated she now works only day shifts and feels anxious about being alone in the shop. Irwin pleaded guilty to robbery and to possession of two shotgun cartridges found in her accommodation in April 2019. She has 19 prior convictions, mainly for traffic offences, and has sought help for drug addiction. The court adjourned sentencing to 5 March 2020 for a full plea in mitigation.
In July 2016, Thomas Cassin, 49, entered an off‑licence in Killbarrack Shopping Centre wearing a ski mask and demanding money. He threatened staff with a knife, though none was seen, and the staff member initially thought it was a joke. Cassin was pursued by security guards who tried to restrain him until Gardaí arrived. A ten‑minute struggle ensued, part verbal and part physical; Cassin punched a guard, fracturing the guard's nose, and sustained a cut above his eye. Cassin left the store empty‑handed on a push bike. CCTV footage and DNA from blood on the guard's shirt identified him. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Sentencing was adjourned to May 5, 2020 to allow a probation report to be prepared.
The trial of a 29‑year‑old man accused of sexually assaulting four girls in a Leinster creche has been postponed because he is ill. He pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of assaulting children between February 2015 and December 2016, allegedly at various creche locations. The jury, composed of five women and seven men, was empanelled on 10 February, but the trial has been delayed since then. Judge Elma Sheahan informed the jurors that the defendant, who is on bail, was unwell and that the trial will resume tomorrow morning with evidence.
James Brady, 25, was found by Gardaí at his parents' home in Donaghmede, Dublin, with several bags of cannabis hidden in a punching bag and a tracksuit top. He pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply on 29 September 2017. Garda James Mulhern reported that Brady admitted to holding the drugs and selling some to friends, receiving payment in cannabis rather than money. The seized cannabis was valued at €4,492, while a small amount of cocaine worth €40 was deemed for personal use. Brady has five prior drug possession convictions and a 2019 sentence that was fully suspended on condition of engaging with Probation Services. Judge Melanie Greally noted Brady's sister's death in 2012 as a factor in his drug use and indicated she would consider a non‑custodial sentence if he complies with the probation regime, with the matter adjourned to 30 April.
Aidan Keane, aged 22, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for robbing a student, Kieran Flynn, at a McDonald's in Grafton Street on 3 April 2019. Flynn, a 20‑year‑old student, had entered a basement cubicle when a man began banging on the door and shouting "Gardaí open up." Keane seized Flynn's mobile phone while the victim was in a chokehold and fled. He was later found with the phone by Garda Ruth Finnegan, who told him he had taken it from the ground after it fell out of Flynn's pocket during the robbery. Keane has 27 prior convictions, including a 7‑year sentence in 2015 with 3½ years suspended, which was partially reactivated after later offences. The judge noted Keane's efforts to stay drug‑free and his 14‑month‑old son, and imposed the 18‑month suspended term on strict conditions. Aidan Keane pleaded guilty.
A man named Declan Murphy, from North Frederick Street, Dublin, is on trial for his alleged participation in a burglary at a Howth home. The burglary involved a woman and her eight‑year‑old daughter who were tied up with cable ties and held in a bathroom while the men searched the house for cash and jewellery. The perpetrators fled in a 2007 Honda CR‑V that was later abandoned with a flat tyre in Howth village. Prosecutor Dominic McGinn argued that Murphy was one of two or three men who carried out the burglary, invoking the joint enterprise doctrine to hold him liable for all acts committed during the crime, even if he did not personally tie the victims or take the loot. Declan Murphy pleaded not guilty.
A 62‑year‑old man was jailed for 18 months for indecent assault on his younger cousin between January 1978 and December 1980. He pleaded guilty to four charges and had no prior convictions. The victim, now 52, had first complained to Gardaí in December 2018 while visiting her family in Ireland. She had waited until the deaths of her mother and aunt before reporting the abuse, citing kindness to them. The court noted the unusual admission of guilt and the victim's extreme emotional suffering. Judge Melanie Greally imposed consecutive sentences totalling three years, then suspended the final 18 months, citing the man's guilty pleas, lack of convictions, remorse, age, time elapsed, employment and a psychological report. The case highlighted the long‑term impact on the victim, including alcohol difficulties and psychiatric help. The man remains a caretaker in the family home.
Damien Gray, 36, was found asleep beside a playground in Hermitage Park, Lucan, where officers discovered a Kleenex packet containing €5,700 worth of heroin in individual street deals and later a quantity of crack cocaine. He pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 31 May 2017. With 12 prior convictions, including three drug offences, Judge Cormac Quinn sentenced him to two years imprisonment but suspended the sentence in full on strict conditions, requiring compliance with Probation Service directions for 12 months. Gray admitted acquiring the drugs three or four days earlier to fund his living and claimed he owed €500 to a friend. He stated he had been smoking heroin for two weeks and feared trouble after the drugs were seized. Garda Ronan Culligan noted that Gray's home was broken into and he was attacked with a machete, leaving scars.
In the early hours of March 24 last year, 25‑year‑old Alfie Wood was standing in Temple Bar, Dublin, holding two beer bottles when Mark Canavan and his girlfriend passed by. Canavan warned Wood that Gardaí were nearby and that he might get in trouble for the bottles. Wood replied, "What did you say to me?" and then charged at Canavan, punching him in the face and knocking him to the ground. Wood pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm. He had no prior convictions. The court noted that Canavan had suffered a lacerated lip requiring five sutures and two rounds of dental treatment. Wood's early guilty plea, cooperation with Gardaí, and €2,000 token of remorse were considered mitigating factors. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced Wood to two years, suspended in full. Wood admitted the assault was unjustified and that he had been out socialising, separated from friends, and that it was "a bit of a blur.".
Patrick Murphy, 43, of Cabra, Dublin, pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to an assault on the Navan Road on June 23, 2016. The court heard that Murphy, who has longstanding mental health issues and 20 previous convictions including two for assault, grabbed a child he mistakenly believed was his kidnapped niece. Garda Jennifer Connolly testified that Murphy ran across the road with a "crazy look in his eyes," seized the child around the waist, and stated he thought someone had her for ransom. He released the child after her grandmother held on tightly. The court noted Murphy had been discharged from Connolly Hospital the day prior and was taken to the Mater Hospital psychiatric department by gardaí the morning of the incident, where he was discharged to attend a GP clinic. He was holding his hospital referral letter during the event. The family expressed concern for Murphy's mental health rather than seeking imprisonment. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a one-month sentence of imprisonment, which she deferred until May 15. She indicated she will strike out the sentence on that date, leaving Murphy without a conviction.
James Gallagher, aged 33, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm and recklessly discharging a firearm at Cullen's Yard, Greenhill Road, Walkinstown on 4 August 2018. He fired a single‑barrel shotgun at a man, John O'Connor, who was buying car parts at the scrapyard. O'Connor was not the intended target; he was struck by multiple pellet wounds, knocked to the ground, and later taken to Tallaght Hospital. Another man received minor injuries but did not require hospital treatment. The shotgun was never recovered. CCTV identified Gallagher, and a discarded tracksuit bottom linked to him was found. Gallagher has 42 prior convictions, including theft, criminal damage, drug possession for sale, and traffic offences. He has two children. The judge imposed a five‑year concurrent sentence, effective from 4 December 2018, after noting his efforts to overcome drug addiction.