The Special Criminal Court heard evidence on 30 November 2016 regarding bomb threats and an incendiary device discovered during a state visit by Queen Elizabeth in May 2011. Donal Billings, aged 66, of St Bridget's Court, Drumlish, County Longford, was convicted last month of unlawful possession of an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park on 16 May 2011, and four offences under the Criminal Law Act 1976 of making false reports. He was found guilty of falsely reporting bombs at Busáras and Sinn Féin headquarters in Dublin, at Dublin Castle, and at Cork airport. A suspicious device containing gunpowder and petrol was discovered in a bus luggage compartment. Phone calls made by the accused coincided with Queen Elizabeth's presence in the State. Gardaí traced the calls through mobile phone analysis and CCTV evidence. The court rejected a bail application. Billings was remanded in custody pending sentencing on 15 December 2016.
Shire Ali, a 41‑year‑old Somalian with a brain injury, was arrested at Dublin Airport after customs found 38.3 kg of khat in his luggage. He had travelled from Nairobi to Glasgow, but was stopped while transiting Dublin. Ali pleaded guilty to importation and possession of the drug, which is banned in Ireland. He has no prior convictions and had been in custody since his arrest. The court, noting his vulnerability and lack of fixed abode, imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years. The suspended portion will be enforced only if he fails to leave Ireland within 72 hours. Arrangements are being made for a flight to Stockholm to facilitate his departure. The judge highlighted that Ali's cognitive difficulties, stemming from an inter‑cranial haemorrhage in 2008, required additional assistance in managing his life.
Shire Ali, a 41‑year‑old Somalian with a brain injury, will be sentenced for bringing 38.3 kg of khat into Dublin Airport from Kenya. He travelled to Africa believing it was a holiday, but was returned to Sweden after two days with the drugs. Khat, a north‑African plant with amphetamine‑like effects, was outlawed in Ireland in 2014. Ali pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 24 June 2016 for possession of khat at Terminal Two. He had no fixed abode, no previous convictions, and was in custody since his arrest. Customs stopped him while transiting from Nairobi to Glasgow; his suitcases were searched and the drug was found. He claimed he was given the bags by a man in Kenya and did not realise he was carrying khat. He had no money on him. Prosecutor Dara Hayes noted three similar cases with similar itineraries.
Petrica Lucaci, a 25‑year‑old Romanian, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for a series of offences committed on 7 October 2014, including unlawful seizure of a vehicle, assault, assault of a peace officer, dangerous driving and two counts of endangerment. The original sentence, imposed by Judge Terence O'Sullivan on 11 May 2016, suspended the final year. On appeal the Court of Appeal found that the "out of character" nature of the conduct, Lucaci's guilty plea and his offer of substantial compensation warranted a longer suspended period. Consequently, Judge Alan Mahon re‑sentenced him to five years with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended, requiring a good‑behaviour bond for that period. Lucaci had no prior convictions in Ireland or Romania and had been living in Ireland for three months as a gardener when the incident occurred.
A 66-year-old man from Drumlish, County Longford has been convicted at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin of possessing an explosive substance and making bomb threats during a state visit in May 2011. Donal Billings was found guilty of unlawfully possessing an explosive device at Longford railway station car park on May 16th, 2011, and of four counts under the Criminal Law Act of 1976 relating to false bomb reports. He was convicted of making false reports claiming bombs had been placed at Busáras and Sinn Féin headquarters in Dublin, at Dublin Castle, and at Cork airport. The court heard that an improvised explosive device was discovered on a passenger bus following one of the telephoned threats. Evidence established that phone calls making the threats were made using a SIM card purchased by Billings in Longford and traced to his mobile phone's unique identifier. The three judges rejected his claims of coincidence and found him an unreliable witness. Billings was remanded in custody pending sentencing on November 30th.
A 66-year-old man from Drumlish, County Longford has denied five charges relating to bomb threats made during a state visit in May 2011. Donal Billings stands accused of unlawful possession of an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park and of making four false reports under the Criminal Law Act, allegedly threatening bombs at locations including Dublin and Cork airport. The Special Criminal Court heard closing arguments on Wednesday. The prosecution submitted that circumstantial evidence, including a SIM card found in Mr Billings's possession and mobile phone records, proved his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Prosecuting counsel described the defendant's testimony as "utterly incredible" and "completely implausible". The defence disputed the reliability of phone evidence and argued insufficient direct proof connected Mr Billings to explosives found on a bus. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding with two other judges, will deliver a verdict on 26 October. Mr Billings was remanded on continuing bail.
A 66-year-old man from Drumlish, County Longford has told the Special Criminal Court that he was visiting his brother in hospital on the night an improvised explosive device was discovered on a Dublin-bound passenger bus on the eve of a royal state visit in May 2011. Donal Billings denies unlawful possession of an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park and four charges under the Criminal Law Act of 1976 relating to false bomb reports made to gardaí, including threats involving Busáras, Sinn Féin headquarters, Dublin Castle and Cork airport. The prosecution alleges Mr Billings placed the device on the bus and made threatening calls during the Queen's visit. Giving evidence through an interpreter, the accused stated there was no forensic evidence, witnesses or fingerprints linking him to the charges and characterised the case against him as entirely circumstantial. He told the court he found a SIM card in a carpark and picked it up. The trial continues.
A 65-year-old man from Drumlish in County Longford has pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park on 16 May 2011. The prosecution alleges he placed an improvised explosive device in the baggage compartment of a Dublin-bound passenger bus on the eve of a State visit. He is also charged with four offences under the Criminal Law Act 1976, relating to false reports made to gardaí on separate dates claiming bombs were placed at various locations including Busáras, Sinn Féin headquarters, Dublin Castle, and Cork airport. Before the Special Criminal Court, defence counsel submitted that evidence for the explosives charge was "highly doubtful" and argued there was no connection between the accused and the device found on the bus. Prosecution counsel contended the charges must be viewed together. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding with two other judges, indicated the court would deliberate on the defence application to have the charge dismissed. The trial resumes the following morning.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Lithuanian citizen Algirdas Dapkunas, aged 47, was found guilty of evading duty on 22,000 Marlboro Gold cigarettes, valued at over €11,700, which he attempted to bring into Ireland. Customs officials discovered the cigarettes during an X‑ray scan of his luggage and identified a boarding pass for a return flight to Lithuania hidden in his sock. Dapkunas admitted he carried the cigarettes because they were cheaper in Ireland and intended to sell some. He was arrested on 18 August after being stopped at the green channel in Dublin Airport and has been in custody since. The court imposed a suspended six‑month sentence and barred him from returning to Ireland for three years, with conditions that he depart Dublin within seven days. No prior convictions were noted. The case highlights the enforcement of duty‑evasion laws at Irish borders.
A telecommunications engineer gave evidence at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin regarding mobile phone mast data from County Longford during the state visit of Queen Elizabeth in May 2011. Donal Billings, aged 65, of St Bridget's Court, Drumlish, faces five charges under the Criminal Law Act 1976, including making false reports of bombs at locations including Busáras, Sinn Féin headquarters, Dublin Castle, and Cork Airport on dates spanning May 16th to May 20th, 2011. He is also charged with unlawful possession of an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park. Mr Billings has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Evidence indicated that phone calls made to Longford Garda Station from an 086 number were routed through masts at Edgeworthstown and near Longford town. The trial continues.
A trial at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin has heard evidence concerning a mobile telephone number allegedly linked to bomb threats made during the State visit of the Queen in May 2011. Donal Billings, aged 65, of St Bridget's Court, Drumlish, County Longford, has pleaded not guilty to four charges of knowingly making false reports under the Criminal Law Act 1976, and one charge of unlawful possession of an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park on 16 May 2011. The allegations include false reports of bombs at Busáras and Sinn Féin headquarters on 16 May, mortars at Dublin Castle on 18 May, and bombs at Cork airport toilets on 20 May. Detective Garda Enda Daly testified that Mr Billings was arrested on 20 May in a LIDL carpark in Longford whilst seated in a white Seat Ibiza. Two mobile phones and a SIM card were recovered. Telecommunications data established that the phone number associated with the SIM card called Longford Garda Station on both 16 and 20 May.
The trial of Donal Billings, aged 65, of St Bridget's Court, Drumlish, County Longford, continues before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin. Mr Billings has pleaded not guilty to possessing an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park on 16 May 2011, and to four charges under the Criminal Law Act 1976 relating to false reports of bomb threats made to locations including Busáras, Sinn Féin headquarters, Dublin Castle, and Cork Airport. During proceedings, Sergeant Philip Coffey of Roscommon Garda Station described searching a white Seat Ibiza vehicle on 20 May 2011, during which he recovered transparent gloves, a mobile phone SIM card pack, a homemade funnel, and a five-litre water bottle containing a yellowish liquid with a petrol odour. CCTV footage from Longford train station was presented to the court. The trial continues.
A man from County Longford is on trial at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin accused of making false bomb threats during a state visit in May 2011. Donal Billings, aged 65, of St Bridget's Court, Drumlish, has pleaded not guilty to four charges under the Criminal Law Act 1976 of knowingly making false reports tending to show that offences had been committed. He faces separate allegations of making false threats concerning explosives at Busáras and a political party headquarters on 16 May, at Dublin Castle on 18 May, and at Cork Airport on 20 May. He is also charged with unlawful possession of an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park on 16 May 2011. During proceedings, a garda told the court that a caller to Longford Garda Station claimed membership of the "Republican Brotherhood, Squad A" and stated mortars were positioned at Dublin Castle. A detective inspector outlined the investigation, which involved surveillance and resulted in an arrest at a Longford supermarket car park. The trial is ongoing.
A 65-year-old man from Drumlish in County Longford has pleaded not guilty to charges of making false bomb threat reports during Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Ireland in May 2011. Donal Billings faces four counts under the Criminal Law Act relating to alleged threats made on three separate dates, and one count of unlawful possession of an explosive substance. The Special Criminal Court in Dublin heard evidence concerning a mobile phone number allegedly used to make calls to Longford garda station threatening attacks on locations including Dublin Castle and Cork Airport. An O2 shop employee testified that a customer purchased a SIM card on 16 May using the disputed phone number, providing the name Paul Brennan. CCTV footage from the shopping centre was examined by gardaí to track the individual's movements. The trial continues.
The Special Criminal Court in Dublin is currently hearing the trial of Donal Billings, a 65-year-old man from County Longford, who has pleaded not guilty to five charges. The prosecution alleges that Billings unlawfully possessed an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park on May 16, 2011, and made four false bomb reports under the Criminal Law Act of 1976. These alleged false reports included claims of bombs at Busáras, Sinn Féin headquarters, Dublin Castle, and Cork airport, with the latter threat allegedly made by an anonymous caller who stated the device was "for the Queen." Evidence presented includes testimony from a bus driver who identified a man placing an item on a vehicle, and gardaí who responded to the threats without finding devices. The court rejected a defence application to adjourn or defer the trial due to translation concerns, ruling that Billings is adequately supported by legal and linguistic experts. The trial is ongoing, with no findings, sentences, or finalisations recorded at this procedural stage.
A Special Criminal Court trial has heard that gardaí discovered an improvised explosive device on a passenger bus bound for Dublin on the eve of a royal visit in May 2011. Donal Billings, aged 65, of Drumlish, County Longford, is charged with unlawful possession of an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park on May 16th, 2011, and with four offences of making false bomb reports under the Criminal Law Act 1976. The charges allege he made false reports claiming bombs were positioned at Busáras Dublin, Sinn Féin headquarters, Dublin Castle, and Cork airport between May 16th and 20th. Mr Billings has pleaded not guilty to all five charges. Garda evidence established that the device, located in a Tesco bag beneath a Corduff Travel bus at Straffan Road rail station in Maynooth, contained a two-litre bottle of flammable liquid, copper piping filled with explosive material, a mechanical timer, battery, and firework components. An Army Bomb Disposal Unit member disabled the device, confirming it possessed capability to cause serious injury. The trial continues.
A man charged in connection with bomb threats made to Longford garda station during a state visit by Queen Elizabeth II in May 2011 has pleaded not guilty to all charges before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin. Donal Billings, aged 65, of Drumlish, County Longford, faces one charge of unlawful possession of an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park and four charges under the Criminal Law Act of making false reports. The prosecution alleges Mr Billings made threatening calls on three separate dates claiming bombs had been placed at locations including Busáras in Dublin, Sinn Féin headquarters, Dublin Castle, and Cork airport. Evidence is expected to show that a suspect device was recovered from a bus stopped in County Kildare. The court heard that phone records and CCTV footage from a shopping centre in Longford will form part of the prosecution case. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt alongside two other judges, is expected to last four weeks.
Mantis Kerbelis, 23, was arrested at Dublin Airport after customs discovered a whiskey bottle containing 83 pellets of cocaine worth €91,079. He claimed he had no knowledge of the drugs and that the container was given to him in Dubai as part of a deal for a short holiday in Ireland. Kerbelis pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at Terminal Two on 5 February 2016. Judge Melanie Greally, noting his good cooperation, imposed a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final 18 months on the condition he leaves the country within seven days of release. He has one prior domestic‑violence conviction in Lithuania and had recently divorced after financial difficulties. He has been in custody since his arrest and has used his time productively.
A man from Cabra West in Dublin has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, following his conviction for involvement in a cocaine importation scheme at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Michael Moore (62) of Killala Road pleaded guilty to possession of one kilogramme of cocaine discovered at Finglas on 4 September 2009. Gardaí intercepted thirteen packages addressed to a bogus engineering company at Dublin Airport; Moore and a co-accused were arrested while examining one such package at a UPS depot. During detention, Moore received threatening text messages demanding he answer his phone and warning he was "playing a dangerous game". He initially denied involvement but later admitted arranging for the package's collection, claiming he believed it contained cash rather than drugs. Moore told officers he had been provided a phone by associates in Spain and feared for his family's safety. He was released on High Court bail but subsequently absconded for six years before his arrest last May following his return to Ireland.
An Ecuadorian man, Angel Felix Garcia, aged 30, was jailed for nine months after attempting to smuggle cannabis into Ireland to fund an eye operation for his daughter. Garcia was arrested at Dublin Airport on 5 February 2016 after a customs officer searched him and found 150 cannabis pellets weighing 1.5 kg, valued at under €9,000. He admitted swallowing the pellets and had purchased €2,500 worth of drugs with savings, hoping to sell them for €6,000 to cover the €5,500 operation. Garcia explained that the 2016 Ecuador earthquake had destroyed his family's home, placing his two daughters and former partner on the missing persons list. He pleaded guilty, showing "uncommon candour," and received an 18‑month sentence with the final nine months suspended, back‑dated to his arrest. The judge noted his early guilty plea and his willingness to search for his family.
Lucas Lima, a 25‑year‑old Brazilian student living at Mountjoy Square, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to importing cocaine into Ireland. He was offered €1,000 to €3,000 to transport a bag containing €139,650 worth of cocaine from Spain to Dublin Airport on 11 January 2016. Revenue officials intercepted him at the airport using customs profiling; they found three plastic bottles in a second suitcase, the lids of which were glued and contained cocaine when opened. Lima claimed he needed money to renew his student visa and pay for an English‑language college, and that a Brazilian acquaintance offered him payment for the delivery. Garda Kevin Nolan said Lima knew he was bringing illicit goods. Judge Elma Sheahan, noting the circumstances, imposed a six‑year sentence, suspended the final three and a half years, and allowed her to depart from the mandatory ten‑year minimum for the offence.
Lucas Lima, a 25‑year‑old Brazilian language student, admitted to transporting a bag of cocaine from Spain to Dublin to raise money for college fees. He was offered between €1,000 and €3,000 to carry €139,650 worth of cocaine. At Dublin Airport on 11 January 2016, customs officials, using profiling techniques, stopped him and discovered three plastic bottles in a second suitcase; the lids were glued and the contents were cocaine. Lima had returned from a two‑day trip to Barcelona and had an extra suitcase. He claimed that a Brazilian acquaintance, aware of his financial difficulties, offered the money if he completed the delivery. Garda Kevin Nolan said Lima knew he was carrying illicit goods and was aware of the risk. Judge Elma Sheahan adjourned sentencing to a Thursday, stating she needed time to consider her verdict. The defence argued the offence was out of character and that Lima would leave Ireland and never return.
A judge at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has ordered the return of cash stolen from a Leitrim takeaway after it was recovered from an employee at Dublin Airport. Vlad Emanuel Blanaru was stopped by customs officers on August 30, 2015, as he and his girlfriend prepared to board a flight to Amsterdam. Officers discovered over €6,900 in cash that gardaí in Carrick-on-Shannon later established had been taken from the safe at Marius Takeaway in Drumshanbo the previous day. Blanaru, of Carrick Road, Drumshanbo, claimed he had earned the money through his work at the establishment, though he later told the customs officer he intended to purchase an engagement ring. The takeaway owner subsequently reported the theft, stating €7,600 had been stolen, including €3,000 belonging to an employee. Judge Melanie Greally concluded the seized cash represented proceeds of theft and ordered its return to the rightful owners rather than forfeiture to the State.
Angelo Zullino, a 49‑year‑old former Swiss bank clerk, was stopped by customs at Dublin Airport while preparing to fly to London. Officers, acting on a confidential tip‑off, searched his luggage and found 5.4 kilos of cocaine hidden in false inserts and an empty laptop bag. The drugs were valued at €382,620. Zullino had been lured into the smuggling scheme after falling for a fake inheritance internet scam involving a woman named Chantelle who claimed she owed him £275,000. He paid £200,000 and later was told to travel to Dubai to collect luggage that supposedly contained documents for a London property transfer. He was convicted of possession of cocaine for sale or supply on 27 September 2015 and sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment, back‑dated to the September he entered custody. Angelo Zullino pleaded guilty.
Agata Pracz, 39, of Swords, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to dishonestly inducing Yumi Takekoshi, a 58‑year‑old Tokyo woman, to hand over €8,990 on 15 July 2014 by promising access to a container of cash worth €6.8 million. Pracz, posing as a UN diplomat named Sandra Daly, met Takekoshi at Dublin Airport, took the money at a bar, and promised further details of the container. Takekoshi became suspicious, took a taxi to the Japanese embassy, and alerted Gardaí. Pracz was arrested on the M1 motorway after CCTV footage identified her car. Gardaí found just over €4,000 and a heavily encrypted laptop at her home. She had no prior convictions in Ireland but had three fraud convictions in Poland. Judge Patrick McCartan, after hearing the evidence, sentenced her to a suspended three‑year term, noting she had fully repaid the money and expressing reservations about her account of events.
Damien Halpin, 29, fled to Australia in 2011 after being labelled a "rat" following a drugs conviction and a subsequent attack on his home. He was convicted in Australia in 2015 for arson, assault and being armed with intent, claiming it was a prank gone wrong. He served one year in New South Wales before being deported to Ireland. In January 2016 he was arrested by Gardaí at Dublin Airport. Halpin has 21 prior convictions in Ireland, mainly for road traffic and public order offences. He pleaded guilty to possession of €17,318 of cocaine in 2009 and to assault causing harm in 2010. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court adjourned his sentencing to July 27, 2016, to allow an updated probation report. Bench warrants were issued in March 2012 when he failed to appear in court for both cases.
Agata Pracz, 39, of Swords, pleaded guilty to dishonestly inducing Yumi Takekoshi, a 58‑year‑old Tokyo woman, to hand over €8,990 on 15 July 2014. Pracz, posing as a UN diplomat named Sandra Daly, contacted Takekoshi via LinkedIn, claiming a container of cash worth €6.8 million was at a bonded warehouse in Dublin and that she would give Takekoshi access for €8,990. Takekoshi flew to Dublin, met Pracz at the airport bar, and handed over the money. Pracz then claimed she would call with details of the container. Takekoshi became suspicious, took a taxi to the Japanese embassy, and the embassy contacted Gardaí. Pracz was arrested on the M1 motorway after CCTV footage identified her car. Gardaí recovered just over €4,000 and a heavily encrypted laptop from her home. She has no prior convictions in Ireland but has three fraud‑related convictions in Poland.
A 38-year-old mother and her 64-year-old partner, both from the UK, faced sentencing following a seven-week trial in Waterford regarding alleged abuse of their son between 2009 and 2011. The jury convicted the mother of child cruelty, a general charge of allowing the abuse to occur at the hands of her partner, while acquitting her of two counts of sexual assault. The partner was convicted of nine counts of rape and child cruelty, though acquitted of nine counts of rape with a poker. Both defendants had pleaded not guilty. Mr Justice Robert Eagar remanded the mother in custody after Gardaí objected to bail, citing flight risk concerns as her partner was jailed. The partner was also remanded in custody. The mother is scheduled for sentencing on July 4, while the partner's sentencing is set for July 11. The child, now 12, remains in specialized care in the UK. The court noted the lack of corroborative evidence and inconsistencies in the child's testimony, which differed between his Gardaí statement and trial evidence regarding the mother's participation.
Petrica Lucaci, 26, was jailed for four years after a series of violent incidents on the M50 and at Dublin Airport. He abandoned his car at a toll booth, walked to the airport, hijacked a BMW and pursued a taxi driver, breaking red lights and driving against traffic. During the chase he struck three Gardaí, one of whom was cut behind the ear, and later assaulted two security officers at Beaumont Hospital. Lucaci pleaded guilty to unlawful seizure of a vehicle, attempted unlawful seizure, assault on Kevin O'Brien, assault on Garda Adrian McHugh, assault on two security officers, endangerment and dangerous driving. He had no prior convictions. Judge Terrence O'Sullivan sentenced him to five years with the final year suspended, banned him from driving for six years, and ordered anger‑management treatment under probation supervision. The judge noted Lucaci's hyper‑aggression and the physical and psychological impact on victims, including a five‑year‑old girl.
A man from Armagh has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court following his conviction for sexually abusing his partner's daughter over a three-year period while the family lived in Monaghan. Darren Davidson, aged 37, was convicted in March 2016 of eleven counts including sexual assault with an object, sexual assault, and defilement. The offences occurred between 2008 and 2010 when the victim was aged thirteen to sixteen. Following interview with gardaí, Davidson emigrated to Australia but was subsequently arrested at Manchester Airport and extradited to Ireland. Mr Justice Robert Eagar imposed a ten-year sentence with the final year suspended, noting the victim displayed symptoms consistent with abuse by a trusted figure. He reduced the sentence from twelve years in light of Davidson's employment history and medical condition. The court ordered Davidson's registration as a sex offender. The adult victim, who waived anonymity, told the court she initiated the complaint to protect her siblings from further abuse.
Dr Carlos Cruz Soriano, a 76‑year‑old retired US surgeon, was found in possession of 1.86 kg of cocaine valued at €107,000 in a red bag at Dublin Airport on 1 September 2015. He had been lured by a phishing scam that promised a $2.3 million inheritance from a long‑lost relative. The scammers had sent him on a "dry run" to Hong Kong and later to Colombia, where he received the bag and paperwork. Soriano pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine. Judge Melanie Greally, noting his isolation, depression and early‑onset dementia, imposed a fully suspended five‑year sentence, ordering him to leave the country within 24 hours. He had no prior convictions and was released after the sentencing.
An eminent US surgeon, Dr Carlos Cruz Soriano, aged 76, was sentenced for bringing €100,000 of cocaine into Dublin Airport after falling victim to a phishing scam. The scam involved a fake inheritance of US$2.3 million from a long‑lost relative. Soriano, isolated and depressed after retirement, was lured to Hong Kong and Colombia, where he received a red bag purportedly containing a gift for Irish banking officials to facilitate the transfer. At Dublin Airport on 1 September 2015, customs found 1.86 kg of cocaine in the bag. He pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a five‑year sentence, fully suspended on condition he leaves the country, and adjourned the case for finalisation next week. No prior convictions were recorded. The case highlights the vulnerability of isolated individuals to sophisticated online scams.
In a compassionate bail decision, Mr Justice Tony Hunt allowed Trevor Noone, aged 28 and charged with murder in the 2010 death of 17‑year‑old Daniel McAnaspie, to leave custody to attend his father's funeral. Noone, who lives on Whitestown Avenue, Blanchardstown, was granted bail on a €300 bond. The judge noted that Noone would be released today and must return by 6 pm, and again on Saturday at 11 am for the funeral, with a return to custody by 6 pm. He is restricted to Blanchardstown and the church where the service will be held, must remain sober, be reachable on his sister's mobile phone, and keep the peace. Detective Sergeant Dan Callaghan had objected to bail, citing Noone's flight risk and 12 prior bench warrants, but the judge accepted counsel's argument that it would be desirable to let him pay his respects. Noone's release is conditional; breaching the conditions would likely preclude future bail.
Samuel Devlin, 55, was convicted by a three‑judge Special Criminal Court of unlawful possession of PETN at his Golf Suite, Finnstown House Hotel, Lucan, Co Dublin, on 11 May 2014. During the trial the court heard that he was a bomb maker for the IRA. He applied for compassionate bail to travel to Northern Ireland to visit a terminally‑ill family member from 18 to 23 March. The SDU's Detective Inspector William Hanrahan informed counsel that the Gardaí objected to the bail because of Devlin's conviction, raising flight risk. Judge Paul Butler, with Judges Alison Lindsay and William Hamill, agreed with the detective and refused the bail, stating it would be "too risky" to grant bail to someone pending sentence for a serious offence. Devlin will be sentenced on 6 April.
A French woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was granted bail at the High Court in Dublin while facing an extradition application. She was arrested last week by gardai on foot of a European arrest warrant issued in France for allegedly abducting her 16-year-old son. TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly were present at the hearing. The State objected to the bail application, and Sergeant James Kirwan expressed serious concerns that the woman posed a flight risk. The woman is expected to contest the extradition application. Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly offered two alternatives for securing bail: either her own bond of €75,000 or her own bond of €100 plus an independent surety of €75,000. The judge remanded the woman in custody, with consent to bail, until January 11th next year. The matter remains at the charge or pretrial stage, with no final determination on the extradition request yet made.
Stephen Hendrick, 47, of Balbutcher Drive, Ballymun, pleaded guilty in April 2015 to possessing 59 rounds of ammunition at Furry Park, Turnapin Great, Old Airport Road, Cloghran. He had previously been granted bail by the Special Criminal Court, but while on bail committed the offence for which he pleaded guilty. He applied for five days' temporary bail to spend Christmas with his family, but the State objected. Mr Justice Paul Butler, with Judges John O'Hagan and Ann Ryan, refused the application, citing the risk of disrepute. Hendrick will be sentenced on 12 February 2016.
The High Court has ruled that Adam Grant, a 24-year-old from Silverbridge, Co Armagh, is being legally detained. Mr Justice Richard Humphreys dismissed Mr Grant's challenge to the legality of his detention under Article 40 of the Constitution. Mr Grant was remanded in custody to Cloverhill Prison by District Justice Denis McLoughlin at Monaghan District Court following his arrest. He is charged with causing £12,000 worth of criminal damage to an ATM containing £52,000 and possession of stolen property. The case arose after Justice McLoughlin refused bail, citing that Mr Grant was considered a flight risk by the Gardaí. Mr Grant's counsel, Colman Fitzgerald SC, argued that the District Judge failed to apply the correct Supreme Court criteria for bail refusal. However, Kieran Kelly BL, representing the State, contended that the detention was lawful and that the appropriate remedy for any errors was to apply for bail in the High Court or seek judicial review, rather than an Article 40 inquiry. Justice Humphreys agreed, stating that the inquiry was dismissed because the correct procedural avenues were not pursued. The judge further noted that any minor errors in the detention warrant did not affect the validity of Mr Grant's current custody. The matter was concluded with the court upholding the lawfulness of the detention.
David Mahon, 44, charged with murdering 23‑year‑old Dean Fitzpatrick on 26 May 2013, was denied a bail variation that would have let him travel to Spain for two weeks. He had previously been allowed to travel in September, but the court refused the new request. The judge cited concerns from Detective Sergeant Eddie Carroll that Mahon is a flight risk, especially as his trial is set to begin in April 2016. Mahon may apply again for bail.
A Lithuanian woman pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to providing false information and using forged documents in connection with an attempted sham marriage in County Cavan. Rita Skvarcinskaite (42) was charged with offences committed in May and August 2015 at the Civil Registration Office in Cavan town. She had been recruited online to marry a Bangladeshi man to facilitate his visa application, with the expectation of receiving €1,500. Gardaí from the National Immigration Bureau objected to the marriage, preventing it from proceeding. Skvarcinskaite was arrested at Dublin airport on 26 August as she attempted to depart the country. Her legal representative submitted that she had undertaken the arrangement due to financial hardship and had cooperated fully with the investigation. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to time already served.
The High Court has adjourned a constitutional challenge brought by Adam Grant, a 24-year-old from Silverbridge, Co Armagh, regarding the legality of his detention. Grant, who is charged with causing £12,000 worth of criminal damage to an ATM containing £52,000 and possession of stolen property, was remanded in custody to Cloverhill Prison after District Justice Denis McLoughlin refused his bail application at Monaghan District Court. Grant's legal team, led by Colman Fitzgerald SC, argued that the District Judge failed to apply correct Supreme Court criteria for bail refusal. The State, represented by Kieran Kelly BL, contended that Grant's detention is lawful, citing that bail was opposed due to flight risk concerns raised by the Gardaí. The State further argued that the application was not an appropriate case for an Article 40 inquiry. Justice Richard Humphreys, who noted the case raised weighty legal issues, adjourned the matter until Friday to allow for further consideration. The procedural stage remains an ongoing inquiry into the legality of detention, with the case explicitly adjourned rather than concluded.
The High Court has opened an inquiry into the legality of the detention of professional boxer Jamie Kavanagh, who is charged with violent disorder following his father's funeral in Dublin last year. The alleged incident occurred outside a Hotel at Harcourt Street in Dublin city‑centre on 23 September 2014 when it is alleged door staff at a hotel allegedly refused entry to a group of people including Mr Kavanagh. The 25‑year‑old lightweight, from Mourne Road, Drimnagh, in Dublin but who is now living in London, had been in Ireland for a fight that took place last Saturday. He was arrested at Dublin Airport on Monday evening before he was due to return to London. Mr Kavanagh appeared before Dublin District Court on Tuesday. He was refused bail by Judge Michael Walsh.
The High Court heard an update in the extradition proceedings concerning Eric Eoin Marques, a 30-year-old Dublin resident with an address at Mountjoy Square. Marques is alleged to be the owner and administrator of an anonymous hosting site known as Freedom Hosting, and US authorities claim he is the largest facilitator of child pornography in the world. He faces charges relating to conspiring to distribute and advertise child pornography, as well as advertising and distributing such material. The State seeks to surrender him to US authorities, while Marques is seeking a judicial review of the Director of Public Prosecutions' decision not to prosecute him in Ireland. During the hearing, Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly referenced a letter written to her by a US prisoner regarding the treatment of mentally ill inmates in American prisons. Although Marques' lawyers had previously raised concerns about the risk of sexual violence in US prisons, the judge stated that her judgment would not be influenced by the inmate's letter. However, she allowed legal representatives the opportunity to make submissions relating to the letter's contents. The matter was adjourned until December 16th, with the case to be mentioned again next week. Marques remains in custody, having been remanded after his arrest in August 2013, when bail was refused due to concerns he represented a flight risk and might interfere with evidence.
Christiane Moringa Fortis, 28, of São Paulo, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to importing €64,000 worth of cocaine at Dublin Airport on 14 May 2014. She was originally sentenced to four years' imprisonment on 16 December 2014. On appeal, the Court of Appeal found the sentencing judge had erred in his approach. The three‑judge panel, led by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, imposed a new sentence of four years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended. Fortis had admitted possession of the drug, revealing 10 pellets in her vagina and additional pellets in her bra, underwear and sanitary towels. She claimed she was motivated by a need for money to pay legal fees to regain custody of her seven‑year‑old child in Brazil. She had no prior convictions and expressed remorse. The appeal concluded that she must serve a sentence to act as a deterrent, but the suspended portion was applied.
Gerardo Martinez Rodriguez, a 34‑year‑old Spanish national, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for possessing and importing 1,029.9 g of cannabis resin, worth €6,179, into Ireland. He had swallowed 107 pellets of the resin over several days before travelling to Dublin, and was arrested at Dublin Airport Terminal 2 on 24 July 2015. Garda Tanya Shinkins reported that Rodriguez was escorted to Beaumont Hospital shortly after his arrest because the authorities feared the drugs might rupture his insides. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and admitted that he had concealed the resin internally. In his defence, his lawyer argued that Rodriguez had no prior convictions, had been unemployed for three years, and had intended to sell the drugs for €1,000 to help his sick mother.
In September 2015 the High Court in Dublin ordered the surrender of Francis Lanigan, 49, to Northern Irish authorities. Lanigan, who had been living in Dublin under the alias Kieran McCrory, was arrested in January 2013 on an extradition warrant for the 1998 murder of John Knocker, who was shot in a hotel car park in Dungannon, County Tyrone. Lanigan had claimed that his life would be at risk from loyalist and republican paramilitaries if handed over to UK authorities. He had previously been denied bail in February 2013 as a flight risk, but secured a fresh bail in December 2013 despite Garda objections. The High Court, after an unsuccessful appeal by Lanigan's lawyers, issued the surrender order, and he was remanded in custody pending transfer to the North. The decision was made by Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy.
On Monday night, Pakistani national Mian Mujahid Ali Shahid, aged 19, was arrested at Dublin Airport under a European Arrest Warrant issued by UK police. The warrant sought his extradition to serve a 30‑month prison sentence imposed in his absence for sexual assault. Shahid, after being informed of the warrant and its implications, chose to surrender himself to UK authorities. He swore on the Quran, signed a legal form consenting to his surrender, and was remanded in custody by Mr Justice Raymond Fullam until the order could be implemented. Counsel for the Irish authorities, Anne‑Marie Lawlor, confirmed that Shahid was wanted to serve the 30‑month sentence for sexual assault and for failing to appear before court. All formal requirements for extradition were deemed to have been met. Mian Mujahid Ali Shahid was convicted.
Aaron Weinrib, 37, of Cambridge Villas, Rathmines, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to eight theft and fraud charges for selling bogus package holidays between June and December 2010. He marketed three holiday packages to New York, Las Vegas and Cape Town, claiming to be an agent for "Top Flight". Weinrib admitted he had never worked for Top Flight and that the documents he provided were forged. He stole €27,600 from 20 people, keeping €23,600 and returning €4,000. The court imposed a two‑year suspended sentence and ordered him to repay the remaining €23,600 over two years. The judge noted his cooperation, lack of prior convictions and the psychological report indicating anxiety, stress and a recent bipolar diagnosis. No further convictions or outcomes were mentioned in the article.
High Court proceedings concerning Eric Eoin Marques, an Irishman alleged by the FBI to be the 'largest facilitator of child porn in the world,' will resume in three weeks. Marques, a 30-year-old resident of Mountjoy Square in central Dublin, is alleged to be the owner and administrator of an anonymous hosting site known as Freedom Hosting. US authorities seek his surrender to face charges relating to conspiring to distribute and advertise child pornography, as well as advertising and distributing such material. The allegations concern images on over a hundred anonymous websites described as extremely violent, graphic, and depicting the rape and torture of pre-pubescent children. The State is seeking to surrender him to US authorities, while Marques is seeking a judicial review of the Director of Public Prosecutions' decision not to prosecute him in Ireland. The matter came before Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly for the purpose of fixing a date for the resumed hearing. Ms Justice Donnelly remanded Mr Marques in custody until July 21 next. He has been in custody since his arrest in August 2013, after being refused bail over concerns he represented a flight risk and that he may abscond or interfere with evidence in the case.
The High Court has opened the State's case to surrender Eric Eoin Marques, a 30-year-old resident of Mountjoy Square, Dublin, to US authorities. Marques, who holds dual Irish and US citizenship, is alleged to be the owner and administrator of Freedom Hosting and is wanted to face charges of conspiring to distribute and advertise child pornography. The State alleges the offences involved images of pre-pubescent children on over a hundred anonymous websites. Marques has been in custody since August 2013 after being refused bail due to flight risk concerns. During the hearing, counsel for the State, Patrick McGrath SC, detailed the proceedings and noted that Marques was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in May. A US official affirmed that the Federal Bureau of Prisons could provide appropriate care for his condition. Simultaneously, Marques is seeking judicial review of the Director of Public Prosecutions' decision not to prosecute him in Ireland. His counsel, Mícheál P O'Higgins SC, argued that extradition would be disproportionate, noting that while he would receive a determinate sentence in Ireland, he would effectively face a life sentence without parole in the United States. The matter was adjourned and continues before Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly on Tuesday.
Michael Coughlan, a 29‑year‑old British national, was sentenced to four years in prison for possessing 9.8 kg of cannabis worth €196,554 at Dublin Airport on 22 January 2015. He admitted responsibility and pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Garda Mark McDaid reported that customs officials discovered the drugs when they x‑rayed his luggage shortly after his arrival from Barcelona. Coughlan had no prior convictions. The prosecution highlighted that he had accrued a €10,000 cocaine debt while working as a chauffeur for a concierge company catering to high‑end tourists in Ibiza, and that he had become dependent on cocaine. The defence argued that he was fully cooperative and had entered an early guilty plea. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Coughlan was unlikely to re‑offend, described the case as a "one‑off fall from grace," and imposed the four‑year sentence, back‑dated to the date of his arrest.