In a pre-trial hearing, Mr Justice Rory Mulchay directed that a preliminary trial be held to determine the State's argument that an action brought by Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell is non-justiciable. Senator Craughwell alleges that an unapproved arrangement allows the Royal Air Force to intercept aircraft in Irish airspace, claiming this is unconstitutional and requires a referendum. The Government and State oppose the action, denying any improper conduct and arguing that courts cannot review matters of external security falling within executive powers. The judge accepted that the defendants' claim of non-justiciability should be heard by way of a preliminary trial, citing the sensitivity of the issues and the potential to resolve legal questions without trespassing on security matters. However, the court rejected the defendants' request to determine a second related issue regarding the review of external security proceedings, finding it lacked sufficient agreed facts. The judge noted that if the preliminary trial does not resolve the proceedings, the question of a modular trial may be revisited. The matter was adjourned to return before the judge at a later date for final orders.
Barry Young, aged 38, has been sentenced to eleven years' imprisonment at the Special Criminal Court for directing a criminal organisation. Mr Justice Tony Hunt imposed the custodial term following Young's guilty plea to the charge, which carried a maximum of sixteen years. The judge described Young's activities as a "scourge" on the Sligo community over several years, though acknowledged his gang was smaller in scope than other organised crime groups. Young operated a drug distribution network with hierarchical command structures involving at least twenty members across the northwest. Gardaí seized over €628,000 in drugs linked to the gang and €40,000 in cash from Young's accounts, despite his stated income being social welfare payments. The investigation, initiated following Young's arrest at Dublin Airport in January this year whilst attempting to travel to Spain, uncovered thousands of communications detailing drug sales, debt enforcement involving intimidation, and cash movements. Young's sentence was reduced to twelve years to reflect his early guilty plea and mitigating circumstances.
The Department of Justice was ordered to pay a senior immigration official, Martin Switzer, more than €33,000 in back pay for an on‑call allowance that was promised to him when he accepted a transfer to the Border Management Unit at Dublin Airport. The Workplace Relations Commission found that the state was bound by verbal assurances that Switzer would receive an annual allowance of €18,023 for extra hours and weekend work. Switzer's application for the allowance was delayed by the department's HR section, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform ultimately sanctioned only €2,874 per year, with a pro‑rata payment of €1,197 for six months. The adjudicator confirmed that Switzer's salary from May 2018 to March 2020 should have included the full allowance, amounting to €34,544.41, and directed the department to pay €33,346.91 to Switzer.
On 7 March 2022 a double‑decker bus driven by 60‑year‑old aircraft maintenance engineer Francis Leonard crashed into a rail bridge on Moyne Road, Baldoyle, shearing off the top of the vehicle while 15 school children were aboard. No passengers were injured and the bridge sustained only minor chipping. Leonard, who had been asked to drive a double‑decker on short notice, had intended to take a different route but was forced to change course due to roadworks. He stopped the bus to allow a car to pass and was travelling at low speed when the collision occurred. He pleaded guilty to one count of driving a vehicle over the bridge's height limit. At a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing Judge Orla Crowe discharged him from the indictment after he had complied with a €500 fine, kept the peace and met other conditions imposed earlier. No further charges were brought.
Ms Justice Eileen Roberts extended Mareva orders freezing the assets of Volga-Dnepr Logistics BV, finding a strong case that the Russian-owned logistics firm is attempting to move assets out of Europe to frustrate a US$406m judgement registered by BOC Aviation Limited. The High Court judge clarified the powers of receiver Declan Taite over the defendant's 68.7% shareholding in its Irish subsidiary, Volga-Dnepr (Ireland), which holds estimated US$236m in assets, including three Antonov cargo aircraft in Germany. BOC, represented by Bernard Dunleavy SC and Ross Aylward BL, secured these unopposed interim orders to prevent asset dissipation following a New York Court award against the defendant and its subsidiary for alleged breaches of leasing agreements. The judge noted that while the defendant may challenge Irish jurisdiction, no instructions have been given to bring such a motion. She declined to order specific disclosures from Irish subsidiary directors, deferring that decision until a receiver's report is received when the case returns later this month. The Volga-Dnepr group, with assets of approximately US$3.5bn, is alleged to be headed by Alexey Isaykin, a sanctioned Russian businessman. BOC claims post-invasion restructuring, including a US$126m dividend to a Luxembourg entity, was designed to place assets beyond reach. The matter remains pending the full hearing of BOC's claim.
Damien Graham, a 53-year-old firearms dealer from Co Carlow, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to four firearm offences. The court heard that Graham arrived at Dublin Airport on November 28, 2021, with 15 firearm components in his suitcase following a trip to a Florida gun show. He admitted to possessing and importing a prohibited machine gun bolt, as well as possessing and importing an assault rifle conversion kit without the required certificate. Prosecution evidence indicated Graham concealed the items in bubble wrap and duct tape, initially claiming they were tools before acknowledging they were firearm parts. Judge Martin Nolan accepted there was no sinister motive, describing Graham as an enthusiast whose enthusiasm got the better of him. However, the judge noted that machine gun parts have been illegal in Ireland for generations and criticized the reckless nature of surreptitiously bringing such components into the country. Graham has one previous conviction for a road traffic offence. The judge determined that Graham did not deserve a custodial sentence and handed down a six-month term, which was suspended on a number of conditions.
In a High Court hearing on 9 June 2023, Mr Justice Brian O'Moore granted BOC Aviation Limited a temporary freezing order, preventing the Dutch‑registered Volga‑Dnepr Logistics BV from reducing or moving assets below US$406 million. The order, an ex‑parte Mareva order, also appointed a receiver over the defendant's 68.7 % shareholding in its Irish subsidiary, Volga‑Dnepr (Ireland). The receiver, Declan Taite, was authorised to protect assets estimated at US$236 million, including three Antonov cargo aircraft in Leipzig, engines and bank accounts in Dublin, London and Frankfurt. BOC, represented by Bernard Dunleavy SC and Ross Aylward BL, sought the orders to secure assets after a New York court awarded BOC US$406 million in damages last April. The judge declined to order disclosure of the defendant's income or liabilities, noting it was impractical at this stage.
The High Court has set a date for the State's bid to halt a constitutional challenge brought by Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell. The applicant alleges an unlawful and unconstitutional 'secret arrangement' exists between Ireland and Great Britain, permitting the Royal Air Force to intercept aircraft in Irish airspace. Senator Craughwell claims this purported agreement, allegedly introduced following the 2001 attacks, was never approved by the Dáil or the Irish people via referendum, rendering it fundamentally incompatible with the Constitution. The Government and the State, which do not confirm or deny the existence of the alleged agreement, have filed a defence denying any improper or unconstitutional conduct. Before Mr Justice Brian O'Moore, the judge fixed two days in early October for a hearing on a preliminary issue raised by the State. The respondents argue the claims are not justiciable, submitting that courts cannot review matters of external security falling within executive power, as disclosure could endanger State security and international relations. Should the State succeed in this pre-trial application, Senator Craughwell's case will fall. His legal team is opposing the motion. The senator seeks declarations that the alleged agreement breaches the Constitution and that the Government's failure to control airspace violates Article 5. He also seeks an order restraining the government from legislating to give effect to the agreement without a referendum. The matter is currently at the hearing or decision stage regarding this preliminary application.
Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell, the applicant, brought proceedings against the Government of Ireland, Ireland, and the Attorney General, alleging a 'secret arrangement' allows the Royal Air Force to intercept aircraft in Irish airspace. He claims this purported agreement is unconstitutional, unlawful, and was never approved by the Dáil or a referendum. The State, which neither confirms nor denies the existence of the alleged arrangement, filed a defence denying any improper or unconstitutional conduct. The State brought a pre-trial motion arguing that matters of external relations and security are not justiciable and cannot be reviewed by the courts. Senator Craughwell's legal team opposed the motion, asserting the case is urgent and of public importance. The matter was heard before Ms Justice Eileen Roberts at the High Court, where counsel for the respondents estimated the hearing would take two days. Ms Justice Roberts stated she was not in a position to fix a hearing date for the motion and adjourned the matter to a date in June. The case remains at the pre-trial motion stage, with a hearing date to be fixed when the matter returns before the court.
Gerard Cervi, the appellant accused of the murder of Bobby Messett and the attempted murders of Pete Taylor and Ian Britton at Bray Boxing Club in June 2018, may be granted bail on stringent conditions. The Court of Appeal found that Cervi has spent a "highly unusual amount of time" in custody, nearly five years, without a date for his second trial. While the State opposed bail, citing flight risk due to his post-incident travel to Spain, the court noted the absence of an imminent trial date. Justice George Birmingham stated that the substantial period in custody and uncertain timeline persuaded the court to contemplate bail, provided strict conditions are met. These proposed conditions include residing at a named address, signing on twice daily, surrendering travel documents and driving licence, installing a landline, and allowing electronic tracking of his mobile phone. The court invited parties to return to discuss whether these proposals were broadly appropriate. The matter was adjourned to allow for further discussion on the conditions, and no final decision on the bail application was made at this stage.
The Court of Appeal has upheld a €94,000 damages award made to a cabin supervisor from Cavan who sustained injuries during a workplace accident aboard a Ryanair aircraft. Fiona Nangle, aged 41 from Latt Hills, successfully sued the airline following a fall on 11 February 2018 aboard a Dublin-Warsaw flight. The High Court had previously awarded her €70,000 in general damages and €24,000 in special damages after finding she slipped on de-icing fluid tracked into the cabin by passengers. Ryanair appealed, claiming the trial judge had prejudiced its defence through excessive questioning and that the damages quantum was excessive. The three-judge appellate panel rejected all grounds of appeal, finding the trial judge had conducted proceedings fairly and appropriately. The court noted that in civil trials before a judge sitting alone, active judicial questioning is both permissible and often preferable. Ms Nangle was awarded her legal costs of the appeal.
A 38-year-old Sligo man has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to directing a 20-member criminal organisation that operated across the northwest between October 2019 and January 2022. Barry Young coordinated drug dealing, intimidation and money laundering across Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim and Galway through a hierarchical command structure. Garda investigations uncovered drug seizures totalling over €628,000 linked to the gang, alongside €40,000 in cash recovered from Young despite his stated income being social welfare payments. Evidence presented during the sentencing hearing showed Young dispatched debt collectors to private homes to commit criminal damage and extort money. The court heard Young had 81 previous convictions and had been twice sentenced for drug dealing, most recently in 2006. His defence counsel noted Young had expressed suicidal ideation over his significant drug debts and described his arrest at Dublin Airport in January as a relief. The non-jury court adjourned sentencing to 31 July. The offence carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Two Irish‑registered Russian state‑owned leasing companies, GTLK Europe DAC and GTLK Europe Capital DAC, are fighting a High Court application to be wound up, which would be the largest liquidation in Irish history. Creditors, including Trinity Investments DAC, Allestor Europe Multi Asset Portfolio, Ben Oldman Special Situations Fund LP and Sona Credit Master Fund Limited, have petitioned for liquidation on the basis that the firms are insolvent and cannot pay debts of about €162.5 million. They argue that sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine have devastated the group, leading to lease terminations, asset freezes and defaults on refinancing agreements. The companies, which lease ships and aircraft worldwide, have requested that the court adjourn the hearing to allow them to file a formal application to pause the petition. The case is set to be heard later this month, with the court noting the legal complexities and the need to address sanctions if liquidation proceeds.
The Irish arm of a Russian aircraft leasing firm, Avia Capital Leasing Ltd, faced a series of employment rights cases after staff refused to be paid in roubles following sanctions. At the Workplace Relations Commission, the company secured adjournments in two cases brought by former staff, arguing it was not properly on notice. The adjournments also allow an Irish legal professional to seek a waiver from the sanctions regime to represent the complainants. Alexandra Skavronskaja and Sofija Krascuka alleged breaches of the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977, the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act 1973, the Payment of Wages Act 1991, and Skavronskaja also alleged a breach of the Organisation of Working Time Act 2004 over holiday entitlements. They claimed they received late pay for March 2022 and no pay for April, and that management said the company could not complete payments due to blocked bank accounts, a claim the complainants said was unconfirmed by bank representatives.
Ryanair was found by the Workplace Relations Commission to have unfairly treated flight ops officer Gary Howard, who was made redundant during the Covid‑19 lockdown. The airline had denied Howard a €2,500 bonus that was paid to his colleagues, and the tribunal described this as a "double punishment." The commission ordered Ryanair to pay the bonus in addition to a €5,000 award for unfair dismissal. Howard's redundancy was deemed legitimate, but the airline's handling of the process was "careless and unfair," as Howard was not fully informed about the criteria that led to his selection. Ryanair argued that Howard had no contractual right to the bonus and that his redundancy was justified by pandemic business circumstances. The tribunal noted that the airline used objective criteria such as length of service, punctuality, attendance and performance, and that Howard's attendance record was cited as a factor.
The Central Criminal Court trial of three men accused of raping a then-17-year-old in a hotel car park in the Leinster area on December 20, 2017, continued on its sixth day. The first defendant (22) pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault. The second defendant (23) pleaded not guilty to rape, oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault. The third defendant (22) pleaded not guilty to rape and oral rape. All charges are alleged or contested, with no findings or sentences recorded at this procedural stage. During cross-examination via videolink, the complainant disputed the third defendant's counsel's suggestion that the encounter was consensual. She stated she said no and did not participate. Defence counsel Mark Nicholas SC argued it was improbable the complainant did not notice a security guard arriving, noting the guard is expected to testify to seeing sexual activity. The complainant maintained she saw no one else. She explained she did not seek help due to fear and was in "fight or flight" mode. She admitted to using a sibling's phone to message a friend, which counsel suggested was an attempt to deceive. The complainant stated she told her mother two days later, leading to a Rape Crisis Centre referral. The trial continues before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and the jury.
A man has pleaded guilty to money laundering before the Special Criminal Court following his extradition from Spain. Gerard Mackin (40), originally from west Belfast, admitted to handling €4,780 in proceeds of criminal conduct at Rhebogue Road, Limerick, on April 17, 2019. He was arrested at Dublin Airport in December last year under a European Arrest Warrant. Mackin pleaded guilty to one charge under the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act 2010. The three-judge court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Alan Mitchell, adjourned sentencing to March 30. The defendant's legal team requested a governor's report from Portlaoise Prison, which was granted. Mackin has previous convictions including a 2017 sentence for assault causing harm in Limerick.
Jeferson Pedrucci, 33, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Airport on 20 January 2022. He was caught smuggling €650,000 worth of cocaine in shampoo bottles and sewn into a companion's luggage. Garda Ross Brierley reported that Pedrucci and a female companion flew from São Paulo via Lisbon, were stopped at customs, and the drugs were found in two shampoo bottles (valued at €154,000) and in the lining of the companion's bag (valued at nearly €500,000). The total seized was €651,875. Pedrucci, originally from Brazil and a dual Italian citizen, admitted full responsibility. He has nine prior traffic convictions and had been threatened by loan sharks in Brazil for transporting the drugs. His mother and sister, who had been threatened, had moved to Ireland and attended the hearing.
The family of Richard Gracey, a 64‑year‑old cargo loader who died after falling five metres from a plane at Dublin Airport on 24 November 2018, has asked that families receive more information about workplace deaths without waiting for a prosecution to finish. Gracey, who worked for Swissport Ireland since 2005, was unloading an Air France Boeing 777 when he fell headfirst onto the tarmac. The court heard that the main deck loader was 2.7 metres from the aircraft door, a gap that should have been no more than three inches, and that a yellow safety net was not attached correctly. Swissport admitted it had failed to provide adequate fall‑prevention measures and was fined €250,000. The judge noted that if the loader had been flush to the plane, the fatal accident would not have occurred, and the family's impact statement described profound grief and anger at the loss of a meticulous, safety‑conscious worker.
Saleban Abdisahar, a 30‑year‑old Swedish‑Somalian man with no fixed abode, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for illegally trafficking five people into Ireland. He pleaded guilty to three counts of facilitating illegal entry on flights into Dublin Airport on 23 January, 29 January and 18 February 2023. The court found he had moved five individuals who subsequently sought international protection. Abdisahar was paid up to €1,000 for each person smuggled. Judge Martin Nolan described him as the "middle cog" of the operation, noting his early plea, cooperation with Gardaí, lack of prior convictions and low likelihood of reoffending. The sentence was back‑dated to the day he entered custody, 18 February 2023. The case highlighted the role of immigration officers and mobile‑phone evidence in uncovering the smuggling scheme.
Bruno Farias, 31, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for possessing 12 kg of cocaine, worth €840 000, at Dublin Airport on 11 July 2022. He had taken the drugs from a toilet cubicle to bypass customs, after Lucas Farias, 27, had brought a suitcase containing just under 15 kg of cocaine from Brazil. Lucas was jailed for seven years, and Jocelino De Silva, 44, received six years for holding the remaining 3 kg. All three were employees of a contractor at the airport, which allowed them to use staff entrances and an employee bus. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted that Farias acted as a courier with no proprietary interest and imposed the sentence back‑dated to the date he entered custody. The case was investigated by Gardaí following alerts about the suitcase's route from São Paulo to Dublin via Frankfurt. Bruno Farias pleaded guilty.
Senator Gerard Craughwell, represented by Richard Bowman of Bowman McCabe solicitors, has brought High Court proceedings against the Government of Ireland, Ireland, and the Attorney General. The applicant alleges that a purported secret agreement, established over 20 years ago following the 2001 terrorist attacks, unlawfully permits the Royal Air Force to intercept aircraft in Irish airspace. Senator Craughwell claims this arrangement is unconstitutional and was never approved by the Dáil or the Irish people via referendum. He asserts that the agreement constitutes an unlawful abdication of the Government's constitutional duties and a breach of Articles 1, 5, 6, 13, 15, and 28 of the Constitution. The Government has filed a defence, raising preliminary issues including whether the Senator has the legal standing to bring the challenge. The case is currently at the hearing or decision stage, with the matter listed before the High Court on Monday. At this procedural stage, the court is expected to consider further legal directions and a potential hearing date for the action, which the Senator seeks to be heard as soon as possible. The applicant seeks declarations that the agreement is impermissible and an order restraining the government from legislating to give it effect without a referendum. The matter remains ongoing, with no final judgment or sentence issued at this stage.
On 7 March 2022, Francis Leonard, a 60‑year‑old aircraft maintenance engineer, drove a double‑decker bus carrying 17 passengers, including 15 schoolchildren and two teachers, to a sports game when the vehicle struck a rail bridge on Moyne Road, Baldoyle. The bridge had a clearance of 12 ft 8 in (3.85 m) while the bus was 14 ft 3 in (4.35 m) high, and three height‑limit signs had been posted. Leonard had been asked to step in at short notice to drive the bus, a vehicle he was not accustomed to, and had to change routes due to roadworks. The bus hit the bridge at low speed, shearing off its top; no passengers were injured and the bridge sustained only minor chipping. Leonard pleaded guilty to one count of driving a vehicle under a structure where the height exceeded the bridge's clearance.
Ciaran Heneghan, 38, pleaded guilty to cashing two cheques totalling €6,500 in his name at Ulster Bank in Dublin Airport between July and December 2019. His wife, Tracey Heneghan, also 38, admitted cashing three cheques totalling €13,000 in her name at the same location between January and March 2020. The court heard the cheques were proceeds of crime from a bogus roofing company that fraudulently obtained over €44,000 from an elderly woman in Dun Laoghaire. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Ciaran Heneghan to a two-year suspended sentence, ordered him to be of good behaviour for two years, and directed him to repay €6,000 to the victim. This includes €2,000 to be paid within two months and a further €4,000 within 15 months, or to a charity of the victim's choice if she declines. Regarding Tracey Heneghan, the judge noted her peripheral role and ordered her to be of good behaviour under Section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. The matter was adjourned until June 8, with the judge stating he would discharge any sentence against her a fortnight later if she abides by the condition. A third accused is due in court separately.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced 27‑year‑old Silmara Onofre to two years' imprisonment for possessing €66,297 worth of cocaine. Onofre, who had an address in Brazil, swallowed 78 pellets weighing 0.949 kg to smuggle the drug into Ireland. She was stopped by customs at Dublin Airport on a flight from Portugal, arrested, and taken to Beaumont Hospital where she passed the pellets under medical supervision. Onofre pleaded guilty and claimed she was manipulated, exploited and financially desperate. The judge described her as a "disposable" drug mule who took a "considerable risk" and noted that some people in Ireland have an "unending appetite for cocaine." The sentence was back‑dated to the day she was taken into custody, 17 April last.
Two peace activists, retired soldier Edward Horgan (78) and civil servant Dan Dowling (39), were found guilty of trespassing on a taxiway at Shannon Airport. They had previously been acquitted of criminal damage for marking an American naval plane. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, after a ten‑day trial, returned guilty verdicts on the summary trespass charges. Judge Martina Baxter, who praised their conduct, imposed no custodial sentence but ordered each to pay €5,000 to the Clare Haven Refuge for women within 12 months. She also required them to maintain good behaviour and keep the peace for a year. The judge highlighted their lack of prior convictions and good work histories, and noted their intention to protest peacefully. The men accepted the verdict. No further penalties were imposed.
The High Court ordered the extradition of a 38‑year‑old Irish man to Denmark on a rape charge. The offence was alleged to have occurred in Odense on 17 October 2022. A European arrest warrant was issued by a deputy judge at the Odense court on the same day, and the man was arrested by Gardaí at Dublin Airport after being identified on the Schengen Information System. Mr John Ferry BL, representing the Minister for Justice, confirmed that the Danish prosecution warrant was valid and that there was no issue with identity or certification. Judge Kerida Naidoo was satisfied that the minimum gravity of the charge was met and that the warrant was correct. He ordered the surrender of the respondent to Denmark, allowing him to remain on bail for up to 15 days with a €15,000 surety, and required him to surrender to Gardaí within 48 hours of the surrender date.
Jocelino De Silva, 44, a manager of the corporate lounge at Dublin Airport, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment after he helped move smuggled cocaine out of the airport. He had taken three kilograms of the drug, worth €210,000, from a toilet cubicle after Lucas Farias, 27, had brought just under 15 kg from Brazil in a suitcase. De Silva pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, while Farias admitted the importation of the 15 kg. Both men had no prior convictions and were remanded in custody since their arrests. Judge Martin Nolan noted the perceived problem of getting the drugs out of the airport and the role of De Silva's staff card in accessing secure areas. The case also involved a third man who was caught with the remaining 12 kg but has not yet been dealt with by the courts.
Patrick Dooley, 35, of Arbutus Grove, Killarney, Co Kerry, remains in custody after the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal against the High Court's refusal of bail. Dooley is charged with murdering his brother, Thomas Dooley, on 5 October at Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee, under Common Law. The High Court denied bail on 26 October, citing community risk and flight risk. Justice John Edwards agreed with the High Court's concerns and upheld the bail rejection, leaving Dooley in custody.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Mohamed Morsy Ahmed, aged 54, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for facilitating the entry of 13 economic migrants into Ireland. The court found that Ahmed had collected genuine refugee travel documents—seven from Greece and five from Germany—believed to have been issued in those countries, and had handed them to the migrants who arrived at Dublin Airport on a flight from Lisbon on 19 February 2021. The migrants, who had no valid travel documents, applied for international protection at the airport. Ahmed pleaded guilty to six counts of facilitating entry of people who may be illegal immigrants. He was back‑dated to February 2021, when he was taken into custody. The judge described him as a "vital cog" in the operation. The case did not address any subsequent movement of the migrants to the United Kingdom.
Gerard Mackin, aged 40 and resident of Rhebogue Road, Limerick, appeared before the Special Criminal Court on a late sitting after being extradited from Spain. He faces a single charge of money‑laundering for €4,780, alleged to be proceeds of criminal activity, at his Limerick address on 17 April 2019, in breach of Section 7 of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act 2010. Detective Garda Stephen Ahern informed the court that Mackin was arrested at Dublin Airport at 2.47 p.m. after a European Arrest Warrant issued on 7 April. The court granted a certificate to try Mackin at the non‑jury court. Alison Fynes BL, representing Mackin, declined to apply for a hearing at this time, requesting remand in Portlaoise Prison and free legal aid, and that the defendant seek the earliest possible court date. Mr Justice Michael MacGrath remanded Mackin in custody until 23 January, when his case will be listed for mention.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Brazilian woman Santana Silvana, aged 26, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for attempting to smuggle more than 2.5 kg of cocaine into Ireland. The drugs, valued at €176,162, were concealed in a false‑bottom suitcase that customs officers discovered during an X‑ray inspection on 24 January 2022. Silvana pleaded guilty to one count of possession of drugs for sale or supply at the airport. She had no prior convictions in Brazil. Her defence counsel argued that she acted out of financial desperation, citing her status as a lone mother living in a deprived community in São Paulo, working as a cleaner, and facing imminent utility cuts. The court noted her remorse and limited English, and Judge Martin Nolan imposed the custodial sentence, back‑dated to her arrest in January.
A vet, Alonso Serrano Laborda, who had moved from Spain to work at Castle Vets, claimed that his wages were unlawfully reduced, leaving his bank account empty and preventing him from fueling his work van. He had agreed to a pay progression from €1,000 in October to €2,500 from December, but received only €533 in January 2022, short of €1,467. Mr Heneghan, the employer, cited a €1,000 deduction as "compensation" for an alleged client mistake, which Mr Serrano Laborda denied, stating no evidence of such a payment. Additional deductions of €250 for a flight change and €1,000 for a client mistake were also disputed. The Workplace Relations Commission found the deductions unlawful, ordered Mr Heneghan to pay €3,000, and noted the vet was prevented from working his notice period due to unpaid wages and lack of fuel.
The State has rejected claims that mandatory hotel quarantine measures during the pandemic were unconstitutional, in a High Court case brought by Niamh Mulreany and Kirstie McGrath. The two applicants, who are lone parents, were arrested at Dublin Airport on April 2, 2021, after refusing to undergo mandatory quarantine at a hotel following their return from Dubai. They alleged they could not afford the €1,800 cost per person and that their childcare arrangements were only valid for the duration of their holiday. Acting for the State, Michael Cush SC argued that the Minister for Health was lawfully entitled to designate the UAE as a country requiring mandatory quarantine under the 1947 Health Act, noting the measure included a sunset clause requiring Oireachtas approval for extension. The State also dismissed arguments that the appeal process for quarantined individuals breached the constitution. The applicants, seeking to halt their prosecutions, alleged that the Ministerial order breached the separation of powers and should have been introduced via legislation. They also claimed the offence of resisting transfer to a designated facility was invalid and sought damages. Arising from their refusals, both applicants were charged with breaches of the 1947 Health Act, facing potential fines of up to €2,000 and imprisonment if convicted. The hearing before Ms Justice Marguerite Bolger continues, with the judge indicating an intention to reserve her decision following the conclusion of submissions.
James Flynn, 31, of Newry, Northern Ireland, was granted legal aid by the Special Criminal Court despite previously offering over £1 million in bail sureties in the UK. Ms Justice Tara Burns noted the 'odd position' of Flynn claiming to have 'absolutely nothing' after offering £185,000 in cash and a £965,000 surety to Westminster Magistrates' Court. Flynn is accused of robbing Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, in January 2013, during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was murdered. He is also accused of conspiring with Aaron Brady and Brendan Treanor to steal vehicle keys. Flynn was refused bail last week due to flight risk concerns, including evidence that his father told gardai in Boston, 'the boys are gone, you will never get them.' His trial is scheduled for January. Co-accused Brendan Treanor, 34, of Dundalk, is also charged with the robbery and was refused bail in June 2022. Aaron Brady, 31, of Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was convicted of murdering Det Gda Donohoe by an 11-to-1 jury verdict in August 2020. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years, plus 14 years for the robbery, running concurrently. The matter regarding Flynn's legal aid was finalised, but his trial remains pending.
Ana Gomes De Limeira, a 30‑year‑old Brazilian woman with no fixed abode, was sentenced to three years in prison after customs officials found over €139,000 worth of cocaine in her suitcase at Dublin Airport. The court heard that a jacket and a small pillow contained blue packages of white powder, which were identified as cocaine and weighed just over 2 kg. De Limeira admitted that the drugs were given to her by a friend in São Paulo, who also paid for her flights and accommodation. She had known the friend for only a few months and had no links to Ireland. The judge, noting her limited English and the fact that she was at the lowest level of the criminal enterprise, imposed a three‑year sentence backdated to the date of her plea on March 28, 2022. The sentence was given under an enhanced prisoner regime at the Dochas centre. Ana Gomes De Limeira pleaded guilty.
The Special Criminal Court has refused bail to James Flynn, who is accused of the 2013 Lordship Credit Union robbery in which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was murdered. Ms Justice Tara Burns, delivering the ruling of a three-judge court, determined that Flynn is a significant flight risk, noting he left the jurisdiction shortly after the alleged crime and has resided in the US, UK, and Northern Ireland since. The court cited "very concerning evidence" regarding an incident where gardai travelled to Boston for an interview with Flynn, only to be met by his father, who allegedly stated, "the boys are gone, you will never get them." The judge emphasized that while the case against Flynn is circumstantial, the prosecution's evidence is strong enough to suggest a potential for conviction. Flynn, who holds US and UK passports, was extradited from the UK after his appeal against extradition was dismissed. He faces charges of robbery and conspiracy to steal vehicle keys. Aaron Brady, who was convicted of murdering Det Gda Donohoe by an 11-to-1 jury verdict in August 2020, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years, plus a concurrent 14-year sentence for the robbery. Flynn's trial is scheduled for January next year, alongside co-accused Brendan Treanor, who was also refused bail in 2022.
Marcos Da Silva Generino, aged 21, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for possessing and importing 966.5 grammes of cocaine into Dublin. He admitted to swallowing 85 pellets of the drug in exchange for €3,000, claiming the money was needed because his mother was very ill and the family had no health insurance. Da Silva Generino had no prior convictions. He was stopped at Dublin Airport after flying from Brazil; customs officials x‑rayed his baggage and, with an interpreter, questioned him about his visit. Initially he said he was on a two‑week holiday, but later admitted to ingesting the pellets and showed six capsules from his underwear. He was taken to Beaumont Hospital, monitored, and then passed the 85 pellets. Judge Martin Nolan accepted his admissions, cooperation, lack of previous convictions, and the difficulty of serving time abroad, and found him acting out of desperation. Da Silva Generino pleaded guilty.
Ismaeil Abdelkhalik (65), a Norwegian and Egyptian citizen living in Birmingham, was arrested at Dublin Airport on 33 European Arrest Warrants relating to counterfeit trademark breaches. The defendant had previously spent two months in custody in the Czech Republic and was unaware of the warrants until his arrest. Judge Gearty refused bail under the O'Callaghan rules, citing the strength of evidence and lack of ties to the State, remanding him in custody pending preparation of the Book of Evidence.
Six Dublin Airport ground crew members – Alan English, Shay O'Hare, Tony O'Neill, Stephen Kavanagh, Phillip Kelly and Robert Keogh – lost their claims that they were unfairly placed on layoff without pay when the Covid‑19 pandemic hit. They had lodged complaints under the Payment of Wages Act against Swissport Ireland Ltd, alleging that the company selected them for layoff while other workers received less service. The workers, mostly senior ramp operatives with over two decades of service, were among 546 of Swissport's 650 employees placed on layoff in March 2020. Swissport's executive Terry Gill explained that the company had to act due to severe uncertainty from reduced flight patterns, prioritising team leads and those who could offer flexible hours. The tribunal found the workers' claims lacked credibility, that the company acted fairly and reasonably, and that no unlawful deductions had been made.
The Special Criminal Court has convicted Christopher Slator of the murder of Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin 1 on April 25, 2016. Slator, of Cabra, Dublin 7, had pleaded not guilty, but the non-jury court rejected his defence that his DNA on a mask and runners found in a car had an innocent explanation. The court found the DNA evidence sufficient to prove his guilt, noting that his flight to Dubai with Eamon Cumberton the day after the shooting was highly suspicious. Slator will be sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment later today. This conviction follows previous life sentences imposed on David Hunter in 2020 and Eamon Cumberton in 2019 for the same murder. Additionally, Martin Aylmer pleaded guilty to buying mobile phones for the gang involved in the killing; he was initially sentenced to just under four years, a term later increased to six years by the Court of Appeal. The court highlighted the chaotic nature of the shooting, where Barr was shot seven times, and the unusual circumstances of the defendants' travel arrangements as supporting evidence for the conviction.
Ndricim Qema, 27, an asylum seeker who had arrived from Albania in 2018 and lived in Direct Provision, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for his role in a people‑smuggling operation that illegally brought 12 Albanian nationals into Ireland. Qema pleaded guilty to three counts of people smuggling at Dublin airport in 2019, and to one count each of money laundering, possessing a false instrument and using a false instrument at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He had been in custody since April 2021 and had 29 prior convictions, mainly for alcohol theft. Gardaí recovered a phone containing 30 photos of false IDs and messages linking Qema to his father, a senior smuggler, and to others seeking to enter Ireland. The judge described Qema as an "integral part" of the operation in Ireland, noting that the leaders were based in Albania. The sentence was back‑dated to the time of his arrest.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 2 June 2022, Michael Bowman SC argued that DNA evidence presented by the State does not prove that Christopher Slator was one of the three men involved in the murder of Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub. Bowman highlighted that Slator's DNA was found on a mask and a pair of runners in the getaway car, but also on other masks belonging to unknown individuals. He cited the forensic scientist's admission that secondary transfer could explain the DNA presence and that the DNA does not prove Slator wore the mask. Bowman also questioned the prosecution's inference that Slator's DNA indicated his presence in the car at the time of the shooting, noting that witnesses described a taller man than Slator's height. He further challenged the prosecution's reliance on a same‑day Bangkok flight booking as evidence of guilt, arguing it was an unusual but not incriminating travel pattern. Christopher Slator pleaded not guilty.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Dominic McGinn SC argued that DNA found on a mask and a runner inside a getaway car was sufficient to convict Christopher Slator of murdering Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in 2016. McGinn noted that the DNA matched Slator's profile and that the same items were linked to the car used by the three gunmen who fled the scene. He also cited evidence that Slator and an accomplice booked a flight to Bangkok the day after the shooting, with no luggage, suggesting a planned escape. McGinn emphasized that no reasonable explanation for the DNA evidence existed, and that the injuries sustained by Barr proved the act was murder. Defence counsel Michael Bowman SC was scheduled to present his closing remarks the following day. The case remains at the non‑jury trial stage. Christopher Slator pleaded not guilty.
Youcef Madani, an Algerian national, was remanded on continuing bail today until his extradition hearing scheduled for June 24 at the High Court. Madani, 53, is wanted in France to serve a six-year prison sentence following a 2001 conviction in his absence for making false documents relating to facilitating terrorism and weapons trafficking. He was arrested in Dublin last September after being stopped while driving under the alias Abderrahmane Yahiaoui, a name linked to him via the Schengen Information System. Detective Garda Robert Comerford of the Extradition Unit opposed bail, citing Madani as a flight risk who fled France during his legal proceedings and possessed skills in creating false paperwork. Despite these objections, Mr Justice Paul Burns granted bail with reluctance. Madani's counsel, Maria Brosnan BL, argued he was not a flight risk, noting his family ties in Ireland, his surrender of his passport, and his receipt of medical disability benefits for partial blindness. The court noted that Madani had been in the process of becoming an Irish citizen. The matter was adjourned to June 24, when legal submissions are expected to be ready for a half-day hearing before Mr Justice David Keane.
Two US army veterans, Ken Mayers (85) and Tarak Kauff (80), were fined €5,000 each after a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury found them guilty of interfering with the operation, safety or management of Shannon Airport. The men, who had cut a hole in the airport's perimeter fence with bolt cutters on St. Patrick's Day 2019, entered the runway area, causing the airport to close for about 40 minutes and delaying flights. They were acquitted of criminal damage to the fence and of trespassing with intent to commit an offence. The court noted their age, cooperation, lack of prior convictions and that they had already spent 13 days in Limerick prison. The fine was imposed as the penalty for the interference charge, with the men required to lodge an additional €2,500 each as a condition of bail. The case highlighted the men's anti‑war activism and their belief that their actions were justified to protect lives. Ken Mayers pleaded not guilty. Tarak Kauff pleaded not guilty.
Two US army veterans, Ken Mayers (85) and Tarak Kauff (80), were tried at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for actions taken during an anti‑war protest at Shannon Airport in 2019. The jury acquitted them of criminal damage to the perimeter fence and of trespassing with intent to commit an offence, but found them guilty of interfering with the operation, safety or management of the airport by entering the runway area and causing the airport to close. The verdict was 10‑to‑2. The men had cut a hole in the fence with bolt cutters, walked onto airport land, and were stopped by an airport officer. Their protest was aimed at inspecting US military aircraft and protesting the use of Shannon as a staging point for Middle East operations. The judge ordered them to return passports and set a sentencing date for the following day. Ken Mayers pleaded not guilty. Tarak Kauff pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, octogenarians Ken Mayers (85) and Tarak Kauff (80) faced six counts of trespass, criminal damage and interference with Shannon Airport's operation after cutting a hole in the fence and walking onto the airfield on 17 March 2019. Both men, former U.S. Army veterans and members of Veterans for Peace, pleaded not guilty and claimed they acted to protest U.S. military use of the airport as a staging point for Middle‑East operations. The prosecution, led by Tony McGillicuddy, argued the defendants had no lawful excuse, citing no evidence of weapons on board or a need to protect anyone, and urged a guilty verdict on all counts. Defendants' counsel, Michael Hourigan and Carol Doherty, emphasised the defendants' sincere, honourable motives and the possibility of a lawful defence under the Criminal Damage Act. The jury deliberated for two hours and twenty minutes before resuming on Tuesday.
The trial of Ken Mayers, 85, and Tarak Kauff, 80, two former U.S. Army veterans and anti‑war activists, is in its closing stages at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. They are charged with criminal damage to a perimeter fence at Shannon Airport on 17 March 2019, trespassing with intent to commit an offence or unlawfully damage property, and interfering with the operation, safety or management of the airport by entering a runway area and causing it to be closed. Both pleaded not guilty to all charges. In their own defence, the men admitted cutting a hole in the fence and walking onto the airport to protest the U.S. military's use of Shannon as a stop‑over for operations in the Middle East, claiming it breached Irish neutrality and that they were acting to defend international law. The prosecution case concluded on Wednesday, and the defendants gave evidence in their own defence.
Two American octogenarians, Ken Mayers (85) and Tarak Kauff (80), are on trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for trespassing and criminal damage at Shannon Airport on 17 March 2019. They pleaded not guilty to causing damage to a perimeter fence, trespassing the curtilage of a building, and interfering with airport operations by entering a runway area. During the trial, Mr Kauff admitted to damaging the fence, stating he acted on moral beliefs and that the US and Irish governments had broken the law. Both defendants claimed that the Irish Government was in breach of international law by allowing US military aircraft to use Shannon, and that their actions were mandated by God and aimed at preventing greater harm. They argued that inspecting US planes was necessary to uphold Irish neutrality. The trial continues.