Joseph Cole, aged 48, was sentenced to a partially suspended three‑year term for stealing a handbag from a woman walking home with her two‑year‑old daughter on 14 October 2011. The handbag contained €1,100 in cash and other items, none of which was recovered. Cole, who had 42 prior convictions including a seven‑year term for armed robbery in the UK (1994) and an eight‑year term for attempted robbery and false imprisonment in Ireland (2002), pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally back‑dated the sentence to the date of his custody entry and suspended the balance. She noted his apparent desire to leave his criminal past behind and his progress in dealing with drug addiction, citing a positive probation report. The incident was captured on CCTV; Garda David Chapman identified Cole and a partner as suspects, and they were arrested.
Ian Gibbons, 40, of Kilmainham Bank, Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbery of a purse and mobile phone from a heavily pregnant woman on 2 July 2015 in Blackpitts, Dublin 8. He snatched the bag, causing the woman, 35 and a half weeks pregnant, to fall but she sustained no injuries. Gibbons, who had 25 prior convictions and had been drug‑free for seven years, was chased and restrained by members of the public before Gardaí arrived. He attempted to escape, once running into a tree. He denied targeting the woman because of her pregnancy and said he needed money for heroin. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to five years, with the final 18 months suspended on conditions, noting his attempts to combat addiction since the offence. The stolen items were recovered and the victim was taken to hospital without injury.
Jason Malone, 33, was found with keys to two cars and various drug paraphernalia, including a Centra bag and a phone. Gardaí searched the cars and recovered a kilogram of white powder identified as caffeine, lignocaine and phenacetin, substances used to bulk cocaine, as well as a plate, spoon and hotel card key with traces of heroin. Malone pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of caffeine, lignocaine and phenacetin with traces of cocaine. He has 31 previous convictions. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to three-and-a-half years, suspending the final year on strict conditions, noting that he was clearly involved in drug dealing at the time but may now be prepared to put his offending behind him. The case was prosecuted by Elva Duffy BL. Patrick Marrinan SC defended Malone, citing his difficult upbringing, lack of employment and recent rehabilitation efforts.
In February 2016, Mr Justice Seamus Noonan dismissed Private Christopher Maher's High Court challenge to prevent his discharge from the Permanent Defence Forces. Maher, a Tipperary soldier stationed in Kilkenny, had tested positive for cocaine in a compulsory random drug test in March 2013, with urine samples showing 150ng/ml and 179ng/ml of benzoylecgonine, the substance indicating cocaine use. Maher denied ever taking the drug, claiming accidental ingestion at a party the night before the test. He argued that the positive result could have arisen from passive exposure to crack cocaine smoke and that the testing process was flawed. He also submitted a medical report and offered voluntary targeted testing to prove he was not a habitual user. The court found his explanations uncredible, upheld the disciplinary breach, and confirmed the decision to discharge him, while allowing a stay pending appeal to the Court of Appeal.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Judge Melanie Greally sentenced a 16‑year‑old boy to two and a half years' detention for burglary at The Avenue, Belgard Heights, Tallaght, on 7 June 2015. The teenager, whose name is withheld, had pleaded guilty and had prior convictions for burglary and drug possession. He and an accomplice were found hiding under a blanket in the house they had broken into. The judge noted the boy had no adult supervision since his mother's death five years earlier and no one in court to support him. She imposed the custodial term with an 18‑month suspended period, subject to strict conditions including engagement with the Probation Service and attendance at any recommended alcohol or drug therapy. The judge expressed hope that the custodial environment would provide the stability needed for the boy's future rehabilitation. The co‑accused has since taken a bench warrant.
During a Central Criminal Court hearing on 10 February 2016, it was revealed that Gary Flynn, aged 31, was in possession of drugs and two mobile phones when he was arrested by the Gardaí four days after the fatal shooting of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne on 13 March 2009. The arrest also uncovered €1,000 in cash. Flynn, who lives on Rossfield Drive in Tallaght, pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. The trial also discussed the arrest of another suspect, Garrett O'Brien, who was apprehended on 17 March 2009 at a house on Oldcourt Avenue in Bray, Co. Wicklow, under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. Gardaí Det. Sgt. Tom McManus and Det. Gda Gary Corrigan testified that O'Brien was alone in the sitting room when seized, and that the items—two mobile phones, blue tablets, Valium, hash, methadone, and €1,000—belonged to him.
Martin McBride, 47, of Enniscorthy, pleaded guilty in 2011 to possessing €97,000 of cannabis for sale in Cork. While on bail, he was later caught with €40,000 of cannabis in Wexford. He received a seven‑year sentence in Cork and a consecutive ten‑year minimum in Wexford, totaling 17 years. His lawyer, Bernard Condon SC, appealed, arguing that the Wexford offence was a second offence triggering a mandatory minimum only if a conviction had already been recorded, and that the conviction was not yet formalised at the time of the second offence. He also questioned whether consecutive sentencing for bail offences and mandatory minimums should apply simultaneously. The Court of Appeal noted the case and reserved judgment. The article reports only the procedural arguments and the 17‑year sentence, without any further outcome.
Christpher Dunne, 29, of Kilcronan Court, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to burglary at Old Chapel Wood, Naas, on 15 March 2011. He was sentenced on 25 July 2014 to five years imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended. Dunne had 125 previous convictions, 97 of which pre‑dated the offence, and was a father of three and an addict of heroin at the time. During the burglary he threatened to behead a garda while escaping, and had a baseball bat that he swung at the officer. The Court of Appeal, in a three‑judge panel, held that the sentence was proportionate and just, dismissing Dunne's appeal. The judge noted the offence was an "egregious burglary" involving baseball bats, screwdrivers and vice grips, and that the maximum sentence for burglary is 14 years. The suspended year was intended to incentivise rehabilitation. The appeal was dismissed.
Noel Smith otherwise Smyth, 53, of Gorey, Co Wexford, has appealed his conviction for harassment, making an unwarranted demand with menaces, and money laundering alleged between April and June 2009. At Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court, Smith pleaded not guilty but was found guilty by a jury. On April 7, 2014, Judge Gerard Giffin sentenced him to nine years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended. The prosecution alleged Smith pressured a named individual to pay for drugs and made threatening calls to the individual's mother. Defence counsel Remy Farrell SC argued that police entry into Smith's dwelling was unlawful, noting Smith was "present with a pitchfork" when gardaí arrived with a warrant under section 29 of the Offences Against the State Act, a provision later ruled unconstitutional. Farrell contended that a detective sergeant's later assertion of section 6 arrest powers was a "legal confection" manufactured after the event, as the officer did not invoke such powers at the time. He described the silent invocation of police entry powers as "wholly obnoxious to Irish law." The Court of Appeal, comprising Mr Justice George Birmingham, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, and Mr Justice John Edwards, heard the arguments and reserved judgment. The matter remains pending, with no final decision issued.
In 2016, the Director of Public Prosecutions sought a review of sentences for three Vietnamese nationals convicted of cannabis offences, arguing the sentences were "unduly lenient." The Court of Appeal, hearing the case on 8 February 2016, found that the Circuit Court judge had properly weighed the seriousness of the offences and the personal circumstances of the defendants. The judge had imposed six years' imprisonment with three years suspended for Choung Vu (45), four years' imprisonment with two‑and‑a‑half years suspended for Kham Tu (61), and four years' imprisonment with three years suspended for Tuan Cong Le (53). The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, concluding the sentences were not excessive and were proportionate to the harm and culpability involved. The court noted the defendants were legally present in the jurisdiction and did not fall into the comparative cases of illegal migrants or trafficked individuals. The decision reaffirmed the original sentencing as appropriate and justified. Kham Tu pleaded guilty. Tuan Cong Le pleaded guilty.
The High Court rejected Italy's request to extradite Aisha Ahmed, a mother of six, who was arrested in 2014 under a European Arrest Warrant. The warrant alleged that Ahmed, also known as Gloria Anwulika Aro, acted as promoter, leader and organiser of an association that imported, sold, distributed and traded large quantities of cocaine in Italy between 1999 and 2000. She was convicted in absentia in 2005 and sentenced by the Court of Naples to 20 years in prison. During hearings, Ahmed first claimed mistaken identity, giving the name Gloria Aro and a December 1967 birth date, and supplied an Irish passport. She later admitted the name on the warrant was hers. In October, her lawyers argued she had not been properly notified of a scheduled trial, and the notice served on her defence lawyer did not meet extradition requirements.
A 43‑year‑old man from Templeogue, Aidan Quigley, was remanded on bail pending sentencing after pleading guilty to two burglary and one attempted burglary offences committed between June 2014 and May 2015. He had 41 prior convictions, 21 of them for burglary, and had been on bail for each offence before the court heard the latest. Gardaí accepted that Quigley only broke into unoccupied houses to fund a heroin addiction, and that all stolen items were returned to their owners while he was still in possession of them. His barrister, Luigi Rea BL, argued that Quigley had become a father of three, lost his job after his youngest daughter's death, and had increased drug use, leading to burglary. Rea said Quigley had stopped using heroin and methadone in July of the previous year and had not committed any further burglaries since May 2015.
Dylan Paul, 22, was jailed for violent disorder at an 18th birthday party in Harold's Cross and for sending a menacing text in November 2011. He was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment by Judge Pat McCartan on 27 June 2013. In February 2016 the Court of Appeal quashed that sentence and imposed a suspended 18‑month term, requiring Paul to carry out 210 hours of community service within 12 months, pay €1,000 to the Forever Angels UK Charity, and keep the peace and be of good behaviour during the suspension. The appeal was based on the original judge's concern that Paul had not named names and had declined to do so, leading to a significant custodial sentence. Paul had been employed part‑time as a caterer for Baxter Storey in RTE and had no prior convictions at sentencing. The court noted his later involvement in a cannabis offence but did not impose immediate incarceration. Dylan Paul pleaded guilty.
Shane O'Connor, 34, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the offence of producing an article at Mountjoy Prison on 25 September 2013. The incident involved O'Connor attempting to throw a jug of warm water at fellow inmate Keith Hughes while prison officer Leon Maguire was refilling a jug for tea. O'Connor rushed past Maguire, who was restraining him, and struck Maguire on the forehead with the jug. Maguire was treated for a cut and received one stitch. O'Connor was already serving a four‑year robbery sentence and had 29 prior convictions. He was undergoing drug rehabilitation at Tiglin Centre and was reported drug‑free for a year. Judge Patricia Ryan, after hearing the evidence, imposed a two‑year suspended sentence on strict conditions, recognising O'Connor's admissions, family support and drug‑free status. The sentence was suspended, not executed, pending compliance with the conditions. The case remains at the suspended‑sentence stage.
Noel Kinsella, 41, was sentenced to five months' imprisonment for obstructing a Garda during a drug search. Kinsella, who has 98 prior convictions, denied the assault charge but was found guilty of obstruction. The incident occurred on 11 November 2013 when Garda Ross Mannix approached Kinsella's home to conduct a search. Kinsella fled, was pursued, and entered the house where he fell on the front door, landing on the Garda. He shouted "I have the virus" and made biting motions at the Garda's leg. The Garda suffered a serious injury, including a fractured hand that required a cast. The judge noted that no drugs were found, but Kinsella was carrying a sizeable amount of money with no explanation. The sentence reflects the obstruction offence, which carries a maximum of six months. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a 2016 trial, a 30‑year‑old man from Skerries, Dragos Nica, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity for stabbing a 55‑year‑old neighbour, Michael Gannon, to death on 14 November 2013. The jury heard that Nica had previously considered killing Gannon's young grandchildren and that he had a history of chronic paranoid schizophrenia, with delusions and hallucinations. He had been admitted to psychiatric facilities on several occasions, often involuntarily, and had a long record of drug use, including cannabis, heroin and ecstasy. On the night of the murder, Nica claimed he believed he had been poisoned by Gannon's daughter and that he was in an agitated state, grabbing a larger knife after a smaller one. He called emergency services after the stabbing, claiming he had stabbed someone. The trial was set to continue with closing speeches before a judge and jury.
Sunny Idah, 41, a Nigerian national, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to soliciting two undercover Gardaí posing as Polish drug mules to import cocaine into Ireland between 14 and 19 September 2010. He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended, by Judge Catherine Murphy on 5 December 2014. Idah's appeal to reduce the severity of the sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal. Justice Alan Mahon upheld the 10‑year term, noting Idah's central role in a well‑planned, sophisticated operation that involved sending the mules to Brazil to ingest one kilogram of cocaine worth €140,000, with each mule to be paid €5,000. The Court of Appeal confirmed that the suspended 12 months and the overall sentence were appropriate, and Idah remains on temporary release. The appeal was dismissed on 2 February 2016.
Jamie Carroll, 33, of Arklow, Co Wicklow, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to five counts of robbery. Judge Sarah Berkeley imposed a six-year custodial sentence, suspending the final two years. The offences occurred on November 11, 2014, at Day 2 Day on Military Road and Boyle Sports in Monkstown; on November 22, 2014, at Bus Stop Shop in Enniscorthy; and on April 8, 2015, at Londis on Foxrock Avenue. On each occasion, Carroll allegedly armed with a knife to demand money. Defence counsel Colman Fitzgerald SC noted Carroll's history of heroin addiction and presented clean urine analysis reports, arguing he was now drug-free. The judge acknowledged the robberies were committed to feed his addiction and that no physical violence was used, though staff were threatened. She suspended the final two years of the sentence, citing Carroll's remorse and co-operation with the Garda investigation. Carroll had previously been released on bail twice, including a March 30, 2015 release for a residential drug treatment program which he failed to attend due to intoxication, before committing the final robbery. He has 121 previous convictions, primarily for driving and public order offences.
In the Central Criminal Court, Dragos Nica, 30, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity for stabbing Michael Gannon, 55, to death on 14 November 2013. Nica admitted to the stabbing and that Gannon died from the wound. He claimed he was poisoned by Gannon's daughter, Jade, and that the poison forced him to act. Garda Sergeant David Kemp recounted that Gannon was babysitting children when Nica entered the house, stabbed him, and fled. Nica later called 999, stating he was poisoned and had to kill to stop it. He was interviewed four times, during which he described feeling a "poison" sting, being angry and despairing, and that he had stopped his medication and smoked cannabis. The jury heard evidence of Nica's acute schizophrenia at the time of the killing. The trial is expected to last three days.
In February 2016 the Director of Public Prosecutions applied to the Court of Appeal for a review of the prison sentences handed to three Vietnamese nationals convicted of cannabis offences in 2011. Choung Vu, aged 45, was found guilty of cultivation, possession and possession for sale of cannabis at Ballinlough, Kells, Co. Meath. He was sentenced on 8 July 2015 to six years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended. Kham Tu, aged 61, pleaded guilty to cultivation and received a four‑year sentence, the last two‑and‑a‑half years suspended, consecutive to a sentence imposed a day earlier in Naas Circuit Court. Tuan Cong Le, aged 53, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession and was sentenced to four years, with the final three years suspended. The DPP argued the sentences were "unduly lenient", citing that the defendants were legally resident in the jurisdiction and not under duress, unlike comparable cases involving illegal migrants or trafficked individuals.
Jason Rowe, aged 40, will be sentenced on 3 March after pleading guilty in District Court to possession of heroin and cocaine worth over €13,000 for sale and supply, and to possession of a Heckler and Koch MP5, a Steyr AUG, a GSG5 sub‑machine gun, a 9mm handgun, a .45 handgun and 23 bullets. The drugs were estimated at €360,000 street value. He faces a maximum life sentence, a mandatory minimum of ten years for the drugs and a mandatory minimum of five years for the firearms, and remains on bail until sentencing.
Raymond Creighton, 26, of Poddle Green, Kimmage, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing 1.03 kg of cocaine worth €72,100 at a friend's house on Cashel Road, Crumlin, on 5 February 2015. He admitted he had been standing on the side of the road when two acquaintances pulled up and "slagged" him, and he agreed to hold drugs for them, expecting only €100 or a small amount of hash. Garda Triona Gallagher testified that Creighton had no signs of wealth and had been cycling around Crumlin on his sister's bicycle, making him stand out. A warrant was obtained to search the Cashel Road address, where a rucksack of cocaine and weighing scales were found in the house owner's bedroom; Creighton admitted placing them there. He has two minor public‑order convictions from 2011.
Noel Nolan, 29, pleaded guilty to possessing 352 g of heroin worth €52,810, which he had held to offset a cocaine debt. He was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, but the sentence was adjourned pending a Probation and Welfare Service report. Nolan had three prior minor public‑order convictions and had worked as a labourer until the recession. Garda Colleen Gallagher reported that Nolan had shown the drugs and admitted to holding them for a week to settle the debt.
Richard Mansfield, 21, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two endangerment charges, taking a vehicle and dangerous driving after stealing a BMW. He admitted smoking cannabis before driving. Mansfield performed a handbrake turn into oncoming rush‑hour traffic on the Tallaght Bypass on 7 January 2015, accelerating at high speed across three lanes and narrowly missing a patrol car and pedestrians. Garda Alan Young arrested him after a chase. Mansfield had 60 prior convictions, including dangerous driving, burglary and drug possession. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to four and a half years, suspending the last 18 months, and disqualified him from driving for four years. The suspended portion is conditional on probation for two years after release. The sentence reflects the serious risk posed to many people, including Gardaí, during the incident.
John Behan, a 40‑year‑old father from Drimnagh, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing 830 grammes of cannabis, valued at a potential €16,600, found in his former Landon Road home in Ballyfermot on 21 September 2014. He had previously lost his job and claimed the drugs were for personal use and to sell if he faced financial hardship. Garda Michael McNulty, who led the search, noted that the cannabis was in six containers in a shed and a bin at the front of the house. Judge Melanie Greally accepted that the street value might have been somewhat in excess of the actual worth, considered Behan's lack of further offences and his new employment at Intel, and imposed a four‑year suspended sentence, suspended for three years, with no custodial time required. The court also acknowledged that the operation was "not the most professional" and that the drugs were "substandard.".
Brian Cox, a 38‑year‑old father from Boot Road, Clondalkin, was caught by Garda Steve Kelly showing a stolen car that had been advertised on DoneDeal.ie. The vehicle, reported stolen almost a month earlier, was found to have a false NCT disc. Cox pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing the stolen car and using a false NCT disc on Chapelizod Road, Chapelizod, on 1 April 2015. He has 39 prior convictions, including thefts and drug offences. During the hearing, defence counsel Fiona Pekaar argued that Cox had faced intimidation from an old drug debt and had not been in trouble with Gardaí since 2009. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to obtain a probation report and assess Cox's suitability for community service, rather than imposing a custodial sentence.
David Gill, a 40‑year‑old former GAA youth coach and father of three from The Pines, Leopardstown Road, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing €5,000 of cannabis herb seized in a Tipperary drug bust. The court heard that Gill's fingerprints were found on a bag of the seized cannabis, but he denied any link to the people involved in the operation. Sergeant David Buckley confirmed that Gill had no connection to the targets of the Garda operation and that the package would have passed through his hands while he was involved in transporting drugs in Dublin. Gill has three prior convictions, including a seven‑year sentence for possessing almost €600,000 of cannabis in August 2013. The judge, recognising his cooperation and efforts to improve while incarcerated, imposed a two‑year sentence to run concurrently with the seven years he is already serving.
Keith Hall, aged 26, was sentenced to 20 years for the manslaughter of 16‑year‑old Melanie McCarthy McNamara, who was shot in a car in Tallaght on 8 February 2012. Hall pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and the Director of Public Prosecutions accepted the plea. On appeal, the Court of Appeal quashed the original sentence, re‑imposed 20 years as the headline figure and suspended the final two‑and‑a‑half years. The appeal argued that the sentencing judge had not adequately considered mitigating factors such as Hall's drug addiction, dysfunctional background, remorse, family support and prospects for rehabilitation. The Court of Appeal found the judge's failure to specify the extent of any discount a departure from best practice, and ordered Hall to enter a bond to keep the peace during the suspended period. Hall was not directly involved in the shooting but assisted in events before and after the incident.
Leon Murphy, 20, was due to be sentenced for being a passenger in a stolen car. While Judge Patrick McCartan was questioning Murphy's future prospects, the judge mentioned Murphy's mother, a re‑formed heroin addict, and asked counsel to confirm she no longer used drugs. Murphy became angry, shouted abuse at the judge, and his mother protested that the judge implied she had used drugs. Murphy then jumped out of the dock, grabbed a glass of water on a bench, and attempted to throw it at the judge. Court staff and prison officers prevented the act, and Murphy was escorted out while continuing to shout. The judge adjourned the case to another court for sentencing, citing Murphy's attitude. No sentence was given in this article. Leon Murphy pleaded guilty.
A 49‑year‑old Nigerian woman, Aisha Ahmed, also known as Gloria Anwulika Aro, was arrested in 2014 in Dublin under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Italy. The warrant accuses her of being a promoter, leader and organiser in an association that imported, sold, distributed and traded large quantities of cocaine in Italy between 1999 and 2000. She was given a 22‑year sentence in 2005, later reduced to 20 years. The High Court adjourned the extradition ruling for three weeks, with the next hearing set for February 8, and she remains on continuing bail.
Sean Kenny, aged 24, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Raphael Momoh, aged 21, on Parkgate Street on 29 January 2013. Kenny struck Momoh in the eye with a broken glass bottle, cutting the cornea and leaving scarring on the eyelids. Momoh required a corneal transplant to restore vision. The assault left Momoh legally blind in the left eye. Kenny has 49 prior convictions and is currently serving a sentence for drug dealing and violent disorder. The case was adjourned after evidence was heard in December to allow the Director of Public Prosecutions to advise on the appropriate sentencing range. The maximum sentence for the offence is life imprisonment, with the DPP indicating a "most serious" range of seven and a half to twelve and a half years. The court ordered a probation report and adjourned sentencing to 16 March.
Desmond Dunne, 39, a former chef from Clondalkin now living in a hostel on Manor Street, was sentenced to five years in prison for a series of robberies and an attempted raid carried out between 26 November and 18 December 2014. He used a syringe and a blade to threaten staff at five Dublin pharmacies, stealing prescription drugs and cash. Dunne admitted the offences and pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He has 23 prior convictions, including four for robbery. The judge, Melaine Greally, noted his long‑term drug addiction and the role it played in the crimes. The last 18 months of the sentence were suspended on strict conditions, requiring cooperation with the Probation Service and drug treatment. The court emphasised that the robberies were motivated by his desire to support his addiction. The case was investigated by Detective Garda Eoin Colbert, who identified Dunne through CCTV and seized clothing matching the robber's attire.
Perry Wharrie, 56, an Englishman, is awaiting a new sentencing decision after a 30‑year prison term was overturned on appeal for his role in Ireland's largest drug seizure. The 2007 haul of €440 million in cocaine was recovered off Dunlough Bay when a rigid inflatable boat, carrying 1.5 tonnes of the drug, sank after its petrol engine was filled with diesel. Wharrie was found guilty of possession for sale or supply by a Cork Circuit Criminal Court jury and sentenced by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin to 30 years imprisonment on 23 July 2008. Two accomplices received 30 and 25 years respectively, while a third who pleaded guilty was jailed for ten years. The Court of Criminal Appeal ruled that the original sentence was too severe, and a new, lower sentence will be imposed on 15 February. The case highlights the scale of the seizure and the legal process for reviewing sentencing in Ireland. Perry Wharrie pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by Robert Mills, a 25-year-old from Lissadel Green, Drimnagh, Dublin 12, who had pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply in December 2015. The appeal challenged the trial judge's ruling that garda evidence of purchasing drugs from him was admissible, arguing the operation breached his Article 6 rights under the European Convention on Human Rights due to a lack of proper authorisation. Mr Justice Alan Mahon dismissed the claim, stating the operation was sanctioned by the Garda Commissioner and that Mills was provided with no more than an unexceptional opportunity to commit a crime, which he freely took. However, the judge described the failure of An Garda Síochána to implement a proper protocol for undercover drug operations as "unsatisfactory." He noted that Ireland lacks a formal system for authorising and supervising such operations, which are currently conducted with a degree of informality. Justice Mahon recommended that Ireland look to the British system, suggesting a Code of Practice possibly based on the UK model should be established to ensure greater formality, record-keeping, and dedicated recording of details to assist in court proceedings arising from undercover operations.
A 17‑year‑old, who cannot be named, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of heroin for sale or supply on 7 October 2014 at Tom Kelly Flats, Tom Kelly Road. He was wearing two pairs of boxer shorts to conceal three knotted bags of heroin (70.5 g, €9,785 street value) and the keys to a Renault Kangoo van. Garda John Donnelly, on routine patrol, spotted the teenager, who fled, and after a brief struggle he was arrested. The van, locked and later opened with the teenager's keys, contained a further stash of heroin and paraphernalia. The teenager had no prior convictions and had not attracted Garda attention before. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the law that prison should be the last resort for juveniles, suspended a two‑and‑a‑half‑year term on strict conditions, stating that imprisonment was not justified at the moment. The van was forfeited to the State.
Gavin Kinsella, 27, pleaded guilty to unlawfully keeping prescription‑only medication for supply at his home in Summerhill Parade. He was found with 15,908 Zopiclone tablets and a small amount of cannabis during a Garda surveillance operation from 14 to 20 December 2013. The tablets, worth €1 each, were not available in Irish pharmacies and are prescribed for short‑term insomnia and anxiety. Kinsella claimed he was holding the drugs for someone else to pay a cocaine debt. He has 12 prior convictions, all dealt with in the District Court. Judge Martin Nolan revoked his bail, remanded him pending sentencing, and on 21 December 2013 sentenced him to a three‑year prison term suspended on strict conditions, citing his admissions, cooperation with Gardaí and prospects for rehabilitation. The sentence was imposed at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The case was prosecuted by Tony McGillicuddy BL.
Neil Mannion (34) and Richard O'Connor (34) were jailed for running an online global drug‑dealing operation. They were charged with possession of LSD, amphetamine and cannabis resin worth €143,000 after a Garda raid on a business premises in south Dublin in October 2014. Mannion, described by Judge Martin Nolan as "the brains of the operation", owned, sold and sourced the drugs, while O'Connor acted under Mannion's instructions for a weekly wage. Mannion received a six‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence; O'Connor received three years. The court noted the operation used the "darknet" to sell drugs to customers in countries such as Japan, Argentina, the Czech Republic and the USA, and that the defendants had no prior convictions. The case highlighted the use of bitcoin and darknet sites like Silk Road and Agora for international drug distribution. The defendants were found to have cooperated with the investigation. Neil Mannion pleaded guilty. Richard O'Connor pleaded guilty.
A 37‑year‑old Limerick man was sentenced to four and a half years' imprisonment for assaulting his former partner with a shovel until it broke. The victim suffered bruises and injuries to her eye, eyelid, cheeks, neck, head, ears, arms, legs and had hair torn from her scalp. The court found him guilty of assaulting her outside her house, dragging her into a waiting car and beating her with a shovel. He was acquitted of rape and false imprisonment, and the jury could not decide on two counts of rape. The judge noted the victim's vulnerability and the lack of remorse from the defendant, and reduced a potential six‑year sentence for false imprisonment to four and a half years. The case involved the defendant's prior 11 convictions, mainly for traffic and public order offences. The victim's drug addiction worsened after the attack, and she now lives outside Limerick. The defendant's defence acknowledged his bad behaviour on that occasion.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 18 December 2015, Neil Mannion (34) and Richard O'Connor (34) pleaded guilty to possession of LSD, amphetamine and cannabis resin with intent to sell or supply. The drugs, valued at €143,000, were seized during a Garda raid on a business premises in south Dublin in October 2014. Mannion, a former Eircom employee, had set up an online drug‑dealing operation that used the darknet sites Silk Road and Agora, and was paid to post packages to customers in Japan, Argentina, the Czech Republic and the USA. O'Connor, a self‑employed film grip, handled the packaging and posting of the drugs. Both men had no prior convictions and were remanded in custody pending sentencing. The court heard that Mannion had quit a €36,000‑a‑year job to run the online business, while O'Connor was described as having a drug dependency at the time but was now clean.
Niall Butler, 41, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis resin for sale or supply after police seized over €140,000 of cannabis from his rented room at The Pines, Lehaunstown Lane, Cabinteely, on 2 September 2015. Garda Ivor Scully reported that officers, acting on confidential information, entered the premises at 7.30 am and announced a search. Butler, who was in the kitchen with others, initially refused to give his details and told the officers to "fuck off". He then grabbed a Garda's jumper with a closed fist and refused the search, before being restrained and the search continued. Police found 24.5 kg of cannabis in bags inside a wardrobe in Butler's bedroom, valued at €147,000. Butler said he had been holding the drugs for someone else to repay a drug debt and would not disclose the creditor's identity for his own and his family's safety.
Thi Ha Pham, a 55‑year‑old Vietnamese woman, was found in a €940,000 cannabis growhouse on Lagan Road, Dublin, after a garda raid. She had been locked in the facility for over a month, living in rudimentary conditions, and had pleaded guilty to cultivation of cannabis on 20 November 2012. The court heard that she had no prior convictions and that she had been brought to Ireland without a passport by plane and truck after meeting a Vietnamese woman. She described living in the growhouse, turning lights on and off, and receiving no payment of the €800 per month she expected. Garda Neil Cepeda noted that the growhouse had sophisticated lighting and irrigation and that 1,176 mature plants were found. Judge Sarah Berkeley, noting that Ha Pham "probably was and is a victim of trafficking," imposed a three‑year sentence back‑dated to the date she entered custody.
Laura Clarke, a 23‑year‑old tennis club employee from Coolock, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing 372 grams of cocaine for sale or supply. She admitted that she had been addicted to cocaine and that drug dealers had exploded a pipe bomb outside her home two years earlier to intimidate her. Clarke claimed she was forced to hold the cocaine to repay a €3,000 drug debt and that her dealers threatened to take her four‑year‑old son if she did not comply. Gardaí raided her family home after a confidential tip‑off, finding the cocaine and weighing scales in her bedroom. The judge, citing the seriousness of drug‑dealing offences, imposed a five‑year suspended sentence, taking into account her young son and voluntary community work. Clarke has no prior convictions and has since claimed to be drug‑free and involved in community training schemes.
Joseph Cole, 48, will be sentenced in February for stealing a handbag from a woman walking home with her two‑year‑old daughter on 14 October 2011. The handbag contained €1,100 in cash and other items, none of which was recovered. Cole pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and has 42 prior convictions, including a seven‑year term for armed robbery in the UK in 1994 and an eight‑year term in Ireland for attempted robbery and false imprisonment in 2002. He was homeless at the time of the offence, admitted using tablets and had difficulty recalling the event, but accepted responsibility for taking the bag. The judge noted his efforts to overcome drug addiction and adjourned sentencing until a probation report is submitted. The case is still pending, with no further outcome reported in the article.
Paul Keenan, 36, of Griffeen Glen Park, Lucan, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment after Gardaí seized bags of cocaine and cannabis at his Dublin home. The drugs, valued at €19,840 and €316 respectively, were found in a kitchen press, a bedroom drawer, and a weighing scale, along with a "tick list" and two mobile phones. Garda Gavin Curtin reported that Keenan also possessed €10,000 in cash, including a €5,300 envelope, a €1,000 roll, and a €4,325 envelope. Keenan admitted to using cocaine recreationally, which escalated as he fell into debt after losing his electrician job in June 2013. He claimed he owed €6,000 to drug dealers and sold an ounce a week for about €1,300. He pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and cannabis for sale or supply on 24 April 2014. The court noted his prior 2003 conviction for drug dealing, for which he received a suspended five‑year sentence.
Sean Kenny, 24, was remanded in custody pending sentence after pleading guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Raphael Momoh, 21, on Parkgate Street on 29 January 2013. Kenny struck Momoh in the eye with a broken glass bottle, cutting the cornea and leaving scarring on the eyelids, which will require a corneal transplant. Momoh was hit on the back of the head while walking toward Heuston Station, then punched in the face, stomach and chest before a passer‑by pulled Kenny off him. Gardaí used CCTV, witness statements and identification to name Kenny as the suspect. Kenny has 49 prior convictions and is currently serving a sentence for drug dealing and violent disorder. The case was adjourned to 15 January 2016.
In a murder trial, the State Pathologist, Professor Marie Cassidy, testified that James Humphries, aged 32, died from a single stab wound to his upper chest, located 1.5 cm below the collarbone. The wound was 2 cm wide, 0.8 cm gaping, and 5 cm deep, puncturing the right subclavian artery and vein but not entering the chest cavity or organs. Humphries had high alcohol levels and therapeutic levels of heroin, methadone, and diazepam, which did not contribute to his death. Cassidy described the knife as having a fairly narrow blade with a short tip, and the injury was deemed a fatal knife assault. Trevor Corr, 39, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; the State did not accept the plea. The trial continues.
Patrick Scanlon, a 55-year-old restaurateur with an address on the Channel Island of Jersey, successfully appealed his sentence at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court. He had previously pleaded not guilty to the possession and importation of cannabis worth €79,000 from Spain to a house in Pallaskenry, Co Limerick, on August 8, 2013. Following a three-week trial, a jury found him guilty, and Mr Justice Caroll Moran sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment on May 21, 2014. On appeal, a three-judge panel comprising Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, Mr Justice Alan Mahon, and Mr Justice John Edwards reviewed the case. The court accepted submissions from Mr Michael O'Higgins SC that the original sentence was excessive given mitigating factors, including Scanlon's charitable works, such as running marathons in prison and raising funds for Chernobyl children. The court identified an error in principle regarding the sentencing judge's assessment. Consequently, the panel quashed the original 15-year sentence and imposed a reduced sentence of 11 years imprisonment. This decision reflects a four-year reduction based on the additional material submitted, which highlighted Scanlon's efforts to do good and his lack of status as a hardened criminal.
Joseph French, 24, of Neilstown Park, Clondalkin, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to seven and a half years for endangerment of a Garda and dangerous driving. He pleaded guilty to endangerment on the Ninth Lock Road, dangerous driving on Cherry Orchard Avenue, and driving without insurance. French also admitted to two robberies and an attempted robbery between 30 July and 9 August 2014 at Centra on La Touche Road, Bluebell, and Mace on Manor Road. His prior convictions include robbery, theft, burglary, possession of knives, and drug offences. Judge Martin Nolan imposed consecutive terms of seven and a half years, suspending the final two years on strict conditions. French was disqualified from driving for five years. The sentence reflects the violent nature of the robberies, which were committed to fund a drug habit, and the serious risk posed to Garda Fiona Ruddy during the high‑speed chase and reversal of his Volkswagen Passat.
Gavin Kinsella, 27, was arrested after a Garda surveillance operation uncovered 15,908 Zopiclone tablets and a small amount of cannabis in his Summerhill Parade home. The drugs, a prescription‑only medication used for insomnia and anxiety, were found in blister strips and were not available in Irish pharmacies. Kinsella pleaded guilty to unlawfully keeping the prescription‑only product for supply. He claimed he was holding the drugs for someone else to pay off a cocaine debt, but the prosecution argued he was not involved with the same peer group as at the time of his arrest. He has 12 prior convictions, all dealt with in the District Court. Judge Martin Nolan remanded him in custody, revoking his bail, and scheduled his sentencing for the following week. The court urged him to consider the consequences of his actions while remanded.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Trevor Corr, 39, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of James Humphries, 32, at Kiltalown Way, Tallaght, on 22 September 2013. The State's counsel, Mr John Byrne BL, called neighbour Ms Christine Kelly to testify. Ms Kelly, who lived a few doors away, observed Corr and three others outside his garden. She recalled Corr greeting her, claiming he had been "on drink and drugs for the past eight days" and appeared "happy drunk" and unaggressive. Under cross‑examination, Ms Kelly confirmed Corr's statement that he was not hostile. Garda Ivor Wilkinson, who arrived at 18.35, reported Corr standing at the front door, looking intoxicated and unsteady. Wilkinson noted a trail of blood leading to a bedroom where Corr allegedly stabbed Humphries. Corr was arrested at 18.52 and later became highly agitated on the way back to Tallaght Garda Station. The trial continues.