In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Patrick Price (27) and Clive Bass (29) were sentenced to six years' imprisonment for possession of a firearm and the use of a shotgun to frighten a group outside the Buzz nightclub on 28 April 2019. CCTV showed a disagreement between Price and a group of people; Price was removed from the club and threatened the bouncer, saying he would shoot them. After leaving in an Audi A3, the car returned to the scene and four shots were fired from the backseat, striking a man 30 metres away and causing minor structural damage to the club's smoking area. Gardaí seized gunshot residue on Bass's clothing and a shotgun case in the car, which was registered to Price's mother. Both men pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm; Price had no convictions at the time, while Bass had 41 previous convictions.
A 42‑year‑old Dublin martial arts instructor was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for sexually exploiting three teenage students aged 13‑14 between September and October 2014. He pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation, having harassed the girls with daily "creepy" texts, groping, kissing and threatening to drop them from the gym if they resisted. The court noted he had previously been convicted of driving offences, property damage and theft, and had been extradited from the UK where he had served three years of a six‑year sentence. Judge Martin Nolan described the conduct as a serious breach of trust and manipulation, and the sentence was back‑dated to account for time already served. The victims were described as innocent, and a victim impact statement was submitted but not read aloud.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, James Flood, aged 30, was sentenced to four and a half years' imprisonment for the offence of intentionally or recklessly engaging in conduct that resulted in the injury of a Garda. The incident occurred on 22 December 2014 when Flood, driving dangerously in St Patrick Street, was pursued by Garda David Hoare. Hoare was knocked to the ground and subsequently struck by Flood's vehicle, which drove over his leg and foot. Flood, who had 75 prior convictions, was arrested after absconding and gave a false name. He pleaded guilty, admitted full responsibility, and expressed remorse. The judge, considering his early guilty plea, admission, apology, drug‑induced psychosis, and adverse childhood circumstances, imposed a four‑year term with the final six months suspended on the condition of probation, good behaviour, and a ten‑year driving disqualification.
Philip McCabe, aged 23, was sentenced to four years for criminal damage at Oberstown Children's Detention Centre, where he and a group caused €120,000 worth of damage to furniture, IT equipment and kitchen and staff rooms over several hours. He also pleaded guilty to driving a car without permission in 2017 and to three burglary counts in 2019. Judge Melanie Greally noted the offence occurred when McCabe was a juvenile and that prosecution was delayed by staff retirements. The judge imposed two‑year sentences for each of the other counts, back‑dated to 8 July 2021, and ordered them to run concurrently with his current five‑and‑half‑year robbery sentence, with a release date in 2025. McCabe has 118 prior convictions, a history of substance abuse and mental health difficulties, and is in a relationship with a young child.
Alan Giles, 30, of Glasnevin Road, Finglas, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for robbery at DCU Glasnevin Campus on February 9, 2021. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge. Judge Melanie Greally described the incident as involving a considerable degree of violence, noting that the victim was punched and kicked, resulting in injuries and the theft of a phone and cards. The court heard that Giles has 28 previous convictions, including for drug possession and theft. Judge Greally rejected a defence application for more time to engage with Probation Services, citing inconsistent engagement, a failure to submit urine samples since November 2021, and uncompleted community service hours. The judge handed Giles a five-year custodial sentence, suspending the final two years on the condition that he enter a bond to keep the peace for two years. The sentence was backdated to the date Giles entered custody. He is ordered to remain under Probation Services supervision for 12 months upon release. The judge stated that the violent nature of the robbery required a custodial sentence, despite mitigating factors such as remorse and addiction. Defence counsel noted that Giles had paid €1,000 in compensation and that his co-accused received a fully suspended five-year sentence.
Aidan Donegan, 51, a former personal credit agent, pleaded guilty to forging 13 loans and using a false passport to obtain €700. He had created fictitious loans in 2013 and 2014, some in the names of real customers, and failed to repay a €700 loan. The total fraudulent amount was €14,700, of which €12,575 remains payable to the injured party. Donegan has since repaid the loans in full. The court noted he was a single parent needing money to "put food on the table" and had no prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan, after hearing the case, concluded that imprisonment was unwarranted and imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence, with the suspended portion not to be served in custody.
Philip Byrne, 41, was sentenced to five years in prison for assault, threatening to kill, false imprisonment and possession of a kitchen knife after he repeatedly stabbed his wife during a domestic dispute at their home. The court heard that Byrne stabbed his wife in the abdomen, breast and hand, causing permanent nerve damage and requiring surgery. He was also found to have a high risk of re‑offending and harmful behaviour in intimate relationships. Byrne pleaded guilty to all charges. The judge imposed a seven‑year sentence for false imprisonment, suspended the final two years, and directed Byrne to comply with probation and safeguarding measures for two years after release. Separate three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentences were imposed for the remaining counts, all back‑dated to December 3, 2020. The couple have since reconciled, and the wife withdrew her statement, stating the incident was accidental.
Patrick McDonagh, 33, of Balbriggan, was one of eight men who attacked Martin Collins in a family feud on 7 February 2015. The attackers used two cars to ram Collins' vehicle, then assaulted him with golf clubs, baseball bats and slash hooks. While Collins was on the ground, McDonagh repeatedly stabbed him in the shoulder with a screwdriver, as other assailants struck him with weapons. Collins' brothers and his young son witnessed the assault, which left Collins with a broken arm, stab wounds and head cuts. He later required a plate in his arm and remains on painkillers. McDonagh had pleaded guilty to affray in April and was already serving a sentence for theft. In February 2016 he received seven years for driving a stolen car at a Garda. Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced McDonagh to three and a half years' imprisonment for the affray, to commence after his current term.
Stephen Costello, 46, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to the possession of drugs for sale or supply. The court heard that on November 7, 2018, gardaí searched his home on St James Road, Walkinstown, where a bag of white powder was found under a concrete slab in the back garden. Additional items, including scales and a knife with a white substance, were seized from a caravan on the property. Costello admitted to holding the drugs to pay off a drug debt. Analysis confirmed the substance was cocaine with a value of €10,899. Defending counsel highlighted Costello's early guilty plea, his compliance with bail conditions, and his engagement with Addiction Response Dublin, noting clean urine tests and negative breath tests since 2019. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged these mitigating factors, including the defendant's rehabilitation efforts. The judge determined that the appropriate sentence was three years in prison. However, this sentence was suspended in full. The suspension is conditional upon Costello being of good behaviour and keeping the peace for a period of three years.
In a Dublin Circuit Court hearing, Buti Sashi, aged 26, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for a series of offences. He was found guilty of assaulting two women, one of whom he choked and threatened with a knife, and of theft involving €35,000 obtained through an invoice‑redirection fraud. The court heard that Sashi had supplied a prostitute with his bank account details, which was used to transfer the money. He pleaded guilty to the theft and the assaults. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑year sentence for each assault, to run concurrently, and a two‑year sentence for the theft, back‑dated for time already served and consecutive to the assault sentences. The total custodial term was five years. The case highlighted the use of a mobile phone and CCTV evidence in linking Sashi to the crimes. The court noted his drug addiction and expressed regret for his actions. The sentences were delivered in November 2021.
Anthony Bradley, aged 28, pleaded guilty to robbery at a McDonald's in Blanchardstown on 17 January 2020. He threatened the manager with a broken bottle and demanded money from the till, taking about €40. The court found the offence "drugs‑fuelled" and linked it to Bradley's addiction history. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to three and a half years, suspending the final 12 months on the condition of a bond to keep the peace. Bradley has 42 prior convictions, including assault, theft and drug offences, and has previously completed a residential treatment programme. He is a father of one and has expressed a desire to address his addiction and support his family.
Vincent O'Connor, 41, was jailed for three and a half years after Gardai seized €254,000 worth of prescription painkillers, €14,500 of illegal drugs and €16,000 in cash from his Ballymun home on 30 October 2020. The drugs were found in a drawer, a jacket and a safe. O'Connor pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply of cocaine and unlawful possession of prescription tablets. He admitted that he had a drug habit and had been approached to hold the drugs, claiming he could not refuse. He expressed remorse and explained that his marriage had broken down, forcing him to sell the family home and that he had turned to drugs and alcohol. The court noted he had no prior convictions and had complied with bail conditions, but the seriousness of the offence warranted a prison sentence. The judge imposed concurrent sentences of three and a half years.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Jessica Serra, aged 30, received a two‑year suspended sentence for laundering €72,000 that was fraudulently transferred from Bus Eireann to a misdirected GoBus bank account. The fraud began when Bus Eireann updated its bank details after receiving an email from a GoBus address in October 2019. The money was never received by GoBus, leading Gardaí to freeze the account and arrest Serra. She claimed a man offered her €3,000 to use his account, which she declined at first but later accepted after learning her surgery in Turkey would cost €6,000. At the time of the fraud, only €44,000 remained in her account. Serra had no prior convictions, was originally from Italy, and had worked as a babysitter and at Dunnes Stores. She was described as vulnerable, suffering from depression, and concerned about her father's health.
A 70‑year‑old former Christian brother teacher, who taught at a primary school in the southeast from 1975 to 1981, was convicted by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in April of the previous year for molesting two boys in his classroom. He pleaded not guilty to eleven counts of indecent assault but was found guilty on seven counts; the jury could not reach a verdict on four counts. The convictions involved repeated indecent assaults on one boy on two occasions—after the boy was asked to stay behind to clean the blackboard and after he was called up to read—and on the second boy up to 40 times during the school year up to June 1980. The court heard that the assaults had a lasting impact on the victims, affecting their self‑esteem, relationships and life choices.
In a 2022 court hearing, former Garda Stephen Cooper (37) and accomplice Stephen McGrath (37) were sentenced for drug‑ and alcohol‑fuelled assaults on two women. Cooper forced a woman to undergo a "strip search" after claiming she stole drugs, threatened her, and inserted his fingers into her body. McGrath then violently assaulted a second woman, kicking, punching, and tearing her hair, while both men threatened to take her to the mountains and bury her. They attempted to place her in a van, but she resisted and was ultimately left in the footwell. Cooper pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to the first woman and to threats against the second, while McGrath pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, sexual assault, and weapon production. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑year sentence for Cooper's assault and a three‑year sentence for the threats, to run consecutively.
Start Mortgages DAC secured a temporary High Court order to appoint a receiver over an estimated €125,000 insurance payout to a convicted child rapist who is currently in jail and owes the company over €400,000. The man, who was jailed for 12 years in 2014 after being found guilty of rape and sexual assault of a seven‑year‑old girl, had obtained a mortgage of over €265,000 from Start for a property in the South‑East. A year later the property was destroyed by fire and insured by Zurich, which agreed to pay over €222,000 for reconstruction. Zurich paid an initial €85,000 to the man's lawyers, of which Start claims €30,000 was used to clear mortgage arrears. Start alleges the property was never rebuilt and the funds were misused. After the man's imprisonment, Start sold the derelict property for about €33,000 and seeks to recover the remaining insurance proceeds.
Abuse Survivor Aoife Farrelly has waived her anonymity to allow her brother, Cian Farrelly (30), to be named in connection with the rape and sexual assault of his sister at the family home in Castlepollard, Co Westmeath, between 2007 and 2009. Farrelly pleaded guilty to the charges at the Central Criminal Court. The victim, who was aged between seven and eight and a half at the time of the abuse, while Farrelly was aged between 15 and a half and 17 years old, described the impact of the abuse on her life, including self-harm, disordered eating, anxiety, stress, and OCD. She stated that she had undergone counselling, psychotherapy, and inpatient treatment for PTSD. During the sentencing hearing, Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted that Ms Farrelly's childhood was destroyed and she was deeply affected by the abuse. He handed down a four-and-a-half year sentence and suspended the final 18 months on a number of conditions, including that Farrelly have no contact of any kind with his sister. Speaking outside court, Ms Farrelly said she was pleased with the sentence that was handed down, saying that the headline sentence the judge mentioned was 'enough' for her. The matter was adjourned for the submission of reports, including a probation report and a report from forensic psychological services. Cian Farrelly took the stand at the end of the hearing to apologise to his sister.
A bench warrant was issued for Farah Damji, a 55‑year‑old Ugandan‑born conwoman, after she failed to appear before the High Court on a scheduled sitting. Damji, who had been fighting extradition to the UK where she faced a nine‑month sentence for breaching a restraining order, was arrested in Dublin in August 2020 under a European Arrest Warrant. She had previously been denied bail in September 2020 due to a high risk of absconding, but in January 2021 the High Court ordered her surrender to UK authorities. Damji appealed to the Supreme Court, which upheld the High Court's decision. She was due to appear on 20 June, but claimed Covid and was unable to attend; the court adjourned her case. On 22 June, after gardaí could not verify her Covid certificate, the High Court issued a warrant for her arrest. Farah Damji was convicted.
Patrick Sheedy, 53, was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment for a series of fraud offences. He had previously been convicted 97 times, about 70 of them for fraud. While on bail for earlier convictions, he carried out new crimes between January and March 2020. He pretended to be a documentary maker for RTE and convinced an electronics company to supply an iPad and 15 mobile phones, claiming a sick child would use them. The company lost €13,539 when Sheedy failed to pay. He also posed as a Department of Education employee and ordered 12 mobile phones from an educational supplies company, losing €9,801. Additionally, he claimed to work for BMW and ordered five iPhones worth €4,200 from a mobile phone company, again not paying. He pleaded guilty to six counts of deception and four counts of theft.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, Nassar Ahmed, aged 41, was found guilty of murder by a unanimous jury after stabbing Eoin Boylan, 32, three times in a "sneak attack" at Gordon Drive, Cloughleigh, Ennis. Ahmed had invited Boylan to a fist fight while concealing a knife, then stabbed him as Boylan was retreating. CCTV footage showed the attack, and Ahmed claimed self‑defence, but the jury rejected this, concluding he was the aggressor. The judge remanded Ahmed in custody pending sentencing on 26 July, when Boylan's family may address the court. Ahmed faces the mandatory life sentence for murder. The trial also noted Ahmed's prior plea of not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of Boylan in 2020, and his history of a failed marriage to Susan O'Doherty, who later dated Boylan. The case highlighted the jury's swift two‑hour deliberation and the prosecution's emphasis on Ahmed's lies to Gardaí about the weapon used.
Stephen Carney, serving a life sentence for the 2007 murder of his girlfriend Amanda Jenkins, has filed a judicial review against the Minister for Justice. He argues that the 2021 introduction of a new statutory Parole Board has disrupted the administrative processes that previously governed his rehabilitation plan. Under the former system, Carney had successfully progressed through stages of a release programme, including temporary release for training, and was expected to move to the next stage in January 2024. The Minister's response directed him to engage with the new board, which Carney claims will not review his case until at least the third quarter of 2023. He seeks orders compelling the Minister to decide on his application, declarations that the Minister is acting unlawfully, and an order quashing the alleged refusal. The case was adjourned to October after Mr Justice Charles Meenan granted permission to proceed.
Karl Cummins, 29, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a four‑month suspended sentence for dangerous driving after he forced a Garda patrol car to take evasive action in Tallaght in 2017. Cummins, who has 65 prior convictions including 15 for dangerous driving and was banned from driving for 16 years in 2015, pleaded guilty to the offence at Fettercairn Ring Road on 21 July 2017. During the sentencing hearing in March, the court heard that Cummins had turned his life around, had brought €500 to the court as a token of remorse, and had been engaged in voluntary work. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the sentence in full on the condition that Cummins engage with the Probation Service for 12 months and disqualified him from driving for eight years. The case was brought by Detective Garda David Jennings, who described the pursuit and the car's evasive manoeuvre.
Six workers from Keelings Fruit, four men and two women, were used as money mules by an unnamed "money mule herder" to launder between €4,500 and just under €110,000 for a West African gang between 2016 and 2017. They each pleaded guilty to laundering specific amounts: Albert Joseph (€34,236 and €25,575), Josip Vlahovic (€79,000), Toni Kudro (€8,869), Mate Vlahovic (€6,760), Krisztina Baradlai (€5,900) and Claudia Onofrieciuc (€4,592). The court noted they were recruited from various countries, had no prior convictions, cooperated with Gardaí and were unlikely to reoffend. Judge Martin Nolan imposed suspended sentences ranging from 18 months to three and a half years, with the longest for Albert Joseph. The alleged money mule herder remains before the courts. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Jamie Heffernan, aged 22, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for a violent assault on Aaron Murdiff, aged 25, which left Murdiff with a lasting traumatic brain injury. Heffernan attacked Murdiff after learning that Murdiff had assaulted his cousin at a house party earlier that night. CCTV footage showed Heffernan striking Murdiff, causing him to fall, and then delivering three separate blows over four and a half minutes, including repeated strikes while Murdiff lay motionless. Heffernan pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm. The judge described the attack as "breathtaking savagery" and noted the severity of the assault. Two minor co‑accused are awaiting sentencing for their roles. Heffernan has five prior convictions. The court heard that Murdiff's mother and sister provided a victim impact statement, and that Heffernan had consumed significant alcohol that night.
Body‑cam footage showed 48‑year‑old Gary Murtagh beat his 42‑year‑old brother Paul to death with a claw hammer at their family home in north Dublin on 6 November 2020. The Central Criminal Court heard that the brothers had a "strange relationship" and had been living alone in the house since 2016, communicating by notes to avoid each other. During the Covid‑19 lockdown, Gary was "lost" without work or gym access, leading to close quarters in the house. Prosecutors said Gary had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had a prior conviction for grievous bodily harm. He pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment, back‑dated to 27 August 2021. The court noted over 50 hammer blows, including 16 to the head, caused Paul's death. The siblings described the event as a "living nightmare" and expressed remorse from Gary. The judge imposed the mandatory life sentence. Gary Murtagh pleaded not guilty.
In a 2022 Central Criminal Court hearing, Martin Kelly, aged 35, was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison for manslaughter after he set fire to Gerry Nolan's mobile home in 2006, killing Nolan. The court noted Kelly's 196 prior convictions, including 10 for criminal damage, and his high risk of reoffending. Kelly pleaded guilty to manslaughter, admitting gross recklessness. The judge highlighted the devastating impact on Nolan's family, who had endured 16 years of unresolved grief. The sentence included an 18‑month suspended portion, to be served over three years, contingent on education and addiction support. The case stemmed from a cold‑case review that uncovered new evidence, including a changed alibi statement from a former partner. The sentencing reflected the seriousness of the offence and Kelly's acceptance of responsibility. Martin Kelly pleaded not guilty.
A 16‑year‑old boy with 43 prior convictions was sentenced to a two‑year period of detention for robbery after he helped hijack a motorbike during a road‑block by a gang of four teenagers. The offence occurred on 18 October 2020 in Dublin. The boy pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the detention, hoping the boy would use the time to help himself and society. He is currently detained at Oberstown Detention Campus on a separate matter. The court heard that the gang blocked the road at 9 pm, the motorcyclist fell, and one teenager approached the victim with a hammer. DNA on a jacket linked the boy to the scene; CCTV was also presented. The boy denies a physical confrontation but accepts his role. The probation report described his impulsive, thrill‑seeking behaviour and the court ordered the sentence to run concurrently with his existing detention.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 46‑year‑old man was sentenced to eight years for sexually abusing his teenage stepdaughter over a decade. The victim, who was 14 when the abuse began, reported the matter to Gardaí in 2012, but a clerical error caused the investigation to be put on hold for nearly ten years. The abuse started immediately after the man married the girl's mother, with the perpetrator sending sexualised texts from his honeymoon and later engaging in oral sex and intercourse. The victim estimated about 100 sexual encounters and felt groomed because she was "naive, vulnerable and very quiet." She later disclosed the abuse to her mother, who then took the family to the police. The court noted the delay harmed the victim and the accused, and the judge remarked the sentence would have been slightly higher without the procedural lapse. The unnamed 46-year-old pleaded guilty.
Michael Golden, aged 73, of Crosspatrick, Killala, County Mayo, was convicted unanimously by jury at the Central Criminal Court last month of seven counts of indecent assault, four counts of sexual assault, and nine counts of oral rape against four children between 1980 and 1997. The victims were aged between five and fourteen at the time of the offences. Golden had pleaded not guilty to all charges. He died in custody on 6 June 2022 while awaiting sentence. At a hearing where victim impact statements were presented, Justice Mary Ellen Ring noted that had Golden survived, he would have faced a custodial term of significant length. The judge acknowledged the victims' right to be heard and recognised the permanent damage caused by childhood sexual abuse. She expressed that only the victims' willingness to come forward had enabled the investigation and prosecution to proceed.
Dylan O'Neill, 21, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply after accepting a delivery of €300,000 worth of ketamine to reduce a drug debt. Judge Melanie Greally, citing his youth, early guilty plea, lack of prior convictions and other mitigating factors, decided not to impose the mandatory ten‑year minimum. She imposed a five‑year sentence suspended for five years, conditioned on O'Neill entering a bond to keep the peace and undergoing twelve months of supervision by the Probation Services. The judge warned him that no leniency would be granted for future transgressions. Garda Kerry Harmon testified that customs officers intercepted a 6 kg white‑powder package addressed to 'Dillon O'Neill' on 24 March 2021, and that a controlled delivery was carried out on 26 March 2021. O'Neill accepted the package, claiming he did not know it contained drugs, and later said he accepted it for €1,000 to reduce a drug debt.
Brendan Treanor, 34, was refused bail by the Special Criminal Court regarding charges of participating in the January 25, 2013, robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead. Mr Justice Michael MacGrath, delivering the ruling of the three-judge court, stated there was a real risk of witness interference and upheld a Section 2 Bail Act objection based on fears of further serious offences. Treanor's lawyers had argued that continued custody offended his dignity by separating him from his newborn son, noting his trial was adjourned from October to January next year to allow the DPP to try him alongside James Flynn. Flynn, 31, is currently awaiting an appeal against his extradition from the UK to face the same robbery charge. The report also details the finalised sentencing of Aaron Brady, 30, who was found guilty of the murder of Det Gda Donohoe by an 11-to-1 majority jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court on August 11, 2020. Brady was sentenced to the mandatory life imprisonment term, with a minimum of 40 years to be served due to the victim being a garda acting in the course of duty. He also received a concurrent 14-year sentence for the robbery of €7,000 at the credit union.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Michael French, aged 28, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for a violent burglary that took place at a city‑centre home on 30 January 2021. French entered the victim's house at about 1.30 a.m., wearing only shorts, and confronted the homeowner, who was in his 40s, with a knife. French shouted threats, including "I want to kill you," and pinned the victim against a wall, striking him in the stomach. The victim eventually calmed the situation by agreeing that the house was his, and a neighbour called the Gardaí. French fled but was apprehended after attempting to jump a fence. He admitted to taking cocaine and ecstasy that night and had a history of schizophrenia, drug and alcohol addiction, and homelessness. The judge, citing French's mental health issues, suspended the last 18 months of a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, resulting in a final term of three years' imprisonment. Michael French pleaded guilty.
Mark Fox, aged 29, was given a suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after a high‑speed chase on three tyres. On 9 May 2021, Fox, driving a Nissan Qashqai with a missing fourth wheel, pursued Gardaí through Dublin and two counties, ramming two patrol cars and a garda helicopter. He threw bags of white powder, suspected cocaine, from his open door, accelerated past red lights, and smashed a taxi driver's wing mirror. The chase lasted 30 minutes over 28 km. Fox was found to have almost three times the legal blood‑alcohol limit and was disqualified from driving at the time of the offence. He pleaded guilty to eight charges, including endangerment, dangerous driving, drink driving, driving without a licence and resisting arrest. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspended in full on the basis of Fox's mental‑health problems, and ordered a five‑year driving disqualification.
Iheanyichukwu Banna, 35, of Clonee, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to possessing over €63,000 derived from an invoice redirection fraud. Judge Martin Nolan stated that the offence could not have been carried out without Banna's complicity, inferring he was "up to his neck in it," despite defence counsel arguing the plea was based on recklessness. The court heard that a Kilkenny-based company was defrauded in July 2018 when a bogus email directed a €63,043 payment to a Permanent TSB account. Records showed the funds were transferred to Banna's account, with €5,000 sent to his brother in the UK and €25,000 moved to his savings account within an hour. Banna initially claimed ignorance, alleging a man named Kelvin used his account, but could not explain the transactions. Gardaí recovered €42,000, leaving the victim with a €21,000 loss. Judge Nolan noted Banna's good employment record and lack of prior convictions, describing his conduct as bordering on "wilful blindness." He sentenced Banna to three years' imprisonment, fully suspended on the condition that he be of good behaviour for the duration of the sentence.
Sean Kershaw, 38, of Blanchardstown, pleaded guilty to harassment for a four‑month period from 1 January to 11 April 2021. He placed a tablet in his ex‑partner's kitchen to secretly film her and accessed her emails and WhatsApp. Garda Jessica Maguire testified that the device recorded for 36 days and that Kershaw had also accessed her laptop and copied messages. Kershaw admitted watching her from the kitchen window on three occasions and had approached her new partner, telling him not to disclose their encounter. He was arrested on 13 April 2021 and had a tablet and phone seized. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑year jail sentence, suspended for three years on the condition of good behaviour, and ordered Kershaw to have no contact with his former partner except for child‑access arrangements. He was also ordered to destroy all recordings and hand over any other material to Gardaí.
A 43‑year‑old taxi driver, Keith Banks of Castleknock, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing drugs for sale or supply and to having €19,000 in cash from criminal conduct. He admitted that he was pressured to transport almost €300,000 worth of drugs, including cannabis worth €135,000 and cocaine worth €158,000, and that he had a drug debt. Garda Thomas McDaniel secured a warrant to search a Clonsilla property where Banks was found standing at a kitchen counter and throwing a white powder onto the floor. The Gardaí found the drugs in various locations. Banks claimed he was taken advantage of and that he had only a small role in the deliveries. Judge Melanie Greally, after hearing the evidence and a psychological report, imposed concurrent sentences totalling seven and a half years, suspending the final two and a half years on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation supervision upon release.
Lisa O'Connor, 45, of St Brandon's, Crumlin, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing almost €9,000 from an elderly woman she cared for during lockdown. She pleaded guilty to three theft charges covering 90 transactions made with the victim's bank card between March and July 2020. O'Connor also pleaded guilty to possessing over €7,000 worth of heroin for sale or supply, found in her home on 3 February 2021. The judge described her actions as a huge breach of trust, noting she had betrayed the family who had hired her privately after she lost a placement agency job. She had worked for the Downeys for nearly three years, earning €250 a week plus an additional €70 from the daughter. The 18‑month sentence applies to both the theft and drug offences, running concurrently.
Darren Kelly, aged 25, pleaded guilty to possessing €29,645 of proceeds of crime in a sock hidden in his mother's freezer in County Westmeath. The cash was discovered in three bundles bound with elastic bands during a Garda search on 24 October 2019. Kelly admitted the money was criminal proceeds, though DNA of a third party was found on the sock, who denied responsibility. He had been in custody since January 2020 on separate burglary matters and had 61 prior convictions, 52 of which were traffic offences including dangerous driving. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing the case via video link, noted Kelly's good behaviour in prison and his completion of a psychology course. Judge Martin Nolan, acknowledging the seriousness of the offence and Kelly's record, sentenced him to 20 months' imprisonment.
In June 2022, Shane Westwood, aged 26, was sentenced to two years in prison for assaulting his former partner. The victim was punched repeatedly, bitten, threatened with a knife, and an attempt was made to smother her. Westwood had previously pleaded guilty to assault causing harm in March 2018. Gardaí found him hiding under his mother's bed after the incident. He denied the assault, claiming it was only shouting, while his defence lawyer cited drug addiction and jealousy. The court noted his 19 prior convictions, including drug dealing and burglary. Judge Elma Sheahan imposed a three‑year sentence with the final 12 months suspended on the condition of keeping the peace for three years, and ordered him to attend probation, anger‑management, and drug‑treatment programmes.
Sadie Douglas, 39, of Rathsallagh Drive, Shankill, was acquitted of wilful neglect of her two‑year‑old daughter Heidi, who died after ingesting methadone in their home. The trial, held at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, lasted five days and concluded in just over an hour. Judge Orla Crowe thanked the jurors and discharged Douglas from the indictment, noting no other pending charges. Her partner, Christopher O'Reilly, pleaded guilty to the same charge and received a three‑and‑a‑half‑year prison sentence. The court heard that O'Reilly, a recovering heroin addict, took daily methadone doses prescribed weekly, and a cup with traces of the drug was found in the house. Douglas claimed she was unaware of the methadone cup and that she had been emotionally distressed after the death of her older daughter Sophie. The post‑mortem concluded that Heidi's death was most likely caused by methadone ingestion, resulting in acute brain inflammation. Sadie Douglas pleaded not guilty.
Gary Murtagh, 48, of Broadstone, Dublin 7, admitted to murdering his brother Paul Murtagh, 42, at their family home on Auburn Street, Phibsborough, on 6 November 2020. He had originally pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to manslaughter, but the plea was rejected by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The trial was scheduled to begin with a jury of ten men and two women, but was postponed. On the day the jury returned, Murtagh pleaded guilty to murder in the presence of the jury, ending the trial. Judge Paul McDermott accepted the plea, thanked the jury, and exempted them from service for five years. Murtagh was remanded in custody until the sentencing on the following Monday, when a victim impact report will be prepared. The case remains at the trial stage.
Vincent Kelly, 37, a taxi driver from Kilmore, Dublin, was jailed for 18 months after being found with €112,000 of crime cash hidden in a secret compartment of his VW Passat. The money was not for his use; he acted as a courier. Kelly had previously pleaded guilty to money laundering in January 2021 and had four prior convictions for road traffic offences. Judge Melanie Greally, acknowledging his cooperation and remorse, suspended the final 18 months of a three‑year sentence, ordering the confiscation of his taxi and a Rolex watch. She noted his cocaine and gambling addictions as motivating factors. Kelly has been in full‑time employment since May and has received character references, including from Kilmore Football Club. Gardaí discovered the hidden compartment after a warrant‑driven search of his home and vehicle. The case was prosecuted by Diarmuid Collins BL, with defence counsel Ger Small BL.
Clare O'Connor, 35, of Ashtown, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing drugs in her home, with a total street value of €47,407. She had previously been convicted of bringing drugs to her partner in Mountjoy prison. Garda Brian O'Toole and solicitor Anne Marie Lawlor argued that O'Connor was under the control of a violent partner who had been jailed for 11 years in 2018 for conspiracy to commit murder. O'Connor claimed she had no choice but to allow the drugs to be stored in her apartment, which she co‑operated with the Gardaí during a search that uncovered 300 g of heroin, tablets, cannabis, resin and MDMA. She also cared for a 10‑year‑old cousin with special needs. Judge Martin Nolan accepted her fear and cooperation, and suspended a four‑year prison term.
Megan Creighton, 34, pleaded guilty to robbery on Old Navan Road on 3 December 2020. The victim was approached by Creighton and her partner, who demanded money, phone and wallet. Creighton threatened to bite his nose, bit him, and then told her accomplice to use a knife. The accomplice struck the victim with a screwdriver, causing facial damage and neck marks. An off‑duty Garda intervened, leading to the muggers' arrest. The victim's injuries were documented and a victim impact statement was submitted but not read. Creighton, a mother of five with 17 prior convictions and a history of heroin addiction, claimed she was a victim of domestic violence. She expressed remorse and accepted responsibility. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to three years' imprisonment.
Dorian Brylewicz, 23, pleaded guilty to impersonating a Garda during lockdown in April 2020 and to theft in May 2019. He drove an Audi A3 with a blue flashing light, stopped pedestrians and a bus driver, claiming to be a Garda, but did not produce identification when asked. He also attempted to take a man's phone and had previously stolen €560 from a Cork man via a phone sale on donedeal.ie. The court noted his prior convictions for road traffic offences and bicycle theft. Judge Nolan, after hearing the defendant's remorse and current employment, sentenced him to 18 months in prison, suspended in full on the condition that he pay €5,000 within three months – €4,000 to a Castleknock charity and €1,000 to the victim. The judge emphasised that the suspended sentence was a punitive measure and a reminder of the defendant's wrongdoing. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 15‑year‑old schoolboy was found guilty of one count of harassment for sending sexually explicit material to his teacher over a year from August 2018 to October 2019. The boy, who had no prior convictions, sent anonymous images and videos, including photos of the teacher with semen and a video of someone ejaculating on her image, and threatened to stop unless she responded. He also impersonated her on fake social media accounts to obtain more images. The teacher, who was unaware of the sender's identity, suffered significant anxiety and avoided going out during the harassment. The boy pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, suspended on conditions that he have no contact with the teacher for life. The judge noted his age, mental health issues, and lack of criminal history as mitigating factors.
A 17‑year‑old girl who was raped and abused for many years by her 79‑year‑old grandfather told a court that she hopes her case will help other victims of sexual violence. The grandfather was jailed for 14 years for multiple counts of sexual assault against his three grandchildren at two locations in Connacht. He pleaded guilty to assaulting the three girls when they were aged between five and 14, but denied raping the oldest girl. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on six counts of raping the child between September 2014 and September 2018. The victim, aged between 10 and 14 at the time, described how the abuse destroyed her childhood and how she felt "dirty". She said that letting go of the secret was a relief and that she hopes to give other victims the courage to speak.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a woman who had earlier given her partner an alibi for a fatal 2006 fire in Co. Kilkenny later changed her statement after the accused, Martin Kelly, began a relationship with another woman. The court heard that Kelly, now 35, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of Gerard "Gerry" Nolan, 44, who died when his mobile home was set on fire. The hearing included victim impact statements from Nolan's family, describing the traumatic loss and ongoing grief. The court also heard details of the investigation, including the accused's denial of involvement, the identification parade, and the lack of direct forensic evidence linking Kelly to the fire. The judge remanded Kelly in custody pending sentencing. The summary reflects only the facts presented in the article.
Paulo Nascimento, 46, serving a life sentence for the 2002 murder of Grainne Dillon, has lodged a High Court challenge against the Minister for Justice. He argues that the Minister has refused to consider his entitlement to parole under the newly established statutory Parole Board, despite earlier recommendations for temporary release under the former non‑statutory system. Nascimento claims that the Minister's refusal to act on his parole application breaches his rights and the Minister's duties. He seeks orders requiring the Minister to decide on his release, declarations that the Minister's refusal is unlawful and a breach of his constitutional rights, and that the Minister's actions amount to a failure to fulfil her duties under the European Convention on Human Rights. The case was granted permission to proceed and is scheduled to return to court in October.
Seamus Robert, 61, of Tallaght, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for indecent assault and unlawful assault against two girls, aged about six, between 1982 and 1988. Robert, who worked with the homeless, lured the girls into his home to play with his kittens before sexually assaulting them. One victim, who cannot be named, testified that the abuse disrupted her emotional, social and educational development, describing a prison in her mind. She reported the abuse to Gardaí in 2016 and named a childhood friend as a possible witness. Robert pleaded guilty before his trial began and had no prior convictions. The judge described his conduct as "grossly reprehensible" and imposed a five‑year sentence.