The Central Criminal Court trial of Jason O'Driscoll, a 34-year-old Dubliner who has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Anthony Burnett and Joseph Redmond in Co Louth on March 7th, 2012, continued before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy. Prosecuting counsel Alexander Owens SC called witness Richie Cullinan to give evidence for the State. However, when asked to stand to take the oath, Mr Cullinan refused, stating, "It was all lies I told on him." Despite the judge warning that refusal constituted contempt of court and ordering him to take the oath, Mr Cullinan maintained his refusal. The judge subsequently excused the jury while the State moved on to other technical evidence. This incident marked the second instance in the trial where a witness refused to testify; previously, Crystal Jackson had also refused to swear, stating she did not stand by her statement. The trial, which involves charges of murdering two men found with gunshot wounds in a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park, continues before a jury of eight men and four women.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence regarding the arrest of Keith Brady, 30, of Cartron Estate, Sligo, who is on trial for the death of Mr Kivlehan, 59, at New Apartments, Holborn St, Sligo, on August 2/3, 2015. Mr Brady pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter; this plea was not accepted, and he is currently standing trial. Sergeant Pat Harney of Sligo Garda Station testified that Mr Brady and his sister, Janice Brady, were at the garda station on August 3, 2015. Mr Brady had previously been arrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act by Detective Garda Conor Jordan, who noted Mr Brady was a heroin addict. Sgt Harney stated the decision was made to arrest Mr Brady on suspicion of Mr Kivlehan's murder. During the arrest, Mr Brady was described as extremely agitated and aggressive, shouting to his sister: "Don't say anything, they are trying to stitch us up." Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC agreed with the prosecution that Mr Brady was not aggressive towards any person, but only towards inanimate objects. The trial continues before Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of seven women and five men.
Ciaran Ryan, aged 23, was charged in July at Dublin District Court with three firearms offences: possession of a CZ semi‑automatic pistol with two rounds of 7.65 Browning ammunition and one shotgun cartridge, allegedly committed at Connolly Station on 19 July. The Special Criminal Court, a three‑judge non‑jury court, was instructed by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin and Judge James Faughnan to try Ryan after the State applied for a non‑jury trial. His co‑accused, Nikita Murtagh, 20, faces the same charges and will also be tried before the Special Criminal Court.
Two Dublin men, Kevin Braney, 43, and Ciaran Maguire, 29, were arrested in August on charges of membership in the Irish Republican Army, an unlawful organisation. Braney's address is Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght, Dublin 24, and Maguire's is Kippure Park, Finglas, Dublin 11. Both were remanded in custody and are scheduled to appear before the non‑jury Special Criminal Court on 7 March next year, a trial that is expected to last a little over two weeks.
In a Dublin murder trial, a 34‑year‑old Dubliner, Jason O'Driscoll, pleaded not guilty to the 2012 killings of 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond in Louth. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women. The prosecution presented evidence that firefighters responded to a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park on the night of 7 March 2012, where the bodies of Burnett and Redmond were found with gunshot wounds to the head. Anita Doran, Redmond's sister, testified that she and her brother had been at home with Burnett that evening, that Burnett had called to look for her brother, and that she had sent him into his bedroom. She recalled hearing Burnett mention a possible trap and that the bedroom door was closed after a short time.
At the Central Criminal Court, the Deputy State Pathologist gave evidence in the murder trial of a 30-year-old Sligo man accused of fatally stabbing a musician in his home. Dr Michael Curtis testified that the deceased, Martin Kivlehan, aged 59, had consumed alcohol at potentially fatal levels—approximately eight times the legal drink-driving limit—and bore no defensive injuries. The pathologist identified two stab wounds to the neck, either of which could have proved fatal independently. He stated it was a distinct possibility the victim was incapacitated by intoxication and unable to defend himself. Keith Brady of Cartron Estate has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in connection with Mr Kivlehan's death on August 2nd or 3rd, 2015 at New Apartments, Holborn Street. The plea was rejected and Brady faces trial. Evidence regarding CCTV footage and forensic findings was also presented. The trial continues before Justice Paul McDermott and jury.
A musician found dead in his Sligo home with a knife on his chest and stab wounds to his neck was remembered as a "gentleman who wouldn't hurt a fly" as a murder trial heard evidence at the Central Criminal Court. Martin Kivlehan, aged 59, was discovered at New Apartments on Holborn Street on 3 August 2015. Keith Brady, aged 30, of Cartron Estate, Sligo has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in relation to the death. The prosecution's plea was not accepted and the trial proceeded. Gardaí described the scene as ransacked, with burnt tinfoil indicating heroin use nearby. One sergeant characterised the body's position as appearing "staged". Witnesses described Mr Kivlehan as a regular drinker who was well-liked in the community. The trial, heard before Justice Paul McDermott and a jury, continued before the court.
A 30-year-old man from Sligo has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of a 59-year-old bachelor at the Central Criminal Court. Keith Brady of Cartron Estate is accused of causing Martin Kivlehan's death on August 2nd or 3rd, 2015, at New Apartments on Holborn Street, Sligo. The State rejected his manslaughter plea, and the case proceeded to trial before Justice Paul McDermott. The prosecution outlined that the deceased sustained two stab wounds to the neck, with depths of 7.8 centimetres and 9 centimetres respectively. A pathologist's report indicated death resulted from blood haemorrhage, though not instantaneously. Evidence emerged that Mr Kivlehan had consumed substantial quantities of alcohol. The trial heard testimony regarding the scene where the body was discovered, including photographs documenting the apartment's condition. The jury, comprising five men and seven women, will continue hearing evidence.
The trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm, aged 51, is scheduled to begin on 10 January 2018 and could last up to five months, a judge was told. Drumm, who lives in Skerries, Co. Dublin, faces two charges of conspiring to defraud depositors and investors by creating a false impression that deposits in 2008 were €7.2 billion larger than they actually were, and a third charge relating to the EU transparency directive. He has not yet entered a plea. The court has estimated the trial at three months, but the prosecution has requested that the jury be prepared for a possible five‑month duration and that the jury panel be expanded to 15 members. The defence has agreed to a four‑month availability and has no objection to the five‑month suggestion. The matter was adjourned for a pre‑trial mention on 18 December.
In a double murder trial, the jury heard technical evidence on a reconstruction of CCTV footage to identify vehicles involved in the 2012 killings of Anthony Burnett (31) and Joseph Redmond (25) in Louth. The defendant, Jason O'Driscoll (34) of Fairview, pleaded not guilty. Firefighters responded to a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park before 11 pm, where the bodies were found with gunshot wounds to the head. The prosecution presented CCTV of vehicles before and after 11 pm, and forensic image analysts Matthew Cass and Andrew Wooller testified about a reconstruction exercise. Cass described testing about a dozen vehicles, using side‑by‑side comparisons due to operational constraints. Wooller noted the reconstruction's limited value after CCTV changes, but identified a large light‑toned car as a Mercedes S‑Class and a dark‑toned hatchback as possibly a Volkswagen Golf. The State's case links the victims to a stolen black Volkswagen Golf, which was later found abandoned in Meigh.
The double murder trial of Dubliner Jason O'Driscoll, 34, continues at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy. O'Driscoll has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of 31-year-old Anthony Burnett and 25-year-old Joseph Redmond in Co Louth on March 7th, 2012. The prosecution alleges the victims, who were car thieves, were shot dead in a layby at Ravensdale Forest Park and their vehicle set on fire. The State's case asserts that O'Driscoll and another man fled the scene in a stolen black Volkswagen Golf, which was later found abandoned in Meigh, Armagh. A vehicle identification expert, Andrew Wooller, testified that he was contacted by Gardaí to analyze CCTV footage from both locations. Wooller, who manages a UK-based imagery analysis firm, identified a light-toned vehicle in Ravensdale as consistent with a Mercedes S Class and a following dark hatchback as potentially a Volkswagen Golf. He further stated that a vehicle entering a carpark in Meigh was immediately apparent as a Mercedes S Class. The jury has reviewed the relevant CCTV footage. The trial is ongoing, with no final verdict or sentence recorded at this procedural stage.
A jury will return to the Central Criminal Court tomorrow to consider its verdict in the trial of former British Army soldier Donal Colgan, aged 66, who has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of 44‑year‑old David Sheridan outside Luigi's chip shop on Dublin's North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan's plea was not accepted and he remains on trial. The jury heard evidence from witnesses present at the chip shop when the fatal stabbing occurred. Justice Tony Hunt instructed the jury to consider whether Colgan was provoked by Sheridan to the point of losing self‑control, which would support a manslaughter verdict, or whether the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that he was not provoked and was in control, which would support a murder verdict.
Gerard Dowling, 40, of Kilkenny, was committed to the Central Mental Hospital after stabbing 60‑year‑old Simon Bourke in a shopping centre. He was charged with attempted murder, assault and knife possession. A jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity on all charges. Justice Paul McDermott said the CMH is the appropriate place for his ongoing treatment and that his committal is necessary for his safety and that of others. Dr Paul O'Connell noted Dowling's poor insight into his illness and difficulty with medication, and that his treatment will take some time.
A teenager convicted of manslaughter in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old in Claremorris, County Mayo, is experiencing an epileptic-type condition characterised by up to ten seizure-like episodes daily, the Central Criminal Court heard during sentencing proceedings in Castlebar. The accused, now aged 17, was found guilty of manslaughter in July following a jury trial, having been acquitted of murder. The victim, Dovydas Jenkas, died from a single stab wound in the early hours of 19 December 2015. At the sentence hearing, the defence outlined that the teenager's medical condition involves transient alterations of consciousness and automatic behaviours, with no memory retention during episodes. The court learned that neurological specialists are pursuing diagnostic assessment and potential surgical intervention. The defence highlighted mitigating factors including the accused's previous good character, low re-offending risk, positive probation report, and educational potential. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon indicated reluctance to proceed with sentencing pending clarification of the teenager's medical status. The hearing was adjourned to 21 November to receive medical evidence from the accused's physician.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Donal Colgan, 66, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for stabbing David Sheridan, 44, outside Luigi's chip shop on Dublin's North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan claimed he was provoked after Sheridan struck him with a bag of cans, but the prosecution argued that provocation requires an immediate loss of control and that Colgan had time to cool his anger. They highlighted that Colgan had returned to the shop armed with a large knife, showing he was in control of his mind. The defence presented Colgan's history of assault, humiliation, and personal hardships, arguing he acted in a state of mind that could not be judged by the jury's own standards. The jury, composed of eight women and three men, was instructed to consider whether all elements of provocation were reasonably possible and to decide if Colgan was guilty of manslaughter rather than murder.
O'Reilly Commercials Limited, a vehicle testing firm, appealed a conviction for breaching health and safety laws after a school bus test in 2005 led to a fatal crash in 2006 that killed 15‑year‑old Michael White. The firm had pleaded not guilty to four charges under the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989. A jury found the company guilty on one count for failing to note the bus's modified rear suspension system, but acquitted it on the other three counts. The company was fined €25,000 in 2013. In the appeal, counsel Seán Gillane argued that the test actually occurred on 1 September 2005, after the Act had been repealed, and that no offence existed. The prosecution countered that the test took place on 6 August 2005, a fact the jury had considered. The court reserved judgment.
During a murder trial, former British Army soldier Donal Colgan, aged 66, pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder in the death of 44‑year‑old David Sheridan outside Luigi's chip shop on North Strand Road, Dublin 1, on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan said he had lost complete control after a series of confrontations involving Sheridan, his friend Gary Kinlan, and a young man named Keith Ledden. He described being provoked by a bottle hit to the head and feeling shocked and angry, leading him to stab Sheridan. Colgan claimed he had no intention to kill and that he had returned to the shop to frighten the parties involved. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, will continue to the next phase before Justice Tony Hunt and a jury.
Donal Colgan, a 66‑year‑old former British Army soldier, is giving evidence in his defence at the Central Criminal Court. He has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to the murder of 44‑year‑old David Sheridan, who was killed outside Luigi's chip shop on the North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan's plea was not accepted by the State, so the case proceeds. In his testimony, Colgan described his upbringing in the North Strand area, his school experience, and his decision to join the British Army at 16. He served with the Ulster Rifles, was posted to Gibraltar and Libya, and was injured in a desert exercise. He returned to Ireland in 1969, married in 1972, had four children, and later moved to Clontarf after a relationship breakdown in 1997. He will continue to testify before Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of eight women and three men.
A 66‑year‑old Dublin man, Donal Colgan, was arrested on 19 August 2014 after a fatal stabbing outside Luigi's chip shop on North Strand Road. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder of 44‑year‑old David Sheridan. Colgan claimed he acted in self‑defence after two young men attacked him. Garda Sergeant Chris Cahill testified that Colgan told the police it was self‑defence. Detective Sergeant Mark Waters found Colgan's clothes and a knife at his home, both bearing the victim's blood, and noted that Colgan behaved normally the day after the incident. Teresa Marcela, a Luigi's employee, described a fight between Colgan and the victim, after which Colgan allegedly stabbed Sheridan with a large vegetable knife. Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis confirmed multiple stab wounds, including a 20‑cm abdominal wound, and identified the knife as the likely weapon.
A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court acquitted retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, of four counts of indecent assault on three teenage patients in 1964, 1970 and 1976. Shine had pleaded not guilty to seven charges relating to alleged assaults on five patients between 1964 and 1991 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda. The jury found him not guilty of the four counts involving the teenagers, citing a lack of corroborating evidence and missing medical records that could confirm the alleged encounters. Judge Cormac Quinn warned jurors that reasonable doubt arising from the delay in the complaints required them to give the benefit of the doubt to the accused. Shine denied ever seeing the patients and denied any inappropriate conduct during examinations. The remaining three counts, involving alleged assaults on two teenage patients between 1974 and 1976, were not addressed in the verdict.
During a murder trial, witness Gary Kinlan testified that he saw his friend David Sheridan being stabbed to bits by Donal Colgan outside Luigi's chip shop on North Strand Road, Dublin 1, on 17/18 August 2014. Kinlan, who was drinking with Sheridan in the Summerhill area, claimed that Colgan emerged from the shop, confronted him, and then returned a few minutes later with a large blade. Kinlan said he ran to a nearby car, saw Colgan holding Sheridan against a window and stabbing him, and tried to stop him, but Colgan walked away as if nothing had happened. Kinlan denied any role in the events leading up to the stabbing, and the prosecution's cross‑examination questioned his account. The trial is proceeding before Justice Tony Hunt and a jury. Donal Colgan pleaded guilty.
In a double murder trial, the jury watched CCTV footage of the night two Dublin men were shot dead in County Louth. The footage, shown to the Central Criminal Court, covered movements of people and vehicles before and after 11 pm, including a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park and a licensed chip shop in County Armagh. Jason O'Driscoll, 34, charged with murdering 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond, pleaded not guilty. The trial moved into legal argument before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and will resume with the jury on Monday.
Nikita Murtagh, aged 20, was charged in July at Dublin District Court with unlawful possession of a CZ model 70 semi‑automatic pistol, two rounds of 7.65 Browning calibre ammunition and a shotgun cartridge. The items were allegedly recovered by gardai on a Dublin‑to‑Belfast train at Connolly Station on 19 July. At a brief hearing on 1 November, the Director of Public Prosecutions applied under Section 49 of the Offences Against the State Act for Murtagh to be tried before the Special Criminal Court. Judge Tony Hunt, with Judges Patricia Ryan and James Faughnan, granted the order.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, faced eight charges of indecent assault against five teenage male patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda between 1964 and 1991. Shine pleaded not guilty. Judge Cormac Quinn warned the jury that convicting on the uncorroborated evidence of any complainant would be dangerous, emphasizing that the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that Shine attended to the complainants, that the alleged acts occurred, were not legitimate medical examinations, and were intended as indecent. He noted the absence of credible independent corroboration for any complainant and urged jurors to exercise special care when assessing each claim. The judge also highlighted the challenges posed by the 42‑year delay, including missing records and the difficulty of defense, and advised that any reasonable doubt should favor the accused. The jury was sent home for the night, with deliberations to resume the next morning.
In the trial of Jason O'Driscoll, a 34‑year‑old Dublin man charged with the murders of Anthony Burnett, 31, and Joseph Redmond, 25, on 7 March 2012, a CSI named Belinda Kennedy gave evidence to the Central Criminal Court. Kennedy, a crime scene investigator with the PSNI in Belfast, examined a silver Mercedes that had been abandoned on the northern side of the border the morning after the killings. She photographed the vehicle, noted damage, tested for firearms residue and DNA, lifted fibre tape, and collected soil samples. Kennedy reported that she had swept the entire car for fingerprints but found none, and that a smell of cleaning fluid suggested the car had been cleaned. She also noted that the car had been driven through Dublin City after being stolen that early morning. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
In a trial at the Central Criminal Court, the prosecution presented evidence that Donal Colgan, 66, of Killarney Court, Dublin, murdered 45‑year‑old David Sheridan outside Luigi's chip shop on the North Strand Road on 17/18 August 2014. Colgan had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not to murder, and the State rejected his plea. The prosecution alleged that on the evening in question, Sheridan and Gary Kinlan had purchased drinks from an off‑licence and then went to Luigi's. An altercation between Kinlan and Colgan outside the shop led Colgan to leave, return with a knife, and stab Sheridan multiple times. Sheridan was taken to hospital but died the next day. The prosecution said a post‑mortem would confirm death from stab wounds. Gardaí had reviewed CCTV, interviewed witnesses, and arrested Colgan.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, pleaded not guilty to eight charges of indecent assault against six patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda between 1964 and 1991. Shine testified that he had no memory of treating four of the complainants and denied any indecent conduct. He admitted treating two patients, recalling a 1974 case of undescended testicles and a 1976 case of an infected toenail, but denied any inappropriate touching. The prosecution presented medical records linking three complainants to Shine, while the defense highlighted the absence of records for the others. Judge Cormac Quinn withdrew the charge against a 15‑year‑old boy, instructing the jury to find Shine not guilty of assaulting him. The trial's evidence phase concluded, with lawyers set to deliver closing arguments on Tuesday.
In the double murder trial of Jason O'Driscoll, a 34‑year‑old Dublin man charged with killing 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond on 7 March 2012, the jury was shown footage of the alleged getaway route. The route, from Ravensdale Forest Park to Newry, was captured on the onboard camera of a Garda patrol car in July 2014. The evidence was presented to the Central Criminal Court this morning. The trial had already heard that firefighters responded to a burning car in Ravensdale shortly before 11 p.m. that night, where two bodies with gunshot wounds to the head were found. A silver Mercedes, registered in the south, failed to stop for police in Newry a short time later, was pursued in a high‑speed chase, escaped, and was later abandoned near the border. The State argued that this car was used by O'Driscoll and another man to leave Ravensdale after the killings. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
The trial of retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, continues at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He denies eight charges of indecent assault against six teenage male patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda between 1964 and 1991. The prosecution closed its case; Judge Cormac Quinn addressed a legal issue today. A jury of four men and eight women will return tomorrow morning, with the trial expected to finish next week.
During a murder trial in Dublin, a jury heard that the deceased, a 34‑year‑old man named Jason O'Driscoll, had tried to sell a stolen 2011 black Golf GTI to a friend for €1,000 just hours before the car was found burned in Ravensdale Forest Park. The friend, who gave evidence to the Central Criminal Court, testified that O'Driscoll had offered the vehicle to him, and that the friend declined to purchase it, stating he did not want anything to do with the car. The friend also confirmed that the car had been stolen from a driveway in Sandymount early on March 7, 2012, the night two Dublin men, Anthony Burnett (31) and Joseph Redmond (25), were shot dead inside it. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, has already heard that the bodies were found with gunshot wounds to the head and that the incident occurred shortly before 11 o'clock that evening. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
In a four‑day trial at Kilkenny County Court, Gerard Dowling, aged 40, was charged with the attempted murder of 60‑year‑old Simon Bourke, assault causing harm, and possession of a knife. The jury, after 40 minutes of deliberation, returned a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. Both the prosecution and defence agreed that Dowling was insane at the time of the assault, as he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and had not taken medication for several months. He was admitted to the Central Mental Hospital under the Criminal Law Insanity Act. A doctor will report to the court on 7 November to recommend ongoing treatment. Justice Paul McDermott thanked the jurors and exempted them from further service for ten years. The case remains at the mental health treatment stage.
A jury will begin deliberating the trial of Gerard Dowling, 40, of Kilkenny, who stabbed Simon Burke, 60, in the head at Market Cross Shopping Centre on 13 July 2016. Dowling, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to attempted murder, assault causing harm and producing a knife. The prosecution and defence have presented expert witnesses describing Dowling's mental illness under the Criminal Law Insanity Act. Mr Justice Paul McDermott will conclude his charge in the afternoon after the jury hears closing arguments.
The prosecution case in the trial of retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, has concluded. Shine, who denies the allegations, faced eight charges of indecent assault against teenage patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda between 1964 and 1991. Six male witnesses testified that Shine allegedly groped their genitalia during medical examinations for various injuries. On the seventh day, expert medical witness Richard Stephens explained to the prosecution that there is no medical necessity for genital examinations in such cases, while to the defense he noted that examining the groin in a male trauma patient can be reasonable. He clarified that a brief, appropriate examination of the groin, with a sheet covering the testes, is not inherently wrong. The trial will continue before Judge Cormac Quinn and a jury of four men and eight women. Shine maintains his innocence for all alleged incidents.
A jury has begun deliberating in the trial of Paul Gill, a 37‑year‑old construction worker from Naas, who is accused of manslaughter in the death of Patrick "Patsy" Kelly on 22 August 2015. Gill denies killing Kelly but admits assaulting him and also pleading guilty to assaulting Kelly's friend Martin Curtis. The incident followed seven years of complaints about anti‑social behaviour, late‑night drinking and noise between the neighbours. Witnesses described Gill grabbing Kelly by the collar, dragging him seven metres, repeatedly punching him and kicking him. Medical evidence presented by State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy identified heart disease and high alcohol levels as the main cause of death, with injuries from the assault being contributory. Dr Mary Sheppard discussed the possibility of a fatal arrhythmia caused by stress.
In the Central Criminal Court, a jury heard evidence in the double murder trial of Dublin man Jason O'Driscoll, 34, charged with killing fellow Dubliners Anthony Burnett, 31, and Joseph Redmond, 25, on 7 March 2012. The prosecution presented facial composites of the alleged getaway driver, created by facial imaging specialist Lorna Heron after receiving separate descriptions from PSNI officers Stephen Downey and Niamh Mulholland. Heron explained that she input the data into a computer program, generated images, added artwork, and produced two separate composites, which were then morphed into a single composite shown to the jury. The officers described seeing the driver of a silver Mercedes for about five seconds in Newry when they attempted to stop him; the car fled after the officers activated their blue lights. A silver Mercedes was later found abandoned near the border, with a shoe print cast taken by PSNI Crime Scene Investigator Jonathan Poole. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
Gerard Dowling, aged 40, of The Sycamores, Freshford Road, Kilkenny, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to attempted murder of 60‑year‑old Simon Burke at Market Cross Shopping Centre on 13 July 2016. He also pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to assaulting Mr Burke and to producing a knife during the same incident. Dowling has a long history of paranoid schizophrenia, having been admitted to hospital on several occasions since 1998. Psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright testified that Dowling exhibited symptoms of paranoia and delusion, including grandiose beliefs about wealth and employment, and that he had sent threatening text messages to his former partner in 2015. She stated that Dowling's illness meant he did not understand that assaulting Mr Burke was morally wrong and that he had not taken his medication for many months.
The trial of Dr. Michael Shine, aged 85, continues before Judge Cormac Quinn and a jury of four men and eight women. Shine denies eight charges of indecent assault against teenage boys at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda, covering incidents between 1964 and 1991. The prosecution alleges assaults at the hospital on unknown dates in 1964‑1965, 1970‑1972, 1975‑1976, and an unknown date between 1988‑1991, and at the clinic on unknown dates in 1973, 1974, and 1975. Evidence presented includes the storage of medical records related to the case.
The trial of Paul Gill, 37, a Kildare man charged with manslaughter, heard that Kildare County Council sought to exclude the deceased, Patrick "Patsy" Kelly, from a neighbour's home due to repeated late‑night drinking and noise. Gill denies killing Kelly on 22 August 2015 but admits assaulting him and pleading guilty to assault causing harm to Kelly's friend, Martin Curtis, during the same incident. The court heard that the council had drafted an exclusion order after two warning letters to Curtis and complaints from Gill's wife, Laura, spanning 2008‑2015. The prosecution presented medical evidence that Kelly's death was caused by an enlarged heart and blood vessel narrowing, with acute alcohol intoxication and minor trauma as contributory causes. Witnesses described Gill grabbing Kelly, punching him, and kicking him, while the defence argued the assault was not the substantial cause of death. Judge Melanie Greally will charge the jury tomorrow.
Gerard Dowling, 40, with paranoid schizophrenia, went to St Luke's Psychiatric Unit in Kilkenny City on the morning of 13 July 2016, claiming he could not speak to anyone. CCTV shows he entered at 10:08 and left at 10:22. Hours later he stabbed 60‑year‑old Simon Burke at Market Cross Shopping Centre. Dowling pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to attempted murder, assault causing harm and possession of a knife. He said he had stopped his medication in January and sometimes heard voices. Burke was struck in the head and shoulder; a knife fragment remains in his head and he suffered a broken finger. Dowling claimed he did not know Burke and that his actions were influenced by voices. The trial is before Justice Paul McDermott with a jury of twelve.
During the trial of Dr Michael Shine, an 85‑year‑old retired surgeon, a sixth complainant testified that he was around 15 when he first visited Shine's clinic in 1975 after a school collapse. Shine diagnosed undescended testicles and a hernia, later operating to correct them. The complainant said that during follow‑up examinations Shine occasionally touched the base of his penis. He initially did not find this unusual, but later recalled two incidents where Shine asked about erectile difficulty and then massaged the base of his penis, telling him not to worry. The complainant expressed that he tried to avoid an erection and felt the touch was inappropriate, though he had tried to convince himself otherwise. Shine denies all eight charges of indecent assault at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic, with the trial continuing before Judge Cormac Quinn and a jury of four men and eight women. The case is expected to last two weeks.
In a double murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard details of a high‑speed police chase in Newry that followed the discovery of a burning car containing two bodies. The case concerns Jason O'Driscoll, 34, of Richmond Avenue, Fairview, who is charged with murdering Dubliners Anthony Burnett and Joseph Redmond on 7 March 2012. Firefighters responded to a blaze at Ravensdale Forest Park before 11 o'clock that night, finding two bodies with gunshot wounds to the head. Constable Simon Pringle testified that he was on duty in Newry at the time and observed a silver Mercedes, unregistered, moving toward his patrol car while being pursued by a police vehicle with blue lights. The chase, occurring in a 30 mph zone, was reportedly at 70–80 mph when the Mercedes was lost. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
Michael Ferris, a 62‑year‑old farmer from Rattoo, Ballyduff, Co Kerry, is charged with the murder of his 74‑year‑old neighbour, Anthony O'Mahony, who was killed on 4 April using a teleporter agri‑machine. The trial will begin on 9 October 2018 at the Central Criminal Court in Tralee, where it is expected to last two weeks.
During a trial in October 2017, 85‑year‑old retired surgeon Michael Shine was accused of indecently assaulting patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and his private clinic in Drogheda between 1964 and 1991. On the fourth day of the hearing, a fifth complainant, who was about 15 in 1990, recounted an incident at Shine's fracture clinic. He said Shine had called him in, removed his trousers, and examined his right ankle while moving his hand up to his groin, groping his testicles and penis. The complainant shouted that Shine was "a dirty bastard" after the examination. Shine's defence noted the absence of hospital records for the complainant's 1990 visit, citing only an 1988 x‑ray. The case remains before Judge Cormac Quinn and a jury, with the trial expected to continue for two weeks.
The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Patrick Kelly's death was mainly caused by severe heart disease, with an enlarged heart and narrowed vessels, while acute alcohol intoxication and minor trauma were contributory. Prof. Marie Cassidy noted Kelly's blood alcohol level was 213 mg/100 ml, a toxic range, and that his liver showed cirrhosis from chronic drinking. Minor injuries included a 5 cm forehead laceration, a skull bruise, an incomplete cervical spine fracture and rib fractures likely from resuscitation attempts. The court heard that the altercation over noise and late‑night drinking led to a fight in which Paul Gill punched Kelly and later kicked him, and that Gill also assaulted Martin Curtis. Gill denied intent to kill but admitted assault, and the trial will resume next Tuesday before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury. Paul Gill pleaded guilty.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court in Waterford found Juraci Da Silva, a 36‑year‑old Brazilian meat‑factory worker, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter for the death of James Banville, 28, on 8 October 2016. The jury also acquitted him of assault causing harm to Banville's friend Conor Hogan, but found him guilty of producing a knife during the fight. Da Silva had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the State. He was remanded in custody until 20 November for a sentencing hearing. The case involved a series of assaults by Hogan and Banville, who had prior convictions, and a fatal stabbing that occurred after Da Silva was provoked and had produced a knife. The court noted that Da Silva was drunk, unsteady, and had no intent to kill, leading to the manslaughter verdict.
Paul Gill, 37, is on trial for manslaughter after the death of Patrick "Patsy" Kelly on 22 August 2015 at Sarto Road, Naas. Gill denies unlawful killing but admits assaulting Kelly and Martin Curtis. Prosecutor Orla Crowe SC described a dispute over late‑night drinking between the neighbours. Witness Noreen Doyle testified that Gill punched Kelly, kicked him, knocked Curtis out, then returned to kick Kelly again. Doyle also recalled hearing Gill warn Kelly that he would not be allowed into Curtis's house that night. The case is heard before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury of eight men and four women. The trial continues with the jury to decide on the manslaughter charge. The proceedings remain at the trial stage, with no verdict yet announced. Paul Gill pleaded not guilty.
In the Central Criminal Court trial of Jason O'Driscoll, a 34‑year‑old Dublin man charged with the double murder of Anthony Burnett and Joseph Redmond, firefighters Stephen Hoey and Vincent McGuinness gave evidence about a burning car in Ravensdale Forest car park on 7 March 2012. Hoey described extinguishing the flames at the rear of the vehicle, then seeing a badly cracked skull and a ribcage on the driver's seat. He reported that McGuinness called the crew back, declared the scene a crime scene, and notified the Gardaí. A Garda ballistics officer, Shane Curran, later observed the burnt remains of two bodies in a Volkswagen Golf, noting that the bodies were fused together and that bullet fragments were recovered from both skulls. Curran testified that the fragments suggested a single firearm had discharged two bullets, but he could not confirm this without examining the weapon. The pathologist confirmed both men died from two head wounds before the fire. Jason O'Driscoll pleaded not guilty.
A jury is deliberating on the verdicts in the trial of Juraci Da Silva, a 36‑year‑old Brazilian resident of Park Lane Apartments, Waterford. Da Silva pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of 28‑year‑old James Banville, who was killed on 8 October 2016 at New Street. He also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Conor Hogan and to producing a knife on the same day and place. The jury has spent about four hours reviewing the evidence after a 12‑day trial and will announce its decision this afternoon.
In a trial in Drogheda, a 46‑year‑old complainant testified that retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 85, had indecently assaulted him in 1971 during a hospital treatment for a motorbike injury. The witness described Shine opening his trousers, touching his testicles, and the complainant reacting by leaving the room. He said he later told his girlfriend, now wife, about the assault. A second witness, aged 18 in 1976, recounted a similar incident after a traffic collision, where Shine touched his genitals while the witness was lying on a bed. A third witness, aged 15‑16 in 1975‑76, described being restrained on a bed, having a blanket and restraints applied, and Shine groping his genitals while a female assistant was present. All witnesses claimed they had no memory of Shine's presence in hospital records and denied any medical justification for the conduct. The trial has not yet reached a verdict.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 65‑year‑old complainant testified that he received €70,000 from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in a civil settlement, with no admission of liability, and that he had never received compensation from the accused, Dr Michael Shine. He described how, in 1964, while being treated for a chest cyst, Dr Shine allegedly massaged his testicles. The complainant also recounted that a campaign led by Bernadette Sullivan, called "Dignity For Patients," encouraged former patients to come forward. He said he met with the organisation, then with Gardaí, and that a solicitor arranged a civil claim. He denied being under any influence to approach the police and said his decision to report was voluntary. The trial, presided over by Judge Cormac Quinn, continues with a jury of four men and eight women and is expected to last two weeks.