In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced 30‑year‑old Joseph Moore to 240 hours of community service, provided he is deemed suitable by the Probation Service, instead of a three‑year prison term. Moore was found in possession of nearly €10,000 worth of cannabis and cocaine at his father's home. The drugs included cocaine estimated at €7,735 and cannabis herb valued at €2,142. Moore admitted the drugs were for his own use, but later pleaded guilty to drug dealing. He claimed he was a "moron" and that he had been approached by others to hold drugs for them. Moore's father, a retired civil servant now taxi driver, expressed disgust and mortification. The judge noted Moore's stable family background and work history, and said he had made a serious mistake. The case was adjourned to obtain a community services report.
Seán Ducque, 33, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Kieran Farrelly. Ducque, who pleaded not guilty, was convicted by a jury after a trial. The court imposed the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment for the murder, which occurred on 26th October 2014 at Killarney Court, Dublin. Ducque had previously pleaded guilty to robbing taxi driver David Wyer of a mobile phone, car keys, and approximately €150 in cash, and possessing a firearm with intent to commit robbery at Terrace Place on the same date. For these offences, the judge sentenced Ducque to 12 years for the robbery and seven years for the firearm possession. Additionally, Ducque admitted to robbing Hugh Gildea of a mobile phone, wristwatch, and approximately €520 in cash on 27th October 2014 at Mabbot Lane, for which he received a three-year sentence. All sentences were backdated to 5th May 2016, when Ducque entered custody for another armed robbery. The judge described the murder as cold and calculated, and noted the profound impact on the victims, including Wyer, who surrendered his PSV licence and can no longer drive a taxi.
A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court acquitted Republic of Ireland footballer Jeff Hendrick of violent disorder after a four‑day trial. The case stemmed from a 2013 incident at Krystal nightclub where Darren McDermott alleged Hendrick pulled him from a taxi and was later chased into a laneway, where McDermott claimed he was assaulted and suffered multiple jaw fractures. Hendrick's lawyers argued he could not have run due to a leg injury and that McDermott had a civil case against him. Hendrick (25) and co‑accused Jonathan Doran (26) pleaded not guilty. The jury found Hendrick not guilty but convicted Doran of violent disorder, while Judge Martin Nolan withdrew an assault charge against Doran. Hendrick remains free pending further proceedings.
In February 2014, Mohamed Okda, a 30‑year‑old Egyptian national, was convicted by a jury of raping a woman who had become lost during a night out in Dublin. The woman, who was drunk and disoriented, had been staying with friends and had lost contact with them. Okda approached her, offered help, and invited her to his flat. While she was unconscious, he allegedly forced sexual acts upon her, including rape. She later testified that he had taken her glasses and phone, coerced her into oral sex, and threatened her. After the incident, she fled the flat, was found by a taxi driver, and reported the assault to Gardaí. Okda was remanded into custody for sentencing on 28 July. The trial lasted seven days, and the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on all counts within just under three hours. The court rejected a bail application, citing flight risk concerns. Mohamed Okda pleaded not guilty.
In the violent disorder trial of Republic of Ireland footballer Jeff Hendrick, the jury was instructed to disregard his football career. Hendrick, 25, denies committing violent disorder at Harcourt Street on 12 October 2013, as does co‑accused Jonathan Doran, 26. Doran also denies assaulting Darren McDermott, who testified that Hendrick dragged him from a taxi after a verbal row at Krystle nightclub, resulting in kicks to his head, face, chest and back. In closing, Hendrick's solicitor Sean Gillane urged the jury to set aside any bias from his football background, noting that Hendrick's success stems from application and diligence rather than talent. Judge Martin Nolan also asked the jury to apply common sense and ensure a fair trial. Witnesses, including Shannon Farrell, described seeing McDermott beaten and bleeding, while Doran's statements about the incident were heard by the court. The judge will resume his charge the following morning before the jury deliberates. Jonathan Doran pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin court, a 30‑year‑old Laois man is on trial for two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, alleged to have occurred in February 2014 at a flat in the city centre. The defendant, who was staying in a friend's flat, met a married woman who had become lost and upset during a night out. He claims the encounter was consensual, stating the woman initiated contact and that he did not do anything she did not want. The woman testified that she was drunk, exhausted, and had blacked out after lying on a sofa bed. She said the defendant forced her to perform oral sex, was aggressive, and ultimately raped her. She attempted to leave, was disoriented, and later told a taxi driver she had been raped. The unnamed 30-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Shannon Farrell, a bystander, was praised by Judge Martin Nolan for her bravery after she and a friend witnessed a violent assault on Darren McDermott on Harcourt Street on 12 October 2013. Farrell described seeing McDermott on the ground, heavily bloodied, and helped him up before speaking to Gardaí. The alleged assault involved professional footballer Jeff Hendrick (25) and co-accused Jonathan Doran (26), both of whom pleaded not guilty to violent disorder. McDermott testified that Hendrick dragged him from a taxi outside a nightclub, after a verbal altercation, and that he was subsequently kicked and punched. Doran denied striking McDermott but admitted to chasing him and sitting on him. The trial is ongoing before Judge Nolan and a jury of twelve.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 5 July 2017, Jeff Hendrick (25) and Jonathan Doran (26) denied charges of violent disorder at Harcourt Street on 12 October 2013. Darren McDermott testified that Hendrick dragged him from a taxi outside Krystal nightclub, where he was kicked and struck. McDermott could not recall any "slagging" of Hendrick's teammates or family, and denied shouting threats. He said Hendrick had asked him to leave the group and that he had been aggressive. McDermott also denied any intent to harm Hendrick's career, though he admitted sending hostile messages online a month later. The court heard that bouncers had tackled Hendrick and escorted him out, and that McDermott left the club after further verbal altercations outside. No verdict was reached in the article.
A Dublin man, Darren McDermott, told a jury that he suffered three fractures to his jaw and several broken teeth after an assault by a group of men led by professional footballer Jeff Hendrick. The incident occurred on 12 October 2013 at Harcourt Street, when McDermott was in a nightclub and later in a taxi that stopped at traffic lights. McDermott claimed Hendrick and his associates forced him out of the taxi, threatened him, and then attacked him, delivering kicks to his head, face, chest and back. McDermott fled, was struck by the attackers, and was later rescued by bystanders. He received emergency surgery at James's Hospital and remains under medical care. Hendrick pleaded not guilty to violent disorder and assault causing harm, while co‑accused Jonathan Doran also pleaded not guilty to the same charges. The trial is ongoing before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
Thomas Joyce, aged 37, faces sentencing later this year for two additional robberies of taxi drivers in Finglas on 7 and 8 November 2016. He has 32 prior convictions, including five robberies and three attempted robberies against taxi drivers. At the time of the offences, Joyce flagged down the drivers and directed them to a lane on Rathoath Road, threatening the first driver with a cut and the second with blades that would slash his face. He fled after taking phones and cash from each driver. CCTV identified him in the first case and fingerprints in the second. He was arrested on 9 November 2016 at a halting site on Dunsink Lane. The court has adjourned the case to October to allow a probation report to be prepared. The proceedings are ongoing and no final sentence has yet been imposed. Thomas Joyce pleaded guilty.
James Barry, aged 33, robbed a McDonald's on Lower Rathmines Road on 2 February, demanding €330 from the till while threatening a woman with a 10‑cm knife. The victim, who was working at the time, initially resisted but eventually complied. Barry fled the scene, first into a taxi, then into the Dodder River after the taxi driver was contacted by Gardaí. He claimed he believed the water would mask his body temperature from a pursuing helicopter, though no aerial pursuit was underway. Barry also pleaded guilty to a 2015 robbery of €460 from a chemist. He has five prior convictions, including attempted robbery and possession of articles, and has a history of drug addiction and a troubled childhood. The court adjourned sentencing to 5 July, noting the victim was left traumatised but no impact statement was given.
In a Dublin murder trial, 33‑year‑old Seán Ducque, who has no fixed abode, admitted firing a loaded shotgun twice at Kieran Farrelly on 26 October 2014, killing him. Ducque said he was severely intoxicated with heroin, vodka and zimovane and had lost control after Farrelly threatened to punch him. He claimed drug dealers had given him the shotgun and four cartridges to rob a taxi driver and repay a €3,000 debt. Ducque testified that he hid the gun and the taxi driver's phone and cash in bushes at Killarney Court, then returned with Farrelly and his partners to retrieve the items. He denied any pre‑planned intent to kill, stating he was under threat and that the second shot was fired after the first when Farrelly was on the ground. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Paul Butler and a jury of twelve. The unnamed 33-year-old pleaded not guilty.
David Ryan, a 59‑year‑old taxi driver, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving that caused serious bodily harm to Eoin Daly on 7 April 2011. In July 2014 Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, suspended, and imposed a four‑year driving ban. Ryan's lawyers argued that the ban prevented him from working as a rural publican in Cappaghwhite, Co. Tipperary, where public transport is limited. The judge lifted the ban after noting Ryan had not attracted further Garda attention since the conviction and that he needed the vehicle for his occupation. The court also considered that Ryan had been under severe financial and family stress, had paid €5,000 as a token of remorse, and had expressed remorse and apology. The decision was made without altering the original sentence or the suspended portion. The case remains at the criminal court stage.
A new jury of six men and six women was sworn in to hear the trial of 33‑year‑old Seán Ducque, who is charged with murdering Kieran Farrelly on 26 October 2014 at Killarney Street. Ducque, who has no fixed abode, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. The trial, now in the legal argument stage, will open before the jury on Wednesday and is expected to last two weeks. Prosecutor Dominic McGinn SC also indicated that evidence may be presented regarding a taxi robbery and a separate incident involving Hugh Gildea.
James Lynch, aged 23, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for assaulting taxi driver Edward Gallagher after Gallagher refused to take Lynch's wounded friend to hospital. The incident occurred on 14 February 2015 when Gallagher was driving through Dublin's city centre. Lynch and two other men demanded a hospital transfer; Gallagher declined, citing the risk of blood in his vehicle. A verbal altercation escalated into physical violence: Gallagher was struck, fell, and was kicked and kicked by the men. Passers‑by intervened and the assailants fled. Lynch was later charged with robbery on 24 January 2016 and possession of a knife on 12 July 2016. He pleaded guilty to all three offences. Judge Melanie Greally described the assault as "very vicious" and noted it caused Gallagher to leave his taxi‑driving job. The sentence was back‑dated to July 2016.
During a murder trial, prosecution barrister Thomas Creed SC argued that Darren Murphy, 40, stabbed his girlfriend Olivia Dunlea to death because he did not want anyone else to have her. Creed said Murphy had been cheated on once before and was determined not to be cheated on again, leading him to kill Dunlea on 17 February 2013. Murphy denies the murder charge but pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea that was not accepted. Creed described the events: after a night of drinking, a dispute over a taxi driver led Murphy to stab Dunlea, who died from a knife wound that penetrated her spinal canal and five other stab wounds to the neck. Murphy then set her house on fire, drove her car to the inn, threw her keys into a river, and returned to the burning house pretending ignorance.
Thomas Conlon, a 38‑year‑old psychiatric nurse, sued taxi driver Frank Daly after an incident on 25 April 2014. Conlon claimed he had called a taxi to take his mother, aged in her 80s, to St Stephen's Green. He said the driver's radio was extremely loud and that he asked to be let out of the car twice. Conlon alleged that when the taxi pulled in, the driver shouted at him about money, and then, while Conlon had one foot out of the car, the driver put the car in gear and drove off, running over Conlon's left foot. Conlon said he fell, dislocated his shoulder, and the taxi left with his mother still inside. Daly denied the claims, saying he was listening to football results and that he had stopped near a dangerous bend. The High Court case was settled after talks between the parties, and the judge welcomed the settlement.
Thomas Kavanagh, a 66‑year‑old former taxi driver, was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for sexually abusing three girls over a period from 1979 to 1992. He began molesting a girl aged five to seven, later raping her until she was 17, and similarly abused two other girls from ages eight and seven. The court heard that Kavanagh manipulated and controlled the victims, describing the abuse as "normal" and providing money for abortions. Victims testified that they felt isolated, confused, and feared disbelief. Kavanagh pleaded guilty to 57 counts, and a jury convicted him of 26 rapes, seven indecent assaults and one sexual assault. He has no prior convictions and accepted the verdict, with no intention to appeal. The sentence was back‑dated to February, when he was taken into custody.
Joseph Moore, a 30‑year‑old supermarket security guard, faces jail after a planned search of his father's house uncovered nearly €10,000 worth of drugs. Gardaí found €7,735 of cocaine and €2,142 of cannabis herb, along with a digital weighing scale and street‑deal baggies. Moore told officers the drugs were for his own use, but he later pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply. His defence lawyer, Dean Kelly BL, noted that Moore described himself as a "moron" and that his father, a retired civil servant now taxi driver, was disgusted yet supportive. Moore also had a €70,000 debt in unpaid motorway tolls, settled by his father for €6,700. The case is set for sentencing on 18 July.
In the Central Criminal Court, Darren Murphy, 40, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Olivia Dunlea, 36, but admitted to killing her. The prosecution, represented by senior counsel Thomas Creed, argued that Murphy was Dunlea's boyfriend and that he wanted to be with her "24 hours a day", describing the relationship as suffocating. Ann Power, Dunlea's sister, testified that she felt Murphy wanted her sister all to himself and that he was "besotted" with her. Power recounted a night‑time call from Dunlea that she could not answer, and that Murphy told her the house was on fire and shouted at her to "fuck off". Witnesses described a tense taxi ride from the Rochestown Inn to Dunlea's home, where Murphy appeared upset. Garda John Forde reported that Dunlea's body lay face down in a double bed, with two separate fires at the house that were unrelated.
During a trial in the Central Criminal Court, Darren Murphy, aged 40, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Olivia Dunlea, aged 36, but admitted to killing her. The prosecution, represented by senior counsel Thomas Creed, outlined that on 16 February 2013, Murphy and Dunlea had been drinking at the Rochestown Inn before taking a taxi home. Taxi driver Michael Ahern testified that Murphy entered the cab, appeared upset, and that Dunlea was in a cheerful mood. Ahern described Murphy as "boiling up inside" and noted tension in the vehicle. He also mentioned that Dunlea had spoken about another driver supposedly picking them up. The trial proceeded with a jury of seven men and five women under Judge Patrick McCarthy. The Director of Public Prosecutions had not accepted Murphy's guilty plea to manslaughter.
The Central Criminal Court trial of Gary Walsh, 34, has heard evidence regarding the condition of the deceased, Cathal Sweeney, hours before his fatal assault. Walsh, of Templeogue, Dublin, is charged with murdering Sweeney in Ashdale Gardens, Terenure, on 8th February 2014. He has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Witness Michael McGuinness, a taxi driver, testified that Sweeney, a 62-year-old former rugby captain, was injured, shaking, and using a crutch when he flagged him down that morning. McGuinness noted Sweeney had difficulty entering the vehicle and appeared in bad condition, with a graze on his face. Sweeney stated he had fainted at a bus stop the previous night and been taken to James's Hospital. The driver assisted Sweeney in withdrawing €200 from a bank machine and purchasing items from a shop before driving him to the flat in Terenure between 10:30 and 11:00 am. McGuinness described Sweeney as an apologetic and conversational passenger who mentioned he was going to watch a rugby match with friends. The witness also noted Sweeney's history with alcohol and his pride in his sons' rugby achievements. The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael Moriarty and a jury of six women and six men.
Patrick Connors, 46, was sentenced to two and a half years in jail at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for dangerous driving after a high‑speed chase. He drove over 160 km/h on the wrong side of a busy road, performed a U‑turn at speed, exceeded 100 km/h on a 50 km/h road, ran a red light and collided with a taxi at a junction. Connors pleaded guilty to endangerment creating a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another on Swords Road on 19 September. He also admitted possession of stolen laptops, jewellery, a screwdriver and a "jemmy" bar, which were found in his car when the chase ended. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence with the final year suspended, citing the seriousness of the charges and Connors' 89 prior convictions, including dangerous driving, burglary, theft, assault and 56 summary road traffic offences.
Paul Cullen, 38, of Cashel Road, Crumlin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for robbery. He pleaded guilty to robbing a taxi driver at an unknown location on October 31, 2015. The court heard that Cullen threatened the victim, who noticed blood on Cullen's hand and a weapon in his waistband, before taking €25 in cash. The driver drove to Sundrive Road Garda Station, where Cullen was apprehended. A DNA match was later found on a receipt book in the vehicle. Cullen, who has previous convictions for robbery, attempted robbery, and assault, stated his drug addiction and debt motivated the offence. He expressed remorse and co-operated with the investigation. Judge Melanie Greally noted Cullen's history demonstrated a capacity for violence when under the influence of drugs. However, she acknowledged he had addressed his addiction in prison and desired residential treatment. Judge Greally imposed a four-year sentence, suspending the final 18 months on the condition that Cullen attends residential drug treatment upon release and remains there until the program is complete.
A Dublin taxi driver, Lookman Kareem, aged 48, was acquitted by a jury of assault causing harm after a passenger, Darren O'Connor, claimed Kareem bit off part of his thumb. The incident occurred on 22 December 2013 at Richmond Hill, Rathmines. O'Connor said he and three friends had flagged down Kareem's taxi at about 1.15 a.m., laughed at the driver's name on the taxi ID, and tried to take the ID. A verbal dispute escalated into a physical struggle, during which O'Connor alleged Kareem bit off part of his thumb. Kareem testified that he was attacked by a group of passengers and that a passer‑by dressed as Santa tried to intervene. The jury deliberated for about 40 minutes and found Kareem not guilty. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The trial did not result in any conviction or sentencing. The incident was reported in March 2017.
Stephen Murphy, a 45‑year‑old taxi driver from Tallaght, was found in possession of €273,859 worth of illegal drugs, including ketamine, ecstasy tablets and cannabis, after a Garda surveillance operation. He pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply on North Road, Finglas, and was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally to four‑and‑a‑half years in prison. The judge cited mitigating factors such as Murphy's previous good character, his guilty plea and remorse, his limited role in the offence and his respectable background, allowing a departure from the ten‑year mandatory minimum. Murphy's case was supported by a letter from Gail O'Rorke, who had been acquitted in 2015 of assisting a suicide, and her husband Barry, who highlighted his friendship with Murphy and his son's Crohn's disease.
Patrick Connors, aged 46, was found guilty of endangerment for driving at speeds exceeding 160 km/h, including a high‑speed chase on Swords Road, Dublin. He drove on the wrong side of the road, wrong‑way around a roundabout, performed a u‑turn at speed, and exceeded the 50 km/h limit, even running a red light and colliding with a taxi. Connors also admitted possession of stolen laptops, jewellery, a screwdriver, and a "jemmy" bar, items recovered from his vehicle after the chase. He was charged with dangerous driving but did not plead to those charges. With 89 prior convictions, including dangerous driving, burglary, and theft, Connors was remanded in custody for sentencing in April, and a Probation Service report was ordered.
In March 2017, Gail O'Rourke, who had been acquitted in 2015 of an attempt to assist a friend's suicide, appeared in court to support taxi driver Stephen Murphy, who faces a mandatory ten‑year minimum sentence for drug dealing. O'Rourke, who recently published a book about her experiences, and her husband Barry wrote a letter to Judge Melanie Greally stating that Murphy had "lost so much of his life" because of the offence and that his son suffers from Crohn's disease. Murphy, 44, was caught with €273,859 worth of drugs—including ketamine, ecstasy tablets and cannabis—in the boot of his taxi after a Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau surveillance operation. He pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply on North Road, Finglas, on 13 May 2015 and is scheduled to be sentenced on 10 March. The Garda investigation began after a tip‑off that drugs were being moved in the Finglas area.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 25‑year‑old Roberts Augstkalms pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after a drunken altercation with a taxi driver over a €6.40 fare. Augstkalms, who had been waiting for a Hailo fare that failed to materialise, refused to pay and verbally abused the driver, calling him a "robber." He then left the vehicle, pulled the driver out, and punched him in the face, breaking the driver's nose and cutting his eye. The driver was frightened and screamed, and bystanders intervened. Augstkalms later admitted to the assault and expressed remorse, paying €2,000 as a token of apology. The judge, Melanie Greally, noted his cooperation with the Probation Service and lack of prior convictions, and ordered 240 hours of community service within 12 months in lieu of a one‑year jail sentence.
Amanda Daly, 36, was sentenced to three years in jail, with the final six months suspended, for robbing a taxi driver of €700 on 15 April 2015. She was caught after dropping her purse, which contained a social welfare receipt, near the robbery site. Daly, who has no fixed abode and 42 prior convictions mainly for public order offences, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. She and accomplice Jason Hynes (43) had planned the robbery; Hynes had previously received a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence. The judge noted Daly's severe drug addiction and tragic life, and that she had an active role, attempting to tie the driver's hands to the steering wheel. She had been released on bail for drug treatment but failed to complete the programme and was returned to custody. The robbery involved a syringe and an attempt to extort money from the driver, who was frightened by the assault.
Adam McCarthy, a 24‑year‑old college student, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after he punched and kicked Niall McHale during a taxi dispute outside the White Sands Hotel nightclub in Portmarnock on 27 December 2014. McHale, who had returned from London for Christmas holidays, was knocked unconscious, suffered a brief loss of consciousness, and received seven stitches to the head along with bruising and lacerations. McCarthy was restrained by nightclub bouncers until Gardaí arrived. At a sentence hearing in November, Judge Melanie Greally considered a probation report and ordered McCarthy to complete 240 hours of community service within 12 months in lieu of a one‑year jail term. The judge noted McCarthy's remorse, background, completion of an anger‑management course, and his efforts to curb drinking. McHale's family was requested to receive €5,000 from McCarthy's court‑ordered funds to support Headway Ireland. The court accepted McCarthy's apology and the financial restitution he offered.
Herbert Buckley, 52, appeared before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after admitting he robbed a Spar newsagent on 11 December 2015 to obtain "a few bob for Christmas." He threatened the shopwoman with scissors, who called the gardai; he was then apprehended in a taxi. Buckley, who has a long history of drug addiction and 45 prior convictions, including an eight‑year sentence for drug dealing, admitted the robbery and said he was "guilty as sin." He has been seeking treatment for heroin addiction since his 20s and is trying to become drug‑free. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to 27 April to allow Buckley to demonstrate his commitment to a drug‑free life, remanding him on continuing bail until that date. The court noted his previous convictions and the circumstances of the robbery.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 50‑year‑old Augustin Ion was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for sexually assaulting a young woman in his taxi. Ion groped the victim's breast and tried to force her into the back seat after she had taken a taxi home from a pub. He later claimed she was drunk and abusive, but a jury rejected his allegations. The judge described the offence as opportunistic and predatory, noting it breached public trust in taxi services. Ion was also ordered to pay €3,000 to the victim for counselling costs, which she declined. He was registered as a sex offender and will never be granted another taxi licence. Ion's counsel accepted the verdict and expressed remorse, offering the victim financial compensation for her trauma. The case highlighted concerns for young women's safety in public transport. Augustin Ion pleaded not guilty.
James Mongan, 33, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery in Ballymun on 11 July 2016 and will be sentenced in April. While driving a taxi, the driver was flagged down by Mongan, who asked to be taken to St Margaret's. After a brief conversation, Mongan moved to the centre of the rear seat, put a knife to the driver's throat and threatened to stab him if he did not give money. The driver slammed on the brakes, grabbed the blade, and escaped by spraying deodorant and shouting for Gardaí. Mongan was pursued and caught by two officers. No knife was recovered. The driver suffered cuts to his fingers requiring stitches and now feels vulnerable, fearing for his life and the dark. Mongan, who has 65 prior convictions, has been in custody, is drug‑free, and has begun learning to read in prison.
Augustin Ion, a 49‑year‑old taxi driver, was found guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman while transporting her from a city centre pub to her home on the night of 20 November 2014. During the ride Ion groped the woman's breast, held her head back against the car seat, and asked her to sit in the back seat and to allow him to enter her house with her. He also attempted to kiss her on the side of the face and rubbed the back of her head. The woman, who had been drinking, told Ion she was uncomfortable and tried to leave. A jury, after a single day of evidence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, returned a guilty verdict in just under three hours. Ion was released on bail pending sentencing on 23 January, with conditions that he not drive a taxi or apply for a new passport until the outcome of the case. Augustin Ion pleaded not guilty.
In December 2016, 21‑year‑old Carl McGuiness was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for robbing a taxi driver, Harry Boland, to obtain money for drugs. McGuiness and an accomplice, who had been in the back seat, seized Boland's vehicle on Glasnevin Avenue, threatening him with a syringe and demanding cash. After the robbery, McGuiness drove the taxi, crashed into a woman's car in Blanchardstown, and was later arrested in Dublin's IFSC. He pleaded guilty to robbery, damaging a car and leaving the scene of an accident. The judge, Melanie Greally, noted his 48 prior convictions and the escalation of violence after a 2013 prison term. McGuiness's final 18 months of the sentence were suspended, and he was placed on a methadone programme in custody. Boland has since quit taxi driving due to the risk.
Amanda Daly, 36, was arrested after dropping a purse containing a social welfare receipt near the scene of a robbery on Summer Street South on 15 April 2015. She pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of €700 from a taxi driver. Daly, who has no fixed abode and 39 prior convictions for district court offences, was allowed out on bail to attend residential drug treatment. Judge Melanie Greally remanded her in custody with consent to bail on the condition that she stay at the treatment centre for the duration of her rehabilitation, and adjourned the case to 19 January to assess her progress. Her accomplice, Jason Hynes, 43, had earlier received a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for his role. The robbery involved the taxi driver being threatened with a syringe and forced to hand over money, a wallet and keys. Daly was found by Gardai after the purse was dropped and was subsequently arrested.
Mihail Ghimisli, 35, a taxi‑driver originally from Romania, was found guilty of harassing his ex‑girlfriend Larina Belova on four occasions between May and July 2014. The court described his behaviour as stemming from "unrequited love" and noted that Belova had suffered ongoing distress, having moved homes, changed jobs and sold her car because of the harassment. Judge Melanie Greally imposed an 18‑month sentence, suspended in full, with strict conditions: Ghimisli must leave Ireland within 48 hours, provide his Romanian address to the investigating officer, and may not communicate with Belova for ten years or approach within 20 kilometres of her home or workplace. Failure to comply would constitute a separate offence. The judge warned that non‑compliance could result in his return to Ireland for prosecution. Ghimisli pleaded guilty and expressed a desire to apologise, but the court emphasised the seriousness of his repeated harassment.
A 35‑year‑old taxi driver from Romania, Mihail Ghimisli, appeared in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court charged with harassing his ex‑girlfriend, Larina Belova, on four occasions between May and July 2014. He pleaded guilty to one count of harassment. Ghimisli had two earlier convictions for harassing Belova after their brief relationship ended in 2011, and he has a total of six previous convictions. The court heard that Belova lived in constant fear, moved homes, changed jobs and sold her car because of the harassment. Witnesses described Ghimisli following her to a petrol station, knocking on her door, grabbing her hand as she entered a friend's house, and throwing flowers and chocolates at her car. Ghimisli offered to leave Ireland if given a suspended sentence. The judge noted a psychological element and adjourned the case for sentencing.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 16 November 2016, Adam McCarthy, a 24‑year‑old college student, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Niall McHale outside Tamango's Nightclub in Portmarnock on 27 December 2014. McCarthy had joined a group that cut in line for a taxi, and when McHale protested that the taxi was not theirs, McCarthy punched him above the right eye, causing McHale to fall and lose consciousness. McHale was then kicked in the head, sustaining bruising, lacerations and seven stitches. McCarthy was restrained by nightclub bouncers before Gardaí arrived. McHale, who had been housebound for most of the Christmas holidays, was taken to Beaumont Hospital. McCarthy, who has no prior convictions, apologized in a letter and offered €5,000 to McHale's family, to be donated to a charity of their choice. Judge Melanie Greally noted the seriousness of a head kick, considered the possibility of community service, and adjourned sentencing to 8 February 2017.
Ukrainian taxi driver Ivan Seredych, aged 43, was convicted of sexually assaulting a 24‑year‑old woman in Dublin on 10 June 2012. He pleaded not guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court but was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to three years' imprisonment by Judge Catherine Murphy on 21 December 2015. The victim, who had been drinking and felt vulnerable after being separated from friends, was taken into a taxi where Seredych placed his hand on her thigh, touched her vagina, and exposed his penis. She recorded his name and number, directed him to drive to Raheny, and he did not request payment. Seredych's home was searched and his driver details matched those given by the complainant. His appeal against conviction was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, with Mr Justice George Birmingham ruling that the trial judge acted within her discretion in refusing to give a corroboration warning.
A 41‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to eight years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended, for raping his nephew's wife while she slept beside her husband and toddler in a caravan park on 7 March 2014. The victim, who was half‑asleep and on medication, was assaulted by the defendant, who claimed he was looking for money for a taxi fare at about 3 a.m. He entered the caravan intoxicated and, after the victim's husband was asleep, the defendant raped the woman. The victim woke the next morning, discovered the assault, and went to the Rape Crisis Centre. During the four‑day trial, the defendant pleaded not guilty. The jury found him guilty, and the judge ordered him to stay away from the victim and her family for five years post‑release and to be supervised by Probation Services for 12 months. The unnamed 41-year-old was convicted.
Warren Nolan, 20, of Rowlagh Park, Clondalkin, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm in suspicious circumstances and three drug‑possession‑for‑sale charges on 8 June 2015. He also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, reckless endangerment and driving without a licence on 4 June 2015. The court heard that Nolan drove at high speed through Clondalkin, forcing two pedestrians to jump over a gate and a wall to escape his car, and that he later drove on footpaths, on the wrong side of the road and through red lights during a garda pursuit. In a separate incident, a taxi containing several men was pursued; when the car stopped, Nolan was found looking at a garda with a sawn‑off shotgun pointed at the officer's face. The gun was unloaded and no ammunition was found. Nolan was also found to have cannabis, cocaine and heroin.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Sergejs Sluncevs, 37, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm after he crashed into a taxi on Dublin Road, Celbridge, on 21 December 2012. The incident occurred when Sluncevs, who had been heavily drinking after a Christmas party, drove his Audi A4 across the road and collided head‑on with the taxi. The taxi driver was pulled from the vehicle within thirty seconds before the car caught fire. The court noted the victim's severe injuries and psychological effects, and, considering Sluncevs' guilty plea, cooperation, remorse and previous good record, imposed the custodial term and a five‑year driving disqualification. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and the circumstances surrounding the crash.
During a murder trial, witness Ms. April Murray testified that on 11 February 2014 she and her daughter were at Mangan's pub in Edenderry, where they met James Davy, Sean Davy and Jade Mooney. After the pub, they returned to Murray's house, where the men drank beer and used cocaine from a key. Murray described a chaotic scene the next morning, with damage to the living room and kitchen, and noted a light‑brown wooden baseball bat on the kitchen table. She claimed the bat had been used and was later left in a taxi. Courtleigh Maloney, an 18‑year‑old, confirmed that James Davy had brought the bat to the pub and left it in the taxi. Jade Mooney also stated that Davy had shown her the bat and said it was to "protect himself." The accused men, Matthew Cummins, Sean Davy and James Davy, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Thomas Dooley.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Catherine Murphy sentenced 20‑year‑old Buti Sashi to nine months' imprisonment for robbing a taxi driver on 23 August 2014. Sashi, a former Blackrock College rugby player, beat the driver, stole his iPhone, SatNav and €220, and left his passport, mobile phone and a necklace in the taxi before reporting the passport lost at a Garda station. He pleaded guilty to the robbery, failed to attend probation and restorative justice conferences, and tested positive for cocaine and speed. Sashi had not completed a Rathmines College course or an anger‑awareness course, and his employer reference was deemed unsatisfactory. He apologized to the court, calling himself an "idiot" for taking drugs, and Judge Murphy urged him to use his custodial time constructively. The sentence reflects the court's view that Sashi had been given many opportunities to improve his situation.
In a case heard by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Sergejs Sluncevs, aged 37, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm after his Audi A4 collided head‑on with a taxi on Dublin Road, Celbridge, on 21 December 2012. Sluncevs had been heavily intoxicated after a Christmas party and, after leaving his keys in his car, decided to drive home. Witnesses described the taxi driver seeing the car approach with full beams, the vehicle swerving onto the taxi's side and crashing. The taxi driver's leg was trapped inside the car; he was rescued by bystanders and later treated for injuries to his leg, arms, ribs and chest. Within thirty seconds of the taxi being pulled from the vehicle, the car caught fire. Sluncevs' defence argued the incident was a "life‑changing mistake" and that he was remorseful, requesting the court consider alternatives to custodial sentencing.
During a funeral in Dublin, Liam O'Connell, aged 26, attacked Seamus Mooney, 58, after attempting to kick one of Mooney's dogs. O'Connell punched Mooney between six and ten times while Mooney lay on the ground, and also kicked the dog. Mooney defended himself with a walking stick, which he carried after a recent hip replacement. O'Connell pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Witnesses observed the assault, and a passing motorist stopped the attack before O'Connell and his family left in a taxi. Gardaí later identified O'Connell and arrested him. Mooney was taken to hospital for swelling, bleeding, cuts and facial numbness. O'Connell was sentenced to 14 months' imprisonment, with no compensation or community service imposed. The case highlighted O'Connell's 16 prior convictions, including violent disorder. The judge noted his drunken state and mourning as mitigating factors but still imposed the jail term.
Jonathan Rafferty, 38, was jailed for seven and a half years after a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing. He pleaded guilty to a series of offences: robbery of a security cash box containing €19,000 in October 2013, possession of an imitation firearm, possession of cannabis resin and herb, and stolen artwork in October 2013; robbery of a second cash box containing €230 in March 2014 with an imitation firearm; burglary at Sunrise Dry Cleaner in February 2015, along with dangerous driving and criminal damage to a car. The court noted he had been using cocaine daily and was under a €6,000 drug debt at the time of the offences. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed consecutive sentences totalling eleven years, suspending three and a half years, for a net effective custodial term of seven and a half years. Rafferty had 12 prior convictions and had written a letter of apology to the court.
Agata Pracz, 39, of Swords, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to dishonestly inducing Yumi Takekoshi, a 58‑year‑old Tokyo woman, to hand over €8,990 on 15 July 2014 by promising access to a container of cash worth €6.8 million. Pracz, posing as a UN diplomat named Sandra Daly, met Takekoshi at Dublin Airport, took the money at a bar, and promised further details of the container. Takekoshi became suspicious, took a taxi to the Japanese embassy, and alerted Gardaí. Pracz was arrested on the M1 motorway after CCTV footage identified her car. Gardaí found just over €4,000 and a heavily encrypted laptop at her home. She had no prior convictions in Ireland but had three fraud convictions in Poland. Judge Patrick McCartan, after hearing the evidence, sentenced her to a suspended three‑year term, noting she had fully repaid the money and expressing reservations about her account of events.