Agata Pracz, 39, of Swords, pleaded guilty to dishonestly inducing Yumi Takekoshi, a 58‑year‑old Tokyo woman, to hand over €8,990 on 15 July 2014. Pracz, posing as a UN diplomat named Sandra Daly, contacted Takekoshi via LinkedIn, claiming a container of cash worth €6.8 million was at a bonded warehouse in Dublin and that she would give Takekoshi access for €8,990. Takekoshi flew to Dublin, met Pracz at the airport bar, and handed over the money. Pracz then claimed she would call with details of the container. Takekoshi became suspicious, took a taxi to the Japanese embassy, and the embassy contacted Gardaí. Pracz was arrested on the M1 motorway after CCTV footage identified her car. Gardaí recovered just over €4,000 and a heavily encrypted laptop from her home. She has no prior convictions in Ireland but has three fraud‑related convictions in Poland.
Petrica Lucaci, 26, was jailed for four years after a series of violent incidents on the M50 and at Dublin Airport. He abandoned his car at a toll booth, walked to the airport, hijacked a BMW and pursued a taxi driver, breaking red lights and driving against traffic. During the chase he struck three Gardaí, one of whom was cut behind the ear, and later assaulted two security officers at Beaumont Hospital. Lucaci pleaded guilty to unlawful seizure of a vehicle, attempted unlawful seizure, assault on Kevin O'Brien, assault on Garda Adrian McHugh, assault on two security officers, endangerment and dangerous driving. He had no prior convictions. Judge Terrence O'Sullivan sentenced him to five years with the final year suspended, banned him from driving for six years, and ordered anger‑management treatment under probation supervision. The judge noted Lucaci's hyper‑aggression and the physical and psychological impact on victims, including a five‑year‑old girl.
Gavin Guinan Cahill, 38, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment after he stabbed David Hawkins in the chest, cut his arm and then used a broken knife handle to cut Hawkins' neck during an attempted robbery on Aungier Street on 17 February 2014. Hawkins required lung re‑inflation and stitches for his chest wound. Guinan Cahill pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and two attempted robbery charges at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He had 35 prior convictions, including a 2005 assault where he stabbed a man and threatened a taxi driver. At the time of arrest he had two knives on his leg. The judge, Melanie Greally, noted his long history of drug abuse and the serious risk posed to Hawkins, and imposed the five‑year term. No further outcomes or future actions are mentioned in the article.
Sean Ducque, aged 32 and without a fixed abode, was sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan to five years in prison for an attempted car‑jacking on 26 March 2013 at Terrace Place, Dublin, and for producing a knife during the attack. The victim, taxi driver Noel Fairman, recounted that he felt his life flash before him and feared death, heart rupture, or throat injury while Ducque held a knife to his neck. Fairman resisted, managed to open the car door, and escaped. Ducque repeatedly demanded the car keys and the knife, refusing to release them. The court noted Fairman's prior heart surgeries and stent implants. Judge Ryan imposed an eight‑year sentence, suspending the last three years on the condition that Ducque engage in addiction programmes run by the Probation Services. The case highlighted Ducque's 39 prior convictions, including robbery, burglary, drug dealing, and theft, and his history of drug addiction and homelessness. Sean Ducque pleaded guilty.
In May 2016, a 22‑year‑old man named Shane Murphy hijacked a taxi in Dublin after threatening the driver, Joseph Aladegbola, that he would blow his head off. Murphy demanded the driver exit the vehicle, which Aladegbola complied with and fled to a nearby house for help. Aladegbola later told Gardaí that Murphy had placed his hand in his jacket pocket, leading Aladegbola to believe a gun was present. Murphy was charged with unlawfully seizing a vehicle by force or threat and dangerous driving. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The case was adjourned to October 12, 2016, with a judge ordering Murphy to continue rehabilitation work. No gun was recovered, and the incident was described by Aladegbola as a nightmare that left him in fear for his safety and that of his family.
Gavin Guinan Cahill, 38, was found guilty of assault causing harm and two attempted robbery charges after stabbing David Hawkins in the chest and cutting his arm and neck during a 2014 incident on Aungier Street. Hawkins required lung re‑inflation and stitches. Guinan Cahill pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. While at the Garda station for questioning, he attempted to choke himself with his boxer shorts, was handcuffed for safety, and later refused medical treatment. His defence sought a full adjournment so he could attend his son's communion; Judge Melanie Greally granted this. Guinan Cahill has 35 prior convictions, including a 2005 assault where he stabbed a man and threatened a taxi driver. He was arrested with two knives on his leg and has a history of drug use and mental health issues as noted by a forensic psychiatrist. The case is set for sentencing next Monday.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a jury of ten women and two men found taxi driver Lookman Kareem (48) not guilty of assaulting passenger Noelle Donohue, but could not reach a verdict on the alleged assault of passenger Darren O'Connor. The trial, held on 15 April 2016, heard that on 22 December 2013, O'Connor, Donohue and two of Donohue's sisters were in Kareem's taxi when they began laughing at his first name. Kareem allegedly shouted racial slurs, punched Donohue in the nose, hit her twice when the car stopped, and then got into a scuffle with O'Connor, allegedly biting off the top of O'Connor's thumb. O'Connor described excruciating pain and the loss of the thumb's tip. Kareem denied the assault, claiming the passengers were the aggressors and had racially abused him. The judge dismissed the jury after just under four hours of deliberation and adjourned the case to 28 April for a retrial.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, 48‑year‑old taxi driver Lookman Kareem was accused of biting off part of a passenger's thumb during an incident on 22 December 2013. The trial heard that the alleged assault followed a scuffle in which passengers laughed at his first name and allegedly racially abused him. Witnesses reported that Kareem was seen spitting something out of his mouth after the incident, with blood around his mouth, though he denied knowing what was spitted and denied biting the thumb. He claimed the victim was the aggressor and that he was dragged out of the taxi and beaten by three passengers. The case is in its closing stages, with jury deliberations scheduled to begin tomorrow under Judge Patricia Ryan. The trial has not yet reached a verdict. Lookman Kareem pleaded not guilty.
Karen Browne, 27, of Waterford, travelled to Dublin to collect a bag of heroin worth €4,092 from a known drug‑dealing spot in Bawnogue, Clondalkin. She was to take 1.2 grams for her own use, which would have sustained her addiction for a week. On 23 September 2014, Gardaí followed her in a taxi, stopped her and found just over 27 grams of heroin in her handbag. Browne claimed she had been paid €950 to purchase the drugs for a man in Waterford. She pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge, Melanie Greally, described her as co‑operative, frank and forthright. Browne was given a suspended two‑year sentence, with the court noting she had not previously come to garda attention and had secured employment at a garden centre in Wexford. The court expressed confidence that she would not appear before the courts again.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, taxi driver Lookman Kareem was accused of biting off part of Darren O'Connor's thumb after passengers laughed at his name. O'Connor and his girlfriend Noelle Donohue were in a taxi to Rathmines with Donohue's sisters Stacey and Helena. Stacey giggled when she saw Kareem's first name on his taxi plate, prompting other passengers to join. Kareem allegedly shouted abusive remarks, punched Donohue in the nose, and struck her twice after the group left the vehicle. O'Connor claimed Kareem grabbed his leg, causing him to feel excruciating pain and lose the top of his thumb. O'Connor ran to a pub for ice, collapsed, and was taken to St James's Hospital for surgery. Defence barrister Conor McKenna denied the assault allegations, asserting the passengers were not laughing at Kareem's name. The case remains before Judge Patricia Ryan and a jury.
Cathal Gartland, 42, of Dundalk, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for assaulting and threatening to kill his daughter while in possession of a Magnum hand‑gun. The Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Michael O'Shea, imposed the sentence on 20 May 2015, with lesser sentences running concurrently. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was "unduly lenient", but the Court of Appeal dismissed the application, stating the sentence lay within the margin available to the sentencing judge. Judge Garrett Sheehan explained that Gartland had assaulted his youngest daughter after learning she was intoxicated and behaving inappropriately. He slapped her, used a .357 calibre Magnum Smith and Wesson, threatened to drown, kill and kneecap her, and forced her into a taxi. The daughter sustained multiple injuries, required crutches for four months, and later was taken to hospital. Gartland had prior convictions for firearms possession and assault. Cathal Gartland pleaded guilty.
Mark McCann, 23, pleaded guilty to robbery of a taxi driver's phone and car keys outside Swords Garda Station on 1 May 2012. He had 13 prior convictions. The driver, who had undergone heart surgery, was concerned about his pacemaker when McCann and accomplice Claire Lawlor (26) attempted to rob him. McCann grabbed the driver in a choke hold and punched him, then fled with the driver's keys and phone. McCann was arrested in March 2013 and claimed memory loss due to drug use. Judge Melanie Greally, noting McCann's genuine efforts to reform, imposed a four‑year sentence suspended for four years. Lawlor received a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence the previous year. The court highlighted both defendants' recent positive changes and their disassociation from each other. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In Waterford, a 22‑year‑old asylum seeker from Nigeria, Kenneth Udeh, pleaded guilty to raping a woman on 14 September 2014. The victim, who cannot be named, told the court she felt she had no reason to live after the assault and that it severely damaged her relationship with her partner. She said she now feared black men and would not take a taxi from a black driver, adding that Udeh should not be allowed to remain in the country. Udeh had arrived in Ireland in 2009, applied for asylum twice and was refused both times; he is appealing to the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. He was remanded in custody until 29 February for sentencing. The court heard a victim impact report in which the woman described Udeh as having "violated" her and taken "complete advantage" of her.
In February 2016, a 44‑year‑old man named Jeffrey Mitchell was sentenced to three years in prison for an unprovoked assault on a woman walking home alone from a night out. The incident occurred on 8 February 2013 at Crossguns Bridge, Phibsboro, where Mitchell dragged the woman backwards from the footpath, threatening to throw her into the canal if she moved. He had consumed up to 30 vodkas that night and had a history of 70 convictions, including assault, robbery, firearm possession and stolen property. The woman, who was later reported to suffer ongoing anxiety and flashbacks, managed to escape and seek help from a taxi driver. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted the seriousness of the offence and Mitchell's extensive criminal record before imposing the sentence. The case was prosecuted by Seamus Clarke BL and investigated by Detective Garda Niamh Coates. The incident lasted only a few seconds but left the victim with lasting psychological effects. Jeffrey Mitchell pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 29 October 2013, Brendan Byrne, a 58‑year‑old taxi driver from Millrace Avenue, Saggart, pleaded guilty to dishonestly appropriating household furniture and assorted items from an apartment in Hazelgrove Court, Tallaght. Byrne, together with three others, removed a range of items including two televisions, two couches, a washing machine, a microwave, mirrors, paintings, tables and light fittings. The landlord had changed the locks after a Garda raid a few days earlier, and the tenancy agreement between the landlord and Byrne's stepson had not yet expired. Byrne had previously been convicted of attempted robbery (1984) and forgery (1998). Judge Melanie Greally accepted Byrne's recklessness regarding ownership, noted that some items were recovered while light fittings and small pieces were not, and that Byrne had pushed the door open.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 29 August 2015, 20‑year‑old Carl McGuinness pleaded guilty to making threats to kill a taxi driver and to possession of a syringe. McGuinness, who had 49 prior convictions, was found to have a blood‑filled syringe in his hand when he opened the passenger door of a taxi and threatened the driver twice. The driver, who had stopped to allow pedestrians to cross, was left terrified and called 999. A bystander later identified McGuinness to the Gardaí. McGuinness was searched and admitted to having an uncapped syringe, which was recovered from his tracksuit. The victim's impact report noted the driver was out of work for three weeks. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced McGuinness to four years' imprisonment, suspending the last 12 months, and imposed strict conditions including engagement with the Probation Service for two years upon release.
At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Sofiane Benchouat (44) of Sunbury Gardens, Dartry, Dublin, pleaded guilty to theft of €778 and €643 and one count of possession of a stolen ATM card at various locations between October 17th and November 23rd, 2014. He also admitted to theft of €40 and €456 and two counts of possession of a stolen ATM card during the same time period. Benchouat, who was homeless at the time of the offences, was sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan to a two-year term, which was suspended in full. He was ordered to pay €900 in compensation to the financial institutions affected. Benchouat has four previous road traffic convictions and had previously married an Irish woman he met in Germany, but the marriage ended, leading to his homelessness. Co-accused Algerian Mohammed Fanit (41), formerly of Auburn Villas, Rathgar, Dublin, but now living in emergency accommodation, pleaded guilty to theft of €40 and €456 and two counts of possession of a stolen ATM card. His case was adjourned until March to allow him to gather compensation. Fanit has one previous conviction and previously worked as a taxi driver. Both men were identified on CCTV footage from Argos and Harvey Norman in the Nutgrove Retail Park, where they used the stolen cards to purchase goods. The financial institutions involved suffered a loss of just under €2,000. The cards were reportedly obtained by a third party, who gave the men a fee for making the purchases.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Ivan Seredych, a 42‑year‑old taxi driver from Clonee, was convicted of sexually assaulting a 24‑year‑old woman in Dublin city centre on 10 June 2012. The victim, who had become separated from friends during a night out, was invited into Seredych's taxi, where he repeatedly touched her in a sexual manner, including placing his hand under her underwear and exposing himself. She managed to record his name and badge number on her phone and fled to a Garda station immediately after the assault. Seredych, who has five prior traffic convictions and arrived in Ireland from Ukraine in 2001, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment. He does not accept the jury's verdict. The judge noted the victim's vulnerability and the seriousness of the offence, imposing the three‑year term. The case highlights the victim's ongoing emotional distress and the court's consideration of the defendant's foreign status.
Mary Ward, a 34‑year‑old pregnant mother of three, had her partially suspended sentence reactivated after a 2015 court decision. She had pleaded guilty in 2011 to robbing taxi driver Declan Byrne, threatening him with a syringe after he rejected her sexual advances, and to attempting to rob a Spar shop customer. She also pleaded guilty to robbing a woman at Arbour Place and another woman, Joan Coady, at Arbour Hill. In 2012 Judge Patrick McCartan sentenced her to five years in prison, suspending the final two years. The suspended portion was reactivated in 2015 because her attendance at probation meetings had deteriorated and she had left the country without notice. The judge noted that the suspension had not achieved the intended stabilisation and reactivated the two‑year element to protect her child and the community.
A 24‑year‑old Dublin man, Paul Brannigan, is on trial for the manslaughter of Jason Saunders, who died outside a flat on Nassau Avenue, Cabra West, on 18 March 2014. Brannigan has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, assault causing harm, and possession of a golf club during the dispute. Prosecutor Colm O'Briain told the jury that Saunders arrived at Brannigan's flat in a taxi at about 6 a.m., that the men argued, and that Brannigan head‑butted Saunders before striking him on the left side of the chest with a golf club. CCTV footage and witness statements will show Saunders stumbling, falling face‑down, and being tended by nurses before an ambulance arrived. The Chief State Pathologist will testify that the blow caused fatal interference with Saunders' heart, and the prosecution will argue that Saunders was "extremely unlucky" that the blow was fatal, without alleging intent to kill.
Conor O'Keefe, 26, will be sentenced next year for sex with a 15‑year‑old girl he met online using a fake profile on Tagged.com. He created a teenage girl's account called "Julie" and later claimed to be her older brother "Adam," persuading the girl to travel by taxi to his house where they had sex. O'Keefe pleaded guilty to sex with a child in July 2011 and was found guilty of a further count of sexual exploitation of a child by a jury after a three‑day trial. He had no prior convictions and is now on the sex offenders register. Defence counsel submitted a probation report and a psychological report, asking the court to consider non‑custodial options. Judge Sarah Berkeley adjourned sentencing to 12 January to allow consideration of the case. O'Keefe faces a maximum possible sentence of 14 years imprisonment on these charges.
Kenneth Valentine, 27, and Richard McCudden, 24, were convicted of assaulting cyclist Darren Molloy on Dundrum Road on 20 November 2013. Valentine struck Molloy in the face and McCudden joined the beating when Molloy tried to defend himself with his bike lock. The pair also pleaded guilty to damaging a taxi's front passenger window on Churchtown Road on the same day, causing €100 in damage. Valentine, an electrical engineering student at Rosemount Glade, had 11 prior convictions, including two assaults; McCudden, an apprentice electrician, had four prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Valentine to 14 months' imprisonment and McCudden to eight months, citing Valentine's larger role in the "savage" attack. Both pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court noted the defendants' cooperation and prior remorse gestures, but did not alter the sentences.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Christopher Maughan, aged 22, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for robbing a 62‑year‑old taxi driver in Ballymun on 14 October 2014. Maughan pulled the driver's head back, threatening to cut his throat, and after the driver was dropped at a halting site, Maughan's friend walked around the car to take the keys. The driver was then forced to walk across fields while the two men fled in his vehicle. Maughan pleaded guilty to robbery of cash and a phone, and the court noted his 33 prior convictions, including robberies, knife possession and assaults. Garda Pamela Dunne reported that the driver had reported the crime to a station, and the stolen items were recovered from Maughan and his accomplice. The judge, Martin Nolan, accepted the guilty plea but found no significant mitigation due to Maughan's extensive criminal record.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Mark Lavelle, aged 32, originally from Swinford in Mayo, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, following his guilty plea to two counts of assault causing harm and hijacking. On the early morning of September 20th, 2014, Lavelle attacked a taxi driver in Palmerstown and subsequently assaulted Dublin GAA footballer Jonny Cooper on Dorset Street Upper, inflicting nine stab wounds. The court heard Lavelle was under the influence of crystal methamphetamine during the frenzied attacks. Mr Cooper was hospitalised overnight but recovered, though he experienced psychological effects. Judge Martin Nolan imposed consecutive sentences of three and a half years each, describing Lavelle as a danger to society. The judge noted Lavelle's sixty-two previous convictions and long-standing psychiatric difficulties requiring anti-psychotic medication. Defence counsel highlighted Lavelle's background of homelessness, substance abuse from childhood, and family history of violence.
In the murder trial of Stephen Cahoon, a 43‑year‑old Derry man, the jury heard that a witness, Mr Peter Barr, claimed to have seen a kitchen knife on a dresser in the room where Jean Teresa Quigley, a 30‑year‑old pregnant woman, was found dead on 26 July 2008. Mr Barr described arriving at the house with Quigley's sister, seeing the victim's leg hanging from the bed, her body partially clothed, and her head facing the wall. He noted a length of brown tape on the floor and a chrome‑handled knife on a dresser, which he left untouched. The court also heard testimony from a taxi driver who had taken Quigley to a shop that day, a friend who confirmed Quigley's pregnancy and normal routine, and a police constable who observed the victim's body, bruising, and the knife at the scene. The case remains before the Central Criminal Court. Stephen Cahoon pleaded not guilty.
During the trial at the Central Criminal Court, Sabrina Cummins, aged 37, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Thomas Horan, 63, who died on 6 January at Cambridge Court, Ringsend. Cummins admitted she had punched and kicked Horan but denied any involvement with the plastic bag, belt, or knife used in the killing. She claimed her brother, Kenneth Cummins, 28, was responsible for the death. Cummins also stated she had called the Gardaí that night rather than leaving Horan unattended. In cross‑examination, she denied attempting to extort money from Horan and admitted lying about needing to pay a taxi driver. She maintained that she only struck Horan once and that she had no part in the use of the belt or knife. The hearing continued into the next day.
In the trial of Stephen Cahoon, a 43‑year‑old from Derry, the jury heard that he had sought money from the victim, Jean Teresa Quigley, in the days before her murder. Cahoon pleaded not guilty to the killing of Quigley, a 30‑year‑old, at Cornshell Fields on 26 July 2008. Christopher Coyle, who babysat Quigley on 23 July, testified that he found the front door open when he arrived and that Quigley had left in a taxi and returned at 2.40 a.m. He described a knock on the front window and a shadowed hand. Coyle said he saw Cahoon enter, speak to Quigley in a "slightly raised voice," and take a bottle of WKD from the kitchen. Quigley asked him to leave, but Cahoon claimed he was leaving after drinking. Coyle heard Cahoon say he was looking for £50 back from Quigley. After Cahoon left, Coyle noted Quigley had locked all doors behind him.
A 32-year-old man originally from Swinford, County Mayo pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Dublin GAA footballer Jonny Cooper in the early hours of September 20, 2014. Mark Lavelle, with an address at Basin Street, Dublin, inflicted nine stab wounds to the player's forehead, eyelid and neck area during an unprovoked attack on Dorset Street Upper. The court heard Lavelle was under the influence of crystal methamphetamine at the time and had also assaulted a taxi driver and hijacked his vehicle hours earlier in Palmerstown. Mr Cooper spent one night in hospital and subsequently suffered anxiety and facial scarring. Lavelle was arrested at a petrol station in Maynooth when gardaí spotted the stolen taxi. Blood analysis linked Mr Cooper's DNA to a knife and jacket recovered from Lavelle. The defendant has sixty-two prior convictions including assaults, drug possession and robbery. Judge Martin Nolan remanded Lavelle in custody pending sentencing.
Claire Lawlor, 26, of Abbeylea Drive, Swords, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery committed on 1 May 2012 in Swords. She had 55 prior convictions, including robbery, theft, burglary, assault, road‑traffic offences and making off without paying. Lawlor, a former heroin addict who had become drug‑free and pregnant with her second child, was said by her defence counsel to have been motivated by her pregnancy to seek rehabilitation. The robbery involved a taxi driver outside a Garda station; Lawlor and a male accomplice stole the driver's keys and phone, and the driver was held at gunpoint. Lawlor's wallet, containing her social welfare card, was found in the taxi. The judge, citing her rehabilitation and the seriousness of her previous convictions, imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years, suspended in full, and noted that the sentence was given with great hesitancy after recognising her request for a last chance.
During the murder trial of Badri Khvedelidze, witness Givi Verdzeuli (66) testified that on 15 October 2005 at Westward Court, Tralee, a dispute erupted when George Tkeshelashvili (57) insulted Khvedelidze's mother. Verdzeuli described seeing Tkeshelashvili thrust an open hand at Khvedelidze's mother, prompting Khvedelidze to ask why he was cursed. Khvedelidze then struck Tkeshelashvili in the chest, after which Verdzeuli observed blood gush and a knife appear in Khvedelidze's hand. Verdzeuli ran to fetch a towel, and when he returned Tkeshelashvili was on the ground, unable to stand. An ambulance was called but the parties opted for a taxi to the hospital, where Tkeshelashvili was still in distress. The trial proceeds before Justice Isobel Kennedy and a jury of twelve. Givi Verdzeuli pleaded not guilty.
John McAuley, 21, was a passenger in a stolen taxi that crashed into a bridge on 5 August 2013, killing two of his friends. He was charged with allowing himself to be carried in a stolen vehicle and pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. McAuley is already serving a two‑year sentence for robbery and attempted robbery. Judge Martin Nolan found his culpability in the crash to be small, imposed an 18‑month sentence consecutive to his current term, and suspended it in full. McAuley was discharged from hospital the day after the crash and spoke to Gardaí voluntarily. The prosecution noted that McAuley and his friends had been heading to a party when the taxi was hijacked, and that the driver was forced to flee. The defence highlighted McAuley's lack of prior involvement with stolen vehicles, his genuine distress over the loss of his friends, and his ongoing educational and relapse‑prevention programmes while in custody.
Christopher Morrissey, aged 29, was jailed for 21 months after a drunken driving incident on 4 October 2014. He had been driving a taxi back from a pub with a woman he met online, then attempted to turn his car around, colliding with three parked cars. While being taken to a squad car, he head‑butted Garda Kevin Gaynor, causing a cut to the officer's mouth and damage to his teeth. Morrissey resisted arrest, refused to provide a blood or urine sample, and was found intoxicated in a public place. He also faced charges of assaulting a Garda, resisting arrest, refusing a sample, intoxication, breach of the peace, and driving without insurance. With 60 prior convictions and recent disqualifications for 12 and 15 years, the court imposed a 21‑month custodial sentence and a five‑year driving disqualification. The judge noted his cavalier attitude towards road rules and the seriousness of the offences. Christopher Morrissey pleaded guilty.
In the trial of Gary Walsh, 32, accused of murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, the defence counsel challenged a witness's account of the alleged assault. Walsh pleaded not guilty to the murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State rejected. Taxi driver Michael McGuinness testified that Sweeney had alcohol problems and was a regular at the Terenure Inn. The prosecution's statement described a confrontation in the flat's sitting room, with Walsh allegedly punching Sweeney multiple times. Witness Colm Campbell, a friend of Sweeney, claimed he saw Walsh repeatedly hit Sweeney in the bedroom, describing a violent struggle lasting about 30 seconds. The defence argued that Campbell's testimony was fabricated, asserting that the alleged assault did not occur in the bedroom and that Campbell was attempting to distance himself from the events. The trial remains ongoing.
Craig Boothman, 23, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a total of three years for a series of offences. He pleaded guilty to robbery at Shay's Pharmacy, a robbery of a Spar shop, criminal damage and burglary of an off‑license in Irishtown, and assault causing harm and criminal damage to a taxi. Each offence was committed while he was on bail for the previous one. Boothman had 27 prior convictions, including burglary, theft, assault and drug possession, dealt with at District Court level. The judge noted Boothman's violent behaviour when intoxicated but also his prospects if he remained clean. Boothman was arrested less than a week after the pharmacy robbery, where he used a knife to threaten a cashier and fled with the tills. He has been clean of drink and drugs since entering prison in March and has a job waiting for him in his grandfather's pub upon release.
The High Court has requested further information from Italian authorities regarding Aisha Ahmed (49), AKA Gloria Anwulika Aro (47), a mother-of-six suspected of being a drug importer in Italy, who faces a 20-year prison sentence imposed in her absence. Ahmed was arrested in Dublin 24 last year under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Italian authorities, which alleges she was the 'promoter, leader and organiser' of an association that imported, sold, distributed and traded 'remarkable quantities' of cocaine in Italy between September 1999 and June 2000. Her separated husband, Yemi Moshood Olatunde (47), AKA Roy Yemmy Andrew Aro, was also arrested in October. Olatunde AKA Aro, a taxi driver until he went into custody last year, was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in Italy because he allegedly associated with other persons in order to commit offences concerning the purchase, transfer, distribution, trade and unlawful possession of large quantities of cocaine. Extradition proceedings involving Olatunde are still ongoing. Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly sought further information from the Italian judicial authorities concerning Ahmed's awareness of certain judicial procedural matters at certain times. The formal questions could not be agreed between lawyers for Ahmed and for the Minister for Justice and will be formalised before the court tomorrow. Counsel for Ahmed, John Noonan Bl, submitted that his client had not been made aware of an alleged scheduled trial. The question was whether she had actual notice of a scheduled trial, Mr Noonan said, and 'it appeared she did not have notice'. Notice was served on her defence lawyer and that fell short of the requirements for extradition, Mr Noonan said. Ahmed had dealt with lawyers initially while she was in custody for 10 days, Mr Noonan said, but swore she did not give a mandate to lawyers. Once she was released from custody in Italy, she came to Ireland and had no further dealings with the lawyer, Mr Noonan said. Ms Ahmed was 'a fugitive' in the words of the Italians, counsel for the Justice Minister, Anne-Marie Lawlor said. Ahmed had been charged 'with the contents of wiretapping' and was fully aware there were proceedings in being against her. She then 'fled the country'. Ms Lawlor reminded the judge that Ahmed had previously pursued an argument that she was not Ahmed and had 'lied to the court'. She was now asking the court to believe, contrary to everything the Italians were saying, her instructions to lawyers ended in circumstances where she believed she was free to walk away from Italy, Ms Lawlor said. Questions regarding Ahmed's knowledge at certain times during the process will be formalised before the High Court tomorrow.
The High Court refused to surrender Yemi Moshood Olatunde, a 48‑year‑old taxi driver from Tallaght, who is wanted in Italy on a European Arrest Warrant for alleged offences involving large quantities of cocaine. Olatunde was arrested in October last year by gardai after the warrant was issued. In Italy he had been sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment for allegedly associating with others to purchase, transfer, distribute, trade and unlawfully possess large amounts of cocaine. Olatunde denied being the person named in the warrant. Justice Aileen Donnelly adjourned the case in June to obtain further information from Italian authorities about trial in absentia, which had not been provided. She ruled that the warrant was incomplete and that surrender was prohibited, noting that Olatunde had not been informed of the trial date or had a lawyer present. The court therefore declined to surrender him to Italy.
A 21‑year‑old Wicklow man, Dylan Keegan Duignan, and an accomplice robbed a 62‑year‑old taxi driver, Leslie Leady, on 14 October 2014. The robbery took place after the driver had taken the men from Dublin's O'Connell Street to St Margaret's Park halting site in Ballymun. Duignan sat in the front passenger seat while the other man sat behind Leady. The accomplice threatened Leady with a sharp object, demanding money, and Duignan then took the car keys. Leady was forced to walk into a field. The robbers fled to the nearest petrol station after the taxi's tank ran empty; they were arrested when they returned with petrol. Duignan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment by Judge Martin Nolan, adding to an existing eleven‑month term for a 2012 robbery. The other accomplice is also before the courts for the same offences.
Sarah Fitzgerald, 23, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting taxi driver Ji Yu Song on 5 July 2014 in Ranelagh. She admitted striking him and breaking a beer bottle over his head. Judge Martin Nolan gave her a suspended sentence of two and a half years, warning that she had "come very close" to prison. He noted she was a secondary actor while her former boyfriend, Gary Crowley, was the main aggressor, who had previously received a two and a half year prison term and had 28 convictions. Fitzgerald paid €7,000 to Song as a token of remorse, which the judge ordered to be passed to him. She had one prior drink‑driving conviction and was described as very drunk and covered in blood at the time of arrest. She has since stopped drinking, attends AA meetings and counselling, and has written a letter of apology to the court.
The High Court refused to surrender Aidan O'Dwyer, a 40‑year‑old from Clonmel, to Bulgarian authorities for alleged attempted murder of a taxi driver. Bulgarian prosecutors claimed O'Dwyer stabbed the driver in the chest with a knife, motivated by hooliganism, and that the driver survived only thanks to emergency services. O'Dwyer, who was arrested under a European Arrest Warrant on 24 June 2014, argued he acted in self‑defence and that the injuries were not severe. The court considered his serious medical condition, including a liver transplant in 2005 and current powerful medication, and his medical evidence sworn before the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture. The judge cited substantial risk of inhumane and degrading treatment in Bulgarian prisons, citing CPT findings of fundamental shortcomings. Consequently, the court ordered O'Dwyer's release, returned any bail, and discharged him from the proceedings.
Nathan O'Rowe, 20, of Tallaght, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to a taxi driver on New Year's Day 2015. The court heard that O'Rowe and a friend mistakenly believed they had been picked up by their Hailo-ordered taxi. When the driver insisted he was booked for another passenger, the men became aggressive, accusing him of drink driving after spotting a beer can left by a previous passenger. After the driver attempted to leave to meet his actual passenger, O'Rowe allegedly punched him twice in the face. The men then allegedly threw stones and bottles at the vehicle before tackling the driver to the ground, punching and kicking him to the head. The victim, who suffered a fractured nose in two places and permanent disfigurement, blacked out during the second phase of the attack and used a wheel brace to defend himself. Judge Desmond Hogan adjourned sentencing to next October, indicating he may impose a suspended sentence. He cited O'Rowe's lack of previous convictions, guilty plea, and contrition as mitigating factors. The judge ordered a Probation Service assessment for community work suitability and remanded O'Rowe on continuing bail. O'Rowe's counsel stated his client offered €500 as a concrete measure of remorse.
A mother of six, Aisha Ahmed (49), AKA Gloria Anwulika Aro (47), has been granted bail by the High Court following her arrest at Sundale Parade, Tallaght, Dublin 24, last October on a European Arrest Warrant issued by Italian authorities. She is wanted in Italy to serve a 20-year prison sentence imposed in her absence for alleged involvement in importing, selling, distributing, and trading large quantities of cocaine between September 1999 and June 2000. Her separated husband, Yemi Moshood Olatunde (47), AKA Roy Yemmy Andrew Aro, was also arrested in October and may be released on bail tomorrow. Olatunde AKA Aro, a taxi driver until his arrest, was sentenced to 20 years in Italy for allegedly associating with others to commit offences related to the purchase, transfer, distribution, trade, and unlawful possession of large quantities of cocaine. Both have denied being the persons sought on the European Arrest Warrants. Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly adjourned proceedings against the pair today, as the High Court had sought further information from Italian judicial authorities three months ago concerning the issue of trial in absentia, which the Italians did not appear to have answered. The matter was adjourned on condition that the pair be granted bail and the Italian authorities' response must be provided to the State prior to June 30, when the case would come before the court again. Ms Ahmed was remanded in custody on her own bond of €1,000 with consent to bail to June 30 next on condition she keep the peace, be of good behaviour, undertake to not apply for a passport and sign on daily at Clondalkin Garda Station. Ms Justice Donnelly said she would adjourn granting bail to Olatunde until tomorrow so that a number of matters could be sorted out.
Gareth Colley, aged 23, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three years' imprisonment, with the final 15 months suspended, for setting fire to the seat covers of a Ford Fiesta and a Nissan Micra after failing to secure a taxi ride. Colley, a father of one, admitted he was drunk and had no idea where he was when he attempted to break into the vehicles. He pleaded guilty to two charges of arson and an attempt to unlawfully take a car, both committed on 23 March 2014. The judge noted Colley's history of 52 prior convictions, including criminal damage, and described the offences as "the wanton destruction of two people's cars by someone who is out of his head on drink and possibly drugs." The court highlighted his propensity to damage property and his ongoing struggle with addiction, noting he has been attending a treatment centre since the beginning of the month.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a jury has acquitted Gail O'Rorke of attempting to assist the suicide of her friend. The jury returned not guilty verdicts after an eight-day trial and seven hours of deliberation. Ms O'Rorke, a taxi driver from Tallaght with connections to Monaghan, had faced charges of attempting to help Bernadette Forde travel to a euthanasia clinic in Switzerland. Ms Forde, who suffered from severe multiple sclerosis, died in June 2011. Prior to the jury's decision, the trial judge had directed not guilty verdicts on two additional charges relating to the procurement of barbiturates and funeral arrangements. This was the first prosecution under the Criminal Law (Suicide) Act 1993, which criminalises assisting another person's suicide. The judge commended the jury for their careful consideration of what he described as a difficult case.
The jury in the trial of Gail O'Rorke, 43, a taxi driver from Tallaght, is set to continue deliberations tomorrow. O'Rorke faces a single charge of attempting to help Bernadette Forde, 51, a multiple sclerosis sufferer, travel to Dignitas in Zurich to end her life. The jury spent three and a half hours today considering the evidence that O'Rorke tried to arrange the trip between March 10 and April 20, 2011, but the plan was foiled when a travel agent informed Gardaí. O'Rorke has pleaded not guilty. Last week Judge Patrick McCartan ordered the jury to acquit her of a second charge involving a lethal dose of barbiturates from Mexico and a third charge of procuring Forde's suicide by organising her funeral. The judge explained that the prosecution had not produced sufficient evidence for these counts, and that O'Rorke's actions were too remote from the suicide to constitute aiding and abetting.
The jury has begun deliberations in the trial of Gail O'Rorke, a 43‑year‑old taxi driver from Tallaght, who is accused of attempting to assist the suicide of her friend Bernadette Forde, 51. O'Rorke is alleged to have arranged travel to the Swiss euthanasia clinic Dignitas, a plan that was stopped when a travel agent alerted the Gardaí. Judge Patrick McCartan addressed the jury, summarising the prosecution's case that the facts are not in dispute and that O'Rorke's actions were too direct to be considered "too remote" from the suicide. He also explained the defence's argument that O'Rorke lacked criminal intent and that ignorance of the law is not a defence. The judge instructed the jury to give the benefit of the doubt where facts were uncertain and to consider the presumption of innocence. Gail O'Rorke pleaded not guilty.
Sashi Buti, a 19‑year‑old former Blackrock college rugby player, was sentenced in June for robbing a taxi driver on 23 August 2014. He and another man forced the driver to take them to St Michael's Estate, where Buti assaulted the driver, robbed his iPhone, SatNav and €220, and left his passport, mobile phone and a necklace in the taxi. After the assault he reported the passport as lost at a Garda station. The driver suffered tenderness and swelling, and the stolen items were never recovered. Buti pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge described his reporting of the passport as a "clever ploy" and noted that he had no prior convictions. The case was adjourned to 13 June, with a report from Probation Services required.
Dylan Smith, 23, of Crumlin, pleaded guilty to producing an imitation firearm, unlawful seizure of a vehicle, and arson. On 26 March 2014, he threatened a taxi driver, John Lang, with a fake gun, forced him out of the vehicle, and drove off. Smith then set fire to Bernard Curtis Apartments in Bluebell. Garda Gary Keelan and others apprehended him near Jamestown Industrial Estate. Smith, with 69 prior convictions, was already serving sentences for robbery, false imprisonment and unlawful seizure of a vehicle. At sentencing, Judge Gerard Hogan imposed a four‑year jail term, with the final two years suspended, meaning Smith will serve an effective one‑year term. He is scheduled for release in 2020. The court noted his violent background, substance issues, and that he had become a father on the day of the incident. The case was prosecuted by Gareth Baker BL and defended by Pieter Le Vert BL.
In a 2015 trial, Gail O'Rorke, a 43‑year‑old taxi driver, pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting the suicide of her friend Bernadette Forde, 51, who died in June 2011 by taking pentobarbital ordered online from Mexico. O'Rorke denied knowingly paying for the lethal drug, saying she had no knowledge of its purpose and that she had only transferred money for errands. She claimed she had supported Forde's decision to seek assisted suicide in Switzerland, but that Gardaí had intervened after a tip‑off. O'Rorke also denied arranging travel to Zurich or making funeral arrangements. The court heard that Forde left O'Rorke 30 % of her estate and that her solicitor confirmed she was of sound mind and not under undue influence. The case was heard by Judge Patrick McCartan with a jury of twelve.
During the trial of Gail O'Rorke, a 43‑year‑old taxi driver, the court heard that she was named as a major beneficiary in the will of her friend, Bernadette Forde, who died by suicide in June 2011. Forde, aged 51, left 30 % of the residue of her estate to O'Rorke, a non‑family member, after she had instructed solicitor Maurice O'Callaghan that she wanted to do so because "Gail makes her life better." O'Rorke pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting Forde's suicide, claiming she did not procure or administer the toxic substance, arrange travel to Zurich, or make funeral arrangements. O'Callaghan testified that he met Forde in February 2011, confirmed her mental capacity and that she had no undue influence from O'Rorke. The court heard that Forde had multiple sclerosis and that O'Rorke had helped her with personal care after a severe car crash in 2008.
The trial of Gail O'Rorke, accused of aiding and abetting the suicide of Bernadette Forde, is ongoing before Judge Patrick McCartan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. O'Rorke, a 43-year-old taxi driver, has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging she helped Forde procure and administer a toxic substance between April 20 and June 6, 2011. She also denies attempting to aid suicide by arranging travel to a Swiss euthanasia clinic and procuring suicide by making funeral arrangements. Evidence heard includes testimony from Forde's nephew, Bernard Forde Monaghan, who stated he had no problem helping his aunt travel to Dignitas, believing he was assisting with logistics. The trip was interrupted when gardaí were alerted. Another witness, Catherine Campbell, testified that O'Rorke tried to dissuade Forde from ending her life. Dr Muna Sabah confirmed Forde died from a lethal concentration of pentobarbital. The trial, expected to last two weeks, continues with a jury of twelve.