In a June 3 hearing at the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy ordered Johanna Kelly, 43, back to prison for one year to serve part of a suspended sentence. Kelly had earlier pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of her 60‑year‑old grandfather, Patrick O'Brien, in December 2013, and received a six‑year sentence with two years suspended on the condition of abstaining from alcohol and engaging with probation services. The judge was informed that Kelly had failed to meet those conditions, including a failed attempt to attend a rehab clinic where she was removed after becoming violent. She also had a one‑week sentence for theft. Kelly pleaded for another chance, but the judge imposed a 12‑month custodial term, reducing the suspended portion from two to one year, and backdated it from May 28. The decision was presented as a final opportunity for rehabilitation.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the back‑seat passenger of a stolen Nissan Micra recorded a high‑speed Garda chase on Snapchat. The driver, Brandon Grant, 19, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, with the final nine months suspended, and disqualified from driving for five years. Grant, who was on bail for 14 offences, had driven dangerously around Swords, forcing pedestrians to jump out of the way and motorists to brake hard. The pursuit ended when he lost control on icy roads and crashed into a pole, after which the car was written off and he was arrested. He pleaded guilty to driving a stolen car and two dangerous driving charges, and the judge noted his 25 prior convictions, including five for stolen‑car offences. The suspended portion was conditional on 12 months of probation engagement. The case highlighted the driver's substance abuse and family difficulties as primary causes of his behaviour.
Noel Clarke, 33, was caught trespassing at the Honourable Society of King's Inns in Dublin on 16 June 2014. He admitted to entering the building after seeing an unsecured door, claiming he only wanted to look around and had no intention of stealing. Garda Louise Pepper reported that Clarke was caught red‑handed, wearing a hoodie and white gloves, and that he had been using a large amount of tablets at the time. He had ten previous convictions, five for burglary, but was not considered a violent offender. Clarke pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to commit theft. Judge Melanie Greally noted his efforts to address his difficulties and his genuine commitment to reform. She imposed an 18‑month sentence, suspended in full for two years, and accepted his probation report outlining progress in dealing with his problems.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Samuel Hutch, 40, a cousin of the murdered Gary Hutch, was found to face special security arrangements in prison that would isolate him from visitors, other inmates and prison facilities. The court heard that these measures were imposed because of an "environment of fear and tension" and that Hutch would be "extremely lonely." Breffni Gordon BL argued that Hutch was a different character from the Hutch family's criminal brand, citing his 89 prior convictions, including 39 burglaries, possession of a stolen bicycle, and a burglary in Cabra. Hutch pleaded guilty to trespass, possession of a stolen bicycle, damaging a car door, and a burglary. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to July 21 to allow a victim impact report and urinalysis. Gordon noted that Hutch had been in drug rehabilitation before the 2015 family tragedies, including his cousin's murder, caused a relapse.
Brian McHugh, aged 31, was sentenced to four years in jail after a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found him guilty of robbery. The case stemmed from a dispute over a laptop at Megan Lawlor's home. McHugh entered the house, kicked down the bedroom door, and allegedly held a knife to Lawlor's neck, threatening to slash her face. He then took her phone and left. Lawlor reported the incident, and McHugh was later stopped by Gardaí. He denied the robbery and the threat, but a jury convicted him of robbery and acquitted him of the threat. McHugh also pleaded guilty to criminal damage to the door. The judge noted his 47 prior convictions and imposed the four‑year term, with no mention of a suspended portion or effective custody beyond the sentence itself. The court did not address any subsequent legal actions.
Andrew Shannon, 51, was jailed for one year for possessing 57 stolen antique books, including a 1660 King James Bible, after a jury conviction in February. The books had been taken from Carton House library in Kildare in 2006 and were found in Shannon's home in March 2007. Shannon, who had previously been jailed for damaging a €10 million Monet painting, pleaded not guilty to the possession charge. Judge Petria McDonnell sentenced him to one year with the final six months suspended. He had denied the charge but was convicted. The books were valued at €6,500. Shannon's 35 other convictions include theft and burglary. He had appealed his earlier conviction for the Monet damage, but that appeal was still pending at the time of this article.
Two Dublin men, Michael Finlay (36) and Dean Byrne (24), were found guilty by the Special Criminal Court of possessing a 9mm semi‑automatic pistol, a fully‑loaded magazine, and various rounds of 9mm ammunition at Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght, on 5 June 2014. Both pleaded not guilty to the unlawful possession charges. The court heard evidence from the Special Detective Unit, including a briefing that Detective Superintendent Tom Maguire had received confidential information about IRA activity involving a stolen Renault Kangoo van with false registration plates that day. Detective Sergeant Finnegan observed the van, saw Byrne in the driver's seat and Finlay in the rear, both wearing disguises. Finlay appeared to hold a firearm; he dropped it after the detective's order. A pistol and magazine were found on the van's floor, plus loose ammunition in a black hold‑all bag.
Joseph Finnegan, 54, of Cullenstown, Readypenny, Dundalk, County Louth, pleaded guilty to four firearms and ammunition possession charges at Special Criminal Court Number 2. The court, presided over by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy with Judges Sinead Ni Chuluchain and Gerard Haughton, recorded his guilty pleas to possessing an 8mm blank-firing pistol and seven rounds of ammunition on July 11, 2015, and a 12 gauge double barrel shotgun and three shotgun cartridges on July 12, 2015, all at the same address. Mr Finnegan also faces two further charges: alleged membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the IRA, and possession of two stolen cars, a Ford Focus and an Audi A4, on July 11, 2015. These remaining charges are set for trial on October 4, 2015. The court remanded Mr Finnegan on continuing bail until that date. Sentencing for the admitted firearms offences will be deferred until after the trial for the other charges concludes. This was the first hearing at Special Criminal Court Number 2 since its establishment last year.
William Beresford, aged 45, was convicted of manslaughter in 1999 after killing his brother during a fight. He pleaded guilty to robbery at the Station's Sport Club in August 2015, using a pellet gun to threaten former colleagues. Beresford, who had 28 prior convictions for minor offences, surrendered to Gardaí four days after the robbery. He admitted embarrassment and regret, citing drug addiction as a motive. Judge Melanie Greally revoked his bail and remanded him in custody until a sentencing hearing on 11 November, ordering a probation report. The robbery involved a €4,400 theft that was never recovered. Beresford's background includes a history of drug abuse, four children aged 12 to 29, and a marriage that ended in 2012. The case highlights his ongoing legal and personal difficulties.
A judge at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has ordered the return of cash stolen from a Leitrim takeaway after it was recovered from an employee at Dublin Airport. Vlad Emanuel Blanaru was stopped by customs officers on August 30, 2015, as he and his girlfriend prepared to board a flight to Amsterdam. Officers discovered over €6,900 in cash that gardaí in Carrick-on-Shannon later established had been taken from the safe at Marius Takeaway in Drumshanbo the previous day. Blanaru, of Carrick Road, Drumshanbo, claimed he had earned the money through his work at the establishment, though he later told the customs officer he intended to purchase an engagement ring. The takeaway owner subsequently reported the theft, stating €7,600 had been stolen, including €3,000 belonging to an employee. Judge Melanie Greally concluded the seized cash represented proceeds of theft and ordered its return to the rightful owners rather than forfeiture to the State.
A man who became involved in selling a stolen car to reduce his drug debt has been given a suspended sentence. Karl Burke (27), of Oatfield Lawns, Clondalkin Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to handling a stolen car and possession of a false Vehicle Registration Certificate (VRC) at The Park Shopping Centre, Carrickmines on October 30, 2014. The case was heard_or_decision. Burke admitted to the charges and was found guilty. Judge Melanie Greally noted that Burke had no longer been using drugs and had a supportive family. She imposed a three-year sentence, which was suspended in full. Garda Paschal Carley stated that gardai were alerted by an official at Wicklow County Council about suspicions regarding a VRC. The investigation revealed the car had been stolen from Castleknock and had a cloned chassis number. Burke had initially met the buyer in Clondalkin and later sold the car at Carrickmines, producing a driver's licence in a false name. Burke told gardai he had become involved in the offence to pay off a cocaine debt of between €8,000 – €10,000. He was to have €500 taken off his debt for his role. Mary Rose Gearty SC, defending, said Burke had taken care of the main catalyst for the offence and no longer wants anything to do with drugs or his old associates. He is a father of two and wishes to return to full-time education.
A cage fighter and another man have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a 23-year-old man who was beaten unconscious and left to drown in the River Shannon near Athlone in June 2014. Leszek Sychulec, aged 34, with an address at Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 35, were convicted by jury at the Central Criminal Court following a five-hour deliberation in April 2016. The court heard that Patryk Krupa was assaulted following an encounter in Athlone town before being driven away by the accused men. His body was discovered face down in the water by associates who became concerned for his welfare. A State pathologist concluded that Krupa died from a combination of severe head trauma and drowning while unconscious. Justice Tony Hunt described the offence as shocking and violent, commending the investigative work of gardaí at Athlone. Concurrent sentences for false imprisonment were also imposed on both men. Sychulec has previous convictions for drugs offences, extortion and robbery. Leszek Sychulec pleaded not guilty. Andrzej Gruchacz pleaded not guilty.
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.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, two Dublin men, Michael Finlay (36) and Dean Byrne (24), were tried for unlawful possession of a 9mm semi‑automatic pistol and ammunition. Gardaí observed them in disguises inside a stolen Renault Kangoo van in June 2014. Finlay was seen holding the handgun, which he later dropped when ordered by Detective Sergeant Joseph Finnegan. Both men were questioned under Sections 18, 19 and 19(a) of the Criminal Justice Act and failed to explain the handgun, ammunition, van, fake beards or an An Post jacket. Their defence counsel did not contest the evidence. The court remanded Byrne on continuing bail and held Finlay in custody, with judgment expected on 16 June 2016. Michael Finlay pleaded not guilty. Dean Byrne pleaded not guilty.
Amy McAuley, 26, pleaded guilty in 2015 to stealing €132,355 from Nordzucker Ireland Ltd between July 2013 and February 2014. Judge Patrick McCartan imposed a wholly suspended two‑year sentence, requiring her to stay out of trouble and make full restitution within ten years. The Court of Appeal upheld this sentence, rejecting the Director of Public Prosecutions' appeal that it was unduly lenient. The appeal cited the ingenuity of the theft, its connection to a prior €90,000 theft that had been fully repaid, and the significant breach of trust. The court noted McAuley's youth, self‑reporting, early guilty plea, remorse, partial restitution, and her status as an accomplished musician. It modified the repayment schedule, setting 30 % of the debt due within five years, another 30 % within seven‑and‑a‑half years, and the balance by ten years, with €30,000 already paid and €102,000 outstanding.
In a Special Criminal Court hearing on 9 June 2016, two Dublin men, Michael Finlay (36) and Dean Byrne (24), were tried for unlawful possession of a 9mm semi‑automatic pistol, a magazine and various rounds of ammunition at Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght on 5 June 2014. Both pleaded not guilty. The prosecution presented evidence that a Kildare man's Renault Kangoo van had been stolen from his home on 30 April 2014, with its keys missing, and that the van was later recovered by the Gardaí. The van's registration number did not match the tax disc at the time of the alleged offences. Garda Graham Dunne interviewed Byrne on 6 June 2014, questioning him about the firearm, ammunition, the stolen van with false plates, and his presence at Glenshane Crescent the previous morning; Byrne gave no reply. The trial continues.
During the Special Criminal Court trial, evidence was presented that Michael Finlay (36) and Dean Byrne (24) were accused of unlawfully possessing a 9mm semi‑automatic pistol and ammunition at Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght, on 5 June 2014. The prosecution alleged that in June 2014 Gardaí investigating suspected IRA activity observed the pair in a stolen Renault Kangoo van, both wearing disguises, and that Finlay was seen dropping a handgun. Both men pleaded not guilty to the possession charges. In a Garda interview on 6 June 2014, Detective Sergeant Padraig Boyce questioned Finlay about the firearm, ammunition, the van, false number plates, an An Post jacket, a false beard, gloves and a black bag containing two rounds of 9mm ammunition. Finlay made no comment. Forensic evidence included diesel oil found in a bottle seized from the van, a Russian‑made pistol with its serial number obliterated, and no fingerprints on the firearm or magazine. The trial continues.
Marie McMahon, 68, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 13 charges of stealing social welfare payments from James's Street Post Office between September 1, 2002, and June 11, 2014. The prosecution alleged that McMahon fraudulently claimed benefits using her sister's card, resulting in a total loss of €101,538.80. Although the Director of Public Prosecutions accepted the pleas as sample counts, the court noted the fraud spanned over a decade. Defending counsel Lorcan Staines BL highlighted that friends had gathered €6,000 towards repayment and that McMahon's benefits would be reduced by €15 per week. He also cited her age, medical difficulties, and previous involvement in women's rights protests. Judge Melanie Greally, who had previously adjourned the matter to consider testimonials and a probation report, stated that McMahon appeared to have useful skills and that community service warranted investigation. However, the judge noted potential medical unfitness. Consequently, the case was adjourned to October to allow the probation service to assess her suitability for community service. The matter was not concluded at this hearing.
The High Court has ordered the extradition of Padraig O'Callaghan to Northern Ireland to serve the remainder of a custodial sentence. In April 2014, O'Callaghan, of Crossmaglen, County Armagh, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment at Newry Crown Court after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 23-year-old woman in Newry on December 11, 2011. He also faced charges of false imprisonment and robbery, for which he has already served time. Counsel for the Minister of Justice and Equality stated that O'Callaghan is sought solely for the rape offence, with three years and ninety days remaining on his sentence. O'Callaghan, who was arrested in May 2016, testified that he had received legal advice and consented to his surrender. Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly confirmed his awareness of the consequences of serving his sentence under Northern Irish conditions. The judge ordered that O'Callaghan be detained for a period not exceeding twenty days to facilitate the extradition. An application for legal aid was subsequently granted.
Trevor Curtis, aged 35 and of no fixed abode, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following guilty pleas to two separate offences. Curtis pleaded guilty to possession of a syringe to threaten injury or intimidate another person on Bedford Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin on April 14, 2014, and to robbery of a betting shop on Wicklow Street, Dublin on October 27, 2014. During the first incident, Curtis was experiencing hallucinations after consuming a head shop drug and believed he was being attacked by demons. When gardaí arrived, he was found holding a syringe which he waved aggressively, leading to his being pepper-sprayed. In the second offence, he jumped over the counter and brandished a syringe at a pregnant employee, demanding money. Judge Martin Nolan suspended the final year of the sentence and backdated it to 2014 when Curtis entered custody. Curtis has 43 previous convictions, including three for similar syringe-related offences.
In a hearing at the Central Criminal Court, Justice Patrick McCarthy considered whether to remand Johanna Kelly, 43, who had been released on conditions of sobriety and probation after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Patrick O'Brien, 60, in December 2013. Kelly had been sentenced to six years in prison with two years suspended, contingent on compliance with the judge's conditions. Probation officer Katherine Lambert reported that Kelly had failed to meet those conditions, citing an incident at a rehab clinic, Cluain Mhuire, where she was removed after becoming violent while intoxicated. Lambert also noted that Kelly had previously pleaded guilty to theft and received a one‑week sentence. Kelly pleaded for another chance, expressing remorse and a desire to remain sober. Justice McCarthy described her breach as "egregious" and indicated he would consider sentencing her to serve the remaining two years of her sentence, but remanded her in custody until 20 June.
Trevor Cooke, aged 40, pleaded guilty to robbing a cash transit van at Bawnogue Post Office in Clondalkin on 3 October 2013. He entered the post office while two G4S security guards were dropping off cash, approached one guard and held an imitation firearm to his face, ordering him to hand over the cash box. Cooke seized the box, which contained €50,000, and fled in a car that had been reported stolen two weeks earlier. Gardaí pursued him, and after a traffic chase he abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. He was arrested in the rear garden of a house, hiding behind a wheelie bin, and was sprayed with pepper spray before being taken into custody. A fake gun was recovered from the car, and the cash box was opened, releasing a dye that destroyed all the money. Cooke has 48 prior convictions and was already in custody for a previous burglary.
Karl Smith, 19, will be sentenced in July for a series of violent offences committed over a month. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a 21‑year‑old man, threatening to kill a 16‑year‑old boy, criminal damage to a front door and two counts of producing a weapon. On 30 May 2015 Smith broke into Devon Whiston's house, damaged the door, entered the kitchen, held a steak knife to Whiston and prevented the occupants from leaving. Two weeks later he bit Whiston's arm, stabbed him with a barbecue fork, beat him with a rolling pin and stole a TV, an X‑Box and a computer. On 15 June he returned to the house, repeated the assault and robbery. On 27 June he crashed a house party, held a knife to a 16‑year‑old's face, cut his cheek and threatened to kill him.
On 28 August 2015 a Limerick man, Warren Hehir, 25, was stopped on the Long Mile Road in Dublin after a wrong turn. Gardaí searched his vehicle and found €43,970 in his tracksuit and €635 in his pocket. Hehir, who had no legitimate income, claimed the money was a loan from his mother to buy an Audi for his girlfriend, but his mother denied giving him the money. Hehir had 33 prior convictions, including drug dealing and theft, and was linked to known criminals in Limerick. He denied using the money for drugs. The prosecution, led by Grainne O'Neill BL, presented an affidavit from Sergeant Mark Campbell. Judge Melanie Greally, after hearing the affidavits, ruled the cash was proceeds of crime or intended for criminal use and accepted the State's application to forfeit €44,000, with Hehir offering no objection.
Mark Eribo, aged 29, had a three‑year sentence for stealing camera equipment from a photojournalist at a McDonald's on Grafton Street on 1 May 2012. The sentence, imposed in 2014, had a final year suspended. He was released in May 2015. In 2016 the Probation Service re‑entered his case after finding a "fairly comprehensive failure to comply" with the suspension terms. Judge Melanie Greally ordered that three months of the suspended year be reactivated. Eribo, who had 59 prior convictions, had pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. His defence lawyer, Sandra Frayne, noted that Eribo had initially tried to comply but his efforts waned due to addictions, and that he remained eager to seek help. The equipment was valued at €9,750. The case was originally heard by Judge Mary Ellen Ring in 2014. The Probation Service's activation of the suspended sentence was unaffected by a recent High Court ruling on the area.
A man convicted of leading a jewellery store robbery in Castleblayney has had his prison sentence reduced on appeal. Moise Rostas, aged 25, pleaded guilty at Monaghan Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €20,000 worth of jewellery from McGuigan's Jewellers on Main Street on 28 December 2012. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment in January 2016. The Court of Appeal reduced his term, suspending the final nine months subject to payment of €5,000 compensation. Mr Justice Alan Mahon found the sentencing judge erred by suggesting the shopowner and employee were present during the theft, when they had not been. The judge noted Rostas had no previous convictions and was already demonstrating rehabilitation in custody. The Court of Appeal imposed a two-year good behaviour bond on release. The jewellery was never recovered. Following the robbery, the business subsequently closed.
James Maughan, 38, was identified by facial‑recognition software after a photo was taken for a public services card. He had been claiming disability benefit under his own name and had also fraudulently claimed €438 of Jobseeker's Allowance in July 2015 using the false name "Terence Maughan." The Department of Social Protection discovered the deception and the case was brought to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Maughan pleaded guilty to inducing another to submit a false application and to stealing the allowance. He has 11 prior social‑welfare fraud convictions from 2013, for which he received a six‑month sentence. At the last hearing, evidence was presented that €689 of the €1,674 repayment due for the 2013 fraud remained outstanding. The judge adjourned the sentencing to 15 June to allow further investigation of the repayment issue. The case remains pending, with no final sentence yet imposed.
Darren Donovan, 18, of Parlickstown Gardens, Mulhuddart, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five years' imprisonment for stabbing homeless man John Joseph Joyce in the chest and head and for two robberies – a €400 theft from a city centre Spar and a wallet robbery in a city centre laneway. Donovan pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and the two robbery offences. The judge noted he believed Joyce had previously assaulted his brother and that Donovan planned the offence as revenge. The final 18 months of the sentence were suspended on conditions including good behaviour.
Judge Martin Nolan addressed a jury in the longest-running Irish trial, stating that four former Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life & Permanent executives—Peter Fitzpatrick (63), Denis Casey (56), John Bowe (52) and Willie McAteer (65)—are entitled to a fair hearing and that prejudice must be avoided. The defendants are charged with conspiring to mislead investors by arranging a €7.2 billion circular transaction between March 1 and September 30, 2008 to strengthen Anglo's balance sheet. At the end of day 74, Nolan began his charge, emphasizing the need for impartiality. Defenders Brendan Grehan SC and Michael O'Higgin SC argued that the prosecution failed to prove intent or personal gain, citing the absence of evidence of fraud or stolen funds and the lack of a "smoking gun." They contended that the defendants were unaware of any wrongdoing and that the alleged scheme was a misguided attempt to support Anglo during a period of financial distress. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty. Peter Fitzpatrick pleaded not guilty. Denis Casey pleaded not guilty. John Bowe pleaded not guilty. Willie McAteer pleaded not guilty.
Anthony Connors, 40, with 47 prior convictions, was arrested after breaking into the Daughter's of Charity Community Services centre on 13 October 2015, three weeks after his release from an 11‑year sentence in September 2015. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Connors had relapsed into drug use after release and now seeks residential drug treatment. Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned sentencing to 10 October to allow him to attend treatment, ordering that he be collected from prison by Coolmine therapeutic community staff and that Gardaí be notified if he leaves the program. Garda Aidan Noonan reported that a staff member found a laptop missing from her desk; CCTV identified Connors acting suspiciously, leading to his arrest the next day. Connors had previously received an 11‑year sentence in 2009 for burglary, false imprisonment, robbery and handling stolen property. He was released on 26 September 2015.
Stephen Cheung, a 39‑year‑old chartered accountant, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to 18 theft offences. Between 2009 and 2013 he stole €454,309 from nearly 20 former clients, acting as their liquidator. Cheung, who had a gambling addiction that began in 2004, turned himself in to Gardaí in January 2014 after feeling pressured and suicidal. He has four young sons and a stepdaughter, and his partner's low‑paid payroll job left the family financially strained. Cheung cooperated fully with the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation and had no prior convictions. He had been attending Gambler Anonymous meetings and giving talks on addiction. Judge Patrick McCartan noted Cheung's courage in reporting the thefts but imposed the sentence because the thefts caused significant loss to the beneficiaries.
Naila Zaffer, 38, a former senior claims manager, was given a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to ten charges of forgery, using a false instrument and theft from IPB Insurance between April 2007 and August 2012. She stole €221,685 in 18 transactions by forging documents, adding fictitious claimants, and directing cheques to accounts she controlled. The fraud was uncovered when a colleague noticed anomalies, leading to an internal investigation, her suspension and eventual dismissal in February 2014. Zaffer claimed the theft was driven by a "physical compulsion" to pay a spiralling drug debt, admitting she spent about €250 a day on cocaine. She has no prior convictions, is currently on social welfare, and the judge suspended the sentence on the condition she attend residential treatment and remain under probation supervision for the full period.
Craig McManus, 23, of Kiltalown View, Tallaght, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four years' imprisonment, with the last 18 months suspended. He pleaded guilty to possession of €101,537 worth of heroin in his home in May 2014 and to possession of €8,225 worth of heroin on 26 October 2014. The court noted his 80 prior convictions, including drug dealing, theft and public order offences, and that a probation report placed him at moderate risk of re‑offending. Judge Karen O'Connor cited his supportive family, rehabilitation and lack of association with criminal peers, and the fact that his mother had previously paid off his drug debts after threats. The judge imposed the custodial sentence, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions.
The High Court ordered the extradition of Simeon Cosmo Langford, a 33‑year‑old from Bristol, to the UK on four charges: attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, theft and alleged breach of release conditions after a prior conviction for grievous bodily harm. A European Arrest Warrant issued in August 2015 led to his arrest in Cork in August 2015. Langford was released on licence on 6 May 2015 and is alleged to have committed the offences between 2 and 11 June 2015, after which he allegedly absconded and travelled to Ireland on 13 June 2015 using a passport under the name Luke Gillespie. His barrister submitted an affidavit alleging ill treatment in UK prisons, but the judge found no evidence of inhuman or degrading treatment and rejected the appeal. The court therefore ordered his surrender to the UK, refusing leave to appeal. The decision was delivered by Justice Aileen Donnelly.
The Court of Appeal has provisionally fixed October 28 for two sets of proceedings concerning Ali Charaf Damache, an Irish-Algerian citizen wanted by US authorities on international terrorism charges. The Attorney General is appealing the High Court's May refusal to order Damache's surrender, a decision based on Justice Aileen Donnelly's finding of a real risk of inhuman or degrading treatment in the USA. Although Damache's barrister, Mark Lynam BL, stated that Damache is currently undergoing extradition proceedings in Spain following his arrest there, the Director of Public Prosecutions intends to proceed with the appeal. Simultaneously, Damache is appealing the severity of his sentence for sending a menacing phone call to Majed Moughni in January 2010. Damache initially pleaded not guilty at Waterford Circuit Criminal Court but pleaded guilty on the sixth day of his trial. He was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended, by Judge Donagh McDonagh on February 27, 2013. The State has argued this sentence appeal is moot given the extradition developments. Justice George Birmingham agreed to hear all matters on the same date. The US alleges Damache conspired with Colleen LaRose, known as "Jihad Jane," to create a terror cell and facilitate identity theft for Al Qaeda members. LaRose was jailed for ten years in 2014 for a plot to murder cartoonist Lars Vilks. If convicted in the US, Damache faces up to 45 years in prison.
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.
A 17‑year‑old boy in State care was sentenced to four and a half years' detention for a series of robberies committed with a group of teenagers. Between 23 June and 15 November 2015 he pleaded guilty to seven robberies in Dublin city centre and Tallaght. The offences included the early‑morning robbery of three men on 23 June, a robbery of a Chinese man on 10 July, and a robbery of three women on 15 November. The boy had prior convictions for burglary, theft and drug offences. Judge Melanie Greally noted his difficult family background, periods of homelessness and influence from negative peer groups. She observed that when away from these influences he showed insight, remorse and shame. The judge imposed a five‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence with the final year suspended, giving a total of four and a half years' detention.
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.
Simeon Cosmo Langford, 33, was brought before the High Court in Ireland after being arrested in Cork in August 2015. He is wanted in the UK on charges of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and theft, and for allegedly breaching the conditions of his release from a UK prison sentence. A European Arrest Warrant issued in August 2015 alleges that Langford absconded and travelled to Ireland on 13 June 2015 using a passport in the name of Luke Gillespie. He was handcuffed and accompanied by five officers in full riot gear during the hearing. His barrister, Ronan Munro BL, argued that Langford is a "special category" person who would face inhumane and degrading treatment if returned to the UK, citing his alleged "appalling experiences" in British prisons. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Vincent Heneghan BL, countered that the allegations were subjective and that there were no reports of abuse in UK prisons.
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.
Owen Travers, a 61‑year‑old former assistant manager at AIB in Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of theft from seven customers, all of whom were also friends. He stole between €200 and €25,000, totalling over €127,000, but the actual loss to victims was just under €90,000 because he moved money between accounts. The thefts were uncovered in February 2012 when a customer noticed a large sum missing from her mother's account; she later discovered €10,000 had also been taken from her own company's account. Travers admitted the thefts to the victim, his boss, and to Gardaí, claiming he was dealing with alcoholism, depression, gambling debts and suicidal thoughts. He has no prior convictions, is now the primary homemaker for his wife and two children, and will never work in the financial sector again. The case was adjourned for sentencing on 11 July.
The trial of David Mahon, 45, for the murder of his stepson Dean Fitzpatrick, 23, has progressed with the court hearing that the deceased had expressed a death wish linked to guilt over his missing sister, Amy. Mahon claimed that Dean had walked into a knife he was holding on purpose, and that the fatal stab occurred outside the apartment shared with Mahon's mother in Burnell Square. The prosecution described the wound as a 'gutting'. Detective Sergeant Eddie Carroll testified that Dean had a history of self‑harm, substance abuse, and a prior death wish, and that he had been admitted to St Ita's Hospital in 2011. Mahon also admitted to having told Gardaí that Dean had stolen his car and run over a policeman in Spain. The prosecution has closed its case, and the trial continues before Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan.
Patrick Ryan, 38, was tried for robbing a tourist office in Dublin's city centre. He claimed the gun he used was a toy wrapped in black tape and that he was "laughed out of the place" by the workers. Ryan had a large drug debt owed to criminals for his crystal‑meth addiction. The debt holders drove him around the city and forced him to commit robberies to repay it. He pleaded guilty to robbery of Londis and attempted robbery of the Tourist Information Office on College Green on 21 September 2012, and to possession of an imitation firearm. He is already serving an eight‑year sentence for 16 robberies committed in a 12‑month period. Judge Melanie Greally added a five‑year sentence with two years suspended, to run concurrently with his existing term. Ryan's history includes 135 prior convictions, including false imprisonment, burglary and aggravated burglary.
James Maughan, 38, was caught after facial‑recognition software matched his photo taken for a public services card to his true identity. He had already been claiming disability benefit in his own name and then fraudulently applied for Jobseekers Allowance under the false name "Terence Maughan", stealing €438 and an emergency payment of €100 in July 2015. The Department of Social Protection investigators discovered the deception when staff ran the image through facial‑recognition software. Maughan has 11 prior social welfare fraud convictions dating back to 2013 and a total of 55 convictions, most of them theft‑related. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, and the case was adjourned to next month to await urine‑analysis results. A plea in mitigation will be presented by his defence lawyer on 26 May. The sentencing is scheduled for next month.
The Special Criminal Court formally dropped the case against Michael Barr, who was shot dead in Dublin on Monday night. Barr, 35, had been indicted for handling stolen electrical equipment at Finnstown House Hotel in Lucan on 18 July 2014 and had pleaded guilty earlier this month. He had also been charged with membership of an unlawful organisation, the IRA, on the same date, but that charge was dropped after his guilty plea. The court ordered the indictment to be marked "accused deceased.".
The High Court has adjourned several prisoner applications pending clarification of orders following Mr Justice Michael Moriarty's judgment declaring provisions of Section 99 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 unconstitutional. Mr Justice Seamus Noonan adjourned an Article 40 challenge by an unnamed man who pleaded guilty to road traffic offences, receiving a five-month sentence and a 30-year driving ban. This man, originally sentenced in 2010 to eight years for robbery and firearms charges with seven suspended, had his suspension activated in November 2014. The State argued he is validly detained as he did not appeal the road traffic convictions. In a separate case, Mr Justice Noonan adjourned a judicial review challenge by another unnamed man who pleaded guilty to offences under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act. His 11-month suspended sentence, part of a two-year term for drug offences, was revoked by the District Court on April 14th last, resulting in his jailing. He remains in custody pending his appeal due to inability to provide bail lodgement. A third prisoner's Article 40 application was also adjourned. These delays await final orders from Mr Justice Moriarty, originally due May 5th, which will now be addressed next Wednesday to clarify the scope of the unconstitutionality ruling.
Gordon O'Rourke, 34, pleaded guilty to stealing almost €45,000 from his uncle's supermarket in Inverin on 30‑31 July 2012 and to making a false statement to gardaí. He had staged a fake abduction to justify the robbery. The Galway Circuit Criminal Court imposed a two‑year suspended sentence and 240 hours of community service. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was "unduly lenient". The Court of Appeal upheld the original sentence but added a €10,000 compensation payment to the injured party and required O'Rourke to pay within three years. He was also ordered to enter a good‑behaviour bond for three years. No custodial sentence was imposed, and the compensation was to be transferred to the State Solicitor for Galway. The case highlighted the court's focus on deterrence and the need for a clear punitive element.
Anthony O'Sullivan, 29, of Togher, Cork, had pleaded guilty to robbery and attempted robbery at a shop in Cork City on 13 January 2014. He was originally sentenced by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin to five years' imprisonment, the final year suspended. On appeal, Judge Garrett Sheehan re‑sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended. Sheehan noted that O'Sullivan entered the shop with a wheel brace and a scarf covering his face, shouted at the shop assistant for money, and when she refused, seized a purse from a nearby student. The items taken were worth €320. O'Sullivan, who had 423 prior convictions, was 28 at sentencing, lived with his father, was addicted to heroin, and was a father to a young child. The Court of Appeal found problems in the original sentencing process, including a lack of a proper summary of his criminal record and an unsatisfactory assessment of mitigating factors.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, the court considered whether the High Court's recent ruling that two subsections of Section 99 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 are unconstitutional would affect the Probation Service's ability to activate suspended sentences. The High Court had found those subsections, which allow courts to activate a suspended sentence when a person is convicted of a new offence, unconstitutional. The Probation Service's separate subsection, which permits activation when a person breaches the conditions of suspension, was not addressed. The case of Mark Eribo, 29, was listed before Judge Melanie Greally for a Section 99 re‑entry. Eribo had received a three‑year sentence in 2014, with the final year suspended, for stealing camera equipment at McDonald's on Grafton Street in 2012. He has 59 prior convictions. Mark Eribo pleaded guilty.
In 2016 the High Court ruled that parts of Section 99 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 were unconstitutional, meaning courts could no longer activate suspended sentences when a person re‑offended. As a result, the State asked for "no order" in two cases. Sonia Eglington, 23, had been sentenced in 2013 to four years with two suspended for falsely imprisoning a recruitment agency owner and later stealing from a church box. She was released from prison last year and was due to have her suspended sentence activated, but the High Court ruling prevented it. A second case involved Karl O'Brien, 21, who had been sentenced in 2013 to four years with two suspended for mugging a UCD student. He had also been convicted of other offences in 2015 and was out on a suspended sentence when he stole from a shop. Karl O'Brien pleaded guilty.