Aaron Weinrib, 37, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to eight theft and fraud charges for selling 20 bogus holiday packages between June and December 2010. He claimed to be an agent for "Top Flight" and sold packages to New York, Las Vegas and Cape Town, collecting €27,600. Gardaí received complaints in November 2010 from two men who paid €3,200 and €550 for non‑existent stays; both received forged Top Flight documents. Weinrib admitted the holidays were never booked, that he intended to refund victims, and that he had never worked for Top Flight. He has raised €9,900 and requested more time to pay compensation. The judge adjourned the case to 22 July, noting he will use half his €400 weekly wage to repay victims. The case remains at the pleading stage, with no custodial sentence imposed yet.
Jason Gumble, aged 21, was convicted of robbery and assault at Dublin Central Criminal Court. On 15 April 2014 he robbed cyclist Paul Roe on North Circular Road, smashing a bicycle U‑lock into Roe's face, then striking him again and stealing €100 and the bicycle. The next day he assaulted Garda Liam Kavanagh at O'Devaney Gardens. Roe suffered six stitches and surgery for a broken cheek. Forensic evidence linked Gumble to the crime. Gumble has 97 prior convictions, including assault, violent disorder, theft and trespass, and has a history of drug use. He was sentenced to seven years, with the last two years suspended, and ordered to remain under Probation Service supervision for 18 months after release. The judge noted Gumble's violent propensity and the foreseeability of the injuries caused by using a lock as a weapon. Jason Gumble pleaded guilty.
Graham Bannon, 26, of Walkinstown, pleaded guilty to robbery at The Trader's Office License on 4 December 2013 and to possession of €210 worth of cocaine for personal use. He had 178 prior convictions, 146 for traffic offences, and others for theft, affray, criminal damage, knife possession, public order, failure to appear and violent behaviour. The robbery involved him entering the off‑license with a scarf and a claw hammer, taking €560 from the till, and fleeing after the assistant manager recognised him. Judge Martin Nolan described him as a "general menace" and sentenced him to two and a half years' imprisonment. Bannon has since engaged in education and counselling while in custody and maintains contact with his six‑year‑old daughter and mother. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Jamie O'Hara, 20, of Killinarden Estate, Tallaght, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to multiple offences. He admitted to the robbery of a phone at Sean Walsh Park, Tallaght, on September 9, 2014, as well as stealing a mobile phone and a purse on the same date. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to the attempted robbery of a mobile phone on May 13 and to unlawfully producing a knife to intimidate on June 30, both at Sean Walsh Park. The court heard that O'Hara was on bail for the earlier offences when he committed the September robbery, during which he threatened a mother walking her children. Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed a four-year sentence on all counts. She suspended the final year of the term on the condition that O'Hara go under the supervision of the Probation Services for that period. The judge noted that the local park is now a safer place with O'Hara in custody. Defence counsel highlighted the defendant's remorse and his different behavior when not under the influence of drugs. The sentencing concluded the proceedings for these specific charges.
Jacinta Dixon, 52, a mother of two from Wicklow, pleaded guilty to five theft charges at Dublin Circuit Criminal for stealing €20,554 from her employer, Chadwicks, between February and November 2013. She had worked there for 19 years and was a credit controller responsible for daily takings. Dixon delayed lodging takings to pocket small amounts, then used later takings to cover previous days, creating a false record. She claimed she was overwhelmed by domestic financial pressures and had sought a loan from her boss, which was refused. After her arrest, she repaid the full amount with a loan. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to three years' imprisonment, suspended in full on strict conditions, citing her remorse and the unjust nature of jail. She has not worked since her suspension.
Joseph Prendergast, aged 50, pleaded guilty to robbing €3,500 from a Permanent TSB office in Phibsboro on 16 November 2012. He was described by Garda Dan D'Arcy as acting mainly as a look‑out at the door while co‑accused Paul Carabini, aged 48, threatened staff and customers with a knife. Prendergast had 59 prior convictions, including drug possession and theft. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence on Prendergast, taking into account his partner's medical difficulties and his lack of offending since 2012. Carabini received a ten‑year sentence, with the final three years suspended, for the robbery and other offences. The court heard that Prendergast waited at the bank's door, while Carabini demanded money, and that DNA evidence linked Prendergast to discarded clothing and gloves found in the lane after the raid. The case was prosecuted by Paul Carroll BL and defended by Luigi Rea BL and Dominic McGinn SC.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 13 April 2015, Trevor Byrne, a 32‑year‑old former convict, pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery and two burglary offences committed on 15 September 2009. He had been sentenced in 2011 to eight years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions, including close supervision by the Probation Service and abstention from alcohol. Since his release in March 2014, Byrne had repeatedly breached these conditions, including a six‑month jail term in April 2014 for possession of six cans of cider and a phone call to a mental hospital nurse in which he threatened violence. He was again released in October 2014. In the present hearing, Byrne represented himself, expressed a desire to return to prison, and declined to contest the Probation Service's request to revoke the suspended portion of his sentence.
Bernard Foran, 41, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three and a half years' imprisonment for a series of burglaries, including the theft of €27,000 from Bad Bobs Nightclub's safe in 2013. Foran had 157 prior convictions, 60 of which were burglaries, and was on bail for five years during which he committed two additional burglaries. He pleaded guilty to trespass and theft at O'Neill's Pub in 2009, Bad Bobs Nightclub in 2013, and Lynams Hotel in 2014. Gardaí recovered no cash from the burglaries, despite searching three addresses linked to Foran. The judge noted his severe addiction problems and expressed hope for reform, while his defence counsel highlighted his attempts at rehabilitation and the offer of residential treatment. The court imposed consecutive terms totalling three and a half years, with the possibility of future rehabilitation support.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 33‑year‑old Marcin Jakubiec and his 55‑year‑old father Boguslaw Jakubiec pleaded guilty to burglaries committed between 24 June 2011 and 22 April 2013. Marcin admitted carrying out a dozen break‑ins, while Boguslaw, acting as driver, admitted involvement in three. The pair broke into empty homes mid‑morning, stealing jewellery, laptops, cameras and bikes, then sold the goods at the Ilac Centre on Moore Street. Judge Mary Ellen Ring sentenced Marcin to five years and Boguslaw to three years, both back‑dated to May 2013, and suspended the remaining terms. Both were ordered to work with the Probation Service for 12 months. The court noted their charitable work while in custody and the minimal recovery of stolen items. The defendants' backgrounds, including prior convictions and drug use, were also discussed by their counsel.
Brian Reilly, 18, of Boyne View, Navan, was sentenced to nine years in prison for reckless endangerment and theft of a post van after he stole the vehicle and drove over the foot of postman Gerard Devlin. Reilly, who has more than 100 prior convictions including 22 for car theft, was already serving a sentence for burglary. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Patrick McCartan imposed consecutive sentences of five years for theft and four years for reckless endangerment, suspending the last three years to discourage further offences. The incident occurred on 22 August 2013 at Rosscourt Grove, Lucan, when Reilly entered the van, started the engine, and reversed sharply, striking Devlin's foot and dragging him along the ground. Devlin, an independent contractor for An Post, was left in fear for his life. The van was later recovered in Dunshaughlin using a tracking device, and Reilly was arrested nearby. Brian Reilly pleaded guilty.
Eugene Byrne, 21, pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery of Clonsilla Post Office on 16 December 2013. He and accomplice Ian Mansfield fled on a motorbike, leading Gardaí on a chase from Dublin to Mullingar, Westmeath. Byrne was arrested in Trinidad and Tobago the previous year for attempting to export cocaine, receiving a two‑year hard‑labour sentence and a fine of about €4,000, of which he paid after six months in jail. He returned to Ireland in January. In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Byrne was sentenced to five years, four of which were suspended. The court noted his prior dangerous‑driving conviction and his claim of being "out of kilter" after his father's death. The sentence credited the six months he served abroad. Mansfield received a suspended five‑year sentence. The case ended with Byrne's conviction and the specified custodial term.
In March 2015, Aziz Kaiwa, a 24‑year‑old asylum seeker from Western Sahara, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five counts of possessing a false document without lawful excuse between January and September 2013. The fake ID bore Kaiwa's photo but used the name of French DCU student Thibaut Pawlisiak, whose identity card had been stolen. Kaiwa used the card to pass himself off as Pawlisiak on several occasions, including when stopped by Gardaí on 6 April 2013 and when treated for injuries at St James' Hospital on 23 April 2013. He was arrested for a separate mobile‑phone theft on 28 September 2013, presented the fake ID, and was taken into custody. Judge Patricia Ryan dismissed the sentence, applied the Probation Act, and ordered Kaiwa to keep the peace for six months, meaning he does not receive a criminal conviction.
Gerard Creighton, 49, was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to inform the Gardaí of his change of address between November 2013 and February 2014, for an attempted robbery at a bookmaker's on 28 February 2014, and for possessing an imitation firearm. He entered the shop in Dublin city centre armed with a 6mm air pistol loaded with ball bearings, handed a bag to a female staff member, and demanded money be placed in it. The woman fled, and Creighton left without any money. Gardaí recovered the pistol from a bin and later found his DNA on it. He also admitted possession of a stolen travel pass in the name of Michael Connors. The court noted his six prior convictions under the 2001 Sex Offenders Act and his registration as a sex offender in 1999. Judge Martin Nolan back‑dated the sentence to February 2014. Gerard Creighton pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, John Anthony Kelly, a 41‑year‑old Revenue officer, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft from the Revenue Commissioners. Between March 2005 and January 2006, Kelly stole €19,350 in fines that motorists had paid to recover their cars after being found without Vehicle Registration Tax. He targeted high‑end vehicles such as Porches and BMWs, pocketing the fines instead of forwarding them to the State. The court noted that Kelly had been under significant financial stress, citing personal debts and medical expenses for his wife's fertility treatments. He was dismissed from his position and had applied for a new job, using the Revenue as a reference. Judge Desmond Hogan indicated that Kelly might avoid jail if he continues to repay the stolen money, and he was remanded on bail pending sentencing on 17 July.
James Bennett, 22, of Clanbrassil Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at Leonard's Corner Post office on 17 October 2013. On that day, he approached the counter where two women were working, placed a note under the hatch stating "I have a bomb strapped to my body," and then produced a pellet gun. The workers fled to the back office and Bennett left. CCTV footage identified him and he was arrested shortly after. His pellet gun was recovered from a nearby bin. In a victim impact statement, Geraldine Smith, one of the workers, described the incident as "on the lower end of the scale" and expressed a degree of sympathy for Bennett. Judge Mary Ellen Ring noted the need for a seriousness scale for robberies. Garda Rory Heffernan and defence counsel Ronan Kennedy BL highlighted Bennett's full admissions and his desperation to raise money for a deposit. Bennett was remanded on continuing bail until 22 June.
A 22‑year‑old Clare man, Joseph Lernihan, pleaded guilty to two robberies of a 68‑year‑old pensioner, Michael McMahon, in February 2012. The first robbery saw McMahon hand over €4,000 through broken windows; the second robbery involved a pipe‑like object used as a gun threat and the theft of €3,000. McMahon, terrified, cycled 30 miles to a nursing home in Ennis and never returned to his home. Lernihan was initially sentenced by Judge Carroll Moran to a wholly suspended three‑year term, €3,780 compensation and forfeiture of a Volkswagen Passat bought with the proceeds. The Court of Appeal agreed the sentence was unduly lenient but, citing Lernihan's progress, imposed no prison term, instead ordering 240 hours of community service in lieu of a 12‑month sentence, a suspended 24‑month period, and a €100 bond for good behaviour over the three‑year suspended term.
Ion Matei, aged 37, was jailed for his role in a well‑organised credit‑card fraud that spent nearly €20,000 in high‑street shops in 2009. He and three accomplices used a stolen American Express company card belonging to Oracle employee Phillip Ryan to buy clothes, perfumes and handbags at Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Next and Debenhams. The fraud began after Ryan received a new card in October 2009, which he never used. Garda Wayne Donnelly compiled CCTV footage showing four people using the card, including Matei. Matei was arrested in February 2010, denied knowledge of the theft but admitted using the card to buy goods. He pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen credit card and 19 theft charges totalling €7,377, plus possession of a stolen Ulster Bank card and theft of €1,350 in 2014. Judge Desmond Hogan sentenced him to four years, suspending two on the condition of keeping the peace for four years. Ion Matei was convicted.
A former Google employee, Dariusz Rejniewicz, aged 29, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a suspended two‑and‑a‑half‑year term for handling stolen property. The laptop was taken from a work locker at Google's Dublin 4 headquarters and Rejniewicz was caught the following day attempting to sell it back to its owner. He pleaded guilty to the offence and had also pleaded guilty to demanding money with menaces, but that charge was withdrawn after the judge found no evidence of threats. Rejniewicz was remanded on bail pending sentence and, after a probation report deemed "unfavourable," Judge Mary Ellen Ring suspended the entire sentence on the condition of 12 months' supervision by the Probation Service. He now works for a cleaning company following his dismissal from Google.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 12 December 2013, Ronald Emmett, aged 36, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a realistic imitation firearm after a raid on an EBS in Killiney. Garda Martin Egan chased and tackled Emmett, who was carrying a gun wrapped in a newspaper; the gun was later found to be an imitation. Emmett had previously been convicted of 39 offences including hi‑jacking and possession of forged prescriptions, and was on bail for earlier robbery offences. He claimed he was "practically set up" and that he needed money for his addiction, stating he was now on methadone. Judge Mary Ellen Ring praised Garda Egan and manager Barry O'Brien for their actions, imposed a four‑year sentence to run consecutively with a five‑year term already served, and suspended the final two years, noting Emmett's intention to become drug‑free.
In March 2015, a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that 20‑year‑old Jason Flaherty, who was on bail for an earlier robbery and firearm charge, committed six additional armed robberies in a single month. The robberies, all in west Dublin between 21 August and 19 September 2013, involved threatening shop staff with a knife or an imitation gun. Flaherty pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery of cash from shops. Judge Mary Ellen Ring had previously sentenced him to four years with 18 months suspended for the earlier offence. At the hearing she imposed a new four‑year sentence, suspending the final two years on the condition that he engage in drug treatment and education programmes. The suspended portion is separate from the effective custodial term, which will run consecutively to his current sentence. The court considered other robbery charges and his seven prior convictions, including five for road traffic offences.
Marco Rodi, 40, was sentenced to seven years in prison with three years suspended for organising a violent robbery of his friend Nunzio De Luca. Rodi arranged for two men to enter De Luca's chip shop and home on Castle Street, Ringsend, Dublin, and helped them gain access. The men tied De Luca with cable ties, assaulted him, and used a screwdriver to torture him into revealing the location of his safe. They stole €6,000 in cash and €15,000 worth of jewellery. Rodi pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the robbery on 26 February 2012. Garda Brian Hunt noted that Rodi and De Luca were acquaintances from the Italian community. De Luca suffered a cracked nose, bruising, loss of sensation to his upper lip, back pain and ear injuries. Rodi had no prior convictions and had fled to Italy before the arrest warrant was issued.
Paula Reid, a 51‑year‑old mother from Drogheda, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 12 counts of theft totalling €4,790.97, having stolen nearly €5,000 from her former employer, Hugh Burrows & Sons Ltd, over a period from June 2010 to September 2012. Reid, who had worked for the company for 30 years and was recently in charge of accounts and payroll, paid herself a double weekly wage on 12 occasions, a practice described by Garda Vincent Healy as "double‑dip payments" or "bonus payments of an extra week's wages." She was suspended from her job in January 2013 and subsequently dismissed. Reid initially denied the thefts, attributing the discrepancies to a bank error, but later admitted the wrongdoing and repaid the money via a bank draft. The court noted that the thefts were not well hidden, as the double payments were clearly visible on bank statements.
Roza Komorova (46), of Brehon Grove, Ballinteer, Co. Dublin, was acquitted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of stealing paintings valued at €28,595 from her former employer, artist Louise Mansfield. The jury returned a not guilty verdict following a six-day trial and two and a half hours of deliberation. Ms Komorova had pleaded not guilty to the theft, which allegedly occurred on September 5, 2011, at Ms Mansfield's home in Cabinteely. Prosecution evidence included testimony from Detective Garda Michael Grogan, who stated he observed Ms Komorova, a house cleaner, remove signed paintings into her van before she was stopped by waiting gardai. Twenty-one paintings were recovered. Ms Komorova initially claimed the artworks were hers or that she was moving them at Ms Mansfield's request. She also alleged an eight-year affair with Ms Mansfield's husband, Theo Hanley, a claim both he and Ms Mansfield denied. Mr Hanley dismissed her assertions of financial support and a 2013 meeting as "Walter Mitty affair stuff." The court accepted the jury's finding of not guilty, concluding the trial without any sentence or further procedural adjournment.
In a mobile‑phone mugging on the North Strand, Dublin, on 21 January 2014, 27‑year‑old Blaine Coakley attempted to steal Daire Cagney's phone after a failed drug‑deal. Coakley followed Cagney to a flats complex, threatened him with a syringe, and when Cagney pulled out his phone to check the time, Coakley grabbed it and shoved it into his pocket. Cagney chased the attacker, pulled him by the hood and tackled him to the ground. While on the ground, Coakley covered his face and Cagney noticed the phone on the floor, pocketed it, and later viewed videos on it that identified Coakley. Gardaí used these videos to confirm his identity. Coakley, who had 93 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to theft of a mobile phone and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, to run concurrently with a previous sentence, with release scheduled for 2017.
Two men, Vincent Kirwan, 38, and Mark Shortt, 42, were arrested after robbing a petrol station at the Topaz garage in Donaghmede Shopping Centre on 23 June 2013. They used an imitation gun found in a field and were heavily intoxicated; Shortt approached the counter while Kirwan covered his face with his hands as a disguise. Shortt demanded cash, pulled the air pistol, and the robbery yielded €100. Garda Ronan Murphy testified that the pair fled toward a nearby McDonald's, were later spotted on Kilfenore Drive, and arrested. Both pleaded guilty to robbery. Judge Martin Nolan, hearing the case in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, suspended four‑year sentences for each, citing their alcoholism and the one‑off nature of the offence. Kirwan had prior public order convictions; Shortt had none. The judge emphasised the seriousness of producing a replica firearm and the potential for serious consequences when confronted with guns.
Roza Komorova, 46, from Ballinteer, pleaded not guilty to stealing paintings worth over €28,000 from artist Louise Mansfield's home in Cabinteely on 5 September 2011. In court she said she did not understand Gardaí questions and claimed the paintings were hers, to be hung on her wall, and that Mansfield had asked her to move them. She also alleged an affair with Mansfield's husband, Theo Hanley, who denied any infidelity. Mansfield denied ordering Komorova to take the paintings and said Komorova only helped move them under her supervision. The trial continues before Judge Mary Ellen Ring.
Shane Connell, 27, of Coolock, was jailed for five years after he stole an ESB van, drove through red lights, and rammed a Garda van four times while being chased through Dublin suburbs. He also caused damage on Ranelagh Road and collided with several cars. Connell claimed he had drunk two bottles of vodka and could not remember the incident. Judge Pat McCartan sentenced him to four years, suspended the final eighteen months, and activated a previously suspended two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for burglary and assault, giving an effective five‑year term. Shane Connell pleaded guilty.
David Towell, 36, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to attempted robbery and possession of an air pistol at Paddy Power bookmakers in Saggart on 6 July 2013. He had 20 prior convictions and had planned the robbery with an accomplice he met only the night before. Towell rode a moped driven by the accomplice, but an off‑duty Garda and his father intervened, knocking him off the scooter and preventing the robbery. He struck the cash desk, left with nothing, and was arrested on the spot. Judge Catherine Murphy sentenced him to four years, with the last year suspended, citing the seriousness of the offence and his drug‑addiction history. He was ordered to remain under Probation Services supervision, attend addiction services, and engage in victim‑awareness work.
In a 2015 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, Suzanne O'Connell (42) and Daniel McMahon (23) pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of an Applegreen petrol station in Clonsilla on 19 September 2013. O'Connell, acting as getaway driver, had met McMahon that night and picked him up with a third man. The trio entered the shop wearing balaclavas; McMahon brandished a pellet gun that was a convincing replica of a 6mm Colt handgun, while the other man held a knife. They demanded cash, filled a plastic bag with about €800, and fled. Gardaí, who had followed O'Connell's car, arrested all three. McMahon claimed he did not know O'Connell prior to the robbery. Both defendants had no prior convictions, and O'Connell's past offences were traffic and a 2002 drug‑dealing charge. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a suspended five‑year prison term on each, contingent on maintaining peace for that period, citing their personal circumstances, guilty pleas, and cooperation with police.
Joseph Lernihan, aged 22, pleaded guilty to two robberies of 68‑year‑old Michael McMahon in February 2012. The first robbery involved breaking windows and taking €4,000; the second involved a fake gun and taking €3,000. McMahon fled to a nursing home 30 miles away. Lernihan was sentenced on 3 March 2014 to a fully suspended three‑year term, ordered to pay €3,780 compensation and to forfeit a Volkswagen Passat bought with the proceeds. The Director of Public Prosecution appealed, arguing the sentence was too lenient. The Court of Appeal found the trial judge erred and sent the case back to assess suitability for community service. The case remains at the stage of determining whether Lernihan will serve community service rather than prison.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 46‑year‑old house cleaner Roza Komorova pleaded not guilty to stealing paintings worth over €28,000 from artist Louise Mansfield's home on Brennanstown Road, Cabinteely, on 5 September 2011. A video of Komorova's garda interview was shown to the jury, in which she claimed the paintings belonged to her and that she intended to hang them on her wall, but she refused to explain how she obtained them. Prosecutor Ms Elva Duffy read transcripts of two further garda interviews. In one, Komorova was shown CCTV footage of Mansfield's house and admitted that she had removed the paintings, placed them in her van and driven away. Police later found 21 signed paintings in the back of her vehicle. The trial, presided over by Judge Mary Ellen Ring, continues with a jury.
Glen Hogan, aged 25, was sentenced to three years in prison for driving a stolen Mitsubishi Pajero through red lights and onto footpaths during a high‑speed chase in Dublin. He pleaded guilty to one count of driving a stolen car, two counts of dangerous driving and one count of driving under the influence. Judge Patrick McCartan suspended the final year of a four‑year term on the condition that Hogan remains drug‑free and keeps the peace, and banned him from driving for ten years. The judge also back‑dated the sentence to start in August 2014. Hogan has eight prior convictions for car theft, 71 total convictions including drug offences, and a previous six‑year sentence for assault. The court noted his drug addiction and offered him a residential treatment programme through the Peter McVerry Trust.
David Manning, 45, of Brighton Terrace, Monkstown, Dun Laoghaire, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 16 theft charges for stealing €46,691 from the State by claiming his dead aunt Mary Hegarty's pension. The thefts occurred between February 2010 and August 2013, with 115 sample counts. Manning had been Hegarty's full‑time carer until her death in February 2010. He admitted to collecting the pension for three years, using the money for funeral costs, medical bills, nursing home expenses and a neighbour's roof repairs. Garda Orla Meehan confirmed the thefts with CCTV footage from Blackrock Post Office. Manning informed on himself and repaid the full amount. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, suspended in full, citing his self‑incrimination and restitution as mitigating factors.
In a Kildare incident, Tadgh Delaney, aged 41, assaulted and robbed his ex‑girlfriend, a 36‑year‑old woman, on 29 January 2014. He pleaded guilty to assault and to robbing her mobile phone and €130 cash. The victim, whose identity is protected, appealed to Judge James O'Donohoe to avoid jail, arguing that Delaney had turned his life around. The judge had previously indicated a possible 240‑hour community service sentence in lieu of a six‑month jail term. Judge Martin Nolan confirmed this order after a Probation Service report deemed Delaney suitable for community service, requiring the work to be completed within one year. The case highlighted Delaney's history of road‑traffic offences, theft, and a former heroin addiction, and the victim's claim that he had begun to change after their relationship ended.
Gary Byrne, aged 42, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for possession of €2.52 million worth of cannabis resin and herb, found in two Dublin lock‑ups. The prosecution had earlier dropped a charge of possession of €2.5 million worth of ecstasy after the Court of Appeal's Bederev judgement declared such bans unconstitutional. Byrne pleaded guilty in June 2013 at Rosemount Business Park and the North West Business Centre. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a 12‑year sentence with the final three years suspended, citing that Byrne was not the owner of the drugs and was an addict. He had a prior conviction for stealing Rohypnol from a pharmaceutical firm. Garda evidence showed Byrne was under surveillance, had rented the lock‑ups, and admitted holding the drugs to repay debts and fund his addiction. The defence highlighted his family and work record, urging a lighter sentence. The final custodial term is nine years.
The trial of Roza Komorova, 46, a housecleaner from Brehon Grove, Balinteer, continues in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. She is accused of stealing paintings worth over €28,000 from artist Louise Mansfield's home on Brennanstown Road, Cabinteely, on 5 September 2011. Komorova pleaded not guilty. Mansfield denied instructing Komorova to take the paintings, stating that Komorova only moved them under her supervision. The case is before Judge Mary Ellen Ring and a jury, with proceedings set to continue tomorrow.
The High Court ordered the surrender of Patrick Lee, 41, of Newtown, Co. Kildare, who is wanted by U.S. authorities on 51 charges including 29 counts of wire fraud, six counts of unlawful monetary transaction and 16 counts of aggravated identity theft. Lee is alleged to have participated in a scheme that defrauded U.S. banks and mortgage lenders by purchasing properties in Boston between 2006 and 2007, using forged appraisals and "straw buyers" to obtain mortgages that were never repaid. He claims the allegations are false and denies wrongdoing. The judge remanded Lee on continuing bail until a detailed judgment is delivered. Counsel for Lee argued that many of the alleged offences occurred outside the U.S. and should not be subject to extradition under Irish law, and that he would face cruel treatment if surrendered. The case remains pending in the High Court.
Roza Komorova, a 46‑year‑old Dublin artist, pleaded not guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to theft of paintings worth €28,595 from Louise Mansfield's home on Brennanstown Road, Cabinteely, on 5 September 2011. In court, Mr John Berry, the defence counsel, suggested that Mansfield's husband, Theo Hanley, had been having an affair with Komorova between 2003 and 2011 and that Hanley had paid money into a credit card account in Komorova's name and given her two cars. Mansfield denied any knowledge of such payments or gifts, describing the allegations as ludicrous. She said she had never seen the credit card statement and that her relationship with Komorova had been cash‑only. Mansfield claimed she had called Gardaí after her favourite painting disappeared in summer 2011, and that a detective had observed Komorova arriving in a white van and later carrying items to the van. The trial is ongoing before Judge Mary Ellen Ring.
The State dropped a charge of possession of €2.5 million worth of ecstasy after the Court of Appeal ruled that ecstasy and other drugs were unconstitutionally banned. The accused, who also had a similar amount of cannabis, had already pleaded guilty to possessing over 250,000 ecstasy tablets for sale or supply in 2013. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions asked the court to withdraw the ecstasy charge and proceed solely on the cannabis counts. The case involves Gary Byrne (42) of Belcamp Gardens, Coolock, Dublin, who pleaded guilty to possession of €2.52 million worth of cannabis resin and herb. He will be sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Byrne has a prior conviction for stealing Rohypnol from a pharmaceutical firm. At the sentencing hearing, Mr McGillicuddy presented evidence from the Garda National Drugs Unit that Byrne was the subject of a surveillance operation on 4 June 2013.
Stephen Dolan, aged 20, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting taxi driver Mohammed Maeem and robbing €90 from The Snuffbox newsagents. On 5 September 2014, Dolan directed Maeem to remote roads outside Finglas, punched him twice in the face, and later robbed the newsagents the day before. Maeem suffered a deep forehead gash, swollen lip, bruising and required stitches; he has since lost a month's earnings. Dolan admitted taking prescription drugs and was described by a newsagent as "an absolute idiot." The court sentenced him to four years, with the final year suspended, citing his 45 previous convictions and attempts to reform. The judge described the assault as sinister and noted Dolan's ADHD and dysfunctional background. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the assault and robbery.
Luke Curry, 25, was found asleep on a couch with a pile of €275 of stolen cash after a pharmacy robbery in Tallaght on 12 February 2013. He had opened the security door while his masked accomplice, armed with a kitchen knife, entered the shop and demanded money and tablets. The pharmacy staff, recognising Curry as a customer, opened the door and were threatened by the armed man. Staff handed over €400, of which €275 was later recovered. Curry pleaded guilty to robbery at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Desmond Hogan imposed a three‑year sentence, suspended in full on the condition that Curry completes 240 hours of community service. He was also charged with drug dealing and has 12 prior convictions. The case was prosecuted by Elva Duffy BL and defended by Sarah Jane O'Callaghan BL.
At Balbriggan District Court, Artur Pietrynka (40), of Rush, pleaded guilty to urinating in public, being intoxicated, and using threatening and abusive behaviour on Upper Main Street in Rush on November 22nd. Judge Dermot Dempsey sentenced him to 240 hours of community service work in lieu of a two-month prison term. In a separate matter, Andrew O'Rourke (49) pleaded guilty to stealing €60.70 worth of food from the Noodle Box restaurant in Balbriggan on August 11th last year. Judge Michael Coughlan convicted O'Rourke and fined him €500, allowing six months to pay. Vatalie Raru (33), of Rush, is alleged to have possessed a nun chuck and used threatening and abusive behaviour towards gardai on December 17th. The matter was adjourned, with Raru remanded on continuing bail for a hearing on May 11th at Swords District Court. Additionally, Andrea Bunce (44), of Skerries, is alleged to have stolen stock and cash from Castle News & Toys in May 2013. Her case was adjourned to be heard on May 11th at Swords District Court, where she elected to have the trial at District Court level.
Patrick Browne, 26, of Berryfield Road, Finglas, was remanded in custody for two months pending sentencing after a series of violent offences. On 15 March 2013, he stabbed Constantine Consier seven times over a cigarette lighter at Hickey's Pharmacy, Phibsboro Shopping Centre, leaving Consier with a punctured lung and multiple stab wounds. Browne had earlier robbed the shop twice on 24 December 2013, taking €1,050 in cash. He also robbed Daybreak on New Cabra Road on the same day, first taking €150 and later €900, using a knife and a white Hallowe'en ghost mask, then a white skull mask. Browne pleaded guilty to assault and robbery at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He admitted the crimes, citing alcohol consumption and mental health issues, and was remanded pending sentencing. The judge ordered a report on his prison adaptation due to medical problems.
In Swords District Court, Mark Sheehan (25) pleaded guilty to driving without insurance and had his case adjourned until April 13th following a request from the Probation Service for further assessment. Sheehan has 15 previous convictions and was previously given a six-month suspended sentence and a six-year driving disqualification. Michael Reilly (21) pleaded guilty to stealing a remote controlled car and was convicted in his absence. As he did not appear to pay the €250 compensation, Judge Dempsey imposed a default order and fined him €250. Helen McDonnell (25) pleaded guilty to using a false driving licence and stealing groceries. Her case was adjourned until March 30th for a repayment meeting with the furniture store and to provide proof of arrangements. Adrian O'Reilly (50) pleaded guilty to being intoxicated and using threatening and abusive behaviour. Judge Dempsey ordered him to make a charitable donation of €250 to Pieta House and applied Section 1.1 of the Probation Act.
James Cahill, a former apprentice butcher, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to the theft of €49,204 from McArdle Meats on December 24, 2013. Judge Desmond Hogan suspended a four-year prison sentence for three years, imposing conditions that Cahill keep the peace for that period and complete 240 hours of unpaid community work. The court heard that Cahill, who had no previous convictions, admitted knowing the shop's safe codes, which allowed him to steal two days of takings during a period of chronic cocaine addiction and drug-induced paranoia. Prosecution evidence indicated that Cahill later handed €17,000 of the stolen money to gardaí and led officers to a further €5,000 stashed in a shoe. It was noted that a third party had threatened Cahill with a lump hammer for some of the cash, though his father managed to retrieve a portion of it. The butchers remained out of pocket by €17,000 after receiving €10,000 in insurance compensation. Judge Hogan described the offence as being at the higher end of the middle range of seriousness but accepted Cahill's genuine remorse, early guilty plea, and significant strides towards rehabilitation.
In a High Court hearing on 4 March 2015, the court dismissed the appeal of Darren Doody, 45, who had challenged the Minister for Justice's refusal to grant him enhanced remission of the four‑year sentence he is serving for a robbery. Doody, who was convicted in 2012 for a robbery in which a woman was tied up and her home ransacked, had applied for a one‑third remission instead of the usual one‑quarter, arguing that the seriousness of the offence should not bar additional remission. The Minister had refused the application, citing a confidential Garda report that suggested a potential threat to public safety and that Doody was unlikely to re‑offend. The court found that the Minister had provided reasons for the refusal and that the decision was not arbitrary or unjust, and therefore dismissed the appeal.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Derek O'Keeffe, aged 39, pleaded guilty to two robbery counts and one attempted robbery at three petrol stations in November 2013. He stole cash from a Maxol Garage on Tymon Road, a Discount Fuels on Fortunestown Road, and a Topaz on Greenhill Road. During the incidents he threatened a security guard with a syringe and held a pregnant employee, Anna Zajac, at a 23‑inch knife point, forcing her to open tills. Zajac reported feeling emotionally destroyed and fearing for her unborn child after the robbery. Garda Simon Whelan testified that O'Keeffe was chased over ten garden walls before being tackled and captured. O'Keeffe's 36 prior convictions include manslaughter, assault, and robbery. Judge Patricia Ryan remanded him in custody to be sentenced next October.
Bilal Idrees, 24, a Pakistani native, was sentenced by the Central Criminal Court to two years' imprisonment for each of two offences committed between 11 and 22 November 2012. He pleaded guilty to theft at an apartment in Dublin on 11 November 2012 and to impersonating a member of the gardaí over the same period. Idrees had been living in Ireland since May 2011, though he had no entry record. On 11 November he visited the apartment of a woman working as an escort, claiming to be a garda and demanding €150 in exchange for "wiping her record". He also made threatening phone calls for several days after the visit. The woman, a foreign national with limited English, later sought help from a social worker and contacted the gardaí. Gardaí arranged a meeting at the apartment, arrested Idrees on 22 November, and he admitted the offences. He had no prior convictions and expressed remorse.
In Swords District Court on 2 March 2015, several cases were heard. Dean Whelan, 27, pleaded guilty to stealing €85 from a Polish shop's cash register to pay a drug debt. He was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, a term that will run concurrently with a three‑year sentence he is already serving. Brendan Donovan, 61, admitted possession of a stolen van that had been listed on Done Deal. He was adjourned until 27 April to arrange €500 compensation for the van owner's tools. Kevin Carroll, 27, failed to appear after pleading guilty to damaging a restaurant window, leading to a bench warrant. Patrick Joyce, 22, was convicted of stealing soft drinks worth €5, fined €100, and warned that a further offence could result in custodial time. Each case was addressed with the specific charges, pleas, and court orders as stated in the article.
A 61‑year‑old Limerick man, who was jailed in the early 1970s for indecent assault, will be sentenced next week for raping his seven‑year‑old niece between 1984 and 1988. He was convicted by a jury at the Central Criminal Court of one count of attempted rape, three counts of rape and three counts of indecent assault. He was remanded in custody for sentencing. The victim, whose name is withheld, said in a victim impact statement that her uncle had stolen her childhood, innocence, dignity and trust. The court heard that the man had previously been jailed for six months in 1973 for an indecent assault, and in 1974 was convicted in the UK for assaulting a girl under 14. He had further convictions for indecent assault in 1995 and 1998, and was jailed for 22 months in 2013 for breaches of the Sex Offenders Act.