A jury at the Central Criminal Court has heard that Oliver Kierans, aged 57, of Drumbannon, Bailieboro in Cavan, was involved in a siege at a public house on the same day he is alleged to have shot his wife. Mr Kierans has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patricia Kierans on 5 September 2013 at their home address. He has also pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of a 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun and to intent to endanger life with the same weapon. The prosecution opened the trial on Friday, telling the jury that the accused and Mrs Kierans had been married over 33 years but were living separately at the time. The court heard that following an incident at the family home, Mr Kierans subsequently attended The Square bar nearby, where he was later found armed. A standoff ensued before his eventual exit late that evening. The trial, before Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly and a jury, continues next week.
In February 2015, Joseph O'Toole, aged 19, avoided a jail term after pleading guilty to two counts of robbery at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court, led by Judge Mary Ellen Ring, sentenced him to three years in prison but suspended the sentence in full, citing his efforts to address drug addiction. O'Toole was involved in two separate attacks on Church Road, Mulhuddart. The first, an assault on a pensioner named Fred Mulligan, involved a bicycle strike, kicking, and a demand for money, resulting in Mulligan receiving €100 and hospital treatment. The second attack targeted Isabella Szyrajew, who was cycling with groceries; O'Toole and a co‑accused knocked her off her bike, beat her, dragged her by her rucksack, and stole €50 worth of goods. Garda Alan Gordon witnessed the second assault and later arrested O'Toole after a violent struggle.
Vicky Dempsey, 34, of Stannaway Road, Crumlin, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Purrrfect Pets on 5 February 2011. She was sentenced by Judge Mary Ellen Ring to two years in prison, suspended in full, and ordered to comply with Probation Services for 12 months and to follow any education and training directions. Dempsey, who has 12 prior convictions mainly for road traffic offences, was involved in the incident after her brother Karl Dempsey, also of Stannaway Road, had a dispute in the car park. Dempsey dragged a woman backwards by her hair while the woman's partner was attacked. The judge accepted that Dempsey acted on impulse and expressed extreme remorse. Karl Dempsey is due for sentencing later this year when full facts will be heard. The incident also involved Mark Eagers, who sustained injuries, and Lasra Long, who was pulled backwards by her hair.
During the 42‑day trial of 42‑year‑old Graham Dwyer at the Central Criminal Court, a detective presented a hand‑drawn map supplied by Dwyer's solicitor that led Gardaí to two knives in the basement of A&D Wejchert Architects. The map, titled 'Items of Interest', identified a shelf and two file boxes where the knives were found. One knife was a Buck Special 119, delivered to the office on 21 August 2012, and the other a flick knife. Dwyer is charged with the murder of 36‑year‑old childcare worker Elaine O'Hara, who disappeared on 22 August 2012 after leaving a mental health hospital. The trial also heard evidence of a spade found near O'Hara's remains and other items linked to Dwyer, but no verdict has yet been reached.
In 2015 a 46‑year‑old man, who had been jailed for six years for neglecting his children, sought to appeal a separate 12‑year rape conviction. The conviction stemmed from a retrial in 2011 where he was found guilty of raping his then eight‑year‑old daughter. He had pleaded not guilty to the rape charge and to an indecent assault charge, the latter of which he was cleared. The appeal argued that the trial judge erred by refusing to direct the jury to acquit, rendering the verdict perverse. His barrister claimed the victim's evidence was "extraordinary, bizarre, contradictory, incredible" and that allowing it questioned the system. The Director of Public Prosecutions countered that the jury was best placed to assess credibility and that the judge had summarised all evidence, including inconsistencies. The Court of Appeal would reserve judgment until March.
In the Graham Dwyer murder trial, the jury heard that a search of Dwyer's home and workplace on 17–18 October 2013 yielded 219 exhibits, including computers, hard drives, and financial documents. Among the seized items were letters from A&D Wejchert Architects informing Dwyer of pay cuts: a 10 % reduction from €87,350 to €78,615 in December 2010, and a further cut to €70,000 in June 2011. The prosecution argued the pay‑cut documents were relevant, while Dwyer's defence counsel noted no instruction to seek such documents. Other seized items included a jacket, a wetsuit, and a two‑drawer filing cabinet containing the pay‑cut letters. The trial also covered CCTV stills from Ms O'Hara's apartment block and the discovery of her skeletal remains at Killakee, but the focus of this hearing was the evidence of the pay cuts and the breadth of the search.
Barry Doyle, aged 29, was convicted of murdering rugby player Shane Geoghegan in 2008 and received a mandatory life sentence in 2012. Doyle now appeals his conviction to the Court of Appeal, arguing that Gardaí induced him to admit guilt during interviews. His counsel, Martin O'Rourke SC, contends that Doyle's admissions were obtained through non‑voluntary means, citing threats, psychological pressure, and the use of his child's mother, Victoria Gunnery, as a tool of intimidation. Doyle allegedly was told Gunnery was in custody away from their child, and that he could influence her release by confessing. O'Rourke claims Doyle was denied reasonable access to legal advice during the 14th and 15th Garda interviews, where he ultimately waived his right to silence. The Director of Public Prosecutions has not yet responded, and the appeal will be heard next week by the Court of Appeal judges. Barry Doyle pleaded not guilty.
Andrew Moore, a 19-year-old college student from Charlemont, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm in Alchemy nightclub, Temple Bar, on March 28, 2014. Judge Martin Nolan suspended a two-year prison sentence, imposing a condition that Moore collects €3,000 to be offered to the victim as a token of remorse. The judge ordered this payment to be made to the gardaí within 18 months, noting that if the victim declines the funds, the court will determine their disposition. The judge described the unprovoked attack as a "cowardly act" and suggested it stemmed from a "spasm of misguided jealousy," while acknowledging Moore's guilty plea and lack of previous convictions. Garda Sergeant Mark Looby testified that the victim, a juvenile, suffered slight scarring at her eye and has become more cautious when going out. Moore had consumed five pints of lager and ten Jager bomb cocktails before swinging at the victim from behind, knocking her to the floor. Defending counsel Karl Monaghan BL characterized the incident as extreme over-indulgence in alcohol, noting Moore has no anger management issues. The matter was finalized with the imposition of the suspended sentence and financial condition.
During the 42‑year‑old Graham Dwyer's trial, the Gardaí presented CCTV stills from Elaine O'Hara's apartment block to his son, Sennan McShea, to determine if he could identify anyone in the footage. The stills depicted a man the prosecution had already identified as the architect accused of O'Hara's murder. The trial, held in the Central Criminal Court, heard from Garda Paul Corcoran, who showed the stills to McShea on 18 October 2013, and from Garda Keith Gantly, who explained that only one camera was operational in the Shangannah area on the night of O'Hara's disappearance and that it was pointed in the wrong direction. The court also heard that O'Hara's skeletal remains were found at Killakee on 13 September 2013, with her glasses and keys recovered from a lake. The proceedings continue before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of five women and seven men. The unnamed 42-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In February 2015 the Special Criminal Court announced that a retrial of three Dublin men—Dean Evans (24), Edward McGrath (33) and Sharif Kelly (44)—would take place on 12 January 2017. The men were originally charged with the murder of 35‑year‑old dissident republican Peter Butterly, who was shot dead in the car park of the Huntsman Inn, Gormanston, County Meath, on 6 March 2013. Evans and McGrath also faced firearm offences. The first trial, which lasted 55 days, collapsed after a failure in evidence disclosure. The retrial was ordered following the disclosure of privileged material from a statement given by chief prosecution witness David Cullen to Gardaí in July 2013. Cullen, who had previously been a co‑accused, had turned State's witness and was already serving a three‑and‑half‑year sentence for lesser offences.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a jury examined CCTV footage from Belarmine Plaza in Dublin that appears to show Graham Dwyer, aged 42, with Elaine O'Hara, aged 36, outside her home in the months before her murder. The footage, covering January to August 2012, includes several instances where Dwyer is seen entering and leaving the building, sometimes accompanied by O'Hara, and carrying a backpack that matches a bag recovered from Vartry Lake. The prosecution highlighted these clips to suggest a relationship between Dwyer and O'Hara. Dwyer is charged with O'Hara's murder, which occurred on 22 August 2012 after she was discharged from a psychiatric hospital. The trial also covered the discovery of her skeletal remains at Killakee and the subsequent search of Dwyer's home and workplace, where various items were seized. The case is proceeding before Mr Justice Tony Hunt with a jury of twelve.
In a February 2015 hearing, a court discussed how Garda detectives might revise investigative methods following a ruling that barred prosecutors from using telephone records in a criminal trial. The case involved Thomas Hunt, 40, who was charged in December with withholding information related to the fatal shooting of Alan Ryan on 3 September 2012. Hunt had allegedly purchased a car that later served as the getaway vehicle in Ryan's murder. He was arrested in October and pleaded not guilty to withholding information between 3 September and 23 October 2012. The State withdrew the charges after Judge Catherine Murphy ruled that telephone records stored on a mainframe computer could not be relied upon because there was no evidence the computer was operating correctly at the relevant time. The court heard that the State's case was that Hunt owned a mobile phone used to buy the car.
Anthony Paget, 39, of Carnlough Road, Cabra, was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to robbing Mark O'Brien in Dublin city centre on 9 June 2013. Paget had 39 prior convictions, including a serious assault. He was arrested following police work and admitted the offence. Garda Patrick Gallagher described the robbery: O'Brien was walking along Millennium Bridge when a girl with a Dublin accent approached him, told him to "clear off," and a man behind him lifted him into a choke hold while another man patted him down. O'Brien could not describe the men but reported that they took his wallet, which contained a winning Boyle Sport betting slip, a bank card and a Luas card. The next day CCTV from a nearby Boyle Sports shop showed Paget and two accomplices cashing in the betting slip. Paget later claimed he spent the money on snow blow and alcohol.
Stephen Walsh, 39, of Portland Close, Portland Row, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for assault causing serious harm to his girlfriend Maria Sunner. The offence occurred on 24 November 2013 at their home on Poplar Row, Ballybough, when Walsh beat Sunner so severely that she required surgery to insert plates and bolts into her leg. Walsh had 32 prior convictions, including robbery and handling stolen goods. Judge Nolan described the attack as involving punching, pulling, dragging, kicking and stamping, and noted Sunner was left with a disfiguring scar. The sentence was back‑dated to when Walsh first entered custody in June 2013. Walsh pleaded guilty, claimed an element of self‑defence, and later apologized, stating his relationship ended over his "cowardly actions.".
The trial of Graham Dwyer, a 42‑year‑old architect, is in its tenth day at the Central Criminal Court. He is charged with the murder of 36‑year‑old Elaine O'Hara, who was found dead in the Dublin Mountains at Killakee, Rathfarnham on 22 August 2012, shortly after she was discharged from a psychiatric hospital. Dwyer, a Cork‑born father of two, lives on Kerrymount Close in Foxrock, Dublin, and has pleaded not guilty. The jury heard that a dog walker discovered O'Hara's remains on 13 September 2013, and that glasses found in a Wicklow lake matched her prescription. Gardaí testified that they searched Dwyer's home and office on 17 October 2013, seizing an Audi, a Land Rover, and various computers from his workplace on Lower Baggot Street. The accused was arrested by Detective Sergeant Peter Woods when he answered the front door shortly after 7 a.m. on the day of the arrest.
In February 2015, a 40‑year‑old man named Jason White pleaded guilty in Dublin Central Criminal Court to harassing and threatening a neighbour, Jacqueline Hogg, over a three‑month period in 2012. White admitted harassing Hogg between St Patrick's Day and 7 July 2012, threatening to burn her house, and making violent threats to her family. He also threatened to damage the house, shouted threats from his upstairs window, and was found very drunk and aggressive. The court heard that youths had been drinking at his house, causing anti‑social behaviour, and that Hogg lived in a constant state of fear. Judge Patrick McCartan imposed a six‑month jail sentence suspended for two years, ordered White not to return to his former home in Doon Court, and noted his cooperation with Probation Services. White had three prior convictions for assault and criminal damage.
In a Dublin court hearing, 42‑year‑old Michael Bonner pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after stabbing Gary Dawnay twice in the shoulder with a steak knife. The attack occurred at Hayworth Terrace, Ongar, when Bonner discovered Dawnay in bed with his ex‑partner. Dawnay's left lung collapsed over 50 % and he required a chest drain. Bonner admitted the stabbing immediately, apologised and claimed he had drunk eight or nine pints that night. He was described as a long‑time barman who has worked at The Vineyard in Blanchardstown for 12 years and has been involved in charity work. Judge Desmond Hogan noted the lack of pre‑meditation and that the assault was a "frenzied" reaction. Sentencing was adjourned to allow Probation Services to assess Bonner's suitability for the Restorative Justice Programme, while a custodial sentence was not ruled out. The victim impact statement was presented but not read out.
Frederick Thompson, 34, of Maryland, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for violent disorder. He pleaded guilty to his part in a brawl at Morrissey's Pub, Cork Street, on January 7, 2013. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a 20-month prison sentence, backdated to May 23, 2014, when Thompson was first remanded in custody. Thompson had been extradited from Amsterdam and has been in custody since. The court noted he has 29 previous convictions. A co-defendant, Anthony Harte, 24, of Inchicore, also pleaded guilty to violent disorder. Harte was previously given 220 hours of community service by Judge Mary Ellen Ring in lieu of a two-year prison term. A third man was acquitted of violent disorder by a jury. The judge stated Thompson likely started the row and threw a bottle. Prosecution evidence described a serious fracas where Thompson slapped the victim, took him into a headlock, and flung a beer bottle at him. Harte was seen kicking and punching the victim. Defense counsel noted the incident was sparked by slagging and that no one was seriously injured. Thompson offered apologies to the court and those present.
In February 2015, Francis Lanigan, a 49‑year‑old Dublin resident, applied in the High Court to reduce his bail from €20,000 to €5,000. Lanigan, wanted in Northern Ireland for the 1998 murder of John Knocker, had been in custody since January 2013 after an arrest at a Dublin gym where he worked under the assumed name 'Kieran McCrory'. He had previously been denied bail in February 2013 as a flight risk, but was granted bail on 15 December 2014. His counsel, Dr Michael Forde SC, argued that the €20,000 bail was excessive, citing Lanigan's two‑year detention and the lack of a formal application to reduce the amount. The State's counsel, Tony McGillicuddy BL, maintained that the court's bail decision was final and could not be reopened. Lanigan's application was scheduled for review on 9 February 2015.
Michael Fogarty, a 50‑year‑old Dublin drug addict and award‑winning poet, was spared a new prison term for robbing Hickey's Pharmacy in Tallaght on 2 March 2014. He pleaded guilty to stealing prescription tablets and about €100 cash. Fogarty had previously served 12 years for attempted murder in London. At the pharmacy he left a handwritten threat note, used a knife, and was stopped by a security guard before being taken to Tallaght Hospital where he was treated after swallowing a large quantity of the stolen tablets. His lawyers argued he was suicidal and had mental health difficulties that day. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Fogarty's prior 12‑year sentence, imposed a two‑year sentence and suspended it in total for two years. All recovered cash was returned. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The Central Criminal Court adjourned the seventh day of evidence in the trial of 42‑year‑old architect Graham Dwyer, charged with the murder of Elaine O'Hara, because a juror could not attend. Justice Tony Hunt sent the remaining jurors home, noting that the parties had already scheduled a day of work in their absence for Monday, giving the absent juror an extra day. He also warned the jurors not to discuss the case over the long weekend. Dwyer is accused of killing the 36‑year‑old childcare worker in the Dublin Mountains at Killakee, Rathfarnham, on 22 August 2012, hours after she was discharged from hospital as a psychiatric patient.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Joseph Lee, aged 30, was found guilty of assault causing harm after a domestic dispute over a dog. Lee, who had a prior assault conviction, pinned his partner Amanda Brothers down and repeatedly punched her in the head. The victim suffered a broken bone in her hand, bruising to her eye, cheek and chin, and required stitches to her lip. Lee pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a two‑year jail term, suspended on the condition that he obeys Probation Services and keeps the peace for two years. The judge noted Lee's consumption of alcohol that night and the couple's prior relationship history, but decided that imprisonment would be unjust given their current living situation with their children. The court did not read the medical or victim impact reports aloud.
Greg Crawford, aged 27, of St Munchin's Street, Limerick, has applied to the Court of Appeal to overturn his 2012 conviction for the murder of Gareth Brosnan‑Grant on 8 October 2007. He pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court and was sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice Paul Carney. Crawford's barrister, Brendan Grehan SC, argues that the identification of Crawford by witnesses was flawed and that the judge failed to give an adequate identification warning contextualised to the case. He also contends that Gardaí's illegal entry into Crawford's grandparents' home after the shooting violated the law, citing the nullification of the power under section 29 of the Offences Against the State Act. The Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel, Thomas Creed SC, maintains that the judge properly warned the jury and that circumstantial evidence, including a firearm found in the grandparents' house, supports the conviction. The Court will reserve judgment until 16 February.
The trial of 42‑year‑old architect Graham Dwyer, charged with the murder of 36‑year‑old childcare worker Elaine O'Hara, has heard evidence that items recovered from a Wicklow lake in October 2013 matched O'Hara's personal belongings. Glasses found in the lake were shown to have the same prescription and frames as those prescribed to O'Hara, and a set of keys recovered from the water matched keys to her car and home. The items, which included bondage cuffs, a leather mask, a ball gag, a blindfold, a knife, a rope, a chain, a Nokia mobile phone, a white vibrator, a black anal plug, a red battery‑operated device, a red kidney‑shaped object, a ski mask, a gold bracelet, a Tesco Mobile SIM card, a metal band, a pair of sunglasses, a pair of glasses, a pair of shorts and a Real Madrid dressing gown, were presented to the jury.
Padraig Seery, 27, a Castle Celtic footballer, was charged with assault after head‑butting Leixlip Town captain Mark Coyne during a United Churches Football League match. Seery first kicked Coyne's ankle and then head‑butted him, causing a broken nose that required surgery. The referee issued a red card and the incident was witnessed by several Leixlip players who described it as unprovoked. Seery pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan suspended an 18‑month jail sentence and ordered Seery to pay €5,000 to Coyne. Seery had offered the payment as a token of remorse and an apology. Coyne accepted the payment, though he had not yet paid for his operation. Seery had previously sought anger‑management counselling and legal advice. The case was heard in February 2012 and concluded with the suspended sentence and financial penalty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Damien Fleming, 28, was found guilty of attempting to rob a woman in Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, on 4 November 2013. He ambushed the woman from behind, slapped her over the mouth, and fled when she escaped. Three passers‑by apprehended him and handed him over to Gardaí. A carpet knife was later discovered in his pocket, though it was not presented during the incident. Fleming claimed he was in a drinking binge and had intended to take money from the victim, but changed his mind. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to a suspended three‑year term and ordered him to pay the victim over €8,000, with the court deciding the payment's destination if the victim rejects it. Fleming, who has three prior assault and public‑order convictions, is now living in Cork and has reportedly completed a residential alcohol‑treatment course.
In the Central Criminal Court trial of 42‑year‑old architect Graham Dwyer, the jury was shown a photograph of a punctured, blood‑stained mattress found in Elaine O'Hara's apartment at Belarmine Plaza, Stepaside. The mattress, removed by Detective Garda Brian Barry, displayed multiple puncture cuts and blood staining. The trial also presented evidence that O'Hara's remains were discovered in a forest in the Dublin Mountains on 13 September 2013, where forensic anthropologist Laureen Buckley testified that the skeleton was largely recovered and that the body had decomposed for about a year. Dwyer is charged with O'Hara's murder on 22 August 2012, after she was discharged from hospital as a psychiatric patient. The case continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of five women and seven men.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Lateef Bello, a 42‑year‑old man from Clonee who was originally from the Ivory Coast, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for attempting to murder Adejoke Opesusi. Bello, who had lived in Ireland for nine years, claimed he believed his wife was having an affair and that Opesusi had convinced her to do so. On 19 February 2012, after returning from work as a taxi driver, Bello entered Opesusi's home at 4.30 am, stabbed her repeatedly with two knives and tried to choke her. He fled through a first‑floor bedroom window but was soon apprehended by Gardaí. Prior to the incident, he had threatened his wife Elizabeth that he would stab himself. After a two‑month stay at the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
The jury has begun deliberating in the trial of Lateef Bello, a 42‑year‑old Dublin man from Clonee, who has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to attempted murder of Adejoke Opesusi, burglary, criminal damage, endangerment and assault causing harm. The prosecution, represented by Paul O'Higgins SC, presented evidence that Bello, a former taxi driver, believed his wife was having an affair and that he was hearing voices and experiencing religious delusions. He allegedly broke into Mr. Oroleye's house, smashed property, drove his car at Mr. Carrick, and then approached Mrs. Opesusi at Littleplace Close, stabbing and choking her. The defence, led by Michael Bowman SC, described Bello's behaviour on 19 February 2012 as terrifying and mentally unwell, citing a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and a two‑month stay at Central Medical Hospital. Mr. Justice Paul McDermott instructed the jury of seven men and five women to return a unanimous decision.
In a 2015 case, Christopher Cooney, a 19‑year‑old father of one, was sentenced to 16 months of detention after pleading guilty to assault causing harm. The offence occurred on 22 February 2013 at the St James' Luas stop when Cooney, armed with a Stanley knife, unprovokedly slashed Peter English across the face. English required 13 stitches and sustained a 9‑cm scar, and a victim impact report noted his difficulty finding employment and heightened paranoia. Cooney's counsel described the act as "horrific but spontaneous," noting no prior convictions and no subsequent offences. The court imposed a four‑year detention sentence, suspending all but the first 16 months on the condition that Cooney remains law‑abiding for the remaining period. The case highlighted the severe physical and psychological effects on the victim and the legal consequences for the offender.
In 2011, George Arundel, 27, was found guilty of attempted rape, sexual assault, rape and false imprisonment at Tinker's Field, Cork, and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment in 2012. He appealed to the Court of Appeal, arguing that the jury's verdict was perverse and that inconsistencies in the victim's testimony undermined the conviction. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal, stating that any inconsistencies were matters for the jury and that the evidence was substantially consistent. Arundel also appealed his sentence on the basis of mitigating circumstances, including his age and drug addiction, but the Court of Appeal upheld the original sentence, finding no error in the sentencing process. The appeal was dismissed, and Arundel remains in prison to serve the remainder of his term. George Arundel pleaded not guilty.
Mark Nash (42) pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the murder of two women, Sylvia Shields and Mary Callanan, who died between 6 and 7 March 1997. The victims were residing in sheltered accommodation at a house attached to St Brendan's Psychiatric Hospital in Grangegorman. On 27 January 2015, three gardaí from Mill Street Station in Galway gave evidence about encountering Nash on the Tuam Road in Galway on 16 August 1997. Garda Caroline McKenna testified that when she approached Nash, he identified himself and warned her to stay away or he would kill her, then produced a hammer from his pocket. The court heard Nash subsequently threw a bicycle aside and fled. During his escape, he was struck by a van, used the hammer to damage the vehicle's window, and attempted to enter a nearby house before being restrained. Nash was arrested at 7.45pm that evening. The trial, which is expected to last six to eight weeks, was adjourned pending legal submissions.
During the fourth day of the 42‑year‑old Graham Dwyer's trial at the Central Criminal Court, the jury was shown two large metal chains found in Elaine O'Hara's bedside locker shortly after her disappearance in August 2012. Retired Detective Garda Ultan Sherlock identified the chains from the witness box. Mr Dwyer, an architect, is charged with the murder of the 36‑year‑old childcare worker in the Dublin Mountains on 22 August 2012, hours after she was discharged from hospital as a psychiatric patient. The case involves the discovery of Ms O'Hara's skeletal remains at Killakee, Rathfarnham, on 13 September 2013, and the finding of her keys in an almost‑dry reservoir in Wicklow. The unnamed 42-year-old pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court trial of Graham Dwyer, a 42-year-old architect accused of murdering Elaine O'Hara in August 2012, continued with testimony from family members. Dwyer, who has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of the 36-year-old childcare worker at Killakee, Rathfarnham, faces charges related to her death hours after her discharge from a psychiatric hospital. Her brother, John O'Hara, testified that he found printouts of hunting knives and a notebook containing the URL for the fetish lifestyle website FetLife in her apartment. He reported finding a profile named 'Chained Brunette' on the site. Sheila Hawkins, the deceased's father's partner, described recoiling from oily latex found in the home and clarified that her knowledge of O'Hara's BDSM interests came from conversations with her father. Ann Charles, O'Hara's sister, described her as naive and trusting, noting a miscarriage in 2011. Conor Gilfoyle, the last person to see O'Hara alive, testified to giving her directions near Shanganagh Cemetery. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, is ongoing and expected to last up to eight weeks.
Lateef Bello, 42, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to attempted murder of Adejoke Opesusi and related offences. Bello, originally from Africa and a taxi driver, claimed he believed his wife was being poisoned by a neighbour and that a separate neighbour had influenced her. On 18‑19 February 2012, he used a fire extinguisher to break car windshields, smashed a house front window, and entered Opesusi's home with two knives. He stabbed her, choked her, and also stabbed her daughter. He fled through a bedroom window when police approached but was apprehended. Prior to the incident, Bello had threatened self‑harm and accused his wife of infidelity. Garda investigation and a psychiatric assessment diagnosed him with schizophrenia. The trial is set before Mr Justice Paul McDermott with a jury of twelve.
Injuries to women found dead in Grangegorman 'outside' pathologist's experience, jury hear. At the trial of Mark Nash (42), who has last addresses at Prussia Street and Clonliffe Road in Dublin, the jury heard that retired State Pathologist John Harbison described the serious injuries to Sylvia Shields (60) and Mary Callanan (61), found dead in sheltered accommodation in Grangegorman in March 1997, as 'outside' his experience in 26 years. Mark Nash has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sylvia Shields and Mary Callanan between March 6 and March 7, 1997. Former State Pathologist Professor John Harbison's lengthy reports were read to the court by Mr Brendan Grehan SC, acting for the State, detailing the post-mortems. The reports indicated that Ms Callanan had died from a stab wound to her left lung, the cutting of her throat, and three superficial stab wounds to her heart, with an attempt made to amputate her left breast. Ms Shields had died from bleeding into her chest, described as a 'quick death' due to massive bleeding from the aorta. Detective Garda Eugene Gilligan, who was attached to the Garda Technical Bureau at the time, testified about the discovery of the bodies and the knives found at the scene. The trial continues.
John Prendiville, 49, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 14‑year‑old boy in Kerry on 12 May 2012. The boy was in residential care at the time. Prendiville had 33 prior convictions, including five for sexual assault and four for failing to notify the Gardaí under the Sex Offender's Act. He had recently been released from Castlerea Prison after a six‑year term for sex assault. He took the teenager to his B&B, kissed him and performed oral sex. The court suspended the final two years of a twelve‑year sentence, requiring Prendiville to stay away from the victim and undergo 18 months of post‑release supervision. The boy, who was found drunk and reporting assault, was later moved to a new care centre for his safety. The case highlighted Prendiville's repeated breaches of the Sex Offender's Register. John Prendiville pleaded guilty.
A 23-year-old man from Mount Prospect in Roscommon has pleaded guilty to manslaughter before the Central Criminal Court. Ray Gralton was arraigned on Monday in connection with the death of a woman in December 2013. He entered a not guilty plea to murder but accepted responsibility for manslaughter in the incident at Mayo Abbey, Claremorris. The State indicated acceptance of the guilty plea. Mr Justice Paul Carney remanded Gralton in custody pending sentencing, which has been scheduled for 23 March to allow time for the preparation of a probation report.
Patrick O'Brien, aged 74, was sentenced by the Court of Appeal to 12 years' imprisonment with a three‑year suspension, following a review of his original 12‑year custodial sentence that had been deemed too lenient. The appeal court confirmed the custodial term and adjusted the suspended period from nine to three years. O'Brien had pleaded guilty to 16 counts of rape and indecent assault of his daughter, Fiona Doyle, committed in the 1970s and 80s. The judge noted O'Brien's serious health problems and advanced age but ruled that these did not preclude imprisonment. The sentence was imposed on the same conditions as the original, with O'Brien required to post a €100 bond and remain in custody from the date of release. The court emphasised that the guilty plea was a mitigating factor in determining the final sentence. The decision was made by Mr Justice Seán Ryan, sitting with Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice Alan Mahon.
The 55‑day Special Criminal Court trial of Dean Evans (24), Edward McGrath (33) and Sharif Kelly (44) for the murder of 35‑year‑old Peter Butterly collapsed after a failure in evidence disclosure. Judge Deirdre Murphy ruled the court must discharge itself as a jury and order a retrial. The collapse followed the revelation that privileged material from witness David Cullen's 2013 statement had been inadequately disclosed. Cullen, who had testified that he was part of the murder plan and had turned State's witness, had been given a partially redacted statement to the defence, breaching cross‑examination rights. The judge cited the unexplained failure of disclosure as undermining the integrity of the process, leading to the decision to remand Evans and McGrath in custody and Kelly on bail pending a new trial. The original case involved the shooting of Butterly in the car park of the Huntsman Inn, Gormanston, on 6 March 2013. Sharif Kelly pleaded not guilty. Dean Evans pleaded not guilty. Edward McGrath pleaded not guilty.
The High Court has struck out a damages action brought by Lorcan Roche Kelly against the State following the murder of his wife, Sylvia Roche Kelly, in December 2007. Ms Roche Kelly, a mother of two, was killed at The Clarion Hotel in Limerick by Gerard McGrath, who was later sentenced to life imprisonment. Mr Roche Kelly had sued the State, the Garda Commissioner, and the Minister for Justice, claiming that McGrath should have remained in custody rather than being granted bail on charges relating to an assault on a taxi driver in County Cavan and false imprisonment in County Tipperary. High Court President Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns dismissed the claim, acknowledging the case's tragic nature but finding it disclosed no reasonable cause of action under existing law. While the judge described the handling of bail procedures by An Garda Síochána as negligent and disgraceful, he concluded that McGrath's actions were not reasonably foreseeable and that no special duty of care towards the deceased had arisen.
The trial of Mark Nash, aged 42, accused of murdering Sylvia Shields (60) and Mary Callanan (61) in Grangegorman in March 1997, continues in legal argument. Nash pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court. Evidence was heard from Garda Michael McGrath and undertaker Ronan Stafford. Mr Justice Carroll Moran sent the jury home on Friday and instructed them to return Monday at 11 a.m. The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks.
In a 2015 court hearing, an off‑duty Garda and his father intervened during an attempted robbery at a Paddy Power bookmakers in Saggart. The offender, David Towell, 36, had just left the bookmaker's premises without taking any cash and was attempting to escape on a moped with an accomplice. The Garda and his father knocked both men to the ground as the vehicle took off. Towell pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possession of an air pistol on 6 July 2013. He has 20 prior convictions. The Garda explained that Towell had struck the cash desk's window while the cashier was searching for a panic button, and that the accomplice fled the scene. Towell was remanded in custody pending sentencing, with a report from the probation and welfare service due in March. The case was prosecuted by Mark Fitzgerald BL and defended by John Kelly BL. The judge, Catherine Murphy, noted this was Towell's first violent offence.
John Walsh, 49, appealed his murder conviction, arguing that Gardaí had "harvested" evidence after misleading his solicitor about the nature of his arrest. He was arrested on a bench warrant for failing to display a valid NCT certificate, and his solicitor, Frank Buttimer, was told this was the only issue. While in custody, Walsh provided five sets of material evidence related to the murder of John McManus, which the appeal contends was done without meaningful legal advice. The appeal cites the Supreme Court's Gormley ruling, which requires suspects to receive meaningful legal advice before interrogation. The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment, with a decision expected "as soon as possible.".
The trial of Graham Dwyer, 42, for the murder of 36‑year‑old Elaine O'Hara, began on the second day of the Central Criminal Court hearing. O'Hara's father, Frank O'Hara, testified that his daughter had been in good health on the day she disappeared, had a history of psychiatric illness, and had been seen by a married Foxrock architect who allegedly refused her request to kill her. He described her routine, her medical conditions, and her relationship with the architect, noting that she had asked him to kill her but he refused. The jury heard that the cause of death could not be determined from skeletal remains found in a forest, and that no evidence of trauma was found. The trial is scheduled to continue for up to eight weeks. The unnamed 42-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A trial at the Central Criminal Court has heard that DNA evidence from two women found dead at sheltered accommodation in Grangegorman in 1997 was discovered on the jacket of Mark Nash, who stands accused of their murders. Nash, aged 42, with last addresses in Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sylvia Shields and Mary Callanan, whose bodies were found between March 6 and 7, 1997. The prosecution outlined that a bloodstain on Nash's jacket could not be analysed as DNA in 1997, but a breakthrough in July 2009 established DNA from both women on the garment. The court heard Nash initially confessed to the Grangegorman murders whilst in custody on unrelated charges connected to deaths in Roscommon, but subsequently retracted his admissions. The prosecution argued the DNA evidence, independent of any confession, points to Nash's involvement. The trial continues before Justice Carroll Moran.
In a High Court hearing on 22 January 2015, Ktech Security obtained an injunction preventing anti‑eviction activists from approaching within 2 km of Dublin's Citywest Hotel during the Irish Country and Western Music Awards. The activists, including Jerry Beades and Tom Darcy, opposed the order, denying wrongdoing and claiming a constitutional right to protest. Ktech argued that the activists' campaign of threats and intimidation, particularly on social media, harmed its business and reputation. The judge, Justice Paul Gilligan, granted the injunctions, noting that the activists' right to assembly was overridden by Ktech's right to earn a living and its employees' right to work. Additional injunctions were issued to prevent protests at Ktech's offices and employees' homes, and the case was fast‑tracked for a full hearing. Ktech denied allegations of violent or unprofessional conduct.
The Special Criminal Court has been asked to direct a finding of not guilty for three men charged with murdering Peter Butterly after privileged information was disclosed in the trial. The men—Dean Evans (24), Edward McGrath (33) and Sharif Kelly (44)—were charged with the murder of the 35‑year‑old father of two, who was shot dead in the car park of the Huntsman Inn, Gormanston, on 6 March 2013. Evans and McGrath also pleaded not guilty to firearm offences. A fourth man, David Cullen (30), who had previously testified against the trio, was already serving a three‑and‑half‑year sentence for lesser offences. The court had ruled that Evans and McGrath were lawfully before the court, but the defence amended their application after a previously redacted portion of Cullen's statement was disclosed. The statement, made to Gardaí in July, indicated that Cullen had distanced himself from McGrath and had never really liked him.
Samuel McGuinness, a 24‑year‑old GAA player from Brookfield Park, Rush, pleaded guilty to assaulting Patrick Butterly outside a chip shop on 5 October 2013. Butterly suffered a broken jaw, nine stitches to his eyebrow, three staples to the back of his head, six cracked teeth requiring crowns, and lost 10 kg of weight because he could not eat. He has incurred €42,791 in medical costs, including physiotherapy and bi‑weekly psychologist visits for post‑traumatic stress. McGuinness has complied with the Restorative Justice Programme and has no further Garda contact. He currently has €1,000, which is below Butterly's claim. Judge Dermot Dempsey ordered McGuinness to pay €2,500 in compensation by 26 March; failure to do so will result in a conviction and a €500 fine. The court noted the seriousness of the injuries and the defendant's engagement with the programme.
In a Balbriggan District Court hearing on 22 January 2015, a 27‑year‑old man named Kevin Powney had his case struck out after he completed a community service order. Powney had pleaded guilty to using threatening and abusive behaviour at Rush Train Station on 16 September 2014. The court noted that he had already completed 200 hours of community service for another offence and had 86 hours remaining. Judge Dermot Dempsey had ordered an additional 20 hours of community service in lieu of seven days in prison. Upon completion of the 20‑hour order, the judge struck the case out. The hearing also covered two other cases: Derek Gildea, aged 51, was adjourned for a plea or hearing regarding unlawful possession of a combat knife, and Catherine Joyce, aged 42, was remanded on continuing bail for a case involving assault on Garda Nicholas Duane and intoxication. The court scheduled a further hearing for Joyce next week.