In a 2014 case, a 33‑year‑old man, Vesel Jahiri, was arrested on suspicion of murdering Anna Finnegan in Dublin on 21 September 2012. He pleaded not guilty to both murder and assault causing harm to Anna's brother Karl. The Central Criminal Court heard that Jahiri and Finnegan had a ten‑year relationship that had deteriorated, with two children and access issues. Karl testified that after putting the children to bed, he and Anna were in the kitchen when Jahiri burst in with a knife, stabbing Anna in the chest and head while she fled. Jahiri claimed he did not stab Anna, arguing he fought Karl, and blamed multiple parties for the incident. Gardaí interviews showed Jahiri denying responsibility and expressing love for Anna. The case was set to continue before a jury with Justice Paul McDermott presiding.
The Court of Criminal Appeal will rehear an appeal against the six‑month custodial sentence imposed on businessman Anthony Lyons, aged 52, for a violent sexual assault. In November last year the three‑judge appeal court found the sentence "unduly lenient" but reserved its reasons and the replacement sentence. The appeal was delayed because Judge Michael Hanna was ill, requiring the court to be reconstituted. Lawyers for the Director of Public Prosecutions confirmed that the case will proceed as scheduled on Thursday, 29 May. Lyons, of Griffith Avenue, was jailed in July 2012 by Judge Desmond Hogan for attacking and sexually assaulting a 27‑year‑old woman on 3 October 2010. He pleaded not guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The original sentence was six years with five‑and‑a‑half years suspended, and he was ordered to pay €75,000 in compensation.
In a murder trial, the court heard that 30‑year‑old Laois nanny Aoife Phelan was not pregnant when she was strangled to death. State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy testified that Phelan's body was found buried behind the accused Robert Corbet's property. The autopsy revealed asphyxia with blood in the nose and ears, pinpoint haemorrhages in the eyes and mouth, fractured hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage, and blunt‑force trauma to the head. Cassidy noted multiple greenstick rib fractures and concluded that Phelan was first assaulted and then strangled, with no evidence of struggle in the barrel. She stated the cause of death was asphyxia due to strangulation, with blunt‑force trauma as a contributory factor. The trial also covered Corbet's admissions and the circumstances of the burial. The prosecution closed its case before the judge and jury. Robert Corbet pleaded not guilty. Aoife Phelan pleaded not guilty.
The trial of Wesley Kelly and a 17-year-old accused of murdering Thomas Heinrich and assaulting Robert Rinker in Rialto is in its closing stages at the Central Criminal Court. Kelly, aged 20, has pleaded not guilty to both charges, while the minor also denies the allegations. Prosecutors Tara Burns SC stated the pair were charged on the basis of joint enterprise after allegedly seeking a fight. State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy testified that Heinrich died from a stab wound to the abdomen causing hemorrhage and shock. She identified a large kitchen knife as the likely weapon, noting it required little force to inflict the fatal injury, though she conceded under cross-examination that it was impossible to definitively link specific knives to specific wounds. Consultant cardio-thoracic surgeon Michael Tolan described treating Rinker, who survived despite severe chest and abdominal stab wounds, a pierced lung, and significant blood loss. Tolan noted Rinker was lucky to survive. The prosecution has finished calling evidence, and the matter remains ongoing as the trial proceeds toward its conclusion.
During the trial of Wayne Dundon and Nathan Killeen for the murder of Roy Collins, witness Elaine Walsh admitted she lied to Gardaí to protect her partner, Gareth Collins. Walsh, aged 36, explained that she had been in a relationship with Collins, who was a key prosecution witness. She claimed she had told Gardaí she had collected Collins on the night before the shooting, but later admitted she had not told the truth. Walsh said she lied about staying in Corbally to shield Collins, who she said was terrified. She also acknowledged that Collins had used her car the night before the murder, contradicting her earlier statement. The court heard cross‑examination of Collins' sister, April Collins, who had pleaded guilty to interfering with a witness and received a three‑year suspended sentence. The trial continues. Wayne Dundon pleaded not guilty. Nathan Killeen pleaded not guilty.
Vesel Jahiri, 33, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court, where he has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Anna Finnegan at Allendale Glen, Clonsilla, Dublin 15, on September 21, 2012. He also faces a charge of assault causing harm on Anna Finnegan's brother, Karl, on the same date. The jury heard evidence that Jahiri allegedly told Anna's sister, Lisa Finnegan, over the phone that he was "coming for her next." Witness Connie Farrelly testified to hearing this statement on loudspeaker while driving to Blanchardstown Hospital. Under cross-examination, Farrelly acknowledged previous convictions that resulted in substantial jail time. Another witness, Paul Callen, stated that Jahiri phoned him shortly after taking Anna to hospital, claiming he had turned a knife back on them after being hit with a chair. The court heard that Jahiri and Anna Finnegan had a ten-year relationship that had deteriorated, with access to their two children becoming a contentious issue. Karl Finnegan previously testified that Jahiri allegedly burst into the home with a knife, leading to an altercation in which Karl was stabbed in the chest and head. Jahiri maintains that Karl produced the knives and that Anna was fatally injured while trying to stop her brother from stabbing him. The trial continues before a jury of six men and five women, with Mr Justice Paul McDermott presiding.
A 37‑year‑old man, Darren Murphy, stands trial in the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Olivia Dunlea, 36, who lived in Pembroke Crescent, Passage West, Co Cork. Murphy, who had been in a relationship with Dunlea for three months, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter and to arson on her home. Prosecutor Thomas Creed SC presented evidence that the body was found in an upstairs bedroom after a fire, with six stab wounds to the neck and inhalation of toxic fumes. Murphy admitted he "snapped" and grabbed a knife, lit a quilt beside the bed and a roll of tissue paper on the kitchen table before leaving the house. He was arrested at 10:30 pm on 17 February 2013, cautioned and detained at Togher Garda Station. The case was set to continue before a jury of seven men and five women with Mr Justice Paul Carney presiding.
In a murder trial in County Tipperary, Maurice "Mossy" Power, aged 31, pleaded not guilty to the killing of Shane Rossiter on 17 October. The prosecution alleged Power fired two shots at Rossiter, causing fatal injuries. Power was also alleged to have received a CCTV camera chip from resident Sharon O'Donnell in Clonmel in October 2012, which he claimed was for his own peace of mind. Garda Larry Burgan reported that Power was not arrested on 17 October and was free to leave the station after a brief interview. Power claimed he had been driving around with friends, met Rossiter and his brother, and later went to his father's house. The trial is proceeding before a jury presided by Justice Deirdre Murphy.
The Court of Criminal Appeal quashed the conviction of an unidentified man who had been found guilty in 2012 of six counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault against his nephew, a minor at the time, for incidents between 1988 and 1991. He had received an eight‑year sentence with the last two years suspended. The appeal argued that the trial judge failed to warn the jury about the dangers of convicting on uncorroborated evidence and about the long delay between the alleged assaults and the trial, and that the evidence was insufficient for a jury decision. The Court of Criminal Appeal, sitting as a panel of three judges, agreed that the jury charge was deficient and that the case should not have been presented to the jury. Consequently, the conviction was set aside and a retrial was ordered. The unnamed man was acquitted.
In 2011, Noel Holland, aged 40, was sentenced to eight years in prison by Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court for sexually assaulting an 18‑year‑old girl at his home. Holland had invited the victim to his house under the pretense of arranging a taxi, then assaulted and attempted to choke her. The victim later sent text messages to her family while Holland was in the bathroom, and she is now deceased. Mr Justice Carney declared Holland a sex offender, suspended the final three years of the sentence, and imposed five years of post‑release supervision, ordering him to keep away from the victim. Holland appealed the sentence's severity to the Court of Criminal Appeal, which upheld the sentence as entirely appropriate. Noel Holland pleaded guilty.
The 25‑year‑old accused, Robert Corbet, told detectives that he killed Laois nanny Aoife Phelan because she was pregnant and he feared the pregnancy would ruin his relationship with his ex‑girlfriend. Corbet admitted to killing Phelan between 25 October and 7 November, when her body was found in a barrel buried about ten feet deep on his property. He said he had strangled her after an argument about their relationship, describing how he put a black bag over her head and sealed the barrel before leaving it in a shed. Corbet also admitted that he had flown to New York to visit his ex‑girlfriend the following evening, and that he had wanted to "sort everything out" with Phelan before that trip. The trial is proceeding before a jury and Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan. The court heard that Corbet had denied involvement in Phelan's disappearance but admitted to killing her after phone records were presented to him. The unnamed 25-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In the Dublin murder trial, the jury was shown a heavily bloodstained coat linked to the case. Thomas Heinrich, 22, was stabbed to death on St Anthony's Road, Rialto, on 1 December 2012, while Robert Rinker survived. Wesley Kelly, 20, pleaded not guilty to murder and assault causing harm. A 17‑year‑old defendant also denied both charges. Prosecutor Tara Burns argued the accused acted under joint enterprise. Forensic evidence presented by Sandra McGrath included DNA from knives, a bread knife, ETO jeans, a Duffer hooded top, a Marc O'Polo coat, and a Tommy Hilfiger jacket. DNA from the coat matched Heinrich; DNA from the jacket matched Rinker and the 17‑year‑old. Kelly was arrested at Kilmainham Garda Station after voluntarily presenting himself, claiming self‑defence. The trial remains ongoing.
Anthony Farrell, a 23-year-old man with a previous address at Marian Villas, Arklow, appeared before the Court of Criminal Appeal to challenge his 2011 life imprisonment sentence for the murder of John Deasy. Farrell, who was 19 at the time of the incident, was convicted by a unanimous jury in April 2011 and sentenced in May 2011 for stabbing Mr Deasy at Brauder's shop in Arklow on November 25, 2009. His counsel, Michael O'Higgins SC, argued that Farrell acted in self-defence while attempting an unlawful escape from the premises he had robbed. O'Higgins submitted that Farrell was never asked by gardaí if he was acting in self-defence and believed his life was under threat. Conversely, DPP counsel Una Ní Raifeartaigh SC contended that self-defence does not apply to unlawful force, noting that Mr Deasy was using lawful force to guard the door against a burglar wielding a knife. Farrell's interview statements indicated he stabbed Mr Deasy to clear the doorway and escape, without expressing fear. Presiding Judge Donal O'Donnell, joined by Justices Michael Moriarty and Daniel Herbert, reserved judgment in the appeal. The matter was adjourned, and no final decision was reached during this hearing.
Alan Harte, aged 33, was found not guilty of murdering Peter Gunn, 28, on 4 January 2009. However, he was convicted of assisting in the disposal of Gunn's body. After the murder, Harte and friends left a bar at 2:30 am, returned to a flat being house‑sat by Kastriot Boza, and later helped transport Gunn's body to a location nine miles away in Phibsborough. The body was placed in the back of Heyrush Rama's car and then dumped into a water‑filled trench. A post‑mortem on 16 January 2009 revealed a stab wound to Gunn's left chest, collapsing his left lung and injuring his heart. Harte has 170 previous convictions. The court imposed a six‑year sentence, suspending the last two years, for Harte's role in the disposal of the body. The article does not state any further legal outcomes.
Darren Murphy, 37, of Passage West, Co Cork, is set to stand trial for the murder of 36‑year‑old Olivia Dunlea, who was found dead at Pembroke Crescent on 17 February 2013. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, but has admitted guilt to a second charge of damage by fire to the same house. The jury, composed of seven men and five women, will hear the case before Mr Justice Paul Carney, with the trial expected to last one week.
Edward Boylan Jnr, aged 31 and without a fixed abode, was found not guilty of murdering his father, Edward Boylan Snr, 74, by reason of insanity. The Central Criminal Court heard that Boylan Jnr had been diagnosed with schizophrenia over a decade earlier and had been a 'special needs' prisoner in Mountjoy Prison while serving a sentence for a minor offence. He was in a special wing with supervision, but prison medics noted he was hearing voices. Boylan Jnr claimed he was denied medication and was released the morning before the killing without appropriate supervision, medication or housing. He was in a manic, psychotic state at the time of the murder. The jury reached the verdict in 14 minutes. Boylan Jnr was committed to the Central Mental Hospital for treatment and a report by Dr O'Connell confirmed his mental illness. The court ordered his continued detention for treatment to prevent future unpredictable behaviour.
The Special Criminal Court is hearing a voir dire on voice‑recognition evidence in the murder trial of Roy Collins. Two Limerick men, Wayne Dundon, 36, of Lenihan Avenue, Prospect, and Nathan Killeen, 24, of Hyde Road, Prospect, have pleaded not guilty to the killing of 35‑year‑old Roy Collins at Coin Castle Amusements, Roxboro Road Shopping Centre, on 9 April 2009. April Collins, who grew up on Hyde Avenue in Ballinacurra Weston, gave evidence that she had been in a relationship with Gerard Dundon, Wayne's brother, and had three children with him. Her brother Gareth Collins testified that he was offered €20,000 to participate in the murder of publican Steve Collins, Roy's father. April Collins also recounted that on the day of the shooting her son was ill and she had taken him to the regional hospital in Dooradoyle, where she received a phone call.
The Central Criminal Court trial of Robert Corbet, 25, accused of murdering Aoife Phelan, heard evidence that the defendant led gardai on a 'wild goose chase' to locations he falsely claimed were the scene of the crime. Corbet, from Sheffield Cross, Laois, has pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted to manslaughter. Detective Sergeant Brian Hanley of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation testified that Corbet directed officers to a hard shoulder where he alleged the incident occurred, a journey the defence described as a 'voyage of fiction' intended to divert attention from the Corbet family property. The jury reviewed CCTV footage showing a truck dumping filling gravel at the site where Phelan's body was later discovered eight to ten feet underground. Garda Paul Wilson explained the footage depicted Corbet's jeep movements around the time of Phelan's disappearance and subsequent activity at the Capoley yard. Garda Eamon O'Connell detailed the excavation process, describing how he uncovered rubble, tyres, and eventually a metal drum containing Phelan's remains. The trial continues before Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan.
In a Dublin 15 murder case, 33‑year‑old Vesel Jahiri, a Louth Village resident originally from Kosovo, pleaded not guilty to the killing of Anna Finnegan on 21 September 2012. He also pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Finnegan's brother Karl on the same day. The court heard that Jahiri and Finnegan had a ten‑year relationship that had deteriorated, with two children and access issues. On the night of the incident, Jahiri allegedly burst into Finnegan's kitchen with a knife, an altercation ensued, and Finnegan was stabbed in the chest and head. Jahiri claimed Karl produced the knives and that Finnegan was injured while trying to stop him. An electrician, Damian Lynch, testified that Jahiri told him Finnegan was "OK" and that Karl had been badly hurt. The case is set to continue before a jury.
In a Dublin murder trial, Wesley Kelly, aged 20, pleaded not guilty to killing 22‑year‑old Thomas Heinrich and injuring Robert Rinker on St Anthony's Road, Rialto, on 1 December 2012. A 17‑year‑old accused, whose name is withheld, also denies the charges. Prosecutor Tara Burns opened the case by stating the defendants were charged under joint enterprise after allegedly seeking a fight. The 17‑year‑old claimed self‑defence, saying the German men approached with knives and that he had only stabbed Heinrich once, though later he admitted there were three wounds. He expressed remorse, saying he had never been violent before. The trial is ongoing, with no verdict yet. The article reports the facts presented at the Central Criminal Court without adding any further claims or outcomes.
Lisa Collins, partner of Christopher McCarthy, gave evidence in the Special Criminal Court trial of Nathan Killeen (24) and Wayne Dundon (36) for the murder of Roy Collins. She described a morning on 9 April 2009 when Killeen and James Dillon called to her home on Crecora Avenue, asking for her brother Gareth Collins. Killeen spoke to Gareth about driving a car, and after a brief conversation, Killeen and Dillon left. Later, Killeen returned, changed clothes, and told Lisa to "listen out for sirens" as they expected police sirens. He also said he was going to the Steering Wheel pub to shoot Steve Collins. Lisa heard sirens, saw Killeen and Dillon running, and later reported the incident to the gardai on 10 October 2012. The trial continues before Justice Iseult O'Malley. Nathan Killeen pleaded not guilty. Wayne Dundon pleaded not guilty. Roy Collins pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court is hearing a legal argument in the murder trial of Maurice "Mossy" Power, 31, who has pleaded not guilty to the killing of 29‑year‑old Shane Rossiter on 17 October 2012. The prosecution says Power fired two shots that caused catastrophic injuries leading to Rossiter's death. No evidence will be presented until Thursday.
In a 2014 Central Criminal Court hearing, Robert Corbet, a 25‑year‑old from Sheffield Cross, Laois, was charged with the murder of 30‑year‑old nanny Aoife Phelan. Corbet pleaded not guilty but admitted manslaughter. He told Gardaí that he had snapped after Phelan threatened to ruin him if he walked away from her and her pregnancy. He claimed he had met her in his jeep on 25 October, that she had been "pushy" about not being in a relationship, and that he struck her on the head several times. Corbet said he then drove to Dublin, left her body on a bridge, and tried to dispose of it. He denied any recent phone contact about a pregnancy, but phone records and deleted WhatsApp messages were presented. The case was heard before Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan.
In a 2014 trial, a jury viewed CCTV footage of a 25‑year‑old mother of two, Anna Finnegan, being driven to hospital by Vesel Jahiri, who is accused of her murder. The footage shows Jahiri, a 33‑year‑old man originally from Kosovo, arriving at the hospital at 20:49 on 21 September 2012 in a white Ford Focus. He allegedly lifted Finnegan from the back seat, and witnesses describe her appearing to slip from his grasp. Finnegan was later found unconscious with a wound on her chest. Jahiri also faces a charge of assault causing harm against Finnegan's brother, Karl, on the same day. The case is set to continue before a jury with Mr Justice Paul McDermott presiding. The trial focuses on the events of that night and the alleged actions of Jahiri. Vesel Jahiri pleaded not guilty.
In the Special Criminal Court, Christopher McCarthy, 31, gave evidence as the cousin of Wayne Dundon, 36, who is on trial for the murder of 35‑year‑old businessman Roy Collins on 9 April 2009. McCarthy, serving a seven‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for demanding money with menaces, described his 2009 residence on Crecora Avenue with partner Lisa Collins and brother Gareth Collins Keogh. He recounted that on the day of the murder he was at home with Lisa and Gareth when Nathan Killeen and James Dillon arrived. McCarthy said he did not hear the conversation between Killeen and Gareth but saw Killeen hand Gareth a phone. He later saw Killeen and Dillon walking down Hyde Avenue and noted they fled when a Garda car approached. McCarthy was questioned about the murder but did not disclose what he told the court, citing fear for his family's safety. The trial continues. Christopher McCarthy pleaded not guilty. Wayne Dundon pleaded not guilty. Nathan Killeen pleaded not guilty.
In the Rialto murder trial, the jury watched CCTV footage of the December 1, 2012 incident on St Anthony's Road. Thomas Heinrich, 22, was stabbed and died; Robert Rinker survived. Wesley Kelly, 20, pleaded not guilty to murder and assault causing harm. A 17‑year‑old also denied the charges. Prosecutor Tara Burns said the accused sought a fight and were charged under joint enterprise. The footage showed Heinrich entering the apartments at 4:34 am, letting in Rinker, Julia Weidler and a friend Lars. Rinker left at 5:20 am, returned at 5:30 am, and was seen striking Kelly. Heinrich re‑entered, the door closed, and the pair were followed into the apartments. Witnesses, including Weidler, described the men's movements, the use of knives, and the injuries sustained. Firefighters and Gardaí found blood, knives, and wounds, confirming the violent nature of the incident. The trial continues.
A trial is ongoing at the Central Criminal Court regarding the murder of Aoife Phelan (30), whose body was discovered buried in a barrel in Capoley Portlaoise between 25 October and 7 November 2012. Robert Corbet of Sheffield Cross County Laois is accused of the murder but pleaded not guilty, though he admitted to manslaughter earlier this week. The plea of manslaughter was not accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Sergeant Liam Mulhall testified that gardai found evidence of a disturbance near Corbet's home on 6 November 2012, leading to an excavation where a barrel containing Phelan's remains was discovered. The discovery was described as 'the saddest and most gruesome discovery made' by Conor Devally SC defending. Betty Phelan, the mother of the deceased, stated that concerns arose when her daughter did not answer her phone on 26 October 2012, which was out of character for her. It was confirmed that Phelan had made a complaint to gardai in 2005 following an incident of non-consensual sex, which had deeply upset her. The trial continues before Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and a jury of three women and nine men.
A German student, Robert Rinker, survived a stabbing that killed his friend Thomas Heinrich and testified in the murder trial of two Dublin youths. Rinker, from Stuttgart, met Heinrich on his first day at Griffith College and they were studying in Dublin. On 1 December 2012, after a night out, Rinker and another German student went to Heinrich's apartment. Rinker describes hearing two boys on the street and later seeing a taller boy with a knife. He says he tried to scare the boys with two knives, but they attacked him. Rinker claims he fought the taller boy, dragged him outside, and that Heinrich was left inside. Both were taken to hospital; Heinrich died. Rinker testified that the accused, Wesley Kelly, was the taller boy and that Kelly had no knife when he punched Rinker. The trial is before Mr Justice Barry White with a jury of twelve. Wesley Kelly pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence in the ongoing trial of Vesel Jahiri, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Anna Finnegan and the assault causing harm to her brother, Karl, at Allendale Glen, Clonsilla, Dublin 15, on September 21, 2012. Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis testified that Ms Finnegan died from a single, non-survivable stab wound to the left chest. He stated the knife penetrated between the seventh and eighth ribs, slicing through the pancreas and stomach before terminating at the abdominal aorta. Dr Curtis noted there were no defensive wounds on the deceased, though he agreed with defence counsel that he could not exclude the possibility she was injured while intervening in a fight. Witness Ms Joan Broe described seeing Jahiri advance aggressively toward the Finnegan siblings, alleging he punched Karl and then attacked Anna, causing her to flee. Jahiri is alleged to have pursued her, jumping on her and punching her before she collapsed. The defence contends that Karl Finnegan produced the knives and that Anna was fatally injured while trying to stop her brother from stabbing Jahiri. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of six men and five women.
In the Special Criminal Court, the cross‑examination of Gareth Collins, 31, concluded on 14 May 2014. Collins, a convicted Limerick criminal, had earlier claimed he was offered €20,000 to help kill publican Steve Collins, the father of the murder victim Roy Collins. He testified that on the day of the murder, Nathan Killeen and James Dillon had called his sister's house, and that Killeen had contacted Wayne Dundon, who allegedly told Collins to drive Killeen to the Steering Wheel pub to kill Steve Collins. Collins admitted giving Gardaí an incorrect account of his whereabouts on 9 April 2009, citing fear of people and what they had asked him to do. He also acknowledged that his earlier statement was "just spoofing" and that he had no memory of the details. During cross‑examination, Collins denied that he had lied, said he had not been offered money, and claimed he was owed a few pounds by Christopher McCarthy. Roy Collins pleaded not guilty.
Two Dublin youths are currently on trial at the Central Criminal Court, facing charges related to the stabbing of two German students on St Anthony's Road in Rialto on December 1, 2012. Wesley Kelly, 20, and a 17-year-old co-accused, whose identity is protected due to age, have both pleaded not guilty to the murder of Thomas Heinrich and the assault causing harm to Robert Rinker. Mr. Heinrich, 22, died from his injuries, while Mr. Rinker survived. Prosecuting counsel Tara Burns SC opened the trial by alleging that the accused went to the apartment "looking for a fight" and are being prosecuted on the basis of joint enterprise. She stated that a verbal altercation escalated into a physical confrontation where knives were used. The prosecution maintains that defences of self-defence or excessive self-defence are not supported by the facts. The trial is proceeding before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of three women and nine men. It is expected to last two weeks. No findings, sentences, or finalisations have been recorded at this procedural stage.
The trial of Robert Corbet (25) of Sheffield Cross County Laois, charged with the murder of Aoife Phelan (30) between 25 October and 7 November 2012, commenced at the Central Criminal Court. Corbet pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but admitted to manslaughter, a plea not accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The prosecution alleges that Corbet met Phelan at a nightclub, engaged in sexual contact without intercourse, and later repeatedly struck her before disposing of her body in an oil barrel at Capoley, Portlaoise. The cause of death is stated as asphyxia with blunt force trauma to the head and chest. The prosecution claims Corbet brought Phelan to his garage, restrained her, and disposed of her body. Garda Louise Young detailed that Phelan's father, Michael Phelan, reported her missing on 26 October 2012. Her mobile phone and handbag were later found in Corbet's vehicle. Corbet's statement to gardai indicated he had no sexual intercourse with Phelan and denied being the father of her unborn child. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, continues with a jury of three women and nine men, with CCTV footage to be presented.
In May 2012 a 16‑year‑old boy was arrested in Cork City and pepper‑sprayed by Garda Brendan Dowling and Garda Fiona Sheehan. The teenager complained of assault, prompting the Garda Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) to investigate. GSOC's findings led the Director of Public Prosecutions to prosecute both officers. At Cork District Court, CCTV footage and the teen's testimony were presented; the prosecution withdrew, and the charges were struck out. Dowling was acquitted. After the acquittal, GSOC announced a fresh investigation into Dowling's conduct, alleging abuse of authority. Dowling sued in the High Court to stop this investigation, arguing it breached natural justice. Judge Gerard Hogan, with consent from both parties, quashed GSOC's decision to open a new inquiry and prohibited GSOC from investigating Dowling regarding the May 12, 2012 incident. The case concluded with no further action against Dowling. The unnamed teenager had the case dismissed.
The Central Criminal Court is hearing a legal argument in the murder trial of Maurice "Mossy" Power, 31, who has pleaded not guilty to the killing of 29‑year‑old Shane Rossiter on 17 October 2012 in County Tipperary. The prosecution claims Power fired two shots that caused catastrophic injuries leading to Rossiter's death. No evidence will be presented before Thursday, and the trial is currently focused on legal issues.
The Special Criminal Court heard cross-examination of Gareth Collins, a convicted criminal serving a seven-and-a-half-year sentence for demanding money with menaces, at the ongoing trial of Wayne Dundon and Nathan Killeen. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of 35-year-old Roy Collins at Coin Castle Amusements, Roxboro Road Shopping Centre, on April 9, 2009. Collins, who admitted to previously giving gardai an incorrect account of his whereabouts due to fear, denied asking for time off his sentence or extorting money from witnesses. He stated he was unaware that Anthony McCarthy, Christopher McCarthy, or April Collins intended to make statements. During questioning by Mr Remy Farrell SC, Collins acknowledged flirting via text messages on the day of the alleged killing but denied coordinating false alibis with his then-girlfriend. He also denied shaking anyone down, though he admitted being owed money by Christopher McCarthy, who described him as a "crooked snaky cunt." The court noted Collins had previously admitted to being arrested for rape involving two 15-year-old girls. The cross-examination of Mr Collins is scheduled to continue tomorrow before Ms Justice Iseult O'Malley.
In a 2014 Central Criminal Court hearing, Vesel Jahiri, 33, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Anna Finnegan and to assault causing harm to her brother Karl. The case involved a ten‑year relationship that had deteriorated, with two children. Witness Karl Finnegan testified that Jahiri entered Finnegan's home with a knife, leading to an altercation in which Finnegan was stabbed in the chest and head. Finnegan fled, collapsed on the roadside, and later died. Finnegan's brother claimed he had no memory of the fight, attributing his amnesia to refusing to recall the incident. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan presented Jahiri's version, denying the presence of a knife and arguing Finnegan's injuries were a result of her attempt to stop an attack. The trial proceeded to a jury hearing on the following day.
The Special Criminal Court trial of Wayne Dundon, Nathan Killeen, and Gareth Collins, who have all pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of 35-year-old Roy Collins at Coin Castle Amusements in April 2009, continued before a non-jury court presided over by Ms Justice Iseult O'Malley. Gareth Collins, also known as Gareth Keogh, testified that he was offered €20,000 to drive Nathan Killeen to the Steering Wheel pub to shoot Roy Collins's father, Steve Collins. Collins stated he repeatedly refused the request, which he said was coordinated by Dundon via mobile phone from a prison cell. He described an incident where Killeen and James Dillon visited his sister's house, with Killeen allegedly retrieving petrol and a rag before leaving. Collins admitted to prior convictions, including a seven-and-a-half-year sentence for demanding money with menaces. Steve Collins, the victim's father, testified that he found his son shot in the arcade. Garda Steven Kelleher and Garda Deirdre Foley provided accounts of the scene and the victim's subsequent death at the hospital. The trial was adjourned and continues tomorrow.
In the Central Criminal Court, Vesel Jahiri, aged 33, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Anna Finnegan and to assault causing harm to her brother Karl on 21 September 2012. Prosecutor Patrick Marrinan described a ten‑year relationship that had deteriorated, noting that the couple had two children. Witness Karl Finnegan testified that he was having tea with Anna when Jahiri burst into the house with a knife. He claimed to have seen the knife, describing it as having a wooden handle with rivets, and said he was stabbed in the chest and head while Anna fled. Finnegan also stated that he had made statements to Gardaí in 2014, detailing the events and the alleged knife. The case was set to continue before a jury with Justice Paul McDermott presiding.
In a Dublin court on 12 May 2014, Thomas Ryan, aged 32, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for the attempted murder of Patrick Charles O'Neill, a 51‑year‑old cyclist, on 26 August 2013. Ryan admitted shooting O'Neill in the stomach with a double‑barrel sawn‑off shotgun, an act that left O'Neill with a bowel section removed and in intensive care until 11 September. Ryan also shot himself in the leg while handling the weapon, an accidental self‑injury that was noted by the court. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Carney, suspended the final two years of the sentence, citing Ryan's early guilty plea and admissions. The sentence was back‑dated to 28 August 2013 to account for time already spent in custody. The court heard that Ryan had 13 prior convictions and that the incident was linked to a drug‑related debt.
In a Skerries car‑park incident on 19 November 2012, 49‑year‑old Peter Mulligan, a Glasgow‑born consultant, headbutted a 40‑year‑old woman after a dispute over a parking space. Mulligan claimed the headbutt was unintentional and that the woman had swore at him and called him a "f**king asshole" after her car had allegedly contacted his. He pleaded guilty to assault before Swords District Court. The victim suffered bruising above her left eye. Mulligan, who had no prior convictions, had set up a business in Ireland in 2005 that collapsed in 2011. Judge Dermot Dempsey ordered him to pay €750 in compensation to the victim and an additional €500 as a charitable donation. Mulligan was remanded on continuing bail to appear again on 21 July. The case remains at the pleading stage.
John Hannigan, 46, of River House, New Quay, Clonmel, was sentenced to three years in prison for assault causing harm to Anthony Fallon, whom he later murdered. Hannigan already serves a life sentence for the murder of Fallon, a fellow father of two, which occurred on 18 January 2012. The assault took place early that morning in Fallon's Abbey Street flat, where Hannigan and Joseph O'Riordan subjected Fallon to a prolonged attack. Neighbours heard the assault, and after leaving the flat the trio went to a shop where the shopkeeper did not recognise Fallon due to his injuries. The murder happened in a car park after the shop. Hannigan admitted striking Fallon with "Bruce Lee" punches because he "wouldn't shut up." The post‑mortem found 31 fractures to Fallon's ribs, collar and breast bones, with blunt‑force trauma to the head and trunk as the cause of death. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
In Dublin, two youths, aged 20 and 17, pleaded not guilty to murder and assault causing harm following the stabbing of German student Thomas Heinrich and the survival of Robert Rinker on 1 December 2012 near their Rialto home. The 20‑year‑old, Wesley Kelly, and the unnamed 17‑year‑old were arraigned before the Central Criminal Court. A jury of three women and nine men was sworn in, and the trial, presided over by Mr Justice Barry White, is set to begin on Tuesday and is expected to last two weeks.
A man from Portlaoise, Robert Corbet, aged 25, was arraigned at Dublin Central Criminal Court on 12 May 2014. He faces a murder charge for the death of 30‑year‑old Aoife Phelan, who worked at Hermitage in Portlaoise. Corbet pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, a plea rejected by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Isobel Kennedy SC. The alleged killing occurred between 25 October and 7 November 2012 at Capoley, Portlaoise. The trial, presided over by Justice Garrett Sheehan, is expected to last two weeks with a jury of twelve.
In the Central Criminal Court, Vesel Jahiri, aged 33, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Anna Finnegan and to assaulting her brother Karl. Karl testified that he and Anna were having tea when a bang was heard at the front door. He saw Jahiri entering with a knife, and Anna screamed and fled. Karl claimed he was stabbed in the head and chest by Jahiri, who said he acted in self‑defence and had no part in stabbing Anna. Karl described being on the ground, possibly blacking out, and later seeing Anna collapse. He noted Jahiri's presence near Anna but no visible injuries. Jahiri's defence argued that a recorded conversation with social worker Karen Byrne was misrepresented. The case remains before a jury presided by Mr Justice Paul McDermott.
In a 2014 Central Criminal Court hearing, Edward Boylan Jnr, aged 31, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of his 74‑year‑old father, Edward Boylan Snr, at the father's flat in Crumlin. Boylan had been diagnosed with schizophrenia over a decade earlier and was a special‑needs prisoner at Mountjoy Prison, where he had been hearing voices and had requested medication that was not provided. He was released the day before the killing without appropriate supervision or medication. On the morning of the murder, Boylan stabbed his father 13 times with a 100‑year‑old bayonet, then set the apartment on fire. Psychiatric experts for both sides confirmed that Boylan was in a manic, psychotic state and could not control his actions, meeting the criteria for an insanity verdict. The judge ordered Boylan to be committed to the Central Mental Hospital for a future treatment report due on 19 May.".
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 31‑year‑old Dublin man, Edward Boylan Jnr, was charged with killing his 74‑year‑old father with a World War I sword. He admitted stabbing his father 13 times, then setting fire to the apartment. Both sides presented psychiatric evidence. The prosecution's Dr Sally Linehan testified that Boylan Jnr had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and later schizoaffective disorder, and that he believed his father's eyes were changing colour, a sign of threat, which led to the fatal act. She argued he was in an active phase of mental illness and could not control his actions, meeting the criteria for a special verdict of "not guilty by reason of insanity." The defence's Dr Paul O'Connell also confirmed Boylan Jnr's psychosis at the time of the killing. The case is before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of seven men and five women.
In the Central Criminal Court, Maurice "Mossy" Power, aged 31, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 29‑year‑old Shane Rossiter, who died after being shot twice on 17 October 2012. The prosecution said the shots were fired at about 6.30 am following a house party in Church Lane, Golden, Co. Tipperary. Witnesses included Paul McCarthy, who fled to a graveyard after the first shot, and Rachel Keating, who had known Rossiter for a week and testified that Rossiter had called Power to arrange a delivery of weed. Keating described a conversation about money owed and a kiss goodnight before Rossiter was shot. Paramedic T.J. Connolly reported that Rossiter was taken to South Tipperary General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead an hour later. The trial is now addressing legal issues before a jury of twelve, presided over by Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy.
In Balbriggan District Court on 8 May 2014, Andrew Gosson, aged 24, pleaded guilty to threatening and abusive behaviour on 17 December 2013 and again on 16 January 2013 while driving on the M1. He had one prior road‑traffic conviction. Defence solicitor Fiona D'Arcy said he was under severe pressure from a gambling problem and was not working at the time. Judge Patrick Clyne declined to fine him, noting he was better off feeding his children, and bound him to a peace bond for one year. Separately, 87‑year‑old Michael Murphy was remanded on continuing bail in his absence to appear on 5 June after being charged with dangerous driving on 16 November 2013. Finally, 39‑year‑old William O'Gorman was remanded on continuing bail to re‑appear on 26 June after being charged with robbery, assault and possession of a screwdriver outside St Peter's and Paul's Church on 11 April 2014.
In a 2014 trial, Vesel Jahiri, a 33‑year‑old man originally from Kosovo, pleaded not guilty to the murder of his partner Anna Finnegan and to assaulting her brother Karl on 21 September 2012. The jury heard that the couple's relationship had deteriorated sharply before Finnegan's death and that they had two children together. Social worker Karen Byrne testified that Jahiri had threatened to stab Finnegan during a meeting at the Wellmount Centre, but she claimed he would not act on the threat because he loved her. The defence plans to play an audio recording of the conversation. Witnesses described Finnegan's move to a women's refuge and the high‑risk assessment she received. The trial continued with a jury of 11, after one juror was excused.
In the Central Criminal Court trial of Maurice Power, a 31‑year‑old Tipperary man charged with the murder of Shane Rossiter, the sister of the 29‑year‑old victim testified that Power had told her he was planning to sort out differences with her brother shortly before the shooting. Power was said to have approached the Rossiter family after the victim's return from Australia, apologising for past conflicts. Witnesses described a brief encounter between Power and the victim the evening before the killing, with no apparent tension. Liam O'Sullivan, a neighbour, heard two gunshots at 6.30 am on 17 October 2012 and saw a man in a grey hoodie leave the house. Paul McCarthy, who called emergency services, reported seeing a gun barrel exit a car window and hearing a shot. The prosecution noted that a black Audi A4, later burnt out in a Waterford bog, was linked to Power's partner. The trial continues.