Two men charged with the murder of Keane Mulready Woods will not stand trial next month as gardaí continue their investigation into the teenager's death and dismemberment. The Special Criminal Court heard on Thursday that the prosecution has already disclosed some information to the defence but substantial additional disclosure would be necessary before the trial could proceed. The hearing was originally scheduled for 25 April this year. Paul Crosby, aged 25, of Rathmullan Park, Drogheda, County Louth, and Gerard Cruise, aged 47, with addresses in Dublin 1 and Rathmullan Park, face charges relating to a death alleged to have occurred at a house in Rathmullan Park on 12 or 13 January 2020. Neither man's legal representatives objected to the trial delay. The court will hear further submissions regarding timing on the originally scheduled trial date.
Patrick Dowdall, 64, of Navan Road, Dublin, is accused of facilitating the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016. He is alleged to have made a room available to a criminal organisation on 4 February 2016, thereby contributing to or enabling the murder. Dowdall has been granted bail by the High Court, but the surety of €10,000 was entered at the Special Criminal Court where he is due to stand trial in October. The independent surety's identity is protected by court order. The surety's bank account will be frozen to ensure the bond remains above €10,000; forfeiture is possible if Dowdall fails to meet bail conditions. His son, Jonathan Dowdall, 44, a former Sinn Féin councillor, is also charged with Byrne's murder and has been granted bail with sureties of €20,000 and €10,000. The case remains pending before the Special Criminal Court.
In a High Court bail hearing, senior counsel Diarmuid Rossa Phelan, 53, accused of murdering Keith Conlon, 36, at Hazelgrove Farm, was denied bail by Justice Deirdre Murphy on grounds of flight risk. The Court of Appeal President, Justice George Birmingham, criticised the High Court judge for leaving him "totally in the dark" about Phelan's finances. Phelan's defence, represented by Karl Monahan, submitted a comprehensive financial statement and proposed a €50,000 surety from his sisters and a €50,000 cash deposit. Justice Birmingham demanded a full disclosure of assets, liabilities, income and property. The case was adjourned to the next term, with the State given time to review the financial documents before a further hearing. The hearing also noted that Phelan had shot Conlon in the back of the head after an altercation, and that he had previously fired at Conlon's dog. The court considered the seriousness of the charge and the evidence presented.
The jury in the Central Criminal Court trial of four men accused of raping and sexually assaulting a 17‑year‑old girl in a car will continue deliberating into a fourth day. The alleged assault began on 27 December 2016 when the girl, separated from friends after a night‑out, entered a car with five men. The car travelled along backroads to a remote location where three defendants, and a fifth man not on trial, allegedly raped her one after another. The girl said she asked to be let out of the car but was ignored, and that one man raped her again while a fourth man forced his penis into her mouth. The defendants, aged between 17 and 19 at the time, deny all charges. The jury has deliberated for a little over eight hours since Monday afternoon, after 19 days of trial.
Joseph O'Brien, aged 35, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, for a series of robberies and violent assaults committed while serving a suspended sentence. On 21 January 2019, he struck a robbery victim on the back of the head with a glass bottle, then repeatedly kicked the man 20–30 times before stealing his phone. The victim suffered a laceration, facial bruising, black eyes and a broken tooth. O'Brien had previously robbed the same pharmacy on 19 January and again on 23 April 2019, using a knife and a screwdriver to threaten staff and steal cash. His 56 prior convictions include robbery, burglary, theft, assault of a peace officer and drug‑related offences. The judge noted the offences were aggravated by his suspended sentence and his drug difficulties, and he must comply with strict probation conditions for 12 months after release. Joseph O'Brien pleaded guilty.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court could not reach a verdict in the case of a 14‑year‑old boy accused of murdering Urantsetseg Tserendorj during the 2021 winter lockdown. The teenager admitted stabbing Ms Tserendorj in the neck but his lawyers argued he was attempting a robbery and did not intend to kill or seriously harm her, seeking a manslaughter conviction. The jury spent over eight hours deliberating and, after multiple reviews of evidence, was unable to agree on a verdict. The judge, Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring, noted that ten votes were required for a verdict. The case will return to the Central Criminal Court list. The accused had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter on 29 January 2021, a plea the State rejected. He also pleaded guilty to producing a knife and attempting to rob Ms Tserendorj on 20 January 2021.
Three victims of sexual abuse by Iosach O Riain, aged 62, testified that the assaults, which occurred in their beds while they slept, had devastating effects on their lives. O Riain pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault, including an attack on a seven‑year‑old girl in 1978‑79, an assault on a six‑year‑old boy in 1978, and a molestation of a 15‑year‑old boy in 1995 after a family funeral. The victims described feelings of suffocation, fear, and shame, and reported long‑term impacts such as difficulty with intimacy, substance use, and self‑destructive behaviour. The judge set a headline sentence of 18 months for each offence but imposed a 12‑month custodial sentence, suspending the final three months on strict conditions, and registered O Riain as a sex offender. The victims did not wish to receive his letters of remorse.
In the trial of a minor accused of murdering Urantsetseg Tserendorj, Judge Mary Ellen Ring announced that the jury could deliver a majority verdict if at least ten of the twelve jurors agreed. The jury had been deliberating for nearly five hours and had paused for lunch before resuming at 2 pm. The accused pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, knife‑production and attempted robbery. The judge instructed that a guilty verdict for murder requires proof of intent to kill or cause serious injury, otherwise manslaughter applies.
Diarmuid Rossa Phelan, an Associate Professor of Law at Trinity College and barrister, appealed a High Court decision refusing him bail pending his trial for the murder of Keith Conlon. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, adjourned the matter until Thursday. Mr Phelan is accused of fatally shooting Mr Conlon at Hazelgrove Farm in Tallaght in February last. His defence counsel, Michael O'Higgins SC, argued that the High Court judge's refusal was based on an unfair assessment of flight risk and that his client's assets should not be frozen merely due to allegations, comparing the situation to that of Roman Abramovich. The defence proposed a €50,000 independent surety and a €50,000 cash lodgement. Mr Justice Birmingham requested a comprehensive financial statement detailing assets, liabilities, and income. The State's counsel, John Fitzgerald SC, countered that the High Court judge's ruling did not rely on the "red-handed" characterization and that the applicant had drip-fed information. The appeal was not concluded but adjourned to allow for further submissions and financial disclosures.
The jury in the trial of a 16‑year‑old boy accused of murdering Urantsetseg Tserendorj is set to return to the Central Criminal Court to continue deliberations. The jury, composed of five men and seven women, began discussing late on Monday and, in the morning, asked for the relative heights of the accused and the deceased. Justice Mary Ellen Ring informed them that Assistant State Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers had recorded Ms Tserendorj's height as 1.64 metres (five feet, five inches). The only evidence regarding the accused's height came from a security guard who described him as "skinny" and about 1.7 metres (five feet, seven inches). The jury also requested definitions of murder and manslaughter. The unnamed 16-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In 2022, the Court of Appeal increased the jail term of Scott O'Connor, 20, who brandished a large knife outside a house party where 20‑year‑old Cameron Blair was stabbed to death. O'Connor had pleaded guilty to violent disorder and to producing a weapon capable of serious injury. The original sentence of five years with a three‑year suspended portion was deemed too lenient. The appellate court reduced the suspended period to two years, thereby extending the custodial term to two years. The decision was based on O'Connor's role as the instigator of the violence, his armed conduct, and the lack of any threat to him. The court noted that Blair had no involvement in the violence and that the death was tragic and unexpected. The appeal was brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions, who argued the original suspension was unduly lenient. The judgment was delivered by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, with Mr Justice John Edwards presiding.
In a court hearing on 5 April 2022, a 22‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the sexual assault of a child and to producing child pornography. He was 18 at the time of the offences, which involved a 15‑year‑old boy who was rendered unconscious by a pain‑relief drug (Penthrox) that the accused had stolen. The drug was administered through a modified "green whistle" and an oxygen mask, after which the accused sexually assaulted the boy. The accused also filmed the assault and the drug administration. A 31‑year‑old co‑accused pleaded guilty to oral rape of a boy, sexual exploitation, and the production of child pornography. He admitted stealing a vial of Penthrox and a carbon dioxide chamber from Naas Racecourse.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 41‑year‑old man was sentenced to 27 months' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended, for sexually assaulting his best friend at his Wicklow home on 20 November 2020. The victim, who had trusted the man and described the assault as a severe violation of trust, was taken to a sexual assault treatment unit after the incident. The man pleaded guilty, admitted the wrongdoing, and expressed regret, shame and remorse. Judge Melanie Greally noted his early guilty plea and cooperation, his status as a registered sex offender, and the aggravating factors, and imposed a two‑year probation supervision order and required participation in the Safer Lives programme. The court also considered the victim's impact statement and the defendant's lack of prior convictions. The sentencing reflected principles of rehabilitation, personal deterrence and general deterrence. The man's conviction was the first in his criminal record.
The Central Criminal Court heard the case of a 14‑year‑old boy who stabbed Urantsetseg Tserendorj to death in Dublin on 20 January 2021. His defence counsel argued that the boy intended only to rob her, not to kill, and should be convicted of manslaughter. The prosecution maintained that a neck stabbing can only be intended to cause serious harm, and therefore the appropriate verdict was murder. The boy had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and also pleaded guilty to producing a knife and attempting to rob Ms Tserendorj. Witnesses for the defence included the boy's aunt and grandmother, who described his drug habit and lack of intent to kill. The jury was instructed to decide whether the boy intended to cause serious injury or death, and to return tomorrow for deliberation.
The Court of Appeal heard that a 59‑year‑old man, whose name is withheld to protect his adult daughter, was convicted of raping his special‑needs daughter and sentenced to 11 years in prison. The conviction followed a Central Criminal Court jury verdict in July 2019. The man was found to have raped his daughter twice in her bedroom when she was 22, after asking her whether she loved him or her mother more, and also sexually assaulted her on the same occasion. Earlier, he had sexually assaulted her and forced her to perform oral sex when she was 13 or 14 while she slept in the same bed as a friend. He was convicted on five charges, including rape, oral rape and sexual assault, covering incidents from January 2003 to December 2004 and a separate incident in January 2011. He denied the charges and appealed.
A man aged 67 has appealed his sentence at the Court of Appeal following conviction for sexually assaulting a victim over a 12-year period beginning when she was ten years old. He was sentenced to 12.5 years, with four years suspended, at Sligo Circuit Criminal Court in November 2020 after pleading guilty to 23 counts of sexual assault committed between September 1999 and May 2011. His legal representative argued the eight-year custodial term was excessive and disproportionate, citing his early guilty plea and absence of prior convictions. The Director of Public Prosecutions submitted the sentence appropriately reflected the severity of the abuse, which occurred in various locations including the appellant's vehicle, home, and garden shed. The victim reported experiencing lasting psychological harm, including anxiety and self-harm. The three-judge court has reserved judgment on the appeal.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Garda David O'Callaghan recounted how he visited the home of a teenage accused of murdering Urantsetseg Tserendorj. While on a search warrant for a stolen e‑bike, he called the boy's grandmother, who said the boy had "done something terrible" and would turn himself in. O'Callaghan found the boy in his bedroom, who admitted stabbing the woman and robbing her. The boy, a minor, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and the State has not accepted his plea. He also pleaded guilty to producing a knife and attempting to rob Ms Tserendorj. The victim died nine days later from a single stab wound that severed a major brain artery. Garda Maria Harmon and Garda Karl Bolger provided further statements and evidence, including a knife found in the boy's home and CCTV footage of the incident. The jury will hear the prosecution's evidence before the next trial phase.
Jonathan Dowdall, a former Sinn Fein councillor aged 44, was granted bail by the High Court ahead of his trial for the alleged murder of 33‑year‑old David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in Whitehall, Dublin, on 5 February 2016. The trial is scheduled for 3 October before the Special Criminal Court, a three‑judge, non‑jury court. Two independent sureties—one €20,000, the other €10,000—were entered on Dowdall's behalf, with conditions that their bank accounts remain above those amounts and that Dowdall appear in court. Dowdall remains in custody awaiting the trial.
At the Central Criminal Court, Gavin Murphy, aged 30, pleaded guilty to the murder of his girlfriend, Jennie Poole, 24, who was stabbed to death in her Dublin apartment on 17 April last year. Poole was taken to Connolly Hospital where she died shortly after. Murphy, wearing all black, answered only "guilty" when the registrar read the charge. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned sentencing to 29 April to allow time for victim impact statements, and a November trial date was vacated.
In a Central Criminal Court sentencing hearing on 1 April 2022, Trevor Rowe, a 30‑year‑old drug addict, was given a mandatory life sentence for the murder of 70‑year‑old Anne Butler on 20 March 2020. Butler was stabbed, beaten, had her throat slit and was found with a large piece of cardboard in her mouth and a strip of her ear in the living room. Rowe, who remained unmoving and head‑bowed during the hearing, admitted to killing Butler, saying he had "slit her throat and stuck a knife in her head". He had 31 prior convictions, including drug offences and assault. The judge, Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, imposed the life sentence, noting the "unimaginable grief" caused to Butler's family. The hearing included victim impact statements from Butler's daughter Elayne and sister Paula, describing Butler as brave, kind and devoted.
Keith Lennon, aged 23, was convicted of manslaughter after his 3‑litre Audi, driven at 225 km/h, collided with a Peugeot 108 on the N1, killing Mary (82) and Kevin (58) Faxton and Bryan Magill (24). Lennon had been filming Snapchat videos while driving at 105 km/h above the limit. He pleaded guilty in February 2021 and was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, a 20‑year driving ban, and a 14‑year custodial term, with the judge describing his car as a "weapon". Lennon appealed the severity of the sentence, arguing the judge had over‑penalised him. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, rejected the appeal, stating the custodial sentence was inevitable and that the Snapchat videos and high speeds made the case particularly reckless. The court upheld the original nine‑year term and the 20‑year driving ban. The decision was delivered on 1 April 2022.
In March 2017 the Special Criminal Court sentenced Sharif Kelly, 51, and Edward McGrath, 39, to life imprisonment for the 2013 gun murder of 35‑year‑old Peter Butterly, a father of three, who was shot outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston. The murder trial lasted 35 days after a collapsed first trial in 2015. McGrath was also convicted of firearms offences. The State's main witness was former co‑accused David Cullen, who had his murder charge dropped after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a semi‑automatic pistol and was jailed for three‑and‑a‑half years. Kelly and McGrath appealed, arguing Cullen's testimony was unreliable and that McGrath had no knowledge of the murder plan. The Court of Appeal, in a 170‑page judgment, rejected both appeals, finding the evidence against the appellants sufficient and the admissibility of Cullen's testimony justified. The court noted no error in the trial's findings and declined to quash the convictions.
During a murder trial, Ulumbayer Surenkhor, the husband of the late Urantsetseg Tserendorj, testified that he was still wearing slippers when he rushed to meet his wife near Connolly Station after she called in distress. He described how she was holding her neck with visible blood and how an ambulance attempted to treat her but she could not swallow tablets. Due to COVID restrictions, he could not accompany her to the Mater Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead nine days later. Surenkhor, a Mongolian immigrant who had lived in Ireland for 16 years, also explained that his wife worked at State Street and that they had two children in Irish schools. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring, continues with a jury of twelve. The accused, a 16‑year‑old boy, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and the State has rejected that plea.
The trial of four men accused of raping a teenage girl at the Central Criminal Court has heard forensic evidence regarding semen found on their clothing. The defendants, aged 17 to 19 at the time, have pleaded not guilty to charges including rape and sexual assault alleged to have occurred on December 27, 2016. A fifth man is not before the court. On day 14, forensic scientist Dr Laura Flanagan testified that underwear belonging to the driver contained semen from two individuals: the driver and a third defendant. During garda interviews, the driver denied penetrative sex, claiming he did not ejaculate, while the third defendant initially stated he was the first to have sex with the complainant. The driver later admitted lying in earlier statements but maintained his denial of intercourse. Another defendant, whose semen was found on his underpants and the complainant's top, told gardai he masturbated away from the car and denied any sexual contact with the victim. The garda witness confirmed the driver was charged in April 2018 and remanded on bail, with permission to travel for medical purposes. The matter is ongoing before Ms Justice Tara Burns and a jury.
Ian Moore, 31, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for the unlawful killing of Jason Kearney, 25, who had broken into Moore's home on 12 September 2020. Moore claimed he had heard noises, entered the house, and punched Kearney once after a brief confrontation. Kearney fell, hit his head, and died ten days later in a coma after the ventilator was turned off. Moore said he had no intention to use a knife he had been given by his pregnant partner and that he had returned to the scene to call emergency services and assist Kearney until an ambulance arrived. The court noted Moore's lack of prior convictions, his guilty plea, remorse, and cooperation with investigators as mitigating factors. The judge emphasised that Moore had taken the law into his own hands and that the act was impulsive, emotional and violent, but not pre‑meditated.
A 16‑year‑old boy, whose identity is protected, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of 49‑year‑old Mongolian woman Urantsetseg Tserendorj. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter on 29 January 2021, a plea the State did not accept. He also pleaded guilty to producing a knife and attempting to rob Ms Tserendorj on 20 January 2021. The boy told Gardaí that he stabbed the woman, robbed her and that it was him. CCTV footage from the IFSC House shows the boy on a pedal bike confronting Ms Tserendorj around 9.30 pm, stabbing her in the neck. The wound cut the carotid artery; she was taken to Mater Hospital, placed on life support, and died nine days later. The trial will focus on the boy's state of mind and his age. The jury is instructed to avoid prejudice and not to research the case online. The proceedings are ongoing.
In a High Court judicial review, Mr Justice Barr ruled that Charlotte Mulhall is entitled to a majority of her legal costs in proceedings against the Irish Prison Service and the Governor of Limerick Prison. Mulhall, who was convicted of murder in 2006 for the killing of Farah Swaleh Noor, challenged her transfer to Limerick Prison, alleging it disproportionately interfered with her family visitation rights. Although the judge struck out the proceedings, noting that Mulhall was not entirely successful as permission to challenge the 2018 transfer was denied due to time limits, he awarded her 50% of the costs for the leave application and 66% for the full hearing. The judge stated it was just and equitable for Mulhall to receive some costs because she secured a change in the visitation regime, allowing family visits at neutral venues. The respondents, who opposed the costs claim, argued they had made bona fide efforts to treat Mulhall fairly. The judge placed a 28-day stay on the costs order pending any appeal. Background details note that Mulhall's sister, Linda Mulhall, was found guilty of manslaughter in the same case and sentenced to 15 years in prison, a sentence she has since completed.
A man convicted of robbing a university student on the Dublin City University campus in February 2021 has received a fully suspended sentence from Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Alex Cullen, aged 27, and Alan Giles, aged 30, both of Finglas, pleaded guilty to robbery following a vicious attack on the first-year student as he returned to his accommodation. The victim was punched and kicked during the incident and had his phone and cards stolen. Two other students intervened and the men left the scene. Judge Melanie Greally noted the assault was "highly vicious and violent" and appeared drug-fuelled. She sentenced Cullen to five years imprisonment, suspended entirely on condition he comply with Probation Service directions for one year. Giles was remanded on continuing bail pending finalisation of his case on 1 July. Both men were ordered to pay €1,000 compensation to the victim. The victim, from Donegal, has since returned to his studies.
The Central Criminal Court has opened a trial for a 38‑year‑old man, who cannot be named, who has pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault. The alleged offences took place at an unknown residence in south Dublin on the early hours of 13 May 2018. Prosecutor Michael Delaney SC presented the case that the accused met the victim at a city‑centre pub on 12 May, where they later went to another bar, kissed and then the accused invited the victim to his home. The victim, who was sleeping, allegedly woke to find the accused on top of her, groping her breasts, and later again on top of her engaging in sexual activity. She claimed she resisted, pushed him off, and said the act amounted to rape. The accused allegedly apologized, claimed drunkenness, and said he was ashamed.
Lorcan Merriman, aged 25, was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years in prison for disposing of the gun used in the murder of Thomas Farnan, 37, on 25 April 2016. Merriman pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court last year to the offence of disposing of a murder weapon. He had previously been convicted of possession of a firearm and was serving a five‑year sentence for that offence. The judge noted that Merriman had not been found to have any remorse and that the gun was never recovered, thereby hindering the apprehension of the killer. The sentence was imposed with the final 18 months suspended, to be served after the completion of his current custodial term. The court expressed condolences to Farnan's family, who described the victim as a "big friendly giant" and lamented the brutality of the killing.
The trial of four men accused of raping a 17-year-old girl on December 27, 2016, continues before Ms Justice Tara Burns and a jury at the Central Criminal Court. The defendants, aged 17 to 19 at the time, have pleaded not guilty to charges including rape, sexual assault, and false imprisonment. A fifth man is not before the court. On day 13, the jury heard evidence from the arrest and interview of a third defendant, now 24. During questioning, he alleged the complainant consented, stating she initiated sex and did not resist. However, he later admitted to gardaí that he and the others "took advantage" of the teenager and acknowledged it was "wrong." He expressed regret, stating he would tell the complainant, "sorry, try to forgive us." The defendant also admitted to lying about how the complainant entered the vehicle, claiming he was afraid. He stated that the group had agreed to tell the truth to gardaí. Evidence included a Snapchat message sent at 5am, whose contents could not be retrieved. The trial is ongoing, with no final verdict or sentence recorded.
Charlotte Mulhall, known as the 'Scissor sister', ended a High Court judicial review that she had brought against the Irish Prison Service, the Governor of Limerick Prison, the Minister for Justice & Equality and the Attorney General. The action, launched two years earlier, claimed that her transfer to Limerick had prevented close family in Dublin from visiting her and sought a mandatory order to transfer her back to a Dublin facility. Mulhall's lawyers informed Mr Justice Anthony Barr that she had since received several visits at neutral venues and that the court's intervention had achieved the desired outcome. The court therefore dismissed the action, and the matter was adjourned to decide on costs. The case highlighted the difficulties of prison visitation during the Covid‑19 pandemic and the limits of judicial intervention in prison management. The proceedings did not address any criminal convictions or sentencing of Mulhall, who was previously convicted of murder in 2006.
Marius Rucinskas, 45, a former Lithuanian murderer now living in Cork, was convicted of a brutal domestic assault on his wife Renata Rucinskeine on 1 January 2020. He dragged her by the hair, struck her head off a table, punched, kicked, tried to pull her eyelashes off and threatened to kill her. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and criminal damage in September 2021. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the 18‑month suspended sentence, arguing it was unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal quashed the original sentence, increased it to three‑and‑a‑half years, but suspended the final two years. Rucinskas was released after serving 13 months in custody and entered a good‑behaviour bond. The case highlights the court's assessment of the severity of the assault and the need for a harsher penalty.
In a three‑judge, non‑jury court, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sean Gillane SC, argued that Lisa Smith, a former soldier aged 40 from Dundalk, travelled to Syria in 2015 to join the Islamic State, a terrorist organisation under Irish law. He described her journey as an "ultimate act of allegiance" and cited her viewing of violent ISIS videos, her online contact with a named fighter, and her pledge of loyalty to the caliphate. Smith's defence, led by Michael O'Higgins SC, contended that she was a vulnerable, depressed convert who did not intend to fight, and that she had not been a combatant or supporter of ISIS. The prosecution focused on her membership charge and a separate charge of financing terrorism by sending €800 to a named individual in May 2015. The court heard evidence of Smith's social media activity, her travel to Turkey and Syria, and her marriage to a Tunisian fighter. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
A 35‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for a violent, degrading rape of his girlfriend, following a prior conviction for assaulting her. He had pleaded guilty to assault and was convicted on all charges of anal, oral, and two other rapes, plus sexual assault. The judge imposed a concurrent 13‑year sentence, with the final three years suspended, and a seven‑year post‑release supervision order. The court described the man's behaviour as "entrenched distorted" and "controlling", noting his willingness to engage in prison courses and his lack of alcohol abuse. The judge highlighted the severity of the physical assault and the victim's ongoing trauma, and expressed concerns about the offender's capacity for empathy. The sentence was back‑dated to the end of his earlier two‑year term for assaulting his former partner. The unnamed 35-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A 42‑year‑old man was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for offences committed when he was a teenager. He was convicted at the Central Criminal Court of four counts of oral rape and eight counts of sexual assault against a boy in foster care, aged 11‑14, and four counts of sexual assault against the boy's older brother, aged 12‑13. The crimes occurred in the defendant's family home in Offaly between May 1995 and December 1998. The judge, Justice Deirdre Murphy, sentenced him as a juvenile, noting his low intellectual functioning and the fact that he was 15‑17 at the time of the offences. She also considered his acknowledgement of guilt, his productive life since the offences, and the authorities' failure to act on a 2001 complaint. The sentence was four years for each rape count and 18 months for the assault counts, with the final two and a half years suspended on strict conditions.
Kevin Brazil, 52, was caught driving a 13‑year‑old boy in his car four days after a suspended sentence for sexually abusing another child. The boy was given money, cigarettes, alcohol and was invited to stay at Brazil's home, where Brazil offered the boy money for sexual acts. Brazil had previously received a three‑year suspended sentence in July 2020 for sexual assault offences dating back to 2002, and in 2021 was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment for the sexual assault of a 12‑year‑old child in Dublin. He also pleaded guilty to sexual assault and communication with a child for sexual exploitation between 2019 and 2020. The court heard that the boy's mother reported the abuse three days after the incident. No victim impact statements were presented. Judge Elma Sheahan remanded Brazil in custody and adjourned the case for finalisation on 26 April.
Mary Bridget McCann, aged 19, was a resident at a Dublin 2 hostel when a fight erupted between her and another woman. A porter tried to intervene as McCann brandished a steak knife; she bit the porter's finger and held it for ten seconds. A cleaner later assisted the porter and was stabbed in the thigh by McCann. The cleaner suffered significant blood loss and a possible arterial rupture, while the porter sustained a 2 cm thigh cut. McCann, who has 23 prior convictions including nine for assault causing harm, pleaded guilty to two assault‑causing‑harm charges. Judge Melanie Greally, noting McCann's youth, vulnerability and engagement with services, imposed concurrent two‑year sentences, suspended for two years on strict conditions. No further Garda attention has been recorded since the offence. The cleaner forgave McCann and urged her to consider the impact of her actions. The porter, anxious about the incident, has not returned to hostel work.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Elliot Hourihane, the only son of Timothy 'Timmy' Hourihane, expressed that he will be forever haunted by the horror of his father's death. He described the event as a brutal assault that left his father, a former chef, with a collapsed lung and severe head trauma, leading to death by inhalation of blood and cardiac arrest. Elliot said he had hoped to help his father escape homelessness, but that hope was lost. He also noted that there were no winners, only losers, after James Brady, who was convicted of manslaughter, admitted to the killing. The court heard victim impact statements from Elliot and his brother Denis, who described the lasting trauma of seeing his brother's battered body. The sentencing was adjourned to April 25. James Brady pleaded not guilty.
A Garda witness denied that investigators were "ballyragging" a suspect held for questioning over an alleged rape of a 17‑year‑old girl by five men. Four of the men are on trial at the Central Criminal Court and have pleaded not guilty to raping the girl on the night of 27 December 2016. The prosecution alleges the girl was taken in a car to a midlands location where the five men raped her "one after another". The four defendants, aged 22 to 24, also face charges of sexual assault and, for three, false imprisonment. The jury heard six Garda interviews of the fourth accused over two days in March 2017. During cross‑examination, the defence counsel claimed the accused admitted a sexual act after 16 minutes of silence in an interview room, alleging the Garda had pressured him.
Erin O'Brien, aged 25, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for a second sexual offence involving a nine‑year‑old boy. The offence, committed on 20 September 2018 when O'Brien was 22, involved showing child pornography, touching the boy's genitals, instructing the boy to touch O'Brien's penis, and offering the child money for anal sex, which the boy refused. O'Brien pleaded guilty to a single count of sexual assault. The 30‑month term will run concurrently with a five‑year sentence he is already serving for a similar offence against another child. The court noted the offer of cash as the most serious aggravating factor and highlighted the victim's changed state and ongoing counselling. O'Brien must comply with post‑release supervision, avoid contact with the victim, and refrain from unsupervised access to children. The sentence is back‑dated to the date of his guilty plea.
Keith Lennon is appealing the severity of his nine-year prison sentence for three counts of manslaughter at the Court of Appeal. Lennon, of Forest Park, Dromintee, Co Armagh, pleaded guilty at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court after his vehicle collided with another car on the N1 in Dundalk, Co Louth, on February 29, 2020, killing Mary and Kevin Faxton and Bryan Magill. Judge Marina Baxter sentenced him to nine years' imprisonment in February 2021, stating he had turned his car into a "weapon," and imposed a 20-year driving ban. Lennon's counsel, Patrick Gageby SC, argued the sentence was too severe, noting a lack of comparable cases and that the offense was not one of intention. He also conveyed Lennon's public apology. Conversely, Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, representing the Director of Public Prosecutions, maintained the sentence was fair and within the judge's discretion. She highlighted that Lennon was driving at excessive speeds, was uninsured, and had made two Snapchat videos of the speedometer while driving, which she described as a pivotal factor in his culpability. The court has reserved judgment on the appeal.
Diarmuid Rossa Phelan, a senior counsel aged 53, is appealing a High Court refusal of bail after being charged with the murder of Keith Conlon, 36, who died two days after a fatal shooting on Hazelgrove Farm in Tallaght on 22 February. Phelan, who teaches at Trinity College Dublin, argued that a bail refusal would ruin his life's work, but Justice Deirdre Murphy denied the application, citing a serious flight risk. She noted that Phelan's assets, including a 180‑acre farm in Tallaght and a 45‑acre farm in Wexford, were substantial and could be realised without state knowledge, and that he and his children are U.S. citizens, which could facilitate evasion. The Court of Appeal was informed that Phelan intends to appeal, and a hearing is scheduled for 5 April. The judge emphasised that the bail decision was based on the strength of evidence and the potential for flight.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, four men aged 22‑24, charged with raping a 17‑year‑old girl in a Midlands car on 27 December 2016, pleaded not guilty. The prosecution alleged the girl was taken to a location where the men raped her one after another. The defendants also face sexual assault and false imprisonment charges. During the trial, the fourth accused, 18 at the time, admitted in a later interview that he had seen the girl on a footpath, offered her a lift, and that she was later taken to a location where she was "grabbed and groped" by all men in the car. He claimed he knew she was not consenting and that he had felt it was wrong, stating he had "knew what he did was wrong." The trial continues before Ms Justice Tara Burns and a jury.
Mark Crawford, aged 44, was convicted of murdering Patrick 'Pa' O'Connor, aged 24, after stabbing him six times in Fitzgerald's Bar, Limerick, on a night of cocaine use. Crawford claimed self‑defence, arguing he feared O'Connor would kill or stab him, but the jury did not accept this defence and he was found guilty of murder in October 2020. The Court of Appeal heard that the trial judge, Ms Justice Tara Burns, had not adequately instructed the jury on how to assess Crawford's self‑defence claim, and that the prosecution had not proven Crawford did not honestly believe he needed to use force. Crawford appealed on the basis that the verdict was unsafe and unsatisfactory, while the Director of Public Prosecutions maintained that the jury's instructions were proper and the self‑defence test was clear. The appeal judgment is reserved. Mark Crawford pleaded not guilty.
William Dollard, aged 32, was convicted of sexual assault and attempted anal rape of a 61‑year‑old homeless man on 30 May 2017 in Co Cork. A jury found him guilty and he was sentenced in June 2020 to five years and six months, with 18 months suspended, by Mr Justice Paul McDermott. Dollard appealed both the conviction and the sentence. The appeal against the conviction was dismissed, but the Court of Appeal reduced his custodial term by one year, leaving him with a three‑year custodial sentence. The Court of Appeal also increased the suspended portion to two years and six months. The judge noted that Dollard had become homeless and was on the margins of society, and that the arrest under Section 24 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 was lawful. Dollard is set to be released from custody imminently after serving just over three years.
During a Central Criminal Court hearing, Feri Anghel, a 42‑year‑old Romanian office cleaner, denied murdering Ioan Artene Bob, a 49‑year‑old construction worker. Anghel, who had no fixed abode, was arrested five days after Bob's body was found in Sean Walsh Park, Tallaght, on 13 April 2018. In a police interview on 18 April, Anghel described Bob as a "good guy" who often shook hands and saluted people, noting he was a heavy drinker. Anghel claimed he last saw Bob the week before the murder, at a group meal near the GPO where Bob had been handing out free food. Anghel said he had never spoken to Bob personally and that he and Bob had never gone out together. He also explained that he earned €550‑€600 a week cleaning offices and sent most of his wages back to his family in Romania. Feri Anghel pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court trial of four men accused of raping a then 17-year-old girl in the midlands on December 27, 2016, continued before Justice Tara Burns and a jury. All four accused, who cannot be named, have pleaded not guilty to the primary charge of rape. The first accused (22) also faces charges of two counts of sexual assault and false imprisonment; the second accused (24) faces two counts of sexual assault, oral rape, and false imprisonment; the third accused (24) faces an additional count of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and false imprisonment; and the fourth accused (23) faces three counts of sexual assault. The prosecution case alleges the complainant was driven to a location where she was raped by the four accused and a fifth man not before the courts. During the trial, the jury heard memos of gardaí interviews. The first accused stated he deleted messages and blocked the complainant on Facebook because he was scared. He admitted to touching her but claimed he did not have sex with her, stating he did not have the guts. He expressed a desire to ask the complainant to forgive him. The second accused denied having sex with the complainant, claiming she consented to kissing and that he did not complete oral sex because he found it nasty. He stated that letting the complainant into the car was his biggest regret. The matter is currently at the sentence stage of the trial proceedings, with the trial continuing.
During a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Romanian witness Garofita Selin collapsed while giving evidence. She was cross‑examined by defence counsel Padraig Dwyer SC about statements she had made to Irish and Romanian authorities regarding alleged behaviour by accused Mr Feri Anghel (42). Selin, who was working as a cleaner in Slane, Co. Meath at the time of the alleged incident, was testifying about Anghel's alleged "scary" pass at her. While answering questions through an interpreter, Selin suddenly became unconscious, fell from her chair and remained on the ground for 35 minutes. Gardaí, security staff and court personnel attended to her, providing oxygen and moving her to a wheelchair. Mr Justice Paul Burns sent the jury home and adjourned the case to the following day. The trial concerns the murder of Romanian national Ioan Artene Bob (49), who was found dead in a Dublin park on 13 April 2018. Feri Anghel pleaded not guilty. Ioan Artene Bob pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court trial of four men accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in the midlands on December 27, 2016, continues before Justice Tara Burns and a jury. All four accused, aged between 22 and 24, have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The first accused (22) faces rape, two counts of sexual assault, and false imprisonment. The second accused (24) is charged with rape, two counts of sexual assault, oral rape, and false imprisonment. The third accused (24) faces an additional count of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and false imprisonment. The fourth accused (23) is charged with three counts of sexual assault. Prosecution counsel Lorcan Staines SC read interview memos where the first accused stated he believed the complainant might report the incident to gardaí. He alleged she was intoxicated and did not explicitly stop him, though he denied having sex with her, claiming he only touched her leg, belly, and breast. He admitted to deleting messages regarding the complainant's passport due to fear. The prosecution alleges the complainant was driven to a location where she was assaulted by the four accused and a fifth man not before the court. The trial is ongoing.