In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 45‑year‑old man was discharged from charges of sexually assaulting a 16‑year‑old schoolgirl after Judge Pauline Codd ruled that an informal identification by the victim at a Luas stop was unfair. The man had pleaded not guilty. The judge found that the identification process lacked safeguards: no foils were used, no notes were taken, and the Gardaí present were not neutral. She noted that the victim's detailed description had been given to the Gardaí, but the identification was conducted eight days after the alleged assault, with the Gardaí already aware of the suspect's identity. Consequently, the judge excluded the identification evidence and dismissed the case, stating no prosecution would proceed. The jury was thanked for their service. The case remains closed with no further charges.
Michael O'Leary, aged 41, was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment for a series of violent incidents involving Gardaí. In March 2019 he attacked a patrol car with a hurl, smashed windows, and struck a detective in the hip. He pleaded guilty to criminal damage and obstructing a peace officer. In April 2020 he returned armed with a hatchet and kitchen knife, threatened to kill Gardaí, and threw a hatchet at a garda's head, smashing a car window. He pleaded guilty to threatening to kill a garda and endangerment. The court noted his recent widowhood and struggles with alcohol and prescription drugs. Judge Martin Nolan described his conduct as violent, aggressive and threatening, and warned that re‑offending would lead to further imprisonment. The sentence was back‑dated to his 2020 arrest. The judge emphasised that the incidents were a one‑off, but the court remained cautious.
Conor Kirwan, 27, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, after pleading guilty to multiple offences including robbery, impersonation of a Garda, and producing a syringe. He stole 11 pieces of corned beef from Supervalu in June 2020, three legs of lamb from Dunnes Stores in January 2021, and €30 from a student on Eden Quay in September 2020. In each incident he used threats or a syringe to intimidate victims. Kirwan's crimes were linked to his drug addiction, and he was homeless at the time. The judge noted his positive steps since custody. He has 52 prior convictions, including theft, assault and drug offences. The court emphasised that the suspended portion of the sentence was imposed on strict conditions. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Daniel Leonard, 32, of Barton Park, Dundalk, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to theft, assault and burglary at a residential premises on Chapel St, Dundalk, on 28 June 2020. He was caught by the homeowner moments after stealing a bicycle, a car key and a power drill, and then began to throw punches at the homeowner before being restrained and arrested. Leonard, who has five previous burglary convictions, appealed the severity of his sentence at Trim Circuit Criminal Court. In his appeal, his lawyers conceded that he had been detained in the street by the homeowner and that he had been drug‑addicted for several years at the time of the offence. The Court of Appeal, hearing submissions from both sides, found no error in principle in the original sentencing and dismissed the appeal. Leonard's sentence of three years remains in force, with no reduction or suspension granted.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Edmond Cikalleshi, 49, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for raping a woman he had invited for coffee in a Leinster town on 22 June 2017. He pleaded not guilty to the charge, but the court found that DNA evidence matched his semen to the victim, who had been examined at a sexual assault treatment unit immediately after the assault. Cikalleshi's defence admitted consensual sex but the court held the act was non‑consensual. He has been in custody since August 2019 and will serve the term with a suspended year, subject to strict conditions including probation engagement for three years. The sentence was back‑dated to his initial arrest. The victim's impact statement described profound fear, mental distress, and the lasting effects of the rape on her life and family. The judge noted the severity of the offence and the lack of prior convictions in determining the sentence.
Douglas Glynn, 37, of Dublin 1, was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to seven years and six months imprisonment for participating in the activities of a criminal organisation. The final year of the sentence is suspended, and the term is backdated to December 31, 2021, when he entered custody. Glynn pleaded guilty to charges relating to the targeting of James 'Mago' Gately between December 7, 2016, and April 6, 2017. The court found that Glynn placed a tracking device on Gately's vehicle, an act that positioned him higher in the criminal hierarchy than co-accused Stephen Fowler and others. Mr Justice Hunt, sitting with Judges Sarah Berkeley and Cormac Dunne, noted the offence arose from an ongoing plan by the Kinahan organised crime group to murder Gately, a member of the rival Hutch group. The judge highlighted that the criminal organisation was serious, well-organised, and well-financed. In mitigation, the court considered Glynn's guilty plea, entered after the trial began, and his previous minor convictions. The sentence reflects the gravity of the offence, which was prevented solely by early Garda intervention. Related proceedings include the 2018 sentencing of Imre Arakas, who was jailed for six years for conspiring to murder Gately, and the 2023 sentencing of Peter Keating, who received 11 years for directing the criminal organisation's activities.
A 53‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to five and a half years' imprisonment for raping and sexually abusing girls in the 1980s. He pleaded guilty to one count of rape and six counts of indecent assault committed between 1980 and 1988 at a Dublin town address. The Central Criminal Court noted the victims were aged between 12 and 20 at the time of the offences and that the man was aged between 12 and 20 when the offending began. Mr Justice Paul McDermott considered the man's borderline intellectual functioning, his age at the time of the offences, the repeated nature of the conduct and his guilty plea. He imposed consecutive terms totalling six and a half years, suspended the final year for three years, and imposed strict conditions including no contact with the victims and no contact with anyone under 18 unless accompanied by an adult.
A 47‑year‑old Limerick man was jailed for three and a half years after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting his sister in an apartment on 26 October 2019. He had been heavily intoxicated, drinking alcohol and smoking a joint, and had called his sister by another woman's name before telling her he would have sex with her. He dragged her to the bedroom, hit her, pulled down his trousers and grabbed her breasts. The attack ended when neighbours heard screams and intervened. The man had three prior convictions and had been in custody for two years on this and other matters. He was sentenced by Mr Justice Paul McDermott, who noted the unexpected, humiliating nature of the assault and the victim's vulnerability. The judge imposed a four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence with the final year suspended for two years, requiring the man to attend rehabilitation, abstain from alcohol and illicit drugs, and receive multi‑agency support.
Jason Finnegan, aged 19, was sentenced to five years in prison, with the final two and a half years suspended, for a series of stabbing offences. He and Mark Pidgeon attacked Kenneth Osbourne in a flat, with Finnegan recording the assault on Snapchat while shouting encouragement such as "lash him out of it." The recording lasted about 90 seconds and was later posted on social media. Osbourne suffered multiple stab wounds, including to his arm, requiring surgery. Finnegan had previously pleaded guilty to two other stabbings in Dublin's inner city and to threatening to kill a woman. The judge noted the aggravating factors of the violence, the encouragement of the attacker, and the use of social media, and imposed the suspended sentence to encourage rehabilitation. The victim, Osbourne, declined to give a victim impact statement and did not identify the attackers. The case highlighted the use of digital evidence in identifying the perpetrators.
A woman, aged in her early 20s, described a violent relationship with former soldier Niall Kennedy (31). She met him on Tinder in December 2016 and they began a relationship that involved constant harassment, unwanted contact, and repeated threats to kill her or her friends. Kennedy was convicted in December 2021 of 12 counts of rape on eleven occasions in August 2017, plus multiple counts of harassment and threats. He denied the charges and refused to accept the verdicts. After his conviction, the state objected to his remand on bail, but he was released under strict conditions, including no contact with the victim, sobriety, and a daily curfew. The victim, who was "on high alert" and feared retaliation, gave a victim impact statement describing the abuse, her fear, and her recovery. The court adjourned his sentence hearing to February 21, 2024, and ordered him to be taken into custody.
In a murder trial, 20‑year‑old Dean Kerrie, who was 17 at the time of the incident, testified that Jack Power, 25, entered his home in Portarlington by kicking the front door. Kerrie claimed Power threatened his mother and that Power's attempt to remove a knife from Kerrie's hand led to an accidental stabbing. Kerrie described being choked, thrown to the floor, and later seeing Power's knife on his brother's bed. He said he tried to move out of the way of a kick and that Power's loss of footing caused the stab. Prosecutor Michael Delaney argued the stabbing was deliberate, not accidental, and that Kerrie's statements were false. The case remains in court, with the jury hearing Kerrie's account and the prosecution's counter‑arguments. The trial continues before Justice Eileen Creedon. Dean Kerrie pleaded not guilty.
Gerry "The Monk" Hutch (58) and former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall (44) lost their High Court actions that sought to stop them from being tried before the Special Criminal Court (SCC) on murder charges linked to the 2016 Regency Hotel attack. Mr Justice Anthony Barr dismissed the men's requests for declarations that an SCC trial would be unlawful, unconstitutional, or outside the powers of the 1939 Offences Against the State Act. The judge held that the SCC's existence is not limited by a sunset clause and that the Director of Public Prosecutions may certify that offences can be tried before the SCC when ordinary courts are deemed inadequate. He rejected the claim that the SCC's temporary legislation had become permanent and that the court's jurisdiction should be limited to subversive offences. The court found no legal basis to refuse the trials or to declare the SCC unlawful.
A Kinahan-linked man convicted of attempted murder is challenging his conviction on appeal, arguing that mobile phone records used to secure his conviction breached his right to privacy under Irish and European Union law. Caolan Smyth, now imprisoned at Cork Prison, was found guilty at the Special Criminal Court in January 2021 of the attempted murder of James Gately in north Dublin on 10 May 2017. Smyth was sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment. His co-accused, Gary McAreavey, received three years for assisting in the destruction of the vehicle used in the shooting. At the Court of Appeal, counsel for Smyth submitted that phone location data gathered under the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 should not have been admitted as evidence, citing a 2018 judgment that found the legislation incompatible with EU law. The Director of Public Prosecutions contended that the phone records were recovered lawfully and that the legislation remains valid. McAreavey separately appeals his conviction, challenging whether evidence proved his knowledge that a serious offence had been committed. Caolan Smyth pleaded not guilty. Gary McAreavey pleaded not guilty.
In a murder trial, a fisherman, aged 25, was found dead in a teenage boy's home after sustaining a single stab wound to the front of his chest that penetrated his heart. The jury heard from retired Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis that the wound was 13 cm deep, 4.5 cm long, and the force used was moderate. Dr Curtis noted the victim's intoxication with alcohol and cocaine, and that he was over three times the legal driving limit. The victim, a fisherman who worked on his father's boat, had no defensive injuries. The accused, 20‑year‑old Dean Kerrie, pleaded not guilty to the murder of the fisherman, who was found dead on 26 July 2018 in Waterford. The trial continues before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury.
Mary Smith, 64, received a suspended three‑year prison sentence after pleading guilty to assault causing harm on her drinking partner during the pandemic lockdown. The victim, in her 60s, suffered two fractured ribs, serious eye damage requiring 21 stitches, and nerve damage in her hand that left her unable to write or lift a cup of tea. Smith, who had no memory of the attack, was described by the court as appalled and horrified by her actions. The judge noted her plea of guilty, remorse, and previous good character, and imposed a suspended sentence on the condition that Smith abstain from alcohol for three years. She was also ordered to pay €1,500 to the victim or a nominated charity within a year. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a murder trial, the jury heard a 999 call from 17‑year‑old Dean Kerrie, who said he stabbed fisherman Jack Power "by accident" after Power entered his home. Kerrie claimed he feared for his life and that Power had come in the front door. The call, recorded at 3.44 am, included Kerrie's description of the incident, the knife used, and his statement that he did not intend to kill. The prosecution also played a call from Kerrie's mother, Ann Fitzgerald, reporting broken windows. Evidence presented included forensic findings of blood on a wooden chair leg, a rock on a couch, and a black knife with a palm mark. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, continues with a jury of eight men and four women. The case remains at the hearing stage. Dean Kerrie pleaded not guilty.
In a murder trial heard on 8 February 2022, a 20‑year‑old teenage boy, Dean Kerrie, pleaded not guilty to the killing of 25‑year‑old fisherman Jack Power in Shanakiel, Dunmore East, Waterford, on 26 July 2018. Kerrie told Gardaí that he had been asleep when a man broke into his home in Portarlington, attacked his mother, and that he stabbed the intruder with a knife. He was arrested on suspicion of assault causing harm and cautioned. Garda evidence described a broken front window, a broken chair, a kitchen knife on the floor, bloodstains on clothing and a black‑and‑white handled knife found at the scene. The prosecution noted a single stab wound to Power's chest and that Power was declared dead at the scene. The trial continued before Justice Eileen Creedon with a jury of eight men and four women. The case remains at the trial stage.
In 2020 the Central Criminal Court convicted a 60‑year‑old man of 30 counts of sexual assault against 14 girls aged 11 to 17, after he had pleaded guilty in 2002 to ten of those offences and received a nine‑year sentence with two years suspended. The court found that he lured the children into his apartment with money, jewellery and cigarettes before assaulting them. Ms Justice Tara Burns sentenced him to seven years for the additional 20 convictions. The defendant's lawyers appealed, arguing that the announcement of the first Covid lockdown the day before deliberations began, his prior theft convictions in England, missing Facebook messages, delays in prosecution and misdirection of the jury had made the conviction unsafe. The Court of Appeal rejected all grounds, upheld the conviction and affirmed that the jury had not been pressured or misdirected. The judge described the man as a "true predator" who offered a false refuge before assaulting the children.
In a case heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Nsa Okpo, aged 53, was found guilty of careless driving causing serious harm after his car collided with a motorcyclist, Michael Sorahan, on July 11, 2013. Okpo, who was uninsured and had a suspended sentence at the time, failed to keep an adequate lookout while turning right at a junction. Sorahan, an athlete who had represented Ireland in Taekwondo, suffered severe ankle injuries, described as "burst open like a tomato," and has endured ongoing pain and surgery, with doctors stating he will never run again. Okpo's previous convictions included assault, drugs and road traffic offences, and he had served an eight‑year sentence in the UK for grievous bodily harm. Judge Pauline Codd, noting the lack of speed, alcohol or drug evidence, suspended a one‑year prison term and disqualified Okpo from driving for six years. Nsa Okpo pleaded not guilty.
In the Central Criminal Court, a 21‑year‑old rape victim recounted how, after the assault, she lay in bed picturing ways to end her life. The assault occurred at a house party in May 2017, where the accused, also 21, had arrived after midnight, drank heavily, and entered the victim's bedroom. He removed her underwear, penetrated her, and forced her to roll over, continuing the assault until she managed to get up and leave with her sister. The victim reported the incident to Gardaí on 9 May 2017 and was examined at the Rotunda Hospital. The accused, who has no prior convictions, pleaded not guilty but accepted the jury's verdict. He was sentenced to eight years, with the final year suspended, and must engage with the Probation Service for a year upon release. The judge noted the assault's detrimental impact on the victim's mental well‑being and education.
Eddie Johnson, 41, pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to his partner in Wolfe Tone Park on 28 April 2020. He was sentenced to six years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended, under strict conditions including probation supervision for two years, participation in anger‑management and intimate‑partner‑violence courses, reporting any new relationships, and drug and alcohol intervention. Johnson has 233 prior convictions, including assault, burglary, robbery, and possession of knives. The victim, who suffered a 12‑cm wound on her forehead and a 5‑cm wound under her right eye, later died from unrelated causes. The judge noted Johnson's guilty plea, remorse, and engagement with drug services, and highlighted the seriousness of the violent act and the risk of re‑offending. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with evidence presented by Gardaí and a witness video of the attack.
In April 2016, builders Stuart Cromer (43) and Michael Jones (27) attacked a street clamper at Dublin Street Parking Services after Cromer's van was clamped for illegal parking. Cromer, the main instigator, pushed and shoved the worker, threatened to "put a grenade in your mouth," and then allowed the men to empty the van of its tools before leaving. Both men pleaded guilty to assault; Cromer also pleaded guilty to making a threat to kill. Cromer received a six‑month suspended sentence and was ordered to pay €5,000 to the victim, while Jones received a four‑month sentence. Jones is already serving a five‑year sentence for dangerous driving causing death and will be released in September. The court noted Cromer's leadership in the assault and the victim's terror. The other four men involved were not before the courts. The incident was captured on CCTV and reported by staff. The defendants' prior convictions were also mentioned.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing on 7 February 2022, a 20‑year‑old accused of murdering 25‑year‑old Jack Power was described as clutching a bottle of holy water moments after telling his cousin he was "after stabbing him." The accused, Dean Kerrie of St Brigid's Square, Portarlington, pleaded not guilty. Witness Shane Fitzgerald, a cousin of Kerrie, recounted that the day before the alleged offence the three men had swum at Badger's Cove and spent the day together, with Fitzgerald returning home at about 11 pm to watch Netflix. At around 3 am the next morning, Fitzgerald heard a loud bang and saw Christopher Lee, Power's best friend, shouting that he was going to kill him. Fitzgerald tried to call Kerrie but received no answer. He then walked to Kerrie's house, where he found Power lying on the ground.
The Special Criminal Court delivered a sentence in the case of 'Jimmy' Mansfield, who was found not guilty of conspiring to kidnap former security guard Martin Byrne. The court accepted that on June 9, 2015, a gang led by Dessie O'Hare and Declan Duffy kidnapped Mr Byrne at Keating Park, assaulting him and holding him at The Towers. While the judge found insufficient evidence that Mansfield deliberately lured Mr Byrne for the kidnapping, he was found to have lied about his interactions with the criminals. The court determined that Mansfield was aware of and approved the involvement of New IRA and INLA members in efforts to recover properties lost during the 2008 economic crash, including the Citywest Hotel. Mansfield was also found to have instructed the destruction of CCTV footage linking him to the events. The judgment noted that Mansfield had previously associated with dissident paramilitaries to address debt demands. O'Hare and Duffy, both notorious criminals with prior convictions for serious offenses including murder and false imprisonment, were central to the plot. The court highlighted Mansfield's 'shoddy and selfish' conduct, such as failing to contact his former employee after the incident, but concluded that his lies did not establish guilt for the conspiracy charge. The matter was finalized with this sentencing judgment.
In February 2022, a tribunal heard retired Garda Sergeant William Hughes claim that Garda management ignored his protected disclosures about policing failures in the unsolved murder of Baiba Saulite, a mother of two shot dead in Swords in 2006. Hughes said he had warned colleagues in 2006 about Saulite's domestic abuse history and later alleged mishandling of the case. After raising concerns, he was investigated for "failure to take appropriate action" and denied the charge. Hughes then went on sick leave from 2006 to 2009, suffered work‑related stress, and was paid half his salary during an investigation into his health. He alleged harassment, bullying and isolation by superiors, naming Assistant Commissioners Michael Feehan and Al McHugh. The disciplinary action against him was dropped in 2009, and Hughes retired in 2013 on medical grounds. The tribunal continues to examine his allegations.
Sean O'Neill, a 19‑year‑old from Carton Court, Ballymun, pleaded guilty to assault after refusing a cigarette in a beer garden. On 18 October 2020, outside Lombard's pub on Pearse Street, he approached two men in the smoking area, asked for a cigarette and was refused. He then emptied his beer can, tore it up and used it to cut one man above the eye. CCTV showed O'Neill, heavily intoxicated and unsteady, lunging forward and striking the victim. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced him to nine months imprisonment, fully suspended under strict conditions.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Damien Gray, aged 25, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after punching a 14‑year‑old boy on James Joyce Street on 28 March 2018. The incident followed a verbal exchange after Gray had attended a friend's funeral earlier that day and had been drinking in a nearby pub. The boy, who was returning to his hotel with his mother, was punched in the face, knocked to the ground and later received stitches at hospital. Judge Melanie Greally noted the assault was not "particularly lengthy" but had a significant physical and psychological impact on the victim. Gray, who has 71 prior convictions, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions: nine months of probation, compliance with the Probation Service, and payment of €1,200 to the victim or a charity if he declines to accept it.
An eye witness, Christopher Lee, 29, broke down while giving evidence in the murder trial of Dean Kerrie, 20, charged with killing 25‑year‑old Jack Power on 26 July 2018. Lee described seeing Power and another man at the entrance of the Shanakiel estate early that morning. He recalled Power running toward Kerrie's house, where a long knife was held. Lee said Power turned to walk toward him, and Kerrie stabbed Power with the knife. Lee, who was shouting at Power, could not see the exact moment of the stabbing but noted Power's back to him and that Power was injured. After the incident, Lee ran to his father's house, called the gardai and ambulance, and used a golf club to break three windows in Kerrie's house. The trial is ongoing before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury. Dean Kerrie pleaded not guilty.
In February 2022, retired Garda Sergeant William Hughes testified before the Disclosures Tribunal that disciplinary action against him should have ended sooner. Hughes had raised concerns in 2008 that the investigation into the murder of Baiba Saulite, a mother of two shot dead in Swords in 2006, had been mishandled. Shortly after voicing his concerns, he was investigated for "failure to take appropriate action on information known in respect of Ms Baiba Saulite", a charge he denied. In June 2009, Assistant Commissioner Al McHugh halted the disciplinary proceedings, declaring Hughes "completely exonerated". Hughes argued the delay was unwarranted and suggested the investigation was a form of targeting. The Tribunal noted that no information that could identify anyone arrested in relation to Saulite's killing should be reported. Hughes also highlighted that his medical retirement in 2013 was due to health concerns, and that earlier assessments of his fitness for duty were reversed after a new psychiatric evaluation.
The High Court adjourned surrender proceedings for Liam Porter and Kane Hull, two British men accused of murder or manslaughter in the 2019 fatal stabbing of Ryan Kirkpatrick in Carlisle. Ms Justice Caroline Biggs deferred both cases to February 17, when she hopes to make an order. The defendants, represented by Michael Bowman SC and Tom Horan BL, argued that the UK warrants lacked clarity, specifically contending that a single factual narrative could not support two distinct charges. Mr Bowman further challenged the additional charge against Mr Porter for assisting an offender, alleging he merely left the scene with Mr Hull, and argued this did not meet the threshold for a corresponding offence under Irish law. The State, represented by Ronan Kennedy SC and Tom McGillicuddy BL, maintained that the warrant was clear and that the manslaughter charge was an alternative to murder, which a UK jury might consider. The warrant notes that murder and manslaughter carry a maximum life sentence in the UK, while assisting an offender carries a maximum of 10 years. The court did not conclude the matter, instead adjourning it to allow time for the judge to determine the appropriate order.
A 20‑year‑old man, Dean Kerrie of Portarlington, faces trial for the murder of 25‑year‑old Jack Power in Waterford. The alleged killing occurred on 26 July 2018 at Shanakiel, Dunmore East. Kerrie was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court, pleaded not guilty, and a jury of nine men and three women was sworn in. The trial, before Justice Eileen Creedon, is set to start Thursday morning and is expected to last two weeks.
Barry Doyle, 40, was sentenced by Judge Karen O'Connor to a fully suspended 12‑month imprisonment for assault causing harm after he threw Stephen Bradley to the ground and kicked him in the Beacon Hotel bar, Sandyford, on 17 December 2018. Doyle repeatedly offered Bradley a drink, which Bradley declined, and when Bradley tried to stop the offers he showed a pricey whiskey on his phone. Doyle threw the phone back, threatened Bradley, and when Bradley walked into the kitchen and grabbed a ladle, Doyle and a friend tackled him, kicking until staff intervened. Doyle pleaded guilty and has engaged in restorative justice. The sentence was suspended on strict conditions, including a €500 payment to Bradley. Both men were intoxicated and there was no prior animosity. The court noted Doyle's early guilty plea during the pandemic.
Patrick O'Donnell, 19, was sentenced for assault causing harm after he accidentally reversed into a woman's car at Dundrum Town Centre on 15 December 2020. He offered to pay €100 for the damage but the woman refused and tried to prevent him from driving away. CCTV showed O'Donnell repeatedly struck her while she stood in front of the vehicle, causing injuries. The woman suffered severe bruising, a swollen eye, headaches and worsened depression. O'Donnell pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally remanded him on bail, adjourned the case to 17 May for a Probation Service report, and urged him to seek employment and show remorse. The woman has initiated a civil action for her injuries. O'Donnell has no prior convictions.
A 62‑year‑old man was jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to 15 charges of sexual assault, including oral, anal and vaginal rape, and a single incident of sexual abuse involving a cucumber. The offences occurred between 2018 and 2019 in his Co Kildare home when the victim was aged 13 to 15. He believed the 15‑year‑old girl was his biological daughter, a belief that was disproved by a DNA test after her 2020 birth. The man used emotional manipulation, alcohol and drugs to groom the victim, who had autism. He was ordered to have no contact with the girl or her family, to undergo five years of post‑release supervision, and to never be alone with a child under 18 without supervision. The court noted the victim's strength and the serious harm caused. The sentence was back‑dated to the time of his arrest.
Zara McCabe, 34, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after attacking a homeless man she believed had raped a family member. The assault lasted 30 minutes and McCabe, intoxicated and with poor mental health, claimed she had a blade and hoped to kill the victim. She has 21 prior convictions. The victim was taken to hospital, discharged, and died by suicide a week later. Judge Martin Nolan adjourned the case to assess McCabe for community service. If suitable, he may order 150 hours of community service instead of a two‑year prison term. McCabe's children are in care and she has secured work in a warehouse. The court noted her history of alcohol and addictive problems and her "very unfortunate family life.".
Jose Lacerna Pena, 33, was convicted of orally raping a woman on Wicklow Street, Dublin, on 26 September 2017. The jury found him guilty after the judge noted that the assault was carried out "brazenly in the most public and humiliating manner" as people walked by. Pena, originally from Bolivia and without a fixed address, pleaded not guilty. In April 2020 he received a six‑year prison sentence. He has never accepted the verdict and appealed the conviction. The Court of Appeal, hearing the case in November, rejected his appeal. Justice Isobel Kennedy, sitting with Justices John Edwards and Patrick McCarthy, held that the jury was correctly instructed that the issue was lack of consent, not capacity. The appeal was dismissed, confirming the conviction and the sentence. The victim's impact statement described lasting emotional harm and gratitude to the men who intervened.
In a Dublin Circuit Court hearing on 31 January 2022, Michael Stokes (35), Richard Stokes (26) and Simon Stokes (28) were sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment each for a violent armed home invasion that took place on 3 June 2015. The three men, all from the same family and living at Kishogue Park, Lucan, entered the home of Michael Ward at Palmer Court, Rush, while Ward was in an upstairs bedroom and his pregnant partner Rachel Tennant was bathing their one‑year‑old child. The attackers shouted "Where is he?" and then assaulted Ward with Stanley knives and a hatchet, striking him with blows and punches. Ward suffered injuries to his arms, face, head and an open tibia fracture, was hospitalised for 12 days and is currently serving time for a separate offence. Michael Stokes pleaded guilty. Richard Stokes pleaded guilty. Simon Stokes pleaded guilty.
Conor Kirwan, aged 27, pleaded guilty to several offences in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He admitted to stealing three legs of lamb from a Dunnes Stores supermarket in January 2021, intending to sell them on the street to raise money for drugs, and to threatening a security guard with an uncapped syringe while pointing it at the guard. He also pleaded guilty to a robbery at Supervalu in June 2020, where he stole 11 pieces of corned beef, and to impersonating a garda at Eden Quay in September 2020, during which he forced a student to remove shoes and socks, demanded identification, and stole €30 from the student's wallet. Kirwan has 52 prior convictions, including theft, assault and drug offences, and is currently in custody. The court adjourned the case for finalisation on 14 February.
In a Dublin case, Colm Doyle, aged 60, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for sexually abusing his younger adopted sister, Doreen Stamp, over a six‑year period from 1974 to 1979. Doyle began molesting the girl when she was about ten, claiming the abuse was justified because they were not biological siblings and that a priest had told him to practice sex on her. He pleaded guilty to 28 counts of indecent assault and rape, part of an indictment of 103 charges. At sentencing, the judge accepted the victim's impact statement, noting the prolonged nature of the abuse, the victim's young age, and Doyle's role as an older sibling. Doyle was given a 33% reduction for his youth at the time of the offences and a 40% reduction for pleading guilty, resulting in a six‑year custodial term. The court also acknowledged Doyle's remorse and low risk of reoffending.
In a Dublin court, Alan Ward, aged 54, was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his wife, Catherine Doyle, 41, on 1 March 2019. The judge described the case as part of a "conveyor belt" of domestic‑violence tragedies. Ward denied the murder, claiming diminished responsibility due to a stroke‑induced mental disorder. A jury rejected this defence after hearing evidence of long‑standing violence, including threats and an attempted stabbing of his son Adam. Ward received concurrent five‑year sentences for those offences. The court heard a family statement praising Doyle as a kind, loving mother. Ward's lawyers highlighted his remorse, while the prosecution noted his history of aggression and alcohol use. The case underscored the court's call for people to seek help in abusive relationships. The unnamed accused was convicted.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, two 19‑year‑old teenagers, Andrew Hillick and Michael Matthews, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and robbery after attacking a 31‑year‑old taxi driver outside a Garda station on 17 November 2020. The court heard that the teenagers broke the taxi's glass partition, punched and kicked the driver, and stole €60 in cash and his mobile phone. The driver sustained a broken nose, blood on his shirt, and damage to his glasses. Both accused were arrested shortly after the incident; Matthews was found with a broken bottle. The judge noted their lack of prior convictions and significant adversity in their lives, and remanded them on continuing bail until 10 February. The case remains at the pleading stage, with no sentencing yet announced.
Twenty‑three character references were presented to a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 28 January 2022, supporting Vincent Williams (41) of Mountain Park, Tallaght, who had been convicted in October 2021 of five counts of sexual assault against three teenage girls. The references described Williams as a dedicated, honest and trustworthy father of five. A probation report was also read, stating he was at low risk of reoffending. Williams continued to deny the offences. The court heard that the victims, aged 12 to 16, were friends of his daughter and that the assaults occurred during sleepovers at his home in late 2012 and on 29 October 2016. The judge, Pauline Codd, noted the breach of trust and the offering of alcohol as aggravating factors, but also considered mitigating factors such as his lack of prior convictions and good work history. Vincent Williams pleaded not guilty.
Michal Gaszeich, 27, of Tallaght, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and theft at a Dunnes Stores shop in Citywest on 8 November 2020. He head‑butted security guard Sean Murphy, who was trying to stop him from stealing hot food and alcohol. The guard was injured, receiving three stitches above his left eye and a permanent scar. Gaszeich was arrested after a customer intervened and gardaí arrived. He had no prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment, fully suspended on strict conditions, including payment of compensation to the victim. The case was originally directed for summary disposal in the District Court, but the judge sent it to the Circuit Court. Gaszeich has since stopped drinking and has been in Ireland for a decade, working continuously since arrival.
The Court of Appeal has upheld the 10-year sentence imposed on Thomas Patton (53) for 24 counts of indecent assault of his cousin at an address in Co Donegal between April 1, 1984, and January 1, 1990. Patton had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court but was found guilty on all counts by a jury in July 2019. He was sentenced to 10 years by Judge Melanie Greally. The appeal against the sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, with Mr Justice George Birmingham stating that the offending was of 'exceptional seriousness' and that consecutive sentences were 'entirely appropriate'. Hugh Hartnett SC, for Patton, argued that the custodial term was 'excessive and disproportionate' and that the sentencing judge failed to consider aspects of rehabilitation. Mr Cooney, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, stated that a higher sentence would still have been within the judge's discretion given the seriousness of the offending. The matter was adjourned at an earlier hearing, but no finalisation was reached in this stage of the appeal.
Anthony Casserly, aged 25, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment with the final two years suspended, after pleading guilty to participating in or contributing to the murder of gangster Wayne Whelan, 42, who was shot and left in a burning car on 18 November 2019. Casserly had lured Whelan to a pub under the pretense of watching a soccer match, using their friendship to lower Whelan's guard. The Central Criminal Court heard that Whelan had survived a previous shooting attempt in September 2019 and was cautious about his movements. Casserly's admission of guilt, lack of prior serious convictions and remorse were considered mitigating factors. The judge noted that Casserly's role was an aggravating factor because he used a trusted friendship to facilitate the murder. The sentence was back‑dated to 12 December 2019. The case also involved Christopher Moran, who pleaded guilty to being the getaway driver. The court did not consider any further appeals or subsequent proceedings.
In a Court of Appeal decision on 27 January 2022, the State's application to jail a man for assaulting his four‑month‑old daughter was rejected. The man had previously received a six‑month prison sentence for assaulting his partner in a separate incident. Judge Martin Nolan, in the original sentencing, had said he was "taking into consideration" the attack on the child when imposing the sentence at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in March. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient. The first assault occurred on 18 September 2019 when the man repeatedly punched his partner while she held their daughter, pushing the child against a wall; the baby vomited and was still vomiting when Gardaí arrived. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
Trevor Green, 72, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for assault causing harm. Green pleaded guilty to stabbing Stephen Corr near their home in Ballyfermot, Dublin, on August 16, 2020. The accused alleged that he lost his temper after years of harassment by Mr. Corr, who allegedly intimidated Green's elderly partner. Green's partner testified that Mr. Corr was intimidating and that the harassment began in 2007. Detective Garda Michael McNulty noted that Mr. Corr was considered a general nuisance to local residents. Judge Elma Sheahan accepted that the victim had been shouting and intimidating the defendant's partner for many years, stating that Green had come to the end of his tether. The judge acknowledged the seriousness of the offence but noted it was out of character for Green, citing his good character, lack of prior offending, remorse, and cooperation with gardaí. She suspended a prison sentence of 16 months on the condition that Green keep the peace and be of good behaviour for that period. Green had previously been remanded on bail following his guilty plea last October.
A 14‑year‑old boy was found guilty of defiling a 16‑year‑old girl in a public park on 31 December 2019. The victim, now 16, described the assault as a nightmare that she relives each New Year's Eve, saying she cannot trust anyone and fears she will never feel normal again. She told the court that the boy "took advantage of my body and my vulnerability." The boy pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court. Judge Paul McDermott, applying the Children Act 2001, said a detention order should be a last resort and deferred a four‑year detention order, setting a future hearing for 19 December. He remanded the boy on bail with strict conditions, including no contact with the victim, compliance with the Probation Service, and no further offences. The boy denied unlawful sex but admitted other sexual activity, claiming the victim was the instigator and that consent was involved, a view he now rejects.
Janet Agbontaen, 55, a Nigerian woman who arrived in Dublin in 2001 under a false identity claiming to be from Sierra Leone, was jailed for two years after fraudulently claiming more than €100,000 in child welfare and single parent benefits. She used a fake name to obtain about €55,000 in child benefit, €3,000 in early childcare allowance, and €83,700 in one parent family payments. In 2002 she challenged a deportation order and her sworn statements led to charges of perjury and perverting the course of justice. Agbontaen pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft from the Minister of Social Protection, giving false information to a births registrar, and fraudulently obtaining a driving licence. She was described as a victim of domestic violence and coercion by her husband, and the court noted her lack of prior offending when imposing the sentence.
A man has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years for manslaughter following the death of his uncle in a house fire at Derrylurgan, Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan in August 2018. Daniel Murray (40) pleaded guilty to manslaughter and arson intending to endanger life, having initially faced a murder charge. At the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed a headline sentence of twelve years, suspended eighteen months of the final term. The court heard Murray set fire to sheets with a lighter in an act of revenge against his uncle Patrick Oliver Murray, who died from smoke inhalation. The judge noted Murray's prior history of arson convictions, his indifference to his uncle's welfare following the blaze, and a pattern of setting fires to neighbouring properties. In mitigation, the court considered Murray's guilty plea, expressed remorse, and engagement with addiction services. The sentence was backdated to August 2021 when Murray entered custody.