In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 16 February 2023, Meraj Ahmed, a 27‑year‑old pizza chef from Lucan, was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment for a knife attack on a housemate. The incident occurred on 18 February 2018 when Gardaí were called to a Lucan property where Ahmed was found with severe hand injuries. Ahmed pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. The court noted that he had attacked the victim with punches and attempted to stab him in the stomach, while the victim defended himself and sustained serious hand injuries. Judge Martin Nolan highlighted Ahmed's guilty plea, lack of prior convictions, work history and cooperation as mitigating factors, but ruled a custodial sentence was unavoidable. The sentence was imposed from the date of the hearing. The case involved a history of conflict between the two men and the victim's injuries were treated at Blanchardstown Hospital. The court did not consider any future appearance of Ahmed.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 16 February 2023, construction worker Josh Keating, aged 22, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for possession of cocaine for sale or supply and possession of the proceeds of crime amounting to €23,950. Keating, who had no prior convictions, admitted to selling cocaine for the previous 18 months and was found with €4,200 worth of cocaine and €23,950 in cash during a Garda search of his home in Lucan. He cooperated fully with investigators, provided his mobile phone and PIN, and claimed he had been drug‑free since rehabilitation. The judge, citing Keating's lack of prior offences and good work history, imposed the custodial term, noting the mitigation was excellent but the offence warranted imprisonment. The sentence reflects the court's assessment of culpability and the profit made from the drug trade. Josh Keating pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 16 February 2023, Des Roche, 60, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after a drunken confrontation with a tenant over Airsoft rifles in his home. The tenant, a student, had discovered two Airsoft pistols and a rifle in a locked bedroom and the dispute escalated when Roche, intoxicated, brandished a knife. The tenant sustained temporary marks on his hands from the knife, but no serious injury. Garda Alan Butler reported that Roche was unfit for questioning for six hours after arrest. Judge Martin Nolan suspended in full a 21‑month prison term, conditional on Roche keeping the peace and good behaviour for the period. The court noted the tenant's privacy was invaded and that Roche had no prior convictions. The case ended with Roche's release and no further incidents reported.
During the murder trial of Michael Scott, the first Garda to arrive at the scene described how the flesh of his 76‑year‑old aunt, Ms Treacy, was completely ripped from her left forearm and strewn in the yard in front of her home. Sergeant Gerard Cleary noted that the marks on the ground suggested a wheel from the agricultural teleporter had spun, and that the flesh was found on the back left wheel of the machine. Scott, aged 58, was seen by the Garda on his hunkers and appeared to show little emotion. He claimed he did not know how to call emergency services and said he had not known the number 999. The prosecution alleges that Scott deliberately ran over Ms Treacy following a long‑running land dispute, while the defence maintains it was a tragic accident. The trial is proceeding before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs with a jury of seven men and eight women. Michael Scott pleaded not guilty.
The Workplace Relations Commission ruled that a HR manager should receive €7,500 compensation for the "inexcusable" manner in which she was dismissed. The manager, who was on probation, was escorted out of the office by the managing director while her desk was cleared and her partner awaited outside. She described the event as embarrassing and humiliating, noting that colleagues laughed at her discomfort and that the conversation took place within earshot of other employees. The dismissal followed her complaint about a male colleague's "disrespectful" emails, but the director said it was unrelated to that dispute and was simply a matter of her being a "bad fit". The adjudicating officer highlighted that the employer failed to observe basic civility and fairness, and recommended the compensation payment.
During the trial of former financial services manager Ciara Kelleher, the jury heard that Custom House Capital (CHC) executives met regularly with the Central Bank between 2009 and 2011. On 5 April 2011, CHC's former CEO Harry Cassidy, John Whyte, head of private clients, and John Mulholland, a non‑executive director, attended a meeting with the Central Bank concerning the dispersal of funds from a mezzanine bond. Defence counsel Michael Bowman SC questioned whether the minutes of that meeting had been read, and Detective Garda Aidan Deveney admitted he had not. The jury also heard that a stockbroker account was a notional bookkeeping place rather than a physical bank account. Excerpts from Kelleher's January 2020 Garda interviews were played. Kelleher, aged 51, has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud investors, clients and customers of CHC between October 2008 and July 2011. The trial is before Judge Orla Crowe and a jury.
Ross Donoghue, a 31‑year‑old former resident of Northway Estate in Finglas, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted robbery in the Malahide area on 28 June 2020. He tried to rob a 16‑year‑old girl and a 64‑year‑old man on the same morning. The girl was forced to remove her earphones when Donoghue demanded her phone and threatened to stab her; she escaped after Donoghue fell. The man, Robert Ennis, was tackled by Donoghue, who kicked him several times. Ennis suffered facial bruising and mild orbital swelling. Donoghue had a long record of convictions for assault, criminal damage, attempted robbery, drug possession and obstruction, and was on bail at the time of the offence. Judge Martin Nolan, after noting Donoghue's remorse and admissions, imposed a custodial sentence of 21 months, consecutive to his current term, citing his long‑standing addictions and prior convictions as aggravating factors. The sentence was delivered on 15 February 2023.
Martin Cunningham, 28, of Mulhuddart, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment for a sustained campaign of harassment against his former partner while he was in Mountjoy Prison. Between 1 January and 30 March 2021, he made 3,800 calls, many from a private or blocked number, and left voicemails threatening to kill or cause serious harm. The court found the calls were made from prison, where he should not have had a phone, and that they were part of a callous, calculating, cruel and sustained course of harassment. Judge Orla Crowe imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, back‑dated to 10 August 2021, and suspended the final six months for two years on strict conditions, including probation supervision for one year after release. The sentence also directed Cunningham to avoid any contact with the victim while in custody and during the suspended period. Martin Cunningham pleaded guilty.
Fingal County Council has been authorised by a High Court judge to submit a sworn statement in a contested application to wind up Cloughwater Plastics Ireland Limited, a plastics recycling firm. The application was brought by two creditors within the Van Werven Group, who argue the company is insolvent and cannot meet its debts. The creditors, Kunststof Recycling Van Werven BV and Van Werven Plastic Recycling Holding BV, claim they are owed €1.86 million and €477,000 respectively, and seek the appointment of provisional liquidators. Cloughwater's director, Mr Shane Woods, and the company's managing director deny insolvency, describing the dispute as a shareholder matter. The court has allowed the council to file its statement and will hear the case again on Friday. The firm employs 35 people and operates a recycling facility in West Dublin.
In a 2023 High Court ruling, Mr Justice Alexander Owens held that more than €1 million in assets linked to Ross Browning, a senior member of the Kinahan cartel, were obtained from the proceeds of crime. The seized assets included cars, jewellery, designer watches, a horse‑riding arena complex in North County Dublin, a property in Garristown, lands in Rush, and a house on Deanstown Road, Finglas. Owens found that Browning's involvement in organised crime was "probable" and that the assets were acquired either directly or indirectly from criminal proceeds. He rejected most arguments from Browning's relatives about legitimate sources, noting that Browning's financial means between 2011 and 2017 were modest and could not support the purchases. The court also directed that certain relatives receive a share of the proceeds from the sale of seized properties, while confirming that the assets were indeed proceeds of crime.
Stephen Silver, a 46-year-old mechanic from Aughavard, Foxford, County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Garda Colm Horkan at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. He has pleaded guilty to manslaughter. At the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard a video recording of Mr Silver's first interview with gardaí at Castlerea station. In the interview, Mr Silver stated that Garda Horkan initiated a struggle after approaching him on the street, and that the officer went for his gun after losing the ensuing confrontation. Mr Silver told detectives he was certain he would have been killed had he not gained control of the firearm, which he said discharged during the struggle. He said he was "a law-abiding citizen" unaware of the garda's identity. The prosecution presented evidence from Detective Inspector Brian Hanley regarding observations made during the interview. Detective Sergeant Eric Godfrey, who trained with Garda Horkan at Garda College in 1994, gave emotional testimony. The trial continues before Ms Justice Tara Burns and a jury of twelve.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing, witness Ms Regina Donohue testified that she had urged 76‑year‑old Chrissie Treacy to move into a retirement home in Portumna for her safety, a suggestion she said Treacy declined. Donohue described a series of deteriorating conditions on Treacy's farm, including damaged fencing, a switched‑off oil heater, and the disappearance of her dog Bradley. She also recounted an incident where Michael Scott, Treacy's nephew, entered her home and demanded her whereabouts after she had left to celebrate her birthday. Donohue further alleged that a letter from an agricultural consultant had informed Scott that Treacy was applying for a single farm payment on land she owned but had previously leased to him, a development that upset him. The prosecution maintains that Scott deliberately ran over Treacy with a teleporter on 27 April 2018, an act he denies, claiming the death was a tragic accident. Michael Scott pleaded not guilty.
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 15 February 2023, Mr Justice John Edwards upheld the constitutionality of the Children Act 2001, rejecting a challenge that the legislation was defective. The case concerned a 17‑year‑old boy, who was 13 when he raped his seven‑year‑old cousin, and who had been found guilty of rape and four counts of sexual assault. Mr Justice Edwards noted that the Act provides no mechanism for deferring or suspending a custodial sentence for a minor, and that the trial judge, Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, had no alternative but to impose immediate detention. Mr Justice Edwards said the law must be applied as it stands, and that any amendment would be the responsibility of the Oireachtas. The appeal will be heard by a non‑jury, three‑judge court on 27 February, as the defendant turns 18 next month. The boy's sentence appeal remains pending. The judge denied bail for the defendant. The unnamed 17-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A man who had worked for 51 years at a garage was dismissed on 17 December 2021 after the co‑owner threatened him with a gun. The worker, who began in July 1970 and earned a flat €450 a week, claimed he worked 68‑hour weeks and that the dismissal was unfair. He also alleged that the owners recorded him taking cash for coal sales and that 44,200 litres of gas were missing, an issue now part of a criminal investigation. The Workplace Relations Commission found the dismissal was without notice and that the employer failed to follow fair procedures, awarding €10,000 for the dismissal. It also found three breaches of the Organisation of Working Time Act, awarding €5,000 for each breach and €1,800 for failing to provide a statement of terms, for a total of €30,400 in compensation and redress. The worker was not awarded a claim under the National Minimum Wage Act.
The fraud trial of former Custom House Capital (CHC) manager Ciara Kelleher heard on day 11 that former CEO Harry Cassidy, John Whyte, Paul Lavery, and John Mulholland have pleaded guilty to charges arising from a Garda investigation. Cassidy, Whyte, and Lavery admitted to conspiring with others to defraud investors and clients of CHC between October 2008 and July 2011. Mulholland, a non-executive director, pleaded guilty to one count of neglect on the part of a director of a body corporate regarding the company's dishonest acts. Kelleher, who pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud CHC investors by misleading them about asset placement, remains the sole defendant facing trial. Evidence presented included testimony from Detective Garda David Coyne regarding Kelleher's 2016 arrest and Detective Garda Aidan Deveney, who detailed the retrieval of 2.5 million objects from a server and the use of forensic tools to search over 1.2 million emails. Deveney acknowledged that Cassidy allegedly pressured Kelleher regarding client valuations and fees. The trial continues before Judge Orla Crowe and the jury.
Michael Scott, aged 58, denies murdering his aunt Chrissie Treacy. In a Central Criminal Court hearing, he was reported to have held a gun while discussing "troubles with Chrissie" and saying, "I hope there's none of them people does cross me," allegedly referring to Regina Donohue's family. The prosecution alleges that Scott deliberately ran over Treacy after a long‑running land dispute. Scott's relationship with Donohue had been good but deteriorated over land and lease issues. Donohue, who had worked with the Treacy family, testified that Treacy's financial situation was poor and that she had been under stress, including the disappearance of her dog. The trial continues before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs with a jury of fifteen. Michael Scott pleaded not guilty.
Hamid Zatout, 25, was jailed for six and a half years after pleading guilty to four robbery charges, one assault causing harm and one attempted robbery. The crimes, committed in July and August 2019, involved targeted muggings of expensive designer watches ranging from €5,000 to €47,000, including a €20,000 watch from an American tourist in Dublin's Temple Bar. Gardaí used over 57 CCTV clips to show Zatout and accomplices following victims before forcibly breaking watch straps to steal the timepieces. Zatout had lived in a Dundalk hotel at the time of arrest and had previously left Ireland via Belfast in September 2019, returning under a different name. He had no prior convictions in Ireland, and the court accepted his guilty pleas, noting his remorse before sentencing.
The Workplace Relations Commission ruled that the Irish Aviation Authority must pay €2,815 in compensation to Anne Millar, a cleaner who had worked for 27 years at the Shannon aviation radio station. The commission found that Millar's dismissal was unfair because procedural defects marred the disciplinary process. The key unfairness was that the line manager and supervisor of Millar, Mr Winship and Mr Whitsell, carried out the entire process, including the decision to dismiss, without proper separation of duties. The commission also noted that Millar was the last cleaner directly employed by the IAA under a public‑sector contract that had been in place since 2002, and that she had been aware of her underperformance. The IAA had argued the dismissal was lawful on grounds of underperformance, but the tribunal found that the complaints came from a subcontractor cleaner with a vested interest.
In February 2023 the Court of Appeal increased the jail term of a 78‑year‑old man convicted of raping and sexually abusing a child over a decade. The man, whose name is withheld to protect the victim, had been jailed for seven years after a 2021 conviction on 72 counts, including rape, oral rape, anal rape and sexual assault, committed between 1991 and 2001. The State appealed on grounds of undue leniency. Judge John Edwards ruled that the original 15‑year headline sentence had been too low, citing aggravating factors such as the child's age, the duration of the abuse and the breach of trust. The new headline sentence was 14 years, with a one‑year discount for lack of prior convictions and good character, and a four‑year suspension, leaving nine years to be served. The victim's impact statement described lasting trauma and the loss of her childhood. The man's appeal last month was dismissed. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
Stephen Silver, a 46-year-old motorbike mechanic from Foxford, County Mayo, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with the capital murder of Garda Colm Horkan on 17 June 2020 at Castlerea, County Roscommon. He has pleaded not guilty to capital murder but guilty to manslaughter. Prosecution witnesses testified that Silver engaged in ordinary conversation about sport, politics and work with hotel guests on the morning of the garda's death. Forensic and pathology evidence detailed extensive gunshot injuries sustained by the deceased officer. A retired garda sergeant stated that Garda Horkan had escorted Silver to a psychiatric unit following a family incident in 2003. A superintendent confirmed Garda Horkan was temporarily appointed as a detective aid and authorised to carry a firearm in plainclothes duties. The defence has acknowledged Silver's responsibility for the shooting. The trial continues before Justice Tara Burns and a jury of twelve.
Robert Ashmore, 54, was jailed for 16 months after an online vigilante group staged a sting operation, posing as a 13‑year‑old in WhatsApp chats. The groups, 'Child Protection Awareness' and 'Justice Reborn', supplied Gardaí with over 2,000 exchanges that were explicit and led to Ashmore's guilty plea at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for attempting to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child between 3 March and 23 April 2018. He also admitted possession of 71 cartoon images of children aged eight to ten in sexual acts. Ashmore claimed he believed he was talking to scammers and had no notion of engaging with a minor. He was found to have no prior convictions, was deeply regretful, and is now on the sex offender register. The judge accepted his cooperation and the absence of witness statements from the groups, sentencing him to 16 months' custody.
In February 2023 the Court of Appeal heard the appeal of Renato Gehlen, a 40‑year‑old Brazilian who was convicted of murdering his wife, Anne Colomines, in October 2017. Gehlen had denied the murder and claimed that Colomines stabbed herself during a struggle. The jury had rejected this claim, finding the wounds unlikely to be self‑inflicted, and had convicted Gehlen of murder, sentencing him to mandatory life imprisonment. At the appeal, Gehlen's lawyers argued that a defence of provocation and loss of self‑control had not been allowed to be presented to the jury. The judges, however, noted that there was no evidence of Gehlen's loss of control and that a provocation defence would be inconsistent with the evidence of the fatal wounds. The court reserved its judgment on the appeal. The case remains at the appellate stage.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 14 February 2023, Daniel Keane, a 36‑year‑old Irish Army NCO, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, production of an article and making off without paying for a taxi. The incident occurred on 7 December 2019 when Keane and his partner, both intoxicated, had a verbal dispute with a taxi driver at St Anthony's Crescent, Crumlin. Keane left the vehicle, entered the driver's house, and used a 2‑ft black fire poker to strike the driver on the hip and face, causing injuries that required hospital treatment. He also stole €100 from the driver's wallet, later returned it, and took the driver's phone. The court imposed an 18‑month prison sentence, suspended in full for two years on strict conditions, and ordered Keane to pay the driver the €20.80 fare.
Two men from County Cavan appeared before the Special Criminal Court on 14 February 2023 following their arrest by members of the Special Detective Unit. Desmond Smith, aged 63, of Kilnavara Crescent, Cavan, and Stephen Hamill, aged 50, of Willow Ridge, Gortnakesh, Cavan, have each been charged with knowingly rendering assistance to an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, contrary to the Offences against the State Act 1939. Mr Smith faces a single charge relating to the period between 13 and 19 March 2021. Mr Hamill is charged with offences on 16 February and 13 March 2021. Both men were remanded in custody with consent to bail pending their next appearance on 13 March 2023. Books of evidence were served. Their legal representative indicated an application for legal aid would be made at the next sitting.
In a 2023 case, a layman who had been declared a null marriage by a Catholic Church marriage tribunal under canon law filed a discrimination claim under the Equal Status Act 2000, alleging disability discrimination. He argued that the tribunal's annulment declaration had insulted him and portrayed him as financially and domestically dependent. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) ruled it had no jurisdiction over the tribunal's adjudicative work, noting that the tribunal's decision‑making function lay outside the definition of a "service" under the Act. The WRC found the man's claim was motivated by unhappiness with the annulment and that he had not pursued an appeal to the Pope, the only remaining avenue to challenge the annulment. Consequently, the WRC dismissed the discrimination claim, concluding the tribunal's actions did not constitute unlawful discrimination.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 62‑year‑old man from County Kilkenny was sentenced to ten years and ten months in prison, with four and a half years suspended, for indecent assault and rape of his sisters between 1973 and 1979. The younger sister, aged five‑half to twelve at the time of abuse, was assaulted and raped, while the older sister, aged twelve to fifteen, was assaulted and raped in 1978‑79. The defendant admitted indecent assault of both sisters but denied rape of the younger sister. He had prior convictions for sexual assault in the mid‑1990s, receiving a two‑year suspended sentence in 2005. The judge imposed consecutive sentences, citing the family's poverty, dysfunction and the victim impact statements. The defendant was ordered to have no contact with the sisters. The case highlighted the sisters' survival and the defendant's alleged history of abuse and bipolar disorder. The unnamed accused pleaded guilty.
During the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, the jury heard that Gardaí carried out a keyword search of over one million emails sent and received within Custom House Capital (CHC) as part of an investigation into an alleged conspiracy to defraud investors. The defendant, Ciara Kelleher, aged 51, was questioned about her role in checking information entered into the 'Unity' system and about whether she was aware of any fraudulent activity. She denied that she had knowledge of or participated in any deception, stating that she only provided information she believed to be correct and that she was not aware of any 'backing out' process used to disguise fraud. Kelleher also denied that she had knowingly issued false valuations or backdated invoices, and she said she had raised concerns with senior staff. The trial continues before Judge Orla Crowe and a jury. Ciara Kelleher pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Kaua Da Lima, 27, and his wife Natila Vargas, 34, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis for sale or supply at their rented home in Fairview, Dublin 3, where they were raising an eight‑month‑old baby. Da Lima, a delivery cyclist, admitted he began dealing drugs during the Covid‑19 pandemic to support his family, citing financial hardship. Vargas, a healthcare worker caring for their child, also pleaded guilty. Gardaí discovered six cannabis plants in a bedroom wardrobe, with heat lamps and a fan, and nearly half a kilo of cannabis herb, valued at just under €14,000. Da Lima received a three‑year custodial sentence, suspended on conditions, while Vargas was fined €200, a fraction of the €2,500 maximum for possession. Both had no prior convictions and had not been previously known to the Gardaí.
Michael Welby, 24, was originally sentenced to three years' imprisonment with 18 months suspended for dangerous driving that caused the death of 16‑year‑old Róisín Hession in March 2020. The Court of Appeal increased his jail term by a year, quashing the original sentence and imposing a six‑year headline sentence, with two years discounted for his guilty plea and remorse. The 18‑month suspended portion remains, leaving Welby to serve two‑and‑a‑half years in custody and a four‑year driving ban. The appeal was based on the State's argument that the original sentence was unduly lenient, citing Welby's speed, alcohol level, defective vehicle and the tragic loss of a teenager. The court noted the severe impact on Hession's family and the aggravating circumstances of the crash.
On 13 February 2023, Mr Justice George Birmingham, President of the Court of Appeal, warned teacher Enoch Burke that his appeal against an injunction preventing him from attending Wilson's Hospital School might not be heard if he remains in contempt of that order. The warning came after Burke was physically removed from a courtroom by Gardaí for interrupting proceedings before Mr Justice Brian O'Moore. Burke's appeal, scheduled for Thursday, concerns orders from the High Court last September, including the injunction and a decision to dismiss him from his role as a History and German teacher. Burke claims wrongful dismissal and that the school breached his rights over a student's pronoun preference. Mr Justice Birmingham noted that the appeal could be dismissed if Burke continues to disobey the court's directives, citing his 108‑day imprisonment for contempt and a €700 daily fine imposed by the High Court.
At the Central Criminal Court, a witness testified that Stephen Silver (46), of Aughavard, Foxford, Co Mayo, appeared "looking crazy" following the fatal shooting of Garda Colm Horkan at Castlerea, Co Roscommon on June 17, 2020. The garda was shot eleven times with his own firearm. Ms Makulova, a resident of Castlerea Main Street, told the jury she heard gunshots that she initially mistook for fireworks, and observed a man with a ponytail holding a gun standing beside an injured man on the road. A second witness, business owner Dermot Mulvihill, corroborated hearing explosions and described seeing the man discard an object with a metallic sound. Forensic evidence presented showed a palm print matching Mr Silver's on the gun. Mr Silver has pleaded not guilty to capital murder but guilty to manslaughter. The defence acknowledged the accused's responsibility for the shooting, with the central issue being his state of mind at the time. The trial, before Ms Justice Tara Burns, continues before a jury of seven men and five women.
The Central Criminal Court heard that a 40‑year‑old woman and her 52‑year‑old partner abused their five‑year‑old daughter and three‑year‑old son. The abuse included repeated rape, forced oral sex, and the girl being glued to a chair. The children later disclosed that the mother forced the girl to perform oral sex on the partner and that the boy was made to perform oral sex on the man. The mother and partner were tried last year and convicted of multiple counts of rape, oral rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, false imprisonment and reckless endangerment. The mother was convicted of four counts of sexual assault, four of sexual exploitation, four of oral rape, one of false imprisonment and one of reckless endangerment. The partner was convicted of one count of rape, six of oral rape, one of false imprisonment, one of anal rape and one of sexual assault of the boy.
In a February 2023 decision, the Workplace Relations Commission dismissed the unfair dismissal claim of Fine Gael councillor Edward Timmins, who had alleged a sham redundancy at AB Group Packaging Ireland Ltd. Timmins, a former finance director, claimed he was forced out after a dispute with owner Dermot Brady over cash withdrawals. The commission found that Timmins had not raised any interpersonal complaints before the redundancy notice and that the company had a legitimate redundancy plan following a failed U.S. expansion. Timmins' refusal to participate in the employer‑led appeal process was deemed a major mistake, preventing him from presenting his arguments. The tribunal concluded the redundancy was genuine and rejected Timmins' claim, concluding the case after four hearings and a second adjudicating officer was appointed following a conflict‑of‑interest request by Timmins' counsel.
Enoch Burke was physically removed from the High Court for the second time in as many court sittings after he interrupted proceedings before Mr Justice Brian O'Moore at the Four Courts today. The Mayo teacher, accompanied by his parents and sister, sought to raise concerns regarding Wilson's Hospital School's application to correct statements in documents related to their ongoing legal dispute. The judge ruled that Mr Burke's case was not listed and that he had not obtained the proper court documentation to raise the matter. When Mr Burke persisted in speaking despite repeated warnings, three gardaí removed him from the courtroom. His family members subsequently left voluntarily. The school is seeking to amend earlier statements concerning a meeting about a student's transition, correcting details about attendees and the principal's involvement. Mr Burke's appeal against previous High Court decisions is scheduled for hearing at the Court of Appeal later this month.
In a High Court hearing on 11 February 2023, Munster Technological University (MTU) reported that it had been targeted by a ransomware group known as ALPHV, also called BLACKCAT or NOBERUS, believed to be based in Russia or the former Soviet Union. The attackers, allegedly former members of the REvil group, had infiltrated MTU's IT system and issued a ransom note demanding a substantial payment by 11:45 pm on 10 February. MTU refused to pay and threatened that the attackers would publish confidential data about staff and students. The court granted an emergency temporary injunction preventing the attackers and anyone with knowledge of the order from publishing or sharing any of the university's confidential material, and requiring any such material to be handed over to MTU. The injunction also allowed MTU's lawyers to serve notice on the parties believed to be behind the attack via the Darknet page where the ransom note was posted.
During a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, emails were presented that alleged a non‑executive director of Custom House Capital (CHC), John Mulholland, used €60,000 from his pension fund to credit a client's account and reverse a property transaction in 2010. The emails, read to the jury, show Mulholland telling CHC head of private clients John Whyte and CEO Harry Cassidy that he believed no error had been made, but he took the money to "remove this difficulty from CHC's book" and avoid the client going to the regulator. Ms Ciara Kelleher, a senior manager at CHC, was questioned by gardai about these emails and denied knowledge of any wrongdoing. She said she was not involved in any secret circle and believed her team followed normal procedures. Ms Kelleher, aged 51, pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud investors, clients and customers of CHC Ltd, with alleged offences occurring between October 2008 and July 2011.
Stephen Silver, a 46-year-old motorbike mechanic from Aughavard, Foxford, County Mayo, stands trial at the Central Criminal Court on a charge of capital murder in connection with the death of Garda Colm Horkan at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. Mr Silver has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. During proceedings, psychiatric evidence was presented regarding Mr Silver's mental state at the time of arrest. Dr William Monteiro told the court that Mr Silver refused psychiatric assessment but displayed no evidence of active mental illness when observed, appearing lucid and capable of engagement. Dr Greg Kelly, a general practitioner from Castlerea, testified that Mr Silver had disclosed his mental health declined during Covid restrictions and that he had been living in a shed. Dr Kelly noted Mr Silver's demeanour appeared inappropriate for his circumstances and that psychiatric care had diminished due to Covid-related service restrictions. The trial, before Ms Justice Tara Burns, continues.
Talia Pavia De Souse, a 24‑year‑old Brazilian student nurse and mother of two, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for possession of 330 g of cocaine, worth €23,000, which she swallowed before travelling to Ireland. The court heard that she had taken a €2,700 loan for family expenses in Brazil and was threatened by loan‑shark creditors, which she said forced her to ingest the drugs. She was detained at Beaumont Hospital for three days and was under suspicion after arriving on a newly‑issued Brazilian passport. De Souse pleaded guilty and had no prior convictions. The judge, citing her guilty plea, cooperation, lack of record and the lower amount of drugs, imposed a 21‑month term back‑dated to June 2022 when she entered custody. The sentence reflects her role as a drug mule under financial pressure and coercion.
Paul O'Brien, 38, pleaded guilty to three counts of copyright infringement for selling android 'dodgy boxes' that enabled cheap access to about 4,000 TV channels. He sold the boxes to 150 customers, charging €12 a month for activation codes, generating roughly €1,800 monthly. Gardaí traced him after a Sky investigator purchased a box from his website, IPTV Wizard, and seized evidence including a black Tower PC, flyers, business cards and bank details. O'Brien's bank account held €34,410, about 60 % from illegal sales. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the offence's "sneaky" nature, imposed 240 hours of community service instead of a custodial sentence, ordered forfeiture of €20,410 and destruction of seized equipment, and adjourned the case for finalisation on 27 April. The judge highlighted the potential earnings and the impact on O'Brien's personal life, including his partner's cervical cancer diagnosis and their 14‑year‑old son. The case remains at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Five former Roadbridge construction workers have been awarded a combined €60,000 to bring their UK severance pay up to Irish rates following the collapse of the company last year. The workers, including senior managers and foremen with decades of service, were also awarded between six and eight weeks' wages as notice pay. The workers had transferred from Roadbridge Ireland Ltd to a UK-registered entity and claimed their redundancy entitlements should be calculated using the Irish system rather than the British one. Siptu official Deirdre Canty stated that the workers were paid a much smaller severance package than they were due, as their redundancy entitlements were calculated using the British system. The adjudicating officer, Pat Brady, noted that the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 allows for redundancy payments in cases where a worker is made redundant while working abroad.
Siblings Enoch and Ammi Burke were physically removed from the High Court by gardai on Friday after interrupting proceedings before Mr Justice Brian O'Moore. The pair attended court unannounced to raise concerns about an application by Wilson's Hospital School to correct certain statements in a document relevant to Mr Burke's ongoing legal dispute with the school. The judge declined to hear their submissions, stating the court had a full list and would issue updated directions by email. When Mr Burke and his sister refused to leave the courtroom, gardai intervened and removed them. Mr Justice O'Moore later remarked that the court had been disrupted by individuals who felt entitled to make groundless complaints and deliver abusive comments. The judge sat through lunch to clear the backlog caused by the disruption. Mr Burke's case against the school concerns his dismissal following his refusal to use preferred pronouns for a transitioning student. He is currently subject to a €700 daily fine for breaching a High Court order and has an appeal pending in the Court of Appeal.
At the Special Criminal Court on 10 February 2023, Paul Crosby of Rathmullan Park, Drogheda, was sentenced to ten years imprisonment with the final six months suspended for two years, following his guilty plea to facilitating the murder of seventeen-year-old Keane Mulready-Woods. His co-accused Gerard Cruise, with addresses in Drogheda and Dublin, received seven-and-a-half years with the final six months suspended. Both men pleaded guilty to charges under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 of assisting a criminal organisation in the killing, which occurred in January 2020. Mr Justice Tony Hunt described the treatment of the teenager's remains as "disgraceful and inhuman". Evidence established that Crosby arranged to meet the victim and travelled with Cruise to Rathmullan Park where the murder took place. The judge found Crosby held a higher level of involvement in the criminal organisation than Cruise. The court heard the chief suspect, Robert Lawlor, was subsequently shot dead in Belfast. The victim's mother provided a detailed impact statement to the court.
Two Waterford men, Peter Cawley (42) and Richard Nolan (35), will be sentenced next year for transporting drugs. Gardaí on a mobile patrol stopped a van on 19 March 2020, found cannabis, heroin worth €9,683, cocaine worth €289, and tablets worth €80. Cawley drove the van; Nolan lay in the back and placed a hand‑held item in a bucket. Both were searched; Nolan had drugs in his underwear and a white wrap he swallowed, later claiming it was crack cocaine. They were arrested, the van seized, and the drugs confiscated. Cawley pleaded guilty to possession of heroin for sale or supply; Nolan pleaded guilty to three counts of having drugs for sale or supply. Both men entered guilty pleas, admitted full responsibility, and were described by Garda Conor Dooley as cooperating. Judge Patricia Ryan will place them on a one‑year probation bond, finalising the matter in February 2024.
Two men, Thomas Harvey (42) and Daniel Kavanagh (29), were sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to 18 months in prison, suspended in full, for stealing 60 kilos of meat from Captain Americas on Grafton Street. Harvey climbed a fire‑escape ladder to the storeroom, stole the meat worth €2,000, and passed it to Kavanagh, who tried to sell it in a taxi to a hotel but failed. The meat was later sold to a mother of eight for €100. Both pleaded guilty to trespass and theft. The judge noted their drug use at the time but that they are now drug‑free, and remarked that their burglary was not the most insidious. Kavanagh apologized to Gardaí, saying he acted to survive, and both men had numerous prior convictions. The court heard that none of the meat was recovered.
In a traffic stop on Lombard Street, Gardaí observed Barry Blackmore, 32, playing on his phone and acting nervously. He was found to be concealing an electric key fob in his underwear, which opened a hidden compartment behind the air vent on his car's dashboard. The compartment contained €250,030 in cash, identified as criminal proceeds. Blackmore was arrested on suspicion of money‑laundering. He pleaded guilty and cooperated with the investigation, citing fear for his life and that of his family. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three and a half years' imprisonment, reduced from a headline six‑year sentence due to his cooperation and guilty plea. The court ordered the €250,000 forfeited to the State and the vehicle forfeited and destroyed. Blackmore's background includes 32 prior convictions, 17 for traffic offences, and he is a landscaper and father of five.
During a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Ciara Kelleher, a former financial services manager at Custom House Capital, pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud investors. The jury heard that Kelleher, aged 51, claimed internal emails did not reveal her awareness of criminal activity between October 2008 and July 2011. In a second interview with Gardaí on 29 January 2020, she denied that her emails to John Whyte and Paul Lavery were offers to facilitate fraud, stating they were requests for training and procedural clarification to resolve a backlog of client valuations. Kelleher maintained that her team followed procedures, that she had no reason to suspect wrongdoing, and that she was unaware of a Central Bank directive or any illicit handling of client funds. The case remains before Judge Orla Crowe and a jury.
The Special Criminal Court has heard testimony concerning a credit union robbery in County Louth in January 2013 during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was fatally shot. Staff from Lordship Credit Union and Cooley Credit Union in Bellurgan described a coordinated assault as they prepared to transport takings to a bank in Dundalk under Garda escort. The secretary at Lordship reported that three men blocked the exit and forced entry to his vehicle, stealing approximately €7,000 in cash and cheques before gunshots rang out. A colleague from Cooley Credit Union, who remained in her car during the incident, witnessed the attack and subsequently discovered the detective wounded nearby. Brendan Treanor and James Flynn face charges of robbery and conspiracy to commit creeper-style burglaries across four counties between September 2012 and January 2013. Both have pleaded not guilty. Aaron Brady, convicted of Detective Donohoe's murder and serving life with a forty-year minimum, is named as a co-conspirator. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and two other judges.
Stephen Silver, aged 46, of Aughavard, Foxford, County Mayo, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with the capital murder of Garda Colm Horkan. The trial heard that Garda Horkan was shot eleven times with his own firearm at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. Mr Silver has pleaded not guilty to capital murder but guilty to manslaughter. Civilian witnesses gave evidence that after the shooting, Mr Silver repeatedly told gardaí: "If I hadn't killed him, he would have killed me." Garda witnesses testified that Mr Silver was agitated and aggressive in custody, and that he later spat at officers and urinated on the floor of his cell. During cross-examination, the defence counsel indicated that Mr Silver's state of mind at the time of the incident remains the central issue in dispute. The trial continues before Ms Justice Tara Burns.
A former Macra na Feirme employee, Brian Ó Góilín, claims the organisation breached an October 2021 termination agreement by withholding pension contributions to Aviva, alleging a "side deal" on pensions. He filed a statutory pay claim under the Payment of Wages Act 1991 with the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). The WRC hearing opened with adjudicating officer Breiffní O'Neill stating that Ó Góilín had signed a compromise agreement waiving his right to a Payment of Wages claim. O'Neill noted that Ó Góilín had signed the settlement with legal advice and without duress, and that he had provided no evidence that Macra failed to meet its obligations. Macra's solicitor, Johanne Duignan, denied any pension side agreement, asserting the document was executed in the presence of a solicitor on 28 October 2021. O'Neill said he would issue a written decision in due course.
In a High Court hearing on 9 February 2023, a Dublin GAA club, Fingallians, denied a mother's claim that her four children were banned from club activities. The mother, Sinead O'Farrell, had sued club officials, including the chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary, juvenile chairperson, children's officer and disciplinary chairperson, seeking an injunction to remove the alleged ban. Barrister Micheál Ó Scanaill SC, representing the club, told Justice Brian O'Moore that there was no evidence the children were banned and that the dispute should be resolved through the GAA's Disputes Resolution Authority rather than the High Court. O'Farrell's counsel argued the children were entitled to participate fully and that the injunction should be heard promptly. Justice O'Moore set the hearing for 17 February, noting the case was unusual and that the injunction application should be considered as soon as possible. The court also heard that the children are paid‑up members and participate in football and hurling.