A jury has paused its deliberations for the New Year and will resume on Friday to decide the verdict in the trial of law professor Diarmuid Phelan, who denies murdering a trespasser on his Tallaght farm. The jury, consisting of nine men and three women, has spent four hours and two minutes considering the case. Judge Siobhan Lankford reminded the jurors to remain silent about the case until their return and to be unanimous in their verdict. She explained the three possible verdicts—guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty—and outlined the paths the jury may take based on intent, self‑defence, and the reasonableness of force. Phelan, 56, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Keith 'Bono' Conlon, 36, who was shot on February 24, 2022, after trespassing on Phelan's property.
In a Workplace Relations Commission hearing in June, Wix Online Platforms Ltd conceded it breached the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 by dismissing Courtney Carey. The adjudicator determined that Ms Carey was fired over social media posts regarding the conflict in Palestine. The WRC subsequently convened a hearing to determine compensation for this unfair dismissal. During the proceedings, Ms Carey was questioned by the company's lawyers about her job search following what her solicitor described as a "very public sacking." She testified that she lost her flat, relied on social welfare, and accepted a lower-paid position as an An Post clerk. Ms Carey stated she felt blacklisted from the tech sector, noting that multiple tweets and LinkedIn posts characterized her as supporting terrorism, which caused potential employers to withdraw offers. The validated procedural stage for this specific matter is a hearing or decision regarding compensation, following the company's admission of the breach.
A jury is set to begin deliberations on the murder trial of law professor Diarmuid Phelan, who denies killing a trespasser on his Tallaght farm. Judge Siobhan Lankford has delivered her charge to the 12 jurors, who will start deliberating at 10 am tomorrow. The trial, which began on 12 December, has been delayed by juror unavailability and extended beyond its original six‑week schedule. Phelan, 56, is charged with murdering Keith 'Bono' Conlon, 36, who was shot in the back of the head on 24 February 2022. The prosecution alleges Phelan fired a loaded revolver at Conlon, while the defence claims the shot was accidental. The jury will consider whether Phelan's conduct was objectively dangerous and whether self‑defence applies, with possible verdicts of guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty. The jury will return to the Central Criminal Court at 10 am on Tuesday to begin deliberations.
A second Malaysian drugs mule who believed the €389,000 in cannabis he was smuggling in his suitcase was a consignment of edible bird nests has been jailed. Chong Chong Nen (50) pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply at Terminal 1, Dublin Airport, on June 2, 2024. He has no previous convictions and has been in custody since his arrest on the day of the offence. Judge Dara Hayes noted the deleterious effect of drug crime on communities and on wider society. She said there were "specific and exceptional" circumstances in the case which allowed her to depart from the presumptive minimum sentence of ten-year imprisonment, citing the manner in which Chong Nen had dealt with the case, his early plea and his cooperation and admissions. She set a headline sentence of five and a half years before imposing a term of three years and six months, suspending the final nine months. Kim Low Swee (35), also from Malaysia, received a sentence of three years and six months, with the final 12 months suspended earlier this month, after the court heard he was under significant financial pressure. The second Malaysian drugs mule, who also believed he was carrying bird nests, has been jailed. The matter was adjourned at the sentence stage.
In a High Court hearing on 20 December 2024, the court appointed Myles Kirby as provisional liquidator for Chequer Catering Limited, the company behind Dublin's Green Hen restaurant. The company was declared insolvent, with a €1.8 million deficit and a debt of €751,266.01 to Revenue covering PAYE, PRSI, USC, LPT, corporation tax and VAT from December 2019. Chequer had no fire safety certificate and had been without a liquor licence since September 2022, yet its creditors include wine suppliers. The court, hearing an ex‑parte application from Revenue, ordered the appointment of the provisional liquidator and adjourned the case to 27 January to allow a petition for winding up to be filed. The company's directors are Frank Gleeson of Churchtown and Ciara Fox of Celbridge. The provisional liquidator will oversee the company's affairs pending a formal winding‑up application.
Sam Collins, a 30-year-old electrician from Sandyford, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of drugs for sale or supply following an incident on August 26, 2023, at Charlestown Place, Finglas. Gardaí discovered approximately €58,879 worth of drugs during a search of his vehicle and home after he was observed at the location. The court heard Collins was storing the drugs for a third party and that he had no previous convictions. Defence counsel highlighted his mental health difficulties at the time and noted his otherwise solid work history and family circumstances. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence, fully suspended, citing exceptional circumstances including Collins' early guilty plea, clean record, and unlikely prospect of reoffending.
A mother of five has told the High Court that a council property in Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim, has caused her to fear for her children's safety due to reported paranormal activity. Louise Stokes, along with her husband Thomas, had initially sought to challenge Leitrim County Council's housing decisions regarding their previous residence at Mount Temple, where they alleged severe mould problems posed health risks to their family. The council subsequently offered alternative accommodation, which the family accepted in October. However, Ms Stokes informed Mr Justice Garrett Simons that since moving to the new property, objects have moved unexpectedly and doors have shifted on their own. She stated she contacted the council about her concerns but felt dismissed. Mr Justice Simons struck out the Stokes' claim, finding it related only to the original property. He acknowledged her concerns regarding the second house but indicated that any further housing application would require a separate submission to the local authority.
In a landmark insolvency claim, the State was ordered to pay €2.84 million into the pension fund of former Protim Abrasives Ltd employees. The claim, brought by Kieran Wallace of Interpath Advisory, challenged the State's refusal to contribute a larger sum to the scheme in 2022. The tribunal found that the relevant contribution at the time of the company's 2009 liquidation was €3.7 million, not the €6.1 million later sought. After accounting for €876,000 recovered in liquidation, the adjudicator ruled the Minister for Enterprise must pay €2.84 million. The decision highlighted that capital contributions to a defined‑benefit pension can be treated as relevant contributions under the 1984 Act, and that the State could not justify the larger figure as a "coach and four" through the legislation. The ruling affirms the State's liability to fund the pension deficit.
Cailean Crawford, 28, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of murdering Thomas McCarthy, 55, at his mother's home in Ballyfermot on 27 July 2020. Crawford pleaded not guilty but was found guilty of the murder and of perjury during the trial. He had a prior conviction for conspiring to murder gangland figure Wayne Whelan, for which he served five years. The jury deliberated eight hours and twenty minutes before returning a unanimous verdict that Crawford fired several shots from a blue Ford Fiesta, killing McCarthy. Judge Tony Hunt sentenced Crawford to mandatory life imprisonment, backdating the sentence to 1 June after his previous term ended. The sentencing followed the prosecution's case that Crawford was the assassin who carried out the execution and that he had lied in court to avoid responsibility. The judge noted Crawford's prior criminal history and the seriousness of the murder.
Thomas 'Nicky' McConnell, aged 38, was found guilty by the Special Criminal Court of murdering Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch's nephew Gareth Hutch in a Dublin ambush eight years earlier. The court, led by Mr Justice Alexander Owens, concluded that McConnell was the second gunman alongside Jonathan Keogh, who fired the fatal shots. McConnell's firearm was later discovered with the safety engaged and did not discharge, yet the court determined his preparatory actions and intent linked him to the murder. Evidence included mobile phone data, CCTV footage, and McConnell's own false statements to Gardaí. McConnell had previously pleaded not guilty. He now faces a mandatory life sentence, to be imposed on January 27, 2025. The verdict follows earlier convictions of Regina Keogh, Jonathan Keogh, and Thomas Fox for the same murder. The trial, delayed for 16 months, relied heavily on digital and forensic evidence to establish McConnell's role.
An adjudicator of the Workplace Relations Commission is set to decide whether a school's ear‑piercing policy may constitute indirect discrimination under the Equal Status Act 2000. The complaint, brought by a boy's solicitor, argues that the school's rule—allowing only one small stud per ear—imposes a gendered identity on the student, citing local customs that associate two earrings with girls and a single left‑ear stud with heterosexuality. The 16‑year‑old, who has a silver stud in his left ear, claims the rule is not neutral and that he was subjected to sanctions such as being denied lunch breaks and assigned to evening detention. The school denies the allegations, stating it has enforced its uniform code consistently and that the rule merely limits the number of studs per ear. The hearing concluded with the adjudicator postponing a decision until the New Year, while the press was instructed not to name the school to protect the student's identity.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 19‑year‑old Scott Cahill was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with the last two years suspended on strict conditions, including probation supervision. Cahill, who had been on bail when he attacked British tourists in Temple Bar on 11 August 2023, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assault causing harm. CCTV footage showed him punching three men and stamping on one's head. Two victims were taken to hospital, one with a broken nose and lacerations, the other with a cut to the back of the head. Victim impact statements described lasting physical injuries and psychological effects such as PTSD and hyper‑vigilance. Cahill has four prior convictions, was deemed high‑risk of re‑offending, and has not behaved well in custody since September 2023. The judge noted his guilty pleas, remorse, youth and reports from psychologists and probation staff as mitigating factors.
Anthony Nugent, 38, was sentenced to five years and six months' imprisonment for raping three children between 1999 and 2002 when he was a teenager. The Central Criminal Court heard that the victims, aged eight to ten at the time, suffered lasting harm. Nugent was convicted of sexual assault, oral rape and anal rape of the first boy, and of anal and oral rape of a second boy, and of anal rape of a third boy. The judge applied headline sentences of 14 years for the first two offences and eight years for the third, then reduced them to seven and four years respectively, citing Nugent's youth as a mitigating factor. The final sentence was back‑dated to 24 October, with the last six months suspended under strict conditions and a two‑year probation order.
Patrick O'Toole, a Wicklow solicitor and former developer aged 63, was found guilty of three counts of deception and two counts of attempted deception relating to a false letter that claimed he had paid a €64,840 financial contribution for an apartment complex. He had used the letter to induce purchasers to complete sales in 2006‑2008 and attempted to dissuade Wicklow Town Council from seeking the money in 2008 and 2012 by sending the same letter and suggesting the council contact former clerk Frank O'Toole. The court acquitted him of a single corruption count. He was sentenced to a suspended 18‑month term for the 2012 attempted deception, fined €20,000 for the 2008 attempt, and the other three deception counts were taken into consideration. He has since paid the full amount, an overpayment of €10,000, to the local authority. The judge noted no prior convictions and imposed a non‑custodial sentence. Patrick O'Toole pleaded not guilty.
Cllr Paul Hogan, Cllr Aengus O'Rourke, and Cllr John Dolan welcomed a High Court adjournment in their challenge to a plan to house approximately 1,000 male asylum seekers in tented accommodation in Athlone. The applicants alleged that the ministerial process was unlawful, irrational, and breached fair procedures, claiming deficiencies in environmental screening, wastewater assessment, and traffic impact analysis. At the hearing, counsel for Cllr Hogan stated that the State had conceded the case, resulting in the development being classified as unauthorised. However, the applicants maintained that substantive environmental and planning issues remained unaddressed. Mr Justice Richard Humphreys adjourned the matter to January 27 to allow for further detailed consideration of these wider grounds. The State confirmed that works on the Lissywollen site would cease on December 20, though the site would remain in operation pending a final court determination. The councillors, including Mayor Frankie Keena, stated that the adjournment provides an opportunity to have their broader concerns heard in full by the High Court.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Liam Whelan, aged 43 and homeless, was convicted of assault causing serious harm and robbery after he attacked a cardiologist with a champagne bottle at the victim's home. The attack left the doctor with a skull fracture, a large blood clot, permanent hearing loss in one ear, and a six‑month work‑disability due to seizure risk. Whelan, who has 63 prior convictions, pleaded not guilty but was found guilty by a unanimous jury. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to ten years and six months, with the final twelve months suspended for three years on strict conditions. The court noted the severity of the injuries, the unprovoked nature of the assault, and the use of a bottle as a weapon in determining the sentence. The case highlighted the victim's significant physical and financial losses following the incident.
The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal of two Malaysian students, Chain Wen Wei and Tang Ting Ting, regarding their refusal of entry to Ireland in December 2020. The appellants alleged that immigration officers incorrectly interpreted Section 4(3)(j) of the Immigration Act 2004, specifically the word 'or', when denying them entry to pursue an online English course during the pandemic. They argued that 'public policy' and 'national security' should be treated as conjunctive concepts, requiring a finding of a real and immediate threat to the State. The High Court and Court of Appeal had previously dismissed their judicial review actions against the Minister for Justice and An Garda Síochána, favoring a disjunctive interpretation. In the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Seamus Wolfe ruled that 'or' is disjunctive, distinguishing 'national security' from the broader concept of 'public policy'. He held that the officers were entitled to refuse entry on public policy grounds under pandemic guidelines for distance learning. The appeal was dismissed by a four-to-one majority, with Mr Justice Hogan dissenting. The matter is concluded with the dismissal of the appeal.
In a Court of Appeal hearing, Mr Justice John Edwards increased the sentence of Soufiane Mountassir, a 40‑year‑old on‑the‑run arsonist, from three to five and a half years for false imprisonment and assault causing harm. Mountassir had forced his former partner into the boot of her car, driving her to dark locations where he beat her for an hour and 40 minutes, causing her to fear for her life. He had been drinking, taking Dalmane, cocaine and cannabis during the attack. The Court noted the dominance, coercion and abuse of power in the intimate relationship, and that the original sentence was too lenient. The new headline sentence was set at eight years, with a two‑and‑a‑half‑year reduction for mitigating factors, resulting in the final five‑and‑a‑half‑year term. The decision was based on the aggravating nature of the violence and the victim's prolonged trauma. Soufiane Mountassir pleaded guilty.
The Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal against conviction by a Donegal man sentenced to ten years imprisonment for the repeated rape of a teenager. Liam Carr, aged 62, with an address in Ballina, Falcarragh, County Donegal, was convicted following trial at the Central Criminal Court in Sligo in 2021 of 31 counts including sexual assault, anal rape and oral rape of the boy between September 1995 and September 2000. The trial was the fifth proceeding on the same charges, after juries in three earlier trials were discharged for legal reasons and a fourth jury could not reach agreement. Carr argued the multiple trials breached his right to a fair trial and raised concerns about witness evidence and jury directions. Justice Isobel Kennedy rejected these grounds, finding no abuse of process and noting the trial judge had properly directed the jury on the standard of proof and presumption of innocence. The conviction appeal has been dismissed.
A secondary school teacher from Donegal Town has had her conviction upheld by the Court of Appeal following a challenge to her trial proceedings. Jacinta McSherry O'Connor, aged 64, was found guilty in October 2023 at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of two counts of indecent assault against a male student in 1985. The assaults occurred in the student's home while she was providing grinds; she was 24 at the time and the boy was 13. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy dismissed McSherry O'Connor's appeal, which contended that the jury should not have heard evidence of disclosures she made about her own alleged sexual assault. The court determined that such evidence was relevant to establishing grooming behaviour. McSherry O'Connor was sentenced to three years on each count concurrently, with the final six months suspended. McSherry O'Connor pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Philip Griffin, aged 37, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment with the final six months suspended, after pleading guilty to manslaughter on the basis of gross negligence for his role in a house fire that killed Anthony O'Brien, 30, and his five‑year‑old daughter Nadine. Griffin, who had 41 prior convictions, did not start the fire but saw it lit and left without raising the alarm or attempting to extinguish it, despite knowing people were inside. He admitted his involvement ten years after the incident, when he was already in prison for another offence. The judge noted that the fire had been treated as accidental until Griffin's statement, and that the sentence reflected mitigating factors including his remorse. The O'Brien family, led by mother Kelly O'Brien, expressed shock and grief, describing the sentence as a "joke" and demanding justice for the loss of her husband and child.
An alcoholic father, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of child neglect after his baby was found blue and shivering in a car in Dublin 15 on 21 October 2023. He had forgotten where he left the vehicle while drinking and had not reported the missing child immediately. Gardaí searched the area, locating the car at 4:55 am; the infant, dressed in a babygrow, was rescued, wrapped in blankets, and taken to Temple Street Children's Hospital where a doctor confirmed the baby had been exposed to low temperatures but had recovered. The court, considering mitigating factors such as the father's early guilty plea and expressions of remorse, imposed a two‑year sentence suspended in full for three years and directed continued addiction treatment. The baby was placed in the care of other family members until the mother returned, and the father had previously completed a five‑week residential rehabilitation programme.
Jamie Harbron, 31, of Billingham, UK, pleaded guilty before the Special Criminal Court to a drugs offence for attempting to possess cocaine for sale or supply between 21 and 25 September 2023, under the Misuse of Drugs Act. He also faces a further charge of contributing to an activity that could facilitate an organised crime group. The offence relates to the seizure of 2.25 tonnes of cocaine, valued at over €157 million, from the Panamanian‑registered bulk carrier MV Matthew in Irish waters. Eight men, including Harbron, were charged after the raid. Harbron's counsel, Michael O'Higgins SC, argued that the early guilty plea should mitigate the sentence, typically allowing a 25 % reduction from the headline sentence. The remaining seven defendants are scheduled for trial in January, and Harbron will also appear to set a sentencing date. He remains in custody awaiting sentencing.
A 35‑year‑old convicted sex offender was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for raping a 17‑year‑old girl who was staying with her family after becoming homeless. The offender, who is the mother's partner's nephew, had previously been convicted of child defilement in 2018. He pleaded guilty to one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The court noted that the victim was intoxicated and homeless, and that the offender had repeatedly assaulted her in a car and at home, culminating in rape. The judge imposed a headline sentence of 12 years for rape, but, after mitigation, sentenced him to eight years with the final 12 months suspended for two years, and directed strict conditions and a five‑year post‑release supervision order. The offender was ordered to have no contact with the victim. The victim's impact statement described lasting physical and psychological harm. The offender expressed remorse and accepted his punishment.
John Tate, 62, of Iveagh Trust, Kevin Street, Dublin 8, appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after being charged in Dublin District Court with two counts of arson, two counts of violent disorder and two incidents of obstructing traffic at Parnell Street and O'Connell Street on 23 November 2023. Judge Elva Duffy adjourned the case to 25 February for arraignment, remanding Tate on continuing bail. He will decide whether to plead guilty or request a trial date.
A man described as middle management in a significant drug operation has been sentenced to seven years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Philip Lawless, aged 48 and from Leixlip, County Kildare, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis and cocaine worth over €3.18 million for sale or supply at two Dublin locations on 3 April 2024. Gardaí conducted surveillance operations last April, tracking vehicles to a storage unit in Ballymount, Tallaght, and a subsequent stop on Beresford Street, Dublin 7. Searches uncovered substantial quantities of drugs at both locations. Phone analysis revealed Lawless was directing the activity of two other men, with one having saved his contact as "boss man". Evidence indicated he received instructions from a person further up the operation's hierarchy. Judge Dara Hayes imposed a headline sentence of twelve and a half years, reduced to eight and a half years, with the final eighteen months suspended. Lawless must engage with the Probation Service upon release.
Shirley Creighton, 49, of Derham Park, Balbriggan, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious bodily harm after striking a woman in her late 80s who was crossing Bridge Street. The victim suffered a serious leg fracture, required surgery and skin grafts, and had her home adapted for independent living. CCTV showed the victim was halfway across the road when Creighton began her manoeuvre. Judge Dara Hayes, considering the seriousness of the offence, the victim's vulnerability, and Creighton's good character and post‑incident conduct, imposed a nine‑month custodial sentence but substituted it with 100 hours of community service to be completed within 12 months. Creighton had not driven for six months after the crash, had sold her car, and expressed remorse, with her family and local community holding her in high esteem. The court accepted her willingness to undertake community service and her request to retain her driving licence.
A man with previous convictions for rape and kidnapping has pleaded guilty to harassing three female journalists at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Mark McAnaw, aged 52 and previously resident in Letterkenny, County Donegal, admitted to three counts of harassment against Sunday World staff members on various dates in August 2023. Judge Martin Nolan ordered the preparation of victim impact statements. McAnaw was remanded in custody pending sentence, scheduled for March 7 next. McAnaw has an extensive criminal history including a nine-year sentence imposed in 2012 for sexually assaulting a student in Donegal in 2010, and a 1989 conviction for kidnapping. He received an eight-year and four-month sentence in June 2023 for a separate assault, with the final 16 months suspended for 16 years subject to probation supervision.
Three men convicted of the kidnap and torture of Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney have had their appeal adjourned for three months by the Court of Appeal. Alan Harte (43), Alan O'Brien (43) and Darren Redmond (30), all from East Wall, Dublin, sought to overturn their December 2022 convictions for false imprisonment and intentionally causing harm. Their barristers argued that key DNA evidence from a van destroyed by fire while in garda custody should have been inadmissible, and raised concerns about the admissibility of phone records and CCTV footage obtained in breach of law. The three-day hearing before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and colleagues did not conclude as scheduled. The men were originally convicted following the abduction of Mr Lunney from his home in County Fermanagh on September 17, 2019, and his subsequent assault at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, County Cavan. Harte received a 30-year sentence, O'Brien 25 years, and Redmond 18 years with the final three suspended. The appeal will resume on March 11, 2025.
The Court of Appeal has upheld a High Court order halting development at a wind farm in Cashelnavego, County Donegal, finding the project to be unauthorised due to multiple planning deviations. Ms Justice Nuala Butler dismissed an appeal by Planree Limited and Mid Cork Electrical Limited against restraints imposed by Donegal County Council, ruling that the 19-turbine development cannot proceed in its current form. The court found that whilst the companies accepted the existence of twenty-five unauthorised works, the deviations render the entire development unauthorised and cannot be severed from the permitted elements. The judges rejected arguments that the developers should be permitted to complete remaining works pending a substitute consent application to An Bord Pleanála, finding insufficient evidence of insolvency risk or exceptional circumstances warranting relief. The High Court had imposed the development ban following a significant bog slide at the site four years ago, though both parties acknowledged the ground works conformed with permissions granted. The Court of Appeal ordered costs in favour of the council.
Lawyers for Garda analyst Lois West, who was deputy head of the Garda Siochána Analytics Service, have asked the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) adjudicator, Roger McGrath, to step aside. West claims she has suffered ongoing penalisation, bullying, harassment and sexual harassment since testifying to the Oireachtas in 2018 about errors in homicide data. She is pursuing complaints under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Payment of Wages Act 1991 against the Commissioner of An Garda Siochána, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Government. At a hearing, the adjudicator declined to allow a retired senior manager to be summoned as a witness and refused an order for disclosure of correspondence involving West's treating psychologist. West's barrister, David Byrnes, said the client does not accept these decisions and seeks a motion for recusal, arguing an unfair hearing.
The Court of Appeal rejected the appeal of 36‑year‑old Polish national Sebastian Barczuk, who was convicted of murdering his former flatmate Michal Kurek, a homeless man, by stabbing him 62 times in August 2017. Barczuk had argued that mobile phone data used at his trial was unlawfully obtained by Gardaí. Mr Justice Michael MacGrath held that the Gardaí complied with the Communications (Protection of Data) Act 2011 and that the phone data was admissible. He also rejected the claim that the trial judge should have discharged the jury because the phone data was not properly proved, finding no gap in the evidence that would justify such a discharge. The Court therefore dismissed the appeal, leaving Barczuk's conviction and mandatory life sentence in place. The case remains at the Court of Appeal stage. Sebastian Barczuk pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal has increased the prison terms for Adam Murphy and Keith McCormick-Smith, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter and multiple vehicle thefts. The court ruled that their original sentences were unduly lenient. Murphy, who admitted to manslaughter and seven other offences committed in a spree in Dublin on January 23, 2022, had his combined sentence raised from nine and a half years to 12 years. The Court of Appeal found that the sentencing judge erred in principle by fully suspending the two-and-a-half-year consecutive sentence for the theft offences. The court imposed four years for the unauthorised taking counts, consecutive to the manslaughter term, resulting in a total of 12 years after reductions and a six-month suspension. McCormick-Smith, who also pleaded guilty to the same theft charges plus possession of stolen property, saw his sentence more than double from two years and two months to five years. The court determined that the original headline sentence was a substantial departure from the norm. It imposed two consecutive four-year sentences for the thefts, reduced to six years, with the final 12 months suspended. Both men were convicted of leaving a victim, Ian McDonnell, to die after he was thrown from a stolen car during the crime spree.
The trial of Riad Bouchaker, 50, accused of seriously assaulting a care worker and attempting to murder three children outside a primary school in Dublin, has been postponed. Lawyers have requested a neuropsychologist's report, which is expected by the end of February. The court has adjourned the case to February 26 for an update. Bouchaker faces charges of attempted murder of two girls and a boy, assault causing serious harm to a care worker, and possession or production of a knife. The incident occurred on 23 November 2023 outside the school.
The State has withdrawn the attempted murder charge against Philip Cox, a 40‑year‑old man, after a second Central Criminal Court jury failed to reach a verdict. The charge was dropped following a nolle prosequi entered by the Director of Public Prosecutions, as the judge noted the high standard required to prove an attempted murder, which demands proof of both an attempt to kill and an intention to kill. Cox had pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of his former partner, Cristal O'Brien, but had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, aggravated burglary and the production of a knife. The judge directed that the case proceed to a sentence hearing on the three remaining charges, with Cox remanded in custody until the hearing on 20 January. The victim, Ms O'Brien, expressed satisfaction with the decision, and the judge highlighted the difficulty juries face in proving the specific intent required for attempted murder.
Three civil servants were suspended after a security probe revealed an unauthorised computer in the basement of the Department of Foreign Affairs passport service offices. One of the suspended staff, a senior porter with decades of service, was dismissed because he was found to have used other employees' credentials to log into the highly sensitive Automated Passport System (APS) database. The WRC hearing detailed that the porter had repeatedly accessed the database using the login details of two other civil servants, a practice that the department deemed a sustained breach of IT policy. The porter denied knowingly breaching the system, but the department's secretary‑general ruled that his actions were damaging to the State and could not be remedied by transfer or demotion. The hearing concluded with an adjudicator set to issue a decision in writing.
A member of the Irish Defence Forces has been convicted of raping a fellow soldier at a Dublin hotel in July 2021. Kielan Mooney, aged 30 and from Londonderry, was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court this month on charges of anal rape, oral rape, and rape. He had pleaded not guilty to six charges in total; the jury could not reach verdicts on three remaining counts. The complainant, also a serving member of the Defence Forces, chose not to be publicly identified. According to evidence, the assault occurred in a hotel room in Dublin city centre. The woman stated she had instructed Mooney to stop, but he continued. She subsequently contacted friends, who arrived at the hotel and removed him from the room before gardaí were called. In a victim impact statement, the woman described the lasting trauma and its effects on her career and mental health. Mr Justice Tony Hunt remanded Mooney in custody pending sentencing on 20 January 2025.
A man from Galway, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, was convicted on 30 November 2022 of five counts of indecent assault against two sisters‑in‑law and one brother‑in‑law, all of whom were children at the time of the offences. The jury at the Galway Circuit Court found him guilty and Judge Brian O'Callaghan sentenced him to 23 months' imprisonment on 15 June 2023. The defendant appealed to the Court of Appeal, arguing that the verdict was "perverse" because of alleged inconsistencies in the evidence and that the trial judge had erred by refusing to sever the indictment. Ms Justice Tara Burns dismissed the appeal, stating the appellant failed to meet the high threshold for a perverse verdict and that the trial judge had not erred in refusing to separate the cases. The conviction was upheld and the appeal against conviction was dismissed. The unnamed appellant pleaded not guilty.
Three men convicted of the kidnapping and torture of Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney have appealed their sentences at the Court of Appeal, arguing that crucial DNA evidence from a Renault Kangoo van should not have been admitted at trial. Alan Harte, Alan O'Brien, and Darren Redmond were convicted in December 2022 of false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, County Cavan on 17 September 2019. Harte received a 30-year sentence, O'Brien 25 years, and Redmond 18 years with the final three suspended. Their legal representatives argued the van, which was destroyed by fire while in garda custody, was not properly preserved, depriving the defence of independent forensic examination. DNA matching Mr Lunney was found inside the vehicle, whilst DNA matching Redmond was discovered on bars behind the front seats. The prosecution contended the evidence remained admissible and highly probative. The appeal hearing continues.
Thomas Collins, 59, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for the sexual abuse of his three cousins, Gretta Conlon, Catherine Conlon, and Gerard Conlon. Collins pleaded guilty to 21 sample counts of indecent assault, attempted rape, and rape committed between 1978 and 1992. Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring handed down a sentence of 12 and a half years, suspending the final year on conditions. The sentence was backdated to Collins' guilty pleas in October this year. He is currently serving a separate nine-and-a-half year sentence for abusing another person decades later. The court noted that Collins made "wholesale admissions" to gardaí in 1997 and 2002, yet was not charged until 2023. Ms Justice Ring stated the case should have been dealt with decades ago and highlighted that a garda's conduct in discouraging the victims from proceeding in 1997 had "all the hallmarks of misconduct in public office." The judge praised the victims' determination after waiting 27 years for justice. Collins' barrister argued he was a juvenile for much of the offending and that his early cooperation spared the complainants further re-traumatisation. The victims, who attended the sentencing, described the long struggle for justice and the lasting impact of the abuse.
Derek Landers, 42, who has lived in Lanzarote, Spain for 20 years, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of drugs for sale or supply after a pallet of cannabis was seized at Dublin Port. The pallet, weighing 54 kg and valued at €1,046,000, was hidden under towels and discovered by customs and Gardaí. Landers admitted he believed he was collecting horse feed and was offered €250 for the job, later claiming he was asked to do a job for €1,000. He has 19 prior convictions in Spain and Ireland. Judge Elva Duffy, noting that Landers was not at the top rung of the drug‑distribution ladder, sentenced him to five years' imprisonment. The case involved a joint customs‑Garda operation that intercepted the shipment and examined the contents. Landers expressed remorse and apologized to his family, society and the court. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and Landers' guilty plea.
Adjudicator David James Murphy of the Workplace Relations Commission dismissed an unfair dismissal claim brought by Gabor Hoff against Lidl Ireland Gmbh. Hoff, a deputy logistics manager at the Charleville distribution centre, was dismissed on 16 December 2022. Lidl alleged that on 20 October 2022, Hoff remarked to two female workers that the warehouse work was too physical for women and that he did not hire females for such roles. Hoff disputed the accuracy of these statements, claiming they were taken out of context and that he did not intend offence. However, Lidl presented evidence that Hoff was already on a final written warning for previous suggestive comments and had recently completed dignity at work training. The adjudicator found it reasonable to infer that the female complainant was offended, noting her formal complaint and visible distress. Considering Hoff's prior disciplinary history and the unacceptable nature of the alleged comments, the adjudicator concluded that dismissal was a reasonable response available to the employer. Consequently, the claim was found not well founded, and Hoff lost his challenge to the sacking.
A Dublin City Centre Traders Alliance, led by solicitor Noel Smyth, has been granted leave to seek a judicial review of traffic restrictions imposed by Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority. The alliance, which includes owners of city‑centre car parks and members of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, argues that the traffic‑calming measures on Liffey quays—such as bans on private vehicles between 7 am and 7 pm—were adopted beyond the council's powers and will cost the city nearly €400 million. The traders' July 2024 report predicts a €141 million drop in retail spending by 2028 and a loss of over 6,000 jobs, amounting to an adverse monetary impact of €390 million. They seek orders quashing the July 2024 adoption of the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan, the council's subsequent orders on implementation and signage, and claim the council acted ultra vires and without a required environmental impact assessment.
Anthony Ryan, 49, was found guilty of possessing and distributing child pornography after an FBI tip‑off led to a search of his home and the seizure of 575 items, including 326 images of girls under 12 and 159 videos of sexual activity. He had originally received a fully suspended three‑year sentence, but the Court of Appeal quashed it, citing the seriousness of distribution and the need for deterrence. Ryan was resentenced to 18 months in prison, with a headline four‑year term reduced to two and a half years, the final year suspended. He will begin custody after Christmas, with a post‑release supervision order of two years. The court deferred the warrant to the first week of January, allowing Ryan to finish a course before incarceration. The decision was based on the State's appeal that the original sentence was too lenient.
In a Central Criminal Court case, Mr Justice Tony Hunt explained the difficulty of deliberating on an attempted murder charge after a second jury of 12 failed to reach a verdict. The case involved 40‑year‑old Philip Cox, who had stabbed his former partner, Cristal O'Brien, twice with three knives. Cox pleaded not guilty to attempted murder but guilty to assault causing harm, aggravated burglary and knife production. The jury deliberated for seven hours over three days, then for five hours after the judge offered a majority verdict option. When no ten‑member majority emerged, the judge declared the jury deadlocked and discharged them, noting the high standard of proof required for attempted murder. He advised the jury not to reproach themselves and highlighted that the case was highly contentious, with the outcome dependent on the Director of Public Prosecutions. The judge thanked the panel and wished them a happy Christmas, exempting them from service for ten years.
A sentencing hearing for former garden‑centre owner Nathan McDonnell, 44, was adjourned to 13 January after he pleaded guilty to importing crystal meth and facilitating an organised crime group. McDonnell admitted that between 16 October 2023 and 12 February 2024 he helped a criminal organisation import, sell and supply controlled drugs, knowing of its existence. He had earlier pleaded guilty to importing one or more controlled drugs, namely methylamphetamine, on 16 October 2023 at Cork Port, Ringaskiddy, in breach of the Misuse of Drugs Act. The State's case alleges the drugs were imported from Mexico, stored at a garden centre, then transported to Cork for export to Australia. The seizure of 564 kg of crystal meth, valued at €32.8 million, occurred on 16 February 2024 at Cork Port, leading to McDonnell's arrest after follow‑up searches in Kerry and Cork.
Maria Stefan, 33, pleaded guilty to fraudulently claiming €18,045.60 in one‑parent and rental allowances between December 2017 and December 2018. She had previously lived at Thomas Moore Road, West Dublin, but was seen at an Ashton Drive house in Swords where her then‑partner lived. An investigation began after a welfare inspector noticed inconsistencies in February 2021. A search of the Ashton Drive house on 4 June 2021 found a letter addressed to Stefan and other items, and evidence that she used the address online 54 times. Stefan admitted the online account was hers and that she sent the messages. She has 10 prior convictions, including theft and burglary. Judge Orla Crowe directed her to complete 240 hours of community service in lieu of a two‑year, three‑month prison term and to engage with probation services for one year.
Paul Bissett, 38, was sentenced to three years in prison for burglary and criminal damage after stealing seven designer watches from Cullen Jewellers in Dublin 2 on 18 November 2023. The shop owner was alerted by an alarm at 6.45 am, found the window broken and the case of 10 Tag Heuer watches opened, with seven taken and three left on the ground. The stolen watches were valued over €13,000 and the damage to the shop was between €15,000 and €20,000. Later that day Bissett and another man tried to sell the watches to Dawson Jewellers, but the owner, already aware of the theft, called the gardaí and Bissett was arrested. Five of the watches were recovered, worth over €10,000. Bissett had 75 prior convictions, including assault, and had recently received a four‑year sentence for a robbery committed a month after the jewellery heist. Paul Bissett pleaded guilty.
The Government has conceded a High Court challenge brought by Cllr Paul Hogan against a plan to house approximately 1,000 male asylum seekers in Athlone. At the hearing, Oisin SC, representing Mr. Hogan, informed Mr Justice Richard Humphreys that the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability and Youth conceded the case, stating the development would be classified as unauthorised. Ms Aoife Carroll SC, for the State, indicated the matter could be put in for mention on Thursday, pending instructions from the Minister. Mr. Hogan, who secured 4.8 per cent of first preference votes in the recent General Election, alleged the ministerial process was unlawful, irrational, and breached fair procedures. The challenge was supported by Athlone-based representatives, including TD Kevin 'Boxer' Moran, councillors Frankie Keena and Aengus O'Rourke of Fianna Fáil, and John Dolan of Fine Gael. Mr. Hogan sought to pause or quash the statutory instrument that confirmed the project did not require An Bord Pleanála approval and that specific EU environmental assessments were unnecessary. He claimed the Minister failed to adequately screen for environmental impacts, citing deficiencies in wastewater and traffic assessments, and argued the plan would cause significant traffic hazards and health and safety issues. He further alleged a lack of prior consultation with local councillors and that the development would be prejudicial to public health. Minister for Integration Roderick O'Gorman had contested the case. The matter was adjourned for mention on Thursday.
Three men convicted of the kidnapping and torture of Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney have appealed their convictions at the Court of Appeal. Alan Harte (43), Alan O'Brien (43), and Darren Redmond (30), all from East Wall, Dublin, were sentenced in December 2022 following trial at the Special Criminal Court. Harte received 30 years imprisonment, O'Brien 25 years, and Redmond 18 years with the final three suspended. The men were convicted of false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm following an incident at Ballinagh, County Cavan, on 17 September 2019. Their counsel argue that phone records and CCTV evidence were improperly admitted without witnesses taking fresh oaths during trial proceedings. They contend the gardaí obtained phone data through procedures not designed for that purpose, constituting an invasion of privacy. The State's counsel maintains the evidence was properly presented to the trial judges and that no deprivation of fair trial rights occurred. The appeal continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy.