A 26-year-old man, who cannot be named, has appealed his conviction for raping a vulnerable 17-year-old girl at a house party on New Year's Eve 2018. The appellant, a repeat offender, was found guilty by a 10-2 majority verdict of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault. He does not accept the verdict, arguing that the trial judge pressured the jury by suggesting shorter lunch breaks and refusing to inform them of their right to disagree, leaving them in "hurry up mode." Defence counsel also contended the judge erred by failing to recharge the jury on legal principles regarding reasonable doubt after a question about a doctor's report. The State rejected these arguments, noting the judge had emphatically explained the standard of proof. The three-judge Court of Appeal has reserved its judgment on the matter. At sentencing, Ms Justice Karen O'Connor described the man's conduct as predatory, noting he took advantage of the victim's intoxication and vulnerability. She handed him a sentence of eight years and three months, with the final nine months suspended on strict conditions, including 12 months of Probation Service supervision. The man has six previous convictions, including a 2019 guilty plea for sexual assault, which resulted in a five-month prison sentence later reduced on appeal to 120 hours of community service in lieu of a two-month prison term.
In the murder trial of law professor and farmer Mr Phelan, French farmhand Alexandra Fernandes, aged 48, testified that on 22 February 2022 she was working on his farm when two unarmed trespassers approached. She claimed she heard Mr Phelan fire three shots from his revolver while the men were turning away. Fernandes described seeing the first man turn back as the third shot was fired, and that blood appeared on his head. She said Mr Phelan had then approached the injured man, offered first‑aid, and left in a buggy. The prosecution alleges the third shot killed Keith Conlon, 36, who died two days later. The case is being heard by Justice Siobhan Lankford with a jury of nine men and three women. The trial continues tomorrow. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
John English, 47, of Dublin 2, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, with the final three months suspended for six months, after pleading guilty to brandishing a small knife at a shop worker on South Circular Road. The incident followed English's theft of a Pot Noodle earlier that day, when he was denied service. CCTV footage showed him shouting abuse at the male shop worker while holding the knife, and a female security guard was also engaged. English has about 130 convictions, including a rape conviction from 2004, and most of his offences since 2014 are public order crimes. He is homeless, an alcoholic, and has struggled with drug use. The judge noted his guilty plea, personal circumstances and addiction issues as mitigating factors, but imposed a headline sentence of two years to deter similar conduct. The suspended portion is subject to strict conditions, including supervision by Probation Services.
The EU Courts have been asked to decide whether the human rights of Seán Walsh, a 57‑year‑old alleged IRA member wanted in the UK for directing terrorism, would be violated by changes to sentencing law introduced in Northern Ireland three years ago. Walsh faces four charges – membership of the IRA, directing terrorist activities, conspiracy to direct terrorist activities and preparing to commit acts of terrorism – each carrying a maximum life sentence. He denies the allegations. The offences are alleged to have been committed in July 2020 in Omagh, Co. Tyrone. The High Court in Ireland ordered his surrender to UK authorities in October 2022, and he was granted leave to appeal. Walsh's lawyers argued that the new UK law would impose a heavier penalty than that applicable at the time of the alleged offence.
The Special Criminal Court trial of Thomas 'Nicky' McConnell, who denies murdering Gareth Hutch, resumed after a more than one‑year adjournment. McConnell, aged 38, is accused of shooting Hutch, 36, outside his home in 2016. The trial had been paused in June 2023 when a judge could not continue, and was further delayed by a year while awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on the admissibility of mobile‑phone data. On resumption, Judge Alex Owens rejected arguments that McConnell's arrest was unlawful and that the Gardaí had exceeded their authority in seizing mobile phones found beside his bed. McConnell has pleaded not guilty. The prosecution alleges he and Jonathan Keogh used an apartment opposite Hutch's home as a lookout, followed Hutch from his front door, and shot him dead. The final evidence will be heard tomorrow before the court's closing speech. The case follows earlier convictions of Regina Keogh, Jonathan Keogh and Thomas Fox for the same murder.
Gavin Minto, 29, pleaded guilty to possession of three controlled drugs for sale or supply at Kingswood Cross, Clondalkin on 16 July 2020. Gardaí searched a residential property on a warrant and found 151,110 MDMA tablets, 33.6 kilos of cannabis and 668.6 grams of Eutylone, plus a tablet press, weighing scales and a powder, with a combined value of €2.21 million. The court described the garage as a drugs distribution centre and imposed an eight‑and‑a‑half‑year jail term. Minto, who was homeless, in debt and had a difficult background, appealed, arguing the sentence was excessive and that a portion should have been suspended. The Court of Appeal heard arguments from counsel for Minto and the State, noting the judge had considered mitigating factors such as Minto's early plea, cooperation, rehabilitation steps and his cognitive difficulties, but also his nine previous convictions, including three drug offences.
Francis Declan Radmall, a former employee of Randridge International Ltd, has lodged a claim with the Workplace Relations Commission alleging unpaid wages and redundancy entitlements amounting to €25,995.60. He says the company avoided payments by citing financial hardship following a bankruptcy and issued a letter dated 10 July, though his notice of redundancy was on 5 July. Radmall claims a pay rise from €52,000 to €56,000 was not paid from June 2023 to the end of his employment, and that he was short €2,833 in June and €5,495.65 in July, with no payslips received. The CEO, Darren Daly, contends Radmall did not sign the contract and that 40 % of his June salary was paid. The adjudicating officer, Breiffni O'Neill, adjourned the case, requiring a detailed breakdown of Radmall's pay and the company to provide June and July payslips.
A 48-year-old Portuguese man has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court following his conviction on charges of rape and coercive control. Sergio Correia of Front Street, Ardara, County Donegal, was found guilty by jury of two counts of anal rape and one count of coercive control. The offences occurred during 2019 against his wife, who waived anonymity to allow his identification. Justice Melanie Greally imposed nine-and-a-half years on each rape count with the final eighteen months suspended, and two-and-a-half years concurrent on the coercive control charge, backdated for time in custody. The judge ordered Correia to engage with probation services, attend domestic abuse and sexual abuse programmes, and participate in addiction counselling and Alcoholics Anonymous. A contact prohibition regarding the victim was also imposed. The court noted mitigating factors including the absence of prior convictions and some evidence of remorse, balanced against the serious nature of the offences and findings regarding his limited insight and moderate reoffending risk in relationships.
Robert Hanratty, 48, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of 15,680 zopiclone tablets, valued at €32,200, found in his home and a location in Ballymun. He claimed he held the drugs to deter attacks by "juvenile delinquents" who had targeted his residence, and that he would receive a small payment. Hanratty has four prior minor convictions unrelated to drugs and does not use drugs, though he struggles with alcohol. Defence counsel Padraig Dwyer presented a psychological report detailing Hanratty's mental health issues, low mood, and heavy alcohol consumption, describing him as a "hapless" and "sad" man. The judge, Orla Crowe, deemed the case unusual and adjourned sentencing to 8 November to consider the circumstances.
The trial of Diarmuid Phelan, a 56‑year‑old barrister and farmer, for the murder of Keith Conlon, a 36‑year‑old trespasser, is ongoing. Judge Siobhan Lankford informed the jury that a translation issue arose concerning a French‑speaking witness, Pierre Godreu, who described Phelan as "really p***ed off" before the shooting. The judge clarified that the French word "énervé" was translated as "pissed off" but is not a vulgar term and lacks the intensifier "really." The judge explained the nuances of translation and the range of meanings of "énervé." The trial resumed with evidence from a Garda mapping expert, Detective Padraig Coone, who described the terrain of Hazelgrove Farm and the trajectory of the fatal shot. The prosecution's case, presented by Roisin Lacey, alleges that Phelan fired a third shot at Conlon's head, intending to kill or cause serious injury. Diarmuid Phelan pleaded not guilty.
The trial of former Ireland rugby international Brendan Mullin and McCann Fitzgerald litigation partner Roddy Bourke continues at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury. Both men, who have pleaded not guilty to all charges, face 15 counts each, including stealing over €570,000 from Bank of Ireland Private Bank, one count of deception, and five counts of false accounting. The prosecution alleges that Mullin, who was managing director of the bank at the time, authorised payments for personal legal and accounting work. Evidence presented includes emails and invoices where Mullin allegedly instructed that bills should not be sent to the office but to him personally. The court heard details regarding the manipulation of invoices for litigation costs, including handwritten alterations to change billing addresses and descriptions to facilitate payment by the bank. The matter is currently at the trial stage, with no findings, sentences, or finalisations recorded. The trial continues.
A 73‑year‑old man, John Dempsey Senior, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, with one year suspended, for repeatedly raping his partner's niece, Lillian Byrne, over an eleven‑year period between 1980 and 1991. Dempsey, who was 33 when the abuse began, groomed Byrne from the age of 12 and abused her throughout her teenage years, claiming to be her boyfriend and telling her they would run away together. Byrne, who was 12 at the time of the first rape, described the abuse as excruciating and said she did not realise it was sexual abuse until later. She made a victim impact statement in 2021, detailing the lasting effects on her life and family. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Burns, noted Dempsey's breach of trust and the repeated nature of the abuse, and set a headline sentence of 14 years, reduced to 10 years, with the final year suspended on strict conditions including probation supervision for three years. The unnamed 73-year-old pleaded guilty.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal by Damien Long, 44, of Ard Bhaile, Mayfield, Cork, against his sentence for the robbery of a 93-year-old woman on 9 November 2022. Long, who was on bail at the time of the offence, had previously pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Court. He was sentenced to ten years in prison, with the final year suspended, for the robbery at Charlemont Terrace, Wellington Road, Cork. His co-accused, Damian Fitzgerald of Inniscarra Road, Fairhill, Cork, was sentenced to nine years in prison. The victim suffered life-changing injuries, including multiple pelvic fractures, after being dragged along the road while resisting the theft of her handbag. Mr Justice Michael McGrath, delivering the judgment, stated that the sentencing judge had acted within her discretion by placing the offence in the highest category. He noted that the attack was premeditated and targeted an elderly, isolated woman, making injury foreseeable. The court rejected defence arguments that Long's role was minor, noting he was on a suspended sentence for a previous robbery at the time. The judge also chose not to activate any portion of Long's suspended sentence for that other offence. The appeal was refused, and Long will continue to serve his nine-year effective jail term.
Two cousins, aged 23 and 20, received suspended sentences after being convicted of sexually assaulting a 15‑year‑old girl in a car in the Midlands on 11 July 2020. The younger cousin, 16 at the time of the offence, was acquitted of an attempted rape charge. Both were 16 and 19 when the assault occurred, after the girl and the younger cousin arranged to meet secretly. The court ordered them to inform their wives, parents and siblings of the crime. The judge, Ms Justice Caroline Biggs, noted the defendants' remorse, their marital status, low cognitive ability of the younger man and the influence of their environment. The younger man was sentenced to 18 months and the older to three years, both suspended in full on conditions including participation in victim‑focused and sexual‑offending courses. The court also praised the victim's resilience and acknowledged her ongoing mental health difficulties. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court.
Barry McDonagh, a 60‑year‑old from Midleton, Cork, was convicted by a jury of 17 counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against his teenage sister‑in‑law between 1999 and 2000. The victim, aged 15‑16 at the time, waived anonymity and testified that the abuse began when McDonagh kissed her and then digitally penetrated her while she was lying on a couch. Subsequent rapes occurred during a birthday trip and at a B&B. McDonagh maintains his innocence and remains married to the victim's sister, who supported him in court. The judge sentenced him to ten years, suspended a quarter, and back‑dated the term to time already spent in custody, giving a final custodial term of seven‑and‑a‑half years. The victim described the lasting psychological impact and her struggle to pursue her planned career. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court.
In a re‑sentencing hearing, the Court of Appeal found that the Circuit Court had been misinformed about the maximum penalty for Lee Hutchinson, a 41‑year‑old former teacher from Coxtown West, Dunmore East, Waterford. Hutchinson had carried out a four‑year poison‑pen campaign against three Gardaí, sending anonymous handwritten letters with spurious allegations of misconduct, corruption and sexual impropriety to the officers, their families and superiors. The letters were forwarded to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, which deemed the claims unfounded. Hutchinson's original six‑year sentence, with the final year suspended, was quashed because the judge had been told the maximum was ten years instead of the correct seven. The Court of Appeal imposed a new sentence of seven years, with the final two years suspended, to be served consecutively for the three counts of harassment.
Heineken Ireland Ltd was ordered by the Workplace Relations Commission to pay €29,000 to former employee Keith Hackett after a tribunal found that the company's human resources team had failed to consider the "rough‑and‑tumble" culture of its brewhouse when concluding that Hackett had bullied and harassed two colleagues. Hackett had originally sought €90,000 for loss of earnings after being dismissed in October 2022, but the tribunal reduced the figure to €18,000, citing a lack of evidence that he had been offered alternative work or a performance bonus. The tribunal noted that the disciplinary investigations were limited by the terms of reference given by Heineken, which prevented a conclusive finding of bullying or harassment. It also found that a second investigation into alleged mishandling of confidential documents was similarly limited and did not result in findings against Hackett.
The Special Criminal Court heard that the State is paying €100,000 a week to maintain the MV Matthew, the cargo ship seized by Army Rangers in September 2023. The ship was boarded in a dramatic operation that resulted in the seizure of 2.2 tonnes of cocaine, valued at about €157 million. The State will apply next month for a declaration that the preservation of the MV Matthew is no longer required. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions explained that the ship has been preserved to protect the fair‑trial rights of eight men accused of offences related to the drug seizure. Each legal team has been told they can visit and inspect the ship, and Revenue agents will continue to make it available for the next four weeks. The State does not wish to incur the €100,000 per‑week maintenance cost beyond that.
A German farmhand, Ms Hannah Felgner, testified at a murder trial that she witnessed Barrister Diarmuid Phelan shoot a man in the back on Phelan's Hazelgrove Farm in Tallaght. Felgner, who had arrived in Ireland to learn English and work on farms, described the incident as occurring on her third day. She said that after a verbal confrontation with two intruders, Phelan fired a shot into the air, after which the intruders turned and ran. A few seconds later Phelan fired a fatal shot into the back of one intruder, Keith Conlon, who fell and later died. Felgner expressed that she felt terror and was overwhelmed by the sudden gunfire. The trial is hearing Phelan's defence of self‑defence and the circumstances of the shooting. The case remains ongoing. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, former McCann Fitzgerald solicitor Rosie Freeman testified that she received a couriered invoice from Bank of Ireland Private Bank in March 2013 with handwritten amendments. Freeman, who was a PA to partner Roddy Bourke, described the invoice as unusually altered: the original home address of former rugby star Brendan Mullin was crossed out and replaced with the bank's address, the description of the work was changed to "Quantum Investment Strategies," and amounts were reduced to €18,792.65. Freeman said she was alarmed by the markings and could not comply because a partner's signature was required. She also recounted a voicemail from Mullin and a handwritten note instructing her to amend and issue the invoice. The testimony is part of the prosecution's case that Mullin authorised payments to McCann Fitzgerald, Grant Thornton and Beechwood Partners for work carried out for his company or personally. Brendan Mullin pleaded not guilty.
Mark O'Neill, 51, of Knockmore Drive, Tallaght, was remanded in custody after pleading guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a Smith and Wesson revolver and ammunition on 7 September 2022. He had ten prior convictions for road traffic offences. Gardaí were called to his relative's home after O'Neill produced a handgun and pointed it at the man, threatening to shoot him unless he paid money owed and claiming the man had stabbed him. O'Neill also threatened the man with death. A second male attempted to defuse the situation before the parties left in a car. The revolver was recovered from bushes near O'Neill's home, containing six rounds of ammunition, and his DNA was found on the firearm. O'Neill's case was adjourned to 30 October to allow the judge to consider the circumstances.
A 16‑year‑old girl told the Central Criminal Court that her 25‑year‑old cousin repeatedly raped her from age seven to ten, saying the abuse "ruined her life before it had started". She described the cousin's early exposure to pornography at 11, which she said gave him a "warped view of sexuality". The girl's victim impact evidence detailed nightmares, anger, pain and a sense that her body was no longer her own. She recalled the first assault in the cousin's bedroom when she was about six and he was 14, and estimated the sexual assaults occurred up to three times a week, roughly 50 times in total. The cousin pleaded guilty to three counts of oral rape, two of anal rape and five counts of sexual assault in County Cork. He has no prior convictions, is diagnosed with Asperger's, and is completing an apprenticeship. The case was adjourned for finalisation on 29 October.
A Workplace Relations Commission adjudicator has rejected a religious discrimination claim brought by Judyta Zielinska against the Health Service Executive under the Employment Equality Act 1998. Ms Zielinska, a Jehovah's Witness care assistant at the Wexford Residential Intellectual Disabilities Service, alleged she suffered severe stress and chest pain after a nurse manager commented that it was "strange" she did not want to take residents to Mass. The HSE argued that Ms Zielinska was not requested to engage in the religious service but was asked to support residents in attending it, noting that staffing changes necessitated her presence. Adjudicator Pat Brady concluded that the central action was a "simple, oral request" to check Mass times, which did not constitute adverse treatment. He found that Ms Zielinska had an "excessively sensitive reaction" to a religious service of which she disapproves. The adjudicator noted that while Ms Zielinska claimed distress, this was not sufficient to ground a case, particularly as she was ultimately not required to attend Mass. The decision rejects the complaint, distinguishing it from cases involving clear acts of detriment such as dismissal.
Michael Lynn, a former solicitor aged 55, faces a potential release from prison next month if his appeal against a five‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for stealing over €18 million from six financial institutions succeeds. Lynn was jailed eight months ago and his appeal is scheduled for November 4, the same day his legal team believes he could be released if the appeal is successful. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice John Edwards, clarified that grounds of appeal cannot be heard piecemeal and that the sentence appeal will be heard before the conviction appeal, an exception to usual practice. Lynn's legal team must submit their arguments by the end of next week, after which the State will reply. The judge noted that failure to comply with the timetable would halt the case. Lynn's original sentence, imposed by Judge Martin Nolan, was 13 years, reduced to 5½ years after credit for time served in Brazil.
The Supreme Court has upheld the Minister for Justice's decision to refuse residency under the Special Scheme to two non-EEA nationals. In a unanimous judgment delivered by Ms Justice Iseult O'Malley, the court ruled that the Minister correctly engaged with all submitted materials, including character references and work history. The respondents, Indian national Sangeeta Rana and Pakistani national Lehrasib Ali, had previously obtained student visas before 2011. After their permissions expired, both acquired residence permits through marriages to non-Irish EU citizens. The Minister revoked these permissions, alleging that Ms Rana entered into a marriage of convenience and that Mr Ali submitted false documents regarding his wife's whereabouts. Although the Court of Appeal had previously quashed the Minister's decision, finding insufficient engagement with the respondents' submissions, the Supreme Court reversed this, stating that a statement indicating all material was considered was sufficient. The court noted that the respondents' actions could be seen as an attack on the integrity of immigration systems. However, the judgment clarified that both individuals have separately been granted permission to remain in Ireland under the Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants scheme. The court found no inconsistency in failing the good conduct requirement for the Special Scheme while passing it for the regularisation scheme, affirming that the Minister was right to refuse the Special Scheme applications.
In the murder trial of law professor Keith Conlon, the jury heard three 999 calls made on 22 February 2022. The first, by accused Mr Phelan, described intruders on his farm and a "violent situation" before the fatal shooting. The second, by Hannah Felgner, reported a man shot on the farm and provided first‑aid instructions. The third, by Robin Duggan, a trespasser, claimed a farmer had shot him. The prosecution argued that Phelan fired a gun at trespassers who had "exploded" from the woods, and that a third shot killed Conlon in the back of the head. The defence contended that Phelan acted in self‑defence, firing in the air and that the fatal bullet was accidental. The case is heard by Justice Siobhan Lankford with a jury of nine men and three women.
An ex‑Ireland rugby international, Brendan Mullin, 60, is accused of stealing more than €570,000 from the Bank of Ireland Private Bank between July 2011 and March 2013. He denies all 15 charges, which include theft, deception and false accounting. The prosecution alleges he authorised payments to solicitors McCann Fitzgerald, accounting firm Grant Thornton and accountants Beechwood Partners for work carried out for his company, Quantum Investment Strategies, or for himself. Evidence shows that a former BOI business assurance head, Schira Donnelly, testified that Mullin suggested his PA may have "swept" an invoice into a bundle of paperwork. The trial, presided over by Judge Martin Nolan, continues with the prosecution presenting bank records, invoices and internal emails to support the allegations. Mullin has pleaded not guilty to each count. The case remains in court.
During the opening of Mr Diarmuid Phelan's murder trial, an eyewitness, farmhand Pierre Godreu, described the events on the Tallaght farm on 22 February 2022. Godreu said Phelan, who was 56, drew a pistol from his pocket and fired two shots into the air before discharging a third shot "towards" an unarmed trespasser, Keith Conlon, who was 36. Conlon was seriously injured and died two days later. Godreu testified that the trespassers were advancing and that Phelan had been "really pissed off" after a dog ran onto his land. He also said Phelan had told the trespassers to leave and that the third shot was fired in quick succession. The prosecution argues the third shot was aimed at Conlon, while the defence contends it was an accidental act of self‑defence. The trial is set to continue before Justice Siobhan Lankford and a jury. Diarmuid Phelan pleaded not guilty.
The court heard that CCTV footage captured a man, Sean O'Neill, 22, lying injured on the ground in Dublin City Centre after an assault. The footage showed several people standing over him and stealing his belongings, including a watch valued at €9,000. O'Neill had previously pleaded guilty to violent disorder on 4 October 2023 and robbery on 19 September 2023. He was arrested the following day after a warrant was issued. During interrogation he claimed he could not remember the incident and said he was "strung out," but he identified himself on the footage. The court noted his 39 prior convictions, including drug offences, and his history of homelessness. The judge, Martin Nolan, accepted his guilty plea and admissions, and imposed a four‑year prison sentence, back‑dated to the time he entered custody, with the final year suspended for one year. The victim and the injured man declined to give victim impact statements.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 31‑year‑old Geovane Ferrnandes pleaded guilty to possessing 6.7 kg of cocaine, valued at €489,790, at Terminal One, Dublin Airport, on 18 March. He was caught when customs X‑ray revealed an anomaly. Ferrnandes claimed he had no knowledge of the contents, having received a parcel from an unknown woman and packed it himself. He said he had been offered about €2,000 for transport but received no payment. Ferrnandes cited his daughter's severe asthma and costly treatment as a motive, noting she is housebound and hospitalized twice weekly. He has no prior convictions, speaks limited English, and has worked various jobs since age nine. He expressed remorse, apologized to Gardaí, and vowed never to return to Ireland after serving his sentence. The case was adjourned for finalisation on 23 October.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Arslan Cheema, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault committed on April 4, 2021, outside a student accommodation in Dublin city centre. The victim, aged 19, described how Cheema placed his hand on her genitals and attempted to kiss her, causing her to feel "frozen and shook" for about ten seconds. She later suffered a breakdown, required hospital treatment, and was prescribed anti‑depressants and anti‑psychotics. Cheema, who had previously worked for a food delivery service, is now employed as a Bus Eireann Expressway driver and has a young child. The court adjourned the case to November 4 to consider mitigation and to impose a sentence. No prior convictions were noted. The hearing focused on the victim's impact statement and Cheema's admission of guilt.
Paul Murphy, a father-of-two who survived a fatal crane incident at Thomond Bridge in Limerick in 2015, reached an undisclosed settlement with multiple parties, including Palfinger Ireland Ltd and Limerick City and County Council, the High Court heard. Counsel for Murphy stated that liability was conceded by the named defendants, allowing the case to proceed solely for the assessment of damages before the settlement was finalized. The incident claimed the lives of Murphy's co-workers, Bryan Whelan and TJ O'Herlihy, who drowned after the crane fell into the River Shannon. Murphy, who suffered PTSD and physical injuries, was rescued by lifeboat. In related proceedings, Palfinger Ireland Ltd was fined €25,000 at Limerick Circuit Court on October 7, 2022, after pleading guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act. Additionally, Nationwide Crane Hire Ltd pleaded guilty to similar breaches and was fined €200,000. The prosecutions, brought by the Health and Safety Authority, cited a failed safety mechanism and a missing chapter in the crane manual supplied by Palfinger. The High Court judge acknowledged the trauma Murphy endured, noting he had to relive parts of the tragedy during the proceedings.
On 6 June 2023, 23‑year‑old Constantin Leonard Magadau of Glenbourne Avenue, Leopardstown Valley, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary, dangerous driving and failing to stop a vehicle on Main Street, Dundrum. The court heard that Magadau and a second man removed €33,000 worth of stock from Murray Mobile, a phone shop in Dundrum, while a third man acted as a lookout. The shop owner testified that the premises were systematically destroyed, with €15,000 worth of criminal damage, and that the business was nearly closed as a result. Judge Elva Duffy sentenced Magadau to three and a half years' imprisonment. He appealed the sentence, but the Court of Appeal, hearing the case on 17 October 2024, warned that it could increase the sentence and granted Magadau permission to withdraw the appeal.
The Court of Appeal was told by the Director of Public Prosecutions that the sentences imposed on Adam Murphy, aged 22, and Keith McCormick Smith, aged 23, for a crime spree that left businessman Ian McDonnell dead were too lenient. Murphy had been sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for manslaughter, with the final two and a half years suspended on strict conditions, and also pleaded guilty to multiple vehicle‑theft offences. McCormick Smith received a sentence of three years and two months' imprisonment, with the final twelve months suspended. The DPP argued that the suspended portions should not have been fully suspended and that the headline sentences should have been higher, citing the seriousness of the offences and the fact that McDonnell was left to die while the offenders continued their crime spree. The court reserved judgment on the matter.
Eddie Rockets Ireland Ltd admitted a discrimination complaint by former Paralympian Nadine Lattimore, who was told to sit near the door with her guide dog Pilot after a staff supervisor directed her to a booth. Lattimore, blind and a guide‑dog user, claimed the booth was unsafe and unsuitable for her dog, and that she was spoken over and treated as a difficult customer. The restaurant's lawyer acknowledged the mistake and said it was corrected by the head chef. Eddie Rockets has since provided anti‑discrimination training, dog bowls, a donation to Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind and offered Lattimore €5,000. The Workplace Relations Commission hearing, presided over by adjudicator Marie Flynn, concluded that the discrimination had occurred and will issue a written decision later. The tribunal also heard from Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind chairman Patrick Burke, who noted widespread complaints of discrimination against guide‑dog users.
A woman who has filed a damages claim for alleged assault against mixed‑martial‑arts star Conor McGregor has been granted permission by Ms Justice Denise Brett to subpoena witnesses, including potentially Gardaí, for the case that will be heard by a High Court jury next month. The brief hearing took place at the High Court today, where Ms Justice Brett noted a small amount of overlap in witnesses but allowed the solicitor, David Coleman of Coleman Legal Partners, to issue subpoenas on behalf of the plaintiff. The costs of the proceedings will be dealt with when the case is heard next month. Mr Justice Alexander Owens had previously set the hearing for 5 November, after the plaintiff's application to adjourn was opposed. The claim, brought in 2021, alleges events in 2018 in Dublin and is one of two actions against McGregor.
Seamus Casey, a stroke support group co‑ordinator for the Irish Heart Foundation, claims he was forced to retire at 68 after his contract was not renewed, alleging the charity breached the Employment Equality Act 1998 by imposing a mandatory retirement age of 65 and paying him less than younger colleagues. Casey says he was told the charity did not want people "wandering around the building in their older years," a remark he says was denied by the charity's HR manager. He maintained he could have continued working until 80 and that he was offered a series of fixed‑term contracts from 2020 to 2023, which he accepted under financial pressure. The charity denies the allegations, stating Casey never objected to the retirement age and that pay differences were due to market benchmarking and qualifications. The Workplace Relations Commission will issue a decision after the hearing.
The trial of Brendan Mullin, a former Bank of Ireland senior executive and ex‑Ireland rugby international, is ongoing. Mullin, aged 60, denies 15 charges of theft, deception and false accounting alleged to have occurred between July 2011 and March 2013. Prosecutors claim he authorised payments to solicitors and accounting firms for work by his company Quantum Investment Strategies or for himself, and that he stole €500,000 from the bank during a miscommunication about a payout to life‑assurance customers. They also allege he authorised a payment of €500,000 to Spice Holdings, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands, and that the money was later repaid to the bank in July 2015. Mullin pleaded not guilty to one count of stealing €500,000 and eight other counts totalling about €73,000, plus one count of deception and five counts of false accounting. The case is before Judge Martin Nolan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The trial continues.
Diarmuid Phelan, a 56‑year‑old law professor and farmer, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Keith Conlon, 36, who was shot in the back of the head on 22 February 2022 at Hazelgrove Farm, Tallaght. Phelan told the Gardaí that he was terrified and "scared sh**less" when he fired a Winchester rifle at a loose dog and then, after three men emerged from the woods, he fired a Smith & Wesson revolver in the air. He claimed the third shot struck Conlon accidentally while he was turning away. The prosecution, represented by Senior Counsel Roisin Lacey, argued that the gun was pointed at Conlon when the fatal shot was fired, implying intent to kill or cause serious injury. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, will examine the circumstances of the shooting, the witnesses' accounts, and the forensic evidence regarding the bullet and the revolver's ammunition.
The Central Criminal Court has heard evidence during the murder trial of Dean Caffrey, aged 38, of Beaucourt, Achill Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. Mr Caffrey has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sean McCarthy between August 2 and 7, 2022. Garda Brian Davis confirmed to the defence that the deceased was known to gardaí as a drug dealer in the Ballymun area. According to the prosecution, Mr Caffrey presented himself at Ashbourne Garda Station two days after Mr McCarthy was reported missing and disclosed the location of a body in his apartment wardrobe. The accused has stated that Mr McCarthy was fatally shot during a struggle over a firearm after demanding €5,000. State Pathologist Dr SallyAnne Collis confirmed death resulted from a gunshot wound to the head. CCTV evidence charting the deceased's movements on August 2, 2022, was presented to the jury. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott.
Ms S, a care worker who disclosed she was HIV‑positive, was taken off the roster at Abbot Close Nursing Home after her medical history was known. She began work experience in summer 2023, signed a contract within a fortnight, but was not rostered after a month. She sought occupational health reports and a medical clearance, but the employer demanded a referral and offered no support. When she returned in uniform, the assistant director of nursing asked her to leave and refused to let her finish her experience. Ms S's barrister showed that a consultant doctor later wrote to the employer with no concerns about her fitness to work. The WRC adjudicator found the employer's actions amounted to constructive dismissal and discriminatory treatment, awarding Ms S €22,500 in compensation for dismissal and failure to provide reasonable accommodation under the Employment Equality Act.
Jordan Boyle, 27, was sentenced to four years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended for two years, backdated to January 9, after pleading guilty to five counts of assault causing harm. The offences occurred in Dublin 15, including a supermarket and a bus, where Boyle bit his former girlfriend twice, head‑butted two security guards, dragged her onto a bus, and threatened to kill her. The victim was attacked on multiple occasions, requiring two hospital visits. Boyle's history includes 29 prior convictions and substance abuse. He has expressed remorse and is completing a Fás carpentry course, aspiring to become an electrician. Judge Orla Crowe described his conduct as "utterly flagrant and reprehensible" and noted the victim's severe trauma. The sentence reflects the sustained, public nature of the assault and the use of biting.
Stephen Kavanagh, 50, a former businessman now in debt, pleaded guilty to stealing alcohol worth €21,000 from a drinks company on 20 September 2023 while on bail for a similar offence. He placed the order under the alias "Mark O'Reilly," prompting the company's suspicion and a Garda surveillance operation that intercepted the delivery. Kavanagh was arrested, the alcohol was returned, and no victim impact statement was filed. He has 29 prior convictions, including a 2022 theft of the same nature. In court, his defence highlighted financial necessity, health issues, and threats from creditors, arguing for community service. Judge Orla Crowe accepted the plea, set a headline sentence of two years, reduced it to 18 months, and adjourned the case to February 2025 to decide on a 240‑hour community service order in lieu of prison.
The trial of Brendan Mullin, a former Ireland rugby international and former managing director of Bank of Ireland Private Bank, began in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Mullin, aged 60, denies all 15 charges, which cover alleged theft, deception and false accounting between July 2011 and March 2013. He is accused of stealing €500,000 from the bank on 16 December 2011, along with eight other theft counts involving various sums, and of false accounting and deception. Prosecutor Dominic McGinn outlined that the alleged thefts involved payments to McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors and Beechwood Partners, where invoices were altered to be paid by the bank instead of Mullin or his companies. A further three theft charges relate to invoices from Grant Thornton for work by Mullin's company Quantum. The prosecution also alleges a €500,000 transfer to Spice Holdings, a British Virgin Islands entity, which was later repaid through Quantum.
In a decision by the Court of Appeal on 15 October 2024, Noel Noonan's conviction for possessing drugs worth €137,858 was quashed. Noonan, aged 46, had been jailed for eight and a half years after a Toyota Corolla he was driving was stopped on the N7 near Kildare. The vehicle was not taxed, uninsured and Noonan could not produce a licence. Garda Dave Farragher seized the car and found Xannax and amphetamine in the boot. Noonan denied knowing of the drugs. The appeal argued that a phone call from an inspector, relayed to Farragher, was hearsay and should not have been admitted. The Court of Appeal held that the trial judge's admission of this hearsay evidence was flawed and prejudicial, and therefore overturned the conviction, sending the case back to Naas Circuit Court for further proceedings.
A 27‑year‑old man, Tyler 'Tiggy' Jackson, who was convicted of murdering 24‑year‑old Conor Quinn in Mallow, County Cork, has appealed his life sentence. His counsel, Dean Kelly SC, argues that the trial judge erred by admitting a statement given by 16‑year‑old Christina Kearney three days after the death. The statement, taken by Detective Garda Sean Buckley, was allegedly altered—words such as "running" were crossed out and replaced with "walking"—without Kearney's initial. Kelly contends the court could not have been satisfied that the statement was a true account of what Kearney said on the day it was taken. He also claims the trial judge failed to discharge the jury when a civilian witness, Stephen Quinn, suggested Jackson had assaulted him, thereby creating an unfair trial. The Court of Appeal will decide the appeal at a later date.
In a Supreme Court appeal, three defendants—Edel Doherty, Kyle Rooney, and Declan Corcoran—argue that they should not have been transferred from the District Court to the Circuit Court after breaching publication restrictions in the Ana Kriegel murder case. The defendants were charged with posting photos and naming the teenage murderers, Boy A and Boy B, on social media. Judge Brian O'Shea originally accepted the cases as minor matters in the District Court, but Judge John Hughes later deemed the offences too serious and sent them to the Circuit Court, where penalties are harsher. The High Court quashed Hughes' decision, and the State appealed to the Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court is hearing the appeal, with counsel arguing that jurisdiction was already decided and that revisiting it could cause procedural chaos. The court has reserved judgment.
The trial of Diarmuid Phelan, a senior counsel and law professor at Trinity College, for the murder of Keith Conlon, a father of four, will begin tomorrow after a delay caused by the removal of two jurors from the original panel. Phelan, aged 56, pleaded not guilty to the fatal shooting that occurred on 22 February 2022 at Hazelgrove Farm, Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght. Conlon, aged 36, was seriously injured in the incident and died two days later at Tallaght University Hospital. Justice Siobhan Lankford sworn in a new jury of twelve, consisting of nine men and three women, after the original eight‑man, four‑woman panel was altered. The prosecution, led by John Byrne and Roisin Lacey, will present its case, while Michael Bowman and Sean Guerin will defend Phelan. The trial is expected to last six weeks. The case was adjourned until tomorrow morning.
At the Central Criminal Court, the State Pathologist has given evidence in the murder trial of Dean Caffrey, aged 38, of Beaucort, Achill Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. Dr SallyAnne Collis examined the remains of Sean McCarthy, aged 28, discovered in a suitcase within a wardrobe at the accused's home. The body had been wrapped in bubble wrap and plastic bags secured with tape. Dr Collis identified a gunshot wound to the head as the cause of death, with a bullet lodged in the back of the skull and an entry wound above the left eyebrow. She noted the body was significantly decomposed, consistent with a four-day interval before discovery. The pathologist also observed facial fractures and bruising. Under cross-examination, Dr Collis acknowledged she could not determine the distance from which the firearm was discharged or confirm the bullet's trajectory beyond its entry and exit points. Mr Caffrey has pleaded not guilty to murder allegedly committed between 2 and 7 August 2022. The prosecution alleges the shooting occurred during a confrontation over a drug debt.
An abuse survivor, aged 14 at the time, testified that Fergus Delaney, 61, groomed and sexually assaulted her between 2000 and 2001. She described how Delaney, seen as a community pillar, used text messages and gifts to gain her trust, leading her to skip school and develop an eating disorder. The survivor said Delaney's actions had a devastating impact on her life, causing her to leave school and feel controlled. She noted that Delaney had suggested she seduced him in an interview with Gardaí. Delaney pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual assault and was sentenced to five and a half years' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended on strict conditions. The court acknowledged the long‑lasting effects of the grooming and assault on the victim's well‑being.