Nathan Roche, 28, admitted to gardaí that he had supplied his bank details to a person who claimed it was a tax‑back scheme, and that he was not the "brightest star" in the operation. He pleaded guilty to possessing €1,550 as proceeds of crime in June 2021. The court heard that Roche's account was used to move €1,550 into his account, a figure among the lowest in the investigation. Between January 2020 and September 2021, 308 electronic payments were made from Trinity College's hardship fund to accounts of people who had never attended the university. A staff member at Trinity was involved in the theft of a large amount of the money. Roche's defence lawyer, Kevin Roche BL, said his client had no connection to the person who stole the money. The case was adjourned to the end of July, with the judge asking for more information from the defence.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has viewed the bloodied knife and hatchet used in the killing of a woman at her home in Westport, County Mayo. James Kilroy, aged fifty-one, a park ranger, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering his wife Valerie French Kilroy at Kilbree Lower between June thirteenth and fourteenth, 2019. During the trial, gardaí gave evidence that a twenty-centimetre knife, bent at nearly ninety degrees, was discovered at the scene with the victim's blood upon it. Detective Garda Sergeant Michael Doherty of Castlebar Garda Station outlined how the accused demonstrated to gardaí how the killing occurred and sketched the weapon. The defence has accepted that the accused killed his wife. A pathology report established that Mrs French Kilroy died from ligature strangulation, blunt force trauma to the head, and a stab wound to the neck. The trial, before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, continues.
In a 2024 appeal, defence counsel James B Dwyer SC argued that Leon Sharlott's conviction for possessing firearms and ammunition was unfair because the prosecution's identification relied on a distinctive ear defect. Sharlott, 34, was sentenced in 2022 to seven years' imprisonment with the last year suspended after being found guilty of two offences under Section 27A(1) of the Firearms Act. The prosecution linked Sharlott to the weapons by DNA from shoes found in a Volkswagen Golf's boot and by CCTV footage of him buying gloves. Dwyer contended that no identity parade was held, and that witnesses' descriptions of the ear defect were inconsistent, undermining the identification process. Judge John Edwards noted that while an identity parade might have been best practice, its absence did not necessarily render the trial unfair, and the court would reserve judgment.
The Court of Appeal increased the 46‑year‑old child rapist's sentence from 11 to 16 years after rejecting his appeal. He abused a girl aged eight to eleven, tying her to a bed, holding a knife to her throat and threatening her before raping her. The judge noted that this single offence alone warranted a headline sentence at the top end of the mid‑range, and that the original 13½‑year headline was too low. The appeal was dismissed, and the court quashed the original sentence, resentencing the offender to 16 years with the final six months suspended. The conviction remains for eight counts of rape, nine of anal rape, eight of oral rape and nine of sexual assault, with a two‑year post‑release supervision period retained. The victim, whose identity is protected, suffered lasting mental health effects and remains on medication for anxiety and sleep. The unnamed 46-year-old was acquitted.
Two men, one named Jason Kelly (53) with 160 prior convictions, broke into a Ray‑Ban shop on Grafton Street at 1:30 a.m. using a steel stanchion to smash the reinforced glass door. They stole 170 pairs of designer sunglasses and eyeglasses, worth €27,089, and packed them into a sleeping bag before leaving. The robbery was captured on CCTV. Kelly pleaded guilty to the burglary and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The judge noted the shop was empty, Kelly was under the influence, and the pair caused over €4,000 of damage to the door. Kelly is already serving a separate sentence and has a long history of offending, mostly in the District Court. The court heard he has a heroin addiction, a brain injury, and several health problems, and that he intends to seek treatment and study while in custody. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a 363‑page Court of Appeal judgment, Mr Justice John Edwards dismissed nearly 50 grounds of appeal submitted by Aaron Brady, who remains convicted of the 2013 murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. The court found no error in the trial judge's decision to proceed during the Covid‑19 pandemic and rejected arguments that jurors were coerced or that the trial was unfair. Brady's appeals concerning the admissibility of video‑link testimony from Daniel Cahill and Molly Staunton, and allegations of inducement by U.S. authorities, were also rejected. The court upheld Brady's life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years, allowing parole application in February 2048 after 30 years of imprisonment. Brady, aged 33 at conviction, was found guilty of shooting Donohoe during a credit‑union robbery in Louth on 25 January 2013.
A girl with cerebral palsy, who had been allowed to play with younger teams, was barred from competitive matches when her club reached the under‑12 level. The Workplace Relations Commission ruled that the Ladies Gaelic Football Association had discriminated against her under the Equal Status Act 2000. The tribunal found that from age seven she had played with younger girls as an accommodation for her disability, but on 8 April 2022 she was told she could not play because she was "over age". She was allowed to train but not to play competitive games for the rest of the season, a decision upheld by the county board. The tribunal noted that the ban was not due to her disability but to age, and that no risk assessment had been carried out.
Aaron Brady, aged 33, failed to overturn his conviction for the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. The Court of Appeal rejected nearly 50 grounds of appeal presented over a seven‑day hearing in October. The judges dismissed all arguments, including a claim that the trial's integrity was breached when key witness Molly Staunton was interrupted by an unseen man during a video link from New York. The Court found the interruptions did not pose a real risk of an unfair trial. Brady's conviction remains, and he will continue serving a life sentence with a 40‑year minimum, plus a concurrent 14‑year sentence for robbery. The case, the longest murder trial in Irish history, concluded with an 11‑to‑1 jury verdict in August 2020. The Court noted the hearing was the longest in its ten‑year history.
Joseph Joyce, 31, with 110 prior convictions, was sentenced to four years in jail for stealing €16,000 from a woman after overhearing her conversation with a bank teller. The theft occurred on August 26, 2019, when Joyce and a co‑accused followed the woman to her home, smashed her car window, and stole her handbag containing cash, an iPhone, dollars, vouchers and jewellery. Joyce pleaded guilty to one count of theft, and the initial robbery charge was reduced. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Martin Nolan set a headline sentence of five to six years but reduced it to four years due to Joyce's rehabilitation efforts and family circumstances. Joyce is currently serving the sentence, which is due to expire in January 2026. The victim's losses remain substantial.
In a south Dublin incident, 51‑year‑old Guillermo Salazar drove a Peugeot through a red light and struck a 12‑year‑old girl crossing the road. The child sustained a swollen temple, a cut eyebrow and required hospital treatment, but has since fully recovered. Salazar, who initially faced a dangerous driving charge, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious bodily harm. At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, he received a nine‑month suspended sentence, with no driving disqualification imposed. The court noted Salazar's "momentary lapse in concentration," his cooperation with Gardaí, and the absence of alcohol or prior convictions. The judge highlighted the child's injuries as not severe and accepted mitigating factors, concluding that the suspended sentence was appropriate under strict conditions. The case remains at the sentencing stage, with no further legal actions reported.
Philip Ogbewe, a 59‑year‑old from Drogheda, was jailed for six and a half years for endangerment after he performed circumcisions on seven boys in their homes between 2018 and 2019. He charged parents €300‑€350, used anaesthetic spray in some cases but not all, and was on bail for a prior 2015 circumcision that caused hospitalisation. Ogbewe pleaded guilty to seven counts of endangerment and seven counts of assault causing harm. Judge Elma Sheahan noted the absence of anaesthesia in several incidents, the children's lack of long‑term harm, and Ogbewe's acceptance of wrongdoing. She imposed a global sentence of seven and a half years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions to encourage rehabilitation. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A 78‑year‑old sports coach, unnamed for legal reasons, has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court for one count of rape and 15 counts of indecent assault against a teenage girl in a Leinster school between October 1989 and October 1990. The complainant, aged 13–14 at the time, alleges that the coach first sexually assaulted her by bringing her into a small room and touching her breasts while claiming to take measurements. She says the abuse continued with the coach touching her breasts regularly, then touching her vagina under her clothing and digitally penetrating her. The abuse reportedly ended in June when the girl was on summer holidays, but resumed in September when the coach again brought her into the same room and raped her. The girl reported the coach to Gardaí in 2021, leading to an investigation. The coach pleaded not guilty.
Piotr Grycuk, 45, was found in possession of 10,347 images and three videos of child sexual abuse, including 30 in the most serious category. He pleaded guilty on 23 July 2018. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, after noting that he had not reoffended since a raid six years earlier and had undergone extensive therapy, imposed a three‑year sentence fully suspended. He is required to be supervised by Probation Services for 18 months. The court highlighted his insight, remorse, and low risk of reoffending, and noted that he had no prior convictions. The raid uncovered seven devices containing the material; Grycuk had voluntarily handed over memory cards and provided passwords. The case was brought to the court following an American law‑enforcement lead that supplied an IP address. The judge emphasised that the offence carries public odium and shame, and that Grycuk will suffer considerably in this regard.
In the trial of six accused men and a teenager for the murder of Thomas 'Tom' Dooley, Judge Mary Ellen Ring charged the jury that if any defendant knew co‑accused carried a bladed weapon and participated in the attack, they are guilty of murder. The State alleged Dooley, aged 43, was violently attacked at a funeral in Tralee on 5 October 2022, suffering four stab wounds, one severing the femoral artery. The accused – Patrick Dooley (36), Thomas Dooley Senior (43), Thomas Dooley Junior (21), Michael Dooley (29), Daniel Dooley (42) and a teenager – all pleaded not guilty. Dooley Junior also faced an assault charge for injuring his wife, Siobhán, who required 45 stitches. The judge emphasized the presumption of innocence, the need for proof beyond reasonable doubt, and the doctrine of joint enterprise, noting no weapon was found linking any defendant to the death. The trial will resume with a reduced jury.
A Central Criminal Court jury has heard that psychiatric evidence is disputed in the trial of James Kilroy (51), charged with murdering his wife Valerie French Kilroy (41) at their rural home near Westport and Castlebar in County Mayo in June 2019. Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, told the court that the accused is expected to accept he caused his wife's death by blunt force trauma, strangulation, and stabbing. A defence psychiatrist will testify that Mr Kilroy was experiencing cannabis-induced psychosis at the time and meets the legal criteria for a not guilty verdict by reason of insanity. A prosecution psychiatrist will contradict this assessment. The jury will also hear from toxicologists regarding intoxication, which cannot constitute a legal defence to murder. The court has been informed that four possible verdicts are available: guilty of murder, not guilty by reason of insanity, guilty of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility, or acquittal. Mr Kilroy has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt.
The High Court appointed Nicholas O'Dwyer and John Boland of Grant Thornton as provisional liquidators for GNC Well Ireland Unlimited Company and THSD Unlimited Company, operators of 11 health‑food stores under the GNC brand. The companies, employing 86 staff, had been loss‑making for years, with sales falling 12% in 2021 and 5% in 2022, and faced rising costs such as business rates, wages, VAT on previously zero‑VAT items and import duties. Their parent, the US‑based GNC group, had provided intracompany loans but withdrew support after a strategic review that found the Irish operations unlikely to become profitable. The parent had also sought a buyer but could not complete a sale. The court said the liquidators would secure stock, liaise with potential buyers, and manage landlords and employees to maximise creditor returns. The case will return to the court later this month.
A local doctor, Dr Declan Scanlon, is ordered to pay a €40,000 severance to Margaret Dunne, a receptionist who worked at his Tullamore surgery for almost 50 years. Dunne began in March 1973 and worked continuously until the Covid‑19 pandemic forced her to stay home in March 2020. She tried to return in July 2021 but received no response from Scanlon, who had planned to close the practice in October 2022. Dunne applied for a redundancy payment after the closure and again got no reply or a redundancy certificate. The Workplace Relations Commission upheld her complaint under the Redundancy Payments Act 1967, ruling that her long service and weekly pay entitled her to the statutory redundancy sum. The calculation of the lump sum will be handled by the Department of Social Protection.
Leonie Sheils, a former Symetri Ltd software worker, claims constructive dismissal after a CEO's alleged outburst on 8 July 2022. She says Cormac Lyons shouted at her and two other female staff, demanding keys and questioning their responsibility. She reports being physically sick on the motorway after the incident and experiencing an anxiety attack the following Monday. She filed a formal complaint to senior HR officer Johan Lundqvist in Sweden, but the company's handbook states appeals must be made to management, which Sheils found vague. Symetri argues that because Sheils quit in November 2022 before lodging a formal appeal, the company had no opportunity to address grievances. The Workplace Relations Commission hearing was adjourned, with a decision to be issued later. The case remains under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977.
Switzerland-based Vinivia AG, CEO Steffan Graff, and CFO Marcello Genovese appeared before the High Court to seek a Norwich Pharmacal Order against Twitter International. The applicants alleged that four X accounts were targeting them with a malicious smear campaign, posting statements they claimed were defamatory, false, and in breach of GDPR rights. Counsel stated the posts accused the plaintiffs of fraud, money laundering, and other misconduct, causing significant reputational damage and an estimated €4m loss in investment. The court heard that American influencer Charli D'Amelio had cancelled her Live Streams on the app due to the negative posts. Mr Justice Oisin Quinn heard the application on an ex-parte basis. He granted the plaintiffs permission to serve notice of their application on Twitter International, directing the company to provide details identifying the holders of the four accounts. The judge described the allegations against the plaintiffs as serious and made the matter returnable to a date later this month. The applicants also sought orders for the removal of the posts and suspension of the accounts.
Nadine Lattimore, a Paralympian who represented Ireland in 2012, won €7,000 in compensation after a security guard at a Dealz shop in Dublin 1 tried to deny her guide dog entry. The incident occurred on 23 August last year when Lattimore was buying balloons and was told the dog was not allowed. She felt humiliated and vulnerable, and after the manager apologized and confirmed the dog was welcome, the case was brought under the Equal Status Act 2000. The tribunal found Dealz had not challenged her testimony and accepted her account. The decision ordered Dealz to pay the compensation, train staff repeatedly on the Act, and display signs welcoming guide and assistance dogs. Lattimore was represented by David McCarroll of RDJ LLP; Dealz was represented by Ursula Cullen of Miley and Miley LLP. The ruling was welcomed by Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, who highlighted the need for businesses to train staff on disability rights.
In Dublin, a barristers' strike halted criminal proceedings. Only five cases were scheduled in Court 7 of the Criminal Courts of Justice, but Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned them to the next day. The Central Criminal Court, which was handling several sexual‑abuse trials, did not sit at all. Jury members were told they were not required and were sent home at 10:30 am. No barristers were present; solicitors noted the adjournments. Barristers protested outside the courthouse, citing a 28‑60 % fee cut between 2008 and 2011 and a government failure to conduct an independent fee review promised in Budget 24. They plan to withdraw again on 15 July and 24 July, marking an escalation of the strike that began in October 2023. The strike is driven by a demand for the restoration of fee rates, not a pay rise. The courts are expected to resume tomorrow.
A 26‑year‑old woman, who was raped by Tadgh Lonergan at a house party in Tipperary, delivered a victim impact statement at his sentencing hearing. She said the assault left her feeling "like a prisoner" in her own life, describing severe physical injuries, emotional trauma, flashbacks, nightmares and a loss of confidence. She noted that the rape disrupted her teaching career, her plans to travel and her sense of security, and that her loved ones also suffered. She urged the judge to consider the lasting effect of the crime and to help her regain her former self. Judge Tony Hunt acknowledged her statement, noted the seriousness of the offence, and remanded Lonergan in custody until the sentencing date on 29 July. The judge also highlighted that Lonergan had no prior convictions and that the case had been a "perfectly normal night out" turned tragic. Tadgh Lonergan pleaded not guilty.
A 51‑year‑old man was convicted at the Central Criminal Court of 12 counts of sexual assault and five counts of oral rape of his daughter between 2010 and 2015. The daughter, aged between 10 and 14 at the time of the abuse, was a survivor who had been unable to access therapy as a teenager. She said the abuse had caused severe physical and mental health problems, including complex PTSD, and that she had felt like she was on trial for six years. She criticised the use of her counselling notes in the trial, describing them as "surreal" and fearing they would be used to portray her as a liar. The court adjourned sentencing until 14 October. The defendant denied the allegations and his defence counsel presented two character references, arguing that incarceration would have a deep effect on his family and health. The case was heard by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon.
Chakib Baddaoui, a 40‑year‑old Dutch national, was sentenced to two years in prison for assault causing harm on his former partner in Dublin in 2015. He fled Ireland shortly after the offence, taking a new job in Amsterdam, and later married and had a child. He returned to Ireland in 2022, was granted bail, and travelled from Dubai for the sentencing hearing. He brought €10,000 in compensation to the court. The judge, Elva Duffy, noted that Baddaoui had no prior convictions and that the victim did not wish to give a victim impact statement. The sentence was read with Baddaoui and his wife becoming emotional. The judge suspended the final 12 months of the sentence for two years, back‑dating it to account for the six weeks he had spent in Spanish custody under a European Arrest Warrant. The effective custodial term is one year. The unnamed 40-year-old pleaded guilty.
The State has failed in a preliminary application to have a judge rule on the justiciability of Senator Gerard Craughwell's constitutional challenge regarding an alleged secret arrangement with the UK. In a hearing before Mr Justice Brian Cregan, the judge refused the defendants' motion to determine the issue of law in advance of the full hearing. The State and the Government, represented as defendants, argued that the senator's claims were not justiciable and that reviewing matters of external security would endanger State security. However, the judge noted that the defendants had not accepted the facts as pleaded by the senator, specifically the existence of an alleged international agreement allowing the RAF to intercept aircraft in Irish airspace. Citing case law, the judge stated that acceptance of the plaintiff's case as pleaded is a precondition for a preliminary trial. He further observed that the senator's case was clearly stateable and not bound to fail, and that evidence was required before the court could reach a conclusion. The judge ruled that the application for the trial of the preliminary issue must be refused. The matter was adjourned for a week to allow the parties to consider the decision. Senator Craughwell, who claims the alleged agreement is unconstitutional and was never put before the Dáil, seeks declarations that the arrangement breaches the Irish Constitution and an order restraining the government from legislating on the matter without a referendum.
A school principal has filed a High Court judicial review to overturn a finding of poor professional performance issued by the Teacher's Council. The Council's finding stemmed from a 2019 incident in which a non‑verbal autistic pupil was allegedly shouted at and roughly handled by a teacher. The principal was accused of failing to inform the child's parents until June 2019, despite becoming aware of the matter in February. The Council's investigation concluded that the teacher was cleared, but the principal was found to have engaged in poor professional performance and was formally admonished. The principal argues the Council breached fair procedures, imposed an unjust sanction, and delayed the complaint by five years, causing prejudice and affecting his health. He seeks to quash the findings, declare the delay a rights breach, and prevent reinvestigation. The case is set to return to the High Court later this month.
In a High Court hearing on 8 July 2024, the Garda Commissioner was not challenged in two separate judicial review cases concerning the alleged unlawful policy of refusing station bail to men accused of breaching domestic violence orders. The first case involved a man in family‑law proceedings who was detained after a former partner alleged he had breached a Protection Order by shouting at her. He was denied station bail, held overnight, and granted bail the next day by a District Court judge. The second case concerned a man arrested for breaching a barring order that prohibited him from entering his residence; he too was denied station bail, held overnight, and released the following day. Both men, represented by Stephen Faulkner, argue that the Commissioner's 2017 Domestic Abuse Policy, which bars station bail for such offences, lacks legal basis, is unlawful and unreasonable.
Andrei Dobra, 36, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for strangling his fiancée, Ioana Mihaela Pacala, on 12 November 2022. The jury, after 1 hour 44 minutes, accepted that Dobra suffered a psychotic episode that made him believe Pacala threatened him and that he did not know his act was wrong. Two consultant psychiatrists, Dr Brenda Wright and Prof Patricia Casey, diagnosed Dobra with schizoaffective psychosis and a major depressive episode with psychotic symptoms. Dobra had no prior mental‑health or criminal history and had lived a stable, normal life, working as a security guard and administrator. He was remanded to the National Forensic Mental Health Services Hospital in Portrane for assessment. The case highlighted the tragic loss of a young life and the impact of untreated mental illness.
A 17‑year‑old boy, whose name is withheld because he is a minor, pleaded guilty to the murder of Lorna Woodnutt, a woman in her 40s, at a rural property outside Tullamore, Co Offaly, on 29 September 2023. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court on 8 July 2024. Mr Justice Paul McDermott explained that, as the defendant is under 18, the case is dealt with under The Children's Act and the mandatory life sentence for murder does not apply. The judge read the single charge to the boy, who confirmed he was ready to proceed. Defence counsel James Dwyer SC requested a probation report, a remand period and a sentence date at the end of July. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Michael Delaney SC, noted that a victim impact statement would be presented and that the sentence hearing would last about half a day.
In July 2024 the Workplace Relations Commission awarded a mental‑health worker €13,000 after a charity secretary's unsent email draft used the term "mad f***er" to describe him. The secretary claimed the phrase was affectionate, praising his commitment to a 24‑hour café‑centre project launched in 2019. The worker had received state funding for 2019‑2020, then continued developing the project in 2021 without pay. In December 2021 he agreed to partner with the charity, but in February 2022 a memorandum of understanding was signed without proper board registration. The HSE declared the MoU null in June 2022, and the centre never opened. The worker later emailed the charity in April 2022 that he was taking time off, citing "uniquely damaging knocks and bangs" from the project.
Raymond Shorten, a 50‑year‑old Dublin taxi driver, was convicted in May of two counts of rape and one of sexual assault against a seven‑year‑old girl. The offences occurred after the child's mother's funeral, in a bathroom at her family home where Shorten covered her mouth, and later on a bed and in a car. The girl, now 20, had left a handwritten note in 2020 alleging abuse and was interviewed by specialist gardai in early 2021. Shorten denied all allegations during voluntary interviews in 2020 and 2021, calling them "110% lies" and a "wind‑up." He was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court and is due to be sentenced later this month. The case is part of a broader pattern of sexual offences by Shorten, who has eight prior convictions, including five for road traffic offences. Raymond Shorten pleaded not guilty.
Owen Maughan, 22, was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of 65-year-old Christopher Hall. Maughan, of Dun Saithne Avenue, Balbriggan, pleaded guilty to the sole count of murder during a pre-trial hearing last month. The court heard that Maughan murdered Mr Hall at his home in Dun Saithne Green, Balbriggan, Co Dublin, between November 23 and 24, 2021. The sentence was backdated to July 4, 2022, when Maughan entered custody. Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted the focus rightly fell on the victim and his family. Prosecution evidence indicated Maughan had harassed and tormented the vulnerable victim, who had a brain injury, including directing him to ATMs to withdraw cash. A postmortem identified seven stab wounds to the neck and blunt force trauma to the head. Maughan has 39 previous convictions. Defence counsel stated Maughan was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time and expressed remorse. The victim's daughter, Rebecca Hall, described the actions as "nothing but evil" and "senseless."
At the Special Criminal Court, the matter was adjourned to July 16 for a mention. The court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt with Mr Justice Paul Burns and Judge Sinead Ní Chúlacháin, heard an application by State solicitor Ciara Vibien to have Brandon Hennessy tried at the non-jury court. Hennessy, 21, is accused of violent disorder under Section 15 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, allegedly using or threatening violence at Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown on December 24. He is the son of Jason Hennessy Sr, who was fatally injured in the shooting and died 11 days later. Another victim, Tristan Sherry, died of blunt-force trauma. Seven others are also involved in the proceedings. David Amah, Michael Andrecut, Noah Musueni, and Wayne Deegan are charged with murder. Jaures Kumbu is charged with unlawful possession of a submachine gun at the steakhouse on the night. A 17-year-old boy and Jonas Kabangu are charged with violent disorder. The court did not record any pleas, findings, or sentences, as the case remains at the procedural stage of trial preparation. The matter was not concluded but adjourned to allow for the listing of all matters for mention on the specified date.
A High Court action was brought on behalf of a primary‑school‑aged boy with autism and a moderate intellectual disability, whose current school placement is deemed unsuitable. The boy has speech and language delay and requires significant adult assistance. A psychologist from the National Educational Psychological Service assessed him and recommended an Autism Spectrum Disorder‑specific school placement. The family has applied to twelve schools, all of which are full, and has sought help from the Department of Education. They claim this lack of access breaches the boy's rights to an adequate education under the Constitution, the 1998 Education Act and the 2004 Special Education Needs Act. The case, represented by Derek Shortall SC and Paul Gunning BL, seeks an order compelling the Minister for Education, the National Council for Special Education and the Attorney General to provide an appropriate placement within a court‑directed period, and a declaration that the respondents have failed in their duty.
Eoin Claxton, 37, a hotel worker who fell into debt during the pandemic, was jailed for 18 months after a Garda posing as a courier delivered a package containing 4.8 kg of cannabis herb worth €79,824 to his home in Rathgar. Claxton pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale or supply on 14 December 2020. He had been laid off, isolated, and started gambling recklessly, building a debt of €8,000‑€9,500. He accepted a deal to take the drugs to pay off the debt. At an earlier hearing Judge Elma Sheahan accepted his remorse and the gambling debt but imposed a custodial sentence, suspending the final 18 months. Claxton was arrested at the delivery, his home searched, and his phone seized. He has 36 prior convictions, mainly traffic offences, and had been promoted twice at the hotel. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a psychiatrist testified that Andrei Dobra, a 36‑year‑old man with no prior violence or mental illness, strangled his fiancée Ioana Mihaela Pacala, 30, during a psychotic episode. Dobra, who had two university degrees and worked as an administrator and security guard, had planned to marry Pacala on 10 June 2023. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The psychiatrist described Dobra as courteous and respectful, deeply regretting the act, and noted he had no history of mental health service use. She reported that in the months before the killing he experienced stress, anxiety, fleeting thoughts, and delusions that Pacala's family would prevent their marriage and that a spirit was in the house. She diagnosed him with schizoaffective psychosis and concluded he met the threshold for a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity. The trial continues before Justice Melanie Greally and a jury of twelve.
Joseph French, 33, of Neilstown Park, Clondalkin, was sentenced to five years in prison, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions, after pleading guilty to attempted robbery on 18 July 2021 and a robbery on 21 July 2021. The attempted robbery took place at Centra, Kingswood Shopping Centre, where French, armed with a large knife, demanded money from a staff member and was stopped by a customer. CCTV captured him leaving a Tesco plastic bag, which later yielded his DNA. The robbery at Applegreen, Clondalkin, involved a black rubber mallet; French forced a staff member to open the till and took just over €350 before leaving a plastic bag that again provided DNA evidence. French had 139 prior convictions, including a four‑year sentence for a 2020 robbery and a consecutive four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for the 18 July 2021 robbery.
Sean Keenan, 28, of Rosse Court Heights, Balgaddy, was sentenced to 27 months in prison for stealing a Peugeot 206 and its keys from a home in Holywell View, Swords, on 17 September 2022. He used a fishhook to snatch the keys from the hallway. Keenan has 118 prior convictions covering theft, assault, and other offences. Garda Brian Murphy presented CCTV footage and evidence from a search of Keenan's house. Keenan pleaded guilty, admitting intoxication and drug influence at the time of the crime. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted his early guilty plea and cooperation as mitigating factors, suspended the final 12 months of the sentence for 12 months, and ordered probation supervision for one year after release. Keenan is currently serving a three‑year sentence and is due for release in May 2025.
At the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork, the trial of six men accused of murdering Thomas 'Tom' Dooley at Rath Cemetery, Tralee, on October 5, 2022, is ongoing. All defendants, including Patrick Dooley, Thomas Dooley Senior, Thomas Dooley Junior, Michael Dooley, Daniel Dooley, and a teenager, have pleaded not guilty. Thomas Dooley Junior is additionally charged with assault causing serious harm to Siobhán Dooley, to which he also pleaded not guilty. The prosecution alleged the group committed an 'honour killing' using bladed weapons, resulting in fatal injuries to the deceased. In closing addresses, defence counsel for Patrick Dooley argued his client was attempting to save his brother rather than attack him, rejecting the 'Cainite' label. Counsel for Daniel Dooley highlighted the lack of forensic evidence linking his client to the crime. The matter was adjourned to Monday for further closing addresses.
A trial date of 23 February 2026 has been set at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for three Gardaí accused of burglary and perverting the course of justice. Robert Gorman, aged 43, is charged with burglary of a basement flat at Mountjoy Square North on 7 September 2021, and with two counts of perverting the course of justice: one for allegedly signing information for a search warrant for that flat between 30 September and 30 December 2021, and another for allegedly creating three incidents on the Garda Pulse computer system on 21 September 2021. Ciaran Whelan, aged 51, is charged with burglary of the same basement flat on 7 September 2021, burglary of a flat on Kenilworth Road on 19 June 2021, and three counts of perverting the course of justice between 25 August and 27 September 2021, including a false report to a superintendent and amended data on the Garda Pulse system.
Chestin Hoogenboom, 37, a Dutch national, was jailed after admitting she smuggled more than €26,000 worth of cocaine into Dublin Airport. Customs officials stopped her at Terminal One when an X‑ray revealed an anomaly in her luggage, which contained €12,000 worth of cocaine. Gardaí questioned her and she was taken to Beaumont Hospital, where she removed an additional €14,000 worth of cocaine from inside her body. The total weight of cocaine removed from her luggage and her person was 0.38 kilograms. Hoogenboom pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply on 9 November last year and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. She cooperated fully, made an early guilty plea, and has no prior convictions in this jurisdiction or abroad. The court noted she is studying law and judicial decision‑making and that she has mental health issues and two teenage children in the care of a friend.
A 29‑year‑old non‑national was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment for assault causing harm, threats to kill and criminal damage after a three‑hour attack on his former partner in her Dublin home during the Covid lockdown. The court heard that the defendant and the victim had a volatile relationship for three years. On 12 February 2021, he struck the woman on the head and body, called her a "bitch" and a "whore", threatened to kill her and said he would "smash her head in" before leaving at 1 a.m. Four days later, on 16 February, he returned, again called her a "whore", threatened to kill her, grabbed and smashed her iPhone, and the victim's child was present. He was arrested on 1 April 2021, pleaded guilty, and admitted the assault but not the full extent of the victim's account.
In a High Court case, the Irish Music Rights Organisation Company Ltd (IMRO) had sought an injunction against Philip Meagher and Forestfest Limited, organisers of the Forest Fest music and arts festival in Co Laois, claiming that the organisers had failed to obtain a licence for certain musical works that IMRO said it owned the copyright to. IMRO alleged that several dozen of its members' works would be performed at the three‑day event from 19 to 21 July at Emo, Co Laois, and that without a licence the plaintiffs' rights would be breached. The injunction, which was expected to be opposed, was due to be heard next week, but on Thursday Mr Justice Mark Sanfey was told that the case had settled and could be struck out. The dispute was resolved before the hearing, and no injunction was granted.
The State has appealed a pre-trial ruling in the Court of Appeal concerning five gardaí charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice. The Director of Public Prosecutions made the application regarding matters raised during a preliminary trial hearing in 2023. The respondents are retired Superintendent Edmond "Eamon" O'Neill, Sergeant Annemarie Hassett, Sergeant Michelle Leahy, Garda Thomas McGlinchey, and Garda Colm Geary. All five are alleged to have committed more than 40 counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to fixed charge penalty notices. The 42 charges relate to events allegedly occurring between October 9, 2016, and September 6, 2019. These allegations follow a lengthy investigation by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The matter is currently at the appeal stage, with no plea, finding, sentence, or finalisation recorded for the respondents. The court has not concluded the case, and the procedural status remains an active appeal against the earlier pre-trial decision.
The Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by the Concerned Residents of Treascon and Clondoolusk, who opposed An Bord Pleanala's October 2021 decision to grant planning permission for a solar energy facility operated by Elgin Energy Services Limited on a 90‑hectare site in Portarlington, Co. Offaly. The residents argued that the board's decision was invalid because it contravened EU directives on habitats and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). The Court found the substantive issues raised were misconceived or premature, noting that the removal of hedgerows did not trigger a full EIA for the entire project. Justice Brian Murray, joined by Justices Donal O'Donnell, Seamus Woulfe, Maurice Collins and Aileen Donnelly, upheld the board's decision. The High Court had previously rejected the residents' claims, and the Supreme Court's dismissal confirmed that the appeal was not supported by the necessary legal grounds. The case remains a judicial review against An Bord Pleanala and the Attorney General.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing in Cork, the Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel, Dean Kelly SC, presented the State's case against six men accused of murdering Thomas 'Tom' Dooley, 43, during a funeral in Tralee on 5 October 2022. Kelly described the attack as a "biblical atrocity" and an "honour killing" triggered by a broken teenage relationship. He detailed that Dooley suffered four stab wounds, one severing the femoral artery, and a chop wound to the arm, leading to fatal blood loss. The accused, including Patrick Dooley (36), Thomas Dooley Senior (43), Thomas Dooley Junior (21), Michael Dooley (29), Daniel Dooley (42) and a teenager, all pleaded not guilty. Kelly argued the case rested on joint enterprise, noting the weapons were brought to the cemetery and the assault was carried out with "absolute ferocity" in seconds. He urged the jury to focus on the evidence presented. The trial continues with defence counsel's closing speech scheduled for the following day.
In a Workplace Relations Commission hearing, the Dublin‑based rental company Itzig Sarl was ordered to pay €2,032 in compensation to former showing agent Dunia Rojas. Rojas began work in October 2023, initially under the impression she would receive a salary, but was later told the role was commission‑only. She reported that she received no payment for the first two weeks, and subsequent payments were incorrect. Rojas documented her complaints with calls and WhatsApp chats, yet the company failed to respond to her queries and did not provide pay‑slips or a contract. Itzig Sarl did not attend the hearing, despite a prior notice. The adjudication officer, Jim Dolan, found Rojas' complaint well founded under the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994, citing a breach of Section 3, and directed the company to transfer the compensation within 42 days of the decision.
John McClean, aged 79, former rugby coach at Terenure College, was convicted of sexually abusing 45 pupils over more than 20 years. After his first 2021 sentence of eight years for 23 offences, he pleaded guilty to 22 further abuses and received a four‑year sentence in February 2023, to run consecutively. The Court of Appeal found that Judge Nolan's global sentencing approach was not sufficiently rigorous and quashed the 2023 sentence. The Court ordered a new global sentence of ten and a half years for all 45 offences. McClean left the school in 1996 following earlier allegations and later coached rugby at UCD. The appeal highlighted the predatory nature of the abuse, the vulnerability of the victims, and the significant psychological harm caused. The new sentence reflects a proportionate headline term after discounting mitigating factors such as early guilty pleas and remorse.
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 4 July 2024, the appeal of Garrett Smith, 35, who was convicted of manslaughter for stamping to death Edward Liam O'Sullivan in his own home, was dismissed. Smith had sought to reduce his 13.5‑year sentence, arguing it was too harsh, but the three‑judge panel, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, found no merit in his appeal. Edwards reaffirmed the jury's decision to convict of manslaughter rather than murder, citing Smith's intoxication and the "sheer viciousness and brutality" of the attack. He rejected claims that the trial judge had failed to consider mitigating factors, noting the original headline sentence of 16 years was reduced to 14.5 years with 12 months suspended. The decision was met with brief applause from the victim's family before Smith was escorted back to prison.
The High Court on 3 July 2024 appointed Tom Murray and Eoin Massey of Friel Stafford as joint provisional liquidators for Cube Logistics 3PL Limited, a freight logistics company employing over 30 people. The court found the company insolvent, unable to pay debts as they fall due, after a difficult 2023 trading year that saw losses of €610,000 despite a turnover of €5.38m. Cube had expanded by leasing two new warehouses, but new customers did not use them, and it lost key clients such as Hilti Ireland, Lloyd Fraser Holdings' UK parent, and PRL Ireland. The company owes €655,000 to Revenue for VAT, PAYE and PRSI and cannot meet a phased payment arrangement. It had attempted restructuring via SCARP and considered examinership, but the court deemed that option unviable. The liquidators will manage the company's affairs, including customer stock worth about €5m, and may continue trading, dismiss or retain staff.