Joe Donogher, 55, of Ashlawn Park, Ballybrack, was sentenced to 33 months in jail after pleading guilty to transporting almost €150,000 worth of cocaine. He admitted to possessing a 2‑kg quantity of the drug, valued at €143,925, for sale or supply in Sallynoggin, Dublin, on 16 May 2024. Donogher had no prior convictions. Gardaí had set up a surveillance operation and found the drugs in a toolbox he placed in his van. He claimed he accepted the drugs because his son, who was in debt to "unsavoury characters," was threatened with violence if the debt was not paid. Donogher stated that his son's life was at risk and that he was acting to protect him. The court accepted his early guilty plea and his otherwise clean record, and the judge imposed a 33‑month term, a significant departure from the mandatory minimum of ten years.
John Joseph Carey, a 57-year-old man from Tipperary Town, was sentenced to seven years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to having 16.6 kg of cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Port on October 10, 2022. The drugs, estimated to have a street value of €1,232,560, were concealed in a Perspex box built into the chassis of a camper van driven by Carey. Prosecution evidence indicated that Carey, who has no previous convictions, was pressured to transport the cocaine to settle a debt that had risen to €250,000. Judge Martin Nolan accepted Carey's guilty plea and noted his cooperation with the Garda investigation. The judge described Carey's culpability as "low to mid," acknowledging that he did not own the drugs and acted to resolve personal financial problems. Consequently, the court imposed a sentence of seven years. The matter was finalized with this sentence, reflecting the court's assessment of the defendant's role and mitigating factors.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a woman in her 30s from the southwest of Ireland is accused of killing a four‑year‑old boy. The accused told Gardaí that the boy was a "bold cheeky child" and that she had kept him in his room, on the floor, for several days to hide bruising. On 13 March 2021, after the boy fell from a bunk bed, emergency services found him unconscious with multiple bruises of different colours. The prosecution argues that the boy's brain injury was caused by shaking and blunt force, not a fall. The accused pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. She had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting the child in January and March 2021. The trial is before Mr Justice Paul McDermott with a jury of four women and eight men.
A 40-year-old woman from Ballina in County Mayo has pleaded guilty to possessing €62,000 worth of cannabis herb for sale or supply. Bernadette Muldoon, of St Patrick's estate, admitted the offence relating to drugs found at a different address on the same estate on 7 June last year. Gardaí discovered the cannabis in plastic bags and a protein tub following a tip-off search. A man fled the scene when officers arrived. Muldoon presented herself at Ballina Garda Station later that day and accepted responsibility for the drugs. She told gardaí she was holding them under duress due to a €3,000 drug debt and expressed fear for her safety after her home was damaged. The court heard she struggles with cocaine addiction. Judge Eoin Garavan adjourned sentencing to February 2026 to allow Muldoon to engage with probation services and address her substance misuse. The garda acknowledged the operation was not sophisticated and that Muldoon occupied a lower tier in the arrangement.
A man has been sentenced to three years imprisonment at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court following his conviction for sexual offences against a woman in County Mayo. Jorge Paris, aged 62 and resident in Dublin, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault and one of attempted sexual assault occurring between December 2000 and February 2003. The complainant, now 48, was between six and seven years old when the abuse began. Judge Eoin Garavan imposed a headline sentence of six years, subsequently reduced to four and a half years with the final 18 months suspended, citing mitigation including Paris's 25-year employment record and stable 40-year marriage. The judge noted Paris had been removed from the Jehovah's Witnesses congregation following disclosure of the abuse. In her victim impact statement, the woman described lasting psychological and physical harm, stating the offences had destroyed her childhood, adulthood and sense of safety. The defence presented a letter of apology from Paris and a testimonial from his adult daughter.
Cristan Turbat and Dorina Turbat, of Maynooth, Kildare, were sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for social welfare fraud. The couple pleaded guilty to sample charges representative of an indictment of over 570 charges covering April 2017 to January 2019. Cristan Turbat admitted to 10 charges of stealing cash from the Department of Social Protection and one charge of making a false statement. Dorina Turbat pleaded guilty to 10 similar theft charges and one false statement charge. Judge Martin Nolan jailed both defendants for 18 months, reducing a headline sentence of three years due to their guilty pleas, cooperation, and remorse. The court found they conspired to defraud the State of over €114,000 by having Cristan work under a false identity while Dorina claimed jobseeker's allowance, working family payment, and rent supplement. Michael McMahon, their employer, was previously sentenced to a 14-month suspended term for aiding and abetting the fraud. His sentence was suspended in full on the condition he repay €55,215. €21,350 found in the Turbats' home will be confiscated, leaving a balance of just over €13,000 to be repaid. The matter was finalised with the imposition of these custodial sentences and repayment conditions.
Five bus and taxi operators from Limerick, Tipperary, Clare, South Galway and Waterford have gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court. They pleaded not guilty to a single charge under the Competition Act 2002, alleging that between 1 November 2014 and 31 December 2016 they engaged in a concerted practice that prevented, restricted or distorted competition in school transport services. The prosecution is by the Competition Authority. Mr Justice David Keane empanelled a jury of seven men and five women; the trial is expected to last up to six weeks.
The Central Criminal Court trial of seven men accused of sexually abusing a deaf family member is proceeding with extensive sign language interpretation support. The complainant, giving evidence via videolink, is assisted by an Irish Sign Language interpreter, a deaf relay, and an intermediary linguistics expert. Ms Justice Caroline Biggs informed the jury that the court is in "new territory," noting that monitoring interpreter teams will alert the court to translation errors. The trial, expected to last four months, involves 98 counts of abuse alleged to have occurred between 1996 and 2013. All defendants deny the charges. Accused A, a 55-year-old uncle, faces one count of rape. Accused B, another uncle, is accused of eight counts of rape, oral rape, and anal rape. Accused C, a 34-year-old brother, faces 45 counts of rape and anal rape against the complainant, plus additional charges of sexual assault, rape, and anal rape against two other sisters. Accused D, 33, pleaded not guilty to 19 counts of rape and three of anal rape. Accused E, 32, denied nine counts of anal rape and seven of rape. Accused F, also 32, denied five counts of rape and anal rape. Accused G, 45, denied one count of rape. The matter is currently at the trial stage.
In a 2025 appeal, a 68‑year‑old man who was jailed for life for a campaign of rape against his granddaughter and nephew argues that the jury's verdict was unfairly influenced by evidence of prior violence and sexual abuse from his daughter. The defence senior counsel, Michael Bowman, contends that the prosecution's testimony about the daughter's abuse—describing beatings with sticks, tying up a brother, and habitual rape from age 11—was prejudicial and not relevant to the charges. He also claims the jury's verdict on one count was "perverse" because the caravan mentioned by a victim was in a different county than the indictment stated. The prosecution's Shane Costelloe SC maintains that the evidence was essential to illustrate intergenerational abuse and that the judge correctly allowed it. The unnamed 68-year-old was found guilty.
Michael Rooney Dignam, 44, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for a series of seven robberies committed between August and September 2024 in Dublin. The robberies involved armed threats with a broken bottle, knife and syringe, and included an incident where a teenage shopkeeper's daughter was held at knife‑point. Victims were shop staff and off‑licence workers who were threatened with stabbing or struck with a broken bottle. Rooney Dignam, who has 55 prior convictions including the manslaughter of his brother, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse. Judge Orla Crowe set a headline sentence of 10 years, reduced to seven and a half years, and suspended the final 12 months on strict conditions, including good behaviour for two years and 12 months of probation. No money was recovered from the robberies. The court noted that the offences were carried out to fund a drug addiction following his release from prison.
Two brothers, Shane Farrelly (26) and Aaron Farrelly (22), were jailed for carrying a 28‑inch sword near a primary school in Inchicore on 24 October 2024. CCTV showed Shane holding the sword, which had been hidden under a vehicle, and handing it to Aaron. Both pleaded guilty to possession of knives. Shane received a sentence of three years and six months with the final 12 months suspended, while Aaron received the same term with the final 18 months suspended. The court also heard that a third man, Jeffrey Crowley (29), pleaded guilty to possession of an axe and was sentenced to three and a half years with the final 12 months suspended. The incident lasted roughly 30 seconds and involved the men moving in and out of camera view, with the sword later seized at an apartment. The judge noted the aggravating factor of the proximity to a school and directed the brothers to probation supervision after release.
A man has been sentenced to fifteen months in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for two counts of animal cruelty connected to protests against asylum seeker accommodation at Thornton Hall in north Dublin. In June 2024, security personnel discovered two pigs with severe stab and slash wounds on the site, one of which was also missing a limb. Both animals were subsequently euthanised, while two others brought to the location were rehomed. Darren Jackson, aged forty and from Rivermeade in County Dublin, admitted to transporting four pigs from a County Cavan farm to the facility but maintained that an associate inflicted the injuries using a scalpel. The court heard evidence that Jackson recorded video footage while driving the animals and that some individuals involved believed introducing pigs would deter Muslim people from the site due to religious observance. Following his arrest, Jackson engaged with local community representatives and attended a mosque for discussions regarding radicalisation. Judge Martin Nolan accepted Jackson was not the primary architect of the scheme but had participated substantially. Darren Jackson pleaded guilty.
In a High Court case, Mr Justice Paul McDermott sentenced Aidan Duffy, 44, of Gort, for a sexual assault of a 16‑year‑old girl and for engaging in a sexual act with a child under 17. The judge set a headline sentence of seven years for the latter charge, noting it might be reviewed elsewhere, and reduced it to five years due to mitigation and Duffy's guilty plea. For the sexual assault count, the headline was eight years, reduced to six years, with the final year suspended for two years; both sentences run concurrently. Duffy was ordered to probation, therapeutic programmes, no contact with the victim or her family, and a five‑year post‑release supervision. The victim, who wished to remain anonymous, described the assault, drug use, and subsequent trauma, while Duffy denied the allegations and claimed the contact was consensual. The judge highlighted the seriousness of the offences and the impact on the victim.
In a 2025 appeal, Judge Deidre Browne replaced a four‑month jail term with a fully suspended nine‑month sentence for Richard Joseph Doyle, 34, who had been convicted of two counts of assault and a threat of property damage after grabbing a woman by the neck in a Dublin house. The original sentence included four months imprisonment, a €200 fine, and €200 compensation for a damaged window. Doyle appealed on the grounds of severity. The judge, citing a probation report, expressed "very significant concerns" over Doyle's lack of insight into the seriousness of his actions and limited victim empathy. She increased the custodial term to nine months but suspended it, requiring Doyle to enter probation supervision, attend offence‑focused work, participate in a violence‑prevention program, disclose intimate relationships, and undergo drug screening or intervention as directed.
In a Workplace Relations Commission hearing, Thayane Sousa, a meatpacking worker at Asba Meats Ltd in Shannon, was awarded €20,000 after she claimed maternity discrimination. Sousa, who had worked intermittently at the halal plant since 2022, told her line manager she was pregnant about two weeks after returning from a break in July 2024. She said the manager then reassigned her to tasks outside her job description that were "significantly more physically demanding," such as boning meat, and reduced her working hours from 35 to as few as two days a week. Sousa's contract stipulated a 40‑hour week for €508, but she was paid at the national minimum wage. The tribunal found the evidence of reassignment and reduced hours uncontested, and concluded that Asba Meats had discriminated against her on the basis of gender. The decision was published on 4 November 2025 and marked the third ruling against the company in 18 months.
In a double‑murder trial, defence counsel Patrick Gageby SC argued that the State's case against 46‑year‑old Ruth Lawrence was weak, relying mainly on two protected witnesses, father and daughter Jason and Stacey Symes. Gageby said the Symes had downplayed their own roles and could not be trusted to convict Lawrence, who was extradited from South Africa in 2023 after the bodies of Anthony Keegan (33) and Eoin O'Connor (32) were found on a lake island in 2014. He claimed the Symes' statements about Lawrence shooting O'Connor and her boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen taking over were unreliable, and that phone evidence did not link Lawrence to the killings. Gageby urged jurors not to convict Lawrence, describing the prosecution's case as "slim" and "shaky.". Ruth Lawrence pleaded not guilty.
Ross O'Shea, a former army captain, was found guilty by a General Court Martial in October 2022 of sexually assaulting a female non‑commissioned officer at a barracks social function on 25 June 2020. He was convicted of two charges – sexual assault and a Section 2 assault under the Non‑Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 – and was dismissed from the Defence Forces. A custodial sentence of six months at the Curragh Camp was imposed but suspended for one year. O'Shea had pleaded guilty to five of 18 charges, was acquitted of seven, and four were withdrawn. In a Court of Appeal hearing on 4 November 2025, Mr Justice John Edwards upheld the dismissal, noting the conduct was "corrosive of discipline" and that the psychological impact on the victims was significant. The victims welcomed the decision. The appeal argued the offences were an aberration in an otherwise glittering career, but the court found the dismissal justified.
A 32‑year‑old woman from the south west has pleaded guilty to killing a four‑year‑old boy but denies that the death was murder. She is to stand trial at the Central Criminal Court, where Mr Justice Paul McDermott swore in a jury of eight men and four women. The judge told the jury that the allegation is murder and that the child was aged four‑and‑a‑half when he died on 16 March 2021. The trial, expected to last up to five weeks, is set to begin tomorrow.
DJ Carey, a former Kilkenny hurler aged 54, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five and a half years in prison for defrauding over 20 people of almost €400,000 by falsely claiming to have cancer. Between 2014 and 2022, he obtained €394,127 and $13,000 from victims, promising repayment but never fulfilling it; only €44,200 was repaid, leaving €349,927 and $13,000 outstanding. Carey pleaded guilty to ten counts of dishonestly inducing payment, eight further charges of dishonesty, and two counts of using a false instrument. The judge described the fraud as "very low" yet "reprehensible" and imposed a global sentence of five and a half years, comprising a four‑year term followed by a consecutive one‑and‑a‑half‑year term. Carey had no prior convictions and had cooperated with Gardaí, but the court noted his reputation as a celebrated hurler had been destroyed by the case.
A man has admitted careless driving causing the death of a woman in her 70s at a supermarket car park in County Mayo last year. The incident occurred on June 6, 2024, at Supervalu in Westport, when a lorry struck the pedestrian in the vehicle forecourt. Mihail Tanasevici, aged 41 and residing in Dublin, pleaded guilty to a single count of careless driving causing death at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court. The court heard he was operating the vehicle at approximately 2 kilometres per hour whilst engaged in employment duties at the time of the collision. Tanasevici, with no previous convictions, is expected to return to court in February to address two additional charges. Sentencing has been scheduled for March 6. A probation report has been ordered ahead of these proceedings.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, prosecution barrister Michael O'Higgins SC argued that Ruth Lawrence (46) and her South African boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen acted as a "unit and tag team" to lure drug dealer Eoin O'Connor (32) to their home at Patricks Cottage, Ross, Mountnugent, and murder him. O'Higgins said Lawrence shot O'Connor in the stomach with intent to kill, but she did not act alone; van der Westhuizen allegedly finished him off, possibly by grappling and shooting him in the head. The prosecution also claimed that the couple killed Anthony Keegan (33) and that both bodies were later found bound and covered on Inchicup Island, Lough Sheelin. Witnesses Jason and Stacey Symes testified that Lawrence told them she had shot O'Connor but it "went wrong" and that van der Westhuizen took over. The case presented evidence of a planned, highly calculated double murder, with Lawrence and van der Westhuizen equally liable under the law. Ruth Lawrence pleaded not guilty.
A convicted rapist was sentenced to a global 13‑year term, consecutive to the nine‑year sentence he is already serving, for sexually abusing his daughter between February 2020 and July 2021. The abuse, which occurred while he was on bail for a separate offence, involved oral rape, six attempted rapes, six sexual assaults and six invitations to sexual touching. The daughter, aged 11‑12 at the time, was moved to live with him from another country at age 10. The judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, noted the aggravating factor of grooming the child and the lack of mitigating circumstances. The final four years of the 13‑year sentence were suspended on strict conditions, including the defendant's departure from the country for 15 years. The court emphasised the seriousness of the ongoing wrongdoing and the need for a substantial custodial term.
Ian Healy, 68, of Drogheda, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of indecent assault, attempted rape and rape of his girlfriend's younger sister Susan Mallon, aged nine to twelve when the abuse began in 1978, and to one count of indecent assault of Mallon's younger sister Jenny Sullivan, aged six to eight, between 1981 and 1983. Healy had moved into the family home, where the girls' parents were absent and their older sister was the sole caregiver, and groomed the children by showing pornographic magazines. The abuse escalated from inappropriate touching to attempted rape and rape, ending when Mallon resisted and Healy left the room. Sullivan was forced to masturbate Healy and was told not to report the abuse. Both girls waived anonymity. Healy's sentencing was eight and a half years, with a suspended portion and conditions of probation. The judge noted Healy's insertion into a vulnerable household and his lack of remorse.
Conor O'Brien, 24, appeared at the Central Criminal Court for sentencing following his guilty plea to possession of an article in a public place with the intention of causing injury, contrary to section 9(5) of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990. The offence, dated October 21, 2024, involved carrying a knife at New Oak Estate, Carlow. A further charge regarding the possession of a metal bar was taken into consideration. O'Brien is alleged to have accompanied a co-accused to the home of Darren Quigley, where Mr Quigley was allegedly stabbed to death. Prosecution evidence stated O'Brien admitted bringing the weapons to lend 'moral support' and pushing the co-accused off the victim. The co-accused is separately charged with murder. Defence counsel Kathleen Leader SC argued O'Brien was under the influence of alcohol and drugs, had cooperated with the investigation, and is a suitable candidate for probation supervision with family support. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned the matter to November 17 for sentencing.
In a High Court sentencing hearing, Mr Justice Tony Hunt imposed a three‑year global sentence on an unnamed defendant who had been convicted of assault causing harm and coercive control. The defendant, who had no prior convictions, had abused his wife over a 12‑year period, including a 2010 incident where he pushed a hot plate of food into her face, causing burns. He also engaged in controlling behaviour such as monitoring her spending, threatening suicide, and removing shower fixtures. The judge noted that the defendant's lack of previous convictions might carry less weight in mitigation, but still considered the prolonged abuse. The final sentence was two years suspended for three years on strict conditions, with one year custodial. The judge described the case as "very sad" and highlighted the enduring impact on the victim and children.
The High Court has agreed to hear a judicial review brought by Angela Redic, who claims a State "cover up" in the death of her 25‑year‑old daughter, Mary. Redic says the inquest into Mary's death, found in her Cork apartment in September 2024, was not conducted lawfully and that she is entitled to documents withheld by the State. She is suing the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána, Cork City Coroner, Cork City Council, Sophia Housing Association and Cantillons Solicitors. Redic argues the coroner's short inquest in May was based on unverified facts and that Gardaí were negligent. The case will be heard over two days, with a hearing set for December 4, 2025.
A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in custody at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the violent robbery of an off-duty garda in the Camden Road area on 22 January 2024. Evan Ward of Navan Road, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to the offence. CCTV footage presented at sentencing showed Ward and a juvenile accomplice attacking the garda in the early morning hours, with Ward delivering multiple punches to the victim's head before both assailants stole items including the garda's official identification badge, two passports, bank cards, mobile phones, and car keys. The victim was left unconscious on the ground. Ward admitted he was under the influence of cocaine at the time. He has 57 previous convictions. The court heard evidence of significant childhood mental health difficulties and recent diagnosis of schizophrenic spectrum disorder. The judge imposed a four-year sentence with the final year suspended on condition of continued psychiatric care. The juvenile co-accused received a deferred 22-month detention sentence earlier this year.
Florea Hoza, 57, was jailed for two years after assaulting a woman he was having an extra‑marital affair with. Hoza first claimed the woman, a cleaner at his company, was acting provocatively, but a Probation Service report revealed the affair. He pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm on 23 February 2024 at Harold's Cross Road. The court heard that Hoza slapped the woman twice in the workplace canteen, then tried to hit her with a hard hat. Later that evening, he lay in wait for her on the street, punched her repeatedly, head‑butted her and pursued her across a busy road. The woman suffered facial injuries, blurred vision and nasal pain. Hoza denied the pre‑planned attack and claimed accidental contact. He had no prior convictions and was given a €5,000 token of remorse, which the woman refused.
Alec Goucher, aged 70, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of 25 counts of sexual abuse against his stepdaughter Elizabeth Usher between 2000 and 2007. The abuse began when Usher was about 11 and escalated to regular rapes twice a week when she was 15 or 16. Goucher denied the allegations and claimed she persuaded him to act. He was found to have no remorse and had attempted to collapse his trial after setting his home on fire. The judge, Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, rejected a suggestion that he might be suitable for a non‑custodial sentence and imposed a 17‑year custodial term, back‑dated to the start of his custody. Usher's victim impact statement described the abuse as a campaign of rape that eroded her sense of self and her relationship with her father. The sentence was handed down in February after delays caused by a psychiatric report.
Sarah Jane Byrne, 37, and Jamie Moss, 22, were remanded in custody by the Special Criminal Court until 1 December after pleading guilty to firearms offences. Byrne admitted possession of a 9mm Makarov pistol, 27 rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition, a 12‑gauge sawn‑off Beretta shotgun and a Tokarev submachine gun, all found during a Garda operation on 16 February 2024 at Old Navan Road, Blanchardstown. Moss admitted possession of a 9mm Makarov pistol and a 9mm Makarov Sellier and Bellot round of ammunition, also seized on the same day. Byrne's counsel described her as a vulnerable woman with mental health and addiction problems, who stored firearms to pay a debt to drug dealers and had recently overcome addiction but relapsed after a cancer diagnosis. Moss's counsel highlighted his recent completion of a carpentry apprenticeship and community respect. Both defendants had no prior convictions and were considered low risk of reoffending.
In a sentence hearing for 24‑year‑old Valeriu Melnic, the court heard a victim impact statement from the mother of the deceased, Mr. Ion Daghi, who described the loss as "irreplaceable" and said it would always stain her heart. Melnic, who admitted to being "so drunk" that he could not remember stabbing Daghi with a kitchen knife, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by a jury in July. The hearing reiterated that Melnic's intoxication and the fact that he had no intent to kill were key defence arguments. The court noted that Melnic's relationship with his sister was "somewhat gone" and that he had tried to write to her but could not find the words. The judge remanded Melnic in custody until his sentencing on 17 November.
Mark McCourt (34) of Edenreive, Newry, Co Down, was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court today. Having pleaded guilty in July to participating in a criminal organisation's efforts to import restricted weapons between February 2023 and July 2024, and possessing firearms, McCourt was jailed for 12 years for arms smuggling. This sentence was based on a 15-year headline term, reduced by 20% for his early guilty plea. He was concurrently sentenced to 10 years on four firearms possession charges, reduced from 12.5 years on the same basis. The remaining 20 counts on the indictment were taken into account. The court noted McCourt was caught red-handed with military-grade weapons, including parts for six assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition seized in a Co Louth raid. Det Insp Shane McCartan stated McCourt controlled the importation of firearms components from the USA for reassembly and distribution. McCourt's jail term has been backdated to his arrest on 19 July 2024. The report also notes a separate conviction for criminal damage, where McCourt was jailed for three years, with 18 months suspended, for ramming an off-duty garda's car. No adjournments were recorded; the matter was finalised with sentencing.
Two men, Stephen Mulvey (34) and Jamie Berry (30), pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder a Dublin teenager on February 23‑24, 2021. They were arraigned before the Central Criminal Court and remanded on bail until January 19 next year. Their guilty pleas follow a Court of Appeal order to retrial, overturning a 2023 Central Criminal Court decision that had acquitted them due to insufficient evidence. The State had alleged Berry was the shooter and Mulvey assisted, while the teenager gave testimony but could not recall the day's events and was on medication.
Space commentator David Moore was found personally liable for breaches of employment rights against former Astronomy Ireland manager Sonya Martin, who claimed constructive dismissal and a toxic workplace. After four hearings over 11 months, the Workplace Relations Commission ordered Moore, the club and three other committee members to pay €10,784.60 to Martin. The tribunal awarded her €3,076.92 for constructive dismissal and €7,707 for unpaid statutory leave and lack of a written statement. Martin's case alleged bullying, harassment, financial irregularities, and that the club had no board, making her State grant applications invalid. Moore repeatedly objected to being named in the claim, citing libel, and left hearings in protest. The decision was issued within 42 days of the ruling.
Declan Daly, aged 54, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a series of sexual offences spanning three decades. He pleaded guilty before trial to 12 counts of sexual and indecent assault against three women between 1982 and 2002, and was convicted at trial of three rapes committed in 2022. The court heard that the later rapes occurred after a victim disclosed she had been abused by another man, whose case had already resulted in a 13‑year sentence. In his victim impact statements, the four women described lasting shame, low self‑worth, anger and the abuse's enduring effects. One victim called Daly a "monster" and a "coward," urging others to speak out. The judge, Mr Justice Patrick McGrath, imposed a 22‑year sentence, suspended the final two years for five years, and noted the most serious offence warranted 15 years to life. The sentencing reflected the severity of the crimes and the victims' testimonies.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a victim was forced to sell his Audi S8 after a criminal, Stuart Tighe, attempted to hijack the car twice within five days. The first attempt occurred outside the victim's workplace on 29 January 2024, when Tighe and a companion tried to steal the vehicle but were thwarted. The second, more violent, attack took place on 3 February 2024, when Tighe entered the victim's home with a meat cleaver, causing the victim to lose part of his ear and sustain other injuries. Tighe pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, assault causing harm, and attempted theft. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a headline sentence of 12 years, reduced to nine years with a one‑year suspension, citing the victim's impact statement and the evidence presented. The case highlighted the severity of the assaults and the court's focus on rehabilitation.
A 24‑year‑old man was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, for assault, threats to kill, coercive control and threatening to publish intimate images of a 20‑year‑old woman. He moved into her rented home within weeks of meeting her, forced her younger brother to leave, and controlled her food, clothing, money and communications. He sent almost 5,000 abusive text messages over a four‑day period, threatening to cut her head off, to show her vagina on Facebook and to publish intimate images. He also threatened to dance on her face and to "fuck her up". The judge noted his guilty plea, cooperation with Gardaí, apology letter and a reference from an employer, but the victim declined to accept the apology. A probation report placed him at high risk of re‑offending for emotional abuse and coercive control. The case was heard in the Circuit Court.
George Daly, an 81‑year‑old broker from Malahide, pleaded guilty to using a false instrument in mortgage applications between 2011 and 2017. He helped about 40 applicants inflate their income statements, claiming the banks were "fraudsters" and "greed merchants" after his son lost a home. Gardaí seized 800 documents, including payslips and P60s, which showed higher earnings than the applicants actually earned. The loans, totalling €3.5 million, were drawn down by the applicants and repaid as scheduled, with no repossessions or financial loss to the banks. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a six‑year prison sentence, fully suspended, noting the seriousness of the misconduct but deciding no custodial term was necessary. Daly received no custodial sentence, but the court highlighted the reprehensible nature of his actions.
In a court hearing on 31 October 2025, the court heard that Brandon Abrahams, aged 33, had participated in organised crime money laundering and benefited from a €500,000 An Post smishing scam. Garda National Economic Crime Bureau officers raided his home in September 2024 and found a laptop with thousands of Excel spreadsheets containing debit card information from around the world. Abrahams had produced sophisticated fake UK driving licences and utility bills under various aliases, using them to open accounts at An Post, the Credit Union and other financial institutions. He sold some of these accounts to other fraudsters. A total of €147,230 moved through his accounts during the relevant period. Abrahams pleaded guilty to one count of participating in a criminal organisation under section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, and to nine further offences including money laundering, possession of proceeds of crime and possession of a false instrument.
The Workplace Relations Commission has suspended hearings into a whistleblower penalisation complaint by a long‑serving Garda while a legal challenge to its jurisdiction over press restrictions is pending. Lawyers for the officer have instructed the tribunal to go to the High Court if necessary to contest a media order imposed last year that barred the press from naming anyone identified during hearings into the complaint. The order was originally justified by State counsel Lorna Lynch SC, who argued that naming senior officers could undermine public perception and trust. The WRC extended the restriction to the claimant's name, citing fairness concerns. At a Dublin hearing, counsel David Byrnes BL highlighted recent legal developments, including a judicial review by a civilian employee of An Garda Síochána challenging the adjudication officer's authority to issue media directions. He urged the adjudicator, Jim Dolan, to consider the review and potentially pause proceedings.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 31 October 2025, Maxwell Itumelang Mosia, aged 34, was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment for a 2019 assault causing harm on his former partner. Mosia pleaded guilty to the charge. The court heard that the attack began downstairs and continued upstairs, during which Mosia punched the woman in the face, arms, shoulders and legs, struck her repeatedly in the face, forced her into the bathroom, undressed her, slapped her ears and sprayed her with the shower hose, especially around her genital area. The victim was treated at The Rotunda Hospital for a burst lip, pain to her right ear, right upper jaw and a mild concussion. Mosia had 29 prior convictions, including 24 for traffic offences, public order and theft. Justice Karen O'Connor set a headline sentence of 30 months, reduced to 20 months, and backdated it to the week he entered custody.
A Workplace Relations Commission adjudicator has ordered a Cavan takeaway business to pay €154,828 in compensation to a Chinese national for serious employment rights violations sustained over two years. The worker, employed at Lam's Asian Cuisine and Eskimo Pizza in Ballyjamesduff, was found to have worked between 68 and 73 hours weekly while earning as little as €3 per hour. The adjudicator upheld all 14 complaints filed, including breaches of working time legislation, minimum wage requirements, and equality law. The employer had required repayment of approximately €31,000 in recruitment fees through wage deductions. Adjudicator Shay Henry found the complainant's vulnerable immigration status rendered him susceptible to exploitation and determined no legitimate loans existed. The largest award of €60,000 addressed discrimination on racial grounds. The respondent business director failed to attend hearings, citing stress.
In a decision by the Workplace Relations Commission, Marina Szatmari's claim of gender discrimination against County Kildare FM Radio Ltd, trading as KFM Radio, was dismissed. Szatmari, who worked on the station's traffic desk from September 2023 to April 2025, alleged discrimination, bullying and gossiping, and that she was pressured to resign. She cited an erroneous email from CEO Clem Ryan that she believed showed male management discussing her personal life, and claimed that her request to work remotely was initially denied. Ryan defended himself, stating he treated all female staff with respect and consideration, and highlighted salary increases and support he had provided. The adjudicator, Bríd Deering, found no evidence sufficient to shift the burden of proof to the respondent and therefore rejected the complaint. The case remains at the tribunal stage.
A judge warned that a custodial sentence is inevitable for former hurler DJ Carey, who defrauded nearly €400,000 from 13 complainants, including Denis O'Brien, by pretending to have cancer. Carey, 54, was remanded into custody pending sentencing. He pleaded guilty to 10 counts of dishonestly inducing people to pay money, with an additional 10 counts considered. The court heard that Carey obtained €394,127 and $13,000 US dollars, repaid €44,200, leaving €349,927 and $13,000 outstanding. He claimed to need funds for treatment in Seattle and a HSE medical claim, but investigations found no evidence of cancer treatment or HSE claims. The judge noted the victims' generosity and said the sentence would be "inevitable.".
Stephen Dowling, a 33‑year‑old boxing instructor from Dublin, was convicted at Tallaght District Court on three counts: producing an article capable of inflicting serious injury, and two counts of making threats to kill or cause serious harm. The offences stemmed from an incident on 4 May 2024 at a Circle K service station on Ballyboden Road, where Dowling approached a parked car containing his former girlfriend and her fiancé. He allegedly brandished a hammer from his jacket pocket and shouted threats such as "I'll bash our heads in." Witnesses described the encounter as frightening, noting Dowling's boxing background and the proximity of the hammer. Dowling denied the allegations. The court sentenced him to three concurrent 11‑month terms, each suspended for two years, and imposed a no‑contact order with the victims. No prior convictions were recorded. The judge emphasised that carrying a hammer and threatening people was unacceptable. Stephen Dowling pleaded not guilty.
A 61-year-old man has appealed his conviction for repeatedly sexually abusing his teenage sister-in-law, arguing that evidence regarding his temper created undue prejudice. The appellant, identified as Barry McDonagh, was found guilty by a jury of 17 counts of rape and one count of sexual assault following a Central Criminal Court trial in June 2024. He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison by Ms Justice Caroline Biggs in October 2024. The abuse occurred between 1999 and 2000 when the victim, who waived anonymity, was aged 15 to 16. In the Court of Appeal, counsel for the appellant argued that testimony about the man's violent temper, including allegations he broke his wife's ribs, was irrelevant and highly prejudicial. The Director of Public Prosecutions countered that this evidence was necessary to explain the victim's fear and lack of resistance. The appellant also claimed the judge erred in failing to discharge the jury after a question referencing a holiday to Tunisia. The three-judge court, led by Mr Justice Peter Charleton, reserved its judgment, meaning the matter was adjourned and not concluded.
A 52‑year‑old man, Kasonga Mbuyi, was given a fully suspended sentence of two‑and‑a‑half years for repeatedly stabbing a German passenger at Dublin Airport. The attack was described as unprovoked and random, with the victim sustaining eight superficial wounds that required 12 stitches. Mbuyi, who was barefoot and behaving erratically, had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had a history of cannabis misuse. He pleaded guilty after being deemed fit to plead following almost two years in custody. The judge noted his mental illness and cooperation with the investigation, and imposed strict conditions including 18 months of probation supervision, attendance at offence‑related interventions, and engagement with health and vocational services. The sentence was suspended to encourage continued rehabilitation. The victim's impact statement highlighted the profound effect on his life and family.
Ruth Lawrence, aged 46 and originally from Clontarf, Dublin, is on trial in Ireland for the murders of Anthony Keegan (33) and Eoin O'Connor (32). She was extradited from South Africa nearly a decade after the bodies were found on Lough Sheelin. Lawrence denies the charges. Her defence cites testimony from Pastor Robert Roger Brazelle, who says Lawrence worked in safehouses for trafficking victims in Pretoria and Bloemfontein, and Pastor Andre Lombard, who confirms her involvement in feeding schemes for the poor. The prosecution alleges that Lawrence shot O'Connor and, with boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen, killed both men. Van der Westhuizen is serving a 15‑year sentence in South Africa for kidnapping, attempted murder and murder; extradition to Ireland is pending after his sentence ends. The trial is before Mr Justice Tony Hunt with a jury of twelve.
In a High Court personal injury case, the wife of Dr Martin Lawlor, a 49‑year‑old consultant psychiatrist who died after being hit by a taxi on 15 December 2018, secured a settlement. The case was brought against taxi driver Denis McSweeney, who had been convicted of hit‑and‑run and sentenced to four years' imprisonment, later reduced on appeal. McSweeney, now deceased, was replaced by Axa Insurance in the proceedings. Judge Emily Egan ordered the settlement, struck out the case, and awarded costs to the plaintiff. Dr Helen Murphy Lawlor, represented by senior counsel, alleged that McSweeney knowingly collided with her husband, left the scene recklessly, and showed no concern for his condition. The judge described the matter as "very, very sad" and expressed condolences to the Lawlor family. The case was resolved with the settlement and the striking out of the action.
James Meehan, 56, a convicted murderer sentenced to life with a 14‑year minimum for the 2007 murder of Jim McFadden, fled from Magilligan prison in Derry during a day‑release in December 2024 and was arrested by Gardaí in August 2025 on extradition warrants issued under the Trade and Co‑operation Agreement. He had previously been extradited to Northern Ireland after being described as unlawfully at large. In 2017 he applied to transfer his life sentence from the North to the Republic, a request he reiterated in court. Defence counsel Brian Storan argued that Meehan's temporary release was granted by both Irish and Northern Irish authorities and that he sought a stay on the surrender to allow authorities to consider his transfer application. Judge Paul McDermott adjourned the case to 14 November to allow the defence to present evidence of correspondence regarding the transfer request.