In a Dublin court, a mother testified that she felt "lost and didn't know what to do" after her 10‑ or 11‑year‑old daughter revealed alleged sexual abuse by her older cousin, who is now 20 and has pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of sexual assault and one count of section 4 rape. The mother described the moment her daughter disclosed the abuse, her attempts to seek help, and the subsequent visit to the Garda station. She also recounted her daughter's discovery of pornographic content on a tablet and a note with the word "sex." The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo, continues with the jury hearing the mother's account of the alleged abuse and the steps she took after the disclosure. The accused remains legally entitled to anonymity. The case is still in the hearing stage.
Padraic Troy, 29, of Golden Gardens, Dundrum, Co. Tipperary, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for two counts of rape, anal rape and two sexual assaults of a female acquaintance in 2021. The victim, who was discharged from hospital after an ambulance transfer, had called Troy for assistance. He met her at 3:24 am, accompanied her to a car, and during the journey he began kissing her. After another man left, Troy raped, anally raped and sexually assaulted her in her bedroom. The victim reported the assault the next day, and a DNA profile matched Troy. He denied the allegations, claiming consensual sex. The court noted the victim's life was profoundly affected, citing loss of employment, anxiety and trust issues. Justice Melanie Greally imposed the ten‑year sentence, back‑dated to the date Troy entered custody, and a one‑year post‑release supervision order.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 3 April 2025, Judge Melanie Greally sentenced Paul Kelly, 46, to seven and a half years' imprisonment for repeated rape and sexual abuse of his younger brother, Anthony Kelly. The judge noted that the abuse occurred between 1995 and 1999, when Paul was aged 16 to 20, and that it involved 12 counts of sexual assault, two counts of oral rape and 12 counts of anal rape. Anthony, aged 10 to 14 at the time, had suffered lasting trauma and had come forward with a complaint in 2021. Judge Greally said the case was aggravated by the regularity of the offending, the extended period, the breach of trust and the fact that it took place within the family home. She also addressed letters from members of Paul's family, stating that it is "not permissible" to write privately to a judge about reporting restrictions, and that justice must be administered publicly. Paul Kelly was convicted.
A 35‑year‑old Ukrainian man, Oleksandr Strymbu, was sentenced to five years in prison by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for laundering more than €1 million in cash in exchange for food. He pleaded guilty to handling €1 058 575 of proceeds of crime at his rented house in Knocklyon on 13 June 2024. Garda Kate Gilligan reported that the house was searched and over €1 million in cash was found in six shopping and gift bags in his bedroom, some in vacuum packs and others tied with elastic bands, with a cash‑counting machine on the coffee table. An additional €25 900 was found in an upstairs bedroom. Strymbu claimed he was merely collecting money for a housemate, had no knowledge of the source or amount, and was not paid but received fuel and food. He described himself as an idiot and said he trusted a relative.
In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Natalie Brennan, a 33‑year‑old junior finance administrator at the College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft for taking €22,857 between September 2022 and January 2023. Brennan had been hired in 2014 and was regarded as exemplary until behavioural changes were noted in 2019 after a new relationship. She had previously received wage advances to pay her boyfriend's debt, which were repaid. In December 2022 she took leave and returned in January 2023, when discrepancies were found in the accounting system. Brennan admitted the theft, apologized, and resigned. Garda Sergeant Fionnuala Lawlor testified that the stolen money was transferred to accounts in Brennan's name. The court, noting her cooperation, remorse, and lack of prior convictions, imposed a fully suspended sentence of two and a half years, citing domestic financial pressure as a contributing factor. The judge highlighted the breach of trust but deemed imprisonment unjust.
The Court of Appeal will decide whether the High Court or the Circuit Court should re‑hear a Traveller family's discrimination case. The family, Bridget O'Reilly and Philip O'Neill, received €22,000 from the Workplace Relations Commission in 2022 after the Charleville Park Hotel, owned by Atlantic Troy Ltd, refused them accommodation in 2020 because they could not provide a credit card matching their ID. The WRC found the hotel's refusal discriminated against them as Travellers and as recipients of a Housing Assistance Payment. The Circuit Court overturned the award in July 2022, but the High Court quashed that ruling in September 2023, citing unfairness and inappropriate language used by the Circuit Court judge. The hotel now appeals the High Court's decision, arguing an adequate alternative remedy existed at the Circuit Court level. Ms O'Reilly's counsel seeks to keep the case in the High Court, while the hotel's counsel argues the Circuit Court route was available and was abandoned.
A 52‑year‑old Kuwaiti man, Faleh Al Anisi, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment, backdated to the day he entered custody on 24 May 2024, for assisting the entry of six non‑nationals into Ireland. He had travelled from Lisbon to Dublin, claiming the trip was a holiday but the court found the explanation implausible. At Dublin Airport he handed over his British passport, revealing his Kuwaiti origin, and later returned to customs to explain that he had flown from London to Lisbon the day before and then to Dublin. He admitted carrying a brown paper bag containing genuine passports of the six individuals, who had no documents and had arrived on the same flight from Lisbon. Al Anisi pleaded guilty to three counts of assisting the entry of a person in breach of Section 5 of the Immigration Act 2004.
In the trial of Deirdre Arnold, a 42‑year‑old HSE addiction counsellor, the jury heard a recording of the accused murderer, Brian McHugh, calling her a "wh**e" and threatening to cut her throat. Prosecutors say Arnold, who had previously been in a relationship with McHugh, drove him to Lisa Thompson's home in Ballymun, then helped him escape by taking him to a hotel. Garda testimony revealed that Arnold had reported domestic abuse to police in 2019 and 2020, yet she also claimed she was not under duress and did not want to file a complaint. The defence presented the same recording, showing McHugh's abusive language. Additional evidence included a fingermark on a jewellery valuation certificate linked to Arnold, and a text message sent from a number associated with her to McHugh's phone on 19 June 2022.
In the Central Criminal Court, Dr Mary Davoren testified that Brian Ibe, 23, who is charged with the murder of 65‑year‑old Peter Kennedy, displayed goal‑directed, logical thinking rather than schizophrenia when he threatened and demanded money from Kennedy before fatally assaulting him. Davoren, called by the prosecution, disagreed with the defence psychiatrists who claimed Ibe was in a schizophrenic psychosis at the time of the offence. She noted that Ibe's first disclosure of hearing voices occurred a year and 13 days after remand in Cloverhill Prison and that no evidence of psychosis was present during the murder. Davoren described Ibe's threats as "instrumental" and linked his anger to being asked to leave Kennedy's house in 2019, to loss of social welfare money, and to disgust over the state of the house. She also mentioned that Ibe's aggression may have been reduced by taking Olanzapine, an antipsychotic with a sedative effect. Brian Ibe pleaded not guilty.
A manager who had taken time off for IVF treatment was told upon her return that her job was being made redundant. She had informed her employer in November 2021 that she would embark on IVF and had stepped back from a managerial role to reduce stress. She began as an assistant manager in September 2020, became manager in July 2021, and took a fortnight's leave in January 2022 for her first embryo transfer. Further transfers were planned for March and May, and she took leave for those as well. After the first transfer she returned to work, only to receive a letter on 3 February 2022 stating her role was redundant. She finished before the termination date of 20 February and was paid in lieu of notice. The Workplace Relations Commission found no consultation had taken place and ruled the dismissal unfair, awarding €10,000 in compensation. The decision was anonymised due to the private medical details.
In the case of the Director of Public Prosecutions versus Emmett Rigney, a 22‑year‑old from Shinrone, Co Offaly, the Court of Appeal upheld a two‑year suspended sentence. Rigney was convicted of dangerous driving causing serious bodily injury after a head‑on collision with a vehicle in Ballingarry, Co Tipperary, on 14 August 2021. The crash left a five‑year‑old daughter with a severe traumatic brain injury and caused significant financial and emotional hardship for her family, including a pregnant mother who testified that the incident had a destructive impact. The original headline sentence of three and a half years was reduced to two years, suspended for two years on the condition of €10,000 compensation, and Rigney was disqualified from driving for six years.
Cosmin Stana, 49, of Castlecurragh Heath, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm after his bin truck struck a pedestrian on Shackleton Road, Celbridge, Co Kildare, on 22 September 2022. The victim was trapped under the wheel, suffered serious injuries, and required six months of hospital treatment before release. Stana was originally sentenced to four months in jail and a two‑year driving disqualification. On appeal, the District Court Appeals Court suspended the custodial sentence entirely, replacing it with a €1,500 fine payable over 12 months, while upholding the two‑year driving disqualification. The judge noted Stana's remorse and lack of prior penalty points but deemed his failure to see the victim a serious lapse warranting a custodial sentence, though it was ultimately suspended. The decision was made despite defence counsel's argument that the disqualification would jeopardise his employment. The case remains at the appeal stage.
A migrant farm labourer, Sruh Ak, claims he was underpaid and overworked at Tiernaneill Mushrooms Ltd. He says his employer's timesheets under‑reported his hours, while his own records, including timestamped selfies, show he worked up to 60‑hour weeks and over 77 hours in a single seven‑day period. Ms Pretty Ndawo, an advocate from the Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland, presented evidence that the company's recorded hours for a week starting 23 March 2024 were 37, whereas Ak's records show 60.77 hours, with wages paid at €522 based on the lower figure. The company's representative, Peter Dunlea, explained that pay was calculated on a "pick rate" rather than hourly, and that a clock‑in system, the I‑Grow system, was not used during Ak's employment. The tribunal adjourned the case for an in‑person hearing, noting the complexity of the evidence and the lack of a clock‑in system.
Muhammad Butt, a 44-year-old taxi driver from Blanchardstown, Dublin 12, has lost his appeal against a conviction for careless driving under section 52 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961. Butt had pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged he struck a pregnant woman on Queen Street, Smithfield, on August 19, 2023. The District Court Appeals Court heard that the injured party, Mary Collins, was five months pregnant at the time and suffered a large bruise to her stomach. Collins testified that the vehicle hit her as she crossed the road, while Butt claimed she appeared suddenly and threw herself onto his car after he attempted to avoid her. Garda Stephen Lacey reported visible injuries to Collins and damage to Butt's vehicle. Judge Fiona O'Sullivan affirmed the lower court's findings, accepting the prosecution's evidence that Butt pulled out of his lane without indicating and accelerated. The judge found that Butt was driving with a lack of care and attention. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, and the original District Court order was upheld, requiring Butt to pay a fine of 110 euro within 12 months.
In a Tallaght District Court hearing, Judge Patricia McNamara refused jurisdiction over a violent disorder case involving five men after viewing CCTV footage of a 15‑year‑old being repeatedly beaten with metal bars on the top deck of a bus at The Square Shopping Centre on 29 February 2024. The footage showed two accused men boarding the bus at 9:30 pm, one initiating the assault and the other also striking the teenager, while a third remained outside. The men—Rasel Chowdhury (42), Gao Jiansheng (44), Shafiulla Shafiulla (40), Kamrul Islam (43) and Md Imrul Mahamud (27)—were charged under the Public Order Act for violent disorder. Judge McNamara described the attack as "relentless" and ruled it too serious for the District Court, granting prosecutors 12 weeks to prepare the Book of Evidence. The accused remain remanded on bail until 19 June, and Mr Gao Jiansheng will require a Mandarin interpreter for future proceedings.
Mark Fitzgerald, 39, of Clondalkin, Dublin, voluntarily turned himself in to Gardaí in May 2022 after admitting he had sent sexually explicit messages and photos to over 100 under‑age girls on Snapchat. Gardaí recovered 1,490 conversations from April 2022, in which Fitzgerald had initiated 136 chats with girls aged 12 to 14, asking for their age and photos, and offering to send pictures of his genitalia. He also requested images of the girls' faces, bodies and genitals, and claimed he had no sexual intent. Gardaí preserved the material and presented it to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Fitzgerald's self‑reporting and mitigating circumstances, imposed a two‑year prison sentence.
Sean O'Faolain, 48, of Castleknock, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after punching his ex‑partner at Dublin's Olympia Theatre and again outside the venue, leaving her with a permanent scar. He was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 20 months' imprisonment, back‑dated to 19 February 2025. The court noted the victim suffered a deep cut to her chin, fractured jaw, damaged teeth, bruising and ongoing medical and dental costs. O'Faolain had no prior convictions, had pleaded guilty early, and had character references. The judge considered his intoxication and work history but found a custodial sentence appropriate. The sentence was imposed with no suspended portion, and the effective custodial term is the full 20 months. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
An E‑Health director at the Health Service Executive (HSE), Louise Callanan, secured a High Court interim order restraining the HSE from terminating her contract on 3 April 2025. Callanan, who works as an Assistant National Director for the South/Southwest Hospital Group, claims she was mis‑described as a permanent employee when she applied in October 2021, but was later told her contract was fixed‑term for a specified purpose. She alleges she was penalised after making a protected disclosure in 2023 about a contract with a health information management company that failed to conduct full data protection assessments. Callanan says she faced unfair supervision, cancelled meetings, and limited budget and workforce allocation. The court granted the injunction and adjourned the case to Friday, with the HSE's letter dated 25 March 2025 cited as evidence of an administrative error. The order temporarily prevents the HSE from terminating her employment.
During the Central Criminal Court hearing, a jury heard that Viorel Doroscan (23) and Otniel Richardo Clejan (24) denied murder charges for the death of Mahamud Ilyas on 9 December 2022. Witness Abdi‑Aziz Mohamed testified that Doroscan had told him, in a conversation on that day, that he and Clejan had struck Ilyas with a hammer during a fight and then left him on a field. Mohamed also recounted that Doroscan had made a "callout video" as a joke after claiming to be looking for a person who owed him money for cocaine. Mohamed described seeing a hammer in Doroscan's bag in August 2022 and later learning that Ilyas had been found dead. The jury heard that Doroscan and Clejan had pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, while Lorenzo Cantaragiu (21) faced separate charges of impeding prosecution. The court heard no verdict or sentencing, only the evidence presented at this stage of the trial.
Raymond Fortune, 43, of Latchford Drive, Castaheany, Dublin 15, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 2 April 2025 for possessing drugs worth over €1.4 million. He pleaded guilty on 4 July 2024 to two counts of possession of drugs for sale or supply. Garda surveillance, triggered by confidential information, led to his arrest when he was driving a white Transit van. Gardaí seized 7 kg of cannabis (valued at €140 000) and, after searching a storage unit at Rosemount Business Park, found 64 kg of cannabis (valued at over €1.2 million) and 623 g of ketamine (valued at €37 380). Adult diapers were used as a "cover load". During a home search, mixing agents were discovered. Fortune admitted addiction to cocaine and alcohol, claiming his addiction spiralled after his brother was charged with murdering their father in 2019.
During the trial, a 42‑year‑old HSE drugs addiction counsellor, Deirdre Arnold, was questioned by Gardaí about her fingerprint on a jewellery valuation certificate linked to the murder victim, Lisa Thompson. Arnold made no reply when asked to account for the certificate, which was found in a silver Hyundai Tucson registered to her, and also when asked about her fingerprint on the document. She was also asked to explain her presence at Sandyhill Gardens in Ballymun on 9 May 2022, at an Applegreen filling station in Swords on the same night, and her presence in the vehicle on 17 May 2022, but she again made no comment. The prosecution alleged that Arnold acted to impede the apprehension of Brian McHugh, the murderer, and to pervert the course of justice. She pleaded not guilty to both charges. The case was set to continue before Mr Justice Patrick McGrath and a jury.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, consultant psychiatrist Dr Mary Davoren testified that the murder accused, Brian Ibe, first reported hearing voices more than a year after being remanded, on the same day his awareness of a possible not‑guilty‑by‑reason‑of‑insanity verdict was documented. Dr Davoren argued that Ibe's dis‑social personality disorder, not schizophrenia, explained his behaviour. She noted no evidence of hallucinations or psychosis at the time of the offence, only regular cannabis use. Ibe, 23, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of 65‑year‑old Peter Kennedy and for assaulting Garda Brendan O'Donnell. Dr Davoren said Ibe's deliberate actions—traveling to Kildare, breaking in, stabbing Kennedy—showed intent and knowledge of wrongdoing, undermining a special verdict. The trial will continue before Justice Melanie Greally and a jury.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 2 April 2025, the court considered the case of a 17‑year‑old driver, Aleksandrs Garkovskis, who struck a cyclist on 13 June 2021 at Sheriff Street Upper, Dublin 1, after running a red light. The collision threw the cyclist higher than a double‑decker bus, causing catastrophic brain injuries, fractures and ongoing health problems. The cyclist has no memory of the incident, suffers slurred speech and receives rehabilitative treatment in assisted accommodation. Garkovskis pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm and was sentenced to two and a half years, deferred until 11 April to allow him to complete college exams. The judge noted the aggravating factors of the red‑light violation and the driver's failure to remain at the scene, but reduced the sentence due to his young age. The court also heard evidence of prior payment frauds and the driver's admission of guilt after CCTV was presented.
John McClean, former Terenure College rugby coach, admitted abusing four additional teenagers but will not receive extra jail time because his sentences run concurrently with a 10½‑year global term for 45 earlier victims. The court, following a Court of Appeal direction, capped his total term at ten and a half years for his overall misconduct. McClean, 80, pleaded guilty to seven counts of indecent assault between 1973 and 1990. He had previously received an 11‑year sentence with the last three years suspended in 2021 for sexual abuse of 22 boys, and a 4‑year sentence reduced to two and a half years in 2023. The judge noted McClean's position of trust and that the new two‑year sentence will run concurrently with the earlier suspended portion, so he will not serve additional custody. Victim impact statements highlighted shame, anger, and the lasting effects of the abuse.
In Tallaght District Court, a father whose weekly child‑support payments are €80 had his bail revoked after alleged breaches of a protection order. The court heard that on 13 March he used the Revolut payment app to send a love‑heart emoji with a payment, a white‑flag emoji a week later, and a text praising the complainant as a "great mother" and offering help. The complainant said the messages were not innocent but an attempt to emotionally manipulate her, describing feeling unsafe and having to change her home locks. She claimed that any contact from the accused caused significant distress and that she feared for her safety. The prosecution argued that even emoji contact violated the protection order. The accused, who had no prior convictions, admitted an "error of judgment" but denied intent to intimidate.
A former part-time administrator with Inland Fisheries Ireland has lost a constructive dismissal claim at the Workplace Relations Commission. Joanna Canney, who worked for the agency for fifteen years on a €31,000-annual salary, resigned in August 2022 following a media report and Freedom of Information request concerning a commercial arrangement she and her husband held to manage holiday accommodation at an Inland Fisheries property in County Mayo. Ms Canney alleged she was subjected to a smear campaign and suffered undue pressure regarding the leasing deal. Adjudicator Louise Boyle found that while management conduct lacked professionalism and empathy at times, the agency had legitimate responsibilities to process the FOI request. The adjudicator noted Ms Canney had indicated willingness to move forward after the commercial arrangement ended in October 2021, and that she had not filed a formal grievance before resigning. The complaint was rejected.
During the trial of Deirdre Arnold, a drugs‑addiction counsellor for the HSE, the jury heard that Arnold claimed a man she alleged had driven away from a murder scene, Brian McHugh, broke her arm by holding it on the bottom step of a stairwell and stamping on it. Arnold said McHugh dragged her down the stairs, placed her arm on the step, stamped on it, then dragged her back up and punched her ribs before fleeing. She also alleged that McHugh punched her ribs. Arnold's statements were recorded by Garda Diane Byrne, who took a complaint from Arnold. The prosecution presented text messages sent from a number identified as "Deirdre" to McHugh's phone, containing threats and references to the murder of Lisa Thompson. Arnold pleaded not guilty to charges of impeding the apprehension of McHugh and perverting the course of public justice. The case is before Mr Justice Patrick McGrath with a jury of eleven.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 20‑year‑old woman pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of sexual assault and one count of section 4 rape against a teenage girl aged 10‑11. The accused, a first cousin, allegedly began the abuse before age 12, when she was said to have watched pornography on her tablet and asked the younger cousin to perform sexual acts. The court heard that the accused digitally penetrated the girl, forced her mouth on her breasts and vagina, and used a hairbrush to penetrate her. The girl reported repeatedly telling the cousin she did not like the acts and that the cousin said "didn't care." She also described being slapped, having her phone used to take photos in a bathroom, and the abuse stopping after the accused tried to kiss her. The mother found notes in the girl's bedroom written by the cousin stating a desire to have sex with her.
Conor Stewart, 29, was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to assault causing harm and possession of a samurai sword at Kilcross Grove, Sandyford, on 18 June 2020. The offence stemmed from an alleged €50 drug debt owed to the victim's brother. Stewart, who lives in Kilcross Court, Sandyford, was accompanied by another man when they attacked the victim, striking him on the back of the head and leaving a cut on the left side of his head. The victim was treated in hospital for a cut to the back of his head and a larger wound to the side of his head, which required stitches, and has since fully recovered. Stewart's previous convictions include criminal damage and burglary. The court accepted his guilty plea as valuable and noted that he had been on remand in prison, only recently receiving a bed in his cell due to overcrowding.
Tony Wasiu Amusa, 30, of Russell Green, Tallaght, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three counts of possessing the proceeds of crime between 2020 and 2021, with a total amount of €33,733. Judge Martin Nolan described Amusa as an energetic participant in the laundering scheme but judged him to be "not much of a threat to society." He imposed a 27‑month sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions, and warned Amusa that this was his last chance before any further court appearance.
Conor Stevenson, 26, of Abbot Court, Cualanor, Dun Laoghaire, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for a violent robbery that took place on 30 March 2021 in Glenageary, Co Dublin. Stevenson pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The incident involved a 15‑year‑old boy who refused to hand over his backpack. Two men approached the teenager and his friend, demanding the bag. The boy resisted, grabbing his backpack and telling the men to "fuck off." Stevenson grabbed the boy's neck, pushed him to the ground, and dragged him into nearby bushes where he continued to assault him. The teenager eventually yielded, saying "fine – you can take the bag," and the robbers fled. The boy reported the mugging immediately. Gardaí analysed CCTV footage, identified Stevenson as a suspect, and arrested him. During the trial, the prosecution described the robbery as "impulsive" and not pre‑meditated.
In a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, Dr Stephen Monks, a consultant psychiatrist, testified that Brian Ibe, aged 23, suffered from schizophrenia and was in an acute psychotic state when he fatally assaulted 65‑year‑old Peter Kennedy. Monks argued that Ibe's psychosis, triggered by homelessness and cannabis use beginning in June 2018, contributed significantly to the assault and that Ibe may not have understood the nature of his actions. He suggested the court consider a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act. Ibe has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder charge and to assault causing harm to Garda Brendan O'Donnell, who was punched during Ibe's detention. The trial is proceeding before Justice Melanie Greally and a jury of twelve.
Asiah Boudakhan, aged 20 and without a fixed address, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Temple Bar Square on 14 March 2024. CCTV footage showed her sitting on the victim's legs while restraining him, then punching him, and later another accomplice striking the victim with a bottle. The victim's injuries were described as relatively minor, and no medical report or victim impact statement was presented. Boudakhan was intoxicated at the time and had no prior convictions. Defence counsel noted her history of early drinking and homelessness. Judge Martin Nolan, recognising the victim's full recovery and Boudakhan's lack of a criminal record, imposed a 20‑month suspended sentence, suspending the entire term in full.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Lee Roche, aged 33, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and criminal damage on 15 December 2023. The assault took place at his then‑partner's home in Donaghmede, where Roche dragged her headfirst down the stairs, pulled out her hair extensions, grabbed her breast, pushed into her ribs and struck her on the head, causing her ear to ring. He also hit her again after a brief conversation. Roche had no prior convictions and was reported to have a cocaine‑use problem, which he was addressing. He has since cared for his children and grandfather, and set up a running club in Coolmine. Judge Martin Nolan, citing a letter from the victim praising Roche's current contributions to family and community, imposed a four‑year suspended sentence, fully suspending the custodial term. The sentence was not read aloud in court. The victim's impact statement was submitted but not read.
Christopher Slator, aged 40, was convicted of the 2016 murder of Michael Barr at Dublin's Sunset House pub and is appealing that conviction. He argues that DNA evidence from a mask and runners found in the car used by the murderers should not have been admitted because the items were not fully examined and the defence was disadvantaged. Slator's counsel claims the DNA was taken from the tongue of a shoe and from a contaminated mask, and that further swabs could have been taken. The prosecution maintains that a DNA profile matching Slator was found on the shoes and mask, giving the evidence significant probative value. The appeal is heard at the Court of Appeal, where the defence seeks to exclude the DNA evidence and challenge the weight given to it by the Special Criminal Court. The case remains at the appeal stage, with no new outcome announced. Christopher Slator pleaded not guilty.
Daniel Blanaru, 37, was convicted of the murder of Larisa Serban at the Central Criminal Court. The jury, comprising ten men and two women, deliberated for three hours and two minutes before returning a unanimous verdict. Blanaru had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Serban at her home in Rathmore, Athboy, Co Meath, on or about August 12, 2022. The prosecution alleged she died from a sustained and brutal attack, including a fatal stab wound to the chest. Although Blanaru initially told gardaí he was guilty, he later claimed the stabbing was accidental. The court heard evidence of prior threats and controlling behavior alleged by the victim's family. Following the conviction, Blanaru will be sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment at a sentencing hearing scheduled for April 10. Members of the victim's family will be invited to make statements to the court at that time. The matter is now at the sentencing stage, with the specific disposal to be determined by the judge on the specified date.
A 54‑year‑old man was sentenced to eight years in prison, with the final twelve months suspended, for attempted rape, sexual assault and threatening to kill his step‑daughter in County Limerick between 2011 and 2019. The victim, aged eight to sixteen at the times of the incidents, described repeated sexual advances, an attempted rape while lying on a bed, a sexual assault while she was on a couch, and a threat to kill her with a knife after she warned him she would tell her mother. The man pleaded not guilty and claimed he had cooperated with the investigation and complied with a 2020 barring order. The judge, Justice Melanie Greally, imposed post‑release supervision for two years, forbidding the defendant from any occupation that could bring him into contact with children and from any contact with the victim, her mother or family. The sentence was delivered in the Central Criminal Court. The unnamed 54-year-old was convicted.
A tribunal ruled that RTÉ had acted unlawfully by failing to pay Mary McLoughlin the salary set out in her contract of employment, after the broadcaster admitted it had accidentally doubled her salary in an administrative error. The Workplace Relations Commission found that the error had increased her pay by about 103%, but the tribunal made a nil award because the breach of the Payment of Wages Act 1991 did not entitle her to compensation. McLoughlin, a copy‑taker who joined RTÉ in 1996 and retired in 2023, had been working under a series of fixed‑term part‑time contracts. She alleged that she was not paid the salary specified in her second post‑retirement contract for nine hours a week on 'Liveline' from 4 April to 4 October 2024.
Brian McCann, aged 41, pleaded guilty in the District Court to assault under Section 3 of the Non‑Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 after punching an e‑scooter rider in the face on 24 February 2022. The victim, who was riding an e‑scooter on Belcamp Lane, Coolock, was struck once in the nose, bled, but did not seek medical attention. McCann received a three‑month custodial sentence in April last year. On appeal, Defence counsel Adrian McDonagh BL argued that the victim's impact statement was "remarkably benign and kind" and that the sentence was "too harsh" given McCann's mental health difficulties, including paranoid schizophrenia. Judge Fiona O'Sullivan noted the victim's "extremely generous" statement, acknowledged McCann's medical issues and apology, and agreed to suspend the entire three‑month sentence for 12 months on the condition of good behaviour and maintaining peace.
Former Limerick hurler Mark Keane, aged 43, was awarded €944,074.46 in damages by the High Court for injuries sustained while rescuing a co‑worker at a Johnson & Johnson plant in September 2018. Keane claimed the company was negligent and breached its duty of care, failing to provide a safe workplace and system of work. He suffered nerve damage, injury to his right hand, shoulder and back, leading to loss of grip, a frozen shoulder and ongoing pain. The court awarded €135,000 for general damages, €408,943.50 for future loss of earnings, €154,605 for loss of earnings since the accident, plus loss of pension rights, special damages and medical costs. Keane's injuries prevented him from working, affecting his financial stability and family life. The judge noted the accident had a profound psychological impact on Keane and his wife.
Barry Horan, 55, of De Selby Green, Tallaght, was stopped by Garda Aaron Murphy at an Applegreen petrol station on 6 April 2024 over a public order matter. When asked if he possessed a firearm or offensive weapon, Horan said he had an object in his pocket for "self‑defence". He was arrested, cautioned and taken to Tallaght Garda Station under Sections 9(1) and (7) of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act. In court, a sharp, green steel object in a clear plastic bag was presented to Judge Patricia McNamara, who noted it resembled a key ring. Horan's counsel, Ms Lauren Flanagan, instructed Horan to say the object was used for "sexual purposes", prompting laughter. During cross‑examination, Garda Murphy admitted he had not cited the legal power under which the search was conducted.
Gerard Tier, 34, of Casement Drive, Finglas, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm on 21 August 2021. The court also considered two other counts of possession of an explosive substance and a threat to kill or cause serious damage. A Molotov cocktail was found at Tier's house and he threatened to burn it down. Garda Paul Higgins described Tier as extremely violent, resisting arrest and requiring four officers to restrain him. Tier head‑butted the floor, threatened the officers, and claimed he had previously killed a Garda. While in hospital he admitted to drinking and taking cocaine. The court noted a petrol smell and a bottle with petrol and a rag, confirming the Molotov cocktail. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a custodial sentence of two years, citing Tier's violent conduct and the dangerous nature of the device. The sentence was imposed at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Court proceedings in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 31 March 2025 found Courtney Fitzpatrick, aged 26, and Leah York, aged 22, guilty of money laundering for possessing proceeds of crime. The offence stemmed from a Revolut scam that cost a doctor €11,000. The doctor received a call from an unknown person claiming to be a Revolut agent, who told her her account was compromised and requested app access. The caller then transferred €5,500 to each woman's account, which was subsequently moved into a cryptocurrency account. The women were identified and interviewed by Gardaí; they did not name the scammer, citing fear. The judge noted their cooperation but also that they were aware the activity was criminal. He imposed a one‑year sentence on each, suspended on the condition that each pays €1,500 to the doctor within nine months. The sentences were suspended to punish and deter future gullibility.
The Central Criminal Court trial of Viorel Doroscan and Otniel Richardo Clejan for the alleged murder of Mahamud Ilyas on December 9, 2022, continued with witness evidence. Both accused have pleaded not guilty. Witness Vlady Ndosimau testified that he entered an apartment in Blanchardstown and saw Mr Ilyas restrained on the floor, bleeding from the nose. He described Mr Doroscan holding a fruit knife and shouting about missing drugs, while Mr Clejan held a hammer. Ndosimau stated he observed Mr Doroscan kicking and stamping on the deceased's body and Mr Clejan kicking him in the head and neck before he panicked and left. He learned two days later that Mr Ilyas had died. Also on trial, Lorenzo Cantaragiu denies charges of impeding the prosecution, while Robert Burns's charges were withdrawn following a prosecution accommodation. Under cross-examination, Ndosimau denied fabricating his account to avoid suspicion, stating he had previously omitted details to protect his family. The trial continues before Mr Justice Hunt and a jury.
A 20‑year‑old Dublin woman, unnamed for legal reasons, has gone on trial in the Central Criminal Court on 11 counts of sexual assault and one count of section 4 rape. The alleged offences took place between July 2017 and July 2019 when the accused was aged 12 to 14 and the victim, her younger cousin, was aged 10 to 11. The prosecution alleges the accused penetrated the girl with a hairbrush and digitally penetrated her, forcing her to mouth her breasts and vagina. The complainant claims the abuse began before the accused turned 12, when she was shown pornography on a tablet and instructed to perform sexual acts. She says she repeatedly told the accused to stop, but was slapped when she tried to refuse. The trial is before Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo and a jury. The unnamed 20-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Luke Kelly, 54, of Griffith Parade, Glasnevin, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply on 4 August 2023. Garda Gary Duke explained that police had received confidential information that some DHL employees were using the company as a cover to deliver drugs. A search warrant was executed at Kelly's home after he was stopped driving a yellow DHL‑branded van. Officers found six kilograms of cannabis in the van and an additional kilogram in the passenger seat, all wrapped in DHL packaging. Kelly led officers to a shed at his mother's house where they discovered 30.5 kilograms of cannabis and 11.04 kilograms of cocaine, valued at €1.38 million. He had no prior convictions. The court noted his long marriage, children, grandchildren and lifelong employment, and that he had been under significant stress and substance misuse at the time.
A 25‑year‑old man was sentenced to 12½ years in prison for raping and smothering his wife during an armed attack in Dublin in September 2023. The Central Criminal Court heard that the victim, who now raises her children alone, had been isolated from her Travelling community after bringing her former husband to court. The court noted the man had 35 prior convictions, including theft, burglary, robbery and breach of a protection order. He denied the rape and assault, claiming the victim fabricated the allegations. Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo set a 13‑year sentence, suspended the final six months, and imposed conditions including engagement with the Probation Service. The sentence was handed down after the man's supporters shouted at the victim and were removed by Gardaí. The case was placed in the 10‑15‑year headline sentencing category by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
In a County Meath murder trial, a 37‑year‑old man named Daniel Blanaru, from Rathmore, Athboy, has pleaded not guilty to the stabbing death of his partner, Larisa Serban, aged 26, which occurred on or about 12 August 2022. Serban's body was discovered early the next morning in the bedroom‑hallway area of their home, with two stab wounds: one to the chest that punctured the heart, lung and aorta, and another to the arm that fractured a bone. The trial, lasting seven weeks, was heard by an enlarged jury of eleven men and four women. Defence counsel Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha concluded his closing address, while Justice Eileen Creedon explained the law and the evidence, noting that the prosecution bears the burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt. She outlined the possible verdicts—guilty or not guilty of murder, or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter—and instructed the jury to remain dispassionate and objective.
Rachel Redmond, 34, was found guilty by a jury of impeding the Garda investigation into the murder of drug dealer Jordan 'Jordo' Davis. The jury heard that Redmond collected the shooter, Wayne Cooney, from a bus stop minutes after he killed Davis and later checked him into the Clayton Hotel near Dublin Airport. Redmond denied knowing Cooney had committed murder, claiming she was unaware of his criminality and that she had only helped him because she loved him. The prosecution described her testimony as "risible" and argued that she knowingly obstructed the investigation. The judge remanded Redmond in custody pending a sentencing hearing on 12 May. No other charges or outcomes were reported in this article.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Michael Ward, aged 44, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years' imprisonment for assault causing harm after pleading guilty to two separate assaults on a 19‑year‑old woman. The first assault occurred on 16 December 2023 when Ward, who had 53 prior convictions, allegedly locked the woman in an apartment on Parnell Street, struck her, and prevented her escape. She jumped from the first‑floor balcony, sustaining injuries and later receiving medical care. A second assault on 3 March 2024 involved Ward striking the woman, choking her, and threatening her with a pliers. The court noted the woman's repeated attempts to leave and the ongoing relationship between the parties. Ward's plea of guilty and expressed remorse led the judge to reduce the initial seven‑year sentence to four-and-a-half years, backdated for time already spent in custody.