By Declan Brennan and Aoife Nic Ardghail

A garda whose careless driving caused the death of a 75-year-old pedestrian has had a nine month prison sentence deferred on condition he pay a €2,000 fine and €5,000 to a charity.

Warren Farrell (33), a garda serving in Ballyfermot, Co Dublin, was driving a marked patrol car in response to an incident at a Topaz garage when his vehicle struck Elizabeth Core.

Gda Farrell had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing the death of Mrs Core at Fonthill Road South, Dublin, on August 28, 2014.

After a trial last December, ….read more

(Pictured: Brian Walton. Credit: Collins)

By Aoife Nic Ardghail and Fiona Ferguson

A Dublin musician who was caught with over €21,000 of cannabis has been given a four year suspended sentence.

Brian Walton (31), a skilled multi-instrumentalist and set musician, admitted he had been selling cannabis to clear debts.

Walton, with an address at Portobello Harbour, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing cannabis and cannabis resin worth a total of €21,423 at his home on April 24, 2017. He has no previous convictions.

Garda Peter Lyons told Joseph Barnes BL, prosecuting, that he got a warrant to search Walton’s address ….read more

By Brion Hoban and Jessica Magee

Two Dublin men who stole a cash register from an indoor entertainment centre while a children’s birthday party was being celebrated have walked from court with suspended sentences.

Eddie Valentine (44) of Carrickmount Drive, Rathfarnham, and Mark Kavanagh (40) of nearby Mountain Wiew Drive, pleaded guilty to stealing the till from Leisureplex, Stillorgan on May 4, 2017.

At a hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today, the court heard how a children’s birthday party was in full swing when the two men entered the reception area of the Zoo adventure soft play centre.

Staff noticed that the cash ….read more

(Pictured: James Jordan. Credit: Collins)

By Brion Hoban and Declan Brennan

A property developer who owed more than €1 million in unpaid taxes and penalties has received 240 hours of community service.

James Jordan (51) of Laochfail, Outfarm Lane, Castleknock, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to knowingly and wilfully submitting 16 incorrect VAT returns, six incorrect income tax returns, four incorrect invoices and three false claims of income tax relief.

Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin sentenced Jordan to 240 hours of community service in lieu of 18 months imprisonment for one count of submitting an incorrect tax return.

She also sentenced him to ….read more

By Aoife Nic Ardghail and Sonya McLean

A Lithuanian man who stabbed his housemate in the torso, neck and ear during a physical altercation over domestic matters has avoided a jail term.

Garda Rob Nolan told a previous sentence hearing last December that he was on duty when neighbours alerted him to a dispute between Arturas Bulksas (55) and his then housemate.

Bulksas, of Burnside, Magenta Crescent, Santry, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting the man causing him harm at his address on December 23, 2017. He has no previous convictions.

Judge Melanie Greally had adjourned sentencing after hearing evidence ….read more

By Sonya McLean and Jessica Magee

A teenager who threw a stone at another teen’s head in what the victim perceived as a homophobic attack has been jailed for one year.

The victim, a young actor, has been left with a permanent facial scar after a cut above his right eye needed 11 stitches.

The 18-year-old accused pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to assault causing harm in a Dublin suburb on July 17, 2016.

Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today, Judge Melanie Greally said it had been an “extremely nasty assault” with “undertones of homophobia” in some of the abuse hurled ….read more

By Aoife Nic Ardghail and Declan Brennan

A Dublin taxi driver who became involved in a €3.5 million drug operation to offset his cousin’s debt to dealers has been jailed for nine years.

Gardaí with confidential information saw Michael Smullen (31) take two bags from a lock-up facility, drive a short distance and then hand these to another man.

Detective Garda Patrick Hearne said he and his colleagues arrested the men and discovered the bags to contain cannabis and cocaine worth over €114,900.

Investigators subsequently found 18.5kg of cocaine, along with heroin, ketamine, cannabis herb and resin and €51,000 of MDMA in the lock-up, ….read more

By Aoife Nic Ardghail & Brion Hoban

A Dublin father-of-two who slashed an artery in his own hand while stabbing a man in the stomach has been jailed.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Ryan McLoughlin (23) followed Scott Byrne over a dual carriageway and attacked him from behind with a knife.

Garda Paul McAuley said McLoughlin ran back across the road after the attack and met up with a group of his friends, who phoned emergency services after seeing him covered in blood.

Mr Byrne was in Tallaght Hospital receiving treatment for his stab wounds when he saw his assailant being wheeled in ….read more