CCC Reporters

 

'I lost my childhood', victim abused by adopted father tells court

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Published 13/2/2020, in Central Criminal Court

By Declan Brennan & Brion Hoban

A man who was sexually assaulted by his adopted father has said he lost his childhood because of the attacks.

The 57-year-old Co Donegal defendant, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, was convicted after a trial at the Central Criminal Court last December. He has no previous convictions.

The victim was aged between 13 and 15 years of age when the man molested him.

The man had pleaded not guilty to seven charges of oral rape of the boy at the then family home in Co Donegal in 2003 and 2004. The jury ….read more

Dealers used "vulnerable man" after threatening to smash-up home

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Published 13/2/2020, in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

(Pictured: Ciaran Wolverson. Credit: Collins)

By Declan Brennan and Fiona Ferguson

A man who allowed drug dealers to mix and bag hard drugs in his home after receiving threats has avoided a prison sentence.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Ciaran Wolverson (53) came under pressure from local drug dealers after his mother died. He received a text to his mobile phone saying houses were being smashed up in the area and his could be next.

After his arrest Wolverson, of Edenmore Crescent, Raheny, Dublin told gardaí that a “number of youths” would come to the house and he would then go into a ….read more

1,600 phone contacts between garda and alleged heroin dealer, Tribunal told

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Published 11/2/2020, in Tribunal

(Pictured: Garda Nicholas Keogh. Credit: Collins)

Hundreds of phone contacts were made between a senior member of a garda drugs unit and an alleged heroin dealer during an active garda investigation, the Disclosures Tribunal has heard.

The tribunal is in its ninth week of hearing evidence into the treatment of whistleblower Garda Nicholas Keogh, who made a protected disclosure in 2014.

Gda Keogh alleges that a senior member of the Athlone drugs unit, identified to the tribunal as Garda A, was in an improper relationship with an alleged heroin dealer, identified only as Ms B.

The tribunal, chaired by Judge Sean Ryan, is investigating ….read more

Whistleblower alleged garda planted heroin on suspects

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Published 10/2/2020, in Tribunal

(Pictured: Garda Nicholas Keogh. Credit: Collins)

A garda whistleblower’s allegations that gardaí planted half a kilo of heroin on suspects led to a file being sent to the DPP, the Disclosures Tribunal has heard.

The tribunal, sitting at Dublin Castle, heard that the DPP found the case against one garda, identified as Garda A, did not reach the threshold for criminal prosecution and the evidence was circumstantial.

The Disclosures Tribunal is in its ninth week of hearing evidence into the treatment of whistleblower Garda Nicholas Keogh, who made a protected disclosure in 2014.

Gda Keogh alleges that Garda A, a senior member of ….read more

Judge "shocked" to hear name read out in Dail as confidential recipient

By:
Published 10/2/2020, in Tribunal

A judge appointed to receive a confidential Garda whistleblowing claim was “shocked” to hear that the details had been read out in the Dáil on the same day he took the disclosure, a tribunal has heard.

Retired District Court Judge Patrick McMahon told the Disclosures Tribunal today that he heard on lunchtime radio that his name and details about the disclosure had been read out in the Dáil by then-TD Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan on May 8, 2014.

Judge McMahon was the Confidential Recipient – to whom gardaí made internal complaints – and he had met whistleblower Garda Nicholas Keogh earlier that day.

The ….read more

Rape trial jury fail to reach verdict

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Published 6/2/2020, in Central Criminal Court

By Declan Brennan & Brion Hoban

The trial of a man who denied raping a woman after a night out has ended after the jury failed to reach a verdict.

The 26-year-old Dublin man had pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault at a place in the capital on a date in April 2018.

Today, following five hours and 55 minutes of deliberations, the jury informed the court that they were unable to reach a verdict.

Mr Justice Robert Eagar discharged the jury and adjourned the case to fix a new trial ….read more

Man imprisoned, raped ex and threatened to burn house down

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Published 4/2/2020, in Central Criminal Court

By Isabel Hayes and Brion Hoban

A man imprisoned his ex-partner and three-year-old child and threatened to burn the house down before assaulting and raping the woman, a court has heard.

The man pleaded guilty to carrying out a number of offences, including assaulting the woman and fracturing her jaw during the May 2016 incident. However, he continues to deny he raped her, a Central Criminal Court sentence hearing was told.

He was found guilty of raping the woman by unanimous jury verdict following a trial in December last year. He will be sentenced on February 24.

In a victim impact statement read out ….read more

Man "blacked out" and claims he does not recall raping family friend

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Published 3/2/2020, in Central Criminal Court

By Fiona Ferguson and Isabel Hayes

A man who “blacked out” after drinking and says he does not recall raping a woman who was “like a sister” to him has been jailed for four years.

The 28-year-old man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to raping the woman at his home in Co Kerry on October 30, 2016.

The court heard he had spent part of his childhood living with the woman’s family.

The rape occurred when the woman was visiting the man’s home with her family. She awoke in the bedroom she was sharing with her children to find him having sex ….read more

Drunk driver left pedestrian with life-changing injuries while trying to avoid checkpoint

By:
Published 3/2/2020, in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

By Seán McCárthaigh & Brion Hoban

A drunk driver who drove into a pedestrian while trying to avoid a garda checkpoint, leaving her with life-changing injuries, has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Darren Kershaw (45) of Cherry Orchard Park, Ballyfermot, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing serious harm at Landen Road, Ballyfermot on June 19, 2018.

Kershaw also pleaded guilty to failing to remain at the scene and to driving over the legal alcohol limit, both on the same date.

Passing sentence today, Judge Elma Sheahan said the court viewed Kershaw’s culpability as being high. She noted that ….read more

Senior garda "absolutely astounded" by whistleblower's bullying complaint

By:
Published 27/1/2020, in Tribunal

(Pictured: Garda Chief Superintendent Lorraine Wheatley. Credit: Collins)

by Paul Neilan

A Chief Superintendent has told a tribunal she was “astounded, disappointed and incredulous” when she was informed of a bullying complaint made against her by a Garda whistleblower, a tribunal has heard.

The Disclosures Tribunal is in its eighth week of hearing evidence into the treatment of whistleblower Garda Nicholas Keogh, who made a protected disclosure in 2014.

Gda Keogh alleges that a senior member of the Athlone drugs unit, identified to the tribunal as Garda A, was in an improper relationship with an alleged heroin dealer, identified as Ms B.

The tribunal, chaired ….read more

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