Declan Brennan

 

First criminal trial in Croke Park ends in conviction for abuser

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Published 19/4/2021, in Central Criminal Court

A jury has convicted a father of the rape and repeated sexual assault of his daughter over a four-year period.

In the first criminal trial to take place in Croke Park, the jury of eight men and four women took just under three hours to find the man guilty of oral rape and sexual assault of the child.

The 64-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to oral rape and sexual assault of the complainant on various occasions between 2000 and 2004 when she was aged between four and eleven. He has also denied two charges of child neglect by forcing her to ….read more

Rape accused father told gardai he wouldn't harm daughter

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Published 15/4/2021, in Central Criminal Court

A man on trial for alleged sexual assaults of his daughter told gardai that he loved his daughter and wouldn’t hurt a hair on her head.

The 64-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to oral rape and sexual assault of the complainant on various occasions between 2000 and 2007 when she was aged between four and eleven. He has also denied two charges of child neglect by forcing her to drink alcohol and to watch pornography.

The trial is the first to run in Croke Park where criminal trials are being run to facilitate social distancing of jurors during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ….read more

'A little piece of history' as trial opens at Croke Park

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Published 14/4/2021, in Central Criminal Court

Jurors took part ‘in a little piece of history’ today when the first criminal trial to take place in Croke Park opened before a jury.

The Central Criminal Court trial is running at GAA headquarters to facilitate social distancing and other public health safety measures during the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the opening of the trial shortly before 11am, Justice David Keane told the jury of eight men and four women that they were participating in “a little piece of history”.

He said that to facilitate public safety measures Croke Park had kindly made the facilities at the arena available to the Courts Service ….read more

Somalian native jailed for trafficking illegal immigrant

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Published 13/4/2021, in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

A Swedish citizen has been jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to trafficking an illegal immigrant into the State.

Lawyers for Farhan Abdirizak (40) told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that the Somalian native was trying to help his “nephew” get into Ireland from Somalia.

On November 1 2020 gardaí at Dublin Airport identified a young man travelling under false documentation. This male told gardaí that he had travelled with Abdirizak but never said they were related.

He told gardaí that he was aged 15 but asylum documentation found on him indicated he was aged 19.

Gardaí questioned Abdirizak and he told them that ….read more

Rape complainant denies meeting defendant to secure residency

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Published 8/4/2021, in Central Criminal Court

Lawyers for a man accused of raping an asylum seeker have suggested to the alleged victim that her objective in meeting the defendant was to secure residency here.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to three counts of rape, one of sexual assault and one of attempted rape of the woman in his Dublin home on various occasions over the weekend of December 1 to December 3, 2017.

His trial began on Tuesday and his barrister Eanna Molloy SC began cross-examining the 36-year-old complainant this morning.

The jury have already heard ….read more

Woman tells trial she was raped after ceremony at mosque

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Published 7/4/2021, in Central Criminal Court

A woman seeking asylum here to avoid a forced marriage in her native country has told a trial that a man raped her in his flat shortly after a ceremony conducted in a local mosque.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to three counts of rape, one of sexual assault and one of attempted rape of the woman in his Dublin home on dates between December 1 and December 3, 2017.

Giving evidence via video link from a witness room in the CCJ court house in Dublin city, the now 36-year-old ….read more

Trusted family friend raped woman sleeping in own bed

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Published 25/3/2021, in Central Criminal Court

A man has received a prison sentence of eight years with 18 months suspended for raping a young woman as she slept in her own bedroom.

The Central Criminal Court heard that Conor Quaid (26) was in the victim’s home on the night because he was a trusted family friend. Justice Mary Rose Gearty said that he abused this trust and noted that he has not shown any remorse since.

Quaid of Monaree, Dingle, Co Kerry had pleaded not guilty to rape at a place in the county on June 10, 2018. After a seven day trial, a jury at the Central ….read more

Man who used woman as human shield avoids jail

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Published 24/3/2021, in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

A man who used a shop worker as a human shield when he came under attack from a man wielding a hurley has received a suspended prison sentence.

Dale Lawlor (25) and another man ran into a Centra convenience shop in Tallaght and were chased by five men, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

One of these men, Craig Courtney (25) of Avonbeg Gardens, Tallaght, was swinging the hurl at both men. He cornered Lawlor who then hid behind the female shop worker and used her “as a human shield”, John Berry BL prosecuting said.

Lawlor and the victim fell to the ground and ….read more

Pensioner attacked during robbery plans to leave home neighbourhood

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Published 23/3/2021, in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

A pensioner who was attacked during a robbery of her local bookies has said she is now planning to move out of the area where she has lived all her life.

Two men were involved in a robbery of the bookmakers on the South Circular Road in Rialto, Dublin city on March 30, 2019.

Detective Garda Nathan McKenna told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that a 66-year-old woman was putting down her regular lottery numbers when one of the men grabbed her by the neck and began shouting at the teller to give them money.

This man pushed the victim against the glass and ….read more

Bar patron attacked after repeatedly refusing drink

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Published 22/3/2021, in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

(Pictured: Attacker Barry Doyle. Credit: Collins)

A drinker in a hotel bar attacked another man after the victim repeatedly refused the offer of a drink, a court has heard.

Victim Stephen Bradley had told Barry Doyle (39) that he wanted to be left alone and didn’t feel like talking to Doyle and his friend. The three men were drinking in the public bar of the Beacon Hotel in Sandyford in south Dublin on December 17, 2018.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Doyle also offered to buy the victim a drink a number of times but Mr Bradley, then aged 41, declined the ….read more

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