(Pictured: Mr John McClean. Credit: Collins)

A former rugby coach and teacher at a Dublin private school will stand trial on charges of indecent assault next year.

John McClean (74), of Casimir Avenue, Harold’s Cross, was sent forward from the District Court earlier this year on charges of indecently assaulting nine males at Terenure College on dates between 1973 and 1989.

Judge Martin Nolan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today confirmed a trial date of November 2, 2020 in relation to these charges.

A pretrial hearing date of July 29, 2020 was also set.

By Declan Brennan and Isabel Hayes

A man who beat up his former partner and threatened to kill her during a “terrifying ordeal” has been given a suspended sentence.

Eddie Farnan (37) of Swiftbrook Park, Tallaght, Dublin pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm to his then partner Lisa Power at the same address on June 2, 2017.

He also pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or seriously harm Ms Power and to criminal damage on the same date.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that during the prolonged assault, Farnan told the woman she wouldn’t leave the house alive.

He dragged her by ….read more

A man who continues to deny his part in the armed robbery of a post office will be sentenced next month, a court has heard.

Keith Murtagh (35) of Mariners’ Port, Sheriff Street, had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery at the Roebuck post office at Farmhill Road, Goatstown, Dublin on January 5, 2016.

Murtagh had also pleaded not guilty to possession of a shotgun and possession of a shotgun cartridge on the same date. After a ten day trial last July, a jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on all charges.

Detective Garda Lisa McHugh told Dean Kelly ….read more

A former director of a ticketing agency has been jailed for nine months for diverting money held in trust for event organisers to his personal account in an effort to keep the company going.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Alan Barrett (42) spent most of the money on trying to keep online ticketing portal Event Elephant going and there was little evidence that he had benefited personally.

Barrett, who was also an accountant within the company, has already served a two-and-a-half year sentence imposed in 2017 for tax offences within the company arising from the same period of time. He was ….read more

A man sexually assaulted his friend’s seven-year-old son while staying in her house, a court has heard.

The 35-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the anonymity of his victim, had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three charges of sexual assault, one of which relates to this complainant and two of which relate to his five-year-old brother, at an address in Dublin on dates between August 2012 and March 2013.

In July this year, a jury of three women and nine men returned a verdict of guilty on the sample count of sexual assault relating to ….read more

(Pictured: Christopher Gannon. Credit: Collins)

A father-of-five who twice attacked his former partner while she was in a children’s hospital with their son has been jailed for 18 months.

Christopher Gannon (36) of Ballyfermot Drive, Ballyfermot, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, on October 6, 2018.

While passing sentence today, Justice Patricia Ryan said there were other ways of dealing with concerns about the safety of children and noted that there were numerous punches during the attack.

Ms Justice Ryan said the case was aggravated by the serious injuries sustained by the ….read more

An Armagh man who applied for loans with false documentation after falling into financial difficulty has been given a suspended sentence.

Adrian Grant (48), of Tullymacreeve, Mullaghbawn, Armagh, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of dishonestly by deception inducing a person to process a mortgage application with the intention of making a gain for himself on April 15, 2011 and February 12, 2014.

He also pleaded guilty to dishonestly by deception inducing Volkswagen Bank GmbH Ireland branch to enter into a hire purchase agreement on May 24, 2013.

Detective Garda David Coyne told Diana Stuart BL, prosecuting, that Grant ….read more

A man who had to be helped by an occupant to exit the house he had burgled has been jailed for two years.

John Connors (22) of Bremore Pastures Green, Balbriggan, Co Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary at Hamlet Lane, Balbriggan, on January 4, last.

Detective Garda Gerard Mulroney told Philip Rahn BL, prosecuting, that on the night in question Peter Sanya had returned home from work and was watching television in his bedroom when the accused opened his bedroom door.

Connors asked Mr Sanya if his name was Jason and said he had been directed to the ….read more

(Pictured: Michael Doherty. Credit: Collins)

A businessman who turned to drugs after the break up of his marriage has received a suspended prison sentence for robbery after a judge noted his impressive efforts to rehabilitate.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Michael Doherty (39) formerly ran a wine business and also had a business delivering lunches to schools.

On March 31, 2017 he went into a Maxol station in Lucan, south Dublin and threatened staff with a claw hammer.

He shouted at staff to “open the fucking till”. When the till wouldn’t open Doherty struck down on it with the hammer and took the ….read more

(Pictured: Sarah Clarke. Credit: Collins)

By Isabel Hayes and Brion Hoban

A “vulnerable” young mother whose apartment was used to store over half a million euro worth of heroin and cocaine has been jailed for three years.

Sarah Clarke (25) “visibly recoiled” when she was shown the nearly four kilos of heroin that was being held in her apartment, Garda Daniel McFeely told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

The mother-of-one knew drugs were being held in her apartment in order to pay off a drug debt, but was unaware of what was in the package or the value of the drugs involved, the court heard.

Clarke, ….read more