A man who led gardaí on a high speed car chase before crashing into cars waiting to collect children from school has been jailed for five and a half years.

Bernard Kelly (38) broke red lights and mounted the pavement outside the school. His partner and their three-month-old child were in the car.

Kelly claimed later that he kept driving during the 20 minute pursuit because he wanted to protect the child. He said he was afraid gardaí would ram into his car.

The incident happened in the middle of the day on December 21, 2018. Garda Mark Forsyth said the schools were ….read more

A locksmith who had over €70,000 in criminal cash hidden in a modified vehicle has been jailed for three years.

Ciaran Staunton (29) of Auburn Park, Castleknock, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to handling the proceeds of criminal conduct on April 25, 2017.

Garda Eoin O’Donoghue told Siobhán Ní Chúlacháin BL, prosecuting, that on foot of confidential information garda obtained a warrant to search Staunton’s home.

During the search, Staunton arrived at the apartment block in a Jeep. He identified a second vehicle, a VW Passat, as his car but told gardaí the key for it was in a third ….read more

A Wicklow man mugged a Spanish national at knifepoint while on bail for a separate knifepoint robbery, a court has heard.

Aiden Hargreaves (20) pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at Harbour Court, Dublin on October 31, 2018 and to robbery at Carlingford Parade, Dublin on January 29, 2019.

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Hargreaves to consecutive terms of imprisonment of three years and two years for each offence.

The final 15 months of the sentence were suspended on strict conditions.

Garda Ciara Maguire told Michael Hourigan BL, prosecuting, that on the date in October 2018 a man had stopped ….read more

A court has ordered that a man who assaulted a psychiatric nurse while awaiting sentence for the attempted murder of a teenager camping in the Dublin mountains must remain under supervision for 15 years.

Michael Corbett (29) had pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the attempted murder of the 17-year-old on June 27th, 2016 at the Hellfire Club on Montpelier Hill. He attacked a number of campers with a knife and used a piece of timber to strike one teenager about the head.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that as a result of this offence the father-of-one, with an address ….read more

A man who attacked an off duty garda after he honked his horn at the man and his horse has received a fully suspended sentence.

Derek Heavey (32) of Moeran Road, Walkinstown, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm and criminal damage at Ballyfermot Road, Ballyfermot, on May 23, 2018.

Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Heavey to two years imprisonment, but suspended the entirety of the sentence on condition he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for two years.

Detective Sergeant Dara Kelly told Elva Duffy BL, prosecuting, that on the date in question Garda Stephen Monaghan ….read more

By Declan Brennan and Jessica Magee

A young man who was caught with over €20,000 in drugs and cash has avoided a jail term.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Daryl Conroy (22) was the driver of car stopped by gardai in Drumcondra, Dublin, on December 9, 2015.

Gardai became suspicious and carried out a search during which they found a Tesco bag with cannabis herb and resin, cocaine, eight mobile phones and four SIM cards.

They also found a digital weighing scales and bagging in a Dunnes Stores bag.

Tony McGillicuddy BL, prosecuting, told Judge Martin Nolan that the total estimated market value of ….read more

A man who had arranged to sell a stolen jet ski to an undercover garda has been sentenced to two and half years in prison for handling stolen vehicles.

Gardaí had arranged to buy a stolen jet ski listed for sale on Adverts.ie in order to investigate a series of car thefts, when Denis Kaczor Niecko (30) arrived to sell it.

When Niecko realised that it was a garda who had come to buy the jet ski, he fled the scene in a van but crashed 200 metres up the road.

He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to handling a stolen ….read more

A father and son attacked a former friend with a hammer and a pick handle in front of the victim’s wife and five-year-old granddaughter as part of an ongoing feud, a court has heard.

Michael Reilly Senior and his son Michael F Reilly Junior have been jailed for 40 months and 20 months respectively at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the assault on Martin Maughan.

During the same incident, Reilly Snr also bit Mr Maughan on the ear, after ramming Mr Maughan’s jeep three times with his van, over what the court heard was “bad blood” between the two families.

Mr Reilly Snr ….read more

A drunken thief who smashed the windows of 10 cars with a hammer has received a fully suspended sentence.

Peter Sheridan (52) with an address at Sofia Housing, Cork Street, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to damaging property and theft in the Dublin 8 area on June 8, 2017.

Garda Gareth Vaughan told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that on the date in question gardaí received a call about a car that had been broken into from which a Sat Nav was stolen in Dean Swift Square, Dublin 8.

While investigating, gardaí noticed several other cars in the area with smashed ….read more

A man who claimed he was “off my head on crack” when he carried out 13 robberies over three months has been given a nine year sentence.

David Dunne (35) was ultimately nominated as a suspect after most of the raids were captured on CCTV footage. While he was being questioned by gardaí in relation to the final robbery, he admitted his motivation behind the crimes was to feed his drug habit.

“That’s not me when I’m like that, I just wanted money for drugs,” Dunne told officers.

He apologised to his victims during garda interview and said that his addiction was out ….read more