A man held up a judge, a barrister and his estranged wife with a fake pistol and a hoax pipe bomb during a “terrifying” siege in a Dublin court, his sentence hearing has been told.

During a hearing in December 2018, Edmund Dunican (47) told the court he had a “problem” with an opposing barrister, Lisa Daly, before he drew a “realistic” firearm from his briefcase and threatened her with it, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard today.

At the time, Dunican was wearing an elaborate device around his neck that resembled a pipe bomb. The court heard Dunican, a fitter by ….read more

(Pictured: Darren Nolan. Credit: Collins)

A drugs accused who claimed he had been shot by a gang, only for his mother to tell gardai he had in fact shot himself in the face, has had his sentencing further adjourned for updated reports.

When gardaí were called to the home of Darren Nolan (28), he told them he had been shot by three young men wearing balaclavas. However, his mother told gardaí she believed he had shot himself.

Gardaí searched his room and discovered a handgun he had purchased online as well as over €16,000 of illegal drugs.

Nolan, of Shangan Green, Ballymun, Dublin pleaded ….read more

(Pictured: Liam Vickers. Credit: Collins)

A man who carried out a “cowardly” knife attack on a transgender escort and demanded that she provide him with free sex has received a fully suspended sentence.

Liam Vickers (23) also threatened the victim’s roommate when they attempted to intervene. He instructed the victim to delete his phone number and text messages from her phone before he left her home.

The court heard that Vicker’s father pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to murdering his mother in 2009.

Vickers, of Swifts Grove, Clonshaugh, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm in an ….read more

(Pictured: Chief Superintendent Finbarr Murphy speaking outside court. Collins)

A woman’s violent and abusive partner who became the first man to be convicted of coercive control by a jury has been jailed for ten-and-a-half years.

During a 20-month relationship, Daniel Kane (52) repeatedly attacked the woman, including by burning her foot, cutting her with a pizza slicer, head-butting her in the face while she was recovering from nasal surgery and stamping on her arm, causing her multiple fractures.

On another occasion he stamped on her head and strangled her, leaving finger marks along her throat. After being charged with these attacks Kane threatened ….read more

A man has been jailed for three years for a knife-point robbery of a pizza delivery driver which he later claimed “was just a joke”.

Patrick Maughan (21) of Poddle Close, Kimmage, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery at his address on February 13, 2018.

Judge Melanie Greally it was a very serious incident which Maughan did not seem to consider as serious.

“If this was some form of joke then it was a very very sick joke indeed,” she said. She described the incident as a “frightening threat” which had been taken seriously by the victim.

In interview with gardaí, ….read more

The sentencing of a man convicted of raping his best friend’s sister as she slept has been adjourned because of concerns around travel during the lockdown.

The man, now aged 25, was convicted last September after a trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork. He had pleaded not guilty to the single charge of rape at a place in Co Kerry on June 10, 2018.

A sentence hearing was due to take place today before Justice Mary Rose Gearty, sitting in the Criminal Courts of Justice building in Dublin.

Vincent Heneghan SC, prosecuting, told Justice Gearty that the complainant, who is ….read more

A mother-of-three used her bra to smuggle heroin into Mountjoy prison after threats were made against her family, a court has heard.

Laura Lambe (35) had heroin and Valium type tablets hidden in her bra when she went in to visit her then partner in the prison in November 2017.

Simon Matthews BL, defending, told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that the night before this, a man visited her and said he knew she was going into the prison the next day. He threatened her and her children before giving her the drugs and telling her to smuggle them in.

The woman appeared nervous ….read more

A man was kicked out of his home by his mother and became homeless after being caught ordering €24,000 of cannabis online, a court has heard.

Anthony McDonald (22) was arrested after customs officials intercepted the package containing the drugs which he had ordered online under the name “Mr Smith”.

McDonald, of Amiens Street, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply at his former address of Cromcastle Court, Kilmore, on August 24, 2019. He has no previous convictions.

Garda Peter Morris told Maurice Coffey SC, prosecuting, that customs officials intercepted the package, which had ….read more

(Pictured: John Murphy. Collins)

A man who made three hoax calls claiming there were bombs planted in the Phoenix Park has received a fully suspended sentence.

John Murphy (44) was homeless at the time when he claimed there were bombs at four locations in the park and threatened to “blow up all devices”.

Murphy, of Connolly Lodge, Buckingham Street, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to making a false report to emergency services on May 16, 2019.

He has 21 previous convictions, including convictions for drink driving and public order offences.

Detective Garda Alan Barry told Garret Baker BL, prosecuting, that on the ….read more

An Afghani man who sexually assaulted a young woman on a Luas has been jailed for nine months.

Abdullah Shinwari (31) rubbed his penis against the young woman’s lower back as he stood behind her on the tram and ejaculated on her clothes.

The victim described how she was “frozen” during the assault and cleaned her clothes in a toilet.

Shinwari, with addresses at Clare Lodge Direct Provision Centre, Co Clare and Mosney Road, Julianstown, Co Meath, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual assaulting the young woman on the Dublin city centre tram on September 26, 2019.

The young woman outlined ….read more