(Pictured: Mr Tiarnan O’Mahoney. Credit: Collins)

A former Anglo Irish Bank executive has gone on trial charged with conspiring to destroy, mutilate or falsify records of accounts allegedly connected to the bank’s former chief executive Sean FitzPatrick.

Tiarnan O’Mahoney (58), who held the position of Chief Operations Officer at Anglo Irish Bank Corp PLC, has pleaded not guilty to a charge that he conspired to destroy, mutilate or falsify books and documents affecting or relating to the property or affairs of Anglo Irish Bank Corp PLC.

Mr O’Mahoney of Glen Pines, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow has also pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal ….read more

A kitchen manufacturing company has been fined €5,000 for health and safety breaches after a worker lost three fingers using a faulty table saw.

East Coast Kitchens Factory Ltd admitted failing to provide a safe system of work on July 23, 2015 at its premises in Stephenstown Business Park, Balbriggan, Co Dublin.

The company was also instructed to pay the costs associated with legal proceedings at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, amounting to €4,731.49.

The court heard that employee Pawel Bodnar, who still works for the company, was cutting lengths of chipboard for kitchen products, using an Altendorf F45 sliding table saw, when the ….read more

A pensioner who used two PPS numbers to steal more than €200,000 in benefits from the Exchequer over a period of almost 20 years has been given a suspended sentence.

Catherine Simpson (72) fraudulently claimed Deserted Wives’ Allowance and the non-contributory State pension under her married name, while working a variety of jobs using her maiden name of Maguire.

Simpson, of Avonbeg Court, Tallaght, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to ten sample counts of social welfare fraud committed between 1998 and 2016, totalling €206,696.09.

Judge Karen O’Connor sentenced her to three years in prison but suspended it fully, noting that ….read more

A father of six who borrowed money at Christmas time was pressurised into holding cannabis valued at almost €40,000 when he was unable to pay the loan back, a court has heard.

Declan Henry (37), who has no previous convictions, told gardai he had been unable to make the payments and was holding the drugs to repay the debt.

Henry, of Brookview Close, Brookfield, Tallaght, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at Brookview Close on June 8, 2016.

Garda Brian O’Connor told Garret Baker BL, prosecuting, that gardai acting on information that ….read more

Sums of cash recovered by customs officers at Dublin Airport in two separate cases were forfeited to the State at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

The two unconnected cases were outlined to Judge Karen O’Connor in separate applications made under section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1994.

This legislation allows for the forfeiture of cash to the State in cases where the judge is satisfied, on the balance of probability, that the cash directly or indirectly represents any persons proceeds of, or is intended by any person for use in, drug trafficking.

Kieran Kelly BL, for the State, outlined in the first case ….read more

A woman whose former partner was caught with over €50,000 of heroin has avoided a jail sentence for permitting the preparation of the drugs at her home.

Rachel Harford (47) told gardaí the drugs had nothing to do with her and she hid one of the bags in the crotch of her leggings out of panic because she got a fright when gardaí arrived.

Her former partner, Eamonn Kane, pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs found at the house and last year received a four years and nine month sentence with the final 18 months suspended.

Harford, whose four minor previous convictions ….read more

By Brion Hoban

A man caught in possession of a stolen motorcycle has received a fully suspended sentence.

William Baker (34) of Foster Terrace, Ballybough, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a stolen motorcycle on the basis of recklessness.

Judge Martin Nolan suspended a two-year sentence on condition that he be of good behaviour and that he pay the owner €2,200 within a period of 15 months.

Detective Garda Adrien Buckley told Dara Hayes BL, prosecuting, that he was on patrol in East Wall, Dublin on May 9, 2016 when he stopped two men riding on a motorcycle.

He became ….read more

(Pictured: Richard Burbridge. Credit: Collins)

A man who stole nearly €67,000 in social welfare payments while running a courier business with an annual turnover of over €100,000 has received a suspended jail sentence.

Richard Burbridge (46) of La Touche Rd, Bluebell, Dublin committed the offences while operating a courier contract for the Courts Service.

He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to eleven sample counts of stealing from the Department of Social Protection between April 2009 and December 2014.

Garda Thomas Burke told the court today that Burbridge collected the disability allowance payments on a regular basis from the post office in Inchicore.

The ….read more

A woman who assaulted a female colleague on a city street, kicking her in the head and standing on her mouth when she screamed has been given a suspended sentence.

Ann Byrne (34) with an address in St Donagh’s Road, Kilbarrack, Dublin pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm and one count of attempted robbery of the woman in Dublin city centre on August 25, 2015.

In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Garda John Cahill told Monika Leech BL, prosecuting, that he was called to Burlington Road on the evening of the day in question, following reports a woman had been ….read more

By Sarah-Jane Murphy

A father-of-five has been jailed for seven years for the possession of a loaded revolver in a laneway beside a Dublin pub.

Vincent Maher (45) was arrested by gardaí following a targeted surveillance operation. He pleaded guilty to possession of a loaded Smith and Weston revolver at Mountjoy Street, Dublin 1, on December 6, 2016.

Detective Garda Declan O’Reilly told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today that workmen found a plastic shopping bag containing a Smith & Weston revolver, fully loaded with six bullets, wrapped in a black scarf.

He told Garret McCormack BL, prosecuting, that Maher, of Avondale House, Cumberland ….read more