Two Dublin men have appeared before an out-of-term sitting of the non-jury Special Criminal Court this evening charged with IRA membership.

Paul Casey (49) and Robert O’Leary (41) were both arrested in Dublin on Tuesday morning by members of the Special Detective Unit (SDU) as part of a cross-border investigation in connection with the discovery of a car bomb under a police officer’s car in Belfast in June.

Mr Casey, of Carton Court, Ballymun, Dublin 11 and Mr O’Leary with an address at Clancy Road, Finglas, Dublin 11 are both charged with membership of an unlawful organisation, styling itself the Irish Republican ….read more

A 34-year-old man accused of conspiring to murder Dubliner Gary Hanley is unhappy at being sent forward for trial in October after claiming his solicitor was not present in court.

Dean Howe told the Special Criminal Court this morning: “I’ve no legal representation here and you’re trying to put me in for trial on October 7.”

Following this, the accused man told the three-judge court: “I’m now being told to prepare for trial in two months which I could get ten years for, don’t know how that is feasible.”

Last May at Dublin District Court Dean Howe, with an address at Oakfield ….read more

A 36-year-old man charged with possessing a submachine gun and assaulting gardai has been returned for trial to the non-jury Special Criminal Court.

Judges today granted an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to try Derek Devoy at the three-judge court.

Last March at Dublin District Court Mr Devoy, with an address at Balbutcher Lane, Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin 11, was charged with possessing a RAK-PM63 submachine gun with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury at Crannogue Road, Ballymun, Dublin 11 on March 11, 2019.

Mr Devoy is also charged with possessing an explosive substance, to wit a ….read more

(Pictured: Mr Darren Weldon. Credit: Collins)

A Dublin man has been acquitted of IRA membership after the Special Criminal Court found it could not rely on DNA evidence recovered from a number plate used in a car bomb attack at Newry courthouse over nine years ago.

It was the prosecution’s case that DNA evidence linked Darren Weldon to a number plate found in the debris of a car bomb which exploded outside Newry courthouse on February 22, 2010.

Darren Weldon (47), from Kilbarrack in Dublin but with an address at Drinadaly in Trim, Co Meath, had pleaded not guilty to membership of ….read more

A three-man “hit for hire team” have received sentences totalling 36.5 years at the Special Criminal Court for planning to kill a member of the Hutch family before they were intercepted by gardai just 250 metres from their target’s home in Dublin’s north inner city.

The non-jury court heard that audio surveillance of the team – which included a British army veteran – picked up references to “the cartel” and “money all over the world”.

The garda investigation team were today praised for “excellent and intelligent police work” during the dangerous operation, which saw the gunmen caught “redhanded”.

Gary Thompson ….read more

(Pictured: Alan Wilson. Credit: Collins)

Gangland criminal Alan Wilson, who conspired with his fellow gunmen to assassinate Dublin man Gary Hanley, is “very fortunate” that the maximum sentence for the offence is 10 years, a judge has noted.

Wilson, who was secretly recorded by gardai in discussions about the murder plot, was today jailed by the Special Criminal Court for six years. The father-of-four instructed his co-accused Joseph Kelly in an audio recording to “go and do what you have to do” to kill Mr Hanley.

Heroin addict Kelly, who was recorded saying “if this fella survives we get no pay” and ….read more

(Pictured: Mr Jim Mansfield Junior. Credit: Collins)

A trial date will be sought for businessman Jim Mansfield Jnr, who is accused of conspiring to commit false imprisonment and attempting to pervert the course of justice, the Special Criminal Court was told today.

However, counsel for Mr Mansfield said there was an issue to be resolved first regarding the jurisdiction of the non-jury court.

Mr Mansfield (52), of Tasaggart House, Garters Lane, Saggart, Co Dublin is charged with conspiring with one or more persons to falsely imprison Martin Byrne on a date unknown between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2015, both ….read more

A 34-year-old man accused of conspiring to murder Dubliner Gary Hanley has been returned for trial to the non-jury Special Criminal Court.

Judges today granted an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions to try Dean Howe at the three-judge court.

Last May at Dublin District Court Mr Howe, with an address at Oakfield Place, Dublin 8, was charged with conspiring with others to murder Mr Hanley at a location within the State between September 15 and November 6, 2017.

This offence is contrary to Section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006.

At today’s brief hearing, for which the accused was ….read more

A book of evidence has been served at the Special Criminal Court on Dublin man Alan Wilson, who is charged with three counts of attempted murder in connection with a shooting at the Players Lounge pub.

Alan Wilson (40), with an address at New Street Gardens, Dublin 8 is charged with attempting to murder Brian Masterson, Wayne Barrett and Austin Purcell at The Players Lounge Public House, Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3 on July 26, 2010.

Wilson is also charged with the possession of firearms, namely a .38 Special Calibre Smith & Wesson revolver and a .32 Auto Calibre Zastava semi-automatic pistol ….read more

A “model prisoner” who has helped fellow inmates to quit alcohol and drugs since being charged with possession of €1.25 million worth of heroin has been jailed for seven years by the Special Criminal Court.

Delivering sentence today, Mr Justice Paul Coffey said heroin is “ruinous” to individuals, families and society in general and while the defendant Michael Brady was not the dominant person in the criminal gang, “he was trusted by that gang to look after a substantial quantity of heroin.”

Brady is a brother of Declan Brady (53), who is known as ‘Mr Nobody’ and was jailed for 11.5 years ….read more