A sixth man has appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged with conspiring to murder a member of the Hutch family and another unknown person last year.

Gardai arrested the man while he was collecting a social welfare payment from Finglas Post Office just before 2pm today on foot of an arrest warrant, the court was told.

The arrest comes less than a week after five men appeared before the non-jury court on the same charge of conspiracy to murder Patrick “Patsy” Hutch.

Mark Capper (21) of Cappagh Green, Finglas, Dublin 11, appeared before the three-judge court this afternoon charged with ….read more

A Dublin man who pleaded guilty to having a silenced handgun after his arrest during a garda operation against a feud-related “hit team” has withdrawn his request to attend his teenage son’s funeral mass, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

It follows a barrister for the Director of Public Prosecutions telling the court that a risk assessment carried out by gardai found that they would not be able to ensure the safety of the public in the church or that of gardai escorting him.

Owen Cummins (40), with an address at St Attracta Road, Cabra, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty at the Special ….read more

A man awaiting sentence for possession of a Beretta handgun will be allowed to attend his teenage son’s funeral under Garda escort, a court ruled today.

Mr Justice Paul Coffey told the court the application was made under “unusual and very tragic circumstances”.

A 19-year-old son of Owen Cummins (40), with an address at St Attracta Road, Cabra, Dublin 7, was killed last Friday, the Special Criminal Court was told.

At the end of the hearing, and before he was led away by prison guards, Mr Cummins tearfully hugged and kissed an elderly couple who were present in the court.

Last month, Mr Cummins ….read more

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

Businessman Jim Mansfield Junior is to stand trial at the non-jury Special Criminal Court next year on charges relating to false imprisonment and the perversion of justice.

Mr Justice Paul Coffey today set April 20th, 2020, as the date for Mr Mansfield’s trial to begin.

The court heard that the trial is expected to last three weeks.

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 1st, 2015 and June 30th, 2015, both dates ….read more

(Pictured: Ms Justice Tara Burns. Credit: Collins)

Two men charged in connection with the murder of a dissident republican have been found not guilty by direction of the Special Criminal Court, after a trial where gardai refused to release secret material in the case, despite a court ruling that it should be disclosed.

The trial had sat for 36 days.

The non-jury court today ruled that the head of the Special Detective Unit’s “belief evidence” as to the men’s IRA membership was inadmissible because “issues of unfairness” arose in light of his “blanket” claim of privilege over the material upon which ….read more

Five men have appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged with conspiring to murder a member of the Hutch family last year.

Each of the accused men are also charged with taking various roles with the intention of helping a criminal organisation commit a serious offence, namely the murder of Patrick “Patsy” Hutch.

Two of the five accused have been further charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation within the State.

Ciaran O’Driscoll (24), with an address at Avondale House, Cumberland Street, Dublin 1, Patrick Curtis (38) and his brother Stephen Curtis (32), both of Bellmans Walk, ….read more

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

Businessman Jim Mansfield Junior has been granted legal aid on charges relating to false imprisonment and the perversion of justice after the Special Criminal Court heard he has a €6 million judgement against him.

The non-jury court heard today that the accused currently lives with his mother and provides money to his ex-wife.

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 dates inclusive. This is ….read more

A senior guard’s “belief evidence” that two men are members of the IRA is “valueless” and their trial should discontinue, a defence barrister has told the Special Criminal Court.

Hugh Hartnett SC also informed the court that it’s a matter of “historical fact” that there has been no prosecution of a person for IRA membership without “belief evidence” since 1972.

Defence counsel John D Fitzgerald SC submitted that rulings made by the non-jury court in the trial had been treated with “casualness by the Director of Public Prosecutions [DPP], which was at “at odds” with the role of the director and “impossible ….read more

Judges at the Special Criminal Court have said it would be “novel and startling” for surveillance officers evidence to be excluded due to their failure to take notes of sightings during a Kinahan cartel conspiracy to murder investigation.

The non-jury court also refused to grant a direction to acquit accused Liam Brannigan (37) of conspiring to murder Gary Hanley at a location within the State between September 15th and November 6th, 2017. Mr Brannigan from Bride Street, Dublin 8 has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Three men, Joseph Kelly, Luke Wilson and Alan Wilson, have previously all pleaded ….read more

A senior garda has said his belief that a Meath man is an IRA member was not impacted by information that a key witness had claimed that, if called to give evidence at trial, he would say the accused was never a member of the IRA.

Detective Chief Superintendent Anthony Howard was giving evidence today at the Special Criminal Court trial of two men charged in connection with the murder of dissident republican Peter Butterly.

Mr Butterly, a 35-year-old father of two, was shot dead shortly after 2pm in the car park of the Huntsman Inn at Gormanston, Co Meath on March ….read more