A 37-year-old man who conspired with Kinahan Cartel members to murder Dubliner Gary Hanley has had his sentencing adjourned because a judge who was due to pass sentence was “unavailable through illness”.

Liam Brannigan, of Bride Street, Dublin 8 appeared today at the Special Criminal Court via video-link from prison as he was due to be sentenced for conspiracy to murder Mr Hanley on September 15 and November 6, 2017.

Mr Justice Paul Coffey, presiding in the non-jury three-judge court, told Mr Brannigan: “We are not in a position to proceed because Judge [James] Faughnan is unavailable through illness.”

He adjourned the ….read more

(Pictured: Mr Justice Tony Hunt. Credit: Collins)

A High Court judge has said that he hopes “the world will be a different place” by the end of May.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt was speaking at the Special Criminal Court this morning during the mention of the case of a man charged with attacking, falsely imprisoning and demanding £50,000 from another man in a Co Louth farmhouse.

This morning, Roderick F O’Hanlon SC, for Thomas McGuinness (33), told the non-jury court that his client was unable to appear at the hearing as he is “not well”.

In turn, Mr Justice Tony Hunt remanded Mr McGuinness ….read more

A man who supervised those lower down the chain of command in a plot to assassinate Dubliner Gary Hanley has been jailed for six years by the Special Criminal Court.

Sentencing Dean Howe at the non-jury court today, Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the defendant’s activities had placed him in “a supervisory role” as part of this “elaborate and intricate planned scheme”.

“He was a conduit of order from on high and forcefully encouraged the activities of those lower down the chain of command,” commented the judge, adding that his contribution was “essential, high level and intentional”.

Mr Justice Hunt ….read more

A third man has appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged with attacking and falsely imprisoning a man in a Louth farmhouse over two years ago.

Thomas McGuinness (33), of Chestnut Court, Johnstown, Navan, Co Meath appeared before the three-judge court today charged with a total of four non-scheduled offences.

Detective Garda Eoin Clerkin agreed with State Solicitor Ciara Vibien that he executed the warrant this morning and met Mr McGuinness by arrangement at 9.58am, before conveying him to Blanchardstown Garda Station.

The detective also told the non-jury court that he later met the accused man in the confines of the ….read more

A member of a “hit team” has been jailed for eight years by the Special Criminal Court for having a Beretta handgun and silencer after a confrontation with armed gardai during which an officer opened fire on a jeep.

The three-judge court heard Owen Cummins had driven a jeep straight towards gardai in a narrow roadway as they restrained his co-accused on the ground. One of the officers drew his firearm at the defendant as he had feared for his life and that of the man he was restraining on the ground.

When the garda discharged his gun, the jeep veered ….read more

A 31-year-old man facing a firearms charge will be tried in the Special Criminal Court in May.

Paul Norton, from Cromcastle Court, Coolock, appeared in the Dublin District Court last October, accused of unlawful possession of a Beretta and 31 rounds of 9mm ammunition at the Stardust Memorial Park in Coolock, Dublin on October 5th, 2019.

This morning Mr Justice Tony Hunt fixed Monday, May 18th next as Mr Norton’s trial date.

Last month, State solicitor Ciara Vibien, for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), requested that Mr Norton be tried in the Special Criminal Court.

In certain cases, the DPP can certify that ….read more

Two men accused of having a handgun with intent to endanger life are to be tried at the non-jury Special Criminal Court.

Stephen Little (46), of Kilbarron Avenue, Dublin 5, and Edward McDonnell (55) of Waterside Apartments, New Ross in Co Wexford, are accused of being in unlawful possession of a semi-automatic pistol, and having the weapon with intent to endanger life at Lein Park, Harmonstown, Dublin 5 on September 14, 2019.

This morning State solicitor Michael O’Donovan requested that the two men be tried in the Special Criminal Court 1.

In certain cases, the DPP can certify that in his or her ….read more

A man accused of attacking and falsely imprisoning a man in a Louth farmhouse before demanding £50,000 from him has been was granted bail at the Special Criminal Court, despite garda objections.

Two men, charged with attacking and falsely imprisoning Edward McAndrew at One Ferry Hill, Cornamucklagh, Omeath, Co Louth on or about December 2nd, 2017, appeared before the court today for a bail hearing.

They are also charged with robbing Mr McAndrew of several items, including two mobile phones and a passport.

William Twomey (56), from Havelock Place, Warrenpoint, Co Down and Anthony Finglas (49), also of Havelock Place, have been in ….read more

A 37-year-old man convicted of conspiring with Kinahan Cartel murder plotters to gun down Dublin man Gary Hanley will be sentenced next month.

Liam Brannigan, from Bride Street, Dublin 8, was convicted by the Special Criminal Court earlier this month of conspiring to murder Gary Hanley at a location within the State between September 15th and November 6th, 2017. He had pleaded not guilty.

At a sentence hearing for Brannigan this morning, the Special Criminal Court heard he has 28 previous convictions, with 27 relating to road traffic matters and one for a drugs possession charge, for which he received a suspended ….read more

(Pictured: Christy Burke. Credit: Collins)

A man caught with a hand grenade and four kilograms of the explosive TNT in a densely populated area of Dublin’s north inner city, has dropped an appeal against the severity of his sentence after being reminded of the Court of Appeal’s full powers.

Mairtin Manning (25), whose address was not before the court, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to knowingly possessing an explosive substance to wit ten 400 gram blocks of TNT and the explosive head of an RGD33 hand grenade at Spring Garden Street, Dublin 3, on June 2, 2017.

Manning, who is ….read more