A man who appeared before the Special Criminal Court today charged with multiple offences under the Money Laundering and Terrorist Finance Act has had the Book of Evidence served upon him.

Sean Ruth (31), of Rathangan, Co Kildare, is charged before the non-jury court with eight offences under the act. The alleged offences all occurred within the State between 1 January, 2016, and 31 December, 2016, inclusive.

Ms Maddie Grant BL, prosecuting, told presiding judge Mr Justice Alexander Owens that the Book had been served in the body of the court.

Mr Justice Owens adjourned the case until October 5. There was no ….read more

A UK man accused of murdering Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin is “no James Bond or Ethan Hunt” but is instead a “two-bit car thief”, his own defence team have told the Special Criminal Court.

The defence closed its case today by telling the three-judge court that the defendant could not “logically” have been the killer.

Liverpool native David Hunter, with an address at Du Cane Road, White City, London, is pleading not guilty before the Special Criminal Court to the murder of Mr Barr (35) at the pub in Summerhill in Dublin on the night of ….read more

by Paul Neilan

A man charged with involvement in the attempted murder of Kinahan cartel target James ‘Mago’ Gately has been granted bail at the Special Criminal Court, despite Garda objections.

Mr Gately was shot multiple times as he sat in his car at the Topaz filling station on the Clonashaugh Road, Dublin 17, on May 10, 2017.

Douglas Glynn (36) of Fitzgibbon Court, Dublin 1, appeared at the non-jury court charged with the offence under Section 72 (1) of the Criminal Justice Act 2006.

The charge alleges that he between December 7, 2016, and April 6, 2017, both dates inclusive, and with knowledge ….read more

Jailing a claustrophobic senior Kinahan Cartel member, who directed a sub-cell in a plot to murder Patrick “Patsy” Hutch, is like putting “a man with arachnophobia in a cell with spiders”, a doctor has told the Special Criminal Court.

A senior investigating officer also told the non-jury court today that the cartel’s main leadership operates in the Middle East and coordinates the organisation of its various “sub-cells”.

The non-jury court was told today that criminal gang leader Patrick Curtis suffers from excessive compulsive disorder, irrational behaviour and blesses himself around sixty times a day to compensate for negative thoughts.

During the sentence ….read more

by Paul Nielan

The prosecution in the case of a man accused of the murder of Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub today closed its case by saying that the defendant would have to be an “extremely unlucky” man if he was not involved in the killing.

Liverpool native David Hunter, with an address at Du Cane Road, White City, London, is pleading not guilty before the Special Criminal Court to the murder of Mr Barr (35) at the pub in Summerhill in Dublin on the night of April 25, 2016.

Tyrone native Mr Barr was shot seven times – five times ….read more

by Paul Neilan

A trusted member of an organised crime gang that was planning an imminent attack on a rival north Dublin faction has been jailed for five years after he was caught with a loaded handgun.

Jake Kearney (25) of Coolock Drive, Dublin 17, pleaded guilty on May 5 at the non-jury Special Criminal Court to unlawful possession of a Luger-calibre Grand Power semi-automatic pistol at Oscar Traynor Road, Santry, Dublin 9, on October 30, 2019.

Presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt noted today that Kearney’s mother, whose home was burned out after his arrest, was being “punished for the crime of ….read more

A Dublin man accused of falsely imprisoning and assaulting Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) director Kevin Lunney has failed in a bid to have the charges against him dismissed.

Alan O’Brien (39), with an address at Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin 3, is charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17, 2019.

Mr O’Brien had today applied to the non-jury court to dismiss the two charges.

Mr Lunney, a father of six, was abducted close to his home in Co Fermanagh on the evening of September 17. The businessman’s leg ….read more

A man will go on trial at the Special Criminal Court for the murder of David ‘Daithí’ Douglas in Dublin four years ago.

An ex-parte motion, where only one side is present in court, was brought today against the accused Lee Canavan (31), with an address at Edenbrook, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.

State solicitor Mr Michael O’Donovan brought the motion under Section 49 of the Offences Against the State Act, which grants the State the power to put an accused on trial at the Special Criminal Court if the ordinary courts are deemed inadequate.

Mr Canavan is charged with the murder of Mr Douglas, ….read more

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

Lawyers for businessman Jim Mansfield Junior, who is charged with conspiracy to commit false imprisonment, have said they have “substantial concerns” about the “state of readiness” of his Special Criminal Court trial, which is due to begin in October.

Tony McGillicuddy BL, for Mr Mansfield Jnr, told the three-judge court that the case was in for mention today to allow both sides assess the position in relation to the disclosure of evidence. “There are substantial concerns on the defence’s side about the trial,” he submitted.

The non-jury court vacated Mr Mansfield’s Jnr trial date last April over ….read more

(Pictured: Derek Devoy. Credit: Collins)

A gangland criminal who “ran amok” with a loaded machine gun in a “densely populated suburban area” before ending up in a bathtub with three unarmed gardai as they struggled to arrest him has been jailed by the Special Criminal Court for 15 years.

The non-jury court also heard that a primed hand grenade rolled onto the floor of bathroom where gardai had cornered Derek Devoy but did not detonate, while one unarmed garda “narrowly avoided being shot in the head” during the arrest.

Sentencing Derek Devoy at the three-judge court today, Mr Justice Tony Hunt said ….read more