Tag Archives: Ennis Circuit Court

EAST Clare gardaí and the Department of Agriculture were today [Thursday] commended for what was described as “without question the most outstanding piece of police work” in a cattle rustling case. Remarkably the comments were made by the defence counsel for Padraig O’Brien, (42), of Magherigh, Mountshannon who pleaded guilty at Ennis Circuit Criminal Court to 15 counts of theft offences relating to the animals worth €17,000. The offences involved the theft of five in-calf heifers from Bohatch, Mountshannon between January 17 and 18, 2015; the theft of six heifers from Kilrateera, Mountshannon between May 23 and 24, 2013, and the theft of four cows from Bohatch between December 8 and 9, 2013. Gardaí and the Department of Agriculture used DNA testing to trace the stolen cattle through their progeny providing links back to O’Brien. Presiding Judge Gerald Keys commended the gardaí for their “Trojan work” highlighting that this country’s system of tracing cattle is “one of the best in …

THE jury was discharged in the trial of a man who was accused of committing 20 sexual offences against children in Clare, Limerick and Tipperary, at Ennis Circuit Court on Tuesday. The charges included sexual assault and defilement of a child aged under 15 and defilement of a child aged under 17 on dates in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The defendant is the partner of a close relative of the alleged victim, and the complainant was a frequent visitor to their home at certain times, while she also spent time living with them. During the years in which the alleged abuse occurred the defendant and his partner had lived at different addresses in the three counties. Evidence was heard on Wednesday and Thursday of last week and again on Tuesday of this week. On Tuesday morning a woman who worked at a school attended by the victim was giving evidence and outlined some details of her interactions with the complainant. During …

A 24-year-old Shannon man was handed a three-year jail term for carrying out an unprovoked hammer attack, in which he left his victim with lacerations and a broken collar bone, all for a €9.50 packet of Benson and Hedges cigarettes. Dominic Hayes, with an address at Inis Eagla, pleaded guilty to the robbery of a 27-year-old chef at Coill Mhara in Shannon, where he struck him a number of times about the head and shoulder with a hammer. The incident occurred on August 4, 2013 and it was outlined that Hayes called the chef a “scumbag” before beginning his assault. Recalling the details of the case before Judge Gerald Keys at Ennis Circuit Court on Tuesday, prosecuting counsel Stephen Coughlan, (BL), said this was an unprovoked attack where the injured party was hit on the head, resulting in two lacerations. He said the injured party told gardaí he was “terrified”. He said the accused had then dragged the injured party to a …

TWO Limerick men accused of having drugs for sale or supply and with unlawfully importing drugs appeared before Ennis Circuit Criminal Court this week. John Byrne, with an address at Apartment 4, 63/64 Clare Street, Limerick, was arraigned on Tuesday before Judge Gerald Keys, where he pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of cocaine for sale or supply at Shannon Airport on April 21 last and the unlawful importation of cocaine, also at Shannon Airport on the same date. Co-accused, Thomas Tully, with an address at 83 Star Court, John Carew Park, Limerick, was also before the court but his case was adjourned to Friday, February 27 for him to be arraigned. Defence counsel for Byrne, Laurence Goucher (BL) requested that a probation report be prepared in the case of his client prior to sentence. Judge Keys acceded to this request and adjourned Byrne’s case to February 27 also. Byrne was remanded on continuing bail to appear on that date.

An 80 year old former national school principal. who “robbed his victims of their childhood” has received an 11 year sentence, with five years of it suspended at Ennis Circuit Court today, Wednesday. Patrick Barry, of Well Road, Kilkee had pleaded not guilty to charges of indecently assaulting 11 women, who were pupils of his at Moyasta National School between 1964 and 1985. Having been found guilty by a unanimous verdict by a jury last July on 59 counts of indecent assault  Barry was sentenced by Judge Gerald Keys this week. Judge Keys structured the sentence so that Barry received a year sentence on each count of indecent assault in respect of the abuse he caused to each victim. While these sentences were to be served concurrently he ordered they run consecutively to one another giving a total sentence of 11 years. Judge Keys said he would suspend five years of the sentence given the mitigating factors in the case, …

DONALD Trump’s company, TIGL Ireland Enterprises Limited, could end up before the circuit court in Clare for “a fully-fledged battle royale” civil case, if progress is not reached over a right-of-way at Doonbeg Golf Club. The American business tycoon purchased Doonbeg Golf Club and its lands earlier this year, for a reputed €15million, but it has emerged that a negotiated settlement with the previous owners, prior to the sale, provides for a right-of-way on these lands. This settlement was not implemented by the previous owners, Doonbeg Golf Club Ltd, and legal proceedings have been issued against them as a result. Ennis Circuit Court heard on Tuesday that the settlement reached in May 2013, providing a right-of-way on lands now owned by Mr Trump, was never signed or implemented by the then owners, Doonbeg Golf Club Ltd, prior to the sale. James McNulty of Ballinagun, Cree, one of the parties to the settlement, has taken a civil action against Doonbeg Golf …

A MAN who used  Facebook to make contact with a young boy, who he admitted planning to commit a sex act with, has been sentenced at Ennis Circuit Court for the possession and distribution of child pornography. The 33-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested by gardaí on August 28 of last year. Detective Garda TJ Molloy told the court that the accused had planned to travel to Cork to meet the boy, who he believed to be about 10 years of age, the following day. The man appeared before Judge Carroll Moran at Ennis Circuit Court, where he pleaded guilty to knowingly distributing child pornography for the purpose of sale, distribution, exportation or show on dates between August 7 and August 28, 2013, at a Clare address. He also pleaded guilty to the possession of child pornography, namely naked male photographs, showing genitalia, at a Clare address on August 28, 2013. Detective Garda Molloy told …

THREE Clare men have been sentenced for their part in the robbery of a pensioner who left his home by bicycle following the ordeal and continues to live in a nursing home. Noel Garry, aged 20 of Cooraclare, was sentenced to three years after pleading guilty to his involvement in a second robbery at 68 year old Michael McMahon’s home in West Clare. Mr Garry was described as the “most culpable of the three” involved in the case before Ennis Circuit Court this week. The Circuit Court was told that Mr McMahon cycled through the night from his home after it was targetted by around five criminals in two separate robberies on February 21 and 25, 2012 in which a total of between €7,000 and €8,000 was stolen. 21 year old Joseph Lernihan of Finnuremore Park, Mullagh, who admitted involvement in both robberies, was given a three year suspended sentence and ordered to pay the victim compensation of €3,790. 20 …