Latest news with #Ballymun
BreakingNews.ie
26 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Lisa Thompson's daughter tells killer's getaway driver she is 'guilty and always will be'
A HSE addiction counsellor, who acted as the get-away driver for "violent and abusive thug" Brian McHugh after he murdered Lisa Thompson, has been told by the victim's daughter that while the defendant tried to paint herself as "the victim" in the trial, she was "guilty and always would be". The teenager, who was 12 years old when her mother was strangled with a blind cord and stabbed to death in her own home by her former lover, also told Deirdre Arnold: "I hope every time you close your eyes you see what we live with. I hope in the silence of the night it reminds you of how you silenced my mam's voice forever". Advertisement On March 10th this year, Brian McHugh (40), with a former address at Cairn Court, Poppintree, Ballymun in Dublin 11, was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for murdering 52-year-old Ms Thompson after a jury found he had inflicted 11 stab wounds to her chest and wrapped the cord around her neck. Six of the wounds had penetrated her heart. Lisa Thompson (52) was found dead at her home in Sandyhill Gardens in Ballymun on May 10th, 2022. Photo: Family/Garda In a separate trial last April, a jury found Deirdre Arnold was not an "innocent abroad" and had "decided at every turn" to assist her then-partner McHugh, whom she knew to have murdered mother-of-two Ms Thompson. Arnold's defence counsel, Mr Patrick Gageby SC, told her sentence hearing on Friday, that "in one of those terrible twists of fate", soon after becoming acquainted with McHugh, the addiction worker herself became addicted to heroin and crack cocaine. He said she has since resigned from her State job. Advertisement Arnold, whom the court previously heard is the sole financial support for her three children, remains on bail pending her sentence next month. Evidence was heard at McHugh's trial that Ms Thompson was dealing prescription drugs from her home, with gardai who searched the house finding thousands of tablets worth nearly €50,000 hidden in the attic. The trial was told that Ms Thompson and McHugh had a "bit of a fling" in the year before she died. At Arnold's trial, the jury heard that she had made domestic abuse complaints and got an interim barring order against McHugh. She also told gardaí that McHugh had broken her arm by holding it on the bottom of a stairway and stamping on it. Mr Gageby argued that his client was in fear of McHugh and reminded the jury that, even if they were satisfied she assisted the murderer, for a conviction they had to find it was without reasonable excuse. Advertisement The jury unanimously accepted the State's case that Arnold impeded McHugh's prosecution by driving him to Ms Thompson's home at Sandyhill Gardens in Ballymun on May 9th, 2022, where she waited outside for "well over an hour" before driving him away from the scene. Arnold later checked McHugh into the Clayton Hotel near Dublin Airport in an effort to help him evade prosecution. It was also the prosecution's case that the defendant allowed her silver Hyundai Tucson to be used to dispose of evidence taken from Ms Thompson's home. Deirdre Arnold, with an address at Briarfield Grove, Kilbarrack, Dublin 5 was charged that on a date between May 9th, 2022, and May 10th, 2022, both dates inclusive, at a location within the State, did without reasonable excuse an act with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution of Brian McHugh, a person who had committed an arrestable offence, namely murder, whilst knowing or believing Brian McHugh to be guilty of the offence or of some other arrestable offence. Arnold was also charged that on a date between May 9th, 2022, and May 10th, 2022, both dates inclusive, at a location within the State, acted or embarked upon a course of conduct which had a tendency to and was intended to pervert the course of public justice. Advertisement She had pleaded not guilty to the two counts. 'She is truly sorry' Detective Garda Fergus Burke, of Ballymun Garda Station, told the court on Friday that Arnold has three children and one previous conviction from 2022 for attempting to drive under the influence of drugs. She she received a fine and was disqualified from driving for 18 months for this offence. In his submissions on Friday, Mr Gageby said Arnold accepted the verdict and the matter would rest there. He said a letter had been handed up to the court which was not a plea for forgiveness but an indication of "true sorrow for her part" and that she would never forget the consequences of that day. Advertisement Counsel added: "She also indicates that she recognises her actions no matter how unintentional had become part of something that caused the family great harm and is truly sorry." Mr Gageby said his client became a heroin user in early 2020, having formed a relationship with McHugh in the preceding year. In mitigation, Mr Gageby said there was demonstrably a pattern of abuse in the case and there was a text message deployed by the prosecution in the trial where Arnold had nominated McHugh as a danger to women. He said there were some unfortunate aspects to Arnold's upbringing and to date she has had three relationships with partners; "none of which had ended well and there seemed to be a pattern". Mr Gageby said his client had worked from the age of 16, had done a number of courses and had provided counselling. He added: "In one of those terrible twists of fate, soon after becoming acquainted with Brian McHugh she became herself subject to the addiction of heroin and crack cocaine; a pathetic aspect to this". The lawyer asked the court to consider if Arnold had not been in a relationship with McHugh at the time, would she ever have offended or come to the attention of authorities or ended up in the Central Criminal Court. Ireland Sliabh Liag killers denied legal aid for third bar... Read More He said the defendant's conviction is incompatible with State employment and she has resigned. He said Arnold had worked incredibly hard from the age of 16 to provide a stable home but unfortunately established a relationship with someone who brought her down to his level and she was responsible for that. He submitted that there is no facility for an open prison for female prisoners and asked the court to take that into consideration. Mr Justice Patrick McGrath remanded Arnold on continuing bail until July 4th, when she will be sentenced.
Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Gavin Friday: ‘U2 and I are almost like brothers – you very rarely blow smoke up your brother's ass'
I'm 65 now. I was born in the Rotunda hospital, and in 1962 I moved to Cedarwood Road, which was old Ballymun before the new Ballymun appeared. I was quite a shy child. I was about 12 or 13 when I met Guggi and Bono and music had become very important to me. The Ireland of then was ridiculous in the stranglehold the Catholic Church had on us. My father was a strict man, a diehard, old-school Catholic guy. Loved GAA, all of that, and I was the polar opposite, a shy kid who didn't like sports. My father thought I needed to toughen up. So I was sent to the Christian Brothers. I can't stand that whole spotlight of 'poor me', but when I look back now, one of the glues that glued Bono, Guggi and myself together was the three of us had not great relationships with our dad. We had a difficult dad. I was bullied badly, even bullied in primary school in Glasnevin. I found the nuns really cruel and hard. There was corporal punishment in school, so you were hit – and badly hit, which is horrific to think of. The stuff they would do even with a cane or a leather. I didn't hang out with many people. My true little world was about music and drawing and art. I always liked performing even though I was shy. Whenever my dad's mates were over, I'd be called down to sing a song. And I would sing. I loved music but I didn't know much, so it was Top of the Pops that became my first touchstone. I was a 1970s kid: glam rock – Marc Bolan, T Rex, Bowie and Roxy Music. I found a home in my head. I started dressing a certain way. My mum would make elephant flares for me. I got my ear pierced when I was 13, and that was a big thing to have your ear pierced then and I was battered for it. I was being beaten up and called names. My response became more prominent when I formed The Virgin Prunes in 1978, when I was 18. I thought, 'I'm going to wear a dress'. It was not gentle-looking, it didn't look fun and cuddly the way Boy George did. It was punk: 'Is that guy gonna bite the head off or kiss us or kill us, or what?' There was an element of threat about it. READ MORE [ Gavin Friday in Dublin review: Svelte, swooning performer lays bare his life on the stage Opens in new window ] There was nothing nourishing going around other than music. I really did find Dublin hard. Things are really hard here now economically for people, but it was a complete nightmare back in the 1980s. As an adult I was kicking against the Catholic Church very strongly in The Virgin Prunes. One of our infamous performances was on The Late Late Show in 1979: it was the same weekend the pope was in Ireland. I think Gay Byrne knew what he was doing because he liked being a bit controversial. My idea of success was 'Get me out of here': get me away from this drudgery of old Catholic Ireland. I started gigging and touring. We were away so much. We weren't earning much money. The first success I had was when I started working with Jim Sheridan , when I did the music for In the Name of the Father. When Jim Sheridan asked me to be the musical consultant on In the Name of the Father, I took on the challenge and we got on well. He said, 'Could you make a bomb go off musically? Could you do that?' I said, 'Yeah, I think so.' Then he said, 'I think you guys can do score, so let's go for it.' I love working to learn more. I'm very singular in what I do. I speak straight, mate to mate. When I worked with Bono on Stories of Surrender , the stage show [version of Bono's memoir ], I said, 'Well, you can't turn the whole book into a stage show'. It's just about having conversations, the way friends do. I have a very strong friendship with Bono and we have a very direct communication. It's not just with Bono, but the whole of U2 , because I know them 50 years. I've always been at a recording session when they go in to make an album, at the beginning, middle and the end. We're almost like brothers – you very rarely blow smoke up your brother's ass. 'What do you think of these songs?' 'I love these five, that needs more work, that's brilliant.' Albums to me are not jobs. It's an expression of who you are and what you're going through. To me, if you want to say something, the best way to say it is to make the tune have a sweetness or a tangibility. In conversation with Nadine O'Regan. This interview, part of a series asking well-known people about their lives and relationship with Ireland, was edited for clarity and length. Gavin Friday's latest album is Ecce Homo. Bono: Stories of Surrender is out now on Apple+
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Former wife of garda ‘lost everything' after he carried out ‘protracted assault' on her
A garda who carried out a 'protracted assault' on his then wife, who was also a member of the force, is to be sentenced later at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Trevor Bolger (48), who was previously attached to Ballymun Garda station, pleaded guilty to assaulting Margaret Loftus on October 25th, 2012. Ms Loftus read a victim impact statement to the court in which she described the effects the 'protracted assault' had on her. She said Bolger violently assaulted her that night. 'I lost everything,' she said. READ MORE She said she had a strong sense of truth and justice. 'After this assault it also impacted personal relationships I had within the guards – there was a stigma attached to me, for standing up for myself.' She said it was 'used against me while I tried to seek justice for myself' and was as 'damaging as the assault itself'. Ms Loftus also thanked the members of the Garda who investigated the case. 'It has taken 13 years of my life to get to where we are today but truth and justice must prevail,' she added. 'Trevor Bolger, you have done your level best to destroy me ... every day you have broken me,' she said. 'By your own admissions here today ... you are an abuser and a perpetrator of domestic violence.' She said as a victim of domestic violence she would like to encourage others to come forward. Det Gda Rioghnach O'Sullivan told the court that in October 2012 the then couple had travelled to Balla, Co Mayo, Ms Loftus's home county, for a family event. Bolger was irate because Ms Loftus spoke to her family and did not stay by his side and he sat at the bar drinking for the night, the court was told. When they returned home to her childhood bedroom in which they were staying, he hit her in the back and grabbed her by the hair while she begged him not to hurt her. She described it as a 'protracted assault' which was 'terrifying' and she feared that if she had stayed with him she would have been killed, so ended the marriage the next day. Det Gda O'Sullivan told the court that the following afternoon 'she had her father stand beside her while she told him [Bolger] that their marriage was over'. [ Garda detective pleads guilty to assaulting his then wife, who was also an officer Opens in new window ] Bolger was interviewed voluntarily in December 2018 and twice denied he had engaged in an assault on Ms Loftus. Cathleen Noctor SC, defending, said her client had been treated for anxiety and depression and had entered a psychiatric hospital following the event. He had brought €6,000 in compensation which he handed over to the court. The court heard that Bolger remarried in 2021. A number of testimonials were before the court including one from a retired inspector. Counsel said Bolger had made a positive contribution to society over his 20-year career. She also asked the judge to have regard to his own circumstances and that his mental health difficulties are continuing. Bolger was promoted to the rank of detective and was attached to Howth Garda station in August 2018. He was suspended in December 2018 and was sent forward for trial on indictment in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Bolger has no previous convictions. Judge Martina Baxter described it as an egregious assault. She said because it is spousal abuse she was going to ask for the assistance of the Probation Service. Bolger is to be sentenced in October. She remanded him on continuing bail, noting Ms Noctor's submission that custody was harder for Bolger because of the role he had at the time and the responsibility that comes with that. The court heard the maximum penalty for the assault, under Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, which is normally dealt with summarily in the District Court, is six months' imprisonment or a fine. Judge Baxter said she would disagree with Ms Noctor's assertion that the Circuit Court rarely deals with summary offences. She told Ms Noctor that there would be more weight on her submissions on the passage of time since the offence. Ms Noctor asked the court to have regard to her client's apology, his expression of remorse, and testimonials before the court including one from a retired Garda inspector, Nick Mulligan, who Ms Noctor said 'has known my client for the whole time he had a career in An Garda Síochána'. Judge Baxter queried whether those who had provided testimonials knew why they were asked to do so. 'I have instructions that they do all know,' said Ms Noctor.
BreakingNews.ie
04-06-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Ikea restaurant to offer half-price meals on weekdays
Ikea's meatballs are almost as famous as its flatpack furniture – now the retail giant has moved to reduce the price of all meals in its restaurant for a limited time. The Swedish retailer said visitors to the Ballymun store restaurant in Dublin will be able to get at least 50 per cent off meals on Mondays to Fridays from 11am until store closing. Advertisement The offer is open to customers who are part of the Ikea Family loyalty scheme, and runs between June 5th and August 29th. A salmon fillet will be sold for €3.95, Ikea said. Photo: AFP via Getty The price reductions means the cost of the store's famous eight-piece meatball meal will drop to €3.25, down from its regular price of €6.50. Fish and chips will be €3.95 and a salmon fillet will also be sold for €3.95, Ikea said. Kids' meals – all of which include a piece of fruit and a soft drink – include children's meatballs for €1.25 and children's pasta for 45c. The popularity of Ikea food has led the firm to open standalone restaurants in some parts of Europe – the furniture company opened its first one in London late last year.
BreakingNews.ie
22-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Gardaí seize firearm and drugs in north Dublin
Gardaí have seized a gun and weapons in Ballymun in Dublin. They also recovered ammunition during a search operation on Thursday. A quantity of drugs including cocaine, diamorphine and cannabis was also seized. The search was carried out under Operation Tara. Advertisement
