Latest news with #gardaí
BreakingNews.ie
17 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Two men (40s) arrested after burglary incident in Co Wicklow
Two men have been arrested after a burglary incident in Greystones, Co Wicklow, on Thursday. The incident happened at 2:30 pm, when gardaí responded to a report of an incident occurring at a residence. Advertisement When gardaí arrived to the scene, they searched the residence and discovered both men attempting to evade gardaí. The two men were conveyed to Bray Garda Station and are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. The men were found in possession of a bag containing property that has since been identified as belonging to the homeowners, and has been returned. Gardaí say investigations are ongoing.
Irish Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
TD first to tell Justice Minister gardaí supplied guns to man who shot himself in shopping centre
Labour TD Alan Kelly has told the Dáil it was he who first informed the Minister for Justice it was undercover gardaí who supplied guns to Evan Fitzgerald , the young man who took his own life at a Carlow shopping centre. He questioned why the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris did not inform and brief Jim O'Callaghan 'of the details of this case and details of the fact that it was undercover and the guns were supplied by An Garda Síochána'. Tánaiste Simon Harris told him said this was a matter between the Garda Commissioner and the Minister and that he supported a call last week by the Taoiseach for a review into the case. Mr Kelly said that under section 31 of the 2005 An Garda Síochána Act the Commissioner is obliged to inform the Minister 'about any major issues'. READ MORE 'Is it appropriate, is it right that I as a member of the Opposition had to actually ring the Minister for Justice in relation to this and inform him', that undercover gardaí supplied the gun, he said. The Tipperary TD has previously raised the case of the 22-year-old in the Dáil. Mr Fitzgerald had fired shots in the air in a Carlow town shopping centre before taking his own life on June 1st and Mr Kelly phoned the Minister with the information two days later. The Kiltegan, Co Wicklow man was on bail and due in court days later to face 13 charges relating to possession of guns, ammunition and explosive materials. Mr Kelly, who said he rang the Minister on June 3rd to tell him about the involvement of undercover gardaí, asked: 'Is it correct that I had to tell him to go to the Garda Commissioner and ask him about the full details in relation to this case?' Mr Kelly raised the issue in the Dáil last week and asked about reports of the court case which suggested that the gardaí had told the judge in the case that they were 'investigating' how Mr Fitzgerald and others acquired the guns. 'The guns were actually given to him by An Garda Síochána ... How could they say in court that they didn't know where the guns came from?' Mr Kelly said. Independent Senator Michael McDowell had also raised the case in the Seanad last week. He said he was 'very deeply concerned that, by informing the court that the gardaí were still investigating by whom the weapons in question were sold, the court was actively misled'. Mr Harris expressed sympathy to Mr Fitzgerald's family. 'He's a county man of mine and I know it's been a great shock in the local community in Co Wicklow. 'I understand this is a complex case and I'm obviously not privy, nor should I be to when the Garda Commissioner does or doesn't use that provision in the Act. 'That's a matter between himself and the Minister, but I do understand that the Minister for Justice has sought further information from the Garda Commissioner on the case.' The Tánaiste noted comments last week by the Taoiseach and the need for a review 'and I would support the Taoiseach in relation to his comments on that'.
BreakingNews.ie
21 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Man (26) who stabbed pensioner in head with screwdriver while on bail is jailed
A young man who stabbed an elderly man in the head while attempting to rob him, while on bail for endangering the lives of two gardaí, will serve seven and half years in jail. Sean Byrnes, (26), attacked the then 70-year old victim after the man caught him trying to steal a window from a caravan located on his land, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard. Advertisement When the man, now 74, confronted Byrnes and took his photo on his mobile phone, Byrnes knocked him to the ground, punched, kicked and stabbed him in the head with a screwdriver, whilst demanding the man give him the mobile phone. Byrnes, who was before the court with an address at Limerick City Hotel, Dock Road, Limerick, pleaded guilty to assaulting the man causing him harm; producing a screwdriver during the course of the assault; and attempted robbery. The 'vicious' and 'savage' attack occurred at Broadford, Co Limerick, in May 2024. The victim, who did not wish to be identified, wrote in a victim impact statement how he thought he was going to die at the hands of Byrnes. Advertisement 'I was stabbed a number of times in the head, kicked in the ribs for what felt like an was a savage attack,' the man wrote. 'I worked hard all my life, I get flashbacks of it, and it is a fright to God to feel so vulnerable.' 'He (Byrnes) kept hitting and kicking me, I thought he was going to kill me.' The man's daughter described it as a 'heartbreaking incident' for her father as well as her family, who they court heard remain shaken by the attack. Advertisement The man sustained lacerations and multiple bruises to his head and eyes and required seven stitches to his scalp. 'It has greatly affected my life. Every morning I have to remind myself that my attacker won't be able hurt me now, but it has greatly affected my life, having someone come at you and attack you so viciously.' 'I worked hard all my life, I get flashbacks of it, and it is a fright to God to feel so vulnerable.' Garda forensic analysis of the screwdriver Byrnes left at the scene revealed human DNA which was a match for Byrnes' DNA, it was heard. Advertisement The victim did not let go of his mobile phone despite Byrnes raining kicks into him and shouting at him 'no fucking photos'. In the end, the photo of Byrnes captured on the man's phone helped corroborate the man's allegation against Byrnes. When he attacked the elderly man, Byrnes was on bail twice for two separate endangerment offences, one in September, 19th 2019, and the other on June 23rd 2021, when he rammed a garda car endangering the lives of two gardaí. The latter occurred when Byrnes drove a BMW car to Ballingarry Post Office, Co Limerick, to collect a social welfare payment. Advertisement Byrnes observed Garda Michael McNamara and Ollie O'Sullivan, drive their unmarked patrol car into the carpark of the post office. The two gardai were there to arrest Byrnes who at the time was on three outstanding arrest warrants. When Garda McNamara approached Byrnes's vehicle, identified himself, and opened Byrnes's front passenger door, Byrnes reversed the BMW at speed with Garda McNamara still 'hanging onto the front passenger door', prosecuting barrister, Lily Buckley told the court. Byrnes, who was disqualified from driving at the time, drove the BMW forward colliding with the unmarked patrol car before 'speeding away' from the 'chaotic' scene. Byrnes, who has 27 previous convictions, was eventually arrested on November 11th 2024. He was detained in custody thereafter having refused bail at the Limerick District Court and the High Court. Byrnes initially tried to convince gardai that he was not the driver on the day, and lied to gardaí that he had sold the BMW on prior to the ramming. He eventually pleaded guilty to endangerment and causing criminal damage to the garda car. Byrnes barrister, Liam Carroll, said the attack on the elderly man was 'something Mr Byrnes will regret forever'; he said Byrnes was from a respectful family, but had 'lost his way'. Asking the court for leniency, Mr Carroll argued the assault was 'not premeditated' and Byrnes had 'panicked' when he saw the man taking his photo. Byrnes apologised and said he was 'ashamed' of his 'horrible' actions, adding, 'I deserve to be punished'. Judge Colin Daly noted Byrnes had been a model prisoner while in custody in Limerick Prison awaiting sentence. The judge jailed Byrnes for four years in respect of the attack and attempted robbery, plus an additional two years along with a ten year road ban for the endangerment of the two gardaí. The judge directed the sentences run consecutively to an 18-month prison sentence Byrnes is currently serving in respect of the 2019 endangerment.
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Man found dead following house fire in Co Roscommon
A man has been found dead following an extensive house fire in Co Roscommon. Emergency services were called to the scene in the Oaks housing estate in Frenchpark at about 7:15pm on Wednesday evening, and the blaze was brought under control. Advertisement The body of the man has been removed from the house, and taken to University Hospital Galway for post-mortem exam. The scene remains sealed off on Thursday morning for a technical examination, and gardaí say enquiries are ongoing.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Boy (13) uploaded sexual abuse photographs of sister (6) to Discord social media channel
A 13-year-old boy who sexually abused his six-year-old sister, took photographs of her and uploaded 64 images of this child abuse to a social media website will be sentenced later. The court heard that the boy, who is from the south of the country, had unsupervised access to the internet from a very young age and later told gardaí that he first viewed pornography when he was six years old. A local sergeant accepted that the family were very isolated in a rural area. Their father was deceased and the children were no longer attending school. The sergeant told Eilis Brennan SC, prosecuting, that gardaí were alerted that inappropriate images had been uploaded to the social media platform Discord and the connected account was traced back to the children's home. READ MORE The young girl was instantly identifiable to the gardaí as the subject of the images that had been uploaded. The now 16-year-old, who is currently in a residential treatment centre for minors who sexually offend, came forward to the Central Criminal Court on signed pleas. He pleaded guilty to six incidences of oral rape, nine charges of production of what is legally termed as child pornography and five charges of distribution of that material on dates between June 2022 and December 2022. The sergeant accepted that the teenager had unrestricted internet access from the age of five years old and agreed that he was manipulated by others online to post these photographs. Ms Brennan read into the record a victim impact statement that had been prepared by the now eight-year-old girl. The girl said she 'feels much happier' now and that the foster family, with whom she has been living since the gardaí called to her home in December 2022, 'feels like home'. 'When I think about him I feel a bit scared,' the girl continued. She said she would really like her brother to write her a letter of apology because she said when people do bad things they 'say sorry'. The girl said she told her mother 'when it first happened' but Ms Brennan said 'no action was taken'. Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring noted the child has no control over when and where the images of her may appear again on the internet. The judge said as the girl gets older, she will realise that she is 'out there for others like her brother to get sexual gratification from seeing her abused'. Ms Justice Ring said these are the long term impacts for her, which she said the child is hopefully unaware of at the moment as an eight-year-old girl. The judge said she had 'a huge set of reports' in relation to the accused but only a paragraph, the victim impact statement, in relation to 'the other child who also has rights'. Ms Justice Ring said she wanted further information as to how the abuse has impacted the girl, asking the investigating sergeant to speak to others – like her care worker – that may be able to provide more information to the court. Ms Justice Ring said there are other impacts, that the child as an eight-year-old may not be aware of and said she wanted further information. She adjourned the case to July 21st to allow for further reports. 'What you have done is horrendous,' Ms Justice Ring said addressing the 16-year-old. 'If you were an adult you would be going out that door- that is the custody door. You need to be conscious of the jeopardy you are in the moment.'
