logo
Man caused €26,000 worth of damage to Irish Rail

Man caused €26,000 worth of damage to Irish Rail

Irish Rail spent over €26,000 to repair damage caused by a man who graffitied the interiors of rail carriages and a rail underpass, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard.
Rokas Kalytis (24) pleaded guilty to counts of criminal damage on dates between January 2020 and May 2022.
He was today ordered to carry out 240 hours community service in lieu of a two year prison term.
Judge Elva Duffy said that should Kalytis come to further garda attention or not carry out the community service work, he will serve those two years in prison.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court previously heard that CCTV footage recorded Kalytis graffitiing the internal panels in train carriages using permanent marker.
Following one incident in January 2020, Irish Rail spent €10,800 repairing these panels. A further €11,500 had to be spent the following October repairing graffitied panels in another rail carriage.
€3,500 was spent on repairs in the wake of another incident of vandalism of a rail carriage by Kalytis in January 2022.
He was also seen on CCTV graffitiing an underpass at Connolly Station using permanent markers, with €500 spent on repairs after this.
Kalytis was identified from CCTV by Irish Rail staff. His home was searched with clothing, permanent markers and a sample of writing seized.
He then moved to the Netherlands but returned in August 2023, meeting gardai voluntarily for interview in March 2024 for interview.
Kalytis, with addresses in Castlemartin Close, Bettystown, Co. Meath and Mountjoy Square made full admissions, telling gardai it was a way of expressing himself.
He has nine previous convictions, including for criminal damage.
Garda Karl Bolger agreed with defence counsel that Kalytis was co-operative, apologetic and entered an early guilty plea.
The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
A statement from Irish Rail was provided to the court.
Kalytis's background was outlined to the court. He has a difficult family background and was in foster care between the ages of 16 and 18, before experiencing homelessness.
A friend offered him accommodation in Co. Meath, but he was asked to leave after the search warrant was executed.
Defence counsel previously told the court that one of Kalytis's previous conviction is for a similar summary offence, for which he received a community service order. However, Kalytis left the jurisdiction without completing community service and has contacted the Probation Service to make arrangements to do this.
The court heard on Monday that this community service order has since been struck out.
Counsel said the probation report was positive in parts, but noted that his client is still using cannabis.
Kalytis was working full-time, and has since left and obtained his construction work safe pass. Counsel said his client has made changes in his life, has developed greater maturity and a forensic psychological report puts him at low risk of re-offending.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

TD to make formal complaint after 'being pushed by garda' before All-Ireland
TD to make formal complaint after 'being pushed by garda' before All-Ireland

Irish Daily Mirror

time4 hours ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

TD to make formal complaint after 'being pushed by garda' before All-Ireland

Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae says he has decided to make a formal complaint after allegedly being pushed by a garda before Sunday's All-Ireland final. 'I will [complain] tomorrow, guaranteed, because we did not deserve that,' the deputy told the Irish Mirror on Sunday evening, several hours after the incident in Dublin city centre. The politician was with dozens of fellow Kerry fans in the Cathedral Street street area of the inner city - beside O'Connell Street - when the incident happened. READ MORE: Tears in Croke Park as murdered mother and her two children remembered at All-Ireland final READ MORE: 'It's devastating' - Irish mum's tears over abduction of her two children The incident was caught on camera and was posted online - before quickly going viral. It had been viewed around 100,000 times on social media sites by Sunday night The footage appears to show a uniformed garda using one hand to move Deputy Healy-Rae away from him. The incident started when hundreds of Kerry fans were lining the street ahead of the Croke Park showdown with Donegal for Sam Maguire - and face off their county would later win. Danny Healy-Rae was allegedly pushed by a garda before Sunday's All-Ireland final Several fans noticed Deputy Healy-Rae - who was wearing a Kerry hat and lanyard - walking along the street. He acknowledged the cheers and waved to the fans before walking a few yards. He stopped to wave to fans again, before turning to walk down the street - which is when the incident with the garda happened. The two men walk close to each other and then the garda appears to stick out a hand to move the deputy out of his way. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week The garda then walks on, but a clearly upset Deputy Healy-Rae goes back to approach the officer. The two men talk to each other for a few seconds before they go their separate ways - while the crowd starts booing. Speaking after Kerry's 1-26 to 0-19 victory over Donegal, Deputy Healy-Rae said he was disappointed by the officer's actions. And he said he would be making a complaint on Monday morning. Such complaints are handled by Fiosru, the independent policing watchdog. He said: 'I will tomorrow. I am too busy today, I have a lot of calls there to answer and stuff. I will tomorrow, guaranteed, because we did not deserve that. We came up for no trouble - we came up supporting our team. I expected better from the gardai.' Independent Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae has said he will now make a complaint over the incident. (Image: Gareth Chaney Collins) The Kerry TD praised said the other gardai on duty were fine. He said: 'There were other lovely gardai there and they were doing their duty. Deputy Healy-Rae said he had been inundated with comments from other Kerry fans - including those who witnessed the incident. He said: 'They are all talking to me about it. They booed the garda and everything at that stage. I am disappointed with his behaviour. I did nothing to deserve that. There was no trouble. I just don't know.' The Irish Mirror contacted gardai for comment on Sunday evening. A spokeswoman said in a statement: 'An Garda Síochána does not comment on unverified social media content. Any person who wishes to report the conduct of a member of An Garda Síochána can do so by contacting Fiosrú.' Sign up to the Irish Mirror's Courts and Crime newsletter here and get breaking crime updates and news from the courts direct to your inbox.

Failed asylum seeker who intentionally infected someone with HIV deported
Failed asylum seeker who intentionally infected someone with HIV deported

Irish Daily Mirror

time14 hours ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Failed asylum seeker who intentionally infected someone with HIV deported

The first man to be prosecuted in Ireland for intentionally infecting someone with HIV has been booted out of the country, it has emerged. The Sunday Mirror has confirmed that the man was deported on Tuesday. The move came 18 months after he had a conviction and 10-year jail term for infecting two women in Dublin with HIV quashed by the Supreme Court – following a legal saga stretching back to 2018. The failed asylum seeker was served with deportation orders earlier this year – and sources have confirmed to us that he was finally removed on a flight from Dublin Airport on Tuesday. No plane was chartered for the operation and the man, who arrived as a juvenile asylum seeker in Ireland in 2008, was flown out on a normal passenger service. But sources say he was escorted on the journey from Ireland by gardai from the National Immigration Bureau. 'He was deported on a flight on Tuesday,' a source confirmed to us. The man, who is now in his 30s, had been in custody up until the Supreme Court's decision to quash his sentence in 2023. He would normally have been released immediately after that decision, but it is understood he remained in custody as the Director of Public Prosecutions considered whether or not he should be retried. Sources tell us no retrial was ordered and the man was told he was being deported - which happened on Tuesday. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week It is unclear if he had spent any time as a free man following the Supreme Court decision – or had remained in custody the whole time. He had been convicted in early July 2018 of causing serious harm to two partners by intentionally or recklessly infecting them with HIV. He had denied the charges but a jury at his Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial returned a unanimous guilty verdict. The court heard women both started relationships with the man in 2009 and he had unprotected sex with them. They were tested and found to be HIV positive in 2010. They both said he was their partner and it was later established he had been diagnosed as HIV positive in 2008 when he was tested upon his arrival in Ireland. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.

Man in his 40s in serious condition after brutal assault
Man in his 40s in serious condition after brutal assault

Irish Daily Mirror

timea day ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Man in his 40s in serious condition after brutal assault

A man has been hospitalised with serious injuries following an assault in Dublin's north inner city on Friday night. The attack occurred near the junction of Sean McDermott Street and Gardiner Street around 10pm. The victim, a man in his 40s, was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he remains in a serious condition. Gardai have not made any arrests yet and are appealing for witnesses to come forward. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week A garda spokesperson stated: "Gardaí are investigating an incident of assault that took place on Sean McDermott Street Dublin 1 at approximately 10pm last night, Friday 25th July 2025. A man, aged in his 40s, was taken to Beaumont Hospital to be treated for serious injuries." They added: "No arrests have been made. Enquiries are ongoing." The Gardai are requesting anyone with information about the incident to contact Mountjoy Garda Station on 01 666 8000 or the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666 111, reports Dublin Live. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store