Latest news with #DundalkCircuitCourt
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
Juvenile Louth arsonist among gang of five who caused €81,000 damage to local authority home
A jury found the defendant guilty of arson and the case was back before Dundalk Circuit Court for sentencing. He was one of five co-accused who caused more than €81,000 damage to a local authority house in Rathmullan Park on July 3, 2019. The house was effectively gutted. There was no evidence as to who ignited petrol to start the blaze. The front and back doors had been set alight to make escape more difficult. An adult male was awake downstairs and two teenagers upstairs. He raised the alarm and everyone got out. The householder was not present at the time. She was left with only the clothes on her back and lost items of great sentimental value. Using CCTV from various points throughout Drogheda investigators were able to track the movements of the five accused. The defendant was recognised by Gardaí. Petrol and a lighter were bought at one stage. There was no CCTV of the incident. The defendant had no previous convictions nor had he come to adverse attention since. The court heard that he had a difficult childhood and been taken into care. His mother left and he had no contact with her. He had been misusing drugs. It was the view of the Probation Service that he was at low risk of re-offending and that further supervision was not required. Judge Dara Hayes said this was an attack on an occupied family home. Fortunately, the alarm was raised otherwise the consequences could have been more serious or fatal. It was a joint enterprise of arson, a very serious offence. The defendant was a child at the time. He was now employed and in a stable relationship. Two of the co-accused had received custodial sentences, and two non-custodial. The judge continued that an immediate custodial sentence was not appropriate in this case. A five-year sentence was imposed, suspended for five years. The defendant must provide three further clear urinalysis tests. Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
Juvenile Louth arsonist amongst gang of five that caused €81,000 damage to local authority house
A jury found the defendant guilty of arson and the case was back before Dundalk Circuit Court for sentencing. He was one of five co-accused who caused more than €81,000 damage to a local authority house in Rathmullan Park on July 3, 2019. The house was effectively gutted. There was no evidence as to who ignited petrol to start the blaze. The front and back doors had been set alight to make escape more difficult. An adult male was awake downstairs and two teenagers upstairs. He raised the alarm and everyone got out. The householder was not present at the time. She was left with only the clothes on her back and lost items of great sentimental value. Using CCTV from various points throughout Drogheda investigators were able to track the movements of the five accused. The defendant was recognised by Gardaí. Petrol and a lighter were bought at one stage. There was no CCTV of the incident. The defendant had no previous convictions nor had he come to adverse attention since. The court heard that he had a difficult childhood and been taken into care. His mother left and he had no contact with her. He had been misusing drugs. It was the view of the Probation Service that he was at low risk of re-offending and that further supervision was not required. Judge Dara Hayes said this was an attack on an occupied family home. Fortunately, the alarm was raised otherwise the consequences could have been more serious or fatal. It was a joint enterprise of arson, a very serious offence. The defendant was a child at the time. He was now employed and in a stable relationship. Two of the co-accused had received custodial sentences, and two non-custodial. The judge continued that an immediate custodial sentence was not appropriate in this case. A five-year sentence was imposed, suspended for five years. The defendant must provide three further clear urinalysis tests. Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
Irish Independent
26-05-2025
- Irish Independent
43-year-old man stole four bottles of champagne from Louth store
Iosebi Gelikoshvili, Triple House, Termonfeckin, Drogheda, had pleaded guilty in the district court but did not attend a subsequent hearing to finalise the case and was convicted of taking the Georges Clément champagne at Mace, Clogherhead, on June 4, 2023. The appeal at Dundalk Circuit Court heard that a male entered the shop and removed the four bottles, 'reasonably priced' at €37 each. The owner knew him by a nickname and that he lived not far away in Termonfeckin. He contacted Gardaí who retained CCTV footage from the premises. When interviewed Mr Gelikoshvili made admissions. He didn't require a solicitor. He said that he didn't have the money to pay and was not well, when asked why he stole the drink. All four bottles were consumed. He told investigators, 'I drank it. What else could I do?' He denied it was champagne, rather wine. The appellant identified himself from the CCTV footage and indicated he was guilty. There were no previous convictions. Barrister Conall Towe said that Mr Gelikoshvili, who had the assistance of a Russian interpreter, was waiting to have processed an application for asylum in Ireland. He worked in a fruit factory earning €520 per-week and paid €530 rent per-month. He failed to turn up in the district court because he was unwell. He had €100 and if given time would pay another €300. ADVERTISEMENT Judge Dara Hayes remarked that the appellant had two years to come up with €148, the total value of the champagne. The matter was adjourned to July 29 and the judge indicated if the €300 was paid a small fine would be imposed. The court directed that the €100 be given to the shop owner in the meantime.
Irish Independent
24-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Louth motorist fails to overturn drink driving conviction
Declan Leddy, Clonmore, Ardee, was fined €2,500 in the district court and disqualified from driving for three years. The grounds of his appeal to Dundalk Circuit Court was that he had been unlawfully detained following his arrest and prior to giving two samples of breath. It was argued that the 20-minute period of observation before he was tested was superfluous as Gardaí were aware he had nil by mouth as they transported him from the scene of the incident near Ardee to Dundalk Garda Station. However, Judge Dara Hayes rejected that submission. He did allow a postponement of the disqualification until November 21 and reduced the fine to €500 with six months to pay. Gda Nuala Crossan testified that at 8.20pm on December 16, 2023, she and Gda Conor Hegarty were called to the N52 outside Ardee. She was observer in the patrol car and at Ballybailie saw a silver Volkswagen Jetta swerving on the road. It came to a stop before attempting to drive forward. The car came to a stop again. The only occupant was a male in the driver's seat. Gda Crossan said that she got a strong smell of drink from the defendant whose eyes were glazed. He appeared nervous. She formed her opinion and arrested Mr Leddy at 8.35pm. He said to her that he 'had a few pints in town' and was on his way home. She was seated in the rear with him en-route to Dundalk Garda Station. He was compliant and there were no concerns. They arrived at 8.55pm. Gda Hegarty, the driver, gave evidence that he was a trained Evidenzer operator. This is the machine that takes breath samples. ADVERTISEMENT He started a 20-minute period of observation at 9.13pm before the prisoner provided two specimens which gave an over the limit reading of 122mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. Gda Hegarty told barrister Ronan O'Carroll that prior to the period of observation he was satisfied that Mr Leddy had nil by mouth as much as he could be as he was driving. He said that the 20-minute period of observation at the station 'is protocol and has to be done'. He agreed it was a guideline by the manufacturers of the Evidenzer. Mr O'Carroll submitted that the 20 minutes of observation were not required, and that the garda took the view that this period must be observed. If there were 20 minutes of nil by mouth prior to this and no need for the observation, then it was an unlawful detention or would have to be objectively justified. State solicitor Fergus Mullen said there was objective justification on the basis of the evidence. He hadn't encountered a situation where anybody other than the Evidenzer garda had carried out the 20-minute period of observation. Judge Hayes said that this period of observation was to ensure that the person has not had alcohol by drinking or regurgitating it to potentially contaminate the test and give a misleading reading. He continued that Gda Hegarty had provided an objective basis for the further period of observation. Mr O'Carroll said that Mr Leddy had no previous convictions, nor had he been in any trouble since. A bus driver taking home €360 per-week bringing disabled youths to and from work, he would lose that employment. Judge Hayes noted that a 'considerable quantity' of alcohol had been taken, though the court had seen higher. There would be a penalty for the appellant and the judge said he hoped Mr Leddy found further employment. An order was made as outlined and legal aid granted.
Irish Independent
24-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Meath man who was swinging baseball bat in garden of Louth house given chance to avoid jail
Conor Farrelly, De Valera Park, Drumconrath, Co. Meath, had been sentenced in the district court to concurrent nine-month jail terms for trespassing and producing a baseball bat at Tullykeel, Ardee, on September 23, 2023. The appeal at Dundalk Circuit Court heard that no one was in the house at the time. The homeowner got a notification on his phone that someone was on the property which was covered by CCTV. The appellant arrived in a blue-coloured car. He climbed over a gate with a bat in his hand. He began shouting and swinging the bat and attempted to strike two dogs in the garden. The animals were unharmed. Mr Farrelly approached the front door and then went around the back of the house before climbing over the gate and leaving. Gardaí arrived shortly after 4pm. An officer subsequently identified the culprit from the CCTV. He was located two weeks later in Donore, Co. Meath in a similar vehicle. A voluntary statement was taken in which he made full admissions. Mr Farrelly indicated where the baseball bat was. In the statement, he said that he and a teenage boy had a falling out after the younger person called him a heroin addict and a junkie. He called to the house. He got the baseball bat to scare him. 'I had a bad day'. Sgt Paddy Skehan said that the teenager had been 'winding him up' on Snapchat. There had been no further interaction between them. There were 19 previous convictions, including eighteen for Road Traffic offences which occurred within the space of a year. The other was for an affray in 2016 for which an 18-month suspended sentence was imposed in 2023. Solicitor Catherine Taaffe said that her client struggled with a predominantly heroin addiction. He had been on remission for eight months but relapsed. He was struggling and needed intervention. He was due to undergo a methadone programme. Ms Taaffe continued that this seemed an isolated incident. The situation had calmed down. Mr Farrelly had removed himself from all social media platforms. Judge Dara Hayes adjourned the appeal to July 31 for a probation report and community service assessment. If the report was positive and Mr Farrelly deemed suitable for community service, the judge said he would impose 150 hours community service on one of the counts and would suspend the other for 12 months. Legal aid was granted. Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
