Latest news with #GalwayCircuitCourt
Sunday World
30-07-2025
- Sunday World
‘Criminal thug' jailed for petrol-bomb attack on home of sleeping family as part of feud
Court told fire had devastating impact on two households Alex Cronin (33), of Oakley Crescent, Highfield Park, Galway city, pleaded guilty to three counts of arson relating to the fire-bombing of the family home of a rival on November 20, 2021. The attack was among a series of increasingly violent incidents linked to an ongoing Galway feud. The arson attack, which spread to the neighbouring home of an elderly woman, had a devastating impact on both households, Galway Circuit Court heard. Prosecution counsel Geri Silke BL told Judge Brian O'Callaghan the target of the attack was Stephen McDonagh, whose family reside at Corrach Bui, Rahoon, Galway. However, at the time of the incident the intended target was not at home, but six innocent members of his family, including young children, were forced to escape the blaze. A car was also burnt out during the attack. Garda Christopher Dowry, of Oranmore garda station, told Judge O'Callaghan that Cronin, who just finished a four-year sentence for another matter, was 'very well known to gardaí'. The court heard that during the investigation Cronin's ex-partner mistakenly handed gardaí a receipt showing he had bought two petrol cans and petrol the night before the arson attack. Messages recovered from Cronin's phone showed he text his partner at 6.40am following the incident stating he was 'just back'. Video clips relating to the incident were also found on his phone, the court heard. Cronin was arrested on December 12, 2021, and refused to answer any questions or account for his movements. When gardaí presented the receipt, Cronin grabbed the exhibit bag and tried to destroy the evidence. Cronin has 56 previous convictions, including serious assaults, criminal damage, theft, burglary and robbery. At the time of the arson attack, he had been on bail and under the terms of a suspended sentence and had only been released from prison. He was arrested weeks later and has been in custody since on an unrelated matter. Judge O'Callaghan noted 'he barely had time to commit these offences' between prison stints. Gda Dowry told Judge O'Callaghan that in WhatsApp videos sent at the time of the attack Cronin adopted a 'boastful' attitude and 'took great pride in the damage caused'. 'In my view, he has showed no remorse,' Gda Dowry said. The home we spent 20 years building up was destroyed in 20 minutes In his victim impact statement, read to the court by Gda Dowry, Pat McDonagh, the intended target's father, said the arson attack had had a devastating impact on his family. 'The home we spent 20 years building up was destroyed in 20 minutes,' he said. The trauma of the fire resulted directly in his wife having a nervous breakdown and to this day she insists on having a fire extinguisher in every room. The court was told the McDonagh family were saved by their neighbours who alerted them. The flames had engulfed the property to the point the family had to wrap blankets around themselves and escape out the back door of the property. Mr McDonagh said it was 'only the grace of God someone was not killed'. My life will never be the same He said the experience left himself and his wife constantly fretful and worried, and unable to sleep for months. A neighbour of the McDonaghs, Betty Harte, whose home also suffered fire damage, said the shock of waking to her home in flames nearly caused her to have a heart attack. 'My life will never be the same,' she said. Ms Harte said she believed the stress of the attack had been a major contributor in her suffering a stroke and continued ill health. 'I can't believe this happened to me. I am a quiet woman,' she said. Defence counsel Bernard Madden SC said that after the events of November 2021, his client was now coming before the court as a man who was 'belatedly beginning to see the error of his ways'. He cited a positive governor's report and said Cronin, as part of a pre-release programme, had given advice to young people on the dangers of drink and drugs. In a letter read to the court, Cronin apologised for his actions. He said his victims never did anything to him to deserve the experience they endured. Judge O'Callaghan said Cronin was a 'criminal thug' and that on the night 'was out to do damage' and 'couldn't care less about the consequences' of his actions. Sentencing Cronin to seven years, Judge O'Callaghan suspended the final two years, by which time Cronin will have served almost nine years for this and the other offence for which he was earlier jailed. News in 90 Seconds - Wednesday, July 29
Sunday World
17-07-2025
- Sunday World
Man on temporary release from prison tried to reverse into garda van three times
Oisín O'Laoi jailed after pleading guilty to criminal damage, dangerous driving and driving without a license or insurance after drinking in Westport A circuit court judge has said a man on temporary release from prison who attempted to reverse into a garda van three times behaved like 'an utter and complete menace'. Judge Eoin Garavan sentenced Oisín O'Laoi (25) to four years in jail after he pleaded guilty to criminal damage, dangerous driving and driving without a license or insurance while on temporary release from a low-security prison. O'Laoi, of Cregg, Leitir Mealláin, County Galway, made full admissions to the offences after being arrested with assistance from the Armed Support Unit. The court heard that he was on temporary release from Loughan House prison when he went binge drinking on New Year's Eve 2023. O'Laoi, who has 71 previous convictions and a long history of alcohol misuse, consumed Jack Daniels whiskey and several vodkas before driving off in an Opel Insignia, the court heard. At approximately 5am on January 1, 2024, Garda Padraic O'Connor was driving a garda patrol van with Garda Darragh Lyons when he saw O'Laoi driving on the Newport Road in Westport. O'Laoi, who was the sole occupant of the car, drove through a red light on the South Mall before turning left onto Castlebar Street and right onto Distillery Road, through another set of traffic lights, before turning left onto Altamount Street before heading out the Ballinrobe Road. He failed to stop when Gda O'Connor activated the blue lights on the patrol van, and a chase ensued during which O'Laoi drove on the wrong side of the road through six different town lands. On two occasions, O'Laoi waited for the patrol van to catch up to him before attempting to reverse into it. When Gda O'Connor and Gda Lyons lost sight of the van at Moate, Killawalla, Garda Paul Deeley followed O'Laoi, who again tried to reverse into the pursuing garda vehicle. O'Laoi drove into Ashwood estate and ran into his girlfriend's house. Gardaí seized his vehicle and requested the assistance of the Armed Support Unit. O'Laoi had to be pepper sprayed while being arrested before gardaí conveyed him to Westport Garda Station. While being interviewed by gardaí, the 25-year-year old admitted to drinking on the night and that he was not insured to drive the vehicle. Tuesday's sitting of Castlebar Circuit Court heard that O'Laoi received his first driving disqualification when he was 17. He was disqualified from driving for six years by Galway Circuit Court in 2019 and received a second six-year disqualification in 2021. When told he could request the services of a solicitor, O'Laoi replied: 'I don't need one. I f**ked up.' Defending barrister Mark Ryan, BL, acting under instruction from solicitor Gary Mulchrone, said his client was living in Westport where he works as a general operative and groundsman. He is currently in a relationship and has a five-month-old daughter and three other children. Mr Ryan told the court that his client was inclined to drink heavily whenever he does consume alcohol. O'Laoi is currently on medication to alleviate his alcohol cravings and had attended Cuan Mhuire addiction treatment centre in County Galway. 'He is endeavouring to deal with his addictions issue in the best possible way. It continues to be a struggle,' said Mr Ryan. Citing his probation report, Mr Ryan said his client understands the danger he caused to gardaí and that he has to address his addiction. 'When he is sober, these issues don't tend to arise,' said Mr Ryan. He said O'Laoi had apologised to gardaí for his actions and had shown 'genuine empathy and insight'. Mr Ryan requested that the judge be as lenient as possible with sentencing to allow O'Laoi to address his recovery from addiction. O'Laoi had been being granted temporary release from Loughan House low-security prison on October 8. His probation report found him to be at moderate risk of reoffending. His previous convictions include producing a knife, public order offences and 12 convictions for driving without insurance. The court was told that O'Laoi had been under the attention of the probation services since he was 16 years old. Judge Garavan noted O'Laoi's history with alcohol and his early guilty plea but said he had no choice but to impose a custodial sentence for what he labelled 'appalling egregious behaviour'. He imposed a five-year headline sentence, which he reduced to four years on account of mitigating factors, suspending the final year of the sentence for three years. Judge Garavan imposed another one-year sentence to run concurrently and ordered that he be supervised by the probation services for the first year of his three-year suspension.
