Latest news with #JudgeKeenanJohnson
Irish Times
10-07-2025
- Irish Times
Doctor who had opioid addiction is spared jail for stealing and forging prescriptions
A doctor who told a court that work stress caused his chronic opioid addiction and led him to steal and forge prescriptions is to be spared jail and a criminal record. Daniel Nevin (39) pleaded guilty at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court to the theft of prescription pads from two hospitals, 46 counts of forgery and using false instruments between 2021 and last year. His fiancee Rebecca Moylan (35), a qualified nurse, admitted stealing prescriptions and unlawfully using them in pharmacies. Judge Keenan Johnson said these offences undermined the integrity of the medical prescription system and said Nevin was in the throes of an addiction but had never put a patient at risk. READ MORE He said the couple whose careers have been ruined and reputations tarnished had only damaged themselves, saying, 'The main victims of this are the two accused.' Nevin achieved a PhD from Trinity College Dublin, specialising in pharmacology, and had worked in medical research in Australia before returning to Ireland to continue his studies. He qualified as a medical doctor in 2018. When the addiction started in 2019 he tried to tackle the problem, but relapsed around the period of offending. Judge Johnson said Nevin was a 'high achiever', but had removed himself from working onwards as a clinician and moved into a tutoring role at Midlands Regional General Hospital. The judge was also mindful of the pressures placed on medical professionals working 24-hour shifts in busy environments. He said the couple did not reach the threshold for a custodial sentence and said they had paid a huge price. Judge Johnson said they could be spared convictions and would receive the benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act if Nevin and his fiancee donated €15,000 and €5,000 respectively to the Merchant Quay drug treatment project as a form of restorative justice. Among Nevin's charges were thefts of prescriptions from University Hospital Galway between July 2021 and July 2023 and from the Midlands Regional General Hospital in Mullingar from July 10th, 2023, until February 18th last year. The remaining charges he admitted included three counts of using false prescriptions in pharmacies in Kells, Co Meath, at Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, and in Tullamore, Co Offaly. Moylan admitted theft of prescription pads from St James's Hospital in Dublin from September 1st, 2023, until November that year and using prescriptions forged by her partner in several pharmacies. The couple, of Greenpark Meadows, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, used a fictitious patient's name on most of the prescriptions to get OxyContin, a highly addictive opioid-based medicine. Their offending was exposed when a pharmacist in Mullingar became suspicious in May last year, the court heard. He contacted University Hospital Galway and discovered they had no record of the prescription or the named patient. In court, Nevin agreed with his barrister, Colm Smyth SC, that the 'stress and strain of the job precipitated and aggravated' Nevin's addiction. The doctor initially managed to buy opioids online before he sought help to tackle the problem. He said after a substantial period of sobriety, he had a relapse, resulting in a prolonged absence from work and 'I took myself out of the clinician domain'. He said he switched to a teaching role in the hospital, saying he was passionate about education. Nevin said the consequences had been devastating. He expressed remorse and said he was attending addiction counselling. The court heard how Moylan, while studying to be a nurse, had cared for her terminally ill mother. Dara Foynes SC, defending, said Moylan acted out of the highest level of compassion and concern for her partner and was trying to manage a situation that was out of control, resulting in self-inflicted harm and a fall from grace. The court heard Moylan has resigned from her job, agreed not to work as a nurse again, while Nevin awaited a decision on the future of his medical career. Their court case was adjourned until Friday.
Irish Times
09-07-2025
- Irish Times
Man faces jail after child sex abuse images found on phone
A Midlands factory worker faces jail after he was found with images and videos featuring the sexual abuse of young children, including a nine-month-old baby, on his phone. Josh Fitzpatrick (25), with an address at Forgney, Moyvore, Co Westmeath , was remanded in custody by Judge Keenan Johnson at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday evening. Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to possessing 98 images and 55 videos of downloaded child pornography on February 10th, 2023. Revoking his bail, Judge Johnson highlighted it was an aggravating factor that Fitzpatrick paid for some of the material. A custodial sentence should be expected, he added, because it was 'contributing to this vile and disgusting industry'. READ MORE The accused was remanded in custody pending a sentence hearing in November. Det Garda John Divilly told the court the accused was arrested as a passenger in another car during a suspected drugs seizure. However, it was clarified that he was never charged with any drug offence. However, while in Garda custody, he handed over his mobile phone, along with the pin to access its contents. The detective agreed with prosecutor Cathal Ó Braonáin BL, instructed by State solicitor Matt Shaw, that there were 53 pictures and 18 videos on the phone's internal memory, and a further 45 images and 37 videos on its memory card. The court heard the graphic material showed children, mainly aged from two to 13 years, engaged in sexual acts and being abused by adults. Defence counsel Shane Geraghty asked the judge to consider that the number of images and videos was not as high as those frequently featured in similar cases, which sometimes number in the hundreds or thousands. However, Judge Johnson focused on the fact the accused sometimes paid for the material, and his counsel was instructed that it happened twice, with Fitzpatrick paying a total of €50. There was no allegation he distributed the pictures or footage. In mitigation, Mr Geraghty asked the judge to consider that the accused had come forward with a signed plea from the District Court. It had refused jurisdiction to deal with the case and sent it to the higher court, with greater sentencing powers. He had also volunteered the pin for his phone, which led to the discovery of the material. Addressing the accused's background, counsel said Fitzpatrick had endured a tumultuous upbringing and was subjected to violence at an early age. He developed an eating disorder, then turned to abusing cannabis at 14, and later moved into a house full of drug users. He did not address the court. His barrister also stressed that Fitzpatrick was 23 at the time, and although he had reached adulthood, his adult maturity had not yet been fully developed by turning 18. The judge acknowledged that point, stating that experts now contend maturity comes at about 25 years.
BreakingNews.ie
08-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Factory worker (25) found with child sexual abuse videos on his phone
A Midlands factory worker faces jail after he was found with images and videos featuring the sexual abuse of young children, including a nine-month-old baby, on his phone. Josh Fitzpatrick (25), with an address at Forgney, Moyvore, Co Westmeath, was remanded in custody by Judge Keenan Johnson at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday evening. Advertisement Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to possessing 98 images and 55 videos of downloaded "child pornography" on February 10th, 2023. Revoking his bail, Judge Johnson highlighted that it was an aggravating factor that Fitzpatrick paid for some of the material. A custodial sentence should be expected, he added, because it was "contributing to this vile and disgusting industry". The accused was remanded in custody pending a sentence hearing in November. Detective Garda John Divilly told the court that the accused was arrested as a passenger in another car during a suspected drugs seizure. However, it was clarified that he was never charged with any drug offence. Advertisement However, while in Garda custody, he handed over his mobile phone, along with the PIN to access its contents. The detective agreed with prosecutor Cathal Ó Braonáin BL, instructed by State solicitor Matt Shaw, that there were 53 pictures and 18 videos on the phone's internal memory, and a further 45 images and 37 videos on its memory card. The court heard the graphic material showed children mainly aged from two to 13 years, engaged in sexual acts, and being abused by adults. The age range of children in the pictures on the memory cards was "nine months to 13 years" and involved sexual acts, the court heard. Advertisement Defence counsel Shane Geraghty asked the judge to consider that the number of images and videos was not as high as those frequently featured in similar cases, which sometimes number in the hundreds or thousands. However, Judge Johnson focused on the fact that the accused sometimes paid for the material, and his counsel was instructed that it happened twice, with Fitzpatrick paying a total of €50. There was no allegation that he distributed the pictures or footage. In mitigation, Mr Geraghty asked the judge to consider that the accused had come forward with a signed plea from the District Court. It had refused jurisdiction to deal with the case and sent it to the higher court, with greater sentencing powers. He had also volunteered the pin for his phone, which led to the discovery of the material and constituted significant material assistance. Advertisement Addressing the accused's background, counsel said Fitzpatrick had endured a tumultuous upbringing and was subjected to violence at an early age. He developed an eating disorder, then turned to abusing cannabis at 14, and later moved into a house full of drug users. He did not address the court. His barrister also stressed that Mr Fitzpatrick was 23 at the time, and although he had reached adulthood, his adult maturity had not yet been fully developed by turning 18. Ireland Caravan occupants face possible contempt over refu... Read More The judge acknowledged that point, stating that experts now contend maturity comes at around 25 years. The defence emphasised that despite his challenges growing up and severe mental health issues, Fitzpatrick obtained employment working in a fast food restaurant and then moved to factory work. He had cooperated with the Probation Service and a forensic psychologist, and had a stable relationship with his girlfriend, who came to the hearing. Judge Johnson noted the huge mitigating factors but stated that the message needed to go out that anyone paying for child abuse material is going to serve a custodial sentence.
