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Sunday World
a day ago
- Sunday World
Neighbours couldn't recognise pensioner due to blood and facial injuries, court hears
A paramedic also today described Mr Niland as "crying blood" with multiple traumatic injuries to his face and skull. Pensioner Tom Niland was so badly beaten during an alleged home invasion that his neighbours did not recognise him walking along the middle of the road covered in blood, wearing odd shoes and with his eyes swollen shut, a Central Criminal Court trial has heard. Mr Niland's neighbours Anna Calpin and her daughter Fiona said they only realised it was Mr Niland when he spoke to say that he had been "robbed" by three men. A paramedic also today described Mr Niland as "crying blood" with multiple traumatic injuries to his face and skull. A surgeon from Sligo University Hospital told the trial that Mr Niland had suffered "serious and life threatening injuries" that required him to be put on life support. Mr McGillicuddy said it is the State's case that John Irving (31) of Shanwar, Foxford, Co Mayo broke into Mr Niland's house along with Francis Harman (58) of Nephin Court, Killala Road, Ballina, Co Mayo and John Clarke (37) of Carrowkelly, Ballina on January 18, 2022. It is alleged Mr Irving assaulted Mr Niland, leaving him with injuries that caused his death more than 20 months later, on September 30, 2023. John Irving arriving at Sligo Courthouse. Mr Irving faces four charges in total. It is alleged that he unlawfully killed Mr Niland at Mr Niland's home at Doonflynn, Skreen, Co Sligo. He is accused of entering Mr Niland's home as a trespasser and causing him serious harm. He is further alleged to have intentionally or recklessly caused serious harm to Mr Niland and to have falsely imprisoned him. Mr Irving has pleaded not guilty to all four charges. Anna Calpin told prosecuting counsel Tony McGillicuddy SC that she was walking around outside her home opposite Mr Niland's house with her daughter Fiona when they noticed cars slowing down on the road. They went to see what was happening and saw a man on the road. She said: "As we approached he was standing in the middle of the road with his hands out in front of him, he couldn't see anything and we didn't know who it was. "When we got closer to him, the first thing we heard was, I was robbed, and then we realised it was Tom." The witness recalled a lot of blood and said Mr Niland's face was "totally distorted," and his eyes were swollen and shut. He had a runner on one foot and a shoe on the other but neither were laced up. Tom Niland News in 90 Seconds - Monday July 14th She recalled Mr Niland telling her that his doorbell rang and when he opened the door, three men wearing masks appeared and pushed him into his hallway. He said they took his wallet which contained eight or nine hundred Euros. Ms Calpin brought Mr Niland into her home and called an ambulance and gardai. Fiona Calpin said Mr Niland was "unrecognisable" until he spoke. Anna Calpin's husband and Fiona's father, David Calpin, said he was in his workshop when Fiona came in and said that Mr Niland had been "robbed and assaulted". Mr Calpin went inside where he saw his neighbour. He said: "He was so badly beaten that his eyes wouldn't even open, he was covered in blood on his face and clothes. He was basically unrecognisable." Mr Calpin went across to Mr Niland's house where he saw blood "running down the glass of the front door", on the driveway and the road. A pair of tights or nylons lay on the driveway. He realised it was a crime scene so he left to wait for gardai, he said. George Williams of the ambulance service in Sligo told Mr McGillicuddy that he went into the Calpin home and saw Mr Niland with a towel wrapped around his head. Mr Niland told him that he had answered his front door and was attacked by three people. When Mr Williams removed the towel, he saw multiple injuries and trauma around Mr Niland's face, head and skull. He said Mr Niland's eyes were "completely swollen shut and he had the appearance as if he was crying blood." Mr Niland complained of pain in his face, on his head, tongue and the right side of his chest. Given Mr Niland's age and the level of trauma, Mr Williams believed the injuries were potentially life threatening so he decided to immediately remove him to an ambulance. Dr Martin Caldwell told Mr McGillicuddy that he was the emergency surgeon on duty at Sligo University Hospital when Mr Niland arrived. He said Mr Niland had suffered "serious and life threatening injuries" and told him that he had been beaten and kicked at his home. He noted Mr Niland had significant swelling to his face and head and bruising to the right side of the body. Scans revealed bleeding to the brain, a fracture to the floor of the orb of the right eye and multiple broken ribs on the right side. Despite the brain injury, doctors decided it was not necessary to send him to the Beaumont Hospital in Dublin for surgery. Between January 20 and January 26, Mr Niland made progress and was able to sit on a chair. However, his condition deteriorated at that point and he became more drowsy. He required a ventilator to help him breathe and doctors decided to place him on life support in the Intensive Care Unit. By early March, he had made no progress, Dr Caldwell said, and a consultant neurologist took over his care. John Scott told Mr McGillicuddy that he was part of a group of kayakers who were heading out on Lough Easkey in Sligo four days after the alleged assault on Mr Niland. As he was placing a kayak into the water, he said he noticed something unusually square under a couple of inches of water by the side of the lake. When he took it from the water he realised it was a wallet. He phoned a friend who is a garda and told him that the name Tom Niland was on the ID inside the wallet. He said he didn't know the significance of it at the time, but about one hour later, Gda Elaine McAndrew arrived at Lough Easkey and took possession of the wallet. Mr Scott showed her where he had made the discovery. The trial continues before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of eight women and four men.
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sunday World
Brother who sexually abused his three sisters while becoming priest jailed
Richard Brennan (64) was between 17 and 24 years old at time of the offending. Richard Brennan (64) previously of Rathfarnham, now living in the United States, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 24 counts against his three sisters, including 18 of indecent assault and six charges of rape. He entered the guilty pleas after each of the three women had given evidence before a jury and before the final woman was about to be cross-examined. He pleaded guilty to four sample charges of indecent assault and four rape charges against Paula Faye on dates between January 1978 and December 1981 when she was aged between 13 and 17 years old. Richard Brennan. Pic: Brennan also pleaded guilty to 13 sample incidences of indecent assault and two charges of rape against a second sister, Catherine Wrightstone, on dates between June 1980 and December 1984 while she was aged between nine and 14 years old. He finally pleaded guilty to indecent against the oldest of the sisters, Yvonne Crist, when she was about 20 years old on dates between June 1979 and June 1980. Brennan was between 17 and 24 years old at time of the offending. Brennan has no previous convictions. He was ordained as a priest in 1989 and moved to the US, but later married and had a family. He returned from the US for questioning and the trial. Earlier this month, another brother Bernard Brennan, (67), formerly of Rathfarnham, Dublin, but most recently residing in the United States, was jailed for four and half years after he admitted to sexual abuse of both Yvonne Crist and Paula Faye. Richard Brennan pictured at the Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ). Pic: News in 90 Seconds - Monday July 14th Bernard Brennan pleaded guilty to 11 counts of indecent assault in various locations within the State between 1972 and 1975. He has no previous convictions. Sentencing Richard Brennan today Mr Justice David Keane said it was heartening to hear the three women in victim impact statement describe themselves as survivors. The judge said the sisters had made the 'truly courageous' decision to report their brother's crimes to the gardaí. Mr Justice Keane said he had the most 'immense admiration' for the determination shown by the three women in bringing the case before the courts and hoped that they would get something from their brother's 'belated acceptances of guilt'. He wished them well for the future. Mr Justice Keane said the aggravating features of the case included the particularly young ages of both Ms Faye and Ms Wrightstone at the time of the abuse against them and the fact that the abuse occurred in a place where the sisters should have felt secure. Instead, Brennan created an environment of fear and confusion, he said. The judge also took into account the fact that there was a pattern of frequent assaults against the younger two sisters over a lengthy period of time and that Brennan was a seminarian at the time, with particular familial responsibilities to his younger sisters. Finally, Mr Justice Keane said there were three separate victims in the case who each have been psychologically damaged and that Brennan caused each of them significant harm. He set headline sentences of 12 years for the rapes committed against Ms Wrightstone, and headline sentences of 10 years for the rapes committed against Ms Faye. He set headline sentences of six years against the indecent assaults against Ms Wrightstone and headline sentences of 21 months and 18 months for the indecent assaults against Ms Faye and Ms Crist. Mr Justice Keane said he must take into consideration mitigation including what he said was a late plea entered on the ninth day of the trial. He acknowledged that Brennan has shown deep remorse and that he has apologised to each of his victim. Read more He said Brennan was also entitled to significant credit for his lack of previous convictions and the fact that he co-operated with gardaí. Mr Justice Keane said he accepted evidence that Brennan appears to have been present during some incidences of abuse carried out by his brother Bernard Brennan on both Ms Faye and Ms Crist. He said he was also taking into account the character evidence given during the sentence hearing by Brennan's wife and testimonials handed into court by a number of other people. Mr Justice Keane imposed a term of nine years for the rape offences carried out by Brennan against Ms Wrightstone. He imposed concurrent terms of seven and half years for the rape offences committed against Ms Faye and four and half years for the indecent assaults against Ms Wrightstone. He imposed further concurrent terms of 16 months and 14 months for the indecent assault offences committed against Ms Faye and Ms Crist. A global sentence of nine years was backdated to March 18 last when Brennan first went into custody. Mr Justice Keane noted that a report from the Probation Service indicated that Brennan is willing to engage with offence focused work as deemed suitable by them and said he must 'consider the prospect of rehabilitation' upon his ultimate release from prison. He suspended the final 12 months of the nine-year term on condition that Brennan engage with the Probation Service for a year upon his release. He did not impose a post release supervision order after acknowledging that Brennan intends to return to the States when he leaves Ireland.
Sunday World
2 days ago
- Sunday World
Trial date set for man accused of murdering five-month-old baby
Thomas Morgan, 28, is accused of killing Jensen-Lee Dougal in Clydach, Swansea, south Wales, on March 30 last year A trial date has been set for a man charged with murdering a five-month-old baby. Thomas Morgan, 28, is accused of killing Jensen-Lee Dougal in Clydach, Swansea, south Wales, on March 30 last year. He appeared before Swansea Magistrates' Court on Friday and at Swansea Crown Court via video link on Monday. Morgan, of Gorseinon, Swansea, spoke only to confirm his name during the short hearing. No details of the case were read in court. Judge Paul Thomas KC listed a plea and trial preparation hearing on September 5. The judge told Morgan: 'Mr Thomas, your trial will now be on January 6 next year. 'In the meantime, you will remain in custody.' Thomas Morgan appeared at Swansea Crown Court (Tim Ireland/PA) News in 90 Seconds - Monday July 14th
Sunday World
2 days ago
- Sunday World
Belfast GAA club ‘extensively damaged' during weekend arson attack
Lámh Dhearg CLG on Upper Springfield Road was targeted in an arson attack on Saturday, July 12 A fire which caused 'extensive damage' to a west Belfast GAA club over the weekend was started deliberately. Lámh Dhearg CLG on Upper Springfield Road was targeted in an arson attack on Saturday, July 12. Firefighters attended the scene shortly after the blaze began at 6.20pm and have since determined it was deliberate. . The PSNI also attended the scene. 'The fire, which we believe was started at around 6.20pm on Saturday 12th July, caused extensive damage to the club shop, signage and a digital scoreboard,' Inspector Dalton said. "It's absolutely unacceptable that a community organisation should be targeted in this way.' A Sinn Fein councillor condemned the 'reckless stupidity' of those responsible. Arder Carson also posted pictures of the incident to his Facebook page which show the shop engulfed in flames. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content "Lámh Dhearg supported by it members and the local community work relentlessly to provide top class facilities and services that give hope and opportunity to young and old alike,' he wrote. "This is an attack on everyone of them. 'Lighting any fire in in the open air in this weather beggars belief but this is a different level of reckless stupidity. 'Anyone who has any information should bring it forward so that those responsible can be brought to account.' In a statement Lámh Dhearg CLG said it was 'deeply concerned' by the attack which happened amid preparations to host a wide range of kids camps and championship games over the summer. "Our club shop, scoreboard and Pitch in Patrons signage board which celebrated the recent opening of our new pitch were all destroyed in a fire," it added. 'The club has made great efforts in recent years to improve our club facilities for our members and local community and are deeply concerned by this act of vandalism at a time when our facilities are needed the most. "This event has made us more determined to make good the damage and to continue to provide the best facilities for the benefit of so many in our community.' PSNI Inspector Dalton urged anyone with information to contact detectives. 'Our enquiries are ongoing and we would appeal to anyone who may have noticed any suspicious activity in the vicinity of the club, particularly those who may have relevant dashcam or other footage, to contact us,' they added. "The number to quote is 803 13/07/25." Online reports can also be made, alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously here or on 0800 555 111. The fire in Hannahstown. Pic: Cllr Arder Carson News in 90 Seconds - Monday July 14th
Sunday World
2 days ago
- Sunday World
Man ‘struck with bottle and choked until he passed out in nightclub attack', court hears
Carlos Macedo (21) choked the man while Leonard Macedo (23) hit him with the bottle in a Dublin city centre club, it is alleged Two men have been accused of a nightclub attack on another man who was struck in the face with a bottle and choked until he passed out. Carlos Macedo (21) choked the man while Leonard Macedo (23) hit him with the bottle in a Dublin city centre club, it is alleged. They were both granted conditional bail and their cases were adjourned at Dublin District Court. The accused, with an address at O'Connell Street, Dublin, are charged with assault causing harm. The court heard the incident was alleged to have happened at Dicey's Garden Club on Harcourt Street on June 29. Objecting to bail for Carlos Macedo, a garda sergeant said he believed the accused was a flight risk as he had only been in Ireland for three days before the alleged assault. Outlining the prosecution's case, he said Carlos Macedo was seen on CCTV striking the alleged victim, throwing a glass bottle and choking him, causing him to pass out. The man required hospitalisation, the court heard. The DPP consented to the case being dealt with in the district court but Judge Peter White said there appeared to be a serious injury and refused jurisdiction. They must stay away from Dicey's club and the alleged victim Applying for bail, defence solicitor Donal Quigley said Carlos Macedo would say what happened in the club was a situation that 'came upon him and his father', who was also in hospital after the incident. Gardaí objected to Leonard Macedo's bail on the same grounds. He was alleged to have struck the same man a number of times with a glass bottle, causing a cut to his face. There was 'no choking' alleged in his case and the judge postponed a decision on jurisdiction. Judge White granted bail to both accused on condition they do not apply for any new travel documents after surrendering their passports. They must stay at a city centre hostel, sign on daily at a garda station and stay away from Dicey's club and the alleged victim. The judge granted free legal aid after hearing Carlos Macedo was not working, but hoped to get a delivery driver job. Leonard Macedo was working as a waiter. Leonard and Carlos Macedo. Photo: News in 90 Seconds - Monday July 14th
