Latest news with #TheSundayWorld
Sunday World
21-07-2025
- Sunday World
Jonathan Dowdall being prepared for new life overseas in witness protection
Dubliner who testified against Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch is expected to be joined abroad by family members following his imminent release Jonathan Dowdall is expected to be 'spirited away' to begin a new life overseas Former Sinn Féin councillor turned state witness Jonathan Dowdall is planning his move overseas as he enters the Witness Security Programme in the coming months. The Sunday World understands that Dowdall, who testified against Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, was recently removed from Limerick Prison to finalise details and documentation before his imminent release. It is believed gardaí needed to take photos of him for travel purposes. Sources said Dowdall, whose official release date is late October, could be 'spirited away' from the prison 'at any stage from now on' as specialist gardaí complete plans for his new life overseas. The details of how and when the 44-year-old Dubliner will leave Ireland are known by only a small number of officers to ensure the safety of Dowdall and his family. A spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service (IPS) said it does not comment on individual cases. Prison bosses will be given minimal notice about when gardaí decide Dowdall is to relocated. One source said he could be released in September, a few weeks early, but another said it will all be decided at the 'last minute'. Dowdall and his father, Patrick, tortured and waterboarded a man in 2015 Dowdall is nearing the end of the sentence he received for his role in the murder of David Byrne in the Regency Hotel, Dublin, in February 2016. He was due to go on trial alongside Hutch, but the murder charge against was dropped when he pleaded guilty to facilitating the killing and agreed to testify against Hutch. Dowdall gave evidence during the trial at the Special Criminal Court, and Hutch walked free when he was found not guilty. In 2022, one day before Hutch's trial began, Dowdall was sentenced to four years in prison for facilitating the murder. Dowdall has been in jail since 2017. He and his father, Patrick, tortured and waterboarded a man in 2015 in a dispute over a motorbike. The father and son admitted falsely imprisoning Alexander Hurley and threatening to kill him. He was told his fingers would be pulled off one-by-one with pliers. Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch. Photo: PA People who enter witness relocation for their own protection are often set up with new lives and jobs in Australia or Canada. The family of Limerick publican Roy Collins, who was murdered by members of the Dundon gang, entered witness relocation, but returned in 2019 after 10 years overseas. Latest figures show that in 2023, the State budgeted nearly €1.2m for the programme, but it needed a supplement of €1m more. The Witness Security Programme was set up in 1997 to combat attempts 'to prevent the normal functioning of the criminal justice system', including threats of violence and intimidation of witnesses. It was introduced after the murder of Sunday Independent journalist Veronica Guerin, but has been openly criticised by judges and a former justice minister. Charles Bowden and Russell Warren testified as protected witnesses against John Gilligan over the murder of Ms Guerin, of which Gilligan was ultimately acquitted. Both witnesses were later relocated under assumed identities. In another case in 2011, a Crumlin man who testified against four former criminal associates became a state witness and entered the programme with members of his family. A contract was placed on the life of Joseph O'Brien after he gave evidence in the murder trial of John 'Champagne' Carroll. O'Brien, his girlfriend and family — except one of his sisters, who declined to participate — left Ireland following the trial. The State accepted the witness played a role in Carroll's murder. Jonathan Dowdall is expected to be 'spirited away' to begin a new life overseas Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 21st
Sunday World
07-07-2025
- Business
- Sunday World
Woman who bought €3,000 ring from Dublin jeweller discovers it's a fake
Independent goldsmith inspected ring bought from Shuwan Li's Empress Fine Jewels off Dublin's Grafton Street A customer of a Dublin-based jeweller who has filed for bankruptcy is 'disappointed but not surprised' to learn that a €3,000 emerald and diamond ring she purchased contains fake gemstones. Shuwan Li, who ran Empress Fine Jewels on Johnson's Court off Grafton Street, was being pursued for debts of €1.5m when she went bankrupt in March. The Sunday World recently revealed that another customer took legal action against Empress Fine Jewels, which was ordered to pay her nearly €35,000, after diamond rings she entrusted to the store were reported stolen while being taken by a pensioner on a bus to another location to be cleaned. In the aftermath of publicity surrounding this case, another woman decided to have her triple diamond emerald cluster ring — which she bought from the jewellery shop in December 2023 — tested. An independent valuer examined the ring using specialist technology and has in recent days confirmed the woman's suspicions that the stones are fake. This customer, who does not wish to be identified, said she visited a number of jewellers in search of an emerald ring before attending Empress Fine Jewels in mid-December 2023. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is 'The initial price I was quoted was €4,200 but I got the price down to €3,000. That was the red flag I didn't see. As they saying goes, 'if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is,'' she said. The woman said she did not expect to be sold fake emeralds from the jewellery shop on Johnson's Court, near more established jewellers in the Grafton Street area. She said she was provided with a valuation report from Empress Fine Jewels upon purchase, which stated that the '18ct gold triple diamond emerald cluster ring' had a 'market value' of €4,200. This document, as well as the woman's €3,000 invoice, have been seen by this newspaper. However, in recent weeks, the woman decided to have her emerald and diamond ring tested by a Dublin valuer to establish the authenticity of the gemstones. The independent goldsmith has now confirmed that the gemstones are not emeralds and the diamonds are also fake. Shuwan Li Sources familiar with the case say it is likely that the ring is in fact only worth a couple of hundred euro. The customer has not made a complaint to An Garda Síochána. She feels it 'might not be worthwhile' as it would be highly unlikely she would get her money back given that Ms Li has filed for bankruptcy. When she bought the piece of jewellery, the ring needed to be resized, so it took a few weeks for her to receive it. 'When I did get it, I always felt it wasn't the same ring I had chosen in the shop. It was too shiny. I always had concerns about it and now it is confirmed that it is fake. It was a wicked thing to happen but at the same time, there are far worse things going on in the world,' she said. 'You live and learn. I was duped. I had decided to treat myself and I wanted an emerald ring. Of course, I wish it didn't happen. I will probably still wear it on the odd occasion. I've accepted that it is fake and decided to just move on, because there's nothing that can be done now. 'I just hope it hasn't happened to too many other people and I would like people to be aware,' she added. An independent valuer confirmed the ring's emeralds and diamonds were not real Efforts were made to contact Ms Li for comment. Court filings show Ms Li had just €100 in cash and €21.88 in her bank account when she sought to have her €1.5m debts wiped out. Her only personal assets were a €3,000 engagement ring and a €900 wedding ring. The Sunday World reported in recent weeks that another Dublin woman obtained a judgment of almost €35,000 against Empress Fine Jewels and Ms Li earlier this year after four rings she left in for cleaning were reportedly stolen. She took a civil case against the business and a Circuit Court judgment seen by this newspaper ordered that Shuwan Li, trading as Empress Fine Jewels and Empress Fine Jewels Ltd, reimburse her €34,180. However, court documents also reveal that Ms Li filed for bankruptcy on March 3 this year, so the woman who sued her is unlikely to be compensated. Shuwan Li Mooney ran a jewellery shop in Dublin city centre On May 8, 2024, the woman left four rings worth around €35,000 into the store to be cleaned. They included her wedding and engagement rings, and two other pieces with rare stones. She received a call the next day from the jeweller, telling her the rings had been stolen from a person travelling on a Dublin Bus. She was told a pensioner had been entrusted to take the jewellery to another premises to be cleaned by a specialist and used a bus to get there. Gardaí were told the alleged robbery took place on the pensioner's return journey. This is not the first time Empress Fine Jewels has been before the courts The customer said she had no idea that her rings were to leave the premises for cleaning. She said she was 'flabbergasted' that the items would be taken elsewhere, and also that they would be transported on a bus by a pensioner, who appeared frail, given his use of a walking aid. Gardaí have obtained CCTV of the man on the bus and later took a preliminary statement from him. The customer has also given gardaí a formal statement. The investigation remains open, but there have been no arrests and no significant developments in terms of recovering the missing rings. This is not the first time Empress Fine Jewels has been before the courts. Last year, an agreement was reached to resolve a High Court row between the business and an Italian jewellery distributor over €500,000 worth of jewels. World Diamond Group (WDG) sued Shuwan Li and Empress Fine Jewels. Among the claims were that Shuwan Li made an alleged threat to 'put people in the river' in the midst of the fallout between the diamond sellers.
Sunday World
07-07-2025
- Business
- Sunday World
Woman who bought €3,000 emerald and ring from Dublin jeweller discovers it's a fake
Independent goldsmith inspected ring bought from Shuwan Li's Empress Fine Jewels off Dublin's Grafton Street A customer of a Dublin-based jeweller who has filed for bankruptcy is 'disappointed but not surprised' to learn that a €3,000 emerald and diamond ring she purchased contains fake gemstones. Shuwan Li, who ran Empress Fine Jewels on Johnson's Court off Grafton Street, was being pursued for debts of €1.5m when she went bankrupt in March. The Sunday World recently revealed that another customer took legal action against Empress Fine Jewels, which was ordered to pay her nearly €35,000, after diamond rings she entrusted to the store were reported stolen while being taken by a pensioner on a bus to another location to be cleaned. In the aftermath of publicity surrounding this case, another woman decided to have her triple diamond emerald cluster ring — which she bought from the jewellery shop in December 2023 — tested. An independent valuer examined the ring using specialist technology and has in recent days confirmed the woman's suspicions that the stones are fake. This customer, who does not wish to be identified, said she visited a number of jewellers in search of an emerald ring before attending Empress Fine Jewels in mid-December 2023. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is 'The initial price I was quoted was €4,200 but I got the price down to €3,000. That was the red flag I didn't see. As they saying goes, 'if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is,'' she said. The woman said she did not expect to be sold fake emeralds from the jewellery shop on Johnson's Court, near more established jewellers in the Grafton Street area. She said she was provided with a valuation report from Empress Fine Jewels upon purchase, which stated that the '18ct gold triple diamond emerald cluster ring' had a 'market value' of €4,200. This document, as well as the woman's €3,000 invoice, have been seen by this newspaper. However, in recent weeks, the woman decided to have her emerald and diamond ring tested by a Dublin valuer to establish the authenticity of the gemstones. The independent goldsmith has now confirmed that the gemstones are not emeralds and the diamonds are also fake. Shuwan Li Sources familiar with the case say it is likely that the ring is in fact only worth a couple of hundred euro. The customer has not made a complaint to An Garda Síochána. She feels it 'might not be worthwhile' as it would be highly unlikely she would get her money back given that Ms Li has filed for bankruptcy. When she bought the piece of jewellery, the ring needed to be resized, so it took a few weeks for her to receive it. 'When I did get it, I always felt it wasn't the same ring I had chosen in the shop. It was too shiny. I always had concerns about it and now it is confirmed that it is fake. It was a wicked thing to happen but at the same time, there are far worse things going on in the world,' she said. 'You live and learn. I was duped. I had decided to treat myself and I wanted an emerald ring. Of course, I wish it didn't happen. I will probably still wear it on the odd occasion. I've accepted that it is fake and decided to just move on, because there's nothing that can be done now. 'I just hope it hasn't happened to too many other people and I would like people to be aware,' she added. An independent valuer confirmed the ring's emeralds and diamonds were not real Efforts were made to contact Ms Li for comment. Court filings show Ms Li had just €100 in cash and €21.88 in her bank account when she sought to have her €1.5m debts wiped out. Her only personal assets were a €3,000 engagement ring and a €900 wedding ring. The Sunday World reported in recent weeks that another Dublin woman obtained a judgment of almost €35,000 against Empress Fine Jewels and Ms Li earlier this year after four rings she left in for cleaning were reportedly stolen. She took a civil case against the business and a Circuit Court judgment seen by this newspaper ordered that Shuwan Li, trading as Empress Fine Jewels and Empress Fine Jewels Ltd, reimburse her €34,180. However, court documents also reveal that Ms Li filed for bankruptcy on March 3 this year, so the woman who sued her is unlikely to be compensated. Shuwan Li Mooney ran a jewellery shop in Dublin city centre On May 8, 2024, the woman left four rings worth around €35,000 into the store to be cleaned. They included her wedding and engagement rings, and two other pieces with rare stones. She received a call the next day from the jeweller, telling her the rings had been stolen from a person travelling on a Dublin Bus. She was told a pensioner had been entrusted to take the jewellery to another premises to be cleaned by a specialist and used a bus to get there. Gardaí were told the alleged robbery took place on the pensioner's return journey. This is not the first time Empress Fine Jewels has been before the courts The customer said she had no idea that her rings were to leave the premises for cleaning. She said she was 'flabbergasted' that the items would be taken elsewhere, and also that they would be transported on a bus by a pensioner, who appeared frail, given his use of a walking aid. Gardaí have obtained CCTV of the man on the bus and later took a preliminary statement from him. The customer has also given gardaí a formal statement. The investigation remains open, but there have been no arrests and no significant developments in terms of recovering the missing rings. This is not the first time Empress Fine Jewels has been before the courts. Last year, an agreement was reached to resolve a High Court row between the business and an Italian jewellery distributor over €500,000 worth of jewels. World Diamond Group (WDG) sued Shuwan Li and Empress Fine Jewels. Among the claims were that Shuwan Li made an alleged threat to 'put people in the river' in the midst of the fallout between the diamond sellers.
Sunday World
05-07-2025
- Sunday World
Priest slams House of Prayer leader Christina Gallagher as ‘a total charlatan'
Priest speaks out after our latest House of Prayer exposé The Sunday World revealed in recent weeks how Gallagher — who founded the House of Prayer on Achill, Co. Mayo, which has received millions in donations from followers over the years — loved playing slot machines in casinos. We confronted her at Dr Quirkey's in Phibsborough in Dublin while she was playing the slots, with other customers claiming they had seen her with wads of €50 notes in her hands which she pumped in the machines. They claimed she had been a regular visitor for over a year and had won large amounts on occasions. Gallagher playing the slots Gallagher told the Sunday World that she didn't visit casinos often and denied she was using money donated to the House of Prayer for gambling before she left the casino in a BMW 7 Series with her confidant and former House of Prayer secretary Noel Guinan. Cavan-based priest Fr Oliver O'Reilly, who counselled parishioners whose elderly relatives had donated large sums to the House of Prayer, said the Catholic Church made a number of mistakes in dealing with Gallagher over the years but should speak out against her. Read more 'I think she is a total charlatan and total fake,' Fr O'Reilly, told the Sunday World . 'I guarantee to you 90 per cent plus of all priests and bishops in Ireland would say the same thing.' He said any claims that a lot of clergy support Christina Gallagher were untrue. 'That's complete hogwash. She makes up her own truth. It's totally bizarre.' Gallagher, who claims to speak directly with Jesus and the Virgin Mary, has a devoted following and people have donated millions to the House of Prayer over the years. Our front page last week Some have sought their money back after learning of her lavish lifestyle including living in various mansions with facilities including swimming pools, bars and jacuzzis. Fr O'Reilly said he had dealt with parishioners over the years whose family members donated large sums to Gallagher. One involved an elderly lady with dementia who had donated a lot before her death. 'When she started going into dementia she started going to house of prayer with friends. She was a very wealthy woman but had imparted quite a bit of money and I suggested to the family I would go to the guards and they said 'please don't'. 'I asked if they'd go to the guards themselves but they said they wouldn't. They were good business people and said 'what's gone is gone'. Fr Oliver O'Reilly 'I have to say, I was shocked how this vulnerable woman in old age was taken advantage of and it made me angry.' He said it was 'shocking' that the House of Prayer sells a picture of Mary for €250 saying it offers protection. 'That does immense damage. There are a lot of good people who are able to differentiate but there are an awful lot of vulnerable people who wouldn't be able to differentiate between scams and what is authentic.'
Sunday World
23-06-2025
- Sunday World
Gardaí catch Martin 'The Viper' Foley and pals removing sign from asylum-seeker centre
When confronted by gardaí outside the centre, the three men were taking down a sign from the front gate Martin 'The Viper' Foley and two senior criminal associates have been detected by gardaí removing a sign outside a Dublin accommodation centre earmarked for asylum seekers. The veteran criminal (74) was recently detected outside a location on the Belgard Road in Tallaght, which is to be turned into an International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centre for immigrants. The Sunday World understands that Foley, and another man who in his 50s and from West Dublin, were wearing 'Viper Debt Recovery' T-shirts, which is the name of the debt-collection agency founded by Foley several years ago. The man with Foley is suspected by Gardaí of having ties to organised criminals. Paul Rice The third man present at the Belgard Road address was notorious gangland figure Paul Rice (56), also from Tallaght. Rice has acted as an enforcer and debt collector for the Kinahan Cartel. He is no stranger to violence and was jailed for 10 years in 1995 after pleading guilty to the robbery of a bank in which shots were fired. When confronted by gardaí outside the centre, the three men were taking down a sign from the front gate. The trio told officers that they were removing a 'Beware of Dogs' sign belonging to them. Rice then proceeded to inform gardaí that a friend of his had the 'security contract' on the building while he supplied the guard dogs. When informed by gardaí that the site was due to become an IPAS centre, they left, saying they 'didn't want to be associated' with the asylum-seeker centre. It is understood that Rice and the other Tallaght man present became very vocal to gardaí about their 'anti-immigration' views. Foley kept 'relatively quiet' in comparison and was easier to deal with during the interaction with officers, it is understood. The trio then left the scene in a rented car, driven by Rice. They are not under investigation for any criminality linked to this interaction with gardaí. Martin Foley was with Paul Rice News in 90 Seconds - Monday June 23 Gardaí are aware of some anti- immigration sentiment circulating about the proposed new immigration centre for asylum-seekers and potential protests planned. This is not the first time that well-known criminals have been spotted in the vicinity of an IPAS centre or expressing anti-immigration views. In February 2023, gangland criminal Wayne Bradley called for 'weapons' to be left at home as he joined an anti-migrant protest that took place in Finglas. Bradley, who was a close associate of slain gang boss Eamon 'The Don' Dunne, posted a series of messages on his Facebook account ahead of the demonstration. He warned those attending a planned protest in his native Finglas not to bring weapons as it 'will ruin what we started'. Also in 2023, English far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson was photographed posing with a convicted heroin dealer and brother of gang boss Derek 'Dee Dee' O'Driscoll. Robinson posed with Anthony 'Harpo' O'Driscoll, of Croftwood Park in Ballyfermot, Dublin, who has criminal convictions including for heroin dealing. In March of this year, a court heard that the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) would be selling Martin 'The Viper' Foley's home in 18 months' time unless he comes up with almost €1 million to pay off outstanding tax debts. Judge Fiona O'Sullivan refused an application to allow the family remain in the house for another eight years until his daughter turns 18. Neither Foley nor his wife were Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the judgment on March 10. Cab assessed Foley as owing €916,960.12 in unpaid taxes from 1993 to 2000, a figure which has since increased due to interest and penalties. The case has been going on for more than ten years. The veteran criminal has survived multiple gangland shootings and at one stage even applied to join the Garda Reserves. Foley has more than 40 convictions, including for assault, robbery and possession of weapons. He was part of the criminal gang led by Martin Cahill, who was known as 'The General'.
