Latest news with #violentoffender
Fox News
27-07-2025
- Fox News
New Orleans jail mistakenly releases violent offender due to 'human error'; investigation underway
A violent offender was mistakenly released from the Orleans Parish Jail due to a clerical error, according to the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office. The inmate, Khalil Bryan, was discharged Friday despite facing multiple charges. The office confirmed that an internal investigation is now in motion in a statement to WDSU. In the statement released by the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Susan Hutson acknowledged the mistake and accepted responsibility. "The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office takes full responsibility for the clerical error that led to the mistaken release of Khalil Bryan, and we offer our sincere apology to the public, our law enforcement partners and the court. This incident was the result of human error: a misidentification based on a shared last name between two individuals. We are currently conducting a full internal investigation, and I can confirm that disciplinary actions will occur," Hutson said. "Mr. Bryan is facing violent and non-violent charges, and we are coordinating closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure his swift return to custody. Most importantly, the victims in these matters have been notified. We are implementing safeguards to prevent this from happening again. Public safety remains our highest priority." According to information from the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office and OPSO, Bryan was in custody for illegal possession of stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting an officer. He also had an active warrant from Criminal District Court Section H for aggravated assault with a firearm, domestic abuse, child endangerment and home invasion. Bryan was also wanted in nearby Jefferson Parish and was being held on a $100,000 bench warrant for failure to appear, along with a separate $25,000 bond tied to recent felony PARISH SHERIFF BOASTED ABOUT JAIL SECURITY DAYS BEFORE 10 INMATES ESCAPED Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams issued a sharply worded statement after the mistaken release. "We have been made aware that inmate Khalil Bryan was wrongfully released from custody by the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office earlier today due to a serious error in inmate processing," Williams said. "Despite those [bond] holds, Bryan was released in error when deputies, responding to a bond posted by an unrelated individual for another inmate, failed to properly verify identity and mistakenly discharged Bryan instead," the DA added. "This is a deeply troubling incident that underscores the ongoing systemic issues surrounding the exercise of custody and control over detained individuals. The failure to properly confirm the identity of an inmate prior to release is an unacceptable lapse that presents a real and immediate risk to public safety." "OPDA Victim Advocates have initiated victim outreach and will continue efforts until all victims and witnesses associated with Bryan's prosecution are reached. Where we are unable to make contact, we are dispatching investigators to ensure the affected victims and their families are notified and receive appropriate support. "The public deserves a justice system that operates with integrity, professionalism and vigilance, particularly when it comes to protecting victims." Hutson confirmed that all known victims have been notified. The District Attorney's Office said investigators are actively working to reach anyone who may not have been contacted, including through in-person visits if needed. This release comes 10 weeks after a high-profile escape from the same prison May 16, when 10 inmates fled from the Orleans Parish Jail. Nine were recaptured and pleaded not guilty earlier this week. One man, Derrick Groves, remains at large, according to court and OPSO HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Law enforcement is now working across parish lines to locate and detain Bryan. "We urge anyone with information about Khalil Bryan's whereabouts to immediately contact law enforcement," the District Attorney's Office Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office and Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
BreakingNews.ie
07-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Man (48) jailed for seven years after providing getaway cars for attempted gangland murder
A violent offender who provided the getaway cars used by an international drug smuggling gang in the attempted murder of Dublin criminal Gary Carey is facing over 15 years in prison after he was further jailed by a judge at the Central Criminal Court. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon on Monday ruled that the seven-year sentence for Patrick 'Fishy' Fitzgerald (48) should run consecutively to a seven-and-a-half year sentence the defendant is serving for an aggravated burglary. Advertisement The court heard that Fitzgerald was on bail charged with Mr Carey's attempted murder when he and three other men terrorised a family after breaking into their home. He has 72 previous convictions. Ms Justice Creedon noted that Fitzgerald was initially charged with Mr Carey's (35) attempted murder at Ballyfermot Crescent, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 on November 17th, 2021. A few days before his trial was due to begin, he pleaded guilty to a charge that between November 11th, 2021, and November 18th, 2021, both dates inclusive, in the State, with knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation, he did participate in or contribute to activities intending to facilitate the commission by the criminal organisation of a serious offence. Advertisement The Director of Public Prosecutions accepted the plea and dropped the attempted murder charge against Fitzgerald, who has an address at Glenties Park in Finglas, Dublin 11. Ms Justice Creedon said Carey was attempting to exit his driveway at around 7.30pm when his path was blocked by a black Opel Zafira with two unidentified occupants. Shots were fired from the Zafira into the windscreen of Mr Carey's car and he sustained two gunshot wounds to his torso. The victim got out of his car, ran back through his house and climbed over a wall in the rear garden of another property where he remained until gardaí and ambulance crews arrived. Advertisement He was brought to St James's Hospital where he underwent surgery and remained in hospital until November 21st. Having survived the attempt on his life, Mr Carey relocated his family to Spain where he lived for a period of time, the judge said. Ms Justice Creedon said that when Carey returned to Ireland there was an unrelated attempt on his life on June 24th, 2022, which led to his death about two weeks later, on August 5th that year. She said that a senior garda had given evidence that Mr Carey was known to gardai and was believed to have "fallen foul" of an Organised Crime Group. Advertisement Ms Justice Creedon said aggravating factors in Fitzgerald's offending include the nature of the crime that he facilitated and that it was done on behalf of an organised criminal group involved in national and international drug smuggling. His assistance in the crime was "crucial" to the gang's attempt on Mr Carey's life, she said. She also took into account the "devastating" impact on the emotional wellbeing and sense of safety of Carey's family. Fitzgerald has not apologised for what he did or acknowledged the harm he caused, she said. Having set a headline sentence of 12 years, Ms Justice Creedon considered Fitzgerald's guilty plea and his past difficulties with cocaine addiction. He has made progress since going into prison in 2023, she said, and has shown signs that he can be rehabilitated. She therefore reduced the sentence to nine years and suspended the final two years on condition that he engage with education and training services and be of good behaviour while in prison and for two years following his release. Advertisement She said it would not be appropriate to make the sentence concurrent with the one he is already serving for the aggravated burglary. At a previous hearing, the court heard that Fitzgerald had issues with drug addiction and had been a 'habitual user of cocaine'. Last February he was jailed for seven and a half years after a court heard he was part of a gang that invaded a family home in the early morning, terrorising a couple in their 70s, their daughter and a six-year-old child. In Victim Impact Statements read to the court on their behalf, Mr Carey's family said they had been left 'devastated' by the attempt on his life. 'In one moment, these people changed our lives forever,' his daughters Shauna and Shanice said. The court heard that after the shooting in November 2021, the Zafira fled in the direction of Ballyfermot parade, where it was burned out. The two shooters then drove off in a gold Toyota Avensis, which had been parked up as a second getaway vehicle. This vehicle was later found burned out in Finglas. Det Sgt Ronan McDermott, of Ballyfermot Garda Station, said that the Zafira had been purchased through Done Deal and the seller told gardaí that the man who bought the car had arrived in a blue Audi A4. The phone used to purchase the vehicle was subsequently attributed to the defendant by gardaí. Prosecuting senior counsel Ronan Kennedy said that the gold Toyota Avensis was also purchased through Done Deal and the number used to make the purchase was the same number attributed to Mr Fitzgerald. Det Sgt Kennedy said the shooting was carried out by the crime group, who are based in Ballyfermot and are involved in the sale, supply and distribution of drugs both nationally and internationally. The group are also involved in serious firearm activity up to and including murder, the court heard. Shortly after 10.30pm on the night of the shooting, the court heard CCTV footage shows Fitzgerald getting out of a taxi and into the Avensis, which is then driven away and is burned out in a laneway near the Willow's Pub in Finglas. Ireland Man (32) jailed after being caught with €400k of c... Read More Mr Kennedy said the defendant was involved in the purchase and storage of the cars and this was corroborated by CCTV and phone evidence. The defendant was arrested on December 17 that year and exercised his right to silence during the course of ten interviews. Fitzgerald's 72 previous convictions include aggravated burglary, false imprisonment, assault causing harm, theft, violent disorder and numerous road traffic offences. Bernard Condon SC, representing Fitzgerald, said his client had difficulties with drugs in the past and was brought up by his sister after both his parents died when he was a teenager.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Yahoo
Man found guilty of bludgeoning 2 to death in Dayton sentenced to at least 25 years
Jun. 16—A Dayton man will spend at least 25 years in prison after he reportedly beat a husband and wife to death with a sledgehammer last year. Cortney Tavion Lowe, 34, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office. He was also designated as a violent offender and will be on Ohio's Violent Offender Registry. "The brutal murders of Cathy and Danny Bell were senseless, and this violent and dangerous defendant should never be let out of prison," said Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. Around 6:10 a.m. on Dec. 3, Dayton police responded to Wayne Avenue near Belmont High School after an RTA bus driver reported a bloody man was walking around. Lowe was shoeless and only wearing a t-shirt and thermal underwear, according to the prosecutor's office. When officers spoke to Lowe, he said he was OK, but the blood belonged to Cathy Bell, according to a Dayton Municipal Court affidavit. Additional crews responded to the Bells' home on Holly Avenue. Investigators found Cathy Bell, 64, and Danny Bell, 66, dead on separate floors of the home. "It was clear both suffered from blunt force trauma," an affidavit read. "A sledgehammer was located in the bedroom where Ms. Bell was found covered in blood." A Montgomery County grand jury indicted Lowe on six counts of murder and four counts of felonious assault last year. Lowe pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and one count of aggravated burglary on June 4.
Irish Times
26-05-2025
- Irish Times
Sentencing of man who provided getaway cars for attempted murder deferred
A violent offender who provided the getaway cars used by an organised crime gang in the attempted murder of Dublin criminal Gary Carey went on to terrorise a family during a home invasion while out on bail, a court has heard. Lawyers for Patrick Fitzgerald (48) – who is known as 'Mr Fishy' - asked the Central Criminal Court on Monday to consider the issue of totality when passing sentence, so as to ensure his prison term will not be 'intolerable'. Fitzgerald, with an address at Glenties Park in Finglas, Dublin 11, was initially charged with the attempted murder of Mr Carey (35) at Ballyfermot Crescent, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 on November 17th, 2021 but earlier this month pleaded guilty to facilitating a criminal organisation. The court heard on Monday that Fitzgerald, who has 72 previous convictions, had issues with drug addiction in the past and had been a 'habitual user of cocaine'. READ MORE Last February he was jailed for seven and a half years after a court heard he was part of a gang that invaded a family home in the early morning, terrorising a couple in their 70s, their daughter and a six-year-old child. In victim impact statements read to the court on Monday on their behalf, Mr Carey's family said they had been left 'devastated' by the attempt on his life. 'In one moment, these people changed our lives forever,' his daughters Shauna and Shanice said. 'From that night we lost our sense of community as we no longer felt safe anywhere,' they said. 'We got nervous when cars pulled up with tinted windows…worrying will these criminals come back? Will they hurt us?' At a sentencing hearing on Monday, Det Sgt Ronan McDermott from Ballyfermot Garda station told prosecuting senior counsel Ronan Kennedy that on the evening of November 17th, 2021 Mr Carey was in the company of an associate at a house in Ballyfermot Crescent in Dublin. At around 7.30pm, Mr Carey left the property and got into his car but as he attempted to leave the driveway his path was blocked by a black Opel Zafira with two unidentified occupants. Ten shots were fired from the Zafira into the windscreen of Mr Carey's car and he sustained two gunshot wounds to his torso. The victim managed to exit the vehicle, run back through the house and climb over a wall in the rear garden of another property where he remained until gardaí and ambulance crew arrived. He was brought to St James' Hospital where he underwent surgery and remained in hospital until November 21st. Having survived the attempt on his life, Mr Carey relocated his family to Spain where he lived for a period of time, the court heard. Following his return to Ireland there was another attempt on his life on June 24th, 2022 and he died from his injuries on August 5 that year. Det Sgt McDermott confirmed to counsel that Mr Carey was known to gardaí and it was believed he had 'fallen foul' of an Organised Crime Group (OCG) based in Ballyfermot who were involved in the large-scale sale, supply and distribution of drugs and serious firearm activity. He said the defendant has 72 previous convictions, including aggravated burglary, false imprisonment, assault causing harm, theft, violent disorder and numerous road traffic offences. Mr Kennedy told the court that the maximum sentence for an offence of this type is 15 years. Bernard Condon SC, representing Fitzgerald, said his client had difficulties with drugs in the past and was brought up by his sister after both his parents died when he was a teenager. Counsel said Fitzgerald worked as a pot washer for a while before he 'began to drift' and his difficulties with drugs began in his late 20s. Mr Condon said Fitzgerald became a 'habitual user of cocaine' and he struggled with this addiction until 2014, when he got clean and 'life went well' for a period before he relapsed in 2020. He said Fitzgerald has been doing in prison and was attempting to turn his life around. He said there was no doubt the plea of guilty was of value to the prosecution. Mr Condon said there was no statutory requirement for the court to make the sentence consecutive to the term Fitzgerald is already serving. However, he said if the court did plan to go down this route, he asked that it consider the issue of totality. 'I would ask the court to substantially deduct from whatever the sentence is so the final sentence would not be intolerable,' he said. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon adjourned the matter to July 7th.
BreakingNews.ie
26-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
'Mr Fishy' terrorised family during home invasion while out on bail, court hears
A violent offender who provided the getaway cars used by an organised crime gang in the attempted murder of Dublin criminal Gary Carey went on to terrorise a family during a home invasion while out on bail, a court has heard. Lawyers for Patrick Fitzgerald (48) – who is known as 'Mr Fishy' - asked the Central Criminal Court on Monday to consider the issue of totality when passing sentence, so as to ensure his prison term will not be "intolerable". Advertisement Fitzgerald was initially charged with the attempted murder of Mr Carey (35) at Ballyfermot Crescent, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 on November 17th, 2021 but earlier this month pleaded guilty to facilitating a criminal organisation. The court heard that Fitzgerald, who has 72 previous convictions, had issues with drug addiction in the past and had been a 'habitual user of cocaine'. Last February he was jailed for seven and a half years after a court heard he was part of a gang that invaded a family home in the early morning, terrorising a couple in their 70s, their daughter and a six-year-old child. Mr Carey survived the attack on his life but was subsequently fatally injured in a separate shooting seven months later. Advertisement In victim impact statements read to the court on their behalf, Mr Carey's family said they had been left 'devastated' by the attempt on his life. 'In one moment, these people changed our lives forever,' his daughters Shauna and Shanice said. At a sentencing hearing on Monday, Det Sgt Ronan McDermott from Ballyfermot Garda Station told prosecuting senior counsel Ronan Kennedy that on the evening of November 17th, 2021 Mr Carey was in the company of an associate at a house in Ballyfermot Crescent in Dublin. At around 7:30pm, Mr Carey left the property and got into his car but as he attempted to leave the driveway his path was blocked by a black Opel Zafira with two unidentified occupants on board. Advertisement Ten shots were fired from the Zafira into the windscreen of Mr Carey's car and he sustained two gunshot wounds to his torso. The victim managed to exit the vehicle, run back through the house and climb over a wall in the rear garden of another property where he remained until gardaí and ambulance crew arrived. He was brought to St Jame's Hospital where he underwent surgery and remained in hospital until November 21st. Having survived the attempt on his life, Mr Carey relocated his family to Spain where he lived for a period of time, the court heard. Following his return to Ireland there was another attempt on his life on June 24th, 2022 and he died from his injuries on August 5th that year. Advertisement Det Sgt McDermott confirmed to counsel that Mr Carey was known to gardai and it was believed he had 'fallen foul' of an Organised Crime Group (OCG) based in Ballyfermot who were involved in the large-scale sale, supply and distribution of drugs and serious firearm activity. The court heard that after the shooting in November 2021, the Zafira fled in the direction of Ballyfermot parade, where it was burned out. The two shooters then drove off in a gold Toyota Avensis which had been parked up at this location as a second getaway vehicle. This vehicle was subsequently found burned out in Finglas. Audi A4 Det Sgt McDermott said that the Zafira had been purchased through Done Deal and the seller told gardaí that the man who bought the car had arrived in a blue Audi A4. The phone used to purchase the vehicle was subsequently attributed to the defendant by gardaí. Advertisement Mr Kennedy said the gold Toyota Avensis was also purchased through Done Deal and the number used to make the purchase was the same number attributed to Mr Fitzgerald. The following day, CCTV showed Fitzgerald filling up two Jerry cans at a petrol station and subsequently filling the Avensis with the fuel. Shortly after 10.30pm on the night of the shooting, the court heard CCTV footage shows Fitzgerald getting out of a taxi and into the Avensis, which is then driven away and is burned out in a laneway near the Willow's Pub in Finglas. Mr Kennedy said the defendant was involved in the purchase and storage of the cars and this was corroborated by CCTV and phone evidence. The defendant was arrested on December 17 that year and exercised his right to silence during the course of ten interviews. Det Sgt McDermott confirmed that the shooting was carried out by the crime group, who are based in Ballyfermot and are involved in the sale, supply and distribution of drugs both nationally and internationally. The group are also involved in serious firearm activity up to and including murder, the court heard. The Det Sgt also agreed with Mr Kennedy that Fitzgerald is known as 'Mr Fishy' and has a partner and four children. He said the defendant has 72 previous convictions, including aggravated burglary, false imprisonment, assault causing harm, theft, violent disorder and numerous road traffic offences. Det Sgt McDermott said Fitzgerald was sentenced to seven and a half years imprisonment in February this year in relation to the aggravated burglary, which took place in August 2023. Fitzgerald was on bail for this offence when the aggravated burglary occurred. Mr Kennedy told the court that the maximum sentence for an offence of this type is 15 years. Bernard Condon SC, representing Fitzgerald, said this would have been a complex case involving significant amounts of technical evidence. He said there was no doubt the plea of guilty was of value to the prosecution. He said his client had difficulties with drugs in the past and was brought up by his sister after both his parents died when he was a teenager. Counsel said Fitzgerald worked as a pot washer for a while before he 'began to drift' and his difficulties with drugs began in his late 20s. Mr Condon said Fitzgerald became a 'habitual user of cocaine' and he struggled with this addiction until 2014, when he got clean and 'life went well' for a period before he relapsed in 2020. He said Fitzgerald has been doing in prison and was attempting to turn his life around. Ireland Man jailed after hijacking a taxi driven by a 75-y... Read More Mr Condon said there was no statutory requirement for the court to make the sentence consecutive to the term Fitzgerald is already serving. However, he said if the court did plan to go down this route, he asked that it consider the issue of totality. 'I would ask the court to substantially deduct from whatever the sentence is so the final sentence would not be intolerable,' he said. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon adjourned the matter to July 7th. Fitzgerald, with an address at Glenties Park in Finglas, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty that between November 11th 2021 and November 18th 2021, both dates inclusive, in the State, with knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation, did participate in or contribute to activities intending to facilitate the commission by the said criminal organisation of a serious offence.
