Latest news with #BandonDistrictCourt
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Man bought fake no claims bonus for car insurance on Facebook, Cork court told
A Brazilian man who was trying to secure car insurance in Ireland purchased a fake no claims bonus from a Facebook page which he submitted to the insurance company, a district court in Cork has heard. Court presenter Sergeant Eimear O'Connell told Bandon District Court that Claudio Rodrigues Pereira, aged 47 of Emmet Row, Bandon, Co Cork, submitted the false document to Axa Insurance as part of an application for motor insurance in April 2023. Axa made a complaint to gardaí about the application and Pereira was arrested and charged with using a false instrument under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001. The court was told that Pereira had three previous convictions, two of which were for using a false instrument arising from a similar incident where he had applied to Liberty Insurance also in 2023. On that occasion he had bought a false Portuguese driving licence from a Facebook page. Defence solicitor Plunkett Taaffe said that Pereira had been living in Ireland for four years and had a full Brazilian licence when he arrived. He said that his client had been 'duped' by the Facebook page offering licenses and no claims bonuses and was 'very contrite.' Mr Taaffe said that the offending occurred over a short period of time and that his client was now taking lessons with a view to obtaining an Irish driving licence. Judge Joanne Carroll said that the offence was 'a terrible deception' that was clearly premeditated and that Pereira was 'trying to bypass Irish law while a visitor to this country.' She added: 'If you go on to a Facebook page to buy a licence or other documents you are setting out to deceive, the question is can this man stay out of prison?' Claudio Rodrigues Pereira was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months. This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
Irish Times
09-07-2025
- Irish Times
Gardaí working with UK National Crime Agency as part of investigation into €31 million West Cork drugs haul
Gardaí are liaising closely with the National Crime Agency in the UK as part of their ongoing investigation into the seizure of €31 million of drugs in west Cork, a court has heard. Det Garda Gavin Curran of the Garda National Drugs and Organized Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) said gardaí were continuing to make progress in their investigation into the huge cocaine haul. Some 440kg of cocaine were seized by gardaí at Courtmacsherry, Co Cork, on July 1st in a Joint Task Force operation which also involved Customs and Excise and the Naval Service. Two men arrested in Courtmacsherry, and two men arrested at Haulbowline Naval Base after they were detained at sea by the LE William Butler Yeats, were later charged at Bandon District Court. READ MORE Mark Doherty, Levant Gulay, Ben Sandford and Christopher Hibbett were all charged with possession of cocaine, and possession of cocaine for sale or supply, at Meelmane, Courtmacsherry on July 1st. Judge Joanne Carroll remanded all four in custody to Macroom District Court, where they appeared on Wednesday morning amid tight security, including officers from the Garda Armed Support Unit. Det Garda Curran said a kilo of the drug had been sent to the Forensic Science Ireland laboratory, which confirmed that it was cocaine, but tests need to be done on further samples. He said that GNDOCB were liaising the National Crime Agency in the UK to pursue a number of lines of inquiry into the seizure. 'I can't give you an exact timeline on when a file is going to be ready given the numbers of lines of inquiry, but I can confirm the investigation is ongoing and progress is being made,' he said. Judge Carroll acknowledged the Garda's evidence and Sgt Emer O'Connell applied for a continuing remand in custody for all four to appear at Clonakilty District Court on July 15th. Earlier, solicitor Plunkett Taaffe said that he was not applying for bail for his client Mr Doherty (40), of Waterfoot Avenue, Glasgow, at this point, but he was seeking free legal aid for him. He submitted a statement of means, saying Mr Doherty was living in a local authority house in Glasgow where he was working as a builder's labourer and had no funds to pay for his defence. Judge Carroll said that she would adjourn her decision on free legal aid until the next court sitting to allow gardaí confirm the details that he had filled out in his statement of means. Mr Taaffe, deputising for Frank Buttimer, said another accused, Mr Sandford (39) of Woodgreen, Drum Road, Keith, Moray, Scotland, was also reserving his position on a bail application. Solicitor Patrick Goold, deputising for Eddie Burke, said that his client Mr Hibbett (44), of Lower Park, Trissillian, Truro, England, was similarly making no application for bail at this stage. Solicitor Jack Purcell, deputising for Myra Dineen, said his client Mr Gulay (31) of Schwabeenstrasse, Neu Ulm, Germany, was similarly making no application for bail. Judge Carroll said in the light of there being no bail applications, she was granting the Garda application and she remanded all four in custody to appear at Clonakilty District Court by video-link on July 15th.
RTÉ News
03-07-2025
- RTÉ News
Four men charged over €31m cocaine seizure in Co Cork
Four men have appeared before Bandon District Court charged in connection with Tuesday's €31 million cocaine seizure. Three of the four are British and the fourth has an address in Germany. All four face two charges each: possession of cocaine and possession of cocaine for sale or supply at Meelmane, Courtmacsherry, Co Cork, on Tuesday. The four are 40-year old Mark Doherty, with an address at Waterfront Avenue, Glasgow, and 39-year old Ben Sanford, with an address at Moray in Scotland; 31-year old Levent Gulay, with an address in Bavaria, Germany, and 44-year old Christopher Hibbett from Cornwall in England. Detectives from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau gave evidence to the court of arresting and charging the four men. Three of them did not reply when the charges were put to them. There were no applications for bail, and Judge Joanne Carroll remanded all four in custody. They will be back before Macroom District Court next Wednesday. Detectives from the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau have also identified the mothership which was used to transport the cocaine from South America, across the Atlantic to the Irish coastline. The ship's crew have been interviewed. No arrests have been made.
The Irish Sun
03-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Four men remanded after appearing in court charged over €31m cocaine seizure in Cork when van stopped & searched
FOUR men have appeared before Bandon District Court charged in connection with a €31 million cocaine seizure. Three of the four accused are British, while the fourth has an address in 4 Ben Sandford of Moray, Scotland arriving at Bandon District Court Credit: Provision 4 Mark Doherty of Waterfoot Avenue, Glasgow was in court charged in connection with a €31m cocaine seizure Credit: Provision 4 Christopher Hibbett of Truro, Cornwall is also charged Credit: Provision Earlier this week, The men who appeared in court are 40-year old Mark Doherty, with an address at Waterfront Avenue, Glasgow; 41-year old Ben Sandfield, with an address at Moray in All four face two charges each: possession of cocaine and possession of cocaine for sale or supply at Meelmane, Courtmacsherry on Tuesday. Evidence of arrest, charge and caution was given by detectives from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau to Judge Joanne Carroll. Read more in News Detective Garda John McWeeney said he arrested Mark Doherty and charged him with the two charges. He made no reply when charged. Lawyer Plunkett Taaffe, defending, applied for free legal aid and said his client was not applying for bail at this time. Judge Carroll said a statement of means must be provided before granting his application. Detective Garda Marguerite Reilly said she arrested Levent Gulay and charged him with the two drugs charges on July 2 at 20.45 in Bandon Garda Station. Most read in The Irish Sun He made no reply. The services of a German interpreter were used both in the Garda Station and in the court this morning. Lawyer Myra Dineen said there would be no bail application at this time, but there may be at a later date. 'SORRY' Detective Garda Gavin Curran said he charged Christopher Hibbett and cautioned him. He made no reply to possession of cocaine but replied to the charge of possession for sale or supply: 'I am f***ing sorry. That's it.' Detective Garda Shane Kiely said he arrested and charged Ben Sanford who made no reply to the charges. Sergeant Tom Mulcahy said he was seeking a remand in custody to Macroom District Court on July 9. REMANDED Judge Joanne Carroll said the State is to be provided with 48 hours notice of any applications for bail, and statements of means for all defendants requesting free legal aid was to be produced 24 hours in advance of court appearances to give the court time to consider the applications. She remanded the four defendants in custody, which she said could be for no more than eight days. They will all appear in Macroom District Court on July 9. 4 Levant Gulay of Neu Ulm, Germany at Bandon District Court Credit: Provision
RTÉ News
03-07-2025
- RTÉ News
Two men charged over €31m cocaine seizure in Co Cork
Two men have been charged in relation to the investigation into the seizure of cocaine worth around €31 million in Co Cork earlier this week. A quantity of suspected cocaine was found after a van was stopped in the Courtmacsherry area on Wednesday. Two men, aged in their 30s and 30s, were arrested at the scene. They have since been charged and are due before Bandon District Court later this morning. Two other men, also aged in their 30s and 40s, were arrested by gardaí after being detained at sea on a boat off the Co Cork coast. They remain in garda custody. It is understood the drugs were transferred, under surveillance, from a rigid hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) into an English-registered van at Broadstrand at around 4am on Wednesday. A van, with two men in it, was intercepted near Courtmacsherry by members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit and armed officers from the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. An estimated 443kg of cocaine - believed to have originated in South America and for the UK market - was seized and has since been sent to Dublin for analysis. Two other men on board the RHIB which left Broadstrand, were later arrested off the coast of Cork by armed members on board two Irish Naval Service RHIBs launched by LE William Butler Yeats (P63). They were arrested by gardaí once P63 returned to its base at Haulbowline in Cork harbour. The RHIB was handed over to Revenue to be detained. It is the largest seizure of cocaine since the haul of 2.25 tonnes on the MV Matthew off the Cork coast in September 2023.
