Latest news with #CommonLaw
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Man charged with assault of his grandmother at their Cork home faces new charge of manslaughter
A manslaughter charge was brought on Monday against a 38-year-old man accused of the unlawful killing of his grandmother in Carrigaline in February. Brian Nnamdi Ogbo appeared at Cork District Court, where Detective Garda Thomas Delaney charged him with manslaughter. The charge states that on February 25, 2025, at 17 Garrydhu Drive, Kilmoney Road, Carrigaline, Co Cork, he did unlawfully kill Stella Ejiatu Nnadi, contrary to Common Law. Donal Daly, solicitor, said there was no application for bail on Monday but indicated there would be such an application on July 7. Mr Daly said the accused was being treated by a prison psychiatrist and his team and he asked for a psychiatric report to be directed for next week, as it may be of assistance to the court dealing with the bail application. Brian Nnamdi Ogbo was previously charged that on February 23 at 17 Garrydhu Drive, Kilmoney Road, Carrigaline, Co Cork, where he was then residing, he assaulted 82-year-old Stella Nnamdi causing her harm. Sergeant Gearóid Davis said in light of the new charge being brought against the accused, the existing assault charge was being withdrawn by the State. Detective Garda Tom Delaney testified during the original objection to bail that this was a charge of assaulting his maternal grandmother causing her harm, and that she later died. Det Garda Delaney said family members informed gardaí Brian Ogbo suffered from schizophrenia and that he allegedly produced a knife during the assault. 'It was alleged that he broke into the upstairs bathroom where his grandmother was located and that he dragged her out of the bathroom. He dragged her downstairs. She was off her feet and being dragged headfirst down the stairs and pushed out of the house. 'Nobody required hospitalisation at the time of the occurrence. However, Stella Nnamdi deteriorated and was subsequently taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital on Tuesday February 25, and died later that afternoon,' Det Garda Delaney said. During his application for bail in February, the accused agreed he did need a system of support and he received help from his family in relation to the taking of medication for his conditions, which include schizophrenia, depression and epilepsy. Mr Daly said a bail application would be brought next week in light of it being a new charge. Read More Man accused of assaulting grandmother who later died further remanded in custody
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Ask a solicitor: Does it really matter if I haven't done a risk assessment?
Dear Karen, I am operating a dairy farm and am self-employed with no employees. I obviously have family members come onto the farm from time to time, and contractors etc. I know I am supposed to have a health and safety statement in place and Risk Assessment Document, but I have kept putting it off. What it is the importance of this? Dear reader, Health and Safety in Ireland is governed by a combination of Common Law (Judge Made Law) and statute. The main legislation providing for the health and safety of people in the workplace is the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989 as amended by the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. It should be noted that most farmers across the country are self-employed and even though reference is made to employers throughout the 2005 Act, it is still applicable to the self-employed farmer. The 2005 Act also applies not only to employees but also to persons coming on to the farm, for example, self-employment people in the course of their work, such as veterinarians, artificial inseminations technicians and milk lorry drivers. The 2005 Act places a legal duty on every person controlling a place of work to identify hazards at that place of work. The 2005 Act does not define 'hazards' or 'risks', but commentary in the area suggests that a hazard refers to the potential to cause harm which could be caused either by a machine or chemical substances. The term 'risk' refers to the likelihood of harm taking place, and of course the number of persons at risk of exposure to the hazard. The risk assessment is an invaluable mechanism which should provide a systematic informed evaluation of the risks or dangers associated with tasks performed in the course of work. The case of Miles vs Parsons provides a useful example of the importance of a risk assessment. In this case, a 14-year-old girl was employed by a newsagent to deliver newspapers on her bicycle. However, during the course of her duties, she was injured in a road traffic accident when a vehicle hit her as she was cycling across a busy road. The court took the view that the newsagents were 60% negligent due to the absence of a risk assessment document. The court also found that the newsagent had failed to adequately assess the paper delivery route by taking into consideration the traffic conditions or the general safety implications of the paper round. The court further stated that the newsagent should have planned and prepared an order of delivery that effectively minimised the crossing of the road. The 2005 Act requires that every employer put in place a statement in writing setting out how the safety health and welfare employees is to be secured. It is integral in ensuring the safe operation of the workplace, assisting in the identification of hazards and highlighting the protective and preventive measures put in place for the purpose of safeguarding all workers. However, it should be noted that where there are three or less employees, there are less stringent requirements to maintain up-to-date safety statement and instead, allows an alternative solution by observing the code of practice for Preventing Injury and Occupational Ill Health in Agriculture. Consequently, it is vital that farmers familiarise themselves with the Code of Practice which will enable them to identify potential hazards, assess the risks of each hazard and identify measures that can be put in place to prevent an accident or reduce its impact. This can be achieved by, for example, eliminating the hazard, by using artificial insemination instead of keeping a stock bull and reducing the danger, for example, by erecting hazard warning signs and providing personal protective equipment such as gloves, goggles, etc. Karen Walsh, from a farming background, is a solicitor practising at Walsh & Partners Solicitors, 17 South Mall, Cork, and 88 Main Street, Midleton, Co Cork, and also the author of 'Farming and the Law'. Walsh & Partners also specialises in personal injury claims, conveyancing, probate, and family law. Email: info@ Web: While every effort is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this article, Karen Walsh does not accept responsibility for errors or omissions howsoever arising. Readers should seek legal advice in relation to their particular circumstances at the earliest opportunity. Read More Ask a solicitor: A contractor fell off a ladder on my farm
Irish Examiner
19-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Irish companies are making waves in the global fintech space
Ireland is cementing its status as a strategic hub for global financial technology innovation, with home-grown companies such as Stripe, Fenergo and TransferMate leading the way. As financial services evolve at lightning speed, the Republic has quietly become one of the world's most influential fintech hubs. From payment infrastructure to compliance automation, Irish-founded companies are building the financial tools that power global commerce. Financial technology – or fintech – is the use of innovative technology to transform financial services, from payments and lending to compliance and wealth management. 'It helps blend financial expertise with digital agility to deliver faster, more accessible, and more customer-centric services,' says Fidelma Clarke, partner and payments sector lead for EY Financial Services Ireland The State's fintech ecosystem is thriving for three main reasons, says Clarke: it has a globally connected financial sector, a tech-literate workforce and a progressive regulatory environment. 'It's home to more than 250 indigenous fintech companies and is the European base for big global players such as Stripe, Square, MasterCard and PayPal. Fidelma Clarke Partner and Payments Sector Lead for EY Financial Services Ireland. 'In addition, Ireland's Common Law framework and EU market access make it a strategic choice for firms scaling across Europe. The Central Bank of Ireland has also increased its fintech-specific supervisory engagement, most recently through the Innovation Hub initiative.' Clarke says several Irish fintechs have emerged as global players, including Stripe, cofounded by Patrick and John Collison. It is now valued at $65 billion and operates in more than 40 countries, offering payments infrastructure for businesses of all sizes. Fenergo, meanwhile, is a Dublin-based regtech firm that counts BNP Paribas, Santander and ANZ among its clients and supports more than 80 global financial institutions; TransferMate, headquartered in Kilkenny, facilitates cross-border payments in more than 160 countries and partners with firms such as SAP Concur, Wells Fargo, and Allianz; and Global Shares, a Cork-based equity management platform, was acquired by JP Morgan in 2022, signalling strong global demand for its solutions. 'Alongside Ireland-born fintechs, global players like Revolut have also chosen Ireland as a strategic base, reinforcing the country's status as a gateway to the EU fintech market.' The success of these firms stems from their having identified critical industry pain points – from fragmented compliance processes to inefficient cross-border transfers – and built scalable, enterprise-grade technology to solve them, says Clarke. 'For example, Fenergo co-created its platform with a consortium of banks to ensure immediate fit-for-purpose adoption. TransferMate built a proprietary global payments network, bypassing traditional banking rails. Stripe became the 'developer-first' solution for online commerce – now used by Amazon, Shopify, and Salesforce. 'Their success stems from building trusted infrastructure in developing customer-facing products.' The Republic's fintech sector isn't just driven by individual successes; its strength lies in its ecosystem, says Clarke. 'Cross-sector collaboration has been key: initiatives such as the Grand Canal Innovation District, the Fintech Corridor (linking Dublin and Belfast) and Dogpatch Labs' NDRC accelerator have helped create a thriving pipeline of early-stage innovation,' she says. 'Policy alignment is also encouraging, as both ECB president [Christine] Lagarde and European Commission president [Ursula] von der Leyen have called for a targeted, risk-based simplification of EU regulation to support innovation. This presents a leadership opportunity for Ireland to champion innovation while preserving trust and market integrity.' This opportunity has been recognised by Irish governments, with digital finance included as a key theme in the first Finance Strategy Action Plan in 2018, in 2023 and in the most recent Action Plan for 2024, which contained a commitment to assessing the merits and feasibility of establishing a National Fintech Hub, Clarke adds. We are seeing Ireland's fintech leaders moving up the value chain and making an increasing impact on the shape of the financial services sector, she says. 'Crucially, these firms are not just solving for today, they're anticipating the next evolution of financial infrastructure, from tokenisation to cross-border regulatory convergence. 'Stripe is investing in embedded lending, identity services and AI-powered fraud prevention. TransferMate is expanding into treasury services and integrating with ERP platforms like Oracle NetSuite. Fenergo is applying AI to automate anti-money laundering and client onboarding workflows.'
South China Morning Post
05-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's jury system: not an ‘unwritten law'
Across the globe, countless films depict trials in which defendants face serious charges before a jury, with suspense building until the final verdict is revealed in the last few minutes before the credits roll. A notable example is the 1985 Hong Kong film The Unwritten Law, featuring a young Andy Lau Tak-wah as a defence barrister. This classic is popular in Hong Kong, as well as among Chinese-speaking communities in Asia and beyond. Since then, numerous courtroom thrillers involving juries have been produced, many achieving success at the box office. The jury system is a common feature of many common law systems, although it has been abolished in some jurisdictions such as Singapore. Introduced in Hong Kong in 1845, the jury system has in effect been in operation for more than 175 years. Its importance and widespread acceptance are underscored by Article 86 of the Basic Law, which states: 'The principle of trial by jury previously practised in Hong Kong shall be maintained.' Juries are mainly used in criminal trials for more serious offences tried in the Court of First Instance. The essential function of a jury is to determine the relevant facts of a case from the evidence presented in court and to apply the law as directed by the judge. The judge addresses points of law and jurors assess the facts, applying their common sense and life experience to determine the truthfulness of witness testimony. The jury system allows members of the community to participate in the criminal justice process, bringing their perspectives and experiences. It also plays a pivotal role in maintaining public confidence and legitimacy in the criminal justice system, as jurors gain first-hand insight into the operation of the justice system through their participation. Of course, it must be recognised that for historical reasons – as trials in Hong Kong were conducted solely in English and the English-speaking population was relatively small – the vast majority of criminal offences in Hong Kong have been tried in the Magistrates' Court and the District Court, where there are no juries, and yet sentences can be up to seven years.
Irish Independent
30-05-2025
- Irish Independent
‘We finally have justice' – Family of Tina Satchwell speak out as husband Richard convicted of her brutal murder
Key updates Watch: Family of Tina Satchwell speak after guilty verdict In Profile: Tina Satchwell - 'she was loved, happy' In Profile: Richard Satchwell - a bundle of contradictions The six brazen lies that sealed Richard Satchwell's fate – and how holes were poked in his stories Richard Satchwell to be sentenced for his wife's murder on June 4 LATEST: Richard Satchwell convicted of wife's murder and now faces life in prison Richard Satchwell (58) has been found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury of the murder of his wife Tina (45) whose body was discovered buried under the stairwell of their Youghal, Co Cork home. The jury returned a unanimous verdict after nine hours and 28 minutes of deliberations following a five week trial. Satchwell now faces mandatory life in prison. The English truck driver kept his head bowed as the Central Criminal Court jury returned a guilty verdict on the 23rd day of the Central Criminal Court murder trial. Mr Justice Paul McDermott was told that the jury of seven women and five men had reached a unanimous guilty verdict. The jury had commenced their deliberations at 3.05pm on Tuesday and returned with their verdict on Friday afternoon. He pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife at a time unknown on March 19/20, 2017, at his home at No 3 Grattan Street in Youghal, Co Cork, contrary to Common Law. Satchwell has been in custody since he was first charged on October 14, 2023, with his wife Tina's murder. However, sentencing will be adjourned to allow for the preparation of expert reports – and for the Fermoy woman's family to consider the delivery of victim-impact statements at the sentencing hearing. For six-and-a-half years the truck driver had told 'lie upon lie upon lie' as he maintained his wife had gone missing from their Youghal home on March 20, 2017, with two suitcases and €26,000 in their life savings. He informed gardaí in Fermoy four days later that she had disappeared from the family home – at the very time her body was in a chest freezer awaiting burial. His insistence his wife had disappeared prompted a six-and-a-half-year missing-person investigation which included major offshore searches and a week-long trawl of an east Cork woodland in 2018. The murder trial opened at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin on April 28. It sat for five weeks and the jury heard from a total of 57 witnesses as well as watching multiple video and audio interviews Satchwell had conducted with gardaí and Irish media organisations including the Irish Independent. The jury were told Satchwell had drawn in 'anyone who would listen to him' to promote his false narrative that his wife was missing, possibly running off with another man. He conducted lengthy interviews with the Irish Independent, RTÉ, TV3/Virgin Media, Today FM, Red FM, 96FM and CRY FM. Prosecutor Gerardine Small SC said his account was full of 'guile', clever lies and 'conniving' behaviour. She described him to the jury as 'an arch-manipulator'. Leicester-born truck driver Satchwell also spoke from March 2017 about how his wife had regularly beat him – telling a man at a car-boot sale six days after his wife's death that she was 'a street angel and a house devil'. He also floated stories that she was depressed, had possible mental health issues and may have had an affair with a Polish man. Satchwell gave multiple interviews to television and radio stations, but visibly disliked newspaper journalists – once commenting that they were 'mentally incapable of reporting what I say'. Two members of Ms Satchwell's family gave evidence to the trial including her cousin, Sarah Howard, and her half-sibling, Lorraine Howard. Sarah Howard sobbed during her evidence when asked about Satchwell offering her for free the chest freezer in which he had temporarily stored his wife's body before later burying her under the stairs. Prosecutors said this offer was 'cynical' – while even Mr Satchwell's own counsel, Brendan Grehan SC, described his actions after his wife's death as 'reprehensible and disreputable'. The trial heard that Satchwell later placed an advert on Done Deal for a chest freezer weeks after his wife's death which he said was free if collected and that it 'just needs a clean'. Sarah Howard said she was very suspicious of the claim Ms Satchwell had left home with the €26,000 – insisting she would never go anywhere without her beloved dogs, Heidi and Ruby, who were left behind in the Youghal property. Jurors also heard that the Satchwell's pets – including the dogs and a parrot – were like their children. Ms Satchwell had wanted to adopt two marmoset monkeys, Terry and Thelma, but the trial heard her husband had sent a significant amount of money for the animals to an international monkey organisation which was probably a scam. Lorraine Howard said she did not like the way Mr Satchwell referred to her half-sibling initially as his 'trophy girlfriend' and latterly as his 'trophy wife'. She said Tina Satchwell also confided to her that she could not get away from her husband. 'She knew she could not get away from him. She would confide in me that he would follow her to the ends of the Earth – she could not get away from him,' she said. 'He [Satchwell] knew she was above his league – his words not mine. He would tell everyone that. He would never go off with anyone else. Even if she came back in the door after all she had put him through, he would take her back.' The truck driver told gardaí his wife regularly assaulted him and that, just days before she went missing, had told him: 'I wasted 28 years of my life with you.' He said he was 'besotted' with his wife and catered to her every need – including bathing her each evening and rubbing oil on her body while she lay naked on the bed. Further, he claimed he was twice arrested for shoplifting clothing he thought his wife wanted. Satchwell maintained his wife had gone missing for six-and-a-half years, but sobbed as he changed his story to gardaí on October 12, 2023, as an intensive search of his home finally revealed his wife's secret grave under the stairs. That search was ordered by Garda Superintendent Ann Marie Twomey who assumed responsibility for the case in 2021. With Detective Garda David Kelleher, she conducted a full review of the case file and consulted with forensic archaeologist Dr Niamh McCullagh who focused her doctoral studies on domestic homicides in Ireland and where bodies were stored in cases where the assailant tried to evade detection. The trial heard Dr McCullagh recommended an invasive search of the three-storey Youghal property with particular attention being paid to an area under the stairwell. Satchwell's house was previously searched on June 7, 2017, by a 10-strong team of gardaí. One detective photographed the area under the stairs – including the shoddily built brick wall which Satchwell had erected to conceal his wife's burial site. However, gardaí did not conduct an invasive search of the property and Ms Satchwell's body would not be found for a further six years. Gardaí did seize a number of laptops and mobile phones at the property and these would prove crucial in the subsequent investigation. Detectives learned Satchwell had conducted an internet search about quicklime on March 20, 2017, and later watched a YouTube video of the effects of combining quicklime with water. He also sent emails – after his wife was already dead – claiming she was about to leave him over the failure to secure the two pet monkeys she wanted. Gardaí also noted six key lies which Mr Satchwell had told about his relationship with his wife and the circumstances of her disappearance. Supt Twomey's four-day search from October 10, 2023, involved contracted builders, ground-mapping radar, forensic archaeologists, the Garda Technical Bureau and, crucially, a Northern Ireland-trained cadaver dog, Fern. The dog immediately focused on the area under the stairwell and, when gardaí broke through a concrete slab, discovered Tina Satchwell's skeletonised and mummified body which had been buried in an old blanket and heavy-grade plastic. She had been buried face-down along with her purse, containing several identity cards. When confronted with the discovery, Satchwell sobbed to gardaí that he had acted in self-defence after his wife attacked him with a chisel. He claimed he fell to the ground and held his wife away from him with his outstretched hands – and she went limp after the belt of her dressing gown went up around her neck with the full weight of her body bearing down upon it. However, he insisted to gardaí he could not remember details of how his wife died – and refused to re-enact the manner of her death to detectives. He maintained he acted entirely in self-defence and was 'fearful' he would be stabbed in the head. Mr Small SC dismissed the account as 'self-serving' and 'farcical' – and claimed Satchwell was once again lying to protect himself. Assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster, who has performed over 30,000 post-mortem examinations, could not determine a cause of death for Ms Satchwell such was the skeletonised, badly decomposed and partly mummified condition of her remains. Forensic anthropologist Dr Laureen Buckley confirmed that no fractures were detected on the remains – and no bones showed any sign of old fractures having healed. Satchwell explained to detectives that, when he buried his wife with fresh tulips under the stairwell of their home, it was like 'a genuine funeral'. 'When I was burying Tina… it was the final goodbye… I wanted to make her comfortable,' he told gardaí. 'I spent the night [March 20] on the floor, with Tina laying across me. I spent the night sitting on the ground, holding Tina's dead body. I didn't have food, nothing. I just held Tina all night. 'I have a conscience… I still dream of Tina. I have not lost the desire to be with her.' He maintained he had been subjected to a campaign of domestic violence by his wife over the course of their marriage and was left with cuts, bruises, swellings, scratches and even bite marks. Satchwell claimed he had teeth broken from blows by his wife – and said she had knocked him unconscious on two occasions. He replied to gardaí when first charged with the murder of his wife at Cobh garda station on October 13, 2023: 'Guilty or not guilty – guilty.' Ms Small, in her closing argument, noted that Satchwell had given a more respectful funeral to their dog Heidi than he had to the wife he claimed he had loved from first sight. Ralph Riegel Today 08:35 AM Today 08:21 AM Today 08:21 AM Tina Satchwell, pictured in younger years, with one of her beloved pets Today 08:20 AM In Profile: Tina Satchwell - 'she was loved, happy' 'She was loved, happy, a lovely young girl' – Tina Satchwell remembered as an outgoing person known for her sense of style, Catherine Fegan writes Read the full article here: 'She was loved, happy, a lovely young girl' – Tina Satchwell remembered as an outgoing person known for her sense of style With her flamboyant sense of fashion and peroxide-blonde hair, Tina Satchwell cut a striking figure as she walked around the coastal town of Youghal in Co Cork. Today 08:18 AM In Profile: Richard Satchwell - a bundle of contradictions A bundle of contradictions – how Richard Satchwell promoted himself as devoted, while others saw a controlling husband, Ralph Riegel writes A bundle of contradictions – how Richard Satchwell promoted himself as devoted, while others saw a controlling husband Manipulative, obsessive, cunning, devoted, thoughtful, cynical and a skilled liar – Richard Satchell (58) emerged from his Central Criminal Court murder trial as a mass of contradictions. Today 08:17 AM Today 08:16 AM Today 08:15 AM The six brazen lies that sealed Richard Satchwell's fate – and how holes were poked in his stories Six lies ultimately helped gardaí rip apart Richard Satchwell's intricate web of deceit, Ralph Riegel writes. The six brazen lies that sealed Richard Satchwell's fate – and how GPs and car-boot sale enthusiasts poked holes in his stories Six lies ultimately helped gardaí rip apart the intricate web of deceit that Richard Satchwell (58) had woven over the true fate of his wife Tina (45). Today 08:14 AM Richard Satchwell to be sentenced for his wife's murder on June 4 Mr Satchwell has been in custody since he was first charged with his wife's murder on October 14 2023. Sentencing was adjourned to June 4 to allow for the preparation of expert reports - and for the Fermoy woman's family to prepare the delivery of victim impact statements for the sentencing hearing. Several members of Ms Satchwell's family broke down and wept in court as the guilty verdict was confirmed. Ralph Riegel
