Latest news with #Shankill
BreakingNews.ie
01-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Man jailed for seven years after setting fire to front door of house containing family members
A man who set fire to a car and the front door of a house containing five sleeping family members in an act of 'misplaced vengeance' has been jailed for seven years. The family of five was only awakened by a neighbour who noticed the blaze in the early hours of the morning, and they were lucky they were not killed in the December 2024 incident, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on Tuesday. Advertisement This was the second time Jason Flynn (46) had caused fire damage to the same house in Shankill, Dublin, with the court hearing he used to live in the house next door and set fire to that when he was evicted by the local council in 2001. The 2001 fire also caused damage to the house in the current case along with a third house, Garda Stephen Ryan told Karl Moran BL, prosecuting. Flynn, of Longford House, Spencer Dock, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty to one count of arson at an address in Shankill on December 5th, 2024 and one count of possessing cannabis for sale or supply at his home on December 23rd, 2024. Gardaí found the drugs, with a street value of just under €2,000, on his kitchen table when they came to arrest him for arson. Advertisement He has 19 previous convictions, including arson, assault causing serious harm and assault. A letter from Flynn outlining his motive for starting the fire was handed into court, but not read aloud. The court heard it related to a grievance he had with a previous occupant of the house. Defence counsel said Flynn had mental health issues and things went 'awry' when he stopped taking his medication. The mother of the affected family read out her victim impact statement in court, outlining the upset and trauma they have all faced in the wake of the fire. She said she was always very fire and security conscious and had recently installed a new front door and new windows in her home. She said a fire officer later told her that the fire would have entered the house within five minutes if it hadn't been for the new door. Advertisement A five-year-old grandson was staying with another family member that night, and the woman said they often think about how he could have woken up the following morning to find that every member of his maternal family, including his mother, was dead. She said that having lived in the house next door for some years, Flynn would have been aware that the family would have to walk past the source of the fire to escape from the terraced house. She felt Flynn meant to cause them 'great harm', she said. Although he had lived next door to them and had caused fire damage to the house when her elderly parents were living there, she said she had not seen him since 2001 and had no issue with him. CCTV footage played in court showed Flynn approaching the house at 2.45am on the night in question and setting the car in the driveway alright at both the front and rear. He then walked away and surveyed the scene before returning to the front door where he set a Christmas wreath ablaze. Advertisement A neighbour phoned the occupants about 15 minutes after it had started to alert them. The car exploded into flames and they had to walk past the alight front door to escape, getting out a back door. Flynn was easily identifiable to gardaí from doorbell coverage of him setting fire to the Christmas wreath, and when gardaí went to arrest him on December 23rd, they found a bag of cannabis on his kitchen table with a street value of €1,999. Flynn said he was not drug dealing but was 'feeling generous' and going to give it to his friends and not charge them money, the court heard. Defence counsel Michael Hourigan SC said Flynn had a difficult upbringing. 'There are associations he makes with that particular area and his childhood,' he said of the house in Shankill. He said Flynn's partner was in court to support him. Advertisement Sentencing Flynn on Tuesday, Judge Martin Nolan noted Flynn drove 19 kilometres from his home that night to the Shankill address to start the fire 'with malice and forethought'. Ireland Teens 'thrashed' brand new sensory room for childr... Read More 'There was a chance that if the neighbours hadn't notice the fire, the fire would have eventually penetrated the door, entered the house, and much more serious consequences could have occurred,' the judge said. He said Flynn set fire to the house in an act of 'misplaced vengeance towards the house'. 'The problem with fire is once it's started, no one knows where it ends up,' the judge said. 'People could have died on this particular night.' Judge Nolan set a headline sentence of 10 to 12 years and then reduced it to seven years, taking into account the fact that Flynn's guilty pleas were signed guilty pleas from the District Court.
BreakingNews.ie
27-06-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Man (26) jailed for drugs haul worth over over €2.6m
A former supermarket manager who was caught in possession of over €2.6 million in drugs – much of it stashed in his apartment's spare room – has been jailed for eight years. Gardaí from the National Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau were alerted to the drug-dealing activities of Shane Mulvey (26) following a confidential tip-off, leading to them placing him under surveillance. Advertisement He was seen handing over one kilo of cocaine to another person at a car park in Swords and arrested, Detective Garda Val Russell told Jane Horgan-Jones BL, prosecuting. A further 14 kilos of cocaine were found in a 'sophisticated' concealed unit inside Mulvey's car, with a street value of about €1 million, the court heard. When Mulvey's apartment in Shankill was searched, more cocaine was discovered stashed in his spare bedroom, along with amphetamine, cannabis, MDMA, a mixing agent, a counting machine and other drug paraphernalia. €66,700 in cash was also seized. The total value of the drugs seized was €2.6 million, the court heard. Advertisement Mulvey, of Olcovar, Shankill, Co Dublin pleaded guilty to one count of possessing drugs for sale or supply, one count of possessing the proceeds of crime and one count of possessing an article in connection with a crime. He has three minor previous convictions for road traffic offences. There are other people before the court in relation to these offences, the court heard. The court heard Mulvey comes from a 'good' family and previously worked as an assistant manager in Aldi. At the time of the offence, he had stopped working there and was not claiming social welfare, Det Gda Russell said. Advertisement Paul Murray SC, defending, said his client wanted to offer a sincere apology to society and his family for his offending behaviour. He said Mulvey experienced some serious relationship issues and his life 'fell apart' as a result. He built up a substantial debt in relation to drugs and came under pressure to hold and deliver drugs, defence counsel said. He has done well in custody and is now drug-free with clean urine results. Sentencing Mulvey on Friday, Judge Martina Baxter said there was an organised and sophisticated background to this offending with Mulvey playing a vital role to assist those higher up. Ireland Pensioner caught having sexualised conversations w... Read More She noted in mitigation his prior work history, his letter of apology, early guilty plea and his family circumstances. She also took into account his efforts at rehabilitation and testimonials handed into court. Advertisement She said however this was a serious matter and the court could not overlook the amount of drugs involved, noting the devastating effect of drugs on the community and society in general. Judge Baxter set a headline sentence of 11 years, before imposing a sentence of nine years with the final year suspended, taking into account all the circumstances of the case. The sentence was backdated to when Mulvey went into custody in November 2024
Irish Times
17-06-2025
- Irish Times
Capacity at Oberstown Child Detention Campus to be slightly extended
A 'small number' of additional places are to be created at the Oberstown Child Detention Campus in Dublin, which has been operating 'at or near capacity' for months, officials have said. It emerged this week that a lack of space at the State's main youth detention centre resulted in two Dublin teenagers, who are accused of being armed with a machine gun during a burglary, being freed at the weekend . The maximum occupancy at Oberstown, set by the Minister for Children, is currently 46 – made up of 40 boys and six girls. One of the boys who was released on Saturday night failed to attend his subsequent court hearing on Monday and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. READ MORE The two 17-year-olds and two men had been refused bail on Saturday after a judge heard a 60-year-old man was allegedly 'savagely' beaten in front of his terrified family when armed intruders forced entry into their home in Shankill, Co Dublin, on June 11th. All four were charged with aggravated burglary and unlawful possession of a Skorpion machine pistol. However, Oberstown had no room to take the two 17-year-olds, despite the judge's decision. In a statement on Tuesday, the Department of Children said it 'monitors occupancy rates in Oberstown Children Detention Campus closely and is aware that the campus has been operating at or near capacity in recent months'. 'In light of this the department is working with Oberstown to put in place the necessary resources to enable a small number of additional places to be made available in the near future. The department is also carrying out a research assessment to determine future demand for Oberstown services over the longer term,' it said. Minister for Children Norma Foley recently met Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan , it said, with both committed to 'ensuring the underpinning of appropriate sentencing policy for children both in terms of detention and community sanctions'. This includes children serving sentences of detention and children who have been remanded by the courts. The department pointed out that because the maximum occupancy is set by the Minister, 'overcrowding does not occur at Oberstown'.
BreakingNews.ie
16-06-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Teens accused of involvement in machine gun robbery released over lack of space
Lack of space at the State's main youth detention centre resulted in two Dublin teenagers accused of being armed with a machine gun during a burglary being freed at the weekend, it has emerged. One of the boys – released on Saturday night – failed to attend his next court hearing on Monday, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. Advertisement The 17-year-old boys and two men had been refused bail on Saturday after a judge heard a 60-year-old man was "savagely" beaten in front of his terrified family when machine gun-armed intruders forced entry into their home in Shankill, Co Dublin, on June 11th. All four were charged with aggravated burglary and unlawful possession of a Czechoslovakian-made 9mm Skorpian machine pistol. Following their District Court appearance on Saturday, it transpired that the Oberstown Detention Campus in Dublin had no room to take the two youths despite the judge's decision. Habeas corpus Gardaí held them until their lawyers launched habeas corpus, a legal mechanism to challenge unlawful detention, in the High Court on Saturday night. That led to a temporary "workaround" order releasing the pair on bail and subject to "house arrest" until their appearance on Monday at the Children's Court. Advertisement The boys, from north Dublin, cannot be named because they are minors. On Monday, Judge Brendan Toale ordered gardaí to arrest the one who did not turn up. Noting there were still no remand beds available in the detention centre, he had to grant the co-accused teenager bail pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions· Judge Brendan Toale highlighted how the lack of room in the detention facility had become a constant problem for the courts. Advertisement "This whole situation arises where the lack of place in Oberstown is an ongoing difficulty; it has been going on certainly for the last six months at a high level when, more often than not, there are no beds available, and where there was a refusal of bail," he stated before he was forced to send the boy home. The teenager, who has yet to enter a plea, was accompanied to court by relatives and ordered to obey a 10pm – 6am curfew at his home, stay contactable by phone, remain out of the Shankill area, not contact witnesses, surrender his passport within 48 hours and not apply for alternative travel documents. He will appear again in four weeks. Adult co-defendants Sean Doran, 26, of Earl Street South and widower Gregory Dunne, 60, from Oliver Bond Flats, both in Dublin 8, were remanded in prison custody on Saturday and are back in court later this week. Advertisement Dublin District Court heard on Saturday that the Garda ballistics section stated the gun was "capable of full automatic firing", and the burglary and gun charges can carry possible life sentences. Mr Doran has an additional charge of assault causing harm to the 60-year-old homeowner, who suffered lacerations from blows to his face and head. Bail objections In bail objections, evidence stated that he, his wife, aged 63, and their 35-year-old son were in "grave fear" they would not remain in the house and had since moved to a hotel. At the bail hearings, Garda witnesses stated the four acted in joint enterprise. It was alleged that the two masked teens in puffer jackets travelled to the house on an e-bike while Mr Doran came in a 2007-reg Honda Accord car driven by Mr Dunne. Advertisement The teenager who showed up to court on Monday was said to have had a black face cover and approached the house. It was claimed that he removed the gun from the front of his trousers and "pointed" it at the family through the window. The proceedings were informed that the boys allegedly "forced" their way in the front door while Mr Doran came through a rear entrance before the homeowner was "savagely" beaten. Detective Garda Michael Murphy claimed Mr Doran delivered punches and kicks to the man's head and face, and there were bloodstains on the accused's footwear. Detective Garda Darragh Phelan said the second teenager used boxer shorts as a balaclava and left with the gun on an e-bike. A civilian witness was said to have observed him discarding it before he allegedly drove onto the M50, where he crashed between Junction 12 and 13 and was arrested. Ireland Anthony Nash asked Garda if she knows who he is wh... Read More That teenager failed to turn up for his hearing on Monday. The bail hearings were also informed that gardaí responded to a call from the couple's son, who was in a state of distress, saying, "A number of males were attacking his parents' home, and one had a gun; the male pointed the gun and directed it them". Gardaí testified that a commotion could be heard over the phone line. The car was stopped close nearby and armed support officers arrived and arrested three of the defendants.
Irish Times
16-06-2025
- Irish Times
Teens accused of Dublin machine gun raid freed due to lack of detention spaces
Lack of space at the State's main youth detention centre resulted in two Dublin teenagers accused of being armed with a machine gun during a burglary being freed at the weekend, it has emerged. One of the boys – released on Saturday night – failed to attend his next court hearing on Monday and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. The two 17-year-olds and two men had been refused bail on Saturday after a judge heard a 60-year-old man was 'savagely' beaten in front of his terrified family when armed intruders forced entry into their home in Shankill, Co Dublin, on June 11th. All four were charged with aggravated burglary and unlawful possession of a Skorpion machine pistol. READ MORE Following their District Court appearance on Saturday, it transpired that the Oberstown Detention Campus in Dublin had no room to take the two youths despite the judge's decision. Gardaí held them until their lawyers launched habeas corpus, a legal mechanism to challenge unlawful detention, in the High Court on Saturday night. That led to a temporary 'workaround' order releasing the pair on bail and subject to 'house arrest' until their appearance on Monday at the Children's Court. The boys, from north Dublin, cannot be named because they are minors. On Monday, Judge Brendan Toale ordered gardaí to arrest the one who did not turn up. Noting there were still no remand beds available in the detention centre, he had to grant the co-accused teenager bail pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions· Judge Brendan Toale highlighted how the lack of room in the detention facility had become a constant problem for the courts. 'This whole situation arises where the lack of place in Oberstown is an ongoing difficulty; it has been going on certainly for the last six months at a high level when, more often than not, there are no beds available, and where there was a refusal of bail,' he said before sending the boy home. The teenager, who has yet to enter a plea, was accompanied to court by relatives and ordered to obey a 10pm – 6am curfew at his home, stay contactable by phone, remain out of the Shankill area, not contact witnesses, surrender his passport within 48 hours and not apply for alternative travel documents. He will appear again in four weeks. Co-defendants Sean Doran (26), of Earl Street South and Gregory Dunne (60), from Oliver Bond Flats, both in Dublin 8, were remanded in prison custody on Saturday and are due back in court later this week. Dublin District Court heard on Saturday that the Garda ballistics section stated the gun was 'capable of full automatic firing', and the burglary and gun charges can carry possible life sentences. Mr Doran has an additional charge of assault causing harm to the 60-year-old homeowner, who suffered lacerations from blows to his face and head. In bail objections, evidence stated that the homeowner, his wife, aged 63, and their 35-year-old son were in 'grave fear' they would not remain in the house and had since moved to a hotel.
