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BreakingNews.ie
3 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Pedestrian (20s) dies following collision in Ballymun
A pedestrian has died following an incident involving a car in Dublin in the early hours of Saturday morning. At approximately 4:55am, gardaí and emergency services were alerted to a road traffic incident involving a car and a pedestrian in Balbutcher Lane in Ballymun. Advertisement The pedestrian, a man aged in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries have been reported at this time, gardai said. The road is closed for technical examination by forensic collision investigators, with local diversions in place. Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the collision to contact them. Advertisement Any road users or pedestrians who were in the vicinity of the Balbutcher Lane and Balcurris Park areas of Ballymun, between 4am and 5am, and have camera footage, including dashcam, are asked to make this available to investigating gardai. Anyone with information is asked to contact Ballymun Garda Station at (01) 6664400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Man's dangerous driving conviction overturned after court views Snapchat video
An appeals court has overturned a young man's dangerous driving conviction after viewing a social media video he argued proved he was in the passenger seat when the vehicle was pursued by gardaí. Myles Smith (22) had his conviction quashed at the District Court Appeals Court this week, despite the State submitting that other video footage presented as evidence had been edited. Mr Smith, with an address at Mount Symon Lawn, Clonsilla, Dublin 15, had pleaded not guilty in the District Court to dangerous driving contrary to section 53.1 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, and had also denied counts of driving with no insurance, driving without a licence, two counts of failure to produce documents, and failure to produce information contrary to section 107 4b of the same Act. Gda Andrew Burlingham told the appeals court he was on patrol in the Blanchardstown area on April 12th, 2021, at about 9pm when he observed a car changing lanes without indicating and crossing over another vehicle. He said he saw the car fail to indicate and turn back into Blanchardstown Shopping Centre. READ MORE His garda colleague activated his lights and sirens to indicate for the car to stop. Gda Burlingham said the vehicle failed to stop, and he observed it driving at high speed, forcing other road users to take evasive action. In the pursuit, he saw the car driving extremely fast over speed bumps, ignoring a red light and driving the wrong way around a roundabout. He said he pursued the car as it approached Aldemere Drive in Clonsilla, where it mounted a green area in an estate and was abandoned by the occupants. Gda Burlingham said he saw Mr Smith exit from the driver's side of the car. The garda said he pursued him to a wooded area and arrested him. Mr Smith received fines totalling €1,150, a two-year driving disqualification for the dangerous driving count and a two-year disqualification for driving without insurance. Defence counsel for Mr Smith, Aoife McNickle, submitted that her client was not driving the car during the incident but was in the passenger side. She presented a Snapchat video taken by Mr Smith during the pursuit, which she said proved he was in the passenger seat. The footage, which was played to the court, showed Mr Smith sitting in the car while flashing Garda lights could be seen through the rear window and wing mirrors. She showed a second video, taken by Mr Smith after the event, that she submitted proved he was in the passenger seat, not the driver seat. The Director of Public Prosecutions' barrister, Clare Barry, said she believed the second video had been edited. She said 'even the most digitally illiterate people can do that'. Mr Smith denied this, and claimed Gda Burlingham was not the garda who arrested him. Ms Barry said it was the State's case that Mr Smith was driving the car during the chase and that the second video was not authentic. Judge Jonathan Dunphy said that after 'numerous viewings' of the video evidence, he had doubts over who was driving the car. He said that although Mr Smith's behaviour as a passenger of the car was 'a disgrace', he must give him the benefit of the doubt. He found there was no satisfactory evidence that he was the owner or driver of the car. He allowed the conviction appeal on these grounds.
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Man who alleged gardaí beat him while he cycled to inspect fire settles court action
A case taken by a man who claimed he was beaten by gardaí in riot gear while he was cycling to investigate a fire near his partner's home has been settled at the High Court. On Tuesday, a jury was sworn in for the case of Gerard McCarthy, who alleged that gardaí broke his shoulder on Halloween night almost 17 years ago. Mr McCarthy (55) from Abbotstown Avenue in Finglas, Dublin 11, sued the commissioner of An Garda Síochána, the Minister for Justice, Ireland and the Attorney General, claiming that he was falsely imprisoned and assaulted by gardaí on October 31st and November 1st, 2008. On Thursday, Mr Justice Alexander Owens was told by James McGowan SC, for Mr McCarthy, that the case had been settled, which was confirmed by Richard Lyons SC, for the defendants. READ MORE Mr McCarthy was 38 at the time of the alleged assault and submitted to the court he was with his partner in her home on Findlater Street, near O'Devaney Gardens, in north inner city Dublin, on the night. Findlater Street backs on to what used to be the O'Devaney Gardens flat complex. Mr McCarthy submitted that on October 31st, 2008, two separate fires broke out on the other side of his partner's back wall at the apartment complex. He claimed the first fire happened at around midday while the second began after dark in a large steel container close to the back of the Findlater premises. He submitted to the court that he became concerned after smoke had billowed into the apartment through a rear extension. Mr McCarthy claimed he cycled out to investigate and noticed gardaí in plain clothes nearby, before he separately encountered gardaí in riot gear at the edge of O'Devaney Gardens. He said they charged him as he tried to turn his bicycle away. He claimed he heard the words 'charge' from the riot gardaí, who numbered between 10 and 12. He said he was struck on both shoulders, his back and then legs while still on his bike in an attack that took between five and 10 seconds. After the alleged assault, Mr McCarthy attended the Mater hospital that night but was anxious and dizzy and returned in the morning to have an X-ray. Mr McCarthy claimed his X-ray revealed a broken shoulder close to the collar bone. He said he was numb 'all over' with the pain and still in 'shock'. Mr Justice Owens struck out the case, which was expected to last up to four days, with no trial costs awarded and no costs to be imposed on the plaintiff.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Icelandic police investigating double murder ask gardaí to seach Dublin house
Icelandic police investigating the killings of a father and daughter in a Reykjavik hotel have sent a formal legal request to gardaí, asking them to search the victims' home in Dublin. The man, who was aged in his 50s, and his adult daughter were French citizens but had been living in Dublin for about a decade before travelling to Iceland earlier this month for a weeklong holiday. On the morning of June 14th, they were found with multiple stab wounds in a room on the fourth floor of the Edition Hotel where they had been staying. A woman, aged in her 60s, was arrested at the scene. She is the wife of the deceased man and mother of the dead woman. READ MORE Icelandic police have been liaising with both gardaí and French police since the start of the investigation to gather information about the suspect and victims. They have now sent a formal international legal request asking gardaí to search the family's home in Dublin to determine a potential motive for the killings. It is understood gardaí are happy to comply with the request. Icelandic police have yet to release the name of the victims or suspect, in line with standard procedure in the country. However, some details have emerged about the family. They moved to Ireland in 2017 where they maintained a low profile. The father is from New Caledonia, a tiny collection of islands in the south Pacific which are governed by France. The mother was born in metropolitan France to parents who came to the country from Asia. The family arrived in Reykjavik on June 7th. They stayed in two rooms at the luxury Edition Hotel where rooms costs at least €1,000 a night. During the day they went on daytrips before returning to the hotel in the evenings. The man had been suffering from advanced kidney disease and required regular treatment. They were due to return to Dublin on the morning their bodies were found by hotel staff. They had suffered extensive stab wounds and a knife was found at the scene. The mother was taken to Landspítali Hospital for treatment for serious but non-life threatening life injuries. Police are trying to determine if these injuries were self-inflicted. She remains in hospital under police guard. She has given two formal statements to police. Last week police were granted a further two weeks to hold her in custody. The Icelandic public broadcaster RÚV reports that she is likely to remain in custody until at least September when a decision will be made on whether to formally charge her with murder. Under Icelandic law, the public prosecutor has 12 weeks from arrest to determine if a suspect should face formal charges. Police are expected to object to the woman being released on bail before a decision is made. Forensic investigations of the suspected murder weapon are continuing while the room in the Edition Hotel remains sealed off as a crime scene, RÚV reports. The woman is next due before a judge on July 4th.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Minister concerned 44% of women are dissatisfied with initial Garda response to abuse
The Minister for Justice has expressed concern that 44 per cent of women surveyed by Women's Aid were not satisfied with their initial engagement with gardaí over domestic abuse. Jim O'Callaghan stressed, however, that the majority of women found gardaí to be helpful. He said gardaí are being continually trained on this issue. The Minister said work continues within his department to create a register of domestic abusers. He is increasing funding for issues to ensure abusers, rather than victims, are the ones to leave the family home. Mr O'Callaghan was taking questions in the Dáil, where the Women's Aid annual report dominated. The report revealed the agency last year received the highest number of domestic abuse complaints in its 50-year history, with an increase in all forms of abuse. READ MORE Women's Aid highlighted concern about An Garda Síochána's 'inconsistent' response to more than 65,000 such contacts it received last year. Labour leader Ivana Bacik said there is a suite of laws dealing with domestic abuse, but these are all 'ineffective if the first line of defence, the gardaí, are not implementing them adequately'. She said, 'We've heard from survivors who were dismissed or not taken seriously. That failure doesn't just erode trust, it puts lives at risk.' Mr O'Callaghan said 'the majority had a positive experience'. He said 'women I have spoken to who come into contact with gardaí who have had training in domestic violence have a very positive narrative'. But he believes it is more 'an issue for men and boys than it is for women, because regrettably, my sex are the sex that perpetrate this violence against women'. [ Shocking domestic violence data adds further urgency to new strategy Opens in new window ] He said pornography must be having an 'extraordinary impact on young men 'because it presents women in a very submissive, malleable manner'. 'Not all the solutions are through the criminal justice system,' he said. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the report made for 'grim reading'. All the statistics 'are going in the wrong direction, and Women's Aid says that this is only the tip of the iceberg '. 'Behind these statistics are real women and their children, real lives shattered. The report reflects that Government must do a far better job to achieve zero tolerance of violence against women.' She also pointed to the lack of refuge spaces and asked why women should have to leave their home rather than the abuser. The Minister agreed it should not be the 'first port of call' when a woman is abused to seek to find her another place to live. 'The response should be: 'How can we get the abuser out of the home?'' He said there are mechanisms, including barring and safety orders, which he is committed to properly funding. Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said 'social media is supercharging' violence against women. He said the algorithms 'are rewarding misogyny, disinformation and abuse because it keeps people scrolling and it keeps the companies making money'. Mr Gannon called on the Government to 'regulate these recommender algorithms'. [ Highest number of domestic violence disclosures in 50 years is 'just tip of iceberg', says Women's Aid Opens in new window ] The Minister said this issue cannot be solved through domestic legislation, but requires 'an EU response'. At the launch of the report on Wednesday, Women's Aid chief executive Sarah Benson said domestic violence is endemic in society, but the 'single greatest risk structure is being born female'. She said people in Ireland have been talking about the issue 'more than ever' over the last few years. As it becomes 'increasingly destigmatised', victims and survivors 'will rightly reach out for support'. It is important this momentum continues to recognise the prevalence of domestic violence in Ireland and to reduce the number of people affected by it, she said.
