A number of people have been hospitalised after taking designer party drug 2CB.

The body of a man in his 50s was recovered from the canal at Suir Road in Kilmainham, Dublin 8.

There is nothing suspicious at this time but gardai are investigating the matter. 

Seamus Morgan

A convicted killer has been jailed for life for beating dissident republican Larry "Bomber" Keane to death in a lane-way after what was his second murder trial.

Seamus Morgan (49) with an address at The Hollands, Athy, Co Kildare was charged with murdering Laurence Keane (56) in the town on July 19 2013.

Last week at the Central Criminal Court Mr Morgan pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Keane.

Today a jury of three men and nine women found Morgan guilty by unanimous verdict of murdering Mr Keane in Athy over two years ago. They had deliberated for a period of three hours and six minutes.

Morgan was sentenced to eight years in July 2005 after a jury found him not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of 29-year-old James Hand, who was stabbed to death outside a Dublin pub. 

He had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Hand, of Mountjoy Square, Dublin 7, on or between August 22 and September 5, 2002, at The Meeting Point pub on Dorset Street Upper. 

In 1998 Keane himself pleaded guilty to having 980lb of an explosive mixture and devices, with the intent to endanger life or enable another to do so, at Dun Laoghaire port on April 2 of the same year. He was sentenced to 15 years in jail but the term was reduced to 10 on appeal.

The court heard that the explosives were twice the size of the bomb used by the Real IRA in Omagh in 1998. Gardai believed that the likely target of the Real IRA was the Aintree Grand National.

Mr Justice Robert Eagar thanked the jury for "the clarity of their concentration in the case" and the amount of "thought" they had given to it.

Mr Justice Eagar then exempted them from jury service for a period of four years.

Counsel for the State Mr Tom O'Connell SC then called Detective Sergeant Sean Boland from Newbridge Garda Station to take the stand and asked him to tell the court about Morgan's age, background and previous employment.

“He is 49 years of age, a single man who is originally from the Athy area of Co Kildare and lived for a period of time in Dublin,” said Det Sgt Boland.

The court heard Morgan has two daughters from a previous relationship.

“He is unemployed and did at some stage in the past work as a chef. Around the time of this incident he was unemployed and living on his own,” said Det Sgt Boland.

The court heard Morgan has been in custody since April 23 2014 and has eight previous convictions ranging in date from May 1991 up to and including July 2005.

“Most of them are related to public order issues but the most relevant one from July 04 2005 was when he was tried for murder at the Central Criminal Court but convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in prison in Mountjoy,” said Det Sgt Boland.

Mr Justice Eagar then sentenced Morgan to life imprisonment and backdated it to April 23 2014.

Prosecution counsel Mr Tom O’Connell SC read a Victim Impact Statement to the court on behalf of the Keane family.

“Little did we know on the morning of July 18 2013 as day turned into night how our lives would change forever. This is a day in our lives we will never forget,” read counsel.

The court heard “Larry” Keane was "a father, a grandfather, a brother, an uncle and a friend to many people.”

Counsel read that Mr Keane was “always in good humour, talkative and an outgoing man” but he was also a “vulnerable, frail and disabled man” who was “helpless without the aid of his walking stick.”

“Larry lost his life in the most traumatic way, not far from the home he shared with his son Laurence, we will never know what his last words or thoughts were,” read counsel.

The court heard there was now “a void” in the family’s lives “that can never be filled.”

“It is a nightmare what we will never be able to wake up from. Our life sentence began on that 18th day of July 2013,” read Mr O’Connell.

The court heard the family expect “to see Larry sitting at the foot of the Barrow bridge in his native town of Athy” as they pass “day by day”.

Mr O’Connell then read that the family would like to thank the “person who had the presence of mind to call 999” on the night.

In the opening of the trial prosecution counsel Mr Tom O'Connell SC told the jury it was the prosecution's case that the attack on Mr Keane which led to his death took place "shortly before midnight on July 18 2013" but the deceased did not die until the following day.

“Laurence Keane was in his mid to late fifties at the time of his death and was not in good shape as he had been in a traffic accident so he walked with a stick," said Mr O'Connell.

Counsel for the State said the court would hear Mr Keane was "attacked" in a lane way between St John's Lane and the Greenhills estate in Athy between 11.30pm and 11.45pm on July 18 2013.

The court heard Laurence Keane was "very badly battered about the head with an object which caused him severe fracturing of his skull in at least four places."

"He died in Naas General Hospital as a result of his injuries. Various eye witnesses said they saw them around the town together in the night and right up to the time of the murder. So there is evidence of association right up to the murder," said the barrister.

The court heard they would also hear "evidence of a motive" as there was "long standing ill will" between the two men.

"He admitted to gardai he had been in the lane-way with Mr Keane and there was long standing animosity between the two men. He was subsequently rearrested on April 17 2014 as some new evidence had come to light," said Mr O'Connell.

Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis gave evidence in the trial and he told the court that he carried out a post mortem examination on the deceased in the mortuary of Nass General Hospital on July 19 2013.

Dr Curtis said Mr Keane's cause of death was as a result of "severe blunt force trauma to the head."

"The deceased had been struck ten significant blows to his head on both sides and there were some lacerations of full and partial thickness. An examination of the brain showed there had been severe bruising to the tissue of the brain," he said.

The court also heard there was evidence that Mr Keane had suffered severe injuries in the past which were consistent with a road accident "which had rendered him disabled."

Mr Jamie Flynn Quinn who is from Athy in Kildare was also called to give evidence.

Mr Flynn Quinn told the court he saw Laurence Keane who was known to him as "Larry" Keane with a few other people on the night of July 18 2013 as he walked over Barrow Bridge in Athy.

The court heard how later in the night when he was walking with his girlfriend through a lane-way between St John's Lane and the Greenhills estate in Athy he "spotted somebody on the ground."

"There was blood everywhere so I rang 999. I thought he had been shot in the head as there was a hole in his head. The gardai arrived 30 seconds after I rang," he said.

The court heard the ambulance service then arrived at 12.25am.

Another witness, Mr James Lambe, told the court that he met Jimmy Morgan and Larrry Keane down the lane at 11.20pm on the night.

When asked by counsel "what kind of humour did the men appear to be in", Mr Lambe replied saying "just normal, everything was quiet."

"I had seen them together hundreds of time," he said.

Mr Nathan Robinson from Athy was also called to give evidence and he told the court that on July 18 2013, he was cycling with his two friends in Athy around 10pm when he saw "a bit of a scuffle at the top of the hill at St John's Lane."

"Jimmy Morgan (the accused) and Larry Keane were scuffling. I saw Jimmy swinging three times going 'you bastard you bastard,'" said Nathan Robinson.

When asked by prosecution counsel Mr Tom O'Connell what was Mr Morgan swinging, Nathan Robinson replied: "I don’t know, it was about 12 inches long (the object).”

Mr Ricky Moriarty who was also on his bike that night along with Nathan Robinson was called to give evidence and he told the court  he "heard these noises" when he got up the hill and he "saw Larry Keane being beaten in the head by Jimmy Morgan" with "a bar."

The trial jury also heard garda evidence that CCTV footage showed the accused and deceased walking together in the centre of Athy.

Detective Sergeant Sean Boland, of Newbridge Garda Station, told the court that on July 19 2013 he went to Seamus Morgan's house to carry out a search where a pair of runners were seized.

Forensic scientist Dr Hilary Clarke, of the Forensic Science Lab, told prosecution counsel that she received a number of physical exhibits relating to the investigation, including a pair of runners belonging to the accused.

"There were small blood stains on both the left and right runner, the toe area of both runners and on the inner side of the tongue area of the left runner," she said.

The court heard she developed a DNA profile from the sample of the blood stain from the toes of both runners and the tongue of the left runner which "matched the profile of Larry Keane."

"The estimated chance of finding this profile if the DNA had come from somebody other than Larry Keane is considerably less than one in a thousand million," said Dr Clarke.

By Alison O'Riordan

Fallan Kurek's mother

A teaching assistant in the UK collapsed and died from a blood clot caused by taking the contraceptive pill after being sent home from a minor injuries unit with painkillers, an inquest has heard.

In a narrative verdict, South Staffordshire Coroner Andrew Haigh ruled that Fallan Kurek, 21, died from a "massive" pulmonary embolism after the side-effects of the pill were not effectively treated.

The hearing was told that Ms Kurek, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, was assessed by a nurse at the town's Sir Robert Peel community hospital on 8 May last year after complaining of chest pains and feeling breathless.

Ms Kurek, who had been given prescriptions for the pill at her GP's surgery in October 2014, and January and March 2015, collapsed at her home and went into cardiac arrest three days after attending the community hospital.

Although the inquest heard that it was likely that Ms Kurek was suffering from a blood clot on her lungs caused by a deep vein thrombosis at the time of the hospital visit, nurse Stuart Lamb diagnosed her pain as being muscular.

Mr Lamb told the inquest that the patient had given him a three-day history of central chest pain which became worse following exertion.

Blood pressure and other tests were then conducted, and Ms Kurek was also assessed using an ECG machine, leading to results within normal limits.

Commenting on the care provided at the minor injuries unit, emergency consultant Dr James Crampton, who works in Burton-on-Trent, told the inquest that other than chest pain, the patient had no abnormal signs suggestive of a pulmonary embolism.

Ms Kurek's father Brian told the inquest that leg pain and the fact that she was taking the pill - to regulate heavy periods - had been mentioned during the hospital visit.

Fallon Kurek's parents

Recording his findings as to the circumstances of the death, Mr Haigh said that Ms Kurek suffered "irrecoverable" brain damage by the time she arrived at Sutton Coldfield's Good Hope Hospital, where she died three days later.

The coroner added that he did not consider a change in the brand of pill being taken by Ms Kurek to be a factor in her death.

Addressing her attendance at the minor injuries unit, Mr Haigh added: "Here there appears to be a direct conflict in the evidence that I have heard.

"Mr Lamb cannot recall any reference to the fact that she was taking the pill. The likelihood is, on the evidence I have heard, that it was mentioned."

Ms Kurek's GP, Christopher Jones, told the inquest that she had been assessed before being given repeat prescriptions for the pill and her blood pressure and body mass index had been completely normal.

"She was assessed as being extremely low risk," the doctor told the inquest, which heard that contraceptive pills are issued with leaflets warning of a raised risk of deep vein thrombosis.

Speaking on behalf of Ms Kurek's parents and other relatives after the hearing, her aunt, Rebecca Loeve said: "As a family we are devastated at the loss of our beloved Fallan at 21 years of age.

"It is clear from the evidence given at the inquest that when Fallan attended the Robert Peel minor injuries unit, the nurse did not further asses the risk of deep vein thrombosis.

"We love Fallan so much and we miss her desperately."

The NHS advises that the combined contraceptive pill - containing oestrogen - causes the blood to clot slightly more easily, leading to a slight increase in the risk of deep vein thrombosis.

There is no increased risk from progestogen-only pills.

Resen Modeley

A MAURITIAN man living in Dublin has appeared in court accused of using bogus documentation to facilitate marriages of convenience.

Dublin District Court heard Resen Modeley (30) told officers from the Garda Organised Crime Bureau it cost €7,000 for an arranged marriage and he admitted being involved in 50 of them.

Defence solicitor Stephen O'Mahony told the court his client was pleading guilty to the charges before the court. Mr Modeley, who has an address at Chapel Gate, St Alphonsus Road, in Dublin 9, faces five charges.

He has three counts under the Theft and Fraud Act for using as false instruments two letters from a guest house offering employment to a named man and woman, between May 6th and May 7th last year at his home address.

He also has another charge for using another letter from the same guest house as a false instrument between April 28th and May 29th last. He also has charges for unlawfully possessing a stun gun disguised as a flash-light, and possession of a quantity of cannabis.

Judge Anthony Halpin noted the man told gardai had been involved in 50 of arranged marriages which would have amounted to €350,000.

He also noted from the prosecution that the accused had expenses in his business and would have earned less than that amount. The judge said it “sounds like a programme on the TV” and the defence said that this was a commercial enterprise.

He adjourned the case until a later date for the full facts of the case and for defence mitigation submissions to be given, and he excused himself from hearing the matter further. Defence solicitor Stephen O'Mahony said the guilty plea could remain on the court record. 

Mr Modeley was remanded on continuing bail.

The youth walked into a Dublin 8 pub

A THEN 14-year-old boy who mugged another teenager at knife-point during a crime spree was “like something out of film”, a judge said today.

In another incident the youth walked into a Dublin 8 pub and tried to walk out again with its television before he was stopped by the manager. Judge John O'Connor said “it is like something out of a film, it's outrageous stuff”.

The boy, now aged 15, pleaded guilty at the Dublin Children's Co to a litany of charges for robbery, attempted theft, criminal damage, theft, possession of cannabis, failing to turn up for a court hearing.

He is currently nearing the end of a sentence imposed in November for car theft. Judge O'Connor asked the Probation Service to provide a pre-sentence report on the boy and adjourned the case until a date in February.

The court heard that on September 24th last, the teenager mugged a 15-year-old boy in Inchicore in Dublin. Garda Paul Geraghty said the boy, who was known the victim “produced a knife” and took a phone worth €600 from the youth. 

On October 23rd last he entered the Black Lion pub and “took a TV from a wall as he was walking out and the manager stopped him”. The teen stole groceries worth €32 over two successive dates in October. He was caught possessing cannabis worth €10 on another date in the same month.

He stole a bicycle worth €350 from outside a petrol station on September 23rd last year. On date last July he broke a window at a flat in his locality.

The court heard that he had shown disregard for bail conditions and the judge commented that the teenager had been “completely and utterly out of control” and this included his demeanour in court on previous occasions. However, the judge also said the teenager has to be given credit for a change in attitude.

Defence solicitor Fergal Boyle asked the juvenile court to note the boy, who was accompanied to court by his mother, “wants to make a fresh start” and has shown genuine remorse for his actions.

The boy, who once stole a car and wrote it off in a crash, also has previous convictions for trespassing, threatening to cause criminal damage and other theft offences going back to 2014.

At one previous court hearing the boy, who had repeatedly broken bail conditions, had refused to take down his hood despite being asked by the judge and his mother to do as he was told. “Yeah? F**k it, f**k you,” the boy had shouted along with, “I'm leaving the hood up, don't get me started”.

“Sentence me, I don't care, I don't give a f**k any more, this is b******s that's what it is,” he had said. When further warned by the judge, the teenager had shouted: “I don't give a f**king b*****s, give me two years if you want”.

The incident happened this afternoon

A NUMBER of shots were fired during an attempted robbery at a post office in Blackrock, Co Dublin this evening.

The assailant remains at large.

He entered the post office at 2.30pm carrying a gun and threatened customers and staff before firing at least three shots.

One man received minor injuries after attempting to prevent the assailant from fleeing the scene.

The male dropped his weapon, described as a hand gun, and managed to flee the scene on foot. 

No money or property was taken during the robbery.

Gardai are now carrying out searches for the armed robber.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Donnybrook Garda Station at 01-6669200 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.

Via Independent.ie

gavel 3.jpg

A man jailed for falsely imprisoning a couple on Achill Island on Valentine's night six years ago has lost an appeal against the severity of his 9-year jail term.

Michael McMahon (49), with an address at The Loakers, Blackrock, Co Louth, had pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Seán Lavelle and to the false imprisonment of Mr Lavelle and his wife Emer, at their home on Achill Island on February 14, 2010.

He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment with the final three suspended by Mr Justice Tony Hunt on January 16, 2012.

McMahon had an appeal against the severity of his sentence dismissed today on the single ground that the judge erred in failing to attach sufficient weight to his offer of compensation to the victims.

His barrister, Hugh Hartnett SC, submitted that the offer of compensation, albeit rejected by the victims, entitled him to a further, if modest, discount in sentencing.

Giving judgment in the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan said the victims had returned home on the evening in question having been out socialising.

They were met in their home by two men in balaclavas and dark boiler suits, Mr Justice Sheehan said.

Mr Lavelle was taken to the bedroom where his hands and legs were tied and he was struck to the shins with a nail bar.

Ms Lavelle was also tied up. Her arms, legs and mouth were taped, Mr Justice Sheehan said.

A neighbour appeared to have come across McMahon and his accomplice making good their escape and pursued them, the judge said.

While in pursuit, the neighbour informed the gardaí of their position and the vehicle was eventually stopped by a roadblock where McMahon and his co-accused, his late brother, were apprehended.

Mr Justice Sheehan said both injured parties were deeply traumatised so much so that Mr Lavelle was unable to continue living in the family home.

In victim impact reports, Mr Lavelle said the experience had changed his life forever. He found it impossible to settle down in his home now and was constantly anxious and unable to sleep.

Ms Lavelle stated that each time she turns the key in the door she's frozen with fear waiting to hear whether there are unusual sounds in the house.

McMahon had offered €5,000 as compensation to the victims with the promise that a further €15,000 would be provided within a week. This was refused by the injured parties.

Mr Justice Sheehan said the argument made my McMahon's barrister appeared to be wholly predicated on the premise that the minimum a person could expect for pleading guilty to an offence would be a 25 per cent reduction in sentence.

However, no authority had been advanced to support that contention, the judge said.

Even if it were the case, he said the Court of Appeal still had to consider whether the overall sentence was excessive.

The facts spoke for themselves, Mr Justice Sheehan said. “No injustice attached to the outcome” of the case.

Accordingly, Mr Justice Sheehan, who sat with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, dismissed the appeal.

Sharon Rattigan

A witness at the Central Criminal Court today described how she grappled with a gunman and bundled him over a wall after he gunned her partner down and shot her in the leg.

Sharon Rattigan was speaking at the trial of 31-year-old Gary Flynn of Rossfield Drive in Tallaght. Mr Flynn has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Seamus 'Shay' O'Byrne at Tymon Park North in Tallaght on March 13, 2009.

Speaking to prosecution counsel Alex Owens SC, Ms Rattigan said she had been living with Mr O'Byrne in Tymon Park for two years. On the day Mr O'Byrne died, they had spent time at her mother's house, returned home, and were planning to head out again.

At about 8pm she was in their car waiting for Mr O'Byrne when she saw a man in dark clothes and a hoodie walk towards her.

"His top was dark and he had a hood up but his face was not covered," she said.

She described the man as stocky and said she thought he was going to walk on by but then he turned to Shay and started shooting. "Shay fell to the ground and I tried to run and stop him," she said. "He turned around and shot me."

Ms Rattigan said she had been shot in the leg, just above the knee but she kept going and tried to take the gun from him. He hit her over the head and told her: "Let go of the gun you tramp."

She continued: "I got the gun out of his hand. I fell over the wall and he was trying to get the gun back off me. We were both on the ground."

After a short while the man jumped up and ran away, Ms Rattigan kept the gun and put it into her car, which was parked in the driveway.

The jury was also shown CCTV footage of the incident. Garda John O'Connell of Tallaght Garda Station told Mr Owens that he collected the CCTV evidence from a house in Tymon Park. He agreed with Mr Owens that the grainy images, taken on VHS camera, showed a car followed by a van entering the estate shortly after 8pm.

At about 8.14pm he said you can hear three shots in rapid succession and there is a pause before a fourth. A woman screams before another shot rings out and the screaming can be heard again. The time from the first shot to the last was 12 seconds. Garda O'Connell then pointed out that seconds later, a car is seen speeding out of the estate followed a short time later by a man running.

Witness Elizabeth Caffola, a neighbour of Mr O'Byrne and Ms Rattigan, agreed with Mr Owens that she was parking her car when she heard Sharon Rattigan screaming. She got out of her car and saw Sharon, who told her that Seamus had been shot. "Shay was lying with his head near the door," she said. "I couldn't believe she [Sharon] was walking around after being shot."

Soon afterwards the gardai and an ambulance arrived. Ms Rattigan said she gave samples from under her fingernails and her clothes to gardai.

Another neighbor, Anthony Caffola, told Mr Owens that he heard four or five loud bangs while he was sitting at home watching a Shamrock Rovers game on television. When he went outside he saw Mr O'Byrne lying on the ground and Ms Rattigan in distress.

The Court also heard from a number of gardai who arrived on the scene. Garda Adrian King of Tallaght Garda Station said when he arrived he saw a can of Red Bull and a mobile phone lying on the ground near the wall of the house. He said he told other gardai not to disturb the items and Garda Eddie Fallon said he placed a piece of plastic over them.

The jury has been sent home for two days for legal arguments in front of Justice Patrick McCarthy. The jury of nine men and three women will return on Friday.

By Eoin Reynolds

Clubbers are dicing with death

CHOOSING the red pill or the blue pill can literally be a matter of life or death for ecstasy users in Ireland.

Choose one, and within an hour the user could be up dancing as the euphoria of the evening takes hold.   

Choose the other, and the user may start to feel uncomfortable and nauseous – coupled with panic and distress – before collapsing and dying.  

The two scenarios are not the propaganda of anti-drug campaigners, but the reality of what is happening in Ireland. 

Only today, six people suspected of taking designer party drug 2CB have been hospitalised in Cork.

In 2014, health authorities here issued a warning following the deaths of six people who had taken what they believed were ecstasy tablets. 

They looked just like any other tablets, with the same kind of logos people were used to seeing, but instead of containing MDMA, they contained PMA/PMMA – also known as Dr Death. 

MDMA is the chemical name for ecstasy – a drug taken by thousands of clubbers every weekend.

While taking MDMA is not without risks, PMA/PMMA is far more lethal and the number of deaths continued to rise even after the warning.  

A further eight deaths were linked to the drug in Northern Ireland. 

PMA/PMMA is usually sold on the streets as ecstasy and has a much higher level of toxicity than MDMA. 

It also takes longer to have an effect and doesn’t produce the same level of euphoria as MDMA, which has led to people consuming higher amounts.

Dr Death pills are believed to be responsible for at least six deaths in Ireland in recent years. 

Now, a website called Pill Reports is offering warnings about tablets. People who issue the warnings use testing kits on particular pills. 

On several occasions users in Ireland have warned that what they thought was an MDMA tablet turned out to be PMA/PMMA. 

The most recent warning on Pill Reports in Ireland was in September, when a blue pill with a Superman logo was found to contain PMA/PMMA.

The warnings are usually accompanied by a picture of the pill in question and those which contain PMA/PMMA look no different than MDMA pills. 

A source said: “You tend to get waves of different type of tablets. A batch can come out and be shaped like a grenade and only contain MDMA. If that is considered a good pill other drug manufacturers will start making the same style pills, but with PMA instead.”

Deaths in Ireland from PMA include that of Shane Cotton (16), from New Ross in Co. Wexford. The youngster died in Waterford Regional Hospital two years ago. He was believed to have taken six tablets. His grand-aunt Helen Purcell said it was “an awful waste of a young life”.

Conor Murray (23), from North Road, Finglas, Dublin 11, died at the Mater Hospital in August 2013 after pals found him unresponsive in bed. An inquest found PMA, cocaine and ecstasy in his system. 

Laura Richardson (26), from Balbriggan in Dublin, died in July 2013 after collapsing in her fiance’s house. A post-mortem revealed she died from the toxic effects of PMA and cocaine. 

Dean Burke (43), was found dead on the couch at his apartment in Wellmount Road, Finglas, in August 2013. 

His inquest revealed he died from taking a combination of cocaine, PMA and the head shop-type stimulant benzylpiperazine.

Taxi driver Desmond Mahon (51), who was found collapsed in the bedroom of his home at Cardiffsbridge Road in Finglas, Dublin 11, on the evening of June 3, 2013. He had been drinking and taking what he thought were ecstasy tablets, but they actually contained PMA. 

Ana Hick (18), from Dalkey in Dublin, died after collapsing outside a Dublin nightclub last year. It is understood she had taken ecstasy tablets. Her inquest will be heard in the summer. 

Over Christmas her mother Elga urged people to be aware of the dangers. 

“They come sugar-coated with promises of a good night out and excitement but the truth is you are playing with a loaded gun when you decide to take ecstasy or other drugs,” she said.

“I know Ana would want you to remember her as you make your choice and she would want you to say, ‘not on my life’.

Project Know, a U.S.-based addiction education and support service, recently released a report which analysed 27,000 pill test reports from five different countries over a 10-year period.

It found that of the tablets tested in the U.K., which would be similar to those in Ireland, around 50 per cent contained MDMA or a very similar chemical. 

However, around one in a hundred contained PMA/PMMA over the 10-year period, but that figure increased to more than one in 10 in 2014. 

Other drugs sold as ecstasy were found to contain horse tranquiliser, methamphetamine, amphetamines, 2C-B, Mephedrone and Methylone. 

The report stated: “Betting on the purity of any illicit street drug is ultimately a losing proposition. Testing out the composition of any illicit pill on oneself can be a very dangerous game. It’s unrealistic, if not impossible, to envision a scenario involving substance use and abuse if one’s long-term goal is to be happy and healthy.”

Jonathan Grimes leaving the Four Courts today

A 28-year-old Dublin prisoner, who claimed he was assaulted by a riot squad during an incident at Mountjoy Prison in October 2010, has lost a €38,000 damages claim in the Circuit Civil Court.

Jonathan Grimes, of Rutland Street Lower, Dublin, claimed he was beaten repeatedly with batons while the squad tried to regain order in the prison exercise yard, during what was described as a “very severe and extreme” situation, after a prison officer was assaulted.

Judge John Hannan today  was told that Grimes, who was at the time serving an assault sentence and is currently detained in Mountjoy Prison for an unrelated matter, had not been involved in the incident.

Grimes alleged he was assaulted by the riot squad as he was being pushed alongside other prisoners, while he was in a squatting position with his hands over his head. He claimed he was beaten on his head and body. 

Grimes, who was described as “the innocent in the yard who got caught up” in the incident sued the Governor of Mountjoy Prison, the Director of the Irish Prison Service and the State for personal injuries.  The defendants had denied liability. 

Barrister Conor Power SC, instructed by Dereck Elliott from the Chief State Solicitor’s office for the prison authorities, said his clients claimed they had acted in the safest and speediest manner.  They denied batons had been used and suggested the injuries may have been caused by shields when the squad was assembling the prisoners together.

The court heard that the incident had started around 7pm on October 14 in the A-wing, when a prisoner was refused admittance to the recreation area.  The prisoner had returned with some fellow inmates carrying cues and snooker balls and a prison officer was assaulted. 

The incident had escalated and the rioters had managed to arm themselves with improvised weapons, including broken goalposts, snooker and pool cues and balls and large pieces of concrete from a perspex wall which they had broken up. Some individuals had been wearing their clothes as balaclavas. 

The court was told that the yard was locked and officers from Cloverhill, Wheatfield, St Patrick’s and the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise had been called in reinforcement. 

Barrister John Nolan, for Grimes, said ‘control and restrain’ teams, wearing riot gear and backed up by Alsatian dogs, had entered the yard as an “army of Roman legionaries” and gathered all the 74 prisoners, involved or not in the riot, to one area.

Prisoners had then been taken one by one by prison officers, put to the ground and their hand were cable tight before they were examined by medical staff and taken back to their cells.

Mr Grimes had been taken to the Mater Hospital in Dublin the next day where X-rays revealed no fractures. He suffered soft tissue injuries to his arms and legs.

Judge Hannan said a very serious situation had developed and was dealt with in a very expedient and efficient manner.  He said the CCTV footage of the incident showed no evidence of excessive force having been used.

The judge said the defendants had found themselves in a situation where a number of people were out of control and there was a necessity to restore order. 

He said the operation had been carefully planned and properly executed, as the squad regained control in a couple of minutes.  The judge said that although he understood

Mr Grimes’ position, who was not at fault and had suffered minor injuries in a “terrifying experience,” he had to dismiss his claim.  He made no order regarding legal costs. 

The court heard that a total of 38 metal bars had been found in the yard after the incident. The culprits had not been prosecuted.

Via Independent.ie

The scene at Ardclough after the grim discovery

Gardai have identified the murder victim whose torso was found in a suitcase in the Grand Canal at Ardclough in north Kildare last Saturday afternoon.

The victim is a man in his 30s from west Dublin.

He is understood to have gone missing on Friday and his disappearance was reported to gardai the following evening.

The victim was identified this afternoon after a DNA sample taken from the torso matched with a sample given by a member of the man's family.

Gardai have not yet established where he was murdered and dismembered but intensive investigations are continuing in north Kildare and west Dublin.

The victim is not known to gardai - and is from what has been described as a very respectable and hard working family.

It's understood gardai are now in the process of identifying the victim's next-of-kin.

The breakthrough in the identification of the victim occurred earlier today.

The torso of a male was found wrapped in plastic in a suitcase near Ardclough Bridge, Co Kildare, shortly after 3.30pm on Saturday.

The victim's head, hands and feet had been cut off in an attempt to prevent gardaí from carrying out an identification process of the body.

Sources have revealed that one of the lines of inquiry gardaí were working on is that the victim was brutally slain in "a house party that got out of control".

However, it is understood this theory has been investigated and discounted.

The suitcase holding the torso of the murder victim was in the Grand Canal for at least six hours before it was recovered by passers-by.

Several walkers noticed the suitcase in the canal at Ardclough in north Kildare from 9am onwards on Saturday but thought it was discarded litter.

A post-mortem examination of the torso by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis, at Naas General Hospital on Sunday afternoon, showed no signs of injury to the torso.

Gardaí believe the fatal injuries may have been inflicted to the victim's head, either through a shooting or a brutal assault. Members of the Garda water unit resumed their search of the canal for other body parts yesterday, while the Garda dog unit was also drafted in to lead searches along the canal banks and adjoining land.

Gardaí think other body parts could have been dumped elsewhere in the Grand Canal or in nearby wasteland.

Members of the Garda investigation team from the Kildare division are working closely with colleagues in west Dublin.

Fingerprint checks are being carried out on the suitcase and the heavy plastic used to wrap the torso.

Gardaí have so far gathered more than 80 witness statements from members of the public, with investigating officers appealing for anyone with information to contact Leixlip Garda Station.

Via Independent.ie

Christina Lavin

Gardai have renewed their appeal for the public’s assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 59 year old Christina Lavin, missing from her home at Kilmainham Bank, Emmet Road, Dublin 8 since Saturday.

Christina, who was last seen at 1.30pm on Saturday January 17.

Christina is described as being 5’6” in height, of thin build with short red wavy hair and green eyes.

When last seen Christina was believed to be wearing a purple and pink coloured woollen coat which has white speckles, as per photograph, and black trousers.

Gardaí are concerned for Christina’s welfare and anyone with information is asked to contact them at Kilmainham Garda Station on 01 6669700, The Garda Confidential Line, 1800 666111 or any Garda Station.

Kenneth O Brien

Gardai have identified the murder victim whose torso was found in a suitcase in the Grand Canal at Ardclough in north Kildare last Saturday afternoon.

He has been named as Kenneth O'Brien and is aged 33. Mr O'Brien  is from Lealand Road, Clondalkin, Dublin.

He is understood to have gone missing on Friday and his disappearance was reported to gardai the following evening.

The victim was identified this afternoon after a DNA sample taken from the torso matched with a sample given by a member of the man's family.

Gardai have not yet established where he was murdered and dismembered but intensive investigations are continuing in north Kildare and west Dublin.

The victim is not known to gardai - and is from what has been described as a very respectable and hard working family.

It's understood gardai are now in the process of identifying the victim's next-of-kin.

The breakthrough in the identification of the victim occurred earlier today.

The torso of a male was found wrapped in plastic in a suitcase near Ardclough Bridge, Co Kildare, shortly after 3.30pm on Saturday.

The victim's head, hands and feet had been cut off in an attempt to prevent gardaí from carrying out an identification process of the body.

However, investigating detectives have so far been able to determine that the victim was aged in his early 20s.

Sources have revealed that one of the lines of inquiry gardaí were working on is that the victim was brutally slain in "a house party that got out of control". However, it is understood this theory has been investigated and discounted.

The suitcase holding the torso of the murder victim was in the Grand Canal for at least six hours before it was recovered by passers-by.

Several walkers noticed the suitcase in the canal at Ardclough in north Kildare from 9am onwards on Saturday but thought it was discarded litter.

A post-mortem examination of the torso by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis, at Naas General Hospital on Sunday afternoon, showed no signs of injury to the torso.

Gardaí believe the fatal injuries may have been inflicted to the victim's head, either through a shooting or a brutal assault. Members of the Garda water unit resumed their search of the canal for other body parts yesterday, while the Garda dog unit was also drafted in to lead searches along the canal banks and adjoining land.

Gardaí think other body parts could have been dumped elsewhere in the Grand Canal or in nearby wasteland.

Members of the Garda investigation team from the Kildare division are working closely with colleagues in west Dublin.

Fingerprint checks are being carried out on the suitcase and the heavy plastic used to wrap the torso.

Gardaí have so far gathered more than 80 witness statements from members of the public, with investigating officers appealing for anyone with information to contact Leixlip Garda Station.

They want anyone who was in or around the Grand Canal near Ardclough on Friday and early Saturday to contact them.

In addition gardai are keen to speak to anyone who may have observed, seen or had any contact with Kenneth since the early hours of Friday morning when he left Lealand Road in Clondalkin or can assist in tracing his movements.

Gardai are also asking people returning to their property or premises after the weekend to check to see if there was anything unusual. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room at Leixlip Garda Station 01 666 7800.

Robin Hollyson

A paedophile who repeatedly raped a baby has died after being found unresponsive in his prison cell.

Robin Hollyson, 31, was part of a gang that attacked babies, toddlers and pre-school children in abuse that was streamed over the internet.

The men, described as "beyond human instinct" by a judge, preyed on the families of youngsters to gain access to them, in one case grooming a mother and father before their baby's birth.

Chat logs revealed the gang would offer advice on using "date rape" drugs or over-the-counter medication to drowse children and babies.

Hollyson, from Bedfordshire, was one of seven men convicted of 29 child sex abuse offences, including the multiple rape of an 11-month-old.

A spokeswoman for the Prison Service said: "HMP Bristol prisoner James King (04/07/84) was found unresponsive in his cell on Friday 15 January.

"Prison staff attempted CPR and paramedics attended, but he died in hospital on Sunday 17 January.

"As with all deaths in custody, the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will conduct an investigation."

It is understood that Hollyson, previously known as Robin Fallick, changed his name to James King and that his death is not being treated as suspicious.

The other men convicted were John Denham, 50, from Wiltshire, Matthew Stansfield, 35, from Hampshire, Adam Toms, 33, from Somerset, Christopher Knight, 35, from Manchester, David Harsley, 51, from Yorkshire, and Matthew Lisk, 33, from Sussex.

Judge Julian Lambert jailed the men, including two who are HIV positive, for terms ranging from two to 24 years at Bristol Crown Court in September.

TENTACLES OF JAILED PAEDO GROUP SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD

Hollyson received the 24-year sentence after pleading guilty to three counts of raping a child under the age of 13.

He also admitted three counts of conspiracy to rape a child under 13, sexual assault of a child under 13, and taking, showing, possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornography.

The court heard how Hollyson befriended a couple with a baby and was allowed to babysit in 2013.

He boasted of repeatedly raping the boy from the age of three months - filming himself doing so between December 2013 and January 2014.

In May 2014, Hollyson, Stansfield and Toms took turns to rape and sexually assault the baby, while sharing footage online.

SICK TRANSCRIPTS OF CONVICTED PAEDOPHILES DISCUSSING BABY ABUSE PLANS (GRAPHIC CONTENT)

Judge Lambert told him: "You determined cruelly and callously to exploit a family and prey on their baby for your perverted sexual purposes. You were keen to involve others in your deviant sexual activity. You determined to share the abuse of the baby with other perverted men and to publish your corrupt sexual exploits in the darkest parts of cyberspace."

A man jailed for stealing €85,000 from the State by claiming social welfare under a false name 463 times, has lost an appeal against the severity of this three year prison sentence

Stefan Onofrei (35), with an address at Bremore, Castlegate, Balbriggan, had pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six sample counts of theft of job seeker's benefit, job seeker's allowance, supplementary welfare allowance, emergency means payment, rent property supplement allowance and family income supplement between January 9, 2009 and February 10, 2015.

He was sentenced to three years imprisonment by Judge Martin Nolan on July 15, 2015.

Onofrei lost an appeal against the severity of his sentence yesterday.

The Court of Appeal heard that he had originally been charged with 436 counts on the indictment because each time he went to claim a payment using a bogus name, he was committing a different offence on each occasion.

Giving judgment, Mr Justice George Birmingham said the Circuit Court judge approached sentencing on the basis that the loss to the State fell within the range of €85,000 to €90,000

Mr Justice Birmingham said Onofrei was a Romanian national who came to the State before the Accession Treaty between the EU and his home country had taken full effect.

The result was that while he was able to travel to Ireland he was not entitled to work legally.

On his arrival he engaged in forms of casual work such as gardening, power washing and cutting trees. Then he equipped himself with a false ID and false PPS number by acquiring a Lithuanian passport and driving license, Mr Justice Birmingham said.

With the false ID and PPS number he was in a position to obtain work in the construction industry and during that time he paid taxes appropriately, the judge said.

In 2009, he lost his job and at that stage proceeded to claim jobseekers allowance then other forms of social welfare.

The bulk of the monies involved were obtained through the use of the false ID, Mr Justice Birmingham said, but the family income supplement, to which he was not entitled because his wife was working at the time, was claimed in his own name.

Onofrei's barrister, Michael Bowman SC, submitted that the judge should have considered a partial suspension of his client's three year sentence having regard to the manner in which he approached the case.

Onefrei was a married father of two at the time of sentencing, had no previous convictions and had cooperated with the gardaí, Mr Justice Birmingham said.

The point had been made, Mr Justice Birmingham said, that the debt to the State remains and steps will be taken to recover it.

However, the effect to which any such effort would be successful remained to be seen and must be in doubt, the judge said.

It was prolonged, persistent offending and had to be regarded as serious, Mr Justice Birmingham said.

He said the court could only intervene if an error in principle was identified and only if the sentence imposed was not one that was available to the sentencing judge.

The sentence selected by the judge was one that was open to him, Mr Justice Birmingham said. It fell within the range of available sentences and the approach he took was not one that disclosed any error in principle.

Accordingly, Mr Justice Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, dismissed the appeal.

A young man turned "demonic", attempted to "eat the pavement" and acted like a "wild animal" as he lay naked and covered in blood on the footpath after taking the designer drug 2CB.

A neighbour who witnessed the party-goer being treated by paramedics has told how he "acted possessed" and made "inhuman noises" as gardaí attempted to restrain him.

Students in Cork are being warned to remain vigilant after six young people from the city were hospitalised after consuming a new designer drug.

Our investigation into dangerous drugs is here.

An 18-year-old man is in a critical condition and three others remain in hospital after taking the drug 2CB.

Gardaí were responding to a call about a house party in the Greenmount area of the city yesterday morning when they discovered a man lying in a pool of blood outside a house.

Two more students were discovered unconscious inside the house and three were hospitalised after becoming unwell.

One neighbour told how he looked out his bedroom window and saw three gardaí "running towards" a man in his mid-20s.

"They pinned him to the pavement. The guy started making this unmerciful screaming. I've never heard a human being create those sounds out of his body.

"It sounded like an animal baying while stuck in a trap... He was absolutely drenched in blood."

He said what really scared him was witnessing the man attempt to "eat the pavement".

It is the first time that the 2CB drug has been seen in Ireland. Sources said that the students bought the 'head-shop-style' drug online.

All six were brought to Cork University Hospital and two were later discharged.

However, an 18-year-old male was in a critical but stable condition last night.

Gardaí at Anglesea Station in Cork are investigating the matter and believe that the students had been out in the city before returning to the house late on Monday night. A spokesperson for the HSE said that 2CB is a new psychoactive substance similar to those products previously sold in 'head-shops'.

"There are problems with purity and contaminants and there is no way of checking that what is purchased or consumed is the intended substance," they said. Gardaí are investigating how the students got the drugs and the HSE has said it will be weeks before blood tests can reveal what was in them.

HSE addiction services manager for Cork and Kerry David Lane said it was not safe to consume head-shop type substances.

A number of people were injured after a brawl broke out at a pub on Dominick Street in Co Westmeath, last St Patrick’s Day.

Gardai in Mullingar have arrested 14 men, ranging in age from late teens to mid-40s, this morning in relation to the incident.

The 14 men are due to appear in Mullingar District Court this morning charged in relation to the brawl 

Kenneth O'Brien

Kenneth O’Brien’s murder “looks like some sort of execution” said a friend of the deceased Dubliner.

The dad of one’s dismembered torso was found stuffed inside a suitcase in the Grand Canal, last weekend.

His remains were identified after a DNA sample provided by a family member proved a match.

Gardai say that Kenneth may have been murdered by someone with a personal grudge, as the JCB driver had no links to crime.

Today a friend of Ken’s who worked with him in Australia told Independent.ie that Irish community there are in shock at what happened.

“Ken lived for his family and was a hard worker. We can’t understand how or why his life could have ended this way,” he said.

“He went about his work, kept quiet, and gave nobody cause for concern or reason to criticise him,” he added.

“He worked continuously and missed his family greatly, and wanted to start his own business when he went home. He would always talk about how he missed his little boy,” said the Irishman who worked with Ken.

“When the little lad started to walk Ken was nearly in tears because he wanted to be be there to see him growing,” he added.

“We’ve been following the case out here because it is so unusual, and then this morning to see Ken’s photo in the reports is just such a shock. We can't understand it,” he explained.

“Ken was not in trouble with anyone and this looks like some sort of execution. We just can’t understand it,” he added.

“Although Ken was a big man, he didn’t carry himself as a hard man. He was a mechanic, just doing his work to provide for his family,” he said.

The mechanic and JCB driver returned home from Australia in December and was found by horrified walkers.

His body had been dismembered and his limbs were stuffed into plastic bags inside a suitcase.

An investigator told the Irish Independent: "It is rarely that we come across such savagery and we will be looking at people known to us with a history of violence as we sift through possible suspects for this awful crime."

Leixlip garda Supt Gerry Wall described the heartbreak after Mr O’Brien’s identity was confirmed.

He said: "He's a family man, with a partner. I spoke with his family this evening. They are devastated and grief-stricken."

"If you have spoken to him by email, phone or text, we would like to hear from you.

"The fact he was last seen in Clondalkin, Clondalkin is of particular interest to us. He was last seen on Friday morning. He hasn't been seen since and no contact has been made."

His disappearance was reported to the gardaí in Clondalkin the following evening.

Gardaí have not yet located where he was murdered and his body dismembered, but intensive investigations are continuing in west Dublin and north Kildare.

Officers said last night that securing a positive identification of the victim was a significant development in their investigation, and opened up fresh avenues of inquiry.

He is described as being 6'2" tall with a stocky build, and he wore a beard.

Supt Wall added: "At this stage, there is no indication why this crime was perpetrated." Gardaí were speaking to neighbours in the areas as the made door-to-door enquiries.

Neighbours spoke of their shock at what had occurred, but said that Mr O'Brien was not well-known in the area as he had only recently returned from overseas.

Eddie Girvan

The discovery of a 67-year-old man's body in his Greenisland home on Monday night was sparked by a strange sequence of events.

The dead man has been named as Eddie Girvan, who lived at Station Road in the Co Antrim town.

The pensioner was found dead in a chair on the ground floor of his property, with his hands tied and with a stab wound to the chest.

The discovery was made after police entered the property on Monday night at around 9.30pm.

They had gone directly to the house after earlier arresting a person in Belfast on what is believed to have been an unrelated matter. Enquiries with the arrested person then prompted police to visit Mr Girvan's address.

When officers got to the pensioner's home they found the doors locked. After gaining entry, they found Mr Girvan dead in the chair, the victim of a brutal attack.

A post mortem is expected to determine the time of death.

Three people, including a 29-year-old woman and two men, aged 23 and 24, have been arrested in Belfast on suspicion of murder. They are being interviewed at Musgrave police station in Belfast.

Locals say Eddie Girvan is the father of Belfast-born actress and assistant director Amanda Girvan, who appeared in TV series Give My Head Peace and I Fought the Law.

Mr Girvan was said to be a very private man who collected antiques. According to neighbours he collected Rolex watches and other valuable antiques including old guns, but the police insist robbery is not a line of inquiry they are pursuing.

Mr Girvan had a number of CCTV cameras around his property, in the porch and in an upstairs bedroom.

The PSNI also want to trace the movements of Mr Girvan's silver Hyundai car, which was seen driving dangerously towards Belfast and was later found in the Verner Street area of the city.

Detective Chief Inspector John McVea is the officer leading the investigation.

He said: "A post mortem examination will take place to confirm the exact cause of Mr Girvan's death. However, I can confirm that, at this time, we are treating his death as murder.

"An incident such as this is unusual for a community like Greenisland and I am appealing to local people for their assistance.

"Detectives are making house to house enquiries because we need to speak to those local people who knew Eddie Girvan and saw him in the past few days.

"I also want to hear from anyone who saw or heard any activity at Mr Girvan's home at 162 Station Road over the past weekend until Monday morning around 7am."

The detective added: "My final appeal point is about Eddie Girvan's car, a silver Hyundai Sonata, registration number MKZ 9818. I need to hear from anyone who saw this silver car any time over the weekend, either in Greenisland or Belfast until it was recovered in the Verner Street area of the city in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

"We know it was spotted being driven dangerously along the motorway between Rathcoole and Belfast.

"This is a shocking crime and our sympathies today are with Mr Girvan's family and friends.

"It is too early to say why Mr Girvan was killed. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at Seapark on the non-emergency number 101. Alternatively, anyone who does not want to provide their details can phone the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

The community in Greenisland has been left in shock following the murder. Just a few doors up the street from Mr Girvan's house is the Hairways salon belonging to Julie Bell. She said she heard the news yesterday morning and could not believe it, as Eddie regularly came into her salon for a coffee.

"I spoke to Eddie last Wednesday," said Julie. "He always came in here for a coffee and a chat. I can't believe anyone would do this.

"He was a character and has been living here for over 40 years. It is desperate this has happened in such a quiet area.

"Eddie was separated and has two daughters. He was very nice but also very lonely.

"His cat, Sam, would always come here to be fed and would sleep here most of the day. He used to be a plumber but hasn't worked in years.

"I simply cannot believe he is gone. It is very sad indeed."

Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said the police were at Mr Girvan's house last week. However, the PSNI would not confirm this.

Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson said he was shocked by the death of Mr Girvan, a man he knew well. Mr Dickson said: "This stretch of road is a quiet residential area and this death will stun people there. I am very shocked and saddened by this incident, particularly as I knew the deceased well, as did many people in the area. This death will be hard to fathom for the whole community. My deepest condolences are with this poor man's family and friends at this most traumatic of times.

"I would appeal to anyone with information on this sad incident to contact police immediately."

Belfast Telegraph