Part of the haul seized by gardai in Cabra last month

A CAR key seized from a 32-year-old Dublin man led gardai to a cache of machine guns, revolvers and 100 rounds of ammunition, a court was told today.

Unemployed father-of-one Graham Gardiner was remanded in custody with consent to bail on Wednesday after he was charged over a firearms haul at Quarry Road, in Cabra, Dublin, on November 5 last.

Judge Anthony Halpin ordered that €2,000 must be lodged before Mr Gardiner from Carnlough Road, Dublin can take up bail with strict conditions. The accused will face his next hearing on Friday at Cloverhill District Court.

He faces two charges under the Firearms Act for unlawful possession of two MP9 machine guns and three Smith & Wesson revolvers along with 100 rounds of assorted ammunition - including four loaded machine-gun clips - and two silencers.

Det Ronan Doolan, who is attached to the garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, told Dublin District Court that Mr Gardiner "made no reply" when he was charged just before 1am on Wednesday.

He objected to bail citing the seriousness of the charges, which can carry a 14-year sentence.

Det Gda Doolan said it was alleged that the accused and two others were stopped on November 5 during a planned operation. He was detained at Mountjoy garda station, where he was allegedly found in possession of car keys.

All three people were released without charge, however, a number of hours later gardai located a '05-reg Subaru Outback in an underground car-park at an apartment complex at Quarry Road, in Cabra.

The car key opened the Subaru and a Nike holdall bag was located in the boot, the court heard. Det Gda Doolan said that in the bag they found two MP9 machine guns, four loaded magazine clips, two silencers and two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns.

Another Smith & Wesson was found in the glove compartment in the car, Det Gda Doolan said. He told the court that DNA profiles matching the accused were recovered from three of the five guns, including one of the MP9s. He said that one DNA profile was recovered from the trigger, the handle and the catch of one of the Smith & Wesson handguns.

He agreed with defence solicitor Peter Connolly that the DNA report he received was a verbal one and that when questioned, Mr Gardiner denied any criminal culpability or possession of these firearms.

The garda also agreed that Mr Gardiner accepted he had possession of the key and gave his version of events as to how he came to have it, and he could not clarify how his DNA was found on the firearms.

The garda confirmed that the defendant's passport has been seized, agreed he had no appreciable means and that no cash was seized.

Pleading for bail, Mr Connolly asked the judge to set stringent conditions. Det Gda Doolan said a cash lodgement would not allay his fears and "these matters relate to issues going on in Dublin".

The defence solicitor told the court his client is on Jobseekers Allowance, had family commitments and he argued that it was a case where bail could be fixed.

Judge Halpin said the defendant faced serious charges but he agreed to set bail in Mr Gardiner's own bond of €1,000 and a €1,000 independent surety.

Once bail is taken up he must sign on daily at a garda station, reside at an agreed address and notify gardai of any change, obey an 11pm to 7am curfew and not apply for a new passport or travel documents.

The judge also told him that he must carry a mobile phone number on which he can be contactable at all times.

Dressed in a grey tracksuit bottoms, anorak, black jumper and white runners, Mr Gardiner remained silent throughout the hearing. Free legal aid was granted.

FILE PHOTO

A teenager who attacked and stabbed a Brazilian man on a tram after the man tried to defend himself with a fake taser has been sentenced to six years in prison.

There was blood on the floor of the Luas tram travelling towards Goldenbridge, Dublin in the wake of the incident on May 6 last year, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

Ross Behan (19) with an address in Benmadigan Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to the man who was on his way to work. He also pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possession of a knife.

Judge Melanie Greally described Behan's behaviour in the attack as “bizarre and threatening” before she imposed consecutive sentences totalling six years and suspended the final three years of the term.

Garda Aidan Shaughnessy said Behan approached the victim on the Luas and showed him his knife before telling the man to hand over his phone. The man stood up and, while pretending to produce his phone, took out a flashlight that “makes a sound like a taser”, Gda Shaughnessy said.

A stand-off ensued and as the Luas came to a stop, Behan stabbed the man in the forearm and fled.

His victim suffered a one inch laceration to his arm and was taken to St James's Hospital for treatment. Behan was identified from CCTV footage and arrested shortly afterwards.

He also pleaded guilty to breaking and entering a house in Inchicore between June 28 and 29 last year and stealing two cars. He crashed and abandoned them both, the court heard. He has 27 previous convictions including for burglary and theft.

Behan handed up three letters of apology to the court. Eoin Lawlor BL, defending, said his client was on drugs at the time of the offences and “out of his mind”. He was extremely remorseful for his actions.

Behan had a difficult childhood, with an alcoholic father who left when he was nine-months-old, the court heard.

At the age of 10, Behan fell into a canal and was in a coma for four days. “His mother can tell the court she was returned a different child to the one who went out to play that day,” Mr Lawlor said.

Counsel said his client wanted to spend additional time in jail so he could be better prepared for his ultimate release into the community. He said his client wanted to undergo counselling and engage with the Probation Service while in custody.

Judge Greally said it was “an unusual request” but accepted that he had settled into the regime in prison and was putting his time there to good use. “However a prolonged incarceration will not ultimately best serve you or the community,” the judge said.

She accepted that the root cause of both offences was Behan's drug addiction and ordered that he engage in drug treatment on his release.

Members of the Irish Citizen Army Re-enactment Group at last night's launch

Members of the Irish Citizen Army Re-enactment Group with (front) SIPTU General Secretary Joe O’Flynn, and Irish Prison Officer General Secretary, John Clinton

The 2017 Irish Citizen Army (ICA) Charity Calendar, sales of which will benefit two very worthy charities, was launched in Dublin's Liberty Hall last night.

The calendar features historic images of the Irish Citizen Army, alongside photographs from the ICA Re-enactment Group's work this year.

The calendar also includes an introduction by President of Ireland Michael D Higgins

The group, which includes members of the Prison Officers Association and SIPTU, were in attendance last night in period uniform alongside relatives of members of the Irish Citizen Army.

Also in attendance were representatives of Make-a-Wish Ireland and Focus Ireland, the two charities who will receive proceeds from the sale of the calendar.

Focus Ireland Director of Advocacy, Mike Allen, said: “We want to thank everyone involved in publishing this Irish Citizen Army commemorative calendar for including Focus Ireland as one of the beneficiaries of sales. The men and women who went out with the Citizen’s Army to fight for Irish freedom had a clear idea of the sort of Republic they hoped to create.
 
“As working people they would have been familiar with the dreadful slum condition and overcrowded housing which dominated Dublin at the time. They would be horrified to think that 100 years on there are over 1,000 families living in emergency homeless accommodation and dozens of men and women forced to spend the night on the city streets.”
 
The calendar costs €10 and is available to purchase in Focus Ireland shops, from Liberty Hall in Dublin and online at http://calendar.siptu.ie

Image via An Garda Siochana

Several premises were raided today by CAB and gardai as part of an investigation into a Limerick organised crime gang.

Gardai from the Criminal Assets Bureau, assisted by local garda units, carried out a number of searches on foot of search warrants today.

The raids were in relation to a CAB investigation, Operation Oakleaf, into an organised crime gang in Rathkeale, Co Limerick.

The searches were conducted at seven private residences and four premises in the Limerick area.

CAB Officers seized a significant amount of cash, as well as a large volume of documents and other evidence related to assets. This evidence will be further examined by specialist Bureau Officers.

The CAB investigation relates to suspected criminal activity by an organised crime gang in Ireland, the UK and Europe.

During the course of the searches in private residences in Rathkeale, two men were arrested by local gardai for minor public order offences.

During the course of this operation Gardaí seized a large sum of cash, in the region of €150,000.

 
Two males, aged 26 and 47, were arrested for Public Order Offences and conveyed to Newcastle West Garda station, they were charged and brought to Newcastle West District Court and bailed to appear in Court again on the 3rd January 2017 at Newcastle West District Ct at 10.30am.

Seanna Walsh

THIS is the top former IRA commander who the Stack brothers believed they were taken to meet at a safe house on the border in a blacked-out van by Gerry Adams.

Provo chief Seanna Walsh is best known to the public as the man who read out a statement from the IRA Army Council announcing the end to its armed campaign in 2005.

But today, the Sunday World sources reveal that Walsh is the shadowy IRA officer whom the Stack brothers believe they met and who admitted the organisation killed their prison officer father, Brian.

The meeting – which happened in a safe house in the border region – had been set up by Gerry Adams, who is now locked in a political crisis over the affair.

Austin and Oliver Stack were driven to a meeting in a blacked-out van with Adams in 2013. The brothers were told details of their father’s murder by the IRA while the Sinn Fein chief listened.

They said they were “99 per cent” sure of the identity of the senior Provo they met. 

Yesterday Walsh, now a member of Belfast City Council, denied he was the man who met the Stack brothers in a statement issued by his solicitor.

“I refer to the allegation made by ‘sources’ that our client met with them in 2013 in relation to the death of their father.

“Please be advised that my client categorically refutes any such allegation. My client has never met either of the Stack brothers in relation to their father’s death.”
Walsh himself earlier told the Sunday World he had “no comment”, adding, “I was in Long Kesh in 1983”.

Pressure is now mounting on Adams to name the senior Provo who met the brothers and to pass the information to the gardaí.  The Sinn Fein leader knows the truth about the meeting but is refusing to name names.

Another senior Sinn Fein figure named in Adams’ email to the garda commissioner as one of four people with information surrounding the Stack murder, also denied any knowledge. 

The Sunday World has learned ‘Pat Doherty’ was another of those named in the email.

But last night in a statement to the Sunday World, Sinn Fein MP for west Tyrone Pat Doherty said: “I have no information relating to, or knowledge of, the murder of Brian Stack.” 

Seanna Walsh served time in the Maze on two occasions, firstly after being arrested in 1973 for robbing a bank and again in 1976 for possession  of a firearm. 

Walsh, from the Short Strand area of Belfast, went on to become Officer Commanding the IRA prisoners in the Maze. 

He was arrested again in the 1980s after being caught making explosives and was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

He became involved with Sinn Fein in west Belfast and is believed to have chosen to meet the Stack brothers. A source described Seanna as Gerry Adams’ “go-to” man in Belfast. The shadowy figure Adams took the Stacks to meet was also described as his “trusted confidante”.

A Chief Officer at Portlaoise Prison, Brian Stack was shot in the neck as he left a boxing tournament at the National Stadium in Dublin. 

The father of three was left paralysed and brain damaged and died 18 months after the attack.

At the 2013 meeting, Austin and Oliver were told the IRA had killed their father in an “unsanctioned” killing and those responsible had been disciplined. It was the first time the IRA accepted responsibility for the killing.

The row erupted in the Dail this week when TDs Martin Ferris and Dessie Ellis were named as being two of the names in Adams’ email under Dáil privilege by Fine Gael’s Alan Farrell.

Ferris was in Portlaoise Prison for gun-smuggling when Stack was killed and referred to the prison officer in his biography as “particularly vindictive”.

Bomb maker Ellis was forensically linked to 50 murders during the Troubles, according to secret British papers that were released in 2012.

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison on explosives charges in the 1980s.

A fourth man in an email sent to the garda commissioner by Gerry Adams cannot be named because he is facing unconnected criminal charges.

A bitter war of words broke out this week as Austin accused Adams of lying by claiming the names were given to him by the Stack family. Austin claims it is the other way around.

A man in his 20s has died after being hit by a car in Durrow, Co Offaly, this morning.

Gardai are investigating a fatal collision which occurred at Durrow, Co Offaly, on the N52 Kilbeggan to Tullamore Road, at approximately 1.40am this morning.

A 26-year-old pedestrian was fatally injured when he was struck by a car on the N52. 

The driver of the car, a man, was not injured.

The stretch of road on the N52 is closed to facilitate a garda Forensic Collision Investigation.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information, particularly those who were travelling on the N52 this morning, to contact Tullamore garda station on 057 9327600, the garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111 or any garda station. 

And in a follow-up appeal this afternoon gardaí have appealed in particular to a caller who contacted Tullamore Garda Station prior to the incident.

They have requested that this person and those who were travelling on the N52 this morning to contact Tullamore Garda station.

The latest death brings the number of people killed in traffic-related incidents to 179 so far this year. 

According to the Road Safety Authority, this is an increase of 35 people from 2015.

Michael Hassani (right) arrives in court today

The Only Way Is Essex star Michael Hassini must carry out unpaid work after crashing his car on his way home from a wrap party and being found with cocaine.

The 22-year-old was more than two times over the drink-drive limit when he was pulled over following the crash, in Oxford Street, central London, on August 15.

Police officers followed him after he crashed his Mercedes into another car, which then collided with a bus, before driving off and heading the wrong way up a dual carriageway.

Hassini pleaded guilty at Hammersmith Magistrates' Court to possessing the class A drug, having admitted at a previous hearing to driving with excess alcohol.

Moments earlier he had been acquitted of assaulting a detention officer while in custody at Charing Cross police station.

Hassini was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work, pay £170 in costs and was disqualified from driving for 21 months.

The star, dressed in a black suit, white shirt and black tie, said "no thank you" when asked to comment outside court.

Hassini, from the Pilgrims Hatch area of Brentwood, Essex, was arrested at 3.50am that morning and a "small" wrap of cocaine was found in his pocket.

In police custody at 5.01am, he gave a breath test, which was recorded at 92 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath - more than double the drink drive limit of 35 micrograms per 100ml.

He was placed in a cell where custody staff were required to check on him every 30 minutes.

The star, who was suspended from the hit ITV show after his arrest, told the court he was "drunk" after going out to a Towie wrap party, following a day of filming the previous day.

He said when he was pulled over by police, he knew he was going to be arrested.

He added he "passed out almost immediately" after being placed in the cell.

In sentencing him, judge Richard Blake said: "You are a young man. I am told at the time of these offences you had something of a leading role in a popular television programme, of reality TV based on lives in Essex.

"The last three months brought that career to an end. I can see from the evidence before me there's a serious question mark over whether that will be open to you again."

Judge Blake warned Hassini over his use of cocaine, which he said the star had taken during the party, and added: "The message should go out, particularly at this time of year when people's lives are ruined by drink driving, that the court will punish these offences."

Nick Barraclough, defending, said his client had not planned to drive home following the party.

"He had planned to drink," Mr Barraclough said.

"He left the event and thought that with hindsight he probably left the car inappropriately parked and was going to move it, collided with another vehicle.

"There was an altercation, not surprisingly, with the occupants of that vehicle and it was then that he drove away.

"He is someone who acknowledges his wrong and the risk he put others at. It's been a steep learning curve."

Following a short trial on Wednesday over the assault allegation, the judge said he "cannot be satisfied" the reality star intentionally kicked out at the woman officer, Susanne Werth, during a routine welfare check.

Hassini told the court he had been "asleep" at the time and had "zero recollection" of being roused by any officers.

A custody form recorded the star as having "glazed eyes" and being "slightly drowsy".

Two detention officers, who entered the cell shortly after 7am, told the court Hassini swung at them and kicked Miss Werth, resulting in bruising.

Mr Barraclough suggested Hassini was asleep throughout the welfare check and the kick was made while he was in a "deep sleep or stupor".

Hassini described Towie as "exaggerated reality" when explaining the show to the judge.

He said: "Obviously, it's not a scripted programme. We are able to say exactly what we like.

"Scenarios are created, we may have confrontations with certain individuals... They set the meetings up and we will, through our own free will, speak."

In interview with police following the incident, he expressed shock at the allegations.

He told officers: "I absolutely have no recollection of that. For me to kick out would be violent and very out of character.

"I've never been aggressive, never been anywhere near a fight. It's just not something in me to do nothing like that."

The court heard Hassini, who grew up and went to school in Essex, had one previous conviction for a driving offence.

STOCK IMAGE

A teenager has avoided a jail term for an attack on two skateboarders who had shouted at his sister over her use of a mobile phone on a bus.

Allan Scanlon (18) and two accomplices attacked Robert Hunt and Keith Walsh after they got off the bus. One of the other men had a hammer and Mr Hunt told gardai he was hit on the head with the hammer.

Scanlon of Swan Grove, Ranelagh, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Robert Hunt causing him harm on May 27, 2015 at Lower Rathmines Road in Dublin.

Judge Terence O'Sullivan suspended a six month prison sentence on condition that Scanlon keep the peace for 12 months and attend victim awareness work with the Probation Services.

Garda Gavin Kelly told the court that Mr Hunt and Mr Walsh had been drinking before getting on a bus in Dublin city centre. They had a confrontation with a woman on the upper deck of a bus whom they felt was talking loudly on her mobile phone.

Gda Kelly said Mr Walsh, who did not wish to participate in the prosecution, admitted he was aggressive towards Scanlon's sister on the bus and told her to “shut the f**k” up before banging the window. He apologised to gardai for this behaviour.

The court heard the woman went downstairs. The men alleged that when they were getting off the bus the woman was taking photos of them with her phone and told them “ye are dead”.

Both men got off the bus at Lower Rathmines Road and went into a shop to purchase more alcohol. When they came out of the shop they were set upon by the three young men who had implements in their hands including a hammer and a sharp plastic object.

Mr Hunt told gardai that Scanlon shouted “you were nasty to my sister” at him. The other two youths took the victims' skateboards before running off.

The skateboards were recovered by gardai at the scene and Scanlon's blood was found on one of them. He claimed he was hit with the skateboard after he accused the men of verbally abusing his sister.

Scanlon, who has no previous convictions, claimed it was a “plastic object” he used to assault Mr Hunt and not a hammer but “can't remember what the plastic object was.”

Judge O'Sullivan said the attack was organised and premeditated. He said the young men went in looking for trouble after a “perceived insult” to Scanlon's sister.

“You’re entitled to disagree with someone using a mobile phone on a bus,” he said but added that what happened next shouldn't have happened.

He accepted that Scanlon had shown genuine remorse. He also noted that he had no previous convictions and that a report from Youth Reach was very positive.

Blood on the pavement outside the Palmerstown Lodge B&B on June 9, 2015

A Dublin man has gone on trial accused of murdering a fellow B&B resident.

On Monday at the Central Criminal Court, Terry (Terence) Connors (42) of Drumcairn Avenue, Tallaght, Dublin 24 pleaded not guilty to murdering Peter Conroy (27) at Palmerstown Lodge B&B, Kennelsfort Road Lower, Palmerstown, Dublin 20 on June 9, 2015.

Before his trial commenced this afternoon, Mr Connors was rearraigned and pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter.

The plea was not accepted by the State.

Mr Connors also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Elaine Blunt at the same address on the same date.

Opening the prosecution case to the jury this afternoon, Mr Paul Carroll SC said that while the evidence is primarily oral, they will also be viewing CCTV footage.

Counsel told the jury they will hear evidence about events on June 9, 2015 and in particular from the early hours of that morning at Palmerstown Lodge B&B in Palmerstown.

“A lot of people were staying in the B&B, people who didn’t own houses at the time. They were being put up and it was been paid for by social welfare,” said Mr Carroll.

These people included Ms Elaine Blunt, the partner of the deceased.

The deceased, Peter Conroy, would visit regularly and stay there.

The barrister told the jury they would also hear that the accused man and his partner Brigid Connors were living in the B&B with their children.

“You will hear that there had been a wedding on in Sallynoggin the previous day and a lot of people living in the B&B had gone to this.

In the early hours of June 9 people started arriving back and in or around 3am that morning events happened which led to Mr Conroy being stabbed by Terry Connors. You will see footage of these events,” he said.

“This is an important part of the case as to your assessment of what is going on in that footage and the actions of Terry Connors and others and whether what happened amounts to murder as opposed to manslaughter. It will be a matter for you to assess that evidence,” he said.

Mr Carroll told the jury they would hear from Mr Conroy's partner Elaine Blunt.

Counsel told the jury they would hear that an ambulance arrived at the scene and Mr Conroy was brought to hospital.

“You will hear about his injuries including a wound to the left part of his neck and other wounds which the prosecution say was a result of the knife being used by the accused. Mr Conroy was operated on but subsequently died,” he said.

Mr Carroll told the court that they will hear evidence from Chief State Pathologist Marie Cassidy who carried out a post mortem on Mr Conroy.

“Dr Cassidy gave his cause of death as hemorrhage and shock due to bleeding from a knife wound to the neck and as a contributory factor stab wounds to the head and neck,” he said

Mr Garnet Orange SC, for the accused, then made certain admissions on behalf of his client to the jury.

These included that the man walking down the stairs in one of the clips from the CCTV footage is his client and at the time he had a knife in his possession.

Mr Orange also told the court that the evidence received by gardai and the crime scene was properly preserved.

This afternoon prosecution counsel Mr Carroll called Garda Sharon Hanly, who was on duty at the time, to give evidence.

Gda Hanly agreed with counsel that the owner of the B&B made a call to gardai at 3.40am in the morning.

The witness told the court that a number of people were outside the B&B when she arrived and she could see Peter Conroy lying on the footpath beside the B&B and there was a male holding a towel to his neck area.

There was a large volume of blood on the pathway and she rang for medical assistance.

Gda Hanly noted that Peter Conroy appeared to have a serious neck injury and people in the proximity were acting frantic and aggressive.

The court heard that a recording unit was present in the premises of the B&B which recorded footage.

Gardai later downloaded footage from the owner of the B&B from between 00.08 and 4.30am on June 9.

The jury then viewed a compilation of the CCTV footage and in a clip the accused man can be seen coming down the stairs of the B&B.

In another clip Peter Conroy can be seen.

The footage also showed a fight breaking out between two women.

Gda Hanly agreed with Mr Orange, for the accused, that the footage is capable of being broken down into a number of different areas including the reception area of the B&B.

The witness agreed that a row had broken out in the vicinity of one of the bedrooms about five minutes before Mr Conroy was injured.

The witness also agreed with Mr Orange that his client can be seen coming down the stairs wearing a blue top with nothing underneath which was consistent with a man being in bed.

Gda Hanly said when she arrived at the scene she was met by an agitated group of people.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Butler and a jury of five men and seven women. It is expected to last between three and four days.

Gardai at the scene of a house fire in Ballyogan Crescent in Carrickmines

Gardai at the scene of a house fire in Ballyogan Crescent in Carrickmines

Gardai at the scene of a house fire in Ballyogan Crescent in Carrickmines

The scene of a house fire in Ballyogan Crescent in Carrickmines

The scene of a house fire in Ballyogan Crescent in Carrickmines

Gardai are investigating the cause of a house fire in Carrickmines, south Dublin on Tuesday night.

It’s understood a man was taken to hospital following the fire, which caused severe damage to the family home.

The fire broke out at the house on Ballyogan Crescent at around Midnight on Tuesday.

A number of Dublin Fire Brigade units and gardaí attended the scene.

Three tenders and a district officer were called to the house.

Gardai confirmed that emergency services were called to the property at Ballyogan Crescent, Carrickmines, shortly before midnight.

One theory being explored is that the cause of the fire was electrical.

Gardai are not treating the fire as suspicious.

There were five people in the house at the time, understood to be three children and two adults.

A man in his 50’s required hospital treatment after the blaze.

Svetlana Roslina (image via Independent.ie)

A young mum of two has died after falling into a tank of molten chocolate at a sweet factory in Russia.

Mum-of-two Svetlana Roslina (24) was working at the Sergiev-Posad confectionery factory in Fedortsovo, which is around 100km away from Moscow, when she fell into the vat.

According to local media the woman fell in after she dropped her mobile phone into the pot and tried to reach it.

Other reports suggest she was pouring flour into the mixture when she fell in.

“She was minced, only her legs were left,” said a local at the sweet factory.

Russian police were said to be investigating the circumstances.

GARDAI and members of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) raided a number of homes this morning, seizing drugs and arresting a man.

Gardai from the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) Division, assisted by officers from CAB and the Special Detective Unit, searched a number of addresses in the south city today.

The raids got underway at 6.30am this morning.

A large quantity of documentation was seized, as well as a small quantity of controlled drugs.

A 34-year-old man was arrested in relation to theft offences.

He is currently detained at Pearse Street garda station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

Via Independent.ie

Gardai fear fallout in Rathkeale, Co Limerick, after two members of a notorious Traveller gang have clashed in a row over profits from scams conducted across Europe.

According to reports in the Irish Sun, gardai are on high alert because they expect the men to return before Christmas.

A garda bulletin was sent out to stations across Munster over fears that the duo could have a public confrontation.

A source told The Sun: “These individuals are closely connected and have been involved in a wide range of criminality for many years. They were both involved in a row over money that was going missing and there is a concern they could clash again when they return to Limerick.

“The only thing that matter to these people is cash, and who had the most money, the nicest house and the fastest car.

“The concern is that their dispute could lead to other individuals becoming involved.”

Gardai at the scene of the raid today

Gardai have raided a number of homes in the capital’s south-inner city and Tallaght in their latest operation against the Kinahan cartel.

The raids, which were carried out as part of Operation Thistle, started at 6.30am this morning.

Gardai and members of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) searched a number of homes this morning, seizing drugs and arresting a man.

Today's operation comes a day after gardai unveiled the new armed support unit to tackle feuding gangs in the city.

A large quantity of financial documentation was seized today, as well as a small quantity of controlled drugs.

In total, six properties were searched in the swoop.

Photos shows six gardai searching a house and a car in the Tallaght area.

A 34-year-old man was arrested in relation to theft offences.

He is being detained at Pearse Street garda station, under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

These raids were part of an ongoing operation targeting middle and lower-ranking members of the Kinahan cartel in Dublin.

The raids represent the fourth swoop on south-inner city gangs, which comprise the middle and lower ranks of the Kinahan mob in the capital.

Last June, €1.4m worth of heroin was seized, and one man was arrested, while in May some €300,000 of drugs were confiscated.

These followed an operation in March during which 10 homes were raided and €50,000 in cash, along with €20,000 worth of jewellery, were seized.

On that occasion, gardai seized over €40,000 from the Liberties home of a young criminal who has been acting as a driver and business partner of Greg Lynch.

Gardai also forced entry into and searched an unoccupied property in the Oliver Bond flats complex, which was the family home of cartel figure Daniel Kinahan and where he was brought up as a child.

In a separate operation in March, gardai in neighbouring Crumlin and Drimnagh seized some €1m worth of assets in high-profile raids on members of the upper ranks of the Kinahan cartel.

Via Independent.ie

Dylan O Brien

Gardai are seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing 17-year-old Dylan O’Brien.

Dylan was last seen on the 12^th of December in the Ferryhouse area of Clonmel.

He is described as being 5ft 8in tall of stocky build with brown eyes and short brown hair.

When last seen he was wearing navy tracksuit pants, a black jacket and blue runners.

Anyone who has seen Dylan or who can assist in locating him is asked to contact Clonmel Garda Station on 052-6177640, The Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.

Sinead Higgins and her son Oisin O'Driscoll

Sinead Higgins

The discovery was made at The Fairway in Ruislip

The bodies of a woman and her seven-year-old son have been discovered after police forced their way into a house.

Officers were called to a house in The Fairway, Ruislip, west London, at around 10.50am on Wednesday over welfare concerns.

The bodies of the woman, in her mid-30s, and the young boy were discovered inside, the Metropolitan Police said.

Formal identification is yet to take place but police believe the deceased are Sinead Higgins and Oisin O'Driscoll and that their deaths did not involve a third party.

It is understood that Ms Higgins is originally from Westport, Co Mayo and is a qualified nurse.

She had retrained as a lawyer and was presently working for a medical negligence company as a legal adviser.

Residents told the Evening Standard that Ms Higgins had been living in London for two years.

Detective inspector Dave Bolton, from the Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: "The investigation is at a very early stage but inquiries so far lead us to believe there is a likelihood that the tragic events that led to the deaths do not involve a third party.

"We are appealing to anyone who has any information to come and speak with us."

A post-mortem examination is scheduled to take place at Fulham mortuary on Friday.

The community of Aughagower in Westport has been reeling in shock over news of the deaths.

A neighbour said Sinead’s death and that of her son is the latest in a string of tragedies to hit the Higgins family who are a well-known local family.

Sinead, one of ten siblings, lost her father Thomas Higgins (68) to cancer in August 2014 while her brother Cathal, (19) was tragically killed in a motorcycle crash in May, 2004 just months after he was the pallbearer at the funeral of local girl Aisling McGing (18), who was his date at his debs.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who knew Tom well as chairman of the local Fine Gael club, had visited Mr Higgins in hospital after he fell ill and attended his funeral.

Ms Higgins’ mother Mary, still lives in the family home in Arderry, but it’s understood that the remaining siblings are scattered in various places around the globe, including Sinead’s brothers Des, Barna, Micheál, David, Donal, Fintan and sisters Gina, Deirdre and Sharon.

“It’s desperate. Everyone is shocked,” the neighbour told Independent.ie.

He  said he didn’t know Sinead very well as she had left the area in her early 20s to pursue a career in nursing in the UK.

“We’d only see her on family occasions or at Christmas or summer holidays,” he said.

“But she’s been gone so long, no one really knows her here,” he said.

Local Mayo county councillor Michael Holmes (Ind) who is a distant relative of Mary Higgins, said he too was shocked and saddened to hear the news today.

While he only met Sinead several times when she was a young girl, he said her death and the death of Oisin, couldn’t have come at a worse time with Christmas just around the corner.

“The family will be coming from different corners of the world now,” he said of Sinead’s siblings returning home to comfort their mother.

“Your heart goes out to the mother and the rest of the family,” he said.

“They’re a decent and honourable family and are well respected in the area,” he added.

Via Independent.ie

Kane Kennedy

A father who smothered his seven-month-old son to death after he inflicted "frankly obscene" injuries to the child has been jailed for life.

Kane Kennedy, 20, forcibly got hold of Oskar Jobey-Kennedy's testicles by either gripping, pinching or twisting them.

He went on to push his fingers down the throat of the defenceless baby before finally placing his hand over Oskar's mouth at the family home in Morecambe, Lancashire.

On Thursday, Kennedy moved his hand over his own mouth in shock at Preston Crown Court as he was told he must serve a minimum of 18 years in detention before he can be considered for parole.

The regular cannabis smoker was said to have been "bad-tempered" when he could not get hold of the drug and argued regularly with Oskar's mother, Tia Jobey, 19.

Prior to Oskar's death on October 1 last year, Jobey sent text messages to Kennedy in which she confronted him about previously pushing his fingers down Oskar's throat and putting his hand over his mouth.

Sentencing, Mr Justice Davis told the defendant: "Oskar was seven months old when he was killed by you. Obviously he depended on those who had charge of his care to protect him and in his case both of those with immediate responsibility failed him.

"His mother knew that he was at serious risk and she did nothing adequate to protect him.

"Her culpability pales into insignificance compared to you. You are the one, on the jury's verdict, that killed that tiny baby.

"I am quite satisfied that what you did in the early hours of October 1 2015 was not a single isolated act ... you had deliberately ill-treated that child in the days and weeks prior to his death."

Although the judge accepted that Kennedy did not intend to kill his son, he questioned whether his actions were "out of some perverse kind of fun".

He added: "It was a dreadful thing to do to a seven-month-old."

The judge told Kennedy he was not someone who was in a "desperate situation" and had a "well supported" family background.

Michael Hayton QC, defending Kennedy, said that on the evidence heard both Kennedy and Jobey had "in large part" not been doing a bad job in bringing up Oskar and this was not a case of a "campaign" of abuse inflicted on the child.

Kennedy, who maintains his innocence and pointed the finger of blame at Jobey when giving evidence, was stunned as sentence was passed and shook his head as he was led from the dock.

Last week, Kennedy, formerly of Harewood Avenue, Heysham, was convicted by a jury of murder. He had denied murder and manslaughter.

Following conviction, detectives investigating the case described the injuries inflicted on Oskar as "frankly obscene".

Jobey, 19, of Balmoral Road, Morecambe, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to causing or allowing the death of a child and was sentenced last week to 30 months in a young offender institution.

The court heard Jobey and Kennedy started arguing two months before Oskar's death over Kennedy's use of cannabis.

Jobey told police Kennedy would be "stressy" when he could not smoke cannabis and said it "makes him paranoid about everything".

Paramedics were called to the Balmoral Road address shortly before 9am on October 1 last year to a report that Oskar had been found unresponsive.

He was taken to Royal Lancaster Infirmary but was pronounced dead soon after arrival.

A catalogue of non-accidental injuries were identified in the post-mortem examination, with a total of 13 marks to his face and neck.

There was also bruising to both testicles, with a jury being told such injuries would have caused "immense pain" when Oskar was alive.

Gardai have released images of the death kit the 'Royal Bomber' had in his possession when they raided his Longford home.

The man, who put an incendiary device on a Dublin-bound passenger bus and made bomb threats during the State visit of Queen Elizabeth five years ago, has been jailed for eight and a half years.

Donal Billings (66), with an address at St Bridget’s Court, Drumlish, County Longford, was found guilty last month by the three judge, non-jury Special Criminal Court of the unlawful possession of an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park on May 16th, 2011.

He was further found guilty of four offences under the Criminal Law Act of 1976 of knowingly making false reports tending to show that an offence had been committed.

Billings was convicted of making a false report within the State on May 16, 2011, that bombs had been placed at Busáras in Dublin and at Sinn Féin's headquarters.

He was also convicted of making a false report on May 18 that two mortars were set for Dublin Castle, and with making a false report on May 20 that two bombs had been placed in the toilets at Cork airport.

The trial, which lasted two weeks, was heard in both English and Irish, after Billings had invoked his right to be tried in the Irish language.

On the eve of and during the State visit of Queen Elizabeth five years ago, Billings called Longford garda station three times, threatening bombs on a Dublin-bound passenger bus, in Busaras and Sinn Fein's HQ, mortars at Dublin castle while the Queen was dining there and bombs at Cork airport, when she was due to fly out from the country.

On May 19 of that year, the night before the Queen arrived, a Corduff travel bus was stopped in Maynooth and searched by gardai, who found a suspicious object in the luggage compartment.

The device was a combination of gunpowder and a two-litre bottle containing petrol.

At this morning's sentence hearing, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, said that Billings had placed a highly dangerous explosive on a public transport vehicle containing an innocent driver and many passengers.

This was a "highly irresponsible and dangerous act", the judge said, which "recklessly exposed passengers, staff and members of the emergency services to very significant risk of serious injury or death".

Speaking after the sentencing outside the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin, Detective Inspector Pat Finlay said, "This investigation highlights the challenges Garda Siochana are facing, particularly in relation to this one individual capable and intent on causing disruption to a State visit."

Fraudsters are targeting innocent drivers in car parks and lodging bogus claims.

Insurance companies are warning customers to be vigilant in the run up to the festive season as a spike in the scam has been recorded recently. 

“In recent months Aviva has seen growing evidence of innocent motorists being targeted by fraudsters who are seeking financial gain from bogus insurance claims,” the company said in an email to customers.

“We have seen a trend of very minor collisions in public car parks resulting in the submission of personal injury claims for soft tissue injuries such as whiplash.”

Scammers are targeting drivers as they reverse out of a car parking space. They collide with them, usually with two or three passengers in the car.

The unsuspecting driver accepts they are at fault but all parties agree to swap details and not contact gardai.

A claim for damages is then made against the innocent driver, pushing up their premium.

A spokeswoman said the company noticed a trend when they examined previous claims.

“It has reared its head in the Munster area and we suspect it might happen in other parts of the country also.

“So we thought we should alert our customers to it,” she said.

“It’s quite likely that there might be CCTV footage in shopping centres that may be able to detect something,” she said.

A number of claims involving members of the same family have been made  against Aviva and other insurers recently.

Conor Faughnan, of the AA said the scenario is far too common in Ireland and has served to drive up premiums for all motorists.

“It has been part of the landscape in Ireland for a few years and it it fraud. It is one of the issues that drives up everyone’s premiums,” he said.

“It might seem like the most sensible thing to do, to just swap details and move on but you should keep as much of a record as possible.”

Fraud claims are a “scourge” Mr Faughnan said and too often insurance companies opt to settle to avoid legal costs and a potential loss in court.

While there have been some incidents recently of claims being thrown out in court and damages awarded against the claimers, insurance fraud “often seems like to easy a way to make money dishonestly” he said.

Mr Faughnan said he would advise people to check CCTV if necessary and to ensure to take as comprehensive a record of the incident as possible, including phone pictures.

He also advised people to inform the gardai even in the case of minor incidents.

“I think you should take as comprehensive a record as you can even if it’s a relatively minor incident,” he added.

Joao Carvalho

CRIMINAL charges are "being contemplated" following the death of a Portuguese mixed martial arts fighter in Dublin earlier this year.

An inquest into the death of Joao Carvalho today heard that the fighter died due to blunt force trauma to the head.

The 28-year-old developed an acute subdural haemorrhage due to blunt force trauma to the head, a post-mortem examination revealed.

Mr Carvalho died at Beaumont Hospital on April 11 last after he was knocked out in the third round of a Total Extreme Fighting contest at the National Boxing Stadium.

The welterweight fighter became unwell following a fight against Irish UFC fighter Charlie Ward on April 9.

He was rushed to Beaumont Hospital where he was pronounced dead two days later.

He was treated at the Richmond Intensive Care Unit at Beaumont Hospital, a neurocritical ICU staffed by neuro-specialty surgical, medical and nursing staff. Mr Carvalho was pronounced dead at the RICU unit around 10pm on April 11.

His brother Alexandre Carvalho identified his body to Garda Brian O’Shea of Santry Garda Station at the hospital, Dublin Coroner’s Court heard.

State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy conducted a post mortem examination the following day and the cause of death was given as acute subdural haemorrhage due to blunt force trauma to the head.

The MMA fighter's sudden death became the subject of two investigations, carried out by An Garda Siochana and the Health and Safety Authority. A Garda file has been submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and criminal proceedings are being contemplated, Detective Inspector Paul Cleary of Kevin Street Garda Station told the court.

DI Cleary applied for an adjournment under Section 25 Subsection 1 of the Coroner’s Act to allow time for a decision to be made.

"An Garda Siochana have prepared a file and it has been submitted to the DPP...criminal proceedings are being contemplated," DI Cleary told the court.

"The HSA have carried out a separate investigation," DI Cleary said.

Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane adjourned the inquest until June 2017 and extended her sympathies to the Carvalho family in Portugal. The family were not present in court but had been made aware of proceedings, the court heard.

Mr Carvalho reportedly began to feel unwell around 20 minutes after a technical knock out in the third round of his fight against Charlie Ward. He was representing the Portuguese club Team Nobrega.

The team released a statement following Carvalho’s death thanking Total Extreme Fighting medical staff at the venue and hospital staff for efforts to save his life. The statement said Mr Carvalho had ‘gained notoriety nationwide and internationally’ during his career and his death left the team and his family ‘heartbroken.’