By Isabel Hayes
A MAN who crashed a stolen bicycle into an elderly English tourist, shattering her elbow and leaving her with life-changing injuries, has been jailed for eight years.
Jeffrey Crowley (23) pleaded guilty to cycling into Christine Booth at Smithfield Square, Dublin, on August 2 last [2019], causing a substantial risk of death or serious harm. He pleaded guilty to damaging a bike lock and stealing a phone at Smithfield Square on the same date.
Crowley, of Blackhall Parade, Dublin, also pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Jason Kidd at Merchants Quay on October 24, 2018.
He further pleaded guilty to stealing a phone at Queen Street on July 24 that year and damaging a phone at George’s Lane on December 11, 2016, during which he pushed a woman to the ground and kicked her. He has 92 previous convictions.
Handing down a sentence of nine years and three months, with the final 15 months suspended, Judge Elma Sheahan noted it was “not an inconsiderable sentence”.
“But it would be an injustice to any of the individual injured parties to further reduce the sentence, which I believe reflects the totality of the offending,” she said.
She said the sentence “reflects what can only be described as a sequence of egregious individual acts”, noting that many of Crowley's offences involved “gratuitous violence”.
Judge Sheahan said he had refused help on a number of occasions from State bodies, including refusing to accept visits in custody from a probation officer.
Detective Garda Shane Connolly previously told Ger Small BL, prosecuting, that on the day Ms Booth was injured, Crowley stole a bike belonging to a Brazilian student staying in a hostel in Smithfield Square. He then stole a phone from a man walking through the square.
As Crowley made off at high speed on the stolen bike, he crashed into 72-year-old Ms Booth who was crossing the road with her family.
Ms Booth had just arrived in Ireland with her daughter and three grandchildren the day before the incident. The family had had an “idyllic holiday” up to that point and had spent that day in the zoo and the Phoenix Park, the court heard.
Ms Booth landed heavily on the ground, shattering her elbow and breaking her hip. The court heard she was in immediate “agony” following the fall. She was taken by ambulance to hospital where she underwent surgery later that night.
Doctors described it as the worst shattered elbow they had ever seen and Ms Booth has been advised she will need an elbow replacement. She will never be able to regain full strength in her arm, the court heard.
In a victim impact statement handed in to court, Ms Booth said the total financial loss was €3,878. She described how her daughter and grandchildren were extremely upset and how she can still hear her grandchildren “screaming and crying” in the aftermath of the incident.
She said she often thinks about how one of the children could have been seriously injured instead of her. The family never wishes to return to Ireland, the court heard.
The court also heard that on October 24, 2018, Jason Kidd was walking home from a night out with a colleague when three men approached him at Merchants Quay.
Crowley, who was one of three men, hit Mr Kidd in the head without warning. He was left with a broken nose.
Crowley was identified by gardaí from CCTV. When asked by gardaí why he hit Mr Kidd, he said he was on drugs and “frustrated”.
Crowley has been in custody since he was apprehended by gardaí shortly after the incident involving Ms Booth.
He is currently serving a suspended sentence for a previous conviction for assault causing harm that was reactivated when he failed to engage with Probation Services.
Keith Spencer BL, defending, said his client was “disgusted” at his behaviour and acknowledged the harm he had caused. He said that Crowley now wished to receive residential treatment for his addiction issues. He has a two-year-old son.
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By Isabel Hayes
A woman smeared the word 'PIGS' in menstrual blood on a prison cell wall after assaulting her partner's brother and kicking a Garda in the groin, a Dublin court has heard.
Lisa Geoghegan (34), with an address in Glovers Court, York Street, Dublin, was found guilty by a jury of one count of assault causing harm to Aidan Kenna and one count of assaulting Garda Anthony Sugrue on August 9, 2018, at Willans Way, Blanchardstown on August 9, 2017.
Prior to the one-week trial, which concluded earlier this month, she pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage to a prison cell wall at Blanchardstown Garda Station on August 10, 2017.
She was found not guilty by the jury of five further counts, including producing a stanley knife in the course of an assault, two counts of assault causing harm to two gardaí, one count of damaging a Garda ballistics vest and one count of intimidating a witness.
The trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Geoghegan was in a dysfunctional relationship with a man named Paul Kenna at the time of the incident. On the day in question, Mr Kenna's brother, Aidan Kenna, was concerned about his brother and called to Geoghegan's door. He was then assaulted, stabbed with a stanley knife and bitten in the hand.
He called 999 and when gardaí arrived at the scene, Ms Geoghegan refused to comply with demands to put her hands up. She was eventually carried out of the house by gardaí. She was found guilty of assaulting Garda Anthony Sugrue by kicking him in the groin during her arrest.
Geoghegan's child was present in the house at the time, the court heard.
After she was detained in a cell in Blanchardstown Garda Station, Geoghegan wrote 'PIGS' on the cell wall using her menstrual blood, the court heard. Sergeant Stephen Byrne told Derek Cooney BL, prosecuting, that it cost €150 to have the cell professionally cleaned.
Geoghegan's sentence hearing was told today that because the jury found her not guilty of producing a knife in the course of assaulting Aidan Kenna, then it could not be established that she was the person who stabbed him.
As a result, Judge Elma Sheahan said that in relation to the assault causing harm charge, she would be sentencing Geoghegan in relation to the biting element only.
Sgt Byrne told the court there is an outstanding warrant for Geoghegan's arrest in relation to a separate incident dating back to 2017. Judge Sheahan adjourned sentence to March 30 to allow for that matter to be dealt with. Geoghegan has no previous convictions.
Ciaran Macloughlin BL, defending, said his client was extremely intoxicated on the day in question.
He submitted Geoghegan was not violent towards gardaí until her child was removed from her care by arresting officers.
“My client was in a distraught situation where she had a difficult altercation with members of An Garda Siochana,” he said.
He noted she had been found not guilty of assaulting two other gardaí who were present on the day.
Geoghegan had a difficult upbringing and suffers from anxiety and depression, Mr MacLoughlin said. She was in a “violent and difficult” relationship at the time but is now in a stable relationship with a new partner and has a 10-month-old baby.
“She is extremely embarrassed about a number of things she did,” he said.
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By Declan Brennan and Michelle O'Keeffe
The son of former politician Ivor Callely has been ordered to perform community service in lieu of a prison sentence for lighting a firework in Copper Face Jacks nightclub.
Oliver Callely (28), of St Lawrence's Road, Clontarf, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to igniting fireworks at the nightclub on Harcourt Street on July 6, 2015.
Callely was standing on a balcony overlooking a crowded smoking area when he lit the firework which took off and got stuck between a man's arm and body.
Judge Karen O'Connor, who heard evidence in the case last December, today ordered Callely to do 240 hours of community service over a 12 month period in lieu of a two year prison service.
Dean Kelly BL, defending, previously told the court that earlier that day Dublin had beaten Mayo in a football replay and his client had drunk a great deal.
The court heard they were sell-out games and that the nightclub was very crowed, with hundreds if not thousands of people.
The victim was in the smoking area when he saw a spark and heard a bang before realising he had “caught on fire”.
He patted himself down and said it wasn't sore at the time. He said he began to feel pain a little later and he was treated by the nightclub's on site medical centre.
The next day he still felt in pain and was referred to A&E by his GP and was treated in the burns unit. He attended the burns unit eight times over the next two months.
The court previously heard Callely had the firework from earlier in the day when fireworks were being lit during the football game.
Callely was arrested after coming to a Garda station by arrangement. He made no comment during interviews and a file was sent to the DPP.
He left the jurisdiction prior to being charged and took up work in the US. He was later arrested under an extradition warrant and spent just under a month in a federal facility.
Sergeant Niall Murray previously told the court that Callely described to him his time in US custody and it sounded “very brutal”.
In an impact statement, the victim said that the injuries have impacted his sports career and he still experiences itchiness and discomfort where he was burned.
He said Callely's actions were dangerous and could have had much worse consequences but he didn't wish Callely to go to prison.
Mr Kelly said his client's behaviour was a “moronically stupid and dangerous act” and “It was reckless as opposed to having any intention to cause harm".
He said his client had had a troubled and difficult family life and his parents are separated.
Counsel said that Callely had not enjoyed a positive relationship with his father and he had experienced difficulties as a result of his father's public profile.
Mr Kelly said that Callely had given €6,500 to the victim, in addition to the unconditional offer of €1,000 he brought to the last court appearance.
Defence counsel said the €2,500 bail surety would also be made available to the complainant when it was returned.
Judge O’Connor said she was not told about the €6,500 being made available to the victim until today and it was not influencing her decision.
She said Callely had had opportunities in his life that most people before the court had not been lucky enough to have, such as a food on the table, a home, a very good education and a supportive family.
Judge O’Connor noted that Callely had a difficult relationship with his father and it was not easy for him in school having a father with a high profile.
She said drinking was no defence to his behaviour but accepted lighting the firework in the nightclub was reckless but not a targeted attack.
Judge O’Connor said the maximum sentence was five years before ordering Callely to do 240 hours' community service in a 12 month period in lieu of a two year prison sentence.
The judge, following sentencing, told Callely that it was his last chance and he was old enough to know better.