2025.3.10 ‘Monster’ | One of Ireland’s most prolific paedophiles released from prison
Scout leader paedophile is released from jail and sent to a nursing home
A former scout leader exposed as one of Ireland’s most prolific paedophiles has been released from prison as one of his victims blasted: “I’d hoped he’d only ever come out of there in a box.”
Evil David O’Brien, who voluntarily told gardai that he had indecently assaulted or raped upwards of 40 children between 1975 and 1983, was transferred into the care of a nursing home in central Dublin on Wednesday following his release from the Midlands prison.
Formerly of Benburb St, Dublin, O’Brien has 22 previous convictions for indecent assault.
He had been serving a series of sentences for indecent assault, including an eight-year sentence, a six-year sentence, and most recently a 16-month sentence for sexually abusing a young boy on an overnight scouting trip more than 40 years ago.
He had been in custody since October 2015.
Speaking following O’Brien’s release, one of his many victims, Paul O’Toole, said he’d had no idea ‘the monster’ was getting out of prison.
Contempt
“I’d no idea he was getting out,” he said. “I thought he’d be in there for the duration … for the rest of his life. I know he got some more time after me and the lads took our case so I thought that might see him out but obviously that hasn’t happened.
“He’s in a nursing home now? I don’t have words to describe not only the level of contempt I have for him but also the level of contempt I have for the justice system to allow someone like that out again.
“I know the law back then was two years for every count but I had enough counts against him to keep him in for eight years but he only got four and a half years for all the counts three of us brought against him.”
Mr O’Toole, from Artane in Dublin, who was abused by O’Brien numerous times in the 1970s while in the scouts, continued: “Six of us went up against him that time, three remained anonymous, but myself, Colm Bracken and David Smith said we would go public.
“He got four and a half but that was probably reduced again with good behaviour. That was for indecent sexual assault and gross indecent sexual assault.
“He raped me twice and the other lads were severely molested by him and all he got was four and a half years. Because we went public, his name was released to the public and I think because of that it might have led to other victims coming forward.
“We were thrilled that he got put away and we were thrilled that more people came in behind us and kept him in there for longer.
“Our great wish was, and it wasn’t just a wish it was a belief, that he’s not getting out of there, he’s going to die in there, he’s going to come out of that prison in a box.
“And that would have been a fairytale come true but that’s obviously not the case when he’s out now and he’s going to live out his days in a nursing home … and probably at the taxpayer’s expense.
“The taxpayer is now going to foot the bill to keep him warm and fed until the day he dies in a cushy nursing home. And while he’s enjoying three square meals in comfort, the rest of us are still out here working hard for a living and having to struggle.
“Where’s the punishment in all of this for him? He was living on the street before he went to prison so that was a step up for him.
“Now, he’s in a nursing home, so that’s a step up again.
“I just don’t know where the punishment is, he concluded.”
2025.2.17 Nigerian asylum seeker stabbed to death in Dublin was previously accused of rape in Italy
Quaham Babatunde (34) died after he was stabbed in the chest during a terrifying incident on South Anne Street in the early hours of Saturday morning
The Nigerian asylum seeker stabbed to death in Dublin was previously accused of rape in Italy, his pals have confirmed.
Quaham Babatunde (34) died after he was stabbed in the chest during a terrifying incident on South Anne Street in the early hours of Saturday morning.
It can now be reported that Mr Babatunde was previously in court accused of rape in Italy – where he had been residing in April 2018 before reportedly being subject to deportation.
A friend of his provided a new photo of him to us tonight – and confirmed that the Italian reports about his rape accusation are true.
However the pal said that the deceased man has claimed to friends that he was innocent of the charge – a claim they say they believe.
According to local reports, Mr Babatunde was once a promising Nigerian football star who played for his country’s national team.
However he was ultimately accused of raping a young woman on January 22, 2018 and charged in court before being remanded in custody and later deported.
He was arrested by police in April following a three-month search – and was ultimately remanded in custody and released, according to reports.
At the time he was accused of meeting the 22-year-old woman in a club before they took a taxi together.
During the journey Babatunde suggested stopping at his house – where the pair then had a drink together.
Babatunde then raped the woman by jumping on top of her when she was asleep, according to reports at the time.
The woman went to the police the following day and described Babatunde by his tattoos – which ultimately incriminated him.
During his court hearing, the then 29-year-old denied it, stating that the relationship had been consensual.
According to reports he had played football in the Primavera of Reggiana – and he travelled all over Italy.
2025.2.10 Man who had sex with underage cousin and gave her an STI jailed for 15 months
A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for having sex with his underage cousin after giving her cocaine.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, infected the then 16-year-old girl with chlamydia as a result.
He pleaded guilty to the defilement on May 9th, 2021 at the flat he shared with his mother. A second count of defilement in July 2021 at the same location was taken into account.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on Monday that he was 21 at the time he committed the offences against his second cousin.
The court heard that the injured party was visiting her aunt, who was also a neighbour of the defendant. The man’s mother was not home, and nor was the girl’s aunt, when he arrived at her door in the early hours of the morning with cocaine and a bottle of vodka.
She took some cocaine and said she had a sip of vodka before beginning to feel dizzy. He asked her to his flat to watch a boxing match and she went with him.
He began kissing her and said: “If anything happens, would you not tell any of them?”
They went upstairs to his bedroom and had sexual intercourse, of which she remembered only the start. Her next memory was waking up at 7am in bed beside him; both were naked.
Between that date and the date of the next offence in July of that year, the man and the injured party exchanged intimate photographs at his request. The messages were on Snapchat, and so disappeared.
In July 2021, he asked her to come to his flat to look at a new scooter. She told gardaí that she felt she had to go, in case he would tell anyone what going on between them and that she would get in trouble.
He again brought her up to his bedroom where they had sex. She said that she felt used afterwards, that he had asked her there only for sex.
She confided in her aunt a few weeks later, and her aunt told her mother, who took her to the Rotunda for a checkup. The accused had told the injured party’s brother that he had chlamydia, and the victim was found to have contracted it.
The man presented himself by arrangement to his local Garda station. He has no previous convictions.
The injured party opted to deliver her victim impact statement in person, and was accompanied to court by her father. Her mother has since passed away from cancer.
She said that her whole life had changed for the worse following these offences. She explained that she had suffered such trauma and shame that she dropped out of education. She became tearful when she said that she could not face other people.
She said that she felt unclean after finding out she had chlamydia. However, she said she hoped that her case would encourage other victims of this type of crime to come forward.
The accused man’s barrister noted that she had turned 17 just five months after the first incident, and that his client was four years and nine months older than her.
He pointed out that there was no suggestion of force or coercion. When she first spoke to gardaí, she said the sex was consensual and that she did not want to make a complaint.
Counsel said the accused fully accepts responsibility for his misconduct, in particular the ‘aggravating feature’ that he had given her chlamydia.
“While there was an element of manipulation in turning up to her flat at 4am with vodka and cocaine, the opportunity presented itself unexpectedly,” he said. “It was opportunistic. It wasn’t violent. She was a participant, albeit an underage participant, and unable to give consent. In her mind, it was consensual.”
He said that his client had alcohol, cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy addictions since the age of 16, but has been receiving addiction support.
He described what he had done as very selfish.
“He abused his position of trust,” he said. “He took advantage of his younger cousin while in the throes of addiction.”
He said that his client had been offered a job as a brand ambassador with a sales and marketing company, selling door-to-door subscriptions for a charity. He was due to start tomorrow.
A probation report placed him at a moderate risk of reoffending.
Judge Martin Nolan described it as aggravating that there was a second incident, and said that the accused deserved to go to prison.
“Obviously I have to take into account that she was close to the age of consent,” he said. “The fact he was 21 is pertinent.”
He sentenced him to 15 months in prison.
2025.2.10 Man found with over 300 child abuse images jailed for one year
A man found in possession of over 300 images of child sexual abuse material has been jailed for 12 months.
Eugene O’Sullivan (62) of Dorset Street Upper, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of possession of child pornography at his home on November 19th, 2018.
Imposing sentence on Monday, Judge Dara Hayes noted the creation of images of this nature involve the sexual abuse of children, which he described as an aggravating factor, along with the impact on these children and the seriousness of the offending.
The judge said a “reasonably significant quantity” of images in O’Sullivan’s possession fell within ‘category one’ – the highest grade in terms of the gravity of such images.
He said the mitigation included O’Sullivan’s guilty plea, that he has not come to recent negative Garda attention and his efforts to rehabilitate.
The judge also noted O’Sullivan’s mental health difficulties, personal circumstances and that he is assessed at low risk of reoffending.
Judge Hayes noted Court of Appeal decisions state that the option of a suspended custodial sentences must be considered in circumstances including where it is an accused person’s first offence, that they have been cooperative, where there is no suggestion of the sharing of images and the offending is at a low level.
The judge said he was of the view that a wholly suspended sentence was not appropriate in this case, as it was not at the lowest level of seriousness. He also noted general deterrence is also required in cases of this nature.
Judge Hayes noted that while other similar cases before the courts could involve thousands of images, “it seems to me that 330 images is a significant quantity”, particularly as a portion of these images fell into ‘category one’.
He imposed an 18-month custodial sentence with the final six months suspended on strict conditions.
At a previous hearing, Detective Garda Sean Harrington told Diana Stuart BL, prosecuting, that the gardaí received confidential information regarding O’Sullivan, and a warrant was issued for his home. During the search of his home, a USB stick and a folder of printed images were recovered.
The court heard that the USB stick contained 160 images of child sexual abuse material, while the folder contained 170 printed images.
All of the images sampled by gardaí from the USB were described as ‘category one’ images, showing sexual activity involving children.
Within the folder of printed images, around 25 images were described as ‘category one’, with the balance categorised as ‘category two’.
He was cooperative towards the gardaí and made some admission at the scene. Gardaí were not in a position to arrest O’Sullivan until 2023. He made a voluntary statement to gardaí and was charged.
Detective Garda Harrington agreed with Fiachra Treacy BL, defending, that 15 devices in total were seized and analysed, but only the USB and a folder contained images of child abuse material. He also agreed that O’Sullivan had not used a VPN to hide his activity.
The garda agreed with counsel that before O’Sullivan knew he was under investigation, he had deleted the images on the USB. Furthermore, the detective agreed that O’Sullivan sought help and showed shame and remorse for his actions.
Detective Garda Harrington said he did not believe that O’Sullivan will come before the courts again.
Judge Hayes asked the detective what ages the children in the images were, to which he replied, “between four to 10 years old”. The judge also asked if sexual activity with adults was involved in the images, to which the detective replied, “Yes”.
Mr Tracey said his client had a difficult childhood and was subjected to emotional and physical abuse. He said his client has suffered from chronic anxiety for the past 14 years.
Counsel said O’Sullivan was very remorseful and reports before the court placed him at a low risk of reoffending.
He said his client has no history of drug or alcohol use.
Mr Tracey said his client “is at a high risk of suicide, and prison would be very difficult for him” and asked the court to be as lenient as possible.
Judge Hayes noted that the probation report expressed concerns that O’Sullivan appears to have a “deviant interest in children”, but other reports do not reach the same conclusion and O’Sullivan has denied this.
The judge said O’Sullivan appears to lead a “reclusive” lifestyle. He noted his long work history, and that the defendant has not worked in recent years, his history of mental health difficulties and his recent engagement with counselling supports.
The judge directed O’Sullivan to place himself under the supervision of the Probation Services for 12 months following his release from custody.
2025.2.9 Stoneybatter stabbing: Three men hospitalised, two with serious injuries, and man, 20s, arrested
Three men, whose ages range from mid-20s to mid-40s, who were assaulted were rushed to hospital for treatment
Three men were hospitalised, two with serious injuries, and one man arrested after a stabbing incident in Dublin.
The serious incident, which is believed to have involved a knife, took place in the Stoneybatter area of Dublin 7 on Sunday afternoon.
Three males, whose ages range from mid-20s to mid-40s, who were assaulted in the course of the incident have been taken to hospital for treatment, two males for serious but not life-threatening injuries, one male with less serious injuries.
All three males remain in hospital receiving medical treatment at this time.
A male, aged in his late 20s, has been arrested and is currently detained at a Garda station in the North City under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
The incident was responded to by significant Garda resources including unarmed uniformed members, Detective Gardaí and supported by Armed Support Units.
The arrested male was initially intercepted and detained close to the scene of the incident by an unarmed uniformed member of An Garda Síochána.
Gardaí believe the suspect acted alone and are increasing their visibility in the area to reassure the community.
A number of scenes were preserved in the Stoneybatter area and technical examinations have been conducted. All traffic restrictions have been lifted.
Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to this incident to come forward.
A Garda spokesperson said: “Gardaí continue to investigate all the circumstances of a serious incident which occurred in the Stoneybatter area, Dublin 7 this afternoon, Sunday, 9 February”.
They added: “Anyone who was in the Stoneybatter area between 2.30pm and 3.30pm, who may have any video footage (including dash-cam) linked to this incident, is asked to make this footage available to Gardaí.
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