Crime « Thurles Information

Central Criminal Court Hears Manslaughter Case Over Death of Polish National in Tipperary.

The Central Criminal Court has heard that “no one knows exactly what happened” on the night a 32-year-old Polish man died, following an incident at a house in Co Tipperary.

Mr Tomasz Rozpeda, aged 29, of no fixed abode, previously pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Maciej Nowak, who died at Ballycranna, Kilross, Co Tipperary, during the early hours of December 27th, 2023.

During the sentencing hearing today Tuesday, the court heard that both men had consumed large quantities of alcohol and drugs, while socialising together on St Stephen’s Day. A toxicology report showed Mr Nowak had an extremely high level of amphetamines in his system, close to a fatal level, although medical experts ruled this out as the cause of death.

The court heard Mr Rozpeda called emergency services and claimed his friend had “gone crazy”, hitting himself and smashing items around the house. However, pathologists later determined that Mr Nowak died from blunt force trauma to the head and neck, injuries which were not consistent with self-inflicted harm.

Medical evidence revealed Mr Nowak suffered extensive injuries, including dozens of bruises and trauma caused by the brain twisting within the skull. Gardaí also found blood-stained broken bottles scattered across the kitchen floor of the house.

Prosecution counsel told the court that CCTV footage showed the two men together at an Applegreen service station outside Tipperary town, before returning to Mr Nowak’s home. Additional evidence included phone calls and voice messages sent by Mr Rozpeda during the night, in which he reportedly told friends he had “f**ked up” and that an accident had happened.

Gardaí later arrested Mr Rozpeda, who initially denied responsibility and attempted to distance himself from the incident. Investigators said a number of untruths were told during interviews.

Victim impact statements were read to the court from Mr Nowak’s sister and fiancée. His sister described learning of her brother’s death as the moment her “world came to a standstill”, while his fiancée said she had lost “the love of her life” and struggled to cope emotionally since the tragedy.

The court also heard that Mr Nowak was a father of three children and had been due to marry in June 2024.

Defence counsel said the men had been friends for approximately ten years and there had been no previous animosity between them. He described the events as a tragic escalation during a night where both men had consumed substances “to excess”.

Counsel for Rozpeda apologised on behalf of his client and said there was no evidence that he had brought a weapon to the house or intended serious violence.

The Director of Public Prosecutions accepted the guilty plea to manslaughter, with the original murder charge set aside.

Ms Justice Eileen Creedon remanded Mr Rozpeda in custody ahead of sentencing on July 6 next.

Ireland Tolerates Terrorist Symbols But Ignores Murder Of Private Seán Rooney.

Something is deeply wrong, when Ireland tolerates terrorist symbols but ignores the murder of Private Seán Rooney.

Private Seán Rooney was not a politician, activist or a celebrity; he belonged to a far higher order of human achievement and character. He was a 24-year-old Irish soldier from Donegal serving his country on a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.
By all accounts he was courageous, decent and deeply committed to protecting his fellow soldiers.

**Private Seán Rooney, Irish Soldier Murdered by Hezbollah in Lebanon.**

On December 14th 2022, just 11 days before Christmas, while travelling in a clearly marked UN vehicle near the Hezbollah stronghold of Al-Aqbiya, Private Seán Rooney and his colleagues came under sustained gunfire from Hezbollah-linked attackers. Seán, sadly, was killed trying to protect his comrades, while another Irish soldier was seriously injured.

The aftermath of this event has been a grotesque insult to his family and indeed to the Island of Ireland itself.
The main suspect, Hezbollah member Mohammad Ayyad, was eventually convicted and sentenced in his absence after repeatedly avoiding court appearances. He still remains at large today, after previously being released on “medical grounds.”
Meanwhile, others involved received sentences so absurdly lenient that even the Irish Government publicly condemned them as unacceptable.
Private Seán Rooney’s mother correctly described the process as a “sham trial” and said justice had neither been done nor even seen to be done.

While Seán Rooney’s family continue to fight for accountability, Ireland has witnessed crowds marching openly through Dublin and Cork waving Hezbollah and Hamas flags, latter organisations synonymous with sectarian violence, terrorism, hostage-taking and the murder of civilians.

Perhaps nothing captures the moral confusion of our modern-day Ireland more than the sight of Irish Tricolours being waved beside Hezbollah and Hamas flags on the streets of Dublin and Cork, as though the values represented by our national flag are somehow compatible with organisations linked to terrorism, sectarian hatred and the murder of an Irish peacekeeper, Private Seán Rooney.

For Seán Rooney’s family, and for many decent Irish people, that image is not “solidarity” or “activism.” It is a profound national disgrace and an insult to the memory of a young Irish soldier who died serving under the UN flag at the hands of Hezbollah-linked gunmen.

What is truly repellent is not only that these flags appear, but that so many so-called and self-appointed champions of “human rights” refuse to condemn them. Many politicians, activists and celebrity figures appear far more interested in performative anti-Israel activism than in showing even basic solidarity with the family of an Irish peacekeeper, murdered by extremists, linked to Hezbollah. That silence is not moral courage; it is moral bankruptcy.

Jerome Lawrence rightly warned in his 1955 play, “Inherit the Wind”, that: “Fanaticism and ignorance is forever busy, and needs feeding.”

That is exactly what we are witnessing today. Fanaticism survives when hatred becomes fashionable, when ideological tribalism replaces moral consistency, and when people excuse or romanticise violent extremism because it aligns with their political worldview.
Bigotry is not confined to race or religion; it also includes the irrational hatred and dehumanisation of anyone considered politically inconvenient, including Israelis, Jews, or even Irish soldiers whose deaths disrupt a preferred narrative.

Supporting innocent Palestinians does not require anyone to glorify Hamas or Hezbollah. But too many people in Ireland have crossed that line. They excuse terrorist symbolism, ignore antisemitism when it comes disguised as activism, and remain conspicuously silent about the murder of Private Seán Rooney because acknowledging it would force them to confront uncomfortable truths about the movements they openly, through ignorance, tolerate.

The Rooney family deserved national outrage, unity and relentless demands for justice. Instead, they got evasions, hypocrisy and silence from people who claim to stand against violence and extremism; latter a disgrace on modern Ireland.

A Sharp Decline In Roads Policing Gardaí, Raises Safety Concerns.

New figures released by the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána show that the number of Garda members assigned to Roads Policing Units has fallen by almost 40% since 2009. The total number of specialist personnel dropped from 1,046 to 645 by March this year; a reduction of 401 officers dedicated to policing Irish roads.

Dublin experienced some of the steepest declines, with roads policing numbers nearly halving over the period. One Dublin division recorded a 59% drop, leaving just 11 specialist Gardaí and two road policing vehicles covering the area.

Other regions also saw significant reductions, including Sligo/Leitrim, where staffing levels fell from 34 officers to 14. Limerick was the only area to record a slight increase in personnel since 2009.

Road safety advocacy groups described the falling numbers as deeply concerning, warning that reduced enforcement capacity impacts road safety efforts nationwide. Campaigners said roads policing units are struggling due to limited resources and staffing pressures, and believe enforcement on Irish roads has been weakened at a time when offences are increasing. Recent figures show that more than 211,000 vehicles on Irish roads were uninsured or unregistered last year, roughly one in every 15 vehicles nationwide.
Despite Gardaí carrying out over one million vehicle checks during the first three months of 2026, more than 5,000 vehicles were still seized for having no insurance during that short period alone. Thousands of additional summonses were also issued.

In response, An Garda Síochána stated that all Garda members contribute to road traffic enforcement, including those outside dedicated Roads Policing Units. According to the organisation, non-specialist personnel accounted for a majority of DUI detections, vehicle detentions, and checkpoints carried out last year.

The force also said there is no policy aimed at reducing roads policing numbers and noted that more than 80 new members have been assigned to roads policing duties over the past 18 months. However, Garda management acknowledged that staffing increases have not yet delivered the “significant uplift” desired in roads policing capacity

“Think Before You Tap” – Bank of Ireland Warns Of Card Payment Scam.

Bank of Ireland is warning customers to stay alert after a rise in cases where people are being significantly overcharged when paying by card in shops, cafés, bars, taxis and other busy venues.

The scam works by verbally quoting one price, while entering a much higher amount on the payment terminal; often when customers are distracted, rushed or under pressure.

Ms Nicola Sadlier, (Head of Fraud at Bank of Ireland), said fraudsters are taking advantage of busy environments where people may not double-check the screen, before tapping or entering their PIN.

Key advice from Bank of Ireland:
► Always check the amount on the card terminal before paying
► Don’t rush if you feel pressured during a transaction
► Never hand your card to someone else to complete payment
► Turn on transaction alerts to spot suspicious charges quickly
► Review your statements regularly and report anything unusual immediately
►With summer travel season approaching and more people using contactless payments abroad, the bank says taking a few extra seconds to verify the amount could prevent costly fraud.

“Check the total before you tap.”

Concern Raised Over Sinn Féin Platforming of Convicted Terrorist’s Son.

**Poster published, by Mary Lou McDonald, *(Sinn Féin)*.**

Serious concern has been expressed following the appearance of Arab Barghouti, son of convicted Palestinian militant leader Marwan Barghouti, at the most recent Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in Belfast.

According to reports from the event, Arab Barghouti addressed delegates and supporters to sustained applause during proceedings focused on international solidarity and Middle East issues. Critics have described the reception as deeply inappropriate given the violent history associated with his father.

Marwan Barghouti is currently serving multiple life sentences in Israel after being convicted in 2004 for involvement in attacks that killed five civilians during the Second Intifada. Israeli courts found him guilty on several counts of murder and membership in a terrorist organisation. While some political activists, sadly, continue to portray him as a symbol of Palestinian resistance; while many victims’ families and international observers regard him accurately as directly responsible for acts of terrorism that caused immense civilian suffering.

Opponents of Sinn Féin’s decision to provide a platform for Arab Barghouti argue that inviting representatives connected to individuals convicted of orchestrating deadly attacks risks undermining efforts to promote peace, reconciliation and respect for innocent victims of violence.

“This was not simply a controversial political appearance,” one critic stated. “It amounted to the normalisation and sanitisation of terrorism in front of a large public audience. The victims of these attacks, and their families, deserve better than to see applause for those associated with such unbelievable brutality.”

The controversy has also reignited debate around the responsibilities of political parties when selecting international speakers for major public conferences. Commentators have argued that democratic institutions should remain vigilant against attempts to romanticise or rewrite the legacy of political violence, regardless of where it occurred.

A similar sentiments were widely expressed on Tuesday April 28th last, when Arab Barghouti addressed a public meeting in at a pub in Cross Guns, Dublin 9. The event, promoted online by pro-Palestinian activists and Sinn Féin supporters, focused on solidarity with Palestinian prisoners and support for Marwan Barghouti, the jailed Palestinian political figure and former Fatah leader. Again attendees heard speeches concerning the situation in Gaza, Palestinian prisoners, and international solidarity campaigns. Promotional material referred to Marwan Barghouti as a “jailed Palestinian leader,” while critics again noted that he was convicted by an Israeli court for involvement in attacks that killed civilians during the Second Intifada.

Others have defended the invitation on the grounds of international solidarity with the Palestinian cause, noting that Marwan Barghouti remains a widely recognised political figure among many Palestinians and international campaigners.

Nevertheless, critics maintain that no political grievance can justify the targeting and killing of civilians, and that public representatives should be careful not to blur the distinction between political advocacy and the glorification of violence and hatred.