An online petition calling for the resignation of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court Judge Martin Nolan has received over 36,000 signatures.
The petition claims that the judge is “not fit for his job” and that he “proves [this] time and time again” with his lenient sentences.
Nolan is known for doling out controversially lenient sentences. In 2016 a retired senior civil servant in the Department of Health and Children, Brendan Phelan, was given a fully suspended sentence after being caught with over 60,000 images and videos of child pornography.
More recently, Judge Nolan decided to “take a chance” on serial offenders Daniel Kavanagh and Thomas Harvey.
The pair – who have 172 previous convictions between them – were given fully suspended sentences after they appeared before Nolan in relation to a burglary.
Their previous convictions are for burglary, firearms, public order offences, and criminal damage.
Just last week two Iraqi sisters were allowed to walk free from court after falsely claiming over €10,000 in asylum seeker’s benefits from the state by concealing their EU citizenship.
Iraqi sisters who made false statements to obtain Direct Provision payments of over €10,000 are spared jail https://t.co/hh9lwWnM7Y
— Independent.ie (@Independent_ie) February 8, 2023
Also last week, 19 year old Josh Conlon walked free after his involvement in a drug related attack on a woman in which she was beaten with sticks and repeatedly had boiling water poured over her.
Josh Conlon (19) has been given a fully-suspended sentence for his role in a two-hour attack, during which a woman was tied up, beaten with a broom handle and had boiling water poured over her. https://t.co/rjtgBa7g1t pic.twitter.com/exSPDT60Bk
— Courts News Ireland (@courtsnewsIRL) February 8, 2023
In October last year Andrew Brennen who “punched and kicked his ex-partner in a “savage” attack before standing on her neck and telling her he was going to kill her” received a fully suspended sentence from Nolan.
Andrew Brennan (41), who punched and kicked his ex-partner in a “savage” attack before standing on her neck and telling her he was going to kill her has received a fully suspended prison sentence. pic.twitter.com/HcHtQRd2CX
— Courts News Ireland (@courtsnewsIRL) October 12, 2022
In the same month a taxi driver who deliberately drove into a cyclist was given a fully suspended sentence despite having two previous convictions for minor road traffic offences.
On the same day as the last judgement, Judge Nolan gave an entirely suspended three-year sentence to an Educate Together principal who stole over €44,000 from his school over a three-year period.
Also last year, Sandra Kavanagh, who drove into the hard shoulder and collided with a motorcyclist killing the man was given a fully suspended sentence after appearing before the judge.
Sandra Kavanagh (47), who drove into the hard shoulder of a motorway, colliding with a motorcyclist and causing his death, has been given a suspended sentence and disqualified from driving for four years.
She has four previous convictions for road traffic offences. pic.twitter.com/2rvMnBk81l
— Courts News Ireland (@courtsnewsIRL) November 7, 2022
Nolan remarked that Kavanagh – who had four previous convictions for road traffic offences – did not deserve a custodial sentence “for her bad driving on the day in question”.
More details on some of Nolan’s sentencing can be read here.
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