Crime World

The self-confessed ‘beast of all sex beasts’ who threatened to kidnap, rape, torture, and murder young women and girls has walked free from prison.

Liam Finlay sent long letters to garda stations, a secondary school, and a third level college detailing his grotesque plan.

However, he was caught by gardai using handwriting investigation tools and by tracing the stamps he used on the letters.

Nicola speaks with Eamon Dillon about Finlay and his risk of reoffending.

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Serial fraudster Samantha Cookes constructed an extraordinary web of deception that stretched across Ireland and the UK. A master manipulator, she adopted multiple identities and personas, to gain the trust of families, universities and even state agencies.

Over the years, Cookes falsely claimed to be living with Huntington's disease, posed as a speech and language therapist, an occupational therapist, and even a surrogate mother. Her elaborate fabrications left a trail of victims and unanswered questions.

Today, Chloe McPolin is joined by journalist and documentary maker Alan Bradley to discuss his new book, Unmasking Samantha Cookes: The Many Lives of a Serial Fraudster to discuss how the chameleon known as Carrie Jade Williams came to be.

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 Convicted criminal Cyril McGuinness, who died in his UK home as police arrived to quiz him in relation to his role in the kidnap and torture of Kevin Lunny, has been named as one of three men involved in the IRA's 1996 bombing of Manchester.

According to the Manchester Evening News, police suspected McGuinness, known as 'Dublin Jimmy', of having a hands-on role in the bomb plot.

Nicola talks to Niall Donald about the Irish Republican who would have faced two major court cases had he lived to stand in the dock.

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Crowds gathered to pay their respects this week at the funeral of gangland hitman Lee McDonnell.

Doves and blue balloons were released over the grave as his gold plated coffin was lowered into the ground.

Nicola speaks with Niall Donald about the final send off for one of the underworlds most feared enforcers.

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The Collins family are completely blindsided by Martin Earley’s arrest. None of them have ever heard of him. 

Ann O’Grady has since died but never mentioned his name to them or any involvement a local married man might have had with Sandra. 

Earley is charged with Sandra’s murder, and her family must now prepare themselves for his trial. 

When it finally starts in May 2024 they are shocked to finally hear details of her life in Killala that they were clueless about.  

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Jeffrey Donaldson has begun his new life in Maghaberry Prison. Donaldson and his wife, Eleanor, are set to be stripped of their honours. The former MP and DUP leader, Jeffrey Donaldson was found guilty of 18 child sex offences on Monday - including one count of rape.  

The 63-year-old had pleaded not guilty, but the jury of seven men and five considered its verdicts for ten hours over three days, believing his victims. 

His wife Eleanor Donaldson was found to have committed the acts relating to offences of aiding and abetting following a trial of the facts.  

 Allison Morris joined Ciarán Dunbar to talk about what we couldn’t report while the trial was ongoing. 

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Sligo criminal Barry Young has been brought before the courts on a warrant from the PSNI who want him for the murder of Robbie Lawlor.

Young appeared at Dublin’s High Court today while Jonathan Gill, who has been remanded in custody on a similar warrant, is fighting his extradition to the north.

Nicola speaks to Niall Donald.

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Jeffrey Donaldson has been found guilty of 18 historical sex offences, including one count of rape, 13 of indecent assault and four of gross indecency. The offences were against two women when they were children. 

His wife Eleanor Donaldson has been found to have committed the acts relating to offences of aiding and abetting following a trial of the facts. 

The leaders of the UUP and TUV immediately called for the Donaldsons to be stripped of their titles.  

Jeffrey Donaldson has been taken to Maghaberry prison to start his sentence. 

Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Allison Morris, Sam McBride, and Suzanne Breen.

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Jeffrey Donaldson has been found guilty of all charges – the judge said prison is “inevitable”. 

A jury of seven men and five women had considered its verdicts for more than nine hours over two days, and reached a verdict just after lunch on Monday.  

The 63-year-old former MP had pleaded not guilty to 18 offences including one count of rape. 

His wife Eleanor Donaldson found guilty of all charges including five of aiding and abetting – she was facing a trial of the facts and cannot be convicted or go to prison.  

Belfast Telegraph reporter Kyle Frazer joins Ciarán Dunbar.  

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On the 13th of April, convicted child rapist Philip Sullivan was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison.

The sixty-three-year-old had already served time in prison.

He was handed down two life sentences in 2008 for the rape and sexual assault of two young boys, aged nine and 11, between 2004 and 2006.

The Kildare man appealed the sentence, and it was squashed.

Instead, he got concurrent sentences of 15 years, with the final two and a half years suspended for 10 years on strict conditions, including that Sullivan not be in the company of minors.

He was released in 2017, and last February, after a tip-off, he was found at his home in Rathmines in Dublin in the company of three teenage boys, breaking those bail conditions.

Today, Jenny Friel talks to Ciara Griffin, whose younger brother, Shane Griffin, was one of Sullivan's earlier victims.

Despite the chaos and horrors he experienced during his childhood, Shane became a passionate advocate for kids in the care system.

But after Sullivan's release in 2017, he struggled to cope, and in 2019, he took his own life.

Ciara is determined to carry on some of the work Shane started and is campaigning for changes in how sex offenders are sentenced for their crimes.

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