Declan Duffy pleads guilty to assault and false imprisonment

Judge requests victim impact statements be prepared in Special Criminal Court case

Declan Duffy has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to assaulting one man and falsely imprisoning another. File photograph: Gary Fox/Collins.
Declan Duffy has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to assaulting one man and falsely imprisoning another. File photograph: Gary Fox/Collins.

A man has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to assaulting one man and falsely imprisoning another.

Declan Duffy (43), of Hannover Street West in Dublin, admitted on Thursday to assaulting John Roche, causing him harm, at the Towers, Garters Lane, Saggart, Co Dublin.

He also pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne in the Rathcoole/Saggart areas of Co Dublin. Both offences date from June 9th 2015.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding at the three-judge, non-jury court, remanded Duffy in custody until October 18th, when the case is listed for mention again.

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The judge also ordered the preparation of victim impact statements, to be read at a future sentence hearing.

Duffy and his two co-accused - Christopher Maguire (38) and Daniel Kane (28) - had been due this week to go on trial.

On Wednesday, Maguire, of Dun Emer Place in Lusk, had pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne in Saggart and Lisa Byrne in the Towers, Garters Lane, Saggart, on June 9th, 2015.

Mr Kane, of Hollycourt in Ballybrack, failed to attend the court. He is also charged with counts of false imprisonment.