Daniel Aruebose, Michael Gaine and Evan Fitzgerald: The key crime stories of 2025

Crime and Security Editor Conor Lally discusses three crime stories that stood out this year

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Tributes left in the area where Daniel Aruebose's body was discovered in north Dublin. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins
Tributes left in the area where Daniel Aruebose's body was discovered in north Dublin. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins

One of the most shocking stories of the year was the disappearance of Kerry farmer Michael Gaine, whose dismembered body was found on his farm almost two months after he went missing. This murder remains unsolved.

In June, Evan Fitzgerald (22) walked into a busy shopping centre in Carlow and opened fire. He then turned his weapon on himself and ended his own life.

The year also saw some high-profile court cases, including the trial of Richard Satchwell, who was found guilty of murdering his wife, Tina. And there was the case of former superstar hurler DJ Carey, who was given five and a half years in prison for deception and fraud.

For Crime and Security Editor Conor Lally, three stories stood out – for the events themselves but also for what they tell us about crime and policing in Ireland in 2025: the missing toddler Daniel Aruebose, whose absence went unnoticed for years and whose death is now a homicide inquiry; the discovery in Portlaoise of a far-right group who were allegedly in the advanced stages of planning an attack on Galway Mosque; and the extradition from Dubai of Sean McGovern, a key member of the Kinahan organised crime cartel, showing that the UAE is no longer a safe haven for criminals.

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Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

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