Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 3649Protected disclosure (whistleblower) · Co. Dublin · 5 Mar 2026

Garda whistleblower Lois West testifies at WRC over homicide data disclosures

Lois West, former joint deputy head of the Garda Síochána Analysis Service, testified at the Workplace Relations Commission on 5 March 2026 that she was subjected to 'undermining, belittling and bullying' after she and colleague Laura Galligan raised concerns about misclassified homicide data in Garda records in 2018. She is pursuing complaints under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 and other legislation against the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court5 Mar
    3 reports
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
40 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe boy described seeing his mother slap the baby on more than one occasion, including across the face when he was crying. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe mother kicked the girl in the leg. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe mother hit the boy on the head several times using a phone, causing him to bleed. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe girl was hit with a hairdryer, a hair straightener, and sustained bruises. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe mother grabbed the girl by the hair and banged her off the wall. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatLois West is pursuing complaints under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Payment of Wages Act 1991. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatWest was joint deputy head of the Garda Síochána Analysis Service at assistant principal grade. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatAn investigation was opened in 2016 after Galligan began comparing records on the Garda Pulse database (2013–2015) to records of the Chief State Pathologist. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatSarah Parsons, who was joint deputy head of GSAS with West, was put into the role of principal officer. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe older boy was aged between four and eight, and the girl was between seven and nine at the time of the offences. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe woman had drug-addiction issues and there had been several deaths in her family in late 2022 and early 2023, including the death by suicide of her husband. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe boy described his mother hitting him on the head several times using a phone, causing him to bleed. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe girl described being hit with a hairdryer and hair straightener, sustaining bruises, and being grabbed by the hair and banged off the wall. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe boy was referred to CAMHS, where it was determined he had complex PTSD, and he was coming to school tired saying he had been up at night to feed the baby. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe offences occurred on various dates between 2018 and 2023. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenWest and Laura Galligan went public on misclassification of homicides in Garda records in testimony to the Oireachtas Committee on Justice in March 2018. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationA referral was received from Tusla in July 2023 after concerns were raised by the principal of the oldest boy's school. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationA multi-agency child protection conference took place in August 2023. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationSpecialist gardai interviewed the older boy and the girl in September 2023. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationA multi-agency child-protection conference took place in August 2023, at which the children were agreed to go to live with their grandmother. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationSpecialist gardaí interviewed the older boy and the girl in September 2023. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe woman was arrested and interviewed in February 2024, but nothing of evidential value in relation to the offences was obtained. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe woman pleaded guilty to three counts of child neglect. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeThe woman pleaded guilty to three counts of child neglect on various dates between 2018 and 2023 in the east of the country. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe case is continuing before adjudication officer Penelope McGrath. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe hearing took place at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe maximum sentence for the offence is seven years imprisonment. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe youngest boy was under one year old at the time of the offending against him. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe older boy was aged between four and eight at the time of the offences. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe girl was between seven and nine years old at the time of the offences. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe children were agreed to go live with the woman's mother (their grandmother). (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe three children were listed on the child protection notification system for six months. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe woman had drug addiction issues. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherSeveral deaths occurred in her family in late 2022 and early 2023, including the death by suicide of her husband. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe girl was looking after the boy and the baby, cooking and cleaning. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe mother was often absent from the home. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe woman has 23 previous minor convictions, primarily for theft and fraud offences. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe children continue to live with their grandmother and are doing well, and the two older children do not wish to see their mother. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe woman had experienced domestic violence in her relationship with her late husband and there was a history of domestic violence in her family. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherNegative urinalysis from mid-2025 was noted as evidence of rehabilitation. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 6 Mar2026
    In courtirishtimes.com, follow-up
    ‘History repeating itself’: Mother to be sentenced for neglect of three children

    First report of the case. The woman pleaded guilty to three counts of child neglect; the court heard detailed evidence of physical abuse and neglect of three children. Judge Dara Hayes adjourned sentencing to May 2026 for a probation report and remanded the woman on continuing bail.

    accused, 31, femalevictim, malevictim, malevictim, female
  2. 5 Mar2026
    In courtirishtimes.com, first report
    ‘I was too honest’: Garda whistleblower ‘cut off’ after raising homicide errors, she says

    First report of Lois West's testimony at the WRC hearing on 5 March 2026, detailing her account of workplace penalisation following her 2018 Oireachtas testimony on homicide data misclassification.

    victim, Lois West, female, irish (judged from name)Lois Westvictim, Laura Galligan, female, irish (judged from name)Laura Galligan
  3. 5 Mar2026
    In courtirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Mother, 31, sobs as court hears in graphic detail how she neglected her 3 kids

    First court appearance where the woman pleaded guilty; case adjourned until May 2026 for a probation report and defence liaison with support services.

    accused, 31, femalevictim, malevictim, malevictim, female