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. 0889Coercive control · Co. Kerry

Man jailed for coercive control of wife in Cork

Daniel Dooley, 45, a man from Tralee, Co Kerry, pleaded guilty to coercive control of his wife between January 2019 and September 2020 and was sentenced in June 2026 to 18 months with the last six months suspended. He had been convicted in July 2024 of murdering Thomas Dooley at Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee, on 5 October 2022, as one of six family members found guilty by a majority jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court in Cork. The couple had married in 2004 and separated in 2020, after which Dooley voluntarily moved out of the family home. The Court of Appeal dismissed his murder appeal on 3 June 2026.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court3 Jun
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced3 Jun
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Daniel Dooley, 45, of An Carraigin, Connolly Park, Tralee, Co Kerry, was convicted of murdering Thomas Dooley and pleaded guilty to coercive control of his wife.
  • Dooley was one of six defendants, including a teenage boy, found guilty of the murder.
  • In Ardfert, the man hit his wife in the face.
Where
The murder took place at Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee, Co Kerry, and the trial was held at the Central Criminal Court in Cork.
When
The murder occurred on 5 October 2022, and the coercive control period ran from 1 January 2019 to 8 September 2020.
Charges
The man pleaded guilty to a single count of coercive control of his wife.
In court
Judge Siobhan Lankford noted that coercive control carries a maximum sentence of five years.
Sentence
  • The man was sentenced to 18 months with the last six months suspended.
  • A condition of the suspension was that the man notify the Probation Service if he entered a new relationship and consent to the Probation Service notifying any future intimate partner of his conviction.
Other details
  • The couple had married in 2004, and the man had voluntarily moved out of the family home after they separated in 2020.
  • The man had serious anger issues and an alcohol problem, and had self-referred to the therapy group Men Overcoming Violent Emotion.
  • The Court of Appeal dismissed Dooley's murder appeal on 3 June 2026, rejecting the argument that the victim's widow's identification was unfair.
Investigation
Evidence was given by Det Garda Raelleen Bell of the Kerry Protective Services Unit.
17 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatDaniel Dooley, 45, of An Carraigin, Connolly Park, Tralee, Co Kerry, was convicted of murdering Thomas Dooley. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatDooley was one of six defendants, including a teenage boy, found guilty of murder. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatIn Ardfert, the man hit his wife in the face. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe trial was held at the Central Criminal Court in Cork. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe murder took place on 5 October 2022 at Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationEvidence was given by Det Garda Raelleen Bell of the Kerry Protective Services Unit. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe man pleaded guilty to a single count of coercive control of his wife between January 1st, 2019, and September 8th, 2020. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe case was heard at the Central Criminal Court in Cork. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtJudge Siobhan Lankford noted that coercive control carries a maximum sentence of five years. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe man was left with an 18-month term with the last six months suspended. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceA condition of the suspension was that the man notify the Probation Service if he entered a new relationship and consent to the Probation Service notifying any future intimate partner of his conviction. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe accused had voluntarily moved out of the family home. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe couple had married in 2004. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe man had serious anger issues as well as an alcohol problem. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe woman had been in counselling since the couple separated in 2020. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe Probation Service found the man remained at a high risk of physical intimate partner violence. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe man had self-referred to the therapy group Men Overcoming Violent Emotion. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 3 Jun2026
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    ‘I was trained into being compliant’: Man jailed for coercive control of wife

    Reports the sentencing, including the specific conditions attached to the suspended portion of the sentence and the victim impact statement.

    victim, femaleconvicted, middle-aged, male
  2. 3 Jun2026
    In courtirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Man convicted in Thomas ‘Tom’ Dooley murder trial loses appeal bid

    The Court of Appeal dismissed Daniel Dooley's appeal, rejecting the argument that the victim's widow's identification was unfair and that the case should have been withdrawn from the jury. The conviction from July 2024 stands.

    victim, Thomas Dooley, male, irish (judged from name)Thomas Dooleyconvicted, Daniel Dooley, 45, male, named, irish (judged from name)Daniel Dooley