Sunday 1 November 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. 20798Assault causing harm; witness intimidation · Co. Dublin · 11 Nov 2021

Man pleads guilty to witness intimidation in Dublin assault case

On 11 and 12 November 2021, Paul Clarke, 29, Craig Kelly, 38, and Josh Conlon, 19, attacked Lyndsey Byrne and Emmet Black at their apartment at The Maltings, Dublin 8, after €7,000 worth of cannabis went missing. Byrne was tied up, beaten with a stick, and scalded with boiling water, suffering second-degree burns, while Black was hit with a chair leg and sustained a 7cm cut to his head. In February 2023, Clarke was jailed for four years and three months, Kelly for five months, and Conlon received a three-year suspended sentence. In June 2023, Eamon Savage, 36, pleaded guilty to witness intimidation after telling Byrne a week later to drop the charges or be murdered, with his sentencing adjourned to 14 June.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court7 Jun
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced7 Feb
    4 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • On 11 and 12 November 2021, Paul Clarke, 29, Craig Kelly, 38, and Josh Conlon, 19, attacked Lyndsey Byrne and Emmet Black at their apartment after €7,000 worth of cannabis went missing.
  • Byrne was tied up, beaten with a stick, and scalded with boiling water, suffering second-degree burns and a suspected collapsed lung, while Black was hit with a chair leg and sustained a 7cm cut to his head.
Where
The attack took place at The Maltings apartments, Watling Street, Dublin 8.
When
The assault occurred over 11 and 12 November 2021; Byrne phoned emergency services on 12 November at around 1pm.
Cause
Clarke came to collect a box of cannabis Black was supposed to be holding, and when it was not found, the men demanded €7,000 in payment.
Weapon
A kettle and cups of boiling water, a stick, and a chair leg were used in the assault.
Investigation
The three men were identified from CCTV in the apartment building and arrested; Savage was also identified on CCTV.
Charges
Conlon pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Byrne; Savage pleaded guilty to witness intimidation of Byrne on 18 November 2021.
In court
Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Clarke, Kelly, and Conlon at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in February 2023; Judge Orla Crowe adjourned Savage's sentencing to 14 June 2023.
Sentence
Clarke was jailed for four years and three months, Kelly for five months with time served, and Conlon received a three-year suspended sentence with one year's probation.
Other details
  • Clarke had 73 or 79 previous convictions, Kelly had 109, and Conlon had none.
  • A week after the attack, Savage told Byrne to lie to the judge and drop the charges, offered her €20,000, and said she would be murdered if she did not.
63 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatPaul Clarke, 29, from Clonard Road, Crumlin, Dublin, admitted attacking the woman and her partner after €7,000 worth of drugs went missing. (rte.ie)
  • whatClarke came looking for €7,000 worth of cannabis stored in the apartment at The Maltings in Dublin on 11 November 2021. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe next day, Clarke and Craig Kelly arrived and Clarke threw another kettle of boiling water over the woman, scalding her arm and shoulder. (rte.ie)
  • whatKelly hit the woman with the handle of a brush across the chest. (rte.ie)
  • whatClarke told the woman he would 'skin her alive' and threatened to abduct her child. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe woman was treated in hospital for second degree burns. (rte.ie)
  • whatClarke demanded the drugs or €7,000 in payment (irishtimes.com)
  • whatClarke hit Byrne with a stick and poured four cups of boiling water over her hands (irishtimes.com)
  • whatClarke tied Byrne's wrists together and continued hitting her with a stick (irishtimes.com)
  • whatConlon hit Black with the leg of a chair (irishtimes.com)
  • whatKelly struck Byrne with a stick across the chest twice on November 12th (irishtimes.com)
  • whatByrne was treated for second degree burns at hospital (irishtimes.com)
  • whatBlack was treated for a 7cm cut on his head (irishtimes.com)
  • whatConlon pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Lyndsey Byrne at The Maltings, Watling Street, Dublin 8 in November 2021 (irishtimes.com)
  • whatByrne was tied up, hit over hands, arms and chest with a stick, and repeatedly scalded with boiling water (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe men ordered Black to come up with €7,000 to pay for the missing drugs (irishtimes.com)
  • whatClarke tried to pour boiling water in Byrne's face but missed when she turned her head aside (irishtimes.com)
  • whatBlack was attacked upon his return to the apartment (irishtimes.com)
  • whatOn November 12th, Clarke returned with Kelly and Kelly hit Byrne over the chest twice with a stick (irishtimes.com)
  • whatByrne was treated for second-degree burns and a suspected collapsed lung (irishtimes.com)
  • whatA teenager avoided jail for a role in a two-hour attack on a woman. (extra.ie)
  • whatThe woman was tied up and tortured during the attack. (extra.ie)
  • whatLyndsey Byrne was scalded, beaten and tied up. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatHer partner Emmet Black was assaulted by a number of men. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatPaul Clarke was described in court as the main man in the assault. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatA week after the attack, Eamon Savage told Ms Byrne to lie to the judge and say she had thrown boiling water over herself. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatSavage told Ms Byrne she was to drop the charges and say she had lied. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe victims lived at The Maltings apartments, Watling Street, Dublin 8 (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe attack took place at an apartment at The Maltings, Watling St, Dublin 8. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenClarke came to collect drugs on November 11th, 2021 (irishtimes.com)
  • whenByrne phoned emergency services the following day at around 1pm (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe attack took place over November 11th and 12th, 2021. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeClarke phoned Black looking for a box of cannabis he was supposed to be holding (irishtimes.com)
  • causeThe men called to the apartment looking for a box of cannabis that Mr Black was supposed to be holding. (irishtimes.com)
  • weaponPaul Clarke threw a kettle of boiling water over Ms Byrne, causing second-degree burns. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe woman's partner refused to co-operate with the investigation. (rte.ie)
  • investigationThe three men were identified from CCTV in the apartment building and arrested (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationSavage was arrested after he was identified on CCTV. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeEamon Savage pleaded guilty to witness intimidation of Lyndsey Byrne at Merchants Quay, Dublin 8, on November 18th, 2021. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtJosh Conlon, 19, from Meath Place, Dublin, was released on bail to be sentenced the following day. (rte.ie)
  • courtJudge Martin Nolan said the offence was incredibly serious, committed in the context of drugs enforcement, and Clarke had a history of violence including against gardaí. (rte.ie)
  • courtThe judge said he would issue Conlon's sentence on Wednesday (irishtimes.com)
  • courtJudge Orla Crowe adjourned the matter for sentence to June 14. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentencePaul Clarke was jailed for four years and three months. (rte.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceCraig Kelly, 38, from Dowland Road, Walkinstown, was sentenced to five months with time already served to be taken into consideration. (rte.ie)
  • sentenceThe sentence was backdated to include time spent in prison since arrest (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceKelly was sentenced to five months counting time already spent in custody (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceConlon was sentenced to three years, suspended in full, with probation for one year (irishtimes.com)
  • sentencePaul Clarke was sentenced to four years and three months, backdated to November 2021 (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceCraig Kelly was sentenced to five months for simple assault (irishtimes.com)
  • sentencePaul Clarke was sentenced to four years and three months in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceCraig Kelly was sentenced to five months in prison for his role in one of the attacks. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceJosh Conlon received a suspended sentence. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherConlon has no previous convictions, is a father-of-one, and his partner is due their second child in March. (rte.ie)
  • otherClarke had 73 previous convictions (irishtimes.com)
  • otherKelly had 109 previous convictions (irishtimes.com)
  • otherConlon had no previous convictions (irishtimes.com)
  • otherCCTV showed Kelly was only in the property on the second day for around 15 minutes (irishtimes.com)
  • otherClarke has 79 previous convictions including assaulting a peace officer and assault causing harm (irishtimes.com)
  • otherKelly has 109 previous offences, mostly road traffic offences, but also drug offences and robbery (irishtimes.com)
  • otherWhen the drugs were not found, the men ordered the couple to come up with €7,000. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherSavage offered Ms Byrne €20,000 to make a statement and said she would be murdered if she did not. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherSavage has been in custody on another matter since November 2021. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 7 Jun2023
    In courtirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Woman doused with boiling water warned to drop assault charges or she would be murdered

    Reports Eamon Savage's guilty plea to witness intimidation, that his sentencing was adjourned to June 14, and the sentences given to Paul Clarke, Craig Kelly and Josh Conlon for the 2021 attack.

    convicted, Paul Clarke, 29, male, named, irish (judged from name)Paul Clarkeconvicted, Craig Kelly, 38, named, irish (judged from name)Craig Kellyconvicted, Josh Conlon, 19, named, irish (judged from name)Josh Conlonconvicted, Eamon Savage, 36, male, named, irish (judged from name)Eamon Savagevictim, Lyndsey Byrne, female, irish (judged from name)Lyndsey Byrnevictim, Emmet Black, irish (judged from name)Emmet Black
  2. 9 Feb2023
    Sentencedextra.ie, its first report
    Teenager Avoids Jail For Role In Two-Hour-Attack On Woman Who Was Tied Up And Tortured

    Article body is essentially empty (website template code only); all details are drawn from the headline.

    convicted, teenagervictim, female
  3. 8 Feb2023
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Teen avoids jail for his role in boiling water attack on woman

    Reports the sentencing of all three defendants: Conlon (three years suspended, probation for one year), Clarke (four years and three months, backdated to November 2021), and Kelly (five months for simple assault). Provides a detailed account of the assault including the boiling water scalding, the demand for €7,000 for missing cannabis, and the victim's second-degree burns and suspected collapsed lung.

    victim, Lyndsey Byrne, female, irish (judged from name)Lyndsey Byrnevictim, Emmet Black, male, irish (judged from name)Emmet Blackconvicted, Josh Conlon, 19, male, named, irish (judged from name)Josh Conlonconvicted, Paul Clarke, 29, male, named, irish (judged from name)Paul Clarkeconvicted, Craig Kelly, 38, male, named, irish (judged from name)Craig Kelly
  4. 7 Feb2023
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, its first report
    Man jailed for pouring boiling water on woman over missing drugs

    Sentencing of Paul Clarke (4 years 3 months) and Craig Kelly (5 months); Josh Conlon's sentence to be issued the following Wednesday. Details of the assault, previous convictions, and victim impact statement provided.

    victim, Lyndsey Byrne, female, irish (judged from name)Lyndsey Byrnevictim, Emmet Black, male, irish (judged from name)Emmet Blackconvicted, Paul Clarke, 29, male, named, irish (judged from name)Paul Clarkeconvicted, Craig Kelly, 38, male, named, irish (judged from name)Craig Kellyconvicted, Josh Conlon, 19, male, named, irish (judged from name)Josh Conlon
  5. 7 Feb2023
    Sentencedrte.ie, first report
    Man who poured boiling water over woman is jailed

    Sentencing: Paul Clarke jailed 4 years 3 months; Craig Kelly jailed 5 months; Josh Conlon released on bail pending sentencing the next day. Judge Martin Nolan described the offence as incredibly serious, committed in the context of drugs enforcement, and noted Clarke's history of violence including against gardaí.

    victim, femalevictim, maleconvicted, Paul Clarke, 29, male, named, irish (judged from name)Paul Clarkeconvicted, Craig Kelly, 38, male, named, irish (judged from name)Craig Kellyconvicted, Josh Conlon, 19, male, named, irish (judged from name)Josh Conlon