Senior gardaí have admitted they failed civilian analysts who raised problems about the inaccurate recording of crime statistics and were also belittled by management.

The Garda’s top statistician twice sought, in vain, to get access to a Garda report for the Policing Authority on homicide figures — and was only granted sight of it a week-and-a-half after a public meeting with the authority.

The Central Criminal Court trial heard that Melanie was shot in the head as she sat in a car with her boyfriend and his friend in Tallaght.

The Policing Authority has drawn up a panel of 15 senior officers for promotion to the rank of chief superintendent after the biggest ever independent selection process for An Garda Síochána.

The family of Sonia Blount has urged social media users to be cautious and aware online, saying Ms Blount had paid for an error of judgement with her life.

A Dublin man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing 16-year-old Melanie McCarthy McNamara, who was shot while sitting in a car in Dublin last year.

A gunman who blasted a garda sergeant with a shotgun in a cocaine-crazed incident arising from a feud between members of two west Dublin families has been given a 12-year sentence.

Mr James Walsh (aged 46) of Mountain View Drive, Churchtown has pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill Mr Paul Williams, crime editor of The Sunday World, on June 25, 2003 and threatening to cause him serious harm later the same day.