Two teens on trial for murder and robbery after man allegedly targeted on Grindr
Two teens face trial accused of murder and robbery (Getty Images)
Two 17-year-olds are to go to trial accused of the murder and robbery of Alex Coughlan, from Dublin, with Gardaí alleging he was targeted via Grindr before an assault in Blanchardstown.
Coughlan, 37, suffered serious injuries after being assaulted on Mill Road on 17 May 2026 and died three days later in Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown. Two teenagers, now aged 17, are charged with his murder and robbery, and neither has entered a plea as of yet, according to The Journal.
The pair appeared at the Dublin Children’s Court on Monday (21 September) before Judge Shalom Binchy, as the court considered whether they should face trial before the Central Criminal Court and whether linked robbery charges should be dealt with separately.
What did Gardaí allege about Grindr contact?
Garda Sergeant Paul McMahon alleged that at around 4:15pm on 17 May, Coughlan met the two defendants who then both attacked him. McMahon said the post-mortem examination found Coughlan had died from head injuries and external neck compression.
It was alleged the teenagers, who were aged 16 at the time, stole property including a gold ring, a bank card and another card, which were then used to make purchases minutes after the attack.
McMahon said that around 45 minutes before the assault, Coughlan spoke to one of the teens for almost eight minutes via WhatsApp. CCTV footage was described as showing the defendants meeting Coughlan before heading to a secluded area, where the attack happened.
McMahon also alleged that an examination of one youth’s phone indicated contact with Coughlan through Grindr the day before the murder, and that the victim’s number was saved as “Prey two”.
Other contacts were allegedly found labelled as “Preyy” and “Prey”. A man linked to the “Preyy” number said he had been contacted by someone on Grindr. One of the teens allegedly gave the other the number of “Preyy” to send two videos to the man.
Eye-witness statements
According to a witness, three people, including Mr Coughlan, were seen together, with one shouting “you f****** paedo” at him, before he was chased by two males.
One of the young men allegedly told his co-defendant that Mr Coughlan had tried to touch him.
The court was told that Mr Coughlan was kicked “in a stamping motion” two or three times, while a second witness claimed to have seen one of the teens punching the victim in the head.
A third witness reported that Mr Coughlan was pleading with the two males as they stood over him shouting.
One of the teens allegedly filmed part of the attack on his phone.
What happens next?
After hearing the evidence, Judge Binchy refused to drop the robbery charges, saying the cases were inherently linked.
The two teens will now appear before the Central Criminal Court on a date yet to be scheduled, and remain in custody on remand.
Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre said the proceedings had “brought renewed attention to concerns about the safety of LGBTQ+ people in Ireland”, as per GCN.
CEO Oisin O’Reilly, said: “Alex’s death has caused enormous distress across our community. We must respect the trial and allow the courts to establish what happened. But our wider concerns about hate, intimidation, and community safety remain. Government talks constantly about economic resilience. We need the same commitment to keeping our communities safe, and we need action now.”
Grindr is a widely used location-based dating app popular among gay, bi, trans and queer people, and has been linked to safety concerns including harassment and extortion. A similar case was heard in England earlier this year, when a teenager was accused of luring a gay man to a marina before a fatal attack in Plymouth.
