A court was told yesterday that former doctor Paschal Carmody has obtained a High Court judicial review of the Director of Public Prosecution’s (DPP’s) decision to retry him on deception charges.
At Ennis Circuit Court yesterday, Mr Carmody (60) of Ballycuggeran, Killaloe, appeared in relation to 11 deception-related charges against him.
At Ennis Circuit Court last July, after a four-week trial, a jury found Mr Carmody not guilty on six charges of obtaining money by deception from terminally ill cancer patients and failed to reach a verdict on the remaining 11 charges.
The trial judge, Judge Rory McCabe, had already directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict in relation to eight charges. The outstanding 11 charges relate to a total of €30,854 obtained from three terminally-ill patients who received photodynamic therapy at the East Clinic in Killaloe in 2001-02.
Last November, counsel on behalf of Mr Carmody, Pat Marrinan SC applied for a judicial review in the High Court of the DPP’s decision to press ahead with a retrial of the 11 charges. The DPP is also seeking that the new trial be staged in Dublin.
In court yesterday, counsel for the State Stephen Coughlan said the judicial review has been obtained by Mr Carmody and the case could be adjourned to the next call-over in the Circuit Court.
Oral hearing on Tralee bypass
An oral hearing into one of the most significant road projects undertaken in Kerry begins at the Brandon Hotel in Tralee today. The 13km Tralee bypass will link the northern and southern, western and eastern routes to the town and is estimated at a cost of €137 million.
A large number of submissions have been received from landowners objecting to both the compulsory purchase orders and proposals to divide their lands.
Up to 60 submissions have been lodged with An Bord Pleanála and the hearing is expected to last for a week.
When finished, the route will serve the Killarney, Listowel, Abbeydorney, Castlemaine and Dingle roads, almost completely encircling the town.
Man awarded 14,000 for injury
An inter-county handball player, who injured his back when he slipped on an ice cream cone, has been awarded more than €14,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court.
Michael Myers (35), New Street, Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, told his counsel, Eoin Garavan, he had to give up the sport for several years as a result of a fall. Myers, an unemployed fitter, said he also had to temporarily quit football and golf because of the injury to his lower back.
Circuit Court President Mr Justice Matthew Deery heard that Mr Myers fell when he stepped on a discarded ice cream cone while browsing in Heatons store in The Square shopping centre, Tallaght, in March 2002.
Awarding him €14,246 damages, the judge said Myers had played for Mayo at inter-county level and had been prevented from playing football or golf. He had suffered for up to three years with pain in his lower back. Legal costs were also awarded against Heatons.