A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Garda pleads not guilty to assault
The alleged victim of a Garda beating had a history of aggression towards gardaí, it has been claimed at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The trial heard evidence that the late Keith Murphy threatened to “knock the head off” another garda the day before he was allegedly beaten with a garda baton in Dublin city centre.
Garda Brendan Whitty (33), Kevin Street Garda station, has pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Mr Murphy on September 20th, 2007.
Bailout protester gets new trial date
A new trial date has been set for a man arrested at Government Buildings last November during protests against the EU-IMF bailout.
Raymond Walker (42) was arrested while standing in front of a car carrying then Minister for Tourism Mary Hanafin.
Defence solicitor Patrick McGonagle told the court he had been furnished by the prosecution with “blank” discs which were supposed to contain CCTV footage. Judge Cormac Dunne granted an adjournment.
Mahon tribunal to pay costs of legal challenge by Lawlor’s wife
The Mahon tribunal has accepted it must pay the legal costs incurred by Hazel Lawlor in opposing the tribunal’s efforts to pursue the estate of her late husband, former Fianna Fáil TD Liam Lawlor. The tribunal was pursuing Mr Lawlor’s estate to recover legal costs awarded against him to the tribunal.
The Supreme Court had last November ruled the estate and Ms Lawlor were not liable for judgment mortgages obtained in 2002 and 2004 by the tribunal against lands in Lucan, including the Lawlor family home, Somerton House.
Yesterday, the three-judge court dealt with costs issues and the tribunal did not oppose applications by counsel for Ms Lawlor for her costs of the proceedings.