Court news in brief...
Businessman acquitted of sex abuse charges
A prominent Galway businessman has been acquitted by a jury on all charges of the sexual abuse of a schoolboy more than 30 years ago.
Paul O’Grady (63), Dublin Road, Tuam, a former teacher, publican, auctioneer and peace commissioner, had pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of indecent assault between 1974 and 1976.
Judge Frank O’Donnell had earlier withdrawn six charges from the jury and told it that it was to find Mr O’Grady not guilty on these offences “as directed by the judge”.
The jury of six women and six men took almost three hours to reach the verdict on the remaining charges.
It was day four of the trial before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The judge thanked the jurors for the care and attention they had given the trial, before he discharged Mr O’Grady, telling him he was “free to go”.
Sex abuse trial in closing stages
The trial of a man accused of the “systematic sexual abuse” of his son has reached its closing stages.
The man (52), who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 11 charges of anal rape; 12 of oral rape; 24 of sexual assault and one charge of the wilful neglect or ill-treatment of the boy between April 11th, 2001, and June 23rd, 2004.
The offences are alleged to have occurred while the child was between 12 and 15 years old.
The jury has heard closing speeches from Delia Flynn SC, prosecuting, and David Goldberg SC, defending, and will retire to consider its verdict today following a charge by Mr Justice Barry White.
Earlier during cross examination by Ms Flynn the accused had denied all allegations of sexual abuse.
Reserved judgment in jarvey drivers case
The High Court has reserved judgment in a challenge brought by a group of jarvey drivers to ban them from driving through Killarney National Park unless they agree to attach dung-catchers to their horse-drawn carriages.
The 27 jarveys, who claim the dung-catchers are dangerous, are seeking a court order quashing the ban imposed last October by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The case concluded after two days this week before Mr Justice Liam McKechnie who reserved judgment.
The jarveys claim there was no lawful authority for imposition of the condition of attaching dung-catchers or to refuse them permits to access the park on grounds they would not agree to the dung-catchers.
Claim over death of sons settled
A retired garage owner, whose two sons were killed in a car crash nearly 14 years ago, has settled his High Court action over nervous shock suffered as a result of losing his children.
Walter Doyle (59), Sparrowlands, Bree, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, had sued the driver of a vehicle which collided with a car being driven by his son, Dermot (20), and in which his other son, Jim (16), was a passenger in August 1996.
Mr Doyle had told the court on Wednesday he was unable to return to the job he loved of selling cars because of the terrible effect of the loss of his sons.
“A cloud came over me and I could not get going again,” he said.
No details of the settlement were disclosed.