A roundup of today's other courts news in brief
Meath man seeks to quash 1972 conviction
A bid by a man to quash his conviction for killing a teenager in the Wicklow mountains almost 40 years ago opens at the Court of Criminal Appeal next week.
Martin Conmey (59), Porterstown Lane, Co Meath, is claiming new evidence not available at the time of his trial in 1972 will prove he was not responsible for the death of Una Lynskey (19).
The civil servant’s body was found in a ditch in a remote part of Glendhu two months after she disappeared while walking home in 1971.
Conmey, a father of one, and another man, Dick Donnelly, were convicted of her manslaughter in 1972.
Both men appealed and Mr Donnelly’s conviction was overturned, but Conmey served three years in prison for the offence. A third man, Martin Kerrigan, was also suspected of having been involved, but he was killed just weeks after the body of Ms Lynskey was discovered.
Court told victims had been drinking
The Central Criminal Court trial of two Dublin men accused of murdering two Polish men has heard that both victims had been drinking that evening.
Pawel Kalite (28) and Marius Szwajkos (27) were stabbed in their heads with a screwdriver on February 23th, 2008, outside their home on Benbulben Road, Drimnagh.
David Curran (19), Lissadel Green, Drimnagh, has pleaded not guilty to their murder but guilty to their manslaughter.
Seán Keogh (21), Vincent Street West, Inchicore, pleaded not guilty to the double murder.
The victims’ flatmate Radek Szeremeta agreed with Giollioasa Ó Lideadha SC, defending Mr Curran, that he told gardaí both had consumed alcohol. “Marius had been drinking vodka,” Mr Szeremeta had said in his statement. “He was just like Pawel, a little drunk.”
Trial continues today.
Man denies partner involved in brothels
A man who has pleaded guilty to running two brothels and organising prostitution in Cork yesterday told the trial of his partner that she had nothing to do with the business and that he did not discuss it with her.
Tony Linnane (53) said that he did not talk to Caroline O’Leary (39) about the brothels or prostitution operation in Cork city while he also said that she had no involvement in the running of 11 legally operated adult sex stores that he owned around the country.
“I did not discuss it – it was business, I went to work and I came home,” he said at the trial of Ms O’Leary from Scartbarry, Watergrasshill, Co Cork, who denies 69 counts of prostitution and brothel keeping at John Street and Grafton Street in Cork city.
The case continues.
Hammond Lane court action settled
A company has settled its legal action against the State over failure to pay sums allegedly due from the clean up of the former Irish Steel plant site at Haulbowline Island in Co Cork.
The Hammond Lane Metal Company Ltd, Pigeon House Road, Dublin, had claimed some €8.1 million damages in its action against the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
The case was settled on undisclosed terms.
In separate proceedings listed for October next, an English firm, Louis J O’Regan Ltd, is claiming €114 million damages against Hammond Lane and two other firms.