A round-up of today’s other stories in brief
Businessman remanded on bail on sexual assault charge
A businessman charged with the sexual assault of a woman in north Dublin earlier this month was remanded on continuing bail yesterday pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions, writes Tom Tuite.
The man, in his late 40s, had been charged previously with sexual assault of the woman at Griffith Avenue, Drumcondra, on October 3rd last. He had been charged at Dublin District Court the following day and was remanded to appear again yesterday. Garda Cormac McGill told Judge Denis McLoughlin that he was applying for a further six-week remand.
The defence said there was consent to the application and the accused, who was wearing a dark suit and remained silent during his case, was remanded on continuing bail to appear again on November 29th.
Jury sworn in for murder trial
A jury has been sworn in at the Central Criminal Court for the trial of a Limerick man charged with murder two years ago. Stephen O’Sullivan (20), of Galtee View, O’Malley Park, Southill, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mark Moloney (40) at South Claughan Road, Garryowen, Limerick, on April 5th, 2008.
Mr Moloney was shot dead outside Garryowen Stores.
The trial is due to begin today.
Man held after Limerick shooting
A man in his 20s was in custody in Limerick last night following a shooting in the city.
Three shots were fired into a house on Garryglass Avenue in Ballinacurra Weston at 1.50am yesterday. The house was occupied at the time but no one was injured in the attack.
Minor damage was caused to both the upstairs and downstairs sections of the house.
Brothers deny murder of farmer
A Co Laois builder on trial along with his younger brother for murder has denied under cross- examination that he fabricated evidence that he was “purely defending” himself when he struck his neighbour.
Daniel-Joseph Byrne (39), told the Central Criminal Court that a neighbouring farmer, Edward Dempsey (49), forced his way onto his property, pushing the gate into him “like a battering-ram” and knocking him to the ground in December 2006.
Mr Dempsey had driven to Mr Byrne’s farmyard to get back a heifer that had wandered onto his land.
When Mr Dempsey arrived at the Hammer Lane farmyard in Co Laois, a row broke out and Mr Byrne told the court he acted in defence when he hit the farmer with the handle of a shovel he’d been using to separate cattle.
Mr Byrne and his brother Jason, who was also present in the yard, both of Hammer Lane, Borness, Co Laois, deny murdering Mr Dempsey.
Archbishop denies he asked for resignations
Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin has denied he had asked for the resignations of two of his auxiliary bishops.
The Vatican rejected the offers of resignation from auxiliaries Eamonn Walsh and Ray Field in the wake of the Murphy report on child sex abuse. “I asked for accountability, and I believe that is something . . . I haven’t always been successful in doing that,’’ said Dr Martin.
He was responding last night to Pat Kenny, who suggested on the RTÉ Frontline programme that the archbishop’s authority had been undermined by the pope.
Dr Martin said accountability was when people said “this is the level of my responsibility . . . I stand over that and I am not just going to say sit back and say nothing’’. Asked if the pope had second-guessed him, Dr Martin replied: “No. I know what the pope thinks.’’
Supreme Court abuse bid fails
A Dublin man convicted of sexually abusing his partner’s daughter over an eight year period has failed in a bid to take his case to the Supreme Court.
Lawyers for convicted armed robber Christopher Griffin (39) had argued before the Court of Criminal Appeal that his case raised two points of “exceptional public importance” which required determination by the Supreme Court.
The appeal court of Mrs Justice Fidelma Macken presiding, sitting with Mr Justice Éamon de Valera and Mr Justice Paul Gilligan, ruled that neither issue could be considered suitable grounds on which to issue a certificate of referral to the Supreme Court.
Two in court over weapons incident
Two men have appeared in court charged in connection with an incident in which guns were allegedly test-fired in the back garden of a house in Dublin last week.
Yesterday the two were brought before Dublin District Court to be charged over the seizure. Karl Hyland (22), St Attracta’s Road, Cabra, and Anthony Sharlott (21), Fordstown, Navan, Co Meath, were each charged with three counts under the Firearms Act, for possessing a Browning pistol, a revolver and 37 rounds of ammunition.
Both were remanded to appear at Cloverhill District Court on October 22nd.
Two in court on explosives charges
Two men arrested during Garda investigations into dissident republican activity were brought before a special sitting of the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on explosives charges yesterday.
Seán Ryan (28), Mandeville Lane, Waterford, and Samuel Devlin (51), Mountjoy Square, Dublin, were each charged with membership of an unlawful organisation.
Pensioner dies after truck collision
A pensioner was killed last night when his car was involved in a collision with a truck. Leonard Orr (82), died following the crash at Bunlinn Bridge on the Carrigart Road, near Milford, Co Donegal.
Mr Orr, was a single man from Ballyare near Ramelton. Gardaí have appealed for witnesses.
Meanwhile, a woman (20) killed in a road traffic incident in Limerick on Sunday has been named as Liva Eglite, of Newcastlewest, Co Limerick. Ms Eglite, from Latvia, was a law student at the University of Limerick.