A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Man charged with assault goes on trial
A man has gone on trial for running over a man he found in his ex-girlfriend’s house, causing him to lose a foot.
Joseph Cullen (42) of Adare Avenue, Coolock, has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm and causing serious harm to Kevin Byrne on March 8th, 2008, at St Helena’s Road, Finglas.
Mr Byrne said he was at a work night out and was sharing a taxi home with Jackie White.
Mr Byrne told prosecuting counsel, Seán Guerin, he wanted to use the bathroom so he went into Ms White’s house. He said Ms White indicated she was going to use the bathroom and he sat downstairs.
He said shortly after a man entered the house, looked at him and roared. He said Ms White then told the man, “it’s only Kevin from work”.
The trial continues.
Gilligan warned over phone case
A charge of illegally possessing a mobile phone will not be turned into an investigation into the running of Portlaoise Prison, Judge Gerard Haughton told John Gilligan yesterday, writes Eoghan MacConnell.
At Portlaoise District Court Gilligan (58) denies a charge of possessing a mobile phone at his cell on July 30th, 2008. Dismissing Gilligan’s application to call “doctors, dentists and teachers” along with various prison officers, “virtually none of which are relevant”, Judge Haughton said: “The defendant’s case is that the phone was planted in his cell and that he had no knowledge.”
Witnesses who could give expert evidence about the cloning of sim cards, the use of phone masts, the possible editing of information taken from the phone and evidence relating to the handling of the sim card were admissible, said Judge Haughton.
Jury in murder trial sent home
The jury in the trial of a father of three accused of murder was sent home yesterday for the third night since beginning its deliberations.
Daniel Joseph “DJ” Byrne (39) has pleaded not guilty to murdering Edward Dempsey (49) on October 11th, 2007.
The cattle farmer died on that date in Portlaoise hospital, 10 months after being involved in a row with the accused at the Byrne farm on Hammer Lane, Borness, Co Laois.
Yesterday, Mr Byrne’s brother, Jason Byrne (33), who had also been on trial for the murder, was acquitted by unanimous verdict. He had denied the charge.
The jury will resume its deliberations today.
Man loses murder conviction appeal
The Court of Criminal Appeal has dismissed a Dublin man’s appeal against his conviction for the murder of a Chinese student who was stabbed during a robbery.
The three-judge appeal court rejected arguments by Derek Wade, Church Avenue, Rialto, that his conviction in March 2007 of the murder of Zhi Song (23) was unsafe partly on the grounds fingerprint evidence was allegedly tainted.
Mr Song died after being stabbed with a chef’s carving knife at his residence on Reuben Avenue, off South Circular Road, Dublin in the early hours of June 29th, 2005. Wade was given the mandatory life sentence by Mr Justice Barry White who imposed a concurrent five-year sentence for the attempted robbery.
The appeal court ruled the fingerprints were lawfully taken, retained and transferred.