A round-up of other court stories in brief...
Footballer settles action over injuries
A Gaelic football player has settled his High Court action over injuries allegedly suffered after his foot was caught in a hole in the playing surface while playing in a schools match 15 years ago. Alan Crawford (29), Magherahane, Raphoe, Co Donegal, sued Co Donegal Vocational Educational Committee over injuries received while playing for Raphoe Vocational School in a schools match at Convoy GAA Club on April 22nd, 1994.
Yesterday Mr Justice John Quirke was told the case had been settled and could be struck out. No terms of the settlement were revealed.
Man cleared of raping daughter
A Central Criminal Court jury has found a 57-year-old Kerry man not guilty of raping his daughter over 20 years ago. The jury took under an hour to acquit the man on the fifth day of the trial of one rape count and two counts of indecent assault. The man had pleaded not guilty to raping and indecently assaulting his 11-year-old daughter on January 1st, 1988.
Taxi man murder case deferred
The Central Criminal Court trial of a man and a woman accused of murdering a taxi driver last year in Blanchardstown, west Dublin has been adjourned until Monday. Carlos Byrne (22) and Lindsey Fahy (25), both Linnetsfield Square, Clonee, Co Meath, deny murdering Mark Smith (31) at Fortlawn, Blanchardstown on March 18th, 2008.
Mr Justice Paul Butler told the jury of six men and six women that counsel on both sides had informed him that discussions which would shorten the case were taking place.
Six years for stabbing friend
A man who repeatedly stabbed a lifelong friend after a drink and drugs binge and called gardaí himself after leaving the man he believed he had killed alone in the flat for an hour has been sentenced to six years in prison. Bernard Locke (36) rang his mother and various friends to tell them he had killed his friend, Liam Doyle, before contacting gardaí who discovered on their arrival that the man was still alive.
Locke, Rathgar Road, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Mr Doyle causing him serious harm at his home on March 21st, 2007.
Addict bit off part of man’s ear
A cocaine addict who bit part of a man’s ear off after chasing him from a chipper has had his sentence adjourned to allow him to gather compensation for his victim. Paul Dunne (41) Esker Lane, Lucan, Co Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm on Ian Dunne on April 14th, 2006, outside Mizzoni’s Chipper on the Belgard Road, Tallaght.
Former PP assaulted boy
A former parish priest has been given a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to indecently assaulting a teenage boy on three occasions. Naas Circuit Court was told that Peter Cribben (68) singled out the 14-year-old boy and assaulted him twice in a presbytery and once on the Curragh in Co Kildare.
Cribben pleaded guilty to three charges of indecent assault between February and December 1988.