A round-up of other courts news in brief
Man killed instantly after car hits tree
A man died after his car hit a tree near the entrance to Waterford Golf Club on Monday evening.
Christopher Maher (42), of Robin View, Newrath, was killed instantly at the Rockshire Road, Ferrybank, at about 11pm on Monday. Gardaí in Waterford are investigating the single-vehicle incident.
Anyone with information can contact gardaí in Waterford on 051-305300.
18 months’ jail over fatal crash
A man whose best friend was killed in a car crash was sentenced to 18 months in jail after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing death at Naas Circuit Court.
Ian Kelly (22), Castlewarden, Straffan, Co Kildare, was driving the car on October 29th, 2007, when he lost control and crashed at a T-junction at Tipper East, near Naas.
Kelly and another friend survived the crash unhurt, but Thomas Fitzpatrick (22) who was in the front passenger seat, was killed.
Judge Michael O’Shea imposed a sentence of 18 months in prison and a 10-year driving ban on the charge of dangerous driving causing death. A three-year ban for driving while intoxicated is to run concurrently.
Woman stored gun and bombs
A “naive young woman” who stored pipe bombs, a shotgun, ammunition and drugs for criminals has been sentenced to five years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Laura Creighton (22), who has no previous convictions, was storing the pipe bombs under her bed in the family home, along with cocaine and ammunition in her wardrobe and cannabis and a shotgun in the hot press.
Creighton, Barry Park, Finglas, pleaded guilty to possession of the two bombs, a sawn-off shotgun and 26 rounds of Luger 9mm ammunition on January 18th, 2008. She pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine worth €8,000 and cannabis worth €2,000 for sale or supply on that date. Judge Frank O’Donnell imposed a five-year term, suspending the last three years.
Stab victim was violent, trial told
The ex-partner of a man who was stabbed to death told a court he was often violent towards her, and that he fought with the defendant weeks before the killing.
Anne Gildea was giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court in the trial of a Louth man accused of murdering the father of two.
Keith Cunningham (19) of Halpin’s Terrace, Drogheda has pleaded not guilty to murder, but guilty to the manslaughter of Martin Desmond Kimmins (41).
Mr Kimmins was stabbed on December 30th, 2007, in Rathmullen Park, Drogheda.
The trial continues.
Parents in court for girl’s hearing
The parents of a 14-year-old Dublin girl arrested for shoplifting have avoided a threatened arrest warrant after they turned up for her court case yesterday.
The girl was brought before the Children’s Court last Monday following her arrest for theft of €23 worth of groceries from Tesco in Crumlin. Her parents did not attend her hearing even though obliged to by law.
Judge Ann Ryan had given them until yesterday to be present, or she intended to issue a bench warrant for them to be arrested. The parents did appear and the case was put back until April.