A roundup of today's other courts news in brief
Murder trial of two in legal argument
The trial of two Dublin men accused of murder was yesterday in legal argument in the absence of the jury at the Central Criminal Court.
Jason Curry (20) Leighlin Road, Crumlin and Karl Fay (18) Lismore Road, Crumlin have both denied murdering David Rooney (35) Clonmacnoise Road, Crumlin on July 12th, 2008.
It is alleged that Mr Curry attacked Mr Rooney with a snooker cue while Mr Fay hit him with a golf club. Mr Rooney died of his injuries in hospital.
The State’s evidence is based on the eyewitness accounts of three children who are expected to testify by video link today.
The trial will continue this morning before Mr Justice George Birmingham and a jury.
Paisley jnr to get libel damages
Ian Paisley jnr is to receive libel damages over newspaper claims about the circumstances surrounding his resignation as junior minister in the Stormont Executive.
The publishers of the Daily Mailalso issued an apology to the Democratic Unionist MLA as part of a settlement announced at the High Court in Belfast.
A judge was told yesterday that a resolution had been reached, with one of the terms being that a statement was read out in open court.
Counsel for Associated Newspapers Ltd said: “An article published in the Daily Mail on March 5th, 2008, made reference to the circumstances leading up to Ian Paisley jnr’s resignation from the position of junior minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
“The defendant wishes to clarify that this was not intended to suggest any illegality or dishonesty on the part of Mr Paisley.”
Directors told to pay shareholder
A Christmas tree company, whose two directors engaged in oppressive conduct against a shareholder of a subsidiary company, has been directed by the High Court to pay the shareholder €330,500. Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan yesterday ordered Best Christmas Trees Ltd (BCTL) to buy for €20 each the 16,525 shares held by Banfi Ltd in Emerald Group Holdings Ltd (EGHL). David Haaslacher is the beneficial owner of the issued share capital of Banfi and brought proceedings against Noel Moran and Karina Ray, directors of EGHL and holders of the BCTL shares.
Sentence due for defrauding Revenue
A man who defrauded the Revenue of nearly €53,000 will be sentenced at the end of the month at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Karl Holmes is the 32nd person to be prosecuted in relation to the scam. Another 58 suspects are still due before the courts. He said he was working for a man who claimed to be a member of a terrorist group and who had threatened to shoot him if he co-operated with gardaí.
Holmes (38), Home Lawn Drive, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to defrauding the Revenue Commissioners by making fraudulent tax repayment claims and assisting others to do so, between February and June 2003.
Sgt Michael McKenna said Holmes owed €5,000 to the unnamed man who suggested he repay it by engaging in the scam and recruiting others.
It involved sending contract tax deduction forms to the Revenue Commissioners to claim back tax paid on construction work. However, no work was ever carried out so no tax was paid.