A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
€70,000 for family of late girl 'derisory'
A High Court judge has described as extraordinary the law under which the family of one of two schoolgirls who died after they were struck by a tractor will receive such a "derisory" sum as €70,000 for mental distress resulting from their "incalculable loss".
Mr Justice John Quirke remarked that this was how the law worked yesterday when approving the settlement for the family of Stephanie McCauley (15).
Earlier, David Hegarty SC, for the family, said Stephanie and friend Vanessa Byrne (13) were leaving a shop in Main Street, Avoca Bridge, Avoca, Co Wicklow on June 28th, 2003, when the tractor struck them, killing both.
The settlement is against Cyril Hobson (38), of Kilmagig House, Avoca, the driver of the tractor.
Information not given to Garda
The trial of a Christian Brother accused of indecent assault of a then young girl has heard that his order "wasn't forthcoming" with information sought by gardaí.
The 77-year-old man has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five charges of the offence on dates between January 1967 and July 1968.
Det Insp Paul Scott told Hugh Hartnett SC, defending, that gardaí approached the Christian Brothers for a full list of employees where the accused worked at the time. "Nothing was forthcoming," he said on day two of the trial.
The trial continues next week before Judge Frank O'Donnell and a jury of seven men and five women.
'Morbid curiosity' about child porn
A MAN who was caught with 11 video files of child pornography has been remanded on bail pending sentence by Judge Katherine Delahunt.
Patrick Rafter (29), a credit controller with an address at Galtymore Road, Drimnagh, told gardaí "there's a couple of things on my computer that I should not have but I don't have a library or anything".
He told gardaí he had "a morbid curiosity" about child pornography but denied getting "a kick out of it" and said he was not a paedophile.
Rafter pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the images on February 15th, 2007. He was registered as a sex offender. Judge Delahunt adjourned the case to next February and ordered an updated probation report for the next day.
Man was stabbed to 'finish him off'
A jury at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin has heard a man accused of murder at a tent in Co Tipperary told gardaí he stabbed a man in the neck to "finish him off".
The trial heard evidence from State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy that the little finger of Renars Tuleiko's right hand was amputated. "There was no loss of blood which suggests that the injury was inflicted after death." There was also an attempt made to sever the little finger from the left hand.
Kevin Keohane (34), of no fixed abode, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Tuleiko (32), at Parnell Park, Thurles, Co Tipperary on a date unknown between April 13th and 15th, 2007.
Victoria Moverley (32), of no fixed abode, has pleaded not guilty to assisting in concealing the body and burning his clothes. She pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault causing serious harm.
The jury heard yesterday that Det Garda Flood asked Mr Keohane, "What was the reason behind cutting off his finger?" and that Mr Keohane replied, "I went too far."