In Short

A round-up of today's other stories in brief.

A round-up of today's other stories in brief.

Drug 'mule' gets 10 years for cocaine

A drugs "mule", convicted of possessing €56,350 worth of cocaine for sale or supply, has been sentenced to the mandatory 10-year jail term.

Oluwamuyiwa Akinola (35), Ard Aoibhinn, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, was sentenced at Wexford Circuit Court after Judge Alice Doyle refused to be swayed by pleas of good character made on his behalf by his pastor and former Oxfam employer.

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Describing as "immeasurable" the devastation caused by cocaine across the State, Judge Doyle ruled that Akinola was a "knowing and willing" mule.

Customs officers at Dublin airport intercepted a FedEx package from Nigeria on July 24th, 2006, the court heard. It contained 53 video cassettes, each of which contained a small white package between the two reels. Akinola was apprehended when a detective posed as a delivery firm worker.

Dublin Bus to pay for woman's fall

A woman who broke one of her little toes when she stepped off a bus has been awarded €12,000 damages against Dublin Bus.

Judge Jacqueline Linnane said in the Circuit Civil Court that Margaret Shaw had contributed towards her own accident and cut the award by €3,000.

She said Ms Shaw, Belclaire Park, Poppintree, Dublin, had admitted in court she was rushing home to make the dinner when she fell at her local bus stop.

Counsel for Ms Shaw (75), told the court the accident happened in May 2004 when she fell off the 13A bus which, she alleged, had not pulled in close enough to the kerb.

There was a gap of which she had not been aware and she had been taken by surprise when stepping down further than expected off the bus, causing her to fall sideways.

Mirror may have saved pensioner

A pensioner rushing for Mass was crushed by a truck while crossing the road as the driver was unable to see him due to an absence of a "cyclops" mirror, an inquest has heard.

Michael Ryan (82) Charlemont Court, Dublin, was rushing to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Dublin city centre and attempted to cross Aungier Street in front of a stationary truck when the traffic lights turned green, Dublin City Coroner's Court heard.

The truck driver, unaware that Mr Ryan was in the blind spot in front of his truck, moved off, striking him and dragging him a distance. Mr Ryan died a short time later.The jury returned a verdict of accidental death and called for the erection of a railing to dissuade people from crossing the road away from the crossing.

The court heard that under an EU directive it will become mandatory that all heavy goods vehicles are fitted with cyclops mirrors, but it is not a legal requirement yet.

Burns victim did not seek help

An elderly man died from burns after his clothing caught fire as he tried to light a gas hob to make tea, Cork Coroner's Court heard.

Edward (Ned) O'Connor, a reclusive bachelor, did not call anybody for help, even though his brother lived next door, and he did not get medical attention until his home help arrived the next day.

The inquest at Cork Coroner's Court heard that Mr O'Connor (65), Ballymackessy, Newcastle, Co Limerick, and his brother did not speak to each other and he would not have called to him for help. He died the day after the accident.