InBrief

More news in brief

More news in brief

A doctor and special adviser to HSE chief executive Prof Brendan Drumm has brought proceedings in the High Court seeking to dissolve a business partnership.

Dr Seán McGuire is seeking to dissolve a business partnership with Dr Regina O'Kelly in Co Carlow. Dr O'Kelly Ballinakill, Co Laois, has brought separate proceedings seeking that an arbitrator be appointed to hear the dispute between the doctors.

When the case was called in the High Court yesterday, Mr Justice Frank Clarke was told the matter could be adjourned for a week.

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Man (78) not guilty of assault

A jury has found a Dublin man not guilty of sexually assaulting his then 10-year- old niece 28 years ago.

The man (78) stood up, waved at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury and thanked it after the unanimous verdicts on 13 counts were read out by the registrar.

He had initially denied 21 charges of indecently assaulting the now 37-year- old woman between July 1978 and July 1983 at both his and her homes, but Judge Desmond Hogan ruled earlier that eight of the charges should not go to the jury, following an application from defence counsel Aileen Donnelly SC.

The jury of seven women and five men took almost 2½ hours to return the verdicts on day four of the trial.

Vietnamese man's killing denied

A Dublin man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with the manslaughter of a Vietnamese man in Temple Bar almost four years ago.

Noel O'Flaherty (35) formerly of McCormack Gardens, Baldoyle, now living in Limerick, denies killing Ly Minh Luong (50) on Fownes Street Upper on August 19th, 2002.

Opening the case for the prosecution Tom O'Connell SC told the jury that Mr O'Flaherty had admitted punching Mr Luong in the head and they would hear evidence that his co-accused James Harmer had also punched him and kicked him in the head. Mr Luong had fallen back and hit his head on the pavement with a thud.

He said there had been a previous trial in which Harmer (29) Abbey Court Hostel, Bachelors Walk, Dublin, was found guilty of Mr Luong's manslaughter, while the jury had disagreed on a charge of manslaughter in relation to Mr O'Flaherty.

The trial continues.

Kerry man admits lying to gardaí

A Central Criminal Court jury has been told by defence counsel that a Kerry man (23) charged with rape and kidnap admits he had sex with the woman and told lies to gardaí.

He has pleaded not guilty to raping and falsely imprisoning the woman on October 31st, 2004.

Anthony Sammon SC, defending, told the jury he was making certain admissions on behalf of his client including that he had sexual intercourse with the woman on the date and time of the alleged rape and that his arrest, detention and interviewing was all done correctly by gardaí.

John Aylmer SC said the accused's DNA was found in swabs taken from the now 27-year-old complainant.

Youth remanded on continuing bail

A 17-year-old youth who is charged with the manslaughter of a man who died following an altercation outside his home in Leixlip, Co Kildare, last August, has been remanded on continuing bail.

At the Dublin Children's Court yesterday ,Judge John Coughlan granted the State further time to complete the book of evidence in the case.

The west Dublin teenager is charged with unlawfully killing Oliver Leacy snr, on August 13th last.

The teenager, who was supported in court by his mother, has also been charged with engaging in a violent disorder.