A judge at the Central Criminal Court yesterday directed a jury to find one of two men accused of murdering a 65-year-old woman not guilty due to insufficient evidence against him.
Conor Grogan (26), Avonbeg Park, Tallaght, Dublin, and Timothy Rattigan (26), St Dominick's Terrace, Tallaght, Dublin, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mrs Joan Casey (65) at Avonbeg Park on April 3rd, 2004.
Mr Justice Paul Carney told the jury that defence counsel had made submissions relating to the evidence heard in the case.
"I have ruled that there was insufficient evidence for the case to proceed against Conor Grogan," he said.
He directed the jury to find Mr Grogan not guilty of murder. Mr Justice Carney ruled that the case against Mr Grogan's co-accused proceed.
Retrial in rape case ruled out
A man who had been on trial at the Central Criminal Court for rape and kidnap has walked free after the prosecution decided not to have him retried on one rape charge.
The 25-year-old Polish man had been found not guilty on five of the six charges on which he stood trial and the jury had disagreed on one charge of raping a 24 year-old female compatriot last year in a Galway town.
Mr Justice Henry Abbott directed he be released after Mr George Birmingham SC entered a nolle prosequi on this charge.
A 29-year-old co-accused is to appear for sentence on July 25th on four charges on which he was convicted by the jury.
Teacher denies sex assaults
A Galway primary school teacher has gone on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on sexual assault charges in relation to female pupils under his care.
The 61-year-old accused has pleaded not guilty to 18 charges alleging he sexually assaulted five girls between 1997 and 2000.
Ms Karen O'Connor, prosecuting, told the jury the girls were taught by the accused when they were in second and third class and he allegedly "touched them inappropriately".
The trial continues.
Galway doctor dies in air crash
A Galway doctor was among three men killed in a plane crash in Alaska, it was announced yesterday.
Dr Ken O'Connor, of Bishop Street, Tuam, Co Galway, and Charlotte, North Carolina, who was in his late 70s, was a University College Galway graduate who later specialised in anaesthesiology after emigrating to the US, according to his daughter, Maeve, a doctor based in North Carolina.