A convicted armed robber yesterday lost an appeal against a garda decision to refuse him a taxi licence.
A convicted armed robber yesterday lost an appeal against a garda decision to refuse him a taxi licence.
Mr John Foy (40), Croftwood Park, Ballyfermot, Dublin, asked District Judge Michael Connellan to overturn the Carriage Office's refusal to give him a licence because he would be an unsuitable person to operate a public service vehicle.
Dublin District Court heard he had three previous convictions for armed robbery, the last in 1988 when he received nine years imprisonment.
He told the court he was working as a self-employed courier since 1999, but was finding it hard to make a living.
Judge Michael Connellan said the public have a right to be protected in relation to people driving hire vehicles.
These were extremely serious offences for which he was convicted and he did not believe Mr Foy should be granted a licence.
Woman killed in Meath car crash
A 25-year-old Meath woman was killed in a road traffic accident yesterday.
Ms Michelle Quinn, of Summerhill, sustained fatal injuries when the car in which she was driving crashed with a truck at Agher, Summerhill, Co Meath at 11.30 a.m.
The driver of the truck was uninjured. Gardaí at Trim are investigating.
Damages claim by prison officer
A compensation claim by a former Maze prison officer who was on duty the day Billy Wright was murdered was settled in the High Court in Belfast yesterday.
Mr Raymond Mitchell, (45), had told the court he is still on anti-depressants after he was trapped between screaming rival factions after the LVF leader was shot by INLA prisoners in 1997.
He said the trauma he suffered led to him being medically discharged from the Prison Service last December.
The Northern Ireland Office admitted liability but disputed the stg£350,000 damages claimed by Mr Mitchell, who is now studying towards a place at university. The amount of damages he received was not revealed.
Five other prisoners had earlier settled their claims.
Re-trial ordered in biting case
The Court of Criminal Appeal has quashed the conviction of a man sentenced to four years imprisonment for biting a man on his cheek at a fast- food restaurant in Ballina, Co Mayo. A re-trial was ordered.
Malachy McGinty, of Tyrawley Terrace, Ballina, was jailed at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court on January 2002 arising from the alleged assault on November 11th, 2000.