A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Man cleared by judge of drug-driving
A former heroin addict was cleared yesterday of drug-driving after a judge found he did not have the intention to drive when gardaí said they found him slumped at the wheel of his car.
Shane Walsh (30), Portmarnock Rise, Dublin, denied driving under the influence of an intoxicant at Castleknock Road, Blanchardstown, on December 19th, 2004.
Mr Walsh told Dublin District Court he had bought heroin from a "a guy" in the Bell pub in Blanchardstown. He went back to his car and planned to "start using" the drug.
"But I realised I was not in any fit shape to do anything, so I rang my father and asked him to come and collect me."
At that point, he was approached by a garda who said he found Mr Walsh slumped over the steering wheel with the engine running. He was arrested and taken to Blanchardstown Garda station where he gave a blood sample which was found to have traces of opiates and benzodiazepine. He denied he was slumped at the steering wheel but admitted the engine was running because it was a cold night.
His father, Frank Walsh, told the court he received a phone call from his son on the night and arrived in Blanchardstown to find his son's car, but he was not there. This was the first time he became aware of his son's drug problem, and Mr Walsh subsequently spent six months in treatment.
Judge Hugh O'Donnell said that given the father's evidence, he had to accept Mr Walsh had no intention to drive and he dismissed the charge.
Farmer gets interim injunction
Co Tipperary farmer John Hanrahan has secured an interim injunction restraining the sale before next week by the Department of Agriculture of about 150 cattle removed from his farm by officials last March.
The case arose after department officials visited Mr Hanrahan's 250-acre farm at Ballydine, Carrick-on-Suir, on March 15th and removed 391 animals on grounds of animal welfare concerns.
The department planned to sell some of the animals but Mr Hanrahan sought an interlocutory injunction restraining the sale, pending a full hearing of the case against the Minister for Agriculture.
Assault case jury discharged
The State's accidental failure to disclose relevant documents led to a High Court judge's decision yesterday to discharge the jury hearing an action by a woman who claimed she was assaulted by gardaí during the Reclaim the Streets march in Dublin city centre four years ago.
Annette Ryan (39), of Rathgar Avenue, Dublin, had sued the Garda Commissioner and the Attorney General for damages after she claimed she was severely assaulted by gardaí during the march in Dublin on May 6th, 2002.
Stay for Dublin Waterworld
The Supreme Court has granted a stay on certain conditions on an order requiring Dublin Waterworld Ltd to hand over possession of the €62 million National Aquatic Centre. The stay will apply pending the outcome of Dublin Waterworld's appeal against that possession order to the Supreme Court, a date for which has yet to be fixed.