In Short

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

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

Man accused of trying to hire killer

A 38-year-old Co Tipperary lorry driver has appeared in court charged with trying to hire a man to kill his estranged wife.

Patrick Rafferty, Birdhill, Co Tipperary, was appearing yesterday before Judge Tom O'Donnell at Limerick District Court.

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Mr Rafferty is charged with soliciting a man to murder Mary Rafferty on February 7th, 2005.

Det Sgt Eamon O'Neill of Henry Street Garda station told the court the accused made no reply when charged.

Gardaí said they had no objection to bail subject to certain strict conditions.

The judge said he understood the case would proceed to a higher court. He ordered the accused to avoid all contact with the alleged injured party and that he surrender his passport to investigating gardaí.

Judge O'Donnell fixed bail on his own bond of €500 and remanded him on bail to appear again before Limerick District Court on June 15th.

Ex-judge's son wins libel action

A chartered accountant and son of the former Supreme Court judge Hugh O'Flaherty has secured "substantial damages", his legal costs and an apology in settlement of High Court libel proceedings over an article in the Sunday Tribune.

Hugh O'Flaherty (39), of Park Close, Gilford Road, Sandymount, Dublin, took the action arising from the publication of an article in the newspaper on November 10th, 2002.

When the hearing resumed on its second day yesterday before Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne and a jury, Paul O'Higgins SC, for Mr O'Flaherty, said the matter had been settled and terms agreed between the two parties.

Higher courts not sitting today

There will be no sittings of the High Court and Supreme Court today because the judges are attending an annual training seminar.

Both courts will revert to normal sittings on Monday.

Bus driver fined for truck collision

A bus driver who was carrying school children when involved in a collision was convicted of driving without reasonable consideration, at Rathdrum court, Co Wicklow, yesterday.

Vincent Donegan, a private bus driver from Le Fanu Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin, was fined €300 for the bus being in a collision with a refuse truck on a bend at Annamoe, Roundwood, on June 24th last year.

Mr Donegan was fined another €300 for failing to use a record sheet in the tachograph and he was ordered to pay €170 witness expenses.

Man allegedly dead back in court

A Lithuanian man appeared back in Wexford two years after the gardaí had been informed that he was murdered, Rathdrum District Court, Co Wicklow, heard yesterday.

A garda told the court that there were three or four arrest warrants for public order offences for Sergei Bolotnyj in 2003 but he returned to Lithuania.

The gardaí then received information that he had been murdered and the warrants were cancelled.

Mr Bolotnyj from Georges Street, Wexford Town, was remanded in custody to appear in court next Wednesday.