Today's other stories in brief
McGuinness conviction is quashed
The Court of Criminal Appeal has overturned the convictions of a brother of Sinn Féin leader Martin McGuinness and two other Derry men for failing to give an account of their movements to gardaí after their arrest near the Border almost 16 years ago.
The three-judge appeal court yesterday quashed the convictions of William McGuinness, Gary Fleming and Anthony Heaney - almost 15 years after they were found guilty of the offence under Section 52 of the Offences Against the State Act.
McGuinness (50) from Lecky Road, Derry; Fleming (38) from Strabane Old Road, Derry and Heaney (50) of Castledawson, Co Derry were each jailed for six months by the Special Criminal Court in June, 1991. They had been convicted of failing to give an account of their movements to gardaí as required under Section 52 on October 24th, 1990.
The men had been arrested at a house at Burt, Co Donegal three miles from the Border.
The men had lodged an appeal the week after they were convicted but the hearing of that appeal did not go ahead until yesterday because of a number of court cases in Ireland and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Retrial ordered in sex abuse case
The Court of Criminal Appeal has quashed the conviction of a 69-year-old man who was jailed for 10 years for the sexual assaults of children and has ordered a retrial. The decision arose from the trial judge's failure to warn the jury of the dangers arising from delays in making complaints in sexual abuse cases.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was jailed in March 2003 after he was convicted on 33 counts of sexual assault on four girls on dates between May 1974 and January 1989. He was also convicted of the attempted rape of a girl in November 1988.
The sexual assault counts related, in the case of two girls, to dates between 1974 and 1978 and in the case of the other two girls, to dates between 1987 and 1989.
Boy charged with bottle attack
A 15-year-old boy appeared in court yesterday charged with reckless endangerment of life of a garda arising from an alleged bottle attack.
The Ballymun teenager was charged at the Dublin Children's Court with reckless endangerment of life of Garda Brian Martin in the Shangan area, on Saturday afternoon last, by throwing a full litre bottle of martini at him. He is also charged with engaging in a breach of the peace on the same date.
Judge Bryan Smyth granted legal aid to the boy who was supported in court by his mother. He remanded the teenager on bail to appear again in July.
A 14-year-old boy, who came to court with his mother, was also charged with obstruction of a garda during the same incident.
Longford man admits sex assault
A Longford man has been remanded in custody by Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court for sentence for the aggravated sexual assault of another man last year.
Ian Bissett (20) of Teffia Park, Longford pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the victim on September 24th last. Mr Justice Carney declared him a sex offender and directed the preparation of a victim impact report.
Four years for drugs offence
A drug dealer who rang gardaí when he thought someone was trying to break into his home and was found with drugs valued at nearly €30,000 lying around the house, has been given a four-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
James Blake (24) of Johnstown Villas. Mornington Park, Drogheda pleaded guilty to having cocaine and ecstasy for sale or supply in December 2003.