A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Jury rules that taxi driver be given €85,000
A High Court jury has awarded €85,000 damages to a Dublin taxi driver after finding he was wrongly arrested, assaulted and falsely imprisoned by gardaí while he observed an incident in Dublin city during which parking tickets were being issued to another taxi driver, writes Mary Carolan.
The jury found gardaí had assaulted Christopher Kearns (60) by using excessive force in arresting him and conveying him to Donnybrook Garda station at the time of the incident in November 2000. They also found the wrongful acts of the gardaí had caused Mr Kearns to suffer and sustain injuries.
Mr Kearns, Newbrook Court, Mountbrown, James Street, Dublin had sued the Garda Commissioner and the Attorney General over the incident in November 2000. The defendants had denied the allegations of assault, wrongful arrest and false imprisonment.
The case opened last week before Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne and a jury and concluded after six days yesterday evening after which the jury retired to consider their verdict. They returned with that verdict about an hour later and then calculated damages at a total of €85,000.
The case arose from an alleged incident at Mespil Road, Dublin, on November 18th, 2000. Mr Kearns said he had been in a restaurant in Baggot Street and was legally parked elsewhere but went to Mespil Road having heard gardaí were issuing parking tickets. He claimed that, as he entered Mespil Road, another taxi driver who was illegally parked had told a garda that he would be better off arresting the drug pushers down the road.
A confrontation started and ultimately, Mr Kearns claimed, two gardaí had "frog marched" him to a patrol car where, he alleged, he was "kicked and punched". He also alleged a garda had sat on his torso in the patrol car. He was brought to Donnybrook Garda station and released. His colleagues rang for an ambulance that took him to St Vincent's Hospital. He said he had pain in his right wrist and left thumb and a weakness in his right leg.
He was later convicted in the District Court on two charges of offences under the Public Order Act for obstruction but had those convictions overturned on appeal.
Man pleads guilty to copying films
A security man who was making counterfeit copies of popular films and music has been given a two years' suspended sentence by Judge Thomas Teevan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Stephen Cahill (48), Donomore Avenue, Killinarden, Dublin, pleaded guilty to making 988 counterfeit copies of film DVDs and 268 copies of music CDs for sale, rental or loan without the consent of the copyright owners on dates from January 1st to August 26th, 2004.
He also admitted being in possession of materials designed or adapted for making copies of copyright works, including computer, burners, printers and inks on August 26th, 2004 at his home. The court heard Cahill also had 117 pornographic films that had not been submitted to the Film Censor and were therefore uncertified.
Judge Teevan ordered the confiscation and destruction of everything seized by gardaí.
Court told of plot to bomb police
Dissident republicans plotted to lure police into a bomb trap during an Orange Order parade in Northern Ireland, a court heard yesterday.
The son of the former paramilitary leader Dominic McGlinchey faces explosives charges relating to the device discovered last July in Bellaghy, Co Derry.
Declan McGlinchey (30), Gulladuff Road, Bellaghy, denies two charges of possessing and making explosives. He was granted bail during yesterday's hearing in Belfast High Court. - (PA)