A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Injured man gets six years for car hijack
A man who has a metal plate in his head as a result of a motorcycle accident was given a six-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for hijacking a car.
David Emerson (21), Dromheath Drive, Mulhuddart, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to his role in the incident on May 9th, 2004. He has been in custody since then and is also serving another sentence for car theft.
Drug dealer (17) jailed for a year
A teenage drug dealer who kept a supply of cannabis and shotgun cartridges under his bed has been given a one-year sentence at the Dublin Children's Court.
The 17-year-old, from Tallaght, Dublin, admitted having possession of €1,300 worth of cannabis resin for supply at his home address on July 19th last year. He also admitted having three 12-gauge shotgun cartridges on the same occasion.
Jury to decide on Brazilian death
Summing up has concluded at the trial of three Brazilian men accused of beating to death a fellow countryman in a drink-fuelled row.
Alessandro De Almeida Mata (27), Ruanbeg Close, Kildare; José Claudio Batista (30), of the same address; and Adriano Martins Costa (26), Greencove Apartments, Newbridge, have pleaded not guilty to murdering Paulo Cesar Siqueria (39) at Ruanbeg Close, Kildare, on June 4th, 2005.
Mr Siqueria died after receiving more than 50 injuries, five of which were inflicted by a wooden stake.
At the Central Criminal Court yesterday Roddy O'Hanlon SC, for Mr De Almeida Mata, said his client should be acquitted as he had tried to stop the row.
Presiding judge Mr Justice Barry White is expected to address the jury of seven men and five women tomorrow morning, before sending them to consider their verdicts.
18 months for 'unprovoked attack'
A Lithuanian man who beat up a 19-year-old girl in "an unprovoked attack" and later punched a garda has been jailed for 18 months at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Ruslin Bolan (22), of no fixed abode, elbowed the girl in the face while she was walking past him, knocking her to the ground. He punched her head three times and stamped on her back before he tried to grab the handbag. She managed to escape when a passer-by intervened.
Bolan pleaded guilty to assaulting Kim Thompson and Garda Stephen Collier on Old Blessington Road, Tallaght, on December 31st, 2005.
Judge Katherine Delahunt said it was "an unprovoked attack clearly influenced by alcohol". She accepted that Bolan's remorse was genuine.
Garda Collier told Seán Gillane, prosecuting, that the passer-by waved down his patrol car when he was driving past but Bolan ran away. He managed to catch up with him when Bolan turned and punched him in the face.