A round-up of today's other stories in brief
€600 paid to mobile phone 'slap' victim
A man who slapped someone while a friend filmed the incident on a mobile phone was left with a clean record yesterday after he paid €600 for his victim.
Thomas Wehrung (22), from France, living at Phibsboro Road, Dublin, pleaded guilty last month to assaulting a 50-year-old man. He slapped the victim on the head while a companion filmed the incident on Dublin's North Circular Road on November 5th last. Judge James Scally, who last month described the behaviour as despicable, said he would have imposed a custodial sentence had the victim been hurt.
Inquiry into male patients' treatment
The High Court has cleared the way for the fitness-to-practise committee of the Medical Council to inquire into allegations of professional misconduct by a Drogheda consultant surgeon over his treatment of nine former patients.
However, Mr Justice Diarmuid O'Donovan restrained the committee from proceeding with an inquiry into the conduct of Dr Michael Shine arising from complaints by 12 other patients.
The judge was giving his reserved judgment on an application by Dr Shine to restrain the inquiry into any of the complaints, made by a number of males aged between 10 and 20, arising from alleged events while they were being examined at Dr Shine's consulting rooms in Drogheda and at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.
Dr Shine was acquitted by a jury on charges relating to several males in 2003.
Raider loses sentence appeal
A Belfast man described by a senior judge as "a danger to society and civilisation" has lost his appeal against his 20-year sentence for holding a Cork businessman, the man's pregnant wife and family at gunpoint and threatening to kill them if they failed to hand over money.
Gerard Clarke (39), from Belfast, with an address at St John's Terrace, Upper John Street, Cork, was described as the ringleader in the raid on the home of Gary and Katie O'Donovan on May 2nd and 3rd, 2005.
He was jailed for 20 years and had his appeal against sentence dismissed by the Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday.
However, the three-judge court suspended the last three years of a 12-year sentence imposed on Clarke's accomplice, Edward Gaffey (23), Clountygoura Court, Dundalk, Co Louth. The appeal court said Gaffey was "not the brightest intellectually".
Man gets 30-year driving ban
A man was banned from driving for 30 years and jailed for five months yesterday after a judge was told he was caught driving while disqualified.
Edward Dignam (28), Cardiffsbridge Road, Finglas, pleaded guilty to driving without insurance at Cappagh Road, Finglas, on September 14th last year.
DJ put off road for drink-driving
A radio disc jockey was yesterday put off the road for a year after he pleaded guilty to drink-driving.
Adrian Kennedy, who presents a phone show on FM104, through his solicitor Liam Keane, pleaded guilty in Dunshaughlin District Court. Judge John Brophy fined him €500, disqualified him from holding a licence for one year and ordered that his licence be endorsed.