A round-up of today's other court stories in brief
Dutch drug smugglers get 4 years in jail
Two Dutchmen who had ingested tens of thousands of euro worth of cocaine in pellets in a bid to smuggle the drug into Ireland were jailed yesterday for four years, after they pleaded guilty to the drugs offences
Curtly Everts (27) from Bierepander, Amsterdam, and Richandel Koster (33), from Almere in Holland, pleaded guilty to possessing over €13,000 worth of cocaine for sale or supply and to importing over €13,000 worth of the drug at Cork airport on September 8th last.
Man jailed for bid to grab ATM cash
A man who attempted to grab a young woman's cash as she took it out of an ATM subjected her to a "terrifying experience", Judge Cormac Dunne said yesterday.
He was speaking when he imposed a six months' prison sentence on Paul Doyle (22), North Circular Road, Dublin, who denied attempting to steal €10 from the woman at Grafton Street, Dublin, on September 13th last.
Doyle had 46 previous convictions, 23 of them acquired last December when he was given a prison sentence that runs until October next. The judge ordered the six months he imposed to run concurrently.
Brothel-keeper held for sentencing
A 63-year-old man who ran a city-centre brothel has been remanded in custody for sentence by Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Paul Humphreys of Harty Court, Lower Ormond Quay, pleaded guilty to "organising prostitution in Dublin by directing more than one prostitute" between August 31st, 2005, and March 26th, 2006.
Judge Katherine Delahunt adjourned sentencing to a later date when all evidence will be heard.
Date set in case of alleged sex assault
A 25-year-old Dublin man previously accused of unlawful carnal knowledge until the recent Supreme Court ruling on the unconstitutionality of legislation, has had a date set for arraignment.
Ms Marie Torrens BL, defending, asked Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to set a date when it is expected her client will plead to new charges of sexual assault. The man who is facing at least one charge of sexual assault was remanded on continuing bail until that date in March.
Judgment reserved in biochemist case
The High Court has reserved judgment on the application by the former principal biochemist in the Blood Transfusion Service Board, Ms Cecily Cunningham, to stop her trial on charges relating to the infection of seven women with Hepatitis C from contaminated blood products.
The charges relate to dates in 1977, 1991 and 1992 and Ms Cunningham has argued that the delay between the commission of the alleged offences and the bringing of a prosecution has prejudiced her right to a fair trial. She also contends the deaths of key persons in the BTSB have deprived her of crucial evidence.
The DPP argues Ms Cunningham is capable of dealing with contemporary documents and witness accounts which material, it contends, shows she was aware of a risk of infected anti-D blood product from 1977 and had inadequately responded to that risk.