A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
€500,000 for brain-injured boy hit by car
The High Court has approved a €500,000 settlement for a 10-year-old boy who suffered a devastating brain injury when he was hit by a car six years ago.
Michael O'Sullivan, Ballybunion, Co Kerry, through his mother Lisa O'Sullivan, had sued the driver Norma Kissane, a nurse, also Ballybunion, as a result of the accident on April 7th, 2001.
Mr Justice Richard Johnson yesterday approved the settlement.
Ms Kissane had pleaded contributory negligence in that the boy had allegedly run into the side of her car, giving her no opportunity to avoid a collision.
Mr Justice Johnson said yesterday it was quite clear that it was not possible to produce sufficient evidence to either win or even state a case in this situation. He could see the possibility of there being nothing at the end of a trial of the action.
With regret, he said, he had no alternative but to recommend acceptance of the €500,000 ex-gratia payment, plus costs. He also ruled that hospital expenses of more than €150,000 would not have to be paid out of the money the boy received.
'Sunday Business Post' case settled
A libel action by a company and its directors against the Sunday Business Postwas settled in the High Court yesterday. As part of the settlement, an apology will be printed by the newspaper on Sunday week.
The action was brought by Scott and O'Shea Ltd, Calmount Park, Calmount Road, Ballymount, Dublin, and by directors and shareholders Thomas Scott and Roger O'Shea. It arose from an article printed on December 1st, 2002.
Prosecution case in rape trial ends
The prosecution case has closed in the trial of a Kildare man (64) charged with raping a young girl some 20 years ago in Tipperary and Offaly.
The man has pleaded not guilty to raping her from 1981 to 1985. He also denies, before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury at the Central Criminal Court, 10 counts of indecent assault.
Sexual assault trial adjourned
The trial of the founder of illegal pirate station Radio Dublin for alleged sexual assault has been adjourned until next week after the accused man injured himself in an accident. Eamonn Cooke (70), Heatherview Avenue, Tallaght, and Wheatfields Court, Clondalkin, has pleaded not guilty to 42 charges of indecent assault on two complainants from January 1976 to May 1978.
Ms Justice Maureen Clarke told the jury that Mr Cooke had an accident which fractured his pelvis.
Man gets three years for assault
A man who fractured his girlfriend's jaw has been sentenced to three years in jail by Judge Donagh McDonagh at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Keith Raymond (24), Poddle Close, Crumlin, had denied assaulting his girlfriend in October 2005. He had 80 previous convictions.
Jailed for hijacking and robbery
A chronic drug addict who told a woman he was in the IRA before he hijacked her car, and who also robbed a bus driver after telling him to drive to Drogheda from Dublin city centre, has been jailed for 6½ years. Joseph McCarthy (31), Summerhill, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.