In Short

A roundup of today's other court stories in brief...

A roundup of today's other court stories in brief...

5-year jail term for attempted robbery

A drug addict who attempted to rob a teenage girl by pulling out a syringe and telling her that he had "the virus" and would kill her has received a five-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Judge Katherine Delahunt suspended two years of the sentence and ordered William King to undergo drug treatment.

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King (31), of Belclare Crescent, Ballymun, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at Doyle's Corner, Phibsboro, on April 3rd, 2006.

Appeal Court increases sentence

A Cork man who was given a five-year suspended prison sentence for acting as a drug courier must serve a five-year prison term, the Court of Criminal Appeal directed yesterday.

Father of two Ciarán O'Donovan (27), Gurranebraher, Co Cork, had pleaded guilty in July 2006 to having cannabis worth just under €1,600,000 on the Naas Road, Dublin, in February 2005. He was sentenced to five years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court but the court suspended that entire sentence.

Yesterday, the three judge CCA, with Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, presiding, and sitting with Mr Justice Roderick Murphy and Mr Justice John MacMenamin, increased the sentence to 10 years, with the final five suspended, after allowing an appeal by the DPP against the "undue leniency" of the original sentence.

Suspended 5-year term in drugs case

A teenage cannabis user who held drugs valued at over €34,000 because he owed his dealers €200 has received a five-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Seán McMullan (19), of Gateway Mews, Ballymun, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis and ecstasy for sale or supply at Coultry Gardens, Ballymun, on March 10th, 2005.

Judge Katherine Delahunt said she would not apply the mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years which the offence attracted in the "peculiar and unusual" circumstances of the case.

Man ordered to repay health board

A Romanian national who defrauded €60,000 from the Eastern Health Authority has received a three-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on condition he repay the bulk of the money he received.

Judge Katherine Delahunt heard Liviu Turchievici was working illegally under a false name and claiming benefits that he was not entitled to for more than a two-year period.

Turchievici (35), of Bowbridge House, Bow Lane, Kilmainham, pleaded guilty to inducing the EHA "dishonestly by deception" to pay him €30,000 of basic allowance and about €30,000 of rent allowance between February 2002 and June 2004 at Athlumney Villas, Ranelagh.

Rugby club to seek injunction

Wanderers Rugby Football Club will ask the High Court on Monday for an injunction which could delay the €365 million redevelopment of Dublin's Lansdowne Road stadium.

The club is applying for an injunction to halt the planned demolition of its pavilion within the stadium as part of its ongoing battle with the Irish Rugby Football Union over plans to relocate the pavilion away from the main playing pitch.