A round-up of other stories in brief.
18 months for manslaughter of neighbour
A row over a hurling match which led to the death of a 40-year-old man outside a GAA Club in Mullingar in April 2005 has led to the imprisonment for 18 months of a 20-year-old neighbour on manslaughter charges.
Daniel Poynton, Turin, Mullingar, was convicted in March this year of the manslaughter of Kevin Dowling, Bracklyn, Mullingar, at St Loman's GAA Club.
The two were attending a 21st birthday party when the row broke out. The victim left the club but was pursued by his attacker who confronted him in the car park and then punched him in the face. He died from his injuries two days later.
Delivering sentence yesterday, Judge Miriam Reynolds said if Poynton had displayed any remorse, or had admitted his guilt, she would have considered a lighter sentence.
A victim impact statement from the victim's wife described a loving, helpful family man who had reared a family of 10 after the early death of his father.
Man sought for compensation
A sum of €10,000 in compensation awaits an Englishman who was viciously assaulted by a young man with a baseball bat in a Galway village over a year ago. To date gardaí have not located the victim.
Judge Raymond Groarke remanded the culprit, Brendan Cloherty (21), Waterdale, Claregalway, in custody for two weeks at Galway Circuit Criminal Court while he decides his fate.
He asked Garda Mick McCarthy to redouble efforts to find the assault victim, Jonathan Forrester (43), an Englishman with a last known address in Dublin, so that the €10,000 being offered by Cloherty's family as a token of their remorse for the assault, can be given to him.
Man pleads guilty to child sex assault
A 57-year-old man pleaded guilty yesterday at Galway Circuit Criminal Court to six counts of sexually assaulting a child at a city location on dates between 2001 and 2004.
Judge Raymond Groarke placed the man, who may not be named for legal reasons, on the Sex Offenders' Register and deferred sentencing.
Acquitted man refused his costs
A north Dublin businessman who was cleared of stealing money from a bank by lodging a bounced cheque in his personal account and withdrawing the money by draft has failed to get his costs from the State.
Simon Mangan (41), Newtown, Garristown, was acquitted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on March 20th last of defrauding the College Green branch of National Irish Bank in 2003. The amount involved was about €60,000.
His acquittal came by direction of Judge Frank O'Donnell who withdrew the case from the jury.
Friend assaulted over 'drug debt'
A man who assaulted a friend over an alleged drug debt has been jailed for a year. Paul Johnson (31) and Paula McDonagh (28), the mother of his child, also received a suspended sentence for storing drugs in their home at Sillogue Road, Ballymun, Dublin.
Johnson pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Mr Patrick Kiely with a knife at Coultry Road, Ballymun, causing him harm on May 17th, 2005.