More court reports in brief.
Woman sues tour operators over accident
A woman who claims she suffered serious injuries after she was thrown from a toboggan while holidaying in Lapland has brought a High Court action for damages.
Catherine Duff, Greenfort Gardens, Clondalkin, Dublin, has sued two tour operators: Budget Travel and Mardan Ltd, Wexford Street, Dublin, and the company which supplied the toboggan, Arctic Circle Tours Ltd with offices at Kangaspelto, Rovaniemi, Finland.
All three companies deny liability and contend tobogganing was not part of the holiday. Budget and Mardan say there is no evidence of any causative link between them and Ms Duff.
The case was in court yesterday for a preliminary application by Arctic Circle Tours to Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne to have the claims against it set aside on grounds that the Irish court does not have jurisdiction.
Richard McDonnell SC, for Ms Duff, said Arctic had a duty of care to his client. Ms Justice Dunne said she would give her decision on Monday.
Sentence passed in child porn case
A man who downloaded over 260 pornographic videos involving children and 7,000 pornographic pictures of children received a suspended sentence at Dundalk circuit criminal court.
Barry Watters (32), from Hazelwood Avenue, Bay Estate, Dundalk, was arrested as part of Interpol's Operation Iron targeting the distribution of child pornography on the internet.
Watters pleaded guilty to the only charge brought against him of knowingly being in possession of child pornography contrary to section 6 (1) of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act.
The court heard he had learning difficulties and has a borderline cognitive ability.
Judge Michael O'Shea said reports given to him suggest Watters would be at higher risk of suicide if sent to jail.
He imposed a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence on condition he continue treatment at the Granada Institute, not use computers, not take images of children, and not have unsupervised access to children.
Hospital makes settlement
The widow of a 59-year-old father of four who died days after an allegedly "routine" operation at Dublin's Beaumont Hospital to remove a benign growth from his colon is to receive €180,000 in settlement of her action against the hospital. The settlement, made without admission of liability, was approved by Mr Justice John Quirke yesterday. In proceedings under the Civil Liability Act brought on her own behalf and on behalf of the other dependants of Donal Beggs, Joan Beggs alleged mental distress, loss and damage as a result of alleged negligence by the hospital in the care and treatment of her late husband.
She alleged an operation to remove a polyps from her husband's colon was carried out at the hospital on June 6th, 2002, and that, because of the alleged failures by the hospital concerning her husband's treatment, he died on June 13th, 2002. The hospital denied the claims.