A round up of today's other stories in brief...
Barrister's assault trial collapses
A 45-year-old barrister walked free from court yesterday after the man he was charged with assaulting in a Cork pub failed to attend to give evidence and the State agreed not to pursue the charge writes Barry Roche, Southern Correspondent.
John Devlin, Old Blackrock Road, Cork, was charged with assault causing harm to Eoghan Crowley at Chambers Bar, Washington Street, Cork on January 14th, 2007.
The State was seeking an adjournment because Mr Crowley got married at the weekend and left on Monday for his honeymoon. Judge Tom Teehan at Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Mr Crowley was aware of the trial being fixed for June 10th and the State had twice applied to Judge Patrick Moran for an adjournment but he had refused to grant it.
Mr Devlin's counsel Blaise O'Carroll SC asked Judge Teehan to refuse the application for an adjournment.
Mr O'Carroll said that Mr Crowley had entered into "negotiations with my client and an amicable arrangement was reached" and Mr Crowley then met with gardaí and informed them he no longer wished to proceed with the matter.
Judge Teehan read a statement from Mr Crowley made after negotiations with Mr Devlin in which he said that "in relation to the assault on me at Chambers Bar . . . as a result of compensation received for my injuries I would like to withdraw my complaint."
He noted that Judge Moran had "quite correctly" refused the application twice and he too refused the application whereupon State counsel Paul Greene said the State was entering a nolle prosequi in respect of the charge.
HSE challenges court order
The Health Service Executive has brought a High Court challenge to a Circuit Court judge's order requiring it to hand over documents relating to the care provided by the HSE to Co Wexford woman Evelyn Joel in the two years before her death.
At Wexford Circuit Court last month, Judge Michael White ordered the disclosure of the HSE documents for the prosecution by the DPP against Eleanor Joel (34), and her partner, Jonathon Costen (35), Cluain Dara, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford. They face charges of unlawfully killing Mrs Joel contrary to common law on January 7th, 2006.
The documents relate to an internal inquiry by the HSE into the services available to Mrs Joel in the two years preceding her death.
Man who died in ferry fall named
The man who died on Monday night after he fell overboard from a ferry as it approached Rosslare was a Polish man returning from a visit to his homeland.
The high-speed Stena Lynx was about 10 minutes from reaching Rosslare Port at around 7.50pm when the 29-year-old fell from the deck.
The ferry's lifeboats, two RIB vessels, were launched and quickly reached the man and brought him back on board.
On arrival at Rosslare, the man was transferred to Wexford General Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.