A round-up of today's other court stories in brief.
Legal argument continues in murder trial
There was a third day of legal argument yesterday at trial of a Dublin man accused of murder.
Brian Rattigan (28), Cooley Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Declan Gavin (21), Mourne Road, Drimnagh, on August 25th, 2001.
The trial is expected to resume tomorrow.
Man faces trial for girlfriend’s murder
A man has been sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court charged with the murder of his girlfriend in Connemara last July.
Jakub Fidler (22), Cartur Leathán, Inverin, Galway, is charged with the murder of Nicola Vonkova (19), at Cartur Leathán, Inverin, on July 21st last year.
Judge William Hamill remanded the Czech national in continuing custody and sent him forward for trial to the present sittings of the Central Criminal Court.
Man to be tried for Galway stabbing
A Galway man has been sent forward for trial charged in connection with a stabbing in the city last September.
Billy McGinley (36), Claremont Park, Rahoon, Galway, is charged with assaulting Darren Johnston on September 3rd.
He is further charged with causing serious harm to Mr Johnson and with intentionally or recklessly causing him serious harm.
Mr McGinley, who has been in custody since his arrest on September 3rd, appeared before Galway District Court yesterday.
Judge William Hamill sent him forward for trial to Galway Circuit Criminal Court on February 17th. He remanded him in custody with consent to bail.
Bail for youths on cannabis charges
Two youths arrested over a cannabis seizure worth €40,000 in Finglas, Dublin, last week, were remanded on conditional bail yesterday as a “comprehensive file” on the case is to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The north Dublin youths, both aged 17, had been charged at the Children’s Court last week with possessing the drugs for sale or supply at North Road, Finglas, on January 12th.
Judge Leo Malone remanded the pair, who were accompanied by family members, on bail to appear again at the Children’s Court in early February.
Algerian army deserters jailed
Two deserters from the Algerian army who were living illegally in Galway prior to their arrest before Christmas were each sentenced to two months in prison yesterday.
Garda Jim McElroy of the Garda National Immigration Bureau gave evidence at Galway District Court of arresting Zoheir Leboukh (37) and Samir Bouali (33), at Lenaboy Gardens, Salthill, at 1.25am on December 23rd.
Both pleaded guilty to four breaches of the Immigration Act in that they had been living illegally here for three months and had failed to produce identification documents to Garda McElroy.
Judge William Hamill advised both men to apply for asylum and said that if they had done so when they arrived in Ireland three months ago, they could not be in custody now.
He sentenced both of them to two months in prison but backdated the sentence to December 23rd.