A round up of today's other stories in brief...
Courts Service chief executive to step down
The chief executive of the Courts Service, who presided over the setting up of the independent body 10 years ago, is to leave his position later this year, The Irish Times has learned.
PJ Fitzpatrick informed the board of the Courts Service earlier this week that he will not be staying on when his contract expires at the end of the year, writes Carol Coulter, Legal Affairs Editor.
One of Mr Fitzpatrick's last major initiatives was the development of a public-private partnership for the design, delivery and management of a 22-courtroom Criminal Court complex for Dublin at the edge of Phoenix Park. That is due to open in 2010.
Court to rule in McFarlane case
The Special Criminal Court will rule today on an application by lawyers for former IRA leader Brendan "Bik" McFarlane to have alleged admissions made by him to gardaí ruled inadmissible in evidence.
McFarlane's counsel Hugh Hartnett SC submitted that the alleged admissions made by McFarlane after his arrest in Dundalk in 1998 in relation to the kidnap of supermarket executive Don Tidey should not be admitted in evidence.
Mr Hartnett said that evidence given by retired Det Supt John McElligot during a bail application by McFarlane in January 1998 was that the main evidence against him was fingerprint evidence.
He submitted that Mr McElligot at no stage made any reference to alleged admissions made by McFarlane.McFarlane (56), Jamaica St, Belfast, has pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning Donald James Tidey.
PSNI investigates body found in fire
PSNI detectives are trying to establish whether there is any drugs link to the murder of a man whose body was found in a burnt-out flat in Portrush, Co Antrim, yesterday, according to security and local sources.
Police were questioning a man about the murder last night. The body of the man, named locally as David Meek (35), was found after three fire engines were called to deal with a fire at Causeway Court shortly after 6am.
Woman who fell awarded 17,500
A Co Donegal woman has secured €17,500 damages against former convicted kidnapper Eddie Gallagher over injuries suffered when she tripped over a metal casing for a street bollard installed by Donegal County Council outside Mr Gallagher's shop in Ballybofey.
Margaret McLean (53), Townparks, Convoy, had sued the council over the fall, which occurred on March 29th, 2003.
Man on trial for rape of young girl
A Limerick man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court for the rape and sexual assault over a seven-year period of a young girl who saw him as "a grandfather figure".
The 60-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to 43 charges of sexual assault and rape of the complainant on dates from 1998 to 2005 in Limerick. He denies 12 charges of raping her and 31 counts of sexually assaulting the now 16-year-old.
Plea changed in bank robbery case
A man on trial arising out of a €700,000 armed bank robbery during which two female staff members were held captive changed his plea on day two of the hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Danny Hamill (49), Clanmaurice Road, Donnycarney, Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbing €700,338, false imprisonment of a bank official and possession of a nine millimetre semi-automatic pistol at the Allied Irish Bank, Crumlin, on June 3rd, 2006. He originally denied these charges. Judge Tony Hunt remanded Hamill in custody for sentencing later this week.