In Short

A round-up of today's other court news in brief

A round-up of today's other court news in brief

Farmer fined over dumped medical waste

A farmer has been fined €70,000 at Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court for allowing more than 7,000 tonnes of waste to be dumped illegally on his land.

Clifford Fenton of Coolnamadra, Donard, Co Wicklow, had pleaded guilty to allowing the materials - including medical waste such as blood-stained bandages, bodily fluids and laboratory waste from the Mater hospital and Blackrock Clinic, Dublin - to be dumped on his land in 2001.

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Louis Moriarty of Griffith Avenue, Drumcondra, the owner of Dublin Waste, the firm which dumped the materials, and truck driver Adrian Munnelly, Main Street, Ballynacargy, Co Westmeath, are awaiting sentence.

Judge's warning against knives

Anyone caught carrying a knife in Galway will get a prison sentence, a District Court judge has warned.

Judge Mary Fahy said the offence was becoming far too common in the city and it would appear that some young people thought it was acceptable to carry a knife, but this was not the case.

The judge made her comments at Galway District Court after imposing a six-month suspended sentence on Adam Sobczyk (22), Lismore, Oranmore, Galway, who pleaded guilty to possession of a flick-knife which was adapted for use to cause injury to a person, at Dock Road on February 16th.

Fanning's 'hoodie' remarks criticised

Judge John Neilan has criticised RTÉ and Dave Fanning for comments made about his banning seven Longford men from wearing "hoodies".

"If that's all Fanning and his ilk have to do, using taxpayers' money to run their programme, I suggest they come to court to understand . . . worries of ordinary decent people."

Judge Neilan said he had imposed a ban on seven defendants at Longford District Court because they were "habitual criminals".

Court says arrest of four unlawful

The Special Criminal Court has ruled that the arrest of four men accused of IRA membership was unlawful.

The four Derry city men pleading not guilty are Gary Donnelly (38), Kildrum Gardens, Michael Gallagher (28), Sackville Court, Martin Francis O'Neill (40), Colmcille Court, and Patrick John McDaid (38), Marlborough Street.

The court heard that the four were arrested the day after a Real IRA press conference in Derry.

Yesterday Patrick Marrinan SC, prosecuting, asked the court for clarification on the Wednesday's ruling, with reference to the men's arrest.

Mr Justice Paul Butler told Mr Marrinan that the initial detention of the four men was unlawful and that this "tainted" the arrests.

Garda appeal after post office raid

Gardaí have issued an appeal for witnesses following the robbery of a post office in south Dublin yesterday morning.

Cash was stolen and staff were threatened with a knife during the incident, which took place on Woodbine Road in Donnybrook.

Gardaí said two men entered the premises via a rear door and lay in wait until two staff members arrived shortly after 9am. No one was injured during the robbery.

Anyone who was in the area on Wednesday night or yesterday morning before 9.30am is asked to contact Donnybrook Garda station.