A roundup of today's other stories in brief
Man settles action over falling slabs during tunnel construction
A man who claimed he suffered injuries after 10 tonnes of concrete slabs fell from the roof of Dublin’s port tunnel on the excavator driven by him has settled his High Court action.
Daniel McAuley, Ballyconnell, Falcarragh, Co Donegal, had sued a number of defendants over the incident in July 2004.
Liability was conceded and the case settled on undisclosed terms. The case was against: Portun Limited, Northbrook Road, Dublin; Tommy Gallagher, described as a promoter of Portun Ltd; Nishimatsu Construction Company Ltd; Irishenco Construction Ltd; John Mowlem and Company plc; John Mowlem Construction Ltd; Nishimatsu Mowlem Irishenco Consortium and Dublin City Council.
Food firm director on cruelty charges
The director of a food firm yesterday appeared in court accused of cruelty to animals.
At Shannon District Court yesterday, John Joe Fitzpatrick snr – a director of Shannonside Foods Ltd – appeared in connection with four animal cruelty charges.
Mr Fitzpatrick (57), Mountbellow, O'Brien's Bridge, Co Clare, denies that 18 of his horses were malnourished.
The case was adjourned to February 17th.
Rapist sentenced to 10 years in jail
A Wicklow businessman who repeatedly raped and indecently assaulted a schoolgirl working part-time in his shop 30 years ago has been jailed for 10 years.
The man (58), who cannot be named to protect the victim's identity, was convicted by a jury last November of 17 sample counts of rape and 19 sample counts of indecent assault from January 1979 to June 1983 when the victim was aged between 12 and 17.
Court tells man to go to anger course
A man who cut up his former partner's clothes while she was away from her home and punched her so hard another time that her ear bled, has been given another chance to address his anger management issues or serve a prison sentence.
Greg Hayes (26), Dublin Road, Galway, pleaded guilty before Galway District Court last November to twice assaulting Lorna Campbell.
Judge Mary Fahy warned Hayes that he was looking at a prison sentence as he had not complied with the conditions of bail set out in November, including attending an anger management course.
He had been attending a psychoanalyst since his last court appearance but that was not what the court ordered.
Adjourning the matter to March 7th, the judge warned Hayes to do what the court was asking of him.
"If someone wants to go for psychoanalysis counselling, that's fine outside the court orders, but you must obey the court orders," she said.