A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Lotto winner loses court action on pub
A Lotto winner who decided to establish and run a Titanic theme bar in Cobh, Co Cork, has lost his High Court action against several people in relation to business transactions about the running of the pub.
Vincent Keaney won the Lotto in the 1990s, bought the Scotts Building in Cobh in 1996 and set up the Titanic Bar.
Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan yesterday delivered her reserved ruling on a series of claims made by Mr Keaney against 18 defendants arising out of the transactions entered into in 2000 and 2003 and the running of the pub during the same period.
Mr Keaney had sought to set aside all the transactions, deeds and property transfers entered into in those years.
However, Ms Justice Finlay Geoghegan struck out the claims against the named defendants including his investment partner Michael Nolan. The men had entered into a joint venture and had equal shares of the Scotts Building premises.
The Titanic Queenstown Trading Company was set up and it was agreed the Titanic Bar would be operated by the company. It traded as Titanic Bar until December 2002.
In 2003, Mr Keaney and Mr Nolan entered into other agreements, deeds and share transfers, she said. The intended effect of these transactions appeared to have been to separate their business and property interests.
Ms Justice Finlay Geoghegan ruled that Mr Nolan was entitled to an order striking out all the claims against him that alleged deceit, fraud, misrepresentation or undue influence. She also struck out claims against the other defendants.
Widow awarded €15,000 and costs
The widow of a seriously ill man who died after falling out of his bed at Beaumont Hospital six years ago is to receive €15,000 and costs in settlement of her High Court action.
Ellen Byrne, Coolock, Dublin, had sued the hospital following the death of her husband, Pat, on April 3rd, 2001.
Mr Justice John Quirke was told yesterday that a report on her husband's death stated that it would be difficult to estimate the liability of the hospital given Mr Byrne's serious medical history.
Carol O'Farrell, for Ms Byrne, said that while in hospital Mr Byrne became dizzy and fell from his hospital bed. He sustained bruising, he suffered a brain haemorrhage and subsequently died.
Mr Justice Quirke offered his sympathies to Ms Byrne and her family.
Further sentence for assault
A Limerick man currently serving 15 years for armed robbery has been further sentenced for assaulting two prison officers while in custody.
Zachary Coughlan (29), Claughaun Road, Garryowen, Limerick, pleaded guilty at Limerick District Court yesterday to assaulting the officers causing them harm on July 13th last in Limerick Prison.
Coughlan, who has since been moved to Wheatfield Prison, struck the prison staff with a sweeping brush while they were trying to search another inmate, the court heard.
Judge Tom O'Donnell imposed a nine-month prison sentence on each of the assault charges to run concurrently with Coughlan's current jail term.