In Short

A round-up of today's other stories in brief....

A round-up of today's other stories in brief....

Noble trial jury considers its verdict

The jury in the trial of Kelly Noble, a young woman accused of murdering a teenage mother of two outside a supermarket in Co Meath last year, has risen to consider its verdict.

Kelly Noble (21), Seaview, Laytown, also a mother of two, denies the murder of Emma McLoughlin (19), who was stabbed in Laytown in June last year. She also denies producing a knife in the course of a dispute or a fight, in a manner likely to intimidate or inflict serious injury.

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Jailed over council land trespass

A man who claims his family are the victims of "an enormous injustice" has been jailed by the High Court for refusing to comply with a court order restraining him from obstructing contractors carrying out works on land owned by Fingal County Council.

Fingal County Council secured the committal order against Dermott Horan, Parslickstown, Mulhuddart, Dublin, from Ms Justice Mary Laffoy arising from his refusal to obey an earlier court order preventing him from trespassing or obstructing contractors at lands at Macetown North, Mulhuddart, Castleknock, Co Dublin.

Mr Horan claims he and his family are in dispute with the council over the sale of the land, which his family had bought in 1984.

The council had in 2000 paid £3.9 million (€4.95 million) for the land which was to be used as a recycling centre.

Woman burnt by oil at her hen party

A bride-to-be was scalded when boiling oil dripped on her while she danced at her hen party, a judge heard yesterday.

Rachel Fox's biggest concern had been that an ugly burn scar on her back would spoil her wedding for which she had bought an off- the-shoulder dress a year earlier.

Circuit Court president Mr Justice Matthew Deery was told the accident occurred only 10 days before Ms Fox's wedding and honeymoon.

Eileen McAuley, for Ms Fox, Blessington Road, Tallaght, Dublin, said she and her friends had been dancing in the Dinn Rí hotel, Carlow, on May 1st, 2005.

She said oil instead of water had mistakenly been poured into a dry-ice machine and the oil had overheated. Flexhaven Ltd, trading as Dinn Rí Hotel, had conceded liability. Ms McAuley said it had dripped on Ms Fox's elbow causing a first-degree burn and then on her back just below her neck where it caused a second-degree burn.

Mr Justice Deery awarded her €8,000 damages.

Firearms sentence suspended

A man found with a sawn- off shotgun and five cartridges in his caravan has been given a three-year suspended sentence by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

John Ward claimed he had hired the weapon, following a dispute with his in-laws over land, to protect himself and his family after he had been told they would be put into body bags unless they left their home.

Ward, Beachpark Street, Clongriffin, Baldoyle, pleaded guilty to possessing the firearm and ammunition at his previous address at Dunsink Lane, Finglas, in March 2006.

Judge Donagh McDonagh accepted that Ward had been attempting to do his best for his family. He suspended his three-year sentence for five years on condition he enter into a good behaviour bond.