In Short

A round-up of some of the day's other news.

A round-up of some of the day's other news.

Bus hero is jailed on assault charge

A man who received an award for rescuing a Bus Éireann driver from drowning in the river Liffey has been jailed for three years for assaulting a man and causing him serious head injuries.

Tony Paget (31), Ashley Drive, Malahide Road, Swords, Co Dublin, punched and knocked Robert Campbell to the ground, after he allegedly made some comment about the clothes Paget's wife was wearing and "the way she may earn a living".

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Judge Desmond Hogan heard that Mr Campbell fell over, hit his head off a parked bus and fell to the ground, suffering serious head injuries. He later had to undergo emergency life saving surgery due to haemorrhaging in his brain.

Paget pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Mr Campbell on Marlborough Street on June 7th, 2003.

Judge Hogan sentenced Paget to three years in prison but suspended the last 12 months on condition that he keep the peace for a period of three years.

Man was hit by falling scaffolding

A man spent six nights in hospital after being struck on the head by falling scaffolding on Dublin's Grafton Street, a jury has heard.

The injured man, Michael McGrath, an Eircom employee, gave evidence on day two of the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial of a construction worker accused of failing to take reasonable care in carrying out his duties.

Derek Daly (45) Whitechurch Place, Ballyboden, Co Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to breaching safety and health regulations in that, as an employee, he failed to take reasonable care for the safety of others, in particular Mr McGrath, at a construction site near 59 Grafton Street, Dublin on March 27th, 2003.

The jury heard that Mr McGrath was walking up Grafton Street when the accident occurred. He has no recollection of events other than being in St James's Hospital for six days where he received between 20 and 24 stitches to his head and underwent surgery on his foot. He suffers from "positional vertigo" since the accident.

The trial continues before Judge Yvonne Murphy and a jury of seven men and five women.

Man threw petrol on doorman

A man who threw petrol over a doorman after he was told to leave a pub has received a 12-month suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Ian Daymon (20) Deansrath, Clondalkin, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and criminal damage at the Swallows Pub, in Clondalkin on August 20th, 2004.

Garda Paul O'Grady told Vincent Heneghan, prosecuting, that Daymon had been thrown out of the pub after he went behind the bar and used stools to smash glasses on the counter.

He threatened the manager Brendan Booth that he would be back before returning 30 minutes later to pour petrol over the doorman, James O'Brien.

Gardaí arrived and after a violent struggle were able to arrest him.

Taxi driver denies lewd conversation

A taxi driver on contract with the Western Health Service Executive was found guilty yesterday of being disrespectful to a female passenger by engaging in lewd conversation with the woman in his taxi by asking her about her underwear, sex life, and bathing habits.

Father of five Patrick Heffernan (52), Newcastle, Galway denied a charge before Galway District Court of breaching the PSV regulations by failing to behave in a civil and respectful manner towards Jennifer Codyre (29), in his taxi on July 27th last.

The accused told Judge Aengus McCarthy the conversation had been light-hearted stuff and denied the allegations of Ms Codyre.