A round-up of today's court stories in brief
Man charged with link to 2008 Donegal murder
A man has been charged in connection with the murder of Tyrone man Andrew Burns along the Donegal border two years ago. Martin William Kelly (35), of Barrack Street, Strabane, Co Tyrone was arrested yesterday in Dublin by Letterkenny gardaí in connection with the murder of Mr Burns (27) on February 12th, 2008, at Donnyloop, Co Donegal. Mr Burns was abducted in Strabane and found at St Columba’s Church entrance.
Mr Kelly was charged before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin with unlawful possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life at Donnyloop on the same date.
Evidence of arrest, charge and caution was given by Det Sgt Michael Donoghue of Letterkenny Garda station.
Mr Kelly was remanded in custody until March 23rd. He was represented by Solicitors Gareth Sheehan Co.
8½ years for rape and sexual assault
A man has been jailed for eight and a half years at the Central Criminal Court for raping and sexually assaulting his young niece between 1998 and 2005.
The 45-year-old Dublin man would regularly have sex with the girl, sometimes while watching pornographic DVDs, at her grandmother’s home when she was between eight and 14. He pleaded guilty to 14 sample counts of sexual assault and one of raping the now 19-year-old woman between July 14th, 1998 and July 13th, 2005.
Garda Eithne Kennedy told Caroline Cummins, prosecuting, that the man first raped the girl in his bedroom at her granny’s house when she was eight.
Garda Kennedy said the man left the country at about the time the girl made her first complaint in 2005. He was extradited to Ireland, and entered an early guilty plea to rape and sexual assault.
Man jailed for attempted rape
A father from Tallaght who headbutted a woman when she resisted his attempts to rape her has been jailed for four and a half years.
The now 24-year-old woman told gardaí she awoke on the bathroom floor after a house party to find Stephen Mooney (21), Maplewood Park, trying to prise open her legs and remove her underwear.
Mooney, who was on bail for an assault at the time, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to attempted rape in the early hours of November 29th, 2008. He has previous convictions for road traffic offences, criminal damage, assault and attempted robbery.
Mr Justice Paul Carney declared the man a sex offender, backdated his sentence to when he entered custody in December last year and ordered that he undergo three years’ post-release supervision.
Three held over shooting
Three men were being questioned by gardaí in west Dublin last night in connection with the shooting of a man more than a year ago.
The men, aged 20, 24 and 31, were arrested yesterday morning following a series of raids by detectives from Tallaght Garda station who are investigating the attack on Robert Delaney.
Mr Delaney was shot in the head after he answered the door of his apartment at Russell Rise in Tallaght in the early hours of October 22nd, 2008. His wife and children were present in the same room when he was shot. He remains in a serious condition in hospital.
The men are being detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939 at Tallaght Garda station.