A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Trial told man died of multiple blows
A Corkman whose body was found dumped on waste ground in Co Kerry died as a result of multiple head injuries which led to shock and brain-swelling, a murder trial was told yesterday.
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said her postmortem examination of John McManus (25) from Fermoy revealed he had suffered more than 100 injuries, almost half of them to the head.
Dr Bolster told Tom Creed SC, prosecuting, that such multiple injuries could not have resulted from a fall.
She was giving evidence at the trial of John Walsh (45) and Gillian Purcell (34) before a jury and Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.
They deny the murder of Mr McManus between October 28th and November 7th, 2008.
The case continues.
Kidnapping, shooting trial halted over late documents
The trial in Belfast of Marvin Canning, a brother-in-law of Sinn Féin deputy leader Martin McGuinness, accused of kidnapping and shooting a Mullingar businessman, was halted yesterday after a judge said the late disclosure of statements by the crown had resulted in an unfair trial.
Granting the abuse of process application at Belfast Crown Court, Mr Justice McCloskey said there was no doubt the new material, including statements from gardaí, and other documents relating to interviews of other suspects and identity parades, were “pivotal” to the case.
He said the late disclosure of materials was to be “lamented”. While Mr Justice McCloskey granted the stay application, he adjourned the trial until next Wednesday to allow the crown time to consider his ruling and whether they will launch an appeal against it.
Three held after 15kg cannabis seizure
Gardaí in Cork were last night questioning three men following a €180,000 drugs seizure in the city yesterday, writes Barry Roche.
Gardaí from the city drugs squad seized 15kg of cannabis grass when they stopped and searched a van and a car in Bishopstown at about 11am. They arrested two men in their mid-20s from Carrigaline and a man in his 30s from the city centre. They were continuing to question them at Garda stations in Cork last night.