A round-up of today's other courts news in brief
Woman's arrest ordered over summons
A warrant has been issued for Fiona Nagle, Silchester Road, Glenageary, Co Dublin, who failed to answer two summonses relating to unpaid parking fines at Dún Laoghaire District Court on Friday.
One relates to parking within five metres of a road junction at George’s Street Upper, Dún Laoghaire, on December 3rd, 2007. The other relates to illegal parking 10 days later at Sussex Street, Dún Laoghaire. Warrants were issued for her arrest by Judge Clare Leonard after hearing that she had missed a previous court appearance.
Teachers contest scheme decision
Four secondary school teachers have taken a High Court challenge to the suspension of an early retirement scheme.
They claim a Government decision suspending the scheme, first announced in last October’s Budget and officially notified in November last, has deprived them of their legitimate expectation to avail of the scheme, first introduced in 2006/2007.
Gerard Hogan SC, for the teachers, said the early retirement scheme was due to run up to the end of this year and they were legitimately entitled to expect to avail of it.
All-Ireland air ambulance plan
Plans for an all-Ireland air ambulance service were launched in Cork yesterday. The charity-funded project aims to raise €85,000 a month to run the service.
The air ambulance will attend road crashes, horse riding accidents and medical emergencies where rapid transport to hospital is needed.
Part of ear bitten off in assault
A man who bit off part of a man’s ear in an assault in McDonald’s on O’Connell Street has been given a two-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Lukasz Herman (30), Village Green, Ratoath, who is Polish, pleaded guilty to assaulting Patrick Geraghty at Lower O’Connell Street on February 4th, 2007.
Judge Katherine Delahunt imposed a two-year sentence with the final year suspended and ordered that Herman pay over €8,000 compensation.
Jail term for van death increased
The Court of Criminal Appeal has increased from four to six years the jail term imposed on a Dublin man in connection with the death of a truck driver in a hit-and-run incident which occurred after the victim tried to stop a group of people stealing diesel from two trucks.
The three-judge appeal court agreed with the DPP the original sentence imposed on Charlie McDonagh was unduly lenient and increased it from four to six years.
McDonagh (22), Belcamp Lane, Priorswood, Dublin, had admitted he drove the van which struck Robertus Jusius at Lanesborough Crescent, Finglas, Dublin, on April 4th, 2006, but denied charges of unlawful killing and dangerous driving causing Mr Jusius’s death.