Other courts' news in brief
Court approves Chartbusters rescue scheme
A scheme aimed at ensuring the survival of 28 Chartbusters home entertainment stores and 172 jobs has been approved at the Commercial Court.
The scheme provides for new investment and a new management structure, with group founder Richard Murphy leaving by December 31st.
While noting that the scheme allowed the group to walk away from pre-examinership debts of some €15 million in the event of a winding up, Mr Justice Peter Kelly said it at least meant creditors would get more than if the company was put into liquidation.
The scheme provides investment of some €700,000 and for a new management structure at Chartbusters, with Mr Murphy ceasing to have a shareholding. The majority shareholding, 51 per cent, will be held by John McCabe and the remaining 49 per cent will be held by Catherine Kenny and Anthea Jordan.
The court heard the stores were trading profitably in examinership assisted by substantial rent reductions negotiated by examiner Neil Hughes. Mr Fanning added that the costs of the examinership, including legal fees, amounted to €300,000.
Compensation offer rejected
A judge has refused to accept a €15,000 settlement offer as adequate to compensate a five-year-old child who broke his arm on a trip to Disneyland in Paris.
Circuit Court president Mr Justice Matthew Deery said he did not think the offer by Abbey Travel, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin, was good enough.
He told Eileen McAuley for Harry Kearns, now seven, Sandyford, Dublin, that he would send the boy’s claim for trial before another judge.
Ms McAuley said Harry had been with his family in the Travel Lodge Explorer Hotel, in the Disneyland complex in Paris in May 2007 and broke two bones in his left forearm after he fell off a chute on to a hard surface. The child was in a Paris hospital for two days.
The judge said the €15,000 was not adequate to compensate the child.
14 months in jail for credit card scam
A man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for his part in a credit card scam, after he and an accomplice were caught using a Texan woman’s credit card details to pay for their stay at Jury’s Inn Hotel in Galway.
Crossley Williams (34), from Guyana, South America, denied dishonestly obtaining overnight accommodation for two rooms, telephone calls, internet connection and food worth €152 using the stolen credit card details in February.
He also denied before Galway District Court yesterday using his computer for gain and failing to produce his passport to a Garda.
Kingsley Kelechi Awulonu (23), North Circular Road, Dublin, pleaded guilty to the same charges earlier this month and received a 16- month sentence.Judge Mary Fahy granted leave to appeal.
Early hearing on autistic care sought
The president of the High Court has been asked to arrange an early hearing of an application by the family of a brain-damaged 11-year-old autistic boy aimed at securing State funding for his care at a €50,000 a month private facility. The boy is being cared for in a rented house in south Dublin operated by the Solis Trust, a private charity.
His parents say they can no longer afford to pay for his care and are seeking an early hearing of their application for continued funding for the Solis facility pending the outcome of full proceedings over long-term care.