Today's other stories in brief
Garda's disclosure sentencing adjourned
The sentencing of a garda for disclosing the contents of a confidential report almost three years ago has been adjourned at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Det Sgt Robert McNulty (50), Boden Park, Rathfarnham, has pleaded guilty to disclosing the contents of a draft report into the Dean Lyons case between July 10th and August 10th, 2006.
Judge Patricia Ryan remanded Det Sgt McNulty on continuing bail until early July following an application by Pádraig Dwyer SC, defending, to adjourn sentencing due to witness difficulties.
Charge reduced to manslaughter
A charge of murder against the man accused of killing pensioner Christy Hanley in Westmeath last year has been reduced to manslaughter. At the outset of the trial, Noel Cawley (47), of no fixed abode, but with a previous address at Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Hanley (83) at his home on Bridge Street, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, on May 21st last year.
He has also pleaded not guilty to robbing Mr Hanley of an unknown sum of money. It is the prosecution's case that Mr Cawley tied Mr Hanley up, robbed him and beat him to death. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said: "I take the view that there is a reasonable possibility that he did not intend
to cause serious harm." Mr Justice McCarthy said: "In murder it must be proven that there was an unlawful killing caused by the actions of the accused with the intention to kill or cause serious injury." He said that for a jury to consider a charge of murder, Mr Cawley "must be presumed to have intended the natural or probable consequences of his actions".
The jury is expected to retire this morning to begin its deliberations.
Rape and burglary trial in final stages
The trial of a Monaghan man accused of raping an 86-year- old woman has reached its closing stages at the Central Criminal Court. The 35-year-old accused has pleaded not guilty to raping the
elderly woman on June 16th, 2008, and to burgling her home with intent to steal on the same
occasion. The trial has included DNA evidence and has heard eight days of testimony.
The case will continue this morning before Mr Justice George Birmingham and a jury of four women and eight men