A round up of today's other stories in brief.
Man who bit off lower lip loses appeal
A man who bit the entire lower lip off another man during a fight, has lost his appeal against the severity of his three-year sentence.
Galway Circuit Court heard last July that Joseph Boreham (40), from England, with an address at St Brendan's Terrace, Loughrea, Co Galway bit the lower lip off Derek Greene, aged in his 30s, early on March 18th last year at Barrack Street, Loughrea.
Boreham appealed the severity of that term to the Court of Criminal Appeal but the three judge appeal court dismissed the appeal.
The trial heard Boreham had drunk 25 pints during St Patrick's Day, and got involved in an argument with Mr Greene outside a pub. The court also heard that Boreham had previous convictions in England for two indecent assaults and for assault causing actual bodily harm.
Paper appeals libel award
An appeal against an award of damages to a former Iraqi army officer, who claims he doubled as Saddam Hussein's son Uday, will be heard today in the High Court in Cork. Dr Latif Yahia was awarded €15,000 damages for libel against the Sunday Worldin the Dublin Circuit Court in March last year.
Dr Yahia (43), Botanic Avenue, Glasnevin, Dublin, told the court a toy gas gun, two rounds of ammunition and a stun gun had been found by gardaí in a raid on his home on May 20th, 2002. He had been arrested and questioned before being released the next day. An article in the newspaper had claimed Dr Yahia was due to be charged on firearms offences. He had never faced such charges.
Jailed for firing at neighbours
A convicted gunman has been jailed for seven years by Judge Patricia Ryan for a non-fatal drive-by shooting at two of his neighbours in Ballymun in 2005.
Derek "Bottler" Devoy (25), Balbutcher Drive, Ballymun, Dublin was recognised as the gunman when a scarf slipped from his face after he shot at two men from a car which then drove away at speed.
Devoy, who is currently serving a seven-year sentence for another firearm offence, was found guilty by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury last November of possessing a shotgun with intent to endanger life at Cranogue Close on September 19th, 2005. He had 26 previous convictions.
Nightclub manager unfairly dismissed
A nightclub manager, who claimed an allegation of headbutting a customer had been fabricated against him, was unfairly dismissed from his job, a judge said yesterday. Derek Walsh, who was sacked from his €60,000-a-year position at Bar Code restaurant and nightclub in Dublin, was now entitled to €385,000 compensation, Ercus Stewart SC told the Circuit Civil Court.
Mr Walsh, Westbury, Park View, Castleknock, Dublin, had been awarded just over €47,000 compensation by the Employment Appeals Tribunal against Templeville Developments Ltd, owner of Bar Code, Westwood Club, Clontarf Road, Dublin.
Judge Doirbhile Flanagan said the procedures adopted by the defendants had been unfair to Mr Walsh and that he had been unfairly dismissed. She adjourned her determination on the amount of compensation due to Mr Walsh.
Teenager stored €314,000 heroin
A teenager who stored heroin valued at €314,000 in the family sitting room because he feared a vicious criminal, has been given a five-year sentence, with two years suspended, by Judge Frank O'Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
James Walsh (18), Cherry Orchard Parade, Ballyfermot, Dublin got into "heavy debt" with the criminal and didn't know whether he was holding heroin or cocaine.