A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
No verdict reached in corruption trial
A jury has failed to reach a verdict in the case of a former managing director of an enterprise board charged with receiving corrupt payments in return for securing job- creation grants for a company.
The jury spent more than 12 hours over the past two days trying to decide if James Brennan, former managing director of South Cork Enterprise Board, was guilty of receiving corrupt payments.
Mr Brennan (59), Rockgrove, Midleton, Co Cork, had been on trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court for 13 days after he denied 14 counts of receiving corrupt payments, totalling £4,500, between December 10th, 1996, and May 20th, 1999.
Judge Con Murphy remanded Mr Brennan on continuing bail to appear again on April 15th.
Licence ruling reserved
The High Court has reserved judgment on a challenge by a shooting enthusiast to a decision refusing him a licence for a higher-calibre deer-hunting rifle. Thomas O'Leary, Dromhall Park, Killarney, Co Kerry, has taken the proceedings against Supt Michael Maher over his refusal to license a Steyr Mannlicher .308 calibre rifle.
10 years for having cocaine
A convicted robber whom gardaí caught preparing to mix a batch of cocaine on a Maynooth, Co Kildare, premises in which he was a foreman, has been jailed for 10 years by Judge Patricia Ryan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Martin Walsh (37), Clondalkin, Co Dublin, was caught in December 2005 with €560,000 worth of the drugs after gardaí observed him receiving a consignment of mixing agent for cocaine.
Walsh said he was under pressure to get involved and claimed that his dogs had been beaten with iron bars.
He accepted responsibility for the haul and told gardaí that his involvement "destroyed everything I worked for, for that scum".
Drugs found at Dublin airport
A man caught in transit at Dublin airport importing cannabis herb worth €80,000 for the English market has been jailed for four years.
Carl Hooper (20), Catford, London, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drugs at Dublin airport in April 2007.
Hooper was stopped by a Customs officer after arriving from Johannesburg via Paris with London as his final destination. He was searched and cannabis weighing 22kg with a street value of €80,177 was found in his travel bag.
Suspended sentences
Two Dublin youths whose violent robbery left a man with multiple injuries have been given suspended sentences by Judge Tony Hunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Ross Dunne (18) Coombe Court, The Coombe, and a 17-year-old father of one pleaded guilty to robbing Brian O'Connor in May 2006. A third youth who also pleaded guilty will be sentenced later.
Judge Hunt imposed a three-year sentence on Dunne but suspended it for five years. He said the younger culprit played a "more violent role in the attack" and imposed a four-year sentence which he suspended for six years.
Sgt Mark Kelly told the court Mr O'Connor was walking home when the trio robbed him of €250 after beating him unconscious and leaving him lying on the road.