In short

Today's other stories in brief

Today's other stories in brief

District Court judge Derek McVeigh dies

Judge Derek McVeigh, a moveable judge on the District Court Bench since his appointment in 2005, died yesterday at the age of 62.

Judge McVeigh, a native of Letterkenny, Co Donegal, will be buried on Friday following funeral mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception near his home in Glasson, Athlone.

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Judge Kevin Kilrane said he was stunned by news of the death. He described his late colleague as "a very good, wise, kindly and Christian judge".

Judge rules on date of rape trial

Judge Seán Martin McBride, sitting at Monaghan District Court yesterday, ruled that the case against 34-year-old Simon McGinley for the rape and robbery of an 86-year-old Monaghan woman last July will be heard at a special sitting of the court on Thursday, November 25th.

Boy (15) sent for Circuit Court trial

A 15-YEAR-OLD boy, who allegedly tried to stab a shop worker during a robbery, has been sent forward for trial in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

The boy was charged at the Children's Court with possessing a knife, robbery, violent disorder and assault at an off-licence in Tyrrelstown, Dublin, on May 20th.

A 16-year-old boy, who is also charged with assault causing harm to the shop worker, was also sent forward for trial.

Woman held as heroin seized

A woman in her 20s was in custody in Limerick yesterday following a €300,000 heroin seizure. The drugs were discovered during a planned search in the Moyross estate on Tuesday.

The find was made in a house in Cosgrave Park shortly after 9pm.

Alleged trafficker remanded

The High Court has remanded in custody a Romanian national wanted in Italy for trafficking people from Moldova to Ireland via Italy. The Italian authorities are seeking the extradition of Mircea Remus Contras, of Belmont Hall, Dublin.

Mr Contras has been in custody at Cloverhill Prison since he was arrested by members of the Garda Extradition Unit under a warrant for his extradition issued in late September.

Mr Justice Michael Peart agreed to further remand Mr Contras in custody to a date later next week, when it is expected an application for bail will be made.

Jury fails to agree verdict

The jury in the trial of a former top-flight professional footballer accused of raping and sexually abusing his daughter has been discharged after failing to agree a verdict.

The 68-year-old man, who previously played soccer with a top English team, had pleaded not guilty to 80 counts of rape, oral rape and sexual assault on dates between 2003 and 2006 in the family homes in Galway and Roscommon.

Mr Justice Peter Charleton remanded the accused on bail pending the setting of a new trial date.

Evidence missing in sex assault trial

A Dublin teacher accused of sexually assaulting a then seven-year-old boy at least once a month for two years has been found not guilty by direction of the judge after a vital piece of evidence went missing.

The 62-year-old accused has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of indecent assault on the boy in a Dublin primary school between September 1967 and June 1969.

Judge Tony Hunt ordered the jury to return a not guilty verdict after he heard that a roll book, detailing when the complainant may have attended the school, had gone missing.