In Short

A round-up of today's other stories in brief...

A round-up of today's other stories in brief...

Tipperary man put on register of sex offenders

A man from Co Tipperary was put on the Sex Offenders' Register at the Crown Court in Derry yesterday after he pleaded guilty to committing a series of sex offences against a teenage girl.

Daniel Clarke (59), Silver Street, Nenagh, pleaded guilty to seven charges of indecent assault and to three charges of gross indecency with a child. All the offences were committed in Derry between December 1998 and January 2002.

READ MORE

Clarke pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempting to rape his victim, who was aged 15 when he started abusing her. A prosecution barrister said he would consult the injured party to determine if Clarke would go on trial for the attempted rape charge.

The judge adjourned sentencing until December 4th and ordered that Clarke should be returned to custody.

Man guilty in new year's crash

A disqualified driver whose car smashed into a group of girls last New Year's Eve pinning two of them against a wall has been remanded in custody.

Richard Doyle (20), Valeview Drive, Finglas, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to the two students on December 31st, 2007, at Dunsink Road, Finglas.

He also pleaded guilty to having no driving licence and no insurance.

Dealer had gun 'for self-defence'

A convicted drug dealer who was caught with a sawn- off shotgun has been remanded in custody.

Paul Dempsey (27), Linnetfield Square, Clonee, Co Meath, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a 12-gauge shot gun at his home on July 25th, 2007.

Restraining order for accused killer

One of the men accused of murdering a Co Tyrone father of three has been banned from going within 20 miles of the victim's home town.

The condition was imposed on William McDonagh yesterday as he was granted bail on charges of murdering Dungannon man Eamonn Hughes and hijacking a taxi.

Mr McDonagh (23), Kew Gardens, Ballymena, Co Antrim, was also ordered to lodge a cash surety of £10,000. He is one of five men accused of murdering Mr Hughes (48), who was fatally stabbed.

Mother and son on drug charges

A teenaged boy from the Dutch Antilles and his mother, who were arrested for importing cocaine into Ireland, have been returned for trial to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

The 17-year-old and his mother, who is originally from the Dominican Republic, had been arrested on August 22nd last at Dublin airport.

Man sold drugs to fund cocaine habit

A former victim of institutional abuse who was selling ecstasy to support his €5,000-a-week cocaine habit has been given a suspended three-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Mark Blake (32), Ballybrack, Co Dublin, was earning €350 a week as a labourer when gardaí found €5,000 worth of ecstasy tablets in his Marlborough Street flat.

Blake told gardaí he planned to sell some of the tablets and that others were to be passed, but he would not reveal where he got them, saying it would put him and his family in danger.