A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Judge urges end to 'job for life' case
The Supreme Court has expressed the strong hope there will be no further litigation in a bitter dispute arising from an unsuccessful claim by a former diocesan secretary that she was entitled to a "job for life", writes Mary Carolan.
Mr Justice Hugh Geoghegan awarded substantial costs, estimated at more than €300,000, against Mary Sheehy (55) of Green Road, Carlow.
Earlier, the court had refused an application by Gerard Hogan SC, for Ms Sheehy, to make no order for costs in the litigation, initiated in 2004. Mr Hogan said his client had lost a position "very dear" to her and her life had been adversely affected.
Maurice Collins SC, for the diocese, in applying for his costs against Ms Sheehy, said he did not want to appear hard-hearted but Ms Sheehy had had "numerous ways" to get out of the litigation and had not taken those up. She had failed in court and there was no basis on which costs should not be awarded to his side.
Counsel said his side had been willing to engage with Ms Sheehy but it had not proved possible to have any engagement with her.
Awarding all costs against Ms Sheehy of various High Court and Supreme Court applications, Mr Justice Geoghegan said the court was concerned at the spectre of further litigation relating to pension issues.
The dispute arose from the decision in 2002 to make Ms Sheehy redundant.
Garda raid nets heroin haul
Heroin worth an estimated €200,000 was seized in Dublin yesterday as part of an ongoing Garda operation targeting organised crime in the capital. Around 1kg of the drug was recovered during a search at premises in Hillcrest Business Park, Walkinstown, Dublin 12.A Garda spokesman said no arrests were made in connection with the discovery.
Jury told man lured girl into bed
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has been told that a Waterford man lured a schoolgirl into his bed and raped her over a decade ago. The jury was also told by prosecuting counsel, Gerard Clarke SC, that the now 24-year-old woman made her formal complaint to gardaí in 2005.
The 55-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, oral rape and sexual assault of the then 11- to 14-year-old girl on dates unknown from January 1st, 1994 to December 31st , 1997.
The complainant will begin her evidence when the trial resumes this morning before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy.
Car injury case settled for €3m
A man who suffered multiple serious head and other injuries in a road collision in which another man died has secured €3 million in settlement of his High Court action for damages. Gerard Molloy (39), a single man, of Lealand Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin, had sued after the car he was driving collided with another car driven by Anthony Byrne, Tullyhall Drive, Lucan, Co Dublin, on the main road between Tallaght and Brittas on June 28th, 2001. Mr Byrne died as a result of the crash, while Mr Molloy sustained serious injuries.
Mr Molloy brought his action against David Darcy, Ballymany Manor, Newbridge, Co Kildare, who owned the car being driven by Mr Byrne, and he also sued a nominated representative of the estate of Mr Byrne.
Man believed child porn 'adult'
A Westmeath man on trial for possessing child pornography told gardaí he believed all the material he downloaded from the internet was adult porn.
Victor Fagg (36), Cornamagh, Athlone, told gardaí that he used his credit card to purchase adult and teen porn from websites accessed from a home-built computer in his former Dublin City University office.
Mr Fagg has pleaded not guilty to possessing child pornography.