A round up of today's other stories from around the country in brief.
Alleged assailant sent for trial
A man accused of assault, threatening to kill another man and criminal damage, had his case sent for trial to the Circuit Court at Kilmainham District Court.
Derek Glennon (40), Bluebell Road, Dublin, is charged with assaulting John Lynch, making a threat to kill Mr Lynch and possession of a pickaxe handle with intent to cause injury at La Touche Road, Bluebell, on October 30th, 2004. He is also charged with damaging a confectionary counter, a display cabinet, a lottery ticket stand, a cash register surround cabinet and a closed circuit security camera at the same address.
The accused man was before Judge Ann Watkin for service of his book of evidence this week. A solicitor for the DPP said the book of evidence had been served and that the DPP had consented to Mr Glennon being sent for trial to the present sitting of Dublin Circuit Court.
Five years' jail for dangerous driving
A 19-year-old man, who was found by gardaí hiding under a child's bed following a high-speed car chase, has been sentenced to five years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Owen Comerford, Seán O'Casey Avenue, Dublin, is to start the five-year term at the end of the 21-month sentence he is currently serving. He pleaded guilty to four counts of unauthorised use of a vehicle, dangerous driving, driving with no insurance and assaulting a garda on July 5th, 2004.
Judge Michael White said that Comerford, who has 84 previous convictions, would "very soon again" engage in a similar pattern of behaviour.
Suspended term for pornography
A Dublin man who has convictions for harassment of a young boy and sexual assault on a male has avoided a jail sentence for possession of child pornography. Frank Murphy (42), Kenilworth Park, Harold's Cross, was fined €750 and given a suspended two-year sentence by Judge Desmond Hogan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
He pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on a floppy disc at his home on February 10th, 2003. He has been placed on the register of sex offenders.
Judge Hogan heard that Murphy had two previous convictions for sexual assault on a male and harassment of a 14-year-old boy. The investigation of the latter conviction led to the current charge of possession of child pornography.
Judge Hogan said the offence was serious but was at "the lower end of the scale". He suspended the two-year sentence for five years on condition that Murphy entered into good behaviour and probation bonds. Garda Caitríona White told barrister Paul Carroll, prosecuting, that gardaí seized computer material including a floppy disc which contained 14 images of children engaging in acts of a sexual nature.
Eight non-national work deaths
The number of non-national fatalities is totally out of proportion to their involvement in the workforce, Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen told the Institute of Occupational, Health and Safety conference in Limerick yesterday.
This year 57 people died from accidents at work compared with 45 for the same period last year, Mr Killeen said. Eight non-nationals died in work-related accidents.