More news in brief
Manslaughter verdict urged at murder trial
The jury in the trial of a young Dublin man accused of murder in Irishtown yesterday heard closing submissions from lawyers including suggestions that manslaughter would be a more appropriate charge.
In her closing submission at the Central Criminal Court, prosecuting counsel Clare Grealy told the jury that it was "very clear" that Mr Green "unlawfully killed" Mr Young and that he is "guilty at the very least of manslaughter".
She told the jury that they have to decide on "matters of inference" and that the case comes down to two central issues.
"What motivated Mark Green to get a knife; and how Alan Young came about the fatal wound which caused his death?"
Mark Green (20), Tritonville Rd, Sandymount, Dublin 4, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Alan Young (19), George Reynolds House, Ringsend, at or near Bremen Road, Irishtown, Dublin, on March 11th last year.
Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC told the jury that the charge brought against Mr Green is "not the charge that should have been brought".
He said: "If you are to walk down to the scene of this terrible event, you will see there is a memorial erected there to the young life of Alan Young, surrounded by flowers and candles. It says that Alan Young died tragically."
Land ownership dispute settled
A family dispute over a father's will directing that a 5½ acre plot of land should be divided equally between his nine children has been settled at the High Court yesterday on undisclosed terms.
Liam Lynch (47), Lattinbog, Naas, Co Kildare, had brought the action against the estate of his father, Patrick Lynch, in which he claimed he was the owner of the farmland at Gingerstown, Caragh, Naas, Co Kildare.
Closing speeches in murder trial
A jury hearing the trial of a Dublin man charged with murder in Arklow has been told to consider what was in the mind of the accused when his red Honda Civic hit his alleged victim.
Anthony O'Reilly (22), with an address at Cleggan Park, Ballyfermot, Dublin, is charged with the murder of Daniel McDonald (21) on Main Street, Arklow, on February 2nd, 2007.
Mr O'Reilly has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr McDonald, dangerous driving causing his death and intentionally or recklessly grabbing the steering wheel of Jenny Tobin's car, causing it to swerve in the direction of Mr McDonald.
The jury of six men and six women heard closing speeches from Caroline Biggs BL for the prosecution and Blaise O'Carroll SC for the defence yesterday and were expected to begin hearing Mr Justice Kevin O'Higgins's charge on Monday.
Caroline Biggs, for the prosecution, told the jury they had a choice of three verdicts, murder, manslaughter or dangerous driving causing death.
She said the jury would have to decide whether Mr O'Reilly was guilty of reckless endangerment in his action of grabbing the steering wheel of Jenny Tobin's car and causing it to swerve in Mr McDonald's direction.
She said there was little doubt that the way Mr O'Reilly later drove caused Mr McDonald's death.
Ms Biggs said Mr O'Reilly knew where Mr McDonald was standing and made a conscious decision to cross the centre line of the road and hit him.