A round-up of today's other news stories in brief
Motorist fined for 181km/h road dash
A motorist caught travelling at 181km an hour on the Arklow bypass was trying to make up time after he got a puncture as he was heading to the airport, Arklow court heard yesterday.
Raymond Moorehouse from Gorey, Co Wexford, said family members were going to the airport to go back to England and he was bringing his cousin to the airport on September 2nd last year.
He got a puncture and was trying to make up time. He did not realise what speed he was doing but there was no other traffic on the dual carriageway at the time.
Judge Donnachadh Ó Buachalla reduced the charge from dangerous driving to careless driving, fined the defendant €400 and disqualified him from driving for four months.
Two to face child porn charges
Two men are due to appear at Ards Court Newtownards, Co Down, at a later date after they were charged in connection with an inquiry into allegations of child pornography in Northern Ireland.
The two were arrested with five other men on Monday following what police said was a major clampdown on the dissemination of images of child pornography through the internet.
HSE to pay for man's care
The Health Service Executive has agreed to pay the costs of providing care for a 43-year-old autistic man for the rest of his life in settlement of a High Court action brought on his behalf by his mother, who is unwell and in her 80s. The HSE and State will also pay €75,000 damages.
Dick Power, through his mother Maureen, Lower Yellow Road, Waterford, had sued the Minister for Education and Science, the Minister for Health and Children, the South Eastern Health Board, Ireland, and the Attorney General, in an effort to secure appropriate care and services.
The settlement, including future care provision and €75,000 in damages, was ruled yesterday by Ms Justice Mary Laffoy between the plaintiff and all the defendants.
There was no admission of liability or special damages.
Father jailed for sex abuse
A 58-year-old father who systematically abused his only daughter over a five-year period, including on her birthdays, has been jailed for four years at Trim Circuit Court.
The man cannot be named to protect the identity of his daughter.
In her victim impact statement, which was read to Judge Pat McCartan, she described how the abuse had changed and become more frequent over time.
He pleaded guilty to six charges on dates between 1986 and 1991 of both sexual assault and indecent assault.
She said her father could see her distress but when she resisted him he seemed to find it funny.
After he abused her on her 16th birthday she tried to kill herself by taking an overdose of medication.
Court told woman 'besotted' by lover
The trial at the Central Criminal Court of a man accused of murdering his wife 10 years ago has heard that the dead woman was besotted with her younger lover.
John Diver, Kilnamanagh Road, Walkinstown, Dublin, denies murdering his wife at Robinhood Road, Clondalkin, in 1996.
Geraldine Diver was found with a tie around her neck in her car.
Yesterday, Pauline Harty, a close friend and work colleague of Ms Diver, said she was not happy in her marriage but, "stayed with John for the sake of the children".
Ms Harty said Ms Diver used to refer to her lover "my wonderful Ray". Ray Roche, a butcher at a supermarket, was 28, while Ms Diver was 42. The case continues.
Domestic violence highlighted
One in five women in Ireland are affected by domestic violence, but for women from black or ethnic minorities there are added complications to getting help, a seminar in Dublin heard yesterday, writes Hélène Hofman.
Organised by the Immigrant Council of Ireland, Women's Aid and the African Women's network, AkiDwA, the seminar aimed to assess the needs of black or ethnic minority women experiencing domestic violence.
The body, which works with women who have been physically or emotionally abused, found the most significant of these barriers were cultural and linguals.
"We're aware that Ireland has become a much more diverse and multi-cultural society and we are aware there are women out there who need our services but are finding it difficult to access them," said Women's Aid manager Rachel Mullen.
Yesterday's seminar was the groups' first attempt at working together with service providers to raise awareness of the issue.
Man assaulted in Dublin park
Gardaí are investigating an assault on a Chinese man who was walking in Fairview Park, Dublin, on Tuesday night. The 20-year-old was knocked to the ground and beaten by a group of teenagers at the East Wall end of Fairview park sometime between 10pm and 10.30pm.
He was found shortly after by a passer-by who took him to the Mater Hospital, where he received treatment for mild concussion. His injuries were not thought to be serious and he was released yesterday afternoon. Gardaí interviewed the man last night.
Call for ban on Brazilian beef
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture yesterday backed an Irish Farmers' Association call for a total ban on the import of Brazilian beef into the EU because of the dangers to human and animal health, writes Seán MacConnell.
The committee heard what an IFA inquiry team had uncovered about the industry there and invited the EU's Food and Veterinary Office to explain why the findings of its own inquiries had not been acted on. Chairman Johnny Brady said it would also write to Health and Consumer Commissioner Markos Kyprianou for an explanation for the inaction.
John Bryan, chairman of the IFA's national livestock committee, said he and other IFA officials who had visited Brazil last May had been horrified at what they had seen. "During our unannounced visits to 11 farms, we found that only one of the farms had a traceability system with the cattle being tagged."
Suspended term for hammer attack
A 37-year-old man who attacked a traffic warden with a hammer after receiving a parking ticket has been given a three-year suspended sentence after he expressed remorse for his action and paid €30,000 in compensation to his victim, writes Barry Roche.
Kevin McSweeney, Cloughboalmore, Millstreet had pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to traffic warden Stephen Sommers at George's Quay in Cork city on January 20th, 2005.
Garda Richard O'Sullivan said Mr Sommers had put the ticket on the van at White Street but McSweeney followed him from White Street to George's Quay, where he struck him with the hammer, fracturing his eye socket and putting him out of work for four months.
Mr Sommers, who was not in court yesterday, had accepted an apology from McSweeney.
Judge Patrick Moran said it was a difficult case as traffic wardens were entitled to go about their work without being attacked while he recognised McSweeney's remorse and that he had paid €30,000 compensation.