More court reports in brief.
Man in drugs case consents to extradition
An aviation broker charged in connection with an alleged plot to smuggle heroin worth €10 million through Weston airport in Dublin from the Continent has consented to his extradition to Belgium, the High Court heard yesterday.
Last September, Belgian police issued a European arrest warrant for John Kinsella in connection with the seizure on September 26th, 2005, of 50kg of heroin, worth an estimated €10 million, at an airfield in Belgium on an aircraft bound for Ireland.
Mr Kinsella (36), a father of three, Johnstown, Navan, Co Meath, who is a former national super heavyweight boxing champion, is charged in Ireland with conspiracy to import controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Acts. He has been in custody here since September 2006.
In court yesterday, Shane Murphy SC, for Mr Kinsella, said his client consented to the order requesting his extradition to Belgium. Counsel for the State asked for an adjournment so that the DPP could be consulted.
Mr Justice Michael Peart put the matter back until Friday and remanded Mr Kinsella in custody.
Drug smuggler jailed for 10 years
An unemployed Dublin man who smuggled cocaine valued at more than €1.65 million into Ireland has been jailed for 10 years by Judge Donagh McDonagh at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Eugene Lynch (34), Cromcastle Close, Kilmore, pleaded guilty to possession of 23.6kg of cocaine for sale or supply at his home on August 23rd, 2005.
Lynch was to be paid €10,000 for driving to London, collecting the cocaine and returning home with it. He was removing the cocaine from his car when gardaí arrived with a search warrant.
Lynch told gardaí he had run up a drug debt of €3,000 and was threatened by his dealer. He had no previous convictions and lived with his partner and two children.
Sentencing Lynch to 10 years with the final three suspended, Judge McDonagh said that he was typical of "persons used by the more serious players".
Man cleared of rape in Cork
A Lithuanian national has been cleared by a jury at the Central Criminal Court on a charge that he raped an eastern European in a Cork city suburb two years ago.
The jury returned its not guilty verdict after just over three hours of deliberation.
The 35-year-old accused had denied that he raped the woman in a house on January 16th, 2005, after a party at which a lot of drink had been consumed.
Chocolates case continues in court
Staff at a Dublin Port cargo depot have given evidence in the trial of a haulier charged with dishonestly appropriating a container of chocolates valued at €44,000 at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Robert Colquhoun (45), Henry Lane, Newbridge, Co Kildare, has pleaded not guilty to dishonestly appropriating the container of Cadbury Roses chocolates at Dublin Port in November 2003.
Noel Byrne, operating manager at Norse Merchant Ferries, said he became aware that a container might be missing from the depot when he received a call from gardaí telling him they were in possession of a container they had suspicions about.
He said he had not given anybody permission or authorisation to remove the trailer.