In Short

A round-up of today's other news stories in brief

A round-up of today's other news stories in brief

Gardaí search for escaped drug dealer

Gardaí were last night continuing their search for a cocaine dealer who absconded from custody on Tuesday while on temporary release.

Juan Carlos Melgar Alba (42), a Bolivian national, had been granted temporary release from Mountjoy Prison in Dublin to participate in a working party helping to build a community centre in Ballymun.

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He was sentenced to eight years in July 2004. Allowing for remission, he was not due for release until July 2009. He was a member of a gang using a flat in Kilkenny city as a cocaine-processing laboratory.

Investigation into Cork shooting

Gardaí investigating the murder of a 35-year-old father of four shot dead outside a small country school in north Cork are investigating whether there may be a local connection with the killing, writes Barry Roche

Gardaí are seeking to establish why convicted drug dealer David Brett had travelled nearly 32km from his home near Liscarroll in north Cork to Foilagohig National School outside Ballydesmond on Monday night before he was killed.

It is believed Mr Brett may have been under pressure from a Dublin drug supplier after a number of consignments of cocaine were seized by detectives.