A round-up of today's other court stories in brief
Retrial is ordered in murder case
The Court of Criminal Appeal has overturned the conviction of a South African man for the murder of his Irish-born wife at their home in Co Meath, and ordered a retrial.
The three judge court yesterday granted the appeal by Anton Mulder, Maelduin, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, against his conviction for the murder of Colleen Suzanne Mulder on December 17th, 2004, at a house they had rented.
Moving the appeal, Roderick O'Hanlon SC had said the accused's trial was unsatisfactory because of inappropriate contact between a member of the dead woman's family and the jury.
Man jailed for sex assault on sister
A man who sexually assaulted his younger sister and niece for nearly a decade has been jailed for six years by Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The 52-year-old man pleaded guilty to 10 sample counts of sexual assault on his younger sister and his niece at addresses in Clondalkin and Santry on dates between February 1991 and March 2000. His sister was 20 years younger than him and was aged between eight and 15 years, while his niece was aged between four and 14.
Judge Delahunt said it "was a terrible tragedy of this case" that when the man's sister sought help, very little was forthcoming.
Farmer fined for ill-treating cattle
A 41-year-old farmer who allowed 77 of his cattle die through dehydration and malnutrition was yesterday fined a total of €3,500 and given a three-month suspended sentence on condition he comply with a farm plan drawn up by experts and not overstock his holding.
Michael Holland from Courtbrack, Blarney, Co Cork, pleaded guilty at Cork District Court to cruelly ill-treating a cow, failing to bury the carcass of a cow and failing to protect livestock and poultry from specific risk material in line with regulations to limit BSE.
Pornography case is held over
A Dublin man who was found in possession of nearly 3,000 images and 300 videos depicting child pornography described as being at the "upper end of the spectrum" is to be sentenced at a later date.
Jason Maguire (24), Killininny Court, Firhouse, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of child pornography under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act on July 28th, 2006. The court heard he had been due to face similar charges in England in 2002 but had absconded before his trial.
Addict who stole from van jailed
A crack cocaine and heroin addict who shot himself in the foot after robbing three money bags from a Brinks Allied van has been sentenced to 11 years in prison by Judge Katherine Delahunt at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Garret Lynch (25) Spring Garden Street, Ballybough, later called gardaí to say he had been shot by a motorcyclist in Buckingham Street, but gardaí followed a trail of blood to a basement flat where they found blood-covered money bags.
Wish to be jailed is granted
A man's expressed wish was granted when he was given a lengthy prison sentence at Galway Circuit Criminal Court for a drug dealing offence.
Damien Quinn (23), Parkmore Estate, Tuam, Co Galway, pleaded guilty to having cannabis resin in his possession for sale or supply to others at St Francis Terrace, Weir Road, Tuam, on June 15th last year.
He was sentenced to three years in prison by Judge Raymond Groarke, with the final year suspended. Quinn expressed gratitude through his barrister John Hogan.
Asbestos blamed for man's death
Exposure to asbestos in the workplace more than 40 years ago was the most likely reason why a man contracted a rare and fatal form of cancer, an inquest has heard.
Anthony Holmes (68), Ballina, Co Mayo, died at St James's Hospital in Dublin on September 16th last.
A jury at the Dublin City Coroner's court found that prior exposure to asbestos dust was the most likely cause of the tumour as Mr Holmes was "potentially exposed" to asbestos in the late 1950s and 1960s when working in the construction industry in England.
Dartmouth Square owner in court
Election candidate Noel O'Gara, who faced jail yesterday for alleged contempt of court, told a judge he would do his best to comply with a court order.
Dublin City Council had asked Judge Jacqueline Linnane to commit the Planning Reform Party candidate to jail for contempt of court. Counsel for the local authority said Mr O'Gara, Athlone, Co Westmeath, and his company, Marble and Granite Tiles Ltd, had failed to comply with an order restraining the unauthorised use of Dartmouth Square Park, Dublin, for commercial purposes.
When Mr O'Gara asked Judge Linnane if she lived in Dartmouth Square or somewhere in the vicinity of it, which she denied, she transferred the application to Mr Justice Esmond Smyth.
Yesterday Mr O'Gara gave an undertaking he would remove caravans and have a sign advertising tiles removed.