A round-up to today's other stories in brief
Judge orders arrest of absent mother
A bench warrant has been issued for the arrest of a mother who went to a parenting skills course instead of court where her 15-year-old son was facing numerous charges.
The north Dublin boy was before the Children's Court yesterday for a litany of alleged crimes committed over the last 18 months.
He was arrested on Monday on bench warrants after he failed to appear in court four times previously. He had also been arrested for causing criminal damage to Malahide Dart station. That was the last time he saw his mother.
Judge Miriam Malone, President of the District Court, issued the bench warrant for the mother.
The 2001 Children's Act says a parent is required to attend a child's case unless they have been excused by the court.
On Monday, the boy was brought to court unaccompanied by a parent and was remanded in custody to the National Remand and Assessment Centre, in Finglas, until yesterday.
Judge Malone further remanded him in custody until next week.
It was the second time this week the court issued a bench warrant for an absent parent.
Man denies rape, assault charges
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has heard that an English woman who missed her ferry home was raped by a fellow national in a Dún Laoghaire hostel in 1999.
The 42-year-old accused denies four charges of rape, oral rape, anal rape and assault causing harm to the woman at the hostel on March 13th, 1999.
The woman told prosecuting counsel Edward Comyn SC she met the accused at Heuston Station where she had drink with him and he said he would show her the way to the ferry in Dún Laoghaire.
But when they got there the ferry had left and they booked into a hostel where she wanted her own room. They went drinking again and on their return she alleges he sexually attacked her.
The hearing continues before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of three women and nine men.
Airline accused of safety breaches
Aer Lingus was yesterday accused of failing to comply with health and safety requirements arising out of an accident on a luggage carousel in which a worker's finger was crushed.
The airline faces a number of breaches of safety legislation at Dublin airport on November 13th, 2004, when employee David McKenzie was injured.
At Dublin District Court yesterday, the case was adjourned to April 7th to allow the company decide whether to plead guilty or fight the charges.
M50 firm cleared in safety case
A company charged under health and safety legislation arising out of an electrocution at an M50 work site has been acquitted by direction of Judge Joseph Matthews at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Judge Matthews directed the jury, following legal argument in its absence, to return not-guilty verdicts on the four charges against Rps Mcos Limited.
The hearing continues against a second firm, Ascon Ltd, arising out of the same incident at the Sandyford interchange on December 6th, 2002, in which a worker was injured after an excavator came into contact with overhead wires.