A round-up of today's Irish news stories in brief
Judge to sentence Lillis today
Mr Justice Barry White will today sentence Eamonn Lillis for the manslaughter of his wife, Celine Cawley, writes Carol Coulter, Legal Affairs Editor. Lillis was convicted last Friday by a jury of six men and six women. The 52-year-old TV advertisement producer, originally from Terenure, Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife on December 15th, 2008, at their home on Windgate Road, Howth.
The jury indicated it did not consider the accused intended to kill his wife.
Mr Justice White said that knowing the reason for the jury’s decision would be of assistance in sentencing.
Man remanded over child pornography
A Balbriggan engineer who distributed pornographic images he took of five children, including his own abuse of one girl, to 150 fellow paedophiles has been remanded in custody pending sentence.
Timothy Leahy traded internationally the images he took, rather than charging a fee for them. Leahy (50), previously of Ardgillan Road, Ardgillan Heights, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five charges of producing child pornography, one of distribution, two of sexual exploitation and one of sexual assault between January 1st, 2005 and November 7th, 2008.
The maximum penalty for these offences is 14 years. Judge Delahunt adjourned to next month to allow her time to consider sentence.
Man who threatened to kill doctor jailed
A man who entered a hospital with a knife and threatened to “torture, kill and have sex with” a doctor giving him a psychiatric assessment has received a partially suspended seven-year sentence.
He pleaded with the female doctor to give him a drop of her blood to drink before lunging at her with a shoelace in an effort to strangle her. Judge Tony Hunt suspended three-and-a-half years of the sentence.
Paul Kelly (24), of Liscairn Gardens, Clondalkin, Dublin, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill Dr Catherine McGee and to the possession of a knife at St James’s Hospital, James’s Street, on January 19th, 2009.
Eight arrested over shooting
Gardaí have arrested eight people in connection with a shooting during which three members of the force narrowly escaped being wounded while on a routine call-out, writes Crime Correspondent .
Three gardaí had called to a house in west Dublin last December after receiving a call from a resident claiming her home had been damaged in an arson attack. When the gardaí arrived at the house in Greenfort Close, Clondalkin, they stood in the hallway and closed the hall door.
As they were speaking to the occupant in the hallway, a gunman opened fire from the street outside.
He discharged a number of shots at a neighbouring house, but one of the bullets was fired into the hallway of the house where the gardaí were standing. The incident took place just after 1.15am on December 13th.
Yesterday gardaí in Ronanstown arrested eight people in connection with the incident. The five men and three women are being held at Garda stations in Leixlip, Lucan and Clondalkin.
Farmer's wives may have to refund pension
Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin has apologised for an “awful mistake” that could force up to 85 farmers’ spouses to pay back thousands of euro in pension payments, writes .
Hundreds of other women could also see their entitlement to a contributory State pension rescinded following a review of rules relating to the payment of pensions to spouses in commercial partnerships.
Ms Hanafin told an Oireachtas committee that her department had incorrectly awarded State pensions to spouses who were part of a commercial partnership such as a farm.
Explosion outside PSNI station
Up to 40 families were removed from their homes after an explosion outside a police station in north Belfast.
The incident happened in the early hours of yesterday morning at the rear of the Old Park PSNI station. There were no injuries.
British army technical officers cordoned off the area.
A spokesman said they had no leads as to who was responsible.
MP for the area Nigel Dodds of the DUP said it was further evidence of a “ruthless and fanatical dissident republican element” in north Belfast.
The SDLP MLA for north Belfast, Alban Maginness, condemned the attack.
Dublin boy ordered to do house work
A 15-year-old Dublin boy who went on a rampage in his home and punched a hole through a wall was ordered by a judge yesterday to do household chores for the next six months.
The teen had pleaded guilty at the Children’s Court to causing damage at his south Dublin home last May, when his mother had to call gardaí over his behaviour. Judge Clare Leonard yesterday adjourned the case until September, when the court will learn whether the teen has stuck to the deal.
Vote for Presbyterian moderator tied
The new moderator of the Presbyterian Church will not be elected until next month after a vote for the position ended in a tie on Tuesday night.
Rev Norman Hamilton, minister of Ballysillan, Belfast, and Rev Norman McAuley from Greenwell Street, Newtownards, will participate in a run-off on March 2nd after both received five nominations from the 19 presbyteries.
Three other candidates shared the remaining nine nominations, but they will not stand in next month’s election.
Current moderator Dr Stafford Carson will continue in the role until the Presbyterian General Assembly meets in June.
Fatal house fire in Co Westmeath
A woman died during a house fire in Co Westmeath last night.
The blaze took place at O’Connell Terrace, Mullingar.
Emergency services were alerted to the residential fire at 8.25pm.
Three fire engines and a senior fire officer responded to the fire.
However, they were unable to save the middle-aged woman, who was trapped in the house.
Nobody else was injured in the blaze.
Gardaí are investigating.