A roundup of today's other courts news in brief
‘Risk of unfairness’ from articles leads to stabbing case retrial
A Dublin man, jailed for 10 years for a stabbing which left parts of the victim’s bowel and intestines protruding from his body, had his conviction overturned yesterday and a retrial has been ordered.
The Court of Criminal Appeal ruled the publication of some newspaper articles during the trial of Darren Duff (38) of Doon Court, Poppintree. Ballymun, in July 2008 was such that it created a “real risk” of unfairness to him if members of the jury made a link between them and Mr Duff’s trial.
The articles complained of by lawyers for Mr Duff, appeared as the "principal story" on the front page of the Sunday Tribunein July 2008. A "virtually identical" article was published "on the inside" of another Irish newspaper a day later.
Wanted Irishman legally detained
An Irishman wanted in Britain on charges arising from an alleged attempt to import more than €2.4 billion worth of cocaine into the London area has lost his High Court challenge to the legality of his detention.
Michael McDermott (61), Blackberry Fields, Gracedieu, Waterford, and Lilliput Road, Poole, Dorset, was arrested earlier this year on foot of a warrant from the British authorities.
Yesterday, Mr Justice Liam McKechnie ruled Mr McDermott’s detention was lawful and dismissed his application for release.
Building firm on pollution charges
The company building the €207 million Gort-Crusheen bypass is facing prosecution over allowing deleterious material to be emptied into two water bodies near the bypass works.
The road scheme, which will bypass the south-Galway town of Gort and the Clare village of Crusheen is expected to open later this year. In the case heard before Ennis District Court yesterday, the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board is taking the prosecution against SIAC Wills JV Ltd currently constructing the 23km dual carriageway. The charges concern pollution at Millbrook River at Ballyline and also at the Caheraphuca watercourse in the townland of Caheraphuca on November 19th last. The case has been adjourned to September 17th.
Man loses appeal in cocaine case
A man has lost an appeal against his conviction for having some €70,000 worth of cocaine which a “civic-minded citizen” spotted him throwing from a car as the car approached a Garda checkpoint.
Daniel Goulding (26) of Whitechapel Grove, Clonsilla, Dublin, was jailed for 10 years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in February 2009 on charges for having the drugs at Ongar Road, Castleheany, on June 14th, 2006.Yesterday the Court of Criminal Appeal rejected arguments against his conviction.