A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Call for inquiry into collapse of interconnector planning process
Monaghan residents opposing elements of the Government's €280 million North-South electricity interconnector project have called for an independent investigation into the collapse of the planning process last June, writes Elaine Edwards.
An error in the original application for the line through Meath, Cavan and Monaghan forced the State’s electricity network operator Eirgrid to withdraw the application on June 29th during a Bord Pleanála hearing.
The public notice, which is part of the application, stated the pylons supporting the power lines would be between 23m and 37m high, but it should have read 23m to 44m.
A spokesman for Eirgrid said the application would be resubmitted “as soon as possible”, but this was not likely to be until the new year.
Leniency appeal judgment reserved
The Court of Criminal Appeal has reserved judgment in the case of a psychiatric patient who was jailed for 10 years for repeatedly stabbing a doctor.
The State appealed against the leniency of the sentence.
Anthony McMahon (34), Raheen Square, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick, stabbed forensic psychiatrist Dr Ananth Pullela (58) eight times at St Anne's psychiatric day hospital in Limerick on January 17th, 2008.
McMahon was sentenced to 10 years in prison by Judge Carroll Moran in May last year, having pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm.
Lawyers for the State argued that this sentence was unduly lenient because only a sentence of life could nullify the danger McMahon posed. Barrister John O'Sullivan said the sentencing judge did not give adequate weight to the fact that McMahon represented a danger of the "gravest kind".
Andrew Sexton SC, for McMahon, said Judge Moran's judgment had made it clear he had considered the threat posed by McMahon. Mr Sexton said the onus should not be on an accused person to demonstrate how the public ought to be protected.
The three-judge court, with Mr Justice Donal O'Donnell, presiding, sitting with Mr Justice Daniel O'Keeffe and Ms Justice Maureen Clark, reserved judgment.
Woman guilty of helping killer
A Meath woman has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to assisting the killer of a man, whose body was found in the boot of a car.
Sinead Geraghty, with addresses in Trim and Navan, admitted assisting an offender on May 17th, 2009, at Blackcastle, Navan. She impeded the apprehension or prosecution of Stephen Penrose, knowing or believing him to be guilty of the manslaughter of David Sharkey. She will be sentenced on December 6th.
Man drowns after car enters river
A man drowned after his car left the road and entered the Mongagh river on the Offaly-Westmeath border on Sunday. He came from Brazil, lived in Kilbeggan and worked in a meat factory.
The man was discovered by a passing bus driver on Monday morning. The father of three was last seen shortly after lunchtime on Sunday when he left Kilbeggan to visit a friend in Edenderry.
His car left the road at a bridge and struck a river bank before rolling into the river and landing on its roof.