A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
‘Sunday World’ apologises to Christy Burke
Independent Dublin City councillor Christy Burke has received an apology at the High Court over an article in the Sunday Worldwrongfully alleging he knew convicted rapist Christy Griffin.
Mr Burke, formerly of Sinn Féin, had sued the newspaper over reports by its then crime editor Paul Williams in the run-up to the last general election in 2007.
In the apology to the court yesterday, it was stated that Williams had reported on alleged links between the IRA and Griffin, who had been convicted of rape and sexual assault and was suspected by gardaí of having been involved in serious criminal activity.
An article had alleged Mr Burke put down the phone when appearing on RTÉ's Livelineprogramme to avoid debating the issue with Williams, the apology stated.
The newspaper also alleged Mr Burke was being untruthful when he said during Livelinethat he did not know Griffin, it added.
The Sunday Worldsaid it wanted to apologise for any hurt, embarrassment and distress caused to Mr Burke.
Carmody retrial listed for March
The retrial of former Clare GP Paschal Carmody on deception charges is listed to begin next March 22nd.
At Ennis Circuit Court yesterday, Judge Carroll Moran said it was not the case that the trial was not proceeding this year because a judge was unavailable.
Judge Moran said all of the assignments for judges were made when counsel had wanted the case to start on a particular date.
The 11 outstanding counts relate to Mr Carmody facing charges of obtaining €30,854 by deception from three terminally ill patients who received photodynamic therapy at the East Clinic in Killaloe in 2001-2002.
Mr Carmody (62), Ballycuggeran, Killaloe, was first returned for trial on March 2008.
State gets deadline on book of evidence
The State has been given its last chance to complete the book of evidence before December 7th in the case of a Dublin teenager charged with the murder of 12-year-old schoolgirl Michaela Davis.
Jonathan Byrne (19), of Lohunda Downs, Clonsilla, Dublin, is accused of murdering Michaela Davis in west Dublin on August 28th last. The defendant did not speak during yesterday’s brief court appearance.
Defence counsel Austin Ó Briain consented to the Garda’s application for an extension but requested that the case would be marked peremptory against the State. This means the book of evidence must be ready to be served at Byrne’s next court appearance, otherwise the prosecution against him may be struck out.
Man admits sexual assault of five girls
A 73-year-old man has been remanded on bail after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting five girls over a 30-year period in Co Cork.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to 21 sample counts from 129 counts of sexual assault.
The man pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sexually assaulting one girl between 1979 and 1988 and eight counts of sexually assaulting another girl between 1978 and 1985.
He also pleaded guilty to single counts of assaulting three other young girls between 1976 and 1978, September and December 1994, 2006 and 2007.
Judge Patrick Moran adjourned sentencing on the case until February 11th.