Other stories in brief.
Accused fails to appear on assault charge
A warrant is still outstanding for the arrest of a man who faces charges over an incident which preceded the death of a 15-year-old girl. Rebekah Kiely from Castleknock, Dublin, was struck on the head with a baseball bat during a fight between two men on the Old Navan Road on November 10th, 2006. She died in hospital from her injuries almost two weeks later.
Both men were charged in relation to events which took place that night, but one of them, Gerard Farmer (47), of Phoenix Place, Castleknock, died from a suspected drugs overdose days before he was due to appear in court.
David Griffiths (43), of Phoenix Court, was due to appear before Dublin District Court last November to face one charge of assault on a man and a public order offence. He did not appear and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The case was again listed for yesterday but did not go ahead as Mr Griffiths had not been located.
Sisters sue man convicted of rape
Two sisters have sued a man for damages in the High Court for allegedly raping and sexually assaulting them when they were teenagers baby-sitting his children. The man, a neighbour of the girls at the time of the offences, was convicted and sentenced to 13 years imprisonment in December 2003 on charges of rape and sexual assault.
The case opened before Mr Justice Vivian Lavan yesterday and concluded yesterday afternoon. Judgment was reserved.
Court continues order against bar
The High Court has continued an order restraining a franchisee of a well-known sandwich bar company from using the company's name after health officers allegedly found cockroaches in the defendant's premises.
O'Briens Irish Sandwich Bars Ltd had last October obtained the injunction against Mark Smartt, operator of its franchised outlet on the first floor of St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre, Dublin.
€150,000 award for hip operation
A 60-year-old woman has been awarded €150,000 damages by the High Court after it found an operation to fit a new artificial right hip was negligently performed in 1997.
Margaret O'Connor, Clahane, Ballyduff, Tralee, Co Kerry, sued Michael Murphy, an orthopaedic surgeon practising at Tralee General Hospital, and the Southern Health Board over the operation.