Other court stories in brief.
Hackney driver jailed for sex abuse
A hackney driver was jailed yesterday for 12 months for the sexual abuse of a girl 34 years ago. Brendan McErlain (60), Clareview Park, Ballybane, Galway, had denied indecently assaulting the six-year-old in Galway in April 1974, during a two-day trial at Galway Circuit Criminal Court in May. The jury found him guilty and the matter was adjourned to yesterday for sentence.
McErlain, a native of Co Antrim, denied three charges of indecently assaulting the child. Det John Flatley told the court yesterday McErlain had a previous conviction in Northern Ireland in 1968 for indecently exposing himself.
The jury found him guilty on all charges. Judge Raymond Groarke placed McErlain on the Sex Offender's Register for 10 years and remanded him on continuing bail to the sentencing hearing.
4½-year term for litany of offences
A serial criminal with 48 previous convictions has been jailed for 4½ years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a litany of offences including the attempted robbery of a taxi driver at knife point.
Judge Katherine Delahunt sentenced Marcus Reidy for 10 offences committed during an eight-month crime spree. She suspended the final year and banned him from driving for three years.
Reidy (21), Ballyogan Drive, Carrickmines, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbery, attempted robbery, production of a knife, two counts of criminal damage, two charges of car theft and three counts of dangerous driving on dates between September 22nd, 2005 and April 7th, 2006.
Reidy's co-accused Stephen Traynor (26), Ballyogan Crescent, had five previous convictions and received a three-year suspended sentence. He paid €1,000 to the victim as an expression of remorse.
Tanya King (19), Llewellyn Lawn, Ballinteer, had five previous convictions and was given a two-year sentence with one year suspended for her part in one of the robberies.
Man gets five years for assault
A father of three who punctured the lung of "an innocent young man" after stabbing him in "a deliberate and brutal way" has been jailed for five years by Judge Frank O'Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
David Larkin (30), Allenton Gardens, Tallaght, Dublin, was convicted by a jury earlier this month of assault causing harm to Killian Foster at Old Court Road, Tallaght, in 2001.
Two-year sentence for drug possession
A man who turned to drugs after seeing his father fall to his death from a cliff has been jailed for two years for possession of cocaine which was found when gardaí assisted him with a broken-down motorcycle.
Justin O'Callaghan (26), Eagle Park, Coolock, Dublin, pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at Raheny Road and at his home in May 2006.
Aileen Donnelly SC, defending, told Judge Martin Nolan that O'Callaghan was present when his father "died in tragic circumstances from a cliff" and at age 18 began taking drugs as a way to cope with his grief.
The judge sentenced him to two years noting that O'Callaghan, who has 16 previous convictions, received a two-year suspended sentence in 2005 for possession of €2,000 worth of cocaine.