A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Solicitor loses evidence in his computer
A State solicitor told a hearing yesterday that more than 800 pages of the book of evidence had been deleted on his computer.
State solicitor Martin Linnane was speaking at a hearing in Ennis court when a Las Vegas man was charged with demanding €100,000 from PJ Howard to cancel a contract on the lives of Mr Howard and his two sons last year.
The charge against Essam Eid (52) was one of four new charges brought against him. He has been in custody since September last year.
Already, Mr Eid is charged with conspiring with Sharon Collins (44), Kildysart Road, to murder Robert and Niall Howard, Ennis, Co Clare, both in their 20s, some time between August 16th and September 26th last year.
At Ennis District Court yesterday, Mr Eid was further charged with demanding €100,000 with menaces from Mr Howard to cancel a contract on Mr Howard's life and his two sons on September 26th.
Mr Linnane sought a two- week adjournment after explaining that his office computer had a malfunction that deleted most of the book of evidence.
Judge Joseph Mangan extended time for serving the book of evidence and remanded Mr Eid in custody to November 2nd. Ms Collins was also remanded on continuing bail.
Two men jailed for heroin possession
Two men who had heroin valued at almost €160,000 at the Lucan Spa Hotel have been jailed by Judge Anthony Hunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Damien Beale (33), Temple Mills, and Thomas Griffin (33), St Patrick's Park, both Celbridge, had pleaded guilty to possession of the heroin for sale or supply on September 18th, 2005.
Judge Hunt imposed sentences of six years on Beale and four years on Griffin, with the final two years suspended in each case.
Teenager admits ATM scam
A teenager has pleaded guilty to operating an ATM scam. The 17-year-old youth pleaded guilty at the Dublin Children's Court to theft of €200 from a man on August 1st and theft of €400 from a woman on August 9th.
Judge Ann Ryan adjourned sentencing for a probation report.
Both thefts occurred at a Permanent TSB cash point on Lower O'Connell Street, Dublin. Three other teenagers, also from Romania, are also facing sentence at the Children's Court for similar offences.
Garda Séamus Donaghue of Store Street station said on the first occasion, a man was making a withdrawal, he distracted him and withdrew €400 from the account. The second time, another youth approached a woman withdrawing some money and "they distracted her using a newspaper and withdrew €200".