In Short...

A round-up of today's other stories in brief...

A round-up of today's other stories in brief...

Boys returned for trial in murder case

Two youths charged with murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of a man in north Dublin last year have been returned for trial to the Central Criminal Court.

Two 17-year-old boys, who cannot be identified because they are juveniles, and Brian Joyce, also known as Bernard Christopher Joyce (20), Carton Road, Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin, had earlier been charged at the Dublin Children's Court with the murder of James Donaghue (26) at Dane Road in Ballymun on September 10th last year.

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All three were served with books of evidence in the case at the Children's Court yesterday.

Eight questioned over murder

Gardaí investigating the murder of a man from Dundalk were last night continuing to question eight people, four of whom are suspected of being involved in the killing.

Aiden Myers (37), Farndreg, Dundalk, Co Louth, died after apparently being attacked with a machete and run over by a car on December 12th last year at Faughart, a few kilometres north of Dundalk.

Gardaí from Dundalk yesterday morning arrested six men and two women as part of the murder investigation.

Addict sentenced to seven years

A heroin addict who robbed two social workers at knife-point, bit a garda and tried to ram a patrol car, all within a two-year period, has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

The court heard there was a warrant out for John Paul McDonagh's arrest when he committed the robbery, and he was on bail for car theft when he assaulted Garda Brian Duffy.

McDonagh (24), Carrow Park, Coolock, had pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to seven counts including aggravated robbery, endangerment and assault between December 13th, 2005, and April 17th, 2007.

€25,000 damages for songwriter

An Bord Pleanála has been told to pay singer- songwriter Henry Tolan €25,000 damages for allowing a defamatory letter to remain on his public planning file.

Judge Jacqueline Linnane yesterday rejected a board defence of absolute or qualified privilege on the grounds the letter had contained nothing relevant to planning matters.

Prison term over driving suspended

The threat of a prison sentence, which had been left hanging over a guitarist after he was arrested three times in just one weekend for drunken driving, was lifted yesterday by a Circuit Court judge.

Jeff Greene, a US citizen who now lives in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, had appealed last November against the severity of a four-month prison sentence.

Judge Raymond Groarke said favourable reports of his rehabilitation allowed him to suspend the sentence for two years.