A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Pump surgery patient settles court action
A woman who claims she is disabled after an operation in a Dublin hospital to have a spinal morphine pump inserted causing a spinal cord injury, has settled her High Court action.
Ms Violet Cowzer (48), The Crescent, Millbrook Lawns, Tallaght, Dublin, had sued St Vincent's University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin, and Dr Raymond Victory, a consultant attached to the Blackrock Clinic, who treated her in March 2000.
It was alleged that Ms Cowzer, an Eircom employee, was told the pump surgery would give her a new lease of life and that she was not warned of the dangers. She claimed she will never get back to work and will require altered housing and nursing care.
Man (28) guilty of sexual assault
Mike Ero (28) originally from Nigeria but with an address at Dungibbon Inn, Clifden, Co Galway, was found guilty yesterday by a jury at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. He was charged with the sexual assault of a woman at the South Mall, Cork on May 30th, 2004. At the end of the two-week trial the jury returned a unanimous verdict.
The student victim told the court how her life has changed. "Since 2004 I have been scared senseless, I don't go anywhere on my own. I don't go out in town without someone . . . I should feel safe in the city I grew up in. The assault knocked me for six," she said. The judge remanded Ero in custody to appear today for sentence.
No damages for Dunnes injury
A 55-year-old woman claiming damages of €38,000 against Dunnes Stores, Blanchardstown, Dublin, following an accident, left the Circuit Civil Court empty-handed yesterday. Mr Justice Smyth said he dismissed the personal injury claim of Mrs Mary Egan, Lohunda Crescent, Clonsilla, Dublin, because Dunnes Stores had a "proper and adequate" cleaning system.
Mrs Egan told the court, that on May 31st, 2004, she slipped cutting her lip on her shopping basket. She had been left with a permanent scar. Mrs Egan said she had pain while eating for weeks and had to use a straw.
Sentence deferred in family stab case
A 20-year-old woman who stabbed her brother as he tried to intervene in a drunken family row has had her sentence adjourned at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in order to allow her to seek treatment for alcoholism. Niall Smith was attempting to break up a row between two of his sisters when Jennifer Smith stabbed him in the chest. Smith, Drapier Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty to assaulting her brother causing him harm and to assaulting a female garda on September 18th, 2004.
Galway's first ever murder trial begins
The first murder trial to be held in Galway since the foundation of the State began in the Central Criminal Court yesterday with the swearing in of a jury to hear evidence in the trial of a Limerick man charged with the murder of his partner in Craughwell, Co Galway, two years ago.
Kieran Lynch (40), a native of Askeaton, is charged with the murder of Catherine McEnery (35), a native of Feenagh, Co Limerick, at Derryhoyle Mór, Craughwell, between July 16th and 17th, 2005. He has denied the charge.