A man who offered child pornography files to an undercover detective in an Internet chat-room has been given a two-year suspended sentence by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Mark McElwee (34), The Laurels, Dundrum, pleaded guilty in July 2001 to two counts of knowingly distributing child pornography. He had been under psychiatric supervision at the Granada Institute since he pleaded guilty. Judge Yvonne Murphy adjourned sentence on previous occasions.
Trial of four youths continues
The trial of four youths charged with the manslaughter of student Brian Murphy outside the Burlington Hotel, Dublin, continued yesterday in legal argument in the absence of the jury.
Mr Andrew Frame (22), Nutley Lane, Donnybrook, Mr Seán Mackey (23), Foxrock, Mr Desmond Ryan (22), Dalkey, all of Dublin, and Mr Dermot Laide (22), Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, have pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Murphy (18) on August 31st, 2000.
The four former Blackrock College students have also denied committing violence disorder. Judge Michael White has requested the jury of eight men and four women to return tomorrow.
Prison officers to hold strike ballot
The executive council of the Prison Officers' Association last night agreed to ballot members on industrial action, which would include strike action as a means of resolving the dispute regarding overtime.
The association has been at the Labour Relations Commission since before Christmas. A spokesman for the POA said last night the time had been wasted as management insisted on solutions which "were already dead in the water".
Man jailed over stolen passport
A man who had an Irish woman's stolen passport in his possession at Dublin Airport has been jailed for two years. Gheorge Mihai (39), Summerhill Parade, Dublin, pleaded guilty to having the passport in his possession on September 2nd, 2002.
Judge Desmond Hogan suspended the final year of the sentence on condition that Mihai enter into a bond to keep the peace. Sgt Cormac Brennan told the court that the passport bore the name of a woman from whose handbag it had been stolen in a Dublin disco on June 6th, 2002. The photograph on the passport had been replaced by that of another woman.
Extradition case put back again
The case of a Dublin businessman who has been fighting his extradition to Britain for seven years was adjourned yesterday until May 4th. Mr Peter Bolger, Templeogue, halted an attempt to extradite him in 1996, a year after he failed to reappear at his trial in England on fraudulent trading, theft and forgery charges. He was convicted in his absence and sentenced to three years.
In 1996 Judge Desmond Windle dismissed an application to extradite him because the warrants did not specify the location of the offences.In 1998 he was rearrested and spent until 2000 fighting extradition, including taking a case to the Supreme Court. The case was sent back to the Dublin District Court where Judge Gerard Haughton is hearing final submissions.