A round-up of today’s other stories in brief
Third jury sworn in for trial of man (24) charged with murder
A third jury was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court yesterday for the trial of a 24-year-old man charged with murdering his sister’s partner in Co Mayo over a year ago. The second jury of eight women and four men was discharged after hearing a day of evidence in the trial of Fintan McKenna, of Woodlands, Balla, Castlebar, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering Francis ‘Frankie’ Heneghan (24) in Kiltimagh, Co Mayo, on August 12th, 2009.
Mr Justice John Edwards told the jury a technical difficulty had arisen which proved substantial and in the circumstances it was necessary they be discharged.
The first jury had been discharged last Wednesday, before the case opened.
Three years’ jail for assault on wife
A man has been jailed for three years for sneaking into his estranged wife’s bedroom and threatening to slit her throat before assaulting her.
John Connors (39) was the subject of a barring order preventing him from going near the woman. The incident came to an end when Connors’s son interceded.
Connors, of Kilcarrig Green, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Caroline Connors at Rossfield Drive on June 24th, 2009.
Judge Katherine Delahunt noted Connors’s remorse and early guilty plea, but said a custodial sentence of three years was “clearly appropriate”.
North man opts for Dublin trial
A Belfast man yesterday opted to be tried in a Dublin court for the murder of a taxi driver in Northern Ireland over three years ago.
Gerard Mackin (28) was given the option of trial in Northern Ireland or the Republic by the Special Criminal Court yesterday. He said: “I’d like to be tried in this jurisdiction.”
The charge is for the killing of Edward Burns (36) of Prospect Park, Belfast, at Bog Meadow, Falls Road, Belfast on March 12th, 2007.
Mr Mackin, a native of the Whiterock area of west Belfast, with an address at Raheen Close, Tallaght, Dublin opted for trial in the Republic, which will take place on January 11th.
Murder accused said he never struck man
The second of two Co Laois brothers on trial for murder has told the jury in his case that he never struck the man they are accused of killing. Taking the witness stand on day nine of his murder trial, Jason Byrne (33) told the court he never hit his neighbour, Edward Dempsey (49) across the legs with a wooden stick, as he’s been accused of doing.
He and his brother “DJ” Byrne (39), both of Hammer Lane, Borness, Co Laois, deny the murder of Mr Dempsey on December 18th, 2006. He died 10 months after the incident.