A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Wojciech Kuzma (29) hit Alan Barbour (27) once, mistakenly believing that he had thrown a drink at him. Mr Barbour hit his head on the ground and died without regaining consciousness.
Mrs Jean Barbour, the deceased's mother, said in a victim impact statement: "He was a gentle soul who was loved with a love beyond all telling." Kuzma, a father of one, Sackville Court, Blessington Street, Dublin pleaded guilty after a jury had been sworn in for his trial.
Defence counsel Hugh Hartnett said this was an "exceptional case" where Kuzma had hit a single blow to a person who was unsteady on their feet and in a "fluke" he had fallen, hit his head and died as a result.
Judge Tony Hunt imposed a six-year suspended sentence.
Jail for man with 111 convictions
A chronic heroin addict who had lost several family members to drugs has been given a seven-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for robberies, escaping from custody and discharging a firearm. Paul Cummins (23), who has 111 convictions, has not spent Christmas out of custody since he was 15 years old.
Cummins, Turvey Avenue, Inchicore, Dublin pleaded guilty to three robberies, an attempted robbery, possession of a shotgun and escaping from custody.
Payout for girl's pogo stick fall
A schoolgirl who fell off a pogo stick while skipping in her school gym has been awarded €30,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court.
Declan Wade, counsel for Rachael Manning, Grattan Lodge, Donaghamede, Dublin, told the court she was a member of a school team whose forte was skipping over a rope - on pogo sticks.
He said Rachael (15) had fallen in the gym in October 2003 and damaged her mouth and teeth. Scoil Colmcille, Donaghmede, had made a settlement offer of €30,000 which included over €18,000 for dental and orthodontic treatments.
Boy to be tried in Circuit Court
A boy arrested for attacking a youth with a glass bottle leaving him needing plastic surgery will be dealt with by the Circuit Criminal Court, not the Children's Court, it was decided yesterday.
The 17-year-old was charged with assault causing harm at Park West Avenue, west Dublin, on May 21st. The defendant, who is from the northwest, was aged 15 at the time, Judge Bryan Smyth heard.
Judge Smyth held that the case should go forward to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, which has wider sentencing powers.
Another charge for IRA accused
A Dublin man was charged with possession of two shotgun cartridges at the Special Criminal Court yesterday. Noel Mooney (29), Leo Fitzgerald House, Dublin 2, was charged with the unlawful possession of two shotgun cartridges at Sean Moore Park, Ringsend on May 8th.
Mooney was charged last May with membership of the IRA and with the unlawful possession of an improvised explosive device at Sean Moore Park on May 8th.