A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Scuffles as two jailed for IRA membership
Scuffles broke out at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday during the sentencing hearing of two men convicted of IRA membership.
A man and a woman were detained by gardaí after the disturbance at the entrance to Green Street courthouse.
Adrian Kirwan (27), from Ballymun, Dublin, and now Ballymahon Road, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, was convicted of IRA membership in December 2004 and jailed for four years. Seán Connolly (27), Bluebell, Dublin, was convicted of the same charge and jailed for six years.
Six years for drug pellets smuggling
A Nigerian man who attempted to smuggle cocaine through Dublin airport by swallowing 61 pellets of the drug valued at more than €45,000 has been jailed for six years by Judge Donagh McDonagh.
Adelakun (35) was to receive €1,500 for smuggling the cocaine from Lagos and pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of 658 grammes of cocaine in October 2005.
Man accused of raping foster sister
The trial has opened at the Central Criminal Court of a man (25) accused of raping his foster sister when she was aged between seven and 11. He has pleaded not guilty to 13 charges of rape and 12 charges of oral rape alleged to have taken place between 1997 and 2001.
5 years for holding drugs in flat
A man who was given two months rent to hold €135,706 of cocaine and cannabis has been jailed for five years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Stephen Heffernan (22), Belfry Green, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to possession in September 2005 of cocaine worth €116,533 and cannabis worth €19,173.
Trial told of change in personality
A former soldier who is suing the State over alleged sexual assault by a sergeant major underwent a personality change as a result of the assaults, a psychologist told the High Court yesterday.
The former soldier (40) claims the Army failed to protect him from the assaults and failed to discipline Sgt Maj Patrick Devereux, Glenabbey Road, Kildare.
Psychologist Ruth Yoder said the plaintiff was married in 1989 and was extremely happy until the alleged assaults. He underwent a personality change and suffered from post- traumatic stress disorder.
Man convicted of Garda HQ trespass
A man found hiding in the basement car park of the most secure Garda building in the State was convicted of trespass yesterday. Graham Byrne (32), who has previous convictions for robbery and aggravated burglary, had denied trespassing at Garda Headquarters, Harcourt Square, Dublin, last April.