A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Jury in nurse poison trial sent to hotel
The jury in the trial of a nurse accused of poisoning two elderly patients has been sent to a hotel overnight after failing to reach a verdict on day 18 of the hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Noreen Mulholland (35), Park Road, Portadown, Co Armagh, previously Runabeg Close, Kildare, has pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to John Gethings (77), Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, in March 2003 and Séamus Doherty (80), Rathcoffey, Naas, Co Kildare, in June 2003.
She also denies administering Serenase without their consent.
Orla Crowe, prosecuting, has told the jury that Mr Gethings died on March 2nd, 2003 but it was not the State's case that Ms Mulholland was responsible for his death. The jury will resume deliberations today.
Witnesses due to give birth
Two more women of the Jehovah's Witness faith are due to give birth within months in the Dublin hospital which went to court to force a member of their congregation to have a blood transfusion against her religious beliefs, the High Court heard yesterday.
Mr Justice Frank Clarke was yesterday told that one was expected to give birth before Christmas and the second in the new year. As a result, there was an urgency about the legal proceedings, the judge was told.
Mr Justice Clarke has already heard arguments on an application by the Jehovah's Witness congregation to be joined in legal proceedings arising after a female member was forced by court order to have a blood transfusion at a Dublin hospital. He will give his decision next month.
The hospital secured an emergency court order to give a transfusion, believing she would die without it.
The hospital is claiming that Ms K's constitutional right to freedom of conscience and the free practice of religion does not extend to enabling her to decline appropriate medical treatment.
The case continues today.