Today's other stories in brief
Keane has jail term extended due to phone
A 24-year-old Limerick man jailed for 10 years last week on firearms charges received a further six months in jail yesterday after admitting having a mobile phone in his prison cell.
Liam Keane, Singland Gardens, Ballysimon, Limerick, was jailed by the Circuit Criminal Court in Limerick last week after he pleaded guilty to possession of a 9mm Parabellum Glock pistol and 13 rounds of ammunition for an unlawful purpose at Athlunkard Road, Corbally, Limerick on May 4th last.
He was jailed for a further six months yesterday after he pleaded guilty at Limerick District Court to possession of a mobile phone in Limerick prison on August 24th last.
His solicitor, John Herbert, told the court his client was using the phone to keep in touch with his family on the “outside”.
Judge Elizabeth McGrath jailed Keane for six months and ordered that the sentence be served consecutive to the 10-year jail term imposed last week.
Woman guilty of assisting robbers
A Meath woman has been convicted by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of possessing a gun and assisting robbers two years ago.
Emma Radford (34), of Johnstown Wood, Navan, had pleaded not guilty to possessing the double-barrel sawn-off shotgun, handling stolen property and assisting robbers at her former home at The Crescent, Larchill, Santry, on February 22nd, 2007.
The jury of seven men and five women took more than an hour to return the verdict.
Radford told gardaí she didn’t know about the robbery at Costcutters in Skerries and didn’t see her partner, Steven Darby, carry the gun into her flat that evening.
IRA membership conviction appeal
The High Court, sitting in Dundalk, has begun hearing a challenge to the constitutionality of convicting a person for membership of the IRA on evidence of the “belief” of a Garda chief superintendent. The case is being taken by Thomas Redmond against Ireland and the Attorney General.
In 2002 Redmond (70), with an address at The Grove, Clonard, Co Wexford, was convicted at the Special Criminal Court of membership of an illegal organisation on October 1st, 1999.
He is seeking a declaration that section 3 (2) of the Act is unconstitutional and that it is incompatible with the State’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Dundalk man’s trial begins
The trial of a Dundalk man accused of IRA membership almost five years ago began at the Special Criminal Court yesterday after a legal challenge which ended up in the Supreme Court.
Barry O’Brien (35), of Mountain Court, Dundalk, Co Louth, pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA, on April 6th, 2004.
Prosecuting counsel Gerard Clarke SC told the court that the case was first before the court in December 2004 but the defence applied to the High Court for a judicial review challenging the jurisdiction of the court, and this was unsuccessful.
However, on appeal the Supreme Court held that the Special Criminal Court did not have jurisdiction to proceed with the trial.