A round-up of today's Irish news in brief
Woman locked herself in toilet to escape man
A 69-year-old woman told a court yesterday how she had to lock herself in the bathroom to escape from a 70-year-old man whom she had allowed to move into her house.
Garnet Orange, prosecuting, in his opening speech said the jury must decide whether the injuries inflicted by Edward McCormack risked Mary Brophy’s life.
Colman Fitzgerald SC, defending, formally admitted before the jury that his client had already pleaded guilty to assault causing harm.
Charges against teacher struck out
A number of outstanding civil actions brought by parents against a teacher who was cleared of criminal charges of sexually abusing pupils at a school 13 years ago have been withdrawn and struck out at the High Court.
Patrick McGlinchey (57), who is married with children and lives in Newport, Tipperary, was suspended from his post in 1997 following allegations he abused a number of pupils.
An investigation by the Health Service Executive into the allegations had concluded he was a risk to children but a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury unanimously acquitted him of sex assault charges following a 17-day trial in 2002.
Two arrested for bomb attack on policeman
Two men have been arrested over the attempted murder of a policeman in Northern Ireland, officers said yesterday.
Constable Peadar Heffron (33) lost a leg after a bomb exploded under his car in Randalstown, Co Antrim, this month.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) detained a 34-year-old man in West Belfast, while a 33-year-old man was held in the north of the city.
Constable Heffron only recently regained consciousness after the January 8th bombing.
It is thought dissident republicans targeted Constable Heffron because he is a Catholic who has risen to prominence as an Irish language specialist for the police and is on the PSNI Gaelic football team. – (PA)
Seven years for killing flatmate
A man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for killing his Polish flatmate after an argument about a light being left on. Josef Szabo (51) of Waterville, Blanchardstown, originally from Slovakia, had been convicted by a jury of the manslaughter of Robert Kwiatkowski (33) on April 20th, 2007.
Mr Justice Barry White said: “Too many individuals resort to knives to resolve disputes, many trivial. Life has become cheap and is becoming cheaper by the day.” He said he would prefer to impose “deterrent sentences” and imposed a seven-year term, suspending the final 18 months.
Guilty plea in sexual assault case
A man has been remanded in custody pending sentence after he admitted raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Mayo and in Leitrim five years ago. The man (37), who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to two charges of anal rape and two of sexual assault of the same girl between July 2004 and August 2008. Mr Justice Paul Carney registered him as a sex offender, ordered a victim impact statement and remanded him in custody with consent to bail until next April when all evidence will be heard in the case.
Money taken in raid on city centre bank
Gardaí are searching for two men in connection with a robbery at a branch of Ulster Bank in Dublin city centre yesterday morning.
The robbery took place at about 10am when two men entered the Dame Street branch of Ulster Bank with a metal bar and demanded money from staff.
The men were handed a sum of money, and departed on foot to a nearby car.
According to gardaí, some of the stolen money was dropped as the men made their getaway.
Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to contact them at Pearse Street station on 01-6669000.
Poet's prize
Prof Brendan Kennelly has won the 2010 Irish Pen award for contribution to Irish literature.
A native of Co Kerry, he was professor of modern literature in Trinity College, Dublin, for 30 years. His literary career has spanned more than four decades, during which he has accumulated a significant body of poetry and prose.
He has written more than 30 books of poetry, including Cromwell, The Book of Judas, Poetry me Arse, Familiar Strangers: New and Selected Poems 1960-2004, Now and, most recently, Reservoir Voices.
His work has also included the Greek play trilogy, Antigone, Medea The Trojan Women.
Prof Kennelly will receive his award from former TCD colleague Senator David Norris at the Irish Pen annual dinner at the Royal St George Yacht Club, Dún Laoghaire, on Friday, January 29th.
Former winners include Edna O’Brien, William Trevor and Maeve Binchy.
Wardrop among Ifta nominees
A director whose first feature-length documentary is currently being shown at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival has been nominated as a Rising Star at the Irish Film and Television Awards (Iftas), writes Ronan McGreevy.
Ken Wardrop is one of six nominees for an Ifta Rising Star Award. The Iftas take place on Saturday, February 20th. Previous winners of the award include actress Saoirse Ronan and actor Michael Fassbender.
Wardrop came to prominence with his first short film six years ago called Undressing My Mother, which won a slew of awards.
His feature film, His and Hers, is a vignette of 70 different women of all ages from the midlands talking about love and marriage.
Margaret Corkery, the writer/director of Eamon, and its leading actor Darren Healy have also been nominated.
The other two nominees are Brendan Muldowney, the writer/director of the film Savage, and Robert Sheehan, the actor who has been in Cherrybomband Misfits.