A round up of today's other stories in brief
Man's life threatened, court told
A Cork businessman yesterday related how he was told he would be killed if he did not co-operate with two armed and masked men who held him and his pregnant wife captive after breaking into their home and demanding money.
Gary O'Donovan (36), the managing director of an off licence chain, told Cork Circuit Criminal Court that one raider threatened him after he had answered questions about the safe at his business headquarters at Little Island in Cork.
"He said 'Gary, you're not giving us the answers we want. You better change your f...ing answers or you are going to f...ing die'," Mr O'Donovan told the trial of Gerard Clarke (38) from St John's Terrace, Upper John Street, Cork.
Clarke denies a total of five charges including falsely imprisoning Mr O'Donovan and his wife, Katie, and threatening to kill or seriously harm Mr O'Donovan at their home at Dewberry Mount Oval, Rochestown, on May 2nd and 3rd last.
The case continues before a jury of seven men and five women today.
Man gets two years for assault
A man was jailed for two years for "viciously" attacking the person a woman witness claimed had sexually assaulted her.
Keith Carey (32) of Belcare Grove, Ballymun, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to the victim on August 21st, 2004. Judge Desmond Hogan jailed Carey after hearing that his victim needed brain surgery after a blow with a sock containing a stone. He suspended the last six months because of Carey's previous good character.
Taxi hijacker gets three years
A man who hijacked a taxi after stabbing the driver in the neck with a broken beer bottle, leaving him with life threatening injuries, has been jailed for three years.
Philip Murphy (25) of Lindisfarne Vale, Bawnogue, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Raymond Fitzsimons causing him harm, to unlawfully seizing his car and to unlawfully taking his car at Newcastle, Co Dublin, on January 4th, 2001.
Woman settles for €200,000 after fall
A woman who suffered serious injuries to her jaw after falling through an open trap door in a Dublin bar where she was working is now unable to eat hard food, the High Court heard yesterday.
Jennifer Dowling's action for damages against her former employers, Bunker Estates Ltd trading as Sadlers Inn, Parkgate Street, Dublin, was settled for some €200,000. She was lucky not to have broken her neck, the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan was told.
Two jailed over van raid plot
Two Dublin men who planned to rob a Securicor van near their homes have been jailed by Judge Desmond Hogan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Gardaí knew of the planned crime and had the scene under observation.
Warren Flood (21) of Empress Place, who has 60 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery on January 14th. Darren O'Brien (19) of Summerhill also pleaded guilty to attempted robbery.
Judge Hogan imposed a three-year sentence but suspended the last 12 months He imposed two years on O'Brien.