A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Man convicted of raping woman
A man has been convicted at the Central Criminal Court of raping a woman while she slept in her bed.
Daniel Keane (24) was found guilty by a jury after a three-day trial. He was remanded on continuing bail to face sentence in May.
Keane, Beach Grove, Listowel, had pleaded not guilty to rape at the woman’s home in February 2009.
Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan ordered Keane to stay away from the victim.
Three acquitted in vodka theft case
Three men accused of stealing 22 pallets of vodka have been acquitted of all charges by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Simon Maxwell (43), Ladestown, Mullingar, Co Westmeath had pleaded not guilty to theft and possession of 22 pallets of stolen vodka at Mitchelstown, Delvin, Co Westmeath, on April 10th, 2006.
He had also pleaded not guilty to unlawful carriage in a vehicle without the consent of its owner.
Philip Hickey (49) Grennanstown, Athboy, Co Meath, had pleaded not guilty to theft and possession of stolen property and unlawful use of a vehicle.
Thomas Maxwell (47) Stonehall, Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath, had pleaded not guilty to theft and possession of the vodka at the same place on the same date.
The jury returned their verdicts after deliberating for five hours. Judge Tony Hunt thanked them and excused them from service for seven years.
Attacker in Superman outfit gets suspended sentence
An apprentice electrician who was dressed as Superman when he attacked his victim with a glass on Halloween night has been given a suspended sentence by Judge Yvonne Murphy. Jason Nugent (21), Yellow Road, Whitehall, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Darren Clynes at Break for the Border nightclub on Stephen’s Street Lower on October 31st, 2009.
He had no previous convictions.
Mr Clynes was left with what Garda Eoghan O’Neill described as a “very nasty scar”. He had needed 28 stitches to his face. He had come to the aid of a woman earlier that night after he saw Nugent holding her hair and kicking her.
Care unit transfer action dropped
An elderly man jailed on child sex abuse charges has withdrawn his High Court action aimed at securing his release into a care facility on grounds he has dementia. He is held at Arbour Hill Prison, having pleaded guilty to indecent assault in the 1980s.
This week his lawyers secured an order directing an inquiry into the legality of his detention. The court was told yesterday that in view of the DPP’s affidavits, the application was not proceeding.