Other news in brief
Limerick criminal dies from overdose
A Limerick criminal who survived more than one assassination attempt has died in London from what police believe was a drugs overdose, writes Kathryn Hayes.
John Creamer (34), originally from O’Malley Park in Limerick city, suffered multiple gunshot wounds when he was shot 15 times with a machine gun in 2001.
It was the second serious attempt on the life of the suspected hitman who was on a life-support machine following an assault in 1995.
Creamer was charged with the murder of Limerick moneylender John Keane who was shot dead in O’Malley Park in 1996.
However, the charge was struck out in June 2001 after the arresting garda in the case died in a road traffic incident.
UCD shutdown ‘a moderate success’
A planned “shutdown” of University College Dublin yesterday, in protest at the possible reintroduction of third-level fees, was deemed “a moderate success” by organisers.
Students were called on not to attend classes or lectures yesterday, nor to use the library, “to send a clear warning shot to the Government demonstrating that students in UCD are highly opposed to the reintroduction of third-level fees”, said Julian Brophy of the Free Education for Everyone group.
The group was established in UCD in September and now has branches in about six other third-level institutions.
Man (20) jailed for knife attacks
A man who slashed the faces of four people in separate unprovoked attacks within a 15-minute period has been sentenced to five years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Glen Hogan (20), Thomond Road, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to four counts of assault causing harm on April 19th, 2008, in Dublin city centre. Gardaí identified Hogan, who has 31 previous convictions, by viewing CCTV footage from the area. He was arrested five days later.
Judge Martin Nolan imposed sentences of three and two years to run consecutively with the other charges taken into account. He suspended the final 18 months on strict conditions.
Seven years for sex assault
A deaf man who sexually assaulted his partner’s friend after a New Year’s Eve party in the couple’s home has been given a seven-year prison sentence by Judge Frank O’Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
David Walsh (33), no fixed abode, was convicted by a jury of sexually assaulting the 43-year-old woman, who is also deaf, on January 1st, 2004. Judge O’Donnell suspended the final year of Walsh’s sentence.
Doctor remanded in extradition case
An Irish doctor has appeared before the High Court on foot of a warrant seeking his extradition to the United States to face trial in relation to alleged child sex offences. Dr David West is alleged to have fled from Florida in 2001 before his trial was due to begin.
Dr West, aka Dr Rory Doyle (54), Donnybrook Manor, Belmont Avenue, Donnybrook, Dublin, and Sallins Bridge, Sallins, Co Kildare, denies all the charges against him.
Mr Justice Michael Peart yesterday remanded Dr West in custody with consent to bail.
Fáilte Ireland member resigns
Mayor of Killarney Patrick O’Donoghue, a Fianna Fáil town councillor and hotelier, has resigned his position as a board member of Fáilte Ireland.
Earlier this month he pleaded guilty at the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee, Co Kerry, to seeking to influence a decision of the town council of which he is a member in relation to a motion to rezone his family lands surrounding the Gleneagle Hotel in 2006.