Today's other irish stories in brief
Body found in river during hunt for man
Gardaí searching for a 51-year old Roscommon man yesterday found a body in Ballaghderreen.
A large-scale search was launched for Pat Duffy after concerns for his safety arose when he had not been seen since Tuesday morning. Mr Duffy, who lives at Town Street in Ballaghderreen, was last seen at about 10am on Tuesday in the town.
More than 80 volunteers including Garda, Civil Defence and Duffy family members took part in a major search of the local area including nearby river Lung.
A Garda spokesperson confirmed a man’s body was taken from the river at about 11.30am. His identity has not yet been released.
Jail for siblings on kilo of heroin
A brother and sister who were part of a gang of four caught in possession of €200,000 worth of heroin have been sentenced to seven years in prison, but with five of those suspended.
Martin Mulcahy (39) of Coachyard, Nenagh, Tipperary and Kathryn Mulcahy (29) of Ballina, Killaloe, Clare are both former heroin addicts.
They pleaded guilty to possession of 1kg of heroin for sale or supply at the Naas Road, Clondalkin, on April 19th, 2008.
Judge Patrick McCartan said many would call such a light sentence “ludicrous”, but he had to take into account what had been said in their defence, including gardaí’s belief that “99.9 per cent” of the deal was organised by one of the other arrested men, Neal O’Hare, who has since died.
Six-year term for hidden cocaine
A young father who stored €97,000 worth of cocaine in a secret floor compartment in his bedroom has received a six-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
David Williams (24), of Belclare Drive, Ballymun, surrendered himself to gardaí after they discovered the cache in a safe under the bedroom floorboards at his Marewood Crescent family home in Ballymun on September 19th, 2007.
Williams was not at home when gardaí called, but later presented himself at Santry Garda station and pleaded guilty to possessing a total of 863.5g of cocaine, which he claimed he was holding for another person.
Accused of INLA membership
The trial at the Special Criminal Court of four men accused of INLA membership has heard that three knives, duct-tape and cable ties were found in the coal-shed of a house that two of the accused men had entered.
Gerard Kelleher (28), Cathedral View Walk, Kevin Street, Dublin 8; Neil Myles (54), of no fixed abode; Edward McGarrigle (43), Melmont Gardens, Strabane, Co Tyrone, and John McCrossan (47), Ballycoleman Estate, Strabane, Co Tyrone have all pleaded not guilty to membership of an illegal organisation styling itself the INLA on February 22nd last year, contrary to the Offences Against the State Act.
Earlier, Gareth Dunne (23), of Clonard Road, Crumlin, pleaded guilty to the same offence on the same date. He was remanded for sentencing at the end of the trial of the other four men.
The trial continues.
Hung jury forces stabbing retrial
A jury has disagreed in the trial of a young Dublin man accused of stabbing a local acquaintance in the back.
Karl Fogarty (21), of Corduff Close, Blanchardstown, had pleaded not guilty to assaulting Darren Farmer, causing him serious harm in the early hours of July 29th, 2006, which left him in a coma for a week.
The jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was unable to return a verdict after three hours of deliberations.
Judge Frank O’Donnell thanked the six men and six women of the jury for completing their civic service and put the matter back for trial at a later date.