Today's other stories in brief
Convicted IRA member loses challenge
A man who served a four year sentence for IRA membership has lost his High Court challenge to the constitutionality of laws allowing a stated belief by a senior garda of membership to be evidence of membership.
The conviction of Thomas Redmond, Clonard, Wexford, by the non-jury Special Criminal Court in 2002 of membership of the IRA in October 1999 was secured by belief evidence from a Garda chief superintendent.
In his High Court challenge, Mr Redmond argued his conviction was unsafe as Section 3.2 of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1972 was unconstitutional. In his judgment yesterday, Mr Justice Bryan McMahon said it did not breach Mr Redmond’s right to a fair trial.
Court told of Securicor rumour
The Securicor driver in a “tiger kidnapping” four years ago has confirmed there had been a rumour in his company that someone was followed home before the €2.28 million robbery.
Paul Richardson agreed under cross-examination that he had heard the rumour.
Niall Byrne (27) of Crumlin is one of five men accused of false imprisonment of the Richardson family on March 13th and 14th, 2005.
Mr Byrne’s lawyer indicated that his client is a former Securicor worker accused of giving the company’s security information to the armed raiders. Mr Richardson accepted that any of the 200 Securicor staff could have seen his work roster, which was posted on the canteen door. The trial continues.
Former soldier’s case is struck out
A legal action aimed at securing the release of former Army private
Seán Courtney, who has served 15 years of a life sentence for the murder of Dublin woman Patricia O’Toole in the Dublin Mountains, has been struck out on consent of both sides.
In his action, Courtney challenged the constitutionality of the regime of mandatory life sentences for murder convictions.
Courtney (43) was found guilty in January 1993 of murdering Ms O’Toole (32), an insurance employee from Killiney, in August 1991.
Courtney admitted killing Ms O’Toole but claimed he was affected as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suffered as a result of his experiences in Lebanon.
Builder case set to end this year
A case involving leading builder Seamus Ross and the Lagan group of companies over liability for cracks and swelling in hundreds of north Dublin houses is set to end in November, the Commercial Court has heard.
Lawyers for both sides told Mr Justice Paul Gilligan the case, which started in February, is on track to end in the first week of November.
The outcome will be scrutinised closely by householders in the affected estates in north Dublin, who are likely to seek compensation from the losing side. The plaintiffs, four companies owned by Mr Ross, claim that defective infill supplied by a Lagan-owned company caused the defects. The Lagan group denies the claims and attributes the problems to design and workmanship issues.
Inquiry found ‘no bullying’
An investigation by a barrister into complaints by a now retired community school teacher of being bullied by her principal found no bullying or intimidation took place, the High Court heard yesterday.
Bridget Sweeney, a former resource and home-schooling teacher, was retired on health grounds by the Department of Education last year. She claims she suffered work-related stress and personal injuries as a result of being bullied, harassed and victimised by Austin Corcoran, principal of Ballinteer Community School.