In short

A round-up of today's other home news in brief

A round-up of today's other home news in brief

Worker killed in accident at Luas site

A construction worker on the new Luas works at Citywest in south Dublin was killed yesterday.

It is believed that the man died while unloading a lorry at the entrance to the extension of the Luas from Tallaght to Citywest.

The accident happened at about 3.30pm. An ambulance crew and fire brigade officers attempted to resuscitate the man.

READ MORE

However, the man was pronounced dead at Tallaght hospital.

The accident is being investigated by the Health and Safety Authority and by the Garda.

Nightclub owner wins appeal

Nightclub owner Robbie Fox has won an appeal against conviction and disqualification from driving over a drink-driving charge.

Sgt Brendan Brogan told Judge Joseph Mathews in the Circuit Court that on Friday 13th April, 2007, he followed Mr Fox’s black Mercedes Benz from Setanta Place, Dublin, until he stopped it on Lower Leeson Street.

Sgt Brogan told barrister Martin Dully, counsel for Mr Fox, that he had stopped the car after having an ownership check carried out on it.

Having noticed a smell of alcohol from Mr Fox’s breath and that his eyes were bloodshot he had given him a roadside breath test which had indicated fail.

Sgt Brogan, in cross-examination by Mr Dully, stated he had made the breath test requirement of Mr Fox under Section 12 (1) of the Road Traffic Act.

Mr Dully said that section had been repealed four years previously.

Judge Mathews agreed with Mr Dully that since the test result had ultimately led to Mr Fox’s arrest it was unlawful and allowed the appeal.

Arrest over soldiers’ murder

Police have arrested a man in connection with the murders of two British soldiers at Massereene barracks in Antrim in March.

The 44-year-old was detained at an address in Magherafelt, Co Derry yesterday. Searches were also carried out in Dungannon and Pomeroy in Co Tyrone.

One man has been charged with the murders. Lurgan republican Colin Duffy is remanded in custody, charged with shooting dead Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey as they collected a pizza delivery at the gates of their base.

Five others, including the pizza delivery staff, one of whom is a Polish national, were injured in the attack, in which some 60 shots were fired.

The killings have been claimed by the Real IRA.

Record 10,000 PSNI applications

A record number of applicants are seeking places as recruits with the PSNI, figures released yesterday reveal.

Nearly 10,000 people applied for just 440 positions, 38 per cent of them Catholics, the policing board said.

The record level of applications has been reached despite the increased level of threat posed by dissident republican groups and the murders of two British soldiers and a police officer in March.

First stretch of M3 opened

The first stretch of the controversial M3 motorway was opened yesterday.

The 4km access road to Navan and an inner-relief road through the town will help relieve one of the worst bottlenecks for traffic in the country.

The road was opened by the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey yesterday morning.

The two roads are expected to save up to 20 minutes for traffic bypassing Navan town, while heavy goods vehicle congestion in the town is expected to reduce.

The combined route is expected to carry 7,000 vehicles a day.