Today's other news in short
Court date set for Kearney murder appeal
An appeal by Brian Kearney against his conviction for the murder of his wife Siobhán at their Dublin home will be heard by the Court of Criminal Appeal at the end of July.
Kearney was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court last year of murdering his wife, the mother of their young son, at their home at Goatstown, on February 28th, 2006. Kearney had denied the charge.
When the case was mentioned at the appeal court yesterday, Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman fixed July 28th next for the hearing.
Kearney (52) was convicted in March 2008 of his 38-year-old wife’s murder by a majority jury verdict of 11 to one and Mr Justice Barry White imposed the mandatory life sentence.
Principal to challenge claims
A school principal was given High Court permission yesterday to challenge the automatic referral to State bodies of claims of emotional abuse made against her by a pupil.
The principal contends the claims are false and unfounded but remain on State files despite her being cleared of any wrongdoing by the school’s board of management.
The principal claims two separate files have been created on her under the heading of child abuse when those claims may never be adjudicated upon by independent inquiries which would have to be set up by the HSE and the department.
Trial of rape accused begins
The trial of a Monaghan man accused of raping and stealing from an 86-year-old woman in her home has opened at the Central Criminal Court.
The 35-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to raping the woman on June 16th, 2008, and to burglary of her home with intent to steal on the same occasion.
Prosecuting counsel Tom O’Connoll SC (with Paul Carroll BL) told the jury in opening the trial that the State’s case rested primarily on DNA evidence, fingerprints from a bedroom in the house and the fact that the accused was seen in proximity to the house by several witnesses.
Mr O’Connoll said the victim gave an account of answering her door at about midnight to a man who repeatedly raped her.