A round-up of today's other court news in brief ...
Man (26) charged with murder
A 26-year-old man has been charged with murdering David Sharkey (28), whose body was found in the boot of a car in Finglas, Dublin, last Sunday.
Stephen Penrose, no fixed abode, was brought before Trim district court yesterday morning and charged with the murder.
It is alleged he committed the murder at 29 Parkview, Blackcastle, Navan, on May 17th.
Judge Tom Fitzpatrick was told Mr Penrose made no reply when the charge was put to him yesterday morning. His solicitor said he was not making any application to the court and Mr Penrose was remanded in custody to appear again at Cloverhill District Court on May 28th.
Two women who were arrested as part of the murder investigation were both released without charge yesterday.
Gardaí said they will be preparing a file for the DPP in relation to a woman who had been detained in Trim Garda station.
Man brought drugs into prison
A man who brought drugs into Midlands Prison, Portlaoise, appeared at the local court yesterday.
George McLoughlin, Belclare Drive, Poppintree, Dublin 11, was charged with possession and supply of drugs on December 23rd last.
Insp Martin Cashin said that the defendant brought €50 worth of hash to an inmate, along with €150 of cocaine.
Judge Gerard Haughton sentenced the defendant to six months, suspended on entering a €500 peace bond for 12 months.
UK seeks man’s extradition
The High Court has remanded in custody a man whose extradition is being sought by the UK authorities in connection with the shooting dead of an unarmed British soldier more than 17 years ago.
Yesterday the court was told the British authorities were seeking the surrender of Declan Derek Patrick Duffy (35), a father of two originally from Armagh but with an address at Hanover St West, Dublin. He is in custody in relation to other matters.
The UK authorities claim that on the afternoon of April 13th, 1992, he murdered Sgt Michael Newman in Derby, England.
He is also charged with conspiracy to commit murder on dates between January 1st, 1992, and April 13th, 1992. Sgt Newman was shot in the head outside the army careers office where he worked. He died from his wounds the following day.
The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) later claimed responsibility for the killing.
The UK is also seeking the extradition of another man, Anthony Patrick Gorman (39), originally from Co Armagh but with an address at Bailieborough in Co Cavan, on the same charges. He is on bail pending the hearing of the extradition request.
Gardaí saw rape accused near scene
Gardaí on their way to the home of an 86-year-old woman who claimed she had been raped by an intruder noticed a Monaghan man, who is on trial charged with the offence, “staggering” on a footpath in the locality.
The 35-year-old man has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to raping the woman on June 16th, 2008, and to burglary of her home with intent to steal on the same occasion.
Garda Lorna Doherty told prosecuting counsel she was a passenger in a patrol car responding to a call of an incident at the complainant’s house when her colleague noticed the accused man “staggering” on the footpath and pointed him out to her.
She said he appeared to be intoxicated and was wearing a stained shirt. She said they continued on to the woman’s house and she noticed some injuries on her face and hands. The woman gave an account of having been raped by a man who pushed his way into the house.
She said the woman was distressed, that she was “teary eyed” but not crying and was clear in her account.