In Short

A round-up of today's Irish news stories in brief

A round-up of today's Irish news stories in brief

Thomas Cook costs ordered against union

The trade union representing workers who staged a sit-in at a Thomas Cook travel agents, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, has been ordered to pay some of the legal costs over a High Court order to leave the premises.

Mr Justice Michael Peart said he would make no order for costs against two councillors and a political activist who, with about 20 former staff, defied the order.

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The case arose from a five- day sit-in after Thomas Cook said at the end of July it was closing two stores. Staff at the Grafton Street store began a sit-in over redundancy terms.

Gardaí arrested about 20 people and took them before the High Court for contempt of an order to leave the premises. They purged their contempt.

The judge ordered costs should be paid by TSSA and its general secretary Gerry Doherty up to August 3rd.

Court refuses to reduce sentence

The Court of Criminal Appeal has refused to reduce an eight-year jail sentence imposed on a Dublin man over his role in an attempted armed raid of a post office during which two of his fellow gang members were shot dead by gardaí.

The appeal court said it could find no error with the sentence imposed on Gavin Farrelly over his involvement in “an extremely violent act”.

Farrelly (37), of Lower Sheriff Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty in May 2007 to attempted robbery of Linda Neary at the Village Stores post office, Main Street, Lusk, Co Dublin, on May 26th, 2005.

Colm Griffin (33), of Canon Lillis Avenue, Dublin, and Eric Hopkins (24), of Lower Rutland Street, Dublin, were shot dead when gardaí intercepted them at the scene of the attempted raid.

Legal argument in trial over killing

The trial of a Dublin man accused of playing a role in the manslaughter of an Estonian who was pulled from his car and beaten in a lay-by near Dublin airport two years ago has continued in legal argument.

Paul Gibbons (27), of Moatview Drive, Priorswood, has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to unlawfully killing Valeri Ranert (27) at Naul Road, Swords, Co Dublin on April 30th, 2007.

He has also pleaded not guilty to unlawfully seizing by force a Volkswagen Golf belonging to Mr Ranert on the same occasion.

The trial is expected to resume on Monday before Judge Tony Hunt and a jury of six men and six women.

Judge pledges jail for illegal fishing

Comparing illegal fishing to cattle rustling, a district court judge said he was issuing warrants and intended to impose six-month jail terms on people who did not turn up in court.

Judge Seán MacBride was dealing with several cases at a sitting of the District Court in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, at which he issued warrants for six-month sentences on a number of east Europeans who failed to appear on charges relating to alleged illegal fishing at lakes in the region during the summer.

The prosecutions were initiated by the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board against the accused, who have addresses in the Drogheda and Dublin areas.

They had failed to appear in court, despite the judge being informed that all the summonses had been served and all the individuals had been notified of the hearings by Finian Brannigan, a lawyer prosecuting on behalf of the fisheries board.

Mayor’s appeal over missing man

The Lord Mayor of Dublin is supporting an appeal for information on a man who went missing last weekend.

Emer Costello issued the appeal after colleagues of Damian O’Brien (37), who works for Fáilte Ireland, launched a poster and leafleting campaign yesterday. A Facebook site, entitled Find Damian, has also been set up.

Mr O’Brien was seen on Friday, November 27th, near Percy Place, Haddington Road, at about 10.45pm.

From Clonakilty, Co Cork, Mr O’Brien lives in Phibsboro, Dublin. He is 5ft 9in, stocky, with dark hair cut short, and is tanned. He has a noticeable scar over his right eye.

Inquiry into Clare post irregularities

Gardaí in Co Clare have confirmed that they are investigating alleged “irregularities” with the delivery of post in the west of the county and that one man has been arrested and questioned.

Officers went to a postal worker’s home with a search warrant and recovered a large quantity of mail hidden underneath the stairs.

The man was arrested and taken to a local Garda station for questioning.

He was later released without charge. However, gardaí have confirmed that they are preparing a file to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Jury sent home in truck death case

A jury in the trial of a truck driver accused of dangerous driving causing the death of a wheelchair user has been sent home after failing to reach a verdict.

Jason McWeeney (34), Tamarisk Park, Tallaght, has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing the death of Alan Dempsey at a Finglas junction on July 10th, 2006.

Judge Desmond Hogan sent the jurors, six men and six women, home after they had been deliberating for just under two hours and asked them to return on Monday.

Mullingar hospital goes back on call

The Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar went back on call yesterday afternoon after 24 hours in which it stopped accepting emergency patients.

It reopened following talks between senior clinicians at the hospital and the Health Service Executive yesterday afternoon.

Man to serve 20 years for ‘brutal murder’

A meat plant worker who subjected a vulnerable woman to “considerable violence” before dumping her naked body in a skip was yesterday told he would serve at least 20 years in jail for her murder.

Imposing the minimum life sentence at Belfast Crown Court, Mr Justice Hart told Henryk Gorski, a Polish national, that he had hit Shirley Finlay (25) repeatedly about the head before he strangled her.

“This was a brutal murder and the defendant’s motive can only be a matter of speculation because there was no evidence of sexual contact but . . . there is no doubt that he strangled Shirley Finlay and then dumped her body,” he said.