A round-up of other court stories in brief....
Man held over information about killing
Gardaí have arrested a young man in Killarney and are questioning him on suspicion of withholding information in connection with the murder of 17-year-old Stephen Lyne in the town.
The man was being held last night at Killarney Garda station.
Mr Lyne was found stabbed near his home on Ross Road in the early hours of Thursday last. He was buried on Monday.
Dozens of young people have been interviewed as part of the murder investigation but yesterday’s was the first arrest.
Trial of council official begins
The trial of a former secretary of Mayo County Council charged with aiding and abetting the directors of three waste disposal companies to breach competition law began before a Central Criminal Court sitting in Galway yesterday.
Pádraig Hughes, who retired from the council in 2000, denies three counts of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the companies to commit an offence between August 24th, 2005, and September 2nd, 2005.
Mr Hughes also denies three further charges of aiding the three companies to enter an agreement to share customers in Co Mayo.
The trial continues.
20,000 award for hair salon worker
The Labour Court has awarded a colour technician at a Blackrock hair salon €20,000 in compensation after complaints he made about health and safety resulted in dismissal.
The court ruled complaints made by Paul O’Neill about the quality of gloves used in handling colouring agents at Toni Guy Blackrock were the “operative reason” for his dismissal.
The court was satisfied that Mr O’Neill’s complaints arose when gloves he thought inferior were introduced.
Court quashes rape conviction
The Court of Criminal Appeal has quashed a Cork man’s conviction for the rape of his former girlfriend’s two teenage sisters.
The issue of a retrial was a matter for the DPP, the court said. The three-judge appeal court said yesterday it was satisfied the non-disclosure of new evidence by the prosecution which became available between the man’s conviction and prior to his sentencing meant there was a real risk the fairness of the man’s trial could have been affected.
In the appeal, Tim O’Leary SC argued the conviction was unsafe because a claim by one of the girls of having been sexually abused by another person was not disclosed to the defence until after the man was sentenced.
Sex assault trial for acupuncturist
A 67-year-old Chinese acupuncturist operating a business in Tuam, Co Galway, has been accused of sexually assaulting one of his female clients and will be sent forward for trial to the Circuit Criminal Court.
It is alleged that Zhihua Wang, with an address at Tubberjarlath Court, Tuam, committed the offence on the woman while she was receiving treatment.
Judge Geoffrey Browne said that the matter was too serious to be dealt with by the District Court and he refused jurisdiction. He said he would send the defendant forward for trial.