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Other stories in brief

Woman wants mother buried in Kilkenny

The daughter of murdered English woman Lorraine White said she believes her mother would have wanted to be buried in the the town in Ireland where she had lived.

Elizabeth White (25) had been living with her mother in Callan, Co Kilkenny, at the time of the attack.

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Her elderly father, James Hartley, who lives in Wigan in north England, issued an appeal earlier this week asking for financial help to bring his daughter's body back to Wigan.

However, Elizabeth White now says that the family would prefer if she was buried in Kilkenny.

Lorraine White (42) died in hospital from massive internal injuries after she was brutally raped at her home on Bridge Street in Callan last Saturday.

Elizabeth, who is in hiding in Kilkenny, spoke yesterday to local county councillor Matt Doran who is helping to manage a fund for the family.

"Elizabeth has indicated to me that her family are prepared to travel to Ireland for the funeral," said Mr Doran. "They are all conscious of her loyalty and love for Callan and are all anxious at this stage that she be buried in the town."

Gardaí have released the body of Ms White to her family but it is not expected that her funeral will be held until next week.

A man arrested in connection with Ms White's death was released earlier this week and a file has been sent to the DPP.

Sentence on flat scam adjourned

A man whose €28,100 Dublin city centre apartment scam left some foreign nationals living on the streets has had his sentence adjourned again for "one last time" to allow him to compensate his 14 victims.

Leszek Mikulski (27) from Poland, who was given bail last August on condition that he reside at Jamestown Park, Ratoath, Co Meath, pleaded guilty to 14 charges of theft between February and March 2007 at two Dublin city centre apartments on Usher's Quay and Wellington Quay.

Michael Bowman, defending, told Judge Patricia Ryan that the case had been adjourned on a number of occasions to allow his client to get more money together but to date there was still €4,850 that remained outstanding.

Jailed for niece rape attempt

A Larne man who attempted to rape his young niece has been jailed for 5½ years after agreeing to undergo a specialist programme for sex offenders while on three years probation.

Judge David Smyth QC at Antrim Crown Court told the 33-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect his victim, that this would help to ensure and benefit public safety in the future.

The man, who has learning difficulties, attempted to rape his 10-year-old niece in the bedroom of his home while she was playing games on his PlayStation.

Judge Smyth said his attack was an "isolated act and not part of a course of conduct or of serial abuse", and that his guilty plea was of great value "particularly so in the case".

The man was put on the sex offenders register for life. He will have to attend over 200 sessions of the sex offenders' group work programme specially designed for slow learners upon his release from prison.

Two rescued off Donegal coast

Two fisherman were rescued off the coast of north Donegal last night after their fishing vessel got into trouble.

Three lifeboat crews and a Garda helicopter were involved in a major search operation for the two crew off the coast at Greencastle, Inishowen, Co Donegal.

The rescued men were transferred to Altnagelvin hospital in Derry.

The alarm was raised at about 5pm yesterday when the 29ft fishing boat failed to return to a small Donegal port.

Last night rescue services said they thought the men's fishing trawler had sunk.