InShort

More news in brief

More news in brief

A Co Westmeath man was jailed for life at the Central Criminal Court yesterday after he was convicted of murdering an elderly pensioner whose bank pin number he wanted.

Mr Justice Barry White sentenced Ian Kinahan to the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment for the murder of Michael Creighton. The jury of 11 men and one woman took just over an hour to return a unanimous verdict of guilty of murder.

Kinahan (37), originally from Streamstown , Mullingar, of no fixed address, had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Creighton (82) between August 31st and September 4th, 2005, at Mr Creighton's flat at Belvedere Court, Castle Street, Mullingar.

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The jury heard during the four-day trial that Kinahan told gardaí after his arrest how he tied up Mr Creighton and kicked him repeatedly to frighten him into giving him his ATM pin number.

He also admitted stamping on his chest after the pin number that Mr Creighton had given had failed to work.

Scaffolder guilty over injuries

A scaffolder has been convicted by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury of failing to take "reasonable care" arising out of serious injuries suffered by a pedestrian three years ago when scaffolding fell on him.

Derek Daly (45), of Whitechurch Place, Ballyboden, was remanded on continuing bail by Judge Patricia Ryan for sentence later.

He had pleaded not guilty to breaching safety and health regulations by failing to take reasonable care for the safety of Michael McGrath at a construction site near 59 Grafton Street, on March 27th, 2003.

Mr McGrath, an Eircom employee, was injured when hit by the scaffolding which fell over as it was being dismantled outside Serena boutique. Mr Daly was supervising the operation.

Paul Byrne (43) of Whitechurch Hill, Ballyboden, the owner of P Byrne Scaffolding, was fined €10,000 last March at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after he pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching safety and health regulations at the Grafton Street site

Butcher warned of closure

A Halal butcher who obstructed health officers wanting to inspect his shop was ordered yesterday to clean up or face closure.

Sama Gouma challenged a Health Services Executive (HSE) improvement order for his premises, Elsinbad Meat and Grocery, South Richmond Street, Dublin.

Last July, an inspector found conditions in the shop posed an immediate danger to public health and a closure order was served on Mr Gouma, Dublin District Court heard.

However, he continued operating and gardaí had to be called in to assist the health authorities in closing it down. It stayed shut for more than two weeks.

When environmental health officer Charlene Kiely reinspected it at the end of August, there were still 42 outstanding defects, mainly to do with cleaning practices.

He was given another chance to remedy them, but by October 2nd last, 30 defects remained.

Judge Aingeal Ní Chondúin said it was clear Mr Gouma was "trying" to remedy the problems. She was satisfied to grant the improvement order which will lead to a second closure if not complied with.