Man for court over murder in Inchicore

A 35-year-old man will appear at Dublin District Court in Kilmainham this morning, charged with the murder of Mr Declan Griffin…

A 35-year-old man will appear at Dublin District Court in Kilmainham this morning, charged with the murder of Mr Declan Griffin.

Mr Griffin was shot in the back of the head at the Horse and Jockey Pub in Inchicore on April 5th. He died later in St James's Hospital.

He was carrying a gun and wearing a bullet-proof vest at the time of his death.

Mr Griffin was involved in the drugs trade in the past and was a Garda informant.

READ MORE

In 1999, a jury found him not guilty of bringing almost €1.3 million worth of heroin and ecstasy into Dublin Airport from Amsterdam in 1995. During the court hearing, it emerged that he was a Garda informant.

Drunken boy fined €100

A schoolboy who was found dangerously drunk after a St Patrick's Day drinking session, has been ordered to pay €100 to a children's charity.

Judge William Early heard at the Dublin Children's Court yesterday that the 17-year-old boy, who had never been in trouble before, had pleaded guilty to being intoxicated to such an extent that he was a danger to himself and to others on March 17th last.

Ballyfermot Garda Barry Weldon said he arrested the boy after reports of teenagers drinking on the grounds of a secondary school. The boy, who was extremely intoxicated, "seemed to be wandering across a road", the court was told.

The teenager called the garda a "f****** w*****" when he was approached, Judge Early heard.

Judge Early said that if the boy paid €100 to a children's charity by September 22nd next he would be given the benefit of the probation act and left without a conviction.

Two remanded on hijacking charge

Two men were remanded in custody at Belfast Magistrate's Court yesterday charged with hijacking a vehicle in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Mr Kevin Turley ( 20) and unemployed, of Antrim Road, Belfast, and Mr Patrick Delaney (35) and unemployed, of Kinnard Street, Belfast, were both charged with unlawfully by force or threat or some form of intimidation seizing a Ford Mondeo van.

The incident happened in the Cliftonville Road area of north Belfast. Both men were remanded in custody to appear before the court again on April 28th.

Carrickmacross publican fined

A woman who ran a bar in the Border town of Carrickmacross was fined €700 by a judge yesterday and warned she can never get a licence to operate another pub anywhere in the country. Judge Tom Fitzpatrick made the ruling after hearing that Ms Margaret Taaffe (39), of Ardee, Co Louth, was found to be selling illicit spirits at the Harlequin Bar in Carrickmacross.

The court heard from State Solicitor, Mr Enda O'Carroll, that customs officers went to the pub and found a case of vodka labelled as Smirnoff.

When analysed it was established that the alcohol had been watered down.

He said the accused admitted she purchased two cases of the counterfeit vodka across the Border at Jonesboro in south Armagh for which she paid £12 a bottle.

He said bottles of the illicit spirits were also found by the officers in the bar area of the pub.