A couple who smashed beer bottles over a man's head in a “frenzied” assault on a late night Luas will be sentenced tomorrow.

Aoife Molloy (24) and Martin O'Connor (25) claimed they “snapped” when their victim “retaliated” after being kicked by Molloy as he tried to get to his feet after slipping when the tram jolted.

The 46-year-old man suffered a fractured eye socket as well as wounds to his scalp and lip.

Molloy, of South Circular Road, and O'Connor, of Elmdale Park, Ballyfermot, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Noel O'Rourke, violent disorder and production of a Budweiser bottle on an outbound red line Luas between the Smithfield and Museum stops on December 11, 2014.

Molloy has seven previous convictions and O'Connor has six. They were identified by gardaí from CCTV footage of the attack and DNA evidence from the beer bottles.

Defence counsel for the pair asked the court to consider community service or referring the case to The Probation Service. Both Molloy and O'Connor have expressed remorse for the attack.

Garda Karl Colgan told Gerardine Small BL, prosecuting, said Mr O'Rourke was a passenger on the Luas on his way home from a night socialising when the tram jolted and he “went flying.” He was trying to get to his feet when he said he got a kick.

A witness on the tram described a noisy group, who were drinking Budweiser and shouting, boarding the tram prior to the assault. He pushed the emergency button after witnessing the “frenzied attack”. He alerted the driver and gardaí were called.

CCTV footage taken from the tram showed Molloy and O'Connor boarding the tram with another person. Mr O'Rourke was across from them and he had a “verbal interaction” with Molloy.

He slipped on the floor and as he tried to get up Molloy kicked or pushed him with her foot twice.

Mr O'Rourke kicked Molloy back and was then grabbed by O'Connor. Molloy hit Mr O'Rourke three times to the top of his head with a bottle before it broke. She jabbed him with it on his lip.

The footage shows O'Connor hit Mr O'Rourke, who had grabbed Molloy's hair, with a bottle twice to the top of the head before it smashed. Mr O'Rourke appears to be stunned and O'Connor punches him a number of times around the head. The pair then leave the Luas.

Gda Colgan said Mr O'Rourke was being treated by paramedics when he arrived. He was distraught and in a lot of pain.

Gardaí were able to identify Molloy and O'Connor as suspects from the CCTV. DNA samples taken from the pair linked them to bottles which had been recovered from the tram.

A victim impact statement stated Mr O'Rourke had been “traumatised” by the assault and he had lasting scarring to the back of his head.

Gda Colgan agreed with Mark Lynam BL, defending Molloy, that the kick or push she had delivered to Mr O'Rourke after he slipped did not have much force.

He agreed with John Dunne BL, defending O'Connor, that Mr O'Rourke had retaliated and it was at that stage O'Connor became involved.

Mr Lynam said his client wished to express deep shame for the severity of the assault and the injuries caused. He said Molloy also wished to offer €3,000 as a token of remorse.

He said she had suffered a number of significant traumas in her life, including a diagnosis of cervical cancer at the age of 18, and had abused alcohol and tablets to deal with the stress.

Mr Lynam said Molloy was a traumatised young woman doing her best and submitted she had “snapped” on the night.

O'Connor's counsel said he had also “snapped” when he saw Mr O'Rourke kick his partner. He said he thought he was being “chivalrous” by standing up for his partner but accepted he went too far.

He said O'Connor, a father of three, suffered depression and the incident was on his mind and haunting him daily. He said his client was “serving a sentence in his own mind.”

Judge James O'Donoghue noted neither of the accused had a history of violence and came from respectable families but said it was a very serious assault.

Judge O'Donoghue adjourned sentencing until midday tomorrow/today (FRI).

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An underage person could not consent to a sexual act even if they appeared to be an enthusiastic participant, a judge has told the jury in the trial of a then 15 year old accused of raping a 14 year old at a youth disco.

The Donegal accused allegedly pushed the 14-year-old girl into a nightclub toilet and raped her in a toilet cubicle. The pair were seen kissing shortly before the alleged incident.

The girl reported the allegations to her mother seven months later.

The man, now aged 20, is legally entitled to anonymity.

He has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to rape and sexual assault of the girl at a nightclub in a Co Donegal town on December 23, 2010.

The jury of seven men and five women began deliberating this afternoon after Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan finished her charge.

She told the jury that consent was a constituent legal factor in the offence of rape but that the law says a person under 15 cannot consent.

She said if the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused had sex with the complainant they must convict him of rape.

She said assault was intentional unwanted touching and sexual assault was assault where the touching was of an indecent nature.

Ms Justice Heneghan said that where a person below a certain age engaged in sexual activity it would not be consent even if the person appeared an enthusiastic participant.

She said that, additionally, a 1935 Act states that it it is not a defence to a charge of indecent assault on a person under the age of 15 years to prove that the person consented to the alleged act.

Peter Finley SC, defending, told the jury in his closing speech that it was not for his client to prove his innocence but for someone else to prove his guilt and this had not been done.

Gerard Clarke SC, prosecuting, said that the case put forward by counsel on behalf of the accused was that he was in the toilet cubicle and that “they were fondling and it got out of hand”.

The woman said that she was walking past the female toilets with the accused holding her hand when he pushed her inside and took her into a cubicle. She said she didn't know what was happening and asked him to let her out.

“He had me up against the wall. He pulled down my underwear. I tried to pull them back up but he had me pinned,” she testified.

She said he pulled down his trousers and raped her. She said she had never had sex before and it hurt and felt “excruciating”.

The trial heard that a female friend of the accused confronted him on the night and he told her he had done nothing. When she “kept at him” he told her, “yeah, she said yeah”, the witness said.

The accused told gardaí that he had no recollection of being in the girls' toilet in the nightclub.

Cross examining the woman, Peter Finlay SC, defending, said: “I suggest what happened is that you went into the toilets with this young boy and the two of you were fondling each other and it got out of hand.

“He sat on the toilet and you sat on top of him and you both tried to do something but failed”. The woman denied this is what happened.

She said she was asking the accused to stop and to let her out of the cubicle. She testified that she had kissed the boy before the alleged assault after her girl friends encouraged her 'to meet' him.

A murder trial jury has heard that the accused and deceased "appeared to be laughing and joking" outside a chip shop in the centre of a Kildare town on the night the deceased was killed.

Seamus Morgan (49) with an address at The Hollands, Athy, Co Kildare is charged with murdering Laurence Keane (56) in the town on July 19 2013.

On Monday at the Central Criminal Court Mr Morgan pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Keane.

This afternoon defence counsel Mr Sean Gillane SC asked prosecution counsel Ms Orla Crowe BL to read two statements to the court.

The first statement given to gardai by Ms Lisa Kaye was then read to the court by Ms Crowe.

In the statement the jury heard that Ms Kaye was driving past Macari's chip shop in Athy on July 18 2013 at 8.40pm.

"I saw Larry Keane and Jimmy Morgan sitting outside the chipper, they appeared to be laughing and joking," read Ms Crowe.

The second statement given to gardai by Mr Mario Panacci, the lease holder of Marcari's chip shop was then read to the court by Ms Crowe.

The court heard Mr Panacci was working in the chip shop on July 18 2013 when a man came into the shop at 10pm and asked him "could he leave a bike in the shop."

"It is not the first time (he asked to leave the bike in shop) and he did not buy food. I heard his name is Jimmy and he wears glasses. I know he is from Athy. Between 11.30pm and 12 midnight he came in and collected his bike. The bike was along the alley beside the shop.I think he had a Lidl bag with him when he called. He has never caused me any trouble in the shop," read Ms Crowe.

The court heard this concluded all the evidence in the case and tomorrow morning closing speeches will begin.

Mr Justice Robert Eagar said he will start his charge to the jury tomorrow but he did not propose to complete it until Monday, when the jury will go out to consider their verdict.

The trial continues.

Earlier today a forensic scientist has told a murder trial jury that blood stains found on a pair of runners belonging to the accused matched the DNA profile of the deceased.

Today prosecution counsel Mr Tom O'Connell SC called Detective Sergeant Sean Boland from Newbridge Garda Station to give evidence.

Det Sgt Boland told the court that on July 19 2013 he went to Seamus Morgan's house to carry out a search where a pair of runners were seized.
The court heard gardai at the time were also looking for "a weapon used to kill Mr Keane" but it was never found.

Det Sgt Boland told the court Mr Morgan was not arrested on that date but was arrested on July 25 when gardai went to his home and told him they were "arresting him on suspicion of the murder of Laurence Keane".

The court heard the accused was then taken to Kildare Garda Station where he was detained for a period of 24 hours and visited by his solicitor.

Det Sgt Boland agreed with Mr Tom O'Connell that the accused "denied killing Laurence Keane."

Det Sgt Boland also agreed with counsel that "Mr Morgan said things about his relationship with Mr Keane and he said when he left him in the lane-way he was still alive."

The witness also agreed with defence counsel Mr Sean Gillane SC that in the course of Mr Morgan's detention he told gardai "his differences with Mr Keane had been settled, he left Larry Keane at the top of the hill, Larry Keane had problems getting up the hill, there was no scuffle, he accepted he was in the lane-way but did not kill Larry Keane."

Det Sgt Boland agreed with prosecution counsel Mr O'Connell that on April 23 2014 Mr Morgan was "rearrested for the murder of Mr Keane" as new evidence "had come to light."

Forensic scientist Dr Hilary Clarke of the Forensic Science Lab was then called by the prosecution to give evidence and she told the court she received a number of physical exhibits relating to this investigation including a pair of runners belonging to the accused.

Dr Clarke told the court she received the runners on July 20 2013 in a sealed bag from the exhibits officer in the case.

"They were damp when I received them, I dried them overnight and sampled them the following day,” said Dr Clarke.

"There were small blood stains on both the left and right runner, the toe area of both runners and on the inner side of the tongue area of the left runner," she said.

 The court heard she developed a DNA profile from the sample of the blood stain from the toes of both runners and the tongue of the left runner which "matched the profile of Larry Keane."

"The estimated chance of finding this profile if the DNA had come from somebody other than Larry Keane is considerably less than one in a thousand million," said Dr Clarke.

The niece of Mr Keane, Ms Michele Keane who is also from Athy was then called to give evidence and she told the court on July 18 2013 she saw her uncle in the company of Seamus Morgan at Barrow Bridge when she drove by at 10.10pm.

The trial continues.

Gareth Chubb

THEY ARE the up-and-coming young guns who are set to make a name for themselves in Ireland’s murky gangland in 2016.

Over the last two years, some of the country’s most infamous criminals have either been murdered or been put behind bars – including the Dundon brothers, Stephen ‘Dougie’ Moran and Paul Kavanagh,

But in the murky criminal underworld, there is always someone ready to take their place.

Here are some of the names to watch out for over the next year...

Gareth Chubb

SOUTH DUBLIN drug dealer Gareth Chubb has expanded his operation since he was convicted of cocaine dealing in 2007, Gardaí believe.

At the time the Drimnagh man was associating with junior members of ‘Fat’ Freddie Thompson’s operation, but he is now considered a serious player in his own right.

Last year the Sunday World obtained a video of Chubb (28) and pals testing a variety of high-powered weapons – including sub-machine guns, AK47s and sniper rifles – at a firing range in the Czech Republic.

Associates of Chubb are also believed to have been behind a series of attacks on gangland target Karl Fay.

Chubb himself saw his house shot up as part of feuding in south Dublin.

He has connections to Liam and David Byrne, who have close links to the Kina­han cartel, but also has ties to criminal figures across Dublin.

His cousin Jay O’Connor was the target of a hit attempt last year when another man was killed in a case of mistaken identity. O’Connor, from Blanchardstown, said there was going to be “f***ing war” following the shooting.

Another man to watch for in 2016 is the a close associate of mur­dered gangster Marlo Hyland,

The 28-year-old, from Cabra who is close to Chubb, graduated from burglaries to stealing vehicles before he was used in gang­land gun attacks and robberies.

He received a lengthy sentence after being caught firing weapons in his back garden by armed gardaí.

He received a seven-year term with two years suspended after being caught with two handguns, a silencer and bullets in October 2010.

Before his arrest, his associates were suspected of involvement in gangland murders in Dublin, including the murder of innocent mother-of-two Baiba Saulite.

Sources say the thug, who cannot be named as he is facing charges, is seen as a criminal facilitator who along with associates will carry out or arrange work on behalf of other feuding gangs. That makes him a person of interest for detec­tives policing several gang feuds.

He was released from prison last year and immediately returned to his life of crime with his close associate (27) from Cabra, who has almost 200 convictions and is facing charges for assaulting a garda and involvement in a major car theft ring. The pair are both before the courts on the same car theft charges.

He is also on good terms with gangs from across Dublin and bizarrely even counts some dissident republicans among his associates.

Tommy O’Callaghan

CRIME godfather Tommy O’Callaghan left Cork for Spain more than a decade ago to escape pressure from Gar­daí on his operations here.

While his crew expanded into what Gardaí described as an “international crime gang”, they managed to avoid attracting too many headlines here in a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’.

The gang, which has members based in Spain, the Netherlands and Ireland, came back into focus in December when Corkman Ter­ence O’Shea (46), was jailed after Gardaí caught him hiding €380,000 in cash for the gang at his house in Aherlamore, Aherla, Co. Cork.

Inspector Fergal Foley said gardaí also found 35 blank, forged driving licenc­es during the raid on the home – which had security gates, CCTV and dogs.

Inspector Foley added that he believed O’Shea “was the quarter­master responsible for the cash”. His wife took her own life months after his arrest.

Associates of the gang include Spanish-based Cork men Rory McCarthy and John Dorgan.

McCarthy, who has close links to O’Shea, was arrested at a four-star hotel in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, in April, 2011, after he was the subject of an in­ternational arrest warrant issued by Spanish authorities.

The arrest occurred around the same time Gardaí raided the O’Shea home and it is under­stood the raid was linked to the international arrest warrant. He was extradited to Spain, where he was quizzed along with Dorgan over the attempted murder of British ex-pat Peter Christley earlier that year.

Christley was shot four times at point-blank range by a gunman when he answered the door of his home near Benalmadena on January 27, 2011. He was in intensive care for weeks, but survived the attack.

Dorgan was closely linked with O’Callaghan.

O’Callaghan was hit with a CAB demand for IR£700,000 when he left Ireland and had links to notorious Dublin criminal George ‘the Pen­guin’ Mitchell, who the Sunday World recently tracked down to Germany.

He also had links to several well-known crime figures including Judd Scanlon and INLA man Tommy ‘the Zombie’ Savage (inset), who was convicted of drug dealing in Greece nine years ago. Another associate, Niall McCarthy, was sentenced to four years after being caught with £90,000 worth of cannabis in Cork in 1995.

O’Callaghan’s gang are now an interna­tional drug traffick­ing operation based in Spain and Holland and are on a collision course with other Irish outfits in Limerick and Dublin as Gardaí try to keep a lid on gang feuding.

The tearaway teen

THE LEGACY of Ireland’s most violent gangland war between Limerick’s lethal drugs gangs has created several ambitious young criminals.

A teenager, who can’t be named for legal reasons, is one of those who has quickly created his own crimi­nal outfit in the void left by the demise of the Dundon brothers.

Based several miles outside Limerick city, the young thug is closely connected to Jim ‘Chaser’ O’Brien, the businessman turned criminal.

The violent young gang boss has used arson attacks, shootings and beatings to get his way.

The rural idyll where he lives is an unlikely setting for a young thug who inspires such fear among those he has encountered.

The young gangster, who has served time for a serious drugs offence, has been careful to keep his distance from the thugs ordered to carry out the attacks.

One source claimed that anyone he suspected of crossing him or talking to the Gardaí would have their car burned out or their home completely trashed.

Follow-up threats would ensure the attacks weren’t reported to the Gardaí, the source added.

Until recently he has been careful about keeping a low-profile, but is facing increased Garda pressure after an outcry over the level of rural crime in Co. Limerick.

He is seen as a key player in any threat of reig­niting the devastating turf wars that plagued the city in the ’90s and Noughties.

Flash Mac

'Fat' John McCarthy 

HE was once regarded as one of Wayne Dundon’s ‘Penny Boys’, but he has moved up the food chain and now he is being blamed for flooding Limerick with heroin.

‘Flash Mac’, as locals have nick­named him, lives in the heart of the Dundons’ old working-class stomping ground, but loves to show off his expensive cars and drape himself in gaudy gold jewellery.

In case anyone should be unaware of his new status, ‘Flash Mac’ even takes to social media to display the trappings of his wealth.

Sources say he often boasts about running Romanian prostitutes for the old Dundon mob, which is now led by associates ‘Fat’ John McCarthy and criminal brothers Eddie and Kieran Ryan.

Despite the demise of the Dundons, Gardaí still fear that there could be an outbreak of violence in the Limerick City, with the Moyross-based gang having vowed to wipe out old rivals the Keanes.

Flash Mac comes from a family with close links to organised crime and despite his love for ex­pensive wheels he has been banned from driving.

Saoirse Ronan has reacted to the news that she's been nominated for Best Actress at this year's Oscars.

The 21-year-old Carlow native was nominated for her performance in Brooklyn.

In a statement released today, the actress said:"When we made Brooklyn, we had no idea of what was to come. It is the most personal film I have ever done, the hardest one too.

"I am honoured to represent this film with my friends - John, Nick, Finola, Yves, Colm, Amanda.

"This has all been a dream.

"To see how the film has been embraced has been heartwarming.

"Thank you so very much to The Academy - you are a group of people I respect greatly and to be recognized by you means so much. Thank you!"

Ronan is up against Brie Larson - who won Best Actress for Lenny Abrahamson's Room at Sunday night's Golden Globes -- Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Lawrence.

Overall, it was a historic day for Irish film as homegrown talent was honoured with nine nominations.

Lenny Abrahamson was a surprise nomination for Best Director for Room, which was also nominated for Best Picture, while author Emma Donoghue was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film.

Stutterer by Irish director Benjamin Cleary was nominated for Best Live Action Short.

Michael Fassbender was nominated in the Best Actor category for his role in Steve Jobs.

A Status Orange warning has been issued by Met Eireann ahead of possible snowfall this evening and tonight.

The Orange warning has been issued for counties Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo where between 4 and 8cm of snow is possible.

A Status Yellow warning has also been issued for Longford, Cavan, Monaghan, Galway and Roscommon with between 2 and 4cm of snow expected.

The heaviest snowfall is predicted for tonight, with snow and ice warnings in place until midnight.

Tonight, temperatures will plummet to between zero to -1 degrees.

Tomorrow is expected to be a cold and breezy day, and rain or sleet and snow will fall in Ulster later on.

Tomorrow night, temperatures will plummet to between zero and -4 degrees, and dangerous driving conditions will develop with freezing fog.

On Saturday, widespread frost is expected to hit the country, and temperatures will plummet to as low as -6 degrees that night. Freezing fog may also develop, Met Eireann warns.

A man has been charged with murder after a young mother was found dead in a rural Welsh border town.

The woman, who has been named locally as 25-year-old Georgina Symmonds, was found dead in Usk, Monmouthshire, early on Wednesday morning.

A 53-year-old man from the Abergavenny area has been charged with murder and will appear at Newport Magistrates' Court on Friday morning.

Gwent Police said a cause of death had yet to be established.

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Roger Forey said: "This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the family of the deceased.

"Our investigation will establish exactly what happened and additional patrols will be taking place in the coming days to provide local residents of confidence and reassurance."

Scores of tributes have been paid to Ms Symmonds, who friends said was from Allt yr Yn in Newport and had a young daughter.

Alexy Butcher wrote on Facebook: "She had such a shining infectious personality that could change anyone's world. I just can't see beyond today or tomorrow. I just want that beautiful blonde bombshell back."

Sian Thomas Colbourne posted: "I'm devastated for your friends and loved ones."

A school friend, who did not want to be named, added: "I'm totally shocked. She was only 25 and has a little girl. It's heartbreaking for her family - especially her daughter, who will now have to grow up without her mother."

Simba Kuuya

A man has been jailed for infecting a woman he met on a dating site, with HIV.

32-year-old Simba Kuuya from Manchester UK, knew he had been HIV positive for the past 4-years but still had unprotected sex with the woman.

A court in the UK heard the couple chatted online before exchanging phone numbers and then meeting up in person.

Prosexutor Sue Ferrier told the court that the woman on found out that Kuuya was infected after their brief relationship ended.

"One of his former partners contacted her via Facebook and broke the news to her.

"The victim confronted Kuuya about his medical condition but he denied it - however she sought a blood test at Singleton Hospital which came back positive."

Swansea Crown Court heard that the woman was devised after learning of the condition.

"I have to live with this for the rest of my life," she said in a statement.

Kuuya pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Jailing Kuuya for two years and four months Judge Christopher Vosper said:

"Her life has been completely changed by being infected - something that could easily have been avoided if you had been honest from the start.

"You chose to conceal something from her that you should have been open about. The consequences have been devastating."

Ashley Olsen

The body of 35-year-old Ashley Olsen was discovered in an apartment in Florence, Italy on the 10th of January.

She was covered in scratches and had been strangled with a USB cable during a “kinky sex game” gone wrong.

A post mortem determined that the Florida woman died from strangulation after taking part in a “consensual, erotic sex game.”

Italian police have arrested a 25-year-old Senegalese man who is reportedly known for drugs-related issues, in connection with the death.

It is alleged that he is known to the victim.

Ms Olsen’s body was discovered by her boyfriend who asked the landlord to open her apartment after he had not heard from her for a number of days.

Local TV reports said the body was found in the bed and was later identified by the victim's father, who teachers at a Florence school.

Reports indicate that Olsen had sex before her death and there were no signs of a struggle.

It is believed that she visited a local nightclub on the night she died, leaving at 5:30am to meet a man, believed to be the Senegalese migrant.

Investigators have confirmed that Olsen’s 42-year-old boyfriend Frederico Fiorentini is not a suspect.

He said in a statement: "We are devastated that our precious Ashley has passed away resulting from a horrible and senseless crime.

"She was a beautiful and creative young woman with a happy, exuberant and generous soul, and she loved life in Florence.

"We are heartbroken that she was taken from us."

Investigations are ongoing.

Sarah Jordan

A 31-year-old woman is facing prison for making toddlers fight each other for her own entertainment.

Sarah Jordan was convicted in Virginia, US, of charged including assault and child cruelty.

The court heard that Jordan had encouraged toddlers at Minnieland Academy in Woodbridge to fight each other, stepped on their toes, tripped them, and physically and emotionally abused them for her own entertainment.

One young girl was told by Jordan that she was 'ugly' and 'looked like a rat',

The series of abuses, which happened over an eight-month period in 2013, traumatized what were mostly one and two-year-old children.

Social Services reported Jordan, along with then-fellow employee Kierra Spriggs, tortured kids who were afraid of water by spraying a hose in their faces on full blast and also fed the children flaming hot Cheetos.

Jordan denied the charges, claiming she had used a hose to sprinkle children with water on occasion, but never tried to hurt them.

One father who’s son was under Jordan's care at Minnieland said the boy had been forced to fight other children.

Blake Buckner said his son was forced to fight in what prosecutors described as a "baby fight club."

"The teacher was making him the class bully made to fight. It was hard to hold back tears, emotional, it was very deep," Buckner said.

Three co-workers at the school testified against Jordan, saying they had witnessed her abusing the toddlers.

Prosecutor Ashleigh Landers told the court that Jordan had fostered an atmosphere "almost creating like a baby fight club," doing huge damage to the children's psyches.

Parents testified that their children had become scared of water, and some had started behaving in ways similar to the abuse described in the classroom, such as stepping on other people's feet.

James J. McCoart, a lawyer representing a number of the families, described Jordan's actions as "not only... cruel and traumatic, but outrageous criminal conduct on our community's most vulnerable."

Another former member of Minnieland Academy staff, 26-year Kierra Spriggs, is scheduled for trial under similar charges next month.

Four men aged in their early 20s to early 40s were arrested along with one woman, aged in her late twenties, following a series of planned searches in Dublin this morning.

The raids, which were part of Operation Thor, took place in Baldoyle, Dublin 13.

Suspected stolen property, a large amount of cash and a firearm were seized.

One man was charged and appeared before the District Court 4, Criminal Courts of Justice this afternoon.

He was remanded in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court on 21st January 2016 at 10.30am.

Two of the men and the woman were brought before the District Court on unrelated matters.

The fourth man was released without charge.

Investigations are ongoing.

Katie Kirwin (Image via Independent.ie)

Katie Kirwin told Ryan Tubridy that she had yet to be interviewed by Gardai over images of her as a child being used on porn sites.

Katie, now 19, has been one of the most high-profile victims of the 'harvesting' scam that has highlighted the theft of images from private Facebook pages of young Irish girls.

Those innocent images were then posted to a porn website, often after they were photoshopped with explicit material. The comments on the images from users of the porn site were also of a distressing nature.

Katie revealed on the Tubridy show this morning that she was in a chat group with many of the other victims of the disgusting scheme and while they were speaking about talking with detectives regarding the images, she has yet to give a statement to Gardai.

"At this point it is becoming more of an issue with the Guards for me personally because they are doing nothing for me," she told Tubridy.

"I am absolutely fuming right now because about 10 minutes prior to this... I'm involved with a group chat with all the girls this has happened to and they keep posting updates 'oh, detectives have said this, detectives have said that'. That's fine. 

"No detective has taken my statement so if there is any Guard in Ireland listening right now can you contact me because I am sick of contacting garda stations."

Katie told Red FM on Wednesday about her experience when she reported the incident to Gardai.

"I went to Anglesea and was told 'there's no immediate problem'... that there's 'nothing they can do for me'".

"Because I'm fourteen, it's somehow not as bad? Which is outrageous, considering I'm legally still a child".

"They were rude, inconsiderate... basically told me to go away".

Katie also told the Cork station that she was initially shocked at seeing her photos on the site, but is now furious at what was done.

"I was upset yesterday but I'm just really angry about it today," she said.

Katie said some of the photos dated back to when she was aged only 14.

"I wish it was just one photo but it was actually a thread of my photos. You would see every photo of me since I was 14-years-old up to just before I turned 19," she said.

"I want to make it clear that these are all photos of my face - the face of a 14-year-old child. Most of them aren't showing anything other than my face."

Katie said none of the photos were in any way provocative. What sickened her most was the vile comments posted about them on the site. "Some of the comments are absolutely disgusting. They are vile," she said.

Another woman checked the site when she became concerned some of her friends' images were on it. "It is mostly Cork girls, from what I can see," she said.

Today it is estimated that up to 50 young girls could be victims of the 'harvest'.

Hurricane Alex in the mid Atlantic (Image via National Hurricane Centre)

A rare January hurricane in the Atlantic is closing in on the Azores, with authorities in the Portuguese islands warning of waves up to 60ft high, wind gusts up to 100mph and torrential rain.

Alex is the first hurricane to form in the month of January since 1938. Its maximum sustained winds decreased to near 75mph but the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami said it expected little change in strength over the coming days.

Nevertheless, it said Alex is likely to lose its tropical characteristics as it moves over colder waters.

Early on Friday, the centre reported Alex was about 130 miles south of Terceira Island - one of nine Azores islands, where a hurricane warning was in effect - and was moving north at about 23mph.

Azores authorities said they expected the storm to peak soon. Schools and government offices on several islands remained closed, and officials told people to stay indoors.

Azores regional airline SATA cancelled flights.

The archipelago has a population of around 250,000.

The ministry did not name the medication being tested

Six medical volunteers are in hospital - one in a state of brain death - after taking part in a botched drug test at a clinic in western France, the Health Ministry said.

The prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into what the ministry called a "serious accident during a clinical test" in Rennes.

Health minister Marisol Touraine travelled to the city after ordering an investigation into the lab involved and how it conducts clinical tests. She is holding a news conference later and the Rennes-based lab Biotrial said its chief executive Jean-Marc Gandon will join her.

The ministry statement said those who fell ill had taken an oral medication in the first phase of testing, which studies safe usage, tolerance and other measures on healthy volunteers.

It was not immediately clear whether the six were among a larger group of volunteers involved in the tests or what dose they had been given. The statement did not name the type of medication.

Biotrial, with headquarters in Rennes and offices in London and Newark, New Jersey, says on its website it has over 25 years of experience in clinical trials and uses "state-of-the-art facilities".

In France, adults volunteering for Biotrial tests can earn between 100 and 4,500 euros (£76 to £3,400).

It is rare for volunteers to fall seriously ill when testing new drugs. Researchers generally start with the lowest possible dose for humans after extensive tests in animals.

There was a similar incident in Britain in 2006, when six previously healthy men were treated for organ failure hours after being given an experimental drug targeting the immune system. That prompted a review of procedures and resulted in the UK regulatory agency imposing new testing standards, including recommendations to use the lowest possible dose and to test new drugs one person at a time.

The six men in Britain now apparently have a higher risk of cancer and autoimmune diseases tied to their exposure to the experimental drug.

The graveyard of St Margaret's Church in London where the bodies of the young men were found

The trial of an alleged serial killer accused of drugging and murdering four men he met on gay websites has been delayed because of the "large amount of outstanding work" in the case, a court has heard.

Stephen Port, 40, appeared via prison video link at Kingston Crown Court in Surrey charged with four counts of murder and four counts of administering a poison with intent to endanger life or inflict grievous bodily harm.

He allegedly met the men on gay websites and invited them to his house where he is said to have poisoned them with the party drug GHB.

After suffering from overdoses, the men, in their 20s, were dumped in or near a churchyard in east London.

Wearing a light pink shirt, bald-headed Port spoke only to confirm his name during the brief 15-minute hearing.

He was due to enter pleas but the case was adjourned for a hearing at the Old Bailey in April. A provisional trial date was fixed for October 4.

Prosecutor William Emlyn-Jones said: "There is a very large amount of outstanding work given the scale of this inquiry."

Mr Justice Singh extended the custody time limit for Port ahead of the trial which is expected to last eight to 10 weeks.

The judge said: "Given the unusual circumstances of this case I'm satisfied the criteria for extending custody is met in this case."

Port, of Cooke Street, Barking, in east London, will next appear at the Old Bailey at 9.30am on April 15 for a plea and case management hearing.

Detectives launched an investigation after four men died over a period of 14 months.

The first, Anthony Walgate, 23, was found dead on Cooke Street on June 19 2014. He was a fashion and design student at Middlesex University who was originally from Hull but living in Barnet.

Gabriel Kovari, 22, was found by a dog walker near St Margaret's churchyard on August 28 2014. He was originally from Slovakia but lived in Lewisham, south London.

Just under a month later, on September 20 2014, the same dog walker discovered the body of Daniel Whitworth, 21, from Gravesend, Kent, near the same churchyard.

Then on September 14 last year, Jack Taylor, 25, a forklift truck driver from Dagenham, was found dead near the abbey ruins close to North Street.

The deaths were not initially linked but after further investigation they were referred to the Metropolitan Police homicide and major crime command on October 14 last year.

The force has referred its handling of the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

An armed plain clothes police officer in the aftermath of the attack on Jakarta

Video footage showing the shocking aftermath of the Jakarta bombings has been made public.

This harrowing footage shows dead victims lying on the ground while police officers, carrying weapons, assess the damage in the areas in and around Thamrin Street – where the attacks occurred.

The attack in the heart of Indonesia's capital by suicide bombers was funded by the Islamic State group, police said.

Officers have arrested three men on suspicion of links to the plot and seized an IS flag from one of the bombers.

National police chief General Badrodin Haiti told reporters that Thursday's attack in Jakarta was funded by IS through Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian who spent one year in jail for illegal possession of weapons in 2011, and is now in Syria fighting for the Islamic State.

Supporters of the Islamic State group also circulated a claim of responsibility for the attack on Twitter.

The radical group controls territory in Syria and Iraq, and its ambition to create an Islamic caliphate has attracted some 30,000 foreign fighters from around the world, including a few hundred Indonesians and Malaysians.

The IS link, if proved, poses a grave challenge to Indonesian security forces.

Until now, the group was known only to have sympathisers with no active cells capable of planning and carrying out a plan such as Thursday's in which five men attacked a Starbucks cafe and a traffic police booth with hand-made bombs, guns and suicide belts.

They killed two people - a Canadian and an Indonesian - and injured 20. The attackers were killed subsequently, either by their suicide vests or by police.

The attack "was funded by Isis in Syria through Bahrun Naim," Mr Haiti told reporters after Friday prayers.

He also identified one of the five attackers as Sunakim, who was once sentenced to seven years in jail for his involvement in military-style terrorist training in Aceh, but was released early.

Police also arrested three men at dawn in their homes in Depok on the outskirts of Jakarta, and more raids were being conducted in Java, Kalimantan and Sulawesi provinces based on evidence found at the scene, national police spokesman Anton Charliyan said.

"Now we can be sure that it was the action of Isis because Isis's flag was found in the house of one of the suspects," he said. "Hopefully, the group's (other) members will be captured soon."

In recent years, Indonesian anti-terror forces had successfully stamped out another extremist group known as Jemaah Islamiyah. It was responsible for several attacks in Indonesia, including the 2002 bombings of bars in Bali, which left 202 people dead, as well as two hotel bombings in Jakarta in 2009 that killed seven people.

Terrorism experts say IS supporters in Indonesia are drawn from the remnants of Jemaah Islamiyah.

Jakarta residents were shaken by Thursday's events but refused to be cowed.

The area near the Starbucks cafe remained cordoned off with a highly visible police presence. Onlookers and journalists lingered, with some people leaving flowers and messages of support.

A large screen atop the building containing the Starbucks displayed messages that said "#prayforjakarta" and "Indonesia Unite".

Newspapers carried bold front-page headlines declaring the country was united in condemnation of the attack, which was the first in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, since the hotel bombings in 2009.

FILMED BY Jefta Images / Barcroft Media

Guzman after his recapture

Reports in the Spanish press claim that recaptured drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman fancied buying Chelsea.

Sport say that the man reputed to be the world's biggest drug trafficker loves football and he wanted to use his vast wealth to buy the London club.

Police discovered this as they were searching for information about 'El Chapo' following his escape from a Mexican prison in July 2015.

The drug lord was recaptured last week after a deadly raid by Mexican authorities on the house he was hiding in.

The Mexican's wealth was estimated at $1billion but the most recent value of Chelsea placed it in the region of $1.3billion.

However, even if he could stump up the cash, his bid would surely fail the Premier League's 'fit and proper person' test for buying a club.

Arlene Foster

Stormont's new First Minister Arlene Foster has said there is no need to "tinker" with the national anthem played before Northern Ireland's football matches.

Mrs Foster, who leads the Democratic Unionists, said the practice of playing the UK anthem God Save The Queen before Northern Ireland fixtures will not change.

The team are preparing for this summer's European Championships in France - their first major tournament for 30 years.

Mrs Foster said: "We have a national anthem, I don't think there is any need to tinker with that, I don't see any reason to change it."

MPs recently debated whether England should adopt its own official song when Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins took his English National Anthem Bill to Parliament on January 13.

Mr Perkins has argued that England competes as a country in its own right and a song celebrating England rather than Britain would be more appropriate.

DUP leader Mrs Foster was named First Minister at the Stormont power-sharing administration on Monday.

She said: "We have a national anthem; I am also very conscious that we don't want to get into the politicisation of sport.

"Sport is something that unites people right across Northern Ireland, people are getting behind our sporting heroes, we are very much looking forward to the European Championships, sport is something that unites us."

She pointed out that the vote related to the English football team, not Northern Ireland.

While many in Northern Ireland will support the Windsor Park-based side during this summer's tournament in France, many others will cheer on the Republic of Ireland, who have also qualified.

A bitter row has broken out at Belfast City Council over a proposal to invite the Republic and Northern Ireland to a reception at City Hall recognising their achievements in qualifying for France, with unionists insisting the other UK qualifiers should also have been invited.

Jordan Taylor

A martial arts enthusiast convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in a frenzied attack has been jailed for a minimum of 23 years.

Laura Davies (below), 21, died after the attack at the Essex Horse and Pony Protection Society base in Basildon, Essex, where she lived and worked as a groom.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard she suffered at least 80 stab wounds and the attack was so forceful that the knife used was bent to a 45-degree angle.

Unemployed Jordan Taylor, 22, of Basildon, had denied the murder on July 3 last year but was found guilty by a jury on Thursday.

On Friday, Judge Charles Gratwicke, who described the killing as "brutal", jailed Taylor for life with a minimum tariff of 23 years, Essex Police said.

The court heard Miss Davies ended their relationship moments before her death.

She had cooked a meal for Taylor in the flat they shared and told him that although the relationship was over, he could continue living there as she did not want to make him homeless.

Prosecutors said the attack began in the flat, then continued outside as she fled in her pyjamas.

CCTV footage showed the defendant attempting to hoist Miss Davies's near-lifeless body over a hedge out of view.

Her family said she had been unhappy after he had begun telling her what to wear, prevented her going out and had taken control of her bank account.

Giving evidence, her mother Dyanne Lambert said he would not allow her to wear short-sleeved or low-cut tops and they would often argue.

Ms Lambert added: "She became very quiet and didn't want to talk about what was going on."

Giving evidence on the third day of his trial, Taylor - who was born in Carlisle before moving to Annan in Scotland and then Swindon - described the moment he "stupidly" grabbed the knife he alleged his partner of six months had lunged at him with.

He denied purposefully making "disfiguring" cuts to Miss Davies's face and left breast as "punishment" for trying to end the relationship before eventually killing her.

Punam Malhan, senior district crown prosecutor for East of England Crown Prosecution Service, said: "This was a vicious and sustained attack involving 80 separate wounds.

"Jordan Taylor's actions were a result of a jealous rage after Laura ended their relationship. His actions have needlessly ended a young woman's life and robbed her of any future."

Jodie Hayes

A 22-year-old student and mother of one, who allegedly called a security guard a “fucking asshole,” a “dickhead” and a “thick shit,” has been awarded damages for defamation in the Circuit Civil Court against his employer.

Jodie Hayes told the court that in May 2013 she had been with friends at River Island store in the Ilac Shopping Centre, Dublin, when she was asked to leave the shop by security guard Wayne Mitchell.

She said when she asked him why, Mitchell had told her ‘you know why’  and directed her out of the store.  She had been embarrassed in front of friends and other customers. 

Hayes, of Rory O’Connor House, Hardwicke Street Flats, Dublin, denied calling Mitchell the names which were later described in detail to Judge John Hannan.

She sued security company Vision Security Group Ltd, of Suite 6 Plaza, 256 Blanchardstown Corporate Park, Ballycoolin.  The company denied having accused Ms Hayes of shoplifting. 

Mitchell told the court that the store management had taken the decision to bar Ms Hayes from the store after she had been very abusive two weeks before the incident, when she was asked to leave the store after one of her friends allegedly removed a security tag off an item. 

The court heard there had been no suspicion that Ms Hayes had done anything suspicious. 

Hayes said Mitchell had told her she could come back to the store when she had calmed down.  She told Judge Hannan she did not know she had been barred.

Judge Hannan said he accepted Ms Hayes had been defamed.  He said he was satisfied that “words” had been spoken to Mr Mitchell, but Ms Hayes had left the store thinking that she could come back. 

The judge said although Mr Mitchell had tried to do his best, when Ms Hayes did come back to the store, the security guard took the decision to approach her and spoke to her in front of her friends and other customers. 

Judge Hannan, awarding Hayes €7,500 damages along with her legal costs, said she had not suffered any significant injury out of this incident and her shopping habits in the store had not been affected.