Jim Mansfield

Millionaire businessman Jim Mansfield Snr ran millions of euro of dirty money through the books at his Citywest empire and Gardaí now suspect that he operated as a banker to gangland criminals.

Mansfield, who died in January 2014, mixed with politicians, senior gardaí and some of the country’s business elite.

His Citywest hotel was the venue for the annual Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, high-profile GAA functions and even hosted a family wedding for former Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne.

But it is understood that behind the scenes Mansfield was laundering money and ‘washing’ stolen goods for known traveller gangs, paramilitaries and some of the country’s best-known criminals.

Weston Airport

Among those he is believed to have dealt with are drug dealer Paddy Shanahan, murdered cigarette smuggler Noel ‘Kingsize’ Duggan, drug dealer Eamon Kelly, traveller gang boss ‘Fat’ Andy Connors and a number of well-known Rathkeale gangsters who traded in stolen art and antiques.

It is understood that at one point Gerry ‘the Monk’ Hutch used Mansfield’s facilities to wash some of his funds, as did other well-known criminals like Martin ‘the Viper’ Foley and Limerick’s Dundon crime gang, who even purchased a safe house at Citywest.

Members of the Kinahan Cartel also invested €5million in a property deal with Mansfield before the banks shut him down.

And in part payment of the debt the businessman owed the cartel, it is understood he handed over a luxurious mansion at plush Coldwater Lakes to them.

At the time his businesses went bust in 2011, it is believed Mansfield didn’t only owe money to the banks, but also had dirty money investments which became his priority to pay back.

Gardaí investigating documents linked to Mansfield have discovered a list of dirty money debts – believed to be in excess of €360m – owed since his empire crashed. Some of the debts had been serviced with high-powered cars facilitated by a well-known criminal.

After going into receivership, the businessman set up a series of scams in the hope of raising funds to pay off his criminal debtors and to try to buy back key parts of his business.

PJ, Jim Snr and Tony Mansfield

The Sunday World recently detailed how Mansfield enlisted the help of convicted fraudster James ‘Fat Boy’ O’Gorman, who encouraged a host of criminals to invest funds in a bullet resistant glass scheme.

It is understood, however, that he had in fact set up a complex pyramid scheme with millions of euro from criminal investors.

The money, Gardaí believe, was going to be used by Mansfield to buy back key parts of his empire,  including Finnstown House Hotel, Paddy Reilly’s Field in Rathcoole and Saggart Lodge Court.

Gardaí believe that O’Gorman was also the brains behind a suspected VAT scam, which involved companies hiring out their services to the hotel industry. While O’Gorman doesn’t appear as a director of the companies, PJ Mansfield has been linked to one, New Recruits Personnel Limited.

Mansfield Snr is believed to have pocketed up to €12,000 a week from one of the scams as he scrambled to pay back his criminal clients.

The Sunday World can reveal that a number of criminal gangs, including a traveller mob, were also encouraged to invest in a property development on land in south Dublin.

Finnstown House

The plan was to sell-off the development once planning permission was acquired. However, it is unlikely that such permission will ever be given on the site and, to date, no application has even been filed.

We can also reveal how, before he went under, a deal was agreed with senior members of the Kinahan Cartel. Although more than €5million of Kinahan drug money was paid over to Mansfield for properties to launder cash, the deal was never completed due to him going into receivership.

Since then, payments have been made in an attempt to clear the debt. They include two major properties, high-powered vehicles and cash.

One of the houses believed to have been given to the mob was 10 Coldwater Lakes, which was once home to Mansfield’s wife, Anne. The mansion was raided last year by the Criminal Assets Bureau and boxer Matthew Macklin was discovered  staying there although he has no links to crime.

The mob mansion was renovated and fitted with top-of-the-range security after it was given to the Kinahans, and both Daniel and Christopher Jnr have since been spotted there by detectives.

Tassagart House

It is understood the original investment was for five homes from the Mansfield portfolio. Several car dealers linked to the Kinahans were used to facilitate the repayments.

However, dissident groups then appeared on the scene offering protection to the businessman in his dealings with the cartel.

Mansfield had always tried to distance himself from the drug business. A large portion of the debt remains outstanding.

The Sunday World understands that Mansfield Snr tried desperately to put his affairs in order as his health worsened and the financial crisis he found himself in deepened.

Last year, on the first anniversary of his death, the CAB launched a major offensive against properties and businesses linked to him.

Among several properties raided was his family home, Tassagart House and the Finnstown Castle Hotel, which members of his family now run. Hundreds of documents and details of his business affairs were swept up in the searches and Bureau officers have been trying to follow a dirty money trail ever since.

Melissa Reid

Drugs mule Melissa Reid is set to return to the UK "very soon" after Peruvian authorities agreed to expel her from the country, according to the British embassy in Peru.

The 22-year-old, jailed for cocaine smuggling in 2013, has been seeking to serve the remainder of her six-year sentence closer to home in Scotland.

Reid, from Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire, and Michaella McCollum, from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, were imprisoned in 2013 for six years and eight months after admitting trying to smuggle cocaine worth £1.5 million from Peru to Spain.

A spokeswoman for the British embassy in Lima said Reid had been "granted expulsion back to the UK", and would be returning "very soon", but refused to comment further.

McCollum, 23, was freed last month under new legislation on early prison release introduced in Peru last year, after serving two years and three months.

However, it is anticipated she will have to remain in Peru for a considerable period as part of her parole conditions.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) said they had received no word of Reid's expulsion, adding they would only be notified if she was set to serve the remainder of her sentence in Scotland.

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said: "We continue to provide consular assistance."

McCollum and Reid were caught with the haul at Lima airport on August 6 2013 while attempting to fly to Spain.

They had claimed they were forced into carrying the drugs but pleaded guilty to charges later that year.

The pair were caught trying to board a flight with 24lb (11kg) of cocaine in food packets hidden inside their luggage.

McCollum and Reid faced the prospect of a maximum 15-year prison term but struck a behind-closed-doors plea bargain to secure a shorter sentence.

They had previously been held at Lima's Virgen de Fatima prison but were moved to the Ancon 2 prison, where McCollum was reportedly crammed into a cell with 30 other prisoners with poor sanitation and toilet facilities.

The SPS agreed in principle to a transfer in 2014 and Reid has been awaiting approval from the Peruvian authorities, who need to consent to her serving the remainder of her sentence under Scots law.

Reid's father Billy has previously said that the impact of his daughter's crime on his family had been "horrendous".

He said: ''It's horrendous to see your daughter in handcuffs and the living conditions that she has to put up with. Melissa has spent her own 20th and 21st birthdays in prison in Peru.

''She missed the significant event of her only brother's wedding. Events such as Christmas are non-existent for us. There'll be no celebrations in our house, there'll be no Christmas tree until we get her back home.''

Mr Reid spoke out in a video warning of the consequences of drug offences abroad.

Water charges are set to be scrapped for the foreseeable future as Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil finally close in on a deal that will see Enda Kenny re-elected as Taoiseach.

Talks between the two parties are making significant progress tonight with sources in both parties suggesting the country may finally have a new government within days.

Independent.ie reports that Fine Gael has agreed to suspend water charges while a commission of experts draw up a report on how best to re-introduce them and encourage conservation

It is anticipated that the commission would take up to nine months to complete its work before making a submission to an all-party Oireachtas committee.

That committee will then be in a position to call its own witnesses and tease out the deal of the commission’s work before making a recommendation to the Dáil.

TDs will then have to vote on how to fund the country’s water infrastructure.

No definitive timeline has been set agreed for when the committee would finish its work but one senior sources suggested tonight the issue should be resolved by summer 2017.

“A deal is close. There has been a breakthrough on water,” a source said.

Diarmuid Byrne

A hunting enthusiast died after a suspected accidental shooting involving a pump-action shotgun.

The man, named locally as Diarmuid Byrne (41), died instantly when he was struck in the upper chest by the shotgun discharge at his home on Plunkett Road, Ballyphehane in Cork.

The incident occurred shortly after 4.30pm when Mr Byrne was apparently inspecting the weapon with a friend.

It is understood the duo were examining the weapon in preparation for a planned hunting trip.

His shocked friend immediately raised the alarm. Despite paramedics being at the scene within minutes, Mr Byrne was pronounced dead before he could be transferred to Cork University Hospital (CUH).

Gardaí from Togher immediately sealed off the scene to allow for a full forensic and technical examination.

The man who raised the alarm was last night assisting detectives with their inquiries.

Gardaí said they are treating the incident as suspicious in accordance with routine procedures involving all deaths with firearms.

However, a garda source said the primary theory being examined is that Mr Byrne's death was a tragic accident.

Neighbours described him as a very friendly man who was devoted to his dog and to hunting. "He was a lovely fella," one local said.

Via Independent.ie/Ralph Riegel

A garda stands outside the Sunset House yesterday

The 'New IRA' are preparing to target the Kinahan cartel to avenge the latest killing in the bitter gangland feud in Dublin.

Senior sources revealed last night that top-level officers were "extremely concerned" that the murder of dissident republican Michael 'Mickey' Barr (34) on Monday night would lead to a further escalation of the brutal gangland war between the cartel and the Hutch gang.

There are growing fears that dissidents in the North - which have access to a large arsenal of explosives and ammunition - will become a powerful third element in the bloody feud that has claimed six lives.

"Barr was a senior member of the 'New IRA' grouping. The legitimate fear is that his associates in the North and the Republic will now feel they have to avenge his murder by striking back at the Kinahan cartel," a senior source said.

"This escalation is something that no-one is prepared for, something that is terrifying to think about when one considers the arsenal of weapons that the dissidents have.

"If the dissidents become an active third element in this bloody feud, the body count could be in the dozens within months," the source added.

However, other sources have said that Barr was recently fallen out with fellow dissidents and they may not be willing to go war for him.

Gardai believe that Co Tyrone man Michael Barr - who was shot dead in the Sunset House in Summerhill in Dublin's north inner city at 9.30pm on Monday - became a target because of his close association with the Regency Hotel gunman nicknamed 'Flat Cap'. They are both from the same county.

Detectives also believe that the Kinahan cartel had received information that Barr had also been involved in sourcing the AK-47s used in the Regency attack from his IRA faction in the North.

Two men, described as skinny and wearing masks, burst into the Sunset House while a driver waited outside.

Barr was shot a number of times in the head and body. The two men fled in an Audi A6 - registration number 04-C-17738 - which was found burned out in Drumcondra.

It is understood that the killers had a "spotter" in the pub who was in contact with the assassination team.

"They are extremely loyal to the cartel and are frankly a ruthless crowd of evil b******s," a source said last night.

Yesterday, the Herald revealed that key cartel target Ross Hutch (24) fled from the pub when Michael Barr was murdered. This paper has learned that the latest murder in the bitter feud has led to a state of crisis among senior gardai.

"What is the solution to this going to be? Where will we go from here if the IRA decide to become active participants after this murder? It is a very grim prospect," a senior source said.

"There is a lack of surveillance, a lack of intelligence, a lack of proper technology and the whole Covert Human Intelligence Sources system, which governs how gardai deal with criminal informants, is a complete failure."

"Everyone is on tenterhooks that this thing has gone out of all control and even a mass murder cannot be ruled out now," the source added.

The IRA faction, to which Barr was linked, is considered the biggest threat among the many different active dissident republican factions.

The group is an amalgamation of the Real IRA, Republican Action Against Drugs and other republicans which came together to form one group in 2012.

Sources say that their power base had continued to "slowly grow" since that time.

Barr had been living in Finglas and Ballymun and had been a major target for the garda Special Detective Unit for the past four years.

He was due to be sentenced tomorrow at the Special Criminal Court for handling stolen property. Earlier this month he pleaded guilty to handling stolen electrical equipment.

In June of last year, Barr and six other men were cleared of IRA membership charges at the Special Criminal Court.

It is understood that the murdered man leaves behind a devastated north Dublin-based partner and a number of young children.

Via Herald.ie

Graham Smith

An Irishman caught trying to smuggle more then €1m worth of cocaine from Brazil into England has been jailed.

Dubliner Graham Patrick Smith (22) was sentenced to five years by a court in England.

Smith was stopped by customs officials at Heathrow Airport in London and claimed he had travelled to Brazil for a friend's stag party.

He was found to have concealed cocaine with a street value in Britain of £864,000 (€1,115,900) in his luggage.

Border Force officers stopped the Dubliner in the customs channels in the airport's Terminal 3 building on November 30 last.

Smith had arrived on a flight from Sao Paulo and told the Border Force staff that he had travelled to the South American country to attend a friend's stag party.

During a search of his baggage, the officers found a number of sealed plastic bags that appeared to contain food.

But when one of the plastic packages was cut open, a white-coloured powder was discovered inside.

In the subsequent tests it was revealed to be cocaine.

There was a total of six kilos of the drug in Smith's luggage.

The case was referred to the National Crime Agency's (NCA) Border Policing Command and, following questioning, Smith was charged with attempting to import a Class A drug.

Forensic tests carried out on the powder inside the case showed that it was cocaine with a purity of 73pc.

Smith, with an address at Westbourne Green, Clondalkin, Dublin, was brought before Isleworth Crown Court on Friday last.

The court was told that the six kilos of the drug found in his luggage would have had a UK street value of approximately £864,000 if cut and sold. Smith pleaded guilty to the offence.

Phil Douglas, Border Force Heathrow director, said the seizure was considerable.

"This was a cynical, but unsophisticated attempt to smuggle Class A drugs into the UK," said Mr Douglas.

"The Border Force officers who foiled it prevented a sizeable quantity of cocaine from reaching our streets," he said.

"We continue to work with our colleagues from the NCA to do all we can to stamp out this despicable trade and bring those responsible to justice," he added.

One of the most widely known cases of an Irish person seeking to smuggle cocaine from South America was that of Michaella McCollum.

McCollum's case attracted media coverage when in August, 2013, she and Scottish woman Melissa Reid were caught trying to board a flight from Lima in Peru to Madrid in Spain carrying a total of 11kg of cocaine, valued at €1.8m.

They later pleaded guilty in a Peruvian court and received a jail sentence of six years and eight months.

McCollum was released from prison on parole last month.

Via Independent.ie

The scene of the fatal incident this morning (Image via Independent.ie)

A man in his 30s has died after the car he was driving left the road and entered the Grand Canal near Allenwood in Co Kildare early this morning.

Emergency services were called to the scene near Derrinturn just before 6am after a passer-by spotted the car in the water.

It is unclear how the car left the road but sources at the scene reported that it was submerged in the water after it crashed.

The man's body was removed to Naas General Hospital where a post mortem will be carried out, and the scene is being preserved pending an examination by crash investigators.

The road is currently closed to facilitate a Garda Forensic Collision Investigators.

Local Diversions are in place.

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information is asked to contact Naas Garda Station on 045-884300 The Garda Confidential Line, 1800 666111 or any Garda Station.

Snapchat selfie cost driver

A driver from Limerick was caught by Gardai trying to take a Snapchat of himself.

Gardai stopped the driver on Monday night when they spotted the driver trying to take the picture.

The driver received three points on his licence as well as a fine of €60.

Holding a mobile phone or texting became illegal in Ireland in May 2014.

The legislation states that "holding a mobile phone" means "holding it by hand or supporting or cradling it with another part of the body”.

However, gardai say it is the second highest driving offence detected nationwide.

Yesterday's verdict was marked with banners at St George's Hall in Liverpool

The Sun newspaper has come under fire for not mentioning the Hillsborough inquest verdict on the front page.

Four days after the 1989 tragedy the paper ran a front page story proclaiming to tell "The Truth" about the disaster which left 96 people dead.

It featured claims from an anonymous policeman that some fans had "picked pockets of victims", "urinated on cops" and that some beat up a policeman giving the "kiss of life".

Despite not covering the verdict of the two-year inquest on the front page, which cleared the fans of any fault, instead the paper ran a double-page spread on the outcome, and covered it in their main leader.

The leader within the paper states that after 27 years the "Hillsborough families finally have their first measure of justice".

It adds: "Whether they get more is in the hands of the CPS. We hope they do.

"The horror that befell Liverpool fans was, as the inquest has now found, the fault of catastrophic police blunders - specifically by former Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield - which were shamefully then covered up.

"Failures by the ambulance service were also to blame, as was the design of the Sheffield stadium.

"The supporters were not to blame. But the police smeared them with a pack of lies which in 1989 The Sun and others in the media swallowed whole.

"We apologised prominently 12 years ago, again four years ago on the front page, and do so unreservedly again now.

"Further, we pay tribute to the admirable tenacity of the friends and relatives over so many years on behalf of the 96 who died."

The absence of coverage of the Hillsborough inquest on Wednesday's front page led to criticism of the paper, with many taking to Twitter to voice their opinions.

The Irish edition also left the story off the front page and published a double-page spread under the headline 'Justice 27yrs on' on page 22-23.

Impressionist and comedian Rory Bremner tweeted that the relegation of the story to pages eight and nine was "extraordinary".

On Tuesday night "The Sun" became a trending topic on Twitter in the United Kingdom, with more than 124,000 tweets using the term.

The story did not appear on the front page of its sister paper, The Times, for its first edition.

Actor Stephen Mangan questioned: "Wait - neither @TheSun nor @thetimes mention Hillsborough on their front pages?!"

A photo of the families outside the Warrington court room appeared on later editions of The Times, along with a trailer for its coverage that ran into several pages, including an editorial comment.

In 2012 The Sun ran a front page called "The Real Truth" in which the paper announced they were "profoundly sorry for false reports".

On Tuesday former editor of The Sun Kelvin MacKenzie, who oversaw the story published in 1989 blaming fans, also apologised for the "hurt" the story caused.

In a statement he said: "Today's verdicts are an important step in obtaining justice for the victims. My heart goes out to those who have waited so long for vindication.

"As I have said before, the headline I published was wrong and I am profoundly sorry for the hurt it caused."

Talking on Sky News's press preview The Sun's political editor, Tom Newton Dunn said the police are at the "core" of the whole story and the paper were misled by them.

He said if people are still angry over the 1989 front page he "completely understands", adding: "We deserve everything that is thrown our way."

John Paul & Frances Doyle

Longford County Council has stated in the High Court that it has no suitable available accommodation for the seven-strong Doyle family.

Longford County Council has brought High Court proceedings against John Paul and Frances Doyle, who moved into a house at Casey Court, Keenagh, Co Longford some weeks ago.

The couple, who moved into the vacant house with their five children, are on the local authority's housing waiting list.

The local authority is seeking a High Court injunction which will require the Doyles to vacate the property.

A lawyer for the council told the court that the family have no right to stay in the three-bedroom house, reports the Mirror.

Mr Paul Gunning, the council’s lawyer, added that the local authority have sympathy for the Doyles' situation.

However, he stated that their actions in taking over the vacant property meant that they "jumped the queue".

He went on to say that the parents were offered emergency hostel accommodation, which was refused.

Mr Gunning also added that the three-bedroom home in Casey Court is unsuitable for such a large family, while stating that the council currently has no suitable homes for the Doyles.

The court heard of the family’s acceptance of being "in the wrong" for taking over the house but a letter submitted by John Paul and Frances Doyle stated that they had “no option” due to concerns for the health of their children.

The couple, who did not have legal representation at the High Court hearing, would be happy to take what they consider to be "a mansion" if the council decided to offer it to them.

The local authority is keen to offer the house to a more suitably-sized family higher up on its waiting list, though will give the Doyles time to leave the property.

The council's waiting list comprises of over 1,220 people, Mr Gunning told the court.

The home in Keenagh was previously turned down by another family.

In their letter to the court, the Doyles apologised to the court but pleaded for leniency as they are worried for the entire family’s health.

The couple saw "no other way out", while they stated they would "do anything to put a roof over their children's heads."

The parents also stated that Longford County Council had failed to help them.

Mr Justice Paul Gilligan put forward his concerns that if the family were removed from the property, they might end up living on the street.

He did, however, accept that they should not have taken over the vacant property.

The judge suggested that the two parties come together to see if alternative accommodation could be provided for the Doyle family.

Tom Farnan (Image courtesy of the family)

GARDAI are investigating if the savage murder of a 37-year-old man in west Dublin is linked to a local row that he was involved in over a stolen motorbike.

Petty criminal Tom Farnan (37) was shot dead in the hallway of his home Kilcronan Close, Clondalkin, at about 11.45pm on Monday.

Sources have revealed that Farnan had been involved in a row with a number of men in the Clondalkin area earlier on Monday over a motorbike.

It is not believed that dad-of-one Farnan had stolen the motorbike but it is believed that the row involved a "scuffle" between him and a number of other men.

While the murder victim was friends with members of a dangerous Clondalkin-based gang, sources said that he was not an active member of this mob and was not involved in organised crime.

Instead he was known to gardai for crimes including drug possession, burglary, theft, larceny, drink-driving and possession of a knife.

His most serious conviction was a four-month jail sentence imposed in June 2002, which was for fracturing a garda sergeant's leg while trying to evade arrest during an incident in Tallaght.

Gardai said the gunman was described as being short, wore runners and a tracksuit and may have had a balaclava on as he carried out the shooting.

Officers believe the lone gunman knocked on Farnan's door on Kilcronan Close before shooting him up to four times in the torso with a handgun.

The suspect ran from the house along Kilcronan Close on to the Grand Canal and then onto a green area towards Lock View Road.

Superintendent Brendan Connolly said detectives were keeping an open mind over why Farnan was targeted and they were exploring "quite a number of possibilities".

"We are appealing for witnesses, particularly those who were in the Kilcronan Close area prior to or following on from this incident," he added.

Yesterday the victim’s younger sister Jenny Farnan said she was "living the nightmare".

"Words can't describe how much I'm going to miss him. My heart is broken," she said.

She said the family could not understand why he was killed and insisted that she didn't want to speculate.

"I just want it put out there that he was not involved in any of the gangland or criminal activities," she said.

"He was just a normal decent man, a big brother, a loving son and a brilliant father.

"He was the best brother I could have ever asked for. If anybody asked for anything then he would do it for them."

Detectives are satisfied that the murder of Farnan is not linked to the deadly feud that has claimed six lives so far. 

Ken Foy

Via Herald

The scene of Monday night's shooting in Summerhill

Assistant Garda Commissioner John O'Mahony has confirmed that an armed garda patrol was 'only around the corner' when two men burst into the Sunset House pub and shot Michael Barr to death on Monday night.

O'Mahony - who is in charge of Crime and Security for An Garda Siochana - said that armed gardai were on patrol in the city centre on Monday night. They were in the vicinity of the Summerhill premises at the time of the fatal shooting.

"I think it is important to say that there are armed patrols on a 24/7 basis in the city," he said.

"Last night (Monday) an armed patrol was only around the corner from the shooting when it took place. I think it is indicative of the challenges that we are facing that people are willing to go and commit a crime of this nature despite the presence or close presence of armed gardai."

It has emerged that armed detectives in the Crumlin area have also been ordered to patrol on a 24/7 basis.

Assistant Commissioner O'Mahony also revealed that garda units foiled a murder bid last week.

"There are obviously challenges. That being said on a regular basis we are preventing murders. Only last week in an incident we had to take preventative measures to save a person, who will probably never know that they were a target on that particular night, but these things are happening on a regular basis," O'Mahony said.

Managing Director Graham Keddie welcomed the news

Ryanair has expanded its Belfast International Airport operation with three new routes to Poland to start in the winter.

Earlier this year the firm announced it was expanding its Belfast operation to include Alicante, Krakow, Berlin, Lanzarote, Malaga, Milan and Tenerife.

Now the airline's Chief Marketing Officer has said that the low-fares airline will provide three new routes to Poland - Gdansk, Warsaw and Wroclaw.

Kenny Jacobs said: “Our new Polish routes will be ideal for both business and leisure customers and we look forward to growing routes, traffic and jobs in Belfast in the coming months and years."

Graham Keddie, Managing Director of Aldergrove, said: "This is more fantastic news from Ryanair. It means that this winter should be one of our busiest ever.

“Gdansk, Warsaw and Wroclaw follow Krakow and deliver a very comprehensive network to a new and important Polish market.

“We currently stand as the eleventh largest airport in the UK, but I expect that with continuing airline expansion and growth in passenger numbers we will break into the top ten before too long. The airport is delivering real economic benefit for Northern Ireland and that means new employment and business opportunities.

“These new Polish routes are delivered without any government support and show only a fraction of what could be achieved if APD [air passenger duty] were removed. Despite this headwind we’re making great progress and have reason to believe we can maintain the momentum.”

Praia on Cape Verde

Police have launched a manhunt for a soldier suspected of killing 11 people at a military barracks on the Cape Verde islands.

The former Portuguese colony's president, Jorge Carlos Fonseca, said on his Facebook page that investigations into the killings are proceeding "at a good and positive pace".

The government said a disgruntled soldier who has gone missing is suspected of gunning down eight other soldiers and three civilians, including two Spaniards, on Tuesday. It did not name him.

Mr Fonseca said in his social media post on Wednesday that he is cancelling an official trip to one of the country's 10 islands so he can follow the investigation.

Local newspaper A Semana reported a heavy police presence in the capital Praia, with some 40 police officers in its main square.

Stock image

A prisoner who threw boiling water through the hatch of his cell - causing a member of staff "excruciating" pain - has had his jail sentence increased by the Court of Appeal.

Three judges in London agreed with Attorney General Jeremy Wright that a custodial term of seven years and eight months handed out to Paul Byrne, 27, was "unduly lenient" - and upped it to 11 years.

Lord Justice Treacy, announcing the decision, ruled that the original jail sentence imposed in February at Burnley Crown Court for an offence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent went "well beyond the lenient".

Byrne, who was serving a sentence for robbery, carried out the attack while on the healthcare wing at HMP Preston, where he had been transferred because of concerns over his mental health.

His victim was 51-year-old nurse Yvonne Manfredi, who went to check on him after he sounded an alarm.

He had used a kettle in his cell to boil water to fill a bowl and waited for a staff member to arrive. He threw the water through the hatch into the nurse's face "without warning".

His victim suffered scalding and second degree burns and has been left with permanent discolouration to her face, neck, chest, breast and arms.

Lord Justice Treacy said she had "felt intense pain as if on fire", and was taken to hospital. After the incident she needed counselling, and because she no longer felt safe at her place of work the attack caused her to "leave that particular employment".

She suffered "excruciating pain at the time, and pain which continued over a significant period, together with significant, permanent psychological consequences".

Byrne, who has a "significant criminal record" said he had no recollection of the incident.

Lord Justice Treacy said the court was "entirely satisfied" that the jail term imposed was "far too low".

Byrne's sentence was originally one of seven years and eight months custody, with an extended licence period of four years. The appeal judges replaced the custodial element with 11 years, and said the licence period would remain the same.

After the hearing, Mr Wright, who presented the case to the Court of Appeal, said in a statement: "Given my previous role as Prisons Minister, attacks against prison staff are something I take extremely seriously, which is why I wanted to present the case personally in this matter.

"Premeditated attacks like that carried out by Byrne against a person serving the public in a difficult job deserve a strong punishment, not least because of the need to set a tough deterrent.

"I am glad that the Court of Appeal has agreed that Byrne should spend longer in prison and I sincerely hope this longer sentence provides some comfort to Ms Manfredi."

Australian redback spider (stock image)

A 21-year-old man has been hospitalised after being bitten by a deadly arachnoid - on his penis.

The Australian tradesman was relieving himself in a portable toilet at a Sydney building site this morning when the incident occurred.

A venomous redback spider bit the young man on the penis and he immediately took himself to hospital.

BBC News reported that a spokesperson for St George Hospital confirmed they were treating a 21-year-old man for a redback bite.

A spokesman from the New South Wales ambulance service told Adelaide Now that despite the shocking injury, the young man somehow found his own way to the hospital.

"He's somehow managed to get alternative transport to hospital," the spokesman said.

A bite from the distinctive redback spider - its name deriving from the long red stripe on its abdomen - causes sweating, nausea - and severe pain.

An anti-venom for the redback bite was developed in 1956 and no related deaths have been recorded since.

The man was later discharged from the hospital in a stable condition.

Via Independent.ie

Gardai and Tusla have launched an investigation af­ter a toddler in Dublin died of a suspected methadone over­dose earlier this month.

The two-year-old girl was rushed to a hospital and was kept alive on a life support machine for a number of days, but doctors were not able to revive her.

A source told the Sunday World that gardai believe she may have ingest­ed the heroin substitute after it was accidentally left lying around her Co Dublin home.

The methadone – which often comes in the form of a bright liquid – was prescribed to a member of her family as a treatment for long-term heroin addiction.

A source has revealed that Tusla and the gardai are investigating the death as a matter of "routine" because of the child's age but that there is no negligence suspected on behalf of her parents. The child's parents are said to be devastated at the loss.

When contacted by the Sunday World, the girl's family did not wish to comment.

Accidental methadone overdoses have been responsible for the deaths of a number of toddlers over the years.

In a tragic case in 1998, a post-mortem examination showed methadone in the system of a three-year-old boy.

Aaron Myles Sommers was found dead by his parents at their home at Gallanstown Lawn, Ballyfermot, in May 1996.

Efforts to revive him failed.

The post-mortem showed that he died from the aspiration of gastric contents secondary to the ingestion of methadone.

Both parents said they used methadone. They kept it in a kitchen cupboard, which was about six feet from the floor.

They said they used a child's bottle to measure the methadone and drank the drug from a cup. A small trace of the drug might have been left on the cup. Aaron didn't drink from a bottle.

Hundreds of children are treated every year after swallowing toxic substances left lying around the house.

As well as medicines, more than 720 children have suffered from ill effects after swallowing or handling liquid laundry capsules in the past four years.

The Health and Safety Authority last year issued a warning to parents to guard against toddlers accessing the capsules, which can cause vomiting, rashes, respiratory problems and temporary blindness.

Jeff Hendrick arriving at Dublin District Court today

REPUBLIC of Ireland football star Jeff Hendrick has been returned for trial accused of taking part in a violent disorder incident in Dublin which led to a man suffering a broken jaw.

A court in Dublin has heard that soccer coach Darren McDermott feared for his life after he was confronted by a group including Jeff Hendrick. Mr McDermott has also alleged he was dragged from from a taxi by the the Derby County midfielder.

Hendrick (24), originally from Kilmore in north Dublin, is now based in England where he plays for Derby. He is accused of violent disorder at Harcourt Street in Dublin city centre on October 12, 2013.

The charge, under the Public Order Act, involves an allegation of the use of, or the threat of violence, which could cause a person to fear for their safety.

His co-accused Jonathan Doran (24), of Kilmore Crescent, Artane, Dublin, is also charged with violent disorder at nearby Montague Street but also has an additional charge for assault causing harm to Darren McDermott in connection with the same incident.

Both men had pleaded not guilty and a trial commenced at Dublin District Court in March. However, after hearing evidence from Darren McDermott, jurisdiction was refused, meaning the case must be heard at Circuit Court level, which has tougher sentencing powers.

Mr Hendrick and his co-defendant appeared again at the district court today where they were served with books of evidence.

Judge John King told them that if they intended to rely on alibis they must inform the prosecution within 14 days. Mr Hendrick and his co-defendant both replied "yeah" when asked if they understood.

Judge King made an order sending them forward to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where they will face a jury trial. They will face their next hearing on June 6 – a week before the Republic of Ireland play their first match, against Sweden, in the UEFA European Championships. New trial dates will be set.

At a hearing last month, Mr McDermott, a soccer coach who is from Kilmore west in Dublin but now living in Clarehall, in the city's north side, said he had gone out with a few friends to a club in the city centre. They watched an Ireland-Germany match and later went to the Krystle nightclub on Harcourt Street. They met Mr Hendrick's group.

He said they were chatting and laughing and had photos taken on their phones. He said when his friend went to the bar Mr Hendrick "just turned, his whole demeanour changed, he was not happy with me being in their company". He said the footballer became quite aggressive and started "verbals".

He said he left and had described being pulled out of a taxi and being threatened and pursued by Mr Hendrick. He claimed he had been followed and knocked to the ground and was allegedly set on, kicked in the face and he gave evidence that he feared for his life.

He said he suffered a triple fractured jaw and bruising to his chest, body, arms, legs and face.

Stock image

A YOUTH caught prowling at a south Dublin house which was undergoing renovations has been given an 11-month sentence for a litany of offences.

The 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty at the Dublin Children's Court to crimes committed over a four-year period. In addition to the sentence, a four-year road ban was also handed down by Judge John O'Connor.

He admitted taking part in burglary at a house on Belgrave Road in Monkstown in south County Dublin on May 19, 2013. The house was being renovated when the youth and another older male entered. However, no property was taken.

The first offence was on Christmas Day 2012 when he broke into a car and stole a Swiss Army knife and a driving licence.

He also admitted stealing baby clothing worth €99 from a Tesco in Clarehall, in north Dublin on January 20, 2016; theft of a bottle of vodka worth €27 and crisps from a Tesco in Bray, in County Wicklow on Octocber 8, 2015; possessing a screwdriver for use in a theft offence on February 27, 2013 at Blackrock Road, Blackrock, in south County Dublin; and driving without a licence, insurance or tax at Howth Road in Dublin on April 13 last.

He had a prior offence for driving without a licence or insurance on March 18, 2014.

Earlier he had been warned he could only avoid a custodial sentence if he obeyed a list of conditions. The boy, who was accompanied to court by a family member, had been told at an earlier hearing, last year, that he must stay out of trouble, attend a training course after a placement was arranged by the Probation Service and go to a youth mentoring service.

He had to keep going to appointments with the Probation Service to address his offending.

However, he later had bench warrants for missing court hearings and when the case resumed on Wednesday, Judge O'Connor noted the teenager had not engaged with his probation officer.

A young boy who was allegedly raped by his father and forced to have sex with his mother left his second foster home because his foster mother felt he needed more specialist care for his sexualised behaviour.

“We knew he needed more help. We knew he had to go somewhere to get extensive therapy where he could get the help he needed so he could have some chance of a future,” the woman said.

She was giving evidence on day 12 of the trial at the Central Criminal Court.

She and her husband didn't want the child to leave nor did he want to leave them but she said they all realised it was necessary.

The boy has previously alleged his father raped him, sexually abused him with a hot poker and forced him to have sex with his mother over the course of several years from when he was about six years old.

The father is alleged to have filmed some of these incidents and shown them to others. He is further alleged to have held a gun to the child's head and to have left him locked in a box.

The parents face a total of 82 charges of abuse between 2007 and 2011 in Waterford. The father and mother have pleaded not guilty to 16 counts each of sexual exploitation and one charge each of child cruelty.

The mother has also denied 16 counts of sexual assault while the father denies 16 counts of anal rape and 16 counts of sexual assault with a poker.

The child's second foster mother told Pauline Walley SC,that on one occasion the then eight-year-old complainant brought a few younger children down to his bedroom.

He said he was playing hotel before he pulled the blinds and asked to see the children's private parts. The woman said the child was never allowed to be alone with younger children again.

She told Ms Walley on another occasion he tried to touch her breasts and kiss her on the mouth. She said he would also grind on her leg and peer down her top.

The woman said the boy once admitted that he had tried to watch her in the shower and she was very upset with him. She reprimanded him and told him that he had invaded her privacy.

She said another time she and the boy were mess fighting on the couch and she accidentally kicked the boy in his private area. He became very upset and aggressively told her that if she ever touched him there again he would “put his willy up my arse”. He then laughed.

The boy then went on to tell his foster mother that his father had “shoved his willy up my bum”.

She asked him if he was sure and asked if it could have been the stick the man used as he had previously told her. He said he was sure it was his penis and said he had been too afraid and embarrassed to say it before.

She said the boy always talked kindly about his mother and said sometimes she would stop his father. The boy said he “was always afraid for her, afraid she would get into trouble”.

The witness said the child had access meetings with his mother and he would always look forward to them. Sometimes he would ask to see his father because he wanted to see if he had changed.

The woman said the child would sometimes “almost take on the persona of his dad” when recounting an incident of abuse.

“He would start using bad language. He would get angry, hitting himself, pace up and down and be quite in your face,” she said, adding that it could be quite scary

“Once you re-assured that you still loved him, he would get out of it and revert back to the happy, relaxed child he had been,” she told Ms Walley.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Robert Eagar and a jury.