Appeal: The two men may have witnessed the attack on the teenager

Police in Antrim are appealing to the public for assistance identifying two men they say may have witnessed a serious sexual assault.

Detectives investigating the sexual attack on a teenager in Portrush are hoping to identify the two men featured in the above photograph. 

They believe the men may have witnessed the attack which took place a short time later.

The CCTV still was taken in Kelly's in the town during the last week of August 2014, police said, and the attack took place outside the premises. 

Detective Sergeant Jenny Carson said: "We are investigating a serious crime and we believe these two young men may have witnessed the incident.

"We do not believe they were involved but we would like to identify them so that we can progress the investigation.

"I would ask these men, or anyone who recognises them, to contact police so that our enquiries can be progressed. Please call us on the non-emergency number 101 or use the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

Saverio Bellante

The trial of a 34-year-old Italian man who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Tom O'Gorman in Castleknock in Dublin in January 2014 is to begin this week.

Saverio Bellante, from Palermo in Sicily, is charged with murdering Mr O'Gorman at Beech Park Avenue in Castleknock between 11 and 12 January last year.

A jury of seven women and five men was sworn in at the Central Criminal Court this morning.

The trial is due to begin next Thursday.

The road was closed to facilitate a Garda Forensic Collision Investigation

Gardai are appealing to the public for witnesses to a crash which left a motorist in critical condition in hospital.

Officers in New Ross are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the single vehicle road traffic collision, which occurred at approximately 8.50am on Sunday.

The driver of the single vehicle was seriously injured in the crash at Ballykerogue Beg, Campile, in County Wexford.

The motorist is currently in a critical condition at Cork University Hospital (CUH).

The road was closed to facilitate a Garda Forensic Collision Investigation but has since reopened, a Garda spokesperson said. 

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to the collision to contact them at New Ross Garda Station on 051-426030, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666111 or any Garda Station.

James "Whitey" Bulger

A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston will hear oral arguments from James "Whitey" Bulger's lawyers, who are trying to overturn his racketeering convictions.

Bulger is serving a life sentence in Florida and wasn’t present for Monday's proceedings.

Bulger's attorneys contend his right to a fair trial was violated when a judge barred him from telling the jury about his claim that a federal prosecutor promised him immunity. Judge Denise Casper found that Bulger offered no hard evidence of an immunity deal.

Prosecutors say the evidence overwhelmingly showed Bulger's guilt and he shouldn't get a new trial.

Bulger (85) was found guilty of committing or ordering 11 murders in the 1970s and 1980s in a trial that shone a light on his corrupt relationship with federal agents and prosecutors in Boston, who turned a blind eye to the Irish-American gangster’s crimes in return for information they could use against the Italian-American Mafia.

The former head of the “Winter Hill” gang is serving a sentence of two life terms plus five years for what US district judge Denise Casper called his “unfathomable” crimes.

Bulger cited Casper's ruling when he decided not to testify in his own defense. He told the judge he felt he'd been "choked off from having an opportunity to give an adequate defense."

"And my thing is, as far as I'm concerned, I didn't get a fair trial, and this is a sham," Bulger said.

In his appeal, Bulger's lawyers argue that if he had been allowed to testify about his immunity claim in his own words, the jury would have had the chance to weight his credibility against the credibility of prosecution witnesses.

Lawyers for former Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger are set to challenge his 2013 racketeering conviction today, contending a judge wrongly blocked them from arguing that a US official had given him immunity for his crimes.

Bulger (85) was found guilty of committing or ordering 11 murders in the 1970s and 1980s in a trial that shone a light on his corrupt relationship with federal agents and prosecutors in Boston, who turned a blind eye to the Irish-American gangster’s crimes in return for information they could use against the Italian-American Mafia.

The former head of the “Winter Hill” gang is serving a sentence of two life terms plus five years for what US district judge Denise Casper called his “unfathomable” crimes.

His attorney, Hank Brennan, is expected to argue in the first circuit of the US court of appeals that Casper violated Bulger’s rights by not allowing him to testify that a US attorney for Massachusetts, Jeremiah O’Sullivan, who has since died, had offered Bulger immunity for his crimes, which also included extortion and drug dealing.

Casper contended that even if Bulger had been offered immunity for information on rival criminal gangs, a deal that allowed him to continue to murder with impunity would have no legal standing.

For his part, Bulger denied ever serving as an informant – or “rat” in gang parlance – contending he paid a corrupt FBI agent for information but offered none of his own.

“I’ve been choked off from having an opportunity to give an adequate defence and explain about my conversation and agreement with Jeremiah O’Sullivan,” Bulger told Casper during his trial. “For my protection of his life, in return, he promised to give me immunity.”

Federal prosecutors, represented by assistant US attorney Randall Kromm, are expected to argue that Bulger never produced any evidence that an immunity deal existed.

“Bulger’s claim that the district court violated his constitutional rights by precluding him from testifying as to an alleged immunity agreement with a federal prosecutor is meritless,” they wrote in a filing ahead of Monday’s hearing.

Bulger, whose brother William was the president of the Massachusetts state senate, fled the city in 1994 on a tip that his arrest was imminent. He spent 16 years on the run, many listed atop the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list, before his capture in southern Californiain 2011.

A man who stole over €27,000 from friends and acquaintances by selling them bogus package holidays has been given a two year suspended sentence.

Aaron Weinrib (37) of Cambridge Villas, Rathmines, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to eight sample charges of theft and fraud on dates between June 2010 and December 2010.

The court heard he had been selling three different holiday packages to New York, Las Vegas and Cape Town while claiming to be an agent for “Top Flight”.

His defence counsel said he used the money to keep up with “his cocaine lifestyle” having lost his job.

Weinrib has raised all but €4,000 of the money. As a condition of his sentence Judge Mary Ellen Ring ordered him to pay back the remainder over the next two years.

Detective Garda Conor Bresnan told Michael Bowman BL, prosecuting, that gardaí were contacted in November 2010 by two men who claimed that Weinrib had sold them package holidays.

One man had paid €3,200 for four nights for four people in the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, while the other had paid €550 for a two night stay in New York.

Both men received some documentation bearing the Top Flight logo from Weinrib but later discovered that there was no such holiday reserved for them.

Weinrib was taken in for questioning the following month and admitted that he took bank drafts from the men to cover the cost of the holidays. He confirmed the holidays were never booked and said he had intended to refund them.

“I did intend to run a promotion to honour them but it snowballed,” Weinrib told gardaí.

He admitted that he had never worked for Top Flight and that the documentation was a forgery.

During a search of Weinrib’s apartment gardaí discovered a list of people and contact details and evidence on his computer of the documents generated with the Top Flight logo.

Weinrib later admitted that other friends and acquaintances had been sold bogus holidays. He claimed that some had been refunded but told gardaí it was “a right fucking mess”.

In total Weinrib sold these packages, which also included a package holiday worth €1,100 for the Mandela Rhodes Place hotel in Cape Town, to 20 people. He made €27,600 in the scam.

Det Gda Bresnan agreed with Lorcan Stains BL, defending, that his client was co-operative with the investigation and had no previous convictions.

He accepted that it had not been a complicated offence and it was only “a matter of time” before the gardaí would have been alerted.

Counsel suggested to Det Gda Bresnan that while this had been “a crime of stupidity, from the outset it actually was a crime of desperation”.

Mr Staines said Weinrib had started to “engage in cocaine taking and the cocaine lifestyle” and subsequently lost his job. He was embarrassed by that fact and tried to “keep up with the lifestyle but didn’t have the pay cheque to match it”.

Counsel submitted that his client was “acting under a fantasy” that he would ultimately be able to refund everyone.

A psychologist report said Weinrib suffers from anxiety and stress, has a poor coping mechanism, is easily overwhelmed and has low moods and panic attacks. He has recently been diagnosed as bi-polar.

“At first brush it seems idiotic but it goes deeper than that because we are dealing with an intelligent man,” Mr Staines told Judge Ring and submitted that it was “a head in the sand scenario”.

A Dublin teenager who launched a vicious, unprovoked attack on a father-of-two in front of his young family has received a two year suspended sentence.

Sean Beumer (19) of Edenmore Crescent, Coolock pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Court to assault causing harm to Mark Kelly at Grace Park Heights, Drumcondra on March 15 last year.

Judge Martin Nolan said the victim was attacked viciously during a frightening, unprovoked and serious assault which was witnessed by his wife and family.

Garda Marguerite Reilly told Dean Kelly BL, prosecuting, that Mr Kelly had been watching a rugby international game on TV and at half-time he spotted a group of young teens sitting on a wall outside his home.

There had been problems with anti-social behaviour locally and Mr Kelly decided to go outside and tell the youths to move on.

Beumer told Mr Kelly he wasn't hanging out with the group of kids and claimed he was from the area, pointing out a parked Lexus as his car. Mr Kelly told gardaí that out of nowhere, Beumer punched him to the face and burst his lower lip which started bleeding.

Beumer punched him again knocking him to the ground and continued to punch him repeatedly to the head and body.

Mr Kelly's wife tried to pull her husband's attacker off but said he was “as strong as an ox”. She was thrown to the ground and felt a severe pain in her back.

Mr Kelly's brother came to his assistance and also saw another man joining in with the assault when Mark was on the ground.

Gardaí arrested Beumer the following day. He apologised for his actions but said it had been “self-defence”.

His 14 previous convictions are mainly for road traffic offences but include one conviction for attempted theft.

Sinead Prunty BL, defending, said Beumer took full responsibility and knew his actions were completely unacceptable. Ms Prunty said her client was unable to get work after the Leaving Certificate, fell into a negative peer group and began abusing drugs and alcohol.

Judge Nolan noted that Beumer had expressed remorse and cooperated with gardaí and said the courts were “always open” to reform, particularly with a young person.

He said because of this he would not impose a custodial sentence. He suspended the sentence for two years and ordered Beumer to undergo one year Probation and Welfare Service supervision.

Beumer's co-accused Peter O'Reilly (20), of St Declan's Road, Marino, Dublin was dealt with previously in the courts under the Probation Act. On May 5, 2015, Judge Patrick McCartan ordered O'Reilly to pay €5,000 as a token of remorse to Mark Kelly and his wife.

Central Criminal Court

A Clare man who threatened to kill his partner's nine year old daughter if she told anyone of his sexual abuse has been jailed for 13 years.

The three-year period of severe abuse was only uncovered when the victim's younger brother, who was five years old, told their aunt. The court heard the girl is now “extremely traumatised.”

The twenty-five year old man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to one sample count each of anal rape and sexual assault of the girl between 2009 and 2012 in County Clare.

Describing the abuse as being in the highest category of gravity, Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the man “repeatedly and flagrantly” breached the trust placed in him by the victim's mother, and the life of his victim will be “permanently marred” by his crimes.

The abuse began when the man moved in with the victim's mother and lasted until the return of the victim's aunt from overseas. The parties in the case cannot be identified to protect the victim's anonymity.

Describing the abuse as “almost beyond belief”, Mr Justice Hunt said the man deserved credit for his guilty plea but had to receive a long sentence for the appalling experience he subjected the victim to.

He suspended five years of an 18 year sentence and added the man to the sex offender's register for life.

A local garda told Anthony Sammon SC, prosecuting, that the aunt asked the victim and her brother how the man was treating them. The five year old boy began to tell her about the abuse, upon which the girl became very upset and pleaded with the boy not to say anything.

The abuse was then reported to gardaí. In an interview carried out by a garda specialist the victim said the man would make her rub his penis and put his penis in her mouth.

She said he would put his finger “where I go to the toilet” and on one occasion caused her to bleed. She also said he performed oral sex on her and anally raped her nine or ten times.

She said the abuse took place in every room of the family home. The abuse happened when she was between six and nine years old.

In a report read to the court a psychotherapist said it was very sad to see how the abuse had affected the “extremely traumatised” girl, who is now 12 years old.

The report described her as quiet, withdrawn and nervous in therapy sessions and displaying symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.

In a victim impact statement read to the court the girl described herself as feeling “scared, angry, dirty, sad, terrified, worried, nervous, never happy, shy and guilty”.

She said the man threatened to kill her if she told her family or friends. She said she couldn't sleep in the dark any more and “will probably never be happy again”.

Michael Bowman SC, defending, said the man wanted to make a deep and sincere apology, and that he “simply fails to offer any rational explanation for his wrongdoing”.

Counsel said the man, who has previous convictions for theft and cultivation of cannabis and opium, understood that a long term of imprisonment was inevitable and that “something deep-seated within him requires ongoing treatment.”

Aaron Weinrib

A man who stole over €27,000 from friends and acquaintances by selling them bogus package holidays has been given a two year suspended sentence.

Aaron Weinrib (37) of Cambridge Villas, Rathmines, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to eight sample charges of theft and fraud on dates between June 2010 and December 2010.

The court heard he had been selling three different holiday packages to New York, Las Vegas and Cape Town while claiming to be an agent for “Top Flight”. His defence counsel said he used the money to keep up with “his cocaine lifestyle” having lost his job.

Weinrib has raised all but €4,000 of the money. As a condition of his sentence Judge Mary Ellen Ring ordered him to pay back the remainder over the next two years.

Detective Garda Conor Bresnan told Michael Bowman BL, prosecuting, that gardaí were contacted in November 2010 by two men who claimed that Weinrib had sold them package holidays.

One man had paid €3,200 for four nights for four people in the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, while the other had paid €550 for a two night stay in New York.

Both men received some documentation bearing the Top Flight logo from Weinrib but later discovered that there was no such holiday reserved for them.

Weinrib was taken in for questioning the following month and admitted that he took bank drafts from the men to cover the cost of the holidays. He confirmed the holidays were never booked and said he had intended to refund them.

“I did intend to run a promotion to honor them but it snowballed,” Weinrib told gardaí.

He admitted that he had never worked for Top Flight and that the documentation was a forgery.

During a search of Weinrib’s apartment gardaí discovered a list of people and contact details and evidence on his computer of the documents generated with the Top Flight logo.

Weinrib later admitted that other friends and acquaintances had been sold bogus holidays. He claimed that some had been refunded but told gardaí it was “a right fucking mess”.

In total Weinrib sold these packages, which also included a package holiday worth €1,100 for the Mandela Rhodes Place hotel in Cape Town, to 20 people. He made €27,600 in the scam.

Det Gda Bresnan agreed with Lorcan Stains BL, defending, that his client was co-operative with the investigation and had no previous convictions.

He accepted that it had not been a complicated offence and it was only “a matter of time” before the gardaí would have been alerted.

Counsel suggested to Det Gda Bresnan that while this had been “a crime of stupidity, from the outset it actually was a crime of desperation”.

Mr Staines said Weinrib had started to “engage in cocaine taking and the cocaine lifestyle” and subsequently lost his job. He was embarrassed by that fact and tried to “keep up with the lifestyle but didn’t have the pay cheque to match it”.

Counsel submitted that his client was “acting under a fantasy” that he would ultimately be able to refund everyone.

A psychologist report said Weinrib suffers from anxiety and stress, has a poor coping mechanism, is easily overwhelmed and has low moods and panic attacks. He has recently been diagnosed as bi-polar.

“At first brush it seems idiotic but it goes deeper than that because we are dealing with an intelligent man,” Mr Staines told Judge Ring and submitted that it was “a head in the sand scenario”.

Corporal Damian Flood

AN army corporal who told gardaí he bought cannabis to ease the pain of his dying wife has avoided a criminal conviction.

Corporal Damian Flood (39) was caught with €9,814 worth of cannabis herb near Nutgrove in Dublin on March 15 2013. He initially told gardaí he was moving the drugs to pay off a debt of €40,000.

However, the widowed father-of-two later said he brought the the drugs after online research showed him juiced cannabis added to food could act as a pain reliever.

Flood told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that he wanted to ease the suffering of his wife, who was terminally ill with breast cancer. She died some five months later.

Flood of Scribblestown Avenue, Finglas, Dublin pleaded guilty to possessing the drug for sale or supply.

He apologised to the court, saying he was “embarrassed” to be there. “It was a moment of madness,” he said.

The court heard Flood has served over 18 years with the Defence Forces, including several overseas postings, and is three years from retirement.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring said that Flood's explanation that he wanted to use the drugs for pain relief was not unreasonable and that it was used lawfully for this in other countries.

She said that testimonials handed into court showed Flood to be a man of good character with an exemplary record from the army. She said she could treat this offence as an aberration and noted that Flood was under considerable financial pressure at the time.

She said that in light of his personal circumstances including the service he has done for his country she was applying the Probation Act in lieu of a sentence of imprisonment. This means no conviction was recorded against him.

Detective Garda Colin Tighe told Melanie Greally BL, prosecuting, that gardaí became suspicious when they saw a car driving erratically in the Rathfarnham area. When they stopped the car, the driver seemed very nervous and on edge and there was a strong smell of cannabis herb.

There was a knuckle duster and a can of pepper spray in the car, which the driver said he kept for self-protection when he worked as a taxi driver. Gardaí found a vacuum packed bag containing cannabis herb in a shopping bag in the car boot.

“It's only grass, I was trying to dump it, I can't tell you where it came from,” said Flood.

Lorcan Staines BL, defending, said Flood has no previous convictions and co-operated with gardaí.

Flood said he initially lied to the gardaí that he was moving the drugs to pay off a debt because he didn't want to implicate his dying wife in his arrest.

He said that after doing some research online, he made a few calls and got a parcel delivered. When the parcel arrived it seemed to be worth about €5,000, whereas he only wanted to spend up to €500.

Flood told the dealer he couldn't afford it and had been in the process of returning the parcel when he was arrested. A probation report said Flood was at low risk of re-offending.

Mr Staines said Flood needed a further three years in the army to avail of a pension, and that the outcome of the case could have serious financial consequences for him.

If Flood got a prison sentence he would be immediately discharged from the army. If he got a suspended sentence it would be up to the General Army Commander to decide but it was “likely” he would be discharged.

Reference letters for Flood were handed into court, including one from a retired army captain noting that Flood had served overseas including a mission in Kosovo. Another letter from a coach at St Andrew's Boxing Club in Cabra, which Flood runs, praised his hard work and dedication in helping young people over the years.

Gavin O’Dowd with Gavin and Dean Fitzpatrick

THREE Dublin men accused of taking part in an unlawful badger hunt using an electronic device, shovels and tracking dogs have been given two months to decide how they will plead.

Gavin O'Dowd of Lambay Drive, Ballybrack, along with Dean and Gavin Fitzpatrick both of Coolevin, Ballybrack appeared at Dublin District Court today.

The young men each face prosecution on three charges under the Wildlife Act but have not yet indicated how they intend to plea.

In June, Judge John O'Neill made a discovery order and at that stage he had agreed to a defence request to adjourn the case to allow time for the prosecution to provide disclosure of evidence to the defence.

Today the three men appeared again in court and their barrister told Judge O'Neill that a two-week adjournment was sought. Judge O'Neill adjourned the case until a date in September and he said that they will have to tell the court how they intend to plead at their next hearing.

The three men, who did not address the court, are being prosecuted by the office the Minister for the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in connection with an alleged unlawful badger hunt in the Cabinteely area in Co. Dublin on October 22nd last.

The first two charges state it is alleged they hunted a badger which is a protected wild animal and this was not in accordance with any licence of permission given and that they “wilfully interfered with” a badger's breeding or resting place during the incident.

In the third count it is claimed they were not entitled to be at the named location and were not the owners of occupiers of the place and that they had spades and shovels as well as an electronic device “emitting sounds for tracking dogs hunting underground capable of being used for hunting wild animals”.

They had been granted legal aid when they made their first court appearance in June and the court has not yet begun hearing evidence.

Simon Reynolds

A British vicar who was thought to have fled to the continent before the verdict could be returned in his theft trial has been arrested.

Simon Reynolds, of Farnham, Surrey, did not return to Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Police had alerted Interpol, fearing that the 50-year-old Anglican clergyman had fled to continental Europe.

Reynolds, who was found guilty of four counts of theft, handed himself in at Sheffield police station earlier.

He has appeared at Sheffield Crown Court and is being kept in custody until his sentencing on Tuesday.

He went on the run after pocketing more than £24,000 (€33,700) in fees for weddings and funerals has handed himself in to police following appeals from senior clergy.

Senior clergy including the Bishop of Wakefield, Tony Robinson, had appealed to Reynolds to turn himself in.

"Simon, we would like to assure you that you are in our prayers and all our thoughts at this difficult time," the bishop said in a personal appeal.

"We are very concerned for your well-being and urge you to be in touch and allow justice to take its course. Never forget we are praying for you."

Reynolds was found guilty of keeping the fees for weddings and funerals for himself, instead of passing them on to diocesan authorities as required.

Gardai are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed a single vehicle collision at approximately 8.50am yesterday at Ballykerogue Beg, Campile, Co Wexford.

The driver of the single vehicle was seriously injured and is currently in a critical condition at Cork University Hospital.

The road was closed to facilitate a Garda Forensic Collision Investigation but has since reopened.

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to the collision to contact them at New Ross Garda Station on 051-426030, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666111 or any Garda Station.

EIRCOM and Vodafone have been convicted and fined for ripping off customers who continuously received over-charged bills.

Following an investigation by industry watchdog Comreg, the telecom giants along with Three Ireland pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court today to charges under Section 45 of the Communications Act.

Vodafone was fined €10,000 and Eircom received fines totalling €21,000 after they each pleaded guilty to seven charges. Three, which pleaded guilty to three charges, will be spared a conviction and will get the Probation Act if they donate €15,000 to charity by September 28th next.

Judge John O'Neill singled out Eircom for criticism branding their code of practice a joke and he said that when customers complained they were “pushed from Billy to Jack and they were ignored”.

He said customers would have been upset, petrified and “worried sick” when they received letters from debt collectors chasing them for money on behalf of Eircom. In one case, they used debt collectors to pursue an elderly man living in a nursing home after he had already cancelled his account, the court was told.

Vodafone over-charged another man who had suffered a serious injury in a fall and had cancelled his account, the court heard.

The customers were only refunded after Comreg got involved, the judge was told. Prosecution counsel Christian Keeling said the aggravating factors were the phone companies' failures to deal with customer complaints a timely and courteous manner.

Comreg compliance analyst Miriam Kilraine told the court there were seven customer complaints in relation to Eircom. One reported that they asked to cancel their account in January 2014 but they continued to be billed in the following months and a debt collection company pursued them.

In another instance, an elderly man living in a nursing home had also cancelled his account in 2013 but continued to get bills and a debt collection company  engaged by Eircom.

Eircom had also failed to deliver a service to another consumer who had money debited from their account. Another Eircom customer was over-charged for broadband after his debit details were got mixed up.

Judge O'Neill was told that another customer signed up for a €35 a month package but was instead billed at €50 a month for several months. The court was also told another customer signed up for an Eircom loyalty bundle but never received the €25 a month deal.

Ms Kilraine said that in November 2014, a man emailed Vodafone to cancel the account of his son who had suffered a serious injury in a fall. Despite numerous calls to the company he still ended up paying for two extra months.

The court heard the company failed to cancel broadband accounts of two customers and one of them was pursed by a debt collection company. One of their customers upgraded to “e-fibre” high-speed broadband but it never worked and another was put on the incorrect plan.

Judge O'Neill was told that a Vodafone customer opted for an unlimited calls and texts plan but it was never applied to her account. Another Vodafone user ended up overpaying by €705 after she was erroneously double billed.

The Comreg analyst told the court that Three Ireland which took over O2 accounts last year kept billing and getting paid by two customers who had cancelled accounts. Another customer got a phone upgrade and was offered a package by shop with a Three franchise. She accepted a deal where she would get 300 minutes of free calls to the UK if she paid an extra €2.99 on top of her €55 a month package.

However, she ended up getting billed for €300. She repeatedly went back to the shop and got no explanation and the sales assistant hid from her, the court was told.

The court heard the phone company's customer service team had worked out of Mumbai in India but they have set up a new call centre in Limerick to deal with complaints.

Lawyers for all the companies said the cases related to human and system error and the court was to note that they have all set up new remediation plans to ensure these problems won't happen again. Counsel for Vodafone and Eircom also asked the court to note they had 2.3 million and two million customers respectively.

The court was also told they have agreed to contribute to prosecution costs.

Cecil

Authorities in Zimbabwe are trying track down a Spaniard who allegedly paid park guides €50,000 for the chance to kill Cecil, one of Africa’s most famous lions, who was the star attraction at the Hwange national park.

The creature was found skinned and headless on the outskirts of the park.

The 13-year-old lion had worn a GPS collar since 1999 as part of a research project carried out by Oxford University, making it possible to trace his last movements when he was tricked into leaving the park and shot with a bow and arrow. The hunters then tracked the dying animal for 40 hours before they killed it with a rifle.

Bait, in the form of a freshly killed animal, was used to tempt Cecil out of the park, a technique commonly used so that hunters can “legally” kill protected lions.

“Cecil’s death is a tragedy, not only because he was a symbol of Zimbabwe but because now we have to give up for dead his six cubs, as a new male won’t allow them to live so as to encourage Cecil’s three females to mate,” said Johnny Rodrigues, head of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force. “The two people who accompanied the hunter have been arrested but we haven’t yet tracked down the hunter, who is Spanish.”

Reports yesterday suggested the hunter responsible may be North American rather than Spanish.

The Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association admitted that its members were involved and that the case was being investigated. It claims it was a private safari and therefore not illegal, but the government insists that the lion lived on the reserve and came under its protection.

Jimmy Devaney

The Prosecution has finished calling evidence in the trial of a retired army private accused of murdering a prostitute who he claimed blackmailed him for up to €40,000.

Father-of-three Jimmy Devaney (66) of Millbrook Avenue, Monksland, Athlone has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to murdering Marie Greene in Westmeath on February 13, 2011.

The court has heard that the deceased, who was working as a prostitute, was last seen alive on the evening of the 13th of February and her body was found in Anagorta Bog near Ballykieran outside Athlone nine days later.

The accused told gardai that he had been blackmailed that the prostitute would tell his wife and threatened to get her brothers after him.

He told gardai in an interview that he had given her up to €40,000 and €20,000 in the previous six months.

Alex Owens SC prosecuting has been reading memos of garda interviews with the accused to the court.

The trial has heard the accused had been playing cards in a casino in Athlone that night as he regularly did.

Mr Devaney said he drove out to a bog on the Mullingar Road to talk to her but denied bringing a knife with him. He told them he had lost control and stabbed Ms Greene.

The jury was also shown videos of the accused during his detention where he said she was swinging the knife at him and he pulled her to the ground.

He said he grabbed the knife from her and she was screaming and kicking. He said he stabbed her saying he completely lost control and had just come to the end of his tether after 15 years.

“I don’t feel relief that she's dead, she was evil to me but she wasn't bad person ya know? I don’t think she was a bad person,” Mr Devaney told Gardai.

“She was destroying my life…I was an easy target…if she wanted 400 I gave it to her, if she wanted 6000 I gave it to her. I didn't think it was going to escalate into this,” he said.

“God forgive if I didn’t do it today I would be going looking for more money to give her,” he said in the interview.

During the course on an interview on February 22, 2011 he was shown a green-handled knife and said it was the one he used to stab her but denied bringing it with him.

“She had the knife, i didn't source it,” he told gardai.

When asked how many times he had stabbed her he said  “a good many times , she was screaming and kicking”.

Today Detective Sergeant Eamon Curley who previously gave evidence for the State was tendered as a witness to the defence.

He gave evidence that a previous client said that Marie Greene would go with him to Anagorta Bog near Ballykieran on a regular basis.

The court also heard that another man said he was going out to the bog because turf was being stolen and that he gave Marie Greene a lift out there.

Det Sgt Curley told Giollaiosa O’ Lideadha SC defending that the deceased’s brothers were “well-known”.

One of her brothers was now deceased but had a number of previous convictions including assault and threatening behaviour, the court was told.

The court was also told that Marie Greene had 50 previous convictions for offences including larceny and theft.

The court heard she offered a man sex for money and when the injured party refused she removed 150 euro from his pocket. 

Det Sgt Curley agreed with the defence that it was the prosecution’s case that the motive for the killing is one of blackmail.

He further agreed that the prosecution accepted he was being blackmailed and was paying over large amounts of money with his account going into overdraft over time. In December 2010 it went into overdraft and remained so.

Today the court also heard evidence that the financial accounts of the Greene family were investigated.

Det Sgt Curley told Mr O’ Lideadha that an assets profiler was tasked with examining the accounts of the Greene family. The court heard it was not possible to link Marie Greene to any of those bank accounts but she did  lodge money into the credit union account.

He said that five different accounts were examined including one in the Credit Union.

One account in AIB in was in the name of Winifred Greene and one in the names of Winifred Greene and the deceased’s brother John Greene.

The total amounts in the accounts was just under 70,000 euro and Gardai were satisfied that €25,000 could have arisen out of land given to Winifred Greene from a friend of her husband who died.

Garda could not find any link Marie Greene to those bank accounts but she did lodge money into the credit union account.

The court was told that a large number of men were repeat clients of Marie Greene and Mr O’ Lideadha said two anonymous victims of extortion said she demanded cash from them.

One told a retired garda informally that he paid Marie Greene €30,000. He said he eventually told his wife and told Marie Greene to “fuck off.’

The court heard he was offered sexual favours in return for money but didn't have sexual intercourse. 

She started to ask for money saying she would tell people she was pregnant with his baby and said she wanted €30,000 in six months. He finally told his wife and told her to ‘f**k off “ and not to contact him again, the court was told.

Another man whose name is blanked out in court documents told gardai that he stopped visiting her about a year before. She demanded 500 euro from him or she was going to tell his wife.

The court was told Mr Devaney had an exceptionally successful soccer career and had played for Athlone Town and Temple Villa.

It also heard he was a loving, caring father and gardai accepted he was genuine in his work with children in Belarus.

Closing speeches will be made tomorrow before presiding judge Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan gives her direction to the jury of six men and six women.

Children's Court

TWO teenage girls charged after a Chinese man was allegedly knocked unconscious and had his phone and shoes stolen during a gang robbery in Dublin city-centre have been released on bail.

The pair, aged 14 and 17, had been remanded in custody two weeks ago after their parents had told the Dublin Children's Court they would not stand bail.

Parents of both girl had then said they would not take them home with one mother describing the incident and her daughter's alleged involvement as “disgusting”. However, when the case resumed today Judge John O'Connor heard they changed their minds and the families had decided to take them back.

The teenagers, who have not yet entered pleas, were released on bail pending directions from the DPP. They will appear again at the juvenile court on a later date but in the meantime they have been ordered to adhere to strict conditions.

They must obey a curfew, not have contact with several other named youths, not consume alcohol or drugs and must stay out of the Dublin 1 and Dublin 2 areas.

They are charged with robbery of the man, who is in his thirties, at Liffey Street in the early hours of June 11th. It is alleged he was knocked unconscious and that his €300 phone and shoes were taken from him during the incident.

At the previous court hearing, the younger girl's father had said there has been problems with her behaviour for the past two years and that he has been “battling to keep her off the streets”.

He claimed he spent nights searching the city for his daughter whom he said hangs around with older youths and men, and also takes drugs.

He said that at one point these people attacked him when he tried to bring her home and that put him in danger. He said her schooling has become “non-existent” and he tried to get her help and drug counselling from social services.

However, he added, she kept “running the streets” and was not safe.

During the same hearing, on June 13th last, the 17-year-old co-defendant's mother had said her daughter was “not welcome in my home, that is disgusting what she done”. She had said the teenager wanted to go into care.

“She thinks it's great to be in care,” the woman had said adding, “she has been off the rails for the last 18 months, this is not a new thing.”

Gardai are investigating a fatal three vehicle collision which occurred at 2pm today on the M1 Northbound between Junction 14 and 15.

A truck and two cars were involved in the smash.

The male driver and sole occupant of one of the cars was fatally injured at pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver and two passengers in the other car were injured and taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda with non-life threatening injuries.

The M1 remains closed to facilitate an examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators and will remain closed for a number of hours. Diversions are in place.

Gardaí wish to appeal for witnesses to contact Ardee Garda Station on 041-6871130, The Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.

Central Criminal Court

A Luas tram driver alerted gardai when she saw a burglar breaking into an empty apartment near a tram stop, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard.

Garda Ciaran Kilcoyne revealed that the Luas had been passing by the Carrig Court apartments when the driver saw Darren Canning (35) throwing an object through a ground floor window.

She contacted Luas Control to monitor the apartment on CCTV until gardai arrived.

Gda Kilcoyne said he arrived at the scene, climbed in through the broken apartment window and caught Canning in the bedroom with a mobile phone, camera and two ziplock bags of jewellery.

Canning, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to three years after he pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to trespass with intent to commit theft and to criminal damage of a window at Carrig Court, Fortunestown Way, Tallaght on March 1, 2015.

He has 67 previous convictions, including 18 burglaries and seven trespass offences.

Gda Kilcoyne told Dara Hayes BL, prosecuting, that Luas Control zoomed the CCTV camera in on the apartment until he arrived.

He said he had to pepper spray Canning to arrest him at the apartment, which had been empty at the time. Gda Kilcoyne added that the apartment's tenant made jewellery.

He agreed with Luigi Rea BL, defending, that his client had entered an early guilty plea and had an addiction problem.

Mr Rea told Judge Martin Nolan that his client was a father-of-one and had family support.

The judge said he was taking into consideration the aggravating factor that Canning had resisted arrest when imposing a three year sentence.

The Scene of the horrific bus crash near Clara, Co. Offaly which claimed the life of Michael White

A vehicle testing firm found guilty of breaching health and safety laws in the testing of a school bus subsequently involved in a fatal crash is expected to appeal its conviction in the new year.

The bus went out of control near Clara, Co Offaly on April 4 2006. Schoolboy Michael White (15) died as a result of injuries he sustained in the crash.

O'Reilly Commercials Limited, of Ballinalack, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four charges of breaching health and safety laws when carrying out an official test on the bus between August 5 and 6, 2005.

The charges, brought under the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, had alleged that the firm failed to ensure that persons were not exposed to risks to their safety or health as a result of the way the test was carried out.

A Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury deliberated for just under eight hours following a 23 day trial before returning a verdict of guilty on the first count which outlined a failure to note the modified rear suspension system.

The company was fined €25,000 by Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan on July 29 2013.

A Director of O'Reilly Commercials Limited, Mr John Deegan, asked for permission in the Court of Appeal today, to represent the company in its forthcoming appeal instead of a legal team.

The court heard during submissions that nobody other than a lawyer had ever been permitted to represent a company in civil or criminal proceedings in the Irish courts and that lgal aid was available subject to proper papers being filed.

President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice Seán Ryan said the court was satisfied on the basis of “clear authorities” that no special or unusual circumstances arose which would allow Mr Deegan to represent the company himself.

Mr Justice Ryan, who sat with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, listed the matter for October 23 next with a view to fixing a date for hearing.

He said the company was entitled to apply for legal aid in pursuing its appeal and the court would deal with such an application, if it was forthcoming, on that date subject to the proper papers being filed.

When asked why he wanted to represent the company himself, Mr Deegan agreed that he was unhappy with the outcome of the case and even more unhappy when he read the transcript of the trial.

Mr Deegan said matters were overlooked by both counsel in the case, there were exceptional circumstances for allowing him to represent the company and he had concerns about the justice system in this country.

If legal aid was not available to the company, Mr Deegan was told his position might have been stronger.

The house where gardai discovered the body (Pic: Ciara Wilkinson)

Gardai are investigating the circumstances surrounded the discovery of the body at house at Rathmore, Hackballscross Co Louth.

Reports indicate that the body of a woman in her 60s was discovered when gardai arrived to a home which was registered to a car that had earlier been involved in a fatal crash on the M1 motorway.

It is believed that the the vehicle had been driven the wrong way up the motorway, killing the driver.

The man has been named locally as James Quigley, also known as Jim.

Gardaí believe there could be a link between the two incidents and one line of inquiry is that this could be a case of murder-suicide.

Gardaí are investigating the full circumstances leading up to the woman's death and whether it is connected to the fatal crash.

Reports indicate that the woman had suffered a number of head wounds.

The discovery was made at approximately 3.45pm this afternoon.

The scene is currently preserved pending a Garda Technical Examination and the body remains at the scene.

The office of the State Pathologists’ has been notified.

Earlier today a man was killed when the vehicle he was driving struck a car and a truck on the M1 motorway.

It is believed that he had been driving the wrong way up the northbound lane of the motorway

The driver and two passengers in the other car were injured and taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda with non-life threatening injuries.

The M1 remains closed to facilitate an examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators and will remain closed for a number of hours. Diversions are in place.