A Dublin man who raped his former partner’s child eight times and sexually assaulted the girl's older sister has been jailed for nine years.

The 44-year-old man was convicted at the Central Criminal Court earlier this month of eight counts of rape and 18 counts of sexual assault by a majority verdict following a 12-day trial.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victims, was in a relationship with their mother at the time and “in a gross breach of trust”, preyed on the young sisters from 1992 to 1997.

The abuse began when he sexually assaulted the eldest sister in her bed in 1992 when she was 12-years-old.

He then went on to rape her younger sister eight times and sexually assault her 16 times from June 1993 to 1997 after moving in to the family home.

He raped the child once every three months from mid-1995 from when she was 12-years-old until she turned 14. The sexual assaults occurred in the mother’s bed, in other downstairs rooms and the kitchen, and sometimes with her brother asleep beside her.

It started with kissing, moving on to oral sex, digital penetration and eventually rape.

Neither sister knew the other had been abused by him until 2010, almost 18 years since the abuse began. 

A formal complaint was made in 2012. When interviewed by gardai, the man denied abuse but referred to three incidents and claimed he awoke one night to find the younger sister having sex with him. 

In her victim impact statement, this sister said: “I can’t describe the hurt and pain that he has caused my family. I have to live my life knowing he has taken my innocence from me. 

“I thought I was going to my grave with this secret but knew I had to do this to protect other children from him.”

In a victim impact statement read out by prosecuting counsel, Michael Delaney SC, the eldest sister said her life had been destroyed. She described how she self-harmed, abused medication to “block out the pain and suffering” and was hospitalised after an overdose. 

She said: “I was robbed of my innocence at 11 years old.”

“I will never forget that night I first found out about my sister’s abuse. A part of me died. I am haunted by the thoughts of that monster raping my little sister.”

The man, who has since been registered a sex offender, is in a new relationship with another woman who has an eight-year-old child.

Mr Blaise O’Carroll SC, for the defence, told the court that the man was in his early 20’s when the offences occurred and that throughout his life, he has “played an exceptional role helping young people stay on the straight and narrow”.

The community has since rallied to support him with 43 signatures submitted to the court extending their support to him. The local football club, his former employers and girlfriend also submitted testimonies. 

There were tears in court as he was jailed. 

One supporter described in a letter how she had “lost faith in justice”, however Mr Justice Paul Butler added that this was “misguided”.

On handing down sentence, he said it was “very difficult to reconcile what everybody thinks of the convicted and his outside behaviour to what occurred”.

He described the abuse as “a gross and persistent breach of trust”, adding: “I cannot imagine how these complaints would have been articulated if they were not true.” 

Diana Karacsony

Two Hungarian women working as prostitutes in Ireland described their brothel keeper as a “second mother” and a friend, a court has heard.

Diana Karacsony (32) was ordered to pay €10,000 over to Ruhama, a charity that works with women affected by prostitution, after admitting her role in managing a brothel.

The Hungarian national pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assisting in keeping and managing a brothel in an apartment at The Asgard, Custom House Harbour, Dublin 1 on dates between January 1, 2011 and May 30, 2012.

Detective Garda David Kenny told Diarmaid Collins BL, prosecuting, that there was no evidence that any of the 25 Hungarian women gardai believed to be have been working out of the brothel as prostitutes were trafficked, coerced or “anything other than willing”.

He agreed that “the operation was run in a very professional manner”. The accused took 40 per cent of the hourly rates charged by the women.

One of the prostitutes said that she came to Ireland from Hungary to work for short periods. After one 14 day period she said was able to send €5,000 home to support her family and her studies.

After another, ten day, period she went home with €3,500. She said she had also worked as a prostitute in Austria but that the money was better in Ireland.

This woman, who was arrested when gardai raided the brothel, told investigators that she was not in fear of the accused and described her as her friend.

She said she relied on the accused to make sure the premises were safe. She said the accused worked hard cooking and cleaning and that the prostitutes viewed Karacsony as their “second mother”.

Judge Catherine Murphy suspended a sentence of two years imprisonment on condition that Karacsony, who now resides in Budapest, pay the donation to Ruhama immediately.

She said she was taking into consideration the relative youth of the accused, the absence of any previous convictions, and the helpful admissions she made to gardai.

James Dwyer BL, defending, said the offence was in a legally murky area. He said the legislature had decided that prostitution was not a criminal offence whereas keeping a brothel is illegal.

He said his client had consulted a website about the legalities and this website had said prostitution was legal here.

Karacsony told gardai: “We live here as family and try to stay safe. We checked the website. We were happy there is a country we can earn the money.”

Counsel said Karacsony had worked as a prostitute herself and wanted to provide a safe place for the women to work. She said that all the women worked for themselves and were free to come and go as they pleased.

Judge Murphy commented that the accused was earning a very good living from the women's sex work and Mr Dwyer said that was before expenses were taken into account.

She was involved in helping with cooking, cleaning, phones, paying rent, keeping materials in stock, taking calls from clients, he said.

Counsel said his client had come back from Budapest to meet these charges. She is now working in a more humble job and earning €300 a month.

Mr Dwyer said she drifted into prostitution in her early 20s when she was in a position of financial vulnerability and had worked as a prostitute in Copenhagen and Germany.

In 2011 gardai began an investigation into the prostitution services being advertised on a website here. They made calls to mobile phone numbers on the site and undercover gardai met some of the women and confirmed that sexual services were being offered.

At the Custom House Harbour address gardai met two women dressed in lingerie and the accused. The first two women matched the identity of women advertising as escorts on the website.

The Hungarian prostitutes, who were in their 20s, told gardai that they had been introduced to the accused through a friend after being told they could make a lot of money working as a prostitute here.

One woman said she met the accused in Hungary and was told she that the accused would take 40 per cent of any money she earned on the hourly rates for her services. The accused told her she would pay the rent on the premises and for contraceptives and other bills.

The girl would have to pay for her own flights to and from Hungary and for gym attendance and website advertisement fees.

During the raid gardai also seized a large number of mobile phones, €3870, laptops, contraceptives and other sundries.

The accused has a listed address of Dusztalunh Tnt, Zem/Jajho.

Marie Greene

The jury has been hearing closing speeches in the trial of a retired member of the defence forces accused of murdering a prostitute in Co.Westmeath four years ago.

Father-of-three Jimmy Devaney (67) of Millbrook Avenue, Monksland, Athlone has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to murdering Marie Greene in Westmeath on February 13, 2011.

It is the State’s case that Mr Devaney murdered Marie Greene because she had been blackmailing for money or she would tell his wife.

The prosecution says he planned the killing and brought a knife with him when he drove out to Anagorta Bog with her.

But he defence says that she would regularly go to that bog when meeting up with clients and they say that the knife could have been stolen from his jeep by her.

Alex Owens SC prosecuting said that anyone could find themselves in a difficult situation but that did not excuse Mr Devaney. 

“Human life is important and you only get one shot at it,” Mr Owens told the jury.

Mr Owens told the members of the jury that they were going to be asked to decide if it was reasonably possible the accused could have killed her in circumstances where as a result of being provoked he had a sudden an temporary loss of self-control.

“There comes a point with all of us where we are subjected to stresses and strains where we might snap,” he said.

He told the jury that the defence of provocation was only a partial one which allows for a verdict of manslaughter to be returned.

Jimmy Devaney

“I anticipate that you will have little difficulty in finding that Mr Devaney killed Marie Greene and that he intended to do so,” said Mr Owens.

He told the jury that he did not lose control and that the killing pointed to a desire for revenge, some forward-planning and calculation.

Mr Owens told the jury that they would have to look now at Mr Devaney and see if there is evidence where there was a sudden and temporary loss of self-control.

He said Mr Devaney brought the knife to the scene with the express purpose of killing Marie Grenne.

Counsel said that Mr Devaney gave the account to the gardai that in fact Marie Greene brought this particular knife to this event.

He suggested that the accused did so in order to distance himself from the fact that he had brought that knife with him.

He reminded the jury of the evidence of Mr Devaney’s brother-in-law Peter Boardman, a former butcher, who was firm in his evidence that he had left the knife behind in the accused’s house.

Counsel said he was someone who had shown himself to be somebody who was quite in control as he went back to playing poker that night and returned to the scene to dispose of the body.

In relation to Mr Devaney’s Garda interviews he said he appeared to be underplaying his sexual relationship with Marie Greene and was “in a fog about when he was back out at this particular scene.”

“Mr Devaney was playing poker, he was holding back the cards,” Mr Owens told the jury.

He said that he gave the Gardai a “cock and bull story” for the knife.

Mr Owens said if they believed there was forward-planning, that was the end of it and it’s not a case of Mr Devaney losing control.

Giollaiosa O’ Lideadha SC defending said there was no evidence that Mr Devaney had planned the killing. 

He said provocation and manslaughter were not mentioned in the prosecution’s opening speech even though it was clear that the defence were relying on the garda interviews with the accused.

“I want to assure you manslaughter is an extremely serious offence,” said Mr O’Lideadha.

Counsel said this was a most serious offence which his client had admitted to in interview with Gardai.

He said there had been public debate in recent times about prostitution and said that if the jury members had strong views about men who use prostitutes then maybe it would be easier to see the circumstances his client was in.

He told the jury that there was evidence Marie Greene had stolen items from other people’s cars previously and may have done so with the knife.

He asked the jury that if the knife was part of the plan then why did his client throw it back in the boot of his jeep afterwards.

Counsel said the fact that a call was made from a public phone box did not mean it was part of a plan.

Mr O’ Lideadha will continue his closing speech to the jury this morning/tomorrow (WED).

Earlier Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan asked the jury of six men and six women if they had discussed the trial with each other or with any third parties to which they replied ‘no’. 

The jury members were sent to their room and when they returned Ms Justice Heneghan told them that one of their number had been discharged.

The judge is due to give her direction to the remaining six women and five men today/tomorrow.

Central Criminal Court

A Wicklow father of one who harassed two former partners and threatened to harm them if they didn't hand over cash has been remanded in continuing custody pending sentence next November.

Ian Waters (35) of Springfield Heights, Newtownmountkennedy, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to harassing Orla Sheridan by mobile calls and texts on dates between August 19 and December 10, 2013.

He also pleaded guilty to making demands with menace from Amy Tresson on dates between May and July 2014. He has no previous convictions.

Waters told gardaí in interview that he was under pressure to pay back debts and turned to Ms Sheridan for help. He accepted that he threatened her in text messages which were “deeply disturbed” but claimed he never intended to harm her.

He admitted his relationship with Ms Tresson, the mother of his child, was not good. He said he had run into debt and was looking for money and for help from her constantly.

Waters agreed with officers that he had threatened to shoot Ms Tresson because she would not help him and accepted that she would “absolutely” be scared by what had he threatened.

Garda Diarmuid O'Donovan told Lisa Dempsey BL, prosecuting that Waters met Ms Sheridan in April 2012 and they started a relationship. She later told gardaí that from early on in their relationship a pattern developed were he would ask Ms Sheridan to lend him money, sometimes up to €10,000.

He said that on August 19, 2013 Ms Sheridan received a text requesting €10,000. When she replied that she couldn't get the cash, Waters replied; “You're a dirty c**t. I will kill you, so I will....nothing but a heartless bastard”, before he threatened to slit her throat.

Ms Sheridan was genuinely concerned and turned to friends to see if she could raise the money for Waters. She also reported the messages to gardaí.

Gda O'Donovan said there was “a constant barge of text messages” in which Waters threatened to tell the criminal whom he owed money to, where Ms Sheridan lived.

He confirmed that Ms Sheridan paid out €10,000 and has never been re-paid. Waters was charged with harassment on December 11, 2013.

Garda David Maloney said Ms Tresson had been in a relationship with Waters previously and they had a daughter together. They broke up in 2007 but he continued to have visitation rights to their child.

In May 2014 he contacted Ms Tresson looking for €320 and threatened to drag her out of her workplace and kick her in the head if she didn't get him the cash. She was terrified and got him the money.

Waters continued to ring and text constantly looking for money which led to Ms Tresson handing over a further €1,000 over a couple of days.

She later told gardaí Waters threatened to shoot her and said he would do time for her, which she took to mean that he would serve a prison sentence for murdering her. He threatened to kill her and destroy her life and said he knew what time her partner left for work.

Ms Tresson said she lived in constant fear and didn't know what Waters was capable of doing. He was later arrested and brought in for questioning in July 2014.

Gda O'Donovan agreed with Caroline Biggs SC, defending that her client had a chaotic history involving debt through drug addiction which led him into contact with “very unpleasant people”.

Counsel submitted that Waters spent some time living on the streets and had both alcohol and gambling addictions.

Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned the sentence until November 6 next having heard the evidence and ordered a report from the Probation Service for that date.

Gda O'Donovan said Waters told Ms Sheridan that he needed the money for various reasons including paying compensation at Dun Laoghaire District Court. He claimed he was in physical danger and his child had been threatened.

On one occasion Ms Sheridan got 15 missed calls from Waters on her mobile and he contacted her work number six or seven times.

The relationship had continued, on and off, until November 2012, during which he continually asked for cash, sometimes telling Ms Sheridan that he had money owed to him from his grandmother's will and claiming that he needed money to help his brother out with his mortgage.

She ultimately loaned him over €10,000. On one occasion he handed over his passport as security but Waters later called her and demanded his passport be returned to him.

When she said she didn't have it to return to him, he threatened to break down the door of her home and go through “whoever” including her father, to get the passport back.

He threatened to kill Ms Sheridan's father, through both text and a phone call. He also threatened to kill Ms Sheridan if she didn't meet him outside her work place. He again claimed his daughter was in danger.

She told gardaí she wasn't sure if he was capable of physically harming her or her father and felt psychologically tortured by him

In December 2013 gardaí set up a surveillance operation after Ms Sheridan alerted them to the fact that she had arranged to meet Waters to hand over more cash. Officers spotted Waters and noticed he had a knife with him, which he pointed towards them in a threatening way when they approached him.

He ran off and the gardaí cashed after him. They ultimately had to use their pepper spray to arrest Waters.

He later made admissions in interview but when asked why he had threatened Ms Sheridan he replied that he was just stressed. He said he threatened her when he got desperate but claimed he would never harm her and said he cared about Ms Sheridan.

Waters told gardaí that he was in debt and his life and that of his daughter's was being threatened.

Smartphone owners are being told to keep a close eye on incoming text messages after details of a new bug were revealed.

A security flaw in Android phones could give control to a hacker via a simple text message and without any action taken by phone’s owner. It means that the only thing a hacker needs to attack a phone is the owner’s contact details or number.

The flaw, discovered by US IT security expert Joshua Drake, has yet to produce any reported victims. However, experts have warned that 95pc of the world’s 1bn Android phones are at risk and that phones between one and three years old could be particularly vulnerable.

Google says that it has come up with a fix for the flaw but can only apply it directly to its own Nexus phones. For most of the world’s Android smartphones -- including an estimated 2m Irish Android phones -- it is the manufacturer who must release a direct security patch. So far, top-selling brands such as Samsung, HTC, Sony and Huawei have not yet issued a security patch.

To protect against the bug, Android users have been advised to activate a setting on their phone that blocks messages from unknown users. This is done by choosing ‘settings’ in the ‘messages’ app and then selecting the option that blocks messages from unknown senders.

A spokeswoman for Google said that a security patch has been issued for the flaw.

“This vulnerability was identified in a laboratory setting on older Android devices and as far as we know, no one has been affected,” she said. “As soon as we were made aware of the vulnerability we took immediate action and sent a fix to our partners to protect users. As part of a regularly scheduled security update, we plan to push further safeguards to Nexus devices starting next week. And, we'll be releasing it in open source when the details are made public by the researcher at BlackHat.”

The bug works by exploiting Android’s media library, called Stagefright. Using this flaw, a video message sent to your phone does not have to be played by the user to infect the phone.

Mr Drake, vice president of platform research and exploitation at Zimperium, said that he would release further details of how the flaw works next week.

Adrian Weckler

A DUBLIN teenager, who brandished a broken glass bottle at a security guard, has opted for a custodial sentence.

The 17-year-old boy, who refused to engage with the Probation Service, pleaded guilty to producing the bottle as a weapon capable inflicting serious injury in connection with the incident on May 2 last at Tesco in Clarehall in north Dublin.

The Dublin Children's Court heard the teenager would not co-operate with the Probation Service whose intervention had been ordered at an earlier stage. He had also been warned the alternative would be a four-month sentence.

Judge John O'Connor noted that the teenager, who was accompanied to court by a family member, had refused to engage with the Probation Service during the adjournment period and he imposed a four-month sentence. 

The juvenile court is compelled to see probation reports ahead of sentencing and the service can give an assessment of the offender's likelihood of re-offending or make recommendations for measures to divert the youth from crime. It is also bound by leglislation to regard the use of detention as a last resort.

Palmer with a leopard he shot in 2010

An American dentist called Walter Palmer, from Minnesota, has been named as the man who killed Zimbabwe's famous lion, Cecil.

The animal is said to have been lured out of one of the countries largest national parks using bate.

It was then shot with a bow and arrow.

The initial shot failed to kill him so the wounded lion was tracked for two days and then killed with a rifle.

Cecil was one of the oldest lions at Hwange National Park and a fan favourite because of his striking looks, long black mane and friendly nature.

It emerged today that Palmer payed £35,000 to kill the lion.

A spokesperson for Mr Palmer told the Guardian newspaper: ‘As far as I understand, Walter believes that he might have shot that lion that has been referred to as Cecil.’

‘What he’ll tell you is that he had the proper legal permits and he had hired several professional guides, so he’s not denying that he may be the person who shot this lion. He is a big-game hunter; he hunts the world over.’

Walter James Palmer was identified today by both the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force and the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe as the American hunter, a name that police then confirmed.

Cecil

"We arrested two people and now we are looking for Palmer in connection with the same case," said Charamba.

Emmanuel Fundira, the president of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, said at a news conference that Palmer was from Minnesota and his current whereabouts were unknown.

Palmer issued a statement saying he was unaware that the lion was so well known and part of a study.

Attempts to reach Palmer, 55, at his two listed home numbers and his office by phone and in person were unsuccessful.

Palmer, an avid hunter, pleaded guilty in 2008 to making false statements to the US Fish and Wildlife Service about a black bear he shot dead in western Wisconsin outside the authorised hunting zone, according to court documents.

Palmer with another trophy

The two arrested Zimbabwean men - a professional hunter and a farm owner - face poaching charges, the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association said in a joint statement.

Killing the lion was illegal because the farm owner did not have a hunting permit, the joint statement said. The lion was skinned and beheaded. The hunters tried to destroy the lion's collar, fitted with a tracking device, but failed, the statement said.

If convicted, the men face up to 15 years in prison.

The lion is believed to have been killed on July 1 in western Zimbabwe's wildlife-rich Hwange region, its carcass discovered days later by trackers, the statement said.

The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said in a statement that an American paid the 50,000 dollars for the hunt. During a night-time hunt, the men tied a dead animal to their car to lure the lion out of a national park, said Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force.

The American is believed to have shot it with a crossbow, injuring the animal. The wounded lion was found 40 hours later, and shot dead with a gun, Rodrigues said in the statement.

"The saddest part of all is that now that Cecil is dead, the next lion in the hierarchy, Jericho will most likely kill all Cecil's cubs," said Rodrigues.

The Zimbabwean hunter accused in the case claimed that Cecil was not specifically targeted, and the group only learned after the fact that they had killed a well-known lion, according to the Safari Operators Association.

Cecil, recognisable by his black mane, was being studied by an Oxford University research programme, the conservation group said.

Tourists regularly spotted his characteristic mane in the park over the last 13 years, said Lion Aid, a conservation group.

A 66-year-old man, who had previously served prison time in America for child abuse, has had his subsequent conviction for raping his niece in Galway quashed on appeal.

The Galway man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had pleaded not guilty to rape, oral rape and three counts of sexual assault committed against his nine-year-old niece in his native county in the first week of August 1993.

He was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court and sentenced to eight years imprisonment with the final three suspended by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan on October 21 2013.

Arguing that the case should have been withdrawn from the jury, Patrick Gageby SC, successfully submitted to the Court of Appeal today there were major inconsistencies in the charges and the evidence adduced at trial.

Mr Justice George Birmingham said the trial judge gave very careful warnings to the jury and having been so warned the jury convicted.

Given the difficulties in the case it must have meant the jury regarded the complainant as “convincing and reliable,” he said.

She could take satisfaction that the jury, who saw her giving evidence and saw her being challenged on her evidence, “believed her,” Mr Justice Birmingham said.

However, he said, each of the five counts on which the man was convicted were inconsistent with evidence adduced at trial.

None of the issues in relation to the five counts on their own would see the case withdrawn from the jury, Mr Justice Birmingham said.

It was their cumulative effect – as well as matters which gave rise to specific prejudice for the accused in an old case – that had to cause concerns such that the conviction could not be allowed to stand, he said.

Mr Justice Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice Alan Mahon and Mr Justice John Edwards, allowed the appeal and quashed the conviction.

There was no direction for a retrial.

The Court of Appeal heard yesterday that the man had been deported from the United States in 2006 having served a seven year sentence for the sexual abuse of two young girls in the 1980s.

Mr Justice Birmingham said the rape conviction was inconsistent with evidence that there was no upstairs room in the house in which it was alleged to have occurred. Furthermore, the evidence at trial was that there were no thatched houses in the area at that time contrary to what the complainant believed.

The oral rape conviction, alleged to have occurred between a parked car and the side of a house, was inconsistent with evidence that it would have been impossible to park a car there at the time.

In relation to count three – the alleged hands inside the shorts incident – there had been no death in the extended family of the homeowner around that time to explain the funeral situation as described by the complainant, the judge said.

The conviction for the bedroom incident was inconsistent with sleeping arrangements described by the complainant and another witness.

Finally, there were a number of inconsistencies with the alleged hayfield incident, the judge said.

Missing: Madeleine McCann

Missing Madeleine McCann has been "totally excluded" as a potential victim after a young girl's remains were found in a suitcase in Australia.

South Australia Police said it had ruled out 43 missing children in connection to the grim discovery next to a remote motorway in Wynarka near Adelaide on July 15.

The decomposed body is that of a fair-haired girl aged between two and a half and four, who was killed at another location in at least 2007.

Blonde Madeleine was three years old when she went missing from the family's holiday apartment in Portugal's Algarve on May 3 2007.

Detective Superintendent Des Bray said: "I can confirm that Madeleine McCann has been totally excluded as a potential victim and UK police have been advised."

The Metropolitan Police have previously said they were aware of reports that a child's remains had been found and had contacted Australian authorities.

Police said the suitcase containing the remains of the child were discovered two weeks ago at the side of a highway. 

Superintendent Des Bray told reporters the dead child, whose sex has not been determined, was likely killed elsewhere.

He said the body was stuffed in a suitcase and left alongside the Karoonda Highway, 130 kilometres (81 miles) east of Adelaide, some four to six weeks ago.

An elderly man was reported to have been seen in the area with a similar suitcase and police are working on establishing the identity of the man.

Police said the child appeared to have died a violent death. 

"It is terribly clear that the child died a violent death under terrible circumstances... everything about this case is tragic," Superintendent Des Bray said.

By the time it was found by a passing motorist on Tuesday, the remains were about two metres away from the bag.

"The child was originally in the suitcase and at some point, somebody has, we believe removed the child from the suitcase," he said.

"It's hard to say what happened, and why, but we know for certain that somebody has come, found the suitcase, opened it to have a look what was in there, tipped out the contents and at that stage become aware that it was most likely human remains."

Police said it appeared that someone had pulled the suitcase from where it had originally been dumped and placed it in full view of the road.

"It was right in the open and easily able to be seen," Bray said.

A number of items of clothing were discovered in the suitcase along with the remains. 

These included a purple Dora the Explorer T-shirt, blue pyjama shorts, a pair of pink tracksuit bottoms and a tutu dress in small sizes.

The shocking video was uploaded to Facebook

The PSNI have appealed for information after a video appearing to show a cyclist being shoved off his bike by the passenger of a moving car appeared on social media this week.

It was unclear where the footage had been shot initially, but a Derry cyclist has since come forward and said that he is convinced that he's the man in the the clip.

The footage appeared on Facebook with the caption "This is the new challenge boys".

It was viewed almost one million times but has since been removed by Facebook after complaints were made.

The footage shows a man in a blue striped tee shirt leaning out the window of a car as it approaches a cyclist wearing a hi-vis jacket.

At speed, the man in the car shoves the cyclist from his bike and into the ditch.

A PSNI spokeswoman said: "On Monday afternoon PSNI received a report of an incident similar to that depicted in the video.

"The reporting person states that on Friday 24th at about 12.30pm he was pushed from his bicycle by a passenger in a passing car on the Ballyarnett Road in Derry.

"The car is believed to have driven on towards Muff, Co Donegal."

  Chair of Stormont's All Party Group on Cycling, Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle, said: "Everyone should be under no illusion this assault is sheer recklessness that could lead to loss of life and custodial sentences, ruining the lives of many people involved in it.

"The PSNI and Gardai must do everything in their power to ensure cyclists and all road users are safe on our roads. This is a despicable development that will be condemned by all rational people in our community."

Both Garda and the PSNI are investigating the footage and have asked anyone with information to contact them.  

Dangerous: Leon Wright

Prison bosses have shelled out hundreds of euros on a Playstation console to keep a dangerous inmate quiet, it has been reported.

A report in the Irish Daily Star claims Leon Wright (27), a particularly troublesome prisoner, has been given a new Playstation 3. 

Months after the Dublin man was the subject of a furore he has been upgraded to a more modern Playstation. 

Sources told the publication the 27-year-old criminal now spends most of his time playing the first-person shooter game Call of Duty. 

Wright, who is incarcerated at Portlaoise Prison, is considered so dangerous he is shadowed by riot squad officers whenever he leaves his cell. He has been moved to a cell closer to the gym as bosses try to limit his interaction with other inmates. 

Now, the Dubliner plays away much of his day on his €290 Playstation - at the taxpayer's expense. 

However, sources say the gameplay, combined with anger management classes, have resulted in a decrease in the number of incidents involving the prisoner. 

"It's all about protecting staff," a source told the Star. 

"There is no doubt that Wright is one of a number of challenging inmates in the system and we will do whatever has to be done to ensure the protection of the staff. 

"Some people may scoff at the idea of getting him a Playstation but if it helps keep staff safe then it will be money well spent. Staff are in a very dangerous job and anything that can be done to make their job less risky is worth it."

The decision to give him a Playstation came just weeks after he was involved in a row with riot-trained guards. It took four officers in riot gear to subdue him after a confrontation. 

Wright has attacked more than two dozen guards in his nine years behind bars. In one incident he broke a guard's nose . 

Reclusive: There are rumours Mullah Omar is dead

The Afghan government is investigating reports of the death of Taliban supremo Mullah Omar, a presidential spokesman said Wednesday, amid frenzied speculation about the rumoured demise of the reclusive warrior-cleric.

The Taliban have not officially confirmed the death of Mullah Omar, who has not been seen publicly since the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan toppled the Taliban government in Kabul.

His ill-health or even death have regularly been rumoured in the past.

The announcement from spokesman Sayed Zafar Hashemi came after unnamed government and militant sources told media that the one-eyed leader died two or three years ago.

"We have seen reports in the media regarding the death of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar," Hashemi told a press conference.

"We are investigating these reports... and will comment once the accuracy of these reports are confirmed."

Wednesday's reports come just two days before a second round of peace talks between the insurgents and Afghan government representatives which are expected to take place in Pakistan.

If confirmed, Omar's death would mark a significant blow to an almost 14-year insurgency, which is riven by internal divisions and threatened by the rise of the Islamic State group in South Asia.

- AFP

Dayne Cody suffered serious injuries after a car in which he was travelling with pals hit a tree

A DUBLIN youth has been served with a book of evidence and sent forward for trial over a tragic crash which claimed the life of a 15-year-old boy.

Transition-year student Dayne Cody suffered serious injuries after a car in which he was travelling with pals hit a tree at Station Road in Clondalkin, Dublin on December 20 last. 

The Cherry Orchard teenager was rushed to Tallaght hospital were he was later pronounced dead.

A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death in connection with the incident. He made his second appearance at Dublin Children's Court where he was served with a book of evidence.

Judge John O'Connor notified him that if he intended to use an alibi in his defence he must inform the prosecution within 14 days. The youth, who has not yet entered a plea, was accompanied to the hearing by his father and his lawyer. 

Legal aid was granted and Judge O'Connor made an order sending him forward for trial to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where he will face his next hearing on October 9th next.

The boy had answered “no” when he was charged and asked if he had any reply, said Detective Garda Padraic Jennings at an earlier stage.

Judge O'Connor was told the DPP had recommended the boy should face trial on indictment; this means the case would be dealt with at the higher level in the circuit court which has wider sentencing powers. 

During a pre-trial hearing the boy and his parents were visibly upset as Det Gda Jennings gave an outline of the evidence for the purpose of ruling on the trial venue issue.  Det Gda Jennings agreed with the boy's solicitor Michelle Finan that the car, a 2002-registered Kia with a 2.5 litre engine, was not stolen.

The teenager had used money he got for his birthday to buy the vehicle from a seller who advertised it online and he allegedly collected it in north Dublin, it was claimed.

The boy later brought four other youths in the car, including Dayne Cody, to get petrol and sweets. He got into a panicked state when he passed a garda car and he increased his speed.

The court heard the teenager allegedly lost control of the car and there was serious crash in which Mr Cody was thrown through the front window.

One of the other passengers lost a foot and the other people in the car made full recoveries from their less serious injuries. 

Det Gda Jennings had agreed with the accused boy's lawyer that it was a tragedy and the road was wet at the time. The court was also told he had no prior criminal convictions and was co-operative.

However, Judge O'Connor, who was furnished with photos of the scene, refused jurisdiction for the case to be dealt with in the juvenile court.

Cloverhill Prison

UP to 60 inmates are rioting in the B-Division yard in Cloverhill as prison authorities prepare to send in riot teams to quell the disturbances.

Sources have confirmed to Sundayworld.com that inmates ripped down goalposts and razor wire in a protest sources say may be linked to efforts to clamp down on drugs entering the prison.

“The inmates were let into the B-Division yard as per usual when major disturbances broke out,”  a source said.

“A number of inmates ripped down goalposts in the yard while wire on the walls was pulled down and several inmates made their way onto the prison roof.”

It’s understood prison authorities are currently assembling riot control teams with the intention of entering the yard and quelling the disturbances.

Sources said a number of inmates are currently on the roof of the prison.

“The staff are managing the situation. Two guys have got up on the roof but there is no threat of escape,” a spokesman said.

Staff members from nearby Wheatfield prison have travelled to Cloverhill to assist with the ongoing operation, it was reported.

Killed: Cecil the lion

Two Zimbabwean men who were arrested for illegally hunting a protected lion have appeared in court to face poaching charges.

Police are still looking for the American dentist Walter James Palmer who allegedly paid 50,000 US dollars (£31,900) to track and shoot the animal with the two men - a professional hunter and a farm owner.

Mr Palmer, from the Minneapolis suburb of Eden Prairie, said in a statement that he was unaware the lion was protected, relying on local guides to ensure a legal hunt.

But the death of Cecil the lion could hit the African economy, a wildlife conservationist has warned.

Jeff Flocken said that the lion, who was shot by an American dentist, pulled in a great deal of tourism.

"He was an animal that was sought out by tourists, who came there, spent money and brought revenue which is so needed in so many of these African countries - to see and take pictures of the animal.

"Now after this one tremendously unnecessary death that revenue can't come in any more."

He added that hunting tours were not rare: "Unfortunately it's very easy to buy a package to kill species in Africa. Typically it's not just a hunt for a lion or a rhino or an elephant but it's a number of species in addition to the one that's the anchor."

Mr Palmer, who has a criminal record related to shooting a black bear, said in a statement: "I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favourite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt.

"I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt."

US court reports show Mr Palmer pleaded guilty to making false statements to the US Fish and Wildlife service about a black bear he killed in Wisconsin. He had a permit to hunt, but shot the bear outside the authorised zone and tried to pretend it was killed elsewhere.

The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said Mr Palmer and two other men, a professional hunter and a farm owner, tied a dead animal to a car to lure Cecil the lion out of a national park before shooting him with a crossbow.

Task Force chairman Johnny Rodrigues said the wounded lion was found 40 hours later and was shot dead with a gun.

The lion, which was being studied by researchers at Oxford University, was skinned and beheaded, and attempts were made to destroy its collar which was fitted with a tracking device.

Mr Rodrigues said trackers found the carcass days later.

Professor David Macdonald, who founded the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at Oxford University, warned that Cecil's killing would lead to a "cascade" of other deaths.

"The death of one lion is not just the death of one lion - it is a cascade. It has consequences," he said. "Cecil was the only male so it is highly likely that the incoming males will kill his offspring."

The two Zimbabwean men could face up to 15 years in prison, the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association said in a joint statement.

Killing the lion was illegal because the farm owner did not have a hunting permit, it said, although the men maintain they did not know the lion was protected.

Read: Dentist wasn't aware Cecil was protected lion.

Edward O'Connor

A Dublin man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for what was described today as the "brutal murder" of his uncle in 2013.

Father-of-one David Cully (24) had admitted killing Edward O’Connor but denied murdering him. The Central Criminal Court heard the 41-year-old died of two gunshot wounds to his back.

The jury of seven women and five men spent more than eight hours over three days deliberating before returning a unanimous verdict of guilty of murder.

Cully of Kilshane Road, Finglas West had pleaded not guilty to murdering his uncle, but guilty to his manslaughter at Ballycoolin Road, Finglas West on December 15, 2013.

The 24-year-old claimed he shot Mr O’Connor ‘in the heat of the moment’ after he commented about somebody who had made an allegation of sexual abuse against the deceased. 

The trial heard that both men had attended an organised ‘straightener’ between two other men on the day of the killing and that Cully shot his uncle in the back after the fight.

Cully told gardai that his uncle had made a comment that had caused him to lose control.

Both the deceased and the accused attended the fight in an open yard on the Sunday afternoon and David Cully brought a gun.

Mr Cully told gardai that after the fight, Mr O'Connor had made a remark about the person who had made the allegation against him (the deceasedd). The accused said he ‘just lost it’ and had no intention of doing what he did.

"I don’t know why I did it or what came over to me, I just fired the gun at him," he said in interview. "Well I do know," he continued, explaining that he 'just had hatred towards him' since the allegation was made.p

In it, he detailed his shooting of his uncle following an arranged fight between two other men. He said that his uncle had riled him up by making a comment about the complainant of the alleged sexual abuse.

Pauline Walley SC prosecuting today said that the jury verdict was unanimous.

"Mr Cully was convicted by unanimous verdict for the murder of Edward O'Connor. It is the case that Mr Cully had alleged he was provoked by the deceased. That claim was rejected by the jury and he was convicted," she said.

Miss Wally read a victim impact statement written by the wife of the deceased to the court.

"My name is Charlotte O' Connor, wife of Eddie O'Connor, who was brutally murdered," she said.

"I make this statement on behalf of Darren, Tanya and Eddie who have had their father taken from them in such a horrific manner. Eddie was cruelly taken from us," she said.

Mrs O'Connor said that the horror will remain with her for the rest of her life.

"I am 42 years of age and Eddie has been part of my life since I was 14. We were childhood sweethearts - we did everything together," she said.

"Eddie was a hard worker and a real family man. He always made time for his three children. He was proud of the three of them. They idolised their father," she added.

"It is hard to look at them try to get on with lives - there will be a massive void. Upcoming birthdays, graduations and weddings will be tainted," she said.

"Eddie has been snatched from us by a horrible crime. Eddie came from a large family of six brothers and one sister. He worked in the family business. His brothers have been saddened by his missing presence in the work place," she continued.

Mrs O 'Connor said that following allegations made against Eddie, that he never had a moments piece.

"It broke Eddies heart," she said.

"I think about Eddie every minute of every day. I ask myself why me and my family have this cross to bear for the remainder of our lives - the brutal circumstances in which Eddie was taken away from us," she said.

"Eddies plan was to retire at 50 and move to a holiday home. I miss everything we did together," she continued.

"We had so much more to do together in life - the anger will live with me forever," she added.

Mrs O'Connor thanked gardai for their support, thanking in particular the three female guards who came to the scene as the deceased lay dying, giving him CPR.

"Nothing will bring Eddie back to us. I no longer feel I have something to live for. To have someone taken away from you is a burden no woman should have to carry. We love you Eddie," she concluded.

Ms Caroline Biggs SC defending said that Cully had 29 previous convictions for misuse of drugs, theft, road traffic offences and fraud.

Mr Justice Carroll Moran passed on his condolences to Charlette O'Connor and the children, friends and relatives of the deceased.

"Nothing I say is going to bring back the deceased. There is a sense of regret at a life needlessly lost," said Mr Justice Moran.

"The law obliges me to pass a mandatory sentence (of life imprisonment) backdated to December 16th 2013," he said.

Anne Sharkey

Francis Usanga

TV fitness coach Francis Usanga could face deportation from Ireland if convicted of the assault on former girlfriend Emma Murphy, the Sunday World has learned.

Emma has appeared on ITV and TV3 since posting her video to Facebook

Sources have confirmed that the Nigerian’s current ‘Stamp 4’ permission to remain in Ireland expires in early September.

And Immigration Service officials have now placed a warning on his file regarding his status as a suspect in a domestic abuse investigation.

The note is understood to be an advisory to Usanga’s case-worker on the fact gardai are investigating the 29-year-old in connection over alleged domestic abuse.

A source confirmed to the Sunday World: “Permission to reside cannot be revoked in normal circumstances but it can be allowed to expire and then not be renewed.

“Permission to reside in this particular case is not automatically renewed.

“In this particular case the individual in question has been granted a ‘Stamp 4’ that allows him to work freely and set up a business in this country.

“However, as with permission granted to all non EEA persons  permission to reside is granted on the basis that the individual obeys the laws of the country and is not a danger to the public.

“A warning regarding the current situation has been placed on his file as an advisory to the case officer dealing with his case.

“A lot would depend on the outcome of the Garda investigation but the case is complicated by the fact the individual has children in this country.”

Earlier this month TV instructor Usanga was questioned for 90 minutes by gardai investigating his alleged attack on his ex-partner.

Usanga was interviewed under caution by officers at Ballymun Garda station in Dublin after he went to the station ‘by arrangement’.

It’s understood Usanga made ‘certain admissions’ during the voluntary interview about the alleged attack of Emma Murphy, the mother of his two children.

In an exclusive interview with  the Sunday World Usanga had earlier told this newspaper: “I should never have raised my hand to her. 

WATCH: Francis Usanaga apologises to Emma

“I lost the head...I pushed her really hard in the face. ...it was with an open hand,” he said, adding there had been two other violent altercations with Ms Murphy in the past.

“It was pretty violent and there’s no excuse at all and I’m extremely sorry for that.”

However appearing on ITV’s Loose Women earlier in the week Emma rejected the apology.

“I’m really hurt – really, really hurt that he didn’t apologise to me,” she said.

WATCH: Francis Usanga's showreel featuring scenes of domestic violence

Local heroin kingpin John McInerney has been caged for five years with the final two suspended.

McInerney, who has been described as one of the “main heroin suppliers”, was caught and convicted for selling drugs twice before and has a total of 37 previous convictions.

He is also appealing a 10-month sentence for drug dealing.

McInerey of 5 Silver Glen, Mountmellick,Co Laois claimed that he took to selling drugs after building up a drug debt for which he received death threats including a bullet in the post.

However, Garda Detective John Paul O’Brien said he “strongly, strongly” doubted these claims, describing McInerney as one of the main suppliers of drugs in the county.

Portlaoise District Court heard that gardai discovered ten individual wraps of brown powder and a bag of brown powder hidden in the metre box of the accused home when they searched it on the morning of October 29^th, 2013.

McInerney told gardai that it was heroin and he was selling it to make money in the run up to Christmas.

“He’s one of the main drug dealers in Portlaoise, Portalington and Mountmellick, he has been for years,” said Det O’Brien.

In April last year Gardaí raided his home at the Silverbrook estate and found heroin worth €200, diazepam tablets and a set of weighing scales.

At a court hearing in Portlaoise earlier this month, he was singled out as playing a major role in the local drugs scene.

 “He was one of the main heroin suppliers in Laois, and most of the county. He hasn’t been caught with anything since that incident,” said Garda Derek Barnett.

Half a million euro had passed through his credit union, post office and bank accounts between 2006 and 2012 when he was on the dole, according to CAB officers.

Judge Keenan Johnson imposed a five year term with the final two years suspended for two years on condition McInerney keeps the peace, remains under probation supervision and refrains from illegal substances.

Judge Johnson also dismissed the appeal and affirmed the sentence of ten months to run concurrent.

Stephen Cheung

THE State has been given another two months to complete a book of evidence for the trial of a liquidator accused of stealing approximately €450,000 from companies in the process of being wound up.

Stephen Cheung, 38, with an address at Herberton Drive, Rialto, in Dublin, has been charged with 19 counts under the Theft and Fraud Act for offences which are alleged to have occurred between 2009 and 2013. 

The insolvency practitioner is accused of theft of various sums from 19 separate companies which had gone into voluntary liquidation. 

A book of evidence was due to be served on him when he appeared at Dublin District Court today however the prosecution required another two months.

The defendant was remanded on continuing bail to appear again on September 30th next when it is expected that he will be served with the evidence and returned for trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.                             

Earlier Det Sergeant Paschal Walsh, of the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, told Dublin District Court that Mr Cheung was arrested by appointment on June 30th last. 

He was charged with the offences at Kevin St Garda station and “made no reply” under caution.

Det Sergeant Walsh had told Judge Anthony Halpin that the DPP directed trial on indictment, meaning the case must be dealt with at the higher level, in the circuit court.

Mr Cheung, who has not yet entered a plea, has already surrendered his passport and the court has ordered him not to apply for a new one or for any other travel documents. He was granted free legal aid at an earlier hearing.

judge hammer.jpg

A man who burgled churches and primary schools while he was serving a suspended sentence for other burglaries has been jailed for a year.

James Byrne (43) of Balfe Road, Crumlin, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary at Drimnagh Castle Primary School; St Agnes Church, Crumlin; Assumption Church, Walkinstown, and St Mark’s Junior School, Tallaght on dates from October 3 to 13 2014.

Byrne also pleaded guilty to criminal damage at St Mark’s Junior School.

Judge Catherine Murphy suspended the last year of a two year jail term on condition that he keeps the peace and engages with drug addiction services.

She wished Mr Byrne well and told him he was at a crossroads in his life.

Byrne has 26 previous convictions including five for burglary, three for aggravated burglary and others related to larceny and domestic violence. He was serving a suspended sentence for burglaries when he committed these offences.

Gda Orla Madden told Diarmuid Collins BL, prosecuting, that on October 5, 2014 Byrne knocked on the door of St Agnes Church and asked to see a priest. The woman who let him in had been counting coins in the sacristy and told Byrne to wait for the priest to return.

Minutes later she saw him jump up and run from the church. Another witness heard the sound of coins rattling in Byrne’s jacket as he ran. Byrne later told gardaí that he got €56 from the theft.

On October 13, 2014, at Assumption Church, Walkinstown, an 80-year-old man was counting coins in the church when he noticed a hand on the bench beside him. Initially he thought it was the parish priest and when he saw it was Byrne he tried to grab him but could not get a grip.

As the elderly man chased him, shouting for him to stop, Byrne turned and locked the door. Gda Madden said he got away with between €200 and €300.

Gda Madden told the court that Byrne identified himself on CCTV footage from Drimnagh Castle Primary School on October 3 2014 after a teacher reported their laptop as stolen.

Gda Kieran Kilcoyne said that Byrne broke into St Mark’s Junior School in Tallaght on October 12 2014 and caused €3,500 worth of damage to doors and windows in the school. Byrne told gardaí that he did not get anything during the burglary and had to go to his ex-wife’s house afterwards to borrow €10.

James Dwyer BL, defending, said his client was remorseful and was making efforts to tackle his drug addiction issues. He said the father-of-four has being categorised as an enhanced prisoner while in custody.

Mr Dwyer said that Byrne did not use violence in any of the burglaries and the only contact he had with someone was the “robust 80-year-old” who attempted to grab him. Byrne apologised for locking the man in the church.