Deliveroo and UberEATS drivers at the scene along with police

Two men on a moped carried out five acid attacks during a spree across London which lasted less than 90 minutes, police said.

The Metropolitan Police said one victim had been left with "life-changing" injuries after being doused on Thursday night in the east of the capital.

The assaults appeared to be linked and two involved victims having their mopeds stolen, they added.

A male teenager was later arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and robbery and has been taken to an east London police station.

At the start of the rampage, a 32-year-old moped rider had been approached by the pair as he drove towards the Hackney Road junction with Queensbridge Road.

London Ambulance Service said they were called to the first attack on Hackney Road at 10.16pm, while police were alerted to the night's final assault at 11.37pm.

Appeal following acid attacks in east London https://t.co/HrJG11q7im pic.twitter.com/cb1ib7kLX8

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) July 14, 2017

In the initial encounter, the two male suspects had tossed a noxious substance into his face before one of them jumped on to the victim's vehicle and drove away.

Police said the man had gone to an east London hospital and they were awaiting an update on his injuries.

Little more than 20 minutes later, at around 10.50pm, another victim had been sprayed with searing liquid by the pair at the Upper Street junction with Highbury Corner, Islington.

The victim was taken to hospital in north London.

Then at around 11.05pm, the fast-moving attackers swooped on a man in Shoreditch High Street, tossing a substance in his face.

His injuries were not life-threatening, police said.

Within 15 minutes, they appeared to have struck again, launching their corrosive load at a man in Cazenove Road and causing "life-changing" facial injuries.

The final assault of the night was reported to police at 11.37pm, when another man was confronted as he sat on his moped in traffic in Chatsworth Road.

After again spraying a liquid in a victim's face, the moped was stolen and both attackers fled.

Hazardous area response units were sent by the ambulance service to four of the scenes, while the victim of the Chatsworth Road attack took himself to hospital.

The Met Police said in a statement: "Inquiries are ongoing and officers from Hackney CID are investigating.

"Any witnesses, anyone with information or in possession of footage of these incidents should contact police on 101 or tweet @MetCC. To remain anonymous you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

The string of assaults comes just days after a man appeared in court accused of throwing acid at an aspiring model and her cousin.

Resham Khan, 21, and Jameel Muhktar, 37, were left with life-changing injuries after the attack on Ms Khan's 21st birthday in Beckton, east London.

John Tomlin appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court on Tuesday charged with two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent.

A mass acid attack has also previously hit the capital this year.

On Easter Monday, acid was sprayed at a crowded east London club night, leaving two revellers partially blinded and others disfigured.

Arthur Collins, the former boyfriend of reality TV star Ferne McCann, was charged in connection with the attack.

Witness Sarah Cobbold looked out from her flat near the Hackney Road attack to see police pouring huge bottles of water over the victim on her doorstep.

The 29-year-old sub-editor had been standing at the same spot just minutes earlier.

She told the Press Association: "It was just outside my flat, the victim was literally stood on my doorstep.

"It was probably about 10.30pm, I saw some reports that it happened at 10.25pm so by 10.30pm there were a couple of police cars and an ambulance there.

"After about 10 minutes I still saw the flashing and went out on my balcony and looked over the roof to see what is going on.

"Police had cordoned off the little area around the pavement and there was just a guy standing on my doorway and they were pouring huge, five-litre bottles of water over his head.

"He was standing, he seemed to be OK. After probably about 10-15 minutes he managed to walk unaided into the ambulance. I hope that means he is OK; the ambulance certainly didn't rush off with sirens."

As she watched, around 25 moped riders arrived - many appearing to be from fast-food delivery companies such as UberEats and Deliveroo.

"I'm guessing maybe they had heard what happened and came down because they can't have all been driving round together," she said.

She added: "I had thought someone must have chucked petrol or acid on him or something because they were covering him in water, but I have never seen that reaction to an attack, I thought maybe there had been an accident.

"I had literally just walked in the house, I was stood where he was 10 minutes earlier.

"I don't think I would have been attacked but it could have been quite easy to have been caught in the crossfire here or at the other locations."

Police cordons had been lifted by the morning, but the street remained strewn with empty plastic bottles, Ms Cobbold said.

Among the victims was a man with an ID identifying him as a Mexico City police officer

Attackers wielding knives burst into a child's birthday party in central Mexico, stabbing and slashing to death 11 people, including two minors, authorities said .

Hidalgo state prosecutor Javier Ramiro Lara Salinas said at a news conference that the preliminary investigation suggested the attack in a house near Tizayuca, just north of Mexico City, was a "settling of scores".

Among the victims was a man with an ID identifying him as a Mexico City police officer. Mr Lara said the home's owner had served time on a kidnapping charge in Mexico State.

Authorities received an emergency call after midnight on Thursday alerting them to the killings.

Officers discovered 11 bodies - seven of them female and four male, with two minors, state authorities said. They had initially said the victims were seven men and four women. Four minors survived the attack without injuries.

None of the victims was shot. All were killed by knives or other cutting weapons.

The area had largely been spared the violence affecting other parts of Mexico.

AP

Bernadette Breen

The mother of Ciara Breen has spoken of her distress following the untimely death of a man who was the prime suspect in her daughter's disappearance.

Bernadette Breen was dismayed to discover the man suspected of having knowledge of Ciara's whereabouts had passed away in police custody. 

Liam Mullen, who was on two occasions arrested in connection with her disappearance, died last week after being arrested by officers in Dundalk town. 

The anguished mother, however, believes there are still people who are alive with knowledge of her movements of the night she vanished. 

Speaking to RTE's Prime Time unit, she said she felt numb when she was told Mr Mullen had died.

"At first I felt numb. That’s being honest, I didn’t know what to feel. The next minute I wanted to shout, I wanted to scream, I wanted to hit something hard," she said in an exclusive interview.

"Now at the minute I have calmed down. Believe it or not I prayed for the person involved. I can’t believe that I did, maybe it’s my faith coming through, but I did pray for him."

David Harris

A retired producer of TV drama The Bill has been jailed for 17 years for trying to hire three men to kill his wealthy partner so he could be with a Lithuanian lover 40 years his junior.

David Harris offered £200,000 to murder Hazel Allinson so he could inherit her fortune, sell her £800,000 home and live out his days with Ugne Cekaviciute, who he met in a brothel.

The 68-year-old admitted he got into a tangle of lies and mounting debt as he lavished expensive gifts on the 28-year-old former professional basketball player during their five-year affair.

He denied wanting retired The Bill scriptwriter Ms Allinson dead and claimed he only wanted to talk to hitmen as research for a murder mystery novel, before he was snared in an undercover sting.

But the Old Bailey heard of his determined attempts to have his partner of 27 years killed in a "mugging gone wrong", and he was found guilty of three charges of soliciting murder.

Sentencing, Judge Anne Molyneux QC said Harris's obsession meant he had condemned a woman who "protected and nurtured" him to a death in "terror and pain".

She said he had been "deadly serious" about getting rid of her after she "outlived her usefulness".

The judge told Harris: "For your pipe dream, for your obsessive infatuation with a young woman, Ms Allinson, who had protected and nurtured you, was to die a painful and terrifying death in an isolated spot.

"Her death was to fund your life. You had used her until she had outlasted her usefulness to you.

"All that you wanted from her was that she should die and you should inherit her money."

Earlier, the court heard Harris had all the hallmarks of "social anxiety and a narcissistic personality disorder", with traits of "manipulation, personal gain and lack of remorse or guilt".

Reading from reports, prosecutor Philip McGhee noted the twice divorced father-of-one had a "complex and dysfunctional relationship with women", including his partner and girlfriend.

The defendant maintained his innocence and Ms Allinson's attitude towards his crimes was said to be a sign of her "vulnerability" or Harris's ability to manipulate her.

Anthony Rimmer, mitigating, said Harris had been a "silly old fool" although his infatuation did not excuse the offences.

As a 68-year-old man, he faces a "very different regime" on his release.

Mr Rimmer said Ms Cekaviciute is now "out of the picture" and his relationship with Ms Allinson, who was not in court, remains an "open question".

Rather than being "vulnerable" she was a "person of robust characteristics and can stand up for herself", Mr Rimmer argued.

The trial heard Harris blew £50,000 of Ms Allinson's savings and used her reputation as a parish councillor and church chorister to borrow thousands of pounds from neighbours in the West Sussex village of Amberley.

He pawned a gold wristwatch and diamond ring and made up increasingly elaborate tales to keep breast cancer survivor Ms Allinson in the dark while he travelled to London for trysts with 6ft 1in Ms Cekaviciute.

Harris pretended to umpire matches for Arundel Castle Cricket Club to play away with his young lover and also told Ms Allinson he was tending to his sick brother in a mental hospital.

In a show of "complete contempt", Harris sneaked Ms Cekaviciute into her home and photographed her posing naked on a bed with Ms Allinson's three spaniels, jurors heard.

Prosecutor William Boyce QC said Harris decided the only way out of his predicament was to pay a hitman to kill Ms Allinson in a staged mugging or car-jacking.

In February last year, Harris approached mechanic Chris May for debt collection before offering him a deal for the hit on his partner.

Instead, Mr May repeatedly tried to warn Ms Allinson of the danger, approaching her as she left the gym at Goodwood Health Club and by email.

Harris was then put in contact with 6ft 3in "man mountain" Zed - real name Duke Dean - through a friend at Nooks cafe in Stratford, east London, near to where Ms Cekaviciute had enrolled in college.

Recovering alcoholic Harris promised him £200,000 for the job, but in November last year Zed reported him to City of London Police instead.

Zed introduced Harris to another prospective hitman, undercover officer "Chris", who secretly videoed the meeting in a Sainsbury's car park in Balham, south London.

The next day police burst into a room at the Balham Lodge Hotel to arrest Harris and found him lying naked in bed with Ms Cekaviciute.

Giving evidence, Harris claimed he was researching a thriller entitled Too Close To Kill, based on his alter ego Tom Noble, a wife called Holly - named after one of the family dogs - and a sporty young woman who worked in a brothel or cafe.

He said: "I thought what was happening to me at that time, at that particular juncture, might form the basis of a good thriller.

"It was based on a guy based on me, my sort of age, meets a young girl, falls in love, becomes besotted and over development decides he wants to be with her and decides what he has to do about his wife Holly."

The scene at Cumberland Street north this morning. Photo: Conor Feehan

A MAN is in hospital with serious head injuries this morning after being run over by a car and then attacked in Dublin's north inner city overnight.

Early reports indicate that a car was driven down Hill Street and left onto North Cumberland Street at around 12.20am before appearing to deliberately knock a man down at the side of the road.

The PSNI issued an appeal

A 17-year-old male has been shot three times in the legs in a gun attack in Belfast.

The incident happened in the Downfine Gardens area of the city last night. 

Detective Sergeant Mason said "Police received reports at 10:50pm that a male had been shot three times in the legs. Whilst these injuries are not believed to be life threatening, this was a brutal and horrific attack. It is yet another example of how criminal elements seek to control communities through fear and violence. 

I would ask that anyone with information please contact Musgrave on 101 quoting reference 1450 of 13/07/17, or if they wish to remain anonymous Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Jumping for joy

Music to the ears of festival-goers has rarely been so sweet - and we have the weather gods (and Met Eireann, of course) to be thankful to.

The sun will shine down upon much of the country this weekend, with temperatures set to reach into the early 20s.

Today is the first day of the Longitude Festival, a three-day event taking place in the leafy suburb of Rathfarnham. Attracting a crowd of young revellers, the festival has on offer some of the best live acts you're likely to see around these days.

To top if off, Met Eireann has graced us with the weather report and things are looking good.

Today, there will be some sunny spells today but overall a good deal of cloud with patches of mist and drizzle, and later outbreaks of rain will affect some western and northern areas. Dublin will remain largely dry and bright, however, with temperatures in the high teen and early 20s. 

Gardai have arrested four individuals

Gardaí have arrested four people following an armed robbery at a pub, a spokesperson said.

Shortly after 10.30pm Gardaí received a report of two men, wearing balaclavas and who appeared to be armed, entering a pub in Slough, Kilkenny. While inside they threatened staff and customers.

Nothing was taken in the incident and there were no injuries reported, officers said. The men left the scene empty handed following a struggle with the owner of the premises.

A wine-coloured car was seen leaving the area.

A short time later Gardaí stopped a wine-coloured car at near Pilltown and arrested three people travelling in this car.  A man in his 20s, a man in his 30s and a juvenile male were detained. 

The two men were taken to Thomastown Garda Station and the juvenile was taken to Kilkenny Garda Station. They are all detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939.

The car, a wine-coloured Renault Megan with 01 D plates, was seized for technical examination.

In the early hours of the morning a fourth man aged his 20s was arrested. He is detained at Kilkenny Garda Station under Section 30 of The Offences the State Act, 1939.

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to the incident or anyone who may have been in the area of Piltown between 10pm and 11pm yesterday to contact them at Kilkenny Garda Station on 056 7775 000 or Thomastown Garda Station on 056 775 4150.

The police have launched an appeal following a report of a serious sexual assault in Belfast.

It was reported that a 32-year-old woman was the victim of an attack in the St George's Gardens area of the city on July 12.

Detective Sergeant Gary Chambers said: "We are keen to identify and speak to two males we believe may be able to assist us with our enquires. It is believed these two male witnesses were walking along St. George’s Gardens in the direction of Sandy Row before the incident occurred and had spoken to the male suspect and female victim involved in this assault. 

"We are also appealing for witnesses and would like to hear from anyone who was in the area during the early hours of Wednesday 12th July and who may have witnessed a distressed female or anything else unusual. Detectives can be contacted at Ladas Drive by calling 101, quoting reference 152 of the 12/07/17.

"Or, alternatively if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Threat: A major Garda alert is in place

A massive garda alert is in place after one of Ireland's most feared gangland criminals walked free from prison last night.

Officers have established that 16 people, including a highly respected garda and a number of innocent women, are under imminent threat from the thug, who is considered one of the country's most dangerous men.

The psychotic south inner city gangster - who cannot be named here for legal reasons - had been locked up for a number of years after committing an extremely violent offence, but is now a free man.

Senior sources say gardai have serious concerns that the evil mobster may offer himself up as a hitman-for-hire for the gangsters involved in the bloody Hutch-Kinahan feud.

He is already a suspect in a string of brutal gangland hits but has barely any previous convictions.

However, of even more concern is the fact that detectives have compiled a list of 16 people who are now under "realistic threat" after the thug walked out of jail last night.

"Yeah, he has been locked up for many years, but this guy is a psychopath. He kept to himself in jail because everyone is terrified of him," one source said.

"A total of 16 people are now under threat because this individual is now a free man.

"Even hardened criminals are sickened at his disgusting crimes, which he has got away with.

"The feeling is that his sick rage has been festering and its now just a case of how gardai can manage whatever twisted plans this individual has."

Among the 16 people on the gangster's hit list are highly respected people, former associates of his and relatives of people who gave evidence against him in the past. His targets are based across Dublin and even abroad.

Such is the level of seriousness attached to his release from prison that the garda's elite Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau has taken the lead role in managing the situation.

A serving garda and other potential victims have been warned that the gangster is now out.

The feared criminal previously had "loose links" to other criminals involved with the Kinahan cartel, but it is understood that he would "do anything for a few bob".

He was previously suspected of working as a firearms dealer for many of the country's most dangerous gangs.

Over the years, gardai have seized a large amount of weapons linked to the thug.

Aged in his late 30s, he may also be a prime target for other serious criminals as he is "hated" by many in gangland circles.

It previously emerged that he planned to murder a former pal over fears that he was talking to gardai about a high-profile court case.

However, the plan was foiled in 2012, when officers discovered a handwritten note in his cell during a raid, which outlined the evil plot that would have led to a man being murdered in Rathmines by two notorious gangsters.

Specialist gardai were forced to act quickly after the discovery of the note, which gave specific details of the sickening assassination attempt, including where and at what time to kill the man in south Dublin.

Sources said detectives informed the man of the threat against him and moved him out of his home in Rathmines and took him to a secure location for a couple of days.

The under-threat man - who has links to the legal profession - was previously friendly with the gangland figure.

The two men had been so close that they had previously been arrested together by officers investigating the Dublin criminal's suspected links to a spate of depraved crimes.

However, it is understood that the now freed gangster turned against his former friend because he wrongly believed that he was co-operating with gardai.

Colin Duffy

The New IRA poses the biggest terrorist threat from dissident republicans in more than 20 years, Garda security boss Michael O'Sullivan has warned.

The assistant garda commissioner said that it was the most dangerous dissident group since the Provisional IRA.

Mr O'Sullivan told the Herald that the threat level from the dissidents in Northern Ireland was severe, which is the second highest threat level. In Britain, it is substantial, meaning there is a strong possibility of an attack.

This is its highest level since the Provisionals declared their ceasefire in 1994.

Mr O'Sullivan said that the garda assessment of the New IRA was shared by police and intelligence experts in Northern Ireland and Britain.

Intelligence services in both islands indicate that the group is monitoring movements of potential targets in the North and Britain.

The New IRA's bomb-making skills are considered more advanced than those of other dissident groups.

The group is also finding new sources of explosives and weapons and is continuing to recruit personnel not previously known by the Garda or the PSNI to have been involved in dissident activities.

An interception last month by the Garda Special Branch of a cache of TNT explosive in Dublin's north inner city is believed to have saved many lives.

Ballistic experts said the 4kg cache was enough to make 30 under-car bombs. Likely targets include police, military and prison officers in Northern Ireland.

The source of the TNT has not yet been established.

In the past two years, gardai have seized 100kg of explosive, nine AK-47 rifles, a sub- machinegun and a sniper rifle from dissidents.

As a result of a build-up in non-jury cases, a second special criminal court has been opened - something not seen during three decades of Provisional IRA terrorist activities.

Seventeen trials are listed for hearing involving 28 defendants, charged mainly with membership of an illegal organisation or possession of explosives.

One of the accused is charged with directing terrorism, the first time the charge has been brought since the conviction of Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt.

The New IRA has more than 50 activists, all of whom are listed as persons of interest to the Garda security and intelligence section.

It is estimated to have about 200 supporters, providing logistical help such as vehicles and safe houses.

The group was formed in 2012 and has strongholds in Armagh, Belfast, Donegal, Dublin, Louth and Tyrone.

It also has a stronghold in Cork, although it has been divided since the murder of Aidan O'Driscoll in December.

Its leader is a veteran republican from a Border county, while another senior figure is a former Real IRA boss in Derry. One of its key activists in Dublin has an address in Tallaght.

The New IRA comprises of former factions of the Real IRA, Republican Action Against Drugs - which was based around Clady, Derry and Strabane - and seasoned republicans who had previously appeared to support the peace process but became active again.

Other members include those who had stayed away from the Real IRA, the Continuity IRA and ONH (Oglaigh na hEireann) because of the infiltration of those groups by gardai and security agencies in the North.

Many members have acquired counter-surveillance skills by attending courses in countries such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia and possibly Poland, according to intelligence sources.

Most of them travel out under the guise of setting up supposedly legitimate security companies.

The New IRA has also been developing its "engineering" side and manufacturing improvised explosive devices and attempting to open up new routes to buy guns.

It was responsible in November 2012 for the murder of Northern Ireland prison officer David Black (52) on the M1 as he was driving to work at Maghaberry near Lisburn.

Some of its members were also involved in the 2011 murder of PSNI constable Ronan Kerr and the earlier murders of off-duty British soldiers Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar as they took delivery of a pizza outside Massereene barracks in Antrim.

The New IRA has also been involved in several attempted killings and bombings in recent years. Its members are also behind a number of punishment beatings, which are at an all-time high in Belfast.

These are now referred to as community controlled violence (CCV) and have resulted in five deaths in Northern Ireland in the past year.

Gardai have kept a close watch on the movements of known New IRA activists, particularly during events such as the recent visit of Prince Charles.

A new Belfast-based dissident republican political party, known as Saoradh, which has the support of New IRA prisoners in jails on both sides of the Border, was launched last September .

Among those who attended its first ard fheis, held in Newry, was prominent dissident Colin Duffy.

A tribute was paid in a Saoradh newsletter to Micky Barr, who was shot dead in the Sunset House pub in Summerhill, Dublin, during the Kinahan-Hutch feud in April last year.

Saoradh also has a branch in Dublin.

Niamh Fitzpatrick

A DUBLIN woman has been sent forward for trial for possessing a revolver and ammunition.

Niamh Fitzpatrick (38) with an address at O’Rahilly House, Ringsend, Dublin 4, originally originally faced two firearms charges for unlawful possession of one round of Remington .38 special calibre ammunition and a Smith & Wesson revolver at her home address on Feb. 13 last.

Two further charges were later put to her for unlawful possession of heroin and possessing it for the purpose of sale or supply. The fresh charges are under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Judge Anthony Halpin was told that the new charges arise from “the same incident”. He was told Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed that Ms Fitzpatrick is to face trial on indictment on all the charges, meaning her case will go before a judge and jury in the circuit court which has wider sentencing powers.

She has not yet indicated how she will plead. She was served with a book of evidence and Judge Halpin told her she must notify the prosecution if she intends to use an alibi in her defence.

Judge Halpin granted the DPP's request to send her forward for trial to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where she will face her next hearing on Oct. 6. The judge remanded her on continuing bail.

Bail conditions had been set earlier requiring her own bond of €1,000 and a €5,000 independent surety. She has had to surrender her passport and must sign-on twice a week at a Garda station.

Actors simulate a possible terrorist attack in Dublin city

Counter-terrorism training was conducted today in Dublin's docklands involving several different attack scenarios.

Locals in the Docklands vicinity were asked to stay clear of the area as members of the elite units along with various emergency services carried out the exercises.

"Victims " scream for help in terrorist training exercise pic.twitter.com/e0cwgicDal

— Juliette Gash (@JulietteGash) July 14, 2017

Operation Sciath, Irish for shield, involved local Garda strategic and operational command personnel, Gardaí from the Dublin Metropolitan Region, the ERU (Emergency Response Unit), the ASU (Armed Support Unit) and Garda Air Support unit. Members of Iarnrod Eireann were also involved. 

Three possible terrorist scenarios were played out. In one two attackers drove a vehicle into a pedestrian and proceeded into a closed off Spender Dock train station where they attacked civilians with knives.

In footage of the simulation, armed gardai arrive and neutralise the attackers before emergency services tend to the victims. Another scenario involves an armed man taking hostages aboard a train. 

"Protecting our citizens is of paramount importance to the Government. This involves a significant amount of ongoing work by the Gardaí, the Defence Forces and other State agencies," he said.

"Today’s security exercise is part of the ongoing work by these State agencies to practice, develop and assess our capacity to prevent or respond to incidents. Their principle focus is on security within Ireland, but they also work with our partners in Europe and further afield. Much of this work happens behind the scenes, but I also recognise that the public need reassurances about our capacity to deal with incidents.

"As well as testing our response capacity, it is even more important that we do all we can to prevent attacks. We do this through our law enforcement and intelligence agencies, through international co-operation, through our foreign policy and peacekeeping work, and also through important domestic measures such as promoting integration, education, tolerance and respect here at home.

"Before I was elected Taoiseach, I said it was my intention to establish a new Government Security Committee to allow greater Ministerial involvement in preparing for and managing major security threats, and to allow more extensive cross-Departmental cooperation on these issues."

Alan McNamara

Gardai found a pump action shotgun, pepper spray, iron bars, axe handles, knuckle dusters and knives when they searched a bikers' clubhouse and cars where a man was shot dead.

A man with 190 previous convictions who drove dangerously during a high-speed chase with gardaí has been jailed for two and a half years.

Dean Joyce (24) was convicted in February after a second trial. The jury in his first trial was discharged after a juror fell asleep 15 minutes into the trial.

Joyce, with an address in Rowlagh Park, Clondalkin, Dublin, had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 11 charges, including endangering gardaí by driving his car into a garda van, four counts of dangerous driving and possession of stolen property in Ballyfermot and Clondalkin on March 3, 2015.

He had also pleaded not guilty to driving without a licence, driving without insurance, possession of a boxcutter that was used in a burglary, criminal damage of a garda van and failing to stop for gardaí on the same date.

During the trial, Judge Karen O'Connor directed that Joyce be found not guilty of the offence of endangerment. The jury later convicted him of all other counts.

Judge O'Connor today said members of the public had been placed at risk and Joyce had created a hazard for members of the gardaí carrying out their duties as a result of his dangerous driving. She told Joyce he was “old enough to know better.”

Judge O'Connor imposed a total of three years imprisonment and suspended the final six months on strict conditions. She disqualified him from driving for ten years.

Garda Sergeant Ronan McDermott told Garret Baker BL, prosecuting, that he was in an unmarked patrol car when he spotted a car driven by Joyce breaking a red traffic light.

Gda McDermott said gardaí activated the sirens but Joyce failed to stop and a high speed pursuit began. During this chase Joyce drove the car through red lights, on the wrong side of the road and in the wrong direction around a roundabout.

Joyce's car collided with a garda van at the Blackditch Road in Ballyfermot, causing €1,500 worth of damage. The car then mounted a footpath and stopped in a nearby housing estate.

Joyce ran off but was arrested. Gardaí searched the car and found a boxcutter knife, gloves and stolen property including laptops, an iPad, a flat screen TV and keys to another car.

Gda McDermott testified that Joyce's previous convictions included theft, criminal damage, robbery and using or possessing a mobile phone in prison. He has over 70 convictions for road traffic offences including driving without insurance.

Pieter LeVert BL, defending, said his client began abusing drugs and driving stolen cars at an early age. His parents died when he was in his teens and his grandparents raised him after that. He handed a letter from Joyce's grandmother into court.

Counsel said he began dabbling in alcohol and tablets but this progressed to a cocaine habit.

Joyce was recently jailed for other offences and this time in prison had been “the making of him”, counsel said.

Declan Brennan & Fiona Ferguson

John Moore is charged with causing criminal damage to Eamon de Valera's headstone

A Dublin man accused of vandalising Eamon de Valera’s headstone has been served with a book of evidence and returned for trial.

John Moore, 57, of Cherrymount Crescent, Clontarf, is charged with causing criminal damage to Eamon de Valera's headstone on Jan. 25 last at Glasnevin cemetery in Dublin.

He faced his fourth hearing at Dublin District Court where he was served with a book of evidence. Judge Anthony Halpin had been told earlier that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has decided the case was too serious to be heard at district court level.

The DPP directed trial on indictment meaning the case is to be heard in the circuit court which has tougher sentencing powers. After the book of evidence was served on the accused, Judge Halpin told Mr Moore he was being sent forward for trial to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where he will face his next hearing on Oct. 6.

His bail terms state he must stay away from all members of the de Valera family, stay away from Glasnevin Cemetery, have no contact with the de Valera family or any of their properties or assets, sign on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Clontarf Garda station and reside at his current address.

At his first hearing, on Jan. 26 last, the court heard Mr Moore’s reply to the criminal damage charge was “I'm guilty”.

At another court appearance he had told Judge Halpin that he had a child buried in the cemetery and not being allowed go there was like “torture”.

Former taoiseach and Easter 1916 Rising commander Eamon de Valera died in 1975 and was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.

The graveyard is the final resting place of several key figures in Irish history

Majella Duffy

THE cause of death of a young Irish woman who had travelled to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for charity is being investigated.

Egyptian policemen inspect the scene of an attack which left five of their colleagues killed in a shooting near Badrasheen, a town some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Cairo (Getty)

Two German female tourists have been stabbed to death while four other foreigners were wounded in an attack at a hotel in an Egypt resort.

The assault in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada came hours after a shooting near famous pyramids outside Cairo killed five policemen.

The motive behind the stabbing was unclear and the Interior Ministry said the attacker was arrested immediately.

A security official said the attacker, a man in his 20s dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans, wielded a knife and targeted foreigners.

"Stay away, I don't want Egyptians," the assailant said in Arabic, according to the official.

Without taking any blame for what appears to be a major security breach, the Interior Ministry said the attacker had got into the hotel by swimming from a nearby beach.

No group claimed responsibility for killing the five police officers but it bore the hallmarks of a smaller Islamic militant group known as Hasm that has been behind similar shootings.

The attacker in Hurghada stabbed the tourists in the face, neck and feet, according to the security official.

Two German tourists died of their wounds while four others were hurt, including citizens of Ukraine and the Czech Republic, the official said.

In Germany, the foreign ministry said it "cannot rule out" that German citizens were among the victims but stressed that it does not have that information.

An emergency doctor at the al-Salam hospital confirmed the wounded tourists were taken there.

Gunmen riding on a motorcycle opened fire on a security vehicle patrolling a Giza village, killing the five policemen, the Interior Ministry and officials said.

The deadly shooting - on the Muslim weekend when traffic is slower - heightened fears of what has become near-weekly attacks by suspected Islamic militants after a blitz attack left 23 troops dead in northern Sinai a week ago.

Egypt has been under a state of emergency for months following a series of church bombings in the spring that killed scores of Christians.

The village of Abusir in Badrashin, where the policemen were killed, is part of Greater Cairo. The policemen were part of the force tasked to guard the district of Saqqara, one of Egypt's most popular tourist sites.

According to the ministry, the militants sprayed the police vehicle with machine-gun fire and fled the scene after one returned gunfire.

However, a video circulated on social media appears to show the attackers faced no resistance. It shows them seizing police weapons and radios and setting fire to the bodies after the shooting.

Authorities cordoned off the area and ambulances rushed to the site.

Hasm, or "decisiveness", is a militant group that authorities have linked to the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

It has claimed responsibility for drive-by shootings and attacks that targeted police, military, judges and pro-government figures in the past.

AP

The owner of the store, Umesh Kumar (Lottery.ie)

Members of a syndicate from the west of Ireland have collected their €29m EuroMillions jackpot prize.

The group, who wish to remain anonymous, travelled to Dublin to claim their winnings yesterday.

A spokesperson for the group said news of their win on last Friday's draw is slowly sinking in.

They only realised their win on Saturday, when one of the syndicate checked the numbers.

"This has come as a huge shock but we are thrilled. This will certainly make life easier for us all and will secure our futures," said the spokesperson.

"It has been a roller-coaster week with lots of butterflies in our stomachs and lots of different emotions.

"But we are keeping level heads and will try to take it all in, and we will give it time before we decide what to do with our winnings."

National Lottery chief executive, Dermot Griffin, said: "It is important these winners take the time and space to let the news sink in.

The winning ticket was bought at the Garryduff XL Store on Pound Road, Castlebar, Co Mayo, on July 6.

The owner of the store, Umesh Kumar, said he could not believe it when he was contacted by the National Lottery to say he had sold the golden ticket:

“We had no idea at all. We are all thrilled here at the news. It is a great boost for the area and we are delighted for the winner whoever it is. It will take a while for this to sink in.”

“I love it here and business has been going well since I took over the shop in 2015. This win will put us on the map.”

Paul Heaney robbed the same Paddy Power on two occasions (File)

A addict who was “in fear of his life” due to his drug debts robbed the same bookmakers twice while the same staff member was working there, a court has heard.

Paul Heaney (33) threatened the woman with a large kitchen knife in the first robbery and pointed an imitation firearm at the terrified victim during the second offence later the same year.

Heaney, of Michael Mallin House, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robberies of Paddy Power Bookmakers, Meath Street, on January 3 and October 28, 2016. He also admitted possession of a realistic imitation firearm at the premises on October 28, 2016.

The court heard Heaney, who has 47 previous convictions, was under the influence of drugs at the time of the robberies and did not know it was the same woman in both offences. He told gardai he feared he would be shot due to his debts and that he was “shaking” as he carried out the robbery.

He wrote a letter of apology in which he said had no intention of hurting the woman and just wanted to get the money. He said he was in fear that he or his family would be hurt. He said he hoped she would forgive him.

Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned finalisation of the case until October 20, 2017 to allow a probation report be prepared.

Garda Paul Geraghty told Elva Duffy BL, prosecuting, that Heaney carried out the first robbery while armed with a large knife. He demanded money from a female staff member who threw a handful of notes at him. He ran out and she pressed the panic button. A total of €1,200 was taken.

A customer noted the robber had dropped a set of keys with a picture of a child on it. This was handed over to gardai, who later arrested Heaney.

Heaney told gardai he had got into debt over his drug use and was “in fear of his life.” He said the robbery was a last resort and had not wanted to do it. He did not remember the robbery.

Garda Geraghty said Heaney returned to the same bookmakers the following October, while on bail, armed with an imitation firearm. The same member of staff was working and said Heaney, who had his face covered, pointed the gun at her and demanded money. He fled with €250 on this occasion.

Gardai were alerted and arrested Heaney, who was still wearing the same clothing, nearby.

Heaney told gardai he had got into a “bit of debt” and feared he was going to be shot. He told gardai he had bought the imitation firearm. He apologised for frightening the woman.

He said he he felt he had no choice and told gardai he was shaking as he went into the shop. None of the money from either of the robberies was recovered

Rebecca Smith BL, defending, said Heaney had been free of substances for a number of months since going into custody, She asked Judge O'Connor to accept the letter of apology was sincere and reflected his shame and remorse.

Ms Smith said Heaney had a difficult upbringing but was close to his mother who was now elderly and has significant health difficulties. She said Heaney started using cannabis as a 16-year-old and developed an addiction to crack cocaine, tablets and heroin.

She said he had been frequently in and out of custody during his life but now wished to move forward in his life and go into residential treatment. She said he had been reducing his methadone intake and using his time in custody productively.