A teenage boy was used by older peers to fight other youngsters as part of an illegal fight club, the High Court has heard.

The teen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is currently being detained at a special care unit following an application to the High Court earlier this month by lawyers representing The Child and Family Agency Tusla.

The court heard that there were serious concerns for the boy’s welfare and behaviour which resulted in the CFA seeking orders to have him placed at a secure unit so that he can get the supports and services he requires.

The boy’s ….read more

The High Court has appointed an interim examiner to three connected firms involved in the food distribution business whose turnovers have plunged due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Wert Capital Ltd and related firms Dublin Foods Sales Ltd and Scallans Food Service Ltd, which have over 70 employees, were all granted the protection of the court from their creditors.

The firms are involved in the delivery of mainly food and some non-food products to restaurants, pubs, offices, hotels, nursing homes and catering companies in Leinster and the South East of the country.

At the High Court on Friday afternoon, Ms Justice Niamh Hyland said ….read more

A High Court challenge has been brought over the State’s refusal to make a payment from the Social Insurance Fund to a woman who lost her job at a pharmaceutical company, which had operated as a partnership.

Ms Indira Attride was refused the payment by the Department of Social Protection after she received awards from a rights commissioner arising out of the termination of her employment in respect of her claim that she was unfairly dismissed.

Ms Attride had worked in an administrative role for a partnership trading as Canopus BioPharma Ltd, located at Straffan, Co Kildare, between November 2012 and ….read more

A 70-year-old cancer patient who is currently “in isolation” in prison over concerns he could contract Covid-19 has been refused High Court bail.

Ronald Gordon, with an address in Kirkby, in Liverpool, is charged with possession of cannabis and cocaine for sale or supply at Sarsfieldstown, in Gormanston, Co Meath, on May 8, 2019. The combined estimated street value of the drugs is in the region of €2.5 million.

Mr Gordon, a UK national, was refused bail previously but his lawyers provided the High Court on Friday with a consultant’s letter from Beaumont Hospital, which was not available at previous bail ….read more

The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have claimed a corporate casualty with the loss of over 30 jobs at a construction and plant hire business, the High Court has heard.

Ms Justice Teresa Pilkington on Thursday afternoon appointed Chartered Accountant Mr Anthony Fitzpatrick as provisional liquidator to Brandon Plant Hire Ltd, after being told the company was insolvent to the tune of €934,000.

The company, which is currently involved in three projects, is involved the plant hire business and the provision of substructures and groundworks on building sites.

The company’s members petitioned the court for the provisional liquidator’s appointment so that its ….read more

(File Picture: Claire Loftus. Credit: Collins)

The Director of Public Prosecutions Claire Loftus paid a visit to the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin on Thursday to observe the operation of the courts during the Covid-19 crisis.

There were 24 High Court bail applications listed for hearing before Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty on Thursday, with a staggered list to minimise the numbers of people attending court.

Ms Loftus was present in court during the call-over of the list on Thursday morning, as were other interested parties.

The High Court is dealing with approximately 20 applications for bail on a daily basis ….read more

A Cork woman charged with the murder of her brother has been refused High Court bail after her other brother told the court he was afraid she would “come after me next”.

Helen Jones (52), of Cahergal Avenue, Mayfield, in Cork, is charged with aggravated burglary and the murder of her brother Paul Jones (55) at his home on Bandon Road, in Cork, on September 4 last.

She was refused bail by the High Court today on foot of objections by gardaí.

Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Emmet Nolan BL, said Ms Jones’ other brother, Liam Jones, had travelled ….read more

(File Picture: Janet Jackson. Credit: Collins)

A High Court judge has urged representatives of Facebook and Janet Jackson’s ex Wissam Al Mana to resolve their differences regarding the billionaire businessman’s application for information on those behind “fake ads” that have appeared on the social media platform.

Mr Al Mana, a UK-based Qatari national, has brought proceedings over adverts which he says are wrongly and maliciously using his name and image and which on several occasions since May 2019 have been published by persons unknown to him, using the Facebook Ads Tool.

The adverts contain a fake news article, using sensational headings and featuring ….read more

A mother said to be at “high-risk” of contracting Covid-19 travelled to a courtroom on Wednesday only to watch her son on a television screen be refused High Court bail.

The 22-year-old man, with an address in north Co Dublin, appeared via video-link from prison where he is currently held on foot of 11 charges including two burglaries and a series of thefts in the capital. The alleged thefts involve stealing a wallet and the alleged use of an ATM card for contactless payments of less than €30 where a PIN number is not required.

His barrister told the court that his ….read more

A prisoner remanded in custody pending his trial for attempted murder has brought a High Court challenge over his detention at the Midlands Prison’s segregation unit.

The proceedings have been brought by Caolan Smyth, who claims that since being moved to the prison some months ago, he has been locked in his cell for 23 hours a day.

Mr Smyth claims he has been told by the prison authorities that he is being kept away from other prisoners for his own safety due to an existing threat to his life.

Mr Smyth strongly disagrees with that assessment and rejects claims that his life ….read more