News from Ireland - news from around the 32 counties

It has led to criticism, with the SDLP describing the amount as “shocking”, while unionists branded it the cost of cultural intolerance. The biggest cost for a single parade was £766,000, which was spent on policing an Orange Order march near Ardoyne on July 12 and 13.

A further £301,000 went towards the security operation for the Apprentice Boys’ march through Londonderry on August 13, with the contentious Whiterock parade costing £233,000.

There was also a £154,000 bill for the Tour of the North parade in mid-June, while a contentious march through Rasharkin in North Antrim cost £65,000.
(Source: Belfast Telegraph)

Galway

Sentencing in the case of a city woman convicted earlier this year by a jury of setting fire to her Council house has been deferred until support services are put in place prior to her release from custody.

Veronica MacAnespie (45), of 38 Tulach Ard, Rahoon, Galway had denied setting fire to her local authority house at the above address in the early hours of November 28, 2007, during a three-day trial at Galway Circuit Criminal Court in May.

The jury took just over an hour to find her guilty and Judge Raymond Groarke remanded Ms MacAnespie in custody to await sentence on July 13. She was further remanded on that date to appear before the court again last week for sentence.

However, it emerged at the sentencing hearing that City Council had evicted Ms MacAnespie from her home immediately following her conviction and incarceration last May and she had no place to live now if released. The court was told the City Council was now ‘obliged’ to house her.

Judge Groarke said he would not finalise sentencing until such time as the woman had a place to stay and was being supervised and helped by the relevant support services.

Kieran O’Loughlin, SC defending, said the City Council were obliged to house his client and the psychiatric service in Galway would have to put support services in place for her.

Judge Groarke agreed and said the doctor at the Central Mental Hospital stated MacAnespie was still very vulnerable and needed supervision. Reading between the lines that meant that as long as she remained vulnerable she posed a risk of doing the same thing again, he said.

He adjourned sentencing to Friday, November 11 next so that the local services could liaise and put a support structure in place for the woman. “I have to ensure that something similar or worse does not happen in the future,” he added.
(Source: GalwayBay Fm)

Kerry

A 42-year-old man has been found guilty in Tralee of the multiple rape and sexual assault of a then 10-year-old girl in her home in a town in south Kerry in the Christmas period 2001/2002.

The eight counts on which the man, who is not a relative, was found guilty included two counts of oral rape, three counts of rape, two of sexual assault one of attempted anal rape .

He was acquitted of the rape and sexual assault of her older sister during the same period.

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Nster.com