Latest: A man fired more than 100 rounds at sheriff's deputies in Colorado, killing one and injuring four others, before being fatally shot himself in what authorities called an ambush.

"He treated me like an animal, like a dog. I was frozen solid with fear. He said if I told anybody, God would take my mum and dad and it was my fault."

Aurimas Petraska transformed "cheap" cars into missiles, capable of smashing through secure premises.

A man charged with falsely imprisoning the son of a post mistress and demanding a ransom for his safe return, has been refused bail.

A Limerick criminal who knocked down a garda and rammed a bus and two garda patrol cars, whilst driving a high-powered stolen BMW, told gardaí after his arrest: "I'm addicted to fast cars".

A former manager at Advance Pitstop stole cash and cheques from his employer to pay off a criminal gang after he developed a €800-a-day cocaine habit, Limerick Circuit Court has heard.

Comments posted on Facebook sparked a family feud which erupted in a violent battle on the main street of a town between "cousins, aunts and uncles", Limerick Circuit Court has heard today.

A man was "accidentally" shot in the face and seriously injured by armed gardai when they intercepted an international "professional" burglary gang in Co Limerick, a court heard Friday.

A Limerick man has been jailed for eight years after abducting a "vulnerable" youth at gun point and attacking him with a claw hammer.

A Limerick man involved in running a children's charity in Africa has been jailed for six years for the sexual defilement of a 13-year old girl.

A mother of six was fined €100 at Limerick Circuit Court after she admitted marrying a man while still married to her first husband, writes David Raleigh

"This was a case of the alleged Ireland of a thousand welcomes meets A Clockwork Orange."

A mobile ice cream van, which sold ice-lollies and cones to children around parks and sports venues, was being used as a cover for a major drugs distribution business, Limerick circuit criminal court heard today.

A Limerick woman who repeatedly stabbed a Clare woman in the head with a broken bottle looked into her victim's eyes and told her: "I hope you f*****g die".

A Co Clare paedophile, who had a previous conviction for sexually abusing two young sisters, has escaped a jail sentence after pleading guilty to sexually interfering with another young girl.

A former accountant who spent €50,000 he stole from business clients, to pay for a piano, landscape gardening, and home repairs, has avoided a jail sentence, writes David Raleigh.

A woman punched a disabled man and robbed his wallet after tricking him into believing she was going to help him tie his shoelaces, a court heard today, writes David Raleigh.

A man has been jailed for eleven years with the final three years suspended after "savagely" beating a "quiet and gentle" man, leaving him in a permanently disabled state and later attempting to burgle the home of an elderly bachelor.

A Garda accused of theft of over €3,000 in overtime allowances, for duties it was claimed he did perform, has been found not guilty by direction of a Circuit Court judge.

A man who covered his body in butter in order to evade two Gardai before trying to stab them has had his case adjourned at Tralee Circuit Criminal Court.

Two people have died in a house fire in Co Galway overnight.

An accountant who groomed and sexually abused a young girl over a five year period has been jailed for five years.

A man who took part in the gang rape of a woman in Cratloe, Co Clare in 2004, when he was aged 16, has been jailed this afternoon for failing to notify Gardaí of where he was living.

An 18-year-old has appeared before Limerick District Court charged with arson and criminal damage.

A 49-year-old man has appeared before Limerick District Court charged with possession of drugs worth around €300,000.

A troubled 15-year-old boy, who stole to pay for drugs from head shops, has been released under supervised probation for six months.

A garda and HSE probe is underway into the circumstances in which 23 non-nationals including two pregnant 15-year-old girls are allegedly sharing a house in west Dublin, a court has heard today.

Three Spanish women have been told to leave the country after they admitted running a brothel in Limerick city.

Publicans in Limerick will find out later this morning whether they will be given permission to open on Good Friday.

Limerick vintners will learn on Thursday if they have been sucessful in their bid to serve pints on Good Friday.

A ruling is due today in the case of a man charged with making a false statement to Gardaí arising out of an alleged incident involving the Defence Minister.

A Dutch man who was extradited from Holland at the weekend has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of a Co Clare farmer two years ago.

A Limerick couple charged with assaulting two young children, one with an iron, have been sent forward for trial to the next sitting of the Circuit Criminal Court.

A Man who threatened a security man with a screwdriver after robbing a shop in Limerick city has been jailed for eight months.

A Judge has ordered that the proceeds of a brothel be donated to the Limerick Rape Crisis Centre.

A Limerick man who threatened to kill a woman, just hours after his brother was murdered in the city's notorious feud, has been jailed for eight months.

Three Limerick teenagers charged in connection with an horrific arson attack in which two young children suffered serious burns have been sent forward for trial.

A Limerick man charged with threatening to kill a woman just hours after his brother was murdered has been remanded in custody for a further two weeks.

Two Limerick teenagers have been sent forward for trial for the murder of an 18-year-old youth in the city a year ago.

DUBLIN City University, hosts to this year's Datapac Sigerson Cup for the first time, must beat UCC to reach Saturday's final.

A convicted sex offender and international conman donated a bogus cheque to a Limerick charity for stg£100,000 (€147,000) because he wanted people to think "well of him", a court has heard.

A 31-year-old man charged in connection with the death of a father of four, whose body was found in a laneway last week, has been further remanded in custody at Limerick District Court.

An 18-year-old youth has appeared before Limerick District Court charged in connection with the alleged rape of a middle-aged woman at the weekend.

A man has appeared in court charged in connection with the death of a man in Limerick.

The case against three people charged in connection with the collapse of a murder trial two years ago could be dropped if the Book of Evidence is not ready in two weeks, a court has heard.

A 24-year-old father who dangled his baby daughter over a bannister and threatened to throw her down the stairs has been jailed for six months.

A son of a former Sinn Féin candidate in a Dáil by-election has appeared in court in connection with an incident in which shots were allegedly fired at a garda patrol car in a city housing estate.

An 18-year-old man was found with a powerful submachine gun and 150 rounds of ammunition when stopped by gardaí in Limerick, it was alleged in court today.

The first two pubs to be successfully prosecuted for breaching the smoking ban in the mid-west region have each been ordered to pay almost €2,000 in fines and legal costs.

Up to five customers were smoking illegally in a Co Limerick pub and the bar counter was strewn with ashtrays full of butts, it was alleged in court today.