A LIMERICK man who gained notoriety five years ago when he laughed leaving the Four Courts in Dublin, yesterday admitted a charge of having a powerful Glock semiautomatic pistol and 13 rounds of ammunition.

IN a massive drugs bust, gardaí yesterday uncovered an elaborate cocaine ‘mixing house’ in Limerick being run by members of a Moyross gang.

ONE of the country’s most notorious criminals may face a fine of €10,000 and five extra years in prison after pictures showing him in his cell were taken on a mobile phone and used to update his Bebo page.

A MAN who refused to answer questions at a collapsed murder trial which outraged the nation was jailed yesterday for six months for contempt of court.

GOVERNMENT plans to have gangland murders and other serious crimes brought before the Special Criminal Court could be premature, a criminal barrister has warned.

A PAINTING depicting a Limerick criminal as a saint has sparked anger among friends of a youth he was accused of murdering.

Two people charged in connection with the collapse of a high-profile murder trial almost three years have escaped jail sentences.

A Circuit Court judge has adjourned sentencing for the weekend in the case of two people charged in connection with the collapse of a high profile murder trial.

HE literally gave two fingers to the justice system — his murder trial collapsing after six key witnesses withdrew their evidence — but yesterday, it was one the witnesses who faced imprisonment.

A 20-year-old Limerick man who crashed a car while trying to evade Gardaí was today sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.

GARDAÍ were on heightened alert in Limerick last night, fearing the violent city feud is about to erupt over Christmas.

THE collapsed Limerick murder trial which sparked national outrage two years ago was recalled yesterday when one key State witness pleaded guilty to perjury.

The brother of a murdered Limerick teenager is recovering in hospital last night, after he was shot in the same housing estate where his brother was stabbed to death four years ago.

Three people charged in connection with the collapse of a high-profile murder trial nearly two years ago have been sent forward for trial.

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.

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.

Three people have appeared before Limerick District Court charged in connection with the collapse of a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court in 2003.

A 19-year-old Limerick man, who walked free from court last year after a murder trial dramatically collapsed, has been jailed for five months today on charges relating to a stolen motorbike.

A 21-year-old Limerick man who walked free from court last year after a murder trial dramatically collapsed was back in court today on road traffic offences.

Charges against three people in connection with events which led to the dramatic collapse of a murder trial have been struck out at Limerick District Court.

A 19-year-old Limerick man at the centre of a collapsed murder trial has been jailed for a further three months.

A 19-year-old Limerick man, who was at the centre of a collapsed murder trial, has been jailed for four months for public order offences outside the city's courthouse.

LIMERICK City Council may have to spend three quarters of a million euro next year to buy houses in three trouble estates to prevent them falling into the hands of criminal gangs.

Three people charged in connection with events which led to the collapse of a recent murder trial have been remanded on continuing bail at Limerick District Court.

The mother of Liam Keane, the teenager at the centre of a major murder trial which collapsed last week, was reportedly assaulted by an armed gang today.

Three people appeared before a special sitting of Limerick District Court today charged in connection with events which led to the collapse of a recent murder trial.

RUMOURS raged around Limerick on Thursday night that Liam Keane, 19, had been shot dead.

THE parents of the 18-year-old Limerick victim at the centre of the collapsed murder trial yesterday spoke for the first time of how their lives were shattered when their son was stabbed to death on August 28, 2001.

THE parents of the 18-year-old Limerick victim at the centre of the collapsed murder trial yesterday spoke for the first time of how their lives were shattered when their son was stabbed to death on August 28, 2001.

INTIMIDATION of witnesses could be significantly reduced by appointing more judges to cut the waiting time for murder trials, legal experts said yesterday.

THE garda station on King’s Island is boarded up.

Proposed extra funding for garda operations will not be enough to tackle the gangland killings plaguing Ireland’s streets, it was claimed today.

A DISTRICT court judge has ordered the arrest of Liam Keane, whose trial for murder collapsed at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on Monday.

THE sense of public dismay following the aborted murder trial, from which the accused walked free because six witnesses suffered collective amnesia in the face of suspected intimidation, reflects the gravity of a case which threatens to undermine the foundations of the criminal legal system.

A new breed of ruthless young criminals is responsible for the gang warfare plaguing our streets, Bertie Ahern warned today.

Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, is giving €2m to the Gardaí to target gangland crime between now and the end of the year.

Gangland feuding has become so widespread Limerick city that ordinary garda investigations are suffering, it was claimed today.

A major review of the legal and courts system as well as an examination of garda resources in Limerick is to be undertaken by the Minister for Justice following the collapse of a murder trial yesterday.

THE six witnesses in a collapsed murder trial face up to 25 years in prison if found guilty of perjury.

Demands were made tonight for an official investigation after amurder trial collapsed following the withdrawal of a number of key prosecution witness statements.

The trial of a Limerick man accused of murder walked free from court today after the sixth prosecution witness denied making a statement identifying the accused man as the killer.

A 17-year-old youth has been charged with murdering 19-year-old Eric Leamy in Limerick city last month.

A 17-year-old youth has been arrested by Gardai in Limerick in connection with the murder of a teenager last month.

Another murder investigation is underway in Limerick City tonight after two violent attacks left one man dead and another in a critical condition.