The concluding stages have been reached in the trial of a Wexford man charged with raping a 14-year-old baby-sitter in 2006.

The jury in the trial at the Central Criminal Court of a Wexford man charged with raping a 14-year-old baby-sitter has heard that no trace of semen was found on swabs taken from the alleged victim.

A Wexford man charged with raping a 14-year-old baby-sitter in his sister's home was threatened with being "knee-capped" unless he pleaded guilty and has been subjected to silent phonecalls.

A convicted Carlow rapist who was extradited from the USA in August has today been jailed for seven years by Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court.

A 26-year-old man who raped a Waterford student while she walked home alone from a disco last November has been jailed for 10 years by Mr Justice Barry White at the Central Criminal Court.

A Wexford apprentice carpenter has been given a seven years sentence by Mr Justice Peter Charleton at the Central Criminal Court for raping a student near Waterford city centre before Christmas 2004.

A GARDA sergeant (now an inspector) and the State were sued in the High Court yesterday by a 25-year-old carpenter who claimed the sergeant assaulted him six years ago in a Co Leitrim bar, refused to give an explanation and later brought a malicious prosecution which was dismissed by a District Judge.

A Cork man was today found guilty of the murder of Mr Gerard Hackett, aged 49, at the Central Criminal Court.

A jury in the trial of a Cork man accused of murder at the Central Criminal Court were sent this evening to a hotel and will tommorow morning resume their deliberations.

The State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, today told a jury at the fourth day of a murder trial of a Cork man accused of murder that the victim "died from head injuries as a result from a sustained and severe assault".

A jury at the fourth day of a murder trial of a Cork man accused of murder today saw the alleged murder weapons, including a bloodied concrete block, a four-foot metal pipe, an iron bar, a six-foot metal gutter and a spear-like metal bar.

A Wexford man accused of murder allegedly stabbed his victim ten times in the body, a jury heard at the Central Criminal Court today.

A Waterford chef allegedly raped a 15-year-old waitress anally and orally two years ago near the Waterford city rugby grounds after offering to drive her home from work, the Central Criminal Court has heard.

An 11-year old schoolgirl today told the Central Criminal Court she thought she was going to die when a man allegedly tied a lace around her neck and twisted it as she lay on the ground in a field.