A young man who assaulted a garda made an emotional appeal to a judge to look into his heart and give him one last chance.

Pre-tax profits at the country’s largest nursing home group, where two indebted Nama developers transferred ownership of the firm to their wives, increased by 58% in 2011 to €2.5m.

ALLIED Irish Banks is seeking €43 million judgment orders against a building company and three of its directors over unpaid loans issued for developments in Co Kerry, including a nursing home and 81 associated residential units.