Judge pulls out of skiing case

A HIGH Court action by a woman injured in a skiing accident was halted yesterday when it emerged the judge in the case had suffered a similar accident.

Colleen Cleary (44), of Loreto Abbey, Rathfarnham, Dublin, sued Traveldev Ltd, trading as directski.com, of Blanchardstown Corporate Park, Dublin, arising out of an accident in which she suffered a broken ankle while on a ski-ing holiday in Italy .

Ms Justice Mary Irvine said she had not been aware until now that this accident was as a result of an alleged failure of a boot to release.

She said she had had a similar accident. After adjourning briefly it was decided the case would be put back and dealt with by another judge.

Couple staged fake car crash

A married couple used a car abandoned during the big freeze of 2010 in a botched attempt to fake a car crash, a court has heard.

Anthony Burnett (33) of Sean O'Casey Avenue, Dublin reversed his car into the front of a car which had been abandoned on an icy road. He then reported a hit-and-run accident to gardai.

Burnett and his wife Jennifer Slater (32), of Summerhill, both pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to making a false report to gardai on January 4, 2010.

The judge branded the couple "incredibly stupid" before he gave them each a suspended sentence.