Teen attacked mother in row

A TEENAGER who attacked his mother when she discovered he had been playing truant has been remanded on bail pending sentence.

The 16-year-old had pleaded guilty at the Children's Court in April to assaulting his mother at their north Dublin home in March last year.

The court had heard that gardai were called to the boy's home and learned that the then 15-year-old pressed his arm against his mother's chest and pinned her against a piece of furniture.

No bail for man in hammer raid

A man has been further remanded in custody pending sentencing for a robbery where masked raiders used hammers to smash up a fast food takeaway in Dublin four years ago.

Stephen McArdle (20), with an address at Huntstown Wood, in Mulhuddart, West Dublin, had pleaded guilty to robbery at Abrakebabra, on Main Street in Finglas, on August 21, 2006, the Dublin Children's Court has heard.

He was aged 15 at the time of the offence and when he was first charged.

He later failed to turn up to court, but was arrested on foot of a bench warrant earlier this month.

Vest test led to fatal stabbing

A man who knifed his friend in the heart and killed him as they tested out a stab-proof vest is facing jail today.

David Baxter (31) from Newcastle, admitted manslaughter at a hearing last month at Newcastle Crown Court, having previously denied the offence. He was remanded in custody and was warned he was likely to be jailed for killing his 18-year-old friend, Christopher Baker.

NZ mine rocked by third blast

A third blast erupted inside the New Zealand mine where 29 workers were killed in an earlier explosion.

Pike River Coal chairman John Dow said the blast happened almost exactly a week to the minute after the first explosion that led to one of the country's worst mining disasters.

Twenty-nine workers were caught in last week's blast and officials said they could not have survived a second explosion on Wednesday.

High levels of methane gas were blamed for all the explosions.