Ratner rumour is razed

IT was one of the best retailing "flyers" of the year. Gerald Ratner, the British businessman responsible for one of the most expensive corporate cock-ups in history, was coming to Ireland. Ratner saw his chain of high-street jewellers vaporise after describing some of his stock as "total crap" in 1991. Ratner, so the story went, was pencilled in to have a concession space at the House of Fraser store in Dundrum. "No. It was just a story. We had talked to all sorts of people and sometimes these things pop up from nowhere. People add two and two and get five. At the minute it's not part of the plan," says John Coleman. Ratner is still making his comeback, after the ?700m business melt-down, with online jewellery and branded watches business geraldonline.com. He also made a few bob buying and selling a gym in Berkshire.

Would-be tomb thieves remanded on bail for sentence

THREE men who disturbed the remains of the dead and damaged tombs in a drunken search for jewellery in a graveyard were told they were "not out of the woods" after being remanded on bail yesterday for a probation report. Coffin lids were removed from above-ground tombs and shrouds over the remains pulled back when gardai arrived at Raheala Graveyard, Ballyduff, Co Kerry, to in THREE men who disturbed the remains of the dead and damaged tombs in a drunken search for jewellery in a graveyard were told they were "not out of the woods" after being remanded on bail yesterday for a probation report. Coffin lids were removed from above-ground tombs and shrouds over the remains pulled back when gardai arrived at Raheala Graveyard, Ballyduff, Co Kerry, to investigate on August 4, 2003. The men had been in custody since mid-November to await sentencing for what Judge Carroll Moran at Tralee Circuit Court called "a revolting crime". Alan McNulty (29), Moreen Road, Sandyford, Dublin; Mathew O'Donnell (24), Aughills, Castlemaine, and no fixed address, and John Smith (32), Moreen Avenue, Sandyford, had pleaded guilty to damaging tombs of Cyril McEnery and Timothy Browne, and to disturbing/interfering with Bridie Fitzmaurice's and Jack Browne's remains. Smith also pleaded guilty to damaging the tomb of Bridie Fitzmaurice. Previous sittings had heard no valuables had been removed. Judge Moran put the matter back to February 22 and made no promise the men would not be jailed. - Anne Lucey